Sri Lanka government in need of some kind of tension to maintain draconian laws

(March 03, Colombo - Lanka Polity)  Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa has reconvened the parliament. Last month he dissolved the parliament and called for elections. The general election is scheduled to be held on April 08.

The President has used his executive powers to extend the state of emergency for a period of one month subjected to the approval of the parliament within 10 days. The aim of reconvening the parliament is approving the extension of emergency.

Sri Lanka is under state of emergency since decades due to the war with the Tamil Tiger rebels. The emergency regulations provide sweeping authorities to police and security forces to interfere in the rights of the citizens.

The government has decided to maintain the emergency regulations further covering to the argument that the Tamil Tiger rebels that were defeated militarily last year might attempt a comeback if the security grip was loosened.

The Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka recently said that several suicide cadres of the Tamil Tiger organization are in Colombo. Police arrested a Tiger financial affairs activist this week.

Peace that prevails after May 18, the day the Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabakaran was killed, seems uncomfortable to the government. The government needs some kind of tension to rationalize the maintaining of draconian laws such as emergency regulations and Prevention of Terrorism Act.

Government needs these draconian laws to suppress unrest. Thousands of Tamil youth are still in custody without urgent legal action thanks to these laws.

Can Sri Lanka government that robs Peter to pay Paul hoodwink IMF?

Robbing Hoodwink

(March 02, Colombo - Lanka Polity)  Sri Lanka overshoot its 2009 budget deficit target set by the IMF for a $2.6 billion loan. High post-war reconstruction costs are attributed for this by central bank officials.

Sri Lankan leaders are clever or perhaps corrupt enough to handle the delegations sent by the IMF or any other international body and it will somehow manage to obtain the next tranche also although it is delayed due to economic mismanagement of the Sri Lanka government. They know the science to win hearts. The IMF officials also have some soft corners that can be touched by our clever men and women.

This is a real pragmatic game of politics. Who wants to be honest to this pirate IMF? Rajapaksa regime knows too well the science of getting their support without being prey to the conditions. They rule the country for today and tomorrow my friend is blowing in the wind. The polity needs no better future. They live for today and Mahind Chinthanaya delivers what they want.

An IMF mission was in Sri Lanka last week to assess December data before deciding on the third tranche of the loan. Sri Lanka’s IMF resident representative Koshy Mathai has said whether or not the IMF is flexible in a country is determined on a “case by case” basis.

The IMF had set budget deficit targets of 7 percent of GDP by end-2009 and 6 percent this year as conditions for a $2.6 billion loan approved last July to help Sri Lanka avert a balance of payment crisis during the global financial crisis.

On Thursday, the IMF said it was delaying payment of a third tranche of the loan until it sees the budget after the parliamentary polls scheduled on April 8.

"The budget deficit of 469,627 million rupees ($4.1 billion) turned out to be 9.7 percent of the GDP," the Ministry of Finance said in a "Pre-election budgetary position report" posted on its website www.treasury.gov.lk.

The 2010 budget deficit is estimated at 7.5 percent, well above the IMF target of 6 percent, the report showed.

"Fiscal adjustment towards containing the budget deficit below 7 percent in 2009 suffered a setback due to a less than expected recovery in trade-based activities and due to a more than envisaged impact of the global economic crisis on the Sri Lankan economy."

Revenue had declined by 0.5 percent of GDP, while interest payments and public investments have increased by 0.8 percent and 1 percent of the GDP respectively, the report said.

Though government revenue had declined only by 3.25 percent from the estimated level, expenditures were 22.2 percent higher than the full-year estimated spending, data showed.

"High spending has been also due to welfare spending on rehabilitation and humanitarian expenditure after the end of the country's 25-year war last year, increased wages for state employees due to expanded public sector," says Reuters.

However, these are the prides of the reign of the Rajapaksa regime and peeling them off will open the hollow inside.

A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul, said George Bernard Shaw,

One arm of Sri Lanka government protests UK while another arm consoles

(March 01, Colombo - Lanka Polity)  Sri Lanka government has sent one arm of the ruling coalition to protest the British government while another arm denied the government had any link with the protest.

National Freedom Front (JNP), a coalition party of Sri Lanka’s ruling alliance led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa's close ally ex-MP Vimal Weerawansa held a protest demonstration before the British High Commission of Colombo today alleging the former Colonial ruler was aiding and abetting terrorism.

Addressing a forcible protest meeting held blocking the gates of the High Commission, vociferous Weerawansa warned that the JNP would continue protests unless UK avoids anti-Sri Lankan actions like British Foreign Secretary David Miliband's attendance last week at a meeting of Global Tamil Forum.

Weerawansa's clan left the High Commission after handing in a protest letter to a High Commission official leaving a hoarding across the gate in which British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Foreign Secretary David Miliband dressed in Tamil Tiger military outfits.

British Prime Minister met the representatives of the Tamil organization following the meeting held in British Parliamentary House. The Global Tamil Forum was successful to win cross party representation from UK for the event held in support of the fight for the rights of Sri Lankan Tamils. British Foreign Ministry later defended the Foreign Secretary's action stating that it held the position of engaging with all stakeholders of the issue.

Sri Lanka accuses the Global Tamil Forum of being sympathizers of Tamil Tiger rebels that were militarily defeated last year. However, Sri Lankan authorities failed to do anything to prevent the meeting being a success with the participation of the bigwigs.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the protest was a private affair that the government had no link.

Vimal Weerawansa is running for elections from Colombo district and he needs shows to gain votes amidst a tooth and nail fight among ruling coalition candidates for re-election under the proportional representation.

Sri Lanka's Tamil National Alliance cracked into four pieces; two strong rivals

(February 27, Colombo - Lanka Polity)  Tamil National Alliance (TNA) of Sri Lanka has split into four identical groups although there are only two powerful factions. They are the TNA led by R. Sampanthan and the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) led by Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, the son of late Kumar Ponnambalam and the grand son of late G.G. Ponnambalam.

Former MPs S. Gjendran and Pathmini Sithamparanathan also contest under ACTC ticket showing political lining up of the Tamil nationalists.

Moderate liberal capitalist TNA contests for five districts with former MPs of the former parliament.

Tamil leftist MPs M.K. Sivajilingam and N. Srikantha have joined with Sinhala leftist Left Liberation Front led by Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratna.

Meanwhile the Karuna loyal Ms. Thangeswari Kathiraman contests under ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) ticket together with Sivanathan Kishor and S. Kanagaratnam.

The government earlier accused Vanni district MP S. Kanagaratnam who was in custody for eight months for living with his people that were besieged a terrorism supporter. His son is in custody in suspicion of involving in the Colombo air raids of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Ealam (LTTE).

Maritime Museum of Sri Lanka opens in Galle

(February 27, Colombo - Lanka Polity)  Newly established one and only Marine Archaeological Museum in Galle built under a special grant of Rs. 177 million by the Netherlands Government will be opened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on March 4, 2009.

The Marine Archeological Museum previously established in Galle was completely destroyed due to Tsunami tidal waves on December 26, 2004. The present museum is being established after renovating a massive old building constructed during the Dutch era situated within the historic Rampart of Galle.

The museum is 40-000 square feet in extent would display marine artifacts discovered in explorations made in the ocean floor around Sri Lanka. Nearly 200 artifacts discovered from the remains of ship sunk in the ocean nearly 800 ago are housed in the museum.

Plans are afoot to open the museum on all seven days of the week and on some days to stay open till 9.00 p.m. to feel surrounding of the Fort.

what is the crisis in the Tamil National Alliance?

(February 25, Colombo - Lanka Polity)  Many ex-MPs of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) of Sri Lanka have not been given the opportunity to run for the elections under the ticket of the TNA. A number of those who lost nominations have become the pets of the government. But, a considerable number of MPs like Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, S. Kajendran, Pathmini Sithamparanathan, M.K. Sivajilingam and N. Srikantha etc. are denied nominations due to political reasons.

The division of the TNA is clearly on political lines. After the military debacle of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE), a wide gap is being created in the Tamil polity. This is symbolically depicted as the gap between the Diaspora Tamils and the Tamils living in Sri Lanka.

Robert Templer of the International Crisis Group says, "Most in the country are exhausted by decades of war and are more concerned with rebuilding their lives under difficult circumstances than in continuing the fight for an independent state. Without the LTTE to enforce a common political line, Tamil leaders in Sri Lanka are proposing substantial reforms within a united Sri Lanka."

But the gap exists within the people that live in the island too. You might not see it and you might misunderstand it since most of the Tamil nationalists that live in the country remain silent maintaining a low profile in fear of punishment.

In fact, the present TNA leaders appear to accept something beyond the Provincial Councils and to go for co-habitation with the Colombo government under favorable conditions. The split of the TNA is actually between those who have dropped the call for self-determination of the Tamils and those who still fight for it.

Self-determination literally means cessation although it does not essentially mean a separate state. That is for what thousands of Tamils gave their lives and there can be elements in the polity that do not wish to give up the will to fight for what their brethren gave their lives. They have the right to carry on their struggle and those who wish to give up the ideals for pragmatic solutions also have the right to do so.

But, the ball still remains in the court of the Sinhalese. Do they like to engage in a dialogue and a political process with at least the Tamils that looks moderate to them while they are looked down on as submissive leaders amidst some elements of their own polity?

TNA constituents like Federal Party, EPRLF and TELO that have now grabbed the grip loosened by the LTTE are in a liberal stand and they can be expected to come to a settlement with Colombo government under a liberal capitalist framework. This can happen easily if a coalition under United National Front comes to power. Ruling United National Freedom Alliance is far backward and antagonistic to reforms.

International Crisis Group on Sri Lankan issue

(February 24, Colombo - Lanka Polity)  Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora groups should move away, once and for all, from the failed agenda of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and instead put their energies into the quest for a sustainable and just peace in a united Sri Lank, says International Crisis Group, a think tank studying the conflicts in the world.

Following is the full text of their report:

The Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora after the LTTE,* the latest report from the International Crisis Group, examines political dynamics within the Tamil diaspora since May 2009, as Tamils abroad adapt to the LTTE’s defeat. It also looks at the potential for new forms of militancy within the diaspora, especially among the younger generations, radicalised by the deaths of thousands of Tamil civilians in the final months of the war. While there is little chance of the Tamil Tigers regrouping in the diaspora, most Tamils abroad remain profoundly committed to a separate state of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka.

“New diaspora initiatives attempt to carry forward the struggle for an independent state in more transparent and democratic ways, but they must repudiate the LTTE’s violent methods”, says Robert Templer, Crisis Group’s Asia Program Director. “And they must also recognise that the LTTE’s separatist agenda is out of step with the wishes and needs of Tamils in Sri Lanka”.

The gap between the diaspora and Tamils in Sri Lanka has widened. Most in the country are exhausted by decades of war and are more concerned with rebuilding their lives under difficult circumstances than in continuing the fight for an independent state. Without the LTTE to enforce a common political line, Tamil leaders in Sri Lanka are proposing substantial reforms within a united Sri Lanka. While Tamils have the democratic right to espouse separatism non-violently, Tamil Eelam has virtually no domestic or international backing. With the Sri Lankan government assuming Tamils abroad remain committed to violent means, the diaspora’s continued calls for a separate state feed the fears of the Rajapaksa administration and provid e excuses for maintaining destructive anti-terrorism and emergency laws.

The Sri Lankan government must address the legitimate grievances at the root of the conflict: the political marginalisation and physical insecurity of most Tamils in Sri Lanka. The international community needs to press Colombo much more strongly for political and constitutional reforms. Donors should insist that money given to redevelop the north and east is tied closely to the demilitarisation and democratisation of the region. This should include giving Tamils and Muslims a meaningful role in determining the future of the areas where they have long been the majority. Donor governments and the United Nations must also insist on an independent investigation into the thousands of Tamil civilians killed in the final months of 20fighting in 2009.

“Tamils in Sri Lanka currently have little appetite for a return to armed struggle”, says Robert Templer. “But should the Sri Lankan state continue to fail to respond to their collective aspirations, some may eventually seek a solution through violence and could find willing partners in the diaspora”.