India asks Sri Lanka to stop military offensive against Tamils

With the political temperature rising in Tamil Nadu over the situation in Sri Lanka, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon Friday summoned Sri Lankan High Commissioner C.R. Jayasinghe and asked Colombo to “take steps” to stop the violence that has severely affected Tamil civilians in the island nation. “India expressed grave concerns over the ongoing violence in Sri Lanka. He asked Colombo to take concrete steps to stop the military offensive in Sri Lanka,” an official source said after Menon summoned Jayasinghe to South Block, the seat of the external affairs ministry, to register India’s unhappiness with the situation in Sri Lanka.

This is the third message from New Delhi to Colombo in the last three days.

With Tamil Nadu MPs threatening to resign en masse if the violence against innocent Tamils is not stopped in Sri Lanka, Menon again impressed upon Colombo to pursue a negotiated political solution, rather than continue with military means to settle the decades-old ethnic feud.

Menon also asked Colombo to ensure that the harassment and killing of Indian fishermen in neighbouring areas are stopped forthwith.

Menon’s decision to summon the Sri Lankan envoy comes a day after President Mahinda Rajapaksa told The Hindu newspaper that his government was committed to finding “a just and enduring political solution” and there were “no military solutions to political questions”.

This shows New Delhi’s growing impatience with Colombo over the way the Sri Lankan government has launched its biggest ever offensive against the Tamil Tigers, leading to much hardship and suffering for civilians caught in the crossfire, the source said.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had sent a stern message to Colombo Thursday asking it to shun “military means” and pursue a political settlement that respects the human rights of minorities in the island nation.

“It is essential that their rights be respected, that they be immune from attacks, and that food and other essential supplies be allowed to reach them,” Mukherjee said.

In a clear warning to Colombo, Mukherjee said the Indian government would “do all in its power to achieve this goal and to ameliorate the humanitarian conditions in Sri Lanka”.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday had asked Sri Lanka to de-escalate hostilities and pursue a negotiated political settlement.

In Colombo, India’s High Commissioner Alok Prasad met Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and conveyed New Delhi’s “concerns” over the situation in the north and east.

“The discussion centred on current issues pertaining to Indo-Sri Lanka bilateral relations in the context of developments in the North and the East of Sri Lanka. Concerns being expressed in this regard in India were conveyed to Minister Bogollagama by the High Commissioner,” the foreign ministry here said in a statement.

Bogollagama responded that Sri Lanka was “fully conscious of the concerns being expressed and understand the context in which these matters are being raised”.

“The minister assured that in the spirit of existing excellent bilateral relations, Sri Lanka intends to further discuss these issues bilaterally to address those concerns. It was indicated that bilateral consultation process in this regard could continue at appropriate levels,” the ministry statement said.

Source: thaindian

India summons Lankan envoy

Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon has summoned Sri Lankan High Commissioner C R Jayasinghe to convey India's concerns over situation in island nation, said sources.

Menon tells Lankan envoy that his country should take steps to address India's concerns over humanitarian situation in Lanka and stop killing and harassment of Indian fishermen, sources added.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had expressed serious concern over the situation in Sri Lanka and said the National Security Adviser had already conveyed it to the Lankan government last week.

Source: NDTV

As DMK continued to mount pressure on the Sri Lanka Tamil issue, government on Friday summoned Lankan High Commissioner to India C R Jayasinghe and told him that Colombo should address New Delhi's concerns over the humanitarian situation in the island nation and stop harassing and killing Indian fishermen.

Jayasinghe was called by Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon who said that Sri Lanka should ensure that the rights of its civilians are respected and they are protected from attacks, sources said.

Menon told Jayasinghe that India was gravely worried over the situation arising out the conflict in Sri Lanka and wanted Colombo to address these concerns, the sources said.

The Foreign Secretary specifically said India wanted Sri Lanka to stop harassing and killing of its fishermen in the common waters between the two countries, they said.

Menon also told the Sri Lankan envoy that Colombo should find a negotiated political solution to the ethnic problem rather than look for a military victory.

Source: expressindia

UPDATE:

In a clear warning to Colombo, Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the Indian government would ‘do all in its power to achieve this goal and to ameliorate the humanitarian conditions in Sri Lanka’.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday had asked Sri Lanka to de-escalate hostilities and pursue a negotiated political settlement.

Source: sindhtoday

ANALYSIS-India rumbles over Sri Lanka war, but to what end?

By C. Bryson Hull

COLOMBO, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Indian political pressure on Sri Lanka to throttle back an offensive to wipe out the Tamil Tigers will do little to sway a Sri Lankan government increasingly confident it can end one of Asia's longest insurgencies.

Despite threats from Tamil politicians at home, India is loath to repeat its disastrous 1980s intervention in the war on its doorstep, leaving Sri Lanka free to wage a military campaign that has energised President Mahinda Rajapaksa's political base.

"The military is very unlikely to stop now, because this is the government's key political agenda item," said Maria Kuusisto, an analyst with Eurasia Group. "Now when they have gone this far, to backtrack would be a negative."

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh this week expressed concern at the escalation in the conflict, which has raged on and off for 25 years, and called for a negotiated settlement.

Singh's comments, which echoed India's existing diplomatic stance, were described by analysts as pre-election manoeuvres by a government that must call a national poll by May 2009.

The Indian leader is under pressure from his administration's southern allies in Tamil Nadu state, where the mainly Tamil population accuses largely Sinhalese Sri Lanka of trying to wipe out the island's Tamils.

And despite his criticism, Singh also endorsed Sri Lanka's position that the country must not allow the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to split the Indian Ocean island nation in two, nor tolerate the actions of a group on U.S., EU and Indian terrorism lists.

"India loves to play all sides, and has always done that," said Reva Bhalla, an analyst with the U.S. private intelligence firm Stratfor.

"They can cater to the Tamil politicians and benefit from the Tigers' military capability going down without taking too much political risk."

Underscoring India's dual-track approach to Sri Lanka, furious denials erupted from Colombo and New Delhi last month after two Indian radar technicians were injured in a Tiger assault on a Sri Lankan military base.

Rajapaksa later said the men were providing after-sales service to radars India's Bharat Electronics sold to the military. India has also helped Sri Lanka intercept Tiger boats, which it considers a threat to national security, analysts say.

INTERVENTION OUT

Brewing diplomatic tension has been bubbling since the radar fiasco, with ethnic Tamil politicians increasingly echoing the Tigers' charge that the war is "genocide". The LTTE for years has funded politicians in India's Tamil Nadu state.

The threat comes as Sri Lanka, which has vowed to crush the Tigers militarily this year, says its troops are 2 km (1 mile) from the rebel capital of Kilinochchi, a strategic and symbolic target.

On Wednesday, the complaints peaked when 39 legislators from Tamil Nadu state threatened to resign from Singh's ruling Congress party-led coalition if India did not stop the Sri Lankan advance within two weeks.

Stratfor's Bhalla, echoing a widely-held view, said there was no chance of direct intervention given the history India's humiliating 1987-1990 peacekeeping mission, in which it lost more than 1,200 soldiers and was accused of human rights violations.

Sri Lanka's intensified offensive over the last three months has produced the bloodiest fighting since the government officially annulled a 2002 ceasefire in January, and sent 230,000 people fleeing their homes in a growing humanitarian crisis.

"The last thing India would want is an influx of refugees to its territory," G. Parthasarthy, a former Indian diplomat and expert in Indo-Sri Lanka relations said.

Thousands of refugees have poured across the narrow Palk Strait into Tamil Nadu repeatedly since the war started in 1983.

Singh last month refused to meet Rajapaksa at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, which analysts say was a sign that he was unhappy with the progress of political negotiations on the Tamil issue.

Rajapaksa's government has promised that devolution for Tamil areas in the north and east of the island would go hand-in-hand with its push to win the war.

"A year ago the president had given repeated assurances that while the military component was going on, he would have a political package ready," Colombo-based analyst Iqbal Athas said. "The fact that process has not moved forward is why Singh didn't give him an appointment in New York."

It also prompted Rajapaksa to call a meeting of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC), a panel designed to forge a political compromise, over the weekend and urge the Tigers to lay down their weapons and enter the democratic process, Athas said.

A senior Sri Lankan government official said Rajapaksa's offer was not too different from the solution Singh had demanded.

"The government agrees that the concerns of the minority must be addressed through a political process, which is already on train," the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity, referring to the APRC.

Source: Reuters

UN Food Convoy Resumes its Journey to Un-Cleared Areas

THE KILINOCHCHI and MULLAITHIVU bound WFP (World Food Programme) food convoy that returned due to LTTE artillery and claymore attacks Thursday (16) left for un-cleared areas again Friday (17) afternoon.

Fifty lorries loaded with medicine and essential food items for the consumption of civilians in un-cleared areas of KILINOCHCHI and MULLAITHIVU crossed the OMANTHE entry/exit point around 12.50 p.m..

The convoy was initially dispatched to un-cleared areas Thursday (16) morning with coordination of Sri Lanka Army but was compelled to return to VAVUNIYA the same day afternoon since the LTTE fired artillery and detonated claymore mines targeting the convoy on the way in un-cleared areas.

Source: army.lk

Saving Sri Lankan Tamils: destroy LTTE

by Hasaka Rathnamalala

THE STATEMENT made by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the Sri Lanka conflict gives a sense of direction in finding a solution to this two-decade old conflict. In his statement, Dr. Singh mentioned, “…the situation in Sri Lanka does not call for military victory but a negotiated, political settlement that respects Sri Lankan sovereignty and the human rights of ethnic Tamils”. I think that was what successive Sri Lankan governments believed in and worked for; but unfortunately each negotiation ended in more bloodshed as LTTE never believed that a negotiated settlement was the answer to this conflict.

Hence, the question that arises is who should the Sri Lankan government negotiate with? Is it the LTTE? If the negotiation is with the LTTE, will the latter agree to a solution within the framework of a sovereign Sri Lanka as Dr Singh mentioned? If the answer is yes, why did LTTE walk out of the previous negotiations citing trivial reasons? Not only the previous peace talks but also the India-brokered 13th amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution was a fine opportunity for any one interested in a real solution to this conflict. Unfortunately, LTTE placed more faith in a military solution and the opportunity went unutilised. Successive Sri Lankan governments since 1983 recognised and conceded almost all Tamil demands except the one that sought a separate country for the Sri Lankan Tamils. But LTTE wanted a separate country, as living in an undivided Sri Lanka was not what it wanted.

LTTE knows it can never wangle a separate country for Tamils through negotiations. Their complaint now is, ’Tamils don’t have a country of their own’. Is that Sri Lanka’s problem? If LTTE wants a separate country for Tamils they may believe Sri Lanka is an easier target than India or Malaysia. Raising such a demand in Tamil Nadu or Malaysia will prove disastrous for it. Instead, carving a country for Tamils out of Sri Lanka will give the LTTE elements a huge boost.

India should understand that saving LTTE now will result in a grave threat to its own security. After all, those want the Sri Lankan Tamils saved want the LTTE saved, given the grave situation LTTE is facing in Killinochchi right now.
Those who voice support for the Tamils should know that 54 percent of the Sri Lankan Tamil population lives with the Sinhalese in other provinces. Of the remaining 46 percent, a big chunk lives in the Eastern province and the rest lives in the Jaffna peninsula. These Tamils don’t support LTTE or its terrorism. In fact, they have chosen the democratic path to fulfil their demands.

There are so many Tamil ministers in the present Sri Lankan government. There are many high-ranking officers serving in every wing of the Sri Lankan government services. Those Tamils have been working for one identity, viz., the Sri Lankan identity not just a Tamil-only identity. Tamil Nadu politicians and Indian politicians must understand this truth before they comment on Sri Lanka’s internal matters. Also they should understand that Sri Lankans cannot progress as a country without getting rid of LTTE-sponsored terrorism. If Tamil Nadu politicians really want to support the Tamils in Sri Lanka, they should help the Sri Lankan government destroy LTTE once and for all. That will help the Tamils in Sri Lanka to live in peace.

Source: merinews

Sri Lanka Navy initiates Agri-revival in Toppur in Eastern Province

Sri Lanka Navy has taken measures to initiate an agri-revival in Toppur, an area located 40 kilometers South-east of Trincomalee in the Eastern Province, for the betterment of the farmer community in the area.

Under the patronage of the Sri Lanka Navy, the Toppur villagers have now begun to savour the freedom of peace and harmony which had been denied to them by the ruthless LTTE, whose presence has now been eliminated from the area by the naval troops deployed for the civilian protection.

The Navy has commenced this act of benevolence with the sole intention of enhancing the wellbeing of the farmers who had been severely battered by the merciless LTTE. It is expected that there will be a great revival in the agriculture in the area and a great reawaking in the lives of the people when the entire irrigation network, once abandoned due to the LTTE terror, is reconstructed and renovated.

Thousands of acres of paddy fields, which were hitherto left unused and neglected as the irrigation network had been severely damaged due to the LTTE activities in the area, will be cultivated under the agri-revival initiated by the Sri Lanka Navy.

Toppur farmers will be benefitted once all paddy fields are cultivated with the improved irrigation network. The bountiful harvests, then undoubtedly, usher in an era of prosperity and happiness for all communities living in Toppur.

This agri-revival initiative is another community service of the Sri Lanka Navy, which is always concerned about the betterment of innocent people, whose pride and prosperity has been destroyed by the LTTE. All naval personnel are committed to work relentlessly for the uplift of all citizens of the motherland, irrespective of their ethnicity, religion and language.








Source: navy.lk

UN to seek security steps before sending relief to Sri Lanka

A major UN food convoy carrying essentials for the internally displaced people in Sri Lanka's restive north was forced to turn back due to fresh fighting between security forces and LTTE in the region, prompting the world body to halt the supplies till the warring sides assure it of security.

The UN will seek renewed security assurances from both sides before attempting to make the route again, the world body's Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sri Lanka, Neil Buhne, said here after the convoy was forced to return.

The convoy the second to be dispatched in as many weeks had been headed for the northern Wanni in a bid to reach an estimated 230,000 civilians displaced behind the lines of confrontation in the districts of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu.

The World Food Programme (WFP) convoy was carrying 750 tonnes of food in 50 trucks when it left the town of Vavuniya on Thursday afternoon and was expected to reach its destination by the evening.

Intensified clashes between the military and LTTE in recent weeks have displaced tens of thousands of people and sparked warnings from Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and other UN officials about the humanitarian impact on civilians.

According to the officials, the UN convoy loaded with essential food items had crossed the Omanthai entry/exit point but had come under the LTTE artillery fire and a claymore mine attack and had to turn back to Vavuniya.

Officials said the Tiger cadres fired "indiscriminately" at the food convoy meant for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The lorries were carrying a large stock of medicine and essential items such as rice and sugar, officials said adding 18 other food lorries will be sent to civilians living in IDP centres in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts.

Five of the 18 vehicles will be distributing essential food items coordinating with relevant authorities in Mullaitivu district while the remainder will be distributed in Kilinochchi district.

Meanwhile, Commissioner General of Essential Services S B Divaratne submitted a report to President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the ongoing operations to supply foods to Wanni.

The report states that the government has been able to continue provision of sufficient food stocks to civilians in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts effectively "despite non- cooperation of some international aid agencies," state-run Daily News said.

"Further, the report recalls that it is the government of Sri Lanka that has been providing food to terror-stricken areas during last 20 years and ... this has been carried out with the utmost commitment to protect its own citizens but not to satisfy any international agency," it said.

Source: Hindu

Human chain protest against Sri Lankan ‘atrocities’

Signalling that he would not be satisfied with expression of concern and wanted some concrete action, Tamil Nadu chief minister Mr M Karunanidhi today announced a human chain protest to press for stopping military aid to the island nation and drastic steps for ceasefire in Sri Lanka.

With AIADMK supremo Ms Jayalalithaa putting further pressure on the DMK by describing the all-party meet as a drama, the chief minister said that the human chain protest would be held in Chennai on 21 October, after consulting the leaders of parties who attended the all-party meet on 14 October. The agitation would demand the fulfilment of the demands including sending food and medicine to the displaced Tamil population through the International Red Cross Society and ending the firing of Sri Lankan navy on Tamil Nadu fishermen. It would be a massive protest expressing the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu, since people from all the districts would participate, he added.

Ms Jayalalithaa, meanwhile, said that stopping the training being provided to the Sri Lankan military in India and saving the civilian population was the major concern now and alleged that Mr Karunanidhi was doing nothing about it.
The DMK chief’s daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Ms Kanimozhi opted to resign first and gave the letter to Mr Karunanidhi, in line with the resolution of the all-party meeting.

Meanwhile, lawyers boycotted the courts throughout the state and conducted rallies in their districts as well as the capital. In Chennai, the lawyers of Madras High Court and other sessions courts took out a rally condemning the “Tamils’ genocide”. Mr VKR Bernardshaw, one of the young lawyers organising the protest, said that they had submitted a petition to the Governor’s office, demanding that the Centre should stop its military assistance to the island nation. The lawyers would boycott courts tommorrow also and observe a fast, he said.

“If the Centre can interfere in the Sri Lankan conflict and assist the island military through funds, personnel, radars, training and intelligence, they can certainly use that influence to effect a ceasefire and save the Tamil population. If they did not want to interfere in another country’s affairs, why did they rush to assist the island nation in the genocidal war? Why should Indian technocrats labour for another country’s war and suffer injuries?” he asked.
CPI state secretary Mr D Pandian today asked the police not to use force against the students who are boycotting classes and burning effigies of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse. He charged that 16 college students had been injured in lathi charge by the police in Sholinganallur near Chennai. School students also joined protests by college students in many parts of Tamil Nadu yesterday.
The traders had postponed their bandh to 31 October, in view of the two-week ultimatum given by the parties in Tamil Nadu. Film artistes would hold a separate protest in Chennai on 1 November, as all of them would not be able to participate in the protests in Rameswaram.

DMK MPs resign from Rajya Sabha

Three MPs of Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) have today submitted their resignation from the Rajya Sabha to the party President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in Chennai.

The three MPs - Siva, A A Jinnah and Vasanthi Stanley - have resigned following resolution adopted at an all party meeting stating that all MPs from the state would resign if the centre does not intervene and workout a ceasefire in Sri Lanka within two weeks.

Earlier, the MP Kanimozhi had also submitted her resignation to the DMK President.

Meanwhile, all the seven DMK ministers in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government are expected to submit their resignation letters to Karunanidhi on Friday to mount pressure on the government.

According to reports, a senior Tamil Nadu minister said that the seven ministers Cabinet Ministers T R Baalu and A Raja, and Ministers of State S S Palanimanickam, Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan, S Regupathy, K Venkatapathy and Radhika Selvi would hand over post-dated letters addressed to Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to Karunanidhi for quitting their parliamentary seats.

On October 14, at an all-party meeting in Tamil Nadu, convened by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, the Centre was served an ultimatum on the Sri Lankan Tamil problem and warned that all MPs from the state would resign en masse, if the government failed to halt the war in the island nation within two weeks.

In the strongest ever message from a key ally of the UPA regime, the DMK and other parties demanded that India halt all military aid to Sri Lanka, take steps to halt Colombo”’’s military offensive to ensure the return of peace, and come forward to despatch humanitarian aid.

Source: thaindian

Reliance Big TV launched

Reliance Big TV has launched its Direct-to-Home (DTH) services on Tuesday.

Reliance Big TV is a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Communications, which has now entered in the home entertainment field.

The service would be available on the latest MPEG4 Direct-to-Home (DTH) platform with high picture quality.

Available in 6,500 towns, the DTH service will initially broadcast over 200 channels with digital quality picture and sound.

The CEO of Reliance Big TV, Arun Kapoor said the service will benefit more than 120 million TV households of India. The DTH service will enable users to view high quality pictures and other entertainment stuff. The introduction of DTH by reliance will further increase the competition in already existing media players. Tata Sky, Dish TV, Sun Direct and DD Direct are already providing DTH services in India.

The number of customers is expected to grow to 60 million by 2012. The company is expected to invest 40 per cent share of this market at the end of 12 months. Reliance has started a new call center to handle over 50,000 calls daily. It will provide services in 11 Indian regional languages. The company has equipped with itself to provide 15,000 connections daily within 48-72 hours. The company will sell set top box with Rs. 1490 with three months subscription offer.

Source: topnews