Tamil civilians who were evicted from Colombo on Thursday (7) returned to the city yesterday following the Supreme Court Stay Order on Friday after their harrowing experience. They were transported back in buses by the State --  Photo by Rukshan Fernando

The eviction of Tamil civilians from lodges in the Western Province were carried out on a directive given by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse, it is revealed.

The revelation comes in a circular issued by Senior DIG of the North and East, Mahinda Balasuriya dated May 31. The circular also reveals that the relevant authorities were directed to establish a rehabilitation camp in close proximity to Vavuniya town by June 6.

The eviction of Tamil civilians commenced in the early hours of June 7.

Hundreds of Tamil civilians living in the Western Province were transported to Vavuniya by the government on Thursday, June 7 in buses leading to an international outcry and allegations of ethnic cleansing prompting President Mahinda Rajapakse to direct the IGP, Victor Perera to initiate an inquiry to ascertain the basis for this operation.

"Allegations that officials exceeded their authority in implementing this initiative will be thoroughly investigated and appropriate remedial action taken, including disciplinary action against any wrong doing on the part of any government official," the president said in a statement.

The Supreme Court on Friday issued a stay order on the eviction of Tamil civilians from the Western Province following a fundamental rights application filed by the Centre for Policy Alternatives.

The Sunday Leader initiated its own investigation into the eviction of the Tamil civilians from the Western Province in the public interest following the President’s call for an inquiry and unearthed that the elaborate plan for the eviction of the Tamil civilians from the Western Province was made at a top level meeting presided by Gotabaya Rajapakse on May 31 at the Defence Ministry where the IGP too was present.

The details published below in the public interest, The Sunday Leader hopes will help the inquiry the President has called for.

The directives issued by the Defence Ministry for the transportation of Tamil civilians from the Western Province to the ‘operational areas’ was put down in writing by Senior DIG Balasuriya under his signature and circulated to all the relevant police officers for action.

The circular written in Sinhala and translated into English below speaks for itself and details the directives issued. Among those participating at the May 31 meeting presided by the Defence Secretary were IGP Victor Perera, Army Chief of Staff Lawrence Fernando, Colombo DIG Rohan Abeywardene and DIG, CID Prathapasinghe.

The Balasuriya circular states in its heading in bold lettering – Directives issued by State Defence Secretary following the discussion on 31.05.2007.

Paragraph 10 of the circular states from June 1, 2007, Tamil civilians who enter the Colombo city from the North and East would be sent back to the relevant operational areas in buses under police protection once they have completed their work in Colombo.

"They should then be handed over to the relevant police station by you. They should from there be sent to their homes by the respective OIC of the police station. Therefore the entrance and the departure of Tamil civilians to the Western Province should be done by the police and security should be provided. This would prevent innocent Tamil civilians from being arrested several times once in Colombo. Youth who have been found guilty would have to be sent to the rehabilitation camps in Boossa and Vavuniya. Plans are under to set up a similar rehabilitation camp in Senapura, Welikanda in the Eastern Province., the circular states.

"It should be understood that the intention of these directives is to identify the Tamil youth living in the Western Province and to send innocent civilians back to their homes by the government. However, youth who are engaged in illegal activities will still be taken into custody. Inform the relevant officers in-charge of the new action plan", the circular also states revealing the planned action.

Following is the full text of the Senior DIG Balasuriya’s circular which blows the lid on the entire eviction drama:

Directives issued by State Defence Ministry Secretary following the discussion on 31.05.2007

On May 31, 2007, Defence Secretary held a special discussion with the Army Chief of Staff, IGP, senior police personnel and the OICs of the Western Province. I too attended it and the following directives are to be enforced in areas under your purview.

1. All road blocks in the north and east are to be operational. This would ease the threat on the Western Province.

2. All vigilant committees should be functional.

3. Six main road blocks would be operational at the borders of the operational areas. Everyone entering and leaving should be registered at the Maha Oya checkpoint. The six checkpoints would be provided with digital cameras and they should be photographed.

4. Human resources should be well utilized. DIGs and SSPs should do this after a close study.

5. Unwanted road blocks should be abandoned and about 20 personnel should be deployed to operate the main checkpoints.

6. Effort should be made to ensure that unwanted people do not leave the operational areas. That would reduce the threat on the Western Province.

7. A list of details should be prepared of the residents in the area.

8. DIG Wanni District: A rehabilitation camp should be immediately set up surrounding the Vavuniya town. A suitable location should be identified soon and after discussing it with the relevant authorities inform me of the details by June 6, 2007. The report has to be submitted to the Defence Secretary. Consider it as top priority.

9. Civil security personnel should be given special training under platoons. Begin immediate coordination on the matter with the Civil Protection Department. These personnel will be used in limited operations in the future. Report on the progress. June 8, 2007.

• UK says there is a growing case for int’l monitors to SL

Blair tells MR war is unwinnable

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has informed President Mahinda Rajapakse in writing the war is unwinnable and that the government must ensure the protection of human rights of all the people in terms of accepted international practices.

Blair’s letter came in the backdrop of growing international pressure for UN intervention in Sri Lanka due to the deteriorating human rights situation in the country.

The British Premier has also said in his letter that it was vital to have a credible constitutional framework to resolve the ethnic conflict as was the need to win the hearts and minds campaign.

The British Government has through diplomatic channels further informed the government its deep concern over military action to defeat the LTTE which it says has resulted in immense human suffering and damaged Sri Lanka’s international standing.

Britain earlier withheld 50 per cent of the post tsunami assistance totaling approximately Rs. 46 billion after the government failed to respond positively to a written query by Minister for International Development Hilary Benn that it would not instigate hostilities and increase military spending.

Meanwhile in a special briefing note dated June 4 to the British members represented in the European Parliament, the British Government has said, "An international attempt to push for an UN led mission seems likely."

The briefing note sent on the eve of the public hearing at the European Parliament on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka also said, "With on going human rights violations, and an ineffectual Commission of Inquiry and Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, there is a growing case for introducing international human rights monitors to Sri Lanka."

Meanwhile The Sunday Leader learns a tough resolution is expected to be adopted by the European Parliament on Sri Lanka this month.

The government is considering a proposal to ration fuel in order to minimise fuel consumption in the country due to the escalating fuel bill.

The cabinet proposed the idea of rationing fuel to consumers at the special cabinet meeting held to discuss the fuel crisis as well as the rising cost of living chaired by President Mahinda Rajapakse on Monday (4).

However, a final decision on the matter is to be taken following the submission of the report by the special committee appointed by the President to study the matter. The report is to be presented to the cabinet in two weeks.

Addressing the meeting, Petroleum Minister A. H. M. Fowzie observed that if the petroleum prices were not increased the losses incurred by the CPC would keep increasing.

UNP to move no faith motion on Keheliya

Opposition and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said that the UNP would move a no confidence motion in parliament against Defence Spokesperson and Minister Keheliya Rambukwella for misleading Members of Parliament.

Addressing leaders of the UNP’s estate worker’s union in Nuwara Eliya yesterday, Wickremesinghe charged that Rambukwella had misled members of Parliament by saying the Tamils who were evicted from lodges in Colombo were suspects, when in reality they were innocent civilians.

The Opposition Leader who faulted the minister for doing so said the UNP would move a no confidence motion against Rambukwella in parliament.

Wickremesinghe had further said that the actions of the government were further isolating Sri Lanka among the international community.

Over 100 Tamil civilians who were evicted from Colombo on June 7 returned to the city yesterday after traveling 360 km within 60 hours following Friday’s Supreme Court order.

Even after arriving in the capital their ordeal was not over as they had to wait for hours at the Wellawatte and Bambalapitiya police stations for formal registration. Around 180 persons arrived in Colombo yesterday in five buses from Vavuniya.

They were among the group of 376 who were evicted from Colombo on June 7 and sent to Vavuniya. Some among the group had left to stay with relatives while another group had been sent to Trincomalee.

The remaining lot stayed the night at Gamini Maha Vidyalaya in Vavuniya without proper sanitation facilities. The ICRC provided food. Following the stay order issued by the Supreme Court of June 8 against the evictions, they were once again directed to buses around 3 p.m. in the afternoon for the 180 km return journey. Some among the returnees said that they went without food since late June 8 evening till their arrival in Colombo.

On the way the buses had stopped at police stations in Dam Street, Kotahena, Pettah and finally reached Wellawatte at around 8 a.m.

"We were herded into buses like cattle and even when we were told we could go back to Colombo, we were warned to finish our work there and go back to our hometowns, without staying in Colombo," 19-year-old Ramalingam from Jaffna said.

He had arrived in Colombo to obtain a passport and a visa to work abroad. He was awaiting his visa when police told him to leave Colombo on June 7 early morning.

Seventy year old Sundralingam was in Colombo with his daughter waiting to go to India for her marriage when he got his eviction order. The daughter had postponed her departure despite obtaining the visa, as the bridegroom had not reached India yet. She too had to take the round trip to Vavuniya between June 7 and 9.

Jegan had arrived from Doha, Qatar to tie the knot and was in Colombo when the June 7 eviction order came. Police did not buy his story and sent him packing to Vavuniya. He too returned yesterday. Most of evictees awaiting visas were told by Police to go back home last week and return to collect the travel documents later. However, the civilians said that sometimes it could take as long as three months to make arrangements to leave a location like Jaffna.

Despite the stay order, human rights activists who were at the police stations to talk with the returnees said that last week’s mass eviction programme had instilled a deep fear in the victims.

"We didn’t have any answers to the question of many of the people we spoke to. They asked us whether we could guarantee that this will not happen again. Some had heard about the court order restraining the Police from carrying out such evictions again, but this had not instilled a sense of confidence that this will not happen again," Rukshan Fernando from the Law and Society Trust told The Sunday Leader.

Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry yesterday said that the police had taken the decision to move out civilians from lodges following security consideration after the twin claymore attacks in Reclamation Road and Ratmalana and the discovery of over 1,000 kg of explosives in Nikkaweratiya.

"The growing security concerns have compelled the police to focus its attention on lodgers who are having extended stay for no valid reason and those who could not prove their identity," the Ministry said on its website.

•Aid for people wont be withheld for fault of leaders

Japanese special envoy Yasushi Akashi on Friday called on the government to bring the human rights situation in the country under control and urged President Mahinda Rajapakse to issue a statement and initiate an inquiry into the forcible eviction of the Tamil civilians from the Western Province.

Akashi made this call during separate meetings with Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe and Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva in parliament on Friday.

Akashi had warned that Japan would be forced to fall in line with other donors and stop aid to Sri Lanka if immediate remedial action was not taken on his proposal.

Just hours after his proposal, Minister Samarasinghe telephoned Akashi who was in discussion with a group of Muslim parliamentarians and communicated President Rajapakse’s decision to issue a statement as urged by the Japanese envoy.

The Muslim members Akashi met were Hassan Ali, Faiser Cassim, K. Bais and Abdul Majeed.

Akashi told the Muslim MPs he met Samarasinghe and de Silva and asked as to who gave the order for the eviction of the Tamil people.

The envoy said the two ministers had pleaded ignorance.

"I told the Ministers we can understand if the LTTE did it because it is a terror group. But the government cannot act like that. This has to be conveyed to the donor countries. In this situation Japan is not willing to give aid I also told the Ministers," Akashi said.

He had further said all the donor countries were upset over the latest development and the image of Sri Lanka was very bad, particularly after the eviction of Tamils from the city.

Japan however decided on Saturday not to withhold aid at the present time following the President accepting Akashi’s proposal and issuing a statement calling for an inquiry into the eviction of Tamils from the city.

Meanwhile, addressing the media yesterday Akashi reasserted that Japan’s policy was not to tie its aid to Sri Lanka too closely to progress in the peace process.

"Why should common people be punished for the commissions or omissions of their leaders?" Akashi asked.

Akashi yesterday also attributed the deteriorating security situation in the country to the political changes that have taken place in the south.

Speaking on the prospect of banning the LTTE in Japan and freezing the organisation’s funds, Akashi stated that the Japanese government has "not identified any LTTE supporters or assets" in their country despite the presence of many Sri Lankans there. Therefore, he claimed, a ban in Japan becomes a theoretical question at most.

President Mahinda Rajapakse last week revealed that the government was facing a severe financial crisis.

Rajapakse made this statement at last week’s cabinet meeting on Wednesday (6).

Addressing the ministers, the President after explaining the financial crisis faced by the government had requested the ministers to immediately halt granting jobs in their ministries as well as departments.

The President said the government plans to recruit 50,000 soldiers and unnecessary expenditure has to be averted for that purpose.

Ministers were also warned to be careful when granting promotions to public officers as special attention needed to be paid to public fund management.

Meanwhile, the Treasury has also been requested to keep a close watch on fund management of ministries. It is also learnt that the Treasury is to issue necessary regulations for the purpose as well.

The government’s financial crisis has been made worse by the decision of several foreign countries to freeze aid due to the country.

Prabath outsmarts Basil on port project

The Hambantota Port Development project was launched on Thursday, June 7 amidst controversy following a clash between Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapakse and the local agent for the Chinese consortium Prabath Nanayakkara.

The Sunday Leader learns Basil Rajapakse had wanted the project launched on May 31 when Nanayakkara was overseas, a proposal the consortium had rejected following representations by the local agent.

Nanayakkara the local agent is reading for a degree at the Harvard University in the US and was scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka on June 2 for the launch of the project. Rajapakse however had insisted that the launch take place on May 31, it is learned.

The project was finally launched on June 7 after the return of Nanayakkara to the country.

Former Port Minister Mangala Samaraweera had earlier alleged in writing to President Mahinda Rajapakse that his brother Basil was interfering in the port project and was pushing the case of one party.

Samaraweera was subsequently sacked from the cabinet and the portfolio given to elder brother Chamal Rajapakse.

LTTE takes a beating in Toppigala says MCNS

Heavy fighting broke out in the Toppigala region in the east with the army overrunning four Tiger camps and killing 30 Tigers, according to the Defence Ministry.

The Ministry said that the army was closing in on Toppigala and Tiger camps at Ibbanvila, Akkarathivu, Mawadi-ode, and Veppanveli had been captured. Three Tigers had committed suicide during the confrontation, the Media Center for National Security (MCNS) said.

"The bodies of eight LTTE terrorists killed by troops have been handed over to the ICRC," it added.

One soldier was killed in the battles and 10 others injured. "The army has so far recovered heavy weapons including six medium purpose machine guns and four rocket propelled grenade launchers, 21 T-56 assault rifles and large quantities of live ammunition of all varieties including GPMG ammunition, anti-personnel mines, explosive devices and military hardware," the MCNS said.

At least 300 Tigers are believed to be holed up in Toppigala under the command of Nagesh and Jeyam. (AP)

Alles demands Rs. 400m from LH

ATTORNEYS representing former Chairman, Airport and Aviation Services and Chairman, Standard Newspapers, Tiran Alles have sent letters of demand to the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited.

The letters sent by Paul Ratnayake Associates claimed Rs. 200 million in damages for defamatory articles in the Daily News and Dinamina newspapers respectively. The articles in question according to Alles’ lawyers contained a series of falsehoods, were "written with express malice" and did not offer "the courtesy of reference to" Alles.

In total the two letters demanded Rs. 400 million from Lake House within 14 days of the letters, dated June 8, to avoid legal proceedings being instituted against the company.

All three articles in question, two appearing in the Daily News on June 7 and June 8 and one in Dinamina printed on June 7 referred to Alles providing luxury vehicles to the LTTE in collaboration with alleged LTTE operative Emil Kanthan. The article referenced on June 7 in the Daily News was titled "CID probing massive transfer of funds, vehicles to LTTE."

Police stood by and did not make an attempt to interfere when the two slain Sri Lanka Red Cross volunteers were abducted from the Fort railway station on June 1, the latest reports filed by the SLMM said.

"The incident (abduction) happened in the presence of many policemen, who did not interfere. On June 2nd, the following morning, the dead bodies of the Red Cross workers were found in Kirielle in Ratnapura area," the SLMM situation report said.

The monitors also said one of the Muslim colleagues of the victims had volunteered to accompany the two with the abductors who claimed they were from the CID. "They were abducted by men who presented themselves as Criminal Investigation Department (CID) policemen." (AP)

Popular Shakthi TV talk show host Sri Ranga has turned down a diplomatic appointment from the government and left overseas for training.

It was reported earlier that the EPDP and CWC had complained to President Mahinda Rajapakse on the conduct of the Minnel programme by Sri Ranga.