Will 58,000 IDPs be sent back to their native places before Presidential?

(October 15, Colombo - Lanka Polity) The delegation of Tamil Nadu 10-member parliamentarian that visited the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Tamil dominated Northern Province has informed the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi that Sri Lankan government has assured them 58,000 internally displaced Tamils in camps will be sent back to their native places in 15 days.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, who received the delegation at the Chennai airport on Wednesday evening, announced this, addressing a press conference later at his party headquarters, reported Hindu. The remaining Tamils would be returned gradually, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said.

To a question whether the Sinhalese would be settled in areas where Tamils lived traditionally, the Chief Minister replied that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had denied it.

However, the opposition parties in Tamil Nadu accused that the tour of the Indian parliamentary delegation was an eyewash. 

There are around 300,000 IDPs in refugee camps in the Northern Province. Sri Lanka government expects to hold an early Presidential in months, according to unconfirmed reports, and the ruling regime will be happy to keep the IDPs in camps where the opposition cannot campaign. Vote of the minority communities that account 24% of the country's population is crucial for a Presidential candidate to win. In 2005, the boycott led by the Tamil rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) paved way to narrow victory of current President Mahinda Rajapakse who was supported by the forces that were vehemently against a democratic solution to the ethnic problem.

(Photo: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi addresses the media in Chennai on Wednesday. With him are the MPs from Tamil Nadu who just returned from a visit to Sri Lanka.)

Sri Lankan origin German linked by government to Channel-4 execution video reveals crucial facts

(October 14, Colombo - Lanka Polity) A clarification by a Sri Lankan orgin German citizen sent to Sri Lanka Minister of Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe regarding a controversial video clip aired by UK's Channel-4 television and the incidents that followed it reveals some interesting facts. 

Sri Lanka's state and pro-Sinhala media linked Sri Lankan born Ranjith Hennayaka and his wife Ms. Lochbihler, a German politician with the video since the organization that gave the video to Channel-4 was located in a house belonged to them. Immediately, the relevant organization, Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS) issued a statement and said that they had no link with an organization run by Lochbihlers and the latter only provided the newly formed JDS to use their address temporarily.  

In August 2009, a video film showing some armed men summarily executing unarmed, naked victims, was aired by British television Channel 4. It was described that this killings happened in Sri Lanka, and was committed by the members of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. This video film was provided by the Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS), as it was reported by Channel 4.

Ranjith Hennayaka says, "This film drew immediate reaction from the Sri Lankan government in general and you in particular as the Minister of Human Rights and Disaster Management, as soon as it became public. While speaking in the Sri Lankan Parliament in mid of September you held me, my wife Barbara Lochbihler, who is a Member of the European Parliament, and the members of the International Network of Sri Lankan Diaspora e.V. (INSD) responsible for the distribution of this film. I herewith state, that we have not been involved at all in any way in acquiring or distributing this film to Channel 4 or any other media institutions. The responsibility of distributing this film purely lies with the JDS and they have issued a statement claiming responsibility and clarifying that the INSD and the persons connected to the INSD have nothing to do with it at all."

Hennayaka says that the address of the INSD was given to the JDS according to a request made by the latter, to use as a “c/o(care of)” address,  on a temporary basis, until they find a permanent address for their use. Interestingly, he adds "This is not very unusual, as many times in the past I had offered our address to Sri Lankans, whenever they were in need. For example when Mr. Godawatta, the private secretary to the then Minister of Labour, currently President Mahinda Rajapaksa, accompanied him to Geneva in the mid-90`s I offered him a similar help. He fell sick and got hospitalized. I registered him under my address in order to be able to get treatment."

Commenting on the accusations made by Sri Lankan newspaper ‘Divaina’ against him and his wife accusing that they have been supporters of the LTTE and involved in various other crimes, Hennayaka says, "These wrong accusations, manufactured mainly by the journalist KeerthiWarnakulasuriya in Divaina newspaper, started since I organised a study tour for Sri Lankan parliamentarians to Europe to study different federal systems and models for autonomy, with the intention of helping to find a political solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka. This tour took place in January 2003 and visits were made to Belgium, Germany, Austria and Italy. Amongst others the following persons participated and most of them are currently serving as parliament members and some as even ministers: Mr. Sarath Amunugama, Mr. Nimal Siripala de Silva, Mr. John Senevirathna, Mrs. Ferial Ashraff, Mr. P. Candrasekaran, Mr. Rishad Bathurdeen, Mr. Ramaiyah Yogarajan, Mr. Jayalath Jayawardana, Mr. Kabir Hashim, Mr. H.M.H. Harees, Mr. Dr. Thideer Thoufeek and Ven. Baddegama Samitha Thero."

He appeals the Minister of Human Rights to take the necessary steps to rectify these wrong accusations while sincerely hoping that the threats against his family in Sri Lanka will end soon. He has also sent copies of the letter to the President of Sri Lanka, Minister of Foreign Affairs - Sri Lanka, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the President of the European Parliament, the Sri Lankan Embassies in Brussels, in Geneva and in Germany and the German Embassy in Colombo.

Doctored Realty: am I a football Aiya?

MR: Get out! You boasted to defeat JVP. But you couldn't even make your brother on board.

VV: Ouch, my back! Am I a football Aiya?

Sri Lanka's average remittances per person reach US$131

(October 13, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Sri Lanka's average remittances per person has reached US$131 making it a nation with the largest per capita remittances in South Asia. On average the remittances per person in South Asia is US$33. Sri Lanka's average is eight times higher than the regional average.

US$2,527 million remittances that were sent to Sri Lanka by migrant workers accounted 8% of GDP in 2007.

These facts were revealed by UNDP Resident Representative Neil Buhne when presenting the findings of the 2009 Human Development Report (HDR) based on the concept of “Overcoming Barriers: Human mobility and development” held at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations in Colombo yesterday.

Migration for employment mostly by females is high in Sri Lanka who work as domestic help workers in most Middle Eastern countries that has increasingly contributed towards the country’s remittances over the years.

Around 252,021 Sri Lankans, majority of them females, secured foreign employment in 2008 and 218,459 in 2007 according to Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau statistics. 

At the presentation of the report for 2009, there is a fervent call to reduce the transaction costs for migrants to obtain employment in other countries. 

Sri Lanka media has reported a large number of incidents the local politicians including Ministers are involved in rackets of human trafficking for lucrative gains.

Sri Lankan court aquits two journalists wrongfully prosecuted by police

(October 13, Colombo - Lanka Polity) A Sri Lankan court yesterday acquitted two journalists that were charged by police for non-divulging information vital for investigations to police.

The two journalists were the Editor of Lanka-e-News website Sandaruwan Senadheera and his News Editor Benet Rupasinghe. They were arrested by police following they took measures to inform the authorities regarding the abduction of a fellow journalist by unknown groups.

On June 01, Poddala Jayantha, the Secretary of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists' Association, was abducted by an armed group in a white van. Later he was found dropped on a roadside after severely beating him and making him to eat his own hair and beard. The journalist still walks with the help of crutches.

Lanka-e-News news editor Benet Rupasinghe was informed by an eyewitness about the abduction and he immediately took steps to inform the family of the abducted journalist and the other authorities including the President's office and the police about the incident.

However, police later arrested them and charged for non-divulging information to police. Yesterday police informed court they had not found evidence against the journalists and said further investigations were underway. However, the magistrate aquitted the journalists although police wanted to carry on the investigations.

The police action is widely regarded as a repressive measure against two disciplined citizens that acted lawfully in accordance with information they received.

Meanwhile, sources close to the two journalists said that they were not going to take legal action against the injustice caused to them. This is considered another indication of the repressive environment that prevails in the country.

(Photo: Lanka-e-News Editor Sandaruwan Senadheera with the attacked journalist Poddala Jayantha)

More Sri Lankans risk lives in the efforts to migrate to Australia

(October 12, Colombo - Lanka Polity) More Sri Lankans are taking risks to migrate to Australia looking for green pastures in small fishing crafts despite repeated warnings of Australia to avoid illegal migration. Last week, media reported that Australia had hired a advertising agency to make aware the Sri Lankans on the risks of their efforts to migrate to Down Under.

However, with the trying economic conditions and the human rights conditions in the island, some people do not hesitate to pay huge sums of money to traffickers to take them to Australia in fishing craft in a very dangerous journey.

Indonesian authorities yesterday captured a group of about 260 migrants from Sri Lanka who are suspected of trying to sail to Australia, a navy spokesman said to AP Sunday.

An Indonesian warship intercepted a cargo ship carrying the group off Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra islands, said Lt. Col. Supriono, a spokesman for the Western Fleet of Indonesian Navy to AP.

The report further said that

He said the navy then sent three other warships to help transport them to Merak seaport in Banten province on the western end of Java. Some of the migrants refused to be taken off the cargo ship.

Harry Purwanto, head of Banten immigration office said the group, which includes some women and children, would be kept in Banten while they were identified and then would be transferred to immigration detention centers in the capital of Jakarta or other big cities.

Migrants from war-ravaged countries often sail through Indonesian waters on their way to Australia.

Last week, Indonesian police in eastern province of East Nusatenggara detained 22 illegal migrants — 19 Iranians, two Iraqis and one Afghan — who were trying to get to Australia.

Sri Lanka media highlights President Mahinda Rajapakse must have given the Nobel Peace Prize

(October 12, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Sri Lanka that is in a new diplomatic brawl with world super power US is moving further ahead to mock Norwegian Nobel Committee for giving US President Barack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize instead of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse.

Sri Lanka government's major electronic propaganda organ Independent Television Network (ITN) highlighted Canadian National Post newspaper had stated that the Nobel Peace Prize should have been given to President Rajapaksa and not Barack Obama. The state television said that the Canadian Post had told that giving Obama the Nobel Peace Prize was comical. (http://www.itn.lk/news_05_20091010.html)

ITN noted that the reason is that the Sri Lankan President ended terrorism definitively at one stroke. It is one of the only times in the history of modern warfare that a terrorist movement has been utterly destroyed in such a fashion.

ITN further said quoting unnamed analysts that the Nobel Committee handled by Norway that helpeda Tamil Tiger terrorists of Sri Lanka could not be expected to offer President mahinda Rajapakse the Nobel Peace Prize.

The United States has already lodged a “strong protest” to Sri Lanka over remarks by Prime Minister, Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, on state radio that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has forgotten the “Monica Lewinsky episode” and should “put her house in order.”

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, addressing the UN Security Council, on September 30, noted that rape has been used as a weapon of war in the Balkans, Burma, Sri Lanka and elsewhere and that in too many countries and in too many cases, the perpetrators of this violence are not punished, and so this impunity encourages further attacks.

The rulers of Sri Lanka whose human rights record under President Mahinda Rajapakse is being questioned by the West are pushing away the island nation from its traditional allies like US and Europe to new found bossom friends like China, Russia, Iran and Libya etc.