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As India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh becomes US President Barack Obama’s first state guest during a three-day visit to Washington beginning November 23, Amnesty International has written to President Barack Obama to “candidly address human rights concerns,” on several matters with him.

The concerns raised by Amnesty International includes matters pertaining to the internment camps for the internally displaced Tamils and the detention of those suspected of links to LTTE.

Amnesty International has urged President Barack Obama to discuss India’s International role and to urge India to use its close relationship with Sri Lanka to follow up on Colombo government’s promises.

Larry Cox, Executive Director of Amnesty International has urged President Barack Obama in an open letter to, secure access to an estimated 12,000 people (including children) suspected of links to the LTTE who have been detained by Sri Lanka, and said that they have been denied access to International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and legal counsel.

Sign at Tamil Awareness Rally held New York in front of the UN by United States Tamil Political Action Council (USTPAC) on Sep 22, 2009

Full text of letter by Amnesty International as follows:

November 18, 2009

The Honorable Barack Obama,
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

On behalf of Amnesty International USA, I urge you to candidly address human rights concerns in India during your upcoming meeting with the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh and to press him to make substantive improvements. Prime Minister Singh will be the first leader to receive a state visit at the White House after you became the President. While you are honoring him with this state visit, Amnesty International urges you not to forget the plight of women, men and children who are facing numerous human rights abuses in India and to make public statements emphasizing that human rights are central to US-India relations.

Your meeting with Prime Minister Singh in the White House represents an opportunity for you to directly communicate your concerns about human rights in India. While you discuss economic cooperation and civilian nuclear partnership with the Indian Prime Minister, it is vital that you also raise human rights concerns affecting millions of Indian citizens. Amnesty International strongly urges you to include human rights concerns in India in your joint communiqué with the Indian Prime minister Manmohan Singh and to address human rights concerns during your joint press conference with Prime Minister Singh.

Even though India is the world’s largest democracy, serious and disturbing human rights abuses are ongoing, including rape, extrajudicial executions, deaths in police and military custody, torture, cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, arbitrary arrests, and dowry deaths. The Government of India not only fails to prevent these abuses, but also shelters members of security forces from facing justice. People living in several of the northeastern states of India and in Kashmir, religious minorities, those belonging to the lowest social order called “Dalits”, and indigenous communities called “adivasis” face the brunt of these abuses. Other socially and economically marginalized groups including women face discrimination at the hands of the police and criminal justice system. Although laws were passed to address some of these human rights abuses, serious concerns remain about the implementation of such laws.

Some of the specific contexts in which mass abuses were or continue to be committed include:

Mass killings of Sikhs: Over three thousand Sikhs were massacred when the governing Congress Party incited mob violence targeting Sikh civilians in reaction to the 1984 assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. Scores of women were gang raped and some were burnt alive. After two decades, a judicial commission concluded that members of the governing Congress Party were involved. Twenty five years have passed since the massacre, but only a few have been brought to justice for this mass killing.

Mass killings of Muslims: In 2002, over 2,000 Muslims were massacred in Gujarat as a reaction to a train fire that killed 59 Hindus. This train fire was blamed on Muslims. Hindu mobs allegedly incited by state Bharatiya Janata Party members went on a killing spree targeting Muslims. Several hundred Muslim women and girls were gang raped and some were burnt alive. Pregnant women and children were also targeted. After nine years, very few individuals have been brought to justice.

Bhopal tragedy: Several thousand people have died and many more continue to die from a 1984 gas leak at Union Carbide’s pesticide plant in Bhopal in 1984. Twenty five years have passed since the leak occurred, but the plant site has not been cleaned up and toxic wastes continue to pollute the environment and ground water. Tens of thousands continue to live with debilitating illnesses. Despite numerous efforts, survivors continue to be denied adequate compensation, medical help, rehabilitation, and justice.

Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958: The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958 has remained in effect in “disturbed areas,” including Kashmir and large parts of the northeastern states of India for over forty years. This act is a major contributor to mass human rights abuses in these areas of India. This law protects Indian security forces from prosecution by requiring permission to prosecute from India’s Central Government–permission which is rarely given. As a result, security forces often take the law into their own hands and commit mass human rights abuses against the civilians. This law has facilitated grave human rights abuses, including “disappearances,” rapes, extrajudicial executions, and deaths resulting from torture.

Northeastern States: One of the areas “hidden” from international attention is the region of northeast India. Numerous abuses are taking place in this area, largely facilitated by the above-mentioned Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958. Security forces kill, rape, “disappear” and commit other gross human rights abuses with virtual impunity.

Kashmir: The Indian side of Kashmir is another area where Indian Security forces commit mass human rights abuses with impunity. Once again, the abuses are facilitated by the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958 and other similar laws. The civilian population of Kashmir has paid a high price for the conflict. Thousands have disappeared over the years.

Abuses against “Dalits”: India’s caste system involves a social hierarchy in which individuals are considered to be born into a particular caste in which they remain throughout their lives. Outside these caste categories are the “untouchables”, now commonly known as “Dalits”, whose occupations — sweepers, tanners, sanitation workers, etc — are viewed as “polluting” the community. Nearly 200 million people in India belong to this category. This system has been called India’s “hidden apartheid.” Abuses against “dalits” are numerous and take many different forms, including: parading of naked Dalit women through the streets, socioeconomic discrimination, killings, arson-burning of Dalit communities, gang rape, bonded labor, denial of land rights, and many more. The police and the criminal justice system also discriminate against Dalits. Though important strides have been made, much remains to be done.

Abuses against “Adivasis”: The indigenous communities called adivasis face immense pressure from dam and mining development projects and settlements. Adivasis face socioeconomic discrimination as well as discrimination by the police and the criminal justice system.

Mr. President, Amnesty International urges you to secure a meaningful commitment from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to improve India’s human rights situation. It is essential that human rights be treated as an important issue like trade and civilian nuclear partnership.

At a minimum, we urge you to press Prime Minister Singh to take the following steps:

Chhattisgarh: Ensure protection of civilians in ongoing and proposed military actions against Maoists-Naxalites in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and other states. Stop harassing and arresting human rights defenders. Maoists must also end their violence against civilians.

Kashmir/Manipur: End impunity and make armed forces personnel accountable for human rights violations. In particular repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Manipur and other parts of the North Eastern States and Kashmir where imposed. Ensure that any replacement act is in line with international human rights standards.

Justice: Bring to justice those involved in the mass killings of Sikhs and Muslims.

Bhopal: Ensure establishment of the promised empowered Commission on Bhopal for the rehabilitation of Bhopal Gas victims, with adequate resources and capacity. In conjunction with the companies involved (including US based Dow Chemical), the Government of India should ensure effective measures to address the long-term impacts of the Bhopal gas leak, including proper clean-up and remediation of the factory site, medical care, regular supply of adequate safe water for the affected communities, and economic rehabilitation.

And with regard to India’s foreign policy:

Mr. President, we also urge you to discuss India’s International role and to urge India to use its close relationships with Burma and Sri Lanka to:

Burma: Urge Prime Minister Singh to engage with the Burmese authorities to end serious and systematic human rights violations and to release over 2,100 political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi.

Sri Lanka: Urge Prime Minister Singh to follow up on the promise made by the Sri Lanka Government to India that it would release the IDP’s within six months. Six months have passed, but still there are tens of thousands of civilians detained in military run internment camps. Secure access to an estimated 12,000 people (including children) suspected of links to the LTTE who have been detained. They have been denied access to ICRC and legal counsel.

Mr. President, we urge you not to miss this opportunity to speak for those whose rights have been violated in India. They need your help.

Sincerely,

Larry Cox
Executive Director

by T. Earakan

The end of the 180 day period promised by Sri Lankan President Rajapakse to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on May 23, 2009 for the release of 300,000 Tamils detained in internment camps in Sri Lanka was marked by Tamils and friends of Tamils from United States and Canada in Washington DC on Nov 20, 2009.

A spokesperson for the organizers of the event, The United States Tamil Political Action Council (USTPAC) commenting on the continuing internment of Internally Displaced Tamils said:

“These people are being subjected to collective punishment for their demands for political, social and cultural rights in their own traditional homeland. We support all efforts to allow these innocents to return freely and with dignity to their homes in a secure environment.”

Dr. Ellyn Shander of USTPAC spoke at the event urging for the release and freedom of movement of all Tamils detained in internment camps in Vavuniya and other smaller camps in North and East.

A media release by USTPAC pointed out that two thirds of these Tamils continue to be detained in poor conditions without accountability, family reunification or a timetable for release.

As Sri Lanka and even some United Nations press releases trumpet “resettlement” of Internally Displaced Tamils, there have been reports such as from The Washington Post that verify many civilians are being re-detained.

Emily Wax wrote on Nov11th in The Washington Post that, “many civilians have merely been shuffled from the large camps to smaller transit ones and are being held against their will. Others have been released, only to be taken from their homes days later with no indication of where they have gone”.

Participants expressed concern that the Tamil Internally Displaced Persons are being forced to relocate away from their original homes and in the process being denied of their livelihood and dignity by the govt. of Sri Lanka.

Several reports of allegations have been published recently about state sponsored colonization in areas where Tamils fled during the war

The USTPAC event also honored the selflessness and perseverance three young men from Toronto, Canada who walked to Washington, DC through Chicago, IL to ‘Break the Silence’ about abuses against Tamils in Sri Lanka during and after the war.

Two of the walkers, Kannan Sreekantha and Vijay Sivaneswaran walked through the heartland of America

Tamils also observed the 194th day of the Continuous Tamil Awareness Rally taking place at near Washington DC on this day.

The rally began with march from Upper Senate Park to the Lafayette Park in front of the White House.

USTPAC media release sights UNHCR and other sources, that many people “supposedly being released” are “simply being moved to more dispersed detention centers. Many of those actually released are left on the streets without resources or the right to return to their homes”.

Tamil Canadians too continue to take part in the “non-stop” awareness rally, taking place opposite The White House

Rally attendees carried placards on Sri Lankan officials allegedly committing “war crimes”.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called for an independent international investigation of possible violations of the laws of war in Sri Lanka, after US State Department issued a report on Sri Lanka situation on October 22, 2009

Mounted Police of Washington DC on this sunny fall day

Tamils and friends of Tamils from USA and Canada attended the rally on Nov 20th

The White House vicinity was decorated with flags of America and India, welcoming the visit of Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh to meet President Barack Obama on Nov 24th.

by T. Earakan

As Sri Lanka and even some United Nations press releases trumpet “resettlement” of Internally Displaced Tamils, there have been reports such as from The Washington Post that verify many civilians are being re-detained.

Emily Wax wrote on Nov11th in The Washington Post that, “many civilians have merely been shuffled from the large camps to smaller transit ones and are being held against their will. Others have been released, only to be taken from their homes days later with no indication of where they have gone”.

Particular concern being expressed in several quarters is that the Internally Displaced Persons are being forced to relocate away from their original homes and in the process being denied of their livelihood and dignity.

In the recent past several Tamil awareness rallies too decried the internment and the denial of childhood and livelihood of Tamils-Rally in New York in front of the UN to Unlock the concentration camps in Sri Lanka-On September 22

Today in a hard hitting interview with Colombo’s Weekend newspaper The Sunday Times, Tamil National Alliance Party Leader R. Sampanthan MP has slammed the government claims of “resettlement” are a “sham”.

The senior parliamentarian said: “In the name of settlement, the government simply takes the people out of the camps and abandons them without providing proper infrastructure facilities. They have no housing or a source of income. They do not have jobs as they cannot engage in fishing or farming. Many people have been sent to Batticaloa, Ampara, Trincomalee and Mannar, though they were originally living in the Wanni”.

Full Text of The Sunday Times interview:

You have expressed concern about the welfare of the internally displaced people. How do you see the resettlement plans going?

A: We cannot be satisfied by the manner in which the government is handling the IDP issue. In the name of settlement, the government simply takes the people out of the camps and abandons them without providing proper infrastructure facilities. They have no housing or a source of income. They do not have jobs as they cannot engage in fishing or farming. Many people have been sent to Batticaloa, Ampara, Trincomalee and Mannar, though they were originally living in the Wanni.

There are allegations that some IDPs who have been sent to their villages have not been properly compensated. Your comments?

A: Yes. Many of them are now living with relatives or friends. They have been given a meagre amount — Rs. 5,000 — to restart their lives. They are wondering what their future will be. Some families are shattered because they have not been reunited with other family members. They are desperately trying to locate their family members.

During this month’s debate in parliament to extend the state of emergency, you made allegations about state sponsored colonization programmes in the east. Can you elaborate on it?

A: This is a serious situation. I have reliable information that in the Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts, the government is bringing outsiders and settling them in villages. This was one of the main causes for the rise of Tamil militancy. Now that the LTTE is no more, such colonization programmes have returned. This may lead to another uprising.

Has your party identified the pressing issues the IDPs are facing and brought them to the notice of the international community in a bid to address them?

A: We have been meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions in Colombo regularly and keeping them informed about the problems the IDPs are facing. We even went to India and informed the Indian leaders about the situation of the displaced people. But more than the international community, it is the government’s responsibility to resettle the displaced people.

The war ended five months ago, but there has been no proposal of a political settlement. What is happening in this area?

A: The government apparently has a negative attitude towards devolution of power. The All Party Representative Committee too has failed to come up with suitable proposals. We are waiting for the government’s solution. We don’t know whether it has one.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa recently invited the TNA for talks. What was the outcome?

A: We had two meetings and informed him about our position. Particularly we spoke about the IDPs. Without sending these people back to their homes, I don’t think that any meaningful result could be achieved.

You have been discussing the possibility of forming a new alliance of Tamil parties. What is happening?

A: We have been meeting all the Tamil speaking parties. We want to bring them under one umbrella. We are trying to introduce a minimum workable solution. We believe if all Tamil parties unite for a common cause, we can win the rights of the Tamil people and protect our land rights.

Last week some of TNA local government members crossed over to the government side and there is speculation that two TNA Parliamentarians also are trying to join the government.

A: The TNA will soon take a decision about those members who have crossed over or who want to cross over. We will field new faces at the next general election.

by K.S. Sivakumaran

You might have heard of or even know Chandran Rutnam, the Hollywood based Lankan filmmaker whose fine Sinhala – English film, “Alimmankadala” based on the late notable Lankan English fiction writer Nihal de Silva’s novel “The Road from Elephant Pass” but not be familiar with his mother or father. Yes, Chandra is a progeny of a Thamilian man and a Sinhalaya woman.

Do we know that there is an institute named The Evelyn Rutnam Institute for Inter-Cultural Studies in Yaalpaanam .in memory of Chandran’s mother? I am not sure whether it is functioning now. But I knew that the historian Prof K Indrapala was one of the functionaries as Board Member of Trustees. A Librarian turned Editor-in-Chief of two Colombo dailies in Thamil (Virakesari & Thinakkural); A. Sivanesachelvan was a member of the Editorial Board of a publication titled “James Thevathasan Rutnam Felicitation Volume” (1975).The Volume was edited by Prof K Indrapala.

In this article I am talking mainly about the publication only.

The Front Page of the Felicitation Volume says the following:

The James Thevathasan Rutnam Felicitation Volume of articles presented by the Jaffna (Yaalpaanam) Archeological Society to its President James T. Rutnam on the occasion of the 70th birthday, 13th June 1975 was edited by the Society’s Vice – President Karthigesu Indrapala. The Editorial Board included Roland Silva, A.Sivanesaselvan,V.Sivasamy and S.K Sitrampalam

There are 18 articles, 2 appendixes and an index in this 158 page book that is worth reading to know the missing pages of the recorded Lankan history Please look at the titles:

The Thamil inscriptions from Nilaveli in Thirukoanamalai District (K Indrapala), On the Methodology of Indexing Inscriptions from Epigraphically Reports(A.Subramaniam), Sri Lanka in some Early Indian Inscriptions (Shobana Gohale), The Brahmi Inscriptions of Sri Lanka:

The Need for a Fresh Analysis (S K Sitrampalam) Early Interest in Archeological Studies in Sri Lanka (B. Bastiampillai) Sangam Literature and Archaeology (K Sivathambi)

The other contributors are: Basil Perera, W S Karunatilleke and S Suseendrarajah, Michael Roberts, K Kailasapathy, Kingsley M de Silva, Ashley Halpe, A Sanmugadas, V Sivasamy, Roland Silva and A Sivanesaselvan.

What is Epigraphy?

“Epigraphy is the science of studying inscriptions, especially those found on ancient buildings, statues and the like. Inscriptions found on the walls of religious edifices circumambulatory paths and mandapas of temples are the real archives of the annuls of ancient history” and they “constitute the nearest contemporaneous testimony of the events and occurrences” says A Subramaniam.

According to Karthigesu Indrapala the Nilavali Inscription-

“The record is inscribed in Grantha and Thamil characters The Sanskrit portion is entirely in Grantha and certain Sanskrit proper names in the Thamil portion are also written partly in that script. The writing, both the Grantha and the Thamil is earlier than that of Chola records of the island and seems to belong to the tenth century.”

“The practice of inscribing records partly in Sanskrit and partly in Thamil generally belongs to the Pallava and early Chola periods, although it is not uncommon in later in later times”.

“The importance of the record lies in the fact that it refers to one of the ancient temples of Trincomalee which has long been forgotten. It is also of interest because it supplies the earliest inscriptional reference to the place name Thirukoanamalai (Trincomalee). It also assumes importance s one of the earliest Thamil inscriptions so far (upto 1975) discovered in Sri Lanka.”

“Trincomalee has been renowned for centuries as a place of Saiva worship and pilgrimage. Hindu legends connect it with Puranic heroes and events. It is one of two places in Sri Lanka venerated by Saiva saints and hallowed by their hymns during the Ssaiva revival of the Pallava period (6th-9th centuries A.D.)

The volume also has many interesting articles on literature, grammar and the like. Take for instance the following essays:

A Century of Thamil Poetry in Sri Lanka: An introductory note (K.Kailasapathy), Sigiri Verses (Ashley Halpe), A Note on Murunkai (W.S.Kkarunattilleke and S. Suseenthararaja). Some aspects o the syntax of the Inscriptional Thamil in Sri Lanka (A.Sanmugadas), and Sangam Literature and Archaeology (K.Sivathamby).

Michael Roberts writes on “A New marriage, An Old Dichotomy: The Middle Class in British Ceylon”, Kingsley e Silva on The Trial and Execution of Kadhapola Kuda Unnanse: An episode in the Rebellion of 1848”, V. Sivasamy on “Some notes on the economy of Yaalpaanam during the Dutch period”, Roland de Silva on Bhattanava or Batoruwa” are also interesting read.

Students and teachers of Lankan History should also refer to this volume for their own benefit.

sivakumaran.ks@gmail.com

The U.S. Ambassador, Patricia A. Butenis, officially opened a new ice cream plant in Batticaloa District as part of a dairy revitalization project that will increase the incomes of 4,000 dairy farmers and create new jobs in the former conflict-affected area.

The project is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the development agency of the U.S. Government. USAID provided $3.75 million to initiate the project, leveraging funding from Land O’Lakes, a leading U.S. dairy producer, and CIC Agribusiness, a major Sri Lankan agricultural company.

U.S. Ambassador Patricia A. Butenis joined women farmers in Punani to launch a new milk project that will increase the incomes of 4000 dairy farmers in the East. The project is a public-private partnership funded by USAID, with support from CIC and Land O’Lakes.

Ambassador Butenis said, “The U.S. Government is proud to support this effort to revitalize the dairy industry in the East. This project will increase the incomes of participating farmers, ensure that the quantity and quality of milk produced in Sri Lanka improves, and reduce dependence on imported milk products.”

The project has established a network of farmers from Batticaloa, Trincomalee, and Polonnaruwa districts, teaching them new skills to increase the quantity and the quality of milk production. Before the conflict, the Eastern Province provided 30% of all milk production in the country, reflecting the great untapped potential of the dairy industry in the east. This project alone is expected to increase national milk collection by 9%.

Following the plant opening, Ambassador Butenis met with a group of mostly female dairy farmers who attended the event.

The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, have provided development and humanitarian assistance in developing countries worldwide for nearly 50 years. Since 1956, USAID/Sri Lanka has invested nearly $2 billion to benefit all the people of Sri Lanka. [US Embassy Sri Lanka Press Release]

Land O’Lakes International Development Division earlier issued the following press statement on its “Dairy Enhancement in Eastern Province Program Launched in Sri Lanka” on Sep 4th:

Land O’Lakes International Development Division (IDD) announces the launch of the Dairy Enhancement in Eastern Province (DEEP) Program in Sri Lanka. The program’s overall objective is to connect Eastern Province dairy farmers to the dairy value chain and increase economic opportunities for participating dairy farmers. Not only will the program provide essential financial grants, technical assistance and training to participating program farmers aimed to improve on-farm productivity, but the program also will mobilize farmers into milk producer groups (MPGs) that will feed into program milk collection centers (MCCs) and link these centers to a consistent buyer of raw milk.

“This program is a unique opportunity for farmers to collectively own and operate milk collection centers, empowering them to negotiate better per-liter prices,” said Regional Project Manager for Asia Meredith Kruger. “Additionally, the farmers will pool their resources to better access inputs and business development services, such as veterinary care, that might otherwise be out of reach.”

Approximately 4,000 participating households, consisting of 20,000 family members, will benefit with an improvement in income, and the program will facilitate farmers organizing into 40 MPGs that will operate as independent and sustainable commercial businesses.

Paramount to the program is the Land O’Lakes strategic alliance with CIC Agri Businesses to expand economic opportunities for small-scale dairy producers of the province. Through the proposed Dairy Enhancement in Eastern Province (DEEP) program, the IDD alliance will build the technical and organizational capacities of dairy farmers and milk producer groups to enhance milk product quantity and quality. The three-year program will also leverage CIC Agri Businesses’ (CIC) planned investment in dairy processing facilities in the region, which will build producer-processor linkages to create steady streams of income for the region’s smallholder farmers and stimulate additional private sector investments in farm inputs and veterinary and breeding services.

DEEP will focus program activities in the Trincomalee and Batticaloa Districts of the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. IDD’s approach involves the phasing in of activities across three components: increasing the quantity and quality of raw milk through targeted training and technical assistance; establishing milk collection centers and forging linkages with milk producer groups; and establishing modern dairy processing facilities in a Partnership for Eastern Economic Revitalization (PEER) target province. The phasing allows for maximum benefit to be achieved within three years.

National Peace Council of Sri Lanka has issued a statement calling the Government of Sri Lanka to Ensure Freedom and Safety of Media Personnel.

Full text of the statement as follows:

Recently two well-known Sri Lankan editors, Frederica Jansz and Munza Mustaq, were threatened by letters sent anonymously through the post. The manner of wording, the format, and the intent behind these letters were similar to the death threats addressed to former Sunday Leader Editor, Lasantha Wickrematunge, who was murdered a few weeks after the threat was received. These incidents have taken place in a context in which the curtailing of media freedom has become perceived as a necessary aspect of national security.

Ultimately, however, the indispensability of accurate information and free thought to an involved public makes media freedom as crucial a right as the ability to vote or access to education. The National Peace Council believes that media freedom should only be restricted as minimally as necessary, and not to the extent that it impinges strongly on other rights. The intimidation of media personnel of different ethnic backgrounds show that this oppression is not isolated to one ethnic group.

The cultivated inability to think critically about what we are told is especially disturbing when considering that this is a prevailing characteristic of those ruled by undemocractic regimes. Distortion of truth and unacceptable curbing of information in the post-war context will not only lead to erosion of credibility of the Government but also become a launching pad for disinformation and distortion on truth. Regardless of background, the freedom of the Sri Lankan people is gradually eroding. However, we have become so accustomed to allowing, or even excusing, the restricting of the freedom of others that we become passive when those same forces reach out to harm our own.

NPC believes that those who risk their lives to protect the public freedom are especially deserving of our active concern. We therefore urge the Government to take steps to protect the media from these dangerous forces that seek to intimidate it in order to safeguard the rights of its people. We welcome President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s decision to order an independent inquiry into the death threats against the Sunday Leader editors, express our hope that it will discover the perpetrators of these threats and also urge the Government to ensure that Ms Jansz and Ms Mustaq remain unharmed.

We also welcome the judicial release of Vetrivail Jaseeharan, publisher of the North Eastern Monthly and his fiancée V. Valarmathy, who were arrested more than a year ago. Jaseeharan was reported to have been tortured during his imprisonment but was acquitted since it was clear that his alleged confession was extracted by force. Ironically, the editor of the North Eastern Monthly, J.S. Tissanaiyagam, continues to be imprisoned for 20 years following a judicial verdict that he has appealed against. We request the President to demonstrate his striking qualities of leadership through a presidential pardon for Tissanaiyagam. We also appeal to our fellow citizens to support the Government in this endeavour so that we may live and thrive in a democratically healthy environment.

About National Peace Council

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.

National Peace Council of Sri Lanka
12/14 Purana Vihara Road
Colombo 6

Internet: www.peace-srilanka.org