Video: No 'business' for the Army: UNP MONDAY, 22 JULY 2013  The UNP today warned the government against moves to make the Army take on ‘profitable ventures,’ stating it sets a dangerous precedent and could result in a situation similar to that of Egypt. Video The UNP said it was against the Army taking on ‘business’ ventures because it would most certainly be a dangerous threat to a democratic country and its democratic governance. Speaking at a press briefing, MP Ajith P. Perera said a recent cabinet paper was submitted in order to make the Army conduct ventures which were profitable. “The best example we have is Egypt where the democratically elected President Morsi was made to sign a contract to the effect that the government would not impede on any of the ventures undertaken by the Army including the investments of the Army and other corporate ventures,” he said. Perera said the attempt to provide the Army the ability to take on a ‘corporate role’ would result in a ‘government within a democratically elected government” functioning in the country. “In Egypt the democratically elected President couldn’t do anything about the wide authority that the Army has which the Army gained through money making businesses. When the government tried to build up business and corporate entities that would compete with the Army, the Army swiftly overthrew the government” he said. The MP reiterated that the duty of the Army was to provide national security and therefore the Army should be confined to that task and to provide security to a democratically elected government. “The running of businesses and corporations should be left to the private and state business entities. The Army should not at any point get involved in such acitivites which will pose a grievous threat both in the long term and the short term to democratically elected regimes,” he added. (Sanath Desmond) Jaffna militarised says JVP July 21, 2013 The opposition Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) says Jaffna has been fully militarized after the war with the army engaged in civil administration. Member of the Central Committee of the JVP and National Organizer of the Socialist Youth Union (SYU) former Parliamentarian Bimal Rathnayake noted that even the governor of the north is also a former army officer. “In most events in the north, be it even to hold an event in a school, permission must be obtained from the nearest army camp.  There is also the land issue. In most activities we see the army being involved,” he told reporters today. He also said that there is a fear psychosis spreading in the north with people being arrested at will and others disappearing. Rathnayake also noted that many youth are still in police or military custody while cases have not been filed against them. Meanwhile, the JVP member also claimed that some schools in the north do not have electricity. He said that in some cases, for example in Kilinochchi, the electricity of some schools have been cut for not paying their electricity bills. “When things like this take place in the north there are groups who will try to make use of it to create racial discord among communities,” he said. Rathnayake also said that, separately, there are groups operating against Muslims creating tensions among religions. (Colombo Gazette)