A volunteer of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society found dead after he was abducted by a group of unidentified gunmen on Friday,amids UN staff union is due to advice their 13000 strong staff members to avoid assignments in Sri Lanka, this week. Sooriyakanthi Thavarajah (40) who received "Best Volunteer" award from the SLRCS for the contribution he made during the tsunami tragedy, found dead yesterday in Jaffna, International Committee of Red Cross announced today. "We are shocked by another senseless brutal murder of one of our volunteers"said Mr. Jagath Abeysinghe,the President of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society in a joint communique issued with the ICRC and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies condeming the killing.
Early this year two volunteers of SLRCS abducted in the broad day light in Colombo Fort Railway station and murdered following day. After a visit to Sri Lanka last August, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Sir John Holmes said "Sri Lanka is the most dangerous place in the world for aid workers". Chief Government whip Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle hit back at Sir Holmes and said "that he is a "terrorists" in the pay role of LTTE".
Subsequently the government said the remarks made by the minister was not the Government stance.
Last month Government has demanded the removal of 04 of International staff members of UNICEF office in Colombo after found them were at the demonstration against the killing of two Red Cross workers last June. Sri Lanka also banned the Green Chanel entry facility at Air Port Customs for UNICEF officials,after Marxist Nationalistic Party JVP demanded it just a week before the crucial budget voting on last week. United Nations Staff Union will set to advice its members to avoid Sri Lankan assignments saying that "Recent attacks and accusations are affecting the ability of the United Nations to carry out its mission".
Monday, December 17, 2007
Another Red Cross Volunteer Killed
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COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka may outlaw the Tamil Tigers if the rebels continue to mount large-scale attacks, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said on Monday, a move that would put the prospect of renewed peace talks further out of reach.
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"One or two more attacks, we have no option," Rajapaksa told reporters after hosting a Christmas gala in the capital Colombo. "(We will) have to ban."
"There is a limit to our patience, our tolerance."
He said he would seek peace while continuing to fight the Tigers and did not view the two as mutually exclusive.
"We are convinced peace is possible only if we can weaken the LTTE militarily," Rajapaksa said.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have been outlawed as a terrorist group by a host of nations, including the United States, Britain and the European Union, following a series of attacks and assassinations.
A previous government lifted a ban on the Tigers in 2002, paving the way for direct peace talks that later collapsed.
"A ban would be a signal that the government's intention is a military solution and it is closing the door to talks," said Jehan Perera, an analyst with non-partisan advocacy group the National Peace Council.
"The LTTE will refuse to come to talks until the ban (if imposed) is lifted."
The Tigers, who are seeking to carve out an independent state in the island's north and east, were not immediately available for comment.
They have already dismissed a long-delayed government bid to build a consensus devolution package for minority Tamils that Rajapaksa says is still in the works.
Reclusive rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran said last month he had no hope of a political settlement with the government in the renewed civil war after the chief of his political wing was killed in an air force bombing raid.
The government has said it aims to destroy the Tigers militarily and evict them from territory they control in the far north. Analysts expect the war, which has killed around 70,000 people since 1983, will grind on for years.
Nordic truce monitors say well over 5,000 people have been killed in near-daily air raids, bombings and land and sea battles since early last year alone.
Sri Lanka is rolling into a needless and completely detrimetal confrontation with the UN agencies which it cannot win, even though in the short term SL seems to hold the upper hand. It is true that UNICEF and other 'talk only' agancies have proven impotent to deliver what they've talked about when it comes to child combatants of the LTTE, sri Lanka needs to back off its present rhetoric and differentiate itself from the terror group. If not, over the longer period even our present friends may get tired of such childish and amatuer behavior from a soveriegn state and begin to equate it to the terrorists in general perception. This tantamounts to committing suicide by itself, when the LTTE failed to kills it. Let's not do the terrorists a favor Sri Lanka, back off the UN.
Anyhow, a counter point to my own opinions can be found in this very interesting article;
http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2007/dec/16/rajapakses_nationalistic_foreign_policy_pays_dividends.html
Here's the link to the article again;
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5899907675904775235&postID=240138928412286898
Sorry abt that, but the last part of the link is ;
240138928412286898
Severe Embarrassment for Sri Lanka, Government facing sanctions from West. US has stopped all military aid to the wretched poor island sh*t hole.
There goes "war on terrorism" bull crap.
While MR and ladies travel the world in 80 days joy ride, enjoying sun,surf, women and excess foreign alcohol,
Canada considers SLA,SLN,SLAF and SL thug Police as war criminals. No ifs and buts.
Japan has also warned of the gallow for Sri Lanka if ceasefire agreement torn up.
US Military sanctions on Lanka. Good luck MR cheering squad. At this rate disintegration of Kotte kingdom is just around the corner.
Lawmakers also linked military aid to Sri Lanka to the island's improving its rights record, looking to spur change on an island that has seen a two-decade struggle between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels seeking a separate homeland for Tamils, an ethnic minority.
The bill would block all but a small amount of military aid for activities to include surveillance cooperation from the Sri Lankan authorities.
The bill is an embarrassment for the administration of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, which says its operations are meant to convince rebels that they cannot win a military victory.
Human rights groups have accused the government of committing a wide array of abuses in its fight against Tamil rebels.
The U.S. bill would make any military grants for Sri Lanka dependent on certification by the U.S. secretary of state that Sri Lanka has:
_prosecuted military officials alleged to have recruited child soldiers and committed extrajudicial executions.
_provided humanitarian groups and reporters access to Tamil areas of the country.
_agreed to allow the United Nations to establish a human rights office in the country.
Most of your MR cheer leader rats go find asylum in the middle east now, before the ships sinks.... now there is no escape. Lets see how long this MR, chameleon catholic turned devout Budhist will breath his last.
Ignore the Tiger crap here...
Don't read it...Not worth it...
Confrontation with the UN is not a good idea...Some ministers calling visiting UN envoys as terrorists is hillarious...
GOSL need to protect these NGO workers at all times.
Well said tangara..see what i mean.. this LTTE supporting filth think that the west is limited to them..and that everyone on this site is living in SLanka..he hehehe.This is why we need to get our own people abroad in order to build a vast political base for "future political operations".As you well know all this "rot" is only on websites..when you actually to go Canada this LTTE supporting diaphora are your best friends!!!they meet you.. invite you to parties etc....hehehehe..Its this living in a ghetto mentality as usual..The sadest fact is that 235 ltte cadres have been killed just in december..i hope a lot of them surrendered..Why should they die when they can attend the university of waterloo like this LTTE filth overseas.
Tangara your right again about the UN but due to the incompetance of some of our embassies..these people come with preconceived ideas about Slanka..(which they shouldnt have..)..due to discussions with the oh dear.."ever suffering LTTE supporting tamil diasphora"..People should not be influenced by reporters...but then this is not an ideal world.
Guys,
Out of topic,
Keep attacking JVP policy of never ending strikes..For this month so far,no of JVP sponsored strikes have come down to 2 from last months(Nov.) 10+.
I have written few letters attacking JVP policy and looks like they are finally listening..
The decrease
could be a coincidence however I keep my fingers crossed.
check the website
www.unions.lk for all JVP sponsored strikes.
There will be many humanitarian workers, journalists, Church Men will be killed claiming to be killed by either by Security Forces or Paramilitary in the coming days.
It is all part of LTTE propaganda machine to escape from eminent defeat.
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