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Rev, MaduluWawe Sobhita Thera - The Woice of the Sinhala Cor Trission
Constitutional Reforms
One Country - One Peop.
the case of Shankar Rajee
Police on Rampage
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Sinhala Commission Rejects Devolution
SNHALA COMMISSION REPORT - The Biggest Conspiracy
Fierce Fighting Leaves 700 Dec.
LTTE INCLUDED INUS TERRORISTIT" LIST
Minister Mangala Sartiara Weera

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Tanil
ISSN 0266 - 44 88 Wol. XW No. 10 15 OCTOBER 1997
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CONTENS
Sinhala Commission On Devolution Sinhala Commission-A Conspiracy Fighting Leaves 700 Dead
TE in US ist Constitutional Reforms Ready Detained GA Released An Elegy foreastern Province Mangala and Sinhala Commission One Country-One People An Invitation to Feudalism Human Rights Situation Jaffna Impressions
UTHR Report
Benazir Bhutto The Case of Shankar Rajee Police Goon Rampage
Classified
O3 O4 O5
07
O9
18 19
23
27
The "Sinhala ( tuted last yearby a and Buddhistorgal the“grievances oft for the last two-hu What it described, on 17 September 19 that the governm devolution of powe bring about peace it represented a “f break-up of the co should be taken to ethnic division of t cal or other purpos The report was procession by the S mission clad in tra tire on the back of a Ceylon Buddhist C ella, Colombo, wh port were distribu speakers addresse Rev. Madihe Pa ing into the history previous"Buddhist of the 1950s said, hala-Buddhist cou cluding the rulers S fact. Nominority car Crimination in a tr Tamils and Muslims Sinhala Buddhists, store that environm Sinhalese would lo government's devol implemented.
Rev. Niyangoda that the devolution posed constitution package would cha torical base and its had remained unc years,
Rev. Maduluw said that the Comm at a crucial junctur ment was talking a constitution to devol lese Were a nation praise of the World a passionate people being branded as
 
 
 
 

TAMIL TIMES 3
EWS REVIEW
IIIIIIt IEWilliDIP]][sals" ays Sinhala Commission
ommission” constnumber of Sinhalese nisations to examine he Sinhalese people ndred years" issued as its interim report 997. The report stated ent's proposals for ir would not only not h the country, but also oundation for the untry". It said steps ensure there was no he country for politieS,
taken in a colourful secretary to the Comditional Kandyan atan elephant to the All ongress hall ln Borbre copies of the reited and a number da public meeting. nnaseehathera goof the report of the Affairs Commission" “Sri Lanka is a Sin Intry. Everybody inhould recognise that n complain about dise Buddhist society, lived peacefully with All We Want is to rement" adding that the se their country if the ution proposals were
IVijithasiriThera said package and the pro
giving effect to the nge the country's hisunitary character that :hallenged for 2500
awe Sobitha Thera ission was appointed e when the governbout bringing a new vepower. The Sinhathat had earned the is a tolerant and com. But today they are chauvinists and rac
ists.The Buddhists were the people who suffered most from 1815 to 1948 when the British ruled the country, Land belonging to the Sinhalese in the North and East were no more theirs. Twelve historic Bodhi trees have been felled down and 33,000 Sinhalese who lived in the North had been driven out. Though the government was saying that the package was to remove a historic injustice caused to Tamils, it did not say what this injustice was. The 1948, 1972 and 1972 constitutions recognised the unitary character of Sri Lanka, but today the government is going to introduce the concept of Union of Regions through a new constitution. He was calling upon President Kumaratunga and the UNP leader Rani Wickremasinghe to bow to public opinion and that of the Maha Sangha and abandon the government's
proposals.
The key points and recommendations of the Commission are: oThere is nothing to prevent an all powerful North-East Regional Council from treating the Constitution as a scrap of paper and declaring independence; o The heroic sacrifices of the armed forces in preserving the unity and territorial integrity of the country would have been in vain since the foundation for the break-up of the country would have been laid through this Devolution Package; oThe government has set in motion a gigantic propaganda campaign to make the people accept these proposals by calling them peace proposals thus deceiving the people into believing that peace can be restored only by implementing them, But the fact is that peace cannot be restored through these proposals because the LTTE has already rejected the Package. Peace can restored only by defeating those who have broken the peace, namely the LTTE; olt is the duty of all those who are concerned with safeguarding the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the country and wish to ensure that it is not broken up to educate the people on the grave dangers to the Sinhala people and

Page 4
4 TAM TIMES
call upon them to reject the government's proposals;
OThe people must call upon their representatives in Parliament to reject the draft constitution as it is fraught with the most serious consequences, both politically and economically for the Sinhala people as well as other communities and
will endanger Buddhism and lead to the
break-up of the country; o The whole of Sri Lanka is the homeland of all its citizens and no part of it shall be recognised as the exclusive possession or habitation of any ethnic community or linguistic group; o Steps should be taken to ensure that
there is no division political or other pur of ethnicity; o in any future con should be includeds of the present constit person or organisati the establishment of Sri Lanka; o Any devolution or power should ensure tus of Sri Lanka is sa government retains and order and police, harbours and airpor cal sites, and admin
The report of the Sinhala Commission opposing the government's proposals ondevolution was the biggest conspiracy against the majority and should be consigned to the dustbin, Mangala SamaraWeera, a seniorministerin President Kumaratunga's cabinet told a press conference in Colombo on 25 September.
Reacting to the Commission's report, the Post and Telecommunications and Media Minister, Mangala Samaraweera said, "The report is the biggest conspiracy against the Sinhalese. The Only people who will be happy are (Tamil Tiger rebel leader) Velupillai Prabhakaran and the arms dealers."
Samaraweera said the majority of
people shared his feeling that the report would be rejected by the Sinhalese. "Soon the Sinhala people will consign the report to where it rightfully belongs - to the dustbin of history," he said.
The Ministers powerful denunciation of the Commission's report produced predictable angry responses from some leading members of the Buddhist clergy, who were in the first place instrumental in the appointment of the Commission. The chief among them is Rev. Maduluwawe Sobitha who described the Minister's statement as a gross insult to the Sinhalese race and the Maha Sangha (Buddhist clergy), and demanded a public apology,
Some of the editorial Comments of the privately owned press, which has also been not favourable to the government's peace efforts, have also been critical of the Minister for being "immature" and "insensitive" in his remarks, However, an editorial comment in "The Observer" (18.9.97) published by the Lake House ridiculed the ceremonies associated with the presentation of the
Commission's repo: terms:
"There could ber cation of the contrac our national characte staged yesterday on handing over of their Sinhala Commission Theras. The reporth the back of a capar taken in procession \ to the Commission h do the honours dres nial regalia of a Kar this pomp and pano; report to the Mahan Malwatte Chapter wil of his calling is com and ascetic life....
"When the Sinha met, we commented of the commissione dress. Now on the ( the report public, th gress to the feudal p that in our search fo almost 50 years afte either have to look t ism or the days of c "In fact these co herent in the very cc hala Commission. investigate the grie lese people from th rule. Clearly the idea that it was not only have grievances, community the Sinh ved. This is equally parochial view of ( condition. It is left to bution a report prep mission can make building."
Following Mini
 

5 OCTOBER 1997
if the country for ses on the basis
itution, provision milar to Article 157 ion prohibiting any n from advocating separate state in
ecentralisation of (a) the unitary staaguarded, and the all Control over law state land, all ports, s, all archaeologistration of justice.
t in the following
lobetter exemplifiictions inherent in than the ceremony the occasion of the hterim report of the to the Mahanayake iad been borne on isoned tusker and Nhile the Secretary ad been at hand to sed in the ceremoIdyan chieftain. All bly to hand over the ayake Thera of the no by the very vows mitted to the frugal
la Commission first on the phenomenon Swearing western ccasion of making ey have had to reast. It is sad to think a national identity independence, we ) the age of feudallonial slavery. tradictions were innstitution of the Sinwas called upon to ances of the Sinhadays of the British was to tell the World eTamil people who ut as the majority lese too feel aggrieearly a narrow and ir present national e seen what contrired by such a Com) the act of nation
er Samaraweera's
comments, an orchestrated campaign was mounted against the government's proposals and the Minister in which hundreds of Buddhist priests have taken to take to the streets and holding protest meetings in Colombo and Matara, though attendance at these meetings have been disappointing to the organisers. Rev. Sobitha who is spearheading the campaign against the Minister said that the Maha Sangha could not be separated from the Sinhala Commission for the Buddhist priests have been involved in it from its inception and the Commission's report had the blessings of the Mahanayakes. He wanted the Minister to apologise for the disgrace he brought on the race and the Maha Sangha. Asked as to why the Minister should worship the Mahanayakes and then apologise, Rev. Sobitha said, "According to history even powerful kings have done that in similar circumstances" and gave examples from ancient times.
in a counter-move, public meetings attended by thousands of Buddhist priests who support the government's devolution proposals have also been held in an obvious response to the Sinhala Cornmission's report and the orchestrated campaign of protest meetings directed against Minister SamaraWeera.
An estimated 5,000 saffron-clad monks walked through the streets of Colombo on 7 October, laid flowers at the feet of a statue of Buddha and chanted prayers for peace in a promenade opposite Colombo's town hall."We cannot fight the war, we can only helpin bringing peace to the country," said Rev. Batapola Nandahimi Thera, the vice president of the All Ceylon Clergy Society and one of the organisers.
Rev. Baddegama Samitha Thera, a Buddhist monk from Southern Galle town, added:"This is to declare the Buddhist priests' opinion about the peace proposals that we are seeking a peaceful solution to the ethnic crisis in our country."
A political analyst in Colombo Commented that it was very clear that the Buddhist clergy can no longer be regarded as a monolithic entity holding similar views on the ethnic question as it once was. The ability of the organisers of the meeting in support of the government's devolution proposals to gather such a large number of Buddhist priests revealed that not only that there is a deep division within the clergy, but also that a substantial number of them no longer believed in the concept of imposing Sinhala-Buddhist hegemony over the rest of the population.
The Minister caughtup in the controversy produced by his remarks, in an apparent bid to clarify matters issued a

Page 5
15 OCTOBER 1997
statement on 1 October which sakd, "The Maha Sangha (clergy) was not mentioned in my statement. However, if any pain of mind was caused to the Maha Sangha, sincerely express my regret." Rejecting that he had insulted the Buddhist clergy by his remarks, the Minister in a press interview said," regret if some people try to misconceive my statement as disrespect to the Maha Sangha.That is sad, But there was no such intention, know there is a large section of the Maha Sangha who are supportive of the government's peace efforts. As true Buddhists they also want to see an ond to this war in which lots of innocent lives, including Sinhalese, are being lost. So still do not think It was an ill-conceived statement."
He reiterated that the sole objective of the Sinhala Commission had been to discredit the government's new constitutional proposals and that it was devoted to condemning the efforts to end "this cruel and devastating war."
Mr. Samaraweera said the Commission's report would strengthen the LTTE's claim that the Sinhalese Would never agree to the reasonable demands of the Tamil people, adding that the "Sinhala Commission has now come to Prabhakaran's rescue and made available to the LTTE a good publicity report to justify their cause before the eyes of the world." "if the war is prolonged the only people to get any benefit out of this are not the people of Sri Lanka, not the Sinhalese, notthesamils, not the Muslims, not the innocent young boys who are dying in the battlefield, it will be the arms dealers" the Minister said.
In answer to a question whether the government had lent weight to the Commission's report by expressing its displeasure, Mr.Samaraweera said, "Look at the Sinhala Commission. It is the for ces behind this pseudo commission, which have in various guises been coming forward at various points in history to obstruct any solution to this problem, Each time these forces agitated, the problem became even more acute and was passed ontoyet another generation, What could have been solved very easily, perhaps in 1957, has today become a tragic and devastating problem, And so We must not underestimate these forces, We must accept that they are going to oppose sooner or later. That is what their sole intention was."
"Even though SWR D Bandaranaike as the then Prime Minister had the Wisionwanting to implement the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam Pact in 1957, he was prevented from doing so. Looking back, I would say one of the saddest days of modern history was the day he tore of the B-C Pact because of the pres
sure from certains Maha Sangha. Int he made that day mead Place, he tokc priests; even thoug your request, you Y this action in 20 ye dicted, by 1976 the had already begun try with the killingo Mr.Samaraweeras Accusing the C cluding in its repor lese who gave evkd ing its recommen weera said, "The S does not talk about Sinhala people. In on the government als and On the new Buddhist priests w ally wanted to give mission, Since the agenda of this Cor not invited. Eventh Were invited haven
Presiden Carry on Pe Sri Lanka's nor partles, in respons by the Sinhala Com government's devol reafirmed ther su ment's peace proc dent Chandrika Ku attempts by extre peace initiatives.
Tamil United Lil President Muruges said that whenevel approach to the eth
Lea
The ongoing m the highway from \ sulted in fierce figh ment forces and th the battles that rag tober in the Vannir batants on both s have been killed a jured,
While military that several hundr Were killed, a state ber from theTiger halese troops, incl ing officers, werek over the last few ( October). Several severely wounded War Was Kanakara

TAMIL TIMES 5
ections, again of the he famous statement at the gates of Rosthe waiting Buddhist h I am doing this at vill see the results of ars". Just as he preseeds of separatism to evolve in this CounFAlfred Duraiappah." aid.
ommission of not inthe views of Sinhaence before it opposdations, Mr. SamaraSinhala Commission the grievances of the stead it is an attack s devolution proposconstitution. Several hom I know personvidence to the Comy did not fit into the mmission, they were e ideas of those who ot been represented.
it Urged to hace Proceso
-LTTE Tamil political e to a report issued mission rejecting the ution proposals, have pport to the governess and urged Presimaratunga to ignore mists' to disrupt her
beration Front(TULF) su Sivasithamparam there was a healthy nic issue, the extrem
ist forces were all out to destroy it."Past events remain a good lesson for the present generation of politicians to take meaningful steps in solving the ethnic crisis. We dio not want this crisis to continue without an end. Much of the evldence given in the Sinhala Commission was incorrect and baseless. Determination to find a durable solution to the ethnic issue is the need of the hour. Therefore we earnestly urge the President to stand by her peace initiatives to end the ethnic conflict," he said,
Savumyamoorthy Thondaman, leader ofthe CeylonWorkers Congress, and a cabinet minister, said, "it looks as if the extremists are trying to activate their campaign again to drail the peace moves taken by the PA government. believe that the President is strong enough to face the elements obstructing peace, The best thing Would suggest is to go ahead with the government's peace moves and ignore the extremists."
D, Sitharthan of the People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), which has returned to mainstream democratic politics having been in the past a militant armed group, said, "The earlier peace packages were also in disarray due to pressure by the extremist forces. In future the ruling and opposition parties must join hands in isolating the extremists.The President and her government are trying their best to find a solution to the ethnic Crisis. Therefore the interruptions in the nature of reports and comments by the extremist forces will definitely be harmful to the genuine peace efforts. We are hopeful and confident that the President will overcome such obstacles."
Fierce Fighting Ves OVer 700 Dead
ilitary thrust to open savuniyato Jafna reting between governeTamil Tigers and in jed during 5 to 9 Ocegion, over 700 comides are reported to hd many more left in
spokesmen claimed eds of Tiger fighters ment dated 11 Octosaid, "Over 500 Siniding three high rankled in battles in Vanni lays (5 October to 9
hundred Were also The main theatre of ynakulam and the re
glon northeast of it. Apart from the large loss of life among the Sri Lankan army, valuable military hardware was captured by the LTTE. The quantity of captured items is on a scale unprecedented in the history of the conflict, Most of this hardware was captured in Vignanakulam and Karapukuthi, and included a considerable number of military vehicles, in addition, LTTE forces captured a large number of motorcycles, power generators, water pumps, construction materials, barbedwire rolls, military uniforms, cooking utensils and vast quantities of rice, flour, dhal and dried fish,
A previous statement from the LTTE dated 10 October said that"in the heavy clashes that took place atWingnakulam, Karapukuthy and Katkidanku, Sri Lankan

Page 6
6 TAM TIMES
troops suffered heavy casualties and were forced to withdraw to their original positions. LTTE forces have now regained control of these three towns and have meanwhile isolated and cutoff supply lines to the soldiers occupying
Karapattamurippu, situated on the Mullaitivu-Mankulam road. 162 LTTE fighters have been killed in these battles. In these counter-offensive operations LTTE commando units have captured several ammunition depots and secured an immense quantity of arms and ammunition." The LTTE statement also listed the numbers and the different kinds of military hardware they claim to have captured from government forces."
The LTTE statement added, "Sri Lankan army stragglers and deserters from the last few day's fighting are being systematically hunted down in the jungles by LTTE forces. Many occupying Sinhalese armed personnel earlier lost their nerve and fled into the jungles. They are now being pursued in TTE search and destroy operations. Over the last 48 hours, LTTE forces have been combing day and night the jungles bordering Karappkuththi, Vignanakulamand Sinna Adampan”
An earlier statement from the LTTE issued on 9 October said that the "troops who TTE forces pushed back from Karapattamurippu to Periamadu and Sinna Adampan, made several futile attempts to link up with their stranded colleagues in Karipattamurippu, LTTE forces prevented any such link up. The
Karipattamurippu troops are now effectively besieged and surrounded by LTTE forces. These besieged soldiers are in disarray. They have no means of contact with the rest of the troops except by two-way radio. A major rescue attempt made by army was foiled by LTTE forces, who inflicted heavy losses on the occupying forces in terms of lives and equipment.
The claims made by the LTTE in their statements about the battles they were engaged in and the capture of an unprecedented quantity and quality of weapons have by and large been confirmed in a detailed report by the well informed correspondent of "The Sunday Times" (12 October 1997). Having confirmed in detail the sustained manner in which the Tigers took on the troops and stormed their bastions, the report states, "Security forces killed in action during confrontations from Sunday to Friday (5 to 10 October) is said to be just over 110 with more than 520 injured. This pushes the total number of soldiers killed in the 152 day long operation to over 810 and the Wounded to over 4500, More than 11 OO of those injured have been left out of
battle, according to
"But there are fe known number mayt exact Count has no This is from an est soldiers declared M lowing the string of final tally will be only with those at Karupp
The United Sta plans to bar suppor groups" from the cou bank accounts as pa rorism legal drive, bu punitive measures i sion may be subject are overcome.
US Secretary c Albright announced of 30 organizations which are lslamic fur based in the Middle nals “the United Ste ing its leadership against international Besides the 14 o in the Middle East, ment list includes | operating in tha Uni ers from Japan, Turk Cambodia, Sri Lank Colombia and Peru Lanka, the Liberati Eelam (LTTE), which in a protracted vic Lankan government teen years, has beel list of "terrorist orga The inclusion of in its list announced roristorganisations" did not come as a st Sri Lankan Foreign Kadirgamar had al conference on 3 O spoken in regard to LTTE in the US listt Madeleine Albright "decision was ex added that Sri Lan positive."
in announcing Albright said, "Our United States fully a rorist Zone"She sai representatives of are hereby ineligib the US, andare subj the United States. A organisations have
 

15 OCTOBER 1997
hilitary officials. 's that a further undead although the been established. nated 100 to 150 ssing in Action folLTTE attacks. The after troops link up adimurippu.
"The attacks at Puliyankulam by the LTTE quite clearly demonstrates that they are by no means a weakened force as often claimed by the politico-military establishment. Neither does the ferocity and size of the attack go in any way to support the boasted premise that the war is 85 per cent over and only a mere 15 per cent needs to be completed."
es administration ers of 30 "terrorist try and freeze their rtofa new anti-tertobservers say the Volved in the decito legal challenges
f State Madeleine on 8 October the list - nearly one half of damentalist groups East-saying it sigtes is demonstratand determination
terror." rganizations based the State Departtwo Jewish groups ted States and othcey, Greece, Spain, ca, Pakistan, Chile, . In the case of Sri on Tigers of Tamil has been engaged blent war with Sri forces for nearlyffincluded in the US hisations". the LTTE by the US On 8 October of“terwas anticipated and Irprise because the Minister Lakshman eady told a press ctober that he had the inclusion of the Secretary of State who had told him a lected soon," and a hoped "it will be
the list, Madeleine goal is to make the no - support forterthat members and hese organisations e for visas to enter act to exclusion from nd any funds these in the U.S. will be
blocked, she added.
"The United States is responding to the threat (of terrorism) with every available tool. We are seeking the help and co-operation of all our citizens, and we seek to help the co-operation of peoples from around the world," she said adding that this requires a recognition that terrorism is not a self-sustaining enterprise. "It needs money and supplies to Succeed"
The 1996 anti-terrorism law in the US was enacted after a string of suicide bombings in Israel carried out by the Palestinian group Hamas, which is opposed to the Middle East peace process, and a high-profile summit of world leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
The law forbids, which was blocked in July by a California federal court, constitutionally protected fund raising for those groups in the United States. In addition, the bank accounts of members or supporters of the 30 groups will be frozen and they will be barred from residing or entering the United States.
The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco largely rendered ineffective the new anti-terrorism law three months ago when it rejected the government's efforts to deport seven Palestinlan immigrants for supporting the lawful activities of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which is on the list which was announced by Albright. The court ruled immigrants have the First Amendment right to raise money and promote the legal activities of an extremist group, providing they do not intend to support terrorism,
Albright and her aides acknowledged the legal challenges facing the anti-terrorism law, but said the measures are "fully justified" and worth fighting for in the American Courts.
Following is a list of the groups designated by the United States on as foreign terrorist organizations: Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) - Palestinian; Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) - Filipino; Armed Islamic Group (GIA) - Algerian; Aum

Page 7
15oCTOBER 1997
Shinrikyo (Aum) - Japanese; Euzkadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) - Basque); Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine -
Hawatmeh Faction (DFLP)-Palestinian;
HAMAS (Islamic Resistance Movement) - Palestinian; Harakat ul-Ansar (HUA) - Pakistani; Hizbollah (Party of God) - Lebanese; Gama'a al-Islamiyya (Islamic Group, IG) - Egyptian; Japanese Red Army (JRA) - Japanese; al-JihadEgyptian; Kach - Jewish; Kahane Chall - Jewish; Khmer Rouge - Cambodian; Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - Turkish Kurdish; Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) - Sri Lankan; Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front Dissidents (FPMR/D) - Chilean; Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK, MKO) - Iranian; National Liberation Army (ELN) - Colombian; Palestine Islamic Jihad - Shaqaqi Faction (PIJ) - Palestinian; Palestine Liberation Front - Abu Abbas Faction (PLF) - Palestinian; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)-
Palestinian; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC)-Palestinian; Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) - Colombian; Revolutionary Organization 17 November (17 November) - Greek
Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) - Turkish; Revolutionary People's Struggle (ELA) - Greek; Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso, SL) - Peruvian;Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) - Peruvian.
LITE Reaction In reacting to the US decision, the LTTE in a statement dated 10 October said "that the attempt by the U.S. Government to tarnish the image of our movement will not in any way affect the popular support and sympathy we enjoy among the world's Tamils."
The full text of the LTTE statement said, "We wish to express our deep dismay and displeasure over the decision of the U.S. State Department to include our liberation organisation in the highly controversial list of so-called world terrorist movements.
"It is indeed regrettable that the American nation, which secured its own independence after a violent struggle for self-determination, and has ever since championed the cause of human freedom, has chosen to characterise and discredit the legitimate struggle of the Tamil people seeking to determine their political status, as a phenomenon of terrorism. We consider this indictment by the U.S. State Department unfair, unfounded and irresponsible.
"We wish to state that the U.S. declsion to malign the Tamil freedom movement as a form of terrorism has far-reaching consequences in that it will en
courage the raci: sue its policy of W sion against the calate the prese rather imprudent cate Sri Lanka, record of human in any way help t and reconciliatior ute to the genoc Tamination.
"It will amou culation on the pi tration if this pro designed to stifli tional support of munity to the Ee spearheaded by Tamil community conviction in the gle and in the pas people for freedc nation and oppres confident that th Government to ta movement will nic popular supporta among the world Sri Lanka Sri Lankan gc has hailed the U.
The governm nalised a full ve constitutions ref placed before the Select Committe the Minister of Ju: Affairs, G.L. Peiris a series of refere geographical un north and east, Constitution is in a news conferenc ober.
"We are not sion or any othe far as the govern now have a self-c set of proposals pects of the devo Said.
He said som expressed reser of the Constitutio proposed alterna government had changes that wot of some powers t cluding a Tamil ac north and east.
 

TAM MES 7
st Sinhala state to purar and military represfamils and thereby esht armed conflict. This diplomatic move toplaMhich has a notorious ights violations, will not he prospects of peace , but rather will contribidal destruction of the
ht to a serious miscalart of the U.S. adminishibitionary measure is the growing interna
the World Tamil comam liberation struggle
the LTTE. The World
has an unshakeable
egitimacy of our strugsionate yearning of our om from Sinhala domiision.Therefore, we are e attempt by the U.S. urnish the image of our st in any way affect the und Sympathy we enjoy samils" Hails Decision overnment on the hand S. decision and said it
expected other countries to follow suit. "It's a victory for Sri Lanka's foreign policy and a testimony of a strong and healthy bilateral relationship with the United States." Foreign Ministry spokesman Ravinatha Aryasinha told newspapers on 9 October.
"One can expect the spillover effect on other governments and international organisations which are looking at the issue. The LTTE, which has been portraying itself as a liberation organisation, has by this decision been squarely placed as a terrorist group." Aryasinha said.
"They (LTTE) have been identified as a terrorist organisation because they are considered to be a threat to U.S. interests" a spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Colombo told the press.
But Anton Raja, a spokesman for the LTTE in London, was quoted in agency reports as predicting that the US decision would only lengthen the conflict in Sri Lanka"It is regrettable that the US has taken this step as it will only help prolong the war" he said. He accused Washington of ignoring what he said were atrocities committed by Sri Lankan forces in the north and east of the island.
OV's Constitutional
Reforms Ready
ent, for its part, has firsion of the proposed orms which Would be all-party Parliamentary e shortly, according to stice and Constitutional S. Sri Lanka could hold hdums to decide on the it of devolution of the put only after the new place, the Minister told e in Colombo on 2 Oct
excluding any discuspoint of views, but as ment is concerned we Ontained and complete with regard to all asution proposals." Peiris
e political parties had rations about Sections alreforms but had not tive amendments. The }roposed constitutional ld allow the devolution O regional councils, inministrative unit in the
Peiris said once the new constitution was enacted, people in the eastern districts of Trincomalee and Batticaloa Could decide whether the people living there want to be merged with the Tamil-dominated northern province. If the vote was formerging with the northern province, referendums would be held in three towns in eastern Batticaloa district, where Muslims are a majority, on whether they want to join the eastern province or become a separate Council, Peiris said
Another referendum could also be held in the Sinhalese-dominated Amparai district, and people would be asked whether they want to be part of the eastern province or join with the south-centra Uva province, he said.
"There has to be some form of ConSultation with the people of those areas. Otherwise, morally, how could you justify any decision made here on their behalf." Peiris asked.
Analysts in Colombo say that the government's constitutional move is intended to meet some of the demands of the Tamil people, and by and large the non-LTTE Tamil parties have been sup

Page 8
8 TAMIL TIMES
portive of the government's efforts. But the LTTE, which is engaged in a bitter war with government forces, is expected to dismiss the proposals outright.
In regard to negotiating with the LTTE, the government has said it would be willing to talk to the LTTE only after a consensus among the majority Sinhalese political parties - at least between the government party and the opposition United National Party - was reached.
Tamil Parties Object
However, Tamil parties expressed serious reservations about the Minister's proposal to hold referendums to decide geographical unit of devolution in the north and east, saying they would only Worsen the ethnic divide which has sparked a bloody civil War.
"The division of the north and east into several pieces and holding a referendum for each piece would only result
in aggravating the e Douglas Devananda People's Democrati will not accept any because nearly am displaced internally north and east will cise their vote," he a "Apoliticalsolut on a merger of then the government is of the country whys homeland of the T questioned Devana "The north and porarlymergedund peace accord sign ago, We want the g out with some thing than trying to bisect said Suresh Prema the Eelam People's eration Front (EPRL
“Tam Eelam-Scotland friendsh
Hundreds of Eelam Tamils will be arriving in Edinburgh, for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting ( CHOGM) to forge a new friendship between the emerging nations of Scotland and Tamil Eelam (The Tamil Nation in Sri Lanka), states a news release issued on 3 October by the "Tamil Forum for Commonwealth 1997".
According to the release, "The friendship train begins its journey at 7am (25. 10.97) from King's Cross station carrying hundreds of EelamTamils and arrives at Edinburgh Waverley station at 12 noon. From the station the Tamils Will Walk in procession towards the specially constructedTamil Eelam Marquee on the Roof Top Plaza of Waverley shopping centre. At 1.30p.m, the Tamil Festival of Culture will start in the Tamil Eelam Marсguee.
“Tamil Eelam Nation's presence in Scotland during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Edinburgh has a political significance in relation to the events happening in Sri Lanka. The worldwill hear the authentic voice of the Tamil Eelan Nation, which is ruthlessly suppressed by the Sinhala Buddhist fundamentalist regime of Sri Lanka, whose President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge will also be present at the CHOGM.
"Journalists are invited to travel with the Tamil Eelam Diaspora on the train journey where they will be able to meet many members of the Tamil community, This is also a unique opportunity for interviews and discussions.
"Also the Tamil Festival in Edinburgh
and other political ac Diaspora in Scotlant tober will Create ma ries for the press. M developments will e ing weeks as the Tar prepares itself for th strength."
A former chief Lanka's northern Jal arrested and detair siphoning funds to th in office was releas lombo court on 3 O
Cheliah Pathm Government Agent from August this ye. tion of Terrorism A and released aftert agreed to his bail a tions for granting bal ordered to surrend report to the police
Pathmanathan officer for rehabilitat under the control C cember 1995 whe regained control C was promoted as th in November 1995 kan troops captur continued in the po when he was trans
 

15 OCTOBER 1997
hnic problem," said eader of the Eelam Party (EPDP). "We pe of referendum ion people who are nd externally in the ot be able to exerdded, on should be based rthi and east. When gainst the division ould the traditional mils be divided?" da. past has been temr the Indo-Sri Lanka ld nearly 10 years }Vernment tO COrne more than this, other the two provinces." chandran, leader of Revolutionary LibF),
pTrain"
:tivities by the Tamil d on the 25th of Ocny interesting stoAany more exciting merge in the commili Eelam Diaspora is massive show of
administrator of Sri sna district, who was ed on suspicion of eLTTE while he was ed on bail by a Cotober, anathan, a former of Jaffna, detained ir under the Prevent, was granted ball e Attorney General plication. As condPathmanathan Was )r his passport and
very month. served as a project On Jaffna which was the LTTE until Degovernment forces the peninsula. He Government Agent just before Sri Land Jaffna town, and tuntil early this year rred to Colombo, In
vestigations began after he was transferred to the capital Colombo,
Preliminary investigations had revealed that Pathmanathan siphoned off more than 108 million rupees ($1.8 million) overa period of five years from food supply funds and payments for transport trucks, police said,
Police officials said Pathmanathan had paid excess money to the LTTE for hiring their trucks to transport food to the northern areas, which were under LTTE control. But Pathmanathan's lawyers told the court that the former offcial had little to do with payments to the LTTE as the money had been given to the truckers' association in Jaffna, which in turn paid individual truck owners.
Mothers of "Disappeared"Protest
The Mothers Front of Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka, which is under the control of government forces, formed to track the whereabouts of 750 Tamil civilians who are reported have "disappeared" after being taken into custody have been staging protests against the lack of government action intrace the missing persons. The Front has pointed out that the government's "human rights taskforce" never materialised, and neither are there any signs of the promised
"human rights commission" carrying out investigations in Jaffna. The also allege that in Jaffna is therefore left without any means to check human rights violations committed by the government's security forces, which continue to be on the increase,
The Mother Front held a protest fast in the Nallur Kandasamy temple premises 19th September. It is reported that over 500 women participated in this symbolic gesture.
Taim Activist
K|e
A Tamil political activist reportedly belonging to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, which is apart of the ruling People's Alliance was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the northern Jaffnapeninsula 3 October,
S.P Dharmalingam, 57, was at his residence at Colombuthural village in Jaffna when the gunmen shot him dead. It was not immediately clear why and by whom Dharmalingam was killed. But the police promptly placed the blame for the murder on the Tamil Tigers who have not made any statement either accepting or denying responsibility for the killing.

Page 9
15 OCTOBER 1997
AN“ELEGY”
FORTHEEASTERNPRO
DBS Jeyaraj
ern province of Sri Lanka is in for drastic transformation soon. The boundaries of this sprawling province hugging the greater part of the eastern coast are to be re-demarcated in keeping with the current political imperatives of the Country. Of course it all depends on whether the people of the country at large in general and those of the Easten region in particular go along with the controversial proposal regarding the possible trifurcation of the Province.
Earlier it was proposed to have a series of mini-referenda for the East in order to carve out new units of devolution. The first Was for Voters in the eastern districts of Batticaloa and Trincomalee. They would have to decide on the question of whether or not such districts and the administrative districts of Jaffna, Kilinochi, Vavuniya, Mannar and Mullaitheevu should form one region to be designated as the North-Eastern region.
In short the people of Batticaloa and Trincomalee were to decide whether they wanted to merge with the northern province or not. If these people voted against such an option two separate Regional councils would be established for the northern region and the eastern region separately. These were in effect the present northern and eastern provinces without any changes of boundary.
If the voters of Trincomalee and Batticaloa opted for linkage to the north, then a second referendum was to be held in the polling divisions of Sammanthurai, Pottuwil and Kalmunai in the Amparai district of the Eastern Province, These were the electoral divisions corresponding to the earlier electorates of the district. These electoral divisions were to be asked whether they wanted to join the envisaged North-Eastern Region or not. If the answer was in the affirmative these divisions would also be merged with it, if the answer is negative then a new region comprising the Kalmunai, Pottuvill and Sammanthurai electoral divisions would be created. This would be called the South-Eastern Region.
in that situation a third referendum would be held in the Amparai or Digamadulla electoral division of the same district. These voters had the option of either joining the Uva Province or remai
T he territorial integrity of the East
ning a separate el the central govern a separate Eastern the Amparai electo the option of joinin In this manner paved the way for a ern Province to be stages in three refe the results of thes East was faced wi for the future. A tri or keeping the Cu intact. These refer only to the Easter distinctly different to referendum stipula the proposed Cons the contemplated binding referendun This Was the o governmentregar of the Eastern Pro were revealed at a after a special cabir the idea. Neverthe action to the idea fr« Muslim parties net of position. The ne by Constitutional Al ister Professor G l meeting of the P. Committee on Co Later another spe cabinet endorsedi According to th fora second refere Kalmunai and Sant visions to establis Province was done proposal was for th lishment of the Sc consisting of the thi if the voters of the ticaloa districts vo' to merge with the ( ern Province.
if and when tha manthurai, Kalimur torates Would autom into the South-Eas a separate referenc ctorate voters will dum where they w they wanted to hav setup. If the verdic tive then it would
 

TAM TIMES 9
htity administered by ment. In the event of region being Created, a division Voters had g that Province too. the original proposal electors of the EastConsulted at different renda. Depending on e mini-referenda the th three possibilities Furcation, bifurcation rrent territorial limits enda were confined h Province and were both the island-wide ednecessary toratify stitutional changes or consultative or non
. riginal position of the ding the future status Vince, These details press conference too netmeeting endorsed less subsequent reSm differentTami and cessitated a revision w plan was revealed fairs and Justice MinPeiris at the recent arliamentary Select nstitutional Reform. cial meeting of the t. is proposal the need indum in the Pottuvil, manthurai polling dish a South-Eastern away with. The new he mandatory estabuth-Eastern Region ee electoral divisions rincomalee and Bated in the affirmative districts of the North
thappened the Samai and Pottuvil elechatically be converted ern Province without um.The Amparaiellethen have a referenould decide whether 'e their own regional t was in the affirmabe duly proclaimed.
Otherwise the Amparai electoral division would be attached to the adjoining Uva province. Until that time the area will be administered directly by the Central government.
If the Trincomalee and Batticaloa voters rejected the idea of merging with the North then there would be no new SouthEastern province or region. But the voters of Amparai will be given the option of merging with the Uva or being separate but interestingly not remaining part of the Eastern province.
it must be realised that the devising of this formula as well as the old were all conditioned or influenced by the complicated ethnic composition of the Eastern province. The policy makers have been subject to the contending aspirations of the various ethnicities while being mindful of political realities. There is on the one hand a political desire to dismantle the current North-Eastern linkage set up ten years ago by presidential proclamation in accordance with provisions of the Indo-Lanka Accord. This position though tenuous still stands to date.
Rightly or wrongly it is perceived that majority Sinhala opinion would not tolerate the unconditional merger of the Tamil dominated North and the Tamil majority East. They want the North and East to be separate. Tamil opinion however disfavours such a de-merger and Wants institutionalised recognition of a merged north-east are alamil province. The government seems to feel that allowing Such a set-up would provoke a Sinhala backlash. This would possibly result in the total devolution package being rejected by the Sinhala people.
President Kumaratunga however is keen to provide the substance of devolution amounting to quasi-federalism for the regions particularly the North-East. She does not want to grant the "shell" of devolution as proposed by the 13th amendment enacted by the UNP regime. Stating that extensive devolution was provided under the old provincial councils is according to this government a deception of the Tamil people. The PA under Chandrika wants to provide genuine devolution for the peripheral units.
For this the President knows that a consensus to which the Sinhala people subscribe to is necessary. In order to procure majority consent for maximum devolution she thinks that an impression of the North-Eastern Province being "handed over" to the Tamils in its entirety should be avoided. The 13th amendment conceded on the unit of devolution by evolving a temporary merger of the north and east but cutback on the Substance of devolution by reducing or undermining the scope and extent of powers de

Page 10
10 TAMILTMES
volved to the provincial councils.
Kumaratunga wants to constrict the Tamil unit of devolution if necessary but does not want to reduce the powers devolved to the councils. That is why she wants to prevent a total north-east merger which would be construed by the Sinhala hardliners as a sell out to the Tamils. She feels that the projection of such an impression would prove detrimental to the whole devolution project. Devolving extensive powers to the unit can always be justified as this is applicable to all regions. It is not asymmetrical devolution to the Tamil region alone. This naturally is not welcomed by a vociferous section of Tamils Who Want both provinces to form one unit with current boundaries intact. Kumaratunga is not in a position to allow that. At the same time she is resolved to accommodate Tamil aspirations in this respect as far as possible. Kumaratunga does not want a total de-merger as she realises that it would be totally unacceptable to Tamil opinion at this juncture. This explains the new proposal that envisages some changes to the current eastern province but provides for a very positive opportunity for the bulk of the Tamil districts to merge together.
At the same time there is also the comparatively new development of emerging Muslim sub-nationalism mobilised in territorial terms within the Eastern Province. The separate ethnic consci ousness of the Muslims was not taken into account by the Indo-Lanka accord provisions. The rise of the primarily North-East based Muslim Congress and the inclusion of that party in her fragile government has necessitated an accommodation of the Muslim viewpoint too.
The proposed formula of re-demarcating the Eastern Province through referenda is aimed then at providing the three ethnic groups an opportunity to carve out for themselves three councils that would be dominated by their respective ethnic groups. The envisaged north-eastern region consisting of the Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Mullaitheevu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Kilinochi and Jaffna districts would have a Tamil majority of 81%. The envisaged South-Eastern province comprising the electoral divisions of Sammanthurai, Pottuviland Kaimunal will have a Muslim majority of 59%. The Amparai electoral division if transformed into a separate region will have a Sinhala majority of 95%.
In 1881 the Eastern Province population had an ethnic ratio of 59.12%Tamits, 33.71% Muslims and 4.66%. Sinhalese. A century later at the last official census taken in 1981 the ethnic ratio Was 42,14%Tamils, 32,28% Muslims 24,92% Sinhalese. There has been a drastic de
crease in the Tamil ginal decrease in th while the Sinhales corded a phenomer mainly through the S nisation schemes W were re-located at g in the traditional ho speaking peoples.
The Sinhala rat 4% even in 1921 inc ing the State Cour bounds in the post-l The demographic nic composition of tion has been ama Sri Lankan Tamils i rent population pro nic ratio at roughly 3 lim and 3O%. Sinh declining Tamil po along with the ongo are the main factors demand for a North There is a degl extremist circles ab of the proposed refe Why not the entire in one move? Or w referendum for all rately? Why shot Trincomalee distric Why should the Mu Council automati North-Eastern regi should the Sinhala electorate be deniec ing in the East? etc. plexing questions.
The simple an tions may not be t critics of Chandrik see in her every m spiracy to undermi Yet the harsh real exercise has beer lated to provide th the maximum poss curing a pre-pond East Region short of both provinces. Muslims have been to carve out a dis they would be the
The current eth lee too has chang majority district no 35.8% Sinhala, 32 Muslim people. If 34.3%, Sinhala 33 lims. The ravages resulted in massiv with the process o Sulted in the demo mental to Tamils. L district has roughl Muslim and 19% interesting to notet

5 OCTOBER 1997
opulation and amar3 Muslim population
population has reall increase. This was tate sponsored colohere Sinhala settlers overnment expense meland of the Tamil
o that stood at only reased by leaps durcil era and through dependence period. Literation of the ethheir area of habitajor grievance of the n recent times, Cur||ections put the eth18%famil, 32% Musala. The reality of a bulation in the East ing effects of the war reinforcing the Tamil -East linkage. ee of resentment in out the methodology rendum for the East. East go to the polis thy not a staggered three districts sepald Batticaloa and its go it alone first? Islim South-Eastern cally evolve if the on is created? Why dominated Amparai dan option of remainare some of the per
swer to these queso the liking of Tamil a Kumaratunga who ove a diabolical conne the Tamil people. ty is that the whole I deliberately calcue Sri Lankan famils ble advantage in seerantly Tamil Northof a complete linkage o a lesser extent the given an opportunity tinct territory where majority community, nic ratio in Trincomaed. The once Tamil v has a population of 1%Tamil and 28,6% 1981 it was Tamil 4% and 28.6% Musof the War that has displacementalong colonisation has reraphic change detriikewise the Amparai f 41% Sinhala, 40% amil population. It is lat Even Amparaidis
trict as at present does not have a Muslim majority, Batticaloa district however has an overwhelming Tamil majority of 72.9% and a minority of 25.9% Muslims. it is obvious that if a province-wide referendum or a district by district referendum is held sheer arithmetic will defeat the Tamil aspiration of an extended North-Eastern homeland. A substantial combination of Sinhala and Muslim votes will defeat the merger with the north concept on a provincial level (Sinhala 30%+Muslim 32% = 62% >Tamil 38%). Likewise a district by district referendum will result only in the Tamil majority Batticaloa opting for a merger, in Trincomalee and Amparai the combined Sinhala and Muslim population is 64% and 81% respectively. So the chances are that the idea of linkage with the North will be vetoed in both districts.
A further complication would be a situation where Batticaloa opts to merge with the north but finds itself faced with a problem of territorial non-contiguity as the Trincomalee district in between the north and Batticaloa has rejected a merger, With Amparai and Trincomalee opting out Batticaloa choosing to merge would probably be politically nullified. It is to prevent such a scenario and provide the Tamils with a maximum possible opportunity to link the maximum possible eastern territory with the north that the idea of getting Trincomalee and Batticaloa to vote as one entity at the referendum has been mooted.
Let us look at the voter lists available.There are three electoral divisions in the Batticaloa district. In Kalkuda the voters in terms of ethnicity are famil 54, 194; Muslim 22,350; Sinhala 357. In Batticaloa the figures are Tamil 80,296; Muslim 42,205; Sinhala 1188. In Paddiruppu the voters are Tamil 67,206 and Sinhala 780. The total number of electors for the district are 269,904.
In the case of Trincomalee district it has three electoral divisions. Tamils are 45,148 in Trincomalee electorate, 17,339 in Mutur and 8,595 in Seruwilla.The Muslims are 14,312 in Trincomalee, 535 in Seru Willa and 44,520 in Mutur, The Sinhalese are 15,643 in Trincomalee, 2,371 in Mutur and 54,348 in Seruwila. The total number of electors in the district are 195,667.
By stipulating a joint referendum for Batticaloa and Trincomalee the Tamil aggregate will be 272,588 while the Muslim voters would be 123,722 and Sinhalese 63,727. Percentage-wise it would be 58.49% Tamil, 26.55% Muslim and 13.71% Sinhala in the combined Trincomalee-Batticaloa region. It is patently clear that combining both has elevated Tamils as the majority community in the (Continued on page 29)

Page 11
15 OCTOBER 1997
MANGALA AND
SINHALA COMMIS
By Amaradasa Fernando
hen Mangaia Samarawelera W said that the Sinhala Commission were traitors to the Sinhala nation and soon would find themselves "thrown into the dustbin of history" he was echoing what Leon Trotsky said of the Mensheviks who opposed the Bolsheviks in ushering the Russian Revolution.
He said, "you are a contemptible lot, you have outlived your historical role. Your place is in the dustbin of history." Looking back into the prism of history, Trotsky was proved correct. Doubtless to say, this will be the same fate of the agitators against the devolution package. Minister Samaraweera should be congratulated for his forthrightness. What the Sinhala Commission has done is to attempt to roll back the inexorable march of progress and history. They believe that they are the modern standardbearers of the Buddhist Commission which in 1955 had a great influence in the formation of the MEP Government of Mr S W R D Bandaranaike in 1956.
At that time, there was a Sinhala Buddhist nationalist renaissance. The disabilities to the Sinhalese and Buddhists were many. This was part of the legacy of the colonial rulers coming from Portuguese times.
These disabilities were in the fields of education, employment, religion etc. when the Buddhists were treated as "infidels".
What the Sinhala Commissioners and those who support them seem to think is that they will be able to whip up the same communal and racist fervour that the Buddhist Commission was able to buildup, What they have forgotten is that a great deal of water has flowed under the Kelani Bridge since the Buddhist Commission Report.
Racist agitators consisting of Buddhist monks and the laity started demonstrations when Mr Bandaranalike attempted to take away the sting of the "Sinhala Only" Act by introducing the Reasonable Use of Tamil Bill in 1958, assuaging the fears of the Tamils.
It was easy to rouse communal passions then, because the Sinhala Buddhists did have grievances. But could they blame the Tamils or the Christians
for their parlous sta dependence in 194 the centre Was Sinhalese?
It must be saidi hala Governments" equity to the racial ties,
This was What hala Buddhist natio as a majority they S ties on a proportion Mr Bandaranaik the extremists to in only Act on this be he would not have judgement to affect No doubt this gave t Veda, Guru" a pla wanted not only to C also to give the Tam tus, opposing the d and the CP of Pari hala and Tamilas o While Mr Bant commended for givi and Cultural aspirat Buddhists, it must Sinhala only policy the long run. Today very people who W. ced by Sinhala are because of their la English. Even the di now sending their tional Schools or to Thus it can now be ter-productive, as it segment that it was Alas! As is alwa child is the One Wh glaringly so in the e ingon. It is the poor dying in the North safe for Dr Gunadas fessor Nalin de Silv suriya etc to live col from the battle front Sobitha, Muruththe preach and partak of their temples.
Subtle Game
The writer Was
meeting of the LSS
1958 was brokenu
 
 

TAM TIMES 11
te becausesince In8 the government at controlled by the
n fairness to the Sinthat there was some and religious minori
really irked the Sinnalists.They felt that hould have al facili|al basis. e was pressurised by troduce the Sinhala sis. Left to himself, come to any hasty : future generations. he Sinhala:Sangha, ce in the sun. They lethrone English, but mil second class staemand of the LSSP ty of status for Sinficial languages. daranaike must be ng into the economic ions of the Sinhala - Oe admitted that the was short-sighted in , the children of the anted English replaunable to get a job ck of knowledge of ehard Sinhalese are children to Internainstitutions abroad. said that it was counhas affected the very supposed to help. ys the case, the poor o has to suffer as is thnic war that is goman's sons who are ern Front, making it a Amerasekera, Prora. Mr Gamani Jayamfortable lives away . It also permits Vens tuwe Ananda etc. to e Dana in the safety
a witness when a P in the own Hal in oby racist thugs with
stones and bombs. Reggie Mendis a harbour worker had his hand blown of as he shielded Colvin R de Silva when a bomb was thrown at him.
Today all three languages, Sinhala, Tamil and English have been given the status of official languages, thanks to Rajiv Gandhi who twisted JRJ's arm to give this concession to the Tamils along with some amount of devolution in the form of Provincial Councils.
In 1958, it should not be forgotten that the UNP along with some sections of the Maha Sangha were against granting concessions to the Tamils.They were opposed to the Bandaranaike - Chelvanayakam pact of 1958. (Mr J R Jayawarodene has inter alia carved a niche for himself, when he led his famous march to the Temple of the Tooth, but halted at Nittambuwa).
The Sinhala Commissioners must also be reminded that it was the UNP which started the infamous "Tar brush" campaign defacing the Tamil names on signboards. Today the UNP is playing a more subtle game by not coming out openly opposing the Devolution Package, lest they alienate the Tamils for good. They are making a section of the Maha Sangha and the eternally communal and racist-minded laity to do the dirty job for them,. In this task they are being ably assisted by the fascist JVP performing their usual fishing in troubled waters, from afar.
Now looking back in time, those Sinhala communalists must be hanging their heads in shame, as their hands are stained with the blood of innocent and gullible people who had to pay for their intransigence. But they were successful in turning back the clock of history,
This was repeated during the Dudley - Chelva pact of 1965. But this time the leaders were from the SFP
Nevertheless, the common factoralways remained, that is the same communalists, but of a new generation, who will always be there to stir the communal cauldron.
Forty years ago, the then Mahanayakas of Malwatte and Asgiriya called Mr Bandaranaike a "traitor to the Sinhala nation and to Buddhism". Recently, one influential Buddhist High Priest had, in hindsight, said that had Mr Bandaranaike's plan for devolution in the form of Regional Councils, not been opposed the ethnic problem would have been solved, and thousands of lives would have been saved. The biggest joke is that there are differences between the Communalists themselves. The Sinhala Commissioners, and some sections of the Maha Sanghasay that they too are for devolution, but are opposed to only some clauses of the PA Package.

Page 12
12 TAMIL TIMES
But Professor Nalin de Silva is opposed to this stance of the Sinhala Commission. In an interview he says that there is no ethnic problem and therefore no ethnic problem and thereforeno devolution is necessary. Il presume Dr Gunadasa Ameresekera also shares the viewpoint,
The JVP opposes the devolution package on the same grounds. They also say that there is no ethnic problem but only an economic problem and will be solved only under a communist govern
ment.
While some are saying that the package gives too much, moderates like Professor Jeyaratnam Wilson are saying, "to come to Chandrika's proposals, there are some provisions, regretfully, which detract from anything that even remotely resembled federalism or even quasifederalism.
Whether such provisions were deliberately or without malafide intentions is for the public to judge and for the Minister of Justice to clarity"
Prabhakaran who is a fascist and who would not like to face a democratic election, stands for nothing short of Eelam. Now once again the wheel of history has turned a full circle. The same charge is being levelled at Mr Samaraweera and President Kumaratunga as traitors to the Sinhalanation and to Buddha Sasana.
But the scenaric The vast majority o grown up politically. of 13 Soldiers in the for a UNP Cabinet M gromagainst the Tar in burning alive hur Tamils and the torch and businesses.
When about 120 1500 odd soldiers killed, the Sinhala pe cally. And so did the hero such as major duwa was killed in a disaster in Jaffna.
The Sinhala pec honourably and dece ing conditions.
They will nevera prophets. They will by false prophets. Th matic and eloquent leader Such as Dines his own pocket boro Wilderness, The mas peace.
They are tired of more than 50,000 ol lions of rupees wast Last Chance
Surely, is this cc governed by a set o ghanistan oriran?
by Cat's Eye
are currently the talk of the town.
They have served to yank Cats Eye away from its preoccupation with Cricket, Diana and an absorption in Women's rights to a concern over issues of national importance. Having read the Sinhala Commission Report, Cats Eye cannot understand why there is so much excitement. Neither the Minister's remarks nor the reports are particularly concerned with issues relating to Buddhism. It may be that some groups feel that "Sinhala" and "Buddhism" are integrally related. In this context it may be important to remember that Buddhism is a universal religion. There are Thai Buddhists, American Buddhists, Japanese Buddhists etc. Those who want to make Buddhism into a parochial religion, must be reminded that some of the best literary works in Tamil are Buddhist, the
M inister Samaraweera's Comments
Silapadikaram and example and that Bu was a South Indian. to the World, not to or ethnic group.
Having said that raise the preliminar hala Commission? mechanisms usual into areas where the nal justice issues of have no access to grievances that can the political proces therefore set up on c norities, Women, vu It is extraordinary w munity in a democra it has no access to
This brings to man Wickremesing problem in Sri Lanki
 

15 OCTOBER 1997
is different today, the people have n 1983, the killing orth was enough hister to lead a poils, which resulted dreds of innocent ng of their homes
) in Pooneryn and n Mullaitivu were pletookit up stoiwhen a national Seneral Kobbekamysterious bomb
ple have behaved ntly under very try
gain be led by false ever again be led ey threw a charisSinhala Buddhist h Gunawardene in ugh to the political of the people want
war which has killed ' the youth and biled each year.
puntry going to be f mullahs as in Af
Mr SWR D Bandaranaike WaSaliberal and a man with a kindly disposition. He listened to everyone. Herein lies the difference between President Kumaratunga and her father. She is a liberal but is resolute,
She is faced with a diabolical intransigent fascist on one side and equally intransigentracists on the other side. The President has taken a resolute decision to cut the Gordian Knot. It is Worth recalling a lesson from Ireland. Gladstone campaigned for Home Rule in Ireland which was his main election plank. It was rejected and he lost the election. As a result in 1916 there was a rebellion in Dublin and a civil war followed giving birth to the Irish Republic in 1924.
What Mangala Samaraweera said was perfectly true. The Sinhala Commission Report and their supporters are playing into the hands of Prabhakaran.
Finally, let me remind what George Santayana said of those who have short memories. "Those who will not learn the lessons of history, are condemned to relive it"I think the people had had enough of communalism in the past forty years.
This is the last chance for peace. We owe it to future generations. Let us not miss this chance. History will not forgive this generation if it does not fulfil its obligations. O
Mannimekalai for ddhagosa, himself Buddhism belongs any particular race
Cats Eye wants to " issue: Why a SinCommissions are set up to inquire e have been crimiwhere victims who olitical power have Iot be remedied by Commissions are sappearances, mierable groups etc. en a majority Comic society feels that olitical power. ind Bishop Lakshe's remark that the is that we have two
communities with a "minority complex." The fact that the majority acts as though it is a minority prevents the development of a generosity of spirit which is necessary for power sharing and which will only come if a majority feels secure and comfortable. Nowhere in the World do majorities share power willingly withminorities. Such power sharing comes about only with inspired political leadership that is committed to long term political goals and which then goes to its own people with a genuine sense of conviction. We hope that the present devolution exercise is one such process.

Page 13
15 OCTOBER 1997
Too LittleToo Late
Let us move onto the Content of the Sinhala Commission Report. At the outset, let us make our position clear. Cats Eye has always supported devolution, not only as a political solution to the ethnic problem but also as a measure of good governance. The important factor about the devolution debate and the Sinhala Commission Report is that they raise questions about competing visions of the State - what models of the State do we really want for the next century?
The Sinhala Commission Report does not really take a stand on devolution. The bottom line argument appears to be that it is not opposed to devolution along the lines of the thirteenth amendment. This is a welcome step forward and it is an important shift in position for those concerned with Sinhalese hardline positions. And yet, we also know that those who defend the Commission Report with "blood and thunder"were the very same people who brought the country to a standstill when the thirteenth amendment was proposed. What does this say about our political process - always too little too late?
Sacrosanct Concepts
The first part of the report deals with legal arguments relating to the present devolution package. The central thrust of the debate is linked to the concept of "unitary" and the "supremacy of the central legislature"The Commission seems to feel that these are SacroSanct Concepts which are part of the basic structure of the constitution and therefore even above the process of amendment, ie, they can never be changed. We have yet to see a judgement anywhere in the world which claims that the term unitary is beyond amendment. This is truly an imaginative construct of the Sinhala Commission. The notion of a unitary state and the Supremacy of the Central Parliament comes from the Westminster model of democracy. The call for the suprem-acy of Parliament was not a respo-nse to minority agitation but a protection against a strong and intrusive monarchy. But history has moved on.
Today, Westminster, the mot-her of all parliaments, and the father of unitary states, is extensively devolving power to Scotland (the powers and areas are far more extensive than ours) and in a more limited manner to Wales. As usual, the colonial master responds creatively to changing times while the colonial subjects retain a mystical attachment to inherited colonial notions which are often the causes of ethnic strife in the first place. The extraordinary fact is that the
United National P this call. At the sa hard for talks with If the UNP th speak to the LTTE cept of a unitary be in Ga Ga Land
Unity in Diversity
Cats Eye firr must evolve a CC which reflects acc ciple of unity in div devolution are the ples which have bi cratic and not so to deal with the p placed minorities,
tion of Tamil racists claims but are in norm and not the see unitary and fe sites but as part o Constitutions like t extensively federal more unitary whil where in between. stitutional law are Lankan package side of the Continul trols for the Cent Commission is stril The Sinhala C. the powers given more extensive tha other constitutions nary claim border One of the countri claim is Nigeria. C very happy. While is about to think i sanctions to deal regime on earth, S. is actually holding for governance.
The comparati tutions done in thi shoddy and very m stitutions give exte areas and not in ot sections and not c the truth, The selec cially the analysis stitution, distorts th model of Federali concurrent list, is fa our package. That
 

TAM TIMES 13
arty has also taken up me time it is pushing the LTTE.
nks they can go and clinging onto the con
state, then they must
r hly believes that we nstitutional structure mmitment to the prinersity. Federalism and time honoured princieen evolved by demodemocratic societies roblem of territorially These are not crea
as Nalin de Silva profact the international exception. We do not deral as bipolar oppoif a continuum, Some he one in Canada are some like France are e the rest fall someMost students of Conagreed that the Sri is nearer the unitary lm With extensive conre. Only the Sinhala cing a dissenting note. ommission claims that
in our package are anthose contained in . This is an extraordiing on the ridiculous. es singled out for acolonel Abacha will be the rest of the World n terms of economic with the most brutal pmebody somewhere Nigeria as a model
ve analysis of ConstiReport is selective, isleading, Some Connsive powers in some hers. To pull out some thers is a travesty of :tive treatment, espeof the German Cone reality. The German Sm, despite having a r more extensive than is why they call their
model "Federal" without any sense of shame,
The decision to leave out the Concurrent List in Sri Lanka should be analysed. It may be because the centralising tendencies of Sri Lankan political culture would have made such a list an intrusive, interventionist mechanism. To say that leaving out the concurrent list is to create a Federalism that does not exist anywhere in the World is completely misleading. Most federal constitutions do not have concurrent list, in addition, the Scottish package which is called "devolution" has no Concurrent list at all and gives extensive powers to the region. This section of the Commission Report convinces CATS EYE, that behind aveneer of technical language, the Sin| hala Commissionis really involved in a distorting, rabble rousing exercise unworthy of the callbre of its 8 members,
Polico Power
The Sinhala Commission is also concerned with the question of the devolution of police powers, They are totally opposed to the creation of two different police forces - the national and the regional. In any federal or devolutionary scheme anywhere in the World, the first area that is devolved is police powers. Since much of the demand for federal systems is because there is a feeling that the Central Government will not take care of your physical security - a strong perception among Sri Lankan Tamils fostered by such events as the 1983 riots - the area of police powers is always devolved. The Commission Report sees police as only a repressive apparatus concerned with national security. For those of us who Work with women's issues, we see the police in a completely different light. To us, the concept of "community policing" is an impor-tant need of the future. We need police who are carved in a different mould, who are involved with the community, victim frien-dly and involved in the provision of community services. These police must come from the community and a structure of devolution is conducive to the creation of Such a force. We believe that there should be two police forces, one, a limited repressive apparatus, relating to issues of national importance and national security and a provincial force involved in community policing, Unlike the Sinhala Commission we have no concerns with regard tonational security arising from the package, The large intelligence apparatus set up in the country in recent years will probably not be dismantled. The President has extensive powers to intervene in situations of emergency including the

Page 14
14 TAMIL TIMES
dissolution of councils and the deployment of security forces. The Governor is her agent with his antennas to the ground. There is nothing more that need be given, unless the Sinhala Commission feels that the only way to govern the North and the East is to have it permanently undermilitary occupation, even when there is peace. Being democrats, we are sure that is not the case. Economic Devolution
The section criticising devolution from an economic point of view is troublesome because it poses larger questions about the model of development we want to pursue. The section is animated by two assumptions - the first that the Central Government should control economic development, mobilise resources and allow for a uniformity of policy. This flies in the face of successive governments' commitment to the open economy and privatisation. The second, a corollary of the first, is that the Central Government has a monopoly on rational economic planning and Creative ideas and that the provinces are a bunch of loonies who have to be controlled. This Colombo centric version of development is highly debatable. The "Wayamba Experience" for example under Chief Minister Jayawickrema Perera did point out that in certain areas the provinces may be a harbinger of creative ideas that the Centre could adopt. We believe that a pluralism of experiments and development strategies is an exciting way to go and will allow a "hundred flowers to bloom"tapping creative resources in the provinces.
We agree that there should not be complete anarchy with regard to economic and social policy. But we feel that the Reserve List takes Care of that through the more benign mechanism of the setting of standards. The Reserve List allows the Central Government to set standards with regard to education, teacher qualification, curriculum content, the professions, set standards in agriculture, regulate and enhance of quality standards in industry, labour regulation, intervention in terms of natural and environmental disasters, national environment, tourism, etc. The alarmist appro
ach of the Commission belies the real
ity. If the Central Government wants to intervene, it can and we are sure it will intervene. It has all the levers and tools to do so,
Even in the area of Land, the battle cry of the Commission, the hysteria is misplaced. Even though Land is vested in the Region, the Centre, "may, after
consultation with 1 Administration, rec ministration" to mal “the Regional Adm "There is no amb Centre must prev not mentioned in t the Commission Commission is nic sionate fact findin
Oe,
The same is til all the ranting and loans and grants, t the attention of the all this activity mu policy, national gu regulations. In an there can surely b. lf private compani
NGOs can raise fo why not elected What more power There are more st controlling the pe ing people over
large communitie tachment to som authority, power a periphery by the
derstand the Com
Fear and Human
And fear is the ning through the || sion is another be are the custodiar ity and good sens ties, especially t irrational hordes. dominated admir paging around de ples and archaeo ample of this. Gi Current civil Wart why will it happen
 

15 OCTOBER 1997
e relevant Regional ire the Regional Ade available land...and histration will comply. guity. The will of the il. This is of course e section on Land in Report but then the claiming a dispasJ, only a passionate
e With finance. With raving about foreign ey do not really draw reader to the fact that st be within national delines, and national era of globalisation, no other framework. es, corporations and
reign loan and grants, democratic bodies? does the Centre want? btle, modern ways of riphery without bashhe head and stifling S. Except for some atmedieval notions of nd subjugation of the Centre, we do not unmission's fears,
Rights
central element. Runlages of the Commislief that the Sinhalese s of morality, rationale and that the minorie famils are violent, he belief that the Tamil strations will go ramtroying Buddhisttemogical sites is an a exen the ferocity of the is has not happened, juring times of peace?
if the Sinhalese BuddhistS can be trusted to protect Hindu, Muslim and Christian places of worship in their areas why not the reverse? There have been isolated incidents in the North and the East but we must also point out that during riots Kovils, Mosques and Churches have also been destroyed in the South. Let us also not forget what happened to the Jaffna Public Library, No community has a monopoly on barbarism. The reverse is also true. As much as the Sinhalese have adopted Kataragama as their own, most Jaffna Tamils see Nagadipa as part of their heritage. It is only groups like the Sinhala Commission which may provoke them into thinking differently, alienating them from the multi-culturalism which is part of their day to day life.
We realise that for both the Sinhalese and Tamils, fear and mistrust are at the core of the present crisis. Both sides feel that political administrations run by the other will repress them, discriminate against them, prevent freedom of movement, and not guarantee physical security or the right to livelihood. The answer to these concerns does notlie in preven-ting effective devolution but in strengthening the fundamental rightschapterof the Constitution and the fundamental rights jurisprudence of the Supreme Court. «V
People must be able to live without fear, prejudice or ill treatment in any part of the island. Only a human rights conscious judiciary and a human rights conscious civil Society will guarantee these essential components of a life with dignity in either a centralised system ora devolved polity. That is the real bottom line.
Cats Eye wants to reiterate that we support the devolution package - we in fact think it does not go far enough. We feel that it is a political solution to the ethnic conflict but we also fell that it heralds a new type of politics - a politics aimed at power sharing, coalition building, consultation and consensus where diversity is allowed within a framework of unity.
We feel that the centralised, monolithic approach to governance is out of date and inefficient. We need to look toward decentralised structures aimed at providing empowerment to the different sections of our community. We feel that this reflects a feminist vision of the State, away from the values of control and repression, which have animated our policy makers for so many years since independence.
After fifty years, let us move on.
(Courtesy of "Sunday lsland")

Page 15
15 OCTOBER 1997
ational identity and N unity that prevailed at the time of independence were destroyed by the political leaders to whom acquiring and retaining the power to rule outweighed all other interests. Sustaining national unity became not their Concern. The unitary constitutions of the country since independence did not have entrenched provisions to prevent the enactment of laws that accorded rights and privileges to any ethnic or religious group not granted to the other groups. There was no comprehensive Bill of Rights either that guaranteed the safety and security of citizens individually and collectively as members of a distinct community. Political parties either in power or in opposition exploited these shortcomings for their own advantage. Politics along communal lines became the norm. Sinhala extremists backed by top Buddhist prelates were able to influence the political leaders in power preventing them from granting equal status to all ethnic groups. Whenever there were attempts to grant some autonomous powers to the Tamil region, these were opposed by Sinhalachauvinists. The interim report of the Sinhala Commission reeased on 17 September 1997 shows that the same old scaring tactic of the resulting danger to Sinhala race and Buddhist religion is being adopted by some notables to kill the Government's devolution proposals. They are anxious to portray themselves as the Saviours of SinhalaBuddhists,
The Commission was supposed to kook into the injustices committed against the majority Sinhalese but instead it had focused its efforts on sabotaging the Government's devolution proposals. It has not specifically identified in its report the grievances of the Sinhalese. Considering the background of the members of the Sinhala Commission many would have expected it to seek"truth and reconciliation" in the divided society. But it seems to have had a hidden political motive to obstruct the attempt to unite the divided people through power sharing.The two concepts that Sri Lanka is - (a) multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multicultural country and (b) Sinhala-Buddhist country contradict fundamentally and hence cannot be reconciled in One democratic system. Those notables, who insist that Sinhala-Buddhists have more rights than the members of minority groups are themselves encouraging separatism. The chauvinistic forces in the South that contributed to the rise of Tamil nationalism are now using the same methods to sustain it. Both groups have
"ONE COUNTR
OBEDR
by Dr. S. Nar
impulsively been h Sustain their comm ing the gulf betwee ties wide. The verd people in the 1994 tions silenced the S were activated by th dership resumed th ing hastily from the 1995. This was a g to the progressivep who campaignedar against formidable in convincing the Si the Tamilis were tre vious governments conflict between the should be settled by talks with the latter,
UNP's Unhelpful S Previous attem power failed to pla these did not go far the right to decide c which their present ing, safety and se in the case of man policies and enacte the acceptance of various government moves to redress til Tamils, the actual ir Concerned acts he as to make them in administration was administration of th as these had to de for funds, staff anc cal patronage also these schemes, ar aim of decentralisir President Char Kumaratunga's det the present constit reality that the re. unity and peace rec extensive devolutio gions is unprecede independent Sri La tire international C her Government's ( because they unde contributed to the p trust of the Tamils ir is so deep that any ture for Sri Lanka fied with majoritari
 

TAML TIMES 15
ONE PEOPLE
alping each other to on objective of keepn the two communiict of the Sinhalese parliamentary elecouthern forces. They e LTTE when its leae war after withdrawpeace talks in April reat disappointment bliticians in the South d succeeded at last, chauvinistic forces, nhalese people that ated unfairly by preand that the armed State and the LTTE f entering into peace
tand pts to decentralise cate the Tamils as enough to give them on crucial matters on and future well-becurity depended. As y crucial proclaimed ld laws that reflected these in principle by ts rather than sincere he grievances of the nplementation of the re too was restricted effectual. The Central able to obstruct the e decentralised units spend on the centre other inputs. Politiplayed a key role in nulling the intended ng power. ndrika Bandaranalike ermination to change tution, accepting the storation of national Juired the granting of n of powers to the reinted in the politics of anka. In fact, the enommunity welcomed devolution proposals, rstood the factors that resent crisis.The disunitary constitutions form of unitary strucis likely to be identian rule - the system
of rule by the majority community primarily for its own benefit.
The devolution proposals which the present Government is keen to incorporate in the new constitution have been before the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional Reforms for more than 18 months. Despite several sittings and protracted discussions, consensus has not been reached between the Government and the main opposition party-the UNP- on some key elements of the devolution package. Even within the coalition Government, a few members have raised objections to some of the proposals. However, it is the UNP that holds the trump card in the poker game. The crafty architect of the present constitution had seen to it that the rules would favour the main party in the opposition if it wanted to obstruct victory for the Government in this game, in which he was a maes
O,
The UNP and some other parties claim that the approval of the people in a referendum without the two-thirdsmajority in Parliament will be useless to give legality to the proposed new constitution. The present coalition Government has only a one-seat majority in the Parliament. This is attributed to the replacement of the first past the post system by proportional representation with preferential votes in the present constitution. Had the old system prevailed, it has been claimed by the President herself that the PA coalition would have Secured more than two-thirds majority in the August 1994 General Elections. It is also obvious even to political amateurs that under the existing PR system with the SLFP and the UNP on opposite camps, either party cannot obtain two-thirdsmajority in a general election, even in partnership with other minor parties.
The public does not know the precise nature of UNP's reservations on the proposals. As the main opposition party its leader has a responsibility to submit an alternative set of proposals that will address effectively all the issues that led to the present bloody conflict. Although, he has been hinting on several occasions that he is not against the concept of devolution, he has not indicated the kind of devolution acceptable to his party. If the party is adamant that any devolution of powers should be within the unitary structure, it could tell the people how the thirteenth amendment to the 1978 constitution under which the Provincial Council system was established should be revised to devolve more powers that would address satisfactorily the con

Page 16
16 TAMIL TIMES
Cerns of the Tamils.
Since it is simple majoritarian rule that permitted the legislature to enact discriminatory laws and its executive branch to discriminate against the Tamils invarious ways, UNP could have suggestedan alternative systemthat guarantees equal rights and privileges to the Tamils as well as their safety and security through power-sharing. In the absence of any suggestions, one may be tempted to infer that the party favours majoritarian rule orjust Wants to sabotage the Govemment's devolution proposals. Whatever the true reason, it appears that the party does not want to be seen as the chief saboteur, in this case, it may have found a proxy in the Sinhala Commission. However, UNP is likely to see the reaction of the Sinhalese people to the recommendation of the Sinhala Commission and then decide what its stand should be when the draft Constitution is presented in Parlament.
In an interview with the Reuters correspondent in Colombo on 12 September, President Chandrika Kumaratunga stated, "We have been talking to the UNP at various levels. They have not said what they like or don't like in our proposals. We have just drawn a blank." Hence the Government has been compelled to examine various options, including a
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n est campaign to he people for reIstitution bya new hises explicitly the gious and multie island and dedifferent regions ugust 1997 in Anident Chandrika alled the "Saama ace Caravan". The veyed to the peoLanka being that ans living in one "The slogan used sountry, One PeoIt that this is posi
15 OCTOBER 1997
tive effort and deserves support.
The people would have been in somewhat calmer frame of mind to understand devolution and the need for it, had there been a ceasefire and some easing of their suffering. On the contrary, the suffering of the people in all parts of the island, particularly in the Northeast have increased as a result of the protracted War, Which is now in its fifteenth year. Hopefully, a more conducive climate can be expected soon for the people to feel that it is possible for them to live as one people in one country, The British Experience
The recent initiative towards devolution in Britain may be useful to explain the alms of devolution in the right perspective,
TULF along with other famil parties represented in Parliament supports the Government's devolution proposals. However, its leader feels that the chosen slogan"One Country - One People" for soliciting the support of the people to the devolution package does not emphasise the "pluralistic, multi-ethnic and multi-religious" character of the population. This is not a fair criticism and indeed unhelpful at this juncture. It is true that it has an ambivalent meaning. The more liberal one is:- Diverse people with distinct identities united as one people
Hartley College PPA (HCPPA) UK
The 1997
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
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Sivarajah (O181-9049179)

Page 17
15 OCTOBER 1997
in one country for peace and prosperity to all. In this latter context, Sri Lanka in the same way as Britain is one country. English people accept Scotland to be a distinct nation. The English, the Scots and the Welsh have separate ethnic, cultural and regional identities but yet they regard themselves as one British people living in one Country. A vastmajority of the Scottish and Welsh people do not object to this concept.
It is relevant to mention here that there are many features that recognise Scotland as a distinct nation. To cite a few: Scotland has its own currency, judiciary, legal system and national flag. There are separate national teams representing England, Scotland and Wales in international sports events. The separate identities of the Scots and the Welsh are retained even in the British army, These have not been regarded by the people and their leaders as features that pose a threat to the unity of the British people and the Union.
It may be recalled that in the previous referendum held in 1979, the Scots rejected a separate Parliament for Scotland. In the recent referendum in Scotland, held on 11 September 1997, 74% of those who voted Were in favour of a Scottish Parliament, 63.5% wanted the Parliament to have tax-varying powers. in the referendum in Wales held on 18 September 1997, the people there voted by a narrow margin of 0.6% for a Welsh Assembly. The people in Wales rejected the same proposal in the 1979 referendum by a margin of nearly four to one. The significant shift in the attitudes of many Welsh people towards devolution is due to a sense that Wales would be better served by the Welsh people deciding themselves the order of priorities for public spending rather than by the Secretary for Wales in Westminster.The administration of services could be betterrun locally than by Whitehall in London.The 60-seatWelsh assembly would have less powers than its Scottish counterpart. Unlike Scotland, Wales did not have the same history of independence. Hence Welsh patriotism tends to be more cultural than anything else. It is also worth noting that Britain is going for asymmetrical devolution, which has relevance to the situation in Sri Lanka where the cry for self-rule is mainly in the North-East region.
The new Labour Government considers devolution as essential to modernise the constitution of the United Kingdom. The fact that the vast majority of the people in Scotland and Wales want to keep the Union, reflects the fair and just way they have been treated by the governments in Westminster, Soon afterthe emphatic vote fora Scottish Par
liament, the British P Blair said, "this is th end of big centralise is the way forward in 1997 is said to be beginning to move fr present. Devolution necessary by the ne ment to bring democ to the people and to ties. Since the Uniont land and Scotlandha nations in one count and the Scots have portunities in all walk Muddled Approach
At the present tir prevails in the minds c ers not knowing whic ing started their adv along different paths scene too has beco vided and without inte it is difficult to see ho ties whose consenti solution could jointly The pseudo "patriots foreign/international external financial aic resolve the internal p natives cannot solve placed pride, greedf dice have preventedt to co-operate in find manent solution to th President Kumara in an interview on 12 "With a total lack of the government and ti need a third party ir begin that dialogue." view, she is reportec the government will ta when its proposedco devolving more pow creating regional col become a legal doct diction here is self-ev What sort of dia pect when there is Once the proposals stage of implementa a third party mediatof the past two years, b ties were buying tim ensuing events would This failed strategy ha bearable losses to th people.
The Minister of J tutional Affairs in are Voice of America tolc twomain political par a constitutional fra peace process can Peace talks without S Would be futile. He to lombo on 4 Septem

TAM TIMES 17
'rime MinisterTony e beginning of the di government and the modern era.”
the year Britain is om its past into its has been deemed W Labour Governcratic power closer the people's priorireaty of 1707, Engve remained as two ry and the English had the same opcs of life.
me utter confusion of all the major playch way to turn haventurous journeys . The local political me very much dirnational pressure wall the three parS vital to a political agree to negotiate. "will condemn any
help, though not , that is offered to roblems which the pythemselves. Misor power and prejuhe Lankan leaders ing a just and pere national problem. atunga told Reuters September 1997: dialogue between
he LTTE, one would
order to at least In the same interto have said that alk to the LTTE only nstitution aimed at er to minorities by Incils was ready to ment. The contraident.
logue can one exnothing to discuss have reached the tion? The need for has been there for ut the various parhe hoping that the turn in their favour. as only inflicted unhe country and the
ustice and Consticent interview with that the country's ties must agree on mework before a begin in earnest.
:uch an agreement
ld reporters in Cober 1997 that the
Government was having discussions with the UNP"about what can be offered to the LTTE in possible peace talks."
The familiar Lankan political scene is that the leaders know precisely the correct steps to be taken to tackle the problems but for reasons best known to them these are not pursued. Prof. Peiris is one member of the Government, who has been seriously advocating a consensual approach and working hard towards bringing the UNP into the fold but unfortunately the same enthusiasm has not been seen among others.
The leader of the UNP. Rani Wickremesinghe, keeps saying that the Government should talk to the LTTE, while the fighting is on. His party is opposed to changing the present unitary structure and he has also said recently that any amendment to the constitution should be according to the procedure stipulated in it, which is that it must be passed first by two-thirds majority in Parliament and subsequently approved by the people in a national referendum. Any other method would be illegal and UNP would challenge it, the UNP leader says. When the UNP is not prepared to support the Government's devolution package and also fails to openly state its position on many relevant issues, what is the assurance that it will support the amendments to the constitution that are acceptable to both the Government and the L TE? If the UNFP and its leader are to be taken seriously about their often repeated willingness to talk to the LTTE, then in the spirit of the letters exchanged between the President and the UNP leader (the Liam Fox letters), he should first engage in a genuine attempt with the Government to reach an agreed set of proposals that can be put to the LTTE. Tragedy waiting to strike
The mounting hardships of the people and the human losses resulting from the War have been considered to be inevitable by the leaders. It was reported recently that the operation "Jaya Sikurui" was costing the Government Rs 2.4 million a day not including the cost of destruction to assets, lost production and human losses. The very costly operation to open a land route to Jaffna seems to have reached a stalemate close to Puliyankulam town. Government's military position in the east has become more and more Vulnerable in the east where the LTTE appears to control more territory now than about two years ago, The ongoing war, besides inflicting heavy casualties on both sides, has brought about unprecedented displacement and sufferings for the civilian population in the War torn areas.
Many foreign academics and politi

Page 18
18 TAMIL TIMES
cal leaders have Suggested Ways to move forward towards settling the conflict peacefully. But all these have fallen on deaf ears. Even the agreement arranged by the Under Secretary of State, Dr. Liam Fox, in the previous British Government, in which the President and the Opposition leader consented to consult and co-operate in resolving the North-East conflict has so far remained a dead letter.
There are many individual governments and international organisations willing to help in the negotiation process towards finding an acceptable practical solution. They appear to be more concerned about the terrible consequences of further protraction of the war on the people and the economy of Sri Lanka than the Lankan leaders and warlords. They can help only upon the request of all the concerned parties, but that request is not forthcoming.
Recently, Professor Michael E. Brown, Associate Director International Security Program had a series of meetings on the current stalemate in Sri Lanka with the leaders of various political parties on both sides of the Parliament. Without revealing the details of the discussions, in his speech he is reported (The Island of 21/9/97) to have stressed the following: O President Kumaratunga has taken some bold steps in the right directions; O Sri Lanka's tragedy is people oppose peace eforts for domestic politic al reaSons; O The opposition party in Sri Lanka should not wait until the government's efforts fail, thinking that it would improve its chances at the next election; OThere is a dire need for the ruling party and the UNP to work together to end the North-East conflict and on this depends the success of the devolution package too; O Sri Lankan military has no chance of defeating the LTTE totally; O A ceasefire with the LTTE is paramount if Sri Lanka intends to find a lasting solution because there is no way the government could implement the devolution package if hostilities continue; O At any one point negotiations with the LTTE should take place; O Outside powers have a role to play but this is limited to facilitating Sri Lanka - LTTE talks; ODevolution and economic development are necessary to restore the economy.
A devolution Scheme that has the approval of the Government and the opposition, including the political parties representing the minorities in Parliament will have the total support of the international community. In this event, if the
think it's back to hala Commissio sented to the M Trinikaya on Wedr brought atop an ele members dressed it subtle invitation for ance or dictatorshi ties will have to live majority,
The reportandil harping much on wil ers call historicalfa tion of history - ar. the extremist opini the Sinhala commu the real grievances That the Sinhale due place under co
LTTE disregards at versal approval for it would be throwing for the Tamils to gair collective rights as munity,
it is high time th ers re-examine rat tive stances and st lution of the ethnic quences of stickin tions can be so si them for ever thei tions. Those who widespread turmoi ing class of corrup' criminals and oth rule of law will dis. gions. Sri Lanka w try" only in name nited even more t cause various dis fighting to grab wh of the people. Ecc be the driving for emerge and they lack of honest and of law and order, imaginary, it exist Africa and elsewhe flicts have not be the leaders do no geously towardst tragedy cannot b in Sri Lanka. This must get register all peace loving
 

15 OCTOBER 1997
By Ameen Izzadeen
eudalism. The Sininterim report prehanayakes of the soday after it was hant by commission Kandyan style, is a eudal style governWhere the minoriat the mercy of the
recommendations, at the Commissionts - their interpretamore reflective of on of the section of ity than highlighting of the Sinhalese.
se were denied their lonial rule is undis
ormula that has unisettling the conflict, away the last chance their acknowledged a distinct ethnic Com
at all the major playionally their respecategies on the resoconflict. The conseg to their fixed posibrious as to deprive own political ambistand to gain from will be the newly risofficials, racketeers, r lawbreakers. The ppear in several rethen be "one counnd the people disuhan ever before, beident groups will be at is left of the Wealth homic hardships will e for such groups to vill be helped by the ffective enforcement This scenario is not in those countries in e where internal conn resolved in time. If move forward courae peace goal, such a an unlikely scenario is the message that fast in the minds of ople. O
puted and granted. Even the extremists Tamil elements would agree. But these wrongs were to a large extent righted with the introduction of political reforms, beginning with the 1931 Donoughmore constitution. Unfortunately this very process triggered an antithesis, creating panic and fears of discrimination in the minds of the Tamils.
it is not disputed that a section of the Tamils were a privileged lot under the British but this does not mean the downtrodden Tamilciviliancoping with the oppressive caste system and other economic burdens was any better of than his Sinhalabrethren - if I may be allowed to use a term of fraternity. The socioeconomic and political yoke around the downtrodden Tamilled to the armed rebellion against the state. It is the civilians on both sides of the communal divide, who are affected most. One cannot also ignore the plight of the Sinhalese in the villages close to the theatre of war. The pogrom on Tamils took place in 1983 but can anyone deny that noTamil was killed or harassed for the mere fact of him being afamil before 1983?
Pre-1983 violence against Tamils which I witnessed as a child and what followed after 1983 - massacres of innocent Sinhala,Tamil and Muslim people, - make me query why men cannot treat fellow men as equals in Sri Lanka. Who is responsible for the massacres and the mayhem? The answers stillelude me and the Sinhala Commission Report, it appears to me, has made them a mirage.
The report, in my opinion, is more an anti-package exercise than a document containing grievances of the Sinhalese. The Sinhalese and the National Joint Committee have all the right to highlight the grievances faced by the majority community. In newspaper advertisements and speeches at the 17 September ceremony where the report Was released, several Buddhist monks of the highest order and other dignitaries pointed out with examples of grievances of the Sinhalese. Theyinclude the Deegawapiya land issue, the rights of the Sinhalese who lived in the north, the cutting down of historically significant Bo trees and the fear of losing the identity of the world's only Sinhala state. The

Page 19
5 OCTOBER 1997
speakers also outlined their desire for peace and pointed out that the minorities lived peacefully under Sinhalakings. The urged the government to keep in mind the more than 2,000 years of history of this land when handling matters of national importance, like the constitution.
Well the written history - whose authenticity is always a subject of intellec
tual debate - may suggest that Tamils and
Muslims co-existed peacefully with the Sinhalese.Yes, within the socio-political and economic order of that era, it seemed a sine-qua-non for survival. It was long before this country was colonised, the introduction of democratic Values like equality and freedom and the Sinhalese elite took over the political leadership from the British.
Many were the scenarios that have passed by the landscape of Socio-political and economic order of the world. Today the situation is different. What we need is a system for peace that will fit today's environment.
In the light of this, the question that arises is whether the Sinhala Commission citing history is asking all of us to revert to a feudal, political and Social structure where a Sinhala Buddhist king would command the obeisance of all his subjects. Or does it want a constitutional clause that the head of state should be a Sinhala Buddhist and this country never be identified as a pluralistic one.
The need of the hour is not any move that would increase the communal hatred in the minds of the people but efforts that would bring the people together. On this score, the Sinhala Commission has failed in its civil duty, through its reports tackle logically the constitutional obstacles to an adverse economic consequence of the devolution package, One of the speakers atWednesday's ceremony, opposing the package said the country was a unitary state even during the colonial period. But he failed to mention that sovereignty lay elsewhere. It seems having a foreign sovereign as head of state is acceptable to the proponents of the Sinhala Commission but power sharing with a people of this country to restore peace is demonic. We conjure up a tear-drop or an inverted mango-like land block when Sri Lanka is mentioned. Our nationalistic feelings constitute this image and we refuse to compromise on it. A liberal and fair-minded nationalist may, however say "take anything but not part of the land" which he considers his country. A federal system which would not change the geographical shape of Sri Lanka is acceptable to a liberal nationalist.
Within this framework, a devolution package ora constitution which contains
oreign Minister F in his ad General Assembl tions called on the inte nity to declare the Lil Tamil Eelam (LTTE) a close their doors to th ing campaigns on foi amar focused his spee ing used in armed con eradication the use used to fight wars unc The Minister stressed adherence to the C. Rights of the Child by conflicts. He furtherb other groups for not le issue of child soldiers cruited mainly by the
Since the Peoples ment assumed power i tinued to advocate an rights situation in Sri the rights of minority violated the present pc tion in Sri Lanka rece man Rights Commissi The Human Rigi (HRC) appointed by ti however sadly lacking drive and has not ye active role. Rarely is a at the HRC offices in C queries or more import ments of human right HRC official said the C opening an office in find the right personn post. It would require ing how to "deal with bx The HRC is met With:
lombo, while many hu | -
it could be seen as a about peace. Whether as a result of this is but the attempt has to the spirit of it is aime Sinhala Commissioni bers of the National Jo opposed to the devolu democratic system-w termed western scrap Lanka - demands tha heard should not be d Let them do their v ernment its. The peop. (Courtesy
 

TAMIL TIMES 19
Frederica Jansz
-akshman Kadirress at the 52nd | of the United Narnational commuperation Tigers of errorist group and aTigers fund raiseign soil. Kadirgchon children beflict, calling for the of children being ler the ages of 18. the need for strict onvention on the all actors in armed lamed NGOs and nding voice to the in Sri Lanka, reITE. : Alliance governn 1994, it has conimproved human Lanka. Promising groups will not be plitical administrantly set up a HuO. hts Commission he government is in initiative and t adopted a proh official available olombo to answer ant, record stateS violations. One ommittee intends affna but cannot el to man such a a knack of knowoth sides," he said, scepticism in Coman rights activ
attempt to bring peace would dawn another question be encouraged if d at peace. If the sts and the memint Committee are tion package, the nich some of them unsuitable for Sri t their right to be enied. "ork, and the gove will decide. of Sunday Times)
ists maintain this body needs to get its act together firstin Colombo before embarking on a project that will end before it has even begun.
Although it is claimed that normalcy has returned to Jaffna, several protests and demands not only about missing persons but also about many other basic rights are often voiced. More than 500 persons are reported to have gone missing since government forces occupied Jaffna. Recently the government suggested this figure to be vastly exaggerated, claiming names in the missing persons list had been doubled. In spite of government rhetoric sincere attempts made by some local bodies to make independent inquiries into cases of missing persons draw a blank.
However it is not only the government forces who remain guilty of human rights violations. The LTTE too were recently found guilty by Amnesty International for not adhering to and maintaining a basic human rights profile.
Government forces continue to initiate acts of terror against sections of the civilian population in the north and east of the country. The most recent was the murder of more than ten Tamil villagers in Amparaion September 24 by Policemen of the area. The Policemen attached to the Central Camp Police Station are reported to have gone on the rampage and invaded the 4th colony, a village in Amparai, killing more than ten and injuring at least fifteen Tamil civilians. A number of houses were also reported to have been torched by these policemen. The police are reported to have carried out this attack in retaliation to the killing of a policemen and a soldier by unidentified persons at the 3rd colony, Amparai. Hundreds of houses belonging to Tamils were torched in this incident. The police personnel have since been transferred pending an inquiry, but not before instilling terror into the remaining villagers of the area.
Rev. Arulpalan is yet another murder committed by unknown forces in the north. A priest of Konavil, in the Killinochchi district, Arulpalan was reportedly taken in for questioning by the Sri Lankan Army on 25th August this year. He was not seen again until his decomposed body was discovered on 9th September together with two others in a hastily dug

Page 20
20 TAMIL MES
grave. Aid workers in the northern peninsula said one of the bodies had its head cut off.
While there is no proof or evidence yet as to who could be responsible, humanitarian organisations assert a serious problem exists in the Vanni where the Army have admitted to killing on sight any human detected Crossing the line from uncleared territory to government controlled land. Security Forces personnel say they cannot take any chances as it could be the LTTE. Some 90 persons have gone missing since the beginning of this year from this particular area in the Killinochchi district.
Acts of murder and disappearance in the north and east seem to continue unabated while the voice of human rights activists in Colombo seems to have become less effective. It is indeed pathetic that a vacuum has been created for members from some political factions with blood on their hands to fill this vacuum virtuously pledging the causes of human rights.
Brutal forms of torture still continue to be reported in many a police station and prison. Amnesty International has recently lent focus to the extent of torture in various countries - torture which
is calculated to disint an intelligent victim. become an almost a perceive that if one rested on suspicion c with the LTTE it is a the armed forces to from terrorism.
The present cens lating to the situation of the main reasons meaning people to re of the appalling huma that continue in Sri La of independent news even foreign correspc from visiting certain try is also the reasc ments own failure to devolution package il The murder of Rel caused any ripples in tary circles. He was mistaken to be a Tig ing of all those other do not require any e) ing to the authorities tioned did not even kn lem exists in the nor civilians attempting to rebel held territory to
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rate the mind of Sri Lanka it has epted stance to a Tamil and arbeing connected ty committed by otect the country
'ship on news rethe north is one reven those Well hain in ignorance rights violations ka today. The lack overage whereby dents are barred reas in this counfor the governsell the proposed the South. Arulpalan has not overnmentor miliust another Tamil r. The brutal slayTamil people also planation accordwho when quesow a serious probth for hundreds of cross the line from government land.
15 OCTOBER 1997
Many of these civilians are farmers and others who for various reasons are forced to make that crossing into Killinochchi and other areas in order to Complete a days work. However the military say the LTTE too move around in civilian attire and so no chances can be taken.
Meanwhilea Defence Ministry statement asserted that the murder of Rev. Arulpalan could be an act of the LTTE to discredit the armed forces. The press release countered allegations that the priest had been taken into military custody before his body was found saying the church is situated outside the boundaries of the area cleared by the armed forces which is not accessible to service personnel.The Defence Ministry statement further asserts that government troops maintain a reciprocative rapport with over five hundred thousand civilians in the peninsula.
Tamil political party leaders in Colombo too have faulted the government for failure to solve the grievances of Tamil civilians. They allege the government turns a blind eye to the arbitrary arrests of Tamil people in the South, refugees being harassed at Vavuniya by security force personnel and the lack of a regul
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Page 21
15 OCTOBER 1997
lar ferry service from the areas of Trincomalee and Mannar to Jaffna. The ferry service has been disrupted following LTTE attacks on vessels carrying returning refugees. Some 10,000 civilians are reportedly stranded at Trincomalee awaiting transportation to Jaffna. Other than appealing to the President there seems to be no mechanism in place to effectively monitor the human rights situation in the country, Non-Governmental Organisations also seem to have receded into a state of lethargyallowing the atrocities to continue. While it is true efforts are being made by sections in the military to win the hearts and minds of the Tamil people in the north and east, excesses and violations continue,
Meanwhile a government propaganda drive is rolling along at half steam to promote the power sharing package, The theme of the campaign "one country - one people" seems to be misplaced when thousands of Tamil people in the north and east are today living under conditions that are anything but similar to that of their brothers and sisters in the south, Some of them have lost all their belongings and are totally dependent on the governments relief measures and other aid. Problems faced by people in the Vanni are unimaginable as they remain a lost entity, minus food, medicine and other essential items.
Some 50,000 people from the east recently called for an end to the war. A memorandum requesting an immediate cease-fire was handed over to the ICRC, The military are reported to lose some 700 soldiers every three months in the long drawn out battle against the rebels, The loss to rebel cadre can only be guessed. The stark reality is, death and destruction are common features in Sri Lankan society making little or no impact as it does not affect the so-called middle and upper classes in the south of the country.
Incidents of rape continues unabated. The most recently publicised case reported from the east of the country was that of the alleged rape and murder of Mrs Murugesapillai Koneswary, mother of four, who according to reports was raped and killed by the exploding of a handgrenade on her abdomen. It was believed that the grenade was used to destroy all evidence of gang rape. JMO for Colombo LDDC Alwis later said the issue of rape could not be determined due to the body being in a highly decomposed state. The autopsy, which was undertaken solely to determine whether or not Mrs. Koneswary had been raped, did not address the cause of death, which according to Dr. Alwis is not in dispute. Two members of the Vigilant Coali
tion who visited Mrs soon after the incid has been left in the thatched hut which the explosion. Blooc witness to the daste place on May the 17 According to K bours, the former h lems with the Police the Kaimunaidistrict quent and persister Central Camp chec prior to her murder, Camp had allegedly Swarys home and away a Margosa tre though she is repo filed a complaint wit Camp, nothing was Mrs, Koneswary had and complained to who intervened on Ing the Central Cam|| timber to the family. dent that the verba harassment of Mrs.
As a result on approximately 11.0 by her four-year old cles with guns" had ried the little girl outs a neighbours fence, ers Mrs. Koneswary her eldest three chil nearby keeping on daughter with her, witness, to the ensu An inquiry orde does not seem to b as human rights ac even known as to egated the task of C tigation into the Kont The Mothers Frc ten twice to Presi demanding the with gency Regulatio against the rape of of the security forc
letter states, repris
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TAM TIMES 21
Koneswarys home int say a large hole oncrete floor of the bears the marks of and shrapnel bear rdly crime that took th this year. oneswarys neighad numerous probat Central Camp in which included fretharassment at the kpoint. Two months police from Central come to Mrs. Konecut down and took e from her yard. Alted to have quickly in the OC at Central one, Subsequently travelled to Ampara the DIG of Ampara her behalf, instructpolice to return the t was after this incl| abuse and sexual coneswary began. the 27th of May, at 0 p.m., as described daughter, some "unentered the hut caride and left her near According to villaghad that night sent dren to her relatives ly her four-year-old he child is the sole ing crime. ed by the President e getting anywhere tivists claim it is not Who has been delonducting the invesSwary murder case. int of Jaffna has Writ
lent Kumaratunge,
drawal of the Emeris and protesting women by members es. A section of the als by the security
forces against civilians and their property have now become a common feature. These search for"terrorists" the letterstates, has now resulted in the indiscriminate arrest of innocent persons and children, rape of women and young girls and plunder and looting.
The Centre for Womens Research in Sri Lanka, CENWOR also in a letter to the President, states the incidence of gang rape in civilian environments in this country is high. In most instances these
crimes continue to go unpunished and
undetected.
The Government is engaged in an immense effort to win the confidence of the civilian population of Jaffna and find a solution to the war, CENWOR had queried these initiatives asking how can national or international credibility be acquired when this type of grave crime is committed by members of the armed forces against defenceless females,
Unfortunately such incidents when they go unpunished orare not condemned by the majority community, proVide fodder for the LTE Who Will thrive in such situations encouraging Tamil women to enlist with the organisation.
Meanwhile a frustrated activist for human rights asked, "Why is it always necessary to approach the President each time?"Why, she says, are there no proper mechanisms in place to which these issues could be addressed and a witness protection program be implemented in order that such crimes do not escape justice.
In the murder case of Krishanthy Kumaraswamy nine soldiers have been charged on eleven counts including the killing of Krishanthy and three members from her family, Krishanthy too in Septemberlast year was forcibly raped and was later murdered by a group of eleven Soldiers,
The questions now being asked is how sincere the government is towards implementing and maintaining a credible recordon human rights. O
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Page 22
22 TAMIL TIMES
Mid pleasures and palaces though we may Be it ever so humble, there's no place like
s the Russian-built UkranianA manned Lion airways plane began its descent, I felt a surge of excitement course through me. We had just overflow the islands of Delft, Kayts and Karainagar, but this was going to be my first aerial view of the peninsula in twenty years and my first view of my homeland in just over ten years. It was to be the first of many disappointments. The familiar clusters of palmyrah trees that remembered covering the landscape around the Palaly airfield were now few and scattered. No doubt cleared for security reasons. Those that remained however, stood tall, straight and proud. As we clambered down onto Jaffna soil, the heat of the dry, parched land hit me almost like a physical blow. The mild summers of the West were hardly the best preparation for the Sweat covered condition that was to be mine from arrival
The journey by bus from Palaly to Yalpannam gave me the first opportunity to assess the changes that had taken place in the last ten years. After the first few miles, a sense of despondency settled over me. My eyes were met by the sight of the dry, rain-stained land where houses were in ruins, where vehicles, other than ours, were non-existent and a landscape was devoid of civilians.The surprisingly excellent condition of the road was small consolation. However, every few miles we encountered the presence of confident troops at numerous checkpoints, and apparently, in full control of the situation.
it was a while before the first civilian occupied areas were encountered. People, obviously not well-off, straggled along the roads. The iron steed of Jaffna, the bicycle, was a ubiquitous presence on the road. The sight of men and women having to dismount these at the numerous checkpoints became a familiar sight. Mayhouses, though damaged, were still occupied. It was hard to imagine what life in those conditions must be like.
As we approached Yalpanam it was evident that the Palaly road was the only one in good condition - again forthe convenience of the army. Most other roads could be termed as such only due to the patches of tarmac that still exist between
- J H
the potholes! My lo Yalpanam itself, rev ing all too clearly ti fourteen years of bo neglect. Some of til their familiarity, but hardly a building t marked by bullets or Market", Duriappah's Suffered tremendous
area itself has shrun
areas of the town h porated into a large midst of this destruct ever, the famil smal managed to keep his with items from Colc ined that, due to the would not get anot leaving Colombo, prised to be able to three times the Color evidence of our ent The town is one of does get a limited : at night, but this is tent.
Over the next fe tunity to see more o of utter devastatio immediate environs library was hearth have been levelled is rubble amidst Wł retrieve bricks for tween the ruins of brary stands prouc memorial column yakam . A sad rem ples, high ideas an a sad and crushing Fourteen years tion have taken a ninsula and its pec its all about now. Th backwards appear ticularly hastened placement' that too 1995. The effects o ing of a communi neglect that the la months are all to pears to be much that experience,
The middle C konger appears to
 

15 OCTOBER 1997
rOas Ofe. 'ayne
g-awaited sight of aled a town showe effects of nearly mbing, shelling and e streets retained ven here there was at Was not pockshrapnel.The "New proud creation, had y and the bus stand k in size while large ave become incorarmy camp, in the ion and decay, howbusinessman has ; shops well stocked ombo. Having imaglack of electricity, her cool drink after Was pleasantly surget one, albeit at mbo price! (Yetmore epreneurial skills). the few areas that supply of electricity batchy and intermit
w days had opporthe town.The sight that exists in the of the town hall and reaking. Buildings and all that remains ich workers try and se elsewhere. Behe town hall and litall and intact, the o S J V Chelvanander of lofty princihopes that today is reality,
of war and deprivaeavy toll on the peple. Survival is what 3 gradual gravitation ; to have been pary the enforced "displace in November the physical uproottogether with the d suffered in those evident. There apsidual bitterness at
ass community no xist in Jaffna in any
significant size. Those who belonged to the poorer sections are now the dominant group, both by virtue of their own efforts and by the voluntary exile of others. Even for them the opportunities for Work and further advancement in the peninsula are few. Those who can, will leave and add to the vast Tamil diaspora that exists in Colombo and abroad.
in the face of all these difficulties, educational institutions have continued to function and maintain the standards for which they are renowned. Education - the foundation of the Jaffna person's progress remains as important as everif not more.There appears to have been no diminution in the number of tutories available, including some with enthusiastic titles like "Keen Academy' Unfortunately at present all this will only help lead more young people out of the poninsula. -
Jaffna, with its lack of electricity, limited transport and facilities (including medical) and the ongoing brain drain has gone backwards in terms of development and progress. To bring it back to a level that existed even prior to 1983 will take many years of hard work and imaginative leadership. Hardwork and the Tamil people are old friends! The grit and determination that these hardy people hawe shown over these turbulent years allied to their ingenuity and resourcefulness can prove equal to the task. Provided of course there is the stability that can be brought about only by a just political settlement. The latter remains as much a mirage as always.
During my years in the west, have heard many Tamil expatriates speak nostalgically of their happy days in Yalpanam. They remember those days wher they awoke to the sounds of a cockcrowing or to the peel of temple bells. They remembered reclining in"easy' chairs or the veranda, wafted by soft breezes They remembered that most civilisedo' practices - the afternoon siesta, with a smile The sweetness of the Jaffna mango, they say, is unmatched by other fruit. To them I can only say that, I am lucky to be rediscovering these and other wonderful realities that can come only from being here in one's homeland.
Life in Jaffna at present is certainly no bed of roses, but the people remain hopeful that, as in the words of that popular song, - Things can only get better (September 1997)
"When men are oppressed, tortured and killed, it is called oppression, but when women are fortured and killed, if is called tradition."
-Talsima Nasreen, Bangladesh Writor

Page 23
15остовев 1997
Text of special Report No 9 dated 7. by the University Teachers for Human Rig
(Continued from last issue)
A particular group of vulnerable persons, whose numbers could rise to more than 150,000 with the current military situation in the Vanni, is of a kind that has been unknown during this century. These are mainly Vanni returnees from the late 1995 exodus. They record a high incidence of Septicaemia, malaria, cerebral malaria, typhoid and the so-called "fire fever. The latter has been known particularly among Jaffna's displaced population from about 1991.The victims succumb within two days. These people have to carry the scars of the "Exodus' that was primarily a game for those who articulated it.
Yet little has been heard about Concern for the health needs of the people from those who were vocal on the Subject when the LTTE was in control. It would appear as though their medical problems had ceased to exist along with the people themselves. The romance in highlighting their problems has vanished. Jaffna no longer has the glamour where expatriates could come in and carry back a coveted video record of their having tea with LTTE functionaries. Jaffna is only fit to be a free-fire zone, (See addendum on Jaffna hospital.)
Those who have tried to persuade Tamil doctors to come and Work in Jaffna, even from Colombo, have found the effort singularly unrewarding. The British Foreign Minister who was in Jaffna last December had also made the observation that efforts at trying to persuade Tamil doctors in Britain to spend a short time in Jaffna while receiving all the benefits of working in Britain, also turned out to be futile. The propaganda is such that even those who may have considered going to Jaffna are being discouraged by fellow Tamils. In Jaffna itself several middle class areas are largely empty of inhabitants. There may be just one couple who have the care of parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and other elders whose other descendants had left. One such young man who was himself being asked to come abroad by his doctor brother, who told him that there is soon going to be an attack to
liberate Jaffna, ot earlier years tho Jaffna were cons propaganda. No propaganda thc themselves patri trying to keep life those around us forsl"
13.The Search fo
We stated at
issue of missing
of much of what ha bers missing in e measure of the gu and the authoriti external conseque may well get awa and inviting foreig convenient time to rights situation ha nical sense. Yet it that quantitative ir unless it is match tional changes a pressive laws. O nothing. Even the tempts at reform c ited and tempora not supported by for evaluation, ma rewards and punis certain tendencie others.
Thus pressu stantly applied to accountable in th bile. Means must b ter the Governmer from individual tra address the huma to merely treat it ritual, poisons the to a point where unserviceable.
Given the situ report, one coulde ation could dete rights question i gently: The gulf b the people will gr ing more harsh w
 

TAML TIMES 23
นne 1997 hts (Jafna)
served sceptically: "In se who were leaving dered traitors in LT TE v supported by LTTE se abroad consider ots, while we who are Joing for ourselves and are regarded as trai
r Remedial Measures he beginning that the )ersons is a reflection shappened. The numach division is also a lf between the people es in the area. As for inces, the Government y by dragging its feet yn observers at Some report that the human is improved in a techis widely recognised nprovement is farcical led by benign instituhd the removal of rethese We have seen President's feeble at:ould make only a limry impact as they are criteria or processes tohed by a system of chments to encourage s and to discourage
el needs to be conhold the Government a fullest sense possie developed to counit's evasiveness. Apart gedies, the failure to in rights issue fully or as a public relations political atmosphere the options left are
tion described in this asily see how the situiorate if the human not addressed urtween the Army and w, the Army becomith the people in re
sponse to LT TE provocations that include more frequent attacks on anyone perceived as an opponent. Terror takes over the community. All those who had hitherto lacked the courage or conviction to take any stand whatsoever, would take refuge behind slogans like "It is wrong to criticise the LTTE" and "You could never trusta Sinhalese government ora Sinhalese amy".
We have been here before and it is political terrain in which the LTTE feels most at home, where it has so far found no match. Its job would become about as easy as carrying out Selective assassinations and keeping up provocations. Then all those, who took bold initiatives, spoke up or tried something different and constructive, would find themselves isolated, frustrated and even eliminated.
In such an impasse talks with the LTTE would be advanced as a lifeline, not as being about democracy, peace or devolution, but as a truce - an elusive truce between two oppressive agents, both having good deal to hide.There will be nothing in it for the people. We have been here before too.
Variants of these very real dangers must be kept in mind while addressing what needs to be done. To begin with, the Government should not be allowed to get away with further excuses for not opening up Jaffna fully. lf human rights organisations and journalists have unhindered access, it would do a lot of good. Jaffna has two options. It could improve dramatically or die the slow death it is undergoing now.
To those who were prepared to ignore the hidden realities of the LTTE's regime, what obtains in Jaffna today looks more repressive - freedom of movement has been Curtailed, arrest is less predictable and crime seems more conspicuous. But many of those who have lived through the vicissitudes of the last two decades refuse to see things so pessimistically. There is today more freedom, perhaps just a little more, to speak one's mind openly, if they dare. With varying degrees of clarity, many see the crucial importance of pushing this freedom to its limits.
It is futile to compare what occurred under the LTTE with what exits today. That would be to apply static criteria instead of looking at what could be done. When the Sri Lankan Army, which in the past had alienated the ordinary Tamil by its actions and its virtual transformation as a Sinhalese Army, tries to administrate without much political initiative, people resent its overriding authority as well as its inefficient functioning. The LTTE regime, being part of the community, having suppressed all forms of independent initiative by the people, was

Page 24
24, TAMILTIMES
able to provide the elementary services with much efficiency. But the politics of the LTTE has a very dangerous flaw:- its constant need to enhance the very real insecurity faced by the Tamil people, tap their lower instincts for hatred and revenge, and so use them to further brutalise the "enemy'. It progressively suppresses any potential there is for peace building. The tragic plight of the Vanni returnees from the enginee! red exodus of late 1995 is characteristic of what it will bring again and again. This makes the freedom of thought and expression far less abstract and equally more precious,
The people who flocked back to Jaffna in April 1996 saw some changes - an army that was disciplined, and a government which showed at least a vision of finding a political solution to the ethnic problem. This vision was allowed to become skewed, The reader of this report, we hope, would have found food for thought on what needs to done to redeem that vision,
ADDENDUM Miscellany on Jaffna Teaching Hospital From 1986 when shells fired by the army from Jaffna Fort fell in and around JaffnaTeaching Hospital(JTH), it has occupied a central place inthe drama sur
rounding the war, ( hospital was crucia well-being of the cc other there was pr be derived from in to the Government towards the hospi having become ser the issues concer of the hospital hav cut. (See the Broke sequent reports of its heyday in the e medical profession number of persons ( ing and the future p the hospital is today Certainties. The cur reviewed below, St. department of na three specialists hamoorthy, Dr (M Dr.Anandaraja - c. stable. A few de consultants/speci positlon remains mology (Dr. Ku (Dr. Sivasubraman, Karunakaran, sup dent Obstetrician Pathology (Dr. (Mis is an anaesthetis ndran), but there ha
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the one hand the to the morale and munity, and on the paganda benefit to dents that pointed ill-will or malignity 1. With the politics entine and callous, ng the vicissitudes never been clearPalmyrah' and subhe UTHR(J).) From arly 80's when the in Jaffna Counted a Finternational standomised great things, faced with many unbnt position is briefly ff Position: Only the dicine that Counts - Dr (Mrs) Ganesrs) Nagendra and ould be sald to be partments having lists, but where the haky are: Ophthaljasthasan,) ENT am), Obstetrics (Dr. ported by the Resi, Dr. Gunaratnam) & s) Sinnappah). There it (Dr (Mrs) Theivead been no surgeon
15 OCTOBER 1997
since the return of refugees in April 1996 until the arrival of the MSFSurgeon on 1st April 1997,Some polsktions with no consultant/specialisfarp : Paediatrician, Neurologist, Neuro - Surgeon, OPD (for the past six years) & Surgeon,
The hospital is very short of junior level doctors, among whom are Senior House Officers (SHOs). These persons are normally recruited a year after passing out as doctors. But in Jaffna an SHO now means something much more. A number of them have served six years in that position without going elsewhere to further themselves in the profession as was normally the case. Many felt obliged to delay their departure as there was no one to relieve them.Though lacking avenues to attend conferences, seminars and in general discuss their work in broader fora, the work during the war years was such that they had acquired valuable experience and skills - sometimes even performing surgical operations.
Some of the staff positions as at presentare: Medicine - 2 out of 4 SHO positions filled; Obstetrics - 2 out of 3; Surgery-nil out of 3; Paediatrics - nil. Out of 26 vacancies for interns, only 5 are filled. Labourers - no apparent shortage after 70 were recruited recently by
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Page 25
:
15 OCTOBER 1997
advertisement. Nurses- short by 120 out of a total of about 300 positions, Despite the dire shortage, 24 hours coverage is provided through voluntary arrangements among doctors, Some reasons for the shortago:
The isolation of Jaffna and the lack of senior persons from whom skills can be acquired or guidance sought, has made JTH unattractive for the young
wanting to move ahead. The natural first
step should therefore be to attract senior persons, and to address the question why those fairly well settled in Jaffna life have left. There are also reasons besides the more obvious ones related to the war with no end in sight. Those remaining do so for a mixture of reasonseg. professional or moral dedication, a strong bond with the place and its people, facing a rare challenge - and in sum, service and life in Jaffna offers them a satisfaction they could not get elsewhere.
What recent events, particularly the '95 exodus had done, was to virtually wipe off the modest capital several of them had for an emergency as land and property, thus putting them under much pressure. It has been pointed out that the money that is available to redress this shortage could perhaps be used far more effectively. USAID spends an estimated Rs.6 lakhs (US$ 10000) amonth to provide 3 MSF personnel who are much needed. If a similar sum from Wellwishers is used to provide incentives for a few years to local doctors who would work in Jaffna, the results, it is averred, would be more effective and permanent. The health ministry too, it is said, would do well to address an anomaly that obliges returning senior expatriate doctors to work on contract at the lowest point of the consultant's scale, with no allowances,
Medical Supplies to Jaffna
Requests for supplies have to be endorsed by the Ministry of Health and then processed by the Ministry of Defence. When Jaffna was under LTTE control, the first was routine while the latter (MoD) made cuts in the list before passing it. From April 1996 the MoD has made no cuts except for disallowing Ketamine, an anaesthetic that could be used in the field,
All gifts to Jaffna Hospital need MoD approval, and this is now routinely granted. NGOs (e.g. ICRC&MSF) are now not allowed to take their own supplies of medicine to Jaffna. The MSF for example has to get its medicines from JTH. Previously, under TTE control, the NGOs used to supplement what JTH received in short- supply. A hospital spokesman said that the NGOs still had the option of donating the medicines to
JTH in Colombo, w approved by the M Jaffna and then be a Up to the endo however had problen Commissioner Ge Services, who is sa sympathetic and h placed, had insiste plies to Jafna shoulc Vessels and not in did weekly trips to sulted in long delay Colombo to JTH) an piliferage. Matters cé ing Deepavali (Nové merchants used the the ship with medici bour and unload in festive goodies and resulting shortage c protests and the qu by the CRC was ta minister of health is pathetic and co-ope
Buildings and infra Sections of Some gical ward) were ba three storey matern Victoria Road an (i.e.Subash Hotel) is Army has cited secul bidden its use.This hi which the hospital raised with the Arm The Army too has ch eral times on the mí tients now use the ground floor of an it with no proper labou is so short that patie floor 3 hours after c be 24 hours during wanting to risk havin ing curfew hours ha to the congestion.
The Army HQ t also resulted in a cc security personnel premises. The wall a toria Road and Pow been broken and a se sited there, making about moving to ar intensive Care Unit
The general health
An indicator of pi the significant rise ir times before the Wa index for Jaffna Disti highest. Both the bi mortality were below age. Today infant mo higher than the na
around 33 per 1,00C
sent disabilities face

TAMIL MES 25
Tich Would then be oD, transported to Vailable from JTH.
last year, the JTH is with supplies.The neral of Essential id to have been unas since been rethat medical supgo in normal cargo the ICRC ship that affna. This had re(e.g. 25 days form dup to 30% loss by ame to a crisis durmber) 1996, when ir influence to push
nes out of KKS har
stead vessels with aerated waters. The of medicines led to estion of transport ken up again. The regarded both symrative.
structure
» buildings (e.g.surldly damaged. The ity block that faces ld the Army HQ not used since the ity reasons and foras been a Sore point S authorities have y again and again. anged its mind sevatter. Maternity pavery inadequate hcomplete building Ir room. Bed space bnts are sent to the elivery. (it used to 1995.) Patients not g labour pains durve also contributed
eing close by has instant intrusion of into the hospital it the corner of Vic}r House Road has Intry point has been the staff anxious Id from the nearby iuring the night.
of the population: esent conditions is infant mortality. In r the quality of life ict was among the rth rate and infant the national averrtality is about 30% tional average of . Asked if the pred by Jaffna Hospi
tal have hada significant adverse efect on the population, resulting in a higher death rate, a senior doctor at the hospital replied that there would have been an adverse effect, but at the same time it would be difficult to quantify. The answer he said is more complicated. To begin with, he said, those who come to the hospital are already a select group who are more knowledgeable than others. The very poor often do not come at all. Much more important, he said, is the breakdown of paramedical services and pre-natal care, particularly in the more rural areas. He also confirmed that the effect of the Vanni returnees has been to boost the adverse statistics significantly.
As for the more critical cases, he said, their transfer to Colombo is today more streamlined because of the ICRC ship going every week. Giving an example of a very critical case, he cited the case of a girl with a subarachnoid bleed who needed brain surgery. She had come to Jaffna hospital on a Monday in mid May. On Tuesday she was flown to Colombo by an airforce plane. The catch here, he said, was that her family had to pay for her air transport and for those who accompanied her (Rupees 3,200/= per person). This is something that cannot be afforded by those who are poor. But he felt that it may be possible to transfer the expense away from the patient if the matter is taken up for discussion. Post-mortem examinations
From what we have been able to find out, neither the Army nor any other section of the security forces has applied any form of pressure on JTH as regards post-morten examinations. The shortcomings in these examinations, the senior doctor said, have more to do with the lack of experience, exposure and specialised training on the part of the doctors performing these examinations. Normally such persons should have regular opportunity to discuss their work at Conferences and also have had specialised training abroad. These are among the handicaps faced by young doctors in Jaffna. Some of the cases covered in our reports are instructive.
In our Special Report No 7, of August 1996, we recorded the case of the university entrant who was tortured at the Kalviankaadu army camp, was admitted to Jaffna Hospital when he started having fits and later died. The boy had an enlarged kidney and high blood presSure, a condition deemed unconnected with torture. The post-mortem examination also revealed a blood clot in the brain, almost certainly connected with indiscriminate assault. The doctor Was (continued on next page)

Page 26
26 TAMILTIMES
clear in his mind that torture had been the cause of death.The hospital reported the mater to the HQ, KKS Police, The HQl took the matter seriously and placed 12 soldiers under arrest. The army captain at the camp approached a doctor concerned and wanted to know the cause of death. He wanted to protect his men and kept arguing that the enlarged kidney was the cause of death. The doctor refused to discuss the matter further. But he was clear that no intimidation Was involved. A judicial officer visited Jaffna and the doctoral greed to testify in court at Anuradhapura. As is too often the case in such situations, nothing more was heard.The senior doctor added that even today, if the hospital authorities reported any finding of foul play to the police, the normal investigation and arrest would take place. But whether things would go beyond that is yet to be demonstrated.
In the same report (Sp. Rp 7) we reported abuses at Kaladdy army camp. During the same period the body of a youth was sent to JTH by the army who claimed that he had died in a shooting incident. On the surface this seemed acceptable. But later one doctor noticed that there was an entry wound, but no exit wound. He became suspicious, as when he returned to Jaffna in April last year, he found a knife left behind by a soldier who had been in the house. It was of the kind that was driven into a person and then given a twist. He got a technician to x-ray the corpse and found that there was no bullet found in the body. He concluded that the youth had died from stabbing. But it is not known whether he this recorded his conclusion. Often working in an environment where there is no seriousness about taking action, doctors doing post-mortem examinations tend to become despondent over the seeming futility of their work. Now for two cases dealt with in the present report.
We referred to doubts concerning the cause of death of 9 civilians in connection with Ponnalaimine explosion of 29th January 1997. The Army had claimed that the mine explosion rather than firing by the soldiers had been the cause of death. The senior doctor who spoke to us said that there was no finding to contradict the army's version. There were no bullets found in any of the bodies. But, he added that this was corroboratory as regards the Army's claim, but not confirmatory. He said that one normally does not find bullets in the body as they generally pass through leaving an entry wound and an exit wound. In the Ponnali incident no foreign particles were found in the bodies. Apart from objects hitting the body in an explosion,
Ben t
witzerland S Watches a Count nurn part of the mystic Indian subcont mortals like us, places which C ill-gotten wealtho This was amply p solved Bofors gu the Indian sleuth Switzerland, litera edly containing th of "commissions bribes!
Swiss bank names of the acc
bers assigned tot
death could also tissue damage fr fect, leaving no e that given the fact rity in such matter needs to be more lf after shooti subjects the body it would be difficu se of death, unles was an expert wh tween a bullet in a particle shot ou also leaving ent Would, he said, h Someone like the Varnabavarnantha tion. He added t nalai incident, Moolai area Seel army's version v Was then asked incident where t seemed to have year old boy ha explosion, where alive following ti be a case in the ed, "There was of the doctors t the body had se described, death On Would have S sion. But these faked. The Jaffn, very concerned standard of p mortem examin der present cor

15 OCTOBER 1997
zir Bhutto Compeiiled “Sette Accounts”
Ramesh Gopalakrishnan
s good for climate, d banks Without a Cers. Swiss banks are e and intrigue in the nent. For ordinary he Swiss banks are rtainly contain the the politicians around. oved by the still-unredeal scandal, where s brought back, from ly a blackbox suppose secret beneficiaries ", an euphemism for
aCCOUunt S are San S bunt holders and numhem, and henceno One
occur, he said, due to Dm the air hammer efxternal injury. He said that the Army's integs is not rated high, one
careful. ng a person, the Army f to a bomb explosion, t to determine the caus the doctor concerned o could distinguish beury and an injury from t by an exploding mine y and exit wounds. It ave taken the calibre of late Professor. Saran to make the distincat in the case of Poncal opinion from the hed to suggest that the as correct. The doctor about the Puttur mine he post-mortem report concluded that the 16 died from the mine is in fact, he was seen 2 explosion. "This may point made," he replio intention in the part give a false report. If eral injuries of the kind ue to the mine explosiened a natural conclujuries could have been Medical Association is bout maintaining a high fessionalism in postions as is possible untions," he concluded, O
is likely to know to whom an account belongs. All big-time politicians from all parts of the World, especially political dynasties from the sub-continent, are rumoured to have stashed away huge funds in Swiss banks. This money is certain to be laundered brought back to the home-countries for personal or political use especially during election-time to bolster up electoral successes which again will guarantee opportunities to be in power to stash away more and more of their ill-gotten gains.
The Bhutto dynasty seems to have lost its mystique, at least once, in contemporary Pakistan's troubled history. The reason: freezing stuff in Swiss land Yes, certain Swiss banks have frozen, since September 8, four accounts of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, her husband (better known as Mr. Thirty Percent) Asif Zardariandmother Begium Nusrat Bhutto. The banks, acting on a request from the Pakistan government, Wenton to defend their decision to freeze the accounts. However, the Pakistan government has not yet conclusively proved the corruption allegations against Zardari, who has been in prison pending investigations after being accused of hatching a conspiracy to murder Benazir's brother Murtaza Bhutto,
Pakistan has a new post to fight top-level corruption: something Indian prime minister K Gujral could create immediately! The post in Islamabad is held by Senator Saifur Rahman, chief of the Ehtasab (Accountability) Cell. His job is to co-ordinate the various full Scale
(continued on next page)

Page 27
15 OCTOBER 1997
probles against Benazir and Zardari.The Ehtasab cell is under the direct supervision of prime minister Nawaz Shariff. According to Rahman, an amount of 50 to 80 million US dollars had been hidden in the Swiss accounts, Rahman also made it clear that Benazir Would have to return all the ill-gotten wealth to the pub
ic.
Pakistan has gone a step ahead, seeking the permission of British and French authorities to freeze accounts of Benazir and Bhutto, The Ehtesab Celi has worked hard to obtain copies of four letters written by Cotenca Inspection and Societe Generale de Survelance, two companies involved in inspection and evaluation of imports into Pakistan; and letters to three offshore companies, indicating the involvement of Zardari and his associates.
The London-based Sunday Times immediately published a report stating that Benazir was getting sick of Zardari and was about to leave him. The quarrel, resembling a poor soap opera, was over the murder of Murtaza in which Zardari had been named one of the accused. Benazir quickly denied the report, while threatening to take the issue to the British Press Council. However, she didn't deny that part of the reports which said she quietly attempted to manoeuVre her way to get her husband nominated to the Pakistan Senatel
The next bombshell came in the form of a news report which alleged that the Bhutto family had stashed away more than three billion US dollars in foreign countries. The report damned Benazir further by saying that much of the money
came from drug-trafficking profits and is
known to have been blocked in assets held in Britain, France, Switzerland, Luxembourg and even Poland! To counter the allegations, Benazir attempted to evolve a strategy of verifying the Pakistan government's claims. She decided to send a delegation of lawyers to SwitZerland. However, the Swiss authorities confirmed to Benazir that action was taken on receipt of valid documents.
Benazir and her aides have attempted to level counter-allegations against prime minister Nawaz Shariff. She claimed that he had got a stay order against the examination of his for eign accounts, in the meantime, her coleague and former minister Naseerullah Babar alleged that Nawaz Shariff's aide and former Intelligence Bureauchief Brig Imtiaz possessed hundreds of thousands of dollars abroad inforeign banks, Who doesn't, if you are in powerful and influential positions in the sub-continent?
Well, the British authorities have con firmed receipt of a letter written by the Pakistani government seeking help to
ear 1989 an Y War. The fam Jean-Luc Gc shoot a film on the has just been divi Allegemeine Neuf the Eastern Eu-rol Western paradise, in Sherlock Holmes pants Waits in a r the typical Wester Eastern Europe wh ing. The glasnost has gone and his h has been dissolvec direction leads to th has nothing to spy where to go. May have started out it his journey in space to be mad. He migh proverbial advent Miguel Cervantes, t than the puzzled Kafka's novel The nally for his conder of the judge who is The conditior Shankar Rajee is Crucial difference. H the West, but from
Third World-that
probe the assets o' cluding a mansion According to them, taken as yet. The Benazir would ha more time before th ety. Nevertheless, most of the time, r to stay in Pakistan tractors irrespectiv find a safe haven SC extremely caring r cided to admit her in Dubai for the tim She also fearst the results of thes her party and also from the parliamen ignominious end t political opponent eventuality, she ha help from the Pak trudge the stairs of A long haul for the
East til her "accour
West are satisfactc

TAMIL TIMES 27
nd Redundant Rebellions
Ramesh Gopalakrishnan
the end of the cold ous French director dard had decided to German Line which ing the two worlds: Zero. As peoples of be cross over to the an old man clothed
- style overcoats and
ailway station. He is spy in the socialist ich isjustdisappearspy. His project-land eadquarters in Paris i. He finds that every eWestern World and f about. He has nobe he never should h the first place, but ) and time is destined it Wellhave been the rer in the era of a )ut now he is no more Joseph K of Franz rial, who waits etermnation at the hands
never-to-be
of someone like similar, but there's a he starts out not from the other side: the -once-was. Unlike
f the two in Britain inand hotel in Sussex. no decision had been probe goes on and We to wait for Some he next round of anxiBenazir is abroad not knowing whether and confront her dee of the outcome, or mewhere abroad. An nother, she has dechildren to a school e being. hat Shariff might use 9 probes to liquidate get her disqualified t thereby bringing an o his only powerful in Pakistan. In that sno option to cry for ristani judiciary and the court buildings, bold Daughter of the hts of the West" in the brily "settled"
Godard's dumb and haggard spyplayed by Lemmy Cauton, Shankar is suave and articulate, having been one of the founders of the Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students (EROS), the pioneer organisation of the separatist Eelam struggle in the Indian Ocean island of Sri Lanka. While Cauton takes trains between the East and the West, Shankar flies between the North and the South. Cauton, in the earlier film Alphaville of Godard, plays the spy to perfection. And Shankar has had his moments of glory having been trained by the late Abu Jihad, the Palestine guerrilla leader and aide of Yasser Arafat. Earlier, Shankar's practice partner was none other than Velupillai Prabhakaran, Militarily, he was no less than a Commandante,
Politically too, Shankar has been part of EROS delegations at various levels.
And now, this legend has to wait inside four walls of the Madras Central prison, hoping to go free after a sentence which might never arrive, after all
Shankar, for the records, was arrested on the night of July 26 by the Customs authorities. The charge: he was carrying currencies worth 54 lakh Indian Rupees which he had not declared. And Shankar's friends in the Indian Intelligence agencies got the alert, but chose to be silent. Hence, the militant leader, who now looks more a visiting executive of a transnational firm, had to trudge to the prison after spending a few hours before a magistrate. He has been detained under a foreign exchange violation act, and no real trial may take place at all. There would only be periodic review sessions at a Court where Shankar is free to challenge his detention.
Shankar's is a tough legacy like that of Godard's spy, butthere are more differences. Godard's Spy is a residue from the past and a dwindling species. Godard's spy is alone. Shankar, though from the past, is part of a community along with his Tamil populace. Whether they travel or not, Shankar's Tamil brothers and sisters wait and wait, in city lodges, port yards, railway stations, airport lounges, quarantine rooms and special refugee camps. While Godard's hero ultimately stays put in a station toilet, Shankar's folk keep moving and moving till geography halts them.
InTamil Nadu, for instance, hundreds of Tamil militants wait in various jails with

Page 28
28 TAMIL TIMES
out trial. Eighteen LTTE supporters were transferred, for instance, from the Mandapam refugee camp near Rameswaram island to the Haider and Tippu Sultan Mahals in the historic Vellore fort. Forty of the LTTE militants staying in the Haider and Tippu Mahals took a leave out of the names of these Warriors who had fought the British and broke out of the fort. The jailbreak which took place two years ago shocked Tamil Nadu's politicians and they decided to beef up surveillance in several camps where militants had been lodged.
True, Shankar has no business possessing so much foreign currency, but then, he is no ordinary passenger either. He has been helping his would-be-betrayers, the Indian intelligence officials, foreight long years, ever since the 1987 Indo-Lankan agreement fell through, While the LTTE abhorred the terms of the agreement, a lot of Tamil militant groups saw, in the agreement, an opportunity to re-entermainstream Lankan politics. The EROS went through an intense debate on the issue for more than two years. EROS leader V Balakumar, who had earlier advocated a Softerline on the LTTE, decided to work along with the TTE after the exit of the Indian troops from Sri Lanka. Living in and travelling through India, Shankar was left with no
option but to charm, abilities, the Indian in This incurred him the which had accused tant groups of passim the LTTE to the India cies, Andall militant were slowly margina leaving no space for new leadership. Livir kar kept a low profil Survive, even as about ruthlessly groups. The price he was his proximity wi gence agencies.
When these ag arms and currencie like Shankar into SI part of a grandstrate Now, Shankar's act ing less than a crin Shankar's arrest Wa filed by the crime bi dictably was small n dia wanted polished lend two-line quotes political or military. dictating from mem« entire contents of th to journalists). Buth response from the month. TWo Womer
presents
Subbudu
The Standing Committee of Tamil Speaking People
T.W. SANKARANARAYANAN Vocal Recital of Carnatic Music
"Monarch of Carnatic music'
With accompanists from India
Violin Mirudangam Wrttall Ramamurthy Neyveli R Narayanan Exclusive performance in London in aid of SCOT Sunday 16 November 1997 at 6.00pm
Grand Hall (Battersea Town Hall), Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, Battersea, London SW11
Tickets; £10 Available from: 0181693 4088/- O1819527249/O181870 9897
 
 

h his articulatory ligence agencies. rath of the LTTE, ders of other miliOn information on Intelligence agenoups in Sri Lanka sed by the LTTE, e emergence of a in Madras, Shanand managed to E militants went iminating other had to pay for this the Indian intelli
2ncies smuggled
through militants
Lanka, it was all y to fight the LTTE. has become nothe. For the media, is just a news item at reporter. It preews. True, the memilitants like him to on Current events, (I recall Shankar's ory over phone the e 1987 agreement is arrest evoked no media for nearly a journalists, Jaya
15 OCTOBER 107
Menon and Nirupama Subramaniam, figured out his arrest and wrote on the issue in the indian Express. The Hindu published a Colombo datelined PT shory quoting EROS general secretary K Sudhakaran of writing an apology letter to Indian Home Minister Indrajit Gupta seeking Shankar's release. All this, prodictably, has been of no avail. And Shankar is still in jail.
The heroes of Kafka and Godard ano alone. They seek not loneliness but sotude. However, militant leaders, lost as they are, have many colleagues. Seething with rage and embittered by the resulting confusion, they find themselves redundant in the new world. They are in deep trouble with almost no friends in times of distress. But, they too need a lot of time and solitude to reflect on their deeds and words. Yes, they are, yet again, on a New Line Zero. O
"We vest our nations with consciences, identities and memories as if they were individuals, But if it is problematic to vest an individual with a single identity, it is even more so in the case of a nation."
- Michaolignatioff, index on Consorship
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Page 29
15oCTOBER 1997
ive people were killed, 35 injured F and 45 houses set on fire 23 Sep
tember by a rampaging group of
policemen in the Central Camp 4th Colony in the Amparal district in eastorn Sri Lanka apparently in retaliation for the killing of a policeman, a homeguard and soldier on the previous day, Following protests by local parliamentarlans and human rights groups, the government has instituted an investigation. In the meantime those suspected of inVolvement in the rampage have been transferred from their posts pending the probe
On 22 September, a Monday night at about 8.30pm a group of gunmen presumed to have fired upon aparty of four travelling on bicycles and killed three, The incident occurred at Vithapura or the Central Camp 3rd colony which has a predominantly Sinhala population.The persons killed were apoliceman from the Central Camp police station, a home guard from the area, and a soldier currently serving in the north. He had come home to attend a "Dhana" ceremony in Vijithapura. The survivor was a Buddhist priest. One report says that the assassins spared him deliberately while others say that he too was targeted but
(Continued from page 10)
region. Utilising the Tamil majority of Batticaloa the Sinhala ascendancy in Trincomalee has been effectively undermined and Tamil strength enhanced in overal terms.
This gives a fighting chance for the Tarniis to mobilise themselves in their entirety and outnumber both the Sinhalese and Muslims in hustings. As such prospects of winning the referendum which needs only 50% + 01b of the total votes cast for victory, Furthermore the provision to create an automatic Muslim majority region in the Amparal district if and only if Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts opt for merging with the North places the Sri Lanka Muslim congress in a position where it would be compelled to canvass in favour of a linkage with the north. It has been the Muslim Congress position that special arrangements for the Muslims are necessary only if and when a North-East linkage is created. The Muslims do not want any special unit if the Eastern Province remains separate from the North.
(To be continued in next issue)
managed to escape. On the following about 2.30pm in b groups of persons W sWords, axes and p predominantly Tamil colony, The total nu both groups amoun than fifty. The Fourth settlement scheme three divisions, Peop division saw a mob entering their area to the second divisi horror they found as sons entering the se another direction,
The bulk of the and second divisions were trapped betwee acCounts state tha' Crouched in firingpo on the unarmed civil people runninghelter lives were shouting "Arohara" a religious dus at sublime mome people of the first di Colony escaped to th jungle land and were of the second and th the area between the and Vettai adi at the Suffered the most.
The invading “hor and hacked personst on. Many of the atta and children ran and simply taking refugei Jungle, The mayhem have been far more timely Intervention o Force stationed at net The STF rushed to away the rampaging situation under contr evacuation of the aff other Taml Village Se Five people were sons injured in the Inc said that 25 people subsequent reports ( one "missing". About been razed and torch damaged, Almost all have been looted number of livestock a ing. The persons kill Packiyarajah, Ponnia
. laikkutti Suntharaling
Kumaraswamy, and
 

TAMIL TIMES 29
Tuesday the 23rd at road daylight two ith firearms, knives, oles "invaded" the Central Camp 4th mber of persons in ted to a little more Colony agricultural itself consists of
lelving in the third
of armed persons and began running on in fear, To their econd group of percond division from
people in the third of the fourth colony in them, Eyewitness some assailants sition and let loose ilians. The pathetic skelter to save their in a fearful frenzy s chant of the HinInts of devotion.The vision in the fourth e adjacent tracts of spared the agony ird divisions. It was points of Farm Adi fourth colony that
des" also assaulted hey could lay hands cked men, women cycled to safety by n the outlying shrub unleashed could serious but for the if the Special Task arby Sorikkalmunal, the scene, chased mob, brought the ol and ensured the acted people to anna-ikkudiyalruppu. killed and 37 per:ident. lnitial reports were missing but do not refer to any45 dwellings have ed With another 85 houses in the area and a substantial und poultry is missled are Veluppillai h Sathasivam, Velam, Kanapathipillai his wife Rangana
yaki Kumaraswamy. The husband and wife were killed in their home while the other three met death in the open spaces. Suntharallingama native of Veelamunai was merely visiting the Fourth colony when death struck.
Theidentity of theattackers is nosecret, Most of them were dressed in civil with khaki trousers and black shirts, A few, however, were in police uniform. They were no strangers to the villagers of the Fourth colony. They comprised police personnel from the Central camp Police station and home guards from Vithapura, The police station is only about a mile from the Fourth colony and the people knew by sight at least the persons deployed there,
Residents from the Fourth colony have gone on record as saying that they could identify the bulk of their attackers, Fearing possible intimidation by the perpetrators of the crime the government has transferred out all those on duty at the Central camp police station. A full scale inquiry has been ordered into the incident. All political parties representing Tamils as well as human rights organisations have urged the government to take appropriate and meaningful action over the incident, O
5,000-Year-Old
Human Grave Found
Sri Lankan archaeologists have begun excavating a site believed to be of a 5,000-year-old human grave that was discovered by villagers in the south of the island.
According to the director of the Department of Archaeology Dr. Siran Deranyagala, the discovery was made about a month ago at a mining lagoon in Hambantota district, about 180 km (112 miles) southeast of the capital Colombo,
Initial excavation has revealed that the physical indications of the human skeletons were primitive and could be of Sri Lanka's prehistoric man, Dr. Deraniyagala saild.
"We hope that within the next couple of months we will be able to ascertain the precise nature of the period and the content of the site," he said, "If there is any presence of metal or ceramic we will be able to date the skeletons" said Dr. Deraniyagala, adding that Sri Lanka might have to look for foreign expertise for a detailed analysis of the skeletons.
He said that further excavations could also reveal any insight into a link between the stone age and the pre-historic period.

Page 30
30 TAML, TIMES
Phone: 0
MATRMONIAL Jaffna Hindu mother seeks partner for daughter, 40, attractive, divorced, working profesSional, residing in Canada with two children entering university. M 976 C/o Tamil Times.
Jaffna parents seek suitable partner under 36 for engineer son, disabled and working abroad. M979 C/O Tamil Times. Jaffna Hindu parents seek partner for US raised son, 26, doctor employed in US with citizenship. M 980 c/o Tamil Times. Jaffna Hindu aunt seeks educated partner for nephew, CIMA accountant in good UK employment, 36, Mars afflicted, British citizen. Send horoscope, details. M 981 C/o Tanni Tinnes or telephone 0171 624 5108.
Jaffna Catholic seeks partner for brother, 42, British Rail engineer, house owner. Send details. M 982 C/o Tamil Times.
Jaffna Hindu parent seeks groom for daughter, 25, M.Sc., in UK employment, British born. Send horoscope, details. M983 C/O Tamil Times.
Jaffna Hindu parents seek educated partner for son, 28, British Citizen, graduate engineer in good employment in London. Send horoscope, details. M984 C/o anni innes.
WEDDING BELLS
We congratulate the following couple on their recent wedding.
Skandakumar Son Of Prof. (Tawney) & Mrs. S. Rajaratnam of 194 The Heights, Northolt, Middx., and Sukanthidaughter of Dr. & Mrs. K. Sundaramoorthy of 72 Ranelagh Road, Southall, Middx., on 6.9.97 at Copland Community School,
Cecil Avenue, Wemblev, Middx., UK.
OBITUARIES
Kanmanni beloved wife of V. Thiagaraja (formerly of Mahajana College, Tellippalai); loving mother of Sriskantharaja, Rajani and Rajabhavani;
CLASSIFIED ADS
rds 10. Each additional word 60p. Box No. 3. (Vat 171 i 2" o extra) Prepayment esse
"The Advertisement Manager, tani Times Ltd. PO Box 121
Sutton, Surrey SM13TD 181-644 0972 Fax: 0181-244.557
ntia
mother-in-law of Gnanapoonkothai, Rajalingam (USA) and Nadarajalingam, eldest sister of Saraas wathy Arumugarajah (Canada), Parames wary Satchithanantham (Sri Lanka), late Kanthasamy (formerly of TRRO & Saturday Review), Parameswaran (Sydney), late Gnanambikai and Mangayatkarasi Dharmarajah (Canada) died on 11th September 1997 and the funeral took place on the 13th in Melbourne. - 15 Harris Crescent, Glen waverly, Victoria 3150, Australia.
. . . Mrs.
Anna letchu my Arianayagam, 84, Retired teacher from Sri Lanka, wife of
the late Eliya tham by Ariyanayagam, beloved mother of Tharmasuthan (Melbourne), Sa thiya ke erthy (Dr. Ariyanayagam) and Chandrakanthan (Shanthy); mother-inlaw of Prehashini, Dr. Jacintha Ithayamalar and Dr. Thevaki and grandmother of Priyesh, Kamalesh, Timothy and Rachel passed away peacefully in London on 28th August 1997, after a brief illness.
The funeral took place on 8th
September 1997, followed by a memorial Service On 4th October at West Croydon Methodist Church, conducted by Rev. Sam Jeyathilakarajah.
The members of the family wish to thank all relatives and friends who attended the funeral/memorial service, Sent messages of sympathy and assisted them in many ways during the period of great sorrow. - A. Chandrakanthan, 11 Dinton Road, Colliers Wood, LOCOr SMV19 2AR. e O131 543 3714.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

15 OCTOBER gg.
IN MEMORAM Lovingly Remembered on the 8th Anniversary of the Passing Away of
Daniel Selvarajah Sanders, Ph.D, ACSW, Sept. 28, 1928 - Oct. 14, 1989 The Seventh Annual Daniel S. Sanders Peace and Social Justice Lecture internationally known as a leader in efforts to achieve world peace, human rights and social justice, Daniel S. Sanders was Dean, Professor and Director of International Program at the University of Hawaii, School of Social Work, USA from 1971-1986.
Dean, Professor and Director for the Center for the Study of International Social Welfare Policies and Services, University of Illinois, School of Social Work at Urbana-Champaign from 1986-1989.
Founder and first President, inter-University Consortium for International Social Development (IUCISD) 1980-1989.
President UNA-USA, Hawaii Chapter 1983-1986. Dan received the Peace Award by the United Nations in the International Year of Peace for the IUCSD in 1985.
Dr. Mary Jo Bane, Former Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, United States Department of Health and Human Services, gave the annual lecture on 'Protecting Poor Children in the wake of Welfare Reform' (Mary Jo Bane resigned from her high-ranking position in protest afer President Clinton signed the welfare reform bill). The response to her lecture was overwhelming since she had extensive experiences as an administrator of social service program for children and families at both the state and federal levels. Dr. Bane discussed the danger to poor children posed by recent changes in the US welfare system, what opportunities are presented for genuine reform of the system, the obligations of society to poor children and their parents, and what actions should be taken by local communities, state governments. and the federal government to better protect children in poverty.
Social Work Scholarship established in 1997
1. Daniel Selvarajah Sanders Doctoral Award in International Social Work; School of Social Work, Ph.D. program, University of Hawaii at Manoa. 2. The Daniel S. Sanders Fellowship in international Social Development; School of Social Work, Ph.D. program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 3. Daniel Selvarajah Sanders Scholarship Fund to educate a deserving student at Jaffna College, Vaddukoddai, Sri Lanka.
4. Daniel Selvarajah Sanders Scholarship Fund for second year social work students at the National Institute of Social Development (NISD), formerly Ceylon institute of Social Work, Colombo Sri Lanka.
With much love to Rajan, Mrs. Christobel Chelvathy Sanders. Sanders/Niles families, Selvaranee, Chandraranee, Chandran & Mangai, Balan & Susila; Ariam & Sushila, Alagan & Thavayogam. Augusta Niles, nieces and nephews. - 1807 Vancouver Place. Honolulu, Hawaii. 96822, USA.

Page 31
15 OCTOBER 1997
IN MEMORIAM
In loving memory of Mr. K.N. Jeyaseelan, Mrs. Rukmani Jeyaseelan and their son Mr. Jeyaseelan Gnana-Easwaran on the tenth anniversary of their passing away under tragic circumstances in October 1987 in Kondavil, Sri Lanka.
Sadly missed and fondly remembered by daughter /sister Mrs. Naga-Easwary Sivapalan and family (UK) and son/brother Mr. Jeyaseelan Linga-Easwaran and family (Canada). - 6 Jerbourg Close, Newcastle-under
Lyme, Staffordshire. ST53LR.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
November 1 Skandasasti 2nd day, Feast of All Saints. Nov. 2 Feast of All Souls. Nov. 3 Chathurthi. Nov. 4. Feast of St. Charles. Nov. 5 Soora Sankaram. Nov. 6 Thirukkalyanam. Nov. 7 lypasi Veli (4). Nov. 86.45pm Tamil Performing Arts Society presents Drana Festival at Winston Chuirchill Hall, Pinn Way, Ruislip, Microx. Tel: O 181 459 4335/470 7883/509 2092; 7.00pm London Veena Group presents Music of Three Traditions of Spain, Israel & India at Merton Hall, 76 Kingston Road, South Wimbledon, London SW19 LA. Tel: O181 543 2126; SLTWG drop-in Tel: 0181 545 3313. Nov. 9 Remembrance Sunday.
Nov. 10 Ekathasi, Feast of St. leo.
Nov. 2 Pirathosann.
Nov. 14 Full Moon. Nov. 156.45pm Tamil Performing Arts Society presents Drana Festival at Waltham Forest Theatre, Lloyd Park, Vinns Terrace, Walthamstow, London E17. Tel 0181 459 4335/47O 7883/509 2092, Feast of St. Albert. Nov. 16 6.00pm S.C.O.T. preSents exclusive VOCal recital in London by the most acclaimed Monarch of Carnatic Music Sri T. V. Sankaranarayanan with
accompanists from India at Battersea Town Hall, Lavender Hill, London SM/11. Tel: 0181 693 4038/952 7249/87O9897. Nov. 17 Sankatahara Chathurthi; Kaarthgai Somawaram (1). Nov. 21 Feast Of Presentation of Our Lady Mary. Nov. 22 M.I.O.T. Youth Forun presents "Medicine, is it for you' at St. George's Medical School, LOrdo SMV17 el 0.81 715 3101 (Shiamala); Arumuga , Navalar Guru Poojah; Feast of St. Cecilia. Nov. 24 Kaarthigai Somavaram (2).
Nov. 25 Krishna Ekathasi. NOW. 27 PirathoSarr. Nov. 29 Amavasai; S.L.T. W. G Drop-in. Tel: O181 5453313. Nov. 30 First Sunday of AdVert. At Bhawan Centre, 4A Castletown Road, London W14 9Q. Te: O17 381 3086 4608. . Nov. 15 6.30pm Hindustani Vocal by Sanjeev Abhyankar. Nov. 22 7.00pm Taal Tarang by Shebshankar Roy -- Tabla and Balachander- Mridangam. Nov. 23 6,00pm Carnatic Vocal by T. V. Gopalakrishnan. Nov. 29 6.30pm Kathak - Sujata Banerjee & Sitar — Subroto Roy. Nov. 30 6.00pm Bhavan's Teachers' performance Veena -- Sivasakthi Sivanesan, Sitar - Vijaykumar Jagtap, Tabla -- Shibshankar Ray and Mridangam - Balachander.
 
 
 
 
 

TAMIL TIMES 3.
AUSTRALIAN NEWSLETTER
Abaya Karam Concert: The annual Abaya Karam' concert in aid of the Durgapuram Mahalir lillann in the north and the Ramakrishna Mission Orphanage in the east of Sri Lanka took place on 6th September 1997 at the Bankstown Town Hall, Sydney. This year the Lingalayam Dance Academy presented a Bharata Natyam dance drama Ashta Pathinikal", choreographed and directed by its director, Anandavaili. Anandavali came to Sydney in 1985 and established the Academy in 1987.
'Ashta Pathinikal' is the story of eight chaste women from Hindu mythology - Arunthathi, Anusuya, Savithiri, Sukanya, Sita, Nalayini, Draupadi and Kannagi. The music and lyrics for the performance were specially composed by Smt D.K. Pattammal. The story of each 'Pathini' was narrated at the beginning of each dance drama by two dancers who seemed to have a real understanding of their lives and danced with great distinction. The accompanists were Shivaganga Sahathevan -- Vocal, Balasri Rasiah - Mrida nga m, Narayanadas Kopathidas – Violin and Varalakshmi Sritharan — Veena. The compere Shaktidaran Sivanathan did an excellent job.
Mr. K. Sivananthan, President of Abaya Karam' outlined the aims of the organisation, thanked the public for their Support and announced that he had already remitted 3000 dollars to each of the organisations Durgapuram Mahalir lam and Rama krishna Mission Orphanage, Batticaloa and was hoping to send further amounts when the accounts are finalised. The Vice-President, Mrs. DeVi BalaSubramanian thanked Anandavalli and her students for an evening of excellent entertainment, the accornpanists for their support, and the individuals in charge of sound and stage management. She had a special word of thanks for the audience who had turned out in large numbers to support a great cause.
Ganesh Visarjan Festival: The annual Ganesh Visarjan festival was held at the Sri Venkateswara Temple on 7th September. After Ganesh
Homam very early in the morning followed by Abishekam and puja, the Utsava Moorthy beautifully decorated with masses of flowers and garlands was taken in procession around the temple accompanied by musicians playing matheeswaram music. As in past years thousands of devotees participated in the festival. Hundreds of children took part in the popular Ganesh colouring competition. A cultural show was conducted from 10 a.m. in a specially erected marquee. Many of the Hindu Associations in New South Wales took part in dance performances, vocal recitals and instrumental music.
There was a very popular canteen selling Indian food - dosai, laly, vadai, rice and curry etc - as well as Coffee and Soft drinks.
The Visarjan Ganapathi, which is a statue of Ganesh made of clay and beautifully decorated was taken in procession to the nearby Stanwell Park beach. After a puja performed by the priests at the beach, the clay statue was immersed in the waters of the Pacific Ocean to the cheers of Jai Ganesh' by the devotees assembled there. It was a truly beautiful spectacle to watch the huge waves sweep up our Ganesh statue and take it away to rest On the OCean bed till the clay slowly dissolved.
Lecture on Tamils in Australia: Natanalaya (The School of Dancing and Music) presented a lecture demonstration at the Homebush School Hall, Sydney on 14th September on 'Tamils in Australia and 1996 Census of Population' by Dr. A. Kandiah who is a language specialist in the Institute of Languages, University of New South Wales. The lecture was well attended.
On this occasion Natanalaya
donated 50 Ph.d. theses Concerning Tamil Language, Literature and Culture written by scholars of Tamil Nadu to the Sydney Arivakam (Community Library). The Sydney Arivakam is a very successful venture which aims to provide free reading material on Tamil Language and Culture to the Tamils of Sydney. This library was established through the efforts of Tamils of Sri Lanka.

Page 32
32 TAMIL TIMES
Miruthanga Arangetram of Barathan
The Miruthanga Arangetam of Barathan son of Mr. S. and Mrs. Sitalakshmy Balayogan of Browning Road, Manor Park, London E12, took place on 23,8.97 at the Waltham Forest Theatre, Lloyds Park, London E17. Barathan is a disciple of Sri Muthu Sivaraja, the popular miruthangam performer and tutor, who has produced several miruthangists.
Though it was his Arangetram, Barathan played with a lot of confidence and maturity. His Thani Aavarthanams in Misra Chapu and Kanda Tirupudai Talas were well received by the appreciative audience with repeated applause. The vocalist was Smt Ambika Thamotheram, a musician of international repute and the violinist was Smt Gnanambikai Pathmasigamani, a graduate from the Carnatic College, Madras. The other accompanists were K. Sithamparanathan — Morsing, A. Gananathan - Gatam, S. Visakan - Ganjira and G. Peruntha - Tambura. The programme was ably compered by the well known broadcaster Winal SOCkanathan.
The chief guest Dr. Ambikapathy and the guest of honour Smt Arunthathy Srikantha Rajah complimented Barathan on his dedication and proficiency in the art,
Mythill's Violin Arangetram
On 23rd August 1997 London's Watersmeet Theatre was witness to the blossoning of a budding Violin artiste, Selvi Mythili
Sarvananther, discipli Indrakumar. The Chie, tion was Mrs. Helen of Mythili's school and compered by Sabanit
The highlight of the address of Mr. P. P. K. and musician, Who Honour. After thanking congratulated the t shaped the pupil to A the pupil for having pi skills in such a short was remarkable that handle dificult raga. Ranjani, Joupuri, L Kalyani with raga bha viating from the norm. in the Madhyamavath structure and Caden swara CombinationS, nam and Pallavi, wit level COnCert WaS CO7 acme of the artistes a raga delineation was the Pallavi was Chast
Mentioning that the music on violin was na traced the travel C rudimentary form out and its return in the Balusamy Dikshitar, b composer Muthuswa present of a violin frc British East India C Worked on it to make phrases and gamakas violinists like Yeh. admired the way the India and now many: styles had sprung in Mysore Chowdiah's u
Arangetram Was no the beginning of a ne phase and Mr. Kan hope that, following til maestros of the pas Mythili would one da firmament of London
Mr. Kanthan also ban Sarvananther an am whose interaction gadam respectively W. matter of tribute to the Krishnamurthy.
Ealing Road
Tamil CO
Ealing Road library
the London Tarnis C facilities to the nei community, Senior c the Tamil Day Centr library on the last Th. to use its facilities,
Internet and Video le hoped that these vis opportunity for the li Collection of adult a books, music and V. with local users.
The Tamil Day Cen
 
 

e of Smt Kalaivani f Guest for the funcHyde, Headmistress the programme was na Manohar.
programme was the anthan, musicologist was the Guest of | Mythili's parents he eacher for having rangetram level and cked up the requisite span of six years. It Mythili was able to 5 like Misra Karrna Desh and Mohana ava and without deThe swaraprasthara lipiece had a good ce with impressive In the Ragam, Thahout which no high plete and where the bility was tested, the crisp and clear and ely rendered.
playing of Karnatic
pt easy, Mr. Kanthan of the violin, in a of India to the West modern form when rother of the famous my Dikshitar, got a om the leader of the Sompany band and it produce Karnatic . Renowned Western udi Menuihin had violin was handled in schools with differing the country, such as sing seven strings. it an end in itself, but w and more difficult than expressed the he footsteps of violin st and the present, y adorn the musical as a leading violinist. complimented Soruod Paskaran Sreekaron miruthangam and as of a high order- a air guru Sri Karaikudi
Library Helps mmunity
is collaborating with entre to promote its nbers of the Tamil :itizens, members of e will be visiting the irsday of each month
which include new 2nding services. It is its would provide an ibrary to develop its rod Childrefn 'S arri deos in Consultation
tre at 253 East Lane,
15 OCTOBER 1997
Wembley provides Tamil and English newspapers, magazines from Sri Lanka, India and the UK, videos on health pronotion, many classic films, health screening and lectures on health promotion. For more particulars please contact the library's Customer Services Manager, Yamuna Thannendiran on O181 937 3561.
Sathiyaram - Dance Drama
King Harlichandra, Chandramathi and son Logidasan with Vishwamitra's disciple Natchathtrayer.
Nadana Bramam, the reputed School of Bharatha Natyam presented the Dance
Drama Sathiyaram on 13th September
1997 at the Secombe Theatre, Sutton foe capacity audience, Dr. K. Sivakumar, the Chief Guest while reviewing it made the following comments.
Before you have actually recovered from the reeling emotional impact of the performance I am sure you would want me to do this honour to the people who had been working so hard to make this production a Success. It is no easy matter in this country to select a theme of this nature and produce a dance drama of such excellent quality. We could see that many of the children may not have Tamil as their first language, they may not be fluent in it anc may not understand the intricacies of the emotions that need to be portrayed. Stil they showed excellent understanding of the Bhava that was necessary. I felt that the Guru Smit Girija Varothayasingharhas done a marvellous job both in the role of King Harichandra and in getting this performance together and in the
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Place your order with Krishna Vaikunthavasan (Editor of the paper). 55 Warren Road, Colliers Wood.
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Tel: O1815429787

Page 33
15 OCTOBER 1997
choreography. Girija has been a dance teacher for several years, has produced several excellent students and I am sure you will want to greet her,
it is difficult to select individual performers in a united effort of this quality. But I am sure you will want to pay special tribute to Sai Swarupini's portayal of Chandramathi and the emotional impact it had on you. Withoutgoing further into the performance of each and every performer, I would say that everyone including the children made their valuable contribution.
l want to pay a special tribute to Pulavar Sivanathan who has produced the basic material which has been used. His poetic genius along with the musical brilliance of Smt Ambiga Thamotheram has greaty helped to promote the dance techniques used by Girija. I greet Pulavar Sivanathan for his great service to Tamil poetry and look forward to his continued success.
What we have had is not mere entertainment, but spiritual enlightenment. ln society which is sometimes predominated by acquisitive greed and materialism, it is important to keep hold of ancient and traditional values. The truthfulness that King Harichandra so steadfastly upheld has been a very important theme for us to follow. As the sacred Thirukural powerfully expounds, if you are honest and truthful, you don't need to indulge in other charities. This evening's performance has been an important vehicle, an important media by which the message has been given not only to the students, but I think to all of us.
Let me pay a brief tribute also to the musicians, particularly Smit Ambiga Thamotheram whom we have known for many years for her excellent service to music and I am pleased that she has produced the musical scores for this performance, Sri Para masamy Kirupa haran on Miruthangam, Sri T.L. Kothandapani on Violin, Sri Pitchaiappa Gnanavarathan on Flute; they all deserve our compliments. Finally a special tribute is due to those who worked very hard behind the scenes. Everything worked like clockwork, the make-up was good, so was the entire performance, I think it has been of excellent quality. There has been one message - "Truth alone triumphs'.
Skanda Old Students 12th Annual Day
The Twelfth Annual Reunion Lunch, A.G.M. and Entertainment of the Skanda Varodaya College Old Students' Association (UK Branch) were held on Sunday, 14th September 1997 at Manor Park Hall, Malden Road, New Malden, Surrey. After lunch the proceedings commenced with the singing of the college song. The president of the association Mr. N. S. Kandiah welcomed the old students, their families and friends and stated that the activities of the association since the last A.G.M. were confined mainly to sports. Our football, Cricket and netball teams had taken part in tournaments conducted by
the J.S.S.A. (UK) an Association and hac Our cricket (over 40 had taken part in the Mahajana open day thanked the Secreta ball, net ball, the sp members of the tean of hard work and ac/
Mr. Kandiah requi nanda, who had visit home recently to m garding his observati visited the college o Mr. Sivaji, the nes secretary of the loca ciations. He had fo premises are being : College and the nu college had gone dow number of students Science Class had c ance was requeste sports equipment an to place the request
Mr. R. Vinnalendra sented his annual 1 that the balance t association stood at a surprise birthday p. who had turned seve offered the thanks o for the honour besto by the association á given to him to mai election of office-bea lowed.
A grand music rec, old student, Sangee Pon Sundaralingam don from Toronto toC appreciative audienc our on the OCCasion v noted musicologist hOnoured the artiste After wishing Mr. years of fruitful servi Mr. Kanthan provid ments On the music C ing that only two w felicitated the artiste Mr. Kanthan noted delectable program artiste had followec application of the f Julius Caesar: "He conquered'. Starting piece Jnanamudalve kept to the end, del The raga alapani ink delicate nuances o juxtaposition of Hin Vasanthan which l difference was a attempt. The swarap, sadvam, Kalyani a sparkled like jewels Cadence. There was repertoire of music W in Command from Th ирриgazh.
There was approp ассотрапітетt sup

TAMIL MES 33
it the United annis' good performances. } and net ball teams competitions held on and wOn Shields. He ies for Cricket, footDrts Co-Ordinator and s who had put in a lot lieved success.
Sted Mr. S. Nimala2d the college back at ake a Statement reDns. He stated that he in a working day met y Principal and the " Old Students' ASSOund that the college hared by Nadeswara mber On roll of the yn to around 600. The in the Advanced level windled to 6. Assistd for the buying of d he had undertaken Defore the Committee.
n, the Treasurer preeport which showed p the Credit of the £2906.82. There was arty for the president, inty five. Mr. Kandiah his wife and himself wed on both of them and the nice present k the occasion. The arers for 1997/98 fol
ital by a distinguished tha POOShanam Mr. who was visiting Lonk place before a very 9. The Guest of Honwas Mr. P. P. Kanthan, and musician, who 'draping him in gold'. Kandiah many more ce to the community, ed his expert ComIf the evening. Recall'eeks earlier he had in another function, hat since then many mes by the same , fully justifying the amous saying about came, he saw, he with the Hamsadvani ne, the tempo was ghting the audience. alyani brought out the f the raga and the dolam with Kalyana ad only one swara old and marvellous astharas in the Hannld Hindolam pieces in their structure and a rich fare With a Wide 'ith the artiste equally yagaraja Kriti to Thir
riate and noteworthy port from Gnanambi
kai Padmasikamani (Violin), Nadamani Muth Sivarajah (Miruthangam), Kandiah Sithamparanathan (Morsing & Tabla) and Senthil Chelvi Vamanananthan (Tampura).
Carlton Leisure Trophy
A one-day knockout spectacular organised by Ceylon Cricket League was held on Sunday, 7th September 1997 at the King George's Recreation Grounds in Tolworth. The chief organiser of the event was Mr. Yogan Yoganathan, secretary, Ceylon Cricket League, which is the oldest surviving Cricket organisation in the UK. The tournament was sponsored by Carlton Leisure, the well-known Sri Lankan Travel Agency in UK.
Notably, the Chief Guest was Mr. Edward Davy, M.P. for Kingston and Econonic Adviser of the Liberal Democrats. He presented the trophies to the winners and the runners up of the tournament. The winners were the Southall Lankiens who beat the Tamil Union in an exciting final. A match for the under 14's, sponsored by Orient Cuisine of Surbiton was also played. Orient Cuisine were in charge of the Catering for the day and special credit goes to its proprietor Mr. Rasa Tharmaтауадат.
After the Conclusion of the matches a minute's silence was observed in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales and Mother Theresa. The Chief Guest Mr. Edward Gray was presented with a silver tray by the Ceylon Cricket League which was handed over by Mr. Harry Vaheesan, Director of Carlton Leisure Travel Agency.
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Page 34
34 TAMIL TIMES
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