President’s expenditure increased this year

 Saturday, 30 November 2013 

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed for the allocation for more funds for his expenditure this year by presenting a supplementary estimate of Rs.2,034,122,460 for the period between January and September.

The estimate is in addition to the Rs. 7,405,940,000 that was allocated for the President in the 2013 Budget.

The supplementary estimate was presented claiming the funds allocated in the budget were insufficient.

Therefore, the total amount allocated for the President for this has increased to Rs. 9,441,062,460.

The President has been allocated a sum of Rs. 8,567,700,000 in the 2014 Budget.

Lukewarm response for oil exploration bidding

By Devan Daniel-Sunday, 01 Dec 2013

The government has extended the field for offshore oil and gas exploration, earlier limited to the Gulf of Mannar, after a second international bidding round for oil exploration licences closed this week. International bidding for oil exploration licences closed last Friday with only two companies from India and Canada submitting bids for three of the 13 blocks on offer, industry sources said.

The exploration is now almost certain to extend to the Cauvery Basin north of the Jaffna Peninsula, as the bids that were made by the two companies included at least one for that region, sources said.

Cairn India and Canada’s Bonavista Energy Corporation submitted bids, sources said.

Sri Lanka has expanded the field of off-shore oil and gas exploration in this second round international bidding. This would kick start oil exploration activities in the North.

Cairn India already has a five-year head-start and is pushing for an early production date. It is in discussions with authorities to monetize hydro carbon discoveries in the Mannar Basin, off Sri Lanka’s northwestern coast.

Several other blocks in the waters off Sri Lanka’s eastern and southern coasts were on offer for joint studies as well.

Some of the world’s top oil exploration companies had shown interest in Sri Lanka, especially after two encouraging discoveries by Cairn India in the Mannar Basin. Exxon Mobil and Total had purchased Sri Lanka’s seismic data set, and ENI, BP, OVL, PVEP, and several other international majors had discussions with the government on potential future operations in Sri Lanka.

When contacted by Ceylon Today, Petroleum Resources Development Secretariat Director General, Saliya Wickramasuriya, declined to comment, but said the government would make an official announcement next week. 

R.I.T. Alles: Founding Principal of Post-Independent Sri Lanka’s only Trilingual post-Secondary School

29 November 2013, 3:24 pm

R.I.T. Alles, Former Principal of D.S. Senanayake College Passes Away

By K. Thirukumaran

Founding principal of D.S. Senanayake College (DSSC), Colombo 7, Sri Lanka R.I.T. Alles passed away on Nov 28.

Uploaded on Oct 6, 2010

R.I.T. Alles Founding Principal of Post-Independent Sri Lanka’s only Trilingual post-Secondary School by nelvely

BANGLADESH: Attorney General's Office Supersedes High Court

November 29, 2013

The Asian Human Rights Commission has learned that direct intervention from the Attorney General's Office of Bangladesh is preventing the release of ASM Nasiruddin Elan, Director of Odhikar, a Bangladesh based human rights organisations, despite the High Court having granted bail to the prominent human rights defender. That the Attorney General’s Office can impede a high court order so easily, is a telling example of the rule of lawlessness in Bangladesh.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Borhanuddin and Justice K.M. Kamrul Kader of the High Court Division granted six months' interim bail to Elan on 24 November 2013 after hearing a writ petition filed on his behalf. A team from Odhikar were told by Mr. Amanullah, a Deputy Jailor of the Kashimpur Jail-2 in Gazipur, that Elan could not be released as there were instructions from the Attorney General’s Office not to release him.

Elan's lawyer, Mr. Mohammad Ruhul Ahim Bhuiyan, has informed the AHRC that he called Mr. Amanullah, Deputy Jailor of Kashimpur Jail-2, on the latter's cell phone (+8801717292501) today to check on developments related to Elan’s release. The Deputy Jailor told the lawyer that the High Court bail order has indeed been received at Kashipur Jail. When Elan’s lawyer asked when his client was going to be released, the Deputy Jailor said that Mr. Elan could not be released from jail as jail authorities have also received 'instruction' from the Attorney General's Office not to release him. The Deputy Jailor said, with regret, that until 'further instructions' were received asking Jail authorities to release him, Elan will have to remain in detention.

After learning about the same from Mr. Elan's lawyer, the Asian Human Rights Commission called Deputy Jailor Amanullah on his cell phone number at 2:37 p.m. Hong Kong local time. Mr. Amanullah confirmed his official position during the two minute conversation that en-sued. When the AHRC Staff Member asked about the status of Mr. Elan's release in compli-ance with the High Court order, Mr. Amanullah expressed himself in colourful abusive lan-guage and before ending the conversation.

This is not the first time Bangladesh's Attorney General's Office has prevented the release of a detainee via illegal instruction. The AHRC has learned from detainees, that in numerous cases in the last five years, the Attorney General's Office has sent telephonic or fax instructions to different jails to make a mockery of court orders. All law officers of the State have a funda-mental obligation to assist the courts to uphold the rule of law. Such routine actions of the Bangladesh's Attorney General and his team rubbish the basic principles of justice.

The AHRC demands an investigation by a High Court Judge regarding interventions from the Office of Attorney General to undermine the High Court order. The interventions preventing the release of any detainee, superseding a judicial order, violates all fundamental norms of human rights. Instructing jail authorities to prolong any person's detention, despite the highest judicial order to release the detainee, is not only a clear violation of the High Court order but also an utter negation of the very existence of a judiciary in the country.

Such instructions amount to contempt of court, for which the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, obliged to safeguard fundamental rights of citizens in compliance with the Constitution of Bangladesh, as per Chapter IV of the said Constitution, should immediately hold accountable the entire group of attorneys work under the Office of the Attorney General.

If the Supreme Court of Bangladesh fails to hold the Attorney General accountable for such unconstitutional and lawless actions, the integrity and independence of the judiciary and the dignity of the judges will be deemed non-existent. Failure of the Supreme Court, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, to hold the Attorney General answerable will only provoke others to take law into their own hands and ignore judicial institutions of the country.

For further details, in Hong Kong, please contact: Mr. Md. Ashrafuzzaman; +852-60732807 (telephone) or write to: zaman@ahrc.asia

‘I Am’ – A Project That Aims To Capture Disappearing Narratives Of Sri Lanka

By Shashika Bandara -November 30, 2013

Shashika Bandara

‘I Am’ - A project that aims to capture disappearing narratives of Sri Lanka to understand our divisions better

I was told ‘we have been so many years in Ceylon. No one has studied Buddhism. Would you be able to do it?’ I said well, I will try” recalled Father Vito Perniola, one-hundred-year old Italian Jesuit priest who came to Ceylon in 1936. Fr. Perniola went onto teach Pali to Buddhist monks and nuns, and also published the standard textbook on Pali grammar in English.  On the other side of Sri Lanka, Byron Ummani the Veddah elder from Batticaloa, reflected on the development of his people, but also expressed his sadness at how the younger generation are abandoning their native language.

Capturing these unique and disappearing narratives of elders, Kannan Arunasalam, an award-winning filmmaker, and narrative journalist explains that his journey began with a single question: ‘Was there a time when people in Sri Lanka didn’t describe themselves as Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim or Burgher?’ (http://iam.lk/about) He set off to meet a generation of elders who could shed light on the many facets that make up the Sri Lankan identity and tell us why people’s perception of identity became increasingly ethnicised and polarised.

Read More

Traumatic Brain Injury Among The Sri Lankan Combat Veterans

By Ruwan M Jayatunge -November 30, 2013 

Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge MD

A significant number of Sri Lankan soldiers sustained head injuries during the Eelam War that lasted from 1983 to 2009. These head injuries mainly occurred due to gunshot wounds, mortar blast injuries, grenade explosions and artillery blasts. Traumatic Brain Injuries increased High morbidity and mortality rates among the Sri Lankan combatants. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) had been one of the signature injuries of the Eelam War.

Traumatic brain injury has short and long term consequences. It affects the physical, social, psychological and occupational aspects of combatant’s life.  The combatants with severe TBI have permanent neurobiological damage with profound psychosocial problems. TBI has been identified as one of the disabling conditions among the combatants.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) refers to a physiologically significant disruption of brain function resulting from the application of external physical force, including acceleration/deceleration forces (Silver et al, 2009). The victims experience emotional liability, sensory impairments, neuro- cognitive deficits and spasticity following traumatic brain injuries.

Traumatic brain injury is a common cause of neurological damage and disability among civilians and servicemen (Auxéméry, 2012). Schneider and colleagues (2009) elucidate that behaviorally the military population in general is considered to be a high risk group for TBI.  According to Scherer et al., (2013) within the last decade, more than 220,000 service members have sustained traumatic brain injury (TBI) in support of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In Sri Lanka from 1983 to 2009 over 200,000 military personal were deployed in the operational areas and considerable numbers sustained mild to severe head injuries following enemy attacks. In a convenience sample of 824 Sri Lankan Army servicemen who were referred to the Psychiatric ward Military Hospital Colombo during August 2002 to March 2006 time period 29 combatants (3.51%) were diagnosed  with TBI. These diagnoses were based on International Classification of Diseases- Tenth Revision (ICD-10) criteria and done by the Consultant Psychiatrist of the Sri Lanka Army.

The Immediate Impact of TBI                                                     Read More 

Panelists discuss 'Sri Lanka's unfinished war' at FrontLine Club

28 November 2013

A preview screening of the BBC World documentary ‘Sri Lanka’s unfinished war’, which outlines several cases of rape and torture against Tamils in the North-East, took place at the Frontline club today.

The screening was followed by a panel discussion with the producer of the documentary, Frances Harrison, producer of the No Fire Zone documentaries, Callum Macrae and policy and advocacy manager at Freedom from Torture, Sonya Sceats. The Sri Lankan High Commission to the UK refused an invitation to participate in the discussion. 

The panel, chaired by a barrister at a London chamber who acted as a rapporteur to investigate the impeachment of Sri Lanka’s Chief Justice, Sadakat Kadri, discussed various issues and answered questions from the audience.

Full discussion can be viewed below.

Macrae  outlined that the lack of credibility of any investigative initiative set up by the Sri Lanakan government,

“The Sri Lankan government has an endless history of commissions that have amounted to nothing. And I think we’re going to see a lot in the run up to the UN sessions in March. I think a spurious reconciliation commission will be offered with the unfortunate help of South Africa, which will be used as an excuse to prevent things form happen. I’m sorry but from what they’ve done in the past, we can guarantee that almost any investigation will be spurious.”

Speaking on David Cameron’s attendance of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, Callum Macrae reiterated,

“Now we have to keep on the pressure, and make sure that what was started is continued.”

Commenting on the issue of deaths during the entire phase of the war, Frances Harrison, said,

“I think it’s an incredible positive thing if it can be done in a transparent and credible way. But for that to have any meaning in Sri Lanka, it would have to have some sort of international observer or involvement.”

Policy advisor for Freedom From Torture, Sonya Sceats, outlined that currently Sri Lanka was producing the most torture cases worldwide.

Regarding allegations that torture evidence were fabricated for asylum claims, Sceats said,

“Unfortunately this is a rumor that we hear a lot. To this day we have not seen a shred of evidence that supports this claim. The UK border agency finally agreed to remove that allegation after we challenged it, but unfortunately the rumour still circulates in the tribunal.”

“All of our doctors examining courses are required to consider if there is fabrication. We have produced over 120 reports of victims that were tortured in the aftermath of the conflict. This is a claim that has no basis."

Responding to a question regarding the systematic nature of torture, Francis Harrison, outlined the need for an independent investigation into the torture and that there was enough investigation for the UK to investigate the cases and trace back accountability.

Callum Macrae went on to say,

“The nature of the sexual assaults, executions within such a disciplined army means you can trace the responsibility in command right to the very top.”

Concluding comments on the ongoing ethnic re-engineering and oppression in the North-East, Callum said,

“The continued failure of the international community to provide justice for the Tamils could result in another armed conflict.”

TNA Sampanthan Speech to parliament 28 Nov 2013

(The Hon.  R.  Sampanthan)-Posted on November 29, 2013

Mr. Deputy Speaker, I am happy to follow the Hon. Minister of  External Affairs, the Hon. (Prof.) G.L. Peiris. His Excellency the President in  his capacity as  Minister of  Finance has presented his 9th Budget. When he presented his 9th Budget,  he  had also  assumed  duties as  Chairman of the Commonwealth. This would, no doubt, entail additional  duties and responsibilities, which hopefully would have a beneficial impact  on governance in  this country.

TNA Sampanthan Speech to Parliament 28 Nov 2013 by nelvely

What Is Fundamentally Wrong With The 2014 Budget?

 by Laksiri Fernando 

( November 29, 2013, Sydney, Sri Lanka Guardian) The economic fundamentals overtly appear strong in the 2014 budget with the objectives of reducing the debt rate, budgetary deficit and sustaining a reasonable growth rate. That is when we look at the budget from a conventional economic point of view or a ‘bourgeoisie’ stand point, to be more precise. But what is the point of a budget in a developing country like Sri Lanka if it doesn’t address the key challenges in the socio-political system, not to speak of any socialist or progressive objectives? 

This article focuses on the budget’s implications on the provincial council system or the country’s fiscal devolution. 

What is Fundamentally Wrong With the 2014 Budget by nelvely

Submission To Missing Persons Commission

By Chandra Jayaratne -November 29, 2013 |

Chandra Jayaratne

Mr. H. W. Gunadasa

Secretary to the Commission,

The Commission to Investigate into Complaints Regarding Missing Persons,

9/8. Suranimala Place,

Colombo 6.

Dear Sir,

Submission to the Commission to Investigate into Complaints Regarding Missing Persons

In terms of the invitation published in the Media under your hand, dated 31^st October 2013, calling for written submissions, I am pleased to make the under noted submissions:

The Commission should interpret the scope of its Terms of Reference as set out in the Warrant issued by His Excellency the President, taking cognizance of the reasons and historical background leading to the appointment of the Commission, the expressed recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission and the expectations of the family members of missing persons.

As the main intention of the investigation is to systematically address all complaints of missing persons, the Commission needs to initially make public, a certified list of complaints of missing persons followed by verification whether such persons are living, dead or in legal custody through an investigation of the  their current status and their likely whereabouts, where applicable. The Commission also needs to extend the scope of their terms of reference to include the investigation of, where necessary, the circumstances leading to disappearances and the associated failure of law enforcement personnel in upholding the rule of law. In addition the Commission should address issues of legal redress and compensation to family members for death or disappearance of their loved ones.

Other significant consequences of disappearances which need to be addressed are livelihood support to families, safety, security and assistance in obtaining death certificates where applicable. Psychosocial support and rehabilitation treatment to family, where necessary, in addressing post traumatic stress disorders should also receive the attention of the Commission. State assistance is important to fulfill funeral rites in bringing finality to loss of loved ones in order to fulfill the envisaged process of truth and reconciliation.

Read More

Fr Johnpillai reveals details of death threat by alleged SL operatives

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 November 2013, 17:21 GMT]
Parish Priest of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Trincomalee, on Thursday, described, in an email released to media through the Catholic mission sources in the East how two armed men, claiming to be Sri Lankan intelligence operatives threatened him on 26 November. When the priest asked them to show proof, they refused. But, as the questioning was rapidly becoming a heated argument, one of the operatives suddenly told the priest that he would give him proof of his identity, caught Fr Johnpillai by his priestly garb, pushed him against the wall pointing a pistol at his head and threatening to shoot him. 

Full text of the report on the incident by Rev. Fr. S. S. Johnpillai, the parish priest of Guadalupe Church in Trincomalee, follows:

Fr S.S. Johnpillai

On 26th November evening I was in the cabana attached to the parish house reading the newspapers. There was no one in the church premises as it was dark already, the helpers who do the cleaning and the sacristan were busy elsewhere. 

Unexpectedly two men appeared out of nowhere wanting to meet the parish priest and asking me whether I am him. I said I was. One of them said they would like to question me. They did not introduce themselves and I thought I should ask them who they were in order to verify their identity. 

I was told that they were from the intelligence unit but they have me no proof. They rudely instructed me to answer their questions and not inquire about them. I refused to reply to their questions unless they revealed proof of their identity. They became furious and used filthy language.

They accused me of saying a mass to honour the birthday of the LTTE leader Mr. V. Prabhakaran at 0600 hours that day, which I denied. I did not however deny that I had the usual daily mass that I always have during the weekdays.

As a priest it is my obligation to offer mass and I did so without fail. 

Adding to the accusation, they went on to accuse the Catholic priests from Jaffna and Mannar of being anti-government and pro-LTTE saying they were leading the flock astray. Likewise Catholic priests in Trincomalee who make efforts to join their colleagues in other Tamil dioceses. 

I rejected their statement, reiterating that we do our duty as a Catholic priest tending to the flock as a shepherd.

They replied that they knew me very well and said when I was in Muttur parish I tried to disturb religious harmony by preventing Muslims from buying Tamil land close to the church. 

Having said that, they began to abuse me with filthy words. The discussion was rapidly becoming a heated argument, when one of them suddenly said to me he would give me proof of his identity and caught me by my priestly garb and pushed me against the wall and pointed his pistol at my head, threatening to shoot me.

I was speechless in shock and fell to the ground as they left, promising to return with a superior officer half an hour later. I was warned that I should not go out until they returned and they threatened me not to inform the police officers in the police post next to the church. I followed them and managed to note down the motorbike number they used. Unfortunately there was no license plate. The conversation I had with them was in Sinhala in which I am able to converse fluently. But I realised that one of them who spoke Sinhala did not appear to me Sinhalese because of his accent; he introduced himself as Safreer.

When they left the church premises I called the Bishop’s vicar and vicar general over the phone passing on the information, and they in return informed the police officer in charge of the area. But the police could not identify the perpetrators.

Wigneswaran spurns Devananda’s invitation to co-chair NP DDCs

by Shamindra Ferdinando-November 28, 2013, 12:00 pm 

EPDP leader Douglas Devananda wants the Northern Province Chief Minister, retired Justice C. V. Wigneswaran, to co-chair District Development Councils (DDCs) in the Northern Province, in accordance with the government’s wish to work closely with the recently elected Northern Provincial Council (NPC) administration.

Before the first NPC polls, Minister Devananda shared the responsibility with Northern Province Governor, Maj. Gen. (redt) G. A. Chandrasiri, one-time Security Forces Commander, Jaffna.

Minister Devananda said that CM Wigneswaran could succeed Northern Governor Chadrasiri.

Minister Devananda was responding to a query by The Island in the wake of CM Wigneswaran boycotting the Jaffna and Kilinochchi DDC meetings on Nov 19 and 20, respectively.

The five-party Tamil National Alliance (TNA) won the first Northern PC poll on Sept 21. Minister Devananda said that irrespective of political differences they would have to work together at district as well as provincial level for the benefit of the northerners.

Of the 38-member NPC, the TNA secured 30, including two bonus seats, whereas the UPFA and the SLMC shared the remaining eight seats.

Minister Devananda urged CM Wigneswaran not to spurn an opportunity to work together.

TNA sources told The Island that the party was of the view that the NPC could work on its own.

OHCHR launched today a new guide for civil society on how to follow up HR recommendations

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights launched a new guide for civil society on how to follow up HR recommendations. It may offer good examples on how to increase the efficiency and visibility of international procedures and standarts at the national level.

Monday, 18 November 2013, by Belarusian HRH

This Guide, issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), focuses on how civil society can follow up on recommendations of United Nations (UN) human rights mechanisms and mandates or bodies.

The Guide also refers to tools to facilitate civil society follow-up activities.  It is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

The new the Practical Guide for civil society on how to follow up on United Nations human rights recommendations describes methods and activities that civil society actors can use to promote the implementation of human rights recommendations as well as existing follow-up procedures and practices of UN human rights mechanisms and how civil society can participate.

Complemented by real experiences contributed by civil society actors and OHCHR field presences, the Guide offers a menu of options from which civil society actors can select on the basis of their own priorities and capacity.

The Guide is being translated into Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish. The High Commissioner for Human Rights will launch the Guide in an event in Geneva to which you are invited. The launch will take place on Friday 29 November from 16.00 to 17.30 in Palais des Nations, room XXIII, Geneva.

***
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is a United Nations agency that works to promote and protect the human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. The office was established by the UN General Assembly on 20 December 1993 in the wake of the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights.

HowtoFollowUNHRRecommendations h by nelvely

Sara Demands Apology From Lankadeepa; Denies CBK – Sunethra – Special Canadian Rep Meeting Story

November 29, 2013 

Denying the story carried by the Sinhala daily Lankadeepa “Karaliye Perali” Column, Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu says that he was out of Sri Lanka from the 10^th to the 17^thNovember and never met with any “special representatives “from Canada on the beaches of Koggala before the CHOGM or since.

Lankadeepa Columnist wrote; Dr. Saravanamuttu along with former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Ms. Sunethra Bandaranaike engaged in a “special discussion on the politics of the country” on the “Koggala beaches “with “special representatives “ from Canada.

We publish below the letter to Lankadeepa in full;

Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu – Executive Director – CPA

Mr. Siri Ranasinghe

The Editor

Lankadeepa

Wijeya Newspapers Ltd

08 Hunupitiya Cross Road

Colombo 02.

29.11.2013

Dear Sir,

I am writing to you with regard to a reference to me in your newspaper of today in a Column titled “Karaliye Perali” by Ranjana.

The reference to me states that during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held recently in Colombo, I, along with former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Ms. Sunethra Bandaranaike engaged in a “special discussion on the politics of the country” on the “Koggala beaches “with “special representatives “ from Canada.  Your columnist goes on to state

“We have come to know that the government and the President were subjected to severe criticism in this discussion.

The above reference to me in a newspaper that claims to uphold the highest standards of media professionalism and ethics is indeed both shocking and depressing.  The reference to me demonstrates a shoddy disregard for accuracy in reportage. I was out of Sri Lanka from the 10^th to the 17^thNovember and never met with any “special representatives “from Canada on the beaches of Koggala before the CHOGM or since.

Accordingly, please publish this letter in full in the next edition of your newspaper and with the same prominence accorded to the column in which the reference to me appears.  Furthermore as a newspaper that claims to engage in serious journalism, I expect your organization will also publish an apology for this blatantly inaccurate and misleading reportage concerning me.

Please note, if my letter is not published as requested, I will have no choice but to consider recourse to other means of ensuring my rights are protected.

In the public interest, I will be releasing this letter to the media.

Yours sincerely

Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu

The Channel 4 ‘documentary’

By Neville Ladduwahetty- November 28, 2013,

President Mahinda Rajapaksa meeting a Channel 4 journalist in Colombo during the recently-concluded CHOGM

Issues raised in the C4 Documentary will not go away, as they are driven by political imperatives of Governments such as UK, Canada and India, and not by the truth. These imperatives are influenced by constituencies in countries where they have the potential to tip political fortunes of Governments one way or another.

Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron is reported to have stated:"I was very clear that we need a proper independent inquiry into what happened, particularly at the end of the war, which C4 proved with that excellent documentary showing some truly chilling and appalling scenes"(Sunday Island, November 17, 2013). Another report in the same paper states: "Let me be very clear if an investigation is not completed by March, then I will use our position on the UN Human Rights Commission and call for a full, credible and independent international inquiry".

The Channel 4 ‘documentary’ by nelvely

SRI LANKA: Realities Of An 'International Investigation'

Parasaran Rangarajan for Salem-News.com-Nov-28-2013

It is pertinent that anyone calling for an international investigation do so under the powers of Article 99 of the UN Charter routing this through the UNSG instead of the UNHRC for more effective action and avoiding political factors...

Mahinda Rajapaksa has opted for an internal investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Sri Lankan troops during the conflict with the Tamil Tiger rebels [EPA]

(COLOMBO, Sri Lanka) - It is important to point out that nobody should have any illusions of where an "international investigation", if conducted through the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC), is leading to. If an international investigation is commissioned by the UNHRC as promised by March 2014, it does not mean the Rajapaksas will be taken to court the next day. Just a normal murder trial can take years so you can imagine a trial for genocide and how much evidence will need to be presented.

SRI LANKA Realities of an 'International Investigation' by nelvely

The holy and the unholy

Editorial-November 28, 2013,

Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has, at a meeting with the UNP Leadership Council members, lambasted an alleged government move to set up a ‘casino city’ north of Colombo, while calling for the abolition of the executive presidency among other things. Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera, too, has flayed the government for trying to open up gambling dens. This kind of activism on the part of religious leaders is to be appreciated at a time when the Opposition is in disarray and the UPFA juggernaut is careening down the hill. There has to be some countervailing force against a government with a steamroller majority.

One couldn’t agree with the Cardinal more! But, the question is where to find a principled political leader who really wants to scrap the executive presidency. One may have to conduct a search for such a person with the help of a lighted lantern in broad daylight a la Diogenes. Politicians want that institution abolished only when they are in the Opposition. That was a main plank of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s platform during the 2005 presidential election campaign. President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga also made a similar pledge before coming to power. Gen. Sarath Fonseka promised to do away with the executive presidency when he challenged President Rajapaksa in the presidential race in 2010, but he changed his tune subsequently when he thought victory was within sight.

It is not being argued that the executive presidency should be retained or the Opposition should stop campaigning against it. The point we are trying to make is that none of the present-day politicians could be trusted as they have at heart anything but the national interest. Democrats who fight for people’s rights metamorphose into dictators upon being voted into power or when their interests are threatened even while they are in the Opposition as could be seen from the current power struggle in the UNP. Luckily for politicians their election manifestoes aren’t legally binding and their promises are not taken seriously by the voting public.

Urging the incumbent president to abolish the executive presidency is an exercise in futility. Politicians thirst for power, and now that the presidential term limit has been removed, no president will ever want to let go of executive powers. However, if the Opposition gets its act together it could reduce the executive president to a mere figurehead.

When J. R. Jayewardene was President, Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa lamented in Parliament that a peon had more powers than he. But, the executive president becomes a peon to all intents and purposes when his or her party loses power in parliament; the prime minister becomes the de facto president in such a situation. We saw this happen in 2001, when the UNP-led UNF formed a government; President Kumaratunga was not only reduced to a peon, as it were, but also harassed at Cabinet meetings which she chaired ex officio.

The UNF government blundered by capitulating to the LTTE and compromising national security in the process. Else, it could have checkmated CBK without enabling her to use the draconian constitutional provision which allows the President to dissolve a government one year after its formation, to sack it. If the UNP rectifies its mistakes and works itself into the ground again, it may be able to turn the tables on the government as it did in 2001.

One cannot but agree with the Cardinal on the need to oppose government’s efforts to build what the Opposition calls a casino economy with the help of some wealthy foreigners. But, what about the existing casinos run by locals? We see quite a number of them with ornate portals guarded by bouncers in the city. Why are the vociferous anti-casino activists silent on these places? Most of all, horse racing has ruined many families whose heads bring home not the bacon but the so-called race paper. Why hasn’t there been any campaign against ubiquitous bookies? Let these questions be posed to the religious and political leaders going at full tilt to keep Packer at bay while their campaign against social evils is commended.