Thursday, August 1, 2013

The First Lady’s irregular deal of securing Rs. 180 million from a ship racket - State secrets 2

Details: Created On Thursday, 01 August 2013 06:55; Category: Exclusive

The organization, Government Servants Against Corruption, has issued the second expose on the “state secrets” series. The latest report is on how First Lady Shiranthi Wickremasinghe Rajapaksa has irregularly taken Rs. 180 million in public funds in the early months of 2006 after President Mahinda Rajapaksa assumed office in 2005.

Following is the second expose:

The First Lady’s irregular deal of securing Rs. 180 million from a ship racket - State secrets 2 by nelvely

Buddhism And Moral Responsibility: Response To Shyamon

By Kapila Abhayawansa -August 1, 2013

Prof. Kapila Abhayawansa

It is not an exaggeration to point out that in the modern world inspired by advanced scientific and technological knowledge and extensively developed education systems people are seemed to be running off from their moral responsibilities never than before. In this context, it is not out of place to write on moral responsibilities of the man for it leads man to think about himself and his responsibilities to the society where he lives. In this regard, the article entitled “How A Non-religious Person Can Be A Better Moral Being?” written by Shyamon Jayasinghe and published in Colombo Telegraph on 28 July seems to me as an eye opening piece of writing.

Though the title seems to be rather hurting the heart of religious people who attached to their respective religions it really reminds me the teaching of the Buddha to a group of people known as Kalamas. As P.D Premasiri observes elsewhere “it draws attention to the possibility of independent inquiry into moral questions.”. The Buddha advised there to Kalamas to arrive at the moral judgments on purely non religious basis. According to the Buddha, man has to think over his own psychological dispositions which give rise to his own moral behavior and how it repercussions affects to himself and others, without depending on any kind of authority; religious or otherwise in order to arrive at the judgment on the moral acts. To make it clearer it is better to present here what the Buddha said to the Kalamas. It runs as follows: “Now, Kalamas, does not this man, thus become greedy, being overcome by greed and losing control of his mind – does he not kill a living creature, take what is not given, go after another’s wife, tell lies and induce others, too, to commit deeds that would conduce to disadvantage and unhappiness for a long time?” This same observation was made by the Buddha in respect of malice (dosa) and delusion (confusion). In the same way the Buddha drew the attention of Kalamas to the behavior of the man induce by the absence of greed, malice and delusion with the opposite effect.

Courts sentences former PSD officers for harassing Rukantha and Chandraleka

August 1, 2013

Ten former PSD officers have been ordered to pay Rs. 2 million compensation to Rukantha and Chandraleka in their harassment case along with four and half year prison sentences.

The former PSD officers of Chandrika Bandaranaike stood accused of breaking into the home of the popular singing duo Rukantha Gunathilaka and Chandraleka Perera in Mattegoda and harassing them.

The Panadura High Court sentenced the ten suspects today (August 1).

Nine of the ten suspects received four and half years of rigorous imprisonment while the other suspect, who is disabled, received a four and half year sentence of simple imprisonment.

Each of the suspects were also ordered to pay Rs.100,000 each to both Rukantha and Chandraleka which amounted to a total of Rs.2 million in compensation.

They will serve an addition one year of simple imprisonment if the amounts cannot be paid.

The seventh defendant in the case was released without charges by the court.

Maverick Mervyn shuts down Hayleys Group export factory with 600 workers

July 31, 2013

Public Relations Minister Mervyn Silva yesterday allegedly took the industrial law into his own hands when he walked into Hayleys Group’s Venigros Ltd. in the Gampaha District and ordered its closure, endangering 600 jobs and key supplies for exports, to the cheers of residents accusing the factory of a major pollution scandal.

The factory which is part of Dipped Products Plc of Hayleys Group, was implicated in the alleged contamination of groundwater prompting the Chief Monk in Weliweriya to start a fast onto death yesterday. Tensions were rising with residents surrounding the factory.

The residents are demanding that the authorities provide pipebourne water to the area free of charge and a relocation of the factory involved.
However the factory staff said they have got the relevant certifications to confirm it was not responsible for alleged contamination. They alleged that Minister Silva’s high handed action was unwarranted at a time when the Company was in discussions with relevant stakeholders to address their concerns.
Venigros manufactures industrial and surgical gloves and accounts for around 50% of DPL’s export turnover. DPL is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and distributors of protective gloves. Operating for four decades DPL accounts for 5% of world’s production of non-medical rubber gloves.

PA police attack and arrest demonstrators against negotiations with occupation

28. JUL, 2013

Palestinian Authority security forces attacked Palestinian protesters as they marched in Ramallah on Sunday, July 28, 2013, injuring dozens and arresting a number of protesters. The marchers were protesting the PA’s return to negotiations with Israel, warning that the negotiations represent threats to Palestinian rights and a path to dangerous concessions. The protest, organized by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, was attacked as the approximately 200 demonstrators marched toward the Muqata’, PA presidential headquarters. Security forces attacked the protesters with batons in order to prevent them from reaching the Muqata.

Video of the protest in Ramallah

In a statement following the police attack, the PFLP said, “The PA decision – the individual act of President Mahmoud Abbas – was contrary to the decisions of Palestinian national institutions, including the PLO Central Council – and reflects a culture of recklessness, irresponsibility, lack of accountability, and disregard for the law and the national traditions of our people,” and demanded that those responsible be held accountable for their actions.

Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association reported that among the dozens of injured was Khalida Jarrar, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, PFLP leader and longtime prisoner advocate. Injured demonstrators were arrested and taken away from Ramallah Hospital, where they were receiving treatment. Demonstrators said that the Sunday protest is just the beginning of a popular movement against negotiations, both inside and outside Palestine, including “ending the absurd negotiations and the entire path of Oslo, holding accountable those who normalize with the occupation, returning to international institutions, including the UN, to struggle for Palestinian rights, ending the division, and creating an alternative national strategy of resistance.”

A rally was held simultaneously in Gaza City as well in protest of the negotiations. A protest will take place at 9 pm tonight outside Ramallah police station demanding the release of the 5 people who are currently in PA detention following the protest.

Imprisoned Palestinian leader Ahmad Sa’adat had issued a statement supporting the protests, calling for Palestinians to “Break the barriers of silence and bang on the walls of the tank” against the negotiations.

Source: Samidoun

Bacon fries on pavement as heat wave grips China

Children lead their cattle through a dried pond in the summer heat as they search for drinking water in Shaoyang county, Hunan province, on Thursday. (Reuters)

ASSOCIATED PRESS-

Thursday 1 August 2013

SHANGHAI: It’s been so hot in China that folks are grilling shrimp on manhole covers, eggs are hatching without incubators and a highway billboard has mysteriously caught fire by itself.
The heat wave — the worst in at least 140 years in some parts — has left dozens of people dead and pushed thermometers above 40 degrees C (104 F) in at least 40 cities and counties, mostly in the south and east. Authorities for the first time have declared the heat a “level 2” weather emergency— a label normally invoked for typhoons and flooding.
“It is just hot! Like in a food steamer!” 17-year-old student Xu Sichen said outside the doors of a shopping mall in the southern financial hub of Shanghai while her friend He Jiali, also 17, complained that her mobile phone had in recent days turned into a “grenade.”
“I’m so worried that the phone will explode while I’m using it,” He said.
Extreme heat began hitting Shanghai and several eastern and southern provinces in early July and is expected to grip much of China through mid-August.
Shanghai set its record high temperature of 40.6 C (105 F) on July 26, and Thursday’s heat marked the city’s 28th day above 35 C. At least 10 people died of heat stroke in the city over the past month, including a 64-year-old Taiwanese sailor, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
Wu Guiyun, 50, who has a part-time job making food deliveries in Shanghai, said she has been trying to linger inside air-conditioned offices for as long as possible whenever she brings in a takeout order. Outside, she said: “It’s so hot that I can hardly breathe.”
The highest temperature overall was recorded in the eastern city of Fenghua, which recorded its historic high of 42.7 degrees (108.9 F) on July 24.
On Tuesday, the director of the China Meteorological Administration activated a “level 2” emergency response to the persistent heat wave. This level requires around-the-clock staffing, the establishment of an emergency command center and frequent briefings.
Some Chinese in heat-stricken cities have been cooking shrimps, eggs and bacon in skillets placed directly on manhole covers or on road pavement that has in some cases heated up to 60 degrees C (140 F).
In one photo displayed prominently in the China Daily newspaper, a boy tended to shrimps and an egg in a pan over a manhole cover in eastern Chinese city of Jinan.
In the port city of Ningbo in Zhejiang province, glass has cracked in the heat, vehicles have self-combusted, and a highway billboard caught fire by itself, sending up black smoke in the air, according to China Central Television. The broadcaster said the heat might have shorted an electrical circuit on the billboard.
In the southern province of Hunan, a housewife grabbed several eggs stored at room temperature only to find half-hatched chicks, state media reported.
A joke making the rounds: The only difference between me and barbequed meat is a little bit of cumin.
___
Associated Press writer Didi Tang in Beijing and news assistant Fu Ting in Shanghai contributed to this report.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

The Meanings Of Wigneswaran

By S Sathananthan -July 31, 2013 |

Dr. S Sathananthan

The Tamil National Alliance has boomed Justice C.V. Wigneswaran as its chief ministerial candidate. There is no gainsaying his impressive legal career and that he is an upright individual akin to the metaphorical Palmyrah tree. The Alliance is promoting him as an able interlocutor who may, as northern Chief Minister (CM), command respect in Colombo, New Delhi, London and Washington. He is expected to tackle onerous tasks, including re-building bridges between Tamils and Muslims and striving for a ‘Marshal Plan, Reparations and an Economic Programme’ for the Northern Province.

Heady stuff by any measure if sullied by the deafening silence on pursuing accountability for crimes against humanity committed in the build up to Mullivaaikkal and post-Mullivaaikkal.

The all-important political track record, however, is conspicuously lacking. Justice Wigneswaran’s formative experience in statecraft is as a government servant schooled in the benign tradition of dissenting, politely of course, within State-sanctioned parameters. He is a political novice with no appreciable history of defending Tamils’ national rights either with the pen or on the streets. In his speech accepting the post of Supreme Court Judge (2001), Justice Wigneswaran had comforted Sinhalese nationalists Tamils don’t threaten their power: ‘The vast majority of the denizens [sic] of the north and east seek the restoration of their rights and not devolution of power’; that, while the LTTE was simultaneously leading the armed resistance. Evidently he naively believes rights could be won and defended without power, unaware of the time-tested truth: those without power cannot defend freedom.

Why, then, has TNA leader R Sampanthan, sporting more than four decades of political experience, nominated Wigneswaran for CM and trotted out his laudable non-political attributes as ludicrous strengths essential to head the Northern Provincial Council (NPC)?

Sampanthan’s monstrously incompetent leadership of the Alliance is under intense criticism in Tamil society and especially among the more radical, younger Tamil politicians grouped within the dissenting Tamil National Peoples’ Front (TNPF), who demand a larger devolution of power not provided for in the decentralisation under the 13^th Amendment to the Constitution (13A). They may well marginalise the Alliance in the forthcoming NPC elections since the TNA, after extended sabre rattling against the Amendment, is edging towards caving in to Sinhalese nationalists. But the Alliance risks political suicide by jettisoning devolution, to which they long paid lip service (satyagrahas, etc), especially when Tamil areas are under the jack-boot and Palestine-style changes to ‘facts on the ground’ are being rammed through. Read More

Wigneswaran seeks mandate for ‘IC-facilitated’ Northern Provincial Council

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 July 2013, 01:12 GMT]

Candidates list of TNA in Jaffna district

People's participation in the polls to Northern Provincial Council will be significant to the implementation of the 13th Amendment. Since Colombo has agreed to conduct the election merely because of international pressure, people have to be prepared to resist any sabotage. The elected PC will help to end the governor’s rule and interferences in civil administration, said Tamil National Alliance's Chief Minister candidate for Northern Province and retired Justice C.V. Wigneswaran on Monday in Jaffna, after fielding TNA's list of candidates for Northern PC elections. Meanwhile, Colombo President Mahinda Rajapaksa implied ‘understanding’ with the candidature of Wigneswaran, when he said on Tuesday that he would be willing meet Wigneswaran to discuss land and police powers to provinces.

Wigneswaran seeks mandate for ‘IC-facilitated’ Northern Provincial Council by nelvely

Will Wigneswaran Raise The Issue Of Economic Freedom Under 13A?

By Ayathuray Rajasingam -July 31, 2013

Ayathuray Rajasingam

A close examination of the 13^th Amendment, would reveal that the Northern Province Provincial Council (NPPC) is powerless to manage the Provincial Fund required for the economic development of the Northern Province, because of the enormous powers vested with the Governor. Actually it denies the economic freedom that would lead to the growth and prosperity of the Northern Province. Economic freedom denotes the ability of the individuals to undertake economic direction and actions. According to Friedrich Hayek Rule of Law is required for economic freedom as evidenced in the Western democratic countries. Equality of law requires that all legal rules apply equally to everyone which are seen as safeguards against restrictions on liberty, because they require that all laws equally apply to those with political and coercive power as well as to those who are governed. However, special privileges and arbitrary application of law in Sri Lanka are seen as exemptions from this principle of generality and equality.

After the defeat of the LTTE, economic challenges has been a major factor for the Northern Province that was ravaged by war. Though the infra-structure development work are being carried out, the denial of economic freedom and an absence of equality of law was characterized by systematic and calculated acts of grabbing lands belonging to the Tamils and colonized with the Sinhalese. The government failed to realize that majority of the Tamils aspired to live peacefully for which it should have provided a platform for economic freedom. On the contrary, the ruling politicians celebrated the victory as though they have won a great battle against another country and began to harass the helpless Tamils, which is not the method of healing the pains of feelings. It appears that the ruling politicians are still driven by narrow considerations that Tamils are not a segment of the Sri Lankan community.

It is time to take adequate steps to create an atmosphere of friendship and brotherhood for the Tamils to feel that Sri Lanka is still their home and to allay their fears of being hunted on suspicion through para-military groups. Now look at Canada. 50% of the Canadian population are immigrants, some of whom have fled through fear of being persecuted in their countries and they are been given their freedom to develop the economy in Canada. A friendly atmosphere is created to feel themselves that the country is their home and the immigrants had shown their sincere in developing the economy of the country and they are also ready to defend Canada. It is time for Sri Lanka politicians to realize that Nations are built on trust. Instead of pursuing a malignant economic policy, it is far better to grant their economic freedom to develop the country rather than borrowing loans from foreign countries, in addition to the hundreds of thousands of housemaids being sent to Middle-East countries where they are subject to endless harassment and torture. Read More

CHOGM dictates moderation to the Rajapakse Administration

Photo courtesy Transcurrents / by Tony Ashby, AFP

Harim Peiris-31 Jul, 2013

The Rajapakse Administration is gearing up to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) later this year, in November. Last weekend’s news papers carried an interesting comment attributed to President Rajapakse that his government must be cautious that it does not face a repeat of history of a previous SLFP government, under Madam Sirimavo Bandaranaike, which also very successfully hosted a significant international conference, the Non Aligned Movements’ (NAM) heads of government summit in 1976 but thereafter comprehensively lost the general elections, shortly thereafter in 1977. From which political wilderness, the SLFP did not come back for seventeen long years, until under former President Chandrika Kumaratunga the SLFP led People’s Alliance, in 1994 defeated the UNP. A state of affairs, which except for a brief and rather unsuccessful co-habitation experience for two years in 2002 and 2003, continues nineteen years hence, of which the past seven years has been under President Rajapakse.

CHOGM Dictates Moderation to the Rajapakse Administration by nelvely

Sri Lanka Indicts Eight Suspects Following Release of ‘Brothers Shaikh’ Film

By Betsy Rothstein on July 30, 2013 3:55 PM

On Monday we brought you the news that Stateless Media, a new film company based in Washington, had created a film about a man murdered in a Sri Lankan coastal town in 2011. Amid the crime, the man’s girlfriend was raped. At the time, the government imprisoned eight suspects, including a Sri Lankan politician, for 11 months and then released them. For a year and a half, the story stilled.

The murdered man, Khuram Shaikh, was from Manchester, England. His family still lives there. To many Brits, it’s outrageous that Britain is sending its prime minister, David Cameron, andPrince Charles to take part in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) this year in light of the fact that Sri Lanka is hosting it.

The film was released last week and posted on The New Yorker website. Since then, there has been an apology from Sri Lankan senior officials as well as an indictment of all eight suspects. (Yeah, the Sri Lankan court system is nothing like what exists here so don’t even try to equate it.) What’s important — we guess — is that the suspects are once again being asked to pay for their crimes.

“‘The Brothers Shaikh’ has been getting lots of clicks in Britain, and my suspicion is the British High Commission, in Colombo, told the Sri Lankans it was getting hard to justify sending Cameron and Prince Charles to this big meeting that the Sri Lankans will be hosting,” explained Stateless Media founder Peter Savodnik. “That probably scared the Sri Lankans. Hosting the Brits means a lot to them. It’s like a debutante ball. It means: We’re modern and democratic, and we don’t kill Tamils or Muslims; we’re not Buddhist zealots or fascists, which is what they are becoming, slowly. Still, there are two things to remember: First, the government has only said that it will indict the Tangalle Eight; it hasn’t done that yet. And second, we only made a movie about one man, Khuram Shaikh; there are thousands of Sri Lankans whom we will never make any movies about.”

Stateless Media is now producing films – they call them shortreals – in New York and Berlin. They have shortreals under development in Burma, Cairo and Los Angeles.

Sweeping Thugs Under The Rug

By Kath Noble -July 31, 2013

Kath Noble

An awful lot of effort is being put into bringing the killers of Khuram Shaikh to trial. The British aid worker died in Tangalle in December 2011, having been set upon by a group of men at a party in the hotel in which he was staying. His girlfriend was raped.

Of course the people who did it should be punished. His brother is doing what is both right and natural in using every opportunity to press the Government to move ahead with the investigation. And his MP, Simon Danczuk, should be congratulated for taking his job as a representative of the British people seriously – in addition to speaking and writing about the case, he has now visited Sri Lanka a number of times, most recently last week as a member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association delegation.

It is also virtually guaranteed that they are correct in thinking that without this pressure, very little would happen. The main suspect is the Chairman of the Pradeshiya Sabha – a member of the UPFA.

But what is everybody else doing?

The British government is pretending to think that this incident suggests that Sri Lanka is a dangerous place for foreigners, having incorporated it into their travel advisory in an extremely dubious manner. It says, ‘Organised and armed gangs are known to operate in Sri Lanka and have been responsible for targeted kidnappings and violence. While there is no evidence to suggest that British nationals are at particular risk, gangs have been known to operate in tourist areas. A British national was killed during a violent attack by a gang in a tourist resort in December 2011.’

Details

Created On Wednesday, 31 July 2013 07:43
Category: General

In a recent meeting with Rt. Hon Alistair Burt MP – the Foreign Office Minister responsible for South Asia, British Tamils expressed their disappointment at the Prime Minister David Cameron's decision to visit Sri Lanka in November 2013, for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

In the meeting, which was facilitated by the British Tamils Forum, Tamil representatives from a number of Tamil groups based in the UK explained to the minister the reasons why the UK Government should reconsider its decision to attend CHOGM in Sri Lanka. They further reasoned that this Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka would be against the fundamental political values of the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth charter signed by the Queen on Commonwealth Day this year.

The delegation explained the culture of impunity, lack of accountability and continuing structural genocide against Tamils in Sri Lanka - describing both historical and current events and discussing their moral and legal ramifications. They criticised the UK's role in the failure to protect Tamils in 2009 and the failure to bring Sri Lanka to account ever since – a failure that sets the conditions for continued abuses with impunity by the Sri Lankan state. The Minister was sympathetic to the concerns expressed by the Tamil representatives but differed on the suggested course of action to address these concerns.

The delegation also pointed out to the minister the failure of the UK’s strategy: soft diplomatic engagement and influence has still not delivered justice to the victims though the war ended over four years ago.

The Minister, in his response declined the delegation's suggestion for a boycott or venue change for CHOGM 2013 stating that the UK Government has made a decision on attendance which reflects the importance of the Commonwealth as well as the opportunity for attendees to see the situation on the ground. The Minister underlined that the CHOGM meeting and attention it attracts, would shine a spotlight on Sri Lanka and highlight progress or the lack of it. The UK Government had been clear on its concerns for example supporting the resolution at the March Human Rights Council and would remain so in the run up to CHOGM.

The delegation raised the following questions for the UK Government to consider on behalf of the British Tamils;

· Is the Prime Minister's decision to attend unconditional, whatever the outcome of UN High Commissioner Navi Pillay’s report in August and Northern Provisional Council Election in September?

· What are the UK government's plans, post-CHOGM?

· Why doesn’t the UK include charge of genocide in their discourse?

British Tamils Forum will continue to engage with the UK Government and will seek justice through an International Independent Investigation into war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of genocide in Sri Lanka.

Baird denies sending Sri Lanka Commonwealth summit RSVP

Jul 30, 2013

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird's office is denying reports in the Sri Lankan media that he has confirmed his attendance at this fall's Commonwealth Summit. Canada has threatened to boycott the summitt. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird denied reports Tuesday that he has confirmed plans to attend the Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka.

Two newspapers in Sri Lanka reported Tuesday that Baird had sent his RSVP to be part of the Canadian delegation to this November's summit of the 54 Commonwealth leaders.

"About 85 per cent of the participants from 54 Commonwealth countries including Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird have confirmed their attendance ... We hope the Canadian Premier will also confirm his participation once the other Commonwealth Leaders confirm their participation," a Sri Lankan MP was quoted in one domestic newspaper.

But Baird's spokesman Rick Roth says the minister has yet to decide whether he will attend the meeting.

Roth says the minister remains concerned about the Sri Lankan government's lack of accountability over allegations of war crimes against ethnic Tamils in the aftermath of the country's long civil war that ended in 2009.

"Canada will continue to monitor events in Sri Lanka and do what we can to try to increase pressure on the government of Sri Lanka to make changes," Roth said in an email.

"As the prime minister has stated very clearly, we expect our concerns to be addressed prior to the next Commonwealth meeting. However, given the current circumstances, it would be very difficult for this government to fully participate."

Tough line on human rights

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has threatened to boycott the summit, saying Sri Lanka shouldn't be hosting until it cleans up its act on human rights.

Baird has said it would be up to the prime minister to decide whether anyone goes to represent Canada because the November meeting is for heads of government.

Harper's spokesman Carl Vallee said the prime minister's views on the matter remain unchanged.

A senior government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said "we've seen this sort of misinformation in the past" from the Sri Lankan government.

The Harper government's tough line against the Sri Lankan government has won praise among human rights groups who share the concern over the lack of accountability and transparency by the government.

As Baird emerged from a recent meeting of Commonwealth foreign ministers in London earlier this spring, he said he was "appalled" that Sri Lanka would be hosting the summit.

That sparked a backlash in the Sri Lanka media, including a lengthy editorial by one newspaper that used a long string of derogatory terms to describe Baird.

A moonlit walk

Devaka Seneviratne-31 Jul, 2013

July 1983 was four years after I was born. Like many in my generation who were not directly affected by the events that took place, memories are hazy and disjointed. Black July is mostly remembered by faint memories such as the closing up of Lanka Medicals in Kandy, a shop that in those early days had a steady stock of Matchbox ‘dinky’ cars. My Uncle’s house in Bandarawela where we would spend holidays, had a neighbor whose car was set on fire. As a Sinhalese it is something that has at the back of my mind, made me ashamed to belong to the same people that were capable of such horrors, horrors that I only recently have fully come to know of and understand. Spending large parts of my childhood on tea estates surrounded by Tamils and going to a school where we had a mix of Tamils and Sinhalese in the same class made it so normal for us to believe that we were all just Sri Lankans and not divided by petty politics and race.

A Moonlit Walk by nelvely