SRI LANKA: Bane of lost IDs after wartime

Photo: Amantha Perera/IRIN

When paper is a valuable currency

COLOMBO, 6 June 2012 (IRIN) - Three years after conflict ended in northern Sri Lanka, many thousands of civilians remain separated from their ID cards and other official documents lost in the heat of battle and are consequently unable to access a range of essential government services. 

From 2008 until the war was declared over in May 2009, survivors who often endured continuous combat for weeks while trapped in northern Mullaittivu District told IRIN that when the chance finally came to escape, most left behind all their possessions. “When you run for your life, you don't think of these things,” said Sivaseelan from Puliyankulam village in Vavuniya District, who requested that only his family name be used. 

He returned to his home village at the end of 2009 and started re-establishing his identity. Without the right documents Sivaseelan cannot get post-conflict assistance to rebuild his home, enrol a child in school, or vote. “You are like an alien in your own village. You really can’t get anything done officially,” he said. 

Government offices like the Registration of Persons Department and the Land Commissioner General's Department began to receive requests from the north in early 2010 for documents to be re-issued. 

Most of the requests were submitted in Tamil, the second most commonly used language nationwide, and the primary one spoken in the former conflict zone where the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels had been fighting for an independent state for nearly 30 years. 

The high volume of applications and a shortage of Tamil-speaking officials in Colombo, the seat of government, some 270km away, created a bottleneck. The UN helped hire retired government staff to ease the congestion, as it had done after the 2004 tsunami when thousands of people lost their documents. 

In March 2009, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) launched the Access to Justice Project, in which mobile units staffed by government officials set up temporary offices in remote areas throughout the north. They do not issue the identity papers, which come from the government’s Registration of Persons Department, but they process the paperwork. 

The top government official in Kilinochchi District, Roopavathi Ketheeswaran, said the mobile service has made the whole process of re-issuing paperwork much easier, especially for those who have returned to villages with destroyed transport infrastructure. 

The most sought-after documents are national identity cards. UNDP has helped digitize personal registries for Mullaittivu, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Mannar districts where war-time destruction was most severe. 

Returnees who want to build homes, either with assistance or bank loans, also need land registration documents. “For those requiring assistance for housing, proof of land ownership is often essential,” noted the UNDP office in Colombo. 

However, deeds and other registration documents are the most difficult to reissue, as they require checking with national and regional registries. Several people, none of whom are the original owners, often claim the same unoccupied land, but people must have the deeds if they want to get a loan from the bank, Ketheeswaran told IRIN. 


More than 100,000 persons seeking documentation were served up until April 2012. The service is expected to continue until the end of 2012, with a new phase starting in early 2013. 

“Ensuring equal access to justice is important for people to have their voices heard, to exercise their rights, to challenge discrimination, and to hold decision-makers accountable,” the UNDP office in Sri Lanka told IRIN in an emailed statement. 

ap/pt/he 

New Zealand Tamils protest Queen dining with genocidal Rajapaksa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 June 2012, 10:24 GMT]
Braving biting winter and incessant rains, Eezham Tamils in New Zealand staged a demonstration on Tuesday in the capital Wellington and in the commercial capital Auckland, protesting the diamond jubilee celebrating Queen Elizabeth II dining with Mahinda Rajapaksa, the genocidal President of Sri Lanka. Synchronized with protests in London, the demonstration on the other side of the former British Empire where the Sun was never setting gained significance, as the Queen of England is also still the Head of State and Queen of New Zealand. Speaking at the demonstration, Queen’s Service Medallist in New Zealand, Mr. A Thevarajan pointed out how the colonial British administration, which for the first time introduced unitary state formation in Ceylon, ignored historical sovereignty of Tamils and denied even federalism due to its sluggishness. 

A delegation of Tamils headed by Siva Naguleswaran handed over a petition to the MPs and the Prime Minister at the Parliament in Wellington, expressing disapproval of allowing a war criminal to dine with Her Majesty the Queen on this historic occasion.

When the media asked why the protest, Mr. Ashok of Tamil Youth Organization (TYO), leading the demonstration said that apart from being Eezham Tamils, as New Zealanders and members of the Commonwealth they were angered by the diamond jubilee event allowing a war criminal to sit and dine with the great and beloved Queen.

Drenched and dripping in the heavy rains the Tamil youth stood demonstrating for two hours near Potters Park, a major cross junction in Auckland on Tuesday evening when people were getting back home after work. Despite the rains the demonstration made many of them to pause for a while and encourage the protestors.

Speaking at the event when the rains ceased for a while, Mr. Thevarajan citing the first ever unitary arrangement for Ceylon that came through the Colbrooke-Cameron reform of 1833 unifying territories of the Eezham Tamils, Kandyan Sinhalese and coastal Sinhalese in the island, said the basic clause in the arrangement, i.e., one people not denying the right of the other, passed into all the subsequent colonial reforms as a Royal Instruction. 

But included as Section 29 of the Soulbury constitution, the original concept became totally effect-less in practice and even the Privy Council could not do anything on the Sinhala Only Act. The moves initiated during the British rule for a federal set-up were shelved due to sluggishness of the British governors, Thevarajan said, pointing to the responsibility of the British and the international community.



In the current militarised situation in the island, in which the military is exclusively Sinhalese and orientated with a genocidal mind-set, even a federal solution would not work now. The international community and India should not continue the fundamental mistake of British colonialism. Sections of Eezham Tamil leadership should stop giving ideas to the international community or vice versa about experimenting with federal solution or about promoting ‘Sri Lankan Tamil’ identity, Eezham Tamil political activists in the island commented.

We have given the right to build condominiums

by Robinhood

( June 06, 2012, Colombo, Sri Lnaka Guardian) Minister Patali Champika Ranawak during a meeting in Homagama said that the government has given more than the equal rights to the Tamils living in Kollupitiya and Wellawatta to build condominium houses in the marine drive. He said the rights to build condominiums were given during the period of successive Sri Lankan governments and not by Pirabakaran in the Vanni.

I should teach that it is not the right to build condominiums but it is the simple right disallowing to sing the national anthem in Tamil.

The minister is suffering from a memory syndrome for a very long time that he has forgotten that it was in this same Wellawatta during the 1983 communal riots which burnt thousands of Tamils into death. Further he does not know the difference between the fundamental rights of an ethnicity. I don’t know whether this minister knows that no proper estimation was done and very little compensation was given for the loss of lives and properties during these communal riots where thousands of Tamils were burnt inside houses and properties looted. I wish to ask Champika did the so called patriotism of Champika Ranawaka bring the perpetrators of 1983 communal riots into account.

I doubt whether this minister was among the clan during the time where Tamil youths were stripped naked in the pavements of Colombo during 1983 which is similar to stripping of the dead bodies of the Tamil women LTTE carders. Being a Buddhist I feel shame for the atrocities committed by the Singhalese during the 1983 communal violence. I don’t know the kind of amusement you get surrounding and looking the nude body of a female dead corpse. There is nothing much for this Singhalese minister to blabber about communal hatred because these are the ministers who are descendents of the endemic Sinha (lion) tribe. I wish if this minister would have watched the program of Ven Dambara Amila in the Ya TV so that he can differentiate the difference between a Buddhist and a Singhalese. Due to these instigation and plunders done by political parties to remain in power the people of Sri Lanka specially the Singhalese community has suffered enough under the hands of terrorism leading to 30 years of ethnic violence.

Ministers who instigate communal disparity should come out from the tribal community and think this is not a country owned only by Singhalese and other communities to live as visitors. If this minister says that Tamil people in Kandy, Negombo and Wattala are living together with harmony it is the coexistence of the people and nothing to flatter communal politician who disallow to sing the national anthem in Tamil.

If it is to bring communal harmony there should be justice met first. I wonder why some politicians are terrified about the word accountability. As a matter of fact Sri Lanka is a country which survives under foreign aid, World Bank and IMF loans; it is not a secret how we kneel in front of IMF regulations to cover the budget deficit. At a situation like this we should be mature, civilized and professional and be transparent to handle any accountability issue which affects our aspirations and integrity. When blabbering about condominium rights in political arena we become jokers when dealing with international politics. We should be able to prove our credibility in a way safeguarding our people’s integrity and sovereignty of our nation. It may be the endemic quality of the lion in the jungle not to be accountable when hunting a life of another animal but we are living in a civilized society in the 21st century where humans are bonded with humanity and justice. If we see an injustice happening for a fellow human as a Sri Lankan we should be able to raise our voice against the injustice despite he is a Singhalese, Muslim, Tamil or a Christian. If anyone can raise a question what about the crimes done by the LTTE? The answer is very simple if the government can bring K.P and Karuna into accountability for alleged war crimes.

The present generation should know there are many incidents in the past that crimes not brought into justice and accountability. We are not lions living in the jungle we are civilized humans with sixth sense living in cities coexisting with fellow humans. We have to come out from the endemic tribal behavior and get assimilate by means of knowledge, spirituality and practice preached by Lord Buddah not to get instigate for speeches of gallery politicians and be provocative and brutal until we feel the smell of human flesh.

Robinhood – Defending the rights of all Sri Lankans

Diamond Jubilee Commonwealth Economic Forum
Commonwealth Business Council
Jun 6, 2012 to Jun 7, 2012. Mansion House, London.

After careful consideration the morning sessions of the Forum on Wednesday 6th of June have been cancelled and will not take place. The event will therefore commence with lunch at 1300hrs followed by the originally planned afternoon sessions beginning at 1400hrs.

Against a background of continuing financial turmoil, increasing unemployment and growing inequality it is understandable that many are questioning the equity and sustainability of our current capitalist system. These voices are not just the unemployed or disadvantaged, but also some of our biggest business leaders such as Sir Richard Branson and Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever who have called for a more responsible, inclusive and caring capitalism, which is driven by more than the bottom line.
While the Commonwealth Business Council remains committed to private sector led development and ‘making globalisation work for all’, for our second Commonwealth Economic Forum we have adopted the theme “reshaping capitalism for global prosperity and sustainable growth”. The Forum will focus on highlighting the positive impact business has on society. It will address economic policy issues around free and fair trade, employment and skills, support for small and medium sized enterprises, food security and short term decision making. It will also focus on areas where businesses can make a difference such as socially responsible investment, supply chain management, environmental sustainability and frugal innovation for pro‐poor growth. Above all it will consider how we can establish more effective public private partnerships for the benefit of all.
I believe that the Commonwealth, a diverse organisation of 54 countries, both developed and developing, spread over 6 continents, can play an important role in defining a better capitalism and also ensuring that a new model is adopted as widely as possible. Since our foundation in 1997, the Commonwealth Business Council has played an active role in improving corporate governance standards in developing countries, establishing business led anti‐corruption programmes and encouraging companies to adopt meaningful CSR programmes in the countries in which they work.

Responding to comments whether the End of the War should be Celebrated or Mourned

Responding to comments whether the End of the War should be Celebrated or Mourned

Photo courtesy Vikalpa

Ruki   6 Jun, 2012

Groundviews

Given the comments to the article I wrote on 19^th May, I felt it was better to respond to them substantially.

The first question point I raise is still debatable – and clearly demonstrates the polarization in the North and South of the country. Whether the end of the war should be celebrated or mourned, if so in what way? In the past, I had used the example of a funeral and a party happening at the same time in one house of a group claiming to be one family and living in one house they call home. I believe this is still valid.

Perhaps while this is being discussed, in the short term, could we at least agree that people should have the freedom to do either or both without fear and intimidation?

Which brings me to the second focus of my original article – my insistence about the right of any family to cry, mourn, grieve, have religious rituals on a day of their choosing – irrespective of who the victim was or perpetrator was. Civilians, soldiers and LTTE cadres were amongst those killed and the military and LTTE are both responsible for the killings and other abuses.

It is the military that is trying to prevent and stop grieving and mourning.

Let me share more of my views on these:       Continue reading »

God only knows where Ekneligoda is -Former Attorney General
(Lanka-e-News-06.June.2012, 12.30PM) The Magistrate Court in Homagama heard the case relating to the disappearance of Journalist and Cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda, yesterday, 5th June 2012. Several representatives of diplomatic missions, media personnel and human rights defenders were present to observe hearings and to support the wife of the missing journalist, Mrs. Sandya Ekneligoda.

Former Attorney General and Senior Legal Advisor to the cabinet Mohan Peiris provided his testimony over a statement he made at the UN Committee Against Torture (CAT) on November 9, 2011 in Geneva, that Prageeth Ekneligoda was alive overseas.

Mr Peiris confirmed having participated at the 47th UN CAT in November 2011, and said this meeting was held at a time when there was widespread anti-Sri Lankan sentiments being expressed in many quarters.

But Mr. Peiris rejected making the statement as laid out in the document as he read the UN transcript of his statement provided to him by Mrs. Ekneligoda’s lawyer. “I mentioned that an investigation is being carried out on the disappearance of Prageeth Eknaligoda but some foreigners who were not satisfied with my statement continued to question me for nearly three hours. If I recall correct, I responded to a U.S. lady’s question and mentioned that the government and the justice department had received intelligence information that Prageeth Eknaligoda was living overseas, but it was mere hearsay and we forwarded that information to be investigated” he said.

When Mr. Peiris was asked by Mrs. Ekneligoda’s lawyer whether he could name the source of his information prior to leaving for the UN sessions, State Counsel objected saying that a public official cannot be asked to reveal information about what he says and does in the course of his official duty, especially if such revelation would be inimical to the country's interest or reputation and/or if such revelation would result in any harm to the people of this country. Mrs. Ekneligoda’s lawyer pointed out firstly that Mr. Peiris is not a public official coming under the Public Service Commission and secondly that no harm would come to any citizen of this country as a result of Mr. Peiris' revelations. As for the country's interest or reputation, the lawyer observed that contrary to State Counsel's fears, Mr. Peiris' revelation would only help enhance the reputation of the country and its judicial processes. State counsel then quoted relevant laws and countered that Peiris is a public official. Mrs. Ekneligoda’s lawyer also quoted Case Law where it had been shown that the judge had powers to ask a public official to reveal his sources of information. State counsel contested this position and insisted on the Court upholding his objection, in spite of the fact that Mr. Peiris himself offered to Court to answer the question.

At this point Court invited Peiris to answer the question. Mr. Peiris said that he does not remember who or what the source of his information was and that he was processing nearly 100 files a day at the time and that remembering such details was not possible.

Mr Peiris drew the Magistrate’s attention to the UN Charter and explained that that the UN forums had complete freedom of speech and that public officials representing various countries in the forum were subject to independent discharge of duty and had legal immunity. He appealed that the UN Charter must be honored at all times. He went on to conclude by saying that he wished he could shed more light, but that “I have no information that the corpus is alive or not and I do not think the government does either and that God only knows where Ekneligoda is".

He also said his statement should not be misinterpreted for political gains as it brings disrepute to the country.

Next date was fixed for 10th July, 1.30pm, at request of Mrs. Ekneligoda’s lawyer, summons will be issued to Payagala Lakshman Vasantha Kumara Kulathunga, the last person believed to have seen Prageeth. (State Counsel said he is not available between 18th June and 5th July – I suspect because of 20th session of the UN Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva)

Mr. Peiris was provided special treatment not provided to other witnesses in this or other cases, when the unusually large Police contingent present outside Courts, arranged for his car to be taken inside the court premises and barred many of the journalists from entering the premises. Mr. Peiris thereby avoided speaking to or even being photographed by the many journalists that were waiting outside.

Since the statement in Geneva was made on 9th November 2011, Prageeth’s wife, Sandya Ekneligoda had waged a determined battle to get Mr. Peiris to testify in courts, to which the State Counsel had objected in Magistrate’s Courts as well as in Appeal Courts. It took nearly 7 months for Mr. Peiris to be brought before courts.

Separately, Mrs. Ekneligoda had also sent several letters to the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission to summon Mr. Peiris, as part of the ongoing inquiry into the case by the National Human Rights Commission, based on a complaint made by her. The Commission had rejected Mrs. Ekneligoda’s repeated requests to summon Mr. Peiris, but had requested Mr. Peiris to send a written submission in January 2012, and it is not known whether Mr. Peiris had adhered to this directive or not.

Gota declares war against Thilanga

Wednesday, 06 June 2012

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has commenced a special operation against UPFA MP Thilanga Sumthipala, who is a key member in the political operation to get Minister Basil Rajapaksa to become the next leader of the country.

The police raid on the karaoke club, Pier 3, operated by Sumathipala and taking in to custody several persons is the first step in the special operation. The luxury night club that was raided by the police is located on a land belonging to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) on D.R. Wijewardena Mawatha.

The karaoke club at the night club is operated on a special boat on the Beira Lake.

The night club is being operated by Sumathipala through one of his businessman friends and the police have raided the place alleging that there were prostitutes operating at the venue.

The Defence Secretary’s aim is to create an impression in society that Sumathipala, who hails from a family of Buddhist leaders, is involved in bookies and prostitution.

It is learnt that the Defence Secretary has plans of carrying out more operations of similar nature against Sumathipala.

Sri Lankan president cancels speech in London over protest fears

Mahinda Rajapaksa, accused of presiding over human rights abuses, will attend Commonwealth lunch with Queen

The Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his wife, Shiranthi, at a diamond jubilee reception at Guildhall in central London. Photograph: Chris Jackson/PA

The president of Sri Lanka has been forced to cancel a keynote speech in the City of London after concerns about the threat of large demonstrations by Tamil rights groups.

Mahinda Rajapaksa, who has been accused of presiding over human rights abuses after allegations of war crimes by Sri Lankan armed forces, will still attend a lunch for the Queen, hosted by the Commonwealth secretary general at Marlborough House on Pall Mall.

Sri Lankan president cancels speech Full Story>>>

Sri Lanka's Chinese-built port opens for business

COLOMBO — Sri Lanka's first Chinese-built port, a strong symbol of Beijing's investment in South Asia, opened for international shipping on Wednesday with the handling of 1,000 cars from India.

The $1.5-billion deep-sea port in southern Hambantota, the home constituency of President Mahinda Rajapakse, straddles a major east-west shipping lane used by 200 to 300 international vessels daily.

The idea of the project, which was delayed by just over a year, is to create a new logistics hub to handle trans-shipments from the Asian region and provide a boost to Sri Lanka's economy as it recovers from decades of civil war.

Regional power India turned down the offer to construct the deep-sea port saying it was not commercially viable, but China's presence created unease in New Delhi which views Sri Lanka as being firmly in its sphere of influence.

China has since agreed to build a second port in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo and Chinese firms have pledged investments amounting to $50 billion spread over the next 10 to 15 years, according to Sri Lanka's trade ministry.

Elsewhere in South Asia, China has funded port facilities in Pakistan, a long-standing ally, and has plans for rail projects in Nepal, a traditionally India-aligned country where Beijing is increasingly influential.

Bangladesh has asked for Chinese help to build a port and Beijing recently opened an embassy for the first time in the Maldives.

According to Charu Lata Hogg, an analyst at Chatham House, a London-based think-tank, India has come to terms with China in its backyard.

"There seems to be a tacit understanding that their commercial interests can be complementary," Hogg told AFP. "Indian cars going through a Chinese-built port in Sri Lanka reveals a lot about this relationship."

The first shipment of cars on Wednesday in Hambantota, 240 kilometres (150 miles) south of Colombo, came from the south Indian port of Chennai and is destined for Algeria.

The car carrier Asian Sun docked on Wednesday morning to be received by Sri Lanka Port Authority Chairman Priyath Wickrama.

Rock blasting in Hambantota causes earth tremors

Wednesday, 06 June 2012 

Continuous earth tremors are experienced in the Hambantota area after the government had taken steps to blast a massive rock in the Hambantota Port without seeking proper advice from geological experts, a senior professor in geology said under conditions of anonymity.

Although geological experts had warned relevant authorities that blasting the rock in the port would result in continuous earth tremors in the area since Hambantota is located near two earth plates, the warnings have been ignored. Authorities have ignored the warnings due to political needs.

The senior professor said that geologists have made a similar warning when former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge had tried to build the Hambantota Port. He observed that Kumaratunge had heeded the warnings and decided to make Hambantota the center to supply oil to ships.

However, the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration had ignored all warnings and caste aside the expert reports and decided to build a commercial harbor in Hambantota.

The professor explained that the blasting of the rock has now caused earth tremors in areas in Moneragala, Ampara, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla and Colombo that are marked around 3.4 and 3.6 on the Richter scale.

According to the professor, buildings could be damaged and lives could be lost if an earth tremor above 4 in Richter scale takes place in these areas.

Tamil deportee blames Britain for repeat of Sri Lanka torture ordeal

'I had to suffer again. They are responsible. If I was not sent back, I was not deported, I would not have these scars.'

Shiv Malik guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 5 June 2012

'Hari' describes being tortured in a hall he said had been designed for the purpose, including tables and chairs adapted for beatings and whippings. Photograph: Teri Pengilley for the Guardian

When a representative from the British high commission waiting at Colombo airport went up to Hari and offered him his business card, thetorture victim, now 32, says it gave him hope.

The official told him to get in contact if anything happened to him and that the card was a sign that he might live.

Hari had just disembarked from the worst flight of his life. On the plane, privately chartered by the UK Border Agency in June last year, were 24 Sri Lankans, 12 of whom were Tamils. All had failed in their claim to stay in the UK. Despite documentary evidence, seen by the Guardian, from the International Committee of the Red Cross, Hari was unable to demonstrate to the British government he had been tortured by Sri Lankan authorities in the late 1990s.

Watched over by more than 70 UK border security staff, men and women wept as the plane took off from Stansted.

"We were in a panic. We were expecting they would cancel the removal [flight] at the last minute and most of them were crying … I thought, this was the end of my life," said Hari.

Disregarding the presence of British high commission officials, Sri Lanka's security services subjected Hari on arrival to lengthy questioning. Fearing for his life, he took off, fleeing to a relative's home away from his family in Jaffna, in the north of the war-torn island.

For six months Hari hid with his aunt until he thought it was safe to return to his family but on the way to them on 10 December, he was stopped at a checkpoint and taken to the capital.

In what he described as a "torture hall" on the fourth floor of the criminal investigation department building in Colombo, Hari, who had already served time for being an intelligence agent for the Tamil Tigers (LTTE), was accused of campaigning and raising funds for the organisation while in the UK and also of undermining diplomatic relations by complaining to the UK government of the abuses he had previously suffered.

Brought from his cell, he said the hall was "designed" for torture. On the walls were sticks and poles, tables and chairs adapted for beatings and whippings. The floor was splattered and stained with blood. When he denied the accusations, Hari was beaten, whipped with electric cables, suffocated with a plastic bag containing petrol, hung by his ankles by nylon rope and "again burned with cigarettes".

His back is now a welter of scars and the cigarette burns are still prominent on his chest. The Guardian has also seen medical reports supporting his claims of torture.

"Due to the unbearable pain, I finally admitted all the allegations and I was made to sign a document and was asked to work for them as an informer," he says. But Hari says his release only came 17 days later after his uncle bought his freedom by bribing the guards. He fled the country and escaped by plane to Russia on 1 January. From there, hiding inside a truck shipping furniture, he made his way across Europe for 10 days and finally arrived at Dover.

Two scars on his body are not from Sri Lanka's torture hall. They seem to follow the line of his tendons from his wrists and up his arms and they date from March when Hari was in Britain.

Despondent after hearing that security services had threatened his family after he fled prison, Hari said he decided to end his own life by slitting his forearms and taking an overdose.

"I began to feel guilty [about my family's situation]. I lost all hope and thought my only solution was to end my life," he said. He recovered and now he says he is angry at the British government as well as his captors.

"I am extremely disappointed by the way they have treated me. I came here with a hope. I believed that the UK authorities would consider my case reasonably but regardless of all my history and the evidence they sent me back and I had to suffer again. They are responsible. If I was not sent back, I was not deported, I would not have these scars."

In Front Of Commonwealth Secretariat Office: Against The Speech To Be Delivered By Rajapaksa

Protest stage in front of the Commonwealth Secretariat office in London against the speech to be delivered by the President Rajapaksa.

Breaking News:President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Commonwealth Speech Has Been Cancelled

June 5, 2012

By Colombo Telegraph -

Rajapaksa

“After careful consideration the morning sessions of the Forum on Wednesday 6th of June have been cancelled and will not take place. The event will therefore commence with lunch at 1300hrs followed by the originally planned afternoon sessions beginning at 1400hrs.” Diamond JubileeCommonwealth Economic Forum  announced a short while ago.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to make a Special address at the Commonwealth Economic Forumorganized by the Commonwealth Business Council and the City of London tomorrow morning. Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation has broadcast the following news an hour ago; “President Mahinda Rajapakse and Madam Shiranthi Rajapakse participated in a special thanks giving service at the St. Paul Cathedral in London. A huge crowd attended this service which was held inline with the diamond jubilee of the queen’s coronation. The president also participated in the welcome ceremony for heads of state organized in the Buckingham palace yesterday. The president was scheduled to meet Commonwealth General Secretary Kamalesh Sharma and Director General of Commonwealth Allen Collins today. President Rajapakse will address the business forum tomorrow morning organized by the Commonwealth economic association. Leaders from 54 Commonwealth countries have arrived in London for the diamond jubilee celebrations.”

In December 2010, during the president’s last visit to the United Kingdom, his planned address to the Oxford Union debating society was cancelled.

In a statement at the time, President Rajapakse said “I am very sorry this has had to be cancelled, but I will continue to seek venues in the UK and elsewhere where I can talk about my future vision for Sri Lanka.” Tomorrow’s speech was to have been his first such address in the UK since the Oxford event was cancelled.

To read  the amended agenda click here

Watch video here;

In Front Of Commonwealth Secretariat Office: Against The Speech To Be Delivered By Rajapaksa

Tuesday 5 June 2012

Rajapakse speech halted over Tamil protest fears

A meeting in the City of London, due to have been addressed on Wednesday morning by the president of Sri Lanka, has been cancelled, owing to concerns over policing amid the threat of large demonstrations by Tamil rights groups.

But Mahinda Rajapakse – whose presidency has been tainted by persistent allegations of war crimes committed by Sri Lankan armed forces – will still attend a lunch for the Queen, hosted by the Commonwealth secretary general at Marlborough House on Pall Mall.

The president was first to have given the keynote speech at a special Diamond Jubilee meeting of the Commonwealth Economic Forum, at 10am.  On its website, the event’s organisers, the Commonwealth Business Council, simply states that “After careful consideration, the morning sessions of the Forum…  will not take place.”  It had pre-sold tickets to the event at £795 +VAT each.

Full Story>>>

Sri Lanka official has 'no idea' of reporter's fate

Mr Peiris's evidence to the court has been described as somewhat confused

By Charles Haviland

A senior Sri Lankan official has said that he has no idea about the whereabouts of a disappeared journalist seven months after saying he believed the man was alive and living abroad.

Human rights activists say that the remarks of former Attorney-General Mohan Peiris betray insensitivity to the plight of missing people.

They say that is especially so at a time when disappearances are ongoing.

Several dozen of such cases have been reported since October.

The government denies any role in enforced disappearances.

It says that accounts of them are inaccurate.

But critics of the government say its involvement is suspected.

Mr Peiris was called before a magistrates' court looking into the disappearance two years ago of journalist and cartoonist Prageeth Ekneligoda.

The court wanted to hear more on his assertion - made before a UN committee in November - that he believed Mr Ekneligoda was alive and living in a foreign country.

That statement came despite an emotional and public campaign by Mr Ekneligoda's wife, Sandhya, to try and find him.

In court, Mr Peiris - now a legal adviser to the cabinet - gave a confused account of what he had actually said in Geneva, saying both that he had heard it from "intelligence" and from "hearsay".

Testifying just yards away from Mrs Ekneligoda, he said "we do not know the truth or falsity" of the matter and he wished he could shed more light on it.

Under cross-examination, he said he could not recall which government department gave him the information that Mr Ekneligoda was alive.

Mr Peiris, who had not wanted to appear at the magistrates' court, refused to answer BBC questions outside the courtroom.

After the hearing, human rights campaigner Nimalka Fernando accused the government of behaving irresponsibly.

"If you look at the manner in which these responsible people - who are also supposed to be advisers to the cabinet - behave, it shows the utter insensitivity that they have to the crime of disappearances," she said.

Sandhya Ekneligoda said she and her two sons had hoped for new information from Mr Peiris but she had come away disappointed.

Mr Ekneligoda worked for an anti-government website, Lankaenews.com, and vanished two days before the 2010 presidential election which saw incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa beat former army chief Sarath Fonseka.

Among those who have disappeared in the past six months are two young activists who had themselves organised regular demonstrations by families of disappeared people.