Chinese identify Tamils conducive in breaking up India

A recent article that appeared in a Chinese strategic think tank saying “[i]f China takes a little action, the so-called Great Indian Federation can be broken up,” and its argument that China in its own interest, and the progress of whole Asia, should join forces with different nationalities like Assamese, Tamils, and Kashmiris, and support the latter in establishing independent nation-states of their own, out of India, has ruffled the Indian counterparts. Responding to the article in Chinese, D S Rajan, Director of Chennai Centre for China Studies wrote, “an approach of panic towards such outbursts will be a mistake, but also ignoring them will prove to be costly for India.”

The Chinese article by Zhan Lue, that appeared on Saturday, was timed for the 13th round of Sino-Indian border talks held in New Delhi, Friday and Saturday. After holding talks with M K Narayanan and meeting Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, the visiting delegation declared the importance of Sino-Indian partnership, stressing that it involves 40 percent of the world’s population. The delegation also said that they discussed South and Northeast Asia.
On the outcome of the talks, The Hindu reported that China and India have agreed to set up a hotline communication between the leaders of the country, a facility that exists for India at the moment only with Russia.
Writing in South Asia Analysis Group, Sunday, promptly responding to the Chinese article, Rajan said, “[i]t has generally been seen that China is speaking in two voices – its diplomatic interlocutors have always shown understanding during their dealings with their Indian counterparts, but its selected media is pouring venom on India in their reporting.”
According to Rajan, the punch line in the Chinese article has been that “to split India, China can bring into its fold countries like Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan, support ULFA in attaining its goal for Assam’s independence, back aspirations of Indian nationalities like Tamils and Nagas, encourage Bangladesh to give a push to the independence of West Bengal, and lastly recover the 90,000 sq km. territory in Southern Tibet.”
It is rumoured in the diplomatic circles that during the war against Eezham Tamils, huge amounts of unaccounted Chinese money was spent especially in Tamil Nadu by Colombo’s agents in Chennai to buy or check media and politicians.

The biggest question is why the Indian Establishment is precipitating a situation for China to eye on Tamils, ask Tamil circles.

Sri Lankan State Terror extends boundaries: BTF

The Sri Lankan Government has once again exposed its arrogance as a ‘democratic state’ apparently unbound by international law and order, extending their practice of illegal abductions, kidnap, disappearances and violations of human rights with impunity, this time across international borders, says British Tamil Forum in its press release yesterday. The military establishment’s disrespect and disregard to international law and order in Sri Lanka is now being permitted internationally, it seems.

The press release further said: Recent news reports surrounding the alleged arrest of Mr Selvarasa Pathmanathan has once again bought to the foreground the Sri Lankan Government’s ability to whitewash international norms. The anomalies surrounding his kidnap and detention give rise to serious concerns over Sri Lanka’s seemingly superseding legal jurisdiction which is not restricted to the island of Sri Lanka.
The illegal abduction and subsequent extrajudicial transfer of Mr Pathmanathan to Sri Lanka should be challenged by all those who believe in democracy, and are party to Geneva conventions. Extraordinary Rendition is illegal in accordance with Article 3 of the United Nations Convention Against Torture, which clearly prohibits extradition of any persons to a state where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture.
Sri Lanka’s Defence website boasts Minister Keheliya Rambukwella’s proclamations that “Sri Lanka is capable of defeating LTTE terrorism wherever it emerges”, further stating that the arrest of Mr Pathmanathan was only made possible with the unreserved, and adequate support of the “international friends” of Sri Lanka.
By its eerie silence, the international community, institutions like the Commonwealth and the UN are, by default, accepting daylight abductions as being internationally accepted practice and allowing for rogue states to extend their belligerent practices across borders.
International laws, treaties, governance and conventions will all have to be rewritten if this sets a new precedent. Sri Lankan regime has been effective in eliciting the support of the international community to conduct its Genocidal agenda against the Tamil people. Whilst the international community obliged then, under the pretext of eliminating terrorism, Sri Lanka’s lack of willingness to attend to international calls to stop the ongoing incarceration of over 300,000 civilians in ‘Nazistyle’ detention camps have largely gone unchallenged.
The silence of international institutions have only signalled acceptance of this piecemeal approach adopted by the Sri Lankan regime. This paves the way for other countries to be selective of the international laws they wish to adhere to and exploit the international conventions and UN charters to which they have signed to.
Even international media, which normally takes the higher moral ground, has been largely desolate on this issue, raising little concern of the circumstances surrounding this illegal act by a defiant state acting outside its legal jurisdiction. Mr Pathmanathan was instrumental in “silencing the guns” of the armed struggle and promoting democratic and political means in progressing forward the Tamil liberation struggle, despite many pundits, including governments and reputable international institutions, predicting guerrilla warfare.
By allowing removal of a moderate leader from the equation and by maintaining silent, thus supporting Sri Lankan State terrorism, the international community seem to gesture a dangerous path for the radical elements. If Mr Pathmanathan has breached any laws of the land where he was domicile, or breached any international law, then the due legal process should have been followed by governments and government agencies involved. That is why extradition treaties are in place. Concerned citizens of the country of domicile of Mr Pathmanathan have the right to demand for a public enquiry into breaches of laws of the land.
Recent allegations of UK’s complicity in torture and rendition gave rise to a statement from the Foreign Secretary David Miliband stating that the UK "firmly opposed" torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. Widespread dismay at UK’s possible involvement in “War on Terror” human rights abuses has clearly shown UK public opinion on such illegal practices.
UK Prime Minister’s office argues that suspension from the Commonwealth has only been carried out in instances where there has been a failure of democracy in member states, on which grounds Sri Lanka does not warrant such a deferral. If rules, regulations and laws are to be effective, no one should be above the law. Perpetrators of international law cannot go unpunished on the grounds of having no precedents.
Any other state guilty of such persistent refusal to observe the will of the ‘international community’ would have been subject to warnings of economic and/or military sanctions. If the international community continues to be a silent bystander, inaction is likely to promote violence and anarchy, not just in Sri Lanka, but allow free reign for similar states to practice state terrorism internationally.

In light of these concerning developments, British Tamils demand:

UK Government to, along with other governments, demand from the Sri Lankan Government that Mr Pathmanathan must be produced immediately in a court of law and charges made against him as soon as possible
The ICRC must be given access to Mr Pathmanathan immediately and Article 3 Convention against torture must be followed to protect Mr Pathmanathan’s human rights and safeguard his wellbeing
Mr Pathmanathan must be given access to legal representation according to international laws Any breach of international law by governments, government institutions or agencies involved in this illegal abduction and extraordinary rendition should be investigated and action taken to establish law and order
UK government, along with US and other administrations with firm belief in international law and order, should speak out against such international acts of crime by a state
Foreign and Commonwealth Office must review its stance on supporting suspension of member states from the Commonwealth, whether breach of law without precedents can go unpunished
Media that values human rights and respects law and order should promote action against such acts of crime by a state

KP arrest 'violated international law': Sam Zarifi

KP was reportedly arrested in Malaysia and brought to Sri Lanka. Amnesty International has accused Malaysia of violating international law by handing over new Tamil Tiger leader to Sri Lanka.

Amnesty International's Asia Pacific Director Sam Zarifi commenting on the recent arrest of new LTTE leader, Selvarasa Pathmanathan in Malaysia, told BBC Sandeshaya that if any country arrests LTTE members the detainee should face charges in the country that they had been arrested.
"International law prohibits sending someone, including a criminal suspect, back to a country where they face real possibility of torture and ill-treatment and Sri Lanka does have a poor track record of torturing and poorly treating detainees," Mr. Zarifi said.
"So there are some real questions about how KP was taken to Sri Lanka."
Malaysian authorities have neither confirmed nor denied reports that he was arrested in the country.
The Amnesty International also calls on Sri Lanka produce and charge, if appropriate, nearly 10,000 former LTTE cadres currently held in detention camps.
Not only the new LTTE leader, says Sam Zarifi, but Minister Karuna (Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan) should also face a fair trial for his alleged human rights violations.
"We want to see proper justice with proper due process for KP, for any of the LTTE members detained, for Karuna as well as for any member of the government accused of human rights violations," he told BBCSinhala.com.
Minister Samarasinghe, however, says that in regard to Minister Karuna not only Sri Lanka but also international community has failed to take action.
Karuna Amman, who served a short prison sentence in UK, was appointed a parliamentarian and later a minister by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.(Courtesy: BBC)

Lankan minister questions the right of Blake to speak on behalf of Tamils

The Sri Lankan government yesterday questioned the right of US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake to speak on behalf of the displaced Tamils in the North.

Robert O' Blake was quoted in the international media saying that US has been disappointed by the recent statements by the president (Rajapakse) that he is not going to be in a position to take any measures on the devolution of power until after a presidential election.
Blake said: "The government needs to find a way to move more quickly than January 2010, because the risk, of course, is that people will become disaffected and that will give new impetus to terrorism."

Sri Lankan Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has told local media 'It is irrelevant, as it is the right of the Sri Lankan people to decide on what makes them happy as a nation'...I am sad to note that a senior diplomat of the caliber of Robert Blake would comment on this.'

Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Robert O Blake, in an interview with rediff.com has expressed US's deep disappointment with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse for relegating the devolution of power in the Tamil majority areas, in the country's northern province, to the back-burner.
Blake told rediff.com "We have been disappointed to hear recent statements by the president (Rajapakse) that he is not going to be in a position to take any measures on the devolution of power until after a presidential election." He added "something needs to take place more quickly than that and we certainly are encouraging the government to do so."
Asked what the latest US position on Sri Lanka was, Blake said, "We have encouraged progress on two particular fronts."
"First, on the humanitarian front, there are still more than 250,000 internally displaced persons who are residing in camps under detention conditions, and so we have encouraged the Sri Lankan government to allow them freedom of movement, and more importantly to allow them to be resettled as quickly as possible," he explained.
Blake pointed out that the Sri Lankan government "has pledged to resettle the majority of the IDPs by the end of this year, which would certainly be a very welcome step." "So, we just encourage rapid progress towards that goal, but also steps (should) be taken so that the international community, the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross and others have access to the camps, so that the IDPs can be assured of receiving treatment and everything that goes on there is up to international standards," he said.
"Secondly," Blake added, "We hope that our friends in Sri Lanka will make progress towards political reconciliation because really that's the only way that there's going to be a definitive end to terrorism. And that means figuring out ways to have a dialogue with the Tamil community."
This includes "the wide Tamil community inside, but also outside Sri Lanka, about exactly what those measures should entail," he said. He emphasised that this "needs to take place sooner rather than later."
Earlier, on Monday Blake expressed similar comments on Sri Lanka in an interview with 'Associated Press.'
Further he told AP that Sri Lanka's failure to share power with minority Tamils following the end of a bloody 25-year civil war in May could lead to renewed violence.
"The government needs to find a way to move more quickly than January 2010, because the risk, of course, is that people will become disaffected and that will give new impetus to terrorism," he said.
He said the government must make Tamils feel like they are part of the political process after a civil war that killed between 80,000 and 100,000 people.
Blake also said that Sri Lanka should allow more freedom of movement for the nearly 300,000 Tamils displaced by the war and confined to government camps. Some aid groups fear the camps are actually military-run internment centers designed to indefinitely hold the displaced.

Sri Lanka's failure to share power with Tamils could lead to renewed violence: Robert Blake

"Sri Lanka's failure to share power with minority Tamils following the end of a bloody 25-year civil war in May could lead to renewed violence," says Robert Blake, the top US diplomat for South Asia.

In an interview Monday with the 'Associated Press,' Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake expressed disappointment that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has indicated he will not pursue political reconciliation until after presidential elections are held, probably in January.
"The government needs to find a way to move more quickly than January 2010, because the risk, of course, is that people will become disaffected and that will give new impetus to terrorism," Blake told AP.
He said the government must make Tamils feel like they are part of the political process after a civil war that killed between 80,000 and 100,000 people.
Blake also said that Sri Lanka should allow more freedom of movement for the nearly 300,000 Tamils displaced by the war and confined to government camps. Some aid groups fear the camps are actually military-run internment centers designed to indefinitely hold the displaced.
Blake while noting some progress on the matter, including Sri Lanka allowing about 10,000 displaced people to leave the camps said, the people in the camps were being "held against their will."
"They're not allowed to leave," Blake told AP. "It's important for them to have this freedom of movement."
The United States said Monday that it was donating $15 million in food aid to help Sri Lanka resettle some of the Tamils displaced by the war. The USAID, U.S. Agency for International Development said the aid will provide those returning to their homes with a six-month ration of essential foods.
Commenting on that Blake said, Washington will not put conditions on humanitarian aid, but he said, "longer term reconstruction assistance really will be dependent on the progress that they make" on resettling displaced people and in power sharing efforts.

Sri Lanka careering back to where it was: Financial Times

After the government of Sri Lanka finally and violently crushed the 25-year-old insurrection by Tamil rebels last May, there were hopes this sparkling island in the Indian Ocean would finally emerge from its dark history into the light. That is already looking forlorn, says Financial Times in its editorial yesterday under the caption 'Dark triumphalism clouds Sri Lanka.'

"Put simply, while the conflict has ended, Sri Lanka is careering back to where it was when the conflict began. Its precarious identity as a mix of ethnic and linguistic, cultural and religious influences is in danger of being swept away by a triumphalist wave of Sinhalese chauvinism," said the editorial comment.
The editorial further said: True, partial local elections on Saturday returned some Tamil nationalists in northern towns on the fringe of the former fief of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. But the real purpose of the poll seems to have been to test the popularity of President Mahinda Rajapaksa before he calls an early general election to secure a second six-year term, in the afterglow of military victory. Mr Rajapaksa’s machine steamrollered through the southern province of Uva. That will, no doubt, have added to his sense of invulnerability.
What really happened in the elections is hard to know; foreign journalists were banned from the north, just as all journalists were during the final stages of the war.
The government has stepped up its intimidation of dissidents, lawyers and human rights workers as well as journalists. Five doctors who were the sources for the outside world on the final civilian bloodbath in the Tigers’ last redoubt have somehow been persuaded to recant in public, downgrading the number of civilian deaths to a tenth of UN estimates.
Meanwhile, 280,000 Tamils are being held in camps largely sealed off from aid workers. The notion of devolution to deal with Tamil grievances has been taken off the table. The government no longer wishes to discuss minority rights, only individual rights within the new national identity it intends to forge. US and British officials fear this may involve the forced dispersal of Tamils across the island so they can no longer cluster.
Even before last month’s $2.5bn reconstruction loan package from the International Monetary Fund, Mr Rajapaksa’s ability to find new sources of finance, especially from China, had made him relatively immune to international pressure.
His victory seems to have convinced him force is the answer. Yet unless the Sinhala majority shows magnanimity and gives the Tamils control over their lives, their cause will surely reignite from the embers of this war.