கருத்துகள்

சனி, 20 ஜூன், 2015

SLN occupies most of military-seized lands outside ‘HSZ’ in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 June 2015, 20:28 GMT]
Around 30 of 47 acres of lands seized together with residential houses outside the so-called High Security Zone (HSZ) in Jaffna district is occupied by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in Neduntheevu (Delft), Maruthangkea'ni in Vadmaraadchi East and in Thellip-pazhai, according to the data collected by the District Secretariat in Jaffna in February 2015. Sri Lankan Police has occupied 88 houses, SL Navy has seized 57 properties and the SLA keeps 23 properties outside the ‘military zones’ in the district. The SL military has reiterated several times now that it has no plan of reducing the military deployment in the country of Eezham Tamils. The Chief Minister of Northern Provincial Council, Justice CV Wigneswaran, who has been demanding de-militarisation of North recently characterised the density of SL military occupation as one soldier per 4 civilians.

The extent of SL military occupation of civilian properties outside the Sinhala Military Zone in Jaffna

The SL military has officially admitted that there is no change in the pattern of the military occupation of North.

Jaffna district is the densely populated district in the Northern Province. The SL militarisation, targeting Sinhalicisation and colonisation, is far more extensive in the other four districts.

Two months ago, Lieutenant General Crishanthe De Silva, the SLA Commander appointed by Maithiripala Sirisena, went on record stating that neither troops nor camps would be withdrawn from North.

“No military camps have been withdrawn to release land to the original owners. Neither troops nor camps will be withdrawn from the North. Private lands adjacent to various Army camps have been released from time to time, after the war ended in May 2009,” Crishanthe had told Sunday Observer on 29 March 2015.

On 10 June 2015, the SL military brought more than 40 journalists from South in a guided tour to Jaffna from Colombo. The journalists from South were told that the SL military was keen in releasing lands back to the Tamil people. The intention of the guided tour was to influence the diplomatic circles in Colombo through news stories in the English press.

Tamil journalists in Jaffna were not invited to this guided tour as Colombo wanted to avoid questions from the Tamil journalists in front of the journalists from South. A press conference was held at the Palaali SL military base.

However, the PR exercise gave opposite results when Rajapaksa-friendly sections of the Sinhala journalists began producing stories claiming that the SL military had closed down 59 camps in Jaffna this year alone. Sinhala opposition politicians, including the former SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa, started to question the new regime.

On 17 June, the SLA Headquarters in Colombo categorically denied closure of SLA camps after January.

The SL Military has issued statements saying 59 outposts were closed down between May 2009 to December 2014. None of these outposts were closed down after January 2015, the figures given by the SL military stated.

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வெள்ளி, 19 ஜூன், 2015

நீலகிரி மாவட்டத்தில் பெருங்கற்காலச் சிற்பங்கள்!

இலக்குவனார் திருவள்ளுவன் 14 June 2015 No Comment

உதகமண்டலத்தில் கிடைத்த

பெருங்கற்காலச் சுடுமண் சிற்பங்கள்

செய்தியாளர்கள் என்பவர்கள் தம்முன் நடப்பதைப் பதிவு செய்பவர்கள் என்றுமட்டும்தான் பலருக்கும் தெரியும் ஆனால் சில செய்தியாளர்கள் அதையும்தாண்டித் தங்கள் மண்ணின் வளமையையும் மக்களின் பெருமையையும் உலகிற்குப் பறைசாற்றுபவர்களாகவும் இருக்கின்றனர். அவர்களில் உதகமண்டலத்தில் உள்ள செய்தியாளர் பிரதீபனும் ஒளிப்படக்கலைஞர் இரகுவும் குறிப்பிடத்தகுந்தவர்கள்.

நீலகிரி மாவட்டதின் பல்வேறு சிறப்புகளைத் தேடித்தேடிக் கண்டுபிடித்துச்,செய்தியாகவும் படமாகவும் வெளியிட்டு மாவட்டத்திற்குப் பெருமை சேர்த்து வருகிறார்கள்

அந்த வகையில் தற்போதைய அவர்களது பதிவுதான் பெருங்கற்காலச் சுடுமண் சிற்பங்கள். இதுகுறித்து, தொட்டபாலி ஆவின் நகரில் வசிக்கும், தொல்லியல் ஆர்வலர் இரவிச்சந்திரனுடன் தொடர்புடைய இடங்களுக்குச் சென்று திரட்டி வெளியிட்ட செய்திகள் மிகவும் சுவையானவையாகும்.

ஊட்டி அருகே, நீர்காய்ச்சி மந்தில், 2000 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு வாழ்ந்த, பெருங்கற்கால மக்களின் வாழ்வியலை வெளிப்படுத்தும், சுடு மண் சிற்பங்கள் கிடைத்துள்ளன.

முந்தைய வரலாற்று காலம் என்பது, பழங்கற்காலம்; புதிய கற்காலம்; இடைக்கற்காலம்; பெருங்கற்காலம் ஆகியவற்றை உள்ளடக்கியது.

இதில், இடைக்கற்காலத்திலும், புதிய கற்காலத்திலும் வாழ்ந்த மக்களின் வாழ்வியல் முறைகளுக்குச் சான்றாக விளங்குவது, பாறை ஓவியங்களும் வேட்டைக் கருவிகளும் ஆகும்.

அதே போல, பெருங்கற்காலத்தில் வாழ்ந்த மக்களின் வாழ்வியலில், புதைகுழி ஒழுகலாறு முதன்மை வாய்ந்ததாகக் கருதப்படுகிறது.

இதனை, 1823 ஆம் ஆண்டு அப்போதைய மலபார் பகுதிகளில் (கேரள மாநிலம்), ஆய்வு செய்த பேபிங்டன் என்ற ஆங்கிலேய தொல்லியல் ஆய்வாளர் வெளி உலகுக்குக் கொண்டு வந்தார். இவர், பெருங்கற்காலத்தில் வாழ்ந்த மக்களின் பண்பாடு, வாழ்வியல் முறைகளை, பல்வேறு ஆதாரங்களுடன் பதிவு செய்தார். அதன்பின்புதான், நம் நாட்டின் தென்மாநிலங்களின் பல்வேறு பகுதிகளிலும், தொல்லியல் ஆய்வாளர்கள் பலர் பெருங்கற்காலம் பற்றிய ஆய்வுகளை மேற்கொண்டனர்.

இதில், தமிழகத்தில், ஈரோடு கொடுமணல், திருநெல்வேலி ஆதிச்சநல்லுார், நீலகிரி தெங்குமரஃகாடா, மசினகுடி, கோத்தகிரி, ஏக்குனி, நீர்காய்ச்சிமந்து ஆகிய பகுதிகள், பல்வேறு வரலாற்று பதிவுகளை உள்ளடக்கியதாக உள்ளன.

நீலகிரியில், 1873 ஆம் ஆண்டு அப்போதைய ஆணையராக இருந்த பிரீக்சு என்ற ஆங்கிலேயர், பெருங்கற்காலப் புதை குழிகளில் இருந்த சுடுமண் சிற்பங்கள் மற்றும் கலை பொருட்களை முதன்முதலாகக் கண்டறிந்தார். அவரால் திரட்டப்பட்ட தொன்மையான கலைப்பொருட்கள், சென்னை அரசு அருங்காட்சியத்திலும், இலண்டன், பெர்லின் போன்ற சிறந்த அருங்காட்சியகங்களிலும், இன்றும் பாதுகாக்கப்பட்டு வருகின்றன.

பெருங்கற்காலப் புதை குழிகளில், கிணறு வடிவக் கல்லறை, ‘தால்மன்‘ கல்லறை, குத்துக்கல் கல்லறை, கல்வட்ட கல்லறை முதலான நான்கு வகைகள் உண்டு. இதில், கிணறு வடிவக் கல்லறைகள், நீலகிரி மாவட்டத்தில் மட்டும் காணப்படுகின்றன.

இம்மாவட்டத்தில், ஏக்குணி, கோத்தகிரி, நீர்காய்ச்சிமந்து, ஏழுகோட்டை முதலான பகுதிகளில், தொல்லியல் துறை ஆய்வாளர்களால், இத்தகைய புதைகுழிகள் கண்டறியப்பட்டு பதிவுகள் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளன.

இந்நிலையில், ஊட்டி அருகே உள்ள நீர்காய்ச்சி மந்து பகுதியில், தொல்லியல் ஆர்வலர் இரவிச்சந்தரன் குழுவினரால், உடைந்த நிலையில் சிதறிக் கிடந்த சுடுமண் சிற்பங்கள் கண்டறியப்பட்டுள்ளன.

அப்போது, அப்பகுதியில் உள்ள புதைக்குழி, கிணறு வடிவ கல்லறை போன்றவை 2000 ஆண்டுகளை கடந்தும், பாதுகாப்புடன் இருந்தது வியப்பை ஏற்படுத்தி உள்ளது.

கிணறு வடிவக் கல்லறையில் கிடைக்கப்பெற்ற, பெருங்கற்கால மக்களின், சுடுமண் சிற்பங்களில், எருமை, யானை, ஆடு, சிறிய சட்டிகள் ஆகியவை இருந்தன.

பெருங்கற்காலத்தில் வாழ்ந்த மக்கள் இறந்து விட்டால், அவர்களின் சடலத்தைப் புதைக்கும்போது, அதனுடன், நம்முடன் வாழும் கால்நடைகள், பல்வேறு பொருட்கள், சுடுமண் சிற்பங்கள் ஆகியவற்றையும் புதைத்து மரியாதை செலுத்துவதை அக்கால மக்கள் வழக்கமாக கொண்டிருந்தனர். இதனால், பெரும்பாலான புதை குழிகளில் இத்தகைய சிற்பங்கள் காணப்படுகின்றன.

கடந்த 1983, 84, 88, 91 ஆகிய ஆண்டுகளில், அமெரிக்காவில் உள்ள, சிக்காகோ மெக்சிகன் பல்கலைக் கழகப் பேராசிரியர் ஆலன் சாகிரல் என்பவர், இப்பகுதிக்கு வந்து, பெருங்கற்காலப் புதைகுழிகள் பற்றி ஆய்வு செய்து, பல்வேறு கட்டுரைகளை வெளியிட்டுள்ளார். அவை மாணவர்களுக்கான பாடங்களாகவும் உள்ளன. மேலும், இந்தப் பண்பாட்டுப் பரிமாற்றங்கள் அக்காலத்தில், நீலகிரியில் உள்ள மாயார் பள்ளத்தாக்கு; கேரளாவில் உள்ள பாலக்காடு பகுதிகளில் இருந்துதான் பரவியுள்ளன என்பது ஆய்வுகளின் மூலம் தெரியவந்தது. இத்தகைய தொன்மை வாய்ந்த வரலாற்றுக் கருவூலங்களைப் பாதுகாக்க வேண்டியது, மலை மாவட்ட மக்களுக்கு மட்டுமின்றி அனைவருக்குமான கடமையாகும்.

இது தொடர்பான ஆர்வம் கொண்டவர்களும் இந்த கிணறுவடிவ கல்லறை, சுடுமண் சிறபங்களைக் காணவிரும்புபவர்களும் தொடர்பு கொள்ளவேண்டிய எண்:9894009254.

-எல்.முருகராசு

http://www.dinamalar.com/news_detail.asp?id=1270125

அகரமுதல 83, வைகாசி 31, 2046 / சூன் 14, 2015

Sinhala occupation of pastureland causes existential threat to Batticaloa Tamil farmers

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 June 2015, 23:19 GMT]
316 Tamil farmers belonging to two administrative divisions in Batticaloa district own around 85,000 cattle. The cattle-herders from this region have been officially demarcated 45,000 acres of lands in Maathava'nai, Periya-maathava'ani and Mayilaththa-madu. More than 5,000 Tamils are dependent on the cattle industry in the region. They supply 15,000 litres of milk to three collecting centres run by Milko and Nestlé in Kiraan and Chengkaladi. The Sinhala colonisers have seized 12,000 acres (one fourth) of the allocated pastureland. Operatives belonging to SL Wildlife Conservation Department and the occupying Sinhala soldiers have been chasing the Tamil cattle herders away as the intruding Sinhala farmers engage in Chena-cultivation. The Tamil farmers demand a permanent solution before the Sinhala intruders are set to commence Chena cultivation for next season in August 2015.

The Tamil farmers, trying to recover from the loss of their cattle during the final phase of the war in the East, are now forced to struggle to defend not only their livelihood, but also one of their key industries in the district, says Sivagnanam Krishnapillai, a Tamil farmer from Chiththaa'ndi who has been taking his cattle to Mayilaththa-madu for several years.

“Knowing that there is nobody to defend our rights, the Sinhala settlers, with the backing of military are chasing us out. They seize the cattle, demand ransom for releasing them when we go searching for them. They have killed 232 cows in recent times,” he told TamilNet in a video interview.

The pasturelands were earlier under the civil administration of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sinhalicisation of the area had been successfully contained for decades.

The cattle farmers were given access to approximately 45,000 acres of grazing lands as officially declared by the Sri Lankan Government in a gazette notification several years ago.

The practice has also been confirmed by the Divisional Secretariats at Chengkaladi and Kiraan.

During the last phase of the war in Batticaloa in 2007-2008, the people from this area were totally uprooted. At that time, the occupying SL military had slaughtered a large number of their cows. The Sinhala military had also sold a lot of these cows to Muslim traders from other parts of the island.

There were around 225,000 cattle registered in the entire district before the final phase of the war in 2007. After the war, the number was reduced to 175,000.

The large pasturelands situated northwest of Batticaloa city, is viewed as a single block of lands (Ka'ndam) by the cattle herders.

Another cattle farmer, Arulanantham Subramaniyam, who was arrested and harassed by the SL Wildlife Conservation Department operatives and the SL Justice system in 2014 explained how the Sinhala intruders demand ransom and how the SL military commanders deal with the problem.

The government officials, especially the Divisional Secretariat officials, have failed to stop the occupation of the pasturelands, they accused.

The SL government officials, who should be giving free medical services to the cattle that become affected by illness, have been demanding money to even come and inspect their cattle, they add.

The Tamil politicians, who visit Tamil voters during the times of election, also promise that they would look after their problems. But, they have also failed to deliver anything from the new regime in Colombo, the Tamil farmers accused.

Kurunathan Kathirgamathamby, the former Land Commissioner of the Eastern Province, who gave an in-depth interview to TamilNet in May 2015, also confirmed the extent of the problem faced by the Tamil farmers.

The Sinhala settlers have seized more than 12,000 acres of the lands in Maathava’nai and Periya-maathava’nai area alone, according to Mr Kurunathan.

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Chronology:

14.06.15 Sinhala occupation of pastureland causes existenti..

13.06.15 Colombo continues to deploy Wildlife Department as..

Fundamentals non-negotiable for non-descript formulas

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 June 2015, 23:46 GMT]
In the current discourse over the US-agenda put through South Africa –Switzerland proxies that bargain the closure of files at the international level for ‘non-descript’ hoodwink of solutions to the genocide-afflicted national question of Eezham Tamils, two arguments are noteworthy of answering, commented Tamil activists for alternative politics in the island. The first one repeatedly comes from the lawyer and spokesperson of the agenda, Mr. M.A. Sumanthiran that those who had earlier found fault with the US move at the UNHRC now realise its importance and demand continuation. The other one comes from Mr. Erik Solheim, who never lost his appetite for con, saying that the situation has now successfully gone back to 1972 and it is in the best hands of Sinhala leadership.

The present move itself, trying to nail even the traces of international diplomatic balance of Eezham Tamils into coffin, is the best proof for the fundamental deception in the earlier US move at UNHRC, justifying the vigilance of the opposing Tamil voices that have seen the deviation and engineering in advance, said Tamil activists for alternative politics in the island.

Sumanthiran’s point was debated in Jaffna but sharp responses were missing. Whether the spirited opposition to 13A has found virtues in the non-descript route sacrificing international claims is the question.

It is professional for lawyer Sumanthiran to defend the current agenda, but struggle of a nation should think through avenues of its own past experience and experience of humanity in other parts of the world.

The demand for international investigation on genocide and on-going genocide, and the nation’s right to exercise self-determination are non-negotiable for any non-descript formulas.

* * *

Talking of returning to 1972, and implying it positively, Mr. Solheim may sound like Metternich, the evil genius of Europe, who failed in trying to put the hands of the clock backwards on European nations after the Napoleonic wars.

But what Tamil activists have to see is the claim coming from Colombo that the participation of various Tamil outfits in the agenda means accepting ‘Sri Lanka’.

Mr. Erik Solheim himself never had appetite to go beyond the probability of ‘Sri Lanka’.

Those who wage wars always seek ‘treaties’ to confirm victory.

What the Tamil articulators have to consciously, unconsciously and subconsciously keep in mind in words and deeds of their deliberations is that in 1972 itself the very question was accepting ‘Sri Lanka’ conceived by its constitution.

* * *

At the outset itself the US move at the UNHRC was cleverly designed: bare minimum chances for the affected; space for withdrawal at any time; full of scope for the escape of the ultimate culprits and agent culprits; and with every possibility of effecting a regime change only for entry into the island through gratifying genocidal requisites of the dominant nation.

With the entry of South Africa, another pivotal point in the maritime realm into the scene of the US-agenda, there are now signs of larger geopolitical designs that may have bearings on BRICS.

There was always the speculation on the role played by Britain's domestic and external intelligences.

Given the track record, there are no reasons for Tamils to have any special sympathy towards BRICS. But New Delhi may come to regret, seeing articulating sections of Eezham Tamils and even up-country Tamils in the lure of becoming ‘natural allies’ of the West, unless New Delhi proves concrete justice compared to ‘non-descript’ solutions.

* * *

There could be no more excuses for talking of solutions under the sleeves or for blaming imagined spoilers. The world of humanity has to decide whether justice has been met with or not, after seeing in black and white what has been delivered on the ground.

When there are no signs for the end of structural and demographic genocide, and end of militarisation by an occupying genocidal military, there is every reason to suspect that this is the model meant by the non-descript solution.

The ‘reconciliation’ agenda is to save the genocidal State with semblance of changes.

Unequal reconciliation is subordination. Lasting peace will not come by reconciliation for other’s needs. The real reconciliation may come only when it dawns on the Sinhala nation that the last defenders of land in the island were the fallen Tamil fighters (including militants of all shades for the cause), and not the Colombo regimes or military in the lascarin service of outside agenda. But all care will be taken for not seeing history in that way.

* * *

Ever since nationalism as way of the then modern polity was introduced into our region through colonialism, the British were steadily deceiving the nation of Eezham Tamils, starting especially from the Manning reforms of 1920s, and specifically targeting through the Donoughmore Constitution of 1930s and the Soulbury Constitution of 1940s.

For the deceits of the Sinhala regimes in Colombo there is a long catalogue, first under the British since 1931 and later in the name of the so-called independence after 1948.

Thereafter, alternately or together, competing New Delhi and Washington have taken over the legacy of deceit on behalf of the genocidal State in Colombo. Washington is in the forefront now, just as New Delhi was adamant over the Indo-Lanka pact of the late 1980s.

The argument that the world today has no ‘appetite’ for national liberation (selectively for Eezham Tamils), as smokescreen to encourage, institutionalise and to ride on the genocidal nationalism of the Sinhala State for imperialistic agendas, has to be confronted outright at the face of those who come out with it.

Eezham Tamils could never be averse to global orders transcending nationalism for the benefit of entire humanity. They would willingly participate in them, provided their nation, identity, land, security and self-respect are internationally guaranteed.

If there is any lesson for Eezham Tamils to learn, the Vanni War should have taught the lesson that from where exactly the deceits have come and to where actually their struggle in the current context has to be addressed directly. Why the lacuna in orientating the polity in that direction, has to be seriously perused by genuine activists and the younger generation.

Chronology:

18.06.15 Fundamentals non-negotiable for non-descript formu..

15.06.15 US-agenda Tamils fail sabotaging Asia-Pacific Gree..

12.06.15 TNA spokesman decries Sumanthiran discourse

09.06.15 Tamil diplomacy put to test

08.06.15 NPC Councillor condemns premature donor-brokering ..

07.06.15 No alternative to people’s struggle-based diplomac..

06.06.15 Edifying Tamil leadership to face South Africa suc..

‘LLRC’ Palihakkara promotes pompous ceremony for genocidal ‘War Heroes’

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 June 2015, 23:20 GMT]
The office of the SL Governor to North, HMGS Palihakkara, who was one of the eight panellists earlier appointed by former SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the so-called Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), was an an official co-organiser to the pompous ceremony organised together with Ranaviru Seva Authority (RSA) of the occupying Sinhala military in Jaffna on Wednesday. ‘LLRC’ Palihakkara himself was the chief guest of the ceremony organised in remembrance of the ‘fallen war heroes of three forces and the Police’. Mr Palihakkara has forced a section of Tamil public servants in the North to accompany him to the military ceremony. Tamil journalists in Jaffna have boycotted the event. The NPC councillors said they were not informed of public servants associated with the NPC being taken to the event.

Commenting on the military ceremony, Kumaravadivel Guruparan of the Tamil Civil Society Forum (TCSF), wondered how the practice of Palihakkara reconciled with what he had suggested in the LLRC report.

“One of the most important changes post-January 8, it is claimed, is the appointment of a civilian as the Governor of the Northern Province. It will be remembered that this civilian Governor was earlier Chairman of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission,” Mr Guruparan said adding: “In that report the commission recommended that a day be set aside to remember all war victims (Recommendation 9.285) - a recommendation that was used to help bolster the respectability of the report. Today his office along with the Ranaviru Authority and the Sri Lankan Armed Forces organized a 'pompous ceremony in remembrance of the fallen war heroes of three forces and the Police'. I wonder how this reconciles with what he suggested in the LLRC report. I also wonder whether the Tamil public servants who attended the event did so of their free will.”

* * *

The LLRC document was justifying the need for an independent domestic investigation with the argument that it was the obligation of the SL Government to “clear the good name and protect the honour and professional reputation of soldiers who defended the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and particularly the many thousands of soldiers who perished carrying out their combat duties cleanly and professionally against a widely condemned terrorist group who used most inhumane tactics in combat.” (LLRC 4.376)

The LLRC was seen as a blueprint for the structural genocide envisaged by Colombo for completion at 2020.

It was stating that “[n]o district or province should be categorized in terms of language” (LLRC 8.240)

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) categorically rejected the LLRC with a detailed report. However, the TNA later toned down its objection. The route taken by R. Sampanthan and M.A. Sumanthiran has ended up in taking part in the so-called ‘Independence Day’ celebrations, which have been boycotted by the Tamil leadership for decades. Mr Sampanthan also came under severe criticism for holding the Lion flag presented by Ranil Wickramasinghe.

Although the LLRC was widely criticised by the rights groups, it was adopted as the reference framework by the US-drafters of the resolutions presented in the Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva.

The LLRC was defending the SL ‘military strategy’ that was adopted to ‘secure the LTTE held areas’ as one that was ‘carefully conceived, in which the protection of the civilian population was given the highest priority’ (LLRC 4.262).

“For all of my country’s disagreements with the previous government in Sri Lanka over how it fought the LTTE, we clearly understood the necessity of ridding this country of a murderous terrorist group and the fear that it sowed,” claimed US Secretary of State John Kerry, in his address at Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo on 02 May 2015.

In his address Mr Kerry was also talking of ‘the best way to mount a credible domestic investigation into allegations of human rights abuses – an investigation that meets international standards,’ hinting a ‘domestic’ recipe.

The USA has been steering the course of the Geneva narrative by systematically shielding the crime of genocide from becoming the main subject of an international investigation. The form of investigation was also contained within the spheres of the OHCHR in order to influence the outcome without allowing it to materialise into an independent Commission of Inquiry (CoI). There was a ‘one time only’ postponement, but there was no independent mechanism to assure that there was a conclusion of the report and that it remained unchanged or got strengthened during the period subjected to postponement.

* * *

Excerpts of what the LLRC recommendations actually aim on the annihilation of the identity of Eezham Tamils as a nation of its territory in the island:

On language identity of the nation of Eezham Tamils:
No district or province should be categorized in terms of language (LLRC 8.240)

The Commission also recommends that the government should have a pro-active of policy to encourage mixed schools serving children from different ethnic and religious background. In this regard the Government should develop a carefully conceived policy facilitating the admission of children from different ethnic and religious groups to these schools (LLRC: 8.250)

The Commission therefore welcomes the Government initiative for a trilingual nation by the year 2020 (LLRC: 8.239)

On power-sharing:
While the distribution of meaningful powers to the periphery is essential, there are powers which form the core responsibilities of the State and which cannot be so devolved, and need to be retained and exercised by the Government at the centre. It is also important to ensure that any power sharing arrangement has inbuilt mechanisms that would effectively address and discourage secessionist tendencies and safeguard the sovereignty and integrity of the State. (LLRC: 8.224)

On land and homeland of Eezham Tamils:
The view was also expressed that no part of Sri Lanka belonged to any ethnic group. It was stated that due to terrorist activities, Sinhalese people from the North and East had been chased away, and that these people should be taken and resettled in the North (LLRC: 8.107)

The Commission is of view that the Government should expedite action on the establishment of a National Land Commission (NLC) in order to propose appropriate future national land policy guidelines (LLRC 6.104.12)

On the war and reputation of Sinhala Army:
In evaluating the Sri Lanka experience in the context of allegations of violations of IHL, the Commission is satisfied that the military strategy that was adopted to secure the LTTE held areas was one that was carefully conceived, in which the protection of the civilian population was given the highest priority (LLRC 4.262)

The Commission finds that there are troubling technical and forensic questions of a serious nature that cast significant doubts about the authenticity of this video and the credibility and reliability of its content. It is also observed that trauma evident on the bodies of victims does not appear to be consistent with the type of weapon used and the close range at which the firing is seen to have taken place (LLRC 4.374 e)

It is also the obligation of the Government to clear the good name and protect the honour and professional reputation of soldiers who defended the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and particularly the many thousands of soldiers who perished carrying out their combat duties cleanly and professionally against a widely condemned terrorist group who used most inhumane tactics in combat (LLRC 4.376)

வியாழன், 18 ஜூன், 2015

New SL ministry schemes Sinhalicisation through ‘cultural diplomacy’

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 June 2015, 23:16 GMT]

Earlier, the occupying Colombo under Mahinda Rajapaksa, declared 11,000 acres of lands in Vangkaalai, situated in the Mannaar mainland as Vankaalai Sanctuary, coming under the control of the SL ministries and departments in Colombo in 2008. The new regime, which came to power in January 2015, is now hurriedly engaged in claiming the remaining lands, where people have resettled with housing provided through the Indian Housing Scheme. The occupation of lands go beyond Vangkaalai in Naanaaddaan into Mannaar DS division intending to chase away the entire village of Chi'runaavatku'lam, located along the Mannaar - Mathavaachchi Road, some parts of Pa'l'li-munai and a residential area near the Thirukkeatheesvaram temple, activists in Mannaar told TamilNet on Tuesday. Colombo's ministry of ‘Tourism and Sports’ is deploying ‘cultural diplomacy’ as smokescreen to advance the occupation.

A board recently put up by SL Department of Wildlife Conservation at Vangkaalai

4838.95 hectares of area, which includes the residential and agricultural lands of largely Tamil Catholics in Vangkaalai, was declared as Bird Sanctuary in 2008 by Sinhala Buddhist extremist ‘Patali’ Champika Ranawaka, who was the SL Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. The lands come under the control of the SL Wildlife Conservation Department (WCD), which is a non-ministerial department.

WCD has placed new boards at several locations within the last 10 days.

ABM Najeeb, a Muslim owner of lands in Chi'runaavat-ku'lam, in a recent letter sent to WCD states that 9 families in Paalaavik-karai in Thirukkeatheesvaram and 78 families in Chi'runaavat-ku'lam were provided residential and agricultural lands in 1965 and in 1974. Later, in 1990, the people were uprooted from the area due to the war. The families were dependent on high crop cultivation till they were uprooted. Some of these uprooted families have managed to resettle in their lands after 2009 and were also provided houses through the Indian Housing Scheme.

As the WCD was making claim for the lands, the people complained to the authorities and they were given promises by the previous regime that alternative lands would be granted. But, so far they have not received alternative lands. In the meantime, the WCD has been putting up new noticeboards making claim to the lands.

“This is a step-by-step occupation,” a Tamil land owner at Thirukkeatheesvaram told TamilNet.

The Vangkaalai area, consisting of several integrated ecosystems, combining shallow wetland and terrestrial coastal habitats, is frequented by thousands of long-distance migrant water birds every year. The Ceylon Bird Club (CBC) was campaigning for declaring the area as Bird Sanctuary. The Rajapaksa government used the opportunity to seize a large area of land with the motive of Sinhalicisation, activists in Mannaar said adding that Colombo was acting against the people living in the area, who possess an environment-friendly culture. The Tamil people have been protecting the sanctuary for centuries.

Following the interference by Colombo's ministries run by biased Sinhala extremist ministers, Tamil and Muslim environmental activists in Mannaar are now demanding the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) to step in to protect the environment as well as the interests of the people of the area.

Colombo is scheming the next level of a sophisticated Sinhalicisation project, say Tamil and Muslim activists in Mannaar.

Gazette Notification issued by ‘Patali’ Champika Ranawaka

Under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (Chapter 469), the SL Minister tasked with the protection of the fauna and flora of the island, can declare any public and private land within ‘Sri Lanka’ as a sanctuary without the consent of the Provincial Council or any other mechanism.

A section of land belonging to Mannaar Urban Council within the Mannaar DS division also comes under the lands seized by Colombo

The SL Ministry of Tourism and Sports, has been assigned with the responsibility of declaring sanctuaries in the island after the regime-change in January 2015.

The minister in charge of the affairs is a Sinhala hardliner, Navin Dissanayake, who represents the United National Party (UNP).

Mr Navin is the son of late Gamini Dissanayake, who was one of the notorious SL ministers blamed for the burning of Jaffna Library in 1981, which has been described as a deliberate act of cultural genocide in which 97,000 books, considered as the best collection of Tamil literature in Asia, were completely destroyed. Many irreplaceable manuscripts were also lost in the attack carried out by the Sinhala policemen. A Tamil woman, believed to be a Black Tiger, assassinated Mr Gamini Dissanayake during an election campaign in the South in 1994.

Actively engaged in Sinhala politics, his son, Navin Dissanayake became a minister (Public Management Reforms) in Mahinda Rajapaksa's regime till he tendered his resignation in November 2014. Following the regime change in January 2015, he became the SL Minister of Tourism and Sports representing the UNP.

Mr Navin Dissanayake, seen as a Sinhala hardliner, has virtually taken over the role played earlier by the Buddhist Extremist JHU minister ‘Patali’ Champika Ranawake, Tamil activists in Mannaar said.

SL Minister of Minister of Power and Energy Champika Ranawake [left] was the former Minister of Environment & Natural Resources, who schemed the occupation of Tamil lands through his ministry and departments and SL Minister of Tourism and Sports Navin Dissanayke [right] who has taken over the role of declaring Sanctuaries. Both of them have been ministers under the regimes of Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithiripala Sirisena.

The UNP minister is advancing the Sinhala Buddhist agenda through what he claims as ‘cultural diplomacy’ integrating Buddhism, environment, tourism and sports, the activists said.

Foreign funds are being deployed to alienate the people of the region from their environment.

Corporate and imperial interests are put at the top in supporting the genocidal route of the State and regime in the island by the various international ‘development’ sponsors, who never care to explore achieving their ambitions through parity of nations in the island, the activists further said.

The signboard displaying flags of various countries and emblems of ‘development’ agencies show the foreign assistance deployed for the Sinhalicisation project. Mr Navin Dissanayake is scheduled to declare identified new access routes, revise the borders of the sanctuaries, to prepare to sign an agreement with the Russian Republic and to empower the provisions relating to the agreement, according to a cabinet decision taken in April 2015.