சனி, 31 ஆகஸ்ட், 2013
+கச்சத்தீவு இலங்கைக்குக் கொடுக்கப்படவில்லை: மத்திய அரசு தகவல்
கச்சத்தீவு இலங்கைக்கு க் கொடுக்கப்படவில்லை: மத்திய அரசு தகவல்
புதுதில்லி: "கச்சத்தீவோ அல்லது இந்திய நாட்டின் எந்த ஒரு பகுதியோ,
இலங்கைக்கு கொடுக்கப்படவில்லை; அதனால், இலங்கையிடமிருந்து கச்சத்தீவை
மீண்டும் பெறுவது என்ற கேள்விக்கே இடமில்லை' என, சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டில்,
மத்திய அரசு தெரிவித்துள்ளது.
"இந்தியா மற்றும் இலங்கை அரசுகளுக்கு இடையே, 1974 மற்றும் 1976ம் ஆண்டுகளில், ஒப்பந்தங்கள் ஏற்பட்டன. இந்த ஒப்பந்தங்களின் அடிப்படையில், ராமேஸ்வரம் அருகேயுள்ள, கச்சத்தீவு, இலங்கை அரசுக்கு தாரை வார்க்கப்பட்டது. எனவே, இந்த ஒப்பந்தங்கள் செல்லாது' என, அறிவிக்க வேண்டும் என்று கோரி, 2008 டிசம்பரில், தமிழக முதல்வர் ஜெயலலிதா மனு ஒன்றை தாக்கல் செய்தார். அப்போது, முதல்வராக இல்லாததால், அ.தி.மு.க., பொதுச் செயலர் என்ற அடிப்படையில், மனுவை தாக்கல் செய்திருந்தார்.
இந்நிலையில், ஜெயலலிதாவின் மனுவுக்கு, மத்திய அரசு, பதில் மனு தாக்கல் செய்துள்ளது. அதில், கூறப்பட்டுள்ளதாவது: கச்சத்தீவு என்பது, ஆங்கிலேயர் ஆட்சிக் காலத்தில், இந்தியா மற்றும் இலங்கை இடையே பிரச்னையாக இருந்தது. இந்தத் தீவின் நிலை தொடர்பாக இருந்த பிரச்னை, 1974ம் ஆண்டில், இந்திய - இலங்கை அரசுகள் இடையே ஏற்பட்ட ஒப்பந்தம் மூலம் தீர்க்கப்பட்டது. வரலாற்று ஆதாரங்கள் மற்றும் சட்ட அம்சங்கள் உட்பட, அனைத்து விஷயங்களையும் கவனத்தில் கொண்ட பின், இரு நாடுகளும் ஒப்பந்த முடிவுக்கு வந்தன. 1974ம் ஆண்டு ஒப்பந்தத்தின் மூலம், ஏற்பட்ட நிலைமை, 1976ம் ஆண்டு ஒப்பந்தத்தில், மீண்டும் உறுதி செய்யப்பட்டது. இந்தியாவின் எந்த ஒரு பகுதியும், எந்த நாட்டிற்கும் கொடுக்கப்படவில்லை. அதனால், கச்சத்தீவு இலங்கைக்கு தாரை வார்க்கப்பட்டதாக, ஜெயலலிதா கூறுவது சரியானதல்ல; அரசு ஆவணங்களுக்கு முரணானது. இந்திய - இலங்கை அரசுகள் இடையே ஏற்பட்ட இரண்டு ஒப்பந்தங்களின்படி, இலங்கை கடல் பகுதியில், இந்திய மீனவர்கள் மீன் பிடிக்க அனுமதியில்லை. அதேநேரத்தில், இந்திய மீனவர்களும், சுற்றுலா பயணிகளும், கச்சத்தீவுக்கு விஜயம் செய்யலாம். இதற்கென, இலங்கை அரசிடமிருந்து பயண ஆவணங்களோ அல்லது விசாவோ பெற வேண்டிய தேவையில்லை. கச்சச்தீவுக்கு விஜயம் செய்ய வழங்கப்பட்ட உரிமையை, அந்தத் தீவை சுற்றிலும் மீன் பிடிக்க வழங்கப்பட்ட உரிமையாக, இந்திய மீனவர்கள் கருதக் கூடாது. எனவே, ஜெயலலிதாவின் மனு, விசாரணைக்கு உகந்தது அல்ல; அதை தள்ளுபடி செய்ய வேண்டும், என தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. மத்திய அரசின் இந்த பதிலை நேற்று பரிசீலித்த, நீதிபதிகள் சவுகான் மற்றும் பாப்தே அடங்கிய சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட் பெஞ்ச், "ஜெயலலிதா, இதற்கு பதில் ஆவணம் தாக்கல் செய்ய வேண்டும். வழக்கின் இறுதிக் கட்ட விசாரணை மூன்று வாரங்களுக்கு பின், நடைபெறும்' என, உத்தரவிட்டது.
"இந்தியா மற்றும் இலங்கை அரசுகளுக்கு இடையே, 1974 மற்றும் 1976ம் ஆண்டுகளில், ஒப்பந்தங்கள் ஏற்பட்டன. இந்த ஒப்பந்தங்களின் அடிப்படையில், ராமேஸ்வரம் அருகேயுள்ள, கச்சத்தீவு, இலங்கை அரசுக்கு தாரை வார்க்கப்பட்டது. எனவே, இந்த ஒப்பந்தங்கள் செல்லாது' என, அறிவிக்க வேண்டும் என்று கோரி, 2008 டிசம்பரில், தமிழக முதல்வர் ஜெயலலிதா மனு ஒன்றை தாக்கல் செய்தார். அப்போது, முதல்வராக இல்லாததால், அ.தி.மு.க., பொதுச் செயலர் என்ற அடிப்படையில், மனுவை தாக்கல் செய்திருந்தார்.
இந்நிலையில், ஜெயலலிதாவின் மனுவுக்கு, மத்திய அரசு, பதில் மனு தாக்கல் செய்துள்ளது. அதில், கூறப்பட்டுள்ளதாவது: கச்சத்தீவு என்பது, ஆங்கிலேயர் ஆட்சிக் காலத்தில், இந்தியா மற்றும் இலங்கை இடையே பிரச்னையாக இருந்தது. இந்தத் தீவின் நிலை தொடர்பாக இருந்த பிரச்னை, 1974ம் ஆண்டில், இந்திய - இலங்கை அரசுகள் இடையே ஏற்பட்ட ஒப்பந்தம் மூலம் தீர்க்கப்பட்டது. வரலாற்று ஆதாரங்கள் மற்றும் சட்ட அம்சங்கள் உட்பட, அனைத்து விஷயங்களையும் கவனத்தில் கொண்ட பின், இரு நாடுகளும் ஒப்பந்த முடிவுக்கு வந்தன. 1974ம் ஆண்டு ஒப்பந்தத்தின் மூலம், ஏற்பட்ட நிலைமை, 1976ம் ஆண்டு ஒப்பந்தத்தில், மீண்டும் உறுதி செய்யப்பட்டது. இந்தியாவின் எந்த ஒரு பகுதியும், எந்த நாட்டிற்கும் கொடுக்கப்படவில்லை. அதனால், கச்சத்தீவு இலங்கைக்கு தாரை வார்க்கப்பட்டதாக, ஜெயலலிதா கூறுவது சரியானதல்ல; அரசு ஆவணங்களுக்கு முரணானது. இந்திய - இலங்கை அரசுகள் இடையே ஏற்பட்ட இரண்டு ஒப்பந்தங்களின்படி, இலங்கை கடல் பகுதியில், இந்திய மீனவர்கள் மீன் பிடிக்க அனுமதியில்லை. அதேநேரத்தில், இந்திய மீனவர்களும், சுற்றுலா பயணிகளும், கச்சத்தீவுக்கு விஜயம் செய்யலாம். இதற்கென, இலங்கை அரசிடமிருந்து பயண ஆவணங்களோ அல்லது விசாவோ பெற வேண்டிய தேவையில்லை. கச்சச்தீவுக்கு விஜயம் செய்ய வழங்கப்பட்ட உரிமையை, அந்தத் தீவை சுற்றிலும் மீன் பிடிக்க வழங்கப்பட்ட உரிமையாக, இந்திய மீனவர்கள் கருதக் கூடாது. எனவே, ஜெயலலிதாவின் மனு, விசாரணைக்கு உகந்தது அல்ல; அதை தள்ளுபடி செய்ய வேண்டும், என தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. மத்திய அரசின் இந்த பதிலை நேற்று பரிசீலித்த, நீதிபதிகள் சவுகான் மற்றும் பாப்தே அடங்கிய சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட் பெஞ்ச், "ஜெயலலிதா, இதற்கு பதில் ஆவணம் தாக்கல் செய்ய வேண்டும். வழக்கின் இறுதிக் கட்ட விசாரணை மூன்று வாரங்களுக்கு பின், நடைபெறும்' என, உத்தரவிட்டது.
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கேரள
மாநிலம், பாலக்காடு அருகே, தச்சம்பாறை ஊராட்சியில் வசிப்பவர் பாவு
அம்மாள், 70; விதவை. இவருக்கு ஆறு பிள்ளைகள். கணவர் சாம்பாதித்த, 75 சென்ட்
நிலம் சொந்தமாக உள்ளது. இதில் உள்ள வீட்டில், இளைய மகன் ரவி, மனைவியுடன்
வசிக்கிறார். தாயை இவர், முறையாக பராமரிக்கவில்லை என்றும், அறையில்
அடைத்து, சித்திரவதை செய்துள்ளார் என்றும் கூறப்படுகிறது. கடந்த, ஏப்.,
மாதம், சேவை அமைப்பினர், பாவு அம்மாளை மீட்டு, மகள் பராமரிப்பில்
அனுப்பினர். போலீசார் பேச்சு நடத்தி, தாய்க்கு, மாதந்தோறும், 5,000 ரூபாய்,
பராமரிப்புக்காக வழங்க வேண்டும் என்றும் கூறினர். இந்த நிலையில்,
நிலத்தில் பெரும்பகுதியை, ரவி விற்று விட்டார். அதில், ஒரு பைசா கூட,
தாய்க்கு தரவில்லை; மாதாந்திர பராமரிப்பு தொகையையும் தரவில்லை. மகள்
வீட்டிலிருந்து வெளியேறி, இளைய மகன் விற்ற, 76 ஏக்கர் நிலத்தில்
குடியேறினார். "வாழ்ந்தாலும், இறந்தாலும், இங்கு தான் இருப்பேன்' என,
போராட்டம் நடத்தினார். இளைய மகன், தாயை, வீட்டிற்குள் அனுமதிக்கவில்லை.
இதனால், வீட்டின் அருகே, குடில் அமைத்து, அதில் குடியேறி, மகனுக்கு எதிராக
போராட்டம் நடத்தி வருகிறார். இவருக்கு, அப்பகுதி மக்கள் ஆதரவு
தெரிவித்துள்ளனர். மண்ணார்க்காடு போலீசாரிடமும், பாவு அம்மாள் புகார்
செய்துள்ளார். இச்சம்பவம், அப்பகுதியில் பரபரப்பை ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது.
ஒரே ஊசியில் எல்லா வலியும் நீங்கும்!
ஒரே ஊசியில் எல்லா வலியும் நீங்கும்!
ஒரே ஒரு ஊசி மூலம், உடலில் ஏற்படும் அனைத்து வலிகளுக்கும், நிரந்தர நிவாரணம் தரும் முறையை கூறும், மருத்துவர் பிரபு: நான், சென்னையை சேர்ந்தவன். வலி நிர்வாகம் எனும், "இன்டர்வென்ஷனல் பெயின் மேனேஜ்மென்ட்' சிகிச்சை அளிக்கும், சிறப்பு மருத்துவராக பணியாற்றுகிறேன். அறுவை சிகிச்சை மட்டுமே தீர்வு என, சொல்லக் கூடிய உடல் நல பிரச்னைகள் பல உள்ளன. குறிப்பாக, 50 வயதை கடந்த, 90 சதவீதம் பேர், கடுமையான முழங்கால் வலிக்கு ஆளாகின்றனர். இம்முழங்கால் வலி யை நீக்க, அறுவை சிகிச்சை மட்டும் தான் தீர்வாக இதுவரையில் இருந்தது. இதற்கு, அதிக பணம் செலவாகும். சர்க்கரை நோய், ரத்தகொதிப்பு பிரச்னை உள்ளவர்கள், அறுவை சிகிச்சை மேற்கொள்ள முடியாத நிலை உள்ளது. இதுபோன்ற பிரச்னைக்கு தீர்வு காண்பது தான், வலி நிர்வாகம் எனும் மருத்துவ முறை. இளைஞர்கள் முதல் பெரியோர் வரை, முதுகு தண்டுவடத்தில் ஜவ்வு பிதுங்கி, பலத்த வலி உண்டாகும். வலியிலிருந்து விடுபட, அறுவை சிகிச்சை மேற்கொள்வதற்கு மாற்றாக, வலி நிர்வாக முறைப்படி, "ஹைட்ரோசிஷன்' என்ற ஒரே ஒரு ஊசியால், சுலபமாக நிவாரணம் பெற முடியும். பொதுவாக, தண்டுவடத்தில் செய்யப்படும் அறுவை சிகிச்சை, நிரந்தர தீர்வளிக்காது. மேலும், பக்க விளைவுகளையும் ஏற்படுத்தும். "மெனோ பாஸ்' மற்றும் கர்ப்பப்பை நீக்கப்பட்ட காலத்தில், பெண்களுக்கு உடல் ரீதியாக பல்வேறு மாற்றங்கள் உண்டாகும். குறிப்பாக, உடலில் சுண்ணாம்புச் சத்து குறைய ஆரம்பிப்பதால், உடலில் வலி அதிகரிக்கும். ஆனால், இப்புதிய சிகிச்சை முறை மூலம், சுண்ணாம்புச் சத்தின் அளவை குறைய விடாமல் தடுக்கலாம். கடந்த, 30 ஆண்டுகளாக, மேல் நாடுகளில் இம்முறை பின்பற்றப்படுகிறது. ஆனால், இந்தியாவில் பரவலாக அறிமுகமாகி, நான்கு ஆண்டுகள் தான் ஆகிறது. இப்புதிய சிகிச்சை முறைக்கு, 10 முதல், 12 ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் மட்டுமே செலவாகும். ஆனால், இதை விட அறுவை சிகிச்சைக்கு பன்மடங்கு செலவாகும்.
தொடர்புக்கு: 98407 88888.
Australia’s refugee policy draws flak from UNHRC
Australia’s refugee policy draws flak from UNHRC, activists
[TamilNet, Friday, 30 August 2013, 20:26 GMT]
“Australia’s indefinite detention of 46 recognized refugees on security grounds amounted to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, inflicting serious psychological harm on them,” the UNHRC said in a statement last week. The statement further said that Australia should release the refugees, of whom 42 are Tamils from Sri Lanka, who have been held for at least two and a half years, and offer them compensation and rehabilitation. Speaking to TamilNet on the UNHRC observations, Trevor Grant, veteran journalist and spokesperson for the Tamil Refugee Council, said the judgement vindicated the strong belief of many advocates and lawyers that indefinite detention was not only illegal but intolerable in a just society. However, the Australia’s Coalition still maintains a hardline approach against refugees.
"The Australian Government has been found guilty of almost 150 violations of a human rights treaty it has signed. It is an international embarrassment for Australia on the week it takes over the presidency of the UN Security Council," he said.
"How can this Government continue to lecture the rest of the world on upholding international law and human rights while it is now officially guilty of inflicting cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment upon innocent refugees? And what's worse, it has publicly ignored this damning indictment, saying only that it will respond in due course,” Mr. Grant Lamented.
“An Abbott government plans to shut down an independent review of Australian Security Intelligence Organisation security assessments that have condemned almost 50 refugees – including a mother and her three children – to indefinite detention,” The Age reported on Thursday, adding that “The Coalition has also cut off on any prospect of the refugees being released from immigration detention on special conditions, including wearing monitor bracelets.”
The mother referred to is Ms. Ranjini, an Eezham Tamil refugee, who has been held in detention for more than two and a half years. Her third child was born in the detention camps.
"The UN message to the Australian Government is unambiguous. If its' signature on a treaty means anything, it must immediately release these people. If it refuses to act, it is blackening the country's international reputation and making a mockery of its new Security Council position," Mr. Grant said.
The UNHRC statement had asserted that Australia’s treatment of refugees was contrary to accepted international norms.
“The combination of the arbitrary character of (their) detention, its protracted and/or indefinite duration, the refusal to provide information and procedural rights to (them) and the difficult conditions of detention are cumulatively inflicting serious psychological harm upon them,” the UN experts said.
“Australia’s indefinite detention of 46 recognized refugees on security grounds amounted to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, inflicting serious psychological harm on them,” the UNHRC said in a statement last week. The statement further said that Australia should release the refugees, of whom 42 are Tamils from Sri Lanka, who have been held for at least two and a half years, and offer them compensation and rehabilitation. Speaking to TamilNet on the UNHRC observations, Trevor Grant, veteran journalist and spokesperson for the Tamil Refugee Council, said the judgement vindicated the strong belief of many advocates and lawyers that indefinite detention was not only illegal but intolerable in a just society. However, the Australia’s Coalition still maintains a hardline approach against refugees.
"The Australian Government has been found guilty of almost 150 violations of a human rights treaty it has signed. It is an international embarrassment for Australia on the week it takes over the presidency of the UN Security Council," he said.
"How can this Government continue to lecture the rest of the world on upholding international law and human rights while it is now officially guilty of inflicting cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment upon innocent refugees? And what's worse, it has publicly ignored this damning indictment, saying only that it will respond in due course,” Mr. Grant Lamented.
“An Abbott government plans to shut down an independent review of Australian Security Intelligence Organisation security assessments that have condemned almost 50 refugees – including a mother and her three children – to indefinite detention,” The Age reported on Thursday, adding that “The Coalition has also cut off on any prospect of the refugees being released from immigration detention on special conditions, including wearing monitor bracelets.”
The mother referred to is Ms. Ranjini, an Eezham Tamil refugee, who has been held in detention for more than two and a half years. Her third child was born in the detention camps.
"The UN message to the Australian Government is unambiguous. If its' signature on a treaty means anything, it must immediately release these people. If it refuses to act, it is blackening the country's international reputation and making a mockery of its new Security Council position," Mr. Grant said.
The UNHRC statement had asserted that Australia’s treatment of refugees was contrary to accepted international norms.
“The combination of the arbitrary character of (their) detention, its protracted and/or indefinite duration, the refusal to provide information and procedural rights to (them) and the difficult conditions of detention are cumulatively inflicting serious psychological harm upon them,” the UN experts said.
Norwegian ambassador in Colombo bares agenda in Oslo
Norwegian ambassador in Colombo bares agenda in Oslo
[TamilNet, Friday, 30 August 2013, 00:58 GMT]
Norway, once hoodwinked the nation of Eezham Tamils with an ‘internal self-determination’ formula in the Oslo Declaration, now bares its deceptive face by talking about ‘development’ of Tamils with diaspora ‘partnership’ within a ‘Sri Lankan minority’ formula and the PC model. While the Norwegian ambassador in Colombo Ms Grete Løchen was baring the agenda in Oslo on Monday, the Tamil participants looped in were not only confirmed revisionists, habitual upholders of the Sri Lankan State and tangent-polity activists, but were also the representatives of the NCET, Tamil Women Organisation, a TCC outfit and the TECH-Norway. If the agenda can’t be perceived with its nuances and rejected outright at the face of Norway, the diaspora will prove only its impotence, commented Tamils for alternative politics in the island.
Norway, once hoodwinked the nation of Eezham Tamils with an ‘internal self-determination’ formula in the Oslo Declaration, now bares its deceptive face by talking about ‘development’ of Tamils with diaspora ‘partnership’ within a ‘Sri Lankan minority’ formula and the PC model. While the Norwegian ambassador in Colombo Ms Grete Løchen was baring the agenda in Oslo on Monday, the Tamil participants looped in were not only confirmed revisionists, habitual upholders of the Sri Lankan State and tangent-polity activists, but were also the representatives of the NCET, Tamil Women Organisation, a TCC outfit and the TECH-Norway. If the agenda can’t be perceived with its nuances and rejected outright at the face of Norway, the diaspora will prove only its impotence, commented Tamils for alternative politics in the island.
Grete Løchen [Library Photo]
The Norwegian ambassador in Colombo
was addressing a registered gathering of around 100 participants, most
of them Tamils, at a conference convened by Øivind Fuglerud, Professor
of Social Anthropology at the Museum of Cultural History of the Oslo
University. A few months ago, the same professor convened another
conference for the visiting Director of the Postgraduate Institute of
Archaeology in Colombo.
Professor N. Shanmugaratnam, of the Department of International Environment and Development Studies of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences was vested with the task of making the ‘Closing Statement’ for the present conference on diaspora and ‘development’. Prof Shanmugaratnam is known to old generation of Eezham Tamils as a Chinese Communist stalwart.
* * *
Delivering the star address of the conference, the thrust of the Ambassador’s speech was that Tamils, especially their diaspora, should erase the image that they are working for Eezham.
“The Norwegian government and the other governments continuously encourage the government of Sri Lanka to engage with the Diaspora. The Diaspora could be and should be a major contributor to the development of Sri Lanka and especially the conflict affected areas in the North and the East. Same message goes to the Diaspora. The Diaspora has to be strategic and conscious in its actions and public statements regarding calls for reconciliation and political solution, by avoiding feeding into the rhetoric of the current government that the Diaspora is still working for an Eezham. It doesn't help the Tamils and their elected representatives living in Sri Lanka,” she concluded.
* * *
The Norwegian Ambassador was favouring a ‘minority’ formula and was harping on international diaspora support to the PC model.
Hoping that the ‘development’ conference would focus “on how to get the diaspora involved in a more sustainable manner” she further said: “This is a crucial time for Sri Lanka and for its ethnic and religious minorities. The upcoming provincial council election in the North at the end of September could create more interest and new opportunities to get the diaspora, not only in Norway, but in other countries more involved in development activities.”
“The Northern Provincial Council could be an important percept for reconciliation and a political solution,” she proclaimed.
“For the diaspora in Norway, and the rest in the Europe and North America, the Northern Provincial Council could provide an important avenue,” she added.
According to the Ambassador, “the starting point seems more thinking the words of each other and others intention, rather than trying to reach out looking for opportunities without underestimating the challenging political context. And I see this as one of the key challenges of today's Sri Lanka.”
* * *
However, in her address, she was hinting at cutbacks in direct Norwegian assistance and implied that the strategy would be to exploit the resources of the diaspora.
“There is a gradual phasing out of the Norwegian development cooperation in Sri Lanka,” she said.
“I think the financial crisis is also playing a big role. Different governments have to make tougher priorities,” she observed.
She was hinting that the Tamils, on whom a genocide was committed and is being committed with the complicity of the West, are not going to be adequately cared as the West in its financial crisis now cares more only in using its limited resources in bringing out further disasters elsewhere, commented observers.
She was citing at China:
“China will be there as the big investor, coming in with not grants, but loans. And they are behind the all infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka today. And they will continue to be there,” she was aiming at insinuating some West-minded sections in the diaspora and at pricking competitive minds in India.
She was not prepared to concede to Norway’s complicity in the genocide:
“We have nothing shameful to hide, but we have to acknowledge the fact that Norway's role in the peace process is still very controversial in Sri Lanka,” she said.
According to her, it was not because of the lack of money but because of the lack of priority Norway cuts down its involvement in the island. She assured that Norway doesn’t have the financial crisis like the others.
She was lamenting, “so far, we have seen limited organised diaspora in development engagement in the North and the East.”
She implied that the diaspora, rather than organised in its own ways, or visibly unorganised but coordinated in conscience, should pool even its meagre resources to the benefit of the agenda of the Establishments, observers at the conference commented.
* * *
A visible part of the ‘development’ she was attesting to was the “reconstruction of private houses, kovils, mosques and churches.” [This was entirely effected through direct diaspora contributions]
Listeners at the conference didn’t fail to note the more Sinhalicised pronunciation Kovil in the Ambassador’s tongue than the commonly used and literature-attested Tamil pronunciation Koyil for a Hindu temple. The trend is the same with the Colombo-based diplomats and foreign journalists in spelling Vanni as Wanni and calling a Paalai tree as Palu tree, commented observers at the conference.
The Ambassador was shedding crocodile tears for the Tamil youth, in inviting diaspora assistance, observers said.
“One of the main concerns is the youth: the lack of opportunities; educational and work related. Likewise, an increase in domestic and sexual violence is much due to the increasing alcoholic use. In many ways, you see destroyed families and communities, which are in dire need of rebuilding economically, socially and psychologically. We see potentials for diaspora engagement,” she said.
All know why they are aloof and astray, who sustain an impunity culture inspiring them, and how it is not possible to resurrect them without delivery of justice to their nation, and in its absence, giving them their struggle against the ultimate culprits, commented the observers at the conference.
* * *
Another part of the ‘development’ the Ambassador eulogising was the ‘culture’ they are promoting to achieve ‘national reconciliation’.
Professor N. Shanmugaratnam, of the Department of International Environment and Development Studies of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences was vested with the task of making the ‘Closing Statement’ for the present conference on diaspora and ‘development’. Prof Shanmugaratnam is known to old generation of Eezham Tamils as a Chinese Communist stalwart.
* * *
Delivering the star address of the conference, the thrust of the Ambassador’s speech was that Tamils, especially their diaspora, should erase the image that they are working for Eezham.
“The Norwegian government and the other governments continuously encourage the government of Sri Lanka to engage with the Diaspora. The Diaspora could be and should be a major contributor to the development of Sri Lanka and especially the conflict affected areas in the North and the East. Same message goes to the Diaspora. The Diaspora has to be strategic and conscious in its actions and public statements regarding calls for reconciliation and political solution, by avoiding feeding into the rhetoric of the current government that the Diaspora is still working for an Eezham. It doesn't help the Tamils and their elected representatives living in Sri Lanka,” she concluded.
* * *
The Norwegian Ambassador was favouring a ‘minority’ formula and was harping on international diaspora support to the PC model.
Hoping that the ‘development’ conference would focus “on how to get the diaspora involved in a more sustainable manner” she further said: “This is a crucial time for Sri Lanka and for its ethnic and religious minorities. The upcoming provincial council election in the North at the end of September could create more interest and new opportunities to get the diaspora, not only in Norway, but in other countries more involved in development activities.”
“The Northern Provincial Council could be an important percept for reconciliation and a political solution,” she proclaimed.
“For the diaspora in Norway, and the rest in the Europe and North America, the Northern Provincial Council could provide an important avenue,” she added.
According to the Ambassador, “the starting point seems more thinking the words of each other and others intention, rather than trying to reach out looking for opportunities without underestimating the challenging political context. And I see this as one of the key challenges of today's Sri Lanka.”
* * *
However, in her address, she was hinting at cutbacks in direct Norwegian assistance and implied that the strategy would be to exploit the resources of the diaspora.
“There is a gradual phasing out of the Norwegian development cooperation in Sri Lanka,” she said.
“I think the financial crisis is also playing a big role. Different governments have to make tougher priorities,” she observed.
She was hinting that the Tamils, on whom a genocide was committed and is being committed with the complicity of the West, are not going to be adequately cared as the West in its financial crisis now cares more only in using its limited resources in bringing out further disasters elsewhere, commented observers.
She was citing at China:
“China will be there as the big investor, coming in with not grants, but loans. And they are behind the all infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka today. And they will continue to be there,” she was aiming at insinuating some West-minded sections in the diaspora and at pricking competitive minds in India.
She was not prepared to concede to Norway’s complicity in the genocide:
“We have nothing shameful to hide, but we have to acknowledge the fact that Norway's role in the peace process is still very controversial in Sri Lanka,” she said.
According to her, it was not because of the lack of money but because of the lack of priority Norway cuts down its involvement in the island. She assured that Norway doesn’t have the financial crisis like the others.
She was lamenting, “so far, we have seen limited organised diaspora in development engagement in the North and the East.”
She implied that the diaspora, rather than organised in its own ways, or visibly unorganised but coordinated in conscience, should pool even its meagre resources to the benefit of the agenda of the Establishments, observers at the conference commented.
* * *
A visible part of the ‘development’ she was attesting to was the “reconstruction of private houses, kovils, mosques and churches.” [This was entirely effected through direct diaspora contributions]
Listeners at the conference didn’t fail to note the more Sinhalicised pronunciation Kovil in the Ambassador’s tongue than the commonly used and literature-attested Tamil pronunciation Koyil for a Hindu temple. The trend is the same with the Colombo-based diplomats and foreign journalists in spelling Vanni as Wanni and calling a Paalai tree as Palu tree, commented observers at the conference.
The Ambassador was shedding crocodile tears for the Tamil youth, in inviting diaspora assistance, observers said.
“One of the main concerns is the youth: the lack of opportunities; educational and work related. Likewise, an increase in domestic and sexual violence is much due to the increasing alcoholic use. In many ways, you see destroyed families and communities, which are in dire need of rebuilding economically, socially and psychologically. We see potentials for diaspora engagement,” she said.
All know why they are aloof and astray, who sustain an impunity culture inspiring them, and how it is not possible to resurrect them without delivery of justice to their nation, and in its absence, giving them their struggle against the ultimate culprits, commented the observers at the conference.
* * *
Another part of the ‘development’ the Ambassador eulogising was the ‘culture’ they are promoting to achieve ‘national reconciliation’.
Music festival in Jaffna funded by Norway
“The key focus is on how culture
can contribute to national reconciliation. Since 2009, music cooperation
has been established between Sri Lanka and Norway Concerts
(Rikskonsertene) as the key partner on the Norwegian side and a Sri
Lankan NGO on the other.
[She didn't mention that the concert was in partnership with a Sinhala NGO Sewalanka operating in the occupied country of Eezham Tamils. She also never mentioned in her speech the funding and collaboration Norway has been making towards extremist Sinhala outfits operating in the name of ‘development’ in the occupied country of Eezham Tamils.]
“Important component of this collaboration is the annual music festivals in Galle and Jaffna. This year, it was in Jaffna in March. With Tamil, Sinhalese and Muslim artists playing together with artists from India, Bangladesh, Norway, Palestine, Brazil. And, it was an amazing event. I attended it and the artists were highly achieving,” the Ambassador observed.
“Jaffna youth rocking with the Indian Bollywood artists. And it was really incredible,” observed Ms Grete Løchen at the conference, making no secret of her ‘counterinsurgency’ perception of ‘development’.
* * *
[She didn't mention that the concert was in partnership with a Sinhala NGO Sewalanka operating in the occupied country of Eezham Tamils. She also never mentioned in her speech the funding and collaboration Norway has been making towards extremist Sinhala outfits operating in the name of ‘development’ in the occupied country of Eezham Tamils.]
“Important component of this collaboration is the annual music festivals in Galle and Jaffna. This year, it was in Jaffna in March. With Tamil, Sinhalese and Muslim artists playing together with artists from India, Bangladesh, Norway, Palestine, Brazil. And, it was an amazing event. I attended it and the artists were highly achieving,” the Ambassador observed.
“Jaffna youth rocking with the Indian Bollywood artists. And it was really incredible,” observed Ms Grete Løchen at the conference, making no secret of her ‘counterinsurgency’ perception of ‘development’.
* * *
Apart
from Prof Nadarajah Shanmugaratnam, the other Tamil speakers at the
conference were Mr. Yogarajah Balasingham, Mr Satchi Mylvahanam, Mr.
Selvin Ireneuss Mariampillai, Dr. Ilango Balasingam, Dr Panchkulasingham
Kandiah and Ms. Sumathi Wijeyaraj. All of them reside in Norway. Coming
from the outside, Mr CVK Sivagnanam contesting for the NPC in Jaffna on
the TNA ticket and Dr Malar, representing TECH-Malaysia spoke at the
conference.
All Tamil speakers at the conference were critical in varying degrees about the Colombo government, except Dr Malar, who was assuring the audience on finding no difficulty in getting the support of the Sinhala military in the island, if development is not connected to politics, observers at the conference said.
Dr Malar has been chosen for key participation at another meeting in Oslo organised by the Development Fund, a beneficiary of the Norwegian government's development agency NORAD, informed circles said.
How many of the Tamil ‘development activists’ in the conference, thinking of the kroners they may get would have grasped the nuances of the Ambassador’s speech, was the concern of some of the observers at the conference. Those who could grasp, but habitually revisionist in orientation, fail to tell Tamils of the true nature of the impending dangers, was the added concern of the observers.
If the priority of the West and Norway is not on bringing in justice in the island, why should the Eezham Tamil diaspora get hooked up with their agenda of ‘development’ rather than thinking of its own ways, is a major question, the observers further commented.
* * *
Just a day before the Norwegian Ambassador’s address at the conference, a feature appeared in TamilNet, Conceiving and designing strategy for Struggle and Development , not only predicted what would be coming out from the Establishments but have also responded to almost all the major issues touched by the Ambassador. The feature appeared on Sunday may be read along with the following excerpts of the address of the Ambassador on Monday.
* * *
Excerpts from the speech of the Norwegian Ambassador in Colombo:
I hope that the discussion today would focus on how to get the Diaspora involved in a more sustainable manner.
This is a crucial time for Sri Lanka and for its ethnic and religious minorities.
The upcoming Provincial Council election in the North in the end of September, could create more interest and new opportunities to get the diaspora – not only in Norway – but also in other countries, more involved in development activities.
[...]
One observation from my side after one year in Sri Lanka is the high level of trust deficit at all levels.
Whether it is between the government and civil society, government and its minorities, government – international community, government – diaspora, and also between the communities.
The starting point seems more thinking the words of each other, and others’ intention, rather than trying to reach out looking for opportunities without underestimating the challenging political context.
And I see this as one of the key challenges of today's Sri Lanka.
[...]
Now, I understand that many in the diaspora are not aware of the scale of the Norwegian development assistance to Sri Lanka.
I do see that it could be better in communicating what we have been, and are actually doing in the country.
[...]
Some facts about Norwegian assistance to Sri Lanka:
Long-term development cooperation started actually in 1967.
During the first decades integrated rural development was at the core of the Norwegian support.
Economic Development, Reconciliation, Peace-building, Good Governance, Human Rights and Democracy Building have been the main focus areas in recent years.
Support to economic development has aimed to improve the living conditions in the least developed parts of the country, whereas the comprehensive peace building support has focused on contributing to reconciliation and a lasting peace, strengthening the voices of the civil society and independent institutions such as the media, human rights defenders and women.
Norway has – since the end of the war – contributed 250 million Norwegian kroner, approximately 41 million USD, to reconstruction and resettlement related programmes in the North and the East.
In 2012 alone, Norwegian support to the North and East was 32 million Norwegian kroner, a little bit more than 5 million USD, through the UN, local and the international NGOs.
Some of the NGOs present here today have received lot of this funding, so you can meet them later today.
Total Norwegian support to Sri Lanka between 2009 and 2012 was 656 million Norwegian kroner, a little less than 110 million USD. This is approximately within a 4-year-time.
So, what are we doing in the North and East:
Humanitarian de-mining, shelter and permanent house-building, support to agricultural revival, vocational training and livelihood, legal counselling on land issues, assisting in getting birth and marriage certificates, national identity cards, as well as - through IOM - we have contributed to the re-integration of former LTTE cadres, after rehabilitation.
Special focus has always been on vulnerable groups such as war-widows and female-headed households through different livelihood programmes.
I will give you some examples:
Through de-mining, Norway contributed in 2011 and 2012 so that more than 19,000 families could return to their home areas.
400 ex-LTTE cadres have received social and economic assistance to re-integrate in the local communities after being released from the rehabilitation camps.
4,230 students, among them 31% women, have completed vocational training in 2012 alone.
Through UNDP programme supported by Norway, on resettlement and economic development, approximately 49,000 members of cooperatives within rice production, fisheries and animal husbandry, have received assistance.
Through FAO, 5005 farmers could return to their places of origin and be given seed grains in order to restart farming.
So, you see, it is a quite a heavy intervention.
In addition to our support to the North and the East, the Embassy of Norway supports organisations that work on human rights, good governance, media training, reconciliation and gender equality has also been a priority.
The support is channelled primarily through NGOs, mostly local, but also some international.
Another sector of collaboration is culture. The key focus on how culture can contribute to national reconciliation.
Since 2009, a music cooperation has been established between Sri Lanka and Norway Concerts (Rikskonsertene) as the key partner on the Norwegian side and a Sri Lankan NGO on the other.
Important component of this collaboration is the annual music festivals in Galle and Jaffna.
This year, it was in Jaffna in March. With Tamil, Sinhalese and Muslim artists playing together with artists from India, Bangladesh, Norway, Palestine, Brazil.
And, it was an amazing event.
I attended it and the artists were highly achieving, Jaffna youth rocking with the Indian Bollywood artists, it was really incredible.
Since last year, we have also a technical cooperation between Norwegian and Sri Lankan institutions, has been established, both within fisheries and disaster management.
For many decades, Norway has been a major player in Sri Lanka. Not only in the [inaudible] of funding, but also in the humanitarian development policy dialogue with the government of Sri Lanka, both through the Embassy and through our partners. I would like to mention that Norwegian Refugee Council was an important player as a good example in this regard, regarding humanitarian policies and a strong defender of the importance of the humanitarian space.
Norwegian development assistance is not always as visible as the tradition of many other countries.
There are good reasons for not putting the Norwegian flag on everything. We have nothing shameful to hide, but we have to acknowledge the fact that Norway's role in the peace process is still very controversial in Sri Lanka.
We are easily seen with a hidden agenda.
We, as a government, we have to think through carefully, not to put some of our partners in difficulties, but flagging our support. Sometimes discretion is better and more effective.
And some of the challenges I see in the development sector:
There is a gradual phasing out of the Norwegian development cooperation in Sri Lanka.
Just to give you some figures, last year, the funding managed by the Embassy was approximately 65 million Norwegian kroner.
This year, it is approximately 53 million Norwegian kroner.
This is the funding managed by the Embassy alone and that does not include funding directly from MFA or NORAD.
Not only Norway is reducing, but most the countries and the UN are reducing development assistance to Sri Lanka.
This is related to Sri Lanka's middle-income country status, achieved in 2010.
Likewise, I think, the financial crisis in the West is also playing a big role.
Different governments have to make tougher priorities.
Where are the urgent needs in the World today? I will give an example: The UN consolidated the appeal to Syria, this spring, was the largest humanitarian appeal in the UN history, of 5 billion USD.
So, in the context of financial crisis, for many European countries - we are not talking about Norway, we are not in the financial crisis - but you do see priorities being made by different Western countries.
Before coming to Sri Lanka, I was in Afghanistan. We see there is a tendency also in Afghanistan. There is less funding.
Like Afghanistan, Sri Lanka is not on the top of the International Agenda.
Four years after war, there is no huge humanitarian crisis although there are humanitarian needs, especially among the vulnerable groups such as the war widows and female-headed households.
However, I do not want to be too pessimistic about the situation.
There are still big development actors in Sri Lanka in the years to come.
I mean, Japan is a big player. Australia - big programmes. South Korea, India, and also EU, still contribute.
But, you will see limited contribution from Western governments. […]
And China will be there as the big investor, coming in with not grants, but loans.
And they are behind the all infrastructure and projects in Sri Lanka today. And they will continue to be there.
So, what to do: Less funding. But, there are still recovering development needs.
It is important for all parties making clear priorities. We have to create new partnerships, involving private sector and we have to think out of the box.
And I do think that the Diaspora could have and should have an important role today in assisting the North and the East.
So far, we have seen limited organised diaspora development engagement in the North and the East. […]
What you see is more on individual basis.
Remittances are being sent.
And, as you know, this [inaudible] remittances to Sri Lanka, is playing an extremely important role for the economy of Sri Lanka.
Last year it was altogether 6 billion USD. It is one third of the countries revenues.
The most visible effects of the North and the East is reconstruction of private houses, koavils, mosques and churches.
And in Jaffna city, you see the youth with motorcycles, the latest mobiles, and unfortunately, a higher level of alcohol consumption and hanging out.
You see little bit of the same picture in the East.
There is private money out there. But, not always being used in benefit of the community at large.
And, I have been traveling to the North and the East, talking to people, with the local politicians, civil societies and ordinary people in the villages.
One of the main concerns is the youth.
The lack of opportunities, educational and work related.
Likewise, an increase in domestic and sexual violence, much due to the increasing alcoholic use.
In many ways, you see destroyed families and communities, which are in dire need of rebuilding economically, socially and psychologically.
But, we see potentials for diaspora engagement.
I am not an expert here. I am just raising some issues.
How can we get home remittance assistance, from mainly helping only those with relatives abroad, to supporting whole communities?
We need closer diaspora cooperation, partnership and professional development actors, NGOs knowing the context and the challenges in doing development activities in the North and East.
My experience, after visiting many of the Norwegian funded projects is that these actors know intertwines as sensitivities regarding getting approval of projects.
They know where are the possibilities, where are the [inaudible] and they have established working relationships with local and central authorities. I think this is extremely important, knowing the context and making these partnerships.
And we see the Northern Provincial Council election due to be held in September as a possibility.
Tamil political parties contesting under the TNA, are according to polls, expected to do very well and capture power in the regional administration.
And I think development of Sri Lanka also expects this.
The Northern Provincial Council could be an important percept towards reconciliation and a political solution.
For the diaspora in Norway, and the rest in the Europe and North America, the Northern Provincial Council could provide an important avenue, through which efforts at assisting reconstruction and capacity building of local administration in the North can be channelled. There are possibilities to look for.
Finally, the Norwegian government and the other governments continuously encourage the government of Sri Lanka to engage the Diaspora.
The Diaspora could be and should be a major contributor to the development of Sri Lanka and especially of the conflict affected areas in the North and East.
Same message goes to the Diaspora.
The Diaspora has to be strategic and conscious in its actions and public statements regarding calls for reconciliation and political solution, by avoiding feeding into the rhetoric of the current government that the Diaspora is still working for Eezham.
It doesn't help the Tamils and their elected representatives living in Sri Lanka.
I am looking forward to the discussion today.
Chronology:
All Tamil speakers at the conference were critical in varying degrees about the Colombo government, except Dr Malar, who was assuring the audience on finding no difficulty in getting the support of the Sinhala military in the island, if development is not connected to politics, observers at the conference said.
Dr Malar has been chosen for key participation at another meeting in Oslo organised by the Development Fund, a beneficiary of the Norwegian government's development agency NORAD, informed circles said.
How many of the Tamil ‘development activists’ in the conference, thinking of the kroners they may get would have grasped the nuances of the Ambassador’s speech, was the concern of some of the observers at the conference. Those who could grasp, but habitually revisionist in orientation, fail to tell Tamils of the true nature of the impending dangers, was the added concern of the observers.
If the priority of the West and Norway is not on bringing in justice in the island, why should the Eezham Tamil diaspora get hooked up with their agenda of ‘development’ rather than thinking of its own ways, is a major question, the observers further commented.
* * *
Just a day before the Norwegian Ambassador’s address at the conference, a feature appeared in TamilNet, Conceiving and designing strategy for Struggle and Development , not only predicted what would be coming out from the Establishments but have also responded to almost all the major issues touched by the Ambassador. The feature appeared on Sunday may be read along with the following excerpts of the address of the Ambassador on Monday.
* * *
Excerpts from the speech of the Norwegian Ambassador in Colombo:
I hope that the discussion today would focus on how to get the Diaspora involved in a more sustainable manner.
This is a crucial time for Sri Lanka and for its ethnic and religious minorities.
The upcoming Provincial Council election in the North in the end of September, could create more interest and new opportunities to get the diaspora – not only in Norway – but also in other countries, more involved in development activities.
[...]
One observation from my side after one year in Sri Lanka is the high level of trust deficit at all levels.
Whether it is between the government and civil society, government and its minorities, government – international community, government – diaspora, and also between the communities.
The starting point seems more thinking the words of each other, and others’ intention, rather than trying to reach out looking for opportunities without underestimating the challenging political context.
And I see this as one of the key challenges of today's Sri Lanka.
[...]
Now, I understand that many in the diaspora are not aware of the scale of the Norwegian development assistance to Sri Lanka.
I do see that it could be better in communicating what we have been, and are actually doing in the country.
[...]
Some facts about Norwegian assistance to Sri Lanka:
Long-term development cooperation started actually in 1967.
During the first decades integrated rural development was at the core of the Norwegian support.
Economic Development, Reconciliation, Peace-building, Good Governance, Human Rights and Democracy Building have been the main focus areas in recent years.
Support to economic development has aimed to improve the living conditions in the least developed parts of the country, whereas the comprehensive peace building support has focused on contributing to reconciliation and a lasting peace, strengthening the voices of the civil society and independent institutions such as the media, human rights defenders and women.
Norway has – since the end of the war – contributed 250 million Norwegian kroner, approximately 41 million USD, to reconstruction and resettlement related programmes in the North and the East.
In 2012 alone, Norwegian support to the North and East was 32 million Norwegian kroner, a little bit more than 5 million USD, through the UN, local and the international NGOs.
Some of the NGOs present here today have received lot of this funding, so you can meet them later today.
Total Norwegian support to Sri Lanka between 2009 and 2012 was 656 million Norwegian kroner, a little less than 110 million USD. This is approximately within a 4-year-time.
So, what are we doing in the North and East:
Humanitarian de-mining, shelter and permanent house-building, support to agricultural revival, vocational training and livelihood, legal counselling on land issues, assisting in getting birth and marriage certificates, national identity cards, as well as - through IOM - we have contributed to the re-integration of former LTTE cadres, after rehabilitation.
Special focus has always been on vulnerable groups such as war-widows and female-headed households through different livelihood programmes.
I will give you some examples:
Through de-mining, Norway contributed in 2011 and 2012 so that more than 19,000 families could return to their home areas.
400 ex-LTTE cadres have received social and economic assistance to re-integrate in the local communities after being released from the rehabilitation camps.
4,230 students, among them 31% women, have completed vocational training in 2012 alone.
Through UNDP programme supported by Norway, on resettlement and economic development, approximately 49,000 members of cooperatives within rice production, fisheries and animal husbandry, have received assistance.
Through FAO, 5005 farmers could return to their places of origin and be given seed grains in order to restart farming.
So, you see, it is a quite a heavy intervention.
In addition to our support to the North and the East, the Embassy of Norway supports organisations that work on human rights, good governance, media training, reconciliation and gender equality has also been a priority.
The support is channelled primarily through NGOs, mostly local, but also some international.
Another sector of collaboration is culture. The key focus on how culture can contribute to national reconciliation.
Since 2009, a music cooperation has been established between Sri Lanka and Norway Concerts (Rikskonsertene) as the key partner on the Norwegian side and a Sri Lankan NGO on the other.
Important component of this collaboration is the annual music festivals in Galle and Jaffna.
This year, it was in Jaffna in March. With Tamil, Sinhalese and Muslim artists playing together with artists from India, Bangladesh, Norway, Palestine, Brazil.
And, it was an amazing event.
I attended it and the artists were highly achieving, Jaffna youth rocking with the Indian Bollywood artists, it was really incredible.
Since last year, we have also a technical cooperation between Norwegian and Sri Lankan institutions, has been established, both within fisheries and disaster management.
For many decades, Norway has been a major player in Sri Lanka. Not only in the [inaudible] of funding, but also in the humanitarian development policy dialogue with the government of Sri Lanka, both through the Embassy and through our partners. I would like to mention that Norwegian Refugee Council was an important player as a good example in this regard, regarding humanitarian policies and a strong defender of the importance of the humanitarian space.
Norwegian development assistance is not always as visible as the tradition of many other countries.
There are good reasons for not putting the Norwegian flag on everything. We have nothing shameful to hide, but we have to acknowledge the fact that Norway's role in the peace process is still very controversial in Sri Lanka.
We are easily seen with a hidden agenda.
We, as a government, we have to think through carefully, not to put some of our partners in difficulties, but flagging our support. Sometimes discretion is better and more effective.
And some of the challenges I see in the development sector:
There is a gradual phasing out of the Norwegian development cooperation in Sri Lanka.
Just to give you some figures, last year, the funding managed by the Embassy was approximately 65 million Norwegian kroner.
This year, it is approximately 53 million Norwegian kroner.
This is the funding managed by the Embassy alone and that does not include funding directly from MFA or NORAD.
Not only Norway is reducing, but most the countries and the UN are reducing development assistance to Sri Lanka.
This is related to Sri Lanka's middle-income country status, achieved in 2010.
Likewise, I think, the financial crisis in the West is also playing a big role.
Different governments have to make tougher priorities.
Where are the urgent needs in the World today? I will give an example: The UN consolidated the appeal to Syria, this spring, was the largest humanitarian appeal in the UN history, of 5 billion USD.
So, in the context of financial crisis, for many European countries - we are not talking about Norway, we are not in the financial crisis - but you do see priorities being made by different Western countries.
Before coming to Sri Lanka, I was in Afghanistan. We see there is a tendency also in Afghanistan. There is less funding.
Like Afghanistan, Sri Lanka is not on the top of the International Agenda.
Four years after war, there is no huge humanitarian crisis although there are humanitarian needs, especially among the vulnerable groups such as the war widows and female-headed households.
However, I do not want to be too pessimistic about the situation.
There are still big development actors in Sri Lanka in the years to come.
I mean, Japan is a big player. Australia - big programmes. South Korea, India, and also EU, still contribute.
But, you will see limited contribution from Western governments. […]
And China will be there as the big investor, coming in with not grants, but loans.
And they are behind the all infrastructure and projects in Sri Lanka today. And they will continue to be there.
So, what to do: Less funding. But, there are still recovering development needs.
It is important for all parties making clear priorities. We have to create new partnerships, involving private sector and we have to think out of the box.
And I do think that the Diaspora could have and should have an important role today in assisting the North and the East.
So far, we have seen limited organised diaspora development engagement in the North and the East. […]
What you see is more on individual basis.
Remittances are being sent.
And, as you know, this [inaudible] remittances to Sri Lanka, is playing an extremely important role for the economy of Sri Lanka.
Last year it was altogether 6 billion USD. It is one third of the countries revenues.
The most visible effects of the North and the East is reconstruction of private houses, koavils, mosques and churches.
And in Jaffna city, you see the youth with motorcycles, the latest mobiles, and unfortunately, a higher level of alcohol consumption and hanging out.
You see little bit of the same picture in the East.
There is private money out there. But, not always being used in benefit of the community at large.
And, I have been traveling to the North and the East, talking to people, with the local politicians, civil societies and ordinary people in the villages.
One of the main concerns is the youth.
The lack of opportunities, educational and work related.
Likewise, an increase in domestic and sexual violence, much due to the increasing alcoholic use.
In many ways, you see destroyed families and communities, which are in dire need of rebuilding economically, socially and psychologically.
But, we see potentials for diaspora engagement.
I am not an expert here. I am just raising some issues.
How can we get home remittance assistance, from mainly helping only those with relatives abroad, to supporting whole communities?
We need closer diaspora cooperation, partnership and professional development actors, NGOs knowing the context and the challenges in doing development activities in the North and East.
My experience, after visiting many of the Norwegian funded projects is that these actors know intertwines as sensitivities regarding getting approval of projects.
They know where are the possibilities, where are the [inaudible] and they have established working relationships with local and central authorities. I think this is extremely important, knowing the context and making these partnerships.
And we see the Northern Provincial Council election due to be held in September as a possibility.
Tamil political parties contesting under the TNA, are according to polls, expected to do very well and capture power in the regional administration.
And I think development of Sri Lanka also expects this.
The Northern Provincial Council could be an important percept towards reconciliation and a political solution.
For the diaspora in Norway, and the rest in the Europe and North America, the Northern Provincial Council could provide an important avenue, through which efforts at assisting reconstruction and capacity building of local administration in the North can be channelled. There are possibilities to look for.
Finally, the Norwegian government and the other governments continuously encourage the government of Sri Lanka to engage the Diaspora.
The Diaspora could be and should be a major contributor to the development of Sri Lanka and especially of the conflict affected areas in the North and East.
Same message goes to the Diaspora.
The Diaspora has to be strategic and conscious in its actions and public statements regarding calls for reconciliation and political solution, by avoiding feeding into the rhetoric of the current government that the Diaspora is still working for Eezham.
It doesn't help the Tamils and their elected representatives living in Sri Lanka.
I am looking forward to the discussion today.
Chronology:
திருமண நிகழ்ச்சியில் முதல்வர் சொன்ன கதை
கருத்துகள்(9)
அருமையான இதயம் கனிந்த பொருள் நிறைந்த பேச்சு. புரட்சி
தலைவி அவர்கள் என்றும் வாழ்க வளமுடன். மேடை கிடைத்தால் இடம் பொருள் ஏவல்
அறியாமல் பேசும் அறிவிலிகளுக்கு இதை கேட்ட பிறகாவது புத்தி வரவேண்டும்.
நாகரீகத்தை அம்மாவிடம் அவர்கள் கற்றுக்கொள்ள வேண்டும்,
\\\\ நாகரீகத்தை அம்மாவிடம் அவர்கள் கற்றுக்கொள்ள
வேண்டும், //// எந்த நாகரிகத்தை? ஆடிடரைக் காலணியால் தாக்கிய நாகரிகத்தையா?
சு.சுவாமியைத் தன் மீது வழக்குத் தொடர அனுமதி அளித்தார் என்ற
காரணத்திற்காக "ஆளுநர் (சென்னா ரெட்டி) என்னிடம் தவறாக நடந்து கொண்டார்"
என்று கதைத்த நாகரிகத்தையா? நம் வீட்டுப் பெண்களுக்கு இந்த நாகரிகம் வேணாம்
சாமி .....
அன்பரே ரவிசங்கரா ! அவனவன் கரண்டு இல்லாம மீண்டும் செயற்கை
மின்வெட்டு வந்துருச்சே அப்படினும் ! இந்த அம்மா 2 வருசமா ஒருதிட்டதையும்
தொடங்காம ஏன் ஒரு 1000 மெகாவாட் சூரிய உற்பத்தி திட்டம் இன்னும் அறிவிப்பு
நிலையிலேயே இருக்கு ஆனா அய்யாவையே குறை சொல்லி ஒட்டியாச்சு ! அப்படிங்குற
கடுப்புல இருக்குறப்ப இப்படி கருத்து எழுதி வயித்து எரிச்சல
கொட்டிக்காதீங்க !
super
Good, excellent and meaningful speach
பரவாயில்லை காணொளி மூலம் நடத்தி வைக்காமல் நேரில் சென்றாரே
! அது சரி மேடம் அந்த கதை எல்லாம் இருக்கட்டும் !அனைத்து நீர் நிலைகள்
நிரம்பியுள்ள இந்த கால கட்டத்திலும் அனல் மின்நிலையங்கள் சிறப்பாக
செயல்படும் நிலையில் இருந்தும் இந்த செயற்கை மின்தடை ஏன் ?/பெங்களூர்
வழக்கில் முதல்வரின் பிடி தளர்வதால் வந்த விரக்தி யால் 1000 மெகா வாட்
வெளிமாநில மின்சார கொள்முதல் நிறுத்த பட்டதால் மீண்டும் இந்த செயற்கை
மின்வெட்டு என்று அனைவராலும் சொல்ல படுகின்றதே அந்த கதை உண்மையா !
அம்மான்னா அம்மாதான் ...கொழ கொழ பேச்சு,விஷயம் இல்லாமல் நறுக்கு தெரித்தார் போல் சிந்தனை முத்துக்கள் ..நன்றிகள் பல ...
வெள்ளி, 30 ஆகஸ்ட், 2013
காந்தியடிகள் நற்பணிக் கழகம்!
காந்தியடிகள் நற்பணிக் கழகம்!
கும்பகோணத்தில் உள்ள ஏழை மாணவர்களுக்காக, இலவச கல்விச் சேவையில் ஈடுபடும், பாலசுப்ரமணியன்: நான், வறுமை காரணமாக, 8ம் வகுப்பு மட்டுமே படித்து, மளிகை கடை நடத்தி வந்தேன். பின், கல்வி மீதான ஆர்வத்தால், எம்.ஏ., வரை படித்தேன். வறுமை என்ற ஒரே காரணத்திற்காக, ஒருவரின் படிப்பு பாதியிலேயே தடைப்பட்டு விட கூடாது என்பதால், நண்பர்கள் உதவியுடன், 1975ல், காந்தியடிகள் நற்பணி கழகத்தை ஆரம்பித்தேன். இங்கு, 10ம் வகுப்பில் தோல்வியுற்ற மாணவர்களுக்கு, இலவசமாக பாடம் எடுக்க ஆரம்பித்தோம். எங்களின் முறையான பயிற்சியின் மூலம், தேர்வில் பங்கேற்ற, 50 மாணவர்களும் வென்று, முதலாம் ஆண்டிலேயே, 100 சதவீத தேர்ச்சி பெற்றனர். நெசவாளர் குடும்பத்தை சேர்ந்த குழந்தைகள், வறுமை காரணமாக படிப்பை தொடர முடியாமல், பாதியிலேயே விட்டு விடுவதை அறிந்தேன். அம்மாணவர்களை தேடி பிடித்து, காலை, மாலை நேரங்களில், அவர்களுக்கு பாடம் நடத்தி, மேலும் அதிகம் படிக்க ஊக்கமூட்டினேன். கொத்தனார், பெயின்டர் என, பலவித வேலைக்கு செல்லும் இளைஞர்களுக்கும், கல்வி கற்பித் தேன். தாராசுரம் பொன்னியம்மன் கோவில் தெருவை சுற்றி, சாராயம் காய்ச்சுபவர்களும், குடிகாரர்களும் நிறைந்திருந்தனர். அப்போது, அங்கு உள்ள இளைஞர்கள் உதவியுடன், காந்தியடிகள் சிலை வைத்தேன். பின், படிப்படியாக, அங்குள்ளோருக்கு நீதி போதனை வகுப்புகளும், கல்வியின் முக்கியத்துவத்தையும் விளக்கினேன். இன்று, அந்த கிராமமே மதுப் பழக்கமற்ற பகுதியாக மாறியது மட்டுமின்றி, பல இளைஞர்களும் நன்கு படித்து, உயர்ந்த நிலையில் உள்ளனர். பத்தாம் வகுப்பில் தோற்றவர்களுக்காக ஆரம்பிக்கப்ட்ட இக்கல்வி சேவை, தற்போது, பிளஸ் 2 மற்றும், தமிழக அரசின் அனைத்து வகையான போட்டி தேர்வுகளுக்கும், இலவசமாக பயிற்சியளிக்கும் வகையில், முன்னேறியுள்ளது. இங்கு இலவசமாக பயிற்சி பெற்று, தேர்வில் வென்றவர்களே பயிற்சியளிக்கின்றனர்.
வியாழன், 29 ஆகஸ்ட், 2013
Tamils stopped at gunpoint
Tamils stopped at gunpoint, Sinhalese demonstrate during Pillay visit to Trinco
[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 August 2013, 04:09 GMT]
The occupying Sri Lanka Army in Trincomalee visited all the camps where uprooted Tamil civilians were staying and threatened them that they would be facing dire consequences if they were to take part in awareness gatherings anywhere in the district during the visit of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navanetham Pillay. The SL police didn’t allow local media reporters to any of the venues where Ms Pillay was interacting with the people and the civil society. Meanwhile, the SL military deployed its paramilitary and intelligence operatives to organize a protest giving placards portraying that LTTE was the main culprit in ‘abducting’ people. The Sinhala extremist JVP and JHU elements were also behind bringing false victims to the stage-managed protest held in front of the District Secretariat.
Despite the prevailing threats, some Tamils managed to attend awareness gatherings demanding resettlement, information on the whereabouts missing persons and objecting the genocidal land grabs.
There was no visible mobilization by the Muslims in Trincomalee.
Ms Navi Pillay visited Ki’liveddi ‘welfare centre’ and met a section of the uprooted people from Champoor. She also visited Naavaladi and Verukal areas where the war-affected people had been resettled.
Tamil civil society representatives who met the High Commissioner for Human Rights submitted a detailed report on the systematic destruction of Saiva temples, Sinhalicisation, Sinhala colonisation, the plight of resettling people and the situation of refugee camps known as ‘welfare centres’.
The SL authorities rushed ahead with distributing dry-ration cards that had remained suspended during the past 2 years.
The SL authorities had also rushed to ‘resettle’ 400 people at Koonith-theevu, without basic facilities or any infrastructure.
The local journalists were not allowed even to the venues where the occupying Sinhala colonial governor of the East, Rear Admiral (retd) Mohan Wijewickrama and the Sinhala Government Agent of the district of Trincomalee Major General (retd) T.T.R. De Silva held meetings with Ms. Pillay.
The SL Government Agents of Batticaloa and Ampaa’rai of the occupying regime in the East had also been invited to be present along with these Sinhala military administrators in Trincomalee.
Chronology:
The occupying Sri Lanka Army in Trincomalee visited all the camps where uprooted Tamil civilians were staying and threatened them that they would be facing dire consequences if they were to take part in awareness gatherings anywhere in the district during the visit of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navanetham Pillay. The SL police didn’t allow local media reporters to any of the venues where Ms Pillay was interacting with the people and the civil society. Meanwhile, the SL military deployed its paramilitary and intelligence operatives to organize a protest giving placards portraying that LTTE was the main culprit in ‘abducting’ people. The Sinhala extremist JVP and JHU elements were also behind bringing false victims to the stage-managed protest held in front of the District Secretariat.
Despite the prevailing threats, some Tamils managed to attend awareness gatherings demanding resettlement, information on the whereabouts missing persons and objecting the genocidal land grabs.
There was no visible mobilization by the Muslims in Trincomalee.
Ms Navi Pillay visited Ki’liveddi ‘welfare centre’ and met a section of the uprooted people from Champoor. She also visited Naavaladi and Verukal areas where the war-affected people had been resettled.
Tamil civil society representatives who met the High Commissioner for Human Rights submitted a detailed report on the systematic destruction of Saiva temples, Sinhalicisation, Sinhala colonisation, the plight of resettling people and the situation of refugee camps known as ‘welfare centres’.
The SL authorities rushed ahead with distributing dry-ration cards that had remained suspended during the past 2 years.
The SL authorities had also rushed to ‘resettle’ 400 people at Koonith-theevu, without basic facilities or any infrastructure.
The local journalists were not allowed even to the venues where the occupying Sinhala colonial governor of the East, Rear Admiral (retd) Mohan Wijewickrama and the Sinhala Government Agent of the district of Trincomalee Major General (retd) T.T.R. De Silva held meetings with Ms. Pillay.
The SL Government Agents of Batticaloa and Ampaa’rai of the occupying regime in the East had also been invited to be present along with these Sinhala military administrators in Trincomalee.
Chronology:
SL military vehicle hits children
SL military vehicle hits children in Batticaloa, 3 wounded
[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 August 2013, 03:39 GMT]A speeding Sri Lankan military water bowser in Kiraan knocked down three children on Wednesday. 14-year-old Chinna Kannan, 12-year-old Janithan and 11-year-old Kousalyan were rushed to Chanthi-ve'li hospital and transferred to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital for further treatment, medical sources in Batticaloa said.
The SL police in Ea'raavoor was quick to claim that a ‘preliminary investigation’ had revealed that the children were running across the road causing the ‘accident’.
Kiraan is located 28 km north of Batticaloa.
‘You may whisper in my ear’, Pillay told
‘You may whisper in my ear’, Pillay told Mullai people
[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 August 2013, 02:55 GMT]
UN Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay, who met a section of the uprooted people of Champoor in Trincomalee on Wednesday, told them that she was aware of their plight. On Tuesday, Ms Pillay, who visited Mu’l’li-vaaykkaal in Mullaith-theevu sympathized with the victims struggling to resettle amidst the prevailing SL military occupation and the ongoing structural genocide. Noticing fear in the people in speaking out in the presence of the surrounding SL military personnel clad in civil, she told them that they may whisper in her ears. Her direct contact with the victims in Vanni and Trincomalee comes after criticism on the conduct of the UN officials, who in Jaffna on Tuesday had opted to take her away through the backdoor following ‘advice’ by the SL authorities, preventing her meeting with around one thousand parents and victims of the missing people at the Jaffna Public Library.
Tamil rights activists in Jaffna blame the Colombo-centric UN officials as being instrumental in avoiding Ms Pillay’s contact with key civil society leaders and human rights activists on the ground.
Ms Pillay’s scheduled visit to former ‘High Security Zone’ in Valikaamam that is now being converted into a Sinhala Military Zone was also avoided citing practical problems.
However, informed sources in Jaffna told TamilNet that Ms Pillay had reacted to the usual ‘development’ showcase by the SL Governor Major General (retd) G.A. Chandrasiri.
Ms Pillay told the SL officials in Jaffna that she was more interested in witnessing what had been achieved on the human rights front. She also questioned whether the people on the ground had been consulted in designing the ‘development’ projects that were being displayed to her, the informed sources further said.
The SL military had temporarily dismantled more than a hundred check posts from Jaffna to Mullaith-theevu. Some posts were hurriedly bulldozed. The SL ‘victory’ exhibition-cites had been locked and some monuments were even covered with tarpaulin sheets. Uniformed soldiers were replaced with civil-clad and pistol-armed military personnel on the streets from Jaffna to Mullaiththeevu on Tuesday.
The Colombo-based reporters, who were focusing on the bizarre statement by the notorious SL gangster-minister Mervin Silva as saying that he was prepared to marry Ms Pillay, failed in exposing the ‘groundwork’ by the SL military in displaying a semblance of normalcy to the visiting UN Human Rights High Commissioner.
The foreign reporters based in Colombo have also failed in covering the nuanced situation that prevails on the ground.
On matters related to the island, an international media gang-up operates for a long time, carefully orchestrated by the architects who conducted the genocidal war without witnesses and who are now busy with the structural genocide and in keeping everything under the carpet. The international media had been told to handle Navi Pillay visit in such a way not jeopardizing the ‘agendas’ set for the forthcoming months, said an informed diplomat in Colombo.
Ms Pillay's visit precedes the UNHRC session in Geneva in September, where she is expected to make an oral preliminary report on the progress in the implementation of the LLRC-based resolution tabled by the USA and fine-tuned by India in March this year.
Chronology:
UN Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay, who met a section of the uprooted people of Champoor in Trincomalee on Wednesday, told them that she was aware of their plight. On Tuesday, Ms Pillay, who visited Mu’l’li-vaaykkaal in Mullaith-theevu sympathized with the victims struggling to resettle amidst the prevailing SL military occupation and the ongoing structural genocide. Noticing fear in the people in speaking out in the presence of the surrounding SL military personnel clad in civil, she told them that they may whisper in her ears. Her direct contact with the victims in Vanni and Trincomalee comes after criticism on the conduct of the UN officials, who in Jaffna on Tuesday had opted to take her away through the backdoor following ‘advice’ by the SL authorities, preventing her meeting with around one thousand parents and victims of the missing people at the Jaffna Public Library.
Tamil rights activists in Jaffna blame the Colombo-centric UN officials as being instrumental in avoiding Ms Pillay’s contact with key civil society leaders and human rights activists on the ground.
Ms Pillay’s scheduled visit to former ‘High Security Zone’ in Valikaamam that is now being converted into a Sinhala Military Zone was also avoided citing practical problems.
However, informed sources in Jaffna told TamilNet that Ms Pillay had reacted to the usual ‘development’ showcase by the SL Governor Major General (retd) G.A. Chandrasiri.
Ms Pillay told the SL officials in Jaffna that she was more interested in witnessing what had been achieved on the human rights front. She also questioned whether the people on the ground had been consulted in designing the ‘development’ projects that were being displayed to her, the informed sources further said.
The SL military had temporarily dismantled more than a hundred check posts from Jaffna to Mullaith-theevu. Some posts were hurriedly bulldozed. The SL ‘victory’ exhibition-cites had been locked and some monuments were even covered with tarpaulin sheets. Uniformed soldiers were replaced with civil-clad and pistol-armed military personnel on the streets from Jaffna to Mullaiththeevu on Tuesday.
The Colombo-based reporters, who were focusing on the bizarre statement by the notorious SL gangster-minister Mervin Silva as saying that he was prepared to marry Ms Pillay, failed in exposing the ‘groundwork’ by the SL military in displaying a semblance of normalcy to the visiting UN Human Rights High Commissioner.
The foreign reporters based in Colombo have also failed in covering the nuanced situation that prevails on the ground.
On matters related to the island, an international media gang-up operates for a long time, carefully orchestrated by the architects who conducted the genocidal war without witnesses and who are now busy with the structural genocide and in keeping everything under the carpet. The international media had been told to handle Navi Pillay visit in such a way not jeopardizing the ‘agendas’ set for the forthcoming months, said an informed diplomat in Colombo.
Ms Pillay's visit precedes the UNHRC session in Geneva in September, where she is expected to make an oral preliminary report on the progress in the implementation of the LLRC-based resolution tabled by the USA and fine-tuned by India in March this year.
Chronology:
இதற்கு குழுசேர்:
இடுகைகள் (Atom)