Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations

Sunday, September 4, 2011

The slippery chronicle of the Ninja faux pas Grease Devils at the Emergency Exit

Sunday 04 September 2011

Sunday, September 4, 2011

They vanished in a mystery as slippery as the ethereal forms in which they slithered in. How strange that once the campaign to have the state of emergency fell flat on its face some mysterious power that orchestrates the motion of the planets in the vicinity of Lanka decided to recall the grease devils (GD) and barrack them away in a safe place for now. One thing is for sure, if the purpose of unleashing the GDs was to convince the public that the extension of emergency powers was indispensable, the haunting boomeranged. It made people in swathes of out-station and Muslim areas furious with the police and military authorities and multiplied the accumulating anger against the government.

Read more.
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Major General Jagath Dias Under Scrutiny

Sunday, September 04, 2011

By Gazala Anver

Major General Jagath Dias

In the backdrop of Sri Lanka standing accused of committing war crimes during the the final stages of the war, a report from the European Centre for Constutitional and Human Rights (ECCHR), dated January 2011, has accused another Sri Lankan Army Officer, Major General Jagath Dias, of committing war crimes
Major General Jagath Dias was the commander of the 57th Division of the Army and is currently Sri Lanka’s Deputy Ambassador in Berlin.

Sunday 04 September 2011
By Namini Wijedasa

When a country’s cabinet is habitually uninformed, it is no surprise that its citizens also know nothing. In Sri Lanka, governance is carried out on a need-to-know basis: only a coterie at the top needs-to-know. 5-2

President Mahinda Rajapaksa announced in parliament on August 25 that he proposed not to extend the state of emergency. He explained that he was satisfied administration could take place under normal law. These were the closing lines of a long oration that was reminiscent of a budget speech. While its purpose was to convey the end of emergency, it did nothing to explain the logistics of such a move.
There was confusion over the many things the president did not say, including the date on which emergency would end. The government’s official website, news.lk, said emergency would end the same day. Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, cabinet spokesman said it would lapse with immediate effect. Mohan Pieris, the outgoing attorney general, told BBC it would end on September 9, “if not earlier.”
Not unnaturally, they were all wrong. President Rajapaksa said he would not extend emergency, which meant it would lapse on August 30–a month to the date on which it was last proclaimed. But the diverse theories of various official mouthpieces caused doubt. Observers began to speculate that he might issue a proclamation revoking the emergency; or that he would extend it for two weeks in order to get an alternative law in place. Read more...
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EU To Press Sri Lanka

Sunday, September 04, 2011

By Easwaran Rutnam

G.L Peiris

The European Union (EU) is to press Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) this month to address the issue of accountability over alleged human rights abuses committed during the final stages of the conflict.
Iulia Costea, the press officer of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, told The Sunday Leader that the EU also wants the Sri Lankan government to engage with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the contents of the report by a panel of experts, on the war in Sri Lanka.

West’s criticism of Lankan human rights record concerned India

THE TIMES OF INDIA TNN | Sep 4, 2011
NEW DELHI: In what might prove to be a political embarrassment for Congress in Tamil Nadu, aWikileaks cable has revealed that India viewed Western criticism of Sri Lanka's human rights record with concern as it felt shunning the island nation would drive it towards China.

An Indian official in the external affairs ministry told US diplomats that the West - by shunning a victorious Sri Lanka (after its defeat of the LTTE) over human rights issues - "pushed Sri Lanka into China's arms", and opened the region to the influence of both China and Iran. Full Story>>>
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Revised Galle Face deal offered to Chinese firm

Sunday September 04, 2011

Outright purchase changed to 99-year lease, but questions over CATIC’s acceptance

The Cabinet has now given approval for a 99-year lease of seven acres of prime land near Galle Face Green to China National Aero Technology and Export Corporation (CATIC). This is after reversing an earlier decision for the outright sale of the land for around US dollars 125 million (or about Rs 13.7 billion). It is not immediately clear whether CATIC — China’s aircraft manufacturing and marketing firm — would accept the offer or demand that its money be refunded. CATIC is learnt to have already remitted to the Treasury the amount involved. Full Story>>>

Saturday, September 3, 2011

PSC to rule on Sarath Silva’s underworld appointments, etc

By Ranga Jayasuriya

Sunday 04 September 2011

A Parliamentary Select Committee is to be appointed to investigate the conduct of former Chief Justice Sarath Nandasiri de Silva during his tenure from 1999 to 2009, after a delegation of 14 former judges, who met President Mahinda Rajapaksa, complained about abuse of power by the then chief justice.

The former judges, who met the president at a meeting arranged by Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, had spoken about arbitrary retirements, etc., and unlawful influence wielded by the former chief justice in order to exonerate suspects in court cases. Former District Court Judge and Magistrate G.D. Kulathilaka said the former chief justice appointed Rohana Kumara, a known underworld criminal as the caretaker of the Judges Institute, where newly appointed judges are given their initial legal training.
"This man, who is an underworld criminal, called judges 'machan' and asked, "Machan, where do you want to have your next transfer?" "He was so powerful," he said.
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Out goes Emergency; in comes confusion!

Sunday 04 September 2011

By Namini Wijedasa
The president’s announcement in parliament that he proposes not to extend the Emergency caused confusion last week with even ministers unaware of when the move would become effective.
Shortly after his speech, Cabinet Spokesman, Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa told the weekly media briefing that the Emergency would lapse with immediate effect.

A report on the official government website news.lk said the Emergency would be lifted on the same day as the speech. Speaking from Singapore, outgoing Attorney General Mohan Pieris told BBC that the Emergency would end on September 9, “if not earlier.”
It was later confirmed that the Emergency would lapse on August 30 but much more remained unclear with the government making no effort to educate the public. Responding to questions, Pieris said new regulations would be gazetted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act to deal with matters such as detainees, those who surrender, high security zones and proscription of the LTTE. But even by Friday the gazette had not been printed.
“Nobody really knows what’s happening,” said one civil society activist, requesting anonymity. “This has now become a standard feature of this regime’s style of governance.”
The Centre for Policy Alternatives said in a statement it is imperative that the measures the government intends taking are made public. “More generally, we would also call upon the government to adopt a transparent and consultative approach to any legislation it may bring in,” it continued.

Two Jaffna University students admitted to Hospital following attack by the Army

Saturday 3 of September 2011

(Lanka-e-News -03.Sep.2011, 11.50P.M.) Following an attack by the Army on the 2nd night on two University students in Jaffna, they have been admitted to Hospital in a critical condition , according to reports.

On hearing that the ‘grease devils’ have entered the Hostels of the University students , the male students have been going toward the female Hostel in the night to give them protection when they had been attacked by the Army. The injured students are now receiving treatment at the Jaffna General Hospital .

So far no investigations have been launched in connection with this attack.
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Who Is He? Who Said So?

Saturday, September 03, 2011

By Raisa Wickrematunge

Thushara Jayaratne is a name not many may remember. The Law College student was the centre of some controversy last year. He claimed that the questions in an open book Commercial law paper (held December 3, 2010) had been leaked to none other than the President’s son, Namal Rajapaksa.
Jayaratne also said that Rajapaksa had taken the exam in an air conditioned room, apart from the other candidates, even though there was plenty of room in the common examination hall. Jayaratne went to several people with his complaints: the Registrar at the Law College, the police, international rights groups. Not many were willing to accommodate him, he said at the time. The Human Rights Commission said the complaints fell outside their purview. An anonymous caller from the Law College Registrar’s Office asked him to drop the issue or leave. But Jayaratne was undaunted.

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 September 2011, 00:06 GMT]
The assistance given by the World Bank to North East Services Improvement Project (NELSIP) to improve road development in recently resettled areas in the Puthukudiyiruppu and Karaithu’raippattu divisions of the Mullaiththeevu district is diverted to a recently initiated Sinhala colony called Sampath Nuwara in the district at the instructions of presidential sibling Basil Rajapaksa and SL colonial governor of the north Maj. Gen. Chandrasri. SL minister Rishad Baddiudeen is also involved in the racket. The World Bank has allotted the funds to help the war-torn people and while the local administration has almost finalised the programme of road development, all of a sudden the fund amounting to 15 million has been diverted to an intrusive Sinhala colony Sampath Nuwara initiated in the Ma’nal Aa’ru area now Sinhalicised as Weli-oya in the district.

SL Colonial Governor Chandrasri has issued stern orders to officials to spend the money for the road development of Sampath Nuwara (which literally means ‘wealthy town’ in Sinhala).
This Sinhala colony in the Mullaiththeevu district, recently settled with thousands of Sinhala families, is protected on all sides by Sinhala military camps.
All basic facilities are provided to this colony.
Even though the colony is in the Mullaiththeevu district, for Sinhalicisation purpose, administratively it is linked to the Anuradhapura district. But when it comes to funds the funds allotted to Vanni are spent on this colony.
The Indian donation of tractors about which the Indian Foreign Minister was recently bragging in the parliament, as India’s assistance to war-torn Tamils, were actually first distributed to the Sinhala colonisers of Sampath Nuwara. Chandrasri was behind that racket too.
Informed circles say that Chandrasri has personal political and material ambitions built around Sampath Nuwara and Sinhala colonisation in Mullaitheevu.
By not recognising the national question and genocide in the island India and the USA contribute more and more to genocide through what they brag as development. The Indian Foreign Minister and the US Asst. Secretary of State should stop fooling around Eezham Tamils and the world by their talk of tractors, sewing machines and ice to fishermen, when they can’t attend to the fundamentals, Eezham Tamil politicians said.
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Post-war, is the Sri Lankan Army going on a rampage in the North?

groundviewsjournalism Forcitizens

The Sri Lankan Army: Humane or heinous? Photo from Now Public

[Editors note: Also read JAFFNA: BRUTAL ASSAULT OF CIVILIANS IN NAVANTHURAI andThe attack on TNA Parliamentarians in Jaffna: A timeline of outrageous denials (Updated)]

These days, the Sri Lankan Army appears to be somewhat bored. Despite increasing post-war forays into urban development, vegetable transportation and tourism – wonderfully captured in this cartoon – the Army appears to, unsurprisingly, seek more exciting peacetime pursuits. Fortunately, this appears to be quite easy in post-war Sri Lanka, where there are plenty of Tamils to expend excess testosterone on, who as an added bonus, are eternally grateful to the Army for eradicating terrorism and very unlikely to raise too much of a ruckus.

A detailed report of the violence in Navanthurai was posted on this site a few days ago. Tamil media now report even more heinous violence from the North, framed by growing fear on the ground over the ‘grease devil’ phenomenon. As T. Aruna notes in You Can’t Catch A Bogeyman, Full Story>>>

A thousand deaths

September 3, 2011T. R. ANDHYARUJINA
RAJIV ASSASSINS: (L to R) Murugan, Perarivalan and Santhan. File photo

The Hindu Photo LibraryRAJIV ASSASSINS: (L to R) Murugan, Perarivalan and Santhan. File photo

Procrastination on mercy petitions is inhumane to death-convicts

An inordinate delay of 11 years occurred in considering the mercy pleas of the three death-convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan, with their pleas being ultimately rejected on August 11, 2011 by the President of India. This is only one instance of the inhuman, unconscionable and arbitrary manner in which mercy pleas of convicts condemned to death are kept pending by the government for years on end.
Full Stoey>>&gt

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Most allegations against Sri Lankan Army ‘nonsense'

September 3, 2011

NIRUPAMA SUBRAMANIAN
Rajapaksa adviser says majority of the soldiers behaved impeccably.
Sri Lanka can initiate inquiries into allegations that have been levelled against its Army of war crimes in the final stages of the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009 only if it is provided specific instances with prima facie evidence, a parliamentarian from President Mahinda Rajapaksa's ruling alliance has said.

In an interview to The Hindu in Chennai, Rajiva Wijesinha, who was nominated to Parliament by the ruling alliance following the 2010 elections, said the majority of the soldiers had “behaved impeccably.”

Full Stoe>>>

Friday, September 2, 2011

Plans for Technical Advisory Mission to Sri Lanka taking shape

At the request of the Government of Sri Lanka, UN-SPIDER planned the Technical Advisory Mission (TAM) to Sri Lanka from 17 to 21 October 2011. A team of experts will meet with key disaster management authorities in the Government, UN agencies, regional and international organizations and initiatives, as well as private entrepreneurs to discuss, make recommendations and develop guidelines to improve the use of space-based information in disaster management.

Experts from a wide range of organizations will be joining the UN-SPIDER team to participate in the TAM, including representatives from a university, research institutions and space agencies. The National Disaster Reduction Centre of China (NDRCC), the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission of Pakistan (SUPARCO, a Regional Support Office of UN-SPIDER), and the Iranian Space Agency K. N. Toosi University of Technology (facilitated by the Iranian Space Agency, also a Regional Support Office of UN-SPIDER), will join the mission team, as well as the University of Salzburg, Centre for Geoinformatics - Z_GIS from Austria, the Centre for Space Science Technology Education for Asia and the Pacific (CSSTEAP, affiliated to the United Nations), India, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Disaster Management Centre, also based in India. The participation of the above institutions prepares the ground to develop meaningful partnerships between those institutions, UN-SPIDER and the Government of Sri Lanka.

Processed by natalie.epler on Sep 2nd 2011

Grease devils, occupying forces, intensify terror in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 September 2011, 23:00 GMT]
The ‘grease devil’ terror, staged by Sri Lanka’s occupying forces in the country of Eezham Tamils in a systematic way, clearly shows signs of a master-minded genocide emboldened by international inaction, said political and civil activists in Jaffna, commenting on terror unleashed on Wednesday and Thursday in the Jaffna University locality and in the Kurunakar suburb of Jaffna city. The events followed the model of the attack on residents of the Naavaan-thu’rai suburb of Jaffna a few days ago. “You cannot protect your women form us, is the psychological challenge posed by the ‘grease devil’ terror to provoke Tamils and then to attack them like they attack dogs to establish the point that militarisation and genocide have to be submissively accepted, because the occupying forces are sure that the powers that ignore genocide are on their side,” commented a politician in Jaffna.
Full story >>
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At UN, Screening of Rajapaksa's Response to "Killing Fields of Sri Lanka," Itself Neven Shown in Ban Ki-moon's UN

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 2 -- After the bloody final stage of conflict in Sri Lanka in 2009, alongside stalled action at the UN and its Human Rights Council, a documentary was made. This "Killing Fields" film about Sri Lanka has still apparenlty not been seen by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Nor was it ever screened inside the UN, but rather across First Avenue in what's called the Church Center.

But tellingly, this notice reached Inner City Press on September 1 Full Story>>>
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V FM MD assaulted

FRIDAY, 02 SEPTEMBER 2011 21:52

The Managing Director of V FM Radio has been hospitalized after being assaulted by 3 unidentified men at his Borelasgamuwa residence, SSP Deshabandu Tennakoon said.