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  • Bala Anna

    Dec 16
     
    News that Mr. Anton Balasingham had passed away after a brief battle with cancer was met this week with shock and profound grief across the Tamil community. In the thirty years he was associated with the Tamil freedom struggle, he had truly become a legend in his own time. He was the LTTE’s theoretician for thirty years and its chief negotiator for most of that time. In that period, a fledgling guerilla group dedicated to the emancipation of the Tamil people grew and expanded into a national liberation movement with a powerful military and an apparatus of civil administration, while Bala Anna became an icon of the Tamil cause.
     
    Mr. Balasingham was many things to the Tamil struggle. The formal titles of theoretician and chief negotiator do not capture them all. Within the LTTE he was a father figure. His door was always open to cadres and commanders alike. No subject was taboo, confidentiality was assured. Most importantly, of course, he was the struggle’s political strategist. Beyond the LTTE, he was approached for advice and guidance by a range of Tamils, from parliamentarians to journalists, supportive of the cause of freedom. He was eloquent in formal Tamil, but he could also address us in the colloquial, unraveling the complexities our struggle faced and bringing every one of us closer to it. Which is why his public addresses were so eagerly awaited.
     
    It was Mr. Balasingham’s demonstrably keen intellect and political acumen that compelled LTTE leader Vellupillai Pirapaharan to ask him in 1979 to join the tiny group of young revolutionaries their movement then was. (And it was Mr. Balasingham’s recognition of Mr. Pirapaharan’s abilities as a leader and the LTTE’s institutional strengths that persuaded him to throw in his lot with the Tigers rather than any of the many other Tamil militant groups setting out on the long road of struggle.) The strength of the personal bond that grew between them is reflected in Mr. Pirapaharan’s poignant words this week as he awarded Bala Anna that unique title ‘Voice of the Nation.’
     
    Nothing captures what Bala Anna meant to the Tamils as that title does. For three decades he spoke for us, the Tamil people. He led LTTE delegations in five attempts to negotiate a political solution with the Sinhala state. He represented us in our dialogue with the international community, both in public fora and private discussion. He explained the oppression we endure and defended our struggle for freedom. He was a formidable representative, aggressively and adeptly pursuing our interests. He could not be intimidated – though it was often tried. His razor sharp intellect was matched by a powerful personality.
     
    But he was, as one commentator puts it, a quintessential negotiator. Amidst the heat of dispute he could find the sites of compromise. And, armed with the complete trust of the LTTE leadership, he would compromise – but not surrender. Thus he earned the begrudging respect of his interlocutors, both Sinhala and international. His driving purpose was always the well being of his people, as all those who engaged with him from any side of the table quickly came to understand. It is entirely in character that his final public words in November, confirming his diagnosis with cancer, were mainly about the plight of the Tamil people. He loved us as much as we adored him.
     
    It is inevitable that Mr. Balasingham’s passing has brought joy to our enemies. Reflecting the character of some of them, there has been public jubilation at his death in parts of the south - just as when his illness was announced last month. This ugliness is characteristic of the oppression we fight.
     
    It also reflects a misunderstanding of what Mr. Balasingham’s multi-faceted role was, of where the LTTE now is as a movement and where the Tamils are as a nation. The growth of LTTE over the past three decades has been inexorable, despite the ferocious violence unleashed on it and the Tamil people by the Sri Lankan state and its allies. Mr. Balasingham contributed immeasurably to that growth. His analytical, calculative approach has been institutionalized. Every arm of the LTTE routinely weighs its decisions before committing to a course of action, the long-term benefit to the Tamil cause the overarching priority. As the LTTE’s multi-faceted international engagement has grown in scale and complexity, new capabilities have emerged, both in the LTTE and wider Tamil nationalist movement. Mr. Balasingham guided many of these, devising strategies and advising key individuals. As deepening illness precluded a frontline role for Mr. Balasingham for much of this year, he was able to rest, secure his many tasks were being competently carried forward by others. The extent of his legacy will only be discernible in the fullness of time.
     
    This newspaper and its staff are privileged to have had a very special relationship with Bala Anna. It began soon after he arrived in London in 1999. He readily agreed to meet the volunteers of the Tamil Guardian when we asked. Our discussions quickly became regular and frequent. We always met at the study in his home, where we were warmly welcomed by him and his wife, Adele. An experienced journalist, Mr. Balasingham had a passion for media. He also appreciated that we were committed to articulating the Tamil cause. He spent considerable time with us in prolonged discussion on the ethnic question, on the Tamil struggle, on international affairs, and many other subjects. The depth of his knowledge was unfathomable. A warm, convivial and humorous man, he was a patient tutor. He scrutinized our work and was generous with his praise and scathing in his criticism. Yet he never constrained us, encouraging us to write freely on the Tamil cause. As with a handful of other Tamil correspondents, he took us into his confidence in exchange for our discretion. In March 2000 we were privileged to be exclusively granted his first media interview after leaving Vanni. He gave many of his infrequent subsequent interviews to us.
     
    Our relationship with the Balasinghams went beyond the production of the newspaper. It was individual, personal and very affectionate. They took an active interest in each of us, inquiring of those who met them about those who were not there. Bala Anna encouraged us to develop our individual interests and offered welcome advice on our academic and professional pursuits. We drew much inspiration and not a little courage from him. Being close to Bala Anna, we were, for a long time, acutely aware of his health difficulties. His health declined rapidly this year, but only until recently were we unable to converse regularly with him. His death comes as a devastating personal loss to each of us. Our hearts go out to Adele Aunty, his beloved wife and constant companion. Her loss is the deepest. We will all miss him very much. We, at the Tamil Guardian, couldn’t be more proud of our close association with Mr. Balasingham over the past seven years. He was, quite simply, a remarkable man.
  • Tamils mourn 'Voice of the Nation'
     
    Tamils across the world this week mourned Mr. Anton Balasingham, the Tamil Tigers’ theoretician and chief negotiator, who passed away Thursday after a brief battle with terminal cancer.
     
    Mr. Balasingham, 68, passed away at his home in south London where he has been resting since his diagnosis last month, being cared for by his wife Adele and specialist cancer medical staff.
     
    In his last public comments, he said last month of his illness: “it is an unfortunate personal tragedy. However, when compared to the vast ocean of the collective tragedy faced by my people, my illness is merely a pebble. I am deeply sad that I am crippled by this illness, unable to contribute anything substantial towards the alleviation of the immense suffering and oppression of my people.”
     
    Hailing Mr. Balasingham’s three decades of service, the LTTE conferred the title of ‘Voice of the Nation’ on the veteran negotiator who led the LTTE-delegation in five separate efforts to negotiate a solution with successive Sinhala leaderships
     
    LTTE officials in Kilinochchi announced a 3-day mourning period, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Diaspora Tamil organisations, expressing the community’s sadness, have also announced a 3-day mourning period.
     
    The funeral arrangements are yet to be finalized but are expected to be announced over the weekend.
     
    In an obituary Friday, The Times of London described Mr. Anton Balasingham, the theoretician and chief negotiator of the LTTE who passed away Thursday, as “the one man the Tigers could trust with their destiny in what looked like being a breakthrough in talks.”
     
    At one stage in the Norwegian peace process, the British broadsheet noted, Mr. Balasingham had steered the Tigers away from their demand for independence.
     
    However, it said, “everybody underestimated the determination of hardcore Sinhalese organisations like the JVP and hardline Buddhist clergy to scuttle any deal that gave the Tamils even a hint of autonomy.”
     
    In a message of condolence, the LTTE leader, Mr. Vellupillai Pirapaharan, said: “a source of unwavering strength in the political and diplomatic efforts of our freedom movement, and the light of our nation is extinguished. Bala Annai, from whom I sought advice and solace, is no more with us. It is an irreplaceable loss for our entire nation and for me.”
     
    “Bala Annai’s life has been much too short. His death comes at a time when we needed him most, as our freedom struggle intensifies. I cannot find words to express my grief and loss,” Mr. Pirapaharan said.
     
    “From the beginning of our struggle, when we first met, there was a deep mutual understanding. The fondness that rose from that understanding developed into a rare friendship. We thought and acted in unison. Our friendship grew in strength through our shared day-to-day experiences. This friendship stands apart from ordinary human relationships. It matured with time and was shaped by our shared history.
     
    “I was deeply fond of Bala Annai. In the great family that is our movement he was its eldest son and its guiding star for three decades. That is how I looked up to him. During the time we lived together as one family, I came to realize that he was no ordinary human being. He was strong and unshakable even during the illness that threatened to take his life and the severe pain that illness brought him. The strength of his soul was inspirational. I grieve for him.
     
    “Bala Annai has a permanent historic place in the growth and the spread of our movement. He was its elder member, its ideologue, its philosopher and, above all, my best friend who gave me encouragement and energy. He shared my sorrows, my anxieties and my travails. He was with me from the very beginning of our movement, sharing its challenges and hardships. He was the central figure in all our diplomatic efforts.
     
    “Saluting the immeasurable service he rendered our nation in the political and diplomatic arenas and the efforts by which he put our national freedom movement on the world stage, allowing our nation to stand with dignity, I am proud to bestow the title of ‘Voice of the Nation’ on Bala Annai.
     
    “Bala Annai has not left us. He will live permanently in our thoughts."
     
    Mr. Pirapaharan concluded his statement with the rallying call of the LTTE’s struggle: “the yearning of the Tigers is Tamileelam!”
     
    LTTE leader Vellupillai Pirapaharan shares a lighter moment with LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingham. Photo LTTE
  • Karunanidhi orders explosives probe amid Delhi's denials
    After police in Tamil Nadu found a vehicle carrying a huge quantity of explosives meant for Sri Lanka, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today ordered officials to ascertain whether any business house was exporting explosives without the Centre's knowledge.

    A Sri Lankan Government request for supplying the explosives, dated October 10, 2005, was carried by the vehicle's driver Ravi Verma, PTI said. According to the papers, the consignee for the explosives was a Sri Lanka naval base in Colombo.

    Karunanidhi, who is presently in New Delhi, issued the probe order to the police after Union External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A K Antony denied that the Centre had allowed the export of explosives to Sri Lanka.

    Both promised Karunanidhi that an inquiry would be ordered into any such exports, PTI reported, quoting an official press release said.

    The Chief Minister took up the matter with the Ministers after reports that explosives were being sent to Sri Lanka despite Delhi’s declaration of a freeze on arms supplies to the Colombo regime.

    A report from Madurai had said that the police had on Thursday found a vehicle carrying 40 cartons of explosives from Nagpur to Sri Lanka and escorted it up to the port city of Tuticorin.

    Police said the explosives, including detonators, were worth Indian Rs 400,000.

    According to the papers, the consignee for the explosives was Rakshama-Valsara Naval Base Explosives Godown in Colombo.
  • Avoid Sri Lanka, France warns citizens
    France has warned its nationals against making non-essential visits to Sri Lanka because of an increase in violence and suicide attacks, Reuters reported.

    In an advisory published on its Web site (www.diplomatie.gouv.fr), on Thursday the Foreign Ministry strongly advised French visitors to avoid the north and east of the island and warned against non-urgent travel in the rest of the country. The move is likely to further negatively impact tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka, where violence has been rising sharply for several months.

    "Given the resumption in violence and suicide attacks ... (travellers are) advised for the moment to reconsider all non-essential travel to Sri Lanka," the French Foreign ministry said.

    The impact of the escalating violence means Sri Lanka's top hotel groups are increasingly relying on their Maldivian operations and investments into India for survival, LankaBusinessOnline reported this week.

    In October, tourists coming from Europe fell 24 percent to 16,000 whereas from key markets like UK, Germany and France it is down even further, Aitken Spence Hotels told LBO.

    Indian tourist arrivals, which have been keeping overall numbers of arrivals better than last year, has also shown a decline in October, despite being up 19 percent for the year.
  • UK takes Sri Lanka off safe return list
    The British Government has relaxed the procedure for thousands of Sri Lankan asylum seekers with immediate effect because of what it sees as a deteriorating security situation in Sri Lanka.

    A British High Commission spokesperson says Sri Lankan asylum seekers could now remain in the country and make their appeals if their applications had been rejected.

    Earlier, Sri Lanka was among 14 countries whose citizens had to leave Britain as soon as their asylum applications were rejected and make any appeal from outside Britain.

    The Sunday Times learns that some 30,000 applications by Sri Lankan seeking asylum in Britain are either pending or rejected.

    "The latest country information on Sri Lanka has been closely examined and given the deteriorating situation in Sri Lanka, the British Home Secretary is of the view that the legal test for designation is no longer met,” the spokesperson explained.

    He said however as the escalation in violence in Sri Lanka had not affected all parts of the country to the same degree, the Home Office would be examining whether it was appropriate to re-introduce a partial geographic designation.

    The move would mean that only the areas directly hit by violence might be considered.
  • 13 abducted within hours of law
    Thirteen civilians,in Jaffna district were abducted last Wednesday night soon after the Sri Lanka government reinstated the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), TamilNet reported.

    ine civilians from Kalviyankadu, Kadaipirai, Dutch road areas in Valigamam east were abducted Wednesday night by armed men alleged to be Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police, residents in these areas said.

    The same night four civilians in Valigamam north were abducted by SLA, according to complaints made by the relatives of the abducted, at the Jaffna office of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC).

    SLA has refused to provide any written evidence to acknowledge that they have "arrested" the disappeared civilians, the relatives told SLHRC.

    Complaints regarding the nine abducted from Valigamam east are yet to be registered with the SLHRC Jaffna, the relatives of the abducted said.

    Meanwhile, Thiyaganagalingam Sundaralingam, 48, a trader and a resident of Ambanai, Tellipalai was abducted by SLA troopers on December 3 around 11:50 p.m from his house located within the SLA High Security Zone (HSZ), according to complaints made by his wife Kamalambikai Sundaralingam to the Jaffna SLHRC.

    Kamalambikai said that her husband was taken away by SLA troopers, but when she complained it to the SLA authorities, they had refused to provide information.

    SLHRC officials are in direct contact with the Commander of the SLA Jaffna Maj. Gen. Chandrasiri regarding Sundaralingam's case but no further information about the arrest is known.
  • Tension in Kattankudy over burial of Sufi leader
    Sectarian violence between orthodox Muslims and an Islamic Sufi sect that preaches pantheism resurfaced in the Muslim town of Kattankudy, Batticaloa, following the death a leader of the Sufi sect

    Mr. M. S. Abdul Payilvan, 69, one of the leaders of the Sufi sect and the President of All Island Tharikathul Mufliheen, passed away in Colombo Apollo hospital on the night of December 6 and was buried at Tharikathul Mufliheen Mosque burial grounds in Kattankudy the following afternoon.

    Orthodox Muslims observed a hartal (general shutdown) demanding the removal of the body from the burial grounds. They claim Kattankudy soil is sacred and bodies belonging to those who preach views contradictory to the holy Quran should not be buried there.

    The Orthodox Muslims are demanding that the body of Mr. Payilvan, who is from Maruthamunai, another Muslim village in the Amparai district, should be exhumed and buried elsewhere.

    Tension prevailed in Kattankudy due to the general shut down and police in large numbers patrolled the area. The Sri Lanka Government provided special police protection to prominent figures of Sufi sect, and the burial ground was guarded by security personnel.

    Three houses belonging to the followers of Payilvan were set ablaze on Thursday night.

    Meanwhile, officials of the Kattankudy Jammiyathul Ulama Council and Federation for Kattankudy Mosques and other Organizations submitted a petition at Batticaloa District Courts demanding the exhumation of Mr. Payilvan's body.

    The death of Mr Pavilvan has only exacerbated a tense situation. On December 3, extremists had dug up the buried body of a Sufi follower from the Tharikathul Mufliheen Mosque burial grounds and dumped the body on a local road as an act of protest.

    Kattankudy Police recovered the body, re-buried it in the original burial space. The area was guarded for few days after the incident.

    In Kattankudy, the hatred between the two factions has widened in the last few years. Violent clashes between the two factions have grown in intensity and have left many injured, and millions of rupees worth of property, including houses and vehicles, damaged.

    In November armed men, alleged to be orthodox Muslims, threw hand grenades and opened fire on Abdul Rauf Moulawi, an Islamic religious teacher belonging to Sufi sect. Civilians standing in front of his office near Kattankudy Bathuriya Mosque were injured.

    While Abdul Rauf Mowlavi's critics say that his teachings have borrowed from Hinduism and he is influenced by Muslims of Tamil Nadu origin settled in Kattankudy, the Sufi sect charges that a Wahabi extremist group funded by powerful sources in the Middle East is responsible for harassing Sufi followers.

  • UN envoy: widen focus beyond child soldiers to humanitarian issues
    In the wake of his visit to Sri Lanka last month, the Special Envoy of the UN Under Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflicts, Ambassador Allan Rock, has recommended that the United Nations widen its focus from only recruitment and use of child soldiers at present to include the killing of children and the denial of humanitarian access for children.

    As part of his visit, Ambassador Rock observed the situation facing children in areas under embargo by the Sri Lankan security forces.

    The Sunday Times last week published extracts from Mr. Rock’s report to the UN.

    It states that his mission in Sri Lanka discovered there was strong and “credible evidence” that the security forces were supporting and sometimes participating in the abductions and forced recruitment of children by the Karuna Group paramilitaries.

    Mr. Rock is said to cite eyewitnesses and families of abducted children along with other sources of evidence to support his findings.

    According to the Sunday Time, Ambassador Rock also states in his report that:

    “I recommend that the Security Council expanding its focus and give equal care and attention to children affected by armed conflict in all situations of concern; and to give equal weight to all categories of grave violations beyond the recruitment and use of child soldiers to include the killing and maiming of children, rape and other grave sexual violence, abductions, attacks against schools or hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access for children.”

    As part of his visit, Ambassador Rock visited the Vahara region where he visited an internally displaced camp which Sri Lankan forces had shelled, killing and wounding dozens of people, including children.

    The region is under a strict embargo by government forces, with starvation on the verge of setting in amid severe shortages of food and medicine.

    Last week, amid intense international pressure, Sri Lankan forces permitted two weeks supply of food to enter. Another 40 trucks worth of food was stopped and sent back.

    Meanwhile, both the Sunday Times and The Sunday Leader newspapers said that Mr. Rock had written to the Sri Lankan government saying that despite Colombo’s denials and vilification of him, the UN official was standing by his report.

    Copies of his report to the UN had been sent to the Sri Lankan government, the papers said.

    “However, in forwarding the evidence, Rock has been careful not to furnish the names or addresses of the eyewitnesses having considered implications for their security, a decision taken in consultation with the international community and top UN officials,” The Sunday Leader said.
  • Terror campaign stepped up in Trincomalee
    Six Tamil civilians have been killed in government-controlled Trincomalee over the past week, as a campaign of terror against local civilians was stepped up.

    A Tamil civilian was shot dead and another wounded December 8 in Orr's Hill, a suburb of Trincomalee town. Armed men in a three-wheeler opened fired at the victims in front of a house along Lower Road.

    Desmond Antony, 46, a sea diver, was killed and Mahendran Uthasooriyan, 36, was injured in the attack.

    On December 7, two more Tamil civilians were shot dead when they were standing a shop at sixth milepost located at Aathimoddai village along Trincomalee-Nilaveli road, north of east port town.

    The armed men fired at Bernard Kingsely, 21, a customer, and Velu Jeyakanthan, 27, a salesman.

    A day earlier, armed persons had hot dead two Tamil villagers and injured another at Uppuveli in Trincomalee when they were returning in their carts with firewood from Kanniya.

    A. Singarasa, 36 and K. Sivananthan, 57, both from 6th Mile Post, Kanniya in Trincomalee, were killed and Chellaiah Sundaralingam, 50, from Varadoya Nagar, Puthukudirupu in Uppuveli was injured.

    On December 5, unidentified men shot dead Mr. Konamalai Kaneshabalan of Gandhinagar, an employee of the Ceylon Electricity Board, while he was on his way to work in Uppuveli, Trincomalee town.

  • Licence to arrest and torture
    Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorist Act (PTA), enacted in 1979, has through the years been strongly criticised by international human rights and constitutional freedom groups, including Amnesty International and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), as handing over excessive powers of arrest and detention to the security forces.

    Sri Lankan law requires confessions to be admissible only if made to a magistrate - but the PTA permits confessions to police officer to be used in evidence.

    “Admissibility of [such] confessions encourages the use of torture,” the ICJ says. “The defendants in PTA cases even have to prove that the confessions were made under coercion,” ICJ protests.

    Amnesty International has consistently called for the PTA to be repealed or brought into line with international human rights standards.

    “The PTA provides an incentive for interrogating [police] officers to obtain ‘confessions’ from detainees by any means, including torture,” Amnesty says.

    Human Rights Watch noted in 2002: “The PTA has contributed to a climate of impunity in Sri Lanka where custodial abuse and thousands of "disappearances" have gone uninvestigated and unpunished.”

    In the interests of peace, HRW said, “Critically important is the need to eliminate or reform the Prevention of Terrorism Act and to release the hundreds of detainees held without trial under its draconian provisions,”

    “Most of these detainees are Tamils arrested on suspicion of links to the LTTE. Many were arrested months or even years ago pending investigation, with no evidence to support police suspicions beyond their own confessions - often extracted under torture,” HRW said.

    Human rights lawyers say the PTA was used arbitrarily to arrest and hold individuals with the slightest contact with the LTTE, resulting in tens of thousands of people being detained.

    In 2000 alone, up to 18,000 people were held under the PTA and Emergency Regulations, rights groups say.

    When the UNF government began peace talks with the LTTE in 2002, the comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) signed in February that year shelved the PTA.

    Clause 2.12 of the CFA states: “The Parties agree that search operations and arrests under the Prevention of Terrorism Act shall not take place. Arrests shall be conducted under due process of law in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code.”

    The PTA was thus effectively suspended and all those arrested under it, except for those directly implicated in attacks blamed on the LTTE, were released.

    The number of PTA detentions thus dropped to a few dozen.

    A reinstatement of the PTA will thus become a standing breach of the CFA.

    Criticising the PTA and ER in 2002, one of Sri Lanka’s former Supreme Court judges, Mr. C. V. Vigneswaran, pointed out “such laws it must be noted are not conducive to the creation of an environment for peace.”

    “Such laws are devious methods by which conformation to the International Covenants on Human Rights are avoided,” he said.
  • Mahinda: you're either with us or against us

    Announcing tough new powers for the Sri Lankan security forces, President Mahinda Rajapakse last issued a blunt warning for citizens – ‘choose your side in the war.’

    President Rajapakse climbs into a Kfir jet bomber of the Sri Lanka Air Force. Photo The Island
    He called on the Sinhala polity to actively support his efforts to defeat ‘separatist terrorism’ and warned Tamils “there is no room anymore to assist terrorism directly or indirectly.”

    “I ask this of all political parties, all media, and all people’s organizations,” he said last Wednesday in a countrywide television broadcast in which he announced the new terrorism measures.

    “You decide whether you should be with a handful of terrorists or with the common man who is in the majority. You must clearly choose between these two sides. No one can represent both these sides at any one time.”

    Declaring that the people who elected him in November 2005 gave him a mandate “to defend the motherland,” he said he relished the task and would dedicate his second year in office to it.

    “I am aware that more than one year ago, it is with the greatest confidence that you entrusted me with the responsibility of protecting our beloved motherland, and not being subdued by whatever forces that sought to divide it.”

    “What satisfies me most about the past year is the ability of our government to gradually extricate our country from the great betrayal it was facing,” he said.

    He was referring the Norwegian-brokered peace process began by the opposition UNP party when it came to power in 2001.

    “We cannot move an inch forward other than by defeating this cruel terrorism that is intertwined with the common destiny of my country and the Sri Lankan nation. I am happy to be able to be committed to this task. I am happier still by the support extended to us for this purpose by the entire nation.”

    “The new century waits for the day when [Sri Lankans] all join as one nation to fight together to defeat the challenges of the future. I intend to dedicate my second year in office to realizing this objective,” he said.

    Saying that his government was confronting a dangerous enemy, he called on the Sinhala polity to actively rally behind his efforts to defeat it.

    “What our government is facing is separatist terrorism which is the common enemy of us all,” President Rajapakse said.

    “It is the responsibility of us all to face it jointly and defeat it.”

    “[But] this is not a thing that can be achieved by making allegations and counter allegations against each other. I have already demonstrated that I am a leader who is not ready to kneel before terrorism, but a leader committed to safeguarding the democratic rights of the Tamil people.

    “Therefore, in the name of the nation, I appeal for the practical support of all of you to defeat these challenges,” he said.

    “By practical support I mean the support that is not confined to words. It is support that is extended to me and to my government.”

    “If instead, the decision taken by us at this moment is not properly implemented, its full benefit will go to terrorism. Therefore, I call upon all political leaders to assist us to overcome this challenge, by building a genuine and practical unity for the sake of our motherland.”

    He was continuing a long struggle by former Sri Lankan leaders, he said.

    “Beginning with Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike, all leaders from President J. R. Jayewardene to President Chandrika Kumaratunga sought to face up to this grave threat to the nation and bring peace to our motherland.”

    “All steps that we take to build a new Sri Lanka can be made a success only by defeating this beastly terrorism.”

    He told the island’s Tamils, however, that they need not fear the draconian counter-terrorism laws he was reinstating.

    “I appeal to all members of the Tamil community and all organizations that value democracy not to have any fears about these regulations that are effective from today. These regulations will not affect any rights in the workplace, field and university. I will not allow the violation of human rights in any manner through these regulations.”

    “These regulations will only defeat the fascist thinking of the LTTE. What these regulations will do is bring democratic politics to the Tamil political arena.”

    However, he said, “We should make a firm commitment not to allow anyone to take these new regulations lightly.”

    “Whatever one’s status may be, supporting terrorism is act of enmity towards both the country and the nation. We are not ready to allow that.”

    “Similarly, there is no room anymore to assist terrorism directly or indirectly, and talk about democracy.”

    This, he said, “is because they use this democratic space to design the destruction of the entire society. The democracy that creates an opportunity for terrorism is a joke. It is no simple joke but a deadly joke. We already reddened our eyes through that joke.”
  • Sri Lanka revives anti-terror measures
    Sri Lanka's cabinet last week announced sweeping anti-terror measures which had been suspended by the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement amid months of violence that has left the truce in shreds.

    The decision came in the wake of a suicide bombing that narrowly missed Sri Lanka Defence Secretary Gothebaya Rajapakse and for which the government has blamed the LTTE.

    "The prevention of terrorism act [comes] because, with the escalation of violence and terrorism activities, we need to have some control," Sri Lanka’s defence spokesman and government minister Keheliya Rambukwella told Reuter.

    "With the signing of the ceasefire agreement, that (PTA) was set aside. It [was] dormant," he said.

    Ministers stopped short of banning the LTTE but tightened existing emergency laws which have been dormant since a 2002 Ceasefire agreement (CFA) that is now in shreds.

    Sri Lankan security forces again have wide-ranging powers to search, arrest and question.

    The government said the far-reaching measures, which do not mention the Tamil Tigers by name, were effective immediately.

    Wearing a uniform "relating to terrorism" or assisting or harbouring anyone "engaged in terrorism" will be prohibited under the new regulations, a statement said.

    Taking part in "any activity relating to terrorism" is also banned, as is any financial or other support to a person or group deemed to be engaged in "terrorist-related activities".

    "Contravention of these regulations carries penalties imposed by a high court, varying from imprisonment from 10 to 20 years, or five to 10 years, depending on the nature of the offence," the statement said.

    Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said Sri Lanka's ban on the LTTE had not been reimposed because a similar move in 1998 had failed to end violence.

    Observers say Wednesday's announcement is aimed at appearing tough while not closing the door on negotiations with the LTTE.

    TamilNet reported the cabinet decision was "a major breach" of the CFA (Clause 2.12) and gave "excessive powers of arrest and detention to the Sri Lankan armed forces"

    It recalled that "thousands of Tamil men, women and children were indiscriminately arrested, tortured and detained for indefinite periods" until previous anti-terror laws were suspended as part of peace moves.

    Sri Lanka's government lifted its ban on the Tamil Tigers ahead of the ceasefire deal and peace talks brokered by Norway.

    The old Prevention of Terrorism Act was effectively suspended following the truce.

    The main opposition said it supports the new regulations, if they were to outlaw terrorist activities.

    Tissa Attanayake, Secretary General of the UNP which has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Rajapsakse government did not rule out that there is also a danger in these laws if applied to submerge political activities in the south.

    When told UNP also adopted such laws in the past and there were disappearances and assassinations carried out in the guise of these laws, he said everybody witnessed what happened in the period between1988 and 1989.

    “It was a period of terror”, he said.

    Attanayake said although government bring in these laws to counter terrorism in no way could stop the efforts to find a political solution to the national question.

    The leader of the TNA, Sri Lanka’s largest Tamil party, R. Sambanthan said though these laws were there in the past it did not help to bring a solution to the conflict.

    Those who have taken arms to their hands to fight a war were not affected by anti-terror laws but it was mostly the innocent Tamil people who were affected, Sampanthan said.
  • US disquiet over Sri Lanka civil liberties
    Asked last week about the salience of a Patriot Act-style law for Sri Lanka, US Ambassador to Colombo, Robert O' Blake, responded: “civil liberties, frankly, are already under strain here (in Sri Lanka). So, I wouldn't want to suggest other things that might further imperil them.”

    He told the state-owned Daily News last week that the US Patriot Act was operating in tandem with strong respect for civil liberties there.

    Mr. Blakes’s comments were published in Tuesday’s edition the day before the Sri Lankan government announce the revival of the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in breach of the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement.

    Ambassador Blake told the state-owned Daily News that the Patriot Act had helped the US authorities “to identify people who might be working against the US in some sort of terrorist faction.”

    “But, at the same time, there has been a very strong realisation that there has to be a strong respect for civil liberties in America,” he said.

    “I think there has been a good, healthy debate about that in the US, and the net result is that the US is safely placed and there have been no major terrorist attacks,” he said.

    Asked if he would recommend a Patriotic Act for Sri Lanka, Ambassador Blake replied:

    “Well, every country is different. I do not want to start to prescribe how to do things. I think the [Sri Lankan] Government has a good sense of where the LTTE is. Civil liberties. frankly, are already under strain here. So, I wouldn't want to suggest other things that might further imperil them.”
  • Cheaper through Vanni
    Jaffna residents say they paid less to pass through the Tiger tolls on the A-9 than what they now pay to take the government's lengthy detour.

    "Bus fare was only Rs. 150 [US$1.50]" before the A-9 was closed, Jaffna resident Shri Nathan, told the Christian Science Monitor.

    "Passengers didn't have to pay anything. Only business people did."

    Now passengers pay Rs. 300 [US$3] for the bus ride from Mannar or Vavuniya to Trincomalee and an additional Rs. 1500 [US$15] for the sea passage from Trincomalee to Jaffna.

    "It takes three days for travel. It will be good if they open the A-9," says Suhasini Vickramasurya, a high school student. "We used to be able to go from Vavuniya to Jaffna in four hours."

    http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1122/p07s01-wosc.html
  • US: LTTE is not a threat to region or world

    Whilst the United States considered the Tamil Tigers a terrorist group, they are not a threat to the region or part of global terrorism, Washington’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Robert O' Blake, said last week.

    US Ambassador Blake visited Sri Lankan military forces in Jaffna earlier this month. Photo Sri Lanka Army
    Moreover, Sri Lanka should negotiate a solution to the conflict with the LTTE, who are representing the Tamil people in the negotiations, Ambassador Blake said.

    And whilst the US was supporting Sri Lanka to dissuade the LTTE from pursuing the military option to the Tamil question, that did not mean Washington wanted Colombo to prosecute its own war, he said.

    Ambassador Blake’s comments came in a lengthy interview with the state-own Daily News, published December 5.

    He began by reiterating Washington’s support for Sri Lanka saying: “the US is not neutral in this particular conflict. We have always been a strong supporter of the Government and we consider the LTTE as a terrorist organisation.”

    “So we are doing what we can to help the Government through enforcement channels, through military channels to defend itself in the war on terrorism.”

    However, Ambassador Blake said, that does not mean the US endorses a military solution.

    “All this is to help Sri Lanka defend itself. We have been very clear that our strong interest is in not seeing the military prosecute this war, but to send a signal of strength that will hopefully see the LTTE coming to the negotiating table.”

    “After more than 25 years of conflict here, the time has come for peace in Sri Lanka. The real solution for this conflict is a sustained negotiating process that hopefully leads to an agreement of some sort between the two parties.

    “We strongly believe that there cannot be a military solution to this particular conflict. [Sri Lanka] tried that for a long time and it has not worked. So we strongly believe that the time has come for a peaceful negotiated settlement to your conflict.”

    Asked if Sri Lanka should negotiate with terrorists, he replied: “We do think you can negotiate with the terrorists [and] there have been many different exchanges in the past, in fact six rounds of negotiations in 2002/3.”

    Asked if the Sri Lankan government should present its proposals “to the LTTE or the Tamil people?”, Ambassador Blake replied:

    “Well, at this point, to my knowledge, the LTTE is the one that is representing the Tamil people in the negotiations. That has been the history of the negotiations to this date, beginning in 2002 and carried to 2003.”

    “The answer to this [ethnic] question is not purely a counter-terrorism or a military solution. There also has to be a parallel political strategy where the Government advances a power-sharing proposal of some sort,” he said further.

    “We believe that the SLFP-UNP agreement is really the best opportunity to have come along in some time. We very much hope that this effort would succeed and form the basis for proposals that can be tabled at future negotiations.”

    Asked about American interests in the island, Ambassador Blake said:

    “Sri Lanka is a friendly democratic country in a region that is increasingly important to the US, and a region that is facing some challenges. When you look at places like Pakistan, Bangladesh and other parts like Afghanistan, these are all countries that are facing challenges. So, it is very important for us that there be democratic, multi-ethnic success stories in the region. Certainly India can be that, and we hope Sri Lanka can be that as well. Sri Lanka has the added importance to us of being in the major shipping links in the Indian Ocean.”

    Asked if the LTTE was a threat to the region, not only to Sri Lanka, Ambassador Blake replied:

    “I do not think so. I think the LTTE has been very careful about confining their operations to Sri Lanka because they are aware of the fact that if they should do so if they not want to antagonise particularly neighbours like India.”

    “So they have been very careful and I think they have realised that one of the greatest strategical mistakes they made in their history was targeting Rajiv Gandhi.”

    Asked, again, if the LTTE was a threat globally “because they exchange views, knowledge etc. [with other terrorist groups],” Ambassador Blake replied:

    “I do not know to what extent they operate globally. I am sure they try to derive lessons as best as they can from the experiences of other terrorist organisations around the world. But, I am not aware of them taking terrorist action in another country, other than the attack on Rajiv Gandhi.”

    Asked why US was urging Sri Lanka to talk to the LTTE whilst attacking others it considered terrorists, Ambassador Blake replied:

    “I think it is dangerous to make comparisons between one country and the next. Every single country is different. In our case, the terrorists that we are pursuing are mostly stateless organisations like Al-Qaeda that are not based in any single country. They are just out to kill as many Americans as possible, and there is really no point in trying to negotiate with them because they do not have any political objective to speak of.”

    “I think the LTTE, by contrast, though surely is pursuing terrorist objectives, has the ultimate political objective to establish some sort of framework where the rights of Tamils can be respected.”

    “So we believe that there cannot be a military solution to this, and that there has to be a negotiated settlement where the aspirations of all Sri Lankans; Tamils, Sinhalese, Muslims and others, can be respected.”
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