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UNP stands for credible power
sharing
Wants CFA amended
System to protect devolved power
Military response to terrorism
The UNP on
Friday stated that the party stands for a
negotiated political solution based on a
credible power sharing formula acceptable to all
communities as a means of settling the ethnic
conflict.
The UNP
statement was aimed at putting to rest charges
that the party had dropped its commitment to a
federal solution in a bid to woo the JVP.
Reiterating the
party's commitment to the devolution of power,
the UNP said the political solution must address
the grievances of the Tamils, the fears of
Muslims in the north-east regarding ethnic
cleansing, and concerns of some sections of
Sinhalese that devolution will lead to
separation.
The UNP also
said there should be talks with the LTTE and the
ceasefire agreement amended taking into account
the current situation and the experiences of the
past few years.
The UNP has in
its statement also avoided using terminology to
describe the devolution model but has said Sri
Lanka should evolve an innovative model in
keeping with her own experiences.
The statement
also adverts to the party's commitment to
federal principles stating there must be
credible power sharing between the centre,
region/ province and the local authorities while
introducing a system to safeguard the devolved
powers.
The UNP further
states the final solution will be placed before
the people at a referendum for approval.
Following is the
full text of the statement:
The United
National Party believes that long lasting peace
is possible only through a negotiated political
solution based on a credible power sharing
proposal acceptable to all communities. The
Party's Annual Conventions of 2004 and 2006
reiterated this position. These policies were
set out and further developed by Hon. Ranil
Wickremesinghe, the Leader of the Party and
Leader of the Opposition, when he delivered the
J. R. Jayewardene commemoration lecture. He made
the following observations:
We must oppose
separatism
Terrorism
requires a military response
The causes
leading to separatism require a political
solution
There must be
contingency plans to deal with any breakdown in
negotiations or when there are obstacles to a
political solution. This should include both
political and security components. We must take
steps to obtain the support of all parties and
work wholeheartedly to ensure the success of the
peace process.
A negotiated
political solution must be based on:
renunciation of violence; human rights and
democracy.
It must also
accommodate the legitimate aspirations of all
communities. The political solution must
address:
The grievances
of Tamils;
The fears of
Muslims in the north east regarding ethnic
cleansing;
The concerns of
some sections of the Sinhalese that devolution
will lead to separatism;
The political
solution must be acceptable to the Sinhalese,
Tamils, Muslims, Burghers and other small ethnic
communities. It must also have the support of
the international community.
A political
solution must safeguard the territorial
integrity of Sri Lanka and the sovereignty of
the people. It must also protect the rights of
the minorities.
We must be
innovative and evolve a new constitutional model
reflecting our own experiences.
The present
system (the 13th Amendment) is based on the
provinces. Therefore we have to determine
whether provinces will be the unit of devolution
for the future. If new units of devolution are
being demarcated, it should be based on
political, social and economic criteria.
There must be
credible power sharing between the national
government Regional/Provincial Councils and
Local Authorities. The centre must retain the
powers needed for the effective functioning of
the national government. The other powers must
be vested to the other two levels.
People living in
the north have expressed fears that powers
vested in the Region/Province may be taken away
by a future parliament. People in the south have
a concern that the party in power at the centre
will take away the powers of the
Regional/Provincial Councils controlled by
opposition parties. Similarly, local authorities
are worried that the party in power in the
Region/Centre will take away their powers.
Therefore, it is
necessary to have a system to safeguard the
devolved powers. We have to give our attention
not only to legal principles but also to
practical problems.
These proposals
must make provision for sharing of power at the
centre between the national government and the
Regional/Provincial administrations.
The Co-Chairs
and India must be requested to arrange for
cessation of hostilities and resumption of
talks. In order to create an appropriate
environment for talks it is essential, that all
parties agree to uphold human rights.
Investigations be carried out into the
abductions and disappearances and remove the
culture of impunity, immediate resolution of
outstanding humanitarian issues, and guarantee
all democratic rights.
The Ceasefire
Agreement must be amended taking into account
the present situation in the north - east and
the experiences of the last few years. The
environment today is far different from that of
2002 when the CFA was signed.
A Muslim
delegation must participate at the peace talks
as agreed.
We have to
structure the entire peace process: Talks with
the LTTE; talks with all other parties and
group.
During this
period we must also maintain a close
relationship with India and the international
community.
A political
solution must be acceptable to all communities.
Thereafter, it must be accepted by the people at
a referendum. Once a negotiated political
solution is accepted at a referendum, a
constitutional amendment incorporating a
political solution will be passed by parliament.
This constitutional amendment will have to be
approved by the people at a second referendum.
Govt. turning a blind eye
Karuna running amok in east reveals SLMM
By Amantha Perera
The Karuna Group
is running its own legal system while continuing
with abductions, extortion and other
harassments, the SLMM said last week.
The monitors
made the observations in their weekly report for
the third week of September. Two weeks back the
SLMM said that the group was abducting minors
and threatening rival political parties as well.
The claims of child recruitment have been backed
by UNICEF.
The Karuna Group
however continued to reject the charges saying
that it was only involved in legitimate
political work.
"The TMVP/Karuna
Group remained visible in the ER. The TMVP/Karuna
Group reportedly operate a parallel legal
system, summoning people to their offices and
taking them into custody."
"Persons in TMVP/Karuna
Group custody are often severely physically
abused and threatened with death," the SLMM
said.
The monitors
repeated charges of child recruitment against
the Karuna Group and said that a mobile patrol
had come across an armed under-age recruit with
the group at Valachchenai.
"The SLMM
furthermore received several complaints
regarding abduction of minors in the ER, also
involving the TMVP/Karuna Group. On patrol in
the Valachchenai area on September 18, SLMM
monitors observed an armed civilian boy at a
road block in the village of Kinnayadi. The boy
appeared to be about 14 years old. From sources
in Batticaloa, the SLMM learned that child
recruitment by the TMVP/Karuna Group was
consistent in the district, with one or two
cases reported every week," the report also
said.
The SLMM report
further said that the official apathy was such
that even constituent parties of the government
have stopped taking complaints against the
Karuna Group to the authorities.
"According to
Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) and Eelam
People's Revolutionary Liberation Front
Pathmanabha Wing (EPRLF-P) members in Batticaloa,
neither the EPDP nor the EPRLF-P report cases to
the police as no action was generally taken. On
September 18 the EPDP distributed pamphlets
charging that the Sennan Padai, a clandestine
organisation of the TMVP/Karuna Group,
threatened people who hold views opposed to that
of the TMVP/Karuna Group," the SLMM said.
The Karuna Group
was extorting money and forcing fishermen to
sell below market prices - "the TMVP/Karuna
Group continued to extort money from local
businesses, and was reportedly involved in
general harassment of civilians. The SLMM
received several complaints of persons being
summoned to TMVP offices, threatened or
harassed. The SLMM moreover learned that the
TMVP/Karuna Group was forcing fishermen to sell
them fish at half price. The authorities were
aware of the problem and were investigating the
matter. All in all, the TMVP/Karuna Group
activities added to a situation of general
insecurity for the civilian population."
The TMVP office
in Colombo denied the charges made in the SLMM
report. "The SLMM keeps saying these things - we
don't know why. We are engaged in a lot of work
with the IDPs in the newly resettled areas and
with children. We don't know why the SLMM keeps
making these charges," Spokesperson Azad Moulana
told The Sunday Leader.
He said that the
TMVP was planning to meet with the SLMM soon.
Its political officers said that the meeting
could take place this week.
LTTE scoffs at MR's invite
for talks
By Arthur Wamanan
There have been
no official moves by the Norwegians or the
government to recommence peace talks between the
government and the LTTE, the Tigers said last
week and dismissed an invitation by President
Mahinda Rajapakse as rhetoric.
Following
President Mahinda Rajapakse's meeting with
Norwegian International Development Minister
Erik Solheim and Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer
in the US last week, it was reported that there
were fresh moves to resume a dialogue.
The Tigers also
debunked President Rajapakse's latest public
invitation for peace talks as mere rhetoric.
The Tigers also
said that the Norwegian peace facilitators had
not informed them of any new moves to resume a
dialogue between the two parties.
"There has been
no official request by the government or the
Norwegians on resuming peace talks."
However,
President Rajapakse's invitation for peace talks
is mere rhetoric," LTTE military spokesperson
Rasiah Ilanthirayan told The Sunday Leader.
He said the
Tigers had not put forward any conditions at the
moment.
"We will look
into the issue of conditions later, at the right
time. We will wait until there is an official
request and then put forward our conditions,"
Ilanthirayan said.
He also said
none of the governments were genuine in their
efforts to solve the problems faced by the
Tamils.
"None of the
Sinhalese governments have shown genuine
interest in solving the ethnic problems. They
only make public statements from abroad," he
added.
Emil Kanthan is my man
reveals Douglas
Social Services
and Social Welfare Minister, EPDP Leader Douglas
Devananda has in a startling revelation said
Emil Kanthan whom the Terrorism Investigation
Division has identified as a key LTTE
intelligence operative was one of his associates
and that he had got Kanthan released from
prison.
Emil Kanthan has
been identified as the man who facilitated the
pre presidential election deal between President
Mahinda Rajapakse and the LTTE with allegations
that Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapakse
had paid millions of rupees to him before the
election.
Following the
election, it is to bogus LTTE front companies
set up by Kanthan that a Rs. 760 million housing
project was granted by the government on the
basis of a fraudulent bidding process as
revealed in The Sunday Leader last week.
The TID and the
CID have identified Emil Kanthan as a key LTTE
operative in reports filed following
investigations and arrested both former Airport
Chief Tiran Alles and the Finance Director of
the Mawbima Newspaper Dushantha Basnayake for
allegedly making payments to Kanthan.
Alles was as
recently as last week interrogated by the TID on
the basis that he had provided funds to Kanthan
who was described as a LTTE operative. Kanthan
was also identified by the TID as a suspect in
the case of the attempted murder of Devananda.
However in an
interview with Sunalie Ratnayake of The Sunday
Leader last week, Minister Devananda had
identified Emil Kanthan as one of his
associates.
Devananda had
said Emil Kanthan was with him and in his office
and was not involved in any attack on him.
Minister
Devananda has further said it was he who got him
released from prison.
"Emil Kanthan
was with me. He was in my office. I don't know
how this story materialised, about him being a
suspect in an attempted murder case against me.
I can confirm that is not true. Emil Kanthan has
nothing to do with my murder attempt. He was
with us and when he was in custody we got him
released," Devananda had revealed.
The Minister's
interview is on tape.
Wheat flour up by Rs. 13 and
bread by Rs. 5
Consumers were
faced with yet another increase in the prices of
consumer goods last week when the price of a
kilo of wheat flour was increased from Rs. 53 to
Rs. 66.
According to the
Trade Ministry Secretary, the price increase was
beyond the control of the government as it was
based on global market prices.
However, he said
that the government was still looking at ways to
import cheaper wheat flour to the country in
order to contain prices.
Meanwhile, the
Bakery Owners' Association announced its
decision to increase the price of bread by Rs.
5. Hence a loaf of bread that cost Rs. 12 in
2004 would now cost Rs. 35.
The association
said that prices of all wheat flour based
products will go up.
MR moves into US$ 4000 suite in
LA
President
Mahinda Rajapakse booked into the super luxury
Beverly Hills Peninsula Presidential Suite on
Friday paying a princely sum of US$ 4000 per
night even as prices of bread and flour were
increased in Colombo by Rs 5 and Rs 13
respectively.
The President
and a party of 20 flew in to Los Angeles from
New York and booked into the Beverly Hills
Peninsula hotel Friday where the cheapest room
rate is US$ 600.
The Sunday
Leader learns the President was to meet the
Mayor of Los Angeles, the County Board and the
Sri Lankan community during his visit. It is
learned no high profile meetings were on the
cards for the President during his Los Angeles
tour.
The President
who left for New York last week with an
estimated party of 80 to attend the UN General
Assembly sessions stayed at the Ritz Carlton
while in the Big Apple.
Informed sources
said the room charges alone for the Los Angeles
leg of the tour for the presidential party would
be over Rs. 11 million.
AB criticizes FM on silence
over crackdown in Myanmar
National
Heritage Minister Anura Bandaranaike on Friday
claimed that the silence maintained by the
Buddhists, especially the self appointed
custodians of the dhamma in parliament and the
Foreign Ministry on the crackdown by the
military junta in Myanmar was deafening.
Releasing a
statement, Bandaranaike questioned as to what
the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry had to say given
that most of the world had joined in the
condemnation, including the UN.
"I wonder what
our Foreign Ministry had to say? Myanmar is a 90
percent Buddhist nation. What does a nation that
banned the Da Vinci Code have to say? Not a
word," Bandaranaike said.
Critical of the
silence maintained by the dhamma custodians in
parliament on the massacre of fellow Buddhist
priests in Yangon who took to the streets in
utter desperation and poverty, Bandaranaike said
that silence was the finest form of cowardice.
Protests in Colombo over crackdown in Myanmar
Protests in
solidarity with the mass public rallies in
Myanmar will continue in Colombo this week with
local monks and civic organisations planning to
hold events.
A protest
organised by Buddhist monks is scheduled to be
held in front of the UN compound in Colombo
tomorrow afternoon calling for wider UN action
on the Burmese Junta.
Another similar
protest organised by local civic organisations
will be held on October 3rd in front of the
Burmese embassy.
On September 27
a group of Burmese monks held a protest in
Colombo supporting protests in Rangoon, Myanmar.
The protests
that erupted in Rangoon two weeks ago over
rising fuel prices have spiraled into mass
protests and the Junta has cracked down harshly
in the last few days. Protestors have been shot
and killed and one Japanese journalist was also
killed.
"Here, the
situation is extremely tense. The regime shows
clearly that they will not care the wish of the
people. During these days, they beat and shot
monks and students who are peacefully
demonstrating on the streets. Yesterday, a
Japanese journalist was shot dead," a Burmese
journalist in Rangoon told colleagues by way of
email before Internet access into Burma was cut
on September 28.
JSS calls on govt. to stop dpl ties with Myanmar
The Jathika
Sangha Sammelanaya (JSS) last week called on the
government to reveal its stance on the present
military crackdown in Myanmar by the military
junta and to stop all diplomatic ties with the
country temporarily.
JSS Secretary,
Ven. Galagodaththe Gnanasara Thero told The
Sunday Leader that Sri Lanka and Myanmar had
maintained long-standing foreign relations and
that therefore Sri Lanka could not remain silent
when the military junta in Myanmar was running
riot.
Ven. Gnanasara
Thero said that President Mahinda Rajapakse
should also raise the present situation in
Myanmar with other state heads when holding
discussions with them in New York.
"The President
condemned terrorism in his speech, so he has to
condemn the present situation in Myanmar as that
too is similar to terrorism. He should also
raise the matter with other state heads as
well," the Thero said.
Ven. Gnanasara
Thero said that Sri Lanka must reveal its stance
on the military crackdown in Myanmar, especially
the killing of Buddhist monks.
Railway fares don't cover even fuel cost - GM
By Kshanika Argent
The country's
railways are currently running at a massive
loss, and not even able to cover its fuel
expenditure due to its "next to peanuts" price
of 48 cents per passenger kilometre, according
to General Manager, Railway Department, T. L
Gunaruwan.
Speaking to The
Sunday Leader Gunaruwan said that for the
railway to meet the cost of diesel and good
maintenance, the tariffs would have to be raised
at least three fold.
He said, "The
revision of prices are long overdue. For the
past 10 years the Railway Department has
pressured the government to raise the tariffs
and about two years ago it was raised but it's
inadequate and ineffective."
He went on to
say that the tariffs should be raised to at
least Rs. 1.50 per passenger kilometre to meet
the railway's expenditure.
He added that if
the tariffs were raised, the railway would be
able to have better maintenance and provide a
better service to passengers. Gunaruwan said,
"It's like maintaining a good car, one needs
money but we have no idea when or if the tariffs
will be raised, we can only hope." He added that
he has not got any response from the government
with regard to a tariff revision.
Sri Lanka's
trains, most of which are decades old are
commonly seen overcrowded and undergo frequent
accidents due to poor maintenance.
No offence says hotel
By Kshanika Argent
Despite coming
under attack by aid workers for introducing a
USD 14,000 dessert 'that sends the wrong
signals,' The Fortress, one of the country's
most exclusive luxury resorts, claims that it
never meant to offend anyone.
Speaking to The
Sunday Leader, General Manager, The Fortress,
Axel Jarosch said that the dessert, which
contains an 80 carat aquamarine stone, is meant
to bring a sense of fun and encouragement to a
country that is sure to see an upturn in the
coming months with regard to tourism.
"We never meant
to bring any bad light to the country, and we
regret if people have been offended but we see a
positive and wonderful future ahead for the
country where tourism is concerned," added
Jarosch
In Vavuniya and Mannar
Clashes continue
between security forces and the LTTE
Clashes
continued between the security forces and Tamil
Tigers along the volatile Vavuniya-Mannar front
line in the last two days as well claiming at
least four lives, the Army said.
In the last week
over 60 combatants and civilians, including a
Jaffna university lecturer and a catholic priest
have died in the fighting.
In the last two
days fighting erupted at Umayaratuwankulam,
Periyatampanai and Ampadailuppaikulam along the
FDL.
The Army said
that on all three occasions the Tigers tried to
enter government controlled areas.
The Air Force
also carried out an air raid on a Sea Tiger camp
at Thevipuram, northwest of Puthukkudiyiruppu,
in Mullaithivu, the Defence Ministry said.
"A combined air
raid of MIG 27 and Kafir fighter jets launched
at 8.10.a.m accurately hit the terrorists'
training camp which is known as L2 (Lima two),"
the Ministry said of the raid that took place
around 8.20 in the morning.. |
