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."
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
“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.
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