Are Delhi and Colombo playing a prearranged game?

Sunday 19 February 2012

LLRC promptings fall by the wayside

The sixty-four thousand dollar question doing the round in town: Is the government really under intense international pressure and will it be compelled to do something about the Tamil question, or is it all plain bluff till the Human Rights tamasha in Geneva draws to a close? I do not know how much credence to give Frances Harrison, a former BBC correspondent based in Sri Lanka, who wrote on 10 February in Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper:
“There are signs that the international community is gearing up for action to hold Sri Lanka accountable for alleged war crimes committed by its forces at the end of the brutal civil war against the Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009. A resolution is being prepared for next month’s session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Pakistan, where the Sri Lankan president begins a three-day visit today, should not stand in the way of justice for tens of thousands of minority Tamils who perished.”
I have heard both sides make their case about the likely Geneva outcome and neither wins conclusively. My nose which cannot shake off the seven year stench of UPFA-Rajapaksa fibs and frauds says: ‘Advantage fraud!’ 
I am not much impressed by this yarn about pressure from New Delhi. It’s dashed funny isn’t it, the whole Krishna episode? The Indian External Affairs Minister, with his Sri Lankan counterpart standing beside him declares with much pomp and gravitas that President Rajapaksa, who he had met only a few hours previously, had assured him, that it was his intention to “implement the 13th Amendment in full, and even go beyond it.” Nothing is done to contradict him for about four days, and then Rajapaksa tells the nation that he said nothing of the sort. If it had not been couched in diplomatic-speak, what he said was that Krishna was a bloody liar. So the ball was tossed back into India’s court, but surprise, surprise, not a squeak out of Delhi; no volleyed return, no “you’re the bloody liar” rejoinder. Delhi’s silence is deafening!   Full Story>>>

Johnny’s lackey attacks businessman trying to extort money

Sunday, 19 February 2012

One of Minster Johnston Fernando’s coordinating secretaries Ravichandran alias Celltel Ravi has attacked a millionaire businessmen on Friday night. The attack was due to the businessman’s failure to pay the monthly payment made by him to Ravichandran. The businessman who has been attacked is one Madhura Wickremaratne.

The attack had taken place at the Base karaoke bar owned by the wife of one Lanka, who is a night club owners closely affiliated to MP Namal Rajapaksa.

The police had immediately arrived at the scene as soon as an employee at the bar had telephoned the police when the clash broke out. Celltel Ravi had intimidated the police officers who had arrived at the scene by showing the ID card given to him by Minister Johnston Fernando.

A senior police officer had also ordered the respective police personnel not to take any action against Celltel Ravi.

Several armed underworld members have also been with Celltel Ravi at the time and they had fled in the unregistered vehicle belonging to the Internal Trade Ministry.

Shavendra pooh-poohs US UN Amb’s rejection

Sunday 19 February 2012
 “member states told”

With a week to go before the UNHRC (United Nations Human Rights Commission) sessions in Geneva, and an expected resolution against Sri Lanka  approaching, spearheaded by the US, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice has now expressed her concern over the appointment of Sri Lanka’s Deputy Permanent Representative and former commander of the 58 Division, Shavendra Silva, as a UN Senior Advisor on Peacekeeping Operations.

“It’s very disconcerting that someone with his background would be selected to serve on this advisory group. We have conveyed this to Member States as well as to the Secretariat. There are a lot of efforts underway to address (this); probably best not to be discussed publicly,” she told the media.
Rice also commented on Silva’s diplomatic immunity saying, “The State Department has to respond on immunity. He unfortunately or fortunately is an accredited diplomat.”
Meanwhile, the Army Commander has initiated a Court of Inquiry this week to look into possible civilian casualties in the last stages of the war in which Shavendra Siva was intimately involved as the key field commander.
Major General Shavendra Silva meanwhile says attempts to prevent him from serving in his new appointment as UN Advisor on Peacekeeping Operations, based on unsubstantiated allegations, are a violation of his own human rights.
“Nowhere have I been convicted, and those unsubstantiated allegations promoted by a few interested parties should not stand in the way of me serving, not only South Asia but also the world,” Major General Silva  told LAKBIMAnEWS speaking from New York.
Major General Silva was appointed to the advisory panel of UN peace keeping by Member States of the Asian regional bloc, which deliberated on the appointments for nearly four months.

Downgrade And Foreign Exchange Controls: A Probability Or An Inevitable Certainty?

Sunday, February 19, 2012
Dr. Arujuna Sivananthan
With rating agencies being criticised for inertia, the contravening of terms of the IMF’s standby facility by Sri Lanka’s policy makers, and, their failure to consolidate both fiscal and current account deficits; the trajectory of its foreign currency credit rating remains uncertain.
Rating agencies were blamed for not being forward looking in their assessment during the sub-prime and Eurozone debt crisis. Remedial steps have now been taken and their future ratings actions are likely to be anticipatory.
On the face of it some of Sri Lanka’s macroeconomic data is positive. Its inflation rate and nominal GDP growth are good. However, a reduction in the former was achieved through several changes in the basket of goods and services measuring it to reflect ‘shifting’ consumption patterns. GDP growth has been buoyant driven by post-war infrastructure development, which was financed through external borrowing.Read More »

Solving the National Question the parliamentary way

According to government media, President Mahinda said on the Independence Day “This is not a task confined to one individual or a party. Remember, the country would not benefit by trying to please selfish groups who receive foreign funds. Similarly, solutions cannot be obtained by implementing the proposals of extremist groups of whatever persuasion. 
What is required today is the formulation of policies based on a vision that is commonly applicable to the whole country. Ethnic communities have no separate regions. The entire country belongs to all ethnic communities. The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission has stated that all are responsible for this problem. All those who act according to their conscience should take heed of this statement. Therefore, we have already started implementing what was in the Commission. The report was tabled in Parliament on December 17. Since then we have done a lot. Acting against public opinion using executive power is not democratic. We are committed to Parliamentary democracy as well as to the country’s law, independence of the judiciary and good governance. Sri Lanka is the Asian democratic state which has practiced universal suffrage without gender discrimination uninterrupted for the longest period. We are committed to defend the right to make and break governments through universal suffrage. We all know that Parliament representing people including all parties, ethnic communities and religions is the supreme democratic institution. 
Therefore, we believe that the mechanism for solving the National Question is the Parliamentary Select Committee. It is the duty of all parties in the country to solve problems according to the people’s wishes by participating in this Parliamentary Select Committee rather than relying on imported solutions and utilizing foreign influences.”

Full Story>>>

Unions say fuel subsidy 'ineffective'

19 February, 2012 

Minister says more than 90% of estate workers currently have electricity at their homes

A leading plantations union affiliated to the ruling coalition has rejected a subsidy offered by the government for estate workers in the wake of fuel price increase.

Deputy Economic Development Minister Muthu Sivalingam told BBC Sandeshaya that more than 90% of estate workers currently have electricity at their homes.

Therefore, he said, the government will offer a subsidy to nearly 10% of the population for domestic kerosene lamps in the estate sector.

"Nobody in the estate sector currently uses kerosene for cooking, so there is no need for subsidy for cooking," he said.

However, OA Ramiah, of Red Flag union, said the issues faced by estate workers will not be resolved through subsidies.

Cost of living

"What is always happening is the fuel price is increased and then the government announces some subsidy but that is usually not implemented," he told BBC Sinhala service.

Nobody in the estate sector currently uses kerosene for cooking, so there is no need for subsidy for cooking   Deputy Economic Development Minister Muthu Sivalingam

As there are no co-operative outlets in the plantation sector, he said, it is questionable how the government offers these subsidies.

He added that many households are unable to use firewood as fuel, due to restrictions on felling.

"This is not an issue about kerosene. This is an issue about ever increasing cost of living," added Mr Ramiah.

Rejecting Minister Sivalingam's claim that over 90% of the households have electricity supply in the estate sector, the trade union leader pointed out that even the price for the electricity has also been recently increased.

"It has been claimed during the war that it is difficult to increase the wages because of the war. Now the prices are going up even after the war. So what has really gone wrong is the government's economic policy."

An officer to inform the President about news in websites

 

The President has assigned his confidential secretary, Anoma Lafir to inform him immediately of the new published in the websites. The latest assignment given to Lafir is to provide reports on the news items published in Lankaenews, Gossip Lanka, Lanka News Web, Gossip 9, Lankaviews, Lanka Truth, Paparazzi News, Elakiri News, Lanka Leaks, Ravaya News and Wimal Weerawansa’s Lankacnews websites to the President.

Anoma Lafir (Wickremasuriya) is the sister of Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the US, Jaliya Wickremasuriya.
Apart from monitoring the news published websites, Lafir is also assigned to coordinate matters related to First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa’s health with foreign medical experts and maintain the President’s European bank accounts.

The President’s bank accounts in Singapore and the Middle East are maintained by MP Sajin Vass Gunawardena and head of the Presidential Staff, Gamini Senarath handles several confidential bank accounts of the Presiden

Police tear gas protestors at mammoth joint opposition demonstrations

-Until Democracy is enthroned and MaRa regime is dethroned we shall campaign

 (Lanka-e-News-18.Feb.2012,2.00PM) The police tear gassed and dispersed a mammoth joint demonstration staged yesterday (17) at the Fort led by the UNP along with other opposition political parties and civil Organizations against the MaRa regime’s atrocious and anti national activities including inordinate hardships imposed on the people , prevailing lawlessness , despotism and murder culture stoked by the ruthless regime.

A more than necessary number of police officers was deployed to disperse the massive crowds. As the protestors got to the roads , the tear gassing was begun. Even before the demonstrators could stage their protests the police began the tear gassing.

Jayalath Jayawardena and Daya Gamage were among those who were victims of the police actions. They had to be hospitalized on account of injuries, reports say.

When the protestors turned away from the Fort Railway station and moved towards the SL telecom roundabout , the police once again attacked them with tear gas and water from hoses.

Owing to the huge crowds participating in the protests , the entire Olcott Mawatha and environs were closed .

It was most noteworthy that there were unprecedented massive crowds along with the opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and other leaders at the protests. The protestors around 5000 were seen on the streets in the night too. In order to preclude people’s participation the Regime had deliberately crippled the public transport service. It was very unfortunate that the people had no transport facilities to get back home.

The UNP, Democratic National Front (DNF), Nawa vamansika peramuna, Nawa sihala Urumaya, civil Organizations, Trade unions and several other Organizations took part in this mammoth campaign. The participation of the MPs of the Tamil National Alliance was a specially noteworthy feature.

Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing the milling crowds said, there is no justification at all for the present fuel price hikes. The world fuel prices have not risen and the import of fuel from Iran exclusively is still continuing , he pointed out . Therefore , this regime which is playing ducks and drakes with public funds and entering into underhand deals is making the people scapegoats for its monumental fiscal blunders .The wastage at the Petroleum Corporation alone is Rs. one hundred and twenty three thousand million , he pinpointed .

Wickrema Bahu Karunaratne who also participated at the protests said, representatives of the Tamil people and people of Hambantota are also taking part in the protests.

The leader of DNF , Mano Ganeshan speaking to Lanka e news, referring to the attacks launched by the police on the peaceful protestors said, these protests will not stop here. From tomorrow , these protests will be spread to every town in the country.

The UNP Gen. Secretary on behalf of the joint opposition parties issued a notice roundly condemning the police attack on the protestors at the demonstration at the Fort on 17th evening 

We absolutely condemn the police attack on the protestors and civilian population at the peaceful demonstrations staged in front of the Fort Railway station by the opposition parties jointly against the steep fuel price hikes and the widespread lawlessness in the country .

At a time when the people have been burden beyond unendurable limits , it shall be reminded that the uprising of the people against the atrocities and the prevailing murder culture cannot be stalled by the use of police powers and attacks.

Owing to the ruthless attacks launched on the peaceful protestors , several of them have sustained injuries.

May we warn that at this juncture when people are asking for relief , they cannot be controlled and intimidated into submission by police brutalities , without granting the people’s justifiable demands.

We once again strongly warn that unless and until the demands of the people are granted and Democracy is enthroned , we will carry on our campaign undeterred and undaunted with the object of dethroning the murderous , despotic and parasitic regime once and for all.

Violent Protest in Colombo!

The Fisherman who was brutally killed (Antony Fernando) .

Holland artist conveys oppressed peoples stories through theatre reportage

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 February 2012, 23:31 GMT]
Combining theatre and reportage, artist Annet Henneman from The Netherlands has been conveying the real stories of oppressed peope and the refugees across Europe in a novel form of theatre performance, causing attitudinal change on viewers for years, through Italy-based Teatro di Nascosto (Hidden Theatre). Eezham Tamils in Berlin, Germany, were introduced to her media last Friday, when she performed there narrating true stories from Iraq, Kurdistan, Palestine, Iran and South America with songs and photos in a programme titled “Don't forget us”. 

“I think art can have a very big role if it is played in a way that it will touch the people. If you show one mother suffering for what happens to her kid, every mother in the world can feel this. If she feels it, because it is played well, after you can see, it is not one Tamil mother, it is not one Kurdish mother, it is not one refugee, there are 20 million of refugees in the world! So then this 20 million is not only a number but has a kind of feeling,” says Ms. Henneman, who is originally from the Netherlands and is the director of Teatro di Nascosto.



Full story >>

On Silva, Ambassadors Meet With UN Peacekeeping, Rice Says Concerned, Immunity Letter from USUN Surfaces

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, February 17, updated -- Three weeks ago Inner City Press began asking the UN and then the US Mission to the UN how they could accept as a UN "Senior Adviser on Peacekeeping Operations" General Shavendra Silva, whose Division 58 is repeatedly named in connection with war crimes in Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Panel of Experts report on Sri Lanka.

  On February 14, Bangledesh's Permanent Representative told Inner City Press he, India and Pakistan were telling Sri Lanka to "fix it." 

  On February 16, Pakistan's Permanent Representative confirmed this and said there was a meeting on February 17 on the topic. That meeting, of ambassadors with the two Under Secretaries General for peacekeeping, Inner City Press understands, took place Friday at 9:45 am.

At 10:30 am Friday, Inner City Press asked US Ambassador Susan Rice about a letter it found that that Russell F. Graham, Minister Counselor for Host Country Affairs at the US Mission to the UN, provided to Silva's lawyers to tell a US Federal Court that Silva, as Sri Lanka's Deputy Permanent Representative, has diplomatic immunity. On that basis, this case against Silva was dismissed.

  Inner City Press is putting the letter online, here.

Ambassador Rice took the question, some from Inner City Press on Sudan, and said, "These are two different things. The State Department has to respond on immunity. He unfortunately or fortunately is an accredited diplomat."

Then, more generally on Silva, Rice told Inner City Press, "it's very concerning that someone with his background would be selected to serve on this advisory group. We have conveyed this to member states, as well as to the Secretariat. There are a lot of efforts underway to address [this], probably best not to be discussed publicly."

Moments later, another Security Council Permanent Representative approached Inner City Press and said, "on the Sri Lankan, you have done well." Inner City Press has sent questions to USGs Malcorra and Ladsous:

"Hello. Asking for an answer before noon: I understand that on the matter of Shavendra Silva, who is named in the S-G's Panel of Experts report on Sri Lanka as in charge of Division 48 which is described engaged in war crimes, ambassadors met with UN Peacekeeping today. I am asking you directly to confirm this, and to state the status of Mr. Silva on the Senior Advisory Group, and at this stage, your view."   

  At Friday's noon briefing, Inner City Press asked again, and Ban Ki-moon's Deputy Spokesman Eduardo Del Buey said he had no information, to "ask DPKO's spokesman." 

Update of 6:34 pm: DPKO's spokesman has written in to note that in response to the request for a confirmation before the noon briefing, he "visited" and sent a text message. Noted. But the request was clear: confirm, which could be done even in a 160 character text message. The problem here is substantive: a UN Secretary General and Under Secretaries General who "have nothing to say" about an alleged war criminal -- or a commander of a division accused of war crimes - advising them. 

  Inner City Press reiterated, it is a question for Ban and his spokespeople, including because Ban's own High Commissioner for Human Rights wrote him on this topic - as she told Inner City Press at the General Assembly stakeout on February 13 -- and because Silva is in Ban's own report.  We are still awaiting an on the record response, which has been re-requested from Ban's office as well as from USG Malcorra and her spokesman.

Update of 2:20 pm, Feb 17: Inner City Press has been sent this by the DPKO spokesman:

"I can confirm that DPKO-DFS leadership today facilitated a meeting with some Member States. As the spokesperson's office has previously said, the selection for this position on the Special Advisory Group is for the Member States. Since the selection has become known to the Secretariat, we have actively facilitated Member States in their discussions to consider this matter. We have nothing to say at this stage on our views of the membership of the Special Advisory Group."

   What does it say about Ban's UN that it "has nothing to say" about the nomination as a "Senior Adviser" on Peacekeeping of a military commander named in Ban's own Panel of Experts report on Sri Lanka as engaged in the shelling of hospitals and presumptive execution of those seeking to surrender?

  Prior to these developments, the Sri Lankan Mission's action was to send a letter of complaint to Inner City Press, sending a copy to Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky as well as to some in the UN press corps.

Inner City Press in less than 24 hours published and responded to the letter, citing only some of the many references to Silva's Division 58 in the report.

Watch this site.

Centre for War Victims and Human Rights - Press Release

Friday, 17 February 2012  

The Centre for War Victims and Human Rights is organizing a conference on International Protection of Human Rights and its challenges in the 21st century while referring a case study on Sri Lanka.

We will be holding a press conference prior to our General Conference on Friday February 17th 2012 at Hilton Garden Inn, 2648 Steels Avenue East , Brampton (905 595 5151) at 6.30p.m.
This would be an opportunity to meet all our speakers, namely Danilo Reyes from Asian Human Right Commission Hong Kong, Rev. Dr. S.J. Emmanuel, President of the Global Tamil Forum, Ms Deirdre McConnell from United Kingdom representing Tamil Centre for Human Rights, Ali Beydoun who serves as the director and supervisor for the UNROW Human Rights Impact Litigation Clinic, Prof David Matas, a lawyer in immigration, refugee and international human rights based in Winnipeg, and Theodore Orlin, J.D who is a founder and Director of the Human Rights Advocacy Program (HRAP) an international human rights lawyer.
Every speaker is specialized in areas like International Human Rights Law, Refugee Protection, and International Mechanism to Protect Human Rights. These scholars would give us an opportunity to clarify the issues as we face enormous challenges to protect human Rights in the 21st Century. We will also take up a case study on Sri Lanka and we will search for answers to the failures of International Mechanism in 2009. Even after its failures in Sri Lanka, reports after reports, recommendations over recommendation have not given any satisfactory answers and justice to the people who have lost their loved ones and all belongings including their homes etc.
Truth and reconciliation, Justice and Peace, Accountability and International Interdependence are all for discussion.
Please come and join us for a lively discussion and the Press Conference For further information, please call 416 300 7026
Centre for War Victims and Human Rights
Conference on International Protection of Human Rights in the 21st Century And its Challenges
Case Study on Sri Lanka
Organized by
Centre for War Victims and Human Rights (CWVHR)
Date & Time: 2012 February 18th Saturday 9:30 AM – 04:00 PM
Venue: Pearson Convention Centre
2638 Steels Ave E, Brampton, On, L6T 3L7
International Scholars, Politicians and Human Rights Activists are participating
Discussion of War crimes in Sri Lanka and calling for international investigation &
To bring the attention of The UN Human Rights Council to the continuous human rights violations in Sri Lanka
Above all,
We wish to bring Justice and Peace, Freedom and Harmony to all people in our homeland.
We wish to invite all to join in our endeavors.
Donation $ 30.00, Students $ 20.00

The Honourable Mobina Jaffer

The Honourable Mobina Jaffer represents British Columbia in the senate of Canada. Mobina Jaffer was born in Uganda and educated in both England and Canada. She holds a bachelor of laws degree (LL.B.) from London University in England and completed the Executive Development Program at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C. She was the first East Indian woman to practice law in British Columbia.

Centre for War Victims and Human Rights - Press Release

February 14, 2012

A fundamental difference has prevailed in the international community between the powerful governments on the one hand and the civil society on the other on the question of how to deal with alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and its armed forces in the final phase of the civil war there. Rights based civil society organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and International Crisis Group have clearly taken the position that the Sri Lankan State has neither the willingness nor the capacity to investigate its own crime, and based on that these organizations refused to participate or give evidence as witnesses at the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) sittings.

In contrast, several of the governments have been encouraging the Sri Lankan State while applying minimal pressure towards carrying out its own inquiry on alleged crimes committed by the very same State. Now, when the LLRC Report is finally released, we observe the same kind of differences; whereas the civil society sections of the international community rejected the Report, some prominent governments not only acknowledged but also welcomed the recommendations contained in the report, while pointing out its failure to address issues of crimes against humanity and war crime accountability. It is in this context that we have to see yesterday’s announcement coming from the US.

The dismal failure in the position taken by the US and several other governments to address the crucial issue of justice is a source of grave disappointment to the Tamils. At the same time, this does not come as a total surprise to us. During the final stages of the war, according to the UN Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts Report, more than 40,000 people died. According to the Bishop of Mannar, Rev Rayappu Joseph, more than 146,000 Tamil people remain unaccounted for. The Dublin People’s Tribunal found that “the attempt to annihilate the Tamil population with or without the use of illegal weapons certainly constitutes one form of war crime. The question remains if the government intended genocide in respect of the Tamil people in brutally suppressing armed and political resistance.” Despite serious warnings from people like the former Australian Foreign Minister, Gareth Evans, the international community, and especially the United Nations, abandoned the Tamil people and with it also its own doctrine of Responsibility To Protect.

Today, again, the world’s governments are disregarding their moral and legal obligations by focusing exclusively on Sri Lanka’s own LLRC Report, which has been rejected outright not only by the Tamil people as evidenced by the statements of the TNA, the elected representatives of the Tamil people inside the island of Sri Lanka, and the Tamil Diaspora, but also by reputable international organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and International Crisis Group. Even the US Government, in its latest press release, acknowledged that the LLRC Report has not covered the War Crimes allegations in sufficient detail. The South African Foreign Ministry in its statement released last week said that the LLRC Report “should have addressed in more detail the question of holding those people responsible for human rights violations to account.” We also hold the view that if the Government of Sri Lanka is permitted to adopt the view as propounded by the LLRC that whatever happened in the final stages of war are isolated incidents, then it would be tantamount to providing the Government of Sri Lanka with an escape channel from the serious charges of international crimes leveled in the Secretary-General’s Expert Panel Report.

It would be a fallacy to imagine that the very power structure which stands accused of these heinous crimes will now begin a process to bring its own members to justice. Therefore, we perceive the leading governments’ choice to focus exclusively on the LLRC Report amounting to an attempt to derail the mounting international clamor for formal international investigations on Sri Lanka.

If these international actors are bent on giving the GOSL one further chance, they can, while focusing on the LLRC Report, also bring up a resolution at the forthcoming UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) calling for the establishment of an international investigation on Sri Lanka. In fact, that has precisely been what the Panel of Experts of the UN Secretary General has recommended. The Expert Panel in its recommendations stated that the GOSL should initiate an effective accountability process. At the same time, it recommended that the UN Secretary-General should also proceed to establish an independent investigation mechanism. For the Expert Panel, it was not a question of one or the other mechanism but of both to bring about accountability in relation to crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the final phases of the war. In fact, we believe that the two mechanisms would complement each other if they are executed in good faith.

Therefore, we are calling upon the mandate holders of the UN HRC to pass a resolution at the March sessions in Geneva for the establishment of an international investigation on international crimes in Sri Lanka. In view of the criticisms of the LLRC’s Report by international civil society that we have seen, it is also our desire that such an international commission of investigation should be given the mandate to examine if all the assertions of the LLRC are verifiable or not.

Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran
TGTE Prime Minister

Courtesy: TGTE
Published on: Feb 17, 2012 21:54:52 GMT

Practical Steps To Meaningful Reconciliation

Colombo Telegraph 15February 2012.

IN JOURNALISM TRUTH IS A PROCESS
In ten paragraphs in a separate subsection titled “Treatment of Detainees” the Report deals with several aspects of lawful and unlawful detention and the treatment of detainees.

More than 40 notable members of the Sri Lankan community called upon the government of Sri Lanka, in consultation with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the leadership of the Muslims, to take steps to implement the recommendations.

Issuing a press statement they says; “The purpose of this statement is to express our dismay that the government is taking little follow up action to get down to simple actions that are not particularly controversial if there is a genuine commitment to democracy, human rights and reconciliation.”

The full statement is reproduced below:

Several valuable recommendations are contained in the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission’s (LLRC) Report and they are all the more compelling because they have issued from a Presidential Commission. In pursuance of this, we the undersigned call upon the government of Sri Lanka, in consultation with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the leadership of the Muslims, to take steps to implement the recommendations. In this statement we have highlighted certain important recommendations. The government is morally bound to implement the proposals of its own commission or otherwise stand indicted of a lack of sincerity.

Commitment to the concept of the primacy of civilian democracy over military power makes it imperative that the LLRC recommendations quoted below be implemented forthwith and in full.

Name list of signatories on the next page.

Signed by:-Priyadarshani Ariyaratne -Lionel Bopage-Kumar David (Prof)-Sunanda Deshapriya-Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri

Marshal Fernando-Sarath Fernando (Monlar)-Bhavani Fonseka-Mano Ganesan-Sivaguru Ganesan (Prof)

N Ganesanathan (Dr)-Ruba.H.Gnanaratnam-Farzana Hanifffa (Dr)-S.H. Hasbullah (Prof)-Rohini Hensman (Dr)

Kumara Illangasinghe (Bishop Emeritus)-M. C. M. Iqbal-Vickremabahu Karunaratne (Dr)S. V.  Kasynathan (Dr.)

Uvindu Kurukulasuriya-Sumanasiri Liyanage (Dr)-S. Nagendra-Suppiramaniam Nanthikesan-Anita Nesiah (Dr)

Devanesan Nesiah (Dr)-Lanka Nesiah-Vasuki Nesiah-Nigel V. Nugawela-Rajan Philips-Mirak Raheem

Lionel Rajapakse-Mahinda Ratnayake-Surendra Ajith Rupesinghe-Jeanne Samuel-Shireen Saroor
Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu (Dr)-Willie Senanayake (Dr)-Sabapathy Sivagurunathan-Ram Subramaniam

J. Thiruchandran-Selvy Thiruchandran (Dr)-Bradman Weerakone-Lal Wijenayake-E Vivegananthan

 Continue reading »

“Sana would come a day; we thought”

A gathering with missing persons family in Karachi

Sana Baloch went missing in 2009 near his home town Kulpur, his family members followed every way for his recovery, Sana left five brothers behind him, he was in third in number and even not married yet.

( February 17, Karachi, Sri Lanka Guardian) Martyred BRP leader Sana Baloch’s sister wasn’t involved in her brother funeral why?

She gave more priority to the protest taken out in Karachi by Political activists and missing person’s family members, she appeared in Karachi press club along with the others who’s beloved ones are missing yet.

Zarina Baloch; sister of BRP leader believes, “it was necessary for her to attend the protest in order to show the world what’s happening there in Balochistan, these were the reasons she didn’t attend the funeral of her brother.”

 Read More »