IDP's in Sri Lanka: 64% released, 53% returned to places of origin

The final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War created 300,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were transferred to camps in Vavuniya District and detained under military supervision in refugee camps as it was suspected that a large number of LTTE Terrorist cadres had covertly joined their ranks. Savvy PR abreast of the upcoming Sri Lankan Presidential elections (to be held on January 26th 2010) or not; the fact remains that as per data available on the 15th of January 187,535 of the IDP's(64%) have been released. Of this number 158,562 (53%)of the IDP's have been returned to their places of origin.

The released displaced persons were given kitchen utensils to start cooking and six months worth of rations as well as building materials to setup temporarily shelters.

In addition to helping them continue with their agricultural activities and setting up income-generating projects the government has provided them with 5,000 rupees ($44) in hand and 20,000 rupees ($175) via a bank account. They have been promised another instalment of 25,000 rupees ($219).

Notes: 5000 rupees is equal to 74% of the average monthly wage for a trades person in Sri Lanka as per data collected in 2008.

Out of the 300,000 a total of 106,123 (35%) are still being detained for screening and 10,000 IDP's have been identified as having some links to the Tamil Tigers. This includes not only former cadres but also their relatives, those who worked in the Tigers’s civil administrative structures and anyone believed to be a supporter or sympathizer of the Tigers. These individuals have been moved to separate refugee camps to ensure safer conditions for the remaining IDP's.

References:
Wikipedia: Data on released IDP's and monthly wages in Sri Lanka
BCC: Funding for refugees allowed out of the camps and testimony of those who have been permanently resettled

Damn it Mahinda!!

I was surprised to realize that SLUNA (SRI LANKA UNITED NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CANADA) which I consider to be the most active representation of Sri Lankans here in Canada and the only one which effectively counters the vile pro-LTTE propaganda spewed out by certain quarters of the Tamil diaspora is actively raising funds for Mahinda's reelection campaign. As an unbiased organization representing the common interests of all Sri Lankan expatriates I figuared they would remain impartial and would want to distance themselves from all the political mudslinging that's going on; but when I thought about it for a bit I realized that re-electing Mahinda makes sense. Well, at least for us here in Canada it does for re-electing Mahinda means that Bandula Jayasekara, Sri Lanka's Consul General here in Toronto, gets to stay.

Bandula is not a career diplomat but he is to date the most effective representation Sri Lanka has had in Canada. With his background in media and politics (he was Editor-in-Chief of the Daily News and a close personal confidant of Laxman Kadiragama) he has done an amazing job at advancing Sri Lanka's diplomatic profile here in Canada. He's eloquent, well opinionated and has a nonchalant approach which goes down well with the media here and as such he's gotten more interviews and media coverage than all the previous diplomats combined. And its not just quantity; his responses are well researched and opinionated. This gentleman is more than capable of holding his own with the news anchors here in Canada. In addition to being a media savvy diplomat he's really made an effort to reach out to the Tamil, Sinhalese and Muslim expatriates. He's made a point to stress over and over that being Tamil does not automatically associate one with the LTTE and that his offices in Toronto are for the benefit of all groups regardless of ethnicity. Canada is home to over 70,000+ Tamil Sri Lankan expatriates and has gained notoriety as an international safe haven for LTTE propaganda. So far Bandula Jayasekara is the only diplomat who has had any degree of success countering the LTTE Terrorist propaganda or reaching out to the Tamil community here in Toronto.

So yes, voting for Mahinda and raising funds for his campaign makes sense to me if it means Bandula gets to stay; but that also means that I'll be indirectly supporting 'pan-dan hora-golayas' as in the likes of Mervyn Silva and advocating the pillage of state coffers via politically motivated investments such as Mihin Air. Crap! DAMN IT MAHINDA!!!

Tamils don't have a voice?

One thing I hear often at Canadian Sri Lankan expatriate gatherings is that the Tamil population doesn't have a voice.

The pro-LTTE Tamil diaspora claim that they have been inadequately represented in parliament and the upper echelons of civil service since 1956, when the Official Language Act was enacted. The pro-Sinhalese extremist crowd claim otherwise and point out that the current setup allows representation by population and best serves the needs of the country.

The more moderate members of Canada's Tamil diaspora believe that the LTTE Terrorists were a group of power hungry profiteers who played on the fears of the county's Tamil and represented the needs of the Tamil population no better than the Sinhalese Buddhist politicians in parliament do. Like the more moderate Sinhalese diaspora they too, speak in favor of power devolution and provincial autonomy.

Its a web of discord, but one thing stands out clear: The Tamil population don't have a strong political presence to represent them democratically.

For decades the LTTE terrorists suppressed any contrary socio-political movements or any noteworthy individuals amongst the Tamil population that could be considered a threat to their dominance or their ideals. Fortunately for the Tamil population of Sri Lanka that menace has been eradicated and they now have an opportunity to seek democratic representation sans para-military intimidation or pseudo Tamil political organisations that represent the needs of the Sri Lankan Government rather than the needs of the Tamil population.

The present split political climate is ideal for a Tamil political organization to strategically lobby its way into prominence; as neither of the two main presidential candidates can oust the other without the support of Sri Lanka's Tamil minority.

And that's why the Tamil populace need to scour their ranks to find strong leadership during this presidential election. Leadership that can represent the values and ideals important to its voter base democratically without pandering to the terrorist elements that still smolder or without wilting before extremist Sinhalese movements.

Easier said than done; but if its to be done, now's the time.

Weird Statistic? Or intimidation?

I was discussing Sri Lankan groceries with an acquaintance recently, and was shocked to find that in this city of over 80,000+ Sri Lankans there happens to be no Sri Lankan Sinhalese run grocery stores anywhere in the Greater Toronto region. Every single retail Sri Lankan grocery store or supermarket is run by members of the Tamil diaspora. Add to that the fact that there are only two Sri Lankan restaurants featuring Sinhalese food (one's downtown Toronto and the other one is in the suburbs of Brampton) in the city and you have a truly skewered statistic.

Upon inquiry from one of Toronto's whole sale Sri Lankan food and grocery importers as to why there were no Sri Lankan Sinhalese grocers plying their trade I was told it was because "it is too much trouble; see even that Sri Lankan restaurant serving Sinhalese food in Brampton got burned."

A skewered statistic or intimidation?

The war is over but the acts of hatred continue

Much to the dismay of my Pro-LTTE brethren who hail from Sri Lanka the civil war is over. There are no LTTE Terrorist controlled areas in Sri Lanka and there certainly is no de facto terrorist run governing authority in the East and the North of the country anymore.

The Sri Lankan government forces won, took back control of Sri Lanka and expunged the country of what LTTE scum they could find. Lets face it the civil unrest in Sri Lanka is at another stage. The main guns behind the war are now contesting Presidential Elections even: Mahinda is saying he wants to stay on and 'develop' the country and Sarath says he's contesting because wants to abolish the executive presidency and public corruption. But I digress, that is another can of worms altogether, lets get back to Toronto:

There was an uneasy tension in the air between the pro-LTTE elements in Toronto and the Sinhalese minority after the country was unified but I thought it was getting better? I thought Pro-LTTE elements were adapting to the new situation and were looking to democratically bring about a solution to the ethnic strife in Sri Lanka?

Things in my world certainly were slowly coming back around. The round-the-clock mid-night patrols by citizen vigilantes at the various Buddhist temples ended; and I quietly started making my way back into the various Tamil bakeries and kottu shops, for social unrest or not you can't really grudge a Sri Lankan access to a decent kottu and lampris feed now can you?

But exactly does this recent act of hatred mean? Is this a response to Sarath announcing his intention to contest the upcoming Presidential elections? Does this mean more acts of random terror will follow? Are more Sinhalese Buddhist temples to be attacked cowardly overnight? Are more Sinhalese restaurant owners to be intimidated? And to what end?

The LTTE Terrorist Organization victimized Sinhalese and Tamils back in Sri Lankan through acts of random terror and it looks like their goons are doing the same here in Canada.

arson at the temple AGAIN???

As ignorant as I am...

I can spot passion and a well written blog post. I was sent this link on facebook and think the post is an absolute scorcher ! I've reproduced it below for your reading pleasure:

As posted on Lankaweb.com on 2nd November 2009:

AN OPEN LETTER TO MS. RADHIKA COOMARASWAMY:

Radhika I read that you are planning to bring yet another UN official, Maj.General. Patrick Cammaert to inspect the IDP camps. The camps have already been inspected by Sir John Holmes, Lord Naseby, Ban Ki Moon, Congress members from USA, the delegation from South India plus innumerable others. In addition we have UN organizations and workers helping in the camps, 52 NGOS & INGOS you name it they are all there. You want to bring yet another person to inspect as if the camps have not been inspected enough. I am not sure what you hope to achieve other than provide Maj. Cammaert with a nice holiday in Sri Lanka. He will probably go back and make out a report which will be dictated by you.

If you are truly concerned as the rest of UN on Human Rights, how come no one at the UN has raised a word against carpet bombing of Baghdad by USA to capture Saddam Hussein? How many innocent men, women, and CHILDREN died in the waves of “shock and awe” bombings? It is estimated to close to a million people died. How many refugees were created in Iraq ? Even two weeks ago when Hillary Clinton visited Pakistan and Afghanistan to improve relations with US there, she was questioned about the civilian casualties which had been caused by the bombing raids of US forces. Her answer was “Our two countries are fighting a common enemy. Some civilian casualties are inevitable in trying to destroy the enemy”. Why do the UN, USA, EU have double standards when it comes to civilian casualties in trying to fight terrorism ? When it is done by these countries, it is acceptable collateral damage. When it happens in a poor helpless country such as Sri Lanka, it is considered a war crime. How about investigating the child abuses in the Catholic church? Over $2 billion had been paid out by the Church to silence the abused children in USA alone. How about child abuse in Brazil, and all the poor countries by the Catholic Church? How about helping the Tamil Dalit children in Tamil Nadu? The children of the Dalits are forced under institutionalized slavery to scrape human fecal matter off the roads into tin cans. If you have not already seen the film “Slum dog Millionaire” I suggest you watch it along with your UN colleagues.

Radhika, you studied in Sri Lanka at Government expense, enjoyed the benefits of free medical care, and your father was appointed as an Ambassador for the Sri Lanka Government which enabled you to move abroad, further your studies in USA, and later contact all VIPs and land a job at the UN (that was done under GoSL sponsorship). Now you are using that same position at the UN to make out that the Tamils are discriminated against in Sri Lanka.

Was your family, as Tamils, ever discriminated against ? If so, how did your father end in the top echelons of the Sri Lanka diplomatic service ? Your father was a good man and he must be now turning in his grave when he sees what you are up to. He was a man of integrity and did his duty by the country.

What have you done Radhika? You have used every opportunity to lie about Sri Lanka to the International Community, to fan the flames of racial hatred, to use cheat and deceit at every turn to bring down the country which nurtured, respected and protected you.

We have not forgotten the R2P incident either which involved ICES, the Research Institute in Lanka, of which you are the Directress.

During the last stages of the the battle with the LTTE, the Sri Lanka army soldiers made many sacrifices to save the civilians. There are many stories which the IDPs have told about the bravery and sacrifice of the soldiers. There are pictures of the soldiers carrying old Tamil women on their back because they were too weak to walk in flooded waters. The war could have been finished last year if the Sri Lanka government decided to do what the USA did in Baghdad and just carpet bomb the entire area of the LTTE with the civilians. Instead they chose to carefully target only the terrorist cadre. As a result their losses were high and the war dragged on for a longer time. Do the UN or the Western countries acknowledge this sacrifice by the Sri Lanka Government and the forces?

Do you know why, in spite of all the money the Tamil diaspora spent to bring down Sri Lanka, the country is still standing? It is because Truth is a very powerful thing ! The entire LTTE movement was based on a huge lie, as was the Tamil Diaspora lies against the Sinhalese. When the Tamil diaspora were panting after acquisition of the jewel in the Indian Ocean for them selves and spent close to $4.5 Billion in arms (which are now in the bottom of the Indian ocean and in the hands of the Sri Lanka army) just as they thought they had it in their grasp they lost it all. Don’t you think that this POWER whatever name we call it (God, Allah, Truth, Dharma etc.,) has a sense of humor?All people from the countries which were colonized by the British are now walking the streets in England. It is the same in France and Europe. Some in the Tamil Diaspora abroad think that that other people are really stupid and only they are clever. Every scam they have pulled as come to nought and the more they are caught with lies the less believable they become to other people. How come no one has asked the opinion of the Tamils who have lived in Sri Lanka for the last 30 years among the Sinhalese.

In 1948, when Sri Lanka became Independent we decided to provide free education, free medical care and free food for people with incomes below a certain level. There was no discrimination against Tamil or Sinhalese. Everyone got the same. Even the Tamil Dalits who came ILLEGALLY across the Palk Straits as Sakkilis to carry the buckets from the Colombo homes got the same benefits. I remember standing in the line at CWE with my rice ration book to collect the parboiled rice at subsidized price along with some of these people. Such was the fair play in Lanka.

You appear to be an ungrateful person and I can guarantee none of the wealth you have amassed by cheat and deceit toward Lanka will do you any good. Just like Raj Rajaratnam and Bernard Madoff that money will do you no good.

Your parents & your brother were decent people. What happened to you? Are you doing all this out of fear of LTTE or for the money, or both. I think it is for the money. A day may come when you may not have your privileged position. There are people in Sri Lanka who will remember what you did against the country.

Having lived in Sri Lanka even though you are not a Buddhist you may have absorbed a little bit of the Buddhist culture which gave you the free education and medical care. In addition, this feeling of ‘Anicca’ which pervades the lives of the Sinhalese is what makes them so liberal, because they know that they are not going to live forever and that they cannot carry any thing out of this world. In the end all you have is your good name and the feeling in your Heart that you lived the good life. Even at this late stage you can change. Always remember : “Dhammo bhave rakkhati Dhamma chari” (those who live by the Dharma are protected by the Dharma).