Thursday, June 18, 2009

Vanni TNA MP pours scorn over Prabhakaran Chelvanayagam

Vanni TNA MP pours scorn over Prabhakaran Chelvanayagam

Two Failed Tamil Leaders - Late  Prabhakaran and  Late S.J.V. Chelvanayakam

Two Failed Tamil Leaders - Late Prabhakaran and Late S.J.V. Chelvanayakam

Colombo, 18 June, (Asiantribune.com):

Vanni TNA Member of Parliament is the surprise addition to the growing tribe of leaders who are pouring scorn over Prabhakaran and Chelvanayagam The surge of surrender of erstwhile LTTE cadres is continuing. On Wednesday alone, 9,700 LTTE cadres surrendered to the Sri Lanka Army; they were moved to temporary camps set up at Rambaikkulam Girls School, Kovil Kadavai Hindu College, Technical College, Co-operative building (at Poonthoddam) and University building at Pambai Madu.

In an exclusive interview with the Asian Tribune, the MP Sivanathan Kishore dismissed the allegation that he had become a government lackey. ‘I have not joined the government. No I am not angling for any position in the government’, he candidly stated adding that his criticism of the LTTE chief was based on his first hand experience of the troubles and tribulations the Tamil people were subjected to keep one megalomaniac alive for long years. He declared that he would remain a member of the Tamil National Alliance until the next parliamentary election. He will support the government though.

‘Prabharan is a failed leader’, Kishore said by way of his assessment of the ‘fallen’ Tamil Hero. He held that the LTTE supremo who died of SL Army bullets rather than of the traditional cyanide pill, responsible for the death and destruction’s of the Tamils.

‘More than 20,000 Tamil youths died for him, to keep him (Prabhakaran) alive. He killed more than 25,000 innocent Tamil civilians. He chased away more than 100, 000 Tamil speaking Muslims from the North and they are languishing in temporary huts and camps in Puttalam for the last 18 years. He chased away the more than 10,000 Tamils of the Indian origin from Vanni and they are still in the Vavuniya camps’, Kishore said blaming the LTTE chief for the death of more than 10,000 innocent Tamils between January and May this year alone.

Vanni TNA Member of Parliament has no kind word for S.J.V. Chelvanayakam either.

‘Chelvanayagam may have struggled for the rights and aspirations of the Tamils through a democratic process for nearly 30 years but he was a failure’, said Kishore in reply to a question.

‘Chelvanayagam united Tamils politically but he had failed to deliver on his promise of securing for the Tamils their rights’.

About Prabhakaran, Kishore said, ‘He had held the Tamils together through threats, intimidation and chanting the mantra of Tamil Nationalism. His armed struggle has left nearly 300,000 Tamils on the road without a roof. The Tamil homeland became a myth in the end’.

Asked why he is supporting the Rajapaksa government, the TNA leader attributed his change of heart to the plight of Vanni people. ‘These Vanni people who had voted for me in the last general election are living in camps at the transitional villages. It is our topmost priority to resettle them. That is why I support the Government’s efforts to resettle them’.

Kishore recalled that in the last parliament session 14 TNA MPs did not attend Parliament. ‘They are all away from the country at present’. He and seven other TNA MPs attended the parliament session.

‘When the House took up for voting the resolution on extension of the Emergency, seven TNA MPs voted against the motion. But I abstained from voting. Because we have to resettle the 300,000 Tamils now quartered in the camps. To do this it is our duty to support the Government,’ the Vanni lawmaker said .

- Asian Tribune -

Monday, June 15, 2009

Dengue takes serious turn

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

The number of deaths from Dengue has risen to 127 by yesterday. Over 9,000 persons have been infected with dengue so far, a Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said.

He said this is the highest number of dengue deaths since 2000. In 2004, the highest number of dengue cases were reported and it was 15,463 but only 88 dengue deaths were reported in the same year. This year 52 deaths had been reported in May alone. Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Kurunegala, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Kegalle, Matale, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Puttalam have been identified by the Ministry as badly affected areas.

According to the spokesman dengue mosquitoes breed in clean and shallow water and even a cap of a bottle is adequate for them to breed.

http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/12/news12.asp


Political parties rallying round UPFA

by P. Krishnaswamy

Several Tamil and Muslim political parties are rallying round the ruling UPFA in the run up to the Vavuniya UC and Jaffna MC polls, which are expected to be held early next month, authoritative political sources said.

Polls to the two local government bodies are very significant in that they mark the beginning of the first phase of post conflict measures towards restoration of democracy and civil administration in the Northern province, the sources also told the Sunday Observer.

Nominations from political parties and independent groups contesting the two local government bodies will be received from June 18 - 25 (noon) and 18 booths for Vavuniya UC polls and 70 for the Jaffna MC polls will be set up while more booths, cluster or otherwise as may be deemed necessary, would be set up outside the peninsula for the nearly 20 percent IDPs in Vavuniya, Mannar, Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Gampaha, Kalutara and Colombo, the respective Assistant Commissioners of Elections clarified.

Application forms for voters who are now living in other places as IDPs to have themselves registered for voting at nearby cluster polling booths have already been issued. On receipt of all such applications, their number and the respective areas will be intimated to the Commissioner of Elections for him to determine the number of cluster polling booths or normal booths to be set up in closer vicinity.

Political parties and independent groups contesting the Vavuniya UC polls are required to nominate 15 candidates of whom six have to be in the age group of 18 - 35, Vavuniya Assistant Commissioner of Elections (ACE) A. S. Karunanidhi clarified. The number of registered voters is 24,626 and the number of members to be elected to the UC is eleven, he also said. The number of registered voters for the Jaffna MC is 100,417. The number of candidates to be nominated is 29 while the number to be elected is 23, ACE Guhadasan said. 10,126 of the registered voters are Muslim voters, he stated.

NICs, valid passports, elder's IC and valid Driving Licences or temporary ICs issued by Grama Niladharis and certified by the respective Divisional Secretaries/ACEs will be accepted as authentic document of identity. Ninety percent of the voters in Jaffna already possess valid ICs while applications to others for obtaining temporary ICs have already been issued, the Jaffna ACE said.

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2009/06/14/pol03.asp


Saturday, June 06, 2009

International Crisis Group pontificates

Walter JAYAWARDHANA

Alan Keenan of the International Crisis Group addressing members of Chatham House in London said giving immediate attention to Muslim refugees who were chased out of Jaffna in 1990 October is not appropriate.

Keenan was referring to nearly 100,000 Muslims chased out of Jaffna Peninsula in an act of ethnic cleansing by Velupillai Prabhakaran allowing them to carry only the equivalent of US $5 Sri Lanka money of their wealth and leaving the balance and other valuables, jewellery and real estate properties to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

He said he had been informed that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had informed that when Jaffna resettlements take place, those people should be given priority.

The International Crisis Group representative who belongs to a NGO that proposed foreign intervention in Sri Lanka through the dogma called R2P had been always involved in controversies regarding Sri Lanka.

The Muslims of Jaffna, who lost all their property and wealth to the LTTE were virtually turned to penury and some started living in Puttalam, a Muslim majority area in squalid conditions.

The horrible IDP crisis was completely ignored by the Western press.

Keenan did not describe why, the forcibly chased out refugees should be allowed to go back to their former homes just like the other refugees as the longest suffering category of refugees in Sri Lanka, on a priority basis. He, however said, some have found places to live on their own by now.

Speaking of the Eastern Province, he accused what he called Sinhalization. He did not mention even before the last war one third of the province was Sinhalese and during the years there had been a population shift of the Tamils in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

The crisis group representative did not show these facts to the audience. While there was no opposition shown against Tamils migrating to other provinces they were only against an alleged Sinhala migration to the Eastern Province. Under Sri Lanka Constitution people are free to live anywhere they wish to live.

Keenan accused the India produced 13th amendment is a confused document that did not devolve power but only delegated power. The power could be taken back , he charged.

In the Indian state governments, if power is abused, the state governments could be dissolved and the delegated power taken back by the Center.

 

 

International Crisis Group pontificates
Ceylon Daily News - Ceylon,Sri Lanka

 

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

SC annuls housing allocation

Wasantha Ramanayake

The Supreme Court yesterday annulled the decision to alienate 500 houses in Norochcholai, Deegawapiya since they were not duly made in terms of applicable laws.

The Court ordered the respondents to duly allocate the houses in terms of applicable laws and ordered the State to pay the petitioners a sum of Rs. 150,000 as compensation.

Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva PC delivering the judgment with rest of the Bench agreeing allowed the rights application filed by seven petitioners including Rev. Ellawala Medhanandha Thera and Chief Incumbent Nannapurawe Buddha Rakkitha Thera of Deegavaipiya Viharaya and observed that the rights of petitioners had been violated by the respondents decision to alienate 500 houses constructed by the government exclusively among the Muslim community, excluding the Sinhalese and the Tamils.

The Chief Justice noted that the recipients who were part to the application had not mentioned the procedure followed in getting the houses and the circular produced by the respondents in that connection also would not be acceptable.

President's Counsel Manohara de Silva with W.D. Weerarathne, Arinda Wijesurendra and Bandara Thalagune appeared for the petitioners.

Deputy Solicitor General Bimba Thilakaratne appeared for the respondents.

SC annuls housing allocation
Ceylon Daily News - Ceylon,Sri Lanka
The Supreme Court yesterday annulled the decision to alienate 500 houses in Norochcholai, Deegawapiya since they were not duly made in terms of applicable ...

 


 

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