Day: 3 September 2014

Mullaitivu family intimidated after British High Commissioner visit

Karu

A family in Mullaitivu were threatened by Sri Lankan military intelligence officers following a visit to their home by the British High Commissioner John Rankin. Rankin travelled to the Puthukkudiyiruppu region of Mullaitivu on Tuesday, to speak directly to Tamil families about the problems they faced. Following his visit intelligence officers arrived at the house and “threatened” the family, the Jaffna based newspaper, Uthayan, reports. The family was one of three households visited by the High Commissioner during his trip. The High Commissioner was told about a multitude of grievances faced by Tamils…

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Why Narendra Modi Wants Sri Lanka to Build on the 13th Amendment

Karu

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Astute Observers consistently following the erratic course of Sri Lankan Tamil politics were in for a pleasant surprise last week. The premier political representatives of the Sri Lankan Tamil people configured electorally as the Tamil National Alliance(TNA)embarked on a passage to India to meet the recently elected Prime minister Narendra Modi and key officials in New Delhi. The element of pleasant surprise in this exercise was due to the fact that a trip to New Delhi by the TNA was not expected to materialise until after the…

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Military intervention- British HC promised to solve the problem

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British High Commissioner(HC) John Ranking discusses with Vanni district parliamentarian Sivasakthi Anandan on families affected by the war. Parliamentarian briefed high commissioner on land acquisitions, disappeared persons, safety of political prisoners, rehabilitation for widow mothers and essential facilities for all former terrorists.High Commissioner listens to the parliamentarian and promised pay special attention on all these problems.High Commissioner was accompanied by his assistant. Northern Provincial Councilor Dr.C.Sivamohan also present at this meeting. During the time of discussion parliamentarian Sivasakthi Anandan brief about the resettling Sinhala people in Vanni district, constructing Buddhist…

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Narendra Modi’s BJP Govt Does a Volte face by Re-setting Policy on Sri Lanka in favour of Rajapaksa Regime.

Karu

BY SAM RAJAPPA There has been a reset in India’s Sri Lanka policy which is at variance with what Narendra Modi and Sushma Swaraj had stated in public in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha election. Addressing an election rally in Chennai on 13 April and another in Ramanathapuram on 17 April, Modi said that just as the Sri Lankan Navy targeted Tamil Nadu fishermen, Pakistan’s Navy attacked fishermen from Gujarat. The weak UPA government of Manmohan Singh had failed to protect these fishermen. If the BJP was voted to…

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Gota revealed as political advisor to Sajith!

Karu

Defence ministry secretary Nandasena Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is the political advisor to Sajith Premadasa, who is aspiring to become the deputy leader of the UNP, Rajapaksa has admitted in front of a UNP mayor  and several urban councillors of the party. Spending most of the time of the day in a bad temper, it was surprising for all to see Gotabhaya all smiles at a recent function, where he spoke to everyone present. He has gone to the mayor and the councillors of the UNP and chatted with them about political…

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Increased confidence is key says UK

Karu

I9ncreasing confidence between the local community and the civil administration is an important part of long-term reconciliation, the British High Commissioner to Colombo John Rakin said in a statement following a visit to the Puthukkudiyiruppu Police Station in the North. Rankin visited the Puthukkudiyiruppu Police Station to talk about the community policing programme, funded by the British High Commission, Colombo, which has made a difference to community-police relations in the area. “I was pleased to speak to both the police personnel and the local communities involved in this programme. They…

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Modi gave lesson to TNA on ‘collaborative politics’ says Devanand

Karu

“I hope that the Tamil National Alliance leaders who recently went to meet the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would listen to his advice, which is the same as our longstanding position on the resolution to the conflict, that one should start collaborating with the Sri Lankan Government on Northern Provincial Council,” said EPDP leader Douglas Devananda, who is also a minister in Rajapaksa regime. He was addressing the audience at the re-opening ceremony of Achchuveali Industrial Estate in Jaffna on Wednesday. The industrial estate has been rehabilitated with Indian…

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Karunanidhi leads TESO protest

Karu

The DMK appears to have softened its stand on the BJP government at the Centre over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, at least for now. Reposing faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi to find a solution to the problem, DMK president M. Karunanidhi said a united struggle would secure the Tamils true freedom and self-respect. ‘Modi can’ Addressing a demonstration-cum-rally under the auspices of the Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation (TESO) here on Wednesday, he said everyone felt that India had a Prime Minister capable of achieving what his predecessors could…

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Driving Muslims towards political racism

Karu

The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMK) have decided to contest the Uva Provincial Council Elections under one banner. They are fielding their candidates to the Badulla District under the Democratic Unity Alliance (DUA).Minister Rishad Bathiudeen (a former SLMC member) who leads the ACMC left the SLMC because of a conflict with the party and the leadership, but has now joined hands with Minister Rauff Hakeem. They claim that they have joined together for the betterment of the Muslim community and to raise one…

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Media phobia!

Karu

It was only last week that a Kalutara Urban Council member (UNP) demanded that the media be debarred from covering council meetings. He was incensed at newspaper reports that some councillors were planning to visit Bangkok at the ratepayers’ expense. Close on the heels of that incident, the Polgahawela Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) Chairman has declared his council premises out of bounds to journalists. He is resentful that questions that some PS members raised about the cost of repairs to his pick-up truck and the low quality of a stock of…

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Army presence unsettles Tamils: Varadaraja Perumal

Karu

The heavy presence of the army in the Tamil-speaking areas of Sri Lanka, after the cantonment system was introduced, has prompted fears among locals about Sinhalese settlement, the Leader of the Eelam Peoples’ Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and former Chief Minister of North-Eastern Province, A. Varadaraja Perumal, said on Tuesday. Talking to journalists here, he said that reducing the presence of the army would help the economy. Expenditure on security, accounting for one-third of the spending, was unnecessary, and the money could instead be used for education, health and roads.…

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CP salutes comrade Tampoe

Karu

The Communist Party of Sri Lanka yesterday expressed its grief over the sad news of comrade Bala Tampoe’s sudden passing away. It said in a media statement: “Bala, the veteran CMU leader inescapably falls into the category of the galaxy of our foremost pioneering trade union leaders of our country. Distinct from others, he was the longest surviving trade union leader, with an unblemished record, being relentlessly active till his death. “In the seven decades of his Trade Union career, he led many working class struggles including general strikes, Hartals…

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If and when Rajapaksas are out of office the West would take them before an “International jury” against War crimes.

Karu

By Nalin de Silva The TNA leaders have met the Indian Prime Minister in Delhi and the news media quoting the delegates who went to India claimed that India wants the Sri Lankan government to implement the 13th Amendment. Whether Indian leaders have made this statement, we do not know as there is no official communiqué from the Indian government on the discussions between the Indian Prime Minister and the TNA delegation, then it is not the first time India has come out with such statement. This is a “manthra”…

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