Sri Lanka's Minister of External Affairs, Professor G.L. Peiris, launched a four-day Washington visit starting May 18th with Capitol Hill meetings and a spirited talk at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He met Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and discussed agenda which will benefit both countries.
Delivering a speech at Center for Strategic and International Studies he said that there is unprecedented confidence, which is the result of durable peace combined with a degree of political stability the country has not enjoyed for quarter of a century. Since then, the country has experienced no terrorist incidents, and “a change of mood in the country. A mood of optimism, of expectation.
Prof. Peiris noted that the government has successfully resettled most of the 297,000people who were displaced by the 25-year conflict. At the same time, he said, the government has launched an ambitious reconstruction program to help areas of Sri Lanka, particularly the North, where the fighting was heaviest.
“We have achieved a great deal in an extremely short period,” he said. “I think Sri Lanka has to be given due credit for this achievement.”
Creating jobs, he said, has been a vital component of the resettlement and reconciliation effort.
After a year of peace, “Sri Lanka is back on the world's radar,” Minister Peiris said. He noted that tourism is rapidly increasing, as is foreign investment.
“We have shed the over-powering constraints that have inhibited any kind of development,” he said. “Hotels are a coming back. Companies are putting up factories in Trincomalee and Kilinochchi.”
During the CSIS discussion, the minister was asked about a recent International Crisis Group report alleging that war crimes may have been committed in the final days of the conflict against the terrorist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
A crisis group representative stated that the government failed to respond to the ICG prior to publication of the report, although given an opportunity to do so.
Minister Peiris replied that the government was never given a copy of the report in advance. “How can we give any response when we have no indication of the evidence the ICG purports to have?” he asked. He also noted that the report itself does not offer any real evidence crimes, just allegations and accounts from unnamed sources, many of them made previously.
Professor Peiris also criticized the unspecific nature of the report, which noted that tens of thousands of people were wounded or killed in the fighting. “What is tens of thousands?” he asked, “Is that 10,000, 50,000, 90,000?”
In that vein, the minister noted that non-government organizations are not the “International Community,” and that the United Nations Human Rights Council “debated these matters for three days,” and concluded that it would not take action.
During the discussion, Minister Peiris also discussed possible changes to Sri Lanka's constitution, including the establishment of a bicameral legislature and amendments to the electoral system.
Earlier Tuesday, the Minister and Ambassador Wickramasuriya met with Rep. Howard Berman, who chairs the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, as well as Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), the Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs of the House Committee on Appropriations.
The Minister updated the members of Congress on the current situation in Sri Lanka, informing them of the nation's unprecedented economic development and process of reconciliation.
Head of Asian Development Bank Mr. Haruhiko Kuroda visited Sri Lanka to evaluate the postwar reconstruction and development activities, and met President Rajapakse. Also present at the discussion were ministers Dinesh Gunawardena and Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and deputy ministers Dr. Sarath Amunugama and Chandrasiri Gajadheera as well as treasury secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundara and Central Bank governor Ajith NIvard Cabraal. Mr. Kuroda is scheduled to make field trips and meet beneficiaries of ADB-supported projects in the northern and eastern provinces. The Manila-based bank has approved 212 million dollars in loans for Sri Lanka in the current year.
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in the capital Colombo Tuesday demanding Sri Lanka's government abandon a proposed trade pact with neighbouring India.
President Mahinda Rajapakse met the demonstrators at his tightly-guarded Temple Trees residence in Colombo and vowed he would not enter any pact that was harmful to the island's economic interests.
"Professionals, including doctors and engineers, came to Temple Trees and protested against the CEPA with India," the president's office said, referring to the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. It said the president, who is also the finance minister, assured them that he would not go ahead with "any pact or agreement" that was not in the best interest of the island.
"The government will not enter into any pact or agreement that is inimical to its people and economic interests," the statement said. The protests came two weeks ahead of a proposed visit by Rajapakse to India.
The CEPA had been proposed almost two years ago but had been held up due to opposition from Sri Lankan business leaders who fear that the island could be swamped by cheaper Indian services.
The two South Asian neighbours entered a free trade deal in 1998 limiting tariff concessions to goods, but the CEPA covers services such as banking and allows greater cooperation between customs administrations.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
U.S. LIFTS SRI LANKA TRAVEL WARNING
The U.S. State Department announced Wednesday that it was lifting its travel advisory on Sri Lanka, citing the peaceful atmosphere that has taken hold a year after Sri Lanka's defeat of terrorism.
“The Travel Warning issued for Sri Lanka on November 19, 2009 has been cancelled, effective May 26, 2010,” the State Department said in an announcement. “Department of State has cancelled the Travel Warning for Sri Lanka due to improvements in safety and security conditions throughout the country.”
News, Views & Entertainment
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
POLITICAL BULLETIN- May 18-25
SRI LANKA experienced worst weather condition in recent history. Several main roads and roads in rural areas of the Western, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces remain impassable. More than 20 schools in western province had to close.Some of the families displaced by flooding are using them as temporary shelter. Disaster Management officials said that in Kalutara, Colombo, Gampaha, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Galle, Puttalam and Trincomalee over 2,20,000 people had been affected by the rains and several houses badly damaged.
Operations at the Bandaranaike International Airport were severely affected with several aircraft being diverted to Chennai. Authorities suspended several flights schedled to leave BIA during the day.
The Ratmalana Airport has also suspended domestic flights owing to the bad weather conditions.
Sri Lanka Army also postponed most of the celebrations of the Ranaviru Week due to prevailing weather condition.
The much awaited report on how to restructure the United National Party (UNP) which was to be submitted to the working committee of UNP didn't materialize again and postponed to another five days. Anyway it will constitute only a couple of pages, MP John Amaratunga, member of the special six-person committee appointed to formulate the report said.
When asked as to why the finalisation of the report has been postponed several times Amaratunga said, “We want to make sure that we get all the points of view into consideration. We are holding daily discussions with various people. It’s a process. That is why the report is getting delayed.”
However, another party senior and former Assistant Leader of the UNP Rukman Senanayake had a different view on why the report was getting delayed: “This is a trick by Ranil to save himself. This should be very simple, just hold an election to elect all the party leaders. Why does a report on this have to get postponed this many times? Ranil is trying everything he can to create a report that favours him.
The recently concluded G15 Summit in Tehran praised Sri Lanka for achieving most of goals identified at the Summit and said the country was an example to the rest of the world. "They especially appreciated the power and energy sector in Sri Lanka for looking for alternative energy sources to petroleum such as solar power, coal power and thermal power," Minister of External Affairs Prof. G. L. Peiris said.
Leaders acknowledged that preservation and economic development go hand in hand and Sri Lankan method of generating power posing minimal threat to the invironment is an example for the rest of the member states of the G 15, the Minister further said.
President Rajapakse was elected as the chairman of G15 summit for two years which comprise a8 developing nations.
The United Nations says the forming of a commission by President Mahinda Rajapakse to investigate alleged incidents which took place during the war will not substitute the need for a panel of experts to brief the UN Chief on accountability issues relating to Sri Lanka.
A UN official from the UN Headquarters in New York, Chois Soung told that UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon was going ahead with the appointment of his expert panel and would send his Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe to the island as soon as the Sri Lankan government issued a green light.
She also said that President Rajapakse’s commission and the UN Chief’s expert panel were two different concepts due to which Ban Ki Moon would not reconsider appointing his panel.
“President Rajapakse can appoint whatever he wants. His commission has nothing to do with Mr. Ban Ki Moon’s panel. It is good that President Rajapakse has appointed a commission as he has to keep his promise which he gave to the international community,” Soung said.
When questioned about the panel, Soung said that the appointment of the panel was ‘underway’ and could not reveal further information as it was not open to the public.
Meanwhile it is learnt that the government has further delayed a trip by UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe to Sri Lanka after the UN sought permission to facilitate a visit by Pascoe in May to discuss the developments in the country.
While the controversial Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) held its inaugural sessions in the US city of Philadelphia over the last three days, the US Embassy in Colombo noted that the U.S. continues to investigate and prosecute individuals and entities that have provided material support to the LTTE.
LTTE activist Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran who acts as its Coordinator said in a press statement that the TGTE meeting is being held in the US where the LTTE is listed as a terrorist outfit and comes in the wake of the Sri Lankan government urging foreign government not to give credence to moves by the LTTE to create a government in exile in support of an Ealam state.
"We are very pleased to announce that the historic event of inaugural sessions of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) are to take place at the National Constitution Centre (NCC) at the Independence Mall in the US city of Philadelphia on 17-19 May, 2010. NCC commemorates the 1787 Philadelphia Convention when the first steps were taken to write the constitution of America. The Declaration of Independence was also debated and signed in Philadelphia,” Rudrakumar said in the statement.
Rudrakumar said that May 17-19 was chosen for the inauguration of TGTE in order to demonstrate the will of Eelam Tamil nation for its independence and coincides with the first year remembrance of the military victory against the LTTE.
“By forming the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) through a self organised democratic practice for electing people representatives by direct voting, Eelam Tamil nation declares to the Government of Sri Lanka and the International Community that it will continue its struggle until conditions are created which will enable the Tamils to realize their right to self determination and exercise their sovereignty,” Rudrakumaran added.
When contacted over the TGTE meeting in the US, the US Embassy spokesman in Sri Lanka Jeff Anderson said that there are a number of organizations in the United States that represent various interests of the Sri Lankan Diaspora community with a wide range of views on issues concerning Sri Lanka, and have the right under the U.S. Constitution to express their perspectives and advocate their interests peacefully.
He said that although the U.S. Government fully supports an active civil society in their own country and abroad, they do not always agree with all of the viewpoints of such organizations.
“The United States unequivocally supports a united, peaceful and democratic Sri Lanka. Further, we note that the LTTE has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in the U.S. since 1997. This designation remains in force. The U.S. continues to investigate and prosecute individuals and entities that have provided material support to the LTTE,” Anderson told.
Operations at the Bandaranaike International Airport were severely affected with several aircraft being diverted to Chennai. Authorities suspended several flights schedled to leave BIA during the day.
The Ratmalana Airport has also suspended domestic flights owing to the bad weather conditions.
Sri Lanka Army also postponed most of the celebrations of the Ranaviru Week due to prevailing weather condition.
The much awaited report on how to restructure the United National Party (UNP) which was to be submitted to the working committee of UNP didn't materialize again and postponed to another five days. Anyway it will constitute only a couple of pages, MP John Amaratunga, member of the special six-person committee appointed to formulate the report said.
When asked as to why the finalisation of the report has been postponed several times Amaratunga said, “We want to make sure that we get all the points of view into consideration. We are holding daily discussions with various people. It’s a process. That is why the report is getting delayed.”
However, another party senior and former Assistant Leader of the UNP Rukman Senanayake had a different view on why the report was getting delayed: “This is a trick by Ranil to save himself. This should be very simple, just hold an election to elect all the party leaders. Why does a report on this have to get postponed this many times? Ranil is trying everything he can to create a report that favours him.
The recently concluded G15 Summit in Tehran praised Sri Lanka for achieving most of goals identified at the Summit and said the country was an example to the rest of the world. "They especially appreciated the power and energy sector in Sri Lanka for looking for alternative energy sources to petroleum such as solar power, coal power and thermal power," Minister of External Affairs Prof. G. L. Peiris said.
Leaders acknowledged that preservation and economic development go hand in hand and Sri Lankan method of generating power posing minimal threat to the invironment is an example for the rest of the member states of the G 15, the Minister further said.
President Rajapakse was elected as the chairman of G15 summit for two years which comprise a8 developing nations.
The United Nations says the forming of a commission by President Mahinda Rajapakse to investigate alleged incidents which took place during the war will not substitute the need for a panel of experts to brief the UN Chief on accountability issues relating to Sri Lanka.
A UN official from the UN Headquarters in New York, Chois Soung told that UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon was going ahead with the appointment of his expert panel and would send his Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe to the island as soon as the Sri Lankan government issued a green light.
She also said that President Rajapakse’s commission and the UN Chief’s expert panel were two different concepts due to which Ban Ki Moon would not reconsider appointing his panel.
“President Rajapakse can appoint whatever he wants. His commission has nothing to do with Mr. Ban Ki Moon’s panel. It is good that President Rajapakse has appointed a commission as he has to keep his promise which he gave to the international community,” Soung said.
When questioned about the panel, Soung said that the appointment of the panel was ‘underway’ and could not reveal further information as it was not open to the public.
Meanwhile it is learnt that the government has further delayed a trip by UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe to Sri Lanka after the UN sought permission to facilitate a visit by Pascoe in May to discuss the developments in the country.
While the controversial Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) held its inaugural sessions in the US city of Philadelphia over the last three days, the US Embassy in Colombo noted that the U.S. continues to investigate and prosecute individuals and entities that have provided material support to the LTTE.
LTTE activist Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran who acts as its Coordinator said in a press statement that the TGTE meeting is being held in the US where the LTTE is listed as a terrorist outfit and comes in the wake of the Sri Lankan government urging foreign government not to give credence to moves by the LTTE to create a government in exile in support of an Ealam state.
"We are very pleased to announce that the historic event of inaugural sessions of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) are to take place at the National Constitution Centre (NCC) at the Independence Mall in the US city of Philadelphia on 17-19 May, 2010. NCC commemorates the 1787 Philadelphia Convention when the first steps were taken to write the constitution of America. The Declaration of Independence was also debated and signed in Philadelphia,” Rudrakumar said in the statement.
Rudrakumar said that May 17-19 was chosen for the inauguration of TGTE in order to demonstrate the will of Eelam Tamil nation for its independence and coincides with the first year remembrance of the military victory against the LTTE.
“By forming the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) through a self organised democratic practice for electing people representatives by direct voting, Eelam Tamil nation declares to the Government of Sri Lanka and the International Community that it will continue its struggle until conditions are created which will enable the Tamils to realize their right to self determination and exercise their sovereignty,” Rudrakumaran added.
When contacted over the TGTE meeting in the US, the US Embassy spokesman in Sri Lanka Jeff Anderson said that there are a number of organizations in the United States that represent various interests of the Sri Lankan Diaspora community with a wide range of views on issues concerning Sri Lanka, and have the right under the U.S. Constitution to express their perspectives and advocate their interests peacefully.
He said that although the U.S. Government fully supports an active civil society in their own country and abroad, they do not always agree with all of the viewpoints of such organizations.
“The United States unequivocally supports a united, peaceful and democratic Sri Lanka. Further, we note that the LTTE has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in the U.S. since 1997. This designation remains in force. The U.S. continues to investigate and prosecute individuals and entities that have provided material support to the LTTE,” Anderson told.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
WEEKLY POLITICAL BULLETIN
SRI LANKA's Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law and Order declared a week for commemorating war heroes scheduled from May 12 - 18. It was named as Ranaviru week and scheduled in par with defeating LTTE on May 18th 2009.
Within the week, commemoration ceremonies will be held at provincial level organised by the Governors of the respective Provinces.
Accordingly, the commemoration ceremonies will be held on May 12 in the Central Province, May 13 in the Uva, East and Northern Provinces, May 14 in the North Western, May 15 in Southern province, May 16 in the North Central and on May 17 in the Sabaragamuwa Province.
In addition, all regiments of the Sri Lanka Army will be conducting religious ceremonies, felicitations in commemorating the war heroes week as directed by the Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya.
The main event of the Sri Lanka Army within the week will be the laying of the foundation stone on May 15 for the wellness resort built for the dependably disabled soldiers - 'Abimansala' at Nuwara Wewa in Anuradhapura.
The Brave Hearts project run by the Sri Lanka Army Seva Vanitha Unit is conducting and coordinating the fund-raising and constructing activities of the wellness resort.
While celebrating the defeat of LTTE, Sri Lankan authorities have commenced a new “operation” to counter international LTTE propaganda and other related activities with Tiger proxies now aiming on forming a transnational government for Tamil Eelam, the military said.
Military Spokesperson Major General Prasad Samarasingha told that while the war in Sri Lanka has been won, Tiger operations still continue internationally and the government is now taking steps to address that issue as well.
“We have won the war in Sri Lanka but internationally the second phase of the war has started. Not only the forces, but the whole nation, including the people living overseas must get together and stop this international LTTE propaganda and activities. We will have to conduct a separate operation on that which the government has already started,” Major General Samarasingha said.
In the mean time Tamil National Alliance (TNA) yesterday urged Tamil people to mourn and hold silent prayers on the morning of May 17 to mark what it called a day of "catastrophe". This "catastrophe is one of the worst in world history," the TNA said in a joint statement signed by its 14 Mps.
Defeated Sri Lankan presidential candidate Gen Sarath Fonseka has for the first time appeared before a civilian court to deny inciting unrest.
He is alleged to have said in a newspaper interview last year that the defence secretary ordered the killing of surrendering Tamil rebels.
The general appeared before Colombo magistrates to protest his innocence.
He said he had been misquoted by the newspaper and that the case was part of an attempt to silence him.
Gen Fonseka is in military custody and faces separate court martial charges of engaging in politics while in uniform and overseeing corrupt arms procurements.
The judge adjourned the hearing until 26 May.
Main opposition party of Sri Lanka parliament United National Party after suffering chain of defeats in elections considering reforms whithin the party at last. Although the release of a report on the proposed reforms of the UNP is scheduled for Friday, a majority of the party Working Committee members including parliamentarians have not made their submissions yet.
There are 77 Working Committee members and 48 parliamentarians but not even one fourth of them had sent in their suggestions, sources said.
They said it looked as if most of them were reluctant to make suggestions. However, a high ranking Working Committee member said that though there were ready with their suggestions, no arrangements had been made to receive them.
The US government has welcomed President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s intention to establish a Commission on Lessons Learned and Reconciliation to examine key aspects of the recently ended conflict in Sri Lanka and added that the findings of the commission should be made public.
Susan E. Rice, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, in a statement said that experience in other countries has shown that commissions of inquiry can play a valuable role in advancing accountability when they are appropriately constituted and enjoy broad public support.
She added that particularly important in this regard, broad experience has shown that to be effective in advancing accountability and reconciliation, commission members should be and be perceived as independent, impartial and competent; their mandate should enable them fully to investigate serious allegations of violations and to make public recommendations; commission members and potential witnesses must enjoy adequate and effective protection; the commission must receive adequate resources to carry out its mandate; and the Government should undertake to give serious consideration to its recommendations.
“We hope the commission will also reflect the desires and requests of the citizens of Sri Lanka, who were the primary victims of the conflict. Being responsive to their needs will be an important measure of the commission’s success. In light of these general principles, we would welcome the Sri Lankan Government's commitment to give the Commission on Lessons Learned and Reconciliation a mandate to probe violations of international standards during the final stages of the conflict and to identify those responsible and, we would expect, to make appropriate public recommendations based on its findings,” the US envoy to the UN said.
Within the week, commemoration ceremonies will be held at provincial level organised by the Governors of the respective Provinces.
Accordingly, the commemoration ceremonies will be held on May 12 in the Central Province, May 13 in the Uva, East and Northern Provinces, May 14 in the North Western, May 15 in Southern province, May 16 in the North Central and on May 17 in the Sabaragamuwa Province.
In addition, all regiments of the Sri Lanka Army will be conducting religious ceremonies, felicitations in commemorating the war heroes week as directed by the Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya.
The main event of the Sri Lanka Army within the week will be the laying of the foundation stone on May 15 for the wellness resort built for the dependably disabled soldiers - 'Abimansala' at Nuwara Wewa in Anuradhapura.
The Brave Hearts project run by the Sri Lanka Army Seva Vanitha Unit is conducting and coordinating the fund-raising and constructing activities of the wellness resort.
While celebrating the defeat of LTTE, Sri Lankan authorities have commenced a new “operation” to counter international LTTE propaganda and other related activities with Tiger proxies now aiming on forming a transnational government for Tamil Eelam, the military said.
Military Spokesperson Major General Prasad Samarasingha told that while the war in Sri Lanka has been won, Tiger operations still continue internationally and the government is now taking steps to address that issue as well.
“We have won the war in Sri Lanka but internationally the second phase of the war has started. Not only the forces, but the whole nation, including the people living overseas must get together and stop this international LTTE propaganda and activities. We will have to conduct a separate operation on that which the government has already started,” Major General Samarasingha said.
In the mean time Tamil National Alliance (TNA) yesterday urged Tamil people to mourn and hold silent prayers on the morning of May 17 to mark what it called a day of "catastrophe". This "catastrophe is one of the worst in world history," the TNA said in a joint statement signed by its 14 Mps.
Defeated Sri Lankan presidential candidate Gen Sarath Fonseka has for the first time appeared before a civilian court to deny inciting unrest.
He is alleged to have said in a newspaper interview last year that the defence secretary ordered the killing of surrendering Tamil rebels.
The general appeared before Colombo magistrates to protest his innocence.
He said he had been misquoted by the newspaper and that the case was part of an attempt to silence him.
Gen Fonseka is in military custody and faces separate court martial charges of engaging in politics while in uniform and overseeing corrupt arms procurements.
The judge adjourned the hearing until 26 May.
Main opposition party of Sri Lanka parliament United National Party after suffering chain of defeats in elections considering reforms whithin the party at last. Although the release of a report on the proposed reforms of the UNP is scheduled for Friday, a majority of the party Working Committee members including parliamentarians have not made their submissions yet.
There are 77 Working Committee members and 48 parliamentarians but not even one fourth of them had sent in their suggestions, sources said.
They said it looked as if most of them were reluctant to make suggestions. However, a high ranking Working Committee member said that though there were ready with their suggestions, no arrangements had been made to receive them.
The US government has welcomed President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s intention to establish a Commission on Lessons Learned and Reconciliation to examine key aspects of the recently ended conflict in Sri Lanka and added that the findings of the commission should be made public.
Susan E. Rice, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, in a statement said that experience in other countries has shown that commissions of inquiry can play a valuable role in advancing accountability when they are appropriately constituted and enjoy broad public support.
She added that particularly important in this regard, broad experience has shown that to be effective in advancing accountability and reconciliation, commission members should be and be perceived as independent, impartial and competent; their mandate should enable them fully to investigate serious allegations of violations and to make public recommendations; commission members and potential witnesses must enjoy adequate and effective protection; the commission must receive adequate resources to carry out its mandate; and the Government should undertake to give serious consideration to its recommendations.
“We hope the commission will also reflect the desires and requests of the citizens of Sri Lanka, who were the primary victims of the conflict. Being responsive to their needs will be an important measure of the commission’s success. In light of these general principles, we would welcome the Sri Lankan Government's commitment to give the Commission on Lessons Learned and Reconciliation a mandate to probe violations of international standards during the final stages of the conflict and to identify those responsible and, we would expect, to make appropriate public recommendations based on its findings,” the US envoy to the UN said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)