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This web log is a news and views blog. The primary aim is to provide an avenue for the expression and collection of ideas on sustainable, fair, and just, grassroot level development. Some of the topics that the blog will specifically address are: poverty reduction, rural development, educational issues, social empowerment, post-Tsunami relief and reconstruction, livelihood development, environmental conservation and bio-diversity.


Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Peace: the mission begins
Daily Mirror: 20 / 05/2009, By Kusal Perera
There were genuine grievances in the Tamil community that led to the Tamil political struggle. However even when most of those grievances were addressed later, the LTTE became the stumbling block in reaching national reconciliation. Prabhakaran hijacked the Tamil political struggle and became the problem than being the solution.
Although the Sri Lankan constitution does not discriminate between the communities and there is no legally institutionalized racism in Sri Lanka, there are many practical problems and instances of marginalization faced by the Tamil community. The implementation of the language policy is one classic example. There are many instances when government offices send out letters, documents and notices to the public in Sinhala only. These practical issues should be immediately addressed. Also a major attitudinal change within the Sinhala community about the rich diversity of the Sri Lankan culture and heritage that has been nourished through the ages by cross cultural influences should be brought about. The state media should be utilized to integrate the nation and not to polarize the country on ethnic, religious and political lines. The President will have to address these concerns with utmost urgency.
The security forces under the joint politico-military leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Defence Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Army Commander Sarath Fonseka have accomplished the task of ensuring the territorial integrity of the country by militarily defeating the separatist terrorist organization the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
With the elimination of the entire top level leadership of the Tigers the military strength of the LTTE that plagued the country with terrorism over the last three decades has been stemmed.
Defence Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Army Commander Sarath Fonseka have achieved the task they set about three years ago to completely rid the country of LTTE terrorism. It is no doubt that the resolute and unwavering political leadership povided to the task by President Mahinda Rajapaksa was the cornerstone of the military victory.
The firm stand taken by President Rajapaksa in the face of tremendous international pressure exerted by the western nations, ensured that the military effort could be seen through to its ultimate end. This no doubt was the difference from previous occasions when military action had to be halted just as the security forces were about to finish off the militant terrorist organizations, due to international pressure.
However President Rajapaksa had an advantage that previous leaders did not have; history was on his side. The LTTE had proven beyond doubt that they were incorrigible. India that intervened in the late eighties to bring about a political solution burnt its finger. The Western nations that were fully backing and were involved in the 2002 – 2005 peace process clearly understood that the LTTE was beyond reason. The committed action of the late Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar has seen that the LTTE was banned as a terrorist organization in most of the Western countries.
With all avenues of reaching a peaceful settlement being spurned by the Tigers who were brazenly arming and militarily strengthening themselves, the President had no option but to take necessary military action. The entire country that was absolutely fed up with the Tigers that killed thousands of people with a senseless war and manipulated all genuine efforts to reach a political settlement, stood behind the President in his effort to eliminate the Tigers and turn a new leaf in the country’s history.
The stubbornness of the LTTE and its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was amply displayed even at the last stage of the military operations. In the face of imminent defeat the Tiger leadership kept on holding to the false hope of striking a ceasefire and remerging after killing time. When that failed and the entire top level leadership of the LTTE were surrounded, the Tiger leadership still did not want to surrender to the Sri Lankan government but tried its level best to get the West to intervene and surrender to a third party.
The LTTE’s newly appointed international operative S. Pathmanathan alias KP who himself is wanted by the Interpol for gun running and other illicit activities, tried his level best to get Norwegian special envoy Eric Solheim to persuade the Western countries to work out a mechanism for the LTTE to surrender to a third party. In the face of these machinations President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the government came under tremendous pressure particularly due to the active role played by the Labour Party government of Britain that took it upon themselves to act the role of being the saviours of Prabhakaran. British Foreign Minister David Miliband went out of his way to get Sri Lanka into the UN Security Council agenda and Prime Minister Gordon Brown was constantly telephoning President Mahinda Rajapaksa. For Gordon Brown and Miliband it was an exercise to save at least one of its vote banks in London in the face of growing unpopularity of the Labour party government.
All that is history now and the top level leadership of the LTTE in Sri Lanka and its military strength has been destroyed. The country is expecting the dawn of a new era and the challenge before President Mahinda Rajapaksa now is to make those expectations a reality.
The defeat of terrorism has been accomplished. It is the quest for peace, reconciliation and achieving national harmony and development through genuine power devolution that is the challenge before the nation today.
It is no doubt that everyone was relieved to here the end of the LTTE. For many it was a moment to celebrate. However this fervor should not be allowed to reach the heights that could cloud the quest for national reconciliation and integration that is the need of the hour. The task before President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to see that the dignity of all communities are restored and root causes that led to the separatist struggle are addressed.
This victory should not be allowed to pave the way for the emergence of majoritarianism and marginalization of communities that in the first place led to the separatist movements. The war has created many scars in society, destroyed communities and polarized the country. A massive and genuine effort will be needed from all religious and community leaders to heal the wounds and achieve national integration.
There were genuine grievances in the Tamil community that led to the Tamil political struggle. However even when most of those grievances were addressed later, the LTTE became the stumbling block in reaching national reconciliation. Prabhakaran hijacked the Tamil political struggle and became the problem than being the solution.
Although the Sri Lankan constitution does not discriminate between the communities and there is no legally institutionalized racism in Sri Lanka, there are many practical problems and instances of marginalization faced by the Tamil community. The implementation of the language policy is one classic example. There are many instances when government offices send out letters, documents and notices to the public in Sinhala only. These practical issues should be immediately addressed. Also a major attitudinal change within the Sinhala community about the rich diversity of the Sri Lankan culture and heritage that has been nourished through the ages by cross cultural influences should be brought about. The state media should be utilized to integrate the nation and not to polarize the country on ethnic, religious and political lines. The President will have to address these concerns with utmost urgency.
It is no secret that the good understanding that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had with India made the defeat of the LTTE possible. The President while rejecting the peace process mooted by the Norwegians, earlier stressed the need for the active involvement of the regional super power India to move towards a political solution. Making a statement following the defeat of the Tigers, India’s External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherji has said that a political solution should be achieved in Sri Lanka based on the Indo-Lanka accord.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has an advantage that no other former leader had in the country in going towards a political solution. He has the entire Sinhala community behind him to whom he does not have anything to prove. With that strength President Mahinda Rajapaksa is best positioned to bring about a political solution through devolution of power. This is an opportunity that should not be allowed to fade away

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Sri Lanka: Time to heal the wounds of conflict and war
Asian Tribune: Tue, 2009-05-19 01:29, By Raj Gonsalkorale

Sri Lankan Armed Forces have done what was unthinkable a few years ago. President Rajapaksa has done what none of his predecessors even dared to imagine was possible. The military battle with the LTTE is over. One has to pinch one self to believe this has happened.
Much will be written about this battle, and the bravery of the Sri Lankan Forces. They need to be written about and admired for their courage. Their Commanders led by the Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and the Army Chief General Sarath Fonseka need to be recognized and praised for their leadership, stead fastness and single minded determination to defeating Sri Lanka’s greatest enemy, the LTTE.
President Rajapaksa will speak to the Nation tomorrow. He deserves all the applause he will receive from his beloved countrymen for what he has done in giving them a fresh opportunity to seek a solution to this conflict without bloodshed. He needs to lead the way now in healing the wounds of conflict and war, and lead the people towards a permanent solution, so that we will not have another terrorist group making excuses to get to power through bullets, grenades, and suicide bombs, and ruin the lives and minds of men and women, and children, and consign them permanently to the dustbin. It is time now to celebrate, but to celebrate the opportunity we now have to heal the wounds, physical and mental, and not to celebrate to forget the wounds.
When all those civilians caught in the conflict are taken to IDP camps, we will have perhaps as much as 300,000 persons who may have lost a loved one, lost a limb, their homes and their livelihood, and who may have permanent mental scars against those who made them suffer. The Sinhalese would like to think these IDPs will blame the LTTE for their suffering, while some Tamils will blame the Sinhala dominated governments for their suffering.
Irrespective of what the IDPs think, they are all Sri Lankans who need to be looked after. They are human beings with feelings, the same as other human beings who live in other parts of Sri Lanka.
They all need to be looked after, fed, clothed and health requirements met. Children in camps must go to school and they should not miss any of the opportunities that children in other parts of the country have, and taken for granted. Women must feel safe and be safe at all times.
The challenge before the President and the government is huge. Rebuilding the shattered lives of these IDPs is going to be a far tougher battle than even the battle to defeating the LTTE. Foreign countries, especially the West, who have been so concerned about these civilians must help if their concerns have been genuine.
The President has already appointed a Task Force with a wide ranging agenda, to map out the restoration of the physical infrastructure of the war torn North. Perhaps he needs another Technical Task Force to concentrate entirely on rebuilding the minds of the affected people who have suffered so many traumas. He also needs to make sure that the gains made are not lost by one or two single incidents of misbehavior on the part of a few individuals from the Armed Forces. So far, the Armed Forces have behaved impeccably but one can never say how the odd person might behave when a sense of power gets to their heads.
Misbehavior by a few will be enough to wipe the slate clean of all hard fought and hard gained achievements of so many.
While the government’s stated goal is to usher in economic development in the North as they did in the East once it was liberated from the LTTE, that alone is not sufficient to win the hearts and minds of people caught in the conflict, and who have lost their livelihoods and their homes. They also need to feel a sense of security of the present and of the future. In terms of their sense of physical security, the sooner the government introduces third party involvement in running the IDP camps, the better. Initially, it would be a good idea to introduce bodies like ICRC to be more involved in running these camps alongside Sri Lankan officials, while the government provides security for the camps.
In terms of their sense of security concerning their future, they should start witnessing the actual resettlement of IDPs in their original homes. They should also be given opportunities to learn a new trade if they so wish during the time they are kept in the camps. Needless to say these cannot be done overnight and it will take many months before the governments own good intentions can be put to practice considering the herculean task before them. But, there should be some indication that this will happen so that the IDPs will have some hope for their future security.
Broken families have to be mended. Children separated from their parents have to be reunited. Children who have lost their parents have to be found foster parents or children’s orphanages. The list of things to do is endless. It needs the support of professionals who have experience in such rehabilitation work. The President must open doors for such people to come in as soon as that becomes possible.
Some Western countries and the Western media are looking for reasons or them to make a scapegoat of the Sri Lankan government. They will be watching with hawk eyed inquisitiveness for any slip on the part of the Sri Lankan authorities. For them, news revolves around failure, war and mayhem. Success stories are rarely news worthy.
What is important for the Sri Lankan government is not to worry about international opinion if such opinion is based on falsehoods and misinformation. What is important is negative international opinion based on fact. The Sri Lankan government must therefore be vigilant at all times to make sure they do not give fodder to those vultures who are waiting to tarnish the good name of the country. One can defend one self against untruths, but not against the truth, if untoward things do happen.
This is not a time to gloat. There is so much to be done. It is a time to take stock of what has happened over the years and repair the damages caused over so many years to the fabric of our society. It is time to make sure terrorism never raises its ugly head ever again. It is time we do what is right because it is right, not do things because we are pressured to do so.
Tomorrow, Sri Lankans will expect the President to commend the Armed Forces for their magnificent performance, and express the Nations gratitude to them for having defeated the once invincible, mighty LTTE. They deserve nothing less. However, The President must also be cognizant of the feelings of the vanquished considering that some Tamils supported the LTTE for fighting for a cause that was close to their hearts, although many of them may have despised the methods used by the LTTE, and would welcome their defeat. The President must speak to all Sri Lankans and he should have some comforting words for all Sri Lankans, and leave everyone with some hope that we can build a new Sri Lanka together if we could be focused more on the future rather than the past.
- Asian Tribune -

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Sunday, May 17, 2009
Back to Basics - A solid conceptual base for rebuilding trust
Dailynews, 13/05/09 By Renton De Alwis


Last weekend Buddhists in Sri Lanka celebrated Vesak. Vesak is the day when Buddhists recount the three most significant events of the life of Gauthama Buddha. It is the day when the Buddha was born, won over his greed and attained Nirvana; breaking the suffering, the cycle of life and rebirth and passed away leaving the Dhamma or discourses of sense, truth and wisdom behind.
On this very weekend of Vesak, we as a nation were once again at crossroads. On the one hand the nation’s collective conscience was seeking brisk ways to bring relief to the suffering of our Tamil brethren trapped in the Northern war front. Lives were being taken not only of those who have sought violence but also of innocents on all sides.
We have the stark reality that people are used as human shields by those who sought and continue to seek terror as a way to resolve issues for over two and half decades. The mistakes made by all of us over the years are many.
The resolve to end terror and seek ways different to that of the past to find genuine reconciliation, building trust and confidence is looming. Yet, the suffering on the ground is real with pain, loss of life and survival touching those who are victims of circumstances. Healing deep wounds beyond the current suffering is the challenge we, as a nation face.
Practising a true Buddhist way of life and seeking the true meaning of Vesak will, in the columnist’s mind give the Sri Lankan nation a way forward when we take on the task of reconciliation based on the principles of Karuna (Compassion), Mettha (Loving Kindness), Muditha (Sympathetic Joy) and Upekkha (Equanimity).
What the Buddha sought, found and taught is that, there is a way beyond the suffering and pain, where hope of an enlightened way is possible. The way proposed is primarily a way for each which then will form the collective character of the way forward, be it for a nation, region or for the world.
Transforming the way of the Buddhist discourse to that for lifestyles and economics will be the challenge before us. In times and circumstances where small, self- reliant and sufficient economies present, desirable and rational alternatives to the globalised, greed driven. ‘Big is Better’ type social and economic models, this may well be the way forward for us all.
Douse the fires
We are now tasked as a nation to seek ways of meeting the post-terrorism reconciliation and building of trust between communities in the North, South, East, West and the Central Hills.
The immediate needs will be related to attending to the injured, sick and the traumatised. Survival needs of providing a sense of security and safety, preventing the spread of diseases through maintenance of good sanitation, feeding, clothing and the like will be vital.
It will be months if not years before even a semblance of normalcy can be attained for those who are now displaced from their land and adobe. Rebuilding and reconstruction of lives and a fresh socio-economic web will be a slow and painful process.
The need of the hour is for a united and unified effort of all. Raging fires of hatred must be doused at the local and international levels and licking of wounds must be replaced with solid, effective frontline action aimed for the welfare of the displaced, injured and the hurt.
Hope and trust
Infrastructure such as bridges, roads, hospitals, market places, administrative mechanisms will all need to be set in place, like we see happen in the East within a short span of time. With each brick and with each layer of mortar, lasting hope and trust will also need to be cemented as strong as possible.
Issues of establishing ownership of land of the displaced, providing them a sense of confidence of the genuineness of the intentions need be carried through on the fast-forward mode with credible and neutral institutional mechanisms. This in turn will help bring about a change of their mindsets about whom they perceived as the oppressor for this long,
Creating tension
It is also prudent to be mindful that there will be those who will continue to seek to benefit from the misery of a suffering people.
They will seek to create tension through misinformation and attempt to deliberately design chaotic and undesirable circumstances. Anticipation of the modus-operandi of such and being ready to counter them will be the responsibility of all citizens as well as the Diaspora of this country.
What we now need is genuine care, vigilance and a sense of protective giving from all alike, regardless of whatever differences of views there may have been in the past among us.
Critical to such process when we rebuild lives with trust and faith in each other, reaching out to each other, is the need to have a conceptual basis to that effort.
It is important that it has moral and ethical credence that can rise above and beyond the mistrust, misinformation and misadventure scenarios of the past.
A model for rebuilding
Buddhism as a philosophy and a way of life (not necessarily in its form as a religion) can help us meet this difficult challenge. Its way, when practised with a conscious mind, can encourage us to be compassionate and non-violent with ourselves as well as others, which is a good a first-step in building a model of trust and credence.
The leadership of the nation building apparatus need to articulate the basis for the model, positioning it transparently but away from any chauvinistic overtones of being a vehicle for propagating a religious identity.
Being traditionally a majority Hindu Community, the Tamils have at the root of their social fabric an acceptance of the basis of the true Buddhist way of life and that of the Gandhian philosophy of prudent and simple living.
This can be a major platform articulated through sharing and understanding among local leaders and social workers regardless of them being Hindu, Christian, Muslim or Buddhist. Such an initiative in-turn can be a way to cement a neutral conceptual base for the rebuilding effort.
A disconnected society
In approaching to establish such a simplistic conceptual basis, we must also realise and be aware that it is the dynamics of the complex global economy which has created a disconnected society, psychological deprivation and a breakdown of the sustainable and natural way of life of ours, through the many shocks it brought about in the past few decades of fast paced growth.
In this context, Buddhism also can help us to focus on the system and its structural violence, instead of blaming or condemning ourselves or others within that system.
The teachings can encourage an understanding of the many complex ways we affect others and our environment, and encourage empathy and a profound affirmation of life. Only by recognizing how we are all part of this system, can we actively work together to disengage from these life-denying structures.
The philosophy of Buddhism, also in its holistic approach, can help us to understand and realise how various symptoms are interrelated; how the crises facing us are systemic and deeply rooted in economic and social imperatives.
Understanding the myriad connections between the problems can prevent us from wasting our efforts on the symptoms of the crises, rather than focusing on their fundamental causes. Under the surface, even such seemingly unconnected problems such as ethnic violence, terrorism, climate change, poverty, pollution of the air and water, pandemics, disruption of social institutions, and cultural disintegration are closely interlinked.
The entire fabric
Emotionally and psychologically, such a shift in our perception of the nature of the problems is deeply empowering for both the designer of a model for rebuilding as well as for all those who are the victims that need security, care, trust and attention.
In a crisis of this nature, being faced with a never-ending string of seemingly unrelated and un-surmountable problems can be overwhelming, but finding the points at which they converge can make our strategy to solve them more focused and effective.
It is then just a question of pulling the right threads to affect the entire fabric, rather than having to deal with each problem individually.
A fine focus on the Four Noble Truths of Dukkha: or realisation of suffering; Samudaya: cause of suffering as the desire to have and control things; Nirodha: effective action to ease it with Nirvana; and Magga; or the way through the eightfold path leading to the cessation of suffering can be an effective way forward for the conceptual base model for strategic decision making in rebuilding our once lost nation.

Useful Web Addresses:
A Guide to Buddhist Resources - www.buddhanet.net
A comprehensive TV Channel of Buddhist resource links - www.buddhistchannel.tv
Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies - www.ocbs.org
Journal of Buddhist Ethics - www.buddhistethics.org/2/rightbib.html
Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance - www.religioustolerance.org/buddhism3.htm
Ministry of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services - www.resettlementmin.gov.lk
Internally Displaced Persons; Human Rights Commission Sri Lanka - www.idpsrilanka.lk
Ministry of Defence, Sri Lanka - www.defence.lk/english.asp

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Saturday, May 09, 2009
After deprivation, Sri Lanka's displaced nurture hopes of going home
Reuters AlertNet, 08 May 2009, Written by: Amjad Mohamed-Saleem,

In the last week, some sort of order seems to be coming to the camps here in northeastern Sri Lanka. The task is momentous as the numbers of displaced people are continuously increasing. The camps are expanding, but despite all the preparations, the sheer volume means the early weeks have been chaotic.
It seems those who've been displaced to Trincomalee will also end up coming to Vavuniya. That could be a good move in terms of facilitating the aid process and easing logistical difficulties.
The authorities are quietly making an effort to put the camps in order. In practice, this means providing electricity and water, clearing land for more camps, and ensuring the displaced get the best help possible. Credit should be given where it's due, and in the face of such huge challenges, it's been remarkable to see the government at work.
Forests are being cleared at a terrific pace, tents are being put up (according to one rumour, 12,000 were erected in a day) and within two days, pylons and wires had been rigged up with the expectation power would flow 24 hours later. As a colleague wryly remarked, "If only they could be this efficient in Colombo!"
One thing that isn't so efficient are the queues. Driving up to Vavuniya, you arrive at Medavichia, about 35km to the south and regarded by some as the last point between the "north" and the rest of the country. If you're lucky, you spend only an hour at this checkpoint. If not, you can count on two to three hours, and no one is spared.
Everyone is searched and then let through. Previously, vehicles weren't allowed to go past this checkpoint without a defence ministry pass. So a lot of agencies have ended up driving to Medavichia and then changing over into vehicles coming from Vavuniya. Either way your car is put on a ramp and checked. This is certainly a hassle, but imagine what it's like for those using public transport.
The day we went in, there were about 40 vehicles parked in front of us waiting for clearance. Many were from corporates sending in relief items. There was also a fleet of around 10 fire and rescue vehicles and trucks from various municipal councils.
We all got the same treatment. The police officer who checked us was very polite but unapologetic. "Sorry sir, we have a duty to check to ensure security and safety." They went through the car with a fine tooth comb, but at least we didn't have to unload items from a truck and then put them all back.
Before you enter Menik Farm - the site of the largest camp holding the most displaced people (around 170,000) - you queue while the military police check your access pass and go through the vehicle. All precautionary security measures, as people are inevitably nervous.

'I CAN'T BE A REFUGEE'

It's only once you're in that you see the real queues. People line up for water, food and other relief supplies, as well as to use the bathroom. "It has been quite orderly," remarked one aid worker. "But when we first started, there were mini riots as people surged to get things. It was as if they had not seen these things before."
This is what strikes you about the current situation. The people are so desperate and have been deprived of so much for so long that anything is now a luxury.
Many of the mothers who've been coming to our mobile hospital are suffering from malnutrition - not just because they've been hungry for the last couple of months but because they've been deprived of essential food and nutrients for the last three years or so.
There have been allegations in the state media that some government food aid sent to areas controlled by the rebels ended up in Tamil Tiger bunkers or warehouses owned by their leadership, without going to the people. From what we're seeing on the ground, it's becoming hard to dispute such allegations.
Most of the displaced have reached a psychological point of desperation, with many having been continuously uprooted since 2006. A few have expressed relief simply at the fact that they can now sleep in some degree of comfort without the threat and noise of shelling.
Talk to them and you get a sense of how fruitless their lives have been, just moving from place to place, caught up in a battle of which they knew nothing and didn't want to be a part. Many speak of family members who were forcibly conscripted to fight.
Yet in the midst of all this pain and suffering, there doesn't seem to be much sorrow. It's as if they've lost the capacity for sadness. Most, though, are hopeful for the future. One person told me: "I just want to go back to my place and restart my livelihood. I don't care how long that will take. I can't be a refugee."
This is a sentiment you hear quite often. There's no feeling of grievance or anger against the government or the army. Many of the displaced have spoken of their surprise at the gentle way they've been treated by the perceived "other side". The main desire is to go home and start their lives again.
It's a message that even the government seems to have heard. Yesterday the president convened a meeting with heads of agencies where they were told: "We need to work together to help our people return back to safety and normality. This is our responsibility, our duty and our plan." A powerful promise that now needs to be put into action.

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Humanitarian task needs wide support
Daily Mirror, Monday, April 27, 2009, By Milinda Rajasekera

Confirming the widely held public opinion, the government has gained a convincing victory at Saturday’s western provincial council polls. It was clear that even the opposition parties that campaigned for their success, did not expect to make much headway at this election in view of the steady progress that the security forces have made in recovering territory that the LTTE had gained control over by means of violence and terrorism over several decades.
Whatever the sins of omission and commission that the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government is accused of, and guilty of, it undoubtedly deserved the public support and it received people’s gratitude in ample measure as manifested at the recently held elections. The government did well in courageously and determinedly marching towards its goal withstanding pressures the local and foreign forces had exerted in their contemptible campaign to prevent the LTTE terrorist outfit being pulverized. The final operation that the forces launched to rescue the hapless people whom the LTTE endeavoured to retain as their protective shield was indeed a challenging and sensitive one that needed careful planning and execution since it involved the lives of thousands of innocent civilians. So it is creditable that the objective has been accomplished with minimum danger to the lives of the people seeking freedom from Tiger clutches. The harrowing scenes of men, women and children in varying states health, extreme misery written on their faces trudging along for relief, were heartrending indeed. They have reportedly been living under tents put up by the LTTE in the Safe Zone, exposing themselves to environmental hazards and sans decent basic facilities.
Described as the most outstanding among humanitarian operations launched anywhere in the world to rescue a group of people long held to ransom by a senseless gang of terrorists activated by a dream of creating a separate enclave on a communal basis, the operation was indeed a remarkable one. The flow of the multitude continues presenting another challenge to the authorities to provide them with food, clothing, shelter and protection from the possible suicide and other attacks that disgruntled terrorists would attempt through LTTE cadres suspected to have infiltrated into government controlled areas disguised as refugees.
It is encouraging that the security forces who had equally suffered in conducting their operations in extremely inhospitable terrain, seem enthusiastically lending their hand in meeting the needs of the refugees. They are seen preparing food, providing medical treatment and constructing shelter for these people. This indeed is the most arduous but gratifying aspect of the humanitarian operation the security forces have undertaken. It is also commendable that the rest of the country’s population have come forward to render whatever assistance they are capable of, in alleviating their suffering thus demonstrating the genuine concern and compassion they have for the sufferings of their fellow-beings.
The price the country had to pay for the whole exercise of ridding the country of the menace of terrorism is undoubtedly heavy. But most people feel the accomplished task is worth the price paid. The country has suffered much from the curse of terrorism as well as from various measures taken by the authorities in combating it. The loss and suffering that people underwent while facing acts of terrorism were considerable. Equally extensive were the difficulties that the people had to undergo as a result of various measures successive governments adopted to combat the scourge over the years. Many civilians in the theatre of conflict lost their lives in the crossfire and lost their property and were displaced while those in the south had to curtail their movements and suffer restrictions to their other rights and freedoms as a result of security and protective measures that were necessarily adopted. So the sense of relief that people experience today as hopes of an era of peace emerge is considerable indeed.
It is this feeling of relief and the compassion aroused in people for the suffering of refugees that have found expression in the prompt and eager response to the appeals made for providing assistance to the affected people. The international community also has volunteered substantial assistance - discarding the misgivings that some sections of it had – on this occasion, obviously convinced of the genuineness of the humanitarian task the country has undertaken. The completion of the task ahead would understandably be challenging. After meeting their immediate needs, the mass of people who had crossed over to safety has to be properly accommodated until such time as their normal lives and livelihoods are restored to them.
This task obviously needs allocation of funds which have to be generated from the limited resources available to the government. While it is for the affluent sections of all communities to volunteer assistance in this task, political leaders, government leaders in particular, have to whittle down their expenditure and divert saved funds for this purpose. Their words of concern and compassion have to be converted into deeds.

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Thursday, April 23, 2009
Overshadowed by displacement in Sri Lanka’s North, people return home in the East
UNHCR: BATTICALOA, Sri Lanka, Thursday 06th November 2008

As the tide of people uprooted by fighting in northern Sri Lanka continues to swell, there’s overlooked good news in the east of the country: internally displaced people (IDPs) are returning home with help from the government, UNHCR and its partners.
Some 230,000 persons are said to be displaced in the Kilinochchi and Mullativu districts as a result of intensified military operations to regain the last stronghold of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Humanitarian agencies have sent emergency supplies to feed the IDPs, most of who are accommodated in the Mullativu district. More humanitarian convoys carrying food and shelter material are planned during the coming weeks.
Sri Lanka’s east experienced a similar wave of displacement two years ago when government forces regained LTTE-held territories in the region. By the end of March 2007, some 170,000 persons were reportedly displaced across the Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts.
All but 11,000 IDPs in Batticaloa and more than 4,500 persons in Trincomalee have returned home since the start of the government-facilitated process last year, which has seen substantial improvements thanks to interventions by the UN refugee agency and other humanitarian agencies operating in the east.
“UNHCR continues to monitor returns, along with the conditions in the existing 17 IDP sites,” said Axel Bisschop, the agency’s senior programme officer in Colombo. “In coordination with our partners, we are also distributing relief items and carrying out regular protection monitoring in both the IDP sites and return areas.”
Earlier this month, the government organized another “go and see” visit for a dozen residents of a welfare centre outside Batticaloa town to allow them to see conditions in the villages for themselves before making a decision whether to return. The IDPs were taken to the village in an area once controlled by the LTTE and only recently cleared of mines.
UNHCR accompanies IDPs on these “go and see” visits, which are an important element in ensuring the voluntary nature of the process. The visits are preceded by mine clearance and joint pre-return assessments by UN agencies.
“In the past, some returns were rushed, but the process has seen substantial improvements since its inception,” said Jens Hesemann, head of UNHCR’s field office in Batticaloa. “All these improvements contribute towards making the returns sustainable with the ultimate goal of providing a lasting solution for these people.”
However, agencies are still trying to address several concerns in the return areas, such as water and sanitation, housing and the lack of livelihoods. During the latest “go and see” visit, IDPs were given the opportunity to raise these concerns with the district’s top administrator and the local military commander in the presence of UNHCR.
Selvarasa Amodani, a preschool teacher, questioned the level of protection her family would have if they opted to return. The area commander assured the returnees they could come to him if they had any problems. Others spoke about land ownership and safety in the remote areas. One worried about wild elephants while another said she had heard food rations would be cut if they did not move out of the camp.
After the discussion, Amodani seemed reassured and said her family would return. In her absence, looters had stripped her house of everything, including the doors, but she’s relieved that the structure still has a roof.
Some of her neighbours will have to move into temporary shelters due to the dire conditions of their homes. The nearly 500 residents of the Palameemadu camp once lived in a village overlooking a Trincomalee naval facility, now a no-go zone for security reasons. Despite their austere existence at the camp, they have resisted offers to relocate elsewhere.
Meanwhile after months of negotiations between UNHCR and relevant stakeholders, a warehouse which was in a deplorable condition but being used to accommodate displaced families in Batticaloa was also recently vacated.
The building, which is located close to the Batticaloa town, was used to accommodate some 79 families (220 persons) who fled various parts of Trincomalee during the military operations last year. The families have now voluntarily transferred to five other sites within the Batticaloa town after the warehouse was shut down on mid-September.
Local government officials organised the transportation and re-registration at the other IDP sites, while UNHCR provided assistance packages which included non-food relief items and the choice between a bicycle or an equivalent cash grant.
UNHCR monitoring teams say that the displaced families are now content with the living conditions at the new sites.

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Monday, April 20, 2009
In search of a better tomorrow - Thousands of IDPs enter Government controlled areas.
ServeSL, Kandy, Sri Lanka 20/04/2009
Today, as I watched thousands of helpless civilians flock to leave the no fire zone and enter the government controlled areas, the tragic scenes of the aftermath of the boxing day Tsunami flashed across my mind. Yes I believe that the situation is as grave or even worse now. I was trying to imagine what might be going through the minds of these frightened and weary looking human beings. They have suffered untold miseries during the past several months, their lives are uncertain even at this very moment, may be they have lost a loved one. What do they want? What could they want? The answer may be as simple as a better tomorrow. The question is can we provide them that. If we are to win anything we must gradually improve their battered lives. Their condition should improve day by day. These are people who have suffered a life time. They have grievances, they have their doubts. We must allay them. We must provide them with a much better alternative and give them hope. We can not afford to wait. We should not think that it is the sole responsibility of the Government, the NGOs, the INGOs and the like. I feel that it is my responsibility and duty as well. I can not for a second think that I am not responsible for their sad plight. I should take my fare share of blame as a Sri Lankan citizen for all the senseless deaths that have taken place in this bloody war of over thirty years. The military offensive may be nearing an end. The challenges of tomorrow I feel are colossal. At the very same time we are also presented with a tremendous opportunity for making Sri Lanka a better place for every one, irrespective of race, religion, cast or creed. Let us begin by going out of our way to make the lives of these suffering humans a better one. How soon we succeed in doing this will ensure how soon the healing and mending can begin.

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Saturday, April 18, 2009
Visit to Vavunia by indi.ca
Sunday Learder, April 5 2009, Article 14 by indi.ca

International celebrities like Arundhati Roy and M.I.A. have clumsily called for an end to the horrors in the north. While their concern is laudable, they would do well to address the Sri Lankan people. Roy has called this a racist war in the Times of India and asked for the world to step in.
M.I.A. wrote a letter in support of the Wanni Mercy Mission entering Sri Lankan waters without permission. This is simply insulting and wrong. I am Sri Lankan and this is still our country. This is a civil war and it must ultimately be resolved by the people of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan people elected this government, however terribly flawed. The people being bombed now couldn’t vote, because the LTTE wouldn’t let them. Today they cannot leave, again because the LTTE will not let them. If there is a party that can end this war tomorrow it is the LTTE and if there is a party that is affected by the international opinion it is the LTTE. Neither Roy nor M.I.A. mention the LTTE even once.
I say this not to demand ‘balanced’ coverage or because I consider them LTTE supporters. I mention these omissions simply because they profess a desire to help. Condemning the LTTE would help people on the ground, immediately.
Freedom under threat
It is true that our government does grievous wrong. To quote the assassinated editor of this very paper, ‘Sri Lanka is the only country in the world routinely to bomb its own citizens.’ Our soldiers are dying in numbers we don’t know. There are people being kept in camps without permission to leave. As citizens, our freedom of speech and publication is under assault.
However, through all this, it is still our government. Our democracy has survived over 26 years of brutal terrorist onslaught, multiple rebellions, natural disasters and more. Granted, it is a mess, but it exists. Even throughout LTTE occupation it was still Sri Lankan government agents delivering health care and education to the north and east, as they do for the whole country. Even now the victims of war are treated in government hospitals.
Our government is corrupt, inefficient and oppressive, but it survives. And the Sri Lankan people survive. We can change our government, and we can change ourselves.
The international community
Roy and M.I.A. blame the Sri Lankan government and address the Sri Lankan people not at all. They act if the government is absolutely irredeemable and the Sri Lankan people do not exist. Instead they direct their complaints to the ‘international community’ and presume that any action will come from there. It won’t. That international community simply doesn’t exist in any real sense. They are unable to judge and fix Sri Lanka. Whatever their intentions, the result is to antagonise the government (which we can fix) and embolden the LTTE (which we cannot).
Political theatre
The same organisations waving Tamil Eelam maps in protests are now sending a ship to Sri Lanka. Their face is Arjunan Ethirveerasingam, former spokesman for the TRO, an organisation banned in the US for LTTE fund raising and procurement. Their mission lists foreign celebrities and British MPs as stakeholders, ignoring us entirely. They may believe that the land from Chilaw to Ampara is not Sri Lanka at all, but it is.
If they actually want to help people they have to put those politics aside and deal with the map we have. If you actually want to help people you have to work with the government.
Actual relief
I have been working with citizens who are sending relief to our fellow Sri Lankans in the north. This is only possible through close coordination with the various ministries of our government. There is one way you can help listed at the end of this article. Working with the government is frustrating and at times impossible, but it is the only way to get things done. There are no gala parties, but the relief actually reaches people. It may not make much of a point, but it makes a difference.
No excuses
None of this is to excuse the horrors of the north. I have seen children without limbs and there is no possible excuse. But you must understand. The LTTE is isolated and they are holding our relatives in the north as human shields. The government is responding with inhuman force to finally end this thing once and for all. Is there an easy answer here?
You cannot call in the world police because they won’t come. You cannot launch a ship full of celebrities into a war zone because you’ll get turned away. At the end of the day, Eelam or not, Sinhalese and Tamils and all Sri Lankans have to live together. We can use international help, but ultimately it’s something we have to workout without terrorism, through our democracy and for ourselves.
If you’d like to help out during this Sinhala and Tamil New Year, Deputy Minister of Social Services Lionel Premasiri is organising Ne Gam Yaame Viyapruthiya (visiting relatives for the New Year). On April 9th a convoy will begin in Tangalle collecting school supplies, household items, dry rations, new clothes, mattresses and plastic piggy banks with a few coins. It seems small, but it makes a real difference.
The Colombo collection point for Ne Gam Yaame Viyapruthiya in Colombo is the Shanti Foundation on Buller’s Road (near Kanatte junction). Contact 071-377-7666 for more info.


For more by indi.ca follow this link.

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Climate change impacts coconut
The Nation: By Dr. Sanathanie Ranasinghe
There is a broad consensus that climate change is occurring, and that it is linked to a build up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere enhancing the natural greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is, by far, the largest contributor to greenhouse effect. In addition to increased CO2, with climate changes, the plants have to adapt their ways to a new environment – in most cases warmer and possibly with the periods of extreme rainfall and drought.
As plantation researchers, we are mostly concerned about the changes in coconut yields by increased temperatures, precipitation differences and also from carbon fertilisation for plants. Whilst high temperature and long dry periods adversely affects the coconut yield, elevated CO2 positively affects plant productivity as the latter is a substrate for photosynthesis. The climate scientists predict future climates using different scenarios. However, projecting climate impacts is one thing, but plantation crops add multiple more dimensions of complexity – what are the sensitive stages of fruit development to stress condition, intensity of heat or drought stress, heat and drought tolerant coconut varieties, irrigation, soil moisture conservation, soil fertility and much more. In addition, the coconuts grown in different agro-climatic zones and different land suitability classes (There are five groups from very suitable to marginally suitable soils.) will respond differently to the climate change; some areas may be more vulnerable than the others. Therefore, one should understand that climatic change impacts on coconut sector are not a phenomenon controlled by a single factor.
Reproductive development is more sensitive to high temperature and water stress than vegetative development and the principal harmful effect of stress is on fruit set and development. The fruit set can be adversely affected, mainly due to a reduction in pollen quality and / or germination. The nut development can be affected mainly resulting small number of nuts, empty nuts or elongated nuts. Coconuts grown in intermediate and dry zones are often exposed to brief or sometimes prolonged period of heat stress, i.e. day time temperature warmer than 30-32ºC and long durations of dry period (more than 2 months rain-free period). The studies are under way to determine the most sensitive stages of coconut reproductive phase to high temperature and water stress and their impacts on coconut yield in different AER and land suitability classes and for different varieties. The degree of sensitivity and the pattern of reaction to high temperature stress and water stress may differ among varieties /cultivars.
In a country like Sri Lanka we do not have facilities to conduct field experiments with coconut and elevated CO2, therefore, with the available facilities; some experiments were conducted with coconut seedlings. The elevation of atmospheric CO2 concentration increased the photosynthetic rate of coconut seedlings by about 25% however; the effect on yield cannot be estimated in these studies.
On the other hand, tree plantation crops are particularly important for reducing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. They act as carbon reservoirs because trees hold much more carbon per unit area than other types of vegetation. Coconut plantations could be used in four ways to reduce CO2 emissions and sequestrate carbon; substitution of fossil fuel using bio-diesel or biomass from coconut oil, sequestration of C (carbon) through coconut plantation, enhancing C sequestration through coconut plantation management and conserving C sink in coconut ‘forest’.
Therefore, it is clear that climate change will have negative effects on coconut plantations by increased temperature and extreme droughts and positive effects on yield by CO2 fertilization. In addition coconut plantations can be used to mitigate climate change.
The Writer is the head of the Plant Physiological Department at the Coconut Research Institute of Sri Lanka.

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Global warming 'might hinder coconut production'
SCiDevNET: Tharaka Gamage, 15 April 2009

[COLOMBO] Global warming could adversely affect the production of coconuts — a staple fruit on which millions of tropical country inhabitants depend — scientists report.
Sri Lankan and US scientists analysed data on monthly rainfall from 1932 to 2003 in seven coconut-growing regions in Sri Lanka, and annual coconut production from 1971 to 2004. They found that coconut production was inhibited during drought years.
Using this data they developed a model to predict annual coconut production, based on temperature and rainfall patterns in its coconut-growing regions as well as greenhouse gas emission data.
Their analysis shows rising temperatures and rainfall changes could reduce coconut production through changes in fruit formation and nut development.
Sanathanie Ranasinghe, head of the plant physiology division at Sri Lanka's Coconut Research Institute (CRI) — one of the project partners — explains, "[Fruit formation] can be adversely affected, mainly due to a reduction in pollen quality and/or germination. The nut development can be affected, resulting in small number of nuts or empty nuts."
CRI scientists say the tree takes 18 months to mature, making it vulnerable to weather changes, particularly during the two dry seasons from January to March and July to August.
Millions of people in tropical countries depend on coconuts for food and cooking oil and use its fibres to make mats, mattresses, ropes, brooms and baskets. Sri Lanka alone produces 2.4 billion nuts every year, with 400,000 hectares, more than a fifth of its agricultural land, under coconut cultivation.
Studies are underway at CRI to determine the most sensitive stages of the coconut reproductive phase to high temperature and water stress and to assess the impact on coconut yield in different areas, land suitability classes and varieties.
A report published last month (30 March) by the US-based International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) at the Columbia Climate Centre says the predictive model, which can yield a forecast 15 months in advance, have worked well since 2005 when they first started testing the model. CRI and the Foundation for Environment, Climate and Technology are now refining the model for regional and bimonthly forecasts, Lareef Zubair from IRI, told SciDev.Net.