The Marriage Made In Hell

By Tisaranee Gunasekara -June 30, 2013 

“Religions may begin as vehicles of longing for mysteries beyond description but they end up claiming exclusive prescriptive rights to them”. -Richard Holloway (New Statesman – 15.3.2012)

Last week Myanmar banned the latest issue of ‘Time’ with its cover-story on the violent creed of Ashin Wirathu, the Burmese monk deemed the ideological leader of the country’s anti-Islamic terror campaign.

The Marriage Made in Hell by nelvely

Muslim Youth Was Being Assaulted at Gandara from Sinhala Ravaya

Thug Monks

June 29, 2013 

It was reported in the media that the religious/ethnic extremist group Sinhala Ravaya (Voice of Sinhalese) has attacked a Beef Stall at Tangalle, while proceeding on a bogus foot march in protest of slaughtering cattle, but failed to report that a Muslim youth too was being assaulted at Gandara. The following is a concise report we obtained from our correspondent in the area. The person who was being attacked is a Muslim youth who runs a Photographic Studio in the same area.

It has been a common practice of the officials of Gandara Police Station, to seek the service of this youth whenever they needed anything to do with photography and in many occasions he used to provide the service to the Police free of charge.

Since, the news was out that the foot march launched by the saffron  robed extremists, who called themselves as Sinhala Ravaya was scheduled to pass through Gandara town on the same day, all the Muslims in that area kept away of their daily routines and confined themselves to their homes. But, despite this, many Muslims in the area has seen him strolling around the town in the company of a Police Constable named Sisira and another police Officer along with his camera. When he was inquired about it by a Muslim Brethren, he has told him that, the Acting Officer-In-Charge of the Police Station, one Pushpakumara  has requested him to get some photographs of the foot march for him.

By 10.00 AM, the march was passing through the town and the said youth too was moving with them photographing the event when a dark skinned, saffron robed thug suddenly got hold the shirt of the photographer and demanded to know who he was. At the same time, all others around him started to assault him and the Police Officer who was in civvies, was only staring at it but never attempted to prevent the youth being assaulted. We later saw that Pushpakumara, the Police Officer too was coming into the scene, but he too was unable to bring the situation under control.

We saw that the beaten youth was proceeding towards the Police Station and we went to him and asked what really took place, for which he said that, his camera and the National Identity Card was forcibly taken by the monk and he had captured the incident into his camera. We then advised him to lodge a complaint in the Police Station, without any further delay. But later he disclosed that at the Police Station, they refused to record his complain and the Acting O.I.C. Pushpakumara has told him, even his job is at stake due to this incident and then has begged him to produce a twisted version of the incident. Eventhough, he got back his National Identity Card and the camera from Pushpa Kumara, the camera did not contain its memory chip.

Due to the request of the Acting O.I.C. Pushpa Kumara, the statement given by the youth says that while he was photographing the PEACEFUL foot march as a freelance, a monk has asked him for his camera and Acting O.I.C. Pushpakumara has asked it back of the monk and handed it over to him.

Later that day, the Acting O.I.C. Pushpakumara visited the Gandara Mosque and disclosed the true incident to all the Muslim brethrens, and we took the liberty of recording his speech, without his knowledge.

Translated by: T.N.Rahim

- See more at: http://www.anvermanatunga.com/english/muslim-youth-was-being-assaulted-at-gandara-from-sinhala-ravaya/#sthash.rCTtY0ST.dpuf

SLMC ALSO OPTS OUT OF PSC

June 30, 2013 

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress today confirmed that it will not participate in the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), appointed to look into changes to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

SLMC leader and Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem, speaking at a press briefing in Kandy today, stated that the party had reached the decision as opposition parties, including the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Tamil National Alliance (TNA), have also decided not to participate in the PSC.

Hakeem further said that the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), a constituent party of the ruling coalition, will contest the upcoming election for the Northern Provincial Council separately. 

The TNA and JVP have both decided not nominate any of its members for the Parliamentary Special Committee while the UNP says it’s awaiting a response from the government.   

However, the ruling party has already appointed 19 members to the committee. 

Foreign spy agency tapping Gota’s phone

• Sunday, June 30, 2013

Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has complained to his mobile phone service provider that his phone is being tapped by an organised team with the intention of gathering national security secrets, according to a newspaper report.

A special investigation that looked into this complaint has revealed that those behind it were linked to a foreign mission in Colombo as well as a powerful foreign spy agency, our sister newspaper Irida Lankadeepa reports today in its lead story.
The report adds:

In addition to tapping the phone of the Defence Secretary, the phones of several other VIPs were being tapped by the same group, which possesses sophisticated phone-tapping equipment, the investigations have revealed.

The mobile-telecom service provider has also begun a probe to ascertain if national security was being compromised and if there is an attempt to tamper with the telecommunication system of the country by those engaged in wiretapping.

Presidential Commission of Inquiry to begin sittings within next fortnight

Still a mystery: The Matale mass grave unearthed last year
By Chandani Kirinde-Sunday, June 30, 2013
View(s): 77

BASL, JVP voice concern over transfer of Matale Magistrate who was hearing the case

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed to probe the Matale mass graves, will begin sittings within the next two weeks, Commission head, retired Supreme Court Judge Justice S.I. Imam said.

The appointment comes amidst concerns expressed by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and the JVP, over the transfer a week ago of Matale Magistrate Chathurika de Silva who was hearing the case on the mass graves.The three-member Commission of Inquiry appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday, has been asked to submit a report within six months. Its other members are ex- Parliament Secretary General Dhammika Kithulgoda and retired High Court Judge Bandula Atapattu

Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Begin Sittings Within Next Fortnight by nelvely

J.R.'s Legacy & Sri Lanka's Misery

by David Soysa-June 29, 2013

Tragically and indisputably, JR’s 1978 Revolution and his legacy, have proved to be the spectre haunting and causing every major crisis in Sri Lanka from 1978 to date. The nexus is nationally recognized. Hence, the popular demand to abolish the Executive Presidency – the final and most important legacy of JR.

Somewhat paradoxically, the duopoly of UNP and SLFP, deceitfully and tactically, use an election promise to abolish the Executive Presidency once elected, as the password to the Presidency for six years. Some believe such election promises are less an example of deceit, than contempt for an audience that can be expected to tolerate with silence. Thus JR’s legacy has been amazingly sustained by the duopoly of UNP & SLFP, for over three terrible decades of crisis.

J.R.'s Legacy & Sri Lanka's Misery by nelvely

Opposition To Devolution: The Three Real Reasons

By Dayan Jayatilleka -June 30, 2013

Dr Dayan Jayatilleka

The Sinhala hardliners within and outside the administration and state structure would have us believe that the Northern Provincial Council is a zero sum game; that a win for the TNA is a loss for the rest of us. There is certainly a risk– what with the moderate Mr Sumanthiran slipping ‘internal self determination’ into his recent article in The Hindu, as if the subcontinent doesn’t recognise the code word, however qualified. However, the game is multiple-sum. From the vital perspective of political pluralism, which is a low flickering flame in this country right now (and not entirely due to President Rajapaksa), a TNA run Provincial council, or a SLMC or UNP or JVP run council would be as healthy as the CBK-led Western PC was in 1994, and for the same reasons.

Opposition to Devolution the Three Real Reasons by nelvely

UNP challenges Govt. to abolish 13-A using two thirds majority-Don’t let tense situation develop into a catastrophe

June 29, 2013, 7:04 pm 

by Zacki Jabbar

 The UNP yesterday challenged the government to use its two thirds majority in parliament and amend or abolish the 13th Amendment without threatening to do it while allowing the tense situation to develop into a catastrophe.

Senior UNPer Ravi Karunanayake said that if the Rajapaksa regime was convinced that the 13th Amendment was redundant in the post war era, the required two thirds majority was available, even though obtained against the peoples will and in the most unethical manner, to rectify what it has termed as an historical injustice.

"If, the government is really committed as it says to diluting or scrapping devolution, do it now without looking for scapegoats and adopting time wasting exercises such as Parliamentary Select Committees. The ethnic conflict has been discussed for decades and all the issues and solutions have been identified,’’ he said.

``The only thing left to do is implementation which is not forthcoming obviously due to the lack of guts in matching words with action.’’

 Karunanayake said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa, by allowing the extremist forces within his ranks to run wild, had allowed a dangerous situation to develop which could lead to a tragic loss of life and property.Having pledged 13-A Plus to India, Rajapaksa had taken Sri Lankans for a ride, by saying that the Provincial Councils would be stripped of most of their key features including the right to merge with other PCs and land and police powers, he noted.

 "All we are saying is go ahead and do what you believe in, without continuing the circus until the Northern Provincial Council Election is over", Karunanayake said. He warned that such a course of action could lead to disastrous consequences.

He noted that while contradictory statements emanated from senior ministers on a daily basis, the minority and left parties in the ruling UPFA were up in arms over the proposed amendments which had shaken the very foundation of the ruling alliance.

 As for the UNP, the MP said that a new constitutional formulation pledging meaningful devolution had been unveiled. This means they opposed the dilution of the 13th Amendment.

Colombo seizes 4,000 acres of paddy lands from Tamil farmers in Ampaa'rai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 June 2013, 22:09 GMT]
Around 4,000 acres of paddy lands belonging to Eezham Tamil farmers in the western side of Thirukkoayil of Ampaa'rai district in the East are under appropriation by the Sri Lankan State in Colombo through its Department of Forest Conservation. This also includes more than 1,000 acres of lands with paddy crops. The Colombo Establishment is committing a systematic demographic genocide on the ancient Tamil villages in the East while the Establishments in Washington and New Delhi, fully aware of Sri Lanka's Sinhalicisation, Buddhicisation and Colonisation programmes, continue to provide the necessary ‘time and space’ to Sri Lanka by seeking to deceive Eezham Tamils with LLRC-based empty resolutions in Geneva and by upholding the 13th Amendment of the unitary constitution of Sri Lanka. 

Sri Lankan government officials have started earmarking the lands to be appropriated by putting boundary stones from Poththuvil up to Chaakamam including the lands with paddy crops.

Shocked Tamil farmers have been asking that is it justifiable for the SL Department of Forest to appropriate their lands as they possess valid legal deeds and permits issued by the SL Land Development Department. 

Those who possess deeds and permits had cultivated these lands from 1960 to 1990. Thereafter they fled from the area due to the outbreak of war. With the declaration of ceasefire they returned and cultivated their lands.

Even now they have been cultivating more than one thousand acres with paddy.

Shifting gears

Editorial-June 29, 2013

The cynics will no doubt attribute the shifting of old left (or dead left as some would have it) gears over the forthcoming changes to the 13th amendment as inevitable. Whatever the political history of the parties they represent, the left leaders cannot get themselves elected to parliament today and must depend on the grace a favour of the SLFP and its all powerful leader for the national list places they occupy in the legislature and the consequential benefits of ministerial office. Alternatively, they must fight an election on the UPFA ticket rather than under their own party banners to get elected. So whatever noises they made, discussions with master strategist Mahinda Rajapaksa have reportedly led to these dissident elements within the government falling in line. It is yet unclear whether they were able to extract any concessions if a compromise had in fact been worked out. If this is so, they have not been talking about it.

The argument that diluting 13A which has long been in our constitution, though unimplemented in many aspects, conferred powers on the incumbent provincial councils that are now going to be denied to the Northern PC to be elected in September is irrefutable. The government has not been able to or even tried to counter this beyond saying that although the law provided for it, no PC has enjoyed police and land powers up to now. President Mahinda Rajapaksa, no doubt with an Indian precedent in mind, has often gone public with the remark that conceding police powers could prevent him from going to his own village. That could only happen if an opposition party with its chief minister controls the Southern PC, something that is certainly not foreseeable in the short term. But the strength and popularity of the government today is not what it was when it swept all PC elections and took control of the various provinces.

There is no getting away from the fact that 13A was imposed by India on Sri Lanka through the Indo – Lanka Agreement of 1987. It was modeled on the center – states relationships in India with the Indians asserting that the provincial councils here will have no less than the Indian states vis-à-vis devolved powers. Given that most Indian states, both geographically and population-wise, are quite different to the provinces of Sri Lanka and some are in fact bigger than the whole of Sri Lanka, that comparison was as irrelevant then as now. Sadly, with Sri Lanka fighting two insurgencies in the north and south at that time, we neither had the will nor the ability to resist India when the Indian state, with a barely concealed threat of military intervention, had effectively prevented our military from finishing off the LTTE at Vadamarachchi. There was little or no input from Sri Lanka into the hurriedly concluded pact that was signed when the country was virtually on fire. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s belief that India’s strong arm tactics had brought Prabhakaran to heel was a woeful misjudgment. We need not labour the fact that India was unable to honour her obligations, notably of disarming the LTTE, under the Indo – Lanka Agreement.

While all this is true, outside the political parties and activists there is no real interest in the country about amending or not amending 13A. Certainly the vast majority of the Lankan people do not wish to see or will stand for any future division of the country. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, despite its membership of the government and ministries and other offices conferred on it, feels that any dilution of 13A would affect the minorities including the Muslims. That accounts for its current position and the talks it has been having with the TNA. While recent discussions between the SLMC and the UNP which it has time and again backed and then given the karapincha treatment has ostensibly been to discuss the green party’s recently publicized constitutional proposals. There is no doubt that the current political situation, principally government’s intentions over 13A, would have also been on the agenda.

It was reported yesterday that Minister Basil Rajapaksa will leave for India this week as the president’s special envoy to brief the Indians on the current political situation here. Though India voted against us in Geneva last time round, she has been undoubtedly helpful with regard to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting due to be held here in November. The government has been working hard to ensure that this meeting is not shifted elsewhere as some powerful members of the grouping wished. While that no longer seems to be a risk, India’s support for CHOGM to be held in Colombo has been invaluable. Given all the loose talk about 13 plus in recent Indo – Lankan talks at the highest and lesser levels, Rajapaksa will have his work cut out to explain Colombo’s current stance. Given domestic political compulsions including an election next year, the Tamil Nadu factor must necessarily be factored into India’s position. There is not even a remote possibility of India using strong arm tactics as in 1987 in trying to impose her will on Sri Lanka at this point of time. But good relations with India must always remain a cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s foreign policy and there must be a fine balance of economic and political considerations in this regard.

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe went on recent record saying that restoring good governance via 17A which was repealed is more important than toppling the government – a subject on which he was harping not long ago. Let us not forget that 17A was unanimously adopted by parliament although incumbent governments, past and present, have paid little heed to restoring standards of governance that keep eroding by the day. Good governance will certainly find resonance with the people although the president may wonder whether there is any point in his holding office as the country’s chief executive if he cannot transfer the OIC of the Tangalle police station.

Mahinda Rajapaksa sibling as special envoy to India on Sri Lanka's 13A

Sri Lanka will send President Mahinda Rajapaksa's younger brother Basil Rajapaksa to Delhi to hold talks with Indian leadership over its controversial plan to tinker with the India-moved thirteenth amendment (13A), government sources today said.

By PTI | 30 Jun, 2013,

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka will send President Mahinda Rajapaksa's younger brother Basil Rajapaksa to Delhi to hold talks with Indian leadership over its controversial plan to tinker with the India-moved thirteenth amendment (13A), government sources today said. 

Basil Rajapaksa, the minister of economic development and the key political advisor to his brother, would leave Colombo on July 4. 

India, Sri Lanka target $10bn bilateral trade in next 3 years

India, Sri Lanka seek to double bilateral trade volume.

PTI | Jun 29, 2013
COLOMBO: India and Sri Lanka have agreed to take steps to double their bilateral trade to $10 billion in the next three years.

During the talks between Indian and Sri Lankan officials held on June 24-25 in Colombo, both the sides deliberated on ways to enhance trade and investments between the two countries.

Mahinda Rajapaksa Sibling as Special Envoy to India on Sri Lanka's 13A by nelvely

Secret European Deals To Hand Over Private Data To US Revealed

June 30, 2013 |

At least six European Union countries in addition to Britain have been colluding with the US over the mass harvesting of personal communications data, according to a former contractor to America’s National Security Agency, who said the public should not be “kept in the dark”, the Guardian reveals.

According to the Guardian; Wayne Madsen, a former US navy lieutenant who first worked for the NSA in 1985 and over the next 12 years held several sensitive positions within the agency, names Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain and Italy as having secret deals with the US.

yne Madsen, an NSA worker for 12 years, has revealed that six EU countries, in addition to the UK, colluded in data harvesting.

Taken down: deals to hand over private data to America

This article has been taken down pending an investigation.

No compromise in DMK stand on Sri Lanka issue: M Karunanidhi

Some always opposed to DMK had been making such charges that DMK was back with Congress and that it had washed its hands off the Sri Lankan Tamils issue. -       By PTI | 29 Jun, 2013,

CHENNAI: Rejecting the charge that his party had compromised on its stand in the Sri Lankan Tamils issue by joining hands with Congress for the Rajya Sabha elections, DMK President M Karunanidhi today said the support was unconditional and was confined to the specific polls. 

"DMK initially sought support (for its candidate Kanimozhi) from Left parties, then DMDK and MMK and Puthiya Tamizhagam and then from Congress. Talks were held with these parties without any conditions and were only concerned with Rajya Sabha polls," he said. 

Some always opposed to DMK had been making such charges that DMK was back with Congress and that it had washed its hands off the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, he said in a letter to his partymen. 

Referring to attempts in Sri Lanka to review the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, part of a Rajiv Gandhi brokered pact of 1987 on devolution of powers to provinces, Karunanidhi said that his party still stood for its implementation. 

"DMK insists the Centre to pressure Sri Lanka to implement it in toto. Therefore, Sri Lankan Tamils issue is different, Rajya Sabha is different and alliance is different. But some are attempting to mix all these and create confusion," he claimed. 

The 90-year-old leader also said that Congress extending support to his daughter had not meant that DMK was back in the cabinet. Efforts were being made to malign his party concealing these, he charged. 

DMK had severed its relationship with Congress after nine years in March this year on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.

Sri Lankan Man Claims To Have Lived Without Eating Food For Five Years

June 29, 2013
A Sri Lankan man claims he has survived without food for the last five years.

Although experts believe humans can only live for two months without a meal, Kirby de Lanerolle insists he has only needed fresh air as nourishment.

The breatharian also claims his lifestyle – which he says harnesses light, wind and the ‘vibrations of God’ – can reverse the ageing process and make him immortal.

In an interview on TV show Taboo USA cited by The Sun, de Lanerolle said: ‘There are energy sources out there that are greater than the food calories you are putting in your body.

‘Calories come from photons and light and vibrations and wind. Anything can feed you if your energy centres are open.’

He admits to having eaten seven 500-calorie meals over the last ten months, but claims they made him feel ill.

He said: ‘In this consciousness, when I do eat food, it makes me feel very tired. And my alertness goes away when I eat now.’

According to odditycentral.com, de Lanerolle was a drug addict at the age of 16.

But he has gone on to become a Gold medalist at the Junior National Level Championship for Rifle Shooting in 1995, winner of several boxing medals, Executive Advisor to the Ministry of Social Services in Sri Lanka and a successful entrepreneur.

He is also believed to be the only person known to have completed a marathon having only consumed water for three months.

He claims he owes his dramatic turnaround in fortunes to the breatharian lifestyle.

Around five years ago, he read about people who didn’t eat for up to six years and didn’t drink water for 40 days and 40 nights.

He was also convinced by the writings of a guru who said that cancer, diabetes and heart disease are caused by food.

He now wants to teach others to be breatharians, but experts are worried about his claims because some people have died trying adopt the lifestyle.

Courtesy www.dailymail.co.uk

Sri Lankan Man Claims to Have Lived Without Eating Food for Five Years by nelvely

PRINCIPAL DIES DURING LEADERSHIP TRAINING; CTU WANTS PROGRAMME STOPPED

June 30, 2013 

A school principal has died after suffering a heart attack while undergoing ‘Leadership training’ at the Rantambe camp this morning, the Ceylon Teachers’ Union said.

W.A.S. Wickramasinghe, Principal of Raddolugama Pangngananda Madya Maha Vidyalaya, had suffered a heart attack at the Rantambe Cadet Camp while preparing for morning exercises today, CTU secretary Joseph Stalin said.

He stated that the leadership training programme, which gives Colonel Ranks to school principals who undergo a week long military training, should be halted immediately as it is completely useless for the school system. 

Stalin stated that because principals of all schools are above the ages of 40, 50 subjecting them to such harsh training without assessing physical fitness levels leads to such incidents.

He also demanded thorough inquiry into the death of the principal, who could have contributed more to the school system. The 52-year-old school principal had only commenced training at the Rantambe camp 3 days ago, Stalin said.

Two IPs interdicted

SUNDAY, 30 JUNE 2013 

Two police Inspectors attached to the Galaha police station have been interdicted after allegedly being found under the influence of liquor while on duty, Police Media Spokesperson Buddhika Siriwardena said.

Investigations are carried out by the area DIG.(DMOnline)

HRCSL to probe train accidents

SATURDAY, 29 JUNE 2013 

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has asked the Railway Department and the Transport Ministry to immediately submit a report regarding the unprotected railway crossings island-wide, Human Rights Commissioner Dr. Prathibha Mahanamahewa said today.

The Commissioner said the HRCSL would intervene in the matter after considering several fatal incidents that took place throughout the country, and he further said the Commission would make recommendations to the authorities after having a consultative meeting with the relevant parties.

“As we are aware since 2012 up to now, monetary allocation amounting to one billion was given to the relevant authorities in constructing unsafe railway gates. Therefore, 200 railway gates were to put up a protective barrier.

We called for a report from the General Manager of the Railways Department and the Secretary to the Ministry of Transport asking what step had been taken by them to minimise accidents at unprotected railway crossings. As state institutions, they have a liability and responsibility to minimise the incidents”, he said.  He said that there were about 750 unsafe railway gates island-wide. (Lakmal Sooriyagoda)

Editorial - Rail gates: government must get onto the fast track

SATURDAY, 29 JUNE 2013 

Evidence that the Rajapaksa regime’s lightning express development may be on the wrong track was given bloody substance with two tragedies on unprotected railway crossings this week.

HRCSL to Probe Train Accidents by nelvely