Socialists across the world declare solidarity with Sri Lanka's Tamils

The NSSP, the Sri Lankan section of the United Secretariat of the Fourth International, is campaigning to oppose the Sri Lankan government’s military onslaught against the Tamil people. As part of this, it has launched a statement now signed by thirty USFI and other socialist organisations across the world.

While maintaining our disagreements with the USFI, Workers’ Liberty has signed the statement, and we urge other socialist/revolutionary organisations in Britain to do likewise.

For more information, see the NSSP website.

Sri Lanka appeal

In the aftermath of the unilateral withdrawal by the Rajapakse regime from the Ceasefire Agreement, and the growing civilian massacres, destruction and absence of the rule of law, there can be little doubt that the government’s intention to impose a military solution to the Tamil question is bringing grief and suffering to huge numbers of civilians of all ethnic groups, not only Tamils but also the Sinhala and Muslim masses.

We have a collective duty of solidarity with peoples subjugated by oppressive regimes. That is why we defend the just cause of the Tamil people and demand justice and peace for them in their homeland where they have lived for centuries. The permanent risk to human life and the absence of productive life are condemning hundreds of thousands of Tamils to be refugees in their own homeland, without shelter, suffering from shortages of food, fuel, medical supplies and electricity. This brings untold suffering to the sick and needy, especially affecting women and children.

Since 1974 our comrades of the NSSP/Left Front have been campaigning for the recognition of the Tamil nationality, autonomy for their homeland and their right to self-determination. This constitutes the basis for the resolution of the chronic and deteriorating conflict in Sri Lanka.

In the present crucial moment we appeal to left and progressive organisations, trade unions, intellectuals and the progressive media all over the world to give their support to a solution based on the recognition of Tamil nationhood, their homeland, autonomy and the right to self-determination. We demand that the Sri Lankan government halt air bombardments and artillery shelling of civilian settlements, restore the ceasefire and abandon its attempts to impose its will on the Tamil people by military force.

Launched 4 March 2008

The signatories

Algeria - Socialist Workers Party (PST)
Basque country - Ezker Gogoa (EG)
Belgium - Socialist Workers' Party (SAP)
Bolivia - Partido Obrero Revolucionario. Combate
Brazil - Socialism and Freedom Party (P-SOL)
Denmark - Socialist Workers' Party (SAP)
Ecuador - Democracia Socailista (DS)
Ecuador - Refundacion Socialista (RS)
France - Revolutionary Communist League (LCR)
France - Europe Solidaire Sans Frontiere (ESSF)
Germany - International Socialist Left (ISL)
Germany - Revolutionary Socialist League (RSB)
Greece - Kokkino – Red
Greece - Organization of Communist Internationalists of Greece-Spartacus (OKDE Spartakos)
Italy - Bandiera Rossa Association (BRA)
Japan - Japan Revolutionary Communist League (JRCL)
Mexico - Revolutionary Workers' Party (PRT)
Netherlands - Socialist Alternative Politics (SAP))
Netherlands - International Institute for Research and Education (IIRE)
Pakistan - Labour Party of Pakistan (LPP)
Peru - Resistencia Global (RG)
Philippines - Revolutionary Workers Party - Mindanao (RWP-M)
Puerto Rico - Political Education Workshop (TFP)
USA - International Socialist Organization (ISO)
UK – International Socialist Group (ISG)
UK – Workers’ Liberty (AWL)
Sweden - Socialist Party (SP)
Switzerland – G Anticap
Turkey - Freedom and Solidarity Party (ODP)
Quebec - Gauche Socialiste (GS)

Source: workersliberty.org

Sri Lanka State Own Television - Rupavahini under Military Control ?

Sri Lanka state-owned television station - Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corperation (SLRC) is now running under the controller of military following the management declared a "holiday" overnight to avert a strike, union workers said.

The premises was barricaded and only a few selected staffers were allowed in, television workers said

According to sources, the Main Control Room of channel now controlled by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) personnels. Also a large number of military personnel including the anti-riot squad have been deployed at the SLRC premises.

Several Rupavahini workers including a female, have been attacked continuously following an incident where junior labor minister Mervyn Silva was held hostage by staff of the station after he stormed the newsroom and assaulted its news chief.

President Mahinda Rajapakse is to meet television worker unions later in the day.

All live programs of the channel were halted since Friday (14). The station now airing only pre-recorded programs.

International media rights bodies have said Sri Lanka is one of the world's most dangerous places for journalists after Iraq.

Source: nidahasa.com

Maritime defence expo gets under way today

AT least 16 warships from nine countries have arrived in Doha as part of the 1st Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference, (DIMDEX 2008), getting under way today at Doha International Exhibition Center.
The exhibition, the first of its kind to be hosted in Qatar, will feature more than 80 manufacturers in the warship industry, from 14 countries.
HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will inaugurate the three-day event.
Giving this information yesterday, the organisers, represented by Qatar Emiri Naval Forces (QENF) and Qatar MICE Development Institute (QMDI), said the exhibition would feature at least 58 VIP delegations from 42 countries, including several world renowned naval experts.
Head of Maritime Studies Programme at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence (RUSI), Lee Willet, said the conference to be held alongside the exhibition was as important as the event itself for the participants as well as those interested in understanding the latest developments in the warships arena.
Working in the military sciences department at the UK’s RUSI, Willet has held several responsibilities related to military capability programmes and their research.
The inaugural exhibition will serve the strategic maritime security needs of the Middle East and North African (Mena) region, said Roger Marriott, managing director of Dimdex 2008. He said the event was modelled after a major exhibition like Imdex Asia series in Singapore. National pavilions from France, Germany, UK, USA and Sweden would be among the exhibitors, he added.
“The Mena region is one of the most strategically important maritime regions in the world and, as a result, one of the fastest growing marketplaces for naval procurements,” he said.
Naval expenditure over the next 20 years is forecast to reach $23bn, with some 300 new ships expected to be manufactured, together with associated naval systems and helicopters over the period, added Mariott.
Speaking later, Staff Colonel of QENF Khalid Yehya Alkhuzaei said that in the Mena region, there was no dedicated forum for the promotion of maritime systems and equipment. “As a result, our leaders and policymakers have decided to stage a major event in Doha, catering to the needs of the region,” he said.
QENF Staff Brigadier Mohamed N al-Mohannadi will host the VIP delegations at the event.
The conference will feature presentations from senior officers and policy experts on the theme ‘Challenges, capabilities and co-operation in maritime security’.
The programme includes 12 parallel sessions involving a total of 46 international speakers.
Bob Nugent, a senior naval market consultant was among those present at the briefing. Until recently, Nugent served as director of command and control programmes for the US Navy’s acquisition staff at the Pentagon. Also in attendance was Marc Holloram, an official of Dimdex 2008.
High ranking naval officials from Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Egypt, Eritrea, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Arab League, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, The Netherlands, Oman, Pakistan, The Philippines, Poland, Qatar, South Korea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, USA and Yemen will participate in the event.

Source: gulf-times.com

One Third of Sri Lanka will go under Water once India completes Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project

One third of Sri Lanka is to go under water once India completes cutting the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project. So far Sri Lankan Government has not protested to India for making arrangements to cut this Ship Canal Project, a catastrophic land subsidence program which would immerse one third of Sri Lanka under water?

The geological survey reveals that dredging the floor bed of the Gulf of Mannar, there is a grave danger of land subsidence and likelihood of sea overcoming several islands belonging to Sri Lanka in the western coast and Jaffna peninsula along with several areas in the Western portion of the mainland up to Anuradhapura getting inundated and gradually sinking into the ocean in the future.

But despite warning by numerous researchers on this project and even by the Committee appointed by the Foreign Affairs Ministry to go into this Canal Cutting project, Sri Lanka Government has not taken up this issue seriously to sent in its protest to India, urging to stop the canal cutting forthwith.

Land Subsidence

Since 1999, K.T.Rajasingham has pointed out, “.. When India begins the cutting of a canal in the Gulf of Mannar region, there is the possibility for many islands, nearly 85 islands from the north up to Galle in the south and a large portion of land mass in the west and northern coast to go under the sea.”

An Article written by K.T.Rajasingham, who was one of the pioneers who warned Sri Lanka about the dangers of this Ship Canal Project, cautioned the Sri Lanka Government way back in 1999, that if this Canal cutting is completed then “Jaffna peninsula could go under water once Miocene era lime stone reefs extracted away and its continuity forcefully terminated. It is deplorable that India has decided to implement a catastrophic land subsidence program without taking into account the serious environmental implications it might cause to its neighboring country. "

Rajasingham in his article further pointed out, “According to geologists, once a canal with a total length of 99.88 nautical miles is laid by dredging the sea-floor 35 to 40 feet below the present level, it would tend to break the continuous limestone formation, which would result in causing sudden tilt, drift, gravitational pull and numerous other violent process also might take place deep inside the floor-bed of Lanka and its islands.

He added, “It is also said that this process of land subsidence may not happen immediately, but there is likelihood of sea overcoming several islands belonging to Sri Lanka in the western coast and Jaffna peninsula along with several areas in the Western portion of the mainland inundated and gradually to sink into the ocean in the future.



Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project

Sri Lanka Government’s concern

Sri Lankan at one point of time showed serious concern about the proposed canal cutting to link Palk Strait with the Gulf of Mannar and the Bay of Bengal. Its epicenter was India's proposed 'Sethusamudra Ship Canal Project (SSCP)'. The groundswell resulting from it fuelled by massive media hype which was equally earth shattering on both sides of the Palk Strait.

Subsequently, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was compelled to issue a press release on 14 October 2004, to calm the rising tide of public concern over the proposed SSCP as follows:

"During the past weeks, there has been extensive public discussion regarding the perceived implications arising for Sri Lanka from the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project to be implemented by the Government of India".

The press release added that, "overall, the views expressed in the public domain in this regard have arisen because of the possible broad repercussions of the project on Sri Lanka in environmental and economic terms, as well as concerns arising from its proximity to the territorial seas and the landmass of Sri Lanka". It further informed the public that the government had taken these concerns on board and had appointed an Inter-Ministerial Committee to report on same, while simultaneously being engaged in a process of consultation with India. “

Subsequently Foreign Affairs Ministry appointed a Committee to go into this India’s Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project.

Even after the report has been presented by the Committee warning of the serious implication that will ensue, Sri Lanka Government has so far not protested to India to stop dredging the Palk Strait to avoid a major portion of the Island going under the water.

Environmental concern by the Ministry

RecentlyAsian Tribune contacted Champika Ranawaka Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

The Minister said, “As far as the Sethu Samuthira Shipping Canal Project is concerned, I think that various aspects of the project have been taken into consideration for the benefit of India and Sri Lanka as well.”

He added, “The security aspects, the environmental aspects and few social issues are also taken in for consideration. As far as the Environmentalist are concerned there are concern about Maritime, biodiversity and various other things.”

“We have already informed our concerns to the relevant Indian authorities. Our concern is about maritime biodiversity that can be destroyed and they have taken into account and they have informed us that we prepare a comprehensive environmental impact assessment on that and these proposal have been send to the Indian Authority and they are yet to reply to us. At present, we are discussing how we could jointly implement various remedial measures to conserve our marine environment,” Minister Champika Ranawaka pointed out.

Asian Tribune: But I think that you have not taken up the geological aspect of the project. This concern was there even before you took up the environment ministry. Some people who have represented Sri Lanka Government has not fully represented the cause and concerns of Sri Lanka.

Minister Champika Ranawaka: There is a committee at the Foreign Ministry and our officials are also members of this committee and our concerns are very clearly identified and actually the proposal has now been clearly formulated. This proposal, the environmental impact assessment has been already submitted to the relevant Indian Authorities and we are discussing now what practical measures are needed to conserve the environment. As far as the commercial aspect is concerned there will be very little impact on our commercial ports.

However Asian Tribune learns that Sri Lankan authorities have failed to look into the geological impact of this project when more than 35 to 40 meters of the seabed floor of Gulf of Mannar is dredged.

Source: asiantribune.com

LTTE ready for talks if Lankan govt halts attacks

The Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka have expressed readiness to hold talks with the government in Colombo if it halted the military operations against them, but warned that the offer should not be seen as "any desperation" on their part to stop the war.

"The LTTE is prepared to commence negotiations with the Sri Lankan government if the government security forces are ordered to halt their military operations. It was the government which started the war," the LTTE political head P Nadesan told a group of Parliamentarians from the pro-rebel Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in Wanni recently.

"The offer of the LTTE for a ceasefire and talks should not be construed as any desperation on our (LTTE) part to stop the war. The ball is in the Sri Lankan government's court. It was they who started the armed attack," Nadesan was quoted as saying by Suresh Premachandran, a TNA MP from Jaffna District who was present at the meeting.

Nadesan had held lengthy discussions with the 13 TNA MPs who had gathered for the funeral of their colleague K Sivanesan, who was killed in a roadside bomb attack on March 6 in Wanni.

"The (LTTE) political chief Nadesan said the LTTE can reciprocate if the Sri Lankan government offers a ceasefire but if they want to continue with the attack, the LTTE is fully prepared for it," Premachandran said.

Source: Times Of India

Sri Lanka Military: Fighting Kills 30

Suspected separatist Tamil rebels killed a police officer and a soldier in separate attacks in northern Sri Lanka on Sunday, the military said, taking the death toll from two days of violence to 30.

Tamil Tiger rebels ambushed a motorized rickshaw with a roadside bomb in Vavuniya district, killing one soldier and wounding four others, the military said in a statement.

Also Sunday, guerrillas shot dead a police officer in northern Mannar district, the statement said.

Seven other soldiers and 21 Tamil rebels have been killed in clashes across Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar and Welioya regions since late Friday, the military said.

Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan could not be reached for comment.

However, the pro-rebel TamilNet Web site said the rebels beat back advancing troops Friday on three fronts in Mannar and Welioya regions, killing 22 soldiers.

It was not possible to obtain independent accounts of the battles because reporters have been barred from the war zone. Each side routinely exaggerates the other's casualty figures while underreporting its own.

The rebels have fought since 1983 to create an independent state for ethnic minority Tamils after decades of marginalization by governments controlled by majority Sinhalese.

More than 70,000 people have been killed in the violence.

Source: AP via GOOGLE

Anura Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka's famous political dynasty dies at 59

Anura Bandaranaike, a former Sri Lankan foreign minister and member of the country's famous Bandaranaike political dynasty, died Sunday after an illness, a government spokesman said. He was 59.

Both his parents and his sister led Sri Lanka, but Bandaranaike's own political ambitions were frustrated by political battles within his family.

Bandaranaike was first elected to parliament in 1977 and served as minister of higher education, speaker of parliament and opposition leader, but he was never able to rise to the highest office in this Indian Ocean island nation.

He died Sunday, said government spokesman Anusha Pelpita.

Bandaranaike was appointed foreign minister after his predecessor Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated in 2005. He lost the post in a Cabinet reshuffle a few months later, however.

Just a few months before his death, Bandaranaike quit the Cabinet and joined the opposition over differences with President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Bandaranaike's father, Solomon Dias Bandaranaike, founded the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and served as prime minister from 1956 until his assassination three years later. His mother took office soon after her husband's killing and ruled for a total of 12 years.

His mother chose his sister, Chandrika Kumaratunga, as her political heir instead of him and she ruled the country from 1994 to 2005.

Sunethra, the eldest Bandaranaike sibling, did not take part in politics.

Bandaranaike was born on Feb. 15, 1949.

Source: IHT

Groups of LTTE sympathisers exist in TN, Kerala

Small groups of people who sympathise with Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers exist in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan said on Sunday.

"We have reports about pockets in both these states helping the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam). The state intelligence agencies and the Intelligence Bureau are working on this information," Narayanan told reporters here.

Early this month, the Tamil Nadu police seized a boat from a boatyard in Kerala that was being manufactured for the LTTE

Source: sify.com

Ahmadinejad to visit Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan official sources declared the Iranian president is to trip to the country in April.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is also slated to scrutinize projects which are to be carried out by the two countries.

Iran has agreed to fund projects worth about 1.9 billion dollars in Sri Lanka following the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa tour to Tehran in November 2007, Sri Lankan official sources said.

Source: isna.ir

Sri Lankan military says 5 Tamil rebels, 3 soldiers killed in fighting in the north

Clashes in Sri Lanka's embattled north killed five Tamil Tiger rebels and three soldiers, while air force jets bombed a rebel training camp, the military said Saturday.

The combatants were killed Friday in four separate clashes in the Jaffna, Mannar and Welioya regions, the military said in a statement.

On Saturday, fighter jets bombed a rebel training camp near their de facto capital of Kilinochchi, the statement said. It did not give details on any damage or casualties.

Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan could not be reached for comment.

It was not possible to obtain independent accounts of the battles because reporters have been barred from the war zone. Each side often exaggerates the other's casualty figures while underreporting its own.

Tamil Tiger rebels have fought since 1983 to create an independent state in the island's north and east for ethnic minority Tamils who have been marginalized by successive governments controlled by majority ethnic Sinhalese.

More than 70,000 people have been killed in the violence.

Source: IHT