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NOVEMBER 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
Tanil
TIMES
ISSN 0266 - 44 88 Vol. XXIII N0. 11 NOVEMBER 2004
Published by: TAMIL TIMES LTD PO Box 121, Sutton, Surrey SM13TD United Kingdom Phone: 020 - 8644 0972 Fax: 020 - 824. 4557
Email: admin(atamiltimes.org editor(a)tamiltimes.org p.rajanayagamGDbtconnect.com Website: http://www.tamilitimes.org
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Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or publishers. The publishers assume no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs Or artwork.
CONTENTS
No breakthrough O3 Peace process - deadlock 04 News Review O7
Lanka facing exchange Crisis 12 Call to stop political killings 12 LTTE opposed to defence pact 14 Oslo declaration, a bad dream 17 The disputed Oslo declaration 20 Living in fear - child soldiers 23
People and politics 29 News Track 31 Yasser Arafat-A warrior's end 36 Classified 37
N
The recent visit b Norwegian facilitators Envoy Erik Solheim, Government of Sri Lar remained in abeyanc there was no breakt without much to plea The weeks before arose in respect of a Balasingham, to the separate state in the ment Contained in a b( raising the question W within a united Sri La retreated from that CO just prior to the visit b exchanges of statem atmosphere and dive ing talks. So much so was receiving were r expectations.
Following the late ment and the LTTE, t parties are committec talks, but disagree on that pending a finals Northeast should be basis of its ISGA pro pared to consider any the Governmentis por provisions go beyond the LTTE should first ment also wants talk interimauthority is se It would appeart through the Norwegi Lankan Presidentalc the government's coa opposing the peace partners should conv the peace process.
Many have poin essential prerequisite because of their Sect two major Sri Lankan problem is the posit governing coalition. consensus' for ther consensus falls upor therefore, to depenc national interest and Since the suspe Japanese special er tween Oslo, Tokyo, L tens of thousands of deadlock betweenth resources that must peace envoys takes publicity itself gener the peace process. E not materialised the In this context, it may whether it would be shuttle-diplomacy m Sion Cameras.
 

TAMIL TIMES 3
lo breakthrough
the Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Peterson and other key including Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen and Special evived hopes of a resumption of peace talks between the ka and the Liberation Tigers of TamilEelam (LTTE) which have since April 2003 when the LTTE unilaterally withdrew. But rough and the Norwegians returned, if not empty handed, ed with for their strenuous endeavours. the Norwegian visit was overshadowed by a Cotroversy that statement attributed to the LTTE's chief negotiator, Mr Anton effect that the Tigers had not given up their struggle for a xercise their right to external self-determination. This stateok authored by Mr Balasingham received widespread publicity hether the LTTEwhich had agreed to explore a federal solution hka at the third round of talks in Oslo in December 2002 had mmitment. That such a public controversy should have arisen y the Norwegian Foreign Minister was unfortunate in that the ents in this respect by both parties somewhat poisoned the ted them away from focussing attention on the issue of resumJan Peterson prefaced his visit by saying that the signals he ot positive and that their visit should not generate too many
st Norwegian visit and their discussions with both the Governneposition of the parties would appear to be as follows: both to upholding the ceasefire; both parties are willing to resume the agenda for the resumption of talks, both parties are agreed olution to the conflict, an interim authority to administer the created; LTTE insists that any resumed talks should be on the posal without reference to any other document, but it is preamendments that the Government may propose during talks; epared to recommence talks on the ISGA proposal, but as its the federal structure to which the LTTE had already committed, reiterate its commitment to a federal solution; and the Governs to commence on the final political solution shortly after the t up, but the LTTE does not agree to this course.
hat the LTTE leader also sent a message to the Government ans to the effect that the LTTE could not depend on the Sri one to take forward the peace process in view of the fact that lition partner, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and others are process, and therefore the government and all its coalition by to the LTTE their unified stand, their consensus in support of
ted out the Critical need for a "Southern Consensus" as an for reaching apolitical solution to the ethnic conflict. Up to now, arian partisan rivalry, reaching such a consensus between the political parties has remained an unfulfilled hope. Added to this on of the JVP which plays a significant role in the present Now that the LTTE has raised the requirement of a 'southern esumption of peace talks, the challenge of reaching such a the leaders of these parties. The fate of the peace talks seem, on the willingness and ability of these leaders to act in the reach a Consensus. nsion of peace talks in April 2003, the Norwegians and the voy Yasushi Akashi must have made dozens of journey's beondon, Colombo and Kilinochchi in northern Sri Lankatravelling miles. Not much has been achieved in terms of breaking the 2 parties in return for the enormous amount of time, trouble and have been deployed in this endeavour. Everytime a visit of the place, it is accompanied by a huge amount of publicity and the tes hopes and expectations of a breakthrough and progress in ut the sad experience is that these hopes and expections have 2by undermining public confidence in the peace process itself. be well for the Norwegian facilitaors and the parties to consider more purposeful and productive to undertake their tasks in rediscretely away from the glare of media attention and televi

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4 TAML TIMES
PEACE PROCESS
NO breakthro tOVVards tall
The much publicised Norway's latest bid to kick start Sri Lanka's faltering peace process ended without a breakthrough despite the efforts made by its facilating team comprising Foreign Minister Jan Petersen, his deputy Vidar Helgesen, Special Advisor Erik Solheim and Ambassador Hans Brattskar.
During the two-day visit which commenced on l l November, the Foreign Minister and his team had many meetings and discussions with Government leaders, including President Kumaratunga and Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, the leadership of the LTTE including its leader Veluppillai Pirapaharan. After a second round of talks between President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Petersen, the president's office said in a statement the Norwegians had briefed her on their meeting with the Tiger leadership and their views on resuming talks. "The president agreed the government will remain in close contact with the Norwegian facilitators on the question; she thanked the Norwegian foreign minister for the continued commitment of Norway in the facilitation of the Sri Lankan peace process,” the statement said.
Both the Government and the LTTE in separate statements reiterated their commitment to maintaining the Oslobrokered truce that has been in place since February 2002.
Ten days ealier, the Japanese Special Envoy Mr Yasushi Akashi had visited Sri Lanka and had discussions with all concerned parties including government and LTTE leaders with a view to getting the parties to the negotiating table.
At a meeting between Japanese Special Envoy Mr. Yasushi Akashi and the head of the LTTE's political division Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan on 1 November, Mr Akashi had emphasized the necessity for resuming dialogue in the interest of Sustaining the momentum of peace built over the last two and a half years. Mr. Akashi told the LTTE's political head that his discussion with the Sri Lankan President made him feel that she was genuine in her
commitment to the therefore he would e too to enter negotiati delay.
Responding to M Mr.Thamilchelvan S remains firmly comr process and it is exa that the proposal for a erning Authority (IS to the Sri Lankan g Colombo had not yet ess to resume talks, a sincerity and commit only.
“Parochial politic of consensus in the the peace process an livery to the war aff northeast', , Tamilche Mr. Akashi. It was helvan had reported Lankan Government the unconditional su main opposition to peace process, sinki considerations.
Even before the : egian envoys in Col ersy had broken ou statement by Mr Ba LTTE was not bound ration' of 5 Decembt LTTE had agreed w of Sri Lanka to explo within a united Sri L. which the Governm position that the it w; talks on the basis o proposal provided public commitment “Oslo Declaration”.
As the controve wegian FM prefaced mbo with a warning expect anything dra the peace process an ofa breakthrough we quoted as saying,“B ived from the partie I do not have high

NOVEMBER 2004
ugh {S
peace process and ncourage the LTTE ons without further
r. Akashi’s concern, aid that the LTTE mitted to the peace ctly one year today un Interim Self GovGA) was submitted overnment but that indicated its readinthough it expresses ment in mere words
al concerns and lack south are delaying d humanitarian deected people of the elvan reportedlytold time, Mr.Thamilcly said that the Sri seriously considered pport offered by the take forward the ng narrow political
arrival of the Norwombo, the controvt over the reported lasingham that the by the “Oslo Declaer 2002 whereby the ith the Government re a federal solution anka. In response to ent had asserted its as willing to resume f the LTTE'S ISGA the LTTE made a that stood by the
rsy raged the Northeir visit to Colo
that no one should matic to develop in d that the prospects re dim. Petersen was ased on signals reces over recent weeks, expectations, but in
difficult situations it is even more important to keep engaging with the parties'.
It is understood that during their discussions, the Norwegian Foreign Minister had sought to persuade the LTTE leader to make statement to the effect that the LTTE was willing to abide by the Oslo Declaration and the Oslo Statement, and that it was willing to accept a Federal structure as a final solution. No such commitment was forthcoming and the LTTE leader is reported to have told the Foreign Minister, And Prabhakaran replied saying "ask the Sri Lanka government to make a statement that they have the consensus of the south and to ask whether the JVP supported the Government in discussing an interim self-rule authority for the north and east'.
Reporting what Anton Balasingham told a news conference following the discussions between the LTTE leadership and the Norwegians, the LTTE's Peace Secretariat website said,
"Mr. Balasingham said that contrary to expectations and speculations, the facilitators did not bring any special message from the President that may be classified as a "breakthrough'. Continuing further, responding to questions from the media Mr. Balasingham had this to say: "Though there was no special positive message, the facilitators did indicate that the President is of opinion that the discussions on ISGA, if that is to be the basis of the recommencement of talks, should necessarily be an integral part of the final resolution and therefore a process linked to the final political negotiations.
“We have made our position very clear in the same way as we have been consistently maintaining from the time of handing over the ISGA proposals about an year ago. It is wrong to link the ISGA with the final resolution because the former is directly and solely intended to addressurgent humanitarian needs and the devastation caused by war and the latter is a political process that necessarily involves longer period of time and necessary ground work in the existing constitution for which the southern polity is not yet ready. This position of ours, we are told by the facilitators, would be conveyed to the President tonight and a feedback provided to us in course of time. It is only after receiving such a response, we would comment on the feasibility of early resumption of talks or otherwise.
“Discussing core issues, an exercise the Tamil people have been used to for

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NOVEMEBER 2004
the last 50 years or so, interspaced with solemn pacts and agreements, all of which were abrogated unilaterally by successive governments, is, according to Tamil thinking, a futile endeavour. It is only because of this and in view of the urgency of institutionalising a humanitarian delivery mechanism appropriately embodied by us in the ISGA, we reiterate the necessity to bring on board such an effective mechanism prior to entering into a complex political negotiation.
"Much is being talked about an Oslo declaration. There is no such declaration. In fact after every round of peace negotiation, a statement was issued by the facilitators with the concurrence of the parties. In one such statement it was mentioned that the parties would explore finding a solution based on a federal principle. It is therefore nota declaration per se as is being interpreted widely. Mr. Prabaharan has, in almost all of his statements in the Martyrs Day every year said that the LTTE would negotiate for viable alternatives fulfilling the aspirations of the Tamil people, preserve their freedom, dignity and self-respect. This is based on the principle of internal selfdetermination and if that is denied to exercise the right of external self-determination.”
“When it comes to the President's visit to India and her statements made therein to the effect that the LTTE is delaying the recommencement of talks, we strongly deny this position and would only say that it is the constraints that the President has in bringing together her constituent partners in government, especially the JVP that is opposed to the peace process and a negotiated settlement that causes the delay.'
Following discussions the LTTE leadership had with the Norwegian delegation, Mr Balasingham said, “We have conveyed our stand to President Kumaratunga in a confidential document through the Norwegian Foreign Minister. Whether anything significant comes out or not will depend on the response given by the President to our communiqe.”
Asked as to the contents of its communique, he said, “All I can say at this stage is that the Norwegians wanted the communication to be confidential until a response is given by the Presidential secretariat.”
“The LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran last Friday in his meeting with the Norwegian Foreign Minister, specified that the ISGA proposal is not a blue
print. We explained delegation that the L every word in the agr mented,” Mr Balasin, Asked as to whi anyway had changec ISGA had to be insti the LTTE resumed p government, he said," nment and the intern are aware that the L administration, with own police and its ow difference is that thi by the government. is that the governm acceptance of the IS the peace table to begi on the ISGA.'
Mr Balasingham the LTTE's legal ex examining the ISGA of the objections rai ment.
Mr Balasingham talks would not be government of Presid long as the JVP stood is no consensus with towards a political Set of the Tamils. There is by the government fi needs of the north ea is no consistency in reaction to the ISGA Returning to Col gian delegation met W aratunga, who was ac eign Minister Lakshn a lengthy discussion night dinner. Nothin reported excpt to S Kumaratunga had pro ment would “remain i the Norwegian facilit views on the steps to the resumption of dire the Government of S
Speaking to the meeting with Tamil N MPs on 16 Novembe chelvan said, "The S ment and all its coalit convey to us their l consensus in support ess. The Sri Lankan g tion partner, Janatha and others are oppos ess. Therefore we ca. Sri Lankan Presiden Ward the peace proce leader conveyed to th

TAMIL TIMES 5
to the Norwegian TTE did not expect eement to be implegham said. ether the LTTE in its stand that the tutionalised before eace talks with the No. Both the goverational community TTE runs its own
its own army, its in legal system. The S is not recognised The LTTE demand ent formalises its SGA and approach in discussions based
also confirmed that perts would be reproposal in the light sed by the govern
also said that peace possible under the ent Kumaratunga as lin her way. “There in the government tlement to the cause s no provision made or the humanitarian stern Tamils. There the government's 9
lombo, the Norwevith President Kum:companied by Forhan Kadirgamar, for followed by a midg more a fresh was ay that President omised her Governn close contact with lators on "the LTTE be adopted towards :ct negotiations with ri Lanka.'
press after having a sationalist Alliance r, Mr. S. PThamilSri Lankan governion partners should unified stand, their t of the peace procgovernment's coaliVimukthi Peramuna ing the peace procnnot depend on the t alone to take forss. This is what our le Sri Lankan Presi
dent through the Norwegian Foreign Minister. Our leader explained our stand on the peace process very clearly to the Norwegians. We are prepared start talks on the basis of the ISGA unconditionally.”
Ranil ready for talks with CBK
In an unusual positive development, Opposition UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is reported to be ready to hold a series of talks with President Chandrika Kumaratunga to take the peace process forward, party spokesman G.L. Peiris told a press briefing on 16 November. Addressing a news conference Prof. Peiris said a consensus among the major parties on the main issues was imperative to resume the peace process and Mr. Wickremesinghe was ready to offer his assistance to President Kumaratunga.
He said that while Mr. Wickremesinghe was ready to hold talks with the President she should work out a common Stand with the JVP and other UPFA partners. He said the government should not use the peace process to achieve a political agenda and should not use extra constitutional means to change the constitution after removing the Speaker.
Previously, at the request of the President, opposition leader Mr. Wickremesinghe and President Kumaratunga met in Colombo for discussions on Tuesday, 2 November. At this meeting the President had urged, Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe to participate in the all party National Advisory Council on the peace process to find a solution to end the island's ethnic conflict.
A press release by the Presidential Secretariat said that the President briefed him on the proceedings of the National Advisory Council for Peace and Reconciliation (NACPR) held on the previous day and on plans for future meetings of the Council.
The President emphasized the importance of the UNP's participation in the Council and requested Wickremesinghe to reconsider the party's decision for nonparticipation in the NACPR.
The opposition leader drew particular attention to the UNP statement on its position regarding the Oslo Declaration and communiqué and the Tokyo Declaration and emphasized the urgent need of early resumption of peace talks on the basis stated by the UNP. He reiterated that there was "a clear agreement between the government and the LTTE to explore a federal solution as the basis of a political resolution of the ethnic conflict'.

Page 6
6 TAMIL TIMES
The discussions were informative and constructive and covered number of matters relating to the peace process. The President and the opposition leader agreed that they would continue to meet from time to time.
NACPR meets
National Advisory Committee for Peace and Reconciliation (NACPR), a group formed by Sri Lanka's President as a mechanism to introduce inclusivity in the peace process, met on 1st November. Opposition United National Front (UNF) and TNA did not accept the invitation to join the NACPR.
The first meeting of this Political Committee of the National Advisory Committee for Peace and Reconciliation (NACPR) washeld on Monday 1st November, 2004. Two representatives from each political party represented in Parliament had been invited to attend these meetings. President Chandrika Kumaratunga made the opening address at this first meeting held at the BMICH, Colombo.
The Religious Committee of the NACPR met on 2nd November at the same venue. Religious dignitaries from Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Catholic and Christian communities participated in the deliberations. The first meeting of the Committee on Civil Society of the NACPR was held on 4th November; professionals from business, academic and nongovernmental organizations were invited and attend the meeting.
These committees have been set up to deliberate on an ongoing basis on issues pertaining to the peace process, and advance understanding and reconciliation among different communities. At regular intervals these committees will submit their views and conclusions to the plenary sessions of the NACPR.
The committees will address several themes related to pursuing a just and durable peace in the country. These themes will include - the commitment to peaceful and non-violent means for resolving the violent conflict; the urgent need for effective development in the conflict-affected North and East; the importance of political reform that will lead to a permanent peace; and the strengthening of human rights and pluralism.
Representatives of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), Communist Party (CP), national Unity Alliance (NUA), Mahajana Exsath Peramuna (MEP), Ceylon
Workers Congress (C of the Sri Lanka M (SLMC) participated
Mahanayakes call ti
Meanwhile, the Asgiriya Chapter M requested the oppositi Party (UNP) to mak tions at the National for Peace and Recon and forward proposal end of the North-E Mahanayakas are of UNP participation at mensely needed at th when the Governmer to bring a lasting sol important issue.
The Malwatte Chi the Most Ven. Tibbot gala Thera and the Mahanayaka, the Mc Sri Buddharakkitha T the duty of the UNP remesinghe to explai on this issue to the p try. The Mahanayake of the UNP when K UNP Parliamentarian ma and UNP Chairman krema met the Buddh
Battle lines are dra"
The relationship Kumaratunga Sri Lai lim party, the Sri Lar gress (SLMC), her on lition partner, has de warfare. The SLMCh President Chandrika I and nail, after she SLMC MPs into her them ministers recent
“The battle lines President have been d to carry the battle righ In the next elections 500,000 Muslim vote Said SLMC leader Rau that Kumaratunga ha trying to meddle with ing splits in it, buying ening the Muslim co doing all this only fo vival. Because of that moral right to goverr cause of her actions, h would not attend the National Reconciliati President Kumaratung a consensus on the

NOVEMBER 2004
WC) and dissidents Auslim Congress in the conference.
UNP
Malwatte and the ahanayaka Theras on United National e their representaAdvisory Council >iliation (NACPR) s in order to see an ast conflict. The the view that the the NACPR is imis crucial moment it is trying its best ution to this most
apter Mahanayaka, uwawe Sri SumanAsgiriya Chapter yst Ven. Udugama nera said that it was eader Ranil Wickn his party's views eople in the couns made this request urunegala District Rohitha Bogollaga1 Malik Samarawicist prelates.
W between President hka's largest Muskan Muslim Cone time ally and coaveloped into open as decided to fight Kumaratunga tooth lured three more camp by making ly. between us and the rawn. We are going t to the Presidency. , we will see that s do not go to her,' lff Hakeem. He said d a long record of the SLMC, creatoff MPs and weakmmunity. She was rher political surshe was losing the l, he claimed. Bee said that his party next meeting of the on Council, which a had formed to get peace process and
talks with the LTTE.
After one of the SLMC MPs, Hussein Bailadefected some monthsago, three more SLMC MPs, out of the original ten, defected to take up non-cabinet ministerships in the government. With thesedefection, the SLMC's strength in parliament has come down to six. The newest defectors are MN Abdul Majeed, Abdul Rishard Badiyuddin and Ameer Ali Shihabdeen.
The defection of the three has given the Kumaratunga government l 18 members in a parliament of 225 members.The government thus has a five member majority.
The government had started off in April this year with only 106 MPs. But since then it had got the Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) with 8 MPs; and 4
MPs of the SLMC to join it by offering
ministerships and other offices. Presently, the breakup in the Sri Lankan parliament is as follows: The ruling group comprises the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) 105; Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) 1; Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC)-8; Defectors from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC)4. Total:118.
The opposition comprises the United National Front (UNF)-69; SLMC-6; the Jathika Hela Uurumaya (JHU)-9; the Tamil National Alliance (TNA)-22; Upcountry Peoples' Front (UPF)- 1. Total
07.
The AshraffCongress applauded and welcomed the courageous and realistic decision taken by the three MPs of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress to join with the Government.
“This is a wise decision in the correct direction taken at the correct time; supportive of the aspirations of the majority of the people and of the objectives of the President and the government in uplifting the country from its present predicaments and taking the country towards Peace and Development”, said the Leader of the Ashroff Congress, S. Subairdeen in connection with the three SLMC MPs joining hands with the Government and taking oaths as Ministers.
S. Subairdeen further stated that the three MPs namely, Rishard Badurdeen, Najeeb. A. Majeed and Ameer Ali have taken the rational and pragmatic decisions, whereas the leader of the SLMC has failed to realize the wisdom of taking such a decision, which would eventually benefit the country at large and the co mmunity they represent. O

Page 7
' NOVEMBER 2004
to JVP aiming for power
As of now the Janatha Vimikthi Peramuna (JVP) may be the junior partner in the ruling coalition headed by the SLFP, but its leaders are
determined to remain so for long. They entertain high hopes forming a government of their own in the not too distant future.
Speaking at a well attended meeting held on 13 November to commemorate the death of the JVP's founder leader, Rohana Wijeweera, and others who perished in the two insurrections the JVP launched - 1971 and 1981-1989 - the party leaders claimed that they were on the road to ultimate political triumph and would form a government of their own without having to play second fiddle to any other party. To drive home the point, the party's General Secretary Tilvin Silva asserted that the JVP had grown from strength to strength injust a few years - winning just a single seat in Parliament in 1994 to 39 seats by 2004. He called upon the party's rank and file to be ready to make sacrifices to make the JVP's victory "over all reactionary forces' a reality.
The current leader of the JVP, Somawansa Amarasinghe who had been in self-imposed exile for a number of years from 1989 and returned to Sri Lanka in the run-up to the last general election, in a rare display of self-criticism, ventured to make critical comments about the late founder-leader who was uncritically glorified during his lifetime when he exercised unquestioning authority over the organization and all its activities. On this occasion, Mr Amarawansa conceded that Rohana Wijeweera had strengths, failings and weaknesses just like all other mortals. There were some doubts and questions as to how Rohana had conducted himself after he was arrested on November 12, 1989,
O President asked to name names
President Chandrika Kumaratunga has assured the Judicial Services Association that her recent speech was distorted and she did not intend to accuse the entire police and judiciary of corruption. Earlier, the Executive Committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) yesterday decided to write to President Chandrika Kumaratunga, requesting her to make available whatever information she had on corrupt judges to the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) and other relevant authorities such as the Bribery CommisSO.
The BASL decision came in the wake of a recent comment made by President Kumaratunga while addressing the National Advisory Council on Prevention of Crime. She was reported to have said the Sri Lanka's judiciary and the police were a corrupt and there was no use of trying to hide the fact adding that that even Transparency International had said that the police and the judiciary were the most corrupt institutions in the country. She said the two institutions meant to maintain law and order were both corrupt. She further reportedly said that the Attorney General too had endorsed this view.
The BASL at its executive committee meeting held on 13 November also unanimously took the view that it could not totally agree with the President's remarks that the entire judiciary was corrupt. The committee had felt that any institution had its quota of black sheep, but that did not mean everyone was corrupt. A sweeping condemnation as that made by the President was unfair and undermined the confidence the people had in the wholejudiciary. The BASL in a statement said it was "greatly perturbed" by the recent public statement made by the President that the judiciary of Sri Lanka was corrupt. The Bar Association said it did not agree with the statement and that the association had confidence In the judiciary as a whole.
 

TAM TIMES 7
At a two-hour meeting with judges on 16 November, the President said that in her recent speech to the National Advisory Committee of the Prevention of Crime, she had only quoted a report issued by Transparency International regarding corruption in the police and judiciary. The President said some were trying to misinterpret her speech and hence she would send recorded copies of her speech to the Chief Justice and Court of Appeal and senior High Court judges. The President said she appreciated the services rendered by judges despite the lack of facilities and other problems but she added there were some judges who made mistakes. She said salaries paid to judges were inadequate and action was being taken to rectify the situation.
O One island, but two countries
President Kumaratunga's governing party or Ranil Wickremasinghe's UNP, despite their differences, or for that the "international community' may be all of one view that a political solution to the ethnic conflict should be found within a "united Sri Lanka'. However there is another key player involved in this conflict, the LTTE which certainly does appear not hold the same view. According to the Sunday Times (Colombo) correspondent, Frances Bulathsinghala, the LTTE's viewpoint is that there are already in existence "two countries'. According to his report, a leading member of the LTTE had reportedly referred to the Northeastern province controlled by the Tigers as a "separate country'. Mr S Pulidevan, the general secretary of the LTTE's Peace Secretariat, who was a member of the LTTE team that toured Geneva and other European countries last month had reportedly told the correspondent that they had clearly told officials of those countries that there were two countries and not one. "If they did not know earlier now they know for certain that there are two different armies, two different legal structures, two different police units and two entirely different governments," Mr. Pulidevan had said adding that the LTTE had also impressed upon officials in European and Scandinavian countries they visited that it was only the LTTE which was concerned about the welfare of the Tamil people.
"We want the international community to be aware that we have our own country. This was the purpose of our visit. We also wanted to inform them that rehabilitation work in the region of Tamil Eelam is only carried out by us. These officials now know that there two different countries with two different governments," Mr. Pilidevan had said.
It is also reported that the LTTE delegation during its recent European visit has stipulated that funds allocated by NGOs for projects in the Northeast should be sent to the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), an NGO said to be run by LTTE members. It is the TRO that distributes money for the projects that it promotes. This strategy would presumably give the LTTE control of funds provided by foreign countries and institutions.
O Chopper rides
Despite the peace process remaining deadlocked amidst accusations and counter-accusations as to which party is to blame for the state of affairs, the continuing chopper rides provided by Sri Lanka Air Force to Tiger commanders have become a subject of critical comment in the Colombo media.
The Sunday Times (14 November) reported that a Sri Lanka Air Force Bell 212 helicopter took off from its base in Hingurakgoda, near Minneriya, on Friday, 2 November, on a special mission. The first touchdown was in Batticaloa. There Banu

Page 8
a TAMILTIMEs
(Somasekeran Sivananthan), the military wing leader for the district boarded the helicopter with two colleagues, Marshal and Kukanthan. The LTTE leadership had tasked Banu to restore full military control in this eastern district following the defection of its former commander Karuna. The helicopter then took off from Batticaloa and headed northwards. Some twenty minutes later, it landed in Sampur in the Trincomalee district. This village alongside Kattaiparichchan and Mutur overlooks the Trincomalee Harbour. Boarding the helicopterthere was Sornam (Soosaipillai Joseph Anthonydas), military wing leader for Trincomalee, and colleagues Sudaroli and Ragulan. Sornam was moved to Trincomalee to replace Pathuman (Sivasubra-maniam Varathan), a close associate of Karuna. The SLAF helicopter was airbome again with six Tigerson board. It later touched down at the Central College Grounds in Kilinochchi.
The request from the LTTE for the provision of this helicopter facility to transport its commanders had come only a after the failure of the Norwegian delegation in their latest bid to resurrect peace talks between the Government and the LTTE. Their leader Velupillai Prabhakaran had summoned a meeting of "area commanders' and the presence of the military leaders for Batticaloa and Trincomalee was felt essential.
Meanwhile, the LTTE re-opened its first two political offices in the Batticaloa district, which were closed following a series of reported attacks by the Karuna faction. Military sources said two offices at Kalladi and Ariyampathy were opened in the morning of 15 November without any fanfare. They said the LTTE expected to open another two offices at Arsadi and Mamangama, which were now being repaired.
At last week's meeting attended by the security forces and the SLMM, the LTTE had said it was going to reopen its political offices in the district and had requested security for these political offices. The security forces' representatives had agreed to provide the requested security and said they did not objecting to the re opening but advised the LTTE not to hoist Tiger flags at the offices as they were in government-held areas
Meanwhile, the LTTE leadership has appointed a senior LTTE leader Ambumaran as the Political Head of the district with effect from yesterday. The post was kept vacant since the killing of Senadirajah a few months ago by Karuna loyalists.
O Court ruling against JHU
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court has ruled that the expulsion of Parliamentarian Ven. Apparekke Punnananda Thera from the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) to be invalid.
Delivering the unanimous judgment agreed by the rest of the Bench Justice Nihal Jayasinghe observed that the Court could not accept the position of the respondents that the petitioner had been a member of the first respondent party Jathika Hela Urumaya since respondents had failed to produce any proof to this effect, and "in the absence of such evidence it was not open for the JHU to ask the petitioner to show cause."
The judge further observed that the MoU signed between the JHU and six monks on February 17 to use the name and the symbol of the JHU at the then impending General Election would not be confined to the six monks, as contended by the JHU.
He noted that at the General Election held on April 2, nine candidates fielded by the JHU were returned as MPs. Therefore, the JHU should have fielded more than nine candidates at the election. It was evident that the JHU had not objected to field more than the six candidates at the Election and the JHU could not claim that MoU had been confined to the six monks.
Earlier, it was submitted on behalf of the dismissed monk that the MoU signed between the JHU and six monks extinguished whatever power the JHU had, to expel the petitioner even if the

NOVEMBER 2004
petitioner had been an implied member of the JHU. It was contended that since the petitioner was not a signatory to the MoU, he could not be bound by the contract entered by two parties although he had contested at the Election. The petitioner stated that he was informed by letter dated August 18 that the Central Committee of the JHU had decided to expel him from the JHU, on the basis that he acted in violation of the party Constitution. The petitioner stated that the decision was illegal and had no force since the JHU had no constitution. He further claimed that he was only a member of the "Uttaritara Sanga Sabha", and was not a member of the JHU. The petitioner sought to determine the expulsion to be void and sought to continue as a Member of the Parliament.
O Alleged military buildup
The dispute over the alleged military buildup in the Trincomalee area in eastern Sri Lanka seems to be raising its head again. The Defence Ministry has informed the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to inquire further into the LTTE military buildup around Trincomalee harbour since the Ministry cannot agree with the report submitted by them in this regard, according to Defence Secretary Cyril Heart. He claimed that at a meeting with SLMM Chief Trond Furuhovde on 15 November, the Army had provided additional information to the SLMM to further inquire into the matter since it was felt that the report submitted by the SLMM was lacking some information. He said the Defence Ministry has information from the intelligence reports and also from other sources about the existence LTTE camps in those areas.
"We do not agree with the SLMM that there are no LTTE camps around the Trincomalee harbour," Herat said adding tha: "the ministry handed another report with detailed evidence abou: the LTTE build-up around the harbour based on intelligence."
The SLMM following a complaint lodged by the Defence Ministry regarding the alleged LTTE military build up around Trincomalee harbour began investigations into the matter anc handed over their report to the Peace Secretariat a few weeks back
The Peace Secretariat had later handed over the report to the Defence Ministry for its consideration. In their report, the SLMM indicated that all the LTTE installations the truce monitors visitec were located well within the LTTE controlled areas and the truce monitors had not found any indication of an LTTE military builc up around the harbour.
O Tigers acquire air-power?
Nov 7-The LTTE has acquired two aircraft and a helicopter says a London-based prestigious international think tank. The irternational Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) says in its lates. publication that the Tamil Tigers are equipped with a light helicopter, the Robinson R44 Astro, and two light aircraft whose make has not been identified.
In its annual publication "Military Balance 2004-2005", IISS states that the LTTE has "1 Robinson R44 Astro lt (light) helicopter plus 2 lt ac (aircraft) for recce and liaison".
The IISS also states that the Tigers are reported to have some anti-tank guided weapons and surface-to-air missiles (SAM) besides being equipped with 122mm, 152mm artillery and 120mm mortarS.
Asked for more details on the capabilities of LTTE aircraft and whether they could be armed and, if so, with what weapons Colonel Christopher Langton, Editor of Military Balance and Hea. of the Defence Analysis Department, told The Sunda : Times(Colombo) that he could not "supply this information at th: moment.”
However, Col Langton did explain the linking of the Work
(continued on next page

Page 9
NOVEMBER 2004
Deacock: Amisma
between goals and expec
Jehan Perera
Despite their inability to secure a pledge from the Government and LTTE to resume peace talks, the most recent visit by the high powered Norwegian delegation to Sri Lanka, comprising its Foreign Minister and other top facilitators, revealed that the peace process was in a stable condition. It is certainly unfortunate that the stability that exists today is the stability of a stalemate. But this is much better than the situation that existed 3 to 6 months ago, when there seemed to be the terrible prospect of a relapse back to regular large scale violence, and even war. At that time the rising incidents of violence, such as the attempted assassination of Minister Douglas Devananda inhis ministerial office in the heart of Colombo, and the battles fought in the east between the LTTE and
its breakaway group, seemed to threaten
the very foundations of the ceasefire.
There were two positive features stemming from the Norwegian delegation's visit. The first was that Foreign Minister Jan Petersen was able to meet with both the government and LTTE leaderships, and was able to communicate their expectations and concerns to each other. Where there is no direct communication between parties in conflict there is a greater likelihood of misunderstandings that can give rise to additional problems. Peace talks have been stalled for over 20 months. The need for communications between the two sides is very high, and especially so where the LTTE
leadership is concerr itive feature is the Minister's investme reassurance that No to Sri Lanka and it main high. Going government and LT ciate the facilitative the peace process.
Among the rea process has remaint generated into wal would be the amo support provided to as an exclusive No. 2000 has now grow officially includes J EU. Not even the ch. in April and its proa get Indian participat the country has dir the international three global superp of the Tokyo Don pledged USD 4.5 b nomic aid to Sri L The government a aware that their co dependent in signifi the material and fin international comm
Deadlocked
But the fact rel process remains at: tor that emerged m inability of the
(continued from page 8) Tamil Movement and the World Tamil Association with the LTTE, as shown under the head "Selected Non-State Armed Groups". "The World Tamil Association and the World Tamil Movement are identified as “front” organisations for the LTTE. The LTTE may operate abroad under those names sometimes, but this is considered to be fairly rare." The two names do not designate other armed groups linked to the LTTE., Col Langton said.
It has been suspected for some time that the LTTE was trying to obtain some air power and the discovery of an airstrip somewhere in the Wanni earlier this year appeared to clinch the suspicion. However, no outside agency, particularly a think-tank also dedicated to accessing and logging the
military capabilities armed groups, had s the presence of aircr LTTE. While the n aircraft is not in the information is availal helicopter. It is beli veloped by an Americ facturer Robinson f the R22.
The R44, which delivered in 1993, is capable engine and a fast, high performal and is said to have a 1 easy to maintain at a understood to have a km/hour and a servi
treS.
 

TAMILTIMES 9
ed. The second posNorwegian Foreign nt of time. This is a rway's commitment s peace process reby the words of the TE they both appre; role by Norway to
sons why the peace d intact and not de, a primary reason unt of international it. What started off wegian initiative in n into a process that apan, the US and the lange of government ctive role in trying to ion in the defence of minished the role of peace makers. The lowers are co-chairs or Conference that illion worth of ecoanka in June 2003.
und LTTE are both bntinued strength is cant measure on both ancial support of the
unity.
mains that the peace a deadlock. One facost clearly from the latest Norwegian
of states and non-state o categorically stated aft in the hands of the lake of the two light public domain, some ble about the R44 Astro ved that this was dean aeronautical manurom its early version,
was first produced and believed to have a more higher capacity. It is a ce 4-place helicopter ugged reliability and is low cost. The Astro is cruising speed of 209 :e ceiling of 4265 me
O
facilitative effort to secure a breakthrough in the peace process was the unwillingness of the government and LTTE to budge from their respective positions and make a deadlock-breaking concession to the other. The essence of conflict resolution is to work out mutually beneficial solutions that make both sides better off. But this requires an ability to put oneselfin the shoes of the other, see problems and issues from the other's perspective and a willingness to adjust one's own position so that the problems faced by the other are reduced.
Unfortunately it appears that the Norwegian facilitators have been unable to persuade the government and LTTE to show more solicitude for each other's difficulties. The LTTE has remained adamant not to accept the government's requirement that the future rounds of peace talks should include a discussion of core issues and final solution. This would satisfy the JVP and Sinhalese nationalist constituency who are deeply suspicious of interim arrangements that are not rooted in a framework that envisions a united Sri Lanka. The LTTE appears resolute about seeking a maximum of powers for the ISGA when it comes to negotiations.
A perusal of the LTTE's proposal for an Interim Self Governing Authority would reveal them to be separatist in orientation rather than unification-oriented. The ISGA proposal seeks to legitimise LTTE-created new institutions of governance for the entirety of the north east, even though they have no connection with institutions that exist in the rest of the country. Any peace talks that lead to the setting up of an interim administration on the basis of the ISGA alone would tend to consolidate their separatist orientation. This appears to be the LTTE's strong preference.
The LTTE has explained its reluctance to discuss core issues on the grounds that the government would use the core issues as a delaying tactic. But the irony is that the LTTE does not seem to mind the delay that is taking place in the peace process due to its intransigence on this very issue. This would deepen the suspicion of the government that the LTTE is, in fact, seeking to avoid a discussion on the core issues as it does not wish to have its ISGA proposal brought into a frame that is federal and united. On the other hand, the government itself appears to be having a yet not fully disclosed political agenda that blocks it from going into peace talks with the sincere intent of establishing an interim administration for the north east.There clearly

Page 10
10 TAMIL TIMES
needs to be some sort of interim arrangement made to ensure both legitimate governance and economic reconstruction in the north east pending a final settlement. It must be recalled that at the December 2001 general election, the victorious UNF headed by former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe promised not only a ceasefire but also an interim administration for the LTTE to run. It was on the basis of this electoral promise that the LTTE signed the Ceasefire Agreement with the former Prime Minister. It is reasonable for the LTTE to expect this promise to be delivered by the successor govennet,
However, it does not appear that the government is thinking in those terms of honouring the LTTE's expectations. The government is aware that any interim administration for the north east that is headed by the LTTE would be extremely controversial among the Sinhalese people. It could cause division and conflict among the majority of the people. In addition the government would not wish to cause a rift within its constituent parties, such as the Sinhalese nationalist JVP, as it seems to be contemplating an election or referendum in the coming year. The JVP has consistently been opposed to the devolution of power and an interim administration that is dominated by the LTTE.
There are signs that the government's priority issue at this time is the future of President Chandrika Kumaratunga who is in the last stages of her second and final term as Executive President, Whether her remaining term is for one year or two, is a politically contested issue. Therefore at this critical time it is unlikely that the government would wish to create controversy among the people and its coalition partners by implementing an ISGA as demanded by the LTTE. Instead the government would prefer to wait.
However, the government might wish to show the people and international community that it is serious about the peace process by engaging in other important activities such as giving publicity to the functioning of the National Advisory Committee on peace and reconciliation. But it would prefer to steer clear of negotiations regarding an interim administration that is going to be dominated by the LTTE. In turn this would deepen the LTTE's suspicion that the government's insistence on discussing core issues and the final solution are but a means to delay the implementation of an ISGA.
The analysis above would suggest
that the due to a com and narrow politica. government and LT prefer the present sta The government, for its Parliamentary ma cides that an interin the LTTE is intole government could changing the constit President Kumaratn, if it brings the issue ( istration into the coi On the other LTTE were to agree sues in addition to it would not realise its ing an interim admir fettered by the con sharing checks andl ism.
Objective interests of both parties
Getting back tot is very clearly in the of both the Governn The question is to f continuing to delay W efit greatly by resumi The Government back to the negotiati primarily from the c by the international donor conference of conference, the int pledged a very gener billion in aid over a f they made the disbur sum of money condi isfactory progress of The Government's recommencing the stem from its urgen inflow of substantial bridge the budget di ment's political fut depends on the revi the economy, which sharp inflationary present time.
On the LTTE's real need to get the p way. But for the L would be less intern nomic aid than in di their political and mi ground. Certainly, obt to bring the peace di suffering people oft be an important co LTTE. In fact they h tified their demand governing authority the basis of satisfyir

NOVEMBER 2004
bination ofmistrust agendas, both the TE would actually lemate to continue. instance, could lose jority if the JVP den administration to able to them. The lose its option of ution and ensuring ga's political future )fan interim admin1stitutional debate.
hand, if the to discuss core iss ISGA proposals it ambition of obtainistration that is unstraints and power balances of federal
he negotiating table objective interests ment and the LTTE. igure why they are then they could benng their peace talks. 's interest in getting ng table would stem ondition laid down donors at the Tokyo June 2003. At that ernational donors 'ous sum of USS 4.5 our-year period. But sement of that large tional upon the satf the peace process. primary interest in peace talks would t need to obtain an external funding to eficit. The Governure most critically val of the health of is being subjected to
pressures at the
side too there is a peace process under TTE, their interest ns of obtaining ecorectly consolidating litary control on the raining economic aid vidend to the longhe north-east would nsideration for the have constantly jusfor an interim self for the north-east on ng the developmen
tal and economic needs of the people. But the LTTE leadership has also made it clear, time and again, that obtaining political control is of greater importance to them than obtaining economic reSOCCS.
The LTTE's need to utilise any forthcoming peace talks, as a vehicle to strengthen their control on the ground, would have got more urgent in view of the crisis situation that exists in the east. After the revolt by its eastern commander Karuna, who broke away from the LTTE, there is a vacuum of control in the east. Most of the LTTE's political offices in Batticaloa remain closed, as they are vulnerable to attack by the Karuna group. But if the LTTE can obtain political control over the north-east, by means of an interim self governing authority, such as they have proposed, it may become easier for them to completely eradicate the influence now wielded by Karuna, his remaining fighters and his political party in the east,
The priority given by the LTTE to political and military control, as against economic matters, can be seen quite clearly in their proposals for an Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA). Only three of the 23 clauses pertaining to the ISGA are concerned with economic or developmental issues. These three clauses deal with the subjects of rehabilitation, reconstruction and resettlement. The balance 19 clauses are concerned with issues of political and military control and governance, such as the high security zones, the coastal waters, and law and order issues, elections, human rights and other governance issues.
Mismatch between goals and expectations
What the above analysis suggests is that there is a major mismatch between the goals and expectations of the Government and the LTTE. The Government seeks to obtain economic resources as its primary goal while the LTTE seeks control on the ground as its primary goal. It is this mismatch that is creating suspicion and doubt in the minds of the two parties, regarding each other. The LTTE's concern would be that the Government is only seeking to restart the peace talks in order to open the purse strings of the international donors. The LTTE would be suspicious that the Government has no real intention of providing the LTTE with an interim administration of the kind they seek, as an outcome of the peace talks.
On the other hand, the Government's concern would be that the LTTE's inten

Page 11
NOVEMBER 2004
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tion in restarting the peace talks is simply to obtain the implementation of its far reaching ISGA proposals. These proposals seek the legalisation of LTTE-created institutions, such as its police, judiciary and the proposed auditor general, although they will have no relationship to existing national institutions. The LTTE's evident unwillingness to consider linkage with national institutions, and the implication that they seek total control, makes the situation more difficult from the Government's point of view. The LTTE has recently been seeking to backtrack on the commitment they made at the Oslo round of peace talks in December 2002, where they agreed to explore a federal solution within the framework of a united Sri Lanka. The mismatch between the goals and expectations of the Government and LTTE, with regard to the peace talks, would stand as the biggest obstacle to their resumption. It is unlikely that the visit of the high powered Norwegian delegation to Sri Lanka this week can change this mismatch in the short term. In fact, the Norwegians appear to be cognisant of the challenge they face. Their Foreign Minister has already stated that their visit should not generate too many expectations. He has
pointed out that the ceiving from the part tive ones. The highly from the forthcomi ideologue Dr Anton tancing the LTTE fr sensus at Oslo, wou However, by utilisi cess to the very high of the two sides an nature of the misma facilitators can conti paring the ground fo There are two key where the Norwegia make a valuable col would be to convinc ship that the legitime posal hinges upon a within the parametel ment on federalism. amended to include ponent of federalism ble for any Sri Lan hand overparts ofth by an unelected, sep able organisation.
Norwegian positio The Norwegian particularly strong
 

TAMIL TIMES 11
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messages he is reies are not very posipublicised excerpts ng book by LTTE | Balasingham, disom the federal conld be one example. ng their unique acest in the leadership d, by clarifying the toh, the Norwegian ribute much, to prer future peace talks, areas in particular un facilitators could ntribution. The first ce the LTTE leadercy of the ISGA prowillingness to work rs of the Oslo agreeUnless the ISGA is the shared rule coml, it will be impossikan government to e country to be ruled arate and unaccount
facilitators are in a position to impress
upon the LTTE the need for a federal solution. At the very outset of their publicly announced entry into the Sri Lankan peace process, they announced the broad political parameters within which they would function. They publicly stated that their facilitation was conditional upon the two parties accepting a common framework of a united Sri Lanka in which Tamil aspirations would be substantially met. By agreeing to Norwegian facilitation and by entering into the Norwegian-facilitated peace process, the LTTE implicitly agreed to the parameters that the Norwegians set for their facilitation.
The second key area for the Norwegians to contribute to would be in respect of the approach adopted towards the peace process. Both parties would need to reorient themselves to approach the peace process in a manner that would ensure that both parties gain, rather than only one party gaining while the other party loses. The episode of the breakaway LTTE eastern commander Karuna, and the complicity of sections of the Government in it, would be an example of one party seeking to gain at the expense of the other, Certainly the LTTE was (continued on next page)

Page 12
12 TAMILTIMEs
Lanka facing exchange Crisis
Nov 11 - Sri Lanka has admitted it faced a foreign exchange crisis triggered off by
Rising global oil prices and a slowdown in aid flows due to the uncertainty about the peace process have triggered off a foreign exchange crisis in Sri Lanka prompting the government take harsh measures.
Taxes of 10 to 20 percent would be imposed on imported processed food, fruit, vegetables, perfumes, footwear, ceramic ware and household appliances to tackle the crisis, the finance ministry said. "This is one of the measures taken by the government to discourage the importation of non-essential items in view of the foreign exchange crisis faced by the government,” the ministry said in a statement.
It said surging world prices for oil had depleted foreign exchange reserves. Reserves had also been hit by slower development aid inflows, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka said, as a result of the stalling of a peace talks with Tamil Tigers.
Foreign donors who pledged 4.5 billion dollars in Tokyo in June 2003 have called for progress in the peace process before releasing the aid to be spread over four years. The rebels have rejected any linkage between aid and the peace process.
Sri Lanka last month sharply raised import taxes on cars,
Call to stop
political killings
Nov 1 - "Peace' ora Ceasefire that cannot prevent political killings and abductions cannot be considered as true "peace' or 'ceasefire.' We believe that the Sri Lankan Government and the International community should accept this reality, although. it is late now. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure the security and the "right to live' for the people of this country.The International community should also pressure the LTTE to stop these brutal killings and abductions rather than restrict their responsibility by issuing statements,' a joint statement, issued by the heads of the forum of political parties and civil organisations, against political killings and abductions said.
The joint statement was issued at the first meeting of the Forum held on 3 October at the BMICH in Colombo with the
(continued on next page ll) weakened by to this incident. But the covert support given to Karuna added to the mistrust between the two sides that continues to hold up the peace process to the detriment of virtually everyone.
Most scholars of peace processes, worldwide, advocate conflict resolution strategies in which there are mutual gains for both sides. A model to follow in this regard might be the Camp David Accords of 1976 that have ensured peace between Israel and Egypt for nearly three decades. At these peace talks, the US gov
ernment was the medi that Israel's interest Egypt's interest was ereignty. The US m. fact, that the interests differed, actually wo They mediated a settl rael gave back the Sin captured from Egyp militarised the Sinai. from the negotiations The CFA that ha ka's most precious pc the positive feature t
 

NOVEMBER 2004
vans and dump trucks, saying at the time the move was aimed at reducing pollution. But official sources said it was due to the foreign exchange crunch. Finance secretary P. B. Jayasundera said last month reserves had fallen to 1.9 billion dollars from 2.23 billion in December 2003.
Foreign exchange troubles have been aggravated by a fall in the value of Sri Lanka's rupee, which has tumbled over 7.0 percent against the dollar so far this year after remaining broadly steady in 2003.
On 10 November, Sri Lanka's central bank raised benchmark interestrates by half a percentage point amid rising inflation, a widening trade deficit and a foreign exchange crisis. The Bank raised its overnight repurchase rate from 7.0 percent to 7.5 percent and its reverse repo rate from 8.5 percent to 9.0 percent.
The move came two days after the finance ministry admitted for the first time that the country was facing a foreign exchange crisis and slapped higher taxes on luxury goods to discourage imports.
The Bank said inflation, which had eased from the start of 2002 and hit the lowest level of 3.7 percent in April, had begun to climb sharply. Inflation as measured by the broadbased Sri Lanka Consumers' Price index rose to 14.4 percent at the end of last month compared to 4.1 percent a year earlier. Trade figures were also worse than expected. The trade deficit widened to 1.57 billion dollars in the first nine months of this year compared to a shortfall of 940 million in the corresponding period last year.
participation offive political parties and six civil organisations. The statement said: "Political killings and abductions have become the order of the day in most parts of our country today. It is well established beyond any doubt that the LTTE is responsible for most of these killings and abductions, which are taking place not only in North and East of the country but also in places like Colombo and its suburbs. Members and supporters of Tamil political parties or any Tamil civilians who do not subscribe to the policies and ideologies of the LTTE are being systematically murdered. Further, there have been frequent reports confirmed by international Human Rights watch groups that school going children are being abducted and forcibly recruited for military training and activities of the LTTE. Muslim and Sinhala citizens in the North and Eastern province are also being victimized by the LTTE. It has become very common for the LTTE to abduct or kill civilians of this area who refuses to pay extortion as demanded by them.
All these political killings and abductions are committed by the LTTE since signing of the Ceasefire Agreement, which
tor and recognised was security while n its national sovdiators made this of the two parties rk for a solution. ment whereby Isidesert that it had
while Egypt deoth parties gained
become Sri Lansession today had at it enabled both
parties to gain. The peace process was strongest during its initial stages when the Government and the LTTE considered each other to be partners in the peace process. It was only when they began to see that their interests were opposed, at least in some areas, that the relationship began to suffer and with it the peace process also suffered. The facilitators must show the parties that there are negotiating options by which, economic resources, development and responsible autonomy can be found to meet their legitimate needs and expectations. O

Page 13
NOVEMBER 2004
has taken away the right of all other Tamil Political Parties to carry arms for their self defence, except the LTTE.
More than one hundred people have been murdered so far by the LTTE in this manner and thousands have been victims of their atrocities. The list includes former Members of Parliament, sitting and former Pradeshiya Sabha members and Chairman and political party heads and organisers. Former Member of Parliament Kingsley Rasanayagam was killed by the LTTE recently in the Government controlled area in Batticaloa District. A female LTTE cadre had made an attempt for a suicidal attack on EPDPLeader Douglas Devananda, in July this year. Had that attempt been successful, the country would have lost a prominent Tamil political leader.
In short, to date the LTTE has failed to abide by the conditions of the Ceasefire agreement.
The Ceasefire Agreement, signed between the then Government and the LTTE, has almost given free licence for the LTTE to murder Tamil politicians and civilians who are not in agreement with them or defy to abide by their dictum.
From the start, the Ceasefire Monitors have been silent spectators over these incidents. Unfortunately, in order to avoid any breakdown in the peace process, the Sri Lankan Government was avoiding any situation that would antagonise the LTTE thus placing the Government in a difficult position in carrying
Undivided SL India's aim
Following discussions with Indian leaders during the recent visit of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, a joint communiqué was issued the text of which is as follows:
Agreeing that "there could be no justification for terrorism, be it political, religious or ideological', India and Sri Lanka on Saturday (6 November) resolved to enter into a bilateral Defence Co-operation Agreement and a separate pact on the rehabilitation of the strategic Palaly airbase
India also reiterated its support for the process of seeking a comprehensive negotiated settlement acceptable to all communities in Sri Lanka within the framework of a united Sri Lanka and consistent with democracy and respect for individual rights.
“India maintains an abiding interest in the security of Sri Lanka and remains committed to its unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, India favours the early resumption of negotiations pertaining to the peace process. Any interim arrangement should be an integral part of an enduring final settlement that maintains the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and ensures the safety well-being and prosperity of the people,” an Indo-Lanka joint statement said.
"During discussions on the Defence Co-operation Agreementit was resolved that abilateral Defence Co-operation Agreement and the MOU on the Rehabilitation of the Airfield in Palaly would be signed between the two Governments on mutually convenient dates. The Indian side also agreed to carry out the refit of the Sri Lankan Naval Ship "Sayura" and underwrite the costs,' it said. The statement was released in New Delhi at the end of President Chandrika Kumaratunga's fiveday visit to the Indian capital.
"Both sides remain deeply committed to opposing terror

AMIL TIMES 13
out its responsibility of maintaining law and order in the country. This has resulted in a situation - where none of the law enforcing authorities was prepared to take any effective measures to prevent these political killings and abductions. This has lead to widespread fear and distrust amongst the people.
"Peace' or 'ceasefire' that cannot prevent these political killings and abductions cannot be considered as true "peace' or "ceasefire'. We believe that the Sri Lankan Government and the International Community should accept this reality, although it is late now. It is the responsibility of the Government to ensure the security and the "right to live" for the people of this country. International community should also pressurise the LTTE to stop these brutal killings and abductions rather than restricting theirresponsibility byissuing statements. Westrongly believe that any party that is genuinely interested in establishing peace in this country would come forward to do so.
The Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Tamileela Ikkiya Viduthalai Munnani (TIVM) Patriotic National Movement (PNM), National Bhikku Front (NBF), National University Teachers Alliance(NUTA), Neganhira Uadanaya, People's Artistes, and Students for Human Rights participated in the first meeting of the Forum.
ism in all its forms and manifestations. They agreed that there could be no justification for terrorism, be it political, religious or ideological. There was also a meeting of minds on the need for urgent reform of the UN system to meet global challenges. Including the expansion of the permanent membership of the Security Council, India expressed its sincere appreciation of Sri Lanka's endorsement of India's candidature for the permanent membership of the UN Security Council. They also agreed to cooperate in other forums, including the WTO."
"Both sides expressed deep satisfaction of the dynamism and energy in bilateral economic ties since the entry into force of the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISLFTA) in March 2000. Both sides expressed happiness that bilateral trade has exceeded USS 1.5 billion in 2003-04. Consideration will be given to establish a Joint Working Group to keep under review any practical problems arising out of the implementation of the FTA. They resolved to inject impetus to the process of further economic integration of the two economies by expediting negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries.”
"It was noted that India is the second highest tourism generating country in Sri Lanka and the number of Sri Lankan Airline flights into various cities in India has reached 77 per week, which is the highest number of flights to India by any airline. The relatively new destinations introduced are Bangalore, Hyderabad and Bodh Gaya.”
"The President of Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister of India agreed that the US$ 100 million credit line offered by India for the development of Rural Infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka would be used for setting up of vocational training institutes in various parts of the country ranging from the south to the north-east, rural feeder roods, water supply development schemes, community development projects, rural telephony and refurbishing of the road between Anuradhapura and Trincomalee, which is to be named the Rajiv Gandhi Amity Highway. The credit line is aimed at creating durable infrastructure and providing training and employment opportunities to

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14 TAMIL TIMES
people in rural areas."
*The utilisation of the credit line for USS 150 million for the purchase of petroleum products, signed on 15th October was also discussed.
"The two sides agreed to explore the possibilities of intensification of co-operation in the power sector."
"The two sides decided to expedite the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Fisheries, presently under consideration. While agreeing to continue with the existing understandings on the humane treatment and early release of apprehended fishermen, it was decided to constitute a Joint Working Group which could meet frequently to deal with issues relating to straying fisherman, work out modalities for prevention ofuse of force against them and the early release of confiscated boats, and explore possibilities of working towards bilateral arrangements for licensed fishing."
"The two sides noted that cultural exchanges is an area which has great scopeinbringing the two peoples together. There have always been an interest in each other's cultures due to the synergies and diversities, which offermany opportunities for fruitful co-operation. Boothsides agreed that the Cultural Exchange Programme, which was signed in October 2003, needs to be actively implemented."
LTTE opposes defence
pact with India
There was flurry of speculation that the much talked about Defence Co-orporation Agreement between Sri Lanka and India would be finalized and even signed when President Kumaratunga visited India early this month. But the joint communiqué issued following her visit stated that the Agreement was to be finalized to be signed in the near future, but no date was given. The communiqué also referred to the proposed Indian assistance to Sri Lanka in the project to refurbish and upgrade the Palaly Airport situated in northern Jaffna.
The LTTE has expressed vehement opposition to the proposed Agreement saying that such a pact would tilt the military balance that now exists between the LTTE and the Government in favour of the latter, and thereby prejudice the present ceasefire and the peace process.
In this connection, the LTTE's website quoted the chief political advisor of the LTTE, Mr Anton Balasingham, as saying, "Connected to this Indian visit is the collective Tamil thinking of the proposed defence pact that the Tamil people view that such an agreement is irrelevant during the time of a peace process, suspended though, but altogether not given up and therefore would tilt the military equilibrium, the underlying principle of the CFA. We have conveyed this collective Tamil thinking to India."
In a later interview with Colombo newspaper, Anton Balasingham had reportedly said, "As I said I cannot comment fully on anything positive coming out of the establishment of the new agreement between India and Sri Lanka. All I can say is that this is not the type of role the Tamil people wanted India to play. We wanted India to emerge as a country which understood the Tamil cause and which would play a positive role in the peace process. We cannot describe the joint agreement as something positive. All I can say is that nothing good will come out of the Joint Agreement with India. It is uncalled for."
 

NOVEMBÈR 2004
"The Sri Lankan side proposed that a lecture titled "Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Oration" should be jointly organised annually by the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS) and the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. The first lecture would be delivered by President Kumaratunga, it was also suggested that a unit be set up in the BCIS titled "Centre for India. Sri Lanka Studies". The Indian side welcomed the proposals."
"With regard to activities relating to Buddhism, the Sri Lanka side took up with the Indian side the possibilities of obtaining concessions on the entrance fees to Buddhist pilgrim sites in India and exemption of visa fees for Buddhist pilgrims Sri Lanka expressed appreciation for the Indian assistance to repair the Mulkirigala Temple at Hambantota and Thiruketheeswaram Temple complex in Mannar."
"It was noted with satisfaction that the Indian offer of a grant ofUSS 7.5 million to build a state-of-the-art Cancer Hospitalin Sri Lanka would be expedited by the visit ofan Indian technical team in Sri Lanka next week.'
"On the question of the Sethusamudram Canal Project it was agreed that an exchange of views on the economic and environmental aspects in relation to Sri Lanka would be arranged between the technical experts of India and Sri Lanka."
"I have no idea what is in the agreement. I just see the agreement as something negative. Nothing good could come out of it. We saw what happened when India last got involved in the Sri Lanka conflict. It had to send a large contingent of the Indian Peace Keeping Force. The Tamils fear that the government is readying itself to build up its military might with the help of India," Mr Balasingham said.
In the meantime, the LTTE has said that India should consultit before undertaking strategically important infrastructure projects in the North Eastern Province (NEP) of Sri Lanka, since these impinge on the lives of the Tamil people. The Tamil daily Virakesari (14 November) reported that the LTTE's political wing leader, SPTamilselvan, when asked to commenton India's willingness to upgrade the Palaly military airport in Jaffna and build a highway between Trincomalee and Anuradhapura to be called the "Rajiv Gandhi Highway', had said, “The Palaly airport is in the Tamil Homeland. India's plan to help upgrade it will upset the current peace process in Sri Lanka. The Palaly airport was built by taking over the Tamil peoples' lands. As for the Trincomalee-Anuradhapura highway, it is going to be built in an area, from which the Tamils were driven out to enable the Sinhala people to settle there. Tamil refugees from this area are still languishing in Mullaitivu district. It is our submission that before taking a decision on these matters India should consult the Tamil side also. It should talk to the LTTE.'
During the five-day official visit of the Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga to India earlier this month, New Delhi had agreed to build a modern highway between Trincomalee in the Tamil North East and Anurdhapura in the Sinhala heartland. It would be named after the former Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, who was killed by a LTTE suicide bomber in May 1991.
India and Sri Lanka are also discussing the prospect of signing an MOU on upgrading the Palaly airport. The current discussions are on the issue of mutual consultations regarding the use of the airfield and restrictions on its use. India has been saying that only Indian and Sri Lankan aircraft should be allowed to use it. But Sri Lanka is against any such restriction.

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NOVEMBER 2004
Meanwhile, the well known lobbyist for the LTTE in New Delhi, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munntra Kazhagam leader V Gopalswamy (Vaiko), has urged the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, not to enter into any defence cooperation agreement with Sri Lanka. Mr. Vaiko met Dr. Singh and sought to impress upon him the need to drop the proposal for repairing the Palaly Airfield and refitting the Sri Lankannaval ship, "Sayura. Mr. Vaiko later told themediathat Dr. Singhassured him that the Government would not take any step that would be against the welfare of Tamils in SriLanka.
In his three-page memorandum to the Prime Minister, Mr. Vaiko said that, "it is an undeniable fact that the Palaly Airfield was utilised by the Sri Lankan Air Force for bombing the entire Jaffna region” including civilian areas in 1995. "The Sri Lankan Government is trying to strengthen its military might. If confrontation breaks out between the Sri Lankan Government and the Tamils of Jaffna,.... the Sri Lankan Air Force will definitely use Palaly Airfield for bombing Tamil areas."
Mr. Vaiko said that it was his "bounden duty” to caution the Indian Government that in such an eventuality, India would be blamed for enabling the Sri Lankan Government to attack Tamils. As for refitting Sayura' and under-writing the costs, he drew Dr. Singh's attention to the fact that the Sri Lankan Navy had attacked Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu in international waters and even in "our territorial waters.”
Delhi declaration
Meanwhile, a conference of "concerned persons' organized by the controversial Indian politician, Dr. Subramanian Swamy, in New Delhi issued a "Delhi Declaration stating to the effect that a solution to the current problem of ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka should not be so structured as to reward terrorism or permit any terrorist outfit on either side of the divide to gain in legitimacy or in access to authority of the state.
The conference on "India's Sri Lanka's policy objectives, priorities and strategy" was held on 30 \october, in New Delhi presided over by Dr. Subramanian Swamy, a former Law and Commerce Minister of India.
Reportedly, more than 40 academics, political leaders, and speakers participated in the one-day conference. The conference got underway with a call by Dr. Subramanian Swamy, that the conference should focus, among other things, on a possible option for India to intervene at the invitation of the Sri Lankan government.
The conference adopted the "Delhi Declaration' and accordingly, part of it urged that, whatever solution is found, India should ensure that the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is not forgotten, but that those accused in the proceedings before the court conducting the trial, and declared to be proclaimed offenders are brought to book under the law. It also stated that India should not endorse any solution unless this minimum condition is met.
The full text of the unanimously adopted Delhi Declarations are as follows:
l. This Conference declares that a solution to the current problem of linguistic divide in Sri Lanka should not be so structured as to reward terrorism or permit any terrorist outfit on either side of the divide to gain in legitimacy or in access to authority of the state. Hence, this Conference rejects the concept that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) can be
 
 

TAML TIMES 15
sole spokesperson agency of the minority Tamils of the island nation. To that extent, this Conference calls upon the concerned international community to ensure that any peace talks in the Sri Lanka is broadbased and inclusive, and that in finding a solution take all interests and parties in the divide into acCount.
Furthermore, whatever solution is found, India should ensure that the assassination of former Prime Minister Mr. Rajiv Gandhi is not forgotten, but that those accused in the proceedings before the court conducting the trial, and declared to be proclaimed offenders are brought to book under the law. India should not endorse any solution unless this minimum condition is met.
2. This Conference declares that the clear and appropriate solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka arising out of a linguistic divide is a properly safeguarded under a federal constitution. The safeguards are to ensure that basic federal structure of the said constitution cannot be amended in the future by a parliamentary majority vote and that the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka is sanctified beyond challenge.
Since such a solution has universal appeal as also acceptance of the peace loving and democratic people on both sides of the linguistic divide, and wide international applicability, hence the Sri Lanka government should obtain the necessary parliamentary approval and declare its intention to replace the present unitary constitution with such a federal constitution when peace in the country prevails.
This Conference declares that the international community and India in particular, should assist the Sri Lanka government to ensure that the essential peaceful environment prevails to implement such a federal constitution. Hence, any outfit or organization that seeks to block the implementation of such a constitution or disrupt the peaceful environment should be treated as a terrorist organization and dealt as such by the international community within the framework ofthe UNResolution on Terrorism.
Plea for Release of Hostages
Oct 31 Relatives of the Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi truck drivers kidnapped in Iraqpleaded for their lives, as authorities in the two countries said they were doing their best to secure the release of the men.
The truckers were seized on Thursday, 28 October, by the Islamic Army in Iraq, which, according to Al-Jazeera television, released a statement saying "the two hostages were abducted before driving their trucks into a US base in Iraq". A video with the name of the extremist group showed each of the presumed hostages separately and a number of identification documents, including a Kuwaiti driving license.
The Sri Lankan driver, Dinesh Dharmendran Rajaratnam, a father of three children aged 10, 12 and 14, had gone to Kuwait last year hoping to earn enough to provide a better education for his children, his brother-in-law Pullaiya Suresh told the press.
The 36-year-old had told his family three weeks earlier that he was desperate to return home, Suresh said. "He wanted us to send a fax message to his employer saying that there was

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16 TAMILMES
a very pressing need for him to return home immediately," he said. He was unhappy as he was not paid the salary that was promised.
The family, which said they had paid 68,000 rupees (650 dollars) to secure the driver's job in Kuwait, said Raharatnam's wife and children would be destitute unless the militants freed him. "We have not had any information from the authorities here, all we know is only through the international media. We want to go to the Kuwaiti embassy tomorrow to try and get more information,'Suresh said.
Sri Lanka has no diplomatic mission in Iraq and four months ago discouraged its nationals from going there in search of employment. Foreign ministry officials said they were working with the Sri Lankan mission in Lebanon to secure the release of the first Sri Lankan hostage in Iraq.
Sri Lanka's Muslim Media Forum and the Muslim Leagues Youth Foundation appealed to Rajaratnam's abductors to free
Forces accuse SLMM
of inaction
A high level security forces and police delegation on 31 October accused the Scandinavian truce monitors of sitting on their complaints relating to indiscriminate LTTE cease-fire violations in the Ampara-Batticaloa sector. The delegation expressed serious concern over the monitors' obvious failure to investigate complaints at a tri-partite meeting, at the Vavunativu Divisional Secretariat, chaired by the outgoing second-in-command
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him on humanitarian grounds. "In this holy month of Ramadan, we appeal to his captors to release our fellow Sri Lankan brother on humanitarian grounds," said Muslim Media Forum chiefN. M. Ameen.
The wife of abducted Bangladeshi truck driver, Abul Kashem, 42, meanwhile, appealed to the Dhaka government and international organisations to help secure his release. "My husband is the only shelter that I have in this whole world and I want him to be back with us,” his wife Naznin Akhter told the press. "We want the government and international organisations to secure his life,' she said.
Dhaka has appealed for Kashem's release. Bangladesh Foreign Minister M. Morsehed Khan said that his country was not involved in the war in Iraq and that the abductors had yet to make contact with the government. "I make an appeal on behalf of 140 million Muslims to the hostage takers to release the poor Bangladeshidriver," he said.
of the Norwegian-led mission, Hagrup Haukland.
The security forces delegation comprised Gen. Officer Commanding Army's 23 Division Brig. Vajira Wijegoonewardene, Batticaloa Brigade Commander Colonel Laksiri Amaratunga, SSP Mahesh Samaradivakara and SSP Wasantha Ratnayake. The LTTE delegation had been led by their regional political leader Kausalyan.
The government delegation had emphasised that they were not satisfied with the way the truce monitors handled complaints. Brig. Wijegoonewardene, during the discussion, had stressed that the security forces should be given periodic progress reports. He had suggested that the truce monitors conduct comprehensive investigations into abductions and disappearances. He had pointed out the absurdity in asking the LTTE for information on the missing persons knowing that they were responsible for the abductions.
The Brigadier had urged the truce monitors to visit LTTEheld areas to look for the missing persons.
The security forces dismissed Haukland's claim that the gangsters and criminals were responsible for a spate of incidents in the area. They expressed disbelief that that the Norwegian was so na'EFve to blame the ongoing wave ofincidents on the underworld. The forces stressed that the LTTE was responsible for violations including the recent killing of exTNA MP Kingsley Rasanayagam. The forces identified the LTTE hit men who carried out the recent political assassination in Batticaloa. The LTTE delegation had not responded to this.
The forces took up the position that it would be easier to restore normalcy if the LTTE respected the Oslo-arranged Cease-Fire Agreement (CFA). While denying any link with the breakaway Karuna faction, the forces delegation emphasised the security forces had nothing to do with the battle between the Vanni and Batticaloa factions.
The forces delegation explained the action taken by security forces against persons carrying arms irrespective of their loyalties to the LTTE. This point was proved when the LTTE delegation thanked the STF for killing a Karuna loyalist shortly after he gunned down a middle-level LTTE leader.
Following the meeting with the LTTE, the security forces chiefs briefed the visiting Japanese peace envoy Yasushi Akashi at the Batticaloa Brigade headquarters. The forces explained the difference between the warring LTTE factions, while emphasising the fact that Karuna was liked by the vast majority as he stopped taxation, abductions and harassment metered out to the civilians, particularly the Muslims.

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NOVEMBER 2004
OSO Declaration
into a bao crea
Dr. S. Narapalasingam
Both adversaries, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have ruled out a military solution to the North-East (N-E) conflict. The LTTE after six rounds of peace talks with the previous UNF government between September 2002 and March 2003 withdrew in April 2003 alleging the government had failed to act on the promises given earlier and was not serious about restoring normality in the North-East. The Tigersalso wanted conditions to be created for the displaced people to resettle in their homes and pursue their livelihoods freely. The international community has been in the forefront urging both sides to resume direct talks since the breakdown but yet there are no signs of early start.
Meanwhile, the LTTE changed its strategy and put forward its own proposals for setting up in the Northeast an Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) on 31 October 2003. But these are unacceptable to the Sinhalese, Muslims and Tamil parties except LTTE's proxy the TNA. There are also no backers for the proposals amongst the international community. The southern polity is deeply divided on the political solution to the North-East issue. The JVP, a key partner in the present coalition government has rejected the ISGA proposals. It is against restarting the talks solely on this basis. The obstacles to political settlement have become increasingly apparent after the LTTE submitted its ISGA proposals. Since the Thimpu talks in 1985, the LTTE has entered talks with an exit strategy or as in the recent case give some seemingly credible reasons to withdraw. None of the talks reached the stage of discussing the core issues necessary for reaching a political settlement. Fundamental differences
Sumanasiri Liyanage, social science lecturer, University of Peradeniya in his article (Daily News 30 October 2004) has argued that "although the immediate resumption of talks between the LTTE and the GoSL may contribute to the peace process by generating new hopes about the possibility of achieving a negotiated settlement to the ethno-political conflict in Sri Larıka, the immediate resumption of formal talks in itself would
not be a major break ure to handle the 1 properly may produ Liyanage like m sidered the conflict spective calling it conflict but to the mainly over control independent politico with one functioning nationalism is used for a separatist proj From LTTE's S pute over land clain Tamil homeland ha before discussing th GoSL there. Present ers any discussion structure is irreleva issue to be settled no siders any discussio prejudice its claim th Tamil homeland and ity there to decide l external matters inc with the government matters of major co are - border control, finance, law and ord opment, administrati political system that ers to protect these ri posals have been premise that the LT dered these rights to The LTTE's can political opponents that it is not preparec cant participatory r in the N-E administ drop, it is mere wish LTTE leader Velupil be persuaded to ame structure implicit in to match with any tem. It is unrealisti will voluntarily giv cepts to which he h steadfastly since la struggle and opt for based on a federal sy tonomy to some spe Oslo Declaration
The LTTE has Lankan government” licly reiterates its col a solution within a
 

TAMIL TIMES 17
through and the failnegotiation process
雉
ce adverse results. any others has coni from a broad per"the ethno-political LTTE it is a dispute of land between two -military authorities g informally. Ethnoto mobilise support eCt. tandpoint, the disned by the LTTE as s to be settled first e future role of the ly the LTTE considon suitable federal nt as this is not the w. Moreover, it con1 on this subject will hat the N-E region is it is for the authorater on internal and :luding relationship tin Colombo. Other ncern to the LTTE security or defence, ler, judiciary, develon and in general the has adequate powghts. The ISGA proformulated on the TE has not surren
the GoSL. npaign to eliminate in the N-E shows to give any signifible for other parties ration. In this backful thinking that the llai Prabhakaran can ind significantly the the ISGA proposals known federal sysc to expect that he e up the basic conas been clinging on unching the armed political settlement stem that limits aucified areas.
rejected the Sri demand that it pubmmitment to finding united Sri Lanka as
per the Oslo “Declaration” of December 5, 2002. The LTTE now states there is no joint declaration to this effect and the Oslo Statement is not a binding agreement between the negotiating parties but only an announcement by the Royal Norwegian Government at the end of the third round of peace talks in Oslo.
The LTTE has pointed out that the Norwegian government's statement merely says that the two parties have agreed to "explore” the possibility of finding a solution within a sovereign, united, Sri Lanka. Thus, there is no commitment to exclude the option to secede from Sri Lanka and setup a separate state. The LTTE is not prepared to give any such assurance. The LTTE has announced earlier, it will not discuss issues related to final settlement before the ISGA is set up and is seen to have worked satisfactorily for some years.
Anton Balasingham has rejected the interpretation given by the government, the donor community and opposition parties to the Oslo "Declaration in his latest book ‘War and Peace'. He has stressed that the LTTE has not abandoned the right of external self-determination. He has said the LTTE's decision to explore federalism on the principle of internal self-determination does not entail an unconditional abandonment of the Tamils' right to external self-determination and secession. He has pointed out that this stand is consistent with the LTTE leader's statement in his 2002 Heroes' Day speech wherein he said, if the Tigers' demand for self-rule under the principle of internal self-determination is blocked or denied, the Tamils would be left with "no alternative other than to secede and form an independent state." This shows the decision of the LTTE leader "to operate within the over-all framework of the right to self-determination, with its internal and external aspects”. According to pro-LTTE newspapers, talks on a final solution as in the past are simply a ruse to take the wind from the sails of the Tamil struggle. If the talks start on the basis of a final settlement within a federal structure, the political bargaining power of the Tigers would be compromised. A Tamil columnist recently expressed the view that the LTTE team had compromised the political legacy of the Tamil struggle by aimlessly drifting along with the agenda set by the GOSL and foreign third parties. The LTTE's position at the talks should have firmly been based on the Vaddukkoddai Resolution of 1976, the mandate for a separate state at the 1977 general elections and the Thimpu Principles of

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18 TAMIL TIMES
1985. The Sri Lankan government and its international supporters were trying to roll back the political legacy of the Tamil cause, debilitating thereby the bargaining power of the Tamils, says the columnist.
According to him, the LTTE leader realised this blunder and personally intervened “to make a radical course correction and the set of ISGA proposals with its long preamble embodies the gist of the course correction.' It is recalled the breakaway leader Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna, who was a member of the LTTE's negotiating team at the Peace Talks revealed earlier his former leader's angry reaction to the outcome of the Oslo round castigating the team for agreeing to consider a federal solution.
The Oslo "Declaration' controversy intensified when the Second Secretary of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Colombo Tom Knappskog contacted by the Sunday Observer, said that the “Oslo Declaration was a statement issued by the Norwegian government in their capacity as the facilitator to the peace process after extensive discussion with the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE. It was a press statement issued by the Norwegian government and "does not explicitly state that the LTTE would give up all claims of an independent state. It was only away to explore a federal structure within a united Sri Lanka'.
It is significant that Norway came out with their clarification only after Cabinet Spokesman and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera at his Cabinet press briefing on October 28 told newsmen the LTTE had accepted the Oslo "Declaration' with the Norwegian facilitators and the international community, dismissing the statements claimed to be made by Balasingham as only certain excerpts taken from his book. One can understand the charge of dubious conduct being levelled against both or either of the two hostile parties but to include the facilitator too in the same category shows the peculiar nature of this peace process.
Former Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris who was the head of the government's negotiating team issued a statement on November 1 explaining the understanding reached in Oslo in the backdrop of the discussions that took place there. According to him the framework for a political settlement of the N-E conflict was contained in both the Oslo Declaration (made at the meeting of international donor countries and institutions which was also attended by the GOSL and the
LTTE on 25 Novemb Oslo Communiqué ( Peiris on behalf of the Balasingham on beha sued on 5 December 2 round of talks. In the statement: "A lasting upon renunciation ofv for the principles of mocracy, rule of law, the rights of minoritie: the needs of all comm Lanka, in order to co foster ethnic harmony The Oslo Commul by the Royal Norwegi sued on 5th Decembe of the third session C signed by the Deputy of Norway as well as the two delegations, 1 Peiris and Anton Bala Peiris has cited paragr "Responding to a pro ership of the LTTE, th explore a solution fou ples of internal self-d eas of historical habit speaking peoples, b structure within a uni parties acknowledge( has to be acceptable ti to assert his content committed itself Oslo ture within a united Sr suggesting that the Ll to retreat from that c Tokyo declaration
The Tokyo Conf struction and Develo was held last year. (Ju after the Oslo round o way was one of the co ference along with States and the Europ dency and Commissi of the Tokyo Declara June 2003 states: "I Government of Sri Li of the importance for their utmost efforts the peace process fou ciples reflected in the Paragraph 9 contains Conference commen their commitment to a ated peace based on within a united Sri La Furthermore, pa "Assistance by the must be closely linke parallel progress in th wards fulfillment oft by the parties in Osl Oslo Declaration as c

NOVEMEBER 2004
er 2002) and the co-signed by G. L. GOSL and Anton lf of the LTTE is002) after the third ormer it was in the peace must be built iolence and respect human rights, deand recognition of s, and must address unities all over Sri mbat poverty and ." hiqué is a statement an Governmentisr 2002, at the end if Peace Talks and | Foreign Minister by the leaders of namely, Prof. G. L. singham. Prof. GiL. aph 3 which states: posal by the leadle parties agreed to nded on the princietermination in aration of the Tamilased on a federal ted Sri Lanka. The il that the solution o all communities' ion that the LTTE to a federal struci Lanka and thereby TE is now seeking ommitment.
erence on Reconpment of Sri Lanka ne 9-10) 6 months fPeace Talks. Nor-chairs of the ConJapan, the United pean Union (Presion). Paragraph 15 tion issued on 10th Donors remind the anka and the LTTE both parties to make to further promote nded upon the prinOslo Declaration.” the statement: "The ds both parties for lasting and negotia federal structure unka.”
ragraph 18 states: donor community d to substantial and he peace process tohe objectives agreed O.' If there was no laimed now by Nor
way, why was the Tokyo Conference not informed? Why Norway failed to tell the Conference not to refer to the Oslo objectives, as there was none other than "a way to explore a federal structure within a united Sri Lanka"? The entire episode seems stranger than fiction Exploiting hostile conditions
The current perception amongst the LTTE supporters is that the condition imposed by the donors has been to pressure the Sri Lankan government to negotiate with the LTTE. It is the GoSL that is in dire need of foreign aid for financing development projects. Ironically, the financial and economic problems and the dispute between the political parties in the south are helpful to the LTTE's stance. Despite the call by the two Mahanayake Theras of Malwatte and Asigiriya chapters and other concerned leaders urging the main rival political parties in the South to eschew party politics and make a joint effort to resolve the national issue, there is no southern consensus even on the approach to a final settlement. This has been an asset to the LTTE and it has been exploiting such problems to advance its own approach to conflict resolution.
The LTTE finds the UNP to be a close ally as it too is against changing the present constitution, particularly at a time when the Presidential election is not far away. The UNP had blocked all attempts to amend the present constitution made by President Chandrika Kumaratunga since 1994. The meetings of the Parliamentary Select Committee dragged on for three years without reaching a comprehensive agreement because of UNP's indifference,
The LTTE has the skill to use any divisive situation that evolved as a result of discriminatory policies and practices
of past governments to its advantage. It
has a vested interestinsustaining the conditions that led to the emergence of the ethnic conflict to press for separation. Moves by governments in Colombo to win the hearts and minds of the Tamil people have been resisted successfully. The governments too by failing to take meaningful steps have helped the LTTE to perpetuate the suspicion and ill feeling of the Tamil people towards the State. The international community
The international community has taken a simplistic view of the conflict in Sri Lanka based probably on the assumption that the basic conditions exist to settle the conflict by the usual "give and take' method. It continues to believe linking foreign aid to progress in the peace front will compel the parties to resume

Page 19
... NOVEMBER 2004
the suspended peace talks. This has had no effect because the LTTE's interest right now is not on the reconstruction and development of the war-affected region at the expense of being trapped into accepting a watered-down administrative arrangement for the North-East region. Moreover, unlike the government it does not depend on the assistance of foreign governments for sustaining its military strength and maintaining its forces.
Yasushi Akashi, the special peace envoy of the Japanese government, after a meeting with S.P. Thamilselvan in Kilinochchidespite being told of LTTE's unchamged stand on the ISGA was optimistic about the resumption of the Peace Talks. Back in Colombo he announced that the efforts of Norway and his government would bare fruit in bringing the government and the LTTE to negotiations once again. The Norwegian embassy in Colombo in a statement issued prior to the visit of Foreign Minister Jan Petersen and the two Norwegian peace envoys, Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen and Special Advisor Erik Solheim to Sri Lanka on November 10 said the Minister would hold talks with President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran on the future of the peace process. The Minister in a pre
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tement sent to the on signals received recent weeks, I do ations.' This is the is expressed pessiss of the peace procNorway has in the Inding a promising ble reasons, despite ld lack of progress
rehensive of direct in the resolution of ka for it knows that munity, particularly w Delhi's views on y to endorse a solusecessionist. This Le statement issued in in response to the by Prof. G. L. Peiris ration/Statement. statement said that could only support encourage the pronegotiated political d not stipulate pa:al solution adding, vernment, with the | international tactigovernments, have olutions in the form
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TAM TIMES 19
of a Declaration to super-impose its own set of ideas on the LTTE. We have already rejected the Tokyo declaration as an unwarranted intervention by extra-territorial forces in the peace process.” In refuting Prof. Peiris's interpretation, Mr Balasingham said, "The position advanced by the UNP leaders that a framework for a political solution had emerged based on these three documents (i.e. so called Oslo declaration, the Oslo statement and the Tokyo declaration) is untenable and unacceptable. A solution to the ethnic conflict cannot be pre-determined by the resolutions or declarations of donor conferences, but has to be negotiated by the parties in conflict, without the constraints of external forces.'
It seems therefore that what has been touted all these months since December 2002 that the so-called Oslo declaration constituted a major breakthrough in the talks between the previous Government led by Ranil Wickremasinghe and the LTTE in that the parties had agreed to seek solution on a federal basis has turned out to be nothing but a bad dream. The prospect is that, of the many conflicts in the world, the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka is likely to remain another insoluble one of our time with dire consequences for the people and the country. O
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Page 20
20 TAMIL TIMES
The dispute Oslo Declarati
Balaos bombshell
Even as diplomatic efforts were being intensified to break out of the stalemate in the peace process, a statement attributed to LTTE's chiefnegotiator and political advisor Mr Anton Balasingham to the effect that the Tamil Tigers had not given up their demand for a separate state came as a shock for many. Mr Balasingham reportedly said that a joint statement issued after a round of talks with the Colombo government in December 2002 had been misunderstood and misinterpreted so as to suggest that the Tigers had abandoned the right to secede. He said, "The Liberation Tigers' decision to explore federalism ... does not entail an unconditional abandonment of the Tamils' right to external self-determination and secession.' Balasingham's remarks, taken from his new new book "War and Peace” were reproduced on the Tamilnet website.
However, the international community had perceived and projected the third round oftalks in Oslo in December 2002 as a breakthrough, with the Tigers' agreeingto a federal solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.
The joint statement issued on 5 December 2002 at the end of the third round of talks stated that "the parties agreed to explore a solution founded on the principle of internal self-determination in areas of historical habitation of the Tamillspeaking peoples, based on a federal structure within a united Sri Lanka.'.
The statement, which came to be known as the "Oslo Declaration', was interpreted by diplomats as a sign that the Tigers were firmly committed to working towards a federal state and there would be no return to war.
However, Balasingham said, 'I feel it necessary to clarify our position on this controversial issue.' "It must be stated that there was not any specific proclamation titled the “Oslo Declaration “The decision to explore federalism was included in the record of decisions at the Oslo talks and signed by the chief negotiators of both delegations and the head of the Norwegian facilitating team.” He went on to say that the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam ated within the "ovel the right to self-deter internal and external as demandforregional sel he added, they would h but to secede and for
State.
Mr Balasinghami lished in the TamilN said, "The donor confe on 25 November 2002 10 June 2003 and ther at these meetings cann tion organisation to a work of a final politic. Commenting on th by Professor GIL Peiri United National Party documents released aft at Oslo and Tokyo, emphasised that dor could only support t and encourage the pro negotiated political set not stipulate paramet solution.
He pointed out th cotted the Tokyo Dono the Declaration enunc ing had no bindingobl ganisation. “The Sri L with the active collus tional tactical allies, t ments, have formulat tions in the form of a per-impose its own propositions on the L ready rejected the Tok an unwarranted interve ritorial forces in the pe official statement issue the LTTE leadership the government of Rani for seeking refuge in th national safety net to cal and economic cr country, thereby shifti ess from third party realm of international Balasingham said.
He added that t isssued in Oslo stated agreed to explore the

NOVEMBER 2004
O
(LTTE) still operall framework of mination, with its pects', and if their f-rule was rejected, lave no alternative m an independent
n a statement pubit on 3 November rences held in Oslo 2 and in Tokyo on solutions adopted otbind our liberaparticular frameal settlement.”
estatement issued s on behalf of the (UNP) clarifying er donormeetings Mr Balasingham nor governments he peace process tagonists to seek a tlement but should ers for a political
at the LTTE boyIr Conference, and iated at the meetigations on the oranka government, ion of its internahe donor governed several resoluDeclaration to Suset of ideas and TTE. We have alyo Declaration as intion by extra-terace process. In an d on 23 June 2003, severely censored il Wickremesinghe he so-called "interresolve the politiisis faced by the ng the peace procfacilitation to the arbitration,” Mr
he communiqué | that both parties feasibility of find
ing a political solution based on federal systems of governance founded on the principle of internal self-determination. The Declaration issued after the Oslo Donor Conference on 25 November 2002 only expressed strong support for the peace process and urged both parties to make further "expeditious and systematic efforts, without recourse to violence to resolve the hardcore issues."
"The position advanced by the UNP leaders that a framework for a political solution had emerged based on these three documents stated above, is untenable and unacceptable. A solution to the ethnic conflict cannot be pre-determined by the resolutions or declarations of donor conferences, but has to be negotiated by the parties in conflict, without the constraints of external forces,” Mr Balasingham observed.
UNP position on the “Oslo Declaration'
From the explicit statements contained in the Oslo Declaration, the Oslo Communique and the Tokyo Declaration it was evident that there was clear aggeement between the Government and LTTE to explore a federal solution as the basis of a political solution for the ethnic conlfict, UNP MP Prof. G. L. Peiris said. In a statement issued to media on 1 November the UNP said, “The basic structure of the solution had been identified, and the details were to be worked out in the discussions which were to follow. For the first time, therefore, a framework had emerged for the pursuit of a just and viable political solution as an alternative to war.”
The full text of the UNP statement said:
The framework for a political settlement of the North East conflict is contained in three documents - the Oslo Declaration, the Oslo Communique and the Tokyo Declaration. 1. The Oslo Declaration in support of the Peace Process in Sri Lanka - This Conference was held in Oslo on 25th November 2002. Representatives from the Asia-Pacific region, North America and Europe participated at this Conference together with the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE.
The Declaration states: "A lasting peace must be built upon renunciation of violence and respect for the principles of human rights, democracy, rule of law, and recognition of the rights of minorities, and must address the needs of all com

Page 21
NOVEMBER 2004
munities all over Sri Lanka, in order to combat poverty and foster ethnic harmony.” 2. The Oslo Communique - This is a statement by the Royal Norwegian Government issued in Oslo on 5th December 2002, at the end of the third session of Peace Talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE.
Paragraph 3 states: "Responding to a proposal by the leadership of the LTTE, the parties agreed to explore a solution founded on the principles of internal self. determination in areas of historical habitation of the Tamil-speaking peoples, based on a federal structure within a united Sri Lanka. The parties acknowledged that the solution has to be acceptable to all communities." 3. The Tokyo Declaration on Reconstruction and Development of Sri Lanka issued on 10th June 2003, where 51 countries and 22 international organisations participated. This included the Government of Sri Lanka.
The Declaration among others stated the following:
i "The Conference commends both
parties for their commitment to a lasting and negotiated peace based on a federal structure within a united Sri Lanka.' (Paragraph9).
ii “The international community remains committed to supporting humanitarian reliefand human rights protection, and takes the opportunity to encourage the parties to reach agreement on an innovative administrative structure for the reconstruction and development of the North and East." (Paragraph 13).
iii “The Conference also urges the parties to move expeditiously to a lasting and equitable political settlement'. (Paragraph 16).
iv “Participation of a Muslim delegation as agreed in the declaration of the fourth session of peace talks in Thailand. (Paragraph 18 (c)); - "Effective inclusion of gender equity and equality in the peace building..." (Paragraph l8(g)).
v "Agreement by the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE on a phased, balanced, and verifiable de-escalation, demilitarization, and normalisation process at an appropriate time in the context of arriving at a political settlement.” (Paragraph 19 ()).
It is evident from the explicit statements contained in these documents that there was, indeed, clear agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to explore a federal solution as
the basis of a politic ethnic conflict. This Oslo Communique i Norwegian Governm ber 2002 and signed eign Minister of No the leaders of the tw.
The basic struct had been identified, to be worked out i which were to follow therefore, a framewo the pursuit of a just solution as an alterna
The public is wel is attempting to rais means of distracting ing issues relating to which is the central p try today.
Helgessen on the “Oslo Declarat Oslo, Nov 1 1 : F Balasingham’s interp pute that followed ( “Oslo Declaration”, Norwegian Deputy who led the country in all rounds of talk: ernment of Sri Lanka the Oslo Statement the minutes maintai gian Foreign Ministr October 2002 Oslo ta Lanka government, Norwegian govern LTTE had agreed to tist demand and to e up and "that was th breakthrough".
In an interview daily Dagsavisen b with Foreign Minist talks in Sri Lanka, H saying, “The staten text, formulated by t ernment and part oftl the negotiations. Wh. ment reflects what meeting.”“What is n laration is that the willing to negotiate a tion in a united Sri Li the federal solution LTTE believes it isg Helgesen believ most significant de the parties. “That w However, it does n LTTE abolished thei if the political nego

TAM TIMES 21
al resolution of the is the effect of the ssued by the Royal Lent on 5th Decemby the Deputy Forrway as well as by ) delegations. ure of the solution und the details were In the discussions 1. For the first time, rk had emerged for and viable political
tive to war.
aware that the JVP e a non-issue as a ittention from burnthe cost of living, roblem in the coun
ion
Reacting to Anton retation and the dison the issue of the Vidar Helgesen, Foreign Minister, 's facilitation team s between the Govand the LTTE, said was prepared from ned by the Norweofficials during the alks between the Sri the LTTE and the ment. He said the give up the separaxplore a federal set he most significant
with the Norwegian 2fore his departure er Jan Pertesen for elgesen is quoted as hent is a compiled he Norwegian govhe minute book from at it says in the statemerged during the ewin the Oslo Dec
LTTE is said to be .
bout a federal soluanka. The content of will decide whether ood enough.”
ed that this was the velopment between as a breakthrough. ot involve that the right of armed fight tiations do not lead
anywhere.”
"It is still important that the foreign minister at regularintervals has a dialogue with the parties so that they can evaluate whether they should not carry out a change of tactics," he said. "The main problem now is that there is a weakened faith in the possibilities of taking the peace process forward. In addition several breaches of the cease-fire agreement have taken place, especially from the Tamil Tigers' side, something which has resulted in strong international reactions," Helgesen is reported to have said.
Asked about the LTTE's willingness to resume talks which the militants had unilaterally broken offin April last year, Helgesen is reported to have said, "If the LTTE gets an acceptable agenda they will come for alks. Their demand is that the government must be willing to negotiate on their proposal on interim-administration for the north and east."
UNP leaders taken for a ride
The Secretary of the Liberal Party of Sri Lanka Kamal Nissanka in a news release states that to consider the Interim Self Government Authority (ISGA) proposals as basis for future discussions it needs a mandate from the people of the two provinces.
It further states: "The Liberal Party of Sri Lanka is closely watching some of the recent statements made by those who were in the forefront of peace negotiations in recent past. Anton Balasingham's recent revelation about the Oslo communique and some of its contents is none other than spitting on the face of the UNP negotiators (and its top rank) and the liberals advise that any party that will expect to participate in any future negotiations on behalf of the Sri Lankan government should not come up with public comments without clarifying exact positions on various stands.
Though we do not agree with Balasingham's agendawe must thankhim for revealing his true stand and colour on the so-called Oslo communique and liberals feel that the LTTE and its Norwegian ally had taken the UNP for a ride at Oslo. Liberals further state that the aim of the Norwegian from the inception of the process was to give the widest possible international acceptance to the LTTE. However, looking at recent events we feel that the Norwegian Foreign Ministry has completely failed at pressurising the Liberal government of Denmark

Page 22
22 TAMIt TIMEs
as all the parties in the coalition had a clear stand to call a spade a spade. (In Denmark, Venstre-Liberal Party of Anders Fogh Rasmussens, the prime minister of Denmark is the leading party of the minority coalition and the VenstreLiberal Party is also a leading member of the Liberal International of which the Liberal Party of Sri Lanka is also a member. Further it has some members in the Liberal Group of the European Parliament).
Yet, the Liberal Party of Sri Lanka requests the UNP and the SLFP to forget the Oslo "explorations' as sighted in the Oslo communique and arrive at a consensus to draft a true federal constitution with adequate safeguards to the northern and eastern provinces in the name of democratic Tamil opinion, upholding all the democratic norms prevailing in mature democracies and give it a widest international propaganda to defeat the separatist agenda of the militant Tamil opinion envisaged by the one party autocratic rule of the Interim Self Government Authority (ISGA) proposal.
Though the Norwegian ally with an LTTE team attempted recently to can
vass the ISGA in so tries for internationa ple living in the ni Lanka even do not the framers of this think even the Ran UNP who does lips does not know?). T to seek European les posals is a joke, as first seek its legitim of north and east if p referendum. The LT impose a one partyr north and east with mandate from the ve hope to govern. If a ernment with the co illogical European c ments accepts ISGA realise that the south Lanka would be the the many Tamil demc dian criminals would mersaults in the no provinces.”
If the ISGA is to for future discussion presented to the peo
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he of the EU counlegitimacy, we peoe provinces in Sri now the names of SGA document (I -GL clique of the rvice to the ISGA e LTTE's attempt itimacy for its prohe ISGA needs to cy from the people ossible by way of a TE has no right to le on the people of ut a much-needed y people that they y Sri Lankan govincurrence of some ommunity governon a platter, it must rn provinces of Sri political asylum of crats and South Income and do sumthern and eastern
be taken as a base s firstly it must be ple of the northern
and eastern provinces for open debate and discussions within a democratic atmosphere and finalyset before the people for approval. Liberals all over the world will never support any constitutional scheme that would hinder the individual rights of each person in a given nation or community.
NSSP on the right to secession
"Tamils have the right to demand a separate State until their aspirations are adequately met, constitutionally entrenched and implemented. If this were done the demand would cease to be valid. It is well known that the Provincial Council system failed, as did all previous attempts at a solution to the Tamil national questionsince the 1950s,” said Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP), a pro-peace marxist party, in a media release issued on November 6 in Colombo.
"Marxists recognize the right to self. determination as a most desirable device for unifying different nationalities as a mechanism to provide adequate regional autonomy. The right to secede is accept
able as a last option,” said the media release.
(continued on next page)
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NOVEMBER 2004
FOCUS ON RIGHTS
Living in Fear: C Soldiers and the L
By abducting children or threatening their families, the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have recruited thousands of child soldiers in Sri Lanka since active fighting ended in 2002, the New York-based international human rights organisation, Human Rights Watch said in a 80-page report released on 11 November 2004.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, or Tamil Tigers) use intimidation and threats to pressure Tamil families in the north and east of Sri Lanka to provide sons and daughters for military service. When families refuse, their children are sometimes abducted from their homes at night or forcibly recruited while walking to school. Parents who resist the recruitment of their children face retribution from the Tamil Tigers, including violence or detention.
“The ceasefire has brought an end to the fighting, but not to the Tamil Tigers' use of children as soldiers,” said Jo Becker, children's rights advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, and a co-author of the report. "Many Tamil families who expected a "peace dividend' now expect an unwelcome visit from armed Tamil Tiger recruiters.” The 80-page report, "Living in Fear: Child Soldiers and the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka," includes firsthand testimonies from dozens of children from northeastern Sri
Lanka who have be Tamil Tigers since the effect. Children describ times brutal military training with heavy w landmines. Children w typically beaten in fro as a warning to others The Tamil Tiger least 3,516 children s February 2002 ceasef ment, according to ca the United Nations (UNICEF). The agenc ure represents only a number of children re. Human Rights Wa targeted re-recruitmer released from a break earlier this year. In Ma ern commander, Col away from the main I Vellupillai Prabhakara ern region known as Prabhakaran's forces, LTTE, attacked and de ernforces, which quic 2,000 child soldiers fl were encouraged by leave. Some died in th
The Vanni LTTE tensive campaign to
(continued from page:22)
NSSP said that what was needed, first and foremost, in the current context was a resumption of talks between the Govt. of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the LTTE.
TheNSSPsaid that although"theoverwhelmingexpectationoftheNorthEastTamils wholooked forward for rehabilitar tionandreconstruction, was foran linterim administration to deliver their immediateneeds," the LTTE didnopushforitin the early round oftalks becauseof"reservations expressed on behalfoftheGoSLandoftheMuslims"
But the alternative instrument devised at the talks, the Sub-committee for Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN), woefully failed to deliver the goods, and there was widespread disillusionment among the war devastated North East Tamils that the peace dividend did not reach them. The North East remained, and in fact still largely remains, the “blasted landscape," NSSP said.
“Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika
Kumaratunga stated prepared to start ta based on the ISGA LTTE leader Pirapa clares that he is pre within the parameter known as the Oslo I fact is the Statement Norwegian Govt, sig parties concerned to solution founded on nation in the areas of of Tamil speaking pe eral structure within acceptable to al con "Obviously then Lanka (GoSL) and scribed to this posit supplemented by th as clarified by the the tiator, Prof.G.L. Peir dia release said.

TAMIL TIMES 23
hild TTE
n recruited by the ceasefire came into 2drigorous and sometraining, including 'eapons, bombs and 'ho try to escape are nt of their entire unit
s have recruited at ince the start of the ire with the governses documented by : Children's Fund y states that this figportion of the total ruited. tch also documented ut drives of children away LTTE faction rch, the LTTE's Eastonel Karuna, broke TTE forces loyal to n, based in the norththe Vanni. In April, known as the Vanni feated Karuna's Eastkly disbanded. About 2d Karuna's forces or their commanders to le fighting. quickly began an inre-recruit Karuna’s
recently that she is ks with the LTTE, proposals, provided haran officially depared for a solution of what came to be )eclaration which in dated 5.12.02 by the lifying agreement by "explore a political nternal self-determihistorical habitation ople, based on a feda united Sri Lanka munities”. both the Govt. of Sri he LTTE have subon, which has been : Tokyo Declaration n Govt's ChiefNegos, M.P." NSSP's me
former forces, including children. The Vanni forces have gone from house to house, organized village meetings, sent children letters and made announcements from motorized vehicles to demand that the former child soldiers return. They have taken many children by force. "They took away my youngerbrother the other day. He was coming home from the market and he was taken away," said Vanji, who was recruited by the LTTE in 1997 at age 16. "They didn't release him, and they threatened to shoot if I reported his abduction. They also told me at the same time that I had to re-join."
International law prohibits the recruitment of children under the age of 18 by non-state armed groups, and all participation of children in active hostilities. The recruitment of children under the age of 15 is now considered a war crime.
The LTTE denies recruiting children and claims that any children in its forces have joined because of poverty, lack of educational opportunities, or the loss of their parents and lack of alternative care. Although some children do join because of socioeconomic factors or because they want to fight for an independent Tamil state, such "voluntary” recruitment is also a violation of international law.
In June 2003, the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government agreed to a formal Action Plan on Children Affected by War. Under the Action Plan, the Tamil Tigers agreed to end their recruitment of children and to release children from their forces, either directly to the children's families or to new transit centers that were constructed specifically for this purpose.
Since the Action Plan was signed, UNICEF figures show that the LTTE has recruited more than twice as many children as it has released. A transit center opened in October 2003 received a total of only 172 children in its first year of operation. Although the center has capacity for 100 children, it has never held more than 49, and for a six-week period in mid-2004, was completely empty. The other two centers never opened because of the low number of children released,
"Time and again, the Tamil Tigers have pledged to end their use of child soldiers, but each time they've broken those promises," said Becker. "It's time for the Tamil Tigers to live up to their legal responsibilities and stop recruiting children."
Summary
My parents refused to give me to the LTTE so about fifteen of them came to my house-it was both men and women, in uniforms, with rifles, andguns in holsters.... I was fast asleep when they came to get me at one in the morning.... These people dragged me out of the house. My father shouted at them, saying, "What is going on?", but some of the LTTE soldiers took my father away towards the woods and beat

Page 24
24 TAM TIMES
him.... They also pushed my mother onto the ground when she tried to stop them. -girl recruited by the LTTE in 2003 at age sixteen
They took away my younger brother the other day. He was coming home from the market and he was taken away. I went and begged them, saying, "I gave you years of my life and I gave you my health. Please let me have my brother back-he is the only one I have who takes care of me, helps me to go to the toilet, helps me get into bed." They didn't release him, and they threatened to shoot if I reported his abduction to any NGOs. They also told me at the same time that I had to re-join. Is this how they thank me for all the time I gave them? Why are they doing this to me?
-girl who was recruited by the LTTE at age sixteen and severely disabled in combat
For Tamil families in the North and
East of Sri Lanka, the February 2002 ceasefire that has brought an end to the fighting between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has brought little relief from one of the worst aspects of the twenty-year conflict: the LTTE's recruitment and use of children as soldiers. Despite an end to active hostilities and repeated pledges by the LTTE leadership to end its recruitment of children, the practice has continued not only in LTTE controlled areas, but now reaches into government areas in the North and East where the LTTE previously had little access. This report focuses on continued LTTE recruitment of children during the cease-fire period, including re-recruitment of children released from the LTTE's eastern faction in 2004.
Tamil children are vulnerable to recruitment beginning at the age of eleven or twelve. The LTTE routinely visits Tamil homes to inform parents that they must provide a child for the "movement.” Families that resist are harassed and threatened. Parents are told that their child may be taken by force if they do not comply, that other children in the household or the parents will be taken in their stead, or that the family will be forced to leave their home. The LTTE makes good on these threats: children are frequently abducted from their homes at night, or picked up by LTTE cadres while walking to school or attending a temple festival. Parents who resist the abduction of their children face violent LTTE retribution.
Once recruited, most children are allowed no contact with their families. The LTTE subjects them to rigorous and sometimes brutal training. They learn to handle weapons, including landmines and bombs, and are taught military tactics. Children who make mistakes are frequently beaten. The LTTE harshly punishes soldiers who attempt to escape. Children who try to run away are
typically beaten in fron a public punishment th other children who m
run away.
The Norwegian g cease-fire between the LTTE in February 20 welcome end to active cost more than 60,00 years. However, the c exacerbated the LTTE's soldiers from governm By the terms of the ( LTTE cadres may law ment controlled areas, areas. In reality the L administration and se towns in the North and and Batticaloa. The II control to extend their dren to these Tamil pe Throughout the ci has sought new recruit LTTE may be trying to during the peace talks, trol of the North and E final peace agreement, pared in the event the p or for all of these reasc ernment sources and lo organizations believe recruited several thous ing this period, though sive.
As of October 3 Nations Children's F documented 3,516 ne recruitment since thes fire agreement (includi of formerly released below). The LTTE foi 1,206 children duringt. registered by UNICEF, ing as of November 2 that the number of cas sent only a portion of children recruited, ass unaware of the possil may be afraid to do sc culty reaching a UNI children who have been from the LTTE, only al previously listed in thi This suggests that the dren remaining with t much as four times hi figure suggests.
In March 2004, LTTE forces in the Ea popularly known as C from the main LTTE preme leader Vellupilla in the North, a region In April 2004, the V: and defeated Karuna's quickly disbanded. Sc diers under Karuna fle by their commanderst lies.

NOVEMBER 2004
it of their entire unit, at serves to dissuade light be tempted to
overnment-brokered government and the )02 brought a very hostilities that have 0 lives over twenty ;ease-fire may have recruitment of child ent-controlled areas. cease-fire, unarmed yfully enter governknown as "cleared' TTE dominates the curity of the major East, including Jaffna LTTE has used this recruitment of chilbpulation centres. ease-fire, the LTTE ts for its forces. The ) strengthen its hand prepare for its conEast in the event of a or be militarily preeace talks collapseons. Sri Lankan govcal mongovernmental that the LTTE has and new cadres durhard figures are elu
1, 2004, the United und (UNICEF) had w cases of underage signing of the ceaseng the re-recruitment child soldiers noted mally released only his time. Of the cases 1,395 were outstand004. UNICEF notes es it registers reprethe total number of ome families may be bility of registering, ), or may have diffiCEF office. Of the released or returned pout 25 percent were e UNICEF database. total number of chilhe LTTE may be as igher than the 1,395
the commander of ast, V. Muralitharan, ol. Karuna, split off
forces loyal to suiPrabhakaran, based known as the Vanni. anni LTTE attacked eastern forces, which me 2,000 child soldor were encouraged return to their fami
The children's return home, primarily to Batticaloa district, only marked the beginning of a new ordeal. Within a few weeks, the LTTE began an intensive campaign to re-recruit Karuna's former cadres, including child soldiers. Vanni LTTE members, often armed and in uniform, went from village to village, house to house, insisting that the former soldiers report back to the LTTE. The LTTE organized village meetings, use motorized three-wheeled vehicles to make announcements, and sent letters to families, demanding their return.
The LTTE has re-recruited many of the returned children, often by force. Parents who have resisted their children's being taken away a second time by the LTTE have been intimidated and sometimes beaten. The remaining children and their families live in fear. The families are afraid to allow their children to return to school, worried that the LTTE will abduct then as they walk between school and their home. Some children refuse to leave their homes at all. Others go to live with relatives or even leave the country to seek jobs in the Middle East. Because there is a general perception that the LTTE does not recruit from among married persons, some boys and girls have married believing that it will provide a measure of protection against recruitment. Girls feel particularly vulnerable-they can instantly be identified as former cadres by the short haircuts that the LTTE gives its recruits. Recruitment and Use of Children Before the Cease-fire
The LTTE has recruited and used children as soldiers throughout the two-decadelong civil war in Sri Lanka, and especially since October 1987 when the LTTE attacked and eventually forced the departure of the Indian Peace-Keeping Force from the northern Jaffna peninsula.
LTTE recruitment of children has over the years been fuelled by several factors. First, a sophisticated LTTE propaganda machine regularly exposed Tamil children throughout the North and East to special events honouring LTTE heroes, parades of LTTE cadres, public displays of war paraphernalia, and speeches and videos, particularly in the schools. Families of LTTE heroes were afforded special respect, and children were drawn to the status and glamour of serving as cadres.
Second, children who witnessed or suffered abuses by Sri Lankan security forces often felt driven to join the LTTE. Government abuses prior to the cease-fire included unlawful detention, interrogation, torture, execution, enforced disappearances and rape. A 1993 study of adolescents in Vaddukoddai in the North found that one quarter of the children studied had witnessed violence personally. In response, many children joined the LTTE, seeking to protect their families or to avenge real or perceived abuses.

Page 25
NOVEMBER 2004
Third, deprivation, including poverty and lack of vocational and educational opportunities often fueled recruitment, particularly among Tamils of the eastern districts, where families were typically poorer and considered of lower status than Tamils in the
North. Enlisting in the LTTE was perceived as a positive alternative to the other options children saw around them.
Finally, coercion and force brought many children into the LTTE. Particularly in the East, the LTTE has pressured Tamil families to provide a son or daughter for "the cause.” If a family resisted, they were often subject to threats and harassment. In many cases, a child was eventually taken by force.
Under international law, recruitment of children to be soldiers is not only unlawful if the children are forcibly recruited. The LTTE is also violating international law by accepting into its ranks children who join "voluntarily.”
Children were initially recruited into what was known as the "Baby Brigade," but were later integrated into other units. An elite "Leopard Brigade' (Siruthai puligal) was formed of children drawn from LTTE
run orphanages and was considered one of
the LTTE's fiercest fighting units.
UNICEF reports that more than 40 percent of children recruited by the LTTE are girls. The LTTE claims that the recruitment of girls and women is a way of"assisting women's liberation and counteracting the oppressive traditionalism of the present system." Female soldiers within the LTTE are known as "Birds of Freedom." Unlike many other conflict situations where girls are recruited, sexual abuse of girls in the LTTE is rare, and relationships between the sexes are generally prohibited.
Prior to the cease-fire, the LTTE regularly deployed both boys and girls in combat. A major LTTE military operation against the Elephant Pass military complex in 1991 reportedly used waves of children drawn from the Baby Brigade and resulted in an estimated 550 LTTE deaths, mostly children. Assessments of LTTE soldiers killed in combat during the 1990's found that between 40 and 60 percent of the dead fighters were children under the age of eighteen. A case study conducted for a major United Nations (U.N.) study on the impact of war on children found that children were reportedly used for "massed frontal attacks' in major battles, and that children between the ages of twelve and fourteen were used to massacre women and children in remote rural villages. The study cited reports indicating the use of children as young as ten as assassins.?
The LTTE gives cyanide capsules and grenades to its soldiers, including children,
with instructions to take themselves up rather the to be captured by the S The LTTE was am opposition groups to us ing children, to carry ol tacks. Since the 1980's, ducted some 200 such Female soldiers, girlsam for numerous such attac they were less likely ti searches at governmen LTTE Commitments Action Plan for Chil Since 1998, the L peated public promises cials to end its recruitm dren. In 2003, the LTTE government formally a Plan for Children Affec Plan) that included a p to end all recruitment release children from rectly to thechildren's f new transit centers tha specifically for this pur As of mid-2004, th the only signed human result from the post-cea The Action Plan provi lishment of three transi children released by the vide children affected b North and East with v education, health and I psychosocial care, and ( LTTE and the govemr plan in April 2003 and June 2003. UNICEF pl in negotiating the Acti main implementing pa Since the Action UNICEF figures show as many children hav have been released. opened in October 200 tal of only 172 childre operation. Although th pacity for one hundred ( held more than fortyweek period in mid-20 empty. The two other constructed but never the low number of chil Legal Standards
By any measure, t to meet its commitmen ment and use of childre tinued recruitment of ternational human righ law (the laws of war) th its the recruitment of and the participation ( hostilities. The nearly Convention on the Rig which Sri Lanka is part

TAMIL TIMES 25
he capsule orblow n allow themselves i Lankan Army. ing the first armed ; its cadres, includit suicide bomb atthe LTTE has conuicide bombings.l bng them, were used ks, in part because undergo rigorous : checkpoints.
dren TTE has made reto senior U.N. offient and use of chiland the Sri Lankan greed on an Action ted by War (Action ledge by the LTTE of children and to its forces, both diamilies as well as to t were constructed
pose. e Action Plan was rights agreement to se-fire peace talks. ded for the estabt centers to receive LTTE, and to proy the conflict in the "ocational training, nutritional services, other programs. The ment agreed on the formally signed it in ayed a primary role on Plan, and is the (tľ10ľ,
Plan was signed, hatmorethantwice been recruited as One transit center 3, but received a ton in its first year of e center has the cahildren, it has never uine, and for a six04, was completely ransit centers were opened because of iren released.
he LTTE has failed -
ts to end its recruitn. The LTTE's conhildren violates ints and humanitarian at explicitly prohibchildren as soldiers f children in active universally ratified hts of the Child, to , and the Additional
Protocols to the 1949 Geneva Conventions prohibit any recruitment or use in armed conflict of children under the age of fif teen. This standard is now considered customary international law, and such recruitment is identified as a war crime in the statute for the International Criminal Court.
In the late 1990's, a new international consensus that a minimum age of fifteen was too low for military service resulted in stronger standards. The Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention, adopted by the International Labor Organization in 1999, prohibits the forced recruitment of children under the age of eighteen for use in armed conflict as one of the worst forms of child labor. An Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by the U.N. in 2000 and ratified by Sri Lanka in the same year, set eighteen as the minimum age for all participation in hostilities, all forced recruitment or conscription, and all recruitment by non-state armed groups. Note on Methodology
This is Human Rights Watch's fifteenth report on the recruitment and use of child soldiers. We have previously documented this practice in Angola, Burma, Burundi, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sudan, and Uganda.
Human Rights Watch conducted research for this reportin Sri Lanka in August 2004 and subsequently by telephone and electronic mai from New York and the Hague. Our researchers visited Colombo, Batticaloa, Ampara, Trincomalee, and Kilinochchi. During the course of our investigation, we spoke with thirty-five former child soldiers from the LTTE, who had been recruited between the ages of twelve and seventeen. At the time of our interviews, they ranged in age from fourteen to twenty-one. Most had been recruited between 2001 and 2004 and spent between three weeks and eight years with the LTTE. The average length of time in the LTTE for these children was approximately 2.7 years.
We also conducted over forty other interviews for this report, speaking to parents, human rights activists, representatives of local and international nongovernmental organizations and representatives of UNICEF, the LTTE-dominated Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), the International Labor Organization (ILO), and the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM). We also spoke with representatives of the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE.
The names of all children have been changed in this report in order to protect their privacy, and because of the very real threats of re-recruitment and reprisals that
(continued on page 28)

Page 26
26 TAM TIMES
m-mm
IOM lnternational Orgar OIM Organisation Internatic OIMOrganización Internacic
Returning back to Sri Lanka with the help and support of -VOLUNTARYASSISTED RETURNAND REINTEGRATI GRAMME -
"I was very happy to be able to return home knowing tha the exciting opportunity to set up my own small garment Lanka. I had not realized before that there is an Organisati assisting asylum seekers in this way” This was Mr. A's fe ing home after more than four years in the UK. Since than could help Mr. A to purchase sewing machines, tables an order for him to begin work in his own shop.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is an organization working with migrants worldwide since 1951 in over 100 countries.
The IOM London office implements the Voluntary Assiste Reintegration Programme (VARRP), assisting asylum seel return voluntarily to their home country since 1999. Unde gramme IOM can help applicants get travel documentatio flights home, assist at departure and on arrival, and offer assistance where possible in the home country. The numb returning under this programme has steadily increased sir gramme started in 1999. To date IOM could help over 600C different countries to return home.
An important part of the VARRP is the reintegration fund. who applies for the programme is eligible for reintegratio This can be in the form of education, vocational training ( a small business.
The IOM office in Sri Lanka can offer all of the above-me: bilities since 2002. More than 380 people have returned to many benefited from Reintegration Assistance.
Upon arrival, Returnees are met at the airport by IOM Sril which is perceived as a very positive experience by there Samarasinghe from IOM Sri Lanka puts it:"Returnees blo see us with the IOM emblem at the airport; they are very that they are secured with the IOM presence"There are f Centers in Sri Lanka that all offer counseling, Information orientation programmes. The Reception Centers are locate Batticaloa, Jaffna and Kandi and can sometimes offer sho facilities to returnees for the first days, which the returnee order, find permanent accommodation in Sri Lanka.

NOVEMBER 2004
9
ization for Migration nale pour les Migrations nal para las Migraciones
OM ON PRO
I would have pusiness in Sri on like IOM eling at returnIOM London d scissors in
independent and has offices
2d Return and cers who want to r this pron, arrange reintegration er of people ce the propeople from 89
Each returnee
assistance. or help to set up
ntioned possiSri Lanka and
anka staff, turnees. As Mr om when they happy to see pur Reception sharing and d in Colombo, t-term lodging .
requires in
IOMLondon Freephone: 0800 783 2332 Tel: 0207233 0001
WWW.iomlondon.org
Refugee Action Freephone: 0800 917 2719 London: 0207 654 7700 Manchester: O161 233 1200 Leeds: O113 244 5345 Leicester: 0116 261 4846
WWW refugeeaction.org.uk
NERS North-East: 0191 200 109
WWW refugee.org.uk
YMCA Glasgow Glasgow: O 141557 2355 WWWymcaglasgOW.Org
Safe Haven Yorkshire Sheffield: O114256 1033

Page 27
NOVEMBER 2004
Mr Samarasinghe stated that: "The returnees who Programme are doing well in the society and theirl participants of the Reintegration Assistance Progra and welding shops and do not only provide an inco: sometimes even employ additional people from thei One returnee who set up a batikshop in Puttalam I while providing employment for 21 workers.
One sentence the IOM staff in Sri Lanka often hea returned earlier if they would have known about the help it can provide both in the United Kingdom and
If you are interested in finding out more about the Vol please contact IOM London — Free phone:0 Fax: 02072333001, e-mail: varrpGliomlondon.org, wet Information is available in Romanian on our webpage. VARRP21 Westminster Palace Gardens, Artillery Row and Victoria Station)
IOM works in partnership with Refugee Action, YMC, these organisations offer information, advice and sup
trara
 
 

TAMIL TIMES 27
have been assisted under the Reintegration iving conditions are very good.” To achieve this, mme have in the past set up stationary, tailoring me for themselves and their families but can r local communities. District is now running a successful business
irs from returnees is that; "They could have : International Organization of Migration and the
in Sri Lanka.”
This young Gentleman returned to Sri Lanka and wanted to invest and work in the grocery shop of his uncle. The assistance provided by IOM Sri Lanka was used to purchase additional goods and therefore further develop the grocery store. This investment combined with his enthusiasm to earn his own living has proved to be very useful and furthered the success of the enterprise.
This woman returned to Colombo and wished to set up a sewing business. IOM Sri Lanka helped to purchase the necessary equipment, sewing machines and tables so she could start up her own business. Her business is prospering and she is currently employing three people. The sewing business is taking in orders from her local community and the owner hopes to be able to expand even further in the future.
untary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme 800 783 2332 or Tel: 0207233 0001
page: www.iomlondon.org Programme
, London SW1P1RR(near St. James ParkTube
AGlasgow, SafeHaven Yorkshire and NERSport to asylum seekers considering return home.
The Pogarh he co-faced by the rapa fè ?

Page 28
28 AMIL TIMES
(continued from page 25) they face. Also for security reasons, we do not identify many of the other individuals and organizations interviewed for this report or name the location of some interviews or events.
In this report, the word "child" refers to anyone under the age of eighteen. Recommendations To the LTTE: s
Immediately stop all recruitment of children, including efforts to re-register or re-recruit child ex-combatants from Karuna's forces; Release all children from LTTE forces and give those recruited before age eighteen the option to leave:
Inform families throughout the North and East of Sri Lanka of the LTTE's commitment not to recruit children under the age of eighteen through public announcements and use of the local media, including the LTTE's own media channels, and ensure that all recruitment materials clearly identify eighteen as the minimum age for recruitment;
Take all appropriate steps to ensure LTTE commanders and other cadres do not recruit children under the age of eighteen into LTTE forces, "voluntarily” or otherwise and provide the international community (through UNICEF) with documentation of disciplinary actions taken against LTTE cadre responsible for such recruitment; Fulfill all commitments agreed under the Action Plan for Children Affected by War; Approve for immediate dissemination the child rights awareness campaign messages submitted to the LTTE by UNICEF in January of 2004;
Allow UNICEF access to all military training camps to assess the age of recruits, and identify children for demobilization; Create a high-level task force to resolve outstanding cases of under-age recruitment; Establish a hotline or rapid response mechanism to act on reports of new recruitment and designate focal points in each district who will be accountable for acting on any complaints;
Publish the status of inquiries into cases raised by UNICEF on a routine basis. To the Government:
Ensure that an end to child recruitment and immediate demobilization of children from the LTTE are part of any new peace agreement with the LTTE; Take all appropriate measures in areas under its control to protect children from LTTE recruitment, including increasing a government presence near schools, temple festivals and other places where children are likely to be abducted;
Improve relations between the Sri Lankan army and police with the Tamil population, including by increasing the number of Tamil speakers within the security forces and providing language training to non-Tamil speakers;
Grant a formal amnesty to all former child soldiers for their participation in the LTTE; Ensure that all eligible persons (including former child soldiers without dis
crimination) are is: cards;Waive traditio for state-run vocatio child soldiers in or enrolment;
Support the de tional human rights r pices of the Human Sri Lanka, as envisio
Ratify the Rome national Criminal C To the UNICEF:
Set firm benchm LTTE compliance v to end child recruitr dren from its forces meet the benchmarks line, suspend oper centers, including a TRO for center ope Continue and stri vent child recruitmen ment of former child Strengthen comr. ing relationships wi and local nongovern in order to effective cruitment, put in pla tion strategies, and b families, including child recruitment;
Intervene rapidly cruitment by raising as quickly as possibl families, when possil return of their childre and release statistics gether with the status To the ILO
As the lead impl vocational training child soldiers, create v portunities, when ap former soldiers' nonLTTE (e.g. medical t To the NECOHR:
Issue a public st child recruitment and ( and the Human Right Lanka complementa vent the recruitment ( cure the release of chi To the Govt of Norw As a facilitator c ensure that an end to immediate demobiliza LTTE are part of an ment. Negotiate a cle the parties that “polit under the cease-fire a clude any form of ch To the SLMM:
Actively and con report on child recrui with the cease-fire ag on intimidation, abdu harassment of the civ Regularly and col of child recruitment cluding specific cases; Establish a humar to systematically mor

NOVEMBER 2004
ed national identity al entry requirements al colleges for former 2r to encourage their
loyment of internaonitors undertheauslights Commission of ed in the Hakone talks; statute for the Interurt.
rks and deadlines for ith its commitments ent and release chilif the LTTE fails to by the specified deadtions at the transit y funds going to the ations; :ngthen efforts to pre, including re-recruitsoldiers; hunication and workh local communities mental organizations ly monitor child relce effective prevenetter support affected heir efforts to resist
in cases of child recases with the LTTE le and accompanying ble, in requesting the 1; Publish recruitment on a regular basis, toof LTTE responses.
ementing partner for programs for former ocational training oppropriate, that utilize military training in the raining).
atement condemning levelop with UNICEF 's Commission of Sri y strategies to pre}f children and to seldren from the LTTE. ay: f the peace process, child recruitment and tion of children in the y new peace agreerunderstanding with cal work” conducted greement may not inld recruitment.
istently monitor and ment, in accordance eement's prohibition ction, extortion, and ilian population;
sistently raise issues with the LTTE, in
rights unit, dedicated toring the violations
of international law stipulated in the ceasefire agreement and staff it with trained human rights monitors. To Donor Countries:
Create a donor task force for close liaison with UNICEF and other local actors and to make urgent interventions with the LTTE in cases of new recruitment;
Provide financial and logistical support for the deployment of international human rights monitors in support of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka as envisioned in the Hakone talks;
Consider the appropriateness of channelling economic assistance through agencies, such as the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization, that are linked to the LTTE;
Use economic leverage to pressure the LTTE to put an end to all child recruitment by the LTTE and to promote the release of all children currently in the LTTE's ranks. To the Tamil Diaspora:
Express public opposition to the recruitmentanduse ofchildrenin armed conflict by the LTTE and other serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in Sri Lanka.
Ensure that funds provided to organizations in Sri Lanka do not directly or indirectly benefit the LTTE so long as it recruits and uses child soldiers or otherwise commits serious rights violations; To Governments of Countries with Tamil Diaspora:
Clearly communicate condemnation of the LTTE's child recruitment practices to members of the Tamil diaspora through both the Tamil and mainstream media and meetings with leaders of the Tamil diaspora. To the UN Security Council:
In accordance with Security Council Resolution 1539 on children and armed conflict (April 22, 2004), paragraph 6, adopt targeted measures to address the LTTE's failure to end child recruitment. Such measures could include the imposition of travel restrictions on leaders and their exclusion from any governance structures and amnesty provisions, a ban on the supply of small arms, a ban on military assistance, and restriction on the flow of financial resources;
Local Colombo missions of the Security Council should meet with the LTTE to insist on progress in the release of children, in accordance with Security Council resolutions on children and armed conflict. To A UNMember States:
In accordance with Security Council resolution 1379on children andarmed conflict (November 20, 2001), paragraph 9, use all legal, political, diplomatic, financial, and material measures to ensure respect for international norms for the protection of children by the parties to the conflict. In particular, states should unequivocally condemn the LTTE's continued recruitment and use of child soldiers and withhold any financial, political, or military support to the LTTE until it ends all child recruitment and releases all children currently in its ranks. O

Page 29
NOVEMEBER 2004
O Spinning for Peace
Nov 2 - One of Sri Lanka's most successful bowlers, Muttiah Muralitharan, urged the government and Tamil Tiger rebels to resume stalled talks to turn a truce into lasting peace after two decades of civil war.
Spin bowler Muralitharan, a Tamil himself, made his plea on 2 November during a three-day tour of the war-torn north with representatives of the United Nation's World Food Programme and foreign donors. The tour included a visit to the political and administrative stronghold of the Tamil Tigers.
"As a sportsman, all I can say is that Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims come together to play cricketside by side,'Muralitharan said after a one-hour meeting with Sudha Master, the deputy political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). "Likewise, the politicians and the LTTE must come together and make peace for the good ofthis country'speople," he said after seeing the destruction caused by years of fighting.
“The LTTE is willing to come to the
peace table and, although I don't know
about the government's position or the procedures involved, the people of the south want peace. The government must fulfil their wishes and come for negotiations."
Cricket is an exceedingly popular sport in Sri Lanka, enthusiastically played by Tamils and Sinhalese alike. Muralitharan has used a break from international cricket after a shoulder operation in August to focus on humanitarian work in disadvantaged communities in Sri Lanka's rural areas.
The 32-year-old was invited to the northern towns of Jaffna, Kilinochchi and Vavuniya as a "partner against hunger" by the United Nation's World Food Pragramme, which is providing aid to thousands of the war's innocent victims. Muralitharan has just returned to Sri Lanka after a global tour to raise funds to raise funds for his own charity, the Gunasekera-Muralidaran Foundation, which runs about 60 community projects in the south.
A controversial off spinner who bowls with a super-flexible wrist and locked elbow, Muar litharan broke Courtney Walsh's 519-wicket Test record in May but since his injury has been overtaken by Australia's Shane Warne. Muralitharan will travel to Australia later in the month for a check-up of his bowling shoulder by his surgeon
David Young. His reh smoothly and he hop to tour New Zealanc and January. (Reuter
O A rare gift
A doctor's life former patient's son part of his liver to th Dr. Kapuwatteh cancer and had very l ing. For lack of a dol ible blood group. Aft( two months witho Stephen came to the to donate part of his Dr. Kapuwatte v family doctor and ha for many years. The Mr. Stephen's fath many years. After hi doctor remained a clo ily. "I could talk to him about anything, the Daily Mirror.
It isn’t a wonde had no hesitation in nate almost half of h tion was performed Singapore, in August surgery took 8 hours
He is now back still does have pain : often feels tired, he "My liver will regen be back to normal i time,' he said.
Mr. Stephen's fi of him, even thought be postponed due to cording to Mr. Ste married some time in Dr. Kapuwatte is after the surgery al Stephen and his fam for Singapore last ni acheckup. (Courtes lombo)
 

TAMIL TIMES 29
abilitation has gone es to be fit enough l in late December
s)
was saved by his , when he donated e ailing doctor. ad developed liver ittle hope of survivmor, with a compater searching for over ut luck, Ishantha rescue by agreeing liver. was Mr. Stephen's d known the family doctor had treated er for diabetes for s father's death the se friend of the famhim and approach "Mr. Stephen told
r that Mr. Stephen his decision to dois liver. The operaby Dr. K.C. Tan in 2002. Mr. Stephen's
it work. Though he round the scar and is rapidly mending. 'rate and I expect to h about six months
incée, is very proud heir wedding had to the transplant. Achens they will be ext year.
also doing very well ld had visited Mr. ly in Kandy. He left ght (31 October) for : Daily Mirror, Co
O The scourge of maid servants in the middle east
Oct 25 - Muslims around the world are earning unnecessary bad name because of the some ignorant people in the Middle East. Having maid servants has become a status symbol, like Mercedes parked in the drive way. Having foreign maid servants is a lose-lose situation, except for boosting the ego ofpeople who have no other way to boost their ego with. There are harrowing stories on both sides. The victims are the maids and the children of the ignorant parents who hire them and entrust their children in their care. Many such children, under the care of the maids, have been sexually abused. For example, a male child kept complaining about pain in his private parts. Later, it was discovered the maid has been sexually abusing him. This is not an isolated CaSC,
Many similar cases have been reported. There was a bizarre case of a Philippino maid baking a child in the oven and attempting to eat him. The children "raised' by foreign maids also sufferimmense psychological, cultural and religious fallout which could have long lasting detrimental effects in their adulthood. A hefty price will be paid by the society which has become slaves to a false sense of status consciousness, and failed to foresee the ill effects of an alien culture. In the past, mothers have raised children, some times as many as 6 or 10, without the benefits of most of the modern day conveniences such as the refrigerators, washing machines, microwave ovens and what have you. There is no real reason why mothers of today need servants, especially with all the electronic appliances at their disposal. Slavery has been abolished by Islam, yet we have now resorted to a new form of slavery - in the form of maid servants.
Even in the United States and Canada, many nanny abuses have been captured by hidden video cameras - scenes of child battering which would make the hearts ofevery parent bleed. Then what should one expect of maids, who are away from their own families and in most cases their own children, maids who are sexually abused by their masters, maids who are forced to work under slave like conditions, abused mentally, physically and traumatised in many other ways, and some times denied of their hard earned wages? When these maids return to their home countries they carry with them not only the scars of such mistreatment, but

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also deep hatred for Arabs and Muslims. Abuse of maids is not a special feature to the middle east. Many nannies have been forced into prostitution, raped and even murdered in Singapore, Japan, Israel and other parts of the world. It seems that hapless people, at the brink of starvation, who abandon their own children at home to become modern day slaves, are a fair game to the rich, irrespective of national or religious boundaries. The religious scholars in Saudi Arabia have been lashing out at this practice and the ill-treatment of the maid servants, but those who should be listening to these exaltations are usually not at the mosques. They are busy watching Miami Vice or steamy soap operas on their satellite TVs. (Courtesy of “Engr. Meer Sahib "msahib(d.Drogers.com)
O Prabhakaran as Lord Krishna
In an editorial to mark Diwali, a Tamil language daily, the Colombo-based "Sudar Oli' has portrayed the LTTE Supremo, Velupillai Prabhakaran, as Lord Krishna who is all set to liberate the Tamil people from the thralldom of the modern-day "Narakasura", namely, the Sinhala-dominated Sri Lankan state.
Rhe newspaper that just as in the mythological tale relating to Diwali, the masses were yearning for deliverance from the demon king Narakasura, the Tamils of Sri Lanka were yearning for liberation from the thralldom of Sinhala majoritarian rule.
In an obvious reference to LTTE leader Prabhakaran, Sudar Oli said that the "new" Lord Krishna had given the clarion call for a struggle against today's Narakasuras and was ready to go into battle.
The Tamils of India and Sri Lanka believe that Diwali relates to Krishna's killing of Narakasura and represents the triumph of good over evil or the defeat of oppressive forces at the hands of the righteous. "It is certain that adharma (evil) will be defeated and dharma (righteousness) will win. And the Tamils are waiting for the re-establishment of dharma.
But the question tha ask themselves is wh accept the coming reg paper said.
"If the Tamils art they are on the verge lost rights and freed the bravery and sacr tion fighters (the LT tion that the Tamils sl they are leading a mc be worthy of the boo bestowed on them,'
"It is time the T sive tendencies base and ideologies, and system based on equi tice... The Diwali fe occasion to solemnly to lead such lives anc dom,” itsaid. “Wesh the other occasion should be lit and a sin to come in 15days,” reference was to the a oration of the LTTE Prabhakaran on Nov will set forth the L. Tamil struggle and t take. (Hindustan Tim
O'Leader of All S. and 'War and Peac Two books, "Leak a book on LTTE I Pirapaharan and "Wai authored by the LTT sor and Chief Negc Balasingham, were Annual General Meet Sangam (ITS), USAh 6 November, were r event. "Leader of All duced in Tamil by the eration of Tamils (IF" commemorate the Pirapaharan and cont key events in LTTEl Visuwanathan Ru Advisor to the LT Balasingham's book, reportedly said, "Wh book from others or
WWarmaSSOCiateS.CO.uk-uSe
 

NOVEMBER 2004
the Tamils should ether they are fit to ime ofdharma,” the
at this stage, when of getting back their om, it is because of fices of the liberaTE). But the quesould askis whether rally upright life to that is going to be Sudar Oli said. mils abjured divii on caste, religion paved the way for a ality and social jusstival should be an pledge themselves | be worthy of freeould remember that on which lamps hilar pledge taken is the paper said. The innual Heroes' Day Supremo Velupillai ember 27, when he TTE's view of the he direction it will es)
easons' e' der of All Seasons,” leader Velupillai and Peace,' a book E's Political Advitiator, Mr. Anton eleased at the the ing of Ilankai Tamil eld in New York on eleased during the Seasons" was pro: International Fed) in Switzerland to 50th birthday of insphotographs of eader's life. drakumaran, Legal E, releasing Mr. “War and Peace," it distinguishes this Tamil struggle is
that author Mr Balasingham is widely regarded as the authoritative commentator on the politico-military struggle of LTTE. He has been the ChiefNegotiator during the recent peace talks and has participated in all previous peace talks, and has been the closest confidante of LTTE leader Pirapaharan from the beginning of armed struggle in early 1970s. Balasingham illuminates the reader on what transpired in the recent peace talks and points out that the major impediment to the peace process is the lack of coherent policy in the Sinhala South. He says the absence of consensus within the Sinhala polity on a framework for political settlement and the lack of political will, will continue to bedevil future negotiations.' O In the bribery net
The Bribery Commission has given former Dputy Dfence Minister, Anuruddha Ratwatte, at his request four more weeks to account for over Rs. 45 million. Earlier the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption had sent a show cause notice asking him to explain how he amassed this sum. The commission sought Ratwatte to respond on or before November 2.
UNP heavyweight S. B. Dissanayake too was given extra time to account for Rs. 29 million in assets. He was arrested and produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate on 9 November as he was unable to account for the assets. Dissanayake was released on cash bail of Rs. 25,000 and personal bail of Rs. 100,000 with two sureties. It is said that Ratwatte too would have to be arrested and produced in court if he failed to satisfacto
rily explain his wealth.
The action comes hot on the heels of the arrest of Police Ombudsman DIG Seneviratne Banda and Director General of General Staff D. S. K. Wijesuriya as they failed to account for Rs. 3.5 million and Rs. 1.9 million respectively.
The commission is in the process of investigating several others, including former and present leading politicians and public officials, for being in possession vast amounts of wealth in terms of money and property they have amassed. O
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Anti-LTTE posters: Oct 25 - Posters appeared in several parts of Batticaloa town attacking the Liberation Tigers and warninglocal journalists against reporting on the LTTE. The posters have been reportedly put up by the loyalists of former LTTE commander Mr. Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan (Karuna). Meanwhile, a correspondent of a Tamil paper is reported to have alleged that he was threatened by two gunmen in Batticaloa town. Mr. C. Chandraparakash, the Batticaloa correspondent and district office manager of the Tamil daily Thinakkural, said he was going home when two men riding a motorbike had stopped him by the road and had threatened him with a pistol, warning him not to cover LTTE functions in Batticaloa and not to publish statements issued by the Tigers.
The "Karuna Group' had been accused of murdering senior Tamil journalist Mr. Aiyathurai Nadesan in Batticaloa in May this year. Three leading Tamil journalists in Batticaloa sought asylum in Switzerland after the renegade commander's associates gunned down their colleague and threatened them with death. Over 3000 graduates in job training: Oct 25. Three thousand two hundred and fifty seven graduates recruited under the job recruitment scheme launched by the United Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government are currently undergoing six months' training in eight administrative districts in the Northeast Province. The training programme commenced on October 21 as scheduled.
According to the provincial public administration ministry sources the inaugural event of the training programmes were held at several centres throughout the Northeast. After six months training they would be posted to permanent posts in the government sector in the Northeast Province, the sources said. Top Tiger leader returns after treatment: Oct 25 - The commander of the LTTE's naval operations, Thillayampalam Sivaneshan, better known as Col. Soosai, returned home after medical treatment in Singapore thereby ending speculation that he had led another split in the Tamil Tiger movement. He left for Singapore during the previous week to check on a bullet lodged in his body during a shootout with government forces in the late 1980s. LTTE sources said that he had been treated without surgery and his condition had improved.
There had been media speculation on whether Soosai would return from Singapore to lead his elite Sea Tiger unit which has inflicted heavy losses on the Sri Lankan navy. The Tigers denied media reports that Soosai had fallen out of favour with its leadership in a replay of a split led by another regional commander, V. Muralitharan, who broke away in March. Soosai and his medical team used Sri Lankan military helicopters for their travels to from the rebel-held north of the island to and from the country's only international airport. One killed, two injured in Colombo attack: Oct 25-Ayouth was shot dead and two were injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a group of Tamils suspected to be members of for LTTE commander 'Karuna' in a predominantly Tamil suburb in Colombo, One youth was injured very seriously in the attack, Police in Wellawatte said. He was rushed to the Kalubowila Hospital for emergency treatment, according to Police. Four young Tamil men had moved into a rented home in Roxy Gardens in Wellawatte recently, and they were the target of this shooting allegedly by the Tamil Tigers, Police said.
Swiss national killed in Batticaloa: Oct 26-ASwiss national was killed in a grenade blast on 25 October, Monday night in Batticaloa. The victim, Mr. Ken Ulrich, 61, was at his home in
 

TAMILTIMEs 31
Mamangam, a suburb of Batticaloa town, when an unidentifiedperson lobbed a grenade at him, according to police sources. Mr. Ulrich having married a Tamil woman from Batticaloa has been living in the eastern town for several years. News reports alleged that Mr Ulrich, who has been married to a Tamil woman and has resided in eastern Sri Lanka for a number of years, was reportedly killed by the Tamil Tigers for non-payment of"taxes". Dismissing the allegation of involvement in the killing, LTTE in a Press Release issued on accused a news report as being "based on speculation and concoction of a story to discredit the LTTE.”
"Our attention is drawn to a news item relating to the killing of a Swiss national in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka. The media organisation that has reported this incident quotes the local police and alleges that the killing was carried out by the LTTE. We strongly dismiss this allegation which is based on speculation and concoction of a story to discredit the LTTE," the LTTE said. This killing gains more significance in view of the victim being a Swiss national. "This has been planned in such a way to portray the LTTE in bad light. Our leadership views this with grave concern and condemns the killing. Perpetrators of this crime have in mind a criminal objective to disrupt the peace process," the LTTE said. Abductions of youth: Oct 27 - In one of the many cases of abduction which have become common especially in eastern Sri Lanka, police reported that a sixteen-year-old schoolboy had been allegedly forcibly taken away from Valachchenai in Batticaloa. According to Eravur Police, LTTE cadres had reportedly come in two motorbikes and had taken away the boy, a student attached to the Hindu College in Valachchenai. He was at the three-wheeler park in the town to deliver his fathers raincoat when he was abducted. The boy's distraught parents have reportedly informed of the incident to the police.
In another case, a teenager allegedly abducted and detained by the LTTE had managed to escape from a LTTE camp at Sampoor in Trincomalee on 26 October. After fleeing from the LTTE camp, he had surrendered himself at an Army checkpoint in Thoppur. An army spokesman reportedly said the seventeen-year old youngster was abducted on October 22 and had been detained by LTTE in order to be sent to Vavuniya for arms training. The youngster was produced before the Court on 27 October after which he was formally handed over to his parents. Two abducted PLOTE cadres missing: Oct 28-Two members of the PLOTE, an ex-Tamil militant group in Vavuniya, were abducted by unidentified gunmen in a suburb of the northern border town, Sri Lanka Police said. Their whereabouts are not yet known, according to Police. The PLOTE cadres have been missing since 26 October, Tuesday night, relatives said. The two, Mr. Jeyamanokaran Navaratnam, 25, and Mr. Sellaiya Selvarasa, were riding a motorbike when they were stopped and abducted by gunmen at Pandarikulam, a suburb of Vavuniya town. Their motorbike was found abandoned on the way. Navy rescues five Tamil youth: Oct 29- Navy rescued five Tamil youth including three teenagers at Nilaveli in Trincomalee on 28 October, when allegedly two LTTE cadres were taking them away forcibly in a cab to the Sampoor LTTE camp in the Trincomalee district in eastern Sri Lanka. A military spokesman reportedly said that navy personnel at a checkpoint in Nilavelihad stopped the cab and found theseyouth. The Navy had then handed over the five Tamil youth, all between ages 16 to 24, to the Trincomalee office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, who later handed them over to the UNICEF representatives in

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Trincomalee. Clahes between Islamic sects: Oct31 - Police declared unof ficial curfew in Kattankudy, a large Muslim town 5 kilometres south of Batticaloa, after mobs demolished a mosque and several houses and buildings belonging to an Islamic sect. Special Task Force (STF) commandos were called in after Police failed to control crowds of orthodox Muslims armed with clubs and machetes stormed the main mosque and a computer centre of the influential Islamic sect led by the charismatic cleric known as "Payilvaan'. Police said crowds were called up by muezzins from orthodox mosques in the thickly populated town.
On 31 October, Sunday afternoon STF and Police were still trying to control crowds attacking the homes families that follow Payilvaan's teachings, sources in Kattankudy said.
Those belonging to orthodox Islam say that Payilvaan, a person without any basic knowledge of Islam and Arabic, has been misguiding many people in his hometown Maruthamunai then in Kattankudy and Colombo. He has written few books misinterpreting Islam and misguiding the people. His writings and preachings show his Sufi leanings. Many of them don't even pray five times and they are more into workshipping graves whish is prohibited in Islam.
The also allege that the demolished building was built to burry this guy"Pailwan" and his wife in the ground floor when they die, then his followers can throw flowers from upstairs. Brave youths have demolished this building in the heart of Muslim town.
Payilvaan's followers charged that a group of young preachers trained in Saudi Arabia were behind the attack. "They are trying to force everyone to follow Wahabism. They are paid to do this by the Saudis," one of them alleged. His supporters claim that Payilvaan, an Islamic scholar, has written extensively against Wahabi orthodoxy. His writings and preachings show his Sufi leanings. Many rich
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Muslim businessmen and farmers on the east coast are his followers. Out of them are Mr Hameed the co-owner of "French Corner" and H. I Hussain who is originally from Kattankudy currently based in Colombo.
Japanese envoy meets LTTE: Nov 1 - At a meeting between Japanese Special Envoy Mr. Yasushi Akashi and the head of the LTTE's political division Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, Mr Akashi emphasized the necessity for resuming dialogue in the interest of sustaining the momentum of peace built over the last two and a half years. Mr. Akashi told the LTTE's political head that his discussion with the Sri Lankan President made him feel that she was genuine in her commitment to the peace process and therefore he would encourage the LTTE too to enter negotiations without further delay.
Responding to Mr. Akashi's concern, Mr.Thamilchelvan said that the LTTE remains firmly committed to the peace process and it is exactly one year today that the proposal for an Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) was submitted to the Sri Lankan government but that Colombo had not yet indicated its readiness to resume talks, although it expresses sincerity and commitment in mere words only.
"Parochial political concerns and lack of consensus in the south are delaying the peace process and humanitarian delivery to the war affected people of the northeast", Tamilchelvan reportedly told Mr. Akashi. It was time, Mr.Thamilchelvan had reportedly said that the Sri Lankan Government seriously considered the unconditional support offered by the main opposition to take forward the peace process, sinking narrow political considerations. Bomb thrown at LTTE office: Nov 1 - A Karuna loyalist is reported to have thrown a handgrenade at the LTTE's Mavadivembu Political Office in Batticaloa on 31 October evening. Police said
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that despite the blast no casualties or damage was reported. The office had been closed since Karuna' defection from the LTTE, but was reopened two weeks ago. At the time of the incident there were no LTTE cadres in the office. The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission has been informed of the incident. No Indian FilmStars on Greeting Cards: Nov 1 - LTTE has issued stern warnings in Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka for both printers and storekeepers that Greeting cards bearing the photos of Indian film stars should not be printed or sold in Tamil areas. Indian film stars, especially the South Indian Tamil stars are popular among the Jaffna youth, and Deepavali greeting cards bear the photos of Tamil actors and actresses. Several Tamils in Jaffna are annoyed by this announcement by the LTTE, as one school teacher puts it: “This is childish, a silly thing for an organization like LTTE." The Tigers, however, are treating this as a serious matter. Before 1995, when LTTE was controlling Jaffna, Indian Tamil films, newspapers and journals were also banned by the LTTE. Muslims protest in the East: Nov 1 - Hundreds of Muslim civilians, students and members of civil organizations in the Eastern province staged several demonstrations in the Eastern province to commemorate 14 years since Muslims were evicted from the North by the LTTE.
Students of the Southeast University in the Eastern Province staged a protest demonstration in Oluvil, where they called upon President Chandrika Kumaratunga to appoint a special Commission to assess the value of the losses to date incurred by the affected people. They also called for the immediate steps to be taken to resettle and re-habilitate the ousted Muslims in their respective areas. "Safety must be guaranteed and the LTTE and the Government must honour their rights, No taxes and extortion can be levied from the Muslims on and after the re-settlements," they said.
In another demonstration in Batticaloa, some 5000 Muslims carrying placards demanded the immediate resettlement of Muslims. They also urged the International Community to give ears to the plight of the Muslims in the North East. A leaflet was also distributed among the public, explaining how the Muslims were driven off within 24 hours leaving all their belongings, properties, lands and houses 14 years ago. Meanwhile, in Trincomalee, posters were put up condemning the LTTE for driving off Muslims 14 years ago. "Murderous LTTE drove off Muslims from the North 14 years ago,”“Let defeat the plan of the Vanni LTTE to drive off Tamils and Muslims of the East who are against the Vanni LTTE,” "Lives of the Eastern people are in danger," "Let us save the Eastern people from the LTTE claws,” the posters said. Bombs found at Trinco harbour: Nov 1 - Two M4 Grade bombs have been found in the inner harbour in Trincomalee near the office of the North East Provincial Council. A civilian is reported to have tipped off the police, who had then gone to the area and after searching for several hours had found the two bombs. The bombs were recovered at the place where the navy usually berth their boats, according to EPDP sources. LTTE office in Denmark raided: Nov 2 - The office in Denmark belonging to an LTTE front organization named Thamilar Orungu Inaippu Onryam, was raided by Danish police, according to a Danish news report. The report said police removed computers, floppies and CDs, files, account books, and other sensitive documents from the office, located in Copenhagen. It added, "This raid of the office was carried out by the police on the permission given by a law court in Denmark." The Danish government has suggested to the European Union that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam be placed on its list of terrorist organisations.
Denmark's Minister of Foreign Per Stig Moller reportedly told the Danish Parliament (Folketing) that the government would take necessary action to ensure that the terrorist lists of America

TAM TIMES 33
and the European Union would not differ on the inclusion of the LTTE. The Foreign Minister's statement was made in reply to a written question raised by Denmark People's Party (Dansk Folkeparti) Member of Parliament Peter Skarup on October 7, over the visit to Denmark of Balakumar, a leader of the LTTE and why the Tigers had not been included in the European Union's list of terrorist organisations. President meets opposition leader: Nov2-SriLankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga urged opposition leader, Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe to participate in the all party National Advisory Council on the peace process to find a solution to end the island's ethnic conflict. Mr. Wickremesinghe and President Kumaratunga met in Colombo for discussions on Tuesday, 2 October. Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was also present at the discussion. A press release by the Presidential Secretariat said that the President briefed him on the proceedings of the National Advisory Council for Peace and Reconciliation (NACPR) held on the previous day and on plans for future meetings of the Council.
The President emphasized the importance of the UNP's participation in the Council and requested Wickremesinghe to reconsider the party’s decision for non-participation in the NACPR.
The opposition leader drew particular attention to the UNP statement on its position regarding the Oslo Declaration and communiqué and the Tokyo Declaration and emphasized the urgent need ofearly resumption of peace talks on the basis stated by the UNP. He reiterated that there was "a clear agreement between the government and the LTTE to explore a federal solution as the basis of a political resolution of the ethnic conflict".
The discussions were informative and constructive and covered number of matters relating to the peace process. The President and the opposition leader agreed that they would continue to meet from time to time. Wanted posters for6 Karuna cadres: Nov2-Sixfieldcommanders of the Karuna group have been put on the "Most Wanted Persons' list by the LTTE Vanni faction, whose group in the east had distributed leaflets to that effect, according to sources in eastern Sri Lanka.
The leaflets carried the names and photographs of the six outlawed Tigers, who have been branded as traitors and criminals by the Vannigroup. The leaflet released by the political division of the Batticalao - Amparai districts, has sought the details of those six members of the Karuna group including Sinnathambi, Marakkan, Mangalan, Imiya Bharathi, Uruththirai and Pillaiaiyan who were heads of the lowest rungs of Karuna's military machinery. The leaflets requested the public to come forward with information on the whereabouts of these wanted cadres to enable the Vanni forces to arrest or eliminate them.
Posters too had been put up on the same lines but with the addition of the message "We will soon identify other Tamil traitors too, who are surreptitiously working against us,” sources added. Suspect informant shot dead: Nov 3-A former member of the LTTE lately residing in Negombo was shot dead at Munnakkare a suburb of Negombo on Tuesday, 2 November, police said. The victim identified as 22-year-old youth Kumaravelu Pathmakumar was reportedly suspected by the LTTE to be an informant of the security forces for sometime. At the time of his murder, Pathmakumar from Karainagar in Jaffna had been living at Negombo with his wife and child and working as a labourer. The victim was returning on a push cycle after work when a gang which came in a three wheeler reportedly shot him dead. Indian general visits line of control: Oct 3 - Indian army commander General N. C Vij visited the main entry point to the territories held by the LTTE in Sri Lanka's north. He saw the line of control and the forward defences of the Sri Lanka army at the Omanthai entry point on the A9 highway, 15 kilometres north of

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Vavuniya.
Earlier in the day the Indian army commander had discussions with Maj.Gen. Parami Kulatunga, Sri Lankan Security Forces commander for Vanni and Mr. Mahinda Baddewela, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Vanni Range) at the JOSSOP camp in Vavuniya, Meanwhile, Mrs. Rita Vij visited an orphanage in Atamasgassa, a Sinhala village near Vavuniya town. She distributed gifts to the children at the orphanage, Abduction attempt foiled: Nov4-Police in eastern Batticalo alleged an attempt by Tamil Tigers to abduct two civilians including a female was foiled by them. Military Spokesman Brigadier Daya Ratnayake said that the abductors on a tipper lorry were carrying the two civilians. When one of the victims had managed to signal the Police at the roadblock, the truck was on its way to a LTTE controlled area. The police had however been able to rescue the two civilians but the LTTE cadres had fled the scene. Shot dead in Colombo: Nov 6- Mr. Velayutham Dayalakumar, 44, whose father works at the offices of the TULF, was shot dead allegedly by LTTE gunmen in Dehiwela, a suburb in the southern outskirts of Colombo, around 7.30 p.m. Thursday, on 4 November. A man identified as "Jayasingha' was seriously wounded in the attack by unidentified gunmen in a very busy part of Dehiwela Junction. Dayalakumar and Jayasingha were shot when they were having tea at Sumihiri Hotel at Dehiwela Junction, according to Police.
Mr. Dayalakumar, also known as Dayalan, had a business near Dehiwela Junction. He was associated with the PLOTE in his younger days, but for the last several years he remained politically inactive trying hard to make ends meet. In a letter reportedly sent to the Norwegian Ambassador in Colombo, Dayalan's father Mr Velayutham has contradicted reports in the local Tamil media and the TamilNet website that his son was a member of any armed paramilitary group. He also revealed that his son was a candidate of the TULF sponsored Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in the parliamentary general elections held on 2001 and was never an informant or spy as alleged by some Tamil dailies in Colombo.
In his letter he states that he continues to work as a typist in the TULF office for Mr Ananatha Sangaree and other TNA MPs like Mr Mavai Senathirajaha and Mr Sambanthan. Aserting that he still continues to be strong supporter of the TULF, Mr Velayautham in his letter states, "Even today though our party Secretary Gen. eral R.Sampanthan has temporarily severed connections with the party, he used to visit our office and he continues to get his works done through me. Similarly Mavai Senathirajah MP too gets his works done by us. This is only a temporary rift within our party." Grenadeshatters peace in Muslim town: Nové-Two days of relative calm in Kattankudy, a large Muslim town in Batticaloa torn by religious rioting since 31 October, was shattered when a man suspected to be a member of an armed Islamic group lobbed a grenade at the home of a Sufi Muslim. Police patrolling the riot afflicted area gave chase to the attacker and took him into custody. A spokesman for Abdur Rauf Mowlavi, the leading Sufi cleric of Kattankudy, repeated the charge that a Wahabi extremist group funded by powerful sources in the Middle East is responsible for the violence. Grenade attack on doctor's home: Nov 7-Unidentified persons lobbed a grenade at a doctor's home on Upstair Road in Puliyanthivu, a high security suburb of Batticaloa town, Saturday(6) night around 7 p.m. The reason for the attack is not clear, Police said. No one was hurt in the explosion. The attacked house
O WWW.srilan
 
 

NOVEMEBER 2004
is situated behind the office of the EPDP. Security beefed up in Colombo: Nov 7-Defence authorities have introduced spot roadblocks with heavily armed police officers in Colombo and suburbs. The roadblocks came up just hours following a series of politically motivated killings in the capital allegedly by LTTE pistol group members,
According to police reports, the department has decided to set, up these check points in over 100 junctions in the areas of Colombo and suburbs, Reports however claimed that these checkpoints will not inconvenience the public but will be a security measure and was carried out with the intention of preventing any future unwarranted incidents such as the most recent killings. Bomb lobbed at ex-teacher's house: Nov8. A house on the Hanuman Kovil road in Batticaloa was damaged on 6 November, Saturday evening around 7 p.m. after a bomb thrown by suspected LTTE cadres exploded. The house belonged to retired school teacher P. Selvarajan.
Meanwhile, in another bomb throwing incident in Katankudy, police arrested a suspect for throwing a bomb at a house and produced him before Batticaloa Magistrate M. H. M. Ajmir, who ordered that he be remanded till November 9. Monklashes out at JHU: Nov8 - The convenerofNational Patriotic Movement, Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera has lashed out at the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) saying that it has done much damage to the image of bhikku community going against those who voted for them sincerely for a worthy cause.
The Ven. Gunawansa Thera said, "the monks of the Jathika Hela Urumaya should take the full responsibility for the damage caused." He said that JHU monks went on to act against the advice of the most Ven. Senior Mahanayake Theras when they decided to throw themselves into electoral politics forfeiting their position as advisors.
"Why enlist yourself among politicians when you can guide them from a higher level from your existing position as their advisors?" he asked. He said he opposed the very idea of the JHU monks setting up a political party at the outset. Referring to currently raging internal conflict within the JHU, the Thera said, “I publicly declared that this would end up in chaos which has now proved itself as what is seen within the JHU today," he explained. He also said it was a shame that the JHU monks had misused Buddhist flags, the Great Bodhi tree and Buddhist terminologies in their political campaigns to achieve political power.
Asked about Hela Urumaya’s former Secretary Thilak Karunaratne's decision to resign from the JHU to join the UNP, the Ven. Thera said that it meant that Thilak Karunaratne had finished his temporary role of acting as a patriot to join what suits him the best. Balasingham back in Kilinochchi; Nov 9-Political advisor of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. Anton Balasingham, arrived from the UK where he normally resides in Kilinochchi in northern Sri Lanka on 9 November in a Sri Lankan Air Force helicopter provided by the Government. He was accompanied by his wife Ms. Adele Balasingham. On his arrival, Mr. Balasingham was welcomed by Col. Soosai, Commander of the Sea Tigers and Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, head of the LTTE's political division. He is expected hold consultations with the leader of theLTTE, Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan, in preparation for the discussions they are expected to have with the Norwegian foreign minister Mr. Jan Peterson and his peace team later in the week.
Due to harsh weather conditions in Vanni and his delicate health
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condition, Balasingham will be staying in Kilinochchi for not more than a week before returning to his London residence, TamilNet reported. Brigadier's vehicle attacked: Nov 9-The vehicle of the Sri Lanka army's 23-2 Brigade commander came under pistol and hand grenade attack from unidentified men near Jetty Camp, Valaichchenai in eastern Sri Lanka in the morning on 8 November while the vehicle was proceeding towards Valaichchenai. Army reports alleged that cadres belonging to the Tamil Tigers were responsible for the attack, but the Tigers strongly denied any involvement.
According to army reports, the left-hand side of the windscreen and the buffer of the vehicle recieved two pistol shots and damages caused by the explosion, although the Brigade Commander was not inside the vehicle when it came under attack.The matter was referred to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) since it was regarded a serious violation of the ceasefire, army sources said. SLMM representatives visited the scene along with the Police and troops.
Reports further said that two Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) supporters were engaged in distributing their party literature had also been in the area when the army vehicle was attacked. The pistol men, believed to have operated seemingly from a roof. top or a raised platform, had fired towards the Army vehicle that was on the road at the same time, in the melee, according to a report by Sri Lanka Army, fear-stricken EPDP Seelan seemingly aware what was going to happen had taken to his heels and crept into a nearby hardware shop in search of protection, leaving behind policemen. The unidentified assailants then threw a hand grenade towards the fleeing EPDP supporter but it missed the target and hit another civilian who rushed out from the shop to find what was happening outside. The handgrenade explosion injured the civilian, Ahmed Lebbe (48) of Kattankudy when the attackers threw the handgrenade.
Denying the allegation that they were behind a grenade attack, the LTTE in a statement issued to the press on 8 November the LTTE condemned the attack and said the Sri Lankan government should investigate and bring the culprits to book as the incident had occurred in an area under its control. "We remain firmly committed to the cease fire despite such insidious attempts by traiterous anti national elements to precipitate a confrontation between the Sri Lanka army and us", the Tigers said. “Already two states in the island': Nov 10-"The objective before us is to make our own constitution on the basis of our sovereignty, which is inalienable. We have the right to do it. The signing of the ceasefire agreement between the leader of the Tamil nation and the Prime Minister of the Sinhala nation proved that there are two states on this island. Our legal experts proved at the Trial at Bar proceedings against the leaders of the Tamil United Liberation Front in 1976 that the Sinhala nation had no right to adjudicate in the affairs of the Tamils as they did not accede their sovereignty to the Sri Lankan constitution of 1972", said Mr. Mavai Senathirajah, Tamil National Alliance MP for Jaffna, speak. ing at the opening of the new building of the Thamil Eelam Law College in Kilinochchi on 10 November,
The Thamil Eelam Law College was declared open by Ms. Adele Balasingham, wife of the LTTE's chiefpolitical advisor, Mr Anton Blanasingham.
Senior LTTE officials, civil society leaders, representatives of UNICEF, UNHCR, lawyers from Jaffna, Vavuniya, and Vanni attended the opening ceremony of the new building of the Thamil Eelam Law College, situated next to the Thamil Eelam Court complex by the A9 Highway in Kilinochchi in northern Sri Lanka.
"Our leader's main objective was to establish and promote this college in order to produce legal experts and lawyers to uphold the

TAMIL TIMES 35
Rule of Law so that our people can safeguard their rights. We want to raise the level of this college to match international standards. This endeavour has been greatly assisted by legal experts from abroad. We have already trained six batches of more than hundred and forty lawyers in our college," said Mr. E. Pararajasingham, head of Thamil Eelam Judiciary, speaking at the opening ceremony. Mr. P. Nadesan, Chief of Thamil Eelam Police Service and Dr. S. Somaskandan, of the LTTE's International Secretariat in the Vanni also spoke at the function.
The Thamil Eelam Law College was established in 1991 in Jaffna. It was moved to Puthukudiyiruppu in Mullaithivu after the Sri Lanka army took control of the Jaffna peninsula in 1995. Health employees in protest demonstraton: Nov 10-Hundreds of employees of North East Department of Health Services held a one hour demonstration at the junction along Inner Harbour Road in Trincomalee that leads to the office of Provincial Governor and later went in a procession and handed over a memorandum to a representative of the Governor demanding that they be paid the increased salary of three thousand rupees as paid to employees of other provincial councils in Sri Lanka, according to trade union SOCCS.
They demanded that the employees of the northeast health sector should be treated on par with employees in other provincial councils now administered by elected administration. The All Ceylon Health Services Union (ACHSU) organized the protest and health sector employees from the district of Batticaloa, Amparai and Trincomalee participated. Health sector employees later held a meeting in the children's playground located in front of the office of the provincial governor.
Trade union leaders said they would launch trade union action crippling the entire health services if the provincial governor failed to pay the increased salary anomalies to northeast health sector employees on par with the other provincial councils before November 22. Norwegian FM meets President: Nov 11 - Norwegian Foreign Minister Mr. Jan Petersen met with Sri Lanka's President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, and discussed the resumption of peace process between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Mr. Petersen was accompanied by Mr. Vidal Helgesen, the Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Erik Solheim, Special envoy to Sri Lanka, and Mr. Hans Brattskar, the Norwegian Ambassador in Sri Lanka. Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka's Minister of Foreign Affairs, was associated with President Kumaratunga. Norwegian FM meets Tiger Leader: Nov 11 - Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jan Peterson, began discussions with leader of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan, in Kilinochchi on 11 November. The talks were expected to cover the current state of Sri Lanka's peace process and efforts to further stabilize the ceasefire between the LTTE and Colombo. The LTTE leader was assisted by Mr. Balasingham at the discussions with the Norwegian Foreign Minister.
Mr. Peterson was accompanied by Deputy Norwegian Foreign Minister, Mr. Vidar Helgesen, Mr. Eric Solheim and Norway’s ambassador in Colombo, Mr. Hans Brattskar.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting between the leader of the LTTE and Norway's Foreign Minister. Mr. Anton Balasingham said, "President Kumaratunga has sent no new message through the Norwegian Foreign Minister. She has only reiterated her stand that there should be talks on a permanent political solution. We have conveyed a message to her on how to take the peace process forward. But the Norwegians have requested us not to speak about it to the press until they discuss it with the Sri Lankan President." "The Tamil people have been talking about a permanent set
(continued on page 41)

Page 36
• 36 TAMIL TIMES
AWARRİORS
CHAIRMANYASSERARAFAT'S six decade long personal struggle for the emancipation of his people has come to an end. In contrast to other iconic figures who led their people against the forces of colonialism, the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation was unable to secure freedom for his nation before he succumbed to an undiagnosed illness. However, Mr. Arafat's achievement was in some ways even more monumental given the conditions in which the Palestinians began their national liberation movement. They had barely begun to create a sense of oneness when they were struck in full force by Western imperialism and the Zionist enterprise. The powers that drew the political map of the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea refused to recog
nise even the exist who had lived the For long these p with the Zionist fic tory was "a land w should be given t out a land.' The
given almost no su when they were fir per cent of their h little effective help jected to colonial
strips of territory li sion. While the m so-called democra them with disdain,
brethren were in rather than assist
became the symb people because he one else, preserv spirit and sustaine
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ence of the people e for generations. wers went along tion that this territhout people' that o "a people withPalestinians were ccour and support st driven out of 80 omeland and very as they were suboppression in the aft in their possesjor powers in the tic world treated some of their Arab clined to exploit them. Mr. Arafat ol of a scattered , more than anyed their national d their desire for liberty.
In assessing the great warrior's achievements, there are those who say he missed a historic opportunity to secure his peoples' future when he refused to accept the deal Israel of fered during the Camp David talks in 2000. This is a paseless assessment. The Palesinians, who were clinging on to the 'emnants of the patrimony left in heir possession fter the creation of Israel, were unerstandably reuctant to make urther territorial nd other comprohises as they were sked to do at
NOVEMBER 2004
Camp David. The Zionist state was the real culprit behind the collapse of the Oslo processes because it refused to offer a settlement that Mr. Arafat could make his people accept. While Israel did make an improved offer at the follow-up negotiations held in Taba a few months later, it was by then too late for a settlement since the second intifada was under way. Mr. Arafat's critics are also in error when they blame him for the violence that has rocked the region for the past four years. It was the Israeli extremist, Ariel Sharon, whogoaded the Palestinians into a violent uprising by arrogantly marching through the Holy Sites in Jerusalem. With Israel systematically destroying the administrative and security infrastructure the Palestinian Authority had established, Mr. Arafat was deprived of the means to stop the suicide bombers. The controversies arising out of the mismanagement of the Authority's finances are more troublesome. While no one has ever accused Mr. Arafat of misappropriating public funds for his personal use, he was unable to dispel the impression that this money was sometimes used arbitrarily to consolidate his political position.
In coming together to form a collective leadership, the different streams of the Palestinian national movement tendered the tribute that would have pleased their beloved Chairman most. This leadership is a manifestation of the spirit of national unity that Mr. Arafat created and sus
tained over decades. The smoothness
with which the different factions overcame their differences shows that there was always an underlying willingness to work together. This owed in large measure to the governing style of a master tactician who took care to see that no faction was completely alienated. While Mr. Arafat never allowed anyone to challenge his pre-eminence in Palestinian politics and society, his people always found him approachable. The leader's life has come to an end but he has left a shining legacy for his followers to build upon.
Editorial, The Hindu, 13 Nov 2004

Page 37
NOVEMBER 2004
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TAMIL TIMES 37
IN MEMORAMS
Third Year Remembrance
In ever loving memory of Mrs Pavalam Ramasany who passed away on 29th November 2001. Dear Amma, Everyone says that you left uS, but to us you Continue to live with us everyday. Sadly missed and fondly
remembered by your loving children, Vijayakumar (Jaffna), Vijayadevi, Vijayarani and Jegasothy (all of London); in-laws Selva (Research Officer in Charge of Agricultural Research Station, Thirunelvely, Jaffna), Nathan, Sundaralingam, Thillainathan (all of London), Naguleswary (Jafna); grandchildren PurushOwththaman, Toothiransali, Luxana, Anand, Meni, Luxey and Vasanth.
- 11 Bulstrode Avenue, Hounslow, Middlesex TW33AA. Tel 02085776377
| Flute Academy Institute (UK)
Temple of Fine Arts & Flute (UK)
requires
Resident Flute Teacher, Miridangam Teacher and Violin Teacher Appointments commence from 15 January 2005 Please send CV to E 192 Clo Tamil Times.
Legal Advisor Wanted UK immigration Law Firm is looking for a law graduate (either British born or came to the UK at a young age) with spoken knowledge of Tamil to join their dedicated team of Legal Advisors. Please apply with your Curriculum vitae to E 92 or call
O7771 646 441.
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Seeks a qualified and experienced Carnatic Vocalist to teach and perform on behalf of the school. Please e-mail your applications toSrgmpdnGDhotmail.Com and for further information Contact the
Director on O7956 345212
Closing Date: 10th December 2004

Page 38
38 TAMIL TIMES
Fifth Year Remembrance
in ever loving memory of Viranjani Rajika Malalgoda on the fifth anniversary of her passing away under tragic circumstances on 7th November 1999.
We catch your smile on someone's face, lt tugs deep lin our heart; We feel your love in every place, We're never far apart.
We hear your words in another's volce, Your laugh in someone's fun; To have you here today dear daughter, Would be our only choice.
Love forever Mum and Dad
A preclous heart stopped beating, Hardworking hands at rest; God broke our heart to prove us, He only takes the best.
Love you always, Rajeev Aliya and Saloni
- Mahinda &lndra Malalgoda, 96 Celeborn Street, South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, CM3 7AF Tel: 01245 322852.
Sixth Death Anniversary
In Ever Loving Memory of Miss. Daisy Selvaranee Rasiah on the Sixth anniversary of her passing away on 10th November 1998.
"Nothing Loved is ever lost Memories Last for ever"
Remembered with Love and Great affection by her loving Sister Thevaranee and other members of the family.
- Miss. J.T. Rasiah, 64 Jessup Close, London SE18
 
 

NOVEMBER 2004
in Ever Loving Memory of Our Dearest Appah
Richard Jeyarajasingam Born: 20.11.1928 Called to glory; 27.11.1990
it is hard to believe that Fourteen-years have passed: Not a day went by without your thoughts, Yet, as our Heavenly Father assures us that 'In His presence there is fullness of Joy'
(psalm 1811) We will encourage each other With this promise until we meet again.
Fondly remembered and sadly missed by Ranee and children Ranjan, Seelan, Shanthi, Jeyanthy and their familles.
passing away on 16th November 1988. Fondly remembered by his beloved wife Thilagavathy, loving children Usha, Warathan, Nalini and Nanthini; sons-in-law Sivanathan, Rajkumarand Vathsayan, daughter-in-law Savithiri; grandchildren Bairavi, Luxmil, Uruthiran, Abhiriami, Sebestian and lisabel.
- Flat 15, Girtin House, in loving memory of Mr. P. 44 Brighton Road, Sutton, V. Nadarajah on the six- Surrey SM25JO. teenth anniversary of his Tel: 020 8404 6541.
Mrs Chandra Ragupathy.
In ever loving memory of my wife Chandra On the ninth anniversary of her passing away on 28th November 1995. Sadly missed and fondly remembered as always by her loving husband Ragupathy. -262 Wricklemarsh Road, London SE38DW.

Page 39
NOVEMBER 2004
25th Anniversary Remembrance
Born: 14.8.1913 - Called to rest: 24.11.1979
In ever loving memory of Mr. P. Nallaiah. Remembered with lots of love and affection by his beloved wife, 9 children, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, 13 grandchildren and 9 great grand children – Mrs Mano Ananthanathan (Eldest
daughter),
16 Charterhouse Avenue, Sudbury, Middx HA03DB, e 02087952532
Australian NeWS letter
ACroSS Australia, hundreds of schemes ranging from programmes for young offenders and victims of abuse to educational and vocational training are endeavouring to improve the livelihood of indigenous people. Yet, they are the most disadvantaged group in Australia. lndigenous men die - on average - twenty years youngerthan their white Counterparts and suffer disproportionately high rates of ill health, imprisonment and unemployment. Abuses of alcohol and drugs have made many indigenous households extremely volatile. A recent study found indigenous women were fifty times more likely to endure domestic violence than White Australian women. Successive federal governments have been
unsuccessful in delivering better outcomes for indigenous communities, despite winning responsibility for black issues in a historic referendum in 1967. After a fourth Consecutive win in last month's elections, the Howard government has plans to rebuild from the ground up with the introduction Of behavioural “Contracts" With black Communities in return for healthcare, education, dole money and services, in an attempt to turn around many years of failure. Accordingly, families and Communities Will be rewarded for ensuring that their children are washed, clothed and attend School. There are also proposals to use payment cards that can Store information and Set electronic limits on what indigenous
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TAM TIMES 39
FORTHCOMINGS EVENTS
December 3 Feast of St. Francis Xavier 4 Feast of St. John Damacene 6 Karthigai Somavaram (3); Feast of St. Nicholas 7 Feast of St. Ambrose 8 Krishna Eekathasi; The Immaculate Conception of The Blessed Virgin Mary 9PiratOSan
11 Amavasai 13 Karthigai Somavaram (4); Feast of St. Lucy
14 Sathurthi, Feast of St. John of the Cross 16 Shashti; Sri Vinayakar Viratham ends 18. ThiruvembaVai StartS 21 Vaikunda Eekatha si, Feast of St. Peter Canisius 23 Karthigai Pirathosam 25 Christmas Day 26 Full Moon, Feast of St. Stephen 27 Aarudra Tharshan, Feast of St. John 28 Feast of The Holy InnoCentS 30 Sankadakara Sathunthi 31 Feast of St. Sylvester
people can buy using government payments.
When a Confessed killer received manslaughter verdict recently, it became the talk of the town. A 45-yearold businessman in a Suburban Melbourne punched and strangled his wife in the family home in September last year. Now, a jury of seven men and five Women found him not guilty of murder. Instead, they handed down a guilty verdict on one count of manslaughter, a charge that could see him free in just a handful of years. After he "squeezed the life" out of his estranged wife, he buried her body on a property in the
northeast outskirts of Melbourne. The jury appear to have accepted the provocation defence, which was based almost entirely on claims the accused made to police and was found guilty of manslaughter after the jury heard evidence that his Wife provoked him by making very hurtful comments. The accused decided to plead not guilty to murder, despite confessing to the killing and facinga Supreme Court trial and after lengthy legal proceedings, the decision paid off When the verdict was handed down to him.
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Page 40
40 TAMIL TIMES
Sri-Lankan Lady Appoi
Head of University in Ca
Dr.lndira Samarasekera nee ArulpragaSam haS been appointed President (Vice Chancellor) of the prestigious University of Albertain Canada. At present she is VicePre-sident (Research) in the University of British Colombia in Canada and holds the Chair of Metallurgical Engineering.
lindira a WOrdd-renOWned engineer and a distinguished researcher in her field has contributed extensively and significantly in metallurgical engineering gaining a String of awards. She is the Officer of the Order of Canada, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. She is also a member of the National Re
Vem laterat Ladies Colle
Dr. lndira San daughter of Dr. A.C.A. ENT Surgeon and Mr. of Colombo and is the late Prof Milroy Pau of Surgery of the Uni Sri Lanka.
(MEDICALHOPETEAM-UK-OCTOBER2004-SR-LAN
HOPE DAWNS IN THE W
"Thank you for coming to our remote village, to meet us and give us comfort through your medicines and the gift of spectacles" said an old lady named Letchumi.
it was dusk, the Sun rapidly going down the horizon and the gentle warm wind of the east blowing with thunder clouds gathering overhead, this patient who had trekked three hours to get to our remote Rural Primary Medical Centre, stood erect with her gnarled working hands clasped together in front of her chest, with head slightly bowed, dressed in her best Colourful festival outfit, faced marked with deep furrows of better years seen through toil & civil wars. There was something majestic and yet beautifully simple about her manner. I was deeply moved to my inner being, as I realised that she represented the people among whom We had Conne to serve and listen to what she had just said. This took place at Wadi Vadi, a distant agricultural village in the region of Pooneryn an hours drive On a broken Cart track road from Killinochi, a small yet busy town in Vanni district in the Northern Province of SriLanka. "Your very presence here has indeed made a difference to our lives and given us hope that we have not been for
', ' '):', gotten by the outside Went On
Like all wars it is ians caught up in the brunt and hardships of the Conflict. It is to vantaged and neglect that the Hope Medic bring relief and comfc concern. It is to pe who feel desponden that we desire to brin in practical ways. particularly a Sad One shot and killed by th 80's while tending tc midday and on the 3 death, her two Sons w ter during an air rai
 
 
 
 

NOVEMBER 2004
hted,
nada
h Council of Canada erves On the AdviBoard on Minerals fetals. he is the first Asian appointed to head a rsity in Canada and idently was the first in to graduate as a anical Engineer he Peradeniya Uniy in Sri Lanka in Her earlier educaas at Chundikuli and ladi in Jaffna and ge in Colombo. harasekera is the ulpragasam, former s Bali Arulpragasam grandniece of the l, former Professor versity of Colombo,
KA)
ANNI
world"this old lady
the innocent Civilmiddle who face the of the viciousness this group of disaded hapless persons all Team UK sort to rt through care and ople like Letchumi t and without hope g hope and comfort etchumi's story is . Her husband was e forces in the late his paddy field at fs day following his ho Were taking Shelf Were killed. Her
sorrow and grief is immense, her tears have known no limits. Sorrow, malnutrition and poverty are etched all over her body. She looked well advanced for her years, for 55 years she looked like some one in their early 80's On several occasions she had been "internally displaced" moving from place to place with her meagre belongings. There were several very Similar human stories we came across.
繳
THE TEAM comprised of- 3 doctors - Julian Pedley, Peter Hill & Sam Muthuveloe, 4 in the Vision Team-Nigel Horrocks, Jonathan Pedley, Eileen Weston & Jacqui Watson. This Team worked hard and tirelessly for the fortnight in Sri-Lanka starting at sunrise and concluding with sunset. The demand as always Out Stripped our resources of perSonal, time and medicines & spectacles. The camaraderie, CohesivemeSS and support with in the Team for the task of bringing relief and comfort to the needy despite the challenging ground circumstances were without exception. The choice of venue, publicity, monitoring of patients and organising the local logistical Support was in the hands of our hosts who excelled in every aspect. The ordinary people hosted us to the best of hospitality, which was truly lavish and moving. They gave out of their meagre resources in bountiful plenty to a point of embarrassment. TRAVEL:
The Team undertook a beating pace, Criss-crossing & travelling the country of Sri-Lanka in two simple Hiace Toyota vans. The uncarpeted, pot hole impregnated roads, the muddy cart tracks, the bouncy rides al contributed to a misSion With a difference. The vehicles took a battering as did the bodies of the palefaced occupants, who had given up choosing the side of the vehicle that had any suspension left. The Sri-Lankan motorists are a breed apart, who have their own interesting high way code and road courtesies. Vehicles may have faulty brakes but they sure do have art horns fitted. Tooting the horn is a national past time, with secret messages passed between drivers which could range from

Page 41
NOVEMEBER 2004
conveying "thanks', to "beware lam.coming at you!"or"Watch outl The local cops are behind the tree with their speed cameral". Often we thought the person at the wheel used the hornto feel their way round the hairpin bends on the mountain ranges like a partially sighted person using a White Stick KILLINOCHI-VANNI:
The Vanni is jungle terrain, mainly dry and flat with limited rainfall. Interesting wildlife did roam freely in these jungles at one time. The Chola imperial kings of South India in centuries gone by imported wild elephants for combat battle purposes from these regions. Paddy cultivation, cash crops of chillies and vegetables were produced here. The coastline and fresh water lagoons gave up its exotic fish and prawns that graced the tourist's dining tables. All this changed with the 20-year civil war that saw some of the most vicious guerrilla fighting everseen in Asia. The once fertile and Vibrant area is now With Out its basic infrastructure of electricity, water service, functioning schools, hospitals or factories of employment. CENTRE FOR HEALTHCARE:
We were invited by the CHC an umbrella organisation that is registered underthegovernment of Sri-Lanka withits main headquarters in Killinochi. CHC seeks to improve the health care of the population at large in the North and East through various worthwhile programmes and projects while coordinating the work of the NGO's, foreign individuals and liasing closely with the Department of Health. We Were invited to Work from the Rural Primary Medical Centres of Thilleepan, and ran our Clinics at lyankankulam, Wadi Vadi, Pooneryn, Puliyankulamand Mankulamin the Vanni
Di Strict. The health these centres were m sourceful people. The mitted to the local p. undertaken a Series O programmes engagin large and co-working Schools. We were i that the Vanni district formontality figures fr nOW has Shown Zero four years alongside morbidity figures follo lic participant vector of the mosquito.
There was a Ser. and dedication among region to improve the knowledge and skill agriculture picking . reforestation prograr dustries sprouting. lf nities and facilities g SeemSaSSured.
The Team asses about 1200 persons al 1500 spectacles in a SOinS vivere Seen for cerns, examined anc Health promotions ar tion was emphasised important and practi ment, and bookS aS There is much more THE NEED:
There is a need professionals to visit to encourage andenh mary Care Centres. T Sonnel Who Work at the professional develop and Sensitive to their This would require teaching programme
(continued from page 35)
tlement, about federalism for fifty years. We can go on talking. But the urgent humanitarian needs of our people have to be addressed soon. Once the talks begin they can bring their ideas to the negotiating table. Hence we had a long discussion with the Norwegians about how to restart the talks early', Mr. Balasingham said. Muslim youth shot dead: Nov 11 - According to the police in eastern Batticaloa, a Muslim youth at Katuvanwila in the Welikanda police area had been shot dead on 8 November allegedly by LTTE gunmen. Police identified the victim as 25-year-old A. M. Thajudeen, who they said was believed to have been in touch with Karuna loyalists operating in the area. The Tigers were targeting Muslim youth who they suspect have connections with the dissident LTTE Karuna group as part of their strategy to neutralise the dissidents. The security forces have informed the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission about the incident. Jailed for 39 years: Nov 12 - A South Africa national named Neville Saumyamoorthy, alias Ganeshmoorthy, who pleaded guilty to possessing nine Sri Lankan passports and 'schengen' visas, which

TAMIL TIMES 41
care staff running lature, able and rey were deeply comopulation and had fhealth awareness ng the population at With the Children at mpressed to learn that led the tables Om malaria in 1997 figures for the last a sharp decline of wing effective pubcontrol measures
se of deep desire st the people of the ir lot and to acquire S. One Could see p, the impressive nne and Small ingiven the opportuIrowth in this area
SSed the vision of dgave away about 'l. About 2500 pertheir medical Cond treated carefully. ld disease prevend. We gave away cal medical equipWell as medicineS. to be done.
for Small teams of on a regular basis lance the Rural Prihe health care perese Centres needa ment plan specific local requirements.
an ongoing rolling
There exists an
urgent need for professional counsellors, psychologists and psychiatrists to reSpond to the deep emotional trauma and fall out from the bitter 20 years of Civil War that gripped the helpless population that was trapped and displaced on multiple occasions. Hands on practical clinicians such as teams of Primary Care Physicians, Dermatologists, Dentists, Dental Hygienists, Ophthalmologists, Opticians, Otolaryngologists, Audiologists and Physiotherapists would all find themselves immensely useful MISSIONACCOMPLISHED:
On my return to the UK, I have been often asked the question "Was the misSion a success?" I have struggled to give a coherent answer, as different people understand the Word Success in different ways. Like beauty being in the eye of the beholder So it is true of Success. We were invited by our hosts to bring professionals to treat the needy and to train and equip the local health care workers in their ongoing work, which we did to the Satisfaction of our hosts. We have now been invited by our hosts to bring more teams at more frequent intervals to enCourage the local medical services and to assist in the reconstruction of the fabric of the fractured community. All members of the October Team have Volunteered to return to Sri-Lanka to Continue the work of the Hope Medical Team working alongside the nationals to bring hope and comfort to the needy. Hence it is reasonable to Conclude that the mission was accomplished.
“Soli deo gloria."
Dr Sam Muthuveloe For and on behalf of - Hope Medical Team UK. Oct 2004 21 Lower Stonehayes, Gt. Linford, Milton Keynes MK145ES
allow travel in nine European countries, was sentenced to 39 years rigorous imprisonment and fined one million rupee in a land mark judgement by the Colombo Fort Magistrate Kusala Sarojini Abeywardane.
The South African had advertised his services providing job opportunities abroad on the internet and a 20 year old Sri Lankan youth had made contact with him. Later the foreigner who visited Sri Lanka had made arrangements to meet the boy at the Crescat in Colombo-3. A police party of sleuths led by Chief Inspector Shani Abeysekara arrested the South African at their rendezvous with the passports and the visas. He was arrested by the CID sleuths on July 25, 2002 and has been in remand since then. Body found in Mannar town: Nov 13 - The body of a man with gun shot wounds in the head was found in Mannar town on 13 November, Saturday morning, Police said. A placard with the name Ellalan Padai (army) was found by the body. When Mannar acting magistrate visited the scene of murder, the dead man's brother identified the body as that of Mr.Thommai Yesudasan, 38, of Nochchikulam north of Mannar.

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