‘Sri Lanka pioneered in defeating terrorism and strengthening development’ - Lokuge

‘Sri Lanka pioneered in defeating terrorism and strengthening development’ - Lokuge

"Sri Lanka can be introduced as a pioneer that waged a war against the world’s strongest terrorist organization while simultaneously implementing a massive development programme ensuring the livelihood for every citizen of this country. The aim of the present government headed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to achieve development goals to give meaning to peace achieved after eradicating terrorism. As beneficiaries of peace it is our duty to extend our fullest cooperation to the government."
This is was expressed by the, Minister of Sports and Public Recreation, Gamini Lokuge, at the meeting held after the opening of the Ranaviru house built with financial assistance of Ocean View Development Corporation (Pvt.) Ltd., under the Ranaviru Housing Development Programme of the National Housing Development Authority for war hero, Harshana Pradeep Kumara of Kesbewa, Piliyandala.
Housing Development Programme in honour of war heroes has been implemented In all districts by the National Housing Development Authority under the instructions of the Minister of Housing and Common Amenities, Mrs. Ferial Ashraff. The Ranaviru house built in Colombo District under this programme for the war hero, Harshana Pradeep Kumara who laid down his life in Mulaitivu Operation. The National Housing Development Authority has completed the construction of this house in a short period of one month.
Gamini Lokuge speaking further, after handing over the ownership to the wife and the parents of war hero, said "I am meeting you after fulfilling a special duty on behalf of the nation." There hadn’t been an atmosphere a few months before to gather people and politicians to participate in this kind of meetings. All ethnic groups of our country are now living without fear and suspicion. Various state leaders had made attempts to end the 30 year long conflict, however their attempts failed. Now the peace has dawn to our country under the foresighted leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa due to the contribution of valiant soldiers like Harshana Pradeep Kumara.
"Thousands have lost their lives and lakhs have lost their dwellings due to this cruel war. A large number people living in relief villages in North and majority of them prefers to live with the rest of the ethnic groups of this country. However there can be persons with connections to terrorism. The main challenge faced by the government is to identify them and make them useful citizens. This cannot be achieved in a short period of time. The aim of the government is to strengthen the development activities while socializing them to give meaning to the cessation of hostilities. We should pay of our gratitude to the valiant soldiers in whatever possible manner. Today National Housing Development Authority has fulfilled this national task. This is an exemplary act. Today we have paid our highest gratitude to this soldier and to his parents, wife and the child," Lokuge further said.
Chairman of Kesbewa Urban Council, Lenard Karunaratne, Members of Western Provincial Council, Gamini Silva and Sunil Jayamini, Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Common Amenities, S. M. A. L. Gunatilake, District Secretary, Colombo, J. Silvestor, General Manager, National Housing Development Authority, L. S. Palansuriya, Deputy General Manager, Ocean View Development Corporation (Pvt.) Ltd. Kusala Samatha Edirisinghe, District Manager/Colombo-National Housing Development Authority and W. J. S. Dias, together with government officials and people of the area participated.

Over 40,000 IDPs being resettled in 4 Northern Districts

Over 40,000 IDPs being resettled in 4 Northern Districts
The resettlement process of Internally Displaced Persons to former LTTE controlled areas in Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Mannar and Kilinochchi began this morning, (Oct 22). A total of 41685 IDPs have begun the resettlement process in these Districts.
Under this process, 8643 persons of 2583 families will be resettled in Vavuniya District while 6631 persons from 2644 families will be resettled in Mannar District.
16394 persons of 4415 families will be resettled in Mullaitivu District and another group of 10017 persons of 2453 families will be resettled in Kilinochchi District.
Meanwhile the government has taken many actions to assist the IDPs to resume routine activities.
Almost 40,000 children are attending classes in welfare centers and that the government had facilitated 1,187 students to sit the GCE/ Advanced Level examination in August this year of which 166 were LTTE surrendees. This clearly reflects the emphasis the Government had placed on the long term welfare of the IDPs.
A notable progress has also been made in the health sector with the reduction of annual mortality rates to only 4.4 per 1000 in the welfare centers in Vavuniya, which is compatible with any other part of the country, symbolizing the significant achievement in stabilization of the health facilities for the IDPs.
The letter given by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to each IDP family that is being resettled from today.
My Dear Citizens
I write to you at an important time you when you are on the threshold of a new beginning in life. You are today being moved to the familiar surroundings of your former home, or very close to it.
I am aware that the sufferings your family have undergone are many, and for very long too. These hardships were imposed on you and all other Tamil citizens who have suffered alike, by a ruthless organization that was committed to terror to achieve its narrow objectives, for which the Tamil people were made unwilling pawns. They claimed to be the liberators of the noble Tamil community. As their strategies began to fail, you were herded from place to place, and denied the food, medicine and other essentials that were sent for you. Your children, and even the elders among you, were compelled to carry arms for these forces of terror..
I fully understand that this was not the aspiration of the Tamil people of our country. Finally, you were made displaced persons in your own motherland, after holding you as human shields and hostages for the safety of those who shed so much blood of your own people. Your innocence in all this is recognized today.
That period of immense tragedy is now over, as are the temporary hardships you faced as internally displaced persons. You are moving on to a new life, in the company of family and friends. You will find new and welcome challenges of the future. My Government has done much to make your new life most acceptable to you, providing the needs for a quality of life to enhance your dignity as a person.
The most cherished asset you have today are your children, who you have sheltered as best as your could. This is the time to ensure that your children are guided by you to benefit from the new facilities that are being provided for them and ensure that they are never again allowed to be misled by false prophets or saviours. Together you can build a new life and look to benefit from the many opportunities that will be available in the tranquility of peace and friendship.
I wish you and your family every success and the choicest blessings for the future, with your dreams of success coming true, when we can all live together as members of a single family in our motherland.
Sincerely
Courtesy: priu.gov.lk

Raj Rajaratnam was a leading donor of money to LTTE - KP says

Raj Rajaratnam was a leading donor of money to LTTE - KP says
(By :Walter Jayawardhana)
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's arms procurer and later leader Kumar Pathmanadan under interrogation has revealed that US citizen Raj Rajaratnam who was arrested by the FBI had been a leading contributor of money to the terrorist group, Sri Lanka government sources said.
These contributions are intricately connected with the opposition politicians outside the LTTE but implementing a parallel political agenda with the terrorist group, the sources said. The LTTE also known as the Tamil Tigers with its fronts is a proscribed terrorist group in the United States.
Sources close to the government said these revelations about Raj Rajaratnam's contributions to the terrorist group tally with some findings of United States investigations.
KP who was arrested in a Kulalumpur Hotel is now in the custody of the Sri Lanka government being interrogated about the elaborate LTTE connections about its leading donors, influential Western connections who were on its pay roll, earnings of the group on drug and gun running and its intricate business empire.
KP has revealed that Raj Rajaratnam who was nabbed by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) after listening to him by wire taps for criminal insider trading scams has given money lavishly for the terrorist group and its Western sympathizer individuals.
KP's evidence of the LTTE receiving money from America's biggest swindler of its stock market have been collaborated by two letters now in the hands of the US intelligence.
The money of Raj Rajaratnam became the subject of litigation in Sri Lanka long before he was nabbed by the FBI. The state owned Sunday Observer of Colombo, pointed out when Raj Rajaratnam was arrested that the person involved in the case against the United National Party (UNP) stalwart and former Minister of Trade Ravi Karunanayaka of having sent one million US dollars to Karunanayaka was Raj Rajaratnam himself. In that case under Sri Lanka's Exchange Control Act Karunanayaka was prosecuted as an individual cannot receive foreign money without the sanction of the government.
Colombo High Court Judge Deepali Wijesundera enlarged Mr. Karunanayake on bail on the 10th of July this year after conducting inquiries. He was granted a cash bail of 100,000 Rupees and a personal bail of one million Rupees. The High Court also barred Ravi Karunanayake from leaving the country without its permission.

New Zealand’s Complicity in Sri Lanka’s Civil WarPosted on June 9th, 2009
by Roshan Mendis June 2009

In the aftermath of the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka, New Zealand should re-examine the small but potentially incendiary role it may have inadvertently played in the conflict. In 2005, New Zealand’s Agency for International Development (NZAID) handed over $121,500 in tsunami relief funds to the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), an organisation long suspected of being a front for the Tamil Tigers. That same year, the TRO had its charitable status revoked in Britain because it had “not been able to account satisfactorily for the application of funds.” Two years later, the TRO was blacklisted in the US on the grounds that it was raising funds and seeking to procure weapons for the Tigers. Despite assurances by the New Zealand government that it has not subsequently given funds to the TRO, it continues to hand over tens of thousands of dollars of tax payers’ money to community organisations that have functioned as a mouthpiece for the Tamil Tigers.
George Arulanantham, Coordinator of the Consortium of Tamil Associations in New Zealand (COTANZ) in Auckland (www.cotanz.org.nz), is on public record as declaring his support for the Tamil Tigers. In an interview he gave to Eugene Bingham from the New Zealand Herald in 2002, he said, “We are supporters of the LTTE – we feel they are freedom fighters.” This same George Arulanantham is also on the Board of Advisors for the Tamil Community Education (www.tamileducation.org.nz), an organisation that has received funding from the New Zealand Ministry of Education, Auckland City Council and the Lottery Board, yet has made no effort to conceal its indoctrination of Tamil children, including the glorification of the Tamil Tigers at recent ‘cultural’ functions.
But Arulanantham’s involvement extends well beyond Tamil community groups. He is also an Executive member of the Refugee Council of New Zealand (www.rc.org.nz) and an Executive member of Ethnic Voice New Zealand Incorporated (www.ethnicvoice.co.nz), a national community organisation that has received financial support from the Office of Ethnic Affairs and the Ministry of Social Development. Ethnic Voice New Zealand Inc professes a goal of “fostering collaborative relationships between the ethnic communities in New Zealand and the government agencies.” One only hopes that Mr Arulanantham, keen fan of the Tigers that he is, is not too eager to introduce their trademark methods of ‘fostering collaborative relationships between the ethnic communities’ – ethnic cleansing, civilian massacres and political assassinations – into New Zealand. Incidentally, Arulanantham’s daughter, Nirupa, is also allegedly a self-described ‘Tamil Tiger Supporter’. Yet, perversely, she also holds office in the United Nations Youth Association of New Zealand and was a coordinator of this year’s Human Rights Film Festival, an event supported by the Ministry of Justice and Amnesty International.
The now defeated Tamil Tigers are banned as a terrorist group in over 30 countries including Britain, Canada and the US. They were infamous for recruiting thousands of child soldiers and dispatching hundreds of suicide bombers during their protracted campaign for a separate Tamil homeland. Less well known in the West is the Tigers’ long involvement in global narcotics trafficking and people smuggling. George Arulanantham is entitled to his own personal views, even though his self-professed support for the Tamil Tigers would be a criminal offence in a number of other Western countries. But the fact that an individual who so blatantly supports the Tamil Tigers is allowed to hold high public office in New Zealand is a disgrace. That New Zealand taxpayers’ money may have been utilized for Tamil Tiger activities (masquerading as ‘community development’ or ‘cultural’ programmes) must be thoroughly investigated. And how Ms George, an outspoken supporter of the Tamil Tigers, can be allowed to sit on a Human Rights body in New Zealand without provoking a national outcry is frankly bizzare.
New Zealand must pull its head out from under the sand and move immediately to deny sanctuary and support to those who seek to provide succour to extremist organizations. To this end, the National party-led Government of Prime Minister John Key should follow through on its 2008 election campaign pledge to proscribe various nefarious groups, including the Tamil Tigers, as terrorist entities. This is all the more important at this critical juncture when the Tigers are pinning their hopes for revival on the concerted efforts of the diaspora in the West. Migrants to New Zealand must not be allowed to abuse the freedoms we all enjoy in this beautiful country to foment violence and hatred in their countries of origin.

Open letter to Murray McCully, New Zealand Minister of Foreign AffairsPosted on June 16th, 2009

Roshan Mendis NEW ZEALAND

Dear Mr McCully,
I am deeply concerned that the National-led government has failed to designate the Tamil Tigers as a terrorist entity, despite pre-election pledges by National to move swiftly to bring New Zealand into line with our like minded allies on this issue. I refer to your newsletter of 8 August, 2008, in which you categorically assert, “‘That the Tamil Tigers are fully fledged terrorists is beyond dispute.”
In the aftermath of the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka, the Tigers are pinning all their hopes for revival on the concerted efforts of the diaspora. Unable to directly raise funds or operate effectively in Australia, Canada, the US or the EU, New Zealand is increasingly becoming the country of choice for the Tigers to regroup and reorganize. LTTE cells operating in Auckland and Wellington have assumed responsibility for fundraising and procurement efforts throughout Australasia, previously co-ordinated from Melbourne. Emboldened by the Government’s inaction, certain front organizations have even used taxpayer-funded community grants to print Tamil Tiger posters and flags for so-called ‘cultural’ functions. It seems incredible that the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) continues to function openly in this country (with a registered address of 371 Dominion Road, Mt. Eden, Auckland) despite being unequivocally exposed as a front for the Tamil Tigers. Just this week, four Tamil defendants on trial in New York pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to the LTTE by laundering millions of dollars through the TRO.
I understand that the reluctance to proscribe the Tamil Tigers derives from historical concerns in some quarters that doing so during the ceasefire period would destabilize the peace process, and that doing so during the fighting would make the Tigers less inclined to agree to a future ceasefire. Clearly, both these concerns are no longer valid. I have to wonder then why the government continues to drag its feet on this important issue. I sincerely hope that your government has not compromised on its earlier principled position on this matter as a result of the sustained and intense lobbying it has come under by a section of the Tamil community. While moving to designate the Tamil Tigers would no doubt ruffle the feathers of some of the Tamil community residing here, the overwhelming majority of South Asian immigrants in New Zealand would be strongly supportive of such a move. I need not remind you that among the large Indian diaspora resident in New Zealand, there is no love for the Tamil Tigers, particularly since the organization assassinated former Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi.
In the event, I would be grateful for your responses to the following:
1) Do you still consider the Tamil Tigers to be ‘fully fledged terrorists’ as per your assertion in 2008?
2) Are you aware that the LTTE has stepped up its activities in New Zealand in recent months?
3) Do you still consider it necessary to use the post-September 11 toolkit of counter-terrorism legislation to make groups such as the Tamil Tigers subject to special scrutiny from counter terrorism authorities?
3) Has the government abandoned plans to designate the Tamil Tigers as a terrorist organization? If so, what is the basis for this change of position?
I look forward to your reply to my specific queries at your earliest possible convenience.
Many thanks,
Kind regards,
Roshan Mendis

Calls For Boycott Of Sporting And Economic Ties With Sri Lanka Will Not WorkPosted on June 15th, 2009

Press Release: New Zealand Society for Peace Unity and Human Rights

We have seen recent news reports that a section of New Zealand Tamils supporting the international terrorist organization LTTE has suggested that the New Zealand Government should cancel the Black Caps’ Sri Lankan cricket tour and should also boycott Sri Lankan goods as a retaliation for defeating terrorism within Sri Lanka in the recently concluded war.
This agitation follows the unsuccessful attempt made by Tamils living in foreign countries to influence the western world to cause an inquiry on the civil war by the UN Human Rights Commission. At the Commission’s sessions held on 27 May 2009 an overwhelming majority of 29 countries out of 47, with 6 countries abstaining, ruled that no investigation against Sri Lanka is necessary.
In such a backdrop, “New Zealand Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights in Sri Lanka (SPUR NZ)” would like to denounce the demand by LTTE supporters in New Zealand for an economic and sports boycott of Sri Lanka that might seriously damage friendly bi-lateral relationships. It would also cause substantial economic consequences for both countries.
Although we are very positive that the New Zealand Government will not even take any note of these demands, it is interesting to ponder on the potential repercussions of such a scenario.
At present the bi-lateral relationship between the two countries are maintained at an excellent level. The trade and other business relationships are expanding rapidly. Skills of the Sri Lankans of all ethnic groups i.e. Sinhala, Tamil and Moslem are utilized very productively by New Zealand to its quest for economic recovery.
At present, a major share of the Sri Lankan imports to New Zealand consists of Dilmah Tea. Its popularity built on the excellent quality. Sri Lankan Cricket and Dilmah Tea have gone hand in hand in New Zealand !
Ironically, that the immediate and direct sufferers from a boycott of Sri Lankan tea will be the Tamil tea estate workers in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka. On the other hand the importers and distributors of Sri Lankan food stuffs to New Zealand are the Tamil businessmen and any boycott of these goods will force them to close their shops putting the jobs of a number of Tamils who work in these establishments in jeopardy.
For most of the New Zealanders, Sri Lanka is synonymous with Dilmah Tea and Sri Lanka Cricket. Similarly for most of the Sri Lankans, New Zealand is synonymous with Anchor Milk and Black Caps Cricket Team.
Sri Lanka is New Zealand’s fifth largest market for milk powder products and it is growing year on year. It is reported that Fonterra Brands Lanka, the producers and distributors of Anchor Milk in Sri Lanka, has an annual milk food market worth of $286m in 2009. It is projected to grow up to $419m in 2012. The majority of the milk imports to Sri Lanka (94 per cent) are from New Zealand that includes 40,000 tonnes of milk powder from the Te Rapa and Te Awamutu sites in the Waikato, according to a news report published in April 2009 by Taranaki Daily News. Recently, Fonterra built a $12.2 million culture food manufacturing plant alongside its two existing plants in Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lankan Minister of Livestock Development C B Ratnayake has recently said that the SL government wanted to continue working with Fonterra to expand the dairy industry after the war is ended. He wanted greater production from Sri Lankan cows and to open up newly liberated land in the North and East of the country to dairying – and he wanted Fonterra’s help to make it happen due to the name and the confidence the company has created among the Sri Lankan consumer. It is abundantly clear that through bi-lateral trade and economic relations populations of both countries are mutually helping each other. A disruption will not be tolerated by any body.
A great opportunity is now available for the Sri Lankans living around the globe to get involved in creating more economic opportunities to their brethren living in the liberated areas in the North and East. Those people living in the in the North and East of Sri Lanka need every assistance to resume their life, and rehabilitation and re-construction of these areas is THE PRORITY.
What the Tamil Community living in New Zealand should do at this juncture is to promote the bi-lateral relationships and economic activities between the two countries further rather than advocating a boycott.

New Zealand's role in Sri Lanka's civil war

New Zealand's role in Sri Lanka's civil war
by Roshan Mendis
Is New Zealand inadvertently supporting the cause of the Tamil Tigers?
In the aftermath of the civil war in Sri Lanka, New Zealand should re-examine the small but potentially incendiary role it may have inadvertently played in the conflict.
In 2005, New Zealand’s Agency for International Development (NZAID) handed over $121,500 in tsunami relief funds to the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), an organisation long suspected of being a front for the Tamil Tigers. That same year, the TRO had its charitable status revoked in Britain because it had “not been able to account satisfactorily for the application of funds.” Two years later, the TRO was blacklisted in the US on the grounds that it was raising funds and seeking to procure weapons for the Tigers.
Despite assurances by the New Zealand Government that it has not subsequently given funds to the TRO, it continues to hand over tens of thousands of dollars of tax payers’ money to community organisations that have functioned as a mouthpiece for the Tamil Tigers.George Arulanantham, Auckland coordinator of the Consortium of Tamil Associations in New Zealand (www.cotanz.org.nz), is on record as declaring his support for the Tamil Tigers. In an interview he gave to Eugene Bingham from the New Zealand Herald in 2002, he said, “We are supporters of the LTTE – we feel they are freedom fighters.” This same George Arulanantham is also on the Board of Advisors for the Tamil Community Education (www.tamileducation.org.nz), an organisation that has received funding from the New Zealand Ministry of Education, Auckland City Council and the Lottery Board, yet has made no effort to conceal its indoctrination of Tamil children, including the glorification of the Tamil Tigers at recent ‘cultural’ functions.The now defeated Tamil Tigers are banned as a terrorist group in over 30 countries including Britain, Canada and the US. They were infamous for recruiting thousands of child soldiers and dispatching hundreds of suicide bombers during their protracted campaign for a separate Tamil homeland. Less well known in the West is the Tigers’ long involvement in global narcotics trafficking and people smuggling. New Zealand must pull its head out from under the sand and move immediately to deny sanctuary and support to those who seek to provide succour to extremist organisations. To this end, the National Government of Prime Minister John Key should follow through on its 2008 election campaign pledge to proscribe various nefarious groups, including the Tamil Tigers, as terrorist entities. This is all the more important at this critical juncture when the Tigers are pinning their hopes for revival on the concerted efforts of the diaspora in the West.
Migrants to New Zealand must not be allowed to abuse the freedoms we all enjoy in this beautiful country to foment violence and hatred in their countries of origin.