Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Wednesday, 1 February 2017

Two years into Yahapalanaya, major cracks have emerged with the partners of the historic nuptial that took place in January 2015 between the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG).

Yahapalanaya kalabala.docx by Thavam Ratna on Scribd

Before a referendum a people's review necessitated

Jan 30, 2017

The Prime Minister has added that the President's view is that the peoples evaluation is needed before bringing in the new constitution before a referendum.This the Prime Minister has disclosed to the members of the sub committee that is responsible in formulating the new government constitution on last Thursday..

The need for a new constitution and the advantages the people would derive from it has to be explained via parallel to the publicity project which has been proposed along with a number of peoples reviews.

.In the meantime the other day the activists of the civil organizations have had discussions with President at auditorium of the Water's Edge in Battaramulla the President had said that he is prepared to remove all his executive powers .In that connection in implementation of the 19th amendment to the constitution the judiciary needs a referendum from the people for removal of certain power was what the President had quipped.In this context certain powers will not be able to be removed was claimed by the general secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Duminda Dissanayake..

For this discussion about two hundred activists who contributed for the January 08th presidential election triumph , from the purawesi balaya for a free and just society and other civil organizations had participated.At this discussion Minister Jayampathy Wickremaratne had added that the the draft resolution of new constitution has not yet completed.However he had drawn attention to the reports from six sub committees comprising of 21 personnel submitted to the operation committee in the parliament.These reports comprises of the functions of the government, Buddhism, manner of holding elections,devolution of power, and on sensitive factors like distribution of lands.The operational committee will have to take decisions on these factors.

The operational committee in the Parliament comprises of representatives from all parties that represent the parliament.The decisions of the sub committees would be informed to the members in the house after which the draft resolution would be finalized by the operational committee.

But the view of the representative activists of the civil organizations. have shown that the draft resolution that is to be forwarded would not be beaten via a referendum.The representative of the purawesi balaya Gamini Viyangoda is of the view that evenif the referendum is lost it should be exposed before the people. The representatives of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party is of the view that it should not go to a loosing referendum.This is because it would cause drastically harmful affects to the existing government.

It is also the view that how strong is the new constitution would be owing to the strength of the anti government elements instead of taking the contents in the proposed new constitution into consideration ,the false allegations of corruption, allegations and other irregularities could bury and surpass the review of the people for the referendum.Hence what they propose is to resolve these existing matters before going to a referendum

An Advertisement For Independence

By Uditha Devapriya –January 31, 2017

Uditha Devapriya

Recently I was asked to suggest a good tagline for Independence Day. The selling point was the main theme engendered by February 4, freedom. Such taglines, however, are notoriously difficult to come up with, so after days of thinking and scribbling, I was given an idea to pursue: instead of freedom, we’d opt for a different theme. That theme would be the perennial problem we encounter every February: the fact that we take our own Independence Day (and what it stands for) for granted. Put simply, our collective indifference. Needless to say, I loved it.

In the United States of America, schoolchildren are taught about Constitutional Law and the Founding Fathers through illustrated and easy to read guides. There are simplified versions of the Declaration of Freedom, annotated for the common reader, which are never out of print. Classrooms are littered (for the lack of a better term) with posters designed by students centring on what they think about Independence. Broadway directors turn the lives of the Founding Fathers into veritable musicals and Hollywood, time and time again, feature them as heroes. The last time I checked, Abraham Lincoln had become a vampire hunter.

What does independence mean for us, given that a few days from today we’ll be celebrating 69 years of it? Is it freedom or nidahasa, or is it what it literally means, svadinathvaya? If the latter is true, we have no reason for pride. We are not completely independent in the sense that we are part of this accursed reality (which we must acknowledge) called globalisation, but despite that a country can still claim self-sufficiency by realising its potential and making its leaders work for its people. In other words, independence is not just about nationalism and rhetoric, it’s also about working for the broader citizenry, eschewing ethnicity and faith. Unfortunately, we have not even achieved that.

Politically we have allowed our rulers to tinker with the democratic process. If 1956 signified a congruence of liberalism and ethno-nationalism (a paradox, certainly), it didn’t continue because of the structural flaws of a system that, to this day, entrenches the power of the privileged. Economically we have progressed from having Singapore use us as a model to having Singapore as a model. Culturally we are yet to claim an identity of our own, in part because our nationalists are tragically a hybridised lot, disdainful of Westernisation in public and enamoured of it in private.

All of this naturally begs the question: what SHOULD svadinathvaya entail? Do we take it literally and repudiate globalisation, or do we enjoy the latter while hypocritically celebrating self-sufficiency? The West, with the recent intrusion of rightwing political parties, is seeing a return to mercantilism and the form of capitalism that subsisted during the Industrial Revolution (indefensibly and manifestly privileging the pursuit of money over everything else). Does this mean that the East should follow suit?

The answer, I feel, will not be found by resorting to politics. It will be found by resorting to literature. I am thinking here of Rabindranath Tagore’s Ghare Baire (“The Home and the World”), which explores the rift between cosmetic nationalism and sobriety. The former, personified by Sandip (the nationalist), results in the destruction, while the latter, personified by Nikhil (the rationalist), results in progress. If we obtain an analogy here, we can surmise that the history of this country, after independence that is, has more or less been driven by the rift between the Sandips and the Nikhils in our Parliament and government.

To be sure, a country’s destiny can’t be reducible to what goes on in those two institutions, but given the structure of privilege we’ve let our representatives wallow in, there’s no point in claiming that power exists in the periphery. We can’t have the cake and eat it too, after all. If we elect idiots, we shall be ruled by idiots. That’s democracy for you today.

To this end, it’s pertinent to remember that a great many people of this country believe that independence was given to, and not won by, us. A rather crass generalisation to make, particularly since it trivialises those who actually fought for our freedom, but spot on if we relate it to the moment of independence, i.e. February 4, 1948. It doesn’t take one much time, after all, to read the likes of Kumari Jayawardena and conclude (rather depressingly) that most of those touted as heroes today were less concerned about achieving complete independence than about ensuring that the White Man handed over his mantle to the pukka sahib.

There’s no point dwelling on the past if we don’t anchor it for the future, no less a person than Martin Wickramasinghe informed us. But there’s no point thinking of the future without thinking of the past, a point that Wickramasinghe emphasised as well. If we decry English as a privileged tongue while secretly indulging in that same privilege, if we teach OTHER children to cherish the game pasale while ensuring by hook or crook that OUR children are admitted to elite institutions, where’s the freedom we should be embracing? Where’s the past we should be celebrating and the future we should be bracing ourselves for?

Forget that. Take another issue. How many of us are bothered to think about our history? How many of us are rooted enough to appreciate our methods of irrigation and our ancient civilisation without either degrading them as inferior or ballooning them as the greatest in the world? The former sentiment is echoed by the cosmopolitan, the latter by the cosmetic nationalist. If we are to claim independence, neither individual will do. And yet, we can concede that both of them have called the shots here, often clinching power and more often than not retaining power.

(Lanka-e-News - 31.Jan.2017, 5.25PM) President Maithripala Sirisena who emerged victorious at the last presidential elections after making loud solemn promises that he would punish every culprit of the Rajapakse regime irrespective of rank or status , however based on his ‘war hero dementia’ has most unfortunately once again taken the initiative to obstruct the arrest of a group of confirmed criminals of the Navy , according to reports reaching Lanka e news. Mind you the president has stood as an obstacle despite the order given by the court too to arrest them .

When Vasantha Karannagoda was the Navy Commander during the nefarious decade of the corrupt and criminal Rajapakses , ten students (Tamil, Sinhala and Muslims) who are residents of Colombo , Trincomalee and from wealthy families , and who had qualified to enter universities after having passed the GCE advanced level exam were abducted and killed after collecting extortion monies. These cruel and ghastly crimes were committed by a group of members of the Naval forces after abducting the victims in the white Van. Following a lengthy and extensive investigation conducted by the CID, Dhammika Anil Mapa who was serving in the Welisara Navy camp at that time was taken into custody.

After being produced before the Colombo additional magistrate Jeyaram Trosky on the 26 th , Dhammika Anil Mapa was remanded until the 9 h of February while the court also issued an order to the CID to arrest the other suspects too . The CID then made a request to court to grant permission to record a statement of DIG Anura Senanayake (who was the DIG in charge of Colombo at that time ) who is now in remand custody, whereupon the court granted the request made by the CID.

Later , Vasantha Karannagoda who was the Navy commander during that period becoming apprehensive that he too would be arrested based on his involvements in the crimes, and present Navy Commander Ravindra Wijegunaratne met the president secretly , and misled him to believe that the investigation into these crimes is against ‘ war heroes’, and could jeopardize national security.

The president influenced by false premises and arguments, and who is accustomed to the habit of exonerating members of the security divisions implicated in crimes who were henchmen and lackeys of the Rajapakses , has instructed the CID not to arrest the Navy bigwigs who were confirmed as involved in the crimes .

This instruction of the president is absolutely contradictory to the sacrosanct order given by the independent court on the 26 th to ‘arrest the other individuals too.’ Moreover this reckless and ruthless action of the president has rendered useless and worthless the efforts and dedication of the investigators who devoted all their time and energy to arrest the suspects involved in this most heinous multiple crime of killing innocent children in the prime of their lives after committing extortion.

Ravindra Gunaratne had later told the Navy criminals in glee that he met the president and through him he has got them ‘bailed out’. Therefore they don’t need to harbor any fears.

The leader of the white Van murder squad is Sampath Munasinghe the sidekick and assistant of the then Navy commander Vasantha Karannagoda . Even the vehicles and the gold ornaments belonging to the victims had been discovered by the CID from within the Navy premises . The national identity cards of the murdered Trincomalee students were even found in the possession of Navy Sampath.

It is high time the president of good governance clearly understood that he has no mandate to fasten the label of ‘war hero’ in connection with this multiple gruesome killing of innocent children which has attracted the serious attention of all - locally and internationally. He is therefore bound not to protect the ruthless and brutal murderers and let them go free without punishment . Lest he has forgotten , may it be reminded that the solemn promise he made to the people on the 8 th of January 2015 was he would unhesitatingly conduct investigations duly against the criminals of the Rajapakse era , and mete out punishment . He never ever said , he would exalt them as war heroes and save the criminals.

In addition ,following the ‘cyanide speech ‘ of the president earlier on , the officers of the forces who were directly involved in the abduction and murder of Prageeth Ekneliyagoda ,as well as the murder of Lasantha Wickremetunge, received bail . What’s more ? the group of criminal army officers who were interdicted over Prageeth’s abduction and murder were even reinstated .

This action was absolutely in violation of the country ‘s establishment code. The Establishment code clearly lays down that if an individual who is employed in a government Institution is a suspect and a case is being heard in court against him , he must be mandatorily interdicted until he is exonerated of the charges. Yet, all the army suspects involved in Ekneliyagoda’s murder were reinstated . As a president of the country and the commander in chief of the armed forces he cannot disclaim responsibility from this most outrageous unlawful action.

May we recall , the incumbent president until the last moment before he defected was the secretary of the SLFP , a main cabinet minister and acting defense minister under the Rajapakse regime . Hence he must also hold himself responsible for every crime including corruption and robbery committed then . Yet the masses did not take that into account and freed him from that liability because he promised to turn over a new leaf , and after becoming the common candidate he swore he would be impartial and non partisan as a president following his victory at the presidential elections.

Maithripala Sirisena after contesting as a common candidate and winning elections , he becoming the SLFP party leader in itself is in breach of his promise that he would be non partisan and impartial . Besides , it meant that he was voluntarily inviting trouble and fastening on himself all the liablities relating to the crimes and robberies he was freed of by the masses earlier.

Now , he has overstepped his bounds even further – that is he is in the vanguard of protecting and safeguarding the criminals of the Rajapakse era which is most obnoxious and detrimental to the whole nation , irrespective of whether he has the capacity to realize this grave wrong (rather crime) . It is hoped Maithripala will realize, these flagrant wrongdoings (crimes) committed wittingly or unwittingly by him in breach of his solemn promises and assurances are even worse than those committed by the Rajapakses.

It is an inescapable responsibility of a ruler to fulfill the promises he made to the masses. It is the habit of a ruler even if he has no true intentions to honor the promises , at least to portray that he is trying to stand by his promises. On the contrary , if after being elected by the masses as a president , that ruler chooses to become the leader of the very losing party the people discarded and overthrew ,in order to elect him as president , and in addition if he seeks to fulfill the aspirations and hopes of the defeated forces instead , it is unimaginable anywhere in the world there can be such a weird leader .Only Sri Lanka perhaps is cursed to have such a leader . It is best for such a chief to learn scruples and integrity first and foremost even if he has to from a chief of a barbarian clan. It will not be demeaning for such a chief who is that mean to take such a step.

If president Maithripala Sirisena is to continue adhering to the ‘cyanide advice’ proffered by those wolves in human clothing around him instead of shunning them , or without taking precautions against them, and insists on taking the ‘cyanide road’ until the end , the end of the road of his political career is sure writ on the wall, and when that disastrous end comes , he will only have time to realize it is inevitable.

Read our connected earlier report ….
Navy officer who killed 10 students after extortion during Rajapakse murderous decade arrested..!

A brief account of Vasantha Karannagoda’s student murders and infamous white Van crimes….

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by (2017-01-31 12:13:50)

WILL NEVER ALLOW THE CORRUPT WHO DESTROY DEMOCRACY IN SRI LANKA TO GOVERN AGAIN – SIRISENA

31/01/2017

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Moneragala, Kumbukkan Oya Reservoir Project held on 28th January president Sirisena said that he will never allow the ones who destroy the democracy of this country, those who made whole country fearful of their white van culture, those who robbed Billions while country is facing 90,000,000 million debt, those who crowned corruption and waste as never before in this country to govern this country again.

A translation of excerpts of his address follows. For the body language of the president during the speech please see the video ( in Sinhala) below.

Some persons are dreaming, that will never become true. They think that they can capture government in coming days. No way. No chance of grabbing power.

We, the consensus government will go forward in next five years. We will be sincere to the nation with quality and intellect. We will go forward and decide what to do in 2020 how to govern after that. I need to tell this to you, very clearly.

At the same time I need to tell you very clearly that I will never allow the ones who destroy the democracy of this country, those who made whole country fearful of their white van culture, those who robbed Billions while country is facing 90,000,000 million debt, those who crowned corruption and waste as never before in this country to govern this country again.

We will not only allow them to govern this country but create sounding that walk around the country for ever. This is also my clear position.

So people of this country will have a better future. To make that happen we will o our duty and responsibility. We will implement a clear programme within the good governance concept.

We will facilitate reconciliation between Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim people in a way that there will not be a war again. We will create strong good governance government in this country so that any one either in the North- East or South will not have reason to take up arms.

Good Governance and Corruption

Featured image courtesy Al Jazeera

LIONEL BOPAGE on 01/31/2017

Good Governance is a key challenge Sri Lanka has faced and spectacularly failed to deliver for most of its modern history. This challenge is not only about individuals, but is systemic, spread across all spheres: socio-economic, political, judicial, cultural, arts and science. Most countries across the world have also suffered the scourge of corruption. Some have succeeded in partially alleviating its pernicious influence; most, like Sri Lanka, have failed.

Good Governance and Corruption.docx by Thavam Ratna on Scribd

GTF Condemns Alleged Murder Attempt On Sumanthiran

February 1, 2017

Global Tamil Forum (GTF) has today condemned the recent alleged attempt to harm Parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran.

Sumanthiran

“The Global Tamil Forum is deeply shocked and horrified to hear the news of a plan to assassinate Honourable Member of Parliament Mr. M.A. Sumanthiran in Jaffna. GTF and diaspora Tamils are immensely relieved that the alleged plan failed and are grateful to all whose timely action helped preventing the dastardly act. We condemn those who planned this reprehensible attempt in the strongest possible terms, and call upon the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice,” the GTF said in a statement.

“Mr. Sumanthiran plays a very important role in the post-2009 politics of the Tamil people, with immense efforts and sacrifice towards establishing accountability and justice in Sri Lanka and particularly for the Tamils. GTF and Diaspora Tamils are grateful for his courage, passion and commitment to peacefully resolve the grievances of the Tamil people by adopting consensual approach, particularly through the constitutional process.” the GTF said.

GTF spokesperson Suren Surendiran said: “Violence in various forms has had a significant negative impact on Sri Lankan politics for well over six decades and has extorted a heavy toll on its people. GTF would like to reiterate that it is the responsibility of all the peoples and political leaders to ensure that violence from any quarters will never again be a part of the political landscape of Sri Lanka.”

TID arrests another suspect in plot to assassinate Sumanthiran

By Dharisha Bastians -Tuesday, 31 January 2017

Another suspect has been arrested in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran, the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) told a court in Kilinochchi yesterday.

V. Vijayan from Mannar is the fifth suspect to be arrested in the case. The interrogation of four ex-LTTE cadres arrested earlier this month in connection with the case and further inquiries had led to Vijayan’s arrest, Daily FT learns.

Yesterday, the TID informed the Kilinochchi magistrate court that the five were being held on drug charges and in connection with plotting to assassinate a politician. The TID filed three reports in court yesterday, including a request to have the suspects’ mobile telephones sent for decryption and analysis.

The four rehabilitated LTTE cadres - Gnanasekaralingam Rajmathan from Trincomalee, Louis Mariyampillai from Maruthankerny and Murugaiah Thavendran and Karalasingham Kulendran from Kilinochchi were arrested on 14 January. The TID had also discovered a claymore mine, detonators and large quantities of Kerala marijuana in the ex-cadres’ homes, the anti-terrorism police unit told Court on 20 January. The claymore mine, an explosive often used to blast unarmed vehicles and convoys during the war, was recovered at the home of Rajmathan, Daily FT reliably learns.

In the Kilinochchi court yesterday lawyers appearing for the suspects tried to obtain a court order to have them moved to Jaffna. The suspects are currently remanded in Anuradhapura. Attorneys at Law Vijayarani and Thillainathan Arjunan appeared on behalf of the suspects.

All five suspects have been further remanded until 13 February. None of the suspects has been arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

Authorities uncovered a plot to assassinate the TNA Jaffna District MP when he was scheduled to be travelling in the north on 13 January. The attempt was thwarted when Sumanthiran cancelled his travel plans at the last minute. Following high level investigation briefings the Prime Minister’s office sent an emissary to brief Sumanthiran on the development, The Hindu newspaper reported last weekend. In an extensive report, veteran columnist on Tamil affairs D. B. S. Jeyaraj reported that the plot had been hatched by LTTE operatives living overseas. The TID had uncovered the alleged assassination plot on a tip off, Jeyaraj said.

Sri Lanka arrests astrologer who falsely predicted President's death

2017-01-31

COLOMBO, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigations Department, on Tuesday, arrested a local astrologer who predicted that President Maithripala Sirisena would die before January 26th.

Astrologer Vijitha Rohana Wijemuni was arrested for allegedly misleading the public by making false predictions, police said.

He is expected to be produced before a local court later today.

In December, Sri Lanka's Media Ministry secretary Nimal Bopage told a media briefing here that the astrologer's predictions had been circulating on social media, thus the police force was ordered to launch a investigation into the "conspiracy".

"This man claims to be an astrologer and he is predicting that the President will be killed by January 26," Bopage had said.

"We have alerted the police to carry out a criminal investigation because we suspect this to be part of a wider plot to assassinate the president."

The astrologer is former Sri Lankan navy sailor Vijithamuni Rohana de Silva who served two and a half years in prison after he was convicted of attempting to assassinate Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1987.

IGP blocks the opportunity of three police officers to enroll to LLB degree in KDU

(Lanka-e-News - 31.Jan.2017, 5.40PM) The Kotalawala Defence University conducts the LLB degree program where tri forces officers, Police and also private candidates are enroll for this course annually. The Police Department also provided with a separate quota for this LLB program where applications are called from qualified Police officers and subsequent to an interview, the selected officers are released full time for a period of 4 years to follow this course under the patronage of the Police Department.

This year too, three police officers including a women sub inspector have been selected to follow this course. Unfortunately after being informed by a top DIG who is the in charge of an investigation bureau; the IGP has decided to not to release these officers to the program since selected officers are very talented in their respective field.

However, this is a clear human right violation as these officers are deprived with their right to follow this degree. These officers are subjected to a bond as they have to serve for the department for a period of 15 years as legal officers after degree completion and already other selected officers are following this course under department funds. This is an ideal scenario to depict the hypocritical nature of the superior officers of the department as most of the officers who have been directly recruited as ASP's don’t have a concern about the other inferior officers. Because of this action there is a situation where the Kothalawala defence university may not provide the allocation for Police in due course.

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by (2017-01-31 12:24:37)

Make a dialogue on the issue of manpower workers is essential – Dabindu Collective

Jan 31, 2017

While the over 2000 manpower workers struggling to fulfill their demand on permanent employment at SL Telecom, Dabindu Collective launched a research report titled, ‘‘Living for the day’ : Contract workers in Sri Lanka’s Free Trade Zones’ at auditorium of Sri Lanka Foundation in Colombo on Jan 30, 2017.

Addressing gathering Chamila Thushari of Dabindu Collective said that they are going to organize a program to make a dialogue on the issue of manpower workers at FTZ

“We urge to trade unions and civil society organizations to read our research report and join with us to work for the benefit of manpower workers.”
She added, “There are differences between FTZ manpower workers and manpower workers of outside of FTZ.”
Lawyer B. Skanthakumar and Lawyer Lakmali Hemachandra spoke out the issue of manpower workers in the FTZ and other places in the island. Both of them pointed out the need of building relationship between the manpower workers and employer.
The Research Report pointed out the pathetic plight of manpower workers in Free Trade Zones as follows:

“It is noted how precarious work is associated with insecurity of employment; lower and/or variable earnings; longer and arbitrary working hours; poorer occupational safety and health; reduced opportunities for training and skills development; lack of representation and fundamental rights at works; and limited or non-existent social security benefits. Additionally there is a toll on the health and wellbeing of workers and therefore also of their households and communities” (page 67).

Manpower worker shared her bad experiences at the event.

Lawrence Ferdinando - Colombo

A strategic position paper for consideration by top teams of NMSJ, Purawesi Balaya and FUTA

Wednesday, 1 February 2017

Executive Summary

This is an open letter submission to the leaders of National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) initiated by late Most Reverend Maduluwawe Sobitha, Purawesi Balaya and Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA), who were the shining stars that organised a collective, that became a people’s movement and gave rise to the power booster force behind the Yahapalanaya commitment-based political movement, which managed to achieve a regime change in 2015, previously thought impossible by most citizens.

A strategic position paper for consideration by top teams of NMSJ.docx by Thavam Ratna on Scribd

Hello Corp case: FCID allowed to check bank accounts

2017-01-31

Colombo Additional Magistrate Aruna Buddhadasa today permitted the FCID to check the bank accounts of company known as Hovell Constructions in the inquiry being conducted under the Money Laundering Act against Namal Rajapaksa and five others for purchasing Hello Corp shares from questionable funds.

The FCID said it had earlier filed two separate cases against the suspects on charges of obtaining Rs.30 million from Hovell Construction Company and Rs.15 million from Boston Capital Company for services provided by NR Consultancy and Gowers Corporation, which are headed by Mr. Rajapaksa.

It said Mr. Rajapaksa who dealt with Boston Capital and Hovell Construction had given Rs.15 million and Rs.30 million to these companies through a person identified as Indika Karunajeewa with the intention of concealing the origin of the questionable funds.

The FCID said that money was later transferred to Gowers Corporation and NR Consultancy, also headed by Mr. Rajapaksa, saying they were for services provided.

Inspector M.M. Sajith today sought court permission to check the bank accounts of Hovell Construction, which had dealt with NR Consultancy and Gowers Corporation.

The Magistrate also permitted one of the main witnesses Mr. Irriyagolla, to travel abroad between February 20 and March 6.

Pavithra Sujani Bogollagama, Nithya Senani Samaranayake, Sudarsha Bandara Ganegoda and Namal Rajapaksa were the other suspects. (Shehan Chamika Silva)

Navy Commander to show calls for allegation against him

January 31, 2017

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has informed Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ravi Wijegunaratne to explain the allegation that he had threatened a reporter during a protest held in Hambantota on December 10, 2016.

The HRCSL has informed the Navy Commander in this regard through a letter, it was reported.

However, Wijegunaratne is currently on an official visit to India from 29 January to 02 February.

The incident happened at the southern port of Hambantota during a strike by port workers. Protesting employees of the Magampura Port were demanding that they be recruited by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) as the government was preparing to lease the loss-making port to a Chinese company.

Sri Lanka navy personnel intervened and dispersed striking dock workers who had prevented a Japanese vessel from leaving Hambantota port. Footage later showed that Wijegunaratne was also present during the incident and he was also seen threatening one of the reporters covering the incident.

Dr. Naveen Zoysa (notorious hoodlum) tried to attack me ; Threatened me with death thrice – Ravi Kumudesh complains officially (video)

(Lanka-e-News - 31.Jan.2017, 5.40PM) GMOA secretary Naveen Zoysa the infamous doctor best known for having a face that is attractive enough only for a good pummeling has this time tried to assault the president of the Sri Lanka (SL) laboratories science association , Ravi Kumudesh , and threatened him thrice with death while screaming ‘ I shall look after you outside’. Kumudesh has complained about this in writing to DIG , Colombo , the OIC of Maradana police and Director General Dr. Jayasundara Bandara of the health ministry . The latter had also been present during the entire period when Dr. Naveen Soysa the criminal face was behaving violently.

Yesterday(30) morning a discussion of a series in connection with the medical laboratories management was held , and was chaired by Jayasundara Bandara .It was not a trade union discussion but that of professionals. During the discussion when Ravi Kumudesh was speaking, GMOA secretary the infamous Naveen Soysa who was also a participant started hindering and hampering the speech of Kumudesh unendingly.

When Naveen yelled out of point ‘ don’t speak on the basis of Ranil’s strength ’ , Kumudesh who was interrupted replied ‘ instead of leaping like a frog into the middle , please allow me to make my speech’

When Naveen the hoodlum doctor of the slum and a disgrace to the medical profession sprang forward to attack Kumudesh, fortunately those around had intervened and warded off the attack. Naveen the hoodlum had then left the venue in a huff while screaming ‘ I shall look after you outside’ at Kumudesh in his typical rowdy style. Kumudesh who had no alternative had lodged complaints officially.

Ravi Kumudesh revealed later the details of the unsavory incident in which he was nearly attacked- vide video footage hereunder…

Copy of his police complaint is also appended

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by (2017-01-31 12:19:38)

Two Lankans nabbed with gold nuggets hidden under tongues

2017-01-31

Two Sri Lankan men were arrested with 180gramms of gold nuggets worth Rs.1 million hidden under their tongues at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) this morning while trying to smuggle them out to Trivandrum, India.

BIA Deputy Customs Director Parakrama Basnayake said the men were arrested after monitoring their suspicious behavior as they were unable to speak properly.

During the raid the customs found two unfinished gold nuggets hidden under their tongues and they were trying to go to India at 02.25 this morning by UL 1161, he said.

Investigations revealed the two men in their fifties were siblings.

“They were residents of Kandy and Avissawella. Their passport records indicate that they were frequent travelers to India”, Mr. Basnayake said.

The raid was conducted by the Assistant Customs Superintendents Ms.Sudhiraa Perera, Mahesh Gunatikele, Buddhi Bandara, Tharanga Gunasekera and Rahamathullah Razeem. (Chaturanga Pradeep)

Abraham Lincoln, the United States and the world

His assassination made him a martyr, but what was Lincoln’s true legacy? For Richard Carwardine, the President’s belief that American values can transform the world remains an inspiration…

This article was first published in the February 2009 issue of BBC History Magazine

Abraham Lincoln’s rise from rural poverty to the presidency of the United States is an embodiment of the American Dream. (MP Rice, Washington DC/Library of Congress)

by: Elinor Evans-Friday 20th January 2017

Political assassinations, however tragic, commonly gild their victims’ historical reputations. We cannot be sure what John F Kennedy would have achieved had he seen out his presidential term. Yet the bullet that killed him in Dallas in November 1963 prompted not just an outpouring of grief but a persisting sense of political greatness cruelly denied. When in April 1865 the actor John Wilkes Booth pulled the trigger to send Abraham Lincoln to a premature grave, he shot a president at his moment of greatest triumph, just days after the ending of the Civil War that had quashed rebellion and begun the final emancipation of the slaves.

Abraham Lincoln.docx by Thavam Ratna on Scribd

Iranian missile test stokes tensions with US and allies

US, Israel call for urgent UN Security Council meeting as French foreign minister vows to defend Iranian nuclear deal

Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, during a visit to the United Nations in New York (Reuters)

Tuesday 31 January 2017

The United States has been accused of inflaming tensions after it called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council in response to an Iranian ballistic missile test.

The US requested the emergency meeting after the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations called for council action.

"In light of Iran's January 29 launch of a medium-range ballistic missile, the United States has requested urgent consultations of the Security Council," the US mission said in a statement.

We hope that Iran's defence programme is not used by the new US administration... as a pretext to create new tensions - Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif

Iran carried out a test launch of a medium-range ballistic missile that exploded after flying 1,010km on Sunday according to a US official.

But before Security Council talks on Tuesday, Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, warned the US against "creating new tensions" with Tehran over ballistic missile tests.

"We hope that Iran's defence programme is not used by the new US administration... as a pretext to create new tensions," Zarif said in a news conference with visiting French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Shoigu accused the US of "heating up the situation".

"Such actions, if they took place, do not breach the resolution," he was reported as saying by the Interfax news agency.

But the EU warned Iran not to stoke mistrust.

"The EU reiterates its concern about Iran’s missile programme and calls upon Iran to refrain from activities which deepen mistrust, such as ballistic missile tests," an EU foreign affairs spokeswoman said.

Trump and Iran

Tehran agreed in 2015 to curb its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions.

A UN Security Council resolution adopted a few days after the agreement bars Iran from developing missiles "designed to carry nuclear warheads".

Iran says its missiles do not breach the resolutions due to their defensive nature, and the weapons are not designed to carry nuclear warheads.

But Bob Corker, the chairman of the US Senate's foreign relations committee, said on Monday that he would work with other politicians and the Trump administration to hold Iran accountable.

During the US election race, Donald Trump branded the Iranian nuclear deal as "the worst ever negotiated", and told voters he would rip it up or seek a better agreement.

On Sunday, Trump spoke by telephone to Saudi Arabia's king, Salman, a close ally in the Middle East. A White House statement said the two leaders agreed on the need to address "Iran's destabilising regional activities".

The US president also included Iran among seven countries whose citizens are barred from entry into the US for 90 days.

The move sparked protests across the US and across the world as travellers and visa holders from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Sudan and Somalia were barred entry.

France to 'defend' nuclear deal

News of the latest test came as the French foreign minister, Ayrault, arrived in Tehran on a two-day trip.

He promised on Monday to defend Iran's nuclear deal, but said it was imperative Tehran abide strictly by its conditions.

Ayrault said it was in the "common interest" that the 2015 accord was obeyed.

He said that while Iran had "largely" honoured the deal's terms, it had tested the spirit of the accord over the past year by carrying out several ballistic missile tests.

"France has expressed its concern at Iran's continuation of its ballistic missile tests on several occasions," he added.

Israeli pressure

The international community must not bury its head in the sand in the face of this Iranian aggression - Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, said the Iranian missile test violated UN resolutions on ballistic missiles that could have a nuclear capability.

"The international community must not bury its head in the sand in the face of this Iranian aggression," said Danon.

"The Security Council members must act immediately in response to these Iranian actions which endanger not only Israel, but the entire Middle East."

It was the first request for council consultations made by the US since new ambassador Nikki Haley took office.

Trump is due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 15 February.