John Holmes: Bribes, lies and cocktail

"The IDPs are resettled in an ad hoc manner without proper infrastructure facilities to the dismay of most inmates. The Government has resorted to this course of action merely refusing to incur an additional expense for the betterment of the IDPs. This is indeed a short term remedy to get rid of the IDP issue."
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By Keerthi Ratnayaka

(November 21, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sir John Holmes, United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under Secretary General of Humanitarian Affairs made his first visit to Sri Lanka in August 2007. During his visit he told Reuters in an interview on 8 August 2007 that .."Aid agencies,an amount of 34 humanitarian staff have been killed in Sri Lanka since January 2006, including 17 local staff of Action Contre La Faim shot dead a year ago in a massacre Nordic truce monitors blamed on security forces. There is a concern about the safety of humanitarian workers themselves and the record here is one of the worst in the world from that point of view."

As soon this was published by Reuters, John Holmes was branded as a terrorist supporter by the Sri Lankan government which then ensured the widespread publication of malicious propaganda against him. Under instruction of President and Gotabaya Rjapaksha , Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mr. Ratnasiri Wickremanayake told Parliament, "...... The government cannot but feel that Sir John has contributed to those who seek to discredit the government and tarnish its international image. "In more addressing public meeting at Horana he further defined Sir John Holems as as a fool. Following the Prime Minister’s statement,Chief Government Whip and late Minister, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, said; "I would say Holmes is completely a terrorist, a terrorist who supports terrorism. We consider people who support terrorists also terrorists. So Holmes, who supports the LTTE , is also a terrorist. This person tries to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka internationally." He added. "I think the LTTE has bribed Holmes."

John Holems visited Srilanka for the second time on 19 Feb 2009 by an invitation made by Rohitha Bogollagama which was well pre-planed by Basil Rajapaksha,to conceal the serious accusations on humanitarian catastrophe took palace in Wanni.During the period of his second visit Government ensured to provide VVIP treatment to John Holems from arrival to Katunayaka airport to his departure. This time, as soon as he arrived Sri Lanka,he was accompanied to temple tree, and he was briefed by President Rajapaksa . He was then visited Camp with the adviser to the President and who is the President’s brother Basil Rajapaksha . Since then even Holmes carried out four visits to Srilanka hitherto no benefit to displaced Tamils but strongly associate the Government.Through out history only Sinhala leaders were fooling Tamils, now it seems many more doing same thing.

This week John Holmes arrived to Sri Lanka as fourth time on a three-day tour on an another invitation by the Foreign Minister. He visited Jaffna, Vavuniya and Menik Farm, while spending a night in Jaffna. Conclusion of his visit he attended a joined press briefing at the Foreign Ministry with Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama.John Holems said, "he was extremely encouraged and impressed by the rapid resettlement of the IDPs in progress". In answer to a question whether the UN thinks that the 180-day time frame set by the Government for resettlement could be kept, Sir John Holmes replied that time frames are not important but what is important is the commitment of the Government which has impressed him. Stating that it was his fourth visit to Sri Lanka, Holmes said he had been to IDP camps and spoke with the IDPs. He said the "UN had previously entertained concerns over the timing of the resettlement, now not so".
In fact presently, the government, in an attempt to ward off pressure from International Community staged a drama that speedily resettle the IDPs in their original villages, is putting up an appearance only.Sri Lanka government is actually engaged in merely relocating Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from one internment camp to other camps instead of resettling them in their own places.The Communist Party of India’s Tamil Nadu secretary & its leader T Pandian questioned, SL GOV stages false propaganda on re-settling IDPs,There were many complaints that even those who had been sent out of the camps were not settled in their native place."It is false propaganda t," .Very recently Sri Lanka Army in Thenmaraadchi in Jaffna peninsula refused permission even the Jaffna based Sri Lanka Minister Douglas Devananda tried to take Internally Displaced Persons who were evicted when SLA occupied Thenmaraadchi in 1990 to show their villages where they are to be resettled. Today Jaffna that after 13 years of Sri Lanka Army occupation Jaffna peninsula remains an open prison for its residents. People lock themselves into their houses after dark and are subjected to various restrictions violating their freedom of movement, expressions,which impose by the Defence ministry.
Gen.Fonseka on his resignation letter strongly question from President and Gotabaya on the so-called re settlement process and reconciliation of the Government. Exact quote as follows.

Resettlement process of the IDPs was also a point of concern. The IDPs are resettled in an ad hoc manner without proper infrastructure facilities to the dismay of most inmates. The Government has resorted to this course of action merely refusing to incur an additional expense for the betterment of the IDPs. This is indeed a short term remedy to get rid of the IDP issue. I strongly advocated that the resettlement should commence only after proper demining, providing necessary infrastructure facilities and on confirming of the identity of any infiltrated terrorists, thereby ensuring 100% safety and security to the younger generations among IDPs.

The conditions in the IDP centers is also a point of great concern to me. Thousands of valiant soldiers including members of the Navy, Air Force, Police and the Civil Defence Force sacrificed their valuable lives to liberate these unfortunate civilians from the brutality and tyranny of the LTTE in order that they could live in an environment of freedom and democracy. Yet, today many of them are continuing to live in appalling conditions due to the lack of proper planning and the reluctance to incur expenditure on the part of the Government.

The troop requirement for the resettlement is grossly insufficient and cannot sustain the demanding needs in the resettled areas, thus placing the innocent people in turmoil. Your Excellency's government is yet to win the peace in spite of the fact that the Army under my leadership won the war. There is no clear policy to ensure the security of the Tamil people thereby leaving room to ruin the victory attained, paving the way for yet another uprising in the future due to lack of security arrangements in the resettled areas.

Sri Lanka Army ensured the safe custody of approximately 10,000 surrendered LTTE cadres. But it is regrettably noted that so far no constructive action has been taken to methodically rehabilitate them in order to ensure that they get back to the society as properly rehabilitated law abiding citizens.

Facts being so, a reasonable question arise probably government bribed Holmes ?

-Sri Lanka Guardian