Colombo snatches away even little power devolved to EPC: TNA councilor

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 October 2012, 21:40 GMT]
The leader of the opposition in the Eastern Provincial Council, Mr C. Thandayuthapani, a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) politician, has said that the Sri Lankan government in Colombo was trying to snatch even the littler powers already devolved to the provincial administration in the Eastern Province. The comment by the TNA politician has come in the wake of EPC endorsing the controversial ‘Divineguma’ bill on Tuesday. The draft bill is a blueprint for the structural genocide of the country of Eezham Tamils, say Tamil civil officials in the East. In the meantime, the TNA has also filed a case at the SL Court of appeal against a move by Colombo to get a similar approaval from the colonial military governor in North to approve the bill in the absence of an elected provincial council in the North.

The draft bill has paved way for the establishment of a Department of Divineguma Development incorporating the existing Samurdhi Authority, Southern Development Authority and the Udarata Development Authority into a single unit under Colombo governments Development Ministry, which is headed by SL presidential sibling Basil Rajapaksa.

The Divineguma bill was recently challenged in the SL Supreme Court by two political parties. The SL court ruled the draft bill be referred to the provincial councils before it was passed in the SL Parliament.

On Tuesday, the controversial bill was passed in the Eastern Provincial Council by Mahinda Rajapska's UPFA, with the support of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC). 21 voted approving the bill while 15 opposed.

14 members of the ruling UPFA and 7 members of the SLMC voted for the bill and 11 members of the Tamil National Alliance (TNBA) and four members of the United National Party (UNP) voted against it.

The chairperson of the council, Mrs Aroiyawathi Galapathi, a member of the ruling UPFA, did not vote.

Mr Abdul Majeed Mohamed Najeeb, the chief minister of the EPC, who said the bill was paving way for a ‘fast development’ of the Eastern province irrespective of ‘cast, creed and race’, presented the bill for debate on Tuesday morning and the bill was put for vote after a full day debate on Tuesday evening.

Abdul Majeed Mohamed Najeeb has finally paved way for the transfer of even the limited powers in deciding the development affairs to the Colombo centric SL State system, Tamil members in the opposition told media.

The development authority coming with a Sinhala name, Divi-næguma (raising the island) shows what 'development' actually means to Tamils and Tamil-speaking Muslims in the island, commented civil society circles in the East.

This is also an example for the LLRC-based language-implementation of the genocidal state, to inaugurate which the former Indian President Abdul Kalam visited the island earlier this year, the civil circles further said.

[Divi: Theevu in Tamil, island; Nægeema in Sinhala: ascending, ascension; Nægu as prefix in words in Sinhala means to raise; Nookku in Tamil: push, raise, lift, impel, incite. A word of Dravidian Etymology. Dravidian Etymological Dictionary 3722. Other related words in Tamil are Nempu, DED 3743; Nimir, DED 2922.]

குற்றங்களில் கொடுங்குற்றம் அதிகாரத்தினர் குற்றத்தை மறைப்பதே!

The crime of shielding crime by powers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 April 2012, 05:05 GMT]
Criminally belated revelations that recently come from the USA and UK on 1994 Rwanda Genocide and similar offences of 1950s in various parts of the world show the gravity of the crime committed by powers that have knowledge on international crimes committed against humanity, but sit deliberately on evidence to hush international justice. Hiding evidence is a crime in many judicial systems, but what international system is there to indict these powers, asks an Eezham Tamil human rights activist. He made an analogy of the current crime committed by the very powers and their organisations in denying the genocide of Eezham Tamils and pressurising the subjugated people not to talk of genocide, right to protection, self-determination etc., on one hand, and the behaviour of India, its imperialist political parties and sections of media, on the other.

In a recent court case in the USA in February, supporting genocide extradition Pentagon suddenly released never-before-seen satellite images of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.

Pentagon produces satellite photos of 1994 Rwanda genocide

This is the first time in the history of the 'Rwanda genocide' trials or related Rwanda asylum hearings where Pentagon satellite photographs have been produced as evidence, and the first time that the existence of satellite photographs taken over Rwanda during the genocide has ever been verified, commentators say.

Whatever the reasons behind releasing the evidence 18 years later, the proceedings showing the existence of such evidences and the capacity of the USA to acquire such evidences, implicate the power in deliberate sabotage of timely justice in many similar cases all over the world, including the genocide of the Eezham Tamils.

The US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), one of the 16 US intelligence agencies, is said to be the centre of taking and analysing satellite images. The existence of the agency was declassified in 1992.

The casual nature of the release of the Rwandan images as seen in the present court case is a usual tactic of the intelligence agencies engaged in the international wars of aggression to come out with evidence only when the heat is over, purpose is achieved or new needs arise.

The United States, Britain and Israel were strongly backing some of the Rwandan regimes.

* * *

Meanwhile, secret files from British colonial rule - once thought lost - have been released by the government, one year after they came to light in a High Court challenge to disclose them, BBC reported on 18 April.

Mau Mau rebels punished in the 1950s [Photo: Getty Images]

“Some of the papers cover controversial episodes: the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya, the evacuation of the Chagos Islands, and the Malayan Emergency,” BBC said, adding “ They also reveal efforts to destroy and reclassify sensitive files.”

Following a High Court case filed in January 2011, by four Kenyans involved in the Mau Mau rebellion of 1950s Kenya, the British government was forced to admit that 8,800 files had been secretly sent to Britain from colonies, prior to their independence.

The British government did lie about this earlier, Prof David Anderson who had helped the Kenyans in the case told BBC.

The files now reveal British barbed-wire open camps detaining suspected Mau Mau rebels, seizer of livestock from suspected Mau Mau supporters, secret plans to deport a Greek Cypriot leader to Sechelles, while having talks with him, displacement of Chagos Islanders to make the atolls a base and classified information related to Malayan emergency 1948-1960 and war against communist insurgency that was actually war against the Chinese ethnicity in British Malaya.

The British Secretary of State for Colonies instructed the officials in the colonies to withhold and transfer certain categories of files to the UK. They were instructed to keep papers that might embarrass the UK government, other governments, the police, military forces or public servants; might compromise sources of intelligence; or might be used unethically by ministers of successive governments.

There were files stamped with a "W" that could only be viewed by a "British subject of European descent".

Many of the classified files related to Kenya and Malayan Emergency were destroyed before giving independence to those countries.

* * *

Ever since ending the armed struggle of Eezham Tamils for independence in genocide, the powers that abetted Colombo follow a policy of not recognizing the genocide, post-war structural genocide, the nation of Eezham Tamils in the island, its right to protection and right to self-determination.

They sit on the evidences of the genocide, twist the interpretations, mislead the world by projecting the case with deviatory perspectives in the international organisations and pressurise or intimidate the victims not to talk about genocide, because recognition of genocide will automatically lead to righteous remedies.

Eezham Tamils who had meetings with the US Asst. Secretary of State Robert Blake, who is one of the main architects of the war and its course, tell us that he always insisted on not recognizing the genocide.

A Wikileaks cable, dated 17 April 2009, originating from Blake who was then US Ambassador in Colombo show the bias in him rather than seeking the truth through the US ‘reconnaissance’ capacities.

“The pro-LTTE TamilNet website reported 57 civilians killed and 300 wounded in April 16 fighting. The website also reported 600 of the 1,500 shells fired by the SLA hit the GSL-designated safe zone on April 16. (Note: Such reports from TamilNet cannot be confirmed and are frequently exaggerated.),” Blake told his government in the cable.

The fairness of TamilNet reporting on numbers throughout the war could very well be seen through various later reports on the war.

On the contrary, it were the governments like India and the Co-Chairs, and the universal organisation like the UN that ‘missed’ even the number of civilians in the war zone, despite their access to ‘reconnaissance’ information.

Indian government quoted 70, 000, while the UN and the West said that there were 2,00,000 in the war zone. Apart from those who were killed and kept in secret camps, those who reached the barbed-wire camps alone turned out to be around 3,00,000. Later statistics show that the population of the Vanni districts that got herded into the war zone was 4,29,059. The TamilNet number cited during the war was 3,65,000.

The stand of the International Crisis Group backed by many governments in the West on the issue of the genocide of Eezham Tamils, their right to protect their nation and right to self-determination on the question of independence, is well known.

Thirumurugan Gandhi of the May 17 Movement in Chennai testifies how the ICG that had a 5-hour meeting tried to dissuade him from raising the issues of genocide, war crimes and independence of Eezham Tamils.

Tamils all over the world should realise that their political struggle has to actually begin from collectively countering the powers whether in the east or west that sit on the truth, the Tamil rights activist in the island urged.

External Links:

Conscious Being:		PENTAGON PRODUCES SATELLITE PHOTOS OF 1994 RWANDA GENOCIDE
BBC:		British colonial files released following legal challenge

Remember that powers need Tamils too: Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 November 2011, 12:58 GMT]
Just as Eezham Tamils need international recognition for their cause, the powers that make moves in the island for a world order also need Tamils. What the Tamil politicians should keep in mind is that there is no reason for them to compromise on the fundamentals of the cause upheld by the people, said Mr. Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam of the Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF) in writing to Colombo-based Tamil Daily, Thinakkural, Sunday. In the changing current context, even if one of the competing powers take up the national question of Eezham Tamils as means for its leverage, the others can’t refuse it but have to follow suit. Tamil leadership shouldn’t miss the opportunity by abandoning the cause to pre-emptive tactics of any single power and thus excluding other international possibilities, he further said.

Summary of Gajendrakumar’s article translated from Tamil:

Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam

In the island and in the diaspora all over the world, severe dejection of Tamils continue over the destruction of their long struggle by forces operating from superior most planes.

When there was a need in the international community to eliminate the LTTE to facilitate its geopolitical paradigms, the SL government made use of it to destroy the armed struggle of the Tamil people.

Tamils should realise that there is a changed geopolitical reality today.

Even though the IC has supported SL in the name of ‘war against terrorism’, the actual reason was that they thought it was beneficial to their interests at that time.

Even though the Tamil people were fully behind the liberation struggle, the IC had the excuse of rejecting the LTTE, as it was not in electoral politics. In other words, when the LTTE claimed that Tamil people back nationhood, sovereignty and the right to self-determination, the IC rejected the claim citing LTTE's orientation as non-democratic.

The IC didn’t reject the fundamentals of the cause. It can never reject the freedom of expressing those fundamentals. But it can always slander a movement by saying that people don’t support the cause upheld by the movement. This is what happened to our struggle.

The hopelessness arising in many quarters is whether any democratic movement could now be successful in spearheading the cause.

But, the IC will have no excuse now if we democratically stand firm in our cause. No one could slander the cause if people vote for a polity that is true to the national cause in words and deeds.

The international orientation of our struggle has changed today. During the war the IC was projecting the Tamil side as ‘terrorists’ and the Sinhalese as victims of terrorism. But in a changed vantage the IC has now started looking at the former as victims and the latter as responsible for war crimes as well as violators of the rights of the former.

The US, India and China largely have competitive interests even though there are a few areas of consensus. All sides are keen in guiding SL government to suit their interests.

We are aware that all three of them deploy various strategies and tactics in handling SL government. Apart from economy, human rights, rule of law, media freedom, corruption-free governance etc., the ethnic question is a powerful issue to exert leverage.

The West is largely dissatisfied with Sri Lanka in the areas coming under its purview.

The competing powers may sabotage one another’s pressures in areas such as economic sanctions. But, if seriously taken up, the national question cannot find a match from the competitors.

Even if one of the competing powers take up the issue for its leverage, the others cannot find a match and they have to follow suit.

Tamils get the best of their opportunity today.

But, the danger is infirmity of Tamil polity allowing a power to pre-empt the question through wanting solutions that suits only its interests.

If one power is allowed to pre-empt the cause by a few concessions then the others will be forced to follow suit.

This is why we insist that the Tamil National Alliance should be firm and should not compromise on the fundamentals such as nation, homeland and the right to self-determination.

Tamils as a people are an important party to the international community today. It is on that basis the TNA that was elected by the Tamil people receives recognition.

Just as Tamils need international recognition to their cause, the powers engaged in the island too inevitably need Tamils. Compared to earlier situations, politically we are at our strength. This is time for us to be firm on the fundamentals of our cause. People need not feel depressed.

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No share of power: தமிழர்களுடன் அரசியல் அதிகாரப் பகிர்வு இல்லை: இலங்கை அரசு

எல்லாம் நல்லதற்கே! தமிழர் நிலத்தில் தமிழர்க்கு உரிமையில்லை என்பதை இறையாண்மை நடிகர்கள் புரிந்து கொள்ளட்டும்! வன்கொடுமைச் சிங்களத்தின் அடாவடித்தனததை மனச்சான்றுள்ள நாடுகள் புரிந்து  கொண்டு மண்ணின் மைந்தர்கள் மாண்புறத் திகழத் தமிழ் ஈழத்தை விரைவில்  ஏற்க வழி வகுக்கும்! அன்புடன் இலக்குவனார் திருவள்ளுவன் / தமிழே விழி! தமிழா விழி! / எழுத்தைக் காப்போம்!  மொழியைக் காப்போம்! இனத்தைக் காப்போம்!

தமிழர்களுடன் அரசியல் அதிகாரப் பகிர்வு இல்லை: இலங்கை அரசு

First Published : 08 Jul 2011 02:28:57 AM IST

Last Updated :

கொழும்பு, ஜூலை 7: இலங்கையில் தமிழர்களுடன் எந்தவிதமான அரசியல் அதிகாரப் பகிர்வும் செய்து கொள்ளமாட்டோம் என்று இலங்கை அரசு திட்டவட்டமாகத் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.இதனால் இலங்கையில் தமிழர்கள் இரண்டாம் தர குடிமக்களாகவே இருக்கும் அவலநிலை தொடரும் என்றே தெரிகிறது.இலங்கை நாடாளுமன்றத்தில் வியாழக்கிழமை, மூத்த அமைச்சர் நிமல்ஸ்ரீபால டி சில்வா இது குறித்துப் பேசியது: இலங்கையில் பல ஆண்டுகளாக நிலவி வரும் தமிழர் பிரச்னையைத் தீர்க்க, அரசியல் அதிகாரப் பகிர்வு செய்து கொள்ளப்படமாட்டாது. அந்த வாய்ப்பை இலங்கை அரசு என்றுமே அளிக்காது. எனினும் தமிழர் பிரச்னைகளுக்குத் தீர்வு காண்பது குறித்து பல்வேறு கட்சியினருடன் பேசி அவர்களின் கருத்துகளைக் கேட்டு வருகிறோம். பிரச்னைக்கு நல்ல தீர்வு காணப்படும். அரசியல் அதிகாரப் பகிர்வு திட்டத்தை பெரும்பாலான நாடுகள் ஏற்றுக்கொண்டது இல்லை அவர்.

Subordinates of election commission misuse the powers- kalaignar said : கீழ்நிலை அதிகாரிகள் அதிகாரத்தை தவறாகப் பயன்படுத்துகின்றனர்: கருணாநிதி குற்றச்சாட்டு

பாவம்! தேர்தல் ஆணையம் முதல்வரையும் படாதபாடு  படுத்துகிறது போலும்! ஆணையத்தைத் தாக்கியவர் அஞ்சிக் கீழ்நிலை  அதிகாரிகளைக் குற்றம் சுமத்துகிறார். கீழ்நிலையில் உள்ளவர்கள் வருவாய்த்துறை அதிகாரிகள்தான். எனினும் இந்தக் கெடுபிடி எல்லாம் தேர்தலில் ஊழலைப் பயன்படுத்துபவர்களுக்குத்தான். மக்கள் தொந்தரவு எதுவுமின்றி அமைதியாக நடமாட முடிகிறது. முன்பு பிறந்த நாள் என்றாலே விளம்பரப் பதாகைகள் சுற்றிலும் இருந்து கண்களை மிரட்டி நடமாட்டத்தைத் தடுக்கும்  மதுரையில்  இப்பொழுது நகரம் நன்கு காட்சியளிக்கிறது. எனவே, முதல்வர் பெருமைப்பட வேண்டும். தேர்தல் ஆணையத்தின் நல்ல செயல்பாடுகளையும் தன் ஆட்சியின் சாதனையாகவே முதல்வர் எண்ண வேண்டும்.

அன்புடன் இலக்குவனார் திருவள்ளுவன் 

/ தமிழே விழி! தமிழா விழி! /

எழுத்தைக் காப்போம்!  மொழியைக் காப்போம்! இனத்தைக் காப்போம்! 

கீழ்நிலை அதிகாரிகள் அதிகாரத்தை தவறாக பயன்படுத்துகின்றனர்: கருணாநிதி குற்றச்சாட்டு

First Published : 10 Apr 2011 04:29:05 PM IST

கடலூர், ஏப்.10: நடுத்தர மற்றும் கீழ்மட்டத்தில் உள்ள தேர்தல் அதிகாரிகள் தங்கள் அதிகாரத்தை தவறாகப் பயன்படுத்திவருவதாக முதல்வர் கருணாநிதி குற்றம்சாட்டியுள்ளார்.ஒவ்வொரு நடவடிக்கைக்கும் ஒரு எல்லை உள்ளது. அது மீறப்படக்கூடாது என அவர் கூறினார்.எதிர்காலத்தில் தேர்தல் ஆணையத்தின் அதிகாரம் குறித்து மத்திய அரசு பரிசீலனை செய்ய வேண்டும் எனக் கேட்டுக்கொண்ட அவர், ஆணையத்திடம் என்னென்ன அதிகாரங்கள் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்பது குறித்து அனைத்து அரசியல் கட்சிகளுடன் விவாதிக்க வேணடும் என்றார்.நேர்மையாகவும், நியாயமாகவும், பாரபட்சமில்லாமலும் செயல்படுகிறவரையே எதிர்காலத்தில் தேர்தல் ஆணையராக நியமிக்க வேண்டும் என கருணாநிதி கூறினார்.தேர்தல் ஆணையத்துக்கு அதிமுக பொதுச்செயலர் ஜெயலலிதா உத்தரவிட்டு வருவதாகவும் கருணாநிதி குற்றம்சாட்டினார்.தேர்தலை முன்னிட்டு உளவுத்துறை கூடுதல் டிஜிபி ஜாபர் சேட்டை தேர்தல் ஆணையம் மாற்றியது. கூடுதலாக சென்னை சிறப்புப் பிரிவு போலீஸ் எஸ்பி சி.சந்திரசேகரையும் மாற்றுமாறு ஜெயலலிதா கோரிக்கை விடுத்ததாக கருணாநிதி தெரிவித்தார்.தேர்தலில் திமுக மீண்டும் ஆட்சியைப் பிடிக்கும் எனத் தெரிவித்த கருணாநிதி, தற்போது நான்தான் முதல்வர், வாக்குகள் எண்ணப்பட்ட பிறகும் முதல்வராவேன். தோற்றால் வீட்டுக்குச் செல்வேன். அதுவரை நான்தான் முதல்வர் எனக் குறிப்பிட்டார்.