British Foresight And The Evolution Of Sinhala Dimension Of Genocide

By Arumugam Thevarajan -November 12, 2012 

Arumugam Thevarajan

1. Ancient History:

Sri Lanka land mass was never under a single  Kingdom. There were three independent Kingdoms – Jaffna (Tamil) Kingdom, Kandyan Kingdom and Kotte Kingdoms (both Sinhalese Kingdoms but ruled by Tamil Kings as well ) .The Tamil Kingdom always remained separate and independent, except for a short while when the Tamil King of Kotte Parakrama Bahu VI conquered and subdued it for a while. But the Tamil kingdom shook off the yoke of  Kotte and reasserted its independence within a short period. For most of the time, there were two or three Sinhala Kingdoms viz. Malayaratta (KANDY) Rajaratta (Anuradhapura)  Ruhunuratta and Dhakshinadesa (Kotte). The Kingdoms of Dhakshinadesa (Kotte) and Ruhunuratta were generally united but at times remained separately also.

The country was ruled by a three tiered vibrant democratic system of devolved powers to regions. There were the gamsabas  and the best of the administrators there were elected to the Rattasabas (the regional power centres) and the brilliant administrators there were elected to Ministerial offices in the Madhyama Anduwa (Central Government.)   Those great men in the distant past realized that there can be no effective democratic governance with benefit for the people unless the power was devolved to the people at regional and village levels. That was the home grown vision and intelligence.

2.Tamils and Tamil Language:

The use of Tamil Language and the presence of  Tamils in what is presently

known as Sri Lanka(i.e. throughout the entirety of the three Kingdoms) is attested to by the earliest lithic records where the language is Prakrit or regionalized  Prakrit and Tamil and Parkritised Tamil.  The script is the Damili of the Pandyan region. The script transforms into Asokan (or North Indian)  Brahmi only after the introduction of  Buddhism and that too only from first century A.D.   The influence of Tamil on the development of the Sinhala language and literature is deep and indelible. Even the Sinhala grammatical work SIDAT SANGARAWA is an adaptation  of the Tamil grammatical work VIRASOLIYAM.

The pre-Christian Sri Lankan polity is reminiscent of the Sangam period polity of Tamil Nadu.  Social groups that played decisive roles in  Tamil Nadu also played key roles in Sri Lanka too. The Ays, Vels, Baratas, etc. played key roles in Sri Lankan polity too. There are Tamil names as well. In fact, the name of the queen of the first known king of the historical period Devanam-piya-Tissa is Ramadatta – datta in Tamil and Malayalam means parrot. The Tamil language was considered the language of the learned. Even in the 16^th century CE according to no less a person than Maitreya the scholar monk who lived in Velapura (modern Kalutara, where you still find the village Welgama) and rendered into Sinhalese many ethical works in Tamil.

3. Colonial Powers:                                               Read More

Colombo plans to settle 25,000 Sinhala families in Batticaloa district

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 November 2012, 23:42 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government with the assistance of occupying Sri Lanka Army and the paramilitary politicians, has been implementing a scheme to settle down about twenty five thousand Sinhala families in the Batticaloa district in the eastern province, informed sources in Batticaola said. More than 5,000 Sinhala families brought from south have been settled down along 16 km coastal area from Paasik-kudaa in Koa'ralaippattu DS division to Chavukkadi in Ea'raavoorpattu (Chengkaladi) DS division. 

Colombo has appropriated lands of Eezham Tamils for Sinhala colonisation to the west and east of Batticaloa city with the assistance of former Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan and Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, a deputy minister in the UPFA. 

Meanwhile, the number of Sinhala families, who have encroached the lands that have been allocated for pasture in Periya-maa-thavaa'nai in Koa'ralaippattu South DS division, has increased from 300 to 450, according to Tamil farmers engaged in animal husbandry. Sinhala persons coming from Dehiyattakanadiya in Ampaa'rai district enter the lands in the name of doing maize cultivation on a temporary basis, but settle down there claiming ownership to the lands with the support of the SL military. 

When the issue was taken up at a discussion with the team of civil officials led by the Sri Lankan Government Agent in Batticaloa, a Brigadier level commander of the occupying SL military in the area gave assurances, as usual, that no Sinhalese would encroach lands belonging to Tamils in the area. But, the encroachment continues with the active support by the SL military, Tamil families complained.

The SL commander now says that he could not stop encroachment by the Sinhalese as it takes place with the backing of influential government politicians and that the responsibility of taking action is with the SL Government Agent. 

In Mangalagama area in Ea'raavoorpattu (Chengkaladi) DS division, unidentified groups kill cattle and steal calves that belong to Tamils. The SL police in the area disregard complaints by the affected Tamils.

In the meantime, Sinhalese encroachers who area occupying western sides of Koa'ralaipattu South, Vellaave'li, Paddippazhai and Ea'raavoorpattu DS divisions along the border of the two districts have issued ‘warnings’ to Tamils that these areas have come under the administrative district of Ampaa'rai.

Fast Descent Into A Constitutional Dictatorship?

By Eran Wickramaratne -November 12, 2012 

Eran Wickramaratne MP

Sri Lanka is fast descending into a Constitutional Dictatorship.  In a kingdom the powers of the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary were exercised by the king.  The king was sovereign.  In a democracy the people are sovereign and their sovereignty is given expression through the executive, legislative and the judicial branches of Government.  The healthiest democracy is where the different arms of government are independent of one another, and they exercise their powers in a manner that does not impinge on the other. A system of checks and balances should also be in place, so that one organ of power could arbitrate conflicts between the other two organs. If there was to be a conflict between the Executive and the Judiciary, the Legislature would be the arbitrator.

Sri Lanka Guardian

We are now facing a situation where Members of Parliament have brought an impeachment motion against the Chief Justice, and where they have to decide on the removal of the Chief Justice. In the United States of America there is a clear separation of powers between the Legislators on Capitol Hill and the President and his Cabinet.  The President picks his Cabinet from outside the House of Representatives and the Senate.  If a member of any of the Houses is picked to be in the Cabinet, like was the case with Senator Hilary Clinton, she resigned her legislative position to become a part of the Executive maintaining strict separation between the Executive and the Legislature.  In Sri Lanka the Cabinet of Ministers is picked from elected members of Parliament diluting the separation between the Executive and the Legislature.  The dilution was limited to the Cabinet of Ministers who share in executive power.   The administration of President Rajapaksa has reduced the independence of the Legislature drastically by appointing multiple scores as Senior Ministers, Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Monitoring Ministers. The independence of the Legislature from the Executive has irretrievably suffered by turning most legislators into mini-executives.  Government MP s have little choice but to bow down to the whims and fancies of the President when the structure of government has been altered in this manner.

It is in this situation that the Chief Justice will be subject to a hearing by the Parliamentary Select Committeeand a subsequent vote by the Members of Parliament.  One has to assume that the Bench in a trial is unbiased and has no material interest in the case at hand. It must be pointed out that some of the MPs who have signed the Resolution have cases pending against them in the Supreme Court, and crossed over to the government from the Opposition benches.  In a jury system of trial a Juror picked to hear the case will be vetted for independence.  If the Juror is discovered to have any material interests or conflict on his selection he would step down as a Juror.

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London World Tamil Conference endorses a momentous resolution in the UK Parliament

min | Saturday, November 10th, 2012 | Comments Off

The World Tamil Conference held in London in the British Houses of parliament last week endorsed a historic resolution, stressing “the United Nation member states to urgently set up an ‘international independent investigation’ into the complete conduct of the Sri Lankan State against the Tamil Nation and specifically call upon the investigation of War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, and the Crime of Genocide against the Tamil people”.

The   Resolution was unanimously passed by the attendees of the conference who are leaders and senior party members of Tamilnadu political parties, Parliamentarians of Tamil National Alliance, members of Tamil National People’s Front, Members of Tamil Civil Society and Tamil Diaspora Organisations.  The conference was attended by a large number of UK parliamentarians, Human Rights Activists and journalists.

The resolution also urged the leaders of the international community and the global civil society to: 1) Take immediate steps to create for free flow of information that would bring to light the ground realities prevailing in the North and East of the Island of Sri Lanka. 2) To stop decimation of the Tamil Nation by the Sri Lankan State. 3) To stop Sinhalisation of the Tamil traditional Homeland. 4) To demilitarise the Tamil People’s Homeland of the people to exercise their democratic rights free from fear of persecution.

The British MPs who addressed the gathering accused the United Nations and the International community for failing to fulfill their obligation in not invoking the “responsibility to protect” provisions to avert the humanitarian crisis of the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Describing what has happened in Sri Lanka against Tamils as genocide, the Vice Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPGT) Mr. Robert Halfon condemned the international community for not recognising the genocide of Tamils. Meanwhile, the chairman of the APPGT Mr. Lee Scott  urged the international community to set up an independent investigation into the crimes committed by the  Sri Lankan government and pledged his support for Tamils until they  achieve their aspirations in Sri Lanka.

Liberal Democrat MP and the Vice Chairman of the APPGT Mr. Simon Hughes highlighted the state’s primary responsibility for protecting populations from war crimes and accused the Sri Lankan government for not abiding to this responsibility and committing serious war crimes during the final war. He also condemned the international community for not fulfilling its obligation to prevent this crime in Sri Lanka and described it as a “fundamental failure on the part of international community”.

Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn in his speech urged the international community to recognise Tamils’ aspirations and their right to self determination in Sri Lanka.  Labour MPs Siobhain McDonagh and Garath Thomas urged the international community and the UN to urgently set up an international independent inquiry into the war in Sri Lanka. Several other MPs including Conservative MPs Steve Baker, Steve Brine, Bob Blackman, Alok Sharma, Stephen Hammond, Mike Freer, Nick de Bois, Iain Stewart, Lord Popat of Harrow, Labour MPs Mike Gapes, Barry Gardiner, Seema Malhotra, Stella Creasy, Kate Green and Libral Democrats MPs Rt hon Tom Brake attended the conference.

Senior political leaders of Tamil Nadu who addressed the conference unanimously iterated the urgency of setting up an international independent inquiry and pledged to work together hand in hand with the Eelam Tamil people.

The leaders who addressed the gathering were: Mr. M.K. Stalin, Mr. Rathakrishnan, Mr. Illankovan and Mr. T.R.Balu of Dravida Munnetra Kalakam, Mr. D.K. Mani of Paddali Makkal Kadchi, Mr. Arul of Pasumai Thayakam,  Mr. Iyanar of Nam Thamilar Kadchi,  Mr. Viduthalai Rajendran of Thiravida Viduthalai Kalakam,  Mr. D.K. Rajah, Mr. T. Pandyan of Communist Party of India, Mr. Thol Tirumavalavan of Viduthalai Chiruthaikal, Mr.  Arjun Sampath of Inthu Makkal Kadchi, Dr. Krishnasuamy of Puthiya Thamilakam, Mr. Kumaraiya of  Ganthiya Makkal Iyakkam,  Mr. Saravanan of Save Tamil Movement, Mr. Thirukumaran of May 17^th Movement and  Mr. Ram Shankar of Delhi Tamil Advocates association. Parliamentarians of Tamil National Alliance Mr. Mavai Senathirajah, Mr. Suresh Premachandran, Mr. Sritharan and Mr. Yokesvaran and Former MP and the General Secretary of the Tamil National People Front Mr. Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam.

TNA MP Suresh Premachandran and TNPLF Secretary General Gandrakumar Ponnampalam commended the conference as a timely and forward step. Suresh Premachandran emphasized that the international independent investigation is the way to resolve the conflict in Sri Lanka and stressed that peace is impossible without resolving the issue of justice.  Meanwhile, Mr. Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam emphasised that the investigation in Sri Lanka should be focused on the genocide that was committed and continues to be committed against the Tamil people.

Representatives from the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC), Global Tamil Forum (GTF), La Maison du Tamil Eelam – (France), Norwegian Council of Eezham Tamils, Tamils Against Genocide (TAG) Tamils Centre for Human Rights (France), Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam, Tamil Youth Organisation UK (TYO UK) and United States Tamil Political Action Council (USTPAC) participated on behalf of the Tamil Diaspora organisations.

The following is the resolution adopted by the Conference:

Expressing our appreciation for their report on Sri Lanka by the Panel of Experts appointed by the UN Secretary General and noting in particular the report’s acknowledgment of the persecution and extermination of the Tamil people for political reasons on ethnic grounds.

Expressing our appreciation for the findings and recommendations of the Permanent Peoples Tribunal on Sri Lanka held in Dublin.

Noting with concern the continuing destruction of the Tamil Nation in the North and East of the Island of Sri Lanka, despite the end of war in May 2009, and the need for an immediate arrest to the present conditions of persecution of the Tamil people.

Reminding the responsibilities of the international community under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and under the doctrine of the responsibility to protect (R2P).

We call upon the member states of the United Nations to urgently set up an international independent investigation into the complete conduct of the Sri Lankan State against the Tamil Nation and specifically call for an investigation of War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, and the Crime of Genocide against the Tamil people.

We urge the leaders of the international community and the global civil society to: 1) Take immediate steps to provide for space for free flow of information that would bring to light as to the ground realities prevailing in the North and East of the Island of Sri Lanka. 2) To stop decimation of the Tamil Nation by the Sri Lankan State. 3) To stop Sinhalisation of the Tamil traditional Homeland. 4) To demilitarize the Tamil People’s Homeland for the people to exercise their democratic rights free from fear of persecution.

Following organisations has already endorsed this resolution: Click here to download World Tamil Conference resolution

1. 1. British Tamils Forum (United Kingdom)
   2. Canadian Tamil Congress (Canada)
   3. Communist Party of India (India)
   4. Delhi Tamil Advocates Association (India)
   5. Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam (India)
   6. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (India)
   7. Gandhiya Makkal Iyakkam (India)
   8. Global Peace Support Group UK
   9. Hindu People Party (India)
   10. International Council of Eelam Tamils (Federation of 14 country councils)
   11. La Maison du Tamil Eelam – (France)
   12. 12. May 17 Movements (India)
   13. Naam Tamilar Karchi (India)
   14. Pattali Makkal Katchi (India)
   15. Puthiya Thamilagam Party (India)
   16. Save Tamils Movement (India)
   17. Solidarity Group for Peace and Justice in Sri Lanka (South Africa)
   18. Tamil National Alliance
   19. Tamil National People’s Front
   20. Tamil Youth Organisation
   21. Tamils For Labour (United Kingdom)
   22. Tamils Centre for Human Rights (France)
   23. Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam
   24. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi(India)
   25. United States Tamil Political Action Council (US)

There are several other organisations which are still continuing to endorse this resolution. An up to date list is available from the BTF website www.tamilsforum.com.

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Video: Ranil Wickremesinghe On Impeachment And Media

By Colombo Telegraph -November 12, 2012 

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday making a statement in Parliament urges Speaker to issue guidelines.

“I have no specific grudge against the Chief Justice about the 18th Amendment but I have been a vocal critic of the Supreme Court for what I say have been the fact that they have taken away the Fundamental Rights of the people. On that others may disagree, but on that I stand. Similarly, I have also praised the Supreme Court on certain judgments like the Appropriation Bill and the Z score. But as far as I am concerned, I’d like to say that it is best if the media stops bothering us as to why we are voting for or against or anything. We still have not decided on the procedure, we are meeting you only on Monday. So I think you will have to give some statement.” Wickremesinghe said.

Following are excerpts from Wickremesinghe’s statement:

As you are aware, a Resolution under Article 107 of the Constitution has been given in respect of the Chief Justice and the House today is in exercise from the time it was given of its judicial functions.

Unfortunately, some of the media have been making various insinuations. I’ve got one which is in the Financial Times which states that I either have some grudge against the Chief Justice on the 18th Amendment or that I am talking with the President and so many other things.

As far as I am concerned and my party – this is a judicial matter on which we are not going to comment. We should not be asked to comment – this is not normal like the Budget. And I have said, media can always write whether it is good or bad, even the Financial Times.

I have no specific grudge against the Chief Justice about the 18th Amendment but I have been a vocal critic of the Supreme Court for what I say have been the fact that they have taken away the Fundamental Rights of the people. On that others may disagree, but on that I stand.

Similarly, I have also praised the Supreme Court on certain judgments like the Appropriation Bill and the Z score. But as far as I am concerned, I’d like to say that it is best if the media stops bothering us as to why we are voting for or against or anything. We still have not decided on the procedure, we are meeting you only on Monday. So I think you will have to give some statement.

I will criticise the Supreme Court like I criticised the Financial Times for not talking about KRRISH building, covering it up and not putting the facts outside there. So if they don’t do their duty, it’s useless asking us. Media can comment as to what they have to do, without talking about the position of the person concerned, the Chief justice or any of the other names that are mentioned.

I found that the Daily News – I will send that copy to you – has been saying that the CJ is guilty. Now they are trying to do our job before we have done that. So I think you will have to warn the media, tell these people to correct it and lay down some guidelines till we finish this, otherwise the media has become a nuisance to us. I mean, let them say what they have to say, no need to be asking us.

Sri Lanka's Killing Fields: Eyes On The Ground 

A film by an Italian documentary maker based on Channel 4's award-winning Sri Lanka's Killing Fields has been made public.

ITN Productions, which made the original Sri Lanka's Killing Fields, asked graduate film students to make a short film based on the original Channel 4 documentaries.

The one which the production team felt showed an original and innovative response was by Cristina Picchi, 30, a filmmaker and writer based in London.

Cristina said: "Sri Lanka's Killing Fields begins with a warning: the film contains shocking images. And it really does.

"When asked to edit a video using the film's footage I felt overwhelmed: everything seemed so important yet, when de-contextualised from the original narrative, so horrific and unnecessarily graphic. I then decided to take a different approach.
Eyes On The Ground is a simple video documenting five people watching Sri Lanka's Killing Fields for the first time. It deals with human emotions and with the processes of acknowledgment - a disturbing but necessary process that everyone can undertake by simply watching a film, a first small step towards the possibility of some sort of justice."

Cristina's films have been screened at festivals and galleries including the London International Documentary Film Festival and the National Portrait Gallery of London. She has a MA in European Literature from the University of Pisa and a master's degree in Screen Documentary from Goldsmiths University.
Chris Shaw, executive producer of Sri Lanka's Killing Fields for ITN, said: "The idea was to see if the raw material of our two films could be repurposed to reach a different audience - six film graduates were approached and each produced a really distinctive take on the Sri Lankan Killing Fields. Of the six films we viewed - all had real merit, but we felt Cristina Picchi's three minute film "Eyes On The Ground" stood out for its originality and lateral thinking."

The five other film graduates who made short films were Zeina Hurst, Niels Ladefoey, Jeong One Park, Onyeka and a team of Owen Evans, Tom Tudgray and Kjeiti Swentesen.

Impeachment Tragedy And UPR Farce

By  C. A. Chandraprema -November 12, 2012

C. A. Chandraprema

Thursday November 1, 2012, was an eventful day if ever there was one. While Sri Lanka was defending itself in Geneva at the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council, an impeachment motion against Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake was handed over to the Speaker of Parliament in Colombo. Many people thought that the government would be diffident about impeaching the chief justice with the UPR session on Sri Lanka being held these days, and the theory was that even if they do impeach the chief justice, they would wait till the UPR process is over. But the fact that the impeachment motion was handed over to the speaker on the very day that Sri Lanka came up for discussion in Geneva shows that the government means business. Ironically, the US Representative to the Human Rights Council Eileen Donahoe in fact made reference to the impeachment motion in her speech on Sri Lanka and called upon the Sri Lankan government to uphold the independence of the judiciary. This was funny considering the fact that the world’s prime example for flogging the judiciary into submission is in fact the United States of America.

The American constitution is a very simple document which does not specifically say that the American Supreme Court has the power to decide on the constitutionality of laws made by Congress in quite the same words. Article 3 Section 2 which deals with the Judicial power simply says that “The judicial power shall extend to…” and among the things that the judicial power extends to, is mentioned the words  ”…the Laws of the United States…”. As we pointed out a couple of weeks ago, it was through the 1803 supreme court ruling in Mabury v. Madison that the US supreme court specifically claimed that the constitution gives them the power to decide on the constitutionality of the laws made by Congress. We explained in this column how President Thomas Jefferson applied the jackboot to the Supreme Court from day one and made them bow to the will of the president and Congress. Yet, here was the American Representative on the UNHRC protesting that Sri Lanka was doing what the Americans had been doing for the past 200 years.

If one looks at things from a different angle, perhaps the US Representative on the UNHRC did have a point. The US has never impeached a chief justice. They never had to, because making an example of someone else was enough to make the US Supreme Court get the message and fall in line. But there is something in Sri Lanka which makes such half measures ineffective. Even our terrorists (both Rohana Wijeweera andPrabhakaran) were uncommonly stubborn and the security forces had to go the whole hog with them. With both the JVP and the LTTE there was never the possibility of a compromise as in Nepal when the Maoist terrorist leader Prachanda came into the mainstream. Perhaps this is so with our supreme court as well. Having been a political correspondent for many years, the present columnist has always been struck by what Karl Marx said of France in his work “The 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte” where he said that France was the one place in Europe where class battles were fought to the finish. So it is in Sri Lanka – every battle, whether it be with terrorists, the Supreme Court or with foreign powers have to be fought to the finish.

Friday Forum’s Amnesia                                                              Read More

Prison genocide true version: Jailor , guards write to the superiors – STF even for hemorrhoids ?

(Lanka-e-News- 12.Nov.2012, 8.30PM) The Prison officers have written anonymous letters to the Prisons Commissioner and the IGP describing how the STF officers arrived and took four prisoners out, handcuffed and killed them by shooting. These are premeditated and planned murders , they have added.

From the outset following their arrival , the DIG Ranawana , ASP Sylvester and the STF officers have been on a collision course with the Prison authorities when they came to accomplish these murders. Because they were asked to produce a court directive to support their orders , they had begun searching even the prison officers . Thereafter , they have asked the prison officers to point out four remand prisoners of the L ward who have not yet been convicted, whose names they have mentioned (given below) :

1.Vijaya Rohana alias pathale Gundu
2.Harsha C Manikeerthi Perera alias Manju Sri Harsha ( the individual who murdered the Kotte Rajamaha Vihara priests when trying to take the sword of King Sapumal Kumaraya)
3.Nirmala Athapatthu
4. Thushara Chandra alias Kalu Thushara.

They have then taken out the prisoners and handcuffed them with the handcuffs brought by the STF. When they were being taken , there had erupted a dispute between Sylvester and the prison officers who were doing a count on the convicted prisoners in the Chapel ward.

When a jailor was assaulted, a prisoner who spoke on behalf of his jailor was also attacked with the rifle butt causing the prisoner to fall down. He was then kicked, shot at and killed. At the same time without any reason or provocation , the four prisoners named earlier were rained with bullets and murdered in cold blood. Immediately following this grave murderous actions of the STF chief , the prisoners who were being taken count of have retaliated ; they have wrested the weapons of the STF soldiers after attacking them.

In the letters it is pointed out that the best evidence that this whole riot was provoked because of the murders of the four above named prisoners by the STF are the handcuffs on the prisoner Kalu Thushara even when his dead body was being taken to the Hospital.. In that anonymous letter sent by the prison officers the factual events have been described as related above. It also totally rejects the story that the armory was broken into.

Meanwhile , according to latest reports reaching Lanka e news , there had been a secret discussion in the morning prior to this genocide between DIG Ranawana , DIG Anura Senanayake and defense Secretary Gotabaya , the devil incarnate who is notorious for every behind the scene ghastly ruthless murder at Govt.’s behest across the country (including the white Van abductions and killings). On that day , Anura Senanayake had told the Borella police to have 40 police officers stand by . The whole time he had been at the Borella police and orchestrated the operation.

It is learnt that SSP Gamini Navaratne had furiously berated Anura Senanayake to his face yesterday , and warned the latter that he should hold himself fully responsible for all the murders and crimes that were committed in this operation. ‘ You are going to retire shortly , but we have to continue . I am sure you are going to disgrace the force and tarnish the entire police force image before you are rid of ’ , Navaratne had yelled at shameless by birth Anura Senanayake .
What is most shocking and disgusting is , so far , the media had not revealed the true version related by the Prison officers . This is a big question mark. On the other hand , Shameless Anura Senanayake is relating curious fairy tales about this incident to the equally or more shameless sordid media . Four such media coolies jointly of one newspaper had reported a very intriguing story. This is their comic tale :
Explosive device detection experts have arrived with their equipments . The clue given to them was , within the bowels of the prison and in the wards the prisoners have hidden tunnels , and the experts were to take into custody the mobile phones concealed in them by using their devices.
In other words the experts have brought their equipments to detect those phones. This story certainly may provide comic relief to these comedy journalist coolies who are concocting such falsehoods when genocide is being committed in their own midst, but let them understand this a tragedy affecting the whole nation because it is human beings that are killed in cold blood by these official murderers .No matter what name is ascribed to them by the Govt. - Special task force cannot be degraded to Special torture farts by even the highest in the hierarchy of this country elected by the people to serve and save the people, not to kill them whimsically.

It is a justifiable conclusion based on the aforementioned ridiculous tales weaved by the murderers and their accomplices ,that in future , those ailing from hemorrhoids need not go to Hospitals to diagnose the tumors , if they contact the STF (Special torture Farts , not the true special task force) explosive detection experts , they would do a better examination and give latest treatments. If the hemorrhoid patients are still not satisfied, they can seek the journalist coolies who are better accustomed to poking and prying into squalor and stench not fragrance and scent when garnering news.

Questions remain over Sri Lanka's prison 'massacre'

Watch video

12 November 2012 Last updated at 12:53

Sri Lanka's opposition has said that the deaths of dozens of prisoners, killed during clashes at a prison in the capital was a massacre.

A spokesman for the main opposition party said that the 27 inmates who died at Colombo's Welikada prison were "gunned down".

The government says they were killed in exchanges of fire during a riot after prisoners obtained and fired weapons.

The incident is the bloodiest prison violence in nearly three decades.

Charles Haviland reports.

Sri Lanka's prison clash 'a massacre'

Learn From Pakistan’s Struggle For Democracy

By Jehan Perera -November 12, 2012 

Jehan Perera

The government’s plan to impeach Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayakeappears to be running into unforeseen problems.  The indications are now that the government’s charge sheet against the Chief Justice is not as watertight as the proponents of the impeachment motion had believed.  In addition, opposition to the impeachment has come from an unexpected quarter.  The four chief priests of the Buddhist Sangha have expressed their displeasure in a written statement.  This has been followed by the Bar Association’s call to the government to reconsider the impeachment.  Apart from die-hard government supporters there appears to be little or no public support for the impeachment amongst the intelligentsia.  Those who are in the government camp, such as a group of lawyers of the rank of President’s Counsels, did not feel it prudent to let their names be attached to a statement they put out in support of the government view.

In these circumstances, the government would be concerned about the loss of popular sympathy and the possible fragmentation of its voter base.  It needs another cause that will rally popular support. The strategy it seems to be using to regain lost ground is an appeal to ethnic majority Sinhalese nationalism. The government has shown itself to be sophisticated in offering different sections of the polity what would like to have, so as to keep them quiet on other issues.  This may account for the sudden floating of the idea of a 19^th Amendment to the constitution that will abolish the scheme of devolution of power contained in the13^th Amendment and put in place an alternative structure to ensure a solution to the ethnic problem.  The 13^th Amendment has always been a controversial piece of legislation, as it deals with an issue on which there is no consensus in the country, which is the ethnic conflict and its political resolution.

So now comes government minister Wimal Weerawansa, a fiery orator known to have close links to PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa who has filed legal action in the courts of law to repeal the 13^th Amendment.  The government would hope that this will help to reunify its ethnic majority Sinhalese support base.  As Minister Weerawansa is not a member of the ruling party but is a member of a coalition party, the government retains the option of distancing itself from this legal action if it runs into serious trouble.  The proposed repeal may be rejected by the courts or it can be opposed internationally, especially by India, in a manner that the government deems detrimental to itself.  In such a situation the government is likely to claim that the initiative was one that was solely that of the minister in question.  However, at the present time, the government gives an impression that it intends to push ahead with its decision that the 13^th Amendment needs to go.

STRENGTHENED DEVOLUTION                                                       Read More