–WASHINGTON (AFP) – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton voiced hope for a "just and democratic" Sri Lanka as she offered congratulations ahead of the war-torn island's Independence Day on Friday.
Clinton said in a statement Wednesday that the United States and Sri Lanka have historically enjoyed "a strong relationship based on mutual interests and a shared commitment to the ideals of democratic governance."
"We hope to continue our efforts to strengthen this relationship by assisting in post-war reconciliation to bring about a peaceful, prosperous, just and democratic future for all its citizens," Clinton said.
Sri Lanka's relations with the United States were strained in 2009 when Washington voiced concern about human rights as the army killed the top leadership of the Tamil Tiger rebels, ending decades of insurgency.
After urgings by the Tamil diaspora, a number of US lawmakers have pushed President Barack Obama's administration to take a harder line on Sri Lanka, such as supporting an international probe into the 2009 violence.
The United Nations has said that at least 7,000 civilians perished in the final months of fighting, while international rights groups have put the toll at more than 30,000.
Sri Lanka has denied any civilian deaths and has rejected calls for an international probe. The Tigers were known for devastating suicide bombings during their decades-long campaign for a separate Tamil homeland.
Peace for the World World ! Your War Our Lives
The Dalai Lama
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
(Full Story)
Back to 500BC.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
In Egypt, wave of anti-press assaults, arrests
In Egypt, wave of anti-press assaults, arrests
Reuters
• An unprecedented assault
• Egypt rejoins the Internet
• Thwarting censorship
• More on Egypt •
'Wish and reality of Sri Lanka's Independence'
[Sat, 05 Feb 2011, 03:08 GMT]
“I wish all Sri Lankans around the world a happy celebration and continued peace and prosperity in the coming year," said a statement harping on "post-war reconciliation" released from the office of the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, on the eve of the independence day of Sri Lanka on 4th February. But the imposed celebration was largely ignored inside the island and outside, the day drew protests across the world by Eezham Tamils. “Sri Lankan High Commission has invited the Sri Lankan community for a reception to celebrate their independence. We will assemble outside the embassy to condemn the Sri Lankans celebrating while denying the Tamils their right to independence,” the call for protest in London said. Demonstrations were held in London, Toronto and in Oslo. Addressing protesters in Oslo, Conservative Party (Høyre) leader Erna Solberg called for war-crimes investigations. Full story >>
Tamils take their plight to Toronto's streets
Toronto Sun
Tamils take their plight to Toronto's streets
Last Updated: February 4, 2011 6:29pm
Toronto’s Tamil community have taken it to the streets again.About 200 people marched outside the Sri Lankan Embassy on St. Clair Ave. W. between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Friday protesting the treatment of their fellow Tamils in their homeland.
“Our people are still in a very bad situation,” said Prab Alliah, 50, Ontario chairman of the National Council of Canadian Tamils. “In Sri Lnaka (Tamils) are not living as humans, they live as animals,”
Tamil protesters brought the city streets to a halt many times in the spring of 2009 in an effort to convince the Canadian government to stop the war in Sri Lanka.
Friday marked the 63rd anniversary of Sri Lankan independence but Tamils say that is the day they lost their freedom.
Tamils in Sri Lanka are subject to constant oppression, violence and murder, said one protester.
Kandiah, who didn’t want to give his last name, went so far as to call it a “genocide.”
“Last war, in 2009, they massacred over 100,000 people, they have used chemical weapons, they have killed innocent people (and) they have raped,” Kandiah alleged.
He wants the British, who put the Sri Lankan and Tamil people together to answer for what is happening now.
Many of the protesters want their people to have basic human rights guaranteed. The NCCT wants Canada’s help to get those rights.
“Here right now we are trying to explain our government, the Canada government to try to help Tamil people back home,” Alliah. “We need freedom.”
Uniformed Toronto Police were on scene but the protest remained subdued.
“So far they have been very cooperative and very accommodating to our wishes, its a peaceful demonstration, no problems today,” Sgt. Dan McDermott said.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
SRI LANKA: DELIVERY OF FATF GUIDANCE REGARDING IRAN
The Telegraph
Nuclear WikiLeaks CablesNuclear WikiLeaks Cables 1.(C) Summary: The Ambassador and DCM told the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, respectively, that Sri Lanka should be cautious about deepening its trade relationship with Iran, in light of the recent ref A Financial
Action Task Force (FATF) advisory. The Ambassador and DCM reiterated that weapons procurement from Iran would be illegal under UN Security Council Resolution 1747, and would have serious negative consequences for U.S.-Sri Lanka relations. Both Governor Cabraal and Secretary Kohona replied that Sri Lanka does not intend to purchase arms from Iran. Both asserted that President Rajapaksa's trip to Iran in late November would be focused on trade and investment, but a well-connected embassy source quoted to us a government minister saying that Sri Lanka would try to negotiate a contract for $200 million worth of oil from Iran at below-market prices, in exchange for which Sri Lanka would order a significant quantity of arms. End summary.
GOVERNMENT: NO FURTHER ARMS PURCHASES FROM IRAN Full Story
Action Task Force (FATF) advisory. The Ambassador and DCM reiterated that weapons procurement from Iran would be illegal under UN Security Council Resolution 1747, and would have serious negative consequences for U.S.-Sri Lanka relations. Both Governor Cabraal and Secretary Kohona replied that Sri Lanka does not intend to purchase arms from Iran. Both asserted that President Rajapaksa's trip to Iran in late November would be focused on trade and investment, but a well-connected embassy source quoted to us a government minister saying that Sri Lanka would try to negotiate a contract for $200 million worth of oil from Iran at below-market prices, in exchange for which Sri Lanka would order a significant quantity of arms. End summary. GOVERNMENT: NO FURTHER ARMS PURCHASES FROM IRAN Full Story
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
TVPA: US's legal gift to victims of war-crimes, torture
[Wed, 02 Feb 2011, 03:47 GMT]
Canadian professor exposes cosiness of Clinton with Colombo, Cairo
“I observe Hillary Rodham Clinton careening about in response to events in Sri Lanka and now Egypt – bouncing from (realpolitik) wall to (humanitarian) wall to (pragmatism) wall, in a kind of foreign policy funhouse of mirrors,” writes Canadian Professor of Law, Craig Scott, exposing the hoodwink game played by the US State Department having close personal relationship with the oppressive regimes in Colombo and Cairo. In an article appeared in Open Democracy Monday, Prof. Scott exposes how the protection of Rajapaksa regime is smoothly carried out by the family connections of SL foreign minister G L Peiris with Hillary Clinton. Full story >>
Sinhala colonization threatens fishermen of Vanni
[Tue, 01 Feb 2011, 23:47 GMT]
The number of Sinhala fishermen from South, camping close to Sri Lanka Army and Sri Lanka Navy camps in the SL occupied Vadamaraadchi East and Mullaiththeevu, has doubled within a short period in the recent weeks, causing alarm among the fishermen associations of resettled Tamil fishermen. Commanders of the occupying Sri Lankan military have become brokers bringing in hundreds of fishermen from south and allowing them to operate from coastal areas where Tamil civilians are denied resettlement, complained representatives of fishermen societies in Vadamaraadchi East told media Tuesday. Full story >>
‘Tamils in Lanka will be wiped out in 2 years’
First Published : 02 Feb 2011 03:31:19 AM IST
TIRUCHY: Despite the claim of the Sri Lankan government that rehabilitation work is in full swing in the regions where Tamils live, the real condition is worse. To say the least, it is non-livable and within two years, all the Tamils and everything about them will be destroyed and obliterated from memory if the present squalid condition persists, I Kayal alias Angayarkanni, who was detained in Sri Lanka recently for visiting the northern part of the island nation, said here on Tuesday.Angayarkanni, an advocate by profession, along with her associate M Thirumalai, had visited the Tamil regions in Sri Lanka, including Vavunia, Mattakalappu, Omandai, Kilinochi, Jafna and Valvettithurai and got to know firsthand the condition of the Tamils in various camps.‘In a camp at Kattariankulam in Vavunia there live about 1600 persons making up from 746 families and most of them are women and children. Men who are fewer live without either leg or hand and we even hear that the women are subjected to sexual harassment’, she said.Though the government claims that rehabilitation work is in progress, only 30 per cent of relief materials reach the people at the camps. Still the people lead a life with their hands tied up and undergo torture at the ‘concentration camps’ and ‘torture centres’, she said. About 16,000 young men and 9,000 women in the 18-35 age group who were once LTTE sympathisers are lodged in separate camps and their condition is worse, Thirumalai said.‘When the UN officials visited the camps, the women inmates petitioned to them to know about these displaced young people and most of the parents were not in a position to know whether their sons were alive’, she said. Those who are healthy are kept in torture centres and those who are not are kept in camps for internally displaced persons.If this condition persists the whole of Tamil race would be rooted out of the island nation, Angayarkanni said. She also pointed out that the agricultural tools distributed to the Tamils were used by the Sinhalese. That shows the failure of the authorities to reach the welfare measures to the affected Tamils, she added.
‘Tamils in Lanka will be wiped out in 2 year
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