| Tsunami disaster in the island of Sri Lanka | ||
| Tamil Centre for Human Rights - TCHR Centre Tamoul pour les Droits de l'Homme | ||
| Email : tchrgs@tchr.net / tchrdip@tchr.net Website : www.tchr.net | ||
| A comparison between the affected North East and South & West | ||
| Province | South & West | North East |
| Gampaha, Colombo, | Ampara, Batticaloa, | |
| Districts | Kalutara, Galle, Matara | Trincomalee, Mullaithivu, |
| and Hambantota | Kilinochchi and Jaffna | |
| Inhabitants | Predominantly Singhalese | Predominantly Tamil |
| Dead | 10,401 | 25,504 |
| Missing | 2,302 | 10,085 |
| Displaced | 218,553 | 681,875 |
| Injured | 7,793 | 15,120 |
| No. Welfare Cen. | 118 | 245 |
| Damged Houses | 35,665 | 121,097 |
| Fully damaged | 16,663 | 88,146 |
| Partially damaged | 19,002 | 32,951 |
| Damaged Schools | 48 | 146 |
| Damged to religious bldgs. | 6 | 126 |
| Fully damaged | 95 | |
| Partially damaged | 6 | 31 |
| Hospitals | 4 | 54 |
| Other buildings | 47 | 567 |
| Loss of fishing boats | No information received | 14,112 |
| Rescue operation | Done by the Government | *Done by LTTE and TRO |
| Government Relief | To everyone except Muslims | Very few received |
| in Hambantota | ||
| Help by foreign troops | USA, UK, India, Pakistan and | No humanitarian help |
| Bangladesh | Indian troops building-up | |
| Humanitarian help and building | destroyed Military bases in the | |
| up destroyed military bases | East | |
| International relief fun | Flowing in | Trickling in |
| Govenment project | Several in progress | Nothing planned |
| Visit by Dignitaries | (1)UN Secretary General | Request rejected by SL Govenment |
| (2)Secretary of State, USA | No visit | |
| (3)Prime Minister, Canada | No visit | |
| (4)Prime Minister,South Korea | No visit | |
| (5) A minister from Singapore | Visited Trincomalee | |
| (6)Two ministers from Norway | Visited Mullaithivu | |
| (7)A minister from Japan | No visit | |
| (8)A minister from Netherlands | No visit | |
| (9)A minister from Finland | No visit | |
| (10)A minister from Sweden | Visited Batticaloa | |
| (11)W. Bush, ex-President USA | No visit | |
| (12)B Clinton, ex-President USA | No visit | |
| (13)A minister from Germany | No visit | |
| (14)Prince Charles, UK. | Visited two villages in the East | |
| Tamil Centre for Human Rights March 2005 Centre Tamoul pour les Droits de l'Homme | ||
| * TRO = Tamil Rehabilitation Oroganisation | ||
| * LTTE = Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam | ||
| Victims and damage caused by Tsunami giant waves in the North East | |||||||
| (as of 10 March 2005) | |||||||
| Tamil Centre for Human Rights - TCHR Centre Tamoul pour les Droits de l'Homme | |||||||
| Email : tchrgs@tchr.net / tchrdip@tchr.net www.tchr.net | |||||||
| Damaged | Damaged | Damaged | |||||
| District | Death | Missing | Displaced | Injured | Houses | Schools | Hospitals |
| Ampara | 13960 | 2350 | 150800 | 1900 | 29250 | 52 | 29 |
| Batticaloa | 2847 | 1095 | 204575 | 2400 | 21900 | 39 | 8 |
| Trincomalee | 1370 | 2100 | 214900 | 3400 | 16378 | 29 | 9 |
| Mullaithivu | 3050 | 3120 | 23500 | 4900 | 40025 | 15 | 2 |
| Kilinochchi | 567 | 120 | 51100 | 720 | 6329 | 1 | |
| Jaffna | 2710 | 1300 | 37000 | 1800 | 7215 | 11 | 5 |
| Total | 24504 | 10085 | 681875 | 15120 | 121097 | 146 | 54 |
| Tamil Centre for Human Rights - TCHR Centre Tamoul pour les Droits de l'Homme | |||||||
| Damage to the fishing industry in the North East | |||||
| (as of 10 March 2005) | |||||
| Tamil Centre for Human Rights - TCHR Centre Tamoul pour les Droits de l'Homme | |||||
| Email : tchrgs@tchr.net / tchrdip@tchr.net www.tchr.net | |||||
| No of | No of Vessels * | Total value in | |||
| District | Families | Destroyed/damaged | SL. Rs. Million | ||
| Ampara | 18679 | 1680 | |||
| Batticaloa | 19100 | 3390 | |||
| Trincomalee | 8700 | 2757 | |||
| Vavuniya | 775 | ||||
| Mullaithivu | 4125 | 1945 | |||
| Mannar | 7200 | 7 | |||
| Kilinochchi | 4800 | 675 | |||
| Jaffna | 16900 | 3658 | |||
| Total | 80279 | 14112 | 4900 | ||
| Tamil Centre for Human Rights - TCHR Centre Tamoul pour les Droits de l'Homme | |||||
| * Sail-powered catamarans, fiberglass boats, larger boats with inboard motors, etc | |||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
President Kumaratunga
threatens MSD director with death
President
Chandrika Kumaratunga last week threatened Director Ministerial Security
Division, SSP Jayantha Jayasinghe with death after the CID commenced investigations
on a complaint made by Jayasinghe into a missing T-56 weapon taken possession
of by her former PSD chief Nihal Karunaratne.
The T-56 weapon
with 100 rounds of ammunition were according to MSD records taken possession of
by Nihal Karunaratne in 1994 when he was heading the security team of
Kumaratunga who was chief minister of the Western Province at the time.
Notorious
underworld criminal Baddegana Sanjeewa too was in KumaratungaÃs security contingent in 1994.
It is learnt
that last week, ASP Amaradasa of the MSD who was formerly a security officer
attached to Anura Bandaranaike had forwarded a report to Director Jayasinghe
that there was no inventory in the MSD of the weapon and ammunition handed over
to Karunaratne in 1994.
Following this
report, the MSD had called for an inventory report from the PSD which too had
communicated to the MSD, there was no such weapon in their inventory.
Informed
sources said MSD Director Jayasinghe had in a report to IGP A. Anandarajah
subsequently brought to his notice the missing weapon and requested the CID be
directed to investigate the matter.
On Thursday, October 10, the CID summoned Nihal Karunaratne to
record his statement with regard to the missing weapon and ammunition leading
to the presidentÃs ire.
Karunaratne in his statement to the CID stated he does not know
the whereabouts of the weapon or ammunition in question, since he had handed it
over to a police constable.
The CID was
expected to record the PCÃs statement yesterday.
It is learnt that Karunaratne can be charged under the offences against the
Public Property Act if the police constable denies receiving the weapon or is
unable to account for it.
Following this
development the president telephoned Jayasinghe on the IGPÃs official telephone while he was attending a
meeting at Police Headquarters and threatened him with death for reporting the
missing weapon to the CID.
Jayasinghe who
was earlier director of the Prime Ministerial Security Division of Sirimavo
Bandaranaike was told by an angry president he was a low down úscumî who was úlicking the ba..side of
the UNP.î
úI know what you have done. I am the
president of the country. Mama paligannawa, paligannawa, paligannawamai (I will
take revenge, take revenge, will definitely take revenge),î the president had charged.
A nonpulssed MSD director had simply said, úThank you Madam,î and
cut the line but later brought to the notice of the CID the presidentÃs
threatening telephone call.
Jayasinghe is
now expected to seek special protection from the IGP, following the presidentÃs threat. Jayasinghe is the father of three
young daughters, the eldest of whom has just qualified for medical college with
straight As. President KumaratungaÃs daughter, Yasodhara too recently passed out as a doctor. (
The Sunday Leader 13 October 2002)
LTTE chiefs not involved in protests - SLMM
The head of the
Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission said last week that he did not believe the recent
string of violent demonstrations in the north and east had been deliberately
instigated by the LTTE leadership. Trond Furuhovde asserted that it was more
likely to have been a manifestation of divisions within the organisation
brought about by the peace process.
While warning that future protests cannot be ruled out, Furuhovde
pressed for fresh training and strengthening of the police that they are better
prepared to deal with such situations.
"The LTTE
has total control during a time of war... it can be achieved when it is a
purely military organisation," he said in an interview with the Sunday
Island. "But this organisation is now more and more divided into military
and political segments."
He was replying
to a question on how it was possible to believe that violent demonstrations and
attacks on government camps could take place without the sanction of the
leadership in a highly regimented organisation like the LTTE.
"It is a
transition from a purely military organisation with a simple line of command
towards one which is separated into several parts which also have to find a way
to co-ordinate and co-operate. In that process, lots of things can happen... a
lot of elements can get out of control." .
Asked whether
he felt the LTTE leadership had backed the demonstrations the most recent one
being the attack by LTTE cadres and civilians on the Kanjirankudah Special Task
Force camp on Wednesday Furuhovde said he doubted that very much.
"There may
be LTTE elements involved, thatÃs another question,"
he noted. "There are forces in society which do not like the peace process
and would do anything they can to undermine it. We cannot afford to believe as
soon as this (process) started that everything will go smoothly. There are strong
forces. What we can do is to reduce the danger as much as possible."
"It is not easy to point at the two main actors,"
Furuhovde continued. "There are more than the two main parties involved.
There are sub-actors who have opinions about the peace process. And they are
doing whatever they can to affect whatÃs going on." (Excerpt The
Island, 13 October 2002).
3 Tamil
civilians killed in Trincomalee
Two Tamil civilians have been shot dead and several others wounded
by Police firing at Anpuvallipuram junction, northwest of Trincomalee. One
person is reported to have been killed by Sinhala home guards.
"All the victims in
the violence that erupted in Trincomalee are Tamils and not from other communities.
This clearly shows who is responsible for the violence now unleashed in
Trincomalee," Mr. R. Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance leader and the
Trincomalee district parliamentarian told the Prime Minister Mr.Ranil
Wickremasinghe.
Members of the State
armed forces are all from majority community. If the violence against Tamils is
not brought to a halt, Tamils will lose confidence on the state armed forces
that they are one sided," Mr. Sampanthan stressed to the Prime Minister.
Curfew in Trincomalee
following violence
The general shut down
has been called by the TOF, condemning the killings of seven Tamil civilians at
Kanchirankuda in Ampara district. While the hartal was being observed clashes took
places at Srimapura, Abeyapura and Anpuvallipuram junction, suburbs of
Trincomalee town.
Following one day
Government offices, state and private banks, schools, business houses were shut
down. Markets were closed down.
7 Tamil
civilians killed and 14 injured in Ampara
10
October 2002 Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM)
in Ampara district have confirmed that seven people killed and fourteen injured
when the Special Task Force (STF) fired live ammunition after the protesting
crowd broke through the main entrance and entered the STF camp. The injured are
in Hospital in the town of
The full text of the press release from the Press and Information
officer, Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) follows:
"Seven people
tragically lost their lives and fourteen people were injured when a large crowd
of people forcefully entered the Kanjirankudah STF (Special Task Force of the
Sri Lanka Police) camp south of Thirukkovil shortly after 17.00 on Wednesday. A
demonstration of an estimated 500-1000 people crowd outside the camp got out of
control when the crowd broke through the main entrance and a barbed wire fence
and entered the camp. According to the STF officer in command of the camp, the
members of the crowd were throwing stones, burning tyres and shooting with
firearms. The STF used teargas and fired rubberbullets at the crowd and
eventually fired at the people with live ammunition.
SLMM Monitors arrived at
the camp before 20.00 and found three bodies inside the camp and one body 5
metres outside the camp's fences. SLMM findings indicate that these 4 people
had lost their lives exactly where their bodies were found. After initial
examination it was thought that one of the dead persons was a member of the
LTTE, due to his clothing. However, now it is thought that this person was a
civilian, as his clothes were only similar, but not the same as the LTTE cadres
frequently wear. SLMM Monitors observed that most things that could burn on the
outside of the camp were still on fire at that time and tyres were still
burning inside the camp. Communications antenna and lights belonging to the
camp were damaged and windows broken in houses inside the camp. One assault
rifle was also found on the ground outside the camp.
ã
SLMM Monitors in Ampara
district have confirmed that seven people from the crowd died during and after
the attack on the STF camp. Furthermore, fourteen people are confirmed as
injured and are in Hospital in the town of
"This is a tragic
event and extremely sad loss of lives" says Major General Trond Furuhovde,
Head of SLMM. "Because of an uncontrolled demonstration people are now
griefing their loved ones. During only one night, Hope and Reconciliation is turned
into fear and uncertainty. This calls for the restraint of the people and
courage to keep our will for peace alive through these difficult times. The
actions of everyone now must show that we can make these losses bearable by
trying to contribute what we can to peace and a better future. This is truly a
tragedy, but it emphasises that not only the parties of the conflict, but each
and every person in
LTTE Cadres were
assaulted, kicked and manacled
by the Police
Two LTTE members,
Kandasamy Ramasamy of
The six
Mr. Tilak, the
Trincomalee district political head of the LTTE addressing the gathering said
"We are for peace and we welcome peace. We want our people to live
happily. But it is not only people in high levels who should feel the urgent
need for peace. It should be felt by people in the lower rungs of the society
too."
Mr. Tilak made an appeal
to the media to bring to the notice of the world the treatment meted out to the
LTTE members in the hands of the Police and also to the contrasting treatment
of the captured soldiers in LTTE custody. Mr. Tilak urged the media to speak to
the released soldiers and LTTE members in this regard.
Mr.Tilak said the Sri
Lankan Police had harassed the two LTTE members after their arrest. The Tigers
were assaulted, kicked and manacled by the Kantalai Police after the arrest.
The released soldiers
told the journalists that the LTTE members while in their custody treated them
very well. "They treated us as their own brothers. They provided every
facility to us," they said.
Sri Lanka Army not
co-operating to restore
normalcy in Mannar and Vavuniya
20 September 2002 -ã "If Mannar and Vavuniya districts are to be developed the Sri
Lanka armed forces have to vacate our homes, and agricultural lands. We are not
asking for houses or buildings in Anuradhapura and Madawachchiya. We are only
asking permission to go back to our homes, to the lands of our
forefathers," said the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Vanni district
parliamentarian Mr.Sivasakthi Anandan addressing a conference at the Mannar
district secretariat on resettlement.ã
He further said :
"I
visited Kothandanochchikulam village, south of Vavuniya yesterday along with
people displaced from the area. We were stopped on the way by Colonel
Manamaduwa of Sri Lanka Aarmy, who is in charge of the area. He told us that as
long as he was in charge of that place no villagers can resettle. úI wont give
permission even if the Defence Secretary asks me to do so. You tell Mr. Austin
Fernando that he will have to transfer me out of this area if you want to
resettle anyone here," said Colonel Manamaduwa.
According
Mr.Sivasakthi Anandan, the discussions with the Defence Ministry Secretary on
September 14, it was agreed that people who were displaced from
Kothandanochchikulam can resettle and start cultivation. Defence Secretary Mr.
Austin Fernando asked Vanni MPs to visit the area and assess the resettlement
situation in that village and the surrounding areas.
Another
TNA Vanni district parliamentarian Mr.Raja Kuhaneswaran said, "the
instructions of the Defence Ministry Secretary on resettlement have not been
carried out. He has not delivered anything on the promises that he made in
Vavuniya on September 14. This conference is a sham."
A
community leader from the village Nagathalvu, Mr.Sinnathamby Ponniah said,
"the people of my village and I owned hundreds of acres of rice fields
twelve years ago. Today I am struggling even for a kilo of rice. The Mannar
district secretariat looks like a military fortress today. Why should the armed
forces continue to occupy the district secretariat after so many months of
peace and ceasefire? The district secretariat is meant for the people. There
are electrical fences along police defences on the Mannar-Madawachchiya road
even now. Why do we need this now?" Mr. Ponniah queried.
The
conference was attended by the Mannar Government Agent TNA parliamentarians, Deputy
head of political division of the Liberation Tigers for the Mannar district,
two officials of the LTTE administration, the Commander of the SLA's 21-2 and
21-5 Brigades in Mannar, the Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr. Henry
Gerangson, head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in Mannar, Divisional
Secretaries for Mannar, Manthai West, Nanattan, Madhu and Musali and the
President of Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Societies.
Children at Gandhi Illam,
Kilinochchi
20 September 2002 -ã Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) runs Gandhi Illam (for
boys) and Guru Kulam (for girls) in Akkarayan, Kilinochchi district. Children
of different age-groups are housed in different buildings with basic
facilities. With their limited resources, TRO and the staff looking after the
children are doing all they can to see the educational and day-to-day needs of
the children are met.
Chinese Ambassador met head of
the LTTE Political wing
19 September 2002 -ã The Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Jiang Qinzheng, met the
head of the Liberation Tigersà Political Wing, Mr. S. P. Tamilchelvan, at the
LTTEÃs political head officeã in
Kilinochchi.
During the meeting, the Chinese Ambassador expressed his desire that the
current peace environment should last and discussed the difficulties faced by
the Tamil people living in the north and east. The Ambassador expressed his
interest in providing aid to alleviate the suffering.
The
Chinese delegation consisted of the Ambassador, his wife, and his Secretary, Mr
Sue Yan. The LTTE delegation consisted of Mr Tamilchelvan, Mr George and Mr
Tholkappian.
19 September 2002 - The Point Pedro Police in Jaffna district took ten Tamil
fishermen for questioning in connection with the loss of a T-56 rifle belonged
to a police constable.
The reason of the arrest is still not known! The
Vadamarachchi Fisheries Co-operative Federation has brought the arrest of the
fishermen to the notice of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in Jaffna and other
humanitarian agencies in the peninsula.
Vadamarachchi Fisheries Co-operative Federation
officials said that the arrest of fishermen is a form of harassment following
the incidents that had taken place on September 2 during students' agitation
ibn Point Pedro.
The Ten fishermen were taken in for questioning in
the morning when they were preparing to go to sea for fishing.
Meanwhile
the Sri Lanka Army conducted a search in the area close to Sakkottai under the
supervision of senior officials.
ããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããã
úLTTE is seriously and sincerely
committed to peaceî
Dr. Anton Balasingham in Thailand
16
September 2002 -ã In addressing the opening ceremony of the first round of formal
peace talks between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Government of Sri
Lanka in Sattahip naval base Thailand, Dr. Anton
Balasingham, head of the LTTE delegation and the political advisor and
theoritician of the LTTE said :
Mr. Teg
Boonag, Honourable Permanet Secretary To The Foreign Ministry Of Thailand Mr.
Vidar Helgeson, Honourable Deputy Foreign Minister Of Norway, Your Excellencies
The Ambassadors And Honourable Members Of The Diplomatic Corps. Honourable
Ministers Of Sri Lanka, Distinguished Delegates, Members Of The News Media,
Ladies And Gentlemen.
úPlease permit
me to express my sincere thanks to the Government of Thailand on behalf of the
Tamil people of Sri Lanka, for offering your beautiful country as the venue for
this historic peace-making event. We appreciate the gracious hospitality and
wonderful conference arrangements provided here. We are happy and confident to
engage in a constructive peace dialogue in this serene environment.
úMay I
also express my sincere compliments and congratulations to the Government of
Norway for its success in accomplishing the difficult task of bringing the
principal protagonists - the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the
Government of Sri Lanka - to the negotiating table. The Tamil people are
grateful to the Norwegian peace envoys for their dedicated and persistent endeavor
to bring an end to the armed hostilities and for creating a congenial
atmosphere of peace and normalcy in the island. The task of building a
permanent peace and reaching a final settlement to the ethnic conflict may be
difficult, challenging and time consuming. Nevertheless, we are confident that
with the able assistance of the Norwegian facilitators there is a possibility
for the peace process to succeed. We are optimistic that the peace talks will
succeed because both Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the Liberation
Tigers, and Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, have a
genuine will and a firm determination to resolve the conflict through the
process of dialogue. As far as the Liberation Tigers are concerned, I can assure
you that we are seriously and sincerely committed to peace and that we will
strive our utmost to ensure the success of the negotiations. We are well aware
that there are powerful political forces in southern Sri Lanka who are
irrationally opposed to peace and ethnic reconciliation. Nevertheless, we are
confident that the talks will progress successfully because of the fact that
the principal parties in the conflict as well as the overwhelming majority of
the people of the island want peace and peaceful resolution of the conflict.
úSince we
are required, at this inaugural function, to keep our statements brief, I do
not wish to dwell in detail or in depth on the historical evolution of the
ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. The Tamil struggle for self-determination has a
lengthy and complex history, the last two decades of which were characterised
by a brutal and savage war. All previous attempts to seek a peaceful negotiated
settlement to this intractable conflict ended in fiasco. Though the leadership
of the LTTE had, on several occasions, opted for cessation of hostilities and
peace talks, the previous government rejected our conciliatory gestures and
intensified the conditions of war that caused heavy loss of life and monumental
destruction of Tamil property. The intransigence of the previous government
could only be attributed to its incredible military theory that war begets
peace and political solutions can only be realised by military means. By
practicing such an absurd notion the last government of Sri Lanka plunged the
entire country into the abyss of social and economic disaster.
úThe
situation has radically changed with the assumption to power of the new
government with the overwhelming popular mandate for peace and negotiated
political settlement. The new government reciprocated positively to the
unilateral cease-fire declared by our liberation organisation at the end of
last year. It was at that stage the Norwegian facilitators were able to
intervene constructively and work out a comprehensive cease-fire agreement. A
mutually agreed cease-fire agreement with international monitors from Nordic
and Scandinavian countries came into effect in February this year.
úThe most
encouraging aspect of the current situation is that the cease-fire has held for
the last seven months, without any serious violations. In this context I wish
to compliment the foreign representatives of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission
for their dedication, commitment and impartiality in ensuring the smooth
implementation of the truce agreement.
úPeace and
stability are being restored in the island for the first time after two decades
of sustained and relentless war that has torn the country apart. This positive
atmosphere of peace has brought a sense of relief, hope and confidence to all
major communities living in the island: the Tamils, the Sinhalese and the
Muslims. A firm foundation has been laid for peace negotiations between the
principal parties in conflict.
úNormalcy
of civilian life is slowly and systematically returning to the northeast of Sri
Lanka, the homeland of the Tamils and Muslims, the region that has faced the
brunt of the armed conflict. The north has suffered the most horrendous impact
of the war, where the entire civilian infrastructure has been destroyed, where
thousands of civilians have lost their lives, where one million people are
internally displaced. The economic embargo imposed on the Tamil people for the
last one decade has had a devastating effect on their social and economic life.
This economic strangulation subjected our people to extreme poverty and severe
deprivation. There is an urgent need for relief and assistance to the war
affected people. Immediate steps should be undertaken without delay, to embark
on a comprehensive program of resettlement, rehabilitation and reconstruction.
This monumental task cannot be undertaken without the help and assistance of
the international community. The concerned international governments, who have
been supporting a negotiated settlement to the Tamil national question, should
contribute generously for the reconstruction of the war-damaged economy of the
northeast. Improving the conditions of existence of the war affected people and
effecting normalcy, congenial for their economic revival, has become a necessary
and crucial element in advancing and consolidating the peace process.
úOver and
above the intricate questions of conflict resolution and power sharing, the
people expect a peace dividend; they require immediate relief to resolve their
urgent, existential problems. Therefore, the peace process cannot be undertaken
in isolation without taking parallel steps towards the economic recovery of the
suffering population. The leaders of the Sri Lanka government have expressed a
desire to transform the island into a successful Tiger economy. We appreciate
their aspiration. Such an aspiration can best be realised by embracing the
Tamil Tigers as their equal partners in the task of economic reconstruction of
the country. The LTTE is the legitimate and authentic representative of the
Tamil people. We have lived, fought and suffered with and for our people
throughout the turbulent times of the war. We have a comprehensive knowledge of
the socio-economic needs confronting the Tamil people. We have built an
effective administrative structure for more than ten years which has sustained
the social cohesion and law and order. Therefore, it is crucial that the LTTE
should play a leading and pivotal role in administration as well as the
economic development of the Northeast.
úThe
deepest aspiration of our people is peace, a peace with justice and freedom; a
permanent peace in which our people enjoy their right to self-determination and
co-exist with others. Peace, stability and ethnic harmony are the foundations
upon which the economic prosperity of the island can be built. Let us strive,
genuinely, with hope and confidence, to consolidate these foundations at this
forum to bring a peaceful and prosperous life to all peoples in the island.î
16
September 2002 -ã In addressing the opening ceremony of the first round of formal
peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam in Sattahip naval base Thailand, Prof
G. L Peiris, Minister of Constitutional affairs and head of the Sri Lankan
government delegation said :
"There
are moments in history, few and far between, which have the potential to change
beyond recognition the course of events and to impact profoundly on the destiny
of a nation. It is to moments such as these that one of the greatest writers of
all time referred, when he said: åThere is a tide in the affairs of men which,
taken at the flood, leads on to fortuneÃ.The government of Sri Lanka is mindful
that, as we gather here in the congenial surroundings of Sattahip in the
Kingdom of Thailand to embark on a historic task, we have arrived at such a
moment in the history of our country.
úTogether
we repudiate today a legacy of rancour and hatred, which has torn asunder the
fabric of our nation for decades. This devastation is all the more tragic,
since our beloved Island, which the ancient Greeks named åSerendibÃÃ has over
the centuries been home to a community whose culture, at its very core, has
been inspired by compassion, fraternity and understanding. This inner serenity,
nurtured and sustained by the four great religions illuminating the course of
human civilisation --- all of which have made their indelible imprint on the
story of our nation--- was the bedrock on which we built a society founded on
mutual respect and fulfilment.
úIt is Sri
LankaÃs collective calamity that this wholesome state of things yielded place
in recent times to the emergence of narrow and sectarian attitudes which, as
night must follow day, have wrought acrimony, disintegration and destruction.
The straws had been in the wind for half a century, and the inexorable sequence
of events, debilitating in their influence on every sphere of national life,
culminated in a war, unique in its ferocity and the ensuing ravage in terms of
human life and the depth of anguish and suffering.
úThis is
now behind us. Our nation has resolved, with a firmness of conviction that has served
us well at the most critical moments in our long and eventful history, that a
sea change is necessary, now that the tempests have abated. Nothing is as
evident in all substantial shades of public opinion in our country today as the
unquenchable thirst for peace, dignity and opportunity for all our people. The
wellsprings of a cultural tradition that derives from abiding and spontaneous
respect for diversity and pluralism in their ramifications throughout society
fortify us as we prepare to make pivotal decisions, for ourselves and for
generations to come, at the crossroads of history.
We turn
our backs on war as an instrument for realising the dream of a nation. This is
a matter of empirical experience. The intensity of pain and deprivation, which
pervaded the armed conflict of eighteen long years, has banished from our minds
---in perpetuity--- the appeal of sabre-rattling.
úHuman
aspirations are anchored in legitimate expectation. During the last few months
our people, whatever their ethnic identity, have savoured deeply the fruits of
peace and grasped, within the contours of their daily lives, the infinite
vistas of opportunity that peace will bring in its wake. A beginning, promising
albeit modest, has been made in respect of the provision, interrupted for so
long, of goods and services ---access to which is the inalienable right of
every citizen--- to the people of the areas directly affected by the conflict.
The formidable task of reconstruction and rehabilitation has commenced in
earnest. The benefits flowing from these developments, in terms of enhanced
investment in many vital sectors of the economy including tourism, trade and
infrastructure, have percolated to every segment of the community and amply
enriched their lives.
úAbove
all, the fear which stalked a whole generation has become a thing of the past,
heralding in its stead the spirit of freedom and contentment, much in evidence
in the countenance of the tens of thousands, who in the company of their family
and friends, whether on business, on pilgrimage or on holiday, have
rediscovered for themselves whole regions of their country, which had been all
but inaccessible to them in recent times. It is inconceivable to us that a
people, hovering on the threshold of such exhilarating possibilities, should
decide to jettison it all in order to return, of their own accord, to the
travails of war.
úChanges
of this magnitude in the mindset of a people do not occur fortuitously. They
are the product not of coincidence but of mature, far-sighted deliberation and
pragmatic action. Pre-eminent among the circumstances which have made this
achievement possible is the role of leadership characterised by consistency,
courage and dynamism. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, through vicissitudes
calculated to break the most indomitable spirit, held fast to his course of
national reunification with a degree of tenacity born of depth of conviction.
úHis
policy, persuasively articulated and realistically implemented, of one step at
a time, an initiative abjuring the mire of threshold conditions ---the bane of
numerous attempts in the past--- and opting instead for a series of practical
measures, which have engendered a climate of confidence sufficiently durable to
support a viable negotiating process, has fired the imagination of a
beleaguered nation. This has made possible, as the inauguration of these
historic proceedings bears witness today, the beginning of an epoch making
exercise in healing and rapprochement, which has eluded us for so long.
úDespite
the colour and drama of this event, however, it behoves us to remember that the
unfolding panorama of history represents a continuum. President Chandrika
Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, soon after her election for the first time eight
years ago, committed her government to the goal of a negotiated peace. It is
the endeavour of our government at this time, with malice towards none and
goodwill towards all, to consolidate and build on all positive elements
buttressing previous attempts at different times and yet, in all humility, to
learn from the mistakes of the past, not to impute blame but simply to avoid
their repetition and perpetuation.
úAt this
critical hour of national renewal we call on all our people, irrespective of
ethnic identity, cultural background or party affiliation, to join with us in
ensuring fulfilment of the abundant promise of our beloved land.
úAs we
renounce war and embrace negotiation as the key to our IslandÃs future, far be
it from us to deny or even unwittingly to make light of, the challenges and
hazards that confront us. A reservoir of suspicion and antipathy, which has
filled to the brim over extended periods, can scarcely be wished away
overnight. Assuredly, no quick fix is feasible. Unmistakably indicated are the
qualities of patience, perseverance and dedication.
úAt this
point in time we cannot foretell, with certainty or precision, what the future
holds. Nevertheless, there are several truths, as we perceive them, which stand
out starkly and vividly in our minds.
úWe are convinced
that no process of negotiation could aspire to be fruitful in its outcome in
the absence of a threshold of trust and confidence between the parties. It is
the sacred duty of all our people, and in particular of all those ---whatever
their political complexion--- on whom the mantle of leadership has fallen at
this decisive moment, to consign to oblivion the wounds of the past, to rise
above the lingering memory of injustice, pain and worse, to disavow the
heritage of vengeance and retribution and to draw upon the reserves of wisdom,
generosity and large-heartedness with which our cultural traditions have
bountifully endowed us.
úNothing
is clearer, in the interest of national survival, let alone national prosperity,
than that this is the time for a fresh point of departure. We, for our part, as
the government of our country, are equal to this challenge. We pay tribute, at
the same time, to the foresight of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and
their leader, Mr Veluppillai Pirabakaran, in embarking on the transformation of
their movement into a political organisation responsive to the changing nuances
of contemporary priorities.
úWe
declare, with all the vehemence at our command that the negotiations, which we
are about to commence, are not in our view, by any means, a zero sum exercise.
It is not a question of the winner taking all. Indeed, it is plain for all to
see, at this watershed in the meandering course of a fratricidal conflict, that
there are no winners and no losers. These negotiations cannot be pursued on the
basis that gain accruing to one party, involves reciprocal loss to the other.
We emphatically reject that premise. We acknowledge that we both have a
problem, destructive of the pulsating heart of our nation, which it is in our
mutual interest to resolve together. This is very much the spirit in which we
conceive of, and will carry through, our role in the ensuing discussions.
úThe
natural corollary is that, an adversarial or confrontational approach is
singularly inappropriate. Sincerity, openness and candour, which will be
reflected in the sharing of perspectives, insights and information, including
technical information relating to legal and constitutional issues, will supply
the underpinnings of our attitude to the work that lies before us. It is our
hope and expectation that this will be unhesitatingly reciprocated.
úIt is the
governmentÃs fervent desire that the discussions should commence and go forward
in an atmosphere untrammelled by inhibitions of any kind. We believe that broad
horizons and resilience of mind are indispensable. And yet, in determining the
parameters of the talks, there are some elements ---rudimentary in quality---
which cannot but be constant. These represent the irreducible foundations of
what we care for and believe in.
úWe stand
unwaveringly for the amplest degree of devolution and for the establishment and
strengthening of institutions designed to achieve this purpose. But these
reforms must necessarily be effected within the framework of a State whose
unity and territorial integrity is ensured in fact and in law by the envisioned
structures
úAs we
turn to the task before us, we are encouraged by the knowledge that all
sections of our people, and the international community, give us unqualified
support every step of the way.
úWe note
that it is envisaged that the Hon. Rauf Hakeem, who is present as a member of
the Government delegation, will in due course participate in the talks in his
capacity as the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and the Head of a
Muslim delegation. This arrangement would, no doubt, ensure the continuance of
a constructive and meaningful dialogue.
úWe are
mindful that any substantive structural and institutional arrangements that may
be evolved should provide for the rights of all communities. In this context,
we have taken note of the apprehensions expressed by the Sinhala and Muslim
communities living in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. All parties should
take cognisance of the need to ensure the safety, security and identity of
these communities as well, and the protection and advancement of their
political, social, economic and cultural rights. We should ensure that their
concerns are totally addressed.
úIn order
to arrive at durable peace, it is imperative that steps be taken for the
resettlement, rehabilitation and reintegration of all displaced persons in
their original areas with honour, dignity, assurance of personal safety and
adequate reparation. Such measures would demonstrate our commitment to
pluralism and mutual accommodation.
úIt is a
pleasure to acknowledge and to express appreciation of the yeoman service
rendered with regard to all aspects of the peace process by the Royal Norwegian
Government. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and other members of his
government have stated in the Parliament of Sri Lanka and elsewhere that the
peace process is unlikely to have reached its current positive phase without
the finesse, professionalism, tact and hard work, which the representatives of
that government --- in particular, Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen,
Special Envoy Erik Solheim and Ambassador Jon Westborg--- have steadfastly
brought to bear on their work as facilitators. Their continuing involvement in
that capacity is a source of inestimable comfort.
úWe thank
the Royal Thai Government warmly for the readiness, with which they placed at
the disposal of the negotiating teams, the excellent facilities available to us
here in Sattahip, as we enjoy the legendary hospitality of Thai people.
úWe
cordially welcome representatives of other governments, non-governmental
organisations and the Sri Lankan and international media, and we thank them for
their goodwill and support as we prepare to keep our tryst with destiny.î
********
Opening ceremony of Peace talks in Thailand
16
September 2002 Today the Opening session of the Sri Lanka Peace
Talks was held at the Ambassador City Hotel, Jorntien, Thailand. The ceremony was
attended by members of the diplomatic corps in Thailand, representatives of the
NGO community and over 350 journalists, representing local, as well as
international media.
The
opening session commenced at 10.30 am with a speech delivered by Mr Taj Bunnag,
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand. His speech was
followed by speeches made by Prof G. L. Peiris,ã Dr. Anton Balasingham, on behalf of the delegations of the GOSL
and the LTTE, respectively and Mr Vidar Helgesen, State Secretary, Norwegian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
LTTE political advisor and theoretician Dr. Anton Balasingam
led the LTTE team that includes Attorney Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran (USA), Dr.
Jay Maheswaran (Australia) and Mrs. Adele Balasingam as the secretary to the
delegation.
Minister
of Constitutional affairs, Prof. G.L. Peris led the Sri Lankan Government
delegation thatã includes, Ministers
Rauf Hakeem, Milinda Moragoda and Secretary General of the Government's
Peace Secretariat Bernard Gunatileka.