The Sri Lankan government would use maximum force for the total annihilation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and after completing wiping out the militant group in this manner, would try to seek a political solution, according to the announcement made by Acting State Minister for Defence John Amaratunge during a visit to the Palaly camp.
UNHCR is involved in the repatriation of Tamil refugees from Tamil Nadu which began on 22 January 1992. UNHCR expressed concern in early May 1992 to the Indian Prime Minister over the unstable security situation in Sri Lanka. But on 28 July exchanged letters with the Indian government agreeing to become involved in the programme, although the Sri Lankan situation remains volatile.
The northern Jaffna peninsula is surrounded by the Sri Lankan forces. Over 15,000 troops have been landed on the islands west of the peninsula and a massive attack appears imminent. A senior army officer has said that the attack will come as a “shock treatment” and would be carefully planned to deflect international protests. According to reports army officers have informed President Premadasa that an invasion of the Jaffna peninsula may result in the death of over 50,000 people.
The post-independence period in Sri Lankan history has witnessed many attempts at a negotiated settlement of the ethnic conflict. Lack of foresight and pursuit of narrow goals for political gain have jeopardized these attempts.
On July 22, 1987, the President of Sri Lanka, Junius Richard Jayewardene completes 10 years of power; the longest single spell by a politician in that country. While from the very beginning of independence until now all Sinhalese politicians with one exception – Dudley Senanayake - had demonstrated a desire for power, it remains paradoxical that it was the latter, the reluctant "Hamlet of Ceylon politics" who was called upon to serve three terms in office; he was in fact the first Prime Minister to complete the full 5-year tenure permitted under the constitution.
"Live not in a village that abounds not in temples" is a Tamil adage. ("Kovil illa ooril kudi iruka vendam)" Accordingly the Tamils of the East of Sri Lanka from time immemorial built temples and shrines in all villages and towns. Those who migrated from other areas also made it a point to shift to a residence close to a shrine. Every time the problems of Tamils are discussed in international for, the main issue that arises is about the identity of the original inhabitant of Sri Lanka. The West is satisfied by the clarification given by the Sinhala Sri Lankan Governmental.
The Eastern Region- is educationally the backwoods of Sri Lanka. This was the official view. It was the most backward area. Why so? A very pertinent question. The early invaders: the Portuguese and Dutch came to trade, to conquer, to exploit not to educate the people. The Eastern Region is a secluded, inaccessible region, cut off from the busy, progressive West and far removed from the industrious North; the Indian sub continent being further away and remote. There were very few cultural ties. Physically structurally economically, culturally and educationally the Eastern Region is en Ultima Thule: a far off region.
The United Nations Charter states in the preamble that members reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights and in the equal rights of men and women. Article I of the Charter includes cooperation in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.
This report illustrates the considerable potential of the Tamil minority to participate in the development of the local and national economy. However, its findings are a staggering indictment of the failure of local training and education provision to be accessible and pertinent to their needs. While confined to the experience of Tamils living in Newham, this report is fully supportive of RTEC's Employment & Training For Refugees report (June 1991) to the City & Inner London North Training and Enterprise Council.
A sound economy is the primary need for the existence and development of a stable society. The growth of the society depends mainly on its economic development. A systematic destruction of the economy will lead to the eventual destruction of the society. This is the agonising plight of the indigenous Tamil speaking population of the East..!The economy in the Eastern sector of Sri Lanka was primarily based on Agriculture and secondarily on Fisheries.
Incessant violence against the Tamil community in NorthEast Sri Lanka from the 1970s has made destitute thousands of Tamils and forced them to flee from their homes and villages. Government policy since the beginning of this period has been to destabilise the Tamil population using the military and the home guards aided by aerial surveillance and bombardment to undermine the right of the Tamils to a homeland. Number of milrtary camps was established in the vicinity of villages and populated areas. Indiscriminate attacks by ground, air and sea has resulted in the displacement of a large number of Tamil civilians.
Sri Lanka known to many as Ceylon and 'Tea Country", has attracted international attention because of the escalating ethnic conRict haunting this country, since the early 80s. A series of events, still being andysed had led to this cataetrophe. There is however, broad consensus that many of the causes which contributed to the ethnic unrest were the end product of certain policy measures adopted by successive governments since independence, only to gain political expediency.
This paper examines the economic aspects of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. It provides a brief account of the record of human rights violations directed at the Tamils of Sri Lanka in the economic sphere, explains their origins and motivation, and analyses their economic effects. Accurate quantification of certain aspects of the problem has been difficult because of problems in collecting statistical data under current conditions in Sri Lanka. However, the analysis presented rests on whatever data are available and on published research studies of various scholars.
Sri Lanka - Human Rights Violations - Arrests,Detention & TortureSri Lanka - Human Rights Violations - Arrests,Detention & TortureThis document while disproving this rather tenuous claim, seeks to highlight the gravity of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. It deals with two areas of human rights violations: (i) Arrest and Detention; and (ii) Torture and Inhuman Treatment. Eye-witness accounts, interviews with victims, sworn testimonies and reports and data from human rights organisations constitute the background material for this document. The author also has relied heavily on the various reports of the Amnesty International to which we are grateful.
We hope that this document will, to some extent, serve to highlight the gravity of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, particularly in the context of the reported large scale extrajudicial and arbitrary killings that have been committed in that country. Eye-witness accounts, interviews with victims, sworn testimonies and reports and data from human rights groups constitute the essential material for this document. The author also has relied heavily on the various reports of Amnesty International to which he is grateful.
This paper records the series of events in Sri Lanka since 1948 that have culminated in the present catastrophe. The appendices contain supporting documents and briefly outline the matters set out in the paper. The paper is based on the questions asked and details requested from us during the last two years and by no means encompass the entirety of events in Sri Lanka. Tables, maps and a bibliography are also included. (The first edition was published on 21 June 1985).
Petrol arrives into the |Peninsula via Elephant Pass for the first time after lifting of the fuel embargo by the Government. Government Media reports that two fishing boats were hijacked off the cost of Kalpiyiya by unknown persons, after attacking the ten occupants. Militants suspected. Security forces in patrol boats and aircrafts are making a search.
A helicopter gunship circling over Sri pathirakali Amman Temple in Thavadi North opens fire at hundreds of devotees assembled there to participate in the annual "Sithithiraikanji Utsavam". Devotees stampede and run for shelter. Mrs S Navaratnam (45) of Thavaddy North is injured and admitted to Jaffna hospital. It is reported that part of the temple buildings were also damaged.
Colombo July 11, That Indo – Lankan relations are at a low ebb. Is well known but it is by no other means a simple relationship of hatred or fear as I learnt when I was detained earlier this week for four-and-a-half hours at the police station at Paddukai, a small town 20 miles from Colombo.
Rajiv Gandhi has hesitantly taken one small step to break from the amateurist foreign policy which he had been pursuing over the last two years. Where he came to power, his world view was closer to Morarji Desai's than that of his mother. It was based on a simplistic moral moral approach, namely be nice to others, others will be nice to you. Indra Gandhi was a hard headed politician who could perceive the clash of interests and tailor her response accordingly.
