A whole world is duped in what Colombo is machinating in the name of resettlement of IDPs, Tamil circles in Jaffna commented, citing Sri Lanka Navy’s new internment camps around its installations in the island sector of Jaffna. Colombo’s aim is threefold: a human shield of civilians for its occupying forces, prevention of rightful owners reoccupying houses and lands around its military installations and eventually confiscating those lands in strategic areas for its expansion and other demographic conspiracies in the very heart of Tamil homeland, pointed out Tamil circles adding that a paranoid Sri Lankan state can never deliver justice to Tamils. The core truth is that the barbed-wire camps came up because the world powers wanted it. But some powers by not directly taking responsibility and some others like India by sitting on international action continue injustice, Jaffna circles said.
The SLN ‘resettled’ nearly 2000 civilians brought from the internment camps of Vavuniyaa in new internment camps created by using abandoned houses around its naval installations in Kaarainakar and in Kayts, this week.
For nearly two decades now, Colombo’s armed forces are occupying vast tracts of potential civilian land along the northern coast of the peninsula in the name of High Security Zone. A so-called ‘development model’ for Jaffna that is now being circulated shows that this tract is not going to be returned to people, but is going to be used for resource exploitation and a new city for the occupiers, with harbour, airport and military installations, as a joint venture of Colombo and New Delhi. Reviving the cement factory in Kaankeasanthurai is the biggest environmental crime that is going to affect hundreds of thousands of civilians, discouraging them from inhabiting the northern part of the peninsula, academic circles in Jaffna said.
Meanwhile, the SLA installed landmine blast that seriously injured three recently resettled civilians in the Ariyaalai tract is alleged to be another trick of Colombo to discourage the call for expediting resettlement. Unless the international community takes direct responsibility and removes Colombo’s occupying armed forces, peace and ‘reconciliation’ is a mirage in the island, opined a veteran Tamil politician in Jaffna.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Transferring IDPs, instead of releasing them, must stop: Anglican Bishop
If [IDP] persons said to be released [from the internment camps in Vavuniyaa] are in fact being transferred to camps in different regions, this is misleading and must stop, says Anglican Bishop of Colombo Rev. de Chickera. The Bishop has urged Rajapaksa government to allow media access to areas in the North and provide public updates on the work regarding resettlement of displaced persons.
Extracts from the statement by the Bishop follow:
"If the decision [to release persons in the camps] has been put on hold it must be reactivated. If the response of relatives has been slow, more time and wider publicity should be given. If persons said to be released are in fact being transferred to camps in different Regions, this is misleading and must stop. Reports of the lack of co-ordination amongst State Authorities are disappointing, and all those responsible for implementing this decision should be required to ensure co-ordination, compassion and speed.
"The decision to release, should however be clearly seen as an interim measure. The much more urgent task is to expedite the process of resettlement. Once the ‘home areas” of the Displaced are cleared of mines and the required infrastructure built, persons displaced, whether in the camps or with relatives, should be resettled in their original homes.
"I finally urge the Government to provide the Media with access to areas being de-mined and reconstructed, (subject to their safety and security precautions) and to also make regular public updates on this work. This will in turn provide information to all Sri Lankans, whether displaced or not, on the progress being made in this regard. In doing so the Government will demonstrate transparency in its management of the crisis and State Ministries and Officials will quite rightly be held accountable by the people."
Extracts from the statement by the Bishop follow:
"If the decision [to release persons in the camps] has been put on hold it must be reactivated. If the response of relatives has been slow, more time and wider publicity should be given. If persons said to be released are in fact being transferred to camps in different Regions, this is misleading and must stop. Reports of the lack of co-ordination amongst State Authorities are disappointing, and all those responsible for implementing this decision should be required to ensure co-ordination, compassion and speed.
"The decision to release, should however be clearly seen as an interim measure. The much more urgent task is to expedite the process of resettlement. Once the ‘home areas” of the Displaced are cleared of mines and the required infrastructure built, persons displaced, whether in the camps or with relatives, should be resettled in their original homes.
"I finally urge the Government to provide the Media with access to areas being de-mined and reconstructed, (subject to their safety and security precautions) and to also make regular public updates on this work. This will in turn provide information to all Sri Lankans, whether displaced or not, on the progress being made in this regard. In doing so the Government will demonstrate transparency in its management of the crisis and State Ministries and Officials will quite rightly be held accountable by the people."
SLA shoots 6 including women, children in Cheddiku'lam camp
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on Saturday around 6:00 p.m. opened fire and injured six civilians including two women and three children in Cheddiku'lam internment camp, according to initial reports reaching from Vavuniyaa. One 8-year-old child, seriously wounded in the episode, was transferred to Anuradhapura hospital from Vavuniyaa hospital, medical sources in Vavuniyaa said.
The unfortunate group of six is said to have gone for collecting firewood in the surroundings of the camp.
World Food Programme (WFP) has stopped supplying cooked meals from 17 September. The inmates are dependent on dry rations (rice, sugar and dahl), but they lack proper facilities to cook the meals.
Civilians inside the camps are forced to get other materials, firewood, salt, tamarind etc., from external sources.
The civilians who tried to cross over the camps to get firewood were shot by the SLA.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan military officials in Colombo said the SLA opened fire when civilians who tried to 'escape' started to stone the SLA soldiers when they were blocked from leaving the camp. The military officials put the number of wounded civilians at three.
The unfortunate group of six is said to have gone for collecting firewood in the surroundings of the camp.
World Food Programme (WFP) has stopped supplying cooked meals from 17 September. The inmates are dependent on dry rations (rice, sugar and dahl), but they lack proper facilities to cook the meals.
Civilians inside the camps are forced to get other materials, firewood, salt, tamarind etc., from external sources.
The civilians who tried to cross over the camps to get firewood were shot by the SLA.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan military officials in Colombo said the SLA opened fire when civilians who tried to 'escape' started to stone the SLA soldiers when they were blocked from leaving the camp. The military officials put the number of wounded civilians at three.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Civilians clash with SLA in Vavuniyaa internment camp
Additional police and Sri Lanka Army troops were brought into the College of Education internment camp in Vavuniyaa after clashes erupted between civilian inmates and Sri Lankan forces following the arrest and assault of a Tamil youth in the camp. Several civilians and armed personnel sustained minor injuries, sources in Vavuniyaa said.
On Monday, a 31-year-old Tamil youth Paranchami Chandramohan, was taken by force by the SLA. He was severely assaulted and taken away. The inmates of the camp were inquiring the SLA and police on his whereabouts for the last two days.
The civilian protestors who did not get any positive reply from the Sri Lankan forces tried to breach the fences and attempted to come out Wednesday morning. They were throwing stones.
In return, the Sri Lankan forces also reacted in the same manner. The matter was brought to the notice of Vavuniyaa Magistrate A.G.Alexraja. He personally visited the camp and brought the situation under control.
The youth is presently being treated at the Vavuniyaa hospital.
On Monday, a 31-year-old Tamil youth Paranchami Chandramohan, was taken by force by the SLA. He was severely assaulted and taken away. The inmates of the camp were inquiring the SLA and police on his whereabouts for the last two days.
The civilian protestors who did not get any positive reply from the Sri Lankan forces tried to breach the fences and attempted to come out Wednesday morning. They were throwing stones.
In return, the Sri Lankan forces also reacted in the same manner. The matter was brought to the notice of Vavuniyaa Magistrate A.G.Alexraja. He personally visited the camp and brought the situation under control.
The youth is presently being treated at the Vavuniyaa hospital.
US leadership in rights issues questioned
Noting that the "[Obama] Administration has pursued a low profile approach to Sri Lanka, where a military offensive against rebels is believed to have killed thousands of civilians," Washington Post in an article in Tuesday edition says that rights advocates have been frustrated by several episodes and said US's new approach has undercut U.S. leadership on human rights issues. Responding to U.S.'s assertion
Excerpts related to Sri Lanka from the article follow:
Silence on Sri Lanka?
The other major concern of human rights advocates monitoring developments at the United Nations is Sri Lanka.
When the government launched its final offensive this year against the country's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), it was Mexico and Austria that first raised the alarm in the Security Council. France and Britain sent their foreign ministers to the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, to press the government to show restraint.
The United States supported those efforts to draw attention to the crisis in the Security Council, which China and Russia opposed. It backed a compromise that allowed for discussion on the Sri Lanka conflict in the U.N. basement.
"The U.S. government remained relatively silent on the Sri Lankan crisis, especially in the early stages of the fighting," said Fabienne Hara, vice president for multilateral affairs at the International Crisis Group. Its response to Sri Lanka "did not seem to match the commitment to preventing mass human rights abuses stated during the presidential campaign," she said.
Rice challenged that assessment, saying "my perception is that we spoke out very forcefully."She said that the United States had a strong ambassador on the ground in Sri Lanka, conveying American concerns, and that the assistant secretary of state for refugees traveled there to conduct an assessment mission. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rice said, had been personally focused on the issue.
"I think that is an instance where our stand was clear, consistent and principled," she said.
Excerpts related to Sri Lanka from the article follow:
Silence on Sri Lanka?
When the government launched its final offensive this year against the country's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), it was Mexico and Austria that first raised the alarm in the Security Council. France and Britain sent their foreign ministers to the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, to press the government to show restraint.
The United States supported those efforts to draw attention to the crisis in the Security Council, which China and Russia opposed. It backed a compromise that allowed for discussion on the Sri Lanka conflict in the U.N. basement.
"The U.S. government remained relatively silent on the Sri Lankan crisis, especially in the early stages of the fighting," said Fabienne Hara, vice president for multilateral affairs at the International Crisis Group. Its response to Sri Lanka "did not seem to match the commitment to preventing mass human rights abuses stated during the presidential campaign," she said.
Rice challenged that assessment, saying "my perception is that we spoke out very forcefully."She said that the United States had a strong ambassador on the ground in Sri Lanka, conveying American concerns, and that the assistant secretary of state for refugees traveled there to conduct an assessment mission. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rice said, had been personally focused on the issue.
"I think that is an instance where our stand was clear, consistent and principled," she said.
Tamils protest in New York, say Ban ineffective, lacks leadership
Several dozen American Tamils assembled near the United Nations building between 1st Avenue and 47th Street Tuesday around noon and protested against UN inaction, particularly the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, for first failing to prevent the bloodbath in May when more than 20,000 Tamil civilians were allegedly killed by Sri Lanka Army using heavy weapons, and now for allowing Sri Lanka to continue to incarcerate nearly 300,000 in military supervised internment camps with little freedom of movement. Protesters urged the UN to take swift action to pressure Sri Lanka to allow civilians to return to their villages and resume normal life, attendees to the rally said.
"Sri Lanka is attempting to destroy the Tamil community on the island, and this crime is not being effectively stopped by the UN," a protester said reflecting the frustration among Tamils to witness the premier institution which is supposed to speak for the voiceless minorities, lay paralyzed.
"While Western nations call for an investigation of war crimes, the Sri Lankan government continues to deny independent investigators and journalists’ access to war-torn areas. Sri Lankan government continues to expel aid workers who dare to speak up. The UN is unable to free its own staff members from the camp," a leaflet distributed at the protest said of UN.
While UN action against Sri Lanka remained dormant with China and Russia opposing any moves, human rights advocates faulted the mixed messages of the US and its low profile approach to Sri Lanka where the military offensive "is believed to have killed thousands of civilians."
"While Western nations call for an investigation of war crimes, the Sri Lankan government continues to deny independent investigators and journalists’ access to war-torn areas. Sri Lankan government continues to expel aid workers who dare to speak up. The UN is unable to free its own staff members from the camp," a leaflet distributed at the protest said of UN.
HRW: World leaders should demand end to Sri Lanka detention camps
Human Rights Watch (HRW), a New York-based rights group, in a press release issued Tuesday, expressed concern "about a lack of protection mechanisms in the camps and the secret, incommunicado detention - and possible enforced disappearance - of suspected combatants. Poor conditions, overcrowding, and inadequate medical care increases the risk of serious health problems during the coming monsoon season," and noting that "the authorities are not being open and honest with camp residents about when they may go home, keeping them in a state of uncertainty and anxiety," urged the world leaders to demand an end to Sri Lanka 'detention camps."
Full text of the press release follows:
World leaders in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and the G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh should call on the Sri Lankan government to immediately release more than 260,000 displaced persons illegally confined in detention camps, Human Rights Watch said today.
Human Rights Watch said it was concerned about a lack of protection mechanisms in the camps and the secret, incommunicado detention - and possible enforced disappearance - of suspected combatants. Poor conditions, overcrowding, and inadequate medical care increases the risk of serious health problems during the coming monsoon season. Human Rights Watch also said that the authorities are not being open and honest with camp residents about when they may go home, keeping them in a state of uncertainty and anxiety.
Last week, Human Rights Watch sent a letter to European Union states outlining problems and urging governments to intervene forcefully with the Sri Lankan government.
"The civilians locked up in these detention camps have a right to liberty now, not when the government gets around to it," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "World leaders should support calls from the UN to restore full freedom of movement to these people, who already have suffered mightily from war and displacement."
Since March 2008, the Sri Lankan government has confined virtually everyone displaced by the war between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to detention camps, depriving them of their liberty and freedom of movement in violation of international law. As of September 15, 2009, the government was holding 264,583 internally displaced persons in detention camps and hospitals, according to the UN, while fewer than 12,000 have been released or returned home.
Human Rights Watch said that recent government claims that a large number of camp residents had been released were false. A statement published on the website of the Ministry of Defence on September 12, claimed that the government released nearly 10,000 persons from the camps to their hometowns the previous day. However, it later emerged that they had been transferred to camps in their home districts, where they are undergoing further screening by the authorities. The Sri Lankan armed forces have indicated that the additional screening could take from several days to up to six months, even though each individual had already been registered and screened several times and cleared for release.
Sri Lanka has repeatedly promised to release the displaced persons from the camps as early as possible, including in a joint statement on May 23 by the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, and President Mahinda Rajapaksa. But four months after the end of the fighting, there has been little progress.
During a visit to Sri Lanka last week, the UN under-secretary-general for political affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, issued a strong statement calling on the government to allow internally displaced persons who have completed the screening process to leave the camps and to allow those who choose to remain to go out during the day and to meet freely with family and friends elsewhere. In response, Rajapaksa said that arrangements would be made to complete the return of the displaced civilians by the end of January, but that the return depended on the progress of demining in areas to which some would return.
"Demining is crucial, but the presence of landmines is not a valid basis for keeping people locked up," said Adams. "Many of the displaced can stay with relatives and host families far from any mined areas."
A delegation of high-level Sri Lankan officials will be in New York this week to attend the high-level segment of the UN General Assembly. Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayake will address the General Assembly on September 26 on, "Strengthening of Multilateralism and Dialogue among Civilizations for International Peace, Security and Development."
Human Rights Watch called upon world leaders to keep the plight of Sri Lanka's displaced persons at the forefront of discussions with the Sri Lankan delegation and to raise the following additional issues:
Arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance: The government has announced that it has detained more than 10,000 displaced persons on suspicion of having been involved with the LTTE. The government has separated them from their families and transferred them to separate camps and regular prisons. Human Rights Watch documented several cases in which individuals were taken into custody without regard to the protections provided under Sri Lankan law. In many cases, the authorities have not informed family members about the whereabouts of the detained, leaving them in secret, incommunicado detention or possible enforced disappearance, and, as a result, especially vulnerable to abuse.
Inability to trace missing relatives: Families in the detention camps have no access to mechanisms for finding missing relatives who might be in other camps or in unofficial detention centers. Individuals with access to the camps report that a significant number of people still do not know the whereabouts of their detained relatives, weeks and months later. Although the authorities have reportedly finished registering camp residents, the authorities are not making the lists available to people with missing relatives or organizations that do tracing. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which often traces family members, has been barred from the main camps since mid-July.
Lack of protection mechanisms in the camps: The military camp administration is preventing humanitarian organizations, including the UN and the ICRC, from undertaking effective monitoring and protection in the camps. In most cases, the military insists on being present during conversations with camp residents, preventing confidential exchanges of information about camp conditions. Even the Sri Lankan Human Rights Commission, a government entity, can only gain access to the camps with military permission.
Conditions in the camps and expected deterioration during the monsoon: The camps are severely overcrowded, exacerbated by the government's refusal to release civilians. Conditions will continue to deteriorate with the onset of the monsoon season, causing additional hardship and suffering. Heavy rains in mid-August caused serious flooding, as water destroyed tents and other shelter, made cooking impossible for many, and caused roads to collapse, preventing delivery of crucial aid, such as drinking water. Water also flooded latrine pits, causing raw sewage to flow among the tents. Aid agencies are particularly concerned about the threat of disease due to flooding during the monsoon season.
Lack of access to proper medical care: Camp residents do not have access to adequate medical care. Health facilities are rudimentary, understaffed, and under-resourced. Residents have reported that they have to wait in line for hours to see a doctor and, when they do, language barriers between Sinhalese-speaking doctors and Tamil-speaking patients often prevent effective communication. Many camps have no doctors at night, leaving residents without access to medical care in emergencies. Camp doctors' referrals to hospitals outside the camp are subject to approval by the military. On several occasions documented by Human Rights Watch, the military has rejected doctors' referrals, leading to a worsening of a patient's condition.
Lack of transparency and information: The authorities are keeping the camp residents in a state of uncertainty by failing to provide them with information about the reason for their continued detention, the whereabouts of their relatives, or the criteria and procedure for their return home. In some cases the authorities seem to have misled the displaced deliberately, such as on September 11, when they told several hundred camp residents that they would release them, when in fact they just transferred them to other detention camps for further screening.
"Sadly, the Sri Lankan government has a track record of lying, deceiving and breaking promises to civilians displaced by the conflict," said Adams. "The UN, donors, and bilateral partners should demand immediate, concrete progress and not let themselves be fooled again by empty government promises."
Full text of the press release follows:
World leaders in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and the G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh should call on the Sri Lankan government to immediately release more than 260,000 displaced persons illegally confined in detention camps, Human Rights Watch said today.
Human Rights Watch said it was concerned about a lack of protection mechanisms in the camps and the secret, incommunicado detention - and possible enforced disappearance - of suspected combatants. Poor conditions, overcrowding, and inadequate medical care increases the risk of serious health problems during the coming monsoon season. Human Rights Watch also said that the authorities are not being open and honest with camp residents about when they may go home, keeping them in a state of uncertainty and anxiety.
Last week, Human Rights Watch sent a letter to European Union states outlining problems and urging governments to intervene forcefully with the Sri Lankan government.
"The civilians locked up in these detention camps have a right to liberty now, not when the government gets around to it," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "World leaders should support calls from the UN to restore full freedom of movement to these people, who already have suffered mightily from war and displacement."
Since March 2008, the Sri Lankan government has confined virtually everyone displaced by the war between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to detention camps, depriving them of their liberty and freedom of movement in violation of international law. As of September 15, 2009, the government was holding 264,583 internally displaced persons in detention camps and hospitals, according to the UN, while fewer than 12,000 have been released or returned home.
Human Rights Watch said that recent government claims that a large number of camp residents had been released were false. A statement published on the website of the Ministry of Defence on September 12, claimed that the government released nearly 10,000 persons from the camps to their hometowns the previous day. However, it later emerged that they had been transferred to camps in their home districts, where they are undergoing further screening by the authorities. The Sri Lankan armed forces have indicated that the additional screening could take from several days to up to six months, even though each individual had already been registered and screened several times and cleared for release.
Sri Lanka has repeatedly promised to release the displaced persons from the camps as early as possible, including in a joint statement on May 23 by the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, and President Mahinda Rajapaksa. But four months after the end of the fighting, there has been little progress.
During a visit to Sri Lanka last week, the UN under-secretary-general for political affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, issued a strong statement calling on the government to allow internally displaced persons who have completed the screening process to leave the camps and to allow those who choose to remain to go out during the day and to meet freely with family and friends elsewhere. In response, Rajapaksa said that arrangements would be made to complete the return of the displaced civilians by the end of January, but that the return depended on the progress of demining in areas to which some would return.
"Demining is crucial, but the presence of landmines is not a valid basis for keeping people locked up," said Adams. "Many of the displaced can stay with relatives and host families far from any mined areas."
A delegation of high-level Sri Lankan officials will be in New York this week to attend the high-level segment of the UN General Assembly. Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayake will address the General Assembly on September 26 on, "Strengthening of Multilateralism and Dialogue among Civilizations for International Peace, Security and Development."
Human Rights Watch called upon world leaders to keep the plight of Sri Lanka's displaced persons at the forefront of discussions with the Sri Lankan delegation and to raise the following additional issues:
Arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance: The government has announced that it has detained more than 10,000 displaced persons on suspicion of having been involved with the LTTE. The government has separated them from their families and transferred them to separate camps and regular prisons. Human Rights Watch documented several cases in which individuals were taken into custody without regard to the protections provided under Sri Lankan law. In many cases, the authorities have not informed family members about the whereabouts of the detained, leaving them in secret, incommunicado detention or possible enforced disappearance, and, as a result, especially vulnerable to abuse.
Inability to trace missing relatives: Families in the detention camps have no access to mechanisms for finding missing relatives who might be in other camps or in unofficial detention centers. Individuals with access to the camps report that a significant number of people still do not know the whereabouts of their detained relatives, weeks and months later. Although the authorities have reportedly finished registering camp residents, the authorities are not making the lists available to people with missing relatives or organizations that do tracing. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which often traces family members, has been barred from the main camps since mid-July.
Lack of protection mechanisms in the camps: The military camp administration is preventing humanitarian organizations, including the UN and the ICRC, from undertaking effective monitoring and protection in the camps. In most cases, the military insists on being present during conversations with camp residents, preventing confidential exchanges of information about camp conditions. Even the Sri Lankan Human Rights Commission, a government entity, can only gain access to the camps with military permission.
Conditions in the camps and expected deterioration during the monsoon: The camps are severely overcrowded, exacerbated by the government's refusal to release civilians. Conditions will continue to deteriorate with the onset of the monsoon season, causing additional hardship and suffering. Heavy rains in mid-August caused serious flooding, as water destroyed tents and other shelter, made cooking impossible for many, and caused roads to collapse, preventing delivery of crucial aid, such as drinking water. Water also flooded latrine pits, causing raw sewage to flow among the tents. Aid agencies are particularly concerned about the threat of disease due to flooding during the monsoon season.
Lack of access to proper medical care: Camp residents do not have access to adequate medical care. Health facilities are rudimentary, understaffed, and under-resourced. Residents have reported that they have to wait in line for hours to see a doctor and, when they do, language barriers between Sinhalese-speaking doctors and Tamil-speaking patients often prevent effective communication. Many camps have no doctors at night, leaving residents without access to medical care in emergencies. Camp doctors' referrals to hospitals outside the camp are subject to approval by the military. On several occasions documented by Human Rights Watch, the military has rejected doctors' referrals, leading to a worsening of a patient's condition.
Lack of transparency and information: The authorities are keeping the camp residents in a state of uncertainty by failing to provide them with information about the reason for their continued detention, the whereabouts of their relatives, or the criteria and procedure for their return home. In some cases the authorities seem to have misled the displaced deliberately, such as on September 11, when they told several hundred camp residents that they would release them, when in fact they just transferred them to other detention camps for further screening.
"Sadly, the Sri Lankan government has a track record of lying, deceiving and breaking promises to civilians displaced by the conflict," said Adams. "The UN, donors, and bilateral partners should demand immediate, concrete progress and not let themselves be fooled again by empty government promises."
“No IDPs but FDDPs, in Vavuniyaa camps” - Mangala Samaraweera
“Today barbed wire internment camps are euphemistically called “Welfare Camps” and the 280,000 people incarcerated there are called IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) while in actual fact that these people should be called FDDPs (Forcibly Displaced and Detained Persons)”, Mangala Samaraweera, the leader of the dissident group of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), said.
Samaraweera said so during the debate on a supplementary estimate of Rs 350 million for the Ministry of Resettlement for the welfare of the IDPs Tuesday, according to parliamentary sources.
Samaraweera, one time Foreign Minister under the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapakse, further said that the only ‘crime’ these unfortunate persons have committed is to have been born in an area, which was under LTTE control for nearly two decades.
The MP said the President must recognize the right to return of the people and the people must be allowed to go to their original place or the place of their choice.
“The resettlement must start immediately and it must be done under the supervision of an all-party committee of Parliament,” Mr.Samaraweera said.
Samaraweera, one time Foreign Minister under the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapakse, further said that the only ‘crime’ these unfortunate persons have committed is to have been born in an area, which was under LTTE control for nearly two decades.
The MP said the President must recognize the right to return of the people and the people must be allowed to go to their original place or the place of their choice.
“The resettlement must start immediately and it must be done under the supervision of an all-party committee of Parliament,” Mr.Samaraweera said.
In Owellian Sri Lanka 40 civilians disappear from camps daily - Samaraweera
“In George Orwells 1984, the Ministry of Peace dealt with war, and the Ministry of Love with torture. Likewise we witnessed in Sri Lanka how the Peace Secretariat justified excesses carried out in the name of war against terrorism. And the so-called welfare camps are virtual prisons,” Daily Mirror said quoting Mangala Samaraweera's charge against the Sri Lanka in the parliament Tuesday, adding that about 30 to 40 persons are abducted on a daily basis from IDP camps in the North,
In response to denial of the Chief Whip Dinesh Gunawardena of the allegations, Samaraweera said, the government must be transparent regarding the IDPs, and “[i]f the government allows Opposition MPs to form a committee and visit the camps then such claims can be verified. The government should act in a transparent manner."
Stating that most of the more than 280,000 IDPs had relatives in Sri Lanka who are prepared to look after them, Samaraweera added, “[t]hey are not economic refugees. They have opened 21,000 bank accounts and deposited Rs. 500 million in banks after coming out of LTTE areas. They are government servants, teachers and farmers. All they want is to go home,” the paper said quoting Samaraweera.
The MP also charged that the IDPs were being resettled from one camp into another. “The government is denying these people the right to speech, choice, movement and livelihood,” according to the paper.
In response to denial of the Chief Whip Dinesh Gunawardena of the allegations, Samaraweera said, the government must be transparent regarding the IDPs, and “[i]f the government allows Opposition MPs to form a committee and visit the camps then such claims can be verified. The government should act in a transparent manner."
Stating that most of the more than 280,000 IDPs had relatives in Sri Lanka who are prepared to look after them, Samaraweera added, “[t]hey are not economic refugees. They have opened 21,000 bank accounts and deposited Rs. 500 million in banks after coming out of LTTE areas. They are government servants, teachers and farmers. All they want is to go home,” the paper said quoting Samaraweera.
The MP also charged that the IDPs were being resettled from one camp into another. “The government is denying these people the right to speech, choice, movement and livelihood,” according to the paper.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
IMF warns Sri Lanka over borrowing
The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday warned Sri Lanka against building foreign currency reserves by borrowing from foreign investors.
Sri Lanka's central bank announced this month that foreign reserves hit a historic high of four billion dollars, sufficient to cover over four months of imports.
"We don't want Sri Lanka to borrow its way to build reserves," head of the IMF mission to Sri Lanka, Brian Aitken told reporters here after a two-week review of the island's economy.
The bank said reserves were boosted by foreign investors buying rupee-denominated treasury bills and bonds and the government selling dollar bonds.
"The central bank has been building a war chest of reserves lately through debt. We would prefer if Sri Lanka built up reserves from exports and from remittances and not by borrowings," Aitken said.
Central bank governor Nivard Cabraal said the bank raised more than 1.2 billion dollars in cash by selling government debt to foreigners.
Sri Lanka's reserves fell to cover just over one month's imports earlier this year as security forces pushed their final offensive against separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.
The island's reserves were also boosted by 322.2 million dollars, the first tranche of a 2.6 billion dollar IMF loan, in July, higher remittances and donor funds for ongoing development work.
The dangerously low reserves earlier this year pushed the Sri Lankan government to ask for the IMF bailout to help stave off its first balance-of-payments deficit in four years.
Colombo's foreign reserve stock depleted last year during the height of the global financial meltdown when foreigners withdrew over 600 million dollars invested in government bills and bonds.
Aitken said it was encouraging that foreigners were back investing in government treasuries, especially long-term bonds.
He said the second tranche of IMF funding was due by the end of October once the fund's executive board approved it.
The Washington-based lender is also re-opening its offices in Colombo in October to keep a close watch on its lending programme there, after shutting down the office in January 2007 when there was no lending to the island.
news
Sri Lanka's central bank announced this month that foreign reserves hit a historic high of four billion dollars, sufficient to cover over four months of imports.
"We don't want Sri Lanka to borrow its way to build reserves," head of the IMF mission to Sri Lanka, Brian Aitken told reporters here after a two-week review of the island's economy.
The bank said reserves were boosted by foreign investors buying rupee-denominated treasury bills and bonds and the government selling dollar bonds.
"The central bank has been building a war chest of reserves lately through debt. We would prefer if Sri Lanka built up reserves from exports and from remittances and not by borrowings," Aitken said.
Central bank governor Nivard Cabraal said the bank raised more than 1.2 billion dollars in cash by selling government debt to foreigners.
Sri Lanka's reserves fell to cover just over one month's imports earlier this year as security forces pushed their final offensive against separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.
The island's reserves were also boosted by 322.2 million dollars, the first tranche of a 2.6 billion dollar IMF loan, in July, higher remittances and donor funds for ongoing development work.
The dangerously low reserves earlier this year pushed the Sri Lankan government to ask for the IMF bailout to help stave off its first balance-of-payments deficit in four years.
Colombo's foreign reserve stock depleted last year during the height of the global financial meltdown when foreigners withdrew over 600 million dollars invested in government bills and bonds.
Aitken said it was encouraging that foreigners were back investing in government treasuries, especially long-term bonds.
He said the second tranche of IMF funding was due by the end of October once the fund's executive board approved it.
The Washington-based lender is also re-opening its offices in Colombo in October to keep a close watch on its lending programme there, after shutting down the office in January 2007 when there was no lending to the island.
news
Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General
Philippe Bolopion – Hello. Welcome to this edition of The Interview on FRANCE 24. Our guest today is UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, taking time off his very busy schedule to talk to us. Hello, Sir.
Ban Ki-moon – How are you? It’s a great pleasure.
PB: Thank you very much. Thank you for having us here in the UN’s General Assembly. This is where everything is going to happen this week and the eyes of the world are going to be on you this week. And let’s face it: it’s been a rough couple of weeks (or months) for you. You’ve been the target of a lot of criticism in the press, saying that you are not active enough in your job, for example. Do you feel that you need to prove yourself this week?
BKM: I’ll do my best to address all the challenges which we are facing together with the world leaders: to address climate change, international financial crises, food crises, pandemic of flu crises and energy crises. I’ll do my best to prove by results.
PB: Some of the criticism against you is pretty harsh. I’m going to read a few headlines, which come at the time you are entering the second half of your mandate. The Financial Times said “UN disquiet raises doubt over Ban's second term”, The Economist graded you 3/10 when it comes to speaking truth to power, the Times of London headlined “Whereabouts Unknown”, Foreign Policy magazine “Nowhere Man. Why Ban Ki-moon is the world's most dangerous Korean.” Some of this is obviously perhaps over-the-top but can they all be wrong?
BKM: As a Secretary General, as a public servant, I know that I am not above criticism. I would welcome any such criticisms when they are fair and constructive. That makes me look back at how I can improve my performance as a Secretary-General. But what is more important is that the difference of consensus... maybe quite a different leadership style. I have my own leadership style. At this stage, with the World Body, composed of 192 countries, bringing all different national interests and agendas, it is extremely difficult. If you look at the broader perspectives, all these crises – climate change, international financial crises, food crises, and the pandemic crises – they are hitting us all at one time. Not in the history of the United Nations have you ever seen all these crises hitting us all. We need global coordination rather than criticising. This is very important.
PB: Are you actually tired of people comparing you to Kofi Annan, saying that Kofi Annan was much more recognisable, that he was a rock-star diplomat, that people knew him, respected him? Are you tired of these comparisons?
BKM: Again, everybody brings different strengths, different leadership styles. I have my own leadership style. That is why, based on my capacity and leadership style, member states have elected me unanimously as Secretary-General. So it would be proper and desirable that they wait and see how I bring all these results.
PB: So you want more time before people judge you...
BKM: Of course.
PB: We’ve talked to a few people about how you are handling your job and here is what Ken Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, said. He said, and I quote him, that you were “so eager to meet with tyrants that you give up all leverage and get nothing in return.” Is that fair?
BKM: I think there is quite a misunderstanding and misconceptions in such kind of assessment. I have been meeting almost all the leaders, including those quite difficult leadership people. I have been very straight and direct to all those in... When it comes to universally accepted principles, human rights, and basic rights of many vulnerable people, whose rights and whose wellbeing must be protected by the leaders, the first and primary responsibility rests with the leaders of that country. That is why I have been urging them to take necessary action. I have been vocal and there should be no misunderstanding on my commitment.
PB: Let’s look into it, actually. For example, you went to Sri Lanka right after the war, when the Tamil Tigers’ rebellion was defeated by the government, and many people felt that your trip, in a way, was used by the Sri Lankan regime, that they saw it as part of a victory dance. And it’s true that, several months after you went there, you still have something like 300,000 people, Tamils, who are still in what people call ‘detention camps’. Most of what the president told you at the time has not come true. Do you feel that he played you, in a way?
BKM: I was the first leader in Sri Lanka. I was the first leader to visit Myanmar, the two places nobody visited or nobody could visit. I made a strong case, first, on internally displaced persons. Those 300,000 people must be returned to their homes without further delay. And their human rights... And humanitarian assistance should be given without any delay or any conditions and restrictions. That’s what I am doing. I have despatched my Undersecretary General Lynn Pascoe. He got assurance from President Rajapaksa, just recently, that all 300,000 displaced persons will be returned to their homes by the end of January next year. This is a great encouragement. Now I got his commitment and it is a matter of his integrity. And his trust is at stake if he doesn’t keep his promise. Now, on the case...
PB: I’m sorry to interrupt you but, do you feel that President Rajapaksa is stringing you along, saying he is going to do all these things and never delivering on them?
BKM: In Sharm El Sheikh, on the margins of a non-allied summit meeting last July, I made a very strong case to President Rajapaksa: “You must keep your promise”. Last week, I spoke over the telephone, I wrote my letter. That is why I have sent my envoy...
PB: Let’s take another example: your trip to Burma - a pretty controversial trip, again. Some people advised you against going there, you went there, you were able to meet with the military junta, with Than Shwe, the number one of the junta, but you were not able to even meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leader, who is still in jail. Would you agree that this trip, at the end of the day, was a failure?
BKM: I don’t agree it was a failure, first of all. I made a great, again, impact over Myanmar leadership. Of course, Myanmar, by not allowing me to meet Aung San Suu Kyi, missed a great opportunity. But look at the case of a recent amnesty. The Myanmar authorities have made it quite clear that they were granting amnesty at the request of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. I am going to continue, as hard as I did before, to release all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, before the election next year, so that this election can be credible and fair and transparent.
PB: Are you not starting to wonder though, Sir, whether the quiet diplomatic roads - whether your approach - is really working? Because these people are making promises but they seem to almost never deliver. Don’t you need to start speaking out against them?
BKM: What you describe as my diplomatic style, as “quiet diplomacy”, is just one part, one aspect, of my whole diplomatic capacity. It is necessary... In some cases, you have to have a very direct, open diplomacy, but sometimes there’s a quiet diplomacy. Behind the scenes diplomacy can be more effective. I am combining all these aspects of diplomacy. This is what I have been doing during the last four decades. So there should be no misconception...
PB: Let’s move on now to the issues at hand this week. You are convening what is perhaps the biggest summit ever on climate change. Close to 100 heads of state are coming here to discuss this problem. What really do you hope to achieve through this summit?
BKM: I’d like to see all world leaders deliver clear and unambiguous guidelines and directions to their negotiators that we must see the deal in Copenhagen in December, for a comprehensive, fair, equitable deal to address climate change.
PB: But the US is not going as far as people want: rich countries are in the middle of a crisis and don’t want to foot the bill, developing countries are saying that it’s their turn to enjoy growth and progress, and that they don’t want to slow down because of ecological issues. What’s your secret weapon to make them see eye to eye?
BKM: This is an incredibly complex process. This is not an easy process at all. We should understand this fact of life. Therefore, I am asking, I am urging, the leaders to go beyond their national boundaries. Every country has [its] own challenges and domestic problems. This is a global challenge. Unless we tackle it on a global level, with global leadership, we will not be able to deliver this Planet Earth to our succeeding generations in a more environmentally sustainable way.
PB: A few hours from now, President Obama is going to address the General Assembly from the podium behind you for the very first time. Is the new US administration good for the UN?
BKM: Yes. They have been very engaging, very forthcoming, and I have been enjoying working with President Obama and his new administration. And, in climate change, the new administration has taken, again, quite engaging positions with a strong commitment. They have joined later. I am quite convinced that they will take the necessary leadership role. The US leadership role is the crucially important one.
PB: As I mentioned, you are halfway through your first term and the criticism in the press has been harsh. Diplomats at times have been harsh - the Norwegian memo leaked saying that you lacked charisma, things like that. Knowing then what you know now, would you still have wanted to take the job?
BKM: I do not regret accepting this job. This is a most honourable but it is very humbling... This is a very important job for peace and security and human rights and development of the whole world. That is my commitment. I begin every day as if it was the first day of my first term. Then, if member states of the General Assembly...I am sure that they will evaluate my commitment and my performance.
PB: Thank you very much, Mr Secretary General, for having us.
BKM: Thankyou.
news
Ban Ki-moon – How are you? It’s a great pleasure.
PB: Thank you very much. Thank you for having us here in the UN’s General Assembly. This is where everything is going to happen this week and the eyes of the world are going to be on you this week. And let’s face it: it’s been a rough couple of weeks (or months) for you. You’ve been the target of a lot of criticism in the press, saying that you are not active enough in your job, for example. Do you feel that you need to prove yourself this week?
BKM: I’ll do my best to address all the challenges which we are facing together with the world leaders: to address climate change, international financial crises, food crises, pandemic of flu crises and energy crises. I’ll do my best to prove by results.
PB: Some of the criticism against you is pretty harsh. I’m going to read a few headlines, which come at the time you are entering the second half of your mandate. The Financial Times said “UN disquiet raises doubt over Ban's second term”, The Economist graded you 3/10 when it comes to speaking truth to power, the Times of London headlined “Whereabouts Unknown”, Foreign Policy magazine “Nowhere Man. Why Ban Ki-moon is the world's most dangerous Korean.” Some of this is obviously perhaps over-the-top but can they all be wrong?
BKM: As a Secretary General, as a public servant, I know that I am not above criticism. I would welcome any such criticisms when they are fair and constructive. That makes me look back at how I can improve my performance as a Secretary-General. But what is more important is that the difference of consensus... maybe quite a different leadership style. I have my own leadership style. At this stage, with the World Body, composed of 192 countries, bringing all different national interests and agendas, it is extremely difficult. If you look at the broader perspectives, all these crises – climate change, international financial crises, food crises, and the pandemic crises – they are hitting us all at one time. Not in the history of the United Nations have you ever seen all these crises hitting us all. We need global coordination rather than criticising. This is very important.
PB: Are you actually tired of people comparing you to Kofi Annan, saying that Kofi Annan was much more recognisable, that he was a rock-star diplomat, that people knew him, respected him? Are you tired of these comparisons?
BKM: Again, everybody brings different strengths, different leadership styles. I have my own leadership style. That is why, based on my capacity and leadership style, member states have elected me unanimously as Secretary-General. So it would be proper and desirable that they wait and see how I bring all these results.
PB: So you want more time before people judge you...
BKM: Of course.
PB: We’ve talked to a few people about how you are handling your job and here is what Ken Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, said. He said, and I quote him, that you were “so eager to meet with tyrants that you give up all leverage and get nothing in return.” Is that fair?
BKM: I think there is quite a misunderstanding and misconceptions in such kind of assessment. I have been meeting almost all the leaders, including those quite difficult leadership people. I have been very straight and direct to all those in... When it comes to universally accepted principles, human rights, and basic rights of many vulnerable people, whose rights and whose wellbeing must be protected by the leaders, the first and primary responsibility rests with the leaders of that country. That is why I have been urging them to take necessary action. I have been vocal and there should be no misunderstanding on my commitment.
PB: Let’s look into it, actually. For example, you went to Sri Lanka right after the war, when the Tamil Tigers’ rebellion was defeated by the government, and many people felt that your trip, in a way, was used by the Sri Lankan regime, that they saw it as part of a victory dance. And it’s true that, several months after you went there, you still have something like 300,000 people, Tamils, who are still in what people call ‘detention camps’. Most of what the president told you at the time has not come true. Do you feel that he played you, in a way?
BKM: I was the first leader in Sri Lanka. I was the first leader to visit Myanmar, the two places nobody visited or nobody could visit. I made a strong case, first, on internally displaced persons. Those 300,000 people must be returned to their homes without further delay. And their human rights... And humanitarian assistance should be given without any delay or any conditions and restrictions. That’s what I am doing. I have despatched my Undersecretary General Lynn Pascoe. He got assurance from President Rajapaksa, just recently, that all 300,000 displaced persons will be returned to their homes by the end of January next year. This is a great encouragement. Now I got his commitment and it is a matter of his integrity. And his trust is at stake if he doesn’t keep his promise. Now, on the case...
PB: I’m sorry to interrupt you but, do you feel that President Rajapaksa is stringing you along, saying he is going to do all these things and never delivering on them?
BKM: In Sharm El Sheikh, on the margins of a non-allied summit meeting last July, I made a very strong case to President Rajapaksa: “You must keep your promise”. Last week, I spoke over the telephone, I wrote my letter. That is why I have sent my envoy...
PB: Let’s take another example: your trip to Burma - a pretty controversial trip, again. Some people advised you against going there, you went there, you were able to meet with the military junta, with Than Shwe, the number one of the junta, but you were not able to even meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leader, who is still in jail. Would you agree that this trip, at the end of the day, was a failure?
BKM: I don’t agree it was a failure, first of all. I made a great, again, impact over Myanmar leadership. Of course, Myanmar, by not allowing me to meet Aung San Suu Kyi, missed a great opportunity. But look at the case of a recent amnesty. The Myanmar authorities have made it quite clear that they were granting amnesty at the request of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. I am going to continue, as hard as I did before, to release all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, before the election next year, so that this election can be credible and fair and transparent.
PB: Are you not starting to wonder though, Sir, whether the quiet diplomatic roads - whether your approach - is really working? Because these people are making promises but they seem to almost never deliver. Don’t you need to start speaking out against them?
BKM: What you describe as my diplomatic style, as “quiet diplomacy”, is just one part, one aspect, of my whole diplomatic capacity. It is necessary... In some cases, you have to have a very direct, open diplomacy, but sometimes there’s a quiet diplomacy. Behind the scenes diplomacy can be more effective. I am combining all these aspects of diplomacy. This is what I have been doing during the last four decades. So there should be no misconception...
PB: Let’s move on now to the issues at hand this week. You are convening what is perhaps the biggest summit ever on climate change. Close to 100 heads of state are coming here to discuss this problem. What really do you hope to achieve through this summit?
BKM: I’d like to see all world leaders deliver clear and unambiguous guidelines and directions to their negotiators that we must see the deal in Copenhagen in December, for a comprehensive, fair, equitable deal to address climate change.
PB: But the US is not going as far as people want: rich countries are in the middle of a crisis and don’t want to foot the bill, developing countries are saying that it’s their turn to enjoy growth and progress, and that they don’t want to slow down because of ecological issues. What’s your secret weapon to make them see eye to eye?
BKM: This is an incredibly complex process. This is not an easy process at all. We should understand this fact of life. Therefore, I am asking, I am urging, the leaders to go beyond their national boundaries. Every country has [its] own challenges and domestic problems. This is a global challenge. Unless we tackle it on a global level, with global leadership, we will not be able to deliver this Planet Earth to our succeeding generations in a more environmentally sustainable way.
PB: A few hours from now, President Obama is going to address the General Assembly from the podium behind you for the very first time. Is the new US administration good for the UN?
BKM: Yes. They have been very engaging, very forthcoming, and I have been enjoying working with President Obama and his new administration. And, in climate change, the new administration has taken, again, quite engaging positions with a strong commitment. They have joined later. I am quite convinced that they will take the necessary leadership role. The US leadership role is the crucially important one.
PB: As I mentioned, you are halfway through your first term and the criticism in the press has been harsh. Diplomats at times have been harsh - the Norwegian memo leaked saying that you lacked charisma, things like that. Knowing then what you know now, would you still have wanted to take the job?
BKM: I do not regret accepting this job. This is a most honourable but it is very humbling... This is a very important job for peace and security and human rights and development of the whole world. That is my commitment. I begin every day as if it was the first day of my first term. Then, if member states of the General Assembly...I am sure that they will evaluate my commitment and my performance.
PB: Thank you very much, Mr Secretary General, for having us.
BKM: Thankyou.
news
Monday, September 21, 2009
UN refugee envoy to visit Sri Lanka: official
The United Nations is sending a top official to Sri Lanka this week to press for the speedy resettlement of 300,000 war-displaced, officials said Monday, the second UN visit in as many weeks.
Walter Kalin, the UN Secretary-General's envoy for refugee rights, will arrive late Wednesday for a five-day visit that includes a tour to camps holding tens of thousands of refugees, Sri Lanka's Human Rights Ministry said.
His trip comes a week after the visit of the UN's political chief, Lynn Pascoe, who expressed concern over the plight of refugees and also urged Sri Lanka to investigate rights abuses during the final stages of the civil war.
"Mr. Kalin will meet with senior government officials, international aid agencies, including UN staff, and also visit some sites holding internally displaced people (IDPs)," a ministry official said.
UN sources here said Kalin would press for improved conditions for the Tamil civilians held in internment camps.
"He will follow up promises made by the government to resettle the IDPs at the earliest," said a UN official who declined to be named.
The displaced are being held in "welfare villages" and the government says they cannot be allowed freedom of movement until authorities finish screening them for remaining Tamil rebels.
Pascoe last week said the Sri Lankan government was not making sufficiently fast progress in implementing a deal between Colombo and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in May.
The agreement was for the speedy resettlement of the civilians who were displaced after the end of fighting between troops and Tamil Tiger rebels.
"We have not seen the progress we expected from that agreement," Pascoe said.
Pascoe also urged Sri Lanka to set up a mechanism for "truth seeking" into alleged excesses by government forces during the final stages of the war.
Kalin toured Sri Lanka in April, just weeks before Sri Lankan troops crushed Tamil Tiger rebels who had been waging a guerrilla war for a homeland since 1972.
Walter Kalin, the UN Secretary-General's envoy for refugee rights, will arrive late Wednesday for a five-day visit that includes a tour to camps holding tens of thousands of refugees, Sri Lanka's Human Rights Ministry said.
His trip comes a week after the visit of the UN's political chief, Lynn Pascoe, who expressed concern over the plight of refugees and also urged Sri Lanka to investigate rights abuses during the final stages of the civil war.
"Mr. Kalin will meet with senior government officials, international aid agencies, including UN staff, and also visit some sites holding internally displaced people (IDPs)," a ministry official said.
UN sources here said Kalin would press for improved conditions for the Tamil civilians held in internment camps.
"He will follow up promises made by the government to resettle the IDPs at the earliest," said a UN official who declined to be named.
The displaced are being held in "welfare villages" and the government says they cannot be allowed freedom of movement until authorities finish screening them for remaining Tamil rebels.
Pascoe last week said the Sri Lankan government was not making sufficiently fast progress in implementing a deal between Colombo and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in May.
The agreement was for the speedy resettlement of the civilians who were displaced after the end of fighting between troops and Tamil Tiger rebels.
"We have not seen the progress we expected from that agreement," Pascoe said.
Pascoe also urged Sri Lanka to set up a mechanism for "truth seeking" into alleged excesses by government forces during the final stages of the war.
Kalin toured Sri Lanka in April, just weeks before Sri Lankan troops crushed Tamil Tiger rebels who had been waging a guerrilla war for a homeland since 1972.
Troops will not face war crimes charges – President
news
Canadian Conservative Government takes lead on Srilanka issue,holds Round Table
A round table was held at Minister's Regional Office in Toronto today, Canada where Sri Lanka's present situation was discussed.Round table was attended by Canada's Multiculturism,Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, Minister of International Cooperation, Hon. Bev Oda, Minister of state for foreign affairs (Americas) Peter Kent, Paul Calandra MP,Chuck Konkel Candidate of Record,Roger Nair film-maker & Chairman of South Asians for Human Rights Association along with various Community leaders. Sept. 11th 2009
A round table was held at Minister's Regional Office today in Toronto , Canada where Sri Lanka's present situation was discussed.The Round table was attended by Canada's Multiculturism,Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, Minister of International Cooperation, Hon. Bev Oda, Minister of State for Foreign affairs (Americas) and previous broadcast journalist Peter Kent, Paul Calandra MP, Candidate of Record Chuck Konkel,Roger Nair film-maker & Chairman of South Asians for Human Rights Association along with various Community leaders.The present situation in Sri Lanka was discussed and suggestions for Canada's Role in the region were taken by the Canadian Government Ministers.
Talking to this reporter said Roger Nair about the outcome of the round table" This is imperative that discussions like these continue on and I am confidant and hopeful that Canada can take lead in bringing peace in that region by building bridges between the factions that had had bad blood in the near past."
A sentiment mirrored by the actions of Canadian Government who had three ministers attending the Round Table.
Minister of Citizenship,Immigration and multicuturism Minister Jason Kenney heading the Round table sent a clear message about Canada's interest in helping solve the issues of Sri Lanka.
news
A round table was held at Minister's Regional Office today in Toronto , Canada where Sri Lanka's present situation was discussed.The Round table was attended by Canada's Multiculturism,Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, Minister of International Cooperation, Hon. Bev Oda, Minister of State for Foreign affairs (Americas) and previous broadcast journalist Peter Kent, Paul Calandra MP, Candidate of Record Chuck Konkel,Roger Nair film-maker & Chairman of South Asians for Human Rights Association along with various Community leaders.The present situation in Sri Lanka was discussed and suggestions for Canada's Role in the region were taken by the Canadian Government Ministers.
Talking to this reporter said Roger Nair about the outcome of the round table" This is imperative that discussions like these continue on and I am confidant and hopeful that Canada can take lead in bringing peace in that region by building bridges between the factions that had had bad blood in the near past."
A sentiment mirrored by the actions of Canadian Government who had three ministers attending the Round Table.
Minister of Citizenship,Immigration and multicuturism Minister Jason Kenney heading the Round table sent a clear message about Canada's interest in helping solve the issues of Sri Lanka.
news
Tamils for Obama: Mr. Rogers, if you invest in Sri Lanka, you will share the anger for Sri Lankan behavior
Tamils for Obama wrote a letter to Jim Rogers, investor and co-founder (with George Soros) of the Quantum Fund, warning him that his apparent plans to invest in Sri Lanka will involve him with an increasingly disreputable business partner as news of Sri Lankan government's mistreatment of its Tamil minority during and since the civil war inevitably filter out. This story names some of the damaging allegations the will probably make investing in Sri Lanka embarrassing.
New York (PRWEB) September 21, 2009 -- Jim Rogers, a world-known investor and co-founder (with George Soros) of the Quantum Fund, recently visited Sri Lanka and saw "great, cheap opportunities in Sri Lanka because of dramatic changes in the country after the end of the war." Tamils for Obama, however, sent him a letter warning that as evidence of Sri Lankan behavior during and since the civil war becomes widely known he will find that he has new partners he will wish he never met.
"He is investing his clients' money," explained an officer of the Tamils for Obama organization. "We think that investing in Sri Lanka will get Mr. Rogers, his firm, and his clients involved in situations that will embarass all of them."
Mr. Rogers recently made a quiet 3-day trip to Sri Lanka "which included meetings with top government officials," the Sunday Times Financial Times reported. "He met several government officials during a hitherto-unannounced visit," the Times reported. "'Yes, he was here and told me - during a long conversation - that he is very bullish on Sri Lanka,' said one official, who declined to be named" the Sunday Times FT said.
Another spokesman for Tamils for Obama said "We told him in our letter that investing in Sri Lanka would have unwelcome consequences, consequences he has evidently not considered.
"What we actually wrote," the spokesman said, was "'Don't dive into that pool yet, Mr. Rogers. There are good reasons to avoid Sri Lanka and its bloody-handed government.'"
"We want to warn Mr. Rogers, along with any other well-meaning investment advisors, that the Sri Lankan government's history of brutality against its own Tamil population will become widely known and that as it does it will tarnish everyone sending money there. Public pressure to disinvest in Sri Lanka (as with South Africa from the '60s to '80s) will make investment there into an embarrassment," the spokesman explained.
"In our letter, we cite facts of which Mr. Rogers might have been unaware," the Tamils for Obama spokesman continued. "For instance, we told him about how in the final months of the civil war the Sri Lankan government killed huge numbers of Tamil civilians by shell fire and air attacks, this in the 'safe zone.' According to a U.N. report which The London Times uncovered, around 1,000 civilians were killed every day from late April until May 19, when the war ended. The final civilian death toll for this period was more than 20,000, according to The Times."
Tamils for Obama noted that the Sir Lankan government has made great efforts to keep their activities secret. Since the end of the war, he said, "The Sri Lankan government has held over 300,000 Tamil civilians in internment camps, and shows no sign of letting them go any time soon."
"These 'internment camps' will only become more widely known and reported in the near furure," said the TfO spokesman. "We read two recent articles. One was in the UK's Guardian newspaper, which wrote 'With less than 5% of the 300,000 Tamils released from what the United Nations describes as "internment camps", [frightening stories such as [one refugee's have only just begun to be told.' Another story, written by an Indian journalist and carried by Al Jazeera, used the widely-accepted figure of 300,000 inmates and quoted U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon as saying "I have travelled round the world and visited similar places, but these are by far the most appalling scenes I have seen..."
The spokesman added that anyone who wants to read the original can find The Guardian story at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/13/tamils-camps-sri-lankaand the Al Jazeera article at
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&source=hp&q=300%2C000%20Tamil%20civilians%20in%20internment%20camps&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wn
"The Sri Lankan armed forces seal the camps so that nobody can get in or get out," the spokesman went on. "The U.N., the Red Cross, the international press, human rights and humanitarian aid organizations, and elected officials are not allowed into the camps. We and everybody else in the world wants the Sri Lankan government to release these civilian prisoners, but they show no sign of releasing the prisoners any time soon. We think that many of these prisoners have been witnesses to Sri Lankan war crimes, and so the government is afraid to let them out where they can talk to reporters and diplomats. Mr. Rogers should be aware of that."
"We also told Mr. Rogers about an Australian MP," this spokesman said. "The Australian MP made a speech in the Australian parliament. He talked about 'a humanitarian disaster' and 'hundreds of thousands of innocent Tamils… living in camps in appalling conditions' and 'horrifying evidence of the worst violations of human rights, including starvation, rape, killings and torture.' These reports are going to pile up until the ghastly story of Sri Lankan atrocities becomes common knowledge, and we want potential investors in Sri Lanka to know what they should expect."
The spokesman said that a video recently surfaced showing Sri Lankan soldiers shooting Tamil prisoners. "This was shown on British TV," the spokesman said. "We referred to it in our letter to Mr. Rogers. He certainly knows that as this kind of thing becomes widely known, the reputation of anybody who is closely associated with the Sri Lankan government will suffer." (To see the video go to: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1184614595?bctid=35256686001
The spokesman said "Our letter concludes: 'In short, Mr. Rogers, you are about to embrace the most brutal national government since the Khmer Rouge held power in Cambodia. You might be thick-skinned, but the investors you represent will probably be shocked at your choice of partners. No one wants to get involved in a holocaust, especially on the side of the killers. The history of the Sri Lankan government shows that they are capable of such atrocities, and at least until they open up the camps you can't be sure that they are not perpetrating a massacre there right now.'"
To see the entire letter go to:http://www.tamilsforobama.com/Letters/Rogers.html
Tamils are an ethnic group living mainly in the northeast of Sri Lanka and southern India. During the final weeks of the recent civil war, the Sri Lankan government killed about 1,000 Tamil civilians per day, according to the United Nations, and about 30,000 in 2009. Tamils are a minority population in Sri Lanka, and have borne the brunt of a civil war they regard as genocide. One-third of the Tamil population has fled the island and formed a substantial diaspora overseas. Tamils for Obama is comprised of Tamils who have settled in the U.S. or who were born in the U.S.
To contact the group, call at (617) 765- 4394 and speak to, or leave a message for, the Communication Director, Tamils for Obama.
http://www.tamilsforobama.com/
###
New York (PRWEB) September 21, 2009 -- Jim Rogers, a world-known investor and co-founder (with George Soros) of the Quantum Fund, recently visited Sri Lanka and saw "great, cheap opportunities in Sri Lanka because of dramatic changes in the country after the end of the war." Tamils for Obama, however, sent him a letter warning that as evidence of Sri Lankan behavior during and since the civil war becomes widely known he will find that he has new partners he will wish he never met.
"He is investing his clients' money," explained an officer of the Tamils for Obama organization. "We think that investing in Sri Lanka will get Mr. Rogers, his firm, and his clients involved in situations that will embarass all of them."
Mr. Rogers recently made a quiet 3-day trip to Sri Lanka "which included meetings with top government officials," the Sunday Times Financial Times reported. "He met several government officials during a hitherto-unannounced visit," the Times reported. "'Yes, he was here and told me - during a long conversation - that he is very bullish on Sri Lanka,' said one official, who declined to be named" the Sunday Times FT said.
Another spokesman for Tamils for Obama said "We told him in our letter that investing in Sri Lanka would have unwelcome consequences, consequences he has evidently not considered.
"What we actually wrote," the spokesman said, was "'Don't dive into that pool yet, Mr. Rogers. There are good reasons to avoid Sri Lanka and its bloody-handed government.'"
"We want to warn Mr. Rogers, along with any other well-meaning investment advisors, that the Sri Lankan government's history of brutality against its own Tamil population will become widely known and that as it does it will tarnish everyone sending money there. Public pressure to disinvest in Sri Lanka (as with South Africa from the '60s to '80s) will make investment there into an embarrassment," the spokesman explained.
"In our letter, we cite facts of which Mr. Rogers might have been unaware," the Tamils for Obama spokesman continued. "For instance, we told him about how in the final months of the civil war the Sri Lankan government killed huge numbers of Tamil civilians by shell fire and air attacks, this in the 'safe zone.' According to a U.N. report which The London Times uncovered, around 1,000 civilians were killed every day from late April until May 19, when the war ended. The final civilian death toll for this period was more than 20,000, according to The Times."
Tamils for Obama noted that the Sir Lankan government has made great efforts to keep their activities secret. Since the end of the war, he said, "The Sri Lankan government has held over 300,000 Tamil civilians in internment camps, and shows no sign of letting them go any time soon."
"These 'internment camps' will only become more widely known and reported in the near furure," said the TfO spokesman. "We read two recent articles. One was in the UK's Guardian newspaper, which wrote 'With less than 5% of the 300,000 Tamils released from what the United Nations describes as "internment camps", [frightening stories such as [one refugee's have only just begun to be told.' Another story, written by an Indian journalist and carried by Al Jazeera, used the widely-accepted figure of 300,000 inmates and quoted U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon as saying "I have travelled round the world and visited similar places, but these are by far the most appalling scenes I have seen..."
The spokesman added that anyone who wants to read the original can find The Guardian story at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/13/tamils-camps-sri-lankaand the Al Jazeera article at
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&source=hp&q=300%2C000%20Tamil%20civilians%20in%20internment%20camps&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wn
"The Sri Lankan armed forces seal the camps so that nobody can get in or get out," the spokesman went on. "The U.N., the Red Cross, the international press, human rights and humanitarian aid organizations, and elected officials are not allowed into the camps. We and everybody else in the world wants the Sri Lankan government to release these civilian prisoners, but they show no sign of releasing the prisoners any time soon. We think that many of these prisoners have been witnesses to Sri Lankan war crimes, and so the government is afraid to let them out where they can talk to reporters and diplomats. Mr. Rogers should be aware of that."
"We also told Mr. Rogers about an Australian MP," this spokesman said. "The Australian MP made a speech in the Australian parliament. He talked about 'a humanitarian disaster' and 'hundreds of thousands of innocent Tamils… living in camps in appalling conditions' and 'horrifying evidence of the worst violations of human rights, including starvation, rape, killings and torture.' These reports are going to pile up until the ghastly story of Sri Lankan atrocities becomes common knowledge, and we want potential investors in Sri Lanka to know what they should expect."
The spokesman said that a video recently surfaced showing Sri Lankan soldiers shooting Tamil prisoners. "This was shown on British TV," the spokesman said. "We referred to it in our letter to Mr. Rogers. He certainly knows that as this kind of thing becomes widely known, the reputation of anybody who is closely associated with the Sri Lankan government will suffer." (To see the video go to: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1184614595?bctid=35256686001
The spokesman said "Our letter concludes: 'In short, Mr. Rogers, you are about to embrace the most brutal national government since the Khmer Rouge held power in Cambodia. You might be thick-skinned, but the investors you represent will probably be shocked at your choice of partners. No one wants to get involved in a holocaust, especially on the side of the killers. The history of the Sri Lankan government shows that they are capable of such atrocities, and at least until they open up the camps you can't be sure that they are not perpetrating a massacre there right now.'"
To see the entire letter go to:http://www.tamilsforobama.com/Letters/Rogers.html
Tamils are an ethnic group living mainly in the northeast of Sri Lanka and southern India. During the final weeks of the recent civil war, the Sri Lankan government killed about 1,000 Tamil civilians per day, according to the United Nations, and about 30,000 in 2009. Tamils are a minority population in Sri Lanka, and have borne the brunt of a civil war they regard as genocide. One-third of the Tamil population has fled the island and formed a substantial diaspora overseas. Tamils for Obama is comprised of Tamils who have settled in the U.S. or who were born in the U.S.
To contact the group, call at (617) 765- 4394 and speak to, or leave a message for, the Communication Director, Tamils for Obama.
http://www.tamilsforobama.com/
###
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Indian troops move to China border
Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh), Sep 20 (IANS) India has moved hundreds of troops to the Chinese border along the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, but an army officer said Sunday that this was a routine winter exercise.
A visiting IANS correspondent saw 60 to 70 trucks carrying soldiers proceeding towards the Chinese border in Tawang and nearby posts, snaking through a rough mountainous terrain at an altitude of over 14,000 feet.
Army officials denied they were deploying extra soldiers in the forward posts.
According to army commanders, the troop movement was part of "Operation Alert", a winter exercise that sees soldiers move into inhospitable border areas of Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast ahead of the bitter weather conditions that make the roads impassable due to heavy snowfall.
"There is no threat or no extra forces being sent to the border," an army commander told IANS requesting not to be named. "Reports of troop build up are rumours. Don't read too much into army convoys moving to the border."
Local residents, however, said they had not seen such military activity in recent years.
"The movement of troops has surely increased," said Moni Lama, a Buddhist monk.
The border deployment comes amid persistent reports of Chinese incursions and Beijing's opposition to the visit of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to
Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.
China has denied any incursions by its army into India. And Indian officials say the number of border breaches has shown no dramatic increase to warrant undue worries.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said: "We firmly oppose the Dalai (Lama) visiting the so-called 'Arunachal Pradesh'." China disputes the ownership of Arunachal Pradesh.
India has said that the Dalai Lama is free to travel to any part of the country. The Tibetan spiritual leader has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959 after a failed revolt against Communist rule.
Takam Sanjay, a ruling Congress MP from Arunachal Pradesh, told IANS: "We welcome the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh. China has no reason to interfere in India's internal matters."
It is through Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh that the Dalai Lama entered India.
The India-China border along Arunachal Pradesh is separated by the McMahon Line, an imaginary border now known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
India and China fought a border war in 1962, with Chinese troops advancing deep into Arunachal Pradesh and inflicting heavy casualties on poorly armed Indian troops.
The border dispute with China was inherited by India from British rulers, who hosted a 1914 conference with the
Tibetan and Chinese governments that set the border in what is now Arunachal Pradesh.
China has never recognised the 1914 McMahon Line and claims 90,000 sq km, including nearly all of Arunachal Pradesh. India accuses China of occupying 8,000 sq km in Jammu and Kashmir.
After 1962, tensions flared again in 1986 with Indian and Chinese forces clashing in Sumdorong Chu valley of Arunachal Pradesh. Chinese troops reportedly built a helipad in the valley leading to the fresh skirmishes.
China policy: Is foreign ministry at odds with security establishment?
New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS) Is India's security establishment at odds with the foreign policy establishment over the threat perception vis-a-vis China?
Even as the government sought to play down reports of Chinese border "aggression", saying there was nothing alarming about them, there are sections of the strategic establishment, whose views are articulated through retired armed forces personnel and strategic experts, who appear to think that the government is underplaying the Chinese "threat".
With some sensation-seeking television channels happy to play along, this section also feels the government was not ready to concede that Chinese forces have made serious "incursions" into Indian territory and have scaled up their aggressive postures in trends ominously reminiscent of the months preceding the 1962 war between the two countries.
The first alarm bell was raised by Indian Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor Aug 31 saying there have been several border violations by Chinese troops in the past few months, including an incursion by a helicopter. However, he clarified that these infringements could have been inadvertent. By this Saturday, he was saying that the number of incursions this year was the same as last year and there was nothing to be worried about.
"There have been several violations and one incursion by a Chinese helicopter in the past few months. It could have happened due to a navigational error but that does not justify it. It was taken up at the border personnel meet," Kapoor had said earlier.
Prior to that, former Indian Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta warned that Beijing was in the process of creating formidable military capabilities and it would be more assertive in its claims on the neighbourhood.
Speaking at the National Maritime Foundation, he said: "China is in the process of consolidating its comprehensive national power and creating formidable military capabilities. Once that is done, China is likely to be more assertive on its claims, especially in the immediate neighbourhood."
These fears were further amplified when a section of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the country's external intelligence agency, reportedly briefed the political leadership of China's "ambitious designs" in the region and how it was making massive investments in the neighbourhood.
At a closed-door session in the recently held police chiefs conclave this week, two senior RAW officials said these incursions should not be overlooked as China had "bigger designs" and was investing huge amounts of money in countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar to isolate India.
However, the natu
re of these investments and the grand designs to offset India's regional goals were not spelt out.
But despite the alarmist reports, fanned by some television channels, the external affairs ministry has sought to play down the incursions, saying these are "routine incidents" that occur due to differences in perception about the Line of Actual Control, the ceasefire line, as China does not recognise McMahon Line that then Tibetan rulers agreed with the British rulers of India.
In the midle of this confusion, a high-level meeting of officials that was to be held here Thursday to discuss the alleged Chinese border intrusions was postponed. The meeting was expected to be chaired by National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan. Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar, Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar, Home Secretary G.K. Pillai and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and the three service chiefs were to attend.
No reason was given for the postponement. But reliable sources said this followed differences between the external affairs ministry and the Prime Minister's Office on the one hand and the defence ministry on the other on how to deal with China.
Since then, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, followed by National Security Adviser M.K Narayanan, Foreign Secretary Nirumpama Rao and even the army chief have sought to downplay the threat perception with Gen Deepak Kapoor now saying "there was no cause for worry or concern".
External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna cautioned against creating "excessive alarm" over the reported developments and stressed that India's border with China had been "most peaceful".
The defence ministry has on the other hand pitched for a more assertive approach vis-a-vis the alleged incursions, which Beijing has denied. The defence ministry wants curbs on army patrolling of the border lifted and a more pro-active approach towards building border infrastructure that lags far behind China's.
Currently, there are patrolling restrictions in certain "sensitive areas" of LAC to avoid possible clashes with Chinese troops.
Security analyst B. Raman, a former RAW official, has in his latest blog posted that he was "not unduly worried over the continuing reports of Chinese troop intrusions".
"We are fortunate in having a competent, professional army, which is capable of taking care of them. There is no need for a hysteria over the intrusions," he said.
"I am more worried about the diplomatic, economic and strategic intrusions which the Chinese are quietly making in our neighbourhood and the inability of our diplomacy to counter them," he wrote.
A visiting IANS correspondent saw 60 to 70 trucks carrying soldiers proceeding towards the Chinese border in Tawang and nearby posts, snaking through a rough mountainous terrain at an altitude of over 14,000 feet.
Army officials denied they were deploying extra soldiers in the forward posts.
According to army commanders, the troop movement was part of "Operation Alert", a winter exercise that sees soldiers move into inhospitable border areas of Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast ahead of the bitter weather conditions that make the roads impassable due to heavy snowfall.
"There is no threat or no extra forces being sent to the border," an army commander told IANS requesting not to be named. "Reports of troop build up are rumours. Don't read too much into army convoys moving to the border."
Local residents, however, said they had not seen such military activity in recent years.
"The movement of troops has surely increased," said Moni Lama, a Buddhist monk.
The border deployment comes amid persistent reports of Chinese incursions and Beijing's opposition to the visit of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to
Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.China has denied any incursions by its army into India. And Indian officials say the number of border breaches has shown no dramatic increase to warrant undue worries.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said: "We firmly oppose the Dalai (Lama) visiting the so-called 'Arunachal Pradesh'." China disputes the ownership of Arunachal Pradesh.
India has said that the Dalai Lama is free to travel to any part of the country. The Tibetan spiritual leader has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959 after a failed revolt against Communist rule.
Takam Sanjay, a ruling Congress MP from Arunachal Pradesh, told IANS: "We welcome the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh. China has no reason to interfere in India's internal matters."
It is through Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh that the Dalai Lama entered India.
The India-China border along Arunachal Pradesh is separated by the McMahon Line, an imaginary border now known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
India and China fought a border war in 1962, with Chinese troops advancing deep into Arunachal Pradesh and inflicting heavy casualties on poorly armed Indian troops.
The border dispute with China was inherited by India from British rulers, who hosted a 1914 conference with the
Tibetan and Chinese governments that set the border in what is now Arunachal Pradesh.China has never recognised the 1914 McMahon Line and claims 90,000 sq km, including nearly all of Arunachal Pradesh. India accuses China of occupying 8,000 sq km in Jammu and Kashmir.
After 1962, tensions flared again in 1986 with Indian and Chinese forces clashing in Sumdorong Chu valley of Arunachal Pradesh. Chinese troops reportedly built a helipad in the valley leading to the fresh skirmishes.
China policy: Is foreign ministry at odds with security establishment?
New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS) Is India's security establishment at odds with the foreign policy establishment over the threat perception vis-a-vis China?
Even as the government sought to play down reports of Chinese border "aggression", saying there was nothing alarming about them, there are sections of the strategic establishment, whose views are articulated through retired armed forces personnel and strategic experts, who appear to think that the government is underplaying the Chinese "threat".
With some sensation-seeking television channels happy to play along, this section also feels the government was not ready to concede that Chinese forces have made serious "incursions" into Indian territory and have scaled up their aggressive postures in trends ominously reminiscent of the months preceding the 1962 war between the two countries.
The first alarm bell was raised by Indian Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor Aug 31 saying there have been several border violations by Chinese troops in the past few months, including an incursion by a helicopter. However, he clarified that these infringements could have been inadvertent. By this Saturday, he was saying that the number of incursions this year was the same as last year and there was nothing to be worried about.
"There have been several violations and one incursion by a Chinese helicopter in the past few months. It could have happened due to a navigational error but that does not justify it. It was taken up at the border personnel meet," Kapoor had said earlier.
Prior to that, former Indian Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta warned that Beijing was in the process of creating formidable military capabilities and it would be more assertive in its claims on the neighbourhood.
Speaking at the National Maritime Foundation, he said: "China is in the process of consolidating its comprehensive national power and creating formidable military capabilities. Once that is done, China is likely to be more assertive on its claims, especially in the immediate neighbourhood."
These fears were further amplified when a section of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the country's external intelligence agency, reportedly briefed the political leadership of China's "ambitious designs" in the region and how it was making massive investments in the neighbourhood.At a closed-door session in the recently held police chiefs conclave this week, two senior RAW officials said these incursions should not be overlooked as China had "bigger designs" and was investing huge amounts of money in countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar to isolate India.
However, the natu
re of these investments and the grand designs to offset India's regional goals were not spelt out.But despite the alarmist reports, fanned by some television channels, the external affairs ministry has sought to play down the incursions, saying these are "routine incidents" that occur due to differences in perception about the Line of Actual Control, the ceasefire line, as China does not recognise McMahon Line that then Tibetan rulers agreed with the British rulers of India.
In the midle of this confusion, a high-level meeting of officials that was to be held here Thursday to discuss the alleged Chinese border intrusions was postponed. The meeting was expected to be chaired by National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan. Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar, Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar, Home Secretary G.K. Pillai and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and the three service chiefs were to attend.
No reason was given for the postponement. But reliable sources said this followed differences between the external affairs ministry and the Prime Minister's Office on the one hand and the defence ministry on the other on how to deal with China.
Since then, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, followed by National Security Adviser M.K Narayanan, Foreign Secretary Nirumpama Rao and even the army chief have sought to downplay the threat perception with Gen Deepak Kapoor now saying "there was no cause for worry or concern".
External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna cautioned against creating "excessive alarm" over the reported developments and stressed that India's border with China had been "most peaceful".
The defence ministry has on the other hand pitched for a more assertive approach vis-a-vis the alleged incursions, which Beijing has denied. The defence ministry wants curbs on army patrolling of the border lifted and a more pro-active approach towards building border infrastructure that lags far behind China's.
Currently, there are patrolling restrictions in certain "sensitive areas" of LAC to avoid possible clashes with Chinese troops.
Security analyst B. Raman, a former RAW official, has in his latest blog posted that he was "not unduly worried over the continuing reports of Chinese troop intrusions".
"We are fortunate in having a competent, professional army, which is capable of taking care of them. There is no need for a hysteria over the intrusions," he said.
"I am more worried about the diplomatic, economic and strategic intrusions which the Chinese are quietly making in our neighbourhood and the inability of our diplomacy to counter them," he wrote.
Defeated politicians conspiring with Western countries
Minister Dulles Alahapperuma has accused certain defeated political parties of collaborating with Western countries to take Sri Lanka’s military leaders to courts.
Addressing an election propaganda rally at Puhulwella in Kirinde, Matara, the Minister said two or three defeated politicians with several western countries conspired in April and May to save the LTTE from defeat. The conspiracy was in place to save the LTTE even by destroying the President. He claimed that Sri Lanka was fortunate to have a strong and courageous Head of State who did not shiver or was not afraid. Therefore, the country was able to enjoy freedom after the liberation from the terrorists. The meeting was organised to consolidate the victory of Freedom Alliance candidates contesting the Southern polls. Ministers Rajitha Senaratne, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena and Mervyn Silva, Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa and several people’s representatives were present.
Sri Lankan refugees commence indefinite fast
Forty Sri Lankan refugees in a special camp at Chengalpattu, most of them under detention for over 10 years, began an indefinite fast today, pressing for speedy conclusion of their cases.According to police sources, 20 other refugees also joined the fast to express support to the aggrieved ones.Police as well as revenue officials denied reports that the protest was due to lack of facilities in the camp and said they have been extended 'utmost consideration'.The refugees have been under detention for over 10 years and they had been brought to the camp from different areas and charged under CrPC and NSA.Due to practical difficulties, the cases cannot be disposed off promptly, the officials said.The prisoners have been demanding to let them rejoin their relatives.
Even in victory the Sri Lankan govt seems unable to define peace
Colombo risks squandering Sri Lanka's hard-won peace - article by Brahma ChellaneyIf Sri Lanka is to become a tropical paradise again, it must build enduring peace. This will only occur through genuine interethnic equality, and a transition from being a unitary state to being a federation that grants provincial and local autonomy. It will be a double tragedy for Sri Lanka if making peace proves more difficult than making war.
Yet even in victory the Sri Lankan government seems unable to define peace or outline a political solution to the long-standing cultural and political grievances of the Tamil minority, which makes up 12 percent of the 21.3-million population. A process of national reconciliation anchored in federalism and multiculturalism can succeed only if human-rights abuses by all parties are independently investigated. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has acknowledged that civilian casualties were "unacceptably high," especially as the war built to a bloody crescendo.
The continuing air of martial triumph in Sri Lanka, though, is making it difficult to heal the wounds of war through three essential "Rs": relief, recovery and reconciliation. In fact, the military victory bears a distinct family imprint: President Mahinda Rajapaksa was guided by two of his brothers, Gotabaya, the defense secretary who authored the war plan, and Basil, the presidential special adviser who formulated the political strategy. Yet another brother, Chamal, is the ports minister who awarded China a contract to build the billion-dollar Hambantotta port, on Sri Lanka's southeast.
In return, Beijing provided Colombo not only the weapon systems that decisively tilted the military balance in its favor, but also the diplomatic cover to prosecute the war in defiance of international calls to cease offensive operations to help stanch rising civilian casualties. Through such support, China has succeeded in extending its strategic reach to a critically located country in India's backyard that sits astride vital sea-lanes of communication in the Indian Ocean region.
Sinhalese nationalists now portray Rajapaksa as a modern-day Dutugemunu, a Sinhalese ruler who, according to legend, vanquished an invading Tamil army led by Kind Elara more than 2,000 years ago. But four months after the Tamil Tigers were crushed, it is clear the demands of peace extend far beyond the battlefield. What is needed is a fundamental shift in thegovernment's policies to help create greater interethnic equality, regional autonomy and a reversal of the state-driven militarization of society.
But Rajapaksa, despite promising to address the root causes of conflict, has declared: "Federalism is out of the question." How elusive the peace dividend remains can be seen from Colombo's decision to press ahead with a further expansion of the military. Not content with increasing the military's size five-fold since the late 1980s to more than 200,000 troops today, Colombo is raising the strength further to 300,000, in the name of "eternal vigilance." Soon after the May victory, the government, for example, announced a drive to recruit 50,000 new troops to help manage the northern areas captured from the rebels.
The Sri Lankan military already has more troops than that of Britain or Israel. The planned further expansion would make the military in tiny Sri Lanka larger than the militaries of major powers like France, Japan and Germany. By citing a continuing danger of guerrilla remnants reviving the insurgency, Rajapaksa, in fact, seems determined to keep a hyper-militarized Sri Lanka on something of a war footing. Yet another issue of concern is the manner the nearly 300,000 Tamil civilians still held by the government in camps where, in the recent words of U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, the "internally displaced persons are effectively detained under conditions of internment."
Such detention risks causing more resentment among the Tamils and sowing the seeds of future unrest. The internment was intended to help weed out rebels, many of whom already have been identified and transferred to military sites. Those in the evacuee camps are the victims and survivors of the deadly war. To confine them in the camps against their will is to further victimize and traumatize them.
Sri Lanka's interests would be better served through greater transparency. It should grant the U.N., International Red Cross and nongovernmental organizations at home and abroad full and unhindered access to care for and protect the civilians in these camps, allowing those who wish to leave the camps to do so and live with relatives and friends. Otherwise, it seriously risks breeding further resentment.
Then there is the issue of thousands of missing people, mostly Tamils. Given that many families are still searching for missing members, the government ought to publish a list of all those it is holding — in evacuee camps, prisons, military sites and other security centers. Even suspected rebels in state custody ought to be identified and not denied access to legal representation.
Authorities should disclose the names of those they know to be dead — civilians and insurgents — and the possible circumstances of their death. Also, the way to fill the power vacuum in the Tamil-dominated north is not by dispatching additional army troops in tens of thousands, but by setting up a credible local administration to keep the peace and initiate rehabilitation and reconstruction after more than 25 years of war.
Any government move to return to the old policy of settling Sinhalese in Tamil areas is certain to stir up fresh problems. More fundamentally, such have been the costs of victory that Sri Lankan civil society stands badly weakened and civil liberties curtailed. The wartime suppression of a free press and curtailment of fundamental rights continues in peacetime, undermining democratic freedoms and creating a fear psychosis.
Public meetings cannot be held without government permission. Sweeping emergency regulations also remain in place, arming the security forces with expansive powers of search, arrest, detention and seizure of property. Individuals can still be held in unacknowledged detention for up to 12 months. For the process of reconciliation to begin in earnest, it is essential the government shed its war-gained powers and accept, as Pillay says, "an independent and credible international investigation . . . to ascertain the occurrence, nature and scale of violations of international human-rights and international humanitarian law" by all parties during the conflict.
Pillay has gone on to say: "A new future for the country, the prospect of meaningful reconciliation and lasting peace, where respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms can become a reality for all, hinges upon such an in-depth and comprehensive approach."
Unfortunately, Colombo still seeks to hold back the truth. Those who speak up are labeled "traitors" (if they are Sinhalese) or accused of being on the payroll of the Tamil diaspora. Last year, a Sri Lankan minister accused the U.N. undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs, John Holmes, of being on the rebels' payroll after Holmes called Sri Lanka one of the world's most dangerous places for aid workers.
The media remains muzzled, and a host of journalists have been murdered or imprisoned. Lawyers who dare to take up sensitive cases face threats. Recently, a well-known astrologer who predicted the president's ouster from power was arrested. And this month, the U.N. Children's Fund communications chief was ordered to leave Sri Lanka after he discussed the plight of children caught up in the government's military campaign.
Rather than begin a political dialogue on regional autonomy and a more level-playing field for the Tamils in education and government jobs, the government has seen its space get constricted by the post-victory upsurge of Sinhalese chauvinism opposed to the devolution of powers to the minorities.
The hardline constituency argues that the Tamils shouldn't get in defeat what they couldn't secure through three decades of unrest and violence. Indeed, such chauvinism seeks to tar federalism as a potential forerunner to secession, although the Tamil insurgency sprang from the state's rejection of decentralization and power-sharing. The looming parliamentary and presidential elections also make devolution difficult, even though the opposition is splintered and Rajapaksa seems set to win a second term.
Reversing the militarization of society, ending the control of information as an instrument of state policy and promoting political and ethnic reconciliation are crucial to postconflict peace-building and to furthering the interests of all Sri Lankans — Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims. So also is the need to discard the almost mono-ethnic character of the security forces. Colombo has to stop dragging its feet on implementing the constitution's 13th amendment, which requires the ceding of some powers to the provincial or local level.
Sadly, there is little international pressure on Colombo, despite the leverage offered by the Sri Lankan economy's need for external credit. The U.S. can veto any decision of the International Monetary Fund, but it chose to abstain from the recent IMF vote to give Colombo a $2.8 billion loan. In the face of China's stonewalling at the U.N., Ban has been unable to appoint a special envoy on Sri Lanka. A U.N. special envoy can shine an international spotlight to help build pressure on a recalcitrant government. But on Sri Lanka, the best the U.N. has been able to do is to send a political official to Colombo this month for talks.
It is thus important for the democratic players, including the United States, the European Union, Japan and Norway — co-chairs of the so-called Friends of Sri Lanka — and India, to coordinate their policies on Sri Lanka. If Rajapaksa continues to shun true reconciliation, these countries should ratchet up pressure on Colombo by lending support to calls for an international investigation into the thousands of civilian deaths in the final weeks of the war.
The International Criminal Court has opened an initial inquiry into Sri Lankan rights-abuse cases that could turn into a full-blown investigation. Sri Lanka, however, is not an ICC signatory and thus would have to consent — or be referred by the U.N. Security Council — for the ICC to have jurisdiction over it. As world history attests, peace sought through the suppression and humiliation of an ethnic community proves to be elusive.
If Rajapaksa wants to earn a place in history as another Dutugemunu, he has to emulate that ancient king's post-victory action and make honorable peace with the Tamils before there is a recrudescence of violence. It will be a double tragedy for Sri Lanka if making peace proves more difficult than making war.
Brahma Chellaney, a professor of strategic studies at the independent, privately funded Center for Policy Research in New Delhi, is on the international advisory council of the Campaign for Peace and Justice in Sri Lanka.
First Published by Japan Times
Yet even in victory the Sri Lankan government seems unable to define peace or outline a political solution to the long-standing cultural and political grievances of the Tamil minority, which makes up 12 percent of the 21.3-million population. A process of national reconciliation anchored in federalism and multiculturalism can succeed only if human-rights abuses by all parties are independently investigated. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has acknowledged that civilian casualties were "unacceptably high," especially as the war built to a bloody crescendo.
The continuing air of martial triumph in Sri Lanka, though, is making it difficult to heal the wounds of war through three essential "Rs": relief, recovery and reconciliation. In fact, the military victory bears a distinct family imprint: President Mahinda Rajapaksa was guided by two of his brothers, Gotabaya, the defense secretary who authored the war plan, and Basil, the presidential special adviser who formulated the political strategy. Yet another brother, Chamal, is the ports minister who awarded China a contract to build the billion-dollar Hambantotta port, on Sri Lanka's southeast.
In return, Beijing provided Colombo not only the weapon systems that decisively tilted the military balance in its favor, but also the diplomatic cover to prosecute the war in defiance of international calls to cease offensive operations to help stanch rising civilian casualties. Through such support, China has succeeded in extending its strategic reach to a critically located country in India's backyard that sits astride vital sea-lanes of communication in the Indian Ocean region.
Sinhalese nationalists now portray Rajapaksa as a modern-day Dutugemunu, a Sinhalese ruler who, according to legend, vanquished an invading Tamil army led by Kind Elara more than 2,000 years ago. But four months after the Tamil Tigers were crushed, it is clear the demands of peace extend far beyond the battlefield. What is needed is a fundamental shift in thegovernment's policies to help create greater interethnic equality, regional autonomy and a reversal of the state-driven militarization of society.
But Rajapaksa, despite promising to address the root causes of conflict, has declared: "Federalism is out of the question." How elusive the peace dividend remains can be seen from Colombo's decision to press ahead with a further expansion of the military. Not content with increasing the military's size five-fold since the late 1980s to more than 200,000 troops today, Colombo is raising the strength further to 300,000, in the name of "eternal vigilance." Soon after the May victory, the government, for example, announced a drive to recruit 50,000 new troops to help manage the northern areas captured from the rebels.
The Sri Lankan military already has more troops than that of Britain or Israel. The planned further expansion would make the military in tiny Sri Lanka larger than the militaries of major powers like France, Japan and Germany. By citing a continuing danger of guerrilla remnants reviving the insurgency, Rajapaksa, in fact, seems determined to keep a hyper-militarized Sri Lanka on something of a war footing. Yet another issue of concern is the manner the nearly 300,000 Tamil civilians still held by the government in camps where, in the recent words of U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, the "internally displaced persons are effectively detained under conditions of internment."
Such detention risks causing more resentment among the Tamils and sowing the seeds of future unrest. The internment was intended to help weed out rebels, many of whom already have been identified and transferred to military sites. Those in the evacuee camps are the victims and survivors of the deadly war. To confine them in the camps against their will is to further victimize and traumatize them.
Sri Lanka's interests would be better served through greater transparency. It should grant the U.N., International Red Cross and nongovernmental organizations at home and abroad full and unhindered access to care for and protect the civilians in these camps, allowing those who wish to leave the camps to do so and live with relatives and friends. Otherwise, it seriously risks breeding further resentment.
Then there is the issue of thousands of missing people, mostly Tamils. Given that many families are still searching for missing members, the government ought to publish a list of all those it is holding — in evacuee camps, prisons, military sites and other security centers. Even suspected rebels in state custody ought to be identified and not denied access to legal representation.
Authorities should disclose the names of those they know to be dead — civilians and insurgents — and the possible circumstances of their death. Also, the way to fill the power vacuum in the Tamil-dominated north is not by dispatching additional army troops in tens of thousands, but by setting up a credible local administration to keep the peace and initiate rehabilitation and reconstruction after more than 25 years of war.
Any government move to return to the old policy of settling Sinhalese in Tamil areas is certain to stir up fresh problems. More fundamentally, such have been the costs of victory that Sri Lankan civil society stands badly weakened and civil liberties curtailed. The wartime suppression of a free press and curtailment of fundamental rights continues in peacetime, undermining democratic freedoms and creating a fear psychosis.
Public meetings cannot be held without government permission. Sweeping emergency regulations also remain in place, arming the security forces with expansive powers of search, arrest, detention and seizure of property. Individuals can still be held in unacknowledged detention for up to 12 months. For the process of reconciliation to begin in earnest, it is essential the government shed its war-gained powers and accept, as Pillay says, "an independent and credible international investigation . . . to ascertain the occurrence, nature and scale of violations of international human-rights and international humanitarian law" by all parties during the conflict.
Pillay has gone on to say: "A new future for the country, the prospect of meaningful reconciliation and lasting peace, where respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms can become a reality for all, hinges upon such an in-depth and comprehensive approach."
Unfortunately, Colombo still seeks to hold back the truth. Those who speak up are labeled "traitors" (if they are Sinhalese) or accused of being on the payroll of the Tamil diaspora. Last year, a Sri Lankan minister accused the U.N. undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs, John Holmes, of being on the rebels' payroll after Holmes called Sri Lanka one of the world's most dangerous places for aid workers.
The media remains muzzled, and a host of journalists have been murdered or imprisoned. Lawyers who dare to take up sensitive cases face threats. Recently, a well-known astrologer who predicted the president's ouster from power was arrested. And this month, the U.N. Children's Fund communications chief was ordered to leave Sri Lanka after he discussed the plight of children caught up in the government's military campaign.
Rather than begin a political dialogue on regional autonomy and a more level-playing field for the Tamils in education and government jobs, the government has seen its space get constricted by the post-victory upsurge of Sinhalese chauvinism opposed to the devolution of powers to the minorities.
The hardline constituency argues that the Tamils shouldn't get in defeat what they couldn't secure through three decades of unrest and violence. Indeed, such chauvinism seeks to tar federalism as a potential forerunner to secession, although the Tamil insurgency sprang from the state's rejection of decentralization and power-sharing. The looming parliamentary and presidential elections also make devolution difficult, even though the opposition is splintered and Rajapaksa seems set to win a second term.
Reversing the militarization of society, ending the control of information as an instrument of state policy and promoting political and ethnic reconciliation are crucial to postconflict peace-building and to furthering the interests of all Sri Lankans — Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims. So also is the need to discard the almost mono-ethnic character of the security forces. Colombo has to stop dragging its feet on implementing the constitution's 13th amendment, which requires the ceding of some powers to the provincial or local level.
Sadly, there is little international pressure on Colombo, despite the leverage offered by the Sri Lankan economy's need for external credit. The U.S. can veto any decision of the International Monetary Fund, but it chose to abstain from the recent IMF vote to give Colombo a $2.8 billion loan. In the face of China's stonewalling at the U.N., Ban has been unable to appoint a special envoy on Sri Lanka. A U.N. special envoy can shine an international spotlight to help build pressure on a recalcitrant government. But on Sri Lanka, the best the U.N. has been able to do is to send a political official to Colombo this month for talks.
It is thus important for the democratic players, including the United States, the European Union, Japan and Norway — co-chairs of the so-called Friends of Sri Lanka — and India, to coordinate their policies on Sri Lanka. If Rajapaksa continues to shun true reconciliation, these countries should ratchet up pressure on Colombo by lending support to calls for an international investigation into the thousands of civilian deaths in the final weeks of the war.
The International Criminal Court has opened an initial inquiry into Sri Lankan rights-abuse cases that could turn into a full-blown investigation. Sri Lanka, however, is not an ICC signatory and thus would have to consent — or be referred by the U.N. Security Council — for the ICC to have jurisdiction over it. As world history attests, peace sought through the suppression and humiliation of an ethnic community proves to be elusive.
If Rajapaksa wants to earn a place in history as another Dutugemunu, he has to emulate that ancient king's post-victory action and make honorable peace with the Tamils before there is a recrudescence of violence. It will be a double tragedy for Sri Lanka if making peace proves more difficult than making war.
Brahma Chellaney, a professor of strategic studies at the independent, privately funded Center for Policy Research in New Delhi, is on the international advisory council of the Campaign for Peace and Justice in Sri Lanka.
First Published by Japan Times
UN political chief voices concern about SL's displaced, says there is a real risk of breeding resentment
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in Government-run camps in Sri Lanka lack basic rights of freedom of movement, and the country is not making the expected progress towards a lasting peace in the wake of the end earlier this year to fighting between military forces and Tamil rebels, the United Nations political chief said Friday.
He stressed that the IDP issue is particularly important because it provides Sri Lanka with “an opportunity to move beyond simply ending the fighting to solidifying the peace. As the situation currently stands in the camps, there is a real risk of breeding resentment that will undermine the prospects for political reconciliation in the future.”
B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, told a press conference in Colombo at the end of his visit to Sri Lanka that the UN had not observed the progress expected after the world body and the Government issued a joint statement following the conclusion of fighting with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May.
More than 280,000 IDPs now reside in often congested camps in the north of the country, and Mr. Pascoe – who visited some camps yesterday – said he was very concerned about the lack of freedom of movement for residents and what he called the “closed nature” of the camps.
“People are not free to come or go and they are understandably upset,” he said. “We picked up great frustration on this point in the camps that we visited yesterday. I was told by many – and quite emphatically – that they just want to go home.
“We understand there are security concerns to be addressed. At the same time, this kind of closed regime goes directly against the principles under which we work in assisting IDPs all around the world.”
Mr. Pascoe urged the Government to allow those IDPs who have completed the screening process to leave the camps as they choose, and for those people remaining to be able to exit the camps during the day and to freely meet with family and friends in other sites.
On the last day of his visit to Sri Lanka, Mr. Pascoe held talks today with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, senior Government ministers, military officials, opposition leaders, Tamil politicians and representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society groups.
During the meetings the Under-Secretary-General discussed the situation of the IDPs as well as human rights accountability and political reconciliation.
He told the press conference that he was pleased that Walter Kälin, the Secretary-General’s Representative on the human rights of IDPs, will visit the country next week.
But Mr. Pascoe said he remains concerned about the pace of the process of allowing IDPs to return to their former communities.
“If there is more screening to do, it should be speeded up. It appears there are areas where de-mining is not a big concern. For those areas, families who have passed the screening process could be resettled without much further delay. More people should be allowed to stay with relatives and host families.”
Mr. Pascoe said he was informed by the Government today that it intends to both provide day passes to allow people to go to work or visit family and friends and to more aggressively publicize the option of accommodation with relatives and other host families.
“Of course this is not the ultimate solution to the problem of getting people home quickly, but it is an interim measure that reduces congestion in the camps,” he said, calling for the Government to show more transparency and to consult more widely to allay the fears and concerns of the IDPs.
He stressed that the IDP issue is particularly important because it provides Sri Lanka with “an opportunity to move beyond simply ending the fighting to solidifying the peace. As the situation currently stands in the camps, there is a real risk of breeding resentment that will undermine the prospects for political reconciliation in the future.”
He stressed that the IDP issue is particularly important because it provides Sri Lanka with “an opportunity to move beyond simply ending the fighting to solidifying the peace. As the situation currently stands in the camps, there is a real risk of breeding resentment that will undermine the prospects for political reconciliation in the future.”
B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, told a press conference in Colombo at the end of his visit to Sri Lanka that the UN had not observed the progress expected after the world body and the Government issued a joint statement following the conclusion of fighting with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May.
More than 280,000 IDPs now reside in often congested camps in the north of the country, and Mr. Pascoe – who visited some camps yesterday – said he was very concerned about the lack of freedom of movement for residents and what he called the “closed nature” of the camps.
“People are not free to come or go and they are understandably upset,” he said. “We picked up great frustration on this point in the camps that we visited yesterday. I was told by many – and quite emphatically – that they just want to go home.
“We understand there are security concerns to be addressed. At the same time, this kind of closed regime goes directly against the principles under which we work in assisting IDPs all around the world.”
Mr. Pascoe urged the Government to allow those IDPs who have completed the screening process to leave the camps as they choose, and for those people remaining to be able to exit the camps during the day and to freely meet with family and friends in other sites.
On the last day of his visit to Sri Lanka, Mr. Pascoe held talks today with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, senior Government ministers, military officials, opposition leaders, Tamil politicians and representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society groups.
During the meetings the Under-Secretary-General discussed the situation of the IDPs as well as human rights accountability and political reconciliation.
He told the press conference that he was pleased that Walter Kälin, the Secretary-General’s Representative on the human rights of IDPs, will visit the country next week.
But Mr. Pascoe said he remains concerned about the pace of the process of allowing IDPs to return to their former communities.
“If there is more screening to do, it should be speeded up. It appears there are areas where de-mining is not a big concern. For those areas, families who have passed the screening process could be resettled without much further delay. More people should be allowed to stay with relatives and host families.”
Mr. Pascoe said he was informed by the Government today that it intends to both provide day passes to allow people to go to work or visit family and friends and to more aggressively publicize the option of accommodation with relatives and other host families.
“Of course this is not the ultimate solution to the problem of getting people home quickly, but it is an interim measure that reduces congestion in the camps,” he said, calling for the Government to show more transparency and to consult more widely to allay the fears and concerns of the IDPs.
He stressed that the IDP issue is particularly important because it provides Sri Lanka with “an opportunity to move beyond simply ending the fighting to solidifying the peace. As the situation currently stands in the camps, there is a real risk of breeding resentment that will undermine the prospects for political reconciliation in the future.”
Sri Lanka responds to Prof Philip Alston on Channel 4 video
The Government of Sri Lanka welcomes the media statement issued today (17) by Prof. Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions, in which he now acknowledges that the report which was shared with him by the Government leads him to the conclusion that "the views expressed do indeed raise several issues which warrant further investigation before it could reasonably be concluded that the video is authentic".
The Government of Sri Lanka also welcomes Prof. Alston acknowledgement that the government's investigation has been prompt. The government regrets however, that Prof. Alston has characterized the professional investigation as not independent merely because the experts concerned were Sri Lankan.
Prof. Alston does not appear to have carefully perused the Government's Consolidated Response of 09 September in which a URL to Mr Siri Hewawitharana's experience and qualifications was included on page 4.
Contrary to Prof Alton's assertion, the Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe, contacted Mr Hewawitharana on 05 September, several days after the short op-ed opinion piece in The Island newspaper appeared and requested him to provide the Minister with a more detailed analysis of the video in the form of a short report. The said report was received on 06 September.
With regard to Dr De Silva, the sole reason for Prof. Alston's characterization of his analysis as partial is that he appears to have been consulted by the Government of Sri Lanka on previous occasions. The Government is of the view that it is quite legitimate to consult acknowledged experts from autonomous academic institutions and this in no way makes the expert part of the Government nor does it render the view tainted by bias.
Moreover, the fact that Prof. Alston now acknowledges that the video needs further investigation to prove its authenticity is sufficient to establish that the work of the experts consulted by the government of Sri Lanka is credible. This also confirms the governments concern that Prof. Alston was unduly hasty in issuing his original press statement concerning the contents of the video in the absence of any credible material.
It would be pertinent to note that the High Commissioner for Human Rights welcomed the Sri Lankan delegation's communication that a prompt investigation had been carried out into this matter. She also mentioned that, being a lawyer herself, she had thought it fit not to make a pronouncement on this issue until the authenticity of the contents of the video in question was established.
The Government is of the view that any further comment on this issue by Prof. Alston should only be consequent to the receipt of fresh and cogent evidence that will enable him to conclude that the video in question is genuine.
-- Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights
The Government of Sri Lanka also welcomes Prof. Alston acknowledgement that the government's investigation has been prompt. The government regrets however, that Prof. Alston has characterized the professional investigation as not independent merely because the experts concerned were Sri Lankan.
Prof. Alston does not appear to have carefully perused the Government's Consolidated Response of 09 September in which a URL to Mr Siri Hewawitharana's experience and qualifications was included on page 4.
Contrary to Prof Alton's assertion, the Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe, contacted Mr Hewawitharana on 05 September, several days after the short op-ed opinion piece in The Island newspaper appeared and requested him to provide the Minister with a more detailed analysis of the video in the form of a short report. The said report was received on 06 September.
With regard to Dr De Silva, the sole reason for Prof. Alston's characterization of his analysis as partial is that he appears to have been consulted by the Government of Sri Lanka on previous occasions. The Government is of the view that it is quite legitimate to consult acknowledged experts from autonomous academic institutions and this in no way makes the expert part of the Government nor does it render the view tainted by bias.
Moreover, the fact that Prof. Alston now acknowledges that the video needs further investigation to prove its authenticity is sufficient to establish that the work of the experts consulted by the government of Sri Lanka is credible. This also confirms the governments concern that Prof. Alston was unduly hasty in issuing his original press statement concerning the contents of the video in the absence of any credible material.
It would be pertinent to note that the High Commissioner for Human Rights welcomed the Sri Lankan delegation's communication that a prompt investigation had been carried out into this matter. She also mentioned that, being a lawyer herself, she had thought it fit not to make a pronouncement on this issue until the authenticity of the contents of the video in question was established.
The Government is of the view that any further comment on this issue by Prof. Alston should only be consequent to the receipt of fresh and cogent evidence that will enable him to conclude that the video in question is genuine.
-- Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights
IDPs in Sri Lanka's camps growing impatient: UN political chief
Reuters Photo] The United Nations political chief travelled yesterday (Thursday) to northern Sri Lanka to get a first-hand look at the situation of displaced civilians living in Government-run camps, and the status of preparations for their resettlement.
“I saw some efforts under way to make areas suitable for resettlement, both through clearing landmines and rehabilitating schools and economic infrastructure, said B. Lynn Pascoe, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, who arrived in the country yesterday.
“I also met with people in the camps who want to leave and return to their homes, but cannot do so, and are understandably growing impatient and anxious about their future,” he added.
In May the Government declared victory over the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), ending more than two decades of fighting. There are some 280,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) residing in camps in northern Sri Lanka.
Mr. Pascoe, accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hussein Bhaila, visited Mannar, where he witnessed preparations to construct a water reservoir for resettled communities, and received a briefing and demonstration by the armed forces on progress in clearing mines from the surrounding Mannar Rice Bowl region.
The delegation then visited two IDP camps and a rehabilitation centre for former LTTE members in Jaffna, before concluding the field visit at the Manik Farms camp in Vavuniya, the largest of the country’s IDP camps.
“I saw some efforts under way to make areas suitable for resettlement, both through clearing landmines and rehabilitating schools and economic infrastructure, said B. Lynn Pascoe, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, who arrived in the country yesterday.
“I also met with people in the camps who want to leave and return to their homes, but cannot do so, and are understandably growing impatient and anxious about their future,” he added.
In May the Government declared victory over the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), ending more than two decades of fighting. There are some 280,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) residing in camps in northern Sri Lanka.
Mr. Pascoe, accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hussein Bhaila, visited Mannar, where he witnessed preparations to construct a water reservoir for resettled communities, and received a briefing and demonstration by the armed forces on progress in clearing mines from the surrounding Mannar Rice Bowl region.
The delegation then visited two IDP camps and a rehabilitation centre for former LTTE members in Jaffna, before concluding the field visit at the Manik Farms camp in Vavuniya, the largest of the country’s IDP camps.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced his concern about developments regarding the IDPs, as well as the political process and a possible accountability mechanism for alleged human rights violations committed during the armed conflict.
Speaking at his monthly news conference in New York, Mr. Ban said he had discussed these issues with President Mahinda Rajapaksa last Monday, and then dispatched Mr. Pascoe to follow up.
“I have asked him to deliver my letter to the President outlining the concerns of the international community and immediately report back to me,” said the Secretary-General, who also reiterated his concern at the continued detention without charge of two UN staff members in Sri Lanka.
Mr. Pascoe is expected to conclude the two-day visit tomorrow in Colombo, where he will meet with President Rajapaksa and other Government officials, as well as with opposition and Tamil politicians, members of civil society and UN representatives.
Speaking at his monthly news conference in New York, Mr. Ban said he had discussed these issues with President Mahinda Rajapaksa last Monday, and then dispatched Mr. Pascoe to follow up.
“I have asked him to deliver my letter to the President outlining the concerns of the international community and immediately report back to me,” said the Secretary-General, who also reiterated his concern at the continued detention without charge of two UN staff members in Sri Lanka.
Mr. Pascoe is expected to conclude the two-day visit tomorrow in Colombo, where he will meet with President Rajapaksa and other Government officials, as well as with opposition and Tamil politicians, members of civil society and UN representatives.
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