கவனிக்க: இந்த மின்னூலைத் தனிப்பட்ட வாசிப்பு, உசாத்துணைத் தேவைகளுக்கு மட்டுமே பயன்படுத்தலாம். வேறு பயன்பாடுகளுக்கு ஆசிரியரின்/பதிப்புரிமையாளரின் அனுமதி பெறப்பட வேண்டும்.
இது கூகிள் எழுத்துணரியால் தானியக்கமாக உருவாக்கப்பட்ட கோப்பு. இந்த மின்னூல் மெய்ப்புப் பார்க்கப்படவில்லை.
இந்தப் படைப்பின் நூலகப் பக்கத்தினை பார்வையிட பின்வரும் இணைப்புக்குச் செல்லவும்: Tamil Times 1997.07

Page 1
À LTTE Paralyse Sea
Transport
A Strie and Split
the UN
TA' 1983 - A GRUESDM RENDER
 

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| Tani
ISSN 0266 - 44 88 Wol. XWI No. 7 15 JULY 1997
Published by: TAMTIMES LTD PO Box 121, Sutton, Surrey SM13TD United Kingdom Phone: 0181 644 0972 Fax: 0181 24 4557 Email: prajanognapC.Org
Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or publishers. The publishers assume no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts,
photographs or artwork.
叉X CONTENTS,
TULF MP and 5 others killed O3 LTTE Paralise Sea Transport 04 Editor Convicted 05 Sirisena Cooray in Custody 07 Strife and Split in the UNP 07 Plight of Tamils - A Tragedy 08 Use of Tamil Language 08 US Donates 5000 Books 09 News Digest 10 Focus on Human Rights 12 Thangathurai, the Golden Lord 5 July 1983-Lest We Forget 20 Jaffna - A Vision Skewed 22 Stalin Rises in the DMK 28 Classified 30
Cover Photo: Courtesy of Sunday Times
TULF |
Arumasalam T Parliament for Trin to the Tamni Un (TULF)was amon grenade and gun eastern Sri Lanka more persons we killed were three Rajeswary Thanat pal of the Sri Sh College, S Joseph Civil EngineerVR cial worker PS Mr.Thangathurai's Mr.Thangathur in a grenade attack of bullets as the emerged from the new building at the Trincomalee, Hunc ing scores of sch gathered for the i Were traumatised
Thangathurais been in a state of the tragedy she is sits alone with he does not eat, drin only in an endearin keeps repeating he a report in a Colon Reacting to the gathurai, a leader emies want to sile its leaders. Murug leader of the TULF the killing of the moment, I have n anybody. But we h in this country, bo (Sinhalese) comr (minority) Tamils."
"It is clear that eliminate as many the TULF which is Tamil force that is f try right now." Mr S
Thangathurai leader to be killec gunmen assassiná leader Appapillai Al ber of Parliament V The slaying of
 
 
 

TAM TIMES 3
EWS REVIEW
VP and Five Others Killed
hangathurai, Member of comalee and belonging ted Liberation Front six persons killed in a tack at Trincomalee in on 5 July. At least 15 re injured. Among the school principals, Ms alasingham, the princianmuga Hindu Ladies and K Seevaratnam, a stnarajah, a leading soGaneshalingam and bodyguard. ai and others were killed accompanied by a hail Victims and others opening ceremony of a College in the heart of ireds of people includool children who had nauguration ceremony oy the carnage. 88-year-old mother has shock unable to accept confronted with. "She r morbid thoughts and c or talk to anyone but gvoice, full of pain she or beloved son's name,"
bo newspaper said. assassination of Thanyf the TULF said its enYce the party by killing esu Sivasithambaram, made the charge after MP and said, "At this basis for Suspecting ave too many enemies h among the majority unity and among the
someone would like to leaders as possible of the only non-militant inctioning in the counvasithambaram said. Nas the eighth TULF in June 1989, LTTE ted the party's former hirthalingam and MemYogeswaran. he popular Tamil par
liamentarian from eastern Sri Lanka has raised fears of a new wave of violence against moderate Tamil politicians. A political analyst in Colombo said that Sri Lanka's moderate Tamil politicians are risking their lives as they show their villingness to co-operate with the government to search for a peaceful solution to country's ethnic conflict.
Mr Sivasithambaran Condemned the killing as a cowardly and reprehensible act. "We have committed ourselves to finding a constructive political solution to the ethnic crisis. Therefore, the gunshots and grenades cannot change our path," he told the newspaper. He described Thangathuraias an ardent supporter of the peace process and had rendered enormous Service to the Tamil community. He said the killing of Thangathurai sent distressing signals." am not only saddened, also don't know what to do, if this is what happens topoliticians in this country, you have to wonder whether doing politics is worth the while." he said.
President Chandrika Kumaratunga said that the assassination of Thangathurai had been committed by "frustrated and desperate persons to discourage rightminded persons from seeking a lasting peace."
The National Peace Council of Sri Lanka has denounced the assassination of Thangathurai as a symptom of the deteriorating political culture and a blow to a

Page 4
4 T.AMLTIMES
Sain TULFMP Arunasalam Thangathural's wife Sathyashri, son Ahilan Dharmini in mourning - Photo by Sanjeeva Niroshana, courtesy of The Sun
democratic solution to the conflict. The NPC said that the "dastardly crime was specially deplorable, as it has taken place before hundreds of School children at a school function."
Noting that MrThangathurai has along history of democratic activity and stood for a negotiated settlement, the NPC said that the ongoing war has led to the miniaturisation of society in which assassination is one strategy to achieve narrow objectives. The NPC also expressed its concern over the effect this assassination has in narrowing the field of those who cannow claim to be representatives of the Tamil people. Other Tamil political parties such as the PLOTE, EPRLF and EPDP have also condemned Thangathurai's assassination pointing the finger of blame to the LTTE.
The TULF has requested President Kumaratunga to appoint a Presidential Commission of Inquiry to probe the assassination of Thangathurai. In its letter to the President, the TULF states, "We wish to bring to your kind notice that in the past several politically motivated murders had taken place in our country. Unfortunately no proper inquiries into those murders were held and culprits behind those killings had not been brought to book." Describing the assassination of Thangathurai and others on 5 July as "a barbarous act", the TULF letter adds that "the failure to apprehend the culprits in those killings has led to the continuation of political killings in our country....We fear that the inquiry now being held into these killings also would meet the same fate of unsolved political murders of the past."
There is no doubt that Thangathurai was the target of the assassination though many others were killed and injured in the same incident. No one has claimed re
sponsibility for the blame for the assa MP was placed by t Tigers who were c. as "Black Tigers D. of their fighters who ful suicide attack a Jaffna a decade ag has neither official responsibility. In the also been speculat other group or indivi had a hand in the k
Two days after Lankan police said five persons suspe sinated Thangathu Trincomalee.They a
Tigers
The transport to the northern Jaff the Eastern and W. land has in recent paralysed by milita Tiger" wing of the l
“We cannot bep ruse of shipping w under the pretext of cessities for the pe a statement on 15
On June 30, L private ship, the M\ government to fert Mannar and the V There were no pass time. The LTTE me On to the MV Miss captain Nang Had Wahudin and seve ship belonged to
 

15 JULY 1997
and youngest daughter day Times
assassination. But the ssination of the TULF he police on the Tamil ommemorating July 5 ay" in memory of three led the first successgainst the military in jo. However the LTTE y denied or accepted meantime, there has ion as to whether any duals who would have illing of the MP
the assassination Sri that they had arrested cted of having assasrai and five others at lso claimed that all five
arrested persons belonged to the Tamil Tigers who according to them are the masterminds behind the assassination.
On 12 July, the police announced that they had arrested more persons suspected of having been involved in the assassination of Tamil Thangathurai. They said a three-wheeler driver M. Koneswaran alias Babu, S. Neechandran alias Nijan, a security guard of the Trincomalee Port Authority, and M. Murugathasan alias Jerome were among those who had been arrested. They said plastic cans containing explosives and ingredients for the manufacture of bombs had been recovered from Nijan. The Suspect Murugathasan whose alleged LTTEpseudonym was Jerome had another identity card under the name of Gunaratnam Shakespeare. Cyanide capsules and photographs of Thangathurai had been found in the suspects' possession. The police further claimed that according to the statements made to them, Murugathasan had thrown the grenade at Thangathurai while another suspect who is still in hiding had shot at the MP and into the crowd. Police have recovered 9mm magazine and 13 rounds of ammunition. Another man who is identified as Sivaprakasan Akila Rupan reportedly followed Thangathurai for several months. He had tried to assassinate the MP in Trincomalee several months ago but called off the attempt when the police arrived. The police further alleged that the suspects had confessed that they killed Thangathurai because he was co-operating with the PA government in developing the Trincomalee district.
Despite police assertions of LTTE inWolvement in the assassination of the TULF MP neither the party's leadership nor any of the relatives of the late MPhave directly accused the LTTE of being responsible,
aralyse Sea Transport to Jaffna
pf goods and persons ha peninsula from both stern coasts of the isweeks been effectively ry action by the "Sea TTE. arty to the government ar materials to Jaffna supplying food and neople", the LTTE said in July. TE cadres boarded a MISSEN, hired by the "Tamil returnees from anni region to Jaffna. engers on board at the had forced their way en and took away its chief engineer imam crew members. The lewco Shipping (Pvt.)
Ltd. which also owned the RSHMOANA which was captured and destroyed by the LTTE over two years ago. The crew of the IRISHMOANA remain in LTTE custody up to date,
The MV Nissen wasset on fire by the Tigers, and the crew, which included two Indonesian nationals and seven Sri Lankans, were abducted by the LTTE.The two Indonesians were later handed over on to the ICRC and brought to Colombo, The fate of the remaining seven Sri Lankan crew members remains in doubt. "The ICRC remains deeply concerned regarding the fate of the seven remaining members of the crew and is taking all necessary steps to be able to see them as Soon as possible," the ICRC statement said.
The government has said the Tigers had torched the vessel in an attempt to prevent Tamil people living as refugees in

Page 5
15 JULY 1997
the Wanni region from returning to Jaffna, where the government is rehabilitating several hundred thousand people who fled when the military captured the peninsula in October 1995.
On July 4, the government ordered that all passenger transport to the north by ship should be halted until further notice, Seweral thousands of Tamils who want to re
turn to Jaffna have been stranded in
Trincomalee and Mannar as a result.
On July 7, the LTTE seized a North Korean registered civilian cargo vessel, Morang Bong, which had been hired by the government and engaged in transporting goods between Colombo and Jaffna. TheTigers captured the vessel which was on its third trip to Jaffna and its crew while it was some eight km (five miles) of Point Pedro on Jaffna peninsula. The ship had carried nearly 3,000 tonnes of food and other essential items to Jaffna and Was hijacked after it had unloaded its cargo, The captured ship had been "chartered by traders from Colombo to carry essential goods to Point Pedro... for the civilians in the north," an official said.
After its capture the ship was stripped of all goods, equipment and fuel and lies anchored off the coast of Alampil in the Mullaitivu district. The Sri Lankan navy has made no attempt to approach the vessel for they fear that the LTTE may have booby-trapped it.
The 38 member North Korean crew was taken into LTTE custody. One crew member was shot dead during the capture of the ship by the LTTE and his body was handed over to the ICRC on July 9. On July 11 the other 37 crew members were also handed over to the ICRC,
The LTTE's ability to hijack ships of this type has created a crisis in terms of the Sri Lankan government's capacity to arrange transport for goods and passengers by sea to the northern peninsula. Persons hoping to travel to Jaffna remain stranded in Mannar and Trincomalee while food transport has been also affected. This scenario becomes even more serious when one considers that airtransport to the north has been severely curtailed by a series of disasters faced by the Air Force. The onset of the north-east monsoon in OctoberNovember will halt sea transport in any event, so the urgency of keeping th9 sea routes open during these next few months is critical.
Observers see this as yet another milltary strategy adopted by the LTTE firstly to prevent displaced Tamils now living in the Vanni region as refugees returning to Jaffna in large numbers, and secondly to disrupt the governments effort to gradually normalise the situation in Jaffna by transporting essential supplies for the population there and material required for the rehabilitation of the war-ravaged pe
ninsula's infrastruk Military spoke Munasinghe told Colombo that more from the LTTE on other essential sup continue doing the king ships and atta Somehow Overcom A Reuters repo that thousands off after shipping com ices to the norther lowing attacks on gers separatists.
The refugees were waitingin nort eastern Trincomale to Jaffna, but ship to move Without ná at least 3,800 peo other 3,000 in Trinc to come to Mannar, to take them back, ing an official.
in the meantim ernment has sough International Col Cross(ICRC) to esc ern areas of the is The ICRC spokesm cials were trying tot the government re. passage for foods “The government ha us to escort these : on this It is under di little time because wolved," the ICRC s
The protracted Sri Lanka High C weekly, The Sunda) Ranatunga, on cha faming the island's drika Kumaratunga the editor being four as charged on two
in delivering his High Court Judge U said, "freedom of th larger freedom of th the freedom of the p the freedom of an subject to the same posed on an indivic that every person p. reputation which is
As such nobody ca
speech or expressi er’s reputation or " called character as

Ure),
man, Brigadier Sarath news Conference in attacks were expected hips ferrying food and lies to Jaffna."They will e kinds of things, hijaccking them, but we will this problem," he said. tdatelined 11 July said fugees were stranded banies cancelled servJaffna peninsula folwo ships by Tamil Ti
rom the Wanni region h-western Mannar and 2 for ships to take them ing lines were scared Val escort, "There are ble in Mannar and ansmalee. More are likely But there are no ships ' the report said quot
e the Sri Lankan govt the assistance of the mmittee of the Red ortfoodshipsto northland including Jaffna. han said that their offalk to alisidestomeet quest to provide safe supplies to the north. is formally approached ships. We are working scussion. It will take a of the procedures inpokesman said.
TAMIL TIMES's
"Military Supply Ships Will be Targeted"- LTTE
"We cannot be party to the governmen ruse of shipping war materials to Jaffn under the pretext of supplying food and necessities for the people", the LTTE leadership has said on 15 July in a policy statement in its official organViduthalai Puligal. The statement added that "while holding back the bare necessities to Tamils in Vanni, Sri Lankais declaring that the people of Jaffna are being pampered, fed and clothed. But the real situation is far differe ent. The government is mainly engaged in feeding, clothing and equipping its Sinhala army of occupation in the peninsula while the Tamil inhabitants of Jaffna do not enter into its calculations at all.
"Under these conditions the LTTE has no option but to regard these military-servicing Sri Lankan vessels as legitimate military targets. Since these supply-vessels constitute a threat to the Tamil people, they will not be permitted to carry out their sinister function.
"It is against the interests of the Tamil nation to allow Sri Lanka to strengthen its entirely-Sinhalese military forces so they can better harm and repress the Tamil inhabitants of Jaffna and conduct further callous military operations against the Tamil people in Vanni. The LTTE is not prepared to compromise the security of the Tamil people and will therefore do its utmost to prevent the traffic of items which do nothing other than strengthen Sri Lanka's military capability."
itor Convicted of Criminal famation of the President
75-day trial before the ourt of the editor of Times, Sinha Migara rges of criminally dePresident, Mrs Chanended on 2 July with d guilty and convicted 'Ounts, 328-page judgement, alide ZGunawardene e press is part of the e individual, however ress is not higherthan rodinary citizen and is imitations as are imual. It has been said ssesses a right to his egarded as property, use his freedom of in as to injure anothindulge in what is assination...”
The prosecution of the editor was launched by the Attorney General under the country's Penal Code and the Press Council Law. On the first count framed undersection 480 of the Penal Code making the editor liable for criminal defamation of the President by the ofending article, the editor Was Sentenced to twelve months simple imprisonment suspended for a period of seven years and a fine of Rs.7500. On the second count under Sections 14 and 15 of the Press Council Law, holding the editor vicariously liable for the publication of the defamatory article, the Judge imposed a sentence of six months simple imprisonment suspended for seven years and a fine of Rs.2,500.
Human rights and journalist organisations in Sri Lanka had condemned the government's recourse to the Criminal law in bringing the prosecution as an attack on freedom of expression. "We are not for

Page 6
6 TAM TIMES
a moment saying that those who carry defamatory articles against others ought not to be punished. But we are for trying them under the country's civil law and not under the criminal law," the Free Media Movement said in its first reaction to the editor's conviction.
The article which was the subject of the court proceedings was published in the Sunday Times on 19 February 1995 undertheheading,“Courting Days are Here". The offending excerpt read, "Therefore let's start at the top, about a party graced by none other than Her Excellency the President, Chandrika Kumaratunga. The occasion was the birthday of Liberal Party National List MP Asitha Perera (Well Mudiyar Chanaka - how?) The place was Mr Perera's permanent suite at the 5-star Lanka Oberoi. But this time the President was more circumspect about her appearance and used the rear entrance of the hotel, watched by a phalanx of security guards and myself. She spent about 90 minutes at the party from 12.30 in the heat of the silent night until 2am and as for what she ate, it was not food from the Hilton. The reading public now has a fair idea of its first citizen's epicurean tastes. But what of her estranged brother ?"
The editor was defended by a team of lawyers led by former Attorney General Tiak Marapana and included Kumar Ponnambalam and SL Gunasekera.
The prosecution case was that the editor had engaged in character assassination of the President under the guise of writing gossip. Having known that the of fending piece in the article Wasfalse, neither the papernor the editor published an apology. The editor had not expressed any regret in his paper or in court during the hearing having published an article which the editor knew to be totally false,
The defence argued that the article was part of a "gossip column" and therefore should be taken lightly because it contained light banter. The editor admitted during the initial investigation by the CID that the whole article was written by one Writer. But in the Course of the evidence he said that it was written by more than one person and that he wrote at least three paragraphs of the article, but did not write the offending piece. He also refused to reveal the name of or identify the person who wrote it. The judge held that the editor's evidence in regard to the composition of the offending article was "teeming with contradictions and irreconcilable positions".
The Garlanding Controversy
The day after Sinha Ranatunga, the Editor of Colombo's SUNDAYTIMES, was found guilty in Colombo High Court for "criminally defaming'President Chandrika Kumaratunga, the MIDWEEK MIRROR of
the same newspape in a captivating head Viction."
Not so captivatin post-conviction contr the attention of mar lombo press. Throwii significance the fund obscure yet revived law, the question of a headlines in the pres radio time in the elect devoted to this incide Despond Fernan rights lawyer and the ternational Bar Asso land around Editor shortly after he (Rana nounced guilty by Hig wardena. A colour pic photographer of the the press following d landing episode into The High Court immediately reacted suring Despond Fer| their statement, this a Court decorum and a ment not appropriate o ndo'sseniorityandst approve Despond Fe out that the garlandi the court premises. T nodo's action amount demonstrations in fro as happened in du Jayewardene's time, R K W Goonas lawyer and a much of human and fund former principal of th that he did not belie saw the picture in thi think Despond wou him. If the accused he was garlanded outsic Court, there Would r But garlanding a pe convicted is unthink Despond Ferna controwersy. During til he came to the High as a Defence witne: Cross-examined by edly without obtaini Upon his return, he conclude his evident wrath of the oppositi human rights comm Premadasa's tenure dent of the Bar Ass praised Premadasa restoring the indep агу.
There are also defence of Despor They say that Ferna onstrating his oppo:

15 JULY 1997
company said it all e: “Editor With Con
however, was the versy that received pages in the Cointo a state of inmental issue of the riminal defamation arland has received and much TV and onicnews has been nt as weli. o, a leading human President of the ination, placeda garRanatunga's neck, unga) had been proCourt Judge Gunaure, taken by a news SLAND, appeared in y, bringing the garsharp public focus. Judge's Association to the episode cenando, According to Act was a violation of reaction to a judgeora lawyer of Fernature.Those who disrnando's action point ng took place inside hey argue that Fernas to staging protest nt of judge's houses, ing President J. R.
kera, a very senior respected champion amental rights and Ie Law College, said le his eyes when he newspaper. "I didn't d have "garlanded" d been acquitted and e the precincts of the ot be any objection. rson who had been ble,”
do is no stranger to e Sunday Timestrial, court to give evidence s and avoided being oing abroad, reportg court permission. as not summoned to 9. He also earned the n and sections of the nity during President Vhen he, asthe Presiciation of Sri Lanka, n eloquent terms, for ndence of the judici
those who argue in i Fernando's action. dowas merely demtion to journalists be
ing accused, tried and convicted for criminal defamation, instead of civil offences.
Meanwhile, the Free Media Movement in a statement has urged the government to repeal the Criminal defamation law. Last year, a committee appointed by the Media Minister to propose media law reforms, also recommended that thisparticular law be rescinded. Human rights groups are planning to intensify the campaign to repeal all repressive laws relating to the media and freedom of expression.
Judges on the “Garlanding issue”
Expressing concern and displeasure over Despond Fernando garlanding the convicted editor of The Sunday Times, the High Court Judges Association in a statement said: “This Association expresses its great displeasure at the incident in which a witness for the defence, a former Presdent of the Bar Association and President of the International Bar Association welcomed the convict with a garland inside the court premises at the time of the taking of fingerprints of the convicted person. "This incident recalls the era in which the judges were insulted and demonstrations were held against their verdicts and the government paid the fines imposed on criminals, Similarly, we cannot ignore the tendency among prominent personalities in this government to publicly criticise decisions of Superior courts, though in a less serious way.
"There is no question that media freedom is an essential component of democracy. But it is a matter for regret that even prominent lawyers who speak about media freedom have not understood that independence of the judiciary is an essential element of democracy. The courts give decisions according to the existing law. If there are defects in the existing law, its revision is a different matter. When the courts give a verdict on the limitations of media freedom, there is a legal mechanism to challenge it. We are of the opinion that nobody who thinks justly would approve of lawyers acting in a manner that would belittle the independence of the judiciary and bring it into disrepute, it's like looking up and spitting.
"The foundation of democracy is the Rule of Law. The Rule of Law is protected by the judiciary. Just as journalists have media freedom, we as judges value the independence of the judiciary very much. Independence of the judiciary as well as media freedom are essential components of a benevolent democracy. It is good if all media personnel, all lawyers and politicians realise that a remedy could be obtained for an injustice caused to a journalist or a President's Counsel only if the independence and honour of the judiciary are protected."

Page 7
15 JULY 1997
Sirisena Cooray Detaine on "Conspiracy" Charge
At first the reasons for the arrest and detention of Sirisena Cooray, President Premadasa's once powerful deputy, was shrouded in mystery, Cooray was detained on June 16 under Section 17 of the Emergency regulations. According to press reports, the Defence Secretary invoked the state security provisions of the law in issuling the detention order.
Strangely enough, the usually wellinformed Colombo press did not come out with any behind-the-scenes stories of the Cooray arrest. The most common interpretation heard in Colombo was that the government had decided to move against Cooray after a political deal with him had fallen through. The so-called 'deal' referred to the government's designs to drive a wedge between the Cooray and Wickremasinghe factions of the UNP by promoting Cooray. The highly publicised Premadasa Birthday celebration, scheduled for June 29, was seen as a move made by Cooray with the government's tacit support, with a view to challenging Wickremasinghe's control over the UNP machine. The 'deal theory had it that after UNP top lawyer Choksy had mediated and made peace between Cooray and Wickremasinghe, and publicity was given to the possible active participation of Wickremasinghe and members of the Premadasa family in the anniversary celebrations organised by the Premadasa Centre, the government decided to close in on Cooray,
in Colombo, where intrigue is now becoming a familiar mode of conducting politics, many did not consider the deal theory plausible. However, later speculation suggested that Cooray was likely to be indicted in Connection with the Lalith Athulathmudali assassination case. The arrest of UNP Provincial Councillor U. L. Seneviratne, whose name figured repeatedly in the proceedings of the Athulathmudali Commission, and some other underWorld figures also known to have links with Mr. Cooray, reinforced this possibility. The Colombo press also predicted the imminent arrest of one or two senior Police officers Who were alleged to have maintained close links with Sirisena Cooray when he was a minister during the previous UNP tenure. The Lake House papers have, in the meanwhile, continued to focus on the fact that there was a plot to assassinate the President and that the Cooray arrest is linked to this. On the contrary, Cooray's lawyers have gone on record saying that he has not been questioned in this connection.
Atlast, an official version of the much
talked about "Cooray { public. Some unde Sirisena Cooray, acco have bought propert near the ancestral Kumaratungain anela physical harm to the
This and more di 'conspiracy' were di Secretary Chandrana davit fied in the Color on July 09. The affid detention of former
valid in law and mad
Earlier, Cooray's damental rights petiti Defence Secretary's C under detention. Wh rights application ca
Streife
Sirisena Cooray's not seem to have arc thy in his own party, protests made by the after Cooray was arre ership appears to ma lence over the entire
The MDWEEK M edition carried a story that purportedly sugg UNP leaders Rani W to 'some media' repo
With the conspira alleged links with the are back in the public tively destroyed the Cooray tried to build ugh the Premadasa C adasa Centre, which in the national news | to be the first casualty spiracy that Sirisena (
The poorly attend memoration ceremon the massive Sugath ceived appropriate p controllied RUPAVAH programs. The stars memoration ceremor Sirisena Cooray, was nsa, a Buddhist mon nationalist views. T power-brokerwho ate a reconciliation bel Wickremasinghe a fe
Neither the UN Wickremasinghe nor ily participated in the appear that the UNP participate at the cer

TAMIL TIMES 7
Conspiracy became r-world friends of ording to this version, y and built houses home of President borate plot "to cause President”. etails of the alleged sclosed in Defence anda de Siwa's afimbo Supreme Court avit asserts that the UNP strong man is e in good faith." lawyers filed a funion, challenging the order to place Cooray en the fundamental Lme before the Su
preme court, the Attorney General on behalf of the state asked for time to file afidavits. The Court postponed the hearing till July 24.
The Defence Secretary's affidavit also makes the dramatic claim that the Criminal Investigations Department had received" reliable intelligence' that Cooray “had sought assistance from'ocertain members of a criminal gang' to cause harm to or assassinate the President
The affidavit provides the names of the criminal gang. They are Don Ranjith Upali alias Sothi Upali, Malwate Some and Sudu Mahattaya. Sothi Upali, the affidavit suggests, has master-minded sub-plots of the main plot from jail. Sirisena Cooray emerges in the affidavit as the main figure in the conspiracy drama.
The Defence Secretary has also sought the permission of the court to submit the intelligence reports he had received about Cooray and his associates "under confidential cover for the perusal of court
only
e and Split in the UNP
s predicament does »used much sympathe UNP. After initial JNPleadership soon sted, the party leadaintain an official siaffair.
IRROR in its July 9 f attributing rumours ested 'a plot against ickremasinghe also rtS. cy charge, Cooray's Criminal under-world mind. This has effeclittle mystique that around himself throentre. And the Premisuddenly found itself last month, appears of Whateverthe ConDooray is blamed for. ed Premadasa comy, held on June 29 at adasa stadium, reublicity in the state Ni (television) news peaker of the comly, in the absence of ; Rev. Elle Gunawac of extreme Sinhala he monk was the mpted to bring about tween Cooray and W Weeks ago. P leader Mr. Rani the Premadasa famceremony. It would eader had agreed to emony provided the
directorate of the Premadasa Centre and the organisation of the ceremony was brought under the direct control of the UNP leadership.That suggestion was summarily rejected by the directors of the Premadasa Centre.
Cooray's message from his detention was read out to the audience by one of the directors of the Premadasa Centre, Dayan Jayatilleke. Delivering a blistering tirade againstthe UNPleadership, Rev. Elle Gunawanse said that people should rise up to chase out "ungrateful and treacherous elements" who worked overtime to sabotage the RPremadasa commemoration ceremony and create disunity among UNP members who should reject the present so called leaders of the UNP who aim to make the party a "Cinnamon Gardens Party”. He said that certain eminent personalities in the UNP were so ungrateful that they had forgotten the services rendered by the late President Premadasa “who loved the common people and understood their suffering". He attacked the UNP leader of having “deviously and cunningly" placed restrictions on those who intended to attend the ceremony,
In the meanwhile, a fresh row seems to be developing within the UNP over the current political role being played by the President’s brother, Anura Bandaranaike. Some unconfirmed reports have focused on a secret meeting between Justice Minister Peiris and Mr. Bandaranake, A ceremony to felicitate Mr. Bandaranalike on the completion of 20 years in politics is scheduled for July 25. There is already a rumour that top-ranking UNPers will boycott the event.

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8 TAML TIMES
Tigers Offer to Swap Muslims Captured in Retaliation
Tamil Tigers said in a statement on 15 July that they would release Muslim villagers they had abducted last month in the eastern district of Trincomalee on condition that the military freed rebels captured in the same area.
The LTTE captured 35 Muslim and 4 Sinhalese fishermen from the village of Erakkandi in Trincomalee district on 29 June after the villagers handed over to the military six LTTE cadres who had escaped in a sea battle, The abduction of the Muslim villagers had produced a climate of tension between the Tamil and Muslim communities in the area. Some Muslim political leaders have condemned the LTTE's action.
The abduction of the villagers followed an attack by the Sri Lankan navy on 28 June against a flotilla of six LTTE boats travelling from Vakarai in the Batticaloa district to Mullaitivu. It was reported that the naval attack resulted in the sinking of the boats and the death of 24 LT TE cadres and the arrest of six others. It was further reported that the head of the LTTE's medical unit, a third year medical student "Dr. Desmond" was killed in this attack and he was accompanied by two female doctors believed to be of Indian nationality. It was during the interrogation of the six arrested LTTE cadres that the presence of the two lady doctors from India had surfaced.
Seven of the villagers were released by the LTTE on 14 July following intervention by the International Committee of the Red Cross. According to a LTTE statement issued on 16 July, "Those released are a priest-Moulavi Abdul Rahnman- and six students, including Nauparniyaz, Nilamdeen, Niroz, Irshad and Sarjakhan. They were handed over to ICRC's representative Mr. Johan Paul by the LTTE's head of administration (political sector) Mr. Thangan. Thirty-two more from the same village remain in LTTE custody.
The LTTE statement added, "They are suspected of being agents of the Sri Lankan army and were involved in an incident which took place on June 28, as recounted below:
"Some LTTE members met with an accident at sea and were forced to Swim many miles to shore. They finally reached trakandy (inTrincomalee) in an exhausted state and requested assistance from the local people. Though the LTTE members carried no Weapons of defence and were not carrying cyanide capsules some of the villagers there severely assaulted them and later handed over the defenceless fighters to Sinhala armed forces, in whose custody they remain.
"The LTTE was c number of villagers acts of gross inhuma our fighters are now dous forms of torture Sinhala army. Indeed grave danger. The ably tolerate such a why we continue to ht agents who were inv and handing over of c "We assure conce organisations that all being treated human that they are not“hosta in custody.
"However, We are ency in this instance those held if the freed ers is secured. We a litical leaders to work this end and to use a ensure the speedy rel “We further stres these mainly Muslim enacted on ethnic gr ways viewed Muslims, will continue to do so, li ran's decision to releas manitarian grounds is will intended to promc existing Tamil-Muslim "However, the Ira causes us deep pain only condemn the as fenceless fighters, we rybody to ensure that r incidents occurs in th ers put their own dear the sake of national fre not allow them to be b ner to the Sinhala armr
Plight of Tamils -
ASurvivor of the Je ing World War II, Mr. Er of the Holocaust Fou USA, appealed to the break its silence" over mitted on innocent Tan children in Sri Lanka in Chicago held rect "Plight of the Tamils in Tragedy". Several sch activists and represent ticipated at the meetin
Mr. Wasantha Raja hala Service of the B took up the Chairmar Rupawahini (TV) Corpc following differences w laid part of the blamef strife in Sri Lanka at invalidity of the 1972, tions. He claimed that a "Sinhala-Buddhist p them "believe that the

impelled to arrest a uspected of these hity. We understand undergoing horrenat the hands of the their lives remain in TE cannot reasonsituation and this is kd these suspected blved in the assault ur fighters.
"ned individuals and those detained are ely. We also stress ges" but people held
willing to show leniand to release all pmofour own fightpeal to Muslim poearnestly towards Il their influence to base of our fighters, that the arrests of villagers was not unds. We have alas our brothers, and hdeed, Mr. Prabakae7suspects on hua gesture of goodote and consolidate amity. kandy incident still and sorrow, We not sault upon our destrongly urge eveno repetition of such e future. Our fightlives on the line for bedom and We Canatrayed in this man
у
\ Silent Tragedy
wish holocaust durna Gans, President ndation of Illinois, world community"to the atrocities comil men, women and ut a public meeting ntly on the topic, Sri Lanka - A Silent lars, human rights atives of NGOspar
9. formerty of the Sin3C radio and later ship of Sri Lanka's ration and resigned th the government, r the famil-Sinhala what he called the no 1978 Constituhost Sinhalese had yche" which made sland belongs only
15 JULY 1997
to the Sinhala Buddhist".
Prof. Peter Schalk of the University of Uppsala, Sweeden said that Sinhala Buddhist fundamentalism did not recognise the human and political rights of others. "The Tamils had been wrongfully denied recognition as a people with a right to self-determination. The Sinhalese can only think of a unitary state under one umbrella," he Said.
Ms. Kate Hope of the U.S. Committee for Refugees (USCR), who co-authored the USCR report titled "Conflict and Displacement in Sri Lanka", spoke about the "terrible conditions" of refugee camps in Sri Lanka and India. She said that the strife had left more than 50,000 Tamils dead, over 1.2million uprooted from their homes and 900,000 "internally displaced.
A resolution passed at the meeting urged World governments to "proactively engage and pressurise" the Sri Lankan government to stop the "indiscriminate bombing and strafing of Tamil areas, arrests, torture, rape and killing of innocent Tamil civilians, lift the embargo on food, medicine and other necessities of life to Tamil areas, allow journalists - both local and foreign - to visitTamil areas, withdraw the Prevention of Terrorism Act and solve the national problem politically rather than pursue a military solution."
The meeting was organised by the MkdwestTamil Sangam, lnternationalTamii Language Foundation, Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America and the World Tamil Organisation.
Presidential Direction On use Tamil Language
President Chandrika Kumaratungaon 11 July berated her ministers over the lack of use of the Tamil language in government departments and ministries. She has di rected all her ministers to ensure the implementation of the official languages policy without any hindrance within the next two months. In a letter addressed to her ministers, the President said that they should take immediate steps to ensure that all government correspondence was in the three official languages.
Reminding her ministers that the Sri Lankan constitution recognises three languages - Sinhala, Tamil and English, the President told the ministers that several instances of failure by government departments and institutions to comply with constitutional provisions relating to languages had been brought to her attention. Such failure would amount to a violation of the law and a denial of fundamental rights, "These are serious omissions as they cause immense inconvenience and hardship to members of the public who are not conversant with Sinhala, I dread to think

Page 9
15 JULY 1997
of the plight of citizens who receive letters in a language which they do not understand."
The President has directed the ministers to appoint a senior officer in every department of government to oversee the implementation of the provisions of the law relating to language. She also told them to make available to the public from next month all regulations, legal provisions and information required by the public in all three languages, Sinhala, Tamil and English and that government departments should employ more Tamil typists and translators to ensure that all letters received from people are replied in the language of the writer.
The displaying of all name boards of public institutions and other instructions meant for the public should be in threelanguages, Listing the regulations, she said that they should be implemented in order to ensure that every citizen is afforded an opportunity to exercise his or her language rights without hindrance:
(a) All regulations, legal provisions and information be available to the public in all
tion has a larges printed, it may prin afrəsh in the Tamil || tached to the Sinh; (c) All letters re of the public shouk guage in which the there is a difficulty, English should be
(d) All name b tions and other ins meant for the publi all three languages (e) Action be ta all vacancies in the tors service and Te stitutions that don make use of pers and
(f) A senior off in every institution responsibility for in sions of the law rel Giving her mir months, the Presid "personally Superv ficers in your min instructions within
three languages; also has asked her (b) All printed forms must be available a report on the ac
in all three languages. Where any institu- 31 July 1997.
asone of the bestli
US Donates 5000 Books to Jaffna University
The government of the United States, through the Asia Foundation, donated on 26 June 5000 books to the University of Jaffna at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo,
US Ambassador, Peter Burleigh, said that this donation to the Jaffna University was a "reflection of the fact that normalcy is returning to the Jaffna peninsula and that the University of Jaffna is able to function fruitfully, and we are happy to be associated with this evolution". Recalling the relationship of the American people with the Jaffna peninsula, Ambassador Burleigh said, "there is a long and very important historical relationship between the American people and educational and medical institutions in the Jaffna peninsula", and added that "the first American arrived in Jaffna in 1816, and he and those who followed, very generously was instrumental in founding several of the premier institutions in the peninsula including Jaffna College and the Hospital there."
Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar emphasising the significance of the US gesture said, "Jaffna was an area of Sri Lanka which was noted for its culture, its scholarship, its learning, its educational institutions and therefore for its libraries. The Jaffna library was justifiably famous
today is a land larg its educational ins Some of them are added that "the bo sented to the Unive the United States mately from the pe generous nation", American peopleh concern for buildi institutions of Jaffn Mr Edward And dation, who hande tion of books said that we are going te of Jaffna, We belie larly appropriate ti should and will star will of the United S Sri Lanka.”
The Deputy Mi tion, Prof. Wisva W: the books on beha Sri Lanka said tha the University of J. mence its acade added that "the g need to improve t versity provided th assistance to rep needs which it ne nearly 90 per cen back at the Univers 1997, 409 schools

TAM TIMES 9
tock of forms already t a reasonable number language only to be atala/English version;
ceived from members d be replied in the lanwere received. Where at least a translation in attached; oards of public institustructions or directives c must be displayed in
aken to fillimmediately Sinhala/famil translaamil typists service. Inothave a cadre should ons on contract basis;
icer must be identified and charged with the mplementing the prowiating to language. listers a period of two lent has asked them to ise and ensure that of istry implement these the time-frame." She ministers to submither tion they had taken by
braries in Asia....Jaffna Jely breft of books, but titutions are still alve, ower century old”. He oks that are being pre}rsity of Jaffna today by of America come ulti3ople of that great and and "once again the ave demonstrated their ng up the educational a" erson of the Asia Foun2d over a token selecthat "the 5000 books send to the University ve come at a particume" and "the donation das a symbol of goodStates to the people of
nister of Higher Educaarnapala, who received lf of the government of it since April last year, affna was able to commic programme and overnment seeing the he facilities at the Unihe necessary financial lenish the immediate eded." Observing that t of the students were sity, he said "as at June were functioning in the
Jaffna district with participation of a schoolgoing population of 107,000 children"Saying that furniture and educational equipment to the value of Rs.72 million were distributed to schools in the region in November 1996, he added "Government is in the process of rebuilding the Jaffna Lbrary which, before it was destroyed in the 80s, functioned as the main repository of knowledge."
Many educationists and Members of Parliament, including DSidharthan, Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam, Douglas Devananda, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, participated at the ceremony marking the donation of the books.
Sri Lankan Boatpeople in Australia
15 Sri Lankan “boatpeople", all men aged between 18 and 42, were found 3 July wandering on the coast near Coral Bay, about 1,100 kilometres north of Perth in Australia and the Australian Customs Service (ACS) aircraft were searching waters off Western Australia's north-west coast for a Taiwanese fishing vessel in which the Sri Lankans illegally entered the country.
They told police and State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers they had paid S1,000 each for passage to Australia aboard a Taiwanese fishing boat. ACSWA regional bordermanager Craig Sommerville said an ACS-run P3 Orion and another fixed-wing aircraft were sweeping the area in an attempt to find the boat the men arrived in.
"We want to see what type of vessel it is; it's a matter of building up a picture for profiling in future exercises," Mr Sommerville said. "You can't stop every vessel entering Australian waters. Some are quite legitimate in their business So it would help to know what it looks like for future reference.”
The men, most of whom were aged in their late teens and early 20s, told SES Coral Bay co-ordinator Grant Shane they were fleeing political unrest in Sri Lanka. "We couldn't make it out. It was either that they were going to be drafted, or that guerrillas were causing trouble, something like that." Mr Shane said.
The Sri Lankans will be interviewed by immigration officials at the Port Hedland detention centre, Department of immigration spokeswoman Karen Jones said. They spent the night in a naval base at Exmouth, and boarded a bus for the 12-hour ride to Port Hedland with officials from customs 4 July morning.
She said the group had not asked for refugee status, and had not yet had the chance to tell their story to the officials. "We're not going to push them today, we'll give them a rest and something to eat be

Page 10
10 TAMIL TIMES
fore we start the formal interview process tomorrow morning" she said.
Mr Shane said the group did not realise how vast the spaces were between towns and settlements in WA's north-West, and had thought they could easily reach Perth from Coral Bay. "They'd been told it was populated here, and they could walk inland from Coral Bay and catch a train or a bus to Perth," Mr Shane said, "They looked as though they'd just stepped off a touristbus - their clothes Were all new looking, pressed and tidy, and they looked like tourists."
Govt MPs Discuss Devolution
Members of Parliament from Sri Lanka's ruling People's Alliance coalition have given their backing to President Chandrika Kumaratunga's proposed constitutional reforms aimed at ending the protracted ethnic War.
The government's devolution package to be included in the proposed constitutional reforms was the main subject to be discussed when Alliance MPS met at a resort southern Sri Lanka, Hotel Tangerine in Kalutara, on 14 and 15 this month. PA parliamentarians...unanimously endorsed the draft constitution for Sri Lanka, which seeks to devolve part of the authority of the central government as the basis of a solution to the complex ethnic issue, a statement issued on 16 July by the Alliance said. The MPs also supported the governments strategy that the offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) should continue parallel to the implementation of the devolution proposals.
The constitutional reform proposals are presently being debated in a parliamentary select committee, but the process has slowed down due to disagreements between Tamil and Muslim parties, and between the main opposition United National Party (UNP) and the government. The disagreements centre around key issues such as the extent of the powers to be devolved to the regions and demarcation of proposed new councils.
Alliance sources said that the MPs also discussed the possibility of a national referendum on the constitution reform proposals if the government felt it could not get the proposals through parliament with the necessary two-thirds majority,
The Democratic United National (Lalith) Front (DUNLF), which is a constituent of the Peoples Alliance, officially boycotted the two-day event, but two of its Members of Parliament, Monty Gopallawa and PB G Kalugalle defied the party leadership and attended the seminar. The party's leader, Mrs. Srimani Athulathmudali, was dropped from President Kumaratu-nga's cabinet in the recent reshuffle of ministers.
Jaffna Medical Fac Closure of the Jaffn reported to be immin turers in Severalsub tors are not availab such as pathology a academic staff are aminations for the th This situation c. University authoritie faculty, Dr. Sivignan Dean of the Medical Dr. Sivagnanasu tached to the World (WHO), said, "We c On the Government been doing everyth Jaffna Medical Facul with Tamil society"h "Thirteen group passed sofar from th ulty. Most of them h second classes. The lecturers in their spe they have done is to arships abroad and their families.
"We expected thi ple and would serve have been let dowr deram said and ap sionals Who are wel medical field to com terment of their mot
100,000 DRUGADD Sri Lanka has more and 40,000 canna number is rising, a survey by the Sri ASSociation.
The survey said users spend a stag pees ($143 million themselves “high" li cotics Bureau seize 51,538 kg of canna the Seizures rose tc 85,342 kg of cannat But 1997 was li as police had alrea of heroin and 62,338 first few months. Ac drug-related arrests last year from 12,3 percent of those a years of age.
The Prisons Dep that 35 percent of Lankan jails have be
 

alty Facing Closure: a Medical Faculty is lent due to lack of lecects. As even instrucle to teach subjects hd pharmacology, the inable to conduct exird year students. ould lead the Jaffna is to close down the asunderam, former Faculty said recently. nderam, presently atHealth Organisation annot put the blame in this case. It has ing possible for the ty. The entire fault lies |e said. ps of students have e Jaffna Medical Facad obtained first and y could have become cial subjects. But what seek jobs with scholsettle down their with
ay would help our peoour country. But we h" Dr Sivagnanasunpealed to the profesIII and qualified in the e forward for the betherland.
ICTSIN SRI LANKA:
than 100,000 heroin bis users, and the ccording to a recent anka Anti-Narcotics
that Sri Lankan drug gering 8,3 billion ru) each year to keep said the Police Nard 27 kg of heroin and bis in 1994. In 1996 40 kg of heroin and pis.
kely to be record year dy confiscated 46 kg 3kg of cannabis in the Cording to the survey, increased to 14,800 52 in 1994. Over 60 rested are under 30
artment records show all prisoners in Sri en convicted of drugs
15 JULY 1997
related offences.
Amnesty for Army Deserters: Military authorities in Sri Lanka, who announced a crackdown on army deserters during the first week of July, said that they was declaring an amnesty for them to return to their regiments. Military spokesman Brigadier Sarath Munasinghe told a news conference in Colombo on 10 July that the army, which is hunting for some 10,000 deserters, would pardon those who returned within the following two weeks.
He said the amnesty was being declared at the request of several parents who had written asking that their children be pardoned for deserting their posts on the battlefront. The amnesty periodstarts immediately and will continue until midnight of July 21,” Munasinghe said. Solidiers who report back to duty will keep their ranks and will not be court-martialled, he added. Only two weeks earlier, the army court-martialled four soldiers who had deserted and jailed them for three years in one of the first examples of stricterpenalties.
Munasinghe told pressmen that some 30,000 soldiers had deserted from the army, of which 20,000 had returned after an amnesty offer last year. Of the 10,000 still missing, 200 were officers, he added. The armed forces recently launched advertising campaigns on television and other media to attract recruits to fill depleted rankS.
Six Percent GDP Growth Expected: Sri Lanka's economy has already shown that it has the potential to achieve a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6 percent by the end of 1997, compared with a 3.8-percent growth in 1996, according to the Bank of Ceylon. The bank's Economic Research Division, in a latest reporton"Trends and Prospects 1997."predicted a 3.5-percent growth in agriculture, forestry and fishery on the basis of a rebound in the paddy sector from the slump experienced in 1996. The manufacturing sector is forecast to grow by nearly 10 percent in 1997 compared with 8.9 percent in 1996 while the construction Sector is projected to increase by 5.5 percent as against 3.4 percent.
The report quoted the latest Colombo Consumer Price index for May 1997 as saying that compared with May last year, this year has recorded a continuing moderate inflation rate, which declined from 16.8 percent in December 1996 to 7.8 percent in May 1997. The government estimated average annual inflation for 1997 at around 9 percent, saying it is determined to continue with its anti-inflation policies. However, according to the report, with possible increases in the prices of utilities such as electricity and telecommunication,

Page 11
15 UY 1997
the possible introduction of value-added tax and the depreciation of the rupee, inflation will average 10 percent this year.
KEUNEMAN'S BOOK COLLECTION FOR JAFFNA: The entire collection of books and documents of the much respected late veteran leader of the Ceylon Communist Party, Pieter Keuneman was handed over to the Jaffna Public Library by his wife, Onida Keuneman and daughter Khema. Media, Posts and Telecommunications Minister and Chairman of the Sudu Nelum Movement (White Lotus Movement), Mangala Samaraweera, accepted the invaluable book collection on behalf of the government's project team engaged in the reconstruction of the Jaffna Public Library, "A Book and a Brick"project was set up by the government under the auspices of the Sudu Nelum Movementin order to ensure community participation as well as promote ethnic harmony in the process of rebuilding the Jaffna Public Library,
The Jaffna Public Library, internationally recognised as a symbol of Tamil culture and learning was set on fire and destroyed by the security forces on 31 May 1981 following the violence unleashed during the election for the Jaffna District Development Council.
CITIZENSHIP FOR MONEY: If the Sri Lan-kan parliament were to enact into law a bill recently presented to it, one could buy a Sri Lankan citizenship for $25,000. One does not have to marry a Sri Lankan woman to gain citizenship anymore. One's spouse and dependent children will only cost $10,000 each. The only qualification, other than making the stipulated sum, is that one must have been resident in island for five years before qualifying for citizenship. The proposed law is designed for investors and professionals and the scheme will be administered by the country's Board of investment and Ministry of Finance.
LTTE CADRES FROMTAMIL NADU: The LTTE leadership is reported to have asked about one hundred of their cadres who have recently completed a special training course in Tamil Nadu, South India, to return to the Vanni jungles immediately, the "Weekend Express" from Colombo reported quoting Sri Lanka's National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) sources. It is said that these cadres trained in suicide attacks along with members of their ally in Tamil Nadu, the Tamil Retrieval Force are being summoned urgently to join in resisting the advancing troop columns of Operation Jayasikuru.
DOCTORSTOTHENORTH: Nimal Sripala De Silva, the newly appointed Minister
of Health, announ conference in Color were being made t the Northern and E decision was taken with the Governm Association(GMOA thorities of these doctors, 36 Would district, 19 to Vavu to Trincomalee, 41 Amparai.
ARRESTS IN AM Home Ministry auth Sri Lankan police td edly LTTE membe the Tamil Nadu po (24), Thomas(24), murthy(40). It has b men, at the time c possession of 1,7( pees, two revolver propaganda literatu settes and posters they were sent to li needed medical su dreds of LTTE cadr fighting.
ELECTORAL LAW 3, the Ministry of J posals for reforms step had become it many inconsistenci present law, which tion during the rec elections.
The reforms er 198 persons, of whi on a territorial ba the-post principle, pointed on the bas resentation, and 4 The UNP and t they will bring some proposals at theme tary Select Comm the draft is due to
The UNP has up of an independ sion, on the lines ( trols on campaign tion of campaigns ment that al candi sets, are among O may be proposed.
MUSIM SOLDIE Sri Lankan Muslim tained by military a supplying informat military sources sa arrest was of One Jaffna Peninsula,
attached to the in TE. The Sources the government fo

TAMIL TIMES 11
ced at a recent press nbothat arrangements o send 175 doctors to astern Provinces. The | following discussions ent Medical Officers ) as well as health aubrovinces. Of the 175 be sent to the Jaffna niya, 25 to Mannar, 14 to Batticaloa and 40 to
IIL NADU: The Indian Iorities have sent to the he names of four alleg's recently arrested by lice. They are Mohan Kittu (26) and Vinayagaeen alleged thatthese f their arrest, were in )0,000 Sri Lankan rus, walkie-talkies, LTTE ire including video cas. It is also claimed that hdia to purchase badly pplies for treating hunes injured in the recent
V REFORMS: On July ustice released its pro
to electoral law. This mperative in the light of les and injustices inthe
came to public attencent local government
visage a Parliament of om 99 will be appointed sis on the first-pastwhile 95 will be apis of proportional repfrom National Lists. heTULF have said that amendments to these beting of the Parliamenittee on July22, where be discussed. suggested the setting ent Elections Commisyf the Indian one. Concontributions, restricpending and a requiredates declare their asther amendments that
RS DETAINED: Eight soldiers have been deLuthorities for allegedly ion to the Tamil Tigers, aid 27 June. The initial Muslim soldier on the who had earlier been telligence wing of the claimed that he joined rces in 1988 and it is
believed that since then he has been supplying the LTTE information about military movements. The others were arrested folllowing information gathered after the first arrest, the sources said adding that they had also given information about the locations of fresh supplies of arms and ammunition, as a result of which attacks were launched by the LTTE on these locations and large quantities of arms and ammunition Were lost.
GERMAN ADTO SRI LANKA: The German government is to grant 1 million US dollars for Sri Lanka's social and economic development in 1997-98. An agreement was signed between the two countries following bilateral negotiations on development co-operation between Sri Lanka and Germany held in Colombo recenty. Under the agreement, the German government will provide 23.36 million US dollars for financial cooperation (soft loans) and 19,74 milion US dolars for technical co-operation projects (grants).
JAPAN FUNDS FOR WATER SUPPLY SCHEME: Sri Lanka has launched a national water supply scheme costing 95 million US dollars to be funded by the Japanese government, according to Housing Ministry sources in Colombo. The main objective of this program is to provide safe drinking water for rural areas in the country by the year 2010. Under the program, The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) has already begun digging 7,500 tube wells and wil construct 1,000 deep wells per year in the rural areas of Sri Lanka. Under the aid package, Japan will also provide equipment worth 13 million US dollars for the water supply development projects in the country, the Sources added.
PROTESTAGAINST FOOD SHORTAGE According a LTTE statement issued on 4 July, civilians Tamils in the northern Vanni region held marches to protest against the "food siege" imposed by the government. Foreign and local aid agencies had criticised the government for disrupting food supplies at a meeting held in north-eastern Mullaitivu, which was also attended by representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the statement said.
"Most NGO(non-governmental organisations) representatives in attendance openly stated that despite repeatedly presenting the government with facts and figures relating to the desperate food shortage among the Wannidisplaced, they had met with deliberate government obstructions to carrying out relief work," the LTTE statement said.

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12 TAM TIMES
UNHCR CREATES SAFE ZONE: The LTTE in a statement dated 4 July said that, inabelated recognition of the seriousness of the onslaught against Tamils by Sri Lanka's armed forces, UNHCR has hoisted the UN's flag at Puthur (Puthuvillankulam) in the Vanni region, declaring the area of 2.5 sq. kilometres a safe haven under its control. The move comes at a time when the indiscriminate blasting of Tamil homes, public buildings and temporary shelters by the troops has reached fever-pitch. 10,000 people are staying in Puthur, Puthuvilankulam at present. Water is Scarce, however, and the region is largely shrub jungle, the statement said welcoming the UNHCR's intervention.
UN FUND AIDS HEALTH PROGRAM: The United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) has granted Sri Lanka 750,000 U.S. dollars to upgrade health education in primary and secondary schoolis in Sri Lanka.
The UNFPA-aided program is expected to help 1.8 million students between grades 6 and 11 to cope with the changes of adolescence, according education ministry sources. Students will be educated on nutrition, AIDS prevention, population and environment, male responsibilities in family and gender equality. It is expected that when they grow up these children would be endowed with the knowledge and attitudes for responsible sexual behaviour and planned families, thereby leading to responsible citizenship.
ARMY ADVANCE HATED: Sri Lankan military forces trying to advance eastwards from Paranthan to Vaddakachchi were driven back by LTTE forces. The army began its operation at 8.1 5 am on 6 July accompanied by artillery, mortar shells and gunfire. But the entire army contingent was forced to beat a retreat in the face of an LTTE counter-attack. Troop casualties are not known. The LTTE suffered one loss, Manikkarasa Sivakumar of Amparai, according to a LTTE statement issued on 6 July.
BATTICALOA LAGOON-FSHING BANNED: Tamil fishing families in Puthungar, Valaiyiravu and Thimilathuvu (all in Batticaloa) have been barred by Sri Lanka's occupying army from fishing in the district's lagoon. The families here depend on fishing for their survival. Technically, food relief is supposed to be given to such families who are deprived of their livelihood but the Sri Lankan government has not compensated them at all, according to a LTTE statement issued on 6 July.
OVERSEASWORKERS RISETO 35 PERCENT: The number of Sri Lankans Working overseas has increased by 35 percent
Protests HRTF A
The government down the Human F (HRTF) has met witt human rights organis The HRTF is to be Wic and the welfare of di main functions, is sel the newly establish Rights Commission (
A press release is Wickremasinghe, G. the Civil Rights Mov (CRM) said "the dec the HRTF when the Commission is not g its functions is as pe paling.
"Special laws rei detention such as We Prevention of Terroris gency regulations ne mum, both certain sa cific mechanism by W tored. Many of the le only current effective nism, are now provide regulations creating presidential direction
in the first six month
pared to the same pe cording to sources of ment Bureau in Colo The sources said Lankans have regist for jobs abroad so f about 70 percentrep licensed agents. T abroad is still for Sri and 65 percent of thc Overseas between J year were housemai The government prove and expand fac ing for overseas em become a major sc change earnings anc ployment at home. S 950 million US dollar than 500,000 workers abroad, according to
 

15 JUNY 1997
Against bolition
's decision to shut Rights Task Force strong protests by sations in Sri Lanka. bund up on 30June, etainees, one of its to be taken over by d National Human (NHRC) on 1 July,
ssued by Mrs. Suriya aneral Secretary of ement of Sri Lanka ision to close down new Human Rights geared to take over rplexing as it is ap
lating to arrest and have now under the m Actand the emerved, as a basic minifeguards and a spewhich they are monigali safeguards, and monitoring mecha2d by the emergency the HRTF and the is made thereunder.
ns of this year comPriod of last year, acthe Foreign Employmbo. that about 73,230Sri ered with the bureau ar this year. Of this, ortedly went through he major demand Lankan housemaids ise who went to Work anuary and June this ds.
is continuing to imilities for people leavployment as it has urce of foreign exIlhas reduced unemrianka earned over slast year from more who were employed local press reports.
"It is by virtue of these provisions that a person making an arrest may be required to identify himself by name and rank, that the person arrested must be afforded a reasonable means of communicating with a friend or relative, and that when a child under 12 years of age or a woman is arrested a person of their choice should be allowed to accompany them.
"It is also by virtue of these provisions that the HRTF has been set up with its nine regional offices in addition to its Colombo office and its staff of 80. "The services it provides include, by way of example: "Monitoring arrests and detentions under the Prevention of Terrorism Act(PTA) and the emergency regulations through regular visits to police stations, army camps and prisons; this is done by nine regional centres and the Head Office staff, with the latter covering 136 police stations on 13 rounds every month. In the course of this round of visits "missing persons" are sometimes located and their families informed. This work requires familiarity with police procedures and practices as the registers have to be examined to check on persons detained and the legality of their detention; * Investigating complaints of disappearances and abductions by the security forces; * Maintaining a round-the-clock facility at the Head Office and most regional centres forentertaining complaints; * Taking remedial action when integular detention or inhuman treatment is observed; * Inquiring into complaints made against police officers; * Advising the government in cases of non-compliance with HRTF regulations or Presidential directions so that human rights violations can be minimised.
"The rescinding, with effect from June 30 of the emergency regulations creating the HRTF will dismantle this specialised service which has been built up over the years leaving a most grievous gap in the mechanism available for the protection of life, liberty and security of our people.
"The CRM is aware that some of the functions discharged by the HRTF have also been written into the Act establishing the Human Rights Commission. The discharge of these functions will therefore ultimately become the responsibility of the Commission. However to best of CRM's knowledge, the Commission has not yet become operative and has not built up the institutional capacity for this purpose.
"Sri Lanka has had more than its fair share of "disappearances", extra judicial executions and torture in custody. We must not ignore the lessons of experience,

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15 JULY 1997
We just cannot afford any gap in the protection of the life and liberty of persons liable to arrest and detention. There is also the question of fair and proper treatment of its staff. It is not too late for the government to rescind the regulation which would make the HRTF disappearin a few days time, or take other remedial action to ensure its Services continue uninterrupted and undiminished," the CRM's statement said.
Amnesty International Protests
In a statement dated 27 June Al said that the decision to wind up Human Rights Task Force could jeopardise welfare of detainees,
Al said that the decision to wind up the Human Rights Task Force (HRTF) could result in the Welfare of detainees in more than 374 authorised places of detention in Sri Lanka being put into jeopardy. "We fear that the NHRC has not as yet become operational and may not be in a position to take on the vital task of monitoring the welfare of detainees." "At all costs a vacuum in the monitoring the welfare of hundreds of detainees should be avoided." The life, liberty and security of those detained at these often very remote places should be a primary consideration when considering any transitional arrangements for the handing over of functions from the HRTF to the NHRC, Al said.
In a letter to President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Amnesty International's Secretary General, Pierre Sane, urged that the heads of the security forces be informed within the next four days of the need to report all arrests and detention - under the emergency regulations and Prevention of Terrorism Act - to the NHRC and in any case no later than 48 hours from the time of arrest or detention,
"It is imperative that safeguards for the Welfare of detainees set out in Presidential Directions issued in July 1995 be reissued to avoid lapses which could result in new waves of arbitrary arrests and detention, torture and "disappearances'." the letter said.
These safeguards included the issuing of arrest receipts to the relatives of people taken into custody, the informing of relatives, the granting of the right to detainees to inform a relative or friend of his or her whereabouts, the recording of statements of detainees in a language of their choice and the putting in place of specific protective measures when arresting or detaining women and children.
Amnesty International is also concerned that the expertise built over the years in the HRTF both at the national and local level be safeguarded during this transition. The government should ensure hat the new structure makes the best use
of the existing expe cials. Furthermore, t that new procedure. for the handing over ing with the HRTF to the power and perso Many human rig Sri Lanka are of the had played a critical sin many of its regio guarding the rights o detained under the ism Act and Emer Thus, at present, hu have genuine fears c the HRTF would cea NCHR is equipped to the HRTF has been
Civilians Cap - AExpress
Amnesty Interna appeal dated 14 Ju about the safety of prisoner in the recei The A statement sa A number of civil have been taken pri: by the Liberation Tig (LTTE). Reports th since been release custody have heigh safety of those still h Nine crew of th taken prisoner by m on 1 July 1997 off ti Mannar district. TWO als were released a seven Sri Lankan n lim, one Tamil and fiv in the custody of the DJ Thenuwara, LS Pushpakumara, Ma Jayakody, A W M Mu thanathan. Accordin ports, they may be Mannar district. In a 5 July, the LTTE saic had been taken into c vessel they were em. trespassing withinTa limits".
On the night of 2 four Sinhalese villag Trincomalee district, by members of the portedly went from called out individual Witnesses saw them and taken away. Amo Imam (religious lead Rahman, the Gran headman), A R Nisa students, including a

| TAML TIMES 13
rience of HRTF offke organisation urges s are put into place of complaints pendother authorities with nnel to handle them. hts organisations in View that the HRTF role, in Colombo and inal offices, in Safeif those arrested and Prevention of Terrorgency Regulations. Iman rights activists of a vacuum in which se to exist before the ) undertake the tasks berforming up to now,
tured by TE
ational in an urgent ly expressed fears many civilians taken ht past by the LTTE. id: lians are reported to soner in recent days gers of Tamil Eelam at some who have d were ill-treated in tened fears for the held. e Misen ship were embers of the TE he coast of Pesalai, Indonesian nationfter a few days, but ationals - one Muse Sinhalese - remain LTTE. They are TA Sunil Perera, M H R ahinda Dias, J A J Istapha and R Yugag to unconfirmed reheld at Vidattaltivu, statement issued on that these civilians custody because "the ployed on was found mil Eelam's maritime
July, 35 Muslim and jers of Irakkakandy, were taken prisoner TTE. The latter rehouse to house and
villagers by name. being tied with rope ng those taken were ler) Maulavi J Abdul na Sevaka (village am Deen, and eight
a 13-year-old boy, A
SNiros. Most of the people taken are fishene.
Apparently they were taken prisoner after five members of the LTTE Were handed over to the army by the villagers. Representatives of the Muslim and Tamil community in the area have appealed for their release to the LTTE leader of the area, but the latter reportedly refused to release them. He has reportedly told the Community leaders to negotiate with the army for the release of the five LTTE members in return for the release of the Muslim and Sinhalese villagers. The prisoners are said to be held at an LTTE camp in Thiraya jungle, north of Trincomalee town.
On 8 July, 38 crew of a cargo ship taking goods to Jaffna peninsula from Colombo were taken prisoner by members of the LTTE off the coast at Point Pedro, Jaffna district. All of them were reported to be nationals of North Korea. Late on 8 July, the LTTE radio announced that one of the crew had been killed when he put up resistance. His body was handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) a few days later. The rest of the crew were handed over to the ICRC on 12 July. According to a report by the Agence France Press agency of 13 July, the doctor among the crew of the ship reported that they had been treated badly for four days by the LTTE. A coroner also reportedly ruled that the seaman whose body had been handed over was deliberately killed with a shot in the head.
Amnesty Internationalis deeply concerned about recent reports of the civilian prisoners described above being taken by the LTTE. Amnesty urges that the the prisoners be treated humanely and given immediate access to the ICRC. It should be noted, particularly in the case of the Irakkakandy villagers, that the taking of hostages is forbidden under Article 3 common to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949. Amnesty International calls for the release of any prisoners who are being held by the LTTE solely on the basis of their ethnicity.
In a further follow-up statement dated 16 July, Al stated:
Following the release of seven Muslims from the group of 39 civilians who appear to have been taken hostage by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 2 July 1997, Amnesty international is calling for the immediate release of those still held. The organisation reiterates its unequivocal opposition to hostage-taking, Concern remains for the safety of the seven crew members of the Misen ship taken prisoner by the LTTE on 1 July.
On 14 July, the seven Muslims, including Maulavi J Abdul Rahman and 13-yearold school pupil AS Niros, were handed

Page 14
14 TAM TIMES
over to the international Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) by the LTTE. Their release was reported by the LTTE as a humanitarian gesture. Among those still held are the grama sevaka (village headman), A R Nisam Deen and 45-year-old Abdul Cader. Two students, 16-year-old FM Siraj and 19-year-old FMSajith Khan, also continue to be held.
Those released have reported that they were transferred blindfolded by sea from the village of Irakkakandy to a house thought to be situated in Mullaitivu district. They have also stated that they were treated well throughout their time in LTTE Custody.
Reportedly the LTTE asked the seven men to convey a message to the government of their offer to swap the remaining 32 detainees in exchange for five of their members apparently handed over to the army by villagers.
in another development, on 15 July, the LTTE stated that it would regard as legitimate military targets any merchant vessel taking Supplies to the Jaffna peninsula in the north of the country. In their statement the TTE accused the government of ‘shipping war materials to Jaffna under the pretext of supplying food and necessities for the people'.
Amnesty International welcomes the news that seven of the villagers of Irakkakandy have been released, and continues to call for the unconditional and immediate release of all those still held hostage by the LTTE. Amnesty is also still deeply concerned about the safety of the crew of the Misen, and urges that they be treated humanely and given immediate access to the CRC.
indictments have been served in the High Court of Colombo on nine soldiers in connection with the Krishanthi Kumarasamy case. The prosecution case is that Krishanthi Kumarasamy, an 18-year-old student, was returning home from her school last September when she was stopped at a military checkpoint near the village of Chemmani in Jaffna. She was raped and strangled by soldiers. Her mother, Rasammah Kumarasamy, 16year-old brother Pranavan and neighbour Kiruba Moorthy, who reached the checkpoint looking for her, also disappeared. The military at first denied any knowledge of the incident. But four bodies were found 11 days later buried in an old salt mine near the checkpoint.
The Attorney-General sought and obtained a "Trial-At-Bar" for the hearing of this case. Normally murder cases are tried by a single judge before a jury of
laymen, but in highly tive cases, or in cases is largely circumstan comprising a bench ( be held. The Krishant before three judges J nayake, Andrew Som Abeyratna.
Human rights Krishanthi case as a ment's commitment rights and bring to bo security forces who c and engage in violati
The three Commi the President to looki throughout the island their term in May 19. moment, in the proce reports, whichare du to the President shor
According to the these Presidential Co up, the reports must b to the President, wh
Concerned person. lese and famil commi Australia have formed "Friends for Peace in S lasting peace in Sri Lar has been incorporated i 1997 with the objective a) creating awarenes amongst concerned p ets of the ethnic confid b) promoting a durable of the ethnic conflict re. tions and the security Lanka; c) promoting respect fic as defined in the United with special reference Covenanton Civil and International Covenant and Cultural Rights; ar d) seeking the suppo and organisations as scribe to the aforesaid
In a press release, "We are glad that the ty ties in Sri Lanka have a bi-partisan approach Current ethnic conflicti ing the independence this is the very first t agreement of a bi-parti entered into. We hope standing will make the

15 JULYgg
complex or sensiwhere the evidence tial, a "Trial-at-Bar" of three judges can ni case will be heard udges Nimal Dissaawansa and Gamini
activists see the test of the governto protect human bok members of the ommit criminal acts on of such rights.
ssions appointed by nto disappearances came to the end of 97. They are, at the ss of finalising their e to be handed over tly.
terms under which ommissions are set e submitted directly o must then table
sof Australian Sinhaunities in Canberra, an association called Sri Lanka" to work for nka. This association n the Australia in May ps of: s and understanding ersons about all facct in Sri Lanka;
peaceful settlement cognising the aspiraof all peoples in Sri
}r fundamental rights Nations Charter and to the International Political rights and the on Economic, Social d rt of as many people possible who subobjectives. the organisation said, vo major political parnow agreed to adapt towards solving the n the country. Followof Sri Lanka in 1948 ime where such an san nature has been that this new undergovernment in con
them in Parliament as Sessional Papers. It is only then that the information contained in the reports will become public.
Former President Premadasa set up the first Commission to look into the 'involuntary removal' of persons in 1991. The three Commissions appointed by President Kumaratunga bring the total number of Presidential Commissions that have investigated the disappearance of over 20,000 people in Sri Lanka in the past years, to five.
However, not one of the reports of these Commission has ever been tabled in Parliament. Thus, the information contained in these reports, which is for the most part based on the testimony of the thousands of family members of the disappeared who came before the Commissions, remains inaccessible to the public. Groups working with the families of the disappeared hope to launch a public campaign soon to call on the President to bring this information before the public. Their aim is to begin a process of ensuring justice and redress for those who have suffered as a consequence of the disappearance of their family members and colleagues.
sultation with the main opposition party, to take Constructive steps to achieve a just and fair solution to this unfortunate problem. We also urge that the other political parties and organisations should follow this lead and support moves for peace.
"We hope that this understanding would bring a just end to the conflict through anegotiated settlement. This can only be achieved by allowing all peoples of Sri Lanka to enjoy equal rights and privileges.
"We, however, hope that on the contrary, this understanding may not be used to launch a massive war effort, prolonging the war situation and bringing more devastating consequences to the country and its peoples. Thousands of Sinhalese and Tamils have been killed and maimed in this senseless war. Billions of Rupees have been spent in destroying each other's war capabilities, civilian infrastructure and personal properties resulting in immense suffering to many. Both the Government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) should come to the understanding that this is an unwinnable war. Recent world events have shown that negotiated settlements have led to the end of long drawn out wars. Without sitting together as equals aroundatable there could be no solution to the conflict. We should not insist on impracticable pre-conditions that will not help in moving towards this goal.
"While we strongly appreciate the positive role a bi-partisan approach could play in bringing about a just peace in Sri Lanka, We earnesty appealto al partiesto this conflict to immediately get together and negotiate a just and lasting peace."

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15 JULY 1997
"GOLDEN LORD"ATHANGA
ANEASTERN MANFORAL
By DBS Jeyaraj
electioneering in the North-Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka, an indispensable feature in propaganda campaigns was shouting slogans and chanting cheers by enthusiastic supporters extolling the virtues of political parties and candidates. Some of these would be coined or "punned" around the names of the politicians themselves. Tamil Congress admirers for example would cheer G G Ponnambalam saying “Engal Palam Ronnambalam” (Our strength is Ponnambalam) while Federal Party adherents of SJVC would chant “Engal Nayakam Chelvanayakam” (Our leader is Chelvanayakam).
in the remote Muturarea of the Trincomalee District in the Eastern Province Arunasalam Thangathurai of the FP and later the TULF was a towering political figure. The name Thangathurai or “Golden Lord" facilitated slogan chanting easily. "Engal Thangam Thangathurai"(Our gold is Thangathurai) and "Engal Thuraithangathura" (Our Lord is Thangathurai) were the popular slogans. The golden lord of the eastern province is no more,
The 61 year oldTULF member of parliament for the Trincomalee District Was the victim of a ruthless grenade cum bullet attack in the heart of Trincomalee Town on 5 July which incidently is the annual black tigers day of the LTTE. Thangathurai was assassinated at the premises of Sri Shanmuga Hindu Ladies College in Rajavorathayam Street, Trincomalee by three trouser-clad youths who lobbed a grenade first and then fired 9mm pistols at close range.
He was bidding farewell to a group of teachers and students after declaring open a new three storeyed building block for the school that evening. Thangathurai had allocated funds extensively from the de-centralised budget for this project. Although the primary target Thangathurai was not the only victim of the grenade cum bullet attack.
Five others were killed and fifteen wounded in the attack described as "cowardly and reprehensible" by TULF President and former Parliamentarian M. Sivasithamparam. Most of these victims were students and teachers of Sri Shanmuga including Principal Rajeswari Thanabalasingham who was killed and Vice Principal Amirthini Kulasingham who was in
n the not so distant days of energetic
jured.
Arunasalan T was held on 9 July able his eidest dau wife, daughter anc be present. His fa Tamil Nadu since 1 married only a few nai. The funeral we row for the people Thangathurai w of the people, Elde thambi"; To those o "Thanga". To thosey gannaa". The FP used to refer to him or "Pearl of Mutur” lay in state at the Tri ncil Hall for the put cts, Massive CrOW( final processionan ondry Crematorium ed. A large continge isters as well as t nayake were in Trir final respects.
The gruesome thurai also marked brand of politics in life and time of Tha turbulent and temp long-standing lead youth league and ered a militant reb an extremist militan guarding Tamil righ District. This embro troversies and plac with the powers tha casion.
Thangathurai w ality and controvers a fierce political ind caused resentment which expected a C formity. Moreover TI tempt to reconcile ples with affection f bined to this was ar political approach. of the idealistandpi inculcated a flexibi hard to comprehe proach enabled him ferent hues of theT at various stages. Ili political enigma.
 

TAMIL TIMES 15
hangathurai's funeral It was delayed to enhter from London and son from Chennai to mily had relocated to 985. His daughter was months ago in Chenk was a period of sorof Trincomalee.
ras a much-loved man s called him "Thangahis age group he was founger he was "Thanorgan “Suthanthiran" as the "Mutur Muthu" Thangathurai's body ncomalee Urban Coublic to pay their respeis paid homage. The d last rites at the Villotoo was well attendint of government minhe speaker KB Ratcomalee to pay their
murder of Thangathe end of a vibrant the Tamil arena. The Ingathurai were quite estuous. He was the 3r of the federal party Was at times considel. Thangathurai was when it came to safets in the Trincomalee led him in many conld him at loggerheads It be on many an oc
as a colourful personal figure who retained pendence. This again in his party hierarchy ertain degree of conangathurai would atttachment to princirpersonalities. Comadmirable trait in his he was a rare blend gmatist which in turn ty that was at times |d. His political aptoassociate with difmi political spectrum that sense he was a
Arunasalam Thangathurai was born in Kiliveddy an agrarian village in the Mutur Division of the Trincomalee District. His father and kinsmen though not of patrician lineage were comfortably well off land-owning cultivators. After preliminary schooling in Mutur, Thangathurai studied further at Government College Batticaloa. Thereafter he went to Stanley College (Canagaretnam MMV now) in Ariyalai, Jaffna on a scholarship. There he was a contemporary of two other TULF Ex-Parliamentarians, Alalasundaram of Kopay and Soosaithasam of Mannar.
After secondary studies Alalasundaram proceeded to Madras to obtain a degree and then went on to become a lawyer. Soosaithasan went to Colombo for higher studies and proceeded from there to London to do chartered accountancy. Thanqathurai, hampered by financial constraints, forsook higher studies and opted for the clerical service. He was for the greaterpart of his clerical career attached to the irrigation Department.
While in the clerical service he participated with gusto in trade union activities of the Trotskyite Government Clerical Services Union. He was also involved in non-political social service aimed at uplifting the people of Kiliveddi in particular and the Mutur area in general. He was somewhat left-oriented in those days and did not identify himself openly with the Tamil nationalist politics of the Federal Party of Tamil Congress in the fifties and sixties.
ln the meantime along with his relatives, Thangathurai also concentrated on agricultural activities. The family purchased and leased lots of land and pursued productive agricultural activity. They also farmed lands belonging to temples on a contractual basis. Through these agricultural activities Thangathurai and his relatives acquired a remarkable amount of wealth and soon became a family of consequence in the region. Moreover, Thangathurai after years of goverment service also passed the Ceylon Administrative Service Examination and became Divisional Revenue Officer. The combination of agrarian wealth and administrative office made Thangathurai one of the brightest stars in the Mutur firmament.
The Mutur Constituency had roughly 60-65% Muslims and 30-35% Tamils. In 1956 the Federal Party had backed the independent sitting member for Mutur MEH Mohammed Ali as independent candidate. He won. In 1960 Mutur was made a double member constituency to provide for a Tamil member also. The FP in the March and July elections of 1960 fielded TAhambaram who won both times as first member.
March 1960 saw Mohammed Aliwinning as Independent while July 1960 saw

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16 TAMIL TIMES
A L Abdul Majeed of the SLFP win. Incidently Mohammed Ali's younger brother, M E H Maharoof and Abdul Majeed's son A M M Najeeb are currently representing the Trincomalee District in Parliament. TAhambaram died in office and a by-election was held on 28 June 1962. The FP candidate was Mohammed Ali Who WOn handsomely with a majority of 7312. In 1965 Mohammed Ali of the FP and Abdul Majeed of the SLFP were re-elected again. One consequence of this was that there was no Tamil member for Mutur from 1962-1970 although it was made a multimember constituency for that purpose.
In 1969 the FP left the UNP Government of Dudley Senanayake and reverted back to opposition benches. Mohammed Ali however continued to remain With the UNP Governrnent. This compelled the FP to look for a new face to contend Mutur, The branch members in the electorate wanted a Tamil candidate and not a Muslim candidate this time. Former Paddiruppu MPand FPPresident Rasamanickam was in charge of selecting a suitable candidate for Mutur. His eyes fell on Thangathurai, a distant relative of his. The local branches in Mutur Wanted a man Called Kumaraswamy but Thangathurai was selected as candidate for Mutur. It is Said that Chelvanayakam, Rasamanickam and Naganathan endorsed his candidacy after a series of meetings with Thangathurai.
The Federal Party candidate had to mobilise a large number of votes as the presence of two powerful Muslim candidates, Mohammed Ali and Abdul Majeed may have resulted in both of them being elected. Two factors helped Thangathurai. The first was the community consciousness of the Tamil voter who voted en bloc for the FP The second was HDL Leelaratne contesting as independent. Rapid Sinhala colonisation in the late fifties and sixties had resulted in a substantial Sinhala population evolve in Mutur, Leelaratne, a Sinhala candidate weaned away these Votes from the UNP and SFP Muslim candidates. This in turn reduced their votes enabling Thangathurai with a solid chunk of Tamil votes to become second to Abdul Majeed. Thangathurai was elected as second member of Mutur with 19, 787 votes. He was the youngest FP member in that Parliament.
Thangathurai's tenure in that Parliament was generally uneventful. He was elected President of the FPYouth League. Beyond that he was not given much prominence in the party and was generally treated as a "Podiyan"MP, Thangathurai, however, concentrated on developing his backward electorate. To do this he had to establish close rapport with the leaders of the government, Assiduously cultivating the SLFP members Thangathurai suc
ceeded in obtaining m Mutur people. The chie ment were in the secto ds, ferry services, ele irriyation, fisheries an Thangathurai's gr however was for Educ ing educational infrast mily of the opinion that social mobility for the c ern Province Tamil W education. Thangathul ern Tamil had to emul ern counterpartand the path to progress. dddress at the Sri ShaI emony emphasised th ing education. He evo plause when he reite ment to the opening eye" (Kalvikkann) in til
So Thangathurai utilised all his politic Concessions from D mud, Tudawe and Abd ote the educational in tur. Opening of scho enhancement of facilit ng with recruitment o Some of the benefits ( In this process of development benefits' Thangathurai incurrec many partymen from cted to his perceived Government. Thangat streak of independen ment to the upliftment uedundeterred.
The demise ofvet nickam and Naganat declining health of Ch 1970-1977 period sa bereft of firm mooring gathurai moved close ticaloa who in turn wa ingly isolated in the p personality was Appa whose differences W now getting widened. now viewing Thangat Rajadurai camp anc wards him. This was deteriorating rela Amirthalingam and F Meanwhile the F their differences and as the Tamil United F Tamil United Liberat duction of standardi. cation had galvanise Tamilyouths into ado tactics. Tamil politics lised with the deman gathering momentun at the crest of this ri treme nationalism th gulf the whole natio

15 JULY 1997
ny benefits for the areas of develops of transport, roa:ricity, agriculture,
education. atest enthusiasm tion and developucture. He was firhe way to upward own-trodden Eastis mainly through lifelt that the east:e his or her northtilise education as fact even his final muga College cere need for upgrad(ed thundering aprated his commitif the "educational |e east. during 1970-1977 a skills to extroct Badiuddhin Mahul Majeed to promfrastructure in Mubis, upgrading and ies for Schools aloteachers etc. were obtained.
gaining maximum for his constituency, ! the displeasure of the north who objeinks with the SLFP hurai with his fierce Ce and his commitbf his people contin
erans like Rasamahan along with the evanayakam in the W newcomers like s in the party. Thanto Rajadurai of Batbecoming increasarty. The ascending pillai Amirthalingam ith Rajadurai were Amirthalingam was uraias being of the turning hostile tohe beginning of the ionship between ajadurai.
P and the TC sank came together first ont and later as the on Front. The introation in higher edusections of the the ting violent militant self became radicafor a separate state Amirthalingam was ng tide of Tamil exit threatened to en
AgainThangathurai was not wholly in favour of the emerging political trend among Tamils. He felt that the concept of increasing opportunities for higher education for backward areas through modified schemes of standardisation would tremendously benefit the Tamils of Vanni and the Eastern province. As such there would be greater equity within the Tamil community itself in the higher education sphere. Also this would help improve the overal Condition of the east. This went against the grain of the Jaffna-centred dominant line of thought in the party.
The second was about separation itself. Thangathurai was one of the few within the TULF who were opposed to the demand for separation. Again Thangathurai's opinion was shaped from the particular perspective of the eastern province. He felt that such a radical demand was unattainable and would only cause immeasurable hardship to the Tamil people living in the ethnically heterogenous eastern province. These are views that could be termed prophetic in the light of recent history. Thangathurai however did not have the political stature then to make his voice heard in the party structure reverberating to the thunderous rhetoric of secession. In fact Thangathurai was literally shouted down when he raised the issue with Amirthalingam a few times.
Thangathurai's differing viewpoints, his affinity towards certain members of the SLFP Government, his cordial relations with Rajadurai etc caused a rupture in the relationship he had with Amirthalingam. With the death of Chelvanayakaim Amirthalingam became the supremo of the TULF. At this point elections were also announced. Thangathurai found himself without an electorate to contest at the hustings.
The De-limitation Commission led by Noel Tittawela had divided the existing double-member Mutur constituency in two. Predominantly Sinhala areas were carved into the Seruwila electorate where the ethnic ratio was roughly Sinhala-67%; Tamil-19% and Muslim-13%. The re-demarcated Mutur was now only a single member seat. The ethnic ratio in Mutur was now roughly Muslim-66%; Tamil-30% and Sinhala-3%. Only the Trincomalee electorate had a Tamil majority with a rough ethnic ratio of Tamil-57%; Sinhala23% and Muslim-18%. Despite the Tamils being the single largest community in the Trincomalee District they had only one member in Parliament. While the Muslims retained the earlier level of one the Tamil representation of two had been reduced to one while the Sinhalese now had one. Tamil fears about Sinhala colonisation had come true again. The Sinhalese had gained electorally at the expense of the Tamils. The number.

Page 17
15 JULY 1997
This again was a contentious issue between Thangathurai and the TULF leadership. Hard as it may be to believe the TULF had not objected to Tamil representation decreasing in THETrincomalee District. Worse still the TULF itself had recommended the creation of the Sinhala majority Seruwila. There was a very selfish logic that motivated the TULF in this. The TULF Wanted a new electorate Mullaitheevu to be carved out of Vavuniya, This was to enable T Sivasithambaram of the Tamil Congress to contest Vavuniya and for the sitting member XM Sellathambu of the Federal Party to contest from Mullaitheevu.
Sivasithambaran who was the victor in 1960 and 1965 had lost to Sellathambu in 1970. The rivalry between both was very intense. Both wanted to contest in Vavuniya in 1977 also. The fragile unity between the FP and TC was threatened because of this dispute. So the way out seemed the creation of Mullaitheevu. Also the TULF wanted representation for the Tamils of the Amparai District. So Pottuvil was made a double-member Seat. Since these two recommendations were prioritised by the TULF it failed to assert itself in the Trincomalee District. So the Sinhala seat of Seruwila was almost a quid pro quo for Mullaitheevu and Pottuvil. The sacrifice in this case was the Tamil seat of Mutur.
Thangathurai the sitting member of Mutur was naturally angry and hurt at this development. These feelings were aggrawated by the fact that he had not been consulted on this matter. The damage was done. Thangathurai and his supporters now pressed for nomination to the Trincomalee electorate. Since it was the only avenue for Tamil representation in the Trincomalee District the stakes were naturally high. The sitting TULF member for Trinco was Neminathan. Before him Manickarasa represented it from 1963 to 1970. Both were considered weak and ineffective in the context of rising Sinhala chauvinism propped up by the state in the district. There was a view that Trincomalee had been deprived of astrong Tamil leader since the days of Rajavarothalam. So a new strong candidate was deemed necessary.
Despite the claim put forward by Thangathurai the party hierarchy favoured R Sambandandan. He was a successful lawyer and belonged to the Tamil elite of the town. He was a nephew of Tamil stalwart Rajavarothayam. He was a long standinq party member and had been detained in Panagoda for the Satyagraha of 1961. It was felt that Sambandan Was the better candidate of the two. Sambandan, a lawyer was considered "strong" as compared toThangathuraia non-lawyer. Besides the TULF party branches in Trinco
malee Town preferr bandan to the "rura" the electorate was their voice carriedm thalingam threw his bandan. Thangathuil cold.
Amirthalingam's was helpless in the from Trincomalee bt ceptable to Thanga who felt that the onl ofTamil representatic gathurai MP for Trir ment that the elector Sambandan rang hc ticaloa the TULF h Anandan on the FP ficialTULF candidato in spite of the party caloa solidly suppo Supporters of Thang a ruckus in Colomb Sambandan's nomit himself told confidan his throat".
Nevertheless in campaign Thangath Yet his heart was n( he supported Rajadu The elections saw til polis in the north-ea Eelam.
Thangathurai wa troversy shortly be Moves were afootb to Convert an area Bo Tree in Kiliveddi i of worship. The ratic "myth" that the Bo Ti value and therefore of Kiliveddi were para pattern of Sinhala Bo Trees become P Buddhist priest take then gradually a state dhist population build in the demographic changed.
in Kiliveddi som pened, The Bo Tree stroyed overnight. C. a minor Scale occur Kumaradurai, the y Thangathurai was ar in connection with it considered the mas He was questioned cause of his MP stat polls communal trou and once again Kui rested. Thangathur tained for some time When being del Trincomalee one fac gathurai was the rem a lawyer and therefc he began studying

TAMIL MES 17
ld the "Urban" SamThangathurai. Since rinco and not Mutur uch clout. Also Amirweight behind Samai was left out in the
justification that he wake of opposition ranches was unacthurai's Supporters remedy for the loss in was to make Thancormalee. The arguate branches wanted low because in Batad nominated Kasi ticket against the ofRajadurai. This was machinery in Battiting Rajadurai. The athurai created quite O protesting against lation. Thangathurai testhat Amirhad"cut
the ensuing election urai did participate. pt in it. In Batticaloa Irai with great vigour. he TULF sweep the st on a mandate for
sembroiledina confore the elections. y interested parties around an ancient to a Buddhist place onale for it was the 'ee was of historical Sacred. The Tamils noid. They knew the Colonisation Where aces of Worship, a s up residence and -aided Sinhala Buds up, resulting finally s of the area being
ething drastic hapwas felled and demmunal conflict on 'ed as a result of it. 'ounger brother of ?ong those arrested . Thanqathurai was ermind behind this. ut not arrested beus. Shortly after the ble flared up again marathurai was arli himself was deand later released. tied nomination for tor that hurt Thanark that he was not re not qualified, so aw after 1977. He
studied with a vengeance and proqressed quickly and soon became a full-fledged lawyer.
The period of time between 1977 and the rise of Tamil militancy in a big way in 1981 was an interregnum in which the possibility of Sinhala encroachment into Tamil lands in Trincomalee was a constant source of threat. This threat was countered and contained to some extent by a strategy of deterrence adopted by the Tamils. This in essence was the use of limited violence, threats of violence, cowert intimidation and sabotage by militant sections of the Tamils. These were not the gun toting youths of a later period but ordinary people determined to resist the loss of their traditional homeland. It was widely believed that the dynamic force behind this force was Thangathurai.
An important figure of this period was the legendary Kandapodia Robin Hoodlike figure who held sway over Trincomalee South and Batticaloa North. He was ultimately shot dead by the Police. Again the belief in the east was that Kandapodi's benefactor and protector was none other than Thangathurai himself.
There soon emerged in the TULF a faction that was opposed to Amirthalingam. This loose coalition hinged around Chelvanayakam's son Chandrahasan. Thangathurai soon became an important member of this caucus. Amirthalingam's decision to accept the District Development Councils as a temporary alternative to the separaton demand was seized upon by this coterie as a means to undermine Amirthalingam. The same Thangathurai who opposed Thamil Eelam was now criticising the DDC's as a sell-out in intraparty meetings.
The seasoned Politician, Amirthalingam deflated this challenge by offering the Jaffna and Trincomalee District Development Council Chairman posts to S Nadarajah and A Thangathurai respectively. Both persons who felt earlier that the DDC's were a sell-out now discovered merits that warranted the experiment of trying to work the DDC's. In Thangathurai's case he genuinely believed that he could curb colonisation and foster education through the DDC's.
The opportunity to contest the DDC in Trincomalee was however a formidable task for the TULF. Since the SLFP was boycotting the DDC polls it was a straight fight between the UNP and the TULF in multi-ethnic Trincomalee the TULF was likely to get its votes from the Tamil community alone. The UNP with Sinhala, Muslim and some Tamil votes was likely to be the winner. If that happened Thangathurai's political renaissance as DDC Chairman was likely to be ruined.
Thangathurai saw in this challenge an opportunity to display his political acu

Page 18
18 TAMILTIMES
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Page 19
15 JULY 1997
men. Apart from fully mobilising the Tamil people into supporting the TULF he made deep in-roads into the Muslim and to some extent the Sinhala constituency of the SLFP He was able to convince the local SLFP figures that it would be better to let the TULF win rather than the UNP in Trincomalee. Thangathurai also got certain SLFP bigwigs to covertly sanction this move. The end result was an upset TULF victory over the fancied UNP Jayewardene, however delayed devolving full powers and allocating funds to the DDC's, The Whole exercise Once looked forward to eagerly by the Tamils as a panacea for their malady became a practical fiasco and was unceremoniously dumped into the dustheap of history. The 1983 pogrom and it's consequent resurgence of Tamil militancy coupled with the role of India changed the situation dramatically.
Although many frontline TULF members wentabroad Thangathurai continued to remain in Mutur. Many of his relatives and children of friends Went into the militant movements. Thangathurai known for his strident opinion and close links with Tamil youths was again suspected of being a powerful force promoting armed militancy. Despite the risks involved Thangathurai remained with his people living in a volatile atmosphere until mid-1985.
He was compelled to leave Sri Lanka as he was once again detained for ques...tioning by the security authorities. Although he was released through high level Indian pressure it was obvious to him that he had been earmarked as someone to be "removed" shortly. With great reluctance he relocated with his wife, son and two daughters to Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Thereafter his family continued to stay in India.
in India.Thangathurai found himself to be one of those rarelamils who had easy access to al shades ofTamil political opinion. He was a welcome guest in all Tamil militant offices. A little known fact is his amiable relationship with LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabakharan. He was one of the few TULF personalities who had easy access to the LTTE leader. Thangathurai maintained this close relationship with Prabakharan until 1989,
In 1987 he issued a statement to the Press criticising India for the way it handied Prabakharan at the time of the IndoLanka accord. He went against the public position of the TULF and asserted boldly that Prabakharan's course of action had been right. This again got him into hot water with both New Delhi as Well as Amirthalingam.
Thangathurai, during his stay in india, was also very friendly with Chandrahasan. Relations between Amirthalingam and Chandrahasan had deterio
rated considera One Was to be Besides there W inner-party intri garding the repla with Chandraha In such an at open associati roused Amirthal one occasion. both was when Delhi to meet in rahasan without When question tained that he V interests of the thurai's relations mained strained the former's dea In 1988, Tha Lanka leaving hi nnai. After Amirt gan working acti Apart from short gathurai would si and Trincomalee stayed at the TUL almost like a full ing this period T man service to th He endeared him Selfless service t situation.
The people c strated their appr at the appropriat contested Trincol and was elected mentarian. He ob tial votes, the high didate in Trincom ber of Parliament 77) he was the se ian of the TULFY Pararajasegeram liament since 199 for Parliamentar Thangathurai dic claim for the posi drew.
A more serio Trincomalee TUL personal popular the masses of Tri nch remained ver until. They wante be MP A gentlemr tween Thangathu to the election Wa to get Thangathul Apparently Than time that he woul seat after some ti to become MPC exerted on Than pave the way for MP Thangathura the countervailin

y and to be friendly with he enemy of the other. s always rumours about ues within the TULF resement of Amirthalingam ar. hosphere Thangathura's n with Chandrahasan gam's ire on more than he Worst row between langathurai went to New ian leaders with ChandInforming Amirthalingam. d Thangathurai mainould do anything in the Tamil people. Thangawith Amirthalingam reeven up to the time of h in 1989. gathurai returned to Sri sfamily behind in Chehalingam's death he befely for the TULF again. visits to Chennai Thanhuttle between Colombo regularly, in Colombohe F headquarters and was time party worker. Durlangathurai was of yeoe people of Trincomalee. self to the people by his o them in a very difficult
of Trincomalee demoneciation of Thangathurai e moment. În 1994 he malee on the TULF list as the only Tamil Parliatained 22,410 preferenest number by any canalee.. As a former memfor seven years (1970niormost ParliamentarAt Batticaloa MP Joseph Who had been in ParO only staked his claim group leader status. not press his rightful ion and gracefully with
sproblem rose with the F Branch. Despite the y of Thangathurai with comalee the TULF Brahostile tothangathurai
| Mr. R Sambandan to on's understanding beui and Sambandan prior used as an instrument
ito relinquish the seat. athurai had said at that be willing to resign his
le for Sambandanalso htinuous pressure was
athurai to resign and
ambandan to become
s supporters became
force to these man
TAM TIMES 19
ouevres and resisted these efforts compelling Thangathurai to resign.
His political rivals in the Trincomalee TULF Branch also generated malicious propaqanda against Thangathurai. The most serious charge was that he had now become an agent of the PA Government. Rumours began circulating that he had even joined the Government. Adding grist to the rumour mill was the intimate Contacts Thangathurai had with some SLFP leaders. This state of affairs existed because of Thangathurai's personal acquaintance and friendship with them cultiwated over the years. He used these links to derive maximum benefits for the people of the Trincomalee District. But to his opponents this in itself was some great Sacrilege and soThangathurai had to suffer these canards.
It is an open secret that the left-oriented non-elitist Thangathurai was more partial to the SLFP than the UNP. He also went on record publicly that it was his considered opinion that it was only the present SLFP-led Government that could resolve the ethnic Crisis and not the UNP Heidentified with all the good things done by this government. Thangathurai also engrossed himself in the TULF's attempts to help the government resolve the crisis. This stance reinforced the accusation that he was now a lackey of the government.
Thangathurai however continued in his own independent manner. His concerns were primarily about developing the area, a task made more difficult by the war situation. Yet, he strove valiantly to address the needs of the community. Again, he focussed more on enhancing the educational facilities in his district. To Thangathurai that was a mission of paramount importance.
The on going war brought in it's own right a spate of human rights violations. The LTTE's ascendancy in South Trincomalee saw that region being treated as enemy territory by the government. It was almost a superhuman task to ensure basic food being provided to that region. There were also many incidents of human rights violations. The most noteworthy among them being the massacre of innocents in Kiliveddy, Thangathurai’s native village last year. He had been exerting pressure on the government to see that justice is done.
The TULF itself according to some observers is now a trifurcated party in practice. Sivasithambaram, Sambandan, Anandasangari and Tiruchelvam etc are seen as one group; Joseph Pararajasegeram and the other Batticaloa MP's are seen as another faction. Thangathurai, Mawai Senathirajah and others are seen as the third grouping in this configuration. Despite these internal differences

Page 20
20 TAM TIMES
the TULF maintains it'ssemblance of unity to the outside World and marches on regardless of criticism. Given Thangathurai's non-alignment to both the dominant groups and his amiable disposition there are some who felt that Thangathurai would have been the ideal person to take over the TULF after it's septugenarian President Sivasithambaram. All this speculati-on has come to naught with his tragic demise.
Thangathurai according to associates had never felt that he was in any danger from Tamil militants particularly the LTTE. The reasons for this feeling was both personal and political. On a personal level Thangathurai was well known to the LTTE hierarchy. He was also a familiar figure to the LTTE leadership at the regional level. It is said that Thangathurai's close associates in the district had Sounded out the local tigers about Thangathurai continuing to function in Trincomalee. The response had been very positive. In LTTE parlanceThangathurai had been given "clearance" by the LTTE to function in Trincomalee,
The second and more political reason was the political situation of Trincomalee itself. The district is multi-ethnic with all three communities living in near equal numbers. Given the on-going war the position of the Tamils is quite fragile. Their position is very perilous in that context. So Thangathurai had told friends that the LTTE would allow the TULF some political space to function in the district because of the overall interests of the Tamil people, it would not weaken the Tamils by de-stabilisitig the TULF. As such
Thangathurai's contention was that there
was no physical threat to him from the LTTE.
The Sri Shanmuga Hindu Ladies College itself is situated in Rajavarothiyam Street between the main street and Powerhouse Road junctions. This is in the thick of the Tamil quarter in Trincomalee. The house belonging to Thangathurai's wife is on Rajavarothaiam Street too. So Thangathurai felt totally secure in that neighbourhood. He had even instructed his bodyguard to dispense with firearms before accompanying him. In fact Thangathurai always treated his bodyguards as a necessary evil to be tolerated whenever in "Tamil Trincomalee".This was because he was supremely confident that he was in no danger. That notion has now been shattered tragically,
There has been a tendency on the part of some TULF members as well as Thangathurai's kith and kin to deny alleged LTTE involvement in the killing. This reluctance is caused by (a) the earlierrelationship of the LTTE with Thangathurai, (b) the LTTE's denial of responsibility, (c) lack of conclusive evidence, (d) the po
Oswald Bl
Ome the mont always that ( death and des
like some evil omen strike at a place and pected and in ways ti Despite barricades i easy access to vital tions, and the strat Security Forces in
where the public gal tine business, the bru never failed to strik bouts, at a point that unarmed civilian pop haps a cynical lessc this, namely, that th of July in any giveny a grim reminder that structive Crisis is still the South are beingp
litical sensitivity invo LTTE and (e) rema TELOUrban Counci moorthy that a nonsponsible. Compoun ther is the undue has and it's agencies in b has created a situa abound as to who th Counterposed to that the LTTE indeed ruthless method of gard for innocent liv halmark of the TT| this argument say Thangathurai to de government, the TU and above all the Tal nothing personal agi unfortunately for hir the Vulnerable targe at the wrong time.
As has been the passage of time wil assailants were. It V the sorrow causec golden lord of the e
 

15 JULY 1997
URKY SHADOWS
DF JULY 1983
ढुले
Gruesome Reminder
irth OMIDirector, Centre for Society & Religion
of July and there is entre feeling that ruction loom over us und that disaster will mOrment most uneXat defy speculation. n the city, prevailing government instituegic deployment of enhanced numbers her to transact routal hand of terror has e in July or thereashocks us most, the ulation. There is perbn to be learnt in all e calamitous events fear since 1983, are the nation's most deon and that those in aid back in their own
ved in accusing the ks attributed to the Chairman, SooriyaLTTE group was reding the situation furte shown by the state aming the LTTE.This tion where theories e assassins were.
this is the argument was responsible.The cilling with scant rees is described as a i. The proponents of hat the LTTE killed iver a signal to the LF, the Tamil parties hil people. There was inst Thangathurai but he happened to be t at the wrong place
case in the past the soon prove who the ill not, however, heal by the loss of the stern province. O
currency for the destruction being wrought particularly in the North. Last year it was a blasting of a South-bound train that killed over sixty-five people returning home from a hard day's work.
We cannot resist pointing a finger of accusation at all successive governments for their failure to create an atmosphere within this country where a policy of growth and equity for all, irrespective of creed, cultural differences and ethnicity would serve as an overarching principle of human development. Given the ethnic and cultural diversity of Sri Lanka, this could be best achieved through a polity of decentralisation. But decentralising over-centralised powers, a vestige of colonial governance, was always viewed by certain persons in the South with mistrust and suspicion as a stepping stone to eventual secession.
Would it still be inane to consider the diverse centre-periphery relations within the context of a federal form of government with powers decentralised? Was it not the eminent young political leader, S WR D Bandaranaike himself, who even before our independence in 1948, espoused the concept of federalism as an appropriate form of devolving authority and responsibility formulti-communal Sri Lanka in the absence of this, what we have thus far experienced is a government by the majority combined with democracy for the majority, Pacts and agreements that were signed were not pursued due mainly to narrow, intolerant and communalist reactions to them originating from a few vociferous elements in the South. Even the most recent agreement between the Opposition Leader, the Hon Ranil Wickramasinghe and Her Excellency the president which revived hopes for a breakthrough in the deadlock promising a peaceful future appears to be floundering. Once again our hopes are being frustrated and the agreement is turning out to be another exercise in rhetoric rather than a since commitment to engage in a dialogue to resolve this pain

Page 21
15 JULY 1997
ful conflict politically, Legitimate Grievances
It would be unrealistic to underestimate the strong feelings of certain Sinhala nationalists who consider Sri Lanka to be the only place on earth to which they have a legitimate claim. They have no other place on earth that can be theirs. Sinhala Buddhists feel this even more. They tend to identify the future of Threravada Buddhism with the destiny of the Sinhala people,
The gradual internationalisation of the Sri Lankan “national question", especially after July 1983 has sharpened the consciousness of the Sinhala people of their being a small group of about 112 million in a vast world in which their point of view is heavily under represented and drastically devalued.
Similarly, the Tamil people have equally strong grievances. Not only are they lawful inhabitants of this country, they also possess a distinctive and much respected culture, language and religion, different from those of the Sinhala people. They have been a self-governing sovereign people during different periods of their long history. They have continually maintained their historical memory alive and are alert to the discriminations they have been made to suffer as a distinct ethnic community. Conceiving a New lodentity
The devolution of power alone may not necessarily diffuse the ethnic crisis. What remains ambiguous and calls for professional attention is the very nature of Sri Lanka's national identity. While governance by the majority has been the order of the day, the prominence given to the language, culture and religion of the majority community have undoubtedly exacerbated ethnic tensions and devalued the concept of a truly plural society which provided identity and a fundamental sense of belonging to minority groups. Perhaps the most appropriate way to resolve the contentious issue of Sri Lanka being a state of the majority is to work out a Constitution that would separate religion from political institutions, and politically set in motion the sharing of power at the Centre through a modified form of a Parliamentary Regional Executive Committee system (advocated by Social Justice vide No. 113) that would ensure optimum participation of the diverse communities in local state governance as well. The role and responsibility of religion should be to motivate people to challenge whatever passes off as political skulduggery and to promote human values rather than to let itself be used, or rather abused, as a cover to justify the rule of the majority. ATime to Rebuild
There is no gainsaying the fact that
civilians on both S vide are anxious to ages of war. Prom War at the end of a ed away, or “wagin of peace", are but phrases that sount ple into a quagmir the powerless anc been forced to sacr cious resources foi Promises have that the governmer gotiating table onc found themselves a tage vis-a-vis the T clude from the fact have been called th have still not gaine Tigers. For what pu vesting fifty-two billi ments of destructio of this amount is beir education and heal try like ours, wher. population is strugg can an armoured Ca like a tractor? Can Commuters to their of passenger trains' ools and village roac than rocket launche government serious ties more even-hanc There is howeve fact that certain foreig already provided fin Commence the restic ture in the North, W Brick" initiative to nowned Jaffna Libra mended despite its being able to fully population. There ar to restore peace tc where the politicalle clearly formulate a pi The same must be Well. Activating the Eco
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TAMIL TIMES 21
les of the ethnic diee an end to the raves to terminate the pecific year have fadthe War for the sake 3motionally charged hollow leading peoof deception where the Voiceless have ice life, limb and pretheir survival. lso been blurted out would go to the nethe security forces a position of advangers. Are we to conthat no negotiations ut the security forces that edge over the pose then are we inbn Rupees for instruwhen less than half gearmarked for both h? For a poor counnearly 50% of the ing to barely survive, plough a paddy field military planes carry destinations instead ? Are hospitals, schlways less important s? It is time that the ly reviewed its prioriledly. or consolation in the Jngovernments have ancial assistance to ration of Infrastruchile the "Book and reconstruct the rery needs to be comshortcomings of not mobilise the civilian e people's initiatives a War torn nation aders have failed to ogramme for peace. said of the North as
omy said that Sri Lanka conomy that bases
itself on agriculture. This is true whether it be in the South, the North or the East of Sri Lanka. Today, as a result of a persistent war, large stretches of land have remained fallow. Seeds, water, fertiliser and fuel items which are basic to agriculture, have been scarce. Most of the farmers in these regions produced, beside rice, subsidiary food crops comprising of cereals, pulses, oil seeds, condiments and spices, yams and a variety of vegetables. These farmers engaged in agriculture as a livelihood made a positive contribution to the economy of the South, with their agricultural produce. What is being said here of the North and the East is equally valid for those villagers in the North-Central Province where farmers today have to constantly grapple with the threat of death and displacement.
The longer this war persists, the greater will be Sri Lanka's dependency on imported food crops, thus bleeding the nation of its scarce economic resources not merely for the purchase of war weapons, but also to ensure the Subsistence of our people at the barest minimum level. An end to the war, and a climate of peace, will, on the contrary, activate our Northern and Eastern farms into large-scale food production, scale down overall food prices and absorb a dispirited and displaced youth labour force which would otherwise be drawn into militant forces that have become deadly engines of destruction. is it in anyway surprising that those who really profit from this war are neither the Sinhalese, nor the Tamils, but purveyors of the open economy who scuttle the creative efforts of our farmers by importing large stocks of food while the war persists, and merchants of the most sophisticated war weapons for whom the life of the Sri Lankan is an expendable commodity as long as the blood of our youth is up for sale?
These are some of the Crucial lessons that should be borne in mind by one and all, lest we forget the catastrophe of July 1983 and its horrendous consequences, for which the entire nation is still paying so unbearable a price. O
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22 TAML TIMES
Text of special Report No 9 dated 7 June y the University Teachers for Human Rights
SUMMARY
Despite continuing promises made by the Government, any sense of normalcy has not come to the Communities of Jaffna. The refusal to initiate institutional reform from within the Army, combined with a deliberate and concerted attempt to evade credible and transparent investigations into cases of missing persons, has created an environment where avariety of human rights violations committed by the Security Forces and the LTTE have increased. Reprisal action by the Army and disappearances following arrest or detention have risen. "Hunting" expeditions, where masked informants point out LTTE suspects who are immediately gunned down by the Army even while being unarmed, have resulted in some innocent civilians being killed and claimed as LTTE. Beatings during round ups, especially if detained for questioning, and sometimes at checkpoints, have only further ingrained a sense of insecurity, especially among rural villages. Arbitrary execution of civilians by the LTTE continues to take hold and threatens anyone who might be seen merely speaking with a member of the Security Forces. In a brutal display of the mentality existing today, both the LTTE and the Army have on occasion publicly displayed the bodies of their victims as a terrifying warning. The need for independent inquiries into questionable deaths of civilians both during and after battles, is desperately needed if the people are to believe that any type of honest rehabilitation is to occur in the future.
Recent incidents involving the Army which are detailed in this Report include the killing of an unarmed man having mental disorders, as well as the shooting of a young woman in an empty street long after a grenade throwing incident had subsided. In one incident parents had been beaten while taking vigil outside a detention centre where their children were held after a round up. Cases presented include labourers killed while returning home from work and men taken from their home and shot on the beach by the Navy with no explanation given to family mem
bers. Land mines se grenades thrown have and killed civilians in onstration of their abs the people. One of t features of many of t habits surrounding co Victims were in a nu claimed to have been or involved in offensi tempt to caste a veil Several cases, Such denied by witnesses Civilian deaths due to are further difficult to the lack of proper po and experienced pers investigation of the n Jaffna as it stands to Addendum at the enc LTTE killings serv any talk of critical eva tive solutions from wit munity could be follow pressive silencing. Tł the same. Unar-med ted in or around their which the body is put a written warning to a eral cases, friends a tims have given relia why LTTE claims are ous nonsense. Tho been seen speaking checkpoint, may hav est in their opinion of ing with neighbours ( been a victim of local killing of one man well critical of the LTTE f community of Point astated and terrified, ings by the Army ha on the increase, they tion rather than the has by no means cur injury of civilians du mines detonated by
Vadamaratchy st ample of better disci bility on behalf of th There has been a ger
safety of civilians du
tivity to their rights
 

15 JULY 1997
t by the LTTE and frequently injured a continuing demence of concern for he most disturbing hese deaths is the fer ups by the Army. imber of instances carrying grenades fe action, in an atover foul play. In claims have been or family members. military operations investigate due to st-mortem facilities onnel in Jaffna, An nedical situation in day is found in the
of this Report. eas a reminder that luation or Construchin the Jaffnacomved by strict andrehe methods remain civilians are execufa-mily home, after licly displayed with li “traitors”. In sewnd relatives of vicble accounts as to utter and dangere killed may have to a soldier at a } been frankly honhe LTTE while takor may have simply rumours. After the known to be openly or many years, the edro was left dewhough reprisal killfe been viewed as remain the exceplorm. But this fact ailed the killing and a to grenades and he LTTE. inds out as an exline and responsie Security Forces. uine concern for the ing attacks, sensiand feelings, and
greater accessibility. Colonel Wijeratne, the brigade commander, has spent time visiting families and getting to know the community. Unfortunately, this newly found discipline has for the most part, not taken hold within the Army as an institution. Terror continues to be the most visible face of the Army formany of the communities in Jaffna.
So why does the Government remain silent on disappearances? It is suggested here, with good reason, that it is because a significant number of those arrested in Jaffna had died in detention due to torture and indiscriminate assault.
The determination of the people and their courage to stand up and speak their mind alone has the power to bring any sense of stability to Jaffna. Unfortunately, their voice is not often heard. LTTE propaganda abroad has implicitly asserted the view that the people who struggle to hold on to their lives in Jaffna are no longer to be cared for, and that the area today is merely a place where the LTTE can practice its military moves without any regard for the civilian population. But if the Government continues in its failure to implement drastically needed institutional changes within the Army and the Ministry of Defence, Jaffna will remain to be this "free-fire zone" for all parties to the War. The LTTE will continue its suicidal attempts to provoke reprisals. The Army will continue to see disappearances as an acceptable feature of conflict. Statistical data put forth by the Government describing decreases in violations are meaningless or at best of seasonal significance, in the absence of matching institutional change. If a serious commitment to human rights is to be implemented, then the practices of the past and the present must be stopped immediately before they become the norm of the future. A start needs to be made by a policy of providing recognition and positive Support for officers who have demonstrated a capacity for benignant transformation.
JAFFNA; AVISIONSKEWED introduction
in its recent statement on the human rights situation in Jaffna, Amnesty International had placed the number of persons missing after being detained by the armed forces at 676. Interestingly, this figure has been implicitly substantiated in Sri Lankan Ambassador Janaka Nakkawita's statement at the 53rd Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights On 27th March 1997. He said that of the 1652 complaints received up to 28th February 1997 from sources including the ICRC, UNWG on Disappearances and MPs, 857 were found to be duplications and of the remainder 72 have been traced. Even if 80% of the 676 could be traced, it

Page 23
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would still place Sri Lanka in the top league formissing persons. In the face of this it is surprising to find the Government doing little that is tangible beyond making statements of good intention. For example the ambassador told UNCHR that the Human Rights Task Force that reports to the president was in the process of establishing its tenth regional office in Jaffna. This talk had been in the air since September last year and the HRTF did make a preliminary visit to Jaffna. But nothing happened. Talk then was around that the HRTF is to be superseded by a Human Rights Commission and the list of names of commissioners was made public. To date there has been a complete blank with regard to the commission's activities. Legal proceedings into violations by service personnel remain a story of promises and anticlimaxes in the same tradition.
This lack of headway on the part of the Government's effort on reversing the trend can be partly explained by sheer inefficiency and the lack of support it gives to officers who have demonstrated a capacity take independent initiatives towards improvement. For one thing the political establishment or the cabinet of ministers hardly seem to think about the ramifications of this problem. Far too much initiative has already been surrendered to the Defence Ministry, which is still controlled by the old guard whose general approach is to cover up rather than seriously investigate violations and take firm action against the offenders. Not knowing what government policy is, if there is indeed one, officialdom moves only on definite orders from the president ahead of each step, on what ought to be routine matters, these small token steps too come usually on the heels of concerted local and international pressure following a major incident that gets into the news.
Another aspect of it stems from practices long associated with the Army that ultimately relies on terror to the detriment of any fresh political initiative. The actions of the Army in different parts of the Jaffna peninsula, and its relations with civilians have a revealing continuity with practices that took shape during the early months following the Army's take-over of Jaffna. Relations in Vadamaratchy remain exemplary. Even with current disappearances at a low ebb, relations in Thenmaratchy are a matterfor no little concern. The lack of information about missing persons is, as we have argued, deliberate and purposeful. We shall return to this after shifting our focus to other related matters. Disturbingly, the recent record indicates an increasing tendency towards reprisal action against civilians. At the same time, in a continuing demonstration of its ab
sence of concern for
continues throwing gr ing land mines in th such reprisals. Whe killed or injured in certainly become ca: initial explosions. Th which acts of homicic security forces is cov future developments tims are too vulner matter further and De releases are fated to these instances.
1.The general situa
The fact that the nificant efforts at cert itself from the past acknowledged by tw. in Jaffna as quoted in spoken to the effect ing a difficult job ver Catholic Bishop is al. said that there had b tions since last No cases involving rape diers were publicisec widely held at one lev One known instance ing the death of two c several others on 29 jor General command later apologised to th ised to punish the offe tices have also been a Army more discipline civilians. It seems the soldiers wanting to Se after nightfall do so c of a civilian official - (GS). Alternatively house and wait until town itself the situatio normal. The Town C. dier Jayasundera, is r the phone to civilian to at least investiga Ceipts are also issue his command. (Elsew ports that it is follow In other areas too arr been known to be res latedly, Early this yea in Thenmaratchy faci gency died on the we owing to delays at ch ing representations to could now travel al Chavakacheri to Ma near the town with m Yet at many other sive resentment is bui to the lack of improve even deterioration in era outlook. Often th curity considerations meaning. The Defen

TAMIL TIMES 23
he people, the LTTE enades and detonathope of provoking re civilians are not eprisals, they most ualties due to these e routine manner in e and murder by the ered up bodes ill for
The families of vicable to pursue the fence Ministry press
be the last Word in
tion Army has made sigain levels to distance has been recently ) prominent citizens the press. They had hat the Army is doy well'. The Roman so quoted as having een no major violaVember when two and murder by sol. This perception is 'el. We record below of reprisals involvivilians and injury to th January. The Maing the 51st Division e people and prominders. Certain pracadopted to make the din its dealings with general pattern that arch civilian houses Inly in the company the local headman they surround the daybreak. In Jaffna his considered quite ommandant, Brigaeadily accessible on officials and is said te complaints. Reld for arrests under there, We have reed in some areas.) ny commands have ponsive, even if bea pregnant woman ng a medical emery to Jaffna hospital eckpoints. Followthe authorities, one Dout 7 miles from mapalam Junction nimum delay. levels a certain pasding up which owes ment, stagnation or aspects of the genel dominance of sehas ceased to have xe Ministry, the ef
fective ruling power in Jaffna, is seen as having ceased to think or as being simply cussed. Every activity from the transportation of medicines to small village level programmes need clearance from this Ministry. Someone carrying a 4 months supply of pressure tablets (not always readily available in Jaffna) for personal use would be asked to leave these behind at Ratmalana Airport. Visitors to Jaffna are still allowed only in a controlled and selective manner. Some international human rights groups who wanted to visit Jaffna had been told that "it is not convenient'.
Approval for the MSF which was already in Point Pedro to send medical specialists to Jaffna Hospital was delayed for nine months and approved only recently, We understood on good authority that the main reason was the MoD seeing foreign doctors from organisations of this kind as meddling too much in human rights matters. (See addendum on Jaffna hospital.)
The Jaipur Foot manufactory under the Friends in Need Society, Jaffna, was sent materials after USAID had spent 6 months obtaining approval from the MoH and MoD in Colombo. Upon reaching Jaffna the military authorities there returned to Colombo some of the materials including cylinders, that are used in making new legs for the war-maimed. (The society continues to improvise cylinders by stripping aluminium bodies of the abandoned buses.) Such procrastination on basic things run entirely counter to flowery promises about rewitalising Jaffna. The resulting uncertainties about the Government's attitude to Jaffna, combined with a hostility towards Jaffna coming alive under Government control on the part of an influential section of Tamils outside, help to perpetuate an air of pessimism among the residents.
To the residents and users of Jaffna town the frequency and manner in which checkpoints are operated has become a sore point. Civilians need to dismount, remove their hat if they were wearing one, and roll their bicycles or motor-cycles past the soldiers - a practice observed by oppressed castes in the past when passing high caste persons. The effect of doing this day after day even on very balanced minds should not be underestimated. An intellectual who had been a consistent opponent of the LTTE and politically a Leftist, as distinct from a nationalist, observed, " At least once in twenty days I cannot help wondering if after all the Tigers are right!"
The main reason for the high frequency of check-points as one approaches town seems to be that the army high-command has taken over buildings in the town-centre to site its head-quar

Page 24
24 AML TIMES
er is fit extrfer
Bharata Natyan by Garani & Divani Nac
Daughters of Drs. Ravi and Iswara Gowri Nadi and disciples of Smt. Mythili Kumar, California
Sunday August 24, 1997 at 6.30
Ashcroft Theatre, Fairfield Halls, P Croydon, Surrey, ENGLAND
Suggested donation: £6 or more per person
All gifts in cash).
are urgently needed.
BOOK REVIEWS
Vamsa Viruthi — Mithra Publications, 375/8-10 Arcot Road, Madras 600024. Price Rs.80. My generation of the 'Ceylonese born in the 30s and 40s are indeed fortunate. Beginning life in the era of Kuthuvilaku and Thulakodi, we have catapulted to E-Mail and the internet. Along the way we were enriched by Thirukural and Kambaramayanam, Parathi and Puthumaipithan and thanks to the British and the free education, Shakespeare, Bernard Shaw to John Le Carre. What's this got to do with Muttulingam's third anthology of Tamil short stories, Vamsa Viruthi? Fair question. Knowing the man first and the author later, I can honestly say Muttu's stories give expression to this incredible adventurous journey of the Jaffna man as no one else has done before. In fact, the author adds a global perspective (having been a World Bank/UN official for a good part of his career) to his writings without losing the core values coming from his village - Kokuvil. He also has this unshakeable commitment to environment and human values and makes no apologies and offers no Concessions for more entertainment.
Thuri, the central character, is a dog in
All proceeds will be gifted to the San Marga raivan Temple of Kauai, This white granite temple will be the first of its kind in the entirely and exclusively of stone, totally hand carved, designe architectural canon, and will weigh more than 3.8 million pol reside the world's largest sphatika (crystal) lingam. The can Bangalore, is now half complete, and funds to construct th
Please donate generously and reserve your seats early,
(No audio/video taping or flash photography during the performanc
the opening story. A pl. Thuri steals its way in Jaffna expatriate family Short order he is a lo household and the bon family and Thuri are With some humans. Th local skunk and rac stages in life shake genuine tragedy. The tionship is briefly touc drop reference to friendship to Karnan.
The final story, Pa. hero Kunasingam is a What makes Kunasing passion for water con single drop. Conservin es his life's miSSiOn a United Nations in be elevates Kunasingam being, is his simple slightly diverting a car desperate old woman, Cost overrun becomes which Kunasingam pa exposure of the so cé cat bureaucrats in ivo judgement of haples over the Worldis deva
Each story is set in globe; los Angeles,
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

laraja "器A
pm
ark Lane,
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Hawaii, USA West. It will be made d according to Agamic unds. In its center will ving being done near e temple's foundation
ayful, happy pupру, O the hearts of the in Los Angeles. In ved member of the is built between the more binding than uri's struggle with a oon and its final s the family with nobility of the relahed with the back
Thuriyothanan 's
tuthi Poo's unlikely 'n 'Asal Yarlpanam’. am special? It is his servation down to a water also becoman expert with the rren Sudan. What as a noble human act of decency in all to give water to a The resulting trivial a serious Crime for vs with his job. The "led experts and fat y towers who sit in Kunasingams all stating.
different part of the Toronto, London,
15 JULY 1997
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West Africa, India, Pakistan and so on. It subtly reflects the exile of the Jaffna man in the second half of the 20th century. Only one story is set in Colombo, the locale is the Chummery, an pasis for married bachelors' from Jaffna. Typically it has a disparate but familiar cast of characters who cluster in three groups. Not surprisingly the author finds himself in the literary group. The central character is 'Chilambu Chellappa' a true scholar on Chilapthikaram. The scholarly discourses on our rich culture is punctuated with gentle humour and the story weaves effortlessly between growing up in rustic villages to life in the big city. This story more than any other, evokes nostalgia.
The centrepiece of the eleven stories is "Mulluvilakku', an immature romance of Ganesananthan and Sengeetha that budded in Vernbadi and which hits the road blocks when the lovelorn husband takes a job in a faraway African country. The story then develops in a new direction and ends with a delicately sketched menopause episode.
Painfully I realize that I am not doing justice to the true flavour of Muttu's stories. Even when there is no strong storyline in the traditional sense, it is the narrative
Continued on page 30

Page 25
15 JULY 1997
ters. This is not the case in Vadamaratchy and Thenmaratchy where the brigade command centres are away from the Commercial areas. By May, there was a significant easing of the tedium of check points, notably outside Jaffna town. Some of them had also been closed owing to a transfer of troops to support the ongoing operations in the Vanni.
Despite a surface calm, the occasion on which a schoolboy gets assaulted by a soldier at a sentry point or during a round up is enough to set off undercurrents whose course would be unpredictable. For the present these remain unnoticed, and the military authorities are largely oblivious to such matters. This is reflected in the indifferent manner in which civilian dignity is being trodden upon in parts of Thenmaratchy in contrast to the early weeks following the Army's entry in April 1996.
At the time of writing, the army captain in Chavakacheri placed in charge of civil affairs is described as someone who speaks neither Tamil nor English, does not entertain those who cannot speak Sinhalese, and whose LusA nf the lattarie
-- - - - - vv-x Frs us i Tovst civilians. In the rural areas military decisions, against which there is no appeal, could be even more alienating and more arbitrary. On approaching the Colonel in charge at Kachchai, in Thenmaratchy South, the lady principal of Allarai GTM school was refused permission to hold the annual sports-meet. The reason was that she could not provide details of persons who were attending. The lady's position was that such a request could not be complied with as it was a public function. On another occasion the same Colonel Went into Kachchai Central School where students were training for the District Drill Display Competition, shouted at the teacher in charge, asking him whether he was training Tigers, and forbade further training. The competition organised by the Education Department is a regular event in which most schools take part.
Such developments, though relatively isolated they may be, must be seen in the context of procrastination and the absence of meaningful action on the missing persons issue and the rising tendency to reprisal action.
Another practice whose deep significance is not so evident at present is the display of bodies of LTTE cadre killed in public places. This happens in places such as Valikamam West where the LTTE maintains a tenuous, but sizeable, clandestine presence. The Army too receives information quite freely and launches what are described as 'hunting' expeditions. The informant wearing a mask and
dressed in military pillion of a motoric vehicle. As soon sons are pointed fire. Few chances killed are frequen and in no position place where theirb played is Suthum Manipay, where W. Church is sited. killed as ignorant to bombing and st ting moment, joine not deserve such not such humiliatio is also no doubt a tions of such actio act as a hindrance that the Governme commodation on t mutual respect.
Moreover such strategies take awa tion and respect o when responding though the numbel
geung nurt or Kille lowing LTTE attacks all down to cross-fi reports indicate, in a is simply not true. school-boy shot d Anaikottai on 8th Ap grenade attack, the at the funeral, indica test. Passive protes stances hinted at in in the press signed" ety & Old Students,
We have also where ordinary civil and later claimed as nades, in Some cas also been placed ul dorse the false clain ture to say that nori istration has returne the rural areas with tics do say that it is with the Army. Roun even the old are kept part of the day wit Those taken for que: beaten. Frequently the Army have the about a person onc LTTE, resulting hi. beaten and releas coming in to the are the parents are extre their sons abroad b ways on pins. This planned existence in ple, a number of w
 
 
 
 
 

tiform is taken on the cle or in an armoured s the person or perut, the soldiers open are taken and those ' off-guard, unarmed offer resistance. One dies are regularly dislai Road junction in am Mather Memorial e people see those bys who in response bling, or in an unwitthe LTTE - who did
n end, and certainly
in death. The display arning. The connotas in an ethnic conflict the Tamils believing ht seeks political acrms of equality and
counter-insurgency f from the considerared to civilians, even o LTTE attacks. Al
is still small in rela
TAMIL TIMES 25
placed as many as eight times during the course of the War.
2. Reports of Incidents
These detailed reports are meant to give a general idea and speak for themselves. Point Pedro (Vadamaratchy): 27th Novemebr 1996 (National Heroes Day): The day was tense as talk had been around that the LTTE would do something to celebrate its leader's birthday. About 6.10 a.m. firing noises and a grenade exploSion were heard in the suburb of Thumpalai. The people of the area lay flat on the ground for about 45minutes. Alady then ventured out cautiously and found Mr.Yogarajah's house full of soldiers. This is what had happened: Yogarajah is a seaman who had come home on Vacation and was at home with his wife and five daughters. About 5 a.m. there was a knock on the door. Upon opening he encountered LTTE cadre asking to enter the house. Yogarajah protested, since, to begin with, no one with girls likes to enter
tainstrangers at that hour. The ITTF hows --------
in Army action folThe Army puts them re, whereas, as our number of cases this In the case of the bad by the army in ril following an LTTE re was a big turnout tive of a mood of prot is also in such inCondolence notices School Welfare SociASSociation'. ases in this report ans had been killed Tigers carrying grees the families had der pressure to en. It is far too premaality or civil admini to Jaffna. Many in ittle interest in polinot possible to live ups are regular and n schools for a good out food or water. ioning are routinely ifferent sections of same information connected with the being continually by different units In such instances ely anxious to send cause they are alnakes any kind of ossible for the peom have been dis
the Army. The officer asked Yogarajah if there were any LTTE cadre in the house, to which Yogarajah replied in the negative. As the soldiers were moving away, there was a noisy crash through the ceiling and one cadre fell onto the ground. The soldiers came rushing back and the person on the ground was shot dead. The house was then surrounded and the family of the house was asked to come out. Soldiers then climbed the roof and began removing some of the tiles. Firing noises and a grenade explosion were heard and the second Tiger in the ceiling died swallowing cyanide.
It turned out that the two deadTigers were from the same area. One had his father in Germany and the mother and the rest of the family in the Vanni. The father's brother was later questioned by the Army. The second was a Brahmin and a grandson of Rathina lyer. The new pattern seems to be for the LTTE to send in people of the same area who may findsurvival easier. Yogarajah was taken by the army and released the same day after questioning. Four days later he was arrested again. Colonel Larry Wijeratne, the brigade commander, visited one of the daughters who was in grade 10 at Methodist Girls' School and assured her that the father would be unharmed. Arrangements too were made for the family to exchange letters. At the time of writing his release was said to be imminent. Mulli Junction (Thunnalai, Vadamaratchy): 18th January 1997: What fol

Page 26
26 TAMIL, TIMES
lows is the final tragedy that overtook an innocent man. Krishnalingam (43) was a valuation officer. Having studied at Maradana Technical College, he followed a course in quantity Surveying in the UK, which he had not completed because he had a blackout after which he returned home. He found employment as a government quantity surveyor, married and was stationed in Galle during the 1983 communal violence. His trauma in the wake of the violence was exacerbated owing to his already vulnerable condition. He went to Point Pedro as a refugee. But his wife returned to Colombo with her parents soon after the riots. But he had refused to leave. His marriage was under strain. But a reconciliation was brought about around 1990. Krishnalingam however returned to Point Pedro towards the latterpart of last year after the Army took control of the area. He reported to the valuation department in Jaffna. But the authoritiel S in Colombo said that he should report there. He lived with his mother giving tution in English and Mathematics. He was a short, stout person who also knew Karate. He was a devout Hindu. On occasions when he was men. tally disturbed, he would go on a pilgrimage on foot visiting several temples, often staying at the Chella Channanithitemple pilgrim's rest, Thondamanaru, for several days.
On the Thursday before he died, a lady relative who came to visit her mother called Krishnalingam and gave him a message from his wife. The same evening Krishnalingam went to the house of a friend, waited for sometime and left, since the friend was late in coming home. The same night he told his mother, "mother want some peace', and went to Puttalai Pillayar Kovilon foot. Such things he had been doing despite the prevailing curfew. On Friday morning he went to Vallipuram temple. On Saturday morning he set off along the Point Pedro - Kodikamam road towards Chuttipuram temple which was one of his favourite haunts. He was only carrying a shoulder bag. At the Mullijunction sentry point (4th mile post) he was shot dead by a soldier. He had received shots in the neck and head. The "Daily News' quoting the military version reported that the army doing a clearing operation in Thunnalai had fired at an LTTE terrorist who had a grenade in his possession. Krishnalingam's relatives who came for the funeral from Colombo raised the matter with Colonel Larry Wijeratine pointing out that Krishnalingam was certainly not a terrorist but a patient, and would never have carried a grenade in his bag. They also said thathadhe been difficult at the checkpoint, since there were several soldiers around, they could have easily brought him under control and that
there was nonecessi added that if it had they could have shot than in the head. Wi look into the matteral ment from the soldie lingam. The soldiers' had refused to show point and had becom sive. According to C had issued strict inst at civilians. We sh about the dead victi is a common ruse in Krishnalingam hi many psychiatric p. feeling better, they c their pilis and conse gressive. Having ex communal violence ir lingam had develop ment to Vadamara where he was free a elsewhere, Friendsh in the market buyings er's family on the oth while most people a the bund. Krishnalina to remark, "Who are me from going wher own home". Ponnalai (Vallikama ary 1997: In the m fisherfolk from Mool wards Ponnalai caus work. When they car tary post at the juncti ln What followed nin dier were killed. Six V A statement Was iss ties presently in Jaff the death of civilians of soldiers firing it spokesman in Jaffn parties that their st published in the “Su incorrect because ploded had been su and that the civilian mine explosion, wh position above the spread. The soldie fired upwards towar the ground towards t said that they could pital authorities who post-mortem had Tamil party spokesm possibly true since were in a state of sl noises and had tho fired at them. Sinc matter deserves a f dendum on Jafna h Puttur: 10th Febru in the morning anal ing to Putturalong t They were about

15 JULY 1997
to shoot him. They ome to the Worst, m in the legs rather »ratne promised to had taken a statewho shot KrishnaFersion was that he is bag at the check physically aggreslonel Wijeratne, he ictions not to shoot ill see that claims having a grenade COver ups. d a problem which tients face. When ten stopped taking |uently become agerienced the 1983 the South, Krishnad a strong attachchy as his home, she could never be ave often seen him upplies for his brother side of the bund, 'e reluctant to cross gam has been heard these fellows to stop e I want to go in my
mWest):29th Januorning a group of ai were moving toseway for their day's ne close to the milion a mine exploded. » civilians and a solwomen were injured. ied by the Tamil parna to the effect that took place because to them. An army | later told the famil atement which was hday Observer was he mine which exspended from a tree s were killed by the ch because of it its |round, had a wider s, he claimed, had is the tree and not at he fisherfolk. He also check with the hosn the course of the ot found bullets. A an said that this was the survivors who ock had heard firing ght the bullets were doubts remain, the lier inquiry. (See adspital.) ry 1997: About9.00 ny patrol was returne Kodikamam Road. 00 yards from the
check point which was around a bend. Normally army patrols take the precaution of moving in single file where 20 men would stretch over about 100 yards of the road. Perhaps, being close to home, they had lost their caution and Were bunched together like a crowd of boys after a film show. This had evidently been observed by the LTTE a number of times. The soldiers also had a prisoner, Kandasamy Sasikumaran, a boy of 16, carrying a helmet in his hands. As the soldiers approached a small bridge an LTTE man who was observing them signalled to three others who while hidden out of sight of the soldiers, pressed the plunger. For Sometime there was only a pall of smoke accompanied by firing from the soldiers. When the smoke cleared soldiers who had hidden in neighbouring houses came onto the road and firing noises ceased. Two soldier slay dead on the road while an injured man signalled with his hand. A vehicle quickly came form the camp and took away the dead and the injured. The young man whom the soldiers had been holding prisoner was also seen by local civilians coming onto the road, holding the helmet. The soldiers then turned nasty and brutally assaulted civilians in the area. One man was pleading on his knees while a soldier held him by the hair and beat him with a thick piece of wood. As five women came out of the house in which they were hiding, they were shot in the legs. (Fortunately these turned out to be only flesh wounds.) Three dead bodies were later brought to Jaffna Teaching Hospital. Two were of civilians. One was a civilian killed by the army in reprisals at the neighbouring camp of Sirupiddy. Another was of the 16 year old boy prisoner. The third was of the TTE cadre who had given the signal. While escaping he had run into soldiers moving towards the location, and had swallowed cyanide.
The 16 year old boy used to come to Puttur East every day from Watharavattai to purchase bread for some families in his village. On this morning the army had taken him suspecting him of supplying bread to the LTTE. It is understood that the post-mortem report by Jaffna hospital stated that the boybearing several injuries, had died in the mine blast. But we have firm testimony that he was seen after the mine explosion. (See addendum on Jaffna hospital.) The boy had apparently been brutally done to death. The matter was later taken up with Major General Balagalle by the EPDR The General came and apologised to the people. promised that such incidents will not happen again and that the offenders will be punished. A lady in the village later observed sarcastically, "The big man came and apologised to us. The dead came alive, and it all ended Well!"

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15 JULY 1997
The other three Tigers who were involved in the operation were later seen in the locality by a civilian. He asked them, "Why do you set off mines where civilians are living, making life impossible for us?" The Tigers replied to the effect that there was nothing else they could do and so they had to do this. Kokkuvil/Thavady:24th February 1997: A man was travelling along the Anaikkottai-Kulappiddy road when he was called by a man dressed in a neat shirt and sarong. The latter asked the traveller if he knew him. The traveller recognised him to be Kulatheepan, the LTTE's Vanni GA, whose responsibilities had included collecting taxes from vehicles bringing supplies into the Vanni. The traveller told him, "The people are tired of this war, they cannot take any more. Why do you not go for peace talks?" Kulatheepan replied, "You wait two weeks and everything will be made clear"The traveller noticed that Kulatheepan was surrounded by a guard, members of which had taken up positions around him and Were on the look out for the army. The traveller then asked him, "Do you know that there is a God above watching everything?" Kulatheepan thought a little and responded, "Yes believe that there is a superior power above us". The two soon parted company, each going his own way. The traveller had been afraid that had he prolonged his stay someone would have seen them together and informed the army.
The next day however Kulatheepan met his death. Kulatheepan and his superior, Senthamil, who was the political leader for Jaffna were ambushed by the army at 6.45 a.m. near Pathirakali Amman temple, Thavady. Also killed in the army firing was Kandiah Sivashanmuganathan(41), a merchant and father of two boys, 15 and 7 years, and a girl of 14. He was passing that way to his shop. The bodies were taken to Jaffna hospital where Sivashanmuganathan's wife and a child identified his body. The Police refused them permission to remove the body saying that it had belonged to a member of the LTTE.
Towards the end of February travellers passing by saw a horrifying sight. A severed head was placed on three stones near Kulappiddy junction. Accordingtolocal talk, this was the head of a soldier who had fallen into the hands of the LTTE when he went alone to obtain a drink of toddy. Such acts have been perpetrated by both sides. There have been reports that in the same area at least on two occasions heads of LTTE cadre who had fallen into the hands of the Special Forces had been severed and placed in front of their parents' houses. Thenmaratchy West: Mid-March 1997: Troops rounded up an area about 3 miles
in circumferenc Maravanpulavu, 1 Koilakandy and all taken to a school, persons, the rest back. The parents detained refusedt of those refusing angry soldiers. A then brought in an those detained. Til leased in the prese farn, Jafna Convent:3 morning at 6.45 a by two Tigers at th water tank across Family Convent, J: was injured, but n gers who hadthrow an army truck whi and Were shot deac emptied. Pathmara a young girl who h the morning when perhaps the first ci that area. This was ter the incident. Sh curity personnel, V taken to the intens Jaffna Teaching Ho: vestigating the incid & PLOTE discovere the girl took place ment. They subseq with Brigadier Jay Commandant, andt committee of inquiry
3. Instances of civil resulting from mili
The following cases: (See also A erations) Meesaai:18th Dec diah Vijayanathan round up and det chcheri. He was latel an injury at the ba Army claimed thath attempting to escap Karainagar: 11th J rajah Vigneswaran daram Sivakumar by the Navy about 8 (navy) version is tha ing along the seas hours and did not he truth is of course ve The two had ni were close to the ná to them, and the Sec EPOP if not a mem shop close to the na\ ronised by its perso had been pro-secur look. The house oft with electricity by

TAMILTIMES 27
including parts of avatkuli, Kaithady & old and young - were Except for 20 young ere later asked to go und relatives of those return, despite some go being beaten by masked person was auto, who cleared all latter Were then rece of the local head
d May 1997: in the grenade was thrown security post by the lain Street from Holy ffna. One policeman it too badly. The Tithe grenade ran into e trying to get away The streets naturally ah Sudharshini(20), ad gone to church in returning home was vilian to Venture into about 20 minutes afe was shot at by seras injured and was tive care unit at the spital(JTH). Upon in2nt the EPDP, EPRLF d that the shooting of Well after the exciteently had a meeting asundera, the Town urged him to set up a f into the incident.
lian death or injury tary action
gives a sample of Note on Military Op
ember 1996: Kan21) was taken in a ained at Chavakafound shot dead with ck of the neck. The had been shot while
. nuary 1997: Theva(22) and Somasun22) were shot dead 30 p.m. The official the two were walkhore during curfew da calto stop. The y different.
LTTE connection, y, were well known nod was close to the er. The first had a camp that was patnel and the families 7 forces in their oute first was supplied e navy and other
neighbours came there in the nights to watch TV and videos. Curfew was only formal and people moved about freely inland. The first was married to a charming lady and the second who lived about 200 yards away was to marry a sister of the first.
On the day in question the two men, the ladies and several neighbours, including children, had watched a video and the two men came to the entrance of the home of the first, intending to go to a friend's to dine. To everyone's surprise naval personnel came there, took the men away to the beach and shot them in the head. An inquiry was held but nothing came of it, although the EPDP had said that it would press the matter. The EPDP's "Thinamurasu' of Jan. 19th-25th while stating the navy's claim, added that Mr. Baskaran, MP EPDP, "brought this the murdersto the notice of the authorities".
It was speculated locally that some naval personnel had entertained designs on the two women. But on that night the naval personnel had not come into the house although the womein were there. The navy now provides rations to the families of the victims. Some who were there have admitted privately that they could identify the navy personnel who committed the crime, but had told the inquiry the contrary - the navy was after all the law in Karainagar. As in many similar cases the official version remains the last word on the matter, and that happens all too easily. Ponnalai:17th January 1997: Ratnasabapathy Vigneswaran(40) was shot through the back of his head at 1 a.m. No further information other than that the body was found. Needs further investigation. Kokkuvil: 23rd January 1997: Rasalingam Ratnasingan (45), father of four, was shot dead by the army while returning home in the evening. Putthur:10th February 1997:(see above) Sangaratthai, Valikamam West: 28th February 1997: Troops in ambush at Sinnappu School shot dead two labourers returning home about 6:45 p.m. They were Nagamutthu Rajendram (40), father of three, and Krishnan Perampalam (32), father of four. The families who went to Mavady camp the following day were told that the two were killed because they were carrying grenades. When they visited the scene, they only found a bag with a smashed coconut sprout (pooraan). The latter is normally consumed by poorer folk. Chankanai, Valikamam West: Mid-March: Nadarajah, a car broker past middle age, went to his sister's place in the evening to obtain some curries for dinner. While returning he was shot dead

Page 28
28 TAMIL TIMES
by soldiers. When relatives, including the sister and her husband, went to the Army regarding this matter, they were asked to sign a declaration that the deceased had been a member of the LTTE. Nacchimar Kovil, Jaffna: 17th March 1997: Pakianathan Aingaran (18), student of St. Henry's, Illavalai, was killed when troops travelling in an armoured vehicle opened fire upon hearing an explosion. Two others were injured. Karainagar: 29th March 1997: A youth, Tharmarajah Janarthanan, was shot dead by the Navy. According to the Navy the youth was shot after he threw a grenade during a Search operation Conducted by them. The Thinamurasu (Apr. 6-12th) quoted the parents as saying that the naval personnel who entered their home just after mid-night had ordered them out and interrogated their son. Gunshots were heard subsequently. Alaveddy: 7th April 1997: Sivarajah Manivannan of Arunachalliam Vidyalayam, Alaveddy, "died under tragic circumstances"- press notice in the Uthayan by the School Welfare Society and the Old Students' Association. (The form of the notice indicates that he was killed in a firing incident and we have no further details.) Anaikkottai:8th April 1997: Kanapathippillai Pratheepan (16, O/Level) of Balasubramaniam Vidyalayam, Anaikkottai was shot dead at midday when the army fired back in response to a grenade thrown by the LTTE. The body was collected from Jaffna Hospital after identification by parents, the school principal and teachers. There was a massive turn out at the funeral. The EPDP called for a judicial inquiry, Thinnevely East: 20th April 1997: Nithyanantharajah Pushpalatha (31), mother of two, was injured in the stomach and a leg during the shooting incident at 2:30 a.m. Her husband had been killed by the IPKF in 1988. Malusanthy, between Manthi kai & Nelliady, Jafna Road, Vadamaratchy: 22nd April (approx.): The LTTE shot dead two soldiers whom they had apparently observed going to drink toddy for some time. Troops then assaulted several civilians in the area. Colonel Wijeratne who was away during the incident is said to be trying to trace those assaulted. Jaffna Convent:3rd May 1997: (See report above)
rupalai: 3rd May 1997: Kandiah Selvaratnam (58), a coconut plucker, lost a leg by treading on a minefield meant to protectan army post in Vithanayar Lane, Between Chunnakam & Mallakam: MidMay 1997: An LTTE mine explosion claimed the lives of 4 soldiers travelling in a tractor and a civilian passer-by, in the sequel about 60 civilians were as
STA
et another sc Y dian political fi
Karunanidhi year old Tamil Nadu now firmly positio heir-apparent, and State Convention of at Salem seemed to his claims. There w any quarter barring the father himself. F speculations and c. and national press to the front ranks, K angrily, "is the DMK that can be passed Sweet will and ple democratic set-up". categorically deny ing groomed to take A relatively rel genuinely embarras: his elder cousin, M cleverly plotted his years, it looks like him from capturing ing it totally under | while from now, Ne mal position has bé except his secretary of the party. The til the Convention hav ous, State conventi lar affair in the DMK when it pleases th when Karunanidhi in early May, many
and what was goin
saulted by soldiers jor General Balaga assault and promi. tive action against Manipay, Anaikot kuvil: 19th, 20th M and grenade explos area. A civilian Kat and his wife Jamun fire. The former w was taken to Palal Four other unide brought to Jaffna h nuvil West: 20th N Rathinamma, an
dead when she we holding a lamp at self. Her body was hospital by the Ct several gunshot in
(
 

15 JULY 1997
n is rising in the Inmament, Muthuvelar Stalin, son of the 74 hief Minister. He has ned himself as the he three-day special the party in June last have acknowledged as no demurral from ronically the one from eacting to a flurry of omments in the local on Stalin's elevation arunanidhi remarked my personal fiefdom on to anyone at my sure? No. This is a But then he would not hat his Son Was be
over from him. ticent Stalin seems sed. But his father and Jurasoli Maran, have career graph over the nothing can prevent the party and bringhis controi in a short ver mind stil no forben conferred on him ship of the youth wing ming and purpose of e remained mysterions are a very irregu, they are held as and a high command. So announced the meet wondered why now g to be its message.
In a statement, Maille, apologised for the ed appropriate punihose responsible. ai, Suthumaiai, Kokay 1997: Firing noises ions were heard in this hiravelu Suresh (33) a (24) were hit by gunSkilled and the latter y base to be treated. ntified bodies were pspital. ay 1997: Kandasamy old woman, was shot nt into her compound :30 a.m. to ease herhanded Over to Jaffna unnakam Police with uries in her chest. continued in next issue)
He himself refused to give any hint of his intentions.
In May and early June the ties between the DMK and the Tamil Maanila Congress had come under severe strain following Moopanar's failure to snatch the top job in the country. So many thought that perhaps the convention could mark the beginning of the end of the alliance at the very least a stern warning would be issued at Salem to the ally.
But only when the banners, the hoardings and the wall-writings connected with the convention started appearing, one got a hint of what Karunanidhi was up to. For the first time Stalin's portraits were appearing in a big way. "Kalaignar calls you over to Salem. We will rally under Stalin's leadership," the walls screamed. Virtually no other portrait including that of the DMK's nominal No. 2 and General Secretary, KAnbazhagan was to be seen anywhere. Though in Salem itself there were a couple of cut-outs of Agricultural Minister and local strongman Veerapandi Arumugam. But he too, more often than not, and interestingly his son as well, were beaming by the side of the rising son in many hoardings. The message was loud and clear. Stalin was arriving on the scene. Now the speculation centred around what form the appointment would take.
He did lead the youth wing in the rally, He also presided over one session which was exclusively devoted to the youth wing and in which speaker after speaker eulogised him as the future hope of the party and implied that the day was not far off when he would take over the leadership. The speakers also recalled in moving terms the sacrifices he had made for the party, the torture he had undergone in the prison during the Emergency, while still in his early twenties. Suffering at the hands of the police is one of the cherished symbols of the Dravidian movement and that strengthens one's leadership claims. Yet another symbol was that of the golden shawl. Senior ministers queued up right on the dais to honour Stalin with shawls, a gesture generally reserved for those at the very top like Karunanidhi and Anbazhagan. Even otherwise if someone presents a shawl so deferentially as the ministers did at Salem it only means that the presenter acknowledges the superior status of the person so honoured. There was nothing remarkable about Stalin's own speech. It was all platitudes shorn

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15 JULY 1997
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhland helr-apparent Stalin
of any substance, While it was refreshingly free of any rancourand vulgar innuendoes, it did not really captivate the huge audience. Several lakhs had been mobilised for the occasion. There was no bite, no force. "Maybe he was playing safe, not wanting to offend anyone at this stage of his career. Still he singularly failed to enthuse the audience and that bodies ill for his plans to step into his father's shoes." commented a senior MP of the party.
But there was one interesting suggestion from him - he wanted his cadres to go about Setting up Social Service associations. He did not exactly specify what kind of service he wanted them to render though he did vaguely talk of Social reforms. Significantly he wanted them to emulate non-governmental organisations which incidentally get funds from various sources, both local and foreign.
In his winding up speech Karunanidhi also endorsed the proposal and recalled that when he was young he too had collected money to set up reading rooms which would offer leading Dravidian journals and also organise meetings on social and political issues. He too drew the parallel of the NGO's. Looks like then the
was being delibe crown prince. Bu while chiding the v lighting the Stalin Cant. "ls not Hinc and the mantlepa to another? Wher seek to persecute I am a shudra? B formed Upanayar emony) for my so
Incidentally th Salem conventio prises of the oc speakers chose ti they said, as was nence Jayalallitha Press, both Tamil an undercurrent c thoroughly margi sought to hark ba the Dravidian ni launched as a cru min dominance o ing the colonial d ply that though th pled from the throl enough potential
Once the DM|
 

TAMIL TIMES 29
party would launch in a big way its own NGO movement. The service organisations started by the DMK-men would be eligible for governmental grants, he hinted. One does get the feeling that in his eagerness to project a clean image, Karunanidhi has ensured that no party functionary gains any extra leverage in his administration, leading to reSentment at the lower levels especially. He has thought up the idea of these NCO's to please the senior functionaries and help them make some money on the sly without attracting too much of an odium. ''
Be that as it may, the importance given to Stalin all through and Karuna-nidhi's own solicitude for the youth clearly showed which way the wind was blowing. However he hotly denied that Stalin rately promoted as the t what he blurted out enerable Hindu for highaffair was quite signifiu ruled by one family sses from one member such is the case, why us alone, is it because cause l' have not peram (sacred thread cer
?" anti-Brahmin tilt in the Was one of the sur'asion. Though most take umbrage at what the increasing promitas again getting in the nd English, there was hostility to the by now lised Brahmins. They k to the beginnings of vement which was ade against the Brahhe Tamil society dur'S and seemed to immight have been topthe Brahmins still had r mischief. Jotinto electoral poli
tics, it had quietly jettisoned the virulent anti-Brahminism of Periyar EVR. And once in power it stopped mouthing antiBrahmin sentiments altogether. Occasionally whenever he was at the receiving end, Karunanidhi did resurrect antiBrahminism, in the early seventies when his government was charged with monstrous corruption - a level surpassed only by Jayalalitha - and in 1990 when he was frightened by Jayalalitha's rise in politics, only to discard it post-haste finding the strategy counter-productive. In fact in 1990 in what was billed as the Thiruppumunai Maanaadu (the turning point conference) he did seek to whip up antiBrahmin sentiments and hold up Jaya's rise as an instance of the Brahmin conspiracy to divide the Tamil society.
But unfortunately for him his then friend and a self-proclaimed heir of EVR, K Veeramani sought to queer the pitch by unleashing an attack on innocent Brahmins, cutting their sacred threads and otherwise humiliating them. The incidents created a furore and the Karunanidhi regime had to hastily call off its anti-Brahmin campaign. After that only now he is resorting to an anti-Brahmin campaign to buttress his own position as the guardian of the Tamil interests.
But it is not clear why he should do so? Some believe that the Jayalalitha-Vai Gopalsamy - Subramaniam Swamy axis formed recently coupled with the friction in the tie-up with the TMC could have made Karunanidhi apprehend a possible come-back by Jaya. But then Jayalalitha herself has lost all credibility.
Besides nobody is going to reject her because she is a Brahmin by birth. The much-vaunted Tamil society is so hopelessly divided on the one hand and the CBC's are so firmly entrenched at all levels of the state as also of the civil society on the other, that not many will take seriously the Brahmin bogey, if anything, the on-going clashes between the Dalits and the Thevars in the south are much more immediate and real than any grand Brahmin conspiracy,
Still the anti-Brahmin refrain Was there right through, but then no clarion call was given to put the Brahmins in their place, cleardy showing that Karunanidhiwas content with issuing some Snide warning to the Brahmin dominated Press, largely true of the English newspapers and to a much lesser extent of the Tamil newspapers and magazines. But the strategy has boomeranged and he has to go on back-foot to defend himself against charges of intolerance.That he chose to devote hardly a couple of sentences to the Dalitnon-Dalit clashes and did not care to come up with any concrete plan of action to restore communal harmony only went to show his priorities. O

Page 30
30 TAMIL TIMES
BOOKREVIEWS
HINDUSM TODAY - monthly journal published by Himalayan Academy, 107, Kaholalele Road, Kapaa, Hawaii, 967469304 USA. Price £2.00.
Founded in 1979 by Satguru Sivaya Subramaniyaswami of Hawaii, this monthly journal proclaims as its mission "Affirming Sanatana Dharma and recording the modern history of the billion-strong global religion in renaissance'. We thankfully acknowledge receipt of the issues for the months of April, May and June which contain excellently researched articles on topical issues relating to Hindu communities throughout the world.
The April number of Hinduism Today devotes entirely to Sri Lanka. Under the heading 'Dispersed by War' the leading article bemoans: "Fourteen years of bitter civil war between Singhalese Buddhists and Tamil Hindus forced 700,000 Tannis to flee Sri Lanka. What began as a temporary diaspora in search of safety has become, for most, a permanent resettlement. Many are asking themselves, will their Hindu religion and culture survive?'.
in an exhaustive survey, covering worldwide, the report reveals the experience of Tamil refugees in adjusting themselves to the unfamiliar situations. Those who were able to reach the Commonwealth COuntries like Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are better favoured by the knowledge of English, but others reaching European countries suffer from lack of easy Communication. Yet Sheer determination has made them tenacious not only to acquire some working knowledge of the foreign language but also to build Hindu temples for their own worship. But what about the future? "We are all Jaffna, our children are half Jaffna, half German and our fear is the next generation will be all German laments a Tamil Settled in Berlin for the past twelve years.
This special issue carries an article on the life and mission of the great Rishi of Jaffna, Yogaswami, whose religious influence made an American to become a Hindu Sanyasi, Sivaya Subramaniyaswani, who has established a Hindu Ashran and Siva temple in the Pacific island of Hawaii.
in the May issue of Hinduism Today there is a thought provoking article on the Hindu custom of Sacred Pilgrimage, and on the most important pilgrim centres in Indian under the title Divine DestinationS.
"Playing God' is the title of the leading article in the June issue of Hinduism Today, delving deep into the story of cloning, which took the ethical world by surprise and worry. Looking back into Hindu mythology it refers to the ancient Demon Raktabija. It is said that when he is killed, another of him sprung from every drop of his blood spilled on the battlefield. Hindu view of life is that God-created soul inhabits the body, but is not the body. The question arises what kind of soul would take birth in a body created so uniquely. Hinduism Today invited views from va
rious Hindu authoriti their thoughts. A v. with a sketch of the
- S
Dictionary of E Tamils of Ceylo Arumugam, B.Sc., (l ty Director (Retired). Price £12.50 plus p This is an unprec who's who of the Ta Having read it, l we thought I would write This book is more á dictionary of biogra Ceylon. It should find of every Tamil and
book of great historic
In the Words Of the Of the 20th Centu, enacted in Sri Lank established over cen from the Island. Flee land, the Sri Lankat refuge overseas and over the globe. The fast losing their sepal fact becoming an 'e The next generation environment of their be alien to their ow traditions. They wou ledge of their estee were once the pride This publication is fo
This publication ha Ceylon Tamils. Fore us of the present g Gate Mudaliyar A. first Tamil Member Council acted as interpreter for Sri Vi the last King of K voyage to Madras British. The dictiona information about th Mudaliyar's family.
“Sir Muttu Colomar Mutu Coomaraswa Gate Mudaliyar Aru aswamy, Member o tive Council, and V. was born on the 23r received his early ombo Academy (no had a distinguished the Turnour Prize, student in Greek, Classics.
At the age of 22 y the Bar as an adve Scholastic brilliance before the Royal A Synopsis of Saiva on Hindu Philosop, when he was 27 appointed a membe islative Council to terests". He succee nasingam and helc demise. In 1862 he the European Cor While in England

15 JULY 1997
s and has published y illuminating story rocess of cloning.
wapathy Sundaram.
ography of the 1, Compiled by S. Ing.), lrrigation Depu
stage.
dented and unique mii people of Ceylon. s so delighted that I a few words about it.
history book than a hy of the Tamils of "a place on the shelf serve as a reference all value.
compiler At the close y, history is being a. The Tamil image, 'uries is being erased ing from the motherTamils are seeking are settling down all are on the verge of ate identity and are in 2ndangered species. l, growing up in the new domicile, would in culture and Tamil ld have scant knowned ancestors, who of their notherland. r their benefit... '
as entries of over 775 xample, how many of eneration know that Coomaraswamy, the of the first Legislative the spokesman and ckrama Raja Singha, andy, on the King's as a captive of the y gives the following le Scion of the Gate
swamy, 1834-1879
my, son of the late mugampillai Coomarf the Ceylon Legislasaladchchi Ammayar, i of January 1834. He ducation at the Coly Royal College). He career there, winning awarded to the best atin and the English
ars, he was called to cate; he showed his by reading a paper siatic Society on the idhanda in 1857 and ly in 1860. In 1861 years old, he was r of the Ceylon Legrepresent "Tamil ined Mudaliyar Edirma
this position till his made a grand four of linent and England. he was admitted a
member of Lincoln's Inn, being the first Asiatic to be admitted to the English Bar. His translation of the Tamil play Harischandra' (Martyr of Truth) was published in 1963. The play was staged in the presence of Gueen Victoria, Muttu taking the lead part.
On his return to Ceylon he took to the study of Oriental lore, and made a tour of India. His valuable works Dathvamsa, being a translation from the Pali text of the story of the Sacred Tooth Relic and Sutti Nipata, being discourses of Lord Buddha, were published in 1874. When he was in England in 1878, he was invested a knight by her Majesty Queen Victoria. The distinguished Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, accompanied him to receive the investiture. In 1879 when he was preparing for another tour of England, he fell ill and passed away. Within a short span of 4: years he had achieved and accomplished so much; his premature demise was a great loss. In the galaxy of great men who shed brilliance his name occupies a unique place.
He married Elizabeth Clay Beebe, daughter of William Beebe of Kent, England and had a son Ananda Kentish, who was to become the world renowed art Critic Dr. Ananda Coomaraswamy. Muttu's sister Sellachchi was the proud mother of Sir P. Ramanathan and Sir P. Arunachalam."
Mr. Arumugam and his editorial consultants deserve the highest tribute for having undertaken this mammoth task. A venture of this magnitude cannot be without mistakes or omissions. I understand that it is proposed to remedy this by sending an addendum of Corrections and additional information every year to those who have purchased the book. At the end of five years a new revised edition will be publiShed.
Orders for the book and enquiries can be made at 816 Garratt Lane, London SMV17 OLZ Tel 0181 672 7222 Or 0181 398 6O78.
N. Varmadewan.
Continued from page 24
style, which is authentic Jaffenese that keeps the reader hooked. Malan, editor of Kumutham, in his foreword compares the author's literary style to that of Puthumai Pithan's.
Comparisons are always tricky yet, let me try another. If you have read R.K. Narayan's Malgudi stories you will remember the wholesome feeling that is evoked in your mind about the lives of ordinary people of Malgudi. Mutu's stories do the same for the Jaffna man, whether he is a voluntary expatriate or involuntary exile and they bring out the culture and life of a people which are sadly receding today. Let us hope that in the crucible of time these stories and the others from his other books will help to capture and preserve the priceless culture of Jaffna for posterity. Through these stories the future generations could at least visualize and be proud of the heritage that was ours.
Yogi Tambirajah,
Toronto, Canada.

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15 JULY 1997
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The Advertisement Manager,
të Tamil Times Ltd. PO Box 121
Sutton, Surrey SM13TD Phone: 0181-644 0972 Fax: 0181.
MATRIMONIAL
Hindu Tamil brother seeks professional/college educated bride for brother, 36, Ph.D., employed in USA. Direct correspondence to M. Yoganathan, 40 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA 02173 USA.
Jaffna Hindu parents seek fair, professionally qualified bride from North America, England for MBA (Physics Hons), professional son, 34, holding executive post in North America. Send horoscope, photo, details. M957 C/o Tamil Times.
Jaffna Hindu seeks professional partner for his brother, 35, lecturer in Sri Lanka, Australian citizen, preferably living in Sri Lanka. Send horoscope, photo, details. M958 c/o Tamil Times. Tamil Hindu parents seek groom below 36 for daughter, 30, British citizen in good employment. Please send photo, horoscope, details. M 959 c/o Tamil Times. Jaffna Hindu parents seek partners for daughters, Engineer, 5'4" and Doctor, 52" employed in USA with visa. M 960 C/O arri TimeS.
Jaffna Hindu parents seek professional partner, preferably doctor for good looking doctor daughter, 28, 52" employed in London. Send horoscope, details. M 961 C/o Tamil Times.
Jaffna Hindu parents seek pretty, vegetarian bride under 30 for doctor son in UK. Please send horoscope, photo and details. M 962 C/o Tamil Times.
Well-educated, handsome, successful, cultured professional, 34, good East/West mix, Jaffna Hindu background; family seeking bright, ambitious, pretty, UK/US raised female. Send photo, details. M 963 C/o Tamil Times.
Jaffna Hindu seeks professional partner for fair, pretty sister, 27, partly qualified accountant. Send horOSCope, details. Religion immaterial. M 964 C/o Tamil Times.
Jaffna Hindu brother SeekS partner for attractive sister, 28,
doing accountancy in UK. Send horoscope, details. M 965 c/o Tamil Times.
Jaffna Hindu parents in USA seek partner, 22-26, professionally qualified, good looking, fair, not below 5'2", for Smart son, vegetarian, 28, Computer Software Engineer in internationally reputed corporation in USA with Masters in Software Engineering. Send horoscope, photo, details. M 966 c/o Tamil Times.
Jaffna Hindu seeks partner for his pretty sister, 29, M.Sc., Scientific Office in London. Send horoscope, details. M 967 C/o Tamil Times.
WEDDING BELLS
We congratulate the following couples on their recent wedding. Gajendran son of Dr. and Mrs. Vijayasegaram of 64 Welbeck Road, Harrow, Middx. UK and Anushala daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Gnanasuntharam of 32 Rohini Road, Colombo 6, Sri Lanka on 15.6.97 at Sapphire Ball Room, Ceylon internationall, Sri Lanka.
Perinpanathan son of late Mr. R. Kath iresu & Mrs. T. Kathiresul of Kalasalai Veethi, Thirunelvely, Jaffna and Devambikai daughter of Mr. & Mrs. R. Sathasivam of 287 Hampton Road, Ilford, Essex on 22.6.97 at Caterham High School Hall, Clayhall, Ilford, Essex. Indrani Anne daughter of Mr. & Mrs. T. R. Tennakoon of 15 Alexandra Court, Maida Vale, London W9 1 SZ and Sudhaman Thirumal son of Mr. & Dr. T. V. Arumugam of 17 Donnington Road, Kenton, Harrow, Middx., on 2.7.97 at Kadwa Patidar Hall, Harrow and on 5. 7.97 at St. Charles BorrOmeO Church, London W1 P 7LZ.
Dr. Mohan son of Mr. & Dr. S. Kanagasundaram of 1 Haling Park Gardens, South Croydon, Surrey and Thanuja daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Ratnajothy of 18 Silverdale Gardens, Hayes, Middx., on 5.7. 97 at the Archbishop Lanfranc School Hall, Mitcham Road, Croydon, Surrey.
x
 
 
 
 

OBITUARES
Mr. Sinnathamby Apputhurai 86), Retired Teacher, Urumpirai Hindu Tamil School; beloved usband of the late Rajalakshmi, loving father of Gnanaothy (Los Angeles), Sugunaanthan, Sachithanandan (both of Toronto) and Pathmasothy Los Angeles); son of late Mr. & Mrs. Sinnathamby of Neeraley, grandfather of Umaharln, Saruka, Pradeepa, Ruban al of Los Angeles), Suganya,
uneja, Balayogan and Saror
ka (all of Toronto); father-in
aw of Dr. S. Selvanayagam,
Tidrani, Bhalini and Selvaku
nar passed away in Los
ingeles on May 27th 1997 and (as cremated on May 31st.
The members of the family ish to thank all friends and latives who attended the neral, sent messages of symathy and fforal tributes and ssisted them in several ways Iring the period of great sorw. - 2810 Vahan Court, LanAster, California 93536, USA.
lrs. Rasammah upillai 2), formerly of Uduvil, Jaffna; etired teacher and Inspector Schools; beloved wife of the te Murugesu Velupillai (Headaster); loving mother of atchithananthan (Satchy), arathadevi (Saratha), Satikuanandan (Satcunam), all of stralia, Sugunasothy (Sugu) of London and Suziladevi uzi) of New Zealand; mother
TAMIL TIMES 31
in-law of Pathmawathy (Pathma), Kath irga manathan (Kathir), Thanaluxmy (Thanam) all of Australia, late Sivagnanaratnam (Sivam), and Dr. Ganesalingam (Ganesh) of New Zealand, passed away in London on 12.6.97. Funeral took place on 18.6.97.
The members of the family thank all friends and relatives
who attended the funeral, sent
messages of sympathy and floral tributes, spoke at the funeral and assisted them in several ways during the period of great sorrow. - 161 Worple Road, Wimbledon, London SMV20. Tel 0181 946 0328.
Mrs. Kamalawathy Gnanasoorian passed away peacefully in London on 16th June 97. Beloved daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Suppiah of Alaveddy she was educated and also taught later at Saiva Mangayar Kazhagam, Colombo. In UK, she worked in the Inland Revenue Department for some years before early retirement.
She is sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her husband, Mr. K. Gnanasoorian (of Alaveddy); son Jeyaraj; daughters Jeyahini and Shivajini; sons-in-law Harindran, Gunasekaram, grandchildren Sanjiv, Aneesha and Archanna, brothers and sisters Vinayagamoorthy (UK), Kanagambigadevi, Balambikai (both of Sri Lanka), Cuganesan (Australia), Ambikaipahan (Sri Lanka), lnbanathan (UK); and all other family members.
The funeral took place at City of Lornodon Crermatorium, London on 21st June 1997.
The family thanks all those who sent messages of sympathy, attended the funeral and helped in so many ways. May her soul rest in peace.
-72 King Edward Road, London E176HZ. Phone. O181531 6435.

Page 32
32 TAMIL TIMES
Mrs. Veeraluxmy Sivasubramaniam, beloved wife of late K. Sivasubramaniam (Railways), dearly beloved mother of Ambika Thamotheram (London), Prof. Dr. Ginana Kulendran (Thanjavur University), Prof. Dr. Yoga Rasanayagam (Coombo University), Jayalluximy Kandiah (Australia), Arunthathy Sriranganathan (Director, Tamil Services, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation); lo ving mother-in-law of V. Thanotheram, A. Kulendran, M. Rasanayagam, Dr. A. Kandiah, Dr. P. Sriranganathan, loving grandmother of Dr. Nimalraj, Dr. Kanchana, Srikrishna, Srinarayani, Arani, Erakan, Sut harshan, Dharsh ini, Sarangen, Shyamala, Rangen and Sriharan passed away peacefully on 22.6.97 in Colombo and was Cremated on 24th June,
The members of her family wish to express their sincere thanks to all friends and relations who attended the funeral and sent messages. - 187 Camrose Avenue, Edgware, Middlesex, UK. Tel: 0181 381 1792
Mr. Sayambunather Vyramuttu Rattinarn, retired audit Officer, Auditor General's Office, Colombo 7, son of late Mr. Sayambunather Vyramuttu and late Paruvathipillai, of Panalai, Tellippalai, Jaffna, beloved husband of Sellam, loving father of Pathmanathan, Ramanathan, and Loganathan, father-in-law of Vahsuki, Wijeyasa dichu my and Thanalechmi, grandfather of Vi
jayaluxmi, Thevakumar, Senthooran, Bhavan, Kugan, AshaVidthya and Sathian, of U.K.,
brother of Murugiah (Colombo),
and late Mrs. Rasamma Ponnampalam, and brother-in-law of Theivanayagi (Colombo), and Mr. Swaminathar Ponnampalam, the late Mr. V. S. Sangarapillai (Colombo), late Mr. V.S. Cheliah (Sydney), Mr. V.S. Sinnathamby (Vavuniya), and Mr. V.S. Subramaniam
(Colombo), uncle of Swami
nathar, Sivanathan, Paramanathan of Canada, and Rajasothy Vadivel of Chunnakan, Suthaharan (U.K.), Krishnabhavani and Sathiyadevi of Coloтbo, passed away peасеfully, aged 75, in U.K., on 9th of July 1997. His last respects and final farewell took place on 13th of July 1997 in the U.K. according to Hindu rites.
The members of Mr. Rattinam's family extend their gratefull thanks to all friends, relatives, members of Saiva Munnetta Sangam (U.K.), and other organisations, who attended his funeral, sent messages of sympathy, floral tributes, and offered assistance in several ways during this period of great sorrow. - 3 The Orchard, Wickford, Essex SS 12 0HB. Tel: (01268) 76.6624, Fax (01268) 561805,
IN MEMORAM
In loving memory of Mrs. Mankay Sivasampu on the seventh anniversary of her passing away on 28.90.
Sadly missed and fondly remembered by her two sons. - 15 Wolsey Road, Chessington, Surrey KT9 1XG.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS August 1 Feast of St. Alphonsus. Aug. 3 Aadi Anavasai. Aug. 5 Aadi Sevvai (3), Nallur Kandasamy Temple Flag hoisting ceremony. Aug. 6Aadi Pooram. Aug. 7 Chathurthi Aug. 8 Feast of St. Dominic 11am to 11pm. Mahajana College O.S.A. (UK) Open Day
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

15 JULY 1997
in Loving Memory of Late
Mr. V. Velayuthampilai On the Twenty Fifth Anniversary of being laid to Rest on August 3rd 1972.
Twenty Five Years. How the years have swiftly gone byl Just like a streak of lightning across the sky.
And yet it seems like yesterday
That you were holding us, with us in laughter and play Helping us with our studies and nurturing And during our teenage years, for adulthood preparing. Precious memories linger on in us Photographic glimpses of scenes and events Skim through our mind's eye With you as the regal figure to us all. We cherish those beautiful idyllic memories Of times gone by, of yesteryear.
Know that all the hard work, dedication and trust
You expended for us and imparted in us
Has not been in vain.
Your three little seedlings that you lovingly nurtured Have all blossomed and grown into mighty banyan trees, firmly rooted and unshakeable.
Standing tall and strong In the wind, rain and SnOW.
Never to be buffeted by the storms of life All thanks to you, dear Appa Because of the values of life That you instilled in us from the childhood days. So, dear Appa, rest in peace Knowing that we will eternally carry A part of you in our own lives,
Fondly remembered by
Mrs. Vijayalakshmy Velayuthampillai, Skandaveri, Vijayaverland Manjula.
997 of Cricket, Football and letball matches with invited 2ams, barbecue, bar, lunch, diner, prize giving and live music. ree admission. Wembley High chool, East Lane, Wembley, iddX. Te: )181 399 784.8/692. 5240/656 465. Aug. 9 Shashti; South London Tamil Welfare Group (SLTWG) trip to Bournemouth beach. Tel: 0181 545 3313.
Aug. 11 Feast of St. Clare. Aug. 12 Aadi Sevvai (4). Aug. 14 Ekathasi. Aug. 15 Varaluxmi Poojah.
Aug. 16 Feast of St. Stephen; Pirathosam.
Aug. 17 Aavani Sunday (1),
full Moon.
Aug. 21 San kada hara Chathurthi.
Aug. 22 Feast of The
Queenship of Mary. Aug. 24 Kaarthikai, SLTWG trip to Wales Temple. Tel: 0181 545 3313; Aavani Sunday (2).
Aug. 25 Krishna Jayanthi; 9a.m. J.S.S.A. (U.K.) Cricket and Netball Festival 1997 at Warren Park Sports Centre, Windmill Lane, Southall, Middx. Tel 018 1 845 OO34/O1293 407586; 5.30p.m. Ratnam Foundation presents Tamil Carnatic Vocal Recital by Isal Peroli S. Sowmya at Winston Churchill Hall, Pinn Way, Ruislip, Middx. Tel: 0181 904 5939. Aug. 28 Ekathasi; Feast of St. Augustine. Aug. 30 Pirathosam; SLTWG drop in at John Innes Youth Centre. Tel 0181 5453313. Aug. 31 Aavani Sunday (3), Nallur Kandasamy Temple Car Festival.

Page 33
5 JULY 1997
A Violinist in the Making
Young Hariharan Sahadevan's Violin Arangetram at the Beck Theatre on 28th June revealed the artistic potential in the student and the tutorial excellence of the Guru. The opening Ata Tala Varnam, Viriboni, an acknowledged curtain raiser, was very impressive and drew the immediate attention of the audience. Hari's bowing and fingering as well as his sense of time measures is remarkable. It was also very thoughtful and appropriate on the part of Guru Chandru to have selected compositions like Giri raja suta, Nagumo mu, and Parat para, which are easy-phrased and ideally suited for initiates. Theeratha Vilayattu Pillai was another piece in leap frogging Kanda Chapu tala that made Hari, though young in age, show his remarkable understanding of sruthi and laya. Karaikudi Krishnamurthi displaying his legendary expertise on the Miridangam gave deserving support to the violinist along with the inimitable accompaniment on the Ghatam by Bangalore R. N. Prakash.
In arranging a repertoire for an Arangetram programme, particularly for students in this country, one feels, it is not advisable to include Ragam, Thanam, Palawi'. Adequate concept of Ragam, and Pallavi exposition requires years of listening and practice, which is not practicable in the case of our students here. Whether it is vocal or instrumental concert, avoiding this professional' item from the repertoire of Arangetram students, we believe is prudent. Instead, different compositions in varying tallas would help the students. Arangetam, we all agree, is not for judging professionalism.
-- Sivapatha Sundaram. Dharshan Kumaran - Newest British Chess Grandmaster
Dharshan Kumaran, 22, of Harrow, North London, has become a chess Grandmaster after a good performance in the recent Drury Lane Tournament at Covent Garden. Dharshan is a medical student at the University of Oxford and he is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Uyirilankumaran, both of whom are medical practitioners.
Dharshan was introduced to chess at the age of 3 and he has won many championships from a young age, notable among which are England Under 10 in 1984, World Under 12 in 1986 and World Under 16 in 1991. In 1993 he tied for first place in the British championship and became an international Master. He has been playing top board for Oxford University since he went there in 1993.
All Serious chess
upwards have a na grading based on th period. The title o (IM) is conferrred fo al Chess Federation a given grading and Stipulated numbero, at least a certain pr already IMs. The Grandmaster (GM) i in a similar way c further and perform number of tournan proportion of particip had won the require tWO previous tourn GMs and had to gain a Win, V% for a dra Tournament. He ac round and shared th GM from Croatia. Th in Britain and about
it may be recalle Anand, from Madras lenger in the World C against Kasparov ar the challenger again, ment his grading has in the world behind Kramnik. Apart from One other GM in India is the first person of become a chess Gra! ing to note that and going to be heard at World Chess and th Times would want to er SCCeSS.
Sharmini” Wocal Ara
I
e Common myth growing in an alien c. their rich culture, pro and are far inferior to South lindia, was sh. recently by Sharmini mini, a British Universi ly emploved as a Mic
 
 

AMTM ES 33
players from club level tional or international ir performance over a lnternational Master life bythe Internationwhen a player attains hen performs well in a tournaments in which portion of players are title of International also conferred for life n IMs who improve well in a stipulated ents with a Certain ating GMs. Dharshan i number of points in aments with several 6 out of 9 points (1 for v) in the Drury Lane ieved this in the last 2 second prize with a are are about 30 GMs 350 worldwide.
if that Vishwanathan lndia, was the chalhampionship in 1995 'd he coould well be although at the moslipped to third place the young Russian, Anand there is only l. Dharshan Kumaran Sri Lankan origin to idmaster. It is gratityother Tamil name is the highest levels of le readers of Tamil Wish DharShan furth
Dr. S. Sriharan.
S Brilliant angetram
ulture tend to forget nunciations, religion their counterparts in attered once again ThiruChelvam. Sharty graduate, currentro Biologist with an
American firm, had her Vocal Arangetram at the Wandsworth Town Hall on Sunday, 8th June before a distinguished audience of academics, musicians, friends and wellwishers.
A major share for Sharmini's excellence should be attributed to her Guru Sivasakthi Sivanesan. It is commonly known that Sivasakthi is one of the few teachers who refuse to be persuaded by parents to produce a 'halfbaked' Arangetram to suit their child's academic career. This discipline adopted by Sivasakthi may be due to the training she received in her famous Institution in India and followed by her at the Bhavan. We need more SivaSakthis in the field of dance and vocal music SO that each Arangetam would be a class of its own. Sharmini's training lasted for more than ten years while she continued with her O Levels, A Levels and University career and her hard training was visible i. her perfотатсе.
She started with Vanajakshi Varnan and after a kinitiand a composition on Lord Krishna she went on to Saint Thyagaraja's Sadinchene and Nagumomu which was the centre piece prior to the intermission. Her choice of Nagumomu was a happy One as Dr. John Marr of the London School of Oriental and African studies pointed out, if the Earth faced destruction and if he was allowed to take One item each from the worldly goods, he would take Nagumomu from South Indian Carnatic Music. Sharmini's Ragam Tanam Palawi was beautifully accompanied by Sangeetha Vidusi Thanathevy Mithradeva on Violin, Sri M. Balachandar on Miridangam, Sri R.N. Prakash on Ghatam and Sri K. Anandanadesan on Moresing. Sharmini's Thilana Gitadhunuku was preceded by a Bhajan on Saint Ragavendra which was full of devotion and moved some devotees to tears.
Mr. A. T. Moorthy, former High CommisSioner for Sri Lanka in Britain and Mrs. Moorthy were the chief guests. Dr. John Marr and Sri Karaikudy Krishnamoorthy were the guest speakers. Sharmini made the evening extremely enjoyable for all the invitees.
Wimal Sockanathan.
Sri Lankan Railway Past Employees Welfare Association
At the second get together of the above association held at John innes Youth Centre, Wimbledon on 14.6.97 the following office-bearers were elected. Patron: E. Fasakulasooriar, President: A. Manikkam, Vice-President: M. Balasundram; Secretary: S. Ponnudurai; Asst. Secy: K. Sarvananthan; Treasurer: N.S. Thambyrajah; Council of Management: P. Chellathurai, K. Paramanathan, S. Arumugam, N. Seevaratnam and A. Visagaratnam.
House in Colombo For Sale A large house on 12 perches near Galle Road, land side, ideal spot in Wellawate, good neighbourhood. Expect US dollars. Tel: 810 6473466 (USA).

Page 34
34 TAMILTIMES
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Woodgreen Bussiness Centre, 235 High Road, Woodgreen, Llo
0181-889 8486 MOBILE: O95652
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

15 JULY 1997
SKY WIMGS TD
WORLD WIDE TRAVEL AGENTS 1
Head Office 6ീരd Paർ(, ടീ( ( 24ർ
119 TOOTING HIGH STREET, TOOTING BROADWAY LONDON SW17 OSY
Tel: O181-6729111(6 Lines)
internet: http://www.luxmi.com/skywings E. Mail: skywings (aluxmi.com Mobile: 0850 876921, Fax: 0181-672 0951
MAN AGENT FOR &چھ ALANKA (Sip RAY'A JARE NANAN KJules. 24 Juli
AGENT FOR BRTISH AIRWAYS FOR WORLD WIDE TRAVEL
ALLMAJOR We are holding seats CREDCARDs during the months of NSTANT |69 JULY to DECEMBER to 24 HR. | A COLOMBO MADRAS SINGAPORE TCKETING
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ப்பட்ட பொருள்கள் வரை.
க்கு விசேட கட்டணம்.
ணங்கள். ப்ெபாவனை மின்சார உபகரணங்களுக்கு வரிவிலக்கு. நல்தர துரித விடுவிப்பு வசதிகள் அளிக்கப்படுகின்றன. சவைக்கு எங்களை நாடுங்கள். 9
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Page 35
15 JULY 1997
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