ENB News: 09-08-07

HRW Report – Tendentious; based on unconfirmed, unsubstantiated and outdated information- Presidential Secretariat
[Tuesday, August 07, 2007 - 11.02 GMT]

The latest report by Human Rights Watch on Sri Lanka is largely tendentious, and is replete with generalizations. It refers to issues that have been largely resolved. These largely unconfirmed and unsubstantiated allegations and outdated information do not justify the demand for a special UN Observer Mission on Human Rights in Sri Lanka, states the Presidential Secretariat.

Here is the full text of the statement by the Presidential Secretariat on the report by Human Rights Watch on Sri Lanka, issued yesterday (August 06, 2007).

The report of the Human Rights Watch entitled “Return to War – Human Rights under Siege” is largely tendentious, and is replete with generalizations. It refers to issues that have been largely resolved. These largely unconfirmed and unsubstantiated allegations and outdated information do not justify the demand for a special UN Observer Mission on Human Rights in Sri Lanka.

Among the unsubstantiated information are the numbers of persons who have allegedly disappeared and the number of IDPs. The work of government agencies to establish the whereabouts of these persons has been ignored. The Report also ignores the fact that the numbers of alleged disappearances and abductions have sharply declined in recent months due to the firm action taken by the Government and the arrest of two criminal gangs against whom legal action is being pursued. A Special Commission appointed by the President is at present investigating specified instances of unlawful killings and disappearances, and the work of this Commission is being observed by an International Group of Eminent Persons.

It is regretted that insufficient attention has been paid by Human Rights Watch to the fact that these allegations are made against the background of a campaign against a brutal terrorist group, the LTTE, which has been banned as an international terrorist organization by many countries; and which has for many years been engaged in gross violations of Human Rights, particularly the recruitment and use of children for armed conflict. The LTTE also exploits the freedoms of democracies, particularly in the West, to obtain funding from abroad to purchase more weapons to use against the democratically elected Government of Sri Lanka, and to oppress the people under its jackboot.

It is also regretted that Human Rights Watch has thought it fit to issue such a largely one-sided report, weighed so heavily against the legitimate government of Sri Lanka, that is maintaining and protecting democracy, and seeks to take it to sections of the population that have been deprived of democratic rights by the LTTE for nearly two decades; and, remains committed to a peaceful and negotiated settlement of the prevailing crisis in the country, caused essentially by separatist terrorism.

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Sri Lankan army record clean – SCOPP Secretary-General
[Thursday, August 09, 2007 - 6.00 GMT]

Giving a strong rebuttal to the statement in the recent Human Rights Watch (HWR) titled Sri Lanka: Return to War. Human Rights under Seige that “the Sri Lankan government has apparently given its security forces a green light to use 'dirty war' tactics,” the Secretary General of the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha states that the Sri Lankan Army has a clean record. He faults the HRW for failing to substantiate its allegation with evidence. Even in the lone incident it refers to, viz., the attack on the Kathiravelli School which was an IDP camp, the SCOPP Secretary General explains that it is necessary, however, to examine all the facts, before responsibility is decided upon. Explaining the circumstances of the attack the SCOPP Secretary General says: “On the morning of November 8th the LTTE had fired at the Sri Lankan army from the Kathiravelli area, and, according to D B S Jeyaraj, five soldiers and a civilian were wounded and one soldier killed. The army fired back in the late morning, hitting the school though under the impression, because of ‘mortar locating radar’ that it was hitting LTTE gun positions.” “This does not in any way justify the killing of civilians but, combined with the initiation of an artillery attack, and what would probably have been the radar discovery of weapons, the shelling of the camp is understandable,” he adds. “The Sri Lankan forces have been far more careful about civilians than many governments which HRW does not seem inclined to criticize with the same personal intensity,” the SCOPP Secretary General reminds the HRW. He also states that no similar incident has happened since then. “The fact that it is only the Kathiravelli incident that HRW can cite in its blanket personal attack on the conduct of military operations seems a tribute to the Sri Lankan forces,” he concludes.

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Human Rights: No room for UN Monitors
[Tuesday, August 07, 2007 - 6.30 GMT]

There is no room for inviting a United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission to Sri Lanka as it would be an infringement of the sovereignty of the country, said Defence Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella at a press briefing held yesterday (06) in Colombo. He was responding to a call for such a mission contained in the latest Human Rights Watch Report on Sri Lanka dated August 3. “We are doing everything possible to maintain human rights,” the Minister said. Some issues raised in the Report might be proven wrong as in the case of the allegations made over the killing of 17 aid workers in Mutur where the Australian forensic expert retracted his allegations against the Government concerning tampering with evidence, he added. Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona said that the Report is based on outdated information and the Human Rights watch should update its information.

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UN to assist EP development – UN Under-Secretary General Holmes
[Tuesday, August 07, 2007 - 6.00 GMT]

The UN is very keen to help as much as it could in the redevelopment of the Eastern Province, UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Sir John Holmes said when he met Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and officials at the Foreign Ministry yesterday (06). A statement issued by the Foreign Ministry said that he also observed that there was appreciable improvement in the ground situation in Sri Lanka. The Under-Secretary General also discussed with the Foreign Minister and officials concerns of the international community regards issues of access. Foreign Secretary Kohona impressed on the UN delegation that while the Government had little issue with the UN agencies in the operational areas, there were concerns regarding the activities of some INGOs and NGOs who have not shown results in their previous humanitarian relief work especially in the East prior to the clearing of the area of the LTTE. Sir Holmes expressed concerns regarding the security and safety of humanitarian aid workers, but acknowledged, “the situation which had gone through a bad period was getting better”.

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Huge response for $ 500 m bond offer Nadira Gunatilleke and Manjula Fernando

COLOMBO: There has been a tremendous response from banks to the Government’s bond offer of US $ 500 million which will be channelled for the development of the Eastern Province, Highways Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle said yesterday.
Several foreign banks including HSBC have indicated a positive response to this, he told the weekly briefing at the Government Information Department.
He said the LTTE was also campaigning at international level not to grant the US $ 500 million to the Government.
Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said it has come to light that, the UNP has informed a foreign bank that if it comes into power, this money will not be paid back. “This proves that a part of the UNP conspiracy is creating economic problems in the country and toppling the Government and they are now working according to this agenda,” he said
Abeywardena questioned weather the Opposition’s main task is preventing the development of the country and its people.
He questioned whether this was the way an Opposition should work within a democratic system.
The Government rescued the Tamil community from the LTTE and cleared the Eastern Province to develop the province, he said.
The Government also expects foreign aid for this task, the Minister said. The Government has taken this action according to the people’s mandate received for six years, he said.

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Tigers pressure INGOs to channel funds through them

By Easwaran RutnamThe LTTE is said to be pressurizing International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) operating in rebel controlled areas of the Wanni to channel funds to be used for development purposes in the area through the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), the Daily Mirror has learnt.
Well informed sources also said two local staffers attached to an INGO operating in Kilinochchi were abducted by the LTTE some two weeks ago and subsequently released following pressure by the charity group which carried out large scale assistance programmes in the area.
The name of the INGO is however being withheld by the Daily Mirror as, when contacted, the organization said it was not aware if such an incident had taken place so it could not deny or confirm it. However, observers noted that a few months ago the LTTE had abducted two local UN employees as well but later released them following negotiations. The incident was kept under wraps until it was leaked to the media.
Meanwhile a Tamil family which had fled Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaitivu by boat early last morning were spotted by the Navy and taken to Trincomalee, a spokesman at the Government Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) told the Daily Mirror.
The family, which included a 21 year old boy, and two young girls, said the decision to flee LTTE territory was taken as the rebels were forcibly recruiting civilians for military combat purposes. The MCNS spokesman said this was the first time civilians had fled Mullaitivu by boat and more were expected.
INGOs are meanwhile refusing to concede to the LTTE demand to channel development funds through them and are even threatening to suspend operations if the pressure continues, an INGO source said. Most INGOs have strict policies against channeling funds through a third party.
They also fear that if funds are channeled through the TRO they may be misused for terrorism-related activities. The LTTE could not be contacted for a comment on the latest allegations. In late 2006, TRO funds were frozen by the Central Bank following allegations the money was being used for terrorist-related activities by the LTTE.
The TRO headquarters is based in Kilinochchi. After the signing of the ceasefire agreement in 2002 between the LTTE and the Government, the TRO was recognised by the Government as a legitimate NGO and granted NGO status.
A staggering four billion rupees the TRO had received for tsunami relief in January 2005 had dwindled to Rs 56.3 million by August last year, a Central Bank report said at the time. The TRO funds were frozen by the Central Bank on August 28.
In 2005 the British Charity Commission removed the TRO’s UK charitable status on the ground that it ‘had not been able to account satisfactorily for the application of funds’. Prior to the signing of the ceasefire agreement NGOs had to work in tandem with the TRO in the LTTE controlled areas in northern Sri Lanka.

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Karuna faction assures full support for free poll in East
By Uditha Jayasinghe in Batticaloa

The TMVP (Karuna faction) yesterday assured it would give its fullest support and cooperation for the holding of a free election and fair poll at the local government in the East, scheduled for mid-November.
The party said it would join forces with any other political party or organization including the EPDP if they had the same goals as the TMVP.
In an interview with the Daily Mirror TMVP political wing leader Thileepan reiterated that the use of weapons would be minimized and said the organization had no intention of engaging in intimidatory tactics to lure voters. He said such a ploy would not be necessary as the Provincial Councils in question were all predominantly Tamil.
“We plan to nominate a candidate for each of the local bodies. Already our selection committee is in the process of evaluating possible candidates for each of the eight local bodies. The selection committee is headed by TMVP leader Karuna Amman while the secretary is Padmini.
There are 27 members in the committee. Meetings are held every month to formulate future plans and a campaign is already in the pipeline,” he said.
Referring to fears voiced by residents, of a violence marked election, Thileepan said other Tamil organizations and political parties have had discussions with the TMVP regarding the elections and were willing to work with any party which had the ‘well being of the Tamil people at heart and are genuinely willing to work for their benefit and fight for their rights as we are.’ However, he said it was too soon to predict which organizations would eventually join with the TMVP or if these discussions would bear any practical fruit.
The political wing leader said the Muslim community has long had the benefit of parliamentary representation which has given a voice to the problems faced by it, but the Tamils had been deprived of such a space.
“Even the politicians who were elected in the previous elections have not done anything for the people and it is to regain the rights of the Tamil people that we broke away from the LTTE,” he said adding that the TMVP understands that guns cannot win political rights.
When questioned if elections should be given priority at a time when the people had much more urgent needs such as housing and livelihood, Thileepan said the people’s issues should take precedence but argued that with the assistance of the Government the atmosphere would have improved when elections come around in three months time.
“Moreover the people’s standards of living cannot be improved without political representation, so their problems must be voiced at national level to gain serious attention. Rehabilitation and political representation should go hand in hand for lasting development,” he said.
As many international and national non-governmental organizations have limited access to resettled areas he said discussions were being carried out with the Army to ease the travel embargoes so that by election time the security situation would have improved as well. Nonetheless, no livelihood programmes have been initiated in the resettled areas and the numbers of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Batticaloa remain around 48,000 according to UN statistics. Out of this around 28,000 are living in 46 camps or welfare centres and plans for them are unclear. Most of the people at these centres are from Mutur, Ichchalampattu and surrounding areas while the others are living with host families. They are still being provided food by the World Food Programme.

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Soosai escapes blast
Intelligence sources have now confirmed that Sea Tiger chief Colonel Soosai alias Thillayampalam Sivanesan has survived, unscathed from a blast in the Nanthikal lagoon, South of Mullaitivu.Earlier reports said the sea Tiger chief was injured and his five - year- old son identified as Shankar killed, in an explosion on July 18 which occurred while Soosai was inspecting a sea Tiger training exercise South of Mullaitivu.Intelligence reports confirmed that an explosion took place, but said Soosai has escaped the blast unscathed.