Boucher blames Tigers for the suffering civilians in SL
Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama had urged the US to use its considerable influence on the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora to exert pressure on the LTTE to free the innocent civilians, in line with similar demands on the LTTE by other quarters of the international community.
Bogollagama had made this request from US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian and Central Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher when the latter telephoned him in Colombo on Friday (6), in response to Boucher’s concern over the fate of the civilian population being held hostage by the LTTE in the Mullaitivu district.
According to the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry, Boucher had responded positively to the suggestion and had further said that the US Government was aware that the LTTE was firing at Sri Lankan security forces from among the civilians, and hoped that the latter would exercise restraint and not take retaliatory action.
Bogollagama according to the Foreign Ministry had assured him that the security forces have always respected the sanctity of safe zones designated by the Government, where the civilian population has been herded into by the LTTE, and will continue to desist from directing retaliatory fire at such areas, notwithstanding the repeated provocations by the LTTE against them, using the hapless civilians as human shields.
Boucher during the conversation had also expressed concerned over wider implications for Sri Lanka’s security, especially in the light of the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan national cricket team in Lahore last Tuesday (3).
Bogollagama had briefed Boucher on the discussions he had held with Pakistani leaders in Islamabad, including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yosouf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, during his brief visit to Pakistan in the aftermath of the incident.
Bogollagama has also said that it was not possible to rule out the role of the LTTE in the terror attack, given the high degree of sophistication of the planning and the evidence of a nexus between terrorist groups worldwide.
Meanwhile, in Washington, Boucher while holding the Tamil Tigers responsible for the “increasing sufferings” of civilians in Sri Lanka’s embattled north, had asked the outlawed LTTE to stop lobbying shells and shooting guns out of the safe zone declared by the government.
Boucher had also called on the LTTE to stop the violence and allow the innocent Tamil civilians to flee the shrinking war zone.
“Tigers have been shooting shells out of the safe zone. We call upon the government not to shoot back, but first and foremost the Tamil Tigers have to stop shooting.
“That is where we are asking to stop the violence, let the people find safety, and then talk about how to end hostilities,” Boucher had reportedly said.
Talking to a group of South Asian journalists, Boucher had insisted that the US call to stop fighting is to both the LTTE and Sri Lankan Government.
“The Tamil Tigers by trapping them (civilians), by continuing the conflict are just increasing the sufferings of the Tamil people. So it is very much time for them to allow safe passage for them to allow these people to leave,” Boucher had said.
“We are glad to see that the government managing to get some additional food supply to these areas this weekend,” Boucher had added.
But that could not be the case with the Tamil Tigers. “We have seen the Tamil Tigers shelling out of that safe zone. We have seen them continuing hostilities in other places. So we believe that it is time for them to stop fighting and allow these people to go safely to other parts of safe places,” Boucher had said.
It is only then there could be discussions on how to end hostilities.
“Making political calls and statements, does not really count when you are still lobbying shells and shooting guns. It is time to stop shooting guns,” he had also said.
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(NOTE FROM WTRF:
DEAR MR.BOGOLLAGAMA! PLEASE DON'T TELL EXECUSES OF KILLING 1000S OF TAMIL CIVILIANS AND MAKING 1000S OF TAMIL IDPS! AND RESTRICTING FOOD /MEDICINES!WORLD KNEW THE TRUTH THROUGH ICRC,WFP,UNHCR,UNHCHR ETC! NOW, COME TO THE REALITY WORLD AND DO THE RIGHT THING! IF YOU ARE TRUELY ELECTED DEMOCRATICALLY BY PEOPLE!
IF YOUR GOVT HAVE ANY TRUE BUDDHISTS, PLEASE ALLOW INGOS, WORLD PRESS,UN TO FIND THE TRUTH!! DECLARE CF TO SAVE POOR,POWERLESS,HELPLESS CIVILIANS!!!NEVER EVER USE MBRL,ARTILLERIES,PLANE BOMBING TOWARDS CIVILIANS!!! DURING 1915-2009, SINHALESE FOUND MANY STUPID REASONS TO KILL TAMIL SPEAKING MINORITIES AND CONTINUE TO DO THAT WITH OR WITHOUT UNIFORMS!!,WITH IMPUNITY!!! TAMILS LIVING AMONG SINHALESE ALWAYS LIVED WITH FEAR, MARGINALISATION AND SUSPICIAN FROM SINHALESE!! YOU NEVER SHOWED ANY BUDDHIST COMPASSION!!SHAME ON YOU!!! YOU NEVER CARED ABOUT POOR TAMILS OR POOR PARENTS OF SINHALESE SOLDIERS!!!
DECLARE CF NOW!!! LTTE DECLARED CF MANY TIMES RECENTLY!BUT YOU REFUSED!!
BUT KILLING TAMIL CIVILIANS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO IC OR TAMIL DIASPORA!!
CF AND POLITICAL SOLUTION:NESL FEDERAL FULL AUTONOMY!!!NOW!!! US SHOULD HELP NOW!!!)
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TMVP officially disarms military wing
By Arthur Wamanan in Batticaloa
The TMVP yesterday officially disarmed its military wing and handed over the weapons to the security forces.
TMVP Leader and Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan at the Webber Stadium in Batticaloa officially handed over the weapons to the security forces.
The TMVP from its inception in 2004 has been carrying arms and was continuously called upon by local and foreign activists to disarm to maintain democracy in the region.
Chandrakanthan during the press briefing following the handing over of weapons told reporters that other armed groups should also follow its example by handing over all its weapons to the military.
“All our weapons have been given to the security forces now,” he said.
“The other groups operating with arms should take this as an example and lay down their arms. It is the only way to ensure democracy in the region,” Chandrakanthan said.
He said that no problems could be solved through military means and that issues could only be solved through negotiations and added that the TMVP would not go back to carry arms in the future.
“The weapon culture in the north and east increased after 1983. It gradually grew into terrorism and now it is very difficult to solve the issue. The only way to solve the issues faced by the Tamils is through negotiations. We have come to realise that and therefore we have decided to disarm,” Chandrakanthan said.
The TMVP continued to carry arms after its split from the LTTE. The party said that it was forced to carry arms for the protection of the party members.
“The only reason why we decided to carry arms was for our own safety. We said that we would disarm only if terrorism was eradicated. Today terrorism is in the last stages of being wiped out. Therefore, we have decided to lay down our arms and completely join the democratic mainstream,” Chandrakanthan added.
He also noted that the TMVP was currently holding discussions with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to provide assistance to the cadres in their future activities.
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Children most affected by conflict
More than 60,000 children have been left out of their primary education system due to the conflict, UNICEF has said.
UNICEF in its humanitarian update last week said that children were vulnerable to harm due to the conflict and added that hundreds of children have been already killed or injured due to the fighting.
"The conflict has further left more than 60,000 children of primary school age out of the education system. Many of these children have been displaced up to 12 times over the past year and have been living in bunkers and trenches for weeks on end."
"Children are being killed, and have witnessed their family and parents being killed, being separated, and suffering injuries including burns, fractures, shrapnel and bullet wounds," the UNICEF report said.
It said that children in the LTTE areas faced the threat of being forcibly recruited by the Tigers. "Recruitment of children by armed groups continues to be reported and is assumed to have increased over the past months in the North," the update said. (AW)
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Police playing hide and seek in Lasantha probe
By Nirmala Kannangara
Government Analyst (GA) T.R.N.M. Liyanarachchi on Friday (8) told The Sunday Leader that his report on the murder of the late Editor-in-Chief of The Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickrematunge was handed over to the police a few weeks back.
The GA's revelation stands in stark contradiction of the position taken by the police that they have not yet received the GA report and hence the investigation is at a standstill. When The Sunday Leader spoke to Police Spokesperson SSP Ranjith Gunasekera on Friday (8), he once again stated that the police were awaiting the GA's report for 'scientific evidence.'
Wickrematunge was brutally murdered by unidentified gunmen on January 8 at Attidiya in the high security zone in close proximity to the Ratmalana Airport and Air Force Base, while on his way to office.
Although the police appointed four investigation teams to investigate into the killing of Wickrematunge, the police are yet to make a breakthrough for the past two months.
When asked as to what the latest progress into the killing of Wickrematunge was, SSP Gunasekera said that the police teams are still investigating into the telephone calls received by Wickrematunge and nothing else.
"I was not told as to what is happening and still the police are awaiting the GA report for a breakthrough," SSP said.
However GA, Liyanarachchi and his deputy W.D.G.S. Gunathilake confirmed to The Sunday Leader that they had sent the report to the Mount Lavinia Police a few weeks ago.
"Copies of the report have been sent to SSP Mount Lavinia, Hemantha Adikari and to the HQI Mount Lavinia a few weeks back. So how could the police say that they have not yet received the report," queried Deputy GA, Gunathilake. All attempts to contact SSP Adikari for a comment failed.
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India to set up hospital at Pulmodai
An Indian medical team will arrive in Sri Lanka tomorrow (9) to establish an emergency medical unit in Pulmodai.
A statement by the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka said that the team is being sent to the country based on an agreement reached between the two countries.
"The team will establish an emergency medical unit including a hospital at Pulmodai, in order to supplement the existing medical facilities of the Health Ministry in that area," the statement said.
The team will also provide humanitarian relief and emergency medical care to IDPs from the north.
"The medical team will comprise of eight experienced physicians and surgeons as well as para-medical staff and technical staff.
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ICRC to continue in Mullaithivu
By Raisa Wickrematunge
The ICRC last week said that it would continue its operations in Mullaithivu following the killing of one of its workers.
S. Vijayarasa, an ICRC worker was killed due to artillery fire last Thursday.
ICRC Media Coordinator Sarasi Wijeratne on Friday (6) said that the ferry 'Green Ocean' had already left Puthumathalan with patients and accompanying relatives.
"These people left Puthumathalan a short while ago. The 406 people on board include the sick, wounded and their carers. The carers are mainly family members who are caring for their sick relatives," Wijeratne said.
This was the ninth sea evacuation operation by the ICRC since February 10.
Two thousand seven hundred and sixty nine patients and their relatives have been transported to Trincomalee from Puthumathalan, according to Wijeratne.
Meanwhile the military said that civilians continue to flee the LTTE controlled areas. Military Spokesperson, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told The Sunday Leader that as of Friday (6), a total of 37,589 civilians had managed to move into government-held areas.
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