Convenor of the Democratic Front, Rehan Jayawickrema, has said that in response to a Right to Information (RTI) query submitted to the Presidential Secretariat, in respect of the utilisation of local and foreign donations received by the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund, in support of post-Ditwah cyclone recovery efforts, several critically important questions, regarding the donors, disbursement of funds and monitoring process/mechanism weren’t answered.

Appearing on news line with Faraz Shauketaly, Jayawickrema said that though the Presidential Secretariat disclosed altogether USD 11.4 mn and Rs 6 bn had been received, it couldn’t answer other questions pertaining to identity of donors, specific amounts, utilisation of funds, monitoring, procurement and related matters.

How could the Presidential Secretariat, tasked with the project, claim it was not aware. Jayawickrema compared the Presidential Secretariat response to the situation caused by accusations pertaining to the Helping Hambantota programme, during Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga presidency. (SF)

The United States Congress’ Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC) has renewed calls for accountability and redress for wartime abuses in Sri Lanka, marking Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day by highlighting the continuing absence of justice for Tamil victims and survivors seventeen years after the end of the armed conflict, Tamil Guardian reported.

In a statement published on X last week, the bipartisan congressional commission said that impunity for grave abuses committed during the war remains entrenched despite years of international scrutiny and repeated calls for accountability.

“17 years after the end of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, impunity for grave human rights violations and abuses persists,” the commission stated.

“Today, as Tamil survivors and their loved ones memorialize those who were lost, the TLHRC urges redress for harms and accountability for perpetrators.”

The intervention came as Tamils across the North-East homeland and the global diaspora marked Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day on 18 May, commemorating the tens of thousands of Tamil civilians killed during the final stages of the armed conflict in Mullivaikkal in 2009. Tamil organisations and survivors continue to maintain that the massacres constituted a genocide against the Tamil nation.

This year’s commemorations saw renewed international calls for justice and accountability, with lawmakers, rights organisations and advocacy groups across several countries issuing statements recognising the continuing suffering of Tamil survivors and criticising the lack of meaningful accountability for wartime atrocities.

The TLHRC, which operates under the United States Congress to promote internationally recognised human rights, has previously examined Sri Lanka’s human rights record through hearings and briefings focused on wartime abuses, enforced disappearances, militarisation and accountability failures.

In recent years, the commission has heard testimony from human rights advocates, legal experts and civil society representatives regarding crimes committed during the final stages of the armed conflict, as well as ongoing concerns surrounding repression, surveillance and the failure of domestic accountability mechanisms.

International rights groups and Tamil victims’ organisations have repeatedly argued that successive Sri Lankan governments have failed to deliver truth, justice or meaningful reparations for those affected by wartime atrocities.

Muslims became the first major obstacle for LTTE creating a racial entity

The National Shoora Council (NSC) has welcomed the pledges made by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake that Sri Lanka will not be allowed to suffer another war, that there will not be any space for racist extremism in the country and that the nation belongs equally to all communities! President Dissanayake made these promises to the nation at the 17th National War Heroes’ Day commemoration held on May 19th at Battaramulla.

The NSC noted that Sri Lanka’s armed forces successfully led the war and defeated at tremendous cost and sacrifice, the LTTE’s thirty-year attempt to divide Sri Lanka. However, remembrance of this significant event cannot be limited only to the country’s armed forces. It is vital that the State must in addition, make a full frontal recognition of the contributions of the then President, as well as the citizens of this country, particularly the Muslims of Sri Lanka, not forgetting the invaluable support of Iran and Pakistan!

It is timely to recall at these anniversaries that the majority of Sri Lankan Tamils sought sharing of power based on a federal structure but did not support the division of the country. The Sri Lankan Muslims however, were very much unhappy with the then Tamil political leadership, following the 1976 Vaddukoddai resolution of 14th May 1976, which also, among other reasons, laid the foundation for the separatist struggle.

Muslims of Sri Lanka by 1989 firmly resisted the LTTE led attempt to set up a separate State. It is well known that the Tamil speaking Muslims paid a very heavy price for not falling in line with the LTTE’s Eelam project! President Dissanayake will remember that in October 1990, the LTTE drove out the entire 90,000 Northern Muslims, women, children and the elderly, giving them only two hours to quit with nothing in hand for their next meal!

In 1989 and 1990, in the East, LTTE killed over a thousand Muslims in several attacks and grabbed significant extent of agricultural lands owned by Muslim farmers. During this time, one of the worst massacre of Muslims in South Asia occurred with the LTTE killing 147 Muslims while performing night prayers in several Mosques in Kattankudy, followed by killing another 121 Muslims in Eravur. Furthermore, Haj pilgrims returning home were diverted at Kurukkalmadam killing nearly 35 of them! Later 69 Muslim farmers in Alanchipothana were mercilessly executed!

The confirmed number of innocent Muslims killed by the LTTE by 1990 coincidentally equalled the number killed in the horrific Easter attack of 21st April 2019! Everyone knows that the LTTE drove away the Northern Muslims and killed the Eastern Muslims because they did not support the LTTE but stood with the armed forces who fought against separatism!

All patriotic Sri Lankans will remember that several Malay Muslims served in key positions in the armed forces, a number of them were killed by LTTE, mostly while in action. Their dedicated services in the Army, Navy and the Air Force and in the deep penetrating units of the forces, during the war, were also widely believed to have angered the LTTE into massacring Muslims in the East and driving them out of the North!

In addition, Iran and Pakistan were two Muslim majority countries which helped Sri Lanka in its struggle to protect the territorial integrity of the country. In 1999, during the tenure of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Iran positively responded to the President’s call for urgent assistance by providing vital supplies to the armed forces in the war front!

In November 2007, President Mahinda Rajapakse, visited the Islamic Republic of Iran, arranged by the then Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Iran M M Zuhair PC, presently President of NSC and secured US $ 525 million for the Uma Oya, generating 120 MW of electricity cum Water project, diverting Uma Oya water eastwards to feed 5,000 hectares of fresh agricultural land in the Uva Province. In addition Iran provided US $ 105 million for Sri Lanka’s Rural Electrification Project.

Most importantly commencing January 2008, the critical period of the war, Iran provided a rolling facility valued at nearly US $ 650 million to Sri Lanka to purchase Iranian crude oil on four months’ interest free deferred payment terms. These were vital contributions that helped Sri Lanka during the key stages of the war, that must ungrudgingly be recognized by President Dissanayake!

During this unforgettable period of the war, when Sri Lanka was struggling for funds to purchase arms and ammunition, those who were in the war front valued the invaluable assistance of the Islamic Republics of Iran and Pakistan to Sri Lanka immensely. The NPP government must extend recognition where recognition is due!

Can history suppress that by 1990, Muslims became the first major obstacle against the LTTE’s attempts to divide Sri Lanka on ethnic lines? This community of 2.1 million, truly deserves to be duly recognised and honoured, perhaps next in line to the country’s armed forces!