Archive for November 14th, 2006
[TransCurrents NewsFeatures]
The findings outlined by UN special adviser Allan Rock in a Colombo press conference have shocked and rocked Sri Lanka!
For the first time President Mahinda Rajapakse and the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL)have been put in the dock on a charge of aiding and abetting the LTTE breakaway Karuna faction known as Tamil Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal (TMVP)conscript child soldiers in the Eastern Province.
The Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), on behalf of its military wing Karuna, undertook to publish formal policy statements forbidding under-age recruitment, and to release any children who may now be in its ranks. The TMVP agreed to work with UNICEF in an effort to trace the whereabouts and arrange the release of those abducted children whose families have complained to UNICEF.
While the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been regularly accused of child conscription by the UN the charges against the GOSL and TMVP have jolted the Country and the International community.
Mr. Allan Rock undertook a ten day field trip to Sri Lanka as special adviser to Radhika Coomaraswamy the Special representative on Children in armed conflict to the UN secretary – General Kofi Annan.
Rock received assurances from President Rajapakse concerning the allegations that elements of the Sri Lankan security forces have been complicit with the Karuna faction in its child recruitment, and that they participated in or facilitated child abductions.
The President made clear to Mr.Rock in a face to face meeting that he will order an immediate and thorough investigation to determine whether such things have occurred and, should the evidence support that conclusion, he will take action to hold accountable those who are responsible.
The disclosures made by Allan Rock in this respect have evoked hostile reactions from the GOSL, Army and JVP.
Defence Spokesperson Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told The Morning Leader newspaper that President Mahinda Rajapakse had initiated an inquiry through the Foreign Ministry to ascertain whether Special Advisor to the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Allan Rock exceeded his mandate by accusing the government.
“The President has instructed the Foreign Ministry to inform all relevant authorities for a strong explanation into Rock’s statement. The President has also called for an immediate inquiry into the allegations. However, such a serious statement accusing the government, was totally beyond Rock’s mandate,” Minister Rambukwella said.
Minister Rambukwella also criticised Rock by saying that if the UN official could make such a statement within hours of visiting the affected areas, then the government would willingly hand over the Raviraj investigation to the UN, rather than calling the Scotland Yard.
“If Rock is such an expert who could make these comments within hours of visiting the northeast, then he could solve the Raviraj assassination within days. We do not need the Scotland Yard then,” Rambukwella said.
Rambukwella also charged that the government would seek an explanation from the highest level and would also take appropriate action to clear its name.
However, he did not specify what action the government planned to take or could take.
Rock told the media on Monday afternoon that he had briefed Rajapakse of his observations and findings and informed him that he would make a statement to the press.
The UN Official told the press that Rajapakse had informed him that he would initiate an immediate inquiry into the allegations.
The government however expressed regret over certain statements made by Ambassador Allan Rock, Special Advisor to the UN Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict in a statrement issued by the President’s office.
Mr. Rock who left the country yesterday concluding a ten day fact finding mission in Sri Lanka accused government troops of recruiting child soldiers for the Karuna faction.
“Certain statements Ambassador Rock has made in public have led to many distorted media reports,” the President’s office said.
It reiterated that Mr. Rock’s statements were opposed to the long-standing zero-tolerance policy on the recruitment of children as combatants.
Ambassador Allan Rock brought to the attention of President Rajapaksa certain allegations against some elements of the security forces supporting the abduction and forcible recruitment of children by the Karuna faction.
In response, the President said if there was credible evidence of such incidents he would have them investigated.
Ambassador Rock expressed his appreciation to the President for his response, it said.
During Ambassador Allan Rock’s visit to Sri Lanka, the government provided him with unhindered access to all areas and facilitated meetings with a cross-section of government actors.
The Sri Lankan military said it was `perturbed at a couple of observations and comments’ made by Mr. Rock, and said the Mission’s allegation that “certain elements of the Government security forces were sometimes participating in the abductions and forced recruitment of children is regretted and completely misleading.”
Likewise, the Mission’s conclusions based on `eye-witness evidence’ that the `Government security forces are actively involved in these criminal acts’ deserve a deep sense of revulsion and explanation in view of their serious nature and repercussions.
“It is no secret that the Mission by innuendo has gone the extra mile to blame the troops of the Sri Lankan security forces deployed in government-controlled areas of eastern Batticaloa to contain LTTE violence and defend human rights in the region.” the army said in a statement.
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has vehemently condemned recent charges levelled against the military forces by UN Special Advisor for Children and Conflict on Sri Lanka, Allan Rock and accused him of attempting to dilute charges against the LTTE on child recruitments by doing so.
“Most media, especially the foreign media highlighted this story under the caption of UN accusing military forces of supporting Karuna faction on child recruitments. It is clear that Mr. Rock is levelling these charges not based on actual facts and evidence,” the JVP politburo said.
They noted that if the Karuna faction was engaged in recruiting children, he should point his finger at the group and not at the government forces.
“Only those supporting the LTTE directly and indirectly were accusing government forces of having links with the Karuna faction. What Mr. Rock does is fulfilling the need of such groups to disgrace the government forces by adding more weight into the charges, by issuing the statement under the UN banner,” the JVP said, while charging that this was a mere attempt to lessen the charges on LTTE child recruitments internationally.
The politburo also noted these charges cannot go unnoticed because there is a ’serious and dangerous’ hidden agenda behind this charge.
“He is attempting to show the world that government forces are incapable of keeping law and order and fails to do justice to all communities. He also attempts to project that government forces were no more different than a terrorist organization by doing so. His charge should not be taken lightly because this was another attempt at paving the way to bring UN peace keeping forces into the country,” the Politburo added
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November 14th, 2006
[TransCurrents News Service]
In the furor caused by UN special adviser Allan Rock’s press conference in Colombo about the security forces helping LTTE breakaway Karuna faction conscript children as soldiers important allegations of a similiar type made earlier by a reputed human rights organization have gone unnoticed.
The University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) in a report released on November 7th alleged that the Navy in Trincomalee is helping the Karuna faction known as Tamil Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal (TMVP) conscript child soldiers.
Relevant excerpts from URHR special report No 23 are given below -
. 6. The Navy’s Role in Child Conscription in Trincomalee
Since the middle of this year, there have been well-authenticated reports of the complicity of the government forces in the conscription of children and adults by the Karuna group. This was extended to Trincomalee in August. The following instance of child conscription took place in Trincomalee on 21st October.
Mas. Selvarajah Rasamanikkam and Mas. Satyaraj Konam of 3rd Mile Post, near Anbuvelipuram, Trincomalee, were abducted by the Karuna group in the night of 21st October as communicated by relatives. About 9.30 PM, persons in the neighbourhood saw the Karuna party with arms bringing some boys, stopped at the Green Rd. junction naval check point. A little later Navy men came on motorcycles and escorted the Karuna men and their illicit human cargo to their office. People in the area hear sounds of agony, as abducted persons are tortured to join the group.
This is the level at which the State is safeguarding the rights of the people after years of protesting loudly about child conscription by the LTTE. We have recorded a host of cases of the LTTE doing the same thing and have condemned it as a crime. We expect better standards from the Government. It should know better that there is no justification for expecting Tamils to fight its war when all its actions point to denying them a decent settlement. Abducting Tamils to fight for the Government is slavery according to the ICCPR that has now been dispensed with. The number of persons conscripted in Trincomalee is placed by local sources at over 50.
7. Partly State Aided Conscription for Fratricide Gathers Momentum
With the collapse of the recent second round of Geneva talks, all the parties are making a show of their bankruptcy by taking it out on children. In the LTTE-controlled area of Batticaloa District, especially Vavunathivu and Pattipalai DS Divisions, the LTTE (Vanni faction) has resumed conscription and many conscripts taken on 29th, 30th and 31st October are children. The number taken is about 70 and sources in the area name the leaders of the abduction teams as Raja, Nathan, Muthulingam and Annaseelan. On 2nd and 3rd November, the LTTE hosted the same circus in Vellaveli 14th and 16th colonies and Kakkachivattai.
The Karuna group showed no less zeal in conscripting children and adults in the government controlled areas abetted by the government forces. The Karuna group abducted 15 persons at a Sitthandy temple festival on 26th October. Subsequent reports spoke of large abductions in Batticaloa North from Kalkuda Namahal School, Valaichenai Hindu College, Puthukkudiyiruppu Vani School and Petthalai Vipulananda School. Persons in the area when asked are terrified of talking about it, given the context of ongoing killings by both sides. These are also places where the Army is present. All these conscripts have to be taken to Karuna’s bases through several government checkpoints.
The combined LTTE’s conscription of children before the 2004 split was terrible enough. Now two factions are conscripting children to kill each other. The international community, Norway and the Government bear a severe responsibility for this state of affairs; which stemmed from their lack of foresight and absence of principle in handling the Karuna split.
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November 14th, 2006
[TransCurrents News Service]
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) confirmed charges made by the UN’s Allan Rock about Government involvement in child recruitment and emphasised that the SLMMM too has supportive evidence.
The SLMM has confirmed allegations made by the UN of involvement of government forces in child recruitment and said that they too possessed evidence to that effect.
“The statement made by the UN official is correct and the SLMM in its second Geneva report released in August also stressed that we had sufficient evidence to prove that the government forces were involved in child recruitment,” Acting SLMM Spokesperson, Helen Olafsdottir told The Morning Leader.
She added that the SLMM would continue to monitor the situation.
In its second Geneva report, the SLMM said that child recruitment and child abduction continued on a relatively high level in June, July and August but unlike earlier months, a majority of the cases reported were not against the LTTE, but against the Karuna group.
“While it is evident that LTTE was behind most of the child recruiting as confirmed by several of the victims and the LTTE, there are also strong indications that the Karuna (group) were behind several of these abductions,” the SLMM report said.
It further said that there were a number of indications that the government was actively supporting the Karuna group. “Known Karuna supporters have been seen moving to and from SLA camps, and it is evident that the security forces and police in some areas are not taking action to prevent armed elements from operating,” the report said.
Latest reports complied by the SLMM too said that abduction were continuing in Batticaloa. “Batticaloa is more tense than the week before and SLMM received complaints of eight killings and 17 abductions (including three children). Numbers are bound to be much higher as parents of abductees have been threatened by the perpetrators not to report to police or international organizations,” it said in its latest situation report.
Meanwhile the UNICEF in a recentreport states that the breakaway Karuna faction of the LTTE known as Tamil Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal (TMVP) has recruited 142 child soldiers.
“As of 31 October 2006 there are also 142 outstanding cases of under age recruitment by the Karuna group, all of them boys,” the report said.
However the UNICEF estimates that its database only reflects a third of the actual number of children, because often parents do not report abductions in fear of being harassed by these rebel cadres.
UNICEF was given a mandate to monitor child rights violations of the ceasefire agreement at the Oslo round of Peace Talks in November 2002.
According to the latest statistics, as of October 31, 2006, there are 1598 outstanding cases of under age recruitment by the LTTE. Of these, 649 are under the age of 18, and 949 were recruited while under 18 but have now passed that age.
A news report filed by B. Mralidhar Reddy the Colombo Correspondent of “The Hindu” notes that t he report of Mr. Rock has triggered an alarm in the political and diplomatic circles here.
In the words of a western diplomat, “We are shocked that a section of the security forces, whose government is actively engaged in a campaign against the practice of use of children for combat by the LTTE, is now photographing children in villages and facilitating the Karuna group to do the same thing. This is totally unacceptable. If unchecked, the international community might be left with little option but to consider sanctions.” The Hindu” says.
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November 14th, 2006
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj
The Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL), Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Tiger faction known as the Tamil Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal (TMVP) have all been charged by the United Nations of various acts of omission and commission regarding the recruitment and deployment of child soldiers in north-eastern Sri Lanka.
Former Canadian cabinet minister and ex-ambassador to the UN, Allan Rock has in a press conference held in Colombo sharply criticised all three parties to the conflict in this respect.
The criticism of the government is not about recruiting under-aged children to the armed forces. It is related to aiding and abetting the Karuna faction of the LTTE known as TMVP of conscripting minors. The LTTE is condemned for not honouring its earlier pledges and continuing with recruitment of minors.
Special advisor
Allan Rock was appointed recently as special adviser on Sri Lanka to Radhika Coomaraswamy, the special representative of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the role of children in armed conflict. Rock undertook a 10 day field trip to Sri Lanka from November 6 to 14.
Rock visited Sri Lanka on an invitation from President Mahinda Rajapakse. He also met representatives of the LTTE and TMVP. Allan Rock conducted a press conference at the end where a statement was issued and questions answered.
The shocking disclosure from the media’s point of view was the accusations leveled against the Karuna faction’s (TMVP) recruitment of children and the state’s complicity in that.
Earlier the question of child soldiers in Sri Lanka was perceived as pertaining to the LTTE alone. Though it was widely known that the TMVP was conscripting under-aged children with the active support of the armed forces the fact that a respected UN official had articulated these charges for the first time had a bombshell impact on the local and foreign media.
Selective reporting
While sections of the local and foreign media have given prominence to the charges against the GOSL and its allied TMVP, the state controlled media has emphasised the condemnation of the LTTE by Allan Rock and blacked out the other charges.
Likewise the pro-Tiger media too while highlighting the accusations against the GOSL and TMVP has conveniently ignored Rock’s criticism of the LTTE.
At the Colombo press conference Allan Rock was required to answer queries raised by the media. The questions and answers along with selective reportage are likely to convey different impressions of Allan Rock’s revelations. However the statement released by the UN on Ambassador Allan Rock’s findings shows that he has been quite fair and forthright in criticising all three parties to the conflict.
The statement is excerpted here in full as it outlines Rock’s field trip and pinpoints the findings against the GOSL, LTTE and TMVP respectively:
Statement from the Special Advisor on Children and Armed Conflict
“Allan Rock, the Special Advisor to the United Nations Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict on Sri Lanka, has concluded his 10 day mission to the country Colombo, 13 November.
During those 10 days, the mission visited Colombo, Ampara, Batticaloa, Kilinochchi and Jaffna districts. The mission enjoyed the full cooperation of the Sri Lankan government and met with all parties concerned with the ongoing conflict. In his meeting today with President Rajapakse, the Special Advisor expressed his appreciation for the extensive efforts made by the Government of Sri Lanka to facilitate his visit and access to all areas.
The purpose of Mr. Rock’s visit was to ascertain first-hand the situation on the ground, mainly in the north and east, with a particular focus on compliance with the Action Plan for Children Affected by Conflict.
The Action Plan was endorsed by the Government and the LTTE following their commitment during peace talks in 2002 and 2003 to work with UNICEF and the Government to end the recruitment of children and to release under-age recruits in their ranks.
The mission’s initial findings reveal that the LTTE has not complied with its commitments under the Action Plan to stop child recruitment and release all the children within their ranks. Under-age recruitment continues and the LTTE have yet to release several hundred children as verified by UNICEF.
The mission also found that the so-called Karuna faction continues to abduct children in government-controlled areas of the east, particularly Batticaloa District. Since May of this year, 135 cases of under-age recruitment by abduction have been reported to UNICEF, with evidence that this trend is accelerating.
The mission also discovered a disturbing development involving the Karuna abductions. It found strong and credible evidence that certain elements of the government security forces are supporting and sometimes participating in the abductions and forced recruitment of children by the Karuna faction.
The mission met with the parents of many of the abducted children in Batticaloa District. As a result, it learned of eye-witness evidence that links the Karuna faction abductions to certain government elements. Based on the evidence as a whole, the mission concluded that some government security forces are actively participating in these criminal acts.
Apart from the issues of child recruitment and abductions, the mission also observed the deteriorating humanitarian situation in certain areas of the north and east. During his visits to Vaharai and Jaffna, Mr. Rock saw first hand the fear, isolation and critical unmet needs of IDP children there.
The Special Advisor met with the leadership of the Muslim Community in Batticaloa and elsewhere, and learned of their feelings of isolation and vulnerability. The mission concluded that special efforts should be made to acknowledge the rights and needs of the Muslim Community.
With respect to attacks on civilian areas, the mission called on all parties to respect their obligations under International Humanitarian Law.
In the case of LTTE, the mission reminded it of its obligation to ensure that military assets are not placed in areas where civilians, especially children, can be at risk. It also called on the LTTE not to engage in the use of civilians as human shields.
With respect to the Government, the mission reminded it that it has a responsibility to ensure that no civilians are targeted in military operations.
On these various issues, Mr. Rock sought and received several assurances and commitments by the parties involved.
The LTTE gave him assurances that they would work with UNICEF, commencing immediately, to accelerate the release from their ranks of all children, with the objective of completing that process by January 1, 2007. They also committed to better training for their military commanders in relation to recruitment, and a process of discipline for those who do not comply.
The Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), on behalf of its military wing Karuna, undertook to publish formal policy statements forbidding under-age recruitment, and to release any children who may now be in its ranks. The TMVP agreed to work with UNICEF in an effort to trace the whereabouts and arrange the release of those abducted children whose families have complained to UNICEF.
Mr. Rock also received assurances from President Rajapakse concerning the allegations that elements of the Sri Lankan security forces have been complicit with the Karuna faction in its child recruitment, and that they participated in or facilitated child abductions. The President made clear to Mr.Rock that he will order an immediate and thorough investigation to determine whether such things have occurred and, should the evidence support that conclusion, he will take action to hold accountable those who are responsible.
The Special Advisor welcomes all such assurances and will seek concrete evidence of compliance by all parties before the submission of his formal written report to the Security Council in January next year.”
“It is increasingly clear that children are at risk from all sides,” said Rock. “It is crucial that ways be found to monitor and protect their rights and interests. Wherever I traveled, I saw with my own eyes that systems meant to safeguard children’s rights are either deteriorating or absent. It is apparent that there is an urgent need for an independent monitoring capacity to ensure that children affected by the conflict are protected,” stated Rock.
Assurances
All three parties namely the GOSL, LTTE and TMVP have given assurances to Allan Rock that they would attend to the issues raised and rectify matters. While welcoming such assurances Allan Rock has explicitly stated that he would seek compliance by all parties before he finalises his report. The Special Adviser to the SGSR will compile a vivid report and submit it to the UN Security Council in January next year.
The ‘faulted’ parties have an opportunity therefore to adopt correctional measures in the next few weeks and re-furbish their images. If they think that they could fudge matters as they have done in the past they could be sadly mistaken. The UN Security Council is taking an active and keen interest in issues such as these and has gone in for sanctions. The focus is more on ‘ensuring application’ rather than ‘elaborating standards.’
Congo and Sudan have felt the impact of these new directions. Monitoring and reporting mechanisms are underway in Burundi, Somalia, Ivory Coast, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
Strategy
Sri Lankan national Radhika Coomaraswamy was designated UN Special Representative on Children in armed conflict to the UN Secretary-General in February this year. Coomaraswamy assumed duties in June. In September she addressed the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. In that speech Coomaraswamy outlined the strategy and goals of the UN in addressing this issue.
Four relevant paragraphs from Radhika Coomaraswamy’s address are excerpted below:
“In the last years my office has advocated a re-direction of the international community’s energies from the elaboration of standards to ensuring their application on the ground. One of our great successes has been to engage the Security Council in a serious consideration of these issues.
“The Security Council itself has moved from general statements on protection of war affected children to the endorsement of the Secretary-General’s monitoring and reporting action plan. This involves the adoption of the monitoring and reporting mechanisms in Burundi, Somalia, Sudan, DRC, and Cote D’Ivoire, Sri Lanka, Nepal in order to provide the council sufficient timely, objective, accurate and reliable information to call violating parties to task and to take appropriate action, including sanctions, against repeat violators.
“Of course, this work is done in close partnership with the United Nations country teams in these countries. Security Council Resolution 1612 (2005) also creates a dedicated Security Council Working Group on children and armed conflict, consisting of all its members, to review monitoring reports, consider other relevant information presented to it, and recommend concrete and targeted measures against violators as well as bring monitoring information to the attention of other destinations for action.
“Under the chairmanship of France, the Security Council working group has held five formal meetings since November 2005; terms of reference of the group have been developed, a yearly work plan developed and two in depth monitoring reports deliberated.
“In June this year my office contributed to the report of the Secretary General on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo with regard to children and armed conflict. Based on the work of the monitoring and reporting mechanism set up under Security Council Resolution 1612, it outlined the violations by several actors including the security forces of the state.
“As a consequence of this report the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict adopted certain conclusions and recommendations including writing to the government of the DRC to ensure that it takes effective action against impunity, urging MONUC to be more proactive in arresting Laurent Nkunda, a gross violator of the rights of children, and in requesting the sanctions committee to take necessary action against the MRC. This was a historic occasion, Mr. President, in that the Security Council has now taken concrete targeted measures against those who continue to violate the rights of children with impunity.
“In August this year my office, in close consultation with the UN Country Team and partners, contributed to the report of the Secretary General on children and armed conflict in Sudan. It highlighted incidents and patterns of violations by state and non state actors including the Janjaweed militias, the Sudan armed forces, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, Sudan Liberation Army and the Popular Defense Forces. We now await the conclusions and recommendations of the Security Council Working Group on the situation in the Sudan.
“Mr. President, the establishment of the Security Council working group signals, in a very visceral way, the council’s full intention to deepen its engagement on what is, at its very heart, a human rights protection issue with obvious peace and security elements. Furthermore, the creation of the Security Council working group ensures that the protection of children in armed conflict is no longer left to a once-yearly glance during the open debate, but a sustained attention to the issue throughout the year.”
Writing on the wall
If the UN Security Council does pursue these issues with vigour and interest as advocated by Coomaraswamy the writing could be on the wall for countries violating rights of children in armed conflict.
While the LTTE and TMVP will be penalised for conscription the GOSL could be in greater trouble. For one thing an elected, democratic sovereign government has to adhere to higher standards. Also apart from the child soldiers issue there are other aspects too like education, nutrition, health etc. of children in armed conflict. The Rajapakse regime is woefully lacking in these respects.
Unless the Rajapakse regime gets away from its militaristic approach to issues and mends its ways, the GOSL could face strictures like Congo in the future.
Allan Rock’s forthcoming report could determine the future course of events in this respect. Sri Lanka is truly between (no pun intended) a rock and a hard place!
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November 14th, 2006
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
The daylight murder in Colombo of Tamil National Alliance MP for Jaffna district Nadarajah Raviraj and his bodyguard Police sgt. Lokuwellamurage Shantha Laxman Lokuwella has placed the Government of President Mahinda Rajapakse in great difficulty. The on going killings of Tamils in the North – East and Colombo by “unknown assassins” has been a regular phenomenon in recent times. While the murders of relatively lesser known people can be glossed over by the Rajapakse regime the Government finds it on the defensive when a well – known Tamil Parliamentarian is murdered on a public road. The concern showed by the International community in this matter has increased pressure on the Government.
[Nadarajah Raviraj's last press conference, which was held at hotel Renuka in Colombo, on September 23rd 2006]
TNA parliamentarians described derisively by the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party’s (EPDP) Douglas Devananda as “Tiger nominated agents” have been increasingly vulnerable after Mahinda Rajapakse became President. There was a time when moderate Tamil politicians were on the hit list of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). With a new re- alignment the Tamil moderates grouped as the Tamil National alliance became to the LTTE what the Sinn Fein was to the Irish Republican Army. While danger from one direction was diminished after this “alignment: new threats from other directions have emerged.
On Christmas eve last year veteran Batticaloa Parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham was shot dead at the St. Mary’s cathedral during midnight mass. Pararajasingham had just received holy communion at the altar from Batticaloa Catholic Bishop Kingsley Swampillai. Another Batticaloa MP Jeyanandamoorthy’s house was deliberately targetted by Rocket propelled Grenades in another incident. The family survived miraculously. The TNA nominee to fill Pararajasingham’s vacancy Viknewaran was shot dead in Trincomalee while at work.In another incident Wanni district MP Sivanathan Kishore’s house in Vavuniya was attacked with hand grenades. Now the anti – TNA violence has spilled over into Colombo.
Attempts are being made by vested interests to convey an impression that the Raviraj killing was a consequence of the internecine warfare between the LTTE and its break away Karuna faction. In order to buttress this impression a purported statement from the “seerum padai” has been given publicity. The idea is to show that the Rajapakse regime had nothing to do with Raviraj’s killing and that it was purely an intra – Tamil affair. It is hard to believe that these “running dogs” of the Sri Lankan state could have had the temerity to target a high – profile MP like Raviraj in Colombo without the tacit support of the state. In any case as organizations like the Sri Lanka Democratic Forum (SLDF) have pointed out ” The onus of investigating
the assassination of MP Raviraj, a fierce critic of the current government, rests on the government. There are strong allegations of state complicity in this assassination.”.
The LTTE and its media minions have capitalised on Raviraj’s killing. The overseas tiger media is going on ad nauseam about Raviraj. It is projected as a great loss to the Tamils. The state is being portrayed as anti – democratic for assassinating an elected representative of the Tamils. The “Sinhala” oppressors are being accused of promoting a culture of killing Tamil politicians. Raviraj is being depicted as an Eelam separatist patriot. The conferring of “Maamanithar” (great man) ward by LTTE chief Veluipllai Pirapakaran is described as the highest ever achievement of Raviraj. The tiger media constantly refer to him as “Maamanithar Raviraj”.
The LTTE leader makes glowing references to Raviraj in the citation issued in connection with the “Maamanithar” ward bestowed upon Raviraj post – humously. Pirapakaran observes thus – ” A great soul who carried the ideal of the liberation of our homeland as a burning flame in his heart has been made a victim of the Sinhala oppression.” The tiger supremo also says ” “he (Raviraj) whole heartedly accepted the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and their goals and served the nation. He contributed on several fronts in this freedom struggle”.
There is however a great hiatus between this LTTE rhetoric and the reality of who Raviraj was. The TNA was certainly functioning like an appendage of the LTTE but MP’s like Raviraj were not people who subscribed to the LTTE philosophy or goals. There was a convergence and similarity of views in certain respects but there was certainly no identity of interests between both. Due to political compulsions of broad Tamil unity and personal imperatives of physical security people like Raviraj went along with the LTTE but they were not tigers.
The LTTE leader describing Raviraj as one “accepting the LTTE goals ” and wanting ” the liberation of our homeland” is incorrect to say the least. Raviraj certainly felt deeply about the Tamil predicament and wanted the Tamil people to be free but he was not for separatism. He was a Tamil nationalist but not a racist or extremist. What Raviraj wanted was a united but federal Sri Lanka. He never ever subscribed to the LTTE slogan of “Puligalin Thagam Thamil Eelathayagam”.(The thirst of the tigers is the Tamil Eelam homeland).
Pronouncements and views expressed on ones deathbed or prior to death are treated as sacrosanct. Raviraj did not know that he was going to be shot at 8. 40 am and that he would die at 9. 20 am on Nov 10th. His final media interview was between 7. 30 – 8. 00 am that same morning . Some of the views he expressed then could be regarded as his last testament and will (in political terms”.
What does Raviraj tell “Derana”?
” The people in the north-east aspire to live together. They aspire for the merger of the two provinces, it is a basic human right of those people. In the ancient times, there were Sinhala and Tamil kingdoms in Sri Lanka. It is not new to our people. That is mainly an area of Tamils from ancient times. It does not mean that we want to divide the country. We believe that North and east be considered as a one unit. That should be the base if to find a solution to the ethnic crisis.”
“In 1947 when India achieved independence, Mohamed Ali Jinnah demanded Pakistan to be separated. We asked for 50-50 and then a Federal system and now the LTTE is fighting for separate state. However, as politicians we still believe in a united country”.
Those who know Raviraj intimately will realise that these words of Raviraj came from his heart. The LTTE leaders rhetorical statement may describe the dead MP as a separatist. But the real Raviraj was the man who boldly distanced himself from the LTTE on TV and said “It does not mean that we want to divide the country” and also observed ” now the LTTE is fighting for separate state. However, as politicians we still believe in a united country”. The rhetoric and reality are different.
LTTE propaganda makes out that Raviraj was a tiger in TNA garb. The reality however is that the evolution and early growth of Raviraj’s political career was steeped in anti – tiger politics. It was not the LTTE but the moderate TULF which Raviraj joined at the age of 25. His advent into Jaffna municipal politics was in courageous defiance of the LTTE. This column is appreciative of his courage in taking up municipal office in Jaffna after two TULF mayors and a would be mayor were assassinated by the LTTE. It was with great harship that Raviraj survived in those years living in fear of the LTTE.
Things changed! The TULF along with other Tamil parties formed the TNA and began toeing the LTTE line for political and physical survival. Even then Raviraj like his political mentor Veerasingham Aanandasangaree remained “independent” at heart. The first “crack” between Sangaree and the LTTE came when the TULF president issued an effective rejoinder to some insulting remarks made by Anton Balasingham about the party. Raviraj’s initial reaction was ” Annai katchiyin Maanathai Kaappatrineengal “(Elder brother you have saved the self – respect of the party) Yet circumstances compelled Raviraj to break with Sangaree and be subservient to the LTTE.
The LTTE and pro – LTTE rhetoric harps constantly on the “killing culture” (kolai Kalacharam) setting in as a result of state sponsored terror. Those with different political views are being killed by agents of the state.It is true that the state terror killings are exacting a heavy toll on the Tamil people and those perceived as being supportive of the LTTE are being gunned down.
The reality of the situation is that the culture of killing Tamils with different political opinion was ushered in not by the Sinhala dominated state but the LTTE. It began on July 25th when Jaffna mayor Alfred Duraiappah was shot dead at the Ponnalai Varatharajap Perumal temple. Pirapakaran has publicly claimed credit for the killing. From that day onwards the culture of killing those with different political views continues among Tamils. Other Tamil groups too have engaged and continue to engage in this practice. Yet the pioneers and the greatest exponents of this “culture”both qualitatively and quantitatively are the tigers.
LTTE and pro – LTTE rhetoric also laments about a democratically elected Tamil Parliamentarian being killed bu agents of the state. This certainly is true and the state deserves condemnation for this and other murders such as that of Joseph Pararajasingham. But again what is the reality? The LTTE has killed more Tamil MP’s and ex – MP’s , ex – DDC chairmen, ex – mayors etc than the state or other Tamil groups. Appapillai Amirthalingam, Vettrivelu Yogeswaran, Sam Thambimuthu, Arunasalam Thangathurai. MEM Maharoof, Neelan Tirichelvam, Nimalan Soundaranayagam, Yogasangari (EPRLF) Shanmuganathan (PLOTE) Sarojini Yogeswaran, Pon. Sivapalan, “Pottar” Nadarajah, Sambandamoorthy………
History is often distorted by the victors and powerful. The lesser narratives are submerged or obliterated by the greater narratives. The subaltern is overwhelmed by the dominant. The LTTE narrative about Raviraj depicts him as a tiger fighting for Tamil Eelam in Colombo. The Sinhala hawkish narrative portrays Raviraj as tiger stooge working against a united Sri Lanka while living in Colombo. Both sides “agree” on this being the cause of death.
As is the ironic case in extreme viewpoints both narratives seemingly converge in this instance.But what is the reality of the lesser narrative as opposed to this rhetorical greater narratives?
Raviraj lived and worked in Colombo. His bodyguard who died along with him was a Sinhala Policeman. Raviraj’s mother describes the bodyguard as “part of our pfamily” and laments about the dead cops wife and two young children.Raviraj’s teen aged daughter Praveena in speaking about her father says ” He thought the Sinhalese loved him and he loved them in turn. He didn’t see ethnic differences, but he saw that it was red blood which unites us all,” Raviraj’s wife Sashikala says about her husband ” He was a genuine, open person with a good heart who had close ties with people of all backgrounds.”
Peace activist and reputed columnist Jehan Perera describes Raviraj in a manner that may very well serve as his epitaph -
” Raviraj was a Tamil leader who helped to educate the non Tamil population about the perspectives of the Tamils and their sufferings. On Tuesday November 14 he had agreed to be a speaker at a Religious-Political Dialogue organised by several civic organisations. He was friendly with all, and always prepared to engage with others, even with those of a very different political mind set. Although the Sinhala language skills at his disposal were limited, he courageously made use of them to debate the representatives of the nationalist Sinhalese political parties and provide another perspective on current and national issues. With his killing this important avenue of information is likely to close for both the general public and the international community to whom he spoke with a measure of credibility.”
This then is the real Raviraj. These little narratives provide an insight as against the greater narratives of the LTTE and the anti – LTTE sections that distort reality.
Raviraj worked wih all sections of the people, involved himself in many issues and helped build bridges between the Tamils and other commuities. He was a connector of people and not a divider of communities.This is the difference between rhetoric and reality. The fact that a large gathering of people from diverse , multi – ethnic backgrounds paid their respects demonstrates that ordinary people understood that difference. Ravi’s death is a loss to us all and diminishes humanity.
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November 14th, 2006