PITTSBURGH (AP) — The U.S. College Board canceled college entrance exams on Saturday in China and Macau because of cheating concerns.
The New York-based testing firm revealed the cancelations on Thursday. College Board officials canceled the Asian tests after learning some students may have accessed the SATs to be administered this weekend.
The affected students have been notified and should be advised next week about a makeup exam, which will probably be scheduled in a month or so.
College Board officials won’t say how the students accessed the tests in advance, citing security concerns.
Last year, federal prosecutors in Pittsburgh charged 15 Chinese citizens in a conspiracy to have impostors take the SAT and other college entrance tests for Chinese students.
Movements and local organizations are using the ancient concept of swaraj, or “self-rule”, to spread a radical ecological democracy throughout India.
by Ashish Kothari & Pallav Das Courtesy: Roar Magazine
This essay is part of a series of excerpts from the State of Power 2016 report, published by the Transnational Institute this week.
Our government is in Mumbai and Delhi, but we are the government in our village. — Mendha-Lekha village, Maharashtra.
These hills and forests belong to Niyamraja, they are the basis of our survival and livelihoods, we will not allow any company to take them away from us. — Dongria Kondh adivasis (indigenous people), Odisha.
Seeds are the core of our identity, our culture, our livelihoods, they are our heritage and no government agency or corporation can control them. — Dalit women of Deccan Development Society, Telangana.
( January 21, 2016, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) These three assertions of “ordinary” people in different parts of India suggest the basis of a radical restructuring of political relations and a significant deepening of democracy.
The village of Mendha-Lekha, in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra state, has a population of about 500 Gond adivasisi, “tribals” or indigenous people. About thirty years ago these people adopted the principle of decision-making by consensus at the full village assembly. The villagers do not allow any government agency or politician to take decisions on their behalf, nor may a village or tribal chief do so without full consultation. This is part of a “tribal self-rule” campaign underway in some parts of India, though few villages have managed to achieve complete self-rule (swaraj, an Indian concept we discuss below).
A struggle in the 1980s against a major dam that was to displace Mendha-Lekha and dozens of other villages highlighted the importance of self-mobilization. Since then, the village has conserved 1,800 hectares of surrounding forest, and recently gained full rights to use, manage, and protect it under the Forest Rights Act 2006, reversing centuries of colonial and post-colonial forest governance.The community has moved towards meeting its basic needs in terms of food, water, energy and livelihoods through, among other things, the sustainable harvesting of bamboo.
Sex workers stand on a roadside pavement in a red light area in Mumbai August 4, 2009.
REUTERS/PUNIT PARANJPE/FILES
BY RINA CHANDRAN
MUMBAI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Police crackdowns and higher rents are driving Mumbai's commercial sex industry out of traditional red-light areas and underground, with calls on Friday from social workers to boost efforts to ensure sex workers' lives are not put at risk.
The commercial sex industry in Mumbai, one of the biggest destinations in the country for trafficked women, was once concentrated in decrepit brothels in the Kamathipura and Falkland Road areas in South Mumbai.
But the industry has moved north to suburbs like Vashi, Bhiwandi and Bhandup, and to less identifiable small businesses and private residences over the past five to 10 years while reporting of rape cases has jumped 390 percent in four years.
The move from the traditional red-light district has come as industries including financial services moved north due to soaring real-estate prices but raised fears about protecting sex workers, many of whom are victims of trafficking.
"The entire modus operandi of the commercial sex industry is changing," said Shailja Mehta at Dasra, a non-profit in Mumbai that has examined sex trafficking in India.
"It's become less institutionalised, less formal, and is much more underhand and subtle now."
Mumbai, India's financial hub, has always been a magnet for migrant workers in search of better economic opportunities as domestic help or in the entertainment industry. Along with the migrants came traffickers.
Most women and children are brought from other states and from neighbouring countries including Nepal and Bangladesh, under the guise of securing a well-paid job in a home or retail establishment.
COVERT OPERATIONS
Instead, many are trafficked into sex work fronted by salons and massage parlours, or forced into manual labour. Almost 36 million people are enslaved worldwide, according to the 2014 Global Slavery Index; nearly half, or about 16 million, are in India.
"Mumbai's commercial-sex industry has gone from being quite a public, overt operation to a private, covert business," said Sanjay Macwan, field officer director in Mumbai at non-profit IJM (International Justice Mission).
"The nature of the violence against these girls and women is different now, and harder to observe. It is also very hard to track and bring perpetrators to justice, because even the victims don't quite know who's the trafficker, who's the pimp."
India's commercial-sex industry generates revenues of up to $343 billion a year, according to a 2014 report by the network Global March Against Child Labour.
Raids on which IJM has accompanied the police to rescue trafficked women have included an under-construction building and a residential apartment off a busy street in one suburb.
"Earlier, there was a good system because you had NGOs in and around the red-light areas, and they kept in touch with the police, and the police were sensitised to the issue of trafficking and commercial sex workers," said Nandini Thakkar, a legal consultant at Save the Children India in Mumbai.
"Now, it is harder to monitor and intervene."
Alongside Mumbai, neighbouring towns such as Thane, Pune and Sangli are also emerging as destinations for trafficked sex workers, according to research by Dasra.
A concerted effort will be needed, involving the community at large, to track, prevent and intervene in cases involving commercial sex workers, said Macwan.
"The private establishments are much more in number than the public establishments," he said. "We need to be much more sophisticated, much more technologically advanced to crack down on these covert operations."
(Reporting by Rina Chandran, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit www.trust.org)
Pregnant women are advised to avoid countries that have seen outbreaks of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which doctors are linking to unusually high numbers of babies born with brain defects.
Zika is similar to dengue fever and is transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, the same insect that carries the dengue and chikungunya viruses.
The US authorities say pregant women should avoid going to Puerto Rico, Martinique, Haiti, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela and Mexico.
Britain's National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) says expectant mothers should "reconsider travel to areas where Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreaks are currently reported".
The public health authorities in El Salvador are advising women in the country to put off pregnancies for the next two years to avoid the risk of giving borth to malformed babies.
Microcephaly
NaTHNaC - whose advice for travellers is endorsed by the Foreign Office - says the warning comes after thousands of babies were born in Brazil with microcephaly, a rare condition where the infant's head is smaller than normal and the brain does not develop properly.
There were more than 3,500 cases of microcephaly and 46 infant deaths in Brazil between 22 October last year and 9 January 2016, all potentially related to the Zika virus, also known by the acronym ZIKV.
Scientists are still investigating a possible link between exposure to the disease in pregnancy and congenital birth defects.
The health authorities in Brazil have confirmed that two miscarriages and two infants who died within 24 hours of birth tested positive for the virus. Their mothers had fallen ill with a rash and fever during pregnancy. Full story>>>
Frying vegetables in extra virgin olive oil increases antioxidants in them
Transfers phenols from the oil to the vegetables during cooking process
Phenols and antioxidants are thought to help prevent cancer and diabetes
Experts warn frying does increase calorie content, at the same time
Budding chefs eager to cook up healthy meals for friends and family face a barrage of conflicting advice.
There are advocates of the raw food diet, who abhor the thought of cooking.
And then there are those who believe black pudding to be the latest superfood.
But, now a team of Spanish scientists have added a new theory to the mix.
They suggest frying vegetables is a healthier alternative to boiling - as long as the cook is using extra virgin olive oil.
Their study found the cooking method increases the antioxidant capacity and phenolic fraction present in raw vegetables typical of a Mediterranean diet.
These compounds, the researchers said, help prevent chronic diseases including cancer, diabetes and macular degeneration.
A new study, by scientists in Spain, has found frying vegetables in extra virgin olive oil is healthier than boiling them. Researchers found the oil increases the levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants, and phenols, also linked to preventing chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes and macular degeneration
Professor Cristina Samaniego Sánchez from the University of Granada, said: 'Oil increases the amount of phenolic compounds in vegetables, which is the opposite to boiling.
The Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high intake of vegetables and extra virgin olive oil.
These are both an important source of dietary phenols - compounds linked to the prevention of chronic diseases.
This kind of antioxidants can be modified during the cooking process, increasing or decreasing their concentrations.
The researchers set out to discover whether the choice of cooking medium – olive oil, water, or a mixture of both – had any effect on the amount of these helpful compounds in the cooked food.
They conducted an experiment, cooking 120 grams of potato cubes, pumpkin, tomato and eggplant - all without seeds or skin.
They used three cooking methods - frying, boiling and cooking with a mix of extra virgin olive oil and water.
In the laboratory, the samples were tested by high-performance liquid chromatography to measure levels of moisture, fat, dry matter and the total number of phenols, as well as the measurement of antioxidant capacity.
Their results revealed that using extra virgin olive oil for frying vegetables increases their fat content and reduces their moisture, while this was not observed in other cooking methods.
The scientists said the extra virgin olive oil increases the level of phenols in the vegetables, because they are transferred from the oil to the vegetables during the cooking process. They did warn the cooking process does increase the vegetables' 'energy density' - or calorie content
Professor Samaniego said: 'Comparing the content of phenols with that of raw vegetables we found increases and reductions alike, depending on the chosen method.
'Oil as a mean of heat transfer increases the amount of phenolic compounds in vegetables, opposite to other cooking methods such as boiling, where heat transfer is done through water.'
She said the extra virgin olive oil transfers phenols to the vegetables, adding those which are not present in raw vegetables.
'Therefore, we can confirm that frying is the method that produces the greatest associated increases in the phenolic fraction, which means an improvement in the cooking process although it increases the energy density by means of the absorbed oil,' Professor Samaniego said.
In other words, Professor Samaniego warned, frying increased the number of calories in the food, as well.
All the cooking methods increased the antioxidant capacity of all four vegetables, but boiling is only recommended when both the vegetables and the cooking water are to be consumed, Professor Sánchez adds.
The article was published in the journal Food Chemistry.
(Remaining challenges on issues such as freedom of expression and media, strengthening of civil society needs to be addressed)
21/01/2016
– Joint Press Release following the first meeting of the working group on Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights under the European Union-Sri Lanka Joint Commission, held on 21 January 2016.
The Working Group on Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights under the European Union-Sri Lanka Joint Commission concluded its first meeting in Colombo on 21 January 2016. The meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo with the participation of senior officials from Sri Lanka and the European Union. The delegation of the European Union was led by Ms. Paola Pampaloni, Head of Division, Asia and the Pacific Department of the European External Action Service. The Sri Lanka delegation was led by Mr. A.L.A. Azeez, Director-General for European Union, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka.
The meeting of the Working Group follows the 19th Session of the European Union-Sri Lanka Joint Commission held in April 2015 in Colombo. The Joint Commission provides the forum for regular and structured bilateral engagement under the EU-Sri Lanka Cooperation Agreement on Partnership and Development of 1995.
The agenda of the Working Group and its deliberations demonstrate clearly the consolidation of cooperation between the EU and Sri Lanka since the election of the new Government in Sri Lanka in 2015. They also reflect the strong mutual commitment to a dialogue on human rights and democracy on the basis of shared values and international human rights standards.
The meeting provided a welcome opportunity to engage in an open and constructive dialogue, reflecting on concerns, best practices, trends and developments in the areas of human rights, the rule of law and governance. The EU welcomed the significant progress made in many areas, including the passing of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution and subsequent operationalisation of independent commissions, the standing invitation extended to all UN Special Procedure Mandate Holders, the signing of the Convention on Enforced Disappearances, and significant improvements concerning media freedom.
An exchange of information took place on the Government’s plans for further constitutional and legislative measures, including consultation with the Sri Lankan people on a new Constitution and the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and its replacement with a comprehensive National Security Act. Both sides recognised the full implementation of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) resolution of October 2015 as a priority. There was an exchange of views on ongoing consultations on the establishment of domestic reconciliation and accountability mechanisms. The EU expressed its readiness to continue supporting Sri Lanka in this process and to identify together with the Government the needs and opportunities for assistance.
Discussions also extended to consideration of progress and remaining challenges on issues such as freedom of expression and media, strengthening of civil society, rights of women and children, rights of minorities, labour rights, migration, implementation of the treaty obligations and the rule of law. The EU also highlighted the importance of addressing human rights issues, including sexual and gender based violence, torture, and the protection of persons belonging to minority groups, as well as the need to combat corruption.
The parties agreed on a series of actions for follow-up at the next Joint Commission meeting later in the year. The EU and Sri Lanka agreed that the next Working Group meeting would be held in Brussels within twelve months.
The year 2015 was eventful for both Sri Lanka and Canada. Both countries elected new leaders to take the nations forward, hopefully. The eventual winners were up against formidable contenders. The new winners promised radical departures from the status quo. Maithripala Sirisena and his combined coalition promulgated a manifesto titled “A compassionate “Maithri” governance” dubbed in the vernacular as Yahapalanaya. The immediate aftermath of this incredible victory enthroning President Maithripala Sirisena was conspicuously palpable.
Let’s digress for a minute from the subject matter. Students of Marketing study what’s known as a Brand Promise? It’s a crucial, significant and vital element of a Brand. It’s all about experiences and benefits associated with a product in its current and prospective consumers’ minds. Best brands deliver on their brand promise. It’s the holistic and superlative performance of the brand that determines its success and sustainability. Consumers develop expectations for the brand. They sincerely trust that the brand will deliver on those expectations. Good brands follow through on their commitments to consumers. There’s nothing that erodes confidence in a brand (or a leader) quite like undelivered promises.
This principal is universal and widely applicable for ethical mind capture as an essential prerequisite for Sales and Marketing. This is how the process of conveying and convincing takes shape in the actual dynamics of Business, more specifically Marketing. In the last couple of decades politicians have increasingly resorted to Marketing and necessarily so. Not all candidates are marketable yet most try. Just as Brand Apple has a certain brand promise so did brand JFK, JR, Obama and Trudeau.
In Sri Lanka the letters JR may be considered a powerful brand, for sure I do. Some may disagree vehemently. In my opinion it had and still has high Brand recognition and promise. Not just local but global brand recognition. He was our first president- The right honorable JR Jayewardene. The old fox had unique brand attributes. He was bold, courageous with a vision. He wanted to reintegrate Sri Lanka with the evolving world fraternity after years of self-imposed isolation.
His international standing was established. To get an audience with President Ronald Reagan as an equal and engage with him intimately was a definite first at that time. Exchanging sharp wits with repartees in the White House lawn completes the story. This was JR. His connection with the then Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher was even stronger. The liberal international trade he envisioned worked for Sri Lanka and the legacy continues. No doubt the bloke was a polarizing figure. He earned the ire and vilification of some, nonetheless his credentials were indisputable. In retrospect and after five more Executive Presidents his positives far outweigh the negatives.
Forty three year old Justin Trudeau son of famous former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau became Canada’s 23rd Prime Minister in October of 2015. The Trudeau Brand resonates extremely well within Canada, if I may add, with a twinge of symphonic romance. His iconic father bequeathed an enviable a legacy. I dare say it’s entrenched and is rendered virtually unsurpassable.
The senior Trudeau painstakingly instilled true Canadian values which we present Canadians cherish. Freedom, equality, inclusiveness, respect for cultural differences, commitment to social justice, compromise and co-existence, sponsoring refugees are values that are sacrosanct. None dare fiddle with it.
“The country shouldn’t repeat the same mistake that happened with the 1978 Constitution. If we say that was J. R. Jayawardena’s Constitution, why are we allowing Ranil Wickremesinghe to do the same?” queries Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna National List Parliamentarian and Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Sunil Handunnetti. Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe wants to have his own way when enacting a new Constitution, Handunnetti claims, adding that the JVP will only support a new Constitution if it is done according to Parliament standing orders.
As the first JVP parliamentarian to head COPE, he points out key changes in the committee under his leadership in order to make State institutions free of fraud, corruption and waste.
Following are excerpts:
Q: What changes have taken place at COPE since you assumed duties as the head of the committee?
A: COPE will officially start calling institutions from 26 January. We need to give a considerable time for these institutions before we call for their reports. From 26 January we will start meeting State institutions such as the Ceylon Electricity Board and People’s Bank.
There is one significant change that we hope to implement. At present, the representation of public in COPE matters is minimal. What takes place inside COPE is undisclosed to the public, other than the final report. But we want to change this setup. We feel there should be more transparency. The public should be aware of what COPE is doing.
This doesn’t mean we are going to divulge all information regarding inquiries that are taking place. For example if we are inquiring about an official who has played out money in a particular State organisation, information regarding the officer or other confidential details will not be released to the public until we finish the case. But people will be aware that such a case is been inquired at COPE. We function from people’s money and we are answerable to the public and State institutions are not private property. People in the country have the right to know what happens in these institutions. Therefore, I see involving people as a step forward.
Q: How are you planning to create transparency?
A: Standing orders are the biggest drawback. But we have already opened this to the public through our website. Through the parliamentary website we will publicise the institutions that we call for. Any individual, trade union or organisation can write to us regarding these institutions. This information will be confidential.
Another change would be publicising of COPE reports every three months. This is purely for the purpose of public information. After we submit a report to the Parliament, we will make that information available to people through the media. READ MORE
A new era has dawned in Sri Lanka. Peace has been consolidated after a bloody 30-year civil conflict. The country’s 67-year old democracy has been reinforced after a dramatic, peaceful and people-led political transition in January 2015.
We’re prioritizing business-friendly policies so that we can take advantage of today’s peace to build a thriving economy.
Sri Lanka is strategically placed to benefit from a changing global marketplace. We are equidistant between Europe and Far East on the major East-West shipping lanes. We have easy access to lucrative Middle Eastern markets and rising African markets, while the growth engine that is India lies just 20 miles away. The latter will play an increasingly important role as we broaden the Indo-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement.
I see Sri Lanka’s economic future as a services hub; a niche manufacturing destination to produce goods which plug into regional and global value chains, particularly light engineering; and a location for high-value agricultural products such as fruits, vegetables and dairy, both to service the rapidly growing tourism sector and for exports, especially, to the Middle Eastern and Indian markets.
Two challenges for Sri Lanka’s future
To take advantage of these opportunities, we need to tackle two major social challenges. First, we need to promote reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction in the areas afflicted by the recent conflict.
Second, we need to bolster Sri Lanka’s democracy, which we’re achieving by, among other things, reasserting the independence of the judiciary, combating bribery with the UN Convention Against Corruption and allowing a free and vibrant press to flourish.
This will create the right context for economic development. It is my intention to fast-track reform and accelerate our growth to meet the rising aspirations of Sri Lanka’s well-educated people.
My vision is for the private sector to be the engine of growth, with exports and FDI playing vital roles. We are making a concerted effort to improve investment policies, the ease of doing business, trade policy and trade facilitation.
A new vision of urban development
A tangible example of what we are working towards is the Western Province Megapolis Project. This development will cover several cities in the area around Colombo, our capital, in the South West of the country. There will be a financial district, as well as zones dedicated to logistics, industry, IT and entertainment. By 2030, the project area is expected to have a population of 8.5 million people and per capita income of US$ 30,000 (compared with today’s national per capita income of US$3,800).
There will be a major role for the private sector as well as public/private partnerships in implementing this project in particular, as well as laying the groundwork for the future of economy in general. I see industrialization and urbanization as key drivers of modernization. We will create 45 new Industrial Parks around the country which will be developed and managed by the private sector. Five second-tier cities will also be developed, as part of our programme to promote urbanization through Sri Lanka’s regions.
A modern economy is nothing without its people. Sri Lanka is upgrading education, training and skills to create the human resource base which supports a competitive and rapidly modernizing economy. By forming the right policies to support small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and agriculture we wish to see Sri Lanka’s new prosperity shared among its people, in line with the newly agreed sustainable development goals.
An active role in tackling global challenges
Finally, let me address Sri Lanka’s role in today’s world. Sri Lanka is also well placed to play a constructive role in addressing the pressing international issues of the day, such as terrorism, climate change, migration and strengthening democratic values.
Sri Lanka’s cultural traditions are such that respect for the environment is embedded in the psyche of our people. This creates a groundswell of public opinion in favour of sustainable development. In the wake of the Paris Climate Conference, I would like to point out that Sri Lanka is committed to achieving 20% renewable energy usage by 2030, over and above the current 35% of hydropower. Environmental sustainability is central to the country’s development plans. At the same time, Sri Lanka is ready to be a constructive partner in global climate negotiations.
Sri Lanka has also had direct experience with various aspects of international migration. Between 1.5 mn and 2mn Sri Lankans (7.5% -10% of the population) work as temporary migrants and the country has considerable experience in dealing with both the opportunities and challenges associated with it. Sri Lanka has also had exposure to the problems of asylum-seekers and economic migrants during the conflict. It is well placed to share lessons learnt in international fora.
The upcoming World Economic Forum 2016 in Davos in late January affords me the opportunity to showcase these landmark changes in Sri Lanka. Our message to all, is that in an international environment that is insecure and volatile, Sri Lanka has peace, has consolidated democracy and revived the economy. It now stands ready for takeoff and to play its full role as a responsible member of the global community of nations.
Author: Ranil Wickremesinghe is Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. He is participating in the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos.
I was born in 1984 at St Michael's Nursing Home in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Then a small, but bustling metropolis, Colombo had already experienced its first taste of societal division. In 1983, race riots largely targeting the Tamil minority population engulfed this once picture perfect paradise in flames -- flames which would continue to torch the land that was my home for the next 26 years. Sri Lanka's civil war ended 100,000 lives and destroyed much more than that. It destroyed our hope, our faith in justice and above all, it destroyed the belief that we were all equal.
When the war finally ended in one of the most brutal and violent manners possible, there was in some cruel way, a sense of relief. A sensation that rapidly spreads through your body: a shiver of hope that the long-held fear may finally be a thing of the past. But 2009 did not see the end of prejudice and the rise of liberty. The next five years saw the most rapid decline of civil liberties, democracy and the rule of law in Sri Lanka's history. The island that was Asia's oldest democracy and which produced the world's first female Prime Minister was sinking fast.
On January 8 2015, when democracy was all but extinguished, Sri Lankans made a historic decision. They chose freedom over fear, equality over indignity and fairness over injustice. President Maithripala Sirisena's election was a landmark event. Millions were inspired by a message of a just peace and the promise of a country based on equality. It seemed like change was finally at hand.
But as we pass the first anniversary of that fateful election, President Maithripala and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe's promise of not leaving anyone behind in their new, fairer Sri Lanka leaves much to be desired. Although free speech has flourished and fear has dissipated, some remain invisible, shrouded in fear, in a society that continues, in 2016, to criminalize them purely on the basis of who they love.
Sri Lanka remains a darling of the international community despite continuing to criminalize same-sex relations between consenting adults. Articles 365 and 365A of the island's penal code -- both legacies of the British Empire -- ban "gross indecency" and "carnal intercourse against the order of nature".
Although the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ("LGBT") community are rarely prosecuted under these vague laws, their mere existence has enabled generations of systematic abuse, harassment and discrimination against the island's LGBT community. As an out gay teenager in Sri Lanka, I witnessed the fear that everyone like me lived in: the fear of a system that was never going to be on your side because your mere existence is treated with contempt. In 2016, we have the opportunity to change this.
From January 19 to 22, a delegation from the EU will be visiting Sri Lanka to re-start negotiations on Sri Lanka's accession to GSP+. The GSP+ scheme is a component of the EU Generalized Scheme of Preferences for developing countries. It offers additional trade incentives to developing countries to implement international conventions on human and labour rights, sustainable development and good governance. One of the key covenants which eligible countries must abide by is the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ("ICCPR"). The Human Rights Committee, which was set up to overlook the implementation of the ICCPR, held in the case of Toonen v Australia that states could not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Tasmania's penal code, which criminalized same sex relations (and is near identical to Sri Lanka's), breached the ICCPR.
However despite it being very clear that decriminalization of homosexuality is a requirement of the full implementation of the ICCPR and thus accession to GSP+, it is not on the EU's agenda for its visit to Sri Lanka. The EU claims at home to be a champion of human rights and to protect minorities, but apparently this principle does not apply further afield.
All Sri Lankans hope and aspire for a better future, shared with our loved ones, the ones whom we freely choose to love. If we, Sri Lankans, are to move ahead as a nation, we need to create a society where we can all live in dignity, a society that is just and free. Until we do, the promise of our new nation can never be realized.
The Commonwealth Secretariat has last night released the final report of the Commonwealth Observer Group to Sri Lanka’s 2015 Parliamentary Elections.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma made the observers’ findings public after they were sent to the Government, Commissioner of Elections and political parties following the elections.
Writing in the foreword to the report, the Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group, former President of Malta Dr George Abela said: “Our overall assessment is that these 2015 Parliamentary elections fulfilled the key benchmarks for a democratic election and that the electoral process was on the whole transparent, peaceful and credible.”
Among the recommendations offered by the Observer Group is a call for measures that make it easier for women to enter politics at the national level and a proposal that Sri Lanka take a “zero-tolerance” approach to election violence. The Group also concluded that the Government should reconsider restrictions on campaigning methods as well as consider legislation on campaign finance.
The report praises Sri Lanka’s Commissioner of Elections and his Office for “having maintained high standards of fairness” and the country’s police for enforcing the law and ensuring a peaceful election.
More than 6,000 candidates from 21 political parties and 200 independent groups contested the 17 August election, which saw 225 members of parliament elected. The United National Party (UNP), which led the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) coalition, increased its vote share and formed a government with the support of some members of the opposition United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA).
It was a Sunday afternoon, and the 64-year-old Maithripala Sirisena was in no mood to relax. He had a series of meetings earlier. After his appointment with Frontline in a hall of his official residence sporting the portraits of Marx, Lenin and Mahatma Gandhi, the President had some more meetings scheduled for the day. He appeared relaxed during his interaction with this correspondent, which was originally meant to be brief but lasted nearly one hour. Excerpts from the interview.
How would you rate your performance in the last one year—good, very good, excellent?
[Smiles] Very good.
Have you finished what you had planned to do in the first year of your term?
No. But I have begun to carry out. It [last year] was the entry point.
Has your relationship with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was in the rival camp until November 2014, grown closer? How do you feel about working with him?
Very close. [I am] extremely satisfied.
What is your response to the criticism that a number of amendments made to the 2016 Budget have revealed that the United National Party (UNP)-Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) coalition government is not functioning cohesively?
It was a very good Budget. The proposals were excellent. The criticism arose when concessions to public servants and people of the country were reduced. If these [the concessions] are withdrawn, we need to inform the people in advance and explain why we are taking them back. In this instance, the people were not properly informed. That was our fault. This was why we had to make certain changes.
Do you still fear that you might be toppled? Over a period of eight months you made repeated references to “counter-revolutions” and conspiracies.
Conspiracy is not the term that I would use. Some people had expectations that they could topple my government. The way the Budget was passed by the parliament during the second reading and the third reading clearly showed the strength of the government. Now, they have lost their hopes [of ousting the government]. MORE...
by 22nd January 2016
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January 21, 2016