Archive for the ‘Reconciliation’

LLRC: Evidence given by Mr. Austin Fernando, Former Secretary of Defense on 18th August 2010

September 30th 2010 Editor, Groundviews Dear Sir, Evidence given before LLRC on August 18th 2010 I gave evidence before the LLRC which became very problematic. My evidence was inaccurately or partially reported, which resulted in many unwanted and underserved comments appearing in the public domain. Having waited a month after bringing this issue to the notice of the Commission, and not hearing of any response, I thought it is time to tell what I really said at the inquiry and also to note that the biased reporting against me was both undeserved and unprofessional. I am basing my submission on the transcript and recording kindly provided by the LLRC. I am sending this content to two English newspapers and Ada Derana in the hope that they will be gracious enough to publish it. I am sending this to you for publication because I have seen similar testimonies of other key witnesses published on the site. I thank in advance for…

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Recommendations for ICT and Research Supported Enhancement of the Effectiveness of the LLRC

S. M. Samarakoon Esq. Secretary, Presidential Commission on Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation, 24, Horton Place, Colombo 7. Dear Mr. Samarakoon, Recommendations for ICT and Research Supported Enhancement of the Effectiveness of the LLRC As a follow up to the submissions made before the Presidential Commission on Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation on 23rd September 2010, I have pleasure in submitting the following recommendations for enhancement of the effectiveness of the LLRC, leveraging Information Communications Technology and Research options; The LLRC to take urgent steps to set up a widely publicized, fully functional multi lingual web site,  to serve the following facilitation needs of the Commission and at the same time satisfy the communication needs and expectations of the stakeholder publics; Information on the Warrant of the Commission, Details of Commissioners, Staff of the Commission, Contact details, Progress to date including public hearings and visits, Notices published by the Commission,  Events and hearings calendar, Picture Gallery, News/Publications and Press Releases, FAQ’s, Useful…

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Reconciliation for peace

Call for peace and hope The search for human security away from conflict and indignity is global and ceaseless. The demands of human security include a balanced view of tragedies that are the result of terrible omissions as well as dreadful commissions. In short we need a celebration of life as opposed to a memorial dirge. We must make it that much harder to justify destruction as a means to conquer one another and make dialogue, conciliation and accommodation a means to find solutions to many competing and justifiable claims from the peoples of our country. Human rights will be realized in large measure with the ebb of conflict and a focus on human security. Such a common quest requires the enterprise of adversaries who are stakeholders of today, it is for the interlocutors and investors to bring about this commonality of vision which together may assist us all to justifiably feel one day that we did what we had to when…

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Reconciliation in Sri Lanka: Breaking the Myth and Bringing the Truth

“There cannot be reconciliation without justice. Justice and equity are at the core of reconciliation” – Professor Hizkias Assefa The platform for an “genuine reconciliation” should be rooted via the democratic exercises, rights and participation of all citizens throughout a country. But, if people are under fear to express their grievances and aspirations, including opposition political parties, dissident voices, independent media and even some ruling party government ministers how can a national minority discriminated and oppressed for more than five decades practice their rights in Sri Lanka? If a conducive environment to experience human fundamental rights including basic human needs (non negotiable rights such as survival, wellbeing, freedom and identity according to peace studies scholars) and to enjoy the values of democracy in Sri Lanka does not exist, then what guarantee is there that a ‘genuine reconciliation’ will take place? From a perspective genuine reconciliation should start from the mind, heart and soul of all human beings and it should…

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Did the Sri Lankan Army use cluster bombs and phosphorus bombs against civilians?

Sudar Oli - 20.09.2010 - Small

The partial, unprofessional and biased mainstream media reportage, particularly in English and Sinhala, on on-going proceedings of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) has been repeatedly flagged on this site. On 20 September 2010, the Sudar Oli newspaper published a report based on the testimony of N. Sundermurthi to the LLRC. Not a single English or Sinhala mainstream print or broadcast media bothered to carry this story, even in translation. As Valkryie notes in ‘Learning Lessons’ from those affected by war: Does the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission really listen? “The most recent sessions of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) were held in the conflict affected North from 18 to 20 September, at which a large number of persons, particularly women, made representations. Of course one wouldn’t know it by reading the newspapers, listening to the radio or watching television. In what appears to be a complete information blackout, Sinhala and English language media, which gave considerable prominence…

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‘Learning Lessons’ from those affected by war: Does the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission really listen?

The most recent sessions of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) were held in the conflict affected North from 18 to 20 September, at which a large number of persons, particularly women, made representations. Of course one wouldn’t know it by reading the newspapers, listening to the radio or watching television. In what appears to be a complete information blackout, Sinhala and English language media, which gave considerable prominence to representations made by those appearing before the Commission in Colombo, such as Jayantha Dhanapala and Austin Fernando, were conspicuously silent when the LLRC held sittings in the area where the final battle between the Sri Lanka armed forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was fought. In contrast, the Tamil newspapers carried heart wrenching accounts of mostly women who had lost, in many cases, their entire families. According to Prof. G.L. Peiris, the Minister for External Affairs, the government established the LLRC ‘drawing upon the experience of…

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Submission before Lessons Learnt & Reconciliation Committee (LLRC) by Chandra Jayaratne

[Editors note: Chandra Jayaratne is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK, a former President of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and LMD Sri Lankan of the year 2001.] ### 1. Appreciation of Opportunity The eminent members of the Commission and its Secretary are thanked for extending, on their own accord, this opportunity to make submissions before the LLRC. These submissions draw on a wide canvass, strictly within the scope of the warrant of the LLRC and stress issues of concern and detail specific action recommendations for due consideration by the Commission. The LLRC is kindly requested to note that all submissions made herein are based on personal beliefs and commitments and does not represent views of any of the present or past affiliations and positions of leadership held in any private sector or civil society organizations. 2. The Immediate Correction of the Lost Opportunity The opportune…

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Translation of Tamil newspaper reports on the Lessons Learnt & Reconciliation Commission hearings held in Killinochchi and Mullaitivu

Given below are translations of reports on the hearings of the Lessons Learnt & Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) held in Killnochchi and Mullaitivu that appeared in Tamil newspapers. Due to the deafening silence and at times selective hearing of the English and Sinhala language media, which have either completely failed to report on the hearings held in Killinochchi and Mullaitivu or have done so in a cursory and/or selective manner, this compilation is posted to ensure the voices of the war affected are heard, and recorded for posterity. Also read Did the Sri Lankan Army use cluster bombs and phosphorus bombs against civilians? ###

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  • 2 Sep, 2010
  • 6 Comments
  • Mannar,
    Peace and Conflict,
    Reconciliation

Synthesis of Personal Reflections: Reconciliation, Sri Lanka Unites and Me

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Ever since reading the article by E Pluribus Unum on Groundviews “A Critique of Sri Lanka Unites: Freedom has not made itself known”, I have felt compelled to respond to it,  but was unsure about how and when . At the back of the triumph of the “Future Leaders Conference, Season-2”, I think the time is now ripe. This reflection serves to share my personal insights into several arguments raised by Mr. E Pluribus Unum and other relevant issues. What does reconciliation mean for an 18 -year -old, middle class lad from Mannar? What does absence of war mean to a person who has had firsthand experience of discrimination, shelling, killing, heavy checking  and pass systems? Is there a difference between War and No War? My personal understanding of reconciliation is, at the core, a fundamental transformation which turns hatred into love. From an 18 year old perspective reconciliation bears little or no relevance to the prevailing political situation, to…

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Official transcript of LLRC oral submission by Mr. Jayantha Dhanapala (Updated)

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Groundviews exclusively carried Jayantha Dhanapala’s response to erroneous and selective media reports of his submission to LLRC a few days ago, in which he promised an authoritative transcript of his presentation and of the question and answer session from the LLRC. A covering note to the media from Mr. Dhanapala and the transcripts were sent to us today. Download the transcript here as a PDF, and another PDF noting the members of the LLRC here. Interestingly, Shamindra Ferdinando, the News Editor of the Island newspaper mentioned on two occasions that he and his newspaper stand by the initial story on Mr. Dhannapala’s submission to the LLRC (see here, and a more detailed explanation of sorts here). Shamindra’s article in the Island, Ex-UN Under Secy General tells LLRC: Intl. laws shouldn’t apply to conflicts between States and terrorist groups published on 25 August, had Mr. Dhanapala ostensibly saying that, “International Humanitarian Law (IHL) should not be applied to Sri Lanka’s war against…

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Jayantha Dhanapala responds to erroneous and selective media reports of his submission to LLRC

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Internal Armed Conflicts, Humanitarian Laws and the Curious Transformation of Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala by Kalana Senaratne on Groundviews flagged a number of pertinent questioning arising from the media reportage of Jayantha Dhanapala’s submission to the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) recently. On our Facebook page as well as through numerous emails sent to the Editors, many present at this session of the LLRC said that media reports, including those on the Ministry of Defence website of Jayantha Dhanapala’s submission were extremely biased and inaccurate. We publish below a response to these reports by Jayantha Dhanapala as well as his written submission to the LLRC. Download this letter as a PDF here. OUTLINE OF SUBMISSION MADE BY JAYANTHA DHANAPALA TO COMMISSION ON LESSONS LEARNT AND RECONCILIATION My experience as a career diplomat in the Sri Lanka Foreign Service from 1965-97, and in particular my period as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva from 1984-87 and…

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Peace and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka: Is there a way forward?

Good Afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen and dear friends I want to start my talk by bringing to the fore the experiences of another, which was seen as an intractable conflict – the apartheid struggle in South Africa. In 1984, Mandela single handedly launched negotiations with the Afrikaner government. His reasons were simple and unambiguous. There are many people who feel that it is useless and futile for us to continue talking peace and non-violence — against a government whose only reply is savage attacks on an unarmed and defenseless people. And I think the time has come for us to consider, in the light of our experiences at this day at home, whether the methods which we have applied so far are adequate. He knew that for lasting peace he had to focus on what he had in common with those who were persecuting him. Mandela said: We need to make peace with our enemies and not with our friends….

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Any inspiration Joanna?

Some excellent goals scored, some unbearable moments of anguish celebrated as teams win and lose in an imperfect system, some stunning comebacks, terrible bouts of pain vanishing instantly once the arbitrator with a whistle awards a free kick, the tears of the Japanese, the despair of the Ghanians’, incompetent referees sent out to save face, all making a wonderful festival of sport.  All in all we have been witness to a wonderful world cup. FIFA president Sepp Blatter called it an emotional one. Emotional because we saw more than soccer in South Africa. We saw a nation healing. We witnessed what could be an answer for the modern tribalism, which is engulfing our world. It was seen in a flag being celebrated equally by all races. Don’t be mistaken. A black and an Afrikaner were not spotted hugging each other, but the unity can be felt. Not pumped up, not voiced through news conferences and loud mouths in august assemblies. …

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Compilation of special edition on the end of war in Sri Lanka

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Download the 162 page compilation of content as a PDF in high quality (25.4Mb), or low quality (3.7Mb). The low quality version is good enough to read, but the photos will look and print much better in the high quality version. From 19 – 27 May 2010, Groundviews ran a special edition on the end of war in Sri Lanka. Over this week alone, the site received over forty thousand readers and exclusively featured over eighty thousand words of original content, one video premiere, over a dozen photos, generating over one hundred and fifty thousand words of commentary. Tens of thousands more have read and commented on this content since, making the special edition a sui generis archive of intelligent debate, incisive critique and vital perspectives that mainstream media in Sri Lanka, even post-war, is too fearful to feature. For example, one memorable and particularly hard-hitting comment inspired by the content in this special edition came from Tathagata Bose, an Indian…

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Human rights: Hackneyed or heightened in post-war Sri Lanka?

My conversation with Lakshan Dias, Programme Manager, Centre for Human Rights and Development, was pegged to the issue of human rights in post-war Sri Lanka. Lakshan was in the news recently when he appeared for Sarah Malanie Perera, an author taken in custody over bizarre circumstances. While we touched on this specific case, the interview also looked at broader legislation that undermined human rights in Sri Lanka post-war. I also got Lakshan’s take on the government’s repeated assertion that continued vigilance is vital to thwart any re-emergence of the LTTE, on account of which anti-terrorism legislation is justified even post-war. We talked about the awareness of human rights amongst the general public, and as Lakshan noted, the polarisation of the Sinhala and Tamil communities over human rights issues. Lakshan stressed the need for reconciliation, trust building and healing post-war, processes he noted that could not be addressed through a national security mindset. Lakshan warned that lack of public confidence –…

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About Groundviews

Located at the Centre for Policy Alternatives in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Groundviews is a citizen journalism website that uses a range of genres and media to highlight critical perspectives on governance, reconciliation, human rights, the arts and literature, democracy and other issues. The site has won two international awards, including the prestigious Manthan Award South Asia in 2009. The grand jury's evaluation of the site noted, "What no media dares to report, Groundviews publicly exposes. It's a new age media for a new Sri Lanka... Free media at it's very best!"

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