Sri Lankan rights activists call for CHOGM boycott

 21 October 2013

Two prominent human rights activists in Sri Lanka, who have survived death threats and assassination attempts, called on leaders including David Cameron and the Prince of Wales to boycott a key Commonwealth summit next month.

The executive director of Transparency International, whose family in Sri Lanka was forced into hiding in 2008, called the decision to hold the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo as “shameless.”

Comparing the Sri Lankan rule to Zimbabwe he said,

“What’s the difference? The rule of law is collapsing in Sri Lanka.”

A widely acclaimed, Sri Lankan activist Ruki Fernando, further stated,

“The leaders who are coming, including David Cameron, are insulting the victims of violence and abuse and they are also insulting the vales of the Commonwealth itself. There should be a total boycott.”

Human rights activists urge boycott of Commonwealth summit

Robin Pagnamenta South Asia Correspondent

Last updated at 12:01AM, October 21 2013

Two of Sri Lanka’s most distinguished human rights activists, who have both survived death threats and assassination attempts, have called on leaders including David Cameron and the Prince of Wales to boycott a key Commonwealth summit next month.

J C Weliamuna, a lawyer and executive director of Transparency International whose family was forced into hiding after a grenade attack on their home in 2008, said the decision to hold the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo next month was “shameless”.

“I would have preferred it if it was not held here,” said Mr Weliamuna, drawing a direct para

David Cameron should boycott the Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka

Buddhist monks protest in Colombo, 2012. Human Rights Watch called the record of President Mahinda Rajapaska's government on human rights ‘abysmal'. Photograph: Ishara S Kodikara/AFP/Getty

Douglas Alexander-  Monday 21 October 2013

The prime minister should reverse his decision to attend and so make clear to the Sri Lankan authorities the extent of Britain's concern about human rights

Next month Commonwealth leaders gather in Sri Lanka amid a bleak human rights situation as the country emerges from two decades of civil war that saw 40,000 civilians lose their lives.

Last week Britain's cross-party foreign affairs select committee criticised the "scant evidence of progress in political and human rights in Sri Lanka" and Amnesty International has condemned the ongoing "deterioration" of human rights there. Even the government's own reports warn of "a number of negative developments" there, echoing the statement of the UN high commissioner for human rights that Sri Lanka was "heading in an increasingly authoritarian direction".

This followed the worrying decision to impeach the country's chief justice, through a process held to be illegal both by Sri Lanka's supreme court and by international experts. Tragically, rather than making progress since 2009, these developments paint a worrying picture of further decline.

Against this backdrop, the hosting of the Commonwealth summit in the capital Colombo and the attendance of the British prime minister will undoubtedly be presented as a major coup by Sri Lanka's government.

Labour believed that Britain could and should have used the issue of David Cameron's attendance as crucial leverage to encourage Sri Lanka to address human rights concerns in the months running up to the summit. Instead, the prime minister simply chose to hand away all his cards more than six months ahead of the summit by confirming that he and the foreign secretary, William Hague, would attend.

His mystifying decision represented a misjudgment and a missed opportunity. But it is not too late for the PM to take a different, better approach. First, he should reverse his decision to attend the summit. In doing so he would make clear to the Sri Lankan authorities the extent of Britain's concern about human rights. If he does this then, as the opposition, Labour will support him.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has already chosen not to attend the summit, and India is reported to be considering non-attendance.

Second, the prime minister should set out a clear action plan to support tangible improvements in human rights in Sri Lanka. It's time he recognised the conclusions of his own government's human rights audit, which designates Sri Lanka as a "country of concern".

Third, he should add his voice to the growing calls for a full and independent UN-led investigation into Sri Lanka's alleged human rights abuses. Human Rights Watch called the record of Rajapaska's government on this "abysmal", and says an investigation is long overdue.

Fourth, the summit itself could become a flashpoint for protest, and in turn prompt violent crackdowns, and Amnesty International have rightly criticised the banning of public protest by the authorities as a "blatant attempt" to ignore human rights concerns. So Cameron must seek urgent assurances from Sri Lanka that it will respect the principles of theCommonwealth human rights charter during the summit.

The remaining weeks before the summit should rightly focus our attention on the Sri Lankan government's conduct, but also on the responsibilities of other Commonwealth countries.

The Commonwealth is a vital and positive partnership between countries striving to develop trade relations and promote democracy and human rights, united by shared values. So when those basic values are challenged from within, it is right that members be prepared to act, as was demonstrated when the Mugabe government was suspended from the Commonwealth's ranks.

The situation in Sri Lanka risks further deterioration unless the international community – and the Commonwealth in particular – begins to place greater pressure on President Rajapaska's government.

Even at this late stage, the British government is in a position to exert considerable influence. David Cameron should use the upcoming summit as an opportunity to send a clear signal that the Commonwealth is no hiding place for countries that are unwilling to uphold the human rights of their citizens.

Commonwealth snub puts spotlight on diaspora politics

Talking tough with Sri Lanka does have its benefits for Canada’s political parties.Photo Credit: A Creative Commons file photo of a Tamil protest in Ottawa

By Ranjit Bhaskar-Monday, 21 October 2013                                          

The reaction in Canada to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s decision not to attend next month’s Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka reflects the island nation’s fault lines.

Commonwealth Snub Puts Spotlight on Diaspora Politics by nelvely

Sri Lanka Commonwealth meet: Drive to dissuade PM gets wide support, Amnesty says

The campaign began on October 15 and would continue till the start of CHOGM in November 2013, it added.

Oct 22, 2013
CHENNAI: About 35,000 people from India have supported Amnesty International India's campaign to dissuade Prime MinisterManmohan Singh from attending theCommonwealth Head of Governments Meeting(CHOGM) in Sri Lanka, a statement from Amnesty International said.

The campaign began on October 15 and would continue till the start of CHOGM in November 2013, it added.

"India's staying away from the CHOGM will send a clear signal to President Mahinda Rajapaksa to take action to end human rights violation abuses in Sri Lanka. If the Indian Prime Minister attends the summit in Colombo, he will in effect be giving a stamp of approval to the countless past and ongoing grave human rights abuses in Sri Lanka," G Ananthapadmanabhan, chief executive,Amnesty International India, said in the statement.

The Sri Lankan government has not yet revealed the human rights violations happened at the end of the armed conflict in the country and hasn't done anything to bring those responsible for the crimes to justice, according to the statement. "The Commonwealth's insistence on still allowing Sri Lanka to host this meeting, while torture, abductions and countless other abuses persist in the country, is shameful", said Ananthapadmanabhan.

At the end of the scheduled meeting of the Commonwealth heads, President Rajapaksa is expected to be appointed the Commonwealth chairperson-in-office for the next two years since he is the leader of the host country.

"India should remember that all the Commonwealth countries have committed to the values and principles of human rights, freedom of expression and access to justice. To make the head of a government that continues to repress human rights and is persistently cracking down on dissent the Commonwealth chair would go against the principles of the Commonwealth," he said.

Commonwealth Has Made Better Progress With Sri Lanka Than Any Other International Org: Director

October 22, 2013 |

The Commonwealth has made better progress on helping Sri Lanka to improve its human rights record than any other international organisations, says a top official of the organisation, even as the Commonwealth Secretariat comes in for major criticism on its capacity building for local human rights bodies that has resulted in no real changes whatsoever.

Sharma and Gimson/ photo/ Commonwealth Secretariat

In an interview with Channel 4 News’ Jonathan Snow, Director of the Commonwealth Secretary General’s Office Simon Gimson said the Commonwealth tried to tackle issues with its member states in a ‘practical and focused way’.

“Has the Commonwealth made better progress than any other international organisation? The answer is yes,” said Gimson during the interview.

“When the Commonwealth sees a country in need of help, it doesn’t wag the finger, it helps,” Gimson told Snow.

“Our perspective is let’s try and improve what we have,” he said.

Gimson’s remarks come as the Commonwealth Secretariat is under heavy fire for failing to act against Sri Lanka and take a stronger position on the country’s need to address allegations of major rights abuses ahead of the CHOGM in November. The Secretariat has made much of its support and capacity building of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission, which has failed to act decisively or with any real impact on major post war rights abuses even this past year. On the Weliweriya shootings, Grandpass mosque attacks and countless other issues the Human Rights Commission has been impotent in its investigations and remedial measures. Furthermore the Commission’s Chairman was handpicked by the country’s Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa who is strongly implicated in many abuses both during and after the war.

Novel vote counting system to be introduced
 

By Ranil Dharmasena-October 21, 2013, 9:54 pm

 Elections Secretariat has decided to introduce a novel vote counting method and it would be used at the forthcoming Western and Southern Provincial Council elections, secretariat sources said.

Election Commissioner had decided to inform political parties and civil organisations of the new method, sources said, adding that he had already asked the general secretaries of the registered political parties information pertaining to take part in the awareness programme.

The Secretariat has decided to bring in a new counting system in the aftermath of the recent discovery of bundles of marked ballot papers a St. Andrew’s College in Puttalam soon after the Sept. 21 provincial council polls, which were later determined to have been duly counted and entered in the results.

Tamils never benefited by Rajapaksa government [ Tuesday, 22 October 2013, 01:07.07 PM GMT +05:30 ] Tamil National Alliance leader R.Sambanthan blamed that Lankan government fail to conduct constructive programmes to benefit Eelam Tamil nationals. Speaking to journalists at the BJP headquarters leader went on to say, India should support to solve problems face by Lankan Tamils. India never allows implementing changes in the 13th amendment. Eelam Tamil nationals were not completely benefited by Indian projects. India should hold discussions on participating in the Commonwealth Heads Meeting in SriLanka, Vikatan reports.

Tamil Nadu students rally against CHOGM
22 October 2013

Students from various organisations have been organising a range of rallies and protests this month, against the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting due to be held in Colombo, urging countries across the world, to boycott the event. At the famous Marina Beach earlier this month students from different colleges, including the Dhanraj Baid Jain College, held a rally in front of the 'Triumph Of Labour' monument. Speaking to the Tamil Guardian, one of the organisers said, 'Over 100 students participated in our walkathon... We have sent mails to all embassies of the 52 nations who are part of the Commonwealth'. The three demands put forward by the students are: - Sri Lanka should not lead the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting - CMAG should suspend Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth - India should declare Sri Lanka a genocidal country in the Indian parliament Meanwhile, the Students Struggle for Tamil Eelam also held a conference, which saw particpation from a variety of ages, denoncing the decision to hold CHOGM in Sri Lanka. Also, earlier this month protestors gathered outside the Madurai district court calling for a boycott of CHOGM, whilst burnt copies of 'The Hindu' paper for their anti-Tamil stance.

An Electric Rail Track System Linking Jaffna To Colombo

By Nagananda Kodituwakku -October 22, 2013 |

Nagananda Kodituwakku

Invitation for a challenging mission to Chief Minister Wigneswaran: Install an electric rail track system linking Jaffna to Colombo

Just after the end of the civil war that cost the nation immensely, this same open invitation was originally extended to the President Rajapaksa in 2009 to set up a fast electric rail track linking Jaffna to Colombo, which sadly saw no light of the day.

It is very unfortunate that the Colombo government had no vision to tap the wealth of resources  (foreign funding that was waiting to be awarded to the battered nation) that were at its disposal just after the war, to make this challenging proposal a reality. Instead the government has been simply working over-time to re-build the 18th century rail tract at a great cost, which takes the nation nowhere, as it would hopelessly fall short of what the people of this Island nation yearning for.  The need of the hour is a fast rail track, possibly a double track, to run between Colombo to Jaffna in 1 ½ to 2 hours and not a tract that takes half a day to complete the journey.

In this backdrop, the same proposal is now being made to a different personality, this time to one of the remarkable sons of Mother Lanka, the Justice turned politician Wigneswaran. He is a proven character with integrity, miles ahead of his contemporaries in both North and South. There is no doubt that he is a competent man with a vision and potential to make this dream a reality for the benefit of the whole nation.

Probably this may not be the only step in the right direction to heal the mistrust between distanced two ethnic groups but it could certainly open up the eyes of all Lankans to identify the true national leaders on whom they can place trust, shunning aside the petty, irrelevant racist mindset, that has hitherto helped only to destroy the nation.

Why all Lankans should extend their support to make this mission a reality  Read More

JHU to vote against Rajapaksa legislation

 Tuesday, 22 October 2013 

Ally of the Mahinda Rajapaksa government, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) has said it would vote against the piece of legislation being presented in parliament this week to grant massive tax concessions to Australian James Packer’s casino in Colombo.

The government has granted tax concessions to a US$ 350 million development project of Australian gaming tycoon James Packer.

The large scale mixed development project is to set up a star class resort and a casino.

The project has been granted a 10-year exemption from income tax in addition to a further concessionary 6 percent tax rate for 12 years among other tax concessions.

The JHU has said that the government’s move to legalize gaming would be detrimental to the country.

Reflections On State Racism

by Izeth Hussain

( October 22, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) For some time I have been using the term "State racism" and I have even used it for the headings of two recent articles. It is an unfamiliar formulation, unlike "State terrorism", and it obviously amounts to a neologism that requires explanation. I will not try to provide a definition because practically all definitions are open to contestation, and there is hardly ever any finality about them even after a hundred definitions as is the case with "terrorism". Instead of a definition, I will therefore provide an explanation by putting down what I have in mind in using the term "State racism". I believe that this is of central importance for getting to grips with Sri Lanka's ethnic problems.

Reflections on State Racism by nelvely

Ram chairs KSL while Ravi becomes Chief Editor of The Hindu

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 October 2013, 08:58 GMT]
The Board of Directors of Kasturi & Sons Ltd that owns The Hindu Group of publications has announced on Monday that Mr N. Ram would be its new Chairman and Mr N. Murali the Co-Chairman. Mr N. Ravi has taken over as Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, while Ms Malini Parthasarathy has become its Editor. In consequence, Mr Siddharth Varadarajan has submitted his resignation. 

Siddharth Varadharajan earlier took over the editorship when Ram announced his ‘retirement’ in 2012. Varadharajan now resigned following the board re-designating him as Contributing Editor and Senior Columnist of The Hindu. 

Ram as Chairman used his casting vote in bringing in the changes when the board of the company was divided 6–6.

Mr Arun Ananth is also no longer the Chief Executive Officer of Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

Varadarajan was the first editor of the newspaper in nearly five decades who didn’t belong to the Kasturi family, and Ananth was the company’s first chief executive, news reports said.

“With The Hindu’s owners deciding to revert to being a family run and edited newspaper, I am resigning from The Hindu with immediate effect,” Varadarajan said on Monday. 

Ram and Ravi had a long family feud over the control of The Hindu.

In April 2011 Ravi accused that “In a shocking display of bad faith,” N. Ram, who has become the Editor in Chief of The Hindu in 2003, “by stealth,” postpones his retirement agreed upon the previous year, and “seems bent on taking all the editorial directors—most are in their 50s--into retirement with him with a scorched earth policy to ensure that no one in the family succeeds him.” 

“[…]Contrary to the practice in any mainline newspaper, the Editor-in-Chief [Ram] indulging in an unceasing self-glorification campaign, publishing his own ribbon cutting pictures and reports of his activities and speeches with a regularity […] would put corporate house journals to shame,” Ravi then said besides blaming the ‘pro-left’ and pro-China bias of The Hindu of Ram.

Ram was also accused of standing in the way of Malini Parthasarathy.

Varatharajan was then considered as Ram’s protégé in taking over the editorship.

Political observers in India speculate certain political currents operating behind the present changes in The Hindu.

They cite at the comment of the new Editor-in-Chief, Ravi, on the tendency in The Hindu before his takeover that the “news desk was given standing instructions not to take any stories on Narendra Modi on page one.

Meanwhile, there are also speculations that the editorial changes were made to save The Hindu from a case filed by BJP’s Subramaniam Swamy on the ineligibility of Varatharajan editing The Hindu, because of his US citizenship.

AHRC - Weekly Roundup, Episode 2

Tuesday, 22 October 2013 

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to announce the launch of its weekly video news bulletin, the Asian Human Rights Commission - Weekly Roundup.

The second episode, released today, 21 October 2013, covers a wide range of human rights issues, including custodial rape in Pakistan, how Pakistan's anti-terror laws negate fair trial guarantees; India's appalling criminal justice system and the release of Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan from arbitrary detention in Bangladesh.

Mr. Baseer Naweed of the AHRC explains how the anti-terror ordinance promulgated in Pakistan justifies torture, arbitrary detention, disappearances and extrajudicial executions in that country. Mr. Md. Ashrafuzzaman of the AHRC speaks about the stifling of civil society activities by the Government of Bangladesh and how this culture of state oppression is reflected in Mr. Adilur's arrest and arbitrary detention. The episode also covers the arrest of the Chief Judge at the Constitutional Court of Indonesia for charges of corruption.

The bulletin can be watched online at www.humanrights.asia

The AHRC welcomes human rights news feeds to be considered for the weekly news bulletin, and suggestions to improve the news channel.

For further information and comments, please write to, media@ahrc.asia

Anti-Halal Campaign More Important Than Casinos – BBS

October 22, 2013 

The Bodu Bala Sena believes 

its anti-Halal agitation is far more important than taking up the Government’s move to create casino zones in the capital Colombo, the group’s Chief Executive Officer Dilanthe Withanagetold Colombo Telegraph.

“The Bodu Bala Sena is against casinos. But we believe that compared with the Halal issue in the country, the casino issue is a minor one,” Withanage in an interview with Colombo Telegraph.

The BBS recommenced its Anti-Halal agitation campaign today,  saying the authorities had cheated them out of a solution to the controversial Islamic labelling in March this year.Read More

BBS – Back On The Road With Anti-Halal Campaign Again

October 22, 2013 

The Bodu Bala Sena which retreated into the shadows in the wake of high level visits by UN officials and the Government’s touch and go situation with regard to the hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meet, is back on the road again pledging to recommence it’s anti-Halal agitation that resulted in widespreadIslamophobia and violence against the Muslim minority community the first time it unfolded in January this year.

The Bodu Bala Sena ‘motorcade’ set off from Kirulapone this morning, heading off to the hill capital of Kandy, where the hardline group will seek the blessings of the Sacred Tooth relic with a special Adishtana Pooja in front of the historic temple this afternoon before it restarts its campaign to rid the country of what it calls the ‘Halal menace’.

As the motorcade makes its way to Kandy, the BBS will stop at Kegalle, a multi-ethnic District with a significant Muslim population for a major rally at which it is expected to rake up anti-minority slogans and hate speech against the Muslim community.

However despite the group’s grand relaunching of its anti-Halal agitation, the campaign is unlikely to make waves until CHOGM is concluded in Colombo in mid November, sources told Colombo Telegraph.

Govt has not withdrawn casino bill - JVP

By Aisha Nazim-

Tuesday, 22 Oct 2013

The government has not backtracked on or withdrawn the Strategic Development Projects Bill (casino bill), but merely withdrawn the gazette notification, which exempts casinos from paying taxes, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) alleged today.

Addressing a media briefing, JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake, said the government is intentionally misleading the public by claiming to have withdrawn the casino bill, which was due to be taken up for voting in Parliament tomorrow (24) and the day after (25).

“The casino bill has definitely not been withdrawn. It was, in fact, passed in Parliament on 10 November 2010. All of the political parties in the government had voted for it. What’s been put on hold now is the gazette notification, which granted casinos concessions, excepting them from paying any of the taxes in the country,” he said.

He asserted that the problem of the casinos is that it is not merely a place for gambling, but would also encourage drug use and prostitution.

Speaking further, Dissanayake pointed out that while it would be those in the upper-classes who would go to casinos and it would also be them who would be involved in drug deals, innocent and young girls from the rural areas of Sri Lanka are the ones who would get pulled into prostitution rings. (Ceylon Today Online)

Govt. backtracks on Casino Bill

By Ravi Ladduwahetty-Tuesday, 22 Oct 2013

The government last night decided to withdraw the proposed Casino Bill (The Strategic Management Bill) and present a new Bill in its place. The decision was taken at the Party Leaders' meeting at the Presidential Secretariat. "This will mean the government will not take up the proposed Bill for voting in Parliament on Thursday (24) and Friday ( 25), political sources told Ceylon Today, adding that it will be introducing a new Bill.

However, it is not known what the government will have in the new Bill, the sources said. Meanwhile, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) General Secretary and Parliamentary Group Leader, Ven. Athureliye Rathana Thera told Ceylon Today late last night, that the government decision was indeed a victory for the JHU in particular.

"We as a Party, pressurized the government and its leaders not to bring this Bill due to the vast social and economic degradation that it would have caused," the monk said.

REFILE-Packer's Crown resort-casino in Sri Lanka faces delay after tax changes

Tue Oct 22, 2013 

* Buddhist leaders, politicians, protest casino deal

* Amendment to tax concessions likely to delay project

* Packer urged to invest more in country, but not casinos

By Shihar Aneez

COLOMBO, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Opposition by Buddhist religious leaders and some political parties in Sri Lanka led the government to announce on Tuesday it will alter tax concessions granted to Australian gambling tycoon James Packer's Crown Ltd for a $400 million hotel resort that will include a casino.

The changes could take at least one month and likely will delay Packer's mixed-development investment project for the second time this year.

Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Investment Promotion minister, said the decision to alter the deal's terms came after various opposition politicians said Packer was getting concessions not given to local entrepreneurs and Buddhist leaders said the casino could be detrimental to Sri Lanka's culture.

"We'll amend the bill" and have new terms by Nov. 21, Abeywardena told reporters. "We will describe how we are going to grant tax concessions, like if it is from the gross revenue or net revenue. We will base the tax on the gross revenue and not on the net profit. The tax concession is on investment and not on the hotel operation. We will clarify all these in the new gazette."

The ministry over the weekend released photos Packer meeting officials in Sri Lanka and Abeywardena said he had asked Packer to invest more in the country.

"He said he was willing to bring more investments. He told us he will consider some more investments along with this investment, but we have clearly told him we would not allow investments for more casinos," the minister added.

Crown last week confirmed that it was in detailed discussions with the Sri Lankan government and potential joint venture partners regarding the development of a 5-star integrated resort and the total project cost would be approximately $400 million.

The deal has already been delayed once after the government asked Lake Leisure Holdings, the joint venture between Crown Ltd and its local partner, Rank Entertainment Holdings Pvt Ltd, to change its construction plans.

Packer's deal has been already approved by the island nation's cabinet and is expected to easily win approval from the parliament because President Mahinda Rajapaksa's ruling coalition has more than a two-thirds majority.

Packer, one of Australia's richest men, has been in talks since February with the government over hotel and entertainment investment options as he expands his global gambling business that includes casinos in Australia, Macau, Britain and the United States.