The government announced (26 July, 2012) it has drawn up a comprehensive "National Action Plan to Implement the Recommendations of the LLRC" and has released same to the public domain. This comes after the Geneva Resolution and the discussions the Rajapaksa government had thereafter with the US administration. Immediately after the Geneva Resolution was adopted in March 2012, Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton extended an invitation to External Affairs Minister Peiris, for a discussion in Washington that was accepted by Minister Peiris.

Summing up the meeting Minister Peiris had with Secretary Clinton, spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told the media on Friday 18 May 2012, "The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister presented a very serious and comprehensive approach to the Lesson Learnt and Reconciliation Commission's implementation". Secretary Clinton was quoted saying, the (SL) presidential secretariat's programme is an, "excellent mechanism for implementing the LLRC's recommendations".

The Rajapaksa government nevertheless tried it's best, to tell the Sinhala gallery that it has not compromised with the US on the implementation of LLRC recommendations. External Affairs ministry Secretary, Amunugama told the local media a week later (24 May), the action plan is still being prepared by a Committee headed by Presidential Secretary Weeratunge and no date could be fixed for its completion. He stressed Minister Peiris had not given a written document to US Secretary Clinton. Its only a verbal explanation, he stressed.

Yet the compromise between SL and the US Administration on this "National Action Plan" for implementation of LLRC recommendations was quite evident from other issues that fell in place to the advantage of the Rajapaksa regime. While the IMF has agreed to begin a new round of talks for another loan, the US GSP Review on Sri Lanka, closed without any change and for trade benefits to continue. US Trade Rep Ron Kirk said the decision to close the review in favour of SL was based on the "Sri Lankan government's noteworthy efforts to address worker rights issues, over the past few years", despite everything negative happening here on the ground.

Praise showered over this "Action Plan" by the US administration is no different. Out of some 285 recommendations in the LLRC Final Report, the Action Plan, Secretary Clinton said is "excellent", excludes or bluffs over most important issues. The "Independent Police and Public Service Commissions" (9.215 and 226) the LLRC recommended, are listed in this Action Plan as already established. What are these "independent" Commissions that are said to be already in place ?

This Rajapaksa government was from its very inception, against any independence in administering and regulating State agencies. They refused to establish "Independent Commissions" under the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, for they would then remain comparatively independent and out of the Executive President's and his Defence Secretary's authority. The Defence Secretary for one, wields unlimited power, beyond that of any public administrator. Immediately after the 2010 April general elections, elected for a second parliamentary term, President Rajapaksa decided to repeal the 17th Amendment and introduce the 18th Amendment that now allows the President to appoint Commissions, labelling them as "independent". The Commissions are now like "moonshine" labelled as champagne. Without shame, the Action Plan takes pride in calling them "independent" and as already established.

Following that bluff, the recommendation to de-link the Police Department from other security agencies and such related operations, has been subtly avoided in the Action Plan with no direct commitment. It says, the "Activity" would be to "refer it to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) as it deals with an entirely policy/political issue" and the "Key Responsible Agency" would be the "Proposed PSC". There are no "Key Performance Indicators" and no "Time frame" applicable as well. The PSC as it is, is only a "punching bag" to box on. There is no guarantee it would happen this year, or at all. Therefore the bottom line is, the Police Department would remain as it is now, totally politicised and used as an auxiliary force when the defence authority wishes so. The LLRC recommendation, comfortably shoved under, within the Action Plan.

This proves what bluffing and false interpretations this regime would resort to in avoiding actual and honest implementation of its own LLRC recommendations. With no politically important issues related to power sharing touched upon, all other recommendations are treated in the same vein too.

The issue of de-militarising civil administration has also been covered with niceties that amounts to nothing. There was no mention of "phasing out" security forces' involvement in civil administration, discussed in the LLRC Recommendations, though the "Action Plan" opts for such language (9.171, 227). The LLRC as a policy, strongly advocated and recommended to the Government that Security Forces should disengage itself from all civil administration related activities as "RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE." Eight months after the LLRC Final Report was handed over to the President, the Action Plan proposes to "Formulate Plan for further reducing involvement of Security Forces in civilian work." It needs another 06 months for that and have the audacity to note , 95% as "already withdrawn from civilian duties." One is left bewildered, calculating the remaining 05% that would need formulating a plan and another 06 months.

This is a total lie and a means for continued military interference in civil administration. The responsible agency is given as the Defence Ministry that has always been the bottle neck in sorting out issues in the North and the East. The key performance indicator is identified as "A marked reduction or withdrawal of security force personnel for civil activities". Note the confusing language. While talking of already withdrawn 95%, it is "civilian duties". When talking of indicators, it is not "civil administration", but "civil activities". Nuances in such calculated language needs to be stressed to.

In very plain language, de-militarising civil administration and civil life, needs only one simple step and that is no complicated or difficult step to take. It is to immediately replace ex- servicemen in civil administrative positions with SLAS officers and post, reputed independent civilians for positions like Governors of Provincial Councils. If the Action Plan accepts de-militarising in such depth, it would immediately remove the military presence in the Trincomalee district administration which has a Major General as its District Secretary. It would immediately replace the Major General as Governor, NPC and the Rear Admiral (Rtd) as Governor, EPC. Most importantly, it would have to replace all ex-servicemen and servicemen from all posts in Ministries, State departments and institutes, that essentially should be clean and straight civil positions.

Therefore, what should be recorded as "key performance indicators� is not a very generalised, "marked reduction or withdrawal", but a clear "total replacement of security personnel in administrative positions" with a "Time frame" of just "Two weeks".

The issue of disbanding "illegal armed groups" as the LLRC termed them, has also been reduced to mere "persons" in possession of "unauthorised" weapons (9.204). This shows the sheer reluctance in the Rajapaksa regime in giving up organised armed presence, especially in the North - East. The social problem of unauthorised weapons in the hands of persons, and the political issue of "illegal armed groups" operating with State patronage, are completely two different issues that needs two different solutions. The proposed "National Action Plan" has very comfortably left out "illegal armed groups" the LLRC was very much concerned about.

The LLRC was extremely clear about this, naming organisations and groups. There is mention of "EPDP", "Karuna group", the "TMVP" and also of a "Major Seelan�s gang". In fact the LLRC notes on page 174, "The Commission is constrained to observe the attitude manifested by the leadership of the TMVP and EPDP in their explanations provide little or no consolation to the aggrieved parties, and tends to militate against any meaningful reconciliation process." These are facts the LLRC did not wish to ignore. But the "National Plan of Action� has.

One of the most pressing issues for livelihood security and settlement, the "Land" issue, is to be dragged almost endlessly. According to this Action Plan it would take 03 years more to "Take steps to re-locate or to pay compensation". It also says, 03 more years are necessary to make budgetary provisions available, provide resources to the Lands Ministry and then to draw up a land use policy for North and East.

All issues would thus be colour washed to please the international community and the UN HRC review. Beyond that, for those who wish to have realistic answers here on the ground, this Action Plan is plain bluff. One should remember, these people in the North � East have already lived out 03 post war years for now, without answers for any of those issues. The Action Plan would not get off into implementation immediately, for sure. The government is more than happy to leave it open as a draft for discussions, over which it could buy more time. It could even organise protests and lobbies to further water down the proposals, in the absence of a strong "Southern" lobby to push the Rajapaksa regime to come up with constructive proposals. Thus for any semblance of an answer to their issues, the Tamil people would have to wait for at least more than 06 years after the war ended. That too without the most important and most wanted political solution to their grievances.

For the Sinhala South that sees any answer to any issue as those conceded to the Tamil people and therefore unnecessary, the wait for a decent, civilised life in a post war society that cherishes law and order with a de politicised and a de militarised State and an independent police department, would also be a long and a traumatic wait through increasing crimes, rape of their children and women, murder and drug pedalling, most with political patronage.

Such is what the US State Secretary, Hillary Clinton sees as an "excellent mechanism" to address post war reconciliation and rehabilitation. It therefore goes to prove, that the International Community pressure now controlled according to the US agenda, is not what would bring answers to our national issues. The responsibility of finding answers to post war issues, can not be outsourced any more.

-Groundviews-

The court order to the remove Ensal (cardamom) plantation from the Knuckles Range has been suspended under the influence of the President Mahinda Rajapaksa, reports 'Lanka' newspaper. The removal has been suspended on July 02, 2012 following a request made by the large scale Ensal smugglers from the President at Matale District Coordination Committee Meeting. The President has advised them to take required measures after discussing the matter with the Defence Secretary. Ten months has passed since the discussion and no decision has been made regarding the situation. The former Director General of Wild Life Conservation Department has inform the District officers of the department on July 30,2012 in the letter ED/LD/14/Gen not to execute the removal order until they receive instructions from the Defence Secretary.

Leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF) Wimal Weerawansa today requested the President to immediately ban the slaughtering of cattle within the country. In the wake of a Buddhist monk setting himself on fire yesterday to protest against the slaughter of cattle for meet, the Minister has written to President Mahinda Rajapaksa saying measures should be taken based on that incident. The Minister of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities further points out that the majority of the country's Buddhist and Hindu people reject cattle slaughtering with disgust and that only a small group in Sri Lankan society approves of it. He stated that in India, which has a majority of Hindu devotee, cattle slaughtering has been banned and that during festivals such as Thai Pongal they are kind enough to express gratitude to Cattle, who play an important role in the traditional Indian farmstead.

The Military said that in less than four years since the war ended nearly all areas in the conflict zone excepting for 96 square kilometres had been cleared of landmines and could be now used for resettlement purposes. Military spokesman Ruwan Wanigasuriya said out of an area of 2,064 square kilometres identified as hazardous we have cleard 1,968 Sq. Km thus leaving only 96 Sq. Km to be cleared. The Army and de mining groups have removed some 500,000 anti-personnel mines, anti-tank mines, and numerous other forms of improvised explosive devices during this process. The total thus recovered is said to be about one million. "We have also cleared areas that are essential for development to take place. If not for our success in the demining front, the activities now being carried out in the North and East would not have been possible," Brigadier Wanigasuriya said.

Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development, Douglas Devananda, while thanking Norway for its role in facilitating peace in Sri Lanka, requested the country to assist generously in the post-war development activities in the war-torn areas in the country. Minister Devananda was the Chief Guest at the National Day of Norway, celebrated on Wednesday (22) in Colombo. Extending Sri Lanka's greetings to the King of Norway and to the Norwegian people, Minister Devananda said: "Norway's facilitation of Sri Lanka's peace process, while giving rise to a wide spectrum of views in the country, also demonstrated the close ties between the two countries. Following renewed economic partnership, it is an opportune time to redefine our relations in the political sphere. It is noteworthy that these political ties have received a valuable impetus in recent years with interactions at high political level.

The Buddhist clergyman, named Indrarathana thero, who set fire to himself yesterday (24) in Front of the Kandy temple of the tooth, has held a pradheshiya sabha membership in Jathika Hela Urumaya until recently. However, the JHU says that committing suicide in protest on a Vesak poya day is not at all appropriate for a Buddhist clergyman and that it does not give a good example to the citizens. JHU leader Ven.Omalpe Sobhitha thero made this comment while taking part in an interview with BBC Sandeshaya from Singapore. Ven Sobhitha said that although there are instances that people should commit their lives to achieve noble goals but committing suicide can never be approved.

Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Parliamentarian, Athuraliye Rathana Thera said, yesterday the government must be compelled to change its stand on the 13th Amendment to the Constitution through public mobilization. Referring to the announcement made by Cabinet Spokesperson, Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, who confirmed on Wednesday (22) that the government would not be abolishing the 13th Amendment, and the strongly expressed views of the JHU calling for the abolishment of the same, Rathana Thera said, "We must mobilize the public to push the government toward changing their stand on the matter." JHU National Organizer, Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe, responding to the inquiries pertaining to his party's alliance with the government, considering the current differences of opinion regarding the 13th Amendment, said, "What Minister Yapa expressed was the stand of the government. It is our view the amendment should be abolished. This isn't a government-JHU problem."

A fire has broken down in a tire refilling center near Vidyananda Piriwena in Ampara today (25) morning around 1.30am. The fire has been put out with the help of Walachchena Police and air force Fire brigades. Many equipment used for refilling tires have been completely destroyed and the loss is not yet estimated. Luckily no lives have been hurt from the fire and Police say that an exact reason for the fire has not yet been discovered. Ampara police is holding further investigations.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) yesterday urged the government to resolve the issues pertaining to the Northern Provincial Council elections and power devolution because of the contrasting views expressed by some of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) allies. TNA parliamentarian Suresh Premachanadran said it was up to the government to resolve the issue among its allies because it was the present regime, which appointed the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) to propose ways of resolving the national question. He said several constituent parties of the ruling UPFA Government were coming out with various views on the provincial councils and the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Mr. Premachandra said contrasting views were even being expressed by public servants who had no right to do so.

Criminal Investigation Department of Sri Lanka police has begun an investigation into the fire that gutted a cargo warehouse in the main Colombo Port yesterday. The early morning fire broke out Friday in the Container Freight Station (CFS) -1 warehouse at the JCT terminal inside the Port of Colombo completely destroyed the warehouse and its contents. The firefighting units of the Port Authority, the Army assisted the Colombo Fire Brigade to douse the fire which took about four hours to bring under control, according to the Port Authority sources. Project Minister of Ports and Highways Rohitha Abeygunawardena visited the sites and ordered an immediate inquiry to ascertain the cause of the fire.

The Government yesterday stressed that the U.S embassy as any other foreign mission based in Colombo should get prior approval to engage with local government authorities. According to External Affairs Ministry Secretary Dr. Karunathilake Amunugama, foreign missions should either inform or get prior approval to implement any project in agreement with the local government authorities. "This is an international norm," he said. The Secretary's comments came in the wake of the U.S. embassy move to set up a public information and activity centre known as the American Corner in agreement with the Trincomalee Urban Council.

The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), a coalition party of Sri Lanka' ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), said it will take measures to mobilize the public to urge the government to abolish the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. JHU parliamentarian Ven. Athuraliye Ratana Thero said the public must be mobilized to urge the government to change its stance on the 13th Amendment. The Thero's call to abolish the 13th Amendment came in response to the statement by Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa that the government would not abolish the 13th Amendment. At the cabinet press briefing Thursday Minister Yapa said the government has no intention whatsoever to postpone the Northern Provincial Cunicl polls, repeal the 13th Amendment or introduce amendments to the Constitution to remove police and land powers to the provinces.

An armed squad that came in a white van on Tuesday abducted a 68-year-old activist, Thangathurai Veluppillai, a supporter of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in Ampaa'rai district. The victim was blindfolded while he was at Kalmunai public market and was taken away by the squad that tortured him to obtain the names of the TNA activists in Ampaa'rai district. The abduction comes a few days after the intelligence of the occupying SL military 'investigated' him following a meeting against the land grab by the SL military in his division. After 3 days of interrogations in Batticaloa, Mr Thangathurai was taken back to Kalmunai and released there, the sources further said. Informed civil sources in Ampaa'rai told TamilNet that the abducted victim, who hails from Malvaththai in Chamman-thu'rai division of Ampaarai district, was taken to Batticaloa for interrogation.

The Q branch of the Tamil Nadu police, with the assistance of the Ernakulam North police, arrested 21 Sri Lankans who were about to sail to Australia in a fishing boat from Kochi. The operation was carried out after information about the same was passed on by the Intelligence Bureau. According to officials, seven men, six women and eight children were nabbed from the New Cochin Residency, a hotel situated near the Ernakulam North Railway station, in the early hours of Thursday. The Sri Lankans came from Chennai by train and according to a statement issued by them, an agent named Subash took '1 lakh from each of them on Tuesday evening. 'These people are from four refugee camps located near Chennai. They were planning to sail to Australia in a fishing vessel. The agent escaped during the raid.

A Buddhist monk set himself on fire this morning outside the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy in protest over the slaughter of cattle, police said. Sources said the monk poured petrol over his body and then lit himself. He was rushed to the Kandy hospital with severe injuries and later transferred to General Hospital, Colombo, the police added.

Dominican Republic authorities have arrested four men from Sri Lanka accused of smuggling at least 60 migrants from India and the Middle East into the U.S. and Canada using fake passports. Officials with the National Investigations Department say the alleged leader of the group is a Canadian citizen identified as 42-year-old Karunhanithy Nallathamby. Director Fidel Calcagno said late Wednesday that Nallathamby was in charge of obtaining passports in Canada that would later be altered and given to migrants once they reached the Dominican Republic. He said the majority of migrants had criminal backgrounds and would stay in Nallathamby's house for up to two months before traveling to the U.S. or Canada.

Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor has granted lawyers access to two Tamil asylum seekers who feared they would be removed to Sri Lanka. The asylum seekers - who cannot be named - emailed refugee lawyer David Manne from Christmas Island on Wednesday seeking his help to apply for refugee protection. The email came after 31 Tamil asylum seekers were flown from Christmas Island to Sri Lanka after they were determined to be not genuine refugees. Daniel Webb, from the Human Rights Law Centre, said that such people were typically interviewed without legal advice.

A massive pre-dawn fire has gutted the inbound cargo warehouse in Sri Lanka's Colombo Port, port officials said. The early morning fire had broken out in the CFS-1 warehouse at JCT terminal inside the Port of Colombo, the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Dr. Priyath Bandu Wickrama told the media. The Colombo Fire Brigade with the assistance of Navy and Army has managed to douse the fire. There were no injuries reported due to the fire. The Port Authority Chairman has said that the authority will immediately take necessary measures to evaluate the cargo that was destroyed in the fire. Project Minister of Ports and Highways Rohitha Abeygunawardena said that an immediate inquiry has been launched to ascertain the cause of the fire.

The National Investigations Department (DNI) in the Dominican Republic arrested members of a people trafficking network with possible links to international terrorist cells, who used Dominican Republic as a bridge from Cuba, France, Spain, Sri Lanka and Haiti, Dominican today.com reported. The website said that DNI chief operating officer Fidel Paulino identified the Sri Lankan- Canadian Karunanithy Nallathamby as the group's leader, arrested in Sosua, Puerto Plata, while Kanthaany Siresh or Sriram Kannan, and Ganesh Mahenderan, or David Kristen and Kohulan Selvarasa, were detained in a house where they had hidden during two months. The DNI said Nallathamby had stolen original passports from a passport office in Canada to alter them and sell to Indian nationals who entered Dominican territory along the border with Haiti.

The Sri Lanka government yesterday expressed concern over the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the US embassy in Colombo and the Trincomalee Urban Council to jointly establish a public information and activity centre known as the American Corner, without the knowledge or the authorisation of the Sri Lanka External Affairs Ministry. Government sources said that foreign missions based in Colombo should obtain prior approval or inform to the External Affairs Ministry of Sri Lanka whenever they need to engage with local authorities - which is the international norm. Currently there are two American Corners - in Kandy and Jaffna. The signatories to the MoU for establishing and American Corner were Christopher Teal, Director, Press, Cultural and Educational Affairs of the US embassy in Colombo and the chairman of the Trincomalee Urban Council, K. Selvarajah.

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday warned the government of dire consequences in case the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) won the first northern provincial council election. The Defence Secretary was responding to a statement attributed to Petroleum Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, at Wednesday's post-cabinet media briefing, that the election would be held in accordance with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Minister Yapa ruled out the possibility of diluting the 13th Amendment before the election. Asked whether he would publicly campaign against the decision, the Gajaba Regiment veteran said: "As the Secretary, Ministry of Defence, my responsibility is to warn the government of the grave repercussions of empowering a hostile provincial administration with land and police powers. Police powers in the hands of those still pursuing a separatist agenda can pose a severe threat to national security."