TAMIL GUARDIAN No. 354 ISSN 1369-2208 WEDNESDAY AUGUST 01, 2007free fortnightly Why Tamils’ suffering is inconsequential PAGE 6 Humanitarian situation worsens

WHILE the Sri Lankan govern- displacement, the closure of a ma- ment 'celebrates' the 'liberation' of jor highway, and security-related the east, observers predict that the restrictions on farming and fish- conflict, and the humanitarian cri- ing, IRIN reported. sis in Tamil areas, will only dete- "Food assistance for the inter- riorate. nally displaced and other vulnera- In the east many of the dis- ble groups has been in short sup- placed have been able to return ply for months," the agency said. home, although aid workers fear The Jaffna District Govern- some may have been sent back ment Agent, K. Ganesh, says 51% against their will. of the Jaffna population, who are However many have not re- dependent on farming, have had turned to their traditional homes, their productivity impacted by the and others continue to move, cit- lack of fertilizer and no access to ing local insecurity and fears of farmlands, which have been armed groups. declared security zones. Tamil residents have been Another 9% are impacted by stopped from returning to what the fishing restrictions, with esti- used to be the LTTE areas in mates that their production is Sampur, near the strategic north- 10% of the pre-conflict levels. eastern port of Trincomalee as the About 165,000 people in area has been declared a high Jaffna are highly reliant on food security zone for the military. assistance, including internally "The residents are still stuck displaced people (IDPs) and other in camps," one Western aid work- vulnerable groups. er told Reuters. "The fear is that it The Sri Lankan Commission- could eventually amount to ethnic er General of Essential Services cleansing." says it provides government food The Sri Lankan military is to 45,000 of these IDPs and vul- also blocking shipments of ceme- nerable people and the UN World nt, steel, fuel and other items from Food Programme (WFP) is res- reaching LTTE territory, Reuters ponsible for 120,000 more. reported. But WFP says it has been a This has forced aid groups to challenge to meet its food-assis- shelve post-tsunami housing pro- tance goals for Jaffna. jects as well as plans to build Meanwhile, along with civili- schools and hospitals in the Tamil ans, aid workers are continuing to areas most impacted by the war be targeted, with a field officer of and the 2004 tsunami. the Danish Refugee Council, an And NGOs are to be closely international humanitarian orga- supervised in the east, with the Sri nization in Jaffna, being shot dead Lankan military announcing that last week. Arumainayagam Allo- regional authorities will be ysius, 26, had been with the Halo “supervising” all development Trust, another INGO, but had work by NGOs in the region. switched to the joined the Danish In the north, the shortage of agency when the Halo Trust dis- food and essential items is biting continued its work in the peninsu- hard, with rising levels of acute la recently. More than 13 Halo malnutrition being seen in Jaffna. Trust staffers have been either A mother who lost her child cries and curses as Sri Lanka Army soldiers ride past in a South African Livelihoods and markets have killed, abducted or gone missing made Buffel Armoured Personnel Carrier. The military has been accused of complicity in abductions been disrupted by conflict and in the recent past. and disappearances by young men who have been released after being abducted. Photo TamilNet 2 TAMIL GUARDIAN Wednesday August 01, 2007 NEWS AADDCCHHAAYYAA SRI LANKAN & SOUTH INDIAN RESTAURANT & TAKEAWAY PROMPTLY ATTENDED SERVICE The Best Caterers In South West London Opening Hours: 12 Noon to 11PM 164 Merton High Street South Wimbledon London SW19 1AZ Tel: 020 8540 8192 The Representative Committee, which does not have representatives from the third and fourth largest parties in parliament, is expected to release it’s report in mid August. Photo TamilNet APRC set to report

THE final recommendation of a reported. Meanwhile, the co-chairs panel appointed by the Sri Vitharana said the political have decided not to get actively Lankan President to find a politi- parties have reached consensus involved in Sri Lanka's conflict Fresh cal solution to the island's conflict on the three main co-issues of a until the country finds a lasting is expected later this month. future power-sharing structure, solution through the APRC, the The All Party Representative leaving half of its workload fin- Daily Mirror newspaper quoted a Committee (APRC) report is exp- ished. diplomatic source as saying. 59 Kingston Road ected to be prepared in concur- "We have reached consensus The US, EU, Japan and rence with all political parties on three of the most controversial Norway had taken this stance to represented in the Committee. co-issues," Vitharana was quoted enable Sri Lanka to decide by London APRC chairman Prof. Tissa by the Daily News as saying. itself, a top Western diplomatic Vitharana said that the Committee But he declined to spell out told the Daily Mirror. was planning to come up with the the three areas the political parties "Once the parties find a com- final draft by the middle of reached a consensus on. mon solution, then the Co-chairs SW19 1JN August. The Parties which were hav- can actively involve in helping Commenting on the progress ing a marathon of weekly meet- the country to implement it," he the APRC has made in formulat- ings for the past four weeks, after said. UK ing the proposals so far, Vitharana submitting their individual pro- Soon after the last meeting of said that the process was at the posals a month ago, were taking the Co-chairs in Oslo, the donor intermediate level. up each co-issue to weigh among nations urged both President Ma- Tel: 07723 614 183 "We have many areas agreed themselves and reach common hinda Rajapakse and Opposition upon by all political parties as of ground. Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to now," the professor said. "We have dealt with the most find a solution through the APRC. With Compliments Asked to reveal what the areas difficult ones and others will be During the Oslo meeting on were, he said he did not want to easy to cope as we move along," June 26, it was agreed to put pres- declare them until the draft is he was quoted as saying. sure on Sri Lanka in this regards complete. Vitharana offered 20 main as well. "We have had a considerable proposals, that could be used as a He said some donor members number of meetings over the last basis of a future constitution, pre- had sounded negative on the role few weeks regarding the matter, pared based on the past discus- of the APRC, claiming it might be JJenasenas FFoooodd and were able to reach a consen- sions of the representatives, on a one-sided proposal. sus in many areas," he explained. January 8 and subsequently invit- However, the four nations had Asked if there were any dis- ed the 13 political parties in the finally decided to insist on both parities between the government APRC to submit amendments. the President and the Opposition coalition and the main opposition The proposals in his document Leader to speed up the finaliza- over the unit of devolution, outlined the State - as free sover- tion of the APRC proposals. && WWineine Vitharana said there were differ- eign and independent, form of However the government dis- ent opinions and views regarding government, electoral system, missed any delay by the co- some matters. supremacy of constitution, power chairs. "But all parties represented in sharing at the centre/in the "There is no truth in reports the APRC, can come to a settle- provinces, unit of devolution (9 that the Co-Chairs of the Peace ment regarding these issues by provinces), judiciary, distribution Process have decided to distance 225 Southcroft Road way of discussion, which the of funds, defence and national themselves from Sri Lanka until APRC is doing at the moment," security among other things. the All Party Representative he said. While the Tamil parties repre- Committee finds a solution," London "The APRC is meeting on a sented on the APRC welcomed Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogol- regular basis to discuss these mat- the Vitharana proposals, some lagama said last Wednesday. ters. I think we can reach a con- Sinhalese parties criticised the "As far as we are concerned, SW16 6QT sensus over these outstanding proposals as creating the ground there is no such intimation from areas in the next few weeks to for a federal structure. the Co-Chairs," Bogollagama told Tel: 0208 677 5668 conclude the final draft," he said. The third largest party in par- the Daily News. Meanwhile, a majority of the liament, the Marxist nationalist "The Government is going APRC have rejected the SLFP Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna ahead with the peace process and proposals on the unit of devolu- (JVP), and the largest Tamil party the international community is tion and the nature of the State in Parliament, the Tamil National fully aware of the Government's With Compliments and have decided to drop the Alliance (TNA), are not involved commitment for peace," the word 'unitary', the Daily Mirror in the APRC. Minister said. TAMIL GUARDIAN Wednesday August 01, 2007 3 NEWS Discord grows as opposition rallies

THOUSANDS of opposition activists and ruling party dissi- dents in Sri Lanka commemorat- ed the signing of an alliance pact by holding the first of a series of anti-government rallies over high living costs and alleged human rights violations. But the government dismissed the rally, saying it had no reason to be concerned over 'meaning- less rallies". Meanwhile, former President Chandrika Kumaratun- ga spoke out against the govern- ment for the first time, charging that its actions were against the interests of the country. Massive rally Former Foreign Minister Ma- ngala Samaraweera led the dissi- dents in Colombo last Thursday in a massive show of force with a rally starting at Colombo's Campbell Park and winding its way to the nearby Hyde Park. The main opposition United National Party (UNP) also pro- vided activists for the rally, mark- ing a deal between the party and the ruling group's dissidents to mount a challenge to President Mahinda Rajapakse's govern- Thousands protested in Colombo in support of the new ‘National Congress’ and opposing the government’s economic and rights records ment. The new-born "National Con- ed by dissidents. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumar- gress" vowed to establish a new to help" he said. government and I want other par- "We worked so hard to bring Rajapakse ruled out snap elec- ties too to unite and move for- atunga, hit out at the policies of order in the island nation. tions and early dissolution of par- the Rajapakse Government as The estimate of the crowd at this government to power-day and ward," he added. night. Minister Jeyaraj Fernandu- liament, claiming that his ruling Local media reports had spec- being inimical to the interests of the first public show of strength coalition was commanding a the country. of the Congress varied from pulle has now become the top ulated that Rajapakse may opt for communicator for this govern- ''comfortable majority'' in the an early election to capitalise on The newly-formed National 50,000 to 100,000. 225-member House with more Congress led by Wickremesinghe Political and diplomatic ob- ment!" Samaraweera said. the government's recent military "I thank all the SLFP MPs oppositions legislators defecting successes in the East. and Samaraweera was the need of servers in the Sri Lankan capital to the government. the hour, she said. believe that it is an impressive who helped to organize this rally," he said. Rajapakse said he was keen In a letter to Samaraweera, start, reported The Hindu. that the current parliament serve Government reaction Ms. Kumaratunga said, "The stat- The Congress, forged by the The former Minister arrived with "large cut-outs of SLFP pio- its full six-year term. It was elect- In response to the National ed objectives of the Alliance seem UNP led by former Prime Minis- ed in April 2004, while the presi- Congress protest, the ruling com- to reflect the essential need of the ter Ranil Wickremesinghe, and neer SWRD Bandaranaike", news reports reported. dent came to power in November bine has planned to host a series hour. I have believed for a long the Sri Lanka Freedom Party - 2005. of meetings all over the nation to time that the country's problems Mahajana Wing (SLFPM) leader Addressing a political rally at educate people on the achieve- can be solved effectively, only Samaraweera, intends to mob- Agreement Nawalapitiya in the central Kan- ment of the Government in the through a Grand Alliance of all ilise all like-minded parties and The UNP and SLFPM had si- dy district, Rajapakse said, "The- "liberation of the east" by ousting honest, patriotic forces." individuals to fight against the gned a Memorandum of Underst- re will be no parliamentary polls the Tigers and various other "pro- In her first elaborate public policies of the Rajapakse gover- anding (MoU) the previous week. till 2010 and the presidential poll people" programmes. statement through the letter on the nment. The MoU said the parties till 2011." The government also put a Rajapaksa regime, Ms. The activists denounced the want to protect human rights and "I am not interested in calling brave face declaring that it had no Kumaratunga complained that the government over its human rights democracy, fight corruption, a snap election," the president reason to be concerned over SLFP had changed several impor- record as well as for the high liv- strengthen the economy and end said July 22 on the sidelines of his "meaningless rallies with narrow tant policies which were followed ing costs. the country's more than two- first public rally in Nawalapitiya. political objectives". since 1993 and lead the country to The leaders at the rally decade-old civil war. Refuting the allegations by the Chief Government Whip "great, new heights". charged Rajapakse with manipu- Samaraweera was a political Opposition parties that his gov- Jeyaraj Fernandopulle claimed at "This is a style, wholly alien lating the 2005 presidential elec- foe of Wickremesinghe's until he ernment was so fragile that it de- a news conference the day before to the SLFP." tion by influencing the Tamil was fired from the Cabinet in pends on the 17 breakaway mem- the rally that the President who She recalled that her Govern- Tigers with monetary induce- February. Last month, Samarawe- bers of the opposition parties to obtained a "great victory over the ment in 1994 succeeded to a great ments. The contention of the era joined the opposition, saying survive, the President said his LTTE" was not going to lose extent in bringing into the Gover- opposition is that the LTTE gave the hawkish president was taking government did not face the risk sleep over such demonstrations. nment or to support the Governm- a call for boycott of the poll at the the country in an "extreme direc- of fall. The government attempted to ent, all parties representing the last minute as part of deal with tion." ''With the military victory of portray the alliance as a grouping minority groups, and all major pa- Rajapakse, a charge the govern- As per the arrangement, in the capturing the entire Eastern pro- of political elements jealous of rties, except the UNP and the JVP. ment denies. event of the combine capturing vince from the LTTE, we can eas- the military successes. "I made continued efforts to "When the last UNP govern- power, Mr. Wickremesinghe wou- ily go in for a quick election now Separately, the dissident gro- bring the UNP too, to work with ment was (very) close to bring the ld be the Prime Minister and Mr. and win handsomely,'' Rajapakse up within the UNP which joined us. So, I am very glad to see that LTTE leader to the negotiations Samaraweera is to be designated said. "But I don't want to go for the government in January ques- the UNP and an important section table, the government was dis- as Deputy Prime Minister. another general election and tioned the MoU reached between of the SLFP, have agreed to work solved suddenly" said S.B The pact also provides for spend $18 million to conduct that the UNP and the SLFPM. together in a formally constituted Dissanayake, UNP chief organis- sharing of ministerial portfolios election." Dissident UNP member and Alliance." er, addressing the protest rally. between the two parties. ''Instead, I can use the money Minister of Media Lakshman Ms. Kumaratunga said the "No ethnic conflict in the for development projects in the Yapa Abeywadana told a news "strange new policies" that were world has been solved by military No snap polls East,'' he said, adding that the conference that his group had being implemented with regard to means. Not even the East Timor government has undertaken a already legally challenged the the economy, the Tamil question issue in Indonesia nor the Irish The rally was the first in a 180-day rapid development pro- validity of the MoU. and rampant corruption would not problem. All these were solved by series challenging the govern- gramme to rebuild the war-rav- resolve the prevailing problems in power sharing" Dissanayake said. ment and cames after Rajapsakse aged Eastern province. Chandrika supports any of these spheres and might "The cost living today is said he will not hold snap elec- "I can build a few more roads even worsen the situation to a unbearable. This war is not going tions despite the pressure mount- with that money. We have a stable Meanwhile former President point of no return. 4 TAMIL GUARDIAN Wednesday August 01, 2007 NEWS “Struggle to achieve self-rule will continue” - American Tamils

TamilNet

IN a peace rally attended by near- ly one thousand American Tamils from several states across the United States in front of the Capitol Building, in Washington D.C. Monday last week from noon to 3:00 p.m., the participants said: "We, the Tamil Americans, hereby proclaim that Eelam Tamils constitute a Nation. We resolve that our struggle to estab- lish the right of Tamil people to Self-Determination, and to estab- lish self-rule in the territories Tamil people have made their home for centuries will continue until our goal is achieved," in a declaration released to the press at the conclusion of the rally. "We appeal to the legislators, the Administration and the people of the United States who fought and won their freedom to emp- athize with the Tamil people, and help to establish our right to Self- Determination from the remnants of the Sinhala colonial State," the declaration further said. Mrs Kandaswamy, 80, braved 200 mile bus-ride to attend the rally from New Jersey. She said she had stood in front of the Parliament in Canberra in 2003, in front of Britain's Houses of American Tamil travelled from far and wide to the US capital, Washington DC, to express their support for Tamil Eelam. Photo TamilNet Parliament in 2005, and that she is happy stand in front of the peace and the right of Tamil for from New Canaan, Connecticut Tamils. It is their land. The civil- added. Capitol Building with her adult self-determination, and shouted who had visited the NorthEast to ian government and the military The declaration read at the son at the rally today. slogans throughout the rally. provide care and grief counseling force - the LTTE - have a right de conclusion of the rally also noted Expatriate Tamils, including a Tamil youth group which has to the tsunami survivors, and sev- jure (by law) to this State. Tamils that 100,000 Tamils have died large contingent of second gener- organized a pre-, post-rally con- eral others to the participants. presence in their own land is not and more than a million have ation American Tamils, from far- gressional lobbying campaign, Chris Gaston, Senior Aide to de facto and their government is been internally displaced during away states including Florida, read messages of support from Congressman Rush Holt from not a de facto one. the struggle, and that Tamils did Ohio, California, and Boston, and several Congresspersons between New Jersey met with the contin- "The Sri Lankan government's not participate in Sri Lanka's from several other states attended the speeches by International gent that attended the rally from occupation of part of the historic 1972 and 1978 constitutions the peace rally. Human Rights Lawyer, Karen the Congressman's home state. Tamil Eelam is de facto. They are which "institutionalized discrimi- Participants carried colorful Parker, New York Attorney Ms Parker said: "Because of there by the clear facts on the nation" and "denied Tamils effec- placards, wore sun-visors and T- Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran, the right to self- determination, ground but they don't have the tive role in decision making shirts carrying the message of Ellyn Shander, a Medical Doctor the Tamil areas belong to the legal right to it," Ms. Parker process." EEaassaann && ccoo SELVARAJA Chartered Management Accountants GOLD HOUSE ❖ Self Assessment ❖ Tax Returns ❖ ❖ Retailer & Wholesaler of VAT Returns PAYE Designers Jewelleries ❖ Accounts & Book Keeping Specilised in 22CT. Gold Jewellery ❖ Management Accounting Specialists in Arranging Commercial Loan 162 B Mitcham Road London 196 Merton High Street South, Wimbledon London SW19 1AX SW17 9NJ Tel: 020 8543 8484, Fax: 020 8540 0107 Tel: 020 8767 3795 TAMIL GUARDIAN Wednesday August 01, 2007 5 NEWS British deportations continue as hunger strikers weaken

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THE health of several of the ing back in Sri Lanka, inmates dozens of Tamil asylum seekers quoted relatives there as saying. on hunger strike at British deten- Inmates say the fate of several tion centers is deteriorating rapid- others is unknown as they ly with some being rushed to hos- (inmates) do not know their rela- pital, detainees and lawyers said tives to contact. Friday. Despite the hunger strikes, the However, enforced deporta- deportations from Britain are con- tions from the centers are contin- tinuing, protestors and immigra- uing regardless of the now week- tion lawyers said Friday. long protest, they said. People are being taken to Pointing out that Britain has planes in handcuffs screaming, an cautioned her citizens against inmate on hunger strike told traveling to Sri Lanka, the hunger TamilNet Friday. Three people strikers want the authorities to from one location were deported halt forcible returns of asylum last week. applicants. They also want Tamils One Tamil man seeking asy- to be taken off Britain's asylum lum was deported Thursday, even processing 'fast track' so as to though his wife and 4 year old allow sufficient time for appeals child are in UK (not in detention), against deportations to be con- others said. ducted. Several others are being pre- A hunger strike against enfor- pared for deportation as sched- ced removal to Sri Lanka begun uled and have been told to make earlier this month by Tamil asy- arrangements with their lawyers. lum seekers at one British holding At one location, Harmonswo- centre has spread to other loca- rth, immigration offices have tions. warned asylum seekers they There have been isolated pro- would be put on planes regardless tests in the past, but not on this of their protest. scale. At least one asylum seeker "They tell as we will be sent has attempted suicide. back regardless of whether we eat The first recent hunger strike or not," an inmate at Oakington began on July 9 when two Tamils Reception Centre said. at one location refused to eat "The doctors who check our unless deportations are stopped. health are also telling us to give But there are over seventy up and return to Sri Lanka," he people on hunger strike now at said. "There is simply no human seven locations. sympathy in these places," he 28 people are on hunger strike said. "We are kept like criminals. at the Harmonsworth Immigra- What have we done wrong in this tion Removal Centre in London country to be locked up like this?" along with 23 others at Oakington At another location, Haslar, in Cambridgeshire and 10 at the immigration officers are sim- Haslar, Hampshire. ply ignoring the hunger strikers, Small groups of Tamils are on inmates said. hunger strike at other locations, Doctors are checking the pro- detainees say. testors' condition and urging them Pointing out that Britain has to abandon their protest and cautioned her citizens against tra- return peaceably. veling to Sri Lanka, the hunger "Many of us have been held strikers and immigration lawyers here for a long time. They won't want authorities to halt the tell us the status of our applica- forcible deportations of asylum tions, but we are locked up," one applicants to Sri Lanka. inmate said. The protestors also want "Sometimes we get letters Tamil applicants to be taken off about our cases that won't make Guards stand outside a Birtish immigration detention centre where Tamil refugees on a hunger strike Britain's asylum processing 'fast clear what will happen to us. are asking the authorities to consider the dangers they face in Colombo before deporting them. track' so as to allow sufficient They refuse appeal after appeal, time for appeals against deporta- telling us all the time we will soon in Sri Lanka that Britain and other authorities "to suspend all depor- tion should be granted in light of tions to be conducted. be sent back." Western countries have con- tations of Tamil asylum seekers to the prevailing situation of armed They cite the cases of several "We are in a constant state of demned. Sri Lanka and give primacy to conflict and generalised violence Tamils who had either been arres- tension and anxiety. It is a form of Pointing out that Britain is safety of asylum seekers." in the north and east." ted or 'disappeared' after being mental torture," he said. amongst the countries that have In a press release issued this Meanwhile the protestors say forcibly deported. One youth, Sujeevan, attempt- recently cut aid to Sri Lanka in week, the Association pointed out they will continue their hunger One youth, Sivaruben, who ed suicide this week soon after protest at rights abuses by the that Britain has cautioned against strike until the Home Office was deported on July 18, was receiving his latest monthly status security forces, the asylum seek- travel to Sri Lanka. (Britain's Interior Ministry) chan- arrested at Colombo airport. His report, fellow inmates said. He ers say they are seeking sanctuary The Association also quoted ges its policy on 'fast tracking' parents are being refused access was taken to hospital and is being in Britain only until the island's the United Nations refugee and deporting Tamils to Sri to the prison. held in isolation, they said. conflict is resolved. "We are not agency, UNHCR, as urging that Lanka. Sivaruben's case spurred other They said following weeks of fortune seekers. Tamils are being all asylum claims of Tamils from "Those of us in here will not inmates at Harmonsworth to join anxiety, the report simply didn't killed every day there. We will the North or East should be give up our hunger strike," an Tamil protestors elsewhere on indicate whether he would be sent definitely go back home if there is favourably considered. inmate at Harmonsworth said. hunger strike. back or allowed to remain. peace, we want to be allowed to They also cite the UNHCR as "People who return [to Sri Two other Tamils deported Protestors interviewed by stay till it is safe," one asylum arguing that where the individual Lanka] are being killed like ani- recently are known to gone miss- local media say they are seeking seeker told local radio. does not fulfil the refugee criteria mals there, they are being killed ing from their residences in asylum in UK to escape the The Tamil Lawyers' Associa- under the 1951 Convention, "a on the roadside. It is better to die Colombo within weeks of arriv- killings and human rights abuses tion (UK) has urged the British complementary form of protec- with dignity here." 6 TAMIL GUARDIAN Wednesday August 01, 2007 EDITORIAL & OPINION TAMIL GUARDIAN Why Tamils’ P.O.BOX. 450, Harrow, London, HA2 2AS, UK [email protected] www.tamilguardian.com suffering is Tel / Fax: 020 8677 4456 WEDNESDAY AUGUST 01, 2007 No. 354 inconsequential Not So Simple The international community wants to be Why development-led pacification will not work in Sri Lanka seen to be 'concerned' - but without No sooner had Sri Lanka's military cion. The fundamental problem is clearly hindering the Sri Lankan government from announced it had occupied the Thoppigala visible in today's Sri Lanka: the military is carrying on with its war against the LTTE. region, described as the last stronghold of carrying out rights abuses at will and with the Tamil Tigers in the eastern province, impunity - even though the international the President Mahinda Rajapakse's gov- community has a grandstand view. Naren Nagarajah ernment called for international aid to Nevertheless, for most of the conflict Tamil Guardian develop the territories newly captured by international aid has been supplied to sup- the military. Japan, Sri Lanka's biggest port the military's counter-insurgency THE International Community coherent tangible international donor, was swift to respond. Meanwhile, efforts. Colombo's embargoes on Tamil (IC) is fast losing credibility policy or long-term plan to bring the military has declared that relief and areas outside its control, including the amo-ng the Tamils, both within about a solution reinforces Tamil developmental non-governmental organi- blocking of food and medicine, have Sri La-nka and in the Diaspora. suspicions that vested interna- zations operating in the eastern province always been tacitly supported by the Despite the unprecedented level tional interests are driving policy, of human rights abuses and vio- not - as is often proclaimed - must do so through its administration. The donor community. Relief and rehabilita- lations of international humani- altruism. logic behind these moves is pacification. tion aid has instead been tantalizingly tarian law by the Government of There is a certain preoccupa- Counter-insurgency theory calls for the made available on the government side of Sri Lanka (GoSL) the IC remains tion amongst key members of the consolidation of military gains by fore- the front line in a bid to tempt the popula- unmoved. IC to deal only with the symp- closing further resistance to occupation tion, also being pressured by indiscrimi- Even the farcical proposals toms and not the underlying the ruling SLFP put forward as a cause - oppression of the Tamils forces by transforming the mindsets of the nate bombardment, to cross from LTTE political solution have not stirred by the Sinhala-dominated state. population (winning hearts and minds) areas to government ones. Once an area the IC into reconsidering. Meanwhile, there is surpris- through a combination of coercion and has been captured, international aid has Other than a few vague state- ingly little focus on the thinking incentives. been brought in to rebuild and develop. ments and token suspension of of the LTTE itself. Working in a framework which The theory has failed due to inept exe- some aid, there has been a pecu- The LTTE is a proscribed liar silence that is frustrating and organisation in many of the unquestioningly declares ethnic harmony cution by the racist, corrupt Sri Lankan unsettling, not only for the countries involved in the Sri can be fashioned out of the present state. Its character was exemplified by its Tamils, but also humanitarian Lankan situation. The proscrip- Sinhala-dominated Sri Lankan state if conduct after the 2004 tsunami, when it and human rights advocates tions in EU and Canada, in addi- only the LTTE can be destroyed, several diverted most aid to the Sinhala south, involved in Sri Lanka. tion to those of US, UK and international actors are backing President blocking aid and media from the North- Notably, there has been no India, have resulted in the silenc- condemnations of the GoSL - ing of a key actor in the conflict Rajapakse's war against the Tigers. They east. Three days after the waves Rajap- unlike, say, Zimbabwe - for its and peace process. also intend to support his pacification pro- akse, then Prime Minister, was shrilly gross abuses from the IC. The bans preclude the gram in the eastern province. Denying the protesting that international aid shouldn't The lack of concrete plans for engagement with the LTTE by fundamental problem in Sri Lanka - be allowed to Vanni. This is the leadership international action - or even a which solutions can be explored, oppression of the Tamils by the Sinhala the international community now believes meaningful statement - at the confidence built and tensions conclusion of the recent meeting reduced. dominated state - these international will develop the east and woo the people in Oslo of the 'Co-Chairs' of the The vacuum of international actors believe all the government needs to away from the guerrillas. On top of this Sri Lankan Donors - US, EU, engagement with the LTTE along do to win Tamil hearts and minds is carry racism are Sri Lankan officialdom's all Japan and Norway - is the most with the war euphoria in the so- out development. Once provided with pervasive corruption and entrenched recent, and most regrettable, uth, shenanigans of Sinhala poli- hospitals, schools, etc., the argument political clientilism. missed opportunity to ensure the tics and, especially, the ruling protection of human rights and SLFP's mocking proposal to the goes, the Tamils will drop their outlandish Jaffna is the quintessential failure of drag Sri Lanka back from the All Party Representative Commi- political demands for self-determination pacification in Sri Lanka, though no pro- abyss. ttee (APRC) has served to rein- and, more importantly, desert the Tigers. gram has been more determined. The Why this silence from these, force the LTTE's belief that The Sri Lankan state has embarked on peninsula was captured by the military in the most vociferous advocates of meaningful negotiations towards pacification programs several times in 25 1996. Aid was pumped in by the donor human rights during the peace political solution are virtually process? impossible now. years of war. None have succeeded. For community in an undisguised and integral There is a convincing Furthermore, this perceived those less sanguine about the prospects of role in Sri Lanka's counter-insurgency argume-nt spreading amongst the attempt by the IC to marginalize refashioning the Sri Lankan state, the rea- strategy. Yet a decade later Jaffna remains Tamils that the IC's responses the LTTE is entirely in keeping sons are obvious. On the ground, the a heavily armed enclave under military thus far have been limited to with the IC's track record of not Sinhala military cannot win the trust of administration where paramilitaries prowl weak statements because this viewing the LTTE as an equal serves their ends: to be seen to partner in the peace process. the Tamil population, as evidenced by the at will. All development efforts in Jaffna be 'concerned,' but without hin- The Tamils' bitter post-tsuna- day to day interaction between troops and have foundered due to corruption and dering the GoSL from carrying mi experience as well as their the majority of civilians in any of the gov- patron client networks. A top World Bank out its military operations to experiences during the past 40 ernment controlled areas. The indiscrimi- official, addressing Sri Lanka's donor destroy the LTTE. years also tells them that the pos- nate and often deliberate violence the mil- forum in 2000 marveled she could not IC statements of late have sibility of an agreement (even if been limited to criticising specif- reached) being implemented is itary unleashes on civilian centers during find a single person that had been helped ic incidents and urging 'investi- utterly remote. The LTTE is well its offensives establishes the fundamental by the Bank's projects there. gati-ons' - by the GoSL itself. aware of the depth of this scepti- relationship between the Sinhala state and The confidence with which interna- These gentle admonishments cism amongst the Tamils. the Tamil citizen. Civilian suffering con- tional actors are today preparing to fund may be in-tended to encourage Meanwhile, from their com- tinues under occupation amid routine development in the newly captured east- GoSL to fig-ht its war more ments, it is clear that the Tigers cleanly. But these also intended are interpreting current events, human rights abuses restrictions on trade ern is misguided. It is a cliché that those as a sop to the powerless Tamil including the lack of any mean- (fishing, farming, etc) by a military which who cannot learn from history are Diaspora that feels deliberately ingful international reaction, as views the Tamil population with suspi- doomed to repeat it. It is also a truism. ignored by the IC. the IC turning a blind eye to the In addition, the lack of any plight of the Tamils in the TAMIL GUARDIAN Wednesday August 01, 2007 7 EDITORIAL & OPINION

NorthEast and providing the for fear of violating these laws. calls for further attacks on the IC. critic until they go away or be GoSL with the space to destroy This has lead to a shrinking LTTE, even though Sri Lanka's The 'war on terror' provides silent. This has included personal the LTTE militarily, despite the in the spectrum of political dis- increasingly severe military ini- fertile linkages for GoSL to seek attacks on senior foreign person- attendant humanitarian costs. course on Sri Lanka. Non-partic- tiatives of the past twenty five assistance from 'friendly; coun- alities such as UN investigator In the wake of 'victory' in the ipation by moderates also has the years have not borne results. tries that have similar internal Alan Rock or Ambassadors in east, the calls in the south for potential to permanently damage The GoSL is completely cog- challenges and, frequently, are Colombo. further ('final') military action prospects for a negotiated settle- nisant of the consequences (such also human rights abusers. This President Rajapakse has against the Tigers are growing ment in the future. Any peace as adverse international opinions, can been seen in the GoSL's taken it upon himself to destroy louder. The IC seems less con- initiatives will undoubtedly should they occur) of pursuing a effective dismissal of criticism the Tamil challenge to Sinhala vinced than before, but is largely require the involvement of the military solution and obviously and action at the UN Human rule once and for all. going along with Sri Lanka's Diaspora at all levels. sees these as inevitable chal- Rights Council. His ambition is apparent in war. The GoSL has effectively lenges that must be endured and Exploiting the advantages of his undisguised strategy: destroy But it is imprudent to interpr- dealt a severe blow to such pos- managed. Clearly the govern- being a state, the GoSL also has the LTTE and impose a solution et the lack of a more violent res- sibilities by marginalizing the ment, assisted by Sinhalese mustered resources to manage that entrenches the unitary char- ponse from the Tigers to recent Diaspora through intimidation, bureaucrats with extensive inter- propaganda, co-opting the local acter of the state. When he says events as weakness or inability, harassment, and by branding all national experience, does not and sometimes international he is prepared to go that extra rather than part of a calculated those who speak of Tamil aspira- consider the consequences of med-ia. Despite the frequent mile to find a solution, he means design.. The history of the LTTE tions or grievances or who upsetting the international com- gaffes, significant progress has it. It is just not the solution that tells us to expect the unexpected. attempt to provide assistance to munity as unmanageable. been achieved in projecting the conflict resolution advocates And even if the Sinhala hawks the Tamil community in Sri Thus GoSL's undeclared but Colombo's case and viewpoint have in mind. are right, were the LTTE were Lanka as "terrorists". open war is a carefully thought abroad. The appalling conditions pushed against the wall its The marginalization and through and crafted strategy built Sri Lanka also has clearly being endured by the people of response could be devastating. dem-onizing of an entire commu- from a clear understanding of demonstrated that demands to the NorthEast should have by Although the Diaspora is as nity by the Sri Lankan govern- prevailing international senti- meet international norms of con- now triggered international out- much a stakeholder in the Tamil ment has been institutionalised in ments and an awareness of the duct can be disregarded with rage and the strongest condemna- question as the residents of the the proscription of the LTTE by limitations on international negligible consequences. Indeed, tion - which the IC has levelled Northeast, the bans have deliber- the US, EU, etc. Seeking to cur- actors. it is the accusers who are often at other states for far less. ately curtailed the LTTE's inter- tail professional expertise from GoSL is also taking full adva- put on the defensive by GoSL's But their misery is seen sim- action with it - even though reac-hing the LTTE, the bans ntage of existing bilateral and counter-attacks. All manner of ply as a necessary part of the many of the skills essential to have also rendered the Diaspora multilateral differences among tactics are used to discredit, global 'war on terror.' Hence the forging a political solution are incapable of engaging with the key states and state blocs of the delay, expel or intimidate each silence. located in it. LTTE on a solution. Tamil pleas for the bans to be The current strategy being lifted fall on deaf ears. pursued by GoSL is clearly In Britain, the Diaspora focused on military initiatives - Interested in writing or publishing? seems to have found some space ostensibly with the stated goal of for engagement with the London "weakening the LTTE to get government, especially through them to the table". And in any or all things Tamil? the All Party Parliamentary But the limit of political Group (APPG) for Tamil affairs. devolution being offered is The absence in other countries of incredibly at the district level. Then join our team! such institutional avenues has The preservation of a unitary served to completely silence and state is further entrenched by the No experience necessary, just lots of enthusiasm! marginalize the equally dis- 'power-sharing proposal.' tressed Tamil communities there. Though these are the stated The 'war on terror' and the goal and stance of the ruling We are looking for writers to work with us on articles and commentary on political and social affairs, associated complexities of the party, it is by no means an isolat- Tamil culture and arts, including popular cinema, as well as other subjects. application of terror laws in the ed view unique to the ruling UK, the EU and elsewhere are party; rather it is the well sub- We are also looking for people interested in desk-top publishing or graphic design. causing moderates in the Tamil scribed, mainstream view of the community to refrain from Sinhala majority. Email [email protected] for more details expressing their views publicly Hence the chorus of Sinhala 8 TAMIL GUARDIAN Wednesday August 01, 2007 TAMIL GUARDIAN Wednesday August 01, 2007 9 NEWS NEWS

UK SWISS CANADA

AUSTRALIA

USA

BELGIUM

SOUTH AFRICA

Diaspora Tamils commemorate Black July, support struggle

TamilNet the territories Tamil people have Tamils from several states across Tamil people to Self-Determinat- central London calling on the UK ed the Markham Civic Centre, July 53 Tamils killed during orgies of solidarity with the NorthEast assembled in front of the United right abuses against Tamils in made their home for centuries … the United States in front of the ion, and to establish self-rule in the to apply pressure to halt human 27 evening at 6:00 p.m. to attend a violence on 25th and 27th of July, Tamils, and to pay respect for the Nations Building in Geneva. Colombo and across NorthEast. until the goal is achieved." Capitol Building, in Washington territories Tamil people have made rights abuses by Sri Lanka's securi- rally to commemorate the pogrom lived for their conviction and their victims of the pogroms against Belgian Tamils assembled in Australian Tamils in Melbourne THOUSANDS of diaspora Tamils Diaspora Tamils join demon- D.C. on July 24 from 12:00 noon to their home for centuries will con- ty forces and to recognize the right of July 1983 and to pay homage to dream, and died in pursuit of a just Tamils in Sri Lanka in July 1983. front of the European Parliament in convened in Melbourne City Squa- joined protests in several world strations and protests in numbers 3:00 p.m. The participants said: tinue until our goal is achieved," in to self-determination of the Tamil the hundreds of Tamils who lost cause. Belgian, Australian, and Swiss Brussels between 2:00 p.m and re to mark the event, with 24 tradi- capitals to commemorate 24th despite coordinated crackdown on "We, the Tamil Americans, hereby a declaration released to the press people. The rally in Trafalgar their lives during the state spon- Several hundred South African Tamils also joined other expatriate 5:00 p.m to pay respect for the tional lamps to mark the 24 years anniversary of Black July and to Tamil activists by Western states proclaim that Eelam Tamils consti- at the conclusion of the rally. square was organized by councilors sored violence. Mr.Anton Philip Tamils filled the Bayview Arutpa Tamil communities worldwide in Tamils who perished during the since the July 1983 violence, dur- express support and to continue the In the peace rally attended by tute a Nation. We resolve that our Nearly five thousand British of Tamil origin in the London area. Sinnarasa, a survivor of the 1983 Kazhagam Hall in Chatsworth in remembering the Black July event. 1983 July state sponsored violence ing which time no action has been struggle "to establish self-rule in nearly one thousand American struggle to establish the right of Tamils demonstrated on July 15 in More than 5000 Tamils attend- Welikada prison massacre, said that Durban July 28 evening to express On July 25, Swiss Tamils and to highlight the current human taken against anyone over it. 10 TAMIL GUARDIAN Wednesday August 01, 2007 OPINION Rajapaksa - the liberator of the east?

because the LTTE, which is clai- The President's victory celebrations are ming to be the sole representative contributing towards the further polarisation of the Tamils, has been driven out of the Eastern Province. But bec- of Sri Lankan society along ethnic lines. ause the victory is being projected as a conquest by the government and its ultranationalist allies. Ameen Izzadeen And no one in the government Khaleej Times Online has thought it fit to look at the victory from the Tamils' point of view. There is none in the govern- THE victory at Thoppigala is the goal of these ultranational- ment to drive the point that one brought the Eastern Province, one ists whose ideology has fuelled has to be humble and magnani- of Sri Lanka's nine administrative the ethnic flames and driven the mous in victory. provinces, under the control of country towards destruction and But our government is plan- the government. The defeat of the the disgruntled Tamil youths ning grand-scale celebrations LTTE in the east is, no doubt, a towards violence. throughout the country, except in victory for the security forces. On the eve of the Thoppigala the LTTE-controlled areas in the But the ultimate victory is not victory, I had a casual conversa- north. The functional value of nigh. The path to that elusive vic- tion with a few senior military these celebrations in promoting tory is strewn with many an officers at a defence academy. national harmony is a big zero. obstacle. The journey along that One senior officer told me that the Of course, they will help path requires courage and sacri- real victory could come only President Rajapaksa to salvage fice, both at military and political when the Tamils in the east also his slumping popularity. level. Whether we will see that join with the rest of the country to The LTTE, I am sure, won't be victory during the present regime celebrate the military's feat. displeased with the celebrations, of President Mahinda Rajapaksa He was talking like a liberator either. The victory celebrations is a big question now. - not a conqueror. "The more we with pomp and pageantry are con- The victory in the east has harp on our victory, the more hurt tributing towards the further hardened the ultranationalists' we will be heaping on the polarisation of society along eth- resolve to continue the fight and Tamils," the Sinhala said. conquer the north. Yes, conquest Yes, the Tamils are hurt. Not Continued on page 12 Tamils are ignored as Sinhalese celebrations mark the ‘liberation’ I am a Tamil; I am not a terrorist

the 'intellectual brother' phase. ment refers to `Tamil separatism' ambush by Tamil militants in July July '83 may have been the 'start' of the The 'angry brown man' phase and dare I say it 'Tamil terrorism'. 1983. More than 3,000 Tamils war, but the freedom struggle and the lasted from my teens through to But these are but responses to the were killed. my second year of university. root cause of the problem-a racist These events have left a deep oppression it resists pre-dates that moment. Feelings of teenage social exclu- ideology. scar on the Tamil psyche. While sion and 'otherness' were fused It began in 1948 when the the violence was not on the scale with stories passed down through newly independent Ceylon of the Holocaust - its effect on the Loga Prasanna Chandrakumar parents and grandparents. As a deprived a million Tamils, who Tamil people has been similar. Tamil Guardian young man - mine is a gendered had worked the tea plantations for Tamil militancy led in turn to experience - I turned to the hip about 150 years, of their citizen- increasingly ferocious crack- hop of Public Enemy and the ship and then the vote. downs, arbitrary and retaliatory I BELIEVE the Tamil people terror to criminalise the Tamil romanticised resistance of the In 1956, the government killings of Tamils and the disap- have been, and continue to be, population in Sri Lanka and in the Tamil freedom struggle. passed the Sinhala Only Act pearance of young Tamils in cus- systematically discriminated ag- Diaspora. Today the words Tamil However, I could not relate to declaring that 'the Sinhala tody. ainst by the Sri Lankan state. and tiger go together as easily as the fiery passion of the older men; Language shall be the one and As Tamils became vulnerable I am not a terrorist. Islamic and fundamentalist; as my liberal arts education made only official language of Sri to 'state terror', more and more After decades of non-violent, easily as Vietnam and war; as me question violence. I feared the Lanka'. took to arms. political struggle was met with krispy and kreme. label 'radical' or 'extremist'. Frustrated by the govern- In February 2002 the Sri violent repression by Sri Lanka, I Like many young Tamils in Then I did some post-graduate ment's failure to redress Tamil Lankan Government the believe that armed-resistance was the Diaspora I have struggled to study on the conflict - what I like grievances, Tamil politicians Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam the only choice left to the Tamil reconcile my people's armed to call the 'intellectual brother' stepped up their campaign of civil signed a ceasefire agreement people. struggle for freedom with the lib- phase. Here I gained a deeper disobedience and protests. (CFA) that brought to a halt two I am not a terrorist. eral values of my adopted home. understanding of the roots of the In 1971, the Government decades of war. The CFA had held I believe a just peace can only It is a reflection of the times conflict and was able to form an raised university entrance marks for the best part of four years. be achieved in Sri Lanka if the that I feel the need to say upfront almost dispassionate position on for Tamils. A Tamil had to score However in the past 18 months Tamil people's right to self-deter- that what I seek is peace with jus- the struggle. In 2002 I visited Sri 250 marks to enter medicine or Sri Lanka has slid inexorably into mination is recognised. tice. Lanka for the first time in eigh- dentistry, while Sinhalese needed an undeclared, but all out war. I am not a terrorist. Also, this is not a comment on teen years. only 229. The logic was that the The Tamil people have paid a The conflict in Sri Lanka is matters currently before the First the basics - the Tamils Tamils were over represented at high price for their dreams of not on the radar of most people in courts. are fighting for an independent university. freedom. The social fabric built the West. The media only pick it However, I hope this article homeland in Sri Lanka following In many Western countries, on family and kin, music and up when there is something par- will help form a more nuanced decades of discrimination. Over students of Asian origin are sig- dance, and an ethic of hard work ticularly horrendous or spectacu- picture on what is being currently 70,000 of our people have been nificantly over-represented in ter- has been torn to shreds as families lar, or when it impinges upon the played out in the Diaspora. killed. A 2002 cease-fire brought tiary education. We do well have been separated by death and cricket or the beaches. They need to be understood in a brief respite, but fighting has because our parents see it as the forced migration. Their homeland The media coverage surround- the context of a foreign struggle. resumed since 2005. only way for minority ethnians to is dotted with orphanages and a ing the recent arrests in Australia, A struggle that the Western media For many the history of the get ahead in the white man's whole generation has missed out the UK, France and the US seek to interpret through the lens conflict begins in 1983 with the world. Imagine if fifty years from on basic education. reflects a global climate where of terror. ambush of 13 Sri Lankan soldiers, now the white man feels discrim- Why don't I leave my war the advocacy of minority rights I do not claim to speak for the for others it is the anti-Tamil race inated against and ethnians have where I came from? I am bur- and armed resistance to state- entire Tamil community, like any riots in the wake of that ambush. to get higher marks to get into dened by the knowledge that it is oppression is condemned. People community there are a range of This may have been the start of university. a random twist of fate that has me who do so are labelled 'extremists' views and voices. the war, but the freedom struggle Amid heightening tension and fighting with the pen and not a or 'terrorist sympathisers'. My ideas about the conflict and the oppression it resists pre- increasing militarism anti-Tamil rifle. The angry brown man phase The Colombo government has have been shaped in two phases - dates this iconic moment. violence erupted when 13 Sri would surely have taken me there. been able to use the language of the 'angry brown man' phase and Today, the Sri Lankan govern- Lankan soldiers were killed in an We are not terrorists. TAMIL GUARDIAN Wednesday August 01, 2007 11 OPINION Cafe d’ APRC: for foreigners only

The attitudes amongst the Sinhala community is cause for cynicism amongst those attempting to bring about a new consti- tution and thereby find a solution to the protracted ethnic conflict. Pradeep Peiris and Anupama M. Ranawana Daily Mirror

THE All Party Representative Committee (APRC) reminds one of a sunny Parisian cafe where a bunch of retired bored men and There is no evidence that the government or its ministers are enthusiastic about the APRC and its recommendations. Photo TamilNet women gather to engage in casual deliberations about various politi- consideration of Sri Lanka's many ested in and would like to discuss As it shown in the latest PCI good work of some of the politi- cal issues, and, in the meantime, and varied ethnic groups. in this article is to inquire into the (PCI - June 2007) 51% of the cians who strived to advance the enjoy a good cup of coffee. The only pragmatic answer is possibility of receiving mass sup- Sinhala community do not know constitution? What happened to President Mahinda Rajapaksa to draft an entirely new constitu- port for a constitutional change or cannot decide what type of the countless seminars and advo- set up the APRC six months after tion. Constitutions are made thro- that would give equality and jus- constitution they prefer. cacy meeting of the NGOs? assuming power with the express ugh both constitutional and non- tice to everyone irrespective of In point of fact, they could not A majority of the people who wish of finding a political solu- constitutional means. According their ethnicity, religion or region. make a decision regarding this identify themselves with specific tion to the decade old ethnic prob- to the second republican constitu- In order to make this inquiry matter even after they were pro- political parties are not sure about lem. Irrespective of whether it is a tion of 1978, to change the pre- into such public attitudes on the vided with different options such what their choice is for a new Trojan horse or a genuine one, the sent constitution, one needs to APRC and the other related iss- as retaining the present state of constitution. However, self-iden- president's choice of the jockey, have a two-thirds majority in par- ues, the authors used data from the constitution, changing the pre- tified JVPers want the present Prof. Vitharana, is commendable. liament and a simple majority the latest Peace Confidence Index sent constitution without chang- constitution to be amended while Though the APRC was set up from a referendum. (PCI), publish by Social Indica- ing the unitary structure and the retaining the unitary chaacter of it by the Government with the par- Winning the support of a par- tor, the survey research unit of the position given to Buddhism, and preserving the status given to ticipation of other political par- liamentarian is more a matter of Centre for Policy Alternatives. decentralizing of power within a Buddhism. ties, there is hardly any evidence rupees and cents rather than con- President Rajapaksa's profess- unitary state structure or estab- Since independence it has to prove that the government or vincing him or her of the rationale ed reason for setting up the APRC lishing a federal structure within a always been the UNP or the SLFP its ministers are enthusiastic abo- and desirability of the issue. was to craft a proposal on south- united Sri Lanka. that headed the country's govern- ut it - with the exception, of cou- Of course, President Rajapak- ern consensus that one would It is interesting to note that ments. During President Chandr- rse, of the leader of the Lanka sa will find less trouble than the then present to the LTTE. Ther- 13% of the Sinhalese do not want ika Kumaratunga's regime, the Samasamaja Party, Prof. Tissa opposition leader, Mr. Wickreme- efore, it is vital that the two main to change the present constitution SLFP created a political proposal Vitharana. singhe in advocating a meaning- political parties and all members while 25% agree to amending the that has been commended by And the members of the inter- ful proposal that is appealing to of the Sinhala community are present constitution without chan- many scholars as the most progre- national community. the minority communities if he able to first come to perfect ging the state's unitary nature and ssive we ever had. Under the Despite endless criticism, (Rajapakse) is already enjoying accord with each other, else, the the supreme position given to leadership of Ranil Wickremesin- some analysts tend to believe that the favour of 53% of the opposi- peace process cannot continue. Buddhism. Regretfully, Prof. ghe the UNP agreed to explore a the APRC is perhaps the final tion UNP's MPs- as Minister The results of the PCI survey Vitharana, only 5% of the Sinhala political solution within a frame glimmer of hope for the desperate Fernandopulle claims. of February 2007 show that it is community would agree to a fed- of federal structure. situation in the country. It may On the other hand, the Raja- only 14% of the Sinhala commu- eral state within a united constitu- But, majorities of the people not be the most desired route to paksa regime will have to employ nity who are aware about the tion- a proposal that you made in who identify themselves with eit- take but surely it is the only pre- many resources if it is serious APRC even after six months of its order to combine the majority and her party were unable to state sently available one. Speaking at about creating any progressive existence. Levels of awareness the minority reports presented to what their desired constitution is. the "Nagenahira Navodaya", a proposal through the APRC. amongst the same group regard- the APRC. Not only that, only 6% Ironically, 36% of the SLFPers function organised by the Gover- Prof. G. L. Peiris, one of the ing the APRC's majority and of Sinhala community are willing and 45% of the UNPers, under the nment to celebrate the recapturing architects of the political package minority reports were even lower. to consider a decentralised power present political context, prefer of Eastern province, President put forward by President Chan- We are certain that if one con- even within a unitary structure. either a continuation of the prese- Rajapaksa reminded us that he drika Kumaratunga in 2000 and ducted a survey awareness of the So, it is clear that if the Gover- nt constitution or amending it wit- established the APRC so that all the government's chief negotiator happenings of some of the Sinh- nment decides to hold a referen- hout changing the unitary struc- parties could come together to of 2002 - 3 peace talks who agre- ala dubbed Indian teledramas, one dum to consult citizens on their ture and Buddhism's prime posi- formulate a political solution to ed to explore a solution within a would see 2 to 3 times the amount choice of constitution the result tion. the burning ethnic problem. federal structure is a member of of awareness than the APRC, a would not show any progress What happened to the devolu- In this context, it is interesting the Rajapaksa camp now. mechanism that has been setup to from the present one - a unitary tion and federal debates that were to examine the probability of the Interestingly, the biggest crit- design the future of the country. structure where Buddhism is con- initiated years ago by the leader- APRC being able to deliver. Pro- ics for any power sharing arran- It is hard not to believe that stitutionally recognized as the ship of SLFP and UNP? Only 9% viding a political solution to the gement with minority communi- this is what the Government preeminent religion and a central of the UNPers support a federal Sri Lanka's ethnic problem is a ties, the NMAT (National Move- wants. If one analyses most of the power that decides what other type of constitution while 7% formidable task. ment Against Terrorism) and JHU speeches of Rajapaksa and his regions need and what is good for want to decentralize power under The APRC has a much greater (the Buddhist monks' party) are ministers, it is quite clear that war the rest of the country. a unitary structure. battle than simply working with with the Government and will and military victory is the mes- Does this mean that over 50 Choice for the SLFPers - the LTTE. This is because; in certainly give Rajapaksa their sage for the local audience while years of democratic struggle of whose leadership once claim that order to find a permanent solution unconditional support so long as peace process, APRC and politi- the minority communities which 76% of Sri Lankans support fed- one cannot simply satisfy the they are able to retain their cal solution are is just the window has now evolved into a military eral constitution - brings further needs of the LTTE- what is more Ministerial portfolios. display for the international audi- struggle has completely been important is the inclusion and However, what we are inter- ences. wasted? What happened to the Continued on page 15 12 TAMIL GUARDIAN Wednesday August 01, 2007 OPINION Those who fled within Liberator? Continued from page 10 nic lines, for they bring out There are 750,000 Sinhala nationalism, which is like IDPs in Sri Lanka. oxygen to the LTTE, rather than Sri Lanka nationalism, which is The humanitarian like cyanide to the Tigers. The situation is critical posters of ultranationalists and the government proclaim that the and worsening by LTTE's dream of setting up of a separate state in the north and the the hour. east of Sri Lanka has been dealt a deadly blow by the security forces. The posters also urge the Arjunan army to conquer the north as well. Ethirveerasingam The propaganda campaign by the government and the national- Tamil Rehabilitation ists is so effective that people are Organisation unwilling to believe the allega- tions made by the opposition United National Party and two AS we honor the 14 million sacked ministers that Rajapaksa refugees on World Refugee Day, paid millions to the LTTE before 20 June 2007, TRO would also the presidential elections in return like to highlight the plight of the for a boycott call that prevented world's Internally Displaced the Tamil from voting and eventu- Persons (IDPs). According to ally cost UNP leader Ranil UNHCR figures there are current- Wickremesinghe the presidency. ly 24.5 million IDPs worldwide, The allegations have become who have been displaced by con- a damp squib in the Thoppigala flict. euphoria. Rajapaksa is a hero The conflict in Sri Lanka has today - a leader who has liberat- resulted in over one million Tamil ed/conquered the east. The Raja- refugees leaving the island to paksa campaign is so effective Canada, Western Europe and oth- that people in the south believe er parts of the world. Currently, that it is he who, for the first time approximately 100,000 Tamils in the 25-year history of the eth- live in camps in the South of nic conflict, has liberated the east. India. But the fact is that the armed Those that have left the island forces took the entire Eastern of Sri Lanka and found refuge in Tamils displaced within the country are dependent on the ‘goodwill’ of the Sri Lankan government, Province, including Thoppigala, other countries are protected by even as it continues to displace more Tamils. Photo TRO under their control in 1992 and the 1951 UN Convention Relat- the then government successfully ing to the Status of Refugees, but TRO and TRO supported geted shelling / bombing of vil- forces are stopped held elections to the local council. there is no similar convention or Community Based Organizations lages 8. Decentralize the decision The east became once again a system of international protection (CBOs) currently care for or pro- 5. Ensure that the prior inci- making and bureaucracy to the stronghold of the LTTE during for IDPs. vide humanitarian assistance for dents of "Forced resettlement" (as ground level and away from the Kumaratunga regime, in whi- As a result the plight of the 85,000 of these IDPs despite the verified by the UN and others) do Colombo. Currently, there is a ch Rajapaksa was a minister. IDPs in the NorthEast is left to the obstacles, restrictions and embar- not recur and that human rights lack of coordination and a confus- The Thoppigala euphoria has "goodwill" of the Government of goes imposed by the GoSL. and human dignity are respected. ing number of governmental min- infected the people in the south Sri Lanka (GoSL). Military offen- TRO wishes to raise aware- (a) Ensure that IDPs are istries and authorities mandated with myopia. For them, it does sives over the past 18 months by ness of the deteriorating humani- informed of their rights and that to work with IDPs. not matter how the east was won. the GoSL have been the primary tarian situation in Sri Lanka. The there is transparency regarding 9. Ensure that IDP camps are The armed forces moved into cause of the displacement of situation is critical and worsening the development and implementa- not attacked by armed forces as Tiger-controlled areas in the east - 300,000 IDPs. by the hour. tion of humanitarian policies happened in November and Mavil Aru, Mutur, Sampur and Currently there are approxi- TRO would like to emphasize (b) Ensure that all affected December 2006 when IDP camps Manirasakualm and eventually mately 750,000 IDPs in Sri that it is the responsibility of the communities are consulted at all in Vaharai were shelled and 86 Thoppigala - first launching aeri- Lanka. These include: Government of Sri Lanka to pro- stages from initial displacement IDPs killed al attacks on LTTE targets which - 300,000 IDPs displaced over tect, uphold and enforce the to resettlement 10. Ensure that all affected incidentally were located in civil- the last 18 months as a result of national and international human- (c) IDPs have a right to choo- communities are treated equally ian areas. As a result 300,000 ci- military offensives by the GoSL itarian standards and International se when to return and should be and that there is not discrimina- vilians were displaced. Hundreds - 350,000 IDPs from the pre- Humanitarian Law. These include allowed to visit the areas of return tion in the disbursement of relief were killed. The subsequent exch- 2002 Cease Fire Agreement not using food and medicine as a prior to return assistance and compensation ange of fire, artillery and multi- (CFA) who have not been able to weapon of war. (d) Ensure that resettled IDPs 11. Remove the GoSL freeze barrel rockets, destroyed their return to their homes due to a TRO petitions the Governm- receive compensation and assis- on TRO bank accounts. TRO is houses, fields and whatever facil- variety of reasons, which include ent of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the tance to restart their livelihoods the largest local NGO in the ities that sustained livelihoods. the designation of their former International Community to and have access to their proper- NorthEast and has access, staff As area after area was liberat- towns and villages as High address the Humanitarian issues ties in the High Security Zones and volunteers to areas that ed, some internally displaced Security Zones (HSZ) affecting IDPs in Sri Lanka: (HSZs) iNGOs and the GoSL have limit- were resettled. But thousands of - 100,000 Tsunami IDPs who 1. End all embargos, restric- 6.Ensure free access to educa- ed access. them found to their horror that still live in temporary shelters or tions and other impediments to tion for IDP children 12. Ensure the safety of local they could not enter their villages have been displaced once again the flow of humanitarian relief Thousands of children, some and international humanitarian that had become part of a high due to the conflict items and construction materials as young as 6 year old, have to workers so that they may better security zone while they were These IDPs have been subject (for temporary shelters for IDPs) pass through numerous check- serve the needs of the IDPs and away in refugee camps. to multiple displacements (some to the NorthEast points close to their camps and other war and tsunami affected Since the victims were largely have been displaced up to 10 2. Allow local and Internatio- schools on their way to school persons. In the last 18 months 33 Tamils, the pain is less in the times) shelling, bombing, murder, nal NGOs to freely access areas everyday. humanitarian workers have been south. Coinciding with the cele- rape, torture, and loss of liveli- affected by the conflict in a time- 7. IDP Camp management killed: This includes 7 TRO, 17 brations, the government is laun- hood. ly manner (a) Most camps in the East do ACF, and 2 SLRC humanitarian ching a development programme The children have been depri- 3. End restrictions on interna- not currently meet internationally workers. NGOs are also maligned called Neganahira Navodaya. The ved of access to education and tional humanitarian agencies and accepted SPHERE minimum in the state and private media and English translation of the Sinhala fear abduction and harassment by their international staff: denial of standards. The GoSL and the by the political parties. This phrase means New Dawn of the paramilitaries affiliated to the visa renewals, refusal of visas, the international community must reduces the space available for East East is a predominantly a GoSL. Some IDPs, as witnessed controversial work permits and ensure that these standards are them to operate and restricts their Tamil-speaking province with by the UN and other international limiting the mandates of iNGOs maintained ability to deliver humanitarian Muslims and the Tamils constitut- organizations, have also been 4. Adhere to the international (b) Camp Security in the East relief to the affected communi- ing more than 70 per cent of its forced by the GoSL and its secu- Guiding Principles of Internal - ensure that the abductions and ties. population. There is no attempt to rity forces to return to areas from Displacement - GoSL should stop harassment of youth and children Further details are on name the programme in Tamil which they were displaced. forced eviction of civilians by tar- by paramilitaries and security www.troonline.org and to dismiss charges of racism. TAMIL GUARDIAN Wednesday August 01, 2007 13 NEWS ‘Liberated’ east to be further militarized

This has created tension Activists in the East are deeply concerned between two paramilitary groups at the level militarization taking place in the that operate along side the Sri Lankan Army, reports said, as the province recently captured by the Sri Karuna Group, headed by former Lankan government. LTTE Eastern Commander Vina- yagamoorthy Muralitharan (alias Karuna), pits itself against the THE administration of President ghe told the BBC World Service's Eelam People Democratic Party Mahinda Rajapakse has moved to Sinhala language Sandeshaya. (EPDP), another paramilitary gr- stamp its authority in the Eastern "Now we have a proper super- oup, headed by Minister Douglas province through the implementa- vision on NGO projects and they Devanada, for power in the east. tion of a stringent military admin- have to get the approval from the The turf war between the two istration. district secretariat to operate in groups surfaced when armed The militarization is com- the area and the local area com- Karuna Group cadres attacked an pounded by the increasing activi- mander must be acknowledged EPDP camp in Chenkaladi, ties of paramilitary groups work- about the project" he added. Batticalo. A Karuna Group cadre ing with the government. Some NGOs questioned the was killed in the gunfight, which In recent days, the Sri Lankan circular. "Out of five ministers for lasted for an hour and only ceased government announced several Nation Building, two work for the when the local police intervened. initiatives for the Eastern pro- development in the east. Why do Both groups were warned to vince, including plans to disarm we need special committees?" the refrain from further violence. paramilitaries, conduct elections Executive Director of the Human However, hours later the and fast track development activ- Rights Consortium and director Karuna Group issued notices ban- ities in the eastern districts. of Eastern Development, Authori- ning the EPDP from operating in The government has also sou- ty Jeevan Thyagarajah, asked in Batticaloa. But Devananda dismi- ght foreign aid citing its develop- an interview with Sandeshaya. ssed the Karuna Group threat and ment plans for the province. "Is there going to be a civil said his party was going ahead But the militarization of the administration in the east or a mil- with plans to contest the local east will also continue. "Both the itary administration? People are elections. Army and the Police will be already suspicious about govern- The Karna Group is also con- involved at the grassroots level in ment plans," he queried. sidered to have assisted the mili- An aerial view of the partially constructed Trincomalee - Sampur all projects and programmes," the Whilst some humanitarian tary in capturing the East by pro- 'expressway', which is being used to consolidate the militarization Sunday Times newspaper report- agencies are concerned with the viding valuable intelligence, gro- of the east. Picture Chaminda Hittetiya Daily News ed. "One of them is to head com- military interference some, like und knowledge and taking part in offensives, Colombo press reports claims that his forces and govern- vided security by the Sri Lankan mittees tasked with development US military medics, have already ment troops have co-operated in police." work." started working under the plans said. The group is also suspected to the fight against the Tigers and Analysts note that comments Last week, the Eastern mili- announced by the military. then saying his fighters had taken by Karuna and Devananda show tary commander called for close A US Marines team is now in behind a series of intimidations and abductions against the local part in the battle for Thopigalla. the close ties between the military monitoring and control of the the east to carry out a fact-finding Commenting on the disarma- and Karuna Group and do not activities on non-government mission in preparation for an population. Following the announcement ment of Karuna Group, Devanada anticipate a move by the military organizations (NGOs). upcoming visit by high level US told a website "all leaders, includ- in the near future to disarm the Commander Major General military medics as part of a hum- by the government that the east was "free of the LTTE", interna- ing Karuna, are given security by group. Parakrama Pannipitiya issued a anitarian assistance programme, the armed forces of Sri Lanka. On the contrary, they exp-ect circular to security chiefs and the Daily Mirror reported. tional governments, opposition parties and civic groups have beg- Karuna is being secured in his the militarization to continue as civil administrators ordering them "A high-level medical team residence as well as wherever he the government sees it as the eas- not to allow any NGO to start pro- will be here in September for one un to pressure the government to disarm the paramilitary groups, moves by the Security Forces of iest way to control the territory - jects "according to their will" in week to conduct a series of medi- Sri Lanka. All his offices are pro- by ruling it as enemy ground. the region. cal assistance programmes for the especially the Karuna Group. "Rural development of areas eastern people, especially in the Even the pro-war Wimal Wee- liberated by the forces after the newly captured areas," a senior rawansa, the parliamentary group humanitarian operations, where defence official told the Daily leader of Janatha Vimukthi Pera- there is a civil population must be Mirror. muna (JVP) said he felt there is done under the supervision of the This assistance is to be given no longer a role to play by an Police stationed in the area as to eastern people in consultation armed Tamil group and is calling SHAUN FOODS well as the Armed Forces," the with the Army, Navy and the Air for the disarmament of Karuna statement read. Force, the paper quoted him as Group. Mr. Weerawansa said the "As the initial step, village le- saying. "Medical camps would be paramilitary forces had to take up vel Committees must be establi- set up in several areas including arms because of the LTTE and if shed in each village for its devel- Sampur and Vakarai," the official they continued to operate in the & WINE opment, and the membership of said. East even after the Tigers were no these Committees must be chosen A visiting four-member med- longer in existence, it would cre- from among the villagers. It will ical team from the US Marines ate other problems. be mandatory to include in these led by a Colonel is now in Trin- "We call on the government Committees a member of the comalee monitoring the area to do dismantle these groups gradu- Armed Forces/STF, a Police offi- set up medical camps and find out ally because we understand that cer, and Grama Niladhari serving other requirements for the sched- such a process cannot be done in the respective village." the uled programme, the official said. overnight," he said. statement continued. In addition to military inter- However, in an interview with According to the circular, the vention in development and the BBC Tamil service Karuna president of the committee would humanitarian operations, paramil- refused to disarm. The paramilita- 229, STREATHAM ROAD be a member of the Police or itary activities too have intensi- ry group leader said LTTE intelli- Security Forces and all committee fied in the eastern province, gence personnel were still operat- LONDON meeting minutes would be sent to fuelled by speculation of polls. ing in the east of the island, even the military head quarters. The government is planning to though it had been taken by gov- "Since the liberation of east- conduct local government elec- ernment forces. "If we disarm SW16 6NZ ern province it is the responsibili- tions in the east later this year, now, it will be dangerous for us. ty of military and police to pro- analysts note, pointing to a bill to We want to carry arms for self- TEL: 0208 769 3105 vide security to the resettled peo- conduct local government elec- protection," he told the BBC. ple," Sri Lankan military spokes- tions in East passed in the Sri In the interview Karuna con- man Brigadier Prasad Samarasin- Lankan Parliament on July 19. tradicted himself by first rejecting With Compliments 14 TAMIL GUARDIAN Wednesday August 01, 2007 NEWS Violence shifts north

FOLLOWING the Sri Lankan their positions after "succesfully government's announcement of neutralizing the threat posed by the 'liberation' of the east from the the hostile enemy camp from wh- LTTE, the military activity and ich infiltration units were operat- violence have intensified in the ing," LTTE military spokesman north. The military stepped up its Rasaiah Ilanthiryan said com- operations, with direct offensives menting on the mission. and Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) Earlier this year the Sri Lank- missions into LTTE controlled an military made public its inten- territory along the Mannar- tion of capturing the Northern Vavuniya border. LTTE stronghold of Vanni. Attacks against the Sri Lankan "After eradicating the Tigers forces also intensified, with over from the East, [the military's] full 30 Sri Lankan soldiers killed in strength will be used to rescue the fighting and ambushes in the last North," SLA Commander Gen. two weeks alone. Sarath Fonseaka declared at the On July 24, a bus transporting time. military personnel from Mannar At the same time, the military to Mathavachi was ambushed by made several intermittent attem- attackers who triggered a clay- pts to breakthrough the LTTE more mine, killing at least 10 Sri Forward Defence Lines (FDL) Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and and into Vanni. Initially the SLA wounding more than 8 others. attempted to enter Vanni by brea- On the same day four home- ching the LTTE FDL in Jaffna. guards were killed in a pre-dawn As part of this plan the military attack by the LTTE on a security carried out two massive onslau- post in Aluthgama, Vavuniya. ghts on the LTTE defence posi- Three days earlier two SLA tions in Jaffna last year. troopers on road patrol were seri- In the first offensive, on Sep- ously injured when attackers trig- tember 9, hundreds of SLA troops gered a claymore mine on the launched an offensive from three Vavuniya-Mannar Road. locations along the front lines And on July 20, the LTTE against the LTTE territory in the launched a pre-dawn raid on a northern Jaffna peninsula. On the SLA mini-camp near Uyilang- ensuing battle at least 25 Sri Lan- kulam entry/exit point in Mannar, kan soldiers were killed and killing 10 soldiers and seizing all around 125 wounded. the weapons from the camp. In the second offensive on The LTTE seized military October 11, SLA troopers laun- hardware including a Medium ched a large scale ground troop- Machine Gun (MMG), a Light movement into LTTE adminis- Machine Gun (LMG), a 60 mm tered territory with heavy artillery mortar, four automatic rifles, 25 and MBRL rocket fire. hand grenades and an ammuni- SLA troopers who broke thro- tion cache. After repeated attempts to break the LTTE’s defences in the north, exhausted SLA troops continue to The LTTE fighters returned to Continued on page 15 have little success. Photo Lakruwan Wanniarachchi/AFP/Getty Images Sri Lanka off the hook as violations ignored

AS the international community tributed to a deterioration of hu- Lankan President Mahinda Raja- can actively involve in helping cessibility and safety of aid work- eased off the limited constraints it man rights conditions in the coun- pakse warned the International the country to implement it," the ers in the conflict zones as "total- had placed on Sri Lanka over its try. Reports of torture, extra-judi- Community "not to obstruct this diplomat told the paper. ly unacceptable." human rights abuses, analysts cial killings, and curtailment of New Dawn of the East by raising At the time of the co-chairs "Aid agencies need to have speculate that this, especially in media freedom are on the rise," he false slogans, and not engage in meeting the Sri Lankan govern- access to victims with full securi- the light of the government's rec- noted. globe-trotting to betray the Sri ment was considering putting on ty and protection for their person- ent military successes, is an indi- But there was no condemna- Lankan State." hold a donor forum on funding nel. I urge all parties to respect cation of not so covert support for tion of this, except to note that "I wish to ask the internation- development projects in the Eas- international humanitarian law the ongoing military effort. "The US government is also con- al community and even some of tern province as donors, specifi- and condemn any attack against Acknowledging the increas- cerned about reports of disappear- our own politicians, not to obstru- cally the European Union, were humanitarian operations and wor- ing human rights violations in Sri ances and the large number of ct this New Dawn of the East by reluctant to provide new aid. kers," she added. Lanka, the US Human Rights, internally displaced persons." raising false slogans, and not However the EU this week Prior to last co-chairs meeting Democracy and Labour Assistant Mr. Krilla also noted that engage in globe-trotting to betray said it would provide 15 million there were signs of a concerted Secretary nevertheless merely there were numerous reports that the Sri Lankan State," he said. in humanitarian aid. effort on the part of the Internatio- urged both sides to uphold the paramilitary groups linked to The president's defiant speech The aid will help provide nal Community to apply pressure 2002 Norwegian brokered cease- government security forces par- followed a decision by the co- access to clean water, shelter, on the Rajapakse administration. fire agreement. ticipated in armed attacks, some chairs of the Sri Lankan peace food, basic health care, education There was increased focus on "Together with our allies, we against civilians. process not to get actively invol- and sanitation for refugees living the human rights violations of the will continue to work towards However analysts observe ved in the conflict until after the in Tamil Nadu and in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan government, with brokering a lasting peace agree- that after the Thoppigala victory All Party Representatives Com- Commenting on the current international media and govern- ment between the government the Sri Lankan government is in mittee finds a permanent solution. situation in Sri Lanka, EU Deve- ments criticising the government. and the LTTE and urge both sides no mood to listen to International The US, EU, Japan and Nor- lopment Aid Commissioner Louis In June, Sri Lanka came under to uphold the cease-fire and elim- Community's calls for peace. way had taken this stance to “ena- Michel said the European Com- severe criticism for human rights inate human rights abuses," Mr. Speaking at the 'Dawn of the ble Sri Lanka to decide by itself,” mission was "extremely worried and humanitarian abuses at a pub- Krilla said while participating in East' ceremony held to mark the the Daily Mirror newspaper repo- by the increase in violence" in Sri lic hearing in Brussels in the an online web chat organised by capture of Thoppigala jungles by rted, quoting a top Western diplo- Lanka, which has put thousands European Parliamentary Deve- the US State department. the Sri Lankan army in the eastern mat. of civilians and international aid lopment Committee. "We are aware that the return province at the Independent Squ- "Once the parties find a com- workers at risk." Whilst representatives of the to conflict in Sri Lanka has con- are in Colombo on July 19, Sri mon solution, then the co-chairs She described the lack of ac- Continued on page 15 TAMIL GUARDIAN Wednesday August 01, 2007 15 NEWS Violence ... Cafe d’ APRC: foreigners ...

Continued from page 14 advance into LTTE territory using Continued from page 11 Interestingly, that for all these progressive constitutional refor- 120 villagers as human shields, disappointment to someone like anti-federal arguments more than ms as well as the advocates of ugh the LTTE FDL positions in but in 15 hours of fierce fighting over two third of the Sinhala com- such constitutions to win their Kilali and Muhamalai were defe- Prof. Vitharana as only 4% sup- the LTTE rescued the hostages port a federal type of constitution munity do not which is the correct support base. ated, leaving around 75 dead bod- and pushed the troops back to one. Therefore, Prof. Vitharana, The present media campaign ies of Sri Lankan soldiers inside and 5% agree to decentralization their original positions in Tham- within a unitary state. we must tell you that, at present, that followed the military cam- the LTTE territory in Kilali. Three panai and Chinna Pandivirichan. there is no clear support base for paign will certainly dim the en- tanks were damaged and one The attitudes and perception The army lost 60 soldiers in this we see amongst the Sinhala com- you to support your opinion that thusiasm amongst the Sinhalese destroyed. The SLA confirmed operation. the future constitution will be for finding a political solution. that more than 300 troopers were munity might cause a degree of Two weeks later on April 11 cynicism amongst those who att- some form of federal constitution. The present speechifying of wounded in the offensive. another attempt by the army to None the less, take heart in the the ruling party on the military's Following the heavy defeats empt to bring about a new consti- move towards Palamoddai was tution and thereby to restructure fact that the Sinhala community might will certainly undermine in the Jaffna offensives, this year thwarted by the LTTE forces. does not reject your idea outright. the communication of the APRC's the military shifted its focus onto the Sri Lankan state and find a Retreating SLA troopers left solution to the protracted ethnic One should not ignore the proposed political solutions to the the Southern Vanni FDL that runs behind their dead soldiers, arms substantial degree of unawareness Sinhalese. Therefore, the unde- along the Vavuniya-Mannar road. issue. and ammunition, including a Roc- This is because it clearly artic- and the indecisive nature of the cided are more likely to lean tow- In past three months the SLA ket Propelled Grenade Launcher Sinhalese with regards to consti- ards war than peace. And Prof. has tried number of times to enter ulates the fact that the country has and 15 automatic guns. not been able to progress, instead tutional choice. The degree of Vitharana will then have no other LTTE controlled territory in Man- Following the fighting LTTE ignorance and confusion on the employment but playing maitre d' nar and Vavuniya regions with no it had actually regressed alarm- forces clearing the area located ingly. The latest PCI shows the issue of constitution is crucial as at the "Café d' APRC - exclusive- success. eight bodies of SLA troopers it provides space for supporters of ly for foreigners". In the latest of a series of perceptions of the Sinhalese on which were later handed over to federalism in terms of some of the attempts by the Sri Lankan forces the ICRC. to capture LTTE administered criticism. Again on April 25, the LTTE Addressing the party leaders areas in Vanni, a team of the SLA repulsed another ground offen- Special Forces attempted to bre- of his coalition government in sive at Parisankulam inside LTTE Kandy, President Rajapaksa reje- ach into LTTE territory in Palam- administered Madu. More than 10 K & K Stationers oddai on the Mannar-Vavuniya cted a federal solution. His ratio- SLA soldiers were killed and nale was that people voted him in border on July 16. around 50 sustained injuries, Ilan- LTTE forces retaliated killing for the preservation of a 'nobedu- thirayan told reporters afterwards. na ratak" (undivided country). four and wounding 6 troopers and SLA troopers who moved recovering 3 T-56 rifles, explo- Therefore, he will not explore the & Printers Ltd from Iranai Iluppaikkulam camp idea of a federal solution. sives and military hardware were locked in a five-hour jungle Supplier of Stationery, Art, Craft including night-vision equipment. It seems he has indirectly clash where Tigers engaged sni- acknowledged that he too shares The operation came to an end per units inflicting casualties on and Computer Printer Accessories with the SLA withdrawing the the anxiety of nationalist political the SLA troopers, Ilanthirayan parties i.e. federalism will lead to Special Forces team, which had added. sustained heavy casualties. secession. 94 Mitcham Road Since then a number of SLA However, according to the op- The SLA first launched an pushes into LTTE-held areas of London, SW17 9NG offensive to into Vanni on March inion poll, one fifth of Sinhalese Mannar district, including the think federalism would lead to Tel: 020 8767 5149 / 2398 16 with the aim of capturing Pal- Madu region, have failed. amoddai, northwest of Vavuniya secession and 10% think it will Following the failed attempts ensure the unity of the country. Fax: 020 8767 3210 but retreated following 3 hours of the frustrated military had resort- heavy fighting. Nevertheless, 65% says that they e-mail: [email protected] ed to indiscriminate artillery bar- do not know whether federalism On March 23 the army tried to rage on civilian targets. will lead to secession or create Associate Company unity. Further, amongst the Sinhala Partridges Sri Lanka off ... community 19% believe a federal 295-297 Lavender Hill solution would be disadvanta- London SW11 1LP geous to their community; 17% Tel: 020 7228 7271 / 8204 Continued from page 14 believe it will threaten the status sure on Sri Lanka by suspending quo of the Buddhist community; Fax: 020 7978 4148 European Commission and Coun- some, though not all, develop- 10% think federalism will impact e-mail: [email protected] cil of External Affairs slammed ment aid it provided Sri Lanka the economy negatively. the lack of respect for internation- through the Millennium Challen- al humanitarian laws in Sri ge account. Citing "a deteriora- Lanka, NGOs, including Human tion of human rights on the isla- Rights Watch (HRW) and aid nd", the US government stressed agency Action Contre la Faim that the government must rein in WITH BEST COMPLIMENTS FROMM (ACF), decried the continuing paramilitary forces, which are abuses of human rights. fighting the LTTE alongside secu- Also in June a resolution was rity forces. tabled before the US Congress However all these efforts calling on all parties to the Sri came to abrupt end following the CHETTY & CO. Lankan conflict to negotiate a co-chairs meeting on June 25. political solution that will be fair Further sanctions against Sri SOLICITORS to all ethnic communities whilst Lanka was discussed at the meet- ruling out a military solution to ing, but Japan and the US argued
the conflict. strongly against such a move, and The were also small scale aid as a result, the co-chairs agreed to ✶ freezes with Germany leading the give Sri Lanka more time. ✶ CRIME PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM effort by announcing an aid freeze The co-chairs decisions to not ✶ ✶ WILLS, PROBATE & TRUSTS on all new projects in October take punitive measures against IMMIGRATION & NATIONALITY ✶ 2006. As long as both sides the government and to keep off ✶ FAMILY(DIVORCE/CHILDREN ACT) BUSINESS MATTERS engage in intensive conflict, "it is the peace process is sending a sig- ✶ not meaningful for the German nal to the Rajapakse administra- ✶ CONVEYANCE(Residential & Business) HOUSING AND WELFARE BENIFIT government to commit additional tion to continue on the war path, ✶ EMPLOYMENT funding that cannot reach the peo- Sri Lankan analysts speculated. ✶ LANDLORD & TENANT ple of Sri Lanka," a statement at The government has no need ✶ ✶ CONSUMER AFFAIRS the time said. to rein in the daily abductions, CIVIL LITIGATION The UK followed suit in May extrajudicial killings and discrim- by freezing £ 6 million in aid cit- inate bombings, because there is ing concern that government no pressure to do so, one analyst 894 Garratt Lane 79, Hoe Street said. "The international commu- forces have been responsible for Tooting, London SW19 0NB Walthamstow, London E17 4SA violence against civilians in gov- nity is certainly no longer sending ernment-controlled territory. the message that this is unaccept- Tel: 020 8677 4770 Tel: 020 8521 1313 The US also put tangible pres- able." 16 TAMIL GUARDIAN Wednesday August 01, 2007

Troops involved in the Thoppigala battle were treated to lunch by Buddhist priest The SLFP held countrywide demonstrations condemning the National Congress, an Ven. Muttetuvegama Ananda Thera, with the priest preparing the meal himself at the alliance between the main opposition UNP and Mangala Samaraweera's SLFPM. Commando Brigade Headquarters Thoppigala. Photo Rukmal Gamage, Daily News Demos in Galigamuwa, Kandy and Kurunegala, captured by Daily News photographers. TOOTINGTOOTING RARAGUGU TRATRAVELSVELS A world wide travel agents SUPERMARKETSUPERMARKET For reliable, friendly and efficient service at competitive rates ✰ Air tickets ✰ Travel Insurance ✰ Transportation 66 Tooting High ✰ Visa arrangement for India Street Ragu Estate agents ✰ Property Management London Call Ragu on ✰ 020 8586 2323 Lettings, Sales ✰ Mortgages SW17 0RL 020 8471 9100 ✰ Construction

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