http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=French_senator_impressed_with_Lanka_progress_20130821_01

Last modified on: 8/21/2013 8:40:29 AM

French senator impressed with Lanka's progress Nathalie Goulet French senator Nathalie Goulet who concluded a four-day visit to Sri Lanka yesterday said she has already laid the ground work to form a Sri Lanka - France Parliamentary Friendship Group to foster even stronger relations between the two countries. Goulet said she had discussed with high ranking political officials in Sri Lanka about preparing a three year road map linked to the above initiative with the vision to enhance cooperation in a variety of areas, including political, trade, tourism etc. to benefit both the countries. Speaking to the media in Colombo at the end of her visit, Goulet said she was confident that the French Parliament will give the go ahead to the proposed initiative when it reconvenes in September. Goulet also noted that she intends to visit Sri Lanka again shortly with a group of at least six to seven French Senators to put the finishing touches to the initiative. Describing the visit as her first to Sri Lanka, Goulet said she was very impressed with the progress the country has achieved in a short span of four years since the conflict ended. "What impressed me most is the determination shown to achieve development and progress after such a damaging conflict" she added. Goulet describing her visit as very fruitful, met President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Defence and Urban Development Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and several officials from the Bord of Investment. Ambassodor of Sri Lanka in France Prof. Karunaratne Hangawatte speaking alongside Senator Goulet fondly remembered how the Senator defended several staffers of his embassy when they were subjected to abusive treatment by some diaspora members at a trade fair in France in which Sri Lanka took part. "On that occasion she defended my staff when some unruly diaspora members tried to attack them. Even though she did not know much about Sri Lanka at the time she stood up and said she will not allow members of any country to be mistreated in her constituency" he said, saying that the incident had sparked the beginning of a very fruitful relationship between the Lankan embassy and Goulet. Nathalie Goulet is a member of the Senate of France, representing the Orne department. She is a member of the Centrist Union, of the Commission of Foreign Affairs and Defense Forces. Courtesy : Daily News

http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=If_Tamils_can_live_in_the_South_why_20130822_04

Last modified on: 8/22/2013 10:08:14 AM

If Tamils can live in the South why can't Sinhalese live in the North? The very organizations and individuals ever ready to pull out the red card of international human rights and laws have been chanting the chorus of a "sinhalization" of "historical Tamil areas" totally ignoring that it is the right of any citizen to live within the territory of the State in addition to the inability to even prove of anything called a "historical homeland". With more Tamils living outside a fictitious "Homeland" and amongst the Sinhalese further nullifying claims of discrimination the Sri Lankan Authorities should not allow political pressures to deny the right of every citizen to live where they like while also delaying resettling all Sinhalese and Muslims who had been chased out by LTTE and the families of those who had been ethnically cleansed in the North. If the Tamils can live with the Sinhalese in the South why can't Sinhalese live with Tamils in the North of Sri Lanka and if Navi Pillai is bringing up this item on her agenda this question needs to be posed directly to her to answer. What do those professing the theory of "Sinhalization" of the North have to say about the * RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT enshrined in Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? * RIGHT TO RESIDENCE enshrined in Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which reads "everyone lawfully within the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence" * RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT under the Sri Lankan Constitution (Chapter 3- Fundamental Rights) (h) the freedom of movement and of choosing his residence within Sri Lanka. The Tamils are exercising their right to freedom of movement and residence, if so why are the majority Sinhalese that comprise 14.8million of a 20million population being denied this right? Why have the Sinhalese been chased out of their homes in the North and why are they not been allowed to resettle while other Sinhalese who now wish to start life in the North are also being denied their Constitutional right? What right does a party like the TNA sitting in Parliament thanks to the LTTE have to make objections to any citizen of Sri Lanka wanting to own land, run business and live in the North? Who gave them any right to declare the North as their own even if they have managed to put a retired Supreme Court judge to making the eviction calls? Many of the Sinhalese living in the North were removed from their original dwellings during the 2002 Cease Fire Agreement for which the UNP Government and the present Foreign Minister must be held accountable. Many of these Sinhalese families have deeds to prove their land ownership but it appears malpractices taking place are purposely attempting to deny them their right to live in the North. Even without the deed it is a right of every citizen to live wherever they like in the territory of Sri Lanka. Therefore it is not just a question of resettling Sinhalese (who speak Tamil having lived there for decades) and Muslims displaced ever since the outbreak of terror and defacto rule of LTTE but it is for the Government to make a public ruling that EVERY CITIZEN IS ENTITLED TO LIVE WHERE THEY LIKE and no one can object to it. While resettling the 165,000 Sinhalese evicted from the North and East as well as the Muslims, the Sri Lankan Government must put its foot down and say that TNA, Western Governments, Tamil Diaspora, India, Tamil Nadu, its Chief Minister or humanitarian agencies have no right to use slogans of "sinhalization" to put pressure on the Sri Lankan Government to not allow Sinhalese or Muslims to settle in the North. Politics and political decisions cannot be determined on submission of myths just as foreign nations and international organizations cannot put pressures upon a legitimate government based on those unsubstantiated myths. Moreso, the Tamils finds the origins of its culture continuing unabated across the Palk Straits in Tamil Nadu. It is in Tamil Nadu that the Tamil ethnic cultural originates and where the real Tamil Homeland is found, why is it that the parties claiming to help Tamils find their original homeland do not look where it is already running as a state, Tamil is official language and where virtually all are Tamils. The myths have gained false credibility in the light of Sri Lankan Tamil political parties, some Tamil intellectuals putting their qualifications on line to falsify history and media ever ready to publish anything for money. Some of the lies are obvious: * Why has the number of Tamils leaving the North to settle amongst the Sinhalese in the South throughout LTTE reign increased if we are to accept the notion of "ethnic discrimination by Sinhalese against the much publicized version that LTTE was the savior of Tamils?" - statistical evidence can prove this. * It is also proved by the fact that the Tamil politicians themselves live amongst the Sinhalese and not amongst their own people especially during the LTTE reign where TNA claimed LTTE was the sole representative of the Tamil people. * This is also proved by the increase in Tamil businesses, land ownership by Tamils, increase in Tamil school going children and number of Tamils in employment in Sinhalese majority areas. * In contrast, while the elite Tamils nicely made their way out of the North the ordinary people who were left behind became the guinea pigs of the LTTE to be used as suicide bombers, combatants, child soldiers, civilian messengers and to serve in LTTE's administration and other logistics units. No Tamil Nation in Sri Lanka - Tamil Nation is in India * There is and was NO Tamil nation in Sri Lanka - that Tamil nation exists in Tamil Nadu where Kaweri valley is the center of Tamil civilization. Sri Lanka's North or East were never a center of Tamil civilization. * To define an area as a homeland there has to be a distinct civilization emerging from that region, a politically autonomous entity has to exist over a length of time, a long continued habitation of the same people, concept of homeland must prevail in the minds of the people, the cultural landscape must reflect the culture of the people with credible evidence - none of these criterions can be proved in the North or East of Sri Lanka except perhaps the last but Tamil Nadu meets all these criteria for a Tamil Homeland and given that 65million of the world's 72million Tamils already live in Tamil Nadu it is the Homeland of the Tamils. No independent Tamil Kingdom in Sri Lanka or Traditional Tamil Homeland in North or East * If such a kingdom existed on its own where is evidence of such when in comparison to Sinhalese-Buddhist hydraulic civilization binding these two provinces? * The British demarcated provinces based on easy access to coast, administrative convenience and cartographic convenience. The British did not demarcate provinces based on any Tamil Homeland! If so there should be separate agreements/treaties signed between the colonials and Tamils. * While no distinctive Tamil civilization existed in Sri Lanka the Sinhala Buddhist civilization spread throughout the island and never was the North and East ONLY inhabited by Tamils. * Toponymy (place names) indicate that original Sinhalese names have been translated to Tamil (not the other way round). Refer Prof. Chandre Dharmawardana - http://dh-web.org/place.names/ The Government of Sri Lanka must ensure that these original names continue to prevail. * Records of Portuguese, Dutch and English amply proves that the North and East were under the Sinhalese Kings. Tamils were not the original inhabitants of Sri Lanka to claim inheritance * While Tamils accept the existence of the tribes Yaksha, Naga and Deva they also claim to be original inhabitants of Sri Lanka but are at a loss when asked to prove their historical continuity with archeological, documentary or even oral-tradition evidence. * However there are over 600 ancient Buddhist shrines all over the North and East provinces (most of these evidences have been destroyed by TULF and LTTE). People continue to worship sacred Buddhist places in North - Nagadipa, Seruwila, Dighawapi, numerous stone inscriptions of Sinhalese-Buddhist kings are found in the 2 provinces. * Tamils did arrive when South Indians invaded Sri Lanka - which makes them invading immigrants. Tamil settlements started only in the 12th century - but there was no distinct Tamil-Hindu civilization different to that of Tamil Nadu. The Sinhalese have however formed a distinct language-culture-civilization which does not exist anywhere else in the world. Tamils have Freedom of Movement but Sinhalese do not * Tamils were always moving throughout the country even at the height of LTTE terror but the Sinhalese could not Tamils have political freedom proved by * Registration of Tamil political parties * Tamil political parties contesting elections * Tamil political parties in Sri Lanka's Parliament/Tamil MPs/Tamils in Cabinet/Tamil Deputy Ministers/Tamil Provincial Councilors/Tamils in local government bodies * Tamils voting throughout the country * Thus there are no Sinhalese Governments proved by minorities holding Government portfolios. * Both the 2 main political parties in Sri Lanka are multi-ethnic parties whereas Tamils and Muslims have mono-ethnic political parties. The 2 multi-ethnic parties have even nominated minorities for electorates where Sinhalese Buddhists are majorities. * Sinhalese have grievances is proved by the appointment of a Sinhala Commission to look into the grievances of the Sinhalese. * No Government has supported the Sinhalese, promoted or protected Buddhism, the Sinhalese language or the Sinhalese culture since post-independence. This is proved by the fact that Sinhalese are economically below minorities, traditional Buddhist sites are not protected or given exclusivity and minorities would not be allowed to bargain with Sinhala Buddhist ethos - in France, the majority are called French so why is Sri Lanka not referred to as Sinhaladesa Have we forgotten the Sinhalese who lost their lands/lost their lives? * Did the Accelerated Mahaweli Development project not result in over 200,000 Sinhalese losing the ancestral lands in the prosperous valleys of Teldeniya and Kotmale Oya and were settled in System C and B of Mahawelia? * Did the British after the Uva Rebellion in mid 1800s selectively kill Sinhalese in the central highlands and converted them to plantations and settled Tamils brought from India as slave labors? * While Tamils live in Sinhalese areas no Sinhalese or Muslims were allowed to live in LTTE controlled areas. * Over 400 Buddhist monks had been killed by LTTE terrorists. * Over 300 Sinhalese babies were killed in their villagers by LTTE terrorists It must also be reiterated that contrary to the discrimination that is being used as a punchline in practice it is quite the contrary. Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims go to the same restaurants, travel in the same buses, use the same public utilities and live and work amongst each other. However both Tamils and Muslims demand separate schools, separate mediums in schools and universities, no sooner an area becomes populated with more Tamils or Muslims the area is turned into an exclusive area where only their Kovils/Mosques, eating places etc must prevail. How just is this if they claim to be integrating with communities and desiring peaceful co-existence? The lies being promoted are many : from a mythical homeland, to being treated as second class citizens, Sinhala extremism and intolerance, discrimination. oppression under "Sinhalese" governments, "Sinhalese" army occupying "Tamil Homeland" are all stories being used to facilitate the goal of creating a separate state. But it is ridiculous to claim a separate state when 2/3 of the Tamils live outside of their supposed "Tamil Homeland". BUT, we do empathize that with 72million world Tamils it is unfair that they do not have a State of their own while the 14.8million Sinhalese have a state but cannot call it a Sinhalese state because it is not politically correct! Nevertheless, it is upto India given that India became India after the British put territories and boundaries together to form it and therefore Tamil Nadu has every right to demand to separate and Sri Lankan Tamils should go there where they would be happier than feeling like "second class" citizens. If they are unhappy in Sri Lanka (but happier to be amongst the Sinhalese rather than live in the North) it is best that they go to a place where they are happier. Sinhalese Buddhists need to be proud of their culture, heritage and civilization * Ancient sites under excavation at Pattherajawala dates back 120,000 years * The Pahiyangala rock findings date back 35,000 years where the people dug 35feet in stone where food was stored (depicting agriculture existed) even housing prevailed 30,000 years ago http://www.sinhalaheritage.org/Pahiyangala_caves.html * Evidence of agriculture dating 17,000 back as well as production of barley and wheat dating 12,000 BC found in Maha Eliya (Horton Plains) - the same was found in Sumer Iraq around 6000BC only. * Concept of Medicine initiated over 10,000 years ago - Rawana had written 7 medical books which continue to be published in India. He found 444 diseases and said that eating beef made a person vulnerable to 93 diseases. * First hospitals (Mihintale, Medegiriya) * Use of mircolith technology used 35,000 years ago is in par with South Africa while the Indian subcontinent was 15,000 and Europe 12,000 * American and Swiss archaeologists confirm that acupuncture was founded in Ceylon 34,000 years ago * Necklaces and earrings dating 30,000 years back have been found in the Central province * First and only ancient people to use wind power technology (to produce non-rusting steel) by 1500BC and exported. The technology was investigated by Jill Juleff and sites can be seen in Samanalawewa. Development of a new technique called wootz steel as far back as 300BC. The ancient steel swords made in Lanka found in the Bangalore National Museum even after 3500 years have not rusted! * Use of pump as early as 300BC - to water the Jasmine flowers on the Maha Stupa but the West has attributed that invention to the Greeks in 100BC, shows how Eastern inventions are purposely being shunned. * First use of hydro technology - invention of valve pit (Bisokotuwa), spray jets and spa centers in Ranmasu Uyana before the Romans * In 1st AD the Roman tax collector Annius Piocamus was stranded at sea and was rescued by Sinhalese ships and thereafter the Sinhalese king sent a mission to Rome (Vol VI Pliny the Elder) reveals that the Romans had never seen ships as big as the Sinhala ships (also confirmed by Chinese records) * The Great Jetawana Dagaba built by King Mahasen in 4th century was described by the Romans as the 3rd wonder of the world (400ft high - 3rd largest monument of the ancient world and biggest brick monument of the ancient world) * Dr. Hawkeys of Arizona State University claims dental traits of Indus Valley People match the Austro-Asiatic tribes of North East India (Naga) and the Sinhala of Lanka. The DNA from both have been found on Egyptians and ancient Nubians (Ethiopia) Her findings are supported by Cornell University that the first anatomically modern humans in South Asia are from Sri Lanka (this opposes the Out of Africa theory) which can be contested with the discovery of the 35,000 year old Balangoda Man whose traits are found in both the Veddahs and the Sinhela communities (Dr. Shiran Deraniyagala) This clearly puts to rest that Sinhela's trace their origins to arrival of King Vijaya and Sri Lanka's Government needs to promptly change all school text books that are giving a distorted historical version to future generations of children. These are just a handful of achievements by the Sinhalese which Sri Lankan Tamils cannot even match to prove a separate civilization existed to even justify a claim. In every aspect of life the ancient Sinhalese civilization has left remnants for us to put together how they lived. Moreover, there are no other civilization similar to the Sinhalese elsewhere in the world. Anyone visiting the recently concluded SHILPI exhibited at the BMICH would have found further evidence of why the Sinhalese refuses to give up their civilization, their culture and their heritage though a handful are willing to betray their ancestors for multicultural remunerations. The importance of the Sinhalese civilization can best be described in the words of the Tamil philosopher Ananda Kumaraswamy who, while testifying at the Manning Commission under the British invaders in 1906, said "Take anything from this country. But please don't corrupt or destroy that beautiful Sinhalese culture that survives in villages. Because someday when you, with your greedy and selfish policies, destroy this world both materially and spiritually, the answer to rebuild that ruined world can only be found in that beautiful Sinhalese philosophy." For trying to protect for future generations the Sinhala civilization, the Sinhalese are branded as racists, chauvinists, warmongers and what not by those who have a history of nothing to be proud of. What the world should ideally do is to help the Sinhalese preserve its ancient civilization not attempt to destroy it. Shenali D Waduge -The Ministry of Defence bears no responsibility for the ideas and opinion expressed by the numerous contributors to the “Opinion Page” of this web site

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2013/08/04/fea03.asp

Opinion:

TNA follows bidding of LTTE cohorts

by K.M.H.C.B. Kulatunga

War crimes, human rights violations, media freedom and public protests are attractive headlines that surface from time to time, each time before an international fora or sessions of the United Nation’s Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Those are the periods even Callum Macrae and his men, who produced the notorious No Fire Zone to discredit Sri Lanka on controversial British television Channel 4, work overtime to discredit Sri Lanka.

The rebuilt library of Vayavilan MMV, in Jaffna.

The Elephant Pass railway station being rebuilt.

With Sri Lanka gearing to host the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November and the upcoming UNHRC sessions in Geneva, international nosy parkers are back in their business of discrediting Sri Lanka.
The LTTE cohorts and certain quarters in the West made every effort to tarnish Sri Lanka’s image and force the Commonwealth to move the 2013 CHOGM out of Sri Lanka. But when all those sinister moves became unsuccessful, they have now resorted to a different tactic.
Macrae initially attempted to make a huge issue on media accreditation for the the 2013 CHOGM. Macrae and his men prayed for a situation that Sri Lanka would prevent them from coming here. Their target was to see them being denied of media accreditation for the 2013 CHOGM so that they could make a huge issue out of it.

Credibility

When the Government announced that all international journalists who had followed proper media accreditation application would be granted access, Macrae’s plan went for a six. He must now be ‘cooking a fresh story’ and it won’t be a surprise if Macrae and his disgraceful Channel 4 release another film on the eve of the 2013 CHOGM summit in Colombo.
Even then, they will face an issue on credibility as most people in the international community are now acutely aware how Macrae and his goons have come out with concocted stories to mislead the West. LTTE cohorts and a section of the Tamil Disapora have spent a colossal amount of money to produce such films through their agents in international media.
Channel-4 has made serious mistakes by misinterpreting what the witnesses have said in Tamil, to suit the Channel-4 agenda. The 'Killing Fields' documentary, the civilians who spoke in Tamil at no stage stated that the attacks were carried out specifically by Sri Lanka’s Security Forces, rather they always mentioned that “they attacked”, leaving it ambiguous.
Anyone with a sound knowledge of the Tamil language would identify the serious mistakes and misinterpretations and manipulations done to suit the Channel-4 agenda. As the civilians’ statements constitute important evidence in any conflict, tampering them to give a completely false view, is a matter of serious concern.
Ruthless
The LTTE was not an ordinary group of terrorists, but was one in which all its cadres mandatorily carried cyanide capsules to kill themselves if captured by the Army. It was also a ruthless terrorist group which never hesitated to use even disabled and pregnant women as suicide bombers to achieve its objectives.
Irrespective of Sri Lanka’s categorical rejection of the Channel-4 footage and its authenticity, Sri Lanka nevertheless, is in the process of investigating the allegations. In this context, Sri Lanka’s request to Channel-4 to provide original materials available with them to help the investigation process rather than pleading for Pounds through projects such as the ‘Kick-starter’, to go on a globe-trotting venture with the film.
The damage and injustice to the ordinary Sri Lankan people by the controversial film was immense. These people had been yearning for nothing but peace, dignity and normalcy in life. If the supporters of this venture believe that by cooking up stories like the 'No Fire Zone' can bring them peace and dignity, it is nothing but a grave mistake.
But time is now opportune to make a careful study of countries and people who often pontificate to us on human rights.
These countries in the West should not be allowed anymore to shout from the rooftops on human rights in Sri Lanka when they have loads of rubbish in their backyards.
Canada depicts itself a ‘Paragon of Virtue’, acts as the model of excellence on democracy, good governance, rule of law and human rights giving advice and counseling to nations such as Sri Lanka.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said that he will not be attending the 2013 CHOGM, alleging that the country’s human rights record is not impressive. Despite the ‘counseling’ position Canada has thrust upon itself to pontificate Sri Lanka, Canada has given the country’s spy agency - Canadian Security Information Service - permission to use information extracted from suspects through torture, despite claims that it would never use such data, according to a Press TV report.

Torture

It has now come to light how Canada’s intelligence services, including the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC), recently got an annual budget of about 400 million dollars to use and share information extracted through the use of torture, despite the Canadian government’s claim that it does not condone such acts. Human rights activists condemned the move, arguing that Canada is propagating the use of torture. Secretary General of Amnesty International, Canada, Robert Alexander has said that whenever information obtained under torture is used by other people, whoever that may be - a police officer, a government agency, a journalist, anyone , “then all that it does is encourage the torturers to continue to torture. It’s essentially creating a market”.
In a directive, issued in December 2010, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service was given permission to employ such information in cases where it claimed ‘public safety is at stake’.
The move is part of a broader, so-called Five Eyes intelligent sharing network involving the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
It was reported that the Canadian government has quietly given Canada’s national police force and the federal border agency the authority to use and share information that was likely extracted through torture. Newly disclosed records show Public Safety Minister Vic Toews issued the directives to the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency shortly after giving similar orders to Canada’s spy service. The government directives state that protection of life and property are the chief considerations when deciding on the use of information that may have been derived from torture.

Blind eye

It was also exposed how USA’s influential cabinet member, former US Secretary of State and United States ambassador to the United Nations - 1993 to 2000 - during Bill Clinton presidency, Madeleine K. Albright turned a blind eye and ignored the open genocide and carnage in Rwanda in 1994. She subsequently side stepped taking ‘global action’ against the Rwandan perpetrators led by their current president Paul Kagame. Albright was the US Secretary of State during the 1994 Rwanda Genocide.
In a report released recently in Washington, authored by her, the United States And R2P: From Word To Action - Commissioned by the U.S. Holocaust Museum, the US. Institute of Peace and the Brookings Institution, Albright had the audacity and nakedness to use the ‘interpretations’, ‘fabrications’, and ‘diabolical falsehood’ provided by the separatist-elements of the Tamil Diaspora in labeling Sri Lanka as a ‘genocidal state’, a term the activists within the Tamil Diaspora continually use to depict this South Asian nation before the international community.
Madeleine Albright is the last person who could brand Sri Lanka of ‘genocidal actions’ during the country’s relentless battle against terrorism. Clinton’s ambassador to the UN (from, 1993-1997) got the US administration to ignore the open genocide in Rwanda and failed as the American envoy to the world body to initiate action to stop the killings witnessed by the entire world. She further failed to take steps as the US secretary of state (1997-2000) in the Clinton administration to get Paul Kagame who grabbed political power through the genocide to face consequences but let him run the country.

Humanitarian operation

The same Albright, in the July 22 report, made a disgraceful attempt to paint a gloomy picture on Sri Lanka, alleging as a genocide state. She seems to have conveniently forgotten the fact that it was a merely a humanitarian operation that Sri Lanka’s Security Forces had carried out to liberate over half a million people from the jaws of death and secure the lives of over 21 million Sri Lankans. Where were these officials when Sri Lanka was at the receiving end with Prabhakaran and his goons were playing with the lives of an entire nation?
The genocide in Ruwanda was based on two ethnic groups, the Hutu and the Tutsi. The population in the year 1994 was approximately seven million people of which 85% was Hutu, 14% Tutsi, and 1% was Twa. The Hutus feared the minority and the Tutsi rule because of the population increase and social, political and economic pressures.
Estimated reports said that over 800,000, or 75 percent of the Tutsi population in Rwanda, were killed in the genocide. Anyone suspected of being a Tutsi was killed while fleeing the roadblocks and leaving the country. Hutus opposing the genocide were also killed, being proclaimed traitors. The Hutu extremists, called the Interahamwe were successful in their genocide.
Paul Kagame, the leader of the Rwanda Patriotic Front, that invaded the country with the support of Uganda, became the president of Rwanda. But all those who now come out with concocted stories and weep buckets of crocodile tears were fast asleep then.

Human shield

Sri Lanka waged a battle against terrorism, that too against the world’s most ruthless terrorist outfit in the world. The Government was duty bound to protect its people and the Security Forces merely exercised their right to protect people against a group of terrorists who had been forcibly holding over half a million hapless civilians as a human shield.
Countries such as the US have done everything under the sun in the guise of national security. As a sovereign state, Sri Lanka too should enjoy the same inalienable right. The West should not forget the fact that Sri Lanka has merely exercised its right to defend. Be it the US, Sri Lanka or any other sovereign nation, they should enjoy the same right when it comes to the national security and territorial integrity. The West should no longer get carried away by various ploys adopted by the LTTE cohorts to woo international sympathy. People in the North and the East, who have begun a new lease of life after being rescued by the Security Forces four to five years ago, will provide enough and more proof on the legitimacy of the humanitarian operation.

Democratic right

People in the North have now got a chance to elect representatives of their choice to run the provincial administration. President Mahinda Rajapaksa requested people in North to seize the opportunity and elect their own representatives in the upcoming Provincial Councils election without fear or intimidation.
Prabhakaran undermined the power of the ballot through the bullet and the people in the North had been deprived of their democratic right. It was President Rajapaksa who have give people in the North their democratic right again.
President Rajapaksa told the monthly breakfast meeting with media heads that people in the North who were deprived of their democratic right by the terrorists for more than three decades have already exercised their franchise at Presidential, General and Pradeshiya Sabha elections. Participating in a democratic process is a clear indication of new freedom they are currently enjoying.
It is the duty of the people in the North not to fall prey for the Minister moves of the TNA, which had shown a blind eye when the people in the province had been subjected to LTTE terror.
The Tiger-proxy party has not done anything for their own people. Hence, Sampanthan and his men do not have any moral right to beg for votes of the people in the North. Sampanthan has only danced to the melody of the LTTE and the Tiger sympathisers in the West. Neither Sampanthan nor his TNA leaders read the pulse of the people in the North.
They only understand the whims and fancies of the LTTE cohorts and a section of the Tamil Diaspora which funds them. That is far from the aspirations of Tamils in the North. Could a Colombo 7 resident such as Vigneshwaran ever feel the pulse of the oridinary Tamils in the North who had undergone untold hardship due to LTTE’s three decades of terror?

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2013/08/11/main_Editorial.asp

Northerners should not fall prey to sinister forces

There was a time when almost the entire Northern Province was held by LTTE terrorists and not a single politician or official dared to visit the area. The LTTE not only held those areas forcibly but ran a virtual de facto state with its jungle law. The LTTE had its own Tiger courts, police force, administrative set up, currency and even an air wing with small fixed-wing aircraft under the direction of LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, which even bombed strategic locations in the South.
None of the extremist Tamil politicians who now weep buckets of crocodile tears over the fate of people in the North uttered a word of consolation when the Northerners were forcibly held by the LTTE as a human shield, subjecting them to untold misery.
Those horrendous days are now a thing of the past after the entire country was liberated from the clutches of LTTE terror following the 2006-2009 battle against terrorism, during which over half a million people in the North and the East had been liberated during the world's largest human rescue operation.
No sooner the entire country was liberated, the Government embarked on numerous mega development projects in the North and the East to develop infrastructure facilities in the two provinces. Simultaneously, LTTE landmines were cleared and displaced persons were resettled in their original homes.
Thanks to the Government's untiring efforts and the contribution of the Security Forces, displaced persons were resettled much earlier than anticipated, thereby setting new world standards.
The Government has given preferential treatment to the Northern and the Eastern Provinces - more than the other seven provinces in a determined bid to re-establish all what the LTTE had destroyed during its three decades of terror. The Government has achieved significant milestones during the past four years as President Mahinda Rajapaksa was determined to provide people in the North almost everything what they had lost due to barbaric LTTE terrorism.
Moreover, the Government also held Local Government elections in those areas. Now that the demining and resettlement of displaced persons have been successfully completed, the Government is keen to set up the Northern Provincial Council, for which elections would be held next month.
Those who point an accusing finger at the Government, including those international nosey parkers, must first and foremost see for themselves the incredible transformation that had taken place since May, 2009.
An area which was at one time under the complete control of a bunch of barbaric terrorists has now been liberated. Thousands of hapless civilians who had been subjected to untold hardships have not only breathed a sigh of relief but also given a new lease of life. People who spent many a sleepless night and sought refuge in the jungles to protect themselves from the Tiger terrorists, are now living in peace and harmony with enhanced facilities. Their purchasing power too had gone up considerably, making a tangible contribution to the national coffers.
On the other hand, over 21 million people who lived in mortal fear not knowing when the next LTTE bomb would explode are now enjoying the dividends of peace. These are indeed landmark achievements which no other country could be proud of.
President Rajapaksa has gone that extra mile by offering the people in the North an opportunity to elect representatives of their choice to run the provincial administration. Though many had expressed reservations that the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) elections would not see the light of day, the President is confident that it would be an important milestone in national reconciliation.
There are fears in certain quarters that the NPC power may go into the wrong hands. But this is purely a matter for the people in the North to decide on. They have a bounden duty to ensure that the hard-earned peace is not disrupted under any circumstances.
Certain sinister elements, remote-controlled by some extraneous international forces, are making a subtle attempt to capture power in the NPC through LTTE cohorts. They are perhaps under a delusion that they could democratically achieve what Prabhakaran had failed through his armed struggle.
In the event these LTTE cohorts, with the blessings of the former Tiger-proxy party TNA, feel that they could turn the ballots into bullets, they are sadly mistaken. The Government would never leave any room whatsoever for any force on earth to derail the country's hard-earned peace. The peace people enjoy today did not come on a platter, but rather through the immense sacrifices by the true sons of our soil. The Security Forces sacrificed their life and limb to liberate over half a million Tamils from the jaws of LTTE terror and unite the country. The Government would by no means let those sacrifices be in vain by exposing the North to a group of LTTE cohorts.
The biggest responsibility devolves on the people in the North as they have been given the freedom to exercise their franchise. Hence, they have to weigh the pros and cons before casting their vote at the forthcoming NPC elections.
The people alone should take a firm decision regarding their future, a decision that would not boomerang on them and relegate them to that dark era again. They should not be carried away by radical racists of the LTTE and dig their own graves.
The manner in which some TNA leaders are conducting themselves is highly questionable, to say the least. The NPC elections could well be treated as a referendum, at which Northerners would have to decide whether they wish to revert to those dark days again. Hence, the forthcoming NPC election is not merely an opportunity to elect representatives of one's choice but a landmark decision that determines their fate in the future.
The TNA's sinister moves are already evident by its leader R. Sampanthan's statement that the selection of T. Vigneshwaran was due to pressure by two foreign countries. It is anybody's guess who these interested parties are.
As the President has said time and again, foreigners and other countries could not have a greater concern for the people in Sri Lanka than its own leaders. Hence, the hidden agenda of those, which coerced the TNA to field Vigneshwaran as the Tiger-proxy's chief ministerial candidate for the NPC, is crystal clear. People in the North should take into consideration these factors before they cast their precious votes at the NPC elections.
People in the North should give a better meaning to the efforts of the Security Forces who had rescued them in their time of need.
The Government has afforded the people in the North an opportunity to exercise their democratic right and it's their supreme duty to take a wise decision in this regard.

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2013/08/11/sec02.asp

Opinion

Lt. Gen. Denzil Kobbekaduwa:

Finest war hero in contemporary history

by K.M.H.C.B. Kulatunga

During Sri Lanka’s three decades of terror, there had been many military leaders who had tried their utmost to get rid of the LTTE. From the days of the late President J.R. Jayewardene, successive executive Presidents made every effort to find a permanent solution to terrorism in Sri Lanka.

Lt. Gen. Kobbekaduwa with Army officers during an anti-LTTE operation

All Executive Presidents, including the incumbent, held peace talks with the LTTE. But the Tigers made use of these opportunities to strengthen their military capability, rather than making a sincere effort to find a negotiated settlement.
When the peace talks failed, all these leaders of Sri Lanka had tried to crush the LTTE militarily. There had been a few notable military operations under dynamic military leaders in the past. All these operations against the LTTE had a premature death, some on the verge of capturing LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.
All those past Executive Presidents of the country succumbed to international pressure and were compelled to abandon those military operations when the Security Forces were on the verge of winning those operations. The most notable senior army officer who had given praiseworthy leadership to the Security Forces before President Mahinda Rajapaksa assumed office in 2005 was Lieutenant General Denzil Kobbekaduwa.

Twenty-first death anniversary

The nation marked the 21st death anniversary of the late Lieutenant General Kobbekaduwa, one of the finest War Heroes in our contemporary history. Lieutenant General Kobbekaduwa, along with few other subordinate military officers made the supreme sacrifice when the ruthless LTTE terrorists activated a blast against their vehicle on August 8, 1992.
His leadership and command brought countless notable victories to the Sri Lanka Army during the early military operations against the LTTE terrorists. Lieutenant General Kobbekaduwa’s victorious pulse fell silent exactly 21 years ago with his fellow-military veterans, while they were on a military assignment close to Araly Point in Kayts, Jaffna.
Major General Wijaya Wimalarathne, Rear Admiral Mohan Jayamaha, Lieutenant Colonel H.R Stephen, Lieutenant Colonel G. H. Ariyarathne, Lieutenant Colonel Y N Palipana, Commander Asanga Lankathilaka, Lieutenant Colonel Nalin de Alwis, Lieutenant Commander C. B. Wijepura and the Private W J Wickremasinghe were the others in the vehicle.

Political leadership

A product of Trinity College, Kandy, Lt Gen Kobbekaduwa joined the Sri Lanka Army on May 25, 1960. On successful completion of basic military training at the Army Training centre, he left for the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, UK. He was commissioned in the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps as a Second Lieutenant on August 3, 1962.

People celebrating victory over the LTTE in May, 2009

The nation would never forget the praise-worthy service rendered by the great heroes. Lt Gen Kobbekaduwa would have been still alive if he had a political leadership such as President Rajapaksa. The nation would have got rid of the LTTE much earlier and thousands of more lives would have been saved if President Rajapaksa’s political leadership had been there when Lt Gen Kobbekaduwa had led the Security Forces in the battlefront.
Nevertheless, the nation was able to give a better meaning to those great scarifices made by giant war heroes such as Lt Gen Kobbekaduwa and Brigadier Wimalaratne after President Rajapaksa assumed office.
But certain countries in the West and some international organisatons work on a secret agenda to undermine Sri Lanka’s hard-earned peace. They often attempt to intimidate Sri Lanka and meddle in the country’s internal affair.
The battle against terrorism was won to establish long-term peace and progress. It’s time now to learn from the experience of others. The country faced the vagaries of a virtual civil war and an unremitting spate of suicide attacks for nearly three decades.

Short cuts

However, Sri Lanka fought its way out of this quagmire, thanks to the right military strategies of Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the political sagacity of President Rajapaksa. All past Executive Presidents looked for short cuts to achieve peace, some even gave money, cement and arms to be in the good books of Prabhakaran. They were even ready to let Prabhakaran run the North, provided the terrorist outfit did not explode bombs in the South.
The Tiger separatists had turned into a professional combat machine and were able to raise a well-trained infantry, artillery, naval gunships and a fleet of stealth boats. They were also able to form death squads of suicide bombers, which carried out deadly and merciless operations.
Prabhakaran had given a blank cheque to his goons to gun him down if he ever wavered in their cause. The Tigers were able to gain control of the Jaffna peninsula, imposing heavy local taxes. The LTTE ran their own affairs in a virtual defacto state in the areas held by them. The civilians who lived in these areas were forcibly held as a human shield so that the Security Forces are unable to fire.

Elaborate financial network

It was under such circumstances and an era filled with uncertainty and a near-collapsing economy that President Rajapaksa first assumed office on November 18, 2005.
The Tamil Diaspora, which is spread across the world from Australasia to the Carribbean, is known as one of the most industrious and enterprising ethnic stocks, pumping millions of dollars to LTTE coffers. The LTTE cohorts boasted of an elaborate and wealthy financial network spread over money markets, real estate and retail businesses.
The LTTTE ran their own offices wherever the Tamil Diaspora was concentrated. That helped the terror outfit to receive generous contributions to their military operations. But it took little over three years under President Rajapaksa’s leadership to bring Prabhakaran’s position from hero to zero.
LTTE terrorist leader Prabhakaran was called a ‘supremo’ then and none in their wildest dreams ever thought that the world’s most ruthless terrorist outfit could ever be beaten with Sri Lanka’s limited military resources, compared to the most sophisticated weapons the Tigers had acquired from the West.

Gigantic task

Even when the most powerful armies in the world fared miserably in the worldwide battle against terrorism, bobody anybody thought that Sri Lanka could achieve that gigantic task. Their doubts and reservations too were reasonable.
But by May, 2009, Sri Lanka set new world standards in eradication of terrorism. The country’s Security Forces finally vanquished the LTTE leadership and ushered peace for all communities to live in peace and harmony. This could not have been achieved but for the political leadership of President Rajapaksa which had been a tower of strength to the Security Forces in their battle against terror.
Unity among communities and religious harmony are vital factors in the country’s progress. Divisions among these groups will only strengthen various hostile forces seeking to derail the nation’s development and tarnish its image. When one and all rise in unity sans differences, the forces hostile to the country will be weakened and development and peace further strengthened.
The Government has always acted to ensure religious co-existence with firm determination and a clear commitment to national unity.Despite these efforts, there were some hostile forces who have been trying to create the impression that there was religious tensions and violence in the country through some foreign media and news websites.

Peace

There are certain elements who were trying to create unrest within the country at times using false propaganda to create a wrong impression in the minds of the people. Even when the LTTE was at its peak, The Government had not allowed any damage to occur to religious places. Now with peace firmly being established, the Government will ensure that such incidents will not happen at any cost. Once the motives about those elements making false and malicious accusations against the country is revealed, everything will be put to rest once and for all. President Rajapaksa and his Government has ensured that the country cannot be divided on ethnic or religious grounds. There should be no room for racism and extremism to surface again.
After a long drawn battle against terrorism, Sri Lanka today is a nation where all communities can live together, enjoying their rights equally. The Government has ensured that all people get equal opportunities and facilities irrespective of where they live. In all matters the Government strives to achieve equity.

CHOGM

With the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka later this year, various disgruntled elements, both here and abroad, are making every effort to discredit Sri Lanka and to tarnish the country’s image in the eyes of the international community.
The 2013 CHOGM is a long term investment by the country which will help us achieve many of the nation’s targets. It is one of the biggest international conferences held in the world, second only to the United Nations General Assembly sessions. It is easily the biggest international summit ever to be held in Sri Lanka after the 1976 Non-Aligned Conference in Colombo.
The Heads of State and Leaders of over 50 countries would attend this conference with more than 1,000 other participants. A major benefit of hosting CHOGM is that media personnel, business community, industrialists, artistes, politicians, investors etc would accompany these Heads of State and Government from over 50 countries. The attention of people in over 50 countries would be drawn to Sri Lanka during the CHOGM.
This would therefore boost the country’s image abroad and certainly be a feather in Sri Lanka’s cap. Many countries in the Commonwealth were vying to host the CHOGM, though Sri Lanka has been successful at the end.
The CHOGM 2013 will give a golden opportunity for Sri Lanka to showcase its landmark achievements since the terrorism was eradicated. The people of over 50 countries will learn of what Sri Lanka has to offer to the world and share its expertise in counter terrorism.
At the same time, disgruntled elements could make use of the opportunity to paint a gloomy picture. This is where we have to be careful. With the support of opportunist politicians in the Opposition, these elements could creep in indifferent forms. All communities should keep a vigil eye to prevent disgruntled elements from robbing Sri Lanka’s hard-earned peace.
It is the duty of all communities to make a tangible contribution in the reconciliation process so that peace we have achieved would remain forever.

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2013/08/11/main_Editorial.asp

Northerners should not fall prey to sinister forces

There was a time when almost the entire Northern Province was held by LTTE terrorists and not a single politician or official dared to visit the area. The LTTE not only held those areas forcibly but ran a virtual de facto state with its jungle law. The LTTE had its own Tiger courts, police force, administrative set up, currency and even an air wing with small fixed-wing aircraft under the direction of LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, which even bombed strategic locations in the South.
None of the extremist Tamil politicians who now weep buckets of crocodile tears over the fate of people in the North uttered a word of consolation when the Northerners were forcibly held by the LTTE as a human shield, subjecting them to untold misery.
Those horrendous days are now a thing of the past after the entire country was liberated from the clutches of LTTE terror following the 2006-2009 battle against terrorism, during which over half a million people in the North and the East had been liberated during the world's largest human rescue operation.
No sooner the entire country was liberated, the Government embarked on numerous mega development projects in the North and the East to develop infrastructure facilities in the two provinces. Simultaneously, LTTE landmines were cleared and displaced persons were resettled in their original homes.
Thanks to the Government's untiring efforts and the contribution of the Security Forces, displaced persons were resettled much earlier than anticipated, thereby setting new world standards.
The Government has given preferential treatment to the Northern and the Eastern Provinces - more than the other seven provinces in a determined bid to re-establish all what the LTTE had destroyed during its three decades of terror. The Government has achieved significant milestones during the past four years as President Mahinda Rajapaksa was determined to provide people in the North almost everything what they had lost due to barbaric LTTE terrorism.
Moreover, the Government also held Local Government elections in those areas. Now that the demining and resettlement of displaced persons have been successfully completed, the Government is keen to set up the Northern Provincial Council, for which elections would be held next month.
Those who point an accusing finger at the Government, including those international nosey parkers, must first and foremost see for themselves the incredible transformation that had taken place since May, 2009.
An area which was at one time under the complete control of a bunch of barbaric terrorists has now been liberated. Thousands of hapless civilians who had been subjected to untold hardships have not only breathed a sigh of relief but also given a new lease of life. People who spent many a sleepless night and sought refuge in the jungles to protect themselves from the Tiger terrorists, are now living in peace and harmony with enhanced facilities. Their purchasing power too had gone up considerably, making a tangible contribution to the national coffers.
On the other hand, over 21 million people who lived in mortal fear not knowing when the next LTTE bomb would explode are now enjoying the dividends of peace. These are indeed landmark achievements which no other country could be proud of.
President Rajapaksa has gone that extra mile by offering the people in the North an opportunity to elect representatives of their choice to run the provincial administration. Though many had expressed reservations that the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) elections would not see the light of day, the President is confident that it would be an important milestone in national reconciliation.
There are fears in certain quarters that the NPC power may go into the wrong hands. But this is purely a matter for the people in the North to decide on. They have a bounden duty to ensure that the hard-earned peace is not disrupted under any circumstances.
Certain sinister elements, remote-controlled by some extraneous international forces, are making a subtle attempt to capture power in the NPC through LTTE cohorts. They are perhaps under a delusion that they could democratically achieve what Prabhakaran had failed through his armed struggle.
In the event these LTTE cohorts, with the blessings of the former Tiger-proxy party TNA, feel that they could turn the ballots into bullets, they are sadly mistaken. The Government would never leave any room whatsoever for any force on earth to derail the country's hard-earned peace. The peace people enjoy today did not come on a platter, but rather through the immense sacrifices by the true sons of our soil. The Security Forces sacrificed their life and limb to liberate over half a million Tamils from the jaws of LTTE terror and unite the country. The Government would by no means let those sacrifices be in vain by exposing the North to a group of LTTE cohorts.
The biggest responsibility devolves on the people in the North as they have been given the freedom to exercise their franchise. Hence, they have to weigh the pros and cons before casting their vote at the forthcoming NPC elections.
The people alone should take a firm decision regarding their future, a decision that would not boomerang on them and relegate them to that dark era again. They should not be carried away by radical racists of the LTTE and dig their own graves.
The manner in which some TNA leaders are conducting themselves is highly questionable, to say the least. The NPC elections could well be treated as a referendum, at which Northerners would have to decide whether they wish to revert to those dark days again. Hence, the forthcoming NPC election is not merely an opportunity to elect representatives of one's choice but a landmark decision that determines their fate in the future.
The TNA's sinister moves are already evident by its leader R. Sampanthan's statement that the selection of T. Vigneshwaran was due to pressure by two foreign countries. It is anybody's guess who these interested parties are.
As the President has said time and again, foreigners and other countries could not have a greater concern for the people in Sri Lanka than its own leaders. Hence, the hidden agenda of those, which coerced the TNA to field Vigneshwaran as the Tiger-proxy's chief ministerial candidate for the NPC, is crystal clear. People in the North should take into consideration these factors before they cast their precious votes at the NPC elections.
People in the North should give a better meaning to the efforts of the Security Forces who had rescued them in their time of need.
The Government has afforded the people in the North an opportunity to exercise their democratic right and it's their supreme duty to take a wise decision in this regard.

 

http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=Family_tracing _and_reunification_of_the_war_displaced_20130731_05

 

Family tracing and reunification of the war displaced

A large number of children were left orphaned or separated from their families due to LTTE atrocities during their reign of terror in the country. With the end of the war the government took necessary measures to locate and reunite these orphaned or separated children with their families. A special mechanism was set up for this purpose.

Under this programme a total of 615 children from the Manik farm PARC were reunified with their parents and relatives with the assistance of Probation Department and in keeping with legal procedures. Furthermore another 300 children who were temporarily placed in children's homes were also reunified with their parents and families by the Probation Department.

With the success of this project, 2428 complaints of missing persons from 13 districts were received by government and nongovernment organizations. This led to the Vavuniya Government Agent and the Probation Commissioner (Northern Province) to jointly established the Family Tracing and Reunification (FTR) Unit for unaccompanied and separated children with the support and the approval of the Governor, Northern Province. Furthermore the UNICEF provided financial and technical assistance.

With coming to being of the FTR unit additional human resources were provided for the effective functioning of the unit. They also distributed Informative posters among the partners and agencies and established a help line (0243248309 / 0212283824) for public assistance.

Available Data Sources For Tracing Children	Function of FTR

Under this project, parents of lost children first have to go through a journal which includes photos and updated details of the children, published by the FTR unit. If the details of the children are not in the book they should fill the 'Help line Registration' form and assist the unit in order to carry out further investigation of the child.

Registry

Inside the Registry

Help line Registration form

 

Among the complaints as of 18th December 2012 there were 386 girls, 359 boys, 1168 men and 515 women missing or lost. Most of the displaced children were within the age group of 16 to18. And till now 147 cases regarding the children have been resolved.

Missing case load as of 31.12.2012 Children and Adults	Caseload Overview	Percentage of Age Group of Children

Children already reunified with the families

Action Plan of FTR for the next 2 years

• Move FTR hub to Killinochchi
• Active tracing in districts outside of the North and East
• Provision of counseling support through trained councilors/social workers
• Awareness raising on Registration of Deaths (Temporary Provisions) Act to facilitate the documentation of children confirmed to be dead
• Capacity building of approximately 150 Probation Officers and Assistants and other child protection actors on tracing and working with families during the process of tracing and reunification
• Establishment/Maintaining of a comprehensive database for tracing and reunification
• Technical support to data management, coordinate the collection of information at local level
• Training of probation and child protection officers on active tracing and data management
• Raise awareness and mobilize various stakeholders on missing children.
• Linking the FTR registration services with the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) helpline (1929)

On 08th July 2012 Secretary Defense and Urban Development Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa had a meeting with a delegation related to the project. The delegation comprised of Commissioner of probation, Chief Rep. of UNICEF, Sri Lanka, child protection officer of UNICEF, Vavuniya and consultant FTR unit.

Secretary Defence directed to expand the timely needed project to assist the families with missing personnel with the collaboration of Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) and he also asked to analyze the details included in police reports regarding the missing personnel. Secretary's initiatives in this regard have been greatly helpful for the efficient function of the FTR unit.

According to the investigations carried out by the FTR unit it is oblivious that there are a less number of people including adults and children who were misplaced during terrorist conflict. The figures are greatly exaggerated.