Protest against casino bill

By Rashini Mendis-

 

Sunday, 20 Oct 2013

Coalition partner of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), along with other national movements, is to launch a massive protest campaign against the move to pass the Strategic Development Project Bill in Parliament, which is supposedly aimed at promoting casinos.

General Secretary of the JHU, Udaya Gammanpila, told Ceylon Today, that his party will engage in a massive protest against casinos along the Parliament Road on 23 October and distribute leaflets urging parliamentarians to vote against the Bill, which is to be presented to Parliament the same day.

“We hope to meet the Maha Nayake Theras of the three main Chapters and make them aware of the negative influence that casinos can have on the society, culture and moral values,” Gammanpila said.

The decision to protest against the Casino Bill was arrived at on 17 October, during a meeting between Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera, Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera, Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera, Ven. Dr. Ananda Thera, Anagaika Dharmsekara, Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekara, Udaya Gammanpila and Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe. Meanwhile, President of the Anti-Imperialism Movement, Ven. Dambara Amila Thera also expressed strong opposition to setting up casinos and urged everyone to join hands to fight against casinos. 

Army denies North rape claims

October 18, 2013

The army has denied allegations that troops in large numbers are responsible for sexual violence, sexual harassment, abuse, exploitation and other types of violence against women and girls.

Army spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya said that there have been repeated attempts to draw a “non-existent correlation” between the presence of the military in the North and insecurity of women and girls in that region.

He said that during the conflict period (January 2007 – May 2009), seven Security Forces personnel were reported as being involved in five incidents of sexual violence in the North. This is out of a total of 125 persons accused in 119 incidents for the entirety of the Northern Province. The ethnicity of the victims of these cases is 4 Sinhalese and 1 Tamil.

In the post conflict period (May 2009 – May 2012), the army spokesman says 10 Security Forces personnel were reported as being involved in 6 incidents of sexual violence in the North. This is out of a total of 307 persons accused in 256 incidents for the entire Northern Province. The ethnicity of the victims is 2 Tamil, 1 Muslim and 3 Sinhalese.

“Legal action has been taken by the Government in all of the above cases in which the Sri Lankan Security Forces personnel have been involved. The military has taken strict action to either discharge or award other punishments to these personnel. Furthermore, cases have also been filed in civil courts, some of which are pending in Courts and with the Attorney General’s Department,” the army spokesman said.

He says the inference that the presence of the military contributes to insecurity of women and girls in the former conflict affected areas is baseless and disingenuous.

“This is a part of yet another attempt by those with vested interests to propagate a culture of fear and apprehension amongst the people of the North with regard to the presence of the military in those areas,” the army spokesman added.

The spokesman insisted that the Armed Forces do not condone such acts of violence against women and girls and has taken concrete action against reported cases. (Colombo Gazette)