Sri Lanka: GoSL taking initiatives to implement official language policy

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Published on Asian Tribune (http://www.asiantribune.com)

"We have evidence that LTTE is building two new clandestine airstrips in
Mullaitivu"  Head of Sri Lanka delegation

Created 2006-10-28 21:36

Geneva, 28 October, (Asiantribune.com): Sri Lanka Government Head of
Delegation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva in his opening address of the
peace talks in Geneva this morning revealed that the LTTE is continuing to
expand a clandestine airstrip in Iranamadu and construct two others in
Mullativu. He voiced that Tamils in the North and east are denied basic
democratic rights as well as their freedom of expression. In his opening
Statement, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that in certain areas of
the North and the East, due to the actions of the LTTE, it is well known
that individuals are denied their basic democratic rights. Minister de
Silva also called for free access to all parts of Sri Lanka including
un-cleared areas to (southern) political parties, allowing of free
function of democratic institutions, a single mechanism of law and order
throughout the country, and groundwork for full democratization of the
North and East.

In his opening Statement, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that in
certain areas of the North and the East, due to the actions of the LTTE,
it is well known that individuals are denied their basic democratic
rights. "Individuals are denied the right to express their opinions, to
elect their leaders, to live their lives freely. Academics are threatened
and murdered for being independent in their thinking. We should move
beyond the current situation of denial and forge a positive outcome in the
interest of the people of the North and the East" he said. "To address
this situation, the Government of Sri Lanka believes it is essential that
certain normalization steps should be taken in the context of the peace
process.

"First, political parties should be given free access to all parts of Sri
Lanka, which include the uncleared areas as well as the Kilinochchi and
Mullaitivu districts. They should be able to campaign, express dissent,
have offices, and operate free of intimidation, threats, and violence.
"Second, democratic institutions should be allowed to function freely and
without interference. This includes all offices of the Government of Sri
Lanka, including its judicial and law enforcement institutions. Third a
single mechanism of law and order should be able to function throughout
the country, in order to effectively enforce laws and prosecute criminals.
This requires providing access to the Police personnel to certain areas,
which are currently denied to them, such as the districts of Mullaitivu
and Kilinochchi.

"Fourth the groundwork for full democratization of the North and East must
be laid. All levels of society, from political leaders to students, could
be involved in a process of exploration and discussion, the concept of
free expression, on the substantive issues surrounding democracy,
including issues of devolution and power-sharing.

"These tasks have to be undertaken by us. These initial ideas of the
Government could be further explored and developed during our discussions
here this weekend. The Government of Sri Lanka attaches utmost priority to
this issue because ultimately, achieving an honorable peace requires
strengthening the democratic norms and processes in the North and the
East. In this context, the Government is happy to note the fact that
certain LTTE groups contested the local government elections and entered
the democratic processes in the Trincomalee District, Batticalao District
and in the Wanni. We hope that this trend will progress so that the LTTE
leadership could continue to move into the democratic mainstream. We are
also delighted that many groups who had formerly resorted to arms are now
part of the democratic process".

Minister de Silva continued: "It is the government's wish that the global
principles of human rights will be established in the East and the North
as well. The government acknowledges that the situation in the South needs
improvement in certain respects and all measures are being implemented to
achieve this. As a developing country, although our resources are limited,
we will take all possible measures to ensure that the highest standards
are achieved. In certain areas dominated by the LTTE, human rights are
flagrantly violated. These violations have been extensively documented by
numerous international organizations and foreign governments. Human rights
violations include the denial of the rights to personal liberty and due
process of law; to freedom of thought, expression, organization, and
movement and to freedom from discrimination. It is a sad fact that four
years of a ceasefire have not helped the people living in these areas to
make any progress toward realizing their rights. Children continue to be
recruited for armed combat and UNICEF statistics as of September 2006
indicate that 5769 cases of known underage recruitment have taken place
since 1994 LTTE."

"We now possess very clear evidence that the LTTE is continuing to improve
and expand an illegal and clandestine airstrip in Iranamadu and construct
two other airstrips in Mullativu. So far, the LTTE has not permitted the
SLMM or the Government of Sri Lanka to officially inspect these premises
or take steps to dismantle these facilities. As a Sovereign nation, we
have obligations towards the international community and the discharge of
such obligations would be seriously compromised if facilities of this
nature were allowed to remain in the hands of terrorist organizations such
as the LTTE. We are firmly of the view that these illegal facilities are
being established with the intention of perpetrating acts of violence, and
may well be used to destabilize our entire region. Hence, it is not a
matter that could be treated lightly and in the interests of all concerned
it is vital that this facility be dismantled forthwith."

"The LTTE also continues to engage in violent acts against civilians,
including the recruitment and abduction of children. Of particular concern
to the Government of Sri Lanka is the recruitment and abduction of
children to be used as child soldiers. We discussed this grave issue
during our last meeting in Geneva but could not conclude our discussion on
the matter. The Government believes it is important to take up this
question at this round of talks as well. It was clear from our discussions
in February, supplemented by the contribution made by the Head of the
SLMM, that the recruitment and abduction of children constitute serious
violations of human rights. In response, to our concerns Mr. Balasingham
(previously) stated that the LTTE would take all measures to completely
stop the recruitment of underage children and that the LTTE would
cooperate with UNICEF and other international humanitarian agencies to
ensure that children are not in any way involved in this armed conflict."

Given below is the full text of the Opening Statement by Minister Nimal
Siripala de Silva, Head of Sri Lanka Government Delegation, at the Geneva
Talks on October 28,29, 2006:

I. Introduction

Honorable Minister Erik Solheim, the Special Envoy Mr. Bauer members of
the SLMM members of the LTTE delegation, Colleagues:

On the last occasion when we assembled in Geneva in February 2006, the
delegation of the Government of Sri Lanka, on behalf of His Excellency the
President of the Republic of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa, expressed the
hope that our discussions would open a fresh chapter in the dialogue
between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE. We came here with much
hope and optimism. It was also an opportunity for the LTTE to become
familiar with the general approach and methodology of His Excellency,
Mahinda Rajapaksa to the ongoing conflict, which is based on the concept
of a just and honorable peace. The fact that we are meeting today for a
second round of discussions is a reflection of our continuing commitment
to this approach. At all times the Government of Sri Lanka has been ready
and willing to continue with the dialogue and we are indeed grateful to
the international community and governments of Switzerland and Norway for
making the stalled discussions once again a reality. We thank the
co-chairs for their continuing support for the peace process. We thank the
government of Switzerland for its generous hospitality and warm support

Our discussions last February were frank and open. No doubt, there were
difficult moments. But such moments are often present in talks of this
nature and is not a reason for discouragement, but an opportunity for
parties to work harder at overcoming challenges in the interest of peace.
We believe that the two days we spent together represented a small, yet
important step toward developing an understanding to move the peace
process forward towards a permanent settlement.

I would like to express the hope of the Government of Sri Lanka that our
discussions over the next two days will help to build the required
atmosphere and move the country forward to the realization of a just and
honorable peace; a peace based on the principles of a true democracy and
human rights. We must strive for a peace that can provide the foundation
for economic development and progress in all parts of Sri Lanka and for
all the people of our country. A peace that will deliver justice and fair
play to all sections of the people, especially the Tamil community, in
political, economic and social terms.

As H.E.the President said at the UN General Assembly in September  having
been a human rights campaigner at the grass roots level throughout my
political life, it was natural that my new government should be committed
to carrying the message of democracy to all corners of our multi-ethnic,
multi-cultural and multi-religious country. Democracy, equity and
prosperity is our clarion call.

The President, His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, has consistently adopted
an approach that has enjoyed the fullest endorsement of a broad spectrum
of political parties. The sweeping victory in the local government
elections in April reaffirmed and strengthened the mandate that His
Excellency, Mahinda Rajapaksa, received at the Presidential Elections in
November 2005, to seek a just and honorable peace. The Presidents approach
to the peace process and the Governments participation at the proposed
talks with the LTTE in April 2006 received further support from a clear
majority of political parties, including the main opposition party, during
the All Party Conference (APC) held on 10 April 2006. Today the main
opposition party, the United National Party (UNP) stands united with the
Government thereby ensuring that over 90% of the voters at the last
election are in accord with the Presidents approach. At the All Party
Conference, many of the political parties expressed the hope that the
Government and the LTTE would be able to move the dialogue into more
substantive issues so that a sustainable solution to the conflict could be
discussed in a more meaningful manner.

It is unfortunate indeed that the Geneva talks did not take place in April
2006 as scheduled, for the Government had hoped to progress rapidly to an
environment in which substantive benefits could be discussed and delivered
to the people.

The government had been ready to come to Geneva but the LTTE had without
cause refused to resume talks in Geneva, despite repeated efforts by the
facilitator and other well-meaning intermediaries. Even after being taken
to Oslo in June 2006 at the cost of the Norwegian government, they refused
to talk to the government delegation.

Nevertheless we are glad that the LTTE has sent a delegation here today to
resume our dialogue with them. We reiterate the Governments strong
commitment to finding a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Since April 2006 His Excellency the President and the Government of Sri
Lanka have taken a number of initiatives to facilitate the realization of
a negotiated settlement to resolve the national problem. Significant among
them is the endeavor to develop constitutional proposals with broad
support. The main aim has been to find an indigenous solution that will
lead to an end to the decades of internal strife, and enable all people to
live in dignity and peace in Sri Lanka.

The Government has emphasized the fact that the task of finding a
political solution to the national question requires a multi-party effort
and an inclusive approach. In this context the formation of the All Party
Representative Committee (APRC) and the appointment of a Panel of Experts
on 11 July is a significant step in reaching a national consensus among
political parties.

At the Inaugural Meeting of the APRC and the Panel of experts on 11 July
2006, The President H.E. Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse stated, "any solution needs
to as a matter of urgency allow people to take charge of their own
destiny. This has been tried out successfully in many parts of the world.
There are many examples from around the world that we may study as we
evolve a truly Sri Lankan constitutional framework including our immediate
neighbor India. Improving the lives of Sri Lankans all over the country is
our ambition. Improving the lives of the impoverished in the North and the
East is a priority."

The mandate given to the APRC and the Panel of Experts as outlined in the
Presidents speech is to "fashion creative options that satisfy the minimum
expectationsas well as provide a comprehensive approach to the resolution
of the national question He wished them success in their collective
endeavor in formulating a political and constitutional framework for the
resolution of the national question".

The aim of the Government is to engage the various political parties
discuss their different approaches and through their deliberations arrive
at a broad framework that will generate consensus.

The APRC and the Panel of Experts have met on a regular weekly to
bi-weekly basis and have confirmed that they have made significant
progress in their deliberations. The APRC is expected to produce its
report shortly.

Strengthening the political process, the Government initiated discussions
with the main opposition party, the United National Party (UNP), on 15
September 2006 primarily to facilitate reaching political consensus in the
South. Discussions were based on a 6-point common minimum national agenda
put forward, consisting of: peace, good governance, electoral reform and
social development. The two parties have signed an MOU on 23 October 2006.
The UNP in the MOU extended its support to the government "in its pursuit
of a negotiated settlement to the on-going conflict while opposing
terrorism in all its manifestations and upholding human rights".

The strengthened political consensus in the South is a significant step in
formulating a new constitutional framework for the resolution of the
conflict and in particular one that will address the needs of the people
in the North and the East.

It is against the backdrop of this widespread support, and in accordance
with the consultations the Government has undertaken with the political
parties, that I am leading the Governments team today, to present you with
the governments view of the developments of the recent past, its vision
for the future, and its expectations for moving the peace process forward.
It also gives us pleasure that the LTTE has expressed its agreement to
discussing the core issues with a view to resolving this vexing problem.

II. Objectives for October 2006 Talks

At the outset, it is important to set our meeting here in Geneva in
context, in order to understand the nature of the approach that the
Government would like to take in these negotiations. We do not wish to
treat this forum as an opportunity to score debating points or as an
opportunity to make legal submissions as in a courtroom. We do not want to
argue back and forth about details of various incidents, or present
academic arguments. The opportunity that we have here today in Geneva is
one where we can address core issues and address the challenges that lie
in the way of a peaceful future.

If we want these talks to be of relevance beyond these walls, if they are
to be meaningful for our people, there is an urgent need to address the
issues of democracy, human rights, and economic development, and thereby
ensure that all the people of our country will enjoy the same rights. It
is our responsibility to move beyond peripheral constraints and to begin
taking steps towards a permanent peace in Sri Lanka and in particular
address the aspirations of the people of all our people, in particular, in
the East and the North.

The government, reflecting its commitment, is here today despite, I
repeat, despite the horrendous campaign of terror and violence undertaken
by the LTTE in the period since April. A total of 897 service personnel
have been killed since Geneva I, that is the period from 24th Feb to 17th
October 2006. Many were killed indiscriminately, while being unarmed. Many
while going on leave.

The LTTE have been responsible for a total of 1363 killings including
civilians in the same period. These figures when compared with the total
number of killings by them between February 2002 to 17th October 2006,
make it apparent that in the period since the Geneva talks of February
2006 there has been an alarming rise in violent incidents in which the
LTTE have blatantly launched provocative attacks on the security forces as
well as civilians. It is also disturbing to find that the LTTE have
systematically assassinated other Tamils who chose to differ from the
views held by the LTTE, leaving no room for any other Tamil political
voice to be heard.

They also killed the Deputy Head of the Peace Secretariat, a man of peace
and an intellectual  an act of alarming barbarity.

At the same time the recruitment of children by the LTTE for military
purposes has continued unabated, paying scant respect to the abhorrence
expressed by the international community, including the UN Security
Council, to this appalling practice. Since the Geneva talks in February
2006 the level of violence was rapidly escalated when LTTE deliberately
denied water to over 60,000 civilians by closing the Mavil Aru sluice gate
in July 2006. This was an act of senseless callousness.

In an act of blatant ethnic cleansing, the LTTE evicted the Muslims from
Muttur in August. It is indeed ironic that the LTTE which complains of
minority discrimination and hardship should ruthlessly target the Muslims,
another minority community mostly of Tamil speakers. We recall that its
campaign of ethnic cleansing commenced by forcing 90,000 Muslims and all
the Sinhalese from the North in 1991, later the Muslims from Mannar and
thereafter the LTTE concentrated on methodically victimizing Muslims
living in the East.

The violence and endless carnage unleashed by the LTTE in the post Geneva
talks period is well documented. Many of the major incidents show a high
degree of brutality and complete disregard of human conduct. The most
recent suicide bomb attack by the LTTE on 16 October 2006, that killed
more than 100 unarmed Navy personnel going on home leave and injured more
than 100 others as they rested, along the Dambulla  Habarana road, has
shocked the national and international community. The outrage of many
nations has been expressed in no uncertain terms over these most ruthless
and barbaric killings.

The GOSL is all the more dismayed and shocked over the LTTEs violent
designs aimed at deliberately contriving an ethnic backlash by
provocations of this nature in the Sinhala majority areas and selecting
civilian areas.

The most horrendous act was on 15 June when the LTTE detonated two
claymore mines aimed at a private bus carrying civilians at Kebithigollewa
killing at least 64 and injuring 84. Among the dead were 15 children, 2
Buddhist monks, and pregnant women going to their regular clinic and
injuring 87 civilians.

On 21 July, The LTTE in an act of deliberate sabotage and savage violence,
forcibly closed the water supply from the Marvil Aru sluice gate, denying
water to 15,000 families and 30,000 acres of paddy, depriving a population
of over 60,000 of their livelihood and sustenance. Many children were
denied access to schools.

On 02 August, LTTE infiltrators launched an attack on Muttur. Shelling and
artillery fire by the LTTE killed civilians and displaced 53,000 thousand
others. These people were mainly Muslims. There is no doubt that these
offensives were launched by the LTTE with a view to evicting the Muslims
from this area. The government, to its credit, has been able to re-settle
them in their homes within a very short period.

There has been an attempted claymore bomb attack on a bus carrying
civilians at Kebethigollawa, near the town of Anuradhapura yesterday. It
is also reported that the LTTE in Akkarapattu in the East, attacked an STF
truck at 0800 hours Sri Lanka time, injuring STF personnel.

The LTTE has also launched an attack on a Police Post at Vavuniya on the
Mannar Road this morning while we talk in Geneva.

Despite these provocations the GoSL delegation as instructed by H.E the
President has decided to continue the dialogue.

I wish to emphasize to the LTTE not to consider our commitment to the
peace process as a sign of weakness  but as a reflection of our strong
commitment and belief in peace for all the people in Sri Lanka and in
particular for the people in the North and East.

In the face of almost daily provocations, the Government Security Forces
have exercised utmost restraint. By doing so, the Government demonstrated
its commitment to peace and encouraged an atmosphere that would lead to
peace negotiations. It was in the face of repeated attacks by the LTTE by
way of claymore mines, artillery fire and killings that the Government was
compelled to engage in limited defensive operations in the interests of
security.

III. Democracy

As we expressed in the Opening Statement of the last round of talks, the
Government is deeply concerned with ensuring that each citizen of Sri
Lanka is able to enjoy the benefits of a democratic society, where their
rights are respected and they can pursue their occupations and develop
their communities. Unfortunately, this is not the reality today. In
certain areas of the North and the East, due to the actions of the LTTE,
it is well known that individuals are denied their basic democratic
rights. Individuals are denied the right to express their opinions, to
elect their leaders, to live their lives freely. Academics are threatened
and murdered for being independent in their thinking. We should move
beyond the current situation of denial and forge a positive outcome in the
interest of the people of the North and the East.

As we all know, the majority of Tamil people, approximately 54%, live
outside the areas where the LTTE is dominant. The majority of the people
who live in the uncleared areas undergo untold deprivations.
Unfortunately, such people are further victimized by the denial of their
civil and political rights, by the imposition of unconscionable levies and
other forms of extortion, and by subjection to inhumane punishments for
expressing dissent. These reasons underlie the preference expressed by the
majority of the Tamils to live in government-controlled areas and is
evidence of their utter dissatisfaction with the LTTE.

To address this situation, the Government of Sri Lanka believes it is
essential that certain normalization steps should be taken in the context
of the peace process:

First, political parties should be given free access to all parts of Sri
Lanka, which include the uncleared areas as well as the Kilinochchi and
Mullaitivu districts. They should be able to campaign, express dissent,
have offices, and operate free of intimidation, threats, and violence.

Second, democratic institutions should be allowed to function freely and
without interference. This includes all offices of the Government of Sri
Lanka, including its judicial and law enforcement institutions.

Third a single mechanism of law and order should be able to function
throughout the country, in order to effectively enforce laws and prosecute
criminals. This requires providing access to the Police personnel to
certain areas, which are currently denied to them, such as the districts
of Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi.

Fourth the groundwork for full democratization of the North and East must
be laid. All levels of society, from political leaders to students, could
be involved in a process of exploration and discussion, the concept of
free expression, on the substantive issues surrounding democracy,
including issues of devolution and power-sharing.

These tasks have to be undertaken by us. These initial ideas of the
Government could be further explored and developed during our discussions
here this weekend. The Government of Sri Lanka attaches utmost priority to
this issue because ultimately, achieving an honorable peace requires
strengthening the democratic norms and processes in the North and the
East. In this context, the Government is happy to note the fact that
certain LTTE groups contested the local government elections and entered
the democratic processes in the Trincomalee District, Batticalao District
and in the Wanni. We hope that this trend will progress so that the LTTE
leadership could continue to move into the democratic mainstream. We are
also delighted that many groups who had formerly resorted to arms are now
part of the democratic process.

1V. Human Rights- Initiatives by the Government

It is the governments wish that the global principles of human rights will
be established in the East and the North as well. The government
acknowledges that the situation in the South needs improvement in certain
respects and all measures are being implemented to achieve this. As a
developing country, although our resources are limited, we will take all
possible measures to ensure that the highest standards are achieved.

A Ministry of Human Rights and Disaster Management has been established
for the first time.

The following steps have also been taken.

1. The Standing Committee on Human Rights to deal with allegations of
human rights violations by the Police and Armed Forces and to provide
policy guidance to the GOSL on various human rights issues has been
reconvened.

2. An Inter-ministerial Committee on Human Rights chaired by the Minister
of Human Rights and Disater Management which meets monthly together with
senior officials from the Police and Armed Forces and all relevant
Ministries has been formed. The Terms of Reference for the Committee
encompass a multi-dimensional reach to include regular consultations with
the above agencies as well as civil society, international agencies and
national human rights institutions, in a concerted effort to meet problems
and arrive at effective resolutions

3. A firm commitment exists in ensuring that the language policy is
properly implemented.

4. The Committee is in the process of looking into the proper
implementation of the language policy to ensure that the Tamil speaking
people are able to enjoy their constitutional rights in a practical sense.

5. The needs of IDPs are being met with a comprehensive memorandum of
understanding signed between the GOSL and UNHCR in order to implement
effective strategies and confidence building measures between communities.

6. The Government has further shown its committment to upholding human
rights and the rule of law by appointing a Special Commission to look into
abductions and killings in the country. It is in the process of setting up
a Commission of Inquiry to Investigate serious violations of human rights
and also the setting up of an International Group of Eminent Persons who
will act as Observers of the Commision.

7. Recently the Government initiated regular consultations between
relevant government Ministries and agencies and INGOs and NGOs working in
the North and the East in particular in order to alleviate problems and
facilitate their work in these areas in order to ensure that the needs and
rights of the civilian population are met.

8. The government has supplied Jaffna with over 18,000 tons of food and
other supplies by ship though the LTTE has refused to assure the safety of
the ships. If the LTTE agrees to assure the safety of food ships, much
larger quantities could be sent quicker and efficiently under the ICRC
flag.

9. The districts of Killinochi and Mullativu have been supplied with
adequate supplies of food and medicine. There are no shortages.

10. While the government wishes to supply Jaffna also with all its needs,
due to the wanton denial by the LTTE of security assurenaces and other
acts of violence this cannot be achieved.

Human Rights Issues In the North and the East

The Government has serious concerns in relation to the human rights
situation in the North and East.

In certain areas dominated by the LTTE, human rights are flagrantly
violated. These violations have been extensively documented by numerous
international organizations and foreign governments. Human rights
violations include the denial of the rights to personal liberty and due
process of law; to freedom of thought, expression, organization, and
movement and to freedom from discrimination. It is a sad fact that four
years of a ceasefire have not helped the people living in these areas to
make any progress toward realizing their rights. Children continue to be
recruited for armed combat and UNICEF statistics as of September 2006
indicate that 5769 cases of known underage recruitment have taken place
since 1994 LTTE.

It is also highly distressing that the LTTE is continuing its fund-raising
activities through extortion and intimidation chiefly to procure weapons-
not only in overseas locations such as Canada, Europe and other Western
countries, but also among Tamil people in the South of Sri Lanka. The
recent Human Rights Watch report (Vol. 18 No.1 ) documents these nefarious
activities. A continuous stream of complaints is also being received about
such activities aimed at Tamil citizens living in the South, and the
amounts involved in these acts of extortion and ransome are staggering. It
is strange that the LTTE is so keen to stifle the activities of the Tamil
business community. Once again we reiterate that these issues must be
seriously addressed in our talks.

V. Humanitarian Considerations

a) Security

The Government has also on many occasions escorted and provided
humanitarian assistance to LTTE cadres, including the evacuation of sick
persons.

b) Government Assistance to IDPs

The Government has consistently discharged its responsibilities towards
internally displaced persons, although many are the result of the violence
inflicted by the LTTE. The IDPs have essentially been the result of LTTE
attacks near civilian centers, sometimes based on ethnic considerations.
On other occasions civilians have been used as convenient shields by the
LTTE for their violent acts including in Muttur and Vakarai as has been
pointed out by the SLMM. The government, recognizing its responsibilities,
provides extensive assistance and protection to all internally displaced
persons.

It readily facilitates the work of international and domestic humanitarian
organizations engaged in assisting the IDPs.

The government has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the
UNHCR in September 2006 on Guidelines on Confidence Building and
Stabilization Measures for IDPs in the North and East, based on the UNHCRs
mandate in Sri Lanka. It is the Governments intention that these
Guidelines will lead to a specific, results  oriented programme of action
that can be effectively and efficiently implemented.

The government has adopted a national framework for relief,
rehabilitation, and reconciliation (RRR) based in part on the UN Guiding
Principles on Internal Displacement. Its objectives are to help strengthen
the Governments capacity 1) to ensure that the basic needs of people
affected by the conflict are met. 2) To build productive means of
livelihoods, and 3) to facilitate reconciliation across ethnic lines.
Considerable success has been achieved in pursuing these policies.

The Government, in ensuring the continued supply of food and other forms
of humanitarian assistance to the internally displaced persons living in
uncleared areas, has created an unique precedent in the annals of
conflict. Sri Lanka appears to be the only country in the world that
accepts responsibility to feed its displaced citizens wherever located
despite evidence that some of the food and medical supplies are being
siphoned off by the LTTE.

The district and sub-district administrative offices functioning in
uncleared areas are funded by the Government  this includes the salaries
of Government Agents, Divisional Secretaries, Grama Niladaris and
administrative staff.

The Government provides these services and amenities from revenue
collected from the public in the rest of the country as the revenue from
the North and the East at present is less than 0.1% of the total revenue
of the country.

In the latest figures on ongoing projects in the Northern and Eastern
Provinces, which include both tsunami and non-tsunami projects, there has
been a total allocation of US$ 1283.10 Million comprising loans US$ 673.8
Million and grants US $ 609.3 Million.

More than 50% of the foreign funded projects are based on loans granted by
international institutions and foreign governments to the Government of
Sri Lanka, which is then required to repay these loans. It is the
Government that bears the burden of funding the development of the North
and the East and repaying these borrowed funds.

c) Language Policy

The GoSL has taken a number of initiatives to implement the official
language policy. As outlined The Policy Statement of H.E. President
Mahinda Rajapaksa made on 25 November 2005 at the Ceremonial Opening of
Parliament.

1. A three-year crash program will be launched to expedite the full
implementation of the official language policy in police stations,
government offices and other public places and minimize obstacles that
Tamil-speaking people face when dealing with the state organizations.

2. Presidential Directive dated July 7, 2006 requires police officers to
strictly comply with the instructions that a statement of a person
arrested should be recorded in the language of his/her choice. Special
units will be set up in all police stations to enable to people to make
complaints in their own language without fear or suspicion. A decision has
been taken to enlist the services of former public servants and civil
society members in police stations, which do not have translation
facilities in both official languages.

3. With regard to the salient issue of the bilingualization of staff
grades in the public service, a Sub Committee consisting of the Chairman
Public Administration, Secretary Ministry of Justice and National
Integration, Commissioner-Language Commission meets regularly to submit
recommendations to the Cabinet. All public servants will be required to
acquire a working level of proficiency in Tamil.

4. A proposal for a National Institute for Language Teaching and Training
has been presented to Cabinet on 25th October 2006 and is being
implemented.

5. Arrangements have been made for the Ministry for Human Rights to carry
out a nationwide audit on the implementation of the Official Language
Policy in order to assess shortcomings and address them accordingly.

V1. Transgressions by the LTTE

Iranamadu

We now possess very clear evidence that the LTTE is continuing to improve
and expand an illegal and clandestine airstrip in Iranamadu and construct
two other airstrips in Mullativu. So far, the LTTE has not permitted the
SLMM or the Government of Sri Lanka to officially inspect these premises
or take steps to dismantle these facilities. As a Sovereign nation, we
have obligations towards the international community and the discharge of
such obligations would be seriously compromised if facilities of this
nature were allowed to remain in the hands of terrorist organizations such
as the LTTE. We are firmly of the view that these illegal facilities are
being established with the intention of perpetrating acts of violence, and
may well be used to destabilize our entire region. Hence, it is not a
matter that could be treated lightly and in the interests of all concerned
it is vital that this facility be dismantled forthwith.

We would caution that such illegal facilities, which has been established
contrary to international regulations, be dismantled before any serious
harm is caused. In the past, the LTTE has been known to have recklessly
carried out acts of violent aggression in our region, affecting the
interests of foreign states not involved in the conflict, including the
assassination of a former Prime Minister of India, publicly acknowledged
by the LTTE, and the destruction of a Chinese vessel with death and injury
to its crew. Therefore, we wish to treat this violation with extreme
seriousness by reason of its far reaching nature. These must be
immediately dismantled.

Recruitment and Abduction of Children

The LTTE also continues to engage in violent acts against civilians,
including the recruitment and abduction of children. According to SLMM
figures, the majority of ceasefire violations committed by the LTTE are
acts committed against civilians; most of these constitute human rights
abuses. The high numbers of human rights violations that take place,
without any corresponding sanctions or punishments against the
perpetrators, creates a climate where the violations would continue to
increase rather than decrease. We would urge the international community
to take greater note of the magnitude and gravity of this situation and to
encourage the LTTE to cease perpetrating these abuses. Let us all be
conscious of the fact that the victims of these abuses are our own
citizens and fellow human beings whose basic rights are being violated.

Of particular concern to the Government of Sri Lanka is the recruitment
and abduction of children to be used as child soldiers. We discussed this
grave issue during our last meeting in Geneva but could not conclude our
discussion on the matter. The Government believes it is important to take
up this question at this round of talks as well. It was clear from our
discussions in February, supplemented by the contribution made by the Head
of the SLMM, that the recruitment and abduction of children constitute
serious violations of human rights. In response, to our concerns Mr.
Balasingham stated that the LTTE would take all measures to completely
stop the recruitment of underage children and that the LTTE would
cooperate with UNICEF and other international humanitarian agencies to
ensure that children are not in any way involved in this armed conflict.

Yet in the past months, this pledge has been utterly disregarded. Underage
recruitment has continued unabated. The number of children known to UNICEF
that have been recruited by the LTTE between February to September 2006 is
recorded at 397.

In fact, only a few days after the February 2006 meeting in Geneva,
several children escaped from the LTTE and described the oppressive
conditions that thousands of children have been forced to endure as
soldiers. The most recent UNICEF report states that since the beginning of
the ceasefire through the end of September 2006, there have been 5769
children, known to UNICEF, that have been recruited into the LTTE ranks.

Another serious concern of the Government is the nonchalant manner with
which the LTTE disregarded the pledges and promises it has made on the
issue of child soldiers. The LTTE has cited the Action Plan for Children
Affected by War as evidence that it is cooperating with UNICEF on
releasing children in their ranks. Yet the most recent Progress Report on
the Action Plan states conclusively that the LTTE has dishonored the
commitments it had undertaken in relation to the release and
rehabilitation of children. The LTTEs repeated empty assurances and
promises cast serious doubt on the sincerity of the LTTE in fulfilling the
commitments it undertakes.

Child recruitment has been condemned by the UN Security Council under
Resolution 1612 (2005). The LTTE has been included in Annex 11 of the
Resolution, which lists parties that recruit or use children in Situations
of armed conflict. The annex also states that the LTTE has been
responsible for the abduction of children. The UNSC resolution 1612 draws
attention to include the protection of children in armed conflict as an
important aspect of any comprehensive strategy to resolve conflict.

In any civilized society, even the kidnapping of a single child is viewed
with horror and tremendous revulsion. The fact that the LTTE has been able
to abduct and recruit more than 5000 children, according to the UNICEF
figures, and yet not be subjected to any sanctions, is a sad reflection on
the languid state of the international conscience. It is therefore time
for us to make progress to ensure that this practice is discontinued.

VII. Development

The ceasefire should have ideally created conditions for the rapid
development of all parts of the country. Economic development requires,
the essential right of access. Unfortunately, access to certain parts of
the North and the East is still being denied and thus the people are
deprived of benefits of such development. The LTTE, by denying physical
access to areas, which they dominate, such as the districts of
Killinochchi and Mullaitivu, are depriving the people of these areas the
opportunity of enjoying the benefits of development. In addition the LTTEs
intransigence has prevented the government from using its capacity to
assist people living in areas affected by the Tsunami. The massive levies
that are illegally imposed on economic activity have also led to a
stifling of the economic growth. These and other restrictive measures have
to be discontinued if economic development is to progress.

Despite all these obstacles and impediments an overwhelmingly substantial
part of the humanitarian and infrastructural needs of the civilian
population of the North and East, including conflict areas are currently
met by the Government of Sri Lanka. Some assistance from the donor
community is also available. The administrative machinery and
infrastructure facilities in conflict areas are continuing to be
maintained by the Government despite these difficulties.

State hospitals and State run health care centers provide a totally free
service  both preventative and curative and are funded by the Government.
The State meets the recurrent costs of Doctors salaries, drugs, dressings
and maintenance of hospitals. In the North and East, there are over 53
Hospital institutions with more than 4427 hospital beds providing free
curative healthcare.

The State funds the education system, including schools, non-formal
education institutions, and technical colleges and provides free
education. The salaries of teachers, administrative, clerical and
elementary staff are met by state funds. There are no private schools in
operation in Kilinochchi, Mannar, Vavuniya, Ampara and Trincomalee. School
children in these areas are entirely dependent on Government run schools
for their primary and secondary education, which the Government continues
to provide.

There are an estimated 1848 functioning state funded schools with over
700,000 students. These schools include 411 in Jaffna, 94 in Kilinochchi,
93 in Mannar, 187 in Vavuniya, 102 in Mullativu, 314 in Batticaloa, 388 in
Ampara and 259 in Trincomalee. Thus 18.9% of the schools administered by
the Ministry of Education are located in the North and East.

The Government of Sri Lanka is presently taking all steps to provide the
essential services that people need in the uncleared areas. In fact, even
today the Government Agents in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu are actively
delivering all essential services. The salaries and pensions and other
expenses of these services are fully met by the Government, and the
Government also monitors these activities to ensure that the services
reach the people as extensively as possible. However, given the hazardous
ground conditions that prevail in these areas it is necessary for the LTTE
to cooperate closely to ensure that these efforts are made more effective.
Already, massive programs for housing, roads, bridges, electrification,
livelihood development, hospitals, and schools have been planned. The
completed projects and other projects in progress and in the pipeline are
valued at approximately 1,250 Million U.S. Dollars. This is a massive sum,
and the investment of such an amount would need stable ground and safe
conditions that are essential for the effective realization of the
benefits of this vast investment.

In this context, the Government of Sri Lanka would very much desire to
work with all interested parties, to ensure that people in all parts of
the North and East have access to the improvements described here, and
also to address the problems of those affected by the tsunami.

In relation to development, another serious issue is that many of the
Muslim persons who were forcibly evicted from the North and the East by
the LTTE have not yet been able to return to their legitimate places of
residence to undertake their regular economic activity and this, too,
needs to be addressed at a very early date.

VIII. Conclusion

The Government is committed to giving the highest priority to launching a
reinvigorated peace process to usher in a sustainable peace, which will
provide a lasting solution to the countrys national question. The
political solution needs to be based on a consensus reached through
dialogue among all parties. The primary aim is to end the decades of
conflict and internal strife and to build a state that upholds the
aspirations and rights of all sections of our society.

The Government hopes that these talks will be the beginning of a
productive dialogue and a fruitful exchange of views with all persons
concerned on the many substantive issues relating to this conflict that
has taken a massive toll on the people of the country.

Foremost among these issues are the restoration of democracy, political
pluralism, meaningful devolution, human rights and economic development.

The task of securing a durable and lasting peace is indeed a complex and a
difficult one. It is also a dynamic process which calls for the
development of innovative approaches, responsive initiatives and viable
procedures and processes in order to provide remedies for existing
anomalies underlying a deep rooted conflict.

The successful resolution of these problems would primarily depend on
whether and how we could put an end to the destructive violence that has
plagued our country for decades. Secondly, on how effectively we could
proceed to the stage of constructive social engagement that will help to
create the necessary infrastructure that will help to underpin and
safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka to enable
the restoration of amity and goodwill among all sections of our People in
order that they may inherit and enjoy the immeasurable happiness and
benefits of peace. The Government of Sri Lank, consistent with the Mahinda
Chintanaya, extends the hand of friendship to the LTTE and invites them to
renounce the path of violence, enter the democratic process and join the
political mainstream and help the long-suffering People of our Country,
belonging to all ethnic groups, to end their misery and enable them to
live fulfilling lives.

H.E the President, Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse has said clearly that he will go
the extra mile in search of peace  a dignified and honorable peace. Where
a Sri Lankan model of devolution will be devised for an undivided country
to address the root causes of this conflict. It will also be a model,
which will be consistent with regional geo-political realities.

http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/2862

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