Tuesday, October 03, 2006
THE CURFEW CONTINUOUSLY IMPOSED IN KATTANKUDY
THE CURFEW CONTINUOUSLY IMPOSED IN KATTANKUDY
Tamil Tigers agree to unconditional talks with Sri Lankan government
Associated Press, Tue October 3, 2006 08:24 EDT . (AP)
Renewed fighting since late July, however, has left at least 1,000 combatants and civilians dead.
No date for the talks was announced, although the government's national security spokesman, Keheliya Rambukwella, earlier said the government has suggested Oct. 30 or Nov. 10 as possible dates.
The government was to hold a press conference later Tuesday to discuss the talks, officials said.
The government had previously said it wants a personal commitment from the rebels' reclusive leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, to end all violence before any talks.
Tuesday's meeting was part of Hanssen-Bauer's stepped up diplomatic efforts to restart peace talks.
Following the peace talks in
On Monday, Hanssen-Bauer held separate meetings with top government negotiator Nimal Siripala de Silva, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Palitha Kohona, chief of the government's peace secretariat, officials said.
Meanwhile, a rebel Web site said air force fighter jets bombed rebel-held areas 20 kilometers (32 miles) away from where the talks were taking place.
``This morning, they (rebels) were firing artillery toward our forces in the northern peninsula and the air force attacked three identified rebel artillery positions to neutralize their attack,'' military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Tamil Tigers attacked a police camp in Murunkan in northern Vavuniya district, prompting police to retaliate, Samarasinghe said , adding that the insurgents were armed with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades.
Police did not suffer any casualties, but they later recovered the body of one rebel, he said.
Associated Press writer Krishan Francis contributed to this report
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Clashes with Sri Lankan navy kill 7 Tamil Tiger guerrillas, military says
Associated Press, Sun October 1, 2006 06:35
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) _ Seven Tamil Tiger rebels were killed in two separate battles with the Sri Lankan navy, the military said Sunday, as a Norwegian peace envoy arrived to try and end a seven-month deadlock in peace talks between the two sides.
Three rebels were killed Saturday evening on
The navy operation followed an attempted raid Friday by a Tiger vessel that was destroyed trying to enter a naval base near the island, he said.
Four guerrillas died in the sea battle and two bodies were recovered, the official said.
The attempted infiltration prompted the navy to search
On the
Also in
The fighting came as Norwegian envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer arrived in the island for talks with government and Tiger leaders on the country's peace process.
``He will be meeting officials from both sides during the week,'' said Erik Ivo Nurnberg, a spokesman for
The last round of peace talks was February in
Violence in recent months has killed more than 1,000 combatants and civilians in the country's northeast.
Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Sunday that its is ``highly worried'' because of a grenade explosion in front of the agency's office in
Although nobody was hurt in the explosion, the ICRC in a statement urged the government and Tamil Tiger rebels to ``refrain from acts that jeopardize the safety of humanitarian workers.''
On Saturday, elite Sri Lankan police forces killed 11 rebels in a pre-emptive attack in the east, while a bomb blast killed three policemen in the northwest.
The Tigers _ formally called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam _ have fought the government since 1983 to create a separate state for ethnic minority Tamils following decades of discrimination by the majority Sinhalese-dominated state.
More than 66,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
If the LTTE is not willing to come for peace negotiations, the government will forget them and discuss with the Tamil people and Tamil political parties represented in the parliament on a devolution framework, Government Defence Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said yesterday. “As a viable solution for the ethnic problem the government has complete faith in the success of the All Party Conference. We want to get the participation of the LTTE in these sessions but if this will prove futile we have to come to a working arrangement with the Tamil people and the Tamil parties represented in the parliament,” he said.
As such, he said, it is the conclusion of the government that the word given by the LTTE unfortunately lacks credibility, and pointed out that this is the main reason that the government requested for a written pledge from the Tiger leader himself.
However, LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran had retorted saying that a written word given by the Political Wing leader S P Thamilselvan is as good as the word of the supremo himself. However, the government spokesman said that this is another indication of the LTTE’s lack of sincerity with regard to finding a genuine solution for the ethnic problem.
“We have serious doubt about the undertakings given by the LTTE leadership because of the past experiences where they have not adhered to their word. However, we still maintain that the doors are still open for peace talks and we expect them to be genuine in their intentions,” Rambukwella said. He added that the government has strong suspicion that the LTTE is only interested in talks because the ground situation is not favourable for them.
Regarding the Tiger leader’s refusal to meet with Eric Solheim due to his security constraints, Rambukwella said the government is not concerned about the arrangements between Kilinochchi and the Norwegians.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Troops Killed Two Terrorists
Reports from Army web:
Troops retaliated terrorist attack using small arms.
Later, troops conducted a search in the area and found two LTTE dead bodies, one 9 mm pistol and two cyanide capsules.
Two LTTE Suspects Commit Suicide
PUTTALAM: SELF-DETONATION of a hand grenade by two LTTE suspects when the Police were trying to arrest them in UDAPPUWA, PUTTALAM killed both of them before the arrest was made Friday (22) around 4.30 p.m..
According to Police, they first recovered two T-56 weapons, two magazines and fifty six ammunition during a cordon and search conducted in the general area of UDAPPUWA Friday (21). The items had been hidden in an estate.
During further search, Police observed a suspicious movement of two persons at a location nearby and attempted take them into custody.
However, the two suspects started to flee as the Police were pursuing their movement. Within seconds the two suspects having realized that they were about to be arrested self activated a hand grenade carried by them and fell dead
The MUNDALAMA Police are conducting investigations.
LTTE Pre-Dawn Attack On Kiran Army Camp Repulsed
BATTICALOA: TROOPS at the KIRAN Army detachment in BATTICALOA successfully repulsed an LTTE mortar attack today (24) early morning.
The LTTE mortar fire started around 5.20 a.m. continued to pour on the detachment until the heavy volume of artillery fire by troops neutralized them.
Exchange of fire that lasted for one and half hours caused heavy damages to LTTE bases at PULIPANCHIKAL and THARAVIKULAM.
No injuries were reported to soldiers.
Meanwhile, VAVUNITIVU Army detachment in BATTICALOA was fired upon by LTTE using Artillery and Mortars today (24) around 5.45 am..
The same detachment came under LTTE fire Saturday (23) evening around 7.30.
Troops retaliated with artillery and mortars.
No injuries were reported to troops.
Jetliner With Thousand Civilians Arrives In Trincomalee
TRINCOMALEE: THE NAVY VESSEL “JETLINER” arrived in TRINCOMALEE harbour this morning (24). The ship left KANKESANTHURAI last evening (23) with 1000 civilians stranded in
This was its fourth voyage to transport stranded civilians from
SLMC LEADER WRITES TO PRESIDENT ON POTTUVIL ISSUE
Sunday, 24 September 2006
SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem wrote an official letter to President Mahinda Rajapakse in order to clarify the position of the SLMC on the sinister campaign carried forward by some newspapers backing the sinhala extremist groups and some members of the security forces that the SLMC is anti STF and the Muslims are the dead enemies of the STF. The SLMC reiterated its position that the STF is the only security hope for the Muslim Community living in the North Eastern province and they had valiantly fought the LTTE to safeguard the Muslim villages whenever there were atrocities unleashed against the Muslim Community by the LTTE in the past. SLMC is pointing its accusing finger to those anti social and communally behaving bad elements infiltrated in the security forces which had been the main cause for the frequent communal clashes seen in Pottuvil area in the past two to three years. Some responsible Ministers are also making serious statements to set the STF against the Muslims and the SLMC without any basis and refusing to listen to all the explanations put out by the SLMC.
'LTTE' leaflet makes Muslims flee Mutur areas
Over 2,000 Muslims have fled from Mutur in the Trincomalee district of Eastern Sri Lanka, after a leaflet, believed to have been issued by a front organization of the LTTE, announced that the Tamil militant group is going to launch a fresh military offensive.
The last military offensive and the counter offensive by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces had taken place in the first week of August, resulting in over 50,000 people, mostly Muslims, fleeing Mutur town and its surroundings.
Reports reaching
The last time the Muslims came to Kantalai and Kinniya, the local Sinhalas feared that they might settled down their permanently. The government had to pressurise the refugees to get back to Mutur.
LTTE denies issuing leaflet
Denying any responsibility for the leaflet, the LTTE's political leader for Trincomalee district, Elilan, said that the Tamil Tigers had nothing to do with the organisation in whose name the leaflets appeared.
Elilan told the pro-LTTE Tamil website www.puthinam.com that the leaflets were distributed by the Sri Lankan government to drive a wedge between the Muslims and Tamils of Mutur.
"But despite the denial, people are leaving. Fear has gripped them, given past experience," an informed source in Trincomalee town told Hindustan Times over phone.
"A few weeks before the LTTE occupation of Mutur in August, a similar leaflet was distributed and therefore a second leaflet had created legitimate fears among the Muslims in the area that this too would indicate another LTTE attack," said Rauff Hakeem, Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC).
While noting the LTTE's denial of any involvement, Hakeem said, "As the leader of the country's main Muslim party I kindly request the LTTE leadership to issue a public statement denying any LTTE involvement in the leaflets and prevent another humanitarian crisis if the LTTE did not have any hand in them."
The short but brutal war, which began with the LTTE's occupation of Mutur on August 2, claimed many lives and led to the displacement of 50,000 people, mostly Muslims.
But even as these people were resettling themselves in Mutur after the end of the hostilities, a leaflet issued by the "Tamil Eelam Redemption Force" on Friday, announced that the LTTE was to launch a strong attack on the government forces in Mutur and advised the Muslims to leave the area to avoid being used by the government forces as a "human shield".
New York, Sept 24: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged her Sri Lankan counterpart to make a concerted effort in planned peace talks with rebels from the country`s Tamil minority, a senior US official said.
Meeting with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly yesterday, Rice voiced strong support for Norwegian-mediated efforts to halt a resurgence in fighting between government forces and the rebel liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
"She urged the government to engage in a focused, concerted way with the Norwegians as they try to start another round of negotiations with the LTTE," the senior official said on condition he not be identified.
The warring parties agreed last week in
A flare-up in tit-for-tat violence over the past 10 months has left more than 1,500 people dead and left the truced accord in tatters.
Rebels among the Hindu Tamil minority have waged a drawn-out insurgency for a separate ethnic homeland in the North and East of Sri Lanka, a majority Sinhalese Buddhist nation.
More than 60,000 people have died since the rebellion began in 1972.
Bureau Report
MALLAWARACHI - Associated Press Writer -
Separately, suspected Tamil rebels fatally shot a Tamil civilian in the northwest overnight and troops found the bullet-riddled bodies of three civilians in the northern
There was no immediate comment from the Tamil rebels, who began fighting in 1983 for a separate homeland in the north and east for
Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar on Friday met the Tamil Tigers' political leader, Suppiah Thamilselvan, in the northern rebel stronghold Kilinochchi. The two discussed a recent rash of abductions, the rebels said on their official Web site. No additional details were available.
Hundreds of civilians have been killed or have disappeared in shadowy circumstances since December, when the latest surge of fighting began in earnest.
Police on Friday detained a suspected separatist who was transporting explosive belts, a Claymore mine, remote controls and detonators to the capital in a hidden fuel tank, military officials said.
A high-ranking military official said he believed the suspect was plotting to target top government or military officials. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of military regulations.
The arrest came five months after suspected rebels plotted a failed suicide attack against the country's top-ranking military official, Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Renounce terrorism for the benefit of country
Wednesday, 13 September 2006
President urges LTTE
President Mahinda Rajapaksa urged the LTTE to renounce terrorism and enter into negotiations to promote peace and development for the benefit of all segments of citizens in the country. President Mahinda Rajapaksa was addressing the opening of the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in
President in his inaugural speech said:
Our vision now is to re-engineer our economy to create economic opportunities for the people to move out of poverty. We do so through a policy framework that aims to build a new economy with social justice.
There is no one single answer to the problems of economic growth and development. At the same time, sound macro economic policies, sectoral reforms, institutional strengthening, infrastructure development, better access to information, and investment in research and development, are the essential pre-requisites of growth and sustainable livelihood.
The
The theme of our meeting this year, - "An Agenda for Growth and Livelihood" - is of special significance for us all.
This meeting is preceded, as you know, by a meeting of senior officials on an equally important theme - "The Reform of the Aid Architecture".
Let us recall the Commonwealth Principles set out in the 1971
We are proud to be members of an organisation that upholds these principles and tries to promote democracy and good governance, human rights, the rule of law, gender equality, and sustainable economic and social development.
We, the commonwealth countries account for a large share of the world's output and trade. As such, the group of commonwealth countries plays a significant role in shaping the process of economic and social development in the world. The Secretary General of the Commonwealth and his staff in the Commonwealth Secretariat, have worked hard to contribute effectively to this process.
Our Commonwealth is a community of 53 sovereign, independent states which range from the wealthy industrialised countries to some of the 'least developed' countries of the world.
We represent about 30 per cent of the world's population.
Our membership is rich in its diversity.
It is composed of many cultures, races and traditions. It also shares certain common features, such as the widespread use of English as a common language. Our countries have similar administrative and legal systems, and we share a common interest in certain sports activities. These all flow out of our sharing of a common historical experience. Our meetings in
The first of these is the escalation of oil prices. This has resulted in severe adjustment burdens in oil importing countries such as
The second is the difficulty of economic planning in the environment of large economic imbalances among the major players in the world, and developments in the world financial markets especially in regard to interest rates and rates of exchange.
The third of these is the fact that the failure to stabilise the increasing interest rates will have an adverse impact on growth prospects, while adding to the cost of servicing commercial debts.
The fourth is the need to ensure adequate and reliable resource flows to developing countries to ensure sustainable economic growth and help achieve the Millennium Development Goals. We note that the delivery of aid has unfortunately been below expectation.
And the fifth is that in addition to these economic issues, the world is also faced with increased threats of terrorism. Apart from their adverse humanitarian, social and economic consequences, they undermine the prospects of a meaningful globalisation and regional economic cooperation.
In this regard, peace and security is of paramount importance, and as the world is united on the need to combating terrorism, I reiterate my call to LTTE to renounce terrorism and enter into negotiations to promote peace and development for the benefit of all segments of our citizens.
We need to guard ourselves against the adverse fall-out of these clusters of challenges and risks. And in order to do so, there is an urgent need to further consolidate the on-going efforts of the international community with effective policies and activities, within a framework of medium and long term strategies.
It is precisely against this background that the theme of this year's meeting, ' "Agenda for Growth and Livelihoods" assumes significance. And, as developing countries represent a large constituency of the Commonwealth, it is appropriate to comment on the theme of the meeting from the perspective of these countries.
Growth, sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction are closely linked, one to the other. Our development strategies, whether developed in consultation with external development partners of otherwise, must therefore give considerable weight to a pro-poor growth approach, covering all segments of the poor.
Agriculture is the backbone of many developing countries and the main source of income generation in the rural economy. Any agenda for development and growth should focus on the improvement of the agricultural sector, and aggressively pursue measures and methods to optimise its productivity. Poor farmers need help, as they have to encounter difficult challenges.
Farming is a dignified profession, and its dignity needs to be protected. In this regard let me quote from Robert Knox the 17th century British traveller. Referring to the Sri Lankan paddy farmer of his time, this is what he says in his book "Historical Relations of the
Public investment is a vital factor for rural development. For, it is the lack of infrastructure facilities such as better roads, transport, irrigation, communication and electrification that have stood in the way of growth in the rural economy. Though the many issues affecting the development of remote areas have been identified and discussed, such areas have continued to remain poor.
In
Urbanisation is also a challenge faced by many countries. It has impacted on urban rural disparities, and resulted in problems relating to the living conditions of the urban poor. In the set of recommendations we will be making at the end of our deliberations, I will propose the establishment of a Commonwealth Fund to address the human settlement issues of the urban poor.
I re-iterate once more that the timely delivery of aid in support of home-grown policies and strategies is essential, for countries to make progress towards reaching the millennium development goals. We also need to promote a partnership between the public and private sectors where necessary and appropriate, as a driving factor for economic growth. An effective and positive role for civil society, also adds significant value to the development effort.
As I said before, we are living today in a world that is gripped by many serious challenges.
To respond to these, we need to take effective action at all levels. And in doing so, the presence of the Commonwealth and other regional organisations provide us with strength, as they can act as the catalysts of change and provide support to our efforts to promote sustainable economic development.
I wish the Commonwealth Finance Ministers' meeting and the Senior Officials' Meeting all success. And in a context in which we are also preparing for the Annual Meetings of the World Bank/IMF in
Doors open for talks
Wednesday, 13 September 2006
Govt says will not accept LTTE pre-conditions
Minister and the Defence Affairs Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said the doors are opened for talks, however, the Government would not accept any pre-conditions for talks from the LTTE.
Responding to communique from the Co-Chairs meeting on the resumption of talks between the Government and the LTTE, Minister Rambukwella told that it was the LTTE that betrayed the Ceasefire Agreement and kept itself away from the peace talks, since the first round of talks held in Geneva, early this year. "The Government is always ready for talks.
We have not shut down the doors to have talks. It was the LTTE betrayed the CFA, since the first meeting was held in
Meanwhile the Norwegian Special Envoy Erik Solheim told the AFP yesterday that the Government and the LTTE have agreed to "unconditional peace talks" in the first week of October, top Norwegian peace broker Erik Solheim said yesterday.
The decision by the Government and the LTTE was discussed at a meeting of the main foreign aid donors in
"The Government said it was ready for talks without any pre-conditions and the LTTE has said the same," Solheim said. "We will have the talks in the first week of October in
The European Commission said it has received signals from both the Government and the LTTE that they are ready for talks on the settlement of their conflict "without any preconditions."
The EU executive said it would like both parties to meet in
"We got the expression of willingness, we got signals from the Government and the LTTE, to come to talks unconditionally," EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said, yesterday. Provided both sides agree, she said, "the meeting should take place urgently, at the beginning of October in
Ferrero-Waldner called on both sides to immediately end the violence, which she said was damaging prospects for lasting peace. "There is a huge challenge, we want both sides back to the table," she said.
President calls on LTTE to give up terrorism
Wednesday, 13 September 2006
At the grand opening ceremony of this
“Apart from their (terrorism) adverse humanitarian, social and economic consequences, they undermine the prospects of a meaningful globalization and regional economic cooperation,” Mr. Rajapaksa said. “We need to guard ourselves against the adverse fall-out of these clusters of challenges and risks. And in order to do so, there is an urgent need to further consolidate the on-going efforts of the international community with effective policies and activities, within a framework of medium and long-term strategies,” he further stated.
Commenting on the theme of this year meeting – Agenda for Growth and Livelihoods, President Rajapaksa explained that growth, sustainable livelihoods and poverty reductions are closely linked and stand on one another. Hence, a considerable weight to pro-poor growth approach covering all segments of poor is essential.
“We are living in a world that gripped by many serious challenges. To respond to these, we need to take effective action at all levels. And in doing so, the presence of the Commonwealth and other regional organizations provides us with strength, as they can act as the catalysts of change and provide support to our efforts to promote sustainable economic development,” said the President conveying his best wishes for the success of deliberations in the coming two days.
Highlighting the significance of the discussion themes the Secretary General Mr. Don McKinnon of the Commonwealth Secretariat stated, “ …… The first is representing the interest of small states. We now have the final version of the review of the conclusion of the 2000 task force. The second is in promoting changes to increase the voice and representation of developing countries at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. …..”
He stressed the regional countries will be more and more strong if we have Commonwealth consensus around such matters as these two.
Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of St. Kitts and Nevis Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas and Minister of Finance and Development Planning of Botswana Hon. Mr. Baledzi Goalathe delivered very delighting speeches at this ceremony.
The delegates will discuss the need to give their countries the opportunity to develop their own policies for economic progress rather than having prescriptive solutions imposed upon them.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa officially declare the opening of the meeting sessions yesterday evening at the exclusive ceremony held at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo.
The full speeches of H.E. the President and Hon. Secretary General of Commonwealth Secretariat are below.
Speech of His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of
Distinguished Heads of Delegation and delegates, Your Excellencies, Members of Public and Private Sector Organizations and of Civil Society, and dear School Children. I thank you for your presence here today, at the opening of the 2006 Commonwealth Finance Ministers’ Meeting. I extend a warm welcome to you all.
The
The theme of our meeting this year, - “An Agenda for Growth and Livelihood” – is of special significance for us all. This meeting is preceded, as you know, by a meeting of senior officials on an equally important theme – “The Reform of the Aid Architecture”.
Let us recall the Commonwealth Principles set out in the 1971
We are proud to be members of an organization that upholds these principles and tries to promote democracy and good governance, human rights, the rule of law, gender equality, and sustainable economic and social development.
We the commonwealth countries account for a large share of the world’s output and trade. As such, the group of commonwealth countries plays a significant role in shaping the process of economic and social development in the world. The Secretary General of the Commonwealth and his staff in the Commonwealth Secretariat, have worked hard to contribute effectively to this process.
Our Commonwealth is a community of 53 sovereign, independent states which range from the wealthy industrialized countries to some of the ‘Least Developed’ countries of the world. We represent about 30% of the world’s population.
Our membership is rich in its diversity. It is composed of many cultures, races and traditions. It also shares certain common features, such as the widespread use of English as a common language. Our countries have similar administrative and legal systems, and we share a common interest in certain sports activities. These all flow out of our sharing of a common historical experience.
Our meetings in
The first of these is the escalation of oil prices. This has resulted in severe adjustment burdens in oil importing countries such as
The second is the difficulty of economic planning in the environment of large economic imbalances among the major players in the world, and developments in the world financial markets especially in regard to interest rates and rates of exchange.
The third of these is the fact that the failure to stabilize the increasing interest rates will have an adverse impact on growth prospects, while adding to the cost of servicing commercial debts.
The fourth is the need to ensure adequate and reliable resource flows to developing countries to ensure sustainable economic growth and help achieve the Millennium Development Goals. We note that the delivery of aid has unfortunately been below expectation.
And the fifth is that in addition to these economic issues, the world is also faced with increased threats of terrorism. Apart from their adverse humanitarian, social and economic consequences, they undermine the prospects of a meaningful globalization and regional economic cooperation.
In this regard, peace and security is of paramount importance, and as the world is united on the need to combating terrorism, I reiterate my call to LTTE to renounce terrorism and enter into negotiations to promote peace and development for the benefit of all segments of our citizens.
We need to guard ourselves against the adverse fall-out of these clusters of challenges and risks. And in order to do so, there is an urgent need to further consolidate the on-going efforts of the international community with effective policies and activities, within a framework of medium and long term strategies.
It is precisely against this background that the theme of this year’s meeting, - “Agenda for Growth and Livelihoods” assumes significance. And, as developing countries represent a large constituency of the Commonwealth, it is appropriate to comment on the theme of the meeting from the perspective of these countries.
Growth, sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction are closely linked, one to the other. Our development strategies, whether developed in consultation with external development partners or otherwise, must therefore give considerable weight to a pro-poor growth approach, covering all segments of the poor.
Agriculture is the backbone of many developing countries and the main source of income generation in the rural economy. Any agenda for development and growth should focus on the improvement of the agricultural sector, and aggressively pursue measures and methods to optimize its productivity. Poor farmers need help, as they have to encounter difficult challenges.
Farming is a dignified profession, and its dignity needs to be protected. In this regard let me quote from Robert Knox the 17th century British traveler. Referring to the Sri Lankan paddy farmer of his time, this is what he says in his book “Historical Relations of the
Public investment is a vital factor for rural development. For, it is the lack of infrastructure facilities such as better roads, transport, irrigation, communication and electrification that has stood in the way of growth in the rural economy. Though the many issues affecting the development of remote areas have been identified and discussed, such areas have continued to remain poor. In
Urbanization is also a challenge faced by many countries. It has impacted on urban – rural disparities, and resulted in problems relating to the living conditions of the urban poor. In the set of recommendations we will be making at the end of our deliberations, I will propose the establishment of a Commonwealth Fund to address the human settlement issues of the urban poor.
I re-iterate once more that the timely delivery of aid in support of home-grown policies and strategies is essential, for countries to make progress towards reaching the millennium development goals.
Our vision now is to re-engineer our economy to create economic opportunities for the people to move out of poverty. We do so through a policy framework that aims to build a new economy with social justice.
There is no one single answer to the problems of economic growth and development. At the same time, sound macro economic policies, sectoral reforms, institutional strengthening, infrastructure development, better access to information, and investment in research and development, are the essential pre-requisites of growth and sustainable livelihood.
We also need to promote a partnership between the public and private sectors where necessary and appropriate, as a driving factor for economic growth. An effective and positive role for civil society, also adds significant value to the development effort.
As I said before, we are living today in a world that is gripped by many serious challenges. To respond to these, we need to take effective action at all levels. And in doing so, the presence of the Commonwealth and other regional organizations provides us with strength, as they can act as the catalysts of change and provide support to our efforts to promote sustainable economic development.
I wish the Commonwealth Finance Ministers’ meeting and the Senior Officials’ Meeting all success. And in a context in which we are also preparing for the Annual Meetings of the World Bank / IMF in
I now declare the Annual Meetings open. Thank youPresident calls on LTTE to give up terrorism
At the grand opening ceremony of this
He emphasized the significance of peace and security and added that it is of paramount importance and the world is united on the need to combat terrorism.
“Apart from their (terrorism) adverse humanitarian, social and economic consequences, they undermine the prospects of a meaningful globalization and regional economic cooperation,” Mr. Rajapaksa said. “We need to guard ourselves against the adverse fall-out of these clusters of challenges and risks. And in order to do so, there is an urgent need to further consolidate the on-going efforts of the international community with effective policies and activities, within a framework of medium and long-term strategies,” he further stated.
Commenting on the theme of this year meeting – Agenda for Growth and Livelihoods, President Rajapaksa explained that growth, sustainable livelihoods and poverty reductions are closely linked and stand on one another. Hence, a considerable weight to pro-poor growth approach covering all segments of poor is essential.
“We are living in a world that gripped by many serious challenges. To respond to these, we need to take effective action at all levels. And in doing so, the presence of the Commonwealth and other regional organizations provides us with strength, as they can act as the catalysts of change and provide support to our efforts to promote sustainable economic development,” said the President conveying his best wishes for the success of deliberations in the coming two days.
Highlighting the significance of the discussion themes the Secretary General Mr. Don McKinnon of the Commonwealth Secretariat stated, “ …… The first is representing the interest of small states. We now have the final version of the review of the conclusion of the 2000 task force. The second is in promoting changes to increase the voice and representation of developing countries at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. …..”
He stressed the regional countries will be more and more strong if we have Commonwealth consensus around such matters as these two.
Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of St. Kitts and Nevis Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas and Minister of Finance and Development Planning of Botswana Hon. Mr. Baledzi Goalathe delivered very delighting speeches at this ceremony.
The delegates will discuss the need to give their countries the opportunity to develop their own policies for economic progress rather than having prescriptive solutions imposed upon them.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa officially declare the opening of the meeting sessions yesterday evening at the exclusive ceremony held at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo.
The full speeches of H.E. the President and Hon. Secretary General of Commonwealth Secretariat are below.
Official Opening Statement by theCommonwealth Secretary-General Rt Hon Don McKinnonat theCommonwealth Finance Ministers’MeetingColombo, Sri Lanka5.30pm,Tuesday, 12 September 2006
President Rajapaksa; Prime Minister Douglas; Commonwealth Ministers;other distinguished Heads of Delegation and guests; Ladies and Gentlemen.Let me first express my thanks for thewarm and generous welcome we havereceived from President Rajapaksa, the government and people of Sri Lanka.A little less than two years ago, through TV and Radio, I was calling on
Commonwealth governments everywhere to come to the aid of
The response was swift and
But even if our decisions could be short-term in their scope and impact, we were always conscious of the long term. We would try to recognise the early trends and warning signs, calculate their consequences in the distant future, and think how best to act accordingly. If “long term view, short term decision-making” is a fair description of local and even national political life, it certainly does not characterise Commonwealth Ministerial meetings.
And as we know, Sri Lanka’s long-term decision-making of taking younger and new players into your national cricket eleven is leaving the rest of us shaking at the crease.So, occasions like the one on which we are embarking in the next few daysare a chance to take a long term view; to improve our vision by seeing issues through the lenses of others from all over the world; and to arrive at decisions with long term and far-reaching impact. Some of you, like me, will have arrived here on SriLankan Airlines. And some of you may also have seen the in-flight magazine in which I contributed an article. It conveys the essence of the message I want to make today. Your meeting here this week has the potential to change people’s lives fundamentally.
Commonwealth Finance Ministers have an impressive pedigree.When your predecessors met in Barbados in 1987, they were the first to consider seriously the possibility of cancelling debts that hung like millstones around the necks of low income countries. The idea seemed outlandish at the time – but the Commonwealth pushed it, far beyond its own circles. Our proposals led to the Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative in 1996. 10 years later,
about $120 billion of debt has been cancelled for 30 countries. Commonwealth Finance Ministers broke further ground in the ‘90s when they were the first to give full voice to the concerns of small states. With 32 of our 53 member countries having populations of less than 1.5 million people, our work with the World Bank on tackling the vulnerabilities and development challenges facing small states is ground-breaking. When 53 nations come together freely and equally, representing 30% of humanity, 25% of all countries, 20% of global trade, and 80% of all those on this planet living in poverty, then we have tremendous potential, and an obligation to speak up. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Finance Ministers’ meeting last year took place just a few days after the UN review of the Millennium Development Goals. It is also about one year since that landmark Gleneagles G8
But despite per capita growth in Sub-Saharan
On debt, there has been progress as I said, including the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative. But there are a number of implementation challenges. I am particularly concerned to avoid what I see as, “paying once and claiming credit twice” where donors’ debt reduction payments are claimed as part of aid flows when they should be additional to them. We also need to ensure that countries never again incur excessive debt.
The picture on aid is not as favourable. Although the headline aid figures for2005 will show a sharp rise, this is due to exceptional amounts of debt relief for a few countries. The underlying trend is falling well short of what is needed to meet the Gleneagles pledge. Yet we know – and our own country studies of
SLMC TO LAUNCH VO.II, III OF “ASHRAFF IN PARLIAMENT" ON SEP 16
Volumes III and IV of the book "Ashraff in Parliament" containing Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) founder leader Marhoom M.H.M.Ashraff's speeches delivered in parliament in the years 1991-1992 would be launched at a function at the BMICH on September 16. Volumes I and II of the book containing his parliamentary speeches in the years 1989-90 were released by the SLMC last year at a grand function at the Hotel Ranmuthu in
SLMC national leader Rauff Hakeem MP said that the party would continue this process of publishing the late leader's parliamentary speeches in the coming years at the rate of 02 volumes every year.
Speaker W.J.M.Loku Bandara, former speaker M.H.Mohamed and widow of the late leader and Minister Ferial Ashraff attended the launching of Volumes I & II last year as chief guests while party leader Rauff Hakeem launched the books.
The decision to publish late leader Ashraff's parliamentary speeches in several volumes was taken by party leader Rauff Hakeem in the context of the significance of the speeches and the necessity to preserve them as valuables documentaries. The release of Volumes I & II wide appreciation from the public and political circles.
Sri Lanka gov't warns Tamil rebels over peace talks
A statement issued by the government's peace secretariat, welcoming the efforts of the international community to kick-start the stalled peace process, noted that the rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have always abused such talks.
''It has been the experience in the past that the LTTE has always used peace talks as a period to enhance its military capabilities,'' the statement said.
''The government hopes that the co-chairs (the
There was no serious fighting following the announcement of peace talks Tuesday and the Colombo Stock Exchange responded positively to the prospects of peace Wednesday, with two key indices each moving up more than 2 percent from the day before.
The announcement in
It also alleged that there were ''factual inaccuracies'' in the statement, particularly specifying a reference to an alleged bombing of a school in rebel-held Mullaitivu in the northeast as ''grossly misleading.''
The statement appreciated the efforts of the co-chairs -- the key financial backers of Sri Lanka's peace process -- who have committed to pour in $4.5 billion for reconstruction and rehabilitation if the country moves forward toward peace.
It reaffirmed President Mahinda Rajapaksa's declaration last month at a meeting with the ambassadors of the co-chairs in
Fighting between government forces and the LTTE since last December has cost at least 1,500 lives and displaced over 200,000 people.
Increasing number of civilians disappearing in
Associated Press, Wed September 13, 2006 09:57 EDT . COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) _ Sri Lanka is entering a ``period of terror'' with an increasing number of people reported missing, many of them after being taken away by men believed to be government military personnel, a human rights group said on Wednesday.
With the cease-fire between the Sri Lankan government and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels nearly collapsed, ``the country is entering into a further period of terror in the name of counterinsurgency,'' the Asian Human Rights Commission said in a statement.
Earlier,
The AHRC said many such disappearances were caused by masked men traveling in ``white vans without a number plate,'' which it said means government military.
``In
15 wounded in grenade explosion in butcher's shop in northern
Associated Press, Wed September 13, 2006 06:06 EDT . BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI - Associated Press Writer - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) A grenade exploded in a busy market area in northern Sri Lanka - on Wednesday, injuring 15 people, police said, as doubts loomed over the prospects of peace talks between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels. Speaking on behalf of the EU,
But
``We will put forward our conditions,'' government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said on Tuesday.
He also criticized peace broker
``We will take it up very seriously, we are a sovereign state, they (
In a statement Wednesday, the government said it needed a personal commitment from the reclusive Tiger leader for a ``comprehensive and verifiable'' cessation of hostilities before talks could be held. The government is ready for talks ``following a clear commitment by the LTTE Leader to a comprehensive and verifiable cessation of hostilities,'' the government said in a statement referring to Velupillai Prabhakaran, leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Palitha Kohona, head of the government's peace secretariat, told The Associated Press that the rebels have in the past used cease-fire periods to rearm and regroup and such action could not be allowed in future.
``It's important that a peace process be a genuine peace process,'' Kohona said.
Government troops and rebels have traded artillery fire across their front lines in
The fighting has killed 35 soldiers and 150 Tamil Tigers, according to the defense ministry. But, rebel official Seevanatnam Puleedevan said only 12 of the group's fighters had been killed, and said the military's toll was 78.
Both sides are known to exaggerate each other's death tolls and independent confirmation of casualty claims is not possible.
The rebels want to carve out a separate state for the country's predominantly Hindu Tamils, citing decades of discrimination by the mostly Buddhist Sinhalese majority.
The conflict cost the lives of about 65,000 people before the truce. Hundreds more combatants and civilians have been killed and about 220,000 displaced since April in heavy fighting following an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Sri Lanka - 's top general.
Sri Lanka gov't warns Tamil rebels over peace talks
A statement issued by the government's peace secretariat, welcoming the efforts of the international community to kick-start the stalled peace process, noted that the rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have always abused such talks.
''It has been the experience in the past that the LTTE has always used peace talks as a period to enhance its military capabilities,'' the statement said.
''The government hopes that the co-chairs (the
There was no serious fighting following the announcement of peace talks Tuesday and the Colombo Stock Exchange responded positively to the prospects of peace Wednesday, with two key indices each moving up more than 2 percent from the day before.
The announcement in
It also alleged that there were ''factual inaccuracies'' in the statement, particularly specifying a reference to an alleged bombing of a school in rebel-held Mullaitivu in the northeast as ''grossly misleading.''
The statement appreciated the efforts of the co-chairs -- the key financial backers of Sri Lanka's peace process -- who have committed to pour in $4.5 billion for reconstruction and rehabilitation if the country moves forward toward peace.
It reaffirmed President Mahinda Rajapaksa's declaration last month at a meeting with the ambassadors of the co-chairs in
Fighting between government forces and the LTTE since last December has cost at least 1,500 lives and displaced over 200,000 people.
Increasing number of civilians disappearing in
Associated Press, Wed September 13, 2006 09:57 EDT . COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) _ Sri Lanka is entering a ``period of terror'' with an increasing number of people reported missing, many of them after being taken away by men believed to be government military personnel, a human rights group said on Wednesday.
With the cease-fire between the Sri Lankan government and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels nearly collapsed, ``the country is entering into a further period of terror in the name of counterinsurgency,'' the Asian Human Rights Commission said in a statement.
Earlier,
The AHRC said many such disappearances were caused by masked men traveling in ``white vans without a number plate,'' which it said means government military.
``In
15 wounded in grenade explosion in butcher's shop in northern
Associated Press, Wed September 13, 2006 06:06 EDT . BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI - Associated Press Writer - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) A grenade exploded in a busy market area in northern Sri Lanka - on Wednesday, injuring 15 people, police said, as doubts loomed over the prospects of peace talks between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels. Speaking on behalf of the EU,
But
``We will put forward our conditions,'' government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said on Tuesday.
He also criticized peace broker
``We will take it up very seriously, we are a sovereign state, they (
In a statement Wednesday, the government said it needed a personal commitment from the reclusive Tiger leader for a ``comprehensive and verifiable'' cessation of hostilities before talks could be held. The government is ready for talks ``following a clear commitment by the LTTE Leader to a comprehensive and verifiable cessation of hostilities,'' the government said in a statement referring to Velupillai Prabhakaran, leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Palitha Kohona, head of the government's peace secretariat, told The Associated Press that the rebels have in the past used cease-fire periods to rearm and regroup and such action could not be allowed in future.
``It's important that a peace process be a genuine peace process,'' Kohona said.
Government troops and rebels have traded artillery fire across their front lines in
The fighting has killed 35 soldiers and 150 Tamil Tigers, according to the defense ministry. But, rebel official Seevanatnam Puleedevan said only 12 of the group's fighters had been killed, and said the military's toll was 78.
Both sides are known to exaggerate each other's death tolls and independent confirmation of casualty claims is not possible.
The rebels want to carve out a separate state for the country's predominantly Hindu Tamils, citing decades of discrimination by the mostly Buddhist Sinhalese majority.
The conflict cost the lives of about 65,000 people before the truce. Hundreds more combatants and civilians have been killed and about 220,000 displaced since April in heavy fighting following an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Sri Lanka - 's top general.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Eleven Sri Lankan soldiers killed in battle with Tamil rebels, military says
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) _ Sri Lankan soldiers backed by air strikes and artillery fire launched a fresh attack on ethnic Tamil rebels in the country's embattled north, leaving 11 troops dead and 53 wounded, a defense official said Saturday, as the country edged closer to all-out war.
The fighting in northern
While neither side has withdrawn from the truce, weeks of escalating battles along borders separating rebel- and government-held territory in the northeast have left it in tatters.
The Tigers have threatened retaliation and a resumption of war unless the army withdraws from Sampur.
The military pounded rebel-held territory in the north with air strikes and artillery after Tamil Tigers stepped up their attacks on government troops, military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said Saturday.
``The (rebels) began attacking us with artillery fire on Thursday. We have been retaliating since then. This is a limited operation to neutralize their artillery bases,'' Samarasinghe said.
He said 11 soldiers had been killed and at least 53 wounded. He had no details about rebel casualties.
The government's
The pro-rebel TamilNet Web site said the military has been shelling rebel bunkers in Muhamalai, at the base of the army-controlled
The Tigers want to carve out a separate state for predominantly Hindu Tamils, citing decades of discrimination by the mostly Buddhist Sinhalese majority.
The conflict _ one of
Hundreds of combatants and civilians have been killed and about 220,000 displaced since April, when the military launched air strikes on rebel territory in northeast Trincomalee in retaliation for a failed suicide attempt on the life of a top-ranking general.
Clashes broke out again in late July in Trincomalee over a water source blocked by the rebels, sparking three weeks of fierce fighting and an army ground offensive.
Then, on Aug. 11, the Tigers made a major push to retake
Although the government claimed to have beaten back the rebels in 11-days, sporadic artillery fire across the northern border and government airstrikes on rebel bases have continued.
Transport to and from the peninsula also remains cut, stranding thousands of people, including foreign aid workers, students and businesspeople, and leaving the region short of food, medicine and other basic goods.
A naval ship carrying 795 civilians from
The ship was not flying the flag of the International Committee of the Red Cross, as a previous ferry evacuating foreign nationals had, and TamilNet accused the government of using civilians as ``human shields'' to move military goods to Trincomalee.
Four fast attack navy craft escorted the ship as it traveled from
The Tamil Tigers have said they cannot guarantee the safety of sea or air transport to and from
EU for stringent enforcement of ban on LTTE
PK Balachandran
Stung by the LTTE's refusal to accept truce monitors from the European Union (EU) countries, the EU parliament on Thursday called upon member states to enforce the ban on the Tamil militant organisation in a stringent manner.
The LTTE was banned by the EU at the end of May this year. Subsequently, with effect from September 1, the LTTE refused to accept truce monitors from the EU countries on the plea that they had lost their neutrality as a result of the ban.
The EU Parliament's resolution on the current situation in Sri Lanka asked member states to take "robust and determined" action to investigate the agents of the LTTE; properly enforce the travel ban on its officials; inhibit the movement of agents and couriers; arrest and repatriate those involved in terrorist support activities; confiscate assets associated with the LTTE, including its commercial shipping fleet; freeze suspect bank accounts and close companies and undertakings associated with the LTTE.
The resolution urged member states to take effective measures to "prevent the indoctrination and intimidation of Tamils resident in their countries and the extortion of money to fund LTTE activities."
The EU came down heavily on recruitment of children by the two factions of the LTTE (one led by Prabhakaran and the other by the renegade Karuna).
It described the recruitment of child soldiers as an "appalling abuse of children".
Calling upon the government of
It asked Rajapaksa to seek the advice of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, in establishing the independent commission "so as to ensure its independence and effectiveness."
For the maintenance of better law and order and render ethnic justice, the EU parliament asked the government of Sri Lanka to appoint the members of the National Police Commission and recruit more Tamil and Tamil-speaking police officers.
The EU parliament called upon the government of
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