• Stop bullying Sri Lanka

• He helped bridge the divide

• Stamp duty on credit card transactions

  
   

Stop bullying Sri Lanka

On his way to Japan during the latter part of the month of May, Erick Solheim had told the Indian National Security Advisor M. K. Narayanan, that "Sri Lanka needed to show 'statesmanship' and 'political maturity'and fulfil the promises it made during the first round of peace talks with the LTTE in Geneva in February."

The so-called Co-chairs, where the Norway's Solheim play leading roles, made similar statements. when met in Tokyo a few weeks after they read the following statement of the Co-Chairs.

"It (the Government) must immediately prevent groups based in 'its territory' from carrying out violence and acts of terrorism. It must protect the rights and security of Tamils 'throughout the country and ensure violators are prosecuted'."

"In this context, the Co-Chairs will support any solution agreed by the parties that safeguards the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, assures protection and fulfils the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil people and indeed of the Muslim people, guarantees democracy and human rights, and is acceptable to all communities."

Since the 'territory' of the Government of Sri Lanka includes North and East, there is no doubt, whatsoever, that it is the responsibility of the Government to prevent groups based in 'its territory' from carrying out violence and acts of terrorism. The obvious questions that arise thea are;

(a) Who is carrying out violence and acts of terrorism within the territory of Sri Lanka?

(b) What are the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil and Muslim people?

(c) Which community or individual on earth is free from aspirations?

(d) Who is violating the democratic rights and security of Tamils and Muslims?

As far as we are aware, 52% of the Tamil population now lives outside the North and East provinces of Sri Lanka and without any record of incidences of communal violence outside the North and East since 1983 despite numerous provocations.

On the other hand, the LTTE continues its ethnic cleansing around the uncleared areas after wiping out almost all the Sinhalese from the North.

The fate of Rajiv Gandhi, who volunteered to guarantee the so-called legitimate aspiration of the Tamils in Sri Lanka by imposing Provincial Councils and forcing the GoSL to 'invite' the IPKF, is a typical example of the 'aspiration' of the Norwegian's sole representative of the Tamil people.

The 'legitimate aspiration' is merely a slogan adopted by the LTTE and their local and foreign supporters to promote separatism to cover-up the atrocities committed by the terrorist group.

Israel Government attacked Palestine infrastructure last week just to rescue one of their soldiers.

It is interesting to note that none of these Westerners, or the so-called human rights organisations (who are vociferous when the Government of Sri Lanka initiates retaliatory or rescue operations) has asked the Government of Israel to stop Palestine infrastructure and start 'Peace Talks' immediately or to fulfil the 'legitimate aspirations' of the Palestine people.

The peace broker should stop insulting the people of Sri Lanka by commenting on the 'statesmanship' and 'political maturity' of Sri Lanka and by treating its democratically elected President and his Government on par with a criminal found guilty of mass murder and required by the Interpol and his terrorist outfit who keep some parts of the North and East under the power of gun.

These Westerners are promoting the terrorists' global campaign that Sinhalese, particularly Sinhalese Buddhist, or the Sri Lankan Government as the Tamil's greatest enemy.

They also attempt to hide the facts and figures of suicide bombing, child recruitment, killing of political opponents and innocent civilians (including Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese) tactically by simply asking ' both sides to stop violence' and commence 'Peace Talks' while all the Western countries are strictly maintaining a 'non-negotiable policy' with groups of terrorists who attack them.

One of the fundamentals of conflict resolution is to have an unbiased facilitator. Norway's direct funding to media groups and NGOs, who in return doing an enormous service to the terrorist outfit, and frequent meeting with UNP leaders in Oslo and India have fuelled the speculations of its duplicity and manipulations.

According to media reports, there are credible information (including those of Indian security intelligence) to confirm that the high tech communication equipment smuggled into the country with the help of Norway are being used by the LTTE to trace and kill political opponents.

Funding the LTTE to commit atrocities and facilitating the terrorist outfit to get international sympathy is destructive and cannot be considered as 'peace facilitation'.

Libya was forced to pay compensation to the terrorist victims, after the Lockerbie terror, for supporting the terrorist to blow up the Pan Am flight.

On the same basis, the victims of the Norwegian funded terrorism should be entitled for compensation.

Let us do the needful urgently or we will be crushed by these western European countries led by Norway to hand over one third of the land and two thirds of the coast to 8% of the population under the pretext of 'legitimate aspirations'.

S. AKURUGODA -
Australia

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He helped bridge the divide

Many a loved top brass have laid their life for our motherland.

How many will remember Gen. Denzil Kobbakaduwa? Parami is no exception.

How many of the mothers and fathers will tell their children about these great figures who laid their life sincerely, for reasons not only will Prabahakaran know, also among their own breed...., contract killers, power hungers will live with a conscious that will kill them just not only today, everyday in life till death comes to them inevitably!

May our great soldiers who laid their life in the name of their country, attain nibbana and may their families be blessed with the thought that God above all is greater in judgement!

NINA HARIM KAMAL -
via email

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Stamp duty on credit card transactions

The recent stamp duty announcement by the Department of Inland Revenue on Credit card transactions at Rs. 11 per Rs. 100 spending is discouraging the use of Credit cards by the middle class people who are the majority of the ones who use Credit cards in Sri Lanka.

In any other developing country, the use of Credit cards are encouraged as that too is a symbol of development.

By imposing such hardships in every way, the Government should not push the law obeying citizens of the country to face difficulties but allow them to be happy and proud to be Sri Lankans.

Already the withholding tax imposed on withdrawals from savings accounts above Rs. 20,000 is a burden for the ordinary man which too has discouraged and distanced him from savings habit. I believe that the Minister of Finance will look into these two matters and remedy the situation.

D. W. K. DAVID -
Colombo 15