Political Crossroads And Way Ahead

June 4, 2012

By Laksiri Fernando -

Dr. Laksiri Fernando

There are all indications that politics in Sri Lanka has come to a new stage; sort of cross roads or crisis. The government has terribly stumbled on several policy and political issues, leaving the impression that it has lost or is losing momentum and leadership. There is new polarization on the ethnic front simmering underneath or even on the surface.

The government has not been following a proper democratic path since the beginning, and if that was understandable during the war time (2006-2009), it is not the case after the end of the war. Things have become much worse since then for no excuse. The 18th Amendment was a turning point.

After the war, reconciliation should have been the first priority. This is apart from economic targets or ‘Wonder of Asia.’ No one disagrees with having economic targets for development whether all are realistic or not. But that is not a substitute for reconciliation or other political issues such as reinstating democracy after a long drawn out war. For reconciliation to begin there should be a political solution or even some arrangement for that. At least the elections should have been held to the Northern Provincial Council without delay. Proper negotiations should have been initiated with the TNA whatever the difficulties. That was not done.

The government first stumbled on the issue of the UNHRC resolution. The failure to understand the difference between 2009 and 2012 was the main reason. Immediately after the justified war in 2009, majority of the international community or the UNHRC was not ready to condemn Sri Lanka. In addition, the Ambassador in Geneva was highly skilled in bringing a broad coalition in support of the country. But no country believed that terrorism was the only problem behind the conflict in Sri Lanka. They only wanted to give Sri Lanka a chance for reconciliation and human rights. This does not necessarily mean that all countries vote purely considering human rights issues. There are other interests involved.

The situation in 2012 was different. It was not a failure of the new Ambassador in Geneva. She was only caught up in a bad strategy from Colombo. It may be correct to argue that the report of the LLRC was only out in November 2011. That was the subject of the resolution. Therefore, you need more time. But the countries primarily voted at the UNHRC considering Sri Lanka’s performance since 2009 on reconciliation and human rights. Even those who voted against the resolution, in solidarity with Sri Lanka, emphasised the need for improvements.    Read More

As UNCA Pushes Anti-Press Move, Sri Lanka Says ICP Faces Jail

Matthew Russell Lee Special to Salem-News.com

Mainstream press and the UN pull a u-turn on media freedom.

Matthew Russell Lee

(UNITED NATIONS) - As UN Correspondents Association officials Giampaolo Pioli and Lou Charbonneau of Reuters have proceeded against Inner City Press, they were told that their campaign could set anti media freedom precedents.

Now, it has. Today a major pro-government newspaper in Sri Lanka, the Sunday Observer, quotes with approval the indictment drafted by Reuters' Charbonneau against Inner City Press.

The newspaper says that "if the allegations against Lee are proven, the UN headquarters will be made out of bounds for him. If the harassment charges are proven he could face a jail term of up to six years." Click here to view the full article.

Pioli, assisted by Reuters' Charbonneau and other corporate media which have used without credit Inner City Press' exclusive stories about the UN then retaliated when Inner City Press complained, has pursued a public witch hunt against Inner City Press. Click here for sample UNCA minutes released only tonight from behind Reuters' firewall.

This has included mass e-mailing out the "charge letter" quoted by the pro-government Sunday Observer. The letter was signed by Charbonneau, Flavia Krause-Jackson ofBloomberg, Talal Al-Haj of Al-Arabia, Margaret Besheer of Voice of America and Timothy Witcher of Agence France Presse.

Witcher, at the behest of the French Mission to the UN, began the push against Inner City Press for its reporting on French UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous, who has accepted Sri Lankan general (and alleged war criminal) Shavendra Silva as a Senior Adviser.

Despite France's claim to support press freedom, not only has its Mission to UN sought to eject Inner City Press and even (unsuccessfully) to have it temporarily arrested. Now, the campaign they have pushed has created an environment in which political enemies can call for the Press to be jailed for six full years.

Al-Arabiya is funded and controlled by Saudi Arabia, so its increasing involvement in this anti free Press campaign is perhaps not surprising. But that Voice of America, using US taxpayer dollars, would be one of five leaders of an anti Press campaign triggering such a threat is, we hear, becoming a matter of concern to some on Capitol Hill.

Matthew Winkler of Bloomberg News has yet to respond to submitted questions the propriety of his UN bureau chief's involvement. As noted, there has been no response to two rounds of e-mails to Reuters "Ethics & Training" chief Greg McCune, Top News Editor Walden Siew, deputy editor Paul Ingrassia and big cheese Stephen J. Adler.

The only Reuters response on this has been Reuters UN bureau chief Lou Charbonneau saying on June 1, before he voted to investigate Inner City Press and sent out the selective minutes, "you are a bad person."

At Voice of America, before this executives David Ensor, Sonja Pace, David Jones and Steve Redisch were all told of the attacks and were asked to stop them, or least formally disassociate VoA UN bureau chief Margaret Besheer from these efforts resulting in governmental gloating about the possibility of jailing the Press.

Before the publication of the pro government Sunday Observer's report about exclusion from the UN and jail time, Inner City Press asked the UNCA Executive Committee to desist or at least slow down, because it has "been the subject of extremely negative, unfair, entirely unfounded coverage in for example the Sri Lankan press."

But the UNCA Executive Committee has doggedly proceeded, going more and more public even with material they wree told in advance, and acknowledged, was incomplete if not outright inaccurate.

Since the origin of these disputes, UNCA president Giampaolo Pioli has repeatedly demanded that Inner City Press remove from the Internet its factual report that Pioli accepted money for rent from Palitha Kohona, Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the UN.

Pioli in an angry telephone call threatened to have Inner City Press thrown out of the UN, an ejection now positively viewed by pro government media in Sri Lanka.

This calls into question not only the negligent management of Reuters, Bloomberg, AFP, Al-Arabiya and Voice of America, but also WHO is the source of the threats cited in the pro Sri Lanka government Sunday Observer.

If the Pioli proposed UNCA Board of Examination goes forward even now, it should investigate all of UNCA officials' communications with Palitha Kohona and other alleged war criminal. Watch this site.

US Shifting Bulk of Warships to Asia-Pacific

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta speaks at the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) Asia Security Summit: The Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore June 2, 2012. 

Sara Schonhardt

June 02, 2012

JAKARTA - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says the United States will shift the bulk of its warships to the Asia-Pacific region in the coming years as part of a new military rebalancing to guarantee a strong and continued U.S. presence in the region. 

  U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Saturday the United States will move 60 percent of its naval fleet to the Asia-Pacific by 2020.  Currently, its fleet of 285 cruisers, destroyers, littoral combat ships and submarines is evenly divided between the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.

Panetta laid out the plan in a speech Saturday to regional allies at the 11th International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) Asia Security Summit: The Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. 

"Our approach to achieving the long-term goal in the Asia-Pacific is to stay firmly committed to a basic set of shared principles, principles that promote international rules and order to advance peace and security in the region," said Panetta.
 
The country's scaled back defense budget will shrink Pentagon spending by $487 billion over the next decade, but Panetta said the United States will use its resources to enhance the technology of its weapons systems and replace old ships with new, more advanced ones.
 
China     Full Story>>>

WikiLeaks:Diaspora Had Rejected U.S. Calls For Them To Urge The Release Of Civilians

June 4, 2012
By Colombo Telegraph –

“The Foreign Minister assured Prasad that Sri Lanka is sensitive to Indian and other concerns, but repeated that a pause would only give oxygen to the LTTE. He said Sri Lanka needed the help of the Tamil Diaspora to persuade the LTTE to release its civilians. Ambassador briefed the minister on the results of the meeting Assistant Secretary Boucher had hosted with American Diaspora representatives. He explained that the Diaspora had rejected U.S. calls for them to urge the release of civilians.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.

Visvanathan Rudrakumaran the Prime Minister of the Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam,

The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database dated April 17,2009.. The cable is classified as “CONFIDENTIAL” and written by the Ambassador Robert O. Blake. The cable details the outcome of the  April 16-17 visit to Sri Lanka by UNSYG Chief of Staff Vijay Nambia and civilians evacuate plans the international community had. The cable also details the meetings the diplomatic community has  had with Defense Secretary, the Foreign Minister and the President of Sri Lanka .

Ambassador Blake wrote “Ambassador warned the Minister that if the government pursued a military option without first allowing high-level diplomacy a chance, Sri Lanka could expect escalating international criticism and actions to demonstrate the international community’s concern. The Ambassador said such actions could include suspension of aid to Sri Lanka, closer scrutiny of IMF lending, possible war crimes investigations, and perhaps other actions. EU Head of Mission Savage echoed the Ambassador’s comments, noting the importance of Sri Lanka protecting civilians and giving the LTTE an opportunity to surrender. He said the loss of civilian lives from ongoing military operations would be a humanitarian and public  relations disaster for Sri Lanka ‘which would snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.’ Indian High Commissioner Prasad agreed and referred to a very tough statement the Indian Foreign Ministry had issued earlier in the day. He said there is ‘extreme concern’ in India about civilian casualties. India did not see why further military action was necessary at this time and supports a humanitarian pause.”

Placing a comment Blake wrote “The President’s hard line position is likely motivated in part by his need to play to his southern Sinhala political base in the elections for the Western Provincial Council that will take place later this month. However, his visit to Kilinochchi to meet with the troops may have reinforced his conviction that the government finally has the LTTE trapped with a military victory in close reach. We are encouraged that the Foreign Ministry left an opening for a possible higher-level UN effort, provided the LTTE cooperates in releasing to the working level UN team at least some civilians as a sign of good faith. UN Resident Representative Buhne told Ambassador the UN will send a UN security advance team to the safe zone as soon as possible with a view to sending in the working-level team as soon as possible thereafter. In the meantime, the international community must continue to pressure the GSL to agree to a pause and cease military actions to allow diplomacy to work. It is also important that no public mention be made of a possible UN effort to release civilians, lest Sinhala nationalists seek to capitalize on the upcoming elections to force the GSL to back down from even the limited concessions they have made.”

Related news to this cable;

WikiLeaks: How Can The UN Consider Having Contact With Terrorists? MR To UN

Read the cable below for further details;      Full Story>>>

Scotland yard informs Diaspora that Rajapakse at last minute postponed his travel by due to huge protests at Heathrow

Monday, 04 June 2012 

At 06:30 hrs BST (British Summer Time) 04-06-12 Scotland Yard informed diaspora activists that Rajapakse has departed CMB.

Rajapakse changed his travel plans at the last minute due to massive disruptions planned by activists.

Officers On Watch and security details were changed every 2 hours at CMB -similar to the civil war- to prevent information seeping out

Scotland Yard Firearms Officers were actively encouraging protests at LHR yesterday saying they would do the same if their families had suffered like Tamils

Scotland Yard suggest protests be carried by carried out today as well outside Dorchester and Hilton hotels

It is now apparent, that Rajapakse's travel plans were disrupted by diaspora activists even before he returned from Bangkok. He was due to depart CMB on Sri Lankan Airlines flight UL 503 on 03-06-12. With news seeping out of his itinerary diaspora activists targeted this flight. Over 1,000 protestors arrived at Heathrow waving flags and chanting slogans. Such a disruption is unprecedented since the ending of the civil war.

As of 23:00 hors BST 03-06-12, there were no police sentries outside the Dorchester Hotel. However, there was heavy police presence at the Hilton Hotel in Park Lane with every entrance and exit covered. A police sergeant confirmed that the President of Namibia was staying there. No doubt, many other VIPs will lodge there as well. Also two police sentries mounted guard outside the Sri Lankan High Commission in Hyde Park Gardens.

Sri Lanka Not Holding Out For Another War Hero

June 3, 2012
By Arjuna Ranawana -

Arjuna Ranawana

Across Sri Lanka, ecstatic crowds have welcomed the release of former army commander Sarath Fonseka from jail, and it is intriguing to see whether his presence will help the fragmented opposition shift President Mahinda Rajapakse’s firm hold on power in the country, or will indeed perpetuate his rule.

In a surprise move President Rajapakse used his extraordinary executive powers to pardon and release Fonseka last month. Fonseka, who led the Sri Lankan military forces in the final decisive years of the 30-year civil war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, is the country’s premier war hero. Rajapakse fell out with his trusted army chief after the war was won by the state when Fonseka received public adulation for his role.

Fonseka was then shunted out of the army commander’s position and placed in the largely ceremonial position of chief of staff. Fonseka chose to leave and contest Rajapakse in a presidential election three years ago as the sole opposition candidate.

Rajapakse won that election easily and shortly afterwards Fonseka was arrested and convicted of a slew of offences by military and civilian courts.

Fonseka and his supporters say this was an act of vengeance by Rajapakse, and it did show up the president in a bad light.

The Rajapakse administration is the most powerful in Sri Lanka’s history. The president was at one time supremely popular. But that popularity is waning as the cost of living rises speedily and rampant corruption and an erosion of confidence in the judiciary eats away at public morale.

So why use presidential power to release a potential rival at this time?

Fonseka claims the president had no choice because there was overwhelming demand for his release from his supporters, including religious and business leaders.

There are unconfirmed reports that Rajapakse had been pressured by the United States to release the general, which had listed him as a political prisoner. This has been denied by the government.

The release seems more like a Machiavellian tactic by Rajapakse to bolster his popularity and throw a cat among the pigeons of the opposition.

Although he was a war hero and hailed as such during the past presidential election, Fonseka was paradoxically supported by two major political parties opposed to military action.

They are the main opposition United National Party and the Tamil National Alliance which dominates the northern and eastern regions which are predominantly Tamil.

 Read More

War on terror revisited:The Aturugiriya Affair

By Shamindra Ferdinando

In the run-up to the Dec 5, 2001 parliamentary polls, UNP leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe alleged that the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) was planning to assassinate him. He claimed that the DMI was training Tamil terrorists at the Panaluwa Army Testing Range to mount an attack on his campaign bus, as well as his political rallies. The unprecedented allegation triggered hostilities between the ruling People’s Alliance (PA) and the UNP, with the army placed in an extremely embarrassing position.

On the instructions of Wickremesinghe, UNP Chairman Charitha Ratwatte and Deputy Chairman Daya Palpola wrote a hard-hitting letter to Army Commander, Lt. Gen. Lionel Balagalle warning that he would be held responsible ‘in the event of an unfortunate incident’. The UNP duo accused the Army chief of training personnel to engage in a destabilisation campaign against the UNP.

Read more...

A ‘WARM’ JUBILEE WELCOME - by Westminster Insider

Sunday, 03 June 2012 

Several songs have been composed urging British Tamils to rally together and extend President Rajapakse a ‘warm’ welcome. One is a remix of the popular Tamil song ‘Kolaveri’. Facebook pages and email distribution lists have also been created by activists who have also been twittering and sending thousands of SMS messages. All three Tamil language television channels and Tamil radio stations have been urging British Tamils to come together and demonstrate. Since the Mullaivaikal remembrance weekend the diaspora has been solely focused on the Rajapakse visit.

As news of Rajapakse’s visit seeped out, the diaspora began buzzing on how to counter it. Grass roots activists began lobbying MPs. Party activists had meetings with ministers and Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) mandarins. Several meetings were also held with senior police officers in Scotland Yard.

The message from the establishment has been unequivocal. The United Kingdom is a free country and everyone has a right to protest. Furthermore, that such protest should be legal and the police should be informed. However, if British Tamils and human rights activists wish to exercise their democratic right and choose to protest, then it is entirely their prerogative. Her Majesty’s Government (HMG) has once again given the green light to all those who seek to disrupt Rajapakse’s visit once again.

FCO mandarins have made it clear, contrary reports in the Sri Lankan press, that Rajapakse has not secured any high level meetings with members of HMG. And, while the Prime Minister and Rajapakse may be in the same room at a jubilee event with other heads of government, any meeting will not be exclusive. However, if discussions take place between the two in such an environment, they will be “tough”.

The only person who may be granted a high level meeting with HMG in Rajapakse’s entourage will be Professor Peiris. A meeting with the Rt Hon William Hague PC MP, the Foreign Secretary, has been pencilled in. FCO mandarins think that although being a dove, he is compelled to defend the regime’s line despite not believing it. Furthermore, it is thought that meetings with Peiris will not result in any damaging backblast to the establishment unlike Rajapakse.

The reality is that the FCO did not want Rajapakse to come. He is invited by the Commonwealth Secretariat (CS) as a part of its jubilee celebrations. Both the FCO and the CS had lengthy conversations on the suitability of inviting Rajapakse. Its Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma was aware of the backlash that Rajapkse’s 2010 visit had generated. However the CS did not have the choice of excluding the next host of the Commonwealth heads of government meeting.

While Rajapakse himself cannot be touched due to the diplomatic immunity he enjoys, everyone in London is watching his entourage. A top firm of Solicitors who specialise in human rights work have been retained with leading Queen’s Counsel briefed to secure an arrest warrant for anyone travelling with him tainted by allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Diaspora activists have received information that Rajapakse will be arriving on Sri Lankan Airlines flight UL505 on the night of the 3rd of June at terminal four in Heathrow airport. VIP clearance has been requested and granted. If Rajapakse sticks to this plan, there is no doubt whatsoever that he will receive a very ‘warm’ welcome on arrival. Of course, now that this is in the public domain it may be liable to change.

It is not clear where he and his entourage will stay, but once again the Dorchester hotel is the obvious choice. It is in very close proximity to the Sri Lankan High Commission. If there is risk of a warrant being served, one can easily flee to ‘Sri Lankan soil’ in the High Commission at Hyde Park Gardens.

It will be an eventful week whichever way you look at it. For Her Majesty’s subjects this is a unique opportunity to celebrate her remarkable reign. It is only the second time in British history we celebrate such an event. It could be for Rajapakse and his entourage as well on his arrival, when delivers his speech at the Mansion House on the 6th of June or during the intervening period.

SRI LANKA: Is the police spokesperson, SP Ajith Rohana, living on the moon?

June 4, 2012

Today, June 4, in the Daily Mirror on line edition the police spokesperson, SP Ajith Rohana is quoted as saying "Generally as a practice torture never takes place in Lankan Police stations." This police spokesperson, who is also said to be an Attorney-at-Law, is further quoted as saying, "Torture is often misconstrued by the Media and the public. When the Police go to apprehend a suspect if there is resistance the Police will use force in order to arrest him. This isn't torture nor is using force to prevent damage to public or private property torture".

Perhaps this Attorney-at-Law and the police spokesperson may have never read any of the judgements of the Supreme Court regarding the torture that has taken place in Sri Lankan police stations. These cases are in the hundreds and the kind of physical torture includes assaults which have resulted in kidney failure (the case of Gerald Perera), instances where oedema on the brain has been caused due the victim head being placed beneath heavy books which were then struck with bars (the case of Lalith Rajapakse) and so many deaths which have happened after custodial torture, one of the most recent being that of the death of Mr. Chandrasiri Dasanayaka of Thalpitiya at theWadduwa Police Station and the killing at the Dompe Police Station which lead to the people attacking the station and so many hundreds of other cases.

SP Rohana seems to be a police spokesperson that does not appear to read. The Daily Mirror on the very same day reported in its print version several cases of torture until the title 'Suspects claim police brutality after arrest'. One of the suspects is in serious condition and the also been admitted to a hospital.

Full Story>>>

Sri Lanka Looks to Restore War Zone Property

Sri Lanka is to bring in special property laws to protect the rights of hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the island’s Tamil separatist war, a justice ministry official said Sunday.


The measure could see absentee owners, or their heirs, looking to reverse decades of possession by other people in both the conflict-wracked north and east of the country and elsewhere.


Under existing Sri Lankan law, a squatter can claim ownership of a property after occupying it for 10 years without legal challenge, but ministry spokesman A.R.A. Hafeez said the cabinet approved new rules to remove the time limit.


“The intention is to help people reclaim property they may have lost during the years of fighting,” he said.


Any person who became “displaced” between May 1983 and 2012 will be eligible to make a claim to repossess their property, whether it is in the conflict area or other parts of Sri Lanka.


An estimated 100,000 people were killed in the fighting in Sri Lanka between 1972 and 2009 and more than a million people displaced, many of whom sought refuge abroad.


The main Tamil exodus from the country was sparked by July 1983 race riots in which at least 400 people, mainly Tamils, were killed, according to official figures.


The separatist war ended in May 2009 and most landowners in the affected areas are Tamils themselves, while government forces occupy much land that was abandoned by its owners during the fighting, or declared a high security zone.


There will be an independent mechanism to settle disputes under the proposed law, said Hafeez.
The legislation is due to go before parliament, where the ruling party has a two thirds majority.


In January the government withdrew a controversial order that gave landowners a tight deadline to re-register their title deeds or risk losing their property in the war-ravaged region.
Agence France-Presse

Here's to 60 inglorious years of the Queen

Sunday, 03 June 2012 

Republicans across Britain are gearing up for what has been described as the "biggest anti-monarchy protest in living memory."

Events will take place across the country over the next four days in protest against the vainglorious jubilee celebrations with one of the largest demonstrations scheduled for Tower Bridge on Sunday.

Protesters will assemble near City Hall for what campaign group Republic has said will be a "loud, bold and provocative" demonstration in full view of the royal barge as the Queen and other royals disembark to watch the jubilee flotilla pass through Tower Bridge.

Earlier this month Republic published a new pamphlet 60 Inglorious Years which made the argument that the Queen's reign had been characterised by "personal enrichment, feeble leadership and an obstinate refusal to allow real scrutiny of her role."

Republic chief executive Graham Smith said: "The royals spend most of their lives shielded from criticism. This protest will give them a rare glimpse of the strength of republican sentiment in Britain today.

"The hereditary system is offensive to all the democratic values this country has fought for in the past. The jubilee represents a celebration of everything we, as republicans, oppose - it is our right and duty to challenge it and promote the alternative."

Peter Tatchell, who will be speaking at the protest, added: "Monarchy is incompatible with democracy.

"It's a relic from a bygone feudal, aristocratic age. In the 21st century, the British people should have the right to elect their head of state. It should not be imposed upon us."

Meanwhile health workers have reacted with anger over employers' refusal to pay them their full entitlement for working the two-day bank holiday.

Unite said that NHS employees at 113 trusts and boards were being denied full bank holiday pay or time off in lieu for working the government-imposed holiday.

It points out that many of these workers will be doubly out of pocket as childcare costs will increase over the period.

The union has published a list of the offending employers in a bid to name and shame them into honouring the nationally agreed Agenda for Change pay rates.

The Unite union head of health Rachael Maskell said: "This going to hit thousands of NHS staff who will be maintaining the smooth-running of the health service without any acknowledgement from their employers of this special day when millions of others will be enjoying the occasion.

"Those working on Tuesday will have to pay increased childcare costs - so this additional payment over the bank holiday is neither a recruitment-and-retention 'sweetener,' nor compensation for not being able to wave your union jack, but to compensate for the real additional costs for working that day."

Body identified: Bodyguard of Tiger political wing man

The body found outside a leading school in Bambalapitiya, Colombo 4 on Friday has been identified as of the one time bodyguard of former LTTE Batticaloa political wing leader Kaushalyan.

The victim was identified as Kanapathipillai Udayakanthan, 38, a resident of Kallaru, Batticaloa. He was identified by his father. He served as the body guard of Kaushalyan in the 2000 – 2004 period and thereafter fled to Britain and settled down there with his family there.

However, two years ago he had returned to the island and was involved in a business of sending persons overseas. Police said they believed that he was killed elsewhere and the body dumped in Bambalapitiya.

No way to celebrate a Jubliee

The Government needed photoshop to make it look like this happened - lets keep it that way 

This year, Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her diamond jubilee, to mark sixty years as monarch and head of the commonwealth. The celebrations will be long, grand, and varied, and one of the flagship events will be a private luncheon in London on the 6th of June with the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary ... and a war criminal.

The President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, a man against whom the UN have found credible allegations of responsibility for the murder of 40,000 civilians, and who leads a government that oversaw the disappearance of 32 people this March alone, will join the Queen and other heads of state at the taxpayer-funded meal.

This is no way to celebrate a jubilee.

The Government of Sri Lanka were rightly taken to task by the UN Human Rights Council, both for their failure to address accountability for past crimes, and their continued use of torture and oppression. They responded in typically belligerent fashion by redoubling their attacks on independent journalists and human rights defenders. It is therefore absolutely vital that at this key moment the international community keep the pressure on. This is not the moment to treat the President of Sri Lanka to pomp and pageantry -- nor should the Queen be forced to spend her jubilee posing for photos with a man who should be indicted for mass murder.

You can help make sure this doesn't happen.

The British Royal Family has recently introduced ways for you to give them your opinions. We can and should use these channels to tell them that the Queen should not be celebrating her jubilee in the company of war criminals. On your right you will see links to the mechanisms that the Royal Household has set up to send a message to the Queen -- please use it to register your disgust at President Mahinda's presence.

The Royal Household is very sensitive to negative publicity around the jubilee. There is a good chance that this will be successful but, even if he does come, it is important that we register our strong objection. At least President Mahinda will not be able to portray his visit as a public relations triumph. The jubilee should not be about torture and mass murder. Please send the Queen that message today.

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Government stands accused of biblioclasm

Blind Sinhala thugs burnt Jaffna Library

| by Pearl Thevanayagam

(June 01, 2012, London, Sri Lank Guardian) My father died of a broken heart at the age of 62 just two months after he celebrated his birthday on June 01, 1981 which coincided with the burning of Jaffna Library although his love for cholesterol-ridden red meat and pork contributed to a certain extent. His paintings adorned the library and his passion in life was his art.

He never sold a single painting since he believed art was too sacred to be a commercial venture. He specialised in Old Masters, portraits of ordinary folk such as our dumb servant whose wrinkles he depicted in oil rather life-like, his aunt sitting on the floor slicing cabbage with a knife held between her toes, my mother not looking pretty with her dishevelled hair first thing in the morning and landscapes.

I grew up in a household smelling of linseed oil, turpentine, water colours and stinking starched canvases surrounded by his many artist pals. W.J.G. Beiling (Chief Inspector of Art), Messrs Ranasinghe from the South and Wijeratne were the other inspectors of art who graced our home in Jaffna for holidays with their families. Bongso Jayah and Podinilame from the Department of Education were also our regular guests. I also remember being forced to wear socks and sandals and don Sunday dresses lined with can-can (which itched like hell) since father believed we should look presentable for our cultured Southern guests than our usual urchin selves running barefoot and wearing cotton frocks.

My poor suffering mother killed the emaciated red and white Leghorn fowls running wild in the compound and spent endless hours in the kitchen to make mouth-watering lunches including lagoon crabs and prawn for these playboys. Dessert was no pudding but Karutha Kolumbu and plantains. We enjoyed curd with kitul pani, rambuttans, mangoosteens and pine-apples courtesy of our guests. Thank the Lord she was only educated up to Grade Eight and therefore was blissfully unaware of women's lib.

Father also dabbled in sculpture along with Ramani (nick-name for his male friend who was also a sculptor) and Mr Sivapragasam who taught art at Central College and whose paintings adorned Jaffna Library. The visitors to our house were an eclectic mix. To keep company and liven up the weekends was Mr Sivagnanasundaram aka Savarithambar of Veerakesari cartoons famed for depictions of Mrs Damodiran representing upward mobile women in the seventies when miniskirts and sunglasses were the height of haute couture. Then there was Duke Mama who smoked slender cigarettes from a slim holder and Edwin Mama the Communist who stood around discussing politics.

Ramani and my father took possession of our portico in Manipay, a suburb of mainland Jaffna, at weekends and experimented with cement sculpture which was indeed hard work considering that cement dried rather quickly.

Although he was Inspector of Schools for Art in both the North and East in the '50's and '60s my father's preoccupation was painting which took us seven kids to the most scenic locations throughout the island during our school holidays.

My plea to the government is that it should not repeat the mistakes it made and killed my father's soul along with those of other Tamil intellectuals, artists and academics when it burned the Jaffna Library; a veritable treasure trove of culture. I am so glad he did not see his 300 or more works of art – some which took over five years to complete - go up in flames in July 1983 at our Nugegoda home in July 1983. He harmed no-one.

The writer is Asia Pacific Journalism Fellow at UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, California and a print journalist for 22 years. She can be reached at pearltheva@hotmail.com)
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Sri Lanka: Jaffna Public Library destroyed

by Sinhala Police -