By Sujith Hewajulige
Commenting on the foreign travel restriction imposed on him in connection with the floating armoury of Avant-Garde, former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday said he had never done anything illegal and always stood by the law.
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa
He said he had already given all the details in connection with the incident to the CID and criticized the impounding of his passport claiming even the probe into the incident was not completed.
By
David Cameron
(This Op-ed piece by British Prime Minister David Cameron was written exclusively for the Daily mirror About his scheduled meeting with visiting President Maithripala Sirisena in London)
Meeting on Mar 10 at No 10 Downing Street
Ever since my visit to Sri Lanka in 2013 I have been determined to help address the issues of Sri Lanka’s past and put the country on the path to a brighter, peaceful and prosperous future. Since my visit, a UN led investigation into alleged war crimes by all sides in the conflict has got underway. And the people of Sri Lanka have elected a new President who has made clear that he is fully committed to reconciliation and reform.
Continue reading ‘“I will never forget the faces of those I met in Jaffna over a year ago”-British Premier David Cameron’ »
BY
DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA
We must get to the root of the larger matter. The larger matter is the political dynamics of this island: the dialectics of Sri Lankan politics as it were.
These dialectics have, in the Socratic-Hegelian sense, a thesis, an antithesis and could yield a synthesis. What is the thesis, the pre-existing starting point? I submit that the record shows the emergence of a hardline Tamil political consciousness in the political mainstream.
Speaking as far back as 1922, Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam said at the meeting of the Ceylon Tamil League:
“…It has far higher aims in view, namely to keep alive and propagate these precious ideals throughout Ceylon, Southern India and the Tamil Colonies, to promote the union and solidarity of Tamilakam, the Tamil Land. We should keep alive and propagate these ideals throughout Ceylon and promote the union and solidarity of what we have been proud to call Tamil Eelam… All this requires heavy outlay of money for which I trust the Tamil Community, and especially its wealthier members here and in the Federated Malay States, will contribute liberally.” (http://www.tamilnation.co/selfdetermination/tamileelam/2200arunachalam.htm)
Firstly this strident mono-ethnic pan-Tamil project, with its latent expansionism, was not a reaction to stultifying Sinhala rule. It was the British who ruled Ceylon at the time and for a good quarter century after this.
From Sandun A Jayasekera in London
Forming a national government in Sri Lanka was not an easy task as we aspired because our political culture was such that political parties always attempted to undermine and weaken the other, President Maithripala Sirisena said in London today.
He made these remarks when he met a delegation from a ‘Maithri Support Group in UK’ affiliated to the UK branch of the UNP at his hotel, Park Lane Hilton.
Shamindra Ferdinando reporting from London
A new campaign meant to pressure Sri Lanka over accountability issues will get underway today (March 10) with the launch of a new Sinhala version of feature documentary No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka, at the House of Commons. The launch will take place at 10.00 am.
Among those scheduled to attend the launch are Director Callum Macrae, Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh, Conservative MP Lee Scott. The meeting will also be addressed by a Sri Lankan in exile, Bashana Abeywardana.
The House of Commons event will coincide with British Prime Minister David Cameron meeting visiting Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena at No 10, Downing Street.
The organisers said that the new Sinhala version of the documentary would be a challenge to the new administration in Sri Lanka.
From Shamindra Ferdinando in London
The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) has requested the British government to persuade the new Sri Lankan administration to lift the ban on Tamil groups imposed by the previous governmnet. The GTF is among those groups included in the list of proscribed organisations.
GTF President Rev. Dr S. J. Emmanuel has requested the ruling coalition’s Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Philip Hammond, MP, to take up the issue with the visiting Sri Lankan delegation. Rev. Dr. Emmanuel, too, has been designated as a terrorist.
President Maithripala Sirisena is leading the delegation.
By Madura Ranwala
The Galle Magistrate yesterday impounded the passports of three persons including former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and former Navy Commander Admiral Somathilaka Dissanayake.
Travel restrictions were imposed to facilitate the investigation being carried out by the Criminal Investigations Department on the controversial floating armoury of Avant Garde Maritime Services (Pvt.) Limited.
Shamindra Ferdinando reporting from London
President Maithripala Sirisena has assured Sri Lanka’s non-aligned foreign policy during crucial talks with British Defence Minister Michael Fallon in London yesterday (March 9).
President Maithripala Sirisena explained Sri Lanka’s long standing relationship with China and its current status. Bilateral talks took place at London Hilton on Park Lane on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Day celebrations in London.
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Rehabilitation Minister D.M. Swaminathan joined President Sirisena at the discussion.
A spokesperson for the President quoted him as having told UK Defence Minister that China was Sri Lanka’s friend. The President also mentioned about Chinese support for Sri Lanka’s development.
By
Dr Reeza Hameed
The Mathripala Sirisena manifesto promised to implement a programme to stabilise the country in two stages, and the first of those stages is the Hundred Day programme which would be devoted to solving urgent issues.
Among those matters that were signposted for reform during the first stage is the abolition of the executive presidential system with unlimited powers and replacing it with a new constitutional structure including an executive that would be ‘allied with the Parliament through the Cabinet instead of the present autocratic Executive Presidential System.’
He promised, also, to introduce an apolitical merit system to secure the impartial functioning of the Public Service. The abolition of the Eighteenth Amendment and bringing back the independent commissions to secure the impartiality of public institutions is to be a central plank of the programme.
While the draft proposals go a long way to implementing these promises, they fall short of the promise to abolish the executive presidency altogether. The President will remain the Head of the State and of the Executive but not of the Government. There is no doubt that, under the draft, his powers have been diminished because he is no longer the head of the government and, more significantly, he shall always act on the Prime Minister’s advice, except when it comes to ‘the appointment of the Prime Minister or as otherwise required by the Constitution’ [Art 33A (2)].
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA
The 19th amendment is quite seriously flawed in terms of (a) definition (b) process and (c) content.
It is flawed, indeed false, in terms of its definition, because an amendment which repeals whole sections of an existing Constitution and moreover changes it from a presidential to a parliamentary system is not an amendment. It is an abrogation disguised as an amendment. One cannot help but wonder at the subterfuge.
Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga & President Maithripala Sirisena
The 19th amendment is flawed in terms of process. Surely a change as drastic as this requires a period of transparent deliberation in the parliament, followed by a nationwide referendum? Why is this sought to be bypassed?
The 19th amendment is most seriously in error in terms of its content. In any country in which the President is elected by the people, by the nation taken as a whole, it is the single most powerful institution in the land. This is because it is the broadest most authentic repository of popular sovereignty. Flying in the face of this democratic principle, the 19th amendment transforms the executive presidency into one which has to always function on the advice of the Prime Minister, therefore transforming the Prime Ministership, which is a far narrower based institution, into the most powerful office in the land.
By
Hafeel Farisz
State Minister for Defence and Gampaha District UNP Parliamentarian Ruwan Wijewardene in an interview with the Daily Mirror asserted that his ‘wings have not been clipped’ as some media reports had suggested and said that his political future would be decided by the people.
Excerpts:
Q To start off with there has been an issue about the subjects that come under your purview, can you give us some clarity in to it?
There have been a lot of stories that have been going around to the effect that my ‘wings have been clipped,’ but there is no such thing.
By
Ranga Jayasuriya
Wimal Weerawansa has warned that we are now ‘losing our hard-earned freedom’. In a public rally held in Kandy on Friday to campaign for the prime-ministerial candidacy of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Rajapaksa confidante asked people to get behind the ex-president to win their freedom back.
I have been wondering as to what ‘freedom’ Mr. Weerawansa has been talking about.
Finally, I managed to jot down some of those potential ‘freedoms’ he could have meant.
Of course, there may be omissions and Mr Weerawansa is welcomed to let me know anything that is missing.
There was ‘freedom’ of abduction and extra-judicial killings under the previous regime. Some disturbing details of white van abductions in the past are now being revealed.
An abduction ring that operated under a special operation unit of the Navy is now being investigated. According to sources close to the investigation, this unit has abducted rich Tamils who were planning to go abroad.
An employee of a travel agency has tipped off the members of the unit about the wealthy Tamil young men and women based on financial information they provided in their visa applications. The unit then abducted young men and demanded ransom for their release.
Shamindra Ferdinando Reporting from London
President Maithripala Sirisena and the government are seeking British support for the post-war national reconciliation process to woo influential Tamil groups based in the UK.
President Maithripala Sirisena and Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera are in the UK for talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron to explore ways and means of securing the support of the Diaspora groups.
The meeting will take place at No 10, Downing Street tomorrow (March 10) on the side lines of a series of events planned for observation of the Commonwealth Day.
The Sri Lankan delegation led by President Maithripala Sirisena arrived in London via Dubai on Saturday. The delegation moved to London Hilton on Park Lane, where British authorities beefed up security.
By
Ananth Palakidnar
The Illankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) leader and the General Secretary of the Tamil National Alliance Mavai S. Senathiraja while criticizing the burning of the effigies of TNA Parliamentarians Sumanthiran and Sampanthan has said that it was a highly irresponsible act at this political juncture by certain misguided elements. He also said that the TNA was not at all manipulated by the Tamil Diaspora abroad and the majority of the Tamils living abroad agree on the stance taken by the TNA towards handling the North and East in the Island.
Excerpts of the interview with Ceylon Today:
Q:
The effigies of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian M.A.Sumanthiran and the TNA leader R.Sampanthan were set on fire in Jaffna and in several countries where the Lankan Tamil expatriates live. What have you got to say about it?
By
Malinda Seneviratne
Financial irregularity was one of the many charges leveled at the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime. The ‘rot’ so to speak began at the top, according to critics. It was and still is argued that this state of affairs is a direct or indirect product of a system of governance marked by centralization of power following the dictum ‘power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely’.
Maithripala Sirisena’s campaign theme, naturally, was good governance. Promises were made to correct institutional flaws, bring to book miscreants and ensure things like transparency and accountability. Professionalism would replace political patronage, the people were told.
Today, with President Sirisena in effect having transferred his mandate to Ranil Wickremesinghe and conceded (in effect) executive powers to a party with minority representation in Parliament, the political equation is marked by instability.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party has more MPs than the United National Party. The reform project is at odds with the prerogatives of political expedience with the two major parties engaged in intense brinkmanship.
by
Ira de Silva
The British High Commission in Colombo claims that “the LTTE is a proscribed organization in the U.K. Showing support for the LTTE by fundraising, waving flags and other means is a criminal offence”.
Sri Lankans would like to ask the British High Commission to explain why there have been no arrests made, when there have been hundreds of instances that supporters of the LTTE in the U.K. have had fundraising activities supported by British parliamentarians?
Waving LTTE flags are the norm whenever there is a rally, protest march of any type and demonstrations by the supporters of the LTTE in the U.K. The police are seen at these events doing nothing – is it that they are just watching for lack of anything else to do or have they been told not to make arrests when British citizens are committing a criminal offence? Are the police just incompetent or corrupt?
By
Udaya Gammanpila
There is a significant contrast between a parliamentary election and a presidential election, considering the psychological impact made with reference to the choice. Let me explain this taking Colombo District as an example. You get a list of 21 candidates contesting for the parliamentary election after voting for a particular party. You have only three preferential votes. Hence, you have to choose three most preferred candidates out of 21. Your choice of three does not mean that you do not like the other 18. It only means that you prefer the chosen three than the others.
Presidential election is different. It is a contest between two candidates. Hence, choosing one candidate necessarily means the rejection of the other after a thoughtful deliberation. At the last presidential election 6.2 million people chose President Sirisena rejecting President Rajapaksa. Similarly, 5.8 million opted for President Rajapaksa rejecting President Sirisena. Obviously, President Sirisena elected to the presidency as 6.2 million is larger than 5.8 million. It is a normal incident.
The abnormal incident took place after President Sirisena assuming office. On 12 January, President Sirisena became the de jure leader of 5.8 million people who rejected him at the presidential election held just four days ago. In fact, he was not the true leader of 6.2 million people who voted for him. Ranil Wickremesinghe is the leader of the majority of them. Sampanthan, Rauff Hakeem, Champika and Fonseka are the leaders of the rest of the people. There may be around 300,000 SLFPers who left the party along with President Sirisena accepting his leadership. He was able to receive 6.2 million votes as the above leaders requested their followers to vote for President Sirisena. Hence, he is not the true leader of 6.2 million voters as well as 5.8 million voters.
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Tamil National Alliance(TNA)Leader Rajavarothayam Sampanthan MP and TNA National list Parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran won many hearts and minds by participating in the official Independence day ceremony held in Battaramulla on February 4th.
MA Sumanthiran MP & Mrs Sumanthiran at Sri Lanka Independence Day Celeberations, Feb 4 – 2015
The diplomatic community in Colombo hailed it as a commendable symbolic gesture towards ethnic reconciliation in a land torn asunder by decades of communal strife and bloodshed. The small step taken by Sampanthan and Sumanthiran was praised as a giant leap for national unity by all progressive sections of Sri Lankan society desiring justice, equality,harmony and amity.
Burning of Sumanthiran’s effigy-Feb 21, 2015~pic courtesy of: adaderana.lk
Sadly what was regarded as a great leap forward three weeks ago appears to be regressing into a great leap backwards in political terms now. Sampanthan and Sumanthiran who were toasted for their praiseworthy act then are now being roasted for the same by Tamil extremist elements posing as nationalists. The duo is being accused of harming the Tamil cause by attending the Freedom day event.In the eyes of the Tamil extremist pseudo-nationalists, Sampanthan and Sumanthiran are “Thurogigal”or Traitors. A vicious and venomous campaign is being orchestrated against both.
Continue reading ‘Tamil “Extremists” Target Sampanthan and Sumanthiran of the TNA as “Traitors”’ »
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has described Northern Province Chief Minister, C.V. Wigneswaran as an irresponsible man and a liar whom he would not meet even if he (Wickremesinghe) went to Jaffna.
In an interview with Thanthi TV published in the Times of India quoted Wickremesinghe as saying that Wigneswaran will have to explain himself to the Tamil speaking people as lots of Tamils were criticizing him today.
In response to a question by the interviewer, Wickremesinghe has claimed that Wigneswaran was playing politics with the issues of the Tamil people.
By
Don Manu
There are certainly a great number of people in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, ministers and MPs included, who would give their right arm to have former President Mahinda Rajapaksa back in the saddle of power. Most of these men are those who made good while the Rajapaksa sun shone which darkened the land but lit their private purse.
Most of them are the rogues, the scum bags the incorrigibly corrupt who stole the people’s money but whose crimes against the people went unpunished due to their allegiance to the Rajapaksa clan. These are the crooks now clamouring to get a front seat on the ‘Bring Back Mahinda Bandwagon’ and await his resurrection to be absolved of their original sin.
These are the thieves in Ali Baba’s cave who deviously claim that the 5m odd votes Mahinda Rajapaksa garnered at the last election is still burning a hole in his pocket, and exist even today, even after the man has been exposed and his myth has exploded. On the basis of their logic, Sarath Fonseka who gained 4,173,185 against Mahinda Rajapaksa in the 2010 presidential election can still boast he has a 4m vote bank.
Continue reading ‘“Bring Back Oh Bring Back, Bring Back my “Bonnie” Mahinda Rajapaksa to me, to me”’ »
By
Suhasini Haidar
Sri Lanka will handle its relations with India and China “separately” from each other, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe told a Tamil TV Channel.
In an interview ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, Mr. Wickramasinghe blamed the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa for “playing the China card against India and India card against China,” adding that Mr. Modi’s visit was a “goodwill one to restore the ties between the two countries.”
But in remarks that will raise eyebrows in Delhi, Mr. Wickramasinghe told Thanthi TV that Indian politicians might have developed “amnesia” over the fact that India had assisted Mr. Rajapaksa in the LTTE war of 2009.
“Without the help of India, President Rajapaksa could not have wiped out the LTTE. He got that help and he agreed to give concessions even beyond the 13th amendment … But he did not do so …,” the Sri Lankan Prime Minister said. Asked specifically about the UPA’s denials of help to Sri Lanka, especially because of opposition from its alliance partner the DMK, he said, “Amnesia, you know is very common among politicians.”
By S Venkat Narayan
NEW DELHI, March 7: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has warned that Indian fishermen can be shot if they intrude into Sri Lankan waters.
He said in an interview to Thanthi TV, an Indian news channel, that Indian fishermen are taking away the livelihood of Northern Lanka fishermen. “If someone tries to break into my house, I can shoot. If he gets killed…The law allows me to do that,” he said in the interview broadcast on Friday night.
Talking about the fishermen issue, he said, “As far as I’m concerned, I have very very strong lines. These are our waters…Fishermen of Jaffna should be allowed to fish. We stopped them from fishing (during the civil war that ended in 2009). That’s why the Indian fishermen came in. They (fishermen of both countries) are willing to have a deal…Let’s have a reasonable deal. But not at the expense of the income of the Northern Fishermen…No,” Wickremesinghe declared.
The Government yesterday, amidst growing opposition calls for an independent probe, launched an investigation into allegations of “insider trading” and favouritism in a Treasury bond issue involving the recently appointed Governor of the Central Bank (CB) and his son-in-law – allegations that rocked Colombo’s banking sector this week.
CB Governor Arjuna Mahendran, who said he was not involved in the decision-making process, told the Sunday Times that a lawyer had been tasked by the Government to probe the matter. “It was decided that there should be an independent investigation and hence the reason to appoint an outsider to probe the matter,” he said, without naming the lawyer. He also said he was not resigning.
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA
IDENTITY & THE ISLAND’S POLITICAL ORDER
The question of definition is a serious one. The question of nationhood is a deadly serious one. I am concerned with the political consequences of definitions, not with academic quibbling about them. There can be academic definitions brought in the service of everything and its opposite. I care little for those.
“Queen of Jaffna”, Yal Devi train reached Jaffna on Oct 13 after a lapse of 24 years
The question of Sinhala, Tamil, Sri Lankan nationhood or otherwise is not an academic question. At the least it is a strategic question but in its deepest sense it is an existential question. The claim of Tamil nationhood and the Tamil denial of the status of national minority pose an existential threat to the Sinhalese whose only country it is, and to the state formation on the island.
There is no bi-national, multinational or pluri-national state in Sri Lanka, and there must not and cannot be. There can only be a nation–state in Sri Lanka. The only debate is which nation that is: Sri Lankan or Sinhalese. I’d say both. In a civic and diplomatic sense it is a Sri Lankan nation and a Sri Lankan national identity, the best example of which is our cricket team and the phenomenon of ‘cricket nationalism’.
In the political and ethno-national sense there is only one nation in Sri Lanka and that is the Sinhalese nation. In a cultural sense we are a multiethnic, multicultural, multilingual society, with the Sinhala Buddhist civilization as the main axis of the island’s civilization.
By
Rohini Hensman and Faizun Zackaria
Change in Sri Lanka cannot end with the defeat of Mahinda Rajapaksa. An overhaul of the executive presidency and accountability for all war crimes going back to the 1970s need to be established and a new economic and social programme needs to be undertaken. A manifesto for the new Sri Lanka.
Two disasters were averted in January in Sri Lanka.
The first would have been the re-election of the corrupt and brutal Mahinda Rajapaksa regime in the presidential election of 8 January 2015. Rajapaksa’s defeat can be credited, first and foremost, to democracy activists across the spectrum — Sobitha Thero, trade unionists, students, teachers, women’s groups, political parties, social activists, artists, lawyers, civil society organisations, the Movement for Social Justice, social media activists, and so on — who organised the campaign for a common opposition candidate with such skill and courage that it succeeded despite the huge amount of money and muscle-power employed on the other side. Also credit should be given to the election commissioner, who carried out a tolerably free and fair election against heavy odds.
Second, to Tamil voters, who overwhelmingly rejected the Tamil nationalist plea to boycott the election (Weerawardhana 2015). The Tamil National Alliance, in particular, has played a commendable role in recent years, affirming its faith in democracy by opposing the continuous slide into dictatorship under the Rajapaksa regime. For Muslims to support the opposition should have been a no-brainer after the state-sponsored pogroms against them by Buddhist thugs of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS); that it took so long for their leaders to disentangle themselves from the old regime is a sad comment on the corrupt politics of patronage.
Hill-country Tamils, most of whom had hitherto been in the clutches of plantation politicians like Thondaman of the Ceylon Workers’ Congress which supported the Rajapaksa regime, gave an overwhelming message that they can make intelligent decisions on their own.
By
C.A.Chandraprema
Kandy has long been known to be a bastion of the UNP. Maithripala Sirisena got 54.5% of the votes in that district and had a majority of 88,000. Even though MR did win some electorates even in this district, one may say that the political initiative in Kandy has now passed on to the UNP once again after the interruption of 2010. This is now arguably one of the Sinhala majority districts where the SLFP and by association Mahinda Rajapaksa is weakest.
So when the second rally to bring Mahinda back to politics was held in Kandy, the four parties that are leading the revanchist charge were taking an unwarranted risk. After the huge success of Nugegoda, scheduling the very next rally in the enemy’s own lair as it were, was actually a foolhardy risk. On top of all that was the ban imposed by the SLFP hierarchy on their elected representatives from attending this rally. In the wake of that ban, many SLFP parliamentarians publicly backed down on the plans they had to attend. With all these factors working simultaneously as dampeners the Kandy rally was an enormous risk that the Mahinda promoters were taking.
This writer made it a point to be present in Kandy to see how things go. Contrary to all expectations, the meeting was a huge success. The open space in front of the Kandy market was jam-packed, the road between the Bogambara prison and the clock tower was completely blocked and traffic diverted. One lane of the road leading to the railway station was closed to accommodate the spillover. As in Nugegoda people were observing the rally from any vantage point available, particularly the roof of the Kandy market and the roof top garden of the hawker market across the road. The only meeting bigger than this at this location that this writer has seen was the UNP’s inaugural rally in Kandy for the parliamentary election of 1994.
President Maithripala Sirisena, as Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth, will attend the Commonwealth Day celebrations in London on March 9, 2015, the President’s Office has said in a media statement.
Sri Lanka became the head of the Commonwealth following the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting hosted by Sri Lanka in November 2013.
President Sirisena will take a new message of democracy and stronger Commonwealth relations following his election in the Presidential poll of January 08, 2015, the President’s Office says.
By Dasun Edirisinghe and Cyril Wimalasurendra Reporting from Kandy
Former Minister and National Freedom Front Leader Wimal Weerawansa yesterday said that Indian intelligence service RAW and US were behind the victory of Maithripala Sirisena over UPFA candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa at the January 08 presidential election.
Addressing a massive rally in Kandy organised by the MEP, NFF, DLF and Pivithuru Hela Urumaya demanding that former President Rajapaksa be nominated as the UPFA’s Prime Ministerial candidate at the forthcoming general election, Weerawansa said that several MPs of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government which had as partners Champika Ranawaka, Rajitha Senaratne, Rauff Hakeem et al had claimed responsibility for the ‘change,’ but they had only carried out an Indo-US contract.
US Secretary of State John Kerry had said in Geneva that the US was behind the new change in Sri Lanka, Weerawansa said, adding that Kerry’s utterance proved his allegation..
By Dasun Edirisinghe and Cyril Wimalasurendra
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday that he would listen to the people’s voice and do what they wanted him to do for the country.
Cartoon by: Hasantha Wijenayake
In his statement to the Kandy rally organised by UPFA allies demanding former President’s return to politics as the UPFA’s prime ministerial candidate, Rajapaksa said that people who attended the rally were walking towards victory. “I wish them well for choosing that way.”
Rajapaksa promised to fulfil people’s wish. He said that the massive crowd attended the rally was his strength.
(Full Text of Interview Given by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to India’s “Thanthi TV” that was published in “The Hindu”newspaper)
facebook.com/ranil.wickremesinghe.leader
THANTHI TV: Thank you very much Mr. Prime Minister for agreeing to talk to us. Let me start asking about the working of the New National Govt. There is an SLFP President, UNP Prime Minister. Ministers from parties that have been opposing each other in elections consecutively. How does this actually work?
Ranil Wickramasinghe: We were all united on few issues… Restoration of democracy in Sri Lanka, end of the Rajapaksa regime, the need to remove the executive presidency & finally need to have a national reconciliation. So we got together. The fact is that Rajapaksa was crowding the democratic space in Sri Lanka. One of the the smaller parties that has always opposed the UNP consistently said, “Look, fish need water, we need space… He is not giving us the space…let’s all get together, create a democratic system, strengthen it & then we can all go back to the party politics that we knew”. It is like Political parties getting together in a National crisis, it’s generally a war, an invasion which brings them together… But here it was a major Political crisis which decided… Will this country be a Multi party democracy or will it be the Rajapaksa regime… It affected the SLFP itself…Because the SLFP was being replaced, the cadres, the Members were being replaced by the henchmen of Rajapaksa regime. This is why the General Secretary of the SLFP became the Common candidate, today, he is the President of the Country.
THANTHI TV: But can this set up go on after the Parliamentary elections…Can this go beyond the ensuing Parliamentary elections?
Ranil Wickramasinghe: Yes, we have decided that we will work together at least for two years & we could assess the situation, can we stay on or should we separate. I like all the parties to get together. As I said in Sinhalese, I want to make the whole Parliament a Government. One Group will be The Ministers & Deputy Ministers, the rest of them will become over sight Committee. Like the European Parliament or the American congress, exercising powers of oversight over the Government, therefore the chairman of the Oversight committee will also be a Powerful Political figure
Continue reading ‘“Wigneswaran is Irresponsible and a Liar. I will not meet him Unless he Withdraws Genocide Resolution”-Ranil Wickremesinghe’ »
(Media release Issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Official visit of Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Sri Lanka)
Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will undertake an official visit to Sri Lanka from 13 to 14 March 2015 at the invitation of President Maithripala Sirisena.
On 13th March, Prime Minister Modi will be accorded a ceremonial welcome including a Guard of Honour and Gun Salute. President Maithripala Sirisena will hold bilateral discussions with the
visiting Prime Minister and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will host a lunch in honour Prime Minister Modi. The Indian Prime Minister will address a Special Sitting of Parliament.
He will also lay a wreath at the IPKF Memorial and visit the Mahabodhi Society. President Maithripala Sirisena will host a State Banquet in honour of the visiting Prime Minister.
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA
“…The Government has invited Mr. Pablo de Greiff, the Special Rapporteur on truth, justice, reparations and guarantees of non-recurrence to visit Sri Lanka for consultations. He has proposed to visit us at the end of this month. We also look forward to receiving the Working Group on Involuntary and Enforced Disappearances…”–Mangala Samaraweera (Text of the statement delivered at the High Level segment of the UNHRC, March 2, 2015, Geneva.)
Mangala Samaraweera, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka addresses during the High Level Segment of the 28th Session of the Human Rights Council, Palais des Nations. Monday 2 March 2015. Photo by Violaine Martin
Mr. Mangala Samaraweera, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the unelected (and therefore, less than legitimate) Government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, has just done the equivalent of Jihadi John on the Sri Lankan armed forces. Jihadi John is the ISIS executioner who stands behind captives, makes a speech and cuts their throats in full view of the world’s YouTube watchers and (by extension) TV audiences.
Mangala Samaraweera has just done the same to the Sri Lankan armed forces. His speech at the High Level Segment of the 28th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council appears at first glance, unobjectionable, moderate and reasonable and close to pitch-perfect. But that’s only at first glance. The entire speech is clever camouflage.
Hidden in it is a deadly ambush laid for the Sri Lankan armed forces. The Foreign Minister has not only welcomed the UN Special Rapporteur on Truth and Justice, he promises to welcome the UN Working Group on Involuntary and Enforced Disappearances. This latter is a dangerous and dastardly move.
Sri Lanka has always cooperated with UN Special Procedures and permitted Special Rapporteurs, Working Groups etc. to visit, even during the war. However, like every sovereign state, Sri Lanka has deliberated carefully, in the National Security Council, about which ones would be allowed in, when that might be, and which ones not. One Working Group we were very wary about allowing in prematurely was the UN Working Group on Involuntary and Enforced Disappearances.
By
Hafeel Farisz
General Daya Rathnayake, the former Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, is the most decorated military officer in the history of the security forces, speaks to the Dailymirror on a wide range of topics in a candid, no holds barred interview.
Lieutenant General Daya Rathnayake, as new Commander of the Army Pays Courtesy Call on President Rajapaksa-in Aug 2013-pic: News.lk
Excerpts:
by Rajan Hoole, N. Sivapalan, Ahilan Kadirgamar and K. Sritharan
The UN Human Rights Commission’s decision to investigate violations and the huge loss of life during the last months of the war concluded in 2009 was a significant victory for the victims.
Voting on Sri Lanka resolution on March 27, 2014 at the 25th Session of the Human Rights Council-pic by: U.S. Mission Geneva/ Eric Bridiers
The dignity of the victims required that the truth must be told without fear or favour, and processes of justice and restoration set in motion. And the wrong was not all on one side.
Dignity also demands that we await the verdict of the judges with restraint and reverence for the name of justice.
But in Jaffna, all hell broke loose over the coming UNHRC report in an orgy of mud-slinging, recrimination and effigy burning for Tamil leadership spoils.
Some academics in Jaffna University led by taking on themselves the task of identifying and upbraiding ‘traitors to the race’ in a return to dangerous heroics. MPs Sampanthan and Sumanthiran were excoriated for attending the Independence Day function.
The first shot in virtually christening the coming UN report a ‘genocide report’ was fired by Northern Chief Minister Justice Wigneswaran on 10th February 2015 in the Provincial Council resolution he advanced.
by Shamindra Ferdinando
The JVP has opposed special provision for a 45-member cabinet and 55 deputy ministers/state ministers following the next general election to facilitate the formation of a national government.
JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, MP, yesterday said that his party was agreeable to formation of a national government though it wouldn’t be party to such an arrangement under any circumstances. The JVP, however wouldn’t endorse what he called an unjustifiable push for special arrangements as regards the Cabinet and deputy ministers/state ministers, MP Dissanayake told The Island.
Responding to a query, MP Dissanayake warned that such selfish proposals would jeopardise their primary objective of bringing in far reaching constitutional reforms.
By
Jayashika Padmasiri
The tension between the main opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Government seems to be increasing rapidly as Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe engage in a cold war while standing under the ‘National Government umbrella’.
The debate rages between implementing constitutional amendments with electoral reforms or implementing constitutional amendments alone and has been going on for some time now, resulting in the postponing of completion of certain crucial 100-day promises made in the run-up to the presidential poll. All the while the people are waiting and watching this political tug-of-war, wondering who will ultimately win the day.
The battle came into the spotlight with the SLFP presenting a comprehensive document consisting of 10 points for it to support the Government at the subcommittee meeting which was held last week at Temple Trees. Will the SLFP have its way? Or will PM Wickremesinghe have his way? We are yet to find out.
By
Mahinda Rajapaksa
(Text of a Press release Issued by Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa)
Wide publicity has been given to images of what is purported to be a half built presidential residence in Kankesanthurei said to have been constructed for my exclusive use. I wish to inform the public that no presidential residence was being built for me in Kankesanthurei. Until it was destroyed by LTTE terrorists in the 1980s, there used to be a presidential residence within the Jaffna Fort. That has not been rehabilitated to date.
The property in Kankesanthurei is an International Relations Centre belonging to the presidential secretariat which was being constructed by the Navy. The public may be aware that some of the best known convention centres in the country like the BMICH, the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute and Nelum Pokuna came under the presidential secretariat.
By Hemantha Randunu
The Colombo Crime Division (CCD) yesterday grilled former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son Lt. Yoshitha on a light aircraft found some weeks back in a storeroom of a building belonging to the Economic Development Centre at Narahenpita.
Yoshitha, in his statement to the CID, had said that the veteran film producer Chandran Ratnam whom he referred to as Uncle Ratnam had given it to him as a gift.
Therefore, he intended to use it as an exhibit. The light aircraft was taken into custody by the police on January 14.
By Saman Indrajith
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday told Parliament that he had ordered Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera to conduct a full investigation into payments amounting to millions of rupees made to US Congressmen by the External Affairs Ministry under the previous government to lobby on behalf of Sri Lanka.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said that it was illegal according to the US laws for Congressmen to accept or offer such payments by other countries for such purposes.
The Prime Minister said so in response to a remark made by JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake that it seemed that the previous government which won over opposition MPs by offering privileges and perks had done the same to US Congressmen, too.
By Saman Indrajith
President Maithripala Sirisena told Parliament yesterday that a powerful politician of the previous regime had taken a bribe of one billion rupees to shelve the national drug policy draft Bill.
Addressing Parliament at the commencement of the second reading stage debate on National Medicines Regulatory Authority Bill, the President said that 400 pharmaceutical companies each had paid Rs 2.5 million to make up the one billion rupee bribe.
Yesterday was the first time in Sri Lankan parliamentary history that a president addressed the House at the time of a Bill being moved for debate. It was also the first time Sirisena addressed the House after becoming the President.
President Sirisena said that a draft bill he had prepared when he was the Minister of Health but it had gone missing in 2011 due to the intervention of some higher-ups of the then regime.
The then head of the Legal Draftsman Department Theresa Perera accepted the Bill promising that draft would be returned complete in one week. But, thereafter she retired and the draft bill disappeared. “Not only the draft bill but also the hard disc containing it disappeared. I later found that Rs 2.5 million each had been collected from 400 drug companies to delay the bill. I still do not know what had happened to those funds,” President Sirisena said.
By
Hemantha Warnakulasuriya
It was very interesting to hear from one of the Opposition big guns, Anura Kumara Dissanayake that Mahinda Rajapaksa could not live in this country as a defeated candidate as he had committed so many crimes including corruption in the awarding of contracts without following any tender procedures, to his cronies, local and foreign, who were prepared to pay him in certain cases as much as 8,000% of the total award, as commission. Therefore, he would never give up his power or position as a democratic leader should do. He went on to say that all other Presidents could go home after defeat or after the completion of two terms as President and live without fear.
Taking a cue from the audacious announcement made by Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the other star of the opposition Champika Ranawaka, the Presidential candidate, Maithripala Sirisena said that he would not permit any of the thieves of public funds to leave the country surreptitiously and he would close the airport. Mr. Sirisena who made that statement in the heat of the campaign denied it later on.
The manner in which the former President left Temple Trees, in the wee hours of the morning, even before the final results were announced gave further impetus to the theory propounded by Dissanayake, that the President left Temple Trees as he could not leave in the morning because the crowds would gather and jeer him and make his farewell an ugly one. The President may have been reminded of the manner in which he had escaped from the Tamil Diaspora, who had congregated at the Heathrow Airport and how he had to land his aircraft at another airport in order to avoid the hostile crowd.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Ex-senior Sea Tiger cadre Jeyaganesh Murugesu Pakeerathy (41), who was taken into custody at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on Monday (2) has been granted French permanent resident status.
The Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) arrested her soon after her arrival at the airport to leave for France. Pakeerathy is a mother of an eight-year-old child.
Authoritative sources told The Island that having permanent residence is a privileged status which allowed a recipient to live in France indefinitely. Sources said that Pakeerathy carried a Sri Lankan passport though her husband Subramaniyam Jeyaganesh alias Samiraj had received French citizenship.
By Watchdog
Background
Ms. JeyaGanesh Pakeerathy was a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Sea Tigers unit for around four years (exact years unknown). She was heavily injured and was discontinued in 2000. After receiving intensive treatment at home, she recovered. However, even today she is unable to do heavy work.
In 2003, she married a man who was active in collecting funds and was involved in propaganda work for the LTTE in France. Her husband is a French Citizen. It was a customary marriage. They were officially registered in 2004. The marriage took place in Thailand. She left to France in 2005 on an ‘Immigrant Visa’ ( not sure if this is the official word for it). She was sponsored by her husband.
However three years ago, her husband filed for divorce. The order of the Court was delivered on the 8th of January 2012. The Court had made an order for their divorce, for Pakeerathy to have the custody of her daughter and for her husband to pay the maintenance for her daughter.
However according to the family, the order only comes in to effect in June 2015. Hence, legally she is still married to her husband.
Her daughter, JeyaGanesh Pakalvi who was born in 2006 as a result of this marriage. She is a French Citizen. She is currently attending school in France and came to Sri Lanka with her mother during her vacation. School starts again on the 3rd of March 2015 for her.
Arrival in Sri Lanka
DR. DAYAN JAYATILLEKA
“It is my humble view Sir, if we are to progress as one Country with two nations…”
(‘Your Excellency Our President, We Need One Country With Two Nations’- CV Wigneswaran,
Colombo Telegraph, March 3, 2015)
pic: facebook.com/maithripalas
pic: facebook.com/maithripalas
It became known as the Two Nation theory. That was the basis on which Jinnah fought for and obtained the partition of India and Pakistan, with all the carnage that entailed. The two nation theory thus became a dirty word in neighboring India.
Chief Minister CV (“Genocide Judge”) Wigneswaran has just enunciated it in the presence of President Maithripala Sirisena on the latter’s first post-election visit to Jaffna. Of course, in order to be fair by Chief Minister Wigneswaran, it must be said that the Tamil political mainstream first articulated this claim officially, way back in 1951, a good five years before 1956 and Sinhala Only.
By
Upul Joseph Fernando
Northern Chief Minister, C.V. Wigneswaran, is reported to have come in for severe criticism by the Indian High Commission in Colombo, over the resolution passed in the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) calling international assistance to probe genocide of Tamils.
In addition to this critical stand taken by the Indian High Commission here, America and the West too have taken a similar stance over the NPC resolution with the view that the NPC was trying to stifle the understanding and cordial relations between the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Maithri Government.
The suspension of the UNHRC war crimes report against Sri Lanka by six months, and the international understanding to provide space for Colombo to put in place its own domestic mechanism with regard to alleged war crimes and human rights violations during the final phase of the war, which is being opposed by certain sections in the North and Tamil organizations in London, is reported to be backed by the Tamil Diaspora as an attempt to give oxygen and life to Velupillai Prabhakaran.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Accusations that Tamil youth were being held in secret detention camps were baseless, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told a gathering of Buddhist clergy at Rukmale Sri Dharmaloka Vijayaloka Mahaviharaya on Sunday (1).
Among the invitees at a felicitation ceremony for newly appointed Mahanayake Thera Ven. Iththapane Dharmalankara was Rt. Rev. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith.
Premier Wickremesinghe emphasised that all those who had been taken into custody were being held in legally run facilities and, therefore, all detainees could be accounted for.
By Malik Gunatilleke
General Sarath Fonseka stated that the majority in the country needed to assume the responsibility of creating an environment of trust in order to combat ideas of separatism while slamming politicians for stirring racial tensions to gain political advantages.
facebook.com/sarathfonseka/
The General made these comments while conducting a forum yesterday at the Kingsbury Hotel under the theme ‘The Untold Story by General Fonseka’, which recounted in detail the final Eelam War.
When questioned about elements of the Diaspora still harbouring the thoughts and dreams of creating a separate state within Sri Lanka and how this could be combated, General Fonseka stated that instead of trying to combat them and eliminate those sentiments through fear and intimidation, the people of the country needed to create an atmosphere of trust and harmony to quash those sentiments.
“We can’t stop the people from having their own sentiments. Even Tamils have all the right to think how nice it would be to have their own country. You can’t stop people from thinking like that. In a democratic country if someone says that they want a certain area to live in with their own Government, again we can’t, the way we eliminated terrorists, eliminate them. We are talking about good governance, so we can’t intimidate, we can’t terrorise people and change their thinking,” he stated.
by Shamindra Ferdinando
Northern Province Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran has reiterated his controversial call for wider UN probe into what he called genocide of Tamils since 1948 while his party, the TNA, is seeking to improve its relations with the new government,
The retired Supreme Court judge sought the backing of visiting UN head of Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman for his agenda when the latter met him in Jaffna on Monday.
UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Sri Lanka, Subinay Nandy accompanied Feltman, a veteran US career diplomat.
CM Wigneswaran has handed over an 11-page resolution calling for UN intervention here to Feltman.
Well informed sources said that CM Wigneswaran hadn’t received a positive response from the UN delegation.
by Dasun Edirisinghe
The SLFP had banned its MPs, Provincial Councillors or local government members from attending pro-Mahinda Rajapaksa rallies organised by other political parties in the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) without prior approval, SLFP General Secretary MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said yesterday.
He said that the SLFP Central Committee had prohibited elected SLFP representatives from issuing statements to media without party approval.
“At present, the SLFP is in a process of bringing all its members and supporters under its banner to win future political challenges,” Yapa said, adding that statements issued by party seniors according to their whims and fancies would be detrimental to the party’s interests.
By
Jayashika Padmasiri
The United Nations (UN) said yesterday that it supported a credible domestic probe, which met international standards, into allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka and asked the Government to make maximum use of the time between now and September before the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) report was presented.
USG Jeffrey Feltman-pic: twitter.com/UN_DPA
UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffery Feltman, at a press conference held yesterday in Colombo, said: “The Secretary-General believes strongly that we now have the opportunity to build on this existing foundation to renew and strengthen the partnership between Sri Lanka and the United Nations and between Sri Lanka and the international community.
“We in the United Nations recognise that Sri Lankans from across the country suffered during a long conflict. No community was immune and despite the work of many commissions, the list of grievances and unresolved issues remains long. As demonstrated by the speech of the Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs before the Human Rights Council in Geneva yesterday, we are encouraged by this Government’s commitment to promote reconciliation, accountability and human rights.”
Speaking further he said that a credible and tangible progress in these areas was a requirement to the achievement of sustainable peace and prosperity in Sri Lanka.
President Maithripala Sirisena said yesterday that the Government was fully committed to resolving issues without differentiating between people from the South and the North.
pic: facebook.com/maithripalas
During remarks when he chaired the Northern Province Coordinating meeting in Jaffna District Secretariat, Sirisena said: “Everyone should work in a spirit of brotherhood irrespective of differences. The task of bringing together the minds of the people cannot be achieved only through physical development. It is this Government’s hope to bridge the North and South through friendship and understanding.”
Attention was also drawn to issues relating to health, agriculture, land, fishing and education in the Northern Province during the discussion.
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda
Colombo district UPFA parliamentarian Duminda Silva and 12 others were today indicted in the Colombo High Court on 17 charges in the killing of former presidential advisor Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and four others at Walpola, Mulleriyawa in 2011.
By Col R Hariharan
[This is the text updated on March 2, 2015 of the presentation made at a national seminar on “Understanding China – Indian perspective” organised jointly by the Chennai Centre for China Studies, and Institute for China Studies and the Nelson Mandela chair for Afro-Asian Studies, Mahatma Gandhi University at Kottyam on February 27 and 28, 2015.]
China’s ambition to further its interests in Sri Lanka has suffered a setback after people elected the common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena as President in preference to two-term President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the election held in January 2015.
China is probably familiar with President Sirisena as he had served as a senior minister and close aide of Rajapaksa during the last ten years. He was high in the hierarchy and served as the defence minister when President Rajapaksa was absent from the country during the Eelam War.
However, China’s personal equation with Rajapaksa was tailored to cultivate him, taking advantage of his highly personalised style of governance. Rajapaksa and his two brothers controlled the government and managed key ministries e.g., development finance, internal security, defence and urban development immensely benefiting China in furthering its strategic agenda in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and South Asia. So China probably has more problems in coming to terms with the Sirisena rule than any other power i.e., India, the US.
In the short term, China’s concerns would include recouping its close relations once again with Sri Lanka under President Sirisena lest it loses its strategic gains made in the country and region under the erstwhile Sri Lanka President. On the long term, China would be worried about the Sirisena regime’s desire to correct Rajapaksa’s tilt towards China to balance Sri Lanka’s skewed relationship with India which has the potential to stall China’s strategic security plans in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and affecting the smooth implementation of 21st Century Maritime Silk Route (MSR).
By
Maleeha Hamid Siddiqui
IT is 8am on Saturday and I am outside Carlton House, the forest-green-coloured residence of Mahinda Rajapaksa, former president of Sri Lanka. It is a modest structure and on a low roof perches a medium-sized board carrying a picture of him beaming.
He has been residing in his hometown Tangalle after his shocking defeat in the presidential elections nearly 50 days ago. According to news reports, his electoral loss takes its place alongside that of former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi, who was so certain of her popularity that she called early elections in 1977. Mr Rajapaksa too had — counselled by his astrologer — called for early elections.
His residence is manned by two policemen in olive-green uniforms along with three intelligence officials dressed in plain, solid-coloured half-sleeved shirts and black trousers. They cast a cursory look at me and continue watching the sloping road. Sari-clad women, men in shirts and colourful sarongs and uniformed schoolchildren are walking up and down it.
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA
A man or woman must have the courage of his or her convictions. If you do something, do so because you think it is right. If you oppose something, do so because you think it is wrong. If you’ve done something because you think it is right, say so, defend your choice, and give reasons why you thought it was right, if only at that time. If you’ve opposed something, explain that opposition, giving reasons why, at the time, you thought it was wrong. If you’ve remained silent, give the reasons for so doing. If you’ve broken your silence, explain why. That’s the way to remain an essentially moral man or woman, to ascend the high ground, even if your reasons may be wrong.
Continue reading ‘Chief Minister Wigneswaran States Many “Untruths” in Trying to Explain why the Northern Council Passed Genocide Resolution.’ »
By
Rex Clementine reporting from Wellington
In any city where cricket is played and Sri Lankans live, Kumar Sangakkara is a popular man. So is he in the New Zealand capital of Wellington where he has left an indelible mark.
icc-cricket.com
Sanga has thrilled the Wellingtonians with some classy knocks. Wellington has two cricket grounds. The scenic Basin Reserve hosts Test Matches while the modern Wespac Stadium conducts the limited over games.
Sanga’s unbeaten 156 at the Basin Reserve against an attack that had Bond, Martin and Vettori set up a huge win in 2007 and many thought that knock was hard to match. Then he produced another master class early this year with a sublime double hundred where he gave all batsmen a lesson on how to bat with the tail.
Wellington is a mountainous city prone for earthquakes. There was no earthquake on Sunday, but England were shaken and shattered following Sanga’s brilliant onslaught. Sunday’s knock was Sanga’s last in Wellington. He put up a super show and Wellington gave him a fitting farewell.
By Harendra Fernando
“Robin Hood” Mini-Budget presentation by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake
Last Friday the Daily FT carried a review of the UNPs performance at the halfway mark. All in all, it has been a total disappointment for those people who voted the Sirisena-UNP combined team to office.
The UNP, having been in the Opposition for over 12 years, is now demonstrating it has lost touch with the realities of the new world. It is clearly trying to start from where it left in 2004. This is amply demonstrated by the fact that people of the past have been reappointed to key posts in the new Government.
The world is now a very different place and managing such a set up like we have now requires people who are current and experienced. Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake has been a total disappointment. He has been totally at sea. He is no match for the Finance Ministers the UNP has produced in the past. The late K.N Choksy PC despite being a lawyer conducted himself so well.
(Text of Statement made by Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera at the High-level Segment of the 28th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 2 March 2015)
Mr. President
High Commissioner for Human Rights/ Madam Deputy High Commissioner
Excellencies
Distinguished Delegates
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is an honour for me to be here today, representing the Government of Sri Lanka following the historic Presidential election that took place in my country 48 days ago on 8th January 2015.
Mangala Samaraweera, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka addresses during the High Level Segment of the 28th Session of the Human Rights Council, Palais des Nations. Monday 2 March 2015. Photo by Violaine Martin
As this august assembly would be aware, 81.52% of the registered voters in Sri Lanka from all parts of the island including the former conflict affected areas in the northern and eastern provinces exercised their franchise at this election. It was the largest ever voter turnout in the country’s history. Despite calls from some both within and outside the country to boycott the election, the people of Sri Lanka asserted their right to vote. Out of 66.28% of the total votes cast in the Jaffna District, 74.42% voted for President Maithripala Sirisena. In the Vanni District, out of the 72.57% votes cast, 78.47% voted for him. In the predominantly Muslim Eastern Province, President Sirisena polled 71.84% of votes in the Trincomalee District, 65.22% in the Digamadulla District and 81.62% in the Batticaloa District. 84.26% of the votes cast in his favour were from outside the Northern and Eastern Provinces reflecting that the people living in these areas also gave voice to the change of Government.
It could therefore be said that this is the first time in our country’s history that we have a truly Sri Lankan leader who has been elected through the votes of all Sri Lankans irrespective of race, religion and language. All communities united in electing President Maithripala Sirisena who promised them a united New Sri Lanka in which ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversity is respected, celebrated and valued. They chose a leader who would fulfil their aspirations of strong and independent democratic institutions, freedom of expression, the rule of law, good governance and the promotion and protection of human rights. In doing so they rejected outright a regime under which the rights of the individual had been violated with impunity for almost a decade.
(Text of Media Release Issued on February 27th 2015 about Distorted Accounts Published by the Northern Provincial Council )
Northern Provincial Council Financial Statement as at 31st December 2014 published in the NPC website is a distorted accounts. The Leader of Opposition pointed it out during the question time in the council on 24th February 2015.
According to the minutes of the Board of Minister’s meeting, NPC, held on 30.12.2014, approval was granted to carry forward 128 work programmes totally amounting to Rs. 690,704,473.24 up to 31st March 2015 and this to be undertaken out of the allocation for the year of 2014.
By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan
Rev Rayappu Joseph
The most outspoken Bishop in Sri Lanka, Dr Rayappu Joseph of Mannar says a purely domestic inquiry will not be perceived by Tamils as impartial, at least at this stage. Also, what should be done now as first step is to cooperate with the UN investigation and discuss next steps after that report is published.
Following are excerpts:
By
Malinda Seneviratne
Ranil Wickramasinghe is the Prime Minister of this country. He is Prime Minister today because he helped Maithripala Sirisena become President of this country. If he enjoys any power today it is simply because the President has unofficially conferred to him much of the decision-making powers vested in his office by the Constitution.
via: FB/Ranil Wickramasinghe
We can call it ‘gratitude’. We can say he deserves reward for favors granted. There are things we cannot say, however. We cannot say (as he claims) that 6.2 million people wanted Ranil to be made the Prime Minister simply because what happened on January 8, 2015 was a PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
Ranil Wickremesinghe didn’t run for President. Indeed, we can safely conclude that Ranil Wickremesinghe could not have won had he contested. If ‘reform’ was his thing then it is more easily obtained by winning the Presidency rather than waiting on the largesse of someone else who was elected. As things stand, we are not even sure if Wickremesinghe wants reform, considering the fact that he’s quibbling over the utterly petty issue of whether or not presidential powers should be pruned along with instituting electoral reforms, not forgetting that he’s clearly focusing on a General Election.
(Text of Second Resolution passed by the Central Working Committee of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) on 1st March 2015 in Vavuniya)
Resolution 2
The Central Working Committee of the ITAK continues to observe the unwarranted and unacceptable steps being taken against its Senior Leader R. Sampanthan and Deputy General Secretary for International Affairs and ITAK Spokesman M. A. Sumanthiran in recent times within the Tamil homeland and in the diaspora.
Continue reading ‘ITAK Central Working Committee Condemns Attacks against Sampanthan and Sumanthiran and Censures Suresh Premachandran and Ananthy Sasitharan Over Effigy Burning’ »
Text of First Resolution passed by the Central Working Committee of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) on 1st March 2015 in Vavuniya.
Resolution 1
On this 1st of March 2015, the Central Working Committee of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi considering the changed political environment prevailing after regime change in Sri Lanka, resolves to request the government to expedite action in respect of the following matters immediately, in accordance with the promises made at the Presidential elections:
– The return of lands;
– The release of political prisoners; and
– Take steps in respect of the disappeared.
By
The “Sunday Times”Political Editor
The Government this week crossed the half way mark of its hundred-day programme to fulfil promises made to the people during the campaign for the January 8 presidential election. Ironically that milestone has arrived with some election assurances remaining unfulfilled and was to take a turn for the worse on Thursday. The two major partners in the rainbow coalition — the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) — failed to reach accord on the impending constitutional changes when the subcommittee on the subject, appointed by the National Executive Council (NEC), met at ‘Temple Trees’, the one-time official residence of the former President and now used more as an office. The NEC is an apex body of the Government’s partner political parties, those who support it and civil society groups. They have named subcommittees for different subjects like constitutional changes and anti-corruption.
SLFP bombshell: A document on constitutional changes
The SLFP wants the constitutional changes and the electoral reforms to go hand in hand. However, the UNP says only the constitutional changes should be passed in Parliament. That would naturally require a two thirds majority which means the support of the SLFP is a sine qua non. The SLFP holds 126 seats in the 225–member Parliament while the UNP has 41. The last to leave the UNP was General Secretary Tissa Attanayake. As for electoral reforms, the UNP argues that the subject should be taken up by the next Government that emerges after the parliamentary elections. In fact the UNP’s national leader and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has declared that the next administration would be a ‘national government.’
The talks collapsed and fears were raised on the future of the coalition which is 52-days-old today(Mar 1st). Clouding the issue further were claims and counterclaims. Some partners in the Government were accusing different ministers and officials of ‘going slow’ on investigations into big time ‘sharks’ involved in bribery, corruption and other malpractices. They claim that only the ‘small fry’ were being brought to book. On the other hand, these ministers say the due process of the law should take its course. The debate continues and neither side is winning acclaim from the people on this score and the public ire grows.
By
Nirmala Kannangara
When thousands of peasants struggle to find a proper meal to their children due to the high cost of living, millions of rupees of public money had allegedly been ‘wasted’ monthly by the former regime on 38 Presidential Advisers.
The Sunday Leader learns that out of the 38 Presidential Advisers, 20 were not assigned for any specific task although each were paid a salary of Rs.75, 000 and an allowance of one third of their salary.
Presidential Secretariat records also shows that each adviser was given a mobile phone, a laptop and a fully maintained vehicle as well as 200 liters of fuel which was increased based on their outstation travel. A certain percentage of their mobile phone and residential phone bills were also paid by the Presidential Secretariat.
By
Don Manu
All women tend to lie about their age. But not all women get landed in the slammer for it. Sashi’s – or is it Shehasa’s or is it Shirja’s’s — alleged mistake was to have falsified her name and age on documents tendered to obtain a diplomatic passport, an offence which carries a sentence of one to five years in jail or a fifty thousand to two hundred thousand rupees fine or both.
She allegedly used this diplomatic passport made out in the name of Randunu Mudiyanselage Shehasa Udayanthi, age 44, which grants specified privileges and immunities to its user, to fly to Dubai for a week’s stay on April 10, 2011, and to fly again in 4 weeks to Dubai for 3 days on May 21. She also used it to fly to Mumbai just for an overnight stay on October 20, 2011, to fly to Singapore for three days in April 2014 during the Sinhala New Year; and to fly on a SriLankan Airlines flight specially chartered by President Rajapaksa to an undisclosed destination on June 25 last year for five days.
Also known as Sashi, she is the wife of Weerasangili Panikkiyalage Wimalasena alias Wimal Weerawansa, also a man of two names. Her earlier passport carried the name Ranasinghe Randunu Mudiyanselage Shirja Udayanthi, age 48.
Last Sunday, two days after having gone missing, she was arrested at a private hospital in Malabe. On the 25th she was further remanded till March 4th which would have made her stay at the Welikade Hospital, a little longer than her week’s sojourn in Dubai twice within a month in 2011. On Friday, however, she was granted bail.
By Nirmala Kannangara
The new Government which came to power after the Presidential elections held last month has further exposed the forceful taking over of land in Panama when the former Government was in power.
The Sunday Leader had in 2013 exposed how the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) and the police Special Task Force (STF) forced villagers in Shasthrawela, Ragamwela, Ulpassawela, Horowkanda and Ella in Panama to leave with the help of Potuvil Police and the Lahugala Divisional Secretary.
The respective forces then denied the allegations and insisted that they did not chase away villages but took over state lands that were idling to build their bases to strengthen security in the eastern province after the war victory. Thousand two hundred and twenty acres of forest lands was taken over forcibly by the SLN, SLAF and the STF in the guise of building camps.
However after the fall of the previous regime in January this year, it was reported how seven star chalets and an international conference hall has been constructed spending colossal amounts of public money.
By
Kishali Pinto Jayawardene
A most discomfiting sight witnessed in Sri Lanka post the January 2015 ‘yahapalanaya’ elections was this week’s less than coherent public haranguing of the country’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) and his officers by the new Government’s Public Security Minister John Amaratunga.
Lack of political will manifested
The general theme appeared to be that government politicians are lily white while the apparent inability to catch the big time criminals of the Rajapaksa regime lie fairly and squarely at the feet of law enforcement officers.
Indeed, it appears as if this is becoming the convenient refrain of the Government. On Friday, Cabinet spokesperson and a frontline Minister Rajitha Senaratne expressed dissatisfaction at the failure of state agencies including the Department of the Attorney General, the Department of the Police together with the Bribery and Corruption Commission to speedily act against major corruptors.
This is however a story that only the credulous will believe.
By
Malinda Seneviratne
Spokesperson for the Federation of University Teachers Associations (FUTA), staunch supporter of the Maithripala regime and shrill advocate of good governance Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri posed a question to certain individuals on Facebook. He wants to know what they think are the political meanings of a political force Wimal Wererawansa, Dayan Jayatilleka and Vasudeva Nanayakkara are putting together with Mahinda Rajapaksa as leader (”විමල් වීරවංශ, දයාන් ජයතිලක සහ වාසුදේව නානායක්කාර යන අය එක්ව මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂගේ නායකත්වයෙන් ගොඩ නැගෙන කදවුරක දෙශපාලන අරුත් පිළිබද ඔබගේ අදහස් දැනගැනීමට කැමැත්තෙමි.”)
In the comment thread Nirmal says that others gathered around slogans such as democracy and good governance they could agree with and asks what kinds of ideas could unite the likes of Wimal, Dinesh (Gunawardena), Dayan and Vasudeva. Today, the question can be posed, ‘of what worth are slogans (such as good governance and democracy) outside of mobilizing-utility?’
BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA
MANGALA’S TRIDENT: INSTRUMENTS OF INQUISITION INTO SRI LANKA
pic via: facebook.com/pages/Mangala-Samaraweera
Does President Sirisena know what Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera is up to or has he been kept in the dark, which isn’t a safe place to be, depending on the company? Does the Parliament or do Mr. Samaraweera’s Cabinet colleagues know what he is up to—and I don’t mean in his spare time?
Mr. Samaraweera has fashioned a trident, a three pronged policy on human rights, accountability and reconciliation which undermines Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, national security and national interest. What are the three prongs of the trident?
1. An agreement with the UN High Commissioner and his office for a six month interval in which the High Commissioner hopes to gain access to “new information” which will lead to a “stronger” report in August 2015.
2. A domestic mechanism to investigate allegations, which will be “developed” by working together with the UN High Commissioner and his office, and worse still, will involve “technical assistance” from “international rights watchdogs” i.e. international human rights NGOs—which by the way, are advocacy groups, not recognized or acknowledged sources of ‘technical assistance’.
3. Another process of a Truth Commission to be evolved in conjunction with South Africa, though the South African government has made it explicit that the TRC of that nation is not for export and transplantation.
After months of anticipation the first leg of the Girl Power Inter School Old Girls Sportsmeet flags off on March 1st at Independence Square, when ‘Old Girls’ from Holy Family Convent, Ladies’, Methodist, Musaeus Colleges, St Paul’s Milagiriya and Visakha Vidyalaya compete in the first-ever Girl Power Inter School Cycle Race.
This is an open event where 12 riders from each school will compete against each other to vie for a trophy. The race will be flagged off at 3.30 pm on Independence Avenue by Sujeewa Senasinghe, Deputy Minister of Justice.
By S. V. Kirubaharan
The Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, Mangala Samaraweera, is scheduled to speak on the opening day of the 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council – UN HRC, in Geneva, on 02 March 2015.
With my experience of Sri Lanka and the UN Human Rights forums, I predict that the following will be said. Many facts and realities will not be disclosed to this august forum.
1 – Mangala Samaraweera will inform the UN HRC that a new President has been elected by all communities – Singhalese, Tamil and Muslims. He will also say that the Tamils’ leading political party, the Tamil National Alliance – TNA, fully supported the new President.
But he will not mention that the new President won the election mainly because of votes from the North and Eastern Provinces which are predominantly inhabited by Tamils.
By
Dharisha Bastians
Still, modern extensions notwithstanding, prettiest parts of the building are the oldest.
In 2009, some months after the war ended, media personnel were offered military tours of Velupillai Prabhakaran’s ‘luxury’ bunker and swimming pool deep inside his hideout in Mullaitivu by the defeated regime. Subsequently, the bunker was turned into a special exhibit on the ‘war tourism’ trail, for first time visitors from the island’s south to marvel at the slain Tiger Leader’s opulent lifestyle.
The ‘Rajapaksa wing’ at Temple Trees. Three new cabinet rooms, hall for 7000 & countless plush meeting rooms
Today the regime’s own extensions inside the premises – traditionally used as the Prime Minister’s official residence – are being opened up to curious journalists and visitors. Enthusiastic security personnel escort journalists to the former President’s private brick-lined, kidney-shaped pool completely obscured from view by 25 feet of tall aluminium fencing all around it. A small tiled sauna and massage room still smells of herbal oil and flowers.
By
Dharisha Bastians
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe & TNA Leader R. Sampanthan
Hardline sections of the TNA are breathing fire against the new Prime Minister for the Government delays in releasing lands seized by the military in war time back to its original owners in the North and East.
The two major regions being contested are Valikamam North in the Jaffna District and Sampur in the Trincomalee District. In Valikamam North, the army holds 6000 acres of land, originally belonging to private citizens. The Government announced two weeks ago that it would release 1000 acres back to the original owners. Since the announcement there is little progress.
It appears the 1000 acres is the present compromise the Government has been able to exact from the military.
The frustration over the delays has resulted in a spate of protests by families of the disappeared, student activists and land owners, against both the new Government and the more moderate leaders of the TNA.
Last Thursday, a stormy meeting ensued when Prime Minister Wickremesinghe met with a TNA delegation for talks about the release of land and detainees held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Several TNA MPs, including EPRLF Leader Suresh Premachandra, were harsh with the Prime Minister. Wickremesinghe reacted by urging calm.
Continue reading ‘“Dont Shout at me. I Understand Your Issues” -Ranil Tells TNA in Stormy Meeting’ »
By
Udhav Naig
Name: Kaaki Sattai
Director: R.S. Durai Senthilkumar
Cast: Sivakarthikeyan, Sri Divya, Vijay Raaz
Producer: Wunderbar Films
Music: Anirudh Ravichander
Sivakarthikeyan
Actor Sivakarthikeyan seems to have decided that it is time to tool up and fast track the process of his anointment as a star. The actor’s latest, Kaaki Sattai, is a star vehicle, designed to re-brand the funny man as an underdog who fights the mighty and the corrupt single handedly. The result? He has pulled it off without embarrassing himself – an achievement in itself.
Popular Tamil director R.C Sakthi, who launched Kamal Haasan in a lead role, breathed his last at a private hospital in Chennai on Monday. He was 75.
“Director Sakthi passed away at SRM hospital due to old age—related ailments,” a source close to the director’s family told IANS.
Sakthi started his career as a theatre artist. He floated a theatre troupe with his friends and went on to act in a few plays before moving to cinema.
He started his career as an assistant to theatre artist Subbhu Arumugam, and worked with him on several plays.
By
Meera Srinivasan
Signalling a departure from its recent decision to be lenient with Indian fishermen allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters, the Sri Lankan Navy on Thursday night arrested 86 Indian fishermen off Mullativu in the island’s Northern Province. Ten trawlers in their possession were seized.
After the Maithripala Sirisena-led Government assumed charge in January, Sri Lanka’s northern fishermen pointed to the increasing number of “Indian fishermen” trawling off their coast.
They accused the Sri Lankan Navy of being lenient with the Indian fishermen found poaching, a charge that Cabinet spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne admitted to.
By Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena and Venkatesh Nayak
Introduction
In giving necessary context to Sri Lanka’s draft Right to Information (RTI) law disseminated by the current Government in order to obtain feedback from citizens, a few matters need to be clarified. In substantial respects, this draft is the 2003/2004 Bill of the United National Front (UNF) administration. This is quite evident by the insertion of the Legislative Draftsman’s Department, LDO Number 23/2003 on the left hand side of the Bill.
The 2003/2004 Bill was finalized by a committee headed by then Attorney General, the late Mr KC Kamalasabeyson, PC and including the then Justice Secretary, the Legal Draftsman, senior editors and public interest advocates. It was approved by the UNF Cabinet at that time. However, due to the Parliament being dissolved by President Chandrika Kumaratunga, this draft was not enacted into law. The Bill was further revised in 2010 by then Justice and Legal Reforms Minister of the Peoples’ Alliance, Milinda Moragoda who attempted unsuccessfully to enact an RTI law. Later, then United National Party opposition parliamentarian Karu Jayasuriya also attempted to bring in an RTI law as a private member’s Bill. This attempt was disallowed by the Rajapaksa government in power in a move widely condemned at that time.
Contrary to the popular perception of some therefore, the RTI Bill now in the public domain is not the end product of a new drafting process initiated by this Government in 2015. That exercise still remains to be engaged in, which is presumably why the call for public feedback was issued.
It is 27 February; the new Government has clocked 50 days of power and it is opportune to review its performance during this period.
If one is to go by the rumblings and the ramblings in Colombo, there is increasing disillusionment with the UNP-dominated new Government. The previous Government, try as they did, was unsuccessful in converting the “Colombians” from their deeply-entrenched UNP loyalties. This was amply evidenced by the results in the presidential election and at various elections in the past.
The heart of Colombo remained indefatigably UNP. However, the UNP which the Colombians voted for in January 2015, and many times before, and the values, ideologies and fair play which typified the UNP, have changed dramatically and the UNP is near unrecognisable, especially in the eyes of the private sector.
(Text of an Editorial Appearing in “The Island”of February 27th 2015 Under the heading “Pursuing the hare”)
National Freedom Front Leader Wimal Weerawansa’s wife Sashi has been further remanded over an allegedly forged birth certificate. Wimal has also been summoned to the CID and questioned over an alleged incident of unlawful assembly.
If the Weerawansas have been on the wrong side of the law, let them face the consequences of their action. But, the law must apply equally to everyone if the government is not to be accused of having it enforced selectively to achieve its political objectives the way its predecessor did.
By Harim Peiris
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) dominated and led United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) met its political Waterloo, about two months back when Mahinda Rajapaksa was defeated in the presidential elections by Maithripala Sirisena from the UNP led National Democratic Front.
pic courtesy of: twitter.com/Rathgamaya
That stark reality that they lost the presidential election has obviously been lost on Mahinda, Dinesh, Wimal, Vasu and Co. That reality was rather obvious to most of the SLFP seniors who fairly quickly realised which side their bread was buttered. Now the SLFP sits in opposition but in support of the one hundred (100) day programme of the NDF administration.
Continue reading ‘Do we need more Corruption, White Vans, Abductions, Kickbacks, Casinos and Anti-Muslim Violence With a Rajapaksa Comeback?’ »
The Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) strongly condemns the burning of effigies and images of TNA leaders, Mr. Sampanthan and Mr. Sumanthiran. We believe these acts are aimed at weakening the democratically elected leadership of Tamil people in Sri Lanka and thereby silencing the democratic wishes of Tamil people.
In the last presidential elections, the Tamil people voted in large numbers to bring about change, as per the advice of these very TNA leaders.
The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) welcomes the appointment of a Coordinator for Charismatic, Evangelical and Pentecostal Christian Churches by Hon. John Amaratunga, Minister of Public Order, Disaster Management & Christian Affairs.
Established in 1952, NCEASL represents a constituency of traditional and non-traditional Evangelical churches that has been present in the country for over a century.
In the recent past, there has been a significant trend of increasing religious intolerance and violence against religious minorities in Sri Lanka. This has been accompanied by tightening administrative regulation, including the use of Ministry Circulars to compel clergy to seek state approval for their religious activities.
By
Dharisha Bastians
Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa -pic: defence.lk
A crisis, precipitated by shadowy forces, may in fact have hastened the reshuffle in the military establishment this past week, and the appointment of the new Army Commander.
The new Government has been aware for several weeks now that sections of the military remain fiercely loyal to former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
These sections grew accustomed over nine years of Rajapaksa rule to a Government policy of viewing every problem through the lens of security. Militarisation and the dominance of the security paradigm in all aspects of the Rajapaksa State has in a sense changed perspectives within the military establishment about the primacy of democratic rule.
This is a problem the new Government encountered early on. The early gaffe by newly appointed Defence Secretary Basnayake, who sought to justify irregular financial activity by his predecessor, was an indication of the seriousness of the problem.
Within the security establishment, the influence of the previous powerful regime runs deep. Civil servants had learned to obey the dictates of military, even though they were technically higher in the command chain.
BY
DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA
Chief Minister Wigneswaran attempted to explain away the Northern Provincial Council’s ‘Genocide’ Resolution by saying it was not directed against the present administration but rather against its predecessor. He was not telling the truth, to put it mildly. The Resolution has a specific target and that target is unveiled in the very title. The Resolution goes into the record under the title “Sri Lanka’s Genocide Against Tamils”. (http://lnweng.vishmitha.netdna-cdn.com/images/doc/2015/pdf/NPC-Resolution_on_Tamil_Genocide_v2.pdf)
Thus the charge is not against Mahinda Rajapaksa—not that this would have made it right—but against Sri Lanka. It is Sri Lanka, the country—our country—that stands accused. It stands accused of ‘genocide’. Any reference to the previous administration appears in those sections dealing with ‘recent genocide’, while every section on ‘recent genocide’ is preceded with one on ‘historic genocide’.
What is the pith and substance of the resolution? There is no room for confusion. It says:
“This resolution provides an overview of the evidence demonstrating successive Sri Lankan governments’ genocide against Tamils, and respectfully requests the ongoing United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) to investigate the claim of genocide and recommend appropriate investigations and prosecutions by the International Criminal Court. The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide (Genocide Convention) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 9th December, 1948, and acceded to by Sri Lanka in 1950, and provides:
By
Dharisha Bastians
In anticipation of a parliamentary election in just over two months, hardliners on both sides of the ethnic divide are moving in for the kill, threatening to derail a fragile process of reconciliation the new Government has pledged to undertake and bring back an autocratic leader ousted in January.
The 20,000 strong rally in Nugegoda, organised by smaller parties within the UPFA coalition – famously called ‘The Rising’ by former diplomat and political scientist Dayan Jayatilleka. Jayatilleka, who openly campaigned for the defeated leader in last month’s election, theatrically read a message from the former President to participants and forever etched his place in the fringe Sinhala nationalist movement that is coalescing around Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Appropriately, the Sinhala hardline Bodu Bala Sena movement – accused of spearheading a spate of attacks against the Muslim community including the riots in Aluthgama, urged people to attend the Nugegoda rally.
The controversial monk Elle Gunewansa Thera, with his chequered role in the 1983 ethnic riots, was also in attendance. Over enthusiastic organisers insist that the Nugegoda rally drew a 500,000-strong crowd.
The figure is ludicrously over-inflated, but 20,000 is no number to scoff at, since they were gathered to salute a defeated President.
By
B. Kolappan
A. Vincent in conversation with press.
Veteran cinematographer A. Vincent, who teamed up with late film director C.V. Sridhar in his masterpieces such as Kalyanaparisu, Sumai Thangi, Nenjil Or Aalyam, Then Nilavu and Kathalikka Neramillai died here on Wednesday.
He is survived by his wife, two cinematographer sons-Jayanan Vincent and Ajayan Vincent-and a daughter.
Vincent, born in Calicut, was a product of Gemini Studios and a student of Kamal Ghosh. He dominated the Tamil film world since the 1950s also became a most-sought after cinematographer in Telugu and Hindi.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Bishop of Mannar Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph on Tuesday (Feb 24) joined a Tamil National Alliance (TNA)-led demonstration in Jaffna against the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) delaying the release of a report that dealt with accountability issues in Sri Lanka during the war as well as post-conflict period.
Addressing protesters, Rt. Rev. Joseph strongly condemned the postponement of the report consequent to a request by the new Sri Lankan government.
The UNHRC now will unveil its report in Sept. 2015, though it had earlier planned to present it during next month’s session. The UN conducted the probe in accordance with resolution 25/1 adopted in March last year.
Alleging that the UNHRC had deceived the Tamil people, the priest stressed that Tamils had no faith in a domestic war crimes investigation under any government.
Rajiva Wijesinha
The State Minister for Higher Education Professor Rajiva Wijesinha maintains that the promises made during the presidential campaign period have taken a backseat with the general elections in the offing. At an interview with the Dailymirror Prof. Wijesinha was candid on the reasons that led to his resignation, on the reforms he planned in the higher education sector. He has expressed negative views on the progress of the 100-day programme of the new government.
Excerpts of the interview follow.
Q:Was it solely the resignation of the UGC Chairman – a subject on which you claim you weren’t consulted – that led to your resignation from your portfolio?
By
Ruki Fernando
This month, the UN Human Rights Council announced it would defer publication of a major report that investigates allegations of serious human rights violations and related crimes during the last years of Sri Lanka’s civil war. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, whose office had been entrusted with the task, had asked the council to delay the report’s release, originally scheduled for March, until September, based on a request by Sri Lanka’s new government.
According to High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, one of the reasons justifying a deferral was “clear commitments” from the government to cooperate with his office “on a range of important human rights issues”. These commitments were detailed in a letter Sri Lanka’s new foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera, sent to the high commissioner.
But the foreign minister’s letter avoids saying anything directly related to the UN investigation, and thus, it appears that the new Sri Lankan government could follow the previous regime in relation to the UN investigation.
First of all, the letter doesn’t state that Sri Lankans are free to cooperate with the UN investigation and gave no assurances that there will be no reprisals for any individuals or groups who do so.
Secondly, the letter says nothing about inviting the UN investigation team to Sri Lanka and creating an enabling environment for such a visit.
Thirdly, there is nothing contained in the letter about the Sri Lankan government sharing information and cooperating with the investigation. In this context, it will be challenging to realize “the possibility that important new information may emerge which will strengthen the report”, which was the second reason the high commissioner gave for justifying his request to defer the report’s release.
By
Upul Joseph Fernando
The media reported on Monday that former Maldivian President Abdul Nasheed was arrested on terrorism charges. The fate of Nasheed is a lesson for Maithri and Ranil who leads the present government.
Today, the President of Maldives is Abdullah Yameen, half brother of former President Abdul Gayoom who ruled Maldives for 30 long years until Nasheed and Waheed joined to oust him. After ousting Gayoom, both Nasheed and Waheed crossed swords for Presidency.
Finally, the alliance broke and Nasheed was ousted while Waheed took control of the country.
It was Abdul Gayoom who manipulated measures to create dissension between Nasheed and Waheed to get his half brother installed as President. Gayoom ruled Maldives for 30 years suppressing the Opposition. The Opposition parties too were at loggerheads and that gave oxygen to Gayoom.
Gayoom jailed his Opposition Leader Abdul Nasheed when he was in power. After Nasheed was released from jail, he chose to live in Sri Lanka to operate his political work. As developments turned worse in Maldives, the United States, India, the West and Sri Lanka joined hands to oust Abdul Gayoom to restore democracy in Maldives.
With the mediation of these powerful countries, the Opposition in Maldives rallied round Nasheed and defeated the strongman Gayoom whom everybody thought could not be ousted from power. Nasheed became President.
By Zahrah Imtiaz
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday (23) morning made an offering of a six-inch gold trident to the Kataragama Maha Devalaya.
At the 84,000 pahan poojawa in Kataragama-Feb 22, pic: twitter.com/RajapaksaNamal
Folklore states that King Dutugemunu too, made such an offering before he set out to war.
Thus, rumours are afloat that this might be an indication of the former Head of State continuing to harbour political ambitions.
Rajapaksa who visited Kataragama on Sunday (22) participated in the lighting of 84,000 lamps at an all night pirith ceremony with wife Shiranthi, sons; Namal and Yoshitha, nephew Shasheendra Rajapaksa, former minister Gamini Lokuge and Udaya Gammanpila.
It was observed that the usual provincial politicians from Hambantota and Moneragala Districts, who accompanied Rajapaksa on previous visits to Kataragama were notably absent this time around.
By Ishara Ratnakara
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) yesterday expressed willingness to withdraw the case filed against former Chief Justice, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, for not having disclosed her assets, but the Chief Justice’s party did not agree to that.
When the case against the former Chief Justice was taken up for hearing, Dr. Bandaranayake was present in Court.
CIABOC requested a period of two months from the Court to declare their stand point on withdrawing the case filed against the former Chief Justice.
President’s Counsel, Nalin Ladduwahetty, who represented former Chief Justice Dr. Bandaranayake in Court, together with a group of lawyers, stated that, he is opposed to withdrawing and winding up the case.
By Dasun Edirisinghe
UPFA Provincial Councillors and local government members in the Western Province have launched a campaign demanding former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Ministerial Candidate and an immediate end to moves to remove Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga.
Their first meeting was held at the Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha Auditorium on Monday with the participation of the majority of UPFA local government heads and members and provincial councillors in the Gampaha District.
Addressing the gathering, Chairman of the Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha, Prasanna Ranaweera, said they would take to the streets with all local government and provincial council members of the Western Province if Chief Minister Ranatunga was removed by the present government.
By S Venkat Narayan
NEW DELHI, February 24: Fan frenzy reached its peak at some places in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday as AIADMK supremo filmstar-turned-politician Jayaram Jayalalithaa turned 67.
Many AIADMK supporters pierced themselves with spears and hooks as penance for ‘Amma’ (mother) to return to power.
Partymen also organized a number of welfare activities to mark their leader’s birthday.
While special prayers at religious places were conducted for the former chief minister’s acquittal in an assets case also, mass marriages and welfare activities marked the day for supporters.
Leader of the Frontline Socialist Party Kumar Gunaratnam yesterday said that incumbent government’s political duplicity had become evident in its moves to deport him while calling upon those who had fled the country for political reasons to return home.
In a press release issued yesterday, Gunaratnam says the higher echelons of government had repeatedly called upon those who had left the country to escape political victimisation to return home. “I am one such person but the very same government has got its legal experts to deport me to Australia.”
Excerpts of Gunaratnam’s release:
By
N Sathiya Moorthy
Maldives is at it again. With the return of the political tug-of-war between the Government and the Opposition threatening to peak, the police arrested former President Mohammed Nasheed on Sunday in connection with the long-pending ‘Judge Abdulla arrest case’ and ended up ‘manhandling’ him outside the court hall a day later, spreading all round concern over the ‘recent developments’ in the Indian Ocean atolls nation.
“We are concerned at the recent developments in the Maldives, including the arrest and manhandling of former President Nasheed. We urge all concerned to calm the situation and resolve their differences within the constitutional and legal framework of Maldives,” Syed Akbaruddin, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in India, Maldives’ closest and largest neighbour, said in a late evening media briefing on Monday.
Akbaruddin’s statement came full 24 hours after President Nasheed’s arrest in relation to a pending criminal case. In between, a five-member delegation of Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) doing the rounds in Delhi to campaign for support had told the Indian media that no one from the Government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi met them. Even scheduled meetings with officials were cancelled, an MDP team member was quoted as saying.
By
Lalith Abeysinghe
I was a final year student in the Faculty of Arts of the University of Peradeniya in 1978. Politically it was a tough and a crucial time with regard to the fate of the working class and the disadvantageous groups in particular and to the future of the country in general. Mr. J. R. Jayewardene securing a landslide victory at the Parliamentary Election in July 1977, seen preparing for a total dictatorship misusing the mandate got through the election. It was crystal-clear of the motives of JR that the whole country was ‘constitutionally’ converting to a hotbed for the benefit of the handful of rich and understandably for the agony of the poor.
I was a member of Nava Samasamaja Party led by Dr Vickramabahu Karunarathne and Vasudeva Nanayakkara and the President of Lanka Students Federation (Peradeniya University), the party’s student arm. After the first Party Congress in December 1977, it was decided to hoist Black Flags all over the country and declare 04th February as a ‘National Mourning Day’ to protest against the Bonapartist constitution, which was proposed to give massive and un-challengeable powers to the Executive President.
As a Political Science student and a responsible citizen, I was quite convinced about the agony which the country is going to face with the introduction of such a dangerous constitution. Hence I with the guidance of Dr Vickramabahu, who was a Senior Lecturer in Engineering Mathematics at the Engineering Faculty, at that time, took the leadership to organize the protest in and in the vicinity of the University. We were hoisting Black flags and writing slogans to protest against the constitution.
Incidentally, the government was preparing for the ‘National Celebration’ to introduce the new constitution and Mr. Jayewardene to take oaths as the First Executive President on the Paththirippuwa of the Sri Dalada Maligawa on the same day 04th February.
by
S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole
The burning in Jaffna by a group including TNA representatives of an effigy of M. A. Sumanthiran, TNA MP, induces déjà vu in me. Mr. R. Sampanthan the TNA leader and Mr. Sumanthiran took a bold step in attending the recent Independence Day celebrations, the first time the Tamil leadership has done that after the 1972 constitution’s promulgation. Many Tamils feel that it has no legitimacy because Tamils did not vote for it and it removed their protection under article 29 (2).
TNA Parliamentarians M.A. Sumanthiran MP and R. Sampanthan MP
Count Otto von Bismarck enunciated the wisdom of Realpolitik: “Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable — the art of the next best.” Sampanthan is the bold Tamil leader who, exercising the wisdom of that adage, urged the Tamil people to vote for President Maitripala Sirisena on Jan. 8. Tamils followed him. And this has irked rabid nationalists within the TNA whose politics is fueled by hate. Mischievous headlines like in the Colombo Mirror declared that the TNA condemned Sampanthan whereas the statement was by a TNA MP who sees Sumanthiran as a rival for succession. There has been no TNA decision condemning Sampanthan.
What Sampanthan and Sumanthiran did is what leaders do – lead. They do not go back to the party to ask at every step whether they may do this or that. Explained Mr. Sampanthan to the BBC Tamil service: “The decision to attend the celebration was made after careful consideration.” Regime change, the Tamil people’s future, and faith in the new ruler were the key reasons, he is reported to have explained.
By A.G. NOORANI
ONE hopes that Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena’s visit to India on February 15 will truly mark a turning point in the relations between the two countries. To accomplish that, India’s outlook and approach will have to change in fundamental respects. India has legitimate security interests in the region and legitimate concerns in the welfare of the Tamil citizens of Sri Lanka. But neither the interests nor the concerns have been served by the policies that India has followed, since 1983, to be precise.
Both were inspired by arrogant assumptions of the airs of “a regional power” aspiring to be a “great power” globally. Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose departure from office was universally welcomed, proved that on both counts, India enjoyed little leverage in 2014. The policies of old now lie in ruins. It would be foolish to continue as before. The situation has changed radically, and India’s interests and concerns will best be promoted by a diplomacy that relies on persuasion and not force.
But change will come about only if there is a sincere realisation of India’s mistakes, the wrongs it committed and the grave damage it inflicted on a hapless neighbour, too small to retaliate in kind. Only time will tell how deep the wounds on the psyche of the people of Sri Lanka are.
By
Ranga Jayasuriya
Messrs Wimal Weerawansa, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Dinesh Gunawardena and Udaya Gammanpila who cannot win at the next Parliamentary Elections without contesting on the SLFP-UPFA ticket, want Mahinda Rajapaksa to make a political comeback –in order to save their own political future and not so much the future of the country.
at Nainativu Nagapoosani Amman-Feb 2013
For that purpose, they held a political rally in Nugegoda, last week and the wheeler-dealers who benefitted from the largess of the previous regime footed the bill.
Without their generosity, renting 150-200 buses to ferry supporters from far-flung villages and paying for other important details such as their food and booze would have been beyond the reach of the four minor political parties that organised the rally.
So, the Nugegoda rally tells us, among other things, that the ex-president is continued to be buttressed by the people with deep pockets. However, that is not something new; the question is how long such loyalties would last.
By
Eric Meyer
One year ago, Chinese Third World diplomacy was widely seen as being in crisis. Throughout Africa, Latin America and Asia, a growing number of emerging countries were expressing reluctance to be involved in relations with the Middle Kingdom based on its exploitation of their mineral resource riches. This sense of unease and even outright resistance to China was most evident in Asia, where Myanmar and North Korea began distancing themselves from their giant neighbor and even systematically refuse to align themselves with it on key foreign policy issues.
But today it would seem that the balance has started swinging in the opposite direction, and China has revised its procedures and scenarios. In the case of Myanmar, a gas pipeline from the Andaman Sea to the Chinese province of Yunnan was opened at the start of February, which will better protect China’s imported energy lifeline. At the same time, a series of other mega-projects are now being negotiated, which will more closely align Myanmar to the People’s Republic.
A double clock is therefore ticking. Moreover, it is doing so in contradictory directions and, in this respect, the case of Sri Lanka is especially instructive. Sri Lanka held elections in December, which were unexpectedly won by the opposition, whose campaign was partially based on China-bashing. The new strong man, Maithripala Sirisena, claims to want to distance his country from the economic agreements his predecessor signed with China. In one such deal, for billions of dollars of investment, China is upgrading Colombo’s airport.
BY Ishara Rathnakara
Former Minister, Wimal Weerawansa’s wife, Shashee Weerawansa, who was arrested for providing false information and presenting forged documents to obtain passports, was banned from travelling abroad by Colombo Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya, yesterday (23).
It is said that Shashee Weerawansa had obtained a diplomatic passport by providing false documents and CID had told the Court that this diplomatic passport was issued due to a written request by former Minister Wimal Weerawansa to the former Controller General of the Department of Immigration and Emigration (DIE), Chulananda Perera.
Ranasinghe Randunu Mudiyanselage Shirja Udayanthi, also known as Shashee Weerawansa, who was arrested last Sunday (22) for obtaining forged documents, is currently undergoing treatment at the Neville Fernando Hospital in Malabe.
BY Cassendra Doole and Rathindra Kuruwita
Leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF) Wimal Weerawansa was grilled by the CID yesterday (23) in connection with an alleged demonstration he led in 2011 in Kaduwela. He arrived at the CID around 9:30 a.m. with a group of lawyers.
“Those who worked tirelessly towards freeing the country from the Tigers are now being taken into custody.
Allegations against me are not connected to my wife” said Weerawansa.
Hey poet, submissions for the Annasi & Kadalagotu Vol V are open until 15 March. Poets are encouraged to send in their most recent, previously unpublished work to publisher@kadalagotu.com.
Annasi & Kadalagotu, coined by Capt Elmo Jayawardena, author of ‘Sam’s Story’ (Gratiaen Prize 2001) and co-founded by Imaad Majeed, is a small-press publishing house based in Colombo, focusing on contemporary Sri Lankan poetry.
The flagship publication is the Annasi & Kadalagotu chapbook, of which three volumes have been published, featuring the work of poets such as Natasha Nathanielsz, Benny Lau, Anis Mustafa, Arun Dias-Bandaranaike, Dawpadee Kaushalya, Tharindu Jayamanne, Hyshyama Hamin, Renton de Alwis, Timaandra Wijesuriya, Menaca Calyaneratne and Eesha Coswatte.
Continue reading ‘Submissions from Poets Invited for Annasi & Kadalagotu Vol V’ »
By Zacki Jabbar recently in Jaffna
Some members of the Tamil diaspora had come in their numbers with enough funds to invest in the North, following the end of the war, but the unprecedented red tape had resulted in them making a hasty retreat, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Yarlpanam (CCIY) said.
Asked by The Island why the Tamil diaspora was not making big investments in the North of Sri Lanka though the war had ended nearly six years ago, the President of the CCIY , K. Vignesh replied that many rich Tamil businessmen domiciled abroad had returned with high hopes of investing in their motherland shortly after May 2009.
By
Jayantha Samarkoon
Kumar Gunaratnamat the Immigration dept-January 30, 2015
The Immigration and Emigration Department said today that they had been unable to locate Frontline Socialists Party (FSP) central committee member Premakumar Gunaratnam, whose tourist visa had expired on January 31.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law of Singapore, K. Shanmugam, who is on a two day visit to Sri Lanka from 23 to 24 February 2015, met with Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera today at the Foreign Ministry.
The visit, marking the first high-level interaction of the Singapore Government with the new Sri Lankan Government, since it assumed office last month, demonstrates the keenness of Singapore to reinforce and reaffirm the continuity of the close and robust bilateral relations between the two countries. Minister Shanmugan characterized Singapore’s relations with Sri Lanka as a friendship that was “constant.”
By
Gardiner Harris
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Paintings at Temple Trees, this country’s White House, are still leaning against walls waiting to be hung, and the gated grounds are no longer teeming with guards and stewards who served the home’s previous occupant like supplicants at a royal court.
sketch by: by Hasantha Wijenayake
But more than a month after taking over this iconic home after a shocking electoral triumph, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in an interview in his office here Saturday that while he has managed to reset relations with the United States, India and China, he has only just started to grapple with the profound issues of releasing hundreds of political prisoners and handing back thousands of acres of land seized mostly from minority Tamils during this country’s long civil war.
His first two weeks in office were taken up by a visit from the pope and the urgent need to produce a budget, he said.
“So it’s only been three weeks,” he said. “We just started.”
By
Amanda Hodge
SRI Lanka’s new Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, claims the Australian government’s silence on alleged human rights abuses was the price it paid to secure co-operation from the former Rajapaksa government on stopping asylum-seeker boats.
In an exclusive interview with The Australian, the veteran politician also said that Tony Abbott’s close relationship with the Rajapaksas was “a mystery” to Sri Lankans, and that Australia’s new Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton, would be unlikely to get the warm welcome received under the previous government.
In a weekend interview at the Prime Minister’s official Temple Trees residence in Colombo, Mr Wickremesinghe confirmed the involvement of “people connected to the previous government” in people-smuggling operations.
Continue reading ‘People Smugglers with Links to Rajapaksa Regime were Operating Refugee Boats to Australia Alleges Ranil Wickremesinghe’ »
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The army has released 26,865 out of 34,561 acres of land held by five security forces commands in the Northern and Eastern Provinces since the conclusion of the war in May 2009 up to Dec. 2013.
Land has been released in stages with the people living in area covered by Security Forces headquarters, Jaffna being the main beneficiary.
The releasing of land commenced in late Oct, 2010 in the Jaffna peninsula.
According to Defence Ministry records, of 33,156 acres held by the Jaffna command, 26,729 acres had been released as at Dec. 2013.