If one sees the reports lodged by Ms. Lindsay Beck (Reuters-India), Mr. V. S. Sambandan (The Hindu) and Mr. P. K. Balachanddran (The Hindustan Times) between 23-25 March, 2004, they have much similaries; they interviewed EPDP's Mr. Douglous Devanda and Ex-TULF's Mr. Anadasangaree and reflected their points of views. Also, they did not give the counter point of views by the pro-LTTE TNA candidates, who oppose these two gentlemen. Neither was told EPDP's atrocities during the past and present elections. EPDP keeps alliance with current Sri Lankan President, and Mr. Devanda visits India very often. EPDP is painted as a democratic force, which in contrast is blamed for the BBC reporter Nirmalarajan's murder. In Contrast to Balachanddran's subject title ("LTTE prevents TULF president from campaigning in Jaffna"), Mr. Anadasangaree is removed from TULF, and that's why he competes as an INDEPENDANT (Listen his interview with BBC ThamizhOsai's Mr. Sampath Kumar on 29 March 2004). This coincidence of three (Indian based news organizations') reporters favorably interviewed the same two candidates, and ONLY these two candidates with in two days in a LTTE dominated area can lead to conclude only one thing (that happened before the ceasefire): They all were given a "reports' tour" to paint a favorable picture on these candidates. On contrast, BBC's Mr. Sampth Kumar's interview is very detailed and interacted a lot with common people rather than two selected candidates.

Another interesting thing is Ms. Nirupama Subramanian wrote Sri Lankan election analysis as three parts in The Hindu (last week); in all, as usual, she seemed sitting in Colombo and gave the analysis; NOTHING about north-east of the island. The only time she visited beyond north of Vavuniya was when Mr. Pirapakaran gave his interview in the beginning of the crrent peace process; and, her questions were only on late Rajiv Gandhi. Also, anyone who follows her reportings, can remember what she said when London based American reporter Mary Collins was shot by Sri Lankan Army soilder in Vavuniya. It only stressed her priority of safety (and buying the Sri Lankan media stories and fed to her master in Madras) than the war-jounalism. [It was interesting to see this as if my memory serves right, even her Colombo apartment was ransacked by Sri Lankan arm soldier's during Ms. Kumaranatunga's first time presidency)

The Hindu: Opinion (as editorial)
The Hindu - [Tuesday, Mar 30, 2004] Editorial: LTTE AND ELECTIONS
//Unsure of a clean sweep for the TNA, the LTTE has taken the only path it knows — stifling the opposition, led by V. Anandasangaree, a rebel TNA candidate, who is contesting as an independent, and Douglas Devananda, who leads the Eelam People's Democratic Party.

While the LTTE has virtually hijacked the run-up to the election, the main concern now is the outdated voters' list in Jaffna — where out of approximately 600,000 registered voters, nearly half are dead, displaced, or abroad. This is a situation tailor-made for rigging through impersonation on polling day.//


The hHindustan Times: Mr. Balachanddran's reporting
HindustanTimes.com [Colombo, March 25, 2004]: LTTE prevents TULF president from campaigning in Jaffna by PK Balachanddran

//Because of a split in the TULF, Anandasangaree is fighting the elections as an independent candidate. The LTTE is supporting the rest of the TULF which is now part of the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

"The LTTE is planning to rig the elections through massive impersonation. Its agents are going to cast the votes of the displaced as well as the dead. It is collecting the voting cards issued in the name of displaced and dead persons for the purpose of impersonation. And this is a huge number because 50% of the 600,000 odd people of the Jaffna peninsula are either displaced or dead," Anandasangaree said.//


Anti-LTTE UTHR(J)'s report in 2001
[UTHR(J) was declared by the University of Jaffna having no connection to it; yet, they adamantly use UTHR(J). Interesingly, one can remember that in one of her interviews with a western media, Ms. Kumaranatunga told to the interviewer Human Right Watch (America) as a pro-LTTE organization, and asked the reporter to read UTHR(J)]
Yet, what is interesting here is how contradictive and truth-twisting are The Hindu and The Hindustan Times while comparing with UTHR(J)'s 2001 Report (released on 01st February 2002) and a Sinhala media's [LakBima] 2001 November Reporting.

University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) Sri Lanka UTHR(J)*
Information Bulletin No. 28 Date of Release: 01st February 2002
In the Name of "Peace": Terror stalks the North-East
http://www.uthr.org/bulletins/PDF/Bul28.pdf
//10. Vote rigging in Jaffna
The estimated adult population in Jaffna is about 300,000 whereas over 600,000 polling cards are distributed, since a large number of deceased and non-resident persons have not been struck off the lists. Hence the ability to win elections has also involved being able to collect excess cards in an organised manner and have them cast by mobile serial impersonators. Until the last elections, the EPDP had been the main beneficiary of this excess. However this time the TNA and the UNP were contesting the elections with the LTTE's backing, having a formidable organisation behind them to downsize the EPDP. The EPDP drew attention to itself and played into their hands by obtaining a Supreme Court ruling that voters are not obliged to show their identity cards. The EPDP's brutal attack on TNA campaigners at Velanai on 28.11.01 resulting in two deaths, also turned large numbers of voters away from the EPDP. The failure of the Tamil parties who rejected the LTTE's extremism to form a common front, and offer the people a clear alternative, too, cost them dearly in both Jaffna and Batticaloa. The LTTE's strategy was to promote the UNP as a counter to the EPDP among business interests, and on the other hand to promote amenable individuals in the TNA using the base of a decimated TULF 'the 'arch traitors'. Over the years the LTTE had killed seven members of the TULF old guard in Jaffna. Once more, redeemed 'traitors' were on the march.//

[ LakBima ] [ 12:00 GMT, Nov. 9, 2001]
300,000 Votes In Jaffna, But A List Of 600,000 Sent


This is the thing that could have happened:
Step 1. Only in 2001, it was said by a monitoring organization representative, and reported by an anti-LTTE group as 'the estimated adult population in Jaffna is about 300,000 whereas over 600,000 polling cards are distributed, since a large number of deceased and non-resident persons have not been struck off the lists.' None gave the evidence to the rigging that might have happened and if happened, who benifitted with it? LTTE or EPDP (as it was alleged to have done before)?

Step 2. HT's heading's "TULF president" turned into "a person fighting the elections opposing pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance (TNA) as an independent candidate", appeared to be The Hindu Editorial's "a rebel TNA candidate, who is contesting as an independent", Mr. Anandasangaree timeshifts this 2001 'statistics' to current 2004, in his interviews to the touring reporters (seemed to be to HT's Mr. PKB and The Hindu's Mr. VSS, as both papers used the same information) as ""The LTTE is planning to rig the elections through massive impersonation. Its agents are going to cast the votes of the displaced as well as the dead. It is collecting the voting cards issued in the name of displaced and dead persons for the purpose of impersonation. And this is a huge number because 50% of the 600,000 odd people of the Jaffna peninsula are either displaced or dead."

Step 3. The Hindu fears "While the LTTE has virtually hijacked the run-up to the election, the main concern now is the outdated voters' list in Jaffna where out of approximately 600,000 registered voters, nearly half are dead, displaced, or abroad. This is a situation tailor-made for rigging through impersonation on polling day."//

This is what one can call "Manufacturing (Moneypesting (sic)) the Truth".