Dharshan Weerasekera exposes Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Ministry’s deficient legal work
Posted on November 29th, 2013
by Shenali D. Waduge
Lawyer Mr. Dharshan Weerasekera’s highly analytical and insightful article titled “Illegality of UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s approach to Sri Lanka’ appearing in ‘Foreign Policy Journal’ of 19 March 2013 and published in several Lankan internet websites and mainstream newspapers i.e. Daily News (November 28 and 29, 2013) in the last few days, has reinforced the huge public disappointment bordering disgust at officials appointed to defend our nation internationally. For over 4 years we have seen Sri Lanka being subject to deplorable foreign and local overtures which our supposedly ‘legal luminaries’ and other loud mouthed ‘intellectuals’ (some with Oxbridge qualifications) enjoying plums of office, hobnobbing with the jet set, moving in and out of six star hotels abroad at public expense, excessive air plane travel using first class tickets, and enjoying the sweet life with undue privileges, should have pointed out and not allowed the nation’s President, its armed forces and the entire nation to be humiliated in the international arena, diplomatically snubbed and admonished as the ‘guilty party’ without a proper trial conducted at least according to rules of natural justice.
Summary of legal submissions of Dharshan Weerasekera
We now bring out salient points raised by Mr. Weerasekera who using his legal training has argued Sri Lanka’s case skillfully concluding that the UN Secretary General has no real mandate, no legal basis and no moral justification to carry out a virtual witch hunt against a UN member nation.
We shall first highlight the key areas that Mr. Dharshan has based his argument upon and thereafter proceed to ask where our Oxbridge legal luminaries have failed the nation and question whether it was a natural error of judgment or deliberate inaction purposely committed given their unconcealed allegiance and pathetic subservience to western colonial norms, standards and western institutions.
Mr. Dharshan Weerasekera points out the following:
- the 4 attempts by UNSG to pursue ‘accountability’ for ‘alleged war crimes’, committed during the last phase of the war.
- the 2 attempts on a personal initiative by the UN Secretary General – namely Darusman Panel of Experts and the Petrie Report which was a review of the UN office in Sri Lanka that concluded that UN had failed in its humanitarian mission. Petrie Report states that ‘”Seen together, the failure of the UN to adequately counter the Government’s under-estimation of population numbers in the Wanni, the failure to adequately confront the Government in its obstructions to humanitarian assistance, the unwillingness of the UN in UNHQ and in Colombo to address Government responsibility for attacks that were killing civilians, and the tone and content of UN communications with the Government on these issues, collectively amounted to a failure by the UN to act within the scope of institutional mandates to meet protection responsibilities.”
- Allegations of War Crimes against Sri Lanka
1. killing of civilians through widespread shelling – accusing the GOSL of shelling UN hub, food distribution lines and near ICRC ships coming to pick wounded
2. shelling of hospitals and humanitarian objects – accusing the GOSL of hitting all hospitals in the Vanni by mortars and artillery, some repeatedly.
3. denial of humanitarian assistance – accusing GOSl of denying people food, medical supplies, surgical supplies, purposely underestimating numbers of civilians
4. human rights violations suffered by victims and survivors of the conflict including both IDPs and suspected LTTE cadre
5. human rights violations outside the conflict zone including against media and other critics of the Government.
Mr. Weerasekera response to the allegation of killing civilians (quoted between 40,000 and 125,000) by giving the following examples to negate the accusations made by the UNSG’s Panelists and their ultimate report conclusions.
a) 2011 Census by the Dept of Census and Statistics/Sri Lanka of the North
- 22,329 deaths (2005-2009) of which 11,172 occurred in 2007 and 2523 due to natural causes and 7934 classified as ‘other deaths’ (could be from accidents, homicides, suicides etc.)
- An estimated 8000 had died between Jan-May 2009 inclusive of LTTE combatants. General belief that 5000 combatants died during final phase of war which leaves 3000 civilian deaths.
b) UN Country report in 2009 carried out during the conflict gave estimated deaths between August 2008-May 13 2009 as 7721 (this number is close to the figure of the Census Dept.)
c) American Association for the Advancement of Science – Aerial photographs of the conflict zone – in particular gravestones/mass graves found no such evidence implying that the allegations of 40,000 deaths or more was impossible.
If roughly 3000 civilians through 6 months did die this number however does not constitute indiscriminate targeting of civilians. The question is why has the GOSL legal defense team not demanded evidence to establish the allegations of 40,000 – 125,000 civilian deaths and repeated this demand through official statements each time allegations were being made from whatever sources. Why have our legal representatives not continuously demanded their names and other crucial details which would have stopped the barrage of lies and numbers that are dropping from the sky.
Why have our representatives not said enough times giving examples drawn from the reports of the embedded journalists like the Indian media that were present throughout the conflict inside the conflict zone along with the ICRC.
Mr. Weerasekera takes excerpts from Murali Reddy: as follows:
- Murali Reddy (Frontline) present up to the end of war 19 May 2009 as an ‘embedded’ reporter.” There were no conditions spelled out on the coverage from the war zone. We were allowed unfettered and unhindered movement up to 400 meters from the zone, where pitched battles were fought between the military and the remaining cadre and leaders of the LTTE….Most important was the fact that we had interference-free access to the internet, including Tamilnet, the website perceived to be pro-LTTE and based somewhere in Europe. Within the constraints of internet time available, and not-unexpected problems of connectivity and speed in a war zone, there was just enough time to read and absorb the reports on the websites before sending news dispatches to our headquarters. No questions were asked”.
He also states that ICRC suspended operations on 15th May 2009 (4 days before victory) having being satisfied that the majority of civilians were in safety and the military and LTTE were engaged in final combat. Murali Reddy would have also spoken to civilians and it confirmed if alleged massacres were taking place. However, none of his articles has indicated such. Spontaneous witness testimony by civilians becomes valid above the coached testimony currently taking place. Mr. Reddy’s commentaries highlights
1. civilians speaking to him did not accuse military of killing them
2. the Tamil civilians were attempting to escape LTTE without being detected – which means they wanted to run towards the army
3. Tamil civilians were not looked after by the LTTE and were deprived of food and water.
- David Gray (Reuters) correspondent taken on a tour of the battlefield in April 2009. In his accounts he declares that he saw ‘civilians being given small amounts of food and drink by the soldiers’ – soldiers were feeding the civilians not killing them and small amounts obviously must be sharing what they had been allocated.
- The fact that ICRC suspended its operations on 15th May 2009 goes to also show that it would have done so after being satisfied that majority of civilians were no longer with LTTE and the final battle between LTTE and the Army could take place without any injury to the civilians.
When allegations have been made on civilian killings why have our officials not immediately responded by giving the names of journalists like Murali Reddy whose accounts of the war does not mention anything of civilians fearing or fleeing the Sri Lankan armed forces?.
Why has the Government not cited Murali Reddy being physically present, with access to internet and to civilians wherein none of his articles have touched on civilian massacres or that civilians speaking to him coming out of the warzone made allegations of such?
Why has the Ministry of External Affairs not gathered accounts of people like Reuters correspondent Mr. Gray as testimony in view of the allegations of indiscriminate attacks against civilians and Mr. Gray’s own assertion that the soldiers were feeding civilians? Surely the Ministry should have compiled a list of all such statements which could have been annexed to the Government response at the successive Geneva sessions?
These examples should have been used to counter the false allegations made by the 2 UNSG panels and clearly the first hand accounts of the embedded journalists and those taken on tour go to show that there was no indiscriminate shelling of civilians or deprivation of food.
BBC, Channel 4 and LTTE use Goebbels theory of propaganda – ‘The Big Lie’
If Dharshan Weerasekera can produce excerpts from Mr. Reddy why have our representatives not done the same – not once but continuously for is this not how the LTTE propaganda machinery is working with lies? When we have the truth why are we not saying it loud and repeatedly? The LTTE, its fronts, its apologists and supporters are telling lies enough times and repeatedly and getting away with it because of their heavy reliance on Josef Goebbels theory of propaganda ‘ The Big Lie’ working in their favor.
The ‘Big Lie’ works on the principle that when one lies, one should lie big, and stick to it; keep up the lies, even at the risk of looking ridiculous. In the Big Lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the average people in any nation are always susceptible to brain washing by big lies rather than small lies. Even though the true facts revealed later may disprove the big lie, the average person will still entertain doubt and waver and continue to think that there may be some other explanation. The lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down. This is a fact which is well known to both the BBC and Channel 4 funded by the Tamil Diaspora and all other LTTE supporters.
When the factual truth is on our side why have our representatives failed to resort to well – known techniques of both propaganda and counter – propaganda, lack the political will to say out loud and repeat it even every day so that other people would begin to see our side of the story?
Even for the charge of indiscriminate shooting at hospitals – why have our representatives not kept repeatedly saying that LTTE used the hospitals to store its military equipment and fired from these sites and questioned if they were functioning as hospitals for civilians? Our representatives has not told enough times that even the Panel mentions of LTTE using the hospitals and if so the army cannot be faulted for firing if LTTE fires from ‘hospitals’ for if LTTE wishes to seek protection from Geneva Conventions it must follow them and Rule 1 is to ensure civilians are removed from combat – LTTE herded people with them and this is where the violation of the Convention lies. Why have we not kept on punching these faults?
Why have Sri Lanka’s representatives NOT repeatedly given examples of
- ICRC presence in conflict zone throughout the final phase and participating in and coordinating the food and medicine convoys to the battle-zone with dates/amounts and other details
- Government records that it transported 534,227 metric tons of food and medicine to the conflict zone – quantities that ICRC did not dispute.
- Government records of continuing supply of food and medicine convoys right up to end of war
- Why did the Government representatives not object to and demand official explanation and apology from the Experts for purposely omitting mention ICRC/Government convoys of food and medicine running parallel to UN/WFP convoys? This intended omission should have been raised and demanded a convincing explanation.
UN Charter not used for Sri Lanka’s benefit
If Dharshan Weerasekera says that the UNSG can commission reports on success and failures of UN offices but he does not have authority to submit these reports indirectly to official UN organs (ex: UNHRC) to compel action against a fellow Member country, and that UNSG’s actions are illegal under UN Charter Article 2(7), 99 and 100 – why has the External Affairs Ministry and other legal luminaries not thought of this and tendered an official complaint and demanded the UNSG to produce evidence to back allegations thereby giving Sri Lanka an opportunity to respond. Instead what has now happened is that an illegally sanctioned report that has nothing to do with the UN General Assembly or the UN Security Council has become the basis for cross examining and international bullying of Sri Lanka by third parties which is contributing towards the denigration and destabilizing of Sri Lanka.
Is it not the job of the External Affairs Ministry and the legal teams and other experts who had been tasked and handsomely paid with additional perks to travel overseas at the drop of a hat, to save the nation to table and tell enough times out loud without being prompted to table that the UNSG’s ‘reports’ have not been ‘authorized’ or ‘requested’ by the UN General Assembly or the UN Security Council or the UNHRC and these have not been filed either? Yet, Sri Lanka is being asked to respond to a REPORT that has no legal basis and our question is what have our teams been doing all this while not pointing this out to the country’s President and the people, being the ultimate masters of this country.
Supposed ‘Verbal agreement’ legally unsustainable
Mr. Dharshan Weerasekera argues quite rightly that a supposed verbal agreement with the UN Secretary – General (UNSG ) and the Sri Lanka President in May 2009 does not empower or authorize him to pursue the role of ‘monitor’ on the accountability process in Sri Lanka and thus denies him a legal basis for action.
Mr. Weerasekera says that UNSG can resort to Article 99 of the UN Charter granting him discretion to bring matters to the attention of the UN Security Council but even that is without legal sanction.
The UNSG has cited a meeting with Sri Lankan President in May 2009 as a term of reference for personally commissioning two Panels to report on Sri Lanka though not at the behest of either the General Assembly or the UN Security Council or even an official UN organ.
Why did the Sri Lankan authorities not read the Joint Statement issued for both reports and not agree to such a joint statement while being fully aware that the UNSG is commissioning reports without any requests from the General Assembly, UN Security Council or even an official organ? Did our representatives with sufficient legal qualifications to back their role and involved in UN mechanics not realize the game plan being contrived? From the clauses that Mr. Weerasekera picks in the joint statement as he rightfully says the Joint Statement implies that the GOSL has admitted accepting violations of humanitarian laws – “The Secretary General underlined the importance of an accountability process to address violations of international humanitarian and human rights law committed during military operations between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE” (emphasis added). Surely, our legal luminaries should have picked up this very simple English to realize the adverse ramifications accruing to Sri Lanka in agreeing to endorse such a joint statement.
Our next question is, who representing Sri Lanka actually committed the Government to agreeing to such a joint statement and if we did not agree why have we not objected to using this term of reference? Should our people not continue to object to its inclusion and demand its omission if we had not agreed to such a joint commitment as that the Office of the UNSG is officially stating through its two commissioned reports. Though these sentences are loose and have no legal basis Sri Lanka has been unnecessarily and unduly taken before the informal world court and humiliated undeservedly and repeatedly. Who is responsible for allowing this state of affairs detrimental to Sri Lanka’s standing and best interests to take place? The buck cannot be allowed to stop at the gates of favourite Ministries.
UNSG uses Article 99 of the UN Charter – to commission reports and inquiries on a personal initiative by using the joint-statement with the Sri Lanka President (which has no legal basis) in spite of UN legal experts rejection of use of Article 99 because it is related to Articles 97 and 98.
Article 97: The Secretary General shall be the chief administrative officer of the organization
Article 98: The Secretary General shall act in that capacity in all meetings of the General Assembly, of the Security Council, of the Trusteeship Council, and shall perform such other functions as are entrusted to him by these organs.
Article 99: The Secretary General may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security
Thus as Mr. Weerasekera points out the 3 relevant Articles related to the functioning of the UNSG makes the UNSG function according to Article 98 first and he can use Article 99 only if he thinks there is a threat to international peace and security but that too he has to bring this to the attention of the UN Security Council. Sri Lanka posed no such threat and UNSG did not inform the UN Security Council of his intent to commission two reports.
Mr. Weerasekera gives as examples Honduras coup in 2009 helped by US and the crisis in Congo, Rwanda and Uganda where UN peacekeepers have lists of accusations against them. As Mr. Weerasekera rightly points out why has the UNSG not commissioned Panel of Experts on ‘accountability’ or reviews of UN ‘failures” which ideally should also immediately include Haiti where UN has been found guilty of spreading cholera?
Is it not because UNSG could not use Article 99 that in spite of its lack of legal basis the UNSG is quoting the agreement with the Sri Lankan President as ground for commissioning the 2 reports. If so, why have our Sri Lankan luminaries not taken this and given it full international publicity and condemned the act continuously for we would not have had to be fooled into establishing LLRC and other such international commitments when we defeated the terrorists.
Mr. Weerasekera also points out an untruth and obfuscation when UNSG statement states ‘”In March 2010, in the absence of Government initiative on the issue, the UN informed the Government and Member States of plans to establish a UN Panel of Experts on accountability in Sri Lanka.”
The Panel of Experts is NOT a UN sanctioned Panel. It is a PERSONAL initiative by the UNSG. Why have Sri Lanka not rejected the Report and refused to use this as a basis for any of the Resolutions brought against Sri Lanka for every nation is using these reports as a basis to crucify and defame Sri Lanka.
What Sri Lanka should have done was to officially object to the UNSG exceeding the powers granted to him by the Charter. It is a classic example of ‘ultra vires’ (beyond the powers) as we well know of the application of the term in Municipal Law. In addition Sri Lanka should have officially objected to the appointment of Navi Pillay functioning as UNHRC head on Sri Lanka and the blatant conflict of interest citing the examples of the biased stand taken by her over the years. Simply reporting this matter to us in Sri Lanka and not doing anything further when our representatives have the full freedom and power to exercise the rights of a member nation at the UN in an effective way is simply unpardonable. This is tantamount to a gross dereliction of public duty for which both the Ministry of External Affairs and its team of advisers and decision makers, is answerable in no uncertain terms to the President, the State and the public.
Mr. Weerasekera opines that UNSG has violated Article 100 and Article 2(7)
Article 100 – UNSC and UN staff will not allow themselves to be influenced in their duties by any ‘external authority to the Organization’ and
Article 2 (7) – UN Charter prohibits UN from interfering in the internal affairs of nations.
To justify his argument that UNSG has violated Article 100 (1), Mr. Weerasekera brings out the Ellenborough Principle (criminal law of England) where a strong prime facie case can be made against an accused in a situation where it is in the power of the accused to explain certain suspicious circumstances or events that tie him to the offence, and when he either refuses or fails to explain those away, an inference of guilt can be drawn against him.’
Mr. Weerasekera raises the question where in a situation the UNSG has no legal basis for his action whether he can use moral grounds for taking action. But UNSG has not been able to establish beyond reasonable doubt (the criminal burden of proof) that the GOSL committed war crimes to refer to moral justice to warrant a prima facie case. Mr. Weerasekera discounts UNSG’s personal sentiment for he is neither a Sri Lankan, a Tamil, has kith or kin in Sri Lanka or has been affected personally directly or indirectly by the conflict.
As Mr. Weerasekera rightly fully asks, a question many people in Sri Lanka have been asking for some years now which our representatives are not articulating or pushing enough using the powers given to them is why we have failed to advocate that the UNSG has neither legal basis or moral justification and is violating all ethics. Why has Sri Lanka not brought to the attention of the UN that UNSG is violating Article 2(7) REPEATEDLY by meddling in affairs that fall ‘within the domestic jurisdiction of members’. If he strongly feels that crimes were committed he needs to compile these crimes and place them officially before the UN General Assembly or the UN Security Council. We are well aware of the fallacies that have taken place – with the false accusations of WMDs that enabled the invasion and occupation of Iraq. As Mr. Weerasekera rightly summarizes the biased and illegal actions of the UNSG have greatly contributed to third parties interfering and attempting to destabilize and balkanize Sri Lanka.
International Court of Justice
Mr. Weerasekera does not stop at placing the facts before the public, he goes on to suggest that Sri Lanka should go before the International Court of Justice (now called the World Court) at the Hague and request an Advisory Opinion on the actions of the UNSG. He states the ICJ statute “The court may give an advisory opinion on any legal question at the request of whatever body may be authorized by or in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations to make such a request.” Sri Lanka is perfectly within its rights to take the aforementioned matter before the court and obtain an Advisory Opinion that may block the efforts of the UNSG and other interested parties determined to punish Sri Lanka for winning the war against terrorism in this country.
Mr. Weerasekera also says that if the ICJ declares that the UNSG’s actions are legal the UNSG would next demand an international inquiry on the final stages of the war but this is something he is anyway pursuing now backed by several countries like UK, Canada, without a proper legal basis. However, if the ICJ does call the UNSG he would have to produce cogent evidence of allegations and apart from reports there is nothing he or his legal team can produce. The Expert Panel’s methodology is questionable – only 4000 submissions on ‘cases’ were received from 2300 senders and the Panel has denied access to these submissions for a period of 20 years on the ground of secrecy to protect the lives of complainants and witnesses. The ICJ would demand that these seals be removed on the ‘secret submissions’ and this may expose the Machiavellian ‘game plan’ of the UNSG and his team of ‘experts’.
An Unwarranted Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Sri Lanka
In order to escape the unrelenting pressure the Government is about to commit another huge blunder i.e. hara kiri, at the behest of the very people in the Ministry of External Affairs who have committed so many blunders in the past in recommending the likes of Agreements that betrayed Sri Lanka, e.g. the Ceasefire Agreement, Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA), P -TOMS, and the like, to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Sri Lanka, similar to what took place in South Africa. This mechanism is totally unwarranted given the huge contrast in the situations that prevailed in the two countries. Sri Lanka never had an apartheid system like in South Africa under which the rights of the majority black inhabitants of South Africa were oppressively curtailed and white Afrikaner minority rule was maintained. It was an appalling structure that imposed racial segregation which began in colonial times under Dutch and British rule, neither of which countries had been called to account and pay reparations for the crimes committed against Black Africans. The UN under the current UNSG has shown no interest in shining the light of international law or International Criminal Court (ICC) on western colonialism or establishing an International Commission on Truth and Reparations to investigate both genocide and crimes against humanity committed all around the world during the western colonial era spanning over 500 years.
The only relief that these luminaries of the Government has presented as their proposed solution has been to compromise our land, our heritage (which is the ultimate goal) and our people and open up the country to far more dangers than the existence of the LTTE – when will the leaders realize the treacheries of these traitors?
Shenali D Waduge
November 29th, 2013 at 3:20 pm
We need a better foreign minister.
GLP is USELESS.
But there is more to this than diplomacy.
UNLESS Tamils are turned into a minority in the north (like we did to them in the east) this problem will continue.
November 29th, 2013 at 5:58 pm
I HAVE NEVER HEARD HIM SPEAKING OUT LIKE DR. CHRIS NONIS, WHO IS VERY ARTICULATE. GLP IS A MISERABLE FAILURE, PERIOD.
November 29th, 2013 at 8:19 pm
Unfortunately GLP is only a reactive minister. He is clever enough to argue against various accusations by hostile forces but not quite effective as he has not been able to put them on the defensive. GLP needs to have a permanent “Think Tank” made up of honest, educated and competent individuals whose task is to both initiate deterrent action on NGOs, politicians and journalists making false allegations and also be proactive and target important international leaders to update them as well as educate them of the truth through appropriate international mechanisms that could challenge the enemy
November 30th, 2013 at 6:13 am
UK hurriedly destroying war crimes evidence!!!
“British officials burned and dumped at sea documents from colonies that were about to become independent in a systematic effort to hide their “dirty” secrets, newly released files showed on Friday.
Under “Operation Legacy”, officials in Kenya, Uganda, Malaysia, Tanzania, Jamaica and other former British colonial territories were briefed on how to dispose of documents that “might embarrass Her Majesty’s Government”.
Newly declassified Foreign Office files reveal how the “splendid incinerator” at the Royal Navy base in Singapore was used to destroy lorry loads of files from the region.
Other officials wrote of documents being dumped “in deep and current-free water at the maximum practicable distance from shore”, according to the documents in the National Archives.
One dispatch from Kenya in 1961 mentions the formation of a committee dealing with “‘dirty’ aspects of protective security” which would “clean” Kenyan intelligence files, according to The Times newspaper.
The British government agreed earlier this year to pay £14 million (16 million euros, $23 million) in compensation to more than 5,200 elderly Kenyans who were tortured and abused during the 1950s Mau Mau uprising against colonial rule.”
– Kenya news.
November 30th, 2013 at 6:22 am
GLP wants to be in the good books of the western countries as well as he has a dead weight tied around his neck in the form of Sajin.
On the other hand MEA it self is a war zone and any meaningful action from them could be likened to feathers from a tortoise!
Having said all that, isn’t it common knowledge that every body knows the truth in these accusations against us and that Geneva is a drama that the US is directing with the UK as co-director.
Even the last time it was the US that coerced and arm twisted many small African countries to vote for them and they will continue to do that regardless of what we do because this is not about human rights, war crimes or Tamils. This is all about geo-politics and they have openly declared war for regime change. They will not give up until they get their puppet installed.
November 30th, 2013 at 6:40 am
Thank you, Shenali, for your continued efforts to defend our mother land with well researched articles, which you churn out regularly, one or two a day. If we had a few people like you in our foreign embassies, our motherland would not be in this position today.
Most of the people in our embassies are political appointees including the 2nd and 3rd rung officers who only want a cushy life and are either too lazy or incompetent to counter the propaganda by those against our country. There are a few exceptions like Nonis, Kariyawasam and Kohana. There may be instances where they are not supported adequately by their staff. For example, when the news channels first came up with the death of Prabakaran’s son with photos, Prasad Kariyawasam denied any army involvement and did a decent job in defending our heroes. However, he missed a point which I pointed out in an email. I know that the email was received by the High Commission, but there was no acknowledgement and the point I raised in the email was never published in any press release. The following is part of the email I sent to Kariyawasam:
“I am writing this email to you after reading your comments about Prabakaran’s son. Those photos may have been taken just before the Army advanced to the area where Prabakaran was fighting his last battle. The bunker where the photos were taken with the little chap seated, most probably, is a LTTE bunker. Did you notice that some of the people surrounding the dead body were wearing slippers? Sri Lankan soldiers never wear slippers in a battle field and there were no civilians left in that area at that time. Therefore, the kid must have been killed by one of their own as a mercy killing or must have died in cross fire and the photo taken before the army moved in.”
November 30th, 2013 at 9:16 am
All the evidence needed by the GoSL is on this website which I found on Lanka Web. We need to use this against the accusations. The original CH4 video which shows the Tamil LTTE soldiers killing Sinhala soldiers while talking in Tamil is there. This is un-dubbed original. While the one used by CH4 is the version where they took this same video and dubbed in Sinhalese to make it appear that Sinhala soldiers were killing the LTTE.
http://www.terrorinlanka.com
November 30th, 2013 at 9:56 am
It is quite understandable to argue your case on a legal basis. It is invariably left to the legal experts and even small business houses have such people to protect their interests. It is very unfortunate that we do not have even such apparatus in an important Ministry such as the Foreign Affairs. What more to say of it. NAK has very lucidly pointed out the name of SAJIN who is placed in-charge as the Supervising Minister. How on earth do you expect the “Legal Brains” in that Ministry to function without listening to the “advice and dirctives” of a man like SAJIN?. This appointment has put the whole Ministry of Foreign Affairs to mockery in the eye of the local and International Community. So no wonder, the International Community is making all the mockery and bullying us.
Having said that, it is relevant to point out what happened to one and the only person who prevented the Dharusman Report being “smuggled” into the UNHRC. Before that episode, it is also important to note how a very “secretive delegation” led by our own Minister of Foreign Affairs visited USA and met the UNSG and discussed the Dharusman Report. Were it not for the media, we would never have known what that meeting was all about. Before the media exposure, do you know how vehemently the very Minister denied having that meeting and later on to say “YES” we had a meeting. It was to the credit of Ms. Kunanayagam who picked up a “e-mail” sent out by the UNHRC to the delegates and also a “secretive dinner discussion” at which the attempt of the Canadian Representative to produce the Dharusman Report was exposed and prevented that being produced. It was at this “blatant violations” of our rights that the so called “Delegation of Sri Lanka” would have “STAGED A VICTORIOUS WALK OUT” and withdrawn from the UNHRC sessions. You need no “Legal Experts” advice to do such a thing. The only thing you need is “CONVICTION OF YOUR OWN RIGHTS AND COURAGE”. We unfortunately and miserably failed to show our own strengths. But we did one thing well. That was to “KICK OUT” the person who “exposed the hidden agenda of the UNHRC and the UNSG”. Our “own brains” inside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs led and directed by the “BIG BRAIN”, SAJIN got into a “high speed mode” and completed the assigned job of ‘KICK OUT” our own representative. We did not stop at that. We also “VOTED”to put Ms. Navaneethan Pillai for another term of office. What did we gain? We will learn it in March 2014.
We had better remember one thing more. Do you remember the question of a “disappearance” of a cartoonist from Sri Lanka was taken up at the UNHRC sessions? In our delegation we had a “expertise on Legal Affairs” who was at that time the “Legal Advisor” to the Cabinet and the President. He said, “Yes we know where he (the cartoonist) is”. Although that matter ended there, he was summoned before a Sri Lanka court and asked to explain “how he knows it and tell where he is”. What did he say. He said someone told me and that was the end of it too. Who is this person now. He is our CHIEF JUSTICE. What would the UNHRC and the UNSG thinking of our Sri Lanka and what would they not do to us.
Can any Legal Luminary help us out of this situation? Perhaps Mr. Dharshan Weerasekera will have some “WAY OUT”.
November 30th, 2013 at 10:50 am
As we had PREDICTED, CM Vigneswaran goes full blast on the Eelam Project.
Now, he claims Jurisdiction over GOSL High Security Zones, and the TNA celebrates “Heroes Day” in style!
The GOSL begins to REAP what it SOWED when it allowed the Northern Provincial Council to fall into the hands of AVOWED Separatists!
These ACTIVE PROVOCATIONS will INCREASE in number of events and in intensity, until the Norther Province is in Full Insurrection against the GOSL!
It is not by accident that the students of Jaffna University describe it as “resurgence”, IT IS IN FACT the first steps towards resumption of the violent struggle of the late unlamented SunGod to create a Tamils-only Racist Apartheid Eelam!
NOW the GOSL has the necessary PROOF that both Wigneswaran and the TNA dominated Nprthern PC is Anti-National and is DEDICATED to the destruction of Sri Lanka as a UNITARY Nation.
NOW,
1. REPEAL the 13th Amendment to the Constitution
2. DISSOLVE ALL Provincial Councils and replace with Districts administered by Government Agents. DISMISS Wigneswaran as CM for DUE CAUSE!
3. INCREASE the Military’s presence in the NORTH & EAST; PERMANENTLY settle them and their families there.
4. CREATE Navy & Coast Guard bases all along the COASTLINE within eyesight of each other to protect the nation’s marine resources, and to prevent human/terrorist ans weapons smuggling, and influx of illegal drugs and goods that will fund terrorism.
5. REDUCE Indian involvement in ALL areas of Sri Lanka’s internal affairs: Military, Economic, Diplomatic, Political, Reconstruction & Rehabilitation of the North & East. DO it FAST; DO it NOW!
DO NOT allow the Evil Plotters of the Eelamist Diaspora, the TNA, Tamil Nadu and India, and jaundiced Westerners plying their own vote bank politics and Anti-China global agendas succeed!
What MORE does the GOSL need to see …. Blood flowing in the Streets, AGAIN?? STOP playing the harp while flames are fanned into a raging fire in Sri Lanka!
ACT FAST, ACT NOW …. do not let them GROW in strength and RESURRECT the SunGod’s EELAM!
………………………………
North CM on War Path With Sri Lankan Government
By P K Balachandran – COLOMBO
NewIndianExpress.ccom
After a month of cooperation with the Mahinda Rajapaksa government, the Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s Tamil-speaking Northern Province, C V Wigneswaran, has switched to confrontation.
On Thursday, Wigneswaran tried to inspect the Hindu temples and houses allegedly damaged by the Sri Lankan army in the Weligamam North High Security Zone (HSZ) knowing full well that no one could enter the HSZ without prior permission. When Lankan troops told him that he ought to get prior permission from the Ministry of Defence in Colombo, Wigneswaran argued that, as CM, he had the right to visit any part of his province and that he was accompanied in this case by the priests of the damaged temples. But the troops would not budge.
On Wednesday, Wigneswaran and his Tamil National Alliance (TNA) observed the LTTE’s Great Heroes’ Day (Maaveerar Naal) defying the army’s warning that anyone observing the day dedicated to the dead of the terrorist LTTE, would be arrested. While Wigneswaran and his colleagues planted samplings symbolizing “renewal”, the students of Jaffna University lit torches symbolizing “resurgence”. The common people lit lamps in their houses.
On Monday and Tuesday, leaflets saying: “We will commemorate those who laid down their lives for freedom. We will remember them till the last breath,” were distributed at the main bus stand in Jaffna. For the first time after the 2006-2009 war, a Tamil MP praised Prabhakaran in Parliament. TNA MP S Sritharan had hailed him as a “hero”, drawing the ire of the Treasury Benches.
Earlier, Chief Minister Wigneswaran refused to co-chair two District Development Council meetings, as the Chair was a pro-government rival, Central minister Douglas Devananda.
Wigneswaran had also declared that he would not implement the “Mahinda Chinthanaya” which every Lankan government department is expected to implement.
In Colombo on Thursday, TNA’s chief R Sampanthan reiterated his party’s resolve not to participate in the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on constitutional reforms. Sampanthan said the Tamils were not ready for another rigmarole but expected the government to talk to the TNA to thrash out a political settlement of the ethnic question.
November 30th, 2013 at 11:05 am
“Minister” Sanath Jayasuriya is a CONGENITAL IDIOT if he believes that India is STILL a FRIEND of Sri Lanka!
Now, India “won’t rest until 13A is Fully Implemented” …. to its satisfaction!!
GOSL, KICK India out of Sri Lankan affairs NOW!
Start ADVOCATING self-determination for Kashmiris …. NOW. Let us see how Inda likes its own bitter medicine poured into its own mouth!!
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India won’t rest till implementation of 13th amendment: PC
Business-Standard.com
November 30, 2013
India today asserted that it would not rest till the Sri Lanka implemented the 13th amendment and insisted on an “elaborate, independent and genuine probe” acceptable to the international community into the ‘genocide’ by that government during 2009 civil war.
“There are attempts being made there for not implementing the 13th amendment in the Sri Lankan Constitution. Efforts are being made to dilute many provisions by the Rajapaksa government. TNA (Tamil National Alliance) is opposing it… the 13th amendment cannot be diluted. India has been and will continue to insist for its implementation,” Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said.
Addressing a party meeting to explain the government’s stand on the Lankan Tamils issue here, he said LTTE chief V Prabakaran and thousand others would have survived if the LTTE and Lankan government had heeded India’s words.
“None can deny that there was genocide. We will continue to exert pressure on the Sri Lankan government for an elaborate probe. I call upon the people of India, including Tamils here to support the government’s efforts to protect the 13th amendment, while Lankan government is trying to not implement it,” he said.
Referring to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s decision to stay away from the Commonwealth summit in Colombo earlier this month, he said it was a “shock treatment” to Lankan President Rajapaksa.
He accused the Lankan government of not following up on the functions of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Committee and not punishing the guilty in the genocide, despite having constituted it.
India has been consistently insisting for implementation of 13th amendment. “It is only because of India, countries are aware of the developments in Sri Lanka and that’s how Canada decided to boycott the Commonwealth summit,” he said.
Referring to an invite extended by C V Wigneswaran, the Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said, “The invite is still open. There are chances that our Prime Minister will go to Jaffna and hold talks with him. If he visits Jaffna, it would amount to a visit to Lanka. There are chances that Lankan President Rajapaksa would change his mind.”
Contending that is not an “easy task” to fight for minority rights in another sovereign country, which is also a neighbour, he asked “Are we saying it is right to fight for a separate land for Mizos or in Kashmir or in Manipur.
November 30th, 2013 at 11:08 am
Mr. Dharshan Weerasekera: I noticed that you have suggested a “Way Out” i.e. to go to ICJ – The World Court in Hague and seek an “Advisory Opinion”.
I would think that this is going to be “SUICIDAL” for Sri Lanka. You know the condemnation of all the Legal Associations spread throughout the world that sprang up with the “Impeachment of our 43rd Chief Justice”. They are waiting for a chance to get us by the horns at an International Forum. Even the Secretary to the Commonwealth sought opinion from another Legal Expert in a Foreign Land as regards this subject of impeachment and now we know what that report contains. In that environment, I am of the opinion, that it is not opportune at this moment to go to World Court and give a wake up call to the “sleeping tigers”to run a mock at an International Arena.
My suggestion is to compile a very thorough comprehensive report as regards the actions of the UNSG, with specific references to his biased compulsions,(by whom and what type of information etc) actions “ultra vires” the powers assigned etc. and call for an immediate “Investigation” by the Security Council of the UNO. He should be made to “DEFEND” himself and not give an “iota of opportunity” to accuse any other. We will be the FIRST to do such a thing and that will open the eyes of all other Secretary Generals to come.
November 30th, 2013 at 11:14 am
Sanath Jayasuriya is a FOOL if he thinks India is a friend of Sri Lanka …. He thinks this s cricket. He should stop trying to score points with India on these matters.
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India always a good friend of Sri Lanka, no rift over CHOGM – Minister
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Nov 30, Colombo: India is always a good friend of Sri Lanka and there is no rift in the relationship between the two neighbors over Indian Prime Minister’s non-participation in the recently held Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo, a minister of the Sri Lankan government said.
Sanath Jayasuriya, former legendary cricketer and current Deputy Minister of Sri Lanka’s Postal Services, Saturday ruled out any dents in the relationship between the two countries over the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s decision not to attend the Commonwealth Summit due to the pressure from Tamil political parties in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
“India has always been a good friend of Lanka. The decision to send whom to an international meet is the individual choice of that particular nation,” he told Indian media.
Jayasuriya, who arrived in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala state of India to attend a cricket tournament as the chief guest pointed out that the Indian PM also did not participate in the CHOGM 2011 in Perth.
“If my knowledge is correct, the Indian Prime Minister did not participate in the CHOGM held in Perth also,” he told reporters.
Responding to media queries, the former cricket captain said there is no need for anyone to ask for an international probe to address the accountability issues during the last phase of Sri Lanka’s conflict since Sri Lanka has its own process.
“There is no need for any international probe because as a sovereign, independent country, we have our own law and judicial system and the process of law is going on,” Jayasuriya said rejecting the British Prime Minister David Cameron’s call for an international probe if the Sri Lankan government failed to address the allegations of human right violations by March 2014.
Praising the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Deputy Minister said it is not easy to address all the problems of a three-decade long war.
He said the President’s determined efforts have led to the development in the country ravaged by the war for three decades and there is progress in all sectors.
“Our President has done a wonderful job and is doing everything possible to see that there is overall development in the country. Both the country and the government are going in the right direction. Without a war in the last four years, the country has achieved immense progress in all fronts,” he said.
He said the peace in the country has made it possible to attract investors from countries like China and Pakistan.
On relationship with China, Jayasuriya said China is participating in Sri Lanka’s infrastructure development, especially in road building.
November 30th, 2013 at 11:16 am
GL Pieris may not be articulate but he speaks well and is able to explain convincingly imortant complex issues. He is doing a difficult job extremely well. He is simple, scholarly and may be pedagogic, but he is able to get through his message. That is my opinion.
November 30th, 2013 at 11:32 am
I am of the view of Douglas: The last we should do is to go to the Court in Hague. That I agree is suicidal. No foreign court will stand by Sri Lanka even if all the arguments are legal and on our side, they will find their own arguments and precdents to justify their ruling. All these foreign judges we think are ” just”, “fair” and “objective”. But the case is different. That is how we have been brought up to respect the Englishman, punctual, just, and fair. May be to their own kind, but not to people of coloured skins.
We see how the West is still trying to condemn the Government’s impeachment of the Chief Justice. That is exactly the procedure any Western government would have followed, and they think it was not correct because Sri Lanka is not one of their countries. There was absolutely nothing legally wrong in that impeachment of CJ Shiranee Bandaranaike. Even legal procedure could take different processes and forms, it need not confirm to any legal system of any other country. We followed Sri Lankan legal system and Sri Lankan Parliamentary procedure.
November 30th, 2013 at 11:48 am
Is this the TIP OF AN ICEBERG of something much more sinister? A weapons/special forces smuggling network under the guise of providing maritime security for destabilizing/undermining South Asian Nations?
The GOSL should take this VERY SERIOUSLY and INVESTIGATE the MOTIVE and FUTURE IMPLICATIONS!
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US maritime security firm contradicts Indian Navy chief … alleges Sri Lankan waters not safe
November 29, 2013, 10:11 pm
Galle Dialogue 2013:
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Much to the surprise of the defence establishment here, a US maritime security firm, AdvanFort, has claimed that it was avoiding Sri Lankan waters due to ‘high crime’ and piracy, among other criminal activities.
In a statement issued from Washington DC, the security firm quoted its own intelligence analysts as having said that there were increasingly organised crime throughout Sri Lanka, including in anchorages and coastal waters.
AdvanFort is providing security to ships vulnerable to attacks by pirates operating off Somalia.
The statement quoted AdvanFort President William H. Watson as having said that due to security concerns in Sri Lanka the firm was providing protection teams free of charge from the western border of the High Risk Area (HRA) to the western end of the Malacca Strait.
Authoritative naval sources told The Island that there hadn’t been a single case of piracy in Sri Lankans waters since the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009. In fact, piracy had never been a threat in Sri Lankan waters even during the conflict, sources said. The Sri Lankan navy had the wherewithal to finish off the Sea Tigers on the high seas and was now considered one of the foremost experts in fighting unconventional forces, sources said.
Sources alleged that AdvanFort was propagating lies to undermine post-war Sri Lanka. AdvanFort claim that it had chosen a new point for disembarkation of its privately-contracted armed security personnel (PCASP) in the Western Malacca Strait because it didn’t want to slow or stop its clients’ vessels in Sri Lankan waters and was nothing but a malicious lie.
Navy headquarters said that its fleet of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) and Fast Attack Craft (FACs) spearheaded by Israeli-built vessels remained ready to face any eventuality. “Sri Lankan waters are safe and free of foreign threats. We have earned the appreciation of many countries for getting rid of the Sea Tigers, which operated a fleet of floating arsenals on the high seas, therefore AdvanFort’s claim is baseless.”
Sources said that the AdvanFort statement was timed for the fourth edition of the two-day Galle Dialogue which began on Nov. 25.
Sri Lanka too provides well experienced onboard security teams to those wanting to protect their vessels from possible attacks by pirates. Among those accommodated on security teams are retired navy personnel with years of combat experience.
Meanwhile, AdvanFort has challenged Indian navy chief Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi over The Island news report titled “India tells Galle Dialogue: Regulate ‘private maritime security’ onboard vessels now,” which dealt with India’s perspective on the contentious issue of counter-piracy operations.
The Island quoted Admiral Joshi as having expressed serious concern over private armed guards, with or without uniform, on-board ships crossing the Indian Ocean. Admiral Joshi cited the recent seizure of a Sierra Leone flagged ship, MV Seaman Guard Ohio, within Indian territorial waters, carrying 25 armed personnel to highlight the need to regulate private maritime security industry.
Admiral Joshi said: ‘The master was unable to produce authorization to carry 34 automatic arms and ammunition found onboard the vessel and clarify other details. Lack of any provision or regulation to deal with such vessels or armed personnel is hampering any legal action by the state.’”
US based spokesperson for AdvanFort told The Island that at the time of the Indian seizure of the vessel, there were 35 maritime security contractors and crew aboard the MV Seaman Guard Ohio. They hadn’t been armed while in transit through international waters well outside India’s territorial jurisdiction, the official said, adding: “Their weapons and ammunition were locked and sealed in storage throughout their stay on the ship.”
The official said: “The weapons and ammunition – all of which were purchased in the UK – were authorized and licensed with the appropriate authorities and governing bodies. All necessary certifications and documentation were provided to Indian law enforcement authorities. It should be especially noted that India has yet to officially charge the men with any crime after more than six weeks of detention.”
Responding to The Island queries, the spokesperson said the company continued to urgently pursue every possible measure to secure the release of maritime security contractors and crew, through all available political, economic and judicial channels.
“Our legal counsel in India submitted a bail petition to the High Court of Madurai on Thursday (Nov. 28) and we are cautiously optimistic that a hearing will be held next week. We maintain that the men were acting legally, professionally and in good faith. It should be noted that Indian law enforcement authorities are yet to officially charge them with any crime.”
AdvanFort President Will Watson personally has taken up the issue with the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security, he said.
“For the first time since they were arrested in October, India permitted AdvanFort’s country representative to visit the men in jail last week. He brought miscellaneous personal hygienic necessities, several varieties of fruits, chocolates, books and magazines, as well as money that will enable them to purchase higher quality of food than the Indians had been providing. This was the maximum that the Indian authorities would allow. The men appeared in good spirits, but we remain concerned that some might need medical attention.”
AdvanFort said that Sierra Leone too, had protested against the Indian action.
November 30th, 2013 at 11:52 am
I agree with Charles that G. L. Peiris is a man of many valuable talents and credentials, respected at home and abroad; let us not unfairly denigrate him. There are events that even a trusted Minister of his calibre cannot overcome.
November 30th, 2013 at 11:58 am
Don’t Arrest & Punish low-level activists …. Arrest & Punish the Chief Minister Wigneswaran and TNA party leaders who did the same!
IDIOTS! Don’t they know that RESPONSIBILITY begins at the TOP?
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Sri Lanka Detains Three for Paying Tribute to LTTE Rebels
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Nov 29 (PTI) Three persons arrested in northeast Sri Lanka for commemorating the achievements of LTTE rebels were produced in a court today. Police said they were arrested at Murukkandi in Mannar district on November 26. They were presented before a local magistrate.
“It is illegal to celebrate a banned terrorist organisation,” police spokesman Ajith Rohana said.
November 26 was celebrated annually by the LTTE as “Heroes’ Day” to commemorate those who died in the fight to carve out a separate Tamil homeland.
The day was also the birthday of the slain LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakaran. He used the occasion to make the annual policy speech of the organisation.
LTTE was defeated in 2009 after a three-decade civil war and Prabakaran was killed in the final days of the conflict.
MA Sumanthiran, a legislator of the country’s main Tamil party TNA, said there was nothing wrong in commemorating the dead. “This is done in civilised societies so no one should try to prevent it,” he told parliament.
November 30th, 2013 at 2:43 pm
THERE IS ANOTHER INDIAN FELLOW WITH HIS FINGER UP, (MAY BE MIDDLE FINGER) SAYING, “” India will not rest until the 13A is fully implemented.
How these fellows threaten Sri Lanka, and our Sri Lanka buggers say India is our friend, BEATS ME. Is Sri Lanka in helpless mode ??
So, Sanath Jayasuriya sounds he has some Indian blood. May be a good cricketer, but an A GRADE Fool.
November 30th, 2013 at 3:41 pm
“On Wednesday, Wigneswaran and his Tamil National Alliance (TNA) observed the LTTE’s Great Heroes’ Day (Maaveerar Naal) defying the army’s warning that anyone observing the day dedicated to the dead of the terrorist LTTE, would be arrested. While Wigneswaran and his colleagues planted samplings symbolizing “renewal”, the students of Jaffna University lit torches symbolizing “resurgence”. The common people lit lamps in their houses.”
Didn’t I say so?
Renewal, resurgence have started already!!
Now patronized by the CHIEF MINISTER!!!
We pay their salaries, pay for the Jaffna University too!! And they plot to KILL us.
We are COMPASSIONATE MODAYAS!!
November 30th, 2013 at 3:43 pm
SW,
Didn’t you see SJ in dancing with the stars Endia?
Now his 3rd wife has filed for divorce!
He is apparently carrying on with an Endian woman.
November 30th, 2013 at 3:57 pm
Charles, Ananda,
I was of the SAME VIEW as you BEFORE. But what is the IMPACT of his “convincing”? He convinces us (already convinced) but NOT anyone else!
1. Read Shenali and Dharshan’s articles. We have a WATER TIGHT CASE. But our foreign ministry is NOT working.
2. What did he do during CHOGM Cum-Moron allegations? Nothing! In another country the FM would DEFEND the country in such a case. MR had to do GLP’s work.
3. He is the man behind CBK’s dangerous federal idea.
4. He called Anton Ballasingham YOUR EXCELLENCY.
5. He was with Run-NIL’s treason too.
6. He doesn’t go to UNHRC! He AVOIDS it. Instead Mahinda Saramasinghe goes. Where is the foreign minister?
7. GLP SACKED Tamara Kunanayagam – a good Tamil lady fighting for SL at UNHRC.
8. People like NONIS don’t take instructions from GLP. They do what is good for SL. But GLP will soon get rid of him too.
9. GLP scrwwd CBK and Ranil. He will scrww MR too.
November 30th, 2013 at 3:57 pm
Dear Charles: I am so glad that we are meeting in dialogue after a long,long silence and “avoidance” of confrontations. Yes two of us are on the same line of thinking, i.e. the interest of our mother country Sri Lanka at whatever cost. It is in that spirit I try to make constructive criticisms on the actions of the Government.
Yet Mr. Charles, even on this occasion, I regret to differ with you on the “performance” of GLP. I stress on the word “PERFORMANCE”, because by nature I am a person of “NO NONSENSE”. To me anyone could be articulate,presentable,and even could explain complexities; BUT if he does not deliver the goods, he/she is not my hero. This is my estimation of this Minister. Just imagine, this man accepting a person like Sajin Vas Gunawardane to accompany him in high level meetings with world leaders and high dignitaries relating to Foreign Affairs. The episode that I explained above as regards Ms. Kunanayagam at the sessions of UNHCR and the consequential “kick out” of her engineered by Sajin was well known in foreign circles and enough to explain GLP’s “twisted back bone” style of management. So to me he is a “HANG ON” and nothing more. He has proved that with every successive Governments in power.
Anyway, that is not what we are worried at the moment. All of us have to protect Sri Lanka and at whatever cost it’s sovereignty and the “Unitary State” must be protected. Again this mention of “Unitary State” reminds me of GLP’s proposal under Chandrika Kumaranatunga, the introduction of “POKURU RAJAYA”. My foot. (Sorry).
We will continue our dialogue, because it is in the larger interest of the country. Thank you.
November 30th, 2013 at 3:58 pm
“India won’t rest till implementation of 13th amendment: PC”
SL won’t rest until scrapping of 13the amendment.
November 30th, 2013 at 4:09 pm
Ananda,
This govt. will NEVER do ANY of those.
(Army + Navy + AF) should take over SL. MOST people will love it.
IF govt. tries to point the war crimes finger at the army it will happen!!
Democracy failed SL. We need meritocracy where the merit should be PROVEN patriotism (how many Tamil Homelandists have you killed?) and IQ. It can happen only after a take over.
November 30th, 2013 at 6:44 pm
Lorenzo says,
“But people should NOT hate Tamils for it. HATE is NOT the solution. Instead DON’T LET TAMILS HAVE THEIR WAY.”
ABSOLUTELY!
Don’t hate ALL Tamils, just the Eelamists.
And don’t stop there: FRUSTRATE them at EVERY TURN …. MAKE THEM FEEL HOPELESS …. for the NEXT 50 years … for ETERNITY if need be!!
Right now, the Eelamists are HOPEFUL, thinking that India FORCED Sri Lanka to Empower them in the Northern PC, and MORE can be had with MORE Blackmail.
With the CHOGM fallout, they have become even MORE HOPEFUL that an Eelam can be achieved. Colombo & Diaspora Tamils are writing BIG CHECKS for the Eelam project now, just as they did at the HEIGHT of Prabhakaran’s power. They lost ALL of that INVESTMENT when the SunGod received his come-uppence along the banks of the Nanthikandal Lagoon.
That led to IMMENSE FRUSTRATION & HOPELESSNESS. NOW is the time for us to RE-CREATE that mental state.
Now, AFTER the Colombo & Diaspora Tamils have “Donated” their money as an INVESTMENT in Eelam Project, it s TIME TO FRUSTRATE THEM AGAIN by,
REPEALING the 13th Amendment,
DISSOLVING the PC System and replacing it with Appointed Government Agent run District System,
INCREASING the stationing of the Military in the North & East PERMANENTLY,
SETTLING Sinhalese in the North & East under a Policy of Ethnic Integration for permanent peace & security in the land,
DEPORTING as many as 1.6 Million Kallathonis who flooded into Sri Lanka even as the SunGod exported 1.5 million Sri Lanka Tamils into the Diaspora taxbase, and
ERADICATING ALL INVOLVEMENT by India in Sri Lanka’s internal matters, its economy, its military, and all Cultural links with Tamil Nadu.
Let the Eelamists in Colombo and in the Diaspora watch their current MASSIVE NEW INVESTMENT in the Eelam Project ALSO GO UP IN SMOKE to the four winds, just as their funding of the SunGod’s military machiine disappeared into thin air, generating the DEEPEST OF DEPRESSIONS and a sense of UTTER HOPELESSNESS that the Eelam Project will EVER SUCCEED!
In this way, the ONLY AVENUE, other than EMIGRATION, LEFT OPEN to the Separatist Eelamists to better their lives should be to ACCEPT ordinary Sri Lankan citizenship, slowly transforming themselves into that mindset, perhaps in 50 years, bereft of ALL HOPE of a separate Racist Tamils-only existence in Sri Lanka.
The Patriots of Motherlanka must GIRD their LOINS and PREPARE to wage this battle AS LONG AS IT TAKES … GENERATIONS IF NEED BE …. to FRUSTRATE and RENDER HOPELESS the Machiavellian Machinations of the Perfidious Eelamist!
November 30th, 2013 at 6:53 pm
Who is this Pestiferous Catholic Christian Priest hiding in a Tiger Striped Cassock?
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Swamy urges Jayalalithaa to nab LTTE operative
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Nov 30 (Hindu) BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Friday urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to take immediate action on the Home Ministry’s communication to her seeking the State government’s assistance on the whereabouts of an LTTE operative, a Catholic Christian priest.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Friday urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to take immediate action on the Home Ministry’s communication to her seeking the State government’s assistance on the whereabouts of an LTTE operative, a Catholic Christian priest. FBI charge In a statement, Dr. Swamy said the priest had been named as accused by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in a complaint filed before a court in the United States for terrorist related activities. He as a LTTE operative in the U.S. had tried to bribe U.S. under-cover State Department officials to obtain material assistance for the LTTE two years ago. “Warrant issued” Dr. Swamy said: “Subsequently, warrant for his arrest had been issued and the FBI is now on a lookout for him. He has since escaped to India. Recently he surfaced on a NDTV & CNN IBN panel discussions on Sri Lanka. And hence it is clear that he is hiding somewhere in Tamil Nadu. Therefore the Ministry of Home Affairs alerted to this LTTE terrorist on the run and has sought the help of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister in nabbing him so that he can be dispatched to the U.S. for facing criminal prosecution.”
December 1st, 2013 at 9:08 am
Attempt to pay tribute to terrorist leader:
MPs want no confidence motion against TNA MP
by Manjula Fernando
SundayObserver.lk
December 1, 2013
Members of Parliament are agitating for a no confidence motion against TNA MP S. Sritharan for violating the Constitution in an attempt to pay tribute to a terrorist leader of a banned terror outfit in Parliament.
MP Sritharan in a statement read out on Tuesday in Parliament, when the second reading of the 2014 Budget debate was in progress glorified Vellupillai Prabhakaran as a freedom fighter.
His speech coincided with Prabhakaran’s birthday on November 26. It is also the day the LTTE commemorates the terrorists killed in battle, Mahaveer Day.
Plantation Minister and President’s Human Rights Special Envoy Mahinda Samarasinghe said the TNA MP could not take cover under parliamentary privileges to violate the laws of the country.
“Such conduct should not be condoned by anyone, especially parliamentarians because a number of MPs from both sides of the House had been brutally killed under Prabhakaran’s dictates or himself.”
He said the MP had violated the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution in making a speech in which he glorified a terrorist leader of an organisation which is banned in Sri Lanka and 31 other countries.
This statement is also an insult to India whose Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was brutally killed by the LTTE. Minister Samarasinghe said the UNP must help the Government to take stern action against this MP, since the LTTE also killed President Ranasinghe Premadasa, a UNP leader.
“I know for a fact that there are a number of instances in other Parliaments of the world where action had been taken despite privilege being given to Members of Parliament when they have crossed the line endangering the law and order of the country.”
The Minister said MP Sritharan is known to have close links with the LTTE diaspora and the statement was premeditated to commemorate Prabhakaran’s birthday and get the maximum publicity.
Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody said that a ‘no confidence motion’ can be moved against the TNA MP who made the ‘mistake of glorifying a proscribed terror outfit in Parliament’.
December 1st, 2013 at 9:26 am
GOOD EFFORT to INVITE Expatriates, but it won’t work …..Not as long as they DENY Dual Citizenship to even Patriotic Expatriates!
How can Successful PATRIOTIC Expatriate Sri Lankans, who are often Citizens of Other Countries, contribute to Sri Lanka, if they have to RUN TO RENEW their PASSPORT VISA every month?
RIDICULOUS EXPECTATIONS by the GOSL!!
INVESTIGATING the PATRIOTISM of applicants, for Dual Citizenship, and DENYING IT to Anti-National enemies of Sri Lanka … often FAKE REFUGEES who demonized Sri Lanka to enter other countries, is ESSENTIAL; but placing DESTRUCTIVE INSURMOUNTABLE BARRIERS to the RETURN of PATRIOTIC expatriates who WANT TO HELP Sri Lanka’s growth and development with their skills and their money is ABSOLUTELY ASININE!
Many PATRIOTIC expatriates, now living in retirement and owning real estate and investments accumulated over the most productive periods of their lives abroad, want to take the bulk of their assets to Sri Lanka and live out their last days helping the Motherland …. but CANNOT DO SO under the current immigration laws governing their return to their Motherland.
ENABLE Dual Citizenship NOW with APPROPRIATE Safeguards against ABUSE by TRAITORS!
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WorkInSriLanka 2013 conference aims to attract expat professionals to country
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Dec 01, Colombo: WorkInSriLanka, a volunteer-led initiative to advocate Sri Lanka as an attractive destination for highly skilled individuals and high caliber businesses, will hold its 2013 conference to on December 23rd, 2013 at the Taj Samudra Hotel.
The “Work in Sri Lanka 2013: Asia’s Next Knowledge Hub” will bring together recent returnees, expats living in Sri Lanka as well as people considering returning or moving to Sri Lanka to discuss the opportunities and challenges in making Sri Lanka the a preferred work destination.
First session of the conference will layout the public and private sector vision for Sri Lanka for 2020. Returnees and expats are expected showcase their stories and a panel of experts will discuss the challenges in making Sri Lanka a top work destination and what is being done about each of the challenging areas.
A panel of leading CEOs will discuss opportunities that exist in various industry segments for knowledge based work and entrepreneurial activity.
The conference will conclude with a cocktail event to provide ample opportunity for attendees to network with each other.
WorkInSriLanka Chairperson, Gillian Daas will open the conference. Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Governor of Central Bank Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Secretary, Ministry of Defense and Urban Development Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and, CEO of Brandix Lanka Ashroff Omar are scheduled to address the conference in the first session.
WorkInSriLanka, a “brain gain” initiative of SL2College, was launched on May 14th 2013 in partnership with key public sector officials, industry leaders, heads of international NGOs and government institutions, and civil society experts. The initiative aims to attract world class professionals, especially Sri Lankans, to return and become a part of Sri Lanka’s economic development.
December 1st, 2013 at 9:36 am
Sri Lankan government re-introduces Land Acquisition and Re-settlement Committees
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Dec 01, Colombo: The government of Sri Lanka has re-introduced Land Acquisition and Re-settlement Committees (LARCs), according to a local media report.
The LARCs have been re-introduced to decide compensation for those losing private property in 18 major road-widening and construction projects, Sunday Times reported.
The government disbanded the LARCs in 2009 and the Land Ministry assigned the Valuation Department to directly decide the compensation to be paid to the land owners.
However the Road Development Authority (RDA) has received hundreds of complaints from land owners who were not satisfied with the compensations and felt that they were being treated differently to those whose compensation payments had been calculated before 2009.
In regulations passed this month, the Land Ministry has laid down criteria for payments to property owners and tenants, to proprietors of businesses and even to encroachers.
Those who object to the amount of indemnity they receive can appeal to an additional body called the “Super LARC” which will be based at the Road Development Authority (RDA).
The projects listed in the regulations are the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway, the Colombo Outer Circular Highway, the Southern Transport Development, the Colombo-Kandy Road, the Orugodawatta-Ambatale Road, the New Kelani Bridge Approach (Kelanimulla to Angoda, Koswatta Road),the Matara-Kataragama Railway and the Deduru Oya Reservoir project.
Ratnapura-Balangoda, Balangoda-Bandarawela, Padeniya-Anuradhapura, Tampalagamuwa (Tampalakamam))-Kinniya, Matara-Godagama, Horana-Pamankada, Southern Expressway-Madurugoda and the Kirulapone-Godagama Roads are the other projects. Also listed is the 5/2 Bridge Katugastota-Kandy-Jaffna Road.
December 1st, 2013 at 9:40 am
Poaching in Sri Lankan waters: Ministers decry Tamil Nadu’s inhuman approach
by P. Krishnaswamy
SundayObserver.lk
December 1, 2013
While the Northern fishing community is up in arms against Indian poaching which deprives them of their livelihood, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne and the Provincial Fisheries Minister Balasubramaniam Daneeskaran have also come out strongly against the inhuman approach of political leaders across the Palk Straits.
As a mark of protest, the Federation of Mannar District Fishermen Societies (FMDFS) boycotted the World Fisheries Day on November 21 and presented its three-page representation to Minister Senaratne.
FMDFS President Noor Mohamed Alam told the Sunday Observer that they relied on Minister Senaratne to resolve their livelihood problem because he had taken up their cause internationally and locally.
Even after the restoration of peace over four years ago, Sri Lankan fishermen had been unable to go fishing due to problems posed by the poachers. The poachers also contributed to the depletion of fish resources, he said.
The FMDFS has called upon the Minister to secure the immediate release of the 154 Sri Lankan fishermen and their 37 fishing vessels in Indian custody. The Federation of Northern Fishermen’s Societies (FNFS) led by its General Secretary S. Sooriyakumaran also boycotted World Fisheries Day.
Minister Senaratne in a strongly-worded media communique said that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jeyaram and other political leaders there had raised human rights issues on behalf of the Northern Tamils only for their political gain while in reality, they are indifferent to their humanitarian problems.
They have conveniently ignored the loot of the Northern fishermen’s livelihood resources by their fishermen. This loot had continued for over 33 years depriving the Northern fishermen of their livelihood, he said.
Minister Daneeskaran said that poaching should be stopped and both sides should adhere to the maritime boundary lawfully declared in 1976. The Indian side has asked to be allowed to fish for one day in a week in Sri Lankan territorial waters but that too cannot be permitted considering the livelihood problem of the Northern fishermen who had lost everything and suffered untold misery for over three decades, he said.