65 percent of the participants in an opinion poll conducted in Tamil Nadu this month by Centre for Public Studies of the Loyola College in Chennai said that an independent Tamil Eelam is the appropriate permanent solution for the question of Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka. 70 percent of them said that the Government of India should declare Mr. Rajapaksa as war criminal in the coming sessions of the parliament. According to 74 percent of the participants, all political parties of Tamil Nadu should jointly lead a struggle on the question of Tamils in the island, after giving an ultimatum to the Centre. An overwhelming 81 percent welcomed the resolution on Sri Lanka in the Tamil Nadu State Assembly. The opinion coming from the effective civil society initiative challenges obsolete views of the intelligence-operated analysis groups in Chennai, political observers in Tamil Nadu said.
Among the 81.5 percent that welcomed the TN Assembly resolution, 58.8 percent said that it was a historic decision, while 22.7 percent felt that it would have been better if ‘genocide’ had been spelt out more clearly and Rajapaksa had been specifically named as a war criminal.
Economic sanctions against Colombo found the support of 42.3.
Only 17. 2 and 14.4 percentages had faith in equal rights through talks and autonomy through constitutional reforms, respectively, while 64.9 percent of the participants favoured Tamil Eelam as the permanent solution to the question of Eezham Tamils.
On the question of Kachchatheevu, 62 percent welcomed the resolution in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on officially linking the state in a case pending in the Supreme Court of India, challenging the ceding of the islet to Sri Lanka by India. 46 percent of the participants wanted India to retrieve the islet, while 25 percent favoured talks with fishermen of Ilangkai, 21 percent wanted Indian naval patrolling to be strengthened and only 2.5 percent were of the opinion that there should be alternative livelihood arrangements for the fishermen.
The opinion poll was conducted between June 11and 15, among 3132 participants from all districts of Tamil Nadu, covering people of different age groups, literacy levels, professions, castes and religions.
Professor S. Rajanayagam of the prestigious Loyola College, an autonomous institution of the University of Madras, directly guided the conduct of the poll that followed a social-psychological approach incorporating quantitative and qualitative methods.
In an earlier opinion poll conducted by the Centre for Public Studies of the Loyola College in November 2010, the results predicted the defeat of the DMK and the victory of the AIADMK. The opinion poll said that the DMK would get only 55 seats. At that time, intelligence operatives suppressed the release of this opinion poll result.
Meanwhile, B. Raman, a former Indian intelligence bigwig now associated with analysis outfits operating in Chennai, writing to South Asia Analysis Group on Friday, argued against indicting Rajapaksa for war crimes or crimes against humanity.
“While there were obviously serious violations, evidence available till now do not bear out the stand of those who accuse the Rajapaksa Government of violations amounting to crimes against humanity or war crimes,” he said responding to Channel 4 documentary Tuesday.
“The Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora which has been active in demanding an international enquiry has stepped up its pressure on Governments and non-Governmental personalities, including reputed journalists of India and other countries, to take cognisance of the forensic evidence collected by the documentary and support the demand for an international enquiry,” Raman wrote.
“Unfortunately, human rights violations are rarely avoided in counter-insurgency situations however much the Security Forces try to do so. Terrorist and insurgent organisations train themselves well in creating situations where human rights violations do occur in order to seek the intervention of the international community,” he defended Rajapaksa.
Raman couldn’t conceal the fear in the circles that supported the genocidal war, whether the outcome was going to lead to their international exposure, critiques commented.
Raman’s advice to Government of India on Channel 4 revelations was neither indictment of Sri Lanka nor political justice to Eezham Tamils as a nation. In a typical ‘counterinsurgency’ style he advised personal appeasement of the remaining victims and protection of the Rajapaksa regime.
“The objective should be to ensure that justice is done to the relatives of the victims and that the honour of the victims is respected even if it be posthumously. It should not be to use the documentary as a stick to beat the SL Government with,” was his advice.
The fact that around 146, 000 Eezham Tamils have gone unaccounted in the Vanni war alone may be not be that big an issue for those who think of advising an establishment on how to encounter over a billion people. But it is time that the world for the sake of its civilisation has to take a serious note of the few who hijack establishments to become anti-people, commented a civil society activist in Tamil Nadu.
A senior Sri Lankan Army commander and frontline soldier have told Britain’s Channel 4 News that point-blank executions of Tamils at the end of the civil war in May 2009 were carried out under orders ‘from the top’. In an extended segment on Sri Lanka Tuesday, Channel 4 broadcast translated video interviews with the two soldiers.
Surrendering LTTE fighters and their families were detained, tortured and shot, the trooper said. Channel 4 also interviewed in the studio the former Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda, Louis Arbour, who slammed the impunity enjoyed by Sri Lankan forces throughout the armed conflict. Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the United Nations, Palitha Kohana, failed to show up, despite agreeing beforehand to appear to defend his government’s record.
The senior Sri Lankan army commander said: "I don't think we wanted to keep any hardcore elements, so they were done away with. It is clear that such orders were, in fact, received from the top."
"Definitely, the order would have been to kill everybody and finish them off,” he said. “It is clear such orders would have been received from the top.”
Tthe Sri Lankan trooper said: “Our commander ordered us to kill everyone. We killed everyone.”
He confirmed he killed civilians. Surrendering LTTE fighters and their families were detained and tortured before being shot, the soldier also said.
Channel 4 News broadcast several photographs taken by soldiers from the killing fields in Northeastern Sri Lanka, showing piles of bodies, lines of corpses and terrified civilians. Some of the bodies had their hands tied behind their backs.
The program quoted soldiers’ as saying LTTE leader Pirapaharan’s thirteen year old son had also been shot dead after surrendering with his bodyguards.
Speaking on the Channel 4’s flagship news program at 7pm, Louis Arbour said there was no possibility of Sri Lanka holding a proper inquiry into the war crimes, noting that since the conflict began there had been impunity.
She questioned the viability of the Sri Lankan government investigating the conduct of its own armed forces.
A senior Amnesty International official told Channel 4 News his organisation had this week launched a world-wide campaign to highlight the need for an independent international investigation into war crimes in Sri Lanka.
London-based Amnesty International and New York-based Human Rights Watch have joined Brussels-based International Crisis Group in this regard, Channel 4 said.
This week International Crisis Group, of which Arbour is currently head, released a detailed account of the mass slaughter during the final months of the conflict last year. The report said “the scale of death was much higher than reported at the time, and certainly high enough to triple the UN’s internal figure of 7,000.”
Noting that both the LTTE and the Sri Lankan armed forces were responsible for war crimes, the report made clear that “all but a small portion of these deaths were due to government fire”
“Eventually, an independent and impartial survey of those still living in the Northern Province will be needed to establish this part of Sri Lanka’s history,” ICG said.
On Monday night Arbour told an audience at Chatham House – the foreign policy think tank – that "the [Sri Lankan] government's refusal to distinguish between combatants and non-combatants" and the "sheer magnitude of civilian death and suffering" dealt what she called "the most serious of body blows to international humanitarian law".
Despite Channel 4 ‘desperately’ trying to locate him, Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the United Nations, Palitha Kohana, failed to show up, despite agreeing beforehand to appear to defend his government’s record, news anchor Jon Snow said.
Sri Lanka’s London High Commission meanwhile issued a statement totally denying the allegations of war crimes.
“The High Commission of Sri Lanka in the United Kingdom totally deny the allegations made against the Government of Sri Lanka and its armed forces. As it has been repeatedly stressed and supported by evidence, Government’s security forces were engaged in a humanitarian operation with the objective of rescuing the civilians held as human shields by a terrorist outfit: the LTTE, which was banned in many countries including the UK,” the statement said.
“All internationally accepted standards and norms of such operations were followed in the prosecution of the humanitarian operation by the security forces which were under strict orders to follow a zero civilian casualty policy.” CLICK HERE
A United States Federal Court has issued summons on President Mahinda Rajapaksa in connection with three Civil cases filed under the Hague Convention claiming monetary damages under US Torture Victims Protection Act (TVPA) over alleged extra-judicial killings, the Justice Ministry sources said.
Sources said the government was not overly ruffled by this decision, and would not respond to it. The civil cases against the Sri Lankan President were filed in Washington DC and the petitioners were seeking US$30 million as damages on six counts of violating the TVPA.
The summons on the President have been served on the Justice Ministry Secretary who is the Sri Lankan Central Authority in accordance with the provisions of The Hague Convention, to which the US and Sri Lanka are signatories. The three cases were filed by the relatives of students Ragihar Manoharan, Premas Anandarajah, a humanitarian aid worker for Action against Hunger and T. Thavaraja. The petitioners claimed the students were victims of the extra judicial killings in Sri Lanka. They have cited President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is the Commander–in-Chief of Sri Lankan armed forces as the respondent. The petitioners have alleged multiple violations of the TVPA under Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa’s command responsibility for the extrajudicial killing of plaintiff Dr. Kasippillai Manoharan’s son Ragihar, plaintiff Kalaiselvi Lavan’s husband Premas Anandarajah, and four members of the Thevarajah family, who were relatives of plaintiff Jeyakumar Aiyathurai.Ragihar was one of the five students allegedly killed in January 2006 while Anandarajah was one of the 17 Action Against Hunger (ACF) staff members who were killed during the war in the East in June 2006. Jeyakumar's relatives were allegedly killed by an exploding shell that landed inside the safety bunker -- situated around the No Fire Zone demarcated by the government during the last phases of the war -- where the family was hiding from the artillery attacks by the Sri Lankan Army. Under International Law, cases can be filed on the offences under war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity and waging war against countries without reasonable cause. The petitioners will argue the cases on the basis that universal jurisdiction under international law should also be recognized in civil suits founded on the Torture Victims Protection Act outlining torture or extrajudicial killings.
[ Saturday, 18 June 2011, 05:17.35 PM GMT +05:30 ]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has written to Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya expressing fears over the conduct of a free and fair election in Jaffna next month.
The TNA said it has raised the concerns with the elections chief after the first election rally to be staged by the TNA for the upcoming local government polls came under an attack this week. According to the TNA, similar letters were also sent to the Parliament Speaker, President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Defence Secretary. Elections for 64 local government bodies including in Jaffna will be held on 23rd July and election monitors including LPAFFRE and CAFFE have also expressed concerns over the incident. The TNA warned had this week warned that talks with the government on issues concerning the Tamil community has been put under severe strain following the attack on the TNA meeting in Jaffna . TNA MP Suresh Premachandran said that the party was discussion the incident which took place in Jaffna on Thursday and the implications it will have on the talks being held with the government. The TNA and the government have had several rounds of talks over the past few months and the next round has been scheduled for 23 June. Premachandran said that five TNA MPs were on a stage addressing the public when the armed men initially chased away the public and later attempted to assault the MPs. Security officers however prevented the armed men from assaulting the TNA MPs. The TNA MP condemned the incident and said a complaint was lodged with the police and the army. The police are investigating the incident.
If the people of Tamil Nadu are vigilant enough of the nature and aims of the geopolitical forces operate in the region, then they will realise that call for independence of Eezham Tamils should get priority over war crimes investigation and indictment of Mahinda Rajapaksa, said Mr. Thirumurukan Gandhi of the May 17 Movement of Tamil Nadu, while discussing the UN report in Chennai last month. The whole world, except Tamil Nadu, knows that the power to change the paradigm lies in Tamil Nadu, he further said. Thirumurukan’s analysis coming from grassroot thinking in Tamil Nadu was refreshing, while ‘analysis groups’ in Chennai and some international organizations backed by establishments aiming to capitalize the war crimes to their interests truncate the ultimate justice of liberation to the affected, said political observers in the island and in the diaspora.
Geopolitical analysis or regional political analysis of quality was rarely made from Tamil perspectives in Tamil Nadu in the past. Such analyses were always a monopoly of a so-called ‘national’ minded clan and their media in India.
Much of the sufferings of Tamils in India and outside, and the diplomatic woes of India in its southern flank were due to this lacuna, as analyses coming from Tamil Nadu perspectives meeting the rigours of international norms were never highlighted or they didn’t come at all, rising above the din of empty political rhetoric.
The way a new genre of Tamil analysts discussed the UN panel report last month in Chennai was very refreshing, amazingly transparent in the content of truth and casts away conventional analyses or psy-ops coming from enslaved universities, funded organizations and intelligence-operated strategic ‘think tanks’ into dustbin, commented an academic in Jaffna.
The most dangerous of the ‘analysis campaign’ after the genocidal war in Vanni is shedding crocodile tears for the war crimes to get political acceptance to post-war agendas, but refusing to examine why the affected should not be liberated and independent.
If successive constitutions since British times and post-British times have failed for more than a hundred years on the national question in the island, and if the logical end has reached the point of genocide, then there is no point in accusing the implementation of the present constitution or harping on constitutional reforms. There is something wrong with the very existence of this state as a single unit.
When the very word ‘Sri Lanka,’ ever since its constitutional inception, is associated with a genocidal state, anyone with common sense could tell why the Tamils can’t be ‘Sri Lankans’ in the island. Saying, “Tamils can be Sri Lankans” at this stage is only another way of putting an agenda to exterminate the nation of Eezham Tamils in the island.
Why don’t the political science pundits who always think of power interests tell us what global or civilization-benefits are there for humanity by Eezham Tamils not claiming their independence even when they face genocide, the academic in Jaffna asked.
Raman and Hariharan have lost the credibility with the war ending in genocide. So, there will be another set of analysts with seemingly new paradigms but with the old agenda, the academic further said.
The investigation on war crimes, covering all those who were involved with the crimes, is a responsibility of world humanity primarily for its own sake, if it wants progress from the suffocating state and power system of today. Even after becoming two states the Eezham Tamils and the Sinhalese have to strike reconciliation on their own, for their own survival in one island. But anyone concerned with war crimes or reconciliation today cannot pretend ignorance that neither a genuine war-crimes investigation nor genuine reconciliation is possible when the Eezham Tamils don’t have independence first.
The responsibility of Tamil Nadu, based on Tamil perspectives, which Tamil Nadu alone could do, is more than identifying itself with the global responsibility of war crimes investigation. The government of Ms. Jayalalitha may have taken carefully calculated initial steps in the right direction, but it should not be deviated by vicious forces that have a record of doing mischief in the region is the concern of global Tamils.
Thirumurukan Gandhi, K. Aiyanathan, Prof Paul Newman, Devasahayam, Rajendra Chozhan, Priya Thampi, Arul Ezhilan, Pandimadevi and DSS Mani, who have discussed the UN panel report in Thiyagaraya Nagar, Chennai on May 28, have boldly and explicitly brought out the intriguing aspects that affect affairs from moving in the right direction and what Tamil Nadu should do about them.
Such analyses should also reach the outside world for the benefit of global public opinion, the Jaffna academic commented, adding that with such quality of awakening and new thinking, the next generation of Tamil Nadu cannot be taken for a ride or be contained by anyone, without yielding into aspirations that are righteous.
* * *
The following are some points brought out by Thirumurukan in his analysis. The links for the full speeches of Thirumurukan and the other analysts in Tamil are given at the end:
Thirumurukan Gandhi
There was genocide before the war and there is genocide after the war. Before there was a militant organization to counter it, now there is nobody. The genocide that takes place after the war needs our full attention.
Tamil Nadu should be aware of its geopolitical importance to take right moves, while the land of Tamils is fast becoming another Afghanistan in South Asia.
China that sets the String of Pearls and aspire for Blue-water Navy and the USA that now orchestrates regime changes to save its image and to control Chinese inroads are not really against each other. They only practice containment and in the process people perish.
Ilangkai (Sri Lanka) is in the highlight now as it is going to set the trend elsewhere. The next in line is the Karen nation in Burma.
The US and the EU broke the peace talks in the island. The US knows all what had happened during the war. There was close understanding between the US and the Rajapaksa regime and the US gave arms to Colombo through Israel.
The US needs the entire east coast of Sri Lanka.
Corruption is a weapon to bring in instability and corruption is encouraged to bring in instability. Corruption cannot be the cause for revolution but revolution can have corruption.
The popular uprisings in the world, including the Jasmine Revolution in West Asia and North Africa are planned and hijacked by the US, only to change the leaders and to escape the anti-US sentiments in the world.
They prepared Rajapaksa to destroy the LTTE. After the LTTE, Rajapaksa is not needed and the powers now bring in the war crimes investigation to ‘punish’ him. Rajapaksa is not our concern, but Tamil Eelam is our concern. Our fear is whether Tamils will get their justice. The US is known for differentiating punishment to the ‘criminal’ from delivery of justice to the victim.
The political replacement that took place in Tamil Nadu is analogous. They need some one acceptable in Tamil Nadu to endorse their agenda.
All except Tamils know that Tamil Nadu is the key factor.
The West may now hand over the task of ‘political solution’ to India. As it does now and then, India will dust the 13th Amendment.
There are three Tamil entities to handle.
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in the island will be handled both by India and the USA.
Whatever they impose in the island should find endorsement in Tamil Nadu. As Karunanidhi has lost the credibility there should be some one else who could evoke hopes in Tamil Nadu. Tamils need to be watchful. Tamil Nadu has already gone into global politics.
When the Tamil Nadu State Government is handled, there will be no one to raise voice in the Assembly.
The Communist Party of India (CPI) may talk, but it too looks at the issue within the framework of a ‘united Sri Lanka’.
Vaiko was purposefully sidelined earlier and now, as there shouldn’t exist anyone within the Assembly to raise the name Tamil Eelam.
The third entity, the diaspora and its committed section, is already pressurised heavily in many systematic ways in the West. When the stage is set, Rudrakumaran will be forced to accept what is set by the agenda.
When the BBC and the CNN blare out the virtues of the solution, the voices in Tamil Nadu will be feeble.
Our support to the war crimes investigation of the UN should be conditional. The UN panel report is incomplete, as it has not recognized the genocide in the island. Merely a regime change effected by the war crimes investigation cannot bring in lasting solutions to Eezham Tamils.
2,50,000 Tamils have been killed in the war of decades. Accepting wanting solutions is not doing justice to the killed.
We live in historic times.
Like SJV Chelvanayagam was firm in 1976 in Vaddukkoaddai Resolution calling for Tamil Eelam, like Pirapaharan was firm in 1987 against hoodwink solutions, Tamil Nadu has to be firm now.
The war crimes the UN now speaks of, is not an isolated event. The root has to be addressed and answered. Governments in India and Sri Lanka always set the agenda and we in Tamil Nadu only respond to passing events of the agenda. Immersed in immediate issues we fail to raise the voice for the fundamental issue – the independence of Tamil Eelam.
Eezham Tamils have democratically mandated the Vaddukkoaddai Resolution and have re-mandated it in the diaspora recently.
War crimes investigation may be welcomed. But, without the recognition of the genocide and without the recognition that a national question was the reason, the investigation is meaningless.
Let those who don’t agree conduct a referendum through the UN and see.
Several Tamil political prisoners in the Kandy Bogambara prison was severely attacked by the prison officials on 14.06.2011 and admitted in the prison hospital. According to the sources, prison officers who came to prison to investigate about the clash between two groups of Sinhala prisoners for allegedly engaging in the drug smuggling in the prisons compound however officers failed to carry out investigations but they carried out attack against 8Tamil prisoners. During the time of attack officers said “you have to face the difficulties as Kutty manni and Thangathurai faced”, sources said.
Here are the details about the prisoners who faced attack by the officers. Ramaia Rubachandiran (38) father of three – Walaygala Kandy – arrested on 13.5.2008. Weersami Sivasubramaniyam (35) father of two – Rathwatha Matale – arrested on 10.8.2008. Ganasean Pushparaja (29) father of one- Lindhula Hatton- arrested on 21.9.2008. Ramaiya Thevarasa (34) Putu Kudiyeruppu – arrested on 1.6.2009. Vishwanadan Rameshkumar father of one – Ratwatte Ukuwala – arrested on 9.8.2008. Velu Yogarasa (24) – Marugola Ukkuwela- arrested on 9.8.2008. Fernando (25)- Thalawakala Ukkuwella – arrested on 16.8.2008. TNA parliamentarian P.Ariyanenthiran sent a condemn letter to the President Mahinda Rajapaksa this regard. MP further said this attack will prove the military administration of the country and said there is no proper security for the Tamil nationals in this country. MP also urged the government to stop such incidents happening in future.
An MP accuses the Government of "painting targets on the backs" of Sri Lankan civilians being deported from the UK as Jonathan Miller tracks the fate of the failed asylum seekers.
Following the broadcast of the Channel 4 documentary Sri Lanka's Killing Fields, MP Siobhain McDonagh has told the Commons the British Government is complicit in the torture of Tamil civilians as it continues to deport many people seeking asylum in the UK.
Speaking in the Commons, the Labour MP accused the Government of "painting targets on the backs" of those they were deporting while the UK Border Agency (UKBA) had shared files on Tamil deportees with the Sri Lankan government.
Almost 40 failed asylum seekers are set to be deported back to Sri Lanka on Thursday evening, despite facing arrest and potential torture on their return, the Commons were told.
The MP for Mitcham and Morden said one of her constituents was among those due to leave the UK. Jenach Gopinath, a former Tamil politician, has previously been arrested by the Sri Lankan authorities.
Another asylum seeker facing deportation on Thursday attempted suicide by hanging himself with his duvet in an airport detention facility on Wednesday night, while a passenger on an earlier flight did take his own life. Amnesty International warned against the deportation of civilians to Sri Lanka, and recognised "cases of returned asylum seekers being tortured". 'Blood on our hands' Click here
Ms McDonagh told MPs there is "evidence of continuing abuses against Tamils, including torture and extra-judicial killings."
"The President of Sri Lanka (Mahinda Rajapaksa), a probable war crimes suspect, has taken on enormous powers over the judiciary and policing," she said.
"The British Government is supposed to be one of the leading forces in the Commonwealth. Yet it is not only turning a blind eye, it is sending planeload after planeload of Tamils back."
She added: "The people on these planes, like Mr Gopinath, have identified themselves as Tamil and against the Sri Lankan Government. Britain is flying them on specially chartered flights.
"It's not like they're arriving incognito. Even worse, the UK Border Agency has actually shared documents about the passengers with the Sri Lankan authorities.
"We might as well paint targets on their backs. To me, it is obvious that Tamils have reason to fear for their safety in Sri Lanka.
"Given the emergence of yet more evidence of atrocities, how could they be safe? "I think Parliament needs to say whether we want our country to continue with these miserable deportations, and to continue to have Tamil blood on our hands." Ms McDonagh's comments came after Channel 4 broadcast footage purporting to show the summary execution of prisoners in Sri Lanka in the final days of the bloody civil war.
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has written to Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya expressing fears over the conduct of a free and fair election in Jaffna next month.
