News Bulletin. Issued by the High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka 13, Hyde Park Gardens, London W2 2LU

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1 News Bulletin Issued by the High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka 13, Hyde Park Gardens, London W2 2LU September 2008 Volume 09 (02) 2008 But they said: "We urge the LTTE to take urgent action to allow free movement of civilians. Source: Sunday Observer ( President Mahinda Rajapaksa and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly sessions UK urge LTTE to let civilians free UK urged the LTTE terrorists to let the free movement of civilians trapped in Tigerheld areas in the North. The British Foreign Office urged the LTTE to act urgently to allow free movement of civilians from the Wanni. "The recent increased hostilities in the north of Sri Lanka are of acute concern to the UK government," AFRP quoted Foreign Office minister Mark Malloch-Brown and aid minister Shahid Malik in a joint statement. "We welcome the government of Sri Lanka recognising its responsibility to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians affected by the conflict and its continued co-ordination with humanitarian agencies," they added. President Mahinda Rajapaksa and UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon shake hands in New York during the 63rd UN General Assembly sessions. Government is ready to implement political and constitutional solutions President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday 24th September 2008 said that the Government has made it clear that, the elected Government cannot and will not permit undermining of the territorial integrity of the sovereign UN Member State of Sri Lanka and the division of its territory. We are clear in this message. 1

2 Speaking further, he said that the Government s objective is to enable the people to enjoy the benefits of the democratic processes and to speed the development activities in those areas where there is a heavy presence of terrorists. This would be similar to the fast tracking of economic development taking place in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka, where former terrorists now function as democratically elected Provincial Councillors, and a former child soldier conscripted by the LTTE is now the elected Chief Minister, having abandoned terrorism and embracing democracy. Referring to the LTTE, President Rajapaksa said "Our Government would only be ready to talk to this illegal armed group when it is ready to commit itself to decommissioning of its illicit weapons and dismantling of its military capability, and return to the democratic fold." Full text: on=com_content&task=view&id=1410 &Itemid=86 Source: Ministry of Foreign ( Talks only after defeating terrorists Affairs Stewart Bell of the National Post of Canada, interviews President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the humanitarian missions in the North and other current issues. Here are excerpts: Q. You campaigned on a platform of negotiating with the Tamil Tigers. What happened? A. I was elected somewhere around the 18th of November [2005). So we said we were ready to talk to them and [Tamil Tigers leader Velupillai) Prabhakaran himself said that this man is a practical man. His first statement was that, so I said that we need to start negotiating. Then they said, Yes just wait for a few weeks and started attacking us. They started killing. On 5th of December, they killed about 13 unarmed soldiers; they were taking food to the camp, then they killed them. That was the first incident. Then I said, Don t do this, we will negotiate. But in a few days they killed at least five, six, then they killed civilians, children, mothers, pregnant mothers. So they were doing this for about seven months. I didn t even react because I was planning to negotiate with them. I was trying to talk to them. People thought that I am very weak. And some ambassadors came and told me, from the West, What are you doing? I said, I am trying to talk to them. That s why I don t want to do anything. They were sympathising with me, the way that this man [Prabhakaran) was going on. Army Commander was in Colombo, they tried to kill him [in April 2006). Then only one day, that evening, I ordered the Air Force to go and attack one or two camps. That was the first reaction. Then again that evening I said, No, enough. But I was again trying to persuade them. We went to Geneva, the Norwegians got involved and in Geneva in the middle of the discussions suddenly these people (the Tigers delegation) got up and went. Then they agreed to come back for a second time; twice in Geneva and once in Oslo. Oslo meeting, they refused to meet the delegation that we sent. When they came back, again they attacked my brother, defence secretary. Then they closed down the water that was flowing towards the Eastern Province. Farmers were without water for their paddy fields. Actually that was drinking water also. Then we tried to 2

3 negotiate to open it. For five days we were trying to negotiate. No. They thought we are weak. That was the time I said, No. Because of the farmers and the people it s a humanitarian problem. I said, Now it is enough and gave the orders to go and open the sluice gates. When we opened that, the next day itself these people came and attacked the Trincomalee harbour and Muttur, they took over Muttur. So from that time I ordered them to clear the place, so we cleared it. And we went on, we not only liberated eastern Sri Lanka from the Tigers but immediately we had local government elections. Q. Is this war almost over? A. Yes, I think so. Q. Why do you say that? A. It will take a little more time. I would say, terrorism you can t just finish it overnight. Because the time within the past 20 years and the ceasefire within that two years of ceasefire they managed to arm themselves. I mean, they have brought sophisticated weapons, guns, ammunition, and they were training so all that, that is because of the ceasefire. So our Government didn t check their baggage. It was all open to them and everybody knew that they were taking weapons, buying weapons and the ships came and unloaded. All this happened in that period. So really what they do is, when they are weak, they want a ceasefire. They will go behind the international community and say, Now pressurise the government, we are ready to talk to them. That is the time that they recruit people, train them and equip with weapons. Q. How is this going to end? A. We have told them now, if they are surrendering tomorrow, we can stop all this and start negotiating again. They are not surrendering themselves. So militarily, we have to defeat the terrorists and then with the civil society we have to give them a political solution. I have already appointed another all-party committee to give me a proposal for the entire country. Q. If the military defeats the Tigers, then what? How will you resolve the grievances of Tamils? A. Then we will negotiate with them. First let us defeat the terrorists. Then as soon as we defeat them, we will let the civilians take over the administration there. We must have the administration first. And start developing the area. We will have elections. This is a democratic country. Q. What are you doing about international human rights abuses concerns, especially abductions and disappearances? A. Now I will give you one good example. Recently near the Hilton (hotel in Colombo), there was a bomb blast; a suicide cadre. Now the identity card says that he is a Muslim. But we managed to get the SIM of the mobile (phone). So we traced from that that he had given calls to various places. The last call was from (the rebel capital) Kilinochchi. That is the order to go and blast the place. So he had given a call to some place in Batticaloa or Trincomalee. So we went there to find. That was his house. He was a Tamil. And parents, as soon as he left to Colombo, they have gone to the police station and made a statement that army came and checked them and thereafter a white van came and abducted this man. Can you imagine? Now this is a good example. And some of these people who are claiming that they were abducted are in Paris or in Germany or in London or in Canada... Certainly we take them into custody. Why should we abduct them? It is much better to take them and keep them. All these suspects, we take them into custody. And they have given us a lot of information. 3

4 We have found a lot of things ammunition, explosives. But if there is a complaint, certainly we look into it. And I must tell you that even in the army, the forces, we have human rights units. There is a major general, a Tamil lady, who is in charge of human rights. So every day they will go and teach them and give lectures. Q. What would you say to Canadians who support the Tigers? A. They must stop this. They should not encourage the terrorists. They are not helping the Tamils. The Tamil people have been killed more than Sinhalese leaders, they have killed Tamil leaders, democratic leaders who had been in political parties, leaders of political parties who were against this man (Prabhakaran). They have killed more Tamils. Anyone who spoke against them (the LTTE) is killed, so they should not encourage this, they must stop this, they will never succeed. Prabhakaran will never succeed. They must not encourage it. Tamil people must understand that we can live together, and there are no barriers. Minister Bogollagama accuses LTTE of persistent recruitment of child soldiers Participating in the Ministerial meeting in New York on 26 September 2008 on the follow up to the Paris Principles relating to children associated with armed forces and groups, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama stated that the LTTE known as a ruthless terrorist organization operating in Sri Lanka, has been identified by the UN as a persistent violator of basic human rights, through its recruitment of child combatants throughout the period of the conflict. He elaborated that over 60% percent of the LTTE cadres have been children both boys and girls and according to the UNICEF 6,273 children have been recruited since On the other hand, he said the political arm of the break away LTTE faction namely the TMVP is working with the UNICEF and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict with a view to releasing underaged cadres and 39 having already been released. The Minister further stated that the TMVP successfully contested the Local Government and Provincial Council elections in the East culminating in a former child soldier, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, being appointed as the Chief Minister of the Eastern Province. Minister Bogollagama termed this as a fascinating story of transformation of a child soldier to one of authority in a democratic framework. The TMVP is working closely with the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation to help release the balance children in their ranks, he said. The Foreign Minister thanked the French Government and partners for convening this meeting and added Sri Lanka s support for the implementation of the Paris Principles which he stated will secure a better tomorrow for children vulnerable to being recruited for armed conflict. He informed that Sri Lanka is one of the 119 members which have ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, and that the Government has a zero tolerance policy on the recruitment of children for use in conflict while collaborating closely with the relevant UN agencies. Minister Bogollagama outlined that the Sri Lanka s armed forces do not recruit any one under 18 years of age to their ranks and the country s legal system makes recruitment and deployment of children in armed conflict an offence punishable by 30 years imprisonment. 4

5 He pointed out that the Sri Lanka Government is fully committed to the rehabilitation and reintegration of all child combatants who have managed to escape from the captivity of armed groups. This he said was being done through the provision of a protective rehabilitation environment as well as family reunification, community integration, access to psycho-social care and support, education and vocational training. The Minister further added that a high level Committee to Inquire into Allegations on Abduction and Recruitment of Children for Use in Armed Conflict, has also been established in Sri Lanka. This Committee, he said, has developed a policy on the rehabilitation and reintegration of children recruited for armed conflict. The Paris Principles resulted from the Paris Conference organized jointly by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNICEF in February 2007 under the theme Free Children from War. Fifty nine states including Sri Lanka attended the Paris Conference and supported the adoption of the principles where states committed themselves inter-alia, to make every effort to apply these principles as a set of operational guidelines on the subject. This meeting in New York is a follow-up forum to the Paris Conference. Source: Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN New York ( National Child Protection Act in Braille A copy of the National Child Protection Act has been prepared in 'braille' for the benefit of the blind population. It will be launched on October 1 - Universal Children's Day. The National Child Protection Authority is behind this initiation. Sri Lanka on course to achieve MDGs by 2015 Participating on behalf of President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the interactive Round Table discussions segment of the high level meeting on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) held on the fringes of the UN General Assembly sessions in New York. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rohitha Bogollagama said that Sri Lanka is on track to achieve the MDGs by 2015, which has been facilitated by re-structuring the country's socioeconomic fundamentals, in keeping with the aspirations of the people. Speaking further, he emphasized that sustainable development should be viewed in the context of the people, as governments represent the people, and therefore, imposition of economic sanctions ought to be avoided as it is only the citizens of that country who would suffer the adverse consequences. The Minister, while associating himself with the sentiments that were expressed by the President of East Timor, who spoke earlier, urged the removal of sanctions on Cuba as a vital step for the betterment of its people. He stated that it is imperative to seek peoplecentric development to ensure that the people are the real beneficiaries of development programmes. Referring to the economic strategies of the Sri Lanka Government, Minister Bogollagama pointed out that free education had resulted in a 94% 5

6 literacy rate and similarly, free health services have resulted in an average life expectancy of 74 years. Further, he referred to the fact that there are no major diseases in Sri Lanka and that malaria as an epidemic has been eradicated. Later, on the same day, making an intervention at the meeting of G11 Foreign Ministers in New York, Foreign Minister Bogollagama called for Lower Middle Income countries such as Sri Lanka to work closely with other countries in this grouping to address developmental challenges and vulnerability to external turbulence in the global markets. He observed that such action was imperative as this segment of countries is increasingly being marginalized on global platforms. The Minister informed the Group that the Cabinet of Ministers in Sri Lanka had approved Sri Lanka becoming a signatory to the G11 Framework Agreement on Economic, Trade and Cultural Cooperation. He also welcomed the decision to hold a G11 Business Forum on the sidelines of the G11 Summit in May He envisaged that this Forum would be able to bring together, representatives of the private sector in the G11 countries to promote connectivity through the exchange of business delegations. Source: Department of Government Information ( climbed 41 percent to 883 million dollars from January to August over the same period a year earlier, helped by strong demand from Russia and the oil exporting nations of the Middle East, the Sri Lanka Tea Board said in a statement. Sri Lanka, which is the world s largest exporter of tea after Kenya, has benefited from the recent global commodity boom, analysts say. Tea is of crucial importance to the Sri Lankan economy since it is the country s biggest agricultural export. Sri Lanka s tea shipments climbed 9.7 percent to million kilogrammes (484.6 million pounds) for the eight months to August from the corresponding period in Sri Lankan tea, marketed under the name Ceylon Tea, is the country s third largest foreign currency revenue earner. Remittances from Sri Lankans working abroad and garment exports are the two top earners. The country earned a record US $ 1.02 billion from tea in 2007 and is on track to better its performance and hit a record 1.4 billion dollars this calendar year, said Tea Board chairman Lalith Hettiarachchi. Tea exports set for year record TMVP leaders appeal to Tamil expats : Stop funding Tiger terror Sri Lanka s tea exports rose more than 40 per cent in the first eight months of the year and are on track to earn a record 1.4 billion dollars this year, the Tea Board said. Tea shipments TMVP Leader Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan (Karuna) and his deputy, Eastern Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan appealed to Tamil expatriates in Canada and elsewhere 6

7 to stop funding the Tiger war machine. In separate exclusive interviews with Stewart Bell of the National Post of Canada, the duo said the funds remitted by expatriates are used for Tiger military procurements, not humanitarian assistance. Muralitharan said money sent from abroad to help civilians in uncleared areas was routinely used to buy arms. He called Canada the number one source of external income for the LTTE, followed by Switzerland. He said while Canadians might believe the money they send to uncleared areas is being used for humanitarian aid, Prabhakaran uses it all to buy military hardware instead. They use all the money for the war, he said. They didn t give anything to the people. The money from overseas feeds not civilians but a procurement network that buys weapons and ships them to the island, he said. They have a lot of money. They bought many ships for smuggling arms, he said. Diaspora people, they don t understand what is happening in Sri Lanka. In an interview at his ultra-secure headquarters on Trincomalee harbour, Chief Minister Chandrakanthan echoed his leader s views. He said Tigers supporters in such countries as Canada are misguided and should stop sending money to the LTTE. A lot of these people who keep shouting, We want a separate state are not aware of what the conditions are here, said Chandrakanthan. Muralitharan, who spent 22 years in the Tigers, said he broke with Prabhakaran in a dispute over Norwegian-brokered peace talks. He thought there was a good deal on the table but Prabhakaran wanted to restart the war, he said. He got angry with me, but he s a very angry person, he said. I told him, I don t want to fight with you. We are brothers and sisters. Prabhakaran had no political vision, Chandrakanthan said in an interview. If the Sri Lankan Army hits, he wants to hit back. He really relished hitting back, fighting, rather than thinking politically, where do we go from here? He believes if he can succeed in the East, the Tigers will realize there is a better way, but he holds out no hope that Prabhakaran will surrender his dream of a Tamil homeland called Tamil Eelam. Prabhakaran will not give up his thought of a Tamil Eelam. So long as Prabhakaran is there, he will always want people to believe that he can deliver Tamil Eelam, and Tamil Eelam in his vision includes the east as well. But he believes the Tigers are almost finished, bottled up in the north, having lost 60% of their territory and running out of fighting men and women. He can t go on like this because there is a limit to the manpower that he commands, Chandrakanthan said. Just by shortage of manpower he will lose. Catholic Bishops ask LTTE to release civilians Catholic Bishops Assembly of Sri Lanka asked the LTTE to allow the civilians to reach the more secured areas from Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. Issuing a special statement Catholic Bishops pointed out that the civilians should not be used as human shields in the ongoing war in Northern region. The Bishops said they are seriously concerned over the hapless situation faced by the displaced people who are still living in uncleared areas. Catholic Bishops said despite the arrangements made by the government to deliver all the necessities to the displaced people in the rebel held areas, some food stocks are not reaching the people due to the disturbances by the LTTE. 7

8 Source: Official government website Thirty seven civilians escape LTTE's open prison Thirty seven civilians from Mullaittivu fleeing the LTTE, arrived in Pulmoddai in two boats seeking the protection of the Security Forces on 25 th September, defence sources said. This is the latest batch arriving from the Mullaittivu area seeking government protection. In May a group of eleven civilians who had escaped from LTTE areas in Mullaittiuvu reported to the Pulmodadai Security Forces. The group including children and females said on their arrival that they had no option other than to make this move despite the presence of sea tigers along the Mullaittivu coast. "Now we know our lives are in safe hands and our children spared from been dragged into the battlefront", one of the women said. These civilians were subsequently sent to the welfare centers in Vavuniya and Mannar. Source: Department of Government Information ( LTTE suspected of looting UN offices The United Nations said that its offices in the north had been looted after aid workers left the area and relocated in Vavuniya as per a directive from the Government. A statement from the UN said that it suspected that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were involved in the looting, but did not disclose what was stolen. Local media, however, reported that suspected LTTE cadres removed large stocks of fuel and generators among other things. "The UN has drawn this to the attention of the LTTE and says that humanitarian assets and staff ought to be protected at all times in accordance with international humanitarian law," the statement said. Source: Department of Government Information ( LTTE gunmen assassinate head priest of Koneswaram Temple LTTE terrorists gunned down the head priest of the Koneswaram Hindu Temple, Sivakudaracha Kurukkal Sivakuharaja Kurukkal in Trincomalee on 21 st. According to the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS), the 43 year old priest was shot down while he was riding a motorbike around 6 pm. The victim is said to have been highly respected personality among the Hindu Tamils as well as the other communities living in the area, had been maintaining cordial relations with the law enforcement authorities in the district and had performed a great service in building peace and harmony among the different communities. Police Further investigations are being conducted by the police. Source: Ministry of Defence ( President wishes Eid-Mubarak President Mahinda Rajapaksa s message on the occasion of Eid-ul- Fitr. I am pleased to send this message of 8

9 greetings on the occasion of Eid-ul- Fitr, which is celebrated the world over by devotees of Islam. This festival marks the completion of an act of duty and devotion. The practice of fasting sublimates the inner self of man and inculcates discernment of the pangs and hardships which the poor and needy face. It is the loftiest achievement of moral exercise which is celebrated with much zeal on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr. Fasting results in moral and spiritual self-discipline and austerity which enables man to face life with courage. The Muslim community meditates and pays obeisance to their Lord in congregation, displaying loyal spirit of brotherhood, equality and fraternity through prayers and through the zest of meeting and embracing the Muslim brethren. On this happy occasion I wish all our Muslim Brothers Eid-Mubarak. Source: Official government website Yapahuwa to be made an ecodestination to promote tourism This year in Sri Lanka, World Tourism Day celebrations which fall on 27th will focus around making Yapahuwa an eco-destination where general measures will be adopted to ensure the greening of its environment. Tourism Earth Lung: Towards a Carbon Clean Sri Lanka, initiative aims to mitigate carbon related climate change issues though catalytic actions of the tourism industry working closely with the Ministry of Environment Natural Resources and all other stakeholders in the service, production and other industries. The initiative focuses on the areas of stopping deforestation, reforestation, use of conserving energy initiatives and mitigating pollution at the source. It aims to make Sri Lanka a carbon neutral to assist destination by 2018, with all stakeholders and the people of Sri Lanka mobilised towards the effort. Source: Lanka Puwath ( Death of former President D.B. Wijetunga Dingiri Banda Wijetunga, the fourth President (third Executive President), 11th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and first Executive President to be elected by Parliament in 1993 passed away at the Kandy General hospital at the age of 86, on September 21. Born on February 15, 1922, he was the President from May 1, 1993 to November 12, 1994, Prime Minister from March 3, 1989 to May 7, 1993 and the Governor of North Western province, from 1988 to The funeral took place in Kandy with full state honours on 25 th September. High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka No 13, Hyde Park Gardens, London W2 2LU Tel: Fax: mail@slhc-london.co.uk Website: 9