Sent: 21 January 2008 19:49
To: 'LOVE, Andy'
Subject: RE:

Dear sir,

Thank you for your prompt reply and for your recognition of the continued human rights failures of the GOSL, as well as your support for a permanent UN Monitoring Mission in SL

Please note:
1. The limited displacement of Muslims from the North, compared to the GOSL state orchestrated and sponsored 'Sinhalisation' settlement policies of the last 40 years by which almost a million Tamils have been forcibly driven out of the Eastern provinces and for these areas to be then re-settled by Sinhala ex-convicts and ex-military personnel
2. The repeated failures of the GOSL to re-settle any of the IDPs, including the Muslims to Jaffna which has been under GOSL's control for the last 12 years
3. The GoSL failed to comply with the agreement signed - a) did not dismantle High Security Zones ( in fact they have created more). My parents and many hundred other's lands are being occupied by the security forces for the last 18 years. Houses are being dismantled brick by brick so that people cannot live there any more. Security for whom? Not for the people surely! They want security for the security forces. The land on the peninsula has a delicate ecosystem. Blundering idiots can permanently damage the ecosystem. The palmyrah trees take years to grow. They are being cut down to make bunkers.
4. They did not dismantle the paramilitaries. They are responsible for a lot of armed robberies, rape and murder. Who else will wander around in high security zones during curfew? MP Maheswaran was killed because he promised to give details of who is doing what in Jaffna in the parliament.

The reason I said I was disappointed with your speech was because you sounded like a Sri Lankan Minister ( sinhala) giving a speech only mentioning the same things which we have all heard before and not mentioning what is happening now. Innocent people are being killed by bombs, guns etc. Gruesome murders have been carried out in the name of security.
Two catholic priests were killed. One MP, Joseph Pararajasingham, was killed in the church on Christmas midnight in front of a full church; MP Maheswaran was killed in a Hindu temple on new year's day. To mention a few. No one has been charged.. In fact mass murderers get promotion as High Commissioners to Australia and other countries.

A9 has been closed for years. Jaffna is an open prison. Jaffna people can survive on what they grow and what they fish but unfortunately a large part of the land is occupied by the security forces who are harassing young people particularly women. Many of them have disappeared.

This is state terrorism. Why have you not condemned state terrorism?

You are surprised that I didn't like your speech! Puttalam is heaven compared to Jaffna where some IDP's are living in camps for 18 years. I am willing to meet you and some of his Tamil constituents if you have any meetings with them. Vincent Kandiah

From: LOVE, Andy [mailto:LOVEA@parliament.uk] Sent: 21 January 2008 12:10 To: V K Subject: RE:

Dear Mr Kandiah,
I am surprised at your disappointment with my speech.
I criticised the GoSL for their Human Rights record asking for pressure to engage a Human Rights Mission from the UN; I criticised their decision to end the ceasefire agreement as an encouragement to further conflict and also lamented the lack of progress on Peace, expressing little confidence in the consultation amongst the political parties on a way forward to meeting the aspirations of the Tamil community. What more did you want from a short speech.
Yes I also criticised the LTTE for their record on Human Rights and terrorism. I meet regularly with Tamil and other communities in my constituency and will continue to listen to their concerns.
It was the LTTE who cleared the Muslims from the north of the island. This has been the front line in the conflict with little real possibility for IDP's to return. It is also the case that they will need a lot of persuasion to return and many that I met when last in Sri Lanka are determined to remain in Puttalam and be resettled there.
Regards,
Andy Love MP

Sent: 18 January 2008 22:37 To: andylovemp@aol.com Subject:

Dear Sir,
I was very disappointed with your speech in the house of commons and with your absence at the meeting the previous day. It appears you are either misinformed about the situation in Sri Lanka or are getting the wrong advice. There are plenty of Sri Lankan Tamils living in Edmonton and I will be very glad to join any meetings you have with them. The Sri Lankan High Commission and the GoSL are branding anybody who speak for the tamils as terrorists
Or in the pay of the LTTE.
I have nothing to do with thec LTTE but I hate state terrorism which has been going on oin Sri Lanka since 1956!!! All because the then British Government did not put any safeguards in the constitution for the minorities. Incidentally why hasn't the GoSL relocate the muslims, you were talking about, back to Jaffna? Jaffna has been under the control of the Govt for the last 12 years!

Vincent Kandiah

By: Vincent Kandiah,
Source: TWG
Date: 21st January 2008