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The sudden displacement in Vanni forced many farmers to abandon their cultivation, effectively forcing them to give up a relatively large investment. Indeed, farmers from Nedunkerni, a good soil for vegetable farming, have lost lives to claymore attacks while attempting to salvage some of their farm produce. Rice farmers have lost lives to shelling while trying to harvest the rice. This report on the situation of a woman farmer in Akkarayan in Kilinochchi best exemplifies their plight.

Meena Rasenthiran, a 45 years old widow with six children from Akkarayan in Kilinochchi, farms 10 acres of rice fields. She was born and bred in Akkarayan and inherited her farm from her parents who settled in Akkarayan 70 years ago. Living in the same village for 70 years is significant in an area where the majority of the people have displaced several times. The rice farming has been the livelihood of her family which she has continued after the death of her husband.

Her farm and all the rice fields in Vanni are presently in the harvesting phase and the displaced farmers who have displaced but are near enough to their farms are making every effort to harvest. Meena too is displaced from Akkarayan but she is also trying to do the same. At other times she would hire farm hands to help her out for the season. But she faces problems this season.

The Sri Lanka military regularly fires artillery shells into the rice fields to stop farmers working in their land. On 8 August, a farmer was injured in Akkarayan. On the same day, one farmworker was killed in Kumulamunai in Mullaithivu and another one was injured. As a result, farm workers are demanding very high rate which Meena cannot afford. She has therefore got together with her neigbouring farmers and they are assisting each other to harvest their fields.

The traditional practice is, to harvest, then to separate the grain from the stalks, then to pack the hay, and only then to transport the two separately. Otherwise a lot of grain is lost during transport. However, due to the fear of shelling Meena and all the other farmers are harvesting and then transporting which they consider to be better than losing their entire harvest. Even while they harvest, they have to run for cover several times during the day when the Sri Lanka military starts shelling.

On the day when we visited Meena’s farm a spy plane was hovering over her farm that is entirely capable of picking out the farmers busy with harvesting. Yet, shells fell inside the paddy fields regularly. Meena said that three days earlier her farm was bombed and five expensive cows were killed. These cows could be seen lying dead in the farm because no one dared to risk their lives to remove the carcasses. Dogs could be seen eating them.

Meena’s own words:

“Our lives are bunker lives for sometime now. The other day we were eating whenthe bombers came. We left the food and ran to the bunker. When we returned the dogs were eating the food. We were in no mood cook again so we went hungry. We have never experienced shelling before yet I thought I will manage without displacing but I could not.”

At this time shells started to fall and she told everyone to seek safety. After a while aeverone who was working returned to the harvesting.

“When the bombers came three days ago 25 of us were working. I do not know why they bombed this farm because they could have easily seen that we were harvesting.”

Reported by lttps

Statement by National Peace Council of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is today facing a serious humanitarian crisis especially in the conflict zones in the northern Vanni region. This follows the escalation of military action by the government and LTTE and the government’s decision to order the immediate relocation of humanitarian workers in the area on the grounds that their safety can no longer be guaranteed. The government’s decision to discuss this matter, demonstrate flexibility, and permit the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to remain in Kilinochchi is a positive step . The National Peace Council urges the government to demonstrate the same flexibility with humanitarian aid agencies.

During previous phases of the armed conflict successive governments have obtained the assistance of both local and international humanitarian organisations to ensure that essential supplies reach the affected people. Humanitarian aid agencies in LTTE controlled territory have provided critical support to the government by dispensing aid to both displaced and local civilians living in those areas. The National Peace Council is concerned that withdrawal of the humanitarian organisations will create a vacuum that the government alone cannot fill. The humanitarian outlook will become extremely bleak for those displaced and local civilians left behind.

The primary duty of any democratic government is to ensure the security and sustenance of the people it governs. No section of the people, whether or not they are under rebel control, can be excluded from this democratic duty. If circumstances do not allow the government to fulfill this duty, it needs to permit others to do so. The government needs to treat international humanitarian agencies as its partners filling a void that it is unable to fulfil. Their work needs to be facilitated and not curtailed.

The National Peace Council calls on the government to ensure that specialist international agencies with a humanitarian mandate, such as the UNHCR and World Food Programme that are specially trained to work in conflict zones, are permitted to remain in the Vanni region where displaced and other war affected people are living. If these organisations are prepared to take the risk of continuing to work in war zones as part of their mandates, they need to be supported and encouraged in this action. This includes cooperative approaches to travel and visa applications and positive public messages of support for the efforts of the UN and other humanitarian agencies.

The National Peace Council also calls on the LTTE to create a supportive environment to assist humanitarian agencies to provide for the basic needs of displaced people, by not removing their assets and equipment and diverting humanitarian supplies. The LTTE also needs to ensure the safe and secure access of humanitarian workers so that they may fulfill their humanitarian mandate.

The government and LTTE must also exercise restraint and take all necessary precautions to ensure that civilians are not harmed as a result of their fighting. This is the crux of International Humanitarian Law. We call on both parties to cooperate with aid agencies to establish a humanitarian corridor so that civilians can move to safety and access humanitarian assistance. Safe movement should be guaranteed by the presence of independent and neutral observers such as the ICRC.

Governing Council-NPC

The National Peace Council is an independent and non partisan organisation that works towards a negotiated political solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. It has a vision of a peaceful and prosperous Sri Lanka in which the freedom, human rights and democratic rights of all the communities are respected. The policy of the National Peace Council is determined by its Governing Council of 20 members who are drawn from diverse walks of life and belong to all the main ethnic and religious communities in the country.

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Vaiko has criticised the Government of India for allegedly sending military personnel and engineers to Sri Lanka, which was “unleashing a genocide attack on the Tamil race,” a report in The Hindu Newspaper said.

Hindu news report on remarks by Vaiko:

Handing over copies of the memorandum that he had sent to Prime Minister to the media, Mr. Vaiko alleged India had supplied Air Force radars and military hardware to Sri Lanka. This fact that two Indian military engineers A.K. Tagore and Chinthamani Raut, sustained serious injuries in an aerial attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the Sri Lankan defence establishment, ‘Josem Camp,’ at Vanni on September 8, confirmed this, he said. Mr.Vaiko said a spokesperson of the Indian High Commission stated that 265 technocrats and defence personnel from India were on the job of assisting the Sri Lankan defence forces. He also charged the Centre with “turning a blind eye to the brutal attacks on Tamil Nadu fisherman by Sri Lankan Navy.”

Even after assurances, seven attacks had taken place along the International Maritime Boundary. The UPA government was responsible for the “death of every Tamilian and every drop of blood.” Such “a betrayal” of Tamil race by the Union Government would only leave the Tamil youth resentful. He urged the Centre to call back the technicians and military personnel from the island nation and stop forthwith any sort of military assistance direct or indirect.

He alleged the “Indian Government did not have even an iota of humanism” in denying permission to Red Cross Society for despatching relief such as food and medicines for the suffering Tamils.

Population in precarious situation as MSF workers withdraw from Sri Lanka

Following a directive from the government of Sri Lanka earlier this week, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) withdrew its staff on September 10 from Kilinochchi town in the LTTE-controlled Vanni. MSF is very concerned about the possible consequences of ongoing hostilities for the population still living in the area, and the impact of displacement on the health of the population.

MSF urges both parties to the conflict to ensure that all possible measures are taken to protect civilians from the impact of the conflict, and to allow assistance to resume as soon as possible.

In recent months the Sri Lankan army has undertaken a major offensive against the LTTE in the north, leading tens of thousands of people to flee to the north east of the Vanni, the area controlled by the LTTE. Although the government of Sri Lanka has dropped leaflets recommending that the population move from this area, and though they have announced the creation of a humanitarian corridor to facilitate this, there is little evidence that civilians have been able to move to safety.

Apart from potential exposure to shelling and bombardment, those who have been forced to leave their homes lack adequate shelter, sanitation facilities and access to clean drinking water. The potentially serious health impact will only be worsened by the arrival of the rainy season begins in roughly a month’s time. Existing hospitals and clinics have also been affected by the fighting, and though the system is compensating for the moment, if the situation is prolonged there will be serious shortages of medicines and supplies, as well as qualified medical staff.

MSF is prepared to return to Kilinochchi as soon as possible. In the interim, the withdrawal should not affect programmes in other parts of Sri Lanka’s conflict-affected north, including Vavuniya, Point Pedro in the Jaffna peninsula, and Mannar

by Dushy Ranetunge in London

In the court of public opinion, in the case of the Chief Justice (CJ) vs the monks, the CJ has clearly come out on top, going by the various comments posted on web sites and comments by the general public.

This has proved to be an important case in testing support for the more radical elements in the Buddhist clergy who have suggested among others to carry out Sabda pooja (more noise pollution), a special court for Buddhist monks and even request for a Parliamentary select committee to investigate the Chief Justice.

If it was possible in Buddhism to declare a Soloman Rushdie style fatwa on the Chief Justice, even this might have been done by now.

The call for a Parliametary Select Committee investigation into the CJ came from the Ven. Galagodatte Gnanasara Thera, Director of the National Observation Centre against Unethical Conversions. He had stated that the CJ had demeaned the Buddhist clergy in a recent ruling, and verdicts had been questionable in around 100 cases heard by him. The monk seems to be questioning the verdicts of the Supreme Court, possibly placing him in contempt of court.

He has even taken a pot shot at the Mahanayake’s by stating that the top prelates had been out of their mind and belittled Buddhist traditions when the CJ challenged the dignity of the clergy.

Earlier a Mahanayake had come out in support of the Chief Justice and declared that the Buddhist priests must respect the law of the country. He suggested that they should stand and pay respects in Parliament and in court.

Since President J R Jayawarene’s Presidential constitution has placed the office of the President somewhat above the law, it seems that some of these radical monks also want to place the Buddhist Sanga above or outside the laws of the Republic.

Ven. Gnanasara Thera had also stated that had the country’s chief justice been a non-Buddhist, there would not have been a ruling against a monk in that manner
Lakshman Hettigoda, a reader, of the Lanka dissent website had posted a comment that “had the CJ been a non Buddhist he would have been crucified by now.”

There has also been a call for a Sanga-raja to be appointed.

Other than the case involving the Buddhist monk in relation to noise pollution, another monk had been arrested last week for vandalizing a Hindu temple in Colombo North.

There is little or no support for these radical monks and comments by the JHU this week, trying to deflect some of the flak coming its way from the radicals, dangerously exposes it in the eyes of the general public. The JHU may face a similar fate as what the JVP faced in the recent provincial council elections and face political obliteration.

Many have compared the Rajapakse presidency to be in the same mould as that of the SWRD Bandaranayake’s legacy. SWRD quite unintentionally gave the loony fringe of the Buddhist priests a sense of empowerment and in the end met his end at the hands of a Buddhist monk.

Rajapakse must be careful to distance himself from these radicals. The likes of Mervin Silva and the mad monks will only bring him grief and facilitate his downfall.

The attack on Tuesday September 9th in Vavuniya has revealed the ‘duplicity’ of the Government of India, P. Nedumaran, President of the World Tamil Confederation (Ulaga Tamilar Peramaipuu) said in a statement today.

The news of the attack, destroying the radar equipment given by India to Sri Lanka and also injuring two of the Indian military officials operating them vividly shows the duplicity, he added in the statement.

India has contributed not just military equipment, but also Indian military personnel to assist the Government in Colombo. P. Nedumaran went on to say that he “condemns these measures of the Government of India”.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has spoken several times in favour of political solution for Sri Lankan ethnic situation and against a military approach.

But in reality, people of Tamil Nadu are perturbed by the continued military assistance given to Sri Lanka by India, P. Nedumaran said.

In the statement, P. Nedumaran stressed on his request asking the Government of India to stay away from such course of actions.

[Deserted Vavuniya town after the attack]

Commenting on the injuries of two Indians in Vavuniya, Indian High Commission spokesperson in Colombo, Dinkar Asthana said, ”Two Indian technicians, who are here in Sri Lanka for some time for routine servicing and maintenance of radars, have suffered injuries during the Tuesday attack on the Vavuniya military base,” according to a report by IANS news agency.

According to The Hindustan Times, the two Indian personnel identified as AK Thakur and Chintamani Rout were flown down from the air base near Vavuniya town, about 250 km from Colombo, to the Apollo hospital. A doctor attending the two technicians said neither had suffered life-threatening injuries.

“Thakur’s is a bit more complicated case because of an injury to his left eye. A team of doctors comprising a neurosurgeon, plastic surgeon and ophthalmologist would operate on him to take out shrapnel lodged in the socket of his left eye.

Rout similarly has shrapnel lodged in one of his thighs,” the doctor told HT.