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CFA abolition no bar to talks - Says Sri Lanka Government
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Kosala6BC
Joined: Jul 2007
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 4 Jan 2008 12:03:28 GMT Report for Abuse
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Dear Poet,
It is bit difficult to explain things to friends who have not been to the war front or North-East during fightings.
I witnessed several fightings in North, one particular fight, Kfir and Migs bombed every day and night for nearly one month, multi barrels blasted the grounds, at the end nearly 500 bodies were collected and 600 service men were out of action, I don't want to mention the name of the Army commander for North at that time.
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Aani
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 4 Jan 2008 12:05:38 GMT Report for Abuse
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Did the UNP condemn the abrogation of the pact signed by it's leader?
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rasak
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 4 Jan 2008 12:17:52 GMT Report for Abuse
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Editorial
A symbolic interment
The government has at long last relegated the CFA to the catacomb of legality. Eulogies, requiems and sermons being dished out may mislead one into the belief that its demise occurred only recently. But, make no mistake about it, the CFA became brain dead shortly after its birth. Thereafter, it had been kept on a heart and lung machine for years in the hope that a miracle would bring it back to life like in a fairy tale.
The CFA was doomed right from the word go, having been signed on Feb. 22, 2002 against the backdrop of a fierce sea battle between the Navy and the Sea Tigers who were smuggling in a large quantity of arms in spite of the LTTE?s self-declared ceasefire, exposing its real motive. The LTTE?s hand in the drafting of the CFA was only too evident. It was tailor-made for helping the LTTE gain legitimacy and officially recognising some parts of the country as being ruled by the outfit thus bolstering its claim of running a de facto state. Even the then World Bank Country Director for Sri Lanka Peter Harrold had the audacity to recognise that claim as being valid in a press interview!
The CFA was in fact a fait accompli thrust on the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who didn?t look quite chirpy, when he signed it, as was clear from the conspicuous absence of handshakes etc., on that occasion. He cut a very pathetic figure when he placed his signature on a document which had already been signed by Prabhakaran, whom Anton Balasingham later referred to as at a media conference in the Wanni, attended by the international press, as ?both President and Prime Minister? of the areas under LTTE control! The CFA was also signed behind the back of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who was also the Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces! That was nothing but diplomatic ?thuggery? on the part of Norway and other countries backing it, to coerce Sri Lanka into prostituting her sovereignty for a mess of pottage.
The end result of the CFA was the undue internationalisation of the conflict, increased foreign interference with the internal affairs of this country, legitimacy for the LTTE and the creation of an environment conducive to LTTE arms smuggling operations. According to Karuna, the outfit took delivery of 13 arms shipments between the signing of the CFA and his breakaway in March 2004. Two LTTE ships were destroyed during the UNF regime and eight of its rogue vessels have been sunk by the Navy ever since.
The LTTE, according to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) violated the CFA over 3,800 times (by last April) while the armed forces stood accused of over 350 truce violations. The LTTE never wanted to abrogate the CFA, which it found to be a milch cow. The outfit continued to violate the truce with impunity, while its allies used the CFA to ratchet up international pressure on the government to give up its war effort. The CFA thus became something like the Machakos Protocol, which those countries involved in conflict resolution here devised by way of a solution to Sudan?s conflict, much to the detriment of that country.
The SLMM was blatantly biased towards the LTTE and at times the monitors looked more pro-LTTE than even Prabhakaran, who despite their services had some of them roughed up and kicked out the monitors from the EU member states following the EU ban. The SLMM?s partiality to the LTTE only strengthened the hand of the critics of the CFA and brought the countries they represented into disrepute as nations sponsoring terrorism.
The CFA was only a part of a bigger plan to involve the UN in the conflict here and the LTTE allies were busy working towards that end on the pretext of campaigning for human rights protection and the so-called Right to Protect (R2P). They were striving for the creation of a permanent Line of Control on the basis of the areas demarcated by the CFA. That is why the LTTE never withdrew from the CFA.
However, it may not be correct to argue that it is for the aforesaid reasons that the government has decided to abrogate the CFA. Its political compulsions had a lot to do with it. President Mahinda Rajapaksa is desperate for numbers in Parliament to retain his majority. The alignment of forces at the last budget vote, both inside and outside Parliament, proved the government?s dependence on its former ally the JVP, which is demanding the abrogation of the CFA as one of the conditions for extending support to the government. President Mahinda Rajapaksa cannot accede to its demand for pruning the jumbo Cabinet, as he fears a string of defections from the government ranks in such an eventuality. So, the government may have sought to appease the JVP by dumping the CFA. It may also have perceived the CFA as an impediment of sorts to its planned onslaught against the LTTE in the Wanni as it left room for LTTE allies in the garb of truce monitors to continue their operations in the conflict zone and be of some help to Prabhakaran.
It is being claimed in some quarters that the abrogation of the CFA means the end of the peace process. But, the question is whether there had been any peace process after the LTTE walked away from peace talks by making its ISGA demand in 2003. Both the peace process and the CFA were as dead as the dodo. Would the conflict have escalated to the present level, had there been a CFA or a peace process in effect? What the abrogation of the CFA amounts to is a symbolic interment thereof courtesy of the government.
Cabinet Spokesman Minister Anura Yapa has emphasised the government?s commitment to a political solution. We only hope the government will honour its pledge and bring relief to the people caught in the conflict without rendering their lives more miserable.
If the LTTE is willing to give up violence and talk, let there be a brand new peace process to be conducted according to a timeframe, a CFA not partial to anyone and a group of impartial monitors from neutral countries capable of efficient monitoring without peddling hidden agendas. Why should anyone weep buckets for the disposal of a mummified CFA and a decomposed peace process? |
CMBLion
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4 Jan 2008 12:23:41 GMT Report for Abuse
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DEFENCENET:
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army yesterday overran a key LTTE bunker line at Palleikuli amidst heavy resistance by the tigers. Part of the LTTE forward defense line north of Mannar along with 7 fortified bunkers are now under the complete control of the army. According to military intelligence, six LTTE cadres have perished in battle and another 10 more have been wounded.
Visit defenceNet website for rest of article/ DefenceWire for another article. |
udithame
Joined: Dec 2006
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 4 Jan 2008 12:38:55 GMT Report for Abuse
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| Please please please can any body tell to me now how much is the broad band internet charge in Sri Lanka ? Thank you very much |
rasak
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4 Jan 2008 12:47:03 GMT Report for Abuse
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Please please please can any body tell to me now how much is the broad band internet charge in Sri Lanka ? Thank you very much
http://www.applesri.lk/tariff.html |
Dauntless
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Joined: Jan 2006
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4 Jan 2008 13:02:40 GMT Report for Abuse
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SLTnet has a package for 1000bucks rental but has certain amount usage in terms of down loaded MB value...
other than that you get two packages...
home express and office express... download speeds a 2mbps and 8mbps if i'm not wrong...
u can check the up on www.slt.lk
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Suruthi
Joined: Oct 2007
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4 Jan 2008 13:04:40 GMT Report for Abuse
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JVP is on rise now. UNP & SLFP members will be floating on the kelani river soon as we seen in the past.
It is going to be different from the past. JVP is going to hunt the human rights violators and fraudsters. They have the power to control the military and administrative positions in the government. I think that JVP members are the true sons of the country.
2008 is full of misery and fun in Sri Lanka.
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freedom1
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 4 Jan 2008 13:24:06 GMT Report for Abuse
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JVP is on rise now. UNP & SLFP members will be floating on the kelani river soon as we seen in the past.
Happy Lanka made by JVP experts ...
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Pera
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 4 Jan 2008 13:31:30 GMT Report for Abuse
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JVP is on rise now. UNP & SLFP members will be floating on the kelani river soon as we seen in the past.
It is going to be different from the past. JVP is going to hunt the human rights violators and fraudsters. They have the power to control the military and administrative positions in the government. I think that JVP members are the true sons of the country.
I have a little hunch that LTTE Peelamists are dead scared of the JVP :))
Pawenda! |
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