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| Truth
Commission report out amidst accusations by rights groups "Any breakdown in trust and confidence amongst the people could result in the process of national reconciliation being jettisoned," warned the Presidential Truth Commission on Ethnic violence in a 203-page report, which was obtained by The Sunday Times. The report of the commission headed by retired Chief Justice S. Sharvananda and including lawyers Mohamed Zuhair and Sathyaloka Sahabandu, calls for a joint effort by President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe towards ethnic reconciliation and harmony. "The perpetrators of ethnic violence whether they be members of the public, police, armed forces or the public service should be prosecuted whenever any ethnic violence occurs in the future," it also said. Although the report was presented to President Chandrika Kumaratunga late last year, it is yet to be made public. The President appointed the commission on July 23, 2001 when her People's Alliance (PA) coalition was in power. The commission - modelled on the lines of the post-apartheid Truth Commission in South Africa - was intended to essentially probe communal riots in July 1983. However there were serious public doubts about the credibility of the commission and it was seen as a witch-hunt against the President's political opponents. Thus the continuing long delay in the release of this report hasn't come as a surprise to rights groups. "From
the beginning, it was flawed. There was no doubt about the political
motives," noted Kethesh Loganathan, director at the Centre
for Policy Alternatives (CPA). Jehan Perera, head of the NGO Peace Council, also agreed that the commission was politically motivated. "A Truth Commission (should be independent) and must also hear the perpetrators. It didn't happen in this case." All commissions, he argued, are partisan and biased. "The commission didn't summon the wrongdoers and ask what they have to say like in the case of the South African experience. It was a hollow exercise," he said adding that the commission should also have been appointed at the end of an era of fighting instead of sitting while the war was raging in the North. "We have faulted the then government in several places in this report for both acts of commission and omission ahead of the July 1983 communal conflagration. But most importantly the government was guilty of gross negligence in failing to appeal to the people for restraint, peace and calm on July 25-26," the report said, adding that not a single Cabinet Minister saw it fit to appeal for calm and a halt to the carnage. "There were witnesses who testified that this was due to the complicity of a section of the government in 'teaching the Tamils' a lesson for terrorism in the north," the report said. Reacting to criticism that the commission was far too belated, the commissioners say that when this question was posed to many of the victims, they felt a sense of relief that they could state in public what happened to them. One Sri Lankan victim who came from abroad said; "We never thought there would be a thing (commission) like this…" The commission, referring to the killing of Tamil detainees at Welikada prison, said that it was unfortunate that the President (J.R. Jayewardene) failed in his obligation as head of state to take protective measures to ensure the safety of the Tamil prisoners. "This omission on the part of the President has compromised the state." The commission dealt in detail with the historical events preceding 1981, the burning of the Jaffna library, accountability of the government, growth of Tamil militancy, the 1983 riots and the Welikada prison massacres. On compensation to the victims, the report said a total number of 1,278 people submitted claims - all of which were meticulously investigated. The commission accepted the claims of 949 cases and has recommended the immediate payment of compensation totalling Rs 72 million. "The prospect of national reconciliation can be greatly enhanced through a genuine process of healing, which can come only when the victim is made to feel that he is being honoured, though belatedly, that he is being recognised as a worthwhile human being worthy of rehabilitation and reparation though inadequately, and that he received his minimum entitlement as a right and not as a matter of charity," the report said. The commission said that for national unity and reconciliation to be achieved, many more truth commissions need to be established to organise and sustain the process of reconciliation, and to pave the way for national unity. It called for the appointment of a high-level national committee whose members would include the Attorney General, IGP and service commanders, those from civil society and the media, charged with the task of ensuring immediate action on all ethnic related violence. FMM
condemns alleged assault on journalist The assault is said to have taken place when the journalist tried to inquire about an argument that had taken place at the station between passengers and the stationmaster. The journalist has been allegedly assaulted with iron rods by railway workers in the course of the argument over the delay of the Chilaw-bound night train on June 9. A man, deemed to be a railway worker, clad in a sarong and banian, is said to have started assaulting passengers with an iron rod and he had been joined by about 20 more who were similarly armed. Just after this incident, two of the passengers had gone to the Maradana police station to lodge a complaint against the attack but they had run into further trouble as police detained them until the following morning.
The magical series transcended age boundaries and appealed to adults and children alike. Those who had been eagerly awaiting the release of the fifth blockbuster in the series, 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix', queued up in front of Vijitha Yapa's bookshop to ensure that they got a copy before the shelves went empty. "I told you we should come early," a disgruntled customer who came too late to buy the book was heard telling her husband. All available stocks were sold out yesterday and the bookstores have already made fresh orders to cater to the demand of thousands of Harry Potter followers. Retailers had signed an agreement not to put the book on sale early and to await the simultaneous release worldwide on June 21. Mr. Vijitha Yapa told The Sunday Times that at least 25 people queued up in front of the bookstore on Thurstan Road anticipating the much awaited release at 5.01 a.m. yesterday. With events organised worldwide to coincide with the release, Vijitha Yapa arranged for a surprise delivery of the book at 5.01 a.m. to one of their customers who had made an advance booking. "They were annoyed when their door bell rang at that time of the morning. But when they saw the book I think they were overjoyed," Mr. Yapa said. Although the book was priced at Rs. 1,699, all 1,200 copies were sold out. "We have never had such a response for any book especially when the price was so high," he said. At least 1,000 copies were pre-paid and only 200 were left on the shelves for sale on the day of the release. Mr. Yapa said orders have been placed for more stocks, which is expected to arrive in July. Due to the unprecedented demand the publishers have decided to conduct sales on a first come first serve basis. Booklands at Colpetty reported that even children queued up at the entrance of their bookshop for the early morning release. With only 100-150 copies on the shelves the books went like hot cakes. Booklands Manager Jerome Senanayake said they had to stop the pre-paid service as they had inadequate stocks to meet the demand. Authority
for landslide disasters mooted The Institution
of Engineers, the Sri Lanka Association of Civil Engineers (ICE)
and the Geotechnical Society have called for the establishment of
an authority to ensure effective implementation of recommendations
with regard to landslides. The landslide hazard zonation maps were a result of research carried out by the National Building Research Institute (NBRO) on landslide prone areas. The Centre for Housing Planning and Building (CHPB) and the NBRO had also conducted awareness programs for people living in vulnerable areas on procedures to be adopted in construction and agricultural activities. |
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