PNM French branch holds protest rally in France

The PNM ( Patriotic National Movement ) branch in France conducted a protest rally in front of the World Bank office in Paris , France.

This protest was against a statement made by Peter Harrold , President representative of the World Bank in Sri Lanka.

He had at a interview given to the times news paper stated that the LTTE criminal terrorist org operating in Sri Lanka is in power in the North and East of Sri Lanka and there for six billion rupees aid for reconstruction of the North and East, will only be given to the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka.

Many social and political organizations protested against this statement whereby Peter Harrold had undermineded the sovereignty of Sri Lanka.Peter Harrold had later amended his statement and had appeared on Sri Lanka state television to explain his innocence.

All this falls short of the pauperizations of the various National and Patriotic organizations of Sri Lanka.

It is a criminal offence to suggest that a sovereign Government should join with a lawless and gun-carrying terrorist extorting money from passengers, goods and from every contractor under taking rehabilitation work.Dr.Vignashvaran the adviser to Daglas Deevananda Minister, said yesterday 26th March on a TNL television Programme, the tigers extorted cash of 6% of the contract value for the reconstruction of the A9 highway to Jaffna and had collected more money on every path payment to the contractor.

"He further said that all the tsunami aid which were received in Tsumami refugee camps in the North and East is stolen every night by armed terrorist and taken to Wanni jungles under the Wanni faction."

Giving further evidence Dr.Vignashvaran said the LTTE only wants to extort money from the 6 billion aid package from the world bank. He said that even the SLMM (Sri Lanka Monitory Mission) had no access to the LTTE controlled areas of the CFA (Cease Fire Agreement) and that the LTTE had been allowed during past 3 year to carry guns, commit murders and robberies at will and further that no Government officials is in power and they have become slaves of the LTTE.

The PNM there fore demands that the World Bank should make a statement stating that the LTTE lawless terrorist will not be a party to the handling of 6 billion aid package, and not even the TRO of the LTTE will be allowed to tuch the relief funds. The protesters of the PNM carried out the protest in France to make the World Bank agree to this demand of all the peace loving people of Sri Lanka.

-SN-

Canada frowns on LTTE

• Sunday Observer, Sunday 27 March 2005, Child conscription :

For the first time in its history, the Federal Parliament of Canada has taken up the child conscription issue in Sri Lanka for discussion.

The statement made at the Sub Committee meeting was significant because it was the first time that the issue of child soldiers in Sri Lanka was formally taken up at the Federal Parliament of Canada, a press release issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry stated.

The Canadian Parliamentary Sub Committee on Human Rights and International Development has stressed that the Canadian Government should address the issue of the LTTE's child recruitment and ensure that Canadian funds are utilised for child protection initiatives and prevention of LTTE child conscription.

In a statement issued after a meeting on March 23, Committee Chairman and MP David Kilgour said that the international community has raised major concern over the violation of the human rights of Sri Lankan children by the LTTE and the UN Security Council has discussed it in this regard.

According to UNICEF, the LTTE has even reached the government controlled areas and strengthened the recruitment drive after the ceasefire began in 2002, Kilgour, who was also former Secretary of State Asia Pacific of the Foreign Affairs Department said.

UNICEF documented 3516 cases of child recruitment by the LTTE during the ceasefire. The recruitment became so intense that less than 50 percent children went to school as many parents kept children at home in fear of the LTTE taking them away on the way.

The statement said that children who lost their parents in the recent tsunami are more susceptible to LTTE recruitment now and Canada must address this issue and ensure its funds should meet the objectives, recruitment prevention, child protection, in all areas including tsunami affected areas, relief camps and orphanages.

Deputy Chairman Stockwell Day, Foreign Affairs Critic of the Official Opposition Conservative Party of Canada referred to the LTTE's 'horrendous act' of training children to become human bombs.

He said that he raised this issue in the House of Commons and called upon the Sub Committee to act on a non partisan basis and address the child right violation by the LTTE in Sri Lanka.

He also referred to the necessity of listing the LTTE under the Canadian Anti terrorism legislation. Federal MP Joe Comartin of the New Democratic Party said that a group of Canadian parliamentarians accompanied him to Vanni recently and expressed Canada's concern over the child conscription to the LTTE.

Joint mechanism – not necessary for North & East - Dr. K.Vigneshwaran

There isn’t any need for a separate joint mechanism to manage tsunami relief work in the North and the East as the government mechanism has been active for a long period and took over tsunami relief work and continues to do so said Dr. K. Vigneshvaran, Senior Advisor to Mr. Douglas Devananda, Minister of Agricultural Marketing Development, Co-operative Development, Hindu Affairs and Assisting Education and Vocational Training.

LTTE wants only money; they are not concerned about the people who have been affected by tsunami. What the LTTE does is plunder the material sent by donors to the people in the North and the East.

Ceasefire agreement has not brought any relief to the North and the East said Dr. Vigneshwaran adding that what it has done is to let loose the LTTE so that they kill political opponents, conscript children and resort to extortions. LTTE is using the ceasefire agreement to expand itself militarily and economically.

People expected a permanent political solution when the ceasefire agreement was signed but now everybody; even those who engineered it have forgotten it and have started talking about an interim administration. Interim administration is something that leads to a final solution; without a final solution there can’t be an interim administration said Dr. Vigneshwaran.

People are not mentally prepared for devolution. It is not advisable to talk about devolution without preparing the masses for it said Dr. Vigneshwaran adding that during the three years of ceasefire LTTE has never discussed any serious political solution which shows that LTTE is not sincere in finding a solution in a unitary state.

The international community can help here by applying pressure on the LTTE, not only on the Government, to come to the negotiation table. Vast majority of the people in Sri Lanka don’t want a division of the country. LTTE could be isolated by solving some of the problems the Tamils have in the North and the East said Dr. Vigneshwaran participating in an interview telecast by a TV channel.

Norway has no right to interfere with internal affairs in Sri Lanka-Karuna

The leader of the breakaway group Karuna Amman says that Norway, which wants Wanni Tigers strengthened and dominant over the other Tamil Organisations, has no right whatsoever to dictate terms in an internal conflict in Sri Lanka.

In a statement issued yesterday, Karuna said that the government should reject the mediation of Norway, which represents the interests of the Wanni Tigers Organisation, and India is the only foreign country that has a right to mediate in the North East conflict in Sri Lanka.

The statement was issued to mark the first anniversary of the day Prabakaran began his hunt on the breakaway group.

He said Prabakaran was not interested in the welfare and education of the Tamils in the backward areas in the North East as it would be difficult for him to subdue an educated lot at gunpoint. That was why Prabakaran started killing leaders and members of the Tamil intelligentsia.

Karuna said that there was no room for democracy under Prabakaran and he rewarded his cadres with money when they killed his rivals and opponents, which was the law of his rule. He says that Prabakaran has converted Tamil people’s armed struggle into a huge amount of money and the ongoing peace process was intended to safeguard the money thus made.

Karuna says that as it has been the experience tsunami aid if given to Prabakaran would not go to the needy but into the coffers of the Wanni Tigers.

LTTE abduct three teenagers, two escape and surrender to Police

Two underage children who were being abducted by four LTTE cadres for conscription have managed to escape from the LTTE and surrendered to the Special Task Force (STF) personnel on duty in the general area of AKKARAIPATTU on 25 March 2005 around 4.30 p.m.

Those children, resident at the MANDAN refugee camp in AKKARAIPATTU, had told the Police that one of their friends was taken forcibly to an unknown destination while they managed to escape the LTTE custody.

Two of the abductors have been identified as MURALI and EKEALIYAN of the LTTE. The Surrendered children were to be handed over to their parents through the courts.

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) has been informed. Police investigations are on.

Name and particulars of the surrendees are withheld for obvious security reasons and questions of human rights.