On the road in Agadez: desperation and death along a Saharan smuggling route

As political leaders prepare to meet in Malta to discuss measures to stem the flow of migrants and refugees from Africa to Europe, Patrick Kingsley meets the smugglers and the smuggled on a route through the desert from Niger
People sit on the open cargo of pick-up trucks, holding wooden sticks tied to the vehicle, as they leave the outskirts of Agadez for Libya. Photograph: Issouf Sanogo/AFP/Getty Images

Refugees wait to disembark from the Italian Navy vessel Chimera in the harbor of Salerno, Italy. Photograph: Francesco Pecoraro/AP

Patrick Kingsley in Agadez-Monday 9 November 2015

You can’t see the road from Agadez in Niger to Libya. You simply drive to the edge of the local airstrip, turn left, fork right, head past the one building on the horizon – a lonely police checkpoint – and that’s it. Only a select few local drivers know which dunes lead across the Sahara and which ones lead to oblivion. And in three days of driving, there are plenty of wrong turnings to make.

A sandstorm in Agadez, August 2015. In the desert, sandstorms can disorientate smugglers, alter the terrain, and throw them off course – causing some to die of thirst.

On the Road in Agadez Desperation and Death Along a Saharan Smuggling Route by Thavam Ratna

“It’s 2015” – The Return of Trudeaumania

Picture courtesy cbc.ca

• by Lalith Gunaratne 
• - on 11/08/2015 

Trudeau mania is back, albeit another kind at this different time.  Now it is Justin Trudeau, son of Pierre Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada from 1968-79 and again 1980-84.  Pierre was an icon, a real colourful personality and great mind and I venture to say, held the dominion of Canada together through a tumultuous time of the Quebec separatist movement and provincial discord. For us growing up in Sri Lanka, he was a champion of the developing world and I remember in 1971, as a Boy Scout, lining up with Canadian flags to pay tribute to his visit as he passed by our school in Kandy.

“It’s 2015” – the Return of Trudeaumania by Thavam Ratna

Aung San Suu Kyi’s party predicts landslide win in Burma elections

Five years after the country began democratic reforms, daily life in modern Burma is in the middle of rapid-fire transformation.

By Annie Gowen-November 9 at 11:08 AM

RANGOON, Burma — Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy predicted a landslide victory on Monday as tallying continued in Burma’s historic elections, with some in the military-backed ruling party beginning to speak of defeat.

For the second night in a row, supporters of Suu Kyi’s pro-democracy party gathered in front of its headquarters in Rangoon, clapping, singing, chanting and waving red balloons to celebrate vote totals coming in from across the country that showed the NLD winning seats by healthy margins.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s Party Predicts Landslide Win in Burma Elections by Thavam Ratna

Athletics doping: 'Russia should be suspended'

MONDAY 09 NOVEMBER 2015

A report published by the independent commission said the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) should suspend the Russian athletics federation, while there should be lifetime bans for five Russian runners.

It said the London 2012 Olympics were "sabotaged" by the presence of Russian athletes with suspicious doping profiles, and blamed "widespread inaction" by the IAAF, the Russian athletics federation and the Russian anti-doping agency for allowing these athletes to compete.

If a ban was adopted by the IAAF, it would prevent Russian athletes from taking part in any IAAF-sanctioned events, such as the Olympic Games and world and European championships.

'Systemic failures'

The report "identified systemic failures within the IAAF and Russia" that prevent or diminish the possibility of an effective anti-doping programme. It said it had turned over "considerable data and information" to Interpol regarding its findings "which tends to demonstrate criminal conduct on the part of certain individuals and organisations".

Before the report was published, the International Olympics Committee ethics committee announced that it was recommending that Lamine Diack (pictured above), who stepped down as IAAF president in August, should be provisionally suspended.

The 82-year-old from Senegal is accused of being complicit in a cover-up of doping by Russian athletes. He, his son Papa Massata Diack, adviser Habib Cisse and the former IAAF anti-doping chief Gabriel Dolle are being investigated by French police.

'Dark days'

In August, Mr Diack was succeeded by Lord (Seb) Coe, who told BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programme before the Wada report was published: "These are dark days for our sport but I'm more determined than ever to rebuild the trust in our sport. It is not going to be a short journey.

"The day after I got elected, I started a massive review. Understandably, in the light of the allegations that have been made, that review has been accelerated and I am determined to rebuild and repair the sport with my colleagues. But this is a long road to redemption."

Also speaking before publicatiion, one of its authors, Richard McLaren, told the Sunday Times it would be "a real game-changer for sport" and would demonstrate "a whole different scale of corruption", even compared to the Fifa scandal.

Fifa, world football's governing body, is in turmoil turmoil after US indictments of 14 football officials and sports marketing executives for alleged corruption. Its president Sepp Blatter is suspended and facing criminal investigation in Switzerland.

Schoolteacher saves 58 children from Brazil mining flood

Eliene Almeida, head teacher at the municipal school in Bento Rodrigues district, witch was covered with mud after a dam, owned by Vale SA and BHP Billiton Ltd burst, carries her kid at a hotel housing the people displaced from the village, in Mariana, Brazil, November 9,...

BY STEPHEN EISENHAMMER- Mon Nov 9, 2015

The first Eliene Almeida, head teacher at the municipal school in Bento Rodrigues, knew of the deadly mud flow that destroyed her village was a cry from her husband.

Most villagers were running for higher ground after hearing a dam at the local Samarco mine had burst, but no one inside the packed school was aware that a 20 meter-(65-foot)- high wall of mud and water was approaching.

Almeida's husband raced to the school and sounded the warning.

"He came in shouting that we had to run," Almeida, 31, told Reuters at a hotel housing the village's survivors.

Frantically, she rounded up the children, aged mainly between 11 and 16. "Within three minutes everyone was out."

The flood killed at least four people and on Monday -- four days after the disaster struck -- 25 people were still missing. But Almeida's 58 students all survived.

Wearing red leggings and a purple T-shirt she cradled her 18-month-year old son as she recalled the evacuation calmly on Sunday in the playground of the hotel.

Her toddler's foot was in a cast after taking a fall in the hotel. "He's getting used to his new home," she said, managing half a smile.

There is little left to see of the school that was a pride of the village of 600 people. Only the roofs are visible, the rest submerged in thick sludge of water and iron ore waste from the dam at Samarco, owned by mining giants Vale SA and BHP Billiton.

The lack of a warning siren or an emergency plan for evacuating villages near the dams is a constant complaint of those hit by the floods and something prosecutors say they will pursue.

A 2013 report commissioned by a state prosecutor warned of serious safety problems with the Samarco dam. It said an emergency plan should be set up for Bento Rodrigues, with practice drills, as conditions for renewing a license for the dam. Residents say no such plan was ever formulated.

The mayor of the nearby town Mariana, Duarte Junior, himself admitted to hospital on Sunday with a feared heart attack due to a lack of sleep and stress since the accident, called Almeida a "hero."

"I don't see it like that," she said with a shrug. "Anyone would have done the same."

She said it was lucky the flood hit in the afternoon, when older students, who could move more quickly, were in class.

Another factor was the wide doors at the entrance that allowed people to escape. "It could have been so much worse."

Almeida hopes to open a new school and says it is important children resume their lessons. The local government appears supportive but, she says, things will never be quite the same.

"You can build a new school, but all the work that went into that school in Bento, what it meant to the village, that's gone forever."

(Reporting by Stephen Eisenhammer; Editing by Kieran Murray and W Simon)

A Café Run by Acid Attack Survivors Attracts Visitors From Around the World

The women of Sheroes’ Hangout serve coffee and share their personal stories.

The Taj Mahal may be one of the world’s top architectural wonders, but just a half mile away, a new destination is gaining attention: Sheroes’ Hangout.

NOV 2, 2015

Priti Salian is a Bangalore-based journalist whose work has appeared in The Christian Science Monitor,Prevention, The National, and many other publications.

“I was exhilarated the first time a group of Indian tourists who visited the café told me how much they appreciate my courage,” says Rupa (who goes by one name), a 22-year-old survivor of acid violence who, along with four other women, runs the café Sheroes’ Hangout. “Since then, we have had regular customers who come here not only to enjoy a cup of joe but also to talk to us.” 

Visitors to Sheroes’ Hangout always leave with a sense of fulfillment. It’s not only because of the cutting-edge coffee and delicious snacks the café serves.

Opened in December 2014 in Agra, a city in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Sheroes’ Hangout started as a crowdfunding project by Stop Acid Attacks, a group committed to ending acts of violence against women. Its “pay as you wish” contributions go toward the rehabilitation of survivors of acid violence in India.

“Our visitors are mostly people from around the world who hear about us in the news,” says 20-year-old Chanchal Kumari, another survivor who helps operate the café. A man whose marriage proposal she refused attacked Kumari in 2012. “They come here to see how acid attack survivors like us are coping with our lives.”

(Photo: Courtesy Sheroes' Hangout)

Kumari, who is recovering from her fifth reconstructive surgery, works alongside Rupa, Ritu Saini, Gita Mahor, and Neetu Mahor, all of whom lived a secluded life in their homes for several years, dealing with the pain of a charred face and a scarred soul. Then they discovered "Stop Acid Attacks," a Facebook campaign that was started on International Women’s Day in 2013. Based in New Delhi, SAA works with acid attack survivors in India, assisting them with legal and medical issues and helping them deal with the trauma of the attack. Sheroes’ Hangout is one of its several initiatives.

Acid attacks are a gruesome reality in India. The National Crime Records Bureau, a government organization that recently began recording acid violence, estimates that more than 1,000 such crimes are committed around the country every year, though the majority of attacks go unreported because of the shame the girl and her family feel and the fear of being attacked again.

SAA has been collecting data through its volunteers across the country and has information on 430 survivors, 350 of whom were attacked in the last two years. It is in touch with, and has assisted, more than 70 of them. According to the data collected, about 70 percent of victims are women, more than 50 percent of whom are attacked by spurned lovers. One of the biggest reasons behind the high rate of acid attacks is the lack of laws against the free sale of acid in India—a liter can be purchased for just 50 cents.

RELATED:  Acid Attack Survivor’s Makeup Tutorials Offer More Than Beauty Tips

SAA wanted to do something for Gita Mahor, 42, and her daughter Neetu, 26, who were attacked with acid 23 years ago by Mahor’s husband, Neetu’s father. Both were left with mutilated faces and limited vision. Neetu’s one-year-old sister was sleeping next to her during the attack and succumbed to the injuries the acid caused to her. With no one else to support them, mother and daughter were forced to continue living with their assailant. To relieve them from their everyday distress and further domestic violence, SAA found it important to provide them an avenue of earning a livelihood so they could gradually move away from their home and lead a happier life.

“Acid attack survivors’ lives become even more traumatic when they start facing rejection from society due to their disfigured faces. They need someone to hold their hand and restore their self-confidence,” says SAA founder Alok Dixit.

Today, Mahor and Neetu dress up every morning and go to the café to serve coffee and treats—and share their stories with customers.

One of the objectives of SAA at Sheroes’ Hangout was to provide skills training in the subject that each survivor was interested in learning. With SAA’s help, Mahor took a baking course at a hotel in Agra and will soon be serving cookies and cupcakes to customers. Neetu, who is almost blind, is taking singing lessons from an SAA volunteer. “I love to welcome the guests at the café cheerfully, so that they know we are coping well,” she says.

(Photo: Courtesy Sheroes' Hangout)

Saini, 19, played volleyball for India before suffering an acid attack by a male cousin in 2012 over a family property dispute, resulting in the loss of her left eye. She is unable to compete in the sport anymore, and she now handles accounts at the café. “My life changed ever since I joined SAA,” she says. “With the emotional support I received, I regained the confidence to go out with my face uncovered. Now I don’t care what people think of my disfigured face.”

Rupa—whose stepmother attacked her with acid when she was just 12—is a skilled tailor and an amateur apparel designer. The outfits she designs are exhibited and sold at the café. “Sheroes’ Hangout is not only giving us a chance to move our lives forward; it is also getting our stories out,” she says.

“True that,” says customer Shikha Singh, 20, a student of fashion design who finds herself in the café at least once a week. “I would never have known about the reality behind acid attack survivors had I not met these women. It is amazing the way they are working to fulfill their dreams despite the hurdles. I now prefer to spend on Sheroes’ Hangout rather than a McDonald’s or KFC. At least I’m sure the money will be used for a good cause.”

Tapeworm Gives Man the Cancer That Kills Him

Scientists have discovered the first case in which the common parasite transmitted cancer to a human host.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock / Jubal Harshaw

By Kali Holloway-November 5, 2015

Humans and tapeworms have had a fairly acrimonious relationship for about two million years, which is how long ago researchers suspect we’ve unhappily coexisted. Over the millennia, humans have come to learn how tapeworms enter our systems, develop in our bodies, and can and can’t harm us. At least, that’s what we thought. Until recently, when for the very first time, scientists identified a case in which a tapeworm transmitted cancer to its human host. The odd story has researchers scratching their heads, wondering what we may now need to learn about both tapeworms and cancer.

In a report from the Centers for Disease Control, researchers describe the unusual circumstances involved in the case and how they arrived at a diagnosis. It began in 2013, when doctors in Medellín, Colombia, began treating an HIV positive man who had been getting progressively sicker for months. The doctors noted that he was infected with Hymenolepis nana, or the dwarf tapeworm. They also observed tumors throughout his lungs, liver and adrenal glands, which they suspected were cancerous. But a biopsy revealed oddities that suggested, in the words of researchers, “a nonhuman origin.” So they got the CDC involved.

Atis Muehlenbachs, a CDC pathologist, confirmed that the samples received seemed odd. "They were way too small to be human," Muehlenbachs told CBS News. "They were actually about 10 times smaller than a human cancer cell."

Initially, researchers were at a loss, and assumed they might be dealing with an all-new, never before seen disease. Muehlenbachs says he thought perhaps they had encountered “a weird human cancer or some unusual, bizarre emerging protozoa-amoeba-like infection.” But then, tests revealed dwarf tapeworm DNA in the tumors.

“And that was the aha moment,” Muehlenbachs tells STAT News. “It was like, holy moly, this is a tapeworm."

The patient died soon after, but scientists continued to investigate the case. According to the CDC, the dwarfm tapeworm is the most prevalent type of human tapeworm. The parasite infects an estimated 75 million people around the world and up to 25 percent of the children in some populations. Infection is generally asymptomatic. Though there’s little need for public panic, those stats show there is a pressing need to seek out more information. Researchers emphasize that the patient in this case had an extremely compromised immune system, which may have contributed to the transmission of cancerous cells.

"We think this type of event is rare," Muehlenbachs tells NBC News. "However, this tapeworm is found worldwide and millions of people globally suffer from conditions like HIV that weaken their immune system. So there may be more cases that are unrecognized. It's definitely an area that deserves more study."

Bobbi Pritt, director of clinical parasitology at the Mayo Clinic, added this bit, which promises to keep some of us up at night: “H. nana is a very common tapeworm infection in humans, and therefore I would expect there to be other cases like the one described…that were misdiagnosed or went undetected.”

Speaking with the Washington Post, London Natural History Museum researcher Peter D. Olson, who also contributed to understanding the findings, says the discovery represents “an enormous advance in our knowledge and raises questions about the conditions under which cells may become cancerous."

Interestingly, STAT News notes that this is not the first time scientists have identified cancer cases involving non-human cells. However, two previous cases occurred before technology could accurately identify what researchers were looking at. The CDC study is available online. 

Video: NMSJ to carry forward Thera's vision

2015-11-08
The members of the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) which was founded by late Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera today said the Venerable Thera had informed them that the expectations he had for the nation were being shattered one by one.

NMSJ member and Trade unionist Saman Rathnapriya told a media briefing at Naga Vihara Kotte last afternoon that the Thera spoke about the lost expectations when he was on his sick bed during his last days. “Venerable Thera told us that his expectations were shattered and told us to lobby for social and political reforms continuously,” Mr Rathnapriya said.

Accordingly all members of the Movement pledged to continue the struggle launched by the late Thera.
NMSL member J. C. Weliamuna called for quick implementation of political reforms such as establishing a governing system without an Executive Presidency and also stressed for electoral reforms which the late Thera strived for.

Well known academic figure and member of NMSJ Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri said the personality of the late Thera was unique as he appealed to people of all religions and ethnic groups unlike most of other monks who are radical.

Meanwhile, NMSJ requested the general public and owners of various organizations to hoist a yellow flag in their establishments as a mark of respect for the late Venerable Thera

The remain of the late Venerable Thera will lay in state at Naga Vihara for the general public to pay their last respects. (Yohan Perera)

IMPORTANT: The call for submission is now ended. No further submission will be accepted

OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka

Terms of Reference

Mandate and reporting obligations

In its resolution A/HRC/25/1 adopted in March 2014 on “Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka”, the United Nations Human Rights Council requested the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to “undertake a comprehensive investigation into alleged serious violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes by both parties in Sri Lanka during the period covered by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), and to establish the facts and circumstances of such alleged violations and of the crimes perpetrated with a view to avoiding impunity and ensuring accountability, with assistance from relevant experts and special procedures mandate holders”.

IMPORTANT the Call for Submission is Now Ended. No Further Submission Will Be Accepted by Thavam Ratna

Sobitha Thero; A Selfless Warrior Of Our Times

By Mass L. Usuf –November 8, 2015

Mass L. Usuf

Anicca vata sankhara – All conditioned things are impermanent

Uppada vaya dhammino – Their nature is to arise and pass away

Uppajjitva nirujjhanti – To live in harmony with this truth

Tesang vupasamo sukho – Brings the highest happiness.
(Maha Pari Nibbana-sutta, Digha-nikaya)

“Sri Lanka is a small island in which live the Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Malays and Burghers. We all must think how to live together and not how to live divided. Each time we were divided, the result was defeat. In the 30 year war, no one was victorious. We were all losers”. These words of the Most Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero reverberate in the ears of many and shall continue to do so for a very long time. The intonation characteristic of a matured, experienced and insightful personality; the composure and the aura of confidence all pointed to the sincerity of the words he spoke at that time. There was not an iota of doubt in his statement.

This great son, The Most Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero, The Chief Incumbent of the Naaga Viharaya in Kotte, departed from this mundane life leaving mother Lanka weeping, weeping and weeping. His demise is a loss to humanity, a loss to democracy, a loss to civil society and a loss to all Sri Lankans. Venerable Sir, you have made all of us ‘orphans’ in the sphere of clean politics and good governance.

Vacuum

Staunch in justice, fearless in opposition and lion-hearted in approach he has been a beacon of guidance, a tower of assurance and an expanse of sensibility. During the past period of terror not by terrorists but, by the then establishment and its agencies many looked up to Sobitha thero for support, comfort and to show the way forward. There are today several in the Sangha who are in the helm of affairs but, unfortunately, not many to fill in the vacuum created by this noble personality. Is not this a tragedy upon tragedy?

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Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero (1942-2015): The Monk Who Ended Sri Lanka’s Decade of Darkness

Image courtesy Omlanka

• by Nalaka Gunawardene 
• - on 11/08/2015 

For someone who never belonged to any political party in Sri Lanka,Maduluwawe Sobitha thero (1942 – 2015) led an extraordinarily political life.

The fearless and politically engaged Buddhist monk stood up to every Lankan head of state beginning with President J R Jayewardene (in office: 1977-1988). He never hesitated or minced his words when he sensed that elected leaders were overstepping their mandate

Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero (1942-2015) the Monk Who Ended Sri Lanka’s Decade of Darkness by Thavam Ratna

Ven. Sobhitha Thera: The light of Lanka

by Udeni Saman Kumara

( November 8, 2015, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Ven. Maduluwave Sobitha Thera is like a lighthouse to the nation who shows the path to people without giving up the struggle for a better world following the footsteps of the Buddha.

He was critically ill recently and underwent a heart surgery. He has passed away in a hospital in Singapore, early hours, today.

This is the best time to trace the place of Ven. Maduluwave Sobhitha Thera in the history of politics and religion in this country. The Bhikkhus such as Ven. Udakendawala Saranankara Thera, Ven Yakkaduwe Pragnarama Thera, Ven. Kotahene Pannakiththi Thera and Ven. Walpola Rahula Thera were the prominent Bhikkhus who led the freedom struggle in early times.

Struggles

The politicians who were embarrassed due to their struggles said Bhikkhus should keep away from politics. However, this ideology was defeated by Ven. Walpola Rahula Thera who showed the importance of social engagement of Bhikkhus.

Ven. Prof. Walpola Rahula Thera highlighted that a programme that causes good to the people of the country without harming the character of the noble bhikkuhood, it was apt for Bhikkhus, regardless of the fact that they are named as political.

Ven. Sobhitha Thera followed in the footsteps of Bhikkhus such as Ven. Walpola Rahula Thera and Ven. Udakendawala Saranankara Thera. He was struggling for good causes residing in Naga Vihara of Kotte for almost four decades.

He did not give importance to his own life in his struggles against injustice. He was manhandled, arrested and put in jail. He narrowly escaped gunfire. Once his opponents tried to knock his car and kill him.

Bhikkhu leader

He is the only Bhikkhu leader who faced tear gas and baton charges. Once, a group of thugs sent by politicos brutally assaulted him and Prof. Ediriweera Sarachchandra in a meeting at the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress Hall in Colombo. While lying on the floor, Ven. Sobhitha Thera raised his head and asked Prof. Sarachchandra if he was all right.

None of such attacks could discourage Ven. Sobhitha Thera. He never betrayed his conscience and always fought for justice.
He is such an active Bhikkhu that his diary was full of social activities. He was under surveillance very often. Defeated politicians consulted him for regaining political power. But when they come to power, they did not visit Naga Vihara or had a word of gratitude. This was never a new phenomenon to Ven. Sobhitha Thera.

Executive Presidency

He relentlessly struggled against the Executive Presidency created by J.R. Jayewardene in 1978 although politicians from time to time took different stands on this crucial issue.

“The President appoints the Chief Justice and all the Judges of the Supreme Court. He took over the Attorney General’s Department also. How can we expect independence in this context? What happened to the cases? When some accused are about to be punished, the Attorney General suddenly withdraws the cases. While those who are loyal to the government are acquitted, the opponents are penalized. Thus the law is denigrated,” Ven. Sobhitha Thera said.

He signalled the Opposition to make use of the opportunity to bring about change. The change was made but the wrongdoers were not punished. Then he said he would re-start the struggle.

Entire Sri Lanka knows Ven. Sobhitha Thera. However, many people do not know where Maduluwava is. It is a small village in Padukka. Pathirage Don Peiris Appuhami is the father of Ven. Sobhitha Thera. He was a carpenter. His wife was Balagala Kuruvita Arachchige Karalina Hamine. Ven. Sobhitha Thera who was born on 09 May 1942 was the second son of the family. He was named Rathnasekara. The way Rathnasekara became a Ven. Sobhitha Thera is another interesting story.

Most Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero; An Icon Of Excellence Is No More

By Lukman Harees –November 8, 2015

Lukman Harees

“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”- Eleanor Roosevelt

Most Rev. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero , a national charismatic Icon and the fatherly figure behind the democratic changes which put Sri Lanka back into the map of civilized nations, is no more. Whether the changes ensued in the expected dose was a different matter; but there is general consensus around that today the nation is breathing the air of emancipation and freedom , having being delivered from the dictatorial, aristocratic and the racist rule of Mahinda Rajapaksa who took Sri Lanka into a limbo-land and made it into a pariah state, in the eyes of the world. For this constructive change , both the country as well as the world should credit this great man in robes, who inspired and initiated the process of socio-political change and the courageous silent revolution which Sri Lanka witnessed in very recent times. When the Ven. Thero breathed his last, the nation was undoubtedly thrown into a state of utter confusion; not knowing who can take his place to ensure that the ‘Yahapalanaya’ will in-fact be a reality in Sri Lanka. How do we start and end the eulogy of a great personality who is widely regarded as the ‘Desmond Tutu’ of Sri Lanka?

Well ! When a panic-stricken MR announced in November 2014 that he would call the presidential election two years earlier than he needed to, seeking a third term in office as the President, and as Maithripala Sirisena’s candidacy sent ripples of disbelief, hope and elation around the Sri Lankan nation, the world did not seriously expect the many changes which came about subsequently, to occur. A Constitutional Dictator he was, MR virtually closed off the last remaining paths to Democracy, set up a rule run by his family and aides, and changed the laws of the land to best secure this situation. Extremist Sinhala Buddhist hate groups emerged and grew under his rule, acting without fear or sanction, which raised majoritarian cries and instilled mortal fear into the minds of the minorities- Tamils, Muslims and even the Sinhala Christians. BBS and Sinhala Ravaya became the ‘unofficial Police’ and Gnanasara attempted to become a ’reborn Anagarika’ and not very many Buddhist monks and intellectuals were able to raise their voice of resent due to fear , as it was an open secret that it was MR’s brother Gota who was widely known to be their patron saint.     Read More