India’s help for Lanka’s LTTE-freed areas

NEW DELHI: With de-mining of north Sri Lanka gaining momentum, India is sending a team of agriculture experts there to assist in activation of farming in the areas that have been freed from the LTTE control.

The team, to be led by a crop scientist of Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), is expected to travel to Sri Lanka by the end of this month.
The agriculture experts will assess the soil condition, irrigation facilities and weather conditions among other aspects to determine how farming could be started in the areas freed from LTTE control, sources told PTI here.
The timing of the visit has been chosen in view of the coming crop season.
The team will determine requirements for activation of farming in those areas so that follow-up assistance could be extended by India which is set for a massive rehabilitation and reconstruction agenda in the Tamil-dominated areas, they said.
The government has also roped in noted agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan and he is being consulted in the effort to activate farming in north Sri Lanka.
Activation of farming activities is one of the first steps aimed at providing livelihood to locals.
The effort to start farming coincides with the progress being made in de-mining by India of the areas that have been freed from LTTE control.
Four Indian teams, each comprising 50 experts, are currently engaged in clearing north Sri Lanka of mines that had been planted by fleeing LTTE.
India will also be helping in resurrection of railway network in north Sri Lanka that has been damaged during LTTE control of the area. The two countries are discussing the specific projects that India can take up in this regard.
At the same time, a temporary hospital operated by India in Vavuniya is being wound up after six months of service.
The 100-bedded hospital that was set up soon after the war between the Sri Lankan army and LTTE got over, has treated nearly 27,000 patients.
India is also undertaking reconstruction activities in Sri Lanka's Eastern province, which too is Tamil-dominated.
Among the projects are a rail-bus service which has been started with vehicles being provided by India.

A 500-MW power plant, set up in Trincomalee through collaboration between India and Sri Lanka, is also expected to be started next month.

Lankan Oil Investment Modified

An agreement between Iran and Sri Lanka for the expansion of Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery has been altered due to Sri Lanka's inability to meet the stipulated conditions.

Sri Lanka will pay its share of the project in installments over the period of construction, Moj News Agency wrote.
Authoritative sources said that in the original agreement, the Sri Lankan government had made a commitment of 30 percent of $1.47 billion project upfront. It subsequently said it could not raise the required funds.
The project aims at doubling the production capacity of the oil refinery near Colombo from 50,000 barrels per day to 100,000 bpd.
Sri Lanka has greatly benefited from Iran making available what diplomatic sources called $700 million in cash to purchase oil.

Indian Navy a big challenge for China?

CHENNAI: Though China has been engaged in developing three ports at Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Pakistan thus encircling India, the weak area for the country today is the Indian Navy, Naval Chief of Staff, Admiral Sureesh Mehta, said here on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters here at a function held at Chennai Port on Thursday, the Admiral said, “The Chinese efforts and help to Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Myanmar to build ports in their countries were a part of its strategy to get a foothold in the ocean, but one has to understand the fact that it is not so easy for them (China) to come inside the Indian Ocean where our navy has better presence.” On a question about India being encircled by Chinese-sponsored ports in its Asian neighbourhood, Mehta said that Beijing was building such dependency ports as part of its strategy to have a strong footing in the ocean in future. While reacting to his reported statement on China-India comparison a few days ago, Mehta said, “During the intellectual discussion a few days ago, I spoke about several national security issues there but the media picked my China-related statement only.” Strongly discounting the number game with China, Admiral Mehta said, “It’s not that you have 50 ships, I have 50 ships. I may have 10 ships which are much smarter and better and let us do that.” To a query on the recent detention of North Korean cargo ship MV Musan near Hutbay in South Andaman, Mehta said that no full details were available at this point of time. “But with North Korea, we have to be doubly sure. But prima facie, it looks like the ship got some genuine cargo which was destined for Iraq,” he said. However, he added that the ship was being towed to Kakinada Port and different agencies would investigate the matter there

The war in Sri Lanka has ended but the suffering continues

Any health system would have difficulties responding to the needs of over 260,000 people who recently came out of a war zone. And so, facilities in the Sri Lankan IDP camps are overstretched. People sometimes need to wait days before they can see a doctor for treatment and at night non-medical people decide who gets referred to a hospital and who does not. The suffering continues.

For the past three months, Ati* has been living in a camp in Menik farm with her husband and three children. Two weeks ago, her five year old son had a fever and was barely responding. She carried him to the clinic in the camp at 5am and queued to see a doctor until 6pm. Like many others that day, she did not get to see a doctor and returned to her tent with her sick child and no treatment. She went back the next day and again failed to see a doctor after waiting for another 13 hours. It wasn't until the third day that she finally managed to see a doctor who gave her some antibiotics.

300 patients a day
Even if the services are gradually expanding in the camps with Ministry of Health clinics in all the camps and the medical staff doing what they can, the needs are vast and the facilities are overstretched. Some doctors are seeing 200 to 300 patients a day, there is little capacity to carry out tests or follow up patients and only the most urgent cases get transferred to hospitals outside the camps. Maruthani,* a 24 year old woman, arrived in Menik Farm at the end of May and is badly disfigured since a fragment of bomb shell cut her lips, cheeks and chin during the conflict. Her mouth is always open, her tongue is badly affected, she can barely drink and cannot speak. She is in need of reconstructive surgery, something impossible to get inside the camp. When her wounds became infected, she went, in pain, to the clinic in the camp. There they were unable to do anything for her and she was not transferred to a hospital outside the camp because she was not considered to be an emergency case. She spends her days lying in the sand outside her tent, waiting for the day to pass.
Some emergency cases in the camps are referred by the Ministry of Health staff to the MSF hospital outside Menik Farm where MSF medical teams are mostly treating patients for conflict related trauma, respiratory tract infections and skin diseases. The problem comes at night.
“In many camps if someone gets sick at night they have to rely on the soldier at the gate of the camp to take the decision on whether they get referred to a hospital or not”, explains Karline Kleijer, MSF emergency coordinator. “This works for those who are obviously ill, fitting or with a bleeding wound, but when it is a dehydrated child with a fever, the average soldier will not see that they are in urgent need of medical attention because they are not easy things to diagnose.”

Breakfast at night
Another concern for those in the camps is access to clean water and food. In most camps people do not cook for themselves but rely on community kitchens and rations distributed daily by the government or NGOs.
“Sometimes, especially in the newer camps, the food doesn't get delivered until late in the evening and the first meal of the day is at ten o'clock at night”, says an MSF aid worker. Every day MSF distributes high energy porridge to 23,000 children under five, pregnant and lactating women and people over 60 in 11 of the camps. “It is difficult for our staff to turn people away when they do not fit into our target group."
Outside of the camps, hundreds of people are still hospitalised receiving treatment for injuries they incurred during the conflict. Working with Ministry of Health staff in Pompaimadhu hospital, MSF is treating 180 patients with spinal cord injuries, fractures that did not heal and infected wounds. The MSF surgeon does an average of 16 to 20 surgeries a week and physiotherapy is a big component of the programme.

“To see someone walk again thanks to the physiotherapy is amazing” says MSF surgeon Tim Pruchnic.

Traumatised
Traumatised by what they experienced during the conflict, many of the patients in hospital are struggling to cope with their grief and worry about their future and the fate of their loved ones.
“A young mother admitted in Pompaimadhu has lost her husband, her parents, her sister, her sister's husband and children”, remembered an MSF worker. “She is alone now in Pompaimadhu hospital recovering from her injuries, she is the sole survivor of her family and she is pregnant. She feels very lonely and is still in shock, it has only been two and a half months since she lost everything and everyone. She worries about how she will cope as a single mother. As long as she stays in Pompaimadhu she can get help, but when she is discharged to the camps she will no longer get any support.”
In the camps, people are dealing with the trauma experienced in the conflict and it is difficult to rebuild any semblance of a normal life. There are very few job opportunities inside the camps, the people are not allowed to leave the camps and parents worry about their children's education. People have difficulties to search for relatives, make plans or take control of their own future. With nowhere to go there is little to do other than walk from one distribution to another. The uncertainty of how long they have to remain in the camps is difficult to live with. There is therefore a huge need for psychological support for people living in the camps and currently none is provided.

Ready to start
In addition to the high energy porridge the MSF teams cook and distribute in the camps, MSF has the capacity to scale up activities and provide medical support to the Ministry of Health staff inside the camps.
“We have two whiteboards in our office,” explained Karline. “One with a list of planned activities for the coming weeks: supplementary feeding, surgery, etc. And another is a list of activities waiting for approval, including mental health, basic health care and physiotherapy in the camps… We are ready to start!”

MSF continues to pursue discussions with the authorities in Colombo.

*name has been changed

http://www.msf.org/msfinternational/invoke.cfm?objectid=12EEE5AE-15C5-F00A-259ECDF0EB7BAAFF&component=toolkit.article&method=full_html

AAAS Satellite Image Analysis Points to New Graves, Shelling, and Human Displacement in Sri Lanka

Beside a green lagoon on Sri Lanka's northeastern coast, on a sandy spit of land less than 8 miles long, violence reportedly erupted 9-10 May as military soldiers clashed with rebel Tamil Tigers.

Now, a detailed AAAS assessment of high-resolution satellite images seems to confirm descriptions of intense fighting within Sri Lanka's "no-fire zone"—revealing a landscape scarred by freshly dug graves and artillery explosions.

At one gravesite, for example, an estimated 342 new graves appeared in satellite images after violence erupted in May, said Lars Bromley of the AAAS Science and Human Rights Program. Thousands of refugee shelters vanished, while dozens of permanent structures were damaged and the region was riddled by shelling, said Bromley, director of the Geospatial Technologies and Human Rights project at AAAS.

"The narrow peninsula that makes up the civilian safety zone in Sri Lanka clearly has undergone very dramatic physical changes," Bromley confirmed. "By comparing before-and-after satellite images, we were able to see a significant movement of the region's human population, suggesting widespread displacement, based on changes to structures. We also identified many crater-like features consistent with shelling, a major gravesite expansion, and numerous suspected mortar sites."

By 6 May 2009, numberous probable internally

displaced persons structures are present in this

image, along with a graveyard (outlined in red),

containing an estimated 195 burials.

Shortly after the clash between the Sri Lankan military and rebels with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the New York Times filed this report: "A government doctor said at least 378 civilians—and perhaps as many as 1,000—had been killed and more than 1,100 wounded on Saturday and Sunday during intensive shelling of the combat zone on Sri Lanka's northeastern coast."

The Defense Ministry of Sri Lanka issued a statement contending that rebels were "bombarding their own civilians." Other sources have accused the government of shelling the civilian-populated region, which was declared a no-fire zone on 12 February. Journalists meanwhile reported being banned or ejected from the region.

By 10 May 2009, the graveyard in this image,
outlined in red, has expanded substantially,

compared with the earlier, 6 May image above.

Bromley compared six images, spanning dates from 9 May 2005 through 24 May 2009, captured by multiple satellites, including DigitalGlobe's QuickBird and WorldView satellites; and GeoEye's Ikonos and GeoEye-1 satellites.

The AAAS analysis, requested by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International USA, was conducted as part of broader AAAS research funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
When compared with a 6 May satellite image, a 10 May image reveals "the obvious removal of thousands of likely [internally displaced persons, or IDP] structures," the AAAS report states. "Overall, the area appears to have been swept relatively clean."

By 24 May 2009, an area across the street from the

original graveyard in this image has been cleared

and is also being used for burials. AAAS analysis

suggested that 342 new graves were dug at this site

in Sri Lanka's "no-fire zone" following the 9-10 May

episode of renewed fighting.

http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2009/0812sri_lanka.shtml

Assistant Secretary Blake and Chargé d'Affaires Moore Discuss the Humanitarian Situation and Prospects for Political Reconciliation in Sri Lanka with Tamil Diaspora Groups

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake and U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Sri Lanka James Moore met with 16 representatives of U.S.-based organizations representing members of the Tamil diaspora to discuss the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka and prospects for political reconciliation on August 11.

Assistant Secretary Blake and Chargé Moore welcomed the opportunity to listen to the concerns and perspectives of the American Tamil diaspora community and to share the steps the United States is taking to address the humanitarian crisis. The United States has provided $56 million in humanitarian assistance in 2009. While the Government of Sri Lanka has made some progress easing camp congestion, registering IDPs, and expanding access by humanitarian organizations, much remains to be done, Assistant Secretary Blake and Chargé Moore said. The United States is urging the safe and speedy return of IDPs, continued access for international humanitarian organizations, and the registration and provision of national identification cards to IDPs, to help promote freedom of movement.
Assistant Secretary Blake and Chargé Moore underscored the importance of political reconciliation. The U.S. has stressed to the government that to achieve a lasting peace, it must promote justice and political reconciliation for all parties, dialogue with all parties, including Tamils inside and outside Sri Lanka on new mechanisms for devolving power, and improve human rights. Assistant Secretary Blake and Chargé Moore recommended that the Government of Sri Lanka and the American Tamil diaspora community seek opportunities to engage one another on political reconciliation and the reconstruction of Sri Lanka.
Assistant Secretary Blake and Chargé Moore concluded by saying that they would like to continue the dialogue with the diaspora community and urged participants to continue to share feedback.
The discussion took place at the State Department with Chargé Moore through a digital video conference at the U.S. Embassy in Colombo.


http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2009/aug/127195.htm

Chinese identify Tamils conducive in breaking up India

A recent article that appeared in a Chinese strategic think tank saying “[i]f China takes a little action, the so-called Great Indian Federation can be broken up,” and its argument that China in its own interest, and the progress of whole Asia, should join forces with different nationalities like Assamese, Tamils, and Kashmiris, and support the latter in establishing independent nation-states of their own, out of India, has ruffled the Indian counterparts. Responding to the article in Chinese, D S Rajan, Director of Chennai Centre for China Studies wrote, “an approach of panic towards such outbursts will be a mistake, but also ignoring them will prove to be costly for India.”

The Chinese article by Zhan Lue, that appeared on Saturday, was timed for the 13th round of Sino-Indian border talks held in New Delhi, Friday and Saturday. After holding talks with M K Narayanan and meeting Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, the visiting delegation declared the importance of Sino-Indian partnership, stressing that it involves 40 percent of the world’s population. The delegation also said that they discussed South and Northeast Asia.

On the outcome of the talks, The Hindu reported that China and India have agreed to set up a hotline communication between the leaders of the country, a facility that exists for India at the moment only with Russia.

Writing in South Asia Analysis Group, Sunday, promptly responding to the Chinese article, Rajan said, “[i]t has generally been seen that China is speaking in two voices – its diplomatic interlocutors have always shown understanding during their dealings with their Indian counterparts, but its selected media is pouring venom on India in their reporting.”
According to Rajan, the punch line in the Chinese article has been that “to split India, China can bring into its fold countries like Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan, support ULFA in attaining its goal for Assam’s independence, back aspirations of Indian nationalities like Tamils and Nagas, encourage Bangladesh to give a push to the independence of West Bengal, and lastly recover the 90,000 sq km. territory in Southern Tibet.”
It is rumoured in the diplomatic circles that during the war against Eezham Tamils, huge amounts of unaccounted Chinese money was spent especially in Tamil Nadu by Colombo’s agents in Chennai to buy or check media and politicians.

The biggest question is why the Indian Establishment is precipitating a situation for China to eye on Tamils, ask Tamil circles.

Sri Lankan State Terror extends boundaries: BTF

The Sri Lankan Government has once again exposed its arrogance as a ‘democratic state’ apparently unbound by international law and order, extending their practice of illegal abductions, kidnap, disappearances and violations of human rights with impunity, this time across international borders, says British Tamil Forum in its press release yesterday. The military establishment’s disrespect and disregard to international law and order in Sri Lanka is now being permitted internationally, it seems.

The press release further said: Recent news reports surrounding the alleged arrest of Mr Selvarasa Pathmanathan has once again bought to the foreground the Sri Lankan Government’s ability to whitewash international norms. The anomalies surrounding his kidnap and detention give rise to serious concerns over Sri Lanka’s seemingly superseding legal jurisdiction which is not restricted to the island of Sri Lanka.
The illegal abduction and subsequent extrajudicial transfer of Mr Pathmanathan to Sri Lanka should be challenged by all those who believe in democracy, and are party to Geneva conventions. Extraordinary Rendition is illegal in accordance with Article 3 of the United Nations Convention Against Torture, which clearly prohibits extradition of any persons to a state where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture.
Sri Lanka’s Defence website boasts Minister Keheliya Rambukwella’s proclamations that “Sri Lanka is capable of defeating LTTE terrorism wherever it emerges”, further stating that the arrest of Mr Pathmanathan was only made possible with the unreserved, and adequate support of the “international friends” of Sri Lanka.
By its eerie silence, the international community, institutions like the Commonwealth and the UN are, by default, accepting daylight abductions as being internationally accepted practice and allowing for rogue states to extend their belligerent practices across borders.
International laws, treaties, governance and conventions will all have to be rewritten if this sets a new precedent. Sri Lankan regime has been effective in eliciting the support of the international community to conduct its Genocidal agenda against the Tamil people. Whilst the international community obliged then, under the pretext of eliminating terrorism, Sri Lanka’s lack of willingness to attend to international calls to stop the ongoing incarceration of over 300,000 civilians in ‘Nazistyle’ detention camps have largely gone unchallenged.
The silence of international institutions have only signalled acceptance of this piecemeal approach adopted by the Sri Lankan regime. This paves the way for other countries to be selective of the international laws they wish to adhere to and exploit the international conventions and UN charters to which they have signed to.
Even international media, which normally takes the higher moral ground, has been largely desolate on this issue, raising little concern of the circumstances surrounding this illegal act by a defiant state acting outside its legal jurisdiction. Mr Pathmanathan was instrumental in “silencing the guns” of the armed struggle and promoting democratic and political means in progressing forward the Tamil liberation struggle, despite many pundits, including governments and reputable international institutions, predicting guerrilla warfare.
By allowing removal of a moderate leader from the equation and by maintaining silent, thus supporting Sri Lankan State terrorism, the international community seem to gesture a dangerous path for the radical elements. If Mr Pathmanathan has breached any laws of the land where he was domicile, or breached any international law, then the due legal process should have been followed by governments and government agencies involved. That is why extradition treaties are in place. Concerned citizens of the country of domicile of Mr Pathmanathan have the right to demand for a public enquiry into breaches of laws of the land.
Recent allegations of UK’s complicity in torture and rendition gave rise to a statement from the Foreign Secretary David Miliband stating that the UK "firmly opposed" torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. Widespread dismay at UK’s possible involvement in “War on Terror” human rights abuses has clearly shown UK public opinion on such illegal practices.
UK Prime Minister’s office argues that suspension from the Commonwealth has only been carried out in instances where there has been a failure of democracy in member states, on which grounds Sri Lanka does not warrant such a deferral. If rules, regulations and laws are to be effective, no one should be above the law. Perpetrators of international law cannot go unpunished on the grounds of having no precedents.
Any other state guilty of such persistent refusal to observe the will of the ‘international community’ would have been subject to warnings of economic and/or military sanctions. If the international community continues to be a silent bystander, inaction is likely to promote violence and anarchy, not just in Sri Lanka, but allow free reign for similar states to practice state terrorism internationally.

In light of these concerning developments, British Tamils demand:

UK Government to, along with other governments, demand from the Sri Lankan Government that Mr Pathmanathan must be produced immediately in a court of law and charges made against him as soon as possible
The ICRC must be given access to Mr Pathmanathan immediately and Article 3 Convention against torture must be followed to protect Mr Pathmanathan’s human rights and safeguard his wellbeing
Mr Pathmanathan must be given access to legal representation according to international laws Any breach of international law by governments, government institutions or agencies involved in this illegal abduction and extraordinary rendition should be investigated and action taken to establish law and order
UK government, along with US and other administrations with firm belief in international law and order, should speak out against such international acts of crime by a state
Foreign and Commonwealth Office must review its stance on supporting suspension of member states from the Commonwealth, whether breach of law without precedents can go unpunished
Media that values human rights and respects law and order should promote action against such acts of crime by a state

KP arrest 'violated international law': Sam Zarifi

KP was reportedly arrested in Malaysia and brought to Sri Lanka. Amnesty International has accused Malaysia of violating international law by handing over new Tamil Tiger leader to Sri Lanka.

Amnesty International's Asia Pacific Director Sam Zarifi commenting on the recent arrest of new LTTE leader, Selvarasa Pathmanathan in Malaysia, told BBC Sandeshaya that if any country arrests LTTE members the detainee should face charges in the country that they had been arrested.
"International law prohibits sending someone, including a criminal suspect, back to a country where they face real possibility of torture and ill-treatment and Sri Lanka does have a poor track record of torturing and poorly treating detainees," Mr. Zarifi said.
"So there are some real questions about how KP was taken to Sri Lanka."
Malaysian authorities have neither confirmed nor denied reports that he was arrested in the country.
The Amnesty International also calls on Sri Lanka produce and charge, if appropriate, nearly 10,000 former LTTE cadres currently held in detention camps.
Not only the new LTTE leader, says Sam Zarifi, but Minister Karuna (Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan) should also face a fair trial for his alleged human rights violations.
"We want to see proper justice with proper due process for KP, for any of the LTTE members detained, for Karuna as well as for any member of the government accused of human rights violations," he told BBCSinhala.com.
Minister Samarasinghe, however, says that in regard to Minister Karuna not only Sri Lanka but also international community has failed to take action.
Karuna Amman, who served a short prison sentence in UK, was appointed a parliamentarian and later a minister by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.(Courtesy: BBC)

Lankan minister questions the right of Blake to speak on behalf of Tamils

The Sri Lankan government yesterday questioned the right of US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake to speak on behalf of the displaced Tamils in the North.

Robert O' Blake was quoted in the international media saying that US has been disappointed by the recent statements by the president (Rajapakse) that he is not going to be in a position to take any measures on the devolution of power until after a presidential election.

Blake said: "The government needs to find a way to move more quickly than January 2010, because the risk, of course, is that people will become disaffected and that will give new impetus to terrorism."
Sri Lankan Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has told local media 'It is irrelevant, as it is the right of the Sri Lankan people to decide on what makes them happy as a nation'...I am sad to note that a senior diplomat of the caliber of Robert Blake would comment on this.'
Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Robert O Blake, in an interview with rediff.com has expressed US's deep disappointment with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse for relegating the devolution of power in the Tamil majority areas, in the country's northern province, to the back-burner.
Blake told rediff.com "We have been disappointed to hear recent statements by the president (Rajapakse) that he is not going to be in a position to take any measures on the devolution of power until after a presidential election." He added "something needs to take place more quickly than that and we certainly are encouraging the government to do so."
Asked what the latest US position on Sri Lanka was, Blake said, "We have encouraged progress on two particular fronts."
"First, on the humanitarian front, there are still more than 250,000 internally displaced persons who are residing in camps under detention conditions, and so we have encouraged the Sri Lankan government to allow them freedom of movement, and more importantly to allow them to be resettled as quickly as possible," he explained.
Blake pointed out that the Sri Lankan government "has pledged to resettle the majority of the IDPs by the end of this year, which would certainly be a very welcome step." "So, we just encourage rapid progress towards that goal, but also steps (should) be taken so that the international community, the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross and others have access to the camps, so that the IDPs can be assured of receiving treatment and everything that goes on there is up to international standards," he said.
"Secondly," Blake added, "We hope that our friends in Sri Lanka will make progress towards political reconciliation because really that's the only way that there's going to be a definitive end to terrorism. And that means figuring out ways to have a dialogue with the Tamil community."
This includes "the wide Tamil community inside, but also outside Sri Lanka, about exactly what those measures should entail," he said. He emphasised that this "needs to take place sooner rather than later."
Earlier, on Monday Blake expressed similar comments on Sri Lanka in an interview with 'Associated Press.'
Further he told AP that Sri Lanka's failure to share power with minority Tamils following the end of a bloody 25-year civil war in May could lead to renewed violence.
"The government needs to find a way to move more quickly than January 2010, because the risk, of course, is that people will become disaffected and that will give new impetus to terrorism," he said.
He said the government must make Tamils feel like they are part of the political process after a civil war that killed between 80,000 and 100,000 people.
Blake also said that Sri Lanka should allow more freedom of movement for the nearly 300,000 Tamils displaced by the war and confined to government camps. Some aid groups fear the camps are actually military-run internment centers designed to indefinitely hold the displaced.

Sri Lanka's failure to share power with Tamils could lead to renewed violence: Robert Blake

"Sri Lanka's failure to share power with minority Tamils following the end of a bloody 25-year civil war in May could lead to renewed violence," says Robert Blake, the top US diplomat for South Asia.

In an interview Monday with the 'Associated Press,' Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake expressed disappointment that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has indicated he will not pursue political reconciliation until after presidential elections are held, probably in January.
"The government needs to find a way to move more quickly than January 2010, because the risk, of course, is that people will become disaffected and that will give new impetus to terrorism," Blake told AP.
He said the government must make Tamils feel like they are part of the political process after a civil war that killed between 80,000 and 100,000 people.
Blake also said that Sri Lanka should allow more freedom of movement for the nearly 300,000 Tamils displaced by the war and confined to government camps. Some aid groups fear the camps are actually military-run internment centers designed to indefinitely hold the displaced.
Blake while noting some progress on the matter, including Sri Lanka allowing about 10,000 displaced people to leave the camps said, the people in the camps were being "held against their will."
"They're not allowed to leave," Blake told AP. "It's important for them to have this freedom of movement."
The United States said Monday that it was donating $15 million in food aid to help Sri Lanka resettle some of the Tamils displaced by the war. The USAID, U.S. Agency for International Development said the aid will provide those returning to their homes with a six-month ration of essential foods.
Commenting on that Blake said, Washington will not put conditions on humanitarian aid, but he said, "longer term reconstruction assistance really will be dependent on the progress that they make" on resettling displaced people and in power sharing efforts.

Sri Lanka careering back to where it was: Financial Times

After the government of Sri Lanka finally and violently crushed the 25-year-old insurrection by Tamil rebels last May, there were hopes this sparkling island in the Indian Ocean would finally emerge from its dark history into the light. That is already looking forlorn, says Financial Times in its editorial yesterday under the caption 'Dark triumphalism clouds Sri Lanka.'

"Put simply, while the conflict has ended, Sri Lanka is careering back to where it was when the conflict began. Its precarious identity as a mix of ethnic and linguistic, cultural and religious influences is in danger of being swept away by a triumphalist wave of Sinhalese chauvinism," said the editorial comment.
The editorial further said: True, partial local elections on Saturday returned some Tamil nationalists in northern towns on the fringe of the former fief of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. But the real purpose of the poll seems to have been to test the popularity of President Mahinda Rajapaksa before he calls an early general election to secure a second six-year term, in the afterglow of military victory. Mr Rajapaksa’s machine steamrollered through the southern province of Uva. That will, no doubt, have added to his sense of invulnerability.
What really happened in the elections is hard to know; foreign journalists were banned from the north, just as all journalists were during the final stages of the war.
The government has stepped up its intimidation of dissidents, lawyers and human rights workers as well as journalists. Five doctors who were the sources for the outside world on the final civilian bloodbath in the Tigers’ last redoubt have somehow been persuaded to recant in public, downgrading the number of civilian deaths to a tenth of UN estimates.
Meanwhile, 280,000 Tamils are being held in camps largely sealed off from aid workers. The notion of devolution to deal with Tamil grievances has been taken off the table. The government no longer wishes to discuss minority rights, only individual rights within the new national identity it intends to forge. US and British officials fear this may involve the forced dispersal of Tamils across the island so they can no longer cluster.
Even before last month’s $2.5bn reconstruction loan package from the International Monetary Fund, Mr Rajapaksa’s ability to find new sources of finance, especially from China, had made him relatively immune to international pressure.
His victory seems to have convinced him force is the answer. Yet unless the Sinhala majority shows magnanimity and gives the Tamils control over their lives, their cause will surely reignite from the embers of this war.