by Sanjana Hattotuwa

“Victor Hugo remercietous les généreux donateurs prêts à sauver Notre-Dame de Paris et leur propose de faire la même chose avec Les Misérables”(Victor Hugo thanks all the generous donors ready to save Notre-Dame de Paris and proposes they help the poor by doing the same) – Ollivier Pourriol

The quip by French philosopher Pourriol on Twitter, after the Notre Dame suffered catastrophic damage in a fire last week, was aimed at billionaires in France who at the time of writing this, had pledged close to a billion dollars towards the reconstruction of the beloved monument. Referring to the famous novel by Hugo, Pourriol’s tweet was a piercing critique of inequality in French society evident justin response to the disaster. He echoed others from France at a time when President Macron faces sustained and violent protests around festering socio-economic issues, including taxation of the very rich and corporate hubris in France.

Where and how in Sri Lanka the Notre Dame fire was captured on Facebook is worth highlighting. The morning after the fire, in over 1,000 pages I keep track of in Sri Lanka pegged to news, gossip, politicians, civil society, religious and other groups, three posts on it generated by order of magnitude more engagement than anything else. This is no mean feat, especially around an event that wasn’t linked to anything domestic or Sri Lankan. All three of the posts were from gossip pages.

Two of the posts featured photos of the burning Notre Dame and explicitly framed the response through a Buddhist lens, expressing sadness, solidarity and the hope the fire would be brought under control, soon. The other post was more straightforward in its framing, without recourse to Buddhism. All three posts were in Sinhala. During the day, several other posts from two clusters in particular – gossip and Sinhala-Buddhist pages – went up with comparable levels of engagement. This aside, what’s interesting is the domestic context for this outpouring of grief and concern over the Notre Dame, much of which, I am sure, was genuine.

Continue reading ‘Our Political Leadership Showed Much Concern and Grief For the Notre Dame Cathedral Under Fire in Paris Than for the Methodist Centre for Worship Under Attack in Anuradhapura.’ »

By

Kishali Pinto Jayawardene

The attack by stone-wielding and fire-cracker throwing ruffians, reportedly led by a provincial politician of the newly minted Rajapaksa-led Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP), holding the President of the Methodist Church of Sri Lanka and twelve terrified worshippers hostage in a prayer centre in Anuradhapura on Palm Sunday is no isolated, mundane incident, as much as we may like to believe it to be so.

Motives behind the attack

An assault of this nature would have been contemptible at any point. But the fact that it took place on Palm Sunday is peculiarly significant. This is a contemplatively holy week for Christians combining sombre introspection on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday with the triumphal rejoicing of Easter Sunday. Coincidentally it was also a week heralding the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, a time of celebration for all Sri Lankans. By launching an attack during this week, it was an unmistakable signal that impunity prevails.

Continue reading ‘Why Cant the IGP Order his Police to Take action Against the Mob Which Attacked the Anuradhapura Methodist Centre Without the Prime Minister Instructing Him to do so?’ »

By Mike Ives and Dharisha Bastians

In the decade since Sri Lanka’s civil war ended, a former wartime defense chief has successfully dodged accusations of crimes against humanity. He may soon run for president.

But the accusations, which are supported by United Nations inquiries, recently caught up with him in a California parking lot.

The former official, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, oversaw the final stages of a quarter-century-long conflict with Tamil separatists that ended in 2009. So far he has avoided prosecution at home and abroad over the allegations of crimes against humanity.

But in early April, a private investigator tracked Mr. Rajapaksa, now an American citizen, to a Trader Joe’s parking lot in a Los Angeles suburb. He was then personally served with civil court complaints accusing him of a journalist’s murder and the torture of an ethnic Tamil who had Canadian citizenship, court documents show.

Supporters of the lawsuits say they were brought in California since opening criminal trials in Sri Lankan courts is politically impossible for now, not least because Mr. Rajapaksa’s family has significant influence over the country’s institutions. They say the California cases are a logical interim step in a long campaign for justice.

Continue reading ‘“My family and I have been pushing for justice for my father’s killing for 10 years now. This pursuit isn’t tied to any election. It is tied to a need for truth” Says Murdered Editor Lasantha Wickrematune’s Daughter Ahimsa.’ »

By

Lucien Rajakarunanayake

Are we heading with speed towards Solar Relief? The Avurudu highlights of solar tradition were completed with joyous participation of the people, and we had the recognized leader of the nation, President Sirisena, travel at speed to India the next day, to participate in a ritual at the Thirupathi Kovil.

For those who follow the Hindu tradition and belief, we are now living in the Kali Yuga – the period of darkness and divisiveness, hatred and greed, warfare and inequality. The deity at Thirupathi – Lord Sri Venkateswara, an incarnation of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared to save mankind from, the trials and troubles of the Kali Yuga.

Let’s get it all straight. Thirupathi is the divine hope and expectation of all our political leaders. It is the place of worship and pleading to divinity by Maithripala Sirisena, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Hindu Tamil leaders, and almost all other political leaders and catchers, who make a very big noise about this being a Sinhala Buddhist country and society.

Continue reading ‘The Hindu Deity Sri Venkateswara (Lord Vishnu) At “Thiruppathi” Has Greater Influence on the So – called Sinhala Buddhist Leaders of Sri Lanka Than Our National Heritage “Thripitakaya”.’ »

The President of the Methodist Church in Sri Lanka is accusing a Member of the Anuradhapura Municipal Council from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna of leading a group that has repeatedly attacked one of their worship centers in Kumbicchankulama over the past few weeks.

Methodist Bishop President Asiri Perera told reporters today (18) that Municipal Councilor Nalin Siriwardene of the SLPP had been present during an attack on the worship center on March 31st.

The same person had been the vocal leader of the group at the Police station yesterday when the two groups had been summoned to try and reach a settlement.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna’s Anuradhapura Councillor Nalin Siriwardene Was Present at Police Station Meeting as the “Vocal Leader” of Group That Attacked “Adara Sevana” Centre Alleges Methodist Church Head Rev. Asiri Perera.’ »

By

Sheain Fernandopulle

Six individuals had been issued notices to appear in court on May 5 over their alleged involvement in the attack on a Methodist prayer centre at Anuradhapura on March 31, police said.

They said the six individuals were issued notices after they appeared before the Anuradhapura Magistrate yesterday.

Following a complaint by the priest-in-charge Rev. Dinuka Silva and Methodist Church Bishop President Rev. Asiri Perera, the Anuradhapura Police on Wednesday summoned both parties to the police but no action had been taken against the offenders at that point.

Continue reading ‘6 Persons Allegedly Involved in Mar 31 Attack on Methodist Prayer Centre in Anuradhapura Issued Notices to Appear in Courts on May 5; Methodist Church Holds Hour Long “Silent Prayer Stand” On Galle Road Opposite Kollupitiya Methodist Church on Good Friday.’ »

By

Susitha R.Fernando and Gihan de Chickera

While many Christians, non-Christians, politicians and government leaders in Sri Lanka were gripped by the fire that engulfed the historic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris last Monday, little attention was given to a mob attack on a small Christian congregation in the remote hamlet of Kumbichchikulama, near Anuradhapura.

A Methodist congregation comprising some 12 to 15 persons were subject to death threats, stone throwing, firecrackers being hurled at them, and even a hostage situation when they gathered for service on April 14 Palm Sunday. What made the attack even more conspicuous was that it took place in the very presence of the President Bishop of the Methodist Church of Sri Lanka, Rev. Asiri Perera.

Continue reading ‘Palm Sunday “Attack” in Anuradhapura:Death Threats, Stone Pelting, Fire Cracker Hurling and Congregation Being Locked in at “Adara Sevana” Centre Happened with President – Bishop of Sri Lankan Methodist Church Rev Asiri Perera Being Present.’ »

by Ranil Senanayake

The totally incredulous decision announced by the Prime Minister and by the Minister for Power and Energy that Sri Lanka should rely even more on fossil fuels, specifically on more coal powered-power plants, cannot go unanswered. The callous disregard of the health of the next generations or even the violation of our fundamental right to breathe the quality of air that we grew up in seems to have no value for these ‘leaders’. The entire goal of ‘economic development’, to Sri Lanka politicians, seem to be ‘borrow as much money as we can and boast about how much was borrowed,’ with no idea on how to pay back that loan. They create a massive dependency on power by selling cheap to industry and ‘development’ projects and then whinge that we need coal-fired power plants, never mind their impact on public health and cultural artefacts.

What words can be used to describe people who sell and destroy the birthright and culture of their own people for the gain of personal wealth or political power? To answer this question, it is critical to understand the scope of the words birthright and culture.

A birthright is the privilege or possession that a person has or is believed to be entitled to as soon as he or she is born. The primary birthright of any human is the right to life. Once alive, the ability to continue living is a consequence of the environment that the person is born into. Thus the birthright of any individual will be to enjoy whatever health and wellbeing the environment that they have been born into can provide. While there is a great discrepancy in the nature of the environments that each of us are born into, the condition of that environment we are born into must represent our most fundamental birthright. Any degradation of that environment must transgress that right and must be seen as transgressing our fundamental human right.

Culture is the evolved human capacity to classify and represent experiences with symbols, to act imaginatively and creatively; and the distinct ways that people, who live differently, classified and represented their experiences, and acted creatively. Culture represents the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.

With these definitions in mind, we can examine the intent and the consequences of the decisions to create a nation dependent on coal-fired power plants as their primary source of energy.

Continue reading ‘Callous Decision by Prime Minister and Power and Energy Minister To Endanger the Health of the People by Establishing More Coal -fired Power Plants Need to be Opposed.’ »

Leaders of the Methodist Church in Anuradhapura were summoned before the Police today where they were told to stop worshippers from other villages from attending the ‘Adara Sevena’ institute which can under attack on Sunday, April 14.

As many as 12 worshippers and President Bishop Asiri Perera were locked inside the church while a group pelted stones at the church and lit firecrackers for about 45 minutes outside, hurling insults at the Bishop all the while.

Continue reading ‘Instead of Taking Action Against Mob Which Attacked “Adara Sevana”Centre ,Police in Anuradhapura Tell Methodist Church Leaders Not to Allow People From Other Areas to Worship There.’ »

(Excerpts from Press Releases and Fact Sheets Issued by the Centre for Justice and Accountability in San Francisco,USA About the Lawsuit filed in California against Former Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa by Ahimsa Wickrematunge the daughter of Sri Lankan Newspaper Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge who was assassinated in cold blood by masked assailants on motor cycles in broad daylight in a Colombo suburb on January 8th 2009)

The Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA) has brought suit against the former Sri Lankan Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa for his alleged role in the extrajudicial killing of award-winning journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge and the widespread and systematic persecution of journalists perceived to be critical of the Rajapaksa government. The civil complaint, filed on April 4, 2019, was unsealed today (April 15)by a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Rajapaksa is a dual national of the United States and Sri Lanka, and served as Sri Lanka’s Secretary of Defense after obtaining his citizenship in the United States.

CJA’s complaint was filed on behalf of Lasantha’s daughter, Ahimsa Wickrematunge. In the aftermath of the attack on Lasantha, attempts to credibly investigate the killing in Sri Lanka were met with interference and delay. A decade later, there have still been no charges filed against those responsible for his death. Says Ahimsa: “My father was killed because he was a journalist devoted to freedom of the press. Although this case is a civil matter, my primary focus is for the world to know in a court of law how my father was killed and who allegedly ordered the killing. So far, despite strong investigative work by the police in Sri Lanka, politics has hindered the pursuit of justice.”

CJA Senior Staff Attorney Nushin Sarkarati said, “Violence against journalists in Sri Lanka was a tool used by the Rajapaksa administration to suppress a free and independent press, and the impunity for these abuses persists to this day. We now seek truth in a U.S. court with the hope of seeing such cases move forward in Sri Lanka.”

Gotabaya Rajapaksa served as Sri Lanka’s Secretary of Defense from 2005 to 2015 throughout the presidency of his brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Continue reading ‘Contours of the Lawsuit Filed by Murdered Sri Lankan Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge’s Daughter Ahimsa Against Ex-Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the California Central US District Court.’ »

By Norman Palihawadana

President of the Methodist Church of Sri Lanka, Rev. Asiri P. Perera, yesterday, criticized the police for their inaction as regards an attack on a Methodist Centre in Koombichchankulam, Anuradhapura, on Palm Sunday.

Rev. Perera said that Palm Sunday was an important religious ceremony and that he was present when the incident took place.

Continue reading ‘Mob Pelts Stones at Methodist Cenre at Koombichchankulam in Anuradhapura on Palm Sunday But Police Fail to Take Action Alleges Sri Lankan Methodist Church President Rev.Asiri Perera.’ »

By Nuwan Senarathna

Two parties that involved in the dispute over an alleged attack on a prayer centre in Anuradhapura have been summoned to Anuradhapura Magistrate Court today, police said.

According the police, a group of youth staged a protest when the Methodist Church President Rev.Asiri Perera visited a prayer centre in Anuradhapura on last Sunday when Palm Sunday prayers were performed. Rev. Perera relating the incident said that he and 12 worshippers were locked in at the premises. The incident was brought under control with the intervention of the police.

Rev. Perera had lodged a complaint to Anuradhapura police on Sunday over pelting stones and lighting firecrackers during the prayers.

“When I went to the church centre on 14 April a group of youth surrounded my vehicle, although I tried to wish them for New Year their reaction was not pleasant. However I entered the premises to continue the service,” Rev Perera told reporters yesterday at Methodist Church in Colombo.

Continue reading ‘” When a Christian Goes to Lodge a Complaint Sometimes they are not even Willing to Take Down the Complaint” – Sri Lanka’s Methodist Church President Rev. Asiri Perera Faults Police for Inaction When Churches are Attacked in Sri Lanka.’ »

The two cases in which summons were served simultaneously on former Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapapaksa in a parking lot of a grocery store in Los Angeles were against individuals has introduced a new element of uncertainty into Sri Lanka’s already uncertain political process, National Peace Council’s (NPC) Executive Director Jehan Perera has said issuing a statement.

“There is no certainty even about the date of the election at this time. Members of President Maithripala Sirisena’s party have begun to argue that the president’s five year term ought to end only in June 2020 and not in January 2020 as previously believed. Their argument is that the president’s five year term began to run only in June 2015 when the 19th Amendment to the constitution was signed into law, and not in January 2015 when the president took his oaths of office and commenced his presidency,” he said.

Continue reading ‘Until such time as Cases Against Gotabaya Rajapaksa in California Courts are Decided Upon or Dismissed There Could be a Delay in his US Citizenship Renunciation Process Says National Peace Council Executive Director Jehan Perera’ »

By Ifham Nizam

The government would go ahead with the proposed plan 2019 to establish 2700 MW of fossil fuel fired power stations by year 2020, a senior ministry official said.

Ministry Secretary Dr. Suren Batagoda said that there would be 300 MW new LNG Combined cycle at Kerawalapitya by WindForce Consortium, 300 MW new LNG Combined cycle Kerawalapitiya by Lakdanavi 300 MW new LNG Combined cycle plant at Kerawalapitiya with India, 300 MW new LNG Combined cycle at Kerawalapitiya with Japan, 300 MW new LNG Combined cycle at Hambanthota with China 300 MW new Coal power plant at Norochcholai and 300 MW new additional Coal plant at Norochcholai 600 MW new Coal power plant at Trincomalee. They would be given top priority considering country’s energy needs.

The Ministry is also planning to generate 750 MW of wind power in Mannar, Punarin and Siyambalanduwa and 1000 MW of solar power by 2025.

Continue reading ‘Govt Fails to Honour Commitment to Reduce Green House Gas Emission by 4% and Plans to Establish Fossil Fuel Power Stations Generating 2700 MW by 2020 Ignoring Environmental Concerns.’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, yesterday, said that the entry of former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa into politics was a problem as he hadn’t even been a member at least of a village council.

Rajapaksa has declared his readiness to contest the 2019 presidential election on the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) ticket.

Dr. Senaratne said so after the opening of a newly constructed government building at Palindanuwara.

The Minister was responding to Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s accusation earlier in the day that the Sri Lanka Counsel General in Los Anegles had facilitated filing of two civil cases against him in the US recently.

Soon after returning from the US, Rajapaksa told the media at the BIA of the alleged involvement of the Consul General in the operation targeting him.

Senaratne accused Rajapaksa of making childish statements.

Continue reading ‘Dr. Rajitha Senaratne Describes Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Allegation Against Sri Lanka’s Consul -General in Los Angeles Swarna Pushpa Kanthi Gunaratne as “Childish” and Says Slain EX-MP Bharatha Premachandra’s Sister Has Denied Any Involvement in the Judicial Action Against Gota’ »

By

Megha Kaveri

With less than ten days for Tamil Nadu to go to polls, media houses are busy publishing the results of the opinion polls. According to various opinion polls published by news channels, DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu is predicted to win a majority of seats (more than 30) in the general elections.

Puthiya Thalaimurai, a Tamil news channel, has predicted that the DMK-Congress alliance will gain over 30 seats out of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu. For its opinion polls, Puthiya Thalaimurai-APT conducted the survey across 20 constituencies across the state between March 22 and April 2. Of the respondents to the survey, 64.87 per cent were men, 34.92 per cent were women and 0.21 per cent belonged to the third gender. Of the respondents, almost 42 per cent said that they would vote for the DMK-led alliance while 27 per cent said they would vote for the alliance led by the AIADMK.

Puthiya Thalaimurai is owned by TR Pachamuthu, who is contesting as part of the DMK alliance.

Continue reading ‘Pre – Election Opinion Surveys Predict That the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham(DMK) Led Alliance Will Sweep the Polls in Tamil Nadu by winning 30 to 33 pf 39 Lok Sabha Seats from the State.’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

Earlier this week, the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Dayasiri Jayasekara, told the media that the chairman of his party and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, intends to seek the opinion of the Supreme Court on the plea that his term of office should be deemed to have begun on June 21, 2015 and not January 9, 2015.

President Sirisena was sworn-in on January 9, 2015. But Jayasekara pointed out that the nature of the Presidency was altered by the 19 th.Constitutional Amendment which was signed into effect by the Speaker of parliament on June 21, 2015.

Therefore, Sirisena’s term should be deemed to have begun on June 21, 2015 and not January 9, 2015. It should be deemed to be ending on June 21, 2020 and not on January 9, 2020.

Sirisena has been wanting to be a joint Presidential candidate of the SLFP and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) in the coming Presidential election. He has been working hard launching popular campaigns on various issues to build up his image among the masses – an image which had suffered a beating because of his association with the right-wing and pro-West party, the United National Party (UNP) since 2015.

Continue reading ‘Maithripala Sirisena Wants To Continue as President Beyond Jan 9th 2020 By Seeking Favourable Supreme Court Ruling But Success is Very Likely to Elude him.’ »

Former Defence Secretary and presidential aspirant Gotabaya Rajapaksa landed in Colombo on Friday to a jubilant welcome from supporters eager to buttress his spirits as his criminal proceedings in Sri Lanka have been compounded with a lawsuit filed in the United States alleging his complicity in the extra-judicial killing of his old nemesis Lasantha Wickrematunge, the founding Editor of The Sunday Leader.

Last Sunday evening (7), a licensed process server intercepted Rajapaksa at a grocery store in the Pasadena suburb of Los Angeles, California, and physically served him with a summons to answer to a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California by Ahimsa Wickrematunge, the daughter of Lasantha Wickrematunge.

The summons, which has been circulated amongst confidants of Rajapaksa, reads “a lawsuit has been filed against you”, and states that “within 21 days after service of this summons on you (not counting the day you received it)” he “must serve on the plaintiff an answer to the attached complaint or a motion” to the District Court contesting the case. “If you fail to respond, judgment by default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint,” the summons read.

Attached to the summons was a lengthy complaint by plaintiff Ahimsa Wickrematunge alleging that “Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a United States citizen and Sri Lanka’s then Secretary of Defence, instigated and authorised the extra-judicial killing of Lasantha” and “had responsibility over those who executed the assassination” according to an excerpt widely distributed on social media.

Hours after the service of the summons and complaint, the former Defence Secretary’s propaganda machine went into hyperdrive, issuing statements denying not only that he was served papers by lawyers for Wickrematunge and another plaintiff, but that he was even in California at all. Photographs were released showing Rajapaksa in Nevada to indicate that the story was fake.

On Monday (8), the former defence secretary’s nephew MP Namal Rajapaksa issued a statement on Twitter that “as far as we are aware Gotabaya Rajapaksa never received summons of any form,” adding that he was appalled and amused by the “unsubstantiated claims”.

Continue reading ‘If Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Bid to Renounce his US Citizenshp is Delayed Due to the Lawsuits Filed Against him in the US, the Ex-Defence Secretary Wont be Able to Contest 2019 Presidential Elections.’ »

BY DHATHUSENA YAHAPALANA (A PARALEGAL APPRENTICE)

According to news reports, former Defence Secretary and Presidential aspirant Gotabaya Rajapaksa is facing two civil suits in separate cases linked to events in Sri Lanka during his term in office in the US federal district court in California.

One is a suit filed by Ahimsa Wickrematunge who is seeking compensatory and punitive damages from the defendant ‘for instigating and authorising the extrajudicial killing’ of her father in jury trial.

Her litigation is supported by the California-based Centre for Justice and Accountability.

Prof of Law G.L.Peiris while confirming that a law suit has been filed in the State of California by Ahimsa Wickrematunge has queried whether the daughter of the slain Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickrematunge was using or abusing the US legal system for what he called collateral purposes.

Prof. Peiris has expressed his dismay over the action taken a decade after the assassination though, since Gotabaya Rajapaksa almost every year visited the US in the past 10 years.

This exploration of the US legal process relied on by Ahimsa Wickrematunge is prompted by the skepticism expressed by our ‘Good Prof of Law’ who has taught law but never practised before a judge and a jury. The good professor cannot be ignored. The skeptical legal tradition runs from Thrasymachus in Plato’s Republic) to Hobbes and Bentham and even beyond. The law also has an invisible entity called ‘justice’. What follows is a simple ‘voyage of discovery’ by a layman relying on simple commonsense as the only compass for direction.

Continue reading ‘Gotabaya Told a Sinhala Weekly “If Lasantha’s daughter wants to know who his murderers are,ask her to come to Sri Lanka and meet me. I will tell her what happened.” Now Ahimsa Wickrematunge Wants Gota to Tell her What he Knows in a US Court of Law’ »

By

Manoj Colombage

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, arguably once Sri Lanka’s most powerful man, faces legal battles in two countries after separate civil lawsuits were reportedly filed in the United States of America last week for allegedly instigating torture and extra judicial killing during his tenure as Defence Secretary.

The fresh legal trouble followed Gotabaya Rajapaksa to his hometown of Los Angeles, California last week, when he was noticed in a grocery store parking lot that the daughter of a journalist slain during his tenure as head of the defence establishment was suing him for damages in the District Court of California.

Dressed casually in a red cardigan, with his wife Iyoma Rajapaksa accompanying him, Rajapaksa had just finished shopping at the grocery store Trader Joe’s in Pasadena, California, when he was served notice in the case filed by Ahimsa Wickrematunge. The civil action lawsuit accuses the former Defence Secretary, a citizen of the United States, of “instigating and authorizing” the murder of her father.

The notice was served by Licenced Process Servers last Sunday (7) evening.

Continue reading ‘Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa Embroiled in Several Court Cases in Sri Lanka Now Faces Fresh Legal Battles in the USA After Two Separate Civil Law Suits Were Filed Against him In the District Court of California.’ »

The brother of the former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa is being sued in a US court over alleged extrajudicial killing and torture, by the same lawyers who successfully brought a civil suit against the Syrian government for the killing of the Sunday Times journalist Marie Colvin.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa was Sri Lanka’s defence secretary during the final years of the country’s civil war against the Tamil Tigers until his brother lost the presidency in 2015, and has been mooted as the family’s presidential candidate in this year’s election.

He is believed to have directly overseen the country’s police and military, which have been accused by the UN, human rights groups and Sri Lanka’s own investigative agencies of crimes including torture, arbitrary detention and extrajudicial killings both during the Tamil conflict and in the years since it ended in 2009.

Private investigators working on behalf of the legal teams tracked Rajapaksa down on Sunday night to a Trader Joe’s car park in the Californian city of Pasadena, where he was formally served with notice of the civil suits.

Continue reading ‘Gotabaya Rajapaksa Brother of Sri Lankan ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa Sued in a US Court Over Alleged Torture and killing During the Period he Served as Defence Secretary -The Guardian.’ »

(Excerpts From Political Column in the “Sunday Times”)

The first tweet, surprising enough, came from a power centre within the government. It said that Ahimsa, the daughter of slain editor Lasantha Wickremetunge had filed civil action in a Los Angeles Court against Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Opposition presidential hopeful and former Defence Secretary.

Lasantha’s brother Lal Wickremetunga, Sri Lanka’s Consul General in Australia, told the Sunday Times on the telephone from Sydney, “The family had waited for five years under the Rajapaksa government and another five years under the present one. They did not get justice. Therefore, they have gone before a US court.” The remarks were an about-turn from what he said just two weeks earlier.

Denying moves to file a case against his brother’s killing, he then told the Sunday Times (Café Spectator March 31): “Those reports are completely untrue. I have no plans to file any action in US courts. I am awaiting the outcome of what the Sri Lanka courts would do once those responsible are indicted.” Now he admits action indeed has been filed in US courts, albeit by “the family”. According to other well-informed sources, he played a key role in the ongoing exercise co-ordinating matters.

The brutal killing of Lasantha, Editor of the now defunct Sunday Leader, and one-time politician of sorts, took place on January 8, 2009. Since then, for the past ten years, investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), have been mired in deep mystery and controversy. One of the main reasons is the pressure on those probing from different arms of the state, some of them very powerful. Talks on the probe had even extended to five-star hotels. Efforts are being made now to file indictments on some, after the national New Year. This again is on those widely described as being on the outer fringe or, as they say, where the buck has stopped. Thus, a case listing the accused, if as claimed including Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has not yet surfaced in courts. How then is he being allegedly accused of murder? The Sunday Times has learnt that substantial material involving his alleged involvement has been culled from reports filed by the CID in the Magistrate’s Courts in Colombo. Though these court reports are considered public documents, both the CID and the court staff, have been consistently protective and have not released them. This has come as a veil of secrecy not only in this case but many high-profile cases.

Continue reading ‘Rajapaksa Family and SLPP Top Leaders “Livid” At Gotabaya For Letting a “Controversial Personality” Accompany him to the US and Take Part in all Engagements With Him Despite Warnings by Family Members Not to do so.’ »

by Sanjana Hattotuwa

“The lie is revealed. There was no summons served. The photo depicts a lookalike of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The FBI is engaged in an effort to ascertain who produced this false information”. The Facebook Page with this content originally in Sinhala also featured a screenshot of a news story from a leading private electronic media institution. This TV channel, with pages on Facebook in both Sinhala and English that regularly generate very high engagement, ran a story which strongly suggested news of Gotabaya Rajapaksa being sued in the US was false and incorrect.

Also on Facebook and in response to the entirely unexpected development around the former Secretary of Defence when on holiday in the US, nearly a dozen posts in Sinhala venomously decrying those who brought the lawsuits, journalists who reported it and anyone who welcomed it was published in the space of a day. Each post saw very high levels of engagement by way of responses and sharing. The usual hate prevailed, with one post on a fan page with close to 100,000 followers noting that the entire pack of dogs who brought lawsuits against Gotabaya Rajapaksa would be chased out beyond the ends of the earth once he became President.

Official social media accounts of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, at the time of writing this column, were silent on the lawsuits but published other content featuring meetings and gatherings in the US. Namal Rajapaksa, soon after the first reports of his Uncle being served papers at a car park in the US, tweeted a denial anchored to ignorance of the family around what at the time was carried in the media. A deluge of tweets around his birthday, the day after, soon subsumed this single tweet on the Uncle. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was completely silent, producing absolutely nothing by way of a vehement denial or a post indicating strong support.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Has Been Absolutely Silent Over News Reports About Gotabaya Facing Lawsuits in the US and has Not Issued a Statement of Denial or Indicating Strong Support for his Brother.’ »

By

Don Manu

When the Colombo High Court granted Gotabaya special permission to travel to the United States between March 26 and April 12, no doubt he would have been over the moon to be given the chance to spend a spring holiday in his adopted country. But as things stand today, this seeming blessing has turned out to be a curse in disguise for him.

Only last month had the Rajapaksa Family anointed him as their choice to contest the Presidency on the Pohottuwa party ticket. Even though the party itself has still not officially announced his candidature on its ticket, it is widely expected that he will win the nomination if his brother Mahinda gives his wholehearted approval in public the same nod he perhaps grudgingly gave to the family members when they met last month at Mahinda’s official Colombo 7 residence; and held a family-members-only dinner to decide over a meal of hoppers, perhaps, who should be the SLPP candidate at the presidential poll to be held at the end of the year.

With that important primary vote – not made by party members as its is done in the States but by the Rajapaksa siblings – won and under his belt and with the court, before which he faces charges of misusing public money, granting his request for two weeks to travel abroad, no doubt, he felt himself flying high on the road to Lanka’s presidency.

But last Sunday evening at the car park of Trader Joe’s Super Grocery Store in Pasadena, California, some form of Nemesis seems to have caught up with him and has possibly fouled his chances of being eligible to run in the presidential races. The fates that work in mysterious ways appear to have hobbled the Rajapaksa favourite steed in a United States Pasadena paddock.

Reportedly he was on his way to attend a meeting organised by the former Los Angeles consul under Rajapaksa regime titled ‘Meet the future President’ when a quirk of fate prompted him to make a pit stop at Trader Joe’s to shop for some fruits.

Continue reading ‘Can Gotabaya Rajapaksa Clear Legal Hurdles in the US and Contest the Presidential Elections in Sri Lanka?’ »

Former Defense Secretary and presidential hopeful Gotabaya Rajapaksa who arrived in Sri Lanka this morning said the civil suit notices served to him at a Trader Joe’s in Pasadena, California, were politically motivated targeting his candidacy at the upcoming presidential elections.

Speaking to journalists at the Silk Route lounge at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Rajapaksa accused what he called an LTTE-diaspora-affiliated NGO and unnamed groups in the country for orchestrating the move. He alleged that the Sri Lankan Consul General in California was also played an important role.

Continue reading ‘Gotabaya Rajapaksa Says Notice of Civil Suits Filed Against Him in the US were Not Served in the Appropriate Manner and Alleges that the Sri Lankan Consul -General In California Played an Important Role.’ »

(Text of Message posted on his Facebook by Former Defence Secretsry Gotabaya Rajapaksa)

I was touched by the warm welcome I received at the Katunayaka Airport today. This was real proof in my mind that there are so many people who love this country as much as I do.

The patriots of this country have always joined together to protect our country from the onslaught of vicious external forces.

Today it is in the same spirit that people gathered around me. All they want is to protect their motherland and I am proud to be a part of that effort.

Continue reading ‘“No one can Obstruct or Prevent me Fulfilling my Obligations to our Beloved Nation” – An Elated Gotabaya Rajapaksa Issues Special Message After Receiving Exuberant Welcome at BIA.’ »

By Hassina Leelarathna in Los Angeles

Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has dismissed the two lawsuits filed against him as baseless and insisted that they would only motivate him and his supporters to push for political change in Sri Lanka.

“These lawsuits have been filed to delay the process and discourage me. I have handed the matter to my lawyers [in Los Angeles] to take care of and I’m looking ahead to what needs to be done for our country,” said Rajapaksa, commenting on the two civil lawsuits filed against him in the Central District of California.

He met with his attorneys in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Continue reading ‘“Let Them Attack.I’m Prepared”: Defiant Gota Dismisses Twin Lawsuits Against him in US as “Baseless” and says that the “Charges Against him Wont Stand up in a Court of Law”’ »

Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rakapaksa said all necessary measures to renounce his US citizenship have been taken successfully.

Rajapaksa made this remark while speaking to the media upon his arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport this morning.

Rajapaksa indicated that the court cases filed in the US would have no bearing on his ability to run for the presidency in Sri Lanka.

A large number of supporters are gathered at the BIA to welcome the former Defence Secretary who is currently facing two court cases in the US.

Continue reading ‘Gotabaya Rajapaksa Returning to Rousing Welcome at Katunayake Airport Tells Media that Necessary Measures have Been Taken to Renounce his US Citizenship Successfully .’ »

Legal circles are ablaze with discussions that Gotabaya Rajapksa could lose his Sri Lankan citizenship after being served with notice for two separate cases in the US.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa is being flaunted as a potential Presidential candidate, however, his current dual citizenship in the US bars him from contesting.

Rajapaksa renounced his Sri Lankan citizenship in order to obtain his US citizenship. He subsequently regained his Sri Lankan citizenship as a dual national in 2005.

Continue reading ‘Speculation is Rife in Political Circles That US Citizen Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Acquired Sri Lankan Dual Citizenship May Be Revoked Under Section 2 of Citizenship (Amendment) Act No 45 of 1987.’ »

Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa will return to Sri Lanka today (April 12) to a rousing welcome by his supporters.

Rajapaksa’s spokesman Milinda Rajapaksha told Daily FT that special arrangements had been made to receive the former Defence Secretary once he lands in Sri Lanka.

Rajapaksa travelled to the US on 26 March and was served notice on two separate cases while in the US on Sunday. One case was filed by the daughter of form Editor of the Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickrematunge and a second by Canadian Tamil Roy Samathanam claiming torture.

Continue reading ‘Grand Ceremony Planned by Sri Lanka PoduJana Party at Bandaranaike International Airport to Welcome Ex-Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa Who Is Expected to Arrive in Colombo From the USA on April 12’ »

by Saman Indrajith

The UNP has sought to shift the responsibility for handling former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s citizenship to Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, according to sources.

It was decided at a meeting between senior UNP ministers and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, yesterday, to have Fonseka appointed Minister of Internal Affairs.

The Internal Affairs Minister is responsible for issues related to citizenship.

Continue reading ‘UNP Plans to Appoint Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka as Internal Affairs Minister With Powers to Handle “Citizenship Issues” of Ex – Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.’ »

By Nuwan Senarathna

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) yesterday questioned the intention behind the two lawsuits filed against former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the United States, insisting a political motive was behind the developments.

One case was filed by Ahimsa Wickrematunge, daughter of former Editor of The Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickrematunge, and a second by Roy Samathanam.

“It is very clear these cases are clearly connected with the Presidential election that is likely to take place at the end of this year. It is also clear all these initiatives are backed by LTTE sympathisers. These people have connections with diaspora communities that are still sympathetic to the LTTE,” SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L Peiris told reporters at the Opposition Leader’s office in Colombo.

Continue reading ‘Cases Filed Against Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the US are Politically Motivated and Have the Backing of LTTE sympathisers Alleges SLPP Chairman Prof G.L. Peiris.’ »

By Ifham Nizam

Following the recent landmark decision by the Supreme Court to pay compensation to the people affected by the Chunnakam power station, some Tamil politicians in the Jaffna Peninsula were now trying to take the upper hand to strengthen their vote bank, alleged the environmental group that fought for justice of the affected people.

“We took up the matter with all Tamil politicians, including Tamil National Alliance Leader R. Sampanthan but none of them were concerned about the plight of the people,” Dr. Ravindra Kariyawasam, National Coordinator, Centre for Environment and NATURE Studies, told a media briefing on Tuesday in Colombo.

He said that justice should be done to the people. “There has been no proper study on health impacts,” Dr. Kariyawasam said.

Continue reading ‘“We Took Up the Matter With All Tamil Politicians Including TNA Leader R.Sampanthan but None of Them Were Concerned About the Plight of the People” says Centre for Environment and Nature Studies (CENS) National Coordinator Dr.Ravindra Kariyawasam.’ »

By Nuwan Senarathna

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) yesterday criticised the possibility of President Maithripala Sirisena seeking the Supreme Court’s opinion on the length of his term, as a step that would delay elections indicating talks between the SLPP and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to form a coalition were not proceeding smoothly.

SLPP faction member Dullas Alahapperuma expressed his displeasure on the SLFP’s statement on seeking the opinion of the Supreme Court while talking to media after the third round of talks with the SLFP on a possible collation to face upcoming elections.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka PoduJana Peramuna Opposes Moves by the SLFP To Seek Extension of President Sirisena’s Term of Office: SLPP Chairman GL Peiris Ready to go to Courts to Oppose Postponement of Presidential Elections.’ »

By

Sandun A Jayasekera

The SLFP is seriously considering whether to seek a Supreme Court ruling on when President Maithripala Sirisena’s five-year term of office expires under the 19th Amendment on the basis that it was signed into law by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya on June 21, 2015, General Secretary and MP, Dayasiri Jayasekara said.

He said the President was likely to dissolve parliament when it completes four and half years of its term and go for an early general election.

The MP said the effective date of the 19th Amendment is June 21 and as such, the President’s five-year term should be counted from that day. This means he will remain as the executive president until June 20, 2020 and not January 8, 2020 if counting from January 9, 2015 which is the day the President was sworn in.

Continue reading ‘Can Maithripala Sirisena Remain as President Till June 2020 Because 19th Constitutional Amendment Became Operative Only From June 21st 2015? SLFP Likely to Seek Supreme Court Ruling On This Question Very Soon.’ »

(Text of a Press Release Issued on April 9th 2019 by the International Truth and Justice Project)

Johannesburg, South Africa: The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP), in partnership with the international law firm Hausfeld and human rights lawyer Scott Gilmore, have filed a civil damages case in California against former Sri Lankan defence secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, on behalf of a Tamil torture survivor Roy Samathanam.

Roy Samathanam made the complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Mr.Rajapaksa, who is a dual US-Sri Lankan citizen. The case was brought under the Torture Victim Protection Act, which gives torture victims legal redress in US courts.

Notice was formally served on Mr. Rajapaksa on Sunday night (Apr 8). Notice was also served at the same time in a separate case filed by another organisation on behalf of assassinated journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge.

Roy Samathanam, a Canadian national, was arrested on false charges in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo in September 2007 by Sri Lankan police who reported directly to Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the time.

Continue reading ‘International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) in Partnership With Hausfeld Law Firm and Human Rights Lawyer Scott Gilmore File Civil Damages Case in California Against Sri Lankan Ex-Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.’ »

Ahimsa Wickrematunge, the daughter of slain journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge, has filed a case in the California Court against former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa in connection with the assassination of her father in January 2009.

She had reportedly stated that Mr. Rajapaksa, who is currently holidaying in California, should be held responsible for the murder of her father. She has demanded compensation.

Lasantha Wickrematunge was the Editor of the ‘Sunday Leader’ newspaper.

There is a difference of opinion on the strength of the case as there is no evidence yet that Gotabaya Rajapaksa had a hand in the murder of the editor which took place ten years ago. There is also the question whether a US court has jurisdiction over such a case as the crime was allegedly committed outside the US in Sri Lanka.

Continue reading ‘Will Case Filed Against Gotabaya Rajapaksa in California “obstruct” Ex -Defence Secretary From Contesting Sri Lankan Presidential Elections?’ »

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Those who were close to President Maithripala Sirisena was damaging the reputation of the president and the institution of the executive president, Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Professor G.L. Peiris told The Island yesterday.

He said so referring to the statement made by Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) General Secretary, Dayasiri Jayasekara, on Tuesday, that they were planning to seek the opinion of the Supreme Court when President Maithripala Sirisena’s term would expire.

Prof. Peiris said that the actions of those individuals, were without the approval or the knowledge of the President.

Continue reading ‘Prof G.L. Peiris Dismisses Arguments Put Forward by his Former Pupil Dayasiri Jayasekara About President Sirisena’s Term of Office Beginning from June 21st 2015 and not January 9th 2015.’ »

by Rex Clementine

Those of us who have followed Sri Lankan cricket closely had little idea how deep rooted corruption in the sport was when the International Cricket Council intensified investigations following the national cricket team’s shock defeat at the hands of Zimbabwe in 2017.

We put down the defeats to the glorious uncertainties of the great game rather than any sinister move by those involved in the game. Extensive investigations by the ICC’s Anti Corruption Unit have unearthed some startling revelations. Since then, former Test captain Sanath Jayasuriya has been banned for two years while Bowling Coach Nuwan Zoysa is provisionally suspended after being charged for trying to corrupt a player. A third – Dilhara Lokuhettige was also charged and suspended also for attempting to corrupt a player.

Continue reading ‘International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption Unit Investigations Reveal “Well-Connected Lady From Down South”Linked to an Indian Bookie Played Extensive Role in Corrupting Many Sri Lankan Cricketers.’ »

(Text of Press Release Issued on April 9th 2019 by the Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa)

According to the provisions in the Budget for 2019, all government servants are to be given a special allowance of Rs. 2,500. Pensions are to be increased. Samurdhi benefits are to be extended to an additional 600,000 families. Existing Samurdhi beneficiaries are to be allowed to withdraw up to Rs. 30,000 in two instalments this year from their accumulated funds in the Samurdhi Banks as spending money for the New Year and Christmas.

The newly set up Office of Missing Persons is to pay a monthly allowance of Rs. 6,000 each for the families of all missing persons until the Office of Reparations is established and a larger sum paid. The fact that this is an election year, will naturally lead many people to suspect that all these provisions are election related.

The government seeks to justify extending Samurdhi benefits to an additional 600,000 families on the grounds that ‘deserving families’ had been kept out of the scheme for political reasons. It appears that the government suddenly became aware of that alleged long standing injustice only after ruling the country for over four years.

The rhetoric of the government makes it obvious that the additional 600,000 Samurdhi recipients will be selected on political criteria for reasons more to do with elections than with poverty alleviation.

Continue reading ‘Vicious Cycle of Increasing Election Related Govt Expenditure, Increasing Govt debt and increasing taxation – Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa’ »

By Uditha Devapriya

Philip Cooray called Delovak Athara the most personal film that Lester James Peries ever made, and it shows. From the milieu depicted in it to its choice of subject matter, it may well have been a “statement” in the same vein that Truffaut’s The 100 Blows or Bergman’s Wild Strawberries had been.

Audiences hadn’t seen this kind of story in a Sinhala film before. To Lester’s credit, to have sustained interest for two hours within such a narrow framework was, in the very least, remarkable, though not everyone was happy: a businessman, having seen it and obviously exasperated, point-blank asked the director, “What kind of ending was that?”

Delovak Athara is the kind of film that would be called an independent experimental work today. It was financed by an ad hoc organisation (Cine Lanka) formed between the director, his wife, and a school friend; it was rather “low budget”, made use of the leading players of the day, and propelled a relative unknown, cast as the protagonist, to stardom; it strayed from the narrative of every movie that preceded it (becoming, as Philip Cooray noted, “a totally cerebral film”); in terms of mood it was introspective, “the most Western” of Lester’s works until then; and it was a collaborationist film that recorded a “perfect fusion between the director and the cameraman” – Lester Peries and Willie Blake turned into Jean-Luc Godard and Raoul Coutard.

Continue reading ‘Lester James Peries Remained Until His Last a Polymorphous Artiste: In Isaiah Berlin’s Terminology Lester was a “Fox” Unlike Many Of His Critics Who Were “Hedgehogs”.’ »

(Text of Press Release issued by the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP)on April 8th 2019)

Johannesburg: The ITJP and the US law firm Hausfeld have filed a civil damages case in Califonia against former Sri Lankan defence secretary,Gotabaya Rajapaksa, on behalf of a Tamil torture survivor. Roy Samathanam made the complaint in the Central District of California against Mr.Rajapaksa, who is a dual US Sri Lankan citizen.

Continue reading ‘Civil Damages Case Filed Against Gotabaya Rajapaksa in US On Behalf of Sri Lankan Tamil Detained by TID From Sep 2007 to Aug 2010: Notice Served on Ex-Def -Secy at a Trader Joe’s Parking Lot in Pasadena on Sunday Night.’ »

A case has been filed in the US against former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa related to the murder of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge.

The case has reportedly been filed by Lasantha’s daughter Ahimsa Wickrematunge.

Lasantha Wickremetunge was killed in January 2009 while he was on his way to office.

Continue reading ‘Slain “Sunday Leader”Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge’s Daughter Ahimsa Files Case in the US Against Ex-Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa Concerning Her Father’s Murder in Jan 2009.’ »

By

Maneshka Borham

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) this week further strengthen its case against Sri Lanka’s top military chief, Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne after he was linked to the now famous case of 11 missing youth believed to have been abducted by a ‘Navy abduction for ransom gang’between 2008 – 2009.

Arrested by the CID and now out on bail, Wijegunaratne has been further implicated in the gruesome case through recent revelations made by a new witness supporting the allegations levelled against him by the CID.

OIC of the Gang Robberies Unit of the CID, IP Nishantha Silva presenting the explosive B-report before Colombo Fort Magistrate, Ranga Dissanayake this week said through the latest witness statement the CID can prove without a doubt that Hettiarachchi was protected and hidden within the premises of SLNS Parakrama, Colombo by the former Naval Chief, Admiral Wijegunaratne when the CID was hot on Hettiarachchi’s heels in March 2017.

In her statement, the witness identified by the CID as an individual who had constantly kept in touch with Hettiarachchi when he was on the run claimed Hettiarachchi revealed to her that he was in hiding within the Naval Command and would be in trouble with the Commander of the Navy if he leaves its premises.

Continue reading ‘CID Informs Court That Chief of Defence Staff Ravindra Wijegunaratne When Serving as Navy Commander Aided and Abetted Lt Commander Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi To Evade Arrest By Allowing Him To Hide Within Premises of SLNS Parakrama in March 2017’ »

By

Sanjana Hattotuwa

A false front page in a leading English daily newspaper last week highlights two significant and inter-related problem sets. The false page advertised the campaign against illegal drugs by the President. On Twitter, I quipped that it was a collector’s edition. The English is so bad, it borders on the poetic and inadvertently sublime, featuring words that don’t exist and sentences that are utterly meaningless. For good effect, there is even mention of a spy service to save children.

It is unclear how much public money was spent on this advertising Titanic. It was so bad, the newspaper took the unprecedented and extraordinary measure of distancing itself from the false front page, noting that the Editorial team wasn’t involved in the content creation. This revelation captured the second issue, around journalistic integrity and ethics. That all print and electronic media rely on advertising for their existence is well-known, as is the fact that the state is the largest advertiser in the country. Controlling media by curtailing advertising is a silent weapon to contain the spread of inconvenient truths wielded by all governments.

One is sympathetic to traditional media that relies on false front covers for financial viability. But especially when public money is involved, it is not unfair to ask questions around integrity, accountability and ethics. If the newspaper’s Editorial, faced with the sheer inanity of the false cover, was forced to distance itself from its content, the question was asked by many on social media as to why the newspaper allowed it to run in the first place.

Continue reading ‘Four out of Seven Members Of the Committee Appointed by Minister Mangala Samaraweera to Monitor State Media Institutions Have Resigned In Around a Month After it was Constituted.’ »

By

Aanya Wipulasena

When post-modernist, award winning novelist Shakthika Sathkumara walked into the Polgahawela Police Station on 1st April morning along with his lawyer and two other associates, what followed was completely unforeseen.

About four Buddhist monks were at the station already. Sathkumara, a 33-year-old father of two, was hoping to avoid a confrontation with the monks. When he was first called to provide a police statement he refused and requested a day that did not overlap with the time the monks will also be present. But the police turned a deaf ear to his request.

Sathkumara knew all too well why the monks were there. One of his short stories, published on Facebook about two months ago was subjected to extreme criticism. Its message, (irrespective of whether it be true or false) did not sit well with the monks.

His fiction ‘Ardha’ that translates from Sanskrit to ‘half’ revolves around a de-robed monk. Towards the end of the story Sathkumara indicates that the former monk was sexually harassed by the chief priest of the temple to which he was attached. The incident results in the “abbithaya’s” de-ordainment. However, his layman’s life turns out to be no different. He befriends a man whose inclination seems not dissimilar to the chief monk’s.

Continue reading ‘Polgahawela Police Pressured by Buddhist Monks Charge Writer Shakthika Sathkumara Under International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act of 2007 and Section 292 of Penal Code For Writing Short Story about Issues of Homosexuality and Sexual Harassment Within Buddhist Clergy’ »

By

Kishali Pinto Jayawardene

The casually irreverent manner in which state entities such as the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) and the Board of Investment (BOI) treat issuance of mandatory environmental approvals received a sharp reprimand by the Supreme Court in this week’s ruling on the pollution of ground water in Chunnakam as a result of a private company operating a power plant without conforming to statutory procedures.

Excellent warning to violators of the law

The polluter, (Northern Power Company (Pvt.) Ltd), was directed to pay an appreciably high compensatory award of Rs. 20 million to the affected communities. It was allowed to continue its operations on condition that it would take immediate steps to prevent contamination or pollution of the area and that it would adhere to criteria and standards stipulated in the National Environmental Act and Regulations made thereunder, subject to monitoring by the CEA/BOI.

The approach taken by the Court is an excellent warning not only to state entities which renege on their duties but also private companies motivated by profit who flout the law with impunity, leaving communities and citizens helpless in the face of state apathy and/or collusion. This ruling hits those with ‘deep pockets’ precisely where it hurts the most. That is to the good.

Several innovative aspects of the judicial reasoning in this case merit scrutiny. It was considered by the Court that the project to construct and operate a thermal power station in Chunnakam was a “prescribed project”, requiring approval under the relevant provisions of the National Environmental Act(as amended), the relevant “project approving agency” being the CEA and/or the BOI.

Continue reading ‘Supreme Court in Landmark Judgement Faults Central Environmental Authority and Board of Investment for not Looking into Persistent Complaints by Chunnakam Residents that “noise, air emission and discharge of wastewater containing oil causing pollution to the surrounding environment” had been Caused by the Operation of the Power Station.’ »

By S.S. Selvanayagam

In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court yesterday ordered Northern Power Company, which operated a thermal power station in Chunnakam that polluted ground water in the Chunnakam area and made ground water unfit for human use, to pay Rs. 20 million to offset a part of the substantial loss, harm and damage to the residents for the contamination of ground water and soil in the vicinity of its thermal power station.

Justice Prasanna Jayawardena with concurred with Justices Priyantha Jayawardane and Lalith Dehideniya in his judgment held that failures, omissions and inaction on the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) and the Board of Investment (BoI) were arbitrary and unreasonable and in breach of the Trust public reposed on them.

The Court held that thereby they violated the Fundamental Rights of the residents of Chunnakam and the Petitioner.

Continue reading ‘Supreme Court adopts “Polluter Pays Principle” in Landmark Judgement and Orders Northern Power Company That Operated a Thermal Power Station in Chunnakam To Pay Rs 20 Million To Residents For Contaminating Ground Water in the Area; Board of Investment and Central Environmental Authority Admonished’ »

By

Ishara Mudugamuwa

The government has declared April 5 (today) as ‘National Cinema Day’ as a tribute to late Veteran film director Dr. Lester James Perie

Addressing the media yesterday at his Ministry, Housing, Construction and Cultural Affairs Minister Sajith Premadasa said that the Ministry has decided to declare a National Cinema Day to mark the 100 year birth anniversary of Dr.James Peries.

Starting from this year, Sri Lankans will be celebrating April 5 every year as ‘National Cinema Day’, the Minister said.

Continue reading ‘April 5th the Birthday of Renowned Film Director Lester James Peries Will Be Celebrated Annually as National Cinema Day Announces Cultural Affairs Minister Sajith Premadasa.’ »

By

Col. R.Hariharan

The decision of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to bury their political hatchet, at least temporarily, appears to have helped Sri Lanka to gain two more years to fulfil its commitment made at UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to promote accountability and human rights in 2015. The 40thsession of the human rights body unanimously adopted a new resolution 40/L.1 granting Sri Lanka two more years, for a second time.

Sri Lanka co-sponsored the new resolution, just as it did in 2015, as a tactical ploy to avoid a divisive vote in the UN forum and to gain a breather till 2021. However, the resolution is a strong reminder that the international community is not satisfied with the progress made by Sri Lanka to bring transitional justice to the victims of internal conflict, even ten years after the end of the Eelam.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet’s report placed at the 40th session, appreciated Sri Lanka’s commitment to implement Human Rights Council resolution 30/1. But it also said Sri Lanka needed to be more consistent, comprehensive and accelerated. The High Commissioner noted that there had been minimal progress on accountability and said the continuing impunity risks fuelling communal or ethnic violence and instability. She pointed to the continuing allegations of torture and other human rights violations by security forces, including sexual violence were troublesome. Ms Bechelet called for effective, transparent and independent investigations by the government as well as measures to prevent and end such practices.

Continue reading ‘Unanimous UNHRC Resolution Shows Sri Lanka Continues to Enjoy International Credibility Despite the Tardy Progress it has made so far but Sri Lanka has to Complete Three Requirements by 2021 To Retain It.’ »

Shakthika Sathkumara, a Sri Lankan poet and writer, has been arrested by the police yesterday for insulting Buddhism in one of his short stories.

The Polgaawela Magistrate has remanded the writer until April 09 when he was presented before the court last afternoon.

Sathkumara was arrested by the police following a complaint lodged by a group of Buddhist monks in the Polgahawela area.

Continue reading ‘Writer Shakthika Sathkumara Who Wrote Short Story about Sexual Abuse in a Buddhist Temple Arrested by Police and Remanded Due to Complaint Lodged by Buddhist Monks From Polgahawela.’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

The anti-Muslim campaign of the fringe Sinhala Buddhist ultra-nationalist bigotry is regenerative. It is adept at finding a new ruse every now and then. The list ranges from Halal, cow slaughter, Muslim clothing stores, wada pethi (sterilizing tablets) and the latest ‘Save Wilpattu.’

All the past campaigns culminated in a violent upheaval, after which it went through a period of hibernation only to resurface under a new set of affected grievances.

The latest is ostensibly to protect the forestry of Wilpattu, but it is the same old Islamophobic campaign that has resurfaced after a lull of several months following the violent clashes in Digana and Amparai.

If the quiet on the ultra-nationalist front was mainly due to the police action and arrest of several key functionaries of Mahason Balakaya, a bigoted Sinhalese Buddhist fringe group, their latest activism comes after the court released those suspects from the remand prison.

Like the previous episodes of anti- Muslim bigotry, the latest campaign is promoted through the social media, through a number of facebook pages, twitter accounts and other social media pages. Some of the pictures of purported Wilpattu deforestation are in fact photos of land cleared for palm oil cultivation in Indonesia and Brazil, as BBC Sinhala website revealed recently. However, these photos are shared and retweeted in hundreds, some times in thousands, effectively creating mass circulation of a racially motivated fake narrative.

Continue reading ‘Creeping Islamaization and Arabianization of Sri Lankan Muslims as well as Growing Islamaphobia and Anti-Muslim Hate Promoted by Fringe Buddhist Organizations Need to be Addressed Urgently.’ »

By Radhika Coomaraswamy

I recently attended an event organised by the Walpola Rahula Institute. In just a few years Ven. Galkande Dhammananda Thero has created a safe space where Buddhists, women and minorities can have a discussion about the important ideas of our time and the best way forward for reconciliation.

Venerable Dhammananda Thero has no strong view that he imposes on others but he is a facilitator for frank exchange and dialogue, an enabler who makes you feel secure and cared for no matter who you are. When you are with him you have a strong sense of compassion and belonging.

The occasion for the get together by the Institute was the release of the English translation of Ven. Walpola Rahula’s book ‘Sathyodaya,’ translated initially by Padma Gunasekara. Niranjan Selvadurai translated the final version.

Ven. Walpola Rahula, a Buddhist legend, was, as we all know, a graduate of the University of Colombo, University of London and the Sorbonne and was a Professor of History and Religion at North Western University. He was the first Buddhist monk to enter university and first one to be a professor in a prestigious university outside Sri Lanka. He was also once the Vice-Chancellor of Vidyodaya and the Chancellor of Kelaniya University. ‘Sathyodaya’ was his first book but he went on to write many definitive works including ‘What the Buddha Taught,’ which is his most famous work.

Continue reading ‘Ven.Galkande Dhammananda Thero Has Created a “Safe Space” at the Walpola Rahula Institute Where Buddhists and Non -Buddhists Can have Discussions About Important Issues of Our Times Inclusive of Reconciliation.’ »

By

Anjana Shekar

Veteran director J Mahendran, who has given Tamil cinema several important films including Aadu Puli Attam (story, dialogues) Mullum Malarum (debut as director), Uthiripookkal and Nenjathai Killadhe passed away at his residence in Chennai early on April 2.

Public homage for the director will be held from 10.00 am and his last rites will be performed at 5.00 pm on Tuesday.

The director had been critically ill for the past few days and was undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospital in Chennai but was taken home on Monday night. The director was 79.

The news of his demise was shared by his son John Mahendran, also a director.

Born in 1939, Mahendran began writing stories for filmmakers way back in 1966.

Continue reading ‘Veteran Tamil Film Director J.Mahendran of “Mullum Malarum”, “Nenjathaik Killaathae”, “Uthirip Pookal” and “Pootaatha Poottukkal” fame Passes Away in Chennai at the age of 79.’ »

By Mangala Samaraweera

(Full Text of a media communique issued on behalf of Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera Outlining the former Foreign Affairs Minister’s response relating to the current UNHRC Resolution controversy under the heading “The truth about the Geneva Human Rights Council Resolution”)

During the past few weeks, I have been watching the many headlines, debates, misinformation, misrepresentation of facts as well as self-congratulatory statements by some members of the delegation that went to Geneva to participate in the 40th session of the Human Rights Council where the High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet presented the Report on Sri Lanka as requested by the Human Rights Council.

As the person who held the portfolio of Foreign Affairs when resolution 30/1 of 01 October 2015 was adopted, I feel that it is my duty to respond to some of the malicious arguments being made and misrepresentation of facts.

I saw some statements claim that the initial delegation to the Human Rights Council’s 40th session in March 2019 was changed. This, like most reports attempting to mislead the public, is false. There is also an abundance of gossip about the delegation and undignified attacks against devoted public servants. Contrary to what is being said, there were no plans to send anyone to Geneva originally for the 40th session as we have a competent, experienced, respected diplomat as our Ambassador to the UN in Geneva who is well-versed in procedure and substance and who has always managed things in a professional and dignified manner, based on instructions, with no attempts to blow his own trumpet like some do. And unlike some others who held this post earlier, the present Ambassador is completely apolitical with no hidden agenda to embarrass the Government of the day or our country.

Initially I thought that the diplomatic event at the 40th session of the Human Rights Council would be a show of Sri Lanka’s diplomatic maturity, skill, finesse and grace in handling matters rationally on the international stage. After all, Sri Lanka’s position in the world, its global recognition as a trusted partner and sovereign nation is an issue of critical importance to us all. And what could be more important today, ten years after the end of a brutal fratricidal conflict? What could be a better opportunity to showcase our democracy especially after a tilt towards autocracy was defeated by the people, by Parliament and by the Judiciary? Indeed, the 40th session was an opportunity to tell the world of our difficult yet committed journey towards strengthening democracy, reconciliation, sustainable peace and achieving equitable economic development and prosperity for all. What I had hoped to see therefore was a serious, compassionate, and well-informed discussion on true reconciliation.

Continue reading ‘“Rather than Demonstrating Diplomatic Skill, Finesse, Grace and mMturity, We Made a Spectacle of Ourselves in Geneva” – Mangala Samaraweera Lashes Out at Egocentric One-upmanship, Emotional Manipulation and Nationalistic Propaganda’ »

By

Kishali Pinto Jayawardene

As Sri Lanka suffers from extraordinary heat, the Government’s decision to impose nation-wide power cuts excepting Colombo city and other ‘privileged’ locations where parliamentarians reside, speaks not only to its witless actions in respect of a major crisis but also imputes a ‘selectiveness’ that has deadly import in an election year.

A Government that cannot ‘govern?

Tellingly, a disgruntled householder in Chilaw exclaimed this week when asked for her reactions by a television, ‘power and water are two basic things that a government is supposed to supply to its people. If it cannot do even that, then what use is it?’ Hardships due to decreased water levels in the reservoirs and the absence of rain are natural and indeed annual occurrences that we ought to be prepared for during these months. But instead of a national sustainable energy policy comprising renewable power solutions as an important part thereof, the public has to suffer major corruption in state bodies responsible for energy generation that goes unchecked and bickering public servants who are as bad as politicians in foisting the blame on each other.

Meanwhile imbecilic political statements offering short term solutions are rife. This week, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe asserted that Temple Trees would be powered by generators, which example ought to be followed by others. So is the private supply of power the answer to a brazen political failure to initiate additional power production facilities or solar powered alternatives during the past few years and to tackle the well known ‘power mafia’ in the country? The lack of transparency and accountability on the part of officials in the energy sector is well established.

Continue reading ‘“Yahapalanaya” Government’s Bungling of Power Crisis Provides Fresh Emphasis to the Saying “Kolombata Kiri, Gamata Kekiri” (Milk for Colombo and Snake Gourd for the Villages)’ »

By

Jayadeva Uyangoda

In democracies, elections usually are significant political turning points. In democratic theory, an election marks two key opportunities to the people as well as the rulers. For the people, it marks the periodic occasion to elect their rulers and grant them authority to rule over them for a specific period of time, usually, five years.

For the rulers, incumbent or aspiring, an election provides legitimacy to rule. Legitimacy entails both legality and popular support. Legitimacy secured at a free and fair election is an essential precondition for democratic government. The absence of legitimacy secured through elections usually erodes the authority of the rulers and eventually the State.

Sri Lanka’s citizens are awaiting two crucial elections in the year 2019, Presidential and Parliamentary. Of the two, the presidential election is destined to be most crucial for the democratic future of Sri Lanka. It has the potential to determine the country’s future political directions, nature of the Sri Lankan State as well as the state-society relations.

Impending clash

This political significance to the forthcoming presidential election emanates from a single factor. It is the slow building up of a head-on clash between two political projects, parliamentary democracy and autocratic authoritarianism.

Continue reading ‘Forthcoming Presidential Election Likely to See a Head-on Clash Between The Two Political Projects of Parliamentary Democracy and Autocratic Authoritarianism.’ »

By

Maneshka Borham and Rajitha Jagoda Arachchi in Marichchukkaddi

Mohammad Thoufeek of Marichchukaddy the most Southern village of Musali, was 29-years-old when he entered the Wilpattu forest on October 28, 1990 accompanied by his family and other villagers, following the LTTE order to evict their village in 24 hours as it suspected that Muslims provided secret information on them to the government forces.

Musali was the only divisional secretariat in the Mannar district with a Muslim majority. It was a difficult journey through the thick forest to Puttlam where they set up a temporary shelter. Thoufeek and the other 70,000 odd Muslims in the Northern District started a life full of many hardships becoming internally displaced unfortunates.

By the time they returned, Wilpattu forest had snuffed the entire village that they couldn’t even see landmarks of the earlier civilisation. However, Musali Divisional Secretariat (DS) under the guidance of Minister Rishad Bathiudeen and former Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, cleared the area and began the resettlement process.

When we met Thoufeek last week, he was in a small shed in front of his house with his wife, perhaps to escape the hot air inside the house. It was a burning, hot sunny day and to live in the area was nothing short of unfortunate, one could say.

“Assalamualaikum! (Peace be with you),” he extended us a warm welcome.

Continue reading ‘Wilpattu Has Not Been De-Forested For Muslim Re-settlement but Vicious Campaign Underway To Spread Anti -Muslim Racism’ »

By

Anurangi Singh

In the clearest sign that the CID investigations into the February 2015 treasury bond scandal are fast reaching a conclusion, sleuths last Monday (25) arrested five additional suspects, including four board directors of Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) and a retired senior Central Bank official.

Last February, when PTL owner Arjun Aloysius and CEO Kasun Palisena were arrested by the CID, they were charged with aiding and abetting former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran to commit criminal breach of trust against treasury funds.

The suspects arrested last week were additionally charged with offences of ‘insider trading’ and ‘market manipulation’ criminalised by the Registered Stocks and Securities Ordinance. The four arrested directors are Chairman Geoff Aloysius, who is the father of Arjun Aloysius, Pushya Gunewardane, Ranjan Hulugalle and Mutturaja Surendran.

Of the four, Geoff Aloysius and Ranjan Hulugalle had been extensively questioned by the CID in 2018 in connection with investigations into suspected money laundering by affiliate company W.M. Mendis, of which both were board directors.

Continue reading ‘Arrests of Four Perpetual Treasuries Ltd Board Directors and Ex-Central Bank Deputy Governor Simultaneously in “Morning Operation ” Indicates CID Probe Into Bond Scam Is Reaching Decisive Phase’ »

By

Maneshka Borham

On Thursday when the magisterial inquiry into the abduction of eleven youth by a Navy abduction gang for ransom concluded for the day, parents of the missing boys waited near courts hoping to attract the attention of investigators led by OIC of the Gang Robberies Unit of the CID, IP Nishantha Silva. A decade after their children disappeared, and in spite of mounting evidence that they were murdered, this small group of women want to keep begging Silva and his team of investigators to do more to find their boys.

Earlier during the proceedings OIC Silva submitted an explosive revelation in his latest B report to Court on the gruesome navy abduction for ransom racket the CID has painstakingly uncovered, in an investigation that has spanned nearly a decade. With suspects going right up the chain of the Sri Lanka Navy command,implicatingthe current Chief of Defence Staff and the war-time Commander of the Navy, the case has generated wide public interest.

OIC Silva’s B report last week, revealed the CID’s latest breakthroughs in the high profile case of abduction and murder by Navy sailors.

Continue reading ‘CID Informs Magistrate That Ex- Commander of the Navy Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda Knew Where, When and How the 11 “Missing” Youths were Abducted and That he Also Knew of Their Eventual Fate.’ »

By

Sanjana Hattotuwa

It’s the birth-rates.
It’s the birth-rates.
It’s the birth-rates.

In June 2018, a senior politician publicly condemned the incarceration of Buddhist monks, noting that the clergy would do well to transform their saffron robes to saffron jumpers. The dog-whistling and coded message was clear to the intended recipients. The infamous Gnanasara Thero had just been incarcerated for criminally intimidating the plaintiff in court, two years prior. The politician went on to say that in the past, there were around nine or 10 in a family, but now there’s just one or two, or at most, three. He unequivocally noted that the Sinhala Buddhist race is also nearing extinction, and that what the current government is doing to reduce the population is quite heinous.

What I’ve done above is to juxtapose the first three lines of a document that the killer in Christchurch, just over a week ago, uploaded to the Internet before slaughtering 50 Muslims and the speech made by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a temple, to a large group of people. The Christchurch killer’s document, just over 70 pages, is disturbing and unhinged.

In an op-ed I wrote last week, I noted that the killer’s language is simple, precise and clear, even if and indeed, mainly because, the logic is so twisted.There is considered intentionality behind the document, written in the format of questions and answers, with a clear political agenda.

The author shows an acute awareness of the media landscape and how violent extremism can be seeded in ways that almost guarantee wide distribution in the short-term and over time. Prejudice is projected as fact. Hate is promoted as reason. Killing is normalised as an entirely justified and necessary response. Though the Christchurch killer’s document is anchored to right-wing extremism and its pantheon of conspiracy theories, reading it, what’s quite disturbing is how much of it resonates with the anti-Muslim rhetoric spewed by extreme Sinhala-Buddhist nationalist monks in Sri Lanka, and their powerful, populist political enablers.

The top 25 words used in the Christchurch killer’s writing are revealing insights into man and mentality, as well as right-wing terrorist ideology. There is an overwhelming emphasis on ‘people’ – his people, or his race. There’s also repeated reference to ‘invaders’, referring exclusively to Muslims. ‘Culture’ is also used a lot, capturing what is perceived as cultural violence brought about by foreigners who are visibly Muslim. The emphasis on ‘land’and a love of the natural environment flows from this, where native lands are portrayed as being invaded by hordes of Muslims, contributing to everything from overpopulation to environmental degradation. This logic frames the more disturbing prevalence of words like ‘death’ and‘attack’in the imperative, with‘victory’ as the ultimate outcome. The document makes specific reference to the killing of children as well, as necessary.

Continue reading ‘Right Wing Extremism and Fascism Present in Sri Lanka is Openly Promoted by Prominent Politicians, Influential Monks, Leading Traditional Media Outlets as well as Through Personal Social Media Accounts’ »

By

Aanya Wipulasena

The family of murdered Sri Lankan Rugby Captain Wasim Thajudeen broke its silence last week, after former President Mahinda Rajapaksa quipped callously at a SLPP event in Kegalle that it was speed that had killed the young sporting icon, even after a court ruled his death a murder three years ago.

Ayesha Thajudeen, the sister of the murdered rugby player has refused press interviews for many months. Her family, she says, has been faced with one bitter disappointment after the other for seven long years, on the road to getting justice for her brother Wasim.

But the remarks by former President, whose family is at the centre of the scandal surrounding the star sportsman’s suspicious death, goaded Ayesha into speaking to the Sunday Observer last week.

“It is ridiculous to still say my brother’s death was an accident when it is scientifically and judicially proven – with a clear court ruling – that it was murder,” Ayesha said in an interview, breaking her long silence on the subject.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Callous Remarks About Wasim Thajudeen Being Killed by Speed Saddens and Angers Family of Murdered Rugby Captain’ »

By

Sudarshan Varadhan and Shihar Aneez

Reuters: An agreement to build a proposed $3.85 billion oil refinery in Sri Lanka will take at least a year to be finalized as its main investor, India’s Accord Group, says it is yet to recruit partners and conduct an assessment of the plan’s viability.

The comments add to confusion about the project, which was announced last week by the Sri Lankan government as the nation’s largest single foreign direct investment ever, but has since been the subject of conflicting statements by various parties.

Accord’s Chairman S Jagatrakshakan, a former Indian government minister, said he has submitted a preliminary proposal to the Sri Lankan government to invest in the project but has not finalized any terms of the deal.

“The project assessment and financial viability assessment will take at least a year. We have not sorted out any of the equity partners for the projects, but are in talks with investors from many countries,” he told Reuters over the phone from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Continue reading ‘Hambantota Oil Refinery Project Will Take At Least A year To be Finalized as Main Investor India’s Accord Group is Yet to Recruit Partners or Conduct Assessment of Plan’s Viability.’ »

By

Janane Venkatraman

Actor Nayanthara on Monday released a statement registering her “condemnation and protest against the derogatory speeches made by Mr. Radha Ravi against women and children in general and me in specific” (sic).

In a strongly worded statement, she demanded that the South Indian Artistes’ Association, also known as the Nadigar Sangam, set up an Internal Complaints Committee as per the Supreme Court guidelines and carry out an internal inquiry on the incident.

She also thanked Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M.K. Stalin for taking action against Radha Ravi — the party had suspended him for his comments on Monday.

She was responding to comments made by the actor at the trailer launch of her film Kolaiyudhir Kaalam on Saturday.

Continue reading ‘Tamil Filmstar Nayantara Issues Statement Condemning Veteran Actor Radha Ravi’s Derogatory Comments Against Her and Urges South Indian Artistes Association To Hold an Internal Inquiry Into the Incident.’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Mano Tittawella, in his capacity as the Secretary General of the Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms (SCRM) instructed Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative in Geneva A. L. A. Azeez to accept the latest resolution 40/1 on behalf of the government of Sri Lanka.

Tittawella was appointed, on March 29, 2016. In Aug 2017, as senior advisor to the Finance and Media Ministry.

The UNP-UPFA coalition established the SCRM under Prime Minister’s Office in keeping with a Cabinet decision dated Dec 18, 2015.

The Secretary General reports directly to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Authoritative sources told The Island, yesterday, that the SCRM had instructed Ambassador Azeez as regards government decision in respect of the resolution 40/1 led by the UK in the absence of the US.

Continue reading ‘SCRM Secy -Gen Mano Tittawela Instructed Envoy in Geneva ALA Azeez to Accept 40/1 Resolution Co-sponsored by Sri Lanka at UNHRC On Behalf of Country in Accordance With Decision Taken by Govt Headed by President Sirisena.’ »

By

Bhavani Fonseka and Luwie Ganeshathasan

In a few weeks, Sri Lanka marks a decade since the end of its brutal war, but its long legacy of abuses remains unaddressed. Decades of inaction, denial and silencing have contributed to and exacerbated a culture of impunity that protected perpetrators and at times, even promoted them. In 2015 the Government of Sri Lanka signalled a change from the past when it officially recognised the need for a comprehensive strategy of addressing past wrongs, finding answers, providing reparations and, most importantly, fighting impunity. With the adoption of Resolution 30/1 at the 30th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the Government of Sri Lanka formally acknowledged key areas for reform including in the accountability realm.

The Resolution notes the need to uphold the rule of law and build confidence in the justice system with the establishment of a “judicial mechanism with a special counsel to investigate allegations of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, as applicable; affirms that a credible justice process should include independent judicial and prosecutorial institutions led by individuals known for their integrity and impartiality; and also affirms in this regard the importance of participation in a Sri Lankan judicial mechanism, including the special counsel’s office, of Commonwealth and other foreign judges, defence lawyers and authorised prosecutors and investigators”

This commitment was further reinforced in Resolution 34/1 in March 2017 when the UNHRC provided further time for the full implementation of commitments made in 2015. Despite the passage of time, delays and setbacks were evident and a further two years was granted to Sri Lanka with Resolution 40/1 at the UNHRC Session that concluded last week.

This may have not generated much interest nationally and internationally if not for the statements and actions by key actors in Sri Lanka in the lead up to 20th March when Sri Lanka was discussed at the UNHRC. The curiously assembled delegation of Sri Lanka spared no punches when the head of delegation, Foreign Affairs Minister Thilak Marapana, in a written statement critiqued the report presented by the High Commissioner for Human Rights which incidentally contained data shared by the Government of Sri Lanka.

Notable in this statement was the revisiting of an argument used without success by some in 2015 to prevent the inclusion of the participation of foreign judges, lawyers and others called for in Resolution 30/1.

This article specifically addresses the falsehood that there is an apparent constitutional bar preventing foreign judges from sitting in a judicial mechanism in Sri Lanka. It also presents past examples involving international involvement in investigations and justifies why internationals must be fully integrated in a future judicial mechanism if it is to move beyond past exercises of mere ‘advice’ and ‘monitoring’. Finally, the article also reiterates the call made by many across Sri Lanka on the need for truth and justice and why it is critical to heed this call if the Government and other stakeholders are genuinely interested in tackling the culture of impunity in Sri Lanka.

Continue reading ‘Countering Falsehoods: The Case for Foreign Judges in a Judicial Mechanism in Sri Lanka.’ »

Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) believes the controversy surrounding the proposed USD 3.85 billion oil refinery in Mirijjawila, Hambantota, could have a negative impact on Sri Lanka’s efforts to remove itself from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) ‘Grey List’ of countries vulnerable to money laundering and terrorism financing.

The main investor in the project, the Singapore based ‘investment vehicle’ Silver Park International PTE Ltd, is a company controlled by the family of Tamil Nadu politician and former Indian Union Minister Dr. S. Jagathrakshakan, whose business interests have previously been implicated by Indian authorities and the media in several alleged corruption scandals.

Continue reading ‘Proposed Hambantota Oil Refinery Could Have Negative Impact on Sri Lanka’s Efforts To Remove Itself From “Grey List”of Countries Vulnerable to Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Warns Transparency International.’ »

A top official handpicked by Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena to represent the country came in for harsh criticism by the UN for “putting a spin” on a high level bilateral meeting in Geneva.

In a strongly worded statement the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Wednesday, that a newspaper article quoting a senior Sri Lankan official “seriously misrepresents” her discussion of the recent UN Human Rights Office report on Sri Lanka with a Sri Lanka Government delegation attending the Human Rights Council, (UNHRC) in Geneva on March 20.

A member of the Government delegation, Northern Province Governor Dr. Suren Raghaven, claimed in Colombo that the High Commissioner “admitted that certain facts incorporated in the UNHRC report against Sri Lanka could not be condoned whatsoever.” He also claimed Bachelet had advised two of her senior officials who attended the meeting “to be more responsible and cautious hereafter.”

Continue reading ‘UN Human Rights Commissioner Michele Bachelet Upbraids Northern Province Governor Dr.Suren Raghavan over Serious Misrepresentations in the Media About What She Told the Sri Lankan Delegation at a Discussion in Geneva’ »

Plantations in Sri Lanka that supply “slavery-free” tea to top global companies are under investigation by ethical label groups after an expose found illegal wage deductions that have left some workers ill and unable to afford health care.

An investigation by the Thomson Reuters Foundation found that some workers at tea estates certified by Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade were taking home as little as 26 Sri Lankan rupees (14 cents) a day after fees and deductions levied without consent.

Wage slips from 17 workers at nine Rainforest-certified tea estates — six of which were also backed by Fairtrade — showed daily earnings widely being cut by more than three-quarters for debt repayments, salary advances and a laundry list of fees.

Laborers in Nuwara Eliya — a district in Sri Lanka’s central highlands — said their wages were also halved if they failed to meet a daily picking quota or arrived to work late.

Continue reading ‘Two Year Research by Thomson Reuters Foundation Reveals Ruthless Exploitation of Plantation Workers in Nuwara – Eliya District With Daily Earnings Being Slashed Without Consent by 75% in Some Instances.’ »

By A.J.A.Abeynayake

Colombo Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne refused bail to Chairman of Perpetual Treasuries Jeffrey Joseph Aloysius, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank Pattinige Samarasiri and three directors of Perpetual Treasuries (PTL) when they were produced before her yesterday in connection with the bond scams.

The suspects were remanded till April 5.

The defence counsel argued that the suspects had been charged under the provisions of article 56 of Stock and Securities Ordinance and requested the court to grant them bail under any condition.

Continue reading ‘Colombo Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne Refuses Bail to Central Bank Ex-Deputy Governor , Chairman of Perpetual Treasuries Ltd and Three PTL Drectors Charged Under Artile 56 of Stocks and Securities Ordinance and Remands all Five Until April 5’ »

By Hemantha Randunu

A former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank and the Chairman and three Directors of the Perpetual Treasuries (Pvt.) Ltd. (PTL) were arrested by the CID, yesterday, in connection with the Central Bank bond scams.

They are former Deputy of the Central Bank Pattinige Samarasiri, PTL Chairman Jeffrey Joseph Aloysius and PTL Directors Mutturaj Surendran, Chithraranjan Hulugalle and Pushpamithra Gunawardena.

Four CID teams were deployed to arrest the suspects.

Continue reading ‘Perpetual Treasuries Ltd Chairman Jeffrey Joseph Aloysius Arrested at his Residence at 10.55 am by CID Despite Family Members Allegedly Telling Police he was not at home’ »

A deputy governor of Sri Lanka’s central bank and directors of a dealer in government securities linked to the biggest securities scam in the island have been arrested, police said.

Retired Deputy Governor Pathinige Samarasiri, directors of Perpetual Treasuries Chithra Ranjan Hulugalle, P Gunewardene and Muthuraja Surendran was arrested by the criminal investigation department, police spokesman Ruwan Gunaskera said.

Continue reading ‘Ex-Central Bank Deputy Governor Pathinige Samarasiri along with Perpetual Treasuries Ltd Directors Ranjan Hulugalle, Muthuraja Surendran and P.Gunewardene Arrested by CID.’ »

Twelve suspects were arrested in connection with a plot to assassinate an active Tamil politician, the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) told court last week.

Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne allowed the CCD to detain the 12 suspects for questioning about the alleged assassination plot.

The arrested persons included members of the underworld and persons with connections to the LTTE.

The CCD told court that their investigations had revealed plans to kill a Tamil politician on the instructions of LTTE cadres living overseas.

Police declined to name the Tamil politician in its report to court, but sources said the target was likely TNA Jaffna District MP and TNA spokesman M.A. Sumanthiran. The suspects will be produced in court again on April 26.

Continue reading ‘Another Overseas LTTE Plot to Use Underworld Gangs to Allegedly Assassinate MA Sumanthiran MP ? 12 Suspects Arrested and Detained for Investigation by Police Colombo Crimes Division.’ »

By

Maneshka Borham

The now famous CID investigation into the abduction and murder of 11 youth by a Navy extortion gang, helped sleuths to break open a secondary racket involving a separate group of naval personnel, including high ranking officers, to abduct businessmen for ransom

In June 2010 the gang robbery unit of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) led by its OIC Inspector Nishantha Silva commenced an investigation into a suspected abduction for ransom racket run by Naval intelligence teams at the time. As investigations into the case of 11 missing youth believed to have been abducted by the group intensified over the years, explosive revelations in court recently implicated Naval top brass including several celebrated former Commanders of the Navy.

But perhaps now in a remarkable plot twist, through evidence unearthed by the CID during investigations into the disappearances, the Police sleuths have been led to yet another group of Navy intelligence officers embroiled in possible abductions including its former Chief of Intelligence Rear Admiral Ananda Guruge.

Continue reading ‘Former Navy Commander Jayantha Perera and Ex-Naval Intelligence Chief Ananda Guruge Allegedly Implicated in CID Investigations Into Disappearances of Vadivelu Loganathan and Ratnasami Parmananda Reportedly Abducted in Wellampitiya on January 11, 2009.’ »

The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) Member of Parliament M.A. Sumanthiran’s constitutional justification for seeking foreign judges to serve in the proposed Judicial Mechanism to try alleged war crime cases, has put the government in a spot, and his Tamil rivals in the shade.

In a statement in parliament on Friday, Sumanthiran said that there is no constitutional bar to the appointment foreign judges to Lankan counts.

He was responding to the statement of the Sri Lankan government in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on March 21 that the Lankan constitution does not allow foreign judges and lawyers to function in Lankan courts, and if they were to be allowed, the constitution has to be amended with a two third majority and a referendum to boot.

Continue reading ‘Tamil National Alliance Spokesperson MA Sumanthiran MP Places Lankan Government in a Spot and Puts Tamil Political Rivals in the Shade’ »

By

Maneshka Borham

The Police commenced an investigation this week into the defacing of the newly installed signboard at the bottom of the steps leading to Sri Pada on the Hatton-Nallathanniya trail. The tri lingual signboard displaying the name of the revered mountain, and its Tamil translation in particular appeared to have irked certain Sinhalese nationalist elements.

A gathering attended by a handful of people, led by the notorious Dan Priyasad of the Mahason Balakaya and Namal Kumara of the VIP assassination plot fame thought it fit to protest against the new board and its perceived threat in Colombo last week. Some others handed in complaints to Police Headquarters as well.

Threats

After two weeks of threats to destroy or deface the board by the groups and individuals connected to the duo on social media, it appears that finally someone among them or an individual influenced by the sentiments had followed through. As a result on Tuesday the Tamil and English translations of the Peak’s name chiseled on the signage as Sivanoli pada malai and Sri Pada had been painted over by an unidentified person with what appeared to be black tar leaving the text illegible.

As the act of vandalism left residents in the area disgruntled and the Police had to be called in to difuse the situation. Visiting the site, Hatton Superintendent of Police, Ravindra Ambepitiya, had taken steps to discuss with the residents and restore calm by promising to apprehend the suspects. Calling a meeting with the villagers, SP Ambepitiya had prevented the matter from escalating and causing discord among the residents in the area based on this minor incident on the day someone had painted over the names in black. “We have made the people understand and resolved the issue but this is not a major incident” he said when contacted by the Sunday Observer. According to SP Ambepitiya steps have also been taken to clean and restore the sign board.

Meanwhile, the Police has commenced an inquiry into the incident, and are hoping to nab the suspects through CCTV footage of the site. The Governor of the Central Province, Maithri Gunaratne too has put his foot down. Claiming he will not tolerate acts that may incite racism, the Governor has directed the Police to nab the suspects whose intention was to cause racial discord among the people through this dastardly act.

Continue reading ‘After Weeks of Hate Campaign Spearheaded by Mahasona’s Dan Priyasad and Namal Kumara the Tamil and English Letters in Newly Installed Signboard at Bottom of Adams Peak – Sri Pada – Sivanolipadamalai Defaced with Black Tar by Vandals.’ »

By

Anurangi Singh

Just a day after the grand tamasha that took place at the luxurious Shangri-La Hotel, to launch the ‘National Action Plan for combating bribery and corruption’, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), promptly went before the Colombo Magistrate, and, based on technical grounds, withdrew cases filed against MP Johnston Fernando. The cases pertained to his failure to disclose his assets and liabilities for four years, commencing 2011.

The main banquet hall at Shangri-La, was jam-packed with over a thousand invitee guests- ranging from the first citizen of the country himself, the Speaker, Opposition leader, politicians, clergy, representatives of the legal sector, law enforcement authorities, representatives of diplomatic missions, school children and various others. CIABOC, prior to the occasion, told media that they expect a crowd of ‘about 1,200’, however, the turnout seemed to exceed that modest number. The organizers had prepared a separate area for the VIPs to have lunch as it was impractical for the main ballroom to handle such a vast gathering.

The photo booth certainly seemed to be a crowd pleaser, if the long queue in front of it was anything to go by.

The press kit contained booklets explaining the five-year National Action Plan and a badge that the participants wore after taking the pledge, which proclaims that they will ‘continue to work with integrity’. A song, specially composed for the occasion, was played.

Continue reading ‘Several “Sharks”Being Investigated For Bribery and Corruption Were Prominent Psrticipants at Grand Tamasha Held at Shangri-La Hotel by Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption(CIABOC)’ »

By

Dr.Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu

Recently at a workshop that focused on the events of October 26 and thereafter, a participant remarked that the one thing that stood out with respect to the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was his ability to maintain grace under pressure for the duration of the coup against the Constitution.

There are many who have alluded to his gentlemanly qualities in politics and his famous departure from Temple Trees without fuss when the election result was unfavourable. His behaviour throughout the coup, when he stood as the constitutional and legally elected Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, must be added to his profile as a leader with a keen sense of constitutional propriety and most importantly, with a sense of the conventions of parliamentary democracy.

Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt in their work, ‘How Democracies Die’ have written about the importance of mutual tolerance and institutional forbearance for a fully functioning democracy. These values are not translated into constitutional articles per se but underpin the political culture as deeply embedded values that have also become conventions in the parliamentary sense and make the constitution work as it is intended to. Wickremesinghe is perhaps the only politician who now embodies this, after decades in politics and government.

Continue reading ‘Happy Birthday Prime Minister ! Ranil Wickremesinghe Deserves Our Deep Appreciation and Admiration for not Capitulating to the Coup and Standing Straight as the Legal and Constitutional Premier of Sri Lanka.’ »

By

Kishali Pinto Jayawardene

Accountability in Sri Lanka was always about the working of the criminal law. And Justice was always about the clash of the ‘non-equals’ with the ‘more than equals.’ In that clash, seldom have the ‘non-equals’ triumphed in this country, as bitter lessons of our legal history so persistently teach us.

Refresher in institutional memory

Those who are appalled at the recent ruling of the Supreme Court preventing the arrest of ex-Navy Chief Wasantha Karannagoda in connection with an ongoing investigation into the abductions of children for ransom while the parents of the children stood helpless in Court, may therefore be gently nudged towards a refresher course in institutional memory.

As frequently reminded in these column spaces, meeting a constitutional challenge on separation of powers in asserting the Rule of Law and the primacy of the Constitution is one thing. Standing firm against cacophonous screeching in Court and outside, that national security trumps all, that military men are heroes who stand above the law, that those who ‘saved’ the country must be protected at whatever cost and that anyone who dissents from this view is a traitor, is an entirely different matter altogether. That is a crucial distinction by and of itself.

Continue reading ‘Justice in Sri Lanka is About the Clash of “Non Equals” Like the Families of Missing Children and the “More Than Equals” Like The Navy Personnel Under Investigation for Allegedly Abducting Those Children For Ransom’ »

By Namini Wijedasa

The son of a controversial Indian politician from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is a director in, not just one, but two companies recently incorporated in Sri Lanka. The second was set up ostensibly to implement a US$ 3.85 billion (Rs 685.5 billion) oil refinery project in Hambantota.

But the initiative is mired in confusion. The Sri Lankan Government first announced the involvement of the Omani Ministry of Oil and Gas. However, Oman swiftly denied it had any part in the multibillion dollar investment.

This contradicted multiple documents –including Cabinet and Board of Investment (BOI) papers the Sunday Times has seen–that conclusively say the Omani Ministry will hold a 30 percent stake in the relevant joint venture with the remaining 70 percent going to Silver Park International (Pte) Ltd of Singapore.

The BOI then issued a statement admitting that “there is no agreement that has been signed between Oman’s Ministry of Oil and Gas and Silver Park International Pte Ltd with regard to equity arrangements of the project.”

But the Oman Oil Company “has registered their firm intention to participate in equity up to 30 percent, subject to reaching agreement between the parties”, it said, indicating that the Omani participation had been heavily overplayed well before a deal was made.

Yesterday, the Development Strategies and International trade Ministry circulated an “urgent” media statement, announcing that Oman’s Oil and Gas Minister Mohammed Hamad Al Rumhi had arrived in Colombo with the Chief Executive Officer of Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Co (ORPIC) for the groundbreaking ceremony of the oil refinery in Hambantota. This, too, said ORPIC “has expressed its firm interest” in partnering with Silver Park International in the project.

Continue reading ‘Silver Park Petroleum (pvt)Ltd Owned by Family of India’s DMK politician Jagathrakshakan Was Formed on Feb 21st 2019 Just 6 Days After Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama Submitted Cabinet Paper For Rs 685.5 Billion Oil Refinery Project in Hambantota’ »

By

Manoj Colambage

Additional Solicitor General and President’s Counsel Yasantha Kodagoda is set to take oaths as President of the Court of Appeal, ending months of sparring and deadlock over the judicial appointment, the Sunday Observer learns.

Kodagoda was nominated to head the Court by President Maithripala Sirisena. The Constitutional Council yesterday unanimously approved the nomination by the President.

The nomination was believed to be in jeopardy when the Council sought the views of Chief Justice Nalin Perera on Kodagoda’s suitability to serve as the President of the Court. The Chief Justice declined to support Kodagoda’s nomination, instead proposing to the Council that Court of Appeal Judge Shiran Gooneratne be appointed as President of that Court.

Continue reading ‘Addl Solicitor -General Yasantha Kodagoda PC To Be Sworn in as Court of Appeal President as Constitutional Councl Unanimously Approves President Sirisena’s Fresh Nomination.’ »

By

Disna Mudalige and Camelia Nathaniel

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M.A. Sumanthiran made a stern appeal to the government to adhere to the time bound implementation of the UNHRC resolution which the country co-sponsored for the third time last Thursday.

Joining the Committee Stage debate in Parliament yesterday, Sumanthiran warned, “I want to make one thing very clear. The government of Sri Lanka has made these commitments thrice in writing. But if they do not adhere to this commitment of including independent foreign judges in the judicial mechanism, then we, the Tamil people will be left with no alternative but to move towards an entirely international judicial mechanism. That is possible and our people have been asking for this, asking that Sri Lanka be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC)”.

Continue reading ‘“If Govt Does Not Honour Commitment Given in UNHRC Resolution to Set Up a Hybrid Court With Independent Foreign Judges The Tamil People May Demand an Entirely International Judicial Mechanism “States MA Sumanthiran MP in Parliament.’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)’s resolution on the rights situation in Sri Lanka, which was passed in Geneva on Thursday through consensus, meets Colombo’s requirements.

Resolution 40/L.1 not only gives two years’ extension for the implementation of resolution 30/1 of 2015, but also says that the recommendations will be implemented “with the concurrence of the Sri Lankan government.”

This gives Colombo the right to decide what will be implemented and to what extent a recommendation will be implemented. It gives room to the Lankan government to fulfill its wish not to implement the recommendation for a Judicial Mechanism with foreign judges and lawyers to try alleged cases of war crimes.

Continue reading ‘Consensus Resolution on Sri Lanka Passed by UNHRC Gives Colombo the Right to Decide What Would be Implemented and To What Extent a Recommendation Would be Implemented.’ »

The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Thursday through consensus passed a resolution giving the government of Sri Lanka two more years to implement the resolution 30/1 of 2015, ie: until March 2021.

After the resolution was adopted the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana, said that the passing of the resolution 40/L.1 is a mark of recognition of Sri Lanka’s political commitment and the progressive steps already taken by the Government since 2015 towards ethnic reconciliation, assurance of human rights and accountability.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka Co-sponsored Resolution Passed Without Opposition Through Consensus by United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.’ »

By

Lucien Rajakarunanayake

The UNCHR has adopted the resolution on Sri Lanka, without a vote. We have two more years to give further proof of peace building and reconciliation.

Don’t we feel great about using the Lord Naseby facts to strengthen our case?

Shouldn’t we feel even greater that the number of Tamil civilians allegedly killed at the final stages of the war has been reduced to about 6,000 (as Lord Naseby says) and not that hugely bloody 40,000 as claimed by the Tamil Diaspora?

Should we also not be proud it was a white Lord of the United Kingdom, our former colonial master, who helped put this record straight, and not any Brown Sahib, with whatever punditry, from our part of the world?

Isn’t it also great that we were able to use the Lord Naseby facts in response to a resolution proposed by his home country – the United Kingdom, together with other western powers? We have shown how Whites can be used to fight the Whites! Are we learning from New Zealand?

A cause for greater joy is that for two more years, and even after, we can well ignore those nearly 6,000 or more Tamil civilians who may have allegedly been the victims of War Crimes. Just remember one thing…our War Heroes never killed innocent Tamil civilians; their victims were all terrorists.

Continue reading ‘Should We Not Feel Great and Proud That Lord Naseby a White Lord of the UK Our Former Colonial Master Helped Us By Reducing The Number Of Alleged Civilan Deaths to 8000 From 40000?’ »

Sri Lanka today rejected UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet’s proposals to establish an Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Sri Lanka and calling to implement a detailed and comprehensive strategy for the transitional process with a ‘fixed timeline’.

“We all are eager to see results. However, pressing for time bound benchmarks to show quick results on decades old, sensitive and complex issues, is bound for failure,” Foreign minister Tilak Marapana in a statement to the 40th Session of the Human Rights Council said.

Sri Lanka also rejected calls for setting up an international judicial mechanism to probe alleged human rights violations during the final phase of the the war, claiming that non-citizen judges are not allowed according to country’s constitution.

He also said that as a sovereign state, Sri Lanka must set its priorities in addressing the well-being and sustainable peace for her people. Various historical, cultural, and religious sensitivities therefore need to be managed while pursuing the ultimate objective of upholding and protecting human rights.

“In developing these transitional justice mechanisms, Sri Lanka does not believe there is justification for the setting up of an Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sri Lanka,” the minister said.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana Makes Statement at UNHRC in Geneva Rejecting Proposals to Appoint International Judges for Judicial Mechanism, Establishing an UN Human Rights Office in Sri Lanka and Setting up a Fixed Timeline for Transitional Justice Process.’ »

Singapore rejected Wednesday Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena’s allegation it was sheltering a former central bank chief wanted for fraud, saying Colombo failed to provide documents to support its extradition request.

Sirisena on Monday accused Singapore of sheltering Arjuna Mahendran, one of his country’s former central bank chiefs wanted in connection with a high-profile $74 million insider trading scam.

Sirisena said he appealed to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in January to return Mahendran, who is believed to be in Singapore, but claimed nothing had been done.

Continue reading ‘Singapore Refutes President Sirisena’s Allegation of Sheltering Ex-Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran While Faulting Sri Lanka For not Providing Documents Seeking Extradition.’ »

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera has criticized former President Mahinda Rajapaksa for challenging the Geneva Resolution on the basis of disclosure made by Lord Naseby in the House of Lords. Samaraweera issued the following statement in response to Opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa’s statement dated17 March 2019 instructing the government on what its position should be when the UN Human Rights Council that is at present meeting in Geneva discusses Sri Lanka’s progress on national reconciliation:

“In his statement, as usual aimed at hoodwinking the masses, he assumes a commanding and almost martial tone. Packing it with misinformation to mislead the public, he seems to forget the small detail that he is no longer the President or even the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka – fake or otherwise. As the citizens of our country – Asia’s oldest democracy – remember very well, Mahinda Rajapaksa’s attempts to usurp the position of Prime Minister a few months ago failed miserably in the face of the determined resistance of our citizens and our independent institutions including our judiciary. My recommendation to Mahinda would be, in true friendship: lets put aside the airs. It really is impossible to engage in constructive dialogue if you give instructions and orders on policy to a government that is trying very hard to fix the several troubles that you yourself, your close advisors and those you appointed to high positions during your time as President created, especially since the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009.

“And let us be serious. Any advice on policy must be placed on facts, not on fake or exaggerated assertions, which a quick scan of Mahinda’s statement reveals:

Continue reading ‘Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera Flays Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa For Misleading the Public Through Falsehoods about the Co-sponsored Resolution at the UNHRC in Geneva’ »

Sri Lanka’s has failed to fully implement its commitments to ensure accountability for war-time atrocities because of a lack of vision at the highest level of leadership in the county, the UN human rights chief said today.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet told the council in Geneva that Colombo cooperated with the UN, but there was very slow progress in delivering the 2015 commitments on accountability.

Sri Lanka’s new government in 2015 promised to ensure an internationally- acceptable judicial mechanism to try war criminals and pay reparations to victims. However, Colombo is yet to set up systems to ensure justice for tens of thousands of civilians killed by both sides of the conflict.

“Implementation of resolution 30/1 (of 2015) needs to be more consistent, comprehensive and accelerated,” Bachelet said in her statement to the council while discussing Sri Lanka.

Continue reading ‘UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet Tells UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that Colombo cooperated with the UN, but there was very slow progress in delivering the 2015 commitments on accountability.’ »

The UN human rights chief yesterday warned Sri Lanka it could slip back to conflict unless it addressed the “worst crimes” during the final stages of its ethnic war.

Michelle Bachelet told the Human Rights Council that Sri Lanka was yet to set up the special judicial mechanism as promised four years ago to try war criminals.

Sri Lankan Government troops have been accused of killing at least 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians in the final months of the island’s 37-year guerrilla war that ended in May 2009.

Continue reading ‘UN Human Rights Chief Michele Bachelet Tells Human Rights Council that Sri Lanka Could Slip Back to Conflict Unless it Addresses Through a Judicial Mechanism the “Worst Crimes” Committed During War’ »

Presenting the report on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka to the 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva yesterday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called on Sri Lanka to implement a detailed, comprehensive strategy for the transitional process with a fixed timeline.

Acknowledging the Sri Lankan Government’s open dialogue and sustained cooperation with the OHCHR, Bachelet welcomed the operationalisation of the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) and the establishment of the Office for Reparations and encouraged the Government to enable the two institutions to “function effectively and independently”, and to link them to a broader approach aimed at justice, real accountability and truth-seeking.

Continue reading ‘UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet Wants Sri Lanka to Implement a Detailed, Comprehensive Strategy for Transitional Process with a Fixed Timeline.’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

For years, foreign policy mandarins and their political bosses in this country lived and re-lived a lie that Sri Lanka’s destiny would be decided in Geneva. They were joined by the acolytes of the Tamil Tiger terrorists, their financers and paid and otherwise propagandists, who made the gullible in the diaspora part ways with their hard currencies, thinking that they were winning the war that the Tigers lost in May 2009.

That debate had lost its intensity since then, but, still there are those both in the South, and Toronto who prefer to live the old lie. In the meantime, UNHRC sessions have become a mere formality, though an unwanted and uneasy one for Sri Lanka.

As another session of the UN Human Rights Council on Sri Lanka is underway this week, the debate has shifted too. Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa who had demanded that the government withdraw its co-sponsorship of the resolution.

Continue reading ‘No Need To withdraw Itself From UN Resolution as Previous Co-sponsorship Was a Mere Formality That Served Sri Lanka’s Interests and Diluted International Interest’ »

The Supreme Court, yesterday, issued a restraining order preventing Nagananda Kodituwakku from practising as a lawyer for three years.

A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Nalin Perera, Justices Sisira de Abrew and Prasanna Jayawardena issued the order over a 2015 defamation case.

The case was filed by Justice Vijith Malalgoda, while he was the President of the Court of Appeal.

The Supreme Court initiated a disciplinary inquiry in respect of attorney-at-law Nagananda Kodituwakku’s conduct in the Court of Appeal on May 21, 2015 before the then President of the Court of Appeal justice Vijith Malalgoda, PC and justice H. C.J. Madawala, based on the complaint.

Continue reading ‘Three Judge Supreme Court Bench Headed by Chief Justice Nalin Perera Issues Restraining Order Preventing “Activist Lawyer” Nagananda Kodituwakku From Practising as an Attorney -at -Law For Three Years After Hearing Defamation Case Filed by Justive Vijith Malalgoda.’ »

By

Kishali Pinto Jayawardena

In contrast to Colombo’s largely polarized sound and fury on the Counter-Terror Bill, it is refreshing to look at the manner in which South Africa has dealt with uncannily similar dilemmas of balancing national security imperatives and constitutional rights in bringing its counter-terror law into effect more than a decade ago.

Shared legacies of horrific state violence

There are indeed, much in common between South Africa and Sri Lanka in shared histories of horrific state violence. We have similar legacies of over-broad national security/emergency regimes that replaced the criminal procedure law and gave state agents the literal power of life and death over citizens across racial and ethnic lines. In more recent times, there are great similarities in dysfunctional state processes of both countries when the law is translated from theory to practice. This is important to recognise as this is why good legal provisions falter in the practically subversive context of state impunity unchecked by the Constitution. Indeed, this is the signal difference in contrast to functional Rule of Law countries, even if we are to recognise the retreat of the liberal rights culture in those countries as they face the brutality of global terrorism.

That said, there are notable differences between the two nations. As a senior legal practitioner and a celebrated South African rights advocate elaborated for my benefit in a measured discussion in Johannesburg a few days ago, South Africa’s Constitutional Court has proved itself to be a formidable bulwark against state repression. Even in tense economic times and uncertain political turbulence similar to what Sri Lankans face, it is a matter for pride that the South African Court has stood firm above the frantic winds of popular and political pressure.

Most importantly, it has unflinchingly refused to accept the dictate of the State in pleading national security to shield state action contrary to the Rule of Law. That is not something that we see frequently here. Our Supreme Court, even in the best of times and with the best of judges a decade or two ago, was not quite able to emulate that judicial fortitude. Now, that has got significantly worse.

Continue reading ‘Is This Govt Going to Push Forward the Counter Terrorism Act by Water Cannoning Trade Unions Protesting Provisions of the Bill?’ »

The UNF government must officially communicate to the UN Human Rights Commissioner and members of the UNHRC that Sri Lanka will no longer co-sponsor resolutions against itself in the UNHRC; Sri Lanka does not accept the allegations made in OHCHR Report No: 30/61 of 28 September 2015 and will not set up a hybrid war crimes courts with foreign judges and prosecutors, Opposition Leader, Mahinda Rajapaksa says.

Issuing a media statement, Rajapaksa, yesterday, said the government must also repeal Acts No: 14 of 2016, No: 5 of 2018 and No: 24 of 2018, which were highly detrimental to Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and the fundamental rights of its citizens and replace them with legislation more in keeping with Sri Lanka’s national interest.

“All members of the delegation representing the government, in Geneva, should clearly understand that anything short of the above will effectively, be a betrayal of the people of Sri Lanka.”

Full text of the Opposition Leader’s statement, titled The stand Sri Lanka should take in Geneva:

” The government has announced that they will co-sponsor yet another resolution against Sri Lanka in the UN Human Rights Council. Resolution 30/1, the first such co-sponsored resolution in October 2015 committed the government to among other things, setting up a hybrid war crimes court with the participation of foreign judges, prosecutors and investigators and to removing by administrative means, individuals in the armed forces suspected of human rights violations even if there is insufficient evidence to charge them in courts. By co-sponsoring Resolution 30/1, the Sri Lankan government officially accepted Report No: 30/61 dated 28 September 2015 prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR), which directly accused the Sri Lankan armed forces of many crimes including torture, enforced disappearances, deliberate targeting of civilians and the denial of humanitarian assistance to civilians.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Wants Govt to Inform the UNHRC and UN Human Rights Commissioner That Sri Lanka Would No Longer Co-sponsor a Resolution Against Itself in Geneva.’ »

By

Aanya Wipulasena

Exorbitant debts from loans provided by Microfinance institutions to failing businesses have pushed at least 170 people into suicide, islandwide,in the past year alone, with the highest suicide rates being reported among women, and area-wise in the Vavuniya, Jaffna and Batticaloa districts, Progressive Peasants’ Congress (PPC) shows. The suicide rates are just the tip of the iceberg of a much larger issue as unregulated microfinance companies continue to juggle with money and lives of the deprived.

The most recent suicide case related to Micro-financing is reported from Ela- Kimbulawala in the Polonnaruwa district where a 38-year-old father of one was driven to take his life despite his many futile attempts to pay off his debt.

The man had taken an initial loan of Rs. 80,000 and then a second amounting to Rs.30, 000, to pay off the former. In order to collect money to pay off the arrears, he has migrated to Colombo for masonry work. Failing in his endeavours, he returned to his village wherehe was confronted by debt collectors who has bombarded him in foul language, evidence given by his wife revealed. Later on February 28th, this year, he left his house, only for his body to be found hanging from a tree in a nearby forest, the next day.

Continue reading ‘At Least 170 Island -wide Suicides in 2018 By People Unable To Repay Loans Obtained From Microfinance Institutions; Highest Rates Among Women From Vavuniya, Jaffna and Batticaloa Districts.’ »

By

Jayadeva Uyangoda

The controversy over whether the former Navy Commander Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda would be arrested captured public attention last week.

The saga has left the citizen concerned about the independence of the judiciary, and its responsibility to protect powerless and helpless citizens when their rights are repeatedly violated. It also highlighted the need to emphasize the court’s obligation to safeguard the principle of equality before the law.

The issue of Karannagoda’s arrest is centred on the abduction of 11 Tamil – speaking youth and their alleged subsequent murder, suspected to be carried out by a group of Sri Lanka Navy personnel during the war.

Investigations carried out by the CID have revealed that the alleged abduction and murder of these Tamil youth was part of an organised ransom racket.

It is to this investigation that the former Navy Commander’s name is now linked.

The media has revealed that according to the CID reports submitted to the court, the former Navy Commander had been aware of this abduction – for – ransom racket, but had done nothing to prevent it. There were also suggestions that if he had intervened, the lives of these eleven young boys could have been saved.

The Attorney General was preparing to file indictments against him in the High Court as a suspect in this case.

Abduction, enforced disappearance and murder are indeed grave crimes. Police arrest of suspects involved in such crimes is a routine course of action.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka’s System of Justice is now Facing an Entirely New Source of Threat, Because the Very Issue of Justice has been Excessively Politicised Blurring the Distinction Between Power and Justice.’ »

By

Aanya Wipulasena

Over the past decade, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has been exclusively probing graft cases involving ‘small people’, while cases of corruption of over Rs.10 million are left largely uninvestigated, a Right to Information application has revealed.

Good governance activist Chandra Jayaratne, wrote to President Maithripala Sirisena last week about the findings, citing information he obtained from the Bribery Commission by making an RTI filing.

The revelation comes ahead of the launch of the institute’s National Action Plan tomorrow.

“Warrant of Integrity: The Launch of the National Action Plan for Combatting Bribery and Corruption” will be held under the patronage of President Sirisena at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo. CIABOC officials told the Sunday Observer that the venue, which will house over 1,200 guests during the occasion, was offered at “concessionary” rates. The Commission hopes to celebrate its ‘historic outcomes’ achieved over the past 10 years.

Jayaratne has learnt through the RTI application, that during the 10 years CIABOC has only filed one case (HCB/32/2017) where the alleged bribe was over Rs. 10 million, and no action was taken against a single case in which graft amounted to over Rs. 25 million.

Continue reading ‘CIABOC(Bribery Commission)Goes After Sprats and Not Sharks! Most Cases Probed are Offences Involving Ten Million or Less by “Small People”: Only One Case Above 10 Million;Not a Single Case Filed for 25 Million and Above Offence.’ »

By

Yasmine Gooneratne

Sri Lanka recently received high praise from the writers of The Lonely Planet as a country they rate as Number One in a list of places which well reward visitors’ interest. Their views have been echoed by Hidden Travellers, a group of travel writers who aim to disclose the good as well as the bad features of the lands they visit.

Their findings, which are available on line, are admirably frank and balanced. They should be read by everyone involved in the hospitality industry and most especially by Government-controlled bodies such as the Tourist Board, Sri Lanka Railways, and the Ministry of Transport, whose activities bring them into close contact with visitors from abroad in ways, and at levels, often unknown to the managers of five star hotels and the visitors who have the means and good fortune to enjoy the luxuries provided by such hostelries.

Many Sri Lankans assume that Westerners who have money to spend on leisure travel, are wealthy. This, of course, is not the case. Not every visitor is well-heeled. Many are students travelling on strictly controlled budgets, so that they have to watch and account for every cent they spend. The more thoughtful and well-informed are not simply ‘out for a good time’ on our beaches and in our malls and restaurants, and they are perfectly aware that Sri Lanka is dependent on the ‘tourist dollar’ for her economic survival.

For tourism in this country to prosper, a balance has to be found that will provide visitors with comfortable, safe, and memorable experiences while at the same time allowing the locals they meet to earn a living and and make friends of these strangers, so that they will come again, and recommend our country to others. The latter is not easy for our people, who are (or used to be) traditionally reluctant to ‘push themselves forward’, and who indeed once considered such behaviour as contemptible and evidence of a lowly upbringing.

It’s hard for us, therefore, to sell ourselves and our assets to visitors without seeming ‘pushy’. But that, unfortunately, is what we are called upon to do by the tourism industry. It is obvious that we are not always very good at finding the balance, since ‘pushiness’, significantly, is at the top of the list of unpleasant characteristics that Hidden Travellers, a well-intentioned and perceptive set of observers, have recorded online as characteristic of the Sri Lankans they encountered in the course of their visit to our country.

Continue reading ‘Many Sri Lankans are fully aware that we are fortunate in our birthplace, but we do not realize that some sensitive and intelligent visitors share our sense of wonder’ »

By

Sanjana Hattotuwa

Our wait for a telephone was just a few years. At the time, in the early 90s, we knew of families who were on a waiting list for close upon a decade. I was at school when Sri Lanka Telecom had installed the rotary device. Like the first mobile phones from Motorola to hit Sri Lanka, the unit weighed about the same as and was more akin to gym equipment than anything remotely akin to what is today considered a phone.

I was enthralled, and dialled, for no reason than to just use the telephone, a friend I had seen not more than an hour ago. He lived in Mount Lavinia. We both had five-digit phone numbers. We were both excited to talk at length about nothing of consequence before my father subtley reminded me that the call was expensive. It was the first time I learnt of peak and off-peak charges. It wasn’t yet possible to just dial an international number. That required prior approval and an up-front payment, in addition to hundreds of rupees a minute, depending on the country dialled.

There was no Internet. There was no web. Smartphones hadn’t been invented. Social media hadn’t been invented. I didn’t own or even have access to a computer. It was a purely analogue world, with the only sign of digital made by Casio and strapped to my wrist. The few conversations I had, at the time, were always prefaced by a few minutes of sheer wonder that the call connected, followed by amazement we were talking over a telephone.

Continue reading ‘The Original Web Sir Tim Berners-Lee Created 30 Years Ago is Now Indistinguishable From What Frames and Fuels Politics, Elections, society, institutions,Communications,Relations and Community’ »

TNA MP M.A Sumanthiran queried how Parliament can approve the President’s expenditure head when the President is trying to send a separate Opposition delegation to Geneva to represent himself when a government delegation is also attending the UNHRC sessions.

He noted that this is an important head of expenditure that has been proposed in this budget. “If one scans the figures that have been proposed one can see that the president’s office has the lion’s share only second to the elections secretariat. It’s almost Rs. 2,933 million more than the allocation for parliament itself which is Rs. 2,779 million.”

“I want to raise a few issues that has already been raised by the speaker who opened the debate today with regard to the disputes that exist between several personalities whom these expenditures have been proposed. All of these important offices seem to be at loggerheads and the smooth functioning has been disrupted thanks to the plot on October 26 last year.We are still reeling after that onslaught and all of these institutions are at each others throats. One important issue is the present sessions that are going on at the UNHRC and the announcement by the president that he intends sending three members to represent him and move away from the commitment Sri Lanka has given twice before with his blessings and then counter to that the Prime Minister’s and foreign ministers offices that they would co-sponsor the new resolution at the UNHRC sessions this year,” he said.

Continue reading ‘“Proceedings in Karannagoda Case Show The Partisan Manner In Which The Judiciary and Attorney -Generals Dept Function in Matters Like These” States MA Sumanthiran MP in Parliament.’ »

By
Lakmal Sooriyagoda

Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa whose passport was impounded in connection with the D.A. Rajapaksa Museum case was yesterday temporally permitted to travel abroad by the Permanent High Court-at-Bar.

The Trial-at-Bar bench comprising High Court Judges Sampath Abeykoon (President), Sampath Wijeratne and Champa Janaki Rajaratne allowed Gotabaya Rajapaksa to travel abroad between March 26 and April 12.

Continue reading ‘Ex -Def Secy Gotabaya Rajapaksa Whose Passport Was Impounded in Connection With DA Rajapaksa Museum Case Given Permission by Permanent High Court Trial at bar Bench hearing Case to Travel Abroad Between Mar 26 to Apr 12.’ »

By Manekshaw

A memorandum was handed over by the representatives of the aggrieved families of the disappeared persons two days ago to Northern Governor Dr. Suren Raghavan who is one of the five members of the delegation sent by President TMaithripala Sirisena to attend the UNHRC session in Geneva.

It was on the request made by Governor Dr. Raghavan, soon after he was handpicked by President Sirisena to be present at the 40th UNHRC session, a delegation of eight persons including mothers of the involuntarily disappeared persons had handed over a memorandum to the Governor highlighting their plight with regard to the disappearances of their beloved ones.

In the meantime former Provincial Councillors M. K. Sivajilingam and Ananthi Sasitharan had handed over a memorandum, last week, to the Northern Governor elaborating on the humanitarian problems in the North and the East to be tabled at the ongoing UNHRC session in Geneva.

Continue reading ‘Northern Governor Dr.Suren Raghavan Obtains Memorandum From 8 Member Delegation Representing Families of Disappeared Persons Before Going to UNHRC In Geneva as Part of Govt Delegation.’ »

Multiple fatalities were inflicted at two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday when at least one gunman opened fire on worshippers, police said.

Witnesses told media that a man dressed in a military-style, camouflage outfit, and carrying an automatic rifle had started randomly shooting people in the Al Noor mosque.

The Bangladesh cricket team was arriving for prayers at the mosque when the shooting occurred but all members were safe, a team coach told Reuters.

Police said they had one person in custody but they were not sure if others were involved. Police advised people to stay away from mosques.

“As far as we know, the fatalities occurred at two mosques,” New Zealand’s Police Commissioner Mike Bush said.

Continue reading ‘Bangladesh Cricket Team in Christchurch to Play Third Test Against New Zealand was Arriving at Al Noor Mosque at Time of Shooting Were Not Affected and are all Safe.’ »

The New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Arden has given a short speech responding to the shooting at mosques in Christchurch that has left several people dead.

Jacinda Ardern said the incident was “one of New Zealand’s darkest days” and that the victims had chosen to make New Zealand their home. “They are us,” she said. “The person who has perpetuated this violence against us is not.”

Here are her comments:

“Whilst I cannot give any confirmation at this stage around fatalities and casualties, what I can say is that it is clear that this is one of New Zealand’s darkest days.

Clearly, what has happened here is an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence.

Continue reading ‘“Many of those directly affected by this shooting have chosen to make New Zealand their home, and it is their home.They are us. The person who has perpetuated this violence against us is not”- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden’ »

By

Michael Mcgowan

Before the shooting starting, the Al Noor mosque in the New Zealand city of Christchurch was “peaceful, calm and quiet”.

“As it is when the sermon starts, you could hear a pin drop,” a man identified as Ramzan told reporters on Friday.

Then about 1.40pm during afternoon prayers, gunfire broke out.

“It started in the main room … I was in the side room, so I didn’t see who was shooting but I saw that some people were running out to my room where I was in, I saw some people had blood on their body and some people were limping,” Ramzan told reporters.

“It was at the moment I realised things were really serious.”

Continue reading ‘Survivors of Horrendous Shooting at Christchurch’s Al Noor Mosque in New Zealand Provide Eyewitness Accounts of Their Terrifying Ordeal to Media.’ »