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 2004.05

Page 1
Tamil
TME
LXXIII No.5 ISSN 0265-4488
Muthiah Muralitharanin record-breaking
and new Indian PM Manmohan Singh (t Jayantha Dhanapala appointed St
 
 

IISE
*
===
ே

Page 2
2 TAMIL TIMES
TAPROBAN SRI LANK
The No. 1 Agent for
Introci
E TIHIAD
The National Airline of Th
x. W. A. Y. S.
SLLLLLLGLA SLSLgGLE L0 LL EELt LL ES LCLSLLLLLLLS
Fly on the Neno vide bodied A330 Aircrafi * entertainment on voair personal Sea Feast in ments ranging from exotic internati Plus a baggage al
Economy Fares (May - 30 From E350 +
(1 Jul -31 Aug & From E380 +
Business Class Fares
From E1255 +
First Class Fares (
From E805 +
Fight Schedule Heathrow -- Abu Dhabi Saturday Abu Dhabi - Colombo Sunday
HOTEL WIL BE F
Colombo - Abu Dhabi Friday Abu Dhabi - Heathrow
For Reservations Contact
Kamini, Chris, Leon Tel: O207437 627
,Golden Square 19 سے AA Emergency phone Service for inun
 
 
 
 

2004
TRAYEL 2: A TOURS 17.
ܙܘ-- a%” Flights to Sri Lanka ?Wh/ERe?N
CS
4 II R VA VIS
United Arab Emirates
Enjoy a choice of top of the range inflight tiback TV de II Audio Channels onal cuisine to traditional Arabian Food * lowance of 30K
Jun & 1 Sep-30 Nov 04)
Ε39 ΤξεΧες
1 Dec-9 Dec) E39 Taxes
(May-24 Dec 04)
E59 Taxes
May-24 Dec 04) - E59 TXes
EY 304 2 1 15 - O725 EY 2O 222O — ii:O5OO
PROVDED NI ABU DHAB
EY 202 0545 — 0805 EY 30 || 1040) - . 1530)
our Travel Consultants ; i, Lucky or Adrian 2,020 77349078
ondom W1F 9ID W /fly ediate travel only - 07860.439-183 \ས་༧

Page 3
MAY 2004
“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. XXIII N0.5 MAY 2004
Published by: TAMILTIMES LTD PO Box 121, Sutton, Surrey SM13TD United Kingdom Phone: 020 - 8644 0972 Fax: 020 - 8241 4557
Email: admin@tamiltimes.org editor(a)tamiltimes.org p.rajanayagamG)btconnect.com Website: http://www.tamiltimes.org
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION UK/India/Sri Lanka.......... £15/US$25 Australia.............................Aus$45
(Australian Bank cheques only) SA................................... US$35 لا Canada.............................. CanS40 All other Countries........... £20. US$35
Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or publishers. The publishers assume no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork.
CONTENTS
Talks towards ConsenSUS O3 Talks on SGA first 04 SLMC in Crisis 05 issues in the peace process 08 Rethinking negptiations 12 Peace process to move forward 14 India shining 16 A federal answer 18 People and Politics 23 The Indian scene 25 News Track 28 Classified 36
Talks
Looking at the duced a minority G tion, one would for peace talks betwe Kumaratunga has the peace process their role as facilita The recentvisi ter Jan Peterson, Eric Solheim and tł ister and Foreign M agreement betwee According to re ernment has agree negotiations, name the Tamils, treating previous Governm terim Authority (ISC talks being held ou While agreeing Government Would cussions being hel has been argued C with a hung Parliam radical and fundam the ethnic conflict, the Tamil national c mence on the lSGA Whether the dis enable parallel disc damental to taking Constitutional chang commenting on the what can be said wi of considerable aut SGA. Even if agree Composition and p( fronted with the pro necessary amendm validity upon the pr ernment does noth it is therefore di process forward is which are amenabl form. In the absenc tutional revolution'V for taking the nece dent, her Governm Sentative” of Tamils wield Considerable unique opportunity island. In deciding t determination of the and its people whi Government and th engage in direct an larly with United N Lanka Muslim Cong secondly with leading promotion of peace a ute to building a nat European Union, inc terest in assisting th bilateral and multilat
 

TAMIL TIMES 3
Towards a Consensus
outcome of the last general election held recently which proovernment and the parties represented in the governing coalilive those who doubted the prospect of an early resumption of in the Government and the LTTE. But President Chandrika moved fast confounding the doubters and it would seem that is now back on track with the Norwegians returning to resume OS, to Colombo and Kilinochchi by the Norwegian Foreign MinisDeputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgessen and Special Envoy e discussions they had with Sri Lanka's President, Prime Mininister and the LTTE leadership have produced a measure of
the parties about early resumption of peace talks. ports published about these preliminary discussions, the Govd to the preconditions set by the LTTE for the resumption of ly the acceptance of the LTTE being the sole representative of the LTTE as equal partners, the proposals submitted to the 2nt by the LTTE for the establishment of a Self Governing InSA) for the Northeast being the basis of negotiations, and the Side Sri Lanka.
to these conditions, the President had expressed that her prefer, apart from discussing the SGA proposals, parallel disfor a permanent settlement of the ethnic conflict. However, it in behalf of the LTTE that hers being a minority government ent, she did not have the required two-thirds majority to effect ental changes in the constitution to bring about a solution to and therefore it would be extremely difficult for her to address juestion at this juncture, and hence discussions should comA proposals immediately. scussions are confined to the ISGA proposals or broadened to :ussions aimed at seeking a permanent political solution, funthe peace process forward is the acceptance of the need for es to the basic power structures of the Sri Lankan State. Without merit or otherwise of the proposals submitted by the LTTE, thout any fear of contradiction is that they envisage the vesting Onomous legislative and executive powers upon the proposed ment is reached after discussions between the parties on the wers of the proposed ISGA, the Government would be conoblem of delivering it constitutionally. To do so would require ents being enacted to the existing Constitution to confer legal oposed ISGA and the powers it would exercise. But the Govave the required majority in parliament to undertake that task. emonstrably clear that central to the task of taking the peace the mobilisation of all forces within and outside parliament e to building a political consensus for early constitutional ree of such a consensus emerging, talk of carrying out a "constivill turn out to be only a pipe dream. The greatest responsibility ssary initiatives to build such a consensus lies on the Presi2nt and the LTTE. Having been accepted as the 'sole repreand with its 22 Members of Parliament who are in a position to power in the context of a hung parliament, the LTTE has the to play a significant role in the national affairs of the whole play such a role, the LTTE might be able to contribute to the outcome in respect of the regional interests of the Northeast :h it desires and wants to protect. At the same time as the e LTTE resume negotiations, they could jointly or separately i frank discussions, firstly with other political parties, particutional Party (UNP), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Sri ress (SLMC) and the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), and civil society groups which have been active in recent years in the hdhuman and democratic rights. Such discussions might contribonal consensus. International actors such as Norway, UK, USA, a, Japan, Canada and Australia who have shown an abiding inpeace process in Sri Lanka ought to encourage and facilitate ral discussions among concermed parties.

Page 4
4 TAM TIMES
Discussion ISGA first
Says LTTE
Mr. Anton Balasingham, political advisor to the LTTE said that the LTTE has suggested that their proposal for an Interim Self Governing Authority should be taken up for negotiations first, responding to a suggestion by the Sri Lankan President conveyed through the Norwegian foreign minister to the LTTE leadership that there should be parallel talks towards a permament settlement to the island's ethnic conflict. He said that President Kumaratunga has accepted the LTTE as the sole representatives of the Tamil people.
During a press briefing on May 11 in Kilinochchi in northern Sri Lanka, Mr. Balasingham stipulated the conditions under which the peace talks should be resumed. "We have already declared the LTTE should be accepted as sole and authentic representative of the Tamil people. We have got an overwhelming mandate from our people. Talks should be on an equal basis and the LTTE should be treated as equal partners in the peace process. And thirdly the LTTE has insisted that the set of proposals we submitted last time in regard to the Interim Self Governing Authority should be basis of negotiations. The talks should be held outside Sri Lanka. We discussed these matters today," he said following discussions the LTTE leadership had with the visiting Norwegian team.
Balasingham further said, "President Kumaratunga has agreed that she is prepared to accept the LTTE as the sole representatives of the Tamils and the talks can be held on the basis of equal partnership; and the ISGA proposals could be the basis of negotiations. But she has said that apart from discussing the ISGA parallel discussions should be resumed (held) for a permanent settlement of the ethnic conflict. We have said that it requires serious fundamental and changes in the constitution. But we want first of all to have this interim administrative structure established and the serious socioeconomic problems - resettlement, rehabilitation, reconstruction and resettlement - must be addressed though this interim structure. It is only thereafter negotiations for the permanent settlement can be resumed. We argued that Kumaratunga's government is a minority government with a hung Parliament. She doesn't have the required two-thirds majority to effect radical and fundamental changes in the constitution to bring about a solution to the ethnic conflict. So it is rather fruitless. It will be extremely difficult for her to address the national question at this juncture. So we have suggested let us discuss the ISGA proposals immediately. And if she agrees, we will immediately resume negotiations. This message is conveyed to the President through the Norwegian Foreign Minister'.
Speaking to journalists on 13 May at the conclusion of a two-hour discussion with Mr. Vidar Helgesen, Norway's deputy foreign minister, Mr. Balasingham, said that the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka have agreed on most of the fundamental issues related to the resumption of peace talks. He said the LTTE and Colombo would reach a decision in "a day or two' on the time and place for restarting the peace talks. He said Norway would make an announcement about the consensus reached by the two parties in "one or two days'.
 

MAY 2004
"President Chandrika is showing very keen interest to somehow restart negotiations with the Tigers. We discussed the fundamental issues relating to the resumption of the talks. We were satisfied with the manner in which majority of these issues were resolved. The preliminary efforts and arrangements to restart the negotiations are very satisfactory. However, I must say that no definite decisions were reached on all issues. And I cannot reveal the details of these. There are some practical problems to be sorted out over when and where to hold the talks. The Norwegian government will make an official announcement regarding the basic agreements we have reached regarding the resumptions of the talks in a day or two', Mr. Balasingham said.
He said that the LTTE has stated that ministers with greater powers should take part in the talks. He ruled out the possibility of the negotiations starting this month. Responding to a question regarding the participation of Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka's foreign minister, in the talks, he said: "The Sri Lankan government knows our position regarding him. I have nothing to comment on the matter'.
Govt. accepts LTTE's “sole rep” status
The “LTTE by implication is the sole representative of the Tamil people, at the negotiating table. This is the same position Prime Minister Premadasa, President Kumaratunge in her earlier term) and former Prime Minister Wickremesinghe took. This is also the de facto situation that we have to accept. But we will include the whole community outside the negotiating table to ensure that everyone understands the issues and the progress of the negotiations,” said Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar, answering questions following a talk he gave at the Brookings Institute in Washington D.C on 12 May. Mr.Kadirgamar was on an official visit to the United States where he met with U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell and other U.S Government officials.
Mr Kadirgamar also said that the LTTE's Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) proposal was a blue print for a future separate State and it would be difficult for a sovereign government to accept the proposal.
On peace negotiations, Mr.Kadirgamar said, "the talks broke down in April 2003 when LTTE walked out after six sessions of talks in different parts of the world. An LTTE leader said the talks were a waste of time as people in NorthEast have not received any tangible benefit from the peace process.
If relief and development do not reach the people then it will be difficult for any ruling party to maintain support from their people. We will work to get international help in rebuilding NorthEast, a region devastated by two decades of war."
The Minister further said, “The LTTE has put forward a proposal for an Interim Administration as a vehicle for rehabilitation and reconstruction of NorthEast. However, the Irterim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) proposal, on the face of it, will be very difficult for a sovereign government to accept. It has no reference to a Parliament, claims a separate Auditor General, and demands 200 mile maritime Zone alons

Page 5
MAY 2004
two thirds of Sri Lanka's coast. It is a blue print for a future separate state.” He added, "Discussions will take place and arduous negotiations will happen. Compromises have to be made.” On the question of timing of the peace talks, Mr. Kadirgamar said: "Starting date of the peace talks is not important. As long as engagement is maintained there will be progress. The time for shadow boxing is over. We can no longer skirt around hard issues.”
On Norwegian facilitation, Mr.Kadirgamar said, "We have encouraged the Norwegians to take a lower profile than they took during the term of the previous government. When people become suspicious and if this creates resentment, these are legitimate reactions in a democracy we have to deal with. Also I think, the Internationalization of Sri Lanka's process has gone too far.”
The Foreign Minister answered questions from the audience at the end of his talk. Excerpts follow:
Question: Do you think there will be a solution to the ethnic conflict in our life time?
FM: Yes. Separate State is a solution, but not a satisfactory one. Any arrangement less than that is very welcome. If you think it will happen in 2 years, 3 years, 5 years. I think it won't happen in that time frame, but I can't give you a firm aSWC.
Question: Minister, in your previous term you lobbied foreign governments heavily to proscribe the LTTE. The LTTE doesn't view your stand in the conflict favourably. In fact your involvement may become an impediment to the peace process. How do you see your participation developing?
FM: I did my duty at that time. I was only reflecting my peoples view. I know LTTE wants to see me dead. I am at the top of their hit list...If I am an impediment to peace I will step down. I may not sit face to face across the table. I think the LTTE still would like to keep in touch with me.
Question: You have said recently that you accept LTTE as the sole representative of the Tamils. How can you reconcile this in a democratic system where LTTE was never elected by its people?
FM: There has been much controversy in the press about the statement I made in India. My stand is that LTTE by implication is the sole representative of the Tamil people, at the negotiating table. This is the same position Prime Minister Premadasa, President Kumaratunge in her earlier term) and former Prime Minister Wickremesinghe took. This is also the de facto situation that we have to accept. But we will include the whole community outside the negotiating table to ensure that everyone understands the issues and the progress of the negotiations.
Question: There has been a lot of criticism against India recently, Can you explain why?
FM: There is no question that any solution is possible in Sri Lanka without India's tacit support. Do not get agitated by what you read in the Press. The Press supports the Opposition or the Government only when its policy coincides with theirs. Ultimately it is the owners who control the press.
Question: What role will India play in the negotiations? FM: India will not play an explicit role. Only Norway will act the facilitator or more. Other countries are not expected to participate but have expressed their positions. For example, U.S has said that it supports a solution that preserves unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. Japan is looking for a role and would like to get involved more in the process, but no role is yet conferred on them.

TAM TIMES 5
Mr.Kadirgamar also talked at length on the virtues of democracy. He said that voting was ingrained in Sri Lankans as they had been exercising their voting rights from the 1930s. He was pleased with the relatively violence free elections and pointed out the challenges facing the new parliamentarian monks.
Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Mr.Kadirgamar said, was a party with a single issue, that of fighting for a solution based on the right to self-determination of Tamil people. As a party wielding considerable power with 22-members in a 225 member assembly, the Foreign Minister said, TNA would face hard choices when called upon to vote on a whole range of issues.
Internal Crisis hits SLMC
The rank and file of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) is in disarray following the decision of its politburo on 19 May to suspend three of its parliamentatarians and a member of the party for opposing the leadership of Mr. Rauff Hakeem.The differences in opinion among members of the party over the question of joining the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) came to a climax with the cross-over of Mr. Hussain Baila, the SLMC parliamentarian, to the government side when the parliament reconvened on May 18. to elect a new Deputy Speaker.
Mr. Hussain Baila is a National List Parliamentarian of the main opposition United National Front (UNF) in which the SLMC is a constituent. The SLMC nominated Mr. Baila through the UNF's list following the election last month.
The SLMC General Secretary Mr.M.T. Hassan Ali in a statement said that a disciplinary committee has been appointed to inquire into the conduct of three parliamentarians and a leading member of the party, Mr. Mashehi Innamulah, and to recommend necessary disciplinary action against them.
Meanwhile, the suspended parliamentarians, Messrs. Risard Badiudin, Najeeb Abdul Majeed and Hussain Baila announced in a press briefing that they would be functioning in the parliament as a separate group. They alleged that there was no internal democracy in the SLMC and demanded that Mr. Hakeem should step down from leadership to safeguard the party, sources said.
The dissident MPs further said a committee comprising Muslim theologians should be appointed to go into the allegations against Mr. Hakeem.
Just two days before the parliament was to convene on May 18, media reports in Colombo gave wide publicity to an allegation with salacious details that the SLMC leader, that Mr. Hakeem, was involved in an extra-marital affair lasting two years with a named woman. The SLMC leader had vigorously denied the charges, saying the allegations were "malicious, scandalous and cheap' fabricated by his political enemies, including the three SLMC Mps who later crossed over to the government side. He alleged that these MPs were being encouraged in their actions by governing party politicians who were seeking to obtain the support of the SLMC in parliament by blackmail. The English language weekly, Sunday Leader (16 May) published details of how the dissident SLMC MPs had manipulated the named woman into making the allega

Page 6
6 TAMILTIMES
tions against Mr Hakeem.
SLMC sources said these dissident parliamentarians would be expelled from the party and new persons would be appointed The three suspended SLMC parliamentarians are expected to support the governing party in parliament in the future.
In another development, one of the National List parliamentarians of the SLMC, Mr.W.Pushpakumara, has resigned from parliament. Making his maiden and final speech in parliament before tendering his resignation, he said he was resigning his national list MP post to strengthen the party.
Top Peace post for Jayantha Dhanapala
Jayantha Dhanapala, one of Sri Lanka's widely respected international diplomats, has been appointed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga as Secretary-General of the Peace Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process and as Senior Advisor to the President.
Mr. Dhanapala, who will take up his new post on June 1, will function directly under the President in these posts and will serve in an honourary capacity.
Mr. Dhanapala was the United Nations Under-SecretaryGeneral for Disarmament Affairs from 1998 to 2003. He served for many years as a member of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service and was Sri Lanka's Ambassador in Geneva and in Washington DC. Dhanapala had his secondary education at Trinity College, Kandy, where he was awarded the Ryde Gold Medal for the best all-round student of 1956, on the basis of nationwide essay competition he was selected to represent his country at the World Youth Forum organized by the International Herald Tribune and spent three months in the USA in 1957.
His tertiary education was at the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree; at the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London where he studied Chinese and at the American University in Washington, D.C. where he obtained a Master of Arts degree in International Studies.
After a period of three years as a corporate executive in Sri Lanka's private sector, Dhanapala was placed first in the combined open competitive examination for admission into the Sri Lanka Administrative Service and the Sri Lanka Foreign Service, and opted to enter to Sri Lanka Foreign Service in 1965.
Between 1965 and 1983 he held diplomatic appointments in London, Beijing, Washington, D.C., and New Delhi in addition to being Director of the Non-aligned Movement (NAM) Division of the Foreign Ministry during Sri Lanka's Chairmanship of the NAM. V
In 1984 he was appointed Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva with concurrent accreditation to the UN agencies in Vienna.
In 1987 the UN Secretary-General appointed Dhanapala to head the Geneva-based United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNDIR) as Director.
Returning to the Foreign Ministry in Colombo in 1992 he was Additional Foreign Secretary until his appointment in January 1995 as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the USA with concurrent accreditation to Mexico. He relinquished this appointment

MAY 2004
on 30 April, 1997 opting for early retirement from the Sri Lanka Foreign Service.
In August 1997 Dhanapala joined the Center for Non-proliferation Studies of the Monterey Institute of International Studies in the USA as Diplomat-in-Residence.
In January 1987 Dhanapala was appointed Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs in the United Nations and assumed duties on 1 February 1998.
At the end of February the Secretary-General appointed Dhanapala as a Commissioner in UNSCOM and the Head of the Special Group visiting the Presidential Sites in Iraq, in addition to his duties as Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs.
Dhanapala has represented his country at the United Nations General Assembly and at many NAM and Commonwealth conferences. He has also chaired many international meetings including the widely acclaimed 1995 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review and Extension Conference.
He was awarded the 15th "Jit' Trainor Award for Distinction in the conduct of Diplomacy by the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service in Georgetown University.
On the invitation of the Government of Australia Dhanapala served as a member of the Canberra Commission - a group of 17 eminent international personalities who published an influential report on nuclear disarmament in 1996.
He has published three books and several articles in international journals and lectured in many countries. Dhanapala was born on 30 December 1938, is married and has one daughter and one son.
TNA Wants US to if
LTE ban
"The Sinhalapolitical leadership has still not come to sense even after two decade old war that a political solution fulfilling the aspirations of Tamils should be found. In this context we first need an Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) to reconstruct the war-ravaged province and to resettle and rehabilitate hundreds of thousand internally displaced Tamil families in their lands. If the Sinhala leadership thinks that without first establishing the ISGA they could find a final political solution to the ethnic problem talks will not lead any positive results,' Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan appealed to Ms Christina Rocca, US State Department Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs.
A TNA parliamentary delegation led by Mr.Sampanthan and comprised parliamentarians Messrs Jospeh. Pararajasingham and Suresh Premachchandran met with Ms Christina Rocca at the official residence of the US Ambassador Mr. Jeffry Lunstead in Colombo on 14 May. Mr. Jeffry Lunstead and several US diplomats were present with Ms Christina Rocca during the discussion.
Mr.Sampanthan pointed out to the visiting US diplomat the urgent necessity of establishing the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) in northeast province. The SL governmen: should give first priority to the establishment of the ISGA before commencing talks on finding final political solution. "We cannot wait indefinitely without a just and fair political solu

Page 7
ΠΑΥ 2004
Web: WWW, Carltonleisure. COm
ータ Fly with us once,
SRILANKAN’S NO 1 PREF
C CARTON
Worldwide
Special Offer (Further disc COLOMBO E310+taxes
(15 FLIGHTS AWEEKTO COLOMBO (Prol 2ெ SPECIAL PROMOTIONALFARES || || COL
ZAirweys COLOMBO £380+taxes FREE exten!
Madra S, '
FROM LONDONMANCHESTER £520+taxes) in
K
Business Class á 935 || 8415
"a FoR e 25o) | 45
Srilankan
"Economy Class 10000 skyward miles "Business Class 15000 skyward miles
Terms & Conditions Apply ހަހި TRA
COCHN
BANG
園し V (Until
FOR EMERGENCY TRAVEL CALL 07796 174376
HARROW&WEMBLEY CENTRAL LONDON EAS 299 RAYNERSLANE, HARROW || 68 GREATPORTLAND STREET || 212
MIDDX, HA5 5EG LONDON, WW 7NG EAS 020 8426 1266 || 020 76367636 O2
son to our problems in Northeast. The establishment of ISGA ior the northeast province is urgently needed to reconstruct the war-ravaged province,” he reportedly told Ms Rocca.
"The international community should tell publicly the Sri Lankan government that it would not prevent Tamils going their wn way to achieve their rights if Sinhala leaders fail to find a political solution to meet their legitimate aspirations. This will aontribute to the success of the current peace process in find
Sangaree files polls petition
ULF President V.Anandasangaree on 12 May filed a fundamental rights violation petition before the Supreme Court chalenging the Parliamentary election of April 2004 in the Jaffna electoral district saying it was not free and fair.
Mr. Sangaree is seeking Rs one million as compensation for alleged infringement of his fundamental rights to equality, the freedom of speech and expression as well as the freedom
Iovement.
He cited Jaffna Returning Officer, Elections Commissioner, ce Army Commander and several others as respondents. In rts petition Mr. Sangaree said despite his instruction as the ULF President, party General Secretary R. Sampanthan had sited the LTTE leadership and finalised the nomination list of NA candidates, leaving him out and they contested under
 
 
 

TAM TIMES 7
Email: infoG)Carltonleisure.com ERRED TRAVEL AGENT
LE ravel & Tours S U RE wer
Fly with us always”. ATA
ount for Tamil Times readers)
UAFFINA E359+taxes MoTIONALFARESY SPECIAL FARES
SYDNEY. fr€478 fr29 MEBOURNE free5 DUBA.fr £220 NEWYORK.fr E149
OMBO £478+taxes | BOMBAY ions to anyon of the following destination: 'richi, Trivindrum, Cochin, Delhi, l, Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta, ala Lumpur or Hong Kong
0+taxes COLOMBO
(Until 30 June) taxes 400+taxes Please call our hotline 0208429 2797
RAS 3ANGKOK tours(RCarltonioisure.com
DRUM SINGAPORE 12 day CAMBODIAS HOME OF GODS, 12 day CHINA , TRIGH! || KUALA LUMPUR 10 days TEPLES OF SOUTH INDIA ALORE AKARA 8 day BUDDHISTPILGRIMAGE TOUR 0 Juno) I (Until 30 Juno) ) 17 day 3 COUNTRIESIN FAR EAST
4 17 day AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
10 day GOLDENTRIANGLE
or O7957 450 895 AORMADE PACKAGESAVAILABLE i Arara a raar-v TOWORLDWIDE DESTINATIONS TLONDON & ESSEX
SCN2;"| -35 R-7, AK A HIGH STREETNORTH 4 Day Paris...............fr145 4 Day Rome...fret.85
4 Day Amsterdam...fr1654 day Brussels...fre59 THAM, LONDON, E6 2JA 4. 器 A. 4. 器 器
2O 8586 7675 4Day Lisbon,..........fre255 4 Day Malta........fres75
include airfares, conditions apply
ing a lasting political solution." Mr.Sampanthan had added.
The TNA delegation made a request to Ms Christina Rocca that the US government should lift the ban on the LTTE in U.S. The delegation argued that at the last general election Tamils in the northeast had voted confirming the sole representative status of the LTTE. The lifting of ban on the LTTE would be considered as a positive move to make the current peace process a meaningful one, TNA delegation had pointed out.
the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), which was a defunct (but recognised) political party since 1977.
On February 23 this year, he submitted nominations for the Jaffna electoral district as the leader of an independent group. The LTTE being ill disposed towards him made several death threats against him, his candidates and his supporters even before the nomination, he alleged.
During the election campaign the LTTE did not allow him, his candidates or his supporters to engage in any political activity, he complained. After the conclusion of the election, he requested an annulment of the polling.
He alleged that the respondents failed to take appropriate actions to ensure an atmosphere where he and his group could campaign and engage in political activities during the election which was not conducted in a free and fair manner, he charged. He further alleged that on election day, voters were prevented from exercising their franchise freely and the election was marred by irregularities resulting in his being not elected.

Page 8
8 TAMITMES
The Peace Proc Issues at the Ce
Sathya
Part : Norway's Role Reassessed
The agency wires, print media as well as the grapevine were clogged with reports and analysis relating to the enewal of the stalled peace talks beween the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE. The catalyst was, of course, the recent visit to Colombo by the Norwegian deputy foreign minister Vidar Helgessen and Special Envoy Erik Solheim, followed by a high-ranking visit by the Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Peterson scheduled for next week. The itinerary included meetings with President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the LTTE leader, Velupillai Pirabhakaran. Norway is back in town
The turn of events followed a telephone conversation between the President and the Norwegian Prime Minister on April 22, which was highlighted in a press release issued by the President's Secretariat, calling on the Norwegian Government to resume its facilitator role. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs likewise issued a press release a few days later on 27th April stating that "the Norwegian delegation will explore with the two parties possible ways to take the peace process forward and how Norway might assist in this regard'.
So, what are the implications of this development? Firstly, it may be recalled that at a media briefing in Colombo on Friday the 15th November, 2003 the Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgessen announced quite dramatically that Norway will "go home and wait" till there is clarity as to who is holding responsibility on the side of the government.
Further, the operative paragraph in the prepared text that was circulated to journalists at the media briefing stated, "As far as our mandate goes, we have one clear conclusion: peace talks could have started tomorrow, provided there was clarity about who is holding responsibility on behalf of the
Government for the Ceasefire Agreeme there was such clau no such clarity”.
This was in rel by President Chanc to assume the D. amongst other port vember, 2003, spar sis and paving the quent holding of G February 2, 2004. as the manner in w porarily halted its r mediator was wid many political col attempt at shaping tional political scen ing international o move by Presi
Kumaratunga. The
took no such decis role, when the LT out of official nego year, was often cit plicity on the part ( In this context, able that when th erupted the SLMM ing the Vanni-base to send in reinforc in clear violation of
ment.
That is now hi concluded General up a Government minority Governm the problem of co an Executive Pres Minister who belo litical formations. to be seen wheth members of the amongst themselv. other matter. The fa is that the UPFA i festo clearly state( would continue an recommence with a "correct” path.
So, what is the visaged by the UI

MAY 2004
eSS
mtre
continuation of the nt. Until last week ity. Today there is
ation to the move lrika Kumaratunga efence portfolio, folios, on 4th Noking a political criway for the subseeneral Elections of The timing as well hich Norway temole as a facilitator/ ely interpreted by mmentators, as an , events in the naeas well as inforgpinion against the dent Chandrika : fact that Norway sion to suspend its TE decided to pull tiations in April last ed as a case of duof Norway.
it was also predicte Karuna episode pulled out, allowd LTTE leadership ements to the East the ceasefire agree
story. The recently Election has thrown which, although a ent, does not face habitation between ident and a Prime ng to different poHowever, it remains er the constituent JPFA can cohabit es! But, that is anct of the matter now n its election manithat the ceasefire d negotiations will he LTTE, but along
"correct' path en"FA and would the
LTTE agree? For instance, LTTE's chief negotiator and political advisor (also known as the "ideologue") Anton Balasingham, soon after the President's announcement calling on Norway to resume its role, told the Jaffna-based Uthayan newspaper, "Before resuming the peace process, our leadership is deeply and clearly examining President Chandrika Kumaratunga government's true position in relation to the key areas of the process. We will invite Norway on our part only if the leadership is satisfied with the situation. Our leadership will not show any urgency in this regard'.
The LTTE also clearly stipulated that its proposal for an Interim SelfGoverning Authority (ISGA) will constitute the basis for future negotiations.
Norway's dual role
Regarding Norway's role, one area that needs to be re-examined is its hitherto dual role as the facilitator/mediator and monitor.
As a facilitator/mediator, Norway's primary concern is to the peace process and not rocking the peace boat. As such, when it comes to its role as the Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), it has sought to subordinate its monitoring role to its mediatory role, to the extent of turning a blind eye to gross ceasefire and human rights violations by the LTTE and sometimes the Government. In the context that the SLMM has no powers of enforcement, it has to rely on "naming and shaming” as the main instrument of deterrence. This, Norway has unfortunately desisted from doing for fear of embarrassing the LTTE. It also goes contrary toits agenda of empowerment and legitimization of the LTTE as a "partner" in the peace process. The outcome of this deficiency has been the virtual granting of a license to the LTTE to engage in child conscription and political killings.
It is in this context that Norway should take seriously the recommendation made by a team of concerned academics and intellectuals (i.e. Tyrol Ferdinands, Kumar Rupesinghe, Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, Jayadeva Uyangoda and Norbert Ropers) in their monograph, "The Sri Lankan Peace Process at Crossroads'.

Page 9
MAY 2004
To quote: "Explore together with the parties how the leadership of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) could be handed over to another country without endangering the stability of the truce in order to ensure no conflicts of interest between the roles of facilitator and of the monitor”.
While Sathya is appreciative of the intentions of Norway which is to assist the parties in taking the peace process forward, the consequences of the methodology adopted by it so far has been inimical to pluralism, democracy and human rights.
The Norwegian Government must realise that when it involves itself in the affairs and problems of the peoples of other countries and nations, it has a far greater responsibility than when handling the affairs of its own people.
This applies to States as well as individuals.
Part :
Peace process - continuity or change?
Some of the issues that currently occupy centre stage can be listed as follows: Will the LTTE continue to be recognized as the "sole representative' in the talks or will there be greater inclusivity? Will the Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) be the sole basis for negotiations or will it be based on a multiple-agenda? Will Norway continue to wear the two hats as the sole mediator in negotiations and the Head Monitor of the Ceasefire Agreement? Would the CFA itself undergo any fundamental change?
In fact all of the above boils down to one key question, namely, will the recommencement of the stalled peace talks as well as the advancing of the peace process be a continuity from where it stopped (or stalled), or would there be any re-designing of the process and a possible disjuncture? In short, will there be continuity or change?
At the outset it can be safely assurned that the LTTE clearly prefers a continuity and to proceed along the same "principles” and "atmosphere", as it indicated in a recent press release issued from Kilinochchi. In fact it has every right to prefera continuity given that the peace process, as it was conducted by the UNF Government with inputs from Norway over the past two years, led to the LTTE consolidating itself in terms of territory, arms and
ammunition, cadre to mention the ex ceived “traitors”, v members of the S intelligence operat leaders ofTamil po refuse to recogniz sole representative ple.
The LTTE’s pe nuity” is based on the peace talks stal dent Chandrika Ku the Defence Portfo 2003, just a week veiled its proposal Governing Autho. East (ISGA). It is that the peace talks with the ISGA as negotiations. It is that the opposition vour, although it re coy on its actual po
Suspension of tall It is Sathya's co assumption is fun The official peace negotiations in fac vember 2003, but when the LTTE to suspend its partic talks with the Gov.
In a letter sent ister Ranil Wickren April, 2003, the Ll had “decided to su tion in the negotia being” and to not donor conference reasons cited by t frustration at notb international dor Washington on 14 lays in restoring no areas and in addres of the internally di
However, it is LTTE should have its participation in ( precisely at the mc rights issues as wi issues were being agenda.
It may be reca Session of Talks from 18-24 March asked their internal advisor, Ian Martin tion of Human Rig ian Principles, the

TAMIL TIMES 9
and legitimacy, not ermination of perwhether be it Tamil ri Lankan militarylves or activists and litical parties which e the LTTE as the of the Tamil peo
rception of“contithe assumption that led onlyafter Presimaratunga assumed lio on November 4, after the LTTE unfor an Interim Selfity for the Norththerefore assumed should commence he "sole' basis for also an assumption UNP seems to famains conveniently sition on the ISGA.
KS intention, the above damentally flawed. talks or Track One t stalled not in Noin April of 2003 Iok the decision to ipation in official ernment. to then Prime Minhesinghe dated 21st TE declared that it spend its participations for the time attend the Tokyo in June 2003. The he LTTE included eing invited for the (or conference in April 2004 and dermalcy in the Tamil sing the grievances splaced persons. interesting that the decided to suspend official negotiations ment when human ill as core political , brought into the
led that at the 6th in Hakone, Japan, 2003, the parties ional human rights , to draft a Declarahts and Humanitarplanning of a pro
gramme of human rights training for LTTE cadres and government officials and the strengthening of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka to enable it to develop the capacity for increasingly effective monitoring throughout the country.
It was further agreed to expand some preliminary issues and a framework for political matters into a "complete plan” at the 7th Session of talks. This was in reference to the Sub-Committee on Political Matters which was mandated to go into federal structures in accordance with the Oslo Declaration of December 2002, which committed the Government and the LTTE to "explore a solution founded on the principle of internal self-determination in areas of historical habitation of the Tamil speaking peoples, based on a federal structure within a united Sri Lanka.” Hence, it is Sathya’s contention that the un-stated reasons for the LTTE to suspend its participation in direct talks in April 2003 were its reluctance to engage on issues relating to human rights as well as on matters relating to a final negotiated political and constitutional settlement.
Be that as it may, if there is to be any continuity in the peace talks, it is logical to argue that it must continue not from the ISGA proposals unveiled in October 2003, but from the decisions taken at the 6th Session of Talks in March 2003 and from the situation prevailing when the LTTE opted out of the talks in April 2003.
Herein lies the duplicity in LTTE's stand as well as in the stance of those who argue in favour of continuity having only the ISGA in mind, whilst ignoring matters relating to humanitarian issues, human rights and a final constitutional and political settlement. In this context, it is unrealistic to demand that the ISGA should be the "sole” basis for negotiations, although it can and must constitute one of many items in a multiple peace agenda.
Ceasefire Agreement
Let us now take the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA). It is clear that from the time it was signed in February 2002 by LTTE leader Velupillai Pirabhakaran and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, without the knowledge and consent of President Kumaratunga, the Head of State and the Commanderin-Chief, the CFA had undergone nu

Page 10
10 TAM TIMES
merous changes.
In fact, the LTTE did at one time demand its re-negotiation so as to incorporate sea movement of LTTE cadres into the agreement, with Norway coming out with a proposal that sought to give de jure status to the de facto LTTE naval units. In addition, it is now abundantly clear that the UNF Government was prepared to look the other way when the LTTE brought in shiploads of arms and ammunitions.
This was all done in the name of maintaining a "military balance'. As Austin Fernando, the former Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, conceded recently in an article to the Daily Mirror (8th May, 2004), "many are not aware that the Ministry of Defence, Peace Secretariat, Security Forces, SLMM and LTTE have come into provisional arrangements, which are not clear in the CFA'.
It is therefore clear that the CFA is not something that can be expected to be static. It is bound to evolve to such a point that it would either require formal amendments to give its many ad
hoc measures a legal standing or the
removal and replacement of those provisions that are inimical to the smooth implementation of the CFA. Further, the CFA has to go beyond being an instrument that only regulates relations between the two standing armed forces and venture into areas where these forces infringe on the collective and individual human rights of civilians.
This includes political killings, child recruitment, the High Security Zones, extra-judicial killings and so on which continue to plague the peace process. In short the re-negotiation of the CFA is unavoidable when the peace talks recommence. To argue otherwise is to play the ostrich.
Finally, one cannot run away from LTTE's insistent claims that it is the sole representative of the Tamils and that the Government should speak to no one other than itself. But, does that mean that the principle of inclusivity should be sacrificed? The answer is simply NO. The LTTE can be conferred the status of "sole' representative at the “head table' as before where only three actors were seated, namely representatives of the Government of Sri Lanka, LTTE and Norway.
Even here, inju Muslims of the Ea despite assurances be a separate Musli never implemented to be bridged wher mence. Further, the on its “sole represe "long table” compl parties and legitim cluding civil societ
That “long ta consultations could evident in the U scheme of things, as a hindrance byt must change. Incl tial prerequisite to ity, sustainability peace process. Thi ily mean that the " "long table” shou same venue and at
Lastly, the LTT it is a part of the T ciety and not vice the ISGA proposal lated, the LTTE r parliamentary pro: decisions,
The TNA was sulted or even allc the deliberations til lation of the ISGA that even in relatic the "sole represen LTTE should be qu only to the "head obstruct the wide interest from bein corporated into th
CSS.
In sum, it is that continuity for ity is not necessar times a disjuncture a process forwal higher stage. Nei UPFAnor Norwa feel threatened by designing the peac such a need. Like in particular, the J use the re-designi ess as a means of lies the need for c
Vene S0 aS t0 enSu tween change and tained.

MAY 2004
stice was done to the stern province when given that there shall m delegation, it was . This lacunae needs peace talks recomLTTE cannot insist ntative' status at the rising other political ate stakeholders, in
ble”, where broad i take place, was not NF-Norway-LTTE in fact, this was seen he holy trinity. This usivity is an essenensure the durabiland equity in any s does not necessarhead table' and the ld be located at the
the same time, Eshould realise that amil people and soversa. In fact, when svere being formumerely informed its xies, the TNA of its
not in anyway conowed to take part in hatled to the formu. It is therefore clear on to Tamil interests tative' status of the lalified and confined table'. It should not Tamil opinion and g articulated and ine wider peace proc
Sathya's contention the sake of continuily a good thing. At 2 is necessary to take "d and evolve to a ther the LTTE, the y should in any way y the notions of re:e process, if there is wise, the UPFA and, VP should not try to ng of the peace procscuttling it. Herein ivil society to interre that a balance becontinuity is main
Part II Sole representative: Much ado about nothing
The UPFA Secretary, Susil Premjayanth on Saturday 9th May issued a statement which sought to clarify the UPFA's stand on the LTTE claim that they are the sole representative of the Tamil People. The statement further sought to clarify an observation made by Lakshman Kadirgamar that the Government by "implication' recognizes the LTTE as sole representative of the Tamils.
The JVP, a constituent member of the UPFA, however, issued a statement the following day on 10th May, that "that the LTTE should be a principal party to the negotiations. We will not accept the LTTE as the sole representative of the Tamils'.
So, what exactly is LTTE's status?. Going back to the UPFA statement, the following is the operative section: "Negotiations concerning the resolution of the ethnic problem in Sri Lanka have always been conducted between the Government of the day and the LTTE except at Thimpu. On all such occasions the Government and the LTTE have been the principal negotiating partners. This was so during the time of President Premadasa, during the first administration of President Kumaratunga and during the two year regime in which former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremsinghe's government was conducting the negotiations on behalf of Sri Lanka. This historical fact is reflected in the current Ceasefire Agreement which was signed only by the leader of the LTTE and the former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. Thus, taking into account the political and ground realities concerning the conduct of the negotiations it is clear that the two principal parties at the negotiation table can only be the Government and the LTTE. It is on this basis that Foreign Minister Kadirgamar was correctly quoted by the "Island' Newspaper on 30th April 2004 under the headline, "Govt recognizes by implication LTTE as sole representative of Tamils”,
Firstly, it is factually incorrect that all negotiations after Thimpu on finding a negotiated settlement had taken place only between the Government

Page 11
AY 2004
and the LTTE. To set the record straight, following the collapse of the Thimpu Talks in mid-1985. the Government of India, playing the role of a mediator, initiated a series of "proximity talks” that involved primarily the Sri Lankan Government and the TULF. However, all other Tamil politico-military organizations represented at Thimpu (i.e. LTTE, EPRLF, TELO, EROS and PLOTE) continued to be consulted. The "proximity” talks were based initially on what was called the *Draft Framework of Accord and Understanding” of 30th August 1985 which later evolved into what came to be termed the "December 19” proposas of 1986.
Indo-Lanka Accord
The Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987 recognized these two proposals as the basis for future negotiations. Unfortunately and, this remains the main flaw in the Accord, future negotiations on “residual matters” were to be conducted only between the two Governments. But, the point to be noted is that all Tamil parties that took part in Thimpu were invited to a meeting with Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on the eve of the signing of the Indo-Lanka Accord in July 29, 1987 to ascertain any apprehensions or observations that they may have on the terms of the Accord and related matters. This meeting took place the day before Prime Min
ster Rajiv Gandhi left for Colombo
If one moves on to the tragic developments following the signing of the Indo-Lanka Accord and the renewal of armed hostilities, this time between the LTTE and the IPKF, what we had was the passage of the 13th Amendinent which was rushed through parhament without any meaningful negotations on "residual matters'. Be that as it may, elections to the North-East Provincial Council were held in November 1988 and the EPRLF-led coaution formed the first and the only elected N-E Provincial Council to date. That the polls were severely flawed with the EPRLF-led coalition enjoying the full patronage of the IPKF is no secret. But, what is relevant to the issue is that negotiations commenced between Chief Minister Varadarajapserumal of North-East Provincial Coun
cil and President Pr effect to devolution ied in the 13th Amer stitution. In fact, th vincial Council in it ment on assumingo the powers devolv Amendment "hardl rations of the Tami of the North East pr would commence ne Premadasa Governn “working out a satis devolution'. That th negotiations was fa is another matter.
But the fact of th gotiations did takep liticalparties other t again belies the state UPFA that negot: Thimpu Talks, conc tion of the ethnic p held only between Sri Lanka Governm Again, one can both the All Party vened by President F 90 as well as in the singhe Parliamental tee of 1991-92, the T represented by Tam other than the LT these parties the "pro In fact, when the is cropped-up, seven T. TULF, EPRLF, END and PLOTE present randum to the Chai Committee stressin, the considered view Tamil People are cor ingful attempt at s Question can only an unified politicotity” for the merged again, the issue tha is not the pros and ( merger, but the fact cal parties, other th in fact engaged in r solving the Ethnic Q period.
Still again, follo of the PA-LTTE pe 95, for the first time temporary history, t the day recommend of the unitary state a

TAM TIMES 11
emadasa on giving of power emboddiment to the Cone North-East Pros first policy stateffice declared that ed under the 13 th y satisfy the aspil speaking people ovince' and that it 'gotiations with the ment with a view to factory package of e outcome of these r from satisfactory
Le matteris that nelace withTamilpohan the LTTE. This ment issued by the iations after the :erning the resoluroblem, had been the LTTE and the
ent. not ignore that in Conference con'remadasa in 1989Mangala Mooney Select Commitamil interests were il political parties ITE. Neither were xies' of the LTTE, ssue of de-merger amil organizations, )LF, ACTC, EROS ted a Joint Memorman of the Select g that, “We are of that, as far as the icerned, any meanolving the Tamil be on the basis of administrative enNorth-East'. Here t Sathya is raising ons of merger/deE that Tamil politian the LTTE were egotiations on reuestion during this
wing the collapse ace talks of 1994in Sri Lankan conhe Government of ed the dismantling nd its replacement
with a "union of regions' based on the federal idea. One of the architects was the late Dr Neelan Tiruchelvam, a Tamil intellectual cumpolitician, who was by no means an LTTE ideologue or an LTTE proxy! He was in fact blown to bits by a LTTE suicide bomber
In sum, the stand taken in the UPFA statement that, "Negotiations concerning the resolution of the ethnic problem in Sri Lanka have always been conducted between the Government of the day and the LTTE except at Thimpu' is, to put it mildly, untenable. Now let us proceed to the claim by the LTTE that it is the sole representative of the Tamil People and the statement of the UPFA that the LTTE are the sole representative by “implication". That the LTTE should explicitly assert that it is the sole representative of the Tamil people is understandable and predictable. It cannot be otherwise. That is the very nature of the LTTE which stands for everything that is a negation of democracy
Undemocratic claim
But, pray how could anyone else imply or confer the status of "sole representative" of the Tamil people on the LTTE or on anyone else for that matter? The LTTE, obviously, has a role to play as the principal negotiator when it comes to negotiations and direct talks. But that is negotiations. How does that make the LTTE the sole representative of a People? While the term “principal” negotiator is consistent with the principles and norms of negotiations given the ground politicomilitary reality, the term "sole representative' has far reaching connotations and consequences. The very term itself is obsolete, archaic and undemocratic.
It is indeed ironic that many cite the outcome of the polls in the NorthEast as sufficient cause to extend to LTTE this status of "sole representative'. That the manner in which both the election campaigning and the electoral process was conducted was farcical is now well recorded and will no doubt resurface if the election petition of the EPDP and the Fundamental Rights Case of Anandasangaree are taken up by the judiciary. But, even if

Page 12
12 TAMIL TIMES
one were to assume that the LTTE proxies swept the polls in a free and fair elections, does it make the victors the sole representative of an entire people for all times? Are we then saying that there is no need for elections in the North-East in the future? Are we not ignoring the fact that although the LTTE may be monolithic, Tamil society is not? Are we not rejecting the principles of pluralism and political diversity? Or, if one takes the national level, is it in fact necessary for a political party to be represented in parliament to be considered as representing the interests of those who voted for them? For instance prior to 1994, when the JVPhad no representation in parliament, could one have argued that the JVP did not represent sections of the Sinhalese People? Or, conversely could one have argued that the UNP and the SLFP together constitute the sole representatives of the Sinhalese People?
As H.L. de Silva, with whom Sathya had locked horns on several occasions in the past and across the ethnic divide, noted in a recent public lec
ture, "there can be no question of a sin
gle group being the 'sole representative' of a people, even though they claim to be their liberators and the repositories of ultimate wisdom. That is naked hegemonism which is the very anti-thesis of self-determination”. Suf. fice it to say, the concept of Sole Representation has no place in any discourse on democracy or for that matter in any democratic society.
The notion of a principal negotiator, on the other hand, is quite consistent vith acceptable norms and principles ofnegotiations. In this context, the clarification of Lakshman Kadirgamar during the discussion that followed his presentation at the Brookings Institute in Washington D.C last week that the Government sees the LTTE by implication as the sole representative of the Tamil people only "at the negotiating table' and would include "the whole community outside the negotiating table to ensure that everyone understands the issues and the progress in negotiations' somewhat salvages the confusion created by the earlier reported comment when he was in India.
It was in the end all a case of much ado about nothing
President Kuma
the LTTE leadership pears to be quite kee negotiations as soo LTTE leadership gi in their public state quite satisfied with President Kumaratu responded to thei quests, made throu facilitator. Key am recognition of the representative' of focusing of talks on proposals and holdi Sri Lanka. It may al President Kumaratu to include Foreign gamar in the gover team,
Although the Kilinochchi are tha pleased about the sa of the preparations gin the talks, peopl pear to maintain d visit to the North, I tradiction between posture of the LTTE deepskepticismof ing the prospects o President Kumarat
Confidence deficit This may perhal the opposition UN expressed its oppos as the subjectic Kumaratunga of agenda of politica smarting from the toral defeat in ear does not want to a dent Kumaratunga persuading both th the LTTE to accept the talkS. The UNI felt a little embarr great enthusiasm w
 

MAY 2004
bilation outcome
me rethinking
Jayadeva Uyangoda
ratunga as well as in Killinoch chi apn to resume peace n as possible. The ves the impression ments that they are the way in which nga has positively r preliminary regh the Norwegian ong them are the LTTE as the "sole the Tamil people, the LTTE's ISGA ng the talks outside so be the case that nga has agreed not ı Minister Kadirnment negotiation
indications from t the LTTE is quite tisfactory progress being made to bee in the North apoubts. In a recent found a clear conthe positive public leadership and the he people concernfnegotiations with lnga.
is be good news for P, which last week ition to what it saw n by President egotiations to an expediency. Still unanticipated elecly April, the UNP cknowledge Presi's early success in e Norwegians and her offer to resume leaders may have assed to watch the ith which the Nor
wegians appear to assist President Kumaratunga to implement her new peace agenda. No political observer would have actually missed the Norwegian keenness to establish good relations with the new UPFA regime. Yet, without addressing the very sharp confidence deficit between the people in the North-East as well as the LTTE and the new UPFA regime, conditions may not yet be ripe for serious political negotiations.
One positive dimension over which President Kuamratunga can feel pleased about is the fact that the LTTE leadership seems to have come to terms with the regime change in Colombo. They communicate the impression that they have to deal with the leadership of the Colombo government at a given moment, and not necessarily with a Wickremesinghe or a Kumaratunga. In a recent interview with the MTV, Thamilselvan, the Head of the LTTE's political wing, made this point very clear. He also emphasized that the LTTE would want to stay out of the power politics in Colombo.
When one looks at the broad trajectory of the peace process during the past two years, one can argue that the change in the political leadership in Colombo can still be turned beneficial for the future directions of negotiations and peace in Sri Lanka. Actually, no party should have, or claim to possess, the monopoly to the bona fides of politically engaging with the LTTE. Similarly, it is important that all major political parties are at some time or another do serious political dealings with the LTTE. The UPFA has in its fold the JVP, the MEP and even some elements of extreme Sinhalese nationalist Jathika Chinthanaya group. This is a remarkable combination of forces who are facing the challenge of turning their back on some of the positions which they passionately held until the last

Page 13
WAY 2004
month or even the last week.
The fact that the UPFA regime, composed of all these forces, is negotiating with the LTTE despite their previous hard-line anti-LTTE positions may appear unbelievable, and even surreal. But, what is good about it is that once the UPFA takes the plunge this time, almost all major actors in the Southern political spectrum will have had dealings with the LTTE. No major actor, expect the JHU, can then claim nationalist innocence. In the same way, no major actor can shy away from the task of approaching with a sense of responsibility the ethnic conflict, the peace process, international facilitation and mediation, negotiation and a negotiated settlement.
Sufficient preparations
Meanwhile, the diplomatic and donor community in Colombo seems to have advised both the UPFA government and the LTTE not to rush into talks without adequate preparation. This is a good advise, given the complex challenges that the coming phase of negotiations will pose to both the government and the LTTE. But the UPFA is repeating a mistake that was made in previous occasions too. It is in the process of re-inventing the negotiation wheel, with no institutional continuity or continuity of personnel involved in the previous interactions with the LTTE. According to reports, even the Peace Secretariat is being handed over to an entirely new set of individuals, loyal to the UPFA government. There does not seem to be any close learning from those who dealt with the LTTE at many complex levels during the past two years. As far as the Colombo government is concerned, negotiation with the LTTE is an exercise without an institutional memory. But, this does not seem to bother President Kumaratunga or her advisors.
Meanwhile, negotiation between the government and the LTTE this time will have a very specific character. If the talks begin, they must produce an outcome in the form of a mutually agreed internal self-government nechanism for the LTTE in the North and East. This is not the first phase of negotiations which the UNF initiated
and the LTTE broug without much seriou In fact, this is the has to bring about a if the ceasefire agree Actually, the governi LTTE is under treme continue with the C a sufficient conditi administrative struct path to in interim set flict is paved with p( Most of the dif arise with regard to r litical landmines ar. culiarities of South arise from the follo" contradiction that se present phase of S conflict. Sri Lanka’s reached a stage in w settlement within t federalist regional feasible and pos Sinhalese polity isnc federalism as a viabl in Sinhalese society inevitable steppings although federalism prelude to political probably the case t society has not yet of accepting the re. tential of federalism tonomy.
In a recent visit had the opportunit problematic with m. Jehan Perera in o through the cluster households and ope something to happi current existence of As I argued with the settlement of the quires a frameworl gional autonomy. B that there are no suf ditions to facilitate lization of that obje an integrationist pal tual terms, this is a tween the presence cessity and the abse ditions to sustain it, The objective r autonomy exists pri and East and not n

TÄMiLTIMES 13
ht to an abrupt end is consequences.
second phase that political outcome ment is to survive. ment as well as the :ndous pressure to FA. But that is not on for an interim ure to emerge. The tlement to the conolitical landmines. ficulties that will emoving those po2 linked to the peern politics. They wing fundamental 2ems to define the ri Lanka's ethnic ethnic conflict has which a negotiated he framework of autonomy is both isible; yet, the tready to embrace e option. For many , federalism is the tone to separation, n can also be the re-integration. It is hat the Sinhalese reached the stage -integrationist po1 and regional au
to Killinochchi, I y to explore this y fellow columnist ur morning walk s of impoverished n fields that await 2n to change their
misery. Jehan, objectively, ethnic conflict rec of extensive reut, the problem is icientground conthe constitutionactive need within adigm. In concepcontradiction beofan objective nence ofground con
eality for regional marily in the North uch in the rest of
the country. Similarly, the.conditions for that regional autonomy to be sustained within a re-integrationist trajectory are yet to be created in the North and East. The simple conclusion then is that constitutionalizing a reality that has only a partial presence in the polity is not feasible. The LTTE and the UPFA government will be called upon to grapple with this contradiction, the moment they begin to deliberate on the LTTE's ISGA proposals.
Way out
What is the way out from this contradiction? There is one that requires the LTTE to re-examine afresh its whole strategy concerning the ISGA. It calls for creating ground conditions for sustainable regional autonomy first and then constitutionalizing it subsequently. It is always prudent to legally codify a situation that exists in the concrete life of the people, rather than codifying something that does not exist at present but is expected to appear in the future.
This reading of the situation presupposes that in a prudent course of action, the Colombo government and the LTTE will not immediately constitutionalize a formal interim administration as such, but build new institutions and mechanisms that have all the capacities and functions of an interim structure. This maybedescribed as a "creeping interim administration approach. Its objective is first to create a ground situation of a transitional administration and then let people become familiar with. Having it on the ground and adequately de-mystified, all political forces might accept the interim structure as a real, concrete condition that could be made a part of the constitution. Constitutional codification of an existing ground reality is not likely to arouse much resistance and rejection.
Such a strategic shift requires a great deal of political maturity and understanding on the part of the government in Colombo and the LTTE in Kilinochchi. Hopefully, the engagement between the two sides in the coming weeks will facilitate such radical re-thinking of their settlement strategies and outcomes. O

Page 14
14 TAM TIMES
Peace process set to move despite scepticism
Jehan Perera
After two and a half years of ceasefire, the LTTE's administrative city of Kilinochchi is considerably different from what it was during the years of war. There are signs of development in the basic infrastructure, such as the opening of a new district hospital with Japanese aid. There are a number of solid concrete yellow bus stands being put up, although the number of buses on the road is still relatively small. Several restaurants have come up, including one with a rather sophisticated bar that serves a wide variety of alcoholic drinks. But these signs of modernity belie the poverty that continues to afflict the lives of the vast majority of people.
The poverty in the villages of the Kilinochchi district is greater than that of the poorest villages in the rest of the country outside of the north east. Most people live in mud huts with thatched roofs. The shops have only very basic commodities for sale and are sparsely stocked. Therefore when the LTTE complains that the people are getting restless, they are speaking about the reality of life in the areas that they control. The LTTE needs to find a way out of this situation soon, and that way is certainly not war, The people do not want war and the LTTE does not speakofit either. The way out for them is to have peace talks with the government that will yield a positive result where the lives of the people of the LTTE-controlled areas and the larger north east is concerned.
During the six month period in which the LTTE held six rounds of peace talks with the former UNF government, the two parties came to the point where they were discussing the establishment of joint mechanisms to enable large scale funding to meet the development needs of the people. One of the key institutions in this regard was going to be the North East Reconstruction Fund, that was to have World Bank involvement, and to which massive donor funds could have been transferred for use in the north east. The setting up of institutions such as the NERF would be in a continuum with the establishment ofan Interim SelfCoverning Authority as demanded by the LTTE. Another set of key institutional mechanisms that were being negotiated at the close of the final round of peace talks
was that of human also need to be gua of interim administr Spending this l Wanni in the compa from the national r with the leaders oft wing, it was evidentt on talking peace wi ment. They will do past negative actio negative statements ment’s constituent 1 were in the opposit they cannot afford year or perhaps two pothetically better around, which may They will therefore ( government, provid minimum conditions to talk about the LTT erning administratic
LTTE position
A clear sign of ment, or lack thereo the new governmen the forthcoming vot this week. There w posts of deputy spe committees. The n LTTE advises the TNA MPs to vote w who will be elected It is unlikely th be made unilaterall will discuss the mat who have been re Kilinochchi to dis arrive at a joint dec Where the gan cerned there will t between the LTTE and the Tamil parli greater experience cal gamesmanship, when it came to ele TNA voted for th candidate who wol tant post as a resuli However, this dent publicly annc resume the peace gian facilitation. T the TNA will vote

MAY 2004
forward
ghts, which would anteed in any form tion st weekend in the ly of senior editors (edia, and meeting he LTTE's political at the LTTE is keen h the new governso regardless of the s and even greater of the new governhembers when they on. This is because to wait for another or three, until a hygovernment comes also never happen. lo business with this ing it meets certain , such as willingness E's interim selfgovn for the north east.
the LTTE's commit, to cooperating with t will be revealed in es in Parliament later ill be voting for the ker and chairman of anner in which the 22 strong group of ill prove decisive in
at this decision will by the LTTE. They er with the TNAMPS quested to come to cuss the matter and ision.
e of politics is cone joint consultations eaders in the Wanni mentarians who have n the ways of politiOn the last occasion, :ting the speaker, the : opposition UNP's this critically impor
vas before the Presinced her decision to rocess with Norwe2 question is whether or or against the gov
ernment in the forthcoming test of strength in Parliament. When it comes to the vote in Parliament there will be two contrary pressures upon the LTTE. The first would be the difficulty to vote against a government with whom they are contemplating having peace talks.
The LTTE's current position is that, they are prepared to commence peace talks immediately, but provided that the government is prepared to make the issue of the interim self governing authority for the north east the basis of such talks. If the government were to find a way to satisfy this condition of the LTTE then the talks can begin very soon. It would be difficult for the LTTE to vote against the government in these circumstances. A course of action that the LTTE may decide to follow would be to advise the TNA to abstain from voting, which would automatically enable the government to prevail in Parliament.
Even by the mere act of abstaining, the TNA will ensure that the government's candidates win. There can be no neutrality in this matter, because even abstaining from voting will have consequences. This is the same situation that the Buddhist monks of the JHU faced over the election of speaker. By thus enabling the government's candidates to win, the TNA (and hence the LTTE) will be signifying their partnership with the government. Therefore it can be seen that in deciding to back the TNA during the general elections, the LTTE has drawn themselves inexorably into the mesh of politics. This is one of the biggest successes of the peace process. The LTTE, which once rejected Parliamentary politics in Sri Lanka, have now become a vitally important party in it.
Complex situation
The revival of hope in the forward movement of the peace process has other aspects as well. The main one, of course, is the policy reversal of the government leadership, which was extremely critical of the peace process whilst in the opposition. The new government is now taking on all the components of the peace process developed by the former government.
Constituent members of the government, such as the JVP, which burnt effigies of the Norwegian facilitators, are now engaging in sophistry and wordplay saying, for instance, that the Norwegian role is acceptable if it is confined to that of being mere facilitator, without extending to that of mediator. Another cause for optimism has been the swift response of the international community led by Norway, to the government's declaration that

Page 15
WAY 2004
it wished to recommence the peace process. The Norwegian response to the President's request was swift and at the highest levels.
The positive response of the Norwegian facilitators has been supplemented by the preparedness of the rest of the international community to view the government's policy reversal without being judgmental. In particular the decision of the US government to provide Sri Lanka with access to their Millenium Fund, which is worth USD 100 million to eligible countries, is a vote of confidence in the country's future, which is not tied to which party runs the government.
However, these positive developments at the level of the macro political actors, such as the government, LTTE and international community, need to be balanced by the pessimism elsewhere, The situation in the country as a whole remains polarised, both on ethnic and political lines. During the general election and in the period before it, the constituent members of the government engaged in ethnic nationalism that aroused
antipathy in Sinhalese peace process. The harsh assessment of policy turn around or Its spokesman ha sham, and as one achieving partisan p rather than the natior Undoubtedly, the ofperplexity and betr of the Sinhalese peo that the peace proces ernment was compl they see the new gov same as the former go to go even further ir promises. Certainly, t theme of deep scepti cerity of the presen existed among the p controlled Wanni an of Jaffna peninsula. media, these peoplek ganda barrage that w south by the constit government against during the past two y
Qatar AirWays
COLOMBO From 380 * tax
(O2CO)
Traves Limited
We deal with most major airlines and for ti
Best Deals in TOW From only 31 9.00
We will try our best to be,
PEAKS
833GéSGé
Mon - Fri 09.30 - 19.00, Sat - 10.00 Croydon Branch - 020 - 8665 0206 Wembley Branch. 02089038676
361 5 Lancel
Dubai stopover package
inc. Desert Safari, Ci
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

TAMITMES 15
people towards the UNP has made a the government's the peace process. s even termed it a merely geared to olitical advantage al interest.
re will be a sense yal among sections ple who were told of the former govetely wrong. Now ernment doing the vernment and likely terms of its com
here Was a COO. cism about the sint government that ople of the LTTEd the eastern party Through the mass now well the propaas unleashed in the uent parties of the the peace process
during the election period. Therefore, they appeared to have very little faith in the sincerity of the new government to move the peace process forward.
Whether it was the fishermen of LTTE-controlled Vadamarachchi East, traumatised women in a halfway house in Kilinochchi town, the consortium of NGOs of Killinochchi district or low level LTTE cadres, they had one thing in COO.
They all viewed the two years of the former UNF government very positively as being a period when the threat of war was removed from their lives. By way of contrast, the UPFA government, with its anti peace propaganda of the recent past inspires only a sense of scepticism and fear in them. In such a situation, it may be difficult for the LTTE hierarchy or for the TNA to take decisions that are strategic, but which appear to favour the UPFA government, There is a need for confidence building that the new government needs to engage in, with both the people of the north and south, whom they bamboozled in order to win the
ears, and especially elections, O
Main Agent For | z | () SRILANKAN QATAR ඉද්දා)
ARLINES ARWAYS
e cheapest fare possible, look nOfurther
yn tO COLOMEBO
+ tax (VALID UPTO 3OT JUNE)
rum Cochin
299 it tax
310 is a
at any genuine cuotation
E RI NG
S5 CO2COG&S
16.00
london Road, Croydon, Surrey CRO 3PB, st Parade, Lancelot Road, Wembley HAO 2AJ
7nights B&B, only £199 pp. tour, boat cruise, etc.
SriLankan Airlines COLOMEBO From £450+ tax (up to 30/06) MadrasTrivandrumsTrichy Singaporelbangkok
From £478 + tax (up to 15/07/04)
Airport taxes extra

Page 16
16 TAMIL TIMES
India Shini
Rajan Philips
India Shining was the BJP's "feel good' election blitz that went awry. It celebrated India's prospering middle classes of three hundred million. Perhaps it took more credit than was due to the BJP. Perilously, as it turned out for the BJP, "India Shining” ignored and even mocked the rural and urban poor who constitute the balance 70% of India. The gimmickbackfired. The poor has taught the rich and the pundits a stunning lesson. "India Shining” now means the power of India’s democracy, the only power, with all its limitations, that is available to the poor.
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee called an election six months before it was due. He was hoping to take advantage of his personal popularity, encouraging state elections results in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, positively exciting conventional economic indicators, and a prom
isingentente cordiale with Pakistan, not,
to mention the afterglow of the Indian cricketing exploits in Australia and Pakistan.
The pundits predicted more than 310 seats for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance of 22 parties. They were right about the number of seats but betted on the wrong horse. It is the Congress alliance (217), the Left Front (62), and the Uttar Pradesh's secular Samajawadi Party (38) that have amassed 317 of the 545 seats in India's 14 Lok Sabha. The BJP ended with 185 seats, losing 95 seats from the 280 seats it held in the outgoing parliament. Among the prominent casualties are foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha, losing out in the Hindi belt, and Petroleum Minister Ram Naik losing to Bollywood comedian Govinda of the Congress. All in all, a very remarkable defeat, the first major defeat for a stable government since 1977, when Indira Gandhi was justifiably punished for her two year emergency rule. To Vajpayee's credit, he has accepted the defeat gallantly and gracefully. At 79, he can canter into his political sunset, proud of his long record as a politician and as Prime Minister. A gifted orator, a poet of note, and with a political base in Delhi in his youthful years, Vajpayee could have been a Minister in the Nehru governments, or a socialist firebrand in Opposition. But he apprenticed under
Rashtriya Swayamsev chose to represent Sangh, the progenito In many ways, he w the right, a quality ar strident Hindu chauv values and political se the best in the India and he championed face of challenges in the ranks of his own also from the tired Congress Party. As t ternal Affairs, Vajpa few sensible cabinet ror-prone Morarji D 1977-80. After a tumu sassinations, unstabl the Ayodhya fiasco, V nation to even an eve Congress Prime Mir full term in office, V. India's political map country's economic managed to margina diehards within the very areas in which he vided the sources foi Governing through "The Congress is country is the Co Jawaharlal Nehru in saw to it that Congr not open to those who Nehru's dominant p sonably democratic cumstances of his til longation after Neh more to do with th nastic urges of his c dhi than with the ne variably, the Congre process that had a Nehru when Jaya Nehru's acclaimedh with his Congress Sc upshot of the Congr tion was that there \ replacementto it. Fi were regional partie national outlook be regional bases. As was no longer achi politicians have grc alliances to provide

MAY 2004
ng!
kSangh (RSS) and he right-wing Jan of the present BJP. s a lone ranger on Eidote to the right's nism. His personal nsibilities rank with political tradition, hat tradition in the it only from within olatile alliance, but nd feudally flabby le Minister for Exvee was among the ministers of the ersesai government of ltuous decade of as2 governments, and ajpayee steadied the keel. The first nonister to complete a jpayee transformed and reoriented the direction. He even lise the Hinduthva BJP. Ironically, the succeeded also prohis defeat. Alliances
the country and the ngress', declared 953, but Nehru also 'ss membership was allied with the RSS. rty polity was a rearesponse to the cirne, although its proru might have had autocratic and dyaughter Indira Gan'ds of the nation. Inss Party imploded, a ready begun under prakash Narayan, air, left the Congress cialist followers. The ss Party's disintegraould be no all-India ing the political void ; even parties with a ame reliant on their ngle-party majority vable and the Indian wn adept in forming stable governance at
the centre, and no politician has been more successful informing and maintaining governing alliances than Vajpayee. In him, the BJP found a moderate magnetto attract those disenchanted with the decadent Congress, who otherwise would have been repelled by BJP's Hinduthva hardcore.
At long last, the Congress too learnt the lesson of forming alliances and has now beaten the BJP at its own game. But to succeed as a government, the Congress leaders will need all the political savvy given their inexperience in managing coalition governments. They should behumbled by the fact that the Congress accounts for only 147 seats, just over a quarter of the total Lok Sabha seats. Their immediate allies bring up the seat tally to 217, still below the half-way mark for a majority, and have to depend on others, especially the Left Democratic Front. The regional nuances and variations in the people's verdict should be an important consideration in shifting from a dynastic dominant-party mind set to a coalition culture. Arrogance of power, alienation of the poor, Internal conflicts within states, the incumbency burden of regional parties, and the minority votes are among the principal factors that led the defeat of the BJP in a number of states.
The South was the BJP's main graveyard. The Telugu Desam Party, BJP's main ally in the high-tech Andhra Pradesh, won only five of the State's 42 seats, while in the neighbouring Tamil Nadu, the DMK-led Congress allies made a clean sweep of the state's 40 seats. In Kerala, the CPM's home state, the proCongress Left Democratic Front won 18 of the state's 20 seats, while the Congress - for the first time its electoral history - failed to win a single seat in Kerala on its own. However, the BJP did well in the other high-tech state of Karnataka. The BJP impressively won the rural and the relatively deprived states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, while in the industrial state of Maharashtra, the BJP held on to the rural seats and the Congress won the urban seats. The regional parties in Punjab and Orissa, Akali Dal and Janata Dal, won the two states for the BJP, while it was the other way around in Uttar Pardeash where the state-governing Samajawadi Party led the defeat of the BJP forces. The success of the Congress in Gujarat is nothing less than a repudiation of the BJP for the horrific anti-Muslim riots two years ago.
The Left Democratic Front spearheaded by the two Communist Parties, CPM and CPI, have won 62 seats, a

Page 17
ΜΑΥ 2004
record harvest for the Indian Left. Large winnings in Kerala and West Bengal and sprinklings of seats in other Southern and Eastern States have contributed to their success. The Left's success illustrates that being reliant on regional supports need not preclude political parties from projecting a national outlook. Conversely, in a parliamentary democracy, it is vital for the Left to first protect its electoral backyards before taking on global and national issues. It would also be fair to say that the CPM and the CPI are more vigorous in their defence ofIndia's secular, democratic and socialist traditions, than any other Indian political party, and their principled support to the new government will be an important factor in reinvigorating these traditions. Reasons and Implications
The BJP ran a two-faced campaign. On the one hand, it emphasized economic prosperity and downplayed Hindu nationalism, while on the other it relentlessly attacked Sonia Gandhi's 'foreign origins'. In the more esoteric debates of ideas, the BJP ideologues challenged the premises and the validity of secularism. Already, Jayalalitha in Tamil Nadu and Narendra Modi in Gujarat had enacted the ill-advised anti-conversion laws for their respective states. None of these efforts appears to have helped the anti-secularists in the election, although the most trotted reason for the BJP's defeat is its disconnect with the mass of India's poor. The open market, western outsourcing, and the high-tech hype have not answered the farmers' prayer for water and electricity and the needs of the urban poor for jobs and housing. There is much credence to this thesis, none more so than the defeat of Chief Minister Chandra-babu Naidu and his Telugu Desam Party government in the Andhra Pradesh state election that was held concurrently with the national election. Astrong BJP ally, Naidu has long been India's high-tech poster boy. But the high-tech bubble, five-star hospitals and super highways, not to mention westen accolades and World Bank's endorsement, could not help the Telugu farmers who want water, basic health services and affordable electricity and who are constrained to choose between suicide and debt repayment.
The BJP's defeat has been attributed to its arrogance and the disconnect between India's elites and the masses. Incumbency breeds arrogance and corruption and elections are the democratic ritual for periodical system cleansing. But the more fundamental challenge facing the new Congress-led government, and one
that is confronting a tries, is that of reconc of a global economy vours a section of th one hand, and the cu existential needs ofc the majority, on the c movement in India, imitation in Sri Lan marrying global ca rowly defined indig two movements deri tenance from the m urbanites and the cu patriates, neither of terest in or link to th and rural poor. Tha political mobilizatic the major political support cris-crossing and class divides. A is that in India the capitalism and asecu Lanka the pro-capit trays itself as being corollary difference tradition in which se ism tend to confi Lankan tradition whe ally been the subor sive Sinhala-Buddh Indian elections and Sri Lanka would se assessment.
Viewed another facing the new gove dia is also a great ol ciling globalism an well as for encourag ism within the fra secularism. Even th ists”, if one might pl be that of challengi to address mass pri the uneven appropr rather than a relig with overthrowing: rial capitalism. One is the virtual monopc cies and programme and the IMF have c Washington policy to follow the logico insistence on unbun. local decision maki governments to deci ties. No other count democratic world and responsibility does. The BJP ob’ much the Bank and creating a whole M ment. It might have to have established

TAMILTIMES 17
1 South Asian couniling the imperatives " that selectively fae population, on the ltural and economic thers who constitute ther. The Hinduthva and its Sinhalathva ka, are in favour of pitalism with a marenous culture. The ve much of their susaterially prospering turally alienated exwhom have any ine mass of the urban : said, at the level of in and organization, parties derive their the different cultural interesting paradox BJP promotes open alrism, whereasin Sri alist UNP also por minority-friendly. A is between the Indian :cularism and sociallence, and the Sri ere socialism has usudinate ally of excluist nationalism. The the April election in eem to validate this
way, the challenge :rning alliance in Inportunity for recond mass priorities, as ging religious pluralmework of political e task of the 'socialut it that way, should ng global capitalism orities and minimize lation of its benefits, ous pre-occupation a non-existent impeaspect of globalism bly over national polis that the World Bank me to exercise. The gurus should be told ftheir own hectoring ling monopolies and ng and allow national de on national prioriy in the non-western Las greater authority o do this than India riously listened too Fund mandarins in inistry of Disinvestbeen too far fetched in the past separate
ministries for ferrous and non-ferrous industries, but there is no need to overreach in the opposite direction. The difference that the new government could make would be of benefit not only to India but also to its neighbours.
The second aspect of globalism is even tougher. And that is of addressing the priorities of the majority of the population who are involved in agricultural production. There have been no shortage of efforts to deal with the agrarian question under different policy regimes - from the 1959 Nagpur Congress resolutions, through the Green Revolution of the 1970s, to the current recycling of Ricardo's comparative advantage principle (a principle that was conveniently forgotten under colonialism). But these ef. forts have been overtaken by global changes while their impacts on the farmers have not been conclusively positive. From all that has been tried, it would seem reasonable to suggest a flexible policy framework that allows an interplay of farmers' initiatives and market forces at the local level, while limiting the government to providing a safety net to help farmers in times ufadverse weather or global economic conditions.
Needless to say, the prospects for religious pluralism and political secularism have been enhanced by the defeat of the BJP. Secularism in India has its own historical and contextual meaning: it is more political and constitutional and lacks the anti-clerical and de-ritualizing roots of Western secularism. India is preeminently religious and incorrigibly ritual in its ways, and it will remain so. But India is also multi-religious, and its historical experience has been that a multi-religious society can survive and grow without ceasing to be religious, but only insofar as religion is not politicised. It is the latter that Nehru sought to ensure through constitutional secularism, and what is more remarkable than the Hinduthva opposition to Nehru is the passionate avowal of secularism by so many other Indians including Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Dalits and the Communists. Their acclamation of Sonia Gandhi as Prime Minister is a part of that avowal, and not an affirmation of dynasty as the mainstreamWestern media simplistically portrays. Not many countries in the world would legally allow a person of 'foreign origin' to be their Prime Minister, and unlike its South Asian neighbours India continues to pursue a vigorous alternative to self-destructing theocratic politics. "India Shining, I would say as a South Asian.

Page 18
18 TAM TIMES
Federalism: ans
o Sri Lanka's ethin
Kumar David
About this manuscript: This document is being drafted in a very manuscript form, meaning some sections are written as paragraphs, some ideas are simply presented as bullet points and there are many interspersed comments for the purpose of a dialogue with the reader. This is because this is nowhere near a finished document - it is just an attempt to kick-offa discussion, to raise many points for consideration.) Introductory Comment
Through a process of military exhaustion and political filtering federalism has emerged as the maximum that one community can grant and the minimum that the other will accept, Hence at the present time federalism seems to be the only viable compromise on
which to base a constitutional formula
for peace and settlement, Giving detail and substance to this concept is the life and death challenge that Sri Lankan society now faces.
Many of us on the left, especially the marxists, held that the Tamil people were entitled to the right to self-determination including the right to secede. We advised against secession but upheld the right - a conceptual subtlety that many Tamil militants could not grasp in the decades from 1970 to 2000. Today we observe that the issue of secession has become historically dated because the principal Tamil combatant organisation is seeking a negotiated settlement on the basis of autonomy and regional self-government. Hence the marxist perspective stands vindicated in theory, in strategy and through experience. Among the Sinhalese people too the firmness of the marxist position contributed a great deal to the defeat of chauvinism and as an educational wake up call to the people. PRINCIPLE 1: Sovereignty and Nationality
A viable constitutional settlement, in the prevailing national context, must incorporate the following features to be
able to win majority among the Sinhales lim people of Sri La 2 The Sinhalese to be reassured and new constitutional, trative and militarya place by the settlem be subverted for the land into two separa The Tamil comi and East needs to be ritorial arrangement ernment in respect of istration, autonomy i in social and cultura nities for economic freedom from fearar
2 The Muslim have guarantees off and cultural practic protection of its ider in the North and Eas subsumed under a brella.
? The Up-coun must be fully absorb citizenship and be p nomic and culturald tunities equivalent t the majority Sinhale side which they live Since the confli Sri Lanka and the t nying the present se ated settlement are e. ethnicity, so too are lined above rooted nationality concern communities of Sri say, it is not home homo-politicus but concerns of people : nic entities that a nev address first and for PRINCILE 2: Elements of the Fe
I will now raise sues, most of whic for discussion. Son
 

MAY 2004
public acceptance e, Tamil and Musnka. community needs guaranteed that the political, adminisrrangements putin ent process cannot division of the iste nation states. munity of the North provided with a terensuring self-govday to day adminin decision making l matters, opportudevelopment and ld violence. community must reedom ofreligious e, recognition and ntity and assurance it that it will not be larger Tamil um
try Tamil people ed into Sri Lankan provided with ecoevelopment opporo those enjoyed by se community be
ct and civil war in ensions accompaarch for a negotissentially rooted in the principles outin the identity and is of the different
Lanka. That is to p-economicus nor rather the primary as members of ethw constitution must 'emОSt.
deral System
several specific ish are well known, netimes I will pro
pose an opinion and at other times only draw attention to the matter as an item that needs to be addressed as the discourse within the left develops.
How many federal units?
Federation into just two units - the NE (North-East) unit and what for want of a better name I will christen RSL (Rest of Sri Lanka) may be just the right approach. My preference for limiting the structure to just two units is as follows.
? Sri Lanka is small and it is meaningless to have a plethora of state laws, jurisdictions, administrative codes and guardians of public order - variety is inefficacious and wasteful.
Having many legislative units, experience has shown, does not amount to greater devolution of power to the grassroots. On the contrary what it has meant, at least to some degree, is a profusion of opportunistic politicos, arranged in layers, fattening themselves at the expense of the public purse,
Provincial and District Councils and local government (municipal, town and village) entities will of course have a continuingroleto play, butnotas legislative assemblies of a federal structure. I see them essentially as administrative and functional units concerned with social and economic development tasks - that is organs of practical devolution assisting in the emergence of democratic self-administering local communities.
Although I have indicated my preference for the two-unit model it is agreed that this is a complex issue needing further discussion especially since measures to protect the identity of the Muslim community still remain ambiguous. I have also heard arguments suggesting that a two or more unit federal division of RSL will be conducive to economic and social development since the demographic and geographic specificity of different regions canthus be better dealt with, but I am not convinced. Such developmental and socioeconomic devolutionary concerns pertain to provincial and district administrative divisions and not justify separate federal legislative and governing organs. Hence, I envisage that two provincial administrative organs in the NE and seven in RSL, as well as district

Page 19
ΝΑΥ 2004
councils at the next lower level, will accomplish this below the federal level.
Separation of functions
The assignment of functions to the centre and the federal units will be a most vexed question. This is the point at which all the concerns itemised in the early part of this document in the section on Sovereignty and Nationality will surface. Safeguarding the integrity of the sovereign state, ensuringautonomy for the Tamils of the NE, protecting the identity of the Muslims and ensuring opportunity for the Up-Country Tamils, are the contending objectives between which balances have to be found.
The ISGA (Interim Self-Governing Administration) formulaput forward by the LTTE in October 2003 is maximalist and is more concerned about the privieges of the Tigers than the welfare of the Tamils, but it does have one merit. The document makes mention of a large number of imperative considerations that must be systematically worked through to achieve autonomy and sustained development in the NE federal unit. The following is my commentary on some of the matters that the ISGA proposals bring into focus or sharply into contention and on some other related matters.
(a) Law: In respect of what matters should the federal units legislate? What initial all island system of law should be allowed to prevail at the commencement? The answer to the second question seems inescapably the current laws of Sri Lanka. Even more than in the case of criminal law, in the case of corporate, company, commercial and labour, a mature system of law is essential if commerce, business and economic development are to flourish. Large investments are urgently needed in the NE and this cannot occur except within a secure legal and judicial framework. Federal-unit laws will, of course, 5e enacted overtime and the framework will evolve and be modified - this is not disputed. The case of personal and family law is a separate issue.
(b) Interpretation of the constitutuon: What constitutional court will adjudicate in respect of legislation and/ or actions whose constitutionality is challenged? This will have to be a sov
ereign national ma constitution, whate ment in the interim
(c) Judiciary: tional and federalju will appoint the ju arms of the judiciar dependence and fre dation of judges be (d) Police pow lice forces will ther point senior perso How will recruitm will freedom from p the abuse of power of our long history ence in police actio power by the force, constitution is an ol missed to insert app
(e) Revenue: centre and the fede will the main reve: corporate income ta and other revenues by the centre) bes parliament in the foi islature will be su approving the ap (budget) and the fe similarly deal with is a vast range of it ences with differen draw from.
(f) Off-shore out to sea will reso bepartofthe feder beyond what point ters and resources tional assets? (Of of national sover immigration and e and naval defenc sively with the cen (g) Langua, Tamil will be the c Sri Lanka and of Both languages sha tus. English shall t guage and it will cation and encoura opportunities for course for everyon petitiveness in inte (h) Religion: a secular state bot centre and the fede should have a sp foremost status. T

TAM TIMES 19
ndate in the final ver is the arrangeperiod. What will be the naicial system? Who lges to the various y? How will the inedom from intimiguaranteed? ers: How many poe be? Who will apnnel in each case? ent be done? How Iolitical control and be ensured? In view )fpolitical interfervities and abuse of the writing of a new pportunity not to be ropriate safeguards. What taxes can the ral units levy? How nues (personal and xes, customs duties obviously garnered hared? Presumably rm ofanational legbreme in respect of propriations bill deral assembly will unit revenues. There nternational experiit federal systems to
resources: How far urces be deemed to al unit's domain and will territorial wadeemed to be nacourse the concept ignty requires that migration, customs : are vested exclutre). ge: Sinhalese and fficial languages of both federal units. ll enjoyparity of stae used as a link lane promoted in eduged so as to enhance international dise and improve comnational commerce. Sri Lanka should be h at the level of the al units. No religion 2cial, privileged or his certainly is my
view and I hope the view advocated by the left.
(i) Freedom of movement: Freedom for all citizens of Sri Lanka to move without hindrance or question across federal unit borders must be guaranteed. The right of all citizens to buy land, seek employment or engage in commercial activities in all parts of the island must be written into the constitution.
(j) Others: There is a long list of other specific functions (land, education, transport, water, social services, and so on) written into the schedule of the 13th Amendment to the current Sri Lanka constitution. It is necessary to revisit this list and sort out a position on all of them item by item. PRINCILE 3: Human and Democratic Rights
Since the country is coming out of an ethnic civil war and since systematic and widespread violation of human rights was practised by both sides to the conflict for a long time, protection of human rights must bean importantelement in the new constitution. The mechanisms for such guarantees must include international supervision. Every single government of Sri Lanka, ever since independence, has systematically trampled on democratic rights, hence constitutional provisions against abuse of emergency powers, constraints on draconian legislation, fraudulent elections and checks on authoritarian executive actions must also take a prominent place in the constitution.
IApart from pointing out that this is one of the fundamental principles that should underlie the preparation of a new constitution, I do not undertake a long discussion of the matter here for two connected reasons. First, there has been a huge amount of discussion of these issues in recent decades and I am sure readers will be familiar with much of it. Secondly, it is necessary to keep this document to a manageable length. I would, however, like to denote the principle headings; clauses on fundamental rights and human rights guarantees, structure of the legislature (proportional, Westminster or mixed), abolition of the executive presidency and terminating the crisis prone misallocation ofpower between president and government in the present

Page 20
20 TAMIL TIMES
constitution, the need for a second chamber in a federal system, and ensuring the independence of the judiciary and the civil service).
PRINCIPLE 4: Social and Economic Principles
This is a discussion document for left parties hence it may seem natural to incorporate programmatic considerations pertaining to social equity, socialist objectives and classpower as apart of the guiding constitutional principles. It is of course well understood that socialism as such is not on the agenda for any small and underdeveloped country like Sri Lanka, or for that matter even for a large and developed country if in isolation. Socialism is only conceivable as a generalised world tendency incorporating the economically most advanced nations. However, let us leave this caveat to one side for the moment and return to it after the next paragraph. There is a very special feature of constitution making in Sri Lanka at this conjuncture that needs to be empha
sized. The intensive focus of the con
stitution making exc taking place is on is ing an ethnic civil wa peace processes, nati cratic and human righ social transformatio are, comparatively background. To use a some of us still reme ing with some of the bourgeois democratic socialist revolution. ( that the aftermath of social revolution of s also needs to recogni edge of these events uprising of the oppi an ethnic struggle.
Nevertheless, it c gued by marxists tha to the tasks of the bou revolution can be adv cally backward count gramme incorporates look to socialism. In challenge the left fa what degree and ma ward social and ecol
Easy Switch
REMORTGAGES
Now available for Buy-to-Let
Unlock the value in your home or reduce your Re-payment
e.g. Loan of £250000 for 25 years - Repayment (25.7% . E1565,22 per monthswitch to 3.25% - £1218.29 per month - £4163 per annum saving or for the current repayment you can borrow £70000 at no extra monthly cost.
Available for remortgaging, home improvements and deposits for additional property
Free valuation fee, free standard legal service, Cashback, No income Confirmation for loans up to 85%LTV.
Online Mortgage
Fully Credit Scored decisions in principle in minutes.
You can use your certificate to show sellers that your mortgage is arranged in principle, which can put you in a stronger bargaining position.
Psrinivasan IFA - 020 8763 2221
30 years of continues service to the community YOUR HOME ISAT RISKIF YOU DO NOT KEEPUP REPAYMENTS ONAMORTGAGE OR OTHERLOAN SECURED ON IT
 
 
 

MAY 2004
rcise that is now sues such as endr, sovereignty, the onality and demoits. Concerns with l, and class issues speaking, in the n olderjargon that mber, we are dealkey issues of the revolution not the Dne could contend the civil war is a orts, but then one se that the cutting has not been an essed classes but
anbe correctly arut no real solution Irgeois democratic anced in economiries unless the proa transitional outthat case, the real ces is how and in inner to push fornomic concerns in - drafting its submissions for a new federal constitution. The left needs to do so without becoming sectarian or isolating itself from the mainstream of public goodwill that now permeates the peace process. There is no doubt in my mind that the left has a key responsibility to place these issues before the whole people, if at least for educational purposes, because crisis will come thick and fast on the morrow. The challenge is to seamlessly integrate these contributions on
socio-economic essentials into the primary concerns of communities perceived by all communities as purely democratic, ethnic and sovereignty issues at the present time.
The difference between the Indian and American constitutions is of inter-, est. The American constitution is a bland document in respect of social issues. It defines the balances and distribution of power for an implicitly capitalist order and contains no significant reference to social equity. The Indian constitution on the other hand contains certain directive principles of state policy charging the holders of power (government and parliament) with crucial obligations in respect of national development, abolishing poverty and social equity. While the exact language of the Indian constitution may not serve Sri Lanka’s needs the inclusion of directive principles in respect of social justice, economic development and equity would, from the perspective of the left, be most appropriate. It would also be of interest to give consideration to how responsibility should be apportioned between the central government and the federal units in discharging these obligations. Obviously this has much to do with the devolution power to and below the level of the federal unit and with revenue generation, collection and disbursement.
PRINCILE 5: Freedom from Imperialism
The second fundamental concern that the new constitution must deal with is the international context. The world situation today is characterised by an aggressive neo-imperialist policy spearheaded by the United States. It is not necessary at this point in this document to enter into a detailed discussion of this matter. A summary of the key features of the global political landscape will suffice.
2 A neo-conservative US administration hell bent onglobal strategic repositioning and a British government which is a complete stooge to this policy are in place and generally speaking there is a worldwide reluctance on the part of governments to face up to and oppose this challenge.
? A critical period has emerged for global capitalism marked by rapid

Page 21
ΜΑΥ 2004
swings between recession and growth and in the case of the US, enormous balance of payments and budget deficits and mountains of public and private debt. A decade of stagnation drags on in Japan and the German economy is at a crawl. Overall this is a period of great economic uncertainty and serious challenge to globalization and the WTO is facing a serious challenge. In part the aggressive strategic policy of the US is a response to a multiplicity of problems for global capitalism and indicates the need for tighter global control.
? Mounting resistance to imperialism by democratic and populist movements, including mass movements in the Western countries and radical antiimperialist movements throughout the Islamic world is apparent. There is also some opposition from states such as North Korea and Iran and growing tension with China.
? There is an aggressive military onslaught by the US and its agents on the opponents of imperialist occupation in the Middle East and Afghanistan and a threat of similar intervention elsewhere. The early stages of what seem likely to become prolonged national liberation wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the intifada in Palestine and political instability in Pakistan, Indonesia and the Philippines are evident.
A new constitution for Sri Lanka is now being shaped against the background of this world context. Foreign influences, some welcome and some not, are intervening in the internal dynamics of Sri Lanka, and the role of India, the determining foreign power, can swing in directions whichare difficult to forecast with certainty. It is a matter of life and death importance for all the communities of Sri Lanka that the constitution should be boldly written to ensure freedom from imperialist machinations in the coming years. The sovereign will of the people must prevail over the alliances that the propertied classes will attempt to form with imperialism and global capital. The tendency of Presidents, Prime Ministers and governments to subvert national Interests in response to imperialist pressures must be curbed. Appropriate clauses must be incorporated forbid
ding military pacts Trincomalee, econ. and other potential
The need for from imperialism b important in the cc new federal constit tunities for imperi may be sneaked in tutional structure its be left for such thi one orthe other oft eventually subvert the will of global i respect the LTTE is thy than the major
OTHER ISSUES
Apart from the b lined above there wi number of specific damental nature th our attention. I ha below to a few of discussants will ad
Special Territories
There are certai of Sri Lanka whose given careful consi among these are th of Colombo and Tri Is Colombo to be ( territory? Trincor close environs and surely a national as nationalharbours ar passenger or cargo Zones under central trol and this goes f well — a possible p cussion? Military e parts of the country territories but aga much discussion ab tion and location.
Integration of then
Finally, there w one armed-force if gle sovereign repu rangement, almost denial of sovereign previous examples gration of armies a Zimbabwe, after th agreement, three se
W.Sria

TAMILTIMES 21
ceding control of mic subservience dangers. 2nsuring freedom recomes especially intext of writing a ution since opporalist manipulation through the constilf. No room should eats to develop in he federal units and he whole nation to mperialism. In this no more trustWOrSinhalese parties.
asicprinciples outll have to be a large ssues of a less funat need to receive e drawn attention them and am sure d many more.
n special territories : status needs to be deration - primary e commercial hub incomalee harbour. leclared a national malee harbour, its access thereto are set. In fact all interld airports, whether ), will have to be administrative conor KKS harbour as oint for much disincampments in all will also be national in there could be bout their demarca
ilitary
ill have to be only there is to be a sinblic. Any other arby definition, is a ty. There have been of successful intefter a civil war. In e Lancaster House parate armies (two
guerrilla type liberation forces and the Rhodesian regular force) were merged. Sections of the Tigers and the Sea Tigers will have to be combined in some way with the Sri Lanka forces and other sections turned into a regional police forces. Presumably these provisions will not belong to the constitution proper but to some forerunner agreementS.
Interim administrative arrangements
Strictly speaking the interim administrative arrangements that are put in place for the period prior to the startdate of the new constitution do not belong to the topic of this paper. However there are contingent and substantive reasons why a few words need to be said here. The contingent reason is that the interim arrangements must be phased so as to flow naturally into final settlement. While, obviously, the final version cannot be known in advance when designing interim arrangements a degree of consistency is essential. And this is the motivation for a substantive comment. Some concept of the degree of autonomy envisaged in the final settlement must guide the formulation of the interim administration. There are many models of self-administrative autonomy within a sovereign sate stretching from the Hong Kong and Macau 'one-country two-systems' formula of the Peoples Republic of China, the defunct confederation version of Malaya and Singapore and just regular federalism. In my view the realistic option for our case is fairly regular federalism with substantial economic and cultural development autonomy as described in the body of this document.
The greatest challenges facing the interim arrangement is how to guarantee the democratic and human rights of the Tamil people and curb the excesses and abuses of power of the LTTE during this period. If this fails the interim fails and eventually no final settlement will flow therefrom. This is a separate issue, but it does not empty the importance of a discussion of constitutional perspectives as undertaken in this document.
(Courtesy of 'lines, February 2004)
nkans.co.uk

Page 22
22 TAMIL TIMES
--5)
refug
Ëion
Are you an asylum Seeker or refuge
If you are thinking about returning to your home col can help you return and establish your livelihood. IC worldwide. Further information is available from IC Refugee Action, "Options' at YMCA Glasgow and NE of England.
Choices, Options and NERS offer local information, are considering return home or are exploring options can help you to make an informed decision whethert
If you decide you would like to return home, IOM ca Reintegration Programme" (VARRP). This program been running since 1998. IOM will:
O help you get the travel documents you willne
arrange the flight to your home country meet you at the airport and help you with dep assist with domestic transportation to your fin offer reintegration support to establish your li
Reintegration assistance is offered in your home cou a small business or access to education. Assistanc from Country to Country.
Contact IOM from anywhere in the UK for more inf Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and application
IOM London: Tel: 020 7233 0001 or Free phone 0800 7832 or come to the office at 21 Westminster Pala
(near St James's Park ti
Contact Choices if you are in England or Wales a staying in the UK or returning home. More informatio
London office: Manchester office: Leeds 3rd Floor, The Old 1 Tariff Street Suite" Fire Station Manchester M12HF Josep 150 Waterloo Road Tel: O161233 1200 or Hanov London SE1 8SB 0800 917 2719 (free from Leeds Tel: O2O 7654 7700 a landline) Tel: 0 Fax: 0207401 3699 Fax: 01612364285 Fax: C
Contact NERS if you are in North East England a
in the UKorreturning home. More information is als
NERS: 3"Floor, Forum House, The Forum Tel: 0191 200 1 199/1108 Fax: 0191 200 5929
Contact Options if you are in Scotland and you ar Scotland or returning home. More information is als
Options at YMCA Glasgow: 33 Tel: 0141557 2355 Fax: 0141557 (
ÉÈ)
IOM lnternational Organization for Migration
 

MAY 2004
Options
North of Fugitita REFUGE SERVCE
who is considering returning home 2
Jntry, the international Organization for Migration (IOM) M is an independent organisation working with migrants )M and Our partners around the country - "Choices' at RS (North of England Refugee Service) in the north east
advice and support to asylum seekers and refugees who to stay in the UK. This independent, confidential service o stay in the UK or return home.
an help you through the "Voluntary Assisted Return and me assists asylum seekers of all nationalities and has
ed
arture and arrival formalities al destination velihood at home
ntry. It can cover vocational training courses, setting up e is provided through iOM offices worldwide, and varies
ormation on how to apply to return home. Translated forms are available on the Website www.iomondon.org
332 Fax: 0207233 3001 e-mail: varpGiomlondon.org xe Gardens, Artillery Row, London SW1P1RR ube and Victoria station).
nd you are interested in exploring your options about n is available on the Website WW.refugee-action.org.uk
office: Leicester office:
7, Floor C, Muslim Community Resource Centre, his Well Melbourne Centre, Melbourne Road er Walk Leicester LE2 OGU
LS3 1AB Te:O1162614846
13 244 5345 Fax: 0116 251 1712
1132435448
hd are interested in exploring your options about staying O available on the Website www.refugee.org.uk
, Wallsend High St, Tyne & Wear NE288LX
e-mail: wallsendGrefugee.org.uk
e interested in exploring your options about staying in ) available on the Website www.ymcaglasgow.org
Petershill Drive, Glasgow G214QQ 1874 e-mail: Option mCaqlasgOW.Or
This Programme is co-financed

Page 23
MAY 2004
O Murali’s historic feat
Muttiah Muralitharan has been inundated with congratulatory messages for achieving the historic feat of becoming the highest wicket-taker in the world in Test Cricket. During the recent Test series with Zimbabwe, Murali broke the existing world record of 519 held by Courtney Walsh of the West Indies.
Joining the list of those who sent their "warmest greetings' "heartiest congratulations' to Murali are the President and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, and even the leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Mr. Somawansa Amarasinghe. Probably recognising that very little has happened in the country about which Sri Lankans can be proud of, the Prime Minister, Mr Mahinda Rajapakse’s message said, "Cricket is one factor which has brought honour and recognition to Sri Lanka. We consider your contribution most valuable.”
The JVP leader in his message said, "The People's Liberation Front (JVP) joins the thousands and thousands of people to congratulate Muttiah Muralitharan who is recognized as our cricketer without any racial bias. While taking upon ourselves the responsibility of protecting him as a national heritage, we wish him success."
The editor of the Daily News was more lavish in his praise; "Well done Murali, and may you go from one colossal achievement in the department of bowling in Test cricket, to another. Perhaps, as your father was quoted saying, you may even go on to capture the coveted 1,000 wickets in Test cricket. More strength to your arm, Murali and
able trail in the f game.”
Among the var liveries in his b Murali's “Doosra' raging controvers cricketing circles. is that while accept this "Doosra' deliv from using it, but cricketing greatn "Doosra' or no "I greatest spin bowle says the editor of th
O New artificial h Dr. Rohan Jayas tional cardiologist gin based in New Yo on 28 April what world's first artificia that can be delivere in the heart through through a blood v. thus precluding the surgery in heart val Columbia Univers medical sources sai Dr. Jayasinghed of his invention ar
requires
Send CV to
59 Summit Road, Northolt, MiCCX UB5 5HL
BRITISHASSOCATION OF TAMIL SCHOOLS
Carnatic Vocalist/Nattuvanar/Composer Knowledge of Tamil & English essential
^v . ʻ Sanskrit desirable
Salary circa £ 17, 000 P.A.
Closing Date 5 June 2004
 
 
 

amed gentleman’s
ety of spinning deowling armoury delivery raised a y in international 3ut what is notable Ing the verdict over ry, hehas refrained went on to achieve ess, proving that Doosra', he is the r in cricket history, he Daily News.
eart valve inghe, an intervenof Sri Lankan ori»rk, U.S., presented is said to be the lmitral heart valve d to and implanted a catheter inserted ssel in the groin, need for openheart ve replacement, at ity in New York, d. isclosed the details d its implantation o an audience of nedical researchirs and cardiac surjeons at Columbia Jniversity at a preentation chaired y Dr. Mehmet Oz, renowned cardiac urgeon attached to he Department of urgery at Columia.
The initial testng of the new alve has been car
TAMIL TIMES 23
ried out with great success, the sources said, adding that at the next step, the valve will be tested on live animal models. A collaborative project with Columbia University is planned for the tests and to develop the valve model. Dr. Oz said, “Dr. Jayasinghe) presented his ideas. But we are hardly ready for humans. He approached us for studies in animals.”
Mitral valve problems are very common around the world, with millions of sufferers. When the valve is at an advanced stage of dysfunction, the only treatment currently available is open-heart surgery for patients who can tolerate such an operation. If Dr. Jayasinghe's new method succeeds in becoming a viable surgical method, which could take a few years, patients with heart valve diseases could be treated with only a pinhole in the groin.
OWhat an example?
The Buddhist monks of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) entered the electoral fray promising to eradicate the cancer of bribery, corruption, deceit and violence from politics, but they themselves seem to have become pastmasters at these qualities in double quick time.
According to a news report in the Colombo media, one JHU MP, Ven. Kathaluwe Rathanasara Thera, who voted with the Government during the election of the Speaker on April 22 was mercilessly beaten up dragged out of his temple and abducted by a gang of six monks at Rawathawatta, Moratuwa on 17 May.
According to police sources, Ven. Kathaluwe Rathanasara Thera while being assaulted by the gang of monks clad in yellow robes had been bundled into a chocolate coloured "Caravan' vehicle which sped off into the night. He was reportedly taken to Ven. Kolonnawe Sumangala Thera, who allegedly held him captive, and forced him to sign his letter of resignation from Parliament.
The Ven. Kathaluwe Rathanasara Thera Thera is an incumbent at the Sambuddha Viharaya, Rawathawatta, Moratuwa.
However, the abducted monk, accompanied by JHU member Ven.

Page 24
24 TAMIL TIMES
Kolonnawe Sumangala Thera, turned up in parliament the following day and handed in his letter of resignation from his seat in parliament. It has also been reported that JHU General Secretary Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera and another JHU MP Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha Thera were both with the Speaker when the resignation letter was presented to the Secretary General of Parliament.
Many believed that the abducted monk had been forced to resign his seat by the strong-arm methods deployed against him. However, JHU leader Ven. Ellawala Medhanada Thera denied rumours that the JHU used strong arm tactics. "The dissident Thera must have realized the error committed by him in grouping up with an anti-national political party.”
O Indian irritation
Monitoring the Tamil print media in Sri Lanka has become a preoccupation of those of the Indian High Commission in Colombo ever since the Tamil language dailies and weeklies have been indulging in "Delhi bashing” in recent years. One Indian diplomat was heard complaining that these newspapers publish news, views and articles reflecting the view that India is responsible for all the "ills' faced by the Tamils. Now the Indian High Commissioner in Colombo, Nirupam Sen, has entered the fray in public blasting the Sri Lankan Tamil press for their criticism of India's Sri Lanka policy.
Speaking at a function in Colombo to gift a mobile library van to the Ramakrishna Mission at Point Pedro in Jaffna, the High Commissioner said that the Sri Lankan Tamil press has a habit of blaming India referring to every issue as wrong. “If there is dengue, India is responsible. If someone breaks his leg, India is responsible', he said. “India is too big a country to be deterred by such things. It is the land of Bhagat Singh and Swami Vievekananda,” he said.
The High Commissioner said that India is willing to help the reconstruction and rehabilitation work in the wartorn North East firstly locating the Indian-aided projects in the governmentcontrolled areas of the North East.
Indian aid had renovation of the as in the plantatio gift of a CT Scan lars to the Jaffna. Te said.
O Judicial scanda Scandal has hit diciary with the su Court judge by th Commission on su nections with bigers. Colombo High Ekanayake, is rep disciplinary actior bail a drug traffic posh Colombo 7 sessed property est of a stunning Rs. time of his arrest buildings and othe alleged to have amount of cash wł along with his wif ports also indicate Judge had been le brought before him trafficking.
The JSC decic Judge concerned h news item broadc Broadcasting Corp May 10, indicating Judge was alleged trafficking and that for permission to g
The Judge is leased suspects in tional drug traffick ing a drug king-p Ward Place in Colc tody with 25 kgs c leged that she was ing given a bribe o another instance as alleged possession had been bailed ou fore the commenc That was in 2001 gone missing and ing from India nov
O A case police b
A disturbing c ficer allegedly for patient to spit int. other detainee the

been given for the North East as well h areas, including a worth 300,000 dol:aching Hospital, he
i the Sri Lankan juspension of a High e Judicial Service spicion of his contime drug traffickCourt Judge, Tissa orted to be facing 1 over releasing of ker who lived in a mansion and posimated to the value 500 million at the . Apart from land, r property he is also possessed a huge hen he was arrested e and a driver. Rethat this particular nient towards those on charges of drug
led to suspend the aving considered a ast over Sri Lanka oration (SLBC) on g that a High Court to have joined drug the Judge had asked go on retirement. alleged to have revolved in internaing on bail includin, a woman from mb, taken into cusif heroin. It was alreleased after havf Rs 2.5 million. In uspect taken for the
of 11 kg of heroin it after one year be"ement of the trial. . The suspect had s said to be operat
W.
'utality
ase of a police of. cing a tuberculosis the mouth of aneby causing the in
MAY 2004
fection the latter with the same decease has come before the Sri Lanka Supreme Court in the form of fundamental rights application.
The victim, a recognised artist from Matugama by the name of K. Palitha Tissa Kumara, has since contracted TB. The three-judge bench, presided by Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva, ordered the named police officer to file his answer by May 24, 2004. The court also requested a senior state counsel representing the Attorney General's Department to look into the case urgently and help Kumara receive proper medical attention. The victim is in remand over another charge, which his lawyers claimed had been fabricated by Welipenna police in Galle.
Lawyers for Tissa Kumara have named as respondents Sub Inspector Silva of Welipenna police station, the station's officer-in-charge, the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General.
Tissa Kumara, a 31-year-old father of two, alleges that he was subjected to "extreme forms of torture done by the first respondent which has resulted in serious injuries to him”. In his petition to the Court, he says that he had suffered injuries after being hit about 80 times by a cricket pole (wicket). He was hit on the neck, on the back, on the shoulders, on the arms, on the ears, on the head, on the foot, on the ankle, on the knees, on the buttocks and on the edge of the spinal code. He was punched in the chest about 13 times, hand-cuffed to the iron rails of the police detention cell and the door was opened and closed many times, creating injuries to his right wrist.
The police officer also had got another detainee with tuberculosis to spit into Tissa Kumara’s mouth. The petitioner was kept at the police station from February 3 to February 6, 2004. He was also kicked on the back.
SI Silva had then brought to the room a man named Sarath. Tissa Kumara had understood that this man was suffering from TB. SI Silva got the petitioner to open his mouth and got said Sarath to spit into petitioner's mouth. SI Silva had told Tissa Kumara he was doing this in order to cause TB. "I will get you killed in two months,” he had reportedly said.O

Page 25
MAY 2004
The Indian Sc
O STUNNING POLITICAL SACRIFICE
There will be enormous sympathy and respect for Sonia Gandhis decision to turn down the Prime Ministership of a country of one billion people after leading her party to a position of advantage that was least expected during the run-up to the 14th general election. After a precipitous decline over the past decade, the Congress has experienced a revival of fortunes under Ms. Gandhi's leadership, reflecting the effectiveness of clever new alliances she made in key States on top of a modest upsurge in popular support that she led from the front. The Congress upset all electoral calculations and poll predictions by emerging as the single largest party and the spearhead of the single largest pre-election formation in the new Lok Sabha. It was a hard
worked victory ea cent, issue-based fused to respond in sonalised attacks other things, Ms. G gin and “antecede watched, she was of the Congress p which in effect me. designate, was end pre-election allies, other secular partie of support signify majority in a Hous up with her extraor cal renunciation - a cision in volatile c There will bes considerations be ment, but the foll will go some way. president has seiz
We provide:
and children of all ages
more advanced players
Ideal for:
Ear Beginners
enhance their current skills
(yshafi് pennis Zasz
7 Individual and group lessons for adults,
a Coaching to County Level standard for
a Intermediate level players looking to
Sessions will be conducted in Tooting and Lewisham
For more information, please call Senthuran on:
020 8767 6480 or 07786 673 288

6e6e
ned through a deampaign that rekind to highly pertargeting, among ndhi’s foreign oriits'. As the world irst elected leader Irliamentary party, nt Prime Ministerorsed by the party's by the Left and by s, who gave letters ing a comfortable of 543; then came dinary act of politiind stuck to her derCum StanceS. eculation about the hind this developowing explanation First, the Congress 2d the high ground to make it plain, in her renunciation speech, that “the post of Prime Minister has not been my aim,' but that her belated, conspicuously reluctant entry into national politics was to further a cause - "to defend the secular foundations of our nation and the poor of our country." With such a vision, she worked to revive the fortunes of her party, as a way of checking the advance of highly divisive communal politics. "Our foremost responsibility at this critical time,' she explained, "is to
TAMIL TIMES 25
provide India with a secular government that is strong and ștable.” After all, as she has pointed out in informal conversations and, more recently, in interviews, she could have been Prime Minister in 1991 had she wanted to, in the highly abnormal circumstances that followed her husband's assassination. Secondly, Ms. Gandhi has signalled in a subtle manner that, since her aim is to defend India's secular foundations by providing a stable, people-oriented government, she does not wish to be the cause of, or pretext for, confrontation and ugly chauvinistic politics. Thirdly, she has made a moral point (whether others buy it or not): "power in itself,' raw power, "has never attracted me, nor has position been my goal.” Finally and importantly, there are the personal considerations. In addition to Ms. Gandhi's personal goals and "inner voice,” it is clear that her son and daughter firmly support her personal decision not to be Prime Minister, not the least because they fear for her safety and happiness.
Ms. Gandhi's stunning act of selfdenial and political renunciation cannot be allowed to be seen as an endorsement of the vicious campaign that the Sushma Swarajs, the Uma Bhartis, the Govindacharyas and the rest in the sangh parivar have launched to block and subvert the electoral verdict. The likes of Ms. Swaraj centred their political campaign on Ms. Gandhi, her "foreignness' and her presumed unfitness to be Prime Minister (although they had made no fuss, it must be recalled, in dealing with her as Leader of the Opposition). People did not buy the argument. Inno democracy are losers in an election entitled to overrule the umpire on who won and who lost. As for narrow-minded interpretations of "Indianness' and "foreignness', Mahatma Gandhi anticipated the real issues while visualising the Constitution of India as something based on universal values applied to the particular conditions of India. As early as 1931, he promised to strive for a Constitution that would "release India from all thraldom and patronage' but made it clear that "all interests not in conflict with the interests of the dumb millions will be scrupulously respected whether foreign or indigenous," and that per

Page 26
26 TAMIL TIMES
sonally speaking he hated "the distinction between foreign and indigenous.” Having made her point, the Italian-born Congress president who could have been Prime Minister by Wednesday has grown enormously in political and moral stature. The new coalition government that will be led by Manmohan Singh has the opportunity to build on this advantage and get off to a fine start. (The Hindu, 19 May 2004)
O POWER OF DEMOCRACY
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, appears to have drawn the rightlessons from the rout of her party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, in the just-concluded Lok Sabha election. Within a week of the declaration of the election results, Ms. Jayalalithaa has announced the withdrawal of most of the controversial policies and actions that had been the focus of the campaign of Opposition parties. To her credit, the Chief Minister responded positively to the powerful message conveyed by the voters against the unpopular measures adopted by the AIADMK Government in the last three years. In one stroke, she removed the income ceiling for those entitled to get essential commodities under the Public Distribution System, restored free power supply to farmers and hutdwellers, revoked punishment imposed on Government employees who had gone on strike, and extended the free bus pass scheme to all students. Ms. Jayalalithaa also announced that the Government would immediately withdraw the large number of defamation cases filed against newspapers and take steps to drop the privilege proceedings in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly against The Hindu and Murasoli. She also promised repeal of the Act against forcible religious conversions, which had provoked widespread protests from minorities and other sections of society who saw in the enactment a threat to the fundamental right to practise and propagate religion.
The hope is that the withdrawal of the defamation cases and the steps to drop privilege proceedings will be followed up by efforts to restore normal, healthy professional relations between the Government and the media. Defa
mation cases, and
ceedings, have of
intimidate the me the intolerant; the fect on free expre The decision to re versions is of even nificance with Ms the opportunity to
ment as a “true fr of minorities.' The filed against Gov. and political lead Nadu. Essential Se Act will be widely Act itself is seen a violative of existin ernment employee will see justice do repealed. Ms. Jaya to remain silent o the Prevention of
cases against Vail MDMK members withdrawn. Will it that in keeping wi rollbacks, Chief M will abjure the app
the State? If she do
will set a trend for follow. In any cast ment at the Centre early steps to have terrorism law repe
After initiallys the election result on the performan ment, Ms. Jayalal: right thing by addr of various sections found their clearest the Electronic Voti May 10 election. A attributed the wide to the poll outcon should be celebra demonstration of til lot box, the power Hindu, 19 May 20 O THE TAMIL N
The total rout o Dravida Munnetra Bharatiya Janata P can be easily explai arithmetic that fa party Democratic P led by the Dr Kazhagam. Howev of victory of the DF

also privilege proen become tools to lia in the hands of have a chilling ef:- sion and criticism. lealthe Act on congreater political sigJayalalithaa using present her Governend and champion withdrawal of cases :rnment employees rs under the Tamil vices Maintenance welcomed but the undemocratic and glabour laws. Govs and trade unions he only if the Act is lalithaa has chosen cases filed under Terrorism Act. The ko and eight other must be smoothly pe too much to hope th the spirit of the inister Jayalalithaa lication of POTA in es this, Tamil Nadu the rest of India to , the new Governis expected to take he discredited antiled by Parliament. eeking to deny that were a reflection ce of her Governthaa has done the 2ssing the concerns of the people that expression through ng Machines in the though she has not ranging rollbacks le, the turnaround ed as yet another e power of the balof democracy. (The 4) ADU VERDICT
the All India Anna Kazhagam and the urty in Tamil Nadu ned by the electoral toured the sevenogressive Alliance vida Munnetra r, the huge margins A candidates in tra
MAY 2004
ditional AIADMK strongholds in the western and southern parts of the State point to a strong undercurrent of resentment against the ruling party, Nine DPA candidates won by margins of over two lakh votes. All but three of the other DPA candidates won by margins of over one lakh votes. By contrast, the BJP candidate in Chidambaram finished third. The very formation of the DPA, which comprised parties that were in different alliances until recently, was no doubt helped by the popular sentiment against the AIADMK Government. No major party wanted to be seen on the same side as the AIADMK. Indeed, the Congress and the Left parties had broken away from the AIADMK-led front long before they cemented the alliance with the DMK. Although the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, has argued that the drubbing herparty received was no reflection on the performance of her Government, there is no denying that the DPA had brought regional issues into sharp focus during the campaign. Mismanagement of the drought situation, dismissal of State Government employees, misuse of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, arrest of political rivals, the rise in the prices of essential commodities and the tariffs of services, and attacks on the freedom of the press — these issues have agitated the voters of Tamil Nadu as much as the performance of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance Government at the Centre.
The Tamil Nadu verdict is also indicative of the people's disenchantment with the totally negative campaign carried out by Ms. Jayalalithaa during the two-month electioneering period. With the "foreign origin” of the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, as her focus, Ms. Jayalalithaa indulged in personalised attacks against all DPA leaders. No ruling party could have hoped to get much purchase from such a negative campaign. Actually, the Congress, which was the prime target, performed better than its allies in the current election, obtaining 59.22 per cent of the total votes polled in the constituencies where it fielded candidates. This was better than the 58.24 per cent polled by the DMK, the biggest partner in the alliance.

Page 27
ΜΑΥ 2004
Although it would be too much to expect Ms. Jayalalithaa to step down owning moral responsibility for her party's debacle, as demanded by several Opposition leaders, she would do well to take corrective measures in the light of the verdict in the Lok Sabha election. After three years in power, Ms. Jayalalithaa cannot afford to attribute the shortcomings of her administration to "mismanagement' by the previous DMK Government. An honestself-appraisal would reveal failures on several fronts, not least in consensus-building on crucial issues involving inter-State disputes such as the Cauvery and the Periyardam. It would be interesting to watch the AIADMK regime's attitude to a Congress-led dispensation at the Centre, During her first term as Chief Minister from 1991 to 1996, Ms. Jayalalithaa adopted a hostile attitude to the Narasimha Rao Government, though the Congress was an ally of the AIADMK. But on returning to power in 2001, she switched to a non-confrontationist mode, though the BJP was not an ally at the time. It remains to be seen whether she will accord the same importance to enhancung Centre-State relations, which in
India have been m considerations. In a of ways will certail Ms. Jayalalithaa, ni ance, but also in he both rivals and alli May 2004)
O VAIKO’S SAGA The wheels of slowly, but grind t be some way to go Marumalarchi D1 Kazhagam leader, case slapped on him tion of Terrorism. A and courageous qut self-aperiod that months in jail and impounded - Mr. on the home stret Court has stayed h that of eight other in the special POT Nadu Government obliged, following Court's recent ruli public prosecutor cases against them held that the Cent Committee's April,
MODO SR Oe
| Sa CGe
Computerised Quotes
All Classes of Insurance Transacted At Very Competitive Rates Young Drivers Specialists Special Rates for Ladies/Mature Drivers
O Building O Fire Liability O Shop/Office O Health Insurance
instalment Terms Available
J. Kulendran
Beddington Insurance Services (Wimbledon) Limited 157A, Hartfield Road, Wimbledon, London SW193T.J.
Te: O2O 8543 5181 Fax: O2O 8543 7158
We Excel in The Personal Service We Provide
MEMBER
rall lnsurance STANDARDS COUNCIL
 

TAM TIMES 27
Tred by political y case, a change y be in order for
only in governconduct towards . (The Hindu, 15
ustice may grind y do. There may befdre Vaiko, the vida Munnetra s freed from the under the Preven:t. But in his long st to absolve himsaw him spend 19 have his passport Vaiko seems to be h. The Supreme strial, as well as MDMK partymen, court. The Tamil has been legally the Madras High ng, to instruct the to withdraw the . The High Court ral POTA Review 2004 order holding that the cases againstthenine persons had no leg to stand on and must therefore be withdrawn "was binding on the Tamil Nadu Government.' It also declined the State Government's plea to quash the order of the Review Committeе.
Does the Tamil Nadu Government's instruction to the public prosecutor mean the cases are, in effect, withdrawn? Not quite. In an earlier ruling the Madras High Court held that even after such an instruction was issued, it was up to the
public prosecutor "to apply his mind independently” and it was eventually for the trial court to decide whether the plea for withdrawal was acceptable or not. This circuitous and problematical ruling, which has been upheld by the Supreme Court, was based, first, on the ground that the independence of the public prosecutor (supposed to be secured by Article 321 of the Code of Criminal Procedure) must be safeguarded. The problem with this reasoning is that in politically sensitive cases the independence of the public or special prosecutor is a myth, as the Supreme Court discovered before ordering the transfer of the Jayalalithaa wealth cases and the Best Bakery Case to another State. The other issue involved in the Madras High Court's ruling was the perceived need to insulate an ongoing case in a judicial forum from the direct influence of executive or quasi-judicial authorities. It remains to be seen how Tamil Nadu's public prosecutor, who only recently adopted the strident position that there was "no question of withdrawing the case," reacts to the official withdrawal instruction. Another issue relates to the current status of the June 30 deadline set by the Madras High Court for the completion of the trial. All democrats must hope these questions have become academic after the Supreme Court issued an interim stay on the trial of Vaiko and the eight others in the special court.
The legal ground beneath the Tamil Nadu Government's infamous case against Mr. Vaiko collapsed when the Supreme Court held that POTA could not be used against those who merely expressed sympathy or verbal support for proscribed terrorist organisations. Accepting the contentions of Attorney General Soli Sorabjee, the Court held that POTA's Section 21 was attracted only in cases where there existed a criminal intention to further terrorist activity. The cases against Mr. Vaiko and his eight colleagues were built entirely around certain general speeches they made in support of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Eelam demand. There was not a quark of evidence to link them to any terrorist activity. The Vaiko case is a shocking illustration of how the "rule of law' has been - and can continue to be - misused to settle political scores in "Shining India”. It is emblematic of the inherent danger and mischief of POTA and a compelling argument for sending it to the dustbin of history. (The Hindu, 10 May 2004) O

Page 28
28 TAMIL TIMES
Revival rural bank system in northeast: April 17- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) - funded North East Community Organization for
Restoration and Development (NECORD) has formulated a scheme at a cost 10.4 million rupees in collaboration with North East Provincial Department of Co-operatives to strengthen the co-operative rural banks in the war-torn province, thus reviving the rural economy devastated in the two-decade-old war, sources said.
Under the scheme, NECORD is to assist 99 co-operative rural banks in the northeast province to strengthen their capacity and to provide credit and advance facilities in their respective areas on par with other commercialbanks. 40 child soldiers released to UNICEF: April 17 - Following a list being submitted to the LTTE by the UNICEF, 40 teen-aged cadres of the LTTE were released to UNICEF at the LTTE political office in Sampoor, Trincomalee today, UNICEF officials said. Among the released were 31 girls and 9 boys. The UNICEF officials took the released LTTE under-aged cadres in a bus to an unannounced destination from where they would be handed over to their parents, UNICEF officials said.
Ms. Gabarilla Elroy, representative of UNICEF for Trincomalee, Patrik Haulden, the representative of the ICRC for Trincomalee, participated in the meeting with LTTE officials. Mystery over missing monk MPs: April 21 - Mystery surrounded over two missing Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) parliamentarians. Two JHUparliamentarians, Venerable Kataluwe Ratanasiya Thera from Colombo district and Venerable Aparekke Pangnanadana Thera from Gampaha district went missing amid rumours that they had been abducted and confined in secret to influence them as to how they should vote in the election of the Speaker of Parliament. The Secretary General of the parliament, Ms. Priyani Wijesekara, 19 April received the resignation letters of these two parliamentarians. However these parliamentarians had later reportedly met with parliamentary officials and informed them that they were not resigning.
The JHU's Propaganda Secretary, Venerable Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera, has alleged that the two Bhikku parliamentarians had gone missing and JHU believed some political party, "probably the UPFA," was hiding them for political motives. Youth attacked in Vavuniya: April 22 - Rajendrakumar (26), a resident of Marambaikulam in Vavuniya district, was severely beaten by unknown assailants at his home on 21 April according to sources in Vavuniya. He was admitted to the Anuradhapura hospital and received treatment for his injuries. Rajendrakumar has long been suspected as an informant to the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), and police sources have alleged that the LTTE was behind the attack on Rajendrakumar. TNA MP's office set on fire: April 23 - The Karaitivu office of the Amparai district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian, Mr. M. Pathmanatahn, was set on fire by unidentified persons on the night 21 April. All documents and equipment in the office were completely destroyed, according to sources close to the MP. Mr. Kanagasabai Sathaharan, the brother of the MP, said that he received a telephone call at 10:30 p.m. on the day of the incident that the office was being set on fire, and when he rushed to the office, he found the public trying to put out the fire. A complaint has been lodged at the Sammanthurai station of Sri Lanka Police and the police are said to have already started investigations.
President's request to Norway: April 23 - Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga phoned Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik on 22 April and requested Norway to resume its role as a third party facilitator in the peace process between the government of Sri Lanka and LTTE, said a press release issued by the Norwegian Prime Ministers Office in Oslo. Norway, however, said it would resume its role as facilitator if the LTTE also made a similar request to Oslo.

MAY 2004
temporarily pulling out from Sri Lanka's peace process in November last year. after President Kumaratunga took over
the ministry of defence from former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's government. "I told her that Norway would be prepared to facilitate if the LTTE also makes a similar request to us to play the same role, said Bondevik' according to the Norwegian press release. "When we receive a request from both the parties to continue our role, we would consult with the parties on how to take forward the process, said Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik”, according to the press release.
President betrayed Karuna - JHU: April 23 - The JHU leadership has explained as to why its monk MPs did not support the UPFA candidate during the election for the Speaker of the Parliament. At a press conference held in Colombo on 22 April, the leader of the JHU said that the main cause for not supporting the government candidate was that the President had failed to support the LTTE's renegade eastern military commander, Col. Karuna, in his rebellion against Mr Pirapaharan and the Vanni leadership of the LTTE. It was the betrayal of Karuna by the President that forced the JHU parliamentarians to decide against supporting her government, said Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thero, Leader of the JHU. He added that by failing to support Karuna, the President had succeeded in strengthening the hands of the LTTE's Wanni leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran. UPFA accuses JHU; April 23 - The leaders of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the main constituents of the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), jointly addressing a press conference, said that the "true image and character' of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) had been revealed in parliament when its two parliamentarians voted in the Speaker's election with the main opposition United National Front, thereby "joining hands" with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). The SLFP General Secretary, Mr.Maithiripala Sirisena, said he was surprised that JHU parliamentarians joined hands with a political party that wanted to create a separate state in the country. "The JHU leadership had earlier told the President and Prime Minister that it would never vote with the TNA and also they publicly stated that they would not obstruct the UPFA activities in parliament," stressed Mr. Sirisena.
JVP Propaganda Secretary and parliamentarian, Mr.Wimal Weerawanse, said“the JHU, which accuses the UPFA government for not supporting the Karuna faction in the clash with LTTE leader, Mr.Pirapaharan, had cast their votes with the TNA, which gets advice from the LTTE leader.'
Mr. Weerawanse revealed what he said was the discussion the UPFA leaders had with the JHU leadership before the Speaker's election. "Initially JHU leaders said according to their calculation the UNP would win in the Speaker's election and they would be neutral in the contest. This proved that the JHU was supporting the UNF to get the Speaker post," said Mr. Weerawanse.
Youth arrested with grenade: April 24 - A youth carrying a hand grenade and live ammunition in a fertilizer bag was arrested on 22 April by Sri Lanka Army and Police personnel in Main Road at Mavadivembu, about 22 km northwest of Baticaloa town, according to police sources.
The youth, Mr. Parasuraman Navaratnam of Kalikovil road in Mavadivembu, was carrying 180 T-56 ammunition and 6 T-56 magazines, sources said, adding that according to the police, the youth had found the ammunition at the LTTE camp in Kudumbimalai (Thoppigala) when it was abandoned by the fleeing Karuna group renegades.
The Eravur police produced the youth before the Batticaloa Magistrate, Mr. M.H.M. Ajmeer, on charges of carrying dangerpus and prohibited ordnance, and submitted the ammunition the youth was carrying.

Page 29
MAY 2004
UPFA wins NWPC election: April 26 - The United People's Freedom. Alliance (UPFA) won the provincial elections held 24 April for the North West Provincial Council. According to the Elections Department, the UPFA obtained 59.10% of the votes cast, winning 31 seats, and the United National Party (UNP) won 19 seats, obtaining 37.53% of the votes.
The 31 seats of the UPFA include two bonus seats. The People's Alliance, which was transformed into UPFA through an alliance with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) before the General Election, thus continues to control the NWPC.
The Puttalam and Kurunagala districts come under the NWPC. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), which is a partner of the UNP in the United National Front (UNF), contested the NWPC elections separately and won 2 seats. The turnout was said to be low, with less than 50% of the eligible voters casting their votes. Seven Tigers killed in Batticaloa: April 26 - Seven Liberation Tigers were killed by an unidentified armed group in Batticaloa 25 April night around 11.30 p.m. Four of the murdered LTTE cadres were invalids. They were killed at Ponnaankaanichenai, about l.5 kilometres from the Sri Lanka army's point northwest of Batticaloa town. Mr. E. Kousalyan, the head of the LTTE's political division in Batticaloa told truce monitors from the eastern town that the group that killed the seven Tiger cadres had come from the direction of the Sri Lanka army camp in Vavunathivu.
The Vavunathivu SLA camp is located on the western shore of the Batticaloa lagoon. It is about 4 kilometres northwest of the Batticaloa town.
"The murder of our disabled cadres is clearly the work of criminal elements that are working with the Sri Lanka army. I have requested the SLMM to arrange an early meeting with the SLA to discuss this matter. I hope this would be the last incident of this sort. No one could have gone in a van with arms at midnight in the direction of Vavunathivu without the SLA’s knowledge. There are no jungles in these parts to hide a van and armed men', said Mr. Kousalyan, head of the political division of the Liberation Tigers for the Batticaloa-Amparai district.
The armed group which came in a van around 11.30 p.m. Sunday night shot dead three sentries at the LTTE's checkpoint on the Vavunathivu - Aayithiyamalai Road, about 1.5 kilometres from the Sri Lanka army's forward point near the Vavunathivu DS of fice. Then they proceeded about five kilometres on the road to Mullaamunai where the LTTE's finance division in Batticaloa maintains a general store. There were four disabled LTTE cadres and two civilian guards at the store. One of the LTTE cadres was paralysed below his neck, the other had lost both eyes, the third had both legs blown offin a land mine and the fourth had lost a leg in the war.
The assailants opened fire at random as they alighted from their vehicle, according to the guards. The two old men ran away and hid in the adjacent shrub. The gang then shot dead at point blank range the four disabled LTTE cadres. The gang also damaged vehicles and motorbikes in the store before they fled the area. the guards said they saw the van speeding down the road in the direction of the Vavunathivu SLA camp after the attack. Members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in Batticaloa visited the store Monday afternoon.
Military sources rejected the LTTE's accusations of the army's involvement in the incident as baseless. Tamil youth killed in explosion: April 26 - Mr. Kanagasabai hurairajasingham was killed in an explosion early morning at about 3 a.m. on 26 April at Polathapitiya near Kurunagala town in dhe northwestern province. He was later identified as a member of dhe Karuna group of the LTTE, according to police sources.
Police preliminary investigation has revealed that including the deceased three persons were handling an object resembling a claymore mine at the time of incident. Suddenly that object exploded killing Mr. Thurairajasingham on the spot. But the other
so fled from the scene, police said. Ydoak’s party accuses JVP: April 26 - Jathika Hela Urumaya HU), has charged that the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), s n is a constituent of the governing was planning to eliminate

TAMIL TIMES 29
its leaders. Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thero, General Secretary of the JHU, told a press conference at the party's headquarters in Colombo that leading monks of his party had received death threats again. Meanwhile thousands of posters lambasting the JHU monks appeared in Colombo during the weekend. One poster accused the JHU monks of ganging up with the LTTE controlled Tamil National Alliance to defeat the government during the lection of the Speaker. Other posters poked fun at the JHU and called it "Hela Karumaya” (“Curse of the Hela”)
Supporters of the JHU were attacked by thugs in Kesbawa on April 24th night. Two of them were admitted to hospital with injuries. The vehicle in which the JHU supporters were travelling was damaged by the mob. JHU Gen. Secretary alleged that his party supporters identified persons in the Kesbawa gang as members of the JVP.
He charged that the JVP is carrying out a three-stage plan to eliminate the JHU. “The first stage is character assassination. The second is physical intimidation and in the third they would eliminate us. They have succeeded in implementing the first and second stages. Now they are getting ready to eliminate us'', the JHU Gen. Secretary alleged. Development projects launched: April 26 - Foundation stones were laid on April 26th morning for the construction of a preschool and a multi purpose hall in the resettled Kanniya village, located on the Trincomalee-Anuradhapura road about 8 km north of Trincomalee town. The Asian Development Bank(ADB) funded North East Community Organization for Restoration Development (NECORD) under the Community Rehabilitation Development Project (CRDP) has allocated a sum of 6.8 million rupees for these development works, and the implementing agency is the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) of Trincomalee district.
After two-decade-old war, internally displaced families of Kanniya village, which is located near the historic hot wells, are returning to their lands. Till now about twenty families have returned to the village. The TRO of Trincomalee district through the Rural Development Committee has identified the urgent needs of the resettlers. Kanniya is the first village undertaken by the NECORD under its CRDP. NECORD has provided funds for the construction of new wells and for repairing the damaged wells and for the construction of about ten rural roads. NECORD has also allocated money for the income generation activities. Ministerial dispute resolved: April 27 - The politburo of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), one of the major constituents of the ruling United Peoples' Freedom Alliance (UPFA), decided to accept one of the two proposals submitted by President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, and to bring the three week old dispute over ministerial and deputy ministerial posts to an end, political sources said.
During the three-hour discussion held by Ms. Kumaratunge with the leaders of the JVP, she submitted two alternative proposals to resolve the crisis within the UPFA. One of the proposals was to bring the Mahaveli Development subject under a minister of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), another major constituent of the ruling UPFA. The second proposal was to entrust the designated JVP minister of agriculture with all power to conduct agricultural activities in the Mahaveli area with a newly established statutory authority in charge.
The JVP politburo went into the details of the two proposals and finally decided to accept the second proposal to set up an authority for the administration for the agricultural activities under Mahavelidevelopment. The authority will function under the JVP minister designate for agriculture.
Following this decision, the JVP politburo decided to accept the designated four cabinet rank ministerial posts and four deputy minister posts granted to it by the UPFA. Karun's men shot dead: April 27 - Unidentified gunmen shot dead a youth and wounded another in Maligawatte, a congested suburb near Colombo, on April 26 around 10 p.m. accordingpolice sources. The two victims, according to them are from Eravur, Batticaloa in eastern Sri Lanka. The gunmen who shot the youth while they were negotiating an apartment for rent in Maligawatte

Page 30
30 TAMILTIMES
got away. No arrests have been made in connection with the kill1ng.
The wounded youth, identified only as "Mathanarooban' was admitted to the Colombo general hospital. He has been placed under heavy guard fearing that the gunmen might return to finish him off, the police said. The youth who was shot dead has not been identified.
Both victims are suspected to have been members of the Karuna faction of the LTTE and had gone to Colombo evade being targeted by the LTTE. The police suspect that the attack was carried out by the pistol group' of the LTTE which had detected their presence in Colombo. LTTE accuses army of complicity: April 27 - Head of the Political Wing of the LTTE, S.P..Thamilchelvan, in a letter to the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Major General (retd.) Trond Furuhovde, said that the murder of seven LTTE cadres including four disabled on 25 April was a violation of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) and that the LTTE had "credible evidence that the attackers came from the Vavunathivu SLA Sri Lanka Army camp direction."
Mr Thamilchelvan said in his letter, "Please be advised that we consider this incident wherein seven LTTE cadres including 4 disabled members have been killed with scant respect both to humanitarian norms and the CFA as one that merits immediate inquiry and remedial action. We have credible evidence that the attackers came from the Vavunathivu SLA camp direction andescaped after attack in the same direction, The distance from the SLA point and our FDL is only 500 m and therefore the logical conclusion is that the attackers could not have passed through the SLA point without being noticed.
"We are afraid that putting aside this incident as one carried out by elements closer to Karuna may be too simplistic. Making use of the Karuna factor, any Para-military groups working alongside the SLA, whether with the blessing of the SLA or otherwise, may continue to act in this manner and create havoc and confuSO
"We request of you therefore to take this matter for an indepth discussion and ensure that no such violation takes place in the future. This gains more significance in view of our commitment to the peace process and the necessity to uphold the integrity of the CFA in the present political context."
13 remanded for torching EPDP office: April 27 - The Kayts Magistrate, Mr.A.Premshankar, ordered remand for thirteen suspects who were produced by the police in connection with the alleged burning down of a office/camp of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) in Analaitivu of northern Jaffna following the April 2 general election.
A posse of police personnel of the Kayts Police went to Analaitivu on the previous day and arrested thirteen civilians from
NATHAN & CHELVA
We Work For Your Interest
Contact us for prompt & proper service in all Legal matters including Immigratiom & Conveyancing
Domestic & Commercial
Legal AidWork also undertaken Partners: K. Chelva-Nayagam LL.B., T. Sri Pathma Nathan
169 TOOTING HIGHSTREET, LONDON SW17 0SY
YN Eo 13 GODS) I OSZ72 ) SOOOOOO
FAX: 020-8672 01.05
f Arol A laö rega Als

MAY 2004
their houses in a cordon and search operation. The Magistrate ordered remand for the 13 suspects till May 10th in the Jaffna prisons. Analaitivu is an islet cut off from the Jaffna mainland and other islets in the peninsula by sea. “Sinhalese leadership lacks maturity”: April 27 - “The late Tamil leader, Mr.S.J.V.Chelvanayakam, laid the path for the freedom struggle, advocating Tamils should be recognized as a distinct nationality with their traditional homeland and right of self determination,” said the Tamil National Alliance parliamentary group leader, Mr.R.Sampanthan, addressing a meeting to mark the 27th death anniversary of the late Tamil leader in Trincomalee town on 26 April.
In his speech, Mr.Sampanthan said that Mr. Chelvanayakam made the Thamileelam declaration in the l976 Vaddukoddai convention, after having failed to find a political solution through talks with Sinhala political leadership of the country over several years, "Mr. Chelvanayakam opposed the division of the country at that time and wanted a political solution to the Tamil national question under a federal concept. However, Thanthai Chelva was disillusioned with the policy of the Sinhala political leadership, as it did not take seriously the demands of the Tamil people of this country," Mr.Sampanthan added,
Thanthai Chelva had said that the Sinhalese political leadership lacked maturity and responsibility, In the debate on Indian Citizenship Act brought by the then Prime Minister Mr.D.S.Senanayake, Mr. Chelvanayakammade a speech analyzing the true intention of the Sinhalese leadership, Thanthai Chelva had said actions and thinking of the majority community leaders, far from uniting people, would lead to the division of the country, Mr.Sampanthan pointed out, "Sinhala political leaders should come forward to find a political solution to the Tamil national question through negotiation. We would be forced to think of regaining our lost sovereignty if the Sinhala political leadership did not come forward to find a settlement through talks," Mr.Sampanthan stressd, BRAVA mission in Jaffna: April 28 - Mr. Jeffry J.Lunstead, US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, inaugurated the US military humanitarian medical mission in Jaffna teaching hospital. “We are able to visit Jaffna because of peace in this country, US government will continue to support the peace process in Sri Lanka," Mr. Jeffry Lunstead said at the inaugural event held on 28 April. The Medical Superintendent of the Jaffna teaching hospital Dr.S.Sathurmugam presided over the event.
Mr. Lunstead further said, 'the work of the BRAVA team is emblematic of the friendship between the peoples of Sri Lanka and America. By sharing their expertise and experience in humanitarian assistance BRAVA mission personnel are providing lifechanging medical assistance to many people in Jaffna,'
A team of 20 US military medical specialists is conducting a humanitarian surgical training mission known as Blast, Resuscitation and Victim Assistance (BRAVA). American medical personnel from the US Air Force, Army and Navy are working with Sri Lankan physicians at the Jaffna teaching hospital to provide surgery and medical care for patients suffering from injuries and trauma by unexploded ordnance, including land mines, said the press release of the US Embassy in Colombo.
The team of medical personnel included orthopedic, pediatric and plastic surgery specialists from Korea and Hawaii. In addition to providing care to patients suffering from landmine injuries the team is also treating accident victims and patients with birth defects. The medical specialists hope to perform several major operations a day on patients selected by the BRAVA team. The program, which begins early this week, will include medical education and hands on training and care for hospital patients. In addition several pallets of medical supplies have been donated to the Jaffna teaching hospital for the humanitarian medical mission, said the press release. Indian fishermen are robbing fisheries in NE: April 28-"Only when we have self-government will we be able to safeguard our fisheries resources and the lives of our fishermen," said Dr. A. Soosai Ananthan, the Head of the Fisheries Department at the University of Jaffna, speaking at a seminar on the problems faced

Page 31
MAY 2004
by fisheries workers, held at the Urumpirai Hindu College in Jaffna., according to the Jaffna-based Tamil language daily, Uthayan.
He further said that fishing was second only to agriculture in the contribution to the economy of the North-East. Prior to 1983, the North-East was the region with the highest profits from fishing in Sri Lanka, with an annual catch of 48 metric tons. The region is home to prawns, crabs and shell fish that brought a large amount of foreign currency to the economy.
With the start of the war in 1983 and the introduction of the ban on fishing gear, High Security Zones, the security pass system, etc., and the displacement caused by war, the fisheries economy in the North-East went into nose-dive. Today the biggest problem is the poaching by Indian fishermen, according to Dr. Soosai Ananthan.
Nearly 3000 Indian trawlers are entering the North-East seas illegally and robbing the fisheries resources of the region. Moreover, the use of heavy trawlers creates the danger of destroying undersea rocks, plants, etc., thus destroying the fisheries resources, he said. "The intruding Indian fishermen in trawlers destroy large nets and other fishing gear used by local fishermen. During the ceasefire period, such aggression has been more pronounced," said Dr. Soosai Ananthan, adding, "the Sri Lanka Navy is adopting a soft stand against the Indian poachers for political reasons. This situation should be changed." Curfew in hill town: April 29 - Three upcountry Tamils were killed and four were wounded when Police opened fire on crowds in Kandapola, 16 kilomtres from Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka’s main hill country town and holiday resort, on April 28 night. Curfew was declared in the area following clashes between Tamils and Sinhalese which flared up late afternoon over a vehicle accident in Kandapola. A senior Tamil MP of the Ceylon Workers' Congress slammed the Police for precipitating the communal violence. The Police acted in a very partial manner", he said. Fourteen Tamil shops in Kandapola were smashed up and ransacked.
Four shops, a bar and a Petrol station belonging to Sinhalese were damaged by Tamils in retaliation. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksha visited the area on the following day and called for calm. Workers in and around the Kandapola area went on strike in protest against the Police action. LTTE seeks Govt stand on talks: April 29 - Mr. S. P hamilchelvan, the head of the LTTE' political division, said today that the Tigers would state their stand on for resuming the island's stalled peace process only after Norwegians peace facilitators first find out and apprise them of Colombo's position regarding the basis for restarting negotiations. He was speaking to the local press after meeting head of Sri Lanka's truce monitoring mission, Maj. Gen. (ret) Trond Furuhovde in Kilinochchi.
Asked about his discussions with Maj. Gen. Furuhovde, Mr. hamilchelvan said: "Importantly, we discussed the implementation of the cease fire agreement after the change in government. We have to do it in new circumstances. We found out from him about the government's position (regarding the implementation of he CFA). We told him about our leadership's concern regarding certain incidents that have happened recently,
Asked on what basis the LTTE would restart talks, he said: "It rs not appropriate for me to speak on this matter at this juncture. A Norwegian team is scheduled to meet us soon. We can state our position clearly only after the Norwegians meet the Sri Lankan government and apprise us of its (Colombo's) real stand (regardrig the resumption of peace talks)"
“We have expressed our displeasure over the attack in Barticaloa. The attackers came from an area controlled by the Sri Lankan military. It could not have happened without knowledge cfarmy. It has to be carefully investigated and the truth has to be brought out. This incident would certainly disturb the ceasefire. he have expressed our strong objection to the government through te SLMM”, Mr. Thamilchelvan said. De-mining workshop in Jaffna: April 30 - "De-mining work in the northeast province has been severely hampered as the internacal aid agencies show reluctance to provide funds for such work

TAMIL TIMES 31
due to the failure to sign the Ottawa convention that prohibits the use of landmines and other related explosives by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)," said a Director of the National Peace Council (NPC), Mr.S. Balakrishnan, addressing a de-mining workshop in Jaffna on 30 April.
The workshop was organized by the NPC in collaboration with the de-mining groups of Norway and Britain. Several representatives of de-mining groups working in the northeast participated in the workshop, held in the office of the Jaffna District Chamber of Commerce. The main objective of the workshop was to ensure the de-mining to go forward simultaneously with the peace process and to provide landmine free areas for the internally displaced to resettle, NPC sources said.
Mr. Balakrishnan further said another objective of the workshop was to create awareness among the people of the danger of landmines and to strengthen and co-ordinate the activities between various de-mining groups that were currently engaged in de-mining works.
He revealed that the parties concerned have not furnished correct information and maps for de-mining. The maps submitted already were unsatisfactory as those were without the required information. However, action had been taken to expedite de-mining works. De-mining programmes were being implemented giving priority to areas where IDPs could be resettled.
LTTE cadre killed: May 1 - A cadre of the LTTE was killed in Batticaloa in a claymore mine blast today around 11.30 a.m. The attack took place at Pondukalchenai, about 5 kilometres from Kiran north of Batticaloa which was claimed to have been carried out by the breakaway Karuna faction of the LTTE, Karuna loyalist shot dead: May 3 - Ponniah Jeevaratnam, from Arayampathi in Batticaloa district, was shot dead at the 5th mile post junction in Batticaloa-Manmunai road at 6.40 pm on 2 May by an unknown gunman. The victim was brought on a motorbike from Arayampathi to the scene of the killing before he was shot dead at point blank range, according to police sources.
Jeevaratnam was a close friend of Reginald who was an important functionary in the Karuna faction of the LTTE. LTTE ready to resume talks: May 3 - Ambassador for Norway in Colombo, Mr. Hans Brattskar, Norway's special peace envoy, Mr. Eric Solheim, and Second Secretary of the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo, Ms. Kjersti Thomsdal, met with Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, Head of the LTTE Political Wing at the LTTE Peace Secretariatin Kilinochchi. The talks lasted for more than two hours and focused on the resumption of stalled peace talks and about preparing the agenda for the talks between the LTTE and the Govermlinment.
Liberation Tigers were fully prepared to resume negotiations on the same principles and in the same atmosphere the peace talks were carried out under the previous government in Colombo, Mr. Thamilchelvan said, speaking to journalists after meeting with the Norwegian delegation. Responding to a question on how soon the negotiations would resume, Mr. Thamilchelvan said that talks can begin when the Government said it was ready.
He emphasized that the LTTE was prepared to continue the talks based on the concepts and principles embodied in the draft proposals for Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) submitted to the previous government, adding that more than 90% of the Tamil people in North East had endorsed this stand by giving an overwhelming mandate in the last elections.
Thamilchelvan said that the Government should stop the Army from giving continued support to Karuna and his men who are behind the recent violent incidents in Batticaloa. Failing to do so would have far reaching consequences, he warned.
Mr. Thamilchelvan had pointed out to Mr. Solheim that Mr. Vinayagamoorthy Muraleetharan ('Karuna) was now a “fugitive' having committed murders, immoral acts and having indulged in "fraudulent practices, and therefore if the Government or the Army harboured any Karuna group members, it would jeopardize the peace process.' Strike over police killings: May 3 - Hundreds of thousands of

Page 32
32 TAMIL TIMES
plantation workers in the central province went on a token strike, protesting against the killing of two Tamil youths, Mr. Weerasamy Jeyarajan and Alagan Wimalanathan, on 28 April in Kandapola, when police opened fire following a clash between Tamils and Sinhalese after a traffic accident. .
The main political party among the plantation workers, the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), spearheaded the strike. Almost all the estate workers in the upcountry participated in the strike irrespective of trade union and political party affiliations.
Meanwhile, CWC President and former minister, Mr.Arumugam Thondaman, met with the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, Sunday at Nuwara Eliya, and requested stern action against the police officials who were responsible for the kill
ngS. Police search journalist's home: May 4-Sri Lanka Police raided a journalist's home in Colombo May 3 night. During the raid by a large group of Police personnel, the journalist, Mr. Sivaram Dharmeratnam ("Taraki), a political affairs columnist for English and Tamil papers published from Colombo and a member of TamilNet’s editorial board, was away in Batticaloa in connection with the World Press Freedom Day. The journalist's family said that the raid was intimidating. Mr. Dharmeratnam was threatened and intimidated several times in the past for his comments and reporting on Tamil issues.
Scores of special Policemen searched the journalist's house and its premises claiming they were looking for a cache of dangerous weapons hidden there. "The raid on the Tamil journalist's home is an act of crude intimidation aimed at stepping up pressure on Mr. Sivaram's family and thereby prevent him from writing critically on sensitive issues affecting the Tamil people. That the Police should have chosen World Press Freedom Day to raid a well known Tamil journalist's home speaks volumes for the state of media freedom in Sri Lanka', said Mr. R. Thurairatnam, President of the Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance. Solheim meets TNA delegation: May 4 - "Peace talks between the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) should be held on the basis of the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposal. The UPFA government should not use the opportunity of holding peace talks as a device to strengthen its position in the parliament and to obtain foreign aid," a delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is reported to have told the visiting Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Erik Solheim during a discussion held at the Norwegian embassy in Colombo.
The TNA delegation led by its parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan comprised Messrs Mavai Senathirajah, Joseph Pararajasingham, Suresh Premachchandran, Selvam Adaikalanathan, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Sivanathan Kishor, S.Jeyananthamoorthy, M.K.Eelaventhan, K.Pathmanathan, T.Kanagasabai and Mrs. Padmini Sithamparanathan.
Norwegian ambassador in Colombo Mr. Hans Brattskar and a foreign ministry official participated in the discussion with Mr. Erik Solheim. *
The TNA delegation had pointed out that there was no clarity within the members of the Sri Lanka government regarding the proposed peace talks with the LTTE. Constituent parties of the UPFA had not made their stands clear in regard to the proposed peace talks. The executive head of the government should first assert that she would be in a position to implement a political
FRENE TRA
Please Call: 0795
75047
 
 

MAY 2004
solution found at the end of the peace talks, TNA delegation said. Solheim briefs Opposition Leader: May 5 - Mr. Erik Solheim, the Norwegian peace envoy, met with the Leader of the Opposition Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, on 5 May and briefed him on the outcome of the talks he had with the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, political leadership of the LTTE, leaders of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and the TNA since he arrived in Colombo. Mr. Wickremasinghe is reported to have told the peace envoy that his party would not oppose the resumption of peace talks from where it left off and also based on the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposal submitted by the LTTE in October last year.
Meanwhile, Mr.Solheim had told the SLMC leader, Mr.Rauff Hakeem, that the decision to allow Muslim representatives as a separate entity to participate in the future peace talks was in the hands of the government, but he would convey the request of the SLMC to the President.
During his stay in Colombo, Mr. Solheim twice met with the Indian High Commissioner, Mr.Nirupam Sen, and briefed him about the outcome of the talks he has had in Colombo with the President, LTTE leadership and leaders of SLMC, UNP and TNA. Two Tigers shot dead in Batticaloa: May 6 - Mr. Sivanathan Murali alias Pahalavan and Mr. Vathanan, belonging to the LTTE were shot dead around 2 p.m. on 6 May at Thannamunai, located 9 kilometers northwest of Batticaloa town. The bodies of the dead were taken to the mortuary of the Batticaloa teaching hospital, police said.
According to local residents, the victims had been shot while riding a motor bicycle bearing No:GT 470 along ValaichchenaiBatticaloa main road and they died on the spot. Monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission based in Batticaloa rushed to the site on a compliant by the LTTE and held on the spot observation. LTTE sources alleged that both their activists had been shot dead by Tamil paramilitary groups closely associating with the Sri Lanka Army in Batticaloa. LTTE sources further said this crime could not have been committed without the knowledge of the SLA. EU urged to suspend aid until ISGA: May 7 - The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) appealed to the member countries of the European Union to release their aid to the Sri Lanka government only after the establishment of the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) in the northeast province. TNA delegation led by its parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan at a discussion held on 6 May with the representatives of the European Union stressed that the release of the aid to Sri Lanka should be decided on the positive development of the peace process. The delegation further said there was no guarantee that the aid channeled by the EU would be utilized for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the wartorn northeast province as no institution is functioning in the northeast to ensure that such funds are properly utilized for the required purpose. "Hence we appeal to the EU to release funds to SL government only after the establishment of the ISGA in the northeast,” TNA delegation had requested. Anton Balasingham in Sri Lanka: May 7 - Mr. Anton Balasingham, LTTE's theoretician and political strategist, along with his wife Adele Balasingham arrived in Colombo on 7 May and was received by the Sri Lanka's Norwegian ambassador, Mr. Hans Brattskar, at the Katunayake international airport.
Mr. Balasingham's visit to Vanni was to meet LTTE leader, Mr.V.Pirapaharan, and other senior LTTE leaders ahead of a visit
/EL ONLY) )-SRI LANKA
676 3. 60 SOUTH INDIA
-SINGAPORE

Page 33
MAY 2004
of the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Mr.Jan Petersen, and his deputy, Mr. Vidar Helgessen, to map out the strategy for future peace talks with the new Government of President Kumaratunga. Mr.Balasingham and his wife were airlifted on the same day in a Sri Lanka Air Force helicopter to the LTTE-held Kilinochchi for consultations with Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan. He was received by the head of the LTTE's political division, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, Mr. B. Nadesan, chief of the Tamil Eelam Police Service and head of the Thamil Eelam Judiciary, Mr. E. Pararajasingham. Soldier injured in grenade attack: May 8 - Explosion of a hand grenade inside a Special Task Force (STF) camp near the main bus stand in Batticaloa town injured soldier Champika Kumara on May 8, security sources said. The injured soldier has been admitted to the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital and receiving treatment for his injuries, according to hospital sources. Residents of the area said that they heard several gun shots following the grenade explosion. Security strengthened for TNA MPs.: May 8 - More than ten Police officers and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers are providing security to Batticaloa district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, Ms.Thangeswary Kathirgaman, at her Nalliah Road residence in Batticaloa, according to local sources. Police officers are providing protection for other TNA parliamentarians including Kanagasabai Jeyanandamoorthy and Pathmanathan. The parliamentarians had sought the provision of security on the basis that there is a threat to them from the Karuna faction of the LTTE. LTTE warning on killings: May 8 - "It is apparent that the killers have all the assistance from the SLA and we request of you to advise the government that if the SLA continues to act in this manner the entire peace process and the cease fire agreement are being placed in heavy risk and dire consequence have to be faced," said SP Thamilchelvan, Leader of the Political Wing of the LTTE in a letter to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), pointing out to the recent murders of two LTTE cadres in Batticaloa district.
The full text of the letter published in LTTE's Peace Secretariat website is as follows: "Two LTTE members, travelling by a motorbike from Batticaloa town to Chenkaladi around 12 noon yesterday 6th of May 2004 were shod dead at a location called Thannamunai. Situated 250 meters on both sides of the location are two SLA sentry points. The killers have not been apprehended. "As stated by us in our communication this appears to be a continuing trend and we are highly perturbed over this. It is apparent that the killers have all the assistance from the SLA and we request you to advise the government that if the SLA continues to act in this manner the entire peace process and the cease fire agreement are being placed in heavy risk and dire consequence have to be faced. We are afraid that it may become impossible for us to be patient onlookers of this cavalier fashion in which killing are being carried out.
“We trust that the SLMM will explore all avenues of investigations and institute remedial and preventive action. Urgent steps must be taken to conduct an in-depth inquiry and bring to book the culprits."
According to army sources, the conflict between the LTTE and its dissident Karuna faction has been the cause of the spate of killings and counter-killings primarily in the east of the country. Another Karuna loyalist killed: May 9 - Mr. Selvarasa Gunaseelan (28) of School Lane in Kiran in Batticaloa district was shot dead May 8 around midnight at Paththinipuram, a resettled village in Thampalakamam division, which is located about seventeen km off Trincomalee town along Trincomalee-Kandy highway, Kantalai Police said. ܫ
According to preliminary investigation conducted by the Tampalakamam police under the direction of Kantalai Senior Superintendent of Police Mr.H.A.Ilankasiri, the body of the youth was found in the resettled village with gunshot injuries and a letter in his shirt pocket with his national identity card. The body was identified as of Mr.Selvarasa Gunaseelan with his NIC, poice sources said. It is learnt that he belonged to the Karuna faction of the LTTE. The matter has been reported to the Trincomalee

TAMIL TIMES 33
office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), sources said. Army operative shot dead in Batticaloa: May 10 - Mr. Vasantha Colombage, a member of the Sri Lanka Army intelligence unit was shot dead on May 9 around 10 a.m. inside a private passenger bus when he was returning for duty in Batticaloa from Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa Police said.
An unidentified person travelling in the same bus shot dead the victim on the spot when the bus stopped at the railway station junction in Thandavanveli in Batticaloa town and fled from the scene, eyewitnesses said.
The body of Mr. Vasantha Colombage was handed over to the mortuary of the Batticaloa teaching hospital. Reports in newspapers in Colombo blamed the LTTE for the killing. Norwegian FM in Lanka: May 11 - Norwegian Foreign Minister Mr. Jan Peterson with his deputy Mr. Vidar Helgessen arrived in Colombo on May 10 to hold discussions with President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge and the leadership of the LTTE to work out modalities to resume the stalled peace talks, according reports from Colombo.
Before attending a pre-arranged meeting with President
• Kumaratunga, Mr. Peterson met the Prime Minister Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse and Foreign Minister Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar.
It was reported that Mr.Petersen later met with Sri Lanka’s President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, and had wide-ranging discussions for about an hour for the first time since the new government came to power. Diplomatic sources said Norwegian facilitators were able to get assurances from the Sri Lanka's President on the modalities to take forward the peace process.
On May 11, Mr Jan Petersen accompanied by his deputy Mr. Vidar Helgesen and Norway’s ambassador for Sri Lanka, Mr. Hans Brattskar flew to Kilinochchi and met with LTTE leader Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan and his political advisor, Mr. Anton Balasingham and discussed matters relating to the resumption of peace talks. It was reported that Mr. Petersen conveyed the outcome of the talks he had with Ms.Kumaratunge to the LTTE leader, and conveyed the decision by the government that it would hold peace talks only with the LTTE, thus conceding the LTTE's demand to be recognized as the 'sole representatives' of the Tamil people. Army-LTTE meet to prevent killings': May 11 - The Sri Lanka army and the LTTE have agreed in Batticaloa to "develop mechanisms to ensure information sharing and quick reaction procedures to prevent serious crimes and to ensure proper procedures to apprehend individuals perpetrating serious crimes”. The meeting, chaired by Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Major General Trond Furuhovde, held on 11 May at the Vavunathivu divisional secretariat, 5 kilometres, northwest of Batticaloa town. It was arranged amidst several reported killings particularly in the east of the island that threatened to jeopardize the cease-fire agreement between LTTE and Colombo. The main topics on the agenda were; 1) avoid future killings, and 2) improve investigation cooperation between the Parties.
The parties agreed to develop mechanisms to ensure information sharing and quick reaction procedures to prevent serious crimes and further, to ensure proper procedures to apprehend individuals perpetrating serious crimes. The Parties also agreed to meet on a biweekly basis to work out practicalities and to continue the good cooperation between the Parties. The Parties further agreed to continue to uphold and respect the Cease Fire Agreement entered into between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on the 22nd of February 2002.
Col. Thambirajah Ramesh, led the LTTE delegation to the meeting. Speaking to the press after the meeting Col. Ramesh said that the SLA had agreed to help the Tigers investigate the killings of their cadres in Thannamunai and in Ayithiyamalai recently. He categorically denied that the LTTE had anything to do with the killing of a military intelligence operative of the SLA in Batticaloa town on 9 May. Consultation to continue: May 11 - "The Government of Norway will continue to consult with the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the

Page 34
34 TAMIL TIMES
coming weeks as some issues need to be discussed further before negotiations can start," said the Norwegian Embassy in Sri Lanka in a press release issued on 11 May.
The press release said, "Norwegian Foreign Minister Mr.Jan Petersen with Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Vidar Helgessen and Norwegian ambassador in Sri Lanka Mr. Hans Brattskar met with the President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge on May 10th and with the LTTE leadership on May 11th to discuss the possibilities of bringing the peace process forward.
"We have had constructive and positive meetings with both parties. There is a clear commitment from the GOSL and LTTE to resume direct negotiations. Some issues need to be discussed further before negotiations can start. Norway will continue to consult with the GOSL and LTTE in the coming weeks.
Both parties, GOSL and LTTE reaffirmed their request to Norway to act as a facilitator of the peace process.” Japanese envoy visits Jaffna: May 11 - Adelegation of academics led by Jaffna University Vice Chancellor, Professor C.Mohanadas, told the visiting Japanese ambassador in Sri Lanka, Mr. Akisuda, that Tamils in the northeast province had not been allowed by the government in power to enjoy the benefits of the ceasefire now holding in the country since February 22, 2002. They made an appeal to the Japanese government not to grant any aid to Sri Lankan government until a permanent political solution is found for the Tamil national question.
The academics pointed out that the majority community in the south enjoys the fruits of the ceasefire.
The Japanese envoy arrived in Jaffna by air Tuesday and first conferred with Sri Lankan military officials based in Palaly on the ground situation and later visited the Jaffna University. Two Karuna men killed: May 11 - Two persons reported to be strong supporters of Karuna faction of the LTTE were shot dead on 11 May at Polonnaruwa in Aralaganwila, police said. They said the police believe these killings may have been engineered by cadres under the command of new LTTE eastern sector leader Ramesh. The victims of the shooting were identified as Krishnapullai Pakkyaraja (27) of Soruwila and Sevilan (23) of Kiran in Batticaloa.
SLMC to offer conditional support: May 12 - The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) politburo has decided to extend its support to the ruling minority United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government on two conditions - one is to accommodate a Muslim delegation as a separate entity at the upcoming peace talks with the Liberation Tigers and the other is not to abolish the executive presidency as proposed, SLMC general sectary Mr.M.T. Hassan Ali said. The decision would be conveyed to the President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Wednesday in writing, said Mr.M.T. Hassan Ali.
Mr. Hassan Ali further said that the present Sri Lanka government is creating dissension among opposition parties. It earlier
out now Tamil Pages 2004
Tamil Business through Tamil Pages
TamilPages is a good reference on Tamil organisations based in Britain and Europe, Copies are available free in Temples,Tamil shops and Tamil organisations. To get your free copy by post please send a cheque for
£3.00 in favour of British Tamil Directories BRITISH 52 Kingsley Road, Wimbledon, London SW198HF O02 O2O8543 2í 26 02089428745. Fax. 02085403442 DIRECTORIES web: www.tamilpages.org email:editoroamilpages.org

MAY 2004
unsuccessfully tried to divide the main opposition UNF. Now the government has been trying this strategy with minority community parties. The UPFA earlier attempted to cause split in the SLMC. As it failed now the government is adopting a policy of marginalizing the Muslim parties from the main political stream. UNP not to support sham peace effort: May 13 - The main opposition United National Party (UNP) announced that it would not support the sham peace efforts of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government. "UPFA leaders make contradicting statements on their peace efforts. It clearly shows that they are insincere in their peace moves. Hence the UNP will not support the sham peace efforts of the UPFA government,” said UNP senior leader and a former minister in the then UNF government Professor G.L.Peiris at a press briefing held on 13 May in Colombo. Mr.Peiris further said the UNP government launched the peace process accepting the LTTE as the sole representative of Tamils and the UPFA opposed it then. "We could note serious contradictions in the statements issued by leaders of the UPFA then and now. Now some UPFA leaders say that they recognize the LTTE as the sole representative of Tamils. UPFA is not sincere in their statements regarding the peace process," said Mr. Peiris.
"The UPFA has been forced to accept LTTE as the sole representative of Tamils. It is very difficult for the UPFA government to take forward the peace process in a constructive way with such contradictions. Therefore the UNP has decided not to support UPFA government's sham peace efforts," said Mr.Peiris. Youth shot dead in Vavuniya: May 14 - Mr. Kalimuthu Santhakumar, 28, in Marambaikulam, Vavuniya, was shot dead on May 13 at 9:30 p.m. by a group of unidentified gunmen. The attackers escaped after stabbing another villager, Sabaratnam Jayanthan (24), who went out to check after hearing gunshots, police said. According to the initial investigations of the police, there were five attackers in the group who came in a three-wheeler and a motorbike.
Jayanthan was admitted to the Vavuniya hospital with serious wounds. Police said that the dead man was a former member of a militant organization. The Police are continuing investigations and are trying to apprehend suspects, security sources said. Grenade attack on soldiers: May 15 - Three Sri Lanka Army soldiers and a policeman were injured in a hand grenade attack when they were travelling on Vinyagar road, Sethukudah, 3 km from the Batticaloa town centre, at 12:30 a.m. on 15 May, according police sources. Gunshots were heard for a few minutes folllowing the incident. The incident occurred just 200 meters from the Sri Lanka Air Force base in Batticaloa. According to police, the injured were admitted to the Batticaloa teaching hospital. Abduction of students: May 15 - A senior Army officer in the North said that a 17 year old student from Jaffna Achchuweli and a 13 year old female student from Vavuniya Warikottan Refugee camp had been abducted by LTTE cadres.
An LTTE cadre who had come in a motorbike had threatened the victim Navaratne Krishanthan (17) of Achuweli area by pointing a pistol while he was taking a telephone call at Jaffna Nirveli area and had abducted him.
LTTE political wing leader Suresh Kanthan had allegedly come and abducted the female student Arumugam Jayalalitha (13) from Vavuniya Warikottu refugee camp.
The girl's mother Arunmagam Sellamma (47) had made a complaint to the SLMM against the abduction of her daughter. Security sources said that the LTTE cadres who had come to Jaffna from Wanni last week would have abducted the children. The boy's father Kandiah Navaratnam too had made a complaint to the SLMM. Dutch delegation visits Batticaloa: May 16 - A delegation of Dutch diplomats led by First Secretary of the Embassy of Netherland in Colombo, Mr.D.R.S.Jan Hugskes, visited Batticaloa district on 15 May to review development and rehabilitation work being carried out in the district and discuss matters related to granting future aid, sources said.
The delegation accompanied by officals of Central Social Development Office including the Commissioner Manel Jayamanne

Page 35
ΠΑΥ 2004
met with District Government Agent S. Punniyamoorthy and Municipal Commissioner S.Navaneethan and NECORD Director R.Sivanantharajah and visited different areas where projects are being carried. Mr. Sivanantharajah said that during the period following the signing of Cease Fire Agreement in 2001, more than six thousand resettled families have been given a grant of Rs.25,000 each under a Humanitarian aid scheme supported by the Government of Netherland. Tie aid to acceptance of ISGA: May 16 - Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan told the visiting Japanese special peace envoy to Sri Lanka, Mr.Yasushi Akashi, that flow of foreign aid to Sri Lanka should depend on the progress made in establishing the Internal Self Governing Authority (ISGA) in northeast province. Mr. Sampanthan met with Mr. Akashi in the Japanese embassy in Colombo on 16 May and held more than an hour long discussion on the current political situation in Sri Lanka, TNA sources said.
Foreign aid to Sri Lanka should be used as a leverage to ensure the peace process forward, said Mr.Sampanthan. "The Tokyo Declaration has clearly suggested for an innovative administrative structure that will promote reconciliation in the north east province. The Sri Lankan government should take up this point for its serious consideration and should come forward to establish an interim self governing authority (ISGA)," Mr.R.Sampanthan told Mr. Akashi. "Ellalan Army'strikes and kills: May 16- Police found the body of a person identified as Subramaniam Chandralalith, 22, shot dead in Jaffna town in the early hours of May 16. He was abducted in a van by unknown persons the day before, Police sources in the northern town said. In a note found near his body, a group calling itself Ellalan Army claimed that it had killed Chandralalith and punished five others for criminal activities including robbery, rape, abduction, extortion, fraud and child molestation.
Five persons who were abducted along with him by the group on 5 May were found in different places in the town blindfolded and with their hands tied. They had been severely beaten up before they were pushed out of the van in which they were abducted, Police sources in Jaffna said,
The note found near his body warned that the Ellalan Army would continue to punish criminals if they did not cease their antisocial activities in Jaffna immediately, Police said they had not arrested anyone in connection with the murder and abductions. They said they do not know anything about the Ellalan Army. Tiger arms haul taken into custody: May 16 - Murunkan police in northern Sri Lanka took into custody a haul of arms while they were being transported to a LTTE camp. The arms and ammunition which were taken into custody a few days back included 18 mortars, 2100 bullets, and 2400 other arms and ammunition of Chinese origin, police said.
The arms were handed over to the Vavuniya police on 13 May. Army personnel in Vavunia said the stock of arms and ammunition was valued around 10 million rupees. The arms and ammunition were hidden in a sand filled tractor trailer when the police made the detection. The driver of the tractor was produced before the Vavuniya Magistrate and remanded. SMC seeks Muslim role: May 17 - At a meeting with the Japamese special peace envoy, Mr.Yasushi Akashi, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader, Mr. Rauff Hakeem, requested Mr. Akashi to inform the UPFA government, the main opposition UNP and the LTTE leadership of the urgent need of accommodating the Muslim delegation in the next round of peace talks as a separate entity. The Muslim leader is reported to have informed Mr. Akashi at the peace talks would fail without the participation of a Mushim delegation as a separate entity, SLMC sources said. New MPs sworn in: May 18 - Four new parliamentarians were sorn in by the Speaker when Sri Lanka's parliament convened on 18 May. One of the four was Mr. Pakkiaselvam Ariyanenthiran of the Tamil National Alliance who was sworn in as MP for the

TAMIL TIMES 35
Batticaloa district filling the vacancy created by the resignation of Mr. Kingsely Rasanayakam from the same electoral district. Mr. Rasanayakam was elected to parliament in the April 2nd general election polling the fourth highest preferential votes. He was compelled to resign his seat following the 'change in political circumstances' in eastern Sri Lanka in the wake of Karuna's rebellion.
The other three parliamentarians who were sworn in were from the ruling United National Freedom Alliance (UPFA). They are, Mr. Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, a former Prime Minister, Mr. Mervyn Perera and Mr. Wijethasa Rajapakse filling the vacancies created by the resignations of Mr. Janadasa Peiris, Ms. Mary Lucida and Mr. Weerasekara from the National list of UPFA. Mr. Janadasa Peiris was later appointed as the Chairman of the State controlled Lake House group of newspapers. Akashi meets Thamilchelvan: May 18-Japanese special envoy Mr.Yasushi Akashi had discussions with Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, head of the LTTE's political divison, on issues related to the planned resumption of the long stalled peace talks between the Tigers and Colombo on May 18 in Killinochchi. The hour-long discussion also centred on reconstruction and development in the northeast, LTTE officials said. The meeting took place at the LTTE's peace secretariat in Kilinochchi. Mr. Akashi and Mr. Thamilchelvan discussed the progress made so far to resume the stalled peace process due to the renewed facilitation of the Norwegian government at the invitation of President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge. Abducted JHU MP resigns: May 18 - Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) monk parliamentarian, Venerable Kataluwe Ratnaseeha Thera, who was reported to have been abducted on 17 May and kept confined, has resigned his seat in parliament. The Speaker Mr. W.J.M.Lokkubandara confirmed the resignation by the JHU parliamentarian, according Colombo media sources. It is alleged that the monk MP had been forced to resign because he defied the leadership of the JHU in the voting for the election of Speaker.
Venerable Ratnaseeha Thera was one of the two JHU monk parliamentarians who supported the candidate of the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in the election of Speaker in defiance of the JHU leadership decision to maintain neutral in the contest. These two JHU monk parliamentarians went into hiding several days before the election of the Speaker. They were present on the day when the new parliament met on April 22 to elect new Speaker. The JHU leadership charged then that some leaders of the UPFA were behind the hiding of their two MPs.
Venerable Ratnaseeha Thera, one of these two MPs was allegedly abducted by a group of unidentified persons who came in a vehicle on the night of May 17 when he was in his temple. According to the complaint lodged at the Moratuwa Police, the persons who came in a vehicle had kidnapped the Bhikku MP and taken him to an undisclosed location. Police operative shot dead: May 19 - A Sri Lanka Police intelligence operative was shot dead by an unidentified gunman about 11.30 a.m on 19 May at a sub-post office in Batticaloa town. The Reserve Police Constable identified as Mr. Dassanayaka succumbed to his wounds after he was rushed to the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital. The RPC was buying stamps at the post office near the hospital when he was shot, Police said. Security sources blamed the LTTE for the killing. However, Mr. E. Kausalyan, the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Batticaloa, told media sources that the LTTE had nothing to do with the killing of a police intelligence operative in the Batticaloa town Akashi urges give and take: May 19 - "The future peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam will be based on the Interim Self Governing Authority proposals submitted by the LTTE. The ISGA of the LTTE should be subjected to a dialogue before reaching a consensus," said the Japanese special peace envoy, Mr.Yasushi Akashi, addressing a press conference in Colombo.
Expressing confidence that both parties in the peace talks
continued on page 41

Page 36
36 TAMILTMES
CLASSIFIED ADS
First 20 words £10. each additional word 60p charge for Box No.£3...Prepayment essential.
The Advertisement Manager,
Tani Times Ltd. PO Box 121, Sutton, Surrey SM1 3TD, United Kingdom Phone: 020 - 8644 0972
Fax (020.8241 45.5 E-Mall: adminG2tamilitimes.org
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS
MATRMONIAL
Tamil Hindu parents residing in UK seek professional groom for their only daughter, 30, fair and pretty, British citizen, university educated and employed in UK. Please Send details to M 1392 C/o Tamil Times.
Jaffna Hindu professional parents seek professionally qualified bridegroom in good employment for daughter, dental surgeon, 31, British born. Send details to M 1393 C/o Tamil Tinnes.
Jaffna Hindu parents seek professional partner for UK born daughter, 31, Mars affected, B.Sc.(Hons), M.Sc. qualified working in London as biomedical Scientist. Please send horoscope, details to M 1394 C/o Tamil Times.
Jaffna Hindu parents seek Suitable bride for their teetotallerson, 30, 5'9", Mars afflicted, in good employment in UK. Please Send horoscope, details to M 1395 C/o Tamil Times.
Jaffna Hindu parents seek bridegroom for their pretty graduate daughter, 30, 5'2", ITprofessional, brought up in UK, registered and divorced. Please send horoscope, details to M 1396 C/o Tamil Times.
Jaffna Hindu brother SeekS professionally qualified groom (preferably in medical field) for dentist sister, 28, British Citizen and marS afflicted. Please Send horOScope, details to M 1397 C/o Tamil Times.
Uncle(UK) seeks Hindu or Christian groom for Colombo educated pretty niece 29, father Colombo doctor. Please reply in confidence with phone number to M 1398 C/o Tamil Tinnes
About People and Events
OBITUARES
Mr. C.K.Kanthaswami. Emeritus Principal, Kokuvil Hindu College, Jaffna, second son of the late Dr. Chinnappaa Kanagaratnam and Theivana yaki of Vannarponnai, Jaffna, Son-in-law of the late Mr. & Mrs Vyramuthu of Annaicoddai, Jaffna, brother of Dr. Sivagnanaratnam and Mrs Sivanayaki Sivarajah ; beloved husband of Mahadevi; loving father of Dhayananthan (Australia), Dr. Shanthini, Dr.Abhirami (both of UK), Waheesan and Gitanjali (both of Australia); father-inlaw of Vijayalakshmi, Dr. Kandiah Sivakumar, Dr. Jayantha Arnold, Dhushyanthi and Thangarajah Nirmalarajan, dearly loved grand
 
 
 

MAY 2004
father of Gajendran and Janarthany, Dr. Branavan and Sivahami, Ahranyan and Ramya, Ahrani and Hariharan; Bhargavi and Sindhura, brother-in-law of Dr. Kanagarasa (USA), Mr. Parameswaran (Sri Lanka) and Mr.S Pathmade Vi KathireSan (UK) passed away peacefully on 21st April 2004 in Sydney, Australia and the final rites and Cremation took place there on 24th April. The large attendance on this occasion, it was felt was a fitting farewell to this illustrious Soul.
The members of the family wish to thank all relatives and friends who attended the funeral, Sent floral tributes and messages of sympathy and assisted them in Several ways during the period of bereaVement.
A Memorial Meeting to pay homage to the late Mr. C.K. Kanda samy organised by the members of his family and the Old Students ASSOCiation of Kokuvil Hindu College in UK will be held at Acton Town Hall, Winchester Street, (off Uxbridge Road), Acton, W36NE on Sunday, 30th May 2004 at 11 a.m. All relatives, friends and Wellwishers who wish to attend this meeting are cordially invited to partake and there after join us for Lunch. For further information please contact: Mr. S.Sriranjan, Kokuwil Hindu 0,SA (UK) 01494718430 Drs Shantini & Kandiah SVakunnar 0208 468 7181 Drs.Abhirami & Jayantha Arnold 01923 825235
Dr. Sittambalam - Thevy (Née) Hoole; Much loved and loving daughter of late Dr. Edwin and Kanagam Hoole, devoted wife of late Rajah; loving aunt who will be always remembered by Asha Fay (née) Murugesan), former Head Girl of
Vembadi Girls' High Sch-ool: Eye Specialist at Jaffna and Colombo Hospitals passed a way peacefully on 22nd April 2004 in London. Cremation took place on 4th May at Chiltern Crematorium, AmerSham, BuckS. Sadly missed and remembered with great affection by all her relatives and friends. UK inquiries 01494. 444 756.
Z
Eng Ramasamy Vijayaratnam, Head of the Dept. of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jaffna; son of the late Mr. & Mrs Ramasamy (Vijaya Stores, Nallur), son-in-law of late Mr. Kandiah (Kandiah & Sons) and Mrs Kandiah, lowing husband of Selva (Research officer in charge of Agricultural Research Station, Thirunelvely, Jaffna); loving father of Purushoththaman (Jaffna Hindu College), Toothiransali (Chundukulei Girls' College); loving brother of Vijakumar (Jaffna), Vijayadevi, Vijayarani, Jegaasothy (all of London); brother-in-law of Nathan, Sundarailingam, Thillainathan (all of London), Naguleswary (Jaffina), uncle of Anand, Meni, Luxey, Vasanth (all of London), Luxana (Jaffna) passed away peacefully at his residence in Jaffna on 2nd March 2004. The funeral took place on 4th March.
The family thank all relatives and friends who attended the funeral, Sent messages of their condolences and for their support during the period of sorrow. They would also like to thank the Staff and Students of the

Page 37
AY 2004
Agricultural Engineering Faculty of the University of Jaffna for organising the Services and speeches at the funeral
Fond remembrances of Anna from his SisterS.- 11
Bulstrode Avenue, Hounslow, Middlesex TW3 3AA, UK. Tel: 02085776377(Mrs Sundar), 0208 560 0375 (Mrs Nathan), 0208 230 0619(Mrs Thillai)
IN MEMORAMS
In ever loving memory of Pandithar Marimuthu Manickam, Headmaster on the first anniversary of his passing away on 27th March 2003.
No father is so devoted and caring, as you were No day passes by without thoughts of you Though we do not see you in your physical form We feel and touch you in every way, Our hearts still refuse to accept your demise As we never wanted to part,
Dearly loved, sadly missed and fondly remembered by your beloved wife Nagammah; loving children Kanthithasan, Sathia moorthy, Kanthimathy, indumathy, Indusegaran and Bhanumathy; sons-in-law, daughters-in-law and grandchildren. - 53, Sundale Avenue, South Croydon, Surrey CR28RR.
Santhirakanthan,
FORTHCOMINGS EVENTS
June 1 Waikasi Visakam 2 Full moon 5 Sankatakara Chathunthi 6 Stoneleigh Sri Rajarajeswari
Amman Temple Ther Festival 7 " " Theertham Festival
" " Poongavanam Festival “ “ Wairavar Maddai f Feast of St Barnabas f3 EekathaSi 14 Highgatehill Murugan Temple Kodi Eattan Annual Festival; Pirathosam 15 Karthigai 17 Amawasai 18 Festival Of St Romuald 21 Chathurthi;
Feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga 24 Aani Uthiram, Feast of the
Birth of St. John Baptist 27 Highgatehill Murugan Temple
Ther Festival 2 Highgatehill Murugan Temple
Thirtham Festival, Eekathasi
29 Highgatehill Murugan Temple
Thirukkalyanan Festival 30 Highgatehill Murugan Temple
Vairavar Maddai; Pirathosam At Bhavan Centre, 4A Castletown Road, London M/149HQ. Tel: 92073813086/ 4608. Website:www.bhavan.net June 123-4p.m. in LibraryLecture on Raja Ram Mohan Roy by Dr. B.P.Choudhury. All welcome June 126.30 p.m. in M.PBirla Millennium Art Gallery Sarod concert by Debojyoti Bose June 193 - 4 p.m. Lecture on Bakti Literature in Sanskrit by Dr. Gautham Pate! - All welcome June 203.30 p.m. Book LaunchReginald Massey's latest book Indian Dances - Their History Technique and Repertoire All Welcome
 

TAM TIMES 37
Release of Fine Arts books by late “Illyalisai Varithi” “Kavi Mamani” N.Veeramanilyer
This event was held at the London Sri Murugan Temple on Friday, 23rd April 2004 to release the following books by Sri N. Veeramani lyer:- "Natya Nadangal”, “72 Melakartha Thirumayillai katpagambal', "Thiru Ketheswara Kuravanjie' and Vinayagar Keerthanaigal'. It was graced by varied personalities representing the Tamil community consisting of those from the legal, business, religious and spiritual sectors, classical music lovers, the press and mass media.
Mr. Winal SOCkanathan presided and the Chief Guest was the renowned classical and film musician Sri P Unnikrishnan from India. In his speech, he praised the writings of Sri Veeramani lyerand added that he would Soon be singing some of his compositions on Thiruchendur Murugan (previously released) and Thirumayillai Katpagambal. The function befited the divinity and spiritual blend of the occasion, with the blessings of the High Priest, Kailai Siva Sri R. Naganathasivam Gurukkal, President Mr. Sampath Kumar and Trustee Mr. S.K. Ganapathy of thir Sri Murugan Temple. The first copy was presented to Mr. Karunamoorthy ofAyngaran international and the Gawrawa copy to Mr V. SivaSundaram Of MVestern Jewellers by the Chief Guest
Sri. R. Thirumurugan from Sri Lanka and a very Close associate Of the late Veeramani lyer was the special guest. He enlightened the audience that this release was the third in the series organised by Mrs Sivasakthy Sivanesan, Senior Lecturer in Carnatic Vocal Music and Veena at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, London who is strictly revering her Guru as in the “Guru Kula” days. He mentioned that the late Veeramani lyer had a number of students under his guidance, responsibility and care, but it was Mrs Sivasakthy Sivanesan who was the first graduate of Veeramani lyer, when he personally organised the Arangetram. He said that Mrs Sivasakthy Sivanesan has undertaken the great and sacred responsibility of printing all unpublished workS of her Guru which reflects the deep relationship that existed between the Guru and the students. This greatness is an example which should be fol/owed by everyone.
The audience's great love and respect for Yalpanam "Iyallisai Varithi' Veeramani lyer was explicitly displayed by the Spontaneous donation of E 1500. This initial contribution ensures that the publishing of all handwritten scripts in book form, for the benefit of Tamil speaking people all over the world to maintain and preserve from time to time. This will be co-ordinated by Mrs Sivasakthy Sivanesan.
The wide range of speakers Mr. Sathananthan of London MuruSu, Mr. Mahalingasivam of Anjal, Mr. Rajagopal, Editor of Puthinam and well known carnatic (continued on next page)

Page 38
38 TAMILTIMES
singer and teacher Smt Mathini Sriskantharajah (who dwelt on the technical aspects) made it clear that all his works are a mine of social, spiritual, cultural and literary wealth. Special emphasis was made in the book reviews about the choice of words, unification of poetry, ethics, rhythm, pattern of beats, innumerable analogies and Superhuman Skills
of the author which appealed to Scholar and Common man alike. They made it a point to mention the need for preserving all his valuable and dedicated WOrks in Whatever ways the Tamil diaspOra, from all over the World Can, for the benefit of the present and future generation's heritage of Tamil Culture and fine arts.
Selvabaskeran
First Anniversary Remembrance
in loving memory of Sithamparapilla Thiru chevam, beloved husband of Dhanapathy, beloved father of Shamini and Shanjeev on the first anniversary of his passing away on 5th May 2003. We are truly blessed to have had such an exceptional father whose guidance and love Can Still be felt today. His good heart, delightful innocence and every-ready Willingness to help people touched all those who knew him. He WaS the innately generous, eternal optimist who possessed an awesome understanding of Hinduism, Tamil Culture and Philosophy.
He was one of those rare individuals who dedicated most of his free time, energy and reSources for the betterment of the community, (Having such an understanding and supportive wife was a God-send.)
Our father's vision and pioneering spirit was evident as soon as he came to England.
He was the first person to Screen Tamil films in the U.K. He was the first Sri
ankan to organise charter flights to and from Sri Lanka, As the Vice President and a Founding Member of The London Tamil Sangam, he was the first to bring worldrenowned artistes of music, dance and drama (such as M.S. Subulakshmi and Kumari Kamala) to England. He also brought the Indian President Rajaji.
The determination to ensure that Tamil Culture thrived, led him to establish the first Tanil School in the U.K. - The Wimbledon Tamil School. Mr. Anandaraja shared the same ethoS for a Tamil School and Worked With Our father for a brief time before emigrating to America. He also delighted in personally teaching the Tamil language and culture to children for many years. All the excellent teachers of language, Vocal music, Veena, Miruthangam, Flute, Violin and Bharathanatyam at the School, Shared the same dedication resulting in a Wonderfully happy environment conducive to learning.
In addition, our father was sought out by the Mauritius community who came from all over England to attend his Tamil Classes at the Highgate Murugan Temple. He was devoted to various temples and as the Chairman of the Social and cultural Committee, he organised many cultural events.
One of his interests was, in the Words of Dr. S. Pasupathy Raja (a dear friend) "fostering and promoting Saivaism." He was greatly
 

MAY 2004
involved in the building of Highgate Murugan Temple, particularly in encouraging membership and cultural programmes.
He was a great friend who was positive in his ways. When we were depressed, he would cheer us up with his thoughts. He would say that he was born optimistic and would not let anything dampen his hope or enthusiasm. We Should take a leaf Out of his book and do like Wise. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Wisdom and Purity of the heart are priceless treasures, Which Our father had in abundance, There is So much more good he achieved Which We have not Written about, but everything culminates to the fact that he is cherished in countless hearts and minds. Such a loving father and devoted husband was a gift for which we are eternally grateful
- Sharmini and Shanjeev
The following are a few of the many tributes paid to our father.
Il met Thiru Soon affer ! arrived in London to assume office as High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in the U.K. From that time, till his passing away, we remained in Close Contact.
Thiru's life Commands attention as much for what he was as an individual as for What he did.
There was no trace in him of hubris, flamboyance or thrusting aggressiveness. He had in the words of the poet "borne his faculties so meek." While pursuing his career as an accountant, he also devoted himself diligently to the task of enriching the Cultural life of the Tamil community in London. He Was associated With the initiative to build the Highgate Murugan Kovil and was a founding member of the London Tamil Sangam.
In the evening of his life, he could have looked back with Satisfaction on a life
well-lived and full of purpose. ln addition, there were grounds for deep gratification. Shared with his wife Dhanapathy at the laudable success achieved by the two Children in their chosen fields of Work and endeavour the son a career diplomat with the British foreign office and the daughtera microbiologist and an accomplished vocalist in carnatic music.
I wish to quote some of the most relevant Words of Lord Krishna with regard to the nature of life in this WOrld (corporealife) and the inviolable, imperishable eternal life-Soul that dwells tranSiently in the mortal body,
Just as the dweller in this body passes through childhood, youth and age, so at death he merely passes into another kind of body.
That Which is non-existent can never Come into being and that which is can never Cease to be,
Bodies are Said to die. That which possesses the body is eternal. It cannot be limited or destroyed.'
By Mr A.T. Moorthy, (Former High Commissioner for Sri Lanka)
One year has passed Since our "Thiru" left uS. His memories have ingrained and stabilized in the thoughts of all the Hindus living in the North of England. Thiru was a man who dedicated his time, energy, money and efforts for the development of the Hindu religion. He had been instrumental in the development of many Hindu temples in the United Kingdom. We the trustees of the North England Murugan temple of Yorkshire are indebted to Thiru for the services offered by him. He whole-heartedly supported our temple project since its inception 10 years ago ir 1994. Thiru took a lot o' initiative, advised the Trus: Board on the methodo-logy and the concept of poojas anc abishehams, travelled all the way from London and brough:

Page 39
AY 2004
in Murugan with Valli and Theiwayanai in his own veh-icie together with a leading priest in London.
He negotiated with the Archway temple trustees and the Indian architects and donated a Kalyanamurugan to the North England Sri Murugan temple.
We the Hindus of the North of England will never forget Thiru throughout our lives. We sadly miss Mr Thiruchelvam and pray to God for his Soul to rest in peace.
From: The Board of Trustees, North England Sri Murugan Temple, West Yorkshire.
My family and I have known Uncle Thiru and his family for over 25 years. He was one of my family's closest and dearest friends. So my perspective on uncle is unique to my experience but the feelings within it I'm sure would permeate the mind of anyone who had the good fortune to know him. They say that a measure of a person's success is how many lives they touch and influence. I am Certain that there are many people who, like me have very fond memories of uncle Thiru, because he touched all our lives With the Same brush of love, humour and Charm.
Let me begin with a simple statement - Uncle Thiru was one of the most remarkable individuals that I have ever had the privilege to know and no eulogy - no matter how heartfelt - can ever begin to do him justice.
I was very fortunate to have interfaced a great deal with uncle and in particularl enjoyed immensely the many long and interesting conversa-tions we often had. They were filled quite literally with his experience, strength and hope. Jncle Thiru has influ-enced my life a great deal, particularly in helping me shape my outlook on life. He was one cf those people who would always be willing to advise you - and you would now that any advice he gave always rad your best interest at heart. He had a certain charm and warmth, rarely seen among those in our com-munity, and his relaxed, friendly and informal approach crew you to him. For me personally, I aways felt confident in his presence, a eeling 1 rarely experi-ence among other e "ders in our com-munity Like most amils of my age group, my fondest emories of uncle are those when I was oung and atte-inding Tamil school. Lost of my recolle-ctions as a youngster are centred around the Tamil School. Every Saturday, 2:00 pm at the Wimbledon Tamil School, uncle Thiru sould be there with his great smile, orange juice and custard Creams. His tatience, care and love for the children
at the School was sc He had a way with rare in Our COm-mut 1 personally wa child, but always fo be calm, patient a raging. He never passed judgement, best Side of an ind tried to bring that ot ln the past 6 mor several meetings to of our tamil youth ti Crime and violence. lack support and er Senior members of ironic that during on | met another Wimb old boy'andweboti may have also turr behaviour' if it had t like uncle Thiru to S and provide the youngsters need.
I think I can Safe my generation woulc identity if it had not b He was like the 'God for us, the first ge Tamils. It was throug exposed to our T. language, music anc Carnatic music has of the Tamil SChoo Uncle Thiru I had the miruthungam. I re functions at the Wi and The Merton Ha young Tamils perfor dance and musicas Cultural event - alth it was not onl school days that During my adult life he would often di career, always p positive, sound St encouraging and su really had a greati rare to find Som generation willing knowledge and younger generatio. with whom you paSSion, Without fé without fear of be youngster' who do is talking about.
l could go on Stories of how he their ambitions a space will not pert just like to say, th community has individual. But it mind that despite Thiru, he has left b in the happiness

TAMILTIMES 39
mething very rare. se youth that is so ty.
quite a naughty ind uncle Thiru to d always encouCriticised, never ut always saw the vidual and always
'hsl have attended discuss why some day are furning to My view is that they Couragement from our community. It's of these meetings edon Tamil School discussed how We ed to anti-social tot been for people upport, encourage security that all
ly say that many of have lost Our Tamil een for Uncle Thiru. father of Tanillness neration of British gh him that we were amil heritage, our i dance. My love for ts roots in the days l, where thanks to opportunity to learn member the many mbledon Town Hall II where many of us med Tamil readings, part of the school's anks to Uncle Thiru. 7 during the Tamil
remember Uncle. Whenevers met him scuss with me my roviding me with 'ggestions, always oportive. His advice npact on me, as it's one from Uncle's p impart such great xperience to the . He was someone could argue with ar of offending and ng put down as 'a esn't know What he
ind tel many other helped others fulfil d goals in life, but it. To finish I would It l believe that the pst a really great should be borne in he passing of Uncle hind a family unified their memories. A
daughter and son who will carry his message and qualities forward to another generation and in that we can all be assured.
Uncle Thiru was a great warm hearted, generous, loveable person. Those of us who knew him will never forget him. We will always remember the joy it was to know this fine man, the joy to hear the things he said, the smiles he shared, his kindness and how he laughed. That is how we will remember him.
God bless you Uncle Thiru and watch over you and God bless and comfort those you love.
By Dr. KVairavamoorthy
Australian NeWS letter
There is an ascendance of Cultural activities in all major cities in Australia after the commencement of this Chithirai Puthuvarudam. Arangetrams are on an upsurge and it is not just Bahrathanatyam but also that of classical instrumental and Vocal. No doubt, it is a heartening trend that mirrors the keenness of Tamil youth in art and Culture. Institutions and individuals endeavouring to promote Tamil art forms among youngsters deserve to be applauded and also for conducting regular cultural evenings, which obviously is a cultural bonanza for the community at large. Melbourne witnessed Tamil art and literary functions during the past month. The event held at the Preston Town Hall was a Colourful occaSion with classical dance performances, in Strumental and Voca music and traditional stage play. Sri Ramakrishna Vedanta Society in Australia established a facility for congregation in Melbourne recently. Inauguration ceremony witnessed daylong activities and Swami Sridharananda, President of the Vedanta Society in Sydney delivered a special discourse on the occasion. Sri Matha Amiritanandamayi Devi, a spiritualist hailing from Kerala in South India and reverently addressed by her devotees as AMMA toured Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Gold Coast during the past month. She regularly tours Australia and has a significant following not just amongst the decedents from the Subcontinent but also in the wider Community. Chinmaya Mission in Australia rendered a series of lectures and discourses on ancient Scripts, epics etc. VS Naipul, an internationally acclaimed novelist of Indian lineage, toured Australia and delivered lectures in the East Coast.
S.Sitsabesan, Melbourne

Page 40
40 TAMILTIMES
An Appreciation
K.B. RATNAYAKE
I was very sad to note the headlines in the Daily News of 01 May 2004 in the inter-net announcing the passing away of my dear friend K. B. Ratnayake at the age of 80. A couple of months back l mourned the passing away of his beloved wife Vivienne. His departure, I believe, marks the exit of the last of the Old Guard of the original SLFP
My first acquaintance with him was in 1953 When I was a teacher at Anuradhapura Central School. One day at the Government Services Sports Club a dashing, tall, handsome young man came riding his motorbike. He was then working as a surveyor at Polonnaruwa. My first reaction was that this young man was destined for a far greater future than the post he was holding. I next came into contact with him in 1963 when he was M.P. for Anuradhapura and I was transferred from Jaffna Central College as Acting Principal of Vivekananda Maha Vidyalaya in Anuradhapura. Mr. Ratnayake had made his debut into politics the previous year winning the by-election for the Anuradhapura electorate on the SLFP ticket. The by-election was caused by the untimely death of Mr. Sirimevan Godage.
From the very start, Mr. Ratnayake set about his job as a people's repreSentative in all Seriousness. He had his secondary schooling at Hartley College Point Pedro under the tutelage of that illustrious educationist, the late Mr. K. Poornampillai. There he excelled in both studies and Sports and captained the cricket team. He always remembered his Alma Mater With affection and gratitude and helped the school in many ways. The core basic principles of sports - total discipline, hard work, commitment, sense of fair play - all these he brought into the new game of politics and the success of his political career which culminated in his post as Speaker of the tenth Parliament would be the final testimony to his place in the country's history. He was the only Speaker to have made the inaugural speech in all three languages. His fluency and delivery of speech, (in all three languages) spiced with wit, rhetoric and humour was par excellence.
The electorate of Anuradhapura
With its historit Cosmopolitan on races - Singhal and Burghers. It tive with great co do the balancing, Ortrouble, and M. this with consumi eleven years of n in Anuradhapura friendship which years. I had the closely as he de events. He had interacted with h Calm manner e annoying situa courage of his c those who sought Sible for him to do this course of at everyone, but in appreciate his hor with public servar was always friend their first names a talk to them in eit To the Tamils it listen to him and ( element of perso very popular with t He never insisted down-to-earth W
problems paid
helped numerous even though he voted for the other intere Sted in fa Cultivation and net Il recal! SOm é placing his popu Order to do the courage of his co Wavered in his acti Would be his Stea his party. When th popularity in 1977, his seniors who de planned, other Mr. Ratnayake cor the party - sink o believed in the pe of all races, but a Voice in the Wilder, pity that there we, of his calibre in the a peaceful solutic ethnic Crisis.
After holding h for fifteen years, h, elections was a big still was the malig
WWW.armaSSOCiates.co.uk - use

MAY 2004
hoary past was a
representative of all se, Tamils, Muslims eeded a representapetence and Skill to avoiding displeasure Ratnayake achieved late ease. During the /service as Principal I had developed a has lasted all these hance to Watch him alt with people and a fine memory and S ConS-tituents in a ven in the face of ions. He had the On Victions and told favours if it was posit or not. Sometimes tion did not please the end they could esty. His relationship tS was excellent. He y and called them by nd made ita point to her Sinhala or Tannil. was a great treat to onverse freely. This nal touch made him he Tamil community. bn formalities and his ay of dealing with nim dividendS. He people in many ways, (new Some of them party. He was deeply rming and paddy ver forgot his roots.
instances of his arity on the line in right. He had the nvictions and never OnS. The best tribute dfast attachment to e SLFP had lost its there were Some of serted the party and strategies, but tinued to remain in swim. He strongly aceful Co-existence las his Was a lone lessl it was a crying e not many people government to find to the intractable
s seat continuously defeat in the 1977 blow to him. Worse ing campaign laun
Ched by his political opponents accusing him of having instigated and directed the violence in Anuradhapura during the 1979 riots. After a few days l met him in Colombo and We talked for about three hours. He challenged the Sansoni Commission to Come Out With any such evidence but not a shred of evidence to support the charge emerged. Mr.A.Amirthalingam latertendered an apology to Mr. Ratnayake on the floor of the House. He was successful in the next General Elections and Sat in the opposition until his election as Speaker in 1994 - a post he held until 2000. He was later appointed Governor of the Central Region from where he retired as ill-health incapacitated him. During all these years he corresponded with me regularly. In 1995 when I was in Colombo formy sons wedding (at which he was the attesting witness) at his invitation, my wife and 1 spent a week's holiday with him at Mumtaz Mahal. Later the following year when he went to Zimbabwe to attend the Parliamentary Speakers' Conference, he paid a private visit to me to Eastern Cape, South Africa. He spent a week as my gues: and I arranged with the Speaker of South African Parliament, Mrs. Ginwala and the Premier of the Provincial Pari. iament of Eastern Cape, Mr. Raymond Mhlaba to meet him and fete him at lunch Along with my friend Kumar Fernando C. Magwa Tea Corporation, l arranged for a lunch (at the Holiday Inn in Umtata) a: which the Sri Lankan communit. honoured him. The last time I saw hir WaS When he took leave Of me at the EaS London airport, South Africa.
Apart from the many favours and Services he had done to his COinStituents, Mr. Ratnayake will be long remembered for his in valuable Contribution to sports country-wide, for the building of stadiums, for the sold groundwork he prepared to have Sri Lanka included in the ICC, for the personal interest he took and for the encouragement he had given numerous athletes and sportsmen.
He leaves behind his four children - Dhammika, Malkanthi, VaSanthan and Ranjit and their families and thousands of mourners. While joining them ir mourning over his loss, let us take Consolation from the fact that he has hac a very good innings and has departed a trail of glory.
KJEGANATHAN.
Auckland New Zealanc
ul links - ARM Online insurance

Page 41
WAY 2004
Seychelles Newsle
April saw two major events happen in the Paradise island of the Indian ocean. The first was the Swift and smooth hand over of power and the Second was the further reinforcement of the already existing inter communal harmony in the country by the visiting global KATHAK dancer group from India.
३
劾
ينخضة
3۔عہ
(Left to right Chief Justice Vivekanand Aliyar, former President Rene, new President James Michel)
President France Albert Rene (69), he architect of the present Seychellois society was the president of Seychelles or the last 27 years since assuming cffice in July 1977 after a silent coup cetat. He headed the one party state and saw the emergence of the multicarty state since 1993. Following the cotsteps of Nyrere of Tanzania and 'elson Mandela of South Africa, Presicent Rene unilaterally handed over the snip of state to the vice-president James tichel (59) at a simple ceremony at the State House on 14th April.
The Kathak dance couple on stage
The traditional tions was held in th Bahais Spiritual As April emphasising Diversity which re. dance and music 1 groups to the jam-p audience. The highl the one hour preset dance forms by the led by Abhimanyu a who were here O, exchange program,
From Lito R Messe
Naganatha Siv and Poet On 2nd May 20 adjoining London Sham witnessed a occasion of the laun Tamil Poet S.G.Girid
continued from page would adopt a giv reach a consensus of the commitment ma kyo aid conferenc assistance to Sri La changed. The prosp of the stalled peace ernment and Sri La cent times. Howev foreign aid pledgec ence would be di progress made or stressed. Powerful bomb Timely action by ti Colombo led to the erful bomb. It had b “C4” explosives wei and was concealed line under the r Bandaranaike Maw Lanka Japan Frie
 
 
 

TAMITMES 41
tter
new year celebranewly constructed sembly hall on 18th the theme Unity in lected multifarious Drns fron different acked multi-cultural ght of the show was tation of the Kathak world famous group nd Vidha Lal couple 7 an inter-Cultural
e.
Sivasupramaniam
aunch
)S
Muruga
ళ్ల
8ff84fiofáil.
S.V.R.Ramanathan, am, P.P. Kanthan S.Giridhar 04, the Navalar Hall Sivan Kovil in Lewinotable event, the ching of UK resident har’s “Thiru Murugan
Paamalai", an anthology of devotional poems on Lord Muruga, by four London based organisations: World Hindu Mahasangham, Tamil Heritage Foundation, Art Lovers International and Tamil Women's Organisation.
After an invocation by Mr. Subramaniam and Ms. Selvi, Prof. S. Nagasubramaniam welcomed the gathering. The compilation was released by Brahmasri. Naganatha Sivam, Head Priest of the London Murugan Temple and the first copy was received by Dr. S. Dandapani. Mr. P. P. Kanthan, in his presidential address, likened the fervour with which poet Giridhar composed and submitted his poems at the feet of Lord Muruga to Sri Adi Sankara's dedication in composing his masterpiece "Soundarya Lahari" and placing it at the feet of Goddess Sakthi.
Mr. V.R.Ramanathan, Mr. R. Rajagopalan, Mr. Bala Ravi and Mrs. Sita Venkataraman, who spoke thereafter emphasised the literary merit of the compositions numbering seventy two and the deep shades of meaning contained in them. Dr. Geetha Subramaniam's illustrative drawings adorning the publication came in special praise.
The function Concluded with a Cultural programme of Music and dance. The musical rendering of some of the poems was initiated by Mr. PPKanthan and completed by Mrs Harini Raghu, Mrs Lalitha Padmanabihan, Mrs Jayanthi Sundar and Mrs Lalitha RanaSubramaniam. This alone with the Bharatha Natyam recital by Miss Swathi Seshadri comprising three items on Lord Muruga, seemed to accord with what Bharathiyar wrote "Paatum Seyyulum Kothiduveere, Baratha Natyam Koothiduveere'
- Devika
35 2-and-take attitude to this issue, Akashi said de by Japan at the To: to provide financial nka would remain unect for the resumption alks between the Govka has increased in rer the disbursement of
at the Tokyo Confercided based on the
the peace talks, he
detected: May 19 - e Grandpass police in etection of a very poween manufactured with ghing 7 kilos 750 grams inder the main oil pipeilway underpass at atha, adjoining the Sri ldship Bridge, in the
Grandpass police area, scoording to police SOU ICCS.
Grandpass OICCI Danthila S. Jayasinghe, who visited the scene to unearth the cache of explosives, said he could not ascertain the motive behind the bomb being placed there. The bomb was so powerful, that it could have devastated a great area of the city. CI Jayasinghe obtained the services of the STF bomb squad to defuse it.
Police said the explosives were packed in a tin casing, weighing 800 grams, with ball bearings and shrapnel weighing 3 kilos 400 grams with "C4" explosive weighing 3 kilos 450 grams. The bomb was minus the detonator and was found along with six grenades.
Police believe that it could have been concealed under the oil pipelines, adjoining the railway line, to be moved elsewhere later. This bomb could have lain there for years without being detected, the police said.

Page 42
42 TAMILTMES
 

MAY 2004

Page 43
AY 2004
CO
BO| air faire MA
direct cAI
(valic
Call u
O2O 834
218 Archway Road, Highg
0. ae FaX 08703: මාදීහූ Email - infoOholiday
.R с مصرAz
The P:GHT people to do business with y
MAN * 8. AGEN FOR رZ5 ک త్ర/స్లో
Preferred Main Agent for Colombo, Madras & F
ColombO Return £478
GET A FREE TRIP TO ANY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING DESTINATO
adras, Trichi, Travandrum, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta or H
Qatar Special offer بہت شکریخ "Airways from E 380
i RANSFER
နှီပြုနိုဂျို့မြို့ 31 5
- Ol' JO KAMA * t;
این این AO e O2O 876 | ඝ FAX: 020 8767 5991, MC 鬥置 E-MAIL: infoGsk
 
 
 
 
 

TAMIL TIMES 43
OMBO MBAY DELHI E329
)RAS v CUTTAIDHAKA E369
for travel 11 Apr - 31 May 04)
S O
O 2121
late, London, N65AX MVawm ww.swww.a. 500153 | | &&ایے
'S2Srilanka.com IATA
82 MTCHAM ROAD
| TOOTING
SW179NG
SP ÉS KE YT
RMÄROMÄÄN MA; Vg Ek*co F4%& aruda adonesia
arEast 矛 Cyprus Airways
Colombo 335
CYPRL jS
W. Return ttaxes QATAR AIRWAYS Flight
6/6d. Accommodation To Dubai
Airways
4 nights = E28O +Taxes plр
3 People Sharing
RAKUN
7 7775 EBLE 07850 876921 |
75766
booker.com

Page 44
aLSLLLLLK S S LLLLLLLLS SS SLLLLLS YLLLLLLYS
GLEN CARRIERS
The most trusted in the bl MoST comPETITIVE AIRFARES To coLOM
NBELIEWABLE OFFER FROM
SRILANKAN AIRLINES TO SKYWARD MEMBERS Fly to Colombo. Only - Surrender of 10000 Points
ECONOMYCLASSE250
í BUSINESSCLASS E935 súa
BUSINESS CLASS 15000 POINTS "
Walid 10 APR — 30 JUN
SHIPPING AND AIR FREIGHT SERVICESTOCOLOMBO Holy
AND OTHERWORLDWIDE DESTINATIONS GALLE FACE
NEXT SALNGS Ε22 08 MAY W’ETA COLOMBO - 27 MAY PERPERSON 22 MAYETCCOLOMBO-2JUNE SHARING
| | THE MOST EASYCLEARANCE OF YOURCARGO OBE FOO" ATOUR MODERN BONDED WAREHOUSE L.
LAIKSIRISEVA LLS LLSL LLL SKaSSS0S SSL LLLLSSLLLLLL
LL LLLL LSLLLLLLLS LLLLL SSL LLSSSLLLSL LSSLLSLSS S SLSSL 不 |4 Alle 020 8743 7353
Sawsiwn
TRAVEL Preferred Main Agent for Cc
Colonno o
ノ GEA FREE TI
TO ANY ONE OF THOSEF Sri Lankar DESTINATIONS
Madras, Trichi, Trivandru 47 8 Bangkok, Kuala Lu Ε + tax Jakarta or Hong K
CYPRUS AIRWAYS Ro ... Colombo Return ( C
$$$$$$$ E335 * Truxas complimi
Оп Сургшs Alгways
siAI:
MANAGENT FOR 119 HIGH STREET, TOOT O2O SOE
mobile:O7850 www.skywings.co.uk
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

LTD
SrTeSS
to & oth ER worLD wiDE DESTINATIONs
RAWIEGES HIIPPING GEZANIR FRELIGHT TG32||
E MEERSCOF EE =C= N SERVICE TOTTHESRLANKAN COLT
S S - H - SRI LANKAN C-FTAF KUWAIT AIR AIRLINES AIRWAYS 1 Apr-15. From CC aa aLLLL LLMCLL S LYL S L L L LS LLLLL tLT LMMLLTT Colombo Drily IETEKTIENETIETEEEEEE| || i Gjul - 3 Aug From 505 Walkirkolah 'candition APply || Emr-i Emil From {5:;" ಇn: ||
-15July From ETR Dr. From 槛 FM. It in E isoclide Ficle. 26 Aug.-O. Dr. From ET | ET GULF AIR
O Dec-24 Dac Fron E54) II I II in E
11 Apf-Jul Frumit5 5- ಙ್ಗ-4 FE-TD. Fort Ju-22 Jud From
FREE EXTEHIM TÓ; 23 Juli = Aug From E55 s:համար: R || Peթեցնեն Սs || ::-: ::: ,
BANKGKTKH HG KIX, Fl- 15 Aug - 19 Nņy FromĖS, AKARTALADRA5, TFTEDRUM, F0. Hú - 2 hluw Frull LL5 TRICH BÖWEWAY'DA DELHI. 3. Nuu - : Fr DTI 50
Ünhy Thus År Pybl Do TEFITE: Dec-2SOc From 55
5 frilankarı Aires
--بوت۔
SLink.in
--- III:
e= Batarگر تEf அெ Alгways
| Way, off Warple Way, Acton, '408.379,02087490595,0208743735
incarriers.aol.com Website: http://www.glencarriers.co.uk
ாா
Czech
"APPOINTEDAGENT OR LION AIR
S SLKSSSLL SSSLLLLLL
SLSSLSLSSLSLSLSSLLLSLLLLSS KSLSSLSSLS LLLLSLLLLS
Royal Jordanılan
Փ
Kuwal Alrwys Saud Arabaları Allimə
ப்ொ
London, W3CRQ 3, Fax: 020874O4229
Gs .
AGENT
olombo, Madras & Far East
RIP
QATARAIRWAYS
+ Flight ,/ހީހެމް OLLOWING ACCommodation
To Dubai ಙ್ಗಣporo |4 nights = £280+Taxes plp Ong, 3 People Sharing
YAL JORDANIAN CATAR ARWAYS зloпbo SPECIAL FARE TO COLOMBO Return 31 5. Taxes 2ெ From £380+ Taxes
linn ELSINES: S5
ಙ್ಗx il ATman FromT E1050 +
--.ே
: .li lil L پيل كېږيك2
.da III || H. L. I m s 11. " ܠܐ
(NG, LONDONSW17 OSY >『ー ●]]l
176921 (24 hours)
balasskywings.co.uk
"Atmini ulimi
- .
- - - -
ETE