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 2001.09

Page 1

-இ ைஇ

Page 2
2 TAMILTIMES
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15 SEPTEMBER 2001
"I do not agree with a word of what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.”
-Voltaire
Tanil
ISSN 0266 - 44 88 Vol. XX No. 9 15 SEPTEMBER 2001
Published by: TAMILTIMES LTD PO Box 121, Sutton, Surrey SM13TD United Kingdom Phone: 020 - 8644 0972 Fax: 020 - 8241 4557 Email: prajan(a)gn.apc.org editor(a)tamiltimes.org adminG)tamiltimes.org
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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.
The Twin Tower TRagedy O3 JVP-OA Agreement 04 The Arrogance of Power 05 NeWS Track O6 The Awesome Cruelty 12 PA-UVP MOU 13 Topics in Focus 15 Govt to Survive 18 JVP's New Role in Politics 21 Ethnic Conflict 23 Battling for Survival 27 Musharraf's Judgement Day 29 Classified 30
The
it was the day of u World as the day on whi homes all Over the WO Over the WOrld were tras and the awful reality of which the country that under attack from inter indifferent to the lives of jet fuel, four planes full mid-flight in One of the missiles. Within a short inferno of destructional symbols of US wealth, p the Pentagon - lay in ru Buried beneath the in the devastation. The Among them must have being instruments of yel tion, their hearts lacking All COuntries and their g DC, and most have off behind the attacks, No attacks. Even Usamab Connection with the atta lished, remain disowned what these hijackers aC untold suffering grief to pricking the pride of the ' left in the World is also i. America learned for international terrorism. T Western Countries has di Bush, is going to be as scribed as all engaged which "harbour terrorists invoked Article 5 of its fo WOuld be treated as an Countries and governme with that of the UK are planes are being assem Osama bin Laden as the Taleban government of
The expectation is t stan become a target m "infidels' attack Afghanis retain its tyrannical hold of basic human rights, improvised refugee Car Crossing Continents and sheer desperation afflict In the meantime, in discussing the tightening terrorism, A COmmOn de rests to be valid Europe. are receiving their urger
AS war clouds are about the very concept that it is against those W sary who can be identil against Germany under the compulsion in the U tember, they doubt the v by the US and its allies.
 
 
 

TAMILTIMES 3
win Tower Tragedy
imate terror, Eleventh of September 2001 will go down in history of the h the most Outrageous act of terrorism was perpetrated carrying into the d apocalyptic images of devastating destruction and death. People all sfixed to their TV screens watching in disbelief the heartbreaking scenes he tragedy that struck the United States of America. It was the day on ad not experienced War within its borders since its independence came ational terrorism in the most ruthless and indiscriminate manner totally tens of thousands of innocent people. Their tanks filled with high octane Of unsuspecting civilian passengers in their hundreds were hijacked in nost highly Organised and coordinated Operations and turned into flying time, the WOrld witnessed the cinematic tragic scenes of the reality of an d death. The icons of the oft-repeated American Dream and the visible )wer and military might- the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre and ns turned into mountains of rubble and mangled metal. resulting ruins were tens of thousands of innocent people who perished fictims came from different nationalities, from as many as 60 countries. been those who carried out this unprecedented Crime, instigated by and unseen hands, motivated by a cause of dubious and doubtful justificain love for their Own lives and filled with insatiable hatred for the victims, Overnments have Condemned the attacks in New York and Washington ared support to the United States to help in hunting those who were Jovernment Or non-state organisation has accepted responsibility for the in Laden, identified as the prime suspect by the US, has denied any cks. Thus the hijackers, the identity of many whom has been estabin death they so fanatically embraced. One is compelled to ask as to hieved other than killing themselves and thousands of others bringing many more, May be that in their self-destruction they succeeded in arrogant" USA and brought it realisation that even the sole Super Power s not invulnerable.
the first time that it is also vulnerable within its borders to attacks by hough shocked and shaken to begin with, the US together with many eclared a "war on international terrorism" which, according to President weeping, long and sustained campaign. The target of this "war" is dein international terrorism including those countries and governments ". Many Countries have expressed support in this "war". The NATO has unding charter that declares that an attack from without on One member attack on all. The USA is engaged in establishing a broad Coalition of nts in support of this "war". The military resources of the USA together being mobilised, and tens of thousands of troops, destroyers and war bled and directed particularly to middle-eastern waters. Having named prime suspect for the attacks, the US government has demanded the Afghanistan to hand over him. at the refusal by the Taleban to hand Osama over would make Afghaniitary attack before long. The Taleban have defiantly declared that if the an, they would declare "jihad" in the name of Islam which it invokes to On a helpless people ravaged by War, starvation and grOSS deprivation he fact that there are three million displaced Afghans suffering in the ps in Pakistan, and that each day hundreds of Afghans are fleeing Oceans to find refuge in far away Countries of the "infidels" reflects the ng the Afghans under the Taleban. European Countries, governments are frenetically engaged in meetings of laws and procedures to Contain what they describe as international inition of terrorism, compulsory National Identity Cards, warrant of arvide and fund-raising for terrorist activities are some of the matters that | attention. athering fast and thick in the horizon, many have expressed concern f declaring "war against terrorism", which is based On the assumption to use terrorism as a means of war. It implies a Conflict with an advered, fought against and ultimately defeated as in the Case of the War titler, or against Iraq when it occupied Kuwait. While many understand for an adequate response to the multiple terrorist attacks On 11 Sepsdom of pursuing the military Course that is being presently advocated

Page 4
4 AMITIMES
Sept 22 - New York City has long drawn people from all over the world. Among the approximately 6,300 dead or missing in the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks are almost 2,000 people from more than 60 countries.
The following is a tentative list of the missing non-U.S. citizens at 4:00 p.m. EST (2000 GMT). It serves as a grim reminder that the attacks on icons of U.S. military and financial power struck countries in every corner of the globe.
Non-U.S. citizens missing or dead:
WTC Attack, from 60 Cou
Mic
t
Antigua/Barbuda
tralia 55 Austria l ladesh 55 Barbad Belgium 1 to 4 B. ain 200 to 300 E confirmed dead, u il China 4 Colomb Czech Republic 1 ( can Republic 25 (believed to be m Finland l France
96 missing Ghan (may include Gre temala 6 Hondura
wp-PA Agree
Sept 5-The JVP and the PA signed a Memorandum of Understanding of co-operation on%September at “Temple Trees", Colombo. The agreement was signed by the General Secretaries of the two parties - Tilvin Silva for the JVP and D. M. Jayaratne for the PA. In terms of the agreement, the JVP will extend its support to the PA from opposition ranks, and will take no active partin governance. The PA in turn will have to fulfil the conditions set out by the JVP in lieu ofits support.
The conditions include downsizing the cabinet to 20 members, setting up the long proposed independent commissions, the abolition of the executive presidency, elections under a neutral caretaker government, waiving-off outstanding loans given to farmers and suspending price hikes in essential goods for an year. As a first step, the government will present the necessary legal framework for the setting up of independent commissions on the judiciary, elections, police and the public service on September 18.
The MoU was formally exchanged at a ceremony later yesterday afternoon at the BMICH, with religious leaders, intellectuals, trade union leaders and politicians in attendance.
PA General Secretary D. M. Jaya-ratne regaled the historic agreement instentorian tone, but gave indication that all obstacles had not been cast aside. “We cannot say that we will be able keep to every comma
of the agreement. G nature of the society do so. Where we c the agreement, we v of the JVP to mak he said.
The economich est one, with the looming large. The ing the loan facility modate JVP terms Mangala Samara-v not have impact on It has been agreed The IMF and Wor they are today, wil Tilvin Silva, , said, “The JVP ha government with
Sept 11 - The on 10 Septembe a probationary liance between (PA) regime an Vimukthi Pera serious blow to Lanka. Comme litical developr
 
 
 
 

is sepTEMBER200'
Argentina 5 AusBahamas l BangS 3 Belarus 1 to 3 ize 4 Brazil 8 Britrundi l Canada 3 to 60 missing Chile a 208 Costa Rica l Denmark l Dominicuador 34 Egypt 4 pre) El Salvador 71 0 Germany 4 dead, 1 Greece 30 to 50 k Americans) GuaS 7 India 250 Indo
nesial Iran 5 Ireland 4 confirmed dead, up to 40 missing Israel 133 Italy 38 (may include Italian-Americans) Jamaica 7 Japan 23 Jordan 2 Kenya 1 Lebanon 5 (1 suspected of carrying out attacks) Mexico 18 Netherlands 3 confirmed dead, some estimates put missing at about 400 New Zealand l Nigeria No official number, but Nigerian press reporting 94 missing Pakistan 200 Panama 3 Paraguay 1 Peru.3 Poland 30 Portugal 4 Russia96 Slovakia 10 South Korea 30 South Africa 6 Sri Lanka l St. Lucia 1 Switzerland 6 confirmed dead, up to 100 missing Taiwan 7 Trinidad/ Tobago 4 Turkey 1 Ukraine l Venezuela 3 Yemen 8
Unless otherwise noted, figures have been provided by individual governments, or the U.S. Department of State.
ment
iven the fast changing we may not be able to an’t fulfil the terms of vill seek the assistance a successful changes,”
urdle will be the greatIMF and World Bank prospect of renegotiatby the IMF to accomwas cast aside by MP 'eera. “The MOU will he existing agreements. hat they will continue. d Bank agreements as stand,” he said.
VP General Secretary not agreed to form a eople's Alliance. We
have come to an understanding with the ruling PA to overcome the present political crisis and to hold a general election after one year under a caretaker government,” adding, "All JVP MPs will contribute half of their salaries to the Consolidated Fund for the benefit of all. We urge all officers and even PAMPs to do likewise.” he said. He said that the agreement was unparalleled in the history of world politics as no party had ever extended its support without seeking benefit for itself. “This is a decisive moment, where we have set a new example,” he said. He invoked the names of Rohana Wijeweera and those who had died in the party's cause in the course of his speech. “This is an experiment. There will be many obstacles and challenges strewn in its path. We are neither optimistic or negativist. Faith will be built through action. This is just the first rain drop in the face of a political drought. We hope to try and convert it into a shower,” he said.
PA -
liberation Tigers said that the formation of vernment with an alhe People's Alliance the Marxist Janatha una (JVP) efected a e peace process in Sri ing on the current ponts in Colombo, Mr.
bw to Peace - LTTE
缀
Anton Balasingham, the LTTE's chief negotiator and political advisor told the London-based Tamil Guardian newspaper that one of the clauses of the "Memorandum of Understanding reached between the PA and the JVP strictly forbids any discussions on proposals relating to the solution to the Tamil national question.

Page 5
15 SEPTEMBER 2001
Asked about the recent statements made by President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the Foreign Minister, Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar claiming that the PA-JVP agreement would not af. fect the peace talks with the LTTE, Mr. Balasingham dismissed such claims as "utter nonsense'.
“Clause 20 of the MOU clearly states that proposals for devolution of power and any other proposals in relations to a political solution to the Tamil national question should not be taken up for discussion during the probationary period of one year. Is there any meaning and purpose in entering into a peace process if we cannot discuss any proposals for a negotiated settlement?” Mr. Balasingham asked.
“The truth is that the PA-JVP agreement has made the peace talks an impossible task. The utterances made by the President and by the Foreign Minister Mr. Kadirgamar are simply propaganda stuff intended for the consumption of the international governments who are disillusioned with the unholy matrimony between a corrupt, weak government and
the orthodox Marxis opposed to peace anc tation,' he said. "Ne JVP have a coheren to a permanent soluti flict and the civil w country apart. Oper contradictory ideolo of this probationary articulated conflictin question. While PA tions of *devolution a utopian ideal of "e neither of them is pri core demands of th underlie the Tamil Mr. Balasingham sa “We have repea is the Tamil people mately decide their tus and destiny, no cal parties who ass lombo. If there is r sus on the core dem as enunciated at Thi, people will be left W than to seek their C tion,” Mr. Balasing
UNP to Oppose Constitutional Amend
Sept 19 - The Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party said that it would not support the 17th amendment to constitution drafted jointly by the ruling People's Alliance and Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna. “Several vital clauses included in the draft 17th amendment prepared by the UNP led joint opposition including the JVP earlier have not been incorporated in the present draft bill.Therefore my party is not in a position to support the PAJVP sponsored draft bill,” said Mr.Karu Jayasuriya, Deputy Leader of the UNP and Colombo district parliamentarian.
The draft bill prepared by the joint opposition led by UNP included provision for eight member-constitutional council. "It included the Prime Minister, the Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition and five eminent neutral personalities who are acceptable to all sections in politics. The present draft billed jointly prepared by PA-JVP has empowered the executive President to nominate members to the constitutional
council. This woul the independence o Mr.Karu Jayasuriya
However he sa tives of JVP and UN hold special discus. 17th amendment d solve differences a position of the cor and to ensure two th liament.
Sept 2 - A new pl sity Teachers for Hur Written by Dr. Rajan The Broken Palmyra was inwards - withi present volume exam Lankan State. Sri Lan Power - Myths, Deca the story of how the S inherent violence spa

t diehards who are international faciliither the PA nor the vision with regard on to the ethnic conar that has torn the iting with mutually ies the new partners administration have gviews on the Tamil professes vague nothe JVP entertains quality for all'. But pared to discuss the Tamil people that national question,” ld. itedly stated that it who have to ultiown political stathe Sinhala politiume power in Colo Sinhala consenands of the Tamils mpu talks the Tamil fith no choice other wn path to liberaham explained.
-് TAMIL TIMES 5
Mr. Balasingham further said that the Kumaratunga government is eager to initiate the peace talks as a desperate effort to overcome the current politico-economic crisis but not with the sincere intention of resolving the ethnic conflict through negotiated political settlement. "In its desperation the government seems to be contemplating declaring a unilateral cease-fire. Such measures will not be viewed as an act of good faith but rather as a ruse to implicate the LTTE with the ultimate motive of demonising it as the villain of peace.”
"If the government is sincere and serious about engaging the LTTE in a process of negotiations, it should take measures to annul Clause 20 of the PAJVP agreement and create conditions of normalcy in the Tamil homeland for a specific period by totally lifting the economic embargo. As we have already stated, the government should also recognise the LTTE as the authentic representatives of the people of Tamil Eelam by de-proscribing our liberation movement,” Mr. Balasingham said.
ment
d certainly tamper f the council,' said
id that representaNP are scheduled to sions regarding the aft bill in a bid to isen over the comstitutional council ird majority in par
The 17th amendment would come into force if it passed in parliament with a two-third majority. The support of the UNP is needed to obtain two-third majority, political sources said.
Meanwhile Minister Richard Pathirana said that the 17th amendment draft bill have already been submitted to the Supreme Court for its determination whether the billis consistent to the constitution or not. Mr. Richard Pathirana said the draft 17th amendment would be tabled in parliament on September 24 as an urgent bill. The government expects the determination of the Supreme Court before 22 September.
\rrogance of Power
blication by Univerhan Rights (Jaffna) - Hoole, a co-author of
the focus of which
Tamil society - the nes primarily the Sri ca: The Arrogance of lence and Murder is ate, its ideology and wned the LTTE as its
mirror image, a violently obsc-urantist JVP within Sinhalese society itself, and contin
ues to suffocate in that legacy.
The book traces the connections between major events in post-independence Sri Lanka. It elucidates crucial aspects of the 1977 violence that have been papered over. The central sections deal with the July 1983 race riots and the Welikade prison (continued on next page)

Page 6
6 TAMILTMES
Why the PA-UNP Deal Failed: Aug 29 - The opposition United National Party's insistence that the powers of the Executive President be transferred to its leader Ranil Wickremasinghe who should become the Prime Minister, led to the collapse of the talks between the ruling Peoples' Alliance (PA) and the UNP to form a National Government in Sri Lanka.
Giving details of the talks, a statement from the PA said that while the UNP proposed that all Presidential powers be exercised in "conjuction with' or “together with" the Prime Minister. The PA had said that the President was ready to function only in "consultation' with the Prime Minister. The PA further pointed out that the UNP's demand for a drastic reduction of the powers of the Executive Presidency required a constitutional amendment with a two thirds majority, and also a referendum, because the change sought was fundamental. The PA's spokesman Mr. Mangala Samaraweera told the press in Colombo that the government would now negotiate with the Maoist Janatha Wimukthi Peramuna (JVP) to get the required numbers in parliament to defeat the no-confidence motion which is to come up after September 7. The talks with the JVP So far had been more fruitful, Mr.Samaraweera said.
Government to offer truce to the LTTE: Aug 29-. The government announced that it was ready to offer a truce to the LTTE and invite the Tamil Ti
gers for peace talks Lakshman Kadirgal ment today that th decided to revive a tive to hold peace ta and that the State wo for a face to face di
The Minister's ( in the wake of faile between the govern opposition United reach a compromis of national reconcil
Both the UNP ples Alliance have not include the cond political crisis. Nor the two warring p government and the tiating table after ha process two years ag gered and reached a fighting broke outb tions early this yeal The Tigers hav by the Lankan gove scribing the rebels t can be con-ductec group and the Sri L Truce Offer, a ca 30 - The LTTE reje
(Continued from page 5) massacres that still form an elusive watershed in this country's political history. Both published and unpublished materials have been collated in giving an account of the JVP insurgency of 1987-90. A key chapter deals with the dirty war of the mid-1980s, where the UNP government's attempt at demographic transformation, with covert Western and Israeli assistance, plunged the crisis to a point of no return and irrevocably internationalized it.
Other chapters deal with demoralization in the security forces, political assassinations and the fascist drift among Tamils. A final chapter tackles the question of peace. Although written for the general reader wanting to probe below official and partisan obfuscation, the studentofcontem
porary Sri Lanka wi pulsory reading.
Published by U. Human Rights (Jaff 800/- per copy, the b the lowest compatib duction costs. Its ava institutes and bookst could purchase from RCCG Book Ce Street, Kohuwala, D mail torccg(aslt.lk Suriya Book Shc brigasaya Rd, Colo] Road, Colombo 3; Road, Colombo 3; Terrace, Colombo 10, Dutugamunu S hiwala, Contact e-m
 

15 SEPTEMBER 2001
Foreign Minister har said in a state
: government has Norwegian initiaks with the LTTE ld invite the LTTE cussion. omments followed djoint discussions ment and the main National Party, to on a government ation. nd the ruling Peolowever decided to lict in the evolving way failed to bring arties, namely, the LTTE to the negoving begun a peace o. The process staglull when renewed etween the two fac
insisted that a ban 'nment in 1998, proe lifted before talks between the rebel ankan Government. culated ploy: Aug cted the Sri Lankan
l find the book com
iversity Teachers for a), Sri Lanka. At Rs. ok, 500p, is priced at e with covering prolable for sale at study lers in Colombo. You the following places: ter, 66, Dutuga-munu hiwala, Sri Lanka (e-
), SSA,425/15, Thimbo 5; Barefoot, Galle ook Land, 432, Galle CES No.8, Kyn-sey
Marga Institute, 9 l/ eet, Kohuwala, Del:
government's offer of a "mutually agreed ceasefire' as"a calculated politicalduplicity to divert the attention of the people and the world from the deepening crisis in Colombo,” Mr. Anton Balasingham, the chief negotiator and political advisor of the LTTE told the press. He added that "Peace talks are not a crisis management exercise to be invoked at the pleasure of a government which is on the verge of collapse" and that “the LTTE is not prepared to enter into negotiation with a corrupt, inefficient, unstable government which does not have a majority in Parliament.'
"Now the Government is facing a serious crisis politically and is compelled to seek desperate measures to cling on to power. Having failed to work out an agreement with the main Opposition, the Chandrika regime is offering a new peace bid, claiming that this is a reassessment of policy,” Mr. Balasingham said.
Thondaman’s Contribution Hailed: Aug. 30 - Indian and Sri Lankan leaders came together to hail the contribution of late Ceylon Workers Congress leader S Thondaman today to the uplift of the Tamils of Indian origin in theisland nation and strengthening of ties between the two countries. Thondaman was an indefatigable trade union leader and a champion of human dignity, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said in a message read out on his behalf at a function here to unveil the statue of the late leader to mark his 89" birth anniversary. Thondaman had cultivated active links with India to strengthen relations between India and Sri Lanka, Vajpayee said in his message, read out by Union Minister of State for Railways Digvijay Singh.
No election for two years: Sept2 - Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge said on 2 September that there wouldn't be any general election this year or next year. "Government officials should not think about a change of government in the near future. They must be prepared to implement all development projects already finalized in their areas,” President Kumaratunge told a

Page 7
15 SEPTEMBER 2001
group of government officials working in the North-Central Province. The meeting was held at President's House.
Meanwhile the general secretary of the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna Mr.Tilvin Silva addressing a meeting at Borella junction said his party would not join any capitalist party in forming a government,
Referendum Cancelled: Sept 3 - Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga on 3 Septembe called off the national referendum and announced the opening of Parliament on September 6, a day earlier than scheduled, as a precursor to an agreement her ruling party will sign with the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).
But the country's political worries were far from over with the opposition still threatening to bring down the government. As predicted, the economy reacted adversely to the deal with the socialist JVP with the Colombo stock exchange's main All Share Index falling 9 points to 398 and the blue chip Milanka index crumbled to 593, down 26 points.
Parliament Reconvened: Sept 6 - Sri Lanka's Parliament, which was prorogued by President Chandrika Kumaratunge on 10 July commenced its sittings on 6 September. The Secretary General of Parliament, Dhammika Kitulugoda read out the proclamation reconvening the parliament. Thereafter the Speaker Anura Bandaranaike informed the House that the ruling People’s Alliance and Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) have formed a coalition to end the political instability in the country.
The Speaker congratulated the JVP for extending its co-operation to the government, without demanding any position in the administration to resolve the political crisis.
The Speaker refused to entertain a point of order raised by United National Party parliamentarian Mahinda Samarasinghe regarding the prorogation ofparliament. Mr. Mahinda Samarasinghe said in his point of order that parliament was prorogued without informing the Speaker. The Speaker replied that in future he would not give an opportunity to raise any question on this matter.
War takes its to - Nearly a quarte dren living in cor parent in the year government sold and child rights a try is hardly equi increasing numb{ tised by the war. by the ministry o 25 percent of chi both or one of th fighting but not a been killed as the displaced persons
Indian Grants L
- Sept 6 - The In granted Sri Lanka million U.S. dolla bursed over a peri allow the import goods and service ing to the Bank o such as sugar, wh and wheat grain that can be impo line. A wide rang bles could also be scheme. The repay items is between
with a reasonable
ICRC Office Att sub office of the Ir tee of the Red Crc town, south of TI tacked with gren persons early mor The office buildin attack. An ICRC’s premises was alsc plosion, police sot sub office is situ Muttur town, whi the Sri Lanka Arn Police recover nade from the scer Sri Lanka Army a tigations into this i The activities of area have been su notice.
The office ha with immediate ( staff about 14 me has been asked to the ICRC office i ICRC sources sai

AMILTIMES 7
on children: Sept 6 of Sri Lanka's chilflict areas have lost a of fighting be-tween ars and Tamil Tigers ctivists say the counped to cope with the r of children traumaccording to statistics ethnic affairs nearly dren have lost either ir parents due to the I of them would have figure even includes
anka S100m Credit: dian government has a credit line of 100 rs which will be disod of three years and of a large range of s from India, accordf Ceylon. Food items eat flour, rice, lentils are among the items ted under the credit e of consumer duraimported under the "ment period for these one and three years grace period.
acked: Sept 6 - The ternational Commitss (ICRC) in Muttur rincomalee was at1des by unidentified ning on 6 September. g was damaged in the vehicle parked in the
damaged in the exrces said. The ICR's ated in the heart of h is in the control of
y.
dan unexplodedgree. The Police and the re conducting invescident, sources said. he ICRC in Muttur pended until further
been closed down ffect and the entire nbers working there eport to the office of Trincomalee town, 1. Last year also on
October 2 the Muttur sub office of the ICRC came under attack by a group of unidentified persons. The office was stoned during that attack. Three grenades were lobbed on the ICRC office this time, police sources said.
Ships with Sri Lankans seized in Yemen: Sept 7 - Security and port of ficials in Yemen said that a ship seized by the authorities after entering Aden illegally had tried to escape during the previous night with more than 50 Sri Lankan men aboard, but was stopped. The vessel was one of two ships, seized more than a week ago, which had slipped into Aden to take on food and water with a total of more than 100 Sri Lankans on board.
JVP Leader in Exile to Return: Sept 7- Self-appointed de-facto leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Somawansa Amerasinghe may return to Sri Lanka as his party now sharing power with the Poeples' Alliance(PA), political sources say. Mr. Amerasinghe, the only survivor of the party's 1989 central committee, is now in self-imposed exile in France. JVP leader Tilvin Silva was seen embarrassed when questioned by a journalist, "Will Mr. Amerasinghe come back as JVP now secured democracy in Sri Lanka' in a recent press conference held after the formation of the PA-JVP probational government. Party’s parliamentary group leader Wimal Weerawansa was quick to take the microphone to announce that the central committee will discuss the matter in a due course.
Norwegian peace bid to continue: Sept 8 - Assuring that the Government's agreement with the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) would not effect the peace process, President Chandrika Kumaratunga said the Norwegian facilitated peace process to resolve the ethnic conflict would continue.
Her assertion comes despite reports that the JVP was against the Government bringing any devolution of power proposals or talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during the next one year. She said in an interview that the talks with the LTTE were in no way affected by the PA- JVP agreement, she added.

Page 8
8 TAMILTIMES
Luxury cars for SU and JVP MPs: Sept 8 - Janatha Vimukthi Peramunas (JVP) ten members of the parliament (MP) have ordered luxury cars worth of Rs. Twenty eight (28) million, in contrast to their continuing pledges that the party is against MPs being given luxury cars on public funds. The JVPhave gone on record saying that they would never buy anything more than the Indian Maruthi, which is only Rs...five hundred thousand (500,000). But the JVP MPs each have ordered Toyota Double Cabs worth Rs. 2.8 million, Ravaya Sinhala weekly reported. The newly appointed Sihala Urumaya MP Champika Ranawaka also or- dered Toyota Land Cruiser worth Rs. 7.2 million. According to Ravaya, all 71 new MPs have ordered brand new cars despite Sri Lankas current economic crisis.
April Anti-LTTE operation a mistake: Sept 9 - The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, has said that a military operation, launched against the LTTE in April, was a mistake which had caused a set-back to the Norwegian-facilitated process for peace talks. "On April 24, there was a military operation near Pallai. That I think was very regrettable. Further time was lost and there was a setback,' Mr. Kadirgamar said in an interview to the state-run TV channel, “Rupavahini' on 8 September.The Foreign Minister also admitted, for the first time, to the Sri Lankan government's displeasure with Mr. Erik Solheim, Norway’s chief facilitator for the peace process till four months back.
Lankans Arrested on Russo-Kazakh Border: Sept 11 - Russian borderguards have arrested thirty-seven Sri Lanka migrants, who attempted to cross over illegally from Kazakhstan into Russia near the city of Omsk. It is learned from the Siberian Customs Office's press service that they were hiding in specially-made boxes within the trailor of
a KamAZ truck, whi inspection. The fre: were in perfect orde cials de-cided to ch the vehicle. They fou women and two sc withim some 2x2-m flaged on top by gI The driver, a Kazal passengers were arr gation showed thattl from Sri Lanka. The for the pepper "cam tion that he would cow, where he woul sand U.S. dollars
They were planning Russian capital to o ropean countries, W. find jobs. The bord being interrogated
migration officials,
federal security serv
More Evidence in h 12 - Construction wo premises of the Jaf upon more human b our Saree sources in said. The skeletal re. few feet below the section of the Jaffn occupied the Sri La monthsago. Neithe officials in Jaffna to site so far despite be discovery of the h and saree, hospital: tal authorities inforI Police about the dis Monday. Sourcess ers had visited the h cussions with seni Hospital officials details about the di tember of the hun to local journalist: investigate the ma Jaffna said. Britain eases tra Britain has eased
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was stopped for ht specifications but customs offik thoroughly all d thirty men, five ool-age children re boxes camouen sweet pepper. 1 citizen, and his sted. The investipassengers came paid to the driver uflage" on condike them to Mosbe paid one thouor transportation. o proceed from the e of the West EuIere they hoped to er violators were py border guards, and officers of the ice.
ospital grave: Sept rkers digging in the fna hospital came ones and a red colthe northern town mains were found a surface in the rear a hospital that was nka army until two Police norjudicial wn have visited the ing informed of the Iman skulls, bones ources said. Hospimed the SLA and the povery of the bones aid that army offic)spital and held disr hospital officials. re refusing to give covery on 10 Sepun skeletal remains who went there to er, press sources in
el ban: Sept 12 - travel ban on Sri
15 SEPTEMBER 2001
Lanka imposed after a high-profile rebel attack on the country's sole international airport more than six weeks ago. The latest travel advisory says "most visits' to Sri Lanka are trouble- free. "But visitors should be aware of the high level of terrorist activity, including the recent attack on the international airport and air force base on July 24.” Although no passengers were injured in the attack by the LTTE it dealt a near-death blow to the country's tourism industry with pictures ofburnt-out aircraft and stories of tourists scrambling for safety.
Tigers counter attack: Sept 12 - A Sri Lanka army soldier was killed and another was seriously wounded when a group of Liberation Tigers counter attackeda SLA ambushparty at Adampan junction, eight kilometres south east of Mannar, Wednesday morning. A firefight erupted as the LTTE group walked into an ambush by three teams from the nearby SLA camp in Maanthai around 9 a.m. sources said. The Tigers had then taken up position to counter attack the SLA ambush teams, killing one and seriously injuring another.
The Liberation Tigers often cross the Adampan junction, although the SILA claims that the area is under its control. The military says that the Tigers and their supporters smuggle goods that are banned under Colombo's harsh economic embargo on the Vanni through points on the Main Supply Route to Mannar (the western sector of the A14 highway) such as the Adampanjunction. The SLA and the Special Task Force deployed along the MSR to Mannar seek to control the smuggling and interdict logistical runs by the Tigers by setting up ambushes in suspected crossing points on the A14.
Four Ministers resign: Sept 13 - The political crisis in Sri Lanka's ruling People's Alliance (PA) government took a dramatic turn with the sudden resignation of four senior ministers. The four
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is SEPTEMBER 2001
Ministers, S.B.Dissanayake, Professor G.L.Peiris, Mahinda Wijesekara and Jeyaraj Fernandopulle tendered their resignation at a time when President Chandrika Kumaratunge had almost decided to include two of them in her twenty member cabinet, the sources said.
They told President Chandrika Kumaratunge in their joint resignation letter that “the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the ruling PA and the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) is an obstacle to finding an acceptable political solution to the ethnic problem and the economic stability of the country.” They pointed out to the President that "the MOU between the PA and JVP has no provision to bring peace to the country by finding a political solution to the ethnic problem.”
They said that they would not accept any portfolio in the twenty-member cabinet, which is to be sworn on Friday morning. However they assured President Chandrika that “they would remain in the ruling parliamentary group and Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the major constituent of the PA.”
Political analysts said that they have given this assurance to President to avoid expulsion from the government parliamentary group at this juncture. Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) sources said that these four former ministers would come to their side at the appropriate time soon after the passage of 17th amendment to the constitution enabling the establishment of four independent commissions for police, elections, public service and judiciary.
Eight-hour Power Cuts: Sept 14 - Sri Lanka's electricity monopoly announced it was extended nationwide power cuts to eight hours daily in a bid to save energy and prevent a total blackout. The state-run Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said that it would enforce the power cuts in rotation to conserve water in hydro-electricity generating reservoirs which have hit rock bottom because of the failure of monsoon rains.
Germany eases travel restrictions: Sept 14 - Germany has eased a travel ban imposed on Sri Lanka after July's
high-profile LTT try's only interna bassy said in C after the attack, other countries States issued war zens to avoid all ) Sri Lanka. An em the advisory hac advising against saying what pre taken.
LTTE condemn 15 - The Libera Eelam (LTTE) C Lanka's state me tion had distribu people of Jaffna 11 September at Trade Centre and sources said that the LTTE's Londo man and political a ment condemned ernment for expl human tragedy' to tage. He also con a "brutal crime.' Sri Lanka’s News on 15 Sep message, distribut parts of Jaffna, st US “will be a goo hala Army” and “ ing to superpower Mr. Balasingh ernment paramilit tempting to smea the government, i Eelam People’s D DP), which opera Lanka Army in J in a calculated, campaign to discri ganisation and to Jaffna."
"It is sad to inc government and it EPDP are attempt nomenal tragedy can people to their tage," he said.
"We share the anguish experien relatives and frien of innocent victim carnage. This is a edy and we conde

attack on the counional airport, its emombo. Immediately ritain, Germany and cluding the United ings telling their cition-essential travel to assy spokesman said been changed from ravel to Sri Lanka to :autions need to be
attack on US: Sept. on Tigers of Tamil enied reports in Sri lia that the organizaed a message to the with reference to the tacks on the World the Pentagon. LTTE Anton Balasingham, n-based chiefspokesIdvisor, had in a statethe Sri Lankan govoiting the "colossal gain political advanlemned the attack as
state-owned Daily tember claimed the ed in army controlled aid the attacks in the d lesson for the Sinwill be a good warns like America.”
am accused pro-govaries in Jaffna of atthe LTTE. He said in collusion with the mocratic Party (EPes alongside the Sri ffna, was "engaged ricious propaganda dit our liberation oronfuse the people of
e that the Sri Lanka anti-LTTE ally, the g to exploit the pheaced by the Ameri)wn political advan
rofound sorrow and ed by the families, s of those thousands who perished in this olossal human tragn this brutal crime,'
TAMILTIMES 9
Mr. Balasingham said.
Four Soldiers Wounded: Sept. 15 - Four Sri Lanka army soldiers were injured when their 'Unicorn' armoured vehicle was hit by a claymore mine on 15 September around 2.45 p.m. in Eravur, 15 kilometres north of Batticaloa. Five soldiers from the Mylambaavali SLAcamp,4 kilometressouth of Eravur were in the vehicle sources said. The wounded troopers were rushed to the Batticaloa hospital. The condition of two is serious, hospital sources said.
Suicide Attack on Gunboats: Sept 16 - A fierce sea battle erupted off Sri Lanka's northern coast on 16 September as a flotilla of Tamil Tiger guerrilla boats launched a suicide attack on a ship carrying more than 1,200 government troops, military officials said in Colombo. The vessel, named "The Pride of the South" was surrounded by more than 20 LTTE boats, some of them packed with explosives, about 26 miles off the northern port of Point Pedro, said military spokesman Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne. "Air force and naval units have moved in and at least two enemy boats have been blown up in heavy fighting,” he said.
According to LTTE sources, two Dvora gunboats of the Sri Lanka Navy were sunk and another two heavily damaged in day long fighting off the seas of Point Pedro,. The Dvoras were protecting a Sri Lankan troop ship which was also damaged in the attack. Ten Sea Tigers, including four Black Tigers were killed along with at least fifteen Sri Lankan sailors, the sources said. Heavy fighting raged from 4.30am till late af. ternoon after Sea Tiger boats engaged Sri Lankan gunboats escorting the troop convoy going from Trincomalee to KKS in Jaffna, they said. Deputy Commander of the LTTE's Naval wing Lt. Col. Irumborai Master was among those killed in the fighting, the radio added.
At least 47 Sri Lanka army soldiers aboard the troop carrier vessel bound for Jaffna were wounded and 18 sailors were reported missing in the mid sea battle.
WTC Attack, A Wakeup Call: Sept 16 - Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga said that the attack on

Page 10
10 AMITMES
America was the last wakeup call for the whole world to fight terrorism and the time has come to join hands in solving the terrorism problem. She said it was not sufficient to hunt down terrorists and perpetrators of terrorism but it was also essential to understand the deep-rooted causes of the most dehumanizing phenomenon of he 21st century. Kumaratunga, who was addressing the first year commemoration of former minister and Muslim Congress founder the late M.H.M. Ashraff, said the recent attack on America caused heavy losses not only to the U.S. but also to its economy and the global economy.
Gulf Air suspends flights to Colombo: Sept 18- Gulf Air today said it is forced to suspend all flights to Colombo as a result of massive warrisk premiums that have been slapped on all inbound air travel to Sri Lanka following a devastating terrorist attack on the country's single international airport at Katunayake. The announcement from Gulf Air was made on the heels of a statement released by Emirates Airlines. Emirates has also claimed that the national carrier for the U.A.E. is no longer in a position to operate flights to Colombo as the airline cannot bear the cost of massive warrisk insurance premiums on its aircraft.
Thousands in Peace March: Sept 19 - Hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans yesterday took to the streets in a public appeal for peace for this island nation torn apart by a long running civil war. Thousands of ffice and factory workers, disabled soldiers, students and teachers lined busy thoroughfares of Colombo and its suburbs demanding that the politicians of all parties work together for a peaceful solution to the ethnic problem.
The event was organised by the local business community through their umbrella movement for peace "SriLankaFirst' told the press peace is the prime and only objective of the movement. "Through today's program we are asking and forcing the politicians to work together for peace. They should do it now, or we may not have another chance'. “Our intention is to show the destruction of the war and the extreme
need of peace to th official speaking b ment said. Many Non Governmental Marga Institute anc alities were also inv public display.
Peace March Dis Members belongir Sihala Urumaya al “SriLankaFirst”, a paign organised by nesses and major N 19 September. A p Urumauya (SU) ac ers that was on its bassy to express American governm the World Trade C and insulted peopl hands in the "SriLar paign near the city h of the organisers of that the Sihala Uri ately planned its pro to disrupt their cam Supporters of S and National Movi rorism (NMAT) as ployees of Seylan in the campaign. ( Sihala Urumaya M waka was seen lea assaulted the peac tackers lead by C assaulted the work pulled by the hai roadside', said M. the main organise “Champika Ra north east to face of showing his women,' Mr. Kot the Seylan Bank tc “We are also Sinh ing our democrati ing to end the wa
Human Smuggli 19 - The captain bers of a ship whi illegal Sri Lanka tralia in April w years and 3% ye. in Perth this mo time that a court Sri Lankans for ture.

15 SEPTEMBER 2001
rest of world',an talf of the moveher organisation, chas Sar-vodaya, prominent personved inyesterday's
upted: Sept 19 - ; to the extremist empted to disrupt assive peace camri Lanka's big busiGOs near Colombo ocession of Sihala ivists and supportvay to the US Emolidarity with the ent in the wake of entre attack jeered who were holding kaFirst" peace camall in Colombo. One “SriLankaFirst” said maya had deliberIcession Wednesday paign. ihala Urumaya (SU) ement Against Tersaulted female emBank who took part Drganisers said that [P Champika Ranading the crowd that e marchers "The athampika Ranawaka rs. The women were , and beaten in the . Lalith Kotalawala, of the campaign. nawaka should go to Prabhakaran instead ravado to innocent lawala, chairman of dBBCs Sandeshaya. ulas. We are exercisrights in campaign
99.
's Imprisoned: Sept nd eight crew memn carried twenty four immigrants to Ause sentenced to 5% s in prison by a court ing. This is the first Australia sentenced | offence of this na
All four twenty four illegal immigrants had paid the organizers 10,000 Australian dollars each to take them to Australia. Sentencing the smugglers, Judge Kevin Hammond of the District Court of Western Australia said peoplesmuggling was a serious offence and a deterrent message had to be sent to the organisers of such operations.
Plight of Asylum Seekers: Sept 20Barefoot and weary, another group of asylum seekers stepped onto the tiny Pacific island republic of Nauru on 20 September after three weeks aboard an Australian navy ship. Two navy landing craft carried l 19 Afghans and Sri Lankans into Nauru’s harbor as hundreds of locals looked on. They followed an initial group of 100 refugees transferred from the HMAS Manoora on the previous day.
Temporary truce for anti-polio drive: Sept 20 - The Sri Lankan government and separatist Tamil guerrillas have agreed to two temporary ceasefires to allow children in the northeastern war zone to be vaccinated against polio, reports from Colombo said on 20 September. “Days of tranquili- ty” will be observed on September 19-20 in response to a request by the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF.
Stamp issued 4,545 years too late: Sept 20 - Red-faced Sri Lankan postal authorities ordered an inquiry on 20 September after a printing error left an important Buddhist commemorative stamp 4,545 years out of date, officials said. The stamp, issued this week in honour of one of the country's premier Buddhist societies, was dated 2544 BC, for “before Christ,” instead of BE, for "Buddhistera,” which would have signified the current year of the Buddhist cal- endar. An official of the Philatelic Bureau told Reuters an in- quiry had been launched, but said it was too late to recall the stamps from hundreds of post offices across the country.
Constitutional Amendment: Sept 20 - Opposition is growing to changes introduced to the draft of the 17" amendment to the constitution which will set up a constitutional council to make key appointments and select members to the

Page 11
is stPTEMBER 2001
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proposed four independent commissions. The changes decided at talks between the PA government and the JVP is coming undergrowing criticism from opposition political parties and civil society groups. Civil society groups say the changes to the draft has basically undermined the independence of the institutions that are to be set up and therefore negates the very purpose of the changes. The 17th amendment is to be taken up by the supreme court on Friday to determine whether it needs just a two thirds majority in parliament or whether it also has to be approved at a referendum. The 17th amendment is to be debated in parliament on the 24" and 25" of this month. However opposition parties are expected to vote against it, unless a number of controversial clauses are withdrawn by the government and the JVP.
Funding Terrorism to become a crime: Sept20 - The government plans to make it a criminal offence to raise funds in Canada for terrorist groups, Justice Minister Anne McLellan says. The measures McLellan is proposing gobe
yond legislational ment that would st from groups that ar ing money for terrc reporters yesterday ter-terrorism meas duced in the Hous omnibus bill. And balance between vidual rights and cc shifted toward secu terrorist attacks. ", events, one can ma that thatbalance ha said.
TULF divided on Sept 20 - The cent tee of the Tamil Un is scheduled to me to decide on wheth amendment to the c ruling People's A Janata Vimukthi F ble the draft bill in ber 24. The rank a is reported to hav sue, party sources “The establish
 
 
 
 

TAMITMES 11
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ready before Parliarip charitable status e believed to be raisrism. McLellan told a series of new counures could be introof Commons as an she said the delicate protection of indillective security has rity after last week's After last Tuesday's ke a compelling case shifted,” McLellan
17th amendment: al working committed Liberation Front at on 23 September rto support the 17th onstitution when the liance and Marxist eramuna jointly talparliament SeptemId file of the TULF divided on this isaid. ent of independent
commissions for elections, public serv ice, judiciary and police would not solve the national problem. Not a single political party dominated by the majority community is worried about the plight of Tamils. They are only worried about coming to power. The central committee of Tamil United National Front must take all these into consideration before taking any decision,' a leader of the TULF said. He added, "We should not allow major political parties to take us for a ride.'
It is reported that a section of the TULF feels that it should abstain from the debate and vote on the 17th amendment bill in parliament. Some members of central working committee insist that they should participate in the debate and must cast their vote against the 17th amendment bill.
Meanwhile hectic discussions take place Thursday evening among the leaders of all opposition political parties including Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna which hassigneda Memorandum OfUnderstanding with the ruling People’s Alliance, to reach a consensus regarding the 17th amendment bill.

Page 12
12 TAMILTIMES
The Awesome Cr Doomed Pe
Robert Fisk
o it has come to this. The entire modern history of the Middle East the collapse of the Ottoman empire, the Balfour declaration, Lawrence of Arabia's lies, the Arab revolt, the foundation of the state of Israel, four ArabIsraeli wars and the 34 years of Israel's brutal occupation of Arab land? All erased within hours as those who claim to represent a crushed, humiliated population struck back with the wickedness and awesome cruelty of a doomed people. Is it fair is it moral, to write this so soon, without proof, without a shred of evidence, when the last act of barbarism in Oklahoma turned out to be the work of home-grown Americans? I fear it is. America is at war and, unless I am grotesquely mistaken, many thousands more are now scheduled to die in the Middle East, perhaps in America too. Some of us warned of "the explosion to come'. But we never dreamed this nightmare.
And yes, Osama bin Laden comes to mind, his money, his theology, his frightening dedication to destroy American power. I have sat in front of bin Laden as he described how his men helped to destroy the Russian army in Afghanistan and thus the Soviet Union. Their boundless confidence allowed them to declare war on America. But this is not the war of democracy vs terror that the world will be asked to believe in the coming hours and days. It is also about American missiles Smashing into Palestinian homes and US helicopters firing missiles into a Lebanese ambulance in 1996 and American shells crashing into a village called Qana a few days later and about a Lebanese militia, paid and uniformed by America's Israeli ally hacking and raping and murdering their way through refugee camps.
No, there is no doubting the utter, indescribable evil of what has happened in the United States. That Palestinians could celebrate the massacre of 20,000, perhaps 35,000 innocent people is not only a symbol of their despair but of their political immaturity, of their failure to grasp what they had always been accusing their Israeli enemies of doing:
acting disproportior warned. All the year promises to strike a rica, to cut off the h can snake' we took How could a backv undemocratic and c gimes and small, vi fulfil such preposter we know.
And in the hours terday's annihilation ber those other extra able assaults upon til miniature now by co terdays” casualties. bombers who killed icemen and almost ops in Beirut on 23 || their attacks with unt It was just 7 se Marine bombing an the French three mil were the attacks on Arabia, and last ye. successful it now ta USS Cole in Aden. was our failure to weapon of the Mid ther Americans or ers could equal: the perate suicide bom power, wealth and abs will be saying greatest power t known from this d nalists, even those walked through th dle East, words dry terrible, unspeakal the coming days, come waterin the ( be, naturally and immorally, an att historical wrongs injustices that lie firestorms. We wil less terrorism', th ing essential ifwe hated America ha of the birth of thr Ask an Arab h or 30 thousand in or she will respor
 
 
 

5 STEMBER 2001
tely. But we were of rhetoric, all the the heart of Amead of "the Amerifor empty threats. ard, conservative, irrupt group of relent organisations us promises? Now
that followed yes, I began to rememordinary, unbelieve US and its allies, mparison with yesDid not the suicide 241 American serv100 french paratroOctober 1983, time hinkable precision? conds between the d the destruction of es away. Then there US bases in Saudi ar's attempt almost urns out-to sink the And then how easy recognise the new dle East which neiany other Westerndespair-driven, desber. All America's arrogance, the Arould not defend the e world has ever struction. For jourwho have literally blood of the Midup here. Awesome, le, unforgivable; in nese words will besert. And there will evitably, and quite mpt to obscure the ld the blood and the behind yesterday's pe told about “mind“mindless' bit bee not to realise how become in the land
great religions. w he responds to 20 ocent deaths and he as good and decent
people should, that it is an unspeakable crime. But they will ask why we did not use such words about the sanctions that have destroyed the lives of perhaps half a million children in Iraq, why we did not rage about the 17,500 civilians killed in Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, why we allowed one nation in the Middle East to ignore UN Security Council resolutions but bombed and sanctioned all others who did. And those basic reasons why the Middle East caught fire last September, the Israeli occupation of Arab land, the dispossession of Palestinians, the bombardments and state sponsored executions, the Israeli tortures ... all these must be obscured lest they provide the smallestfractional reason for yesterday’s mass savagery. No, Israel was not to blame, that we can be sure that Saddam Hussein and the other grotesque dictators will claim so’ but the malign influence of history and our share in its burden must surely stand in the dark with the suicide bombers. Our broken promises, perhaps even our destruction of the Ottoman Empire, led inevitably to this tragedy. America has bankrolled Israel's wars for so many years that it believed this would be cost-free. No longer so. It would be an act of extraordinary courage and wisdom if the United States was to pause for a moment and reflect upon its role in the world, the indifference of its government to the suffering of Arabs, the indolence of its current president.
But of course, the United States will want to strike back against 'world terror', who can blame them? Indeed, who could ever point the finger at Americans now for using that pejorative and sometimes racist word "terrorism'? There will be those swift to condemn any suggestion that we should look for real historical reasons for an act of violence on this world-war scale. But unless we do so, then we are facing a conflict the like of which we have not seen since Hitler's death and the surrender of Japan. Korea, Vietnam, is beginning to fade away in comparison. Eight years ago, I helped to make a television series that tried to explain why so many Muslims had come to hate the West. Last night, I remembered some of those Muslims in that film, their families burnt by American-made bombs and weapons. They talked about how no one would help them but God. Theology vs technology, the suicide bomber against the nuclear power. Now we have learnt what this means. (Courtesy: The Independent, London)

Page 13
15 SEPTEMBER 2001
PA-JVP MemOrar of Understandi
he Memorandum of Understanding
MoU reached between the PA and the
JVP on September 5 calls for establishment of Constitutional Council and independent commissions to run the public service, the judiciary, the elections office and the police on or before September 24th. The MoU has called for abolition of the executive presidency and the vesting of executive power in parliament, and the formation and adoption of an electoral system that ensures reasonable representation of all ethnic groups in parliament and for holding of the general election under a neutral caretaker government, Under the MoU, the government has agreed to write-off loans given to farmers from the Maha season of 1999/2000 to the Yala season of 2001 at rates ranging up to Rs 20,000 to each inclusive of the full amount of Rs 20,000 for paddy and plantain cultivation in the same manner as after the 1994 general election when the PA wrote-off cultivation loans amounting to Rs 6000. The PA has also agreed to appoint a Task Force to investigate persons or institutions who have obtained large scale loans for business purposes and thereafter neglected repayment, impose a ceiling on travelling abroad by both ministers, MPs and officials at state expense, impose a ban on the importation of luxury vehicles, ceiling on fuel allowance given to ministers and MPs, find suitable alternate buildings at less cost to the government for ministers and state institutions if they are at present housed in private buildings, not to incur any expenditure from September 5,2001 to September 4,2002 on construction work on the president's house which is now in progress, appoint and operate by or before October 5 a panel with full powers to ensure prevention of fraud and corruption in the purchases to be made by the government, particularly armaments, and restrict the number of cabinet ministers to 20 and appoint a corresponding number of deputy ministers and not to create "project ministries' orportfolios and ministerships.
Fu TeXt Memorandum of Understanding reached between Mr. D. M. Jayaratne, Secretary of the People's Alliance on behalf of the People's Alliance on one part and Mr. Tilvin Silva, Secretary of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna on behalf of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna on the other on this 5th Day of September, 2001 at Colombo.
The two parties stand bound by the following agreements and conditions, namely:
1. The period of validity of this Memorandum of Understanding will be only one complete
year beginning on 5 ending on 4th Septer
2. (i) If the People's policy decisions or c of these agreements t an effect contrary to ance as one party to
obtain the prior con Vimukthi Peramuna agreement on all occa such decisions or col (ii) The Janatha Vimu to launch on any col directly to destabilis Alliance Government Memorandum of Un of proper impleme Vimukthi Peramuna essary support to the ple’s Alliance Goveı Parliament during thi
3. The People's Allia cancel the Referendu uled to be held on nounced by the Presi Gazette No. 1 192/16 October 18, 2001 by ( l 196/18. (This Refer cancelled.)
4. The People's Allial or before September 6 the Democratic Social prorogued by directio Government Gazette (Parliament has alrea
5. The People's Alliar by Parliament the pro to the Constitution dr, ment of all the partic cluded in the schedu providing for the crea stitutions, subject to acceptable toboth par of Understanding, on 2001:
a) Constitutional Cot b) Independent Publi c) Independent Judici d) Independent Electi e) Independent Polic The Constitutional C lished before Octobe
6. The two parties t Understanding agree establish an Indepent within six months frc
7. The two parties t Understanding agree

dum ng
h September, 2001 and ber, 2002.
Alliance intends to take ourses of action outside hat conflict with or have them, the People’s Allihe agreement, agrees to urrence of the Janatha the other party to the sions they intend to take rses of action. kthi Peramuna agrees not Irse of action that tends or topple the People's during the period of this lerstanding or its period ntation. The Janatha grees to extend the neccontinuance of the Peonment with stability in s period.
nce should immediately m that was first schedAugust 21, 2001 as andent by the Government
and later postponed to Government Gazette No. 2ndum has already been
nce should reconvene on , 2001 the Parliament of ist Republic of Sri Lanka n of the President by the bearing No. 1 192/16. ly been reconvened)
ce agrees to have passed posed 17th amendment ifted with the full agrees of the Opposition ine to this Memorandum tion of the following inessential amendments lies to the Memorandum or before September 24,
ncil
Service Commission al Service Commission on Commission and
Commission ouncil should be estab5, 2001.
the Memorandum of o prepare legislation to ent Media Commission n the date hereof.
the Memorandum of o present to Parliament
TAMILTIMES 13
within six months from the date hereof amendments to the Constitution for abolition of the Executive Presidency and vesting executive power in Parliament and the formulation and adoption of an electoral system which ensures reasonable representation of all ethnic groups in Parliament and for holding of the General Election under a care-taker Government. This condition applies to the first General Election that will be held after this amendment to the Constitution.
8. During the period of validity of this Memorandum of Understanding: a) steps should be taken to prevent rises of prices or cost of essential consumer commodities and services such as fuel, milk powder, sugar, flour, rice, drugs, electricity, gas, water, bus and train fares. When costs of other goods or services increase due to external reasons, the Government should intervene and take measures to control same to the maximum possible extent, b) if there are plans to privatise public or social property such as water resources, banks, insurance ventures, the People's Alliance agrees to withhold such action during the one year period this Memorandum of Understanding remains valid, and c) excepting monetary agreements already entered into and those to be signed in consequence of them, not to enter into trade agreements or financial agreements that could be detrimental to the interests of the country.
9. In the same manner as after the 1994 General Elections Her Excellency the President wrote-off cultivation loans amounting to Rs. 6000 million given to farmers and repayment of which had gone into arrears the People's Alliance Government will take action before September 30, 2001 to write-off loans given to farmers from the Maha season of 1999/2000 to the Yala season of 2001 at rates ranging up to Rs. 20,000/- to each (inclusive of the full amount of Rs. 20,000/-) for paddy and plantain cultivation. Further, the People's Alliance Government will take action to properly look into the position of other loans different in category and amount to these loans and afford any possible relief to the farmers in respect of them.
10. The People's Alliance agrees to appoint a Task Force with full authority to investigate persons of institutions who had obtained large scale loans for business purposes and thereaf. ter neglected repayment of such loans, and the reasons for such neglect and to recover such outstanding monies in terms of the recommendations of the Task Force within three months of entering into this Memorandum of Understanding.
11. The People's Alliance agrees to appoint a Select Committee representing all Political Parties represented in Parliament with a view to finding short term solutions to problems faced by local industrialists and businessmen and to take action within three months of entering into this Memorandum of Understanding to rehabilitate such ventures taking into consideration recommendations of such Select

Page 14
4 TAMILMES
Committee, made after a wide consultation of the views of relevant parties.
12. The two parties agree to appoint Committees of persons with specialist knowledge and experience in respect of the subjects of all Ministries on a basis of consensus, before the lapse of two months from the date of entering into this Memorandum of Understanding.
13. The People's Alliance agrees to remitting voluntarily by the President, Members of the Cabinet of Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Members of Parliament to the Consolidated Fund half their salary during the whole period of validity of this Memorandum of Understanding and to make available monthly to both parties to the Memorandum of Understanding reports on such remittances through the Ministry of Finance.
14. The two parties agree to embark upon the following measures, namely: (a) To impose a ceiling on travelling abroad of both Ministers and Members of Parliament and Officials at state expense as has already been done. (b) To impose a ban on the importation of luxury vehicles for Ministers and higher officials (The People's Alliance emphatically states that this practice is already in operation in relation to both Ministers and officials). (c) To impose a ceiling on the fuel allowance currently given to Ministers and Members of Parliament and higher officials as is the practice already adopted. (d) To find suitable alternate buildings at lesser cost to the Government for the Ministries and State Institutions, if they are presently housed in buildings on payment of high rentals by the Government inspite of the availability ofbuildings at cheaper rates with adequate facilities. (e) Not to incur any expenditure, during the one year period the Memorandum of Understanding is in force, on construction work on the President's House which is now in progress. Both parties also agree to appoint a panel comprising representatives of both parties to ensure conformity with the aforesaid matters.
15. The People's Alliance agrees to restrict the number of Cabinet Ministers to 20 and appoint a corresponding number of Deputy Ministers and not to create "Project Ministries' or portfolios to be otherwise designated other than the portfolios and Ministerships that are mentioned herein, during the one year period the Memorandum of Understanding is in force. The People's Alliance agrees to carry out the above mentioned changes to be effected in the portfolios and the Deputy Ministerships within one week after this Memorandum of Understanding is signed i.e., on or before 12th day of September 2001.
16. The People's Alliance agrees to appoint and operationalize within one month after this Memorandum of Understanding is signed, a panel with full powers to ensure prevention of fraud and corruption in the purchases to be
made by the Governm ments, aircraft etc. 17. The People's Allian point a Committee comp of leading Trade Unions ters relating to the ILO c already been ratified but in Sri Lanka and submit the preparation of draft conventions and also lo ing to the Labour Laws th in Sri Lanka but are not posed and make recom thereto. It is agreed by t to frame legislation on t of this Committee and p on the statute book durin this Memorandum of force.
18. The People's Allianc a policy of transparency Memorandum of Unders ensure that all appointm transfers by the Governm out any discrimination v ality, religion, sex, party
19. The People's Alliar speedy measures to take gal firearms that are in th viduals and underworic ensure the prevention of
20. The People's Allian in during the one year Understanding is in forc lution of power or any otl lead to a controversy u broad consensus is arriv ranging dialogue with t segments of society aim sonable resolution of th
21. The People's Allian Task Force with full po vene in the matter ofa ing conditions of the pe communities: Sinhala, Tamil and Mus to destitution and are ur ship due to the on-going up-liftmentoftheir socia by the People's Allianc tum of relief allowa granted.
22. During the period o Understanding is in fo ance agrees - (a) To suspend all plan vatization of education emphatically states tha posals under contempl (b) Not to grant permi ment ofprivate univer: liance emphatically st the accepted policy). (c) To appoint a panel including University l recommendations as a

15 SEPTEMBER 2001
nt including arma
also agrees to apsing representatives o look into the matnventions that have re no longer in force :commendations for legislation on such k into matters relattare already in force eing effectively immendations relating e People's Alliance le recommendations ace such legislation g the one year period Jnderstanding is in
e agrees to adhere to luring the period this Landing is in force to 2nts, promotions and ent are effected withrith regard to nation
politics etc.
Ice agrees to initiate into custody all illene possession of indigangs and thereby crimes.
:e agrees not to bring his Memorandum of e, proposals for devoner proposals that may ntil such time that a ed at through a widehe participation of all led at reaching a reae national question.
ce agrees to appoint a wers that could intermelioration of the livople belonging to all
im who were reduced dergoing untold hardwar and to ensure the | lives. It is also agreed to enhance the quance currently being
this Memorandum of ce, the People’s Alli
drawn up for the priThe People's Alliance there are no such protion).
sion for the establishties (The People's Ales that this is already
omprising academics, cturers, to make such deemed necessary to
expand the national university system and ensure its qualitative development.
23. The People's Alliance agrees to dissolve Parliament on completion of the one year period after this Memorandum of Understanding is signed and conduct a free and fair election under the new electoral system and the care-taker Government that is to be set up in terms of this Memorandum of Understanding.
24. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna further agrees to the following lines of action. (a) The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna agrees to extend necessary support to the People's Alliance in Parliament on all occasions to sustain a stable government during the one year period. (b) The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna agrees to contribute to the political stability which is so necessary to ensure the economic stability of the country. (c) The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna agrees not to support any subversive line of action to be adopted by other parties that may result in paralyzing the government and the economy. (The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna emphasizes that they have already adopted this stance)
25. It is obligatory on the part of both parties to carry out severally and collectively the aforesaid agreements within the agreed time frames. In the event of either of the parties not taking steps to carry out any of the several items agreed to, within the specified time frames, and if it is also not found possible for one party to negotiate and arrive at an agreement by prior notice in writing being given to the other party, both parties agree that either party shall have the right to withdraw from this Memorandum of understanding.
26. Both parties agree to appoint a supervisory panel comprising Chief Buddhist Monks, other Religious Dignitaries, Trade Union representatives, representatives of the Business Community and representatives of professionals, artistes and media personnel to monitor the performance of the aforesaid agreements and develop modalities for the supervisory mechanism above-referred to.
27. If any dispute arises with regard to the interpretation of any clause or wordings of the agreement, both parties shall have discussions among themselves with regard to the interpretation thereof and arrive at a final decision by COSCISUS.
28. Both parties agree that any clause or clauses of this Memorandum of Understanding may be amended or fresh clauses incorporated by mutual agreement if it is deemed necessary to do so.
Done in Colombo on this fifth day of September 2001.
D. M. Jayaratne, Secretary/People's Alliance Tilvin Silva, Secretary/Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna

Page 15
15 SEPTEMBER 2001
o Reacting to Terrorism
Jehan Perera
PA - JVP Agreement
The most important contribution of the government-JVP agreement is its restoration of the democratic process in the country, at least to those parts under government-control. Earlier, the 2 month suspension of Parliament by the President to block the no-confidence motion against the government by the joint opposition threatened to take the country on the dangerous path of extra-constitutional action. By providing the government with parliamentary support to avoid defeat, the JVP has enabled the government to once again work through Parliament. On the face of it, the government-JVP agreement is a magnificent example of both political sacrifice and personal reconciliation in the national interest. It highlights the potential in the Sri Lankan polity to accommodate political foes, even mortal foes, who had in the not-so-distant past sought to either physically or politically exterminate each other. To those sceptical about the prospects for a governmentLTTE agreement someday in the future, the example of the government-JVP agreement would be an unexpected clarion call to think again.
Not even three months ago, the government was organising commemoration events throughout the country to remind the people of the period of JVP terror in 1988-89, when the smallest boy with a handwritten note could shut down entire neighborhoods, so great was the public fear of defying a JVP curfew, The JVP was equally critical of the PA government, and described it as an opportunistic and corrupt government.
But there seemed to be another searing wound that would keep the two parties forever apart. This was the brutal assassination of President Kumaratunga's husband in front of her family house. At the time of the assassination of Vijaya Kumaranatunga, his wife blamed the JVP for the assassination as indeed did the hundreds of thousands of mourners who thronged for his funeral. Even today, most people would believe the same, despite the findings of a Presidential Commission
of Inquiry headed b Justice that the then U indirectly responsi President Kumaratur rific memory behind agreement with the grim determination past for the greaterg be answered over th few weeks is, whos country's or the rulii
The ability of the ently transcend her especially noteworth publicly repented in terror it engaged in t ing of the PA-JVP membered and prais Rohana Wijeweera a longer living under the two bloody JVP i and 1988-89 took rightly condemn the by the then UNP gov ing the JVP insurrect demn the guerilla ter to over a hundred inn ers being shot dead, sands of other innock tivists.
Crucial Question
The new adminis set up following sign dum ofunderstandin JVP gives the count in a stable governm elements in the agre tablishing the frame ernance in the form missions, abolition o dency and a caretake duct elections. The political parties in P. be forthcoming in th ensure their rapid in is the real purpose o crucial question, how to the sincerity and in ties to the agreement interest of all sectio the reforms for goo
 

TAMILTIMES 15
y the present Chief JNP government was ble. The ability of ga to put such a horher in negotiating an JVP speaks of her in putting aside the ood. The question to e course of the next e greater good, the ng party's.
President to apparpersonal feelings is y as the JVP has not the slightest for the he past. At the signagreement, they resed their late leader und other leaders no whose dispensation insurrections of 1971 place. Those who state terror practised ernment in suppressionalso need to conror of the JVP. It led ocent CTB bus drivin addition to thouents and political ac
tration that has been ing of the memorangbetween the PA and y a measure of hope :nt. Some of the key ement focus on esworks for good govof independent comfthe executive presirgovernmentto consupport of the other arliament is likely to is regard and would plementation if that f the agreement. The wever, is with regard notivation of the par. It is in the common ls of the people that governance should
take place without hindrance and prior to the next series of elections. In the next few weeks it will be seen whether the PA and JVP are actually proceeding with the parliamentary passage of the independent commissions for public service, elections, police and judiciary in terms of the 17th amendment and also the media commission. If they are, then it is in the national interest that the UNP should cease its ef. forts to engineer a crossover of disgruntled PA parliamentarians and thereby bring down the government.
On the other hand, there is a concern that the PA-JVPagreement will be terminated soon after October 10 is passed. This is because after October 10 it is constitutionally possible for President Kumaratunga to use her presidential powers and dissolve Parliament. If so, it would be clear that the PA-JVP agreement was not a genuine one but was a mere ploy to score an advantage over the UNP which is the main rival of both the PA and JVP in the quest for power.
There are two possible self-seeking advantages of the PA-JVP agreement. First, it would enable the government to get past the date of October 10 in a democratic and dignified manner without having to prorogue Parliament yet again and risk popular disgust. Second, it would enable the JVP to score points with the electorate by virtue of the populist elements of the agreement that it insisted upon. These include measures that the war-weakened economy will certainly not be able to sustain in the longer term, such as ensuring the forgiving of farmers' loans, price controls on essential commodities and a halt to IMF-required structural adjustments.
Breathing Space
There is also a second crucial question concerning the workability of the PAJVP agreement. This is whether the forces in opposition will be prepared to give the new government the breathing space to put the frameworks for good governance into place. Political parties such as the UNP are machines meant to capture political power. The LTTE is apolitico-military machine meant to establish exclusive Tamil power in apart of the country. From the point of view of their own quests for power, it might seem to be in the interests of the UNP and LTTE to deal the new government deadly blows as soon as possible.

Page 16
16 TAMILTIMES
The UNP could seek to destabilise or even topple the government by engineering defections from the ranks of disgruntled PA parliamentarians. The LTTE could seek to achieve the same purpose by striking at either economic or military targets. The absence of reference to peace talks with the LTTE is a noticeable lacuna in the PA-JVP agreement despite going into great detail on many other far less important issues, such as the presidential palace and import of luxury cars. The agreement further states that the government will not make any proposals for devolution without first getting a consensus in society concerning them.
Therefore the PA-JVP agreement of fers very little directly to the peaceful resolution of the ethnic conflict. The LTTE may feel it has no interest in either tacitly supporting or giving breathing space for such an agreement. But if the interests of the people are foremost, then creating the proper countrywide frameworks for good governance contained in the 17th amendment and other proposed legislation should be permitted to go ahead within the 3-6 month time frames that the PA-JVP agreement specifies. All parties, including those representing the ethnic minorities in Parliament, are agreed on these good governance measures in principle.
Ultimately, societies that have achieved the greater measure of peace, justice and prosperity are those that have relied on good laws, and not on exceptional individuals or armed revolutions. Goodlaws and transparent governance are as much necessary for the people living in the government-controlled areas as in the LTTE-controlled areas. The Stories of corruption now emerging from LTTE-controlled areas are evidence for this. They are told by people who appreciate what the LTTE has tried to vindicate by way of Tamil rights in Sri Lanka, but who are concerned about the direction their society is taking. It has been reported for some time that LTTE police are lax in controlling crimes committed by those with LTTE connections. While the LTTE leadership is said to be aware of this problem, it does not or cannot put a halt to it offering a grim foreboding of what is to come if society continues on its present path. Recently it was reported that a medical doctor practising in the Wanni was executed after trial by the LTTE for having run a brothel in his medical clinic. The
shocking severity of th practised in China for in social vices) was pl disturbed the LTTE hi vices existed in their so not an isolated inciden
It is only democra good governance and : that will take Sri Lanka of human rights, bala which people can look economic future. The g be given a breathingsp. its sincerity in workin frameworks for good would provide the ba and conflict resolution
Reacting to Terr Even as they unf events in the United St into Sri Lakan homes t reach of television. It ( the attacks had taken pl the globe more than t away.
For most human be the suffering of others making of political jud that the vast majority ( anguish at the human mense destruction the They could perhapsid ror better than most ot the globe. They had se tallest buildings gutte lapsing five years ago stances, during the Sui Central Bank by an truck.
But there were a make political judgme the scenes of destructi Washington, DC. The burning buildings an also saw different less the lesson to a gover that has urged the Sri to negotiate with an C committed similarter civilian targets.
Others Saw a les that had banned the ( for their rights as delegitimising their others saw a lesson 1 a country that tacitl measures by allied civilian population world.

15 SEPTEMBER 2001
punishment (as ose who indulge bably because it rarchy that such ety. Butthis was
y, laws ensuring peace settlement owards a Society xe and justice in orward to a better vernment should ce to demonstrate to establish the governance that is for democracy in the future.
Irist Attacks
lded the terrible ates came straight hrough the instant lid not matter that ace halfway round in thousand miles
ings empathy with cornes before the gments. It is likely of Sri Lankans felt Suffering and imy were witnessing. entify with the horher peoples across n two of their own d by fire and colin similar circumide bombing of the explosives-laden
so those who did hts as they watched n in New York and y saw not only the loss of life, they ons in it. Some saw ment of a country ankan government ganisation that had orist attacks against
in to a government ganisation fighting 2ing terrorist and truggle. And still the government of supported terrorist vernments against elsewhere in the
Revenge and Retribution?
Whatever the political judgments may be, the terrorist attack that brought down the World Trade Centre in New York and a part of the Pentagon in Washington DC was both unexpected and reprehensible. Hardly anyone would be evil enough to imagine that a planeload of civilians would be used as a weapon to destroy buildings full of civilians. What cannot be imagined cannot be protected against. It is also next to impossible to be constantly on guard against those who are prepared to die to achieve their objectives, as the Sri Lankan military have found time and again. The question is how can this evil be eradicated or at least contained.
The most principled, and facile, answer would be that situations that provide a breeding ground for terrorism should not be permitted to arise. The grievances of people should be nipped in the bud and not be allowed to fester. But in too many situations, as in Sri Lanka, such timely action is not taken. There is an absence of foresight and wisdom as late President J.R. Jayewardene once confessed of himselfin relation to the country’s ethnic conflict.
The United States is the greatest military and economic power in the world today. How it responds to the injury to itself will determine the course of the world in the days and years to come. It appears that the dominant voice emanating from the United States at this time is a call for revenge and retribution. That is natural, and represents the emotional and reactive side of human beings. But it must not be allowed to prevail, for if it does the world will become a more evil place for all of humanity.
When LTTE suicide bombers attacked Sri Lanka's only international airport two months ago, and destroyed half of its airbus fleet, it destroyed the equivalent of 10 percent of the country's annual income. Further, with Western countries issuing travel advisories that the entire country was akinto a war zone, the country's touristand export-based industries felltotheir knees and made tens of thousands unemployed.
At this time of trial, the US ambassador in Sri Lanka, Ashley Wills, urged the Sri Lankan government to negotiate with the LTTE. He probably knew that this was not what the emotional and reactive side of those who were at the receiving end of that attack wanted to hear. But as a friend

Page 17
15 SEPTEMBER 2001
of the country, he probably also saw that a Sri Lankan military response at that time, or in the future, would only serve to increase the reservoir of hate on the other side of the divide. It would harden the sentiment of those who volunteered for suicide missions.
By contrast, when the United States itselfhas been savagely hit, the sentiment seems to be different. There is no talk of negotiations, if not with the terrorists who committed the crime, with those representing the larger political movements they espouse. Some leading American commentators, such as Lance Morrow writing in Time magazine's prestigious Essay column have extolled the virtues ofrage and retribution. Those who disagree, he has said, are too philosophical for decent company. But though it may be hard to accept at a time like this, the eternal wisdom is that hatred does not cease by hatred, but by love alone (Dhammapada). Increasing Hate
Organisations that harness suicide bombers to do their work require the reservoir of hate. The usage of military means to resolve problems is the surest way of increasing the reservoir of hate. Drying up the reservoir of hatred require the adoption of non-violent and non-military means of conflict resolution. Most often the use of military means is clumsy and results in civilians suffering the most. This increases the reservoir of hatred from which new suicide bombers may be recruited.
On this basis the mobilising of its mighty aircraft carriers, arsenals of cruise missiles and millions of soldiers for war by the United States as the way to combatterrorism is likely to increase the reservoirs of hatred in the world from which suicide bombers are recruited. Bombing countries that can hardly govern them
selves is not likely Sults. As the British Harris has written, dropped on the funda on the people of th them, is likely to c more fanatics and I ties.
It is true that m tions outgrow the causes that justified a point of time, they whose end is primar and the expression o outgrow the cause of nally set out to vin might seem that a them is appropriate way to stop them. Bu any effort at violent likely to spill over to tion, and thereby r. grievances. Thereini
In taking action terrorist leader Osa United States needs that it was they wh sustained him during the Soviet Union. Tl ster, even as India or sustenance to the T ment in Sri Lanka, ar killed its own soldi its former prime mir the creations of thes finally turn against of causing so-called civilians in attemptir creations needs to b full compensation should be uppermost paign carried out ag ganisation. Thatcou duce the reservoir of from the envisaged tion in Afghanistan
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to yield positive recommentator Robert every ton of bombs mentalists' bases and states that harbour reate more martyrs, hore terrorist atroci
st militant organisaoriginal (political) their creation. After become organisations ly their own survival their own hate. They the people they origidicate. Therefore, it military response to and, indeed, the only it the dilemma is that conflict resolution is the civilian popula-ignite the original s the trap of violence. against the suspected uma Bin-Laden, the also to bear in mind o once nurtured and g its cold war against hey created the monnce gave training and amil militant moveld to the LTTE which ers and assassinated lister. It is ironic that e big powers should them. The injustice collateral damage to g to defeat their own borne in mind. The of these civilians in any military camainst the terroristorld to some degree rehate that would stem US-led military acand other countries
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TAM TIMES 17
suspected of harbouring terrorists.
Priority to Political Means
The United States needs also to draw on the experience of countries like Sri Lanka which have endured years of terrorism and counter-terrorism and have found what works and what does not work. After nearly 18 years of fighting against the LTTE giving primacy to military means, both the ruling People's Alliance and opposition UNP have realised the lack of positive results flowing from this course of military action. With the business community becoming the latest entrant into the peace movement, the main political parties are now endeavoring to give priority to political means of ending the conflict. The international community, led by the United States, needs to assist in this process in making a success out of Sri Lanka's peace efforts. A success even in a little country like Sri Lanka, distant though it is from the United States, can offer the world the hope that terrorist violence can be ended peacefully.
But governments of most countries are extremely self-centred, and the United States is no exception. They may steeply tax their own citizens to ensure equity within their own countries, but they give only a pittance of it to those who are at the borders of survival outside their countries. In a similar manner Western countries are very concerned about protecting civil liberties in their own countries, such as the right of their citizens to form associations and to collect money for various causes. This is the reason they give when asked why they do not clamp down on the collection of funds for terrorist activities. They do not seem to care very much if the civil liberties they protect within their own countries leads to the fostering of terrorism in other countries.
Already, the governments of most countries are heavily dependent on the concessionary financial flows from international financial institutions, and can be pressurised to adapt their policies in the direction of conflict resolving practices. Perhaps the terrorist strikes against the United States will now make the international community view with a more critical eye the international funding of organisations that use violence to achieve political objectives. That would be the way to reduce the reservoir of funds that, together with the reservoir of hate, sustains terrorism in the world.

Page 18
18 TAMITMES
GOVt. to Surviv With JVP Supp.
By our Colombo Correspondent
he intensity of struggle for supremacy in parliament would appear to have lessened with the JVP making a move to sustain the PA government for one year. The Government that lost its majority on June 20 with the defection of seven Sri Lanka Muslim Congress lawmakers regained it on September 5 by signing a pact with the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) which has 10 members in the 225-member Parliament. The alliance with the JVP raised the Government's strength to 119.
Even as it secured its majority in parliament with assistance of the JVP, an internal crisis within the SLFP brings in its wake further signs of instability. On September 13 four senior ministers - G. L. Peiris. S. B. Dissanayake, Mahinda Wijesekera and Jayaraj Fernandopulleresigned their cabinet portfolios and announced their determination not to join the new cabinet thus widening the internal crisis of the Sri Lankan Freedom Party (SLFP), the major constituent of the ruling coalition People's Alliance (PA). Dissanayake claimed that their group comprised 12 parliamentarians and Peiris said he was absolutely certain that six of them
would stick with them. Some felt that their
strategy was to be with the Government Parliamentary Group and vote with the opposition at a crucial moment to topple President Chandrika Kumaratunga Government.
In a counter-strike against the gang of four former Ministers, President Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake targeted Jayaraj Fernandopulle, the weak-willed of the four, to break the dissident group. The President Kumaratunga in a chat with Fernandopulle lasting some four hours on 14 September succeeded in weaning him back to the fold. It was learnt that she withdrew her previous charge that Fernandopulle should bear responsibility, as Minister of Aviation, for LTTE's July 24 attack on Katunayake airport. He was sworn in as the Minister of Tourism, Aviation, Airport Development and Christian Religious Affairs.
Fernandopule other three dissenters dent Chandrika Kum resignation letter tha of understanding (M the ruling PA and the finding an acceptabl the ethnic problem a bility of the country after the midnight in he would stand by th her solve the ethnic When a reporte resignation letter he paragraph, “the MO JVP has no provisior country by finding a the ethnic proble quipped, “We will c. Dissanayake sc made of sterner st Minister requested of General Secretar clined. He told him." SLFP members. Thi to me by the Preside That request w the Prime Ministerb resignation letter to him that he had pu shape after he took tary postbuthis wo by the President, Dis ministers who resi recent times locked dent.
He assured the be with the SLFP ment benches. We’ ings of the Gover Group.”
The dissidents in their resignation remain in the rulir and Sri Lanka Frei
JVP Gains
Political analys this assurance to P sion from the gov group at this junc

15 SEPTEMBER 2001
'e Drt
iho along with the
nad earliertold Presiratunga in their joint “the memorandum OU) signed between JVP is an obstacle to : political solution to nd the economic sta" reversed his stand eeting and said that e President and help angle.
pointed out that the signed contained the U between the IPA and to bring peace to the political solution to m,” Fernandopule mange that." unded as if he was lff. When the Prime him to resign his post y of the SLFP he de“I was elected by trule spost was not granted ntor Prime Minister.' is made when he met efore sending the joint the President. He told t the party into good up the General Secrek was not appreciated sanayake and the other ned with him had in horns with the Presi
rime Minister, “We'l nd sit in the governalso attend the meetment Parliamentary
assured the President etter that “they would parliamentary group lom Party,”
believe that they gave sident to avoid expulnment parliamentary re. Sri Lanka's main
opposition United National Party (UNP) sources said that the dissidents would come to their side at the appropriate time soon after the passage of 17th Amendment to the Constitution which enables the establishment of four independent commissions in respect of the police, elections, public and judicial services. The 17th Amendment is likely to be tabled in Parliament on September 18 and debated for two days from September 24.
The passage of the 17th Amendment in Parliament with the required two-thirdmajority appears to be assured. It was a joint opposition demand. And JVP had wrested it from the Government. JVP Parliamentary Group leader Wimal Weerawansasaid: “We had to wrench it out of a block of iron,” making use of a pithy Sinhala idiom. “We won them for the people,” said JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva.
The government's agreement to the creation of the independent commissions was the fourth of the JVP's demand contained in its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government signed on September 5. The first was the cancellation of the Referendum scheduled for October 18 and the second the Summoning of Parliament, a day before its scheduled September 7 reopening. The third was the sliming of President Kumaratunga's jumbo 43-member cabinet to one with 22 ministers. The number of deputy ministers too was pruned to 20 from 37.
Some critics ridiculed the JVP for their failure to get President Kumaratungatoreduce the cabinet to 20 as specified in the MOU and for its failure to get the Presi. dent to drop corrupt ministers. Their target were Anuruddha Ratwatte, who was re-appointed Minister of Power and Energy and Deputy Minister of Defence, whom President Kumaratunga had apparently called “the most corrupt of the ministers” in the presence of the IMF delegation that visited Colombo in the last week of August and Mahipala Herath whose thugs were accused of involvement in the May 1 Mawanella attack on the Muslims. JVP is a signatory to the motion of no-confidence against Herath. But he had been appointed deputy minister.
These detractions would not belittle JVP's gains. It is hoping to achieve the rest of the major concessions as specified in the MOU - media commission in sixmonths, abolition of the executive presidency and the holding of parliamentary elections under a caretaker government at

Page 19
15 SEPTEMBER 2001
the end of one year. It hopes to achieve these objectives considering the urgency with which government leaders acted to meet MOU deadlines.
Insurrection to Mainstream Politics
This is a novel experience to the JVP that launched two bloody insurrections, the first in 1971 against the Sirimavo Bandaranaike government and again in 1989 against President Ranasinghe Premadasa government. In both circumstances it was brutally crushed, families killed for involvement with the JVP. The new leadership, many of them had not even seen its JVP's founder Rohana Wijeweera, appears to be chartering a different course, mainstream democratic parliamentary politics.
This is a difficult course for the Marxist radicals against whom considerable prejudice exist in the minds of important sectors, especially the powerful business - sector and the international community which are playing lead roles in the conduct of Sri Lankan affairs. At a meeting with the President in February third week business leaders aired their fears about the emergence of the JVP which had organized wildcat Strikes in industrial establishments. President Kumaratunga allayed their fears by issuing stern Warning to the JVP accusing it of wanton sabotage. Would she be able to adopt such sternness if JVP stages strikes in the coming months, business leaders query.
Analysts dismiss those fears as unjustified. The JVP is currently concerned about maintaining the new image it is building for itself a responsible, reasonable, respectful image and presenting itself as a group that is keen to promote the welfare of the people. It is dinning into the minds of the people that it values "principled politics” and more the interests of the people than the interests of its members or leaders.
A calculated campaign to tarnish this image has been unleashed in the past week. The UNP and the privately owned media over which it holds influence are at it. The fact that the JVP had ordered the import often new BMWs is being used to show that its parliamentarians are going the way of other politicians: the path of luxury; like other politicians they too preach one thing and practice another. The ten members now use an old van to transport them to parliament. The critics also use the recent 10 percent rise in the price of bread to prove that the government had begun to fool the JVP. A cap on prices, especially of essen
tial goods, for one promises the JVPe) ernment in exchang These are triv charges are beingle on two main ground The MOU did not p lution to the ethnic rious problem the ci forbids the Governn any agreement with and denies it the free lution of power.
Tilvin Silva was dia on this lapse on reply was that that their attention durin
ernment,
As exasperated: The next time Pir; bomb are you going about him? All that join the mirth.
But when Presic Foreign Minister Lu the MOU did not pr ing to the LTTE, V could discuss with would oppose any a mented within one
JVP and the Ethn The ideological the ethnic problem time. In late 1960s hala Only policy ofS Government In its pansionism - one of cadre - Federal Par tool of expansionism workers as foreigne cibly expatriated. W zation of the party revamped stressing elimination of all fo nation, granting of abandoning of the p triation of plantatic ognition of the right of the Tamil peopl newsletter called "S don branch issued in porting self-detern people. However, t the JVP failed to h headway among Ta Since 1985, J Sinhala nationalist dian involvement i the Indo-Sri Lanka Currently, it oppos talks with the LTTE

TAM TIMES 19
year was one of the (tracted from the gove for its support.
ial charges. Serious veled against the JVP is: war and economy. ay attention to the soproblem, the most seountry faces. In fact it ment from working out the LTTE for one year edom to agreeto devo
questioned by the meSeptember 4 and his matter did not receive g talks with the Gov
Sinhala reporter asked: abaharan explodes a to say that you forgot Tilvin Silva did was to
lent Kumaratunga and Xman Kadirgamar said event them from talkWeerawansa said they the LTTE but they greement being impleyear.
ic Problem
Stand of the JVP on changed from time to JVP justified the SinSirimavo Bandaranaike lecture on Indian Exthe five lectures to its ty was identified as a hand Indian plantation rs who need to be forWith the 1977 reorganiits Tamil policy was on the need for the rms of racial discrimiequal status for Tamil, olicy offorcible repain labour and the rect of self-determination e. It started a Tamil hen Shakthi.” Its Lon1981 a statement suphination of the Tamil he pro-Tamil stand of elp the party to make mill youth. WP returned to the stand and opposed inn the ethnic issue and Peace Accord of 1987. es Norway facilitated and demands that the
LTTE should drop its Eelam demand before the government talks to it.
JVP parliamentarian Nandana Gunatilleke rejected government claims that there was no bar to the Norwegian-backed peace moves with the LTTE. However, government ministers put on a brave face and said there was no contractual impediment for peace talks and the government's ambitious plan to "restructure public enterprises" meaning privatization.
“Our stand is that you can't have talks with the Tigers unless they give up their demand for a separate state," Gunatilleke said. "If the government wants to start talks with the Tigers now, then it is something that is outside the agreement we have with them. At that time, we will take care of it' The Government is offering to talk to the LTTE to satisfy the international community and to show it that it was the LTTE that is the villain of peace and not itself. To appease the JVP President Kumaratunga told the media on September 14 that the LTTE had agreed last year to drop the Eelam demand.
LTTE negotiator Anton Balasingham criticised the Government's position as deception and demanded that it should amend its MOU with the JVP which bans talking about devolution of power if it is genuine about recommencing peace talks.
On the economic front the Government had agreed with the JVP not to enter into any new agreement with the IMF that would be detrimental to the people of Sri Lanka and not to proceed with privatization. Under an International Monetary Fund agreement, the government has to raise 275 million dollars from privatization to qualify for a 253 million dollar credit. The Government is saying privatization will precede, especially the sale of the remaining Sri Lanka Telecom shares.
With these basic conflicts the question now asked is: Will the JVP continue to prop President Kumaratunga government, and for how long?
Many in the business sector and international community wish the collapse of the PA-JVP agreement. Some hope for the revival of the PA-UNP talks which collapsed over the question of powers to the prime minister, the post which was of fered to Ranil Wickremesinghe. But Ranil entertains the hope that he can to defeat the Government in parliament with the help of PA rebels headed by Peiris and Dissanayake and thereafter form a Government headed by him. But he has been nursing this hope formany years now without much Success.

Page 20
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Page 21
15 SEPTEMBER 2001
Taking Risk for Sta UVP's NeW ROle in P
Lakshman Gunasekera
"The progress of this world depends on the maintenance of order and the proper functioning of government,” observed Kautilya Chanakya Vishnugupta some two thousand years ago in his Arthasastra (Arth. 1:4.4).
“Ratey sthaavarathvaya sandahaa api risk ekak ganna oney (we must take a risk for the country's stability)," argued Wimal Weerawansa MP, the chief spokesman of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna at a JVP media briefing last week to explain why the Peramuna was agreeing to support the People’s Alliance government.
"Order', 'proper government' and "risk ekak, are the catchwords of the times. That “order' is important has been obvious to most in this part of the world at least since Kautilya made the point. "Proper government' is something which has recently become important again as the country endeavours to reverse the trends of authoritarianism and constitutional mayhem that peaked with the last United National Party regime.
Mr. Weerawansa's "risk ekak' is very real in these times of insurgency, covert killings and a barely ended regime of torture, detention and death squads. Very much like the entrepreneurship so necessary for the unbridled capitalism the IMF and World Bank (and a few local laissez faire dogmatists) would like to impose on us, "risk eka is something all politicians must take if they are to succeed.
The JVP, more than any other group of politicians here should know all about the physical risks of politics here. Many in its ranks and leadership today are survivors of tremendous risks during the JVP’s bloody Second Insurgency (1987-91) and the State's incomparably bloodier counter-insurgency. And the JVP's current leaders are heirs to an even older tradition of risk taken in the First Insurgency of 1971.
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has also learnt about phy
sical risks the harc death of her fathe her husband-cumfinally, from her and permanent d guerrilla bombing, And Velupillai comrades are anoth takers along with militant movemen is to stretch the me the more passived experience, all of living in times of i the most violent c age this island sinc began here.
Politicians, of c various reasons. I very personal obje status or, it could sons of governance it could be for a m There are son have not had to tak journey to power a cause they are rich or to buy fame and and others becaust the already politic The JVP is cle a mix of reasons. T those politically o capitalist social mo resents who will a motives are purely power interests in If that were the not be what it is toc years, two succes JVPershave riskec violent contest for dividual selves bu Rohana Wijeweer cialist revolutiona First Insurgency ir just for themselves groups of impov people. Even if W of personal power deaths of many riv

bility': Olitics
way: first from the , then the death of fellow activist, and own narrow escape sability caused by
Prabhakaran and his er elite band of riskhe rest of the Tamil t. Of course, if one aning of the word to mensions of human us Sri Lankans are mmense risk due to onflict to ever rave human habitation
'ourse, take risks for t could simply for ctives of power and pe for altruistic reaand social need. Or, ix of the two. he politicians who e much risk in their nd status - some be2nough to be famous thereby, win power of their kinship to illy powerful. arly taking risks for here are cynics and pposed to the antivement the JVP reprgue that the JVP's to do with personal the long term. case, the JVP would ay. In the past thirty sive generations of their very lives in a power - not for int for social causes. and his band of sories launched their 1971 for power not but for entire social rished, powerless jeweera did dream and engineered the al political activists
TAMILTIMES 21
in intricate manoeuvres for power, he also had the compulsion of the social interests of millions behind him. That is why his people-based insurgency went as far as it did. And that is why the JVP still flourishes as a political movement despite the elimination of successive generations of leadership. That is also why the Tamil militant movement flourishes as a social movement and not merely as a (small)"band of terrorists' as its detractors would like to fantasize. Wimal Weerawansa talked about risks in answering questions by journalists as to whether the JVP was aware that its new understanding with the People's Alliance could be far less than the stipulated 12 month period, and was a fragile and uncertain political relationship; that the Peramuna was attempting something which may not succeed at all.
The JVP was fully aware of the risk of failure; of the uncertainty of the whole project of probationary government, he replied. Both he and party General Secretary Tilvin de Silva argued that there was no option: the risks had to be run in order to try to return the country to even a modicum of stability.
This is exactly the same logic as that of the People's Alliance when, in 1994, with a just a single-seat majority in Parliament, the Alliance not only initiated a cease-fire and peace talks with the LTTE, but also launched on ambitious programme of constitutional reform - a programme it constantly asked the Opposition parties to join and which the UNP reluctantly did join. This was quite in contrast to the failure of the UNP under J.R. Jayawardanato convene the "all-party conference'it promised to summon within a year on winning the general election of 1977 with a five-sixths' parliamentary majority. Even though it had little to risk, the UNP risked nothing at all and did nothing at all for nearly a decade except to exacerbate the ethnic conflict with Successive, engineered anti-Tamil pogroms (so well discussed by Rajan Hoole in his recent book).
The JVP, then, is taking risks for complex political purposes today just as much as Chandrika Kumaratunga and the PA is doing. And its logic is similar to that of the President - stability in the face of a vacuum of power

Page 22
22 TAMILTIMES
engineered by hostile Opposition political groups ready to de-stabilise the whole country in their search for instant governmental power.
Quite unlike the PA and the JVP, Ranil Wickremasingha's UNP is not prepared to take risks to gain power. Rather, Mr. Wickremasingha is prepared to place the whole country at risk simply to attain personal power the easy way, having failed to win it through elections. Similarly there are elements in the People's Alliance too for whom personal power is more important than social interests or needs.
The risk the JVP is taking is not for immediate governmental power. Rather, if successful, the influence the Peramuna hopes to wield through its political pact with the PA will, on the one hand, bring social and political credit to it and, on the other hand, ensure a more level playing field of politics to enable the party to perform better in future parliamentary contests.
The JVP is a political formation representing some of the most socially disadvantaged in the country and one that, due to its social base, is quite disadvantaged compared with the richer, socially diverse, centrist and right-wing parties. Hence, its interest in independent commissions as mechanisms of presumably neutral administration (if the modern State can ever be neutral) that could help reduce the intimidatory politics of the more powerful parties during electoral contests. Hence also, its demands for restraint on privatisation and free market economics in order to ease the burden on the poor.
Nevertheless, as Wimal Weerawansa himself pointed out in that news conference at the Hotel Nippon, the JVP could have simply sat on the sidelines and not taken any risk at all - at least till the crisis matured further. It was the imminent danger of a vacuum in governance and of the possibility of right-wing conspiracies to take power circumventing the electoral process that drove the JVP to act sooner rather than later.
The JVP representatives at that news conference were generous enough to acknowledge the risks that President Kumaratunga and the PA were also taking in submitting to the Peramuna’s conditionality. Both Messrs. Weerawansa and de Silva spoke of the "cour
age' of the President ing much to come to the JVP.
The President ha of managing an un government within th policy constraints im JVP accord. She mu sion of the coalition alty of aspiring ba some of the conveni politics such as mir and perquisites. The promising not indul patronage politics b have been readily a the exigencies ofash pelled such indulge coalition dynamics by means other than fully by persuasion political commitmer of good governance. by its morally corre astute) refusal to ta governmental pie in liamentary supportf liantly shown the W the PA’s party mana to those ambitious P must decided wheth and status (even afte tising) is more impo cohesion for the pur the face of war and tion.
If the JVP has adroitness in politic ing this deal with t begun showing a q gets closer to the power.
There were ma tious about the pro: tie-up because of the dogmatic oppositio1 ethnic power-sharin that JVP condition: the Government fi initiatives in peacethere are fears that ioned dogmatism a gerous simplicism could disrupt the cu namics without the tive structures and devised to replace
However, it is p with the PA to prop of an under-develo

15 SEPTEMBER 2001
nd the PA in riskn agreement with
the daunting task wieldy coalition e disciplinary and posed by the PAit retain the coheis well as the loyk-benchers sans nces of patronage isterial portfolios PA came to power ge in such lavish ut, as PA leaders lmitting recently, aky coalition comnce. Now, intramust be managed patronage - hopeand a revival of it to proper norms After all, the JVP, ct (and politically ke a share of the return for its parprthe PA, has brilay. It is all up to gers. It is also up A politicians who her personal pride r presidential chasrtant than political pose of stability in conomic devasta
shown remarkable al strategy in makhe PA, it has also ick maturing as it entre of political
y who were caupect of a PA-JVP JVP's persistently to peace talks and The fear has been lity could restrain pm taking further making. Similarly, he JVP's old-fashnd even more dann economic policy Tenteconomic dyfacility of alternatrajectories being
1611),
ossible that its pact up the government )ed capitalist State
has confronted the JVP with the practicalities of managing that State - especially in the context of a devastating ethnic war. At their news conference, Messrs. Weeravansa and de Silva indicated a significant shift in the JVP's posture towards peace talks: they indicated a readiness to allow peace talks on the condition that the LTTE eschews its secessionist project. This is probably the first time that JVP has shown readiness to entertain negotiations with the LTTE.
It is also possible that in the arena of economic management, too, the JVP may adopt more flexible positions. Af ter all, the Peramuna is no longer on the sidelines but must prop up the government of the day to enable it to proceed with managing the economy, the nation and also, a debilitating conflict. Here is the opportunity for the JVP to demonstrate that it is a political formation with the capacity to take over, in the future, the governance of a multiethnic, multi-class society which requires social and political transcendence. If it is to govern, the JVP has to learn to transcend its current politics of representing the interests of merely one social group that may have been in its original political constituency. Its abandonment of revolutionary strategy means that the Peramuna must learn to work through the complexities ofbourgeois political-economy evenas it grapples with the larger challenge of nationstate formation posed by the ethnic conflict. The heirs of Wijeweera must now sit alongside the representatives of the capitalist class as well as the militants of ethnic exclusivism and deal with them - whether or not the constraints of capitalism and ethno-nationalism can be overcome.
Messrs. Weerawansa and de Silva, at their news conference, were already talking of the masses having to make “sacrifices'. This was precisely on the question of the Peramuna having to compromise on some of its long term policies in order to help prop up the PA government.
Can they persuade their original social base - the rural and semi-rural Sinhalapoor and disadvantaged lower middle class-that short term sacrifices must be made and new perspectives adopted if peace and economic security is to be won in the long term?
(Courtesy: The Sunday Observer)

Page 23
15 SEPTEMBER 2001
Ethnic Confli Taking Risk fOr a Better Fu
Dr. S. Narapalasingam
ince 1957 when the BandaranaikeChelwanyagam pact was abrogated following the protest by the Sinhala Buddhist nationalists and the UNP which was then the main opposition party, several opportunities to settle the ethnic conflict have been lost. These failures intensified the conflict, turning it into a vicious war, which has resulted in the loss of over 64,000 lives and assets worth several billion Rupees. Nearly a million people have been displaced from their habitats and the population has faced many hardships. The country's economy and the administrative and Social structures have all been shattered. The country is in deep political, economic and moral crises. The very foundations for building a vibrant nation in which the people of all races can look forward to economic, cultural and social progress have been damaged.
All these ruinous effects are wellknown to all sensible persons. Yet the Sinhala and Tamil leaders have been reluctant to move away from their respective rigid positions on the long-standing ethnic conflict making its settlement difficult. Those who want a settlement within a united Sri Lanka, cannot be ignorant of the fact that without unity and political stability in a multi-ethnic country Such as ours, peace and prosperity will remain elusive for all the ethnic communities. Any serious move towards reconciliation and unity aimed at securing lasting peace in Sri Lanka cannot ignore the importance of finding practical ways to unite the divided Society.
Deep-seated suspicions and anxieties amongst the Sinhalese and Tamil communities have sustained their uncompromising positions. The war for separation has also received sympathy and support amongsta section of theTamil community because of their distrust in the governments that have since independence ignored the sovereign rights and concerns of the minorities. Constitutional reforms aimed at resolving the ethnic conflict if and when presented and approved by the Parliament with twothirds majority cannot remove instantly the mutual suspicions and anxieties and the distrust of the Tamils in governments controlled by the majority community. With the recent agreement between the minority PA
government and JVP. to restructure the nat devolve powers to have been shelved fo less, without meanin fears of both Sinhale imagined it will not such fundamental rel necessary to recognis positions of the Sinh the factors that supp(
The Sinhala Posit The general posit on the ethnic issue ( comments of a read Weekend Express of 1. The LTTE can
only want talks i rearm and to gai ternationally. Tł Eelam. Any agri ernment will onl to their goal. 2. The Tamils have countries wher. they can seek ri have nowhere tc Any devolution ( on a slippery sl bly lead to sepa ence ofa separat central province of the Tamils of reside) to rise ir with it. 4. If India were to c rate state will m and bring unbea Sinhala state an 5. Even with limite a separate State area exclusively pled with the ri ploit, the rest of The view of til unwinnable war is pre that will inevitably le of the nation and sta ing that is behind the solute federal syster feared destruction is a without federalism. S too war is preferable
3

TAM TIMES 23
ct:
S ture
2onstitutional reforms ure of the State and to he ethnic minorities r one year. Neverthegful steps to allay the se and Tamils, real or be easy to introduce orms. It is, therefore, e the two conflicting alese and Tamils and rt them.
ion ion of the Sinha-lese 'an be seen from the 2r published in The 21-22, July 2001: not be trusted. They in order to regroup, to npolitical mileage inheir only objective is eement with the govy be a step on the way
communities in many 2, in theory at least, fuge. The Sinhalese go except to the sea. fpower will be a step ope and will inevitarate state. The existestate will induce the
(where the majority recent Indian origin rebellion and merge
isintegrate, this separge with Tamil Nadu rable pressure on the
population. d devolution short of the Tamils want an for themselves couht to live in, and exthe country. e reader that "an erable to a settlement ad to the destruction e', shows the thinkopposition to an ab. Paradoxically, the ready underway even milarly to the LTTE o a settlement that is
forced on them without the political independence they want to escape from Sinhala hegemony.
V.P. Vittachi in his book, Sri Lanka - What went wrong?' has commented on the distrust of the Sinhalese in India since the time Britain gave independence to Sri Lanka. Not only the role of big brother' played by India in the 1950s and 1960s but also her direct role in the 1980's in first supporting the resistance of the Tamil rebel groups against J.R. Jayewardene's government and subsequently imposing on Sri Lanka apolitical solution to the ethnic problem have been detested by many Sinhalese. Besides the fear of Indian hegemony, the presence of nearly 60 million Tamils in south India has contributed to a psychological fear. The Tamil leaders in Sri Lanka by seeking the support of the political parties in Tamil Nadu at dificult times have sustained the suspicions and the fears of the Sinhalese of Tamil domination.
The Tamil Position
The neglect of the North-East region inhabited largely by the Tamils and Muslims was blatantly discriminatory and this coupled with other discriminations in university admission, official language and employment in the public sector, the governments themselves promoted the two-nations concept. The Sinhala nation received favoured treatment, while the Tamils were neglected because they were considered to bethe descendants ofancient invaders. Significantly, under major colonization schemes implemented in this region many Sinhalese families from outside the Tamil region were settled there. This being the only major development programme implemented in this region, the Tamils viewed it as the insidious aim of the Sinhalese leaders to alter its ethnic composition. Additionally assigning Sinhala names to villages in the North-East which have been known by their Tamil names for centuries showed the intent of governments to marginalise the Tamils territorially.
An article published in "The Island' of 9 August 2001 by "A Thamilan" lists the problems of being a Tamil in Sri Lanka. In 1955, S. W.R.D. Bandaranaike keen to capture power came up with the slogan of 'Sinhala Only in 24 hours. With this votewinning move, he became the Prime Ministerin April 1956 and “started implementing the promise on which he rode to power.” The contributor's comment that after the adoption of this policy, "a fringe group known as the Federal Party which would have died a natural death, if not for Sinhala Only, suddenly became popular among the Tamils and won many seats in Parliament,” is also applicable to subsequent acts of omission and commission which gave rise

Page 24
24 TAMILTIMES
to the violent struggle for separation.
The media-wise standardization of examination marks for selecting students to the universities as intended denied entry to many capable Tamil students who were qualified to enter on the strength of their raw marks. This scheme was introduced by the government led by Mrs. Srimavo Bandaranaike to please the Sinhalese. Like many other Sinhalese leaders, Mrs. Bandaranaike too compromised long-term national objectives for short-term political gains. This has been the trend to this day and the Sinhalese too are paying dearly for this general weakness of their leaders.
Having pledged to address the grievances of the Tamils in 1976, the UNP leader J.R. Jayewardene after obtaining the unprecedented five-sixths majority in the general elections opted to take up a belligerent stand on the Tamil issue. He truly believed that by physical force the Tamils could be subjugated and compelled to give up their demands. Although the LTTE reluctantly agreed to accept the 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord, it later rejected the Provincial Council system introduced in terms of the Accord because the arrangement did not fulfil their political ambition. No genuine desire
Subsequent events confirmed the view that there was no genuine desire by the gov
ernment to devolve pc The system was simp the then exigency whe ending the ethnic cond sands of Sri Lankan T Seeking refuge there. I sincere desire of the go the development of th the aspirations of the It was also quite clea Sri Lanka did not wan ing any special status merged North-East re. though limited to spec be devolved to all ot metrically. With the North-East Provincial is now a white elepha lessly large amounts c
V.P. Vittachi's d ghout the British occ and for many decades Jaffna Tamils had a dis tage over the Sinhales and well paid employn lenged. The Tamils we because they denied Sinhalese to learn anc for the lucrative jobst education as a means
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15 SEPTEMBER 2001
vers to the regions. y a device to meet India was keen on ict that drove thoumils to Tamil Nadu did not emerge as a ernment to promote regions or to meet amils and Muslims. that both India and to be seen as granto the (temporarily) ion. Hence, powers fic subjects have to her provinces symdissolution of the Council, the system nt consuming needfpublic funds. 2scription, throupation of Sri Lanka after independence, proportionate advanin higher education ment” cannot be chalrein this position not opportunities for the | compete with them ut because they used to earn a living. oted that "the climate employment in Co
lombo was considered vital for survival.” There were many Jaffna Tamils like this writer's father with some English education who had found employment in the Federation of Malay States and Burma for the very same reason. The Tamil resentment was with the way, the successive governments embarked on correcting this imbalance. Not only the method aimed to deprive the Tamils of opportunities in education and employment without opening alternative avenues for livelihood but also it exhibited revenge.
The aversion to develop industries, ports and other sectors in the North-East, despite the known potential to boost the country's exports was also because this region was not Sinhala land. Thus, the concept of two ethnically divided territories in Sri Lanka was given meaning and vitality by the Sinhalese leaders. V. Thirunavukkarasu in his rejoinder titled, "Sri Lanka's real tragedy of errors” published in “The Weekend Express' of 21-22, July 2001, has quite rightly said - “the LTTE is the very product of the sins of omission and commission of successive Sinhala chauvinist rulers.”
Hardening of Extreme Positions
With the resumption of attacks by the
LTTE immediately after withdrawing from
the peace talks in 1995 and the subsequent
IAL FARESTO
LOMBO
ERDESTINATIONS
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Wslmail.co.uk Website: http:llwww.linkair.co.uk
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Page 25
issEPTEMBER 2001
'war for peace' waged by the government, the two extreme positions of the Sinhalese and the Tamils hardened. What happened since then was “destruction, rape and death on a massive scale.” The victims of rape were all Tamil girls and women and the criminals were the members of the security forces. With the exception of one case, namely that of the young girl Krishanthi Kumaraswamy, the culprits who had raped and murdered other Tamil women were not brought to book.
Attempts to cover up the horrid crimes committed by Security personnel against Tamil civilians only made the situation worse. The revenge attacks committed by some members of the security forces against the Tamils presuming they were “Tamil Tigers' or their associates had only helped the Eelamists in their propaganda campaign. No efforts were made by the PA government to win the confidence of the Tamils and draw them away from the extreme position taken up by the LTTE and its sympathizers.
The “war forpeace”and the stalled constitutional reforms that were initiated in 1995 belied the expectation of the Tamil masses that the new leader Chandrika Kumaratunga would be their Saviour. Merely repeating her belief in a political settlement via constitutional reforms without demonstrating the government's commitment to it by meaningful actions that were possible under existing constitutional provisions, the President was seen to be concerned more about the war than the peace effort.
Glaring contradictions
A precise review of the party politics and the thinking of political leaders that had directly or indirectly influenced many acts of omission and commission in Sri Lanka over the past several decades (V.P. Vittachi has covered in great detail the J.R. Jayewardene era in his book) shows glaringly two sorts of contradictions. One is between the expressed views of leaders on important national issues while in the opposition and what they actually do after acquiring the seats of power. The other is between their words and deeds while holding the reins of government. When these contradictions relate to matters affecting the minorities, the distrust of the minorities in the ruling party gets intensified. The two rival political parties have no compelling reason to be concerned about winning or losing the trust of the minorities, when under the unitary system their political fortune depends largely on the preference of the Sinhala voters. This too is another reason for the Tamils to reject this system altogether. Many Sinhala nationalists believe that Sri Lanka is the country of the Sinhala Bud
dhist. (For examp Thamilan by B.H.G. tember 1, 2001.) At ject the concept of a the Tamils have a co mon language, a com tradition, a defined ti way of life. It must perception of many a separate Tamil Nati of self-determinatic their rights and conc successive governm ence. It was the com claim of Sinhala-Bu policies and actions intrinsically on this
In a truly unbias article (Some thoug The Island Septem Wickremesekere col peting “historical cla Tamil nationalists ha ful purpose would be these so-called histo ments' as these will litical solution to th will secure lasting p wisely viewed the torical perspective Lanka would have prosperous nation, wanted to imitate th gapore without adop
Interestingly, it the Kandyan Sinhal eral system in the la would be discrimina low-country Sinhale it was the minority criminated after ind ernments dominatec low-country Sinhale only adequate repres ment to prevent beir majority Sinhalese. a federal state only a problems than the K 1930s. It is relevant leaders accepted the Soulbury constitutic leaders gave the ass would not be subju Sinhalese.
Broken promises
The saga of brok pacts, non-implemer cies and disregard of acted under the amer visions to deal with faced by the minori ened the grounds for Colombo. A case in made to the Official years of Sinhala O

TÁÍLTIMES 25
ble see the reply to in “The Island' of Septhe same time, they reTamil nation, although mmon identity, a common history, a cultural erritory and a common pe emphasised that the Tamils as belonging to on and having the right n emerged only after erns were neglected by nents since independpelling response to the uddhist nation and the of governments based notion. ed and soul-searching hts for a constitution - mber 5, 2001), Percy mmenting on the comims' of the Sinhala and as pointed out "no useserved by entering into rical claims and argu| not help to find a pote ethnic problem that eace. If the leaders had future not from a hisbut futuristically, Sri been a peaceful and Sri Lankan leaders e development of Sinting this attitude was not the Tamils but ese who wanted a fedte 1920s, fearing they ted as a minority by the ese. But paradoxically, Tamils who were disependence by the govi by the Kandyan and se. Tamils wanted then :entation in the governg discriminated by the The Tamils demanded fter experiencing more Candyans feared in the to note that the Tamil unitary system in the on after the Sinha-lese urance that the Tamils gated by the majority
s en promises, abrogated tation ofdeclared polif the legislative acts ennded constitutional prosome major problems ties had also strengthsevering the links with point is the amendment Language Act after 31 nly, whereupon Tamil
also became an official language. But even in 2001, this has not made life easy formany Tamils because the equal status given to Tamil is largely on paper.
The rapid erosion of the trust the Tamils had initially in the unitary system of government, is in sum due to the unwillingness of the Sinhalese leaders to accept that Sri Lanka is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-regional country (the diverse regional features originating from the different settlement patterns of Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims) and act accordingly. The inability of some Sinhalese leaders to comprehend the nature of the ethnic problem is also due to their majoritarian mind-set. The influence that the Sinhalese extremists, including the powerful Buddhist prelates have over the elected governments has been a major obstacle to a peaceful settlement of the problem. As a result of this peculiar practice, not only national unity but also democracy has been compromised.
For all these reasons, the Tamits want a political arrangement within a united Sri Lanka that will enable them to exercise their sovereign rights for their advancement and security with some control of the government in Colombo for safeguarding the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.
JVP’s Doctrinaire Approach
Those who refer to the JVP as a Marxist party, have not understood fully the principles of Marxism. Sinhalachauvinism has no place in it. JVP wants to strengthen and preserve the unitary system with all its weaknesses that the ethnic minorities have rejected after enduring discrimination, indignity, insecurity and denial of their collective rights since independence. JVP had in the past shown its chauvinistic colour whenever a political solution to the ethnic problem was considered. It opposed fiercely the 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord. In July 1995, JVP called for a referendum on the devolution proposals drafted by Dr. Neelan Thiruchelvam and Professor G.L. Peiris stating that concessions to minority Tamils amounted to a betrayal of the nation. In October 1997, it joined with the influential Buddhist clergy to oppose the government's ethnic peace plan. JVP has also objected strongly to Norway's efforts to bring about a negotiated settlement of the ethnic conflict. Its pro-Sinhala nationalist stand does not allow foreign organisations to perform a similar role.
Accordingto the Memorandum ofUnderstanding between the PA and JVP that was signed on September 5, the government must refrain from bringing in proposals for devolution of power or any other proposals that may lead to controversy until a broad

Page 26
26 TAMILTIMES
consensus is reached in cooperation with all segments of society. In effect, this means that without a southern consensus the centralised system that has served mainly the interests of the Sinhalese cannot be altered. Tilvin Silva, general secretary of the JVP in an interview with the Sunday Times (September 9, 2001) clarified his party's stand on the national issue. He said: "The government wants to devolve power but we want to give equal rights and to restore democracy to solve the national issue.” JVP has also indicated that a solution on the above basis should be first drawn up and then the peace talks with the LTTE can begin, provided its leader “denounces Eelam publicly." JVP with a Marxist label playing the role of honest promoter of democracy and political stability has not considered the continuing ethnic conflict to be a major cause for the present crisis. When Karl Marx called for the unity of workers, he did not restrict it to any particular ethnic group.
As Percy Wickremesekere has stated in his article referred to earlier, "a constitution of a country cannot merely address the needs and aspirations of a section of its people even though that section happens to be the majority in the country. It cannot be a constitution that satisfies the aspirations of only sixty or seventy percent of the people although that percentage represents a majority of the peo
ple in the country. This try like Sri Lanka wher. of linguistic and relig Therefore, the constitu should address the grc country.” JVP’s doctrina the ethnic problem has the turmoil and disunit the centralised admini have today apolariseds separation of our moth
Taking Risks?
The ground realitie are such that granting ec ing democracy within th not convince the major ple that they need not f discriminations and tribu past several decades. F sion making Tamil also hadnoimpact on the T Wimal Weerawa spokesman of the JVP said that the Peramun the risk of failure of t "probationary governm cal time, “there was no to be run in order to try to even a modicum ofs planation given for prc ity PA government for
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more so in a counsubstantial sections us minorities live. on to be acceptable und realities in the re approach to solve completely ignored
that emerged from trative system. We ociety and a de facto Irland.
; in Sri Lanka today ual rights and restore unitary system will ty of the Tamil peo:ar about the kind of lations faced over the Ir instance the proviSanofficial language mil speaking people. nsa MP, the chief at a media briefing was fully aware of he whole project of ent'. But at this critioption: the risks had to return the country tability", was the expping up the minorone year. Surely, if
the JVP leaders are sincere Marxists they could have tried to build trust between the divided communities. There were not even any encouraging words to build trust between the divided communities. JVP never even thought of what President Chandrika Kumaratunga did in 1994 to convince the Sinhalese people about the validity of Tamil grievances and the need to solve their problems. Are these not worthy causes for taking risks?
The concluding remarks of Percy Wickremesekere are also very relevant for solving the ethnic problem and achieving lasting peace. "We are aware that in making these proposals we may very well incur the wrath of those false Sinhala Veerayas beating their war drums far far away from the theatre of war and even our friends in the JVP who parade before our people as the guardian angels of the unitary state. It is our view that incurring the wrath of these sections is well worth and a paltry price to pay if we could put an end to this senseless war and begin the process of uniting our divided motherland - the motherland of both the Sinhalese speaking and Tamil speaking people.” Unless all the parties including the JVP take the risks and strive to solve the ethnic problem in a realistic way taking into consideration the ground realities, there is little hope for a better future for the vast majority of the people of all races.
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Page 27
15 SEPTEMBER 2001
Jayalatha Bat Hard for Surv
G Sambedkar
t is indeed some very troubled times for Jayalalitha. The ticking of the clock has begun to assume rather menacing tones for her as the deadline for her to get elected to the Assembly is closing in on her.
If she is not into the legislature by Nov. 14 this year, she will have to step aside, nominate someone else as the new Chief Minister and wait out till she manages to have the conviction in corruption cases reversed.
She is leaving no stones unturned in her efforts to get a speedy hearing from the courts on her revision petitions, and of course a favourable verdict too. Such is the reputation of the Indian judicial system that the general belief is whatever the merits of her case, she would be able to obtain a "not guilty' verdict sooner than later and re-emerge as the Chief Minister, even if she is constrained to resign for a short period in the interim.
But her arch rival Karunanidhi is not keeping quiet either. Using his clout at the Centre to the hilt, he is checkmating her at every move.
Jayalalitha has been sentenced to varying terms in three corruption cases. In the Kodaikanal Pleasant Stay Hotels case, she was convicted to a one year rigorous imprisonment. It was when protesting this sentence that the AIADMK cadres had set afire to a college bus in which three girl students perished.
The stronger blow was in the TANSI land scam, which relates to the sale of the properties of the Tamil Nadu Small Industries Corporation (TANSI) to the Jaya Publications and the Sasi Enterprises at well-below the market rates, causing a huge loss to the exchequer. While in the Jaya Publications case, she was awarded a three-year term, in the other she got two years.
It was the conviction in the TANSI cases which blocked her way during the recent Assembly polls. She should have hoped that if only she was voted back to power and she somehow managed to
get herself installe (housing the states get the sentences re test a by-election, that her continuan ister for the rest of Since the Ele norms stipulate th to two years of rig is disqualified from her first priority or Minister was to h; victions reversed. Strings were appeals up, to the pending cases in th ing what was going oners challenged her when cases d years ago were stil brushed aside by date was set for th the hearing.
But destiny se plans for her. At th this article (Sep.5) be stacked against afloat with rumou, down any time, by a possible advers preme Court on th tions filed against Yes, two pub petitions filed in questioning the va ment as the Chief electoral disqualif upset all her fond
While many alacrity with whic Fathima Beevi ha Chief Minister, t make an issue ofi as they were by th In as much thi gone topolls proje Ministerial candic qualification and must be construg pardoned by the p ments respected,
Still the TAN

TAMITMES 27
ing va
d in Fort St.George ecretariat), she could versed, go onto conwin and thus ensure ce as the Chief Minthe term too. ction Commission at anyone sentenced orous imprisonment contestingelections, becoming the Chief ave the TANSI con
pulled to move her very top of the list of ne High Court. Sensgon, a couple ofpristhe priority given to ating back to seven pending. They were the judiciary, and a e commencement of
ems to have different le moment ofwriting , the odds seemed to her, and Chennai was rs that she could step way of pre-empting e verdict in the Sue Quo Warranto petiher. lic interest litigation the Supreme Court lidity of her appointMinister despite her ication seem to have calculations. vere surprised at the h the then Governor d her sworn in as the hey did not seek to at that time, stunned escale of her victory. : AIADMK front had cting her as the Chief ate even after her disthe front had won, it d that she had been eople and their sentit was argued. SI cases could not be
wished away, and hence a lot of energy was expended on nullifying them. The saga, with its innumerable twists and turns, js ideal material for a political thriller.
Actually the case in which she stands accused of accumulating wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income was said to be far more damaging to her. She would get the maximum punishment contemplated under the Prevention of Corruption Act, seven years of rigorous imprisonment, it used to be confidently predicted.
But with the change of regime, the Special Court proceedings have been turned into a virtual charade, and no one expects anything much to happen in that
CdSC IOW.
To be on the safe side Jayalalitha filed revision petitions in both the TANSI and the Pleasant Stay Hotels cases. The idea was that while a TANSI acquittal could help her contest elections, still someone could challenge her continuance if her conviction in the Hotels case was not reversed, and hence it too should be reversed.
First the TASNSI cases were posted against a judge who had let her off lightly when a public interest litigation petition was filed challenging traffic disruption and other inconvenience caused during her now disowned foster son Sudhagaran’s wedding in 1995.
But reportedly thanks to the pressure mounted by the DMK on the Centre, the case was pulled out from the listings at the last moment and posted before another judge.
When the DMK wanted to know how fairness could be expected on the part of the prosecution when the AIADMK was in power, the court appointed a special public prosecutor for the purpose, K.V.Venkatapathy who was actually the government's counsel in the TANSI cases during the DMK regime. Next it was revealed that the court had chosen to hear only Jayalalitha's revision petitions in the TANSI and Pleasant Stay Hotels cases and not those of the others convicted. The SPP raised objections. The new judge would only say that he had been directed to hear her petitions only.
The attention turned to the role of the then Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, N.K.Jain. A signature campaign was launched against him, and the

Page 28
28 TAMILTIMES
DMK added to the pressure. Justice Jain was abruptly shifted to the Karnataka High Court. Then the SPP demanded that he begiven enough time to go through the voluminous documents, running to thousands of pages, before taking on the defence. The request was turned down, and the hearings commenced. Legal luminaries like K.K.Venugopal started arguing her case.
In between a former official of the registration department who had first submitted that the TANSI lands were sold at prices below the guideline values now claimed that such a submission had been born out of nonapplication of mind.
Actually the property in question lay in the Alandur suburbs, not in the costlier Adyar region. Now the sudden realization came to him after he was suspended on the last day of his service by the present Jayalalitha government.
And the submission was made before the Special Court trying a third TANSI case involving a private firm and in which case Jayalalitha or Sasikala are not among the accused.
The strategy was clear. Since the High Court itself would not entertain any fresh submissions from any of the witnesses, and the case is argued out only on points of law, the AIADMK hoped to raise suspicions both in the minds of the judges and the public on
the credibility of the through such submissio Venugopal’s argut Somersault, the judge's seemed to point to a ha Jayalalitha. But SPP Ve plans. He promptly w. Court praying that the out of Tamil Nadu. Equ terim injunction was gr one by surprise.
Even before she co blow, a five-member started its hearings on petitions. Right from judges seemed to mak clear.
“What will happen What are the contingen Should the cabinet with her? If, as you say, only respecting the p making Jayalalitha the though she had been ele then where is the place of things? Could anyon fied on any grounds, bé government simply bec him or her?...”
Advocate Venugop cope with such a fusill believed to have appris
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ntire TANSI case, lS. ent, the official's attitude, everything py denouement for katapathy had other nt to the Supreme dase be transferred illy promptly an ininted, taking every
ld recover from the onstitution bench the Quo Warranto the beginning, the : their unhappiness
if she is unseated? cy plans in place? too have to go out Governor Beevi was :ople's mandate in Chief Minister even torally disqualified, of law in the scheme 2, however disqualiinvited to form the ause people vote for
bal found it hard to ade. He in fact was ed her of the trend in
the trial and even advised her to step down for the moment, at least by way of appeasing the Supreme Court.
It was the TANSI case appeal which was far more important. Even if the quo warrantos were upheld and she had to go out, she could surely come back to power once her name was cleared in the TANSI cases, it was suggested to her,
Hence why not resign, impress the judges with her readiness to respect the law and then hope for the lifting of the injunction in the TANSI cases, which could in turn mean expeditious hearing in the Madras High Court, culminating in her exoneration? She would not have landed in the present mess if her efforts to woo the BJP had succeeded. But the DMK is comfortably perched in the NDA, and neither Vajpayee nor Advani seem willing to court disaster yet again. To Wriggle out of the present crisis, she could of course make anyone of her minions the Chief Minister and remote-control from behind. But then the problem is that she has never trusted anyone else.
What if her successor turns against her at Some stage, splitting the party or some such thing, throwing haywire her carefully laid plans?
Damned if she did, damned if she did not. That was the cruel dilemma haunting her in the first week of September.
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Page 29
15 SEPTEMBER 2001
General Mushar
Judgment D
Dr. William Maley
O the morning of 11 September 2001, hundreds of Pakistani Muslims were brutally and wickedly slain. These young people, many of them the pride of their families because of their achievements in attaining higher education abroad, were just a small sample of those who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center in downtown New York. For the Government of Pakistan, their deaths posed a fundamental challenge: should one side with the innocent victims, or the evil perpetrators? If defending its own people is the mark of a decent government, then it should be clear what course of action President Musharrafand his associates must now take.
Of course, the dilemma which the general faces is acute. On the one hand, if he stalls on meeting the demands of the US, he not only dishonours those Pakistanis who died last week, but faces the awesome Wrath of an aroused and enraged US Administration, fully backed by the US public. Pakistan would risk being declared a state supporting terrorism, whichwould have animmediate and devastating effect on the economy. IMF assistance would be blocked, and capital investment would dry up. The military government would be hard pressed to survive.
On the other hand, if Musharraf meets Washington's demands, the extremists in the self-styled ‘Afghan Defence Council (which is neither Afghan, nor defensive, nor a Council) may try to mobilise their supporters in a campaign of street violence to bring the Government down. And the rhetoric of the Taliban now contains thinly-veiled threats to Pakistan. Crunch time has finally COC.
How has this come to pass? And what lessons are there for Pakistani leaders? The explanation of Pakistan's plight lies in a hubris which gripped its military leadership as a result of the events of the 1980s in Af. ghanistan. The attitude took root that it was Pakistan that had defeated the Soviets in Afghanistan, and that this gave Pakistan the right to determine who should rule Afghanistan in the post-communist era. Elements of this attitude were blatantly on display dur
ing the Afghan “Shur shamelessly manipu Saudi Intelligence.
When the comm in 1992, the ISI set it long-term client Gull position of dominan the fatuous dema Burhanuddin Rabbar able ISI client) should Suant to the Islamabac Hekmatyar had torn with his military attac ary 1994. Hekmatyar secure territory led Babar to embark on ing the Taliban, ano judgment on Pakistar
Former Foreign one of the last survivo diplomats who mad worldwide, has been "We are dealing with historic times, who a their views, and don' reason. The lesson h proverb goes, those v should use a long spc Soring medieval surr accept the Afghan lea Afghans select - not for Afghans by Islan larger lesson here as
Truth needs to b of Pakistan's approac it bluntly, Pakistan's been built on the di illusions, and mendac past the point where believed a word that tered, the claim was had no favourites in not backing the Talib no good at all, and points of strength in over Kashmir. Indiah undisguised satisfact its own grave as a crt ternationalactor. Dipl it becomes an exercis fantasy rather than trl
 

TAMILTIMES 29
a' in 1989, which was lated by the ISI and
inist regime collapsed sheart on elevating its uddin Hekmatyar to a :e, and persisted with nd that President i (who was not a relirelinquish office pur| Accord”, eventhough that accord to shreds kon Kabul on lJanu's failure even then to General Naseerullah his crusade of promotther horrific error of l's part. Secretary Niaz Naik, ors of the generation of e Pakistan respected reported as saying that people who live in preire very committed to t see modern logic or here is obvious: as the who sup with the devil on. Rather than sponogates, Pakistan must lership which ordinary a leadership selected habad. But there is a well. ecome the foundation h to the world. To put Afghanistan policy has Semination of myths, ous fabrications. Long a single mature adult Pakistani officials utrepeated that Pakistan Afghanistan, and was an. This did Pakistan also undermined the Pakistan's arguments as been watching with on as Pakistanhas dug dible regional and inbmacy suffers-indeed, e in the absurd - when this propagated as the
basis for conversation between states, and Pakistan should not delude itself that it can any more get away with the kind of dissembling it has practised in the past.
ls there any silver lining to the storm clouds which have gathered on Pakistan's horizon? Perhaps. Reports suggest that the Musharraf regime has presented a range of demands to the US to be met in exchange for cooperation, notably requests for debt relief and mediation over Kashmir. Such demands are almost certainly put forward solely to help boost Musharraf's domestic credibility, for he can be under no illusions that he is in any position to bargain with Washington at present. After years of deceit from Islamabad, the new US Administration is in no mood to accept such an approach. But in the longer term, Pakistan may gain something from choosing wisely how to proceed. The message to Washington from the tragedy of September 11 is that if a bleeding Wound is not treated, it gets infected- to quote a prescient observation which an Af. ghan elder once made to the scholar Barnett R. Rubin. Afghanistan was one bleeding wound that was not treated and became severely infected. Pakistan could be another, and it makes sense to staunch the bleeding before further infection sets in.
Pakistan has deeply-rooted problems, but many have arisen through no fault of those who today make up Pakistan's population. Appropriate packages of long-term support for Pakistan therefore make good sense. The madrassas have blossomed partly because of the decay of the state school system. Support for modern schooling for Pakistanichildren would be money well spent. It would also be worthwhile to devote resources to widening the horizons of journalists in the vernacular media. The Englishlanguage press in Pakistan carries the writings of some of the best and most courageous journalists in the region, but the Urdu press cannot compare in Sophistication; and it is the Urdu press which the average Pakistani is more likely to access. Finally, for the very long run, it is important to foster accountability and the separation of powers. Pakistan has for too long relied on the dubious wisdom of strong men. What it needs is institutions through which ordinary people can rule well.
The Friday Times, 21 September 200. Dr William Maley is Associate Professor of Politics, University College, University of New South Wales, Australia. His most recent monograph is The Foreign Policy of the Taliban (New York: Council on Foreign Relations, 2000).

Page 30
30 TAMILTIMES
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WEDDING BELLS Sivakamasunthary daughter of Mr. K & Mrs. K. Kumaravel of 6 Holmes Close, Hatfield, HertS AL 109LO and Ramesh son of Mrs. R. Sinnarajah of 7456 Mary Avenue, Витabу, British Columbia V3N 4ZB, Canada and late Mr. T. Sinnarajah on 1st September 2001 at Oshwal Centre, COOperS Lane Road, Northaw, HerfS.
Sivaharan Son of Mr. & MrS. C. Sivapragasa Pillai of 12, 4/1 Rohini Court, Rohini Road, Colombo 6 and Sivanuja daughter of Mr. & Mrs. S. Ratnasingam of 48 New Chetty Street, Colombo 13 on 2nd September 2OO1 at Saraswathi Hall, Colombo 6.
Sujithra daughter of Dr. P & Mrs. J. Ambikapathy of 'Gohulam, 71 Glendale, Swanley, Kent BR8 8TP, UK and Srikanthan son of Mrs. J. Ramakrishnan of 335 Deguire Blvd., # 411, St. Laurent, Ouebec, H4N 1P7, Canada and of the late Mr. Ramakrishnan. On
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Shivanthini daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Anandes Waran of 33 Sagara Road, Colombo 4 and Shankaraj son of Mr. & Mrs. Sathianathan of 51 St. Peters Place, Colombo 4 on 6th September 2001 at Mayurapathy Suppammal Wedding Hall, Colombo 6.
OBITUARIES
Ranga Cumarasamy, Founder & Chairman of Contracts & Supplies (Engineering) & Ceygma Water Pumps in Sri Lanka; loving husband of Jamuna, beloved son of late Mr. & Mrs. W.M. Cumarasamy, Son-in-law of Mr. & Mrs. P. V. Ramakrishna; loving father of Ram Mohan (London), Priyadarshini (Singapore), Visiwesh (C&S/LWS Colombo) and Darshan, father-in-law of Mitsuko, Warran Rangan (Standard Chartered, Singapore) and Inoka; loving grandfather of Danuisca; dearest brother of Rukmani Rasiah, late Gopal Cumarasamy and of Annalakshmy Ambalavanar, late Durai Cunarasamy, late Dr. Krishna Cumarasamy and of Narayani Sabaratnam, Viji Cumarasamy, Ram Ситатаsату, Pathi Cumarasamy, Sathyabhama Rajalingam, Thiripurasundari Yoganantham, Janagalakshmi Raja Mohan, brother-in-law of
 
 
 
 

late N. Rasiah, and of Margaret, Saraswathy, Ranee, late T. Sabaratnam and of Gnaneswary Chandra, Thilagawathy, Yoganantham and Kannan Raja Mohan passed away on 10th August 2001 and was cremated on 13th August at Kanate, COrtege leaving his residence at 168/9 inner Flower Road, Colombo 3, Sri Lanka.
With deep sadness and sorrow the entire family thank all friends and relatives who attended the funeral, sent floral tributes and messages of sympathy and assisted them during the period of bereaverment.
Mr. R. Kumarakulatungam, Transportation Engineer, State of New Jersey, USA, formerly Superintending Engineer, Public Works Department, SriLanka and Chief Engineer, Ministry of Works and Housing, Kaduna, Nigeria; beloved husband of Kamala, loving father of Ravindran, Rohini and Surendran, father-in-law of Shantha, Selvendra and Inthumathy, grandfather of Saranya, Shawn, Sanjay, Sanjana and Sandhya, brother of Roger. V. Kumar (Georgia, USA), Ranee Cumarasamy (New Jersey, USA) and Dr. Rajasekeran (Lancashire, UK) passed away in UK on 25th August 2001 and was cremated at the North East Surrey Crematorium, Morden, Surrey on 29th August.
The members of the family Wish to thank all friends and relatives who attended the funeral, sent messages of sympathy and floral tributes and assisted them in several ways during the period of sadness. - 19 Beresford Road, Cheam, Surrey SM2 6CPTel: O2O 877O 9549.
15 SEPTEMBER 200
M. “Palm Grove' Theagarajah (b. 21.02. 1909), son of late Mr. and Mrs. S. Muttutamby of Mannar Veedu, Vannarpanna, Jaffna, husband of late Annaledohumy ("Baby), brother of late Mrs. Somasundharam, late Mrs. S. Rajadurai, late R. K. Sundharam, Mrs. M. Emmanuel, Mrs. M. Rasiah (both of Kuala Lumpur), Mrs T. Saravanannuttu, MrS. S. Balasingham (both of Sydney) and Mrs. Y. Mahesa (Toronto) passed away peacefully On July 03, 2001 in London where he was cremated on 09 July.
He is survived by sons
Kumaranayagam ('Jeyam') and Biswanath ('Rajah'); grandchildren Prathusha,
Gowri, Prasanti and Gurunath and great-grandchildren Kabilan, Annamika and Saranya, all in the USA and Canada.
The family wish to thank relatives and friends who attended the funeral, sent Wreaths and messages of sympathy and comforted and assisted them in their bereavement - T. Kumaranayagam, 1102, West 29th Street, Apartment #2, Los Angeles, Ca. 90007, USA. Tel: (213) 747 7073.
Dr. T. Harichandran (71), eldest Son of the late Mr. & Mrs. I. P. Thurairatnam, beloved husband of Sugirthmalar, loving father of Dilo (Aust) Ronny (USA), Susie
continued on page 31

Page 31
15 SEPTEMBER 2001
continued from page 30
(Aust); precious grand father of Vikram, Nishan, Krishan, Arun & Deion, affectionate brother of Balan (Zambia), Saji (NZ), Mano (Cyprus), Saku (Sri-Lanka), Mahen (NZ), & Mithy (UK) and brother-in-law of Vimala, the late Dr. T. Paramananthan, Mary, Charlie (Indran), Rajini & Niran passed
away peacefully on 31.07.01 after a brief illness and Was Crennated On 06.08.01 in Wellington, New Zealand.
The members of the family thank all relatives and friends for their messages of sympathies and support during this period of grief. - Dr. M. Niranjanan, 5 Barrie Pavement, Wickford, Essex SS 129DR.
IN MEMORAM
Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud? Like a swift-flitting meteor, a fast-flying cloud, A flash of the lightning, a break of the wave, He passeth from life to his rest in the grave.
The peasant, whose lot was to sow and to reap; The herdsman, who climbed with his goats up the steep; The beggar, who wandered in search of his bread, - Have faded away like the grass that we tread.
So the multitude goes, like the flower or the weed, That withers away to let others succeed; So the multitude comes, even those we behold, To repeat every tale that has often been told.
For we are the same our fathers have been; We see the same sights our fathers have seen; We drink the same stream, We feel the same sun, And run the same course our fathers have run.
'Tis the wink of an eye; tis the draught of a breath From the blossom of health to the paleness of death, From the gilded saloon to the bier and the shroud; Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud?
(By William Knox, 1789-1825) Mr. Ponnudurai Narendra Nathan, most dearly beloved and adoring husband of Gnanambal; dearest loving and proud Appa to your children, Dr. Thrinayanhi Jegathambal, Dr. Mrs. Sowmya Wijayambal, Mrs. Sobhana Meenambal, Dr. Mrs. Priyadarsani Brahathambal, Adhithya Thrilochanan, Mrs. Vasutharini Giniambal, Agasthya Ponnambalam and Ambika Dhakshayani father-in-law of Dr. P Arulampalam, S. Raveendran, T. Ilangovan, R. Srikanthan and Dr. Mrs. Meera Narendranathan, darling dearest Thaththa to your grandchildren, Abhirami Janani Raveendran, Amarnath Thirunmadha van Raveendran, Nirmala Arulampalam, Janaki Saruhasini Srikanthan, Janarthanan Ragavan langovan, Dhivya Saraswathy langovan, and Divani Kruthika Narendranathan. Dear Appa, in our mind... a constant thought, in our heart. ... a silent sorrow, but always with pride and love; ever present. ... ever missed. ... ever loved. . . especially on this the seventh anniversary of your passing away on the 24th September 1994. God Bless. (Address: 53 Crossways, South Croydon, Surrey, CR28JQ).
 

TAMITMES 31
Born
1208. 1916
In Loving Memory of
of Jaffna Sri-Lanka on the first anniversary
LAST FOR EVER
6 Brook Road, Redhill,
in Memoriam in Loving Memory of Our Beloved Mother
Mrs. Pathmavathy Selvanayagam
of her passing away on 24.09.2000. "LOVE AND REMEMBRANCE
Affectionately remembered by your loving children, in
laws, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
urrey UK.
Died
24.09.2000
IN MEMORAM Tenth Anniversary Remembrance
In loving memory of Mr. Devarajan. N., FSl, Licensed Surveyor, Leveller and Valuer of 257 Arasady Road, Kantharmadam, Yalpanam.
Fondly remembered on the tenth anniversary of his passing away on 11.9.91 by his beloved Wife Padma, brother Punjaksharam, sister Mrs. Saraswathy Panchadcharam, children Sujithan, Siva Kumaran, Rajam, Jeyaraman, Rengan and Raj Iswari sonsin- law The venthiran and Nirthanakumaran, daughtersin-law Jeyadevi, Suhanya, Thangalogini and Helan, grandchildren Jamuna, Karthika, Bharathan, Uththami, Luxmanan, Sri Ram, Vaitharani,
Vithuran, Devarajan, Poorani, Pavithran and Dhurrka, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, relatives and friends. - 24 Mansfield Road, Ilford, Essex lG1 3AZ.
In Ever Loving Memory of Our Dearly Beloved Daddy
T.J. Rajaratnam Retired High Court Judge
Called to rest 15.9.81 In God's care you rest above While in our hearts you dwell in love Unseen, unheard, yet very near Still Loved, still missed And very Dear.
Fondly remembered and sadly missed by your ever loving wife Arul, children Rohini, Renuka, Rajiv, sons-in-law Vijayan, Sriharan, grand-chilldren Vasi, Ravi, Prathi, Jayanthy and Ajit.

Page 32
32 TAMITIMES
IN MEMORIAM (ctd) 2000.
Dr.
Gunaratnam Kan
ln loving memory of Mr. Kan- Oct 1
diah Gunaratnam On the first annivesary of his passing
away on 13th September Angels.
Sorrowfully remembered by his beloved wife Parameswary; loving children Niranjani (London) and Nehru (Canada), son-in-law Navaneetharajah (London), daughter-in-law Vasanthy (Canada); grandchildren Nishanth and Navena. - 24 Poulett Road, Eastham, London E6 6EG.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Full Moon, Feast of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus.
Oct 2 Feast Of the Guardian
and fondly
Oct 5 S a n k a da k a ra
Mr. K. PooranampillaiA tribute paid at Methodist Church, Wellawatte, Sri Lanka, while the Funeral Service was being held at Folkestone, Kent, UK.
To be the head of two prestigious educational institutions for so many years in the North of Sri Lanka each with a history of more than 175 years is unique in the annals of educational Circles. He had an unbroken record of continuous headship for well over three decades. After a near quarter century of steering Hartley College, Point Pedro into lofty educational heights, he retired prematurely and accepted a clarion call by the Governing Body of St. John's College, Jaffna, old boys, well wishers, parents and teachers to come over to Macedonia to calm a turbulent period of uncertainty when the previous principal took ill and there was no head for quite a few months. Generations of Students and teachers and also educational institutions in other parts of the island will undoubtedly proclaim him as the most outstanding principal of al times to be head of two different educational denominations, which have turned out to be Citadels of distilled and refined learning.
The purpose of paying this humble tribute is not to list the various reforms he made at St. John's during a period of nine years (1967-1976) but to relate specific instances which bring out his spirit of deter
mination, vision in th intangible values of lence. Nothing woulc maintaining the priori standards and discipli tinuous period, as tea 1980, I worked with fiv longest was with Mr. is how we refer to him. In one instance a bo. lish but the parent litere give a statement tha. standard was paSSabi get employment in th refused but went a st that he would help improve his English. continuous period of ty dramatically improvec statement regarding h lish was given. K. P. Clear COnSCience at thé ularity
To K. P. the value of should be exhibited game. On one occas Cricket match in the captain had called bac er who was given out slip catch. The next da ment at the School as good example where down his idea of spo captain had exhibited educational values We tangible way.
The refined educat drop by drop into the student Without the St. this. But later on in it into the unknown Wid that there is an unh makes him different f factor that makes hirr values in life though h ed by the moral decad Sures. This in essenCé for the distant future the intangibles of g accompany such a vis He always couple
 
 
 

5 SEPTEMBER 2001
Shahrifi. Oct 6 Karthigai; Purattashi 3rd Saturday, South London Tafni! Welfare Group. (SLTWG) Drop in. Tel: 020 85423285; Feast of St. Bruno. Oct 7 Feast of Our Lady of Rosary. Oct 8 Feast of St. Dennis. Oct 13 Krishna Eekathasi; Puratashi 4th & last Saturday. Oct 14 Pirathosam; Feast of
Oct 19 Sathurthi. Oct 20 STVVG Navaraththini Celebrations. Tel 020 542 3285.
Oct 21 Shashti. Oct 23 Saraswathi starts. Oct 25 Feast of the Forty Martyrs of England & Wales. Oct 26 Vijayadhasami Widhyerambam; Keethara Gowri Viradhan starts.
Poojah
St. Callistus.
Oct 16 Anawasai
Oct 17 Navarath thiri
ham Starfs.
Oct 18 Feast of St. Luke.
e horizon and his educational excel! waver him from ties of educational ne. During my conCher from 1953 to e principals, but the Pooranampilai K.P.
y was weak in Engally begged of him to t his son's English e to enable him to 9 Middle East. K.P. ep further and Said him individually to This K.P. did for a wo months. The boy d and the desired is standard of EngTever sacrificed his altar of cheap pop
true sportsmanship at all times in any ion in an important early seventies our k an opposing playby the umpire for a y K.P was inhis elleisembly. This was a
he Could hanner rtsmanship that our . The intangibles of re spelt out in a very
ion was percolated very marrow of the udent even realising e when he journeys e arena, he realises (nown factor Which rom many others, a Choose the COrrect 9 might be surroundence of worldly pleais what KP visioned of his students and Ood education that ion, d educational and
Oct 27 Sukkia Eekathasi SLTWG Drop in. Tel: 0208542 3285.
Oct 29 PirathoSam.
Oct 3 Full Moon.
Virad
moral values with deep Spiritual insights. He was chosen Vice-President of the Methodist Church of Sri Lanka When he was at Hartley College - a post that can be held for only one year. He was one of the few Vice-Presidents Who turned down an offer to go abroad for a short time. His wife Peace is in every sense a living monument of the Well known dictum that behind the success of every man there is always a woman. He also leaves his two daughters Shanti Arulanandan and Dr. Vasanthi Karunakaran and son Jeyakumar, Sister Gnani Naliah, brother Devanandampillai and many grand children, relations and friends. Thousands of his students and Colleagues spread all over the globe will pay homage to a man of 92 who shaped their destiny to steer through their life's pilgrimage with determination, dedication and divine insights.
Farewell Sir, We salute you.
V.R. Amarasingham
Colorronbo 06.
Highgate Murugan Temple Helps Jaffna Medical
Students
The Highgate Murugan Temple (UK) has initiated steps to sponsor the education of medical students at the Jaffna University. They had organised a carnatic vocal Concert by Thrichur Sri Ramachandran on 10th June 2001 which realised a net income of £2700. It is proposed to remit this amount to the Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna University to finance the medical education of three deserving students selected by them. The temple offers its grateful thanks to all those who helped in
continued on page 33
Private Tuition English teacher - Native speaker and CELTA certified. Will teach private or group lessons. Tooting and Wimbledon areas.
Call Doyle 0208488 0370

Page 33
15 SEPTEMBER 2001
continued from page 32 this project, and invites all those interested to contact the Chairmarn of the Brittania (Siva) Temple Trust which manages the temple at the address 200A Archway Road, London N65BA.
Bharatha Natya Arangetram of Gajenthini and Anushiya
Family and friends gathered at the Auditoriurn of the Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute in Scarborough, Toronto, on 11th August 2001 to acknowledge accomplishment of Gajenthini Selvarajah and Anushiya Jeyalingam - accomplishment in their chosen extra-curricular field, Bharathanatyam. The occasion was the Bharathanatyam Arangetram or debut of Gajenthini and Anushiya, disciples of Mrs. Ananthy Sasithran of Sri Lalithakalakendhiram.
Gajenthini and Anushiya effused confidence and energy with grace and poise, the ingredients for a credible presentation, commendably directed by their Guru and mentor Mrs. Ananthy Sasitharan who had obviously put then through their paces with patience and diligence, involving several years of hard and strenuous work. Their performance was attestation to their COrrnrintrefni and passion for Bharathanatyam an unique Art form, physically very demanding and providing ample scope for aesthetic expression. The momentum on stage was sustained from the onset, supported ably by a musical ensemble led by Mr. Vasuthevan Rajalingam on the Miruthangam with excellent Vocal support from Mrs. Prema Sriskantharajah and Vijeyaluxmy Seenivasagam. lnstrumental support was provided by Mr. Sridas on both the Flute and
Private Tuition 11-19 years Science & Mathematics By Qualified School Teacher Mrs. N. Latha 0208,578 6201
the Veena and Mr. F Violin.
Nattuvangam by Gl ran rang through the Crisp and clear giving the intricate novernet delineating the anec lyrics for the enjoyme As is customary, evening's repertoire W to be noted that this the raga Kaapi, was Sridas, the Well know talist, Guru Ananthys of Sri Lalithakalake sented Gajenthini an debut, following that Shanthini Lackunnan: earlier. On the 30th of Gajenthini and Anu gratulated for a flaw the utter delight of t Guru Ananthy for nessing their interest to the extent of being for a presentation of til alithakalakendhira nostalgia of the immig in Toronto, justifiably for its rich Artistic her tural environment of t Nanthi
Sheer Excel Abhirami
Kumari Abhirami Viv nedical student at the to and music is intrins She believes firmly ti inner and physical se her very devoted par playing the violin at Sunday September 8, her arangetram in th taries in the World of the Carnatic School, at Toronto's Markhan ing Arts.
The Occasion was vin-Guni Sangeetha h N. Krishnan as the Ch; ga Vidwan Professo York University as gu. ni had her foundatio family lived in Oman rrari Sri V PR KriSfra she came under the mati Vijayalluxmi Se she became a sishy wan Thanathevy Mit plished vocalist too, / first Teacher's Grade ly completing examir
Tamil Time
in Ca
availab Kalai Mahal 566 Partiarrment
Ontario M
el: (416).
 

TAMILTIMES 33
R.S. Kesavan on the
uru Ananthy Sasithaentire performance rhythmic direction for nts of body and limbs dotal content of the nt of the audience.
the finale Of the as a Thilana and it is particular Thillana, in a composition of Mr. Versatile instrumenFather and Director ndhiram which predi Anushiya on their of Sisters Malini and anathan, just weeks June.
ishiya must be conless performance to he invited Audience, sustaining and harin this exclusive Art, able to prepare them his calibre and the Sri im for feeding the trant Tamil population seeking recognition itage in the multi-culheir adopted land.
iny Ganeshalingam.
lence Marks i's Debut
sekanandarajah is a e University of Toronsic for her well-being. at it helps refine our lves. Encouraged by sents, Abhirami began the age of eight. On 2001 she performed e presence of dignimusic, enthusiasts of relatives and friends Theatre for Perform
graced by her Guru(alanidhi Professor T ief guest and MridanTrichy Sankaran of est of honour, Abhiranal training when her under Guru lisai Kalaand later in Canada tutelage of Guru Sri'enivasagam. Finally a of Sangeetha Vidhradeva. An acConAbhirani became the graduate successfulllations conducted by
s For Sale nada
le fron Book Depot Street, Toronto, 44X 1 P9, 921 5018
ര%്%
the Thamil lisai Kalaamanram.
The first artiste also to stage a violin arangetram in this part of the world, Abhirami's performance was flawless and music flowed with the greatest of ease from her strings. She performed like a maestro, so confident was she in handling the varied compositions she had chosen for her debut concert.
They were in the ragas Reethigowla, Nataai, Arabhi, Poorvikalyani, Dwijavanthi, Lathagi, Thodi, Yaman Kalyani, Kapi and Desh. She also performed another number in Ragamalikai. The Ragam-ThanamPallavi was rendered in the Thodi raga and was received with a spirited acclamation from the audience.
Her accompanying artistes were Gana S Ganapathy (mridangam), Ravi Balasubramaniam (Ghatam), and Apama Battacharjee (Tambura) each of whom gave a good account of themselves with their respective instruments.
On behalf of the Thamil Isai Kalaamanran, Bharathi Kalaamanran and the Sruti Laya Fine Arts Academy, Messrs Thampiah Sripathy, N RSubramaniam and S N Dhakshi, a 72-year old fellow music Student of Abhiranni, felicitated her. An artiste with a great promise was the popular impression of the evening.
Victor Karunairajan, Canada.
Gratitude to SCOT
Sri Sarada Sevahrama Poiat Pedra feo 7 Fct of ficey Sri Lanka -ŜcoL /07 l. ല', /*, 6.حيse/
Ad Meory
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م4/> ޑޖ.ހޙގمވبي هرعين
eej- ്673 7ea fe
ޗިޝީއި میکر , އެެތައް Ao iš * .4 )عبڑی ش/ترمہ محمد سمتبرک ("്a کليمه %lec بڑی گئی جبر 幻 a4%^?
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Ago Coje حیح ہر ۷ہ
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AGM of Kokuvi Hindu College OSA
The Annual General Meeting of the Kokuvil Hindu College Old Students Association (UK) will be held on 30th September 2001 at Colston Primary School Hall, Greenford, Middlesex. The proceedings will commence at 1300 hrs and members are invited to attend.

Page 34
34 TAMITMES
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