Three of the most prominent teacher trade unions, the Ceylon Tamil Teachers Association, Ceylon Democratic Teachers Union and Ceylon Islamic Teachers Association, came together against the proposed transfer scheme in the East, reported Tamilnet.

In a letter to the Eastern Provincial Minister of Education, Wimalaweera Dissanayake, the trade unions protested that they had not been consulted on the transfers made till now, and ultimately the transfer scheme would violate their 'fundamental rights', as well being set up on a racial basis.

The head of the Sri Lankan delegation currently in talks with the Tamil National Alliance has denied it is under pressure from India to devolve power to the provinces.

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told BBC Sinhala the agreement to discuss land and police powers, an ‘apparent u-turn’ from their previous position, has nothing to do with influences by other countries.

"No no no no, there was no pressure. Neither India nor other country can dictate how our country is governed," he said in response to a question by BBC Sandeshaya.

The government, he said, is "always prepared to discuss land and police powers as well as the re merger of the north and east."

Read report on BBC Sandeshaya here.

The past few days have seen rumours that General Sarath Fonseka, sentenced for implicating the defence secretary in war crimes, would receive a pardon from Sri Lanka's president, Mahinda Rajapaksa. The reports, said to have emerged from the Presidential Secretariat sources, alleged that the pardon would be announced on New Years Day.

According to the country's constitution, the president can “grant a pardon, either free or subject to lawful conditions, grant any respite, either indefinite or such period as the President may think fit".

No such presidential pardon materialised.

Writing in The Platform, Mario Arulthas a member of the TYO UK (Tamil Youth Organisation UK) argues that the end of the armed conflict has not brought peace, but instead as the ruling regime "attempts to consolidate the Sinhala-Buddhist fascism that has plagued the island for decades", the genocide of Tamils "continues unabated".

"Two and a half years have passed since the armed conflict between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Government of Sri Lanka ended, but Tamils have seen neither justice nor freedom from the Sri Lankan state’s deliberate and systematic destruction of the Tamil nation – a genocide."

"Despite the deaths of an estimated 40,000 civilians in 2009 and the compelling evidence of war crimes against humanity that continues to emerge, Sri Lanka remains both incapable and unwilling to bring justice to the Tamil people. Dismissing any calls for an international investigation in order to bring accountability to the island, the state has instead relentlessly pursued its oppression of the Tamil people in the North-East."

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“We were informed that there were no cloths on the Russian female when she was admitted to the hospital. However, we are still waiting to see the medical reports including DNA tests”.

"Given that a local politician involved is terrifying and a number of people appeared to have access to firearms, I would think local people would be extremely scared about speaking out."

"It (tourism industry) has fallen once again."

"Almost all hotel rooms were full in Tangalle before the murder on the Christmas day."

“Normally, tourists move around and visit other venues in the area, but now they are afraid to go out in the night.”

The Sri Lankan government has taxed a charity for importing wheelchairs for Tamil war victims.

322 wheelchairs and other mobility equipment destined for the north of the island were taxed $8,000 by Sri Lankan customs.

The head of the Yorkshire based charity, PhysioNet, has condemned the move by the government.

Peter Thompson said the shipment took over 3 months to clear customs.

"This is a record for the longest time one of our shipments has languished on the docks of a recipient country - and that includes some of the most corrupt and inefficient countries in Africa." he told the BBC.

Mr Thompson said it appeared as if the Sri Lankan authorities placed obstacles ‘every step of the way’ to prevent the shipment being delivered on time.

"Only following endless paperwork and the payment of $8,000 was the container released and allowed to be transported to the north of the country,

"During the three months it took for these problems to be resolved, the demurrage charges were building up substantially in Colombo.

"It's difficult to conclude that this is anything other than a glaring example of the Sri Lankan authorities victimising the Tamil community."

A government official defended the imposing of duties, saying all imports, including those for charitable purposes, are subject to tax.

He explained the delay in the clearance of the shipment was due to the need to gain special permission from various government ministries, as the delivery was destined for the north.

Photograph www.sundaytimes.lk

Escorted by Sri Lankan military commander for the Eastern province, Major Gen. Lal Perara and the Commander of the 22nd Division, Brig. Dharshana Hettiaarachchi, the leader of the TNA, Sampanthan, reviewed the proposed Sampur coal power project on Thursday.

The proposed project, a joint venture by the governments of Sri Lanka and India, will include the arbitary aquisition of private lands belonging to Tamils who have been refused the right of return and effectively forced into indefinite displacement.

Less than a fortnight ago, the displaced families, living in temporary shelters, were battered by heavy rains and gale force winds.

Civil society groups have condemned the project as enviromentally destructive due to the devastating impact of mercury leakage into the local ecosystem and the wider impact on global warming.

Thursday was Sampanthan's first visit to Sampur since the end of the armed conflict.

Earlier this year, attempting to protest against the displacement of Tamil families, Sampanthan - elected chief advocate of the rights of Tamil nation in the North-East - said,

“There is a sacred Hindu temple in this area. It is Badrakali Amman Kovil. I used to go there as a little boy at that time. There is a powerful deity there. Please keep that in mind.”

Sri Lanka's ruling party, the UPFA, have said that the country's close ties with China should not be seen as a threat to India.

According to Rohitha Bogollagama, member of the UPFA, Sri Lanka's relationship with India is unique and cannot be replaced.

"China's relationship with us is special because they were with us and supported us in countering terrorism. They also supported us in the international arena. The Chinese also assisted the economic drive of President Mahinda Rajapaksa without placing conditions during and after the war," Bogollagama told Xinhua.

"We couldn't just take traditional support to meet all our economic expectations so we depend on China. This should not be seen as a threat to South Asia coming out of Sri Lanka.

"Our relationship with India is unique and cannot be replaced. India also supported us during the fight against terrorism. We are also benefiting from the economic partnerships with India. There are thousands of tourist visiting Sri Lanka from India as well," Bogollagama said.

"We must have a transparent relationship with India and China," the former Sri Lankan foreign minister said.

Bogollagama denied that Sri Lanka's foreign policy sought favour with countries in the East. He pointed out that the West was supportive of their war against the LTTE and aided Sri Lanka greatly in banning the movement in several countries.

Asked about the relationship with the Gaddafi regime and Iran, Bogollagama said this was merely for economic benefit, such as receiving oil and energy.

In an interview with Bhagwan Singh, published in the Deccan Chronicle, Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa slammed calls for a war crimes inquiry as "baseless issues" contrived by the Tamil diaspora, and dismissed the TNA's demands as "impossible".

See here for interview in full.

Extracts of Rajapaksa's responses reproduced below:

On calls for a war crimes investigation

"The LTTE remnants in these Western countries are bringing pressure on political leaders there to raise baseless issues against Sri Lanka."

"After the 1880 uprising in Ceylon’s Uva (in the south), the British rulers killed every male aged above 14, and destroyed all water reservoirs to force the people into starvation. They took away land. They did that in India, too. And they talk of human rights now. The West wants me to be their lackey and I refuse to be that."

 

On relationships with India

"For me, India is first, and others come only after India. As soon as I came to power, I went to India and got their support; after that, I did not have to bother about the UN, UK, US, and so on."

On TNA and devolution

"They (TNA) have the same attitude as the LTTE.

"They demand impossible things — merger of the north and the east, land policy and police. See what happened in your country [India] when Rahul Gandhi was travelling in Uttar Pradesh. Chief minister Mayawati tried to get him arrested. Do you think I want to get arrested by these people (by giving the Tamils a police force)?

"The TNA seems to be driven by the Tamil diaspora, which does not want peace and political settlement, as they fear that their host countries might then send them back home.

"The TNA cannot represent the same separatist agenda of the LTTE, which will not find acceptance with the majority population. I want to work towards a solution but the TNA is not cooperating.

On militarisation of North-East

"There are more than 300,000 Tamils in the north. The military presence is not worked out in proportion to the population but the security needs of the region. The presence of the military in an area that has seen brutal armed conflict for nearly three decades does not amount to militarisation."

"The military is playing a significant role in building infrastructure as the locals lack skills. Also, large sections of the north are yet to be de-mined."

"It is not true that school functions or library meetings and such activities require the permission of the military. But there could be cautious surveillance, knowing the nature of the defeated enemy. We are still getting hidden arms caches of the LTTE. The presence of the military will be phased out in keeping with security needs."

Russia has welcomed the release of the LLRC report and the ‘great contribution’ it would make to reconciliation, ignoring widespread criticism of it.

A statement, released by Alexander Lukashevich, the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, ignores the serious flaws in the report, highlighted by many human rights organisation and various governments.

Full text of statement:

“The final report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) has been revealed in Colombo. The Commission made serious work on all aspects of the longstanding conflict that had ended in Sri Lanka in 2009.

"We are confident that the results of its work will make a great contribution to the acceleration of national reconciliation process as well as to the strengthening of peace on the island.

"We highly appreciate efforts of the Sri Lankan Government in solving the post-conflict problems on the basis of state integrity, multinational consent and respect for the rights of all ethnic and religious groups of Sri Lanka.

"We are convinced in sincere concernment of the Sri Lanka Government in implementing the recommendations made by the LLRC.”

See Tamil Guardian editorial:

No more excuses, it is time to act (18 Dec 2011)

The JHU's (Jathika Hela Urumaya) legal advisor, MP Udaya Gammanpila, criticised India's statement, made 25th December on the LLRC report, as "incorrect", reasserting the Sri Lankan government's refusal to devolve land and police powers to the North-East. 

Gammanpila said,

“it is incorrect to say that the Sri Lankan government has assured India that it will fully implement the 13th amendment”

“the Government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa clearly stated that it is against devolving police and land powers to the provincial councils as well as the unification of the north and eastern provinces as proposed in the 13th amendment.”

Keen to find the source of this statement, Gammapila asserted,

“Therefore we ask India to clarify which Sri Lankan government has given this assurance.”

Slamming the LLRC report as "one-sided", the secretary of the JHU, MP Patali Champika Ranawaka condemned the report for only recommending investigations in the Sri Lankan army and navy, whilst criticising the report for going "beyond its mandate".

Ranawaka reportedly said, 

“There are no recommendations to conduct investigations against the LTTE atrocities but the army and navy”.

“The report discusses political matters beyond its mandate”.

Perhaps Ranawaka, the ruling UPFA's Power and Energy Minister, would be wise to liaise with his pals in the external affairs ministry before making such remarks.

See Sri Lanka to prosecute LLRC critics (23 Dec 2011)

The JHU (Jathika Hela Urumaya) is a constituent party of Sri Lanka's governing United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA).

The ultra-nationalist party was formed by Sinhala Buddhist monks in 2004.