Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Monday, November 20, 2006
Sri Lanka rebels say air force bombs near stronghold
COLOMBO, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels said on Tuesday air force fighter jets dropped bombs near their northern stronghold of Kilinochchi, but said they did not have any details of damage or casualties.
"We are being bombed," rebel military spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiraiyan told Reuters. "The bombs are falling near Kilinochchi. The buildings in town are vibrating."
"They have dropped about 20 bombs so far," he added. "There was no provocation." He estimated the bombs were being dropped less than 2-½ miles (4 km) from the rebel stronghold.
Military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said he had no immediate details of any air raids.
A litany of military clashes and attacks have killed more than 3,000 civilians, troops and Tiger fighters so far this year in a new chapter of the island's two-decade civil war.
Many ordinary Sri Lankans fear the violence will escalate now that the island's 2002 truce has disintegrated in all but name. Fighting since the conflict began in 1983 has killed more than 67,000 people.
Sri Lanka's main financial donors -- the United States, Japan, Norway and the European Union -- are meeting in Washington to discuss the island's deteriorating security situation, and are expected to call on Tuesday for a halt to hostilities and escalating rights abuses blamed on both sides.
President Mahinda Rajapakse, elected a year ago, has flatly rejected rebel demands for a separate homeland for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka's north and east, where they already run a de facto state.
"We are being bombed," rebel military spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiraiyan told Reuters. "The bombs are falling near Kilinochchi. The buildings in town are vibrating."
"They have dropped about 20 bombs so far," he added. "There was no provocation." He estimated the bombs were being dropped less than 2-½ miles (4 km) from the rebel stronghold.
Military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said he had no immediate details of any air raids.
A litany of military clashes and attacks have killed more than 3,000 civilians, troops and Tiger fighters so far this year in a new chapter of the island's two-decade civil war.
Many ordinary Sri Lankans fear the violence will escalate now that the island's 2002 truce has disintegrated in all but name. Fighting since the conflict began in 1983 has killed more than 67,000 people.
Sri Lanka's main financial donors -- the United States, Japan, Norway and the European Union -- are meeting in Washington to discuss the island's deteriorating security situation, and are expected to call on Tuesday for a halt to hostilities and escalating rights abuses blamed on both sides.
President Mahinda Rajapakse, elected a year ago, has flatly rejected rebel demands for a separate homeland for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka's north and east, where they already run a de facto state.
LTTE are genuine freedom fighters - Dr Lalith Kotelawala
Sri Lanka's Dr Lalith Kotelawala's business card is actually six cards printed on either side with five folds, listing all the companies that are part of his company, Ceylinco Consolidated.
As a Sinhala Christian, Kotelawala is part of a minority group, but as the head of 256 companies that employ more than 30,000 people, he is also acknowledged as one of the country's leading business personalities.
He reveals for the first time how he entered a Tamil Tiger's home, was welcomed, and how he believes that the chances for peace in the nation have never been better.
Kotelawala's uncle was the third prime minister of Sri Lanka and his father fought for economic freedom, so he is not new to serving his country.
He is the recipient of Sri Lanka's highest civilian honour, Deshmanya, and has also set up the Ceylinco Sarana Fund, which helps the poor.
As a result, the businessman has in recent years, become better known for his philanthropic efforts.
On a short trip to Dubai, Kotelawala talked exclusively to Weekend Review on a range of topics, from his tsunami relief efforts and corporate social responsibility, to peace on the island nation and poor people's right to credit.
Is it true that you have an unofficial mandate that requires all Ceylinco employees to set aside money for charity?
Each employee is encouraged to contribute to the fund. It is purely voluntary and the directive is recommended depending on the salary scale. The higher up you go, the more you give. Today, the Ceylinco Sarana Fund has Rs128 million. It has been decentralised and we give the money to the 400 branches and every month Rs10 million is distributed. The money is given out to areas other than Colombo as we don't want to restrict charity to the urban poor, but focus on the rural poor.
Does the money go to the northern and eastern parts as well?
Yes, it does.
Has charity always figured in Ceylinco's business plan?
In 1996, the LTTE exploded a bomb in the Central Bank and I was there. Both my eyes were seriously damaged and it was only after many operations that I regained sight in one eye. When I was convalescing, Mohammad Yunus [2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner] gave me a book about Grameen Bank and access to credit. I was moved by it and invited him to be the chairman of Ceylinco Grameen. Today, 300,000 women are members. A large number has risen above the poverty line and we have given out more than Rs1 billion in loans.
What kind of interest rates does Grameen charge?
Well [pauses], it is high. It is about 20 per cent per year. But when you compare it to what the poor are paying to the loan sharks, it is a blessing from heaven. The loan sharks charge them almost 10 per cent per day. Grameen gives $50 to the poorest of the poor to start with, and they have the opportunity to get a shop-house in 20 years that takes care of their workspace and housing problem in one shot. Finally, where Grameen succeeds is that it provides access to credit to the poor that they would have never been able to get from other agencies.
Do you think Mohammad Yunus should have won the Nobel for Economics as opposed to the Peace Prize? Well, I don't know about that. I just know that he should be recognised, which he was and that's all that matters [laughs].
Did Ceylinco's charity work have to shift its focus a great deal after the 2004 tsunami hit Sri Lanka?
At the time, we were the leading insurance company in Colombo. I saw that insurance companies across the country - including mine - were turning away people and said that they can't pay because the tsunami was an act of God and was therefore not covered.
I felt horrible and it just didn't feel right to say no. So, on the spur of the moment, I just said ‘we have to pay'. My staff was horrified and said it would cost us billions. But so many people had lost so much. They had nothing left. The Sri Lankan people trusted a Sri Lankan company and when they needed us I said we cannot desert them.
So we paid up and I personally led it. We went from town to town - even the North and the East. I went to the Tamil Tigers and was invited into their homes. I've never told this to anyone but I was allowed, or I should say, welcomed into their homes. We sat. We talked. And they were delighted to know that we cared.
Is it true that the Sri Lankan government has set aside a 100-metre buffer zone that forbids the fishing folk from rebuilding their homes and settling within that radius, but has given that land to larger hotels? [Nods] Yes, it is true. I have objected strongly to that rule, but there is no change in the law. Most of the Grameen women are fishing folk. We rebuilt their homes even though the government took over the land and gave it to large hotels. But we rebuilt some of the homes.
So you broke the law?
Yes, we did. But I'm not afraid of that when it is for a good cause.
Most would say that it doesn't help to have a conscience in business ... That's true. And I believed that too until the bomb blast in 1996. It made me realise we all have a purpose in life and this is all the more true of people blessed with money. I have been given a lot of money, but I can't take it with me when I die.
Today, I have many homes, bungalows and holiday homes. Some I haven't even seen. I have almost 20 cars, but I can only drive one at a time. I can afford to eat the best food at the best hotels, but I am a diabetic. So I cannot. Money is a tool that can be used to improve lives and I believe that those with money must use it to help others help themselves. It can really help alleviate poverty.
Do you think the world has become more materialistic over the years?
[Nods] Yes. Definitely. Especially after this whole globalisation thing.
You're not a fan of globalisation?
I am against it. I don't believe in inviting foreign giants. I prefer the micro alternative of small businesses and encouraging these instead of allowing larger outfits taking the country over and benefiting people who are not even in the country.
They would argue that they provide jobs and an infrastructure ... Jobs for how many? A few thousand? We are a completely home-grown company and employ 32,000 people. I think other countries should encourage us by opening up their markets further and allow developing economies such as ours to work towards self-sufficiency.
What are the chances for peace in Sri Lanka?
I think this memorandum of understanding between the two parties - the president and the leader of the opposition - is very good. It is a coming together of 80 per cent of the voters, the people of Sri Lanka. I also believe that there should be a change in the attitude of the LTTE leadership.
If you ask the Tamils living under them if they want democracy or the militia, they will choose democracy. The LTTE leadership has to join the democratic process and must have the vision to do so.
When I visited the regions after the tsunami, I learnt that the people were fed up with the war. They wanted freedom for their children to go to school in peace, without the fear of conscription into the cadres. The tsunami tragedy was a perfect opportunity for the government to talk peace. I was appalled at the way the aid was handled. The world responded with great compassion but the government, under Chandrika Kumaratunga, would not give it to the LTTE. We could have clinched peace at that time, especially because the north-east was the worst off.
Does the LTTE, in your opinion, have the vision that you talk about? Are they ready to relinquish the control they wield over their people?
They should not be afraid to do that. In all fairness, the LTTE has been pushed into doing it. They have done great service to their people and you can't brand them as pure terrorists as they are genuine freedom fighters. They must realise that the best opportunity to work things out is through a system of self-governance. That is the structure that needs to be discussed.
The current policy of the government is a hit-back policy and that is an Israeli policy. I don't think it's right. Mahatma Gandhi said that the eye-for-an-eye, a-tooth-for-a-tooth policy makes the world blind and toothless. And it will only keep escalating.
We can't ask them to disarm in order to sit down and talk while we hold onto our arms. Things must be left as they are and we must talk about devolution, federal state or autonomy.
Is it possible for ethnic groups that have been divided by war to live peacefully in the future - assuming a political solution is found?
I think it is possible to do so. Looking at Ceylinco, since 1973, we have followed a policy of not checking for the ethnicity of any employees. We don't have a religion or ethnicity box in the application form. It is a pure meritocracy and I don't know how many Tamils, Sinhalas, Buddhists, Muslims or Christians we have. When you start counting, you have a problem.
You are from a minority community but head the largest holding company in Sri Lanka. Is that a problem at times? Of course. I've been attacked many times. I think that some Sinhalas follow a militant form of Buddhism when they put their religion above everything else.
No war can be holy. In which religion does God tell you to kill or maim your fellow human beings? So, yes, I do get attacked by racist Buddhists as I'm accused of converting Sri Lankans.
How do you respond to the allegations of conversion? We don't have any religious affiliation. At Grameen, we don't care what religion the members are from or who benefits from the charity funds. We are only concerned about alleviating poverty.
Gulf News
Published: Nov 21, 2006 2:59:24 GMT
As a Sinhala Christian, Kotelawala is part of a minority group, but as the head of 256 companies that employ more than 30,000 people, he is also acknowledged as one of the country's leading business personalities.
He reveals for the first time how he entered a Tamil Tiger's home, was welcomed, and how he believes that the chances for peace in the nation have never been better.
Kotelawala's uncle was the third prime minister of Sri Lanka and his father fought for economic freedom, so he is not new to serving his country.
He is the recipient of Sri Lanka's highest civilian honour, Deshmanya, and has also set up the Ceylinco Sarana Fund, which helps the poor.
As a result, the businessman has in recent years, become better known for his philanthropic efforts.
On a short trip to Dubai, Kotelawala talked exclusively to Weekend Review on a range of topics, from his tsunami relief efforts and corporate social responsibility, to peace on the island nation and poor people's right to credit.
Is it true that you have an unofficial mandate that requires all Ceylinco employees to set aside money for charity?
Each employee is encouraged to contribute to the fund. It is purely voluntary and the directive is recommended depending on the salary scale. The higher up you go, the more you give. Today, the Ceylinco Sarana Fund has Rs128 million. It has been decentralised and we give the money to the 400 branches and every month Rs10 million is distributed. The money is given out to areas other than Colombo as we don't want to restrict charity to the urban poor, but focus on the rural poor.
Does the money go to the northern and eastern parts as well?
Yes, it does.
Has charity always figured in Ceylinco's business plan?
In 1996, the LTTE exploded a bomb in the Central Bank and I was there. Both my eyes were seriously damaged and it was only after many operations that I regained sight in one eye. When I was convalescing, Mohammad Yunus [2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner] gave me a book about Grameen Bank and access to credit. I was moved by it and invited him to be the chairman of Ceylinco Grameen. Today, 300,000 women are members. A large number has risen above the poverty line and we have given out more than Rs1 billion in loans.
What kind of interest rates does Grameen charge?
Well [pauses], it is high. It is about 20 per cent per year. But when you compare it to what the poor are paying to the loan sharks, it is a blessing from heaven. The loan sharks charge them almost 10 per cent per day. Grameen gives $50 to the poorest of the poor to start with, and they have the opportunity to get a shop-house in 20 years that takes care of their workspace and housing problem in one shot. Finally, where Grameen succeeds is that it provides access to credit to the poor that they would have never been able to get from other agencies.
Do you think Mohammad Yunus should have won the Nobel for Economics as opposed to the Peace Prize? Well, I don't know about that. I just know that he should be recognised, which he was and that's all that matters [laughs].
Did Ceylinco's charity work have to shift its focus a great deal after the 2004 tsunami hit Sri Lanka?
At the time, we were the leading insurance company in Colombo. I saw that insurance companies across the country - including mine - were turning away people and said that they can't pay because the tsunami was an act of God and was therefore not covered.
I felt horrible and it just didn't feel right to say no. So, on the spur of the moment, I just said ‘we have to pay'. My staff was horrified and said it would cost us billions. But so many people had lost so much. They had nothing left. The Sri Lankan people trusted a Sri Lankan company and when they needed us I said we cannot desert them.
So we paid up and I personally led it. We went from town to town - even the North and the East. I went to the Tamil Tigers and was invited into their homes. I've never told this to anyone but I was allowed, or I should say, welcomed into their homes. We sat. We talked. And they were delighted to know that we cared.
Is it true that the Sri Lankan government has set aside a 100-metre buffer zone that forbids the fishing folk from rebuilding their homes and settling within that radius, but has given that land to larger hotels? [Nods] Yes, it is true. I have objected strongly to that rule, but there is no change in the law. Most of the Grameen women are fishing folk. We rebuilt their homes even though the government took over the land and gave it to large hotels. But we rebuilt some of the homes.
So you broke the law?
Yes, we did. But I'm not afraid of that when it is for a good cause.
Most would say that it doesn't help to have a conscience in business ... That's true. And I believed that too until the bomb blast in 1996. It made me realise we all have a purpose in life and this is all the more true of people blessed with money. I have been given a lot of money, but I can't take it with me when I die.
Today, I have many homes, bungalows and holiday homes. Some I haven't even seen. I have almost 20 cars, but I can only drive one at a time. I can afford to eat the best food at the best hotels, but I am a diabetic. So I cannot. Money is a tool that can be used to improve lives and I believe that those with money must use it to help others help themselves. It can really help alleviate poverty.
Do you think the world has become more materialistic over the years?
[Nods] Yes. Definitely. Especially after this whole globalisation thing.
You're not a fan of globalisation?
I am against it. I don't believe in inviting foreign giants. I prefer the micro alternative of small businesses and encouraging these instead of allowing larger outfits taking the country over and benefiting people who are not even in the country.
They would argue that they provide jobs and an infrastructure ... Jobs for how many? A few thousand? We are a completely home-grown company and employ 32,000 people. I think other countries should encourage us by opening up their markets further and allow developing economies such as ours to work towards self-sufficiency.
What are the chances for peace in Sri Lanka?
I think this memorandum of understanding between the two parties - the president and the leader of the opposition - is very good. It is a coming together of 80 per cent of the voters, the people of Sri Lanka. I also believe that there should be a change in the attitude of the LTTE leadership.
If you ask the Tamils living under them if they want democracy or the militia, they will choose democracy. The LTTE leadership has to join the democratic process and must have the vision to do so.
When I visited the regions after the tsunami, I learnt that the people were fed up with the war. They wanted freedom for their children to go to school in peace, without the fear of conscription into the cadres. The tsunami tragedy was a perfect opportunity for the government to talk peace. I was appalled at the way the aid was handled. The world responded with great compassion but the government, under Chandrika Kumaratunga, would not give it to the LTTE. We could have clinched peace at that time, especially because the north-east was the worst off.
Does the LTTE, in your opinion, have the vision that you talk about? Are they ready to relinquish the control they wield over their people?
They should not be afraid to do that. In all fairness, the LTTE has been pushed into doing it. They have done great service to their people and you can't brand them as pure terrorists as they are genuine freedom fighters. They must realise that the best opportunity to work things out is through a system of self-governance. That is the structure that needs to be discussed.
The current policy of the government is a hit-back policy and that is an Israeli policy. I don't think it's right. Mahatma Gandhi said that the eye-for-an-eye, a-tooth-for-a-tooth policy makes the world blind and toothless. And it will only keep escalating.
We can't ask them to disarm in order to sit down and talk while we hold onto our arms. Things must be left as they are and we must talk about devolution, federal state or autonomy.
Is it possible for ethnic groups that have been divided by war to live peacefully in the future - assuming a political solution is found?
I think it is possible to do so. Looking at Ceylinco, since 1973, we have followed a policy of not checking for the ethnicity of any employees. We don't have a religion or ethnicity box in the application form. It is a pure meritocracy and I don't know how many Tamils, Sinhalas, Buddhists, Muslims or Christians we have. When you start counting, you have a problem.
You are from a minority community but head the largest holding company in Sri Lanka. Is that a problem at times? Of course. I've been attacked many times. I think that some Sinhalas follow a militant form of Buddhism when they put their religion above everything else.
No war can be holy. In which religion does God tell you to kill or maim your fellow human beings? So, yes, I do get attacked by racist Buddhists as I'm accused of converting Sri Lankans.
How do you respond to the allegations of conversion? We don't have any religious affiliation. At Grameen, we don't care what religion the members are from or who benefits from the charity funds. We are only concerned about alleviating poverty.
Gulf News
Published: Nov 21, 2006 2:59:24 GMT
Two men abducted in Kokuvil, 3 youths surrender to HRC
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers abducted a middle-aged man from his house in Potpathy Road in Kokuvil at 1:00 a.m. Monday, while unidentified armed men abducted another man from his residence in Kondavil West Jaffna Sunday midnight, civil sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, 3 youths surrendered to the Human Rights Commission offices fear for their lives from the SLA and collaborating paramilitaries, and several other youths are expected to surrender Tuesday, sources in Jaffna said.
Sivaratnam Narendran, 37, of Kokuvil was forcefully taken from his home in Kokuvil by SLA troopers according to a complaint filed by his wife at the offices of the Jaffna Human Rights Commission.
The victim in Kondavil abduction has been identified as Shanmugarasa Sasiharan, 34, of Kondavil West, sources said.
Meanwhile, three youths surrendered at the Jaffna HRC Monday morning and ten additional youths are expected to surrender at the HRC on Tuesday, civil society sources said.
"Youths threatened to death by the SLA and paramilitary cadres are increasingly seeking security in the protective custody of Jaffna Prison through the offices of the Jaffna SLHRC. Eight youths have already been placed in the safety of the Jaffna prison," the father of one of the surrendered youth said.
Placing those below 18 years of age in protective custody of Jaffna prison may cause legal complications and many local civil society organisations have requested the Jaffna UNICEF to make urgent arrangements to safeguard the lives of those below 18 threatened by the SLA and paramilitary groups, legal sources in Jaffna said.
"Most of the youths abducted and killed by the SLA are between the ages of 15 to 18, and the Organisations working to safeguard the welfare of children, including United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in Jaffna, are yet to raise alarm on the escalating incidents of abductions, and highlight the fear and trauma of parents with teen age children in Jaffna, civil society leaders in Jaffna said.
"Abductions and killings of the youth in the Jaffna peninsula have increased at an alarming rate. IN the last 50 days from October first week to November 20, more than 130 documented cases of abductions and killings alleged to be perpetrated by the SLA soldiers," a local NGO official said.
"The persons seeking protective custody in Jaffna prison through the HRC Jaffna office with their parents and relatives are mostly from the villages of Thirunelveli, Kokuvil, Kondavil and Inuvil villages. The majority of the cases of abducted and killed in recent times are from these villages," a Thirunelveli resident said.
-tamilnet
Sivaratnam Narendran, 37, of Kokuvil was forcefully taken from his home in Kokuvil by SLA troopers according to a complaint filed by his wife at the offices of the Jaffna Human Rights Commission.
The victim in Kondavil abduction has been identified as Shanmugarasa Sasiharan, 34, of Kondavil West, sources said.
Meanwhile, three youths surrendered at the Jaffna HRC Monday morning and ten additional youths are expected to surrender at the HRC on Tuesday, civil society sources said.
"Youths threatened to death by the SLA and paramilitary cadres are increasingly seeking security in the protective custody of Jaffna Prison through the offices of the Jaffna SLHRC. Eight youths have already been placed in the safety of the Jaffna prison," the father of one of the surrendered youth said.
Placing those below 18 years of age in protective custody of Jaffna prison may cause legal complications and many local civil society organisations have requested the Jaffna UNICEF to make urgent arrangements to safeguard the lives of those below 18 threatened by the SLA and paramilitary groups, legal sources in Jaffna said.
"Most of the youths abducted and killed by the SLA are between the ages of 15 to 18, and the Organisations working to safeguard the welfare of children, including United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in Jaffna, are yet to raise alarm on the escalating incidents of abductions, and highlight the fear and trauma of parents with teen age children in Jaffna, civil society leaders in Jaffna said.
"Abductions and killings of the youth in the Jaffna peninsula have increased at an alarming rate. IN the last 50 days from October first week to November 20, more than 130 documented cases of abductions and killings alleged to be perpetrated by the SLA soldiers," a local NGO official said.
"The persons seeking protective custody in Jaffna prison through the HRC Jaffna office with their parents and relatives are mostly from the villages of Thirunelveli, Kokuvil, Kondavil and Inuvil villages. The majority of the cases of abducted and killed in recent times are from these villages," a Thirunelveli resident said.
-tamilnet
Colombo ignoring humanitarian catastrophe - Thamilchelvan
Colombo was engaged in "last minute tactics to placate the international community," prior to a scheduled meeting of Co-Chairs in Washington, by dispatching a single lorry into Vaharai where 38,000 civilians were starving for the past fortnight. Likewise, Colombo was showcasing to the media that it would dispatch a single convoy of supplies through A9 into Jaffna where 600,000 Tamils are under military siege in an "open prison," charged S. P. Thamilchelvan, political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Monday
Mr. Thamilchelvan has charged that Colombo is paying scant regard to the humanitarian catastrophe in Jaffna and Vaharai. He told TamilNet that there has been no constructive steps to involve the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and the ICRC to re-open the closed gateways.
"If Colombo was really interested in addressing the plight the of people, it should have involved the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and the ICRC in the re-opening of closed gateways according to the terms of the Ceasefire Agreement and the modalities that were in place before the gateways were closed down."
We have repeatedly stressed the presence of the SLMM at the entry and exit points to be able to pass judgement on who is engaged in provocative military actions. "If Colombo is honest in its announcements, it would have engaged Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and the ICRC in resolving the humanitarian crisis, instead of sending Kfir jets to bomb Pooneryn and Muhamalai today," he said.
SLAF bombers hit Northern Front after flying over Kilinochchi Monday afternoon.
Thamilchelvan also told TamilNet that GoSL has not officially informed Liberation Tigers on its stand on re-opening of A9 highway. "We will not be able to express our position on the issue simply based on information appearing in the media," Thamilchelvan said.
-tamilnet
Mr. Thamilchelvan has charged that Colombo is paying scant regard to the humanitarian catastrophe in Jaffna and Vaharai. He told TamilNet that there has been no constructive steps to involve the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and the ICRC to re-open the closed gateways.
"If Colombo was really interested in addressing the plight the of people, it should have involved the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and the ICRC in the re-opening of closed gateways according to the terms of the Ceasefire Agreement and the modalities that were in place before the gateways were closed down."
We have repeatedly stressed the presence of the SLMM at the entry and exit points to be able to pass judgement on who is engaged in provocative military actions. "If Colombo is honest in its announcements, it would have engaged Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and the ICRC in resolving the humanitarian crisis, instead of sending Kfir jets to bomb Pooneryn and Muhamalai today," he said.
SLAF bombers hit Northern Front after flying over Kilinochchi Monday afternoon.
Thamilchelvan also told TamilNet that GoSL has not officially informed Liberation Tigers on its stand on re-opening of A9 highway. "We will not be able to express our position on the issue simply based on information appearing in the media," Thamilchelvan said.
-tamilnet
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Vaharai children eat roast fish to quench hunger
Faced with severe shortage of food and driven close to starvation, children in besieged Vaharai area in the LTTE controlled Batticaloa district, have started eating locally caught fish, after roasting them, in open fire under unhygenic conditions, Mr. Moorthy, the coordinator for Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) for Vaharai area said Sunday.
Children wander to shallow areas of lagoons and small ponds, catch fish, prawns and crabs, heating them in open fire, and eat them as their main meal without any other dish or cereal supplement. Parents suffer from psychological trauma witnessing the plight of their children, volunteers working with the refugees said.
The TRO volunteers said that seed paddy stored by farmers for the cultivation for season is being purchased to supplement the meagre food stock available to feed the refugees. Volunteers are helping to pound paddy seeds manually to separate the chaff, he further said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Moorthy predicts worsening of the food crisis and development of health emergency as the northeast monsoon sets in.
Vaharai area experiences flood every year, and diseases inevitably afflict the people most of whom live below the poverty line.
If the area gets flooded while the number of refugees remain at the present levels, a human health disaster is inevitable. The only government hospital in this area, the Vaharai hospital, has no medical supplies left and would be unable to deal with the imminent health crisis after monsoon rains, Moorthy said.
Since the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) blocks food convoys to Vaharai area and refuses permission to take the patients to the hospitals in the military controlled area, many lives that can be saved are being lost away from the spotlight of humanitarian agencies, according to civil society sources.
Late September, SLA soldiers had blocked a one-year-old boy, a refugee from Trincomalee district injured by SLA shelling at Palchenai, to be taken to the nearby Valaichchenai district hospital to undergo urgent surgery to remove two shell fragments lodged in his body.
Subsequently, the surgery was carried out at Vaharai hospital with the limited facilities, and medical staff was able to remove only one shell fragment. The boy lives with the other shell piece still embedded in his body, according to a hospital volunteer nurse.
In another incident, a pregnant woman who started bleeding profusely before delivery was advised by the doctor in Vaharai hospital to be taken to Valaichchenai hospital. As the SLA did not allow the mother to travel, the woman was forced to go into labour at the Vaharai hospital and the doctors were only able to save the baby. The mother died during the child birth, according to hospital officials.
-TamilNet
Children wander to shallow areas of lagoons and small ponds, catch fish, prawns and crabs, heating them in open fire, and eat them as their main meal without any other dish or cereal supplement. Parents suffer from psychological trauma witnessing the plight of their children, volunteers working with the refugees said.
The TRO volunteers said that seed paddy stored by farmers for the cultivation for season is being purchased to supplement the meagre food stock available to feed the refugees. Volunteers are helping to pound paddy seeds manually to separate the chaff, he further said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Moorthy predicts worsening of the food crisis and development of health emergency as the northeast monsoon sets in.
Vaharai area experiences flood every year, and diseases inevitably afflict the people most of whom live below the poverty line.
If the area gets flooded while the number of refugees remain at the present levels, a human health disaster is inevitable. The only government hospital in this area, the Vaharai hospital, has no medical supplies left and would be unable to deal with the imminent health crisis after monsoon rains, Moorthy said.
Since the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) blocks food convoys to Vaharai area and refuses permission to take the patients to the hospitals in the military controlled area, many lives that can be saved are being lost away from the spotlight of humanitarian agencies, according to civil society sources.
Late September, SLA soldiers had blocked a one-year-old boy, a refugee from Trincomalee district injured by SLA shelling at Palchenai, to be taken to the nearby Valaichchenai district hospital to undergo urgent surgery to remove two shell fragments lodged in his body.
Subsequently, the surgery was carried out at Vaharai hospital with the limited facilities, and medical staff was able to remove only one shell fragment. The boy lives with the other shell piece still embedded in his body, according to a hospital volunteer nurse.
In another incident, a pregnant woman who started bleeding profusely before delivery was advised by the doctor in Vaharai hospital to be taken to Valaichchenai hospital. As the SLA did not allow the mother to travel, the woman was forced to go into labour at the Vaharai hospital and the doctors were only able to save the baby. The mother died during the child birth, according to hospital officials.
-TamilNet
Troops 'shot students at close range’ - SLMM
International truce monitors said on Sunday Sri Lankan troops entered a school and opened fire on a group of students at close range on Saturday, killing five, after a deadly Tamil Tiger ambush on government forces. "These soldiers fired indiscriminately at a group of students who had thrown themselves on the ground seeking safety after an LTTE (Tamil Tiger) claymore mine blast nearby," Helen Olafsdottir, spokeswoman for the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission that oversees the 2002 ceasefire, told Reuters.
"Witnesses say that soldiers jumped over the fence, into the agricultural school premises, and opened fire," she added.
"They shot from close range, five of the students were killed and at least 10 others were injured.
"A Sri Lankan military spokesman said ground troops told him the civilians were killed in crossfire after a Tamil Tiger blast in the northern district of Vavuniya killed five soldiers on Saturday, and that police were investigating.
Also Sunday, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), a coalition of Sri Lanka’s main Tamil parties, condemned the massacre, pointing that 99% of Sri Lankan troops are Sinhalese and hostile to the Tamil population..
“This is yet another crime in a very long list of such crimes that have deliberately and systematically targeted innocent Tamil civilians. These are war crimes of the most serious nature,” the TNA said in a press release that described the execution style killings on Saturday.
"Witnesses say that soldiers jumped over the fence, into the agricultural school premises, and opened fire," she added.
"They shot from close range, five of the students were killed and at least 10 others were injured.
"A Sri Lankan military spokesman said ground troops told him the civilians were killed in crossfire after a Tamil Tiger blast in the northern district of Vavuniya killed five soldiers on Saturday, and that police were investigating.
Also Sunday, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), a coalition of Sri Lanka’s main Tamil parties, condemned the massacre, pointing that 99% of Sri Lankan troops are Sinhalese and hostile to the Tamil population..
“This is yet another crime in a very long list of such crimes that have deliberately and systematically targeted innocent Tamil civilians. These are war crimes of the most serious nature,” the TNA said in a press release that described the execution style killings on Saturday.
SLA massacres students, 4 killed, 8 wounded
Sri Lanka Army soldiers manning a checkpost close to Thandikulam Agriculture Farm School in Vavuniya entered the school premises, lined up the uniformed hostel students who were engaged in practicals and shot at them, killing four students, 3 Tamil and a Muslim, and wounding eight.
The troopers manning a checkpost, at Soya Lane, 100 meters away from the school, stormed the premises after a Claymore blast killed five soldiers opposite the school around 9:45 a.m. Saturday.
Fellow students said the troopers shot at them while they were pleading they were innocent students.The four dead students were identified as Atchuthan of Batticaloa, Gopinath of Trincomalee, Rizwan Mohamed of Batticaloa and Sinthujan of Vavuniya, Police said. Two students who were in a critical condition were transfered to Anuradhapura, according to medical sources.
The Claymore attack had taken place 10 meters from the school, opposite the road. Five troopers including an officer were killed and the remaining four soldiers in the vehicle were wounded.
The troopers were travelling towards Omanthai when their vehicle was attacked.The soldiers who entered the school premises had come from the checkpost located at Soya Lane. Vavuniya magistrate M. Ilancheliyan visited the Vavuniya hospital and conducted initial inquiries.
Thandikulam is located 4 km north of Vavuniya on A9. Omanthai is situated about 17 km north of Vavuniya.
tamilnet.com
The troopers manning a checkpost, at Soya Lane, 100 meters away from the school, stormed the premises after a Claymore blast killed five soldiers opposite the school around 9:45 a.m. Saturday.
Fellow students said the troopers shot at them while they were pleading they were innocent students.The four dead students were identified as Atchuthan of Batticaloa, Gopinath of Trincomalee, Rizwan Mohamed of Batticaloa and Sinthujan of Vavuniya, Police said. Two students who were in a critical condition were transfered to Anuradhapura, according to medical sources.
The Claymore attack had taken place 10 meters from the school, opposite the road. Five troopers including an officer were killed and the remaining four soldiers in the vehicle were wounded.
The troopers were travelling towards Omanthai when their vehicle was attacked.The soldiers who entered the school premises had come from the checkpost located at Soya Lane. Vavuniya magistrate M. Ilancheliyan visited the Vavuniya hospital and conducted initial inquiries.
Thandikulam is located 4 km north of Vavuniya on A9. Omanthai is situated about 17 km north of Vavuniya.
tamilnet.com
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Sri Lankan starves to death in north, first on record
An odd-job man has starved to death in Sri Lanka's war-torn north, officials said on Thursday, the first such death since state records began in 1991.
But officials said the death of Muthiah Chandrapala, 50, was not linked with food shortages in the northern Jaffna peninsula due to renewed civil war.
Chandrapala died on Wednesday near the town of Point Pedro in the army-held Jaffna peninsula, where around 500,000 Tamils have been cut off from the rest of the island by Tamil Tiger rebel lines for months.
"This is the first time a person has died of starvation," said Nadarajah Thangarajah, acting judge at the district court of Point Pedro, who conducted the inquest and signed the death certificate.
"But please don't try to connect this death to the shortage of food in Jaffna," he added. "It is not relevant, because this person was almost like an orphan. He didn't have a permanent home, he was a daily wage earner doing odd jobs. He lived like a vagabond."
Sri Lankan state authorities have not kept records of starvation deaths prior to 1991. However a Tamil Tiger fighter starved himself to death in a protest in 1987.
Food is in short supply in the Jaffna region because the military has shut down the main north-south highway that runs through rebel territory, saying it was unsafe because of rebel artillery fire. Food is being shipped in by boat.
Residents receive rations, but say they are not enough.
Local government officials say that between August and September, Jaffna peninsula was short 11,055 tonnes of essentials like rice, flour and sugar.
The price of staples like fish and vegetables have soared and some goods, like matches and mosquito coils, have gone up 10-fold, in turn coinciding with a suspected outbreak of hundreds of cases of mosquito-borne Chikungaya fever.
-JAFFNA, Sri Lanka (Reuters)
But officials said the death of Muthiah Chandrapala, 50, was not linked with food shortages in the northern Jaffna peninsula due to renewed civil war.
Chandrapala died on Wednesday near the town of Point Pedro in the army-held Jaffna peninsula, where around 500,000 Tamils have been cut off from the rest of the island by Tamil Tiger rebel lines for months.
"This is the first time a person has died of starvation," said Nadarajah Thangarajah, acting judge at the district court of Point Pedro, who conducted the inquest and signed the death certificate.
"But please don't try to connect this death to the shortage of food in Jaffna," he added. "It is not relevant, because this person was almost like an orphan. He didn't have a permanent home, he was a daily wage earner doing odd jobs. He lived like a vagabond."
Sri Lankan state authorities have not kept records of starvation deaths prior to 1991. However a Tamil Tiger fighter starved himself to death in a protest in 1987.
Food is in short supply in the Jaffna region because the military has shut down the main north-south highway that runs through rebel territory, saying it was unsafe because of rebel artillery fire. Food is being shipped in by boat.
Residents receive rations, but say they are not enough.
Local government officials say that between August and September, Jaffna peninsula was short 11,055 tonnes of essentials like rice, flour and sugar.
The price of staples like fish and vegetables have soared and some goods, like matches and mosquito coils, have gone up 10-fold, in turn coinciding with a suspected outbreak of hundreds of cases of mosquito-borne Chikungaya fever.
-JAFFNA, Sri Lanka (Reuters)
‘Everything on table, equal respect for all’ needed for peace - Murphy
Peace talks can succeed only if “everything is on the table and there is respect for all points of view,” Britain’s former Northern Ireland Minister said Thursday after meeting Tamil Tiger officials. Saying there is a “huge comparison” between the conflicts in Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka, Mr. Murphy said: “no one can win this kind of war. … we have the same message for the Sri Lankan government as the LTTE: keep searching for a solution, ensure the ceasefire agreement is one of integrity, renounce violence and ensure there is a proper look at everything that can bring peace.”
“Murphy the former Northern Ireland Minister, is presently Chairman of the British Intelligence and Security Committee.
He spoke to reporters after meeting with the head of the LTTE’s Political Wing, Mr. S. P. Tamilselvan at the LTTE’s Political Headquarters in Kilinochchi.
I was asked to come by the Prime Minister of Britain to give our experiences in Northern Ireland where I was Secretary of State for many years to see if people in Sri Lanka can learn from our experiences,” Mr. Murphy said.
“We’ve had a very useful meeting … for nearly two hours,” he told reporters in Kilinochchi.
“I will be reporting back to Tony Blair on the points that have been made here [in Kilinochchi] – and the points that have been made in Colombo as well.”
Sri Lanka’s conflict can be solved if there is genuine will on both sides, he said.
“There is a huge comparison between Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka,” he reiterated.
The numbers of people killed in the two conflicts are proportionately the same – out of a million and a half people in, 3,000 died and sixty thousand have died in Sri Lanka, he said.
Discrimination and human right issues were prevalent during the Northern Ireland conflict and remain so in the conflict in Sri Lanka, he said.
“There were cases of discrimination and real conflict in Northern Ireland [also],” Mr. Murphy, who co-chaired the peace talks there for two years, said.
“No one can win this type of war. Everybody understands that and if there is a will for peace then there are all sorts of ways in which our experiences in Northern Ireland can help,” he said.
‘Everything on table, equal respect for all’ needed for peace - Murphy[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 November 2006, 15:55 GMT] Peace talks can succeed only if “everything is on the table and there is respect for all points of view,” Britain’s former Northern Ireland Minister said Thursday after meeting Tamil Tiger officials. Saying there is a “huge comparison” between the conflicts in Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka, Mr. Murphy said: “no one can win this kind of war. … we have the same message for the Sri Lankan government as the LTTE: keep searching for a solution, ensure the ceasefire agreement is one of integrity, renounce violence and ensure there is a proper look at everything that can bring peace.”
Audio: Paul Murphy talking to press>>
Paul Murphy, special envoy of the British Prime Minister Tony Blair. “Murphy the former Northern Ireland Minister, is presently Chairman of the British Intelligence and Security Committee.
He spoke to reporters after meeting with the head of the LTTE’s Political Wing, Mr. S. P. Tamilselvan at the LTTE’s Political Headquarters in Kilinochchi.
I was asked to come by the Prime Minister of Britain to give our experiences in Northern Ireland where I was Secretary of State for many years to see if people in Sri Lanka can learn from our experiences,” Mr. Murphy said.
“We’ve had a very useful meeting … for nearly two hours,” he told reporters in Kilinochchi.
“I will be reporting back to Tony Blair on the points that have been made here [in Kilinochchi] – and the points that have been made in Colombo as well.”
Sri Lanka’s conflict can be solved if there is genuine will on both sides, he said.
“There is a huge comparison between Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka,” he reiterated.
The numbers of people killed in the two conflicts are proportionately the same – out of a million and a half people in, 3,000 died and sixty thousand have died in Sri Lanka, he said.
Discrimination and human right issues were prevalent during the Northern Ireland conflict and remain so in the conflict in Sri Lanka, he said.
“There were cases of discrimination and real conflict in Northern Ireland [also],” Mr. Murphy, who co-chaired the peace talks there for two years, said.
“No one can win this type of war. Everybody understands that and if there is a will for peace then there are all sorts of ways in which our experiences in Northern Ireland can help,” he said.
“Everything has to be on the table, it has to be an inclusive process, everybody has to be involved and there has to be equal respect for everybody,” he said.
“[In Northern Ireland] we looked at everything - constitutional arrangements, language, human rights, humanitarian issues, equality, police, criminal justice; all those issues were on the table,” he said.
“Above all, equal respect for everybody’s point of view.”
Speaking to reporters, the LTTE Political Chief, Mr. Tamilselvan said the meeting with Murphy had been interesting.
“The Northern Ireland peace process succeeded because there was patience and commitment by the conflict parties,” he said.
“[But] the Sri Lankan government doesn’t even want to acknowledge and respecting the Ceasefire Agreement we signed in 2002,” he said.
“In today’s budget, the government has massively increased military expenditure. What does that indicate?” he said. The LTTE’s views on the prevailing situation will be clarified in the forthcoming Heroes Day speech on Nov. 27 by LTTE leader Vellupillai Pirapaharan, he further said.
[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 November 2006, 15:55 GMT]
“Murphy the former Northern Ireland Minister, is presently Chairman of the British Intelligence and Security Committee.
He spoke to reporters after meeting with the head of the LTTE’s Political Wing, Mr. S. P. Tamilselvan at the LTTE’s Political Headquarters in Kilinochchi.
I was asked to come by the Prime Minister of Britain to give our experiences in Northern Ireland where I was Secretary of State for many years to see if people in Sri Lanka can learn from our experiences,” Mr. Murphy said.
“We’ve had a very useful meeting … for nearly two hours,” he told reporters in Kilinochchi.
“I will be reporting back to Tony Blair on the points that have been made here [in Kilinochchi] – and the points that have been made in Colombo as well.”
Sri Lanka’s conflict can be solved if there is genuine will on both sides, he said.
“There is a huge comparison between Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka,” he reiterated.
The numbers of people killed in the two conflicts are proportionately the same – out of a million and a half people in, 3,000 died and sixty thousand have died in Sri Lanka, he said.
Discrimination and human right issues were prevalent during the Northern Ireland conflict and remain so in the conflict in Sri Lanka, he said.
“There were cases of discrimination and real conflict in Northern Ireland [also],” Mr. Murphy, who co-chaired the peace talks there for two years, said.
“No one can win this type of war. Everybody understands that and if there is a will for peace then there are all sorts of ways in which our experiences in Northern Ireland can help,” he said.
‘Everything on table, equal respect for all’ needed for peace - Murphy[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 November 2006, 15:55 GMT] Peace talks can succeed only if “everything is on the table and there is respect for all points of view,” Britain’s former Northern Ireland Minister said Thursday after meeting Tamil Tiger officials. Saying there is a “huge comparison” between the conflicts in Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka, Mr. Murphy said: “no one can win this kind of war. … we have the same message for the Sri Lankan government as the LTTE: keep searching for a solution, ensure the ceasefire agreement is one of integrity, renounce violence and ensure there is a proper look at everything that can bring peace.”
Audio: Paul Murphy talking to press>>
Paul Murphy, special envoy of the British Prime Minister Tony Blair. “Murphy the former Northern Ireland Minister, is presently Chairman of the British Intelligence and Security Committee.
He spoke to reporters after meeting with the head of the LTTE’s Political Wing, Mr. S. P. Tamilselvan at the LTTE’s Political Headquarters in Kilinochchi.
I was asked to come by the Prime Minister of Britain to give our experiences in Northern Ireland where I was Secretary of State for many years to see if people in Sri Lanka can learn from our experiences,” Mr. Murphy said.
“We’ve had a very useful meeting … for nearly two hours,” he told reporters in Kilinochchi.
“I will be reporting back to Tony Blair on the points that have been made here [in Kilinochchi] – and the points that have been made in Colombo as well.”
Sri Lanka’s conflict can be solved if there is genuine will on both sides, he said.
“There is a huge comparison between Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka,” he reiterated.
The numbers of people killed in the two conflicts are proportionately the same – out of a million and a half people in, 3,000 died and sixty thousand have died in Sri Lanka, he said.
Discrimination and human right issues were prevalent during the Northern Ireland conflict and remain so in the conflict in Sri Lanka, he said.
“There were cases of discrimination and real conflict in Northern Ireland [also],” Mr. Murphy, who co-chaired the peace talks there for two years, said.
“No one can win this type of war. Everybody understands that and if there is a will for peace then there are all sorts of ways in which our experiences in Northern Ireland can help,” he said.
“Everything has to be on the table, it has to be an inclusive process, everybody has to be involved and there has to be equal respect for everybody,” he said.
“[In Northern Ireland] we looked at everything - constitutional arrangements, language, human rights, humanitarian issues, equality, police, criminal justice; all those issues were on the table,” he said.
“Above all, equal respect for everybody’s point of view.”
Speaking to reporters, the LTTE Political Chief, Mr. Tamilselvan said the meeting with Murphy had been interesting.
“The Northern Ireland peace process succeeded because there was patience and commitment by the conflict parties,” he said.
“[But] the Sri Lankan government doesn’t even want to acknowledge and respecting the Ceasefire Agreement we signed in 2002,” he said.
“In today’s budget, the government has massively increased military expenditure. What does that indicate?” he said. The LTTE’s views on the prevailing situation will be clarified in the forthcoming Heroes Day speech on Nov. 27 by LTTE leader Vellupillai Pirapaharan, he further said.
[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 November 2006, 15:55 GMT]
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