Friday, September 6, 2013

Judiciary And Executive Have To Work Together – De Facto Chief Justice Pieris

September 6, 2013

De facto Chief Justice Mohan Pieris whose appointment is still being contested in the Supreme Court now run by him has denied the importance of the separation of powers doctrine when he claimed yesterday that the legislature, executive and judiciary were three different institutions only for “administrative purposes.”

De facto Chief Justice Mohan Pieris

Peiris said he believed the three institutions would be most public friendly if it functions as a single mechanism.

He was speaking as chief guest at the opening of a new court in Anuradhapura to try cases pertaining to LTTE detainees and child abuse cases.

“The best judge is one who knows good and evil and has a conscience. We must never forget this” the de fact Chief Justice said.

The new court is based on a recommendation of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission.

Sri Lanka cornered over human rights

By Amantha Perera - Sep 5, '13

COLOMBO - That it would be a visit fraught with diplomatic tension was undoubted. Navanetham ''Navi'' Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, was into the third day of her week-long visit from August 25 to August 31 to Sri Lanka when her entourage broke into animated discussion.

They were in the heart of Mullaittivu district in Sri Lanka's Northern Province (NP), where some of the bloodiest battles in the last chapter of the war between Sri Lanka and separatist rebel group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were fought in the summer of 2009, ending a conflict that had lasted almost 30 years.

The discussion was about media access. Several representatives

of international media organizations in capital Colombo had followed Pillay 390 kilometers to the north. At least two had trailed her right up to Mullaittivu, the second leg of her visit after a morning spent in NP capital Jaffna, 117 km to the north.

While Pillay's staff from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva was willing to allow the media, especially international correspondents, access to her meetings with war-displaced returnees and kin of the missing, officials of the UN country team were nervous.

Rightly so, as it turned out when Pillay ended her visit in Colombo four days later.

According to the Sri Lankan government, the UN office in Colombo had instructed the media not to follow the high commissioner during her visit to Mullaittivu. Yet they did so, presumably on the invitation of her spokesperson, Rupert Colville, to witness Pillay paying floral tributes to those who had perished in the final battle at Nanthikadal Lagoon in Mullaittivu.

As a Sri Lanka government media communique put it, "It was pointed out by the Sri Lankan side to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights' delegation that if such a gesture needed to be made, it should be done at a venue common to all victims of the 30-year terrorist conflict and not on the grounds where the leader [of the Tamil Tigers, Velupillai Prabhakaran] met his death."

As it happened, Pillay never made that floral tribute. She later said she honored those who died in conflict in every country she visited, and it was not meant as a unique gesture for Sri Lanka.

The visit concluded with no further incident or diplomatic discord. But by the time Pillay left Sri Lanka, the tensions were out in the open. In the five-and-a-half page parting statement she read out to the media just before her departure, Pillay, while lauding the Sri Lankan government for the development work it had initiated in the former LTTE strongholds, also called it to account for the continuing human rights abuse, the persecution of religious minorities and the militarization of the north, among other things.

Pillay's Sri Lankan visit was a follow-up on the recommendations of a crucial March 21 UN resolution seeking action from the government on lingering allegations of human rights abuse. And her assessment was scathing. "I am deeply concerned that Sri Lanka, despite the opportunity provided by the end of the war to construct a new vibrant, all-embracing state, is showing signs of heading in an increasingly authoritarian direction."

The government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa dismissed it as a political statement on her part, something which transgressed her mandate and the basic norms "a discerning" international civil servant should observe.

"The judgment on the leadership of the country is better left for the people of Sri Lanka to decide, than being caricatured by external entities influenced by vested interests," the government said in a counter-statement to the media.

"She has her own agenda," said Ithakandhe Sadathissa, a Buddhist monk and head of the National Organization of Ravana Power, a nationalist group that held protests outside the UN compound on two occasions during her visit. "She has come here to gather facts so that she can go back and criticize the country, the government," he told IPS.

Others such as Housing and Engineering Services Minister Wimal Weeravansha and government spokesperson and Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella also accused Pillay of having a pre-set agenda.

"We encourage people to come and see for themselves rather than be guided by propaganda," Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris had said during a visit to Indian capital New Delhi a few days before Pillay arrived. "We want the world to see what is happening in Sri Lanka."

In the run-up to that visit, the government had set up a new presidential commission to look into forced disappearances and commenced work on bringing in stricter legislation against it.

In the longest of her visits to 60 countries so far, Pillay managed to interact with a wide range of representatives, something she thanked the Sri Lankan government for.

In Jaffna, she met a group of 15 representatives from the 300-odd relatives of missing persons demonstrating outside the Jaffna Public Library. "It has been four years since the end of the war. People need answers to what happened to their loved ones," said Rev Father Emmanuel Sebamalai, a Catholic priest from the northwestern Mannar district, who was among the demonstrators.

"They came to meet her because they felt that she could give them some redress," he told IPS.

Apart from her field visits, Pillay also participated in an event commemorating the Day of the Disappeared in Colombo on August 31. "The high commissioner has promised to help us," Sandya Ekanaligoda, wife of cartoonist Prageeth Ekanaligoda, missing since January 2010, told IPS. "I will continue the search for my husband," she said.

The concerns Pillay raised prior to her departure are likely to figure in the oral submission she will make to the UNHRC towards the end of this month. She is also likely to bring up allegations that police and military officials have visited civilians and activists she met and spoke with.

"Pillay's visit will help keep Sri Lanka on UNHRC's agenda," Ruki Fernando, a local rights activist, told IPS.

Ming Yu, a researcher with Amnesty International, Australia, told IPS: "Her report to the council will indicate whether the changes taking place in Sri Lanka are superficial or genuine."

(Inter Press Service)

South African initiative props up ‘Sri Lankan’ identity

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 September 2013, 06:42 GMT]
A geopolitical axis of South Africa-Colombo-Singapore, held a “Dialogue promotion amongst Sri Lankans,” by convening a meeting of different political and academic stakeholders at Singapore last week. The very orientation of the axis, as the conference title implies, was to prop up the Sri Lankan State and to make Eezham Tamils to compromise with ‘Sri Lankan’ identity, despite decades of genocide and on-going genocide, Tamil observers in the island said. At least two Establishments of the West, Switzerland and Norway are said to be backing the South Africa process that has an 18 months history behind it. Eezham Tamils have rejected the Sri Lankan identity at the very official introduction of it along with the 1972 republican constitution.

According to a press release from the South African convenors, titled “Dialogue promotion amongst Sri Lankans,” the process is dubbed as “In Transformation Initiative,” (ITI).

In Transformation Initiative: Dialouge Promotion Among Sri Lankans

South African initiative props up ‘Sri Lankan’ identity by nelvely

The Past Is Obdurate: Response To Dayan’s Response To TNA’s Manifesto

By TU Senan -September 6, 2013

TU Senan

Leave aside the problem of countering the ‘bad publicity’ created by Navi Pillay, the main problem now for the so-called ‘thinkers’ attached to the Sri Lankan government is about how to handle the northern election. Electoral violence needs to be justified. Most importantly the government needs to prepare for aTNA-led province and to tackle the possibility of protest and discontent among the youth that is emerging under the shadow of this change.

For this Dayan Jayatilleka has a solution. To combat the future, travel in a time machine to battle the past as though it’s the presence… It may sound like science fiction but Dayan is not new to political fictions. Look at the way he takes on the TNA’s election Manifesto.

The manifesto will have serious ‘consequences’, he warns, then goes on to describe parts of it as ‘morally repugnant’ and a ‘lie’. This may sound like a typical Dayanist attack, but there is more. We are amused to know none of these attacks were made about new points in the TNA manifesto for the northern provincial elections 2013. All the points in this manifesto he is going on about were also made in the TNA’s 2010 manifesto – in fact almost the entire manifesto is modelled on the 2001 version!

While the memories of those slaughtered by his government in 2009 are still burning in our minds as though it happened yesterday, and the four years that have passed make no difference to those who suffer, that’s not the kind of time lapse that the ex-minister for youth affairs in the north east is suffering from. His suffering is to do with the spectre of the LTTE. After claiming in 2009 that the LTTE was dead and buried, it has been a custom since then for the government and their cronies to summons its ghost to attack and possibly bury the living who dare to oppose them.

If any electoral disorder takes place in the coming days, the TNA will simply be accused of provoking it. Through this and through the spectre of the LTTE, the government will try to continue its military control in the northern region. Look at the stark warning Dayan delivers. He argues that a ‘confrontation with Colombo’ is more certain and will ‘perhaps prove more consequential’ and lead to a ‘strategic politico-military lockdown’.

This should not be taken lightly. This ‘future vision’ is also shared by Rohan Gunarathna, close ally of the regime and so-called ‘world expert’ in terrorism. He called the manifesto an ‘avatar of the LTTE’ at the defence seminar which was organised by the Sri Lanka army. Read More

SRI LANKA BECOMES FREEDOM FROM TORTURE’S TOP COUNTRY OF ORIGIN FOR REFERRALS

September 5, 2013

Top ten countries of origin

Survivors of torture - top ten countries

As revealed by our recently published 2012/13 Annual Review, Sri Lanka surged ahead to become the top country of origin for those referred to Freedom from Torture for clinical services in 2012.

Of 1,301 people referred to us for torture rehabilitation and forensic documentation services in 2012, 228 were of Sri Lankan nationality. The vast majority of these were ethnic Tamils and most were referred to us by concerned GPs or solicitors representing them in their asylum claims.

SRI LANKA BECOMES FREEDOM FROM TORTURE’S TOP COUNTRY OF ORIGIN FOR REFERRALS by nelvely

Sri Lanka And The World Today

By Rajiva Wijesinha -September 6, 2013 |

Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha MP

These are the final questions, with the full answers I supplied, asked by Ceylon Today in relation to the visit of Navenethem Pillay.

There are several cases which reflect a steady degeneration in Law and Order , for instance the murder of British tourist Kuram Shaikah where a PS chairman is allegedly complicit. Should not cases such as these be avoided at all costs when looking at preserving our international image?

Again, while the Khurram Shaikh case was particularly bad, and we should have acted long ago, cases of impunity should be avoided primarily for the sake of our own citizens.

Do you agree that there appears to be a trend of releasing those with political patronage and accused of criminal activity on bail while not sparing others?

Far too many people accused of serious crimes are released on bail or get unwarranted privileges in prison, whereas far too many people are remanded for petty crimes. Patronage is a factor, but not the only factor for this situation. Unfortunately we have not embarked on the radical reforms necessary in this regard, even though the President announced these in his 2011 Budget Speech – another example of his good ideas coming to naught because of incompetence and neglect.

Are we playing into the hands of countries seeking to exert pressure on Sri Lanka by allowing this trend of impunity to continue?

Yes, but it is more important to root out the initial reasons for such pressures being applied, reasons that have not been addressed. Sadly, we are one of the few countries with this level of education, which does not have serious think tanks. Read More

Due Diligence On All Fronts

By Malinda Seneviratne -September 6, 2013

Malinda Seneviratne

There are rules forced on countries through covenants signed or arm-twisted into signing. There are rules forced on rulers through constitutions. There are rules forced on people by laws enacted by representative bodies. Then there are customs or sirith, those handed from generation to generation by way of cultural ethos that speak of propriety not necessarily right and wrong in the eyes of the law.

Laws, if they are to work, need to be comprehensive and clear with attendant mechanisms that obtain compliance. Sirith are less robust but given that they are the product of many centuries and are embedded in life practices, customs, belief systems, language and metaphor, must be counted as necessary and useful support systems for legal frameworks that are not out of tune with culture, heritage and relevant philosophical predilections of a given society.

In the first instance, then, we are hampered by a disjuncture between law and sirith. Be that as it may, one thing is clear, sirith tend to look after themselves and the relevant society, but greater diligence is required in the case of laws. Read More

ஜெனிவாவில் தீக்குளித்து இறந்தவர் யாழ்ப்பாணத்தைச் சேர்ந்த செந்தில் குமரன்!

[ வெள்ளிக்கிழமை, 06 செப்ரெம்பர் 2013, 10:59.52 AM GMT ]

ஜெனிவாவில் நேற்று அதிகாலை ஒருவர் தீக்குளித்ததாக செய்திகள் வந்தன. இருந்தபோதிலும் அவர் இலங்கையரா என்பதனை உறுதிப்படுத்தமுடியாதிருந்தது. ஆனால் அந்நபர் யாழ்ப்பாணத்தைச் சேர்ந்த ஈழத்தமிழர் என உறுதிப்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.

நேரில் கண்ட சாட்சியம். ஜெனிவாவில் உள்ள தமிழர் ஒருவர் நடந்ததை விபரித்துள்ளார்.

நேற்று - சற்று முன் சில நண்பர்கள் மற்றும் பொறுப்பாளர்களுடன் ஐநா முன்றலில் அந்த தோழர் தீக்குளித்த இடத்தில் அவர் யார், இன்னார் என்ற அடையாளங்கள் ஏதும் அறியாமலே மலரஞ்சலி செலுத்தி விட்டு நின்றிருந்தோம்.

அருகே 24X7 தொடர் உண்ணாவிரத போராட்டத்தில் ஈடுபட்டிருக்கும் அரபு தேசத்து இளைஞர்கள் அதிகாலை நடந்த, தாங்கள் கண்ட, அந்த சம்பவத்தை எங்களிடம் விளக்கிக் கொண்டு இருந்தார்கள்.

ஒரு மாநிறமான இளைஞன் இங்கே இரவு பன்னிரெண்டு மணியில் இருந்து சுற்றிக் கொண்டு இருந்தான். சரியாக அதிகாலை 1:30 மணி அளவில் ஒரு போத்தலில் இருந்து அடர்த்தியான ஜெல்லி போன்ற திரவத்தை எடுத்து தன் மீது பூசிக்கொண்டு கண் இமைக்கும் நேரத்தில் கொளுத்தி கொண்டான்!

கொழுந்து விட்டு சுவாலையாக எரியும் போது எந்த சலனமும் இன்றி சில கோஷங்களை மட்டும் சொல்லிவிட்டு ஒரே இடத்தில் அப்படியே ஆடாமல் அசையாமல் நின்று எரிந்து முடித்து கீழே விழுந்தான். ஐநாவை சுற்றி பாதுகாப்பு பணியில் இருக்கும் கமோண்டோக்கள் அவனை நெருங்கும் போது கீழே சாய்ந்து விட்டான். பின்னர் காவல் துறையினர் எங்களை விலக்கி விட்டு அவன் தன்னுடன் கொண்டு வந்திருந்த பையையும், காகிதங்களையும் எடுத்துகொண்டு எரிந்த அந்த நபரை ஆம்புலன்சில் ஏற்றி சென்று விட்டார்கள். எரிந்தவன் அருகே ராணுவ தளபதி உடையில் இருக்கும் தமிழர்களின் தலைவர் ஒருவர் படம் இருந்ததை மட்டுமே எங்களால் உறுதிப்படுத்த முடிந்தது என்று மயிர்க்கூச்செறியும் அந்த சம்பவத்தை விளக்கி கொண்டு இருந்தார்கள்!

இதற்கு இடையில், சுவீஸ் காவல்துறை தீக்குளித்தவரின் உடலருகே தமிழீழ விடுதலை புலிகளின் தலைவர் பிரபாகரன் அவர்களின் படம் இருந்தது உண்மைதான், ஆனால் இறந்தவர் திபெத்தியராக இருக்கவும் வாய்ப்பு இருக்கிறது என்று சில உள்ளூர் செய்தி ஏடுகளின் மூலம் எங்களை குழப்பிவிட்டு இருந்தது. இவ்வாறு குழம்பிய நிலையில், அது யாராக இருந்தாலும் ஒரு தேசிய இனத்தின் விடுதலைக்காக உயிர்க்கொடை செய்தவனுக்கு வீரவணக்கம் செய்வதில் தவறில்லை என்று மலரஞ்சலி செலுத்திவிட்டு அந்த இடத்தில் நின்றிருந்த போது, ஒரு தமிழ் இளைஞர் சற்று பதட்டத்துடன் காரில் வந்து இறங்கினார். அவருடன் அவர் மனைவி, மற்றும் ஒரு யுவதி மேலும் பிள்ளைகள் வந்திருந்தார்கள்!

காரில் வந்து இறங்கிய இளைஞர் தன் மச்சினனை நேற்று இரவில் இருந்து காணவில்லை, காரில் இருக்கும் யுவதியின் கணவன்தான் அவன், வயது 34, அவன் தீவிர ஈழ உணர்வாளன். இங்கே ஒருவர் தீக்குளித்து இறந்த செய்தி அறிந்து பக்கத்து மாகாணத்தில் இருந்து வருகிறோம். தீக்குளித்தவரை யாராவது பார்த்தீர்களா என்று எங்களை நோக்கி கேள்வி எழுப்பினார். அவர் தன்னோடு கொண்டு வந்திருந்த அவருடைய மச்சினன் படத்தையும் நீட்டினார்!

நான் முன்பே இறந்த அந்த தோழரின் உடலை பார்த்து இருந்ததால், காரில் இருந்த இரு யுவதிகளின் தவிப்பையும் , குழந்தைகளின் ஏக்கத்தையும் பார்த்தவாரே, அவர் கொண்டு வந்திருந்த வீசா புகைப்படத்தை எட்டி பார்த்தேன், அதிர்ச்சி நெஞ்சில் இடியாய் இறங்கியது. அதற்கு மேல் அந்த இடத்தில் நிற்கும் துணிவு என்னிடம் இருந்திருக்கவில்லை. ஆம், தமிழீழ விடுதலை போராட்ட தீக்கு தன்னுடலையும் தின்ன கொடுத்து விட்டான், செந்தில் குமரன்!!! எனத் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

ஆனாலும் இறந்த செந்தில்குமரன் ஏதாவது கோரிக்கைகளை விடுத்துள்ளாரா? ஏன, எதற்காக இவ்வாறு செய்தார் என்பது இதுவரையில் தெரியாமல் உள்ளது! பொலிஸார் எடுத்துச் சென்ற பையும் காகிதங்களிலும் ஏதாவது செய்தியினை தீக்கிரையான செந்தில்குமரன் விட்டுச் சென்றிருக்கலாம் என எதிர்பார்க்கப்படுகின்றது. இருப்பினும் பொலிஸார் அவ்விபரங்களை இதுவரையில் வெளியிடவில்லை என்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது!

தொடர்புபட்ட செய்தி
ஜெனிவாவில் இலங்கை நாட்டவர் ஒருவர் தீக்குளிப்பு! ஆபத்தான நிலையில் வைத்தியசாலையில் அனுமதி!

Eezham Tamil man self-immolates in front of Geneva UN office

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 September 2013, 18:22 GMT]
An Eezham Tamil diaspora Tamil man, 35-year-old Senthilkumaran Ratnasingam, has immolated himself in front of the UN office in Geneva on Thursday around 1:10 a.m. The authorities in Switzerland were initially reluctant to confirm or release the details of the incident. However, Tamil circles at Geneva told TamilNet that the Swiss police together with a group of Iranian activists, who were engaged in protests at the time of the incident, attempted to save his life and rushed him to Chuv hospital in Lausanne, where he succumbed to his injuries on Thursday around 4:15 p.m. Meanwhile, Iranian persons present at the site of the incident said they found a photo of LTTE leader V. Pirapaharan at the site. The latest self-immolation comes amidst disappointment prevailing among Eezham Tamils following the recent visit of UN Human Rights High Commissioner Navanetham Pillay to the island.

Mr Senthilkumaran, a father of three children, was living at Sion city in the canton of Wallis.

Usually a silent man, Mr Senthilkumaran, used to participate in all the demonstrations and protests since 2001, according to his friends.

The site in front of the United Nations Geneva office where Mr Senthilkumaran immolated himself on Thursday.

When he phoned his father Mr Ratnasingam Wednesday night and concluded his conversation he had said: “Thamizharin thaakam Thamizh Eezhath thaayakam” (the yearning of Tamils is Tamil Eelam), his relatives said adding that he was disappointed with the injustice of the United Nations following the recent visit by UN Human Rights High Commissioner Ms Navanetham Pillay.

While the UN doesn’t recognize what happened in the island as genocide, and is unable to even conduct international war-crimes investigations, the UN Human Rights chief Ms Navi Pillay chose to tell the Tamil diaspora last week not to glorify the Tamil Tigers.

Ms Navi Pillay, who criticized the SL government for the lack of progress in human rights, sought to balance her stand by appreciating the so-called development programmes carried out by Colombo in the occupied country of Eezham Tamils.

Likewise, in her anxiety to balance an attack on her from certain sections of Sinhalese that she was a ‘Tamil Tigress’, she had chosen to come out with a statement depicting the LTTE as a brutal and murderous organization, observers said.

Navi Pillay’s imbalanced ‘balances’ have triggered much disappointment among Tamils.

The Swiss police was initially reluctant to provide details. However, they later issued a report stating that it was a self-immolation in front of the UN office and a police patrol attempted to rescue the man at 1:10 a.m. He was rushed to Geneva hospital and from their airlifted to Lausanne. But, he died in the afternoon at the hospital, the Police report said. The report also confirmed that there was a photo of a “LTTE soldier” at the spot. There were also photos of self-immolation that had taken place elsewhere.

A Tamil youth, Murugathasan, immolated himself at the same location in Geneva in 2009 at height the genocidal war in Vanni.

Sri Lanka: The Debate On Multiculturalism, Uniculturalism And Monoculturalism

By Leonard Pinto -September 6, 2013

Dr. Leonard Pinto

We need to define the concepts of multiculturalism, uniculturalism and monoculturalism before entering into a debate on their application, practice and future direction in Sri Lanka. Multiculturalism refers to that trend in the society where the different cultures are made inclusive, tolerated and accommodated, and these trends are institutionalised in legislation to respect other cultures. Canada, Australia and other western countries, where multiculturalism is the national policy, respect religions, ethnicity and cultures of different communities and their cultural rights, while a secular law common to all protect their human rights. They are not allowed to have a legal system (e.g. Sharia law) or practices (e.g. honour killing) that are contrary to the laws of the country. Some say that multiculturalism tend to divide and erase the original ethos of the nation and they suggest that uniculturalism is more appropriate, where minorities enjoy full expression of religious and ethnic cultures, while the historic continuity of the majority and their culture is recognised as the national ethos. Uniculturalism encourages integration, where cultural identities are lost in time. Monoculture is the social consciousness of the majority that dictates its culture is the right culture and only allowed culture, and people of other religions, ethnicity and cultures have the freedom to live, but their cultures have no place in the national culture. Monoculturalism aims at a homogeneous society through assimilation. This is not acceptable in modern heterogeneous societies. Sri Lanka seems to be moving in the direction of monoculturalism. Read More

The Origin Of The Worship Of Lord Ganesha With Symbolic Messages

By Ayathuray Rajasingam -September 6, 2013

Ayathuray Rajasingam

Though the origin of the worship of Lord Ganesha is a subject of much debate for various reasons, especially in the absence of a definite beginning of Hinduism, it has been a custom among the Hindus to invoke Lord Ganesha at the beginning of prayers as well as in all ceremonies and cultural festivals. The history of the worship of Lord Ganesha can be gathered from ancient Hindu scriptures where there are many references about Lord Ganesha, the first of such reference is been found in the Rig Veda. Rig Veda begins with the invocation of Lord Ganesha, who is described as the Chief of Ganas (divine beings) and as the Supreme Seer (Rig Veda 2.23). Apparently Yajur Veda also mentions ‘Salutations to you Ganas and to the Lord of Ganas’. (Yajur Veda 16-25). There are also many references in the great epics of Ramayana and Maha Bharath, all of which indicate that the worship of Lord Ganesha dates back prior to 7,000 years ago or even earlier. Read More

India to supply two naval warships to Sri Lanka

India is planning to supply two naval warships to Sri Lanka to strengthen its capabilities to guard its maritime boundaries.

By PTI | 5 Sep, 2013,

NEW DELHI: India is planning to supply two naval warships to Sri Lanka to strengthen its capabilities to guard its maritime boundaries.

The two Offshore Patrol Vessels would be built by the Goa-based defence PSU Goa Shipyard Limited and they are expected to be delivered to the Island nation by 2017-18 timeframe, sources said here.

The development comes at a time when political parties in Tamil Nadu have been demanding ceasing of defence ties with that country.

Centre has been very sympathetic towards the demands made by them and have shifted the Sri Lankan defence personnel from training institutions in that state and also decided to hold exercises with them away from four south Indian states.

Defence Minister A K Antony has directed military and civilian officials to be sensitive towards these sentiments and emotions mostly flamed after the frequent alleged incidents of arrest of Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan Navy.

However, despite the objections from these political parties, the Government of India at the highest level has decided to continue close ties with the Sri Lankan armed forces.

Naval officer arrested on human smuggling charges

By Premalal Wijeratne-Friday, 06 Sep 2013

A lieutenant commander of the Trincomalee Navy Camp and four foreign agents have been arrested by the Matara Police today over their alleged involvement in a large-scale human smuggling racket.

A senior advisor to the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Christopher Wood, responsible for conducting the investigations regarding the scam visited the Matara Police to see the suspects.

Police said the Australian Police officer was involved in investigations in Bangladesh and the Maldives as well.

The lieutenant commander, who was apparently serving in a boat belonging to the Navy, was asked to appear at the Special Investigation Unit of the Matara Police for questioning, where he was arrested, police said.

So far, 22 suspects have been arrested in connection with the racket and amongst them there are three sailors.

According to the police, the suspects have demanded a down payment of Rs 200,000 from prospective illegal migrants from Trincomalee and Jaffna and on the day they board the boat to Australia, each person had to pay Rs 800,000 to the smugglers.

The suspects were produced before the Matara Magistrate and the police took steps to obtain orders to remand the suspects.

Investigations are being carried out by Matara Police Crime OIC Chief Inspector, Dhammika Hapugoda, on the instruction of SSP Deshabandu Tennakoon and Southern Province DIG, McCarthy Perera.

Navy Spokesperson, Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya, confirmed that an officer attached to the Navy has been arrested on suspicion of being involved in a human smuggling racket. (Ceylon Today Online)

I will not apologize

BY KARUNADASA VIDANAGAMAGE-Friday, 06 Sep 2013

Minister Mervyn Silva doubts that Minister Dulles Alahapperuma would have forgotten the relationship between the Silva family and his family (Alahapperuma), as Minister Alahapperuma had criticized the marriage proposal made by Mervyn Silva to Navanethem Pillay.

Minister Silva made this remark, in response to Minister Alahapperuma's statement that he would apologize on behalf of the whole Cabinet over Silva's indecent proposal that he (Minister Silva) would marry Navanethem Pillay, the United Nation's Human Rights Commissioner, who was in Sri Lanka recently.

"The Sinhala word aseelachara (indecent) is not a word used loosely. I am a man who was born in Ruhuna. I am a strong Buddhist and I love my country. I am prepared to express my views against anyone who tries to destroy my country, be it a local or foreign element," Minister Silva said.

"I didn't invite anyone to go with me to the park, or to pick flowers. I didn't speak of marriage. What I meant was that Pillay should respect our country without carrying on propaganda for the LTTE. But everyone has misunderstood it. All these issues can be attributed to her negative attitude towards Sri Lanka. I won't apologize to anyone whose feelings were hurt. I am a man from Beliatta. I will apologize only to the President and the members of his family," Minister Silva added.

Continuing with his explanation, he said: "I am surprised that Minister Dulles appears to be worried about my statement on Pillay. I think he is angry with me over this remark. Minister Dulles could have spoken to me over the telephone in this regard. Why is he apologizing over such a trivial matter? There are so many other things a minister can apologize for."

SL military, police disturb reubuilding Saiva temple in Ampaa'rai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 September 2013, 23:50 GMT]
The occupying military of Sri Lanka and the SL police Changkaman-ka'ndi have threatened the administration of the ancient temple to stop the reconstruction of the temple on Saturday. After the SL military and police banned the administration from re-building the ancient temple, the archeology department of the occupying Colombo has installed stones at the premises of the temple claiming the area as its property.

The interference by the SL military, police and SL archaeology department has highly disturbed the Saiva devotees and the temple management, says temple secretary Somasundaram Sundaramoorthy.

The resettled Tamils decided to initatiate the reconstruction of the temple two years ago as they had witnessed the destruction of the ancient temple, which is situated at 200 feet height between two other temples, Veethip-pi'l'laiyaar and Kaaddup-pi'l'laiyaar temples.

The rebuilding, which has been going on for more than one year, has reached its final phase when the SL military interfered into the affairs of the temple, the temple management further said.