UKTamilNews.com

Devolution under 13th Amendment insufficient

Tamil and Muslim Parties that met in Zurich, Switzerland last week want the Government to go beyond the 13th Amendment to meet the aspirations of the Tamil-speaking people in the country.

The 13 political parties that met during the three-day conference titled, ‘The role of the elected representatives of Sri Lanka’s Tamil and Muslim population in a process of national reconciliation, reconstruction and reform’, discussed ways and means of resolving the problems faced by the minorities and eventually issued a joint statement and decided to meet for a further round of discussion…….

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/091129/News/nws_15.html

That ‘Historic Meeting’ in Zurich…

The joint statement issued by the Tamil and Muslim parties at the conclusion of the three-day conference held in Zurich, Switzerland from November 20 and 22, described the event as a ‘historic meeting’.

That particular phrase was no exaggeration for the conclave was indeed a first of its kind. In the past, it had never been possible for anyone to muster such a vast number of minority parties including the erstwhile ‘Tiger-proxy’ Tamil National Alliance at a single venue to discuss issues of notable political significance…………

http://www.lakbimanews.lk/special/spe6.htm

by eelamranjan

Thesiya Ninaivueluchi Naal – 27 November 2009

Thesiya Ninaivueluchi Naal 2009 (UK)

Friday, 27 November from 11am – 6pm

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Please plan in advance to take leave from work, school, college etc…  

Please visit http://tnrf.co.uk/ for further details

(continue reading…)

UN Undersecretary John Holmes visited Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya. Reintegration of refugees continues to be slow and even those who have returned home are living without basic services and assistance necessary to resume a normal life. Tomorrow’s meeting with President Rajapaksa. 

Colombo (AsiaNews) – There are still 163 thousand Tamil refugees from war, forced to live in refugee camps in northern Sri Lanka. This is what the report of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says, issued during the visit to the island of John Holmes (photo), Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs at the UN Headquarters……… (continue reading…)

Buddhist organisation to conduct a music festival on 27th November

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 November 2009, 03:18 GMT]
Norway is up to appease Colombo as the Tamil Tigers are out of the picture and the only way to do this is abetting Colombo’s discrimination of Tamils in the line of Iran, Burma and China, writes Professor Øivind Fuglerud of the University of Oslo adding that a revealing cue comes from Norway insensitively sponsoring a Buddhist organisation to conduct a music festival on 27th November in Galle, timed to humiliate Tamils on the Heroes’ Day. Norway sat silently like a mouse in the final phase of the war. Now its ‘humanitarian’ aid helps the internment camps of captivity and death. In future Norway’s aid may be integral to Colombo’s military complex cum Buddhist temple infrastructure to dominate Tamil areas, he further says. Not surprisingly, Norway’s leading news agency, NTB, on Monday came out with biased reporting on the first ever democratically elected council of diaspora Tamils. (continue reading…)

Sunrise Radio News producer Geeta Aulakh, 28 found dead in Greenford road at 19.00 pm. Her hands was cut off.

A murder inquiry began earlier after Geeta Aulakh, 28, died from her injuries, which included a severed hand and a head wound. She was found in Braund Avenue, Greenford, west London, at 1900 GMT on Monday and died a few hours later.

Detectives want to talk to people who may have tried to administer first aid to Ms Aulakh before paramedics arrived. One line of inquiry is that she was attacked elsewhere and dumped on the pavement in Braund Avenue, at its junction with Verulam Road.

Det Ch Insp Andy Chalmers said: “When the victim was found we know that a lot of people were in the street and that several people may have tried to administer first aid before the police or ambulance arrived. “These people left the scene before speaking to police and I would ask that anyone who was there, or anyone else who has information about the incident, calls us in the strictest of confidence.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8365282.stm

It is six months since the end of the conflict in Sri Lanka but Tamil Tiger rebels and their supporters are yet to recover from the dramatic military defeat by security forces earlier this year.

The recent attempts by remnants of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) abroad to revive the movement have not succeeded so far. Now questions are being raised over the future of its international network and millions of dollars worth of assets spread across continents.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8347242.stm

The latest issue troubling the Government about the GSP+ facility is the appointment of Attorney General Mohan Peiris — deemed unconstitutional by the European Commission.

The October 19, 2009 Brussels datelined report of the Commission of European Communities under the title,  Findings of the investigations with respect of the effective implementation of certain human rights conventions in Sri Lanka states under Clause 30 on Page 12: “ The attorney general’s department is the chief legal advisor to the president and to all departments, ministries of the government and also to the state’s security forces and the police. The attorney general is the principal official who is responsible for authorizing prosecutions concerning serious offences and enjoys wide prosecutorial discretion. (continue reading…)

Buy and Return – A tactic

We know that Sri Lanka’s economic survival depends on exports of garments to the West, which accounts for a quarter of foreign currency earnings. We know that by linking employment of Sinhalese to the human rights of Tamils we can help secure a just future for our people. Given the snail pace of Diaspora organisations in Europe and Canada, how can we as individuals help cultivate this leverage?

Example

1. Buy goods marked as “made in Sri Lanka”.
2. IMPORTANT – Use credit card to make the purchase and check returns policy for the goods.
3. Within hours or days, return the goods with a short note:

“I am returning these goods because they are made in Sri Lanka. Rights groups, US and EU say Sri Lanka is violating the fundamental human rights of 300, 000 civilians detained in internment camps. I refuse to contribute to this crime against humanity.”

Note can be as short as one likes: what is important is that the store is aware of your reason as opposition to “made in Sri Lanka”.

Easy

There is no start or end time or a fixed date. Wife buys during her lunch break and returns on her way home; I buy one afternoon and return the other. How about putting aside 30 minutes during the weekly family shopping?

No need to stand in the cold or prepare placards. Half a dozen notes can be printed on an A4 paper or they can be hand written by the kids. For this tactic, photos and police permissions are unnecessary.

Effective

Why is this better than simply walking into a store and handing over a colourful leaflet quoting HRW, Amnesty and the lot?

Many of the retailers, at the purchasing decision making level, are already aware of Sri Lanka’s disregard for human rights. When the GSP+ debate was hot topic, for example, Britain’s Marks and Spencer went on record urging the scheme to be extended simply because its operating profits could be hurt.

What we need to do is get the message across to the retailers in a language they understand: by taking actions that affect their revenues and share prices.

One tactic is store front protests, as the anti-fur and Burma campaigns did. This requires effective and thought-led organisations. Unfortunately, we in the Tamil Diaspora are not blessed.

Buy and Return also hits the bottom-line for retailers, though many may be ill aware of this.

Most important to note is the merchant fee a retailer has to pay when a credit card is used for purchase. Currently, this is about 1.5% in UK, 1.75% in US and 2% in Canada and Europe. So, buy 200 dollars worth of goods at a Gap in Toronto, and you have already cost them four dollars. This fee is, of course, built into the price of the item. When it is returned, however, that fee is a loss for the retailer. And there is an additional reversal fee (charge back).

There are other operating costs involved in the sale of an item; all of which are built into the sale price. When items are returned, these are losses. Take for example the labour cost of staff processing the sale. Furthermore, when an item is returned there are additional costs associated with processing of the return and then re-introducing it into the supply chain.

So, when 200 dollars of goods are bought and returned, loss for Gap may well be more than 20 dollars. When done in sufficient numbers, that will hurt. Imagine 10, 000 people making a single 200 dollar return each per week: 200, 000 dollars loss in a single week.

The Gap has stores in US, Canada, UK and France. If well organised, we can have 50, 000 people returning 500 dollars worth of goods each week. Loss could be in excess of 2.5 million dollars. The Gap’s weekly global earnings are less than 20 million dollars. That means an effective Buy and Return campaign can shave profits by more than 15%; in other words, we can have the entire executive management fired.

Most retailers have strong quality control mechanisms to monitor returns; simply because of their financial impact. The best way to communicate with senior management is not via email or post: both will find a corner in the recycle bin. The notes with which goods are returned will reach store manager. If numbers are sufficient, they will reach area manager and even purchasing manager.

Global organisations have to source from same manufacturer for all countries. They can not afford to produce the same shirt in Sri Lanka for US market and in another country for Canada and UK markets. Though Tamil Diaspora may be concentrated in Canada and UK, we can have major impact on multinational retailers.

“Every Little Helps”

The slogan of a British retailer, Tesco, which is known to source garments of Sri Lanka, says a lot about what we need to do.

Rather than waiting for one of our organisations to advertise on radio and TV, we as individuals must think through this tactic and help implement it.

Each and every one of us has to be true to our conscience, set ourselves targets of amounts we want to buy and return every week.

We must also do our bit to communicate this tactic in all languages to all Tamils and friends of Tamils in all countries, so that the number of people participating can be maximum possible.

Success will come when Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Sinhala vote base marches down Colombo demanding the release of 300, 000 Tamils, including 50, 000 children, who are interned since May. If their livelihoods depend on it, they will. Our kins’ lives depend on it. But, will we?

The road to recovery for Sri Lanka begins with lifting the country’s emergency laws and opening IDP camps, France’s Human Rights Ambassador François Zimeray, who concluded a three day visit to the island today, said adding that Sri Lanka has a good opportunity to show the world it is a place of peace and prosperity.

Speaking to Daily Mirror Online, Ambassador Zimeray said that lifting the country’s emergency laws is the perfect way of showing the world Sri Lanka is democratic, free and respects the rule of law.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=67195

Sources from the Sri Lankan embassy in Washington said that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse had met with millionaire businessman in the US Raj Rajaratnam, who is accused of funding the LTTE, for lunch during his brief visit to the US last month and Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake had also participated in the meeting………

http://www.lankanewsweb.com/news/EN_2009_11_06_005.html