Contrary to popular beliefs, a significant segment of Tamilians living in urban Sri Lanka has endorsed President Mahinda Rajapaksa's policy to deal with LTTE and maintain law and order, according to an opinion poll.
Twenty-one per cent of the non-upcountry Tamils and 42 per cent of the Muslim community, the main minority ethnic groups, are satisfied with the law and order situation in the island country, the opinion poll by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), an autonomous body, reveals.
Around 49.8 per cent Muslims and 20 per cent non-upcountry Tamils are also pleased with the way the government is fighting the battle against terror, it says.
The survey shows that the overwhelming majority of the Sri Lankan people are satisfied with the way the President is conducting the war.
It says that 87.3 per cent of the country's main ethnic group (Sinhalese) surveyed support the government's war on terror while 84.4 per cent approve its rule of law.
"This proves that the great majority of the Sri Lankan population is behind the government in its campaign against terror," an official statement said.
The results of the November 2007 survey, in general, reflect the opinion of Sri Lankans who live in eight provinces (excluding the North, East included) on issues such as war, peace, security, the economy, human rights, media freedom, corruption, balances of military power among other areas.
(http://www.hindu.com)
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
"Sri Lanka the world's greatest learning lab for counter-terrorism" says Dr. Leitner
Dr. Peter Leitner, President Counter Terrorism Research Center and Professor National Center for Bio Defense of the George Mason University identified eight major sources from which the LTTE procures arms and explosives.
According to him the following are the sources for LTTE's arms consignments.
Explosives, weapons and other supplies have come from the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, 2. Bulgaria (SA14, LAW), 3. Ukraine (50 tons of TNT and 10 tons of RDX), 4. Cyprus (RPGS),5. Cambodia (small arms), 6. Thailand (small arms), 7. Burma (small arms), 8. Croatia (32,400 mortars)
He presented this list while delivering the keynote address in an event organized by the Sri Lanka Patriots at the Veteran's Memorial Auditorium in Culver City, a suburb of Los Angeles California.
Leitner said the amount of explosives and mortars transported by the LTTE remains the largest quantity of armaments ever transported by a non-state armed group. Most armaments he said have been obtained by using forged or adapted end-user certificates.
He said fortunately the group is now listed by the US and EU as a terrorist organization. He said the LTTE effectively wages PSYOPS against the West. Leitner reminded that the LTTE is engaged in the old semantic game of using "National Liberation Movement"for terrorists and the word "Homeland" for "fiefdom".
He said the recent LTTE interest in negotiations appear to have been a direct result of US effectiveness in stopping the flow of billions of dollars to the coffers of the LTTE.
Dr. Peter Leitner said terrorism should be called terrorism every where. If it is unacceptable when it is wielded against the US it should be unacceptable wherever it is wielded. He charged that certain inconsistencies in US counter terrorism policy create sanctuaries from which innocents are victimized. He said elimination of vagaries in definition, prosecution, and response should be a primary goal. He said the West need to pressure LTTE to engage in a negotiated settlement for their re-integration into a unitary Sri Lanka.
He said the West needs to overcome its tendency to create a romanticized moral equivalency between legitimate nation state and the terrorist who attack them. He categorically stated what happens in Sri Lanka does not stay there. It travels to other countries.
Leitner said the LTTE has become the world's most innovative terrorist organization. He said the suicide bombers known as black Tigers, boat-bombs, home-made mini submarines female combatants(30% of the Sea Tigers are women) , assassination of political officials, (it has killed two state heads) and claims that persist that some LTTE members have been trained in flying ultra-light aircraft are very good examples to that.
These techniques have been copied, he said, by other terrorist groups that later target other nations. He said Sri Lanka therefore has become the world's greatest learning lab for counter terrorism.
(http://www.defence.lk)
According to him the following are the sources for LTTE's arms consignments.
Explosives, weapons and other supplies have come from the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, 2. Bulgaria (SA14, LAW), 3. Ukraine (50 tons of TNT and 10 tons of RDX), 4. Cyprus (RPGS),5. Cambodia (small arms), 6. Thailand (small arms), 7. Burma (small arms), 8. Croatia (32,400 mortars)
He presented this list while delivering the keynote address in an event organized by the Sri Lanka Patriots at the Veteran's Memorial Auditorium in Culver City, a suburb of Los Angeles California.
Leitner said the amount of explosives and mortars transported by the LTTE remains the largest quantity of armaments ever transported by a non-state armed group. Most armaments he said have been obtained by using forged or adapted end-user certificates.
He said fortunately the group is now listed by the US and EU as a terrorist organization. He said the LTTE effectively wages PSYOPS against the West. Leitner reminded that the LTTE is engaged in the old semantic game of using "National Liberation Movement"for terrorists and the word "Homeland" for "fiefdom".
He said the recent LTTE interest in negotiations appear to have been a direct result of US effectiveness in stopping the flow of billions of dollars to the coffers of the LTTE.
Dr. Peter Leitner said terrorism should be called terrorism every where. If it is unacceptable when it is wielded against the US it should be unacceptable wherever it is wielded. He charged that certain inconsistencies in US counter terrorism policy create sanctuaries from which innocents are victimized. He said elimination of vagaries in definition, prosecution, and response should be a primary goal. He said the West need to pressure LTTE to engage in a negotiated settlement for their re-integration into a unitary Sri Lanka.
He said the West needs to overcome its tendency to create a romanticized moral equivalency between legitimate nation state and the terrorist who attack them. He categorically stated what happens in Sri Lanka does not stay there. It travels to other countries.
Leitner said the LTTE has become the world's most innovative terrorist organization. He said the suicide bombers known as black Tigers, boat-bombs, home-made mini submarines female combatants(30% of the Sea Tigers are women) , assassination of political officials, (it has killed two state heads) and claims that persist that some LTTE members have been trained in flying ultra-light aircraft are very good examples to that.
These techniques have been copied, he said, by other terrorist groups that later target other nations. He said Sri Lanka therefore has become the world's greatest learning lab for counter terrorism.
(http://www.defence.lk)
Ethnic Tamils and Muslims back GoSL policy reveals opinion poll
Majority of the ethnic Tamils , Muslims and Sinhalese are satisfied with the GoSL's stern policy in dealing with terrorism and are satisfied with the law and order situation in the island nation, reports 'The Hindu', a popular Indian news portal yesterday(18) citing an opinion poll by the Centre for Policy Alternatives(CPA).
The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) which carried out the survey is an internationally known non-governmental organization. It is primarily focused on issues of governance and conflict resolution in Sri Lanka. The Centre for Policy Alternatives is headed by Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu.
Full text of the news item follows.
Contrary to popular beliefs, a significant segment of Tamilians living in urban Sri Lanka has endorsed President Mahinda Rajapaksa's policy to deal with LTTE and maintain law and order, according to an opinion poll.
Twenty-one per cent of the non-upcountry Tamils and 42 per cent of the Muslim community, the main minority ethnic groups, are satisfied with the law and order situation in the island country, the opinion poll by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), an autonomous body, reveals.
Around 49.8 per cent Muslims and 20 per cent non-upcountry Tamils are also pleased with the way the government is fighting the battle against terror, it says.
The survey shows that the overwhelming majority of the Sri Lankan people are satisfied with the way the President is conducting the war.
It says that 87.3 per cent of the country's main ethnic group (Sinhalese) surveyed support the government's war on terror while 84.4 per cent approve its rule of law.
"This proves that the great majority of the Sri Lankan population is behind the government in its campaign against terror," an official statement said.
The results of the November 2007 survey, in general, reflect the opinion of Sri Lankans who live in eight provinces (excluding the North, East included) on issues such as war, peace, security, the economy, human rights, media freedom, corruption, balances of military power among other areas.
The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) which carried out the survey is an internationally known non-governmental organization. It is primarily focused on issues of governance and conflict resolution in Sri Lanka. The Centre for Policy Alternatives is headed by Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu.
Full text of the news item follows.
Contrary to popular beliefs, a significant segment of Tamilians living in urban Sri Lanka has endorsed President Mahinda Rajapaksa's policy to deal with LTTE and maintain law and order, according to an opinion poll.
Twenty-one per cent of the non-upcountry Tamils and 42 per cent of the Muslim community, the main minority ethnic groups, are satisfied with the law and order situation in the island country, the opinion poll by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), an autonomous body, reveals.
Around 49.8 per cent Muslims and 20 per cent non-upcountry Tamils are also pleased with the way the government is fighting the battle against terror, it says.
The survey shows that the overwhelming majority of the Sri Lankan people are satisfied with the way the President is conducting the war.
It says that 87.3 per cent of the country's main ethnic group (Sinhalese) surveyed support the government's war on terror while 84.4 per cent approve its rule of law.
"This proves that the great majority of the Sri Lankan population is behind the government in its campaign against terror," an official statement said.
The results of the November 2007 survey, in general, reflect the opinion of Sri Lankans who live in eight provinces (excluding the North, East included) on issues such as war, peace, security, the economy, human rights, media freedom, corruption, balances of military power among other areas.
Sri Lankan Military Says Rebel Leader Hurt in Attack
Sri Lanka's military said the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was wounded in an air raid on the group's headquarters in the north.
The report, citing ``reliable intelligence,'' didn't give details of any injuries suffered by Velupillai Prabhakaran in the Nov. 26 attack. The LTTE hasn't commented on the statement issued by the Media Center for National Security. Telephone calls to the group's Peace Secretariat and its military spokesman were unanswered today.
``Though the air force believed that Velupillai Prabhakaran had been hit in the attack, non availability of ground information'' at the time prevented the government from releasing the report to the media, the center said.
Sri Lanka's military has targeted LTTE leaders since the army won control of the eastern region in July, leaving the Tamil Tigers holding bases in the north. The Nov. 26 raid came a day before Prabhakaran gave his annual address, in which he said the government was preventing any chances of peace by carrying out its military offensives.
The raid by four aircraft destroyed a bunker used by LTTE leaders at Jayanthinagar near Kilinochchi, the Media Center said. An airstrike on Nov. 2 near the rebel headquarters killed S.P. Thamilchelvan, the head of the group's political wing.
``We are after'' Prabhakaran, Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said in a Nov. 26 interview with Agence France-Presse in the capital, Colombo. ``We are specifically targeting their leadership.''
Thamilchelvan's death ``sent a very powerful message,'' the defense secretary said. ``They know we have good intelligence on their movements.''
Ban on LTTE
Sri Lanka may re-impose a ban on the LTTE that was lifted in 2002 if the rebels carry out more attacks, such as a parcel bombing in Colombo last month that killed 19 civilians, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said earlier this week.
The ban was lifted in an attempt to boost peace talks between the Tamil Tigers and the government of then prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that led to the signing of a 2002 cease-fire accord.
Negotiations with the LTTE, which is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., the European Union and India, failed to make progress at two meetings in Geneva last year, resulting in an increase in fighting in the country.
Train Attack
The government accused the LTTE of deliberately targeting civilians in an attack two days ago on a night mail train running between the eastern port of Trincomalee and Colombo. A mine blast struck the engine compartment, the Media Center said in a statement on its Web site. There weren't any injuries among the 300 civilians on the train, it said.
At least 11 Tamil Tigers fighters were killed yesterday when the army attacked a rebel bunker near Mannar in the northwest, the center said. The army brought in tanks to support ground troops, it said.
The LTTE is fighting for a separate homeland in a conflict that has killed 70,000 people in the South Asian island nation in the past 24 years.
The government rejects a settlement that divides the country and is offering to devolve power to some provinces. The Tamil Tigers say any peace agreement must be based on a separate homeland.
The president, in his Nov. 7 budget speech, vowed to ``eradicate'' terrorism in the country and increased defense spending by 19 percent to help combat the insurgency.
The report, citing ``reliable intelligence,'' didn't give details of any injuries suffered by Velupillai Prabhakaran in the Nov. 26 attack. The LTTE hasn't commented on the statement issued by the Media Center for National Security. Telephone calls to the group's Peace Secretariat and its military spokesman were unanswered today.
``Though the air force believed that Velupillai Prabhakaran had been hit in the attack, non availability of ground information'' at the time prevented the government from releasing the report to the media, the center said.
Sri Lanka's military has targeted LTTE leaders since the army won control of the eastern region in July, leaving the Tamil Tigers holding bases in the north. The Nov. 26 raid came a day before Prabhakaran gave his annual address, in which he said the government was preventing any chances of peace by carrying out its military offensives.
The raid by four aircraft destroyed a bunker used by LTTE leaders at Jayanthinagar near Kilinochchi, the Media Center said. An airstrike on Nov. 2 near the rebel headquarters killed S.P. Thamilchelvan, the head of the group's political wing.
``We are after'' Prabhakaran, Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said in a Nov. 26 interview with Agence France-Presse in the capital, Colombo. ``We are specifically targeting their leadership.''
Thamilchelvan's death ``sent a very powerful message,'' the defense secretary said. ``They know we have good intelligence on their movements.''
Ban on LTTE
Sri Lanka may re-impose a ban on the LTTE that was lifted in 2002 if the rebels carry out more attacks, such as a parcel bombing in Colombo last month that killed 19 civilians, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said earlier this week.
The ban was lifted in an attempt to boost peace talks between the Tamil Tigers and the government of then prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that led to the signing of a 2002 cease-fire accord.
Negotiations with the LTTE, which is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., the European Union and India, failed to make progress at two meetings in Geneva last year, resulting in an increase in fighting in the country.
Train Attack
The government accused the LTTE of deliberately targeting civilians in an attack two days ago on a night mail train running between the eastern port of Trincomalee and Colombo. A mine blast struck the engine compartment, the Media Center said in a statement on its Web site. There weren't any injuries among the 300 civilians on the train, it said.
At least 11 Tamil Tigers fighters were killed yesterday when the army attacked a rebel bunker near Mannar in the northwest, the center said. The army brought in tanks to support ground troops, it said.
The LTTE is fighting for a separate homeland in a conflict that has killed 70,000 people in the South Asian island nation in the past 24 years.
The government rejects a settlement that divides the country and is offering to devolve power to some provinces. The Tamil Tigers say any peace agreement must be based on a separate homeland.
The president, in his Nov. 7 budget speech, vowed to ``eradicate'' terrorism in the country and increased defense spending by 19 percent to help combat the insurgency.
Civil war scars leave jagged impression
Blind resource centre small oasis in troubled waters
The mood changed dramatically as we made our way towards Batticaloa, located along Sri Lanka’s northeast coast. As the land became more barren and dry, we knew the only thing that lay between us and Batticaloa, was miles of undeveloped road and armed Sri Lankan militia.
While we have encountered extreme poverty, horrible living conditions and saw evidence of communities devastated by a natural disaster, this was the first time the trip felt dangerous at all. In the central and southern sections of this gem of an island, it’s hard to tell there’s even a war going on, unless you talk to the residents because it always weights on their minds.
While parts of Sri Lanka felt like a tropical island destination, and others had a busy metropolitan vibe, none felt like a war zone, which is strange given the 20-year battle ongoing battle between the government and the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Ealam (LTTE).
Even in the capital city of Colombo, where they have been recent attacks, the signs of battle were minimal. There were a few security checkpoints here and there and guards positioned strategically to protect important buildings.
However, all that changes as you make your way north. We arrived in Polonnaruwa at 8:30 am to meet Mrhemachandru, our contact for the Uthayam Visually Impaired Vocation School, one of the humanitarian projects we were scheduled to visit. Neville Hewage, the founder of the Ontario International Development Agency, with whom I’m travelling, thought it might be best to have someone familiar with the area and the military situation to accompany us.
The minute you leave the city limits of Polonnaruwa, it’s obvious you’re crossing into a strange, new world. Although the government of Sri Lanka took possession of the eastern coast a few weeks ago, pushing the Tamil Tigers into a small section of the north, there is concern about retaliatory attacks.
We hit our first military checkpoint within minutes of leaving Polonnaruwa. Armed soldiers block your passage and you must pull over to the side of the road. As the driver provides proof of vehicle registration and travel permit information, another guard comes over to the vehicle and scans the passengers inside. At times, you’re asked to show your passports and questioned on your activities.
Each checkpoint gives you a ticket that you must give to the next checkpoint to verify you have travelled the main road and gone through security process.
Aside from the checkpoints, there are military personnel located every hundred feet or so, either standing by the roadside or hidden in bunkers, behind buildings or trees or perched on top of roofs. All of them are carrying weapons and take their job very seriously.
Another sobering sight is the refugee camps for residents of Trincomalee and other parts of the eastern province. The conditions in these camps are inhuman, with residents having to rely on the help of a relief agency booth for meals and supplies. The only thing protecting them from the blazing sun and sauna-like heat is are tents or blankets strung over ropes. Many of the residents of the refugee camps were children.
The most unnerving part for me of the three-hour trip came when we reached a major checkpoint about 40 minutes outside of Batticaloa. Taking pictures along the way, my camera caught the eye of one guard as we were pulled over for a spot check. He started walking towards my window and yelling. Mrhemachandru went over to talk to him, as he gestured heatedly and asked me to hand over my camera. After looking at the photos the first time and giving the camera back, he asked for it again a few minutes later. I was worried the camera was going to be confiscated.
Mrhemachandru advised not to take any more pictures after that and to make sure the camera was hidden when we approached checkpoints. It was a scary experience, especially since I couldn’t understand the conversation and the guard seemed so angry.
After we reached Batticaloa, we went to the local police station to arrange the paperwork for our exit out of the city. Because our vehicle was from out of the region, we all had to get out as the police flipped over the seats to check for hidden weapons and to match the serial numbers to those listen on the vehicle registration information.
As we drove through the town, the sheer volume of humanitarian agencies set up in Batticaloa was amazing. Aside from the war, the area was also affected by the 2004 tsunami. I saw vehicles or offices belonging to the Red Cross, World Vision, United Nations, Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders, Unicef, United Methodist Community Relief and a few more I didn’t have time to write down.
We finally arrived at the resource centre and were greeted by some of them men who use its services. They put flower garlands around our neck and served cold pop and traditional Tamil snacks. Mrhemachandru said there about 100 men who currently use the centre, but the number fluctuate depending on the security issues in town.. Women can’t attend because there are no bathroom facilities. Many of the men were blinded from shrapnel during the LTTE and government bombings during the 20-year war, while others were born blind.
There are a few agencies in town that help visually impaired children, but none that work with adults.
“There’s no help for them after they turn 18 years of age,” Mrhemachandru said.
The men make products like brooms and weaved rope rugs, which are sold to local businesses. While the money they generate doesn’t cover the full cost of living, it does help the family out a bit.
Mrhemachandru said another important part of the centre is the social aspect for the men. Often isolated and discriminated against because of their disability, they get to network with other people who are facing the same issues, restoring a little dignity into their lives.
The centre put in a request to the Ontario International Development Agency for money to buy a tuk tuk, a three-wheel vehicle popular in Sri Lanka and India. Right now they have to haul their supplies and finished products around by hand.
The whole experience made me glad I live in Canada, a war-free country where safety nets are put in place to protect the most vulnerable. And while the battle will continue to rage between the Tamil Tigers and the government, and the countries supplying the weapons will continue to get richer, it’s the people who live in these communities that will continue to suffer.
(http://www.northernlife.ca)
The mood changed dramatically as we made our way towards Batticaloa, located along Sri Lanka’s northeast coast. As the land became more barren and dry, we knew the only thing that lay between us and Batticaloa, was miles of undeveloped road and armed Sri Lankan militia.
While we have encountered extreme poverty, horrible living conditions and saw evidence of communities devastated by a natural disaster, this was the first time the trip felt dangerous at all. In the central and southern sections of this gem of an island, it’s hard to tell there’s even a war going on, unless you talk to the residents because it always weights on their minds.
While parts of Sri Lanka felt like a tropical island destination, and others had a busy metropolitan vibe, none felt like a war zone, which is strange given the 20-year battle ongoing battle between the government and the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Ealam (LTTE).
Even in the capital city of Colombo, where they have been recent attacks, the signs of battle were minimal. There were a few security checkpoints here and there and guards positioned strategically to protect important buildings.
However, all that changes as you make your way north. We arrived in Polonnaruwa at 8:30 am to meet Mrhemachandru, our contact for the Uthayam Visually Impaired Vocation School, one of the humanitarian projects we were scheduled to visit. Neville Hewage, the founder of the Ontario International Development Agency, with whom I’m travelling, thought it might be best to have someone familiar with the area and the military situation to accompany us.
The minute you leave the city limits of Polonnaruwa, it’s obvious you’re crossing into a strange, new world. Although the government of Sri Lanka took possession of the eastern coast a few weeks ago, pushing the Tamil Tigers into a small section of the north, there is concern about retaliatory attacks.
We hit our first military checkpoint within minutes of leaving Polonnaruwa. Armed soldiers block your passage and you must pull over to the side of the road. As the driver provides proof of vehicle registration and travel permit information, another guard comes over to the vehicle and scans the passengers inside. At times, you’re asked to show your passports and questioned on your activities.
Each checkpoint gives you a ticket that you must give to the next checkpoint to verify you have travelled the main road and gone through security process.
Aside from the checkpoints, there are military personnel located every hundred feet or so, either standing by the roadside or hidden in bunkers, behind buildings or trees or perched on top of roofs. All of them are carrying weapons and take their job very seriously.
Another sobering sight is the refugee camps for residents of Trincomalee and other parts of the eastern province. The conditions in these camps are inhuman, with residents having to rely on the help of a relief agency booth for meals and supplies. The only thing protecting them from the blazing sun and sauna-like heat is are tents or blankets strung over ropes. Many of the residents of the refugee camps were children.
The most unnerving part for me of the three-hour trip came when we reached a major checkpoint about 40 minutes outside of Batticaloa. Taking pictures along the way, my camera caught the eye of one guard as we were pulled over for a spot check. He started walking towards my window and yelling. Mrhemachandru went over to talk to him, as he gestured heatedly and asked me to hand over my camera. After looking at the photos the first time and giving the camera back, he asked for it again a few minutes later. I was worried the camera was going to be confiscated.
Mrhemachandru advised not to take any more pictures after that and to make sure the camera was hidden when we approached checkpoints. It was a scary experience, especially since I couldn’t understand the conversation and the guard seemed so angry.
After we reached Batticaloa, we went to the local police station to arrange the paperwork for our exit out of the city. Because our vehicle was from out of the region, we all had to get out as the police flipped over the seats to check for hidden weapons and to match the serial numbers to those listen on the vehicle registration information.
As we drove through the town, the sheer volume of humanitarian agencies set up in Batticaloa was amazing. Aside from the war, the area was also affected by the 2004 tsunami. I saw vehicles or offices belonging to the Red Cross, World Vision, United Nations, Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders, Unicef, United Methodist Community Relief and a few more I didn’t have time to write down.
We finally arrived at the resource centre and were greeted by some of them men who use its services. They put flower garlands around our neck and served cold pop and traditional Tamil snacks. Mrhemachandru said there about 100 men who currently use the centre, but the number fluctuate depending on the security issues in town.. Women can’t attend because there are no bathroom facilities. Many of the men were blinded from shrapnel during the LTTE and government bombings during the 20-year war, while others were born blind.
There are a few agencies in town that help visually impaired children, but none that work with adults.
“There’s no help for them after they turn 18 years of age,” Mrhemachandru said.
The men make products like brooms and weaved rope rugs, which are sold to local businesses. While the money they generate doesn’t cover the full cost of living, it does help the family out a bit.
Mrhemachandru said another important part of the centre is the social aspect for the men. Often isolated and discriminated against because of their disability, they get to network with other people who are facing the same issues, restoring a little dignity into their lives.
The centre put in a request to the Ontario International Development Agency for money to buy a tuk tuk, a three-wheel vehicle popular in Sri Lanka and India. Right now they have to haul their supplies and finished products around by hand.
The whole experience made me glad I live in Canada, a war-free country where safety nets are put in place to protect the most vulnerable. And while the battle will continue to rage between the Tamil Tigers and the government, and the countries supplying the weapons will continue to get richer, it’s the people who live in these communities that will continue to suffer.
(http://www.northernlife.ca)
Sinhalese, Tamils divided on peace process
A public opinion survey by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), a Colombo-based think-tank, has brought to the fore the deep divisions among the majority and minority communities of Sri Lanka on the ongoing undeclared war in the island nation.
The 27th in the series of such surveys conducted since 2001 shows that 48.5 per cent of the Sinhala community feel that the war can be ended and peace restored in the country only by the government defeating the LTTE.
However, in the other three communities (Tamils - 62.3 per cent, Upcountry Tamils - 96.7 per cent, Muslims - 85.2 per cent) the option chosen was to stop the war and conduct peace negotiations.
However, when asked if they feel that a political settlement is essential to end the conflict, majorities in all four groups (Sinhalese - 35.6 per cent, Tamils - 67.1 per cent, Upcountry Tamils - 40.3 per cent, Muslims - 71.0 per cent) state that a political settlement is essential.
The objective of the survey was to gauge the level of public confidence in the peace process and capture the public mood on the politics in the nation. It covered the Sinhala, Muslim and the Upcountry Tamil communities in the areas outside North and East. A “booster” sample from the Tamil community in the East is also included in the survey, using a non-random sampling technique.
As per the survey, 42.6 per cent of Sinhalese feel that the country is somewhat close to a settlement to the ethnic conflict. The same question, when posed to the other three communities, elicited a different response. Separately, the Human Rights Watch in a statement released here on Monday, said that the “recent downgrading” of Sri Lanka’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) by an international committee highlights the need for independent international monitoring of the human rights situation in the country.
The statement said that recently the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights reduced Sri Lanka’s NHRC to the status of an “observer” because of government encroachment on its independence.
(http://www.hindu.com)
The 27th in the series of such surveys conducted since 2001 shows that 48.5 per cent of the Sinhala community feel that the war can be ended and peace restored in the country only by the government defeating the LTTE.
However, in the other three communities (Tamils - 62.3 per cent, Upcountry Tamils - 96.7 per cent, Muslims - 85.2 per cent) the option chosen was to stop the war and conduct peace negotiations.
However, when asked if they feel that a political settlement is essential to end the conflict, majorities in all four groups (Sinhalese - 35.6 per cent, Tamils - 67.1 per cent, Upcountry Tamils - 40.3 per cent, Muslims - 71.0 per cent) state that a political settlement is essential.
The objective of the survey was to gauge the level of public confidence in the peace process and capture the public mood on the politics in the nation. It covered the Sinhala, Muslim and the Upcountry Tamil communities in the areas outside North and East. A “booster” sample from the Tamil community in the East is also included in the survey, using a non-random sampling technique.
As per the survey, 42.6 per cent of Sinhalese feel that the country is somewhat close to a settlement to the ethnic conflict. The same question, when posed to the other three communities, elicited a different response. Separately, the Human Rights Watch in a statement released here on Monday, said that the “recent downgrading” of Sri Lanka’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) by an international committee highlights the need for independent international monitoring of the human rights situation in the country.
The statement said that recently the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights reduced Sri Lanka’s NHRC to the status of an “observer” because of government encroachment on its independence.
(http://www.hindu.com)
India armed rival groups as Tigers disarmed – IPKF General
Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, ordered an Indian General to kill LTTE leader Vellupillai Pirapaharan in cold blood when the latter attended a meeting under a white flag in September 1987. In a new book, the then chief of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF), Major General (retd.) Harkirat Singh, says he refused to carry out the order as “good soldiers do not shoot an adversary in the back.” He also says that as the Tigers began disarming in 1987, but India’s intelligence service, RAW, on Rajiv Gandhi’s orders, began arming anti-LTTE militant groups, triggering inter-Tamil violence.
India armed rival groups as Tigers disarmed – IPKF General
[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 December 2007, 18:39 GMT]
Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, ordered an Indian General to kill LTTE leader Vellupillai Pirapaharan in cold blood when the latter attended a meeting under a white flag in September 1987. In a new book, the then chief of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF), Major General (retd.) Harkirat Singh, says he refused to carry out the order as “good soldiers do not shoot an adversary in the back.” He also says that as the Tigers began disarming in 1987, but India’s intelligence service, RAW, on Rajiv Gandhi’s orders, began arming anti-LTTE militant groups, triggering inter-Tamil violence.
IPKF operation
Maj. Gen. (retd) Harkirat Singh published his book ‘Intervention in Sri Lanka: The IPKF experience retold’ (available through Vijitha Yapa Publications) earlier this year.
The book is the commander’s first hand account of the initial induction and operations of the IPKF in Sri Lanka. Maj. Gen. (retd) Harkirat supports his accounts and assessments of the events of two decades ago with reproductions of internal communications between Indian commanders.
He begins his account with his meeting in early August 1987 with the LTTE leadership at which the Tigers agreed to surrender their weapons to the IPKF. On August 4, 1987, Pirapaharan addressed a huge crowd in Jaffna to announce and explain their decision.
Below are extracts from Maj. Gen. (retd) Harkirat’s book:
“The Tigers continued to surrender their weapons till 21 August 1987. At this point of time, RAW, under directions from the Prime Minister’s Office, commenced the rearming of the other militant groups. Evidence regarding the rearming of some defunct militant groups was brought to the notice of all concerned, including the Indian High Commissioner [J. N. Dixit]. I had shown the High Commissioner and his Military Adviser inColombo a videotape on the induction of small arms with Indian markings. The rearming of militant groups other than the LTTE resulted in inter-group killings among the Tamil militants and the surrender of weapons came to a virtual standstill by the end of August 1987.” [p47-48]
“Dixit wanted my assessment of the various militant groups that had become defunct and had now suddenly become active again. I explained that the ENDLF, PLOTE, and TELO had been lying dormant and it was only after the middle of August 1987 that they had re-surfaced with newly acquired arms. … Moreover, the LTTE knew that RAW had an active hand in encouraging these groups.” [p49-50]
“According to Dixit, the ultimate objective of the IPKF was to discredit the LTTE in the eyes of the local Tamil population. In short, the IPKF was expected to playa double game. I realized that these tactics would not work since the Tamils had already understood that their aspirations for Eelam could be met only by the LTTE.”[p48-9]
“[Later] the EPRLF, prior to the withdrawal of the IPKF, was equipped with rifles under orders from Lt. Gen. A.S. Kalkat, it was not realized that the EPRLF cadres had no fighting potential and handing weapons to this group was an ill-advised venture.” [p50]
“In September 1987, a political dialogue between the LLTE and an Indian delegation took place at Palaly and a peaceful solution seemed to be in sight. The creation of the [Interim Administration Council] was to be thrashed out. The date set for the meeting to be held at my headquarters at Palaly and chaired by Dixit, was 16-17 September 1987.” [p57]
“On the night of 14/15 September 1987, I received a telephone call from Dixit, directing me to arrest or shoot Pirabakaran when he came for the meeting. Telling Dixit that I would get back to him I placed a call to the [Overall Forces Commander]. Lt. Gen. Depinder Singh.” [p57]
“Lt. Gen. Depinder Singh directed me to tell Dixit that we, as an orthodox Army, did not shoot people in the back when they were coming for a meeting under the white flag. I then spoke to Dixit in Colombo and conveyed the message emphasizing that I would not obey his directive.” [p57]
“I pointed out that the LTTE supremo had been invited by the IPKF in order to find a solution to the problems in the implementation of the Accord. Dixit replied, ‘He Rajiv Gandhi has given these instructions to me and the Army should not drag its feet, and you as the GOC, IPKF will be responsible for it.’” [p57]
(www.tamilnet.com)
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Rajiv Gandhi asked Sikh officer of IPKF to kill LTTE chief during meeting
Nation states cast away scruples at the drop of a hat but how blatant may the leader of a nation get has been shown by an Indian Army Major General Harkirat Singh whose just released book claims that Rajiv Gandhi ordered the killing of LTTE chief Prabhakaran at the signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord in 1987.
According to the book, Intervention in Sri Lanka, the instructions for the hatchet job were conveyed by JN Dixit, India's envoy in Sri Lanka at that time.
The author, an ex-IPKF Commander, writes that he got "a call from the High Commission telling me, ‘tomorrow you are meeting Prabhakran and we would like you to eliminate him.'” He, however, refused to carry out the orders. He said he believed it would be treacherous to kill someone under the white flag. 1,300 Indian Army troops were killed in Sri Lanka in 1987 in the operation which is often cited as the most short sighted intervention in South Asia.
The book has a first hand account of the initial induction and operations of the IPKF in Sri Lanka and describes the trials and tribulations of the IPKF as it grappled with an operational situation inexorably tangled with politics. It gives an insight into how inadequately prepared the IPKF was for the task set out for it and explains how difficult it was to fight the LTTE guerrilla, especially when the Indian government itself was not clear about its political and military aims. The book is being hailed as a "compelling narrative" and "an important addition to the extensive literature on the IPKF in Sri Lanka."
(http://worldsikhnews.com)
India armed rival groups as Tigers disarmed – IPKF General
[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 December 2007, 18:39 GMT]
Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, ordered an Indian General to kill LTTE leader Vellupillai Pirapaharan in cold blood when the latter attended a meeting under a white flag in September 1987. In a new book, the then chief of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF), Major General (retd.) Harkirat Singh, says he refused to carry out the order as “good soldiers do not shoot an adversary in the back.” He also says that as the Tigers began disarming in 1987, but India’s intelligence service, RAW, on Rajiv Gandhi’s orders, began arming anti-LTTE militant groups, triggering inter-Tamil violence.
IPKF operation
Maj. Gen. (retd) Harkirat Singh published his book ‘Intervention in Sri Lanka: The IPKF experience retold’ (available through Vijitha Yapa Publications) earlier this year.
The book is the commander’s first hand account of the initial induction and operations of the IPKF in Sri Lanka. Maj. Gen. (retd) Harkirat supports his accounts and assessments of the events of two decades ago with reproductions of internal communications between Indian commanders.
He begins his account with his meeting in early August 1987 with the LTTE leadership at which the Tigers agreed to surrender their weapons to the IPKF. On August 4, 1987, Pirapaharan addressed a huge crowd in Jaffna to announce and explain their decision.
Below are extracts from Maj. Gen. (retd) Harkirat’s book:
“The Tigers continued to surrender their weapons till 21 August 1987. At this point of time, RAW, under directions from the Prime Minister’s Office, commenced the rearming of the other militant groups. Evidence regarding the rearming of some defunct militant groups was brought to the notice of all concerned, including the Indian High Commissioner [J. N. Dixit]. I had shown the High Commissioner and his Military Adviser inColombo a videotape on the induction of small arms with Indian markings. The rearming of militant groups other than the LTTE resulted in inter-group killings among the Tamil militants and the surrender of weapons came to a virtual standstill by the end of August 1987.” [p47-48]
“Dixit wanted my assessment of the various militant groups that had become defunct and had now suddenly become active again. I explained that the ENDLF, PLOTE, and TELO had been lying dormant and it was only after the middle of August 1987 that they had re-surfaced with newly acquired arms. … Moreover, the LTTE knew that RAW had an active hand in encouraging these groups.” [p49-50]
“According to Dixit, the ultimate objective of the IPKF was to discredit the LTTE in the eyes of the local Tamil population. In short, the IPKF was expected to playa double game. I realized that these tactics would not work since the Tamils had already understood that their aspirations for Eelam could be met only by the LTTE.”[p48-9]
“[Later] the EPRLF, prior to the withdrawal of the IPKF, was equipped with rifles under orders from Lt. Gen. A.S. Kalkat, it was not realized that the EPRLF cadres had no fighting potential and handing weapons to this group was an ill-advised venture.” [p50]
“In September 1987, a political dialogue between the LLTE and an Indian delegation took place at Palaly and a peaceful solution seemed to be in sight. The creation of the [Interim Administration Council] was to be thrashed out. The date set for the meeting to be held at my headquarters at Palaly and chaired by Dixit, was 16-17 September 1987.” [p57]
“On the night of 14/15 September 1987, I received a telephone call from Dixit, directing me to arrest or shoot Pirabakaran when he came for the meeting. Telling Dixit that I would get back to him I placed a call to the [Overall Forces Commander]. Lt. Gen. Depinder Singh.” [p57]
“Lt. Gen. Depinder Singh directed me to tell Dixit that we, as an orthodox Army, did not shoot people in the back when they were coming for a meeting under the white flag. I then spoke to Dixit in Colombo and conveyed the message emphasizing that I would not obey his directive.” [p57]
“I pointed out that the LTTE supremo had been invited by the IPKF in order to find a solution to the problems in the implementation of the Accord. Dixit replied, ‘He Rajiv Gandhi has given these instructions to me and the Army should not drag its feet, and you as the GOC, IPKF will be responsible for it.’” [p57]
(www.tamilnet.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rajiv Gandhi asked Sikh officer of IPKF to kill LTTE chief during meeting
Nation states cast away scruples at the drop of a hat but how blatant may the leader of a nation get has been shown by an Indian Army Major General Harkirat Singh whose just released book claims that Rajiv Gandhi ordered the killing of LTTE chief Prabhakaran at the signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord in 1987.
According to the book, Intervention in Sri Lanka, the instructions for the hatchet job were conveyed by JN Dixit, India's envoy in Sri Lanka at that time.
The author, an ex-IPKF Commander, writes that he got "a call from the High Commission telling me, ‘tomorrow you are meeting Prabhakran and we would like you to eliminate him.'” He, however, refused to carry out the orders. He said he believed it would be treacherous to kill someone under the white flag. 1,300 Indian Army troops were killed in Sri Lanka in 1987 in the operation which is often cited as the most short sighted intervention in South Asia.
The book has a first hand account of the initial induction and operations of the IPKF in Sri Lanka and describes the trials and tribulations of the IPKF as it grappled with an operational situation inexorably tangled with politics. It gives an insight into how inadequately prepared the IPKF was for the task set out for it and explains how difficult it was to fight the LTTE guerrilla, especially when the Indian government itself was not clear about its political and military aims. The book is being hailed as a "compelling narrative" and "an important addition to the extensive literature on the IPKF in Sri Lanka."
(http://worldsikhnews.com)
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