Thursday, April 10, 2014

Short interview with Luwie Ganeshathasan on UNHRC Resolution on Sri Lanka

by CENTRE FOR POLICY ALTERNATIVES on Apr 9, 2014

Luwie Ganeshathasan, Researcher with the Legal and Constitutional Unit at CPA, discusses the UNHRC’s resolution on Sri Lanka, issues around compliance, the concept of sovereignty and the best way forward for Sri Lanka.

“This concept that sovereignty is absolute and no other international country or international forum has the right to intervene in the internal affairs of a particular country is a bit outdated because there is general recognition that grave violations of human rights or violations of human rights of people in one particular country affect the global community as a whole…”

Jinxing the game

“Our cricket embodied everything in our lives, our laughter and tears, our hospitality our generosity, our music, our food and drink. It was normality and hope and inspiration in a war-ravaged island. In it was our culture and heritage, enriched by our myriad ethnicities and religions. In it we were untouched, at least for a while, by petty politics and division. It is indeed a pity that life is not cricket” – Kumar Sangakkara, MCC Spirit of Cricket Lecture, 2011

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is a true Sri Lankan hero in many respects.

As the Head of Sri Lanka’s first post-war Government, the Mahinda Rajapaksa story evokes much political romanticism. The quintessential ‘ape miniha,’ he is the Sinhalese hero who started life in a remote southern village and rose to the highest echelons of power in Colombo.
Jinxing the Game by nelvely

The Congenial Relationship Between Cricket, Chauvinism And National Oppression

By Athithan Jayapalan -April 10, 2014 |

Athithan Jayapalan

The Sri Lankan victory at the T20 Cricket World Cup on 06.04.2014 was marked with an outburst of euphoria all around the Sri Lankan south. What can be observed during the celebrations is the heavy reproduction of major state symbols such as the Sri Lankan flag, and the national emblem, the Sinhala lion, and nationalist slogans. The notion and idea of the nation state is in effect legitimized, reproduced and perpetuated through the large public veneration of Sri Lanka. By evocating national feeling and solidarity centered on the state and its symbols, the public is embodying the national spirit which the nationalist discourse espouses. When the glorified state is involved in unfettered national oppression, the public also becomes dangerously implicated in legitimizing its actions. For the Sri Lankan state national public celebrations become intrinsic in empowering the state and perpetuating its national projects; a genocidal regime in the Tamil homeland in the North-East and a dictatorial rule in the Sinhala south.

Incidentally such triumphant moods in the south were also observable during the last war, reaching its zenith on 18.05.2009, upon the conclusion of the genocidal massacres at Mulluvaykal. As the war ravaged the north, entire Tamil villages were eradicated, and thousands of Tamil civilians were mercilessly slaughtered and maimed by the deliberate government bombardment. In contrast the south witnessed the ecstatic Sinhalese who took to the streets with the lion flag and chanted patriotic slogans cheering their armed forces in the war against the Tamils. For every Tamil village that burned, the south would embark upon a heightened carnival of festivities and rejoice. This was a historical point at which Sinhala chauvinism was manifest in its most crystallized form, with conquest, genocide and national subjugation being the crux of state ceremony, national identity, prestige and public veneration.

The annual 19^th of May Victory Day staged by the state to mark its “victory over terrorism” has since 2009 been a national event which more blatantly displays the Sri Lankan public participation in the celebration of the state violence against Tamils. Aligned with state propaganda such public actions promote discourses and actions which brazenly deny genocide and silence Tamil grievances. Moreover it reaffirms the Sinhala nationalist ideology which denies Tamils nationhood, demonizes their resistance, suppresses their collective memories and represses Tamil demands for justice and equality. The lavish military parade draws large public attention and the subsequent display of military might annually revokes the lingering of a triumphant Sinhala chauvinism among the Sri Lankan citizens.

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2014, 21:47 GMT]
A key operative of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s ruling UPFA and two of his close associates have been arrested in Mullaiththeevu by the SL police on 05 April following reports from Australia that they were operating a human trafficking agency. The UPFA operative, who is a close confidante of Namal Rajapaksa, was identified as 45-year-old Arul Jenyberd, who lost in the NPC elections on UPFA ticket. In the meantime, the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) has arrested a group of fishermen on the following day at Polika’ndi in Point Pedro on allegations that they had bought a boat from money obtained from overseas, in an attempt to project them as having ‘LTTE’ connections. More than 50 people have been arrested within the last 5 weeks on various allegations by the TID.

Earlier, the occupying SL military had installed Arul Jenyberd as the president of Mullaiththeevu Fisheries Society.

More than 15 million rupees in the possession of the society during the times of the de-facto state run by the LTTE, was withdrawn from various bank accounts and exploited by the occupying Colombo through the UPFA operative, informed sources told TamilNet.

Four others, including two of his close associates, 38-year-old Mariyathas Fredrick Johnsen and 34-year-old Mariyathas Antony, have also been detained on the same day.

The other three of the arrested are 32-year-old Anton Iruthayarasa Selvarasa, 45-year-old Vincent Mariyathas Alakarasa and 53-year-old Nakappu Michaelpillai.

The arrests come in the wake of reports coming from Australia demanding action against the individuals. There are also lawsuits being filed by affected victims who have returned to the island, the sources further said.

After exploiting the UPFA-aligned individuals from Mullaiththeevu, Colombo is now ‘punishing’ a section of them to divert any attention on UPFA leaders involvement in the human trafficking project. The SL Navy is also getting a share of the income.

However, the TID is attempting, as usual, to divert the attention away from the Mullaiththeevu group towards another group of fishermen who were detained on Sunday at Point Pedro. Two of them, 47-year-old Reginold Pathirinathan and 38-year-old Vincent Benedict Pathirinathan belong to the same family. In the meantime, another member of the same family, 30-year-old Alamenro Pathirinatha has also been arrested, the sources in Vadamaraadchi said.

In Thenmaraadchi, a manger of a Cooperative Society at Meesaalai and two of his family members have been detained by the SL police. The SL police is not providing on the whereabouts of those who were taken away.

The SL military and its TID have arrested more than 50 people on various charges within the last 5 weeks.

Rejected Tamil asylum seeker self-immolates in Sydney

10 APRIL 2014

A Tamil asylum-seeker set himself on fire in Sydney Wednesday (09) night after his appeal for refugee status was rejected.

BY TREVOR GRANT
The man, believed to be in his late 20s, was taken to Concord Hospital after dousing himself in petrol outside his workplace in Balmain and setting himself alight. He has burns to about 98 per cent of his body. He is in an induced coma, having undergone at least two skin-graft operations. Doctors have told friends to organise for his 65-year-old mother and his brother to come to Australia urgently.

A friend, Balasingham Prabhakaran, said today the man, who is from the Batticaloa region in eastern Sri Lanka, had received a letter from the Immigration department telling him his application for a protection visa in Australia had been rejected and he must to return to Sri Lanka. He has been living in the community on a bridging visa for at least 18 months after fleeing Sri Lanka because of threats from authorities.

“He has told me he has a genuine fear about being sent back to Sri Lanka,” said Prabhakaran, who runs a 24-hour Tamil radio station in Sydney, Inbathamil Oli.

“He was very disillusioned after getting the letter on Tuesday. He rang many of his friends to say ‘hi’, and then after he finished his work as an office cleaner about 8.30 p.m., he went outside, and set himself alight. Apparently he swallowed the petrol before pouring it on himself. A number of workers from a nearby shipyard came to his aid, pouring water on him and trying to put out the flames.

“He had the can of petrol in his bag. It was obviously planned. They also found the rejection letter from Immigration and a two-page suicide note in his bag.”

Tamil Refugee Council spokesman, Aran Mylvaganam, said this sad case was further proof that the Australian government’s refugee policy was creating desperation among refugee and asylum-seeker communities. “I suppose the Minister for Immigration will just shrug this off as more collateral damage in the war on asylum-seekers,” he said.

© JDS

Sri Lanka inquiry: a Tamil asylum-seeker speaks

As an international inquiry on the bloodshed in Sri Lanka in 2009 looms, one Tamil asylum-seeker explains why it matters to him.

From Sri Lanka to Stormont: Gee addressing a Human Rights Day event last year on “what rights mean to you”. Photo / Alice Neeson. Creative Commons.

ROBIN WILSON 9 April 2014

The United Nations Human Rights Council last month mandated the UN high commissioner for human rights, NaviPillay, to carry out an investigation into Sri Lanka, where government has resisted any independent scrutiny of the events at the end of the state’s war against the Tamil Tigers in 2009, when tens of thousands are thought to have died.

What would this mean to the many Tamil diaspora dispersed across the globe? One young Tamil, who has fetched up in another of the world’s trouble-spots, spoke to openSecurity.

"The profound truth is that there cannot be a credible inquiry in Sri Lanka by its own government, which has effectively destroyed the independent judicial system.”

Geerthanshan (‘Gee’) Manoharan has been living in Belfast since 2012. As a teenager, Gee took a lead from his father, a prominent human-rights activist, and began to campaign on human-rights issues, highlighting the plight of families of missing persons. A number of young people have been “disappeared” from his home town in Sri Lanka.

Effective campaign

In Northern Ireland he has made many friends through volunteering with organisations like Conservation Volunteers and Habitat for Humanity. He has become a key member of the Belfast Friendship Club, an integration initiative set up by the South Belfast Roundtable. At Belfast City Hall last September, on UN International Day of Peace, the youth charity Springboard presented him with a Community Inspiration medal, describing him as “a perfect Northern Ireland ambassador for peace”. Earlier in the year, an effective campaign, “Belfast Needs Gee”, was mounted when he was threatened with deportation, garnering wide public and political support.

Gee told openSecurity: “With all my heart I want this International inquiry to be heard, mainly to restore justice against all the human-rights abuses made by both parties during the last civil war and the ongoing disappearances and violence against innocent individuals and human-rights defenders.”

At the Commonwealth heads of government meeting held controversially in Colombo last November, the UK prime minister, David Cameron, had urged the Sri Lankan government to mount an independent inquiry on war crimes. “But our government simply cannot or will not do so, because the first accused would have to be the president and his brothers. The profound truth is that there cannot be a credible inquiry in Sri Lanka by its own government, which has effectively destroyed the independent judicial system.”

Gee went on: “So I personally believe that the international inquiry can make a huge difference for lots of individuals and families who are spending most of their time in intense sorrow. I have sought sanctuary in a country far away from where I was born, I’ve nowhere to go and I’m waiting in limbo.

“It’s the same for so many other people anxious to return to their homeland—if only they could do so without fear. Yet just recently the Sri Lankan government banned 16 groups and more than 400 people, almost every one of Tamil origin, were blacklisted.”

“Genuine concern”

Paul Hainsworth is chair of the Belfast group of Amnesty International and one of its network of country co-ordinators, covering Indonesia. He has come to know Gee personally through the Belfast Friendship Club and Gee addressed the Belfast Amnesty group in January. At the event, he highlighted the difficult human-rights situation in his native country and pointed to the challenges facing citizens in securing justice.

Hainsworth said: “Participants got the clear impression of engaging with a serious and compassionate young man who had a genuine concern for the future of his country and for the plight of his fellow countrymen and peers—both within the country and those in danger of being returned there.”

Exam Dept has still not paid teachers who

marked O’ level answer scripts - JVP union

By Dasun Edirisinghe-April 9, 2014, 10:23 pm

Teachers who evaluated the answer script of the G.C.E. Ordinary Level examination three months ago yesterday accused the Examinations Department of so far failing to pay their remuneration for the work they did even after releasing the results of the examination last week.

General Secretary of Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU) Mahinda Jayasinghe told The Islandthat nearly 40,000 teachers engaged in answer script evaluation fromDecember 31 to January 24, during which they even met their expenses out of pocket.

"Some of our teachers went to answer script evaluation while in difficult circumstances, including breastfeeding or being pregnant due to lack of teachers for the paper marking," he said adding but the department had still not done its duty.

GCE (O/L) examination was held from Dec. 10 to 20 at 4300 centres countrywide. Answer script evaluation was held in two stages, from Dec. 31 to Jan. 07 and fromJan. 16 to 24 at 103 centres in 51 towns. Nearly 40,000 teachers had evaluated nearly 11 million answer scripts.

Jayasinghe said that some teachers came for the marking from long distances to the evaluation centres, but the department did not pay even their bus fare at the time.

"We sent a letter to the Examinations Department asking payment at least before the Sinhala and Tamil New Year," he added.

When contacted for comment, Commissioner General of Examinations W. M. N. J. Pushpakumara said that there was a delay, but the department was in the process of posting the payment cheques.

"We already sent cheques to 80% of the teachers who evaluated papers and the rest would be sent shortly," Pushpakumara said adding that sometimes there might be delays in the postal service if teachers had not received cheques so far.

Sri Lanka: Massive supplementary allocation sought for bullet proof vehicles

Wednesday, April 09, 2014

The Presidential Secretariat has sought the approval of parliament for a Rs. 206,464,210 supplementary allocation to purchase bullet proof vehicles for security purposes of VVIPs.

The supplementary estimate was presented to Parliament yesterday by Chief Government Whip and Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

Approval was also sought for a further supplementary estimate of Rs. 524,000,000 to meet the shortfall of provisions for paying interest on leased vehicles to facilitate all government institutions.

Apart from those, approval has been sought for a supplementary allocation of Rs. 2,292,570,000 for the Ministry of Economic Development to settle the commitments of the development programmes implemented under the projects of Divi Neguma, Gamaneguma, development of thousand secondary schools for five thousand primary schools, Uthuru Wasanthaya, Sabaragamuwa Arunalokaya, Rajarata Navodaya, Kandurata Udanaya, Wayamba Pubuduwa, Pubudamu Wellassa, Batahira Ran Aruna, and Ruhunu Udanaya.

The approval of Parliament was also asked for a further supplementary allocation of Rs. 1,300,000,000 to implement development programmes in line with the Deyata Kirula Exhibition 2014.

By Saman Indrajith

Secret talks to field Sanga as common candidate!

Thursday, 10 April 2014

Three bigshots of the UNP and a man who had crossed over to strengthen the hands of the president have had a secret discussion at a special room at Hotel Hilton while having a round of drinks to field popular and senior cricketer lawyer Kumar Sangakkara as the common opposition candidate at the next presidential election.

According to reports reaching us, this meeting had been coordinated by Gamini Abeyratne alias ‘Taxi Abey.’

Representing the UNP there were a former chairman, a Muslim leader and an administrative head. Working director of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board Gamini Gunaratne, aka ‘Batta’, has booked the special room for the meeting through the hotel’s chairman Thiru Nadesan.

However, the ex-UNP chairman has ridiculed the idea, and stressed the only common opposition candidate available is Ranil Wickremesinghe. Before that, there should be a close relationship built up between Ranil and Sajith Premadasa, in order for which the latter should be given the deputy leadership of the party, he has said.

All those present agreed as one that the entire party should be made united through contributions by Sajith if Ranil is to run for the president. Accordingly, it was decided at that meeting to raise the matter with Ranil as soon as he returns from his US tour.

Buddhism, Sinhala-Buddhism And Rajapaksa-Buddhism

| by Tisaranee Gunasekara

“Do not use the (Buddhist) robes to talk about the problems of Muslim people…. This Monk-hood cannot be given to Muslims….”

Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara Thero (Disrupting a press conference by Buddhist monks and Muslim cleric s- Nippon Hotel, Colombo – 9.4.2014)

( April 10, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Ven. Ranthiligama Ratnajothi Thero passed away last month.

Buddhism, Sinhala-Buddhism and Rajapaksa-Buddhism by nelvely

‘Top UK Diplomat In Sri Lanka Intervenes In Drug Peddling Case’ The Hindu Exclusively Reports

April 10, 2014

The Hindu exclusively reports today that the Deputy High Commissioner at the British mission in Colombo had said a suspect arrested in connection with a high-profile case of drug trafficking was an informant to one of Britain’s officers in India.

Robbie Bulloch – Deputy High Commissioner

We publish below the Hindu story in full;

The interest shown by a British diplomat in Colombo, in what seems to be a high-profile case of drug trafficking involving suspects from at least three countries, has raised eyebrows here.

On April 3, the Deputy High Commissioner at the British mission in Colombo sought an appointment with the Inspector-General of Police N.K. Illangakoon to discuss a recent heroin seizure. The diplomat had said a suspect arrested in connection with the case was an informant to one of Britain’s officers in India.

When The Hindu asked the British High Commission for a response, officials there declined to comment.

Confirming that the British mission sought a meeting with him, Mr. Illangakoon said: “Since the investigation is not complete, I told them I would prefer to meet them once it is over.”

It all began on March 6 when Sri Lankan Customs officials confiscated 35 kg of heroin at the Colombo harbour. Soon after, they handed over the case to the narcotics wing for further investigation, Mr. Illangakoon said on Wednesday.

Less than two weeks into the probe, police arrested three persons in connection with the case — a Pakistani national visiting Sri Lanka, a Canadian citizen of Sri Lankan origin, and a Sri Lankan national.

On March 18, police arrested the Pakistani national, then in Kandy, on charges of drug peddling. The drug consignment seized, Mr. Illangakoon said, was in the suspect’s name.

The following day, the police arrested the Canadian citizen on charges of aiding the Pakistani national escape to Kandy. The two were frequent visitors to Sri Lanka, according to the senior police official. “We are looking for some more suspects, we have almost cracked the case,” Mr. Illangakoon said.

While links between the British mission here, one of the suspects – the one said to be the informant to an officer in India – and the prime suspect remain unclear, the Inspector General maintained they had “sufficient evidence” to question the suspect in connection with this case.

Courtesy Meera Sirinivasan/ The Hindu

Duminda reveals real state of the miracle

Thursday, 10 April 2014

SLFP youth wing leader, Education Services Minister Duminda Dissanayake has spoken of the real state of the miracle that Sri Lanka has become.

He has said that on the path of becoming the miracle of Asia, people in Sri Lanka have lost their human qualities.

Dissanayake has made this comment at an event in Anuradhapura.

“There are no large numbers of murders, rapes and extortions taking place in the country. We sometimes wonder why this has happened to our country. We are all in a grave danger. There are ports and airports being constructed. We are ready to engage in a development drive and make Sri Lanka the wonder of Asia, but the people in our country are losing their human qualities,” the Minister has observed.

Bebedhu Gnanassara and BBS terrorists violently disrupt maiden meeting of Jathika Bala Sena fostering religious amity

(Lanka-e-News-10.April.2014, 7.30AM) During the maiden meeting held yesterday by the Jathika (National) Bala Sena , a movement that has been launched jointly by Ven. Watareka Vijitha Thero and the Muslim community aimed at fostering religious unity and amity was most viciously disrupted by Bebedu Sena sangha hooligan and the Bodhu Bala terrorists representing the paramilitary group of Gotabaya Rajapakse who broke into the meeting most violently.

Bodhu Bala terrorists have chased away the participating Muslim group. As usual the police have been standing idle and watching or rather enjoying the rowdy murderous conduct of the Bodhu Bala Sena’s (BBS) when they were forcibly chasing out the participants of the meeting. Ven. Vijitha Thero who could not any longer tolerate the BBS hooliganism had announced he is terminating the meeting and dispersed the crowd.

May we recall that Lanka e news earlier on at the beginning of this monk terrorism in the country by the powers that be from the behind the scenes ,warned that this extremist monk group –the BBS which is launching attacks on other religions and followers will soon begin attacking the other monks of the same Buddhist faith. This prophesy has come true today.

The phorographs herein depict a number of scenes of rowdy murderous conduct of the terrorist Buddhist monks spawned by Gotabaya Rajapakse. Meanwhile the leader of the BBS (terrorist monk leader ) Bebedhu Gnanassara sangha murderer had phoned the police headquarters and said he wished to meet the IGP urgently yesterday and whether the IGP would have the time to give an appointment. When he failed he had in his characteristic style berated the police officer who answered the phone in the choicest foul language. The police officer at the other end had replied, ‘ it does not matter who you are . First and foremost learn to speak in a civilized manner.’ Gnanassara who is by birth shameless like animals though he wears a robe having no choice and accustomed to humiliation even at the hands of pavement pimps had terminated the call .

JVP Condemns Inaction Of Police, Says Clear Indication Of State Sponsoring The BBS

April 10, 2014

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna ( JVP) in a statement issued to the media said that the fact that the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) could threaten and disrupt yesterdays media conference in the presence of the Police was a clear indication that the organisation actions are state sponsored.

The JVP leader

“The fact that the BBS could do all this in the very presence of the Police clearly shows that their actions are state sponsored. The government should immediately take action to prevent incidents of this sort which are a threat to democracy and national unity from occuring” the statement said.

The strongly worded statement which denounced the actions of the ( BBS) said that the abuse and threats hurled at the monks of the Jathika Bala Sena poses a serious threat to the status of the rule of law.

Earlier the convener of the Jathika Bala Sena Ven.Watareka Vijhitha Thero was abused and forced into apologising and disbanding his organisation.

However, the thero thereafter lodging a complaint said that he feared for his life and made the apology under coercion.

Ven. Vijitha was ealier assaulted allegedly by the BBS and was hospitalised due to his vociferous criticism of the organisation.

Gnanasara Thero summoned by police

April 10, 2014

General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) organisation, Venerable Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara Thero has been asked to be present at the Slave Island Police Station on April 12, for allegedly threatening a Buddhist monk.

The controversial hard-line Buddhist group yesterday (9) stormed a media conference held by the ‘Jathika Bala Sena’ organisation and verbally attacked a Buddhist monk.

Police said that following a complaint lodged by the organization the Venerable Thero has been asked to be present at the Police Station in order to record a statement.

BBS representatives had disrupted the press briefing and had verbally abused a members of the Buddhist clergy while forcing a monk to apologise on camera.

Opposition parties such as the JVP and the UNP have condemned the incident while the former in a statement said that the presence of police officers when it happened only confirmed the government’s endorsement of such behavior.

Hadda bans Wijayadasa’s songs!

Thursday, 10 April 2014

None of the songs composed by UNP MP, president’s counsel Wijayadasa Rajapakshe should be aired over Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, its chairman Hudson Samarasinghe has ordered.

He has raised hell at SLBC, threatening strong action against those who had aired Rajapakshe’s songs without obtaining his permission.

“Mind you, the president has told me not to carry Wijayadasa’s songs. That is an order by the president. I have told division heads about that. But, some days ago, one of his songs had been aired, saying it was a New Year song. I will find out those responsible. There will be no pardon. I will kick their asses and sack them.”

Chairman Hudson has resorted to such behaviour to take revenge from certain persons who had ridiculed him at the SLBC canteen.

These persons have said among themselves to loud laughter, “When the Japanese bombed Colombo, this fellow must had died after aggravating his madness. That is why he has come here again and running crazy. Anyway, his parents should be thanked for having named him ‘Hadda.” Someone present there at the time had told chairman Hudson about the incident.

Unable to take disciplinary action for having ridiculed him, he has targeted one person among that group to level the allegation that the UNP MP’s songs were being aired.

Upon inquiry, we found that the SLBC has banned the airing of three songs composed by Wijayadasa Rajapakshe.

One of them is ‘Madhumal Yaya’ composed for this New Year and sung by Uresha Ravihari and Edward Jayakody. ‘Senkada Siri Dalada Purawara’, which was the first song to be aired in the 2010 Wesak Zone attended by the president and ‘Jathiye Abhimanayai Deshaye Abhimanayai’ that was composed to celebrate the war victory and sung by Jagath Wickremasinghe have also been banned. This particular patriotic song has been a regular feature until recently during all programmes marking the war victory.