Sri Lanka guilty of genocide: PPT verdict

Sri Lanka guilty of genocide: PPT verdict
[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 December 2013, 11:08 GMT]

After an assessment of evidences presented by eyewitnesses and experts, judges of the Permanent People’s Tribunal reached unanimous consensus that the Sri Lankan state was guilty of crimes of genocide against the Eezham Tamils and that the genocide is continuing even after the end of the military operations against the LTTE. Concluding the four day session with a press conference at Bremen on Tuesday, the judges also noted that the Sri Lankan military did not have capacity to commit genocide on its own and that it was supported by the UK-USA-India axis. While the judges held the USA and the UK to be complicit in the genocidal process, they were of the opinion that more evidence was needed as regards India’s role.

PPT Session II at Bremen, Germany

The Eezham Tamils were killed not as individuals but as a group and the target of the Sri Lankan state was the destruction of the identity of this group, the findings noted.

The judges took care to highlight the significance of the usage of the term ‘Eelam Tamil’ to refer to the genocide-affected Tamils from the North-East of the island of Sri Lanka.

Noting that the protracted history of genocide extended much before the beginning of the armed conflict, the Tribunal asserted that the Sri Lankan state continued to commit acts of genocide after the end of the “genocidal onslaught” against the de-facto state of the LTTE.

This, however, was not possible without the assistance of world powers.

The UK’s historical role in assisting Sri Lanka, its complicity in procuring arms in aiding and shielding the perpetrator of genocide was discussed.

The judges also noted that the USA’s military-to-military relationship with Sri Lanka enhanced the capacity of the latter to commit genocide. The Tribunal was of the opinion that US role in the peace process tilted balance in favour of the Sri Lankan state and led to the massacre of Tamils in 2009.

However, the Tribunal wished to postpone deliberations on India's role in the genocide pending submission of potential evidence.

Responding to a question from TamilNet on the failure of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) in Sri Lanka, Dr. Denis Halliday, one of the judges, opined that the R2P doctrine introduced by Gareth Evans was a cover for intervention but not genuine humanitarian intervention, as evidenced in the case of genocide against Eezham Tamils in the island.

The UN has failed the Eezham Tamils and maybe even complicit in the genocide, he said, also noting the failure of the International Community to take appropriate steps.

Burmese democracy activist Maung Zarni, answering a question on the use of the label of ‘terrorism’ to the LTTE, said that terrorism was a "discursive, strategic and political term" cooked-up by world powers as regards to their geo-political interests.

Comparing LTTE and Nelson Mandela’s ANC, he said that a whole movement cannot be labelled as terrorist on the basis of few acts.

=========================
Following are the names of judges selected by the PPT:

Gabriele Della Morte is a researcher and Professor of International Law at the Università Cattolica di Milano. He was also associate professor in International system, institutions and rules, Chargé de cours at the Académie de droit international humanitaire et des droits de l'homme of Geneva (2007-2008), counsel for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) (2003-2004), Law Clerk for the Prosecutor Office of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (2000) and member of a government delegation for the establishment of the International Criminal Court (1998).

José Elías Esteve Molto, international lawyer and legal expert on Tibet. He is the main lawyer who researched and drafted both lawsuits for international crimes committed in Tibet and a recent one for crimes in Burma. He is a Professor in International Law at the University of Valencia. 

Daniel Feierstein
Director of the Centre for Genocide Studies at the Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero, Professor in the Faculty of Genocide at the University of Buenos Aires and a member of CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas - The Argentine National Centre for Scholars). He has been elected as the president of the 'International Association of Genocide Scholars'.

Sévane Garibian
An expert on Genocide and International Law. She is an Assistant Professor at the University of Geneva and Lecturer at the University of Neuchâtel, where she teaches Legal Philosophy and International Criminal Law. Her work focuses on issues related to law facing State crimes.

Haluk Gerger
A respected academic and a Middle East analyst who was imprisoned in Turkey for his political activism. He is known for his support for Kurdish people's right to self-determination.

Javier Giraldo Moreno
Colombian Theologian and human rights activist based in Bogota. Known for his depth of analysis in contextualising genocide affected communities. He is Vice-President of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal.

Denis Halliday 
Former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations. He resigned from his 34 year old career in the UN in protest of the economic sanctions imposed on Iraq by the Security Council. Laureate of the Gandhi International Peace Award.

Manfred O. Hinz 
Professor for Public Law, Political Sociology and Sociology of Law at the University of Bremen. He has a long history of engagement in solidarity with liberation struggles in Africa, specially Namibia and the West Sahara. He, for several years, held the UNESCO chair for human rights and democracy of the University of Namibia whilst he was a professor there. 

Helen Jarvis
She served as Chief of the Public Affairs Section from the inception of the the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), the special Cambodian court which receives international assistance through the United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials (UNAKRT). The court is commonly referred to by the more informal name the Khmer Rouge Tribunal or the Cambodia Tribunal.

Øystein Tveter
A Norwegian scholar of International Law and a member of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal on extra-judicial killings and violations of human rights in the Philippines.

Maung Zarni
He is a Burmese democracy activist who founded the Free Burma Coalition in 1995. He is one of the few Burmese intellectuals who have come forward to unconditionally oppose the increased discrimination and violence against the Rohingya Muslims and publicly criticised Aung San Suu Kyi on this issue.

Source:Tamilnet

தேசிய எல்லைகள் மீறி உலகைக் குதறப்போகும் $1tn அந்நிய நிதி மூலதனம்!

WTO agrees global trade deal worth $1tn
By Andrew Walker
BBC Economics correspondent

Ministers from 159 countries have reached a deal intended to boost global trade at a meeting in Bali, Indonesia.

The World Trade Organization's first comprehensive agreement involves an effort to simplify the procedures for doing business across borders.

There will also be improved duty-free access for goods sold by the world's poorest countries.

The deal, which could add about $1tn to world trade, gives developing nations more scope to increase farm subsidies.

"For the first time in our history, the WTO has truly delivered," said WTO chief Roberto Azevedo, as the organisation reached its first comprehensive agreement since it was founded in 1995.

Bureaucratic barriers to commerce can be a big problem.

Africa, for example, has the longest customs delays in the world. The African Development Bank says it can take 36 hours to get goods through the customs post at the Victoria Falls crossing from Zambia into Zimbabwe.

And there are often more barriers to negotiate once goods are over the border. The highway between Lagos and Abuja in Nigeria has 69 official checkpoints.

It takes time and costs money dealing with these delays. It can be disastrous for a cargo of perishable goods. These are exactly the kind of barriers that the WTO deal is intended to tackle.

Dealing with them would certainly make it cheaper for business to move goods across borders. And if it's cheaper, they will do more of it.

"This time the entire membership came together. We have put the 'world' back in World Trade Organization," he said.

Indonesian Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan said the deal would "benefit all WTO members".

UK Prime Minister David Cameron said the "historic" agreement could be a "lifeline" for the world's poorest people, as well as benefiting British businesses to the tune of more than $1bn (£600m).

However, the "Bali package", as the WTO calls the agreement, was criticised by some development campaigners who said it was not going far enough.

Rich and poor

It is worth spelling out something what is not covered by this - tariffs or taxes on imported goods.

Dealing with them has been the bread butter of past trade rounds - but not for this deal.

The core of this agreement is what is called trade facilitation. This is about reducing the costs and delays involved in international trade. It is often described as "cutting red tape".

Some analysts suggest the benefits could be large. An influential Washington think tank has put the potential gains to the world economy at close to $1tn and 20m million jobs.

   The rich countries have agreed to help the poorer WTO members with implementing this agreement.

Another important aspect of the Bali package is about enabling poor countries to sell their goods more easily. This part is about tariffs, and also quota limits on imports.

Rich countries and the more advanced developing countries have agreed to cut tariffs on products from the poorest nations.

EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht told the BBC that if the poorest nations "have more trading capacity it will also result in more investment in logistics and infrastructure".

But campaigners describe the plan as weak.

Nick Dearden of the World Development Movement said: "If the US and EU really wanted to tackle global poverty, they would have made the least-developed-countries package much stronger."

WTO chief Roberto Azevedo: "For the first time in our history, the WTO has truly delivered"

Credibility test

Getting this deal has involved introducing some extra flexibility into the existing WTO rules on farm subsidies. India led the campaign, by insisting that it should be allowed to subsidise grain under its new food security law.

There is a strong possibility that India's policy would break WTO rules that limit farm subsidies.

A "peace clause" has been agreed, under which members agree not to initiate WTO disputes against those breaching the subsidy limits as part of a food-security programme. But it only lasts four years and there is criticism from campaigners.

John Hilary of War on Want, a UK-based group, said: "The negotiations have failed to secure permanent protection for countries to safeguard the food rights of their peoples, exposing hundreds of millions to the prospect of hunger and starvation simply in order to satisfy the dogma of free trade."

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

WTO approves landmark global trade deal
By Shawn Donnan in Nusa Dua

Ministers from around the world sealed the first global trade deal in a generation on Saturday in a move hailed as a tonic for both the global economy and the battered credibility of the World Trade Organisation.
Almost two decades after the WTO was founded ministers from its 159 member countries approved a “trade facilitation” agreement to set common customs standards and ease the flow of goods through borders around the world. They also took decisions on a range of issues from how the WTO should respond to
government food security programmes to securing better market access to the rich world for the globe’s least developed economies.

Business groups immediately praised the trade facilitation deal as a needed stimulus for the global economy. The International Chamber of Commerce estimates it will lower the cost of doing trade by as much as 10-15 per cent and add $1tn to global output.

But those benefits are likely to take years to materialise and the more immediate impact was in a badly needed boost for the 159-member WTO’s credibility. Years of stalled talks have caused many to grow cynical about its capacity to deliver anything.

“For the first time in its history the WTO has delivered. We are back in business,” Roberto Azevêdo, the Brazilian who took over as director-general of the WTO in September, told reporters after the deal.

“Today we have saved the WTO,” said Karel Degucht, the European trade commissioner.
Mr Azevêdo shepherded three months of intensive negotiations leading up to the deal and he drew a standing ovation from members after the deal was done. Many WTO members praised Mr Azevêdo for his work to deliver the deal and restoring faith to a system that was demoralised when Pascal Lamy, the
Frenchman who led it for eight years, left at the end of August.

Michael Froman, the US trade representative, said the new director-general had played a “critical role to bring us to this point” and also praised the Brazilian’s creation of a “new WTO”.

Approval of the deal came after Mr Azevêdo helped end a stand-off between India and the US over how the WTO should treat government food programmes for the poor and how they buy grains from farmers.

Working with Indonesia’s trade minister, Mr Azevêdo also overcame a bid by Cuba and three allies to block to have the WTO call for the lifting of the 53 year old US trade embargo on the Caribbean island.

But his biggest task now will be building on the success in Bali and using it to tackle the big issue of what to do next with the 12-year-old and long-stalled Doha Round.

“Bali is just the beginning,” Mr Azevêdo said on Saturday.
The ministers in Bali called on WTO negotiators in Geneva to use the next 12 months to draft a work plan for the future.

Likely to feature in that debate are discussions over whether to tackle the Doha Round in smaller bites or resume efforts to finish it as a whole. Some countries are also keen to see new “21st century” issues added to the 12-year-old agenda like investment and competition and even how to treat flows of data around the
world.

“This jump starts the post-Bali agenda,” said Jeffrey Schott, a trade expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

But it also had illustrated two important things about the current dynamics within the WTO, he said.
Even as some accuse the US of abandoning the WTO to pursue regional and sectoral agreements outside its confines the hard work done in Bali by Mr Froman and his team to secure a deal had illustrated that Washington still cared about the multilateral institution, Mr Schott said.

This week’s events in Bali had also shown, he said, how the big emerging economies no longer acted as a bloc within the WTO. Brazil, China, and Russia all pushed for a deal to be done even as India threatened to block it, a stance even small developing economies in Africa had expressed frustration with.
=============
Saturday, December 7, 2013
WTO agrees last-minute, historic deal worth $1tn


The World Trade Organization has reached its first ever trade reform deal to the roar of approval from nearly 160 ministers who had gathered on the Indonesian island of Bali to decide on the make-or-break agreement that could add $1 trillion to the global economy.

The approval came after Cuba dropped a last-gasp threat to veto the package of measures.

"For the first time in our history, the WTO has truly delivered," WTO chief Roberto Azevedo told exhausted ministers after the talks which had dragged into an extra day on the tropical resort island.

"This time the entire membership came together. We have put the 'world' back in World Trade Organization," he said. "We're back in business...Bali is just the beginning."
The talks, which had opened on Tuesday, nearly came unstuck at the last minute when Cuba suddenly refused to accept a deal that would not help pry open the US embargo of the Caribbean island, forcing negotiations to drag into Saturday morning.

Cuba later agreed on a compromise with the United States.

But there was skepticism how much had really been achieved.

"Beyond papering over a serious dispute on food security, precious little was progress was made at Bali," said Simon Evenett, professor of international trade at the University of St Gallen in Switzerland. "Dealing with the fracas on food security sucked the oxygen out of the rest of the talks."

The talks had begun under a cloud because of an insistence by India at the outset that it would only back an agreement if there was a compromise on food subsidies because of its massive program for stockpiling food to feed its poor.

India, which will holds elections next year, won plaudits at home for taking a stand on behalf of the world's poor.

An eventual compromise was greeted with jubilation by Trade Minister Anand Sharma. While India had insisted on a permanent exemption from the WTO rules, the final text aimed to recommend a permanent solution within four years.

But the agreement is a milestone for the 159 WTO members, marking the organization's first global trade agreement since it was created in 1995.

It also rescues the WTO from the brink of failure and will rekindle confidence in its ability to lower barriers to trade worldwide, after 12 years of fruitless negotiations.

The deal would lower trade barriers and speed up the passage of goods through customs. Analysts estimate that over time it could boost the world economy by hundreds of billions of dollars and create more than 20 million jobs, mostly in developing countries.

It still needs to be approved by each member government.

"It is good for both developed and developing members alike," US Trade Representative Michael Froman said.

A study by the Washington, DC-based Peterson Institute of International Economics estimated the agreement would inject $960 billion into the global economy and create 21 million jobs, 18 million of them in developing nations.

The deal slashes red tape at customs around the world, gives improved terms of trade to the poorest countries, and allows developing countries to skirt the normal rules on farm subsidies if they are trying to feed the poor.

The ministers had gathered with a clear warning that failure to reach agreement in Bali would turn the WTO into an irrelevance and trigger a rush towards regional and bilateral trade pacts.

It came almost 20 years to the day since a similar nail-biting conclusion to another marathon negotiation - the talks to agree the creation of the WTO itself, which wrapped up in mid-December 1993. That was the last global trade deal.

The Bali meeting was also noticeable for its lack of anti-WTO protests compared to the street battles when ministers met in Seattle 14 years ago.

The Bali accord will help revive confidence in the WTO's ability to negotiate global trade deals, after it consistently failed to clinch agreement in the Doha round of talks that started in 2001 and proved hugely over-ambitious.

As the Doha round stuttered to a halt, momentum shifted away from global trade pacts in favor of regional deals such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership that the United States is negotiating with 11 other countries, and a similar agreement it is pursuing bilaterally with the European Union.

மோடிக்கு நிலபாவாடை விரிக்கும் கேடி வை.கோ!

MDMK leader says party could align with BJP

Chennai, Oct 4 (IANS): Tamil Nadu's Vaiko-led MDMK is not averse to aligning with an alternate front, including the one led by the BJP, to unseat the Congress-led United Progressive Front (UPA) at the centre, a party official said Friday.

"People are looking for a change, after being thoroughly frustrated with the last two terms of UPA. This is evident from the crowds that Modi (BJP's prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi) draws in all the places he addresses," an MDMK official told IANS, preferring anonymity.

To a question about whether the MDMK would be willing to align with the BJP, the leader said: "We have no hesitation. We have decided to stand in the 2014 parliamentary elections. We have to throw out the Congress government."

He said the timing of the election is not known and it is too early to say with which party MDMK would align, but he added the party has an open mind on joining the front comprising of BJP-DMDK-PMK, should such an alliance fructify.

Asked for his views on Modi's rally in Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu, the MDMK leader said: "The crowd gathered there was impressive, given the BJP's size in the state. It only shows that people want a change at the centre."

According to him, the UPA government is anti-Tamil as it has not done much for fishermen's safety from attacks by the Sri Lankan Navy.

"More than 600 Tamil Nadu fishermen have been killed till date, but the centre has not taken any action," he said.

A senior BJP leader told IANS that the party is exploring a possible three- or four-party alliance that includes actor-turned-politician A. Vijayakant-promoted DMDK to fight the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP may also rope in the MDMK and the PMK, he said.

Vaiko declared at Erode on Thursday that for the 2014 general elections, his party would not ally with either the AIADMK or the DMK.
==========================

Vaiko lauds Modi, hits out at Congress
By Express News Service - CHENNAI Published: 29th October 2013 09:49 AM Last Updated: 29th October 2013 09:53 AM


MDMK chief Vaiko’s intentions for the coming Lok Sabha polls came out in the open on Monday, when he heaped praise on BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for his conduct during the serial blasts in Patna on Sunday. Hailing Modi as a leader who kept the wellness of the people in mind, he said, this was evident when the Gujarat CM decided to address the rally despite the blasts.

“How the mega rally was handled by Narendra Modi is amazing. He was more concerned about the safety of the hundreds of thousands of people and not his personal safety. The manner with which Narendra Modi handled the grave situation is copiously laudable and highly commendable,” said the fiery Dravidian leader in a statement.

“He feared that the people should not panic. He refrained from referring to the terror attacks in his speech. Rivers of blood could have flown in North India had some terrible tragedy occurred in the dais,” Vaiko continued.

He lashed out at Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde for attending a music festival despite being told of the blasts. He also hit out at the Bihar government and said vested interests might have wanted riots so the rally would be cancelled.

உனக்குப் பக்கத்து நாடுகள் பால்வார்த்தன. எமக்கு அண்டை நாடொன்று நஞ்சையே தந்தது.

இருண்ட கண்டத்தில் விரிந்த மலரே!
வாழ்த்துக்கள்.
இரும்புத்திரையை உடைத்தெழுந்த கதிரே!
மேகங்களிடம் ‘முத்தங்களும்’
காற்றிடம் ‘மலர்ச்செண்டும்’ அனுப்பியுள்ளோம்.
பெற்றுக்கொள்.

‘இதரைவாழைக்கன்றுகள்’ இரண்டை
இனிவரும் கடலலைகளிடம் கொடுத்து விடுகின்றோம்.
கொடிமரத்துக்கருகில் பாத்தி கட்டி நாட்டிவிடு.
அடிபெருகி எங்கள் அன்புக்குக் குலைதள்ளட்டும்.
நேற்றுவரை தென்னாபிரிக்கா என்றே
உன்னை அழைத்தோம்.
இன்று ‘என் ஆபிரிக்கா’ என்றே
இங்கே ஒவ்வொருவரும் உச்சரித்துக் கொள்கின்றோம்.

‘வாஸ்கொடாமா’வுக்கு மட்டும்தான்
நீ ‘நம்பிக்கைமுனை’யாக இருக்கவில்லை
போராடும் எங்களுக்கும் அப்படித்தான் புலப்படுகின்றாய்
நெல்சன் மண்டேலா!
கறுப்புச் சிங்கமே! கையை நீட்டு.
குலுக்கிக் கொள்ளுவோம்.

உன்னைக் கட்டித்தழுவத் துடிக்கின்றோம்.
என்ன செய்வது நீ எட்ட இருக்கின்றாய்.
அன்று நீ ‘சிம்மாசனம்’ ஏறியபோது
எமக்கேன் அழைப்பனுப்பவில்லை?
சிறீலங்காவுக்கு நீ எந்தவழி உறவு?
விஜேதுங்காவை விருந்துக்கழைத்தபோது
தமிழீழம் உன் கண்களுக்கு ஏன் தட்டுப்படவில்லை?
இது விருந்து கிட்டவில்லையென்ற விசனமல்ல...
போராடும் பூமியொன்றை
புறமொதுக்கிவிட்டாய் என்ற ஆதங்கம் மட்டுமே.
போகட்டும் இதனால் கோபமேதுமில்லை.
இனிமேலாவது நண்பர்களை இனம் கண்டுகொள்.
நன்மை உனக்குத்தான்.

ஆபிரிக்காவின் ‘காப்பிரி’ மக்களே!
சூரியனை வழிமறித்து
தொட்டுப் பேசும் வல்லமையின் வடிவே!
காற்றுக்கொதுங்கிய வெள்ளையன்
நேற்றுவரை உன் முதுகில்தான் இருந்தான்.

கறுப்பனென்று உன்னை அழைத்தபோது
வெள்ளை உதடுகள் வேதனைப்படவில்லை.
மலத்தைக்கூட தன்வீட்டில் அறைகட்டிக் குடியிருத்தியவன்
உன்னை வீதியில் உலாவவிடவில்லை.
படுக்கை அறைக்குள்ளும் நாயை அழைத்தவன்,
அடுப்படிக்குள்ளே கோழியை அனுமதித்தவன்,
கறுப்பனைத்தொடும் காற்றைக்கூட
வெறுத்து விரட்டினான்.

அழகான உன் கரிய மேனியும்
உரமேறிய தசைநார்களும்
அவனுக்கு அச்சத்தைத் தரவில்லை.
அருவருப்பாகவே இருந்தது.

நீ பேசாமல் இருக்கவில்லை
போராடினாய்.
வெற்றிக்கம்பத்தைத்தான்
உன்னால் தொட்டுவிடமுடியவில்லை.

உங்கு வேர்கொண்ட மரங்களெதுவும்
நீர்குடித்து வளரவில்லை.
கறுப்பனின் குருதி குடித்தே தளிர்த்தன.
உலகெங்கும் தார்பூசியே வீதி கறுப்பானது.
உன் நாட்டில் மட்டும்தான்
கறுப்பனின் வியர்வை பட்டு வீதி கறுப்பானது.
வெள்ளைச் சீமாட்டிகளின் விருந்துக்குப் பிறகு
வீசியெறியும் எச்சில் இலைக்காக
உன்பரம்பரை தாழ்வாரத்தில் தவமிருந்தது.
வந்தவன் ஆள நீ வயலில் மாடானாய்.
வெள்ளைக்காரன்
மாட்டுத்தொழுவத்தில் கறுப்பியின் முலைதொடுவான்.
கறுப்பனுக்கு மட்டும் காயடிப்பான்.

நீ புயலாகிப் போராடியவன்தான்.
என்ன செய்வது?
அம்பும் வில்லும்தான் உனக்கு அகப்பட்டது.
அவனிடம் துப்பாக்கியல்லவா இருந்தது!
காலங்கள் கழிந்தனவே தவிர
உன் துன்பங்கள் கழிய வழிவந்து சேரவில்லை.
நீண்ட காலத்தின் பின்
‘நெல்சன் மண்டேலா’ வந்து பிறந்தபோதுதான்
நெஞ்சு நிமிர்த்தினாய்.
எப்படியோ
சுற்றிய இரும்புவேலிச் சுவர்கள் இடிந்தன.
இன்று ஆபிரிக்காவுக்கு சிறகுமுளைத்துவிட்டது.

புதிதாகப் பிறந்த கறுப்புதேசமே!
விடுதலைக்கு நீ கொடுத்த விலையிலும்
அதிகவிலை நாங்கள் கொடுக்கின்றோம்.

நீங்கள் போராடும் விதமே வித்தியாசமானது.
உனக்குப் பக்கத்து நாடுகள் பால்வார்த்தன.
எமக்கு அண்டை நாடொன்று நஞ்சையே தந்தது.
நின்றும், நடந்தும், குனிந்தும், நிமிர்ந்தும்
நீ வசதிக்குத் தக்கபடி வழிமாறியுள்ளாய்.
நாங்கள் பாதை மாற்றும் பரம்பரை இல்லையே!

விடுதலையைப் பேசிப்பெறும் எண்ணம் எமக்கில்லை.
போராடிப்பெறுவதென்றே முடிவு.
பிரபாகரனைப் பார்க்காவிட்டாலும், கேட்டிருப்பாய்.
தொட்டுத் தோழமையை வளர்த்துக் கொள்.

கண்டங்கள் கடந்து வாழ்ந்தாலும்
நாங்கள் உணர்வால் ஒன்றுபட்டவர்கள்.
நிறத்தால் வேறுபட்டாலும்
நீங்கள் விடுதலை பெறவேண்டுமென்று
அதிகம் விரும்பியது நாங்கள்தான்.

ஏன் தெரியுமா?
வெள்ளைக்காரன் உன்னை மட்டுமா அடக்கினான்?
இல்லை.
எம்மை அடக்கவும் எதிரிக்குத் துணைபோனான்.

இங்கே கண்ணிவெடியில் சிதறும்
‘பவள்’ கவச வண்டியை எதிரிக்கு அனுப்பியதே
வெள்ளைத்தோல் வெறியன்தான்.
இனி இது நடக்காது.
நாங்கள் நம்புகின்றோம்.

போராடிப் பெற்ற சுதந்திரத்தின்
பெறுமதி புரிந்தவர்கள் நீங்கள்.
விடுதலையின் முகவரி தெரிந்தவர்களே!
எங்கள் சுதந்திரத்துக்கு முத்திரை ஒட்டுங்கள்
நம்பிக்கைமுனை நாடே!
எங்களின் நம்பிக்கையை
நாசமாக்கி விடாதே;

கறுப்புச் சிங்கமே நெல்சன் மண்டேலா.

ஒரு கேள்வி பதில் வேண்டும்.
சில இடங்களில் சேற்றிலேன் காலைப்புதைத்தாய்?

சமாதானத்துக்கான நோபல் பரிசை
வேடனும் புறாவும் எப்படிப் பங்கிட முடியும்?

குருதிபடிந்த வெள்ளைக் கொலைக்கரமும்
சிறையில் வாடிய உன் கரிய திருக்கரமும்
குலுக்கிக்கொண்டபோது
அந்த விருதை எப்படி விளங்கிக்கொண்டாய்?

பரிசு வாங்கியபோது
உன் பரம்பரை சிந்திய குருதியை
எப்படி மறந்து கைகளை நீட்டினாய்?

என்றாலும் உன்மீது கோபம் வரவில்லை.
கறுப்புச் சிங்கமே! கைகளை நீட்டு.
குலுக்கிக் கொள்ளுவோம்.

- புலவன் புதுவை இரத்தினதுரை

Madiba Has Died At The Age Of 95

 Madiba 1918 - 2019

OBAMA: NELSON MANDELA 'BELONGS TO THE AGES'

 Here is Obama's full statement on Mandela's death:

"At his trial in 1964, Nelson Mandela closed his statement from the dock saying, “I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination.  I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.  It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve.  But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

And Nelson Mandela lived for that ideal, and he made it real.  He achieved more than could be expected of any man.  Today, he has gone home.  And we have lost one of the most influential, courageous, and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this Earth.  He no longer
belongs to us -- he belongs to the ages.

Through his fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, Madiba transformed South Africa -- and moved all of us.  His journey from a prisoner to a President embodied the promise that human beings -- and countries -- can change for the better.  His commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who jailed him set an example that all humanity should aspire to, whether in the lives of nations or our own personal lives.  And the fact that he did it all with grace and good humor, and an ability to acknowledge his own imperfections, only makes the man that much more remarkable.  As he once said, “I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”

I am one of the countless millions who drew inspiration from Nelson Mandela's life.  My very first political action, the first thing I ever did that involved an issue or a policy or politics, was a protest against apartheid.  I studied his words and his writings.  The day that he was released from prison gave me a sense of what human beings can do when they’re guided by their hopes and not by their fears.  And like so many around the globe, I cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that Nelson Mandela set, and so long as I live I will do what I can to learn from him.

To Graça Machel and his family, Michelle and I extend our deepest sympathy and gratitude for sharing this extraordinary man with us.  His life’s work meant long days away from those who loved him the most.  And I only hope that the time spent with him these last few weeks brought peace and comfort to his family.

To the people of South Africa, we draw strength from the example of renewal, and reconciliation, and resilience that you made real.  A free South Africa at peace with itself -- that’s an example to the world, and that’s Madiba’s legacy to the nation he loved.

We will not likely see the likes of Nelson Mandela again.  So it falls to us as best we can to forward the example that he set:  to make decisions guided not by hate, but by love; to never discount the difference that one person can make; to strive for a future that is worthy of his sacrifice.

For now, let us pause and give thanks for the fact that Nelson Mandela lived -- a man who took history in his hands, and bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice.  May God Bless his memory and keep him in peace."

Syrian rebels consider joining forces with Asad regime troops to fight al-Qa’ida

Alliances are shifting after West warns 
wartorn country poses greatest terror threat.

The spectre is looming of a second Syrian civil war with the head of the opposition’s official forces declaring that he is prepared to join regime troops in the future to drive out al-Qa’ida-linked extremists who have taken over swathes of rebel-held territories.

General Salim Idris, the commander of the Free Syrian Army warned that in particular Isis (Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham), with thousands of foreign fighters in its ranks, was “very dangerous for the future of Syria” and needs to be confronted before it becomes even more powerful.

Western security agencies now believe that Syria poses the most potent threat of terrorism in Europe and the US from where hundreds of Muslims have gone to join the jihad. MI5 and Scotland Yard’s anti-terrorist branch recently tackled the first case of men sent from there specifically to carry out attacks in London.

One senior Western intelligence official stressed that the Syrian regime’s forces must be preserved for the battles ahead against the Islamists and the need to avoid the mistakes made in Iraq and Libya, where the army and police were disbanded with the fall of Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi, allowing terrorist groups to rise in a security vacuum.

The official held that talks between the regime and rebels set to take place in Geneva in January could be the beginning of the formation of an anti-al-Qa’ida front in Syria, along with a negotiated settlement to end the conflict which has claimed more than 117,000 lives so far and made millions refugees inside and outside the country.

Speaking in Istanbul, General Idris, a former officer in the regime’s army, said he and his associates were dropping the precondition that Bashar al-Assad must leave power before the Geneva meeting takes place. Instead they would be satisfied if his departure were to take place “at the end of the negotiation process” 

when General Idris will join forces with the remainder of the regime to mount an offensive against the Islamists.

However, the opposition would like to see evidence of good faith from the regime, which would include allowing supplies to get through to communities trapped by the fighting.

General Idris complained his men were having to fight a war on two fronts: they have, he claimed, fought al-Qa’ida at 24 different locations in the last six months while at the same time facing poundings from President Assad’s warplanes and artillery.

What is left of the moderate opposition forces are bitterly critical of Western powers, including Britain, for encouraging people to rise up against the regime, but then doing little to help. Meanwhile, Isis and another Islamist group, Jabhat al-Nusra, have grown in numbers and influence due to money and arms from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

There was particular disillusionment when no military action was taken by the West despite the crossing of Barack Obama’s “red line” with use of chemical weapons in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta by the regime in August. Moderate groups complained this was followed by some of their younger members defecting to the jihadists.

The jihadists have been occupying areas in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib with moderate fighters being killed or forced to flee. Senior officers in the FSA have been among the casualties, one of the most high profile Kamal Hamami, a commander who was shot dead when he travelled to Latakia, an enclave of the Alawite community from which President Assad is drawn, to try and avert a sectarian massacre by the besieging Sunni Islamists.

The FSA has now produced an intelligence dossier charting the rise of the jihadists with Isis “seeking complete domination in liberated areas”. The document estimates that Isis alone now has 5,500 foreign fighters, who “form its main backbone in sensitive operations” as well as 2,000 indoctrinated Syrians from the  northern part of the country. In addition there are 15,000 others who provide support to the group.

The foreign fighters are recruited by a network headed by Abu Ahmad al-Iraqi who, as the name suggests, had served in Iraq. The “most dangerous and barbaric” of these are 250 Chechens based in Aleppo under Abu Omar al-Chechen. Once they reach Syria the foreign volunteers are “fitted with explosive vests and threaten all who dare to confront them”, says the report.


“Isis employs the policy of kidnapping in the areas in which it is deployed,” the dossier continues, pointing out its prisons now hold more than 35 foreign journalists as well as 60 political activists, and more than 100 FSA members. It has set up ambush points in the routes from the Turkish border for abductions.

PFLP condemns occupation murder of Palestinians in Yatta

PFLP condemns occupation murder of Palestinians in Yatta
Dec 01 2013

Palestinians-mourners-funeral

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine condemned the occupation army’s cold-blooded murder of three Palestinians in Yatta, al-Khalil under a flimsy pretext and demanded that Palestinian Authority officials stop their concessions and continuation of the so-called negotiations that serve to cover up this crime.

Moussa Mohammad Moussa Makhamra, Mahmoud Khalid al-Najjar, and Mohammad Fouad Jamil Nairoukh were killed by occupation forces on November 26. The ongoing crimes of the occupation continue, paid for in Palestinian blood, while the Authority attempts to silence the voices and infringe the rights of freedom of expression of the Palestinian people, said the Front. This war crime is an escalation in the ongoing war crimes against the land, rights, and people of Palestine that are taking place without restraint. The Front demanded that the United Nations and international bodies hold the occupation accountable for their crimes.

The Front said that the path forward is that of unity and resistance to the occupation.

பாதுகாப்புப் படையினர் எனச் சந்தேகிக்கும் குழுவினர்!

பாதுகாப்புப் படையினர் எனச் சந்தேகிக்கும் குழுவினர்!

இனப்படுகொலையை மூடிமறைக்கும் கணக்கெடுப்பை நிராகரிப்போம்!

கணக்கெடுப்பு என்ற போர்வையில் சிங்களம் நடத்தும் இனப்படுகொலை இருட்டடிப்பை நிராகரிப்போம்!

விமானக் குண்டு வீச்சு 

கொலைகளுக்கும், சிங்கள அரச 

படையின் படுகொலைகளுக்கும் 

பதிவிடம் இல்லாத சிங்களத்தின் 

 `யுத்த இழப்பு 

கணக்கெடுப்புப் படிவம்`!


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


உண்மை அறிவதற்கு தகுதி


உடையதல்ல!!

கணக்கெடுப்பு என்ற போர்வையில் சிங்களம் நடத்தும் 

இனப்படுகொலை இருட்டடிப்பை

நிராகரிப்போம்!

புதிய ஈழப் புரட்சியாளர்கள்

யுத்த இழப்புக் கணக்கீட்டால் சொத்திழக்கும் தமிழர்!

தற்போது ஆரம்பிக்கப்பட்டிருக்கும் குடிசன மதிப்பீட்டில் வெளிநாட்டில் உள்ளவர்களின் வீடுகள் பற்றிய விபரங்கள் தெரியவரும்,

வெளிநாடுகளில் உள்ள வடக்கு மக்களின் அனைத்து சொத்துக்களும் அரசுடமையாக்கப்படும்! 

அரசாங்கம் அதிரடி அறிவிப்பு
December 02, 20131:37 pm

வெளிநாடுகளுக்கு சென்று அங்கு வசித்து வரும் வடமாகாணத்தை சேர்ந்தவர்களின் சொத்துக்கள் காணிகள் மற்றும் வீடுகள் அரசுடமையாக்கப்பட உள்ளதாக சிறிலங்கா அரசாங்கம் அறிவித்துள்ளது.

தற்போது ஆரம்பிக்கப்பட்டிருக்கும் குடிசன மதிப்பீட்டில் வெளிநாட்டில் உள்ளவர்களின் வீடுகள் பற்றிய விபரங்கள் தெரியவரும் என்றும் அரசாங்கம் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.1982ம் ஆண்டின் பின்னர் போர் காரணமாக ஏற்பட்ட சொத்து மற்றும் உயிர்ச் சேதங்கள் தொடர்பிலான கணக்கெடுப்பு ஆரம்பிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.

போர் காரணமாக முழுமையாக நாட்டை விட்டு வெளியேறி வாழ்ந்து வரும் வடக்கு மக்களின் சொத்துக்களும் இவ்வாறு அரசுடமையாக்கப்பட உள்ளது. முக்கியமாக விடுதலைப்புலிகளின் ஆதரவாளர்களின் வீடுகள் என இனங்காணப்படும் வீடுகளை உடனடியாக அரசுடமையாக்க நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதாக சிறிலங்கா பாதுகாப்பு அமைச்சு அறிவித்துள்ளது.

போர் காரணமாக வடக்கில் இருந்து சுமார் 10 லட்சம் பேர் இலங்கையில் இருந்து வெளியேறி வெளிநாடுகளில் புலம்பெயர்ந்து வாழ்ந்து வருகின்றனர். இவர்களின் வீடுகளை விடுதலைப் புலிகள் பயன்படுத்தி வந்ததுடன் பின்னர் இராணுவத்தினர் அவற்றை கைப்பற்றி பயன்படுத்தி வருகின்றனர்.

US: Patience With Sri Lanka Could 'Wear Thin'

Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswa

US: Patience With Sri Lanka Could 'Wear Thin'
WASHINGTON December 3, 2013 (AP)
By MATTHEW PENNINGTON Associated Press

International patience could wear thin with Sri Lanka unless it takes action to address allegations of atrocities during the island nation's civil war, the top U.S. diplomat for South Asia said Tuesday.

Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal stopped short of endorsing a deadline set last month by British Prime Minister David Cameron, who said he would call for a U.N.-backed inquiry into allegations of war crimes unless there was progress on postwar reconciliation by March.

A U.N. report has suggested Sri Lanka's military may have killed up to 40,000 civilians in the final months of the war in 2009 as it crushed ethnic Tamil rebels, who are also accused of atrocities.

Biswal urged Sri Lanka to take concrete steps on its own, particularly on issues of accountability.

"We would like to see Sri Lanka address these issues through its own processes, and we hope that can in fact be the case," Biswal told reporters, adding that recommendations of a Sri Lankan-government appointed reconciliation commission pointed the way forward.

She said without real progress the patience of the international community "will start to wear thin."

The government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has so far ignored calls for a thorough local inquiry into war abuses and says it will not allow any international probe. He denies allegations of abuses by the army.

Since the Tamil Tigers' 27-year battle for an ethnic homeland ended, Rajapaksa's grip on power has tightened. Recent reports of media harassment and rights abuses have also raised alarms, although a convincing victory for the main ethnic Tamil party in provincial elections in northern Sri Lanka in September were seen as a small step toward devolution of power.

Biswal, portfolio covers South and Central Asia, also voiced concern Friday about political violence in Bangladesh, where street clashes between rival factions have killed about 40 people and wounded hundreds in the past month.

The opposition is resisting government plans to hold a general election on Jan. 5 unless Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina allows a neutral caretaker administration to oversee the polls.

Biswal, who recently visited Bangladesh, called for the major political parties to come together and work out a compromise "that will allow for elections to take place that the people of Bangladesh have confidence in and feel are credible."

She said failure to achieve a peaceful political transition poses the greatest obstacle to Bangladesh continuing its progress of the past decade in areas such as reducing child and maternal mortality and improving food security.

Analysts fear the political chaos could exacerbate the economic woes of the country of 160 million people and lead to radicalization in a strategic pocket of South Asia.

David Cameron calls for China investment in UK’s HS2

December 2, 2013 9:49 am
David Cameron calls for China investment in UK’s HS2
By Kiran Stacey in Beijing FT UK

David Cameron has opened the door to Chinese investment in the High Speed 2 rail line from London to the north.

Premier Li said: “The two sides have agreed to push for a breakthrough and progress in co-operation in the areas of nuclear power and high speed railway.” He added that Mr Cameron’s trade trip, the largest business delegation the UK has led to the country, would “push the UK-China relationship into a new stage”.
“Just like the high-speed trains,” he said, “we need to grow this relationship at a higher speed.”
It builds on the message from the prime minister, who last week told an audience at the V&A Museum: “I’m very interested in what’s happening in terms of high-speed rail in China . . . In terms of HS2, I very much welcome Chinese investment into British infrastructure.”

Mr Cameron will spend his first day of a three-day trip to China in meetings with the three most senior members of the Chinese government: Mr Li, Zhang Dejiang, the chairman of the standing committee of China’s National People Congress, the largely ceremonial parliament, and Xi Jinping, the president.
The visit is his first to China since November 2010, and the first since the current regime took over in November 2012. British ministers had until recently been refused meetings with their Chinese counterparts after the prime minister met the Dalai Lama in London in May 2012.

Mr Cameron has made trade the focus of his trip, despite concerns over human rights violations in China. He said the British government wanted to support “the judicial protection of human rights”, but made it clear that discussions between the two countries over the issue would be held separately next year.

The form of any Chinese investment in HS2 is as yet unclear, but British officials stressed there would be no direct investment in the construction phase of the line, which is due to be funded by the taxpayer. This leaves open the possibility of the Chinese bidding for the concession to run HS2 or investing in peripheral schemes around the route such as developments around stations when the route opens in the 2030s.
The move could prove controversial, deepening Chinese ownership of British infrastructure projects. The UK’s first nuclear power station to be built in a generation was agreed to last month, with the backing of EDF, the French energy company, and various Chinese investors.

Mr Cameron insisted that his government should not be embarrassed about its increasing reliance on Chinese capital. Speaking to journalists, the prime minister said: “I’m not embarrassed that China is investing in British nuclear power, or has shares in Heathrow airport, or Thames Water, or Manchester airport. I think it’s a positive sign of economic strength that we are open and welcome to Chinese investment. That gives, if you like, the British government more firepower to use the capital investment we have for more roads and railways and other things.”

The prime minister also repeated his call for an EU-China trade deal, which he said would boost European businesses and encourage China to liberalise its economy. Mr Cameron has positioned Britain as the greatest champion of such a deal, to the delight of his Chinese hosts, despite European concern that it could lead to domestic manufacturers being undermined by cheap Chinese imports.

போர்க்குற்றவாளிகளின் `யுத்த இழப்பு கணக்கெடுப்பு`! இனப்படுகொலையை மூடிமறைக்கும் மோசடி இருட்டடிப்பு!

http://senthanal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/blog-post.html

தமிழ் ஊடகங்கள் மூடிமறைத்த ஜெயா அரசின் செங்கல்ப்பட்டுக் கைதிகளின் மாவீரர் நினைவு மண்டபத் தகர்ப்பு!

TN Police thwart LTTE Martyrs' Day

 by Our Chennai Correspondent

Tamil Nadu Police have thwarted attempts made by Sri Lankan refugees to commemorate LTTE martyrs at the Chenkalpattu refugee camp on Tuesday (26).

A special police team stormed the camp and demolished the commemorative stone and removed all decorations put up in yellow and red inside the camp premises, reports from Chennai said.

The Special Chenkalpattu Camp, which houses around 100 Lankan refugees, was also thoroughly searched by the special police team, which had banned the commemoration.

The Sri Lankan refugees who had made arrangements for the commemoration chanted slogans against the Tamil Nadu Police and the Government of Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, for interrupting the commemoration ceremony.

Police officers responding to the Chenkalpattu Lankan refugees, said they would not be allowed to commemorate LTTE cadres as the outfit is proscribed in India, sources said.
=========

குறிப்பு: இந்தக் கோர நிகழ்வை, பண்பாட்டுப் படுகொலையை தமிழ் ஊடகங்கள் திட்டமிட்டு மூடிமறைத்து விட்டன. ஜெயா அரசின் செங்கல்ப்பட்டுக் கைதிகளின் மாவீரர் நினைவு மண்டபத் தகர்ப்பை மட்டுமல்ல, முள்ளி முற்றத் தகர்ப்பையும் இவை ஒருமித்து மறைத்து விட்டன.ஜெயா அரசின் சட்டமன்றத் தீர்மானங்களுக்கு செஞ்சோற்றுக் கடன் தீர்க்கும் பொருட்டு இந்த ஈனச்செயலை இவர்கள் செய்துள்ளனர்.இந்த சந்தர்ப்பவாத சமரச துரோகப் பாதை, இவர்கள் யாருக்கு சேவகம் செய்கின்றார்கள் என்பதைத் தோலுரித்துக்காட்டுகின்றது.

Will China leave Rajapaksa in the lurch?

Will China leave Rajapaksa in the lurch?

China's recent advice to Sri Lanka that she should improve on her human rights record, had apparently caused shockwaves to reverberate within the higher echelons of government, sources revealed. The magnitude of government's angst in relation to the statement issued by Chinese Foreign Ministry is easily
conceivable, when the subsequent clarification by the Chinese Embassy, is looked at in its proper perspective.

 The Chinese Embassy did not deny the statement of its Foreign Ministry, which advised the Sri Lankan Government to improve on its human rights record. The clarification by the Embassy merely states that the local media had twisted the statement issue by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Those in the know of backroom manoeuvrings in such matters, may well surmise that the Embassy's statement could have been inspired by the government so as to dispel any doubts in the minds of the common masses who are somewhat conditioned to think that China will act as a safety net when the country is faced with hostile forces in the UNHRC.

A notable fact in this issue is that the Chinese statement on human rights in Sri Lanka comes right after it was admitted as a member of the UNHRC. Before it was elected to the UN body as a member, and when any motion was brought in condemnation of Sri Lanka's human rights record, China sprang to its defence
without any hesitancy. This apparent change of tact by China in relation to the human rights position of the country is rather enigmatic, at least in so far as the government is concerned.

Heavily dependent on China

It is no secret that the Rajapaksa Government depends heavily on Chinese goodwill to help it get out of trouble when serious human rights and war crimes allegations are brought against the country in the UNHRC. In fact, the government has been able to plant it in the minds of its supporters, purely by dint of repetition.

However, those opposing the government dislike China for protecting the Rajapaksa Government. The peoples' differing sentiments on this issue apart, one fact stands out clearly. It is that, Mahinda plays the China card internally or externally, exclusively for political advantage. Internally, it keeps his government strong as his supporters assume that he has the fullest backing from China. Externally, he uses it to chaste India when he deems it necessary to do so.

In light of the foregoing, it may not be too far from the truth if one were to think the statement of the Chinese Foreign Ministry was a body blow to the Rajapaksa Government. Ipso facto, India cannot be more comfortable when quietly savouring the developing scenario. So far, the mandarins of the Indian foreign office were in a quandary as to the possible outcome of India's tight squeeze on Sri Lanka, by voting for the UNHRC resolution at Geneva. They felt alarmed that India, by subscribing to a Western agenda against Sri Lanka on its human rights record, was losing its influence in South Asia, thereby giving an advantage to
China. But now that China has also taken up the call for the protection of human rights as an issue in Sri Lanka, India must feel vindicated. It is not irrelevant here to consider what made China issue a statement which could in all probability rattle the Rajapaksa Government. It reminds one of a parallel situation which arose during the presidency of J.R. Jayewardene. When the war was raging in the North during his tenure, India made an all out effort to sabotage Sri Lanka's war against the terrorists. What JR did then was to send his Finance Minister, Ronnie de Mel, to America, to get help for the country's war effort. Quite interestingly,
when Ronnie met the then American Secretary of State, he did a rather unusual thing. He led Ronnie to a map hanging on the wall of his office and showed him the distances between Sri Lanka, America and India. He advised him to tell his government to settle their contentious issues by mutual agreement.

How America saw the conclusion of the India-Sri Lanka Peace Accord at the time is described in the book titled, Indian intervention in Sri Lanka, as quoted below.

 US Interests

 "Was Indian dominance over Sri Lanka a loss to the US? The letters exchanged in the July 1987 Accord was a clear loss for the United States in the Indian Ocean region, but in spite of this implication, the US Government praised the Accord. The letters referred to the availability of ports, particularly Trincomalee, the Trincomalee oil tank farm deal, the broadcasting facilities and the presence of foreign military and intelligence personnel. Even though all of these concerned US interests in the region, US policy which is based on long-term strategic interests was to ignore and establish a strategic alliance with India. This explained the US reaction to the Indo-Lanka conflict and the ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka.

An official of the Bureau of Research and Intelligence of the US State Department, Washington D.C., informed the author that the letters of the Accord was a direct attack on American interests. The then US Ambassador in Colombo, James Spain, disagreed. He said: "(It) depends on which pair of glasses you put on.

Nobody wanted the facilities of the Indians, and the Indians were scared of." Commenting further on the Accord, Spain said: "Both the Sri Lankans and the Indians got what they wanted out of each other." When asked whether the Americans were aware of the Accord in advance, Spain said: "We first got to know about it when the ongoing discussions between the Voice of America and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation were suddenly suspended."

India important to the US

At this time, America should have helped Sri Lanka, especially in view of the fact that it had agreed to provide certain requests made by America, namely facilitation of setting up of a VOA relay station in the country, and granting Trincomalee oil tanks leasing facilities to an American company. Due to Indian influence, America might have decided to withhold its support to Sri Lanka as India was more important to it. In like manner, if by any chance China was to be asked by India who would be more important to it from the two sides, there would be little wonder if it did not choose India over Sri Lanka. If India conveys to China directly, or indirectly through America, that it has no complaint against China having investment projects in Sri Lanka as long as it goes along with them in the matter of human right issues pertaining to the country, they would naturally prefer to work with India and the international community. This will be to China's advantage as it could then hold up its own human rights record in better light.

China's true commitment to human rights issues will be brought under the spotlight when the Sri Lankan case is brought to the UNHRC next March.

Americans back Iran deal by 2-to-1 margin: Reuters/Ipsos poll

Even if the Iran deal fails, 49 percent want the United States to then increase sanctions and 31 percent think it should launch further diplomacy. But only 20 percent want U.S. military force to be used against Iran.

 Reuters/Ipsos poll

Americans back Iran deal by 2-to-1 margin: Reuters/Ipsos poll
BY MATT SPETALNICK
WASHINGTON Tue Nov 26, 2013 8:49pm EST

(Reuters) - Americans back a newly brokered nuclear deal with Iran by a 2-to-1 margin and are very wary of the United States resorting to military action against Tehran even if the historic diplomatic effort falls through, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Tuesday.

The findings were rare good news in the polls for President Barack Obama, whose approval ratings have dropped in recent weeks because of the botched rollout of his signature healthcare reform law.

According to the Reuters/Ipsos survey, 44 percent of Americans support the interim deal reached between Iran and six world powers in Geneva last weekend, and 22 percent oppose it.

While indicating little trust among Americans toward Iranian intentions, the survey also underscored a strong desire to avoid new U.S. military entanglements after long, costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Even if the Iran deal fails, 49 percent want the United States to then increase sanctions and 31 percent think it should launch further diplomacy. But only 20 percent want U.S. military force to be used against Iran.

The survey's results suggest that a U.S. public weary of war could help bolster Obama's push to keep Congress from approving new sanctions that would complicate the next round of negotiations for a final agreement with Iran.

"This absolutely speaks to war fatigue, where the American appetite for intervention - anywhere - is extremely low," Ipsos pollster Julia Clark said. "It could provide some support with Congress for the arguments being made by the administration."

Tehran accepted temporary restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for limited relief from tough economic sanctions under the Geneva deal, which the White House sees as a "first step" toward ensuring that Iran cannot develop an atomic bomb.

Obama and his aides are casting the Iran deal as the best alternative to a new Middle East conflict as they push back against skeptical lawmakers and close U.S. ally Israel who accuse Washington of giving up too much for too little.

A number of lawmakers, especially Republicans, have insisted they will try to enact stiffer new sanctions, which the Obama administration says would poison the negotiating atmosphere during the six months allotted to achieve a long-term accord.

But signs of significant public support for the Iran deal could give some of Obama's own pro-Israel Democrats, who may fear being branded as inadequately supportive of the Jewish state in the 2014 U.S. congressional elections, political cover to stick with the president.

SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL REMAINS HIGH

Reflecting deep suspicions over Iran's sincerity after more than three decades of estrangement between the two countries, the poll shows that 63 percent of Americans believe Tehran's nuclear program is intended to develop a bomb - although Iran says the project is only for civilian purposes.

Despite that, 65 percent of those polled agreed that the United States "should not become involved in any military action in the Middle East unless America is directly threatened." Only 21 percent disagreed with the statement.

There was every indication, however, that American public support for Israel remained high despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's denunciation of the Iran deal as a "historic mistake" and new strains in U.S.-Israeli relations.

Fifty percent supported the notion that the United States "should use its military power to defend Israel against threats to its security, no matter where they come from." Thirty-one percent disagreed.

Even as the poll showed a moderately favorable response to Obama's attempt at rapprochement with Iran, the diplomatic breakthrough did not appear to have offered any immediate political boost at home to the embattled president. Foreign affairs rarely trump domestic matters in terms of presidential popularity.

"This might have an effect on some of the political dialogue," Clark said. "But I don't think it's a game-changer that's going to reverse the tide from the president's current pretty negative approval ratings."

A separate Reuters/Ipsos tracking poll on Tuesday showed Obama's approval rating languishing at 38 percent, with 56 percent disapproving of the way he is handling his job. He spent the past three days on a swing through Western states trying to recover lost ground over his flawed healthcare rollout.

The final outcome of Obama's Iran engagement strategy remains uncertain, but success would mean a big legacy-shaping achievement that might help to polish what is widely perceived to be a less than stellar foreign policy record.

But if the talks break down and Iran dashes to build an atomic bomb before the West can stop it, Obama could go into the history books as the president whose naivete allowed the Islamic Republic to go nuclear.

The precision of Reuters/Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll - which was conducted from Sunday through Tuesday with 591 respondents - has a credibility interval of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.

(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Alistair Bell and Peter Cooney)

Punish those who celebrated Mahavir – JHU

Sobitha helaurumaya

Punish those who celebrated Mahavir – JHU

Published on Wednesday, 27 November 2013 20:06

Ruling UPFA affiliate Jathika Hela Urumaya demands the government enforces the law and punishes those who had celebrated the LTTE heroes day and formulates new laws if the existing ones are inadequate to mete out the punishment.

In a statement, JHU leader Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha Thera says TNA MP S. Sridharan had made a nearly ½ hour speech in parliament in which he had referred to the birthday of Velupillai Prabhakaran and the LTTE heroes day, describing the slain LTTE chief as a national hero and a liberator.

Also, lamps were lit and red and yellow flowers offered at Karaveddi Pradeshiya Sabha in Jaffna to remember dead LTTE cadres, attended by TNA members.

The statement says that from time to time since the defeat of the Tamil separatist Tiger terrorism in 2009, the TNA and pro-LTTE groups had tried to hold such remembrances.

By now, the TNA, which serves as the LTTE’s front, has been bold enough to extend such acts to parliament.

Also north chief minister Vigneswaran had compared Prabhakaran to freedom fighter Keppetipola, while Suresh Premachandran called for a taking up of arms once again, says the Thera.

The military has been saying over and over again that it is illegal to hold LTTE heroes days and remembrances, while the police spokesman said the law would be enforced against those who hold such events.

The law should be enforced now to prevent a recurrence before it is too late, and the government has a responsibility to nip those attempts in the bud, the JHU leader adds.

Parliament: TNA MP condemned for lionising dead Tiger leader

 '' I request Sritharan to consider Sri Lanka as a country of one nation comprising several communities," Minister Dissanayake said.

MP.Sritharan

Parliament: TNA MP condemned for lionising dead Tiger leader

November 26, 2013, 9:20 pm
By Saman Indrajith

The government and the Opposition joined forces in Parliament yesterday to condemn a speech delivered by TNA Jaffna District MP S. Sritharan, praising the dead LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. He said that Prabhakaran was a national hero and called upon Tamils to commemorate his death.

MP Sritharan was condemned by MPs of both sides for attempting to deliver the Mahaveera commemorative lecture in Parliament.

Sritharan, participating in the second reading stage debate on Budget 2014, read out from a piece of paper that he had brought into the Chamber. He was delivering his speech in the Tamil language. There were several MPs, on both sides, listening to Sritharan’s speech. After he had delivered a speech, lasting nearly

half an hour, on the life of Prabhakaran and justifying the LTTE’s violence, Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake said the MP had violated the country’s laws. "I came here today to deliver a speech on the budget, but now I am compelled to talk about something else. Prabhakaran was a criminal who killed not

only Sinhalese but also Tamils. Who killed the leaders of EPDP, TULF, and TELO? It was Prabahakaran! He was the one who caused irrecoverable losses to the Tamil community by killing Tamil leaders such as Lakshman Kadirgamar and Neelan Thiruchelvam.

Prabahakaran also killed his own people who tried to surrender to the government."

Minister Dissanayake requested MP Sritharan not to fan the flames of racial hatred and not to depict a ruthless terrorist as a hero. Prabahakaran had killed so many innocent civilians and looted their monies and jewellery. It was very pathetic that MP Sritharan was calling for a Mahaviru Commemoration to mark

Prabhakarans’ birth anniversary. I request Sritharan to consider Sri Lanka as a country of one nation comprising several communities," Minister Dissanayake said.

UNP Kurunegala District MP Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, too, condemned Sritharan’s attempt.

Vanni District UPFA MP Hunais Farook, got up raising a point of order and requested the Chair to remove all Sritharan’s statements promoting ethnic and racial disharmony.

The presiding Member was Deputy Committee Chairman Chandrakumar Murugesu, representing Jaffna District. He ordered that all what MP Sritharan had mentioned, in violation of Standing Orders, of Parliament, be expunged from the Hansard.

கார்த்திகை 27

சிறப்புச் செய்தி: மாவீரர் நாள் கார்த்திகை 27 2013

செங்கல்ப் பட்டு சிறை முகாம் கைதிகள் கட்டியெழுப்பிய தமிழீழ மாவீரர் மண்டபத்தைத் தகர்த்து தரைமட்டமாக்கி, நினைவு நடுகல்லை இடித்து விழுத்தி காலால் உதைத்துத் தள்ளும் ஜெயா அரசின் `நம் தமிழ்` காவல் படை!

`` மாவீரர் தினம் மக்கள் உரிமை `` : யாழ்.பல்கலைக்கழக ஆசிரியர் சங்கத் தலைவர் மீது பாய்ந்தது பயங்கரவாதக் குற்றத்தடுப்பு பிரிவு

யாழ்.பல்கலைக்கழக ஆசிரியர் சங்கத் தலைவர் மீது பாய்ந்தது பயங்கரவாதக் குற்றத்தடுப்பு பிரிவு
[ செவ்வாய்க்கிழமை, 26 நவம்பர் 2013, 10:33.21 AM GMT ]

யாழ்.பல்கலைக்கழக ஆசிரியர் சங்கத்தின் தலைவர் இ.இராசகுமாரன் பயங்கரவாதக் குற்றத் தடுப்பு பொலிஸாரால் விசாரணைக்கு உட்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளார்.

இந்த விசாரணை இன்று மாலை யாழ்ப்பாணத்திலுள்ள பயங்கரவாதக் குற்றத் தடுப்பு பிரிவு அலுவலகத்தில் இடம்பெற்றுள்ளது.

யாழ்ப்பாணத்திலுள்ள பத்திரிகை ஒன்றில் இருந்து வெளியான செய்தி தொடர்பிலேயே தம்மிடம் விசாரணை மேற்கொள்ளப்படவுள்ளதாக தலைவர் முன்னர் தெரிவித்திருந்தார்.

ஆனால் யாழ்.பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் மாவீரர் நாள் நிகழ்வுகள் நடைபெறலாம் என்ற அச்சம் காரணமாகவே அச்சுறுத்தும் வகையிலான செயற்பாடுகள் இவ்வாறு மேற்கொள்ளப்படுவதாக ஆசிரியர் சங்கம் குற்றஞ்சாட்டியுள்ளது.

யாழ்.பல்கலைக்கழக ஆசியரியர் சங்கத்தின் தலைவர் அ.இராசகுமாரான் இன்று மாலை சிறிலங்கா பயங்கரவாத குற்றத்தடுப்பு காவல்துறையினரால் கைது செய்யப்பட்டு விசாரணைக்கு உட்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளார்.

இரண்டாம் இணைப்பு

யாழ்.பல்கலைக்கழக ஆசியரியர் சங்கத்தின் தலைவர் அ.இராசகுமாரான் இன்று மாலை சிறிலங்கா பயங்கரவாத குற்றத்தடுப்பு காவல்துறையினரால் கைது செய்யப்பட்டு விசாரணைக்கு உட்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளார்.

சிறிலங்கா இராணுவத்தினரும், காவலதுறையினரும் மாவீரர் தினத்தினை மக்கள் அனுஸ்டிப்பதை தடுத்து நிறத்த முடியாது என்று கூற முடியாது என்றும், அனைத்து தமிழ் மக்களுக்கும் மாவீரர்களை நினைவுகூற உரிமை உள்ளது என்றும் நேற்று முன்னதினம் யாழ்.ஊடகங்களில் அறிக்கை விடுத்திருந்தார்.

இதன் எதிரோலியாகவே அவர் பயங்கரவாத குற்றத்தடுப்பு காவல்துறையினரால் இன்று விசாரணைக்கு உட்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளார்.

மாலை 3 மணியளவில் யாழ்.நாவலர் வீதியில் அமைந்துள் பயங்கரவாத குற்றத்தடுப்பு காவல்துறை அலுவலகத்திற்கு அழைக்கப்பட்ட அவர், இரவு 7 மணியாகியும் விடுவிக்கப்படவில்லை என்று தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

யாழில் நாளை மாவீரர் தினத்தினை அனுஸ்டிப்பதை தடுத்து நிறுத்த சிறிலங்கா அரசாங்கம் மேற்கொண்டுள்ள நடவடிக்கையே இது என்று தெரியவந்துள்ளது.

மாவீரர் தினத்தையொட்டி தமிழ்ச் செய்தி இணையங்கள் மீது சிங்களம் தாக்குதல்!

ஊடகங்கள் மீதான தாக்குதலாளர்கள் அடையாளம் காணப்பட்டுள்ளனர்
பதிவு இணையம்

தமிழ்த்தேசிய ஊடகங்கள் மீது தொடர்ந்து நடைபெறும் தாக்குதல்கள் சிறீலங்காவின் வழிநடத்தலில் அவர்களின் அனுசரணையாளர்களாக விளங்கும் ஐரோப்பாவில் உள்ள தமிழர் தொலைபேசி நிறுவனத்தின் நிதியிலும் கட்டளையிலும் இந்தியாவிலிருந்தே நடைபெற்றுக் கொண்டிருப்பதாக எமது தொழில்நுட்பவியலாளர்கள் உறுதி செய்துள்ளனர். இதனை இந்தத் தொலைத் தொடர்பு குழுமத்தின் உள்ளகத் தொடர்புகள் உறுதி செய்துள்ளன. இந்தக் குழுமத்தின் சிறீலங்காத் தொடர்புகள் பற்றியும் இராஜபக்ச குடும்பத்துடனான தொடர்புகள் பற்றியும் தமிழ்த் தேசிய ஊடகங்கள் எழுதி வந்தமை தெரிந்ததே. தமிழ்தேசிய ஊடகங்கள் தவிர்ந்த வேறு சில இணைய ஊடகங்களும் நேற்று இந்தத் தாக்குதலுக்கு உள்ளாகி உள்ளது.

மேலும், தமிழ்த்தேசிய ஊடகங்கள் மீது நாளையும் தொடர்ச்சியான தாக்குதல்கள் நடாத்துமாறு கட்டளையிடப்பட்டுள்ளது எனவும் இக் குழுமத்தின் உள்ளகத் தகவல்கள் தெரிவித்துள்ளன. மாவீரர் நாளில் தாயக, தமிழக, புலம்பெயர் தேசத்து மக்களின் எழுச்சியையும் இன உணர்வையும் தடுக்கத் தனது சக்திவளம் முழுவதையும் சிறீலங்கா அரசு பிரயோகிக்க அவர்களுக்குத் துணையாகத் தமிழ்த்தேசிய ஊடகங்களை முடக்கும் நடவடிக்கையில் இந்தத் தொலைபேசிக் குழுமம் ஈடுபட்டுள்ளது உறுதியாகி உள்ளது.

ஜெயா அரசின் பண்பாட்டுப் படுகொலை! செங்கல்ப்பட்டு சிறைமுகாமில் மாவீரர் தினத்துக்கு தடை!!

செங்கல்பட்டு சிறைமுகாமில் மாவீரர் தின அலங்காரங்கள் கிழிப்பு! மாவீரர் நினைவு மண்டபம் கடற்பாரை கொண்டு தகர்ப்பு!

பிரமாண்டம்: செங்கல்ப்பட்டு கைதிகள், 
சிறைமுகாமுக்குள் கட்டியெழுப்பிய மாவீரர் நினைவு மண்டபம்

செங்கல்பட்டு சிறப்பு முகாமில் மாவீரர் நாள் அனுசரிக்க தடை. சின்னங்களை இடித்து அகற்றிய காவல்துறை!  

Top News [Tuesday, 2013-11-26 22:31:07]

செங்கல்பட்டு சிறப்பு முகாமில் அடைத்து வைக்கப்பட்ட ஈழத் தமிழர்கள் ஆண்டுதோறும் மாவீரர் நாளில் போரில் இறந்த சொந்தங்களை நினைவு கூர்வது வழக்கம். அதற்காக அவர்கள் சிறப்பு முகாமில் உள்ளேயே நினைவு சின்னம் அமைத்து நவம்பர் 27 நாளில் மாவீர்களுக்கு அஞ்சலி செலுத்துவர். அணி அணியாக விளக்குகள் வைத்து மாவீரர்களுக்கு சுடர் வணக்கம், மலர் வணக்கம் செய்து வந்தனர். மஞ்சள் சிகப்பு வண்ண தோரணங்களை நினைவு சின்னம் சுற்றிலும் கட்டியிருந்தனர் . சென்ற ஆண்டும் மாவீரர் நாளை
சிறப்பு முகாமில் இருந்த அனைவரும் அனுசரித்தனர். இதனால் யாருக்கும் இடையூறு இல்லை. காரணம் இது அவர்கள் தனிப்பட்ட நிகழ்வாகவே அனுசரித்து வந்தனர் .

அச்சம்: அலங்கார வண்ணக் கொடிக்கம்பத்தை பிடுங்கி 
செம்மஞ்சள் கொடிகளைக் கிழித்தெறியும் அரச படை

இந்நிலையில், மாவீரர் நாளை அனுசரிக்க எல்லா ஏற்பாடுகளும் முடிந்துவிட்ட நிலையில் , இன்று தமிழக காவல்துறை மாவீரர் நாளை அனுசரிக்க தடை விதித்தது. இறந்த உறவுகளுக்கு முகாமில் அஞ்சலி செலுத்தக் கூடாது என்று உத்தரவிட்டது . அதை தொடர்ந்து மாவீரர் நிகழ்ச்சி ஏற்பாடுகளை அதிரடியாக இடிக்கத் தொடங்கியது . இதை பார்த்த ஈழத் தமிழர்கள் அதிர்ச்சியில் உறைந்தனர். காவல்துறையை கண்டித்து முழக்கமிட்டனர். ஆனால் எதையும் காதில் வாங்கிப் போட்டுக் கொள்ளாத தமிழக காவல்துறை , மாவீரர் நாளுக்காக அங்கு நிறுவப்பட்டிருந்த நினைவு தூபி மற்றும் கொடிக் கம்பங்களை இடித்து அகற்றியது. தோரணங்களை கிழித்து எறிந்தது.இறந்த சொந்தகளுக்கு கூட அஞ்சலி செலுத்த இந்த அரசு தடை விதித்துள்ளதை முகாம் வாசிகள் கடுமையாக எதிர்த்துள்ளனர்.

நீசத்தனம்: சிறைக்கைதிகள் கட்டியெழுப்பிய நினைவு மண்டபம் தகர்ப்பு

காவல்துறையின் இந்த அராஜக நடவடிக்கையை கண்டித்து நாளை 45 ஈழத் தமிழர்கள் பட்டினிப் போராட்டத்தில் ஈடுபட உள்ளனர்.

நாம் தமிழர்: மாவீரர் நடுகல்லை தகர்க்கும் முயற்சி

தமிழக அரசு இப்போது ஈழத் தமிழர்களுக்காக அனுசரிக்கப்படும் அனைத்து நிகழ்வுகளையும் தடை செய்து வருகிறது . முள்ளி வாய்க்கால் நினைவு முற்றம் சுற்றுப் புற சுவரை அண்மையில் தமிழக அரசு இடித்ததும் குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

கடற்பாரைத் தாக்குதல்: காக்கிச் சட்டைக் காலடியில் கற்சிலை!

நன்றி: செய்தி புகைப்படங்கள் http://www.seithy.com/briefTopNews.php?newsID=97747&category=TopNews&language=tamil 
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