India Warns Sri Lanka:Destroy Tigers but rely on us, Neither China nor Pakistan.
India Warns Sri Lanka:Destroy Tigers but rely on us, Neither China nor Pakistan.
A high-powered three-member delegation from India arrived in Colombo on Friday in a special Air Force flight. It comprised National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh.
India to expand military ties with Lanka
23 Jun 2008, 0013 hrs IST, Rajat Pandit,TNN Times Of India NEW DELHI:
India is likely to further bolster military supplies to Sri Lanka, alarmed as it is with the way Colombo continues to turn to China, as also Pakistan to some degree, to obtain weapon systems and platforms.
The arms supplies will be "largely" defensive in nature, in keeping with the policy to supply mainly "non-lethal" equipment to the island nation, said sources.
India believes there cannot be a "military solution" to the bloody ethnic strife in Sri Lanka, and is concomitantly pushing for a dialogue process and devolution package for the Tamils without disrupting the country’s territorial integrity.
The need for renewed political efforts was, once again, conveyed to the Mahinda Rajapakse government by the high-level delegation led by national security advisor M K Narayanan, which also included foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and defence secretary Vijay Singh, to Colombo over the weekend.
But at the same time, India cannot ignore the deep inroads being made into its own strategic backyard by China, which is providing Sri Lanka with a wide array of "cheap" arms and ammunition to bolster its ongoing battle with LTTE.
"The story of Myanmar is being repeated in Sri Lanka. China is already all over the island nation, with a flurry of arms deals, oil explorations and construction projects like the Hambantota port," said a senior official. Sources said the Narayanan delegation also expressed India’s disquiet over Sri Lanka continuing to source weapon systems in a major way from China and Pakistan.
Towards this end, during the wide-ranging discussions on "mutual concerns" with president Mahinda Rajapakse and defence secretary Gotabhaya
Rajapakse, among others, the Indian delegation promised "all help" in the military supplies, intelligence and training arenas.
Interestingly, Narayanan has earlier publicly asked Sri Lanka to desist from seeking arms from China or Pakistan, holding that India as "the big power"
in the region would meet its legitimate defence requirements.
But, due to political sensitivities in Tamil Nadu, India has so far supplied "defensive" weapon systems to Sri Lanka, ranging from 40mm L-70 anti- aircraft guns to ‘Indra’ low-flying detection radars, primarily meant to thwart aerial strikes by LTTE.
Both China and Pakistan have gleefully jumped into this vacuum in recent times to quench Sri Lanka’s thirst for weapons with "offensive capabilities",
much like what happened in Myanmar when India ignored the military junta there in the 1990s. Colombo, for instance, has signed a $37.6 million deal with the Beijing-based Poly Technologies for a wide variety of arms, ammunition, mortars and bombs.
Sri Lanka is also getting some Chinese Jian-7 fighters, JY-11 3D air surveillance radars, armoured personnel carriers, T-56 (a copy of the famous AK-47) assault rifles, machine guns, anti-aircraft guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and missiles.
India, on its part, apart from weapon deliveries, is conducting "coordinated" naval patrolling with Sri Lanka along the IMBL (international maritime
boundary line) to curb LTTE activity on the high seas.
The arms supplies will be "largely" defensive in nature, in keeping with the policy to supply mainly "non-lethal" equipment to the island nation, said sources.
India believes there cannot be a "military solution" to the bloody ethnic strife in Sri Lanka, and is concomitantly pushing for a dialogue process and devolution package for the Tamils without disrupting the country’s territorial integrity.
The need for renewed political efforts was, once again, conveyed to the Mahinda Rajapakse government by the high-level delegation led by national security advisor M K Narayanan, which also included foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and defence secretary Vijay Singh, to Colombo over the weekend.
But at the same time, India cannot ignore the deep inroads being made into its own strategic backyard by China, which is providing Sri Lanka with a wide array of "cheap" arms and ammunition to bolster its ongoing battle with LTTE.
"The story of Myanmar is being repeated in Sri Lanka. China is already all over the island nation, with a flurry of arms deals, oil explorations and construction projects like the Hambantota port," said a senior official. Sources said the Narayanan delegation also expressed India’s disquiet over Sri Lanka continuing to source weapon systems in a major way from China and Pakistan.
Towards this end, during the wide-ranging discussions on "mutual concerns" with president Mahinda Rajapakse and defence secretary Gotabhaya
Rajapakse, among others, the Indian delegation promised "all help" in the military supplies, intelligence and training arenas.
Interestingly, Narayanan has earlier publicly asked Sri Lanka to desist from seeking arms from China or Pakistan, holding that India as "the big power"
in the region would meet its legitimate defence requirements.
But, due to political sensitivities in Tamil Nadu, India has so far supplied "defensive" weapon systems to Sri Lanka, ranging from 40mm L-70 anti- aircraft guns to ‘Indra’ low-flying detection radars, primarily meant to thwart aerial strikes by LTTE.
Both China and Pakistan have gleefully jumped into this vacuum in recent times to quench Sri Lanka’s thirst for weapons with "offensive capabilities",
much like what happened in Myanmar when India ignored the military junta there in the 1990s. Colombo, for instance, has signed a $37.6 million deal with the Beijing-based Poly Technologies for a wide variety of arms, ammunition, mortars and bombs.
Sri Lanka is also getting some Chinese Jian-7 fighters, JY-11 3D air surveillance radars, armoured personnel carriers, T-56 (a copy of the famous AK-47) assault rifles, machine guns, anti-aircraft guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and missiles.
India, on its part, apart from weapon deliveries, is conducting "coordinated" naval patrolling with Sri Lanka along the IMBL (international maritime
boundary line) to curb LTTE activity on the high seas.
India quietly steps up arms aid to Lanka
15Oct 2007, 0000 hrs IST, Rajat Pandit,TNN Times Of IndiaNEW DELHI:
Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse may publicly say India’s “moral support” is all that his country requires to tackle its bloody ethnic strife but behind closed doors, Colombo continues to seek “more” military hardware and software from New Delhi. India, on its part, is not
shying away from stepping up arms supplies to Sri Lanka, with the latest example being more automatic 40mm L-70 close range anti-aircraft guns to guard against aerial strikes by LTTE.
“The Ordnance Factory Board, for instance, has just received another $40,000 order for supply of L-70 gun barrels to Sri Lanka. Among other things, four ‘Indra’ low-flying detection radars have already been supplied to Sri Lanka,” said a source. That’s not all. Playing upon India’s fears about China and Pakistan making strategic inroads into Sri Lanka, Colombo has asked New Delhi to supply more air defence weapons and radars,
artillery guns, Nishant UAVs and even laser designators for PGMs (precision-guided munitions).
Interestingly, even as Rajapakse was headed for New Delhi on Friday, there were reports from Colombo that a couple of remote-controlled miniature aircraft were seized from a LTTE vessel. Contending that the aircraft were to be used as deadly missiles after being loaded with explosives, Sri Lankan officials claimed that LTTE continued to use TN for its arms smuggling activities.
While India has been providing “largely defensive” equipment to Sri Lanka till now, sources said the supply of “some clearly offensive weapons” could not be ruled out since India does not want China or Pakistan to step into the vacuum, much like what happened in Myanmar in the 1990s. An indicator of this unease in the Indian defence establishment had come earlier this year when national security advisor M K Narayanan had publicly asked Sri Lanka to refrain from seeking arms from China or Pakistan.
The remarks had created a furore in Lanka, especially since Narayanan had added that India would not provide weapons with offensive capabilities to
the island nation. The government, of course, has to keep political sensitivities in Tamil Nadu in mind all the time as far as weapon deliveries to Sri Lanka are concerned, with its partner DMK frequently voicing its concern over the plight of Tamils in the island nation.
The government, of course, has to keep political sensitivities in TN in mind all the time as far as weapon deliveries to Lanka are concerned, with its partner DMK frequently voicing its concern over the plight of Tamils in Lanka.
shying away from stepping up arms supplies to Sri Lanka, with the latest example being more automatic 40mm L-70 close range anti-aircraft guns to guard against aerial strikes by LTTE.
“The Ordnance Factory Board, for instance, has just received another $40,000 order for supply of L-70 gun barrels to Sri Lanka. Among other things, four ‘Indra’ low-flying detection radars have already been supplied to Sri Lanka,” said a source. That’s not all. Playing upon India’s fears about China and Pakistan making strategic inroads into Sri Lanka, Colombo has asked New Delhi to supply more air defence weapons and radars,
artillery guns, Nishant UAVs and even laser designators for PGMs (precision-guided munitions).
Interestingly, even as Rajapakse was headed for New Delhi on Friday, there were reports from Colombo that a couple of remote-controlled miniature aircraft were seized from a LTTE vessel. Contending that the aircraft were to be used as deadly missiles after being loaded with explosives, Sri Lankan officials claimed that LTTE continued to use TN for its arms smuggling activities.
While India has been providing “largely defensive” equipment to Sri Lanka till now, sources said the supply of “some clearly offensive weapons” could not be ruled out since India does not want China or Pakistan to step into the vacuum, much like what happened in Myanmar in the 1990s. An indicator of this unease in the Indian defence establishment had come earlier this year when national security advisor M K Narayanan had publicly asked Sri Lanka to refrain from seeking arms from China or Pakistan.
The remarks had created a furore in Lanka, especially since Narayanan had added that India would not provide weapons with offensive capabilities to
the island nation. The government, of course, has to keep political sensitivities in Tamil Nadu in mind all the time as far as weapon deliveries to Sri Lanka are concerned, with its partner DMK frequently voicing its concern over the plight of Tamils in the island nation.
The government, of course, has to keep political sensitivities in TN in mind all the time as far as weapon deliveries to Lanka are concerned, with its partner DMK frequently voicing its concern over the plight of Tamils in Lanka.
TNA’s charge against India
B. Muralidhar Reddy The Hindu
COLOMBO: At least 15 LTTE cadres, two soldiers and two police personnel were killed in fighting in the north and the east in the last 24 hours, the military claimed on Sunday.
The Defence Ministry said the “counter-terror offensives aimed at liberating” Wanni continued as troops moved further ahead, crushing “terror defences” in the Jaffna, Vavuniya, Welioya and Mannar battlefronts.
Separately, TamilNet quoted pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader R. Sampanthan, who on Saturday met Indian officials, as telling the delegation that “Tamils believed all these years that they were the natural allies of India, but it is not so today.” Even the human rights violations against Tamils, abductions and genocide are largely ignored by India. We feel very sad about this,” he said.
“We thought both Tamils and Indians were together, but we believe India does not think that we’re together. But today, India got the oil tanks in Trincomalee, but the Tamils nothing,” TamilNet quoted him as saying.
“India has not been very concerned about Tamil grievances, but is only interested in safeguarding its own interests,” Mr. R. Sampanthan told the visiting Indian delegation, the website said. After listening to Mr. Sampanthan, the Indian delegation invited him to Delhi for talks.
Sampanthan regrets neglected relationship
COLOMBO: At least 15 LTTE cadres, two soldiers and two police personnel were killed in fighting in the north and the east in the last 24 hours, the military claimed on Sunday.
The Defence Ministry said the “counter-terror offensives aimed at liberating” Wanni continued as troops moved further ahead, crushing “terror defences” in the Jaffna, Vavuniya, Welioya and Mannar battlefronts.
Separately, TamilNet quoted pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader R. Sampanthan, who on Saturday met Indian officials, as telling the delegation that “Tamils believed all these years that they were the natural allies of India, but it is not so today.” Even the human rights violations against Tamils, abductions and genocide are largely ignored by India. We feel very sad about this,” he said.
“We thought both Tamils and Indians were together, but we believe India does not think that we’re together. But today, India got the oil tanks in Trincomalee, but the Tamils nothing,” TamilNet quoted him as saying.
“India has not been very concerned about Tamil grievances, but is only interested in safeguarding its own interests,” Mr. R. Sampanthan told the visiting Indian delegation, the website said. After listening to Mr. Sampanthan, the Indian delegation invited him to Delhi for talks.
Sampanthan regrets neglected relationship
[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 June 2008, 15:23 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader R. Sampanthan, who on Saturday met the visiting Indian top officials at India House in Colombo, told the delegation that "Tamils believed all these years that they were the natural allies of India, but it is not so today." Even the human rights violations against Tamils, abductions and genocide are largely ignored by India.
R. Sampanthan"We feel very sad about this," he said.
"We thought both Tamils and Indians were together but we believe India do not think that we’re together. But today India got the oil tanks in Trincomalee but Tamils, nothing," he told media after the meeting.
"India has not been very concerned about Tamil grievances but are only interested in safeguarding their own interests," Mr. R. Sampanthan told the visiting Indian delegation.
"In 1987, the Indo-Sri Lanka accord merged the North and the East but today it has been de-merged. And it guaranteed devolution of powers to the Tamils. But even after it was de-merged, India is not worried about Tamil interests. Indians are only concerned about their own interests."
After listening to Mr. Sampanthan the Indian delegation invited him and his party members to visit Delhi for further talks.
M. K. Narayanan, Shivashankar Menan and Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Alok Prasad and two other officials were present during the discussions.
On Saturday morning EPDP leader Douglas Devananda had a breakfast discussion with the delegation. Earlier on Friday night CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman paid them a courtesy call.
In the meantime a Marxist political leader of Sri Lanka regretted for the continued Indian attitude of conducting important talks at the level of civil servants and intelligence officers, who are not answerable to the people of India, and for the meek submission of Sri Lankan politicians to such a diplomacy.
R. Sampanthan"We feel very sad about this," he said.
"We thought both Tamils and Indians were together but we believe India do not think that we’re together. But today India got the oil tanks in Trincomalee but Tamils, nothing," he told media after the meeting.
"India has not been very concerned about Tamil grievances but are only interested in safeguarding their own interests," Mr. R. Sampanthan told the visiting Indian delegation.
"In 1987, the Indo-Sri Lanka accord merged the North and the East but today it has been de-merged. And it guaranteed devolution of powers to the Tamils. But even after it was de-merged, India is not worried about Tamil interests. Indians are only concerned about their own interests."
After listening to Mr. Sampanthan the Indian delegation invited him and his party members to visit Delhi for further talks.
M. K. Narayanan, Shivashankar Menan and Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Alok Prasad and two other officials were present during the discussions.
On Saturday morning EPDP leader Douglas Devananda had a breakfast discussion with the delegation. Earlier on Friday night CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman paid them a courtesy call.
In the meantime a Marxist political leader of Sri Lanka regretted for the continued Indian attitude of conducting important talks at the level of civil servants and intelligence officers, who are not answerable to the people of India, and for the meek submission of Sri Lankan politicians to such a diplomacy.
Speculation rife over visit of high-level Indian delegation By Rohan Abeywardene A high-level Indian delegation was here to thrash out issues that are of relevance to both countries and the visit is not directed at addressing any single issue, The Sunday Times learns.
There has been no official public comment from either side about the unannounced two-day visit which began on Friday but there has been speculation that it was related to the country’s national issue. Sources said no sooner India’s national Security Advisor M. K. Narayanan, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh arrived here they had a discussion with an equally formidable team from Sri Lanka at the Defence Ministry. The Sri Lankan team comprised Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Presidential Advisor and MP Basil Rajapaksa and Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga.
A top government source said the latest discussions were a continuation of the close dialogue between the two countries on issues relevant to both countries. Late last year the same Lankan team that held discussions with the visiting Indian officials on Friday visited New Delhi and held similar high level discussions.
Following the exchange at the Defence Ministry between the two sides, the Indian officials also met heads of the security forces, the police and other top officials at a dinner hosted by the Central Bank Governor at the highly guarded Central Bank Headquarterss in Fort.
Sources said on Friday, the Indians also met Ceylon Workers’ Congress Leader and Minister Arumugam Thondaman. But Mr. Thondaman told The Sunday Times his meeting was merely a courtesy call and nothing more.
Yesterday, the visiting top bureaucrats had a breakfast meeting with EPDP Leader and Minister Douglas Devananda. Also present at the one-hour breakfast discussion had been Indian High CommissionerAlok Prasad and the Head of the Sri Lanka Desk in the Indian Foreign Ministry.Mr. Devananda said the visit of the Indian team had two objectives in his opinion. Firstly it was in connection with the forthcoming SAARC summit, which would be attended by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and secondly it was a firsthand fact-finding mission as to what was happening here. “I gave my view of the situation – the past, the present and the future and they gave me a patient hearing,” he said.
The EPDP leader said he told the Indian delegation that the Provincial Council system, which he had always insisted upon to serve the Tamil people,
had now been given a rebirth with the holding of the Eastern Province election and things were going forward in a practical way. The appointment of a
task force to develop the North, with him as its head, was the interim administration he had called for.“I asked for assistance to take the development process forward and they agreed to take serious note of my request”.
Mr. Devananda said “I may be the bridge between the North and the South and between India and Sri Lanka”.
At noon the Indian team met TNA parliamentary group leader R. Sambandan. The TNA leader is reported to have presented a long list of grievances.
These included displacement of tens of thousands of civilians in the nort, of civilian casualties by artillery fire and air strikes, extra judicial executions
and enforced disappearances.
Mr. Sambandan said the Indian officials listened to his case carefully. He said he had also spotlighted the increasing involvement of countries such as
Pakistan and China in Sri Lanka’s affairs and the image the government of Sri Lanka was creating that India was with them.
They had told him India would never let the Tamil people down, it was concerned with the wellbeing of the Tamil people and it saw the importance of
the permanent merger of the North and East.
India for political solution: Report
The high-powered Indian delegation led by National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan, which held talks with President Mahinda Rajapaksa
yesterday, expressed hope that Sri Lanka would find a political solution and eschew military solutions to the conflict in the north, the Hindustan Times quoted an Indian government official as saying.
"India hopes that Sri Lanka can find a peaceful solution to the ethnic conflict within the framework of united Sri Lanka, acceptable to all the communities. There are no military solutions," a senior Indian government official told Indian journalists in Colombo.
Describing the visit as "constructive and successful", the senior official said that the consultations centred "on issues of mutual interest as is usual between the two close and friendly neighbours".
There has been no official public comment from either side about the unannounced two-day visit which began on Friday but there has been speculation that it was related to the country’s national issue. Sources said no sooner India’s national Security Advisor M. K. Narayanan, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh arrived here they had a discussion with an equally formidable team from Sri Lanka at the Defence Ministry. The Sri Lankan team comprised Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Presidential Advisor and MP Basil Rajapaksa and Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga.
A top government source said the latest discussions were a continuation of the close dialogue between the two countries on issues relevant to both countries. Late last year the same Lankan team that held discussions with the visiting Indian officials on Friday visited New Delhi and held similar high level discussions.
Following the exchange at the Defence Ministry between the two sides, the Indian officials also met heads of the security forces, the police and other top officials at a dinner hosted by the Central Bank Governor at the highly guarded Central Bank Headquarterss in Fort.
Sources said on Friday, the Indians also met Ceylon Workers’ Congress Leader and Minister Arumugam Thondaman. But Mr. Thondaman told The Sunday Times his meeting was merely a courtesy call and nothing more.
Yesterday, the visiting top bureaucrats had a breakfast meeting with EPDP Leader and Minister Douglas Devananda. Also present at the one-hour breakfast discussion had been Indian High CommissionerAlok Prasad and the Head of the Sri Lanka Desk in the Indian Foreign Ministry.Mr. Devananda said the visit of the Indian team had two objectives in his opinion. Firstly it was in connection with the forthcoming SAARC summit, which would be attended by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and secondly it was a firsthand fact-finding mission as to what was happening here. “I gave my view of the situation – the past, the present and the future and they gave me a patient hearing,” he said.
The EPDP leader said he told the Indian delegation that the Provincial Council system, which he had always insisted upon to serve the Tamil people,
had now been given a rebirth with the holding of the Eastern Province election and things were going forward in a practical way. The appointment of a
task force to develop the North, with him as its head, was the interim administration he had called for.“I asked for assistance to take the development process forward and they agreed to take serious note of my request”.
Mr. Devananda said “I may be the bridge between the North and the South and between India and Sri Lanka”.
At noon the Indian team met TNA parliamentary group leader R. Sambandan. The TNA leader is reported to have presented a long list of grievances.
These included displacement of tens of thousands of civilians in the nort, of civilian casualties by artillery fire and air strikes, extra judicial executions
and enforced disappearances.
Mr. Sambandan said the Indian officials listened to his case carefully. He said he had also spotlighted the increasing involvement of countries such as
Pakistan and China in Sri Lanka’s affairs and the image the government of Sri Lanka was creating that India was with them.
They had told him India would never let the Tamil people down, it was concerned with the wellbeing of the Tamil people and it saw the importance of
the permanent merger of the North and East.
India for political solution: Report
The high-powered Indian delegation led by National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan, which held talks with President Mahinda Rajapaksa
yesterday, expressed hope that Sri Lanka would find a political solution and eschew military solutions to the conflict in the north, the Hindustan Times quoted an Indian government official as saying.
"India hopes that Sri Lanka can find a peaceful solution to the ethnic conflict within the framework of united Sri Lanka, acceptable to all the communities. There are no military solutions," a senior Indian government official told Indian journalists in Colombo.
Describing the visit as "constructive and successful", the senior official said that the consultations centred "on issues of mutual interest as is usual between the two close and friendly neighbours".
===================Columns - Political Column ===================
Indian heavyweights here for what?
Sudden visit by top officials sparks speculation Focus on SAARC security but various other issues also taken up Govt. under intense pressure but divided opposition leaves people without options
By Our Political Editor
Indian heavyweights here for what?
Sudden visit by top officials sparks speculation Focus on SAARC security but various other issues also taken up Govt. under intense pressure but divided opposition leaves people without options
By Our Political Editor
A high-powered three-member delegation from India arrived in Colombo on Friday in a special Air Force flight. It comprised National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh.
If the visit was largely secretive, so were the wide ranging issues they discussed with both President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother, Defence Secretary, Lt. Col. (retd.) Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. No doubt, the immediate focus was on the upcoming South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) summit in Colombo at the end of July. This event, if successfully concluded, would confer the SAARC chair on Sri Lanka. In effect the mantle of reigning leader would then fall on President Rajapaksa.
It is no secret that for leaders participating in the SAARC summit, security concerns have been an issue of utmost importance. This is particularly in the wake of a string of bomb explosions by Tiger guerrillas in the City of Colombo and suburbs. That it came in the backdrop of an escalating separatist war is well-known. Added to that are reports of discoveries in different parts of the country of bombs and IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) before they were exploded. The fact that the guerrillas had a wider capability to trigger incidents in areas outside the theatres of conflict became a cause for serious security concern.
Most of these aspects were discussed with their local counterparts when a high-powered security team from New Delhi visited Colombo late last month. Earlier, the Government planned to have the SAARC summit in Kandy but later shifted the venue to Colombo. Among other matters, this was due to logistic problems that entailed heavy expenditure. In the light of this, the earlier Indian delegation also focused attention on the security environment for SAARC leaders when they adjourn to a retreat near Colombo after formal talks at the summit. The Indian team, according to Police sources, made a thorough study of areas where their Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, would travel and the venue of events where he would take
part. For this purpose, they took part in conferences held at Police Headquarters besides visiting some of the areas.
The high-powered three-member Indian team during their near 36-hour visit, The Sunday Times learned, not only discussed the upcoming SAARC summit but also a variety of other issues which have become subjects of serious concern for New Delhi. That the Congress-led Government had tasked three of its highest-ranking officials - two of them dealing with defence/security related issues and the other, on matters of foreign policy -- to
fly to Colombo to convey New Delhi's concerns assumes greater significance.
According to highly-placed sources, both in New Delhi and in Colombo, on the economic front, the Indian Government had been concerned about the ongoing tussle between the Government and the Lanka Indian Oil Company (LIOC). A ding-dong battle that has been going on behind-the-
scenes between the two sides became public on June 19. This was after Petroleum Resources Minister A.H.M. Fowzie threatened in Parliament to acquire all LIOC fuel stations.
This was because there was a heavy draw on stocks of diesel at state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) outlets. The CPC is selling a litre of diesel at Rs 120. However, LIOC fuel outlets are selling it at Rs 130 a litre. As a result, Fowzie declared, the CPC was suffering a loss of Rs 30 for every litre of diesel sold. He disclosed that he had informed the Indian company that the Government would take over their fuel stations "to cushion
the impact" of losses incurred by the CPC. According to Fowzie, from January to May, this year, the CPC had incurred a loss of Rs 14 billion due to global rise in crude oil prices.
Coupled together with his communication to LIOC bosses, Fowzie's ultimatum in Parliament to take over their fuel outlets, there is no gainsaying, is the official stance of the Government of Sri Lanka. The Minister responsible for Petroleum Resources had articulated that, firstly in private to the LIOC and thereafter publicly in Parliament. In New Delhi, where the news of the warning to LIOC was received, there was a different view. Officials
explained that LIOC was one of those who had invested millions of US dollars to provide encouragement to Sri Lanka Government's policy of
promoting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) governed the LIOC role in Sri Lanka and allowed the Indian company to function as a commercial entity
empowered to make price revisions. Hence, it was argued that directing unilateral threats to take over ran counter to encouraging the FDI policy and
would act as a deterrent even for others who had made a direct investment. Moreover, it was claimed that it contravened provisions of the MoU.
Another area of concern, according to sources in New Delhi, is the ongoing separatist war and its fallout in many areas. One of them has been the
influx of refugees into the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This and a number of other related matters have been the focal point of attention as the
Security Forces intensified their military campaign against the guerrillas. It is India's official position that there is no military solution to the ethnic
conflict. It has repeatedly held the view that a political settlement is the answer. In this regard officials in New Delhi have been drawing attention to the
All Party Representative Representative Committee (APRC), tasked to formulate a political solution. They note that despite assurances by Sri Lankan
leaders who visited New Delhi setting out deadlnes to formulate political proposals, the process has not moved forward.
It is in this backdrop that the Indian trio - Narayanan, Menon and Singh - met Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, for an hour-long meeting on
Friday. Also associated with the latter at the Ministry of Defence were Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the President and Basil Rajapaksa, MP who is
also Senior Advisor to the President. At the end of talks, the two sides adjourned to the MoD conference room. There, Army Commander Lt. Gen.
Sarath Fonseka gave them a presentation -- detailing out the ongoing military offensives that began with the troop re-capture of Mawil Aru anicut in
the Trincomalee district. After he withdrew, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda gave a briefing on the Navy's role in the ongoing military campaign.
Yesterday, the Indian delegation had a meeting with President Rajapaksa. Earlier, they also met leaders of Tamil political parties to obtain their views
on the current situation and explain the position of the Government of India. They also visited Kotte to see a memorial being completed just outside
the precincts of the Kotte-Sri Jayawardenapura parliamentary complex in memory of Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) troops who died in Sri
Lanka. The IPKF troops arrived in Sri Lanka in 1987 to oversee the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord under which the then Government and Tiger guerrillas agreed to a truce brokered by New Delhi.
The visit of the high-profile Indian delegation, at least officially, caught even the main opposition United National Party (UNP) by surprise. Its leader
Ranil Wickremesinghe was formally informed of their presence by Indian High Commission officials only after the team's arrival in Colombo on Friday.
That was ahead of Wickremesinghe chairing a meeting of the party's Political Affairs Committee at his office at Cambridge Terrace in Colombo.
However, barely two weeks ago, when Wickremesinghe was in New Delhi, he had meetings with both Narayanan and Menon. In addition he also
met with the leader of the main opposition in India, Bharatiya Janatha Party leader, L.K. Advani. The UNP Committee ratified a decision to name a one time Army Chief of Staff, Major General (retd.) Janaka Perera and Upul Sannasgala, an
educationist, as Chief Ministerial candidates for the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Councils respectively. Maj. Gen. (retd.) Perera, who
has a wide following in the Army, gave a briefing to the Committee on the ongoing military campaign. The retired Army officer is also to be named as
the UNP's defence spokesman.
As reported in these columns last week, there was a stormy session of the UNP Working Committee last Monday. Several seniors including Johnston
Fernando, Lakshman Seneviratne and Jayalath Jayawardena, were among those who wanted immediate party reforms. The party named two different
committees. One was to immediately address all grievances of party members. It comprised Joseph Michael Perera, Gamini Jayawickrema Perera,
John Ameratunga, Amara Piyaseeli Ratnayake, and Allick Aluvihare.
The second committee was tasked to carry out an immediate review of UNP organisers countrywide. It is headed by UNP Chairman Rukman
Senanayake and comprises Tissa Attanayake, S.B. Dissanayake, Ravindra Samaraweera, Ravi Karunanayake, Renuka Herath and Johnston
Fernando. With the UNP set to effect new reforms, the first test of strength for an "invigorated" opposition party would be the upcoming provincial
council elections.
However, in the meantime, Wickremesinghe is headed for an European tour beginning today. He will first visit Britain where he is scheduled to meet
the Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Lord Malloch Brown on June 27. Lord Brown is also expected to visit Sri Lanka later
next month on a familiarisation tour. Thereafter, Wickremesinghe will fly to Paris for a meeting of the International Democratic Union (IDU). A meeting with French President Nicholas Sarkozy and Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, is also on the cards. Ravi Karunanayake MP who is
overlooking matters relating to foreign affairs for the UNP accompanies Wickremesinghe.
Thus, the week's events show that for both the Government and the main opposition UNP, the pressures are numerous.
The threat issued to LIOC for the takeover of its string of fuel stations if they do not lower diesel prices has, no doubt, added one more straw to the
fledgling Indo-Lanka ties. The peace proposals New Delhi is awaiting has not yet arrived and the APRC process appears to have gone into limbo.
Refugees are flooding the shores of Tamil Nadu adding political pressure to the Central Government. Complaints from some leaders of Tamil political
parties, both to the Indian High Commission in Colombo and to New Delhi have been increasing. This is besides other issues like the mounting cost of
living and fears of impending fuel prices increases when substantial amounts of money are being diverted to the war effort. All this and other concerns
are worrying to the Government.
However, for the government, the biggest consolation lay in the fact that the Opposition is embroiled in its own crisis. The worse proportion it has
reached was reflected at the UNP Working Committee last Monday and at its Political Affairs Committee on Friday. They would have to put their
house in order early, at least before the upcoming provincial council elections. Therefore, it is the people who are caught between the Government and
the Opposition. The vast majority have shown how they have to react - by remaining silent. It is they who are caught, as the saying goes, between the
devil and the deep sea.
If the visit was largely secretive, so were the wide ranging issues they discussed with both President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother, Defence Secretary, Lt. Col. (retd.) Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. No doubt, the immediate focus was on the upcoming South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) summit in Colombo at the end of July. This event, if successfully concluded, would confer the SAARC chair on Sri Lanka. In effect the mantle of reigning leader would then fall on President Rajapaksa.
It is no secret that for leaders participating in the SAARC summit, security concerns have been an issue of utmost importance. This is particularly in the wake of a string of bomb explosions by Tiger guerrillas in the City of Colombo and suburbs. That it came in the backdrop of an escalating separatist war is well-known. Added to that are reports of discoveries in different parts of the country of bombs and IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) before they were exploded. The fact that the guerrillas had a wider capability to trigger incidents in areas outside the theatres of conflict became a cause for serious security concern.
Most of these aspects were discussed with their local counterparts when a high-powered security team from New Delhi visited Colombo late last month. Earlier, the Government planned to have the SAARC summit in Kandy but later shifted the venue to Colombo. Among other matters, this was due to logistic problems that entailed heavy expenditure. In the light of this, the earlier Indian delegation also focused attention on the security environment for SAARC leaders when they adjourn to a retreat near Colombo after formal talks at the summit. The Indian team, according to Police sources, made a thorough study of areas where their Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, would travel and the venue of events where he would take
part. For this purpose, they took part in conferences held at Police Headquarters besides visiting some of the areas.
The high-powered three-member Indian team during their near 36-hour visit, The Sunday Times learned, not only discussed the upcoming SAARC summit but also a variety of other issues which have become subjects of serious concern for New Delhi. That the Congress-led Government had tasked three of its highest-ranking officials - two of them dealing with defence/security related issues and the other, on matters of foreign policy -- to
fly to Colombo to convey New Delhi's concerns assumes greater significance.
According to highly-placed sources, both in New Delhi and in Colombo, on the economic front, the Indian Government had been concerned about the ongoing tussle between the Government and the Lanka Indian Oil Company (LIOC). A ding-dong battle that has been going on behind-the-
scenes between the two sides became public on June 19. This was after Petroleum Resources Minister A.H.M. Fowzie threatened in Parliament to acquire all LIOC fuel stations.
This was because there was a heavy draw on stocks of diesel at state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) outlets. The CPC is selling a litre of diesel at Rs 120. However, LIOC fuel outlets are selling it at Rs 130 a litre. As a result, Fowzie declared, the CPC was suffering a loss of Rs 30 for every litre of diesel sold. He disclosed that he had informed the Indian company that the Government would take over their fuel stations "to cushion
the impact" of losses incurred by the CPC. According to Fowzie, from January to May, this year, the CPC had incurred a loss of Rs 14 billion due to global rise in crude oil prices.
Coupled together with his communication to LIOC bosses, Fowzie's ultimatum in Parliament to take over their fuel outlets, there is no gainsaying, is the official stance of the Government of Sri Lanka. The Minister responsible for Petroleum Resources had articulated that, firstly in private to the LIOC and thereafter publicly in Parliament. In New Delhi, where the news of the warning to LIOC was received, there was a different view. Officials
explained that LIOC was one of those who had invested millions of US dollars to provide encouragement to Sri Lanka Government's policy of
promoting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) governed the LIOC role in Sri Lanka and allowed the Indian company to function as a commercial entity
empowered to make price revisions. Hence, it was argued that directing unilateral threats to take over ran counter to encouraging the FDI policy and
would act as a deterrent even for others who had made a direct investment. Moreover, it was claimed that it contravened provisions of the MoU.
Another area of concern, according to sources in New Delhi, is the ongoing separatist war and its fallout in many areas. One of them has been the
influx of refugees into the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This and a number of other related matters have been the focal point of attention as the
Security Forces intensified their military campaign against the guerrillas. It is India's official position that there is no military solution to the ethnic
conflict. It has repeatedly held the view that a political settlement is the answer. In this regard officials in New Delhi have been drawing attention to the
All Party Representative Representative Committee (APRC), tasked to formulate a political solution. They note that despite assurances by Sri Lankan
leaders who visited New Delhi setting out deadlnes to formulate political proposals, the process has not moved forward.
It is in this backdrop that the Indian trio - Narayanan, Menon and Singh - met Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, for an hour-long meeting on
Friday. Also associated with the latter at the Ministry of Defence were Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the President and Basil Rajapaksa, MP who is
also Senior Advisor to the President. At the end of talks, the two sides adjourned to the MoD conference room. There, Army Commander Lt. Gen.
Sarath Fonseka gave them a presentation -- detailing out the ongoing military offensives that began with the troop re-capture of Mawil Aru anicut in
the Trincomalee district. After he withdrew, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda gave a briefing on the Navy's role in the ongoing military campaign.
Yesterday, the Indian delegation had a meeting with President Rajapaksa. Earlier, they also met leaders of Tamil political parties to obtain their views
on the current situation and explain the position of the Government of India. They also visited Kotte to see a memorial being completed just outside
the precincts of the Kotte-Sri Jayawardenapura parliamentary complex in memory of Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) troops who died in Sri
Lanka. The IPKF troops arrived in Sri Lanka in 1987 to oversee the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord under which the then Government and Tiger guerrillas agreed to a truce brokered by New Delhi.
The visit of the high-profile Indian delegation, at least officially, caught even the main opposition United National Party (UNP) by surprise. Its leader
Ranil Wickremesinghe was formally informed of their presence by Indian High Commission officials only after the team's arrival in Colombo on Friday.
That was ahead of Wickremesinghe chairing a meeting of the party's Political Affairs Committee at his office at Cambridge Terrace in Colombo.
However, barely two weeks ago, when Wickremesinghe was in New Delhi, he had meetings with both Narayanan and Menon. In addition he also
met with the leader of the main opposition in India, Bharatiya Janatha Party leader, L.K. Advani. The UNP Committee ratified a decision to name a one time Army Chief of Staff, Major General (retd.) Janaka Perera and Upul Sannasgala, an
educationist, as Chief Ministerial candidates for the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Councils respectively. Maj. Gen. (retd.) Perera, who
has a wide following in the Army, gave a briefing to the Committee on the ongoing military campaign. The retired Army officer is also to be named as
the UNP's defence spokesman.
As reported in these columns last week, there was a stormy session of the UNP Working Committee last Monday. Several seniors including Johnston
Fernando, Lakshman Seneviratne and Jayalath Jayawardena, were among those who wanted immediate party reforms. The party named two different
committees. One was to immediately address all grievances of party members. It comprised Joseph Michael Perera, Gamini Jayawickrema Perera,
John Ameratunga, Amara Piyaseeli Ratnayake, and Allick Aluvihare.
The second committee was tasked to carry out an immediate review of UNP organisers countrywide. It is headed by UNP Chairman Rukman
Senanayake and comprises Tissa Attanayake, S.B. Dissanayake, Ravindra Samaraweera, Ravi Karunanayake, Renuka Herath and Johnston
Fernando. With the UNP set to effect new reforms, the first test of strength for an "invigorated" opposition party would be the upcoming provincial
council elections.
However, in the meantime, Wickremesinghe is headed for an European tour beginning today. He will first visit Britain where he is scheduled to meet
the Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Lord Malloch Brown on June 27. Lord Brown is also expected to visit Sri Lanka later
next month on a familiarisation tour. Thereafter, Wickremesinghe will fly to Paris for a meeting of the International Democratic Union (IDU). A meeting with French President Nicholas Sarkozy and Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, is also on the cards. Ravi Karunanayake MP who is
overlooking matters relating to foreign affairs for the UNP accompanies Wickremesinghe.
Thus, the week's events show that for both the Government and the main opposition UNP, the pressures are numerous.
The threat issued to LIOC for the takeover of its string of fuel stations if they do not lower diesel prices has, no doubt, added one more straw to the
fledgling Indo-Lanka ties. The peace proposals New Delhi is awaiting has not yet arrived and the APRC process appears to have gone into limbo.
Refugees are flooding the shores of Tamil Nadu adding political pressure to the Central Government. Complaints from some leaders of Tamil political
parties, both to the Indian High Commission in Colombo and to New Delhi have been increasing. This is besides other issues like the mounting cost of
living and fears of impending fuel prices increases when substantial amounts of money are being diverted to the war effort. All this and other concerns
are worrying to the Government.
However, for the government, the biggest consolation lay in the fact that the Opposition is embroiled in its own crisis. The worse proportion it has
reached was reflected at the UNP Working Committee last Monday and at its Political Affairs Committee on Friday. They would have to put their
house in order early, at least before the upcoming provincial council elections. Therefore, it is the people who are caught between the Government and
the Opposition. The vast majority have shown how they have to react - by remaining silent. It is they who are caught, as the saying goes, between the
devil and the deep sea.
Not Correct
19 Jun, 2008 05:21:17
Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar ports not to 'encircle' India:
Chinese ambassadorHONG KONG, June 18, 2008 (AFP) - China has no plans to try and dominate the shipping lanes of the Indian Ocean, its ambassador to India said
in Hong Kong Wednesday.
"We don't have such an intention to establish a chain to encircle India," said ambassador Zhang Yan at a lunch held by the Asia Society in Hong Kong.
"It's not in China's interest to undertake this kind of strategic move. We see India as our partner," he said, adding the speculation on a China policy of
encirclement was "unfounded."
China's recent decision to build ports in Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka has raised suspicion among Indian authorities that it is trying to assert
greater control over the important shipping lanes around Asia.
Thousands of Chinese-flagged ships pass through the waters around India every year, laden with goods destined for the lucrative European market.
Zhang added that China does not protect the commercial trips with a military presence and there are no plans to do so.
"We at this stage don't feel there is a need to send a navy ship to accompany our commercial ships in the area," he said.
India's distrust of China has increased in recent years, despite the strengthening commercial relationship between the two
emerging Asian giants. The two countries are still locked in a border dispute which triggered a brief but bloody war 46 years ago, although their
diplomatic relationship has improved in recent years.
in Hong Kong Wednesday.
"We don't have such an intention to establish a chain to encircle India," said ambassador Zhang Yan at a lunch held by the Asia Society in Hong Kong.
"It's not in China's interest to undertake this kind of strategic move. We see India as our partner," he said, adding the speculation on a China policy of
encirclement was "unfounded."
China's recent decision to build ports in Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka has raised suspicion among Indian authorities that it is trying to assert
greater control over the important shipping lanes around Asia.
Thousands of Chinese-flagged ships pass through the waters around India every year, laden with goods destined for the lucrative European market.
Zhang added that China does not protect the commercial trips with a military presence and there are no plans to do so.
"We at this stage don't feel there is a need to send a navy ship to accompany our commercial ships in the area," he said.
India's distrust of China has increased in recent years, despite the strengthening commercial relationship between the two
emerging Asian giants. The two countries are still locked in a border dispute which triggered a brief but bloody war 46 years ago, although their
diplomatic relationship has improved in recent years.
Oil Row
19 Jun, 2008 19:56:07
Sri Lanka Indian Oil unit faces sanctions over pricingJune 19, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has ordered a local unit of Indian Oil Corporation to sell diesel on par with state-run Ceylon Petroleum
Corporation or face sanctions, after the Indian firm raised diesel prices in response to a new tax.
Lanka IOC raised the price of diesel by 20 rupees to 130 rupees a litre, after the government slapped a special import customs duty on petrol in late
May, which is sold at a massive profit by the two fuel retailers in the island. Lanka IOC imports all its diesel and petrol, while CPC refines half of its products within the country. As a result CPC does not have to pay the duty
on all its petrol.
"They [government] have given an advice through a letter, to sell products on par with CPC," Lanka IOC managing director R Ramakrishnan told LBO.
"We can do that if that custom import duty is removed. We need a level playing field."
Sri Lanka's petroleum minister A H M Fowzie had written to the firm that it would face unspecified sanctions if prices were not brought on par with
that of CPC, he said.
Fowzie also told parliament Thursday that he may appropriate fuel outlets sold to Lanka IOC if the firm continued to sell diesel at a higher price,
media reports said.
Lanka IOC entered Sri Lanka by taking over 100 fuel stations previously owned by CPC as well as a third stake in a common user facility.
Lanka IOC sells about 28 million litres of diesel a month and 15 million litres of petrol. Petroleum utilities fleece petrol users and use the money to
cross-subsidize diesel in a process that is increasingly coming under fire as an unfair trading practice.
Government officials said earlier that a customs duty on imported petrol was imposed because Lanka IOC did not sell kerosene at a government stipulated price which is also below cost.
The import duty on petrol costs Lanka IOC an extra 24.50 rupees a litre, when surcharges, value added tax and other levies were added, Ramakrishnan said.
Two weeks ago Lanka IOC raised diesel by 20 rupees a litre saying the customs duty on petrol took away the profits that it was using to cross- subsidize diesel. Its customers then shifted to CPC increasing the losses of the state-run retailer, which has more than two-thirds of the island's fuel market.
Lanka IOC was promised a 5 percent margin on fuel sales when it entered the country, but was later asked to sell fuel below cost on the promise of government subsidies.
The subsidies were withdrawn in 2006, and the government said retailers were free to price within a 1.5 percent profit margin.
Corporation or face sanctions, after the Indian firm raised diesel prices in response to a new tax.
Lanka IOC raised the price of diesel by 20 rupees to 130 rupees a litre, after the government slapped a special import customs duty on petrol in late
May, which is sold at a massive profit by the two fuel retailers in the island. Lanka IOC imports all its diesel and petrol, while CPC refines half of its products within the country. As a result CPC does not have to pay the duty
on all its petrol.
"They [government] have given an advice through a letter, to sell products on par with CPC," Lanka IOC managing director R Ramakrishnan told LBO.
"We can do that if that custom import duty is removed. We need a level playing field."
Sri Lanka's petroleum minister A H M Fowzie had written to the firm that it would face unspecified sanctions if prices were not brought on par with
that of CPC, he said.
Fowzie also told parliament Thursday that he may appropriate fuel outlets sold to Lanka IOC if the firm continued to sell diesel at a higher price,
media reports said.
Lanka IOC entered Sri Lanka by taking over 100 fuel stations previously owned by CPC as well as a third stake in a common user facility.
Lanka IOC sells about 28 million litres of diesel a month and 15 million litres of petrol. Petroleum utilities fleece petrol users and use the money to
cross-subsidize diesel in a process that is increasingly coming under fire as an unfair trading practice.
Government officials said earlier that a customs duty on imported petrol was imposed because Lanka IOC did not sell kerosene at a government stipulated price which is also below cost.
The import duty on petrol costs Lanka IOC an extra 24.50 rupees a litre, when surcharges, value added tax and other levies were added, Ramakrishnan said.
Two weeks ago Lanka IOC raised diesel by 20 rupees a litre saying the customs duty on petrol took away the profits that it was using to cross- subsidize diesel. Its customers then shifted to CPC increasing the losses of the state-run retailer, which has more than two-thirds of the island's fuel market.
Lanka IOC was promised a 5 percent margin on fuel sales when it entered the country, but was later asked to sell fuel below cost on the promise of government subsidies.
The subsidies were withdrawn in 2006, and the government said retailers were free to price within a 1.5 percent profit margin.
When a visit assumes invasion proportions
Friday's visit by a high-powered Indian delegation has caused imagination of many to run riot in diplomatic, political and media circles. It is being given different interpretations. Some observers have claimed India has sent a strong message to the Sri Lanka
government that no military solution should be attempted for the conflict and human rights violations must cease forthwith. Others are of the opinion
that the Indian troika consisting of National Security Advisor M. K. Narayan, Foreign Secretary Shivashankar Menon and Defence Secretary Vijay
Singh was here on a SAARC related mission. The government has chosen to remain tight-lipped while implying that what they were here for was
nothing more than a consultative meeting.
If there had been some message––strong or otherwise––that New Delhi wanted to convey to Colombo, it could have been sent more easily without
its top officials being made to exert themselves. India has, as is well known, her own way of sending messages. In 1987, its message came in the form
of a parippu drop from heavens. Colombo and New Delhi are only a telephone call away or, in the alternative, there is always Sri Lanka's man at the
other end to run errands for the two governments. Meetings the Indian delegation had with Minister Arumugam Thondaman, TNA leader R.
Sambandan and other Tamil politicians were only customary and courteous in nature. Why should Indian top guns land here to meet such lesser
minions? New Delhi can easily send for them and they will go running across the Palk Straits for an audience with Indian leaders.
The visit at issue, if read against the spin, was in response to an invitation extended by a top level Sri Lankan delegation including Defence Secretary
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa sometime ago during a visit to India. What was of significance was its timing. It happened at a time when the war had taken a
decisive turn which, in the opinion of some commentators, harks back to Operation Liberation (1987), during which India intervened to rescue
Prabhakaran, who was trapped in Vadamarachchi.
India has no reason to oppose the on-going war to defeat the LTTE and implement the 13th Amendment. For, that exactly was what India was trying
to accomplish by the time the IPKF was asked to pull out. The Rajapaksa government has reaffirmed its commitment to the implementation of the
Indian remedy. It has already set up the Eastern PC and made it work. India may only want to goad President Rajapaksa into honouring his pledge in
full and to assuage fears that Tamil Nadu may have of the safety of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka so that the LTTE supporters like Vaiko won't have an
opportunity to exploit them and the relations between the Central government and its Tamil Nadu allies won't be strained..
R. Swaminathan has referred to India's sensitivities and predicament vis-à-vis Sri Lanka's conflict in an article reproduced in this paper today: India
cannot easily shrug off her moral responsibility to support the aspiration of the Tamils to be 'equal' citizens of Sri Lanka. However, India has
consistently been opposed to the carving out of a separate sovereign state of Tamil Eelam. Such an entity is unlikely to function as a classical 'buffer
state', but is more likely to have the potential of becoming a focus for pan-Tamil parochialism and nationalism. That this is not a hypothetical fear is
shown by a recent appeal by LTTE political wing leader B. Nadesan, made directly to the people of Tamil Nadu, "to rise in solidarity with our cause".
He said that the "Tamils in Tamil Nadu should not remain silent spectators as we suffer. … Eelam Tamils could record Himalayan victories if they had
an upsurge in Tamil Nadu in their support, as well as the backing of the estimated 80 million Tamils living in the world." If LTTE could make such an
open call for the Tamils of Tamil Nadu to revolt against the Indian State and the elected governments in Tamil Nadu and at the Centre, when it is still
on the defensive and is in need of support, what could one expect from it if and when it becomes the power-holder in the sovereign state of Tamil
Eelam?
Prabhakaran's heroes' day speech last year may also have given India a scare, as in it he lamented the fact that there were 80 million stateless Tamils
scattered all over the world. India cannot be unaware that a separate state in a tiny country like Sri Lanka, encompassing only two provinces is not big
enough to accommodate even a faction of that number of Tamils and a greater Eelam including some parts of India will have to be carved out for that
purpose.
India may have managed to shift the focus of Tamil separatism which underpinned the thinking of the likes of MGR from Tamil Nadu to the North and
East of Sri Lanka through the creation of separatist terrorism here but after nearly a quarter century there have emerged signs of the monster wanting
to go back home to roost, if the pronouncements by the LTTE leaders are any indication. Therefore, the moment of truth has come for India. It has
had to make a decision as to what to do with the monster.
India certainly does not mind the monster being slain––a task that she couldn't accomplish––but certainly does not want blood on her hands. Nor
does she want her interests jeopardised. India only wants to enjoy the benefits of war against the Tigers without taking the blame for its consequences,
especially the collateral damage just as some upasakas consume meat here, while condemning destruction of life and blaming it on others.
So, it is highly unlikely that India will want to throw a monkey wrench in the works at a time when Sri Lanka's war on terror has reached a critical phase and a beleaguered Prabhakaran, who killed Rajiv and turned his back on his creator, is struggling for survival.
She will be happy with the full implementation of her remedy and the installation of Tamil leaders at the helm of the Northern and the Eastern PCs, willing to do her bidding.
That is something India cannot dream of achieving so long as Prabhakaran and his outfit remain powerful.
The Island Editorial230608
government that no military solution should be attempted for the conflict and human rights violations must cease forthwith. Others are of the opinion
that the Indian troika consisting of National Security Advisor M. K. Narayan, Foreign Secretary Shivashankar Menon and Defence Secretary Vijay
Singh was here on a SAARC related mission. The government has chosen to remain tight-lipped while implying that what they were here for was
nothing more than a consultative meeting.
If there had been some message––strong or otherwise––that New Delhi wanted to convey to Colombo, it could have been sent more easily without
its top officials being made to exert themselves. India has, as is well known, her own way of sending messages. In 1987, its message came in the form
of a parippu drop from heavens. Colombo and New Delhi are only a telephone call away or, in the alternative, there is always Sri Lanka's man at the
other end to run errands for the two governments. Meetings the Indian delegation had with Minister Arumugam Thondaman, TNA leader R.
Sambandan and other Tamil politicians were only customary and courteous in nature. Why should Indian top guns land here to meet such lesser
minions? New Delhi can easily send for them and they will go running across the Palk Straits for an audience with Indian leaders.
The visit at issue, if read against the spin, was in response to an invitation extended by a top level Sri Lankan delegation including Defence Secretary
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa sometime ago during a visit to India. What was of significance was its timing. It happened at a time when the war had taken a
decisive turn which, in the opinion of some commentators, harks back to Operation Liberation (1987), during which India intervened to rescue
Prabhakaran, who was trapped in Vadamarachchi.
India has no reason to oppose the on-going war to defeat the LTTE and implement the 13th Amendment. For, that exactly was what India was trying
to accomplish by the time the IPKF was asked to pull out. The Rajapaksa government has reaffirmed its commitment to the implementation of the
Indian remedy. It has already set up the Eastern PC and made it work. India may only want to goad President Rajapaksa into honouring his pledge in
full and to assuage fears that Tamil Nadu may have of the safety of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka so that the LTTE supporters like Vaiko won't have an
opportunity to exploit them and the relations between the Central government and its Tamil Nadu allies won't be strained..
R. Swaminathan has referred to India's sensitivities and predicament vis-à-vis Sri Lanka's conflict in an article reproduced in this paper today: India
cannot easily shrug off her moral responsibility to support the aspiration of the Tamils to be 'equal' citizens of Sri Lanka. However, India has
consistently been opposed to the carving out of a separate sovereign state of Tamil Eelam. Such an entity is unlikely to function as a classical 'buffer
state', but is more likely to have the potential of becoming a focus for pan-Tamil parochialism and nationalism. That this is not a hypothetical fear is
shown by a recent appeal by LTTE political wing leader B. Nadesan, made directly to the people of Tamil Nadu, "to rise in solidarity with our cause".
He said that the "Tamils in Tamil Nadu should not remain silent spectators as we suffer. … Eelam Tamils could record Himalayan victories if they had
an upsurge in Tamil Nadu in their support, as well as the backing of the estimated 80 million Tamils living in the world." If LTTE could make such an
open call for the Tamils of Tamil Nadu to revolt against the Indian State and the elected governments in Tamil Nadu and at the Centre, when it is still
on the defensive and is in need of support, what could one expect from it if and when it becomes the power-holder in the sovereign state of Tamil
Eelam?
Prabhakaran's heroes' day speech last year may also have given India a scare, as in it he lamented the fact that there were 80 million stateless Tamils
scattered all over the world. India cannot be unaware that a separate state in a tiny country like Sri Lanka, encompassing only two provinces is not big
enough to accommodate even a faction of that number of Tamils and a greater Eelam including some parts of India will have to be carved out for that
purpose.
India may have managed to shift the focus of Tamil separatism which underpinned the thinking of the likes of MGR from Tamil Nadu to the North and
East of Sri Lanka through the creation of separatist terrorism here but after nearly a quarter century there have emerged signs of the monster wanting
to go back home to roost, if the pronouncements by the LTTE leaders are any indication. Therefore, the moment of truth has come for India. It has
had to make a decision as to what to do with the monster.
India certainly does not mind the monster being slain––a task that she couldn't accomplish––but certainly does not want blood on her hands. Nor
does she want her interests jeopardised. India only wants to enjoy the benefits of war against the Tigers without taking the blame for its consequences,
especially the collateral damage just as some upasakas consume meat here, while condemning destruction of life and blaming it on others.
So, it is highly unlikely that India will want to throw a monkey wrench in the works at a time when Sri Lanka's war on terror has reached a critical phase and a beleaguered Prabhakaran, who killed Rajiv and turned his back on his creator, is struggling for survival.
She will be happy with the full implementation of her remedy and the installation of Tamil leaders at the helm of the Northern and the Eastern PCs, willing to do her bidding.
That is something India cannot dream of achieving so long as Prabhakaran and his outfit remain powerful.
The Island Editorial230608
"We respects Sri Lanka's sovereignty and territorial integrity" - Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister
Thursday, 19 June 2008 Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Raymond Johansen has stressed that policies guiding their engagement with Sri Lanka remain firm and will not
change.
In light of the recent public debate about Norwegian policy towards Sri Lanka, the Deputy Norwegian Minister in a statement said Norway is fully
committed to assisting Sri Lanka in finding a solution to the national conflict, while respecting the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Norwegian government had to issue this statement after a Norwegian ruling party Councillor had stated during a pro LTTE rally that the Tamil
people deserve a free and independent country. The pro LTTE website had attacked all Western countries and India who are making statements
supportive of Sri Lanka's sovereignty.
Meanwhile political analysts point out that although the Government of Norway facilitated six rounds of 'peace talks' between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, the LTTE continued to violate provisions stipulated in the agreements including killing civilians, depriving the rights of Tamil civilians lived in the non-liberated areas, and smuggled weapons into the country, forcing the Government of Sri Lanka to abrogate the Ceasefire Agreement that Norway brokered between the two parties.
The Government of Sri Lanka has categorically announced that the LTTE should first disarm as a non-negotiable pre-condition for future talks aimed at resolving the conflict.
change.
In light of the recent public debate about Norwegian policy towards Sri Lanka, the Deputy Norwegian Minister in a statement said Norway is fully
committed to assisting Sri Lanka in finding a solution to the national conflict, while respecting the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Norwegian government had to issue this statement after a Norwegian ruling party Councillor had stated during a pro LTTE rally that the Tamil
people deserve a free and independent country. The pro LTTE website had attacked all Western countries and India who are making statements
supportive of Sri Lanka's sovereignty.
Meanwhile political analysts point out that although the Government of Norway facilitated six rounds of 'peace talks' between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, the LTTE continued to violate provisions stipulated in the agreements including killing civilians, depriving the rights of Tamil civilians lived in the non-liberated areas, and smuggled weapons into the country, forcing the Government of Sri Lanka to abrogate the Ceasefire Agreement that Norway brokered between the two parties.
The Government of Sri Lanka has categorically announced that the LTTE should first disarm as a non-negotiable pre-condition for future talks aimed at resolving the conflict.
Note:Highlights ENB Eds.
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