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The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced today that it would freeze the U.S.-held assets of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO).

“The TRO’s efforts worldwide reportedly have allowed the LTTE to use humanitarian aid, which TRO collected for the international community after the December 2004 tsunami, to launch new campaigns to strengthen LTTE military capacity” a press release issued by the US Embassy stated.

The Press Release emphasized US support for “a just, negotiated political settlement to the conflict in Sri Lanka that meets the aspirations of all communities, including Sri Lanka’s Tamils”, and added it will “continue to vigorously support efforts to stop human rights violations against Tamils, including abductions and threats against Tamil journalists”.

Robert Blake, the U.S. Ambassador for Sri Lanka, is scheduled to address media Friday in Colombo on the funds freeze of the TRO by the United States Department of the Treasury.

Full text of the press release issued by the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka follows:

Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO)
Designated under Executive Order 13224
November 15, 2007

Colombo, November 15, 2007: The U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced that it would freeze the U.S.-held assets of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), a charitable organization that acts as a front to facilitate fundraising and procurement for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE has been designated by the United States as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Organization since 2001 and a Foreign Terrorist Organization since 1997. The Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) was designated today under Executive Order 13224, which is aimed at financially isolating terrorist groups and their support networks. E.O. 13224 freezes any assets held by designees under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits U.S. persons from transacting with designees.

The LTTE is a terrorist group that has waged a violent secessionist campaign for over two decades to secure a separate state for Tamil-majority regions in Sri Lanka’s North and East. The conflict between the LTTE and Sri Lankan military forces has claimed over 60,000 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankan citizens.

In the United States, the TRO has raised funds on behalf of the LTTE through a network of individual representatives. According to sources within the organization, the TRO is the preferred conduit of funds from the United States to the LTTE in Sri Lanka.

The TRO also has facilitated LTTE procurement operations in the United States.

Those operations included the purchase of munitions, equipment, communication devices, and other technology for the LTTE.

The TRO’s efforts worldwide reportedly have allowed the LTTE to use humanitarian aid, which TRO collected for the international community after the December 2004 tsunami, to launch new campaigns to strengthen LTTE military capacity.

According to its website, the TRO maintains a headquarters office in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka and operates branch offices throughout Sri Lanka and in seventeen countries worldwide, including the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

The LTTE oversees the activities of the TRO and other LTTE-linked non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Sri Lanka and abroad. Directives issued by the LTTE suggest that LTTE-affiliated branch representatives are expected to coordinate their efforts with the respective the TRO representatives in their locations and report all activity to the LTTE.

Recent information indicates that the LTTE has ordered international NGOs operating in its territory to provide all project funding through local NGOs, which are managed collectively by the TRO. This arrangement allows TRO to withdraw money from the local NGO accounts and to provide a portion of the relief funds to the LTTE. The LTTE has reportedly exerted pressure to comply on a few international NGOs that have resisted these arrangements.

The U.S. Department of State designated the LTTE a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) on October 8, 1997, in accordance with Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended. On November 2, 2001, the U.S. Department of State named the LTTE a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under E.O. 13224. The LTTE has also been listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union and Canada.

An entity designated under E.O. 13224 may request a delisting from the U.S. government under published procedures if it can establish that there is insufficient basis for the listing or that it has taken remedial steps that would remove the basis for the designation.

The United States continues to support a just, negotiated political settlement to the conflict in Sri Lanka that meets the aspirations of all communities, including Sri Lanka’s Tamils. The U.S. will continue to vigorously support efforts to stop human rights violations against Tamils, including abductions and threats against Tamil journalists.

Identifier information for Tamils Rehabilitation Organization, including AKAs and address information for its branches worldwide, can be found at the following link: www.treasury.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/actions/index.shtml.

The current state of law in Sri Lanka means that the people could lose European Union trade incentives, granted under the Generalised System of Preferences, said The National Peace Council (NPC) of Sri Lanka in a Press Release.

The NPC has called upon the Government of Sri Lanka for the implementation of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which would provide for the greater protection of human rights within the country while also retaining valuable economic concessions from the EU.

Full Text of the Press Release-National Peace Council of Sri Lanka:

Failure to Meet International Human Rights Standards Can Jeopardise Economy

In recent months, Sri Lanka has been at the centre of controversy regarding International Human Rights conditions. While the government has attempted to downplay the importance of human rights principles, there could be adverse international consequences to the country from such a policy. In particular, one of the negative fallouts could be the loss of significant concessions from the European Union due to Sri Lanka’s non-implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The National Peace Council calls for the implementation of this international agreement which would provide for the greater protection of human rights within the country while also retaining valuable economic concessions from the EU.

The current state of law in Sri Lanka means that the people could lose European Union trade incentives, granted under the Generalised System of Preferences. Sri Lanka is one of 15 beneficiary countries committed to good governance, sustainable development, and implementing the ICCPR, the foremost of international human rights conventions listed under the European Commission regulation (EC 980/2005). Through these incentives, Sri Lanka has enjoyed significant tariff reductions most notably in the very important textile industry. The EU was Sri Lanka’s largest trading-partner in 2006, when it received nearly a third of all Sri Lankan exports and was second only to India in goods imported to the island.

The Supreme Court has ruled that rights under the Covenant need enabling legislation by Parliament to make them applicable within Sri Lanka. It pointed out in the case of Singarasa v. Attorney General in September 2007 that the government’s accession to the Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, which enables citizens of signatory countries to address their concerns before the Human Rights Committee, was inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution and has no legal effect within the country. The Court also stated that in the absence of domestic legislation the ICCPR does not grant Sri Lankan citizens any additional rights.

Currently, the Sri Lankan government is trying to re-insert human rights protections into domestic law in order to continue enjoying these trade benefits. However, it appears likely that the ICCPR Bill, which was passed by the Sri Lankan Parliament on 9 October, will not go far enough in terms of its protection of human rights. As the Centre for Policy Analysis reports, the bill noticeably excludes or diminishes the following ICCPR rights: life, self-determination, freedom from forced or compulsory labour, security and liberty of persons deprived of liberty, free consent to medical/scientific experimentation, exit the country, minority rights, and privacy.

Unfortunately, therefore, even with the bill’s passing, the Government of Sri Lanka may not be effectively implementing the provisions of the conventions as required by the EC regulation and thus continues to ignore human rights of its citizens, as well as endanger its economy. The people of Sri Lanka cannot afford to have their costs of living which are already markedly high to increase further as a result. Not enforcing the ICCPR severely jeopardizes the lives and livelihood of everyone in Sri Lanka. The National Peace Council therefore urges the government to fully implement the treaty by incorporating the omitted rights into Sri Lankan law.

According to the Sri Lankan government in 2005, EU tax was removed from about 200 items approximately 90% of the exports to EU countries from Sri Lanka, making “Sri Lankan textiles and garments 12.5% cheaper, and other goods 15% cheaper…Around 13% of Sri Lankan exports are destined for the UK, which in turn supplies a significant proportion of the materials used by Sri Lankan manufactures that are subsequently exported as finished goods.” Losing these tariff reductions would significantly hurt Sri Lankan exporters, leading to greater unemployment, as well as significantly increase prices of imported goods, and increase and already ballooning cost of living. In short, it would have devastating effects for the entire economy.

Executive Director
On behalf of Governing Council

References

1.International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

2.European Commission Regulation EC 980/2005:
http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2005/june/tradoc_123910.pdf

3.European Union/Sri Lanka Trade Statistics for 2006:
http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2006/september/tradoc_113449.pdf

4.ICCPR Bill passed by Sri Lankan Parliament (9 October 2007):
http://www.documents.gov.lk/Bills/2007/Civil%20Political/CivilE.pdf

5.Center for Policy Alternatives Position Paper:
http://www.cpalanka.org/Statements/CPA_PR_on_ICCPR.pdf

6.Ministry of Foreign Affairs Economic & Market Bulletin (18 August 2005):
http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/features/2005/20050818economic_market_bulletin.htm

7.Singarasa v. Attorney General (15 September 2006):
http://www.srilankahr.net/pdf/sc_judgement1.pdf

The National Peace Council of Sri lanka has welcomed actions taken by the Government of Sri Lanka in investigating the conduct of expelled Sri Lankan Peace Keepers in Haiti. It has also pointed out to the reports of misconduct by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces within North and East of Sri Lanka.

“There have been long standing and consistent reports of human rights violations, including sexual abuse, emanating from the north and east, especially where there has been civilian displacement and resettlement due to war and the weakening of civilian infrastructure”, The National Peace Council of Sri Lanka said in a Press Release today.

The Peace Council has urged The Government of Sri Lanka to “Upgrade Human Rights Compliance in the Military to Ensure International Standards”, in its Press Release.

Full Text of the National Peace Council Press Release:

The allegations of sexual abuses levelled against Sri Lankan peace keeping troops in Haiti have focused international attention on the behaviour of Sri Lankan troops. The alleged actions have led to the recall of over a hundred soldiers bringing disrepute to the entire group and damaging those who are innocent of such offenses. This episode is unfortunate because international peace keeping service abroad provides an opportunity for Sri Lankan troops to hone their skills in different terrain and in a range of conflict situations. Overseas missions also provide a conduit for much needed foreign currency to enter the country though staff salaries.

The National Peace Council welcomes the positive action of the government in speedily addressing the issue by sending a high level investigation team to Haiti that included a senior female military officer. On the other hand, there have been long standing and consistent reports of human rights violations, including sexual abuse, emanating from the north and east, especially where there has been civilian displacement and resettlement due to war and the weakening of civilian infrastructure.

The National Peace Council believes that human rights violations, including sexual violence against women cannot be tolerated amongst troops whose duty is to protect and defend civilians. Security forces will nearly always be in a position of power, in terms of essential resources (food and fuel items, for example) and in military terms. They cannot be allowed to exploit and abuse their power over civilian victims caught in political violence.

We believe that the allegations against Sri Lankan soldiers in Haiti highlight the duty of military authorities to enforce appropriate standards of discipline amongst troops, including the importance of a display of command responsibility. The National Peace Council is encouraged by the Sri Lankan government’s prompt response to the UN investigation into the alleged offenses in Haiti. We see this as a positive indication of how international involvement in the form of an international human rights monitoring mechanism can protect human rights in Sri Lanka itself. The government needs to continue with credible investigations in Sri Lanka so that the integrity of the investigations process does not suffer, those found guilty are dealt with according to law and the innocent are helped to clear their reputation as expeditiously as possible.

by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai

“Our strength is pen”, We will continue to write, even our hands are chopped”, “We will not stop writing”. These were some of the slogans shouted during the protest last week in front of the Fort Railway Station. It was organized by the Movement Against Media Suppression (MAMS). Free Media Movement, Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association, Federation of Media Employees Trade Unions, Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance and Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum have joined hands to fight for media freedom in Sri Lanka. The journalists, civil rights activists and human rights activists who support the decision to have a protest against the media suppression have participated.

All assembled in front of the Fort Railway Station just after noon time, and staged a protest. Some stared to shout slogans for media freedom, while women rights activists started to sing slogans. After one hour all stared to move towards the World Market, and came back to the Fort Railway Station.The attention of the protest was caught by vendors, passengers and passers-by.

The protest is to continue in other parts of the Island as well

Journalists holding placards during the protest

Journalist Manjula Vediwardana shouts slogans

Women rights activists sings slogans

Civil rights organisations joined the protest

“Journalism is a sacred profession. It should be respected by all” said Maubima journalist Parameswart Munusamy

Journalists activley participated in the protest

Journalists are concerned about the current media situation in the country

Activists from all ethnicity participated

“Media freedom should be recognised and respected without asking” said The Sunday Leader journalist Arthur Wanaman

The importance of the rights was stressed

Photojournalist of Reuters Buddhika Weerasinghe takes photos of the protest

“We will write till we die”

Protesters continued with slogans to have free media in the country

Civil rights activists taking part in protest

Journalists are the eyes and ears of the public

[HumanityAshore] – [E Mail: dushi.pillai@gmail.com]

John McKay, MP for Scarborough – Guildwood, in a response to The Globe and Mail has queried the absence of editorials against “state sanctioned assassinations of peace negotiators.”

The premier broadsheet in Canada, Globe and Mail – recently wrote an editorial “What were those MPs thinking?,” in critical of Toronto area Liberal MPs attending a vigil held in the town of Markham paying tribute to the slain LTTE Peace Negotiator. John McKay, MP also says that “one cannot take sides in pressing for the resumption of peace talks”, in his letter to the Globe and Mail.

[Hon. John McKay, MP]

Full Text of John McKay, MP is as follows:

What was the globe thinking?

Your editorial What Were those MPs Thinking? (Nov 7) over looks the central point of the Markham Vigil for S.P. Tamilselvan: His death was the result of an assassination attempt by the Sri Lanka’s government.

The Oslo peace accord negotiations are instructive here. As repugnant as Yasser Arafat was to the Israelis, they knew the only possibility of the ending the conflict was through negotiation, and that Mr. Arafat, for better or worse was the recognised leader of Palestinians.

Regrettably, the Sri Lankan government hasn’t taken this approach.

Despite its opinion of Mr. Tamilselvan, he was the chief negotiator for one side in this conflict at the Norwegian mediated peace process. His assassination sends the signal that the Sri Lankan government has chosen a military solution when none exists. The most likely outcome of this assassination will be the further escalation of violence and the end to the peace process in Sri Lanka.

My attendance at the vigil was intended to urge Canadians on both sides of this conflict to press for a resumption of peace talks. To do this, one cannot take sides.

I conclude by turning the question around: Why didn’t you condemn the Mr. Tamilselvan’s assassination and its inevitable disastrous consequences? Where is your thundering editorial condemning state Sanctioned assassinations of peace negotiators? What were you
thinking?

John McKay
MP for Scarborough – Guildwood

by Meno Thiruchelvam

Ilavalai is a hamlet tucked away 16km from the Northern Capital towards north of the Jaffna Peninsula and 8km from the port town of Kankesanthurai. The local populace, basically a farming community, is rice cultivators, traditional growers of betel vines and grapevines bearing green and purple grapes, besides many species of plantains and a variety of vegetables from the rich red soil of the land. With this rural economic base the village is comfortably sustained. Villagers are predominantly Catholics by faith, there is a sizeable segment of Hindus as well, living in harmony down the ages. Outlaying the St. Henry’s enclave, beyond the expanse of lush green paddy fields half way to the seaside, there lay fishing villages dotted along the beach from Senthankulam to Valithundal, 1.6 km away to the right and to the left curving to Mathagal, 4 km from the St. Henry’s heartland. Inland environ encompasses Pandateruppu, Sillalai, Alaveddy and the adjacent Periyavillan are the town and villages within the ambit of 5 km radius to St. Henry’s. Most of the students are from these areas, daily cycling or bussing to the college from their homes.

In this picturesque village setting, nestled among the backdrop of palmyra and coconut palms, flanked by the majestic St. Anne’s church and the sprawling Holy Family Convent, there stands the colossal edifice: St. Henry’s College. Timelessly this institution remains yet as Ilavalai’s undisputed iconic heritage as the “A” Grade school over there. A hundred years ago, the Catholic clergy saw to the crying need of an English school for the boys of the village and its environs. Thus, the St. Henry’s came to be founded in the year 1907, named after King of Germany turned Saint Henry II (973- 1024) and then the Bishop of Jaffna, Rt. Rev. Henry Joulain (1852-19 19) who took the Saint’s name as his. The man who founded St. Henry’s was Rev. Fr. Ligoury Rodrigo OMI, who hailed from Kurunegala, then in the Jaffna diocese. He had his total education in Jaffna from St. Martin’s little seminary to the big seminary through St. Patrick’s. With only two teachers, Fr. Rodrigo, the assistant parish priest of the adjacent St. Anne’s Church managed the affairs of the school for three years.

In 1910, the Bishop of Jaffna entrusted the Brothers of the Society of St. Joseph (SSJ) with an enormous task of housing, developing and managing St. Henry’s almost from the scratch. Rev. Bro. Felix (1910-1921) became the first principal and in 1917 the school was registered at the Ministry of Education as an approved English medium school. It was during the period of Rev. Bro. S. Philips (1921 — 1928) that the laboratory facilities were provided enabling science and agriculture subjects to be introduced into the curriculum and enabling children to excel in the ESLC examinations. Bros. M. Devasagayam (1928-32 and 1935-38) and E.I.Chrysostom (1933-35) were at the helm preparing students for Senior Cambridge and London Matriculations Examinations. This period saw that the college evinced talents in the sphere of sports, particularly in cricket and soccer, proving that they were second to none in the North.

In 1926 the school was elevated by the Department of Education to the status of college. A distinct shift came about then with the administration of the school changing hands from SSJ Brothers to the Oblate Fathers of the Jaffna Diocese in 1939. The Brothers’ saga thus ended; the priest, who came next was none other than the grand old man Very. Rev. Fr. Charles S. Mathews O.M.I. (1939-43) an Anglo Frenchman whose unbounded love and understanding of the students and teachers alike helped moulding the boys in the highest traditions of excellence and discipline. It was Fr. Mathews who enshrined the hearty motto for St. Henry’s: “Labor Omina Vincit Improbus”, meaning ‘Hard work conquers everything’ which inspires the Henrician students even today. In his footsteps, Rev. Fr. P.J. Jeevaratnam (1943-53) a graduate from the University of London held the same lofty ideals unswervingly for the decade that followed. Discipline, is yet another faculty that became synonymous with Fr. Jeevaratriam. He institutionalized and regimented discipline to the highest possible order at St. Henry’s College and it was widely known (those days that unruly elements from other Schools were sent to St. Henry’s for correction. He was pivotal for acquiring “A” Grade status for St. Henry’s in March 1951. He was a great visionary.

In 1945, when the then-Government of Ceylon introduced free education St. Henry’s was categorized as an assisted school like the majority of the schools in the island, but remained private and was administrated by His Lordship the Bishop of Jaffna. The two Bishops of Jaffna who served their stints as Rectors were Rt. Rev. Drs. J. Emilianuspillai (1949) and B. Deogupillai (1953-56).

After this eminent duo’s reign at St. Henry’s had a long list of educationists as Rectors of the college in the halcyon decades of 50s and 60s, in the chronological order — Rev. Fr. L. A. Singarayar (1956-63), Rev. Fr.J.F. Stanislaus (1963-68), Rev. Fr. Benjamin Alfred (1967-70) Rev. Fr. M.J. Mariampillai (1970-73) Rev.Fr. J.A. Francis (1973-76), Rev.Fr. Anton T. Rajanayagam 1976-89) Rev. Fr. Justin B. Gnanapragasam (1989-2002).

During Fr. L.A. Singarayar’s period many students gained entry into universities in the disciplines of medicine, engineering, arts and science. He also demonstrated his defiance against the takeover of private schools by the State in 1960; thus St. Henry’s chose to remain a private Catholic institution solely managed by the Bishop of Jaffna. Fr. J. A. Francis helped winning the coveted Singer Shield Cup beating St. Benedict’s to 3-1 and became All Island Champions in 1975 and had put St. Henry’s on the map of Sri Lai The saga of St. Henry’s football dominance continued until 1977.Again during Fr. Anton Rajanayagam’s rector-ship in 1977 St. Henry’s had won the ANCL Cup beating St. Patrick’s College 2-1 and became All Island Football Champions. The same year the College had to be handed over to the State due to severe financial constraints and Fr.Anton guarded the students and community against the atrocities of Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) who came to the North in 1987 following the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord.

The Rector who followed next Fr. Justin B. Gnanapragasam, had to chart the course of St. Henry’s amidst of war, migration, displacements, evacuations and eventually exile; The rector moved St. Henry’s to Manipay then briefly to Mirusuvil during 1992 to 1996. On 13th May 1996 he brought St. Henry’s back to its traditional home of Ilavalai and re-grouped the students and folks alike, embarked on a massive rebuilding process following the weariness of war and hard times with enormous support from the Henrician OBA Groups of Colombo and overseas. He was the longest serving head of St. Henry’s and the founder of the Henrician Trust, thus leaving a legacy for posterity.

The incumbent energetic young Rector Rev. Fr. K. James Singarayar had taken the reins of St. Henry’s in 2002. At present its total strength is 558 students and 32 members of staff. He has the generous backing of the Old Henricians Community in organizing and uplifting the all important computer education and in guiding today’s students to greater heights, nurturing them into well groomed disciplined, formidable men of tomorrow.

[Picture Courtesy of : henricians.com]

[The Writer is Secretary-Henricians, Colombo (OBA), Sri Lanka]