கவனிக்க: இந்த மின்னூலைத் தனிப்பட்ட வாசிப்பு, உசாத்துணைத் தேவைகளுக்கு மட்டுமே பயன்படுத்தலாம். வேறு பயன்பாடுகளுக்கு ஆசிரியரின்/பதிப்புரிமையாளரின் அனுமதி பெறப்பட வேண்டும்.
இது கூகிள் எழுத்துணரியால் தானியக்கமாக உருவாக்கப்பட்ட கோப்பு. இந்த மின்னூல் மெய்ப்புப் பார்க்கப்படவில்லை.
இந்தப் படைப்பின் நூலகப் பக்கத்தினை பார்வையிட பின்வரும் இணைப்புக்குச் செல்லவும்: Tamil Times 1998.06

Page 1
WOIL XWIN. G. ISSN 02G6-4438 5
Tca pluckers in Sri Lankas tea plantations
TaNa PicalS and the Lanka Conflict
Prophets of Peace
Neger Avents
 

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION
UKM,India/SriLanka, 157 US325
ALEGT........ ... AusS45 Australian bank cheques only
Canada, Can USA.................USS5 Ather countries. 20/US$3.5
The War and Polis
of Censorship
Another Killing Field
Standing Up for Rights

Page 2
15UNE1998
Tanil
FAMES
ISSN 0266 - 44 88 Vol. XVINo. 6 15 JUNE 1998
Published by:
TAMILTIMESTD PO Box 121, Sutton,
Surrey SM13TD
United Kingdom
Phone: 0181 644 0972 Fax: 0181 241 4557 Email: prajan(agn.apc.org
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION
UK India/Sri Lanka.................... £15/US$25 Australia............................................... Aus$45 (Australian Bank cheques only) USA........................................................ US$35 Οanada. Can$40 All other Countries....................... £20.US$35
Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or publishers. The publishers assume no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork.
CONTENTS
Tamil Nadu interest in Lanka 03
Censorship Condemned 05 Jaffna Politics 06 Early Presidential Election? O7 Paris Forum Urges Peace 08 20 Civilians Killed 09 Air Lanka Deal Dispute 09 Strange Bedfellows 10 News in Brief 11
The Politics of Censorship 14 Place for Prophets of Peace? 17 Lessons from the Killing Fields 19 The Hindu and Islamic BombS 21
Nuclear Adventurism 23 Karunanidhi at 75 25 Standing for Rights 28 Human Rights 29
Classified 30
1998 is an i the American C of South India. of Jaffna have
The Memori as the oldest he at nuvil, its Ce vide us with th He has wrough With Which mal years. It also gi role in the next
The Jaffna at Manipay an doctor at Mclec of today. Howe political situatie ades, the qualit ably. Our two quality health C damage to buil by the displact Such as labora looted. In spite the community In the Cont Teaching Hosp have an impor availability of q By improving th ing affordable i tives of their fo
With this in friends to raise equipment, rep hope that thro fulfil the vision people of Jaff hope to the fut Kindly senc the same time, that you send.
Rt. ReV. Dr SJ Bishop J. D.C. VaddukOddai, Sri Lanka
 
 
 

TAMIL TIMES 3
dical MISSO Jaffna
An Appeal
mportant year in the history of the medical mission of eylon Mission now the Jaffna Diocese of the Church Two Institutions that have faithfully served the people reached important milestones in their existence. al Hospital celebrates its Tercentenary (founded in 1848) )spital in Sri Lanka and The Mcleod Hospital for women ntenary this year. These important anniversaries proe opportunity to give thanks to God almighty for what t through these Institutions and for the vision and zeal ny men and women have served in them over these ves us a chance to rededicate these hospitals for their
millennium. in which Dr Samuel Fiske Green founded the hospital d in which Dr Isabella Curr found herself as the first )d Hospital was of course vastly different to the Jaffna ver, in some respects little has changed. Due to the on that has existed in Jaffna over the past two decy and availability of health care has suffered considernospitals too have suffered in their ability to provide are due to lack of medical staff, loss of equipment and dings as a result of the civil war. This was made worse ament in 1995-1996, during which time departments tory, X-ray and operating room had vital equipment of it all these hospitals have provided a vital service to
even with limited facilities. ext of the present situation in which even the Jaffna ital is struggling to serve the people, these Hospitals tant role to play. There is an urgent need for greater uality health care in the peninsula outside Jaffna town. he facilities available in these two Hospitals and providcare these Institutions can continue to fulfil the objecbunders and serve the community. mind were sending out this appeal to well wishers and Ten Million Rupees (£100,000 or US$166,500) to buy air buildings and to initiate a Low Cost Care Fund. We ugh your generous contributions we can continue to of Green and Curr and many like them who served the na. We thank God for the past and look forward with Ure, | your donations to the bank account given below. At please notify Dr (Mrs) C Ambalavanar of the amount An acknowledgement will be sent.
Green Memorial Ter Centenary Fund, CIA No.13458, Commercial Bank of Ceylon Limited, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.
bebanesan Dr CAmbalavanar S.. Medical Superintendent Jafna Green Memorial Hospital
Manipay, Sri Lanka

Page 3
15 JUNE 1998
ISSN 0266 - 44 88 Vol. XVII No. 6 15 JUNE 1998
Published by:
TAMILTIMESLTD PO Box 121, Sutton,
Surrey SM13TD
United Kingdom
Phone: 0181 644 O972 Fax: 0181 241 4557 Email: prajan Ggn.apc.org
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION
UK India/Sri Lanka.................... £15/US$25 Australia..................................... Aus$45 (Australian Bank cheques only) SA........................................................ US$35 لا Canada............................τ.τ.τ.τ., CanS40 All other Countries. ... 20.US$35
Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or publishers. The publishers assume no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork.
Tamil Nadu Interest in Lanka 03 Censorship Condemned 05 Jaffna Politics O6 Early Presidential Election? O7 Paris Forum Urges Peace O8
20 Civilians Killed O9 Air Lanka Deal Dispute O9 Strange Bedfellows 10 News in Brief 11
The Politics of Censorship 14 Place for Prophets of Peace? 17 Lessons from the Killing Fields 19 The Hindu and Islamic BombS 21
Nuclear Adventurism 23 Karunanidhi at 75 25 Standing for Rights 28 Human Rights 29
Classified 30
1998 is an i the American C of South India. of Jaffna have
The Memoria as the oldest hO at Inuvil, its cet vide us with the He has wrought With Which mar years. It also gi role in the next
The Jaffna i at Manipay anc doctor at Mcleo of today. Howe political situatic ades, the qualit ably. Our two h quality health ce damage to builc by the displace such as labora looted. In spite the community
in the Conte Teaching Hospi have an import availability of q. By improving th ing affordable c tives of their fo
With this in friends to raise equipment, rep hope that throu fulfil the vision ( people of Jaffn hope to the futt Kindly send the same time, that you send.
Rt. ReV. Dr. SJe Bishop J.D.C.S VaddukOddai, Sri Lanka
 
 
 

TAMIL TIMES 3
mportant year in the history of the medical mission of eylon Mission now the Jaffna Diocese of the Church Two Institutions that have faithfully served the people reached important milestones in their existence. al Hospital celebrates its Tercentenary (founded in 1848) spital in Sri Lanka and The Mcleod Hospital for women intenary this year. These important anniversaries proopportunity to give thanks to God almighty for what through these Institutions and for the vision and zeal ly men and women have served in them over these ves us a chance to rededicate these hospitals for their
millennium. n which Dr Samuel Fiske Green founded the hospital in which Dr Isabella Curr found herself as the first d Hospital was of course vastly different to the Jaffna ver, in some respects little has changed. Due to the In that has existed in Jaffna over the past two decy and availability of health care has suffered considerIospitals too have suffered in their ability to provide are due to lack of medical staff, loss of equipment and lings as a result of the civil war. This was made worse ment in 1995-1996, during which time departments tory, X-ray and operating room had vital equipment of it all these hospitals have provided a vital Service to even with limited facilities. xt of the present situation in which even the Jaffna tal is struggling to serve the people, these Hospitals ant role to play. There is an urgent need for greater Jality health care in the peninsula outside Jaffna town. e facilities available in these two Hospitals and providare these Institutions can continue to fulfil the objecunders and serve the community. mind were sending out this appeal to well wishers and Ten Million Rupees (£100,000 or US$166,500) to buy air buildings and to initiate a Low Cost Care Fund. We ugh your generous contributions we can continue to of Green and Curr and many like them who served the a. We thank God for the past and look forward with
fe. your donations to the bank account given below. At please notify Dr (Mrs) C Ambalavanar of the amount An acknowledgement will be sent.
Green Memorial Ter Centenary Fund, C/A No.13458, commercial Bank of Ceylon Limited, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.
banesan Dr CAmbalavanar S.l. Medical Superintendent laffna Green Memorial Hospital
Manipay, Sri Lanka

Page 4
TAMIL TIMES
Revival of TamilNadunt in the SriLankan Cons
lombo these days particularly following the sudden and unpredicted revival of interest in Sri Lanka's ongoing ethnic conflict on the part of politicians from the south Indian State of Tamil Nadu.
Leaders and politicians representing three political parties in Tamil Nadu backing the ruling Baratiya Janatha Party (BJP) at the centre in Delhi asked the Sri Lankan government on 10 June to withdraw its security forces from the Northeast of the country inhabited predominantly by the island's Tamil community.
The demand was contained in a memorandum Submitted by the parties to India's Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, in which they accused Colombo of committing "genocide” against its Tamil population. The memorandum was signed by 15 politicians from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, including former chief minister and AIADMK leader Jayaram Jayalalitha, Dr S Ramadoss, leader of the PMK, and V Gopalasamay, leader of the MDMK.
All these three parties, the main one being Jayalalitha's AIADMK party, constitute a united front which provide vital support to Vajpayee's three-month-old coalition government in New Delhi. The political significance of the latest development in Tamil Nadu is that the stance of these parties is bound to have an impact on the Indian central government because Vajpayee's BJP on its own does not have a majority in the Indian parliament and therefore has to depend on its coalition of regional parties for its survival. The AIADMK-led alliance controls 27 of Tamil Nadu's 39 parliamentary seats which are critical for the survival of the Vajpayee government in New Delhi.
The statement said the Indian parties were "deeply concerned' about the protracted ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, which has claimed thousands of lives over the past two decades. It also urged Vajpayee to deputise an Indian parliamentary delegation from Tamil Nadu to visit Sri Lankan north,
И here is distinct unease in Co
where heavy fighti tween government Tamil Tigers (LTTE)
The statement a of imposing an ecc against areas inhab minority. “Tamils fr caping this genocida tinue to arrive in Tar
The memorandur no mention of the II of Tamil Eelam (LTT ing for independence east of Sri Lanka. T lawed in India. Hov prominent signatorie nt and an outspoken
LTTE, S. Ramdas, v is a member of the ment, said he consid "a liberation move don't want the LTTE Nadu,' he added.
The LTTE Once and considerable su politicians and the Nadu. However, afte in masterminding th Indian Prime Minist 1991, the LTTE was and the previous su ally evaporated.
It is said that the Jayalalitha went al madoss of the PM samy of the MDMIK to be outspoken S LTTE, to resurrect
 

15 JUNE 1990
ng is raging betroops and the
ccused Colombo nomic blockade ted by its Tamil om Sri Lanka esll onslaught connil Nadu,ʼ it said. n, however, made liberation Tigers E), which is fight: in the north and he LTTE is outwever, one of the is to the stateme
supporter of the
whose PMK party Vajpayee governered the LTTE as ment.” “But we to come to Tamil
found sanctuary pport from both people in Tamil 'r its involvement e assassination of er Rajiv Gandhi in outlawed in India pport it had liter
AIADMK leader ong with Dr RaX and V Gopala, who are known upporters of the the Sri Lankan
Tamil issue at this time as a tactical move to bring more pressure on Prime Minister Vajpayee to obtain the dismissal of the elected State government of Tamil Nadu led by M Karunanidhi of the DMK. Reflecting this view, Malini Parthasarathi of The Hindu wrote, "The latest instrument in the game of wits between the BJP and the AIADMK front is the resurrection of what was hitherto a virtually moribund tool of
Tamil Nadu politicians - the highly sensitive issue of the Sri Lankan Tamils.' This correspondent also draws attention to the attempt by the authors of the memorandum to raise the Hindu chauvinist card: "The memorandum has been consciously couched in language designed to appeal to Hindu chauvinism. The
leaders have expressed concern not only about the death of thousands of Tamil civilians but also that "several Hindu temples (estimated to be over 1800) have been destroyed”. In what constitutes a sectarian twist to the traditional affirmation of ethnic solidarity by Tamil political parties, the AIADMK and its allies have said that “the feeling for their Hindu-Tamil brothers in Sri Lanka is deepseated.” This is a clear departure from the stance adopted by political parties in Tamil Nadu which have only stressed ethnic affinity and have never spoken of religious identity in relation to the Sri Lankan Tamils.''
Another report in "The Hindu' of 13 June said:
“In their anxiety to build up pressure on the Vajpayee Government, the AIADMK and its allies have brought the Sri Lankan Tamils problem back into focus by calling upon the Centre to intervene in the affairs of the island nation.
Although there are differences within the AIADMK front on dealing with the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, the memorandum Submitted to the Prime Minister, Mr Vajpayee, by the representatives of the front takes the hardline stance of the PMK founder, Dr S Ramadoss.
Some of the allies were not taken into confidence before drafting the memorandum, but all of them went along, only because they agreed with the core subject of protecting the lives and properties of innocent Sri Lankan Tamils.

Page 5
15 JUNE 1998
The draft was basically prepared by Dr Ramadoss, who led the delegation to New Delhi; but the AIADMK did some "dilution' before seeking the signatures of the other allies.
The memorandum mentions "Tamil homeland,' another word for “Eelam,” and urges the Centre to sponsor a Parliamentary delegation from Tamil Nadu to visit that area to assess the situation. It also wants the Centre to persuade the Sri Lankan Government to withdraw its armed forces from the Tamil homeland and an immediate halt to the military offensive now underway. There is a general feeling that these specific demands are intended to help the LTTE. This runs against the stated policy of the AIADMK and some of the other allies, such as the Janata Party president, Dr Subramanian Swamy, and the TRC leader, Mr Vazhapadi K Ramamurthy.
The "suddenness' with which the Sri Lankan issue has cropped up as a priority for the AIADMK front has sent ripples in political circles. Until now, none of the major parties had anything to say on the situation in Sri Lanka. Indeed, the issue did not figure in the two executive committee meetings of the AIADMK in April and May. Those meetings had passed resolutions on various issues, including reservation, Cauvery, power bill, problems of farmers. But the Sri Lankan issue did not come up at all. However, the manner in which the AIADMK front leaders and MPs went in a delegation to meet the Prime Minister over the issue gives the impression that there is some new-found ur
gency.
The AIADMK, by approving the PMK stance on the issue, seems to be repaying Dr Ramadoss for his growing anti-DMKism. However, Ms Jayalalitha chose not to lead the delegation, unlike in the case of issues such as Cauvery and reservation. Senior leaders say that the AIADMK identifies with the PMK stance only to the extent that innocent Tamils should not be caught in the cross-fire between the Sri Lankan Army and the LTTE.
Although Mr Ramamurthy's name figured in the signatories list of the memorandum, he did not affix his signature on. According to sources close to Dr Swamy, the Janata Party leader went with the delegation mainly to harp on the dismissal issue. The
On June 5, the Lanka suddenly ir censorship of all 1 the war being foug east of the island. tional coverage of ited, as is any disc dia of the actions ( tary officials. All phs, and videotapes tary censor, army g muni. This is the fi censor has been past, such as most the censors have b
The Sri Lanka
Media Movement
MDMK, it appears, on the drafting of but the party MPs was "broad agreer tentS.
Dr Ramadoss, t ing the need for t said in a stateme DMK had dome nol of the Sri Lankan had, however, polit its gains during the issue should be se ian” grounds, he sa AIADMK Gener: Jayalalitha, for her the handing over o: to the Prime Minis The PMK rep Union Ministry, M denies that the Sri used as a cover f dismissal of the D "This is a probler old. There is noth manding that a Par tion be sent to Sri the Amnesty Inte visit Kashmir?' Mr the submission of now when the issu be generating any h "There is no good for raising an issu says. Parliament v the
AIADMIK fror present the memora Minister in Delhi,
 

TAMIL TIMES5
Government of Sri mposed full, strict 'eports relating to ht in the north and Local and internathe war is prohibussion by the meof police and milireports, photogra; must pass a milieneral Jaliya Namrst time a military appointed; in the recently in 1995, een civilians. media group, Free
t condemned the
was not consulted the memorandum, signed it as there ment” on the con
by way of explainhe memorandum, nt today that the thing for the cause Tamils. That party icised the issue for MGR period. The en on "humanitarid and thanked the al Secretary, Ms efforts in enabling f the memorandum
ter.
esentative in the r Dalit Ezhilmalai, Lankan issue was or demanding the MK Government. n that is 15 years ing wrong in deliamentary delegaLanka. Does not rnational want to Ezhilimalai defends the memorandum e does not seem to leat in Tamil Nadu. time or bad time 2 such as this,' he vas in session and
t MPs decided to indum to the Prime he adds. O
government for imposing censorship on reports relating the ongoing war, denouncing it as a violation of the democratic rights of the people. It also asked the government to withdraw the restrictions.
"It is a flagrant violation of the commitment made by this government in its election manifesto to defend media freedom,” the Free Media Movement (FMM) said in a statement on 9 June.
The FMM, which has in the past taken up media-related issues, said it was concerned that a military officer has for the first time been appointed to be responsible for censoring mili
tary news.
"The Free Media movement believes that the imposition of censorship is aimed at preventing the media from reporting the truth about the war to the people of this country," the statement said.
"Therefore, it is obvious that this
is more a part of a political strategy
than a military requirement," it added. The move has attracted Widespread criticism where other media and human rights groups and the main opposition United National Party have questioned the need for censorship.
The FMM the government's decision to impose censorship in the past had proved it could not prevent people from getting to know about the losses and setbacks suffered by the military in the course of the conflict. The government imposed censorship in September 1995, but lifted restrictions on foreign media four days later. "It is already clear that censorship of military news is aimed at making only the state version and pronouncements about the war available to the people," the statement said.
“This censorship will also prohibit accurate reporting of whatever discussions on the ethnic conflict that takes place during the forthcoming elections campaign for the Provincial Council,' it added.
“The Free Media Movement strongly feels that this would restrict the ability of the people to make an informed choice at the elections.'

Page 6
6 TAMILTMES
The government's censorship has also been condemned by the international press watchdog, the Viennabased International Press Institute (IPI) on 10 june.
IPI said the ban was a “flagrant breach' of pledges by the government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga on press freedom.
“IPI is concerned that the imposition of censorship on military news will make only the official, state version of the war available to Sri Lankans,' it said in an open letter to the Sri Lankan President.
“We regard this censorship as a flagrant breach of the government's election pledge to uphold press freedom in Sri Lanka,” it added.
The International Committee for the Protection of Journalists has written to the President expressing their disappointment over the govt decision to impose a press censorship on war and sensitive news, which they feel should not have happened at all, especially after creating a Media Charter recently at a Media Conference in Colombo attended by both the govt and the opposition, that clearly opposed such. They have also condemned the appointment of a Military official as the competent authority of the press censorship.
The US NGO Forum on Sri Lanka,
a non-partisan netw tions in the United S human rights and pe condemns the impo: sorship. Despite Sri being a democracy. has often interfered Particularly where ti ed, government con valent. Journalists || been forbidden from Zones, often referrec areas.'
It is extremely while the media has report fully on conf nia, Northern Ireland hnya, a tragedy is behind closed doors land.
In a letter to Pre Kumaratunga, the F censorship seems t of respect for the b speech and informat that the censorship government and se countability in Sri L. the possibilities for rights.'
The Forum Str. government to imir censorship, and to viously stated comm of the press.
Fear Psyc
It is learnt that an atmosphere of intense fear has gripped the people in the Northern Jaffna peninsula following the murder of Jaffna Mayor Srojini Yogeswaran. Informed sources from the peninsula say that non-LTTE politicians who participated the local government elections in January this year, important government servants, including Magistrates have received threatening letters from the "Sangilian Force”. According to one source, people are in a state of terrible fear psychosis in anticipation of a string of political killings, some of which have already taken place and others are yet to follow.
The threat of political assassinations has led to a situation where elected councillors in the peninsula have been seeking safer places and security forces are finding it more and more difficult every day to provide
adequate security lors who are expecte openly.
Threatening le kinds are being se people. One day the of the “Ellalan GrC in the name of “Sa on the third day in “Pandara Vanniyan believe that the pe the same. Out of the bers elected to the Council five has re ter the assassinatio Sarojini. A spokesn that these members posts due to threat Meanwhile, the sistant Election Co formed EPDP, PLC the appointment of members of theirs

15 JUNE 1998
ork of organisaates working for ace in Sri Lanka, ition of this cenLanka's claim to the government with the media. e war is concernrol has been preave consistently entering conflict to as "uncleared
distressing that been allowed to icts such as Bosl, and even Checpeing played out on this small is
sident Chandrika orum Stated, “The o indicate a lack asic freedoms of ion. It is our fear will weaken the curity forces” acanka and decrease respect of human
ongly urged the nediately lift the adhere to its preitment to freedom
o these Councild to live and work
tters of various nt to all sorts of y are in the name up', the next day gilian Force' and
the name of the Group', but many sons involved are nine TULF memJaffna Municipal signed already afof Jaffna Mayor an of TULF stated esigned from their
levelled at them. Jaffna district Asnmissioner has inT and TELO that 115 local council in Jaffna district
have been automatically cancelled since they have failed to swear in within the prescribed three months period. These members have failed to swear in within three months of these Local Councils being declared functional.
Recently there have been more warning letters sent to members of all Local councils in the Jaffna peninsula which are signed in the name of "Freedom Lovers of the Tamil Race'. These councilors are issued the warning through these letters that if they do not resign immediately, they will also be given the same fate as the assassinated Jaffna mayor Sarojini.
It is learnt that a TULF Member of Parliament hailing from Batticaloa has suggested that all TULF members should resign from the Municipal Council, but the newly appointed Jaffna Mayor Sivapalan is said to be dead against it. He is asking the Batticaloa TULF MP, who is known not to make any statement that would even marginally be considered as critical of the LTTE, to resign from his Parliamentary seats first before advising others to do so.
The internal sources of TULF reveals that all attempts being made by the TULF hierarchy to appoint fresh members to the seats of Jaffna Municipal Council which fell vacant after an avalanche of resignations took place after the assassination of their Mayor, do not seem to succeed since most ofthe new appointees have refused the appointments. Deputy Mayor of JMC Thiruwanakarusu resigned soon after TULF appointed Mr. Sivapalan as the new chairman over looking him and five others followed suit immediately afterwards. It is said that TULF has proposed five others for these posts, who did not contest the Polls.
The TULF took another blow when the vice-president of its Jaffna branch, S. Namasivayam, was brutally hacked to death near his home close to the Vyravar
Temple in the military controlled area of the Jaffna town at about noon on 5 June. Namasivayam, who was also secretary of the Jaffna District Traders' Association, had cycled to his home at Ottumadam for lunch when a group of assailants who had been lying in wait attacked him with cutting instruments. Death had been almost instantaneous.

Page 7
15JUNE 1998
Early Presidential Ele
It is learnt that a Strong group within the ruling People's Alliance is applying pressure upon the President Kumaratunga and the PA leadership to postpone the Provincial Council elections due in August, and instead go straight for Presidential elections. The terms of five provincial councils, or state assemblies Uva, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Northcentral and Western provinces - end in June. The President has three more years to complete her term of six years, and it is said that she would not agree to the group's proposal unless such a course becomes politically imperative.
This group of MPs is of the view that the UNP would never support the government's devolution proposals, and the only way to make progress is for the President to resign and for presidential election to be held combined with a referendum on the government's devolution proposals to
obtain a mandate They argue that, ment may be unp dential contest b Kumaratunga an! Rani WickremaS would win by a n that the momentur presidential electic government to ob the majority of the dum on the gover proposals.
In spite of th from this group of advice, political ob do not believe th would indulge in S litical gamble.
Meanwhile it i ous internal infig among the many r the UNP Over nt forthcoming Provi tions. Some leade
Mayor Sarojin Cremated in Colo
Hurt and anger writ on their faces, hundreds of people on 19 May filed past the coffin of the Mayor of the Municipal Council of Jaffna, the capital city in peninsula, whose brutal killing shocked and terrified most of the people. All shops in Jaffna remained closed as a mark of respect to slain Mayor.
People mourned silently as the coffin was lifted from its resting place at Jaffna's Town Hall building that was filled with flowers. The coffin, draped in the red and yellow flag of Yogeswaran's Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) party, was put in a hearse and taken to the nearby airport for a flight to Sri Lanka's capitall, Colombo.
"She died a hero's death,' TULF Vice President Veerasingham Anandasangari told the mourners. "A lot of people did not want her to contest the elections, but she felt that she had a duty by the people.”
It appears tha was that, if anythi happen to her, her held in Jaffna amo om she was determ circumstances we her last wish coul Her close relatives lombo feared for and declined the ernment to transpo and hence Sarojin wn to Colombo wh took place attendec ing of people belo munities and religi liticians from all p hts activists and m lomatic communit nalist was heard what is tragic abo which Tamils find there is no freedo for a funeral to be which are claimed land.

TAMIL TIMES 7
CtiOn?
from the people. though the governopular, in a presietween Chandrika d the UNP leader inghe, Chandrika nile. They also say n created by such a )n would enable the tain the Support of voters in a referennment's devolution
e strong pressure MPs to follow their servers in Colombo at the government such a high-risk po
s reported that serihting has emerged ival factions within ominations to the incial council elecrs of these factions
hi ombo
t Sarojini's wish Ing tragic were to funeral should be ng the people whlined to serve. But re such that even d not be fulfilled. who were in Cotheir own safety offer of the gov»rt them to Jaffna, i’s body was flohere her cremation l by a large gathernging to all comons, including poarties, human rigembers of the dipy. One Tamil jourto comment that ut the situation in themselves is that m for them even held in those parts to be their home
claim that UNP
leader Ranil Wickramasinghe is not living up to his pledge that he will appoint only the most suitable as candidates and is adopting a rather flexible approach concerning some of his close friends who are totally unsuitable.
It is also learnt that former President Premadasa's wife Hema and his strong-arm man Srisena Cooray have ganged up to form a powerful faction within the UNP and are planning to forward their own candidates on UNP ticket and have gone to the extent of threatening the UNP leadership that their candidates would contest as independents if their members are not given tickets. It is also said that Hema Premadasa has indicated to the UNP leader if she is not given the official UNP ticket to contest the provincial council elections from Colombo district and if she is not made the chief organiser of the "Colombo Central' Electorate, her late husband's forte, she will launch a separate campaign all over the Island with the intention of attracting all pro-Premadasa votes. It is reported that the recent string of religious festivities and volunteer campaigns organised in the Kataragama area by Hema Premadasa and her son Sajith, were meant to show the party leadership the extent of their power and strength.
It is also revealed that there is a deliberate attempt by the UNP leadership to exclude and refuse nomination to those who are perceived as friends of Anura Bandaranaike with a view to isolating and weakening his position within the party.
The probability is that provincial council elections will likely be held in August this year. If they are held the question is as to whether the elections will be a free and fair one and as to what issues and slogans will the contending parties raise before the people who are asked to vote. There is also a fear that the election may be accompanied by violence and large scale electoral malpractices including attempts at massive impersonation.
Non-governmental election monitoring bodies are already gearing up to this prospect, and it is expected that these bodies will urge the leaders of all major parties to publicly call upon their respective support groups and campaign teams to desist from resorting to any form of violence or ir

Page 8
8 TAMIL TIMEs
regularities.
Parting of the Ways
Ceylon Workers Congress headed by Minister Thondaman, has decided finally that they will contest the forthcoming Provincial council elections under their own sign the Rooster, without doing so in People's Alliance tickets. A senior member of the Party stated that this is an experiment planned by them to find out why they suffered deeply when ever elections are contested on the PA ticket, when they were winning convincingly while they were with the UNP. He also stated that, after analysing the PC polls results, their party will decide who they are going to Support at the next General elections.
Thondaman's link with Peoples Alliance has always been a tenuous one. Not only others, he himself thinks that he is a semi-detached member of the Kumaratunga cabinet often making public statements which can be regarded as breaching the rules relating to cabinet collective responsibility.
Political observers are speculating whether the decision of the CWC to contest the forthcoming elections is the beginning of the process of the parting of the ways between the PA and Thondaman's CWC.
The Case of Mr Mendis
It is understood that the chief national organiser of the opposition United National Party and Member of Parliament, Wijeyapala Mendis, who is facing the prospect of his civic rights being abolished and expelled from Parliament after being found guilty of being involved in a land scam by a Special Commission being involved in a land swindle, has defied the party leader Ranil Wickremasinghe's several appeals to voluntarily resign his seat.
Because of his refusal to resign, the UNP leadership appointed a Disciplinary Committee to investigate the allegations against Mr Mendis who has in a 12-page challenging response asserted that the Committee has no legal right or power to conduct a disciplinary investigation against him. However, as an alternative, Mr Mendis has offered to resign from all party positions, if he is allowed to retain his seat in the Parliament for the remaining two years, at the end of
which he will step tics.
It is learnt that, opposition from t group, the Speaker K.B. Ratnayake ha proval to grant five ing time to Men
The United Stat Central District of June ruled that the World Tamil Co-ord tee (WTCC) which literature and infor) als on LTTE throug States were protec Amendment to the ( relating to freedo and accordingly the entitled to a prelim on this ground but the Plaintiffs' motic tion with respect to terial support to Kurdistan Workers' "Judge Audrey yesterday ensures prohibition in distri erature, transmitting and promoting LT man resources,” sa Oral argument June on a Motion fo junction in the cas ian Law Project v. five Tamil associa eration comprising ganisations, amo1 the California Cou liminary injunctio ney General Ren provisions of the A Effective Death Pe (AEDPA) that mac vide material supp activities of the L. The Court ob AEDPA does not from engaging ir sion or advocatin associating with ( in the causes ch PKK and the LTT The AEPDA support or resoul or other financia cial services, li
 

15 JUNE 1908
own from poli
overruling stiff e government the Parliament
given his aphours of speakis during the
scheduled debate on the proposal to abolish his civic rights and expel him from the Parliament on corruption charges. This is a new record in the Parliament's history, where such a lengthy time allocation being granted to an MP accused of corruption, to exonerate himself if he can.
Enformation Materia
Distributed US Court Rui
is Court for the California on 8 actions of the nating Commitistributed LTTE mational materihout the United ed by the First US Constitution n of expression) Plaintiffs were inary injunction che judge denied bn for an injuncprovision of mathe LTTE and
Party (PKK). Collins ruling that there is no buting LTTE litg LTTE materials TE by using huid legal sources. took place on 8 r Preliminary Ine of HumanitarReno, in which ions and a Fedof 30 Tamil org others, asked t to issue a preenjoining Attorfrom enforcing ti-Terrorism and alty Act of 1996 it a crime to prort for the lawful TE and the PKK. erved that "the revent Plaintiffs political expreson behalf of or hers who believe mpioned by the
efines “material es” as “currency securities, finanging, training,
safehouses, false documentation or identification, communications equipment, facilities, weapons, lethal substances, explosives, personnel, transportation, and other physical assets, except medicine or religious materials." Judge Audrey Collins, in a tentative decision, indicated that the terms "personnel' and "training" in the statute are impermissively vague and violated the United States Constitution. Judge Collins granted an injunction on this ground and severed those terms from the Statute.
With respect to the prohibition on the provision of other material support to the LTTE and the PKK, the Court said that this prohibition was unrelated to the protections accorded to freedom of speech and association by the United States Constitution and thus denied the Plaintiffs' motion for injunction in relation to that.
"The Judge will issue the final or. der in the next few days and it is ex. pected that both the Plaintiffs and the United States Government will file expedited appeals to the Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit,” said legal sources.
Paris Forum Urges Parties to Rise Above Politics
Delegates who attended the Sri Lanka Development Forum in Paris on 26 and 27 May expressed deep concern that prospects were not more encouraging for a prompt end to the conflict which has lasted for 15 years while commending the government of Sri Lanka for its efforts to pursue economic reforms while seeking a peaceful solution to the civil war. They also urged all parties in Sri Lanka to put the future of their country above politics in an effort

Page 9
15 JUNE 1998
to end the enormous toll in human Suffering and foregone economic development. The Development Forum, otherwise known as the Paris Consortium, was chaired by Ms. Mieko Nishimizu, Vice President, South Asia Region, and Mr. Roberto Bentjerodt, Country Director for Sri Lanka, both of the World Bank. Representatives from 20 countries and international organisations participated in the meeting to determine the allocation of development aid for Sri Lanka.
It was noted that economic growth levels in Sri Lanka had climbed despite intense fighting in the north and east of the island. Last year, the growth rate was 6.4 percent - higher than most of its "tiger economies' in Asia - up from 3.8 percent in 1996 when the war and a series of crippling public sector strikes curbed growth.
Delegates praised the government for its progress in improving macroeconomic stability since the last meeting in late 1996. But they noted that additional structural reforms were needed to ensure macroeconomic stability and promote private sector-led growth and employment. They stressed the importance of good governance in creating an environment for private investment, as well as in building a cohesive society. Good governance was important, if the country wished to attract more private investment.
Delegates voiced concern that the planned improvement in governance had been hampered by problems in the mechanism to enforce higher standards for transparency. They welcomed the government's commitment to reinforce this mechanism. Development partners assured the government of their support for efforts to improve the effectiveness of public administration at all levels and to strengthen the government procurement capacity.
Delegates focused in particular on the education system and the need to improve its quality. Efforts were needed to reorient education policies to promote equity and Social and ethnic harmony. Development partners welcomed the government's intention to address these issues in an open manner involving all members of civil society, including NGOs.
They also expressed concern that prospects were not more encouraging for a prompt end to the conflict
with the Liberatio Eelam (LTTE). The mmended the govel rts to devolve authc as part of a peace) 15 year old conflict of development pa the lives of peopl fected by the war.
the growing tragic on the entire nation toll of the war in te and lost opportuni
20 KILLE
In a Statement LTTE said, “In a attack, the Sri Lanl the Artillery units Army based in E. Karipatta Murrippu a massive raid on ments of Suthanth Mullaitivu district.
Two Kfir warp the Sri Lankan Air massive bombing r. habitations at 9. 15 More than 20 civili the spot and more t cally injured. Man set on fire.
Immediately aft left the Scene the Elephant Pass and . opened fire targetin area. Many more v jured in this massiv ies were hard to ide operation is being rubble to recover t Human flesh and b everywhere.
Airl tO Bri
The main oppo tional Party (UNP) owned print media ing serious irregula tion in the partial with Emirates Airli flag career, Air Lan the government.
In an attempt t from these seriou: government offerec

TAMIL TIMES 9
n Tigers of Tamil a delegates had cotnment for its effoority to the regions ful solution to the and with the help rtners, to improve e in the areas afBut they deplored impact of the war and the enormous ms of human lives ties for economic
development and urged all parties in Sri Lanka to put the future of their country above politics and unite in the cause of peace and prosperity.
The delegates reaffirmed their support for the general thrust of Sri Lanka's economic and social development by indicating financial support for the coming year in a sum of $780 million. They also promised that more assistance would also be made available for reconstruction in the North-East in the event of peace.
AND MORE THAN 50 INURED
dated 10 June, the carefully planned Kan Air Force and of the Sri Lankan lephant Pass and
today carried out the civilian settlelirapuram area of
lanes belonging to Force carried out a aid on the civilian am this morning. ans were killed on han 50 were critiy dwellings were
er the bombers had artillery pieces of Karipatta Murippu g the bombed out vere killed and inve Shell fire. Bodintify and a search conducted in the he buried bodies. ones are scattered
As most of the civilian dwellings are ruined the survivors are leaving the area carrying their belongings. Fearing to stay in the vicinity most of the inhabitants of the adjoining settlements have fled to distant parts. A mass displacement of civilians has begun by this sudden attack on civilian habitations.
Hospitals are overflowing with the injured. The Vanni hospitals and their staff are ill-equipped to meet an emergency situation of this nature. There are no bandages, antibiotics and beds. In Pudukudiyiruppu Hospital alone 40 injured are laid on the floor. The condition of six among this 40 are critical. Details of those admitted to the other hospitals such as Tharmapuram are not available.
Another statement issued on the following day (11.6.98) by the LTTE identified the names and ages of 17 persons killed, and 34 persons injured. In addition to these, the statement also gave details of five LTTE fighters who were also killed - three women and two men.
anka Deal Goes bery Commission
Sition United Naand the privately
have been allegrities and corrupprivatisation deal nes of Sri Lanka's ka, entered into by
o exculpate itself allegations, the the opposition a
chance to debate the deal in parliament. The debate was telecast live as an example of the government's policy of transparency. Those members of the public who listened to the debate are reported to have said that there was too much hot air generated in the air-conditioned chamber and little light shed about the transaction during the debate.
The Opposition UNP leader, who

Page 10
10 TAM TIMES
had previously threatened in public to cancel the whole deal if his party came back to power, when challenged by a Minister whether he would in fact do so, is reported to have remained diplomatically mute. The normally eloquent Anura Bandaranaike, now a leading figure in the UNP who is known not to have much brotherly affection for his sister President Kumaratunga, also is reported to have remained un characterístically silent when the same Minister challenged him to confirm or deny that President Kumaratunga never indulged in corruption.
In another move, the UNP has asked the Bribery Commission to investigate the recent sale of a 40 percent Stake in Air Lanka, which it said stank of corruption. Gamini Athukorale, general secretary of the UNP, went to the office of the Commission to Investigate Bribery & Corruption in Colombo on 28 May and handed officials a letter asking them to begin investigations into the deal.
Athukorale sa to furnish docum Support his claim The governme ed a deal with D lines to sell a 40 management in Ai lion to be paid in million on signin rest two years lat
"The manner transaction has b me to but one col ale said in the lett "The privatis: was done with a v illegal or wrongfu by some person wrongful loss to Sri Lanka and/or vantage to Emirat Athukorale sa processes had no and Emirates hac officials of the Pu form Commission privatisation bod
Prelates' Anger OverProbe into Temple Funds
The Chief Mahanayakes of the Dalada Maligawa Buddhist temple are reported to be upset over recent revelations of alleged misuse and misappropriation of funds involving local and foreign donations made for the repair and renovation of the temple which was the target of a LTTE bomb attack on in late January this year.
Following these revealations, a preliminary inquiry conducted by the Commissioner of Buddhist Affairs on the instructions of the Minister of Cultural Affairs is reported to have established that there was in fact serious irregularities the handling of the temple funds. The person in charge of these temple funds is the Diyawadana Nilame, Neranjan Wijeratne.
On receipt of the findings of the preliminary inquiry, President Kumaratunga directed the Secretary to the Treasury to launch a formal investigation into the whole affair. In her letter of instructions She asked the Secretary to appoint a qualified Accountant to undertake a thorough and detailed investigation into the handling of the funds and send the findings
directly to the chi riya and Malwatte The chief pre sponse have writt alleging that they opinion that the l tled them by ma statements throug when She could ha about anything sl about the Dalada They also have i would never toler from Cultural Min powers vested through the Budd erty Act.
The two prel; wadana Nilame of have also threate meetings of the “ construction Adv which normally manship of the C
In a recent re organ of the LTT leadership has cor United States su Lankan governme alleged American Lankan internal a

15 JUNE 1998
id he was prepared entary evidence to S. nt last month signubai's Emirates airpercent stake and r Lanka for $70 miltwo tranches - $45 g the deal and the er. in which this entire een handled leads nclusion,' Athukor
er. ation of Air Lanka 'iew to obtaining an gain or advantage s or would cause the Government of give wrongful ades,” he added. lid correct bidding bt been adhered to | been favoured by blic Enterprises Re(PERC), Sri Lanka's
y.
ef prelates of Asgil2 chapters as well.
slates in angry reen to the President were strongly of the President had belitaking unnecessary gh the newspapers, ave asked them first he wanted to know Temple finances. indicated that they ate the interference ister contrary to the on these Temples hist Temples Prop
ates and the Diyathe Dalada Temple, ned to boycott the Dalada Temple Reisory Committee" meets under chairultural Minister.
port in the official E, the Tamil Tiger nplained against the upport for the Sri ent's war effort and
intervention in Sri ffairs. They also al
lege that the US government has increased their aid to Sri Lanka and pressing Tamil political parties to accept the political solutions of the government.
"Senior administrative officers of the US government, high ranking army officers and Special Task Force trainees travel now and then to Sri Lanka, where they go to army camps in the North-East of the island and have discussions with the Army Generals. It has also sent modern surveillance equipment to the Sri Lankan forces, in order to detect LTTE camps and destroy them. On the whole it is bent on increasing the military strength of the Sri Lankan Army and strengthen their own foothold and involvement in Sri Lankan affairs,' the official organ of the LTTE, "Viduthalai Puligal', said.
Strange BedfelloWS
Although the LTTE has not offi
cially commented, pro-LTTE Tamil na
tionalist circles among expatriate Tamils living in the west seem to have come out strongly in support of India carrying out the recent nuclear bomb tests at the behest of the Hindu nationalist BJP government provoking Pakistan to conduct its own tests almost in act of retaliation.
While in India itself opinion among political parties, scientists, academics and journalists is sharply divided over the issue of the rights and wrongs of their government's action, in Sri Lanka sections which can be described as the extremist Sinhala-Buddhist nationalists and stridently anti-LTTE also have come out in strong support for the Indian nuclear tests. Even the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), one of the fundamental founding and guiding tenents of which was based on "antiIndian expansionism”, and which unleashed a reign of terror under the pretext of fighting against the IndoSri Lanka Agreement of July 1987 and the induction of the Indian peace Keeping Force(IPKF), has come out with a statement that India "was perfectly justified” in conducting its nuclear tests in its effort to become a nuclear power, since all nations in this

Page 11
15 JUNE 1998
world had the right to possess nuclear arms until such time as all major powers in the world had disarmed
arsenal. The JVP's Sinhala journal "Niya-muwa' states that the US authorities have decided to make use of the LTTE as a regional pawn against India, which has antagonised the US government by conducting the recent nuclear tests.
Another Sinhala journal which normally reflects extremist Sinhala
Buddhist national sentiments went : commented with a dian, but anti-LT T intelligence organ ach and Analysis learnt that America a lesson to India Sri Lankan Tigers, with India for exper weapons. It is said can plans are to p ment of sophistical
"One Country, Two Gover
Cabinet Minister S Thondaman, who is also the leader of Ceylon Workers Congress, has proposed the formation of two governments within a single Sri Lankan State, that will consist two different administrations similar to the arrangement between mainland China and Honkong where the Chinese accepted the concept of "One Country, Two Systems'.
In an interview with "The Hindu' while in South India, Mr Thondaman said that in order to solve the prolonged ethnic crisis, Sri Lanka could
adopt a two gove within a single cou system that is pract China and Hongk recognise the ex Hongkong while m isting system in m similar bi-constitut also be adopted in sure friendly co-ex and Tamils in Sri L Mr Thondaman, th lese would have to as the main ethnic
A Referendum for the War 2
Former Air force chief Vice Marshal Harry Gunatilake stated during an exclusive interview with the Sinhala weekly "Ravaya' that, according to the current situation of the on going war and the strength of the LTTE, the present manpower of our Defence forces is pathetically inadequate for the govt to go for an all out win in the war. He also added that the govt should go for a Referendum to decide whether to continue the war under these conditions or not and it should be continued only of they get a mandate of more than 50%. According to him, the forces should have a minimum man power strength of 450,000 to wipe out the LTTE and any attempt to do so without the above will be a fruitless exercise that will claim many lives aimlessly. Under these circumstances, it will be much better to go for a settlement based on discussions, concluded Mr. Harry Gunatilake.
Tea Factory Attacked
A time bomb planted by a yet unidentified group at the Hatton Shanon
Tea Estate belon, Plantations Ltd ex sulting in considel mated at over Rs.1 (
According to Assistant Factory factory was getting morning to start heard some nois checking, he saw t the wiremesh cove dow and break-opt bar and when he sh ers came rushing pects tried to shoo ager, and as the w| came rushing in, he outside the office his accomplice. Tr. their escape route indicated that at must have been in ers of the estate
 

TAMIL TIMES 11
st and anti LTTE step further and
distinctly pro-InE posture: "Indian sation, the ReserWing(RAW) has is trying to teach making use of the as they are furious imenting in nuclear hat current Ameriovide a new shiped military equip
ment to the Tigers inćluding armour plated vehicles, aggravate the internal crisis in Sri Lanka and hurt India by using the LTTE. Soon after the Indian government learnt about this move, it handed over entire security of the Indian Ocean to the Indian Navy, vowing that they would never allow America or the Tigers to use the Indian Ocean as they desired. This time India is ready to defeat both the Tigers and the US in the Indian ocean.'
:rnmental system ntry, similar to the ised in Hongkong. ong had agreed to isting system in haintaining the exnainland China. A ional system could
Sri Lanka, to enistence of Sinhala anka. According to e majority Sinha) recognise Tamils group in the North
and East provinces. He was of the opinion that obtaining "Ealam' through agreements wss not possible. If a proper attempt was made on this basis of his proposal to find solutions to the crisis, there might see a day where the aspirations of Tamils would be almost fulfilled. However, the only way this could be achieved was through discussions between the government and the LTTE after declaring a bi-lateral cease fire, he said.
Minister Thondaman has on many previous occasions publicly expressed his view that the LTTE should be allowed to administer and to be in charge of the North and East of the island for five years without elections.
ging to Kotagala ploded recently reable damage esti)0 million.
police sources, the Manager of the tea ready early in the the day when he e outside. When wo persons cutting ring an office win2n it using a crowouted, other workn. One of the sust the Factory Manorkers of the estate left the time bomb and ran away with aces of blood along were found which least one of them jured when workattacked them by
throwing stones at them. Within a minute or two, the bomb exploded with a loud bang causing severe damage to the factory.
Police later claimed that five Tamil youth suspected of being involved
in blowing up the tea factory were ar
rested by a special police team in Kandy and that their investigations have revealed that all five of them are hard core LTTE members resident in the Upcountry and that were also of the opinion that one of them was involved in blowing up the Oil tanks in Hatton.
Micro Pistols
A recent report quoting security sources said that one Tigeress (meaning a LTTE female cadre) out of two trying to skip through a check point at Ariyalai in Jaffna, pulled out a "Micro pistol" and shot dead a soldier the moment she was stopped for checking. She was shot dead by the other soldiers, while her colleague threw a hand grenade at the soldiers and managed to escape in spite of getting shot in the process. Defence sources say that this was the first

Page 12
12 TAM TIMES
occasion in which Micro pistols have been used by the LTTE against soldiers Jaffna. "A Micro pistol is so tiny that it cannot be detected unless a comprehensive body search is carried out, and Such searches particularly on women would create widespread resentment among the people particularly when such searches are carried out on innocent people,' a security officer is quoted as saying.
Birthday Gift of “Baby Gun'
A mother of two and the wife of a missing person suspected of involved in many killings and having close connections with drug lords, was arrested by the Mirihana police for possessing 35.22 calibre "Baby Bullets” which are said to be used in a Modern semi-automatic gun the size of a small cigarette lighter that can be effectively used for close range killing. The husband of the arrested woman later Surrendered to police with his father and the "baby gun' in question in order to get his wife released. During confessions this person, who is said to have a lot of connections with the kingpins of the under world, stated that an Army cap
tain living in Maha daughter's birthd him this gun as a
Missing Policen and Missing Bu
The police rec at Grandpass in Naufer allegedly murders and a well His interrogation led to the arrest police of a millic from Kelaniya w tions with the Ul official pistol and tol has been identi ing to former Ser of Police Douglas prominently in th sion conducting th the assassination and who is fugitiv ing gone into exile ing in Switzerland
When the gun millionaire busin to Douglas Peiris, 50 bullets and the find out as to wh
CRYSTA
35kg. baggage allow Call Raj or Palma
We are open
3517
9 RATHBON
LONDON
 

15 JUNE1998
aragama came to his ay party and gave gift.
al llets
2ntly arrested a man Colombo named involved in several known drug dealer. is reported to have by the Peliyagoda naire businessman ith known connecNP, along with the 18 bullets. The pisfied as that belonghior Superintendent Peiris who figured e Special Commishe investigation into of political figures ve from justice have and reportedly liv.
recovered from the essmen was issued , he was also given police are trying to at happened to the
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n fare from £415!
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missing bullets. District Quota System to be Abolished
Educationists in Sri Lanka State that, the decision taken by the government to abolish the existing district quota system for admission of students to university along with the implementation of the new educational reforms, will be very unfair, since the above quota system is the only machination available to offset the glaring inadequacies in the standard of education of rural areas. They also state that rural students studying rural schools with inadequate facilities will face more difficulties to gain admission to universities if this system is abolished proposed.
Galadhari Bombers Arrested
Security sources claimed that a special police team had captured 11 LTTE suspects from Kandy, including four who were allegedly responsible for the Galadhari bomb and many other attacks in Colombo and other places. These men were arrested at a car sale in Mahayawa, while trying to buy a lorry and were
7 days a week.
NE PLACE, W1 P 1 DE
/
سے نئے ATA

Page 13
15 JUNE 1998
placed in custody for three days when the Galadhari bomb went off. Soon afterwards Police further questioned them during which they reportedly confessed that they built a 250 kilo bomb at the "Tharawa" LTTE camp in Batticaloa which was taken to Kokkadicholai by a LTTE cadre called "Arul". It was later fixed in a lorry between the chassis and the patrol tank and brought to Colombo.
Export Earnings Grow
Sri Lanka's export earnings have recorded a 16.6 percent growth in the first three months of this year as against the same period last year, according to the country's Central Bank. From January to March of this year, Sri Lanka's export earnings were 1,075.8 million U.S. dollars while earnings were 922.5 million dollars during the same period last year.
Industrial exports during this period this year accounted for 782.5 million dollars, out of which textiles and apparel brought in 549.8 million dollars.
The Central Bank said that the growth is reflected mostly in investment and intermediate goods.
Meanwhile, the Central Bank also reported that the rate of inflation as indicated by the Colombo Consumer Price Index was 8.9 percent.
Oil Tank Dea Upsets India
A proposal submitted by the Minister of Energy to lease out nine oil tanks situated within the China bay of Trincomalee harbour to a Singapore company with American connections, ignoring a proposition made by the Indian Petroleum Corporation as far back as 1995 to commence a joint venture there, has caused a lot of concern for the Indian government, the Sinhala weekly journal "Ravaya' has reported.
India considers Trincomalee harbour as a strategic location in the Indian ocean and a similar effort made by former President J.R. Jayawardena in the 1980s to lease out these tanks to another Singapore company with US connections, seriously damaged Indo-Lanka relations at that time. This also led to a situation where a special clause was included in the Indo-Lanka accord which bound the Sri Lankan government not to use the Trincomalee oil tanks for any project that
would threaten. In theless the above warded by the E ommends leasing gapore company annual income of So far no tenders it.
The Indian g( soon demand the
ment tO act aCCO tions in the Indo journal adds,
Indian Teacher for Estate Schc The Educatio ning to bring in 1 India to fill up 3 teachers in 833 cussions in this r ister Thondaman ister Richard Pa held already anc agreed help to fill the Education M difficult to find t modation. There serving in these but the requiremel
Meanwhile it State Minister of leader of up cou Mr P Chandrasek the idea to bring teachers from Inc cies in Estate Sch there are so ma youth in the esta without jobs, who these jobs.
The Poor Back the UNP
A discreet Su International ReS Sri Lanka with the man Non Governi has revealed tha cated and profess Lanka are supp( Alliance governn jority of the poc groups support t been traditionall party of the rich. made use of 2,00 districts, The dat also revealed tha Sri Lankan popu in the performal ministers and th process.

dian security, NeverCabinet paper fornergy Minister recthese tanks to a Sinthat will yield an Rs. 16.9 million, but have been called for
overnment will very Sri Lankan governrding to the condi-Lanka accord, the
S bols n Ministry is planeachers from South 3,100 vacancies for Estate schools. Disegard between Minand Education Minthirana have been il though India has all these vacancies, inistry is finding it hem proper accomare 6070 teachers schools at present, nt is well over 9,200. is reported that the Estate Housing and ntry People's Front ran is totally against Maths and Science dia to fill in vacanools, as in his view ny educated Tamil ate and other areas can easily be given
rvey conducted by earch Foundation in assistance of a Germental Organisation, t most of the edusional people in Sri rting the People's ment, while the maor and low income he UNP, which has y identified as the For this survey they 10 families from six a gathered by them t only 50% of total lation has any faith nce of government heir administration
TAMIL TIMES 13
LTTE Hideout Discovered
The recent discovery by a special police team of a suspected LTTE hideout in Kandy has provided further proof that the Tigers have penetrated far and wide outside the northeast of the island, according police sources, According to them, the hideout was located in the thick jungles of Bowelawatte in Kandy from which they recovered 1,526 rounds of live ammunition, several suicide kits and 600 high powered bullets used for the suicide kits. They believe that the hideout was a fairly major camp of the LTTE and that there was evidence of both men and women cadres having lived here. Several black belts used for the suicide kits and an 18 inch pipe used to fix bombs were also discovered there.
$45 M in Gulf War Compensation
The United Nations will soon disburse around $45 million to Sri Lanka in compensation for losses suffered by its citizens during Iraq's occupation of Kuwait in 1990-91. "It has been agreed to release to Sri Lanka $45.387 million for the fourth instalment from the United Nations," Vijitha Nakkavita, spokesman for the Labour Ministry told the press.
Sri Lanka received $15.9 million in March last year, another $48.9 million in October and S32.82 million this April to be distributed to claimants judged by the U.N.'s Gulf War reparation body to have suffered from the Iraqi occupation. The funds have come from Iraqi oil sales approved under a special "oil-for-food" deal that went into effect in December 1996.
Around 85,000 Sri Lankans have been approved by the U.N. reparations body as eligible for compensation.
At Give Away Prices
"Give Horton Planes for a Play ground and Sinharaja Forest to a Timber Factory. Convert Dunhinda Water hall in to a Hydropower project and lease Adam's Peak to a tourist Hotel. Can get a good price for Dalada Temple and Sigiriya can be sold for Graphite.”
These lines are not from an advertisement of the Public Enterprises Reform Commission, but are lyrics from a song by Nanda Malini, the popular Sinhala female singer.

Page 14
14 TAMIL TIMES
The War in the W and the Politic of Censorship
D BS Jeyaraj
ecent events in the Wanni theatre of war have not been to the liking of the Peoples Alliance government particularly Power and Irrigation minister Anuruddha Ratwatte who as Deputy minister for defence is in overall charge of the war effort. Alarmed by the resistance offered by the LTTE and reversals suffered by the armed forces at tiger hands, Ratwatte looking around for a scapegoat found one. The fourth estate the favourite whipping boy of all politicians at times of distress and disaster became Ratwatte's target too. On 5 June, Anuruddha succeeded in convincing President Chandrika Kumaratunga to impose a comprehensive censorship on the publication of military and war related matters at noon on the same day.
Unlike in the past where the local media was censored but not the foreign media this occasion saw no differentiation. Both the national and international media were subject to censorship as far as disseminating information regarding defence matters were concerned. This in effect meant that no news about the on going war could be published, broadcast or telecast without obtaining prior clearance from the government appointed censor. Thus it was a case of darkness at noon for the national and international media from 5 June onwards.
The current censorship was path breaking from another perspective too. The practice in the past has been that of appointing a senior civilian government official as the competent authority in charge censoring the media. Officials such as the ministerial secretary in charge of media and information, the defence Secretary or national security ministry secretary etc. have been usually the people so appointed. These officials in turn delegated responsibilities to subordinates but retained full responsibility
for the censorship the government de tion and appointed a full fledged gene censor. Major Gene was appointed as
thority in charge the first time a mil matters military ha traditional functio cials had been dic prominent Sri Lank raised doubts as t velopment was a p tary government.
Military Reverses
The rationale according to the g prevent the enem Liberation Tigers (LTTE) knowing a ters and defenc through the medi Tigers seemed to possible forward : army in the Wanni prepared themselv. ity of resilience pro had inflicted gre troops resulting in government asses Tigers were acqu from the media bo' and countering th military successf this media specil LTTE was inflictil age on the armed ment felt.
That Anurud veering around blamed the media als became clear V ter addressed me including editors spondents. Some thorities had publi of a so called LT the Wanni. This in used to translate

15 JUNE 1998
anni
. But in this case parted from tradia military official, 'al at that, to be the ral Jaliya Nammuni the competent auof censorship. For itary censorship on d been imposed. A n of civilian offine away with. A an English Weekly O whether this derecursor to a mili
and the Media for the censorship overnment was to y in this case the of Tamil Eelam bout military mate developments a. Apparently the have anticipated movements by the and had effectively es for it. The qualvided by the LTTE at damage on the loss of morale. The ment was that the iring information h local and foreign e advances of the ully. Also utilising ic knowledge the g great great damforces the govern
lha Ratwatte was o a mindset that for military reversthenever the minislia representatives and foreign corremonths ago the auised the comments E aide captured in an claimed that he news reports and
articles in the local media into Tamil for LTTE perusal. The LTTE according to this man gained a lot of knowledge of military manouevres from these reports and made counter plans. The reports of Iqbal Athas in the "Sunday Times' were of special value, it was said. Although this "revelatory exhibition' was a concoction aimed at undermining Iqbal Aththas, it nevertheless indicated the defence establishment's point of view.
Anuruddha Ratwatte also went public in Parliament and blamed a newspaper for publishing a map and outlining plans of a future military operation in he Wanni. This had alerted the LTTE who had adequately prepared themselves. This attitude by the media was helping the enemy. The armed forces were being killed and injured and the military was getting bogged down. The entire military project was being scuttled by the media. As such a censorship was inevitable until the military operation was concluded successfully said RatWatte.
And so the censorship was promulgated. None of the cabinet ministers knew about it until after it came into effect. A decision of such magnitude was taken by the President in concurrence with Minister Ratwatte despite the avowed commitment to transparency. The newly appointed military censor general Nammuni too was not informed personally first. After his name was announced media organisations began induiring about sending copy to him. This flustered the General who did not have a facsimile machine at office. A fax and other paraphernalia necessary for a censor were obtained hastily and by 7 June evening Nammuni was in busi
CSS.
The Cutting Edge
Like the proverbial new broom that sweeps clean the new censor too went through media copy like a knife through butter. Wielding the censoring instrument like a weapon of destruction the General mutilated news reports ubmitted to him with military precision. Fully cognizant of his responsibility as the literal and metaphorical cutting edge of government olicy Jaliya had a jolly time chopping away. So good was he that newspapers during the ensuing weekend were looking like war ravaged terri

Page 15
15JUNE 1998
tory. Chunks and chunks of space were blank with the description censored on them. So great was Nammuni's zeal that he even hacked statements made by President Kumaratunga at a public meeting. The controversial journalist Iqbal Aththas was a major casualty with just two insipid paragraphs from his lengthy article being spared the censorial guillotine.
Even though the government blamed the media for the military reversals and justified the imposition of the censorship on those grounds that rationale was not acceptable. In simple terms it is an argument that does not wash. It is quite puerile.
Even though the government blamed the media for the military reversals and ustified the imposition of censorship on those grounds that rationale is ot acceptable. In simple terms it is an argument that does not wash. It is uite puerile if not infantile for Ratwatte to suggest that the LTTE is betting its military information from the media alone. In the first place the logistical probability of getting information from the media alone is hard to accept. Also the time factor involved in such a case too is somewhat complicated. Could it be said
for the publication or telecast of news and then hurriedly mobilise and jump into battle? Hardly
Ever since the government spoke about a land route through the Wanni it was a foregone conclusion that a major military operation in the Wanni was inevitable. There was some doubt in the earlier days about whether Ratwatte will opt for the Medawachiya-Mannar-Pooneryn route or the Vavuniya-Kilinochchi route. But once "Jayasikuru' was launched last year it became very obvious as to what the
ing to be. Moreover the "iguana grip' mentality of Ratwatte was also a well known factor. So when he had embarked upon a particular course of action the chances of his varying his goal were very unlikely. As time progressed and the LTTE displayed amazing resilience, the determination of Ratwatte to capture the A9 VavuniyaJaffna highway only increased. He kept on pressurising the army to pursue this solitary objective single mindedly without entertaining any
little was left to speculation ab army.
Under these LTTE would ha about predictin The Tigers knew They also knew the army within ticular theatre of ited. As such the in a position to ble forward man and prepare thei fensive operation plus point on th very high degree cadres who are for their cause. A now in their poss arsenal of long sides, the milita. Tigers are amply cal foresight and Their intelligence is phenomenal. T. that the LTTE ha trate the military for so long.
The Real Reason
So it would be the pretext for cei excuse that the LT mation from the m by any one even so, what then is censorship? The c
What Kumaratu
seem worried abo such military ré Sinhala constitue. unbelievable reasc ting military infor edge is likely to al pattern of the mil age morale of tro Ratwatte’s perso Sinhala masses is The man who thi latter day incarr Kumaraya also sa becoming Prime M this the governme important reason information recei people. This is for As discussed i columns last mon government faces in promulgating posals. One optio by her now is the

the imagination or ut the aims of the
circumstances the 'e had no problem
army movements. he terrain very well. hat the options for ne ambit of this parwar were very limhave been and are nticipate the possiuevres of the army defensive and ofs eaccordingly. The 2 LTTE side is the of motivation by the pre-ordained to die lso the Tigers have ession a formidable ange artillery. Bey hierarchy of the endowed with tactistrategic planning.
gathering capacity nus it is no surprise S been able to frusefforts of Ratwatte
for Censorship fair to conclude that nsorship namely the TE is getting inforedia is not believed berhaps Ratwatte. If the reason for the ause lies elsewhere. nga and RatWatte ut is the impact of versals upon the cy rather than the n of the Tigers getnation. Such knowlfect the recruitment tary and also damops in action. Also lal stock with the likely to go down. ks of himself as a ation of Sapumal d to have hopes of inister. Apart from ht also has another or controlling the ed by the Sinhala Jolitical advantage. the “Tamil Times' the Kumaratunga a political impasse le devolution probeing considered aging of the Presi
TAM TIMES 15
dential elections after November this year. The constitution provides for an early Presidential election if and after the incumbent completes four years in office. Although Kumaratunga can go on for two more years, she and some of her advisers think that resorting to an earlier election will pay dividends.
Firstly it is felt that Kumaratunga has greater charisma and vote gathering capacity than her counterpart in the UNPRanil Wickremasinghe. Although party support may be more equally divided the personality factor favours Chandrika more, it is said. Secondly it is better to go in for early elections now instead of delaying as issues like the cost of living etc. are likely to increase the unpopularity of the government in the future. Thirdly it would be possible for the PA to gain more seats in a parliamentary election following a successful Presidential election. So the PA hopes to win the Presidential election first and then follow it up with a Parliament election. Through this method it hopes to secure a two-thirds majority with the aid of supportive smaller parties and push through the devolution package in the teeth of UNP antipathy or apathy.
In order to test the political waters about the feasibility of holding early Presidential elections the PA hopes to utilise the forthcoming Provincial council elections to the Sinhala majority Southern Provinces in August this year. If the PA does well then it would go ahead with confidence into the Presidential stakes. In spite of being criticised on several fronts the PA hopes to win in elections by playing up the military card. The government hopes to project the capture and consolidastion of the A9 stretch between Vavuniya and Kilinochchi as a major politico-military victory to the Sinhala voter. As such a time bound factor has now crept into military calculations. The Provincial council elections can be postponed for another six months if necessary. Therefore the “Jayasikuru” operation has to succeed within this period. There is also another possibility that Provincial elections in the South could be held while the "Jayasikuru' war continues in the north. The Battle in the Wanni
Whatever the possible political scenario a primary consideration then

Page 16
16 TAMIL TIMES
from a propaganda perspective is the need to control information flow about the battlefront news. In spite of Ratwatte's fervour the situation on the ground has only been adverse. Apart from resisting the army, the LTTE in the process has inflicted considerable damage and losses upon the army, What the government is worried about is the negative impact it would have on Sinhala voters and by extension on the political fortunes of the PA. It is this factor therefore that has compelled the PA to impose censorship. The purpose is to suppress the truth about the reality on the battlefront to the domestic voter constituency in the Sinhala south. The charge that the LTTE is getting information from the media is only a red herring. Recent developments accelerated the government thinking on the matter.
The on going operation Jayasikuru proceeding in fits and starts recommenced on May 28th this year. This time the government and military hierarchy seemed determined to succeed in this particular phase of the operation. According to some reports astrologers had calculated the date and time for recommencement. Ratwatte himself visited the battlefront on the eve of operations and pepped up the officers and men. An unconfirmed report states that some Buddhis priests too had visited the front and chanted pirith.
Four military divisions namely the 53rd, 54th, 55th and 56th are stationed in the Wanni. Of these the 54th is at Kilinochchi district. This particular phase of Jayasikuru being optimistically viewed as the final one envisaged the 54th breaking out from Kilinochchi and engaging in a southwards thrust to complement the northward manouevres by the 53rd 55th and 56th divisions. At the time of recommencement troops had consolidated themselves on the north-west at Moondrumurippu and at Olumadhu-Karippattamurippu on the north-eastern sector. Another detachment had also skirted around Mankulam and positioned itself on Ambakamam along the old Kandy road that runs parallel to the present Kandy road. This old Kandy road goes via Mudaliyakulam and Kokkavil to Iranaimadhu. There it forks off into two with one going to Kilinochhi and the other to Vattakkachi on the Paranthan-Puthukudiyiruppu road.
Thus it seemed c intended making these strategic rout ultimate objective. jective of course sive Mankulam p1 in spite of being
Troops broke drumurippu and Vannivillankulam 1 would have ena Thunukkai and towns in the hand diers also proceed from Olumadhu an Olumadhu troop Mankulam and troops towards these attempts inc Kilinochi were thy at considerable lo sure the army was reports appeared captured Thunukl soldiers had reach road.
The army stel paign on Tuesday same lines as me were repulsed by 3rd Wednesday madhu-Karippatta cal manouevre pr wards and then m proceeded north gers were waitin penetrated by the thereby fragment three segments. mowed down the great numbers. Tl in over 150 bein, thousand wound The following saw troops from K One column mov nthan road throl and reached Vatt, column proceeded through Karadip nagar towards Kil LTTE let them adv then encircled thi to a barrage of m« As troops sca mines took their ing counter atta based troops sav ing. This Kilinoc more than 140 SI and nearly a thou These two ma cessive days saw

15 JUNE 1998
lear that the army g majorthrusts on tes to achieve their The immediate obwas the long elu'oving to be "so far so near'.
out from Moontried to capture "oad junction which
bled them to take
Mallavi two vital S of the LTTE. Sol
ed in two directions.
di Ambakamam. The s were aiming for the Ambakamam Iranaimadhu. All luding a foray from varted by the Tigers ss to the army. So of victory that news that the army had Kai even before the ed Vannivilankulam
pped up their cam2nd of June on the ntioned before and the LTTE. On the troops from Oluimurippu in a tactioceeded north eastade a sharp turn and westwards. The Tig. The column was LTTE in two places ing the troops into The LTTE then isolated soldiers in hat episode resulted g killed and nearly ed.
Thursday 4th June ilinochi striking out. ed along the Paraugh Murasumottai akkachchi. Another i in two formations pokku and Thiruinochchi South. The ance for a while and }m subjecting them þrtar fire. tered and ran landtool. A correspondck on Vattakkachi them too retreatni fighting also saw ldiers being killed sand being injured. jor debacles in sucRatwatte panic. He
feared the impact of these on the country at large, Hence his hurried visit and desperate plea to the President and consequent censorship. Military operations in the following weeks too saw the LTTE registering significant successes. The position as of 14th June 1998 according to reliable sources was that the armed forces had incurred losses of nearly 600 dead and
four thousand five hundred injured.
Of the wounded about two thousand are classified as walking wounded while about 2500 are admitted in hospitals all over the South. The LTTE suffered around 175 dead including senior Commander Lt.Col Anbu. The figures about their injured are not known, but it could be several hundreds.
The imposition of the censorship has resulted in two things. In the first place it has not been possible for the government to check uncensored news from reaching the Sinhala people. The LTTE establishment overseas has been faxing their press releases to news agency offices abroad. These in turn have been publishing these news items from non-Sri Lankan datelines like New Delhi and Singapore. Thus no legal provision is being flouted. These news items in turn are being picked up on the internet by Sri Lankans. Nowadays news about the war are being faxed around merrily in Colombo. The authorities cannot arrest them all. But of course this medium of communication is available only to the established and aspiring elites. The sight of speeding ambulances with screaming sirens is another medium through which ordinary people come to conclusions of their own about the military "progress'.
But as far as the orddinanary citizen is concerned that great mass production industry of rumour factories are working overtime again. Ironically the censorship is helping to reinforce these rumours. Let's take a hypothetical example. Say a newspaper sends a news story saying "100 Soldiers killed at 10 am on Friday at Kilinochchi”. The censor in his wisdom would remove "100 soldiers' "10 am.' and “Kilinochi”, The newspaper concerned would then publish a censored version that would read something like this: ... (censored) .... killed at... (censored) ... on Friday at ... (censored). This would result in the reader coming to the conclusion that some

Page 17
15JUNE 1998
major incident resulting in killings had occurred on Friday. In a matter of no time his "skeleton' of a news would have gaind flesh and blood. Soon the rumours would have it that hundreds of soldiers were killed in this place and that place on Friday. So the people would now get the impression that hundreds of soldiers are being killed all over whereas if the censorship had not been imposed the fact that 100 were killed at Kilinochchi would have been clearer. The simple logic of the ordinary citizen would be something like this: If Tigers were killed then the government would trumpet it aloud. Secondly if the government was winning the war then there is no need for censorship. Therefore the government is not winning the war and all those being killed are soldiers.
Thus it can be seen that the purpose of censorship itself is proving to be counter-productive. The censorship internationally leaves the field open to the LTTE whose press releases will be given virtually monopolistic publicity in the absence of credible news from other sources. Nationally the bad news about the war front is likely to be circulated by word of mouth in a haphazard manner. Army losses are likely to be exaggerated in these spreading rumours. Moreover the government agreement with the BBC where its telecasts and broadcasts are reproduced in Sri Lanka are further embarrassments. Since the agreement explicitly prevents local censoring these newscasts and broadcasts relay information about Sri Lankan developments, gleaned from sources abroad to Sri Lankan viewers and listeners.
If this trend continues the government objective of controlling and conditioning Sinhala public opinion about the course of war would not be achieved. Instead there is every chance that a cynical public is likely to lap up the partial information padded up with rumours being made available every day. An impression that the war is being lost will gain ground. Even if the military were to truly achieve a victory in a major battle with the LTTE and the information about such victory is allowed to be published by the censor, the readers are more likely to disbelieve it. Using the tool of censorship for political advantage, therefore, would be a self-defeating exercise. O
Mahinda, the Me We have ofte on the claim that is so imbued with values that it ha tainted with crim with barbarians. TI poignant reminde in war and violen cowardly instrum when compared W ing and enduring peace and harmo eco-system. Deva ed these vital les feet of Arahat Ma ary of peace and enticed the mind and led him thr non-violence. Tha has diminished to in a lamp fast run Caring for th earth is a sacred entrusted to huma cred trust has now violated, and hu condemned at the tury for being the of lifeEs vital sup Perhaps, the world Arahat Mahinda of self destructio on ourselves and erations.
Our hopes foi hter future for ou selves were sough ous religious fes amalgamation of and precepts wh would form the su and lead us into However, cultura itual legacies no cruel barbarian, t terrorist, the feuda crude capitalist co in our midst, maki
 

TAMIL TIMES 17
See a PC, for Prophets
of Peace
Oswald B. Firth OM Director, Centre for Society and Religion
ssenger of Peace n prided ourselves pur cultural heritage profound religious s hardly ever been inalities associated he Poson Poya is a to all who engage :e that these are but 2nts of goal pursuit lith the overwhelmpresence of inner ny with the entire nampiyatissa learnSons of life at the hinda, the missioncompassion, who of a wayward king ough the path of at cultural heritage the level of a flicker ning out of oil. e resources of the trust that has been nkind. But that sabeing breached and man beings stand brink of a new cengreat exterminator ports and resources. is in need of a new o halt the process n we are inflicting on our future gen
a better and brigr siblings and ourt for in our numertivities and in an religious practices ch, we believed, bstratum of our life the next century.
heritage and spirwithstanding, the e uncompromising
imperialist and the htinue to hold sway ng a mockery of the
sacred traditions and religious precepts that have guided civilizations such as ours through time-bound ages and timeless aeons.
Sarojini: The Plight of the Prophet
A striking example of what has been said above is to be found in the tragic event that snuffed out the life of Sarojini Yogeswaran, an uncompromising standard bearer for a brave new world of peace and harmony. Sarojini, an unarmed woman, who sought to thwart the culture of violence by refusing even the presence of a security guard to ensure her protection, is gunned down in cold blood. Having suffered the demise of her dear husband, and that too in a most violent manner, she could have decided to retire into political oblivion and spend the rest of her life either at home or abroad in considerable comfort. But all this was shunned as a result of her courage and determination to bring peace to her beleaguered people. The diabolical gun is never a respecter of saints, sages or innocent sucklings. But it stands out as a beastly symbol of a civilization that has lost its religious ethos and its sense of direction.
The critical question that needs to be posed is not who killed Sarojini Yogeswaran, but why she was gunned down at all! What indeed has brought this country, whose boast “par excellence" are her principles of compassion and non-violence, to cross the threshold of tolerance and engage in ribald ridicule and vile vilification of those who take their stand for the cause of peace and the defense of human rights? Messengers of peace today are being increasingly accused of conniving with the "enemy' whoever that may happen to be; they are portrayed as "traitors to the nationalist cause' which is none other

Page 18
18 TAMIL TIMES
than canonizing the religion and language of the majority or those of a myopic minority.
To the die hards and obstinate who eschew dialogue as an instrument of conflict resolution and take up arms in defense of their rights, whether they be of the majority or are a segment of the minorities, agents of peace are often perceived as stumbling blocks and delayed devises that obstruct the "people's revolution". They refuse to come to terms with reality and accept that the era of despotic "Pol Pots” have little place in contemporary society. If these messengers of peace happen to cite, by way of example, initiatives for peace in Palestine, or in Northern Ireland, or even in the Philippines, in the name of future generations, they are labelled and hounded as agents in collusion with foreign powers working for their own personal interests. Such is the crippled minds of those who from time to time pontificate in the press while living on the crumbs that fall from their foreign master's tables. Appeals for cease-fires, peace zones and corridors of peace in consideration of suffering civilians and
for the transporta ian assistance acr are perceived as
the enemy to re-g his depleting sto slightest sign of til tempting to prom tween the warring to generate caust who is "perched ol ing the ear'. A rec mediation evokes and sarcastic innu ing to inject a de country's interna country had not fested with foreig porations that are
human and natura
Reclaiming Huma The scurrilous st the prophets of sad indication tha liberalizing the ec our precious resou debts, we have als perennial virtues guided the well-b This is perhaps w yama was saying
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ion of humanitar}ss the firing lines providing time for roup and refurbish cks of arms. The le peace maker atbte a dialogue befactions are bound c remarks of one the horn and pickuest for third party sardonic reactions endoes of attemptadly virus into the affairs, as if the already been intransnational cordevouring both our
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anity's Heritage propaganda againpeace is perhaps a t in the process of onomy and selling rces to pay off our ) bartered away our that guarded and 2ing of our people. what Francis Fukuin his "The End of
History" (1989), when he stated that mankind had reached the final point in history, since Western Capitalism had become the ultimate form of human government. In this form of government, the violence of mercantilist trade, war, genocide and colonialism are presented to a world inebriated with consumerism as universal progress, development, modernization and freedom. If this were true, then the time has come for the prophets of peace to reclaim for humanity the cultural values hidden beneath the encrustations of religious rituals and those pietistic forms of religiosity that call for a total isolation from the real world.
The task of the prophet of peace is to restore to its place of pristine importance the value of life and all that sustains it. Life is the supreme value. Other values such as peace, justice, honesty and solidarity take their cue from the respect a given society expressly manifests towards life. The greatest advocates of peace and human rights in our century: Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suki, to name just a few, and Sar
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1SJUNE 1998
ojini Yogeswaran, Charles Abeyesekera and Rajini Thiranagama, the renowned author of the "Broken Palmyrah", from this little "paradise" of ours, were all firm believers and charismatic champions of peace. For them peace created the atmosphere needed for life to grow and blossom forth. The example of their committed lives and their reverberating voices must find a place in the hearts and minds of our future generations.
Responding to the Plea of the People It was not long ago that the nation chalked up fifty years of independence from colonial domination while being enmeshed in a war for which the blame has to be placed squarely on the shoulders of the leaders of the two major political parties that have ruled this country since independence. All attempts by one party to lay the blame on the other side or on certain violent elements in the North smacks of a Lady Macbeth engaged in a futile exercise of cleaning off the blood from her stained hands. After all, the resort to arms in the North is a result of bigotry in the South where pacts and conventions were broken faster than they were made, let alone implemented.
The ceaseless and harmful rivalry between the two major parties in the South has not been on matters of principles or for service to the people of this country. Each of these parties has opposed when out of power what it has proposed when in power. In an Urgent Appeal addressed to the heads of the two major political parties in the South, the Centre for Society and Religion has joined an unequivocal chorus of voices stating that the political rivalry that has persisted between these two parties from their very origins, and continues even to this day in the form of vituperative verbal battles both in and Out of Parliament, "has impeded a solution of the (ethnic) issue in 1956, 1958, the 1960s, 1972, 1977 and 1987 and upto now'. This has led to a worsening of the situation and violence since 1956, and to the ongoing 15 year civil war. Undoubtedly, the statement insists, that "the failure of the two main political parties to come to an agreement on this issue is a principal cause of our continuing civil war costing over 50,000 lives, and rendering about a million persons refugees in Sri Lanka
and in exiles abro; tion of the economy of the countryʼs bu people refuse to o ness of the country trust, animosity an lence among the pi consequences of t part of our political this menacing crisi with justice and d cerned.
As much as pe: tor of life, it would say that the real be justice. It will not than the peace of less justice assures able rights and se all citizens, whatev origin. No single II
ince the milita
S posed by the lead to chunk ing devoured, it i period to reflect o more distant from t tre of operations. A which is a fairly clo Lanka, and shares religion, shy and g also problems of ( opportune at this ti According to ré Penh, its capital, street which is inha Sri Lankan origin. come yet anothe point for LTTE arm battered country do strong framework The first sign of th seen at the intern Phnom Penh. Forei asked for money enter and to leave
The fact that t happen relatively c the tenuous hold t has over the coun problems have to level at which the opportunity for app
 

ad'. The devastay, spending a third dget on a war the wn, the indebted' and tortuous disd the cult of vioeople, are but sad his failure on the
leaders to resolve is honourably and ignity to all con
ace is the guaran
also be correct to 'drock of peace is be anything more the graveyard unpeople's inaliennse of security to ver be their ethnic bolitical party can
TAM TIMES 19
ensure all this without working in tandem with the other major parties and agreeing to share with all parties the credit of a possible breakthrough and an eventual solution to this agonizing problem. Our cultural and religions values have the potential to inspire all parties to a peace-dialogue and point the way to a more just and humane solution to this burning isSue. We cannot allow the children of this land to carry this burden created by our chequered past into the next century.
Unless and until this becomes a reality, will there be a place for prophets of peace in keeping with the sublime message of peace that was brought to this country two thousand years ago by Arahat Mahinda? O
NS ROMANOT
Jehan Perera
ury censorship imgovernment can s of an article bes best to use this n matters that are he north-east thealook at Cambodia pse neigbour to Sri with it a common gentle people, and onflict, might be ime. esidents of Phnom there is an entire bited by Tamils of Cambodia has ber trans shipment s dealers. This war pes not still have a of law and order. is problem can be ational airport in gners are routinely o permit them to the country. hese transactions penly is a sign of hat law and order try. It seems that be solved at the y arise, with little peals to higher au
thority. This would make Cambodia a haven for the illegal arms trade. But Cambodia also has relevance to Sri Lankans for another reason.
Opponents of the LTTE have drawn parallels between it and the Khmer Rouge, though perhaps the more appropriate comparison would be with the JVP which was also a Social revolutionary movement that resorted to violence. The LTTE, by contrast, is primarily an ethnic-based movement. Today, the Khmer Rouge is confined to the remote extremities of the country and has split into several factions. The former leader Pol Pot who headed the Cambodian government between 1975-79, during which time the country became internationally notorious for its killing fields, died a few months ago.
But despite its international pariah status, the Khmer Rouge had a tenacity to survive in Cambodia. It has taken nearly twenty years after being dislodged from power by the Vietnamese army for the Khmer Rouge to lose its ability to seriously threaten the Cambodian polity. This contrasts with the LTTE. With the departure of the Indian peacekeeping force in 1989 which had confined the LTTE to the

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20 TAM TIMES
jungles, the LTTE emerged as a stronger force.
Abortive Negotiations
In the first few months of last year, the Khmer Rouge lost what may have been its last chance to be a major force in Cambodian politics. A section of the Cambodian government led by Prince Ranariddh tried to engage the Khmer Rouge in negotiations. By getting the Khmer Rouge on his side, the Prince thought that it would strengthen his hand against his co-prime minister Hun Sen. The arrangement to have two prime ministers was a compromise power sharing arrangement arrived at after the 1993 UN supervised elections.
Recently, some internal documents of the Khmer Rouge fell into the hands of the Cambodian army (cited in the Phnom Penh Post, May 22-June 4, 1998). These documents clearly show that the Khmer Rouge did not believe that Prince Ranariddh was sincere in his negotiations, and they did not intend to be sincere either. The events that transpired during the attempt to negotiate are a reminder of how difficult it is to stage successful negotiations to Solve long drawn out problems between armed parties that distrust each other acutely.
"Ranariddh needs us, we also need him,' are the words written in the minutes of one of the meetings of the top leadership of the Khmer Rouge. "Ranariddh's boat is sinking in the sea, but our boat is not. We have to help him, but the way we help is to offer him a stick - not a hand, not an embrace, not to let him cling to our boat, or we shall all die. We have to play a trick. Ranariddh wants to use us as a water buffalo to get across the mud, but we have to ride the buffalo.”
Meanwhile the Khmer Rouge planned a way to regain power using Princen Ranariddh. He had agreed to give local level control to the Khmer Rouge, while his faction of the government would assert control at the provincial level. The Khmer Rouge planned to use this opportunity to spread throughout the country, taking over the villages, communes and districts. The Khmer Rouge documents show that its plan was to join with Prince Ranariddh for tactical reasons, only to strengthen itself, and
to take Cambodia b it was led by th farmer.'
But the whole for both Sides, du power struggle that the Khmer Rouge. the Prince's negot1 their helicopter in power struggle. T faction that got firs were those who o tiations. The ten g tiators including a governor who head were killed. Only th Sonnel on board th spared. The pilots Cornelt team Wa Rouge officials wh shut their engine a after they heard gu the ten governmen ever seen alive aga
The closest Sri this terrible “nego President Premadas to talk peace With tl riod 1988-89. Here pose of the talks wa an alliance that wo of the Indian army under the terms o Accord. Both side use of each other, r settlement, but to mon enemy. Such ta prone to betrayal. Indeed, a fate Cambodian negotia Minister Hameed Jaffna in June 1990 the LTTE a few d break of the rene helicopter was shot made it back to Co no change of heart two sides regardin
Ingratitude
Strangely enou tain unwillingness ( Cambodians to st blame on the Khn atrocities of the p due to the fact that governance in Cal have been possibl quiescence of Sub Cambodian societ The Cambodia eign countries to bl past. The first, o

15 JUNE 1998
ck to the era when 2 "poor peasant
ilan came unstuck le to an internal broke out within Unfortunately for ators, they landed he middle of this he Khmer Rouge t to the helicopter pposed the negoovernment negoprovincial deputy ed the delegation, e five airforce pere helicopter were said that the govs met by Khmer o ordered them to it gunpoint. Soon un shots. None of I negotiators were in. Lankan parallel to tiation' would be a's abortive effort ne LTTE in the petoo, the main purs tactical - to forge uld rid the country which was present f the Indo-Lanka s sought to make lot to reach a final deal with a comctical alliances are
similar to the ten tors almost befell when he flew to ) to negotiate with ays after the outwed fighting. His at and only barely lombo. There was on the part of the g each other.
gh, there is a ceron the part of many Juarely place the ner Rouge for the ast. This may be he Khmer Rouge's mbodia would not e without the acstantial sectors of
ns have two forame for their tragic bviously enough,
would be the United States. It was the US that dropped 7 million tons of bombs in Cambodia in the course of the Vietnam war. The Vietnamese in their war against the US-installed regime in the south, were using the territory of neighbouring Cambodia to supply themselves from China. The US mercilessly bombed this so-called “Ho Chi Minh trail” paving the way for the destruction of Cambodia's economic, social and human infraStructure.
Ironically, today, the antagonism of the Cambodians is much more directed towards their Vietnamese neighbours than towards the Americans. The two peoples have rivalries that go back centuries. In 1979, the Vietnamese army invaded Cambodia and overthrew the Khmer Rouge government. They set up a new Cambodian government, but one that was dependent on the Vietnamese army for its survival.
During the four year Khmer Rouge period of rule nearly two million people are believed to have died, most in the forced migration of people from the cities to the villages. The middle and educated classes were decimated in the "class cleansing” that took place. Even today, the lack of an educated class of people is noticeable in the country.
However, Cambodians show little gratitude towards the Vietnamese for having rid them of the Khmer Rouge. Instead they blame the Vietnamese for the abuses that took place for the next fourteen years while the Vietnamese army remained in Cambodia. They do not attribute any good motives to the Vietnamese for having sent their army into Cambodia. The parallel to Sri Lanka, where the Sri Lankan government has sent in an army of Sinhalese soldiers to liberate the Tamil people from the LTTE can be seen.
When an outside army rids a people of an oppressive internal ruling group, the people may initially be content with the new situation. But unless a viable process of genuine democratic rule is put into place the initial positive feelings are likely to change to animosity. Despite having held local government elections in January this year, at which there was a substantial voter turnout, a similar drift can be seen in Jaffna today, for which the government seems to have no answer except a military censorship.O

Page 21
15 JUNE 1998
The Hindu and lslamic BOn
TN Gopalan
he inevitable has happened. Pakistan too has conducted its nuclear tests. The ruling elite of that country are crowing, and the ignorant masses are dancing in the streets, celebrating the attainment of the "nuclear parity" with the Hindu India. Neither those burning the Indian national flag on the streets of Islamabad nor the Sangh Parivaar distributing sweets in India seem to be aware of the enormity of the tests, the serious implications that they have for the future of the sub-continent. Already Emergency has been declared in Pakistan and fundamental rights have been suspended. And there are dire predictions that in the wake of the sanctions to be imposed by the West, the Pak economy would collapse.
The BJP puts on a brave face vis a vis the Swift Pak retaliation and asserts that its assessment of the nuclear capability of the hostile neighbour stands vindicated. "Only it has come out of the wraps." It also seeks to derive some satisfaction from the doubts persisting about Some aspects of the Pak tests.
Altogether Pakistan claims to have conducted six tests in a span of three days, on 28 and 30 May but technical details are not available, leading to suspicions of fudging by the Pak scientists.
For its part India had tested a 45 kilotonnes hydrogen bomb, a 15 kilotonne fission bomb and another "lowyield device" on 11 May and two sub-kilotonne devices on 13 May.
Predictably, Defence Minister, George Fernandes boasted that the Pak's tests "nowhere near those of India's' and that "they conducted only one test on 28 May. And they did not go in for the crucial low-intensity sub-kiloton tests.
When quizzed on the doubts cast by sources in the USA on the veracity of the Pak claims, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of the Pak bomb, retorted, blithely, that it was for the White House to sort out the issue
with Prime Minis Only there have t much-touted Gha now be nuclear-ca Dr Khan also c ity of the Indian tested a thermonuc phemism for the H cidentally the cla claims apart, anyc tested could sure devastating than Hiroshima or Naga When asked wl for the country, Vajpayee boasted, ans have viewed th beginning of the ri self-confident India assessment and this est meaning of the have given India given India strengt India self-confiden But then as M Alyar, once an aid Gandhi and who h hard for a better rel kistan, put it, “It w much weaker econo and militarily that o oude St. Rememb under that peacenil higher status than will ever have.'
Immediately aft the hawks in India, umnists and defenc computing the cost and put it somew 20,000 crore, thoug years. Surely the would be jacked up cent annually. The BJP-coalition saw allocation for the de around 36,099 crore Plus the departmen gets Rs. 1,569 crore crore last year) ar Rs. 1381 crore (ag; crore). The intern channels like the E kept harping on th

bS?
ter Nawaz Sharif. een hints that the |ri missiles would pped. ontested the validclaims that it had lear device, an euydrogen bomb. Inims and counterne of the devices ly be much more hose dropped on saki in 1945.
at the tests meant Prime Minister “Millions of Indiis occasion as the se of a strong and ... I fully share this dream. The great: tests is that they shakti, they have h, they have given Ce.'' Ir Mani Shankar 2 to the late Rajiv as been lobbying ationship with Paas when we were mically, politically ur voice was heard er Gandhi? India c Nehru had a far Vajpayee's India
ær the Indian tests, meaning most cole analysts, started
of going nuclear here around Rs. spread over a few
defence budget by at least 15 per first budget of the sharp hike in the fence sector, from to Rs.41,200 crore.
of atomic energy (against Rs. 1264 d space research inst only Rs. 990 tional television BC and the CNN s hike to defence
TAMIL TIMES 21
and related sectors. However the fact remains that the share of defence spending as a share of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) remains virtually unchanged at 2.54 per cent and that is a matter of some solace.
One analyst even went to the extent of noting rather smugly, "no expensive new arms race has begun. Money is not being diverted from butter to guns, or from ghee to nukes.”
Apparently he does not seem to include the allocations for the related sectors - it is the atomic energy department which has played a crucial role in the serial tests and the space research programme includes the development of strategic cryogenic engines - in his calculations, and one should bear in mind Finance Minister Yeshwant Sinha's promise that he would consider a further budgetary increase in the course of the year.
Still that even under such a revanchist, atavist and militarist party like the BJP, the government has its limitations in seeming to be development oriented. That is the brighter side of the situation in India, such is the strength of democracy which has taken rather deep roots in this country. Even the barrage of anti-Pak statements issued by Advani and others have to be suitably camouflaged in order to make it acceptable for the middle classes. Certainly no Pakistani national flag was burned down during the demonstrations.
But there is no need for such squeamishness over there. It has been a hate-campaign throughout and it has only become more virulent after the Indian tests. And there is no dissent, nobody in the media seems to wonder the sense, the sanity of it all. After the 1974 Pokhran-I explosion Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto vowed to eat grass but one day make the Islamic bomb. Going by what has happened since the bomb has materialised, none of the Bhutto clan has lived on much more than on mere grass - those who had to do so were the large masses.
Similar refrains are heard these days in Islamabad and elsewhere. But who will pay for the folly this time? Pakistan's foreign debt stands at $36 billion or 72 per cent of its GDP. India’s, though much higher at $91 billion, constitutes hardly 25 per cent of its GDP. There is a very real threat that the international aid it receives - in the form of soft loans and grants -

Page 22
22 TAMIL TIMES
up to $3.5 billion might be choked up following the western sanctions.
Besides the Pak rupee is fully convertible and any run on it could endanger its foreign exchange reserves totalling $1.3 billion. The Emergency was proclaimed mainly to prevent a major financial crisis and freeze the foreign currency accounts.
At least the Pak establishment is being realistic about the patriotism of the expatriates. That apart, how long that country could hope to live on the edge without toppling over is anybody's guess.
Willa cash-strapped Pak churn out the deadly bomb by the dozens and hawk around the Islamic world any one of which could, in a moment of desperation, hurl it at the West? Such visions are already haunting the We St.
Even as we go to press comes the report that Pak is all set to test-fire its medium-range Shaheen-I missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads up to 700 km land and that it is working on long-range Shaheen-III which can travel up to 2,000 km. “Production of this guided missile is being carried out and it can be fired by the latest solid fuel technology carrying
a nuclear warhead get,' declared D Mund, Director G tional Developme headed the team C test site in a news It looks like tha Pak Science establi ing with the other | come out with m toys than the rest for more and mor unlike India the sci does not mind sw Hindu neighbour in the national agen been highjacked b warmongers.
It may be note week before the In notorious hawk C seemed to have b. had almost put in h self tacitly admitte interview that his tions against India ceptable to the rest nt. (He is incidenta first dictator of P Ayub Khan who h offensive against ) like son.)
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to the desired tar- Samar Mubarik eneral of the Naint Complex who f scientists at the paper interview.
ut each wing of the shment is competo claim that it has ore sophisticated and is clamouring allocations. And entific community 2aring to sock the the eye. Suddenly da Seems to have y the zealots and
d here that just a dian tests that the iohar Ayub Khan een Sidelined. He is papers. He himed in a newspaper constant fulmi-naa had become acof the governmelly the son of the akistan, Marshan ad stepped up the (ndia. Like father,
That characters like Gohar should have become somewhat marginalised was in itself Some good tidings.In fact the testing of the Ghouri missile and the high-profile visit of some members of Sharif's cabinet to the sprawling headquarters of a fanatical fundamentalist outfit which openly claims to train mercenaries to fight for the liberation of Kashmir only went to show the complete dominance of the hawks. If they still viewed with some apprehension Gohar's brinkmanship, it only went to show that things were taking a turn for the better.
But the clock has been set back yet again thanks to the muscle- flexing by the BJP. In a puerile display of macho, Home Minister Advani had declared after the Indian tests that Pakistan should realise the changed geo-strategic situation in the subcontinent and behave accordingly. And he was at a loss for words after the Pak testS.
Advani had also declared that besides, India would become pro-active on the Kashmir front, darkly hinting that the Indian forces would chase militants across the border, right into the areas under the control of Paki(continued on next page)
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Page 23
15JUNE 1998
Ramesh Gopalakrishnan
he G-8 meeting held in London T. month ensured that India and Pakistan both agree for some kind of talks to prevent the emerging danger of an arms race in the subcontinent. That Japan, the victim of the nuclear bombs, took the lead in pushing the demand for talks made it impossible for India to reject the need for talks even while mouthing the now-infamous rebuff that "There can be no nuclear apartheid' and the silly remark that "You can't order us to talk when you've not dismantled your own nuclear weapons'. The G-8 countries have made it sure that all developmental assistance to both India and Pakistan would be postponed once again. And the two countries seem to have realised that it is more prudent to go in for talks, bilateral or otherwise, lest they be given the unofficial status of rogue-states.
Now, the two governments are quibbling over the venue, date and the level of talks. Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Nawaz Shariff are expected to meet at Colombo during the SAARC summit in July, and hence, the first le vel of talks would have to be secrtarial. The Sri Lankan and Bangla Desh governments seem to be keen that the secretarial level talks take place so that the impending meeting
between the two without any hitcl indicates that the negotiations Indi for have already b to the extent of ol region, as well as kind of sensitive countries to the t Events durin followed the Pok India has registe diplomatic and do domestic level, th initial sense of el jingostic hysteri media, but this sv the unusual sum south-west mons earthquake whic stan and the cycl coastal Gujarat. A events took their Vedantic Indian whether the Brah the hapless peop nent for the follic seats of power in I Kabul.
The nuclear a and Islamabad, no gositic support o but some of the t certainly got sor
(Continued from page 22) stan, raising visions of an imminent Indian invasion.
A crafty Gohar upped the ante further by claiming that India was planning to air-strike the Pak nuclear facilities and promising a fitting response. And this time no one sought to restrain him. As one of the few dissenters in Pakistan jibed at the muscle-flexing and said "On such occasions the brain does not work.' A Pak senator gloated after the Indian tests, "The picture has become clearer now. It is a Hindu India ranged against an Islamic Pakistan. The assumption of office by the BJP and the tests have unmasked the liberals. Secularism exists only in their imagi
nation. Now we c, open.'
There cannot ing admonition ( Hindu ethos and catholicity. The a ing Pak dignitarie Christians and ol aged by them in Gujarat - both ul tions — only go tc ing pattern.
In the circum testing and the dorsement it has the fascist under lurking in the cor, echts will we de him in his tracks?
 

TAM TIMES 23
) leaders goes off at Colombo. This so-called bilateral a has been aiming een multilateralised, ther countries in the Japan, playing some role to get the two alking table.
g the month which hran tests show that red losses in both mestic fronts. In the e tests produced an phoria with a mass a propelled by the wiftly drained off in mer heat before the oon, and later, the h rocked Afghanione which ravaged All the three natural toll of lives and the was left wondering man was punishing le of the Subconties committed by its Delhi, Islamabad and
dventures of Delhi doubt, has the jinf masses of people, hinking lot in India mewhat nervy over
an fight it out in the
be a more resoundf all the so-called l its tolerance and ttacks on the visits in Bombay and on n institutions manthe neighbouring nder BJP dispensapoint to a disturb
stances the nuclear overwhelming enreceived reinforce tones. Is a Fuehrer ner or Karl Leibikinfy history and stop
O
the lurking future. This was evident from the quiet but emotionally-charged dissent provided by some Scientists, intellectuals and some left spokesmen. Even the Congress, which went to the extent of supporting the tests, suddenly saw the point and started questioning the need for them. Indian industrialists saw both business possibilities and dangers in the massive hike of 13 per cent in the defence allocations in the annual central budget. The most-telling establishment criticism came from the seasoned diplomat in the person of former prime minister I KGujral, who saw that all Indo-Pakistan disputes, including the vexed Kashmir dispute, would no longer remain bilateral and are going to be dealt in the international fora henceforth.
The BJP-led government, in the meantime, spoke in three voices. First was that of defence minister George Fernandes, who pushed the argument against China to the maximum possible extent. On his agenda were China’s big nuclear arsenal, placement of missiles in Chinese-occupied Tibet, China's decision to claim and occupy areas in the Himalayas, the impasse in the Sino-Indian border dispute talks, China's move to befriend the much-hated Myanmar gerdarme regime and its setting up a surveillance station at Cocoa Islands near Andamans in the Bay of Bengal. Fernandes also talked of nuclear weaponisation of armed forces, which means fitting the missiles with nuclear warheads and guarding them for eternity. He was supported by his scientific advisor Dr A P J Abdul Kalam and department of atomic energy chief Dr R Chidambaram, who claimed that the tests have vacated the nuclear threats to India from its neighbours. Obviously, the euphoria made them exceed their briefs while addressing, at Delhi, the international media which was left wondering whether it was listening to speeches made by evil science fiction geniuses like Dr Strangelove and Dr MabuSe!
The next voice was that of the committed hardliner LK Advani who advocated the harsh Kashmir line to the end of its tether. As home minister, he took charge of Jammu and Kashmir affairs, and before that, spelt out that the Pakistani-aided armed fundamentalists would be severely dealt with by the Indian armed forces.

Page 24
24 TAM TIMES
This by no means was new, but Advani's sudden decision to talk of going in for "hot pursuit" of Pakistani-aided terrorists into Pakistanioccupied Kashmir raised serious alarms. This was the decisive phase of war talk by the Indian government, Advani's hardline was reciprocated by Pakistan whose generals fortified their bunkers. Pakistani chief of staff Jehangir Karamat visited the frontline posts, just as Fernandes was visiting Siachin and other places. Suddenly, Kashmir was back to its 1949 position of becoming a direct battle zone for the two armies Advani's harsh talk was supplemented by the RSS-VHP euphoria over the development of a Hindu Bomb as a fitting response to the Islamic Bomb of Pakistan, the VHP even deciding to construct a Shakti temple at a village near Pokhran.
The third voice was that Vajpayee himself, who argued that the bomb was a purely swadesh security effort. This line was advanced a little late by the prime minister and, by then, the damage had been done. Vajpayee went on to address the parliament and international media several times to push the argument that the bomb was not against anyone. He decided to send two missions to the Western capitals. The first mission was undertaken by Brajesh Mishra, former diplomat and the BJP's external affairs cell convenor and the next, by Jaswant Singh, who is the deputy chairman of Planning Commission. The two blue-eyed boys went to the West to push the Swadeshi line, but found very little takers. Brajesh Mishra met Jacques Chirac, Robin Cook and Yevgeny Primakhov, and Jaswant Singh went to the United States to meet Clinton's deputies and Strobe
Talbott, It was c Strategy was to Russia, which had cal of India’s tes dia’s position on didn't pay off. Ulti sions failed in ge tries to revoke the plated on India. payee did not sel Japan which had try to implement the other hand, th some of its allies : America to endor India and Pakista India Stood to los Argentina and C
. To a large ext blame himself : Advani and Fer gaffes since the F Vajpayee did ver Hindu bomb theol by his friends in th Second, the Unit letter written by V ern leaders, imm tests, in which h Stated that the P necessary to get nuclear threats frc stan. He could no clear bomb could from a potential Rather, he chose t delicate ethical i ripped Vajpayee's of being a softamong a bunch C BJP. Next, Vajpa from rooftops tha sensus on conduc consensus fell a protests from val place in India. A
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15 JUNE19
lear that Vajpayee's isolate France and been the least critits, in favour of In
Kashmir, but this mately, the two mistting the G-8 coune sanctions contemInterestingly, Vajnd any emissary to been the first counthe sanctions. On e G-8 countries got in Europe and Latin "se their critique of in. This meant that e friends like Italy, 'anada in the long
ent, Vajpayee has to and his ministers nandes for all the Okhran tests. First, y little against the ry being propagated e RSS and the VHP. ed States leaked a ajpayee to the Westnediately after the e had categorically 'okhran tests were rid of the existing om China and Pakit explain how a nui protect a country attack by another o sidestep the whole SSue. These moves much-touted mask spoken moderate of hardliners in the yee had announced at there was a conting the tests. The way after minimal rious quarters took nd lastly, Vajpayee
went on to claim that, the May 28 and 31 Chagai tests conducted by Pakistan, had vindicated the Indian government's decision to conduct the Pokhran tests. This was a spurious argument at its best, since, but for the Pokhran tests, Nawas Shariff would not have come under pressure from his jingoistic constituencies to conduct the Chagai tests. The fact was that Vajpayee's folly has compounded Shariff's. Period.
From now on, all Indo-Pak disputes will have the unwitting status of being held under international surveillance and scrutiny. The Indian government would be allowed to claim a bilateral status for the talks, but in reality, the talks would have an internationally-set agenda, be it on Kashmir, control of weaponisation through hotlines with access to Western capitals, negotiations on the terms provided in the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), safeguards in nuclear plants against diversion of nuclear materials for making bombs, and lastly, the punitive threat of sanctions and economic isolation. Neither India nor Pakistan can ever hope to exist in economic isolation, and hence, would have to talk to each other, in an atmosphere of distrust and hatred, under international scrutiny if not direct mediation. It was George Santayana who said those who failed to learn from history are condemned to repeat it. It is now the turn of the governments of India and Pakistan to do so in the subcontinent. And it is India which is in deep trouble since it is one country which had taken a totally different trajectory, at least in some of the above issues, during the last 50 years. The vexed dispute of Kashmir, thus, seems heading for a future under a new framework. O
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Page 25
15 JUNE 1998
T N Gopalan
hat guarantees Success in political survival instinct or unrelenting pursuit of whatever objectives one sets for oneself? Muthuvel Karunanidhi who turned 75 on 3 June, does not seem to have any doubts.
The man who has managed to come back to power in Tamil Nadu time and again, weathering many a political storm, finding common cause with a variety of persons and forces right across the spectrum, without the slightest of qualms whatsoever, is now precariously perched on the throne, agonising all the time whether his bitter political rival Jayalalitha would be able to pull it off - these days he spends his time inventing ever newer ways of placating the BJP in the most obsequious and shameless fashion.
But for many of his enthusiastic supporters, the septuagenarian leader represents the very summit of the Dravidian movement. Politics being the art of possibility, one should not blame him for things he has failed to deliver. Whatever the case, he is the best bet against the likes of Jayalalitha, and so one had better stick to him if one is serious about preserving the hard-won gains of the Dravidian movement pioneered by Penyar EVR, so goes the argument.
He himself declared in a recent interview, "The Dravidian movement can never be defeated, it might have suffered a jolt here, a set-back there ...but ultimately it triumphs.
His political baptism had taken place way back in 1938 when he, as a 14 year-old boy, took part in the antiHindi agitation. Since then he has been part and parcel of the Tamil Nadu political Scene in varying degrees. And so his history is virtually identical with that of the Tamil society. In the words of one of his effusive loyalists. His 75th birthday could indeed be the right occasion for a review of his chequered career which might
have a message i tire Tamil comm moment he was the invincibility movement, thou what the moveme was looking plai: Parivaar - who antithesis of the c principles - to ba sis created by J. surprise victory polls a couple of ing in the Assem declared rather to pared to sacrifice would enable Mr in power. I’ll in being able to do esteemed long-te His effusions ha sociates squirm
(Significantly to train his plau only and does Minister Advan The Secret of cou said to be range plugging for his Vajpayee is presu set his face agai ally indefensible
Addressing meeting organise marina to mark defended himsell
 
 

to convey to the enhunity. At this very chest-thumping on y of the Dravidian ugh not explaining :nt meant for him, he ntively to the Sangh represents the very 'ore of the Dravidian e him out of the criayalalitha since her in the Lok Sabha months ago. Speakply Karunanidhi had uchingly, "I'm premy office if only it Vajpayee to survive leed be gratified at good turn to a dear, m friend of mine...'. | made even his as
bit. he always takes care its towards the PM tot mention Home even by mistake. se is that Advani is | against him, even dismissal whereas med to have firmly st any constitutionact.)
mammoth public on the sands of the is 75th birthday, he saying that he had
TAMIL TIMES 25
made such an offer only to draw out the ever taciturn PM. "I know how to protect our state's interests," he added. That Vajpayee did not respond only went to show that there was no case against his government, heimplied.
Right through his 45-minute speech at the meeting, he did not utter a word against the dangers posed by communalism and glossed over the fall-out of the nuclear tests. He only waxed eloquent on the DMK's commitment to federalism and its principled stand against the invoking of Art 356 of the constitution to dismiss a duly elected state government.
(It was the self-same Karunanidhi who had lobbied hard with Mrs Gandhi in 1980 to get the MGR regime dismissed in the wake of the AIADMK's defeat in the Lok Sabha elections that year at the hands of the DMK-Cong-I alliance.)
A couple of other points in his birthday declaration are also worth noting. Reacting to a Dalit leader's outrage over the untouchability problem, he counselled the other to be patient, wanted his government's attention to be drawn first whenever there is any specific manifestation before any agitation is embarked upon. And thus in a state wherein conflicts between the Dalits and the intermediate castes keep cropping up time and again, and sometimes in a most virulent fashion.
He also expressed his concern over the security of the nation and vowed that his party would be second to none in strengthening the unity of India, more so when others threaten to invade it.
Neither for Dalits nor for Muslims was there any word of solace. He was not speaking to the people of Tamil Nadu as much as to the ruling BJP after all. It should be noted here that only the previous week his regime had enacted a draconian legislation, the Anti-Terrorism Bill, conferring enormous powers on the police and widely interpreted as targeting the Muslims more than anybody else.
If the horrendous Coimbatore blasts of March last led to a serious rupture of the special relationship between the Muslims and the DMK, what with a shattered Karunanidhi constrained to go all out against them in order to nab the culprits, everyone of Karunanidhi's moves subse

Page 26
  

Page 27
15JUNE 1998
quently too have been aimed to prove his credentials as a patriotic citizen, determined not only to uphold the rule of law but also stamp out terrorism with an iron hand - problems involved in such an approach are obvious.
But then Karunanidhi's entire political career could be summed up in one word, Survival at any cost, and survive in order to buttress his own and his clan's position. Those who repeatedly talk of his contribution to the Dravidian movement generally gloss over when it comes to specifics.
Anti-Brahminism was certainly at the core of the movement and in fact its raisond' terre at one stage. To this day Karunanidhi does make some anti-Brahmin noises, even if sotto voce, and his followers are happy. But if demolishing the Brahmin hegemony was the sole objective of the movement, by now all its offshoots have no business to exist. Brahmins as a community have been systematically marginalised and it is next to impossible that they would ever regain their position of importance, DMK or not. The DMK's founder C N Annadurai had claimed that the main enemy was Brahminism and not Brahmins as such. But if by Brahminism one means caste hierarchy, exclusivism, Snobbery plus parasitism, every tier of the non-Brahmin society is hopelessly infected by that disease
and no one least of all Karunanidhi
has made any attempt to stem the rot. Karunanidhi as Chief Minister in 1990 solemnly regretted that the Dravidian movement had lost its way and should be put back on the rails and the DMK conference at Trichy was christened the Thiruppumunai Maanaadu (Turning Point Convention). Immediately thereafter the Dravidar Kazhagam set about attacking defenceless Brahmins, cutting their sacred thread and so on. Karunanidhi cried foul and called off his campaign. That was the last anyone heard of anti-Brahminism from the DMK platforms.
Besides the fact remains that the intermediate non-Brahmin castes which have benefited by the rise of the Dravidian movement like the Thevars, Naickers and the Vanniars have baulked at the rise of the Dalits - it only goes to show the limitations of the movement and how serious Karunanidhi has been about his egali
tarian crusade.
If the Dalit v ditch them. If the ignore them. If count, court the Bania axis at the all the difference CM and an ordina sance to it. At the matters is whethe or not, whether th array of their oth are safeguarded o he remains at the the DMK till his passes on the ba lin.
His track-rec Tamil issue is a ca, shed tears over til Rathnam but hail karan as a hero. 1 the IPKF and als mentioning the is election campaig derstanding with give mild encour gers but drop the hot potatoes afte the Rajiv assassin the most contrac justify the twists a eloquent langua than on any other he has proved hi.
ist par excellence.
ThiS SIN
Recently lega judges, in Sri La when it was lear UNP Member of facing charges in court, met the Hig ing his case at the in Negombo, in Magistrate who the coming PC pol The Magistrate c the UNP politicia himself in an app: ence the Judge il cu Sed MP.
Many of Sri Li rious with the acti Judge for bringin disrepute and con the public, and the sentations to the appropriate actiol

TAMIL TIMES 27
otes do not matter, Muslim votes don't, he Brahmin media n. If the BrahminCentre could make petween his being a ry citizen, pay obeiend of the day what his clan flourishes e SUN TV and the r business interests r not. Plus also that
helm of affairs in leath and hopefully on to his son Sta
rd on the Lankan se in point. He could ne fate of Sri Saba
Velupillai PrabhaHe would denounce o avoid completely ue during the 1989 n following an unthe CPM. He could agement to the Timatter like scalding his dismissal and ation - he could do lictory things and nd turns in the most ge possible. More issue, on this front, mself an opportun
For all the noise made by the Dravidian faithfuls, the movement cannot be and is not taken seriously beyond a point. Whether it suffers from some congenital disorder or not - how else will one explain the MGRJaya phenomenon or the almost total ideological bankruptcy of the cadres of all the so-called Dravidian parties - Karunanidhi's own role in the degeneration of the movement cannot be underestimated.
Those including this correspondent who had been reviling Jayalalitha for allowing the BJP a toe-hold in Tamil Nadu are aghast at the way Karunanidhi is cosying up to it and rumours are flying thick and fast that he is willing to join hands with it at an opportune moment if only the BJP could sever its links with the AIADMK. If and when such a turn of event comes about, that would be the nadir of the none too edifying career of Karunanidhi.
But his followers do have a point. The likes of Jaya are monstrosities never to be encouraged and one man who could stop her re-emergence is Karunanidhi. Besides he does provide the polity, a reasonably decent administration and he also does get chastened over a period of time. In the circumstances one cannot but wish him a long life and the Tamil society some better luck in the days to C0me. O
circles, including inka were shocked nt that a particular Parliament, who is the Colombo High h Court Judge hearBlue Oceanic Hotel the company of a s going to contest S on the UNP ticket. ancerned has taken to meet the Judge rent effort to influfavour of the ac
Inka’s judges are fuon of this particular g the judiciary into empt in the eyes of y have made repreChief Justice take
l.
The chief editor of the Sinhala journal "Kinihira' is appealing to all Buddhists in Sri Lanka"to launch an accelerated program to save the very place lord Buddha was born." Why is this sudden concern ?
"Stray Dogs Reign in Buddha's Birth Place on Wesak Day' is the tilte of the story published in this journal (17 May) which states; "Our chief editor was at Lumbini in India, where Lord Buddha was born, on his birthday the Wesak poya day. While every Buddhist in this world whether rich or poor light a lamp to commemorate this great day, the very place this revered person was born, was in darkness and dogs were seen running about fearlessly."
What about Sri Lanka to which Lord Buddha is said to have paid three visits? As the saying goes, it is also going to dogs, or rather to the dogs of war.

Page 28
28 TAM TIMES
"VghroughanaSS
STANDING UPFORRG
Review by Marwaan Macan-Marka
Rajan Hoole can bea difficult conversationist, for his delivery is a calculated, slow, deliberate affair. There are pregnant pauses regularly. And at times, as you wait, you can almost imagine the movement of a word slowly making its way from his brain to his tongue. Nevertheless they are words laced with sincerity; what he has to Say stings in its directness. His forte is as a fearless, outspoken critic of those who abuse human rights.
It is this same outspokenness that one encounters in the pages of the reports he has become known for - the literature of the University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna). The voice of Hoole does ring when reading through those disturbing narratives. While he may counter threat, saying that there are others involved in these regular chronicles, like his fellow mathematician, Dr K Sritharan, the sting of Hoole cannot be ignored. Here is what I mean "How is one to defend a cause that offers the people only death and destruction without any remedy? What kind of liberation is it where people are time and again left injured by the actions of their liberators, are forced to go the so-called genocidal enemy for medical care, and also get shot as traitors for making contact with them?
It was in 1988 that Hoole and Sritharan, along with doctors, Daya Somasunderam and Rajani Thiranagama came together to pursue a mission they believed in write an account of the events that had strangled Tamil society in the north. "The Broken Palmyra” was the result. And Brian Seneviratne is correct when he states in the book's foreword that no person or group was spared, nor information Suppressed out of fear. In it, the militant groups, the Indian army and the Sri Lankan forces had charges
pressed against the as Seneviratne say all known, but not say - that the civili been cannon fodde power struggle."
Today it is 10 ye. nal effort. And the little to rejoice. The about still remains are wider and deep is still a permanen mark the occasion, brought out "Living Sultry Sunset”, a bo is consistent with chose for "The Bro subsequent report: manner, Suggestive need to State accur ten in the form of they have learnt.
For those whic
 
 
 

15 JUNE 1998
HTS
m. It documents, s, “What we have had the courage to an population has r in a despicable
ars since that semi
are appears to be : world they wrote in shackles. There er scars. The war ut fixture. And to the UTHR (J) has ; Through Jaffna's ook that in its style what the authors ken Palmyra” and s: that diary-like of immediacy, the ately, briefly, ofanecdotes, what
have turned to
their previous works to learn about the disturbing state of the human condition in the north and east, this book does not disappoint. Its pages contain the same commitment to state the facts as they are, to call a killer a killer, to call a fraud a fraud.
If one were looking for a heroine in this book, then it has to be Rajani Thiranagama, who was murdered on 21 September 1989. What she saw in the Tigers is clearly stated. It reads "The Tigers' history, their theoretical vacuum, lack of political creativity, intolerance and fanatical dedication will be the ultimate cause of their own break up. The legendary Tigers will go to their demise with their legends smeared with the blood and tears of victims of their own misdoings. A new Tiger will not emerge from their ashes. Only by breaking with this whole history and its dominant ideology, can a new liberating outlook be born.” And that the Tigers killed her for this is an event the UTHR(J) will never let them forget. They use it as the clearest example to convey the state of "internal terror' that had struck at the heart of the Tamil community. A condemnation of the "home grown totalitarian ethos.”
But there were others, too who had crossed the path of the Tigers and were felled. And this book tells the tale. You read about Thamalingam, a bookseller, who was shot five times in his home one night. There was the murder of Saro, a 35year old vegetable vendor, a widow, who had come to Jaffna as a refugee Some years ago. And then there was the manner in which the Tigers dealt with Krishnan, a bachelor. He was killed soon after he had finished worshipping at a local Hindukovil. The message in all these anecdotes is clear, the Tigers are politically bankrupt.
In highlighting such incidents, the UTHR(J) finds itself on a far more honourable plateau than some of the other human rights organisations that have sprouted in the last 20 years. The latter conveniently avoid exposing the Tigers for abusing Tamils by taking refuge in such specious arguments as only the state can be held accountable for violating people's

Page 29
15 JUNE 1998
rights. You may not see in their work
the name of Kannan, for instance, a 33-year old father of five who was shot by the Tigers in January 1997 for having given some sweet rice to soldiers on Thai Pongal day, Nor, for that matter, will you read the poem Kannan;s outraged brother penned and had published in a memorial announcement in the Uthayen. The mouth must remain shut, except for the purpose of eating. That is the law. Whom may we ask for justice, for your life that was taken? IT is the ruler IT is the destroyer! Truth never sleeps, Someday, it will awake... But on this book, however, you will.
This does not mean, though that the Sri Lankan army, navy and the other arms of the defence establishment have been viewed as the lesser of two evils. In "Living Through Jaffna's Sultry Sunset', one comes across terrible accounts where uniformed men have been as villainous as the Tigers. The rape of Sinnapody Selvaranee, a 28-year old, has been described in painful detail. So, too, the number of young men taken into military custody and tortured. A boy
in his teens, for hung up by string then made to in Then pins were and he was given ment”. And that, 1 period when the n its 'hearts and n Jaffna.
In all its wor stuck to this then two forms of ter tised the Tamil co nal terror produc state and the it flowed from the and other Tamil r pattern has bee book, too. Likew identify those pl conflict who hav of the Tigers. T Council may wan And so some Sc. ups, Colombo-bas and NGO’s “Livi Sultry Sunset” ha lot for justifying ganisation that
H|DE 0
for Torturers
Amnesty International, the London-based international human rights body, in a statement issued on 20 May welcomed the recommendation by the United Nation's (UN) Committee against Torture that the Sri Lankan Government take firmer action to bring to justice perpetrators of torture.
On the occasion of the examination of Sri Lanka's initial report under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (the UN Convention), the UN Committee welcomed the role played by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka in awarding compensation to victims of torture, but urged the authorities to bring to justice the perpetrators.
The Sri Lankan Government delegation acknowledged that torture was a problem in the country and that apart from one case against six police officers charged with the torture of
one man in Emb prosecutions had The UN COm mended that the the definition of t Convention again to bring it fully in tion in the Conve initiates a review
Regulations and rorism Act to ens with the UN Cor ture. The Comm mended that the mission of Sri La nisms be strength
 

TAMIL TIMES 29
instance, had been s tied to his thumbs hale petrol fumes. orced into his nails "electric shock treatmind you, during the lilitary had launched hinds' operation in
k, the UTHR(J) has he of identifying the or that has traumaimmunity: the extered by agents of the ternal terror that hands of the Tigers militant groups. This n followed in this ise that tendency to ayers in this ethnic 2 become apologists he National Peace t to take note of this. holars, church grosed Tamil journalists ng Through Jaffna's s pages indicting the a fascist, brutal orfunctions sans ac
countability to the people it claims to represent.
For those who wonder who, then, will have to lead the Tamils to the promised land. Hoole and Sritharan have this answer: "The unenviable task of liberating the Tamils falls, thus, to the Tamils themselves. They have accomplished two things that are a pointer to much more that could be done. One is the mass return to Valikamam and the other is voting at the recent local elections. Both these were departures from the role marked out for them by the LTTE and the spokesmen foisted on them. The next step would be to open up discussion of crucial issues, and build up institutions from grassroots level to aid collective action and to uphold basic human values.'
This book is a further affirmation of the vision the members of the UTHR(J) came up with during a sultry April a decade ago, when the first 10 copies of "The Broken Palmyra" was brought out in photocopy form. A vision to create a better society by exposing what is wrong. O
unity
lipitiya in 1990, no
been initiated. mittee also recomgovernment reviews orture in Sri Lanka's St Torture Act 1994 line with the definihtion, and that it also of the Emergency
Prevention of Terure their compliance vention against Torittee further recomHuman Rights Comnka and other mechaened to ensure their
impartiality and effectiveness.
In addition, the Committee urged the Sri Lankan Government to make a declaration under Articles 21 and 22 of the UN Convention. This would give private individuals in Sri Lanka the right to lodge complaints regarding violations of the UN Convention Against Torture with the Committee, and allow other states parties the right to declare that Sri Lanka is not fulfilling its obligations under the UN Convention.
The UN General Assembly has declared 26 June 1998 as International Day against Torture. Amnesty International urges the government to use this opportunity to officially recognize the suffering of the thousands of victims of torture in Sri Lanka, by issuing a clear condemnation, announcing measures to stop widespread torture and ill-treatment, and granting redress as recommended by the Committee.
Amnesty International called upon the government to commemorate all victims of torture on 26 June of each year - as suggested by one of the members of the Committee and as welcomed by the Sri Lankan delegation.

Page 30
15.JUNE 1998
CLASSIFIED ADS
a.Jzo words E10, each werd op chargesië Box. No. 23. (Wat 17 1/2% extra). Prepayment essenti
The Advertisement Manager,
Tani Times Ltd. PO Box 121
Sutton, Surrey SM13TD 0181-64.40972 FAX: 0181-2A 45
MATRMONAL
Jaffna Hindu parents seek vegetarian bride for accountant son, 25. Send horoscope, details. M 1022 C/o Tannil Times. Jaffna Hindu Parent seeks suitable partner under 37 for engineer son living and employed abroad. Very independent and talented. M 1028 C/o Tamil Tinnes. Seek suitable bride for COUSir in good employment, 30, permanent resident, owns property. Als correspondence treated confidentially, M 1029 c/o Tamil Times.
WEDDING BELLS
We congratulate the following couples on their recent wedding.
Dr. Sai Shankar Son Of Dr. and Mrs. Ramanathan of 92 Hitchings Way, Reigate, Surrey RH2 8ER and Dr. Shanthi daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Shanmugalingam of 10 Aykley Vale, Durham DH 1 5WA on 23rd May 1998 at
KadWa Patidar Centre, Kenmore Avenue, Kenton, Middx., UK.
Sugaljan son of the late Mr. R. Somasundaram & Mrs. P. Somasundaram of 'Velta', Pandatharrippu, Jaffna and Karthiga daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Pathnanathan of 4 Sandyhill Road, Ilford, Essex IG1 2ET on 27th May 1998 at Walthamstow Assembly Hall, LOndOn E17. Nandan Son of Mr. & MrS. Kandappa of 83/2, Annie wate Road, Kandy, Sri Lanka and Shakila daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Sountharanayagam of 510-25 Silver Springs Blvd., Scarborough, Ontario M1 V 1 M9, Canada on 29th May 1998 at the Holiday Inn, Sir Mohamed Marcan Markar Mawatha, Colombo 3. Devapriya son of Mr. & Mrs. S. Sivapathasundaram of 21 Dinsmore Road, Balham,
London SW12 9PT and Dhamayanthi daughter of Dr. & Mrs. S. Nagarajah of 19 Kent Road, North Ryde, NSW 2113, Australia on 7th June 1998 at Thornleigh Community Centre, NSW2120 Australia.
OBITUARIES
Mrs. Wijaya luxmi Kanagasabai (87), of “Wijaya Giri", Sandilipay, beloved wife of the
late Mr. A. Kanagasa-bai, Retired Town Overseer, Kalmunai; loving mother of C. Vijakesparan (London) and Mrs. Viyageswary Nadarajah (Colombo), mother-in-law of Neelambas Viyakesparan (London) and Mr. S.C. Nadarajah (Retired Assistant Auditor General, Colombo); grandmother of Ganasenthan - wife Loudhmila (Moscow),
Senthakumaran (Norway), Nanthini - husband Uthayakumaran (Colombo),
Jivitkunnar - Wife Roshanthi, Branavan - Wife Ramanthi and Senthuran (London) and great grandmother of Aswiniy, Shalini, Raman and Manisha passed away peacefully on 31st May 1998 in Colombo and WaS Cremated On í St June.
The members of her family Wish to thank all friends and relatives who attended the funeral, sent messages of sympathy and assisted them in several ways during this period of great sorrow. - 787B
 
 
 

TAMIL TIMES 30
Kenton Lane, Harrow, Middx. HA36AH, Tel 0181 954 1640/ 45, 36th Lane, Colombo 6, Tel: 587631.16 Tel: 587631.
つ 雛 Rose Jeeva malar Rasiah, Retired Teacher, Pandaterrupu (Sri Lanka) Girls' High School; beloved wife of the late Shanmugam Rasiah; loving mother of Anton Thayaseelan (Engineer, Switzerland); sister of N.S. Ratnasingam (Australia), the late N. R. Balasingam and Rajamalar Blanchard (Canada), passed away on 26th May 1998. The funeral took place in Jaffna.
Mrs.
The death occurred suddenly in Sydney, Australia on 31st May 1998 of Dr. Nagalingam Sivasubramaniam; brother of Dr. Poobalasingam (London),
Kaneshamoorth y (Hong Kong), Mahes (Sydney), Gтатes (Birmingham), Parames (Melbourne), Gnanambika (Sri Lanka); brother-in-law of Bawani, Gayathiri, late Mr. Sethuka Valar, Dr. Suntharalingam, Cugathasan and Velautham.
After working in the United Kingdom for 5 years, he went to Malaysia, where he was appointed Physician. He later emigrated to Australia in 1980 and was in General practice. He is survived by his wife and two children. He is also sadly missed by all his nieces, nephews and friends.
The funeral took place in Sydney on 3rd June 1998.
IN MEMORAM
Mrs. Kanagambihai Ragunathan who passed away on 10th June 1993.
Five years have passed Your voice still echoes in our home
Fondly remembered with love
and affection for ever by husband Ragunathan (Ragu, formerly of Badulla; Sri Lanka), son Sri daughter-in-law Saku and grandson Vishva. - 173 Manrnoth Hall Trail, Scarborough, Ontario M1B 1 P8, Canada.
In ever loving memory of Mr. Sayambunather Vyramuttu Rattinam on the first anniverSary of his passing away on 9th July 1997.
Sadly missed and fondly remembered by his beloved wife Sellam, loving children Pathmanathan, Ramanathan and Loganathan, daughters
in-law Vahsuki, Vijeyaladchumy and Thanalechmi; grandchildren Vijayaluхmi, The vakumar,
Senthooran, Bhavana, Kugan, Ashavidthya and Sathian, and great granddaughter Krishni. - 3 The Orchard, Wickford, ESSex SS 1 2 OHEB. Tel: O 1268 7666.24.

Page 31
15 JUNE 1998
IN MEMORAM Second Death Anniversary of
passed away on 3rd June 1996.
OfeS.
Mr. S. Jeyasingham, Advocate, Pt. Pedro who
I remember your smile that bit my heart, I remember the cherished moments we shared The little ways you showed me you cared. I cherish then now more than ever before As you aren't here to share them any more.
Remembered with love and affection by your dearest wife, daughters, sons-in-law, grand childen and loved
Mrs. J.K. Jeyasingam.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS Jul 1 Aani Uthiran, Feast of St. Oliver, Jul 2 Feast of Our Lady of
Madhu. Jul 4 11.00am Sixth Annual Law-Medical Cricket Match at Millhill Park, Hammers Wise Lane, Millhill, London NW2. For details fel: 078 1 904 1789/Of 8f 795 0648/0171 274 0 100/01923 825235, Jul 4 5.00pm Jaffna Hindu College O.B.A. (UK) Annual General Meeting followed by
Challoner School Hall, Manor Drive North, New Malden, Surrey KT3 5PE. Tel: O 181 204 5366/952 f14.7/907 6638. Jul 4 745pm Bharata Nrityam by Dr. Padma Subramaniam at Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank. Tel Box Office Of 71960 4242. Jul 5 6.30pm Above at Beck Theatre, Grange Road, Hayes, MiddX. Tel 018 561 8371 Jul 5 Eekathasi. Jul 6 PirathoSam, Feast of St. Maria Gorette.
Cultural Evening at Richard
Jul 9 Full Moon.
AUSTRALIAN NEWSLETTER
A Tamil Information Session was organised on 2nd May 98 at the Homebush Public School Hall in Sydney on the occasion of the launching by the Hon. John Aquilina, M. P, Minister for Education and Training, of a book on Tamils of Australia authored by Dr. A. Kandiah. It was a well attended function and the Chairman, Dr. N. Sriskandarajah, President of the Eelam Tamil Association welcomed the gathering and touched on the state of Tamil affairs in India and Sri Lanka. The opening address was by Dr. A. Balasubramaniam, President, Abaya Karam' on the topic of "Early Tamil Arrivals in Australia, He related his own experiences as one of the early Sri Lankan Tamils to migrate to Australia.
Then followed the presentation of four Research Papers, which were all of a high standard. The first Was entitled 'The Tamil
People - a Brief Desc Dr. Sridevy Sriskana Scientist at the Unive was mainly about the tions of the Sri Lankar was on Tamil langua A Brief Study' by Dr. former Chief Librarian It was a well presente language - its past, pre third paper was on Traditions' by Mr. K. explained many featur including the nature riages, Wedding cere paper on Tamil Litere by Mr. P. Gnanakar: traced the history of the Sangam period to The Federal M. P, TI addressed the gather
 

TAMIL TIMES 31
Seventh Death Anniversary
22nd June 1998
in Ever Loving Memory Of Balasubramaniam Sivagananathan On the seventh anniversary of his passing away on 22.6.91.
Remembered with love and affection by his step mother Mrs.
Rajaletchumy Balasubamaniam, wife Kamala, brothers Dr.
Sivaloganathan, Thirunavukkarasu, Radhakrishnan and Srithran; sisters Mrs. Gowri Pathmanathan Mrs. Bhagawathy Mohanadas, Mrs. Mangayarkkarasi Jetheendran and Mrs. Jayanthi Kumaranayagam. - 22 Oakwood Drive, St. Albans,
HeriS. Tel 01727853331
Ju 11th & f2th 9,30an to 9.30pm Saiva Conference on
the West'
"Saivism in Lewisham Theatre,
Green, London SE6. Tel: 0181
Jul 22 Aadi Anna Vasai; Feast of St. Mary Magdalene. Jul 27 Aadi Pooram; Chathurthi.
Jul 28 Aadi Sevvai 2.
at Rushey
690 0401. Jul 29 Sasdi; Feast of St. Jull 12 Sankatakara Chath- Martha.
uirthi. Aug. 8 6.30pm Chundikuli St. Juli 15 Feast of St. Bonavent- John's College 175th Uዘ ̆6. Anniversary Celebrations Jul 16 Aadi Prappu, Feast of Cultural Evening at Winston Our Lady of Carmel. Churchill Hall, Pymm Way,
Jul 18 Karthigai. Jul 19 EekathaSi. Jul 20 PirathoSam. Jul 21 Aadi Sevvai 1.
Ruislip, Middx. Tel 0181 952 9914/904 1789/882 2333/ O1895 257788.
iption, presented by arajah, a Research rsity of Sydney. This history and tribulaTamils. The second ge and its Dialects - E. V. Packianathan, a of the Jaffna Library. d study of the Tamil sent and future. The "Tamil Culture and Sivanathan, which es Of Tamil traditionS of arranged marnonies etc. The last ture' was presented in, a Solicitor, who amil Literature from the present. lle Hon. Paul, Zammit ng and this was fol
lowed by the book launch.
Mr. Ana Pararajasingam of the Australian
Federation of Iannil Associations and Dr.
Geoffrey Oddie of the Department of
History, University of Sydney reviewed the
book. Dr. Tony Pun, Chairman of the Ethnic Communities Council and Councillors of the Strathfield Municipal Council also spoke.
The function terminated after a vote of thanks by Dr. Kandiah, a brilliant exhibition of Bharatha Natyam by the students of Natanalaya, the Director of which is Mrs. Jayalluxmy Kandiah, a song by Mrs. Kala Gnani and a sumptuous Sri Lankan dinner, which was enjoyed by all. Raffle: The Eelam Tamil ASSOCiation organised a raffle offering big prizes and collected 28,000 Australian dollars for Rehabilitation in North and East of Sri Lanka.

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15 JUNE 1998
Young Asian Competitors Shine at Croydon Music Festival
The well organised Croydon Music Festival for Asian Music held from 24th to 26th April 1998 in Whitgift School Hall, Nottingham Road, Haling Park, South Croydon drew large numbers of very young compeii. tors from different parts of London and its suburbs and a very high standard was attained. Our thanksgo to the Croydon Music Festival for promoting Asian Music.
The following were placed first in each of the competitions, and some of them won the award and trophies indicated
Wocal Duets Aarthi Pagayatse/van &
Krishananthan Ambala Warner, Pupils of South London
Tamil School
Arabi Indrakumar & Bairavi Indrakumar, Pupils of Mrs
Instrumental Duets
Kalaivani lindrakumar.
Ensemble of instruments & Singers Beginners Bhavan's Beginner's Orchestra.
intermediate Bhavan's Intermediate Orchestra, Ensemble of Singers
Beginners South London Tamil School
Parasakti Group, Winners of Shreeji Maharaj Trophy, Rasikaa Priya Group, Winners of Narayana Swarup Swami Trophy.
intermediate
Advanced Group Bhavan's Advanced Group,
Winners of Shahajanand Trophy
Vocal Solo
Beginners Aarthi Pangayatselvan of South
London Tamil School, Winner of Pramukh Swami Maharaj Trophy
intermediate lindu Pathmabaskaran, Bhavan's
Coint) Intermediate Group. Mayuri
Kandasamy Pupil of Mrs. Manorama Prasad, Winners of Hare Krishna Trophy
Advanced Kumar Ragunathan, Pupil of Mrs.
(Joint) Manorama Prasad Bhairavi
Ganeswaran, Pupil of Mrs. Saraswathi Packiarajah, Winner of Croydon Music Festival Talwar
AWard
instrumental
Not Stringed over 18
Advanced Kiruba Rajasingam Of Bharathiya
Vidya Bhavan.
K. Marino Janahan Pupil of Mr. T. V. Gopaikrishnan & Priyatharshen Thevarajah of Bharthiya Vidya Bhavan. Geetha YogaChandran, Pupil of Mrs. Manorama Prasad, Winner PS. Talwar J.P. Trophy
Stringed instruments Solo Under 18
Open (Joint)
Vocal (Advanced)
Beginners Jananee Sundaram, Bharathiya
Vidya Bhavan, Winner of P.S. Talwar, J, P. Trophy,
intermediate Mathan Ganesu, Pupil of Mr.
T.L. Kothandapani, Winner of
Pram Sange MS, Stringed instruments Open - Over 18 Bhayi
Mrs.
Winné Non-Stringed Instrumen Under 18
Advanced
Beginners Vithus Bhara
of Am. inter Advanced Prasa Bhara
OfPS
Ensemble of instrument: Beginners Swara intermediate Londo
Advanced South
Miruthalla's E
Arangetram
The Bharatha Naty Miruthala daughte Rajakumaran of Mu pupil of Guru SaV. place at the Heinri Mulheimerstr, Oberh, 1998 before an im) Tamil expatriate fam reSidents, lf Was One ular Arangetrams sé Savithiri is a discipl Maarmani Veeranar Miruthula is the eigh under the talented á her Guru,
The dancer depict of the various art fo ence enjoyed with r. ing in the Kurathi da from the usual form woeful suffering of
 

TAMIL TIMES 32
kh Swami Trophy.
9tha Gajendra, Pupil of vatharani Sivathasan,
avi Ganeswaran, Pupil of alaivani lindrakunnar, "of Tamil Times Trophy.
han Ehandarajah, Pupil of iya Widya Bhavan, Winner ut Mahotsav Trophy. na Thevarajah, Pupil of iya Widya Bhavan, Winner
Talwar Trophy,
Laya Group, n Tamil Veena Centre. Indian Percussion Group,
haratha Natya in Germany
a Arangetram of Anita r of Yamuna and lheim, Germany and thiri Emmanuel took ch Heine Gym Hall, hausen On 28th March pressive gathering of lies and local German of the most spectacen in Germany, Guru 9 of the genius Kalai y lyer of Jaffna and "h student to graduate ind dedicated Care of
2d 14 different pieces rms, Which the audipt attention culminat}Ce. This Was different in that it depicted the the Tamil population
back in the homeland, and foresaw their emancipation in the near future. All the songs were in Tamil- a noteworthy feature, Miruthula reciprocated by her flawless footwork and her remarkable facial expres. sions to suit the meaning of the songs, The dance for the Navarasa song was her speciality in which she depicted the nine Bhavas and received a thunderous applause, well deservedly, from the audi8ዘገC69,
Two items of dance were noteworthy - the aphinaya by her for the two Christian based songs Annai Mariye' and Jothi Valar Ennaaneo.
The orchestra consisted of Kannan (pupil of Pon Suntheralingam) : Vocal, Guru Savithiri: Natuwangam, S. Piranavanathan: Miruthangam, Chu Rathakrishnan (Madras): Violin and S. Thevakuruparan: Tabla. the show was compered in Tamil by S. Valentine and in German by Subashini Kalainathan. All did their parts well and it was a scintilating evening of entertainment,
Pastor Dr. Peter Arockiadoos, Director, Theological Centre, Chennai, who was the Chief Guest, complimented the dancer for her great precision and expertise and added that he was surprisingly pleased that Bharatha Natyam of such high standard could be produced in countries outside India.
Pastor Dr. Jeya Segaram, Director, Catholic Tamil Organisation, Germany and Parish Priest, who as Chairman conducted the whole programme, praised the dancer's parents for their great efforts and said that he was glad to note that the traditional Bharatha Natyam happily blended With Christian-based Culture and depicted the present sufferings of the Tamils in their homeland. Mr. K. Sivanathan, Director, Tamil Cultural Association also spoke.
Muruthala's rhythmic and graceful limb novernents and skill combined with her good grasp of time and 'adavas' are sure to create in her a top class dancer, provided she takes it to her heart to develop her skills by constant practice and dedication to the art. Miruthula has a bright future.
Raja Kadchevy, Australia.
First International Saiva
Conference in Britain
Elaborate plans are underway for the first international Conference in the UK On Saivaism, on the 11th and 12th July 1998. The venue for both Saturday and Sunday is the Lewisham Theatre in Catford in South East London. Programmes on both days begin at 9.30am and finish at 9.30pm, with mid-day meals, tea and refreshments provided. A galaxy of eminent speakers from abroad are due to participate.
This two day conference is a major initia, Continued on page 33

Page 33
15 JUNE 1998
Continued from page 32
project of The Federation of Saiva (Hindu) Temples, UK formed recently. The theme of the Inaugural Conference is Saivism in the West. A key objective is to increase awareness of Saivaism particularly among the younger generation in the country. There are a number of workshops and film shows on religion and culture under the auspices of Saiva Munnetta Sangam (UK), running in parallel with the lecture programmes. Scholars from Tamil Nadu notably Chennai and the University of Thanjavur and from Sri Lanka and Malaysia are expected to join local invited Speakers to address the Conference,
Dignitaries who are due to participate are Thavathiru Santhalinga Ramasamy Adigal from Perur Aadheenam; Professor Saraswathy Ramanathan, Dr. K. Karunakaran, Vice Chancellor, Tamil University, Thanjavur, Dr. G. Bhaskaran, Tamil University, Thanjavur, Vidwaati Vasantha Vaithiyanathan; Thiru Thamilaruvi T. Sivakumaran; Thiru K. Umamaheswaran and Thiru K. Kaneshalingam from Eelam; Dr. K. Loganathan, World Saiva Council, Malaysia and Thavathiru Sivananthi Adigal from Melihandar Aatheenam, UK.
Both days will end with Cultural programmes provided by the children from a number of local organisations - London Tamil Centre, South London Tamil School, Navalar Tamil Academy and Kingston institute of Tamil Culture.
All this for a mere £7 a day to meet the basic expenses. Tickets are already on Sale at Temples and those wishing to attend are kindly informed that tickets have to be purchased in advance to facilitate catering and other arrangefinents.
For further details please get in touch with Messrs A.T.S. Ratnasingham, Chairman, Tel: 0181 296 9797; N. Satchithananthan, Secretary, Tel: 0181 690 0401; or S. Karunalingam, Treasurer, Tel: 0181 900 1279 or On Fax: 0 18 í 542 0229.
Bharatha Natya Arangetram
in Switzerland
Two teenage Sisters, Kuboini and Reegana, daughters of Mahendran and Rudradevi of Kilinochchi, now resident in Basel, Switzerland rad their Bharatha Natya Arangetram at The Music Theatre, Steinenberg, Basel, Switzerland on 6th June 1998. They are disciples of Natya
Kalaimani KriShinabava Kalaniketan Natanalaya
The programme Pushpanjali in Amirtha Tala followed by Tisira , Raga. After the Jathiswi Warnam Samiyai Alait Lord Siva was well rece
The Second half Conr "Meenakshi goes to Wa Dance Drama "Meenak by a Patham on Kathing: ular patham 'Chinna C Ragam was performec excellent bhava brougl from the audience. Afte, the Peacock' by the s concluded with a lively 7 and Athi Talla.
The Chief Guest Naty Guest Speakers Mr. A. S GunaSeelan and Miss Av the Development and and Fine Arts in Eur Mahendran Sisters. The pered by Jayanthi Mala, ter of Rupavahini Telev Orchestra Consisted C Sritharan - Nattuva Thamotheram (London Sivaraja (London) - Mir Kandiah (Paris) - Shanmugadas - Tabla.
Artistic E.
Once in a While We Arangetram true to its The two Sisters Pamela Who had their Bharata Croydon's Ashcroft Thes through a standard rel revealed the artistic ex amSamS: Jathi variatio abhinaya artistry.
Daughters of Mr. & Kerala origin, learned Pushkala Gopal and U known Mudralaya Schoc for nearly ten years. Als
 
 

ni Sritiharan, director, School, Basel.
commenced With a /arshini Raga and Athi Allarippu in Nattaikurinji aram and Sabtham, the hu' in Ragamallikai on ived by the audience.
inenced with the item r", an episode from the shi Kalyanam' followed ama Murugan. The pophinna Patham" in Kapi i by Kuboini and her ht rounds of applause r the dance 'Snake and isters the proceedings 'hilana in Hindola Raga
a Kalalimani Arulmohan, Senthinathan, Mr. Alagu lariana Rufan spoke on Future of Tamil Culture ope and blessed the programme was Coma former news presenision of Sri Lanka. The )f Smt KriShinabavani ngam, Smit Ambika ) - Vocal, Sri Muthu udangam, Smit Komala Violin, and Sri A.
XCellence
do Come CrOSS an
name and substance.
(14) and Poornima (11)
Natya Arangetram at atre on 4th May, danced petoire of items Which (cellence of the Natya ns, theermanans and
Mrs. Premavrithan Of Bharata Natyam under nnikrishnan Of the Well pl of Dancing in London so their occasional par
TAMIL TIMES 33
ticipatiom in Onam and other festivals Was am added advantage. Throughout, in this programme they showed remarkable understanding of and familiarity with the steps and abhinayas which captivated the attention of the audience. The programme consisted of the usual Paddadi and in Some places reflected the Dananjayan School of Chennai, once the training ground of the two gurus. For instance, the Sabdam piece, Thandai Muzhanga, describing the exploits of child Muruga, in the same musical formation as Ayar Seriyar was first introduced by Dananyayans. The Varnam in Kalyani, titled Nrithyopaharam, was elaborately choreographed for the girls using Krishna froics, particularly thrilled the younger Poornima, who danced a special solo Panthattam delightfully. Besides a Jayadeva Ashtapathi, a Sivashtapathi was introduced to mime the exploits of Shiva. The final Thillana was notable for its jathi Variations and formations. On the Whole We admired the ease With Which the Sisters executed the Classical art.
Smit Pushkalla Gopal was impeccable and directed the dances and the musicians. Vocal Support was by Devi Srikanda, a Mudralaya artiste. A full fledged orchestra consisting of leading artistes, Somasundara Desigar (Miridangam), Malini Thanabalasingam (Veena), L. Kothandapani (Violin), P Gnanavaradan (Flute) and Sithamparanathan (Morsing) played with understanding.
Sivapatha Sundaram.
Doctor Tharmalingam
Honoured
Dr. S.A. Tharmalingam, retired medical practitioner, former Mayor of the Jaffna Municipal Council and Chairman of Tamil Eelam Liberation Front was honoured at a public meeting held to celebrate his 90th birthday at Trinity Community Centre Hall, Eastham London E12
Among others Mrs. Mann, Messrs Balasundaram, Fatimaharan, Sampanathan, Drs. Rajan Namasiwayam and Navaratnam spoke on the doctor's commitment and concern for his fellow Tamils over the years and wished him many more years of happy retired life. Dr. S. Pasupathy Rajah was the Chairman of the meeting.
Dr. Tharmalingam resides at 5 Windy Hill, Hutton, Brentwood, Essex CM132HF

Page 34
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