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 2002.08

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Tamil
"ITIMAE
VOLXX1 No.8 ISSN 0266-4488 15 AUG
 
 
 
 

ST 2002
Prima Milito Rani Wickremesing
With
President George Bush di Igle PMS Wisi
a Will Hill
LI IE Chiri: intergotitol Mr Anton Balasinghai
With
The Nof Wegan PPaCE girl in Oslo or 14 August El W)

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15 AUGUST 2002
"I do not agree with a word of what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.”
-Voltaire
ISSN 0266 - 44 88 Vol. XXI No. 8 15 AUGUST 2002
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CONTENTS
For a Southern Consensus O3 Peace talks next month 04 Dons for Peace 06 400,000 visit Madhu 07 Ceasefire violations 08 Police in torture cases . 08 The case of Johnson 09 NeWS Review 10 People and politics 21
Destructive power struggle 25 Jaffna's anguish and hope 28 Talking Points 30 The ethnic tangle and Muslims 32 The game of power politics 34 Themany faces of Eelam 36 Classified 39
For a
After months of d the Ceasefire Ag back on track. T the meeting in Os government dele following which th talkS Will Comme gained its mome talks was welcom previously stated uted to Anton Ba issues Concernin tion being installe agreement is rea
While the peace the unseemly pu between the gove Peoples Alliance Prime Minister Ra Leading member and Cabinet Minis lessly pursuing th tions and vitupera President who ha tions in the new g
At the heart of th Executive Presid party Won a majo out an arrangem come afflicted by justification feels of the cabinet are disposal. On the
constitutional po\ therefore they w; ments to the Cor will without doub distract attention ment, namely the uses to deal with
What has to be r Sus between the community on al an absolute musi LTTE are to hav saying that such the parties becor haS taken a COur ing into a ceasefi tiations with the
effort to promote geting of the Pre alienate them ar
 
 
 
 

TAMILTIMES 3
Southern Consensus
ly-dallying resulting in inordinate delay since the signing of "eement on 22 February this year, the peace process is e much desired breakthrough came on 14 August during p between Minister Milinda Moragoda leading the Sri Lankan jation and the LTTE's chief negotiator Anton Balasingham e announcement was made that direct face-to-face peace ice on 12 September in Bangkok. The peace process rehtum as the announcement regarding commencement of ed both within Sri Lanka and internationally. Contrary to its position, what is also of significance is the statement attriblasingham that the LTTE was ready to discuss the core the conflict besides the subject of an interim administrad to administer the war-torn northeast of the island until an shed between the parties.
process has taken a positive turn, what is less heartening is olic spectacle of the destructive partisan political struggle :rning United National Front (UNF) and the main opposition (PA) which is manifesting itself as a confrontation between nil Wickremesinghe and President Chandrika Kumaratunga. s of both parties, including the President, Prime Minister ters are spending almost all their time and energy in relenthis quarrel. Exacerbating the quarrel are the vindictive active accusations by some erstwhile political partners of the ld fallen out with her and have now found ministerial posijovernment.
is crisis is the inability or unwillingness on the part of the ent elected by the people and the Prime Minister whose rity in parliament in the election held last December to work ent of political cohabitation. Both sides seem to have bea sense of self-induced paranoia. The President not without that the governing party including many leading members out to hound her out of office by whatever means at their other hand, her detractors fear that she would exercise her wer to dissolve parliament unseating the government, and ant to curtail her powers by enacting the required amendstitution. Any attempts by the government in this direction produce a climate of confrontation, political instability and from Concentrating on the main tasks facing the governtaking the peace process forward and taking remedial measthe country's economy which is in a parlous state.
ealised is that a "southern Consensus", meaning a Consenwo major parties- UNP and PA - representing the Sinhalese issues concerning the ethnic conflict and its resolution, is if the peace process and the projected negotiations with the e any chance of success. The LTTE itself is on record as a consensus is a prerequisite for any agreement between ning capable of being implemented. The Prime Minister, who ageous and forward looking position in regard to first entere agreement with the LTTE, and now in commencing negoTTE, has a specific and vital responsibility to make every and construct such a consensus. Politically motivated tarsident and her party now in opposition would only serve to d to defeat any effort in building such a consensus.

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PeaCe aKS NeX MOT
The announcement that direct peace talks between the government and the LTTE would take place in September this year has been widely welcomed both within and outside Sri Lanka.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe described the decision taken between the government delegation led by Minister Milinda Morogoda and LTTE political advisor Mr.Anton Balasingham in Oslo, Norway, on 14 August as an important and decisive step to strengthen the peace process. "The agreement reached between his government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to fix date for direct talks in September is a
watershed in the peace process" the Prime Minister said addressing the ruling United National Front parliamentary group.
An official press release issued by the Norwegian government on 14 August said that direct talks between the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lankan government would commence in Thailand with Norwegian facilitation between 12th and 17th of September.
The meeting in Oslo took place in the presence of Norwegian State Secretary Vidar Helgesen and the Norwegian facilitation team consisting of special advisor to the Foreign Ministry Erik Solheim, Norwegian ambassador to Sri Lanka Jon Westborg and advisor Lisa Golden. During the discussion on the ceasefire agreement between the parties, the Head of Mission of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Trond Furuhovde, was also present
The discussions at the meeting also covered issues related to the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, the resettlement of internally displaced persons and the release of detainees. During the discussions were discussed The two sides considered the July report of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission on violations of the ceasefire agreement and discussed the reported incidents of LTTE re
Ann The following is the full text pre "On August 14, 2002 at Economic Reforms, Science and Implementation, Milinda of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Ant General of the Secretariat fol ernment, ambassador Bernal Adele.
"The meeting took place and the Norwegian facilitati Erik Solheim, Norwegian amr During the discussion on the Monitoring Mission, Trond l “This was the second di central government minister progress made at the first me the Norwegian ambassadoria "In the meeting, the part 12th and 17th of September, issue a statement announcing “The meeting in Oslo als agreement, among them the nally displaced persons and report of the Sri Lanka Mon parties discussed reported in een and abductions. The LT) measures. In this context, the Representative of the UN Sec to the north and east of Sri L “The atmosphere in then hours, followed by lunch.
“While in Oslo, each o! Petersen. Petersen, who com land, saying it demonstrates
resolve issues and take the p
cruitment of cadres under the age of eighteen and abductions. The LTTE had agreed to investigate the issues and take necessary remedial measures.
Meanwhile the Constitutional Affairs Minister Professor G.L.Peiris said on 15 August that a four-member government delegation would participate in talks with the LTTE at Bangkok in Thailand in the middle of September. The leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, Mr. Rauff Hakeem, will be a member government delegation that will begin direct negotiations with the LTTE,' Minister Peiris said.
A communiqué issued by the Prime Minister's Secretariat stated that the government had decided to organise rallies in many parts the country in support of the peace process during the month of September.
 
 

15 AUGUST 2002
Reactions
In welcoming the announcement, President's media director general Janadasa Peries said, "Talks should not give priority for setting up of an interim administration but should be based on the reasons that caused the ethnic conflict, war and issues pertaining to the Tamil community. In a time frame both parties should arrive at a consensus on this matter and only then the interim council be required to implement them.” “We continue to believe that peace talks should encompass a comprehensive role or a wider agenda that include all issues that are at stake, specifically the human rights and the rights, freedom and the dignity of the people of the North and East. This area should also come within the democratic framework of the country,” he said. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce expressed its elation on the announcement of the commencement of peace talks and congratulated the Government and the LTTE for the very positive step taken. The Chamber stated that this announcement signaled
ouncement of Peace Talks ss release issued by the Norwegian Government on 14 August 2002: meeting was held in Oslo between the Sri Lankan Minister of and Technology and Deputy Minister for Policy Development Moragoda, and the chief negotiator for the Liberation Tigers on Balasingham. Moragoda was accompanied by the Director the Coordination of the Peace Process of the Sri Lankan gov"d Goonetilleke. Balasingham was accompanied by his wife,
in the presence of Norwegian State Secretary Vidar Helgesen on team consisting of special advisor to the Foreign Ministry bassador to Sri Lanka Jon Westborg and advisor Lisa Golden. 2 ceasefire agreement, the Head of Mission of the Sri Lanka Furuhovde, was also present. rect meeting between the chief negotiator of the LTTE and a supervising the peace process. The meeting followed up on the 'eting between Moragoda and Balasingham, held on July 27 at ul residence in London. ies agreed to commence formal talks in Thailand between the with Norwegian facilitation. The Norwegian government will g the exact date for the meeting. o covered issues related to the implementation of the ceasefire situation in the high security zones, the resettlement of interthe release of detainees. The two sides took note of the July itoring Mission on violations of the ceasefire agreement. The cidents of LTTE recruitment of cadres under the age of eightTE agreed to investigate the issues and take necessary remedial parties welcomed the upcoming visit in late August of Special retary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Olara Otunnu, anka. heeting was cordial and constructive. The session lasted for two
the parties also met with Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jan mended the parties for their agreement on starting talks in Thaithat they are working together in a highly constructive spirit to eace process forward.”
the beginning in realizing the dream of all Sri Lankans to have a permanent end to the travails the country has gone through over the last 19 years including the loss of lives, the adverse impact on the country and its people and in particular the future of our children. "The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce believes that there is a proactive role that civil society has to play to ensure that the peace talks will be successful and encourages all Sri Lankans to come together and stay focussed on achieving a successful conclusion to the peace talks," the Chamber said.
Meanwhile, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), which is set against the peace process and talks with the LTTE, challenged the government to reveal the nature of the solution it would propose to the LTTE in the Thailand peace talks.
"We understand that the government cannot reveal the de

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tails the A to Z, but it should reveal the general framework unless it is a treacherous deal," JVP Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa told a news conference on 14 August.
Mr. Weerawansa said the JVP would like to know whether the solution the government had in mind, was a federal or a confederation of states. "We are interested to know how it will differ from the present constitution and what will be the relationship between the central government and the regions,' he said..
Mr. Weerawansa condemned the government's agreement to open a sea route for the Tigers in the East, saying it would pave the way for regular gun running. "There was no such provision in the original ceasefire agreement and we question what guarantee the government had got from the LTTE to allow the Tigers to roam free in the sea,” Mr. Weerawansa said adding that the JVP had some evidence that the LTTE was using the Point Pedro harbour in the government controlled area in Jaffna for its military activities.
International support
The United States, Britain and Japan welcomed the announcement that the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers will commence direct talks in Thailand in mid-September. The governments also strongly endorsed the Norwegian facilitated peace process and applauded the efforts by all sides to end Sri Lanka's protracted conflict.
"The United States welcomes the announcement by Norway that talks between the Sri Lankan Government and the Tamil Tigers will take place in Thailand in mid-September," Deputy State Department Spokesman Philip Reeker told reporters on Thursday 15 August.
"We strongly support the process underway in Sri Lanka with the help of Norwegian mediation to restore peace in the country," he added. Welcoming the progress made in the peace process in Sri Lanka, Mr. Reeker said that "after almost twenty years of conflict, a political solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka which maintains the country's territorial integrity would be welcome by the international community, including the United States, and we urge all parties to continue to work toward that goal.”
Japan also welcomed the announcement of talks and said it strongly hoped that both parties would maintain their commitment to a permanent settlement and engage in sincere discussion to achieve a lasting peace, a statement issued by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said.
Stating that, "It is a strong desire of the Government of Japanthat the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE will reach a final agreement,” Kawaguchi pledged continued assistance for humanitarian projects in the North-East and stressed that Japan would spare no efforts to contribute to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of those areas once durable peace is achieved.
British Foreign Office Minister Peter Hain said: “I welcome the announcement that the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE have agreed to begin peace talks."
"Direct talks between the two parties is a significant step forward and has our full backing. I applaud the considerable progress made towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Sri Lanka, and urge both sides to continue their efforts to ensure that talks start. I pay tribute to both sides for the hard work they have undertaken to bring this about, and to the Norwegians for the important role they have played in facilitating these talks..We continue to encourage both sides to work towards a negotiated settlement that meets the aspirations of all communities," said Mr. Hain.
The newly appointed British High Commissioner, Mr Steven Evans, at his first official engagement as patron of the Sri LankaUnited Kingdom Society on 15 August said, "The peace process here is a particular focus of attention," adding that "yesterday's announcement that the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE have agreed dates for peace talks is, of course, a very significant development."
"We will do everything we can to encourage both sides to

TAMiTIMEs is
work towards a negotiated settlement that meets the aspirations of all communities, and to support the wider process of building peace in Sri Lanka," he said.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) hailed the decision by the Sri Lankan government to begin direct peace talks with the liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
"The announcement carries a huge potential promise of return for hundreds of thousands of people uprooted by the Sri Lankan conflict,”said High Commissioner Ruud Lubbers. “Now that lasting peace is in sight, we have to get ready to help hundreds of thousands of people get back to their war-ravaged towns and villages,' said Lubbers.
LTTE ban to be lifted
A day after Sri Lanka and the LTTE agreed to begin formal talks next month in Thailand, the government said it would stick to its promise to lift the four-year ban on the LTTE. "Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's promise will be fulfilled. We will select the best possible means to do it,” Cabinet spokesman GL Peiris told a media briefing in Colombo on 15 August. The LTTE has laid down removal of the ban as a pre-condition for entering into negotiations.
He admitted that that the parties did not yet have an agenda, which would be prepared only at the negotiating table. This left the contentious issue of what mattered would be discussed and in what sequence is yet to be finalized. "The agenda has received a great deal of attention. We still have some time, there will be more discussions," Mr Peiris said. He, however, said the agenda for the talks would not inlcude any discussion of a separate homeland for the Tamils. "The prime minister has said everything is open to discussion, except division of the country,” Mr Peiris said, when asked if the government had ruled out discussions on a separate state.
“We will take up the first issue, that is, a substantive agenda," Mr Peiris said, adding that the parties would be flexible on modalities for further talks. The government has often said it is working meticulously on preparing an agenda, but the fact that a timeframe for beginning talks has been finalized without an agreement on the agenda came as a surprise.
Mr Peiris said the government would be sending a four-member delegation, including Ports and Muslim Religious Affairs Minister Rauff Hakeem, who would represent Muslims in the parleys. The talks, he said, would not break down, and elements of continuity would be built into their structure and sequence. The parties were likely to meet twice a month, with each sitting lasting about three days, he added.
Ready to discuss core issues
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is “willing to discuss core issues as well' during the direct talks in Thailand next month.
A London-datelined report in the Tamil daily, Sudaroli, published from Colombo, quoted "LTTE sources” as saying that the Tigers were willing to take up for discussion political as well as core issues of the conflict.
According to the front-paged report, a preparatory meeting would discuss the preliminaries regarding the timetable for talks and othermodalities. The LTTE was of the view that the issue of interim administration, along with daily problems faced by the Tamils such as those of the internally displaced people would have to be addressed first. "In the meanwhile, we are also willing to discuss important political issues and the core issues, if the Government so desires,” the report quoted its sources astelling the newspaper.
This comes at a time when there is increasing pressure on the Government to broadbase the agenda of the talks. The need to include the core issues in the agenda gained momentum after the President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, and the Opposition People's Alliance insisted that the talks should not be held in isola

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tion of the basic issues as well as questions of democracy and human rights.
Though there has been no official announcement about the composition of the LTTE's team for the talks, a news report from Colombo said. that the organisation's Chief Administrative Officer, Thangan, and the political wing member, Pulithevan, are "likely to join the Chief Negotiator, Anton Balasingham, at the parleys. Though there are many expatriate Tamil intellectuals who are ardent advocates of the LTTE's cause, the LTTE leadership has so far has shown reluctance in using any one them directly or officially to represent the LTTE. Whether there will be change from this longstanding reluctance is yet b seen. The venue for talks
Thailand has proposed a range of venues to host historic talks
Sea Lane for Sea Tigers
12 Aug-Following protracted negotiations, Government and the LTTE sealed a deal which would permit the LTTE to ferry civilians and cadres twice a week from the Vanni to the East and vice versa under certain conditions. Since May the LTTE has been demanding Government the use of a 'sea lane' to ferry civilians and cadres in LTTE boats between the Tiger held areas in the Vanni and the East.
Under the agreement LTTE boats flying the SLMM flag, with SLMM monitors on board, will be permitted to use sea lanes under the observation of the Sri Lankan Navy. The main movement will be from Mullaitivu to Vakarai, a distance of about 150 kilometres.
According to the deal, at least one SLMM monitor will be on board every LTTE vessel throughout the journey and he will be responsible for examining the vessels and their movements. The Navy will hold the right to sail alongside the Tiger vessels keeping a minimum distance of two nautical miles. The maximum number of vessels in a each convoy is four. They are required to sail at a minimum distance of five to eight nautical miles from the coast.
The LTTE is required to inform the Government 48 hours before of these sea movements, which according to the agreement is permitted only in daytime - from 6am to 6 pm.
The LTTE should inform the Navy about the purpose of the movement and its point of origin and destination, estimated time of departure and arrival, route, type of vessels, number of cadres and civilians being transported, method of communication with the SLMM and the Navy and the number of crew members. The LTTE vessels will not be permitted to enter any area classified as restricted by the Government.
The Peace Secretariat of the government in a statement issued today said "the new arrangements and procedures would apply to LTTE cadres who are going on leave, being transported from an LTTE dominated area to another LTTE dominated area (as referred to in Articles 1.5 and 1.6 of the cease-fire Agreement). This sea transport would be conducted in daylight (between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m) and not more than twice a week. "Among the provisions of this arrangement are that the LTTE will inform the Navy through the SLMM forty-eight hours in advance of any such sea movement: Purpose of movement, Point of origin with estimated time of departure and destination/s with estimated time of arrival; including the ETD and ETA of the return journey, the route, type of vessel/s, number of LTTE cadres being transported, method of communication with Navy and SLMM during movement and number of permanent crew numbers, the Secretariat said.
“The SLMM will inspect and verify all LTTE vessels used to transport cadres going on leave. Further, the SLMM guaran

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expected to start between September 12 and 17. between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE next month, including the resort island of Phuket, officials said. “We have proposed Chiang Mai, Phuket, Chiang Rai, Chonburi (Pattaya) or even Bangkok but they (Norway and Sri Lanka) have not yet chosen the place,” a foreign ministry official told journalists.
Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are popular tourist destinations in the country's cool and mountainous north, while Pattaya is a town east of Bangkok more famous for raunchy nightlife than political negotiations.
"After they have chosen the venue, a preparation meeting to set the agenda and decide on other matters will be organised before the actual talks start,' the official added.
tees the LTTE adherence to the arrangement by inspecting and monitoring the entire activity. At least one SLMM monitor will be on board every LTTE vessel to ensure compliance with the agreed procedure. Such vessels will be required to fly SLMM flags", it said. Among the other arrangements made is a measure that ensures that no more than a stipulated number of cadres remain at the destination, it added.
According to the statement, although the ceasefire agreement provides for the movement of unarmed LTTE cadres by land, the land routes (both A35 and A15) from Mullaittivu in the Northern Province to Vakarai area in the Eastern Province have not been in operation partly or fully.
With the opening of the sea route under the supervision of the SLMM and with the concurrence of the Navy, LTTE cadres will now be able to proceed on leave to their homes in the Eastern province, the statement said.
"Our monitors are ready and standing by to move in to monitor the sea movements of the LTTE,” SLMM spokesman Teitur Torkelsson told the press.
LTTE boats would travel the shortest route safe for navigation and keeping in the range of five to eight nautical miles from the coast, he said. Acting SLMM chief Hagrup Haukland said the this was a breakthrough in the co-operation between the parties and showed the will of the government to reach solutions in difficult issues.
While commending the parties for their patience he said this was very much in the spirit of the Ceasefire Agreement.
Sustainable Peace
The Conference of University Academics for Sustainable Peace, attended by over 150 academics from twelve different universities in the country held on July 28, 2002 at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute:
Having considered and exchanged views on economic, social and humanitarian issues in respect of war and peace;
Recognizing the need to address political, constitutional, democracy and human rights issues for a permanent and a sustainable peace; and
Realizing the importance of the ongoing peace process, the ceasefire and the proposed negotiations:
Agree upon the following policy recommendations and resolutions.
Against war
We express our strong opposition to war. The war has dev
astated the country and aggravated misunderstandings, mistrust,
and suspicions between the different communities. It has de

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stroyed lives as well as the livelihood of men and women, the education of children, family life and the economy of the country. The main sufferers from war have been children and women. Our sympathies are with the displaced people of all communities, the Tamils, the Muslims and the Sinhalese, and those who have lost their kith and kin because of the war.
The war has militarized and dehumanized the country. Demilitarization is a priority. We condemn any party to the conflict resorting to war again or rousing any type of communal violence.
Towards positive peace
We express our support to this ongoing peace process. It is built on (1) the approval and endorsement of the people at several elections, (2) the various attempts at peace in the past, and (3) the positive contributions made by the international community. However, the current ceasefire is not complete peace. It is a good starting point. Nevertheless, it has to be seized upon without delay to convert the prevailing negative peace towards positive peace through political negotiations. Correcting injustices to the Tamil and other communities is necessary. This entails (1) new constitutional arrangements toward more devolution, while ensuring adequate power sharing at the centre and (2) policy changes that are necessary to accommodate the aspirations of all the Sri Lankan nationalities in the economic, social, political and cultural spheres.
We strongly emphasize the importance of (1) protecting and promoting all human rights of all individuals and communities without any delay, (2) restoring democracy, democratic institutions and democratic electoral processes particularly in the war affected areas as early as possible, (3) introducing security guarantees and (4) strengthening the capacity of social institutions to build and sustain positive peace. There should be a firm com
Peace draws 400,000 to Madhu
More than four hundred thousand Sinhala and Tamil devotees from all parts of Sri Lanka thronged the Madhu feast this year, which concluded Thursday 15 August.
Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph, the Bishop of Mannar, in whose diocese the church is located in northern Sri Lanka, said, "The number of devotees is unprecedented. After a gap of nineteen years the devotees of the Madhu Maatha (Motheer Mary) poured out their suppressed devotion. The hundreds of thousand faithful who flocked to the shrine have expressed their love for peace. Everyone who gathered here have shown that they are against war,'
"The Madhu shrine and its precincts should be declared a zone of peace under the guardianship of the Catholic Church,' the Bishop said.
According to reports from northern Sri Lanka, pilgrims travelled to church in more than ten-thousand vehicles. On Wednesday 14 August alone, 95 thousand pilgrims came from several parts of the island. About 6000 went to the shrine from the other parts of the Mannar district the same day. The Madhu Road was open throughout Wednesday night.
Sri Lanka's Minister for Interior, Mr. John Amaratunga, Minister for Rehabilitation Mr. Jeyalath Jeyawardena and TNAMP for Vanni, Selvam Adaikalanathan paid homage to Ave Maria in Madhu.
Bishop of Jaffna Thomas Soundranayagam, Bishop of Mannar Rayappu Joseph and the Papal Nuncio Thomas Hay also concelebrated the festive High Mass presided over by Colombo Auxillary Bishop Malcolm Ranjith Fernando.

AML TIMES 7
mitment on the part of the parties to the conflict, to human rights, democracy and pluralism, if we are to transform negative peace to positive peace. Inclusive negotiations
We strongly urge the government and the LTTE (1) to start political negotiations with necessary care and due preparation without delay and (2) to seek a consensus with the opposition. We equally urge all political parties of all communities to forge a common approach to peace and national reconciliation through initiating a parallel process of democratic dialogue and discussion. A common approach necessarily requires the moderation of currently held positions and policies of all parties. Intransigent policies or positions will not bring sustainable or any peace to this country. Negotiations and agreements between the representatives of all concerned parties are required for a lasting and sustainable peace. We further request open, transparent and inclusive political negotiations, with constructive inputs from civil Society organisations and the international community.
بھینچھ3۔
What we can do
Believing that university academics could play a major role in national reconciliation and peace in this country through education, research, publication and other activities, the conference of University Academics for peace urge the government to take steps to ensure that a wide choice of educational materials that encourage pluralism and tolerance is readily available to students,
Promote reforms that ensure accountability and ready responses to the needs and priorities of people at all tiers of administration, Resolve to take further steps to encourage the cooperation of universities and academic communities and to secure their involvement in policy making with regard to the socio-economic development of the country and national reconciliation.
Chilaw Bishop Frank Marcus Fernando declared at the historical shrine of Madhu that peace negotiations were the only way out to save the country maintaining that war only kills, maims and renders homeless thousands of people while destroying property.
Addressing a record number of over 400,000 pilgrims during his homily at the High Mass on Thursday the Bishop said real peace, which was not the absence of war, would come with a just and fair solution to all communities.
He said throughout a period of twenty years the country was engaged in a demented war that has killed over 60,000 people, maimed 40,000 and rendered over 100,000 homeless.
"No one will benefit by war. Not only the people the whole country and even governments are destroyed by the war," he said urging devotees to march towards peace. He said peace does not come automatically but has to be won, protected and preserved.
Urging Christians to be the bridge between Sinhalese and Tamils he said God could be met not during war but in an atmosphere of peace. "Today you have an important task before you. You should do your part and contribute to the peace process," he said noting that the path to peace was clear. "Today Sinhala and Tamil people have gathered here as sons and daughters of the same mother (Mary)," he said adding that Christians came to Madhu church for several centuries as children of the same mother.
The Bishop reminded Catholics how at the Bishop's Conference last year a decision was taken to take the Statue of Our Lady of Madhu to the South paving the way for peace talks.
"This has brought us results. We see the sun peeping through dark clouds. We feel the tranquility of the post war period," he said.
After the Holy Mass the decorated chariot carrying the statue of Mother Mary paraded the Madhu church grounds. Many priests and sisters including the Madhu church Administrator Father Stan Phillips participated at the service.

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174 Ceasefire violations
15 Aug - A total number of 174 incidents have been ruled as Ceasefire violations by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) since the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement which was signed on 22 February this year, The SLMM said in a statement issued on 14 August.
The LTTE was held responsible for 146 cases, while the Government was responsible for 28, it said.
A total of 740 valid complaints have been processed by Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), with 576 against the LTTE and 164 against the Government.
A SLMM news release said that the most common violation on the LTTE side is Underage Recruitment (55 instances), followed by Abduction (43) and harassment (20).
The most common violation on the Government side is harassment (ll cases) followed by restriction of movement (6) and restriction of fishing (5).
In addition to these ruled violations, 125 complaints have been made against the LTTE for Underage Recruitment, 116 concerning Abduction/Missing people and 71 for harassment, the release added.
Against the Government side, there have been 39 complaints made for harassment, 31 for occupation of civilian land and property and 10 for Restriction of Movement.
The release said that the SLMM was still inquiring into these cases.
"It is clear that at this point in time the LTTE has to do better in adhering to the Ceasefire Agreement, considering the high number of complaints and violations concerning Abductions and Underage Recruitment. This practice is not only a Violation of the Ceasefire Agreement and International Law, but is also hindering The Restoration of Normalcy in Sri Lanka,' the SLMM said.
At a meeting with Hagrup Haukland, Acting Head of SLMM in Kilinochchi on Wednesday (14 August), the LTTE Political Leadership rejected the violations and complaints as wrongful allegations.
Haukland stated after the meeting that it is clear that the LTTE is taking this issue very seriously. "SLMM is confident that the LTTE will find a solution to this matter because they are very much committed to the Ceasefire Agreement and the Peace Process. Today, the LTTE promised SLMM their full cooperation.”
Police Record in Three
Torture Cases
In two successive days recently, the Supreme Court held senior police officers guilty of torture and awarded compensation. It is significant to note that the awards made in two of the cases against currently serving two very senior officers: DIG(CID) Punya de Silva and Senior Superintendent of Police (CID) Bandula Wickremasinghe.
DIG ordered to pay compensation: 4 Aug - The Supreme Court this week awarded Rs 170,000 to Captain Y.K.Abeyratne, the Officer-in-Charge of the Bindunuwewa Rehabilitation Camp as compensation and costs for the infringement of his fundamental rights by the officers of the Criminal Investigation Department.
 

15 AUGUST 2002
Captain Banda who was the Officer-in-Charge of the Bindunuwewa Rehabilitation Camp where a number of Tamil inmates were massacred had filed a fundamental rights petition, citing CID Director Keerthi Gajanayake, Inspector Linton, SPNandana Munasinghe, DIG Punya de Silva all of CID and IGP as well as the Attorney General as respondentS.
Bench comprising Justices Mark Fernando, D.P.S.Gunasekera and C.V.Wigneswaran awarded Rs 120,000 as compensation for the infringement of his fundamental rights to freedom from arbitrary detention guaranteed under Article 13(2). Of the total amount one half shall be paid by DIG Punya de Silva of the CID personally and Rs 30,000 as compensation for the infringement of his fundamental right to freedom from arbitrary arrest which shall be paid by CID Director Keerthi Gajanayake, CID Inspector Linton and SP Nandana Munasinghe of the CID personally in equal shares. Court also awarded Rs 20,000 as costs payable by the State. These payment shall be made on or before September. The registrar was directed to forward copies of the judgement and the pleadings and documents produced in this case to the Public Services Commission(PSC) to enable the PSC to consider disciplinary action against those responsible for the arrest and detention of Captain Banda.
Court observed that the CID had failed to follow the procedure prescribed by the Emergency Regulations by failing to hand over Captain Banda to the Bandarawela Police. Court also observed that Captain Banda was made a convenient scapegoat and kept out of circulation until public attention was directed elsewhere.
In a sequence to the incident of a gruesome massacre of nearly 24 inmates in the said camp on October 25 of 2000, the CID next day informed Captain Banda that they wished to question him along with Lt. Abeyratne and they were brought to the 4th floor of the CID headquarters, Colombo. On October 29, he was informed by IP Kumarasinghe that he had been detained under a detention order. Captain Banda said that there was no evidence of a reasonable suspicion against him at the time of his arrest.
Police officers to pay compensation: 4 Aug - The Supreme Court this week awarded Rs 150,000 as compensation to a torture victim who filed a fundamental rights violation petition against CID officers.
The Bench comprising Justices Mark Fernando, D.P.S. Gunasekera and Hector S. Yapa awarded compensation of which Rs. 50,000 to be payable by the State while Rs. 50,000 each to be payable by DIG Punya de Silva and SSP Bandula Wickremasinghe of the CID personally.
Petitioner Saranapala was taken into custody on August 13, 1998 in connection with the Majestic Mudalali murder case at 1.45 p.m. at Rahumaniya Hotel, Town Hall while having his lunch. In his petition, Saranapala inter alia stated that after his arrest by the CID, he was taken to the Bandaragama Police Station. Thereafter he was brought to his house. Police personnel kept a grenade in the garden of his house, accused him of hiding a grenade and assaulted him. He alleged that he was illegally arrested because of his connection with the then opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and Anura Bastian. He said the police gave no reason for his arrest and neither was the receipt for this arrest given to his wife. He said he was taken to the CID and detained for three months.
He filed a petition in the Court of Appeal in February

Page 9
ts AUGUST 2002
1999, against his arbitrary arrest and detention. Court of Appeal granted him an interim order for his bail.
He cited Sub-Inspector Rodrigo, Police Constable Jayasinghe, SSP Bandula Wickremasinghe, DIG Punya de Silva, all of the CID and the IGP as respondents. The court ordered the Public Services Commission to conduct a disciplinary inquiry against these police officers. Upul Jayasuriya with Iyanthi Abeywickrama instructed by Chula de Karunatillake appeared for the petitioner. State Counsel Riyaz Hamza appeared for the respondents.
Compensation for tortured woman: 3 Aug - The Supreme Court on 2 August declared that a 25 year old unmarried woman was subjected to torture, illegal arrest and illegal detention by officer-in-charge (crimes), Selvin Saleh, of the Narahenpita police station in Colombo. The petitioner, Angeline Roshana Michael of Colombo 5, was awarded compensation and costs in a sum of Rs. 100,000/- payable on or before September 30, 2002, of which state shall pay Rs. 70,000/-. The OIC was ordered to pay the balance Rs.30,000/ - personally.
The petitioner lived with her parents at 100/4, Dabare Mawatha, Narahenpita. She had been working as a domestic aide in a nearby household at 18/95 Dabare Mawatha, Narahenpita. She was arrested on December 3, 2000, as a sequel to an alleged theft of a gold wrist-watch, belonging to her employer's wife.
The judgement was by Justice Mark Fernando, with Justice D. P. S. Gunasekera and Justice C. V. Wigneswaran agreeing.
US Senior Officia's Visit
Meanwhile, US deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage will visit Sri Lanka from August 23. He is the highest ranking US official to visit Sri Lanka in recent times.
Mr. Armitage's visit would help to further strengthen goodwill between the two countries and it comes as a direct result of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit to the USA and the assurances given by President Bush to cooperate with the peace process and economic development.
Among other matters, the government hopes to discuss the process of expediting de-mining in the North-East with Mr. Armitage, since mines continue to hamper the resettlement of refugees in those areas, the Prime Ministers' office said yesterday.
Mr. Armitage's talks here are likely to focus on the peace process including plans to develop Jaffna and other uncleared areas, progress in the demining process, improving security service in the country through military training and developing the intelligence service as well, sources said.
Mr. Armitage is also expected to hold talks with regard to the economic cooperation between the two countries based on the Free Trade Agreement, sources said.
They said Mr. Armitage who is expected to make a strong statement in support of the peace process and the government would meet Premier Wickremesinghe and Ministers Milinda Moragoda and G.L. Peiris.
The visit comes in the wake of the US Senate passing a resolution in support of Sri Lanka's peace process with a call for support and assistance from the international community to the process and reconstruction of the war-damaged areas. The resolution states the US is willing to "lend its good
 
 

AMIL TIMES 9
offices to play a constructive role in supporting the peace process, if so desired by all parties of the conflict."
This came 10 days after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's meeting with US President George Bush. The resolution also called on the parties to negotiate in good faith with a view to finding a "just and lasting political settlement to Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict while respecting the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.'
The Case of Johnson And his release
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam abducted another civilian and his son returned to Sri Lanka in search of his father. Anthony Johnson is a 59 year old Sri Lankan Burgher who was a civilian employee of the Sri Lankan Navy for more than 20 years in Trincomalee. He was abducted by the LTTE during the first week in August and held in a LTTE camp in Muttur according to information received by his son. His son Jerytton Johnson, a Sri Lankan Burgher studying at RMIT in Melbourne, Australia for his Masters arrived in Sri Lanka on 24 July.
According to information received by Jerytton, the LTTE sent his father 3 letters regarding the ownership of their land to one of their relatives who hail from Mullaitivu. When he had gone to meet the LTTE they had taken him to custody. When Anthony's brother and his niece had gone to the LTTE office to check on his whereabouts the LTTE had informed them that he was transferred to the camp in Muttur. Anthony Johnson's family has been living in the village of Palaiyuthu for more than 20 years.
In a letter sent to the Amnesty International and other important organisations Jerytton said that abduction of his father was a serious violation against the MoU signed between the government and the LTTE. He questioned how a terrorist organization banned in Sri Lanka can hold somebody without his consent in a government controlled area. He said, “We are not Tamils. The LTTE police force is solely for Tamils and not for any other community. They cannot exercise control over us, which they are doing to a great extent at present. There is a government police station and courts in my district.”
"Even before getting all the powers to establish an interim council in the North and the East through talks in Thailand, the LTTE is engaged in this kind of serious violations. Then what would happen afterwards once they have been given all rights to run such a police force legally?' he asked.
Jerytton said that Burghers were a minority in Sri Lanka and they didn't want to engage in politics. The so-called international community which is looking after the interest of the general public led by Norway should take prompt action. He appealed to all human rights organizations to help him in trying to obtain the release of his father. He pleaded that his father was an innocent man who had not been to a police station from 1943 to date even to make a complaint against anyone.
Following intervention by the Amnesty International, the LTTE released Anthony Johnson from custody and permitted him to return home.

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10 TAMELTIMES
OTrial-at-Bar to hear Ratwatte case: 22 Jul - The Chief Justice Mr. Sarath N.Silva named a three-member bench of the High Court to consitute the Trial-at-Bar
to hear the Udathalawinne massacre case. The case concerns the murder of ten Muslim youths on the general election day, December 5 last year at Udathalawinne in the Kandy district
In this case the former deputy defence minister General Anuruddha Ratwatte, his two sons Lohan and Chanukah and twelve other persons have been charged on 72 counts, including conspiracy to murder and murder. The names of the three judges appointed to hear the case are Mr. Kumar Ekaratne (Chairman). Mr. Maxwell Paranagama and Mr.S. Karunaratne.
On an application made by the Attorney General the Chief Justice ordered that the Udathalawinne massacre case be heard in Colombo High Court. Earlier the Attorney General had filed indictments against the accused in the Kandy High Court.
O Bribery complaint againsst Minister: 23 Jul - Anura Bandaranaike has lodged a complaint with the Bribery and Corruption Commission against Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake, party sources said.
They said Mr. Bandaranaike and members of the JVP, the MEP and the PA’s Mulberry group officially handed over a petition against Mr. Karunanayake, alleging irregularities in the purchase of 40,000 metric tons of white raw and red raw rice from India against the tender procedure.
Sources said Minister Ravi Karunanayake had purchased the stock of rice on February 8 this year from India as 25,000 metric tons of white raw rice and 15,000 red raw rice. Due to the purchasing of rice against the tender procedure, a loss of more than Rs. 55 million was incurred to the government, Sources said.
O Muslim theologians express concern on: 23 Jul - The Council of Muslim Theologians has expressed serious concern with regard to the security and well-being of the Muslim community in the context of the current peace process, in a letter written to the President and Prime Minister.
The Council states that the signing of the ceasefire Agreement by the government and the LTTE was greeted by the people of all communities with a sigh of relief in the hope that the bloodshed that caused thousands of deaths, maimed and crippled several thousand and displaced further thousands had come to an end.
They point out that while Muslims
being mindful oft fire Agreement did cial problems face yet threw weight b ess in the interest c "Apart from the fa the State to do so, note that failure of agencies to act reoccurrence of suc ern Province ther peace process, thi we cannot allow to cumstance."
"The culminat security was the ev the Eastern Provin Valaichenai and M these problems bee dealt with as any problems, they wou caused loss of live and tension in the
The council u drika Kumaratung Wickremesinghe binding measures of the Muslims, pa in the North and Ea their fundamental fear of being kille ing and cultural ac dom and security.
O Assaulted LTT Jul -- The Army ha deserters who soug watuna Army camp Oya police.
The two LTTE ratnam and 19-y Wijekumar surren at the LTTE camp ,Selvadorai Wijek badly beaten up by because he reporte home leave and pointed he decided with his friend Ra been trained in the ons and paid Rs. 4 lice gave him medi assault marks on h
O Sister rescued A 6 year-old girl, the LTTE was resc ers on July 20 an Forces check poin An army spok youths with the te at Security Forces

15 AUGUST 2002
representatives of the ICRC to inform the Security Forces that their sister was rescued from the LTTE detention after she was abducted by
he fact that the ceasenot recognise the sped by their community ehind the peace procf the country at large. ct that it is the duty of it is also important to f the law enforcement could result in the h violence in the Easteby jeopardising the s is something which happen under any cir
ion of this state of inents that took place in ce more particularly in uttur last month. Had in quickly arrested and other law and order ld not have spread and s, widespread damage region.” rged President Changa and Premier Ranil to take effective and to ensure the security rticularly those living ast and thereby restore rights to live without d, perform their tradtivities with full free
Eers desert camp: 24 inded over two LTTE ght refuge at the Athaon 21 July to the Weli
Irs, 20-year-old Rasayear-old Selvadurai ded leaving their arms . On being questioned umar said that he Was y his chief Wasanthan 2d two days late after since he was disapto quit and come along asaratnam. They have use of automatic weap000 a month, The pocal attention due to the is body.
by brothers: 24 Jul - who was abducted by ued by her two brothd arrived at Security t at Muhamalai.
(esman said that two enage girl had arrived checkpoint along with
the LTTE. The teenager had been identified as Thavarasha Rajakumari from Velvetithurai. According to her brothers, they had gone to Pallai area to rescue the teenager after she was abducted by the LTTE when she was at home.
The two brothers who had somehow managed to rescue their sister Rajakumari from LTTE custody had further stated that the LTTE cadres were chasing behind them after her escape. However, the teenager was handed over to the representatives of SLMM at the check point where she was to be safely accompanied to her residence in Velvetithurai.
O MPs trade blows in parliament: 24 Jul - Sri Lanka's parliamentary sittings were suspended on 24 July for about fifteen minutes when a group of ruling and opposition members exchanged blows in the well of the House. Pandemonium erupted when the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse, made a statement calling for an apology from, and the resignation of, Commerce Minister Mr. Ravi Karunanayake on the grouinds that he had accused the President of carrying a bomb in her handbag.
The Leader of the House and Law Minister Mr. W.J. M. Loku Bandara rose to his feet to vehemently deny the allegation on behalf of Mr Karunanayake, who is on an official visit to Pakistan.
Thereafter a group of opposition members rose to their feet waving banners and shouting slogans. The Speaker attempted to calm the opposition members and asked them to take their seats.
In the meantime the Finance Minister Mr. K.N. Choksy presented the Value
Added Tax Bill to the parliament. When
the Finance Minister was on his feet some opposition members rushed to the well of the House and attempted to remove the Mace from the Speaker’s table. The Sergeant-at-Arms foiled it. Thereafter about thirty ruling and opposition members exchanged blows in the well of the House The Speaker as a last resort suspended the sitting for about fifteen minutes.
O Strong support for peace drive from Bush: 25 Jul - Prime Minister RanilWickremesinghe met President George W. Bush at the White House today, and left brandishing a “tremendous' vow of support for his bid to end a 20-year civil war with the Tamil Tigers.
“When the president says he is behind you, that means a lot,” Wickremesinghe told reporters as he left the presi

Page 11
15 AUGUST 2002
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dential mansion. “We came here to discuss mainly about the peace process in Sri Lanka - and I got all the support I want for that,' he said.
"President Bush and the US government have given us all the encouragement to go ahead with the political process to bring peace to Sri Lanka, a peace based on equality, human rights, rule of law, in other words democracy... The backing he has given me has been a tremendous help.”
Wickremesinghe met senior members of the House of Representatives and the Senate foreign policy establishment during his viswit, amid some concern over the delay in opening final peace talks with the Tamil Tigers.
United States' President George Bush offered Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremsinghe American support in efforts to resolve the island's ethnic conflict, a White House spokesman said. The two leaders' meeting lasted approximately 15 minutes, the spokesman Ari Fleischer said. "President Bush) expressed his strong support for Sri Lanka, for their democracy, and the closer ties that are being forged between the United States and Sri Lanka,' Mr. Fleischer said in response to journalists' questions.
"The President offered American support for Sri Lanka's pursuit of peace
initiative the Norv development and eral teams to assess together in those a Wickremesin Bush was the fir, leader has been in President J.R.Jaye Reagan in 1984.
O 367 arrested an 27 - When the Bi case was taken up High Court Trial-a Quarter Inspector evidence said he tered and burning entered Rehabilita cident 27 inmates dered and 14 oth jured.
The trial-atCourt judges Sara dent), Eric Ba: Abeyratne.
In this case fol ing ten police off ers were indicted. counts including unlawful assembl ders and attempte of the Rehabilitat tional Youth Ser
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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wegian), and economic proposed to send sev; how best we can work reas,” he said.
ghe's meeting with st time a Sri Lankan
the White House since
2wardena met Ronald
d released on orders: ndunuwewa massacre ) before the Colombo it-bar, the Police Head Bandarawela giving witnessed the slaughhuman bodies when he tion Camp. In this inofthe camp were murers were severely in
par comprised High th Ambepitiya (Presisnayake and Upali
ty one persons includcers and some villaghere were eighty three being members of an y, committing 27 murmurder of 14 inmates ion camp run by Navices Council of Sri
Lanka, at Bindunuwewa, Bandarawela.
The witness told he heard the noises in the morning hours of the fatal day when he was going to face a disciplinary inquiry held against him by Assistant Superintendent of Police Bandarawela. He said when he was going towards the camp he saw the building on fire and a violent mob carrying clubs in their hands running around it (camp). The HQI said that he heard the cries and saw bleeding bodies lying on the ground within the camp when he entered the camp. He said some of the bodies were burning and he soon called for the fire brigade. He quickly despatched the wounded men to hospital as an immediate measure. The witness said that he later came to know that the violent mob had come from the teachers training college which was situated next to the rehabilitation camp.
Cross examined by the counsel for the accused, HQI Seneviratne said that on the eve of the day prior to the said incident, he heard that there was a tense situation in the camp. The witness said he heard that the detainees had taken the weapons of the police personnel who were on the duty in the camp and had taken control of it. However he said that situation was brought under control when he went there and proposed to them to take away the police post set up inside the camp. The

Page 12
12 TAMILTIMES
witness said on that day the inmates were frightened that an attack would come from outside.
The police officer said 367 suspects were arrested over the incident on October 25 and later all of them were released on the orders of SSP and ASP Bandarawela.
O New Archbishop exhorts national unity: 27 Jul - "All Sri Lankans should join hands to find a lasting solution to national issues irrespective of communal, religious and other differences,” said the newly installed Archbishop of Colombo Most.Rev.Dr. Oswald Gomis. The Canonical installation of the eighth Archbishop took place at the Cathedral of St. Lucia, Kotehena in Colombo.
The Archbishop said, "All differences should be set aside to settle the ethnic conflict and prevent further degradation of the society. The Catholics in the country have always worked in close cooperation with the Buddhists and members of other faiths.'
Several leading Buddhist monks participated and blessed the new Archbishop by chanting Seth Pirith. Presidential Secretary Mr.K.Balapattependi on behalf of President Chandrika Kumaratunge and Defense Minister Tilak Marapone on behalf of Prime Minister Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe offered good wishes. New Archbishop was born in 1932, December 12. He is the current President of Bishops' Conference and he has always stood out as a champion of national harmony. O Moragoda meets Balasingham in London: 27 Jul - Sri Lanka's Minister Milinda Moragoda met Mr. Anton Balasingham, the chief negotiator of the Liberation Tigers at the Norwegian ambassadorial residence in London, Saturday. In a statement Saturday, the Norwegian Government hailed the meeting as a "new phase' in its peace initiative in Sri Lanka. Following is the full text of the statement: “On July 27, 2002 a meeting was held between the chief negotiator for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Anton Balasingham, and Sri Lankan Minister of Economic Reforms, Science and Technology and Deputy Minister for Policy Development and Implementation, Milinda Moragoda. Balasingham was accompanied by his wife Adele.
The meeting marked a new phase in the ongoing peace process in Sri Lanka. The discussion covered a variety of issues regarding the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and preparations for direct negotiations in Thailand, including the agenda for negotiations and the question of an interim administration. The meeting was held in a good atmosphere. The session lasted for two hours,
followed by lunch. T rect meeting betwee ment minister supervi ess and the chiefneg The meeting took pla ambassadorial reside wegian facilitators v Servers. State Secreta Helgesen, said after demonstrated the firm parties to the peace tuted a major step for
O SLA vacates Har July - The Sri Lanka buildings of the Point lege in Jaffna. They h of Poornampillai Ha named after two past College, to Mr.Murug is the school's princi Mr. Sripathy saic Poornampillai Hall a been badly damaged. Hall is on the verge severe damages to its necessary repairs al buildings cannot be
In easteern Sri L cated the Morakko krishna Mission Scho district after twelve y The handing over Morakkoddanchena morning. Mr. K. Tha) loa district parliamer ficer Commanding c vision, Major Gener and the SLA’S Battic Col. V.R.L.Anthoni emony.
Lt. Col Anthon documents related ti Kalkudha Director c Kanapathipillai. The camped in the schc center since 1990.
O PTA detainees r each case: 30 Jul - T al’s Department has c stated that the depa preparations to withd Tamil detainees arest tion of Terrorism A placed department journalists in Colon Attorney-General's treat each case on would include those rious attacks.
However, the M frastructure met the F Wickremasinge 29 mier to expedite the suspects or release t Act in accordance wi Ceasefire Agreemen
“Although there

his was the first diin a central governsing the peace proctiator of the LTTE. ce at the Norwegian hce in London. Norvere present as obry of Norway, Vidar the meeting that it commitment of the process and constiward toward peace.'
ley and School: 29 n army handed two | Pedro Hartley Colanded over the keys ll and Lower Hall, orincipals ofHartley upillai Sripathi who pal now. i the two buildings; nd Lower Hall have The Poornampillai of collapse due to main beams. Until e done the school used, he added. anka, the Army vaddanchenai RamaDiol in the Batticaloa, fears of occupation. event was held at i School Monday ngavadivel, Batticatarian, General OfIf the SILA’s 23 Dial Sunil Tennekoon aloa commander Lt. z attended the cer
iz handed over all o the school to the f Education Mr.V. SLA has been enbol and the village
elease depends on he Attorney-Generlenied reports which rtment was making raw all cases against ed underthe Prevenct (PTA). A highly source was quoted hbo Mirror that the Department would its merits and that involved in very se
inister of Estate InPrime Minister Ranil uly urging the Preindictments of the hose held under the th a clause under the
t.
have been reports to
15 AUGUST 2002
the effect that we are releasing all of the suspects taken in under PTA, we will only be releasing the suspects on the merits of their cases. For example, the suspects involved in hard-core cases such as those of the Central Bank bombing, the attack on the President and the Dehiwala train bombing will be taken up for trial and we will not be releasing these suspects until it is decided at court level,” the source confirmed.
The source further said that contrary to the reports, the case with regard to the attack on the President has already been taken up for trial. "All very serious cases will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Some cases will be dependent on the confessions made but where there is substantial evidence, we will not be discharging them,' the source added.
"It will not be reasonable to simply discharge these suspects who have attracted So much public attention and are accused of such grave crimes,' another Department source said.
It is learnt that since early May, up to 350 suspects have been released after Attorney-General K. C. Kamalasabeyson appointed a committee to look into the
Natter.
O India prepares to ban LTTE: 30 Jul - India is taking preparatory action to renew the ban on the LTTE for a further two years. Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal, New Delhi has issued notice on the LTTE calling upon it to show cause in writing within 30 days from July 6 as to why it should not be declared an unlawful association and why order be not made confirming the declaration already made.
The notification has referred to the Unlawful Activities(Prevention) Tribunal consisting of Justice S.K.Mahajan, at the Delhi High Court.
Ignoring the LTTE's plea to lift the ban on it, the Indian government has gone ahead to renew the ban. India has also already ruled out her involvement in the Norwegian-brokered peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and the
LTTE.
India's main opposition party Congress is pressing the government for the extradition of LTTE leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran supported by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha whereas the Marumalarchchi Dravida Munnetra Kalagam (MDMK), a constituent party of the ruiling coalition in New Delhi, is demanding that the ban imposed on the LTTE be lifted.
At a news conference held in Wanni, in April LTTE leader Prabhakaran had asked both India and Sri Lanka to lift their ban imposed on his organisation describing Rajiv Gandhi's assassination as a tragic incident that happened 10 years ago.

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15 AUGUST 2002
The LTTE was proscribed on May 14, 1992 following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, 1991. LTTE leader Prabhakaran and his intelligence chief Pottu Amman remain on India's most wanted list. The Sri Lankan government proscribed the LTTE in 1998 following a truck bomb attack on Dalada Maligawa. Since then the LTTE has been proscribed in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
Bail for Lohan and Chanuka: 31 Jul - After languishing in jail for nearly six months, the Ratwatte brothers Lohan and Chanuka were granted bail by The Court of Appeal on 30 July.
A two-member bench comprising Court of Appeal President Justice Nihal Jayasinghe and Justice K. Sripavan decided that Lohan and Chanuka Ratwatte should be released on Rs. 100,000 cash bail each with two sureties but warned them not to interfere with any witnesses in the case where they are accused of involvement in the Pallethalawinna massacre on election day last year. They were also ordered to report to the CID every Wednesday.
Earlier the Court of Appeal had also allowed bail for their father and former PA strongman Anuruddha Ratwatte.
The Ratwattes' lawyer Tirantha Walaliyadda while challenging the testimony of the sole eye witness also produced medical reports saying the children of one of the suspects were suffering from depression and stammering.
The Court of Appeal president said the Court had to look at the way in which the sole eyewitness had made his statement. He had not directly stated that he identified the suspects. Instead he had said that while he was pretending to be dead he saw the suspects. Due to this reason the Court could not rely on that evidence. When Justice Jayasinghe asked state counsel Achala Wengappuli as to whether he would challenge the medical reports, he said it was a sad situation but most suspects had to go through it.
O Ruhuna u'grads on war path: 31 Jul - More than 2000 Ruhuna University students held a protest march on 30 July from Matara town to Wellamadama, demanding the withdrawal of punishments meted out to 17 medical students for the violence that took place at the Medical Faculty at Karapitiya last year. Students representing all six faculties participated in the march.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Rohan Rajapakse assured the student union representatives that their appeal would be taken up with the University Council soon. The 17 medical students were allegedly involved in assaulting
some nurses who a ing management c posed on the grou levying course, anc for private degree
They were giv sions up to one yea examinations up recommendations ciplinary committ
Meanwhile, th have threatened a punishments were diately.
PA to go to court Aug - Leader of th Rajapakse threate Rights case again SLFP members of police.
He said on 31 other attempt by th revenge from op Leader of the Op member of parliam act, Mr. Rajapakse UNF government arresting oppositic Mr. Rajapakse ceived news of the the Prime Ministe fence Minister. W action by the polic tice be done withc He would disci arrested MPs and Human Rights vi responsible, he sai that if MPs' rights lated by the police imagine how vulne would be.
O Mangala ac charges: 1 Aug Posts and Media was discharged of charges by the Bl 31 July.
In a commur Samaraweera, the tigate, Allegation ruption has inforn mission has deci from further proce made by Rajitha close file.
Rajitha Senara Member of Parlial commission that issued a credit ca. and that the use o Samaraweera am corruption.
Samaraweera commission and ment in which he a official payments

ttended a breast-feedourse, which was opnds that it was a feeit would pave the way in the future. en temporary suspenand suspensions from o three months upon by the university dis2e . e 17 medical students ast-unto-death if their not withdrawn imme
over MPs arrests: 1 e Opposition Mahinda ned to file a Human st the arrest of seven Parliament by Laggala
July that this was anhe government to take bosition MPs. As the position and a senior Ient he condemned this said. He said that the should put a stop to In MPs in this manner. said as soon as he rese arrests he contacted , the Speaker and DeThile condemning this e he requested that jusut any delay. uss this matter with the file separate cases of olations against those id. Mr. Rajapakse said could beso easily vio, it was not difficult to rable the common man
quitted of bribery - Former Minister of vMangala Samaraweera bribery and corruption ibery Commission on
lication addressed to Commission to Invess of Bribery and Corned him that the comded to discharge him edings in the complaint Senaratne MP and to
tne then an Opposition ment complained to the Sri Lanka Telecom has rd to the then minister f these credit cards by ounted to bribery and
appeared before the made a detailed stateisserted that these were made to him for his
TAMILTIMES 13
official purposes of meeting travel incidentals by an institution under the ministry.
He also told the commission that previous ministers received similar payments by way of travellers cheques which he converted to credit card for greater transparency.
O Navy hands over schools: 2 Aug - The ceasefire agreement between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government has largely been implemented in Trincomalee, the head of the international monitors in the eastern district said. Ms Victoria Lund was addressing the weekly meeting of the Trincomalee Rotary Club as its guest speaker where she answered several questions on the ceasefire agreement.
"The challenge for the people in Sri Lanka is to develop mutual trust and build , confidence. People are now talking to each other with the ceasefire in force,' she said.
Acknowledging that the SLMM in Trincomalee had received a number of complaints, Ms said "this) is not necessarily a bad thing, it can be positive.” "The violations are very different in their nature. The SLMM will say that it is not a violation if the parties show sincere willingness to find solutions and reduce tension,' she said.
In the meantime, the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) handed over three government schools, which they had been occupying in the Trincomalee district, to the northeast provincial department of education. The handing over event took place at Iranakerni Government Tamil Mixed School hall, one of the three schools, 1 August The Contingent Commander of the Nilaveli SLN Jayantha de Silva handed over the documents related to the schools to the Trincomalee Zonal Director of Education Mr. K. Thilakaretnam. The other two schools vacated are Thiriyai Tamil Maha Vidyalyam and Sakarapura Sinhala Vidyalyam.
O Musharraf support for peace process: 2 Aug - The visiting Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has thrown his country's full weight behind the peace process in Sri Lanka, including direct talks with the LTTE and pledged Pakistan stood ready to give any moral, diplomatic and material support.
Addressing mainly editors and other top journalists at a news conference in Colombo on 1 August, General Musharraf said "Pakistan is with Sri Lanka all the way” and was hopeful that normalcy and permanent peace would be a reality SOOI1.
The Pakistani leader, given red carpet treatment in Sri Lanka amidst tight security, said that while political and dip

Page 14
14 TAMLTIMES
lomatic ties between the two countries were firm, there was a common wish to expand socio-economic cooperation, for which three new agreements were signed yesterday.
Gen. Musharraf said that besides the new agreements on tourism and archaeology, science, culture, technology and media; and the free trade, he believed there was still more potential for trade and investments on a mutual basis and he hoped these would be explored with the focus on a dynamic private sector role.
O Motion against Defence Minister: 2 Aug - A motion of no confidence on Defence Minister Thilak Marapana especially for allegedly mishandling the Eastern crisis was handed over On 1 Augusst to the Speaker by Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse.
The motion has also been signed by representatives of the JVP, LSSP, CP, NUA, MEP and the EPDP.
"This motion is regarding the Eastern issue strictly. In this country we have a reputation for bringing a series of issues into a no confidence motion. As well as to bring in personal issues and sling mud. But this will deal only with what happened in the East and how the Minister dealt with it,* NUA leader Ferial Ashraff told the press.
She also said that the Minister's interview with the BBC where he had stated that the LTTE was not responsible for the violence that had come under fire from Eastern Muslims and that they had lost confidence in him.
O Trinco-Batticaloa highway to reopen: 5 Aug - The A15 highway between Batticaloa and Trincomalee is to be reopened for public use following discussions between representatives of the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers. A significant portion of the 132 km long road is under the control of the LTTE,
An agreement to reopen the A15 was reached at a meeting between LTTE and Sri Lankan government representatives held in Mutur on 3 August, according to reports from Colombo.
The government was represented by Abdullah Mohamed Maharooff Mohamed, Trincomalee MP from the ruling United National Party (UNP) and Alisahir Moulana, counsellor for the Ministry of Plan Implementation and Policy Making. The LTTE was represented by senior of ficials from its political wing, Mr. Tilak and Mr. Ruban.
The opening of the A15 is another step towards restoring links between the war-torn north and east with the rest of the island following the signing of the ceasefire agreement between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government.
In April, the A from Kandy in the northern Jaffna pen public use. The r( objective of pitche 1999. The LTTE just north of the S son town of Vavuni way along the Ja month, LTTE and officials in the eas pated in the openil is one of the oldes land, the main road coast and the centr
O US ban on LTT United States has r 2002 the ban on th Terrorist Organisat FTO designatic in the US's fight : are an effective me port for terrorist ac ing groups to get ou ԴՇSS.
The ban on sucl ally renewed every has been banned by
O Japanese Amba niya: 6 Aug - The . to Sri Lanka, Mr. ited Vavuniya on 6 resettlement of disp ing undertaken in The Ambassador's study how his gov about nine thousan been resettled in n lages in the Nedun retariat area, Var Agent, K. Ganesh, Later Mr. Otsu panied by by Ms. N retary for Economi S.A.S. Devotta, Se litical Affairs met other officials and posals to develop population of more Mr. Otsuka a project to supply w. to ease the drinking authorities concerr During his vis 0tsuka met and hac head of the LTTE's S. P. Tamilselvan, headquarters in Ki According to L. cussions centred or initiative as well as the North-east. Mr. pan's full suppor peace effort and al cessity of comment struction work in t

15 AUGUST 2002
highway which runs island's centre to the insula was opened for pad was the site and d battles from 1997 to controls the A9 from ri Lanka Army garriya to Muhamalai midffna peninsula. Last Sri Lankan military tern province particing of the A5. The A5 it highways in the islink between the east all hills of the island.
Estays: 5 Aug - The 2designated from July e LTTE as a Foreign ion.
ons play a critical role against terrorism and ans of curtailing suptivities and pressurist of the terrorism busi
n organisations is usutwo years. The LTTE y the US from 1997.
assador visits Vavusapanese Ambassador Sciichiro 0tsuka, visAugust and reviewed blaced people now bethe northern district. visit was intended to 'ernment could assist d villagers who have nore than twenty vilkerny divisional secvuniya Government
said.
ka, who was accomoriko Iseki, First SecCooperation and Mr. nior Assistant for Powith Mr. Ganesh and
discussed several pro
he town which has a : than forty thousand. greed to consider a ater to Vavuniya town water shortage if the led submitted a plan.
it to the Vanni, Mr. i discussions with the political section, Mr.
at the LTTE political
inochchi.
TTE sources the dis
the Norwegian peace the reconstruction of Otsuka expressed Jafor the Norwegian so pointed out the neing immediate reconhe North-east.
O Murder suspects identified: 7 Aug - All the eleven suspects in the Thadehanamadu murder case were identified on 7 August before the Mannar acting Magistrate Mr.S.A.Johnthasan. All the fifteen witnesses who were present in the court identified the accused when the identification parade was held. The suspects were produced under heavy security.
The suspects had been arrested in connection with the killing of three persons, a driver, conductor and an assistant of a bus, whose bodies were recovered last month by the LTTE's police personnel at Thadchchanamadu. Eight of the suspects are Sinhalese and three Tamils. The Sri Lankan Police arrested the suspects from Seeduwa, Katunayakeand Gampaha in south Sri Lanka.
The identification parade commenced in the Mannar court before the acting Magistrate under the supervision of permanent Magistrate Mr.M.P.Mohideen. Of the sixteen witnesses fifteen were present in court. Of them four were police personnel of Uyilankulam checkpoint, one is the owner of a lodge where the suspects had stayed and two employees of a hotel where the suspects had taken meals. After the identification parade all the suspects were produced before the Mannar Magistrate Mr.M.P.- Mohideen who ordered them to be remanded till 19 August. No lawyers appeared on behalf of the suspects. The Police recorded statements of the suspects after the identification parade. The suspects were taken back from Mannar. to Anuradhapura prison with tight security. With the arrest and identification of the l l suspects a clear picture emerged regarding these killings which remained a mystery for several days.
According to investigations, the three victims have been identified as a driver, a stand-by driver and a helper of a bus that was hired in Kandy by a man called Shankar who led a group from Mattakuliya to Madhu. Shankar, believed to be a vehicle racketeer from Vavuniya, and the bus in question are now in the LTTE custody. The LTTE has said it would hand over Shankar to the Sri Lankan Police.
ASP de Silva said that according to statements recorded by the police from the ten suspects who joined the journey, Shankar had been purchasing vehicles through finance companies in Colombo and selling them in the North and East. He had been a regular visitor to Mattakkuliya from where he operated his busiՈՇSS.
The ASP who is leading investigations said that according to the statements made by the suspects, most of whom are from Seeduwa and Negombo areas in south Sri Lanka, Shankar had asked them to join him on a trip to Madhu via Kandy

Page 15
15 AUGUST 2002
in his vehicle. In Kandy, Shankar had claimed that the vehicle had broken down and had hired a bus belonging to a Muslim businessman, with whom he had a financial dispute. Shankar had on an earlier occasion paid the businessman Rs. 360,000 to buy a bus, but the businessman is said to have refused to release the bus until full payments were made.
However, Shankar managed to hire the bus for Rs. 10,000. The group then proceeded to Madhu in the bus driven by two drivers who worked for the Kandy businessman. They were also joined by a helper.
ASP de Silva said that Shankar is alleged to have killed the two drivers and the helper in Madhu and hid the bodies in the forest with the help of the ten suspects.
Shankar had driven the suspects to the nearest Army checkpoint the next day after attending the mass. He had also given them money and instructed them to return to Colombo. He was arrested by the LTTE soon after the bodies were recovered by villagers.
O Australia warns Lankan people smugglers: 7 Aug - Australia sternly warned Sri Lankans not to smuggle in immigrants, pointing to the fate of four men imprisoned for the crime.
"The jailing offour Sri Lankan people smugglers in Australia ... sends a strong message that Australia is committed to stopping the illegal trafficking of human cargo and will punish those involved in this dangerous activity,” the Australian high commission said in a statement.
A court in Perth on July 30 sentenced four Sri Lankans to up to five years in jail for trying to land 65 illegal immigrants in a leaky boat on Australia's remote northwestern coast last year.
Since the beginning of the year there has been a spate of human smuggling attempts out of war-torn Sri Lanka. In January, three trawlers packed with 250 Sri Lankan men were seized by the navy.
Small boats crowded with young men seeking better lives in Europe, Australia or Japan are frequently detected on the water or turned back after reaching their destinations. The Australian government has adopted a tough stance against illegal immigration and people smuggling, including a policy of mandatory detention for asylum seekers which has been criticised by the United Nations and human rights groups.
O Seven Lankans arrested in China: 7 Aug - Seven Lankans had been arrested in China last month for allegedly trying to use China as a transit point illegal migration to the West.
The Chinese government has introduced tough new measures to deal with
those attempting tol gal transit point, the Beijing said.
A fine of Chines (Rs. 5827) per day is 10 days upon detecti fine of Chinese Yua 58263) is payable to Bureau in order to o leave the country.
The seven Lanka processing of their a knowing when exit vi Some of the stra that they had paid R others had paid as m to human traffickers nations via China. TI decamped after bri mainland.
With the Chines a tough attitude towa grants, these persons an undetermined pe: visas are issued by Embassy said.
O Navy hands over officials: 7 Aug - Af of three schools and which were occupie Navy to the Zonal D. K. Thilakaratnam an the Tamil National A respectively the C Naval Area Rear Adı erthi said the respons the buildings was ov over of the building the MoU.
He requested tho buildings to look af hereafter the Navy to do with the buildi
According to P. house was well mail as an officers, mes: families living at the They were farmers c tion under the ma Kulam tank under w land could be cultiva and 300 acres of lan There are four Sinnaveli tank, (l Kaddukulam tank Thiriyai tank (25 Karayaveli tank (10 ple in the village als cattle which are now in the jungle.
O US Envoy reiter; 8 Aug - American Wills again reiterate
country's peace proc
Lanka would get its
tion.
Ambassador Wi
the Sacred Tooth R.

TAMILTIMES 15
se China as an illeLankan Embassy in
2 Yuan (RMB) 500 levied for the first on. Thereafter a flat (RMB) 5000 (Rs. the Public Security btain an exit visa to
ns are awaiting the pplications, without sas would be issued. nded persons claim s. 300,000 whereas uch as Rs. 700,000 to reach their destihe traffickers have nging them to the
e authorities taking rds the illicit immiwill be in China for iod until their exit the authorities, the
schools, houses to er the handing over four private houses d by the Sri Lanka irector of Education da representative of lliance S. Jesudasan pmmander Eastern miral H. S. Ratnakeibility of protecting er with the handing in accordance with
se who took over the ter the buildings as would have nothing ngs concerned. Ramanathan whose ntained by the Navy , there were 1,400 : village of Thiriyai. loing paddy cultivaor Neelapanikkan hich 1,500 acres of ted during the Maha d during the yala. other minor tanks 0 acres of land), 25 acres of land), acres of land) and acres of land). Peoo had large herds of scattered and living
tes its cooperation: Ambassador Ashly d US support to the ess stressing that Sri maximum coopera
ls offered flowers to lic 7 August morn
ing with the Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijeratne at the Dalada Maligawa.
He also made a courtesy call on the Mahanayake of Asgiriya Chapter Most Ven. Udagama Sri Buddharakkita Mahanayake Thera who received the Ambassador cordially and called for the need to strengthened further the relations between Sri Lanka and America.
Answering questions from the media, the Ambassador said the recent visit of the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to the US strengthened the relationship between the two countries and said that the Norwegian government did a great service to ease the present Sri Lankan situation which enabled the implementation of the peace agreement between the government and the warring LTTE. He said at present the country had seen the best opportunity to achieve peace.
The Ambassador and his team of of ficials met with the Central Province Governor Monty Gopallawa but did not have an appointment with Mahanayake of Malwatte Champter Most Ven. Rambukwella Sri Vipassi Mahanayake Thera. The Diyawadana Nilame showed all photographic evidence pertaining to the LTTE bomb blast to the American Ambassador
O SLMC suspends Int'l Affairs Director: 8 Aug - Sri Lanka Muslim Congress International Affairs Director Nazeer Ahamed has been suspended from all his party positions for an alleged fraudulent transfer of party property to a company owned by him, SLMC sources said.
The suspension was made by SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem on the recommendation of the politburo at a meeting held on Tuesday night. The decision was reached after the politburo members presented documents at the meeting to prove that the party’s International Affairs Director had registered the land purchased for expanding the party head office Dharrusalam in Colombo 2, in the name of Unity Builders Ltd, a company controlled by Mr. Ahamed.
The property in extent 17 perches adjoining the SLMChead office at Vauxhall Lane, Colombo 2 was purchased in 1999 from M/S Carson Cumberbach & Co. by the then SLMC leader, the late M.H.M. Ashraff.
It is learnt that several other complaints too have been made by party seniors that Mr. Ahamed had misappropriated party money to purchase a leisure centre in a five star hotel in Colombo and similar establishments in Kandy as well. A complaint regarding the fraudulent transfer has already been made to the CID by its Treasurer Hassan Ali.
O Gang attacks newspaper office: 9 Aug - The office of Thinakkathir, the

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16 AMILTIMES
Tamil daily paper published from Batticaloa in eastern Sri Lanka, was ransacked by a gang during the night 8 August. A gang of more than five had forcibly entered the paper’s office around 11 p.m. tied up and blindfolded the staff and took away office equipment, according to Thinakkathir editor Mr. Kodeeswaran Rushangan. Previously, two journalists were wounded in an attack on the office in Batticaloa town's high security zone on 26 December 2001.
"The gang removed all our computers, printers and other electronic equipment and set fire to newspapers and documents. A worker from the Thinakkathir press and I were assaulted by the gang,” the editor said. "They came in a van. The persons who forced their way in to the office had their faces covered,' Mr. Rushangan said. The gang locked up the editor, his wife and members of the staff in the office hall before it made off with the computers, printers, phone recorder etc.
O 453 LTTE suspects freed: 9 Aug - Since the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the government and the LTTE, 453 suspects who were detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act have been released, Attorney General.s Department sources said.
Some ofthem wer Courts while many otl on the instructions of eral. Due to insufficier some of the suspects, eral has withdrawn S
C3S6:S.
The Attorney Gen the officers concernec ceedings against the C who are presently det Welikada, Kandy, Bá Trincomalee and Anu)
O Demand rises for 10 Aug - More airlin flights to Jaffna while intend to expand servic ing demand for seats traavelling between Co Sri Lanka’s only dom eration, Expo Aviatior ing the Colombo-Jaff brisk business with ( being sold within the l ports from Colombo S But aviation sourc domestic airlines plan tive Colombo-Jaffna them have already adv ment of personnel.
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e released by High hers were released the Attorney Genut evidence against the Attorney Gensome High Court
eral has instructed d to expedite proother 359 suspects ained in Kalutara, adulla, Vavuniya, radhapura prisons.
flights to Jaffna: eS are Set tO Start present operators es to meet increasfrom passengers olombo and Jaffna. estic airline in oph (Pvt) Ltd, servicna route is doing bver 11,000 seats ast two months, reaid. xes said that more to enter the lucrasector. Some of ertised for recruit
and with the peace ard more and more
people feel good about air travel,” a senior official of Expo Aviation (Pvt) told journalists. According to him, the airline which commenced flights in the third week of June this year, had sold 5,000 seats in June, 6,500 seats in July and 1,500 seats during the first week of August alone. "At present we operate nine flights per week except on Sunday but plans are afoot to increase flights to two per day after August 13. We also hope to operate a flight on Sunday mornings,” he said. The official said that if Weerawila and Koggala airports come online more flights could be scheduled to meet the growing demand.
Before Expo took to the air, two other private airlines and the Air Force (Helitours) flew to Jaffna but the two private operators terminated flights due to security risks.
O Murder weapon in journalist case seized: 11 Aug - The Police have claimed that the weapon allegedly used for killing journalist Mylvaganam Nimalarajan on 19th October 2001 had been recovered from Jaffna EPDP office. The seized weapon is of 9 mm category, the State run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) night reported.
The Jaffna Magistrate R.T.Viknaraja last week issued warrant to search the
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15 AUGUST 2002
offices of EPDP in Jaffna and Kayts in regard to the killing of journalist Nimalarajan on an application made by the OIC Ranjit de Silva of the special investigation team. The police made this application consequent to a statement made by an EPDP member who was arrested in Trincomalee in connection with the journalist's murder.
The Special Investigation Unit of the CID conducted a search operation in the Jaffna EPDP office and seized a weapon of 9 mm, which had been allegedly used, for killing the journalist, according to police sources. The letter of authority produced by the EPDP officials permitting them to keep the weapon was for a 7.62 mm category and not of 9 mm they said. The CID is to submit a special report regarding the seizure of the weapon to the Jaffna Magistrate in the coming days.
Previously on 7 August the SIU of the Jaffna Police had arrested another member of the Eelam People Democratic Party (EPDP), in connection with the murder of the journalist. The arrest of Karalasingham Sinthu paran alias Batchcha at his Manipay residence had been made consequent to the warrant obtained by the Police from the Jaffna Magistrate to search the offices of the EPDP in Jaffna and Kayts.
The police said the statement by Murali alias David Michael Collin, who had been arrested in Trincomalee few weeks earlier by a team of detectives from Colombo had led to the arrest of “Batchcha”.
When Murali was produced in Court on 2 August, he complained to Magistrate Mr. R. T. Viknarajah that he had been severely assaulted by the police at the Fourth Floor of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Colombo. The police had obtained his confession when he was in an unconscious state.
O Varsity official arrested for Internet Porno: 12 Aug - A senior non-academic official of the Kelaniya University has been arrested by Peliyagoda police for allegedly misusing university computers to provide services of Sri Lankan Children to paedophiles through the internet. "A senior official has been taken into police custody on Sunday 11 August. The police sought my approval to arrest him and to take his official personal computer into custody. I gave the approval. Police said that he would be produced before courts today," the Vice Chancellor of the university Prof. K. Tillekeratine said.
The suspect is alleged to have used official computers to supply local children through internet for visiting foreign paedophiles, police sources said. "Evidence points out that this official was the
local supplier to an which is banned in police officer said.
Following a tip-of a decoy and the offic handed on Sunday, had operated from th on weekends. In his found blue films film lists of names and add the police suspect we official. Police are ( investigations to dete suspect was involved sity students, polices
O Protests agains policy: 12 Aug - A pri
on August 12 afternoc
in the heart of Colon crease in the cost of ernment's programm procession and rally of 1953 “hartal” (gen left political parties w main opposition Peop and its trade unions.
“A similar situat arisen in the country sential goods have b eral fold thus making mor” said Mr. Mah Leader of the Opposi gathering later. Mr.R to all progressive for the present governm was working against working class and or
The leader of the Party Mr. Batty Weer test campaign was ag laid down by the Inte Fund in provide finan He also appealed to a the country to take : executive presidency all rather than bring amendments to the p The leader of th Peramuna Mr. Dinesl a new programme w; manent solutions ca burning problems o the present UNF gov Mr. Maithripala Secretary of the Sri L main constituent oft said that all leftist an should unite to preve President by the Ur government.
Meanwhile the Democratic Left Fro rally commemoratin Colombo. Dr. Wickr tne, leader of the De said progressive fo should oppose racis led to the leader

TAM TIMES 17
nternational cartel any countries,” a
the police had sent al was caught redolice claimed. He university office possession, police d in Sri Lanka and esses of boys who, 2 employed by this onducting further rmine whether the in abusing univerources added.
Govt economic test campaign was n at Lipton Square, hbo against the iniving and the gov: of privatisation. A in commemoration 2ral shut down) by as organised by the ple’s Alliance (PA)
ion as in 1953 has where prices ofeseen increased sev, the poor to suffer inda Rajapakse, tion addressing the Rajapakse appealed ces to unite to oust ent, which he said the interests of the dinary people. Lanka Sama Samaja akone said, the proainst the conditions rnational Monetary cial aid to Sri Lanka ll political forces in teps to abolish the system once and for ing in piece meal resent constitution. : Mahajana Eksath Gunawardene said is needed as no pern be found for the the country under ern Islcnt. Sirisena, General Inka Freedom Party, e Peoples' Alliance i progressive forces it the removal of the ted National Front
Jew Left Front and it organized another , the 1953 Hartal in mabahu Karunaramocratic Left Front ces in the country policies. He appeaof the opposition
Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse to abandon racism and to work for the unity. Mr.Vasudeva Nanayakara, leader of the New Left Front said that people should rally round to oust the present government not through instigating racism but through unity.
O Meditation and prayer for peace: 13 Aug - A full day meditation and prayer organised by the Sarvodaya leader Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne for peace was observed at Nallur Veeramaukali Amman kovil. People from various parts of Jaffna congregated at the Nallur Atheenam and went in a procession headed by Head of Nallur Atheenam, Sri La Sri Somasunthara Paramachariya Swamygal and Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne, Sarvodya leader to Nallur Veeramahal Amman temple and sat in prayer and meditation. This congregation comprised clergy and laymen of all religions and a delegation of Japanese Buddhists. -
After silent meditation for peace and pooja at the temple, Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne addressed the gathering. He said that prayer and meditation are more powerful than guns. He had experienced the potency of meditation after holding more than forty five meditation rallies in the south. Their prayers had been answered and now there is no more blasting of shells and guns.
He said that the ego and animality in man should be sacrificed at the altar of the Almighty. Alcohol and drugs have metamaphorsed man into beast. In the South the usage of drugs has reached the level that leads man to a point of no return.
The tragic fact is that even educated people have become addicted to drugs. The craze for money, property and power has driven some mad. They have derailed from the path of righteousness. There is redemption forus only when we begin to love each other devoid of anger, hatred and jealousy.
Dr. Ariyaratne and his group visited the Jaffna Teaching hospital and presented a TV and medicines for the use of the patients.
O Repeal of PTA sought: 13 Aug - A people,s movement is to be inaugurated in Jaffna to get the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) repealed from the statute book. This decision was reached at a meeting held by the Centre for Human Rights and Development and Justice and Peace Convention, Catholic Church held at St. John’s College Jaffna. Rev. Fr. A.I. Bernard, President of the Justice and Peace Convention presided.
D.W. Abeyakoon PC, Chandrapala Kumarage Attorney-at-Law, V.T. Thamilmaran Lecturer in law, Colombo University and Appathurai Vinayagamoorthy

Page 18
18 TAML. TIMES
MP addressed the meeting.
It was emphasised at the meeting that the PTA was introduced in Parliament with the verbal guarantee by the late President J.R. Jayewardene that it would be withdrawn after three years. But this Act has been in force for the past twenty three years. No one in parliament had thought it necessary to oppose this Act and get it repealed. It had been the Tamils who were most affected by this Act. It is a law that violates human rights and should be expunged from the statute book asserted every speaker.
They pointed out that so far an unaccounted of people had been arrested under this law and many of them are in prison without trial. It is the people from the Eastern province who have been badly affected.
The speakers said “The ill effects of this Act became pronounced in the North only after 1995. It is this Act that gave unlimited power to the forces to arrest and detain people. It is under this Act people had been arrested arbitrarily and put to death. The fate of six hundred people thus arrested by the army is still a mystery.'
The offenders in the Security Forces often escaped punishment when they were charged under the normal law of this country. But those arrested under the PTA were put in remand indefinitely.
At the conclusio was decided to get th Members of the Bar, ment, educationists, staff and students all press the governmer Act from the statute
O Foreign diploma Aug - Netherlands an visited Jaffna on 14 finding mission to ass ation after the signin agreement between t the LTTE. They met representatives of the manitarian Agen (JDHAC)
The Second Sec lands and German em were briefed by the JDHAC of the difficu the displaced families houses and lands in zones. The discussio office of the JDHAC JDHAC represen iting diplomats that returned in Jaffna dist have not been allow Army to resettle in th placed families from Thenmaradchi, Chav madduval and Naaka.
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15 AUGUST 2002
n of the meeting it e cooperation of the Members of Parlia
NGOs, university over the island and it to withdraw this book.
its visit Jaffna: 4 d German diplomats 4 August on a fact sess the ground situg of the Cease-fire he government and
a group of leading ; Jaffna District Hucies Consortium
retaries of Netherbassies in Sri Lanka representatives of ilties undergoing by ; in returning to their the high security in took place at the
in Jaffna town. tatives told the visnormalcy had not trict as the displaced 2d by the Sri Lanka eir houses. The disValikaamam north, akachcheri, Eluthurkovil areas are now
living in welfare camps and with friends, even after the Cease-fire agreement came into force six months ago, diplomats were told.
O LTTEer indicted: 14 Aug - Indictment was filed yesterday at Colombo High Court against Arulathamby Chandramohan of the LTTE Intelligence Unit who is alleged to have collected information to assassinate former Minister Mangala Samaraweera.
The case was filed under the Prevention of Terrorism Act that between February 6, and May 12, 2000 jointly with LTTE leaders Illankadir and Kadiravan information was collected in Colombo with the aim of assassinating ex-minister Mangala Samaraweera. The Attorney General annexed a confession made by the suspect to an ASP, CID in the schedule of witnesses and documents. The Attorney General has also filed necessary documents to prove that suspect is a strong LTTE activist who was in-charge of collection of information to assassinate several ministers.
O 740 Ceasefire violations: 17 Aug - The total number of complaints received by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) since the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the government and the LTTE has
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15 AUGUST 2002
risen to seven hundred and forty (740) Five hundred and sixty (560) have been made against the LTTE with the highest number against child conscription. The government is accused of breaching the agreement on 164 occasions. O Tyronne f to UN top job: 14 Aug - Sri Lanka has begun lobbying Asian nations to secure support for its foreign minister who is offering himself as a candidate for the UN secretary general’s post, officials said in Colombo. Sri Lankan missions abroad have already begun talks on drumming up support for Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando as a parliamentary committee here was told that the minister had government backing for the job.
Fernando, 60, offered himself as a candidate to replace United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan whose term ends in December 2006.
“Consultations with Asian countries have already begun,' a foreign ministry source said. Sri Lanka believes it is Asia's turn to electa Secretary General. The last and only Asian secretary general was U Thant of Burma, now Myanmar, who served from 1961 to 1971.
Fernando, an Oxford-educated barrister, has been a member of the Sri Lankan Parliament since 1977 and held the justice, information and broadcasting and foreign affairs portfolios.
O PA-JVP agree to work together: 14 Aug - Talks between the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was held on 13 August aiming to come out with common program for the ethnic problem and the economic issues of the country.
The talks between the People's Alliance delegation led by the President and JVP delegation led by its General Secretary Tylvyn Silva commenced yesterday around 5.30 pm at the Presidents House. It is learnt that the discussions mainly focused on the formation of an extensive program agreed by both parties elaborating solutions for the main burning issues of the country, the ethnic problem and the economic crisis.
Secretary Maitripala Sirisena and Nimal Siripala de Silva MP from the PA and MPs Wimal Weerawansha and Nandana Gunatilaka from the JVP also participated at this discussions.
O Doctors threatened: 15 Aug - Muslim doctors in Kalmunai have been receiving death threats during the last few days from LTTE cadres demanding free medicine and pen torch batteries, a statement issued by the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Peace Secretariat said. According to the statement, Tiger cadres have visited the houses of five doctors in the city and demanded large quantities of medicine and two hundred pen torch bat
teries. When the di in, they were threa
The SLMC Pea that following these ation was develop
Ca.
O Jaffna mayor The Mayor of Jaffn been allegedly ass councillor of his o' Municipal Council
An argument b councillor and the sparked off the at sought treatment at his injuries. He wa pital by some senic
The Mayor saic come with six outsi, When he tried to e he tripped and fell was cut on the han the window.
The Mayor was personally supervi samy kovil, the al vendors and the re. fares in private cyc of stray cattle with pal council limits other issue that ign Mayor.
O EPDP cadre | torture: 18 Aug - A of the EPDP, Mic Trincomalee has Supreme Court in violation applicati floor of Police Hea he was made to lie was closed and wa nostrils. This occu He was torture he refused to sign could not understa ten in the Sinhala
The petitioner the CID, in Trinco He was brought t At the Police Hea the police officer tioner that they v matter into his bo produced docum signed it. Subseq ers turned cord buriyani.
On July 21, 2 produced before t petitioner had wa trate about the tc by the CID offic Tamil interpreter, ordered the CID produced before Consequently the duced before th Case No. B/423/ to the killing of a

TAM TIMES 19
:tors refused to give ned.
e Secretariat warned Incidents a tense situng in the Kalmunai
issaulted: 15 Aug - Sellan Kanthaiah has ulted by a Municipal 'n party at the Jaffna office. tween the Municipal Mayor is said to have ck. The Mayor had a private hospital for admitted to the hosr members of TULF. that his assailant had lers and attacked him. scape from his room gainst a window and by the glass fitted to
for the last three days ing at Nallur Kandalocation of stalls for luced enforcement of le parks. The seizure in the Jaffna Municiis also said to be anited the attack on the
complains of police A 33-year-old member chael Colin David of complained to the a Fundamental Rights on that at the fourth dquarters in Colombo on a bench, his mouth er was poured into his rred in July this year. d in this manner when a document, which he nd, since it was writanguage. had been arrested by halee on July 20, 2002. Colombo thereafter. iquarters in Colombo threatened the petiill inject some lethal y unless he signed the 2nt. Out of fear, he ently the police offical and served him
02, the petitioner was e Fort Magistrate. The ited to tell the Magisture inflicted on him 's. Since there was no he Fort Magistrate had hat the petitioner be he Jaffna Magistrate. etitioner had been proJaffna Magistrate in )00. This case related ournalist in Jaffna on
October 19, 2000.
The petitioner had said in the petition that he had no connection with this murder.
The petitioner was produced before the Jaffna Magistrate on August 2, 2002. The Magistrate remanded him and ordered that the petitioner should be examined by the Judicial Medical Officer.
The petitioner had alleged torture, illlegal arrest and illegal detention by the CID officers, who are made respondents in this petition.
Inspector Ranjith Silva, Sub-Inspector Jayaratna and Piyasiri of the CID Colombo are among the respondents.
O Ranil on Thailand peace talks: 17 Aug - "We cannot fix a time table for peace talks. We cannot put forward a concrete proposal to start peace talks. First, we must take steps to understand the basic problems of the other side. Thereafter only both sides could continue the peace process. However, the goal is to find a permanent solution to the problem without dividing the country and upholding the democratic ideals,” said Prime Minister Mr. Rani Wickremasinghe when addressing the final day deliberations of the United National Party national executive committee meeting held on 17 August at the Mc Heyzer stadium in Trincomalee.
Mr. Wickremasinghe further said, "Today I have come to Trincomalee without bullet proof jacket. Last year when I came to Trincomalee to address election meeting I was wearing bulletproof jacket. This shows the peace en
vironment now prevails in Trincomalee
after the ceasefire agreement."
The Prime Minister said that Thailand peace talks would commence in September this year. The duration of the first phase talks will be three days. No problem will arise during the first phase of talks. Later, problems could be expected such as setting up of interim administration and the difficulties faced by Muslims.
O Vaiko , Nedumaran arrests internal matter: 17 Aug - The Sri Lankan Minister for Housing and Plantations, Arumuga Thondaman, today refused to comment on the detention of the MDMK general secretary, Vaiko, on charges of supporting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a banned outfit.
Talking to reporters here, he said the detentions under POTA by the State Government was purely an "internal' issue.
Mr. Thondaman said the situation in the island nation was "very peaceful" and "normal” after peace talks had been initiated. To a query on the reservations and apprehensions expressed by the President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, on the peace process, the Minister said differences were bound to be there between two

Page 20
20 TAMITMES
leaders with different ideologies.
O Sea Tiger convoy sails under SLMM aegis: 18 Aug - The first Sea Tiger convoy sailing from Mullaitivu under a working agreement between the Sri Lankan Navy and the Liberation Tigers brokered by international ceasefire monitors arrived in Vaakarai Sunday 18 Aug. Two patrol boats of the Sri Lanka Navy provided escort to LTTE boats.
The first batch of unarmed LTTE cadres, numbering one hundred and seventy travelled in four Sea Tiger boats from the Mullaithivu coast to the Vaakari, about 64 km north of Batticaloa, disembarked at around 1.30pm.
Sunday's convoy sailed after an agreement was brokered by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) which is tasked with overseeing the cease-fire agreement between the Sri Lanka government and the LTTE.
The four boats, each with an SLMM monitor, left Vanni coast Sunday morning around 8.30 carrying LTTE members who are going on leave to their home villages in the east.
The convoy is scheduled to leave Vaakarai for Mullaitivu Monday morning with eighty LTTE members who would be reporting for duty there, SLMM sources said.
O SLA hands o Tellipalai: 19 Aug . Monday (SLA) of Tellipalai Union C Chelva” Tamil Schc of Education in Jaf allowed only stud enter buildings oftl At the request c liamentarian Mr. Mi SLA officials who scene later allowe wishers to join the te SLA officials sa teachers will be all schools after being point
Meanwhile, the informed the autho they would be handi hospital and the mul tive society (MPCS spective departme buildings of these present have been o' Sources said.
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LTTE ban: 20 Aug Nayaka the most ven Sri Vipassi thero ha position to lifting th and said that he woul any suitable action to
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er tw0 schools in The Sri Lanka Army cially handed over llege and “Thanthai blto the Department na district. The SLA ints and teachers to ese two schools.
fJaffna district parvai Senathirajah, the were present at the parents and wellachers and students. id that students and owed to enter these hecked at the sentry
SLA officials have ities concerned that ng over the Tellipalai ti purpose co-opera) building to the rent next week. The two institutions at ccupied by the SLA,
opposed to lifting - Malwathu Mahaerable Rambukwelle ls expressed his ople ban on the LTTE d nothesitate to take o prevent it. Accord
ing to a release MahaNayaka Thero hac told Gallege Punyawardana the Secretary of the Federation of Buddhist Organizations on Saturday that he would make his stand very clear to the Government through Minister Karu Jayasuriya. Rambukwelle Vipassi has said that this was a matter of great concern and that when Ministers as well as the Prime Minister visits the Maha Nayaka Thero, they see that the media would publish only what is good for them. According to Punyawrdaene, the Maha Nayake has described its an unfortunate situation.
O President vows to not dissolve parliament: 20 Aug - In a letter read out by Speaker Joseph Michael Perera in Parliament today, President Chandrika Kumaratunge has said she has no intention of dissolving parliament for the next two years at least unless another party were to form a majority in parliament.
Kumaratunge has reiterated that she will use her powers with responsibility and will not resort to dissolving parliament at this moment in time as it would have a serious repercussion on the peace process. In her letter Kumaratunge also says the country can ill afford a general election at this time and such a move would destabilize the economic and administrative functions of the country and the nation as a whole.
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Page 21
15 AUGUST 2002
O Peace process back on track
Apprehensions about a premature derailment of the peace process have been set aside with the announcement that direct talks between the government and the LTTE are to take place in Thailand during September this year. The meeting on 14 August in Oslobetween the government delegation led by Minister Milinda Moragoda and the LTTE's chief negotiator Anton Balasingham produced the much needed breakthr-ough by announcing the date for the talks. The peace process is well back on track demonstrating the significant role of Norwegian facilitation.
Because of the stubborn stance the LTTE has been taking in the past months demanding that the ceasefire agreement be implemented to the letter in all respects before it will agree to a date being fixed for talks, it seemed rather unlikely that there would be any significant breakthrough at the Oslo meeting. The growing international pressure on the LTTE to begin peace talks would appear to have had an impact in forcing it to compromise and set dates for talks. In the past months diplomats of leading western states, including some countries where the LTTE has been banned, have been visiting the northern Wannijungles fordiscussions with the head of the LTTE's political wing S.P. Thamilchelvan. At most of these meetings, the emphasis reportedly had been on the commencement of peace talks. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's much-publicised visits to India, China, UK, Europe and most importantly the US were also meant to put pressure on the LTTE. A clear message was sent out to the LTTE - the Sri Lankan government had the backing of the international community and was recognized as making an admirable effort towards achieving peace.
Until now it was the government that appeared compromising and benevolent in the international eye while the LTTE seemed tough and uncompromising. With the latest declaration of their willingness to talk peace the LTTE has made clear that they are entirely committed to the process and want to begin negotiations.
Though details have not been made available, one presumes that the Oslo meeting would have worked out an agreed agenda for the face-to-face talks between the parties in Bangkok on 12 to 17 September. It had been clear that the government and the LTTE had dif
ferent stances as the talks was concé ments of the LTT primary topic for lishment of an in setup for the Nort will be dominated The governme that the agenda sh sive covering a w including the issu ministration.
Even on the qu administration, su are likely to surfac ment, which is leg required to operat Constitution, wou institutional adm ments to be with framework, the LT likely want the ar. constitutional. Th Eelam police for and administrativ function in areas l it is probable that t these structures r interim arrangen Northeast.
There are tho view that, rather t ministration” bein phase, such extraadministrative a LTTE's political ony will becomer nched and perman In the absence of gotiations, there seeking and achie tional solution.
President Kul comed the fixing talks, but her me Janadasa Peries : "Talks should not ting up ofan interi should be based caused the ethnic
 

far as the agenda for erned. Previous stateTE asserted that the talks must the estabterim administrative heast which no doubt
by the LTTE. int's stance has been ould be more incluider range of topics, e of the interim ad
estion of the interim bstantial differences :e. While the governrally constrained and e under the country's ld want any interim inistrative arrangein the constitutional TE would more than rangements to extrae LTTE has its own e, judicial, taxation ye structures which under its control, and he LTTE would want cognised under any lents for the entire
se who entertain the han the "interim adg only a transitional zonstitutional interim rrangements under and military hegemmore and more entreently institutionalsed. a time-frame for neis no incentive for ving a final constitu
maratunga has welof the dates for the dia director general said on her behaalf, give priority for setmadministration but on the reasons that conflict, war and is
| AML TIMES 2.
sues pertaining to the Tamil community. In a time frame both parties should arrive at a consensus on this matter and only then the interim council be required to implement them.”
O Self-induced Constitutional Paranoia?
Dominating the news has been the repeated announcements by cabinet ministers that the government was to urgently bring an amendment to the Constitution to remove many of the powers of the executive President, including that of her power to dissolve parliament.
All speculation of a possible compromise between President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the government on the issue vas guashed vith the Presidential Secretariat issuing a tough statement on 12 August saying piecemeal tinkering with the constitution for party advantage was hypocritical and a mockery of democracy.
The statement signed by Presidential spokesman Harim Peiris and Media Director General Janadasa Peiris scornfully rejected the proposed constitutional amendment whereby the President would not be able to dissolve parliament for three years. Noting with interest the public debate in the media regarding the proposal of a constitutional amendment that would restrict or remove the President's power to dissolve Parliament anytime after a year since its election, the statement said, "It is widely reported that senior members of the government fear dissolution of Parliament after December 5 this year but this is self-induced paranoia on the part of the Government. The President has made it abundantly clear that there is no intention to dissolve parliament as such a move is wholly unnecessary and not in the national interest.'
On the issue of the need for political cohabitation resulting from last December's election, the presidential statement said, “The current cohabitation in Government is the concurrent exercise of dual mandates received by President Chandrika Kumaratunga in December 1999 and the UNF Parliamentary Group in December 2001. It is both fallacious and implausible to contend that the results of the general election of December 2001 to elect Members of parliament is a reversal of the mandate given two years earlier to the President, at which the present Prime Minister was the defeated can

Page 22
22 AMILTIMES
didate. Moreover cohabitation provides important checks and balances on absolute power. The constitution of 1978 and the executive presidency are creations of a previous UNP government. It is an incredible argument that such power in the hands of a UNP president is quite desirable while in the hands of a president from another party it is unacceptable. The UNP must be willing to share power with the President in Colombo even as it is prepared to share power with the LTTE in the North and the East.'
On the proposal to amend the Constitution, the statement said, "A country's constitution is not to be tinkered with piecemeal for temporary partisan political advantage. Constitutional reform should be comprehensive and encompass the entirety of national issues including devolution of powers and the abolition of the executive presidency.
Moreover before an 18th Amendment to the Constitution is contemplated the 17th Amendment, establishing the independent Police and Elections Commissions should be fully implemented. "This panacea for all ills proposed by the UNP when in opposition is now making laboriously slow progress once it is no longer politically expedient. Such hypocritical mockery of democracy must stop."
Reacting the statement from the
Presidential Secretariat, Constitutional Affairs Minister and Cabinet spokesman, Mr. G.L.Peiris, told journalists on 15 August that the UNF government had decided to bring in constitutional amendments next month to limit the discretionary powers of the Executive Presidency to dissolve parliament and measures to allow parliamentarians to vote according to their conscience. The latter measure would enable MPS elected from one political party to vote in parliament against the decision of that party without facing disciplinary action resulting in the loss of their seats in parliament.
“The government is confident of two third majority needed to pass these amendments in parliament. Already government has had discussion with parliamentarians of all political parties represented in parliament. These talks had been successful. Several parliamentarians have given clear pledges to extend their support to the proposed constitutional amendments,' said Minister Peiris.
Political circles in Colombo very
doubt the Minister's
ernment can muster third majority in parl amend the Constitut presence at the din Colombo to celebral 56th birthday on 13 nent former IPA m Fernandopulle, Rich H. M. Fowzie and In fuelled speculation a of a number of Peop ganging up with the vote for the clippi powers.
In the meantime in the governing c Lanka Muslim Cong vote in support of t enable so-called col MPS. SLMC leader opment Minister Ra public rally in Kinne had told Prime Wickremesinghe tha not support the mov bill in parliament. H the Prime Minister to legislation to prever parliament by the P cember 5, 2002. H. formed so the Prime leaders of political p government met at Prime Minister's ir greed on the Cross not wish to deprive single Muslim in the of being the decision central government' Today the Musl face the most challe their history when p are to take place wit
O President’s Lam At last, after wee fusal, the governme dent Kumratunga ha slot on TV during pr of the story to coul scribed as the malici gations directed ath ministers and other cı given all the opport TV and in the print
She got the oppo gust to address the r and it was a typical C ance lasting fifteen 1 Accusing the me the public she said, months, state-ownec

15 AUGUST 2002
claim that the govthe required twoiament required to ion. However, the ner party held in te Minister Peiris' August of promilinisters Jeyaraj lard Pathirana, A. dika Gunawardene about the prospect
»les Alliance MPs
governing party to ng of president's
a constituent party :oalition, the Sri ress, is unlikely to he amendment to ncience voting by and Ports Develuff Hakeem tolda ya recently that he Minister Ranil t the SLMC would e for a cross over e said he had told look for alternate lt a dissolution of resident after Dee said that he inMinister when all arties in the UNF Temple Trees at vitation. “I disaover Bill as I did the rights of every country, the pride makers behind the , Hakeem noted. ims in Sri Lanka nging time ever in beace negotiations h the LTTE.
ment & Threat
ks of persistent rent yielded. Presild been asking for ime to put her side inter what she deous and false alleer by government itics who had been
unity to do so on
media. ortunity on 10 Aunation on state TV handrika performminutes. dia of misleading "In the past eight land private elec
tronic media have indulged in this exercise 2342 times, at the rate of several times a day. Cabinet Ministers, and media personnel directly connected to the UNP, are employed to hurl these abuses at me. Their statements are almost totally false.
"In addition the daily newspapers have published over 700 false news reports about me or my actions. For instance, a misleading report about me has been telecast or broadcast over 30 times, but the correction sent by my office has only been broadcast once or twice.'
However, the President pledging her support to the people said that "despite all the threats and intimidation, insult and abuse and mud-slinging hurled at me, I will not run away from the responsibilities entrusted to me by the people. The people of this country know well that I cannot be subdued by threat and intimidation.'
Speaking of the situation in the North warning the government of the threats posed by the LTTE even in times of peace, and claiming she had reliable reports that while the ceasefire agreement was in force the LTTE was engaged in establishing its own law courts and legal systems, police stations, prisons, banks and various other institutions in the North and East, President Kumaratunga said, "They are also involved in arms smuggling and the conscription of children. I am also informed that the LTTE is harassing especially the Muslims, as well as the Sinhala people, living in the Eastern Province. I have drawn the attention of the Prime Minister, the Defence Ministerand the Security Council and given advice with regard to these incidents.” President Kumaratunga also said she had no intention of dissolving Parliament at this point of time and accused the media of misleading the public. Alleging that the freedom of the media was being suppressed to a large extent, the President said, “The politics ofterror and intimidation that raised its ugly head for the first time between 1977 and 1994 has begun once again to be practised since December 2001. Since 1994 my first government put an end to the regime of state terror perpetrated against Tamil and Sinhalayouth in the decade of the 1980s.' A
The President also voiced her anxiety regarding the negative effects moves made by the government would have on the cohabitation. "Need I ask

Page 23
15 AUGUST 2002
you whether cohabitation could be made to function unilaterally under the circumstances I have mentioned? People ask me whether this is another redherring to divert attention from the burning issues of the day.”
"Despite all these difficulties I have for my part continued to cooperate for the sake of my country, and I am prepared to extend that support even in the future. But for cohabitation to be a success, the other party has to reciprocate,” she said.
Referring to the government’s proposal to clip her powers by bringing an amendment to the Constitution, the President said, "Ad-hoc amendments to one or the other of the clauses of the Constitution, according to the whims and fancies of someone, could prove dangerous to democracy. As I have of ten stated the Constitution of Sri Lanka needs to be amended. But it should be done in a comprehensive manner together with the abolition of the Executive Presidency, the reform of electoral systems and should contain solutions to the ethnic problem.'
"I wish to make another pledge to my people, who have twice elected me resoundingly to the supreme office of President. I shall not hesitate to adopt every necessary measure in terms of the
powers entrusted to me under the con
stitution, in the event of any threat to the unity of our motherland or the security and safety of its citizens,” the President said.
O Jaffna: 'yes' for peace talks
Some 71.2 percent of the people in Jaffna believe that all ethnic communities can live together while 89.3 percent believe that peace could be achieved through talks with 31 percent hopeful that the talks would begin soon, an opinion poll has revealed.
The poll was conducted by the Social Indicator (SI) under the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) using a structured questionnaire, administered through face-to-face interviews amongst a sample of 300 respondents, covering the Jaffna and Nallur divisional secretariats and all the divisional secretariats of Valikamam.
The CPA survey was funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in association with the University of Ottawa.
Most of those interviewed believed that no solution was reached earlier largely due to the corrupt military and political leadership and a lack of political will.
The deproscription of the LTTE to
begin negotiations 83.3 percent of the involvement to sol is considered essen while another 7 perc ate a positive impact cent believe it is no percent remained un Although third is believed to be e spread support for sistance in particul support and enthus Indian role was not cated that there is 81.9 percent amol assistance from Ni process while Ind considered essenti with only 23.1 per erwise. India’s inv ered by 12 percent tive impact with 9 fears that it could pact.
Another import the ceasefire agree qualified approva while 23.8 percent: ervations. Howeve believe in the long ment while a major percent expressed
The Sri Lanka ] has also got a mas 57.2 percent of the doing a good job v sponse to the SLM 11.4 percent.
O Local Election With the parti Tamils and Mulim tory positions, the confronted with th to hold the postpon elections in the ea Tamil parties wan postponed and the it to held as schec 25.
An apparent re eastern MPs of the Congress was defi Rauff Hakeem wit to withdraw their endum in the easte Earlier in the d ten MPs led by M. parliament and dec to the President a ter demanding th: held in the eastern lowing the LTTE administration in t Mr. Hakeem l

TAMILTIMES 23
was supported by people. Third party ve the ethnic crisis tial by 69.6 percent ent said it would cre. However, 12.7 perE essential while 6.4 sure in this regard.
party involvement ssential with widethe Norwegian asar, a markedly less lasm for a potential ed. The study indioverall approval of gst the public for orway in the peace an involvement is al by 36.8 percent cent believing othplvement is considas creating a posipercent expressing have a negative im
ant finding was that ment was given unl by 65.1 percent approved it with resr, only 25.1 percent evity of the agreeity comprising 59.2 uncertainty.
Monitoring Mission ssive yes vote with : people saying it is while a negative reM is given only by
in the East
es representing the is taking contradic: Prime Minister is e question whether ed local government stern province. The t the election to be Muslim parties want luled on September
bellion by some ten 2 Sri Lanka Muslim ised by party leader h the MPs agreeing demand for a referrn province. ay on 13 August the Ataullah had met in ided to send a letter ld the Prime Minisat a referendum be province before alto form an interim he north and east. ater met these MPS
and had intense discussions with them after which they had reportedly agreed to withdraw their demand.
The MPs had earlier also complained to their leader that the government had, against the wishes of the Muslim community, given into the demand of the Tamil parties and postponed local government elections which should have been held. Mr. Hakeem had promised them that his party would press for the postponed local government elections in the east to be held next month.
Local government elections were held in predominantly Sinhala areas in the Digamadulla district last March, while polls in other parts of the province were postponed at the request of the Tamil National Alliance.
Mr. Hakeem said that while the SLMC would press for local elections, he believed it was not the time to lend the party's support to the Opposition and that the SLMC would stand by the Prime Minister.
In the meantime, Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) President, V. Anandasangaree, has called for a further postponement of local elections in the North and East and for power to be handed over to a special commission until the conditions for democratic elections exist.
Local elections in the North and East, due to take place on September 25, have already been delayed by six months from the original date set in March in order to ensure a peaceful democratic process.
Sangaree said that the LTTE has expressed a strong desire to have local elections once the initial round of peace talks are completed. Since this is the first opportunity for the LTTE to enter into conventional politics the TULF sees the elections as an unnecessary risk to the peace process.
"The Prime Minister had assured us that the elections will not be held until the people are ready for it, at least as far as the situation in the North is concerned. LTTE political wing leader Thamilchelvan has made it very clear to us that they will in no way be agreeable to having the elections any time soon as they are not ready for it,” TULF Leader V. Anadasangaree told journalissts.Mr. Anandasangaree said that they would continue to oppose a September poll as they believed that the LTTE too should enter the democratic process of being elected to the local government bodies.
“Most areas in the North are not completely free and stable enough to

Page 24
24 TAMILTIMES
hold elections. Some of the areas are
dominated by the EPDP which won the elections fraudulently in these local bodies in areas under its control. You need time to break its domination and ensure there won't be a repeat of what we saw last time," he explained.
All Ceylon Tamil Congress President A. Vinayagamoorthy said his party would push for a postponement. "The LTTE is a force to be reckoned with, the LTTE will strongly protest the move to hold the elections and the Elections Department has only made an announcement that it was legally obliged to make, but this does not mean that they will in fact go ahead with their plans to hold elections," he said.
While the TNA protests against the holding of local polls in the North and East, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress is pressurizing the government to make sure that elections are held in the East as scheduled.
The local polls in most parts of the country were held in March earlier this year.
Meanwhile Deputy Elections Commissioner M.C. Arunadawachelvam said yesterday arrangements had been finalised to hold elections to 53 local bodies in the North-East on September 25. He said that the polls could be postponed only by an act of Parliament.
O Kadirgamar on cohabitation and
peace process
Former Foreign Minister and present advisor on foreign affairs to President Kumaratunga, Mr Lakshman Kadirgamar, has of late emerged as the troubleshooter in the ongoing dispute between the President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who have been forced by circumstances to politically cohabit. In an interview with The Hindu(9 August) Mr Kadirgamar has expressed the view that the present momentum should maintained and not be allowed to be "seriously upset" by the sharply-divided domestic political rivalry as "This point of time is probably the best opportunity we have of making it go forward.”
In this role as the one who enjoys the trust and confidence of the President and the Prime Minister, Mr. Kadirgamar, hopes to "try to build within this dialogue on cohabitation, at the domestic level, an island on which the peace efforts could be built and preserved'.
Expressing confidence that such an effort "was possible', Kadirgamar said that while all efforts were on to “work out a system of cohabitation' he would
try his "utmost so th allowed to affect the Asked how he vi standoff between the Prime Minister, Kad phatic that “the pe should not be questi fort must be made to habitation is made to ously not pleasant democratic politics ir style is confrontationa “The problem is m tension in the Cabinet is beginning to reali aimless and fruitless quite confident that th thinks so. I do not sé dent is going to start bates in Cabinet. On would be totally unr from being unconstitu her to be a dummy f the Cabinet. The bes habitation is where 1 together in the nation, On the possible sc the resolution of Kadirgamar said: "the fairly firmly establish be a unit created with autonomy. But the rela Centre will have to This concept, he said, ing acceptance” as the "logical inevitability” A return to violenc depend on the LTTE. Government had “re where it would "only self-defence'.
Emphasising th agreement reached b major political parties tional Party and the ple’s Alliance, on the tiated settlement to th Mr. Kadirgamar was the draft Constitution starting point for ado stand on the solution 1 The two major pa out, had nearly 95 pel on the issues, includin tive one of the nature think this is definitel possible basis for an because that draft co very extensively with Lauding the Norv current role, Kadirgar eign Affairs Ministerb 2001, initiated the pr “There is consensus í major parties are conc sirability of a foreign

15 AUGUST 2002
t none of this is peace process'. wed the current resident and the rgamar was emple's wisdom' ned. "Every efsee to it that cowork. It is obvir easy because the Westminster , not consensual. ade worse by the Now everybody e that this is an exercise. I feel e Prime Minister e that the Presiprovocative dehe other hand, it easonable, apart tional, to expect igure as head of t concept of cohe parties work al interest'. narios ahead for the conflict, : position is now ed that there will a large degree of tionship with the be maintained.' "was now gainre was a certain about it. e, he said, would The Sri Lankan ached a point' resort to war in
e considerable etween the two , the United NaDpposition Peoneed for a nego: ethnic conflict, of the view that could form the ting a common o it. ties, he pointed cent agreement g the most sensiof the state. "I 7 going to be a ltimate solution institution deals devolution'. egians for their iar, who as Fortween 1994 and cess, observed: far as the two rned on the deacilitator. There
could be more than one view with regard to whether the facilitator is doing his job properly or not. I would say without any hesitation that the Norwegians have been very helpful. I do not think that without the Norwegians we could have got as far as we have today, whatever may happen in the end of it.” The importance of getting the core issues on the agenda for the talks with the Tigers was because “the LTTE had established in a good part of the north and east a kind of an administration'. He would, however, not call ita de facto State.
During the interregnum between the departure of the Indian Peace Keeping Forces and the Government control over Jaffna, when the Tigers were fully "in occupation' of those areas, the Government writ did not run there, he pointed out. "In the last six to seven years, the Government is in control, certainly of the peninsula and large parts of the eastern province'.
However, "there is a fair part still under the LTTE's control and its writ runs in those areas. Therefore, the question of interim administration is important. You cannot have an interim administration created in a way that is unrelated to the final issues'.
These include "the structure of the State, the relationship of the interim administration to the Central Government and a host of other problems that impinge on the relationship between a northeast unit, shall we say, to use a neutral term, to the Centre'.
The Government, he noted, "had now made it clear that the agenda for talks should contain all the issues - the core issues that both sides want to put on the table and one of them will be interim administration. As far as the south is concerned, the bottom line is "no separate sovereign State' There is unanimity on that”.
In the mainstream politics of the south, he observed, "the position is now fairly firmly established that there will be a unit created with a large degree of autonomy. But the relationships with the Centre will have to be maintained'. The Indian request for the extradition of the LTTE leader, V. Prabakaran, Mr. Kadirgamar said, was pending before the Sri Lankan Government and India was taking "cognizance of the fact that there are negotiations going on in a friendly country'.
Asked if India was not pressing for it, the former Foreign Minister said “at the moment they are not pressing for it. What they intend to do later is a matter for the Indian Government'.

Page 25
15 AUGUST 2002
Cohabitation, Destructiv Struggle and the Peace
Dr Jehan Perera
The present crisis between the government and opposition has led to the possibility of a snap general election barely eight months after the previous one. At the root of the crisis is the problem of cohabitation between the President and parliamentary majority. Both sides are legitimately elected and vested with constitutional power. Cohabitation should mean that they should share power in governing the country. But over the past eight months what has been evident is that only one side was governing the country.
Although the President is vested with enormous constitutional power her ability to utilise those powers was limited by the electoral rejection her party suffered in those past eight months. First was the defeat at the general election of December 2001 followed by the even worse defeat at the local government elections of March 2002. Despite these two defeats the President continued to have legal and constitutional power. But due to the resounding nature of the defeats suffered by her party she lost much of her political and moral power.
During the past eight months the government headed by the Prime Minister has governed virtually alone. The ceasefire agreement with the LTTE leader was signed by the Prime Minister. The major economic restructuring that is taking place today is being negotiated by the cabinet with scarcely any input from the President or her party. This unilateral rule by the UNP may seem reasonable going by the most recent electoral verdicts of the people. It may also seem desirable given the mismanagement and inefficiency of the former PA government. But for better or worse, the constitution does not envisage unilateral rule in a period of cohabitation by a President from one party and a parliamentary majority from another party.
The immediate reason for the present crisis was the government's dis
covery of a docum strategy for the Pri ruling party from The opposition around utilising th tutional power to Prime Minister anc to dissolve Parliam a year. The gover this threat seems t jerk reaction.
By giving wide position’s propose dia and attempting constitutional coup only succeeded in vulnerable in the fa constitutional p spokespersons are can unseat the go' Prime Minister him about the Presider administration. Fu contact her even o
Violent election
The governme. the terms of an h with the President do no appear to be national interest. TI threat to dissolve fresh general ele backed by public ( fresh election as : strategy only make to a 2/3 majority in is likely to be a ( ruling party to present proportion Therefore, there v for the ruling part and abuse the elect pursuit of a 2/3 m taint the new gove legitimacy in the (
It is difficult country would wis erendum of 1982 til of Parliament with eral election. The
 
 

TAMILTIMES 25
ent that proposed a sident to unseat the the seats of power. strategy revolved President's constiarbitrarily sack the | his cabinet and also ent after it completes hment's response to o have been a knee
* publicity to the opd strategy in the meto discredit it as a , the ruling party has making itself appear ce of the President's ower. Opposition claiming that they vernment soon. The lself has complained ut running a parallel rther that he cannot n the telephone.
nt needs to negotiate onorable settlement ... The other options viable ones or in the he Prime Minister's Parliament and for a ction has not been ppinion. Going for a a conflict resolution 's sense if it will lead Parliament. But this lifficult feat for the achieve under the al system of election. vill be a temptation y to utilise violence ion machinery in the ajority. But this will rnment and erode its yes of the people. to imagine that the h a replay of the ref. hat extended the term out holding the genethnic conflict and
JVP insurrection gained in strength as a direct consequence of that violent and illegitimate referendum. Therefore it is not surprising that there is hardly any public enthusiasm for another general election being called for the specific purpose of achieving a 2/3 majority. On the contrary, all public opinion surveys show that the people want bipartisanship in the solution of national problems.
However, calling on the government to share power with the President is only part of the solution. The President also needs to conduct herself in a manner that is in keeping with her status. The dispute regarding the contents of the handbag that she brought to a cabinet meeting illustrates the need for trust-building between the President and cabinet. The issue is not only whether she carried a video camera inside it. The issue is that the question arose at all and left a doubt in the minds of her political opponents. The building of trust where none exists and the rebuilding of trust that has been lost is a difficult task and cannot happen overnight. But a solution to the political crisis that has pitted the President against the government in such an acrimonious manner needs to be found. This is especially the case at this time when the country is in the midst of a peace process that can end two decades of war and bring a permanent solution or which can lead the country to a renewed war more dreadful than before.
A mechanism needs to be found that would ensure that the President and government work together at this time. The present peace process between the government and LTTE illustrates that a Memorandum of Understanding can be highly constructive especially when there is a non-partisan third party to facilitate and monitor it. In the past the government and LTTE have tried to outwit and harm each other. They have no reason to trust each other. But where they could not trust each other they have been able to place their trust in a ceasefire agreement that is being facilitated and monitored by the Norwegian government.
Similar mechanism
A similar mechanism may be useful to the relationship between the

Page 26
26 TAMILTIMES
President and government. It is possible for the two parties to draw up a Memorandum of Understanding with the help of a non-partisan third party facilitator. This third party could either be foreign or local and consist of religious dignitaries, for instance. The central issues to be dealt with in the MoU would be the President's arbitrary power to dissolve Parliament on the one hand, and Parliamen's power to impeach the President on the other hand. These issues need to be dealt with in a principled manner that gives both parties the assurance that neither will be undermined by the other.
Equally important, the dignity, authority and position of the President and Prime Minister need to be respected by their two parties. This would be in terms of the cohabitation that the voters of the country imposed on the two parties through their vote at two separate elections. There also needs to be acute awareness that the rivalry between the two dominant political parties in the past has been the main reason for the failure of past efforts to resolve the ethnic conflict.
Sri Lanka needs to develop a political culture of consultation, compromise and consensus. The ruling party
must remember that it is not simply the
present opposition parties that are behaving in a narrow and petty manner. In August 2000 when the UNP was in opposition it too behaved in a petty and irresponsible manner. When the former government presented a draft constitution to Parliament which it hoped would provide a basis for conflict resolution, the UNP burnt copies of the draft constitution in Parliament.
Further the UNP in opposition used various strategies to break up the then government and finally succeeded when it persuaded several Parliamentarians to cross over. Now two years later the tables seem to have turned. In negotiating with the President the government needs to keep its own past lack of cooperation with her party in mind. The vicious cycle must be broken. Bipartisanship regarding the ethnic conflict must not become the Holy Grail of Sri Lankan politics, assiduously sought after and never obtained in this life.
With the passage of 160 days of the
ceasefire agreeme is entering a new dangers and grea stable and long las that some of the ac taken, such as lif LTTE and setting ministration for th require the Presi They will be diffic face of opposition and her party. The sanship to take th ward. The Preside mustput their dif and work together patience that the o them. Peace Process - A The progress c has been in big lea no denying that the fire agreement in F mediate dismantli travel barriers that ment and LTTE-ci came as a major s country from a situ to one of no-war in Now the announc peace talks will cor from September 12 as another surprise be barriers in the talks taking place long as the govern committed to a pea solving their differ there will be many welcome, surpris The breakthrough 1 was not expected t recent months ther the peace process f The LTTE was ad; ernment should ful it agreed to in the c In the meantime th own promises in re rights of the people recruiting children started a campaig ments with foreigr not have been to Further the govern to deliver on the p under threat by are tion led by the An entirely differ

15 AUGUST 2002
it the peace process phase that has both opportunities for a ng peace. It is likely ions that need to be ing the ban on the up the Interim Adnorth and east, will ent’s cooperation. ult to achieve in the from the President e has to be bipartipeace process fornt and ruling party erences to one side with the maturity and casion demands of
big leap forward f the peace process ps forward. There is signing of the ceaseebruary andtheimng of security and separated governontrolled territories urprise. It took the ation of intense war a very short period. ement that direct nmence in Bangkok onwards has come . There appeared to bath of those direct at this time. But as ment and LTTE are ceful process of reinces it is likely that more similar, and is along the way. o direct peace talks o come so soon. In : had been signs of 'aying at the edges. mant that the govil all the conditions :asefire agreement. LTTE violated its spect of the human by taxing them and . The government of signing agreepowers that could ne LTTE’s liking. ment’s own ability ace process came nvigorated opposiresident herself. nt scenario to the
present one could easily have presented itself. The LTTE could have reasoned, or made the excuse, that it was of little point to negotiate on substantive political issues with a government that was unstable and even considering the dissolution of Parliament. On the other hand, the government might have felt reluctant to go to the negotiating table where its opponents could make a hue and cry about the further concessions it was making to the LTTE. There was a possibility therefore that both the government and LTTE might have preferred remaining where they were in terms of the ceasefire agreement alone, and not wishing to proceed beyond it at the present time. But instead of keeping away or delaying the start of direct peace talks in Bangkok it is the reverse that occurred. The threat to the government posed by the opposition is what appears to have propelled the government and LTTE to agree to early dates for direct peace talks to commence. Not only did the LTTE agree to fix the dates notwithstanding its publicly voiced dissatisfaction with the government's tardiness in implementing all of the ceasefire agreement. The LTTE also agreed to take on board President Chandrika Kumaratunga's demand that core issues be discussed at the Bangkok talks in addition to the anticipated negotiation on an LTTE-controlled interim admiinstration for the north and east. Ironically the worst enemy of both the government and LTTE has turned out to be the opposition led by the President and which includes the anti-peace process JVP as its junior partner. The LTTE's public agreement to discuss core issues pertaining to the basic structure of the political solution at the Bangkok talks was probably aimed at taking the wind out of the President's demand on that score. Further it seems that when the LTTE saw that the stability of the government was under strong threat from the opposition, it decided to cooperate with the government. Opposition spokespersons were publicly gloating that the government's time was up, and they were ready to take over. By agreeing to an early date, the LTTE has strengthened the government's hand in dealing with the opposition at this time. The opposition will not wish to be seen by the war-weary

Page 27
15 AUGUST 2002
voting population as deliberately scuttling the long-awaited peace talks with the LTTE. A win-win situation
The LTTE has reasons of its own for being willing to cooperate with the government led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and get it out of a tight spot. The worst destruction of the north and east and the biggest casualties suffered by the LTTE occurred during the period of the Kumaratunga government. However, the losses inflicted on the LTTE did not add up to a win-lose situation where the rest of the country or the government gained. Instead everyone, including the previous government lost out. The policy of the previous government led to a lose-lose situation where only the anti-establishment JVP gained. By way of contrast the Wickremesinghe government and LTTE appear to have worked out a winwin strategy where each of them is better off and the country is also better off. The reason for this is that both sides, despite their differences, are prepared to work together without using their weapons. This is the greatest blessing for the country at the present time. It has a leadership who have the capacity to negotiate their admittedly great differences through peaceful means; and it has friends such as Norway who are helping them in this task. The second reason for the LTTE's willingness to speed up the peace process would be to obtain legal sources of funding for both their organisation and for the development of the north-east and relief of the population. The ongoing ceasefire together with the changed international climate have evidently depleted the LTTE's sources of funding. This has made it necessary for the LTTE to en
gage in unpopulart ian population of th the LTTE is not a governing structure to extortion. The L lect money from th tain itself is increa: its popularity.
Interim administr The sooner tha within a framework ernment the better itself and the peop of legitimate govel ferring authority, a sibilities. In the m ciples of good gove parency and respec International aid d to finance the activi do not subscribe transparency and LTTE will need to sponsibilities in the tion that is likely to result of the peace Recent opinion pol north and east reve people accept the power in that part c people seem to wi administration as a towards democracy ruled through their force of arms.
On the other may bitterly resent about their fate in tered north-east. T Muslims and Si Tamils. It is necess concerns of this l population of the 1 addressed.
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Xation of the civilnorth and east. As art of a legitimate its actions are akin TE's need to colpopulation to susingly at the cost of
tion - Concerns
the LTTE comes of legitimate govit will be for both e. Any framework nment, while conso implies respondern context prinrnance mean transting human rights. onors are reluctant ties of agencies that o basic norms of human rights. The shoulder these reinterim administrabe established as a talks in Bangkok. ls carried out in the :al that virtually all reality of LTTE if the country. Most elcome the interim forward movement in which people are consent and not by
land, some people and be apprehensive an LTTE-adminishose include most halese and many ary that the genuine arge section of the orth-east should be
A destructive power struggle
President Kumaratunga has stated that core issues should be discussed at the Bangkok talks in addition to the establishment of an interim administration. The immediate core issue for the people of the north and east would be the protection of their human rights and enhancement of their economic lives. To be more specific, what the people would want is the resettlement of refugees, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the conflict affected areas and the restoration of economic structures. Certainly issues such as the permanent merger of the northern and eastern provinces, the formulation of a federal or confederal constitution and the symbols of the state are also core issues. But from the viewpoint of the people themselves the paramount core issue at this time would be the entrenching of human rights protections and the prospects for economic recovery. However, the heightened tensions between the government and opposition at this time has created the possibility of a dissolution of Parliament and along with it the destabilisation of the polity and economy and the endangering of the peace process. It is appalling that the two main political parties in the country can fight for power without considering the impact on the national interest. In particular this destructive contest for political power can undermine the peace process at a sensitive time when the ceasefire agreement is entering a new phase. It is still not too late for the President and Prime Minister to work out a mutually satisfactory cohabitation agreement. The government and opposition must not permit the peace talks in Bangkok to be endangered as are sult of their power struggle.
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Page 28
28 TAMILTIMES
ANGUIS, ANXIE AND OPE N JAF
Paul Caspersz
29 July 2002 - What follows are one team member's reflections on a most memorable visit to Jaffna from 16 to 20 July. They are merely a prelude to a full collective report, planned by the team - rather optimistically - for the middle of September. The team was one of eleven: Rajan Philips, Menaka Philips, Marshal Fernando, Suhadini Wickremasinghe, Kumar David, Lalith Abeysinghe, Mahinda Ratnayake, Ranjith Wijesinghe, Vijaya Kumar, Kogilavardani and the writer of these reflections. The team came together in Kandy on 15 July and left a few minutes after six by van on the 16th morn
1ng.
The Purpose of the Visit
Several members of the team had been directly concerned about events in Jaffna since those two fateful days, July 14-15, 1979. At 1 am on 14 July Inpam’s small house in Jaffna was visited by some men clad in khaki, fully armed with revolvers and sten guns; his bewildered family watched helplessly as Inpam and his brother-in-law,
Selvaratnam, were marched away into
the night, never to be heard of again. On 15 July the papers carried plans of President Jayawardena’s determination rapidly to eliminate terrorism in all its forms. Terrorism, as we all know, or what goes by that name, has not been wiped out. Instead, until December 2001 what we have witnessed is a number, increasing with the years in frequency as well as in intensity, of violations of the human rights of the Tamil people and a system of reactive violence of Tamil organizations against the State. The great change came at the end of 2001 with the unilateral declaration of a ceasefire by the LTTE which paved the way for the later MoU.
Hence we decided that we would go to Jaffna to obtain as much firsthand information as we could gather and, above all else, to see if we could be in mutual solidarity with the Tamil people in our common quest for peacefounded-upon-justice. The Importance of the Visit
The importance of our visit came home to us with the clarity of lightning at Omanthai, a few kilometres north of Vavuniya.
On the southern side was the Sri Lankan Government checkpoint where we produced originals and photocop
ies of vehicle docu list of the team men were returned aln while the photocop We had our identity ports ready both in c tocopy but they we cept in the case of (born in Colombc Jaffna) who had a Her presence in the her father was quic whole clearance op 20 minutes.
On the northern away, was the LTT) the clearance proces lously conducted by experienced in the w racy than their count side. While everyon polite and cordial, more questions and swers. This second c took 40 minutes.
When we boards gan to proceed towar dominant topic was between the two a bureaucracies. Doe. tween the two bureal tions already signif between two states i. thing over and don recognition, even most painful recogni Such a deep and cl place within the spac years? In 1948 we wi 1970 Elections the had expressed its op tion as the solution the Tamil-speaking l976 at Vadukkoda separation made: it cry of a desperate p were still together, a rible all-island comm still hoped that 1977 ration and believed one nation and one 2002 we had becor task then not to prev to bring back into th two separated parts' Our visit to Jaffn this new task, thou only not impossible cess is really and tri The visit has highli the sacred duty of bo

15 AUGUST 2002
TY FINA
ments and the full bers. The originals ost immediately, ies were retained. cards or our passiginals and in phore not needed, exone team member
of parents from anadian passport. eam together with cly explained. The tration was over in
ide, less that a mile : checkpoint. Here was more meticuLTTE cadres, less ays of the bureaucerparts on the other : on either side was the LTTE asked so got longer anlearance operation
ed our van and beds Kilinochchi, the the sharp division dministrations or s the division beucratic administrathat the division sa fait accompli, a 2 with, crying for or unwilling and tion. And how had car division taken e of hardly twenty 're together. At the main Tamil Party position to separaof the problem of people. Only in was the claim of was the desperate 'ople. In 1979 we nd, despite the terunal riots of 1977, was only an aberEhat we were still nation-state. By e divided. Is our ent separation but former unity the
convinced us that h difficult, is not
but that its sucly still attainable. hted to the team h sides of the Di
vide honestly to maintain the ceasefire, to refrain from conspiratorial preparations to restart the war and to work with all earnestness to arrive at a just settlement.
Anguish
From Omanthai which we left at about 12 noon to Jaffna which we reached at about 6 in the evening, the devastation we saw on both sides of the road was such that it left the team members stunned and speechless. There was hardly a single good building left standing, even though some showed signs of having been very recently repaired somewhat in order to make life and business go on again. Some walls still standing, though badly battered, had gaping bullet holes. At one point the writer saw a man sitting in the rubble of what must have been his house with his head in his hands contemplating the dismal scene. "How ever did this have to happen?". At a teashop on the way where we stopped for a cup of tea, we were informed that the shop had, because of the war, changed site four times over the past two years. Now, with the ceasefire, there is hope that the present location will be the final one.
In Jaffna, one had to have eyes made of glass not to be visibly moved by the destruction: the Town Hall reduced to a few boulders, the Courts a shambles, the old Rest House no longer identifiable, St James' Church badly damaged but now rebuilt at great cost, stoutly built houses razed to the ground, with only one or two Dutch pillars standing as a testimony to history and a summons to the future.
In Kayts the eyes of one of our members, known for strength of character, welled up with tears as he saw his former home razed almost to the ground. "I suspected that the house would have been damaged,” he explained to me, “but not that nothing would be left of it.' Here and there pieces of broken glass and of water pipes, bits of broken beams and rafters, with no trace of the walls of what was once a beautiful house which the writer had himself visited in 1979. Everything of any value - even chairs, matresses, pillows - had of course been spirited away longago. What our colleague lamented was not the physical destruction of the house, but the moral violation of family roots. Only memory remained to intensify the sense of loss and pain.
There is a further, less visible, but most compelling reason for the anguish. Moreover, this anguish is not confined to the Northern and Eastern provinces but, assails the whole island - if only people pause a little to think about it. It is the growing brutalization of all sec

Page 29
15 AUGUST 2002
tions of the people and the general weakening of law and order in the country. In fact, these may be the most enduring effects of the violence that has gripped the country in recent years - the Sinhalayouth violence of 1971 and 1988-9 and the violence of the three Eelam wars. Referring to the case of the torture of two school children in a police station on July 9-10 this year on a suspicion of a theft in the canteen of a southern school, the Asian Human Rights Commission has already commented that this type of situation in which even children can be detained and tortured can only occur because of the serious breakdown of law and order in the country. The writer merely submits that such breakdown is only the result of the growing brutalization of the people. Not only Jaffna, once considered even in the South to be the island's showpiece of law and order, will have to address this question but every Sri Lankan everywhere will have to reflect on it with the utmost seriousness and urgency.
Anxieties These anxieties of the people we met in Jaffna - and we met them at all levels: civil, political and religious — were often expressed to us, often explicitly but sometimes implicitly, in the form of questions. These questions may be formulated as follows:
1. As someone in Jaffna told us epigrammatically, What Jaffna now has is a situation of No Peace, No War. How long can such an uneasy situation continue untilit tiltsto either definite peace with honour or to a resumption of open hostilities? 2. The MoU is by no means a peace agreement but only the "Agreement on a Ceasefire between the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam". The Agreement has already at times run into turgid waters (though these difficulties, in themselves, are even to be expected according to the experience of similar ceasefire agreements elsewhere). While, on the one hand, playwright Thomas Shadwell
has told us that fool is the slo world', on the bear in mind the other playwrigh that “Procrastin time'. 3. If peace does a restoration of Jaffna and in c North and East the chief Tamil does mean muc ist party politic politics has tod cepted as one of dients of a par racy. Furthermc an impending i tion, everything done to ensure freedom of spe movement are p interim adminis essary to coord oversee all infr; nomic reconstri ministration, w] and decisive, sh cratic and non4. How long wi ening up of intel Notwithstandi made by the LT happy that all es to be available the same level a mbo, or, for som what higher leve portation servi revision of int. situation will ho proving. 5. Will not ther nomic activity ( facing of the Va the reconstruct the rebuilding fices and house ricultural produ the most convi a peaceful and issues? The ecc the base of the 6. And, finally, negotiations b care where they
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TAMITMES 29
“The haste of the west thing in the other, we have to warning of yet anit, Edward Young, ation is the thief of
come, will there be pluralist politics in ther places in the where the LTTE is group? Democracy h more than plural; but pluralist party ay come to be acthe essential ingreliamentary democre, in the context of nterim administrag possible must be that the people's ech, assembly and brotected. While an tration seems necinate, expedite and astructure and ecouction, such an adhile being effective ould also be demoauthoritarian. ll the present loosrnal trade continue? ng certain levies TE, the people are ssential goods seem at prices at roughly s in Kandy or Colohe goods, at a somel. With easiertransces and downward ernal taxation, the pefully keeponim
apid growth of ecoe.g., the carpet survuniya-Jaffna road, ion of the railroad, of government of s, the export of agce to the south) be Incing argument for air settlement of all bnomic, after all, is social fabric.
when will the peace 2 held? "We don't will be held, some
one said, in Timbuctoo or in Alaska (a good place to keep the tempers cool), but will they be successful?" The last is the trickiest question, but the odds seem now to be that they will be, if only that the alternative is altogether too terrible for either side to consider.
Hope
The poem, The State of Siege, compared in Arabic by Mahmoud Darwish, the Palestinian poet, in Ramallah in January 2002, opens with the lines:
There on the hillside, gazing into the dusk and the canon of time, Near the shadow-crossed gardens, We do what prisoners And the powerless always do, We try to conjure up hope.
Everyone - with not one exception - we met in Jaffna hoped for peace. The two young students we met in a teashop not far from Omanthai were asked by one of our group almost too pointedly, Eelam without Peace? or Peace without Eelam?, replied very quickly, Peace with Justice and Peace with Equality for ourselves with people like you. Every trader we met, every restaurant where we paused for refreshment, every mango-seller welcomed the ceasefire and wanted peace. The last of the pet deer in a domestic garden we saw in Jaffna had, just as the other three of the family had done earlier, at the sound of a bomb falling (this time it was a bomb and a barrel of excreta) had tried to jump over the wall and broken its neck. What would the deer have wanted most of all? Not the leaves of the mango tree, but Peace. This is our hope for the future.
Still more significant is that no one we met expressed recriminations about the horrible past. We believe that this was not because they had no recriminations, but because their eyes were looking at the future, their hopes were that Peace with Honour would come. Until it comes in full regalia, let the present situation continue and continue to improve. Then peace will come de facto or in fact, if not yet de iure or le
gally.
VEL oNLY) )-SRI LANKA
676 360
-SOUTH INDIA -SINGAPORE

Page 30
30 TAMILTIMES
O A UNIP-PA Ceasfire
As the political rift between the Presdientand the UNFgovernment is intensifying and turning uglier and unglier day by day, Former Foreign minister and PA Parliamentarian Lakshman Kadiragamar is reportedly drafting a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at defusing the crisis
Mr. Kadirgamar is said to be drafting the MoU having had lengthy discussions with President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and it is likely to be presented shortly for their consideration.
Though press reports predicted an early meeting between the President and the Prime Minister, it is now learnt that the meeting will take place only after Mr Kadirgamar had finalised the drafting of the MoU to the satisfaction of both parties.
While there are many in his Cabinet who are determined to undermine President's position by mounting constant personal attacks on her, Ranil is said to be prepared to adopt a less confrontational approach to the President with a view to allowing political cohabitation to work.
O Taking a Tough Stand
One topic that dominated media attention throughout the month has been the alleged impropriety in the purchase of a fleet of motor vehicles for the Presidential Security Division during the previous government. Wide publicity was given in the electronic and print media to an investigation initiated by the government into the affair. A cabinet sub-committee chaired by the Finance Minister had reportedly found that the correct tender procedures had not been followed in the purchase of these vehicles.
President Chandrika Kumaratunge hit back by alleging that the investigation into the affair was politically motivated and malicious and that under the Constitution neither the cabinet nor a cabinet sub-committee had powers to inquire into the affairs of the President. Stating that these vehicles were purchased on her orders and she accepted the full responsibility, in her 10paged response to the cabinet, the President said "Having regard to the high degree of insecurity prevailing at the
Taking
time of the bomb
advised that an a high security veh ported as quickly a ing oftenders was priate in the circun chases were made
tions in a climate o cern. The expendi the overall budget
OWhat a Friend At the cabinet gust, President Ch nga announced her interim payment of victims of election: 2001.
According to Daily Mirror, whe this announcement colleague and now Dr. Rajitha Senarat it was only for PA all' Said the Presi asked why only th to get compensati victims of the prev He said that his pa aged and destroye tion.
At this stage til that case she had lo dren were not allo that she wished, lands, her mother civic rights, and hul the JVP.
Minister Ravi interjected to say: ing to tie up with the President retor to do with you.'
Compared to meetings which h heated arguments dent and especially ally, this was a fr there was cordial dent Chandrika Dr.Rajitha Senara the Cabinet papers out much argum ported.
There isn’t mu

15 AUGUST 2002
the President and Trade Minister Ravi Karunanayake, who is reported to have accused the President with car
attack on me, I was dequate number of cles should be ims possible. The callconsidered inappronstances. These purunder special condifgrave security conure was well within of the government.”
ly Bunch!
meeting on 14 Aulandrika Kumaratudecision to make an compensation to all violence in the year
news report in the n the President made her one time SLMP 7 a cabinet minister, ne, inquired whether victims. "No, its for dent. Dr Senaratne e 2001 victims were on. How about the ious year he asked. rty office was damd in the 2000 elec
he President said in ost one eye, her chillwed to go to school her father lost his was deprived of her Isband was killed by
Karunanayake then "It's you who is trythe JVP," to which ted, "I have nothing
the other Cabinet iad cross talks and between the Presiher one time SLMP iendly meeting and talk betveen PresiKumaratunga and ne., where most of were passed, with2nts, the paper re
h love lost between
rying a bomb in her handbag to cabinet meetings to kill the PM and other Ministers. No wonder the Minister was not invited to banquet hosted by President Chandrika Kumaratinga in honour of visiting Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. Karunanayake was omitted from the guest list even though his Pakistani counterpart Abdul Razak Dawood is part of President Pervez Mushareafs delegation.
O Complaint against complainants
Former Minister Mangala Samaraweera, who was discharged of all blame relating to complaints made by two Ministers, has now requested the Bribery and Corruption Commission totake serious action against Ministers Rajitha Senaratne and John Amaratunga for allegedly committing the offence of contempt of the Commission through newspaper articles and politically motivated threats and intimidation.
In a written complaint to the Commission on 2 August, Mr. Samaraweera who himself had to appear before the commission to answer allegations of corruption over the Telecom Credit Card affair, charged that Ministers Senaratne and Amaratunga had made threats to interfere illegally with the exercise of the lawful functions and powers of the commission through the CID.
Taking a swipe at a section of the private print media which had carried
... on a sustained campaign against him
when he was Minister alleging corruption on his part, Mr Samaraweera said, "What is most shocking is that the attempts to scuttle and threaten the independence of the commission is being spearheaded by a section of the politically biased media.”
Among the documents Mr. Samaraweera presented the Commission with his complaint were copies of articles which appeared in the Sunday Leader (7 July 2002) under the headings: "Rajitha calls for CID probe on Bribery Commission”, "Coverup Gamesat the Bribery Commission", "Rienzie Arseculeratine's Report", "Rajitha's letter to the DG” and “Investigating of ficer's report".

Page 31
15 AUGUST 2002
Mr Samaraweera added, “The articles taken individually as well as in their totality amount to Rajitha Senaratne and others committing the offence of contempt of the Commission. In addition Mr. Senaratne, and Mr. John Amaratunga, together with others have committed the offence of contempt of the Commission by an express and public threat to interfere illegally, wrongfully and unlawfully with the exercise of the constitutional and lawful functions and powers of the Commission through the CID. My complaint is that the Commission must take serious action on wrongful interferences in the discharge ofits constitutional and legal functions. Taken as a whole, the contents of the articles are a serious intimidation on the Commission with threats of illegal interference in the discharge of its functions. I wish to state that the Commission is an independent body, comprising of three members, two of whom are former judges of the highest Courts of the country. The workings of the Commission cannot be interfered with, by any other organ of the executive. The state is obliged to ensure that the Commission is permitted to function without any threats, emanating particularly from Ministers of the Government.'
OWhen cabinet colleagues fall out
The Court of Appeal 31 July issued notice on Constitutional Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris as a sequel to a writ application filed by former Minister and PA parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera challenging his right to sit in Parliament.
Prof Peiris and Mangala Samaraweera have been Ministers in President
Kumratunga's cabi the professor decic UNP last year.
In his applical weera said Prof Pei from sitting and v as he had eneterd ir public corporation terest and benefits
He said the Lanc sion (LRC) had ali land called “Matte Peiris through his Nelum Peiris o Rs. 164,500. The pe alienated the said la Peiris' wife but fo Peiris solely for ag ment or animal hu Land Reform Law. Mr. Samarawet being the sole bei Peiris as the trustee rood and 38.7 per acres for Rs. 3,867, Company Ltd., in N He said that Mr. fied under the Cons and vote in Parliar the office of a Mel and he had the prio was a disqualified legal right to beco Parliament throug 1994 up to date.
The petitioner declare that Mr. Member of Parlia has no right to fun sit and vote in Pa court to issue a Wr eral of Parliament oda compelling hil iris from function
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TAM TIMES 31
at from 1994 until d to defect to the
on, Mr. Samaras was disqualified ing in Parliament o a contract with a nd was getting inom it. s Reform Commisnated 27 Acres of oda Estate' to Mr. wife Mrs. Savitri May 1984 for itioner stated LRC nd in the name Mr. the benefit of Mr. ricultural developsbandry under the
ra said Prof Peiris Leficiary and Mrs. had sold 5 Acres 1 :hes out of the 27 500 to The Finance November 1990.
Peiris was disqualititution either to sit ment or function in mber of Parliament r knowledge that he person and had no me a member of the hout the period of
asked the court to eiris's office as a ment is ceased and ction as a MP or to rliament and asked t on Secretary GenDammika Kitulegin to prevent Mr. Peng, sitting and votng as a MP in Parliament. Courtissued notice on respond2nts returnable on September 4.
O Executive Prime Minister?
The weekly The Sunday Leader recently reported quoting Prime Minister Ranill Wickremesinghe that was ready for the immediate abolition of the
executive presidency and the introduction of the executive prime ministership directly elected by the people akin to the Israeli system. Let us say Mr Wickremesighe is elected by the people as Prime Minister, and as happened in the case of President Kumaratunga, his party loses the majority in parliament. As the directly elected Prime Minister, will he continue in office exercising his executive powers as President Kumaratunga is seeking to do without the support of majority in parliament? Is this not the constitutional pickle pickle Sri Lankans are in today?
O They make the law, not obey
Though politicians cannot unite in the national interest, they know how to unite in their personal interest. Though by law all MPs are required to declare their assets, none of the 225 parliamentarians done so. Because they know that there is no provision in the law to initiate action against non-declaration of assets. A news report from Colombo quoting a source from the AttorneyGeneral's Department said "No one can be prosecuted for non-declaration of assets according to the law. It would come to light only if there is an allegation against one of the MPs when an inquiry becomes necessary. No one has ever been prosecuted for non-declaration of assets and it is not an offence. It was neither practical nor realistic to think of prosecuting the 225 MPs.”
A former Supreme Court Judge, K. M. M. B. Kulatunga, is quoted as saying though the Bribery Commissioner might have no power to begin an inquiry into the issue, any member of the public could do so. "Anyone of us can lodge a complaint, provided we have the facts right making it obligatory for the Commissioner to hold an inquiry. It is only under these circumstances that non-declaration of assets can become an offence if the complainant can prove non-declaration,” he said.
The Elections Commissioner was recently reported to have said none of the MPs had declared their assets, in breach of an election law. However, he had said he was not legally obliged to take any action against the non-declaration of assets. The Bribery Commissioner was also reported as having said that he could not conduct an inquiry into the matter unless there was an of

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32 TAMILTIMES
ficial complaint.
Amidst so much of corruption and bribery alleged against politicians in newspapers, one wondershow the lawmakers have been allowed to get away so long from complying with the law.
O Cameras to monitor conduct of MPs
Lawmakers in the Sri Lanka parliament have to behave themselves, at least they cannot brawl inside the parliament as they did not so long ago. The warning came from the Speaker Joseph Michael Perera who recently made a special announcement that all cameras within the chambers were fully operational and functioning. It is understood that four cameras have been installed to monitor MPs conduct.
Recently there has been wide publicity in the media in respect of undisciplined rowdy, and sometimes violent behaviour leading to fisticuffs among
the country's lawmakers. Sometimes
parliamentary sittings had to be suspended because of such conduct.
The Speaker answered in the negative when PA parliamentarian Jeyaraj Fernandopulle asked whether this meant that parliamentary proceedings were being telecast live. The opposition MP complained that during the chaotic situation in parliament on July 22, it had only been the behaviour of opposition MPs that had been recorded and subsequently telecast and asked whether henceforth the bad conduct of government party MPs would also be telecast to which there was no answer from the Speaker. He should have known that all MPs are equal, but MPs belonging to the governing party are more equal than the rest, commented a veteran parliamentary reporter.
O LTTE's Naval Base ?
Is it true that, in what is seen as a possible first step by the LTTE to build a sea base of its own in the East, the Tigers have launched a massive construction project at Vakarai in eastern Sri Lanka.
According to reports published in Colombo, the project under the supervision of Tiger leader 'Jeyam' is supposed to be the biggest construction project undertaken by the LTTE so far. Following the completion of the work on the sea base, Jeyam is widely expected to be appointed as the commander of the base. He was earlier attached to the military wing of the LTTE
(P
The ethnic imbrogli a two-community : transformed into a
involves all three Sinhalese, the Tam equally and intima success of a peace
pend on a satisfactc problems and conce ceived, of the three
and was later assig LTTE construction cent reshuffle of LT to now the LTTE ( manent Sea Tigerb first such base, bei Kaduwatta, which controlled area. Va gic point, from launched several a forces in the eastern
War.
O One million rup
It is learnt that tunga has objected 1 staggering salary of lion rupees a mon Samarajiva for his 1 ant to the Ministry form, Science and
In her note to which she has littie Presidentis reporte the opinion that "w cations of Prof.Sam however important entrusted to him a which is far above tl country“. It is wort Samarajiva had earl in the Sri Lanka T Authority for a sa Rs. 100,000/- per mc it would be highly i him now at such ahi dent said asking th sider the matter.
 

15 AUGUST 2002
e ethnic tangle d the dilemma
aKa MUSS
Dr H M Mauroof 'esident, National Muslim Movement)
o which was mainly ffair has now been three-way tangle; it communities, the ls and the Muslims, ely. Therefore, the initiative has to dery resolution of the rns, actual and percommunities.
ned the duties at the sites during the reTE top rungers. Up did not have a perase. This will be the tween Vakarai and is part of the Tiger karai was a stratewhich the LTTE |ttacks on security province during the
ees consultant President Kumarato the payment of a more than one milth to Prof. Rohan new job as consultof Economic Retechnology. the cabinet, over : or no control, the i to have expressed hatever the qualifiarajiva may be and the function to be re, this is a salary he capability of this h noting that Prof. ier been employed elecommunication lary of less than onth, and therefore, incorrect to employ gh salary, the Presi2 cabinet to recon
The Sinhalese live concentrated in the seven Southern Provinces. Similarly the Sri Lankan Tamil community in the Northern Province, with the Tamil community of Indian origin living in heavy concentrations in the central regions.
In contrast, the vast body of the Muslim community lives scattered throughout the island. The Eastern Province is an exception; unlike in any other, the Sinhalese, the Tamils and the Muslims live there in almost equal proportions.
It is evident that peace is the common platform of both the President and the Premier; the departure between the two is only in the methodology employed and the question of sequences. Their objects and their commitment to peace are as solid as rock. Many observers are convinced that it is those who have encircled the two leaders who have so far successfully scuttled the emergence of a common stand by both. The core positions of the UNP and the SLFP are not too far apart as to remain unbridgeable. Both parties remain wedded to the central position that
devolution to the North and East are
pre-requisites for the establishment of ethnic peace. What is therefore the prime need of the hour is for Premier Wickremesinghe to convince his colleagues to accept the reality that no one party can rightfully gain sole credit for the successful winning of ethnic peace to the exclusion of the other. President Kumaratunga has publicly extended her hand of co-operation, and, it would appear that Premier Wickremesinghe should grab it with both hands; then the hand of a statesman would have met the hand of a stateswoman.
There is no need for the two parties to coalesce, compromise or even cooperate on their respective stands on economic, political, social or other issues. But on the question of solving the

Page 33
15 AUGUST 2002
ethnic problem the two have to work out a common stand; left to the two leaders, with their experiences, backgrounds and depth, they will be quite capable of producing the magic.
The Muslims
Now the Muslims. It is the Muslims who are, so to say, finding themselves in a soup. The primary reason for their precarious position today is because of their dispersed distribution. The vast majority of the Muslims live in the seven provinces among the Sinhalese. The relationship between these two communities, except for occasional hiccups, has been excellent though they speak different languages. Except for a few larger concentrations as in Akurana, Puttalam and Beruwela, Muslims live widely distributed among the Sinhalese.
In the prevailing environment of friendship and with the goodwill of the political leadership, Muslim concerns regarding the following could be easily ironed out:
1. Ensure provisions for the adequate representation in Parliament for the Muslims. This becomes really relevant when the new election systems is spelt out soon.
2. Ensure constitutional safeguards for the Muslims by restoring the positions that were available under Section 29 of the Soulbury Constitution.
3. Constitutionally ensure equality of treatment in all respects vis-a-vis other communities.
Minimum yet genuine effort could bring consensus in these. It is noteworthy that direct Muslim participation at the highest levels especially with the UNP, and also with the SLFP had been of a high degree in the past.
The East
The real problem for the Muslims is regarding their future in the Eastern Province and also in the Northern Province. It is in the East that Muslims live in large concentrations. Although only 25% of the Muslims live in the East it is only from the East that the Muslims have been able to obtain authentic representation in Parliament. It is only from the East that the respective Delimitation Commissions were able to carve out electorates with a Muslim majority. Demographic facts were such that nowhere else were they able to mark out electorates with a Muslim majority; the Commissioners have re
peatedly expresse about the failure in reports.
On account oft events have starte Muslims of the Eas ing themselves str state of helplessne threat the Eastern due to their compa eminence in the Ea reduced to slaves. vided for in the c have taken no accol they account for a Province, and, tog halese constitute tw lation.
It has to be unc nized that the era 1978 Constitution disadvantageous to ing this period Jayewardene chose of the problems th for the Muslims; th lims were asked th future with the LT lution themselves; was a position in m the position they at
The situation cross-party Muslir by Dr. Badi-ud-dii to Madras, run fro1 conduct talks with ers to extract SOn But today unfortun an outstanding p Mahmud nor an Ea commitment and Ashraff.
After 1994. Mr convince Presider need to offer adeq protection to the appropriate consti These were contai posals presented to before the prese sumed power.
For not so easi and despite the fat same language th the Tamils and th been satisfactory. The LTTE ha ethnic cleansing North in the early
to murder and pill
Eastern Muslims ways comparable Muslims in Bosni.

TAMILTIMES 33
their frustrations his respect in their
e manner in which
to take place the are suddenly findnded and are in a s; the reason is the Muslims are facing 'ative post-Ashraff it, a threat of being he provisions pro:asefire agreement nt of them although hird of the Eastern ther with the Sin) thirds of the popu
erstood and recogbeginning from the had been distinctly the Muslims. DurPresident J.R. : to wash his hands at had been created e beleaguered Mus2n to negotiate their TE and seek the sofor the Muslims it any ways similar to ce in today. then resulted in a n conglomerate led Mahmud to travel m pillar to post, and the LTTE and othle accommodation. ately neither is there arsonality like Dr. stern leader with the :apacity of M.H.M.
Ashraf was able to t Kumaratunga the late recognition and Eastern Muslims by tutional provisions. ned in the draft proparliament last year ut Government as
y explicable reasons t that they speak the relations between : Muslims have not
resorted to perform of Muslims in the 990s and continued ge the Northern and a treatment in many to the treatment of and Kosovo, and the
Jewish treatment of Muslims in Palestine.
The ceasefire agreement, if continued in the form it is today, leaves the Muslims stranded in the North-East at the mercy of the very Tigers who have up until now done everything to decimate the Muslims in numbers, disturb their demographic status, damage their economic standing and try to demolish their day-to-day living modes.
It is the bounden duty of the UNF Government to provide for the safety of the Muslims for many reasons, the least of which is that more than 80 percent of the Muslims cast their votes to the formation called the UNF; the Government cannot get away from its responsibility by inveigling one of its appendages in Government to understate the task and later make the appendage a scapegoat. It was Premier Wickremesinghe who as the sole leader, signed the agreement with the Tigers and it is he who should take the responsibility to make unequivocal provision in it to ensure safeguarding the rights of the Muslims.
The Premier should not lend credibility to suspicions that he is endeavoring to pass the responsibility to negotiate the safety of the Muslim community to the SLMC or the UNP Muslim members of Parliament. The Government should officially take over the primary responsibility on itself and then seek that solution with the assistance of the above groupings. This assumes urgent importance because if the ceasefire agreement, as it is today, reaches fruition in Bangkok there will be in place in the North-East an “Interim Administration”under the LTTE: It must be understood that if an "Interim Administration” is set up, there will be two administrations in the country - one in the seven southern provinces under the government and another in the North-East under the LTTE.
It is claimed that the LTTE is metamorphosing from a military outfit into a political one. There is no reason to reject this idea and disbelieve it totally. Anything is possible. But could the future of a most important and historic sector of the Muslim population in the East be consigned to great and permanent risk.
The Tigers have grown up deeply imbued with a terrorist mindset. It is not going to be easy for the Tigers to effect a smooth change into a democratic organization overnight. They are

Page 34
34 TAM TIMES
likely to face many internal problems with the Tamil public whose culture in Sri Lanka is deeply rooted in liberal and democratic traditions. However, it is a choice the Tamils in the North-East are making knowing full well the risks they will be facing.
But for the Muslims, taking into account the way things have been going on in the area a choice similar to that of the Tamils is absolutely unthinkable. Anyway, eventually the Muslims in the area have to live peacefully with the Tamils but with due dignity. Time will certainly help to heal the wounds but only in an atmosphere of mutual respect and not from a master-slave relationship. Also usage of a common language will help catalyse the process of reconciliation.
The Tamils have come out as a united body ready to negotiate because of the three Sri Lankan communities it is the Tamils who have suffered the most. As for the Sinhalese, both the SLFP and the UNP have accepted that devolution to the North and East is central to the solution of the ethnic question. All patriotic leaders should help the UNP and the SLFP to resolve the superficial differences they now have on the ethnic issue.
The Muslims should take the following two courses to help the country and themselves:
(i) Action should be taken for a cross-party Muslim formation to meet the President and the Premier for the purpose of:-
(a) calling upon the two to work out a common stand to resolve the ethnic question, and,
(b) seek the assistance of both to ensure the position of the Muslims in the country.
(ii) Accept the idea themselves and then to cause the LTTE to admit the need for a set of devolution proposals for the North and another set for the East thereby recognizing the differences between the two; the composition of the population in the two Provinces the North and the East is absolutely different.
As a result of provisions spelt out in the ceasefire agreement, it is the Muslims of the East and the North who will be at the receiving end. It is paramount for their immediate future that they help the emergence of a crossparty Muslim formation with the North/ East Muslim MPs as the core.
This authentic body should, on the
t] gama
It is a widely a most sensitive bits ministration's anat cate antennae that t changes in the polit order its brain to ta
So it was rece Minister Ranil W dressing the nation suffering populace to put the country back on track. He la infirmities plaguin usually repetitive a laise. They include tating civil war and agement that had le cating in debt.
one hand establish r
with the LTTE and the other, establish port with the Govel by themselves and i the Muslims in the : Such an arrangeme the issues and prob in the North and th utmost priority as w was alive.
To the North-Ea to this party or the any relevance toda ers should get galva parliamentary repr cognizance of the d doorstep and take immediately. Time they should act wi urgency.
Asymmetry in key approach of th the Premier. The de sition of the Easter pletely different frc and of the North. ground situation ir that asymmetric in tended appropriatel tinct from the Nc Times)

15 AUGUST 2002
Time to end ne bastardized 2 of power politics
Gaston de Rosayro
cepted fact that the of a governing adomy are those deliwitch at the faintest cal atmosphere and ke evasive action.
ntly, when Prime ickremesinghe adtook his woes to a und pleaded fortime s snarled economy id the blame for the g the nation on the nd predictable mad years of a debilieconomic mismanft the nation suffo
ellations and rapport il the TNA, and on
and maintain rapnment in Colombo in combination with southern provinces. ‘nt will ensure that ems faced by them e East will be their as when Mr. Ashraf
st Muslims, loyalty
other is barely of v. Their local leadnized and push their esentatives to take angers right at their appropriate action is not on their side; Eh a deep sense of
Devolution is the : new proposals by mographic compoProvince is comm that of the South The facts and the the East demands devolution be exy to the East as disrth. (The Sunday
Mr. Wickremesinghe, spelled out his Government's frightful economic debt burden, explaining that it owed 327 billion rupees in loan payments and interest, while revenues were forecast around 278 billion rupees. He also alluded to the responsibilities of the people reminding them that it was a matter for national concern to share the debt burden.
"If we are to judge how serious the problem of debt is, each one of you is about 77,500 rupees in debt.”
All administrations have been entreating the people to practice austerity in times of crisis, while foisting more economic burdens on them. But hardly any of the politicians have made any concessions on their own towards such an exercise. Instead, they have been behaving much like bloody-minded and unrepentant despots with a voracious appetite for power and wealth.
Mr. Wickremesinghe's overriding assertion is that his administration portrays a new phase in the country’s troubled politics and is free from the restraints and prejudices of the past. Several political observers agree that Mr. Wickremesinghe is a respected politician in terms of integrity and statesman
ship. Many of his party heavyweights
and indeed some of his political foes give him credit for his courage and agreeable standards of political behaviour. Many have no doubts about his intentions to extricate the nation from the disordered political and economic cesspit it has become mired in.
But his assignment will not be easy. The hardest task for Mr. Wickremesinghe will be to restore faith in democratic politics. This is partly because the people have for decades been assailed with an abundance of unrealistic promises. It is partly, too, because they have been accustomed to being hugely disappointed by their leaders.
Both our feudal principal political parties have alternately always been given a chance to change history, but

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15 AUGUST 2002
all they have done is to merely repeat it. They all know what and whether they did wrong although years of vociferous denial may have muddled even their own memories. What they have basically been able to achieve largely is to promise progressive reforms.
But cynical Sri Lankans allege that this has been only bombastic balderdash for buying time and creating the illusion of progress while producing inefficiency, confusion, corruption and demoralization. And it will be unfair to blame them. Every administration has ended up repeating its predecessor's scandal-tainted rule. This culture of graft, waste and mismanagement is widely seen as one of the worst legacies we have been saddled with, and has been triggering a chain reaction down the line.
Many analysts have expressed an opinion that if the previous People's Alliance leaders had taken the bold step of sacking some of the more blatantly corrupt, inept and thuggish elements from within their administration, they would have still been in control and not banished into the purgatory of the Opposition. With hindsight, President Chandrika Kumaratunga and her party leaders must have realized that that would have been the sensible thing to do to ensure their political survival.
Instead, several of the more respected members of that corpulent Cabinet either played an apologist role or remained mute in the face of such obvious corruption and growing political excesses. It was a course which led to diminished public confidence in the regime, damaged its image and eventually proved downright Suicidal to boot.
In the eyes of the perceptive public, even some of those politicians who are considered clean, are actually not. Because they too have been guilty of sleaze by association, which means they are somewhere in the middle range of the integrity meter. There are few choices and little time left for our major parties to stave off political destruction. Sri Lanka's drama is that it has
run out of room fo political manoeuv. only a noisy stand Not only hav and senior Oppos trading barbs butt it at the highest matters far more They are turning an all-consuming them little time fo also a continuing poisoned our intel ades. (Daily Mirro Yet, voters ar. the irascibility anc the puerile, politic is going on amon, Government and t eral of them, inste attacks to public is playing a disposit personal tone.
What they fail is tantamount to th destruction. Becau ing character or seems to not only ity but makes then minded, inferior a ess. And it does their own shortcol The country is haps the greatest ( Many observi new United Natic composed of som legal and professic be suitable for pi crisis managemen ards. But it also are perceived as n more with offens real intelligence. many of them hav as electoral liabi kept on for reason ency.
With the my the country the n to take off a gal importantly keep the blinkers on i sea of chaos ther
WWW.armaSSOCiates.CO.uk - uS
 

TAMILTIMES 35
both economic and ng and has reached ff
Cabinet ministers tion members been ey have been doing evel, which makes lifficult to resolve. heir hate-affair into bsession that leaves anything else. It is quarrel which has hal politics for decr, 5 August 2002)
becoming tired of the allegations and al name-calling that g the Executive, the he Opposition. Sevad of confining their sues, have been dison to keep raising a
to realise is that this epolitics of personal se essentially, attackpersonal blemishes affect their credibill seem ugly, narrownd mean in the procnot serve to conceal mings.
in the throes of per:risis in its history. ers believe that the nal Front Cabinet is of the most eminent inal brains that would king as an effective team by most stand‘omprises some who Imbskulls, possessed ve swagger than any Despite the fact that e been distinguished ities they have been s of political expedi
iad problems facing w Cabinet will have op alright and more heir perspective, with need be. Amid this inisters are expected
to become a whirlwind of progressive activity, and not transform themselves into a holy hurricane of activist fixations such as prompting witch-hunts which smack of a rigged circus atmosphere.
From a spectator's point of view it all makes for great entertainment. No doubt, some of the more serious allegations and criticisms certainly have to be parried. But the problem is, by spending too much time responding to salvos and returning fire, focusing on the job of resolving the more serious issues at hand are bound to be sidetracked. In a mixture of self-interest and high-mindedness many politicians while in power imagine they are above the law. When that happens and governing parties stubbornly hold onto their resolve to mother the corrupt or suffer fools, they risk sending their administration down in flames.
Take for instance the case of a large number of parliamentarians, including Cabinet ministers, non-Cabinet ministers, deputy ministers and MPs who have failed to declare their assets to either the Secretary General of Parliament or to the President. Ministers, nonCabinet ministers and deputy ministers are required to disclose their holdings, including property, possessions and liquid assets to the President, while other MPs have to make a similar assertion to the Secretary General of Parliament. Now consider this. Despite the deadline for such disclosure lapsing more than a month ago, only 38 of 58 government ministers and deputy ministers have so far complied with the requirement. Which means that a good portion of them have suddenly become inventory-shy. But why, is the megabuck question?
The growing new affluence of many local politicians would appear to be striking enough evidence that all this is so obvious. But hardly surprising.
Because in the bastardized game of Sri Lankan power and money politics, there appears to be no rules and obviously no referees.
(Daily Mirror)
ful links - ARM Online Insuran Ce

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36 TAMI rus
The many fac
Of Eelam
Michael Roberts Daily Mirror 5 August 2002
The title of this article suggests that we are entering the realm of etymology. According to Orientalist authorities such as Peter Schalk, the term illam appears in Tamil inscriptions about the first century CE and refers to the whole island, l that is, to a land that was also called lank, s_hala and s_imhala in proto-Sinhala as well as other scripts and languages.2 From this word, then, Tamil derivatives emerged, such as the term “Ilavan' used from the ninth century CE to refer to persons from Ilam.
The latter term, clearly, was not a reference to Tamil-speakers, but to the inhabitants of the island in general. When the version "Eelam' was thrust into the front reaches of Tamil politics in Ceylon (as it was then known) in the mid-twentieth century as a result of Suntharalingam's agitation and the emergence of the Federal Party, it seems to have retained its earlier connotation. Tracing the various inflections attached to the word in both Tamilspeak and English-speak during the third quarter of the twentieth century will demand careful research work by a number of scholars. Such researches will therefore supplement the ongoing work on the etymology of the word in ancient, medieval and modern times.
I am not skilled in Tamil or in philology. Therefore the title of this essay is misleading. But I insist that the title is pertinent. Why? Because this article is an open letter to all those who consider themselves Tamil in its islandmeanings and who reside in those areas that will not fall within the territorial unit destined to be the realm of an LTTE-dominated polity in the immediate future. These Tamils include those formerly designated "Indian Tamils,” people who are now (incorrectly in some ways) called "Plantation Tamils,” but who apparently prefer to describe themselves as "Malaihaya Tamils."3 Some categorical distinction is re
quired. All the tern satisfactory in one I will make do with tween "Older Tami Tamils.''
My article is ad Tamils living to thi the present North inces. It asks them ever considered wl would be like if a Eelam, as envisage of their leaders sinc resolution of May 1 they have not confr before, it asks then out the ramificatior NOW, immediately Eelam” is meant to for their situation to However, what existence must nece: cance to the LTTE
diasporic Tamils as
emotional links tha three bodies of Tan goes beyond that, th the Tamils who dw meanings that are at today necessarily lifeways of Sinhal lombo Chetties, Ma other people who liv or identify with its
In brief, then, about the history of its adoption in the ty Tamils who had be themselves as a “na tion') and wanted termination' for the is on the situation two decades of wal work of the MoU News has called the
“Eelam”: Recent
Within this fra less, a brief histol

2002 AUGUST 15 تند: ... ۰ &... . " :"... م.:"متین: .۹:۱?"" "
XGS
Is available are unway or another. So
the distinction bels” and “Malaiyaha
ressed to the Older south and west of and Eastern Provwhether they have at their life-world separate state of d by the battle cry e the Vaddukoddai 976, eventuates? If onted this question to seriously work ls of such an event ... “The Meaning of highlight this issue )day.
is central to their ssarily be of signifileadership and the well because of the : exist between the nils from Lanka. It at is, it goes beyond vell in Lanka. The ributed to “Eelam” mpinge upon the :se, Muslims, Colays, Burghers and te within Sri Lanka interestS.
am not speaking the term Eelam or 'entieth century by gun to conceive of tionality” (or “nao secure "self-demselves. My focus OW in 2002 after within the framend what the Daily “Peace Quest.”
istory lework, neverthecal review is re
quired. In the modern world, following Seton Watson, a "nation' can be said to exist as a force whenever "an active and fairly numerous section of its members are convinced that it exists.'4. Among the Older Tamils of Ceylon that moment dawned in their English-speak around 1949 with the formation of the Federal Party. The FP may not have been the principal Tamil association then, but it was not insignificant in its resource base and became central to Tamil interests from 1956 onwards. So, its proclamation in 194951 that the "Tamil-speaking people in Ceylon constitute a nation distinct from that of the Sinhalese by every fundamental test of nationhood' was a landmark in Tamil political history.5
Ironically, as I have shown elsewhere, facets of this vocabulary seem to have been made available to the Tamil leaders by the Communist Party of Ceylon (CCP). It was the CCP that, in October 1944, first defined the Older Tamils of Ceylon as a "nation” alongside the Sinhalese nation. In defining the nation concept, moreover, they faithfully reproduced Stalin's original formulation and, with it, associated each and every nation with a "traditional homeland.'6
This summary history, of course, is incomplete. For one thing, it is restricted to Tamil outpourings in the English medium. Fuller understandings must not only scourthe English sources comprehensively, but must also delve deeply into Tamilian representations in their mother tongue from the 1900s onwards. Such research must also tran
scend and go beyond the overwhelm
ing tendency among scholars who have surveyed this field to provide legitimations of “defensive Tamil nationalism."
Within the limits of this restricted foundation of knowledge, I believe that the Federal Party worked initially within the framework of the existing nation state known as Ceylon. Eelam to Tamils of the 1950s and 1960s, therefore, did not carry the meaning that it now bears so powerfully and triumphantly. The nationalism of the Tamils supporting the FP was a “sectional nationalism,' not a separatist phenomenon.7 Its Sectionalism had some affinities with the forms of Sinhalese sectionalist nationalism embodied in

Page 37
15 AUGUST 2002
the SLFP and Philip Gunawardena's MEP. Except that Sinhalese nationalism had captured the state machinery in 1956 and instituted a majoritarian hegemony in ways that enabled its activists to equate "Sinhalese" with "Ceylonese,” thereby subsuming the latter. This configuration, as we know, nurtured the further transformation of Tamil collective consciousness. Tamil Sri Lankans were turned, initially in small numbers, but later in a flood, into Tamil Eelamists or Ilavans. Tragedy begot more tragedy. Victimisation, lies, atrocities, and manipulative re-writings of history on both sides of the divide became (and remain) so many threads within the broader tale of a tragic and seemingly intractable conflict.
To militant Tamils from the 1970s, if not earlier, “Eelam” spelt a separatist state. Or so it seems looking at the situation from outside without access to Tamil literature and in the light of the limited literature available. The sought-after state of Eelam has generally been conceived as an entity that encompasses the provinces known today as the Northern and Eastern Provinces, though some LTTE maps make more extensive claims and the idea of "traditional homelands' is clarified sometimes in quite manipulative and dishonest ways.
Thus, over the last three decades “Eelam” has signified a separate state set up within Sri Lanka with all the juridical capacities of a sovereign nation. Such rights would, of course, include not only full accredited international status as a "nation,” but also the capacity to defend its territorial space and thus to sustain its army, navy and air force. Yes, air force.
However, does “Eelam” necessarily mean that? Have the Tamil leaders of the recent past, and the LTTE specifically, thought of “Eelam” only in this form? I cannot answer this critical question. I do not have sufficient information in Tamil or in English to answer this question. What I can say is that the Sinhalese and others in Sri Lanka believe that Eelam has this connotation, and this meaning only, for the LTTE, its followers and most Older Tamils.
My article is an attempt to move away from these convictions and to suggest that the LTTE may be prag
matic enough to c understandings ofE mean something el than a separate state can both sides, we conflict, begin to rel of “Eelam” to mea than a separate sta Tamils, as the mair rework the idea int “Adequate Eelam’ “Wholesale Eelam from the Tamil vit equate Eelam sustai status as a nation? self-determination it ner? Indeed, won’! enable the Older working in the soutil and eat it in ways tha would not merely 1 impossible? In shoi the present contex Lanka and in the ri Adequate Eelam wi and sensible propo sale Eelam.
“Eelam” Today
Let me reiterate a suggestion really, pecially aimed at th ing to the south anc eastern regions of would a new juridi sovereignty, the nat mean for their live future? Would they Eelam or would th ship within Rump L as so likely, allowe zenship, that is, ifth of convenience in their hearts are wi Eelam?
To this difficul problems faced by populace of Eelam, the people of the Trincomalee distri regions get their How much would for such water sl neighbouring state where would the s its supplies of ele price?
To raise such some, and by no me problems that cond

TAM TIMES 37
onceive of other lam. Can “Eelam” e, something less ? Or alternatively, all parties to the ashion the concept something other e? Can the Older engine of Eelam, what I shall call as distinct from "? That is to say, wpoint can't Adn their dignity and And thus cater to lan adequatemanAdequate Eelam amils living and to have their cake t Wholesale Eelam hreaten, but make t I suggest that in t, both within Sri 'gional firmament, ll be a more stable sition than Whole
my main question, and one that is ese Older Tamils livwest of the norththe island. What :al unit vested with ion state of Eelam, s in the immediate become citizens of ey assume citizenanka if they are not, l rights to dual citiey cannot use a flag Rump Lanka while h the new state of
ly one can add the he government and From where would
northern Vanni, t and some Eastern gricultural water? hey be ready to pay pplies from their Rump Lanka? And ate of Eelam draw tricity and at what
issues is to mark ans all, of the knotty ont the present on
going process of peacemaking. But they also highlight the many flashpoints if Wholesale Eelam does eventuate. In other words, I am saying that Wholesale Eelam would carry the burden of highly flammable points of dispute, not least the "proper" borders between Eelam and Rump Lanka.
Such flashpoints make it likely that a new war would break out between twc sovereign states. This will be a repetition of the tale of India and Pakistan, but with a greater intensity generated by the restricted territorial space within which the fighting and killing will occur. This war will be at a level of intensity that would make the recent past seem like kindergarten stuff. Many towns in the centre and south of the island will begin to resemble Chavakachcheri. In short, I raise these questions to spell out a possible doomsday scenario. The Older Tamils in the southand-west will be the hardest hit, but, of course, people from all the ethnic groupings will suffer severely.
Adequate Eelam
As distinct from Wholesale Eelam, Adequate Eelam will be a semi-autonomous polity that nestles within the state of Sri Lanka. The constitutional modalities of such a political system will necessarily be complex, but our ingenuity in this regard should not be underestimated. Pragmatics should be the mother of invention. That is, sheer necessity should encourage the Older Tamils living in the south-and-west besides all parties to help engineer such a framework.
If such a polity arises then, these Older Tamils of the south-and-west would be able to have their cake and eat it. Even SL Gunasekera would be able to travel to the north or east of the island without requiring a visa. Out there he might wishfully see that faint traces of the writ exercised by the government located in Colombo.
What is more, the Older Tamils living in the south-and-west can exercise several options when they reach for a collective label to identify their collective sentiment. They could follow their brethren in the north and east and call themselves Eelam Lankans (or Ilavan Lankans). But they would also have the option of simply describing themselves as Lankans.

Page 38
38 TAMILTIMES
There are many precedents for this type of self-labelling that then creates a framework for the naming of Others. Italian migrants to Australia who are two or three generations deep Sometimes opt for the label "Australian," but yet others choose to describe themselves as "Italian Australians.” In short, if the world can recognise German Swiss, Italian Australian, Jamaican Brit and French Canadian, then there is space, too, for Ilavan Lankan as well as Sinhala Lankan, Muslim Lankan and Burgher Lankan (besides simple “Lankan”).
The central question, therefore, is this: are the forces and key players influencing the Sri Lankan firmament realistic enough - and skilful enough - to seize the moment? A workable deal ensuring Adequate Eelam is what we want. Otherwise these forces will be committing their children, and their children's children, to a spiralling cycle of War.
l Schalk, “Ilavar and Lankans, emerging identities in a fragmented island," Asian Ethnicity, vol. 3, p.49. The label ilankai was also used in subsequent centuries.
2 GC Mendis, 1965, "The Vijaya legend”, in Senarat Paranavitana Felicitation Volume, ed. by N. A. Jayawic-krema, Colombo: M D Gunasena and Co., pp. 265-67. For instance, the Samudragupta Allahabad inscription in India of the fourth century CE refers to simhala (communication from A. Liyanagamage). 3 Daniel Bass, "Landscapes of Malaiyaha identity,” Colombo; Marga monograph series, no. 8, 200l.
4 Hugh Seton Watson, Nationalism old and new, Sydney University Press, p. 3.
5 Quotation from an FP pamphlet in Robert Kearney's article in Asian Survey, Sept. 1985, vol. 25, p. 904. See A. J. Wilson, S J V Chelvanayakam and the crisis of Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism, 1947-1977, London: Hurst & Co., 1994, chap. 3 for the context.
6 See Roberts, Documents of the Ceylon National Congress and nationalist politics in Ceylon, 1929-1950, Colombo; Dept of National Archives, 1977, Vol. III, litem 124, pp. 2574-90. Also see Roberts, “Self-determinations(s)” article in website, www.ozianka.com.
7 See Roberts, "Meanderings ...," in Roberts (ed.) Collective identities, nationalisms and protest in modern Sri Lanka, Colombo: Marga, pp.38-39.)
Entertaining the G music was an integral and worship. Most im India had a large num musicians attached to tain the deities daily. dancing does not for ritual, all classical dan to a deity. Temples of a attached to them a gro role was the service at deity. These women a dasi, servants of God, had dedicated their liv their Lord. Dance was worship undertaken by fore an image of a deit the temple has been centre of community lil Served as Suitable ve ances. Hindu temples dedicated to dance a ances. Spectacular oil in the dance halls top mination for night pe Hindu epics. Royal patr that the Standard Ofte, Chola period reached 1 ating opportunities to si niques and choreogra dance genre. It is to thi gins of South Indian ci of Bharatanatyam is é evidence that in South of devadasi Continued until early this cent StandardisationS Of dat in the eleventh century devadasis traditionally temple, and their other the deities, represent Stitutionalisedbhakti Or Temple dance is best é tical level of devotion - mising act of a devotee of God. For the dance state of spiritual intoxica bhakti. Its passionate have helped to evoke the temple as a place mundane world, the t abode of the deity. Da can be seen as a form which the emotive and of the devotee's perso) The fact that the devac by the temple in no y conviction or authority
The bhakti mOven tural expansion of the a corresponding expar alS. The inStitution Of 7 sacred hymns compos charyas came into ex. century A.D. as ende fervour they grew in i Successive 4 centuries Thevarams and Divyap. ples were popular with

15 AUGUST 2002
pds With dance and part of temple ritual portant temples of ber of dancers and the Shrine to enterEven though today n part of a temple ce is Still dedicated ny Significance had p of dancers whose ld Veneration of the re known aS deva(who like the priests, es to the Service of the principal act of the devadasis bey. The institution of and remains at the e in India. Temples nues for performhave pillared halls nd drama performlamps were placed rovide magical illurformances of the Onage also ensured mple dances in the new heights by creandardise the techphy of the temple s period that the oriaSSical dance form attributed. There is India the institution without interruption ury, following the nce styles instituted The dances which performed in the duties attending to an early form of indevotional worship. xplained as a mysit is the uncomprocelebrating her love r it can lead to the tion associated with performance would the atmosphere of removed from the emple as celestial ce, in this context, of ritual worship in passionate aspects nality are activated. asis are Supported /ay diminishes the of their worship. ment brought structemple followed by 'sion of temple ritueciting, Singing the ed by the samayastence in the ninth avours of religious ntensity during the Hymn service both rabhandam at temI not only the royal
mple Music & Dance of India
household, but with all sections of society. Music, chronologically is earlier than the temple, and the latter made effective use of music and musicians to promote its own grandeur. The nadaswaram with its sanctity attached, popular with the temples commands a place in temple service and auspicious functions in Hindu households. Music of nadaswaram is audible even at a distance of a kilometre or two without aids of amplification. A popular nadaswaram party always attracts vast crowds to temple festivals. Tavil had traditionally been acknowledged as the most suitable for nadaswaram accompaniment.
Referring to the place of Tavil in south Indian temple and art music, tavil play in Mallari and for raga elaboration, it is the only percussion instrument, which was souinded first before the main performer started. Originally only associated with temple rituals, including procession of deities, tavil play developed to encompass intricate rhythmic complexities of Indian music. Rhythmic syllables are played by a tavil vidvan in nadaswaram melam accompanying a deity taken around in procession. Nadaswaram service in temples is conditioned by irrevocable use of appropriate tunes or ragas that fits in with the scheduled services for the deity. Temple towns of South India have well defined layouts. During festivals, the deity is taken around in a grand procession. Nadaswaram players accompany the pageantry. Protocols are scheduled in accordance with tradition. The nadaswaram player should play the appropriate tunes at scheduled halts and other spots on the main route. Wedding of the divine Couple is a festival of religious Significance. The nadaswaram player on such occasions provides a variety of compositions like mallari, lali, oonjal, nalangu. The 'otu 'provides the drone and the percussion instrument tavil helps to keep the rhythm, metallic cymbals provide control. A Periya Melam' troupe consists of the main artiste assisted by a junior artiste in nadaswaram, two Tavil players, Ottu and the Cymbal boy.
Even today, the tradition of worship in temples through nadaswaram music continues all over the world among the Hindus as in India, Jaffna (Sri Lanka), Malaysia, Singapore, Canada, USA and U.K. While the system of Devadasis is discontinued in all temples, the dance form of Bharata Natyam has evolved into a concert style. But Indian classical dance Still owes its lineage to the ancient dance rituals of the devadasis in the temples of India.
Siva Sivananthan
Note: The article captioned "Mallari" which appeared in the July 2002 issue was also presented by Mr. Siva Sivananthan. No reference was made to it at the end of the article. The omission is regretted.

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15 AUGUST 2002
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About People and Events
OBTUARIES Mr. M. Kugathasan
Born: 2008. 1928 Died: 17.07.2002 Mr. M. Kugathasan, formerly of C. G. R. Ratmalana Son-inlaw of the late Seevaratnam and Leelavathy of 27 Wyman Road, Nallore, Jaffna, dearly loving husband of Visalache (Betty) passed away on Wednesday, 17 July 2002 and funeral took place on 18 July in Jaffna. The members of the family are sincerely grateful to relatives and friends who attended the funeral, sent floral tributes, messages of sympathy and assisted in numerous ways during the period of great sorrow,
The late Mr. Kugathasan (Kuga) will be remembered as a very religious, kind hearted and loving person, who will be missed by his family members, relatives and friends not only in Sri Lanka but also acroSS the SeaS.
– Ratna Villa, 65 Wyman Road,
Nallore, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.
GEORGE'S LODGE
Two Bedroom Luxury Seif Contained Apartment with cook available on request, available at Aruthusa Lane, Wellawatte, Colombo 6. £15 per night. Telephone 020-8689 0236 or 07931 587 168 (UK)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

TAM TIMES 39
Mr. Sathiamoorthy
Born: 5th January, 1941.
Died: 10th July, 2002 Sarthiannoorthy, Chartered AcCountant, Dubai, beloved husband of Lalitha, loving father of Shankar and Sakthi Dhevi, eldest son oflate Eliathamby Arumugam and late Sivalogavalli of Atchuvely, son-in-law of late K. P. Cheliah and Annapillai of Kokuvil; brother of Suntharamoorthy, Sathiabama, Punniamoorthy, Sambanthamoorthy, Suntharaleella, Punniadevi, Sambantharani and Arulmany, brother-inlaw of Puvanaranee, Vignarajah, Kamalam, Ranjitham, Leelawathy, Shanthadevi, Selvaratnam, Pathmini, Ketheeswaran and Jegatheeswaran passed away on 10 July 2002. Cremation took place in Dubai on 14 July 2002. - P.O. Box 2525, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
in loving memory of Mrs Rajeswary Sambanthan, on the third anniversary of her passing away on the 30 of August 1999.
Sadly missed and fondly remembered by her beloved husband Sambanthan, loving children Chandragupthan, Pragashini, Ra veendran (Ragu), Thevarajan and Shankaran; son-in-law Varathan; daugh
ters-in-law Reeta, Kamala, Suhanthini and Sureka, grandchildren Priyanka, Vigirthan; Aarabhi, Brana van; Gawth-- aman, Sharanka, Sharuka,, Vithuran, Methulla. – 78 Regis Drive, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2N1K3, Canada.
in Ever Loving Memory of Mrs Ruby Amirtharanee Ratnasingham
滚
On the second anniversary of her passing away on the 21 of August 2000. Fondly remembered and deeply missed by herson Kumaran, sister Thevaranee and other members of the family. - Miss J. T. Rasiah, 64 Jessup Close, London SE187HB.
First Year Remembrance Dr Chelvadurai Manogaran (1935-2001) Emeritus Professor of Geography University of WisconsinParkside (USA)
Sadly missed and fondly remembered by his beloved wife Santhana Thevi (Kili); daughters Anita and Shakila, Son-inlaw Douglas Shimp, grandson Nathaniel Arjun Shimp, family and friends.

Page 40
40 TAMILTIMES
in loving memory of Mr. Saravanamuttu Appathurai on the second anniversary of his passing away on 4th July 2000.
Sadly missed and fondly remembered by sons Ganesha
Mr. Saravanamuttu Appathurai
moorthy and Suntharamoorthy; daughters-in-law İrasamalar and Sarathadevi; grandchildren Dinesh, Kokularaj, Kesavan, Divakari, Kokulan and Suthakar. — A. Suntharamoorthy, 95 Holyroad Avenue, South Harrow, Middx HA2 8UD. Tel: 020 8423 1629.
Mr. Mayilvaganam Velummayilum J. P., U. M., Attorney-atlaw and former Chairman, Urban Council, Point Pedro, Sri Lanka passed away on 31.08. 1989 and the thirteenth
Death Anniversary Remembrance Mr. Mayilvaganam Velummayilum
Jayanthi (all of Madras); gra
anniversary of his demise falls On 31.08.2002.
Sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his loving wife, children Thayanandarajah (UK), Nithianandarajah (New Zealand), Mayilvaganarajah (UK), Chitra (Colombo), Anandarajah, Krishnarajah and
indsons Cameron, Ewan and Atharsan, son-in-law Kamaleswaran (Colombo); daughters-in-law Sumitra (UK), Devi (New Zealand), relatives, friends anda host ofgrateful Constituents - "Hillcroft, 14 Howards Wood Drive, Gerrards Cross, Bucks SL97HN.
Mr. Apputhurai Gunaratnam
in loving memory of Mr. Apputhurai Gunaratnam, formerly Divisional Superintendent of Post Offices, Sri
Twelfth Death Anniversary
Lanka of Point Pedro On the twelfth anniversary of his passing away on 28 August 1990. Sadly missed and fondly remembered by his loving wife Rani, Children Thirukumar (Australia), Vasuki (Sri Lanka), Devaki (Australia), Sutharsan (UK), Saratha Devi (Australia), sons-in-law Ravindran, Radhakrishnan and Sashikanth, daughter-in-law Vasanthi; grandchildren Ashvini, Yathurshini, Prushoth, Mayurikka and Mayuran. - 67 B St. Ann's Road, London N15 6NJ Tel. O2O 88O2 5601.
Forthcoming Events
Sep 3 Krishna Eekathasi, Feast of St. Gregory, the Great Sep 4 Pirathosam Sep 6 Amavasai
Sep 7 South London Tamil Welfare Group (SLTWG) Shopping Trip. Tel: 0208542 3285 Sep 8 Feast of the Birthday of the Blessed
Virgin Mary Sep 10 Vinayaga Sa Sep 11 Shashti Sep 14 Feast of the Ex Sep 15 Feast of our Sep 16 Feast of St. Sep 17 Sukkla Eeka Sep 18 Pirathosam Sep 20 Fullmoon Sep 21 Puradasi San
 
 
 

15 AUGUST 2002
Sixth Death Anniversary Mr. Selvarajah Kiritharan
Mr. Selvarajah Kiritharan, Engineer. London; also of "Notary Walawu", Thunnalai North, Karaveddy, Sri Lanka passed away suddenly on 22 August 1996 and the sixth anniversary of his passing away falls on 22 August 2002.
(Wembley, Middx), loving brother Mr. Muraleedaran and sister-in-law Dr. (Mrs.) Sukaniya Muraleedaran (Australia); loving sisters and brothers-inlaw Dr.(Mrs) Subathine Ramesh and Mr. K. Ramesh (University of Jaffna); Mrs Shantini Shanmuganathan and Mr. S. Shanmuganathan (Greenford, Middx), loving sister Miss Shamini Selvarajah (Attorney-at-law, Colombo), uncles and aunties Mr. V & Mrs indranee Balakumaran (Sri Lanka), Mr. V. & Mrs Saratha Sivakumaran (Germany), nepheWS, nieces, other relatives and friends - 28 Bridgewater Road, Alperton, Wembley, Middx AO 1AJ. Tel 020 8442.4627.
Affectionately remembered by his loving parents, Mr. Naganathar Selvarajah and Mrs Kamalakumari Selvarajah
"M/e missed you for six years, But your memories are always in our thougths'
Dr. T. Harichandran First Anniversary Remembrance (10.02.1930-31. 07.2001)
"Precious Memories how they linger, how they ever flood my soul'
(NZ); children - Dilo (Aust), Ronny (USA), Dr. Susie Betty (NZ); daughters-in-law - Deanna & Binder, son-in-law - Dr. Brian Betty, grand children - Deion, Vikram, Nishan, Krishan, Arun & Imani; brothers Balan (Zambia), Dr. Mano (Cyprus), Mahen (NZ), Sisters – Saji (NZ), Saku (S.L.), Mithy (UK), Sistera-in-law, brothersin-law, nephews, nieces, their families and whole host of relatives and friends - Dr.(Mrs.)
Fondly remembered greatly loved and sadly missed by his ever loving wife Sugi
M. Niranjanan, 5 Barrie Pavement, Wickford, Essex SS12 9DR Tel 01268 472113
In Tel: 02085423285
ዘhurthi Sep 25 Sankadakara Sathurthi
Sep 26 Karthigai lation of the Holy Cross Sep 28 Puradasi Sani (Second)
ady of Sorrows Sep 30 Feast of St. Jerome Xornelius hasi At the Bhavan Centre, 4A Cas-tletown Road
London W14 9HG. Tel: 020 7381 3086/4603 Sep 10 7 p.m. Sri Ganesa Puja - Traditiona
(First), SLTWG Drop puja, bhajans, and prasad

Page 41
15 AUGUST 2002
Dr. Kulanayagan Ganshanayagam
An Appreciation
Dr. Ganeshanayagam (Ganesh), former General Practitioner, Eheliyagoda, Sri Lanka, died from cancer on 6 June 2002. Born in Colombo on 28 December 1936 he was the son of the late Mr. V. Kulanayagam, Deputy Government Analyst, Colombo and the late Mrs Nagammah Kulanayagam. Ganesh was educated at Royal College and later qualified as a Doctor from the Faculty of Medicine, Colombo. My friendship with Ganesh began in 1958 when we studied together preparing for the University Entrance Examination. Ganesh was an inspirational teacher who had the wonderful gift of imparting information in a lucid and simple manner, which greatly benefited me and many other contemporaries, who frequented his abode in Wella Watte.
After his House Officer posts and a brief Stint in Government Service, he chose to practise in Eheliyagoda - a small rural town in the Sabaragamuwa Province in Sri Lanka. Ganesh's dedication and devotion to the care of his patients was matched by his deep commitment for the betterment of society in general and in particular the underprivileged people in and around Eheliyagoda. In the mid 1990s Ganesh taught himself electronics and proceeded to convert part of his clinic into an "Academy of Electronic Studies" (as he called it). He then handpicked six talented boys from poor families, with scholastic ability who met his uncompromising standards of honesty, integrity and good character, and engaged a private tutor to teach them English whilst Ganesh himself taught them Electronics, Mathematics and Physics. One of his proudest moments was when ALL SIX students passed the Diploma Examination and one of them was placed first in an island Wide examination. In June 1998 he had the added satisfaction of seeing his students succeed in the London City and Guilds Examination. All costs including entry fees for various examinations were borne by Ganesh. He had reasoned rightly that there would be plenty of scope for gainful employment in the field of electronic engineering and related fields such as televiSion and telecommunication services where some of his former pupils are now employed.
One of his of Stated beliefs was that one can reach God through man and that
God had given eac different talents and out what those talen and use them for th Ganesh was living p deeply religious p strongly in the pow widely read and in losophy and Poetry, to me always conta either from major lite scriptures. He was tatious man who es WaS Contented with Ganesh was extr achievements of his qualified as a Doct years ago. He was
and friends and was and staff.
Establishin
After the destructio, Library in 1981, bra tablished in different tinue the Service to t ing of the original || Besides these bran Several in house libr istered by institutio, Technical Institute, Education, Teach, There is a need to e ence Section to cate institutions and acci planned in the rebui of these institutions mass displacement When the Collectio stroyed and since th Sible to collect the this short period ol funds. The Sri Lanka Libr promotes Library E has agreed to rest Courses on Library
Sangeetham 204 Wells, Rosebery, don EC1R4TN, Sic and dance frC berat 7.30 p.m. d 5 p.m. The detail Monday, 16th Se waram, Bharatar. Karnatic Vocal b Tuesday, 17o Se dolin U SrinivaS, Loy Mendonsa é MWednesday, 18" - Chitra Veena b Bhatt & N Ravik Nithyasree Thursday, 19th Duo Prof. T.N.K. Prasad Chauras,
Balamuralikrisht Friday, 20th Se
 
 
 

TAM TIMES 41
and every one of us f was up to us to find were, develop them benefit of mankind. Oof Of this. He was a rson and believed r of prayer. He was articular enjoyed PhiHis letters and Cards ned many quotations ary Works orreligious thoroughly unostenchewed publicity and his simple life- style. mely proud of the Son Shantanan, who br in Australia, a few iercely loyal to family evered by his patients
When last Saw him in Sri Lanka in January this year, it was apparent that he was not in the best of health despite his assurances to the contrary. Sensing my concern he quoted from the Bhagavad Gita - "Indeed certain is death for the born and Certain is birth for the dead. Therefore, over the inevitable you should not grieve". lam told that a gathering approaching ten thouSand people turned up in Eheliyagoda to bid farewell. The Buddhist Monk who delivered the sermon had told the assembled that Ganesh would return to Eheliyagoda in his next birth, as he had done in the present one.
It was my great good fortune and privilege to have known this truly remarkable man. May he attain peace.
Dr. Disampathy Subesinghe, Leeds,UK.
a Library and Information Science Section at Jaffna Public Library
of the Jaffna Public
nch libraries Were es- .
pants of the cityto conhe public. The rebuildibrary is in progress. Ch libraries, there are aries which are adminns like the University,
National College of er Training College. stablish a Library Scirto the needs of these ommodation has been it library. The services were affected by the that occurred in 1995, in of books were deen it has not been posbooks required during time and due lack of
ary Association, Which ducation in Sri Lanka me the conducting of Science leading to the
Diploma in Library information Science Levels l to ill. The National College of Education of Jaffna is also conducting a Course on Library Science and the Advanced Technical institute is proposing to start a course On Library and Information Science. The above institutions do not possess sufficient Reference Materials and expect the Jaffna Public Library to provide the Materials as they were lost in 1981 and subsequently in 1995. The Jaffna Municipal Commissioner finds it difficult to collect the materials required in Sri Lanka and seeks the assistance of well wishers and those engaged in Library Education and living outside Sri Lanka to help the Municipal Council to meet the urgent needs of the people of Jaffna Mr. N. Selvarajah who had been associated with the Jaffna Public Library and resident in the UK at present at 48 Hallwicks Road, Stopsley, Luton, Tel: 01582703786 is keen to help in this project and may be contacted for further information and asSiStance.
2 presents at Sadler's venue, Islington, Lonunique festival of mum 16th to 20st Septemon 21st September at are as follows :- t.- Auspicious Nadesatyam by Alarmel Valli, Anoorada & Srivam pt.-Alai Osai by ManShankar Mahadevan, Sivanani Sept. - Mohan Veena 'Pandit Vishwa Mohan an, Karnatic Vocal by
iept. - Violin — Venu shnan and Pandit Hari l, Karnatic Vocal by Dr.
t. - Santoor Duet by
Shiv Kumar Sharma & Rahul Sharma, Bharatanatyam by Malawika Sarukkai Saturday, 21 Sept. - Percussion Recital by Tala Vadyam ensemble, Mohini Attam by Bharati Shivaji, Bharatanatyam by Leela Samson & Kuchipudi by Shoba Nafarajan.
Special Ticket Arrangements in response to popular demand in prime locations within the stalls/first circle speCial season tickets have been announced as follows: individual Season tickets for all six days - £120 perhead, Family Season (2 or more) for all six days - £100 perhead. For reservations please contact Chitra Venugopa 1 0208 688 9556, Vino Srirathan 01 491 837507; Renuka Badhe 01 223 354 188 & Sangarapillai Ganeson 0208 845 7900.
For further details Tel: 020 7863 8000.

Page 42
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