Minister Baird Comments on Final Report of Sri Lanka's Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission

Canada News Centre 

January 11, 2012 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement on the final report of Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission:

“Canada notes the public release of the report of Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission. Although we are still studying the report, the commission has addressed and provided recommendations in some areas of concern, including reconciliation, the rule of law and demilitarization.

“Canada strongly urges the Government of Sri Lanka to implement the commission’s recommendations and develop an implementation road map with clear timelines while also addressing the issues the report did not cover. The report’s recommendations—if implemented—can contribute to the process of political reconciliation that must now take place to address the root causes of deadly strife and division. However, to date, we have seen a lack of both accountability and meaningful attempts at reconciliation on the part of the Sri Lankan government. Decisive action is now required.

“Canada remains concerned that the report does not fully address the grave accusations of serious human rights violations that occurred toward the end of the conflict. Many of the allegations outlined by the UN Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka have not been adequately addressed by this report. We continue to call for an independent investigation into the credible and serious allegations raised by the UN Secretary-General’s Panel that international humanitarian law and human rights were violated by both sides in the conflict.

“The Government of Sri Lanka must demonstrate the principles of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.”

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Sri Lanka: An explosive examination results disarray

11-Jan-2012i

Guest Column by Dr. Kumar David 

The announcement of the GEC (A/L) examination results is the most anxiously awaited moment in the lives of senior year school students, their parents and teachers as these scores determine admission to all the faculties in all Lanka’s universities. This is the all important moment of their lives for about three hundred thousand young men and women who have made it through all the hurdles of the school system. The tension is heightened because only about one in ten, the top achievers, will secure admission to Lanka’s very constricted university space. If the examination results are inaccurate or improperly processed it is pandemonium; there is going to be hell to pay.  

Add to this, conspiracy theories that I will come to in a moment, and you can well understand the anxiety and anger across all walks of life. Lanka still has a commendable system of free education from primary school to university and therefore it has been the key avenue of social mobility. Young people from rural and working class backgrounds have used free education as the ladder to professional achievement and better employment opportunities. Now a Pandora’s Box has been flung open and there is no telling how far the repercussions will spread.    Full Story>>>

Doors of former CJ shuts out SL first synthetic Lawyer under the ‘laws’

Wednesday 11 of January 2012 
(Lanka-e-News -12.Jan.2012, 7.00AM) Following the ‘drama’ enacted in courts at the oath taking ceremony of Namal Rajapakse M P who had earned a name for the first time in Sri Lanka (SL) as the synthetically qualified Lawyer under the ‘laws’ , he had gone to meet the former chief justice (CJ) Sarath N Silva. But according to reports reaching Lanka e news , the former CJ had declined to meet the first SL synthetic Lawyer.

It is learnt that during their young days , Sarath Silva and MaRa had been bosom friends. In fact MaRa had gone with Sarath Silva on the first occasion to see Shiranthi, MaRa’s prospective bride at that time and to whom he is married now . Moreover , it was Sarath Silva who had taught ‘first alphabets’ based on tradition to the then young Namal Rajapakse , who has now emerged as the first ‘synthetic’ Lawyer of SL. 

Interestingly , Sarath Silva is now one of the victims of the witch-hunt of MaRa because he extended support openly to Gen. Sarath Fonseka . Indeed , a petition signed by a group of MPs against Sarath Silva has been presented already to the Speaker of Parliament , the brother of MaRa .

Although Namal Rajapakse, the first synthetic Lawyer , after taking oaths tried to meet Sarath Silva who taught him custom based ‘first alphabets’, it is significant to note that this same ‘double faced’ Namal who signed the petition before Parliament against Sarath Silva. 
The genetic experts have still not been able to fully confirm that the habit of a father of biting the hand that fed him being genetically transmitted to his son , legitimate or otherwise…, although this habit is very common among such fathers, and it passing down to the sons.

Shavendra accused of abusing Keheliya’s daughter

( January 11, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Minister Keheliya Rambukwella’s daughter who is working at the office of Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Chandula, has been abused by the Deputy Permanent Representative, Major General Shavendra Silva, an official from the office told Lanka News Web.

Chandula Rambukwella

The Minister’s daughter has complained to senior embassy officials that Silva had forcibly dragged her into his office and tried to abuse her and that she had managed to escape after giving a good fight.

Angered by the incident, the Minister has complained to the President and asked that an inquiry be held with immediate effect.

The President has promised to take action against Shavendra Silva and had asked the Minister to keep quiet about the matter and to not act upon it.

The President has believed that any publicity given to a story about Shavendra Silva turning abusive could be used by the LTTE supporters for their benefit.

The President has also reminded the Minister how he had to intervene and send Chandula to the Sri Lankan embassy in the UN amidst much opposition.

Courtesy: Lanka News Web

Shavendra ordered to apologize to Chandula

Wednesday, 11 January 2012 

The President has ordered the Deputy Permanent Representative for Sri Lanka at the UN, Major General Shavendra Silva to immediately beg for forgiveness from Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella’s daughter, Miss. Chandula.

The President has issued the directive when two officials from the Presidential Secretariat have yesterday inquired as to what action to be taken against Shavendra for allegedly trying to abuse Minister keheliya Rambukwella’s daughter who is working at the Sri Lankan embassy in new York.

Referring to the incident, the President has said that Minister Keheliya’s daughter was a notorious character and that she even had the External Affairs Ministry Secretary Amunugama under her thumb.

The President has noted that he had received information about the playful life led by Keheliya’s daughter in the UK and that he had protected Namal fro her with the greatest difficulty.

However, the President has said that Shavendra was also a flirt and that Keheliya’s daughter would have enticed him.

The President has also gone on to say that even Keheliya was currently living with a tele drama actress called Janaki and that it is this actress who decides on the tele drama to be telecasted on Rupavahini. He has added that it was following his intervention that the news about Keheliya’s wife and son assaulting this actress was prevented from being publicized in the media.

The President has then reminded of the incident where Keheliya’s son, a student at Royal College was found with a Russian prostitute while representing Sri Lanka’s Under 19 team.

However, it is learnt that Shavendra has already apologized to Keheliya’s daughter.

The President has also asked Keheliya not to drag the matter any further.

SRI LANKA: UNHRC holds that the government is responsible for the death of Sugath Nishanta Fernando of Negombo

January 11, 2012

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has issued its determination regarding the complaint made by a Sri Lankan citizen, A.S.S. Pathmini Peiris, in connection with the murder of S.K.A. Sugath Nishanta Fernando who was assassinated on 20 September 2008. Previously Mr. Fernando had complained of the torture of himself, his two children and his wife due to a Fundamental Rights Application filed by him complaining about several police officers in Negombo including a Headquarters Inspector and a Senior Superintendent of Police. Pathmini Peiris, in her petition stated that no inquiry had been conducted into this murder. The UNHRC after examining all the material before them came to the conclusion in favour of the petitioner, Pathmini Peiris. The Committee held:

The Committee accordingly concludes that the State party is responsible for the arbitrary deprivation of life of the author's husband, in breach of article 6 of the Covenant. 

The full text of the Committee's finding on this particular issue of the denial of the right to life of Mr. Fernando is as follows:

7.2 Regarding the author's claim under article 6, the Committee recalls that the right to life is the supreme right, from which no derogation is permitted. It further recalls that States parties have a positive obligation to ensure the protection of individuals against violations of Covenant rights, which may be committed not only by its agents, but also by private persons or entities. The Committee observes that according to the uncontested material at its disposal, the author and her family received a number of direct threats from the police, i.e. agents of the State party, including death threats, seeking to unlawfully coerce them into withdrawing complaints filed by them against police officers. On 20 September 2008, it is reported that the author's husband was shot dead by masked men, three months after two individuals had told the family that they had been instructed by the Negombo police to kill them. After this threat the author and her husband had filed several complaints, including before the Office of the Deputy Inspector General and the police, but no action was undertaken, by the authorities to protect the family. In these circumstances, and taking into account the State party's lack of cooperation, the Committee is of the view that the facts before it reveal that the death of the author's husband must be held attributable to the State party itself. The Committee accordingly concludes that the State party is responsible for the arbitrary deprivation of life of the author's husband, in breach of article 6 of the Covenant. 

The UNHRC also held that the government of Sri Lanka has violated article 7 by severely torturing him and his two children and his wife: 

As to the claim under article 7, the Committee recalls that the State party has offered no challenge to the evidence submitted by the author that on 12 November 2007, police officers broke into her domicile, beat her husband until he fell on the ground and lost consciousness, hit her with a pistol, punched her 10 year-old son against the wall, hit her daughter with a motorcycle, causing her to fall on the ground, and later sought to undress her. In the circumstances, the Committee concludes that the author, her husband and their two children were subjected to treatment contrary to article 7 of the Covenant 

It also held that the failure to investigate into the murder and the torture amount to a denial of an effective remedy to the victims and therefore the government of Sri Lanka has committed a violation under articles 6 & 7 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the Committee further held that the failure on the part of the government to take reasonable and appropriate measures to protect the author and her family amounted to a denial of the right to security of persons which is a violation of article 9 (1).

The failure on the part of the state party to take action in response to the Committee's request to adopt interim measures to protect Mr. Fernando and his family is held by the Committee as a violation of article 17 of the Covenant. 

The Committee has recommended that the government should undertake to ensure an effective remedy which includes ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to justice; that the author and her two children can return to their domicile in safety, ensure reparation including payment of adequate compensation and apologise to the family.

The UNHRC has requested the government to provide within 180 days information about the measures taken to give effect to the committee's views. The Committee has further requested the government to publish the Committee's views.

The full text of the Communication is available at:http://www.alrc.net/PDF/SKASugathNishantaFernando-CommNo1862-2009.pdf

Group of uni. students trying to launch armed struggle: SB

WEDNESDAY, 11 JANUARY 2012
Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake charged today that a group of university students in the south were trying to team up youth who were involved with the LTTE at that time to launch another armed struggle. 

Addressing a function at the Jaffna University, the Minister said that these students have political dealings with the breakaway group of the JVP.

He said, “These students came to the Jaffna University in search of youth who were with the LTTE at that time. They are trying to go for an armed struggle. We cannot allow that to happen.”

Referring to the facilities at the Jaffna University, he said that Rs.573 million had been allocated to the university this time, and action would be taken to resolve the accommodation problem of students as soon as possible. 

He said that Sinhala students had been sent to the Jaffna University based on their Z-score marks at the GCE Advanced Level Examination. “It is not an attempt to create forcible Sinhala colonies in the south,” he said.

Also, he said that the universities were not meant to function on ethnic and religious identities of students. (KB)

You are here: Home » International » Reconciliation ministry mooted in Sri Lanka Reconciliation ministry mooted in Sri Lanka

New Delhi, Jan 11, (IANS) :

An advisor to the Sri Lankan president has suggested setting up a temporary ministry to fast-track the reconciliation process following the end of the dragging ethnic conflict.

Rajiva Wijesinha, the advisor on reconciliation to Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said a separate ministry for reconciliation, with responsibilities of implementing the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) should be
set up.

“(The) ministry for reconciliation should be charged with fulfilling the recommendations of the commission as best as possible and be given a limited lifespan, of two years perhaps, after which it should be made redundant,” said Wijesinha, an MP, at the Observer Research Foundation Tuesday.

Wijesinha's comments come ahead of External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna's Jan 16 visit to Sri Lanka during which he will discuss with the Lankan leadership the progress in finding a political solution to the ethnic issue and inaugurate an India-assisted railway project.

Krishna is expected to hold wide-ranging talks with his Sri Lankan counterpart G.L. Peiris and call on Rajapaksa.

He will also meet representatives of the Tamil National Alliance, the largest Tamil grouping in parliament, and hear their views on the progress in their talks with Colombo over devolution of powers to provinces.

He is expected to impress upon the Sri Lankan leaders the need to take concrete steps for "genuine national reconciliation" and a lasting political settlement.

Wijesinha was critical of the failure of the ministry of education to come out with mechanisms to increase the supply of competent language teachers “despite the clear commitment of the president to building up a trilingual society”.

“This makes it clear that innovative ideas and ensuring their implementation would have to come from a dedicated agency,” he said.

Rejecting rivalry between India and China in Sri Lanka, Wijesinha accused the West of trying to create a wedge between the two countries.

“The efforts to present Sri Lanka as a bone of contention between India and China were largely self-serving for the West, though they may not be entirely hypocritical, given the tendency of the West to function in terms of binary opposites,” he said.

“This was also understandable given the manner in which they fought the Cold War, but China had made it clear that the primacy of Sri Lanka’s relationship with India was understandable,” he added.

While UN Claims Zero Tolerance, No Discipline of Sri Lankan Abusers in Haiti

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 10 -- As the UN praises its own response to the earthquake in Haiti two years ago and even the cholera epidemic the UN alleged brought after that, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky on Tuesday could not say if even one of the 114 Sri Lanka soldiers repatriated for pedophilia had been disciplined.

  As stated in a report prepared for the UN Human Rights Council, 111 soldiers and 3 officers from MINUSTAH’s Sri Lankan battalion were repatriated due to allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse of Haitian minors. The UN's then spokeswoman Michele Montas described the allegations as transactional sex with underage girls, and also stated that once returned to national jurisdiction, Sri Lanka would pursue the case.

  On Tuesday, Inner City Press asked Montas' successor Nesirky about the Sri Lanka case, after requesting an update on previous Nesirky responses about alleged abuse by Brazilian MINUSTAH peacekeepers:

Inner City Press: it is Haiti time now, the two year anniversary, is there any additional information about the incident in which the Brazilian peacekeepers were accused of beating the water delivery men; at the time it was said it was going to be looked into, I believe, by MINUSTAH, as well as the Brazilians. Is there any finding?     Full Story>>>

No India-China rivalry in Sri Lanka: Wijesinha

Tue, Jan 10 2012.
China has made it clear to Sri Lanka that the primacy of our relationship with India is understood, says Wijesinha

New Delhi: China has conveyed to Sri Lanka that it understands the primacy of the relationship between India and the island nation, a Sri Lankan MP and adviser to President Mahinda Rajapaksa said Tuesday. The India-China rivalry in Sri Lanka was predominantly a Western construct, Rajiva Wijesinha said, adding that at times some Sri Lankan groups too played up the perceived rivalry.

Foreign minister S.M. Krishna. Photo by KPN Photos

Wijesinha, on a trip to New Delhi ahead of a 16-19 January visit to Sri Lanka by Indian foreign minister S.M. Krishna, was also critical of his government’s slow pace of reintegrating minority Tamils into the Sri Lankan political mainstream as he stressed the need to fasttrack the reconciliation process between the Tamils and the majority Sinhalese after the end of the almost three-decade-old civil war on the island nation in May 2009.        Full Story>>>

LLRC recommendations to be implemented

  Wednesday, 11th January 2012
The Secretary of Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksa speaking yesterday said that reconciliation in its true sense within Sri Lanka defers from other countries. “Re conciliation is important but reconciliation in Sri Lanka is different from other countries. A dictator did not govern Sri Lanka and we had a fully-fledged democracy even during the war. Presidents and governments changed despite the war,” he said.

The secretary went on to point out that the commercial capital, Colombo was a “shining example of multiculturalism” with the majority community not dominating sectors within it. “We want to replicate this system throughout the country and it will only be a matter of time before other provinces follow,” he said.

The secretary went on to point out that, the reconciliation that is required in Sri Lanka is not what people living abroad talk of. “The government appointed the LLRC which was given the mandate to study the conflict. They commented and made recommendations on important aspects of the conflict which was comprehensive,” he said.
 
The secretary said that the government and the defence establishments are in the process of studying the report. “We are studying the report as to how we have to implement it, once the contents have been assimilated we will decide how best to implement the commission’s recommendations,” Rajapaksa said that allegations that there is no reconciliation is “premature and inaccurate”.

The secretary commenting on the rehabilitation stated that the process was an example of sincere efforts toward reconciliation “Such generosity has hardly been shown to detainees of conflicts in other parts of the world,” Rajapakshe also stated that major infrastructure development projects in the North and East resembles the government’s commitment towards the people residing in the areas. “We have given concessionary financing to the people, equipment for fishing, agriculture and business, we have developed all aspects of infrastructure and are taking all steps to help the people get back to normal,” he said.

Rajapaksa pointed out that the government is sincerely committed to reconciliation in its true sense in a manner applicable to the country. (Supul Dias and Hafeel Farisz)

Warscapes in conversation with Shobasakthi

Warscapes

Translation by Anushiya Ramaswamy

Click here to read an excerpt from Traitor by Shobasakthi

Warscapes: Do give us some political and personal context with regards to your novel Traitor.

Shobasakthi: On July 25, 1983, the Sri Lankan government planned and killed thirty-five Tamil political prisoners at Welikade Prison, with eighteen other Tamil prisoners slaughtered a couple of days later.  The prison authorities were thoroughly complicit in the massacre even though Sinhala prisoners carried out the murders. In fact, it was prison officers who distributed the weapons to the killers. Before the murders began, the Prison’s chief commissioner had been sent out of the country. 

Kuttimani and Thangathurai, who were regarded as heroes in the Tamil community, were at Welikade Prison on death row. At their sentencing, words uttered by Kuttimani — “After I am hung to death, donate my eyes to a blind Tamil. Through his eyes, I will witness the dawning of Tamil Eelam,” – and Thangathurai – “ We are not mentally ill patients in love with violence” – reverberated amidst the young and deeply affected all of us. Along with Kuttimani and Thangathurai, 53 prisoners were massacred.     Full Story»»

Shavendra accused of abusing Keheliya’s daughter

Tuesday, 10 January 2012

 Minister Keheliya Rambukwella’s daughter who is working at the office of Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Chandula, has been abused by the Deputy Permanent Representative, Major General Shavendra Silva, an official from the office told Lanka News Web.

The Minister’s daughter has complained to senior embassy officials that Silva had forcibly dragged her into his office and tried to abuse her and that she had managed to escape after giving a good fight.

Angered by the incident, the Minister has complained to the President and asked that an inquiry be held with immediate effect.

The President has promised to take action against Shavendra Silva and had asked the Minister to keep quiet about the matter and to not act upon it.

The President has believed that any publicity given to a story about Shavendra Silva turning abusive could be used by the LTTE supporters for their benefit.

The President has also reminded the Minister how he had to intervene and send Chandula to the Sri Lankan embassy in the UN amidst much opposition.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 10 January 2012 16:37

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Journalist assaulted at Media Minister’s 

party

Tuesday, 10 January 2012 

Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella’s security personnel have assaulted a journalist following an argument at the annual party organized by the Minister for journalists, which was held at the Galle Face Hotel on the 6th.

Over 500 media personnel and other invitees have attended the party and the journalist who had been assaulted is one Sumith Jayasinghe attached to the state owned Lake House institution.

Although Jayasinghe had not been invited for the booze party, he was taken for it by Deepal Samarasekera from Dinamina and Chanda Bandara who writes the mud slinging column at Lake House.

Interestingly, senior journalists have not attended this booze party organized by Media Ministry Secretary W.B. Ganegala.

The Minister, Ministry Secretary and other senior officials had been served imported whisky while the journalists had been served cheap local arrack. Since there had not been any bites served during the booze party, the journalists have started to find humor in each other.

The reason for the clash had also been over bites.

A journalist who attended the party said that it was so far the worst party to be organized by the Media Ministry. He said the journalists were not served proper meals or drinks and that some had even left the venue on empty stomach.

He added that many journalists who attended the party had left discussing that the Ministry Secretary who is to retire shortly and the Minister may have earned several thousands of rupees from the party.

No amnesty for war-criminals, says UN's Navi Pillay

[Sun, 08 Jan 2012, 04:01 GMT]

Granting amnesty to perpetrators of war crimes and human rights abuses under Yemen's presidential power transition deal would be against international law, the United Nations human rights chief said on Friday, undermining the peace agreement, Reuters reported. The implications of this to pending litigation of sitting and ex-Presidents in courts around the world are significant according to legal sources in Washington. Professor Francis Boyle commented that while the UN pronouncements were directed towards Yemen, for bringing the culpable Sri Lanka leaders to justice for crimes committed during the Mu'l'livaaykkaal massacre, continued action outside Sri Lanka by Tamil expatriates was crucial. Full story >>

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SL paramilitary in Jaffna monopolises cable TV market at gunpoint

   [TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 January 2012, 06:10 GMT]
Hundreds of private cable operators, who have been supplying cable Television covering the villages of Jaffna for years have been harassed and coerced into working under a paramilitary operated cable operator, MBL Cable Network, in Jaffna. Independent operators who were operating their own dishes and distributing television channels to private consumers were told that their business was illegal and they have to buy the channels and lease the network being established by the paramilitary company that had exclusive ‘government permission’. However, those who were in the competing business and argued that there was no such ‘exclusive permission’ obtained by the MBL continued to operate on their own. But, now they are being threatened. Alexkumar Balasundaram, a cable provider who operates from Kokkuvil with 10-year-experience, says he was threatened Saturday at gunpoint. 

The paramilitary backed cable company, which is being promoted in a mafia fashion by the Sri Lankan establishment through the forces aligned with Douglas Devananda and Selvarasa Pathmanathan alias KP, seeks to promote Dan TV, an unpopular EPDP-operated television by gaining monopoly of the cable market.

Hundreds of small independent cable providers who were relaying TV channels from Tamil Nadu were forced to lease the network through the corporate paramilitary of the SL State. 

The Sri Lankan police, under the instruction from its hierarchy in Colombo, is curbing the investigations with the complaints being made by independent operators like Mr. Balasundaram, whose case is put on hold by the SL court. 

Despite the inaction, Balasundaram says he would fight for the right to operate his business independently. 

Media circles in Jaffna say that the Sri Lankan military-led administration, which blocks independent journalists in covering certain events, treat the Dan TV ‘journalists’ as media workers of the State, giving full access to them. 

Dan TV, carrying anti-diaspora and anti-TNA campaign gives prominence to SL state propaganda. 

The paramilitary also engaged in image manipulations misusing the logo of a popular TV in Tamil Nadu, broadcasting anti-TNA views, during the elections. 

Mr. Balasundaram has also complained at the SL Police that his cable connections are being destroyed by certain elements. 

But, the SL police in Jaffna said that they have registered complaints that Balasundaram was disrupting the distribution of Dan TV.

Operators of the white Van new criminal culture and dimension exposed

Tuesday 10 of January 2012
(Lanka-e-News-10.Jan.2012, 8.30PM) With the dawn of the new year ,the criminal white Van syndrome has also a taken a new turn for the worse pertaining to its abductions and murders- as the crimes have risen so are its novel methods lately adopted…Since the beginning of the new year until the 6th , the white Van abductions have occurred at the rate of one per day. Except in one case of abductions , in all others , the victims were ruthlessly murdered almost immediately and their bodies put on public display, according to a set plan.

During the period of the war , that is in the year 2007 to 2009 , over 500 Tamil and Muslim people in Colombo and outskirts were abducted , and so far not even a hair of theirs had been picked up , let alone their bodies had been discovered. The nation remained silent assuming that they were LTTE members. Subsequently , abductions were committed on the Sinhalese people with journalist Prageeth Ekneliyagoda being among the first or second of the victims who went missing. That was in the early part of the year 2010.Thereafter , a number of Sinhalese nationals were abducted by the Van and killed ; even their bodies could not be found. Only , the body of Sudu Seeya was found drowned , when washed ashore. Full story >>

judgments should not be given for personal benefits -HC Judge Warawewa

Tuesday 10 of January 2012 

(Lanka-e-News-10.Jan.2012, 8.30PM) Judges should not give personal judgments in the hopes of gaining financial benefits, High Court judge W.M.P.D. Waraweva, who gave the dissenting judgment in the Sarath Fonseka court case, stated in open court today (January 10). He stated this after giving the verdict in a murder case. He stated that judges should not give judgments and verdicts in the hopes of gaining personal benefits or in fear of losing their luxuries while judgments should not be given with the hopes of putting an individual in trouble or assisting another. Waraweva said that he has always given his judgments according to his Buddhist faith and that he has never worked with the purpose of pulling cases from other courts towards him. The High Court gave the death penalty to the two accused murder suspects after finding them guilty. Last November, Sarath Fonseka was found guilty by a divided decision in the case regarding the ‘White Flag’ statement and sentenced to 3 years in prison by the Colombo High Court today (November 18).The verdict divided 2:1 was given by the High Court bench, headed by Judge Deepali Wijesundara and comprising Judges DMPD Waraweva and Zulfiqar Razin. Justice Waraweva giving his judgment deliberated that Fonseka was not guilty on all three charges while Justice Wijesundara and Rashim found Fonseka guilty of the first charge, of inciting violence through his statement, and found him not guilty on the second and third charges.

'War criminal'

Who Is Sarath Fonsek

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Sarath Fonseka, Lasantha Wickrematunge, Taraki Sivaram and Keith Noyahr

Ball for Karuna, jail for Fonseka 

Sunday January 08, 2012

Former Army Commander, one time General Sarath Fonseka, who led troops to victory in the military battles against Tiger guerrillas, has been at the Welikade jail for almost three years. For one of his erstwhile enemies in the battlefield in the years before, it is a different story.

Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias "Colonel Karuna," a onetime 'Eastern Commander' of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), was joyously welcoming the New Year at a luxury hotel in Colombo. It was only weeks earlier, the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) wanted Karuna investigated over the massacre of 600 police officers in the East when Ranasinghe Premadasa was President.

He shook, rattled and rolled to the music of the Gypsies. He was seen toasting glasses of whisky with other revellers. Not surprisingly, some chose to walk away instead of saying 'cheers' to this present day Minister.

"Would the victorious Americans or British have had a New Year party with Hitler singing," asked an irate retired military officer at the bash. "Only in Sri Lanka, a land like no other" consoled his friend as they took their swig of arrack.

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