Bailaman

Video: Channel 4 documentary - Sri Lanka's Killing Fields 2 - Unpunished War Crimes

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 21:54:00 +0000

I think it is important for all Sri Lankans to watch this video. It must be viewed with an open mind before you right it off as Tamil Tiger propaganda.

Video: The fight to save the elephants of Sri Lanka

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 03:26:00 +0000

A moving story about the fight to save the elephants of Sri Lanka.

Channel 4 News and Sri Lanka Tamil executions

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Tue, 18 May 2010 17:45:00 +0000

Channel 4 is the same British broadcaster who managed to secure an 'exclusive' interview with Kumaran Pathmanathan, the new Tamil Tiger leader, and a man who was on the Interpol's wanted list.

When law enforcement couldn't find Pathmanathan, Channel 4 utilised it's contacts within the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) to get a video interview. Incidentally, the Tamil Tigers are listed as a terrorist organisation in the United Kingdom.

Channel 4, by the way, is also the same entity that released a video claiming to be Sri Lankan troops executing what they claimed were "Tamils." Surely they meant Tamil Tigers? Do they refer to Taliban or Al Qaeda insurgents as Muslims or Afghans?

A few months back (02 Feb 2010) they posted the following on their website when UN's Special Rapporteur Philip Alston conducted his own investigation into the execution video and made public his opinion on the video,

For Channel 4 News, last week’s verdict was the last chapter in an ongoing saga that has seen the Sri Lankan government attempt to destroy the reputation of Channel 4 journalism across the globe.

Of course, in some ways, the UN conclusion is just the beginning of what surely must be a new investigation into Sri Lanka. But for now, this is the story of the tape – and the shocking repercussions of reporting uncomfortable truths from secretive war zones.

What they wanted you to believe was that the findings made public by Philip Alston was the word of the UN and that it disproved the Sri Lankan government's own investigation.

Nice try Channel 4, but you don't fool me.

The Sri Lankan government pointed out that the video's audio had been doctored. In fact this video that AFP has posted on Youtube, is the same execution video, but, instead of the men in uniform speaking Sinhalese, they are speaking in Tamil!

The Sri Lankan government also pointed out that it's own investigation had revealed that the video was not shot on a cell phone, but on a camcorder or a similar video recording device; the source of the video claimed it came from a soldier's camera phone.

Let's remind Channel 4 that the Alston investigation has only revealed that weapons used in the video are real and the victims appear to collapse in a manner consistent with the injury sustained and nothing else.

So what do they have for us Sri Lankans today? They have yet another exclusive!

One frontline soldier told Channel 4 News: "Yes, our commander ordered us to kill everyone. We killed everyone."

And senior Sri Lankan army commander said: "Definitely, the order would have been to kill everybody and finish them off.

"I don't think we wanted to keep any hardcore elements, so they were done away with. It is clear that such orders were, in fact, received from the top."

Despite allegations of war crimes, Sri Lanka's government has managed to avoid an independent inquiry. But the evidence continues to mount.

A small problem with that theory, Channel 4.

Sri Lanka has over 11,000 Tamil Tiger combatants in custody. Why did they not just kill them all? Why are they now a burden on the state? The same state that provided for these people, even in areas under Tiger control, for more than three decades? One would think that taking a senior leader captive makes more strategical sense to the military rather than killing them? The information obtained from captives can prevent them from rearming and regrouping?

Has anyone noticed? The ICG report and now this Channel 4 claim comes just days apart.

The rich (funds raised through extortion, human smuggling and debit card scams) and influential Tamil Tiger network overseas remains intact and is heavily lobbying for war crimes charges.

Unfortunately, as with all their recent endeavours to get back at the Sri Lankan government, after a crushing defeat, this too shall pass with nothing coming of it.

Has recycled 'evidence' on Sri Lankan war crimes just reached the ICG?

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Mon, 17 May 2010 20:22:00 +0000

When I first read the US State Dept. report on Sri Lanka's conflict, what immediately caught my eye were the photographs included as "evidence". Those who know the Tamil Tigers and have studied this conflict understand that the Tigers had mastered the use of propaganda and forgery; to this day it is part and parcel of their strategy.

During the final days of the conflict, only the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) had cameras within areas under their control. They used still and video cameras along with satellite phones, and utilised the vast diaspora support overseas to pressure Sri Lanka into stopping it's offensive against them.

This image here proves the point. It was mailed out to various media outlets and had them all duped, some still duped.

So when you hear the International Crisis Group (ICG) claim it has "new evidence" to suggest Sri Lanka shelled safe zones and hospitals and calls for a war crimes inquiry, it makes you wonder if this is a part of the strategy used by Tamil Tiger lobbyist (Rudrakumar, his paid puppet Boyle et al) to try and get back at Sri Lanka after the Tigers' demoralising defeat.

Looks like they just reached the doors of the ICG.

Like a broken record, organisation after organisation, activist after activist appear to be taking turns gulping down the same satellite imagery and photos presented to them as "evidence" of war crimes, and taking turns calling for an inquiry. I don't blame them. They have to if they are presented with what they deem as evidence.

Satellite imagery used by Tiger lobbyist to bring about a war crimes investigation in Sri Lanka have been put to the government before. And the government has presented it's version of events. Take a look here.

Sri Lanka can nullify the allegations and the activities of Tiger lobbyist overseas by conducting it's own investigation but making it transparent to foreign observers. With hours of footage recorded by unmanned drones, Sri Lanka has the ability to prove that it is innocent.

If I'm not mistaken, during conflict, a 'Safe Zone' or even a hospital is not protected by any laws when insurgents or terrorist are conducting offensive operations from within them.

Sri Lanka: Tamil refugees deny Damilvany Gnanakumar's accusations of sexual abuse in camps

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:34:00 +0000

The following is an article by Indian journalist P.K.Balachandran. It was first published on 24th Dec 2009.

VAVUNIYA: Tamil war refugees residing in camps in Vavuniya categorically denied that Sri Lankan troops guarding the camps had raped or indulged in any other form of sexual abuse as alleged by a former inmate [Damilvany Gnanakumar, she calls herself "Vany Kumar" these days] in an interview to The Observer newspaper of London.

“It’s a mischivous rumour,” Rasendran from Ponneryn, who had been living in the Kadirgamar camp for months, told visiting journalists on Wednesday.

“The troops never did anything of that sort.They don’t even come into the camp,” said Nityanandan from Kilinochchi.

Sharma, the priest of the makeshift Shiva temple, and himself a refugee, said that there was no truth in the allegations.

“We face no problems with the army,” he said.

The UK national, who managed to leave the camp, told The Observer that she had seen soliders putting their arms on girls, and charged that soldiers gave females food only if they agreed to have sex with them.

At a rehabilitation centre for young male and female LTTE cadre, the inmates said that the behaviour of troops was “exemplary”.

“They treat us with courtesy and understanding,” said Tharshini from Puthukudiyiruppu , who was being trained in tailoring.

{See photos from refugee camps in Vavuniya.}

“It was after seeing their behaviour that I revealed that I had been in the LTTE for a few months, a fact which I had concealed in the first instance out of fear of the consequences,” the 17 year old said.

“Till recently, the camps were so congested that a thing like rape or molestation could not have occured here. We were all here in the camp all the time, because till December 1, no one could go out of the camp,” pointed out the middle aged T.Sarawathy from Kilinochchi.

A Tamil employee of the postal department in the rehabilitation camp for LTTE cadre said that the kids (all between 12 and 18) felt pretty safe in the camp

“This is more like a hostel than a refugee camp or detention centre,” he said.

Asked if the London Observer story had any basis, the Competent Authority for the refugees in the Northern Province, Maj.Gen.Kamal Gunaratne, said that had only one term to describe such an allegation: “Bullshit!”

“There are far too many people in the camps for that kind of thing to happen. Besides, the army is a disciplined force,” he said.

He asked the visiting journalists to talk to the refugees and find out for themselves if these stories were true. True enough, officials allowed the scribes to go anywhere in the camps and talk to anyone without any armyman looking over.

Most of the inmates said that conditions had improved enormously since they arrived in April or May. The medical facilities are excellent with more than a hundred doctors on call

“Except for the shortage of toilets and cash, we are fine, and are being treated well,” said Loheshwaran, a herdsman from Pooneryn.

“Those who had relatives abroad got money through the banks in the camp, but those who did not have anyone, had to live only on the limited rations given by the government and the NGOs,” he said explaining the reasons for the cash shortage

From December 1, the inmates had been allowed to move out and work. Some of them did begin to earn to bring in some cash. But being basically farmers or fishermen ,the refugees could do little to earn money except as manual labourers.

This is why they are really looking forward to going back to their villages.

“I am part of the 1000 people leaving for Pooneryn today. I am happy to get back and start from livelihood which is animal husbandry. I am looking forward to selling milk in Jaffna across the lagoon,” Loheswaran said.

The LTTE cadre in the rahabilitation camp, are also looking forward to leaving the camp and joining their families.

“We have been told we’ll be let off in May,” said Suganthie from Trincomalee who got forcibly recruited to the LTTE when she was visiting a relative in Puthukudiyiruppu.

Suganthie, who was taking lessons in dress making and the use of computers, said she her ultimate aim was to become a computer engineer.

Most of the LTTE cadre looked very young, between 12 and 17. They were extremely small made for their age but were intelligent and spoke well. Almost all said that they were forcibly taken and given some military training, though only some had actually served on the front lines.

Asked what they thought of the LTTE and their leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, the female cadre were categorical in their disapproval of the organisation. They did not feel sad when the organisation folded up.

But the reaction among the male cadre was mixed. They would not say that the movement had no base. But all of them said that it should not have gone in for forcible military service.

“Forcible recruitment became unbearable during the last year of the war. That is when the LTTE began to lose popular support,” said a refugee who had earlier beein a government servant.

Sri Lanka - understanding the calls for accountability

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:51:00 +0000

by Kath Noble

Sri Lankan government forces on foot patrol.

Nearly a year after the Security Forces killed Prabhakaran and finished the decades long conflict, the Government continues to be haunted by allegations of war crimes. Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has called for an international investigation on many occasions. Last week, as she repeated this message on presenting her annual report in Geneva, she was joined by a rather more influential figure – the UN Secretary General. Ban Ki-moon has now appointed an expert panel to advise him on ‘accountability issues’ in Sri Lanka.

This is one of the first really meaningful steps to be taken by an official body. And it won’t be the last.

The Government invariably responds to such pressure by declaring that those applying it must have ulterior motives. If they are lucky, they are only accused of grubbing for votes. Or they are said to have sour grapes about some petty incident or other. Their advice wasn’t heeded, perhaps. The range of implausible explanations has become quite vast over time. Most are claimed to be actively working towards the resurrection of the LTTE. Fascinatingly complex reasons for this are then suggested.

It is sometimes true. But the actions of Ban Ki-moon should alert people to the fact that there is something more going on here. We need to understand why an official of his standing feels compelled to look into the situation in Sri Lanka, despite the country finally being at peace.

This is what prompted me to request an interview with Professor Francois Houtart, chair of the largely-ignored Dublin Tribunal. His team found the Government guilty of war crimes at a three day session held at Trinity College in January this year.

There are plenty of reasons to question their conclusions.

The report is almost completely lacking in details, and the supporting evidence that the authors say can be found on their website has not been uploaded yet, two months after proceedings closed. Professor Houtart explained that they could produce only a summary of their findings for publication because the documentation submitted was so vast and the organisation responsible for compiling it had limited resources and worked on a purely voluntary basis. The information was available in Rome for anybody to consult, he told me over the phone from his office in Belgium. This may be fair enough, but it makes assessing the validity of the document rather tricky.

Worse, there are some glaring errors.

The document opens with a particularly bad one. It says, ‘From the time the war began in July 2006 through April 2009, according to United Nations internal documents, air raids and the use of heavy weaponry resulted in the death of 116 people per day.’ This implies that about 120,000 people were killed under the watch of Mahinda Rajapaksa, not counting victims of the LTTE and those who succumbed to small arms, mines and due to sickness or the lack of proper food and water, which Professor Houtart acknowledged on questioning was ridiculous. It is more like the total number of dead in 30 years.

Everybody in Sri Lanka knows that the United Nations estimate refers to the final stages of the war and that an extrapolation of this was the basis for the claim made by The Times and then repeated by other media groups that 20,000 people died. That the authors didn’t spot this very obvious discrepancy in their complaint against the Government doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in their ability to carefully review information and reach sensible conclusions.

Nevertheless, there is no getting away from the fact that a group of eminent intellectuals have come to believe that the Government was responsible for war crimes.

Professor Houtart is totally convinced, and his opinion should be respected. He is an internationally recognised figure, having been involved in social work all his life. His links, particularly with progressive leaders in Latin America, are formidable. Last year, he won the UNESCO Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence.

He is also no stranger to Sri Lanka. I met him in Colombo some five years ago, but he has been visiting at regular intervals from the 1960s. He did his PhD thesis on Buddhism here.

The Dublin Tribunal is one of many in which he has participated. His involvement in such work dates back several decades, to the effort organised by Bertrand Russell and Jean Paul Sartre to question American foreign policy and military intervention in Vietnam. Professor Houtart has chaired a number of sessions, including one on the Iraq War that condemned the United States in the harshest of terms.

He isn’t biased. Nor is he a fool.

Whether or not he is right about why the Ceasefire Agreement broke down and what was subsequently done to beat the LTTE can’t be cleared up in the space of this column. But in the course of discussing his interpretation of the facts, he made an important point.

The primary concern in Sri Lanka must now be reconciliation.

This is what motivated Professor Houtart to accept the invitation to chair the Dublin Tribunal. As he told me, experience shows that if the truth is not recognised, it is impossible for a country to move forward. The repercussions may not be felt at once, he said, but they will come. A genuine process of reconciliation will emerge only if people can reach a common understanding of what happened during the war.

It is blindingly obvious that there is no such consensus to date. The vast majority of Sinhalese believe something quite different to most Tamils.

The same is true in the diaspora, I might add, or actually to a far greater extent. How those who supported the LTTE are to be persuaded to give up their struggle for Eelam if no efforts are made to bring them into a serious dialogue, I am really not sure. They present the most imminent danger to the country as things stand, considering the funds and networks to which they have access.

My suggestion to Professor Houtart was that to insist on an approach that might lead to prosecutions was to close off all possibility of debate in Sri Lanka. The sense of relief and gratitude towards the Security Forces for finishing off such an old and all-consuming problem is just too widespread and strong for that to be allowed. The more people in Colombo and other parts of the country that were insulated from the full impact of the conflict feel they are being pushed towards legal action, the less willing they will be to consider whether the narrative they have come to accept regarding the final stages of the war is the whole truth. We then remain stuck in talk of a humanitarian rescue mission, surgical strikes and a zero casualty policy, phrases that can only anger those who lost relatives in the Vanni.

The Government clearly isn’t going to be forced into doing anything other than settling scores with Sarath Fonseka in any case.

Professor Houtart disagreed, saying that the law couldn't be ignored. He said that to do so would jeopardise what he called the 'whole social fabric', adding that pardons could still be issued afterwards.

This is worth further consideration.

Remains of Tamil Tiger fighters displayed to the media after the fall of the Tigers' stronghold in May 2009.

It seems to me to be the key to dealing with allegations of war crimes. Indeed, the interview as a whole reinforced my feeling that Sri Lanka must now look back at the last three decades and try to understand where mistakes were made and why, in order to ensure that they can never be repeated. Enough time has passed. The country is secure.

Mahinda Rajapaksa is about to consolidate his success in the presidential election with another poll victory. Once the UPFA returns him a majority in Parliament, he will have run out of excuses to act on reconciliation and all the other issues he has been avoiding in the past ten months.

Ban Ki-moon probably doesn't want anything more than such a process of reflection, assuming it is sincerely undertaken. Getting started would therefore be an excellent way of shoring up relationships with the international community. We should remember that it was never only Western nations who were concerned about human rights violations and a political solution for minorities.

Nobody should mistake this as a call to bow down and capitulate to the demands of Navi Pillay or whoever else. It is just a happy coincidence that doing what is best for Sri Lanka will also help in dealing with institutions like the UN.

This article first appeared on The Island and it has been reprinted here with permission from it's editor.

A high profile Tamil Tiger amongst Merak boat people?

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:32:00 +0000

Although several refugee cases are being turned down after the end of war and although hundreds of Tamils are being asked to return to Sri Lanka from Europe and other parts, Tamil Tiger proxies have taken keen interest in a boat containing over 200 asylum seekers anchored off Merak, Indonesia.

The Tamil Tigers (or what's left of the terrorist movement) have gone to great lengths to get these "asylum seekers" into Australia. Recently a Canadian Tamil, Jessica Chandrashekar, who had flown all the way to Indonesia was apprehended trying to smuggle laptops and other documents to those on board. Jessica Chandrashekar, Pamela Curr and Saradha Nathan, who call themselves activist were detained and deported.

Now it appears the Tigers have turned to the famous Tamil Tiger propagandist Dr. Brian Senewiratne for help. Brian was quoted today speaking to yet another naive Australian journalist, Sarah Dingle, who considered him an "Australian doctor of Sinhalese origin," which then gives us a sense of neutrality.

Those who know Brian realise that over the last several years Brian was on a paid campaign to give the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) legitimacy as freedom fighters. The Tigers invested heavily on such speakers to appear as though they were fighting for the aspirations of the Tamil people of Sri Lanka.

Is it not strange then that doctor Brian appears out of thin air to talk about a Chicken Pox outbreak on board a vessel that has had a known Tamil gang member deported from Toronto and several others already identified to be Tamil Tigers?

Here is a quote from ABC,

Dr Brian Senewiratne, an Australian doctor of Sinhalese origin, has spoken with those on board and he says chickenpox is a deadly threat to those in a weakened state.

"If that chickenpox spreads to the children there will be an epidemic of chickenpox," he said.

"One of the complications of chickenpox in these malnourished, neglected children who are undernourished and generally rundown is that the chickenpox gets into the bloodstream and then gets to the brain. The technical condition is called encephalitis.

"The death rate under the age of five from the chickenpox encephalitis is almost 100 per cent, if not 100 per cent.

"On that boat, I can assure you that if the children get the chickenpox encephalitis, not one will survive."

A spokesman for Indonesia's department of foreign affairs, Teuku Faizasyah, says he has not been told about any chickenpox outbreak.

"I haven't got any information yet if there's any occurrence of chickenpox," he said.

That's not all. The Tamil Tigers and their proxies have convinced others that this boat load of people need to be resettled and they are suffering. No mention has ever been made of the fact that these "asylum seekers" or "refugees" paid thousands of dollars to human smugglers to take them to Australia instead of India. If they were really fleeing persecution, torture, and abuse why not land in India? The UN states that all refugees must enter their closest port of call, not thousands of miles away, passing several countries to find the most lucrative?

Listen to these mindless "activist" being used as a mouthpiece to serve the interest of a terrorist movement:

Grant Morgan,

Here is an international statement supporting the asylum seekers in Merak, Indonesia.

It has been jointly issued by 13 organisations from seven countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

A call for urgent action by the Indonesian and Australian governments

Merak asylum seekers need a just solution

The situation at Merak has dragged on much too long. For over 120 days, the 254 mostly Tamil asylum seekers have been stranded there. They have suffered hardships at the hands of the Australian and Indonesian authorities.

There are thousands of real refugees who wait patiently for years for their cases to be heard. Forget them. Just pay a human-smuggler and you're in. Is that the precedent being set?

Regardless, from what has been visible thus far it appears as though several high profile family members of the Tamil Tigers could well be on board this vessel. Why else would their be such keen interest in only these "refugees"?

Rajapaksa legacy threatened by Gotabhaya

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:30:00 +0000

Photo: Gotabhaya Rajapaksa by foto.rajith

The former Chief of Defence Staff, also the former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, and more recently the main opposition candidate who ran against Mahinda Rajapaksa in the presidential election, has been arrested.

Sarath Fonseka's arrest came after a comment he had made to the BBC in which he said he would not hesitate to testify against those who had commited war crimes in the recently concluded war with the Tamil Tigers.

In an interview with The Sunday Leader (13 Dec 2009) Fonseka also accused Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, of ordering the executions of surrendering Tamil Tiger leaders and combatants.

However, The Sunday Leader printed a clarification the following week by Fonseka,

“As Commander of the Army during the final stages of the war, I did not receive any communication that some LTTE leaders were planning or wanting to surrender.

I was not told at any stage they wanted to do so and that some kind of an agreement had been reached that they must come out carrying pieces of white cloth.

I can speak conclusively and authoritatively on this particular issue and say categorically that nobody carrying white flags attempted surrender in those final days of the war. Therefore all of the LTTE leaders were killed as forces completely took over a remaining 100m x 100m area of land north of Vellamullivaikkal.

Two days after the war ended I learnt through some journalists who were entrenched at the time with then Brigadier Shavendra Silva that an illegal order had been conveyed to General Shavendra Silva by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

This illegal order was however not carried out at ground level. I take full responsibility for what happened on the ground.”

By implicating Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, even in his clarification, Fonseka has most certainly angered the all powerful Defence Secretary.

Gothabaya, a retired Army officer, is the brother of president Mahinda Rajapaksa. He is credited with masterminding the strategy of the Tigers' fall.

Fonseka and his supporters on the other hand credit the fall of the Tigers to Sarath Fonseka.

According to media reports, even prior to the 2010 election there had been friction between the two. This animosity was perhaps a crucial factor in Fonseka's decision to run for president.

Several hours after Fonseka's comments to the BBC he was arrested by Military Police. He remains in the custody of the Military.

Below is a quote form the LA Times,

The government information office said Tuesday that comments Fonseka made to the British Broadcasting Corp. in which he vowed to testify in a war-crimes trial against the government proved his disloyalty. The government has strongly resisted any outside review of its activities during the final days of the conflict.

State news media said that in speaking to journalists Fonseka had divulged state secrets.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa was away from the island when Fonseka was arrested. Its possible that he may not have been aware of the arrest till after the fact.

Its a plausible assumption.

Mahinda Rajapaksa is a seasoned politician, a lawyer, and a former human rights activist. Gotabhaya on the other hand was a military man with 20 years service. He served on the front lines in tough combat operations in the late 80s.

In interviews with the media Gotabhaya has always appeared hot headed, short tempered and at times very irrational. This decision to arrest the opposition candidate bears all the hallmarks of his doing.

At what cost?

Rajapaksa's popularity took a dip when the Editor of The Sunday Leader, a stark critic of Gotabhaya, was senselessly gunned down by unknown assailants. The investigation into Lasantha's killing has gone nowhere a year after his death. The Rajapaksas have done little to push the investigation ahead, or to clear themselves of involvement in the slaying.

The president's popularity has taken yet another hit with the arrest of Fonseka. Protesters have taken to the streets in support of Fonseka, and Rajapaksa supporters have begun clashing with them on the streets. The law enforcement is apparently siding with protesters from the ruling party.

A quote from the Associated Press,

Government supporters — who decided to hold a counter rally at the Supreme Court — threw rocks and chased away opposition demonstrators.

"We were walking peacefully when we were attacked by government goons," said Marina Abdeen, an opposition supporter.

Police were deployed in the area but did not intervene until opposition members started fighting back. They then shot tear gas at them.

An Associated Press photographer said some opposition members had bloody head wounds. A hospital official, Pushpa Soyza, said three civilians and two policemen were treated for minor injuries.

Thousands of opposition supporters demanded Fonseka's release while burning life-sized posters of Rajapaksa. They also smashed coconuts, a local tradition based on a belief it could bring divine intervention to their cause.

In his second term Mahinda Rajapaksa had the opportunity to undo the damage his brother has caused. But, it appears that he has squandered the opportunity. Since the election the Sri Lankan media feels more threatened than ever before and democracy has taken a sever blow with the opposition voice stifled.

It won't be long before the people of this country question the path Sri Lanka is taking after the end of war. The masses will want to know who is in charge of Sri Lanka. Is it the president or his brother?

Amidst all this another generation of the Rajapaksa family is set to enter the political stage. Namal Rajapaksa, son of president Mahinda Rajapaksa, will be contesting in the forthcoming parliamentary elections. If he hopes to have any chance of running for president someday, he will need to work with his father on stopping his uncle dead in his tracks.

Sri Lankan sleuths arrest yet another senior Tamil Tiger operative on foreign soil

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:44:00 +0000

Sri Lankan intelligence agents have arrested yet another senior Tamil Tiger operative on foreign soil.

Sri Lankan slueths apprehended the new Tamil Tiger leader Kumaran Pathmanathan (a/k/a/ KP) in Malaysia last year. His arrest has led to the arrest of Rajan (a/k/a/ Subramaniam Siva kumar).

BBC,

He [Gotabaya Rajapaksa] said the suspect, known as Rajan (alias Subramaniam Sivakumar) "had been arrested in a South-East Asian nation" and brought to Colombo on Thursday.

He said that the information regarding the suspect came from Tamil Tiger leader Kumaran Pathmanathan, who is currently being held in Colombo.

Tamilnet, the Tamil Tigers' official website, in an apparent effort to send a message to the diaspora, made a subtle announcement of the arrest of a "Tamil civilian" in Colombo.

A Tamil civilian Subramanian Siva Kumar was arrested by the Terrorism Investigations Department (TID) in Colombo, according to the Director of the TID. He told media persons in Colombo Thursday evening that the suspect has been identified as a hardcore cadre of the LTTE.

The government of Sri Lanka has confirmed that Rajan was the second in command of the overseas branch of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (a/k/a/ LTTE, a/k/a/ Tamil Tigers) and he was arrested outside of Sri Lanka with the information obtained by Kumaran Pathmanathan.

Poor Sarath Fonseka

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:59:00 +0000

Sarath Fonseka, once the Chief of Defence Staff of the Sri Lanka Army. Photo by foto.rajith.

Honestly, there was nothing shocking about Fonseka's loss in the 2010 presidential elections. Ask a nationalist if Sarath Fonseka was any more instrumental in the defeat of the Tigers than Brigadier Shavendra Silva, and the answer is more than likely going to be "no".

The Commander of the 58th division (formerly Task Force 1), Shavendra Silva, was instrumental in taking on the Tigers deep in their heartland. Troops under his command ran through Tamil Tiger strongholds, taking town after town, progressing quicker than most experts thought possible. The voter base Fonseka hoped to garner support from knew all too well the most minutest detail of how the war was won.

Ask anyone who followed the end of the war closely and they are likely to tell you Fonseka's role was nothing more than passing on orders. The Sinhalese nationalist voter, that Fonseka hoped to win over, knew that the Rajapaksas transformed a military which had struggled to defeat the Tigers to a professional fighting force. Fonseka, nor the Sri Lanka Army could defeat the Tigers before. We know it was only possible post 2005 due to the will of Mahinda Rajapaksa.

It appears the voters knew that too.

In his resignation letter, upon stepping down as Chief of Defence Staff to run for president, Fonseka said he was unhappy with the treatment he received after the end of the war. He was convinced that he was instrumental in winning the war.

As far as the average man was concerned it was Rajapaksa who made it all possible.

Sarath Fonseka seen here complaining to the media after his loss to Mahinda Rajapaksa. Photo by indi.ca.

So who voted for Fonseka? Opposition supporters, Tamils who supported the Tamil Tigers and wanted Rajapaksa defeated as a means of getting even, and those who down right hate Mahinda Rajapaksa for reasons best known only to them.

Some didn't care what would become of Sri Lanka had Fonseka won, they just wanted to see Mahinda fail at something, anything.

The Tamil Tigers and their funding source (the 1million strong Tamil diaspora spread across parts of Europe, Canada, and Australia) were praying that Rajapaksa would be defeated. David Poo'pillai the national spokesman for the pro-Tamil Tiger Canadian Tamil Congress told AFP weeks ahead of the poll that the "Tamil diaspora wants Mahinda to be defeated."

Poopalapillai is seen on this video here supporting the Tamil Tigers on Canadian national television. Canada has listed the Tamil Tigers as a terrorist organisation.

So it was no surprise then that Poo'pillai's British counterparts calling themselves "Global Tamil Forum" these days, led by the Tamil Tiger propagandist Suren Surinendran, were devastated this morning at the news that Mahinda had won.

Suren like Poo'pillai had backed the pro-Tiger Tamil National Alliance which had thrown it's weight behind Fonseka in hopes of avenging the defeat of the Tamil Tigers.

The only thing Fonseka had in common with all these groups who backed him is their personal gripe with Rajapaksa. So the next time you hear Fonseka talk about representing the aspirations of the people, ask him to go f*ck himself. We know better.

With that said, we get a better understanding of the 6,015,934 voters who turned up in support of Rajapaksa. 57.88% of 14,088,500 voters placed their faith in Mahinda Rajapaksa with no ulterior motives, or with revenge in mind, or sinister agendas up their sleeves. They voted for him because they have firm faith in him to take Sri Lanka forward after war.

Photo by indi.ca.

In the end the Sinhalese majority vote was not split as the foreign media had hoped. The minority vote did not decide the election. The results from the Western Province, namely Colombo- a multi ethnic city where Burghers, Tamils and Muslims make up over 50% of the population, if looked at closely enough, will reveal that even the non-Sinhalese backed Rajapaksa to some extent. Rajapaksa took Colombo by 52.93% (614,740 votes).

If you are Sri Lankan then you know what's next. There will be claims from the opposition of a rigged election. Fonseka has already written to the Elections Commission crying foul. The following is an excerpt from the BBC,

Dear commissioner of elections. Before and after handing over the nomination papers, President Rajapaksa's election campaign has made great use of state resources.
Further, there have been threats, intimidation and accusations levelled against me. Many of my supporters were intimidated.
The government engaged in a campaign abusing state media and state resources to accuse me of being a foreign agent and a traitor.

Eventually it will sink in. Fonseka will realise that the sheer margin of defeat cannot be attributed to abuse of state media. That's a feeble excuse.

In the letter, Fonseka also tells the Commissioner of Elections that he fears for his safety,

I humbly request you to order the inspector general of police and other appropriate authorities to take appropriate security measures to protect my life and to protect my freedom of movement.

Ironic isn't it? Fonseka, once in charge of the quarter million strong Sri Lanka Army now fears for his own safety and is holed up at his residence. Moments after the election results were announced Fonseka had summoned the media and informed them that he feared leaving the hotel. Several hours later he departed with no incident.

The government appears to be bemused by all this. Another quote from the BBC,

Late at night, Gen Fonseka finally left the hotel in a BMW and was not arrested. "Why should we persecute him?" asked Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.
But the president's brother said the authorities were concerned about allegations against them made by Gen Fonseka during the campaign.

Fonseka betrayed the very administration that was responsible for making him a war hero. Those close to him backed him and lulled him into a false sense of security where he felt he was popular enough to be voted in as the next president. He failed. He stepped down from his post as Chief of Defence Staff and now he is nothing. What was he thinking? Did he really think that an opposition which the people have no faith in could win him an election?

Poor Sarath Fonseka.

Videos - Mahinda Rajapaksa re-elected as president of Sri Lanka

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:30:00 +0000

This page may load a little slower than normal due to the embedded video content.

Reuters: Rajapaksa wins election

Sarath Fonseka complains to NewsX after his camp first hear of news that their party was loosing the election. He tells the Indian news network that he is ready for another war to defend himself. Fonseka wants foreign governments to intervene. However, despite these claims, Fonseka left the hotel with no incident and headed home.

Bloomberg: Sri Lankan elections carry on peacefully.

VOA Correspondent Steve Herman in Colombo speaks to voters on election day.

CNN coverage on election day.

Video: A visit to Jaffna via the battle scarred A9 highway

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:13:00 +0000

Video courtesy Young Asia Television.

Australia rejects Tamil asylum seekers

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:35:00 +0000

When I first heard that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees had designated all 78 of the Sri Lankan Tamils aboard the vessel Oceanic Viking as legal refugees, it baffled me.

It would be beyond logic and common sense to expect anyone to identify Tamil Tiger combatants evading justice amongst a boat load of people claiming to be refugees fleeing persecution. These people do not carry identification tags, in most cases those who pay human smugglers to leave Sri Lanka have already invested a lot of money in printing false documentation. They are rarely who they claim to be.

Remember "Alex"?

That's why it was baffling that a UN official deemed all on board the vessel as legitimate refugees. It deals a severe blow to the UN when it's officials act based on emotion, not fact.

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has already rejected visas for some of those on board, claiming they have links to the Tamil Tigers and they pose a security threat to Australia.

From The Australian:

The situation presents a conundrum for the government, which cannot return the four to Sri Lanka without exposing them to potential harm from the Sri Lankan government, which in May crushed the decades-old Tamil insurgency with a comprehensive military offensive. Australia would also be in breach of its legal obligations if it returned the four, as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has designated all 78 of the Sri Lankans as legal refugees. However, people subject to adverse security assessments are by law ineligible for an Australian visa, which means the four have no hope of coming to the Australian mainland.

Other countries will also be highly reluctant to take them now that Australia has deemed them a security risk.

What a mess! Instead of creating more opportunities for human smugglers, Australia must realise that the time is right to set the example. Their shores are no place for extremist and criminals looking to evade justice under the guise of being refugees.

There are millions residing in third world nations who will do anything to get out and start a new life in a developed nation. They are not refugees. The refugee process was never meant to allow economic migration, but to assist those in dire need.

In the mid 90s several members of my extended family sought refugee status in Canada, UK and Australia. None, however, fled Sri Lanka fearing persecution. All abused the generosity of the naive to evade business debts, or find better education for their children. Yet, they all claimed to be running away from either the Sri Lankan government or the Tamil Tigers. It was really that easy for two decades or more.

It annoys me to see those, even my own, sell out their motherland for personal gain.

Canadian backers of Tamil Tigers may get longer penalties

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:11:00 +0000

Two Tamil men who were allowed into Canada as refugees from Sri Lanka are now facing life behind bars in the US for supporting the Tamil Tigers (LTTE).

Toronto residents Suhil Sabaratnam and Thiruthanikan (Thani) Thanigasalam were due in court for a sentencing hearing in New York on Monday. Both have pleaded guilty to conspiracy and material support for terrorism and were facing possible sentences of 25 years to life. Two others — Nadarasa Yogarasa, also a Canadian resident, and Sathajhan Sarachandran — have pleaded guilty in connection with the undercover FBI sting operation.

Read more on the CBC website.

If comments on the CBC story are anything to go by, the Canadian public appear to be sick and tired of these Tamil extremist giving their nation a bad name.

Here are a few comments posted on the story,

From Indopithecus: "Canadians should realize that terrorist supporters like these emanating from our country throw a wrecking ball at our reputation south of the border. As a consequence, expect more trouble for Canada on border crossings and trade. It is not a trivial threat --- Americans are already nervous about the northern border (albeit based on several myths). These rogues jeopardise the economic well being of ALL of us. Put them behind bars for life. And, please, go after the other terrorists walking our streets. I read somewhere that 10,000 Tamil Tiger operatives are roaming the streets of the GTA. Why not send them back? Instead, we are now contemplating taking in 75 more who came by boat to Vancouver!"

From BunkerRat: "A harsh 25 years + sentence will send a crystal clear message to all would-be terrorists in the US and Canada. This is that opportunity.

The culprits, who are sidekicks of the barbaric Tamil terrorists, can console themselves that at least their lives have been spared... despite 70,000 innocent Sri Lankans were meticulously slaughtered by the Tamil terrorists for nothing... but for profit.

Unpardonable, looking at this from another angle."

From smash_the_left: "Calling those dirtbags Canadians is an insult to Canada the Canadian people."

From dbngrl: "They are either Tamil or Canadian, but they can't be both and coming to Canada was clearly just a cover for their terrorist activities. The U.S. is welcome to them and I hope they lock them up and throw away the key."

Happy new year!

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:06:00 +0000

I know! It's a tad bit too late, but other commitments have kept me away from blogging in the recent weeks.

Happy new year to you all!

US Senate Foreign Relations Committee report on Sri Lanka

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:34:00 +0000

Embedded below is the report by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on US-Sri Lanka relations.

A quote from Reuters explaining the gist of the report,

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Monday issued a report that encourages the Obama administration to recalibrate its approach to post-war Sri Lanka to include more economic, political and security aid to protect U.S. interests.

Letter of Transmittal:

UNITED STATES SENATE,
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS,
Washington, DC, December 7, 2009.

DEAR COLLEAGUES: The administration is currently evaluating U.S. policy toward Sri Lanka in the wake of the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), one of the world’s deadliest terrorist groups.

It has been six months since the end of the war, and the Sri Lankan Government is dealing with a humanitarian crisis in the North where hundreds of thousands are still displaced and homes
and infrastructure are destroyed. The Government faces many challenges in transitioning to peace, and the international community can help.

Sri Lanka is an important partner and friend to the United States, so we asked two of our Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) staff members, Fatema Z. Sumar and Nilmini Gunaratne
Rubin, to evaluate U.S. policy towards Sri Lanka. Ms. Sumar and Ms. Rubin traveled to Sri Lanka with the extensive support of the American Embassy in Colombo and the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington, DC, to conduct a week-long fact finding mission November 2–7, 2009, to see firsthand how the country was transitioning after the war.

They met dozens of government officials, opposition party leaders, non-governmental organizations, journalists, international donors, foreign diplomats, academics, civil society leaders, business people, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and Sri Lankan citizens in a variety of settings. In addition to Colombo, they traveled throughout the country, including visiting the IDP camps in the North, viewing demining activities in the Northwest, seeing areas rebuilt after the December 2004 tsunami and fighting in the East, and meeting local government officials
in the South.

Their report provides significant insight and a number of important recommendations to advance U.S. policy in Sri Lanka. We hope it will help stimulate debate on the nature of the U.S.-Sri Lanka relationship and American interests in South Asia.

Sincerely,
JOHN F. KERRY,
Chairman.
RICHARD G. LUGAR
Ranking Member.

Full Report:

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Report on Sri Lanka

Only 94,000 of the 300,000 refugees remain in camps in Sri Lanka

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:25:00 +0000

A Sri Lankan government press release states that only 94,000 of the 300,000 Tamil refugees remain in camps for the displaced.

15,000 people are being resettled every week, and as a part of the resettlement program each family is given $400, cooking utensils, and building material.

More from Bloomberg,

The government is helping families engaged in the agriculture industry in the north and has set a target to cultivate 10,500 acres (4,250 hectares) of rice fields this season, the governor said. The main growing area around Mannar in the northwest has been cleared of mines, the government said last month.

The so-called Mannar rice bowl produced a record harvest in 1991 before falling to 23rd out of 27 growing areas listed by the government before the region was captured from the Tamil Tigers in June 2008.

While Sri Lanka in July received a $2.6 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, the end of the civil war has boosted agriculture and tourism that will help the country’s $41 billion economy. The central bank forecasts it will grow as much as 6 percent next year after expanding about 3.5 percent in 2009.

Sri Lanka: Refugees in camps allowed total freedom of movement from Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:58:00 +0000

AFP has reported that as of December 1 2009, refugees confined to camps will be allowed to come and go as they please.

AFP,

About 128,000 men, women and children who were displaced during the final stages of the conflict remain in heavily guarded military camps in Vavuniya district, 260 kilometres (160 miles) north of Colombo.

"There will be no restrictions on displaced people from December 1. They have to inform the army post they are leaving and can come and go as they wish," N. Thirugnanasampanther, a civil servant in Vavuniya, said Monday.

Sri Lanka confined 300,000 refugees in vast camps in order to weed out Tamil Tiger combatants. In July this year Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa told Time Magazine that he had instructed his administration to open the camps, allow freedom of movement, and return the displaced within 180 days.

Time (Monday, Jul. 13, 2009),

[Time] What is your priority now?
[MR] Over 300,000 people are in the IDP [internally-displaced persons] camps. The whole area is mined. We must de-mine the whole area, give basic facilities, water, electricity, roads, resettle them.

[Time]What is your time frame?
[MR] We have a 180-day program. That is our plan. In 180 days, we want to settle most of these people.

What would you like to accomplish before the next presidential election [which could be held as early as November]?
[MR] At least 50% must be released. I would say 60%.

Is that a promise?
[MR] It's not a promise, it's a target.

Sri Lanka 2010 presidential election promises to be a thriller

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:15:00 +0000

Sri Lanka’s electoral office announced that the presidential elections in Sri Lanka will be held in January of 2010.

Putting an end to the speculation, Sarath Fonseka has confirmed that he will be running for president. Fonseka, not too long ago, was a close ally and a valuable component in Rajapaksa's military, but now the military man appears to have forgotten his ethics, and taken to politics as a duck would to water.

New York Times,

“We have done away with the terrorists,” General Fonseka told reporters at a news conference on Sunday. “But now you can’t leave the country in the hands of a tin-pot dictator.”

The Fonsekas and the Rajapaksas are known to be close family friends. A local newspaper reported that before Fonseka handed in his resignation, Mrs. Fonseka had personally called the first lady to break the news to her.

Fonseka admitted in his resignation letter that he was unhappy with his promotion as Chief of Defence Staff. He felt he deserved more. It is clear now that his choice to run for president of Sri Lanka is not for the greater good of any Sri Lankan, but more to get back at the Rajapaksa administration.

War hero or not, why would anyone vote for a candidate running with that kind of motivation? If Fonseka thinks the public would blindly support a former Sri Lanka Army General looking for revenge, he may well have another thing coming.

If Rajapaksa is as equally vindictive, we can expect some fireworks ahead of the polls.

The panel which Rajapaksa appointed to investigate allegations of war crimes by the US is due to release it's findings in December 2009 - next month. It would be hilarious if the investigations found General Sarath Fonseka guilty of negligence in his role as commander of the army.

Although the repercussions of such would be far reaching, I wouldn't rule it out. This is Sri Lanka after all!

Through all the media frenzy over the Fonseka v Rajapaksa match up, a third candidate has quietly stepped into the race.

Asian Tribune,

Vickramabahu Karunaratne has been nominated as the Left Front Candidate for the coming presidential elections. He has been invited to stand for the elections by Leftist organisations not aligned with the government, several people’s organizations and intellectuals.

What's interesting is the backing the third candidate received from the Tamil Tigers' official website, Tamilnet.

Tamilnet,

After supporting the federal aspiration of Eezham Tamils in the 1956 elections, now for the first time left political parties led by Sinhala leaders have come forward to field a common presidential candidate, Dr. Vikramabahu Karunaratne, with a main programme recognising Tamil Nation, its homeland in the north and east, its right to self-determination and autonomy as solution for the unity of the island.

With a third candidate who has the backing and the blessing of the LTTE now in the race, there could well be a twist in this tale. Whatever happens, the 2010 elections promises to be a thriller!

Global crackdown on Tamil Tiger extremist

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:29:00 +0000

A short while ago Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence announced that popular actor and film director from Tamil Nadu, India, Sebastian Seeman, had been arrested in Canada.

Seeman is a staunch supporter of the Tamil Tigers and is pictured below posing with Vellupillai Prabhakaran, the slain leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (a/k/a Tamil Tigers, a/k/a LTTE).

Seeman is also the owner of the pro-LTTE website, www. naamtamilar. org.

Ministry of Defence,

Tamil Nadu actor Seeman was arrested short while ago (26 Nov) by the Canadian Police and is currently at the Immigration Center ready to be deported to India, Canadian sources said.

He was handcuffed and brought to the detention center by the Canadian Police.

Tamil Radio in Toronto which announced Seeman's arrest said that Seeman had come to Toronto to attend the Marveerday [Tamil Tiger martyr's day] function.

There is talk that he was arrested for an inflammatory speech, and he now faces deportation from Canada.

Earlier this week, a court in France jailed 21 Tamil men. They were convicted of extorting millions of dollars from France's Tamil community for the Tamil Tigers. One was the leader of the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) in France.

BBC,

A French court has jailed Tamil Tiger militants convicted of extorting millions of dollars from the Tamil community in France.

Twenty-one people were found guilty, including the leader of the Tamil Tigers in France, Nadaraja Matinthiran, AFP news agency reported.

The Co-ordinating Committee of Tamils-France has been ordered to shut down as well. The French court ruled that it was a front for the Tamil Tigers.

2009 has already seen a spade of arrest from New York to Singapore, targeting Tamil Tiger leaders, organisers, and sympathisers.

The nature of contemporary conflict poses new challenges - Sri Lanka

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:55:00 +0000

[Video] Dr. Palitha Kohona, Sri Lanka's ambassador to the UN, speaking at the 6216th UN Security Council meeting, on the 11th of November 2009.

Dr. Kohona said the nature of contemporary conflict posed new challenges to States’ commitment to civilian protection and he focused his remarks on protecting civilians in the context of Sri Lanka’s internal conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Describing that situation, he said that Tamil Tigers had incorporated civilians into their military strategy, which created huge operational challenges for Sri Lanka’s military. It's tactics included using civilians as human shields and conscripting children as combatants and forced labour.

He stressed that at no time did Sri Lanka use disproportionate force. In that context, he said the rules of military engagement might need evaluation, as terrorists disregarded the rules of war in waging asymmetric warfare.

"The terrorists' inhumane strategy was to create a situation conducive to large scale civilian casualties by herding the civilians to form a human shield and by placing heavy guns in their midst," Kohona reminded the council.

He also urged the Council to examine the causes of escalation in armed conflict, explaining that without stemming the proliferation of illicit arms, civilian safety would remain at risk. Non-State actors like terrorists had relatively easy access to illicit weapons, as there was no international regime to monitor, let alone interdict, such arms, he added.

Kohona told the council that Sri Lanka's final operation to create a safe passage for civilians, who were held as a human shield, to flee, was carried out at tremendous cost to the lives of Sri Lanka's armed forces personnel. As only infantry action was used in order to minimise civilian casualties.

Further, external actors like diaspora communities openly funded such arms purchases and received support in their host countries. Legal frameworks designed to safeguard civilian rights were being exploited to carry out illicit activities.

On engagement with non-State armed groups, Dr. Kohona said terrorists paid lip service to humanitarian principles and often ruthlessly misused them to cover further violations. He ended by urging the council to recognise the military's role in protecting civilians. The United Nations must assist Governments in that regard, he urged.

(With inputs from UN press release.)

Will you vote for Sarath Fonseka as president of Sri Lanka?

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:46:00 +0000

Will you vote for Sarath Fonseka as president of Sri Lanka?(online surveys)

I must admit I was wrong. I assumed that Sarath Fonseka would not risk his reputation by running for president. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that he would side with an opposition that nearly handed half of Sri Lanka's land mass and a third of it's coast to a terrorist group.

The current government maintains that the 2002 ceasefire agreement between the Tamil Tigers and the government in power at the time, the United National Party (UNP), posed a threat to Sri Lanka’s sovereignty. This is also the same view shared by most supporters of General Sarath Fonseka and the Sri Lankan Military.

SLBC,

A communiqué issued by the LTTE in connection with the 5th anniversary of the signing of the agreement clearly states the benefits it has received due to the signing of the pact. The LTTE has stated that all factors needed to create a Tamil Eelam state were established through the agreement. The Minister pointed out that these factors include the presence of an exact population, operations of the army and the police, the ability to engage in transaction with other governments and the demarcation of boundaries. Minister Yapa also disclosed on the manner of providing radio channels to the LTTE following the signing of the agreement. The then Sri Lankan government imported ultra technological electrical equipment valued over 100 thousand US dollars and handed them over to the LTTE peace secretariat. Minister Yapa added this fact is mentioned in a book compiled by none other than Austin Fernando, who functioned as defence secretary during the UNP government.

Fonseka too shared similar views of the leader of the opposition and the UNP. However, convinced that he had been dealt with in an unjust manner by the Rajapaksa brothers, Fonseka has decided to resign from his post as chief of defence staff (CDS) and run for president. Although he is yet to admit it, there isn't a Sri Lankan on this island who feels Fonseka won't run for president.

In his letter of resignation Fonseka points out that it was Rajapaksa's paranoia about a military coup which compelled him to sideline the popular commander of the armed forces.

AFP,

Considered a war hero at home for his role in the army's victory, Fonseka said the government had asked neighbouring India on October 15 to prepare its troops to be deployed in the event of a military coup here.

"This action did tarnish the image and reputation gained by the Sri Lanka army as a competent and professional organisation which was capable of defeating a terrorist group," he said in his letter, written in English.

The Hindustan Times reports that the Indian Military was put on "high alert" on October 15, 2009, amid fears from Colombo of a coup.

Hindustan Times,

The Indian armed forces were put on high alert in the middle of October after a worried Colombo fearing a coup by the Sri Lankan army contacted New Delhi and requested the Indian government to prevent a military takeover.

On the night of October 15, top Lankan politicians and bureaucrats got in touch with New Delhi through the Indian High Commission in Colombo and conveyed their apprehensions and request for help.

With mass paranoia setting in, the Rajapaksa government went into great lengths to divert the media spotlight away from Sarath Fonseka. The General’s valedictory speech received no media coverage. A largely under reported event in state run media was a comment Fonseka had made in that speech regarding the displaced Tamil citizens held in camps.

In his speech, on the 12th of October 2009, Fonseka said,"the victory gained by defeating the terrorists could be converted into a real victory if the people are able to carry on with their normal life. You should be dedicated to provide the best service to the re-settlement process in the areas that have been liberated."

Some say these comments were made at a time when Fonseka was already in discussion with UNP contacts to run for election. In July of 2009, Fonseka was summoned for a meeting where he was told that in just three days he would have to relinquish his position as Commander of the Army.

Sunday Times,

An aide came to Gen. Fonseka carrying a mobile phone. It was President's Secretary Lalith Weeratunga, wanting to speak to the Commander. He was requesting him to come over for a meeting.

Participants at the conference heard Gen. Fonseka ask Weeratunga whether the meeting could take place the next day, Sunday, if it was not very urgent. They later heard him say he would come over as soon as the ongoing conference was over. Participants saw and heard him receive a second call from Weeratunga. He hurriedly concluded the conference, which had lasted some 13 hours and headed for the meeting with Weeratunga. It was here that Gen. Fonseka was told he would have to relinquish office as Commander of the Army in just three days - on July 14. He was being appointed as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). As reported earlier, this meant there was no time to say his farewells to troops in major garrisons, particularly in the newly cleared areas of Wanni.

"Various agencies misleading your excellency by stating a possible coup immediately after the victory over the LTTE obviously led to a change of command in spite of my request to be in command until the army celebrated its 60th anniversary," Fonseka said in his resignation letter.

His choice to run for president of Sri Lanka appears to be driven by emotion. Is Fonseka out to topple the Rajapaksa government over the lack of appreciation they showed him, after the defeat of the LTTE? Fonseka's letter of resignation too resembles more of a pledge by a presidential candidate than a statement by a retiring war hero.

Meanwhile, The Hindu reports that Rajapaksa has already accepted Fonseka's resignation. Many, including myself, thought that Rajapaksa would have the last laugh and not accept his resignation. Which would have forced Fonseka to serve his 2 year term as CDS, ruling him out of any election in 2010.

Personally, I am not in favour of the former Army commander running for president. The motivation behind the move is not promising for Sri Lanka.

Sarath Fonseka's show of compassion, highlighted in his resignation letter, where he claims the displaced should have been released sooner, discredits the armed forces to a degree. As a third world nation picking up the pieces after 26 years of war, Sri Lanka was stretched.

The men and women of the armed forces worked over time to screen for combatants among 300,000 displaced. Despite months of gruelling service at war, the military was pushed to clear the former conflict zone of hidden enemy weapons dumps. Had the resettlement been rushed, it would most certainly have compromised ongoing investigations to weed out Tamil Tiger combatants.

Since the fall of the Tamil Tigers in May 2009 there have been no bombings or terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka. That stands as testimony to the success of the current strategy. Sri Lanka always maintained it needed a minimum of 6 months to resettle the displaced. Sri Lanka was clear that the displaced had to be confined till Tiger combatants hiding among them were weeded out. The safety of 21 million Sri Lankans rested in the hands of the current government, not at the hands of Fonseka or the opposition.

I am not a blind follower of the Rajapaksa government. Whilst a stronger opposition is good for democracy, I just don't see genuine intent in Fonseka's motives, or the motives of the UNF/UNP to help the people of Sri Lanka. It's looking a lot like power hungry selfish individuals trying to get to the top.

I would rather have the current power hungry politician at the top. Only because of his administration's proven commitment to ensuring Sri Lanka will never again be at war. The cost of war is dire to all ethnic groups. That's one thing we can never allow on our shores again. That's why I don't want Ranil Wickremasinghe using Fonseka as a puppet to bungle this whole thing up.

Australian special representative reveals Sri Lanka IDP camp conditions

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:17:00 +0000

Australia's special representative to Sri Lanka, John McCarthy, is currently visiting Sri Lanka to inspect camps housings thousands of internally displaced persons (IDP).

Michael Edwards from ABC News Australia was given access to visit Menik Farm along with John McCarthy.

You can read Michael's report here. Below is an excerpt,

Mr McCarthy, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's hand-picked representative to Sri Lanka, is the man charged with stemming the tide of asylum seekers wanting to get into Australia.

He has a strong interest in Sri Lanka's efforts to resettle Tamils affected by the civil war.

"It's been very worthwhile for us to see at first hand, this delegation, what is happening in the camps and what is happening in the process of resettlement which is taking place within Sri Lanka," he said.

"I think we're encouraged by what we've seen. On the whole these camps are working well and the settlement, resettlement process is working well.

"The momentum needs to be maintained. I think the government of Sri Lanka is aware of that. Also of course it's necessary to ensure that the needs of the people are met when they immediately return."

Later, the delegation visited the town of Mallavi. Its residents had just returned after months at Manik Farm. They arrived back to a home town which had been devastated by the civil war.

But even though many of their houses had been destroyed they said they were happy to be home.

And it is where the Australian government would like them to stay, rather than to take their chances with people smugglers on the open sea.

Despite all the talk of lack of access, 2009 has seen several foreign dignitaries visiting the camps. The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes, will be visiting the camps next week. His fourth such visit this year.

Canada's International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda has visited the camps twice in 2009. UN chief Ban Ki-moon too visited the camps. Ten Tamil MPs from India were also given access to visit.

These images show UNICEF and SOS Children's involvement within the camps.

Below is a brief list of NGOs/UN humanitarian partners/Charities that currently have access to camps in Sri Lanka.

#Caritas
#Oxfam
#Red Cross
#SOS Children's Villages
#Muslim Aid

Video: Sri Lanka's ambassador to the UN Palitha Kohona on Lateline - Australia

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:04:00 +0000

[Video]

[Video]

Amanda Hodge thinks Sri Lanka Navy is now the reason for influx of Tamil asylum seekers headed to Australia

noreply@blogger.com (Bailaman) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:54:00 +0000

It's baffling how a reputed publication like The Australian can continue to allow it's South Asian correspondent, Amanda Hodge, to publish blatant lies. I guess fact checking is no longer a requirement.

Hodge is either naive and ignorant, or too emotionally attached to half truths which makes her feel that bashing some of Sri Lanka's people and their democratically elected government is a form of activism to help the voiceless.

In an article titled Sri Lankan navy 'forcing refugees further afield' Amanda claims the Sri Lankan Navy is now the reason why Tamils are 'fleeing persecution' and heading to Australia instead of India. She is also under the impression that James Elder was expelled from Sri Lanka for speaking out about malnutrition in refugee camps.

Sri Lanka has over 4 million Tamils. Less than 500 have headed in recent times to various parts of the world on boats seeking asylum. Most of these asylum seekers claim to be fleeing persecution. The 250 asylum seekers on a boat in Indonesia have already admitted to living in Indonesian for at least 5 years. One of the men on board has been identified as a refugee deported from Canada due to violent gang crime.

National Post,

In Toronto, police watched the news footage coming out of Indonesia on YouTube and instantly recognized "Alex." He was Sanjeev Kuhendrarajah. And he wasn't a businessman with an MBA degree, as he had told reporters, he was a Toronto gang member.

The 78 male asylum seekers who arrived in Canada by boat are being detained by Canadian border protection authorities. Initial investigations have revealed that most of the men may have ties to the Tamil Tigers. Both the asylum seekers and the vessel in which they travelled to Canada have tested positive for explosives. It was also revealed that the vessel departed from an Indian port not Sri Lanka.

Globe and Mail,

Canadian officials allege trace amounts of explosives were found in a cargo ship that carried 76 Tamil migrants to Canada's West Coast last month, defence attorneys for migrants say.

In affidavits filed last week, the Canadian Border Services Agency makes the allegations of the find in the Ocean Lady, and on the clothes of some of the men inside.

None of these individuals were fleeing Sri Lanka, or camps. Many of these individuals have been residing in other parts of the world and have realised that with peace dawning on Sri Lanka this is their final opportunity to get into a developed nation.

As for James Elder, his comments in the following video led to his expulsion. He was not expelled for "speaking out on child malnutrition in refugee camps," as Amanda thinks.

Elder was expelled for certain comments he made to the media during the final stages of the conflict. He was referring to civilians trapped in the conflict zone and not about malnutrition in camps. The UN confirmed the Tamil Tigers were holding civilians as a human shield to protect it's leaders.

BBC,

"We strongly condemn the LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] terrorist organization for the use of civilians as human shields and for not allowing them to leave the area of conflict," he said.

"In this regard, the Security Council members... demand that the LTTE immediately lay down arms, renounce terrorism, allow a UN-assisted evacuation of the remaining civilians in the conflict and join the political process for dialogue in order to put an end to the conflict."

Palitha Kohona who is now Sri Lanka's ambassador to the UN made it very clear that the role of UNICEF and it's staff was not one which required it to make statements to the press based on hear say. Elder nor UNICEF had access to the conflict zone. Elder's comments were not based on official UN research, but an assumption he made after receiving an E-mail from an anonymous source.

AFP reports that Elder was expelled for making statements without research or fact checking towards the end of the war in May. Nothing to do with camps or malnutrition as Amanda claims.

AFP,

"Mr. Elder was doing propaganda in support of the LTTE," Kohona told AFP on Sunday. "It was unacceptable. UN officials are meant to be impartial and the government took a very dim view of it."

"Towards the end of the conflict, he issued statements that were not researched, not exactly based on fact, but reflective of the LTTE."

That's not all of it. Amanda Hodge then quotes an unknown Brahma Chellaney,

"In the name of fighting remnant Tamil Tigers they attack boats of refugees; they have arrested people and sunk boats.That's the reason why you're getting boat people through Indonesia and other points; otherwise these guys would all be coming to India."

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch both stark critics of Sri Lanka have never reported the Sri Lankan Navy attacking any refugee boat. The UN hasn't either. In fact this claim from Chellaney on Hodge's piece is the only recorded instance.

If Chellaney is correct, why are they not seeking refugee status in Indonesia, Singapore, or Thailand? Why Australia and New Zealand? Is the Sri Lankan Navy in the way of those countries?

Such irresponsible reporting is the reason why Sri Lanka is extremely apprehensive of the foreign media. Such careless reporting only helps spread the flames of extremism. Tamils reading such concocted garbage will have no trouble forming an impression of Sri Lanka right along the lines of these ignorant Australian journalist.

If Tamils were indeed being persecuted in Sri Lanka the exodus will be mass. I repeat, mass! Do the math. 18% of Sri Lanka's 21 million people are Tamils. Close to 40% of residents in Sri Lanka's economic capital Colombo are Tamils. The most successful businessmen in Sri Lanka are Tamil. Not only will the economy collapse, but all of Sri Lanka will collapse without it's valuable Tamil citizens.