Self-Employment Loan scheme Only fraction of ex-LTTE cadres benefit

Self-Employment Loan scheme Banks fight shy Only fraction of ex-LTTE cadres benefit

By
2017-12-03

By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan

Only a tiny fraction of the money allocated as Self-employment Loans for the rehabilitated ex-LTTE cadres has been disbursed, Ceylon Today reliably learns.

This newspaper met a large number of these ex-LTTE cadres in the Eastern Province last week. Their inability to obtain a portion of the Rs 524 million to restart their lives was a common lament.

What we heard was that the State banks in the Northern and Eastern Provinces are imposing 'restrictions with concerns' on these ex-LTTE combatants when they approach the banks to obtain the loans that were introduced to them by the Finance Ministry last December.

The loans are mandated to be a maximum of Rs 250,000 at a rate of 4% interest per annum with a repayment period of ten years, with a one-year grace period.

Between 4 December 2016 and 31 September 2017, only 1,494 ex-fighters had received recommendations to obtain the loan, out of which, only 621 received the loan facility, Ceylon Today learns.

Out of a total of 12,185 rehabilitated cadres, 7,858 persons applied for the loans but only 1,799 were declared eligible to obtain the loan.

When the first stage of disbursing the Self-Employment Loans was implemented in 20 June 2012, by the Bank of Ceylon, People's Bank and National Savings Bank, the Government saw a large percentage of defaulters.

The first stage of the loan scheme was disappointment due to the fact there were shortcomings in the selection process, inadequate monitoring, inadequate manpower and lack of awareness among the beneficiaries about the purpose of this scheme.

As a result, the banks are now reluctant to entertain the second loan scheme that was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on 4 July 2013 to disburse another Rs 525 million.

Late last year, the Ministry of Finance and the Rehabilitation Authority, with the Bank of Ceylon, People's Bank, and Regional Development Bank signed a tripartite agreement to recommence the Self-Employment Loans to the rehabilitated cadres and the socially reintegrated trainees that is now in progress.

The banks are in a quandary over whether the loans could be recovered due to the arrears in the first stage. Banks told Ceylon Today that they also have witnessed some of the ex-cadres being re-arrested by the TID which halts the recovery process.

"Some of them are in prisons, and we don't know how to recover the loans," one bank official said.

கழகத் தோழர் ராவ் மனைவி, காலமான லட்சுமிக்கு ஆழ்ந்த இரங்கல்கள்.

லட்சுமி பிரபாகரன் ராவ்

மக்கள் ஜனநாயக இளைஞர் கழகத்தில் நீண்ட காலமாக இயங்கி வரும் மூத்த தோழர் பிரபாகரன் ராவ் அவர்களின் மனைவி லட்சுமி வயது 56, அவர்கள் நோய்வாய்ப்பட்டு மருத்துவமனையில் அனுமதிக்கப்பட்டிருந்த நிலையில் இன்று மாலை இயற்கை எய்தினார் என்பதை மிகுந்த வருத்தத்துடன் தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறோம். 

அன்னாருக்கு எங்கள் ஆழ்ந்த இரங்கல்கள்!

முகவரி : இடம் 52, 3 வது தெரு, தில்லை நகர்,கொரட்டூர், சென்னை -80. (பிரிட்டானியா அருகில் )

தகவல்: FB தோழர்கள் VR-SS

ஓக்கிப் புயல் - மீனவர் கதி என்ன? தத்தளிக்கும் கன்னியாகுமரி

கடலுக்குப் போன மீனவர்கள் நிலை என்ன? 
தத்தளிக்கும் கன்னியாகுமரி

கன்னியாகுமரி கடலில் மீன்பிடிக்கச் சென்ற டஜன் கணக்கான மீனவர்கள் ஒக்கிப் புயலால் சீற்றத்துடன் உள்ள கடலில் சிக்கிக்கொண்டிருப்பதாக தகவல்கள் வரும் நிலையில், காணாமல் போனவர்கள் எண்ணிக்கையோ நிலையோ, இன்னும் தெளிவாகத் தெரியவில்லை.

புயல் மழையால் சூழ்ந்த வெள்ளம்

இதனிடையே, கடற்படை கப்பல்களும், ஹெலிகாப்டர்களும் மீட்புப் பணியில் ஈடுபட்டிருப்பதாகத் தகவல்கள் தெரிவிக்கின்றன.

ஆனால், மீட்புப் பணிகள் குறித்து மீனவர்கள், மீனவர் அமைப்புகள் அதிருப்தி தெரிவித்துள்ளன.

பிபிசியிடம் பேசிய கன்னியாகுமரி மாவட்ட ஆட்சியர் சஜ்ஜன்சிங் ஆர்.சவான் கடந்த இரண்டு நாள்களில் 203 மீனவர்கள் மீட்கப்பட்டுள்ளதாகத் தெரிவித்தார். இதுவரை 8 பேர் இறந்துள்ளதாகக் கூறும் ஆட்சியரிடம் இன்னும் கடலில் உள்ள மீனவர்கள் எண்ணிக்கை குறித்து தெளிவான எண்ணிக்கை இல்லை.

"காணாமல் போன மீனவர்கள் குறித்து மீனவர் குடும்பங்களிடம் அரசு கணக்கெடுக்கவில்லை, இவ்வளவு பெரிய பாதிப்பை ஏற்படுத்தும் புயல் வருகிறது என்பது பற்றி போதிய அளவில் அரசு முன்னெச்சரிக்கை செய்யவில்லை. இதுவரை, காணாமல் போன மீனவர்கள் குறித்து விசாரிக்க தகவல் மையம் அமைக்கப்படவில்லை," என்று பிபிசியிடம் தெரிவித்தார்

'தெற்காசிய மீனவர் தோழமை' அமைப்பின் பொதுச் செயலாளர் அருட்தந்தை சர்ச்சில்.

ஒக்கிப் புயலினால் ஏற்பட்ட கடல் சீற்றத்தில் லட்சத்தீவில் கரை ஒதுங்கிய படகு.

கேரளாவில் உள்ள இந்திய கடற்படைக் கப்பல் 13 மீனவர்களை மீட்டு திருவனந்தபுரம் மருத்துவமனையில் சேர்த்துள்ளதைக் குறிப்பிட்ட அவர் தமிழகத்தில் உள்ள கடற்படை இப்படி ஏன் செயல்படவில்லை என்றும் கேட்டுள்ளார்.

ஒக்கிப் புயலின் காரணமாக மழை பெய்வது சனிக்கிழமை நான்காவது நாளை எட்டியுள்ள நிலையில் கன்னியாகுமரி மாவட்டம் முழுவதும் பரவலாக பாதிக்கப்பட்ட மின்சார வசதி இன்னும் மீட்கப்படவில்லை என்கிறார் அங்கு சென்றுள்ள பிபிசி தமிழ் செய்தியாளர் பிரமிளா கிருஷ்ணன்.

மாவட்டத்தில் பல இடங்கள் சாலைகளில் மரங்கள் விழுந்திருப்பதாலும், தண்ணீர் தேங்கியிருப்பதாலும் சாலைப் போக்குவரத்து பெருமளவில் பாதிக்கப்பட்டிருக்கிறது என்று கூறும் அவர் குறிப்பாக நாகர்கோயில் பகுதி தனித்தீவாகவே இருப்பதாகக் கூறுகிறார்.

பருத்தித்துறைப் பகுதியில் மீன் பிடித்த நாகை-காரைக்கால் மீனவர்கள் 20 பேர் கைது

பருத்தித்துறைப் பகுதியில் மீன் பிடித்த நாகை-காரைக்கால் மீனவர்கள் 20 பேர் கைது


பருத்தித்துறை பகுதியில் எல்லை தாண்டி வந்து மீன் பிடித்த நாகை-காரைக்கால் மீனவர்கள் 20 பேரை  இலங்கை கடற்படையினர் கைது செய்தனர்.

நாகை மாவட்டம் வேதாரண்யத்தை அடுத்த கோடியக்கரையில் மீன்பிடி சீசனையொட்டி தமிழகம் முழுவதும் இருந்து மீனவர்கள் வந்து தங்கியிருந்து மீன் பிடித்து வருகின்றனர்.

கடந்த சில நாட்களாக தொடர் மழை பெய்து வருவதால் பெரும்பாலான மீனவர்கள் மீன்பிடிக்க செல்லவில்லை.

இந்த நிலையில் கடந்த 30-ந்தேதி நாகை அக்கரை பேட்டையை சேர்ந்த தங்கமணி என்பவருக்கு சொந்தமான விசைப்படகில் 10 மீனவர்களும், இன்னொரு விசைப்படகில் காரைக்காலை சேர்ந்த 10 மீனவர்களும் மீன் பிடிக்க சென்றனர். அவர்கள் இன்று அதிகாலை 2 மணி அளவில் பருத்தித்துறை பகுதியில் நடுக்கடலில் மீன் பிடித்து கொண்டிருந்தனர்.

அப்போது அந்த வழியாக ரோந்து வந்த இலங்கை கடற்படையினர் 2 படகுகளையும் சுற்றி வளைத்து 20 மீனவர்களையும் கைது செய்தனர். எல்லை தாண்டி வந்து மீன் பிடித்ததாகவும், தடை செய்யப்பட்ட வலைகளை பயன்படுத்தியதாகவும் கூறி அவர்கள் மீது குற்றம்சாட்டினர். பின்னர் அவர்களை காங்கேசன் துறை முகத்துக்ககு அழைத்து சென்றனர். அவர்கள் மீன் பிடிக்க பயன்படுத்திய 2 விசைப்படகுகளையும் பறிமுதல் செய்து கொண்டு சென்றனர்.

இதுபற்றி இன்று காலை தெரியவந்ததும் நாகை அக்கரைபேட்டையில் உள்ள மீனர்வர்களின் உறவினர்களும் காரைக்காலை சேர்ந்த மீனவர்களின் உறவினர்களும் , கடலோர காவல்படை போலீசாரிடம் முறையிட்டு தங்கள் குடும்பத்தினரை மீட்டு தரும்படி கண்ணீர் மல்க கேட்டுக்கொண்டனர்.

நாகை பகுதியில் கடல் சீற்றம் காரணமாக சில நாட்கள் மீனவர்கள் மீன்பிடிக்க செல்லவில்லை. இயற்கை சீற்றங்களை தாண்டி வருமானத்துக்காக மீன் பிடிக்க செல்லும் மீனவர்களையும் இலங்கை கடற்படையினர் கைது செய்வதும், இலங்கை மீனவர்கள் தாக்குவதும் அடிக்கடி நடந்து வருவதால் மீனவர்கள் கடலுக்கு சென்று மீன்பிடிக்க அஞ்சும் நிலை ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது.

இந்த பிரச்சனைக்கு நிரந்தர தீர்வு காண மத்திய, மாநில அரசுகள் உரிய நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும். கைதான மீனவர்களை மீட்க வேண்டும். பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்ட படகுகளை மீட்டு தர வேண்டும் என்று பாதிக்கப்பட்ட மீனவர்கள் குடும்பத்தினர் கோரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளனர்.

======================

SLNavy nets 20 Indian fishermen, 2 trawlers poaching in SL waters


Twenty Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, along with 2 fishing trawlers, were apprehended by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) on Friday night (1). “The arrests were made north of Kovilan Point and Point Pedro by 2 SLN Fast Attack Craft attached to Northern Naval Command,” the SLN stated.

One of the seized trawlers was brought to the Naval base SLNS Elara in Karainagar, while the other trawler and the fishermen were detained at SLNS Uttara in Kankesanthurai. The apprehended fishermen were subsequently handed over to the Assistant Director of Fisheries in Jaffna, for Legal action.

Meanwhile, the proposed International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) meeting between the Navies of Sri Lanka and India was postponed this week due to bad weather, said a senior SLN officer. SLN Spokesman Commander Dinesh Bandara told the Sunday Times that talks were scheduled to be held on-board an Indian vessel near the IMBL border on Nov.28, but were cancelled at the last minute, as bad weather prevailed in the coastal area.

“Our delegation had to return from midway near the IMBL, as weather conditions worsened. We are hoping to fix a date for talks early next month,” he said. The Navy-to Navy talks on-board such vessels take place twice a year, to enhance operational effectiveness through common understanding of the Navies and Coastguards on maritime security in the region, by integration of forces through co-operation, coordination and collaboration.

The ongoing illegal poaching by Indian fishermen in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters was also one of the topics to be discussed in the talks. Another issue to be discussed was the possibility of joint patrols by the two countries’ Coastguards, along the Palk Strait, to prevent vessels trespassing into each others waters.

Sunday Times

Indian army disrespectfully trampled over the bodies of alleged slain militants - NHRC

Trampling of bodies: NHRC asks Defence Ministry to ‘take appropriate action’

“The authority concerned is directed to take appropriate action within eight weeks and to inform the complainant of the action taken in the matter,” the judgment of the NHRC reads.

SHAFAQ SHAH
Srinagar, Publish Date: Dec 1 2017

File Photo

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India, has asked the ministry of defence “to take appropriate action” in the matter where the army was seen trampling the bodies of militants at Nowgam Srinagar in September this year.

“The authority concerned is directed to take appropriate action within eight weeks and to inform the complainant of the action taken in the matter,” the judgment of the NHRC reads.

On 14th of September, Lakshar-e-Toiba commander, Abu Ismail and his associate Abu Qasim were killed by government forces on the outskirts of Srinagar at Aaribagh, Nowgam.
Immediately after the killing, a video showing army trampling the dead bodies of the militants went viral on the internet.

On 20th September, a Shimla based activist, Sunil Mohan Jetley, petition with NHRC against trampling of militants’ bodies by army.

“Some soldiers of Indian army disrespectfully trampled over the bodies of alleged slain militants, Abu Ismail and Abu Qasim, resting their feet on the militants’ chest and inhumanly dragged them with ropes tied to their legs,”

Sunil Mohan Jaitley had stated in his petition.

The petitioner had further said, “The defence spokesperson has assured of taking action, but no concrete action was taken against the army men. When such videos go viral, the youth in Kashmir get disturbed and then they take up arms.”

Source: Greater Kashmir

Seychelles- மற்றொரு உலக மறு பங்கீட்டுத் தீவு!

SECURITY INDIAN OCEAN

China-India vie for a strategic slice of paradise

Seychelles, a small island nation of 100,000, is at the center of a contest for supremacy in the Indian Ocean

By BERTIL LINTNER VICTORIA, SEYCHELLES, NOVEMBER 23, 2017 

An ocean view from Seychelles' Mahe Island on April 17, 2017. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Brocken Inaglory

 Victoria is one of the smallest capital cities in the world. With only 25,000 people, the Seychelles capital still represents a quarter of the tiny island nation’s mixed population of ethnic Indians and Africans.

The town center features an old clock tower brought by the British when the island was separated from their possession Mauritius and made into a separate colony in 1903. Now, the main source of income is high-end tourism and several hundred thousand visitors arrive every year to bask in the sun in what is often described as a tropical island paradise.

Unsurprisingly, the Seychelles also has one of the smallest defense forces in the world with only 650 men in active service. But when General Wang Guanzhong, a leading member of China’s Central Military Commission, visited Victoria in November last year, enhancing “defense cooperation” was high on his agenda, according to a press release from the Seychellois president’s office. The cooperation would involve training, the supply of equipment and high level exchange visits, the statement said.

In June this year, Xu Jinghu, a special representative to the Chinese government, paid a high-profile visit to the Seychelles where she met President Danny Faure and other high-ranking officials.

According to a Chinese foreign ministry statement on the visit, the Seychelles considers “China as a good friend and good brother [and] the country is willing to make joint efforts with China to expand bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation in such areas as blue economy, tourism, health, sports and security, so as to promote the constant and forward-looking development of bilateral friendly cooperative relations.”

Seychelles-China-Leopold Payet-Jean-Paul Adam-Shi Zhongjun Seychelles’ Defense Force Chief Brigadier Leopold Payet (C-L) Seychelles Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Paul Adam (R) and then Chinese Ambassador to Seychelles Shi Zhongjun (C-R) in a file photo. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The Seychelles may be small in area and population, but is large in strategic significance positioned between Africa, the Arab peninsula and the Indian subcontinent. It’s also in the middle of China’s ‘New Maritime Silk Road’ stretching from southern China and Myanmar to Africa and through the Suez Canal to Europe. That makes Seychelles a potential vital geographic link in Beijing’s “One Belt One Road” (OBOR) infrastructure development initiative.

But China’s overtures towards the island nation have not gone unnoticed among other countries, including India, with a strategic interest in the Indian Ocean. In October, India dispatched Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on a sudden unannounced visit to the Seychelles. He met with President Faure to discuss infrastructure projects and scale up relations to a “more strategic, comprehensive and ambitious partnership between the two countries,” a statement said.

According to people familiar with the situation, New Delhi is alarmed not only by growing China-Seychelles defense and economic cooperation, but also the fast rise in the number of Chinese visitors to the island, up from a mere 500 in 2011 to 15,000 in 2016.

The Indian Ocean region is fast emerging as one of the world’s most important and contested maritime areas. That was underscored by US President Donald Trump’s rhetorical shift from the use of “Asia-Pacific” to “Indo-Pacific” in his references to the wider region during the Southeast Asian legs of his Asian tour.

The budding formation of a ‘quadrilateral’ arrangement between the US, Japan, Australia and India to counterbalance China’s maritime ambitions has also put a new spotlight on the Indian Ocean.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seen with
US President Donald Trump. Photo: DPA Pool/Michael Kappeler 

More than 60% of the world’s oil shipments pass through the Indian Ocean, largely exports from the Middle East to importing Asian powerhouse economies such as China, Japan and South Korea. Seventy percent of all container traffic to and from Asia’s industrialized nations also passes through the waterway.

China’s OBOR initiative has added a new strategic dimension that is arguably already impacting on the Indian Ocean region’s balance of power. While officially a peaceful plan to help neighbors and others to develop and facilitate trade, if China delivers on the US$1 trillion it has pledged it could lead to Chinese economic hegemony in the Indian Ocean region and beyond.

OBOR envisions incorporating 65 global countries (India has declined to participate) in the construction of roads, railways and ports that facilitate new maritime trade routes.

But there is a major point that China does not mention in its official handouts. The ‘New Maritime Silk Road’ alludes to ancient but defunct trade routes which OBOR supposedly aims to revive. While there was indeed an overland Silk Road from Europe to China, a “maritime” Silk Road is an entirely new concept.

Arab merchants made it as far as China over the centuries, but no Chinese ships have regularly plied the Indian Ocean since Zheng He, a 15th century Chinese explorer sailed his fleet to South Asia and Africa. Until the late 1980s, Chinese merchant ships seldom ventured outside the immediate region and China’s navy was then largely a riverine force.

As the country becomes more and more connected to the modern world, the India International Centre needs to democratize. Illustration: Vector. As the country becomes more and more connected to the modern world, the India International Centre needs to democratize. Illustration: Vector.

The People’s Liberation Army Navy was not developed into a more substantial unit that began to turn its attention towards the seas until 2009.

Now, for the first time in history, China is developing a merchant marine as well as a blue-water navy and it is increasingly making waves in the Indian Ocean. Chinese warships and submarines have been spotted in the region and China is investing heavily via OBOR in other Indian Ocean countries.

That’s raising the strategic ante. In October, India announced that its navy plans a permanent presence with more patrols in the Indian Ocean region to counter China’s growing influence. That’s raising the strategic stakes for small island nations like Seychelles which are likely to come under rising diplomatic pressure to choose one side or another in the contest.

Seychelles achieved independence from Britain in 1976 and was run as a socialist one-party state from 1979 to 1991. Over that period, it developed a close relationship with Tanzania, Eastern Bloc nations and even North Korea. After a transition to democracy in the early 1990s, the Seychelles became a haven not only for jet-set tourism, but also dirty money.

Coast Guard guards of honor in the capital Victoria greet then UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon. Photo: AFP/ Seychelles President Office

Like many other island nations with a small population and few natural resources, the Seychelles has become “an offshore magnet for money launderers and tax dodgers”, according to a report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The Seychelles also figures in the ICIJ’s more recent exposé known as the Paradise Papers, though it’s not clear yet if the revelations will undermine its financial hub status.

Still, the Seychelles’ small population, lack of resources and laggard education system make it vulnerable to outside pressure — especially if monetary incentives are involved — and it appears that China aims to take advantage of that increasingly precarious situation. In 2011, China considered an offer from the Seychelles to establish a port to manage “anti-piracy patrols” in the Gulf of Aden.

While that port was never built, China opened its first overseas base in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa in August this year. If the proposed joint patrols do materialize as part of Beijing’s recent overtures, China’s Djibouti base will no doubt play an important role in the power projection into the Indian Ocean.

The Seychelles’ special relationship with China is contributing to a new strategic dynamic in the region, one that India and other regional players are scrambling to counterbalance. While Beijing’s promotion of the ‘New Maritime Silk Road’ and OBOR initiatives claim to draw on historical trade routes, the reality is China is a new and potentially destabilizing player in the maritime region.

Source:Asia Times

கூட்டமைப்பு புலிகளால் உருவாக்கப்படவில்லை சம்பந்தன் பெருமாள் கூட்டறிக்கை!

த. கூட்டமைப்பு விடுதலைப்புலிகளால் உருவாக்கப்படவில்லை என்கிறார் வரதராஜப் பெருமாள்! 

தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பானது தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகளால் உருவாக்கப்பட்டது என்பது தவறான கருத்து, தங்களது முயற்சியால் உருவானது என்று தமிழ்த்தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பின் தலைவர் சம்பந்தன் பலதடவைகள் சொல்லியிருக்கின்றார். என்று வரதராஜப் பெருமாள் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

வரதராஜப் பெருமாள் தலைமையிலான குழுவினர் தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பில் இணைவது தொடர்பாக செய்திகள் வெளிவந்த நிலையில் அரசாங்கத் தமிழ் பத்திரிகைக்கு வரதராஜப்பெருமாள் அவர்கள் வழங்கிய செவ்வி ஒன்றிலேயே மேற்கண்டவாறு தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

ஈபிஆர்எல்எவ் பிளவு தொடர்பாக கருத்துத் தெரிவித்த முன்னாள் வடகிழக்கு மாகாண முதலமைச்சர், தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பு ஆரம்பிக்க முன்னரே 1999ஆம் ஆண்டு புலிகளாலேயே ஈபிஆர்எல்எவ் பிளவுபட்டதென்றார். சுரேஸ் பிரேமச்சந்திரன் அவர்கள் புலிகளின் கட்டுப்பாட்டிலான ஒரு அமைப்பாக ஈழமக்கள் புரட்சிகர விடுதலை முன்னணியைக் கொண்டுசெல்ல முற்பட்டார். அதற்கு வசதியாக அவர் ஈழமக்கள் புரட்சிகர விடுதலை முன்னணியை உடைத்தார் என்று வரதராஜப் பெருமாள் குற்றஞ்சாட்டினார்.

கடந்த காலங்களில் தமிழ் தேசியக்கூட்டமைப்பில் இணைந்து செயற்படுவதற்கான பல்வேறுபட்ட முயற்சிகளை மேற்கொண்டபோது . எங்களுக்கு ஆதரவாக ரெலோ மற்றும் புளொட் அமைப்புகள் தமிழ்க்கூட்டமைப்புக்குள் இருந்து அதற்கான முயற்சிகளை மேற்கொண்டிருக்கின்றன. அதேபோல தமிழரசுக் கட்சியின் தலைவரான மாவை சேனாதிராஜாவும் அந்த விருப்பத்தை எங்களுக்குத் தெரிவித்து அதற்கான முயற்சிகளை மேற்கொண்டிருக்கின்றார். ஆனால் சுரேஸ் பிரேமச்சந்திரன் அவர்கள்தான் இதற்கு தடையாக இருந்தார். எனக் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.

இதே வேளை சில நாட்களுக்கு முன்பு திருமலையில் தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பின் தலைவர் இரா.சம்பந்தன் அவர்கள் கலந்துகொண்ட பொதுமக்கள் சந்திப்பில் தமிழரசுக் கட்சியின் தலைவர் மாவை சேனாதிராஜாவின் அழைப்பின்பேரில் வரதராஜப்பெருமாள் அவர்களும் கலந்துகொண்டிருந்தார்.

மொறீசியஸ் மற்றொரு உலக மறுபங்கீட்டுத் தீவு!

PIC Added ENB

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23.10.2017 Author: Dmitry Bokarev

India, China, and the USA: the Situation around Mauritius

An island state, the Republic of Mauritius is not a frequent news item. The republic consists of the two large islands – Mauritius and Rodriguez, and a number of small islands and reefs in the Indian Ocean, 900 km east of the island of Madagascar. The state is well known as one of the best resorts in the world. However, in addition to its perfect climate, Mauritius is strategically located on the Asia-Africa sea route. This makes it quite attractive to China, which hopes to turn Mauritius into an important point on its 21-st Century Maritime Silk Road, which is the sea sub-project of the One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR). However, the major traditional partner of Mauritius is India, which does not welcome the growing Chinese dominance and does not approve of the OBOR. Quite possibly, the island state could become the next arena of the Indian-Chinese confrontation.

Under Water Mauritius

In June 2017, for the first time during quite a long period, Mauritius attracted the attention of themedia by submitting territorial claims to Great Britain. These concerned the Chagos Archipelago located in the Indian Ocean halfway between Africa and Indonesia. In 1965, Great Britain separated the archipelago from its colony in the Indian Ocean, which included Mauritius. Thus, when Mauritius gained independence in 1968, the Chagos Islands remained in British possession. According to Mauritius authorities, this was a violation of the UN Declaration No. 1514 “On the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Nations” accepted in 1960, which prohibited the partitioning of colonies before their independence. All the indigenous citizens of the islands that remained the property of Great Britain were deported. In 1971, a strategic air base of the United States was placed on Diego Garcia Island, one of the largest islands on the Chagos Archipelago.

As a result of the claims by Mauritius, the situation with the Chagos Islands was considered by the UNO in June 2017. During the voting in the UN General Assembly, 94 countries out of 184 supported the desire of Mauritius to address the Hague International Court to establish the legal status of the archipelago.

As expected, the USA, its ally Japan, and South Korea opposed this decision and supported the right of Great Britain.

The air base in the center of the Indian Ocean is vitally important for America, as it guarantees its military presence in South Asia, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. Up to 70% of the world crude oil transportation and up to 50% of all container traffic are carried out through the Indian Ocean. Control over these sea routes has a huge impact in the entire Asia. Therefore, the American air base on Diego Garcia Island is extremely important both for the USA and for its allies such as India, Japan and South Korea. These countries are the world’s largest importers of hydrocarbons, and get most of the fuel from the Middle East through the Indian Ocean. They are interested in making provisions for the Americans to ensure the security of these supplies. They are also interested in US military presence holding back the spread of the influence of China, which India, South Korea and Japan fear.

In its turn, the People’s Republic of China would be pleased with the withdrawal of the Americans. China also receives most of its energy through the Indian Ocean. Being a competitor of the USA, it perceives the American military presence as a threat to the security of its energy supply.

So far, nothing threatens the base. After the vote in the UN General Assembly, the representative of Mauritius to the United Nations, Jagdish Koonjul, announced that Mauritius would propose that the US prolong the presence of its air base on Diego Garcia in case of the transfer of the Chagos Archipelago to his country. However, America does not have such a close interaction with Mauritius as with Great Britain. This means that Mauritius may allow the American military forces to remain on its territory on other terms and conditions that are not so favourable as before. In the event of the relations deterioration, Mauritius would be able to demand that the United States leave Diego Garcia Island, which would be virtually impossible during the period of the British control over it. Thus, if the Chagos Archipelago is transferred to Mauritius, the US status in the Indian Ocean will be less stable. As was mentioned before, this fact should exhilarate China and worry India, Japan, and South Korea.

However, curiously enough, India voted for the submission of the issue of the ownership of Chagos to the International Court. This is probably due to India’s fear of relations with Mauritius deteriorating. As is known, most citizens of Mauritius are ethnic Hindu, the descendants of workers who were brought here by the British in the colonial period. This fact ensures the good relations of the island state with India.

However, a Chinese expatriate community also lives on the island. Although smaller than the Hindu population, it is very powerful. Large financial assets are concentrated in the pockets of the Mauritian Chinese. Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi visited Mauritius in February 2017. The participation of the island state in the 21-st Century Maritime Silk Road project was among the major issues that he discussed with Mauritius Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth. If Mauritius joins OBOR, the Chinese influence in this state may increase multiple times.

Such a development of the situation should worry India, which is actively competing with China for dominance throughout the Indian-Pacific territory. Mauritius is strategically important to India due to its strategic location as mentioned above, as well as due to the fact that the Indian radio electronic intelligence base is located there. Mauritius is also important because of its proximity to Madagascar, where an Indian Navy base is being built and the second Indian foreign radio electronic intelligence base is located. These two bases allow India to monitor events on the entire territory to the east of Africa. In addition, Seychelles, located near Mauritius, is host to another Indian Navy base. Thus, the growing presence of China on Mauritius is not favourable for India. Perhaps, to keep Mauritius in its sphere of influence, India is ready to make concessions and even weaken the position of its US ally on the island of Diego Garcia.

This is one of the versions explaining the vote of India at the UN General Assembly in June. However, an unambiguous interpretation could be given only to a few events in the world politics. It cannot be excluded that the transfer of Diego Garcia Island to Mauritius does not threaten the future of the American base on the island. Surprisingly, for many experts, China, which is interested in the US position weakening, abstained from voting in the UN General Assembly. Perhaps this is because China does not feel confident enough in Mauritius. In fact, the most influential power in this state is the rapidly-developing and rich India, which will do everything to preserve the US base, while the United Kingdom is rapidly losing its weight on the international arena.

This explains the position of the abstaining China. However, in this case, the question arises as to why the USA voted against submitting the Chagos Islands issue to the International Court if India is its ally and will preserve the base on Diego Garcia. Perhaps, because the US prefers to deal with allies that depend on it, but not with those on which it depends. America wishes to be the head in any alliance, and the transfer of Chagos Islands to Mauritius may result in its falling under the influence of India. This would lead to the strengthening of India’s position in the America-India relations and the weakening of the US role.

Thus, it can be summarized that the situation around Mauritius and Chagos Islands is quite complicated, and it is difficult to predict its impact on the power balance between India, China, and the US. Apparently, this matter is a great success for Mauritius: being at the intersection of the interests of such rich states, it can exploit the situation to receive various benefits from each of them.

Dmitry Bokarev, political observer, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook.”

https://journal-neo.org/2017/10/23/india-china-and-the-usa-the-situation-around-mauritius/

The Mladic Case: A Stain On Civilization

28.11.2017 Author: Christopher Black
The Mladic Case: A Stain On Civilization

General Mladic 

“All that is a lie. This is a NATO-style trial.”

The defiant words of General Mladic to the judges of the NATO controlled ad hoc war crimes tribunal for Yugoslavia rang out loud and clear the day they pretended to convict him. He could have added ‘but history will absolve me” and a lot more but he was thrown out of the room by the chief judge, Orie, in his condescending style, as if he was dealing to a truant schoolboy, instead of a man falsely accused of crimes he did not commit.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, echoed the general’s words on November 23,

“We have again to state that the guilty verdict, delivered by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia against Mladic, is the continuation of the politicized and biased line, which has initially dominated the ICTY’s work.”

Both General Mladic and the Russian government are correct. The document called a “judgement” proves it for it reads like a propaganda tract instead of a court judgement. In just over 2500 pages the trio of “judges” recite the prosecution version of events nonstop, from the first paragraph to the last. The defence is mentioned only in passing.

The ICTY rejects claims that it is a biased court, a NATO court but they proved it with the very first witnesses they called to set the stage for what was to follow. A man named Richard Butler was called to testify on general military matters and the political structure in Bosnia and the Republic Srpksa. He was introduced as a “military analyst” which he is, but not an independent one. No, at the time of his testimony he was a member of the United States National Security Agency, seconded to the ICTY as a staffer. So, the first witness against General Mladic was biased on two counts. He worked for the American intelligence services that supported the enemies of General Mladic and Yugoslavia, and he was part of the prosecution staff. It is as if the NSA and the prosecutor had, at the same time, stepped into the box to testify against the accused. Butler’s testimony plays a large role in the trial; the same role he played in the trial of General Krstic.

Another military analyst expert then appears, Reynaud Theunens, also working on the staff of the prosecution. Experts in criminal trials are supposed to be completely neutral. But not only was he acting on behalf of the prosecutor, he was at the same time a Belgian Army intelligence officer. So there we have it right at the opening of the trial. The stage is set; NATO is in charge of the case. NATO officers work inside the tribunal. It is a NATO tribunal in UN disguise. Accordingly, throughout the judgement NATO crimes, and the crimes of the opposing Bosnian forces are never referred to. The context is deliberately constricted to give a very narrow and distorted picture of events.

The judgement continues with detailed recitations of prosecution witness testimony. Defence witnesses, on the few occasions they are referred to, never have their testimony set out in like detail. One line is devoted to a witness and all of them are dismissed as biased if their testimony is at odds with the testimony of the prosecution witnesses.

And of what does the prosecution evidence consist? It consists of some oral testimony of NATO military officers involved in events and who were working in the UN forces against General Mladic and his forces, the testimony of opposing Bosnian Army soldiers or their families, and witness statements and “adjudicated facts,” that is “facts” held to be so by another set of judges in another case no matter whether true or false. A number of times, the judges state something to the effect that, “the defence claims X did not happen and relied on certain evidence to support that claim. Where this evidence conflicts with the adjudicated facts we reject it.”

There are many instances of reliance on hearsay. Time and again, a paragraph in the judgment begins with the words, “The witness was told…” Thanks to corrupt jurists like Canadian former prosecutor Louise Arbour, the use of hearsay, even double hearsay was allowed in as evidence in these trials when it is forbidden in the rest of the world because hearsay testimony cannot be verified or checked for reliability and accuracy.

I was not able to observe much of the trial and only by video from time to time so, I am not able to comment on all the factual findings of the trial judges set on in their long judgement in which they condemn General Mladic and his government in page after tedious page. Those who are aware of the real history of events will realize that every paragraph of condemnation is neither more nor less than the same NATO propaganda put out during the conflict but made to look like a judgement.

For it is not a judgement. A true judgement in a criminal trial should contain the evidence presented by the prosecution, the evidence presented by the defence, and the arguments of both sides about the evidence. It must contain references to witness testimony both as witnesses testified in chief and in cross-examination. Then there must be a reasoned decision by the judges on the merits of each party’s case and their reasoned conclusions. But you will be hard pressed to find a trace of any of the defence evidence in this document. I could find none except for a few references in a hand full of paragraphs and some footnotes in both of which testimony of a defence witness was briefly referred to in order to dismiss it and to dismiss it because it did not support the prosecution version of events.

Even more shocking is that there is little reference to verbal testimony, that is, witness testimony. Instead there are references to “experts” connected to the CIA or State Department, or other NATO intelligence agencies who set out their version of history, which the judges accept without question. There is no reference to any defence experts.

Consequently, there are no reasoned conclusions from the judges as to why they decided to accept the prosecution evidence but not the defence evidence. From reading this one would think no defence was presented, other than a token one. That is not a judgement.

But there is something even more troubling about this “judgement.” It is not possible to make out if many of the witnesses referred to testified in person because there are few references to actual testimony. Instead there are countless references to documents of various kinds and “witness statements.”

This is an important factor in these trials because the witness statements referred to are statements made, or are alleged to have been made by alleged witnesses to investigators and lawyers working for the prosecution. We know from other trials that in fact these statements are often drafted by prosecution lawyers as well as investigators, and then presented to the “witnesses” to learn by rote. We know also that the “witnesses” often came to the attention of the prosecution by routes that indicate the witnesses were presenting fabricated testimony and were recruited for that purpose.

At the Rwanda tribunal, we made a point in our trial of aggressively cross-examining these “witnesses” and they invariably fell apart on the stand, since they could not remember the scripts assigned to them. We further made a point of asking the “witnesses” how they came to meet with prosecution staff and how the interviews were conducted and how these statements were created. The results were an embarrassment to the prosecution as it became clear they had colluded with investigators to manipulate, pressure and influence “witnesses” and that they were complicit in inventing testimony.

Further, it is important for anyone reading this “judgement” to be able to refer to the pages in the transcripts at which the witnesses testified, what they testified to, and what they said in cross-examination, because a statement is not testimony. It is just a statement.

A statement cannot be used as evidence. That requires the witness to get in the box and to state under oath what they observed. Then they can be questioned as to the reliability as observers, their bias if any, their credibility and so on. But in this case we see hundreds of references to “witness statements.” This indicates that the judges based their “judgement” not on the testimony of the witnesses (if they were called to testify) but on their written statements, prepared by the prosecution, and without facing any cross-examination by the defence.

It is not clear at all from this judgement that any of the witnesses referred to in the statements actually testified or not. If they did then their testimony should be cited, not their statements. The only valid purpose the statements have is to notify the lawyers what a witness is likely to say in the trial, and to disclose the prosecution case to the defence so they can prepare their case and then use the statements in the trial to cross examine the witness by comparing the prior statement with their testimony under oath in the witness box.

The formula is a simple one. The prosecution witness gets in the box, is asked to state what he observed about an event and then the defence questions the witness,

 “Mr. Witness, in your statement dated x date you said this, but today you say that. …Let’s explore the discrepancy.”

That’s how it is supposed to go. But where is it in this case? It is nowhere to be found.

It would take a book to recite the problems with the “trial” as exposed by this judgement. But there is one example which highlights the rest relating to Srebrenica and concerns a famous meeting that took place at the Fontana Hotel on the evening of July 11, 1995 at which General Mladic meets with a Dutch peacekeeper colonel to arrange the evacuation of the civilians in the Srebrenica area and the possible laying down of arms of the 28th Bosnian Army Division. There is a video of that meeting available on YouTube. I paraphrase but it shows General Mladic asking why NATO planes were bombing his positions and killing his men. He asks why the UN forces were smuggling weapons to the Bosnian military. He asks why the UN forces tried to murder him personally. To each question he receives an apology from the Dutch officer. He then asks the Dutch officer if he wants to die and he says no. Mladic replies, nor do my men want to die, so why are you shooting at them? No answer.

The rest of the video concerns discussion of a plan to evacuate the town during which Mladic offers the UN men cigarettes, and offers some wine to ease the tension. For me, as a defence lawyer, it is a crucial element of the defence to the charges concerning Srebrenica. But no reference to this video is made in the judgement. Instead the judges refer to the testimony of several UN-NATO officers who were at the meeting in which they totally distort and twist what was said. There is no clue that the defence cross-examined those liars using the video; “Sir you state that this was said, but here in the video it shows that you are wrong. What do you say?” It is nowhere. Was it used and ignored by the judges or not used? I have no idea. But it is clear that the prosecution chose not to use it because it would mean the collapse of their case. For even on the prosecution evidence it is clear that the men of the 28th Division refused to lay down their arms and fought their way to Tuzla. Most were killed in the fighting on the way. Many were taken prisoner. A handful of Bosnian witnesses claim these prisoners were massacred. But their testimony is of the “I was the lone miraculous survivor of the massacre” variety they tend to use in these trials.

I won’t enter into the heavy use of the bogus legal concept of joint criminal enterprise to attach criminal liability to the general, guilt by association and without intent. That they used it shows they know they had no case against him.

In summary this document contains within it little sense of the defence case or what the facts presented by the defence were, what the defence arguments were on the facts, nor their full legal arguments. But most importantly we have no idea what the testimony was of most of the prosecution witnesses and no idea what the testimony was of defence witnesses. It is as if there was no trial, and the judges just sat in a room sifting through prosecution documents writing the judgement as they went. We must suppose that this is not far from the truth.

This “judgement” and the trial are another humiliation of Yugoslavia and Serbia by the NATO alliance since it is clear from its creation, financing, staffing and methods that the ICTY is a NATO controlled tribunal. This is confirmed by the statement of the NATO Secretary-General, who said,

“I welcome the ruling…. the Western Balkans are of strategic importance for our Alliance…”

In other words, this conviction helps NATO to consolidate its hold on the Balkans by keeping the Serbs down and out. General Mladic is a scapegoat for the war crimes of the NATO alliance committed in Yugoslavia, which the ICTY covers up and so assists NATO in committing more war crimes, as we have seen since.

The ICTY has proven to be what we expected it to be, a kangaroo court, using fascist methods of justice that engaged in selective prosecution to advance the NATO agenda of conquest of the Balkans as a prelude to aggression against Russia. NATO uses the tribunal as a propaganda weapon to put out a false history of the events in Yugoslavia, to cover up its own crimes, to keep the former republics of Yugoslavia under its thumb, and to justify NATO aggression and occupation of Yugoslavian territory. It is a stain on civilization.
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Christopher Black is an international criminal lawyer based in Toronto. He is known for a number of high-profile war crimes cases and recently published his novel “Beneath the Clouds. He writes essays on international law, politics and world events, especially for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook.”

https://journal-neo.org/2017/11/28/the-mladic-case-a-stain-on-civilization/

How the Catalan crisis helps Spain's far right

How the Catalan crisis helps Spain's far right
by Creede Newton
28 Nov 2017

Catalan independence makes the Spanish far-right 'more organised', analysts say [Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty] 

Barcelona - As the Catalan independence crisis enters its fourth month in December, the intended outcome of an independent Catalonia remains elusive.

But the push for independence has had an unintended consequence; it has invigorated Spain's far-right movements unlike any event since the country's transition to democracy in the 1970s, according to Jordi Borras, a Catalan photojournalist and author who monitors the Spanish far right.

In the years before the crisis, the far right's impact has been negligible both on the Spanish streets and in parliament, even as similar movements flourished in France, the Netherlands, Austria, Hungary and elsewhere, Cas Mudde, a professor and scholar at the University of Georgia who specialises in European far-right politics, told Al Jazeera.

Scholars say it is a combination of the mainstream conservative ruling People's Party "capturing the nationalist vote" and "regionalist division" between Spain's minority regions that has put the far right in the spotlight, Mudde commented.

"Their importance is overplayed in the media. They are much more visible than relevant," Mudde said.

But the political turmoil that has resulted from Catalonia's declaration of independence is bringing these groups, of which there are dozens, together. Borras told Al Jazeera that things have "changed quickly" in Spain, perhaps faster than many observers can track.

Borras explained that the Spanish far right was previously a "constellation" of ultranationalist groups. Some are Neo-Nazis, some are "Falangists" or the remnants of the foremost paramilitary group under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, who ruled Spain as a right-wing conservative, Catholic nation from 1939 until 1975. Others exist in their own groups.

Though these groups have a history of infighting, Catalan independence has given the far right a reason to unite, Borras said.

Increased attacks
Catalonia's police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra, finished investigating four incidents of politically motivated violence, spanning from September 22 to October 27, according to a statement delivered to Al Jazeera.

All of these attacks are believed to have been committed by the far right.

The perpetrators of one attack, which took place on October 8, were identified by photographs wherein the suspects were giving "Hitler salutes". The Mossos' statement says these attackers were "Spanish nationalists".

After Catalonia held its disputed independence referendum on October 1, Spanish courts declared the vote illegal and ordered the national police and the Civil Guard, a military unit tasked with domestic policing, to stop the referendum while "respecting co-existence".

Spanish law enforcement was filmed executing a violent crackdown on voters that rights groups called "excessive". The violence bolstered Catalonia's resolve for independence.

After a month of political back-and-forth where Catalan President Carles Puigdemont called for dialogue and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of the centre-right People's Party reneged the offer, the Catalan parliament voted for independence On October 27.

Spain responded by enacting Article 155, a never-before-used provision of the constitution that allows the central government to dismiss the Catalan government and directly administer the breakaway region.

Puigdemont and four of his former ministers fled to Belgium, while nearly a dozen pro-independence legislators and organisers, including former Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras, were imprisoned on charges of rebellion and sedition.

While far-right violence is on the rise, the attacks are encouraging a response from the activist community in Catalonia, Borras noted.

It was visible at one protest on the evening of Monday, October 30. Roughly 500 anti-fascist protesters dressed in black with covered faces stood directly across from a smaller group of far-right activists.

Unlike recent protests in Barcelona, the Antifa group did not take to the streets for the sake of nationalism, but for safety.

Holding flags of workers' syndicates, a trademark of the anarchist, anti-fascists forces that fought in Spain's Civil War, the protesters made it clear to both the police and far-right protesters that these attacks would not go unanswered.

Chanting "the streets will always be ours," a slogan popular with pro-independence demonstrators, they ran past police barricades to confront members of the "Last Bastion," an ultranationalist group active in Catalonia.

A chase over several blocks ended with the Catalan police breaking up an altercation between Last Bastion members and an anti-fascist protester.

The Mossos' statement concluded by saying a further eight cases of political violence were being investigated.

'Identitarian' movement

"The Catalan situation makes it so that we are more organised [to prevent] Catalan independence from being achieved," a spokesperson of Spain's Generation Identity (GI), a movement which doesn't consider itself to be a right-wing movement, but a "movement of identity" that respects "the Christian history of Europe", told Al Jazeera in an email.

Spain's GI was founded in Barcelona in 2016. It started as a small group of older people, the spokesperson, who did not give their name, said. The group is growing, thanks to Catalonia's secessionist bid, and new members are in their late teens early 20s.

Spain's GI said Franco's dictatorial legacy has been an obstacle for the Spanish far right. Though there is no official number, Franco's government killed an estimated 50,000 to 125,000 from 1939 to 1950.

Franco also attempted to homogenise Spain by outlawing minority languages and public displays of minority cultures.

Catalonia, along with other regions with minority cultures, such as Galicia and the Basque country, were most affected by these policies.

Spain's GI belongs to a network of ethno-nationalist groups that are gaining prominence throughout Europe and the US under the banner of white identity.

These groups wish to preserve the cultural purity of white-majority regions and are sometimes considered Islamophobic.

The first goal of Spain's GI group is "is shining a light on the real problems of massive, uncontrolled immigration" and "the dangers of Islamic invasion", the spokesperson said.

This "massive" immigration is putting a strain on the Spanish economy, the GI spokesperson said. They want "national preference - social security and job placement for Spaniards first," to be Spanish policy.

According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, Spain was 13th in Europe for refugee acceptance. That year, Spain accepted 14,780 refugees, as compared with Germany's 476,510 or Hungary's 177,135 asylum seekers.

Borras, the Catalan author and researcher, while it is true they want fewer immigrants, it is not what has united them.

Fear of an independent Catalonia has given the far right - and mainstream right - a "greater good" for which to fight, he concluded.