Matale Mass Grave Dates To 87-90 JVP, Says Judge
Suspicions mount that remains of 154 people found in hospital grounds are from abductions carried out by security forces, the Guardian reports.
Magistrate Chathurika de Silva told a court in the central town of Matale on Wednesday that tests carried out by archaeological and judicial medical officers show the skeletal remains found inside the premises of a government hospital dated to between 1987 and 1990. During that period thousands of men and women suspected of having ties to the rebels disappeared after being arrested by security forces.
e of 154 skeletons unearthed at the Matale hospital in Sri Lanka. Photograph: Eranga Jayawardena/AP
In Shanie column which is censored by the Island newspaper, Shanie wrote;
“Last year, C A Chandraprema, the political writer, wrote ‘Gota’s War’ eulogisingGotabaya Rajapakse’s contribution to the crushing of the northern insurgency, indirectly rubbishing claims that Sarath Fonseka, as Army Commander, was the principal architect of the military victory. But that book was written and published before the discovery of the mass graves at Matale. In that book, in the twenty-eighth chapter titled ‘The Second JVP Insurrection’, the author makes an unintended revelation. He writes on Page 173: “On 1 May 1989, with Colonel Wimalaratne being promoted to the rank of Brigadier, Gota was made the commanding officer of the 1st Battalion of the Gajaba Regiment…With this promotion, he was posted to Matale as the district coordinating officer tasked with bringing the JVP under control. The first Gajaba Battalion, which had been in Trincomalee for nearly one and a half years, was brought down to Matale. Lieutenants Shavendra Silva, Jagath Dias and Sumedha Perera were among his company commanders in Matale…(p 177) Gota remained the security coordinating officer of Matale until the end of the second JVP insurrection. In January 1990, he applied for three months leave and went to the USA to see his family.” In view of these facts, it becomes all the more necessary for an independent probe to be conducted so that Rajapakse and/or anybody else are cleared of any war crimes in 1989. It may be ironic that the persons being accused of war crimes now are the same persons who were then in charge of Matale. An independent probe may reveal they are innocent, But a probe by a body unconnected with these persons is necessary to show this.”
Share market is a gambling den of racketeers – Anura
THURSDAY, 28 MARCH 2013
The share market has become a gambling den of racketeers and this is confirmed by the resignation of 6 officials of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) within a short period of two years says JVP Parliamentarian Anura Dissanayake.
The government has no regard for the law and the economy has been brought under a small gang of racketeers said Mr. Dissanayake participating in a media conference held in Colombo yesterday (27th).
He said, "The Director General of Securities and Exchange Commissioner Harendra Dissa Bandara has resigned from his post quoting a policy matter. Mr. Bandara is the sixth senior official to resign from the SEC within the last two years.
The task of the Commission established under Securities and Exchange Commission Bill 36 of 1987 and its amendment 26 in 1991 is to regulate the share market. However, the government, without allowing the Commission to do this, has made the share market a gambling den; a target of a few racketeers.
Ms. Indrani Sugathadasa, who was the Chairperson, resigned quoting a policy matter. The country knows her connections with the government. Mr. Gunasinghe, an expert on taxes, also resigned immediately. Next Mr. Tilak Karunaratane was appointed Chairman. It was a direct appointment by the President. However, he was also politically pressurized. He once stated in a COPE session that 30 out of 50 illegal transactions that were carried out in the share market were criminal transactions. Later, he too had to resign. At the media briefing held after his resignation Mr. Karunaratne said the discussion he had with the President regarding the issue became a discussion directed by a gang of racketeers. He also said he was pressurized not only by senior officials but also by a very powerful person. He said those individuals had phoned him and pressurized him to stop investigations carried out regarding their associates.
The Chairman of the share market, which manipulates the economy of the country, states he was pressurized. He had clearly said COPE was ineffective. He said he resigned due to pressure. Two Chairmen resigned due to policy matters within two years. Mr. Harendra Dissa Bandara, who resigned this time, has a doctorate regarding this sector. He is a very suitable person for the post. However, he too had to resign quoting a policy matter. It won't be a surprise if he now says he resigned due to personal reasons. For, there is an operation going on to get him to say so.
What do these incidents indicate? All economic sensitive sectors have been made political gambling dens. A gang of racketeers are earning large profits from illegal manipulations. Unacceptable fluctuations are created in the share market and it is manipulated fraudulently. Top most persons in the government are involved in this racket. If not how does Parliamentarian Sajin Vaas take part in discussions held with the President? It is they who manipulate this racket.
Recently, the EPF was invested in the share market which created an artificial boom in the stock market. This made a surge in artificial profits. The Inter Company Employees Union took legal action against this. The racketeers have grabbed the provident funds of working people.
Who has to confront the consequences of this crisis in the share market? The urban and semi-urban share holders have to face the tune. The pensioners and those who possess some amount of money invest in the share market. However, a situation has been created so that these monies could be grabbed by racketeers by taking over the Securities and Exchange Commission. The number of customers coming to the share market has dwindled. There is no trust in the share market now.
The present government has no regard for law and order or good governance. The economy of the country has been brought under a small gang of financial racketeers. During the last 8 years of Rajapaksa regime a small group of businessmen has amassed billions. How did our share market, said to be the No.1 share market in the world immediately after the end of the war, become the second in the list of share markets that breaks down rapidly?
Everyone who doesn't toe the Rajapaksa line has to withdraw from their positions. Law has become the wish, the order and the announcement of Rajapaksa. Officials resign and they too are pressurized. As such, the responsibility of saving the economy of the country from the claws of a small gang of racketeers is with the masses and journalists like you."
