2016 முள்ளிவாய்க்கால் பா!

முட்கள் பாய்ந்த மனங்களென

முள்ளிவாய்க்கால் நினைவுகள்

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உண்ண முடியுதில்லை உறக்கம் வருகுதில்லை

தூங்கா நினைவுகள்

கொடுக்கெனக் கொத்துகின்றன,

மனத்திலே உறுத்துகின்ற மரணக் கோலங்களே

கண்ணுக்குள் ஓடி வந்து கருத்தை நிறைக்கின்றன.

கூர்முள்ளாய் குத்தி குருதி பெருகுகின்ற

மீளாத் துயரங்களே நிரம்பி வழிகின்றன.

நினைவின் வலிகளிலே சக மனிதப் பிராண்டல்கள்.

சுக்குநூறாய் உடைந்த மனம்

பதறிக் கிடக்கையிலே...

கண்ணீரை துடைப்பதற்காய் கைநீட்டியது குற்றமென கண்களையே பிடுங்கியது

காலத்தின் நீதி ஒன்று.

உறுத்துகின்ற நினைவுகளில்  உருக்குலையும் மனங்களிலே

ஆறாத வடுவாக

முள்ளி வாய்க்கால் பேரவலம்

பிணங்கடந்து வந்தவர்கள்

நடைப் பிணமாக வாழ்கின்றார்

பிணங்களுக்கு ஒரு பீடம்

அமைக்க இடமின்றி;

தொட்டிலோடு பிள்ளை உயிர்

பிய்த்தெடுத்த பேய்களதோ

போருடையும் மாறவில்லை

பொல்லா வாளும் மாறவில்லை.

நாங்கள் மட்டும் மாறவேண்டும்

பழையதை மறக்க வேண்டும்

புதியதை நினைக்க வேண்டும்

புலம்பலை நிறுத்த வேண்டும்.

எப்படி முடியும் அந்த வலிகளை மறந்து விட.

காயங்களோ ஆறவில்லை

மருந்துகளும் அவைக்கு இல்லை.

புரையேறிய நினைவுகளாய் எங்கள் உற்றவர்கள்

சிரசுக்குள் நின்றுலவும் பிணக்கோலம்  மறக்குதில்லை.

நினைவுகள் கனக்கும் நெஞ்சத்துக் கனல் தணிய அழுவதைத் தவிர இங்கே

ஆறுதலும் ஏதுமில்லை.

வெற்றிச்செல்வி

14.05.2016

முள்ளிவாய்க்கால் விடுதலைக் கானங்கள்

மே 18 ENB சுவரொட்டி

Fitch downgrades Sri Lanka rating to ‘B+’ on external debt

ENB File Photo

Fitch downgrades Sri Lanka rating to ‘B+’ on external debt

Author LBO
Posted on February 29, 2016

Feb 29, 2016 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings has downgraded Sri Lanka’s Long-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) one notch to ‘B+’ from ‘BB-‘.

A Negative Outlook has been assigned to the IDRs. The issue ratings on Sri Lanka’s senior unsecured foreign- and local-currency bonds are also downgraded to ‘B+’ from ‘BB-‘. The Country Ceiling is downgraded to ‘B+’ from ‘BB-‘ and the Short-Term Foreign-Currency IDR is affirmed at ‘B’.

Fitch said the rating action reflects increasing refinancing risks.

“The Sri Lankan sovereign faces increased refinancing risks on account of high upcoming external debt maturities. Further, the sovereign’s external liquidity position remains strained, reflecting pressure on foreign exchange reserves.”

“In Fitch’s view, this partly reflects a weakening in policy coherence that increases the likelihood of Sri Lanka requiring external liquidity support from the IMF and other multilateral institutions.”

A statement from Fitch said Sri Lanka’s external liquidity ratio, as measured by Fitch at the end of 2015, was 70.9%, which is far below the median of ‘B’-rated peers’ of 171.9% and the ‘BB’ median of 152.4%.

Another reason for the rating action was significant debt maturities.

“Sri Lanka faces significant debt maturities in 2016 amid the country’s vulnerability to a shift in investor sentiment. Fitch estimates the sovereign’s external debt service to be close to USD4bn for the rest of 2016, compared with FX reserves of USD6.3bn (end-January 2016).”

“Sri Lanka’s vulnerability to a shift in investor sentiment was evident when investors sold-off the equivalent of nearly USD2bn in local-currency government securities in 2015. A further outflow from treasury bills and treasury bonds, which account for about 31% of the country’s FX reserves, could put more pressure on reserves.”

However, prevailing low oil prices will continue to support Sri Lanka’s current-account deficit in the near term, Fitch said. Fitch expects the current-account deficit to remain manageable at about 3% of GDP over 2016-17.

In terms of weaker public finances, the deterioration in Sri Lanka’s fiscal finances is driven partly by consistently low general government revenues.

At an estimated 13% of GDP, Sri Lanka’s gross general government revenues remain far below the ‘B’ median of 25.4% and the ‘BB’ median of 26%. The 2016 budget did little to address this issue directly and absent any significant fiscal consolidation, Fitch expects continued fiscal slippage over 2016-17.

Sri Lanka’s gross general government debt (GGGD) burden is estimated to have increased to more than 75% of GDP by the end of 2015, up from 71% at the end of 2014 and much higher than the ‘B’ median of 52% of GDP and ‘BB’ median of 43.6%.

Fitch has revised downwards its forecast for foreign-exchange reserves, with reserve coverage of current external payments now forecast to decline to 2.9 months in 2016 from an estimated 3.4 months in 2015. This forecast compares unfavourably with Fitch’s earlier forecast of 3.9 months for 2016 and is well below the ‘BB’ median of 4.2 months.

While the authorities have undertaken certain measures to support external finances, including entering into bilateral swaps with other central banks, Fitch does not view this to be a sustainable way to improve the stability of the external finances.

Sri Lanka has also increased its issuance of foreign-currency debt, which Fitch estimates now makes up close to 46% of total public debt, up from nearly 42% at the end of 2014. This has increased vulnerability of Sri Lanka’s public debt to a significant depreciation of the exchange rate, which would increase the debt burden in local currency terms.

Sri Lanka’s macroeconomic performance remains stronger than some of its peers’ in the ‘B’ and ‘BB’ range with real GDP growth for the five-year period ending 2015 averaging close to 6%, compared with the ‘B’ median of 4.6% and ‘BB’ median of 3.9%.

Sri Lanka also continues to score highly, compared with the ‘B’ median, on basic human development indicators, such as education, health and literacy, which is indicated by its favourable ranking in the UN’s Human Development Index. These relative structural strengths, combined with a clean external debt service record and smooth transition of power during the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2015 indicates a basic level of political stability, which supports the rating at ‘B+’.

Sri Lanka hikes VAT, taxes capital gains before IMF loan talks

Sri Lanka hikes VAT, taxes capital gains before IMF loan talks
COLOMBO | BY SHIHAR ANEEZ AND RANGA SIRILAL

Sri Lanka will raise its value added tax and reintroduce capital gains tax to break out of a debt trap, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Tuesday, ahead of talks on a $1.5-billion loan it is seeking from the International Monetary Fund.

Sri Lanka's finances are under scrutiny after ratings agency Fitch last week downgraded its sovereign rating by a notch, to "B+", spurred by a ballooning fiscal deficit, rising foreign debt and sluggish growth prospects.

It also faces a balance-of-payments crisis after a third of its foreign exchange reserves was depleted within the 15 months to January by the central bank's defence of the rupee currency, pressured by heavy debt piled up under the previous government.

"This crisis can be overcome only by reducing the budget deficit and a medium-term joint financial programme aiming at suitable reforms to reduce the debt burden," Wickremesinghe told lawmakers.

Taking action to boost revenues, he announced that VAT would be hiked to 15 percent from 11 percent, while capital gains will be taxed for the first time since 1987.

Wickremesinghe said the government owed 9.5 trillion rupees ($65.6 billion), as he revised some of the main budget numbers presented in November.

He said the former government headed by Mahinda Rajapaksa has not included 1.04 trillion rupees in borrowing by state enterprises in the national debt, which was estimated at 8.48 trillion rupees at the end of last year.

The prime minister, also the minister of policy planning and economic development, said the country has to pay 1.21 trillion rupees on its debts this year, including 562 billion rupees in interest.

The IMF has long called on Sri Lanka to reduce its budget deficit, raise revenues, and bolster its foreign exchange reserves. These are likely to be the main conditions for the grant of a loan, economists say.

Sri Lankan shares fell more than 2 percent on Tuesday, hitting a near two-year low on concerns over the government's possible tax hikes to qualify for what the finance ministry expects will be a $1.5-billion IMF loan. [nL3N1633XT]

The uncertainty over taxes also hit the rupee LKR=LK currency.

"The government is responding to an urgent revenue need," Anushka Wijesinghe, the chief economist of Sri Lanka's main business chamber, told Reuters.

"But ad hoc tax policy changes like these will hurt investor sentiment. The credibility of the budget is lost."

($1=144.8500 Sri Lankan rupees)

(Reporting by Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilal; Editing by Douglas Busvine and Clarence Fernande
================
VAT A Let-Down!
by Ashanthi Warunasuirya

Having failed to secure the much anticipated foreign assistance to carry out its promises, the government is now looking at increasing taxes. However, sustaining political power at the expense of the people is hardly justifiable. It is a known fact that a government cannot survive without taxes. In order to cover its daily expenses, every government imposes direct taxes upon the income of the rich and indirect taxes upon consumer goods such as fuel, communication and food items. However, there has to be a just basis when imposing taxes. Hence it is important to analyse how just the May 2016 tax hike is.

The government has been forced to increase taxes as they currently do not have enough finances to carry out the promises made to the people during the polls. Although the Yahapalana administration had high hopes of receiving international financial assistance, it has not become a reality. In reality, no foreign country is willing to provide money for a government to carry out its election promises. Thus the government has been compelled to turn back towards the very people they had previously deceived.

Some would opine that this is a fraud being committed in broad daylight. The Value Added Tax (VAT) that previously stood at 11 percent has been increased to 15 per cent with effect from May 2. According to Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, the education and pharmaceutical sectors have been exempted from this increase. Accordingly, import or export of communication equipment including copper cables for the telecommunication industry and the issue of licences to local telecommunication operators by the TRC are liable for increased VAT. The supply of goods and services to any specified project other than housing projects approved on or after May 5 will also be taxed.

Expressing his views on the recent tax hike, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that the present government made irresponsible promises at the presidential election in order to win votes. He has said that after winning, they had to fulfill at least some of their election pledges if they were to win the parliamentary election.

Rajapaksa has said that for more than a year now the government has been borrowing heavily in the foreign as well as domestic markets to pay for the salary increases and various handouts they gave in its bid to win the election. Rajapaksa has said that after January 2015, the government has obtained USD7,436 million in foreign loans, nearly half of which (USD3,298 million) has to be paid back before the end of this year, apart from the hundreds of billions of rupees the government has been borrowing in the domestic market by issuing treasury bills and bonds. According to him, the government is now trying to collect taxes from the people to repay these debts. While the former President made these comments on tax hikes, Media Minister Gayantha Karunathilake called these taxes ‘Rajapaksa taxes.’ He has said the government has been compelled to increase taxes in order to save the country as they have been given the country amidst immense financial debts. Pointing out that the economy has to be managed with the commitment of all, the minister has further said that VAT has been increased with a minimum burden to the people. He has also said that conditions would be more favourable after the Prime Minister’s oncoming China tour and the President’s Japan visit.

However, various social groups have expressed different views on this matter. Accordingly, the national organiser of the All Island Cafeteria Owners Union, Asela Sampath said the prices of food items sold in cafeterias will be increased parallel to the 15 per cent VAT increase. He said the prices of food items will be increased at least by 10 rupees.

Sri Lanka to lose US$ 39.8 mn from TPP exclusion

Sri Lanka to lose US$ 39.8 mn from TPP exclusion
MAY 11 2016

The level of trade diversion or market loss for Sri Lanka due to Sri Lanka being excluded in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is expected to be around US$ 39.8 million, Preliminary estimates by the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS) shows.

The TPP was signed last February bringing together 12 countries, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, US, and Vietnam. These countries accounts for more than one-third of world’s GDP, and one quarter of world trade.

TPP will now undergo a two year ratification process in all the 12 countries.

Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)

A country-wise analysis shows that the biggest loss in exports for Sri Lanka would be in the USA (81%). To a much lesser extent, export loss will also take place in Mexico (8.8 per cent), Canada (5.7 %) and Japan (1.7%).

“When reviewing the garment sector, Sri Lanka need to carefully address the TPP under which tax free garment export opportunities have been given to countries such as Vietnam. This has enabled them to engage in competitive markets and supply the American and Japanese markets at low rates. This may also affect exports from Sri Lanka in the future. TPP must therefore be reviewed further,” the study said.

Duty free market access provided under the Agreement for member countries would result in cheaper prices for goods traded among TPP countries. This can in turn would be diverted towards TPP countries where buyers can benefit from purchasing cheaper goods.

The size and scope of this trade deal makes it a pertinent trade policy issue for both members and non-members like Sri Lanka.

Countries such as Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Colombia, Thailand, Indonesia, have expressed an interest in joining the mega regional grouping. Therefore, the risks of trade loss or diversion are likely to increase with time given that Sri Lanka is also not part of the other mega-regional trade agreements under negotiations.

Sri Lanka too has cast its eyes on TPP and is currently conducting a feasibility study to determine the pros and cons of the Agreement.

Sri Lanka should strive to improve the competitiveness of its own exports by creating competitive infrastructure services, promoting export oriented foreign investment, facilitating goods across borders effectively, addressing export market issues through trade agreements, and improving

access to inputs of materials, capital, and technology for the export sector.

In November 2015, Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe stressed the need for an urgent review of the TPP in his Economic Policy Statement.The IPS study was conducted by Research Fellow Dr. Janaka Wijayasiri and Research Officer Nipuni Perera.

The Sad Story Of Widows In The North

The Sad Story Of Widows In The North
by Dilisha Abeysundara

War widows
At a time the blazing sun’s heat was boiling the still waters of Nandikadal lagoon situated in the South Eastern part of mullaitivu, we arrived at Salewaraji’s residence. Through the walls of her shabby and small house, dark shadows of a sad past were thoroughly visible. “During the height of war my husband and three off my children were killed by shell fire. Now with the remaining three children I have been compelled to make a living with utmost difficulty” she said.

47 year old Salevaraji (assumed name) who lives in Kapopilaw, Mullaitiu, along with her three children had lived in IDP camps for over two and a half years after the end of war. During the war her husband had provided for the family by selling sweets in LTTE bunkers in Walliyamulliwaikkal. Unfortunately on the 29th of  May  2009 her husband along with three children had perished from a shell attack. Two other children who had survived the blast have become disabled. At present Salevaraji has been compelled to make a living along with these two disabled children and one other child. 

The never-ending burden of life and unemployment “Only one of my children is doing a job. He is earning some money by fishing. Our whole family depends on what he earns. Even he is carrying out his work without any facility. Although the government  promised to give us fishing nets so far we have not received anything. The disabled children cannot do any work. I cannot  send them away. Selvaraji puts out her sorrow without a pause. From time to time she wipes off tears from her eyes.

“ We need money to live. We need money to buy medicine for the children. Previously they were treated by the Army. I too am earning a little money by preparing food for villagers. Even that is hard to continue as we all are ridden by poverty”.

This plight is not confined only to Mullaitivu. According to investigations carried out by various civil society organisations it has been uncovered that around 40,000-60,000 women have become widows in the North. In a recent survey conducted by the government 50,000 families have reported that they are headed by females. According to the 2012/13 Domestic unit income and expenses report of the department of statistics the majority of the female heads of household belongs to the 40-59 age group. Half of them are widows.

The 30 year war has destroyed the lives of widows in the North. “Even after the conclusion of the war, the problem of war widows has become a serious issue. It is only now that its true impact has started to emerge. Economically they have faced various problems,” Additional District Secretary of Mulllaitivu District Mr. M. Mohandas says. 

The biggest problem is that these women do not have sufficient means to provide for their families. Although the North has witnessed some infrastructural development after the war, it has not done much to thousands of poverty-ridden women such as Selvaraji. “Even during the war we had no means of employment. That is why my husband tried to sell sweets. Even now there is no favourable condition to earn money. I am only able to find some money by cooking meals for neighbours,” Selvaraji said. This problem of unemployment among women in North was confirmed by  Mohandas as well.

Is the Govt support on widows adequate?

According to 2014 Govt statistics unemployment among women in Sri Lanka is 65 percent. Out of the four districts that have the most number of unemployed women, Killinochchi and Mulliativu are at the top. At present a project has been initiated to empower the war widows here. The Ministry for Women and children’s affairs has allocated Rs. 5.43 Million to provide self employment facilities to war widows. Under this project 181 families would receive a monthly allowance of Rs. 30,000. Further, over 54000 families in Jaffna are receiving Samurdhi benefits. However, when queried as to how many war widows are receiving Samurdhi benefits, the Samurdhi officer at the Jaffna District secretariat office said that he was unaware of the number. Apart from this the government has also initiated a programme to grant a monthly allowance of Rs.3000 for families affected by the war.

However, Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Vigneshwaran points out that this programme is not something that is focused on war widows and that the government officials do not have any clear idea as to what type of families that can be admitted to the category of “families affected by the war” “Even having enough funds at hand, these officials do not give them to those who are in need. When asked why they are not giving away the funds, they said that they had not yet identified the various need groups. When asked as to how they are planning to dispense the funds, they said that the families must personally apply for it. Then I explained to them that the people would never do such a thing,”  Vigneshwaran said. 

Claiming that he had instructed development officials to look for families in need by engaging in field visits, the Chief Minister further claimed that the Prime Minister has also listened to his proposal of increasing the allowance to Rs 6000 Rupees. “We have decided to allocate the majority of the Rs 6 Million funds that we have received from the consolidated fund, for the benefit of war widows. Up until recently there was no ministry for women’s affairs in the Northern provincial council. Now we have set up such a ministry. We did not receive any government funding for this. We have requested funds from international organisations” he said.

Expressing his views on the matter, Northern Province Governor Reginald Cooray said that although the government and the international community have spent a fortune on rebuilding the North, it has still not been able to cure all the wounds of war. “There are two main reasons that have aggravated the problem of widows in the North. First, as a percentage from the entire population in the area, the number of women is very high. Since a lot of lives have been lost in war the situation has become even worse. The second reason is the added burden that has fallen on these widows such as feeding and teaching the children while having to provide for the family. These reasons have pushed these women in to misery. “ the Governor said. 

Meanwhile the chairman of the national committee for war widows Mrs. Shantha Abhimanasingham PC points out that the small scale projects initiated by the central and provincial government aimed at the welfare of war widows, they are inadequate to address the issues faced by them. “During the LTTE insurgency most of these women had lived by cultivating in government and other deserted lands. However,  since many of the land had fallen in to the hands of the military as well as the owners who had gone abroad a long time ago, their way of living has been threatened. They have even lost their houses. Since the prices of necessary commodities are still high, they have faced many difficulties in surviving,” she further said.

“This has prevented them from sending their children off to school. They are not able to bear the expenses of books and transport. If this continues, there is a danger of uneducated youth falling into dangerous ways”  Abhimanasingham said. At present, for a woman to live alone in society is like getting stranded in the ocean. Especially women who are left helpless due to the burden of providing for their families often become easy prey for wrongdoers. Re-marriage is frowned upon in the Sri Lankan culture, especially in the North. Therefore the widows in the North have faced an immense problem of survival. Unemployment, economic hardships, education of the children, sexual abuse and mental stress are some of the problems faced by these women. 

There are 1237 war widows in Killinochchi alone. Out of the 4967 widows 1442 have suffered their fate from the war. 985 families are headed by women below  40 years. In the Jaffna district there are 13000 families that are headed by women.

Parameshwari’s Story

34 year old Parameshwari’s husband had died in 2009 from a landmine. Being a mother of four children she is living a hard life. “When my husband died our youngest daughter was only two months old. My husband was the sole provider for the family. He was a fisherman. I got married at the age of 16. My father had also perished in the sea. After my husband’s death I could not figure out how to survive alone. There were many problems. Even though I wanted to send my children to school it was not possible. I had given up all hopes of living, but I had to hold on for the sake of my children. In 2010 an NGO came to help me. Now I make my living by selling sweets but that is not enough to provide for my children. Now my eldest son is working as a labourer. “Parameshwari is living with mental stress. Although she is receiving help from her relatives, the loss of a father and a husband has become a serious problem. She expressed her dislike towards getting married again.
“I thought of getting married again but I cannot do so while the children are around. There was such a woman in our village who got married again but the villagers spoke ill of her. I do not need to suffer such insults. It would not be good for the children too. What would happen to them if I could not look after them after getting married?”

This is how Parameshwari sees the issue of re-marriage. Is re-marriage off limits to a widow? For most widows in the North it is against their religious culture and they continue to live alone and bear up the hardships of life. Furthermore they have doubts as to whether the new husband would be trustworthy and whether the children would be looked after.

In a survey conducted by the Jaffna Women’s Development Center it has been revealed that 52 percent of the widows have consented to a re-marriage but 42 percent have refused to comment. Many have not spoken about getting abused. Hence the Tamil community must be more sympathetic and humane towards these war widows.

The problem of dowry has also prevented many widows from thinking about a re-marriage, the Center says. For a woman who is making a living out of scraps, finding a dowry would be  like falling into the fire from the frying pan. There is an urgent need of providing physical and mental health support to these women. Not only the widows, but also their relatives must be made aware of these problems.

“The majority of war widows are young women. In order to rebuild their lives the cultural bonds must be relaxed, former dean of the Jaffna University Art Faculty and the head of the Social Sciences department,” Prof. R. Shivachandran says. He pointed out that Tamil political leaders including the TNA must make a request from the public to allow these widows to re-marry. “Even at the height of war these women had means of earning an income. Some were even proud that their relatives were in the LTTE  and since all such things have now been wiped off they have faced a serious mental collapse. Even though it is not shown  these are the reasons why some widows are prone to prostitution, narcotics and even suicide.

“Getting married at an early age due to the war, getting abused and cultural barriers have aggravated mental problems among these women,” Psychiatrist at the Mullaitivu hospital Dr. C. Wijendran says. Many political parties and NGOs have raised their concern about the rising level of prostitution in the area. So far accurate data has not been received. Under this crippled social system, there is no wonder why these women turn into such darker ways. The lives of thousands of widows living in the north and the lives of their family members cannot be cured just by bags of cash.

India warns of $15 million fine for maps it doesn’t like

Cartographers beware: India warns of $15 million fine for maps it doesn’t like
By Max Bearak May 6 Washington Post

Let's start with a basic fact: India claims much more land than it controls.

Thus, any map of India and its neighbors makes an inherently political statement based on how it depicts their borders. The issue is particularly thorny because the border disputes are with India's great rivals: Pakistan and China.

On Thursday, a draft law reflecting India's sensitivity over maps was uploaded by the government online before being swiftly removed for reasons unknown. The draft law would define how India's international borders are drawn once and for all, and punish offenders with up to seven years in jail or fines ranging from $150,000 to $15 million. It would also require all individuals and companies producing maps in India, and all Indian citizens doing so globally, to procure a license from the government.

Pakistan and India both claim jurisdiction over the entirety of Jammu and Kashmir, an area that spans fertile plains, lush foothills, towering Himalayan mountains and the alpine barrens of the Tibetan Plateau. It is also the theater of India and Pakistan's defining conflict, which has led to three wars and once brought the subcontinent surprisingly close to the verge of mutual nuclear annihilation. Both nations occupy parts of Kashmir and station hundreds of thousands of troops there, mostly along the incredibly tense Line of Control (LoC) that serves as the de facto border.

China also claims — and controls — a sizable chunk of (what was once) Kashmir known as Aksai Chin, which it subsumed after handily defeating India in a 1962 war. The border there is slightly more definitive, which is reflected in the name India uses for it: the Line of Actual Control (LAC). China also claims almost all of another Indian state called Arunachal Pradesh, which stretches between Bhutan and Myanmar. China refers to it as "South Tibet." India administers the state, and Chinese incursions are very rare.

OpenStreetMap, like Google Maps, dots part of India's borders with Pakistan and China. Such depictions would be illegal for companies operating in India under a draft law.
The map that India wants the world to see, of course, bestows it all these disputed regions. If it actually becomes law, it would certainly complicate the operations of technology companies that rely on maps, such as Google and Uber. Already, Google shows different borders to users in different countries. From the United States, India's disputed borders are shown on the website as dotted lines.

The draft law is in line with the nationalist agenda of India's two-year-old government led by Narendra Modi. His government's supporters have brought what they see to be numerous map-based transgressions to the fore through social media. A year ago, Al Jazeera was forced to stop broadcasting in the country for five days after the surveyor general announced that "a portion of Indian territory has not been shown as a part of India in some of [Al Jazeera's] maps while the territorial boundary of India is not shown with clarity and proper shape in another map."

Soon after that, Chinese state television showed a map of India without Kashmir or Arunachal Pradesh while Modi himself was visiting Beijing.

Even Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's chief executive officer, inadvertently stepped into the middle of this when a post of his documenting his company's spread around the world included a map of India apparently without any of Kashmir. In 2011, customs officials ordered that 28,000 copies of the Economist magazine have stickers manually applied to maps of India that "corrected" its borders, despite cries of media censorship.

Shoaib Daniyal, a journalist working for the Indian website Scroll.in, wrote a column on Friday that calls out the Indian government for the hypocrisy the draft law might entail should it come into effect. Modi spent decades working for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing, Hindu nationalist volunteer organization that is the ideological parent of his political party, and a major influence on national politics. In the RSS headquarters, there is a map on the wall. Depicted on that map is "Akhand Bharat," long a dream of the RSS and its acolytes, which translates roughly to "Undivided India." That version of India includes all of Pakistan and Bangladesh, and sometimes Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet. It was the wish of Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, and who shouted "Long live Akhand Bharat" just before he was hanged.

Daniyal asks: "If incorrect depictions of India’s borders are a crime, will RSS be prosecuted for ‘Akhand Bharat?’ "
==========================================================ENB Poster

நீர் வற்றிப் போகுதென்று நெஞ்சத்தில் வெடிப்பு!

Fears that ancient giant tanks could dry up
By Anushiya Sathisraja

Thousands of villagers pray for rain as the ancient giant tanks and irrigation systems could dry up if the drought continues in the North, East and North-Central provinces, with the experts forecasting a continued need for trucked-in drinking water.

Government Agents (District Secretaries) and irrigation and meteorological experts voiced the need for continued supplies of clean drinking water as well as for containers, barrels and tanks to hold water.

Last week’s sporadic thundershowers in the Western and Central provinces might not bring ease to the scorched lands and, hot conditions are expected to prevail.

The worst affected areas are Vavuniya, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee and Mannar, where the temperature ranged from 35-39C, Meteorology Department Director (Forecasting) Sarath Premalal said.

“In the recent past the highest temperature of 40C has been reported from Vavuniya,” Mr Premalal said. “This year, a number of agricultural districts are experiencing a severe dry spell. The 
southern and western parts will receive rains in the coming weeks but the heat and moisture in the atmosphere will result in sweating and discomfort until Mid-May,” he said.

A few showers may occur in the coastal areas from Trincomalee southward to Hambantota during the mornings.

The maximum temperature of 39.1C was reported from Vauniya, while Nuwara Eliya had the minimum temperature, 12.5C.

A spokesperson for the North-Central Provincial Council said that all the schools in the district will be closed early, at 12 noon  due to the hot weather.

More than, 18,000 people are suffering hardship in Mannar district (Musali area) due to the prolonged drought, the Regional Assistant Director of the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), M. Riyas, said. Agriculture in Jaffna will come to a standstill if this condition persists for the next  two months, he warned.

முருங்கன் கட்டுக்கரைக் குளம்

The Divisional Secretary of Musali in the Mannar district, S. Keetheswaran, said that although water browsers were in operation they were insufficient. Long-term solutions,  such as reconstruction and de-silting of tanks and construction of new tanks were needed to prevent crop loss and drinking water shortages in times of drought, he said.

“The dried land has caused dust everywhere – most of the people here are suffering from coughs and severe respiratory illnesses,” Mr. Keetheswaran said.

In the Trincomalee district, the Seruvila area is also struggling, although scattered rains were reported, more than 500 people are suffering from lack of water there. In Welikanda, Polonnaruwa, 
about 200 people are affected.

There have been many donations of plastic water tanks, water barrels and bottled water from private donors to be distributed in severely-affected areas such as Medirigiriya, Welikanda, Dimbulagala and other AGA divisions, Polonnaruwa Government Agent Nimal Abeysiri said.

Additional Vavuniya Government Agent Saraswathie Mohananathan said the Economic Development and Disaster Management Ministries will be conducting drought assessment from Monday, as 

Vavuniya is experiencing one of the hottest years on record.

A source in the Irrigation Department said the Parakrama Samudra in Ampara, which has a capacity of 947 million cubic metres (mcm), currently holds only 457mcm. In Trincomalee, the Kantale tank, which can hold up to 140mcm, has dropped to only 114mcm.

Hambantota’s Lunugamvehera Irrigation tank, which can hold up to 225mcm, has only 125mcm. In Anuradhapura, the Padaviya reservoir that can hold up to 104mcm has only 5.31mcm in Polonnaruwa, the Minneriya tank has only 91mcm though the full capacity is 135mcm.

The Mau Ara reservoir that services the Uda Walawe National Park has dropped sharply from a total capacity of 40mcm to a mere 9mcm. “Water for human consumption and for wildlife is 
becoming a growing concern,” the source said.

Agriculture Department Chief Climatologist Dr. R. Punyawardene says Sri Lanka’s farmers must adapt to increasing intensity of weather patterns, whether heavy rains or severe drought, both of 
which are now simultaneously hitting the agricultural sector.

“The upcoming Yala season will present severe difficulties for farmers whose paddy fields are supplied with water from the smaller tanks in the Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Kurunegala and 
Hambantota districts”.  

“Farmers should concentrate on other field crops such as soya bean, green gram, black gram etc.,” Dr. Punyawardena said.

Sales of bottled water and soft drinks have skyrocketed and thambili sellers were seen having a field day selling at Rs. 70-80 a nut. Many vendors selling goods on the pavements and in marketplaces said business was dull as people did not want to stop in the intense heat.

“I’ve been selling thambili for five years and this year I’ve had the most sales,” said Dharmadasa Ranawaka, 70, a thambili seller in Fort.

“Almost all the people who come to drink thambili buy five to six nuts. I have a regular customer who buys 10 nuts daily.”

The heat is affecting workers’ health. D. Kamaladasan owner of a bag-stitching factory in Wattala said that he had had very low sales in the past two months. Many female workers at his factory 
had been admitted to hospital with illnesses and some said they were too weak to work in the hot weather. “For almost three weeks we provided healthy foods and beverages to all the employees,” 
he said.

Office workers thankfully opt to remain within their office environment, which is air-conditioned but others are not so fortunate.

“I’ve got to carry steel frames and rods to construction sites and it is arduous. If I don’t work, I won’t be able to support my family and kids who will have to starve,” labourer Hemantha Sirisena said.

போராளிகள் மீள் கைது எதிரிகள் எப்படிச் சித்தரிக்கின்றார்கள்!

Police TID Arrests 4 Top Eastern Ex-Tiger Leaders Who Worked With Military Intelligence After War Ended

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj 7 May 2016

A widespread security crackdown has been underway in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. Over 20 former members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)organization have been reportedly taken into custody over the past weeks in a staggered security operation spearheaded by the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID)of the Police.Almost all of the ex-LTTE cadres are being detained under provisions of the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). They are being reportedly interrogated by TID officials at Jaffna, Vavuniya, Boosa and Colombo.

SLP

Many of the arrested ex-tigers were persons who had surrendered after the war ended in May 2009. They had been detained for a period of time and later released after being put through a rehabilitation process. Some of the ex –tigers currently arrested are reportedly persons who have not gone through the process of rehabilitation. They had apparently not surrendered after the war and had evaded capture in the past. While close upon 12,000 former LTTE members who surrendered have been released after rehabilitation , it is also estimated that about 4,000 ex-tigers who did not surrender continue to remain in Sri Lanka. There are also large numbers of former LTTE members who have fled Sri Lanka after May 2009. These include both rehabilitated and non – rehabilitated ex-tiger cadre.

Among those arrested so far are four senior ex-tiger leaders. All four of them had at one time held powerful positions within the LTTE command structure in the Eastern province after the Eastern revolt and breakaway of former LTTE eastern commander Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias “Col”Karuna in 2004. They are Ethirmannasingham Harichandran alias “Col” Ram, Kanapathipillai Sivamoorthy alias “Lt.Col” Nagulan, Ganeshapillai Arivazhaghan alias “Lt. Col”Kalaiarasan and Krishnapillai Kalainesan alias “Lt. Col” Praba. Three of the four were arrested in the Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Amparai districts respectively while the fourth was taken into custody in the Jaffna district.

Four Senior Ex –LTTE Eastern Leaders

Ethirmannasingham Harichandran
alias Ram

The first of the four senior ex-LTTE eastern leaders to be arrested was Harichandran alias Ram in Amparai district on April 24th 2016. “Col”Ram had earlier been the LTTE Military commander of the LTTE for Amparai and Batticaloa districts. Ram who joined the LTTE in 1984 had lost his wife and two children during the war in the northern mainland known as the Wanni. After the war he had married again and was engaged in paddy cultivation in the area of Thambiluvil . Harichandran hails from Thirukkovil in the Amparai district. He had been returning home from the paddy fields when he was seized and bundled into a blue jeep and taken away by some “unknown”persons. After his wife raised the alarm it was officially announced that Ram had been arrested by the TID for inquiries.

The second senior eastern tiger leader to be arrested was Ganeshapillai Arivazhaghan alias “Lt. Col” Kalaiarasan on April 25th 2016. Kalaiarasan who was earlier known by the nom de guerre “Kamal” had been the LTTE intelligence chief for Trincomalee district when the war ended. Kalaiarasan a native of Aalankerni in the Kinniya area of Trincomalee was now married and living in the Trincomalee town area. He was engaged in dairy farming and breeding cattle after the war concluded.

Earlier a team of TID officials in civilian garb went in search of Kalaiarasan to his home on Channel street after nightfall. The ex –LTTE intelligence wing chief got perturbed and ran away fearing the worst. After hiding elsewhere until daybreak. Afterwards Kalaiarasan tried to seek protection at the Human Rights Commission regional office in Trincomalee in the morning. He was accompanied by his wife Sithara. TID officials identified themselves and took him into custody outside the Trinco Human rights office premises . Sithara was told not to make a fuss about the arrest and was assured that her husband would be sent home in five days. Arivazhaghan alias Kalaiarasan a.k.a. Kamal who was arrested on April 25th has still not been released.

Kanapathipillai Sivamoorthy
alias “Lt. Col” Nagulan

The third senior ex – LTTE leader to be arrested was Kanapathipillai Sivamoorthy alias “Lt. Col” Nagulan on April 26th 2016. Nagulan who joined the movement in 1989 had served as the special commander of the LTTE’s Charles Anthony infantry brigade. He had later functioned under “Col” Ram as the deputy military commander of the LTTE in Amparai and Batticaloa districts. Though Nagulan had been stationed in the Eastern province for many years he was actually from the North.Sivamoorthy alias Nagulan hailed from Neervaeli in the Jaffna peninsula.

After the war, Sivamoorthy got married and was engaged in growing plantain trees and the sale of Plantains. Neervaely is reputed for its plantains and yams.His wife who was a teacher in Paranthan hads recently completed a teachers training course in Jaffna. A team of TID officials had gone to Nagulan’s house in Neervaeli and asked him to come along with them for an inquiry. The officers had also asked Nagulan’s father to accompany them saying they would let both go off after they answered a few questions.Upon reaching Jaffna town the officers had sent Nagulan’s father back , telling him that the son too would be set free in a few hours. Sivamoorthy alias Nagulan is still under arrest.

The fourth ex –LTTE senior eastern leader to be arrested was Krishnapillai Kalainesan alias “Lt. Col” Praba on May 2nd 2016. Kalainesan alias “Praba” had been the LTTE intelligence chief for Batticaloa and Amparai districts at the time of the war ending in May 2009. Praba a native of Santhiveli in Batticaloa district had married a woman named Kayalvizhi from Naavatkudah in Batticaloa and was residing there. They have two children.After engaging in a Palmyra leaf weaving project for a while, the Kalainesan – Kayalvizhi couple had obtained a contract to run the canteen at the Technical College located at Manchanthoduvaai in Batticaloa.

Krishnapillai Kalainesan alias “Lt. Col” Praba

A team of TID officers went to Kalainesan alias Praba’s residence at Naavatkudaah early morning on Monday May 2nd. He was first taken to the Police station at Kaattankudi. The officers then told Praba’s wife Kayalvizhi that they were taking him to the Human Rights Commission regional office at Kalmunai. Her husband would be released after a statement was recorded the wife was told. Thereafter the officials went south via the Kalmunai road. Later on it transpired that Kalainesan alias Praba had been taken to the TID headquarters in Colombo.

Detection Of Mini-Arsenal In Maravanpulavu

As is well known now the current spree of arrests was triggered off by the detection of a mini-arsenal at a house on Pillaiyar street in Maravanpulavu in the Thenmaratchy sector of Jaffna district on March 29th 2016. Among the items detected were a suicide jacket, four claymore mines, three parcels containing about 12 kilos of TNT explosives, two battery packs as well as some 9mm ammunition. The cache had been brought from Iluppaikkadavai in Mannar district to Jaffna by the chief occupant in the house named Edward Julian also known as Ramesh. 32 year old Edward Julian – a native of Murunkan in Mannar district- was a former LTTE member who had neither surrendered nor been rehabilitated after the war ended. He drove a truck and was involved in transporting and selling fish as a business. Edward Julian alias Ramesh was arrested on March 30th 2016 at a road block between Jeyapuram and Akkarayankulam in the Kilinochchi district.

The TID thereafter took over and Edward Julian was brought to Colombo. It was after this development that the current spate of arrests commenced. A number of Edward Julian’s acquaintances traced through his cellular telephone were targeted. Initially five persons traced via Julian’s phone were arrested in Vavuniya and Mannar districts. These were followed by more arrests all over the Northern province. Almost all of those arrested were ex-LTTE members.Some had never been rehabilitated earlier. Others were surrendees who were now leading normal civilian life after being rehabilitated.

Interestingly the current security exercise seems to be more or less a solo exercise by the Police Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) No other state agency seems to be involved or is even being consulted, it appears. Newspaper reports have made it clear that the current security operation is being directed and supervised by Senior Spdt of Police (SSP) Nalaka de Silva the TID director himself. Without any unnecessary publicity or fanfare ,the TID seems determined to delve into matters concerning the Maravanpulavu arms cache detection.

The detection of comparative small quantities of arms and ammunition in various parts of the North and East have been a recurring phenomenon during the past years. Apparently the LTTE has collectively and tighers individually have dumped or concealed arms , ammunition and explosives in various locations at various times. Some of these have been discovered or detected on different occasions in recent years. It appears that the arms cache in question had been earlier stored at Iluppaikkadavai in 2008. It is surmised that this could have been done when the tigers were gradually retreating in the face of the advancing 58 division commanded by Shavendra Silva at that point of time. What is troubling however is the question that arose out of the detection. Why was this cache transported after all these years from Mannar district to Jaffna district and kept in Maravanpulavu at this juncture?

On that basis it was suspected that an attack or assassination in Jaffna was being plotted. While the LTTE had been militarily defeated at Mullivaaikkaal in May 2009, the overseas structures of the LTTE were unaffected. Some of the LTTE elements abroad have been trying to bring about a tiger revival in the Island and cause violence. There have been three blatant attempts to bring about a LTTE renaissance in the past. Fortunately all three attempts were nipped in the bud. Was a fourth attempt being enacted now?

File pic courtesy of SwissInfo.ch

The overseas tigers were not going to risk anything. What they were doing was to instigate and encourage others in India or Sri Lanka to engage in such revival attempts. The Diaspora tigers would simply finance them. Since very large numbers of ex – LTTE cadre were in dire financial need in Sri Lanka , the overseas tigers could use cash as an incentive to motivate them into resuming violence. An attempted revival of the LTTE does not mean a return of the LTTE with all its conventional military units,heavy artillery, naval flotilla or fledgling air wing! A revival attempt in the current context could only mean one or two acts of destructive violence. An assassination or explosion would suffice. This would be enough to stridently trumpet that the tigers are back, disrupt normalcy in the North – east and embark upon a fund raising campaign in the West.

Tiger Revival Attempt In The Island

It is with this objective that tiger elements abroad are funding and fomenting a tiger revival attempt in the Island. The most fertile ground to attract followers to this cause is amidst the hearts and minds of former tiger cadres now struggling to get on with life in the North and east. Just as the overseas tigers target former LTTE cadres as potential recruits to engage in violence , the law enforcement officials in Sri Lanka also view the ex-tigers as potential suspects in exercises of this type. Just as cops round up convicted criminals of the area as the usual suspects whenever a crime occurs in the vicinity , the law enforcement officers also target ex –LTTE cadres if and when a LTTE revival attempt is suspected. Thus the detection of arms at Maravampulavu has resulted in a series of ex –LTTE cadre arrests.Since the original suspect Julian alias Ramesh was an unrehabiliated ex –LTTE cadre himself , the subsequent arrests of ex –tigers became inevitable and have a certain amount of credence.

Primarily Focusing on ex –LTTE acquaintances and contacts of Edward Julian, the TID took into custody around 20 persons in the North.Soon the arresting spree spilled over into the Eastern province too. The arrests in the East however caused drastic shock waves. This was because those being arrested in the East were senior Tigers who had been high profile eastern LTTE leaders at one time. Even Nagulan a native of Neervaeli arrested in the north was for practical purposes an easterner having been resident in the “Kizhakku”(east) for many many years. Why were they being arrested now ? was the perplexing question.

It appeared to most people aware of post – war developments that something was amiss somewhere. While acknowledging the fact that law enforcement authorities have the right to arrest people on suspicion through proper procedure in the interests of national security, there also began to emerge doubts as to whether those responsible for the on- going arrests were fully cognizant with the past track record of those being arrested, particularly the ex –LTTE eastern leaders. These doubts were further enhanced by news reports citing Police sources. Some news reports attributed to Police sources stated that the arrested eastern ex – tigers had not undergone full rehabilitation and had also been army intelligence informants .Such reports demonstrated clearly that the officials behind the arrests of the Eastern ex –LTTE cadres were woefully unaware of the remarkable roles played by Ram, Nagulan, Kalaiarasan and Praba in the aftermath of the war. All four had been involved in a counter –intelligence operation that the Sri Lankan state and its agencies could be proud of.

What happened then was this. When the LTTE was defeated and its supremo Veluppillai Prabhakaran killed in May 2009, a contingent of LTTE cadres were still “free and fighting” in the Amparai district jungles of Kanjikudichchaaru and Kaanjirankudaah. They were led by the LTTE Amparai-Batticaloa military commander “Col” Ram and deputy military commander “Lt.Col”Nagulan. When LTTE leader Prabhakaran made plans to break through the military cordon encircling Mullivaaikkaal and escape, one of the alternative destinations he had in mind was the Kanjikudichaaru jungles. This however was not to be and Prabhakaran was killed.

After the military debacle in the north the armed forces and Police Special Task Force (STF) began increasing pressure on the LTTE cadres in Amparai district. So Ram, Nagulan and other LTTE fighters then moved further north to the Kudumbimalai/Thoppigala area jungles. With constant military pressure being exerted, both Ram and Nagulan dispersed the cadres and moved to Vellaveli in the “Paduvaankarai” (shore of the setting sun)region and went into hiding. Meanwhile appeals were sent out by both to the overseas tiger branches that they had not surrendered and that the LTTE in the east required further assistance to continue the armed struggle.

The LTTE’s Batticaloa –Amparai intelligence chief Lt. Col Praba was in the Wanni during the final stages of the war. He left the Puthukkudiyiruppu-Mullivaaikkaal region in April and relocated to the Nedunkerny area jungles with some tiger cadres before the LTTE was defeated totally. Praba then moved to a safe house on the outskirts of Vavuniya town.Praba’s Trincomalee district counterpart Arivazhaghan alias Kalaiarasan was at that time holed up in the Kiliveddi area jungles of Trincomalee district. The Batticaloa-Amparai LTTE intelligence chief Praba was in touch clandestinely with Trincomalee LTTE intelligence chief Kalaiarasan on the one hand and the Ram – Nagulan duo on the other.

Counter-Intelligence Feat In Three Stages

It was at this point of time that Sri Lanka’s intelligence officials executed a brilliant counter – intelligence feat phased out in three stages. In the first phase an LTTE cadre of mixed Sinhala-Tamil parentage whose name begins with a “T” was utilised to establish links with Trinco tiger intelligence chief Kalaiarasan and “turn” him. In the second phase Kalaiarasan was used to entrap Praba in Vavuniya and consequently win him over. In the third phase Praba was deployed cleverly to inveigle and apprehend Ram and Nagulan in Vellavely. Despite having four senior Eastern LTTE leaders in their grasp, the Sri Lankan intelligence personnel did not publicise the fact. Instead they commenced an unorthodox covert operation.

An impression was created that Ram, Nagulan, Praba, Kalaiarasan and some other eastern LTTE cadres were functioning independently and still continuing with the armed struggle for Tamil Eelam. Ram established contact with overseas LTTE branches and sought financial and arms assistance. A great deal of money was reportedly sent from abroad, though exact details are unavailable. Ram also issued statements and even sent a letter supportive of Selvarasah Pathmanathan alias “KP” during the overseas LTTE leadership tussle with Perinbarasa Sivaparan alias “Nediyavan”. It was during this time that Dayamohan the LTTE political commissar for Amparai –Batticaloa made his way to Malaysia and from there to Switzerland.

One of the subterfuges adopted by Sri Lankan intelligence officials to propagate the “LTTE Fighting on in the East”myth was the creation of “counterfeit” tiger camps in the jungle. Some Indian and Pakistani journalists were allowed to visit these camps and interview Col Ram and Lt. Col Nagulan. These interview/articles were published with pride as praiseworthy scoops. It was said that Tigers were yet actively fighting in the East.One of the Indian magazines so deceived was the Tamil bi-weekly “Nakkeeran” which describes itself as a premier investigative journal. The height of deception was the exclusive article appearing in a prestigious UK publication. The writer was a top – notch British journalist from the Aristocratic upper crust of English society married to the daughter of a Duke.

The illusion of tigers continuing the struggle in the east helped Intelligence officials utilise Ram &Co as instruments to establish and maintain contacts with the LTTE overseas structure and its covert supporters elsewhere for a while. This helped the Sri Lankan state to garner extensive information of overseas tigers and identify key operatives. It was however too good to last and gradually suspicion began growing from September 2009 amidst Tiger elements in the Diaspora as to whether Ram was really independent or not.

The drama was brought to an end by November 2009. News reports in Sri Lanka quoting security sources said that Ram had escaped from the Minneriya security camp on Nov 5th. A second news report stated that he had been recaptured on Nov 10th.Ram himself communicated with tigers abroad and said that the news reports were wrong and that he was yet free.A special message on behalf of “Col” Ram was issued on November 27th the “Maaveerar Naal” or “Great Heroes Day”.There were however few takers for this stunt. By the end of November it became clear that the deceptive counter-intelligence exercise had outlived its usefulness. The illusion of LTTE fighting in the East was allowed to fizzle out gradually.

The top Eastern tigers including Ram, Nagulan, Praba and Kalaiarasan were kept under protective custody for a few more years at different locations. Officials interacting with the detained tiger leaders finally arrived at the conclusion that the ex-tigers had indeed turned over a new leaf. Having ascertained that they would lead normal lives if and when released, it was decided to release them. Finally in 2013 they had to undergo a process of rehabilitation for a 45 day period in July – August. It was felt that given the extensive cooperation rendered by the ex –tiger leaders there was no need for them to undergo the mandatory One year period of rehabilitation. They were then released individually to their respective families in August 2013.

After being released the ex- eastern tiger leaders like many of their rehabilitated comrades picked up the pieces of their life and resumed living. Ram who had lost his wife and children re-married and engaged in his family tradition of agriculture in Thirukkovil – Thambiluvil.. Praba resumed family life again with his wife and two daughters. After struggling financially for a while their prospects became brighter after securing a contract to run the canteen at Manchanthoduvaai Technical College. Kalaiarasan entered wedlock , re-located to Trinco town and began raising cattle for a dairy business. Nagulan left the East and returned home to Neervaeli in the North. He married a school teacher and began growing plantain trees and also transporting and selling Bananas wholesale.

All their lives have now been shattered. It was well known in the community that the four ex-tiger leaders had been in custody and had cooperated with military intelligence officials. It was also understood that they like many other former LTTE members were trying to resume and lead normal lives. Contrary to Diaspora tiger expectations,there are very few among the people of the North and East who believe a revival of the LTTE on a major scale is possible. Despite attempts by tiger elements in the Diaspora, the people living in Sri Lanka have evinced no desire whatsoever to encourage a recurrence of political violence. Thus the community at large did not perceive any threat or danger from the ex –tiger leaders .However, as is typical , there existed a certain amount of reserve on the part of the people in interacting with the ex-tiger leaders.

Fears of “White Van” under “Yahapalanaya”

Revived Fears Of “White Van Culture”

The mode and scale of arrests have raised much concern among family members. Many of them were not informed about the reasons for their arrests. Instead they were simply “abducted” by officers in civil dress and taken away in vehicles. This modus operandi revived fears that the “white Van “culture prevalent in the Rajapaksa regime had re- commenced under the “Yahapalanaya” regime of President Sirisena too.

The other disturbing factor was that of several rehabilitated ex-tigers being arrested again. This was particularly so in the case of arrested ex-tiger eastern leaders.Several close relatives kept repeating to Tamil media personnel that the arrested persons had been rehabilitated. They had been released as free persons after rehabilitation. So why are they being arrested again now? Was the question that troubled them.

While understanding the fear and anxiety of family members in this matter there is one important fact has to be made clear. The rehabilitation and release of former LTTE cadres provides a clean chit only for their past activities. The rehabilitated ex-tiger will not be penalised or held responsible for any old act of omission or commission during the time he or she was active in the LTTE. This however does not grant immunity from being interrogated, arrested or punished for any new illegal act or crime allegedly committed after being released. If one was suspected of participating in any exercise to engage in violence or revive the LTTE then that person would have to be probed by law enforcement officers. An investigation could result in the arrested person being released if found innocent. Rehabilitation does not provide blanket immunity or exemption from arrest.

Another effect of the arrests of four eastern ex-tiger leaders is the elation it has caused among tiger circles in the global Tamil Diaspora. It was well-known that Ram, Nagulan and the others had cooperated with the Sri Lankan authorities after the war ended. Several top rung functionaries among overseas tigers had been deceived by the counter –intelligence drama enacted by Sri Lankan officials in which Ram and Nagulan and others played key roles. The overseas tigers had not highlighted this in the past because they were ashamed of being taken in by the “LTTE fighting still” charade played out in the east. They were however extremely resentful of Ram &co for this. Now there is a sense of jubilation within overseas tiger ranks. The very same ex-tigers who cooperated with Sri Lankan intelligence are now being arrested and detained by the Sri Lankan Police! The overseas tigers are gloating over the so called “tiger traitors” being in hot water now.

The current situation in which those who cooperated with the state are also being arrested gives rise to the impression that there is a lack of coordination or pooling of resources among various law enforcement and intelligence organs of the state. When the Theiveegan – Gopi – Appan led attempt to revive the LTTE took place in early 2014 , the state machinery rose to the occasion by joining forces and acting unitedly as a team. The Police, Army and Intelligence agencies co-operated together in a multi –disciplinary exercise to crush the LTTE revival attempt.

Unfortunately that spirit of unity and bonhomie seems to be absent at this point of time. The arrest of high ranking military intelligence officials over the Prageeth Eknaligoda disappearance has resulted in a deterioration of relations between these state agencies. Paranoia about some key operatives supplying information to the Mahinda Rajapaksa –led opposition has compounded the situation further. More importantly there is no one at the helm in the Defence ministry like former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa now. Whatever his detractors may say about him, there is no denying that Gota got all branches of the defence establishment to work together efficiently if and when challenges were posed to national security.

Thus no one in authority has been clearly explaining the actual reasons behind the arrests and/or the gravity of the threat posed by a potential LTTE revival attempt. Since the TID seems to be in sole charge it is up to the Police to clarify matters but even the Police media unit has now been suspended and official spokesperson reprimanded. There have been no official statements categorically confirming or denying an alleged LTTE revival attempt.Vague assurances have been given by the current Defence secretary but they seem neither effective nor definitive. Meanwhile opposition leaders notably the articulate Prof. G.L .Peiris have been going to town about the major danger of an alleged LTTE revival.

The official Police Spokesperson ASP Ruwan Gunasekera has been suspended and the Police media unit according to the new IGP is being re-structured. It appears that the Police spokesman has exceeded his brief in divulging information to the media.Several newspapers have quoted him and published news stories of a sensational nature about the arrested ex – eastern tiger leaders. The Police according to its spokesperson has only now discovered that the top ex-LTTE eastern leaders have been military intelligence “informants”. He has also revealed that they had not undergone the mandatory period of rehabilitation. Now all these “new” discoveries by the TID and public revelations by the spokesperson would have been rendered unnecessary and irrelevant had the Military Intelligence been consulted. Instead of resorting to the easier and convenient mode of drawing on available information the Police seems to be going it alone and sensationalising gleaned information in a manner that may possibly affect whatever has been achieved by the intelligence officials through the ex -tigers in the past. Furthermore instread of resorting to shock methods to arrest the ex-tigers the Military intelligence could have been assigned the task of communicating with the ex -LTTE eastern leaders using their established links.Thus a climate of panic and confusion prevails due to the solo operational style of the TID which does not seem to posses the necessary “intelligence” to differentiate between hostile elements and friendly sources.

Sole Silver Lining In This Dark Cloud

The sole silver lining – if one may call it so – in this dark cloud of doubtful uncertainty has been the explicit statement of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Addressing a gathering at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS) on Tuesday May 3rd Premier Wickremesinghe said that he sought clarification from the police and the DMI in the wake of recent media reports in respect of resurgence of LTTE activity. Newspaper reports further stated that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has received assurances from both the police and the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had been wiped out and therefore there was absolutely no likelihood of the group staging a comeback.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe ~ At Lakshman Kadirgmar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS) on Tuesday May 3 

One does not know whether the Prime Minister has been correctly quoted in the newspaper reports but assuming that he has indeed been correctly quoted there are two points that need to be emphasised here. The first is that the LTTE has indeed been militarily wiped out in Sri Lanka but the overseas tiger branches described derisively as the “rump” are not destroyed yet. Secondly the overseas tigers are capable of fomenting violence in a bid to revive the LTTE in Sri Lanka. It is important to distinguish clearly between a revival and a revival attempt.

A full scale revival of the LTTE and a return to the past where the tigers were a formidable force is virtually impossible in the present situation. There could however be no guarantee that attempts would not be made to revive the LTTE despite those efforts proving unsuccessful. Since tiger elements in the Diaspora would continuously finance such attempts such dangers are always there. There is a need therefore for constant vigilance. There is little room for complacency in matters like these.

This article written for the “DBS Jeyaraj Column” appears in the “Daily Mirror” of May 7, 2016, it can be reached via this link:

http://www.dailymirror.lk/dbs-jeyaraj-column