Ranaviru Commemoration in New Zealand
(By: Dr. Chula Rajapakse - MNZM)
For the
third consecutive year, on the 19th of May at 6pm NZ time, The United Sri Lanka
Association (USLA) hosted the Ranaviru Commemoration day at it's official
residence at Lak Madura in Tawa Wellington, with USLA President Dr. Ranasinghe
Kalupahana presiding and Hon Consul Aruna Abeygoonesekera and wife Hiranthi in
attendance, along with about hundred others.
Following the singing of the National Anthem and the observance
of a two minute silence to honor the war heroes -The Ranaviru, for their
sacrifices of life and limb, President Kalupahana addressing the audience called
on them never to forget these sacrifices that has now secured a free Sri Lanka
where any could now travel unrestricted and without fear as he did on his recent
travels to make a donation of $5000, to the Ranaviru fund.
Aided by slides he described the long term residential
facilities now built to cater for the long term needs of the disabled soldiers.
In a moving description he explained how the rooms were designed individually to
cater to each soldiers respective disabilities, so providing them with maximum
independence possible.
Located in five locations to provide best access to the families
of the soldiers, he showed pictures of the facility in Attidiya. He also
described the rehabilitation center at Ragama that now had an artificial limb
making facility, so securing a rapid throughput.
Hon Consul Aruna Abeygoonesekera observed how New Zealand still
remembers their fallen war heroes on the 25th of April, 96 years after the World
War 1 and in other conflicts there after including World War 2. He then reminded
that today marked the third anniversary of our own remembrance day and that we
should never forget our own warheroes who gave up their lives to preserve the
sovereignty of Sri Lanka and the prosperity that has followed there after.
He then observed that the LTTE terror group did not represent
the aspirations of the average peace loving Tamil people of Sri Lanka and
reminded the audience of President Mahinda Rajapaksha's declaration that Sri
Lanka was for everyone who identified themselves as Sri Lankans , one country
one nation irrespective of ethnicity and religious belief and of HE's call for
reconciliation and harmony among all.
The Hon Consul concluded by acknowledging and applauding the
hard work and dedication of the members of USLA in helping to preserve a good
image of Sri Lanka and called on them to now to take proactive steps to achieve
the referred to, noble ideals set out by President Mahinda Rajapaksha.
Dr. Chula Rajapakse USLA spokesperson who followed thereafter,
having acknowledged the supreme sacrifices made by our Ranaviru, reminded that
the memory of these sacrifices and the fruits of these to Sri Lanka, are being
threatened by an internationally orchestrated campaign that alleged war crimes
and human rights violations by the Ranaviru during the last stages of the war.
Referring the audience to the USLA website that contained a presentation
detailing this campaign, he called on the audience join him in countering these
allegations and the threat to Sri Lanka that followed, by first being well
informed of the fallacy of these allegations.
He observed that the best rebuttal of these allegations were
contained in the film " Lies Agreed Upon", easily accessed through google search
of youtube, and came in the form of testimonies from about 50 ordinary, free,
clearly identified Tamil civilians, ever available for verification,
representing the three hundred thousand rescued Tamil hostages against whom the
human rights violations are alleged to have been carried out and the witnesses
to the war through out this period. All of them without exception denied any
adversarial action against them by any members of the security forces let alone
targeted shooting at them, the war crime alleged, and only had the highest
praise for the security forces conduct. The Vanni MP, who follows also
corroborated these fully.
The five doctors , who served in the hospitals denied
categorically any targeted shelling of hospitals, the other war crime alleged.
However they observed that the LTTE routinely sighted their heavy weaponry as
close as possible to hospitals to expose them to the danger of collateral
damage.
Dr. Rajapakse then informed the audience of the monumental
achievement by the government of relocating over 95% of three hundred thousand
rescued hostages in their homes having demined these heavily mined areas, barely
two and a half years after the end of the rescue operation.
He informed them of the many ethnic reconciliation and
rebuilding activities , a 25% annual growth rate in the northern province since
the end of the war and the booming tourist trade showing a 30% growth in 2011
recording 850,00 arrivals exceeding target of 750,000, and well on course for
two million by 2016.
Once so informed, he called on the audience to disseminate this
information especially to their Kiwi friend , which is what mattered most,
especially in exposing the fallacy of war crimes allegations.
He also called on them to join him in emailing their members of
parliament and the foreign minister to express their concern of and calling for
exercising of surveillance over, the fund raising and other activities the
Australia & NZ based Trans National Government of Tamil Elam with 2 MP's
from NZ, drawn essentially from the former Tiger Diaspora, but now re-named .
Their declared aim was securing Tamil Elam & so inimical to Sri Lanka and
undermining it's efforts at national reconciliation.
Following these presentations every attendee participated in a
ceremony lighting a candle in memory of the war heroes - the Ranaviru.
This was followed by a "mix and mingling" session over a cup of
tea prepared by the USLA committee and other well wishers.
Among the ideas generated during this session was making
available a symbol like a national flower, that could be worn on this day and
week helping to keep the memory alive and give an opening to talk, just like the
red poppy worn by the Kiwi's even 96yrs on, on their remembrance day.
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