COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER JUSTICE REFORMS IN NP..!!! THANK YOU HON.JUSTICE MINISTER: MILINDA MORAGODA..!!!

COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER JUSTICE REFORMS IN NP

A high powered committee has been established with immediate effect by the Minister of Justice and Law Reform Milinda Moragoda to consider reforms to the Administration of the Justice system in the Northern Province.
The ministry in a statement said that the Committee will consider and recommend issues relating to the lacunas in the Administration of Justice system in the North where the system has been lagging behind due to the 30 year conflict.

The Committee to consider the Administration of Justice in the Northern Province will consider providing infrastructure, staff, training for the staff where it is necessary, equipment and streamlining the other areas such as prisons, legal education, issues relating to indictments etc, the ministry said.

The Committee will be chaired by the Judge of the Supreme Court Justice Sripawan. The other members of the Committee are, Justice Ministry Secretary Suhada Gamalath, Secretary Ministry of Constitutional Affairs Mrs. Malkanthi Wickramasinghe, Additional Secretary (Legal), Ministry of Justice and Law Reform Mrs. Kamalini de Silva, Additional Secretary (Admn.) Vice Chancellor, University of Jaffna Prof. N. Shanmugalingam, Deputy Solicitor General, Attorney-General’s Department A. Gnanathasan, Prisons Chief V.R. de Silva, Jaffna District Secretary K. Ganesh, District Secretary and several others.

dailymirror.lk

SRILANKA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ON JANUARY 26 NOMINATIONS DECEMBER 17....!!!

PRESIDENTIAL POLL ON JANUARY 26 NOMINATIONS DECEMBER 17


By Kelum Bandara

Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake yesterday fixed December 17 as the day for accepting nominations for the presidential election and January 26 next year as the election date.

Some 14,088,500 people are eligible to vote at this election. When compared with the 2005 presidential poll this is an increase of more than 700,000 eligible voters.

Last Monday President Mahinda Rajapaksa directed the Elections Commissioner to hold the presidential election on a suitable date and according to the law, he was required to announce the dates for the acceptance of nominations and the conducting of polls within seven days of the directive being issued.
The upcoming election is widely seen as historic since the President is contesting Former Army Commander and Chief of Defence Staff General Sarath Fonseka who is known to be one of the chief architects of the victory over terrorism.

The two main contenders are known to have started laying the groundwork for their election campaign with the President’s election manifesto being prepared by a panel comprising allies in the ruling UPFA while General Fonseka is expected to announce his political plans at a news conference tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the Elections Chief told UNF leaders who met him yesterday that he hoped to invite four groups of international election monitors from the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the Asian Election Network.

The UNF leaders asked him to stop the transfer of public servants and police officers in the run up to the poll and prevent certain political parties hosting receptions for their supporters at public expense.

Mr. Dissayanayke said he would look into all these issues soon after he fixed the date for nominations.

The UNF told him that air time on electronic media and space in the print media should be allocated equally for all candidates joining the presidential race and asked him to take steps to issue National Identity Cards to some 1.2 million people before the election so that they could exercise their franchise.

The delegation comprised SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem; UNP deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya; general secretary Tissa Attanayake, Ravi Karunanayake and Democratic People’s Front leader Mano Ganeshan.

dailymirror.lk

VK: holds a Cambridge doctorate in Engineering, he opted a leftist political career & was consistent in his views on the Tamil national question.!!!

(*GOAL.....MR:SF:VK = 24%:24%:52%...POSSIBLE..???!!!)

Vikramabahu Karunaratne invokes support among Tamils
[TamilNet, Friday, 27 November 2009, 10:17 GMT]

After supporting the federal aspiration of Eezham Tamils in the 1956 elections, now for the first time left political parties led by Sinhala leaders have come forward to field a common presidential candidate, Dr. Vikramabahu Karunaratne, with a main programme recognising Tamil Nation, its homeland in the north and east, its right to self-determination and autonomy as solution for the unity of the island. When agenda-setting powers harping on chauvinistic elements keep mum on recognising the fundamentals, and when Tamil political parties including some Tamil left leaders locked in agendas don’t have guts to spell out the fundamentals, why not voice-deprived Tamils and peace-loving Sinhalese register opinion and explore co-existence through support to the Left Front, is a topic widely discussed in the Tamil circles.

Based on nationhood, traditional homeland and right to self-determination, independent and sovereign Tamil Eelam is the goal as well as a right of Eezham Tamils, and for all what have taken place that should be the basis for their political organization. But in the several decades of their struggle they were never reluctant to the idea of exercising their self-determination to explore honest and reasonable alternatives. Genuineness is the key to the success and survival of any formula, said a Tamil human rights lawyer in Colombo.



Vickramabahu KarunaratneAt the height of the war in February 2009, Dr. Vikramabahu Karunaratne mooted a declaration in the International Committee of the Fourth International, signed by 50 workers’ parties all over the world, that read: "We, the undersigned leaders of workers' parties, demand that the government of Sri Lanka stop attacks that can destroy thousands of Tamils and agree to a ceasefire with the LTTE to start discussions in order to install an interim government for the Tamil homeland."

Dr. Karunaratne who uses the term Tamil homeland in his campaign and says that it is in ruins today but the war is not over, is hopeful of “national unity based on Equality, Autonomy and the Rights of Self Determination.”

Commenting on Sarath Fonseka’s complaint of Colombo government that there is no clear policy to win the hearts and minds of the Tamil people, Dr Karunaratne told Lakbimanews a few days ago, " So the General agrees that it was an uprising of an oppressed people of this country yearning for a national liberation, which he ventured to crush with much venom.”

“There was no foreign intervention except on the side of the government. If there were a policy at that time to win the hearts and minds of the Tamil people, then the Tamil uprising would have liquidated by itself,” Vikramabahu further commented.

In a campaign email he says, “Mahinda followed the agenda given by the Indian rulers backed by Global powers. He is still prompted by these masters to continue their agenda. On the other hand the terrible bankruptcy in Lankan society is used by far-right militaristic section of the global powers to put forward General Sarath.”

“We have ample reason to believe that General Fonseka is to the right of President Mahinda; a yank general to battle with Mahinda, the Hanuman of Delhi,” he told Lakbimanews.

Dr Karunaratne also points out that JVP’s four points proposal is designed to eliminate devolution and crush aspirations of Tamil speaking people but that is accepted as the common programme by General Sarath.

Meanwhile, Ceylon Communist Party (Maoist) came out with a statement supporting the candidature of Dr. Karunaratne. The communist party, which recognises political status of Tamil Nation in the north and east and recognises the nationalities of up-country Tamils, Muslims and other ethno-religious communities as equal and integral partners of State in the island foresees “This Presidential campaign is going to be a bitter and deadly fight between two equally reactionary camps of the ruling class as to who is going to feast on the blood of the Tamil nation.”

“In the context of the present and emerging political conjuncture, it is crucial that a clear line of demarcation is drawn between the militarist-chauvinist-fascist camp represented by Mahinda Rajapakse (PA) and Sarath Fonseka (UNF) and their respective political alliances - and the progressive/democratic/revolutionary forces,” the Communist Party (Maoist) said in the statement.

Born in a traditional teachers’ family in Badulla district, 66 years old Dr. Vikramabahu Karunaratne holds a Cambridge doctorate in Engineering, but he opted a leftist political career and was consistent in his views on the Tamil national question.

Earlier a member of LSSP, the oldest political party of Ceylon, he left it in 1972 when the party became a partner of SLFP and drafted the republican constitution much despised by Tamils. In 1978, he was sacked from the teaching position at Peradeniya University, because of his opposition to the present constitution by Jeyawardane. He was shot by the JVP in 1988 for defending the cause of Tamils.

TamilNet URL: http://www.tamilnet.com email: tamilnet@tamilnet.com

Majority must treat minorities like their own people! We must all live in one country as Brothers! I have lot of regard for Tamil & Muslim Culture!!

Fonseka differs from President's view on minorities

“THERE ARE MINORITIES AND THERE IS A MAJORITY”- GENERAL FONSEKA

Retired Chief of Defence Staff General Sarath Fonseka in an exclusive interview with Daily Mirror online speaks about his decision to retire, the treatment he is getting from the government and his moves to enter politics.
Q: General, with regard to the incident that took place last night there were reports that the Military Police had tried to take your security personnel and vehicles away from you. Can you tell us what really happened?

When I was in service I had a contingent of 600 men for my security and about 25 vehicles. The day I retired, I was informed that it had been reduced to three vehicles and 25 men. Even the wives of politicians [who lost their lives ] like Mrs.Kairigama have about 30 security personnel. But they thought that I didn’t even need that much security.

Then when I met the President on the day I was leaving I told him: “You have to increase my security–25 men are not enough,” adding that even people like Shavindra Silva, who was only a Colonel when I was commanding the war has Commandos for his security. The present Army number two has about 15 Commandos for his security and over 50 soldiers, but that I have been given only 25 men. I asked him for Commandos for my security. The President told me: “They are still in the Army and you are a civilian. So we can’t give you the Commandos and that much security.” So they thought that from the day I decided to remove my uniform their responsibility to look after my security was over. Most probably then that is the “Api Wenuwen Api” attitude. What can a “Ranaviruwa” expect in the future?

They continued to reduce my security but the President agreed to give me 50 men and 10 Commandos and I was expected to endorse it in writing. I sent it in writing quoting our conversation, and requesting that that security was provided as agreed. However, this was not my actual requirement or what I would be satisfied with. I wanted the security that I had [previously] because my security is most important to me. Even during the war the first suicide attack was on my life. Therefore everyone in the country knows that the threat to my life is real and great. I led the Army to win the war and obviously any terrorist will take revenge on me and not from those who sat in air-conditioned rooms in Colombo giving political speeches. However, they reduced my staff to 115 men which included about 14 motorcycle riders, 15 drivers plus administrative personnel. The number of vehicles allocated to me was also brought down to 15 from 25.

Four to five days ago I was informed by the President’s secretary that I could keep this staff till I left my house [official quarters]. They gave me only six days to vacate the house. But the Navy Commander who retired six months ago is still in the neighbouring house with 120 people guarding him and 15 vehicles. The secretary also told me to keep those I had with me till I left this house. I am trying my best to leave this house but people who promised me their houses on rent have been intimidated by government thugs who had also threatened to blast their houses and assassinate their families.

Now I’m finding it difficult to get a house but I am determined to leave this place the moment I get a one. I don’t want to live at the expense of the government or be a burden to the Army like others who have been hanging on. The previous Commander before me had lived in this house for three and a half months after his retirement, until he went to Brazil as our ambassador. The previous CDS lived in his house for three and a half months till he went to Israel as our ambassador. But they told me to vacate in six days. So you can see that there is no justice here.

What they are trying to do is reduce my security so that I become a target and they are waiting to see the day I get assassinated on the road. With three vehicles, even a child in this country will know, I can’t get enough security on the road. We are very vulnerable when we are travelling in traffic. If the President still needs 2000 people for security and if the Secretary of Defence needs 500 people for his security, how do they expect me to manage with 25 men and 3 vehicles? That is not enough even to guard my house.

Finally even this allocation of security personnel and vehicles was reduced and then I was left with 15 vehicles–administrative vehicles like trucks and buses for soldiers to move about. Last night they came at 12 o’clock to my house–a Lieutenant Colonel, six officers and 50 soldiers. They tried to enter the premises. This is against the Army norms and traditions and the law of the country. We don’t send people in such a manner not even to arrest a recruit who had deserted the Army.

They said they were following instructions of the Army Commanders and the Secretary of Defence. I was also told by some persons that they have taken these decisions at the Security Council meeting held yesterday (Wednesday). Now the Security Council is trying to cut my security to get me assassinated. When I was active in the Security Council we planned to assassinate Prabahkaran and destroy the LTTE. Now you see it had taken a different turn. Therefore under these circumstances I refused them entry and asked them to get out immediately because it was the middle of the night and only my wife and I were in the house.

This morning I released the vehicles because they keep on harassing my drivers and my people who are here. They are trying to block their salaries and reporting them as absent [from duty]. Due to this harassment I released most of the personnel allocated to me and I am managing with just the minimum numbers for my security. If anything happens to me the President has to take direct responsibility. It is not only the LTTE, but there are thugs who are manipulating things for the government like those who came and misbehaved at the temple when I was there. All these people are assassins and drug addicts and may be even tasked to do some harm to me. So if something happens to me the government must take responsibility and I expect the people to understand this–I know they are following all this. This is the way they put into practice their “Api Wenuwen Api” programme.

Q: General do you feel that you life has been put at risk directly by the Government and that you have literally been made a target?

If they are not aware of the security threats to VIP’s, then why is the President having 2000 people for security? The Army Commander in Vavuniya is not even commanding an offensive operation in the war. But why is he keeping 500 people to guard him? The last Security Council State Intelligence Services Head J B Galanayaka has said that when he attended the last Security Council meeting on the 11th of November, he had come to understood that an explosive laden van had come to Colombo to target a VIP. With all that if they reduce my security, obviously they are doing it intentionally to ensure that I get blasted on the road.

Q: There are various stories circulating that your were not in the country during the last stages of the war–that is from the 10th to the 17th of May. How do you respond to such rumours?

I had got an invitation from this Chinese company from which we buy APC’s mainly. We bought about 100 armored vehicles from them. I am not the one who made the deals: it was the Secretary of Defence and the LankaLogistics company of which he is the Chairman. They do the negotiations; they do the payments; and they buy the equipment. We only do the vehicle evaluation. And that is not done by me–Brigadiers and various people we do following the usual procedure. These companies had invited me to come and inspect some armored vehicles.The invitation was two years overdue. I didn’t go out of the country for two years after I took over command. I went out only for medical treatment to Singapore. Then in 2008 I visited the Indian Army Commander, the Pakistani Army Commander and the Bangladesh Army Commander–visits I should have done two years before.

Then I had to respond to this invitation and the Secretary of Defence approved it. The date was fixed about 5 months before and if I had cancelled the tickets at the last minute it would have been a loss for the Government. And it just wasn’t me about 5 others went with me. In any case I had won the war by that time. By the 10th of May there were only five or six kilometers to go. So I got the troops to move 150 kilometres and when I was doing that, I was not sitting in Vavuniya. I was running the war with maps, communication equipment and satellite phones. That is how I monitored the war. The orders are given; whether I am in Colombo or China or in USA–I knew those commands will be followed. I knew this war would be over in the next couple of days. This trip was planned, everything was arranged and the Secretary of Defence himself approved it and told me to go.

Because I had studied the plans for the next ten days, the plans were in operation without any interruption during the period I was out, but I retuned before the war was over. The war was finally over on the 19th May so at the crucial time I was here. They can’t say that because I went out, the Army will turn back without moving forward the next five kilometers.

But I knew that during that week, certain irregular things happened. For example I had kept a special battalion in reserve. But the Secretary of Defence forced this battalion to battle without even keeping me informed. Unnecessarily that battalion lost 25 soldiers. Eighty soldiers were injured. Other than that there was no damage or delay caused and the battle went as per planned. The only mishap during my absence was the Secretary of Defence forcing this battalion to go into the battle. Otherwise the war was won exactly on the day that I planned and I was there to control the final battle.

Q: One other report that came out is that when you were in the United States recently, you were never asked to appear for an interview with the State Department. In fact Sri Lanka’s ambassador at the UN, Dr. Palitha Kohona told the Daily Mirror Hot Seat that no request was made for such an interview. What is your response to this?

There have been enough letters being sent up and down from the Government to the ambassador there. I have copies of all these letters. So the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing! These two ambassadors, that is at the UN Palitha Kohona and the American ambassador live about one and a half hours away from each other. So I don’t understand how they can coordinate a thing like this and give the same opinion and the same version?

Q: To ask you a personal question, General. The Secretary of Defence, the President and the present Army Commander are people you worked very closely with. They were essentially your friends and people you trusted. Now you have retired, how do you feel when you see them not caring about your security and almost turning on you? Further, you might be a General but yet you are human. So can you tell us how you feel emotionally?

It may be the “Api Wenuwen Api” attitude. I have the courage and guts to face similar situations. I know they can’t push me down or demoralize me and finish me or ruin me. But I feel sorry about the others who will face the same consequences one day. They might not have the same courage or the position or the status to face a situation like that; that is my concern.

But the people don’t realize who our enemy is; if Prabakaran was there, he would have realized it.

Q: Everyone is talking about your entrance into politics. If you are to contest the Presidential election, can you tell us whether you have decided under which party you are going to contest?

Any future aspirations and ambitions I will comment on at a media conference I have on Sunday.

Q: General, it is widely believed that you will run for President. If you do run for President, what is the promise you will give the people?

I believe that if anybody who wants to hold high office in this country or do politics at a higher level, considering the present circumstances, should give priority for democracy, national security, including the people in the North and East, the plight of the people who were displaced, communal harmony, justice to all communities in the country and corruption. The country is corrupt and of course the responsibility lies in the hands of political heads. There is no justice; you can see that people can’t receive justice even if they go to the police or any other place. People are not satisfied with the treatment they are getting. Then politicizing the police has weakened the system to a certain extent.

There is [the subject of] media freedom. There are a lot of allegations regarding this. People in defence circles try to point the finger at me [as been responsible] for the difficulties and the problems the media had in the past. If that is the case, they should have taken action during the time I was under them. All this pointing fingers started on the day that I retired from the Army.

What I have to say is that I had a disciplined army under me and if I did anything to the media I have got the army to do it. I can’t go with a pistol or a dagger and go and attack anybody. So if they think that the army did this then they are insulting the Army that brought the grace and respect to the whole country by wining the war. That is ungrateful and against the “Api Wenuwen Api” policies. With regards to allegations of corruption what I can say is that if they can have investigations with regard to every deal done in the defence circles I will give my fullest support. All war materials are in a gazetted list. In that list, everything has been purchased with the approval of the Secretary of Defence and the LankaLogistics Company of which the Secretary of Defence is one. We don’t do purchasing, we only do the technical evaluation. They do the negotiation of price and everything else, so if there is any corruption the Secretary of Defence, the President, and the tender board must take responsibility.

Q: You said that we need to give space for democracy. But if you run for President what will your stance be with the minorities. How will you win their support?

Forget about running for Presidency. My personal approach is that minorities in this country have lived for many years with a Sinhala majority and you can see are a lot of similarities between them. I have a lot of regard for the Tamil culture especially and the Muslim culture, although I am a Sinhala Buddhist. The cultures have a lot of similarities so I think that they can live together as one nation. Some people try to say that there are no minorities. The reality is that there are minorities and there is a majority but we must all live in one country as brothers. This is a small country and I have said that the majority must treat the minorities like their own people.

SEE EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: http://video.dailymirror.lk/videos/201/exclusive-interview-with-general-fonseka

dailymirror.lk....................

Comments

Saying no minorities is only rhetoric - not facing reality. We have minorities & they have problems. SF is right - let us face the truth and that is where we start reconciliation by accepting facts. About time humbugs are shown up - like only touching faces of others kids but give everything to your kids, near & dear only..

Posted By: Balachandra


Sarath is a soldier came through ranks to the position of General. If at all you talk of decipline in Srilankan society, then army premisses is one of such places that one can say, it is there without any doubt. I heard President lambasting in one of the post war speeches that there are no "Minorities" in Srilanka. This is good for people who do not know the meaning between minority and majority in english dictionary. Sarath is not looking for sympathy from the minority to win votes. There is clearly minority and majority when it comes to language and religion in this country. As a sinhalese I belong to the majority but as a Catholic I belong to minority. When it comes to positions and promotions in our society these cultural differences play a major role in silent forms. To accept that fact and without fear for Sarath to say that these exist in our society is one of those qualities you can expect from a truthful politician. I have my fullest support for Sarath Fonseka to come forward and contest this election for Presidency. But on one condition that he should contest as an Independent Canditate and not biased or inclined with UNP or JVP. Both party goers have blood on their hands. Both are responsible for death of many innocent civilians who have nothing to do with party politics. Narendra Fonseka - New Zealand

Posted By: Narendra Fonseka

This is where you have made the first mistake General. There shouldn't be minorities in this country since every one enjoys equal rites. You have lot of things to learn about politics. Your kick off is not successful. In vain you time and reputation.

Posted By: Duminda

Now he has changed his view on minorities. Good thats a signal of a old pliticians we have seen for a long term. dont be suprised if he has not delever what promised as all the other politicians.

Posted By: lionheart

A good interview: direct answers without dilly dallying with issues, something to take note of. Its pleasing to read his response to the question of minorities. I agree with General Fonseka: one cannot say that there are no minorities, that is absurd. Sir, good luck with your campaign and may the blessings of the noble triple gem keep you safe. The southern coastal belt is with the General.

Posted By: Indunil Wijeysurendre - Galle

Dear Mr Fonseka, this is unbelievable. The General whom we respected most is playing politics at very low level. Your reference to "apivenuven api" is unacceptable. I personally got very involve with this campaign and it was one of the best programme that supported our heros morethan anything else. Please stop degrading people who supported it. You behave like politician with 40 years of bad attitude. We regret about overself thinking you as hero. No more.

Posted By: Southern Soul

General, you are talking the truth, which MR is camouflaging.

Posted By: Handipora

According to MR there are only supporters and non supporters. For SF majority and miority exists. For Ranil all of us are kings.

Posted By: Ranjit

Well done General. It's a superb expression.

Posted By: sarathkumara

NO.. NO..This is totally an unacceptable sentments expressed by Sarath Fonseka who is immatured in politics other than military activities.(however some of his military affairs are also questionable when analysing his part in eradicating LTTE)All people are to be treated as Sri Lankans as done in the countries who are running with pluralism in ethinic affairs. Once majority retains the authority to treat minority all problems will crop up. The correct and prudent policy of the present President is well correct as he intends to pave the way for Tamils for their own self reliance not giving the authority as Ranil gave to Prabakaran but giving them the authority with their own representatives+ infrastrucuture for development.

Posted By: Upul Karu

Clear differences could be observed between SF and MR's policies and attitude. A basic social structure built on 'race' in the country is not over looked like MR, who tried enforcing his views to public for mear political gains. Also instead of being too diplomatic politically, SF has chosen the path of removing 'politicizing' from institutions. SF is targeting what he was doing in the war, addressing the root cause of the problems, that made him a successful and heroic. Guess this could be a good move instead of pumping popular western visions like 'one nation'(can see in USA if i'm not wrong) to peoples head. SF's motto should be 'Be realistic and Be a winner'

Posted By: Niran

Sarath, during the war with LTTE, you have mentioned that Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country and it belongs only to the Sinhalese. Now that you are being treated badly by the GOSL, you are saying that there are minoroties and that they should be treated like brothers and sisterts by the majority. Why is is twist in your talk. Is it a trick like any other politician to capture minority votes, when you contest for Preseident. I don't think the minorities will buy this.

Posted By: Kugan

I was stunned to see who endorses SF to contest. If these are the people who is behind him god bless Sri Lanka. See this... The ongoing “Rajapaksa-Fonseka battle” is a blessing in disguise for the Tamil-speaking people and the Sinhalese despite its immediate appearances; because the upcoming debates are bound to change the confused Sinhala consciousness on an unprecedented scale. The JVP’s decision to back the General as a tactical move to get rid of the utterly corrupt Rajapaksa-regime is sensible indeed, to say the least. Fonseka is a political novice, therefore, he is malleable. He is thoroughly cornered by the reactionary establishment; and therefore, his pliability is increasing by the day. That’s a positive thing. The chances of him suddenly turning into a dictator after an electoral victory is very little indeed. If he does a social revolution will be on the cards; and it’ll be the duty of the JVP to lead the people towards real democracy & real “poverty eradication” along socialist principles. Comrade Bahu’s decision to contest, I believe, is wrong. It will confuse the Tamils and mislead the Sri Lanka’s Sri Lankan intelligentsia. And, this will only benefit the present regime to retain power. Instead, the Left should unite with the JVP to use this opportunity to educate all communities about democratic politics and socialist economics as the prelude to big changes later. In this context, the unity established among all “Tamil-speaking people” (Tamils, Muslims & Plantation Workers) is also a positive development whatever the limitations and contradictions it has at present. [Tamil votes are going to be crucial to the outcome of the impending elections and all Tamil & Muslim parties should present common demands - a justifiable political solution before the candidates – a solution that can be easily understood by the man on the street. It should, in my view, be essentially a Unitary Solution – a solution that is beneficial to all Tamil-speaking people living right across the island: There should be two Regional Assemblies – one for the Tamil-dominated region and one for the Sinhala-dominated region. A democratically-transformed Centre - equipped with the Highest-Level Institutions related to security and economic planning of the island as a whole – should be the centerpiece of the New Constitution. The regional Assemblies should be empowered to handle all lower-level institutions primarily related to regional cultural and economic development – in harmony with the central vision. [I see no reason why such a constitution cannot be designed for the benefit of all communities.] However, I must add that the democratic transformation of Sri Lanka should be inseparably intertwined with an economic vision. The JVP and the SL Left should use the election campaign to expose the Rajapaksa-regime’s total submission to the imperialist economic project. Above all, the deepening gulf within the ruling class should be fully utilized to equip the masses with a democratic/socialist vision, while doing the most practical thing to get rid of the existing regime in the impending presidential election. - Vasantha Raja

Posted By: Channa

General if you are in power could you guarantee that you will not do the same wht is done to you. Also agree with you there are minorities in this country as well as who follow Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Christ and Christianity

Posted By: Ravi C Sam

What ever you do you need to tell the truth. Yes we are living in a country where there is a minorities & majority One may try to call in different way to satisfy the minorities but the fact remains the same. You need to see things as they are and discribe the same as it is this is the right way of do things.

Posted By: dassanayake

Read this and the letter of resignation together. I take credit for all that ended well. Others are responsible for all bad stuff. Not a very good stance from a budding ruler. I have lost my respect for him. Its sad, but true. He's not the hero I thought he was.

Posted By: udaya

It seems he has changed his attidtude towards minorities after becoming the presidential candidate. How dirty for him to compalin about Brig.(Now Maj Gen) Shavindra Silva having commandos who was a battle hardened commander in Mannar front. SF is going to run a one man show. We dont want a president like Idi Amin in Sri Lanka

Posted By: Vijitha Thalpavila

Generalls comment about that the Govt. is trying to get somebody to kill him on the road is a puerly political comment. If something happens to the General, definitely MR will lose any chance of winninig. Obviously they know that and the General is also aware of that simple fact. So, the General is fast becoming another politician and fast learnng how to gain votes.

Posted By: hemantha k

You have faced lots of humilation, do you still want to continue to live in SriLanka? you can live peacefully in your motherland only if you are not threat to the government.Anyway your life is at risk since you are regognised as one of the witness for the War Crime. Most of them believe that the war crime occured at the latter part of the operation in which you were away, so at least be happy that it favours you.

Posted By: Roshan

THANKS Sir, You deserve the honour of all true patriots in the Motherland. Yours views are genuine. You have the will, honesty and all true patriots' blessings. Please go ahead and save our Motherland.

Posted By: KEM

When we read what Gen,Fonseka was saying about the minorities now, I doubt whether we have two Sarath Fonsekas. Few months ago he was showing a clear racial stand on minorities and was of the opinion that minorties in this country should not expect the same rights which the majority sinhalease enjoy just because they are minorities. Now, just because we want to get the votes of th same minorities, we is taking about caring minorities as brothers. See what dirty politics can do to a conscious of a person.

Posted By: M. Vijendra

We are unfortunate to observe a great hero becoming a joker to protect the interests of bunch of real jokers.

Posted By: Siri

I think all people irrespective of what 'race' they belong to should be treated as SRILANKANS.....Religion and Race is a personal and that should not be used to undermine or illtreat anybody of the rights and privileges they should enjoy in their native country.....ALL SRILANKANS MUST BE TREATED IMPARTIALLY IN SRILANKA

Posted By: CR

Kugan,you're right

Posted By: Shiham Ibrahim

Excellent explanation as regard to minorities and majorities. Yes. There are minorities. It is totally absurd to say that there are no minorities. We have to accept and stand on ground reality. Well Done. Gen SF. Stand on the principle politics come what may. Please come up with proposal to have federal setup for Sri Lanka for minorities. I regret that SWRD was not able to do that but if you have guts, please reform constitution and give minorities right. Pls avoid bloody relative terms as "We and They" refering to Sinhalease and Tamils or miniorities. I hate it.

Posted By: Jayamanna

Dear sir, I respect u very much sir, you come to kandy i will give you a place live in kandy. wish you best of luck sir, visvalingam

Posted By: Mudthiah Visvalingam

Sir, the hidden agenda is to make you focus on your housing and security issue rather than your real task, that is winning the presidential election doing good to this country. DONT GET CAUGHT TO THIS TRAP ALSO

Posted By: BASH

Gen Fonseka, I salute you for open talk. Lot of people try to please minorities in srilanka. However, majoarity must rule the country. You very validly said that this country is belongs to singhalaya and will be rulled by singhalaya. It is correct, but many people afraid to say so. Minorities are asking too much. It is the problem of srilanka. Don't worry general fonseka, 72% are singhalayas and they will support. You are our next president.

Posted By: Original Sinhalaya

It seems that the Sarath Fonseka wants to become the president of the country to get the revenge from the current government due to ill treatment. So according to this discussion, his intentions are very clear and the bottom line is he will not be the suitable candidate as a common for the presidential election race as public expected. He is politically immature and also comparing his rights with the other comrades in/out of the office which seems very grave and creating problems within the armed forces. Also it sounds like that he wants to become the president of the country to fulfill his rights and privileges.

Posted By: Kasthuri

Just a little reminder General: In your interview to two leading international media you said while you were still in uniform that 'Sri Lanka belonged to the majority community and minorities can stay but they have no say'! Do you remember? There was an uproar on this in the international press too.Any how according to the UNF/JVP contract you will be exec. president only for 180 days or 6 months!

Posted By: TRUE LANKAN

Any of our priministers from the so called majority of - tamil, muslim, burgher or catholic for that matter" if we all majority whats wrong with these people not to become a primister or a president. Good example why Mr. Luxman Kadiragama was not elected as our priminister - General is correct

Posted By: Mahesh

The war hero and the potential Presidental candidate has already started to lie.His conscience will say how he harassed the former Army Commander to vacate the official residence when SF took over as Commander.He did not allow 31/2months as stated above. What a big lie???Is he going to run the country by telling lies for his convenience???God help Sri lanka!SF is a vindictive and an arragant character who will resort to anything to achieve his ambitions.He did not care about own casualties in war and the entire Army is aware of it and how he harassed officers.The public do not know who the real SF is.

Posted By: Sunil

This is what you deserve SF! You have choosen your path despite of what has happened to Janaka Perera! And, I am not sure whether the history will repeat before the intended Preseidential Elextion....!

Posted By: Sujani

GSF. Look at Singapore. A country with Chinese, Malays, Indians etc.. The majority are Buddhist Chinese. The national anthem is malay. Singaporeans are proud of their country whatever community they belong to. This is what we should aspire to be...Sri Lsnkans first and followers of a religion thereafter. If one says there are No minorities he is hiding his head in the sand. We need a new face to lead Sri Lanka and GSF has better credentials than than any other.

Posted By: Faizal S

Really, really very good comments given by GSR. Its true that there is a minority coomunity and section of the majority who are reluctant to give the equal rights to the minority. But this majority community wanted to benefit equal rights when they go to the other countries.

Posted By: Esther

According to MR there only 2 kinds of persons, patriots and traitors. Patriots are allowed to steal from public funds and allowed to amass wealth for their families, and occassionaly engage in violence provided they sing praises for MR. Traitors are the people who critise corruption and thuggery.

Posted By: keerthi

Gen Sir... This is what SL wants... Come lead the country and put all who has done wrong to SL in JAIL.... Strip their human-rights....!!! Sure sir....You will WIN... 'Api wenuwen ape paulata' thats how some work.... We are there with you SIR....

Posted By: sheque

From what I hear SF is his own man. People may come to realise that he cannot be influenced. I hope he is a man of his word like Ranil, which even the opponents admit at least to them-selves.

Posted By: JP

To: Southern soul.. you seem to lack basic intelligence! The generals inference to “Api Wenuven Api’’ is a metaphor for the Rajapaksha Family. Not the actual campaign. Maybe it’d be wiser to think a little longer before slandering another’s intelligence.. especially one who’s done so much for our country!

Posted By: Rav

SF is not talking genuinly on the minority issue, to get votes only

Posted By: Ryan Hudson

Recognise the Tamils’ legitimate Right to self-determination, or whole dismal cycle will, sooner or later, start again.! Urgent help from IC needed.!!

Sri Lanka: What Happens Next?
Jake Lynch

Tamil refugees in one of the Camps. (File Photo)

International pressure may be closing the Tamil internment camps now. But it must be sustained, or the cycle of persecution will resume

The news that the Government of Sri Lanka is to close the internment camps where thousands of Tamils were illegally detained, following the end of the country’s civil war against the Tamil Tiger rebels six months ago, is testimony to the effect of international pressure. The European Union backed the call by Judge Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, for an independent, international investigation of war crimes allegations. And it threatened to withdraw Sri Lanka’s coveted membership of ‘GSP-plus’: the Generalised System of Preferences scheme that gives developing countries privileged trading access to EU member states.
The US State Department produced a lengthy report, detailing attacks on civilians during the war including some 158 incidents of shelling or bombing that could only have come from the government side: a record that is, the authors noted, likely to represent only a cross-section of the full picture since many will have gone unreported to the outside world. When the International Monetary Fund voted on a package of soft loans to Sri Lanka, worth US$2 billion, earlier this year, the US took the unusual step of declaring publicly that it had abstained (voting is held in secret). The agreement is subject to quarterly review, so there are further opportunities for leverage.
In Australia, by contrast, official hand-wringing has been accompanied by a notable pusillanimity in following through with any form of action. Canberra has one of the two directorships for an Asia-Pacific group of countries on the IMF board, representing 3.4% of the vote; it kept shtum about how it was used, so we must assume it voted in favour. And Foreign Minister Stephen Smith went cap in hand to Colombo to ask for help in deterring Tamils from seeking refuge in Australia, after the arrival of a few boats had triggered the usual barrage of hysteria from right-wing politicians and media. Instead of governmental action, pressure has been applied through campaigning and lobbying from civil society, keeping a focus on so-called “push factors” that have seen asylum claims, from Tamils who have managed to reach Australia, being approved, at a rate of 95%, in recent months.
More obvious guilty parties include Cuba, which sponsored the motion at the UN Human Rights Council, congratulating the Government of Sri Lanka for its ‘victory’; a move that probably emboldened the Colombo authorities to believe they could get away with keeping the detainees for far longer than they otherwise would. The move dismayed many supporters of Cuba’s socialist government, including some in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Amarantha Visalakshi, an author and translator of books about Latin America, issued this response: “We here in Tamil Nadu celebrated the 80th birthday of Comrade Fidel by releasing eight books on Cuba’s achievements in various fields…and are in the midst of our preparation for the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution…“We are struck dumb and rendered disheartened and disillusioned by this act [the HRC resolution] by those countries of Latin America on which we have pinned our hopes for the future – Socialism of the 21st century. “Why do these countries wish for wiping out the Tamils from the Sri Lankan soil where they rightfully belong? What are the sources of information for these Latin American countries to decide against the Tamils and in favour of the racist Sri Lankan government in the UN Human Rights Council?”

What now?
Clearly, continued vigilance is necessary, over what happens to those who’ve spent the last six months living in appalling camp conditions, traumatised by the events that drove them out of their homes in the first place. A report last week in the Washington Post raised concerns over the fate of those already released from incarceration. “Facing pressure from the Obama administration and the European Union, the Sri Lankan government last month launched a campaign to resettle tens of thousands of the minority Tamil detainees”, wrote reporter Emily Wax. “But interviews in the country’s war-ravaged north reveal that many civilians have merely been shuffled from the large camps to smaller transit ones and are being held against their will. Others have been released, only to be taken from their homes days later with no indication of where they have gone”.
An informant in the port of Trincomalee, Devender Kumar, whose brother was released, only to be taken away by police without explanation, told Wax: “We thought this war was over. But for Tamils, it’s like going from the frying pan and into the fire”. There were 30 men in Trincomalee alone who had disappeared soon after their homecoming. A “senior US official”, quoted in the Post, praised the “sincere effort” to release people from the detention camps, but added the rider: “We have so far been unable to track where exactly they are going. We are hoping to see evidence soon that they have actually been resettled”. Wax reported seeing “fields of weeds where once rice and cashew were grown”.
Brami Jegan, a prominent civil society activist here in Sydney and co-convener of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Project at my own Centre at Sydney University, also drew attention, in an interview with public broadcaster ABC, to concerns over former internees still unaccounted for in their home communities: “Some of them are missing from the camps, they’ve just been taken away never to be seen again and some have been released. They haven’t been released back into the areas that they came from, which is the former conflicts area known as the Vanni, or the greater area known as the Vanni. They’re being released into areas that they weren’t previously living in”.
In the same interview, Jegan, a spokeswoman for the Australian Tamil Congress, also observed that “peace is not going to come until there’s justice, there’s reconciliation and the Tamils are treated as all other Sri Lankans are treated: as equals”. This is where the crisis over the war, the protection of civilians under fire and latterly the camps, needs to become an opportunity, backed by continuing pressure from the international community to find some way to transform the conflict into new phase.
Self-determination
The Tamil Tigers took, as a battle cry, the cause of an independent homeland – Tamil Eelam – in the north and east of the country, but demands for justice and equality long precede the emergence of the armed struggle. “All peoples have the right to self-determination; by virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development”. So says Resolution 1514 of the UN General Assembly, passed fifty years ago next year. It also says: “Any attempt aimed at the partial or total disruption of the national unity and the territorial integrity of a country is incompatible with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations”.
So it begs the question of who can be considered a “people” and what are the legitimate borders of “a country”. At the time, the subjugation of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka was being intensified, with the notorious Sinhala-only legislation – denying their right to use their own language in public life – recently imposed. In 1972, the protection afforded to minorities, in the Sri Lankan constitution of 1948, was deliberately revoked, and Buddhism – the religion of the Sinhalese – was installed as the country’s official religion. That demarche also, in effect, severed the island’s remaining ties to the former colonial master, the United Kingdom, which gave fresh impetus to the call for a separate Tamil homeland to be established. According to a report by the International Committee of Jurists:
“Proponents of Tamil Eelam argue that the northern and eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka coincide with the historic boundaries of the kingdom of Jaffna and argue a case that seeks to establish that sovereignty over these territories was never ceded to any conqueror and that, even if such concession had been made at any time in the past, the unilateral renunciation of links with the United Kingdom which took place at the assumption of office by the government of Mrs. Srimavo Bandaranaike in 1972 resuscitated the Tamil sovereignty which had merely laid dormant until then... In the abstract theory of international law, it would appear that the Tamils have at the very least, an arguable case, and possibly a sustainable one”.
So it was that Tamil political leaders made the so-called Vaddukkoddai Resolution in 1976, named after the town in Jaffna where it was drawn up. This resolution was put to test in the 1977 general election and voters in Tamil Regions (North and East of Ceylon/Sri Lanka) returned 18 out of the 23 candidates who stood for election on the platform of independence. It was an assertion of the right to self-determination, in the face of systematic discrimination and state-sponsored violence, and its supporters today make the case that this was the last time the Tamils had a real chance to raise their voice, in a political context, because, “all elections held since were either under a gun point or a vast number of Tamil voters were stopped by Government forces and Paramilitary groups from voting”. The words are from a proposal for a referendum among diasporic Tamils, who now number in the millions. Those who’ve fled as refugees over the years, and their families abroad, now almost certainly outnumber the Tamils left in Sri Lanka itself. The referendum is scheduled to go ahead in several countries including the UK – home to an estimated 300,000 – where it will be held in January. Those living outside Sri Lanka are, the document states, the only ones now in a position to state their wishes freely.
The European Commission report, compiled to guide EU ministers as they make a final decision on whether to extend GSP-plus, notes continuing concerns over human rights abuses: “The police are unwilling or unable to investigate human rights violations. The criminal investigation system and the court system have proven inadequate at investigating human rights abuses. The NHRC [National Human Rights Commission] is weakened, incapable of performing its role and has lost international recognition. The emergency legislation shields officials against prosecution”.
Sri Lanka had, in the past, adopted several key provisions of international human rights law, the report noted, including the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention Against Torture. However: “So far as effective implementation in practice of the conventions is concerned, the evidence shows that unlawful killings, perpetrated by police, soldiers and paramilitary groups, are a major problem. While Sri Lanka has a strong record of adopting legislation to criminalize torture, in practice torture both by the police and the armed forces remains widespread. The powers of detention conferred by the emergency legislation have enabled arbitrary detention without effective possibility of review of the lawfulness of detention. There have been a significant number of disappearances which are attributable to state agents or paramilitary factions complicit with the government; hence Sri Lanka has failed to implement its obligation to prevent disappearances by State agents and other forces for which it is responsible”. In this situation, the opportunities for Tamils to raise their voice effectively within the country are strictly limited. The diasporic referendum could therefore be seen as a further authentic assertion of the right to self-determination, and – let’s put it like this – it would be a major surprise if it did not produce a result strongly in favour of an independent Tamil state.
There’s a difference, of course, between asserting the right to self-determination, and exercising it. The latter has, almost by definition, to be done through negotiation, since it inescapably affects the rights of others. The creation of a new state may be the eventual outcome of such negotiations – or it may not. Johan Galtung’s elegant idea of “non-territorial federalism” may gain in salience, bringing with it, as it does, a reminder that the conflict is not, at root, ‘about’ land but about rights and freedoms, as Jegan indicated. With the demise of the Tigers, the ‘don’t-talk-to-terrorists’ excuse is removed. The record shows that when assertions of self-determination are met with attempts to quell them, by force and/or administrative fiat, they gain in strength, and are apt to find expression in violence. When they are met with negotiation in good faith, they can produce a sustainable improvement in the outlook for all concerned. For hopeful precedents – albeit with different outcomes – look no further than the two ends of Indonesia, Aceh to the west, now enjoying a high degree of autonomous self-government within the state, and East Timor to the east, now embarked on a new chapter as an independent nation state.
The Tamil community in Sri Lanka must be allowed to elect credible leaders who can negotiate meaningfully on political arrangements for a shared future of justice and equality. So they must be allowed to speak and organise freely, with full access to International NGOs and – in the case of alleged Tamil Tigers now being arrested – to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Indictments, for the war crimes documented in the State Department report, can be held over the Colombo government as a means to incentivise cooperation, along with the financial squeeze through the EU and IMF. Unless there is an early move towards recognising and treating with the Tamils’ legitimate right to self-determination, the whole dismal cycle will, sooner or later, start again. That must therefore be the urgent concern of the international community, starting with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, in Trinidad and Tobago, next weekend.

morungexpress.com

So when we gather tomorrow, let us also use the occasion to renew our commitment to building a more peaceful and prosperous future...!!!

President Barack Obama to me
11:56 PM (1 hour ago)


info@barackobama.com

Shan --

Tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, Americans across the country will sit down together, count our blessings, and give thanks for our families and our loved ones.

American families reflect the diversity of this great nation. No two are exactly alike, but there is a common thread they each share.

Our families are bound together through times of joy and times of grief. They shape us, support us, instill the values that guide us as individuals, and make possible all that we achieve.

So tomorrow, I'll be giving thanks for my family -- for all the wisdom, support, and love they have brought into my life.

But tomorrow is also a day to remember those who cannot sit down to break bread with those they love.

The soldier overseas holding down a lonely post and missing his kids. The sailor who left her home to serve a higher calling. The folks who must spend tomorrow apart from their families to work a second job, so they can keep food on the table or send a child to school.

We are grateful beyond words for the service and hard work of so many Americans who make our country great through their sacrifice. And this year, we know that far too many face a daily struggle that puts the comfort and security we all deserve painfully out of reach.

So when we gather tomorrow, let us also use the occasion to renew our commitment to building a more peaceful and prosperous future that every American family can enjoy.

It seems like a lifetime ago that a crowd met on a frigid February morning in Springfield, Illinois to set out on an improbable course to change our nation.

In the years since, Michelle and I have been blessed with the support and friendship of the millions of Americans who have come together to form this ongoing movement for change.

You have been there through victories and setbacks. You have given of yourselves beyond measure. You have enabled all that we have accomplished -- and you have had the courage to dream yet bigger dreams for what we can still achieve.

So in this season of thanks giving, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to you, and my anticipation of the brighter future we are creating together.

With warmest wishes for a happy holiday season from my family to yours,

President Barack Obama





Paid for by Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee -- 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

This email was sent to: shanmugappirabunalliah@gmail.com

Housing units needing reconstruction/repair was about 19,000 in East while in North the nr is estimated at over 230,000. Social overheads too need..!

Peace is key to economic boom

Address by Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe at the Leopard Capital Investor Forum in Colombo on November 20


Minister Samarasinghe

From the perspective of a Minister charged with the subjects of Disaster Management and Human Rights, I have viewed the damage and destruction of both human and physical resources of the country in the last phase of the war as posing a challenge that confronts us in the post-conflict phase.

We must, as a people, seize many opportunities that will come our way and not to make the same mistakes as in the past when we failed to exploit opportunities for the betterment of the people.

Visiting the conflict affected regions, in particular, which are undergoing a transformation due to the present reconstruction programs; I believe the time has dawned to reap the benefits of peace that the military victories have brought about. Given lasting peace and stability, this country has the potential to progress fast and even catch up with the front-runners in the region.

Victories to peace
Converting the end of armed hostilities achieved through military victories over terrorism into sustainable peace is the principal challenge that we face today, the achievement of which is vital for Sri Lanka’s progress and prosperity.

This would become possible if we as people realize that, in a collective sense, the country has suffered from the conflict and that we must move forward together as one Sri Lankan people with no further polarization based on labelling some as victors or others as vanquished. Imagine for a moment what might have been, had we devoted all that energy and resources that we were compelled to spend on fighting terrorism for development. In terms of living standards, we were at the top of the table in 1948, at the time we gained independence, second only to Japan among Asian countries.

We have fallen behind the front runners and others who were trailing behind us have caught up with us or have overtaken us. However, despite the conflict, we have made some progress in the past few decades and reached the status of a middle-income country, showing the resilience and indomitable spirit of the Sri Lankan people.

Peace, stability, law and order are pre-requisites for economic advancement in any age or country. Economic advancement, in the sense of higher income and improving standards of living, would make the military victories over terrorism and the reestablishment of peace after a protracted conflict, more meaningful to the civilian populations in all parts of the country, be it North or South, East or West.

There is no gainsaying that throughout the history of humankind, peace has always held the key to prosperity in any country. Economic advancement and prosperity will tend to reinforce the peace achieved through military operations after much sacrifice in terms of human and physical resources.

The global experience and the 2,500 - year history of Sri Lanka provides numerous examples to support this assertion. At this critical moment in the country’s history we can and will rise to the occasion. In doing so, we must be guided by the pragmatic policies of the President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Government and achieve economic advancement with equity thereby ensuring and sustaining peace.

In this task of building sustainable peace in Sri Lanka, we would like to engage the resources, know-how and technology of the investment community to support and strengthen our efforts. We are confident that Sri Lanka can achieve economic advancement much faster and with greater efficiency.

It would also help Sri Lanka to address the issue of the savings / investment gap that has been a feature of our development efforts throughout the conflict period. The challenge facing the Government is to ensure that peace dividend flows to all the regions in the country so that the population will feel a perceptible improvement in their incomes and living standards.

That would help lay to rest the disillusionment and frustrations that drove a section of our population to think in terms of dividing this country by force of arms. I welcome the initiative of Leopard Sri Lanka for its timely intervention aimed at generating the necessary investment resources to help finance post - conflict economic development.

Infrastructure development
Now that the war is over, the focus is on economic development. It is clear that the Government will play a pivotal role in infrastructure development. It is engaged in an ambitious program of road building including motorways, the development of several harbours, chief among which are the Hambantota Port and the Colombo South harbour and several power projects including a coal power plant to address the growing demand for power and energy. Some of these projects are nearing completion. It may be possible to commission the early stages of these projects in the very near future. In this effort of post-conflict economic advancement, the Government believes the private sector has an important role to play and that a significant share of the resources should be drawn from it.

The Government has pursued and will continue to pursue a business-friendly policy framework.

Looking ahead I will try to describe some of the salient activities concerning the efforts the Government has initiated in the post-conflict period to lay the foundations and to prepare the ground for a massive reconstruction effort in the North and East. The efforts at resettlement of civilian population and infrastructure development will serve as an impetus for subsequent public and private initiatives requiring investment to address problems of poverty, low standards of living and the lack of employment.


Oluvil port under construction - a step towards North and East economic resurgence. Picture by Indrajith Perera

The Government was able to liberate the East two years ago. At the conclusion of the hostilities there, we faced similar problems that we now face in the North concerning, de-mining of the areas of return, the opening of roads for vehicular transport and civilian resettlement.

In the East, our work proceeded smoothly winning the approbation of the international community and we were able to complete the work well ahead of schedule.

We have brought to bear on our work in the North the wealth of experience that we gathered in the course of doing the same work in the East. We are confident that we would complete this work in the next six months and return these areas to civilian administration in the same way as we did in the East.

This will pave the way for elected officials to represent the interests of the people of the North effectively. The Government is anxious to achieve this as soon as practically feasible. Contrary to some pessimistic voices, I believe a sound civil administration, sensitive to the needs of the population, will contribute immensely to peace building and exert a positive influence on economic advancement in the region.

The Mullaitivu District though affected by the war has managed to restore normality in most areas of civilian life. While we have commenced resettlement in the area, a couple of weeks ago we managed to open two of the main schools in the district. This is a small example of what I mentioned above.

De-mining
I would like to place before you some statistics that would throw light on the scale of the problem. In the East, we had nearly 200,000 IDPs at the conclusion of hostilities awaiting resettlement compared to over 280,000 IDP in the North.

Area needing de-mining was nearly 250 square kilometres in the East. The previous estimates for de-mining in the North which was around 400 square kilometres has been revised to over a thousand square kilometres. Roads needing clearing of obstructions, the construction of bridges and culverts and resurfacing was nearly 200kilometres in the East. The requirement in the North is estimated at 6,500 kilometres.
-----------------------------------------------------
Infrastructure vital for IDP resettlement

Address by Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe at the Leopard Capital Investor Forum in Colombo on November 20 Part I was published yesterday


Minister
Mahinda Samarasinghe

Housing units needing reconstruction/repair was nearly 19,000 in the East while in the North the number is estimated at over 230,000. Social overheads like schools, hospitals and dispensaries are other facilities that also need attention. You could see the scale of the problem that we face in regard to settlement of IDPs in the North.

The work completed to date consists of the return and release of over 135,000 IDPs in their own villages, demining of key locations such as the Mannar ‘rice bowl’ was deemed necessary as a matter of priority to enable resumption of livelihoods.

National economy
The opening of the A9 the main trunk route linking Colombo and Jaffna will lead to closer integration of the economy of this region with the national economy. The work on the restoration of the railway track between Vavuniya and Jaffna has also commenced and we expect to complete it within the shortest possible space of time. This will further strengthen the economic integration of this region into the national economy. However, I would hasten to add that there is still a great deal of work to be undertaken.

The Government will make every effort in the next few years to complete the process of economic integration of this region to ensure that goods and services flow freely into and out of this region. When all the development work is completed, the economies of the two regions can be expected to increase significantly in their contribution to boosting the overall growth figure for the entire economy. According to estimates of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the per capita income that is now around US $ 2,100 will increase to over US$ 4,000 in the next five years.

With such ambitious targets, why should anyone in their right senses hold back the process of resettlement? There have been many criticisms levelled at the Government that it is slow in resettling the affected IDPs in their own villages. Whilst I am fully aware of the undesirability of keeping IDPs in welfare centres unnecessarily for long periods, the Government is not convinced that it is a good policy to rush them into areas that have not been fully cleared and opened up for civilian settlements and had basic infrastructure in place to enable the resumption of livelihoods and normality. Every citizen of this country needs to have reasonable access to basic facilities wherever they live. Resettling and returning them without adequate preparation will be counterproductive.


Back to school: Brighter future for IDP children at Kadirgamar Relief Village. Picture by Chaminda Hittatiya

We must also provide these persons with social infrastructure like schools, hospitals, dispensaries, access to civil administration, security law and order as well as ensure conditions in which they could establish themselves in remunerative economic activity. From the perspective of restoration and development of livelihoods, it is important that markets for the produce of villages must be able to function and linkages that existed with regional and national markets must open up.

This is absolutely critical to making resettlement viable. We, as a Government, are addressing these issues. Chair of the Presidential Task Force for Resettlement, Development and Security in the Northern Province Basil Rajapaksa MP, is leading this effort with the support of my ministerial colleagues.

Integration strategy
We are conscious that without a concerted effort based on an integration strategy for provision of safety and security, durable resettlement and sustained development, a precipitate rush to resettle IDPs may engender disillusionment and frustration, which we must avoid at all costs.

There is great deal of investor interest in the East particularly in the tourist industry. With its scenic beaches, easy access to places of historical interest in the country and wildlife parks, the East offers the investor extensive opportunities for investment in the tourism sector.

The Trincomalee harbour which is considered one of the best in South Asia also beckons the investors in industry. Access to world markets through this port, the availability of land as well as an educated labour at competitive rates will combine to make the East an attractive location for wide variety of industries.

The North will not be far behind. The Government has plans to pursue similar development program in the North focusing on infrastructure development. We expect agriculture and fisheries, two of the traditional activities in the region to recover from its present downturn. The North has traditionally offered a well-educated labour force. There is, therefore, the likelihood that the North may come to rival other provinces in the development of a vibrant services industry.

Access to capital whether it be debt or equity is an integral requirement to nurture and resuscitate Northern entrepreneurship. Within two months the banking system has extended Rs 260 million in funding to 1,875 small and medium enterprises.

A further 6,000 loan applications are under review for disbursement. Around 50 percent of the loans are for agricultural purposes. We expect to disburse loans in excess US$ 25 million to support and rebuild Northern entrepreneurship over the next year. Over the past months many of the local banks have opened branches in the North including a foreign bank.

I would like to touch on reconciliation including political accommodation and integration. The LTTE eliminated democratic voices to such an extent that over the years nearly 50 senior Tamil politicians were assassinated. Institutions of democratic governance have fallen into decline and they need to be restored.

Military victory
One of the significant contributions made by the military victory is that moderate voices reflecting all shades of the socio-ethnic spectrum are now being heard. The President has himself taken on the mantle of leadership in addressing these issues and achieving homegrown resolutions to the outstanding issues.

Through his reconciliation initiative, a meeting of minds on crucial areas that proved elusive in the past and appeared to divide and polarize us into opposing camps is becoming possible. I am confident that if we achieve our manifold objectives, terrorism will never darken the shores of our Motherland ever again.

What is needed is the creation of a unifying and overarching Sri Lankan identity which acknowledges, celebrates and nurtures the wonderful diversity of our multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural society. It is this common identity that will guide Sri Lanka to a peaceful and prosperous future and with rapid economic development and improvement of living standards, the peace and prosperity achieved will be made sustainable.

Concluded

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