by Tisaranee Gunasekara

“People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.”Franklin Roosevelt (The State of the Union Address, 1944)

This is not fiddling while Rome burns. This is taking ‘selfies’ on the railway track ignoring the hurtling express train.

No government can remain eternally popular. Governments, like people, also face midlife crises. Some of the woes afflicting the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration are due to such natural factors. Not all of them, though, or even most of them. These heights of inefficiency, this unwillingness to stand up to the bullying of special-interest groups, this inability to understand its own peril – there is nothing normal about any of this.

After a mere thirty months in office, the government has become contemptuous of ‘even the most common rules of commonsense’ and is suffering from a ‘radical loss of self interest.’i The crisis is a self-made one. It didn’t have to happen. It was allowed to happen.

Chaos is not democracy. Drifting into disaster is not good governance.

Continue reading ‘When Current Crisis Explodes Rajapaksas Will Take Over the SLFP and Break Up the UNP.’ »

By

Don Manu

Well, as they say, better late than never. Especially when one realises that one’s 5 year tenure on the nation’s throne has reached the half way mark, giving rise to a mid life crisis as the leaves of one’s popularity start to fall with the coming of Autumn.

Last week’s President Sirisena’s cabinet outburst against his coalition partner the UNP had all the markings of regret of a misspent presidential spring and summer. But with all due kindness to him, his presidential birth had not been a natural one: not one born with the silver spoon of a united front but one laboured with the dubious assistance of many mid wives, some of whose motives were, and still are, suspect.

Yet, in that downcast hour, it contained all the promise of a great future. Both for him and his countrymen. Alas, down the line, the rainbow that appeared after the auspicious drizzle, vanished without trace and, today, the best laid plans of the new born king seem to lie disposed by the ring of foes who await to hear the death knell rung.

Unlike a Turk who never keeps a brother near the throne, Sirisena perforce had to keep a whole host of new found friends near his to protect him from getting stabbed in the back by his own kin. It was inevitable that the day would dawn when those who had supplied the props to keep his seat safe and steady would conspire to pull the scarlet rug under his feet and aspire to occupy the throne alone.

Last Wednesday’s cabinet meeting witnessed the president coming out of his silent shell and give vent to his ire at the UNP sitting, like Mother Goose, on surrogate corruption eggs, and not gander in earnest to crack them open and cook the Rajapaksa regime’s goose in the mega fat of their sleaze in open court.

Continue reading ‘Sirisena Gets Cold Feet as Presidential Hot Seat Starts to Heat up , Rattle and Rumble’ »

By

C.A. Chandraprema

The former Navy Spokesman Commodore D.K.P.Dassanayake was arrested last week on charges of causing the disappearance of 11 persons in 2008. Dassanayake, a highly decorated Naval officer who played a major role in the war, is the latest high ranking armed forces officer to be arrested under the present government. After January 2015, a good cross section of the entire military high command that won the war against terrorism has either been investigated, questioned, arrested or remanded over some criminal investigation or the other. During the previous government, the then General Sarath Fonseka was arrested and jailed over two cases, one of which related to irregularities in Army procurements; the other being the white flag incident. The first case in which Fonseka was convicted by a military court was clearly a tit for tat political reprisal.

At the 2010 presidential elections, Fonseka pledged on every platform to put the Rajapaksas in jail and to make them wear ‘jumpers’. (‘jumper andanawa’ , ‘katu lewakanna denawa’). That venemous election campaign was one of the main reasons for Fonseka’s ignominious defeat. Tissa Attanayake the then general secretary of the UNP says in his memoirs that he had tried to caution Fonseka asking him at one point whether ‘such statements weren’t a bit too much?’ But Fonseka had brushed aside Attanayake’s concerns saying that was what brought ‘cheers’ from the crowds. It was only natural that if Fonseka contested that election to put his rivals in jail and make them wear jumpers, his opponents who emerged panting and palpitating but victorious from that election would repay him in the same coin.

Continue reading ‘War Heroes or Criminals? Probing Alleged Corruption of Defence Services Top Brass.’ »

By Abdul Samad

As we approach the half-way point of the term with unity government, it is clear beyond any doubt that the administration has failed in all aspects including the foremost touted political and ethnic reconciliation process. A rotten capital market, uncontrollable inflation, and absolutely pathetic fiscal/economic policy, corrupt politicians and legislators, inefficient bloated ministries, civil/union unrests have been the highlights of this period.

Considering such a scenario, it is an ideal time to reflect who could lead our motherland out of this disastrous situation to say the least.

Presidency and premiership

After 2.5 years of the unity government, it has to be a foregone conclusion that the marriage of two mainstream political ideologies is not working.

President Maithripala Sirisena’s ascendancy to the presidency was touted as a victory against corruption, minority suppression, and nepotism. Two and a half years down the line none of these make absolutely any sense.

Corruption remains at the heart of every political move. The perpetrators of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Bond scam are still roaming free with the blessings of leading political figures. Ghost buildings have been leased out for astonishing amounts of public funds without any responsibility. Sri Lanka was ranked 95th out of 176 countries in corruption rankings according to Transparency International. Interestingly, the country has dropped 12 places when compared with 2015 measuring a lowly score of 35.

Continue reading ‘Gotabhaya Rajapaksa:The Man and his Vision’ »

By Chandani Kirinde

The Government will not take instructions from the United Nations on how the new Counter-Terrorism Bill is drafted and will go ahead with the bill approved by the Cabinet, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said yesterday.

“The laws have to be made here and they have to be approved by our Parliament. We cannot have others doing it for us,” Minister Rajapakshe said.

He was responding to comments made by Ben Emmerson, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the “promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism”. Mr. Emmerson said on Friday that the Government wanted to engage in a process of constructive dialogue to improve the draft legislation before it was presented in Parliament.

Continue reading ‘Govt Will Go Ahead With Counter -Terror Law Declares Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.’ »

In the case of investigations carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), a delay on the part of the Attorney General’s Department has been listed as the reason why no action has been taken.

According to a note prepared by the CID, those cases include the following:

• Date of complaint; January 14, 2015 – Investigations into alleged conspiracy at Temple Trees in the early hours of January 10, 2015. File referred to AG on January 27, 2015. File No: CR /108/2015,

Continue reading ‘CID Completes Investigations in Many Cases But No Action Taken Due to Delays in Attorney-General’s Dept’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

(*Some names have been changed on request)

People in Batticaloa, one of the poorest districts in Sri Lanka, are badly hit by ‘predatory’ microfinance loans with exorbitant interest rates

“First, it was the tsunami that destroyed our community. Then came the war. Now, it’s microfinance.” That is how Jesudasan Rajitha describes the growing web of debt that is trapping people of this district on Sri Lanka’s east coast.

Ms. Rajitha is with the federation of women’s rural development societies, which focusses on economic concerns of women. “Not a day passes without someone telling me that they are struggling with a huge debt,” she says about the district’s now-famous “debt story”. The problem of rural debt pervades the country’s post-war north and east, but Batticaloa, one of the poorest districts with the lowest mean monthly household per capita income of LKR 6,270 (roughly ₹2,630) in the country, appears the worst-hit.

Continue reading ‘Predatory Microfinance Loans With Exorbitant Interest Rates Make People of Batticaloa Fall Into Terrible Debt Trap.’ »

By Niranjala Ariyawansha

The 18 dissident Sri Lanka Freedom Party Ministers, Deputy and State Ministers in the Unity Government, who have said they were considering whether they should remain in, or quit the Government, will within this week take their crucial ‘remain or exit ‘ decision.

One of the dissidents, Minister of Labour and Trade Union Relations John Seneviratne, said they were continuing discussions on whether to quit the Government or not. Asked to comment on media reports of this imminent mass exodus from the Government, Seneviratne added that President Maithripala Sirisena had asked the 18 dissidents to stay on until the end of this year.

Continue reading ‘18 SLFP Ministers and Deputy Ministers Ready to Quit Govt But President Asks them to Stay on Till Dec 31st.’ »

By M. M. Zuhair

(The writer is a President’s Counsel and a former Member of Parliament. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect on the positions presently or previously held by the writer)

For decades nations guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and similar international human rights and humanitarian laws have been urging Sri Lanka to repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act No. 48 of 1979 (PTA). Today, at the insistence of some powerful countries Sri Lanka has chosen to replace the PTA, described then as an obnoxious piece of legislation impinging on international human rights standards but now, with a more draconian Counter Terrorism Law.

The move for the new law has already come up for wide criticism particularly from respected columnists in the media. The point is when Sri Lanka was struggling through the thirty- year war on terrorism, when the then governments felt the need for harsher laws, though considered by international experts as violating human rights and humanitarian legal standards, we were told to tear up the PTA. But when the country had successfully eradicated terrorism and the government is focused on peace, development, national integration and reconciliation, Sri Lanka is being compelled by the powerful members of the Security Council to enact more oppressive laws that will certainly restrict fundamental rights and freedoms of the people. Such laws have the potential of greater abuse at the hands of a reckless future government and its law and order agencies.

In a country which has no traces of terrorism any more, the enactment of a Counter Terrorism Law would seem ridiculous. It may also mean the raising of a false flag that Sri Lanka is no longer a safe country and will very likely affect the development strategies of the nation. One might argue that there is nothing wrong with being armed for future eventualities. But that argument is not tenable because laws currently in existence are more than adequate to deal with such eventualities. At its worst, laws restrictive of fundamental human rights can always be enacted if and when such laws become absolutely essential, without raising false flags or unduly empowering governments at the cost of the freedom of the people.

Continue reading ‘Enactment of new Counter-Terror Law in a Country That Has Eradicated Terrorism Seems Ridiculous.’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, had a heated argument with Ben Emmerson, QC, Special Rapporteur at the onset of a meeting over latter leveling unsubstantiated allegations at law enforcement authorities and the judiciary.

Emmerson had a series of meetings over the past few days after his unexpected encounter with the Justice Minister early this week.

At his meeting with the Justice Minister Emmerson accused the Sri Lanka police of torturing most of the suspects; he placed the number of terrorist suspects in custody at 200. Government sources told The Island that Minister Rajapakse had inquired from Emmerson who had provided such inaccurate information.

The UN official attributed his information to reliable sources, prompting Minister Rajapakse to remind the visiting official that he was the Justice Minister and he spoke with responsibility.

Continue reading ‘More Details About the Heated Argument Between Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Ben Emmerson.’ »

by Shamindra Ferdinando

Alleging that ‘retrograde elements in the security establishment and their allies’ in the government were trying to undermine post-war reconciliation process, the UN yesterday warned Sri Lanka of dire consequences unless the government fully implemented Geneva Resolution 30/1 co-sponsored by the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration in Oct 2015.

The warning was given by Ben Emmerson, QC, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.

Addressing the media at UN compound in Colombo at the conclusion of a five-day visit undertaken on the invitation of the government, the British lawyer explained a range of measures available to the UN in case reneged its promises. Emmerson declined to speculate what their options would be but indicated that punitive measures could be taken.

Continue reading ‘UN Special Rapporteur Warns of “Dire Consequences” if UNHRC Resolution on Sri Lanka is Not Fully Implemented.’ »

The entire Board of Directors of the country’s main investment promotion agency resigned yesterday following a directive from President Maithripala Sirisena.

Sources said the move was to facilitate an overhaul including the appointment of a new Board of Directors.

The BOI Board comprised Chairman Upul Jayasuriya PC, Buddhi Keerthi Athauda, Manoj Cooray, M.A. Neeth Udesha and Dumindra Ratnayaka.

Chairman Jayasuriya said he had already decided to tender his resignation for personal reasons though he had come under flak for underperformance and other issues, including approval of projects by promoters whose backgrounds or intentions were questionable. However, Jayasuriya said he stands by all decisions made by him in the country’s best interests.

Continue reading ‘Board of Investment(BOI)Chairman and Directors Resign Following Directive from President Sirisena.’ »

By

Lakmal Sooriyagoda

The Colombo District Court issued an Interim Injunction preventing Chief Incumbent Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera from utilising Narahenpita Abhayarama temple property for political, commercial and trade union activities, today.

This order will be effective until the final determination of this lawsuit.

Colombo District Court Judge Sujeewa Nissanka made this order consequent to a lawsuit filed by Ven. Pathberiye Wimala Gnana Thera of Kirulapana Purvaramaya.

Continue reading ‘Court Restrains Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera From Using Narahenpita Abhayaramaya For Political,Trade Union and Commercial Activities’ »

By Chathuri Dissanayake

Giving a damning report on Sri Lanka’s failure to take adequate action against human rights violations during the conflict and amend the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), United Nations Special Untitled-1Rapporteur on Human Rights and Countering Terrorism Ben Emmerson yesterday warned that the international community is running out of patience and called on the Government to fast-track its reconciliation measures.

“There will be a point that the international community reaches the end of its patience, and then a range of consequences could befall Sri Lanka,” Emmerson said at a media briefing to mark the end of his visit to Sri Lanka.

“The possible range of repercussions is a matter of international diplomacy and predictions, and depends on how far things go and how far along the path it is going. It depends on whether or not it enacts the counter terrorism legislation that meets international standards.”

Continue reading ‘“Range of Consequences Could Befall Sri Lanka When International Community Reaches End of Its Patience”- Ben Emmerson’ »

Women of North and East Call For Ending Impunity and Ensuring Non-Recurrence of Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances in Sri Lanka

“We, as conflict affected women and victims, have searched for disappeared loved ones and witnessed thousands of others searching for their loved ones. Many have gone before numerous state initiatives including several commissions of inquiry appointed by successive governments with no answers given or effective steps taken to prevent future disappearances. After many years of empty promises, we were heartened by the Government of Sri Lanka’s ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance in May 2016 and looked forward to domestic legislation being introduced to criminalise enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka and make it meaningful locally. In February 2017, the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance Bill was gazetted and we waited for Parliament to debate and thereby criminalise disappearances. On 5th July, we were disappointed to hear of the indefinite postponement of the debate without any reasons given. We believe the Bill is essential for reconciliation as it will prevent future disappearances, end impunity and ensure that no loved ones will have to experience the pain many have experienced for decades.

We are also aware that several actors are spreading false information of the proposed lawand attempting to prevent the Bill being taken up for debate. Such persons through their actions are effectively sending the message that no action should be taken on enforced and involuntary disappearances and thereby promoting the culture of impunity. We are indeed saddened by such irresponsible statements and action, as it shows that many are unaware of the pain and suffering caused by disappearances to families and communities and are encouraging a crime that has a devastating impact and perpetuates the suffering faced by thousands across Sri Lanka, in the north, south, east and west.

Continue reading ‘396 Women of North and East Call For Ending Impunity and Ensuring Non-Recurrence of Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances in Sri Lanka’ »

By

P.K.Balachandran

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the principal Tamil grouping in Sri Lanka, has denied media reports that it is planning to meet the Mahanayakes or the High Priests of Buddhism in Sri Lanka soon, to explain to them the need for a new Sri Lankan constitution to devolve power to the provinces so as to solve the Tamil question.

TNA’s spokesman and Jaffna district MP, M.A.Sumanthiran said on Wednesday that it makes no sense to discuss the constitution with the Mahanayakes or anybody at this point of time, since it has not been drafted yet.

“We have to have at the least, the Interim Report of the Steering Committee to know what could be in the constitution. The Interim Report is yet to be drafted. We may get the report by the end of July,” Sumanthiran said.

“We had said that we would meet various sections of the community, including religious leaders, to discuss the constitution. But this will be at the appropriate time, not now,” he clarified.

Continue reading ‘TNA Will Meet Buddhist Maha Nayakes only After Interim Report of New Constitution is Released says Sumanthiran MP.’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, had a heated argument with visiting UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter Terrorism Ben Emmerson, QC, over UN intervention here as regards promotion and protection of human rights.

Sri Lanka in December 2015 extended a standing invitation to the UN Special Procedures Mandate Holders.

Emmerson began a five-day official visit here on July 10 to gather first-hand information about what the UN described as post-war initiatives in the area of counter-terrorism and assess how they affect the people.

Minister Rajapaksa strongly questioned the UN official resulting in an unprecedented fiery argument early this week, well informed sources said, adding that the meeting took place at the Justice Ministry.

Continue reading ‘Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe Has Heated Argument With UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism Ben Emmerson.’ »

By

Kelum Bandara

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP for the Jaffna District M.A. Sumanthiran, in an interview with the Daily Mirror stressed the point that the bill to give effect to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance should be enacted.

He said enforced disappearance of persons is a crime to be dealt with locally.

Excerpts:

Question :

This is seen as one of the most obnoxious piece of legislation by its critics. How do you look at its content?

Answer:

This is actually a convention which Sri Lanka acceded to and ratified. Once you ratify it, you have to give it effect in the local laws. The convention is against the disappearances. What should be obnoxious is the rejection of it, not taking action against disappearances. Sri Lanka should be ashamed that we have disappearances numbering more than 100,000 including 68,000 during the 88/89 period and 30,000 now. That is very, very high in the world. That should be a matter of shame.

Q : Then, it is said that the bill contains provisions providing for extradition of those with command responsibility to another country to be tried if requested on bare allegations. What is your response?

A:

That is false. There is no such thing in the convention. They have to be prosecuted. The State must take action.

Continue reading ‘“Buddhists Should Protest Against Giving Foremost Place to Buddhism in Constitution” Says M.A. Sumanthiran MP in Interview.’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

A Tamil parliamentarian on Thursday challenged a proposed housing project of steel maker ArcelorMittal in the Supreme Court, questioning both its suitability for the post-war region and the government’s tendering process.

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP and lawyer M.A. Sumanthiran petitioned the court seeking an interim order against the project, which has been highly contested for more than a year now.

From the time the government roped in Indian-born billionaire Lakshmi Mittal’s company to build 65,000 houses in the Tamil-majority north and east, the project evoked sharp resistance. Engineering experts in Sri Lanka studied the proposed prefabricated housing model and said it was severely flawed in its design, compared to traditional brick-and-mortar homes that they recommended. They also deemed prefab homes unsuitable for the hot and humid climatic conditions in the north and east.

Continue reading ‘Sumanthiran MP Personally Petitions Supreme Court Seeking Interim Order Against Mittal Pre-fab Housing Project in Sri Lanka’ »

BY FAIZER SHAHEID

The gruesome rape and murder of Vithya Sivaloganathan in 2015 is hardly discussed anymore, even among the activists who laboured and campaigned vigorously to have the perpetrators arrested, at least, not outside of the North where the entire ordeal took place. However, the case filed in the Jaffna High Court has progressed steadily, and as if the details of the rape and murder were not already disturbing enough, investigations have unearthed information far more disturbing than originally anticipated.

Let me put it in perspective. Imagine that your wife, or daughter, or mother, or sister, or even a close female relative or friend was abducted, raped, and murdered in a gruesome manner. How would you deal with a situation like this? The information itself is bound to haunt you, if not cripple you, for the rest of your living days. Having to explain to the ever inquisitive gossip mongers itself is torture. Now, imagine having to relive those memories every single day of your life. What if the episode was captured on video and posted on the internet for all to see? What if time and again the video was shared with you? If you have encountered a nauseating emotion of extreme agony and revulsion, then imagine the plight of the family of Vithya Sivaloganathan.

Continue reading ‘Rape Pornography Industry “invades” Sri Lanka with Gruesome Murder of Pungudutheevu Schoolgirl Vithya.’ »

Dr.Vickramabahu Karunaratne

President Maithripala Sirisena’s visit to meet the Mahanayakes of the Buddhist Sangha in Kandy proved premature and it disturbed the continuity of discussions within the Constitutional Council: Because both the President and the Prime Minister denied that parties in the government have agreed on a framework for the Constitution. This was really the accusation of the Opposition and it may be the pivotal move in the anti-constitutional, sabotage process.

A week earlier a section of the Sangha had publicly announced in a joint statement that there was no need to bring in a new Constitution and that a new Constitution will create more conflicts in the country. Though the Buddhist clergy is very influential with the 70 percent who are Sinhala Buddhist especially on issues pertaining to identity, the division within the Sangha is very clear and educated and knowledgeable Theras have already come out strongly to support the government’s constitutional reform process. Whether it is in tackling the issues connected with providing a facilitative environment for economic development, taking action against corruption or dealing with fascistic war criminals, the government has been faltering. So far, Yahapalanaya was unable to deliver on what it has promised. This has enabled the Opposition to shout and scream and dominate the political debate.

Continue reading ‘Faltering “Yahapalanaya”Govt Unable So Far To Deliver What it Promised.’ »

Gomin Dayasri

The UNP, written off as a party of the past, till the Badulla Provincial Council election showed it’s result; Mahinda Rajapakse (MR) rejoiced ruling the majority Sinhala voters, as he pleased. They standing firmly behind him. Results showed, in predominantly Sinhala electorates with a diminutive minority vote, where extreme Sinhala activists like Cyril Matthew and K.M.P. Rajaratne held sway: UNP was ahead and gaining ground. A singular crusade – unknown – was in motion – underground in the Sinhala electorates. Both major parties failed to crack the code.

MR called for early Presidential elections, with troubled economic times looming ahead; sought nodding astrologers to find auspicious dates to suit his timetable. His brother Gotabhaya wanted him to complete the term to display more work attended. His plea was rejected on the grounds “Gota did not understand politics”. Lesson Rajapakse had not learnt – expectation of winning a third term without an ongoing war? Can he win the fourth round with two fresh generations walking to the polling booths since 2005?

Teaching Government, J.R.P. Suriyapperuma splendidly predicted the existence of two power blocks in then Ceylon. Floating voters or the soft cadres of minor parties gravitate towards one or other major power blocks nearing election date – Example: immensely popular Sarath Muttetuwegama contesting in communist colours led opinion polls till a week before elections in backward Kolonne; made him a poor third on election night. So is it today – where soft JVP/JHU/Left voters switch votes on election eve to beat a common enemy irrespective of their leadership froth – forthcoming election will be a contest between the UNP and the Joint Opposition – Sirisena’s SLFP is treated a mere appendage of the UNP.

Continue reading ‘How and why Mahinda Rajapaksa Lost the 2015 Presidential Elections’ »

By

VISHWAMITHRA 1984

“An honest man in politics shines more there than he would elsewhere.”
-Mark Twain

Ivor Jennings, who was primarily responsible for drafting our Constitution upon gaining Independence from the British, handed us a secular constitution. Multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural as Ceylon was then and now is, the Jennings Constitution safeguarded certain rights of the country’s minorities in no uncertain fashion. It was commonly known as Soulbury Constitution and consisted of The Ceylon Independence Act, 1947 and The Ceylon (Constitution and Independence) Orders in Council 1947, Sri Lanka was then known as Ceylon. The Soulbury Constitution provided a parliamentary form of Government for Ceylon and for a Judicial Service Commission and a Public Service Commission.

Minority rights were safeguarded by Article 29 (2) of the Constitution which stated thus:

(d) alter the constitution of any religious body except with the consent of the governing authority of that body, so, however, that in any case where a religious body is incorporated by law, no such alteration shall be made except at the request of the governing authority of that body.

Continue reading ‘Banning the Maha Sangha From Politics is a Logical Necessity But Prevailing Conditions Wont Allow It.’ »

By K. Ratnayake

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena met with the country’s chief Buddhist priests in Kandy last Friday to assure them no constitutional changes would be made without their consent. The top priests, from all the Buddhist groupings, had issued a series of demands last Tuesday aimed at whipping up Sinhala Buddhist supremacism.

Their demands included: a delay in submitting a bill to parliament on the “International Convention for the protection of all persons from enforced disappearance;” no new changes to the country’s constitution except the electoral system; the protection of Buddhist cultural and archaeological sites in the north and east of the island; and a special committee to look into the grievances of Buddhists.

Sirisena’s meeting took place against the backdrop of an intensifying political crisis, stemming from the growing struggles of workers, farmers and youth against the government’s austerity program. The government itself is seeking to promote communalism to split the growing mass opposition.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Govt Adopts Policy of Appeasement Towards Buddhist Clergy Hierarchy.’ »

By Champika Fernando

Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews has tendered his resignation as captain of the national side from all three formats.

Angelo Mathews-via: en.wikipedia.org

Mathews resignation comes in the wake of the recent defeat to Zimbabwe in the five-match limited over series, where the tourists recorded country’s first-ever series win against the Islanders, beating them 3-2.

Mathews met the national selectors led by Sanath Jayasuriya on Tuesday morning and conveyed his decision to step down from the captaincy.

Continue reading ‘Angelo Mathews Tenders Resignation as Captain Following Lanka’s Defeat at the Hands of Zimbabwe.’ »

The Archeological Advisory Council, which met yesterday, decided to temporarily close the Dambulla Cave Temple complex to local and foreign tourists, until further notice.

“The Council held an in-depth discussion on the necessity to conserve the paintings and wooden statues of the Dambula Cave Temple. The Council also decided to seek the assistance of local and international experts. Thus, in a bid to conserve the five caves of the temple, it was decided to close these off to local and foreign tourists, until further notice,” the Ministry of Education said in a press release.

Continue reading ‘Dambulla Cave Temple UNESCO World Heritage Site Closed to Local and Foreign Tourists Until Further Notice.’ »

by

Nirupama Rao

It is said of Bhutan that it walks between giants. Its geo-strategic situation makes it a hugely important country, however. Sandwiched between India and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, it has succeeded admirably in preserving its national identity, its rich cultural and spiritual heritage, and in advancing the development of its people. Till the latest confrontation involving Chinese and Indian troops in the Doklam plateau in western Bhutan, the country has also avoided being drawn into any differences between India and China.

Bhutan and India have always celebrated their ties of “beneficial bilateralism”. Bhutan is closely tied to India in many ways, for the logic of geography for most Himalayan states, which include Nepal and Bhutan, dictates a southward direction of gravity away from the Inner Asian heartland. Historically, Bhutan it is true, had close links with Tibet, the Drukpa Buddhism it practices has Tibetan connections, but it has been very conscious of preserving its independent stature. Since the 1970’s particularly, it has built for itself a global diplomatic profile. The terms of the 1949 Friendship Treaty with India were distinctly softened in the one that replaced it in 2007 and it has pursued a dialogue with China regarding its boundary with Tibet, having held 24 rounds of such discussions so far. It is blessed with a progressive leadership, and the father of the present monarch- the “great Fourth” as he is known – an iconic figure in his country, led the way to Bhutan becoming a constitutional monarchy a few years ago.

Since 1960 at least, when instability in Tibet and worrisome signs of a Chinese expansionist interest in the status of Bhutan were seen as threats to the wellbeing of the country, the kingdom began to tie itself more closely, economically and strategically, with India. The borders with Tibet were closed and trade ceased. Ties with India were unique because of the seamless friendship, understanding, and multi-faceted partnership that developed between the two countries, and particularly between the monarchy and the political leadership in New Delhi.

But China waited in the wings and Bhutan’s northern borders were a constant reminder of future uncertainties in determining how to deal with an increasingly powerful and giant country. By 1984, negotiations on the unsettled border between the two countries had commenced. The Chinese goal was to see them end in the establishment of diplomatic relations with Bhutan and not just a border settlement.

On the primary Chinese goal, Bhutan’s top leadership remained conflicted although they were not averse to reaching a boundary settlement. Till date neither question has been resolved. Largely stable ties between India and China through these years were helpful also to Bhutan in managing this outreach to China.

Continue reading ‘Bhutan Sandwiched Between China and India is Like a Yam Between Two Boulders.’ »

By

Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka

“How can legitimate governments, deriving their sovereignty from their people, accept fetters on their freedom from outside? We must be alert to the danger of a new colonialism, wrapped in spurious moral considerations, emanating from alien cultures.”
– – ( President Premadasa, Address to the opening session of the 6th SAARC Summit, Colombo, 21st December 1991)

Ambassador Bandu de Silva has critically commented on President Premadasa’s policy towards Israel. His reconstruction (‘More on Sri Lanka’s Israeli connection’, The Island, July 10th 2017) is a speculative caricature, which is factually erroneous in some matters and incomplete in others. What is at stake here is an accurate understanding of both the Premadasa presidency as well Sri Lanka’s foreign policy and diplomatic history. This is all the more important today when Sri Lanka is suffering from a policy of supine sellout in international affairs, following a period of vast blunders and distortion in the postwar years and especially the second term of President Rajapaksa.

President Premadasa’s move on Israel, including the setting up of the Mossad Commission, was catalyzed by the publication of the book by Victor Ostrovsky and Claire Hoy, entitled ‘By Way of Deception’. An expose of Mossad’s duplicitous operations throughout the world, the book revealed that in the Sri Lankan war, the Israelis had been backing both sides, the Sri Lankan state as well as the Tamil Tigers. Premadasa was incensed by this duplicity against Sri Lanka. Though his rivals, headed by the pro-Israeli former Minister of National Security Lalith Athulathmudali, scoffed at the Ostrovsky book, and was echoed in this derisiveness by Colombo’s upper middle class (which took the same attitude towards President Premadasa as they later would towards President Mahinda Rajapaksa, approximately for the same reasons), serious students of Middle Eastern affairs and of Israel in particular, such as my father, Mervyn de Silva, knew better than to scoff.

Victor Ostrovsky was up until that time, the youngest ever recruit of the Mossad—he was that good. Much more importantly, his volume provoked the iconic founding father of Mossad, Isser Harel, to make a rare, perhaps unique television appearance, to denounce Ostrovsky’s whistle-blowing. If the contents of the book were a joke, Isser Harel would have hardly dignified it or demean himself by coming out of the shadows to denounce it.

Continue reading ‘Core Philosophy That Animated President Premadasa’s Foreign Policy’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

During much of his political life, ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa was a shrewd street fighter. Recently he has also proved what an accomplished puppeteer he is too. In many recent incidents, ranging from the mini-riot in Hambantota over the proposed export zone, to SAITM and the recent ill-advised intervention by the Mahanayakas, Mr Rajapaksa has had a hand in exploiting minor grievances and escalating them into crisis proportions. Indeed, many of those recent problems stem from the decisions taken during the Rajapaksa presidency — though that does not mean they were all bad decisions.

What is disingenuous however is that Mr. Rajapaksa is now behaving as if he was born yesterday and is instigating the people against those very decisions. Poor souls who have now been taken for a ride by the born-again Mr Rajapaksa could well have been offered a free ride in a white van, had they chosen to challenge those decisions during the Rajapaksa presidency. Even the Mahanayakas were careful not to cross the red line with him. In 2010, after the arrest of General Sarath Fonkseka, the Mahanayakas planned to convene a Sanga convention to highlight their concerns over the mistreatment of the war-winning former army chief and the erosion of democracy in the country. After one ominous telephone call from Mr Rajapaksa, who allegedly threatened to split an existing Nikaya into two, Buddhist high priests abandoned all plans and went into a half decade of hibernation.

Recently, they appeared to have been woken up by a courier from the ex-president.

The Rajapaksas and their cronies ought to be in courtrooms defending themselves against the alleged deeds of fraud, corruption, nepotism, white-vanning and attacks on the media. Instead, they are ruling the streets. Their actions no longer resemble a desperate reaction by a disgruntled, marginalized lot who try to stay relevant. Theirs is a far more sinister plot to make the country ungovernable and ride to power in the ensuing anarchy. He and his cronies are exploiting the very freedoms that were guaranteed by the new government in an effort to discredit those freedoms and to make the people nostalgic about his authoritarian past.

Continue reading ‘If The Rajapaksas Are Brought To Book, Much Of The Current Protests Would Stop’ »

By Frances Bulathsinghala

The Maithripala Sirisena-Ranil Wickremesinghe regime in Sri Lanka is suffering from a stress induced migraine since its election in 2015, triggered by strikes from trade unions against foreign assisted development projects, strikes by doctors against a controversial private medical college, and the shadow of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, suffered yet another attack when the top most Buddhist High Prelates in the country, called “Mahanayakes” unanimously objected to rewriting or amending the constitution of the country.

The Mahanayakes of the three main Buddhist Orders called “Nikayas” in a hard hitting message demanded that the government drop its plan to write a new constitution for the country or even amend the existing constitution, two key promises made by the new regime prior to it being elected. The call by the Mahanayakas came after they convened a special meeting earlier this week in Kandy seen as the highest seat of Buddhism in the island. If necessary, only the election system may be amended, they decreed.

Analysts point out that the influence of the former President and his family members is seen in the decision by the Mahanayakas to make a public announcement concerning a key election promise by the current President and his government. Both Rajapaksa and his brothers, especially the powerful former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been spending much of their time since the political defeat of 2015, at temples of the country, meeting the Buddhist clergy, mainly the monks at the helm of the three Buddhist orders. However, the protest by the monks against a new constitution is shared with many Sinhala nationalists.

Continue reading ‘Sirisena-Wickremesinghe Regime Is Suffering From Stress Induced Migraine’ »

BY GAGANI WEERAKOON

The most heated Cabinet meeting ever since the election of President Maithripala Sirisena in 2015 took place last Tuesday at the President’s Secretariat with the impatient President cracking the whip against his UNP coalition partners for inaction or rather lethargy shown in taking action against the former First Family.

As for the reasons he gave for his sudden anxiety over this wait for justice to be meted out against alleged corruption and other crimes which are said to have been committed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and members of his family, seemed to be more on personal grounds than in the interest of the country.

Yet, it is quite understandable that President Sirisena getting impatient over the matters as the time he has in hand is less than the time he has already spent.

“I risked my life and my family’s life in running for the election. It is true that the UNP worked for my victory, but it doesn’t mean that I have to tolerate everything. If the Rajapaksa regime is back, there will be no problem for UNP ministers. But the first people to be persecuted will be me and my family. Nothing will happen to the Prime Minister too,” was exactly what he told the Cabinet during his outburst, according to sources.

Continue reading ‘Rajapaksa Family Members to Face Indictments in Ten Selected “Strong” Cases of Alleged Corruption Within next Three Months.’ »

By The “Sunday Times” Political Editor

The first real sign that the two and half year old coalition — once dubbed harmoniously as the ‘National Unity Government’ — is cracking emerged last Tuesday.It surfaced at the weekly Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Secretariat. In a no-holds-barred speech, an angry President Maithripala Sirisena did not mince his words. He pointedly accused his partner in governance, the United National Party (UNP), of stalling investigations into allegations of bribery, corruption and other acts of fraud allegedly committed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, his family members, close associates and top officials. Mama dannawa mewa patharawala pala wei kiyala. Ekata kamak nehe (I know this will appear in the newspapers. That does not matter), he asserted.

Sirisena, who is also leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), declared that if he were given the Police and the Attorney General’s Department, he would have produced results within three months (finding previous Government leaders who are guilty of bribery and corruption). Those remarks were clearly a lament that those two subjects were assigned to UNP ministers and he had no direct role. But that remark did raise many issues. Within hours of Sirisena’s admonishment, what he said became the talking point among both the SLFP and the UNP, particularly their respective parliamentarians. Apart from the bouquets and brickbats, questions were also being posed on whether Sirisena himself is under tremendous pressure or feels cornered under various mounting issues.

The occasion for his verbal assault on the UNP, almost putting it on notice, arose from a rather non-committal ‘Note to Cabinet’ which Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe presented. He sought “an appropriate decision” by his ministerial colleagues on the future of the Anti-Corruption Committee Secretariat (ACCS) whose term ended on June 30. More on the ACCS later.
First to Premier Wickremesinghe’s note dated June 27, 2017.

Titled the “Continuation of the Anti-Corruption Secretariat,” the note said:

Continue reading ‘A “Visibly Angry” Sirisena, An “Irritated” Wickremesinghe and “Fireworks” in Cabinet About Alleged UNP Nexus with Rajapaksas.’ »

by C.A.Chandraprema

While the government seemed unable to come up with a solution for the SAITM crisis, a breakthrough in the impasse has come from an unexpected quarter – the Supreme Court. With the Supreme Court allowing the GMOA to become an intervenient petitioner in the appeal filed by the Sri Lanka Medical Council, a solution to the SAITM issue now seems closer than it ever was. Apart from the garbage issue, the standoff between the government on the one hand and the student unions and the GMOA plus a whole lot of other people over the SAITM issue was probably the most visible dissension against the government in the past several months. The main grouse of the GMOA was that they had never been allowed to present their side of the story to any court of law that had been hearing cases relating to SAITM.

The president of the GMOA, Dr Anuruddha Padeniya, is even facing contempt of court charges over comments made at an anti-SAITM meeting, saying among other things “…if the courts are unable to look at the two reports published by the GMOA and the five member committee appointed by the Health Minister, and they can look only at what is put before them by the Attorney General, what kind of justice can the people of this country expect?” In 2010, the GMOA had put out a 20 page document outlining the shortcomings in the medical course offered by SAITM. At the time this document was released, the Minister of Health was Maithripala Sirisena. The latter had seen the report and he had told the GMOA that he too agrees with the contents of that report and had asked what he should do about it as the Minister of Health.

The GMOA had suggested to him that since this was a report prepared by a trade union, he should appoint an official five member committee through the Health Ministry to go into the issues raised in that report. A five member committee made up of medical professionals, lawyers and administrators was duly constituted and the GMOA and other parties had made representations before this committee. The committee had put out their report in 2012 as the official view of the Ministry of Health and these had run parallel to the earlier report compiled by the GMOA. Padeniya’s complaint was that that the present Minister of Health and the AG who represented the government in the various court cases relating to SAITM, has not presented these two reports to any court of law. He stated that the reason why the GMOA has had to come on to the streets is because these two reports had not been taken into account in any case pertaining to SAITM.

Continue reading ‘Solution to SAITM Crisis Seems Closer Than Ever Due to Supreme Court Intervention.’ »

By

Yohan Perera

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Saturday he would come up with a new proposal shortly to include provisions in the Constitution that would prohibit Governments from interfering with internal matters of three main Buddhist Chapters.

The Prime Minister said this at the opening of the Weli Maluwa at Ruwan Weliseya in Anuradhapura over the weekend.

“I will come up with proposal to include a clause in the Constitution that the Government cannot get involved in deciding on the matters relating to the three Nikayas, followed by Sri Lankan Buddhists.”

Continue reading ‘Ranil to Bring Clause in New Constitution Prohibiting Govt Intereference in Matters Concerning the Three Buddhist Nikayas.’ »

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera yesterday criticised former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and backed the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances Bill, pointing out it would not be implemented with retrospective powers and would secure the rights of all Sri Lankan citizens in the future.

Recapping Sri Lanka becoming a signatory to the UN International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances in 2015 and the eventual development of the bill, the former Foreign Minister insisted that it would protect all Sri Lankans, regardless of their religion or ethnicity, from persecution.

“This legislation is of paramount importance. It is a human right of any person living in a free, fair and civilised society. It provides for the protection against unjust elements seeking to suppress dissenting views and demands. The main aim of this legislation is to provide every citizen protection against disappearances or kidnappings,” the statement said.

Continue reading ‘Mangala Slams Mahinda and Rajapaksa Loyalists for Misleading Public and Besmirching the Good Name of the armed Forces.’ »

By

Kishali Pinto Jayawardene

An ongoing war of words between President Maithripala Sirisena and prominent Ministers in the United National Party (UNP) sums up in a nutshell what’s wrong with the seeming ‘unity’ alliance. Perturbingly, the ‘unity’ part is looking increasingly tattered as we go along.

Public anger regarding dysfunctional law enforcement

In one sense, the President was both right and wrong in expressing his considerable annoyance this week. Conveying dissatisfaction with the work record of the Law and Order Ministry, as well as the Department of the Attorney General, he remarked that if he took those institutions under his control, many of the delayed and long pending corruption and murder cases implicating prominent politicians of the previous regime would be dealt with in record time.

And therein lies the rub. Certainly where the first claim is concerned, there would be overwhelming public support. Regardless of protests of Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake following the President’s remarks, there is little doubt that the dysfunction of the Ministry and the Department of the Police has been a primary focus of deep public anger.

Indeed, the Minister’s protestations contrast oddly with the fact that not so long ago, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) was captured on television cameras assuring the Minister that a ‘protected’ person of the former regime would not be arrested.

Continue reading ‘Bringing Police and Attorney-General Under President Sirisena Amounts to Aggrandizement of Executive Presidency Powers.’ »

By

Don Manu

It was the Venerable Sobitha Thera’s battle cry for real change; and the joint opposition candidate Sirisena’s spring board to power to gain the presidency and then turn it into a eunuch to serve the needs of a parliamentary harem.

But the fondest hope of the noble monk to see Sirisena birth a new constitution that will do away with the executive presidential system in the country and Sirisena’s promise in his manifesto which was released on December 19, 2014 at the Viharamahadevi Park “to introduce a constitutional structure with an Executive that is allied to Parliament through the cabinet” suddenly seem to be at risk of being jettisoned in mid flight by a most powerful sector in Lanka’s body politic: Namely, the Buddhist monks.

Sirisena had gone to extraordinary lengths to spell out the how and explain the why. Why the nation needed a new chic garment to swing with the fashions of the times and how he would see it tailored according to the public’s specifications and deliver it bespoke to the nation’s wardrobe; and how he would marshal his forces from all sides of the political divide to keep his promise to the nation.

He had placed his hands on his political testament, his election manifesto, and sworn to usher in a new constitution that would be more in keeping with the changing times. And he had promised to do so within hundred days of assuming office as President.

Two and a half years — nearly a thousand days — have now passed but the public cannot even sniff a whiff of smoke in the air wafting from the cabinet galley. Though the government says it is still being sautéed and the Prime Minster Ranil assures all it will soon be served on the table for public delectation, a section of the luncheon guests have, it seems, begun to wonder whether Lanka’s bacon will drop from the frying pan into the fire and whether the chefs will end up getting their fingers burnt.

Continue reading ‘Why are the Three Buddhist Nikayas Hailing as Sacrosanct the very Same JR Jayewardene Constitution They De-cried Earlier?’ »

BY GAGANI WEERAKOON

A fresh tug of war has erupted between State authorities and Bhikkhu hierarchies over the ownership of Golden Temple in Dambulla which is recognized as the largest, best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka with Buddhist mural paintings (covering an area of 2,100 m2) and 157 statues, being dropped off the list of World Heritages by the UNESCO.

Golden Temple of Dambulla-© OUR PLACE The World Heritage Collection
Author: Amos Chapple-UNESCO

The administration of Dambulla Temple has apparently not allowed the officials of the Central Cultural Fund (CCF) who had been deployed for maintenance at the world heritage site to enter the premises.
The paintings of the Dambulla Cave Temple, thus in danger due to unnecessary involvement into the activities of the Archaeology Department, acting Director General of Archaeology Prof. P.B. Mandawala alleged.

He said the murals at the cave temple in Dambulla were peeling off; paintings had faded and were exposed to the mercy of Mother Nature, due to lack of proper programme to protect them. He also said the layer between the stones and plaster has become wet and is on the verge of collapse. The increased level of hydrogen and uncontrolled gathering of pilgrims inside the temple and high humidity had aggravated the situation. Plaster on the walls was falling and high voltage camera lights had endangered the paintings.
“The people who had been employed for the restoration work at the Dambulla cave temple have been withdrawn on the orders of the Temple authorities. The intervention of the Central Cultural Fund and the Archaeology Department was necessary to preserve this temple but all officials of the two public institutions have been withdrawn by now,” Prof. Mandawala said while warning legal action would be taken against those responsible if things get worsened.

Continue reading ‘UNESCO World Heritage Committee Wants Report on Conservation of Dambulla Cave Temple Submitted By Sri Lanka Before Dec 1st 2017’ »

By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan

The Government has decided to closely monitor all Non Government Organizations (NGOs) and has initiated measures to take action relating to activities of ‘certain civil society organizations’ which are acting against the State.

The Government has also decided to scrap the abbreviation ‘NGOs’ and replace it with CSOs , an abbreviation for Civil Society Organizations, and will establish CSO Councils in every district and secretariat division islandwide.

Speaking to Ceylon Today, National Co-existence Dialogue & Official Languages Minister Mano Ganesan, under whom the subjects of NGOs anJustice Minister Wijeyedasa Rajapakshe’s statement that there was the possibility of certain civil society organizations acting against the interests of the State and manipulating with funds meant for community projects.


Minister Ganesan noted that his Ministry is now conducting two separate investigations into two such NGOs.

Continue reading ‘Investigations are Being Conducted Into the Activities of Two Non – Governmental Organizations Discloses Cabinet Minister Mano Ganesan.’ »

By Dr. Prasanna Cooray

Enough is enough. This country has suffered a lot from a civil war fought on ethnic lines for nearly three decades. It left thousands dead including combatants and civilians caused irreparable damage to property, both private and public. The war cost us dear on the economic front as well. Furthermore, time and again, violence was unleashed against “minorities” (although I dislike this word, I use it here for want of a better alternative) by the majority.

In the not-so-distant past, anti-Tamil riots erupted in the country in 1977 and 1983 before the civil war erupted. Against Muslims and Sinhalese, an ethnic cleansing drive in the North and East was unleashed by the LTTE in the 1980s and 1990s, which left hundreds dead and hundreds of thousands were driven out of the Northern Province. Again, riots against the Muslims erupted in Mawanella in 2001 and in Kalutara in 2014. In April 2002, there was an incident of violence between two sects of Muslims in Beruwala and that claimed three lives. These are only some of the incidents I can recall.

Needless to say what we have experienced during the last two or three decades has tarnished the image of Sri Lanka and it has prompted Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama to appeal for the safety of Muslims here. His Holiness said so at the Himalayan city of Leh, almost three years ago, on 05 July 2014. (Most of our own Buddhist monks and other religious dignitaries have also denounced all forms of violence including attacks on the ethnic and religious minorities). Why this message is important to the majority communities in this country is because it is their responsibility to safeguard the rights of the minorities who live among them.

Continue reading ‘Stern Action is Called for Against Those Spreading Ethno-religious Hatred Through Social Media.’ »

By Shaahidah Riza

Human rights lawyer Lakshan Dias asserted that he has factual evidence of churches being intimidated by hate groups and that he can, when necessary, produce evidence to support his claim. He went on to note that the mainstream media is biased and distorts facts, thus incidents of hate crimes are either under reported or distorted. Dias recently came under scrutiny when Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe accused him of concocting stories of attacks on places of worship and threatened to remove him from the legal profession. Since then Rajapakshe has come under fire from law makers and politicians alike for his statement which was deemed irresponsible and does not befit the position of a Justice Minister.

Excerpts of the interview with Lawyer Lakshan Dias:

Q; Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe has drawn a lot of criticism over his behaviour. Yet, the Government has not taken any action in this regard. What is your view? Did the minister apologise to you?

A: What the Minister is uttering is baseless and it’s all his own finding, whereas what I said was based on facts that were assimilated by the National Council of Evangelical Alliance in relation to their member churches and other churches that they work with. There are few more attacks that took place on non-NCEASL churches as well and I appear on behalf of some of those churches as well. So the numbers can be higher than what NCEASL reports indicated. Therefore, I stand by what I said and we have our own way of looking at the gravity of the attacks. If the Minister confuses Catholics with Evangelicals, it’s his problem.

Further his sinister campaign against me coupled with foul mouthed comments and threats cannot be accepted and the UNP must sack him from the party and the Cabinet as well. Some UNP leaders and Yahapalana leaders too are of the same view. The Minister is a disgrace to the UNP, and the Government as whole, he has been accused by many sectors, including two Government Ministers over his conduct and it is unfortunate that he still remains in his position. We all respect Buddhism, but it’s a disgrace that he holds such a Ministry. I strongly feel that the Minister must apologize to me immediately and I am not foolish to expect one within 24 hours. I will send a Letter of Demand and then also complain to the BASL over his attitude and reactions towards a lawyer. This needs to be inquired into as it is a violation of Professional ethics of Lawyers and he must be disbarred. I have already complained to BASL and sent another letter to them, after their 24th meeting, asking for action to be taken against the Minister. If this happens in a democratic country the minister has to resign but I am puzzled as to why Yahapalana Government still allows him to remain in his position.

Continue reading ‘Lawyer Lakshan Dias Ready to Coach Justice Minister Rajapakshe on Reconciliation and Transitional Justice’ »

Sri Lanka will transform a former war torn district in the north into a major tourism hub in the region, the Tourism Ministry said in a statement here Friday.

The Ministry said it had identified the Mannar District for major tourism infrastructure development projects and already over Rs. 40 million had been spent on making the beach areas tourist friendly.

Many other projects are also being planned to make the district the main hub for tourism in the region, the Ministry said.

“It was decided to position Mannar as the main hub for visiting key attractions in the region. The identified main attractions include the famed Madhu Church Shrine, Wilpattu National Park and a host of other sites which have been identified as having considerable tourism potential,” the statement said.

Continue reading ‘Northern Mannar District to be Transformed Into Major Tourism Hub by Govt’ »

By

P.K.Balachandran

The Sri Lankan government is in a bind over two important commitments it had solemnly made two years ago, one to the electorate of Sri Lanka, and the other to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.

Maithipala Sirisena and Ranil Wickemesinghe became Sri Lanka’s President and Prime Minister respectively by promising a new democratic constitution, wherein, power will be vested in parliament and not in an Executive President, and wherein, the provinces will be given a sufficient amount of autonomy.

And to get out of the hook at the UNHRC, where there had been charges of war crimes against it, the government signed the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances in December 2015, and promised to incorporate it in the country’ domestic law.

But in the two years since they assumed office, President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe find themselves unable to fulfill these commitments.

Continue reading ‘Sirisena and Wickremesinghe Finding it Difficult to Implement Commitments on New Constitution and International Convention on Enforced Disappearances.’ »

BY

WINSTON DE VALLIERE

On 13 June the Cabinet of Ministers issued a statement stating that the Government had directed law enforcement authorities and the Attorney General to take immediate action against instigators and perpetrators of violence and hate speech against religious and ethnic groups.

The nation is holding its breath waiting for that incredible day on which that will come to pass. As one gradually approaches the end of his eighth decade in life, one tends to have stopped being politically naïve. I will become a believer when we get people who do not act on telephone orders from some “Sir”, to desist from arresting someone charged with a crime and a Police force whose spokesman does not tell the media that it’s not an easy matter to arrest a Buddhist monk.

The Cabinet statement has clearly said that”We are deeply concerned by the recent incidents of violence targeting places of religious worship, shops and business enterprises, and houses. We denounce in the strongest terms, these acts of violence and hatred, including incidents of hate speech by certain individuals and groups aimed at inciting violence against the different ethnic and religious communities in our country.
We affirm that hate filled expressions and actions by individuals and groups with vested interests, resulting in demeaning and denigrating, and inciting violence against fellow citizens of various ethnic, religious backgrounds have no place in Sri Lankan society.

But Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament on Wednesday that these attacks on places of religious worship and business houses were mistakenly perceived as acts of ethnic/religious violence.

How is it that he subscribed to the Cabinet statement and yet says something radically different about it in Parliament?

Continue reading ‘Climate of Impunity Under Rajapaksa Regime is Alive and Kicking Under This Govt Too.’ »

By
Ajit Kanagasundram

Our foray into aviation has been nothing short of disastrous except in the early years and getting worse with almost daily revelations of corruption and ineptitude. I have chosen the title “Fly me to the Moon” as a parody of Mrs Bandaranayake’s promise to bring rice from the moon and provide it free to the masses, and which promise and Sinhala chauvinism won he a landslide majority in the 1970 election.

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The early years were uneventful – Ceylon was one of the first developing nations to have an airline and it was run by a distinguished Civil Servant called MFDS Jayaratne. Small, profitable and serving a few regional routes and London. We were the first in Asia to fly Lockheed Super Constellations and I vividly remember my first flight in 1958, when my father took up the post of High Commissioner in London, after he was removed from his job as the Chairman of the Gal Oya Board, despite having done an excellent job by all accounts, purely on Philip Gunawardane influencing SWRD Bandarayake to remove him because he was a Tamil. We made stops along the way at Karachi, Bahrain, Cairo and Rome – the flight took from Ratmalana two days and was super comfortable. Other airlines, Like Singapore Airlines were the flying World War II Dakotas. Anyone would have picked Air Ceylon to be the first successful Asia airline, especially as we had an agreement with KLM, the best airline in the world at that time, to provide engineering and logistical support. We have had subsequent partnership witha French airline UTA, SIA ,and Emirates all of which ended in tears over aircraft procurement. Today despite repeated calls partners there are no takers as our reputation is well known in the airline industry. The only offer was from a shadowy Texas investment outfit, with no known airline experience but with connections to our politicians through an equally shadowy “middle man”. Instead the credit for the first successful Asia airline was taken by Singapore International Airline – SIA- and I will its story first as it is a textbook case of how to do it right

In order to set up a fledgling airline In 1965, Lee Kuan Yew chose J Y M Pillay ( a Jaffna Tamil) , who had no background in aviation but was known to be an intelligent hardworking Civil Servant in his mid 30s. He was mandated to start SIA with the two Dakota aircraft that Singapore received when it broke up with Malaysia – the only scheduled flights were to KL and Penang…….

Continue reading ‘“Fly me to the Moon”: Sri Lankas Aviation Fiasco and how Singapore Airlines Soared Under JYM Pillai of Jaffna’ »

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday assured the House that no steps will be taken to amend Article 9 of the Constitution, which has assured the foremost place and the duty of the State to protect and foster Buddha Sasana, while assuring the rights granted to all other religions by Article 10 and 14 (1) (e ) of the Constitution.

Rejecting the attempts to amend Article 9 in the new Constitution-making process which is now underway, the Prime Minister said: “What are available are summaries of different proposals that had been placed before the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee has not come up with any draft. As long as I hold the position of Chairman of the Steering Committee, Article 9 will not be amended.”

Continue reading ‘“Article 9 of Constitution Providing Foremost Place to Buddhism Wont be Amended”-Ranil Tells Parliament.’ »

By Cyril Wimalasurendre

President Maithripala Sirisena assured the Maha Sangha of the three Nikayas in Kandy on Thursday (06) afternoon that there was no draft constitution.

If a new Constitution was to be drafted it would be done only in consultation with the Maha Sanga and other stakeholders, President Maithripala Sirisena told a group of Nayake Theras at the Kandy President’s House.

The outcome of the discussion between the Sangha and the President was disclosed to the media by the Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Nayake Thera.

Continue reading ‘Maha Sangha will be Consulted if and when New Constitution is Drafted Assures President Sirisena in Kandy.’ »

By Saman Indrajith

A government’s move to remove the Universities of Colombo and Peradeniya from the purview of University Grants Commission (UGC) and turn them into profit earning institutions was disclosed at a recent meeting of the parliamentary watchdog committee – COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises), according to sources.

The proposal was discussed at the Higher Education Sub Committee of the Education Sectoral Oversight Committee sessions on May 12 and 19 at the parliamentary complex. At those meetings a UNP MP proposed the removal of the two universities from the UGC’s purview. The University of Colombo representatives present at those two meetings were agreeable to the proposal. None from the University of Peradeniya was present at the meetings attended by senior officials of the Higher Education Ministry’s Division on Private Institutions awarding university degrees, according to sources.

Continue reading ‘MP from UNP Wants Govt to “Privatise” Universities of Peradeniya and Colombo and Turn Them Into Profit Making Institutions.’ »

The Monetary Board of the Central Bank yesterday suspended the business activities of controversial primary dealer Perpetual Treasuries for six months, effective immediately.

The Central Bank, releasing a statement, said it was acting in terms of the regulations made under the Registered Stocks and Securities Ordinance and the Local Treasury Bills Ordinance.

Continue reading ‘Central Bank Monetary Board Suspends Business Activities of Primary Dealer Perpetual Treasuries for Six Months.’ »

By Saman Indrajith

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament yesterday that courts issuing orders banning garbage disposal would lead to further spread of disease such as dengue and deaths of patients.

Responding to a question raised by JVP MP Bimal Ratnayake, the Prime Minister said that there was no proper place to dump garbage collected in cities. That was the main cause of garbage problem. “We are planning to find a permanent solution to this problem. We are planning to dispose of garbage at the provincial level. We have taken steps to import nine machines to manufacture compost fertilizer and they will be distributed among nine provinces. We have also commenced 25 projects to recycle garbage. We are also planning to purchase 100 vehicles and obtain 150 more vehicles with Korean assistance, to transport garbage.

“The Rajapaksa regime left behind not only a mountain of loans but also a mountain of garbage. We will not run away from this problem unlike the Rajapaksa government. We will not leave the loan problem and the garbage problem to the next generation. Today, the garbage mountain is not there.

Continue reading ‘Prime Minister Wickremesinghe Faults Courts for Suspending Disposal of Garbage in Places like Karadiyana and Muthurajawela.’ »

By Chitra Weerarathne

The Supreme Court yesterday granted interim relief to 34 petitioners from Bopitiy by ordering that no garbage be dumped within the Muthurajawela bird sanctuary till July 20, the next date of calling of the fundamental rights violation petition against alleged pollution of the sanctuary.

The petitioners are Rev. Father Ananda Withana of St. Nicholas Church Bopitiya and 33 others.

They had complained that the Colombo Municipal Council dumped garbage within the sanctuary.

Continue reading ‘Supreme Court Stops Dumping of Garbage Within Muthurajawela Bird Sanctuary till July 20th’ »

By Devin Jayasundera

For the last three months, Kamalnath, 26, has been arriving to work in Chunnakam two hours late, leaving two hours early and spending his free time at a friend’s home in Nallur. He works at his family’s fancy goods store, retailing beauty accoutrements like bangles, hairpins and the latest fairness creams.
Chunnakam is second most populous town in the Jaffna district. Kamalnath’s father’s store averages revenue of Rs20,000 per day.

The store employs three people, including Kamalnath. But Kamalnath is not just any other helper. “I’m a second upper class graduate of business administration with specialization in accounting from the University of Jaffna,” he says.

Desperate for options Kamalnath, an under-employed management graduate from the University of Jaffna, lingers at his family’s fancy goods store, waiting for his dream job

When Kamalnath entered the University of Jaffna in 2010, his dream was to be a university lecturer. “If that didn’t work out, I wanted to get a man agement trainee position at a bank,” he says. As of now, both plans have not yet materialized in his favour. After graduating in 2015, as he could remember, he only applied for three jobs. The first is what he calls his dream job, the management trainee position at Bank of Ceylon. The second is another management trainee position at People’s Bank. The third is a government internal audit position for the Northern Province.
Continue reading ‘Positive Initiatives Taken By Ordinary People to Repair Broken Jaffna Offer Change From Despair To Hope’ »

By
Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka

“A single spark can start a prairie fire.” (Mao)

“I am alone with the people.” (Mao)

Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe is the target of a fire-hose of criticism. What I find most interesting is where this criticism is coming from and the larger truth it obscures.

The criticism comes from a network of lobbies and caucuses comprised for the most part of those who never stood up for the country and its protection during the greatest test it faced in its contemporary history: the onslaught of the separatist, terrorist and fascist LTTE. It comes for the most part from those who never voiced opposition to the hypocrisy of the West’s interventionist human rights assault on Sri Lanka. It comes for the most part from those who have no word of criticism of the West for its military interventionism and aggression in many parts of the world, such as Iraq, Libya and Syria. It comes in the main from those whose discourse does not contain the concepts of national sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and the people.

Those who have gone on the record attacking Wijedasa Rajapakshe belong to what Philip Gunawardena used to refer to as “rootless cosmopolitans” and LH Mettananda as a “microscopic minority”. Decades later, President Premadasa referred to this social strata or substrata derisively as “the swimming pool set”.

Continue reading ‘In Defence of “The Lone Patriot” Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe’ »

Sri Lankan President Maithripala has announced four major appointments mafe by him on July 3rd 2017.
President Sirisena revealed details of the new appointmets to the world at large through his twitter account.

The names of the new Army Commander, Defence Secretary, Secretary to the President and Eastern Province Governor were publicised by the President through tweets.

The new appointmets were –

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Appoints New Army Chief, Defence Secy, Secretary to the President and Eastern Province Governor.’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

The Sri Lankan army on Monday returned 54 acres of land in the fishing village of Myliddy in Jaffna peninsula to its original residents, after occupying it for nearly three decades.

Pic: @tnamediaoffice

Consequently, about 200 families living in welfare centres for the war-affected and with friends and relatives returned to where they lived before the country’s civil war displaced them. Fisher folk from the coastal village, who have for long sought access to the Myliddy fishing harbour, also in the military’s high security zone and out of reach, can finally fish there after years of struggle.

Continue reading ‘Fishing Harbour and 54 Acres in Myliddy in Jaffna Returned to the People By the Sri Lankan Army After 27 Years.’ »

By Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon

Western Province Chief Minister Isura Devapriya yesterday called on Sinhala mothers to produce more children and ensure the protection of Buddhism and the Sinhala race.

Continue reading ‘“Sinhala Mothers Must Produce More Children to Protect Buddhism and the Sinhala Race”- Western Chief Minister Devapriya’ »

By Anura Balasuriya reporting from Trincomalee

The only thing the incumbent government did was to talk, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday. It was trying to cover up its failure by blaming others, he added.

Addressing a mammoth Joint Opposition (JO) rally at the Town Hall grounds in Trincomalee, the former President said not a single day passed without the government blaming him for something or other.

JO supporters converged on the Town Hall grounds, braving inclement weather.

Every sector, be it economic, political, or foreign affairs, was in utter chaos. The government is planning to introduce a new Constitution to do away with the unitary status of the country, said Rajapaksa. “All economic resources are being sold to foreigners. The entire national economy will be handed over to foreign powers through pacts such as the ETCA (Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement.”

Continue reading ‘“Sri Lanka is Only Country in the World to Have Three Cabinet Spokesmen who Give Three Versions of same Issue” -Mahinda Rajapaksa’ »

The Asgiriya Chapter of the Siyam sect on Saturday vehemently protested against the proposed new Constitution at a meeting the Mahanayake of the Chapter Most Ven. Warakagoda Sri Gnanaratne and other senior monks had with a group of Buddhasasana Task Force representatives at the Asgiriya temple.

The Asgiriya senior monks led by the Mahanayake declared that one of the objectives of the proposed new constitution was to make way for separatism and remove the foremost place given to Buddhism in the existing Constitution.

They said they would not hesitate to take to the streets to show their opposition to the constitution project.

Continue reading ‘Mahanayake and Senior Mo nks of the Asgiriya Chapter Reject Proposed New Constitution’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

For a long time, Sri Lanka was a leader in the region in two key areas – public health and civic conservancy. But over the last year, the country is facing a major challenge in both, the most visible manifestation being the recent dengue epidemic that has claimed over 200 lives.

One tragedy closely followed another. In April, a massive trash mountain in suburban Colombo collapsed, killing 32 people and crushing over 150 homes. Affected residents are still struggling to recover from the disaster, and civic authorities confronted an obvious problem. With the city’s key waste-yard now out of bounds, they had no place to dump residents’ trash every day. Consequently, municipal collection has been very irregular, with rotting piles of trash left unattended across the capital. Soon after, Sri Lanka faced one of the worst floods and landslips in recent years. At least 200 people died and several thousands were displaced.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka Struggles to Face Twin Challenges of Garbage Disposal and Dengue Fever’ »

The government is attempting to incorporate into the law of Sri Lanka the provisions of the ‘International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances’, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa says.

Many countries had kept away from this Convention altogether for the obvious reason that its provisions had the potential to violate the individual rights of citizens of the States that join it, he said.

Following is the text of former President Rajapaksa’s warning

A Bill has been gazetted to incorporate into the law of Sri Lanka, the provisions of the ‘International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances’ which was hurriedly signed and ratified by the present government. Clause 8 of this Bill enables foreign countries to seek the extradition of a Sri Lankan who is suspected, accused or convicted of having caused enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka. When such a request is made, the government of Sri Lanka is obliged to inform the foreign country of the measures it intends taking to prosecute or extradite that person. Clause 21 empowers the executive arm of the State to oversee the full implementation of this international convention in Sri Lanka and Clause 23 states that this new law is to override all other written law.

Continue reading ‘“Voting for Law Incorporating International Protocol Against Enforced Disappearances is a Betrayal of Our Country’-Mahinda Rajapaksa’ »

By

Bishop Duleep de Chickera

The initial shock at the response of a high ranking minister to comments made by a citizen on a recent talk show, soon shifted to a realisation of its seriousness.

During the show Lakshan Dias, an attorney at law,presented some dataon violence against some Christians and their places of worship. He named the source that had documented these incidents; many of which were on record at police stations where complaints had been made.

Sensible governance-expected and prevented

One would have expected persons in authority, on hearing these remarks, to have demonstrated indignation and contrition that these incidents had taken place under their watch. Further information should have been sought from the IGP, and if found to be substantial, duly investigated with appropriate action taken, to protect those harassed and deal with the perpetrators. This is what good and sensible governance is all about; doing the right thing now,before too many wrong things pile up tomorrow.

If, on the other hand, the remarks were proven to be unfounded, Mr Dias should have been responded to in accordance with the law.

Continue reading ‘“Bias Shown in the Lakshan Dias Affair is Due to Denial and not due to Ignorance”- Bishop Duleep de Chickera’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has challenged Health Minister and co-cabinet spokesman Dr. Rajitha Senaratne’s recent declaration that the SAITM (South Asian Institute of technology and Medicine), Malabe, won’t be nationalized under any circumstances.

Responding to Dr Senaratne, newly elected GMOA Secretary Harith Alutge emphasised that remedial measures taken to resolve SAITM crisis should lead to its nationalisation.

While Dr. Senaratne has declared that the government wouldn’t talk with the GMOA in this regard, the GMOA reiterated its unwavering commitment to a five-point joint proposal made by the Deans and teachers of the state medical faculties and the GMOA to resolve the crisis.

Continue reading ‘GMOA, ,Health Minister and the SAITM Crisis: A Brief History’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Anti Corruption Front (ACF) has alleged the Secretariat tasked with examining public complaints and direct them to relevant institutions, including the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) or the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) was closed down on June 30.

Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon on behalf of the ACF told The Island that the closure of the outfit manned by professionals should be viewed against the backdrop of 30 complaints it received pertaining to corrupt activities of ministers and secretaries to various ministries of the present government.

A PM’s Office official told The Island that the period of operation of the Secretariat had been periodically extended. Although the term of the Secretariat had lapsed on June 30, the government would take up the matter soon. The official strongly denied claims that the government was making an attempt to suppress investigations. He didn’t rule out the possibility of it being revived.The issue is likely to be discussed at this week’s Cabinet meeting.

The Anti-Corruption Committee Secretariat operates under the direct supervision of the PM’s Office.

Continue reading ‘Anti-Corruption Committee Secretariat Under Prime Minister’s Office Closed Down on June30 Alleges Anti-Corruption Front’ »

By Namini Wijedasa

The Supreme Court has dismissed a Fundamental Rights (FR) application by a mosque president and a principal of a madrassa in Panadura, arguing their right to proceed with building a religious school–which residents and Buddhist monks vehemently demonstrated against–was violated.

President of the Board of Trustees of the Wekada Jumma Mosque, M.J.M. Faril and Principal of Anas Ibnu Malik Hiflul Quran Madrassa, Moulavi M.B.M. Haris had not obtained the Religious Affairs Ministry’s approval to build the proposed educational institution, Justice Anil Gooneratne held, with Justices Sisira J. de Abrew and Vijith K. Malalgoda, P.C. agreeing, while dismissing the petition with costs.

“The material placed before court indicates that the real purpose of the petitioners seems to be to have a mosque, instead of a school,” the judgment held. “This seems to be the starting point for the dispute. The villagers, residents and Buddhist monks vehemently protested against any further construction for a different purpose.”

“Our country has suffered over the years as a result of communal violence,” it continued. “History repeats and, if one were to analyse as to what happened in the 1915 riots, though it was meaningless for the two communities to clash, lessons have not been learnt by a certain section of the community.

Continue reading ‘Supreme Court Unanimously Dismisses Fundamental Rights Application By Mosque President and “Madrassa” Principal in Panadura.’ »

The United States had “a detailed coordinated plan” with the Indian and Sri Lanka Governments for its Navy to rescue trapped displaced persons in Puthukudiyiruppu during the final stages of the separatist war, according to Ambassador Robert Blake, then Washington’s envoy in Colombo.

However, the Sri Lankan Government killed the idea for fear that Erik Solheim (Norwegian peace broker) and I would be taken hostage by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), he said last week in Washington DC.

Blake was speaking to the Serendipity Group, a body of US Ambassadors and diplomats who served in Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan Americans. Blake said he did not believe that Solheim and he would be taken hostage.

He said there were also perceptions that it was an effort to rescue LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. “Every person would have been transferred by US Navy boats to Sri Lankan custody,” he said.

Continue reading ‘US had a “Detailed Coordinated Plan” To Resue Trapped Civilians in Wanni Which Was Vetoed By Mahinda Govt Reveals Ex – US Envoy Robert Blake.’ »

Shrinking space for human rights voices and dissent, and concerns over the terms of engagement between government and civil society

A statement by concerned human rights and democratic rights
activists and organisations

27th June 2017,
Colombo

As individuals and organisations committed to human rights and democratic freedoms, and the rights of freedom of expression and dissent, we are deeply concerned about recent attempts to stiflevoices of human rights activists and silence dissent.

On 17th June,Minister for Justice and Buddha Sasana, WijeyadasaRajapakshe, publicly threatened to remove Mr. Lakshan Dias, Attorney-at-Law, and a well-known human rights activist, from the legal profession, in response to Mr. Dias raising the issues of attacks on Christian places of worship since 2015. The Minister prefaced this by virtually condemninghuman rights NGOs in general. He said, “In our country there are organisationswho claim to be protecting human rights, who are dependent on NGO funds, who are trying to destroy the peace between the peoples of our country and turn this country back into a heap of fire; there are a few individuals like that.”(Translated from Sinhala)

Minister Rajapakshehas since been reported reiterating his comments in an interview to Ceylon Today (22 June 2017), claiming that “NGO funded traitors” are fermenting unrest in the country. He also claimed that the NGOs misled the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, who, in her latest report, highlighted some serious shortcomings in Sri Lanka’s justice system.

It is as much a matter of great concern as it is revealing, that a senior cabinet minister presiding over the Ministry of Justice in the so-called Yahapalanayagovernment, resorts to vilifying, demonizing and threatening human rights activists and human rights NGOs.While hardly the first such instance, it is especially ironic that his comments come as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launcheda consultation process with human rights activists and NGOs on its draft report to the UN Human Rights Council as part of its Universal Period Review (UPR).

Continue reading ‘A Statement by Concerned Human Rights and Democratic Rights Activists and Organisations’ »

By

Kishali Pinto Jayawardena

However much they may genuflect to the concept of free speech, Sri Lanka’s politicians are quite unable to shake off a constitutional dislike of that theory in abrasive practice.

Remarkably clever traits of politicians

‘Yahapalanaya’ Ministers appear not to be different to their predecessors in office in that sense, excepting of course the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime (in its second term) which stood in a distinct and crude category of its own. But if one takes those aberrant years out of the equation, the current politicians are certainly as ridiculous in their fury as those of say, the Kumaratunga Government, for instance.

By itself, that is little surprise. Many familiar faces cling like limpets to political office through the years regardless of the change of guard in Colombo. Their ability to skillfully switch sides as soon as they get a whiff of the political winds of fortune changing is nothing short of remarkable. It appears to be the one thing that Sri Lankan politicians are really good at. This is true also of relatively new entrants to the political arena whose skills in learning the tricks of the trade from their disreputable elders are pronounced.

So our politicians strut and pontificate as if they are the final authorities on any given subject under the sun and woe betide anyone who challenges that authority. This disagreeable trait is evidenced across a range of portfolios, ranging from sports to justice.

Last week, this column ventured on a topic rather different to its usual theme, namely the Minister of Sports’ unseemly public outbursts that the paunches of Sri Lanka’s national cricketers were responsible for their poor performances at the game.

Continue reading ‘Our Politicians Pontificate as if they are the Final Authorities on any Given Subject.’ »

By Manekshaw

Illankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) leader and Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian Mavai S. Senathirajah became the first high profile Internally Displaced Person (IDP) to return last week to his house in Mavittapuram, in the Jaffna peninsula, after a lapse of 27 years.

Pic: facebook.com/mavaikandan

The ITAK, being the foremost Tamil political party founded by late S.J.V. Chelvanayagam seven decades ago, still remains a powerful political outfit winning the confidence of the majority of people in the North and East to fulfil their political aspirations.

As a youth front member of the ITAK, Mavai S. Senathirajah with several other young men, remained staunch supporters of the ITAK engaging in all types of political activities.

Senathirajah was one of the first young Tamil political activists to be arrested and put behind bars when the crackdown began in the early seventies in the North to curtail Tamil extremism.

Mavittapuram is the northern-most region in Valikamam North where the first internal displacements started following the escalation of the armed struggle.

The region is spiritually a very significant place with the holy Keerimalai tank where the Hindus in the North perform rituals for their dead.

Continue reading ‘ITAK Leader “Maavai” Senathirajah Returns to His Ancestral Home in Maaviddapuram After 27 Years of Displacement.’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu handed over as many as 16,000 books to the iconic Jaffna public library on Thursday.

The collection will be kept at the ‘India Corner’ in the library, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated during his maiden visit in 2015. “The titles cover topics ranging from culture, literature, philosophy, politics to science,” Chief Librarian Suganthy Sadasivamoorthy told The Hindu on Friday.

Continue reading ‘Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu Hands Over 16,000 Books From India to Jaffna Public Library’ »

by C.A.Chandraprema

Even though police teams are supposedly scouring the country for him, the monk Galagodaatte Gnanasara has not been arrested as this goes to press. He is supposed to appear in courts tomorrow but it seems unlikely that he will. He has evaded two court appearances already and if he was going to make an appearance tomorrow, he may not have evaded courts on the previous two occasions. Rumours are rife that Gnanasara is being protected by a prominent minister, and the name mentioned in this regard is that of Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe. The reason why speculation swirls around Rajapakshe is probably because he had facilitated meetings between the President and some radical monks including Gnanasara to sort out some issues. However, hiding fugitives and that kind of thing would be out of character for Minister Rajapakshe and it is unlikely that he would get involved in any such thing as the Minister of Justice.

The surprising thing is that nobody has yet suggested the possibility that Gnanasara could be hiding in Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s house. During the previous government, everything that Gnanasara did was ascribed to Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and that was one of the reasons why the Muslims voted en masse against the Rajapaksa government. Given the propensity of the present powers that be to blame everything on the Rajapaksas, it is surprising indeed that nobody has tried to lay the blame for Gnanasara’s latest antics on the Rajapaksas. Even though the Rajapaksas are not in power, you can always blame the supposed pro-Rajapaksa ‘deep state’ for protecting Gnanasara. Instead they seem to have fixated on a different Rajapakshe. Be that as it may, to have a proper understanding of who is actually behind the Bodu Bala Sena, you have to trace its history.

The BBS first made its appearance on the scene in 2012 with the anti-halal campaign. This a few months after several monks including Gnanasara returned from a trip to Norway where he met Erik Solheim among others. From that time onwards, every step of the way, the Jathika Hela Urumaya made common cause with everything that was done by the BBS. The street action was taken by the monks of the BBS led by Galagodaatte Gnanasara while the JHU held press conferences, defending or encouraging the action taken by the BBS. Whether it was the anti-halal campaign, the anti-cattle slaughter campaign, and even the Aluthgama riots, the JHU was behind the BBS fully. In the wake of the Aluthgama riots, Champika Ranawaka distributed aid to the Sinhala victims of the riots. What ignited the Aluthgama riots was the accusation that a Buddhist monk had been assaulted by Muslims. When President Mahinda Rajapaksa wanted to take action against the BBS, it was Ranawaka who had opposed any such move in cabinet and said that the monks should not be touched and if any monk is arrested he would bring the entire monkhood onto the streets.

Continue reading ‘Champika Ranawaka and Jathika Hela Urumaya “Connected” to Gnanasara Thero and Bodu Bala Sena.’ »

By

Hafeel Farisz

Minister of Justice and Buddha Sasana Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe in an interview with the Daily News spoke on the recent controversy involving him and issues pertaining to minorities among others.

Excerpts:

Question: In a recent interview with the BBC, you said that there were “four minor incidents” (sulu siduweem) regarding attacks on Churches.

Answer: Not attacks. I meant incidents some of which were issues among themselves.

Q: But there is documented evidence that it is beyond that. For instance, 100 villagers attacked and destroyed the Kithusewana Church in Karuwalagaswewa on June 9th this year. A Church in Ingiriya was vandalized on May 29, 2016. The Assembly of Christ Church in Veyangoda was attacked on June 26. The Jeewanadiya Church in Moragahahena was attacked and the list goes on and on. There is so much of documented incidents of these types of attacks. How are you saying it is 4?

A: You can’t say it’s documented. There are no two Police services in Sri Lanka. Police are not maintained in Churches. We have only one Police Department in Sri Lanka. I am speaking of the relevant period that is after January 8, 2015. There are only 4 incidents in Police records. There is nothing more than these 4 incidents in Police records and I have shown in to the people.

Continue reading ‘16 Anti- Muslim Incidents and 4 Anti-Christian Incidents Only Since Jan 8th 2015 Says Justice Minister Rajapakshe’ »

SANJA DE SILVA JAYATILLEKA

This evening at the ICES Colombo we saw a very powerful movie: DEMONS IN PARADISE, directed by Jude Ratnam. I am so very grateful that the director invited us to attend its first screening in Sri Lanka. I hope it gets shown and discussed everywhere.

Dayan Jayatilleka always said that the healing process and reconciliation will start not with accountability hearings a la Geneva, but with the arts.

This movie holds a mirror before us all. It forces one to look squarely at the violence that each of these island’s communities is capable of inflicting, supporting and enabling, not only on other communities but on each other, within one’s own community.

Continue reading ‘EXORCISING DEMONS IN PARADISE: Remarks on Jude Ratnam’s movie screened at Cannes’ »

By

Chaturanga Pradeep

Introducing amendments to the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), does not mean that the Act will be repealed or replaced by a new Act and there will be nor room left for the country’s security to be jeopardized, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said.

Continue reading ‘Amendments to Prevention of Terrorism Act Does not Mean it will be Repealed or Replaced -Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe’ »

By

Dhaneshi Yatawara

Following a statement made during a TV talk show highlighting attacks on a religious minority group, human rights lawyer Lakshan Dias faced allegations raised by the Justice Minister on the grounds of creating religious disharmony. Commenting on the situation Attorney-at-Law Dias said that his opinion was based on the facts of a recently published report as well as facts derived from similar court cases that he was appearing for. Dias still stands by his comment. Questioned as to why he was absent from the epicentre of events, he explained that, “When the hegemony is in action stirring up the public opinion it is better to be away from the epicentre….. and observe the situation.” In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mirror Lakshan Dias pointed out that he has to defend himself standing on an unequal ground.

Lakshan Dias

Excerpts:

Question:The comment you made during a recent discussion on a private TV channel show led to an intense public opinion. What did you exactly say during the show? What was the reason to make such a comment about attacks on other religious places?

Continue reading ‘Human Rights Lawyer Lakshan Dias Who was Threatened by Justice Minister Rajapakshe Speaks Out in Exclusive Interview with “Daily Mirror”’ »

Well -known lawyer and Human Right Defender Lakshan Dias has flown out of his motherland to an undisclosed destination for reasons of personal safety,it is learnt.

The outspoken lawyer had been receiving threats from different quarters after stating in a TV forum that over a 190 incidents of violence,harassment and intimidation against Christians and christian places of worship have occurred in Sri Lanka for the past two years since January 8th 2015.

Lakshan Dias

It was on Jan 8th 2015 that President Maithripala Sirisena was elected to office. This statement irritated the governing establishment as it shattered the illusion that attacks against Christian churches had ceased after the Rajapaksa regime was booted out and the”Yahapalanaya”(Good governance)Govt under President Sirisena took over.

Though there had been mounting pressure on Mr. Dias for several days the immediate reason that compelled him to suddenly flee the country is attributed to a newspaper interview given by Justice and Buddha Sasana minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said informed sources.
Continue reading ‘Well-known Lawyer Lakshan Dias Flees Sri Lanka After Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe Threatens to Take Action in Two Days’ »

By Maheesha Mudugamuwa

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said the government had not yet decided whether it would go for a brand new constitution or adopt provisions that did not necessitate a referendum.

The PM said so, speaking at the National Conference on Constitutional Reforms at BMICH in Colombo.

The conference was held as a part of outreach efforts in relation to the current constitutional reform process. It was attended by government ministers, academics, NGO representatives, foreign envoys, officials of the Attorney General’s Department and other state institutions. Former Deputy Chief Justice of South Africa Dikgang Moseneke, who is visiting Sri Lanka with a delegation from the Commonwealth Secretariat of the Kingdom also participated.

Continue reading ‘Brand New Constitution with Referendum or Constitutional Changes Without Referendum? Govt Still Undecided Says Ranil’ »

By

Lakmal Sooriyagoda

Former Minister Piyasena Gamage yesterday sought Supreme Court’s permission to intervene in an appeal filed by Galle district Parliamentarian Geetha Kumarasinghe.

Piyasena Gamage who received the seventh highest number of preferential votes on the UPFA Galle District list further sought an order to dismiss the appeal filed by Geetha Kumarasinghe.

This intervenient petition is to be taken up for support on July 7.

Continue reading ‘Ex-Minister Piyasena Gamage Seeks Supreme Court Permission to Intervene in Appeal Filed by Galle District MP Geetha Kumarasinghe’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Wartime Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama yesterday told The Island that President Trump had unceremoniously ended a two-decade long tradition of hosting an iftar meal at the White House during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, while the US repeatedly told Sri Lanka how to proceed with post-war reconciliation process here.

The previous Rajapaksa government brought the war to a successful conclusion in May 2009.

Bogollagama said the new US leader’s decision to do away with the practice initiated by former First Lady Hillary Clinton, who hosted a meal on Eid al-Fitr, in 1996, should be viewed by Sri Lanka against the backdrop of US interventions here.

Continue reading ‘Ex-Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama Faults US Envoy Atul Keshap for Hosting Iftar Meal in Batticaloa’ »

By

Bandula Jayasekera

Saman Kelegama
(6 April 1959 – 23 June 2017)

A foreign ministry colleague told me, “One could never find any fault with Saman. It is not possible for me to see him dead. I am not going to his house. ” I returned from Kurunegala early last Sunday, wanting to visit his house to pay my last respects to him and I, too, decided to attend his funeral at Kanatte instead. It is true we all go the way of all flesh someday, but it is not possible to come to terms with Saman’s untimely demise, which has shocked all those who knew him.

Continue reading ‘Saman Kelegama was A Patriot Who Worked for the Betterment of Sri Lanka.’ »

By

P.K.Balachandran

The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), which is the principal constituent of the ruling Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in Sri Lanka’s Tamil-majority Northern Province, is demanding a probe into complaints about the working of departments directly under Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran.

“There are complaints against departments directly under the Chief Minister. That is why the ITAK has asked for an investigation into complaints against all the five members of the Board of Ministers including the Chief Minister,” said M.A.Sumanthiran, MP and spokesman of the TNA.

The Chief Minister had a probe conducted by a three-man commission into four members of the Board of Ministers.

But the ITAK says the Chief Minister’s way of probing was illegal and constitutional, because probes against any member of the Board of Ministers can be conducted only by a Select Committee of the House (NPC) and not by a body of outsiders. The Inquiry Commission set up the Chief Minister had two retired High Court judges and one retired senior civil servant.

Continue reading ‘Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi (ITAK) Wants Complaints Against the Working of Departments Under Chief Minister Wigneswaran to be Investigated.’ »

By

Meera Srinivasan

Developments unfolding in Sri Lanka over the last few weeks look ominously similar to those in 2013-14, when a surge in targeted attacks against minority Muslims and Christians went unchecked by the Rajapaksa administration. The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, an umbrella organisation for civil society groups, has recorded 25 attacks on mosques and Muslim-owned establishments since April, and the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka has reported over 40 incidents in 2017.

Amid growing concern among civil society and the international community, as well as mounting pressure on the government by Muslim MPs, reassurance came from the highest levels. President Maithripala Sirisena asked the Law and Order Ministry to act against perpetrators without fear or favour, and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe vowed tougher laws to address hate crimes.

Continue reading ‘Is Tackling Religious Intolerance in Sri Lanka a Legal Challenge or Political Challenge?’ »

By

Andrew Fidel Fernando

Graham Ford has stepped down as Sri Lanka coach, ending his second tenure with the side after 15 months. SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala said the decision had been arrived at mutually, “after careful consideration and deliberation”.

Ford’s relationship with SLC was understood to have been strained due to what he felt were unacceptable intrusions into team matters by the board. Ford had already left the island on leave, which would have ended early next week.

One of his grievances was the expanding powers of Asanka Gurusinha, who in February was appointed “cricket manager” – a position with a broadly defined range of duties, some of which Ford is understood to have felt infringed upon his freedom as a coach. In the time since his appointment, Gurusinha was also made a selector.

Continue reading ‘Expanding Role of Asanga Gurusinha as “Cricket Manager” and Selector May Have Led to Graham Ford Quitting as Sri Lanka Cricket Coach’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

The yahapalana government won the elections on a promise of democracy and prosperity. Now it seems to assume that its modest achievements in restoring democracy should serve as an excuse for not delivering on the economy. That is a dangerous misgiving which threatens the sustainability of on-going democratic reforms in the long run. That also makes people, especially the Sinhalese majority, feel nostalgic about the authoritarian but orderly past under its predecessor.

Under the current administration, economic growth has hit below five per cent. It is expected to be around 4.5 per cent for 2017. However, that may not, necessarily, be a measure of the government’s economic handling since lower growth numbers are in part a result of the government addressing much needed fiscal reforms, which were overlooked by its predecessor. However, set against this tightening fiscal conditions and a debt trap inherited by the former regime, the indecisiveness and vacillation of the government over mega development projects are mind-boggling. It is the FDI that could fill the gap in the absence of state-led infrastructure development that propelled the growth under the former regime and was abandoned by the current administration due to the looming foreign debt. However, Cabinet papers on major development projects are being amended and re-amended for the umpteenth time. Investors complain about policy inconsistencies. None of the major foreign-funded development projects has moved forward from where the Rajapaksas have left them.

Proposed public-private partnerships and equity swaps of indebted foreign-funded projects (Hambantota Port, Mattala Airport, etc.) have led nowhere. Instead, they have become the most poignant reminder of the crippling policy paralysis within the government.

Continue reading ‘Rajapaksas Had Political Will to Act Decisively Which the “Yahapalanaya”Govt Lacks’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando

National Unity Alliance (NUA) leader Azath Salley has alleged that President Maithripala Sirisena deprived Ravi Karunanayake of the finance portfolio as a result of UNP Chairman Malik Samarawickrema’s intervention.

Salley strongly regretted President Sirisena giving into Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Samarawickrema’s demand.

Salley named Minister Samarawickrema in the wake of Minister Karunanayake blaming black sheep in the party for his removal at the Sirikotha media conference on Sunday.

President Sirisena in consultation with UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe assigned Karunanayake foreign affairs portfolio. Mangala Samaraweeera succeeded Karunanayake as Finance Minister.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Removed Ravi Karunanayake as Finance Minister At Behest of Malik Samarawickrema. Alleges Azath Salley.’ »

By

Ahilan Kadirgamar

The recent no-confidence motion in Sri Lanka’s Northern Provincial Council (NPC) in Jaffna, moved by a section of the Council members against Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran, has brought the deep divide in Tamil nationalist politics to the fore.

The turbulence lasted a week, after he called on two ministers to resign on corruption charges and two others to go on compulsory leave, until Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R. Sampanthan engineered a compromise that let Mr. Wigneswaran continue in power.

Continue reading ‘Compromise Engineered by TNA Leader Sampanthan has Let Chief Minister Wigneswaran Remain in Power’ »

By Kapila Fernando

Sri Lankan police violently assaulted university students occupying the health ministry on Wednesday and have now broadened the crackdown, arresting the protest leaders.

The government has also threatened to take action against the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) and doctors who launched an “indefinite strike” to protest against the police attack and demand the government take over the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM), a private medical college.

Thousands of students involved in Wednesday’s demonstration entered the health ministry building in Central Colombo, breaking police barriers and demanding a discussion with Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne. The Inter-University Student Federation (IUSF) leaders said they went into the building because they had been given no appointment to meet with Senaratne.

The demonstration was part of ongoing protests by students and GMOA members to demand that the government take control of SAITM, allocate 6 percent of gross domestic product for education, end school fees and resolve various problems in the health sector.

Continue reading ‘Over 90 Undergrads Including 20 Women Hospitalised Due to Brutal Crack Down on Student Protest by Special Task Force.’ »

Sri Lanka’s striking doctors have sent a fellow medical officer to hospital with a broken nose on the same day they refused to treat thousands of other patients in a bid to spite the government.

Doctors discussing the current crisis over private medical education began punching each other both literally and figuratively with one of them ending with a serious nose bleed on Thursday at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Colombo.

Continue reading ‘Govt Doctors of GMOA Engage in Fisticuffs During Discussion: National Hospital Medico Hospitalised with a Broken Nose.’ »

By

Gagani Weerakoon

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa left to Pakistan last Monday afternoon to participate, as the guest speaker, at an event held at the Pakistan National Defence University.

Speaking at an event organized by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) and Global Village Space (GVS) Rajapaksa said terrorism is against the spirit of humanity and no country can prosper if people are compelled to live their lives under fear.

Delivering his speech on the topic of the talk which was ‘Sri Lanka’s Struggle for Peace and its Lessons for Pakistan and the Region,’ Rajapaksa said that Pakistan and Sri Lanka’s mutual relationship is sustained by cultural heritage, economies, and common stand on international issues.

“We are grateful for the unconditional and steadfast support we received from Pakistan. It is a matter of deep satisfaction that I was able to raise Sri Lanka’s voice with Pakistan. They have stood by us through thick and thin,” he said. Rajapaksa added there is no distinction between terrorists, mirroring the good versus bad Taliban debate in Pakistan.

Continue reading ‘“Pakistan Will Stand By You at Any Given Time” – Ex-Chief of Pakistani Spy Agency ISI Assures Mahinda Rajapaksa’ »

By

Krishantha Prasad Cooray

Certain things are immeasurable and beyond definition. Love, for instance. Such things are however often recognizable, either in the joy or sorrow they create. And yet, there are instanes when we don’t see it at all or if we do, we call it something else. There’s love whose dimensions we don’t fathom or even cannot fathom. The love of a father is something like that.

Eric Cooray

Of course there are demonstrative fathers who shower their children with love; but even in such cases it is not easy to understand what exactly a father feels, what goes on in his mind, the quiet pleasures he experiences when his children do well and the great anxieties that torment him all the time.

My father, who will complete yet another year of his exemplary life on earth on the 26th of June, was never demonstrative. In fact he was and still is loathe to express emotion. He never said much and even now appears to have a steady rein on his feelings. And yet, as the years passed, I have come to realize that he tirelessly strived in his own way to take care of his family and to make sure that his sons grew into strong men and responsible citizens.

Continue reading ‘A Note of Tribute to my Father, Eric Cooray, On His 80th Birthday’ »

Government doctors called off their three-day work stoppage Saturday shortly after a consumer protection organization threatened to invoke the wrath of gods on them and socially ostracize the striking medical officers.

The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) said they decided to “temporarily suspend” the trade union action after continuing a strike across all state-sector hospitals for three straight days to protest private medical education.

The consumer rights group, the National Movement for Consumer Rights Protection (NMCRP), had said it will from Sunday stage ceremonies in front of the homes of GMOA executive committee members to invoke curses on them for holding hundreds of thousands of patients to ransom.

“We were planning to launch our activities from Sunday, but we are pleased to note that the GMOA has called off the strike shortly after we issued our warning,” NMCPR leader Ranjith Vithanage said.

Continue reading ‘Govt Doctors Strike Suspended After 3 Days Due to NMCRP Threat to Stage Poojas Invoking Curses on GMOA Executive Committee Members’ »

By

Kishali Pinto Jayawardena

In a country where people seldom challenge the political leadership of the day preferring instead to pay homage to blatant sycophancy, a refreshing contrast emerges from the ‘boy from Rathgama’ (as he identifies himself), one of Sri Lanka’s leading cricketers, Lasith Malinga.

Monkeys and Parrots

As someone entirely and quite unashamedly ignorant about the intricacies of the game per se, what gripped my attention was the manner in which Lasith Malinga took on Sri Lanka’s Minister of Sports, Dayasiri Jayasekera. Though the Minister himself seems not to have distinguished himself in a sporting career as such, he is of course, a favourite player of the game, ‘jump from one party to the next.

Malinga was responding to the Minister’s criticism that the country’s cricketers were too fat after Sri Lanka failed to reach the Champions Trophy semi-finals. In pithy and laughter-inducing Sinhalese, his exact response was “I don’t care about criticism from those who are simply warming chairs…what does a monkey know about a parrot’s nesting hollow? This is like a monkey getting into a parrot’s nest and talking about it.”

Continue reading ‘Lasith Malinga the “Boy from Rathgama” Speaks his Mind Forcefully about Parrots,Monkeys and Armchair Ministers.’ »

By C.A.Chandraprema

The events that people saw unfolding last Wednesday proved beyond a shadow of doubt what this writer said in the last two columns – that the latest spate of anti-Muslim violence unleashed by the Bodu Bala Sena has been orchestrated by elements within the yahapalana government that are trying to win over a section of the Sinhala Buddhist vote which has been gravitating heavily to the Joint Opposition. We pointed out that both Champika Ranawaka and President Maithripala Sirisena had an interest in using the Bodu Bala Sena to split the Sinhala Buddhist vote and that the impunity enjoyed by the BBS in the past several weeks is due to patronage at the highest levels of the government. Last Wednesday Gnansara Thera created legal history by obtaining bail on three occasions in the course of a single day. In one case he was formally arrested and a statement was recorded from him and he was presented before a Magistrate and released on bail all within minutes.

Thus Gnanasara Thera broke the record set earlier by Hirunika Premachandra in the abduction case against her. Some people may be under the impression that all that was because of the broadside fired by the Ven. Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Chapter against the government last Tuesday. Gnansara Thera came out of hiding the very next day. However there was no causal link between the statement made by the Ven Mahanayake Thera and Karaka Sanga Sabha of the Asgiriya Chapter and Gnanasara Thera’s release. His surrender to courts had been under discussion for days. This week’s Ravaya has in fact revealed that the police had through a hurriedly filed motion, amended their B report so that the offence for which he was to be arrested would be made bailable. Earlier it had been the ICCPR Act that had been cited which makes the incitement of ethnic or religious tensions a non-bailable offence. With the amendment of the B-report a different law had been invoked and it had been made possible to grant bail to Gnanasara Thera.

In fact the Bodu Bala Sena said at a press conference held on 16 June that Gnanasara Thera may surrender to courts in due course. Then at the press conference held by the BBS on 20 June, they stated more definitely that he would be present in courts the next day. It would have been inconceivable for the yahapalana government to put him behind bars. As we said last week, Ganansara Thera did spend some time behind bars under this government, but that was an unscheduled event which took place not due to any action taken by this government but due to steps taken by the Homagama Magistrate.

Continue reading ‘Elements Who Protected Gnanasara Thero Under Rajapaksa Govt Are Doing So Under “Yahapalanaya” Govt Also’ »

by N. Sathiya Moorthy

All is well that ends well – or, so goes the old adage. For the ruling Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in the Tamil-majority Northern Province, it could well be just that and nothing more. The current truce between TNA leadership of R Sampanthan and Northern Province Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran has the potential to blow up all over again as the NPC polls, due by September 2018, approaches.

The question is would the TNA re-nominate Wigneswaran as their ‘lead candidate’ for Elections-2018, or would look around for another? Or, would Wigneswaran go away without a fight, which he declared that he would join at the height of the recent party break-down over his sacking of all four ministers, in the place of two, who alone were found to be guilty of corruption and the rest by a panel of his choosing.

Though many senior party leaders have a strong legal background, as a retired Judge of the Supreme Court, Wigneswaran is possibly the only one in the TNA hierarchy so uniquely placed still to ‘judge’ the right and the wrongs of his ministerial colleagues. Having thus acknowledged the guilt of two of them, it’s anybody’s guess why he should go on to equate the other two on the same plane and ask them to ‘go on leave’.

Continue reading ‘Will the TNA Field CV Wigneswaran As Chief Minister Candidate In the 2018 Northern Provincial Poll?’ »

By

Don Manu

Ah, just when one had wondered whether the absconding monk, that fugitive of justice, had renounced the pleasures of the world and sought refuge in some quiet corner of some dense thicket to meditate upon the wise counsel of the Buddha and seek alone his own path to redemption and not lead others down the garden path to incite racial hatred, Galagodaaththe Gnanasara emerged this Wednesday from his unknown kuti and surrendered to court and thus spared cops the blush of having being clueless as to his whereabouts.

Four police teams had been deployed to find him but for nearly a month his hideaway haven had kept the police baffled. Even a so called high tech definition sweep to round up similar fugitives had failed to reveal the secret den in which the runaway monk had meditated in.

It was indeed the return of the prodigal, the wastrel monk who had become the spendthrift of the Buddha’s doctrine which urges all to show tolerance to all faiths and creeds and to pay respect to another’s belief. Shrouded in saffron, in that designer robe of the mendicant, he had squandered the wealth of the Buddha’s teachings that had been poured to his bowl of alms ever since he was ordained. But he remained unrepentant; and by the smirk on his face when a tolerant court granted immediate bail to a man who had twice evaded warrant for his arrest, he almost seemed to show that it had given him some curious joy to cock a hoop and show his contempt to the majesty of the law and its enforcing arm.

Continue reading ‘Gnanasara Thero the Wastrel Monk Who Has Become the Spendthrift of the Buddha’s Doctrine’ »

A Task Force, functioning under President Maithripala Sirisena, has queried the Finance Ministry on how approval was granted to establish an ethanol distillery in Batticaloa, contrary to government policy. The Presidential Task Force on Drug Prevention (PTFDP) functions under the purview of President Maithripala Sirisena. The PTFDP has asked the Finance Ministry Secretary to explain how approval was granted to set up a new ethanol distillery in Kalkudah, Batticaloa, in violation of the National Drug Prevention Policy (NDPP).

W.M. Mendis is owned by Arjun Aloysius, the son-in-law of the Central Bank’s former Governor Arjuna Mahendran who is currently being investigated over the bond issue. Last year, the Excise Department gave approval to the company to set up a grain-based extra neutral alcohol (ENA) distillery on instructions from the Department of Fiscal Policy, both of which fall under the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry was then headed by Ravi Karunanayake.

The NDPP states that “No new licences will be issued for tobacco and alcohol production”. Now, PTFDP Director Samantha Kumara Kithalawaarachchi has asked Finance Ministry Secretary R.H.S. Samaratunga to submit a report on how W.M. Mendis & Co received permission to set up an ethanol factory in the East. Dr Kithalawaarachchi has pointed out in his letter that the PTFDP strives to create a country free of drugs and has been able to generate positive changes with the help of Government and NGO agencies.

Continue reading ‘PTFDP Queries Finance Ministry About Granting License for Ethanol Distillery in East to Arjun Aloysius Owned WM Mendis Violating Govt Drug Policy’ »

By Damith Wickremsekara

Individuals or groups trying to provoke religious or ethnic hatred on social media are to be monitored and action taken against them by the Criminal Investigations Department, a senior official said. Law and Order Ministry Secretary Jagath Wijeweera told the Sunday Times the decision was taken following a meeting with the police and other agencies.

He said the CID’s cyber crimes division would also closely monitor blogs, photographs and videos uploaded and take action against those found responsible for provoking hatred.

The measures are part of Government plans to reduce religious and ethnic tension.

Continue reading ‘Police CID to Monitor Social Media to Take Action Against Individuals and Groups Inciting Religious and Ethnic Hatred’ »

By Methmalie Dissanayake

The manner in which the university students who were engaged in a protest march against SAITM on 21 June was the ‘most brutal’ attack carried out by any Government against the student movement in the entire history of this country, Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday.

He said in a statement that it was very tragic to see a Government that came to power by giving so many promises to protect free education is now behaving in such a ‘barbaric’ manner.

“Medical students are not concentrating on their studies anymore and medical professionals also have given their final warning to the Government. Instead of finding a permanent solution to this matter the Government is continuously insulting and attacking these students and the professionals,” Rajapaksa added.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Blames Govt for “Most Brutal Attack on University Students Protesting Against SAITM”’ »

BY

DR. DAYAN JAYATILLEKA

The impassioned, strongly worded statement just recently issued by the Asgiriya Chapter meant that the writing is on the wall. But there is more than one thing written on the wall, and there is also something written between the lines.

What the writing on the wall clearly says is that we have reached a point similar to that of 1955 when the Buddhist Commission issued its report. Already the government (effectively) of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe looks like that of Sir John Kotelawela in the famous Mara Yuddha cartoon, except that this leadership clique and its lifestyle isn’t seen as symbolized by the macho Sir John in the cartoon but more by Zou Zou Mohammed!

How do we understand the Asgiriya Chapter’s statement—because the crucial challenge is to comprehend it, whether or not one agrees with it in whole or in part (and I for one, do not). The statement is a throwback to the 1940s and 1950s, and is a nationalist cultural backlash against a perceived erosion of the national by the alien. I am greatly helped by the writings of my late father Mervyn de Silva in understanding it

Continue reading ‘Ranil-Mangala-Chandrika Troika Must Be Dumped not only by President Sirisena but also the UNP’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Police investigating Wednes-day’s Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) ‘raid’ on the health ministry arrested three key student leaders yesterday as the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) strike against the heavy handed use of the police to oust the protesters, entered its second day.

Among the suspects taken into custody are Ven Thampitiye Sugathananda, Convenor of the Inter-University Bhikku Balamandalaya and IUSF convenor Lahiru Weerasekara.

A squad of policemen from the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) and the Maradana police arrested Weerasekera and Faisdeen Faizan Mohammed yesterday afternoon as they left the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR), Maradana, after having briefed the media on the latest situation.

Weerasekera and Mohammed were remanded till July 5 after being produced in the Maligakanda Magistrate Dulani S. Weeratunga.

Continue reading ‘Inter-University Bhikku Balamandalaya Convenor Ven Thampitiya Sugathananda and Inter University Students Federation Convenor Lahiru Weerasekera Arrested.’ »

By

Prof. Asoka Ekanayaka

Emeritus Professor A,N,I. Ekanayake has written an open letter to Justice and Buddha sana Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe about the recent comments made by the minister regarding recent incidents of harassment against Christians in Sri Lanka. The full text ofof the letter is as follows –

June 22, 2017

Hon Dr Wijeyadasa Rajapaksha PC
Minister of Justice

Dear Dr Rajapaksha,

Arrogant and Foolish Attempt to Deny the Persecution of Christians in Sri Lanka

I was shocked and outraged to see a video news clip in which you sought to deny the numerous incidents involving the harrassment of Christians in this country in recent times while crudely condemning a reputable lawyer who had brought the relevant facts to light threatening to have him removed from the bar. Your arrogant and emotive reaction reflects a deplorable ignorance about the facts pertaining to Christian persecution in the country if not a deliberate attempt to subvert them on the principle that the shame and embarrassment accompanying the revelation of the truth is more important than the truth itself – which therefore must be covered up.

It is clear that your ill conceived remarks derive from a pronounced Buddhist bias. It shows that you know nothing of Christianity. It would seem that you are quite ignorant about the definition of a ‘Christian’ in a plural society and utterly misinformed about what constitutes the Christian Church. In this the 500th year of the Protestant Reformation ( which you have probably not even heard of ! ) where roughly half the Christians in the world are non Roman Catholic you seem oblivious to the existence of Christian denominations outside the Roman Church. Your equating Christianity with the Roman Church imagining that Cardinal Malcolm Ranjit can be a spokesman for Christians in Sri Lanka is on par with the naivety of a first year law student !

Moreover as a Buddhist politician preoccupied with your own political agenda you are obviously unaware of trends in the Christian Church where Cardinal Malcolm Ranjit has become a controversial figure even within the Roman Catholic denomination , who having betrayed the faith by his religious pluralism and open hostility to evangelical Christians, is consequently deeply distrusted amongst Christians many of whom would not even consider him to be a Christian from a strictly Biblical perspective.

Continue reading ‘Arrogant and Foolish Attempt to Deny The Persecution of Christians in Sri Lanka-Letter to Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe’ »

By K. Ratnayake

A factional clash that erupted last week between Sri Lanka’s Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leadership ended yesterday after a political compromise.

Wigneswaran, a retired supreme court judge, became the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) chief minister after being appointed as the TNA’s leading candidate in the 2013 elections. Although he had not previously been a member of the alliance, he was brought into the organisation by TNA leader R. Sambandan because he was regarded as a reliable figure by the Colombo establishment and the international powers.

Differences within the Tamil elite, however, came to the surface last week when Wigneswaran removed two NPC ministers on corruption charges and sent two others on compulsory leave. The four ministers were members of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), the dominant party in the TNA.

TNA leaders, including R. Sambandan and M. A. Sumanthiran, opposed the chief minister’s ruling, declaring that placing the two ministers on compulsory leave was an arbitrary decision. ITAK councillors responded by presenting a no-confidence motion against Wigneswaran in the NPC.

Continue reading ‘Wigneswaran’s Moves Against Corrupt ministers has Nothing to do with the Rights of the Tamil Masses’ »

Fast bowler Lasith Malinga is being investigated by Sri Lanka’s cricket board after comparing the country’s sports minister to a monkey, the BBC reported.

Sports minister Dayasiri Jayasekara told Sri Lanka’s players they were too fat after they failed to reach the Champions Trophy semi-finals.

Malinga, 33, responded by saying he did not care for criticism “from those who are simply warming chairs”. “What does a monkey know about a parrot’s nesting hollow?” he added.

Continue reading ‘Cricketer Lasith Malinga to be “Investigated” for Comparing Sports Minister Jayasekera to a Monkey in a Parrot’s Nest’ »

By

Dr.Prasanna Cooray

Shivers were sent down the spines of the good governance aspirants when President Maithripala Sirisena, in most unwelcome manner, removed Sajeeva Samaranayake, Deputy Chairman National Child Protection Authority (NCPA). It is understood that no reason has been cited for his removal in the letter of expulsion. The NCPA comes under the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, whose minister is Ms. Chandrani Bandara. (To put the record straight, good governance aspirants, if at all still remain, since the establishment of the yahapalana government two and a half years ago, are few and far between and a disillusioned lot.).

The yahapalana government seems to have a special predilection for sacking good people. It was exactly a year ago they got rid of Prof. Krishantha Weerasuriya, former WHO South Asian advisor of medicinal drug policy, from the CEO post at the newly established National Medicinal Drug Regulatory Authority (NMRA), for dubious reasons only best known to them.

The media reported that an affidavit submitted by Samaranayake to a court in Melbourne had been the bone of contention. This document had been issued in connection with a case of a Sri Lankan woman, who after separating from her husband had migrated to Australia with her two under aged sons. Supposedly, therein, Samaranayake has stated that there is not enough protection for the children in Sri Lanka and the victim support procedures related to children are inefficient.

Samaranayake maintains the position that he as an official of the NCPA should take all decisions and actions in the best interests of children. This goes without saying even for the affidavits issued to foreign courts. This in turn, will also facilitate the foreign court to make its judgment in the best interest of children and ensure their maximum wellbeing. At the same time, Samaranayake as a legal expert has sufficient expertise and experience to express his independent and unbiased opinion.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Jeopardises Child Protection in Sri Lanka By Firing Renowned Child Protection Specialist Sajeeva Samaranayake’ »

By

PK Balachandran

The anti-Muslim Sri Lankan Buddhist monk, Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero, General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), has several serious cases against him relating to hate speech, blasphemy against the Quran, instigation of violence, and contempt of court.

And yet, he has been evading arrest for long periods, and when arrested, has always got out on bail quickly.

The reason – Gnanasara Thero has supporters at the highest political levels and perhaps even in the general population.

He is also operating at a time when governments, both in the South Asian region and elsewhere, tacitly support the majority community against the minorities.

While Hindu majoritarianism is holding sway in India under the Hindu nationalist government of Narendra Modi, the majority Sunni Muslims in Pakistan stage violent attacks against the minority Hindus, Christians and sub-sections of Muslims like the Shias and Ahmadis with impunity.

Neither in India nor Pakistan are perpetrators booked.

Continue reading ‘New Delhi Based Hindu Maha Sabha(Loktantrik) Wants Indian Govt to Support Bodu Bala Sena and Its “Prestigious Monk” Gnanasara Thero.’ »

Violence and discrimination against minority Christians is widespread in Sri Lanka with the support of state officials and institutions at the local level, a think tank that analysed data over two decades has said.

“The figure suggests that, for the past two decades, on average, an attack has taken place against a Christian person or group every week,” Verité Research, a Colombo-based think tank, said. “This trend has continued despite repeated government changes during this period.”

Verité analysed 972 cases of discrimination and violence compiled by a Christian group, National Christian Evangelical Association of Sri Lanka (NCEASL).

Local officials are also enthusiastically implementing a state circular against places of worship, which had no legal basis.

Continue reading ‘Widespread Violence Backed by State Officials Against Christians in Sri Lanka States Verite Research Report.’ »

By DR. DAYAN JAYATILLEKA

The entire discussion or debate about the BBS, Gnanasara Thero and extremism is missing something. The discussion confuses ultra-nationalism, chauvinism, Islamophobia and extremism with the real issue: incitement to violence.

Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa

Whether an ideology is extremist or not is one issue, but it is an issue that is difficult to resolve. What is far easier to resolve, legally and morally, is the issue of whether or not an action or statement constitutes an ‘incitement to violence’ against an individual or a collective.

It is morally slippery to avoid the central issue that is present before our very eyes, namely incitement, and instead to shift attention by merely equating all forms of chauvinism and denouncing them all equally.

It is still worse to brush under the carpet the issue of incitement by stating that the BBS extremism is but a “reaction” to Islamic extremism.
Continue reading ‘Gotabhaya Rajapaksa Is Sri Lanka’s Vladimir Putin and not Sri Lanka’s Donald Trump’ »

By

P.K.Balachandran

Even as the spat between Northern Province Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran and the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) leader R.Sampanthan ended in a compromise on Monday, with both sides abandoning brinkmanship, new issues have been raised to muddy the political waters in the Tamil-majority province. writes P.K.Balachandran in Daily Express

On Monday itself, Chief Minister Wigneswaran asked the Chairman of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC), C.V.K.Sivagnanam, to quit that post for his “partisan” role in the bid to present a No Confidence Motion against him.

Sivagnanam had led 15 NPC members to Governor Reginold Cooray to tell him that they intend to move a No Trust Move against Chief Minister Wingeswaran.

Continue reading ‘Wigneswaran now wants to Remove NPC Chairman CVK Sivagnanam for his “role” in the No Confidence Motion Against Chief Minister.’ »

by Sanja de Silva Jayatilleka

Making his submission in a long speech at the most recent parliamentary debate on Geneva called by JO leader Dinesh Gunawardene, Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe made a seriously inaccurate interpretation of the Resolution adopted by majority vote at the May 2009 UN Human Rights Council 11thspecial session on Sri Lanka.

The error or misreading was of the Joint Statement of 23rd May 2009 between then Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and President Mahinda Rajapaksa, issued only days after the end of the war.

As Minister Samarasinghe said, the Joint Statement was incorporated into the Resolution at the Human Rights Council at the final stages of drafting. The very fact that a communique together with the UN Secretary General was released at the highest level in Colombo while intense negotiation were ongoing on the draft resolution at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, made it inevitable that Sri Lanka’s negotiating partners within and outside the Non-aligned Movement would insist on its inclusion.

Knowing the significance of such a Joint Statement, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador/Permanent Representative in Geneva at the time Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka and the head of the Peace Secretariat Prof Rajiva Wijesinha independently had misgivings on the wording. The senior Foreign Ministry officials on site in Kandy where it was drafted included Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, H.M.G.S. Palihakkara, Foreign Secretary Dr. Palitha Kohona and Additional Secretary Prasad Kariyawasam. It was said the Joint Statement was co-drafted by Sri Lanka and staff of the Secretary General of the UN.

Continue reading ‘Dinesh Gunawardena’s Efforts to Undo Damage Done By Former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera Must Be Appreciated.’ »

Northern province chief minister Canagasabapathy Visuvalingam Wigneswaran who earlier demanded that all the armed forces should be withdrawn from the North is now singing a different tune after the majority of Northern provincial councillors have indicated they have no confidence in him as chief minister. Wigneswaran who pompously and pugnaciously who earlier declared “Army Go, go, Air Force Go, go, Navy Go go” has now shamelessly changed his stance.

CV Wigneswaran

Wigneswaran now has threatened to utilise the services of the armed forces and unleash the army against people described by the chief minister as “Karuppu Aadugal” (Black goats or black sheep).

Religious leaders in Jaffna were shocked by Wigneswaran’s announcement that he would unleash the army if necessary when a delegation called on the chief minister to express concern over the tense and volatile situation in Jaffna. Wigneswaran however refused to reduce the tensions. He arrogantly declared “Let them withdraw the no confidence motion against me. Otherwise volatile situation will continue”.
Continue reading ‘Northern Chief Minister Wigneswaran who Once Wanted Army to Quit North Now wants to Unleash Army Against “Black Sheep” in Jaffna’ »

By

Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka

“The humanist’s article of faith embraces a human heritage. All literature is part of that…”
–Mervyn de Silva (1972)

The recent death of Prof. Siri Gunasinghe led to a rich discussion of the question of Sinhala — and Ceylonese/Sri Lankan — culture. Sri Lanka (and earlier Ceylon) has witnessed not only a clash of cultures but clashes within cultures. While there has been a clash between the Westernized and the anti-western elites, within Sinhala culture itself there has been a clash between the moderns and the traditionalists, and within the westernized elite, a clash between the Western-oriented and the national oriented– the mimics and the synthesizers. These protracted cultural, intellectual and ultimately political struggles still unfold. In the writings of Mervyn de Silva whose 18th death anniversary falls tomorrow, June 22, the cultural question is addressed in its complexity with penetrating lucidity, and a resolution — almost a strategic direction — suggested.

Continue reading ‘Mervyn de Silva Required the Western-educated Elite to be Janus-like, Looking Simultaneously Towards the National and the Universal’ »