Sri Lanka: Over 3,000 complains about disappearences in North

Ada Derana
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The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has received 4,763 complaints from May 2009 up until now from the Northern Province alone, says an official of the SLHRC. He also said that these complaints have been made at the Human Rights Commission’s offices located at Vavuniya, Mannar and Jaffna and that over 3,000 of the complaints are regarding disappearances.

The Commission has also received several complaints regarding illegal detentions and arrests, he said.

© Ada Derana

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Sri Lanka defends war conduct, slams rebel "human shields"

By Ranga Sirilal | Reuters
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Sri Lanka said on Tuesday the army did all it could to avoid civilian casualties during the war with Tamil rebels and blamed the United Nations for failing to halt the rebels' use of civilians as human shields.

Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who led the army to victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) last year, justified the troops' conduct in the final days of the fighting.

Speaking about civilian deaths, into which Western countries and the United Nations had called for an independent probe, Rajapaksa said the government fought with a zero-casualty policy among civilians and most of those killed in the rebel-held area were separatists.

"Nobody talks (about) how you can identify civilian casualties from combatants. It was very difficult to identify civilian casualties," he said. "There is video evidence how the LTTE were fighting in civilian clothes and how they were changing uniform to civilian clothes when they were injured."

The war prompted repeated accusations of human rights violations by both sides. Allegations by rights groups that thousands of civilians died just before the war ended amplified that criticism.

Rajapaksa, President Mahinda Rajapaksa's brother, was testifying before the state-appointed Commission on Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation, focusing on the final phase leading to the surrender of the Tamil Tigers in May 2009.

He blamed the United Nations and international community for not pressing the LTTE to release civilians who he said had been used as human shields since the war began.

"They could have done much more to force LTTE to release the people," he said. "Unfortunately it was the other way around, pressurising the government and president to cease the operation."

Political analysts and rights groups have questioned the credibility of the commission. Some analysts say it was set up to divert the U.N. war crimes probe and pacify Western nations.

Over the weekend, Sri Lanka's minority Tamils complained of a number of human rights violations. Witnesses told the commission of loved ones taken away by unidentified gangs and by the military, never to be heard of again.

Sri Lanka has criticised the U.N. war crimes panel, appointed as to advise Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, on "accountability issues" and accuses the West of applying double standards.

© Reuters

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Disgracefully discharged order officially handed over to General Fonseka

By K.T.Rajasingham | Asian Tribune
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Disgracefully discharge order was yesterday officially handed over to Sarath Fonseka.

A legal officer of the Sri Lanka Army handed over the “Disgraceful Discharge Order” to Sarath Fonseka. According to Army sources, the order was handed over yesterday, after the postponement of the second court martial hearing.

The second court martial hearing charges against the accused Sarath Fonseka’s alleged violation of military procurement procedures resumed its sittings yesterday at 2.30 p.m.

Both Prosecution and Defence concluded lead of evidence of two witnesses in the Army. Cross examination on the 3rd witness is to commence today at 8.30 a.m.

In the meantime yesterday, Sarath Fonseka and his former Secretary Captain Senaka de Silva were further remanded till 30th of August.

Sri Lanka’s Attorney General filed on Monday morning indictment in the Colombo Chief Magistrate court charging Sarath Fonseka on forty-one counts that include employing deserters of the Sri Lanka Army, paying salaries and providing lodging facilities.

Sarath Fonseka who is detained at the Naval Headquarters and his Secretary Captain Senaka de Silva who is in remand custody, were produced yesterday in the Colombo Chief Magistrate Court.

Colombo Chief Magistrate Rashmie Singappuli, ordered to further detain them until the 30th of this month.

© Asian Tribune

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U.S. Military members arrive in Sri Lanka

Photo courtesy: Master Sgt. Mike Hammond | US Air Force

Press Release | Embassy of the United States - Sri Lanka
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More than 40 U.S. service members arrived in Sri Lanka Saturday (Aug. 14, 2010), to begin a six-day combined medical and engineering training mission with the Sri Lankan government and medical representatives from the Maldives and Mongolia.

The mission, called Pacific Angel-Sri Lanka, will be conducted at various sites near Anuradhapura and Puttalam. It will offer free medical and dental care and also feature repairs and construction to support local schools. This week’s mission allows participating nations to hone their ability to work together and to practice their trades in non-clinical settings, while helping Sri Lankans in need of services. Pacific Angel missions are a United States Pacific Command-led capacity building effort to support regional stability in the Asia-Pacific region and foster partnership between military, governmental and non-governmental agencies.

“It is a pleasure and an honor for me and my team of professional Airmen and Soldiers to be here as guests of the Sri Lankan government,” said U.S. Air Force Reserves Col. Wes Cockman, Pacific Angel-Sri Lanka mission commander. “We simply cannot wait to roll up our sleeves and get to work alongside Sri Lankan, Maldivian, and Mongolian professionals to provide medical and engineering services to those in need. Efforts like Pacific Angel demonstrate the United States’ commitment to partnership as a means to maintain a peaceful and stable South Asian region," Colonel Cockman said. “We sincerely appreciate the invitation to come to Sri Lanka, and have been truly impressed by the hospitality we’ve witnessed!”

Pacific Angel events began Monday, Aug. 16, and will continue through Saturday, Aug. 21. A listing of the missions and locations follows. The public is welcome to visit and receive treatment free of charge each day at the medical care centers from 9am-3pm.

Aug. 16-21 - Medical (Family Practice, Optometry, Dental - and Public Health education) care offered at Puttalam Town Hall;
Aug. 16-18 - Medical Care offered at District Hospital Medawachchiya;
Aug. 20-21 - Medical Care offered at Cheddikulam School;
Aug. 16-21 - School repair project at Mahasiyambalagaskada Vidyalaya, Neriyakulam Township;
Aug. 16-21 - School repair project at Semandaluwa Kanishta Vidyalaya, Puttalam Township.

© US Embassy - Sri Lanka

Related articles

• U.S. military members arrive in Sri Lanka (SL Defence Ministry)
• US military in Sri Lanka on training mission (Sify.com)
• United States, Sri Lanka to begin "Pacific Angel" efforts (JDS Lanka)
• U.S. Expands Asian NATO To Contain And Confront China (Global Research)

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Sri Lankan Tamil migrants say they are fleeing mass murders

By Stewart Bell | National Post
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The Tamil migrants smuggled to the B.C. coast aboard the MV Sun Sea have released statements saying they are civilians fleeing disappearances and mass murders in Sri Lanka.

In a letter obtained by the National Post, a group of migrants detained at a prison near Vancouver thanked Canada and disputed what they called Sri Lankan government propaganda about them.

“We would like to ask the Canadian people and the Canadian Government to have faith in us to believe that we are innocent civilians who have been affected by the conflict,” it reads.

“We are not terrorists. We would also like to let you know that we will abide and live by the laws of this country.”

A second letter, signed “Tamil people from the Sun Sea ship,” says they traveled four months with little food, water, sleeping space, medicine and sanitary facilities.

“We have traveled for almost four months with much suffering and pain. We have come here, to this wonderful country Canada, to protect ourselves and our family members from the murders, disappearances and violence that still exist in our native country,” it reads.

“As a country which has embraced immigrants and migrants, we hope and believe that you will accept us, the refugees and we vow to wholeheartedly abide by the law and order of this country.”

The statements are the first accounts to emerge from the 492 migrants who arrived on the West Coast late last week aboard a smuggling ship that had sailed from the Gulf of Thailand in May.

All are believe to be ethnic Tamils from Sri Lanka. Those who have met them at the provincial prisons where they are being held said some have war wounds. Two are pregnant. There are families, a couple in their seventies and two journalists. A 37-year-old man died at sea of illness.

Women told of sleeping under a tent on the deck of the 59-metre cargo ship, sharing a bathroom among 50 people, cooking the South Asian sweet ladu and making tea with rain water.

“I left my son, I left my husband to come through hell so that I don’t have to live in hell in Sri Lanka,” said one detained woman.

The Canada Border Services Agency is trying to determine the migrants’ identities and whether any are former Tamil Tiger guerrillas. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has said he was concerned Tamil Tigers were on board.

As the National Post first reported last weekend, the minister alleges the migrant smuggling ship was a moneymaking venture by elements of the rebel organization.

He said they charged $40,000 to $50,000 a head and probably paid about $1-million for the ship. That could give them a profit of $20-million. He said the smugglers are closely watching Canada’s response and that more ships may be coming.

The RCMP is investigating.

The migrants’ letters say conditions in Sri Lanka remain harsh for ethnic Tamils. Sri Lanka is emerging from a lengthy civil war between government forces and separatist Tamil Tigers guerrillas.

“The Sri Lankan Government says that the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka has come to an end. However, neither the Prevention of Terrorism Act (which allows for arbitrary arrest of civilians) nor the Emergency Regulations Act have been abolished,” one of the letters reads.

“Innocent Tamil people detained in prisons have not been released. Displaced civilians have not been resettled in their own homes. Instead, there is widespread occurrences of disappearances, mass murders and extortion.”

Letter 1:

These are the views we wish to express to the Canadian Government, Canadian people, media and Canadian Tamil Congress regarding our plight.

1. Initially, we would like to express our gratitude to the Canadian Government and the people of Canada. When we made our plea from the Pacific Ocean “we are civilians, please save us”, you did not hesitate to come and take us ashore and provide us with food, water, and fruits. This has assured us with the safety of our lives.

2. The Sri Lankan Government says that the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka has come to an end. However, neither the Prevention of Terrorism Act [which allows for arbitrary arrest of civilians] nor the Emergency Regulations Act have been abolished. Innocent Tamil people detained in prisons have not been released. Displaced civilians have not been resettled in their own homes. Instead, there is widespread occurrences of disappearances, mass murders and extortion. The Sri Lankan Government is only conducting false propaganda internationally for its personal gains.

3. We would like to ask the Canadian people and the Canadian Government to have faith in us to believe that we are innocent civilians who have been affected by the conflict. We are not terrorists. We would also like to let you know that we will abide and live by the laws of this country.

Letter 2:

We, the people who have arrived in the ship “Sun Sea” would like to express the following to the Canadian people and the Canadian Government:

We have undergone severe hardships with very little or no access to basic necessities such as food, water, sleeping space, medicine and sanitary facilities. We have traveled for almost four months with much suffering and pain. We have come here, to this wonderful country Canada, to protect ourselves and our family members from the murders, disappearances and violence that still exist in our native country.

As a country which has embraced immigrants and migrants, we hope and believe that you will accept us, the refugees and we vow to wholeheartedly abide by the law and order of this country.

- Tamil people from the Sun Sea ship

© National Post

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Military presence "irks people" says Tamil politician

By P Sivaramakrishnan | BBC Tamil service
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A senior Tamil politician in Sri Lanka has questioned the government’s increased spending on housing for defence personnel in the north and east.

Mr Anandasangaree, leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) has questioned this rationale when thousands of displaced Tamils are sheltered in bare minimum tenements.

Testifying before the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) the TULF leader said that the expansion of military establishment would only cause further resentment among the people on the North and East.

“Many thousand people are living in the open with the sun as their roof” in the Vanni region according to Mr Anandasangaree, a former Member of Parliament and a moderate Tamil leader.

'From frying pan to fire'

The senior Tamil politician told the BBC Tamil service that “only hatred will grow among the Tamil people” who see the fast track construction activities for the defence personnel going on in the North and East of the country.

The status of the displaced Tamil people has been that of “from frying pan to fire”. The lives of the people who were caught in the conflict are no way better than it was during the war time observes Mr Anandasangaree.

He also says that the people find no betterment in their lives than it was under the LTTE.

Opening up of more and more military camps and check posts will not only hinder reconciliation but also cause further distrust in the minds of the Tamil people according to him.

Even sounds of a toy gun make the Vanni people very fearsome he says.

Expanding defence presence under the guise of providing security to the people is unacceptable and will further cause bad blood between the Tamil people and the security forces Mr Anandasangaree told the Tamil service.

Commission proceedings 'fair'

In spite of his criticism against the government and the defence establishment while testifying before the commission, he says that contrary to expectations the attitude of the commission appears to be fair.

“Based on the questions posed to me and the patient hearing to my reply I felt that the proceedings of the commission appeared to be fair in their approach," he said.

He also says that though many of his views would have caused embarrassment to the commission and the government, they did not object to him placing his opinion before them.

The TULF leader also says that he was given as much freedom and time to testify before the LLRC.

The hearings before the commission continues.

© BBC Sinhala

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Sri Lanka seeks deal to share intelligence on migrants

By Daniel Leblanc | Globe and Mail
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Sri Lanka is urging Canada to share more of its intelligence if it is serious about tackling what both countries have warned could be a human smuggling operation with ties to the Tamil Tigers.

Sri Lankan High Commissioner Chitranganee Wagiswara said in an interview on Monday that there have been “unofficial discussions” with Canadian authorities in recent weeks on the subject, but that more could be done between the two countries.

“There is no deal at the moment,” Ms. Wagiswara said. “I think exchange of information and intelligence is the key.”

She said the arrangement would be similar to a deal Sri Lanka reached with Australia last November to improve the flow of intelligence information between the countries. The deal fuelled the impression among Sri Lankans that Australia will stop at nothing to prevent an influx of Tamil migrants. While many Tamils have headed to Australia in the past, experts say there is a perception now that it is easier for them to enter Canada.

Canadian officials refused to respond publicly to the Sri Lankan proposal, although Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has said in recent days that the only way to prevent ships from coming to Canada is to stop them before they leave foreign ports.

“Discussions we might or might not be having with Sri Lanka on the issue are privileged, and as such, details about the issue are not something we would make public,” said Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Laura Markle.

Tamil groups in Canada responded that Ottawa cannot trust information from Sri Lankan officials, saying the country has been criticized for its human-rights record and is not serving the interests of its Tamil minority.

Ottawa is processing some 500 Tamil refugee claimants who arrived in British Columbia last week, and has raised the possibility that other boats on their way. Federal officials have discussed changing laws or obtaining greater co-operation from Asian countries to stop the human smugglers, but have said they will not prevent ships from entering Canadian waters for safety reasons.

Lawyers who visited the detained migrants yesterday said they survived desperate conditions during about 100 days at sea. They described living on just one litre of water a week and having to gather rain water to boil for tea. Gary Anandasangaree, a lawyer representing the Canadian Tamil Congress, said those he met were teachers, engineers, journalists, fishermen, farmers and businessmen. Some had visible wounds suffered during the country’s civil war, including a journalist who had been shot, he said. Most had been in displaced persons camps inside Sri Lanka and complained of being harassed by the victorious army, Mr. Anandasangeree added.

“The journey was an absolutely horrendous experience. Conditions were deplorable. Nobody in their right mind would put their child through that unless there was a good reason,” said immigration lawyer Robert Blanshay.

The first detention review hearing for those seeking refugee status began behind closed doors in Vancouver on Monday, with the media barred from the proceedings until at least Tuesday.

Leeann King, the adjudicator of the Immigration and Refugee Board, is to issue a ruling on Tuesday morning on whether the media will be allowed to attend the hearings for all of the detained migrants.

Those detained must get a hearing within 48 hours to examine the legality of their detention, or failing that, as soon as possible.

Both Canada and Sri Lanka have raised fears that some of the migrants may be linked to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which has been banned in Canada as a terrorist organization and that the organizers of the voyage are terrorist supporters who stand to make millions of dollars in profits by organizing ocean trips like that of the MV Sun Sea.

The Canadian Tamil Congress said it has great concerns with the Sri Lankan government’s agenda and the quality of the information that Colombo would provide.

“We ask the Canadian government to be cautious around the information provided by the Sri Lankan government,” Manjula Selvarajah of the Canadian Tamil Congress said.

The situation has not devolved into a political crisis, but the federal government will have to tread carefully to deal with the current group of migrants, as well as future ones.

All parties agree that Canada cannot turn away ships, but the opposition is ready to jump on any hint that the Conservative government is mistreating legitimate refugee claimants. Liberal MP Bob Rae accused Mr. Toews of “playing to the crowd” by insisting that terrorists and criminals may have been on the Sun Sea.

© Globe and Mail

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Chinese to be taught in Sri Lankan schools: Minister

By Kelum Bandara | Daily Mirror
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Education Minister Bandula Gunawardane said yesterday his ministry would introduce the teaching of the Chinese language to the school curricular soon.

The minister said he had already started the teaching of the Chinese language at Lumbini Vidyalaya in Colombo.“This is funded by China. We will expand it to other schools. The Chinese language will be one of the most dominant languages in the world in the future. Therefore, we must teach it to our children,” he said.

Mr. Gunawardane made these comments while speaking at the ceremony to mark the filling of water to the Hambantota harbour -- a project funded by China. Besides, China is also funding the coal power plant in Norochcholai and the construction of the second international airport in Mattala.

China is now the world’s largest exporter and economists say it is expected to overtake Japan very soon to become the world’s second largest economy, next to the United States.

© Daily Mirror

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