Archive for November, 2006
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) head Velupillai Pirapakaran may not participate in an open, public ceremony for the annual Great Heroes Day (Maaveerar Naal) this year. Instead the LTTE chief is likely to deliver the annual Great Heroes Day (GHD) oration from a secure location amidst a select audience of LTTE cadres and carefully screened civilian supporters.
This is due to heightened security concerns that the Sri Lankan Air Force intends bombing and shelling LTTE areas of control during November 27th the great heroes day.
The LTTE is also aware of a Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) plan to launch sustained aerial bombardment of the venue if and when a open and public GHD ceremony is held.
The prime target is the LTTE chief who usually lights up the eternal flame, observes silence and then delivers his annual speech.
In a bid to circumvent GOSL designs the LTTE chief has already concluded the preliminary ceremony where Pirapakaran pays homage to all the fallen tiger heroes. This event which takes up a long time was held on Saturday Nov 25th. LTTE chief paid his respects to pictures of LTTE great heroes at a ceremony held in an undisclosed location in the Wanni.Usually this is also held on Nov 27th
The LTTE chief’s 52nd birhday is on Nov 26th. While supporters celebrate the day with meetings and special poojas the tiger chief observes a day of silence where he fasts and meditates.
[Business Union in Mullaithivu, on Sunday, organised an event to celebrate the 52nd birth day of LTTE leader V.Pirapaharan. Sea Tiger Special Commander Col. Soosai took part in the event where tree saplings were gifted, encouraging the local community to plant trees along the coast, ravaged by the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 - Source: TamilNet]
18, 742 LTTE fighters have died so far. 818 died this year in an undeclared war. 568 of these were males and 250 females. The bulk of these deaths were on the Muthur, Muhamaalai and Mandaitheevu battle fronts.
The first ever Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) member to embrace death in battle was Sathiyanathan of Kambarmalai a northern village adjacent to Valvettithurai, the birthplace of Velupillai Prabakharan its leader. Sathiyanathan alias Shankar was also known as Suresh died on November 27, 1982. He was a childhood friend of Prabakharan and one of his earliest recruits. Shankar had gone to the Nithiyanandan residence in Navalar Road, Jaffna to warn them of a military crackdown on Tamil professionals and intellectuals suspected of being sympathetic towards the LTTE.
Even as Shankar was communicating with Jaffna University Lecturer Muthiah Nithiyanandan and his wife Nirmala an – ex-varsity lecturer now teaching at a leading Girls School, a posse of soldiers surrounded the house. Shankar managed to shoot his way out of the military cordon but sustained serious injuries in the process. The Nithiyanandans were arrested.
Later Shankar’s condition deteriorated and another senior LTTE member Sivakumar alias Anton who later represented the Tigers at the Thimphu talks undertook a perilous and clandestine journey by boat along with Shankar to Tamil Nadu to procure urgent medical assistance for the latter. This was in the pre-1983 period when the LTTE consisted only of around 25 to 30 activists and had very few resources including even wireless communication equipment.
Leaving the grievously injured Shankar in a safehouse at Kodiaakkarai, Anton went up to Madurai where LTTE chief Prabakharan and some others were staying then.
This was the time when Prabakharan was confined by court order to Madurai because of his involvement in a broad daylight shoot out with Peoples Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) chief Umamaheswaran at Pondy Bazaar in Chennai (then Madras). Thanks to the help rendered by Pala. Nedumaran who was then a member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative assembly representing Madurai West, Shankar was brought to a farmhouse belonging to Nedumaran for medical treatment.
The people nursing Shankar in the coastal hideout had ignorantly given a lot of water to quench his thirst. This worsened his condition to a point of no return.
Shankar died on Prabakharan’s lap mumbling “Thambi, Thambi” (thambi was the endearing term by which Prabakharan was known in the old days) while the visibly shaken and weeping LTTE leader kept stroking his hair. This was one of the few occasions when the LTTE leader ever wept in public. Death in combat of a cadre whether immediate or subsequent was a new phenomenon to the LTTE on that day.
Seven years later in 1989 around six hundred LTTE cadres assembled at a secret venue in the Mullaitheevu district jungles of Nithikaikulam on November 27. The occasion was the newly proclaimed Great Heroes Day or Maaveerar Naal as known in Tamil. This was the time when the Indian army was fighting the LTTE as a proxy of the Sri Lankan government. Thanks to the understanding arrived at between the LTTE and then President Ranasinghe Premadasa a cease-fire had been declared on September 21, that year.
A withdrawal of troops had been announced in principle. The Indian Parliamentary elections scheduled for December would determine whether Rajiv Gandhi would be re-elected or not. That verdict would in turn decide the fate of the Indian Army in Sri Lanka. The LTTE leader had in the meantime thought of honouring his dead cadres by observing a unique ceremony called Maaveerar Naal or Great Heroes Day.
The LTTE leader was justifiably proud then of the performance of his organisation in having withstood the onslaught of 132,000 troops of the Indian army. When the Indo-Lanka accord was signed and hostilities ceased the LTTE had lost 632 cadres in battle. When a cessation of hostilities with the Indian army was enforced the LTTE had lost a further 711 cadres.
Prabakharan wanted to recognise their contribution, honour their sacrifices and pay tribute to their memory in a collective manner. What better way than promulgating a special day? Which better day than the date on which the first LTTE member laid down his life? So November 27th it was. The first Great Heroes Day was a restricted affair of which the highlight was a highly emotional address delivered extemporaneously by Prabakharan to his enraptured followers.
The nineties saw the LTTE controlling the greater part of the northern province and substantial pockets in the eastern province. During this period the LTTE developed to a great extent, the ceremonial aspect of paying homage to its fallen heroes. There exists in the martial tradition of the Tamils a concept known as Nadugal Valipaadu which literally means worshipping the planted stone. Until the influence of Aryan Brahminism pervaded the Dravidian people, the custom in South India had been that of burying their dead. Tombstones were erected at the graves of great heroes fallen in battle. These were honoured regularly through special Panegyrical rituals.
The classical Tamil literary works of the Sangham era are replete with references to this Nadugal Valipaadu concept. The aftermath of the Hindu renaissance period saw Brah- minism becoming dominant and altering a way of life drastically. The decline of Tamil dynasties along with the advent of Moghul, Nayakkar and European colonialism saw the martial tradition among Tamils becoming debilitated. The custom of paying homage to heroes fallen in battle became non-existent in an environment where war was virtually unknown for generations.
Now the LTTE went back to the roots of the Tamil martial culture and revived its most potent symbolic and ritual form. From 1991 the entire week from November 21-27, was declared as Great Heroes Week. Interestingly the birthday of LTTE leader Prabakharan was November 26. Since this day was now within the Great Heroes Week more importance was attached to it. An outpouring of emotion both genuine as well as sycophantic emerged. The focus shifted from Great Heroes Day to the leader’s birthday.
Some even thought that Great Heroes day was to celebrate the leaders birthday. Soon Prabakharan acted firmly and clamped down all festive activity connected with his birthday. The week was for the fallen heroes and the red letter day of that week would only be November 27, the Great Heroes Day. Nevertheless various religious observances are undertaken by followers and well wishers on November 26, seeking divine protection and blessings on the man who now personifies Tamil resistance to Sinhala chauvinist hegemony.
Utilising its control to the maximum of the north and parts of the east during the 1990 – 1995 period the LTTE conducted elaborate demonstrations and events as part of observing the Great Heroes day.
[On the first day of three-day commemoration - Nov 25, 2006: Photo: LTTEPS]
The entire week was full of meetings, religious rituals, processions, exhibitions etc. to commemorate the fallen LTTE cadres. Cutouts, posters and handbills of the departed cadres were distributed widely. Each village was asked to pay homage to those Tigers from their area who were now great heroes. Each school was asked to pay tribute to those of their alumni who had fallen in battle. The three days of Nov 25th, 26th and 27th however are the most important days of Maaveerar Week.
The week culminated in a grand function on the 27th at a special location attended by Prabakharan himself. With the passage of time Great Heroes day ceremonies became decentralised. Several observances would be conducted simultaneously but pride of place however was naturally awarded to the one in which Prabakharan participated.
The LTTE also established several cemeteries called Maaveerar Thuyilum Illangal (residences where the great heroes slumber). While the departed cadres were laid out in neat rows of graves marked by single tombstones a pavilion commemorating them collectively with names and relevant dates was also constructed.
The most touching spectacle of the great heroes day observance was the mass participation of family members at these cemeteries and memorial pavilions. Later G. H. D. ceremonies were observed in foreign cities where substantial concentrations of the Tamil Diaspora lived.
As the ethnic conflict kept continuing the casualty rates also increased. When the first G. H. day was observed in 1989 there were only 1343 martyrs. The tally as of October 20th in 2000 was 16,591. The present figure as at Oct 31st is 18,742. Of these 14, 677 are males and 4065 females.
299 black tigers have been killed so far.Of these 79 were land based black tigers and 220 black sea tigers. Of the land black tigers 61 were males and 18 females. The black sea tiger losses were 156 males and 64 females. The high casualty toll among black sea tigers is due to the LTTE practice of ramming explosive laded boats by suicide cadres against naval vessels or other marine targets.
["Please come back to me,I can't live without you" - Photo:HA]
This rising tally of LTTE great heroes means that more and more Tamil families are suffering the losses of their loved ones and becoming grief stricken. The event is now mass oriented. This writer has witnessed Great Heroes Day ceremonies held overseas as well as films of functions in Sri Lankan Tamil areas. There is no doubt that the sight of grief stricken emotional outpourings over their loved ones by family members is a profoundly moving one. The families of fallen LTTE cadres are called Maaveerar Kudumbangal and are often given preferential treatment in spheres coming within the ambit of LTTE control.
The LTTE by nurturing this cult of martyrdom is achieving many things. It provides those cadres among the living a bond of affiliation with their departed comrades. The cadres get a feeling of reassuring comfort that he or she too would be honoured in similar fashion when dead. The LTTE cadres are fighting and dying in the belief that posterity will remember and honour their memory.
The Great Heroes Day observances provide them with the feeling that by sacrificing their lives they would grasp eternity and ensure immortality. Likewise the kith and kin of the departed souls too are gratified that the loss of their loved one has not been in vain. The emotive content of Great Heroes Day observances also motivates other youths to join the LTTE. The spectacle also inspires the general population in continuing to appreciate the LTTE sacrifices and render support.
The annual great heroes day address by the LTTE leader began to assume great significance and importance over the years. Since Prabakharan is quite reclusive and shuns direct media exposure the great heroes day appearance has become one of those rare occasions where he interacts with the public. The speech is also considered to be something akin to a policy statement by the LTTE. It is dissected by analysts to ascertain what the LTTE leader envisages for the immediate future. With Prabakharan being the determining factor of Sri Lankan politics for nearly fifteen years, his G. H. D. address is awaited eagerly. At times it is interpreted according to the specific agenda of propagandists. At times the address has turned out to be a damp squib without any new dimension in thought but nevertheless it remains an oration of tremendous importance. Nowadays Prabakharan does not deliver extempore but reads from a carefully prepared text.
After the relocation of the LTTE to the northern mainland of Wanni, Prabakharan makes his annual address from places within that region. The setting up of the LTTE’s own radio station Puligalin Kural (Voice of Tigers) enabled it to be relayed out. With the development of information technology the speech is now relayed simultaneously via Internet.Nowadays the LTTE has its own TV and GHD proceedings are telecast to the world at large from the Wanni.
The emergence of several Tamil broadcasting stations in the western world has created a situation where the speech is heard in Tamil homes throughout Europe, Australia and North America. Likewise the acquisition of various television stations by pro – tiger Tamils enables wide televised coverage too.
A noteworthy feature of Prabakharan’s speeches in recent times is his resonant delivery in well modulated tones. The usual highpitched voice that tends to be squeaky at times is totally absent.
The Great Heroes Day observances were as usual multi-faceted and diversified. The highlight of these ceremonies is the lighting of candles and torches by those assembled. While people holding these flickering lights line up and form an illuminated corridor, a glowing torch is brought in relay form by LTTE cadres in similar fashion to that of the Olympic games. The flaming torch is then given to the chief guest who then lights a large eternal flame known as Eegai Chudar (Flame of sacrifice) at the Memorial monument. This is followed by the lighting of a myriad lamps and torches making the occasion a festival of lights.
Several senior LTTE figures are chief guests at different ceremonies. The flames at various memorials are lit by senior tiger stalwarts. All the ceremonies are attended by members of great hero families who are taken by procession to the various memorials from different spots. Music is played by troupes from different LTTE formations. The different venues are also decorated with pandals.The red and yellow flags are hoisted widely.
The primary ceremony however is at the site in which Prabakharan himself participates. A newly constructed memorial is the usual venue.After the LTTE flag is hoisted a display demonstration by selected squads from various units of the LTTE is held.
A march past is held after which Prabakharan accepts the ceremonial salute. Prabakharan then begins his address. It is about 30 to 40 minutes. Prabakharan thereafter accepts the flaming torch brought in relay form and goes on to light the premier flame of sacrifice. After observing two minutes of silence along with the massive crowd in attendance, the LTTE leader goes on to garland a picture of Sathiyanathan alias Shankar the first great hero. Thereafter the LTTE leader accompanied by other tiger members also light the small lamps and place flowers before the pictures of martyrs. The visual dimension does not however diminish the importance and significance of the LTTE chief’s address. This year Praba may not attend a public ceremony due to security concerns.
The LTTE leader’s Great Heroes address is quite concise and precise with some interesting nuances. It encapsules effectively and vividly the LTTE position and what it hopes to do in the future.
In recent times there is a sideshow in London where the political adviser and chief negotiator Anton Stanislaus Balasingham known affectionately as “Bala Annai” addresses a large Mavveerar Day meeting. The highlight of his speech is an amplification and clarification of the salient aspects of Prabakharans address. What is of interest here is that it is Bala Annai who writes the speech for the LTTE leader. Thereafter he expands on his own creation. With Balasingham being afflicted with terminal cancer he may not attend a public function or may restrict himself to a brief speech. This years GHD address will be the last speech written by Balasingham for Prabakaran.
Given the prevailing politico – military situation this years great heroes day speech is eagerly awaited.
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November 26th, 2006
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
This year’s “Maaveerar Naal” or Great Heroes Day” oration by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Velupillai Pirabakaran on November 27th will be of poignant significance due to a very, special reason.
The annual address has now come to be regarded as an unofficial policy statement of the tigers. LTTE political commissar Suppiah Paramu Thamilselvan has stated that his leader’s speech this time will outline the position of the LTTE on the current situation.
Given the prevailing tensions and hostilities the LTTE chief’s speech will be eagerly anticipated by all those immersed, involved or interested in the on going Sri Lankan conflict.
What is significant about this year’s “urai” or oration is that it would probably be the last speech to be written for him by tiger ideologue and political adviser Anton Stanislaus Balasingham.
Balasingham or ” Bala annai” (elder brother) as he is known has been writing the Great Heroes Day (GHD) speech for Pirapakaran since 1990.
The first GHD was held on Nov 27th 1987 in the Wanni during the Indian Army period. A truce declared on Sep 21st was in force then.
It was then that Prabakaran addressed his cadres directly and spoke without notes in Tamil. Balasingham was in London then.I think some points were sent to the LTTE leader who dwelt on them in his own way
Thereafter all GHD addresses have been written by Balasingham.
Some years ago a particular GHD speech was full of poetic language and imagery. I wrote then that the speech may have been polished by LTTE cultural commissar “Puthuvai” Rathinathurai the well – known Tamil poet.
Balasingham was to remember this and in a subsequent conversation years later set the record straight. He told me that the speech had been written by him alone and that no one else had touched it let alone polish it.
“I told Puthuvai DBS is giving you credit” he said and went on to add ” Naangal ninaithaal Kavithuvathodeyum eluthuvom” (If we want we can write poetically also).
I realised then how proud Balasingham was about the GHD speech and his role in it.
He prepares elaborately in writing it and cuts off communication with others for a few days. Balasingham communicates with “Thamby” Praba and formulates the address according to guidelines set by the tiger supremo.
But this year will be Bala Annai’s swan song.
The “Tamilnet” announced on Nov 22nd that Balasingham was terminally ill. This is what the news report said -
“Mr. Anton Balasingham, theoretician and political advisor of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been diagnosed with bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma), a rare and aggressive malignancy of the biliary system. The cancer is in an advanced stage and has spread to his liver, lungs, abdomen and bones, doctors have informed Mr. Balasingham, who is now resting at home, cared for by his wife, Adele.
Mr. Balasingham has had various medical investigations and is consulting oncologists about the possibility of treatment and the prognosis.
Commenting on his illness to TamilNet, Mr Balasingham said that, “it is an unfortunate personal tragedy. However, when compared to the vast ocean of the collective tragedy faced by my people, my illness is merely a pebble. I am deeply sad that I am crippled by this illness, unable to contribute anything substantial towards the alleviation of the immense suffering and oppression of my people.”
Mr Balasingham is 68 years old and has been suffering from diabetes for 35 years and in the late nineties developed renal disease, for which he underwent kidney transplantation. He has been associated with the Tamil liberation struggle for more than 30 years and participated as chief negotiator on behalf of the Liberation Tigers in almost all political negotiations, beginning with the Thimpu talks in 1985″.
I had heard some weeks ago that Balasingham was seriously ill and would not live long. I did not expect that news to be made public but LTTE media organs came out with it a few days ago.
With Doctors giving Balasingham a time span of 4 – 6 weeks I thought he would not be writing the speech this time.
But I hear that Balasingham has written the text despite his pain and suffering. One reason is because of the importance as it comes at a critical juncture in the history of Sri Lankan Tamil people. Another reason is Balasingham’s dedication and pride in what has come to be an annual event of great importance.
This year’s GHD speech therefore is written by Balasingham and delivered by Pirapakaran.
Another event in recent times has been a GHD ceremony in London addressed by Balasingham.He has been doing it since 1999.
Balasingham speaking in Tamil addresses the crowd for about an hour or so. He expands on the speech written by him and points out the important aspects of the GHD address. The speech is also laced with humorous cracks.
Given his illness will Balasingham make an appearance this time?
It all depends on his current health. But knowing the man I think if there is the slightest possibility Balasingham would make an appearance.
He may talk while being seated for about 10 minutes at least.
That could be his final appearance before a mass audience.
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November 26th, 2006
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Veteran Tamil politician Veerasingham Anandasangaree was honoured last Thursday (Nov 16) in Paris with the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh award for tolerance and non – violence. The 73 year old Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) president was descrobed as ” An indefatigable advocate of democracy and peaceful conflict resolution, he has contributed to raising awareness of the Tamil cause in a spirit of dialogue, while seeking to promote non-violent solutions to Sri Lanka and opposing terrorism. ” by UNESCO.
A former teacher and lawyer Anandasangaree has been in politics for more than four decades.Sangaree as Anandasangaree is generally known in Sri Lanka is not an exile like Taslima or under house arrest like Aung San but certainly his life is under grave threat ever since he started defying the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE media has constantly attacked and vilified him as a traitor to the Tamils. Yet the danger to his life may not come from the LTTE alone but also from Tamil outfits aligned to the state.
Most of his former parliamentary colleagues in the TULF have disowned him. Some of his close supporters like former Trincomalee Urban council chairman Suriyamoorthy have been killed and others like ex- Jaffna MMC Muhunthan have been fired at and wounded. Other loyalists have fled the Country in fear.Many TULF members maintain contacts with him clandestinely due to understandable survival instincts.Only some TULF branches abroad openly extend solid support to him.
In that sense Anandasangaree is a lonely man. This is not the loneliness of being at the top but the loneliness brought about by adhering to one’s principles and advocating unpopular causes. There are no mobs to cheer him or garland him.There are no peddlers of influence around him. There is always some Tamil media organ or website attacking him. Privately many will admit that the man is right and admire his courage but publicly they will remain silent at best and abusive at worst.
Those travelling along this straight but narrow path are almost always lonely.They only have the courage of their convictions and the understanding of a few to sustain them. This writer understands Sangaree’s situation well because he too has in his own way experienced it in the past and is experiencing it in the present and will experience it in the future too. In that respect we may be kindred souls. It is this sense of empathy which led me to support Sangaree through these columns at a time when he was fighting a lost battle against a LTTE instigated intra – party attempt to de- throne him.
At a time when the TULF was under grave threat from the LTTE it was Sangaree who rallied the party around and provided moral strength to withstand the pressure. He planted himself in Jaffna and spearheaded the Jaffna municipal poll campaign. It was this success which helped the TULF restore lost prestige and regain a firm footing in Jaffna politics again.
Then the LTTE killed two TULF mayor and a mayoral aspirant. Again it was Sangaree who held the party together and with the help of his erstwhile protegee Nadarajah Raviraj as acting mayor kept running the Jaffna municipality.If Raviraj had declined the mayoralty or been killed then Sangaree was prepared to become Jaffna mayor himself and defy LTTE diktat.
This writer was also witness to another incident in Toronto in 2000 which illustrated the man’s courage and dedication to the party. Sangaree was in Canada when elections to were announced in Sri Lanka. He was preparing to return and take charge of the election campaign. This was a time when the TNA had not been formed and the TULF faced danger from both the LTTE and EPDP. His daughter was pleading with him not to go back but stay on in Canada. Sangaree refused but kept on repeating “Whatever the danger I must face it. If we dont contest that is the end of our party”.
Yet the very same TULF which owed its current existence to this man’s courage and dedication turned against him when the LTTE wanted him out. When Sangaree was fighting a lone battle against those who wanted him out at the behest of the LTTE there was no media support for him. Many newspapers now singing hosannahs to him for taking on the LTTE ignored this man then. I think they did not fully comprehend what was going on then
It was at this time that this column supported Sangaree and gave much publicity to his struggle within the party. This was not due to my personal relationship with him alone. In fact I had many, many close friends in the TULF with whom I became estranged because of my support to Sangaree. My stance was due to two reasons. One was that I felt he was right in standing up to the LTTE. The other was that I felt his colleagues had treated him shamefully and that as an underdog he had to be supported.
Sangaree’s problems with the LTTE began because he stood up for the party and discouraged the tigers from interfering too much in TULF matters. When Anton Balasingham made insulting remarks about the TULF it was Sangaree then in Canada who issued an effective rejoinder. The TULF rank and file was overjoyed by Sangaree’s defiance. The late Raviraj stated publicly at the TULF meeting that it was Sangaree who salvaged the self – respect of the party. This was the beginning of the dispute between the LTTE and Sangaree. Yet when the LTTE exerted pressure the TULF bigwigs shamelessly threw Sangaree to the wolves or in this case the tigers.
When Anandasangaree succeeded Murugesu Sivasithamparam as TULF president in June 2002 this writer wrote an article in “The Sunday Leader” of June 30th 2002 under the heading “Former Trotskyite now leads the TULF”. This was before Sangaree’s problems with the LTTE . The last paragraph in that article is reproduced here as it heralded subsequent course of events.
“Anandasangaree takes over the TULF reins at a critical phase in the island’s politics. His party itself has accepted the overall dominance of the LTTE. Given Sangaree’s fiery independent streak it is very likely that the TULF while backing the LTTE politically would also try and retain some functional autonomy. That however depends on the extent to which his party colleagues will co-operate with him. If such enlightened unity and support is not rendered the ex-Trotskyite may very well be presiding over the swan song of the TULF.”
This is exactly what happened. While being supportive of the LTTE politically Sangaree tried to adopt an independent stance with self – respect for the TULF. His colleagues instead of supporting him became acolytes of the LTTE and betrayed their leader. They tried to remove him from Presidential office and expel him from the party. The matter went before courts. The TULF is now deprived of its identity and symbol. Sangaree is now the last of the Independent TULF old guard and the party swan song is on.
If Sangaree’s valiant fight within the TULF was a courageous feat the man displayed a rare fighting ability after his defeat. Instead of slinking into political oblivion with tail tucked between hind legs or going out to pasture with his children in Britain, Canada or Denmark Anandasangaree chose to remain in Colombo and fight it out. Instead of keeping mum or adopting the path of least resistance Sangaree opted to take the bull by its horns or the tiger by its jaws.
Sangaree has always been a brave fighter. Contesting as a 26 year old man from Jaffna against UNP Colombo Mayor VA Sugathadasa in 1959; parachuting as an unknown outsider into the unknown Kilinochchi in 1960 as LSSP candidate. Going against his two Tamil Congress parliamentary colleagues and voting against the 1972 Constitution. Combatting the “power” campaign of SLFP Tamil cabinet minister Chelliah Kumarasuriar in 1977. Engaging in bitter acrimony with fellow TULF members over his demand to carve out Kilinochchi as a separate district from that of Jaffna.Defying the LTTE during Jaffna municipal elections and its aftermath. Resisting his ouster from TULF boldly instead of caving in to tiger pressure etc are all indicators of Sangaree’s courage and determination.
His finest hours however have come during his twilight years as a septugenarian. Sangaree has been struggling to keep the party alive amidst great adversity. He sold his jeep and some other personal assets to keep the party afloat. Some loyal TULF members, supporters and personal admirers have been chipping in to provide additional finances. He also fights many legal battles relating to politics.
What has been remarkable about the man is his dogged determination to articulate his viewpoint and advocate a negotiated settlement to the ethnic crisis on federal lines. He speaks out against the war and wants the problem to be resolved peacefully.Sangaree admires the Indian model and wants Sri Lanka to follow that example. He wants ethnic amity and harmony based on justice and equality.
Anandasangaree is a man with a mission. He has two goals. One is to ensure that Sri Lankans in general and Tamils in particular live in peace, equality and amity. For this he sees a federal set up on the Indian model as the solution. Secondly he wants the Tamil people to be truly free. For this he wants the iron grip of the LTTE to be relaxed. He wants the LTTE to reform or face consequences.
While there are many voices within the Tamil nationalist spectrum and among the human rights community to condemn the state and its minions there are comparatively few voices amidst Tamils who criticise the LTTE. The tiger is a holy cow for most Tamils and few Tamils dare to differ let alone criticise it. It has become in the words of famed Tamil poet Subramania Bharathy the ” Pesaap Porul” or unspeakable theme.
But not for Sangaree. He has been wading into these dangerous waters without hesitation. He has been branded traitor and a knave and as a man who has sold out and as one who has sold his soul etc. Yet he firmly stands his ground continuing to do what he thinks is right. By doing so he has touched on many issues that are “untouchable” among Tamil political and media circles. Sangaree has also succeeded in giving voice to the unexpressed sentiments of the silenced Tamil majority . He is often the voice of the voiceless Tamils.
Sangaree like the mythical Sisyphus keeps trying to roll the boulder upwards not only with Tamil hardliners but also with Sinhala hawks. He has engaged in discussions with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and Jathika Hela Urumaya. He has met with UNP and SLFP leaders. He has interacted with Indian, Norwegian, Canadian and officials of other Countries. His passion is for a federal solution where all communities could co-exist peacefully.
He has given innumerable media interviews. Most of them are about the need for a federal solution and the necessity to ensure human rights, democracy and plurality among Tamils. Sangaree also writes letters emphasising these points to a number of people. His one to one letters to “Thamby” Prabakaran the LTTE leader are notable epistles.
Sangaree is now 73. He told me recently that he has now written 71 letters. There is little doubt that he would score a century in letter writing soon. His followers are planning to publish them in a book. It would I am sure provide a penetrative insight into the politics of our times.
I have not agreed with some of the views he has expressed. There are some with which I concur but fault the man for the manner in which he has said it and the wrong sense of political timing. We have had heated discussions at times but Sangaree sticks to his guns. His final point is something with which the argument ends ” Jeya I am now in my seventies. I cant change now. You have to adjust”.
One thing he makes clear is that he seeks no political office. “If it was an PM seat that I wanted I could have simply held “pandam” like my other friends and been MP” he says. “What I want is for my people to be truly free and enjooy equal rights. They must also have human rights and democracy” Sangaree says. Anandasangaree knows that the LTTE will not allow him to become an elected MP. At the same time he does not want to be align with the ruling party and obtain office.
I have been uncomfortable about his seeming reluctance to criticise the Government and armed forces while rushing hastily at times to condemn the LTTE. His criticism of Sinhala hardliners too has been mild. Whenever I ask him to comment from a Tamil perspective as he is TULF president Sangaree counters it by saying that in his view the LTTE is the greater danger to the Tamils and the least criticised by Tamils. He therefore takes the tigers on because the greater necessity from his perspective is for healthy criticism of the tigers to be articulated by Tamils. Also he says he is trying to build bridges and therefore needs to go slow in taking the Sinhala ultras on for the moment.
I do not know whether Sangaree is right in this or not. Only time can tell. Posterity may uphold his view or reject it. Earlier when he was optimistic about converting the JVP and JHU to federalism I was pessimistic. Nowadays Sangaree too has lost much of the initial enthusiasm.
One does not know whether Velupillai Pirapakarans unshakeable conviction that the “Sinhala” state will never be just by the Tamils and that a separate Country through armed struggle will be proved right in the long run. But people like Anandasangaree are entitled to their dreams and work politically to make them come true. Neither the LTTE nor the EPDP can snuff out someone’s life for holding or supporting different viewpoints.
While being critical of the LTTE it must be noted that Sangaree remains independent. He has not aligned with the Government or any Sinhala party. He also tries to keep a political distance between himself and Tamil parties working as paramilitaries. Sangaree also declined the offer of a national list MP nomination made by the JHU.
Many Southern politicians and journals are appreciative of him because of his stance vis a vis the LTTE. But they are lukewarm when he advocates federalism. Sangaree knows the reality and continues to promote his political mission. He is given state protection because he is sorely in need of it. Otherwise he would have been exterminated long ago. This situation may compromise his independence to some extent but does the man have any choice?
His abhorrence of war and espousal of non – violence stems very much from very personal loss, suffering and pain. Sangaree has lost many relatives to political violence and terror. His elder brother Rajasangaree was the chairman of Chavakachcheri Citizens committee during the Indian Army period. Rajasangaree spoke out against Indian army atrocities and was killed by the EPRLF on Oct 26th 1987.
Anandasangaree’s younger brother Gnanasangaree was killed in Kilinochchi by the LTTE for criticing the tigers publicly. This happened on Feb 10th 1988. Two of Gnanasangaree’s sons spoke out publicly against their father’s killing. They were taken away by the tigers for questioning. They never returned.
Another brother Ganeshasangaree’s son was Yogasangaree. This nephew of Anandasangaree was elected as an EPRLF member of Parliament for Jaffna district in 1989. On June 19th 1990 Yogasangaree was in Madras for an EPRLF meeting at Kodambakkam with Secretary – General Padmanabha. LTTE assassins suddenly entered and sprayed the hall with machine gun fire. Fourteen including Padmanabha and Yogasangaree died.
On July 7th 2005 Islamic “terrorists” set off human bomb explosions in subway trains and a surface bus. One of those killed was a young girl of Sri Lankan origin. She was Sayanuja the daughter of another brother of Anandasangaree named Parathasangaree.
So when Anandasangaree speaks out against war and political violence and speaks of a negotiated settlement and peaceful co-existence he speaks from the heart. Despite the overwhelming odds he has remained steadfast to his political mission. In that sense the past few years are perhaps the best and most productive period of his life. The LTTE and its minions may slander and condemn him as a traitor but all right thinking people with a proper understanding of what is going on in Sri Lanka will have only praise for this man’s dedication and courage.
The special jury that selected him as UNESCO laureate shared this feeling. Past winners like Taslima and Aung San have also been condemned as traitors to their religion and Country by the Islamic clerics and military junta. Likewise Anandasangaree too is criticised as a traitor to his race. The Madanjeetsingh prize is no respecter of such condemnation. In fact such descriptions are plus points in determining the winner. Going against the dominant entity among ones ethnicity and daring to critice it requires great moral and physical courage. The UNESCO jury has honoured Sangaree for that.
The award also goes beyond that. By bestowing it on Anandasangaree the UNESCO has recognized that the ultimate solution to Sri Lanka’s crisis cannot come through violence, war and terror. It can only come through a peaceful , negotiated settlement. Such a solution can only be through non – violent methods and a healthy respect and tolerance for all points of view. In his own, humble way Anandasangaree has been trying to help usher in a political settlement through those methods and based on those ideals. The UNESCO has recognized and honoured Anandasangaree’s efforts.
In the final analysis the award is also an implicit recognition of the justice of the Tamil cause and Anandasangaree’s espousal of it. Sangaree was honoured not only because of his advocacy of an alternative point of view to that of the LTTE. It is also an endorsement of his efforts to convince the majority community of the need for a federal solution. Let us hope then that becoming a UNESCO laureate would strengthen Anandasangaree to continue with his worthwhile mission.
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November 19th, 2006
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
His name is Rock! Allan Rock!! He is a Canadian!!!
[United Nations (UN) advisor on children and armed conflicts, Allan Rock, addresses journalists during a press conference in Colombo - AFP/UN Photo]
He was in Sri Lanka for ten days from November 6th to 14th on a fact – finding mission for the United Nations. Allan Rock visited Sri Lanka in his capacity of special adviser on Sri Lanka to UN Scretary – General’s Special representative (SGSR)on Children and armed conflict (CAAC)
During those ten days, Allan Rock visited Colombo, Ampara, Batticaloa, Kilinochchi and Jaffna districts. He enjoyed the full cooperation of the Sri Lankan government and met with all parties concerned with the ongoing conflict. In his meeting with President Rajapakse, the Special Adviser expressed his appreciation for the extensive efforts made by the Government of Sri Lanka to facilitate his visit and access to all areas.
The purpose of Mr. Rock’s visit was to ascertain first-hand the situation on the ground, mainly in the North and East, with a particular focus on compliance with the Action Plan for Children Affected by Conflict. The Action Plan was endorsed by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) following their commitment during peace talks in 2002 and 2003 to work with UNICEF and the Government to end the recruitment of children and to release under-age recruits in their ranks.
Before departing from our shores he conducted a press briefing as is customary after field trips of this kind. Allan Rock revealed some of his findings at the press briefing . They related to acts of omission and commission by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the breakaway Karuna faction known as Tamil Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal (TMVP).
According to Allan Rock the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have not complied with their commitments to stop child recruitment and to release all children within their ranks. He also found that the Karuna faction, a group that broke away from the LTTE, is continuing to abduct and forcibly recruit children in government-controlled areas in eastern Sri Lanka.
The UN envoy also found disturbing but credible evidence that certain elements of the government security forces are supporting and sometimes participating in those abductions.
Though Allan Rock was even handed in his approach about all three parties involved the “bombshell” from a media perspective was the revelation about GOSL complicity in Karuna faction conscription. The LTTE conduct of non – compliance to earlier commitments was to be expected and International condemnation of the tigers was old hat. But the GOSL being faulted was something new and made good copy. So the media went to town
Facts like the Karuna faction abducting children in government-controlled areas of the East, particularly Batticaloa district came to light. Since May of this year, 135 cases of under-age recruitment by abduction have been reported to UNICEF, with evidence that this trend is accelerating.
The discovery of a disturbing development involving the Karuna abductions. was outlined. Strong and credible evidence was found that certain elements of the government security forces are supporting and sometimes participating in the abductions and forced recruitment of children by the Karuna faction.
Allan Rock had also met with the parents of many of the abducted children in Batticaloa district. As a result, he learned of eye-witness evidence that links the Karuna faction abductions to certain government elements. Based on the evidence as a whole, Allan Rock concluded that some government security forces are actively participating in these criminal acts.
Apart from the issues of child recruitment and abductions, Allan Rock also observed the deteriorating humanitarian situation in certain areas of the North and East. During his visits to Vaharai and Jaffna, Mr. Rock saw first hand the fear, isolation and critical unmet needs of IDP children there.
One moving experience Allan Rock had was when civilians young and old sat in front of his vehicle in Vaharai refusing to let him and UNICEF officials leave. The people were terrified that artillery shelling would commence once the UN team left the place.
“It is increasingly clear that children are at risk from all sides,” said Mr. Rock. “It is crucial that ways be found to monitor and protect their rights and interests. Wherever I traveled, I saw with my own eyes that systems meant to safeguard children’s rights are either deteriorating or absent. It is apparent that there is an urgent need for an independent monitoring capacity to ensure that children affected by the conflict are protected” observed Allan Rock.
The excreta collided with the oscillator after Allan Rock left the Country. The Army issued a strong denial of alleged involvement. The Presidents office issued a wishy – washy statement saying that investigations would be conducted only if there was evidence. The Karuna faction charged that Allan Rock was simply repeating LTTE propaganda. The JVP condemned Rock and warned of an International conspiracy. The patriots accused the Canadian of LTTE links.
Keheliya Rambukwella who is fast becoming to Mahinda Rajapakse what AJ Ranasinghe was to Ranasinghe Premadasa also jumped into the fray. He said that the Government was waiting for Allan Rock to supply the evidence necessary to take action. In other words the GOSL was going to sit still. What Ramukwella told our sister paper was hilarious. Relevant paragraphs are excerpted here -
Defence Spokesperson Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told The Morning Leader that President Mahinda Rajapakse had initiated an inquiry through the Foreign Ministry to ascertain whether Special Advisor to the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Allan Rock exceeded his mandate by accusing the government.
“The President has instructed the Foreign Ministry to inform all relevant authorities for a strong explanation into Rock’s statement. The President has also called for an immediate inquiry into the allegations. However, such a serious statement accusing the government, was totally beyond Rock’s mandate,” Minister Rambukwella said.
Minister Rambukwella also criticised Rock by saying that if the UN official could make such a statement within hours of visiting the affected areas, then the government would willingly hand over the Raviraj investigation to the UN, rather than calling the Scotland Yard.
“If Rock is such an expert who could make these comments within hours of visiting the northeast, then he could solve the Raviraj assassination within days. We do not need the Scotland Yard then,” Rambukwella said.”
What the Government is trying to cover up is the fact that sections of the armed forces are aiding and abetting the Karuna faction to conscript youths and children. For a regime urging that the LTTE should be penalised for acts such as child conscription the UN disclosures have been a shock. The GOSL has lost any moral high ground that it had on this issue.
Colombo would actually be fighting a lost battle if it thinks the problem could be solved through brazen denial. Though Allan Rock hit the headlines with his press conference the issue of security forces assisting the Karuna faction in conscription was well – known. Other credible sources too have charged Colombo of this before.
The University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) is a reputed human rights organization. The UTHR (J) credentials in criticising the LTTE are impeccable. It cannot be accused of siding with the tigers. In fact many people from the majority community regard UTHR (J) findings as sacrosanct when it comes to blaming the tigers.
The UTHR had issued special report no 23 on November 7th. In that revelations were made about security forces role in child conscription. Relevant paragraphs are excerpted below -
” Since the middle of this year, there have been well-authenticated reports of the complicity of the government forces in the conscription of children and adults by the Karuna group. This was extended to Trincomalee in August. The following instance of child conscription took place in Trincomalee on 21st October.
Mas. Selvarajah Rasamanikkam and Mas. Satyaraj Konam of 3rd Mile Post, near Anbuvelipuram, Trincomalee, were abducted by the Karuna group in the night of 21st October as communicated by relatives. About 9.30 PM, persons in the neighbourhood saw the Karuna party with arms bringing some boys, stopped at the Green Rd. junction naval check point. A little later Navy men came on motorcycles and escorted the Karuna men and their illicit human cargo to their office. People in the area hear sounds of agony, as abducted persons are tortured to join the group.
This is the level at which the State is safeguarding the rights of the people after years of protesting loudly about child conscription by the LTTE. We have recorded a host of cases of the LTTE doing the same thing and have condemned it as a crime. We expect better standards from the Government. It should know better that there is no justification for expecting Tamils to fight its war when all its actions point to denying them a decent settlement. Abducting Tamils to fight for the Government is slavery according to the ICCPR that has now been dispensed with. The number of persons conscripted in Trincomalee is placed by local sources at over 50.
With the collapse of the recent second round of Geneva talks, all the parties are making a show of their bankruptcy by taking it out on children. In the LTTE-controlled area of Batticaloa District, especially Vavunathivu and Pattipalai DS Divisions, the LTTE (Vanni faction) has resumed conscription and many conscripts taken on 29th, 30th and 31st October are children. The number taken is about 70 and sources in the area name the leaders of the abduction teams as Raja, Nathan, Muthulingam and Annaseelan. On 2nd and 3rd November, the LTTE hosted the same circus in Vellaveli 14th and 16th colonies and Kakkachivattai.
The Karuna group showed no less zeal in conscripting children and adults in the government controlled areas abetted by the government forces. The Karuna group abducted 15 persons at a Sitthandy temple festival on 26th October. Subsequent reports spoke of large abductions in Batticaloa North from Kalkuda Namahal School, Valaichenai Hindu College, Puthukkudiyiruppu Vani School and Petthalai Vipulananda School. Persons in the area when asked are terrified of talking about it, given the context of ongoing killings by both sides. These are also places where the Army is present. All these conscripts have to be taken to Karuna’s bases through several government checkpoints.
The combined LTTE’s conscription of children before the 2004 split was terrible enough. Now two factions are conscripting children to kill each other. The international community, Norway and the Government bear a severe responsibility for this state of affairs; which stemmed from their lack of foresight and absence of principle in handling the Karuna split”
The UTHR report is not all. The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission has also confirmed the Allan Rock findings. The SLMM confirmed UN allegations in this respect and aid that they too possessed evidence of this. Relevant paragraphs from a news story in “The Morning Leader” are excerped below -
“The statement made by the UN official is correct and the SLMM in its second Geneva report released in August also stressed that we had sufficient evidence to prove that the government forces were involved in child recruitment,” Acting SLMM Spokesperson, Helen Olafsdottir told The Morning Leader.
She added that the SLMM would continue to monitor the situation.
In its second Geneva report, the SLMM said that child recruitment and child abduction continued on a relatively high level in June, July and August but unlike earlier months, a majority of the cases reported were not against the LTTE, but against the Karuna group.
“While it is evident that LTTE was behind most of the child recruiting as confirmed by several of the victims and the LTTE, there are also strong indications that the Karuna (group) were behind several of these abductions,” the SLMM report said.
It further said that there were a number of indications that the government was actively supporting the Karuna group. “Known Karuna supporters have been seen moving to and from SLA camps, and it is evident that the security forces and police in some areas are not taking action to prevent armed elements from operating,” the report said.
It would be foolish and short – sighted for the GOSL to adopt a denial cum confrontational course with the UN over this issue. Allan Rock in his press conference said that the Government had been reminded that it has a responsibility to ensure that no civilians are targeted in military operations.Mr. Rock had sought and received several assurances and commitments by the parties involved.
The LTTE gave him assurances that they would work with UNICEF, commencing immediately, to accelerate the release from their ranks of all children, with the objective of completing that process by January 1, 2007. They also committed to better training for their military commanders in relation to recruitment, and a process of discipline for those who do not comply.
The Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), on behalf of its military wing Karuna, undertook to publish formal policy statements forbidding under-age recruitment, and to release any children who may now be in its ranks. The TMVP agreed to work with UNICEF in an effort to trace the whereabouts and arrange the release of those abducted children whose families have complained to UNICEF.
Allan Rock also received assurances from President Rajapakse concerning the allegations that elements of the Sri Lankan security forces have been complicit with the Karuna faction in its child recruitment, and that they participated in or facilitated child abductions. The President made clear to Rock that he will order an immediate and thorough investigation to determine whether such things have occurred and, should the evidence support that conclusion, he will take action to hold accountable those who are responsible.
The best course available to President Rajapakse is to honour the assurances given to Allan Rock. He always has the fig leaf of saying that errant sections of the armed forces are responsible and that the GOSL on the whole had nothing to with it.In order to prove his bona fides Rajapakse has to take action against some security personnel. He can’t afford to fudge this one. The canuck ain’t no push over.
Allan Rock has welcomed all assurances by the parties concerned. He requires concrete evidence of compliance by all parties before the submission of his formal written report to the Security Council in January next year.
A harsh and critical report about the GOSL may compel the Security Council to issue strictures against Colombo. This in turn may lead to sanctions. Rajapakse should observe closely what is happening in Congo and Sudan over the child soldier issue.
Another headache for Colombo is that Allan Rock’s mandate is not restricted to child soldiers alone. He is after all a special adviser to Radhika Coomaraswamy the UN special representative on Children and armed conflict. This means that issues such as children displaced by war, their accommodation, education, health, sanitation, nutrition etc also need to be studied. Hospitals and schools affected by war, abduction and disappearances of children, sexual violation and exploitation of children etc are all issues that could be addressed within the mandate. It is understood that Allan Rock’s study will cover the period from July 2005 till now.
For a long time the LTTE has been the sole target of International condemnation regarding child soldiers. Successive Colombo Governments have adopted hypocritical “holier than thou ” postures in criticising the LTTE. Now the GOSL is facing criticism. The ball is in Mahinda’s court.
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November 18th, 2006
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) President Veerasingham Anandasangaree was awarded the prestigious 2006 UNESCO – Madanjeet Singh prize for the promotion of Tolerance and Non – Violence on Thursday November 16th.
The prize – giving ceremony at the UNESCO house in Paris was held as usual on Nov 16th observed annually as International day for tolerance .
UNESCO Deputy – Director General Marcio Barbosa handed over the prize comprising a sculpture, certificate and cheque for US $ 100,000 as honorarium to Anandasangaree amidst thunderous applause.
“I will cherish this moment as long as I live” said the TULF leader.
Loyal TULF supporters, family members and well – wishers from different European countries and Canada were in France to be present at the function where the 73 year old veteran Tamil Politician was honoured.
The award ceremony was attended by diplomats, officials, UN staff, media, civil society representatives and the Sri Lankan community in France. .
Speaking after accepting the award Anandasangaree said “it is the spread of exclusion and intolerance that has resulted in the rise of racist ideologies that separate people and create barriers”.
He said that education for peace is education for life and urged UNESCO, as the lead agency in education, to make use of this immense opportunity, to focus and promote worldwide concepts such as peace, human rights and respect for the environment, which are the very foundations of tolerance and non violence.
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Only then he said, would future generations be inculcated with the values that would ensure democracy, good governance, tolerance, human rights, freedom of expression and justice for all.
“The other may not speak the same language or practice a different religion or have a skin of a different colour. It is this lack of understanding of the other that has been the root cause of many , all around the globe”, he noted.
There is literally no corner in the world where human is not arrayed against human, where brother is not pitted against brother where violence is not absent. “When a child grows, we teach him to be aggressive and competitive instead of showing them how life can be more beautiful, we teach them how material wealth, monetary success and power are essential he said . Life is a supermarket where there are shelves full of goodies, all of them meant for us, provided we have the necessary cash to buy them”. The aim of life is to have as much money as we can, so as to have maximum happiness. In the process, if we have to bend some rules or trample over some friends, it is all a part of the game, he explained.
“They would have no compunction towards you, so you need have none towards them. Therefore, we have to learn that “the world has enough for everyone’s need, but it can never have enough for everyone’s greed”, he pointed out.
“The same applies to the game of power. We have to realise that life is not meant for exploitation, but to share. We must learn to live together as friends, as members of a family, as citizens of a country and as children of the earth”, Anandasangaree noted.
Most upheavals have as the source of origin violation of human rights, injustice, discrimination, exploitation and intolerance. However legitimate the causes may be to fight for one’s rights, it is an accepted fact thatviolence begets violence. Once begun, it becomes a long struggle, not only because there is growth of hatred, but also, because of growing mistrust and lack of confidence in one another. Added to that the armed groups also become very powerful and they come to a stage, where turning back becomes very difficult, having got used to power and rule by the gun and doing business as usual, he said.
They deal with networks, peddling with arms,drugs and diaspora contributions, to keep their outfits going. And then it becomes business, which is difficult to give up. This is the case in Sri Lanka, where whilst most of us who are moderate activists, striving to achieve our legitimate rights through peaceful and democratic means, an armed group, calling themselves the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) who do not represent the majority view of the Tamil population in Sri Lanka, is holding us Tamils hostage, in the areas under their control and to an extent even the country as a whole, by the use of terror, he said.
He urged the Tamil diaspora “to ensure that no funds and support are provided to a terrorist outfit, who will never be able to achieve the aspirations of the Tamil people living in Sri Lanka by the use of terror and violence”.
Ananda Sangaree appealed to the international community to help liberate the Tamil people the Tamil people from the clutches of the ruthless LTTE and their continuing wanton terrorism, that has brought nothing but misery to Sri Lanka and the Tamil population in the country as a whole.
Following the ceremony, the Embassy of Sri Lanka organised Sri Lankan artistes to perform Baharathanatyam, Kandyan and folk dances. A reception was hosted by the Sri Lankan Ambassador on November 17 to felicitate Anandasangaree
The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura had designated Anandasangaree as the laureate of the 2006 UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence some months ago. The decision to award Anandasangaree the prize was made on the recommendation of an international jury.
The members of the jury were: Andrés Pastrana Arango, former President of Colombia; Bahia Hariri, President of the Commission for Education, Science and Culture of the Lebanese Parliament; Inder Kumar Gujral, former Prime Minister of India; Sergei Markarov and Manu Dibango, both UNESCO Artists for Peace.
When the name of Anandasangaree was announced as the UNESCO – laureate designate the accompanying press release described the TULF president thus – ” An indefatigable advocate of democracy and peaceful conflict resolution, he has contributed to raising awareness of the Tamil cause in a spirit of dialogue, while seeking to promote non-violent solutions to Sri Lanka and opposing terrorism. ”
The $100,000 UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize was created in 1995 on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the birth of the Mahatma Gandhi, thanks to the generosity of the Indian writer and diplomat Madanjeet Singh, who is also a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
Dedicated to advancing the spirit of tolerance in the arts, education, culture, science and communication, the Prize is awarded every two years to an individual or an institution for exceptional contributions in the promotion of tolerance and non-violence.
In 2004, the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence was awarded to the Bangladeshi writer and journalist Taslima Nasreen. Ms Nasrin has received public recognition for her writings against the oppression of women in some Asian countries.Facing death threats from Moslem fundamentalists, she continues fighting in exile for a new civil code, based on gender equality, and for secular education.
In 2002 the award went to Myanmayar (Burma) heroine Aung San Su Kyi who continues to fight an oppressive dictatorial regime through non – violent means. Su Kyi married to an Oxford don could have stayed on in Britain without any problem but chose to sacrifice home and family to return to her homeland and struggle for democracy. Despite her long years of house arrest and indefinite detention of her supporters Aung San Su Kyi and her movement for restoring democracy remain unbowed.
Sangaree as Anandasangaree is generally known in Sri Lanka is not an exile like Taslima or under house arrest like Aung San but certainly his life is under grave threat ever since he started defying the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE media has constantly attacked and vilified him as a traitor to the Tamils. Yet the danger to his life may not come from the LTTE alone but also from Tamil outfits aligned to the state.
UNESCO goodwill ambassador Madanjeet Singh under whose name the proze for tolerance and non – violence is awarded was also present at the ceremony. In his address Madanjeet Singh said -
It is a great honour and privilege for me to congratulate Mr. V. Anadasangaree, the 2006 Prize laureate of the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-violence, on winning this significant award. A devoted and tireless worker for the cause of peace and democracy, he has consistently opposed terrorism and violence. After working as a teacher and lawyer, he became the President of the Tamil United Liberation Front in 2002. In that capacity, he has been devotedly trying to find a common ground among the people of Sri Lanka to solve the ethnic conflict through dialogue in a spirit of tolerance and non-violence.
The work of Mr. V. Anadasangaree in promoting peace and dialogue is of the utmost importance. This was underlined by the recent assassination of Mr. Nadaraja Raviraj, a prominent representative of the Tamil community and a member of the Sri Lankan parliament. Mr. Raviraj rose to the position of attorney in 1987 and was an indefatigable advocate of the rights of the Tamil community. At the same time he was a popular figure among the Singhalese as he promoted peace and friendship among the two communities. He regularly participated in peace rallies and his last public demonstration took place in front of the UN office in Colombo protesting the civilian killings in Vakarai. “The ethnic problem can be solved only through peaceful means”, he said, “war was mutually destructive to both communities”.
May I also mention that even though a year has passed since the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, the Hon. Lakshman Kadirgamar, was also assassinated, I have yet to get over the tragedy. He was a good friend, whose advice I greatly valued. He was also the first chairman of the Sri Lankan chapter of South Asia Foundation (SAF). His legacy of peace and cooperation has now been entrusted to his eminent wife, Mme Suganthie Kadirgamar, who is a member of the SAF Advisory Board, and has recently established the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies in Colombo. This institution is being set up within the framework of SAF million dollar Institutions of Excellence, like the Madanjeet Singh Institution for the Preservation of Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage which was opened in Kabul on 13 July 2006, in cooperation with UNESCO.
The cardinal objective of South Asia Foundation is to promote regional cooperation and peace through education, cultural interaction and mutual understanding among the people of South Asia. As a citizen of India it makes me proud to belong to the world’s largest democracy with a Hindu majority, a Muslim President, a Sikh Prime Minister and a Christian as the leader of the largest political party. I believe that history is not merely a series of accidents. It is a never-ending struggle between reactionary, divisive warmongers and people striving to realize their dream to live peacefully in cooperation with one another in a society where men and women love reason and reject violence.The work of Mr. Anadasangaree and people like him whose minds are sensitive, whose hearts are generous and spirits free, is of fundamental importance in promoting peace not only in Sri Lanka but in all South Asia.
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November 18th, 2006
[TransCurrents News Service]
In a rare and unusual display of professional integrity Criminal Investigation department (CID) officials of the Sri Lankan Police have informed courts that there could be high – level “interference” in the investigation of Tamil National Alliance Jaffna district Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj and his bodyguard Police sgt. Lakshman Lokuwellage .
CID officials requested courts to take charge of files relating to the on going Police probe into the incident in order to prevent possible interference and tampering by powerful persons with the intention of thwartin g or deflecting investigations and distorting justice on behalf of the perpetrators of the appalling crime.
Two assassins stopped traffic on a busy Colombo road and gunned down both victims in broad daylight.
Colombo additional Magistrate Mohammed Irshadeen accepted submissions made by CID officials and took charge of the files placing them under judicial custody till the next date of hearing on Nov 28th.
Earlier Borella police moved courts for a date regarding the inquiry as many potential witnesses including family members of Raviraj’s family had gone to Jaffna for the funeral.
CID then informed court that three suspects were arrested by them and detained under the emergency regulations for interrogation. They had recovered a T56 rifle, some bullets and some articles at the scene of the killing. They also took charge of the vehicle in which the victims travelled and produced it in court with another vehicle with some bullet marks. The productions would be sent to the Government Analyst for his examination and report.
The CID also informed court if the file was not kept under the personal charge of the magistrate there was a possibility of the assailants interfering with the investigation.
The magistrate upheld the submission of the CID and took charge of the file into his custody
The Addl Magistrate also instructed Borella Police to produce all witnesses and postponed hearings for Nov 28th.
The CID request that investigation files should be taken charge of by courts to prevent obstruction of justice illustrates clearly that high level involvement is suspected in the assassination and that interference by powerful people into the probe is anticipated.
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November 16th, 2006
[TransCUrrents News Service]
Police sleuths investigating the assassination of Jaffna district Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviiraj have uncovered evidence that implicates a Tamil Political Party with links to the Government in the daylight murder.
The motor cycle used by the assassins to get away from the scene of crime was last registered in the name of a prominent member of this party. The vehicle was bought from a garage in Tangalle in the Hambantota district. The deal was arranged by a military deserter also from Tangalle. At least five persons from Tangalle have been taken in for questioning.
The Tamil politico owner of the motor cycle has gone “missing” and is seemingly untraceable. It is widely believed that the suspect is hiding in the well – fortified Colombo residence of a cabinet minister.
Police investigators fearing obstruction of justice through high – level interference have voluntarily handed over to judicial custody all files relating to the investigation.
Interestingly enough the leader of the Nava Sama Samaje party Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne has said that the killer serpents of Raviraj came to the road from under the feet of the President right across the cabinet.
Dr. Wicramabahu stated this at a meeting held at Viharamahadevi Park to pay homage to late Raviraj Nadarajah by the people of South. Dr. Bahu also said that if this trend continues the time will not be far when the President too could be stung by these serpents.
Meanwhile relatives of slain MP told media personnel in Jaffna that a member of a Tamil paramilitary organization linked to the Government had tried to target Raviraj when the TNA Parliamentarian visited Jaffna a few weeks before his death. Raviraj was the first MP to visit Jaffna since A9 was closed following the escalation of hostilities since August 11. He journeyed to Jaffna in an Air Force plane and was given security from Palaly to his home in Chavakachcheri.
According to relatives the Tamil paramilitary operative was suspected of working with the Sri Lankan military intelligence. He had visited Raviraj’s Chavakachcheri residence and questioned people about Raviraj’s movements. Suspecting an assassination attempt Raviraj had gone elsewhere and slept at another place before leaving for Colombo.
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November 16th, 2006
[TransCurrents NewsFeatures]
Deatails are now becoming public of how the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and its agents tried to suppress, stifle and sabotage funeral processions in Jaffna and Colombo of assassinated Jaffna district Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj.
In Jaffna all participants in the funeral procession were video filmed by Sri Lankan security force soldiers as well as Tamil paramilitary operatives wearing black masks.
The sight of these men filming the procession had intimidated a lot of people into exiting from the procession through fear.
It has been the practice in recent times for security personnel and Tamil paramilitaries to target persons suspected of being supporters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Videos were taken of pro – tiger demonstrations and public rallies like “Pongu Thamil” (Tamil Upsurge) and “maaveerar Naal” (Great Heroes Day)by the security apparatus. People seen at the forefront of these demonstrations and meetings were then identified from the videos and traced. Subsequently a large number of such people were killed or abducted.
It was against this backdrop that people got jittery when the funeral procession of Nadarajah Raviraj was videoed by security and paramilitary personnel in Jaffna.
In another flagrant threat to media freedom Security personnel in Chavakachcheri also detained media persons covering Raviraj’s funeral and interrogated them for 90 minutes at the army camp in Chavakachcheri town. Representatives from the English, Sinhala and Tamil media were threatened by security personnel not to give publicity about the funeral in their respective media organs.
Information has also become available about how the Govt and Police tried to prevent the funeral procession paying homage to Raviraj from being held in Colombo.
After failing to prevent the procession the authorities deployed a massive contingent of security personnel along the procession route for the ostensible reason of giving protection.
As a result of this massive intimidatory show of force people were reluctant to participate, Security personnel also turned away many people wanting to participate in the procession. Several buses carrying would be participants were not allowed to proceed.
As a result of these activities the participants in the procession numbered only around 4000 instead of the expected 20,000 figure.
Meanwhile “The Morning Leader” has published vivid details of what transpired between authorities and the people who involved in organizing funeral and procession arrangements.
Relevant paragraphs are excerpted here from the “State of the Nation” column writen by Sonali Samarasinghe in the “Morning Leader”.
” On Friday (10) following the assassination of Nadarajah Raviraj, TNA MP Mavai Senathirajah was to speak to President Mahinda Rajapakse and make an urgent appeal. ‘Allow us to take the body through the A9 to cremate the body in Chavakachcheri as that was Raviraj’s final request,’ Senathirajah said.
Rajapakse told him he would consult the military and revert but there was a fear that if the A9 was opened the LTTE would strike. Senathirajah told the President that they could get the LTTE to give an assurance that they would not attack. Subsequently TNA Leader R. Sampanthan also spoke to the President about the same matter.
On Saturday (11) Foreign Minister Mangala Samar-aweera was to pay his last respects at the A. F. Raymond’s Parlour in Colombo 8. Again TNA MPs and friends of Raviraj prevailed upon Samaraweera to allow the remains of the slain parliamentarian to be taken by road on the A9. Samaraweera promised to speak to President Rajapakse about it.
It was also on Saturday that the TNA requested authorities to allow the funeral procession to proceed from the funeral parlour in Borella to the Town Hall as Raviraj himself had one time been a mayor of Jaffna.
By this time government Defence Spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella had offered to airlift the body and relatives of Raviraj in an airforce aircraft. However family and friends felt that this would be restrictive and would prevent the large numbers who wanted to genuinely attend the funeral.
Meanwhile Kumar Rupesinghe of the Foundation for Co- Existence, UNP MP Rajitha Senaratne and Dr. Nimalka Fernando of the Women’s Alliance for Peace and Democracy and others met to plan a demonstration and a hartal against the brutal murder and the prevalent culture of violence.
The group accordingly met DIG Colombo Range Pujith Jayasundera and DIG Range IV, N.K. Illangakoon to discuss the modalities of the peaceful demonstration.
On Sunday the National Anti War Front at a media briefing announced their intentions to take to the streets in a mass protest rally and accompany the body from the Raymond’s Funeral Parlour in Borella upto Town Hall. Nimalka Fernando at the briefing blamed the government for the assassination, pointing out that the killing took place in a high security area.
On the same day Keheliya Rambukwella was to call Sampanthan and again tell him not to have a funeral procession going to Town Hall. Rambukwella said that such a procession would be disrespectful to Raviraj. At this point Sampanthan angrily retorted that on the contrary, this was being done by the Sinhalese to respect Raviraj.
Later, President Mahinda Rajapakse spoke to Kumar Rupesinghe and told him, ‘look you have every right to have a procession but they are trying to blame me for the assassination.’
Rupesinghe in response was to say that eventually as the Executive President the responsibility lay with him.
Rajapakse then said, it would be provocative for them to have the body and speeches made over the body. You can have the speeches without the body, the President was to say.
Rupesinghe however was not about to heed the President’s wishes but the wishes of the family of slain MP N.Raviraj. And he told Rajapakse as much. ‘I will go ahead and have the demonstration and the speeches with the body of the slain MP, as long as the family has no objection.’
On Monday (13) morning when Kumar Rupesinghe arrived at the Raymond’s Parlour DIG Illangakoon had also been present. Illangakoon had then informed Rupesinghe that the procession should not be held and the demonstration and hartal should be stopped.
Illangakoon continued, “we have information that two vehicles without number plates are coming to Colombo from Kilinochchi and the JVP are also having a procession.”
The DIG then asked Rupesinghe to stop his procession as it could create trouble and disturb the peace.
Rupesinghe shot back, “but have you asked the JVP to stop their procession?” and Illangakoon replied in the negative. At which point Rupesinghe said, ‘then we are going to have it as well. We are expecting about 20,000 people to participate and we are doing it as a mark of respect for Raviraj.’
Rupesinghe then informed Illangakoon that even as various shops had been voluntarily putting up shutters in and around Pettah as part of the protest, police had forcibly tried to make the shop owners open up and asked them as to why they were doing these things.
Rupesinghe also informed Illangakoon that two vehicles coming to Colombo from Puttalam had been stopped by the police and sent back.
By Monday however rumours were being spread by interested parties that the demonstration had been banned in an attempt to whittle down participation with even some sections of government media reportedly carrying bulletins to this effect.
With Rajapakse steadily losing political ground and taking a severe international beating it would therefore no longer suffice for the President to merely meet with members of the JVP, UNP and JHU for regular chats.
Chatting in the comfort of Temple Trees and agreeing to all sorts of impossible impracticalities will not solve the problem. If there is one thing the President has been fighting shy of since he took up the post a year ago , it is making a firm decision on any matter.
Sri Lanka has become more than a failed state. It has become a shamed state. Rajapakse if he has achieved anything in his one year as President he has achieved only this. The nation has been reduced to the worst days of the beeshanaya era of the late ’80s. Sadly some sections of society far from learning from its mistakes of the ’80s have continued to look on and applaud this madness.
This week Rajapakse is at the cross roads, he can no longer duck the human rights issues with the international eye so keenly upon him.
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November 16th, 2006
[TransCurrents NewsFeatures]
The findings outlined by UN special adviser Allan Rock in a Colombo press conference have shocked and rocked Sri Lanka!
For the first time President Mahinda Rajapakse and the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL)have been put in the dock on a charge of aiding and abetting the LTTE breakaway Karuna faction known as Tamil Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal (TMVP)conscript child soldiers in the Eastern Province.
The Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), on behalf of its military wing Karuna, undertook to publish formal policy statements forbidding under-age recruitment, and to release any children who may now be in its ranks. The TMVP agreed to work with UNICEF in an effort to trace the whereabouts and arrange the release of those abducted children whose families have complained to UNICEF.
While the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been regularly accused of child conscription by the UN the charges against the GOSL and TMVP have jolted the Country and the International community.
Mr. Allan Rock undertook a ten day field trip to Sri Lanka as special adviser to Radhika Coomaraswamy the Special representative on Children in armed conflict to the UN secretary – General Kofi Annan.
Rock received assurances from President Rajapakse concerning the allegations that elements of the Sri Lankan security forces have been complicit with the Karuna faction in its child recruitment, and that they participated in or facilitated child abductions.
The President made clear to Mr.Rock in a face to face meeting that he will order an immediate and thorough investigation to determine whether such things have occurred and, should the evidence support that conclusion, he will take action to hold accountable those who are responsible.
The disclosures made by Allan Rock in this respect have evoked hostile reactions from the GOSL, Army and JVP.
Defence Spokesperson Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told The Morning Leader newspaper that President Mahinda Rajapakse had initiated an inquiry through the Foreign Ministry to ascertain whether Special Advisor to the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Allan Rock exceeded his mandate by accusing the government.
“The President has instructed the Foreign Ministry to inform all relevant authorities for a strong explanation into Rock’s statement. The President has also called for an immediate inquiry into the allegations. However, such a serious statement accusing the government, was totally beyond Rock’s mandate,” Minister Rambukwella said.
Minister Rambukwella also criticised Rock by saying that if the UN official could make such a statement within hours of visiting the affected areas, then the government would willingly hand over the Raviraj investigation to the UN, rather than calling the Scotland Yard.
“If Rock is such an expert who could make these comments within hours of visiting the northeast, then he could solve the Raviraj assassination within days. We do not need the Scotland Yard then,” Rambukwella said.
Rambukwella also charged that the government would seek an explanation from the highest level and would also take appropriate action to clear its name.
However, he did not specify what action the government planned to take or could take.
Rock told the media on Monday afternoon that he had briefed Rajapakse of his observations and findings and informed him that he would make a statement to the press.
The UN Official told the press that Rajapakse had informed him that he would initiate an immediate inquiry into the allegations.
The government however expressed regret over certain statements made by Ambassador Allan Rock, Special Advisor to the UN Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict in a statrement issued by the President’s office.
Mr. Rock who left the country yesterday concluding a ten day fact finding mission in Sri Lanka accused government troops of recruiting child soldiers for the Karuna faction.
“Certain statements Ambassador Rock has made in public have led to many distorted media reports,” the President’s office said.
It reiterated that Mr. Rock’s statements were opposed to the long-standing zero-tolerance policy on the recruitment of children as combatants.
Ambassador Allan Rock brought to the attention of President Rajapaksa certain allegations against some elements of the security forces supporting the abduction and forcible recruitment of children by the Karuna faction.
In response, the President said if there was credible evidence of such incidents he would have them investigated.
Ambassador Rock expressed his appreciation to the President for his response, it said.
During Ambassador Allan Rock’s visit to Sri Lanka, the government provided him with unhindered access to all areas and facilitated meetings with a cross-section of government actors.
The Sri Lankan military said it was `perturbed at a couple of observations and comments’ made by Mr. Rock, and said the Mission’s allegation that “certain elements of the Government security forces were sometimes participating in the abductions and forced recruitment of children is regretted and completely misleading.”
Likewise, the Mission’s conclusions based on `eye-witness evidence’ that the `Government security forces are actively involved in these criminal acts’ deserve a deep sense of revulsion and explanation in view of their serious nature and repercussions.
“It is no secret that the Mission by innuendo has gone the extra mile to blame the troops of the Sri Lankan security forces deployed in government-controlled areas of eastern Batticaloa to contain LTTE violence and defend human rights in the region.” the army said in a statement.
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has vehemently condemned recent charges levelled against the military forces by UN Special Advisor for Children and Conflict on Sri Lanka, Allan Rock and accused him of attempting to dilute charges against the LTTE on child recruitments by doing so.
“Most media, especially the foreign media highlighted this story under the caption of UN accusing military forces of supporting Karuna faction on child recruitments. It is clear that Mr. Rock is levelling these charges not based on actual facts and evidence,” the JVP politburo said.
They noted that if the Karuna faction was engaged in recruiting children, he should point his finger at the group and not at the government forces.
“Only those supporting the LTTE directly and indirectly were accusing government forces of having links with the Karuna faction. What Mr. Rock does is fulfilling the need of such groups to disgrace the government forces by adding more weight into the charges, by issuing the statement under the UN banner,” the JVP said, while charging that this was a mere attempt to lessen the charges on LTTE child recruitments internationally.
The politburo also noted these charges cannot go unnoticed because there is a ’serious and dangerous’ hidden agenda behind this charge.
“He is attempting to show the world that government forces are incapable of keeping law and order and fails to do justice to all communities. He also attempts to project that government forces were no more different than a terrorist organization by doing so. His charge should not be taken lightly because this was another attempt at paving the way to bring UN peace keeping forces into the country,” the Politburo added
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November 14th, 2006
[TransCurrents News Service]
In the furor caused by UN special adviser Allan Rock’s press conference in Colombo about the security forces helping LTTE breakaway Karuna faction conscript children as soldiers important allegations of a similiar type made earlier by a reputed human rights organization have gone unnoticed.
The University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) in a report released on November 7th alleged that the Navy in Trincomalee is helping the Karuna faction known as Tamil Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal (TMVP) conscript child soldiers.
Relevant excerpts from URHR special report No 23 are given below -
. 6. The Navy’s Role in Child Conscription in Trincomalee
Since the middle of this year, there have been well-authenticated reports of the complicity of the government forces in the conscription of children and adults by the Karuna group. This was extended to Trincomalee in August. The following instance of child conscription took place in Trincomalee on 21st October.
Mas. Selvarajah Rasamanikkam and Mas. Satyaraj Konam of 3rd Mile Post, near Anbuvelipuram, Trincomalee, were abducted by the Karuna group in the night of 21st October as communicated by relatives. About 9.30 PM, persons in the neighbourhood saw the Karuna party with arms bringing some boys, stopped at the Green Rd. junction naval check point. A little later Navy men came on motorcycles and escorted the Karuna men and their illicit human cargo to their office. People in the area hear sounds of agony, as abducted persons are tortured to join the group.
This is the level at which the State is safeguarding the rights of the people after years of protesting loudly about child conscription by the LTTE. We have recorded a host of cases of the LTTE doing the same thing and have condemned it as a crime. We expect better standards from the Government. It should know better that there is no justification for expecting Tamils to fight its war when all its actions point to denying them a decent settlement. Abducting Tamils to fight for the Government is slavery according to the ICCPR that has now been dispensed with. The number of persons conscripted in Trincomalee is placed by local sources at over 50.
7. Partly State Aided Conscription for Fratricide Gathers Momentum
With the collapse of the recent second round of Geneva talks, all the parties are making a show of their bankruptcy by taking it out on children. In the LTTE-controlled area of Batticaloa District, especially Vavunathivu and Pattipalai DS Divisions, the LTTE (Vanni faction) has resumed conscription and many conscripts taken on 29th, 30th and 31st October are children. The number taken is about 70 and sources in the area name the leaders of the abduction teams as Raja, Nathan, Muthulingam and Annaseelan. On 2nd and 3rd November, the LTTE hosted the same circus in Vellaveli 14th and 16th colonies and Kakkachivattai.
The Karuna group showed no less zeal in conscripting children and adults in the government controlled areas abetted by the government forces. The Karuna group abducted 15 persons at a Sitthandy temple festival on 26th October. Subsequent reports spoke of large abductions in Batticaloa North from Kalkuda Namahal School, Valaichenai Hindu College, Puthukkudiyiruppu Vani School and Petthalai Vipulananda School. Persons in the area when asked are terrified of talking about it, given the context of ongoing killings by both sides. These are also places where the Army is present. All these conscripts have to be taken to Karuna’s bases through several government checkpoints.
The combined LTTE’s conscription of children before the 2004 split was terrible enough. Now two factions are conscripting children to kill each other. The international community, Norway and the Government bear a severe responsibility for this state of affairs; which stemmed from their lack of foresight and absence of principle in handling the Karuna split.
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November 14th, 2006
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