9.3 tons of gold – part of SL’s national asset sold secretly- World gold Council exposes

-MaRa doing illicit ‘buying and selling’ business with country’s gold

(Lanka-e-News-22.April.2012, 11.30PM) The World gold Council official data report states that the Sri Lanka Central Bank during the last quarter of 2011 had sold 9.3 tons of gold constituting part of the country’s national asset. This had been exposed on 18th Oct. 2011. This means that this illicit transaction had taken place prior to this date. The approximate total value of the gold so sold as at 30th Sept. 2011 was Rs. 72300 million !! According to world data , the price of an ounce of gold in 2001 was US. Dollars 252.00. Today this price has shot up to US dollars 1660.00. The world gold Council predicts that by 2014 , this price will exceed US dollars 10,000/- per ounce. That means in two years , the total value of the gold sold secretly will be about Rs. 400 billion !! Why was this gold weighing 9.3 tons of this high value which constitutes country’s asset sold ? After collecting so much of money , what is the relief provided to the poverty stricken masses? Why was this kept as a secret? During the period when the country’s gold assets should be preserved carefully , who is the fool who initiated this sale ? Because of MaRa regime’s illicit and secret gold business , is a representative of the Central Bank issued with a permanent residence visa to stay in Malaysia ? Is the MaRa regime doing a ‘buying and selling’ business out of this gold ? The Central Bank is bound to reveal to the people the truth and furnish with answers to these questions , for the Central Bank is not the private or the dowry property of MaRa to use it to dabble in illicit and unlawful businesses, according to his or his regime’s whim and fancy.

And yet another suspect dies in police custody

by Wasantha Ramanayake

Protests against the death. Pix by S. Siriwardene

( April 22, 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The mysterious death of Nimal Chandrasiri Dahanayke (42), a fisherman of Thalpitiya, Wadduwa, who died last Sunday (15) while in the custody of the Wadduwa Police, is the latest addition to a long list of deaths in police custody.

The deceased, Nimal Chandrasiri, who was married with two sons (22 and 20) and a daughter (17), was the fourth suspect in a litigation, where the first suspect is a hotelier of the area, who had allegedly opened his liquor shop on a Poya day.

Chandrasiri’s family believe that his death is linked to a Fundamental Rights (FR) case filed by the hotel owner against the Wadduwa Police, where the hotelier had not wanted Nimal Chandrasiri to plead guilty to the charges made by the Police, in view of the FR application in the Supreme Court against the Wadduwa OIC.

A lawyer in the area, who wished to remain anonymous, charged that, apart from this FR case, there are other serious allegations against this OIC who enjoyed impunity.

Dilupa Pieris (37), Nimal’s wife, was angry with the media reports on her husband’s death, alleging that the media had been partial towards the police. “They have insulted my dead husband,” she accused.

The eldest son, D. Sampath Thushara (22), married with a four-month-old baby, told the Sunday Times, “My father had gone to Panadura between 4.30 am and 4.45 am, which is his routine for almost 20 years. Then, his mother had received a call at 5.58 am, saying that ‘Nimal’ was taken in by the Police.”

Sunday, 22 April 2012 

Bodies burnt in the Borella crematorium at night

The crematorium at the Borella Kantta had been in operation between 1 and 2 a.m. this morning. Since the crematorium does not operate after 7 p.m. and since there were two jeeps and white vans inside the premises, a resident in the area had informed the incident to the Borella Police.

The resident told us that although he had informed about the matter to the Borella Police at around 1.40 a.m., the police had not arrived until the jeeps and the white vans left the premises. He added that although the people in Kanatta were attired in civvies, their actions indicated that they were members of the security forces.

An officer from the Borella Police upon inquiry confirmed that they had received a similar complaint over the telephone early in the morning. A senior official from the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) told us that the crematorium at the Borella Kanatta, which is under the purview of the CMC, is shut at 7 p.m. every day and that the keys are handed to the chief watchman.

However, he said there have not been any reports of the crematorium being operational this morning.

Several attempts made to contact the Colombo Mayor for comment failed since he is currently overseas.

Although bodies are not cremated at night in the crematorium, young boys and girls and even JVP leader Rohana Wijeweera were burnt in the crematorium at midnight during the 1988-1989 period.

Nevertheless, we are yet to learn who had used the gas crematorium at the Borella Kanatta this morning.

Since we have based this story on reports received by one person, we request journalists and human rights activists in Sri Lanka to further clarify this story.

April 23, 2012

WikiLeaks: Gota Is The Abductor – Minister Lakshman Seneviratne

By Colombo Telegraph -

Lakshman Seneviratne

“Opposition United National Party legislator Lakshman Seneviratne, speaking in Parliament, accused Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa, Colombo Deputy-Inspector General of Police Rohan Abeywardena and former Air Force Squadron Leader Nishantha Gajanayake of orchestrating abductions. Ambassador raised U.S. concerns about the new trend of Muslim abductions with Foreign Minister Bogollogama on June 13 .”  the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.

The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable fromWikiLeaks database, which details the emergency regulation debate which took place on June 6, 2007. The cable is classified as “SECRET” and written by the Ambassador Robert O. Blake on June 19, 2007.

Quoting then opposition MP and present Minister of Productivity Promotion Lakshman Seneviratne Robert Blake wrote “On June 6, during an emergency session of Parliament, United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian Lakshman Seneviratne accused Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa, Colombo Deputy-Inspector General of Police Rohan Abeywardena and former Air Force Squadron Leader Nishantha Gajanayake of orchestrating abductions. Seneviratne stated that Gajanayake, a retired Air Force officer whose last assignment was as Executive Assistant to former Sri Lanka Armed Forces Commander Donald Perera, was Gothabaya’s personal link to the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP, or “Karuna faction”) in Colombo. He added that Gajanayake arranged abductions using the TMVP on orders from Gothabaya and with the assistance of police officers acting under Abeywardena. Although Seneviratne did not differentiate between Muslim abductions and Tamil abductions during his condemnation of the Defense Secretary, he did lodge specific accusations concerning the abduction of a prominent Muslim businessman against Defense Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella’s security detail, leading to angry exchanges in Parliament. Seneviratne stated that a Muslim businessman’s brother told him that Rambukwella’s bodyguards lured the businessman to a hotel in Kandy and then held him for ransom, demanding a ‘colossal’ sum of money.”

Related news;  WikiLeaks: Justice Minister Hakeem Knows Who The Abductors Are

Below we give the relevant part of the confidential cable;Read More

Supreme Muslim Organization against evacuation of Mosque in Dambulla : we don’t need a mosque of even gold in another place- Muslim Congress Secretary says

-Premier ‘Dimu’ tells ‘kunu’lies profusely: unbecoming of his status

(Lanka-e-News-22.April.2012, 11.30PM) The supreme religious body of the Muslims , the All Ceylon Jammiyathul Ulema Association had taken a decision yesterday night(21) to oppose the attempts to forcibly evacuate the 50 year old mosque of Muslim devotees at Dambulla , and move it to another location ; and even if a mosque made of gold is given in another location , that will serve no purpose, Muslim Congress Secretary Hassen Ali told Lanka e News. Hassen Ali gave the above reply when Lanka e news inquired from him about the discussion held between the Premier and several Govt. MPs and Ministers this morning , and the communiqué issued by the Premier following it that agreement had been reached to relocate the mosque elsewhere. He added that Fowzie, Alawi Moulana or Cader have no eligibility to make decisions on behalf of the Muslims , and it is only the supreme Organization , the Jamiyathul Ulema that can decide on it. He explained that the Ulema Association had decided that they should disagree with the use of force to re locate the mosque which had been in Dambulla for the last 50 years. Muslim Congress Secretary requested Fowzie , Alavi Moulana and Cader not to betray the Muslim community in order to achieve their cheap selfish political agendas. The Premier had in his communiqué following the discussion this morning indicated that Muslim Congress M P Hisbullah participated , but this is a blatant lie , as disclosed by Hisbullah to Lanka e news. Based on our inquiries it is learnt that Fowzie and Alavi Moulana had not participated in the discussions held this morning at Gampola , and that the Premier had shamelessly and brazenly lied that they were present . It was only Abdul Cader , the Premier and his son who have taken part in the morning discussions. In the afternoon , Fowzie confirmed that he and Alavi did not take part in the discussion.  It is very evident from this , the Premier Dimu Jayaratne had shamelessly and profusely lied in his communiqué unbecoming of his position as a Prime Minister of the country.

Sri Lanka's tea workers fear for their future

By Charles Haviland

Tea harvesters make 500 rupees (£2.50) a day - but only if they pick 18 kg

  East of the town of Badulla is some of Sri Lanka's most dramatic scenery.

Forested hills rise vertically from valley floors filled with rows of pale green tea bushes.

Early each morning, hundreds of women add bright specks of colour to the landscape as they begin harvesting the leaves by hand.

It appears picturesque.

But the job is gruelling and a new sense of gloom is starting to pervade Sri Lanka's tea industry.    Full Story>>>

Rising costs, falling prices and poor weather are now making it more expensive to produce tea than to sell it, with the effects being felt in every part of the production chain.

Not Just A Minority Community in Sri Lanka

Posted by: Raashid Riza  Tags: China,muslims,sri lanka,United Nations,world  Posted date:  April 23, 2012  |  Comment

Recent events call into question the political position of the Muslim community within Sri Lanka, and the historical context which put them there

Last Friday a mob of about 2000 Sinhalese, led by a group of Buddhist monks, stormed into a mosque in the historical city of Dambulla. They caused disturbances so severe that Friday prayers had to be cancelled. Reports suggest that the mosque had been hurled at with petrol bombs the night before, causing minor damage, and security forces were deployed to control the situation. The targeting of the Muslim community was instigated by a group of racist Sinhalese individuals, consisting largely of hooligans, who were motivated by the uproar and attention such an act would create, rather than by any identifiable ideology.Read more

Sri Lanka government orders removal of Dambulla mosque

Buddhist monks were also involved in the protest
Sri Lanka's government has ordered the removal of a mosque from an area it says is sacred to the country's majority Buddhists.

The order comes two days after Buddhist monks led a crowd trying to storm the mosque in the central town of Dambulla.

Prime Minister DM Jayaratne says the mosque has simply been ordered to relocate to another part of the area.

But the incident has angered senior Muslim politicians.

The BBC's Charles Haviland in Colombo says this statement by the prime minister appears to have been issued in a hurry, a day before the various parties to this religious dispute were due to meet.

Buddhist monks in central Sri Lanka had threatened to demolish the mosque next week if the authorities did not act first. A special meeting to discuss the issue appears to have been convened on Sunday, and this statement was produced.

The statement listed four prominent Muslims as present at Sunday's meeting agreeing to relocate the mosque - but according to a weekly Muslim paper, three of them say they were not there.

Cabinet minister AHM Fowzie told the BBC he had not been to such a gathering. He added that it would be acceptable to request such a relocation but not to order it.

Another politician of the governing party, Azath Sally, said that even if the mosque were illegal, people opposed to it should not "act like thugs".

"Do Tamils and Muslims not have a right to live in this country now?" he added.

Mr Jayaratne, who is also responsible for the affairs of the country's majority Buddhists, said he had ordered the mosque to be removed from a sacred area in Dambulla and that it could be relocated to "a suitable place in the neighbourhood".

He described it as a mosque which is in the process of being built and local Buddhists have reportedly said that a previously small structure is now being illegally expanded.

The chief of the mosque told the BBC Tamil service the building was legal and was simply being refurbished.

Our correspondent says that whereas Sri Lanka's Muslim community normally shies away from confrontations with the government, this incident has angered some senior Muslims and prompted them to speak out.

Rajapaksa assures MPs of air connectivity The Times of India MADURAI: Air connectivity from Madurai to Sri Lanka appears to be materialising as Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa has assured the visiting Tamil MPs about increasing connectivity between the two regions. Virudhunagar MP Manick Tagore, who shared his experience of the trip to Sri Lanka with media persons here on Sunday, said the Tamil MPs in the parliamentary team insisted that there should be more connectivity between Tamil Nadu and the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka where Tamils lived in large numbers. "After we insisted on connectivity between Tamils living in both countries, Rajapaksa told us that he had already cleared a proposal to starting air connectivity to Madurai. He added that Sri Lankan Airlines was cancelling a few European operations and would have flights available for connecting Madurai. When we stressed about increased connectivity, he told us that he will go ahead with the flight operations even if they had to incur loss," Tagore said. The main objective of the committee visit was to inspect rehabilitation works totalling Rs 25,000 crore in Sri Lanka sponsored by the Government of India. "We have also interacted with Tamil leaders in the country who wanted devolution of powers for Tamil provinces. The committee also met people in IDP camps, which now have 6,500 members. After visiting all the places, there was a detailed discussion where Indian MPs represented these issues. The Sri Lankan side assured us that they will hold elections in the northern province soon after moving all people in IDP camps to their native places. Rajapaksa has given a timeline of June 30 to resettle people in IDP," Tagore said. The committee had also discussed the increased military presence in the northern province that kept people in fear. The Sri Lankan side is said to have promised the MPs that the armed forces would be withdrawn from civilian areas after elections in the province. "They are a bit upset over India supporting the UN resolution but they understand India's situation. The Sri Lankan authorities also promised to look into the fishermen attack issue, and will come out with a mechanism wherein fishermen of both countries themselves will resolve their issues," MP said.

Dying for the truth in Sri Lanka

By Colombo Telegraph -

From ABC;

While the Sinhalese majority in Sri Lanka appear willing to give up some democratic rights to the government that ended the civil war, others aren’t. And for those activists and members of the media getting the truth out can be a deadly business. Activists and reporters continue to disappear, and dissenting voices are silenced in a climate of fear and intimidation.

In a rare opportunity, correspondent Richard Lindell was recently granted a visa to Sri Lanka. There he saw first hand a government intent on intimidation and a population cowered into submission. That includes the country’s journalists. Richard Lindell spoke to Frederica Jantz [sic], the Editor of Sri Lanka’s ‘Sunday Leader.’

To listen click here;

Audio 

 To read more articles about Frederica Jansz  click here

Dying for the truth in Sri Lanka

ELIZABETH JACKSON: In a rare opportunity, correspondent Richard Lindell was recently granted a visa to Sri Lanka.

There he saw first hand a government intent on intimidation and a population cowered into submission.

That includes the country's journalists.

Richard Lindell spoke to Frederica Jansz, the editor of Sri Lanka's Sunday Leader.

FREDERICA JANSZ: We have been attacked nine times, we are 18-years-old and our presses have been burnt down twice. And of course we paid the ultimate price when our founder, editor-in-chief Lasanthe Wickrematunge, was murdered in January 2009.

Even after that murder, I myself continue to receive death threats. So yes it's a huge challenge to remain independent.

And more recently we even had the president himself calling my chairman and the owner of the newspaper and yelling at him, literally yelling, for a front page news item that we had carried exposing that he had siphoned off a billion rupees into a private account from a Chinese grant.

RICHARD LINDELL: What you've just talked about seems to back the Reporters Without Borders report that says journalists, even now three years after the war, continue to be attacked, beaten, harassed and labelled as traitors if they speak up against the government.

FREDERICA JANSZ: Oh yes. And at the Sunday Leader that is a term that has been, we have been consistently called just that, traitors. Again by the defence secretary himself on the Defence Ministry website where he labelled not only us but also our lawyers, who were appearing for us in court cases, as traitors and terrorists.

RICHARD LINDELL: Given the considerable personal risk, why do you continue to do it?

FREDERICA JANSZ: I believe in what I am doing. Someone has to do it. And I believe that at the Sunday Leader we have contributed somewhat to make some change, even if it is in the way people think in this country, and that by itself is a huge step.

RICHARD LINDELL: When I read the Sri Lankan media it appears that the government is winning the propaganda war. Most of the media coverage is very favourable to the government. It does address the issues of the day but very much from the government's standpoint.

FREDERICA JANSZ: It is indeed. It's pathetic really, the current situation where the media is concerned in this country. Everybody - yes the government has been extremely successful in forcing the media into submission.

RICHARD LINDELL: What about the general population, the readers, the viewers, do they buy what they're watching? Do they really think this is a fair and accurate depiction of what's going on in Sri Lanka?

FREDERICA JANSZ: I don't think readers actually think that it's a fair and accurate. Having said that, civil society in Sri Lanka is lethargic and dormant. So unfortunately, even with a newspaper like ours, we can only write it as it is, but there is nobody out there in terms of a civil society organisation or even the main opposition party to take forward those issues.

RICHARD LINDELL: In the final editorial written by the former editor, Lasanthe Wickrematunge, he asked whether the readers, whether the general population, deserved the sacrifices Sri Lankan journalists were making and implored people not to take that commitment for granted. Do you think people, do you think the general population does care enough today?

FREDERICA JANSZ: No. I don't think so. And yes I agree with those words. We are taken for granted and we seem to be lone crusaders out there and that really is the tragedy for society here in Sri Lanka today.

RICHARD LINDELL: So again I need to ask you the question, why do you continue to do it if most of the population really doesn't seem to be engaging in the issues, in the fight against the politics and the policies of the government?

FREDERICA JANSZ: Because I, as a newspaper editor, if I lose hope then I shouldn't be sitting here or doing what I'm doing. I still have hope that I can make that change.

ELIZABETH JACKSON: That's Frederica Jansz the editor of Sri Lanka's Sunday Leader and she was speaking to our South Asia correspondent Richard Lindell.

Sunday 22 April 2012

It’s official – top govt. man refutes all 

‘govt. abductions’

By Ranga Jayasuriya

Lakshman Hulugalle, the director general of the Media Centre for National Security says abductions have been happening throughout the past, but they have now been highlighted by the media. He says 95 per cent of vans in Sri Lanka are white – and that the government does not abduct people in ‘white vans.’         Excerpts:

Do you admit there is a phenomenon of abductions in this country? There had been a spree of abductions recently...
Yes, there had been incidents of abductions. But that is nothing new. There had been abductions in the past. But, recently there had been a lot of publicity. What I feel is crime, accidents and abductions have been happening for the past fifty- sixty  years. But through the media, these incidents have now come to the public domain with much publicity. In the last two decades there had been much publicity for the war and now there is peace. There should be some sort of news and I think it is one reason that these incidents (abductions) have been highlighted today.

Are you saying that those reports of abductions are concocted by the media?
No. It is not made up by the media, there had been abductions in the past  but there are allegations now... certain people have been pin pointed (for complicity). Those allegations have been created by the media.

Full Story>>>