Monday, September 17, 2012

Sri Lanka, A Diminished Democracy

By Eran Wickramaratne
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) is an association of Parliamentarians who are bound by their shared interests, respect for the rule of law and individual rights and freedoms, and the pursuit of the positive ideals of parliamentary democracy. The Association’s mission is to promote the advancement of parliamentary democracy by enhancing knowledge and understanding of democratic governance. The CPA consists of the Parliamentarians of the 54 states of the Commonwealth and many other smaller territories. The CPA has its roots in the Empire Parliamentary Association that was formed in 1911 which became the CPA in 1948 where all members share responsibility in the Association’s management.

It is to the CPA’s credit that their annual conference is currently being held in Sri Lanka, despite the country’s drift to an authoritarian style of governance. Many countries have drifted in and out of democratic governance over the past six decades. Some countries have been expelled from the Commonwealth and others have had their membership suspended for many reasons which include conflict, genocide, fraudulent elections and the undermining of democracy.

The CPA’s declared mission is to advance parliamentary democracy by enhancing knowledge and understanding of democratic governance. Even though the degree of democracy in a state is a highly debatable and contentious issue, the Commonwealth has often been able to censure countries which have deviated from its ideals. No global association including the United Nations would be of any use unless the common values of humanity are upheld over the narrow objectives of a nation state. The CPA’s overarching objective is to strengthen parliamentary democracy rather than legitimize government behaviour.

Sri Lanka evolved into a parliamentary democracy at Independence in 1948, while it had practised universal adult suffrage since 1933. Multi-party elections, shared Cabinet responsibility and constitutional protection for minorities were the hallmark of Sri Lankan democracy. With the adoption of the Republican Constitution of 1978 and a powerful presidential system of governance, the balance of power between the Executive President and Parliament tilted in favour of the President. It was the beginning of the erosion of parliamentary democracy. In the Chamber of 225 members, there is less than a handful attending on a regular basis. While Parliamentarians cannot be excused for negligence of duty, the overriding reason for such neglect is the fact that parliament’s supremacy over the legislative process, as a check on executive power and public finance has diminished. Even though the Constitution gives Parliament control over finance, in practice, Parliament exercises little control. The weak oversight committees, the lack of a Parliamentary Budget Office, the inability to track expenditure by line and insufficient disclosure of financial information has made a mockery of the constitutional powers of Parliament over finance. The lack of a Right to Information Bill also leaves the public disempowered from obtaining financial information.

Despite the shift in power to the Executive President, there were a couple of significant checks and balances in the Constitution on the unbridled power of the President, who is immune from lawsuit in his private and public capacity. One such check on power was a two term limit on the Presidency. In democracies where there is an Executive Presidential System, there are term limits. A term is normally 4 to 5 years and an Executive President is limited to two terms. Countries that have no term limits are normally one-party states or dictatorships. Some of the countries without term limits are Azerbaijan, Syria, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Belarus, Algeria and Burkina Faso. Egypt and Libya also had no term limits for decades.

Sri Lanka had two terms of 6 years each. In 2010, a new amendment to the Constitution known as the 18th Amendment abolished the term limits which were the last check on the powerful executive Presidency. President Rajapaksa in the attempt to get Parliament to approve the amendment artificially created a two third majority in the legislature by encouraging crossovers from the opposition political parties to the government. The 18th Amendment to the Constitution was rushed through as an urgent bill with no public debate. Legislators had access to the proposed 18th Amendment on the morning of the debate where it was adopted into law. The Sri Lanka Constitution does not permit post legislative review. The above stated sequence of events does not speak for the best traditions of democratic parliamentary governance. Sri Lanka has a democratic system of governance with diminished democracy.

The 18th Amendment also eliminated a Constitutional Council which was instituted to provide diverse parliamentary representation. The Constitutional Council then appointed the independent commissions for elections, public service, police, finance, anti-bribery and corruption amongst others. The Constitutional amendment gave the President ultimate power to make appointments to these commissions with the concession of consulting a parliamentary committee. As recent as last week elections were held without Election Commissioners being appointed to the weakened Election Commission.

In a recent lecture delivered in Colombo at the Bakeer Markar Commemoration, Wadah Khanfar, the former Director General of the Al Jazeera Network stated that the Arab Spring was a revolt against authoritarianism of rulers who often ruled in the guise of democracy co-opting the opposition in the process of its governance. The result was the suppression of people who for long years were duped with economic crumbs and the trappings of democracy. What has begun to sweep the Arab world is the indomitable spirit of democracy.

The Government-appointed Commission of Inquiry on Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation (LLRC) has widely documented the erosion of the democratic space and made recommendations for rectification. The opposition has pledged its support to implement the recommendations contained in the LLRC report. The government and opposition work together to make CPA objectives a success. Therefore, we must work together to make Sri Lanka a vibrant parliamentary democracy. Let us rise to our common calling - the advancement of parliamentary democracy.

Rajapaksa thanks China for standing by Lanka at UNHRC sessions

Press Trust of India / Colombo September 18, 2012

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa today thanked China for standing by Colombo at the last UNHRC sessions, pledging support for Beijing's candidature to the global rights body.

Rajapaksa met Wu Bangguo, Chairman of China's National People's Congress, here today and expressed appreciation for the important role China has played on regional and international affairs.

Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa thanked the Chinese government for standing by his country at the last UN Human Rights Council sessions.

The US-sponsored and India-backed resolution at the UN Human Rights Council sessions held in late March had urged expeditious action by the Sri Lankan government over its own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).

Rajapaksa also pledged Sri Lanka's support for China's candidature to the UN Human Rights Council for 2014-2016.
Rajapaksa also said that Sri Lanka will continue to uphold "One China" policy on the Taiwan and Tibet issues, which has been a consistent feature in its foreign relations.
"We will continue to support China on every issue that affects her interests at regional and multi-national fora", Rajapaksa said.
China has now become the largest single development partner for Sri Lanka extending development assistance of over 5 billion dollars.
Rajapaksa, appreciating Chinese assistance said China has provided Sri Lanka with competitive edge to develop as a commercial, knowledge, marine, aviation and energy hub providing more opportunities for Chinese investors.
Rajapaksa expressed further appreciation for the important role China has played on regional and international affairs, saying Sri Lanka will enhance communication and coordination with China within the multilateral mechanisms, including the United Nations, the ASEAN regional forum and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Wu and Rajapaksa also witnessed the signing of 16 cooperative agreements between the governments and enterprises of the two countries, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported without giving details.
The main elements of the UN resolution in March was that Sri Lanka should formulate an action plan, and that the office of the UN Human Rights Commissioner in consultation with the government of Sri Lanka offer advice and technical assistance on implementation of the resolution.

Self-immolation attempt against Sri Lankan president's visit

Vijayraj-Reported by Sam J Daniel Stalin, Edited by Samira Shaikh | Updated: September 17, 2012

Salem: An auto-driver in Tami Nadu set himself on fire this morning to protest against the visit of Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse, who will be in India later this week. Vijayraj, the driver, is in hospital in critical condition.

The Sri Lankan president will inaugurate a Buddhist university in Madhya Pradesh. Parties in Tamil Nadu have described his visit as "unacceptable".

Sri Lankan forces have been accused of violating the rights of thousands of Tamils in the final months of the island's civil war, which ended in May 2009. The rebel LTTE tigers were defeated. Political parties in Tamil Nadu staunchly support the rights of Sri Lankan Tamils, who have for decades complained about persecution by the majority Sinhales.
Opposition leader Vaiko from Tamil Nadu said he will lead a protest in Madhya Pradesh against the Sri Lankan president's tour. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has appealed to him to re-consider, pointing out that the trip has no political agenda, and it should be seen as an endeavour to promote peace and harmony among Asian countries.

In Puducherry today, a day-long bandh has been called by actor-director Seeman and his party to protest against Mr Rajapakse's visit. Several shops and schools are closed.

Political parties in Tamil Nadu have also expressed their opposition to the union government's decision to allow the training of Sri Lanka defence officers in India. In July, nine air force officers were moved from an air base in Tamil Nadu to Bangalore after objections by Jayalalithaa. However, she came in for much criticism after she recently ordered school and college football teams from Sri Lanka to leave the state.

(With agency inputs)


More contenders seeking CM’s post in East

The battle for the chief ministerial post of the Eastern Provincial Council has become intense with two Muslim parties aligned with the ruling coalition at the last election and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) which contested alone, asking for the post, party officials said.

The All Ceylon People’s Congress (ACPC) of Minister Rishad Bathiudeen which won three seats from Batticaloa and the National Congress of Minister A.L.M. Athaullah have jointly demanded former Minister Amir Ali be appointed the chief minister. Mr. Ali, an ACPC member, polled the highest number of votes under the UPFA in Batticaloa.

The two parties won three seats each from the Batticaloa and Digamadulla districts.

ACPC National Organizer Deputy Minister M.L.A.M. Hizbullah told the Daily Mirror that a delegation of his party met Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa on Saturday evening to request for the chief ministerial post.

“The National Congress of Minister Athaullah has come to an understanding with us in this regard. There is no final decision on the appointment. We made the request. It is still under consideration,” he said.

Meanwhile, the SLMC which enjoys the crucial seven seats required for the formation of the Council has also demanded the post.

Party Leader Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem had reportedly met President Mahinda Rajapaksa recently to discuss the matter.

Though the UPFA polled the highest number of votes, it could not muster the required number of 19 seats to form the EPC. The party won only 14 seats, falling short of five seats required for it. The SLMC’s support is crucial because it holds seven seats in hand as a result.

But first, let us look at the way in which Ministers may be appointed. The Governor shall appoint as Chief Minister the member of the Provincial Council who in the Governor's opinion commands a support of a majority in the Provincial Council. Further, the Governor shall on the advice of the Chief Minister, appoint from among the members of the Provincial Council, no more than four other Ministers. These are, no doubt, unexceptionable provisions enacted in the best traditions of a constitutional democracy. (KB)

Smiling Mahinda

Sep 18, 2012

Neena Gopal

The issue of Sri Lankan Tamils will be a test of how far India is willing to push for their welfare given the ruling Congress’ belief its hands are tied

The visit by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse to Sanchi this coming week when he inaugurates an international Buddhist university and holds talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi has already set off angry protests in Tamil Nadu. But the question is — is this going to be the only test faced by increasingly straitened Indo-Sri Lanka ties?

Clearly, while the recent unfortunate attack on ethnic Lankan Tamil pilgrims to the Velankani shrine was a misfire of sorts, with protesters not realising that the Sri Lankans they had attacked were not Sinhala but Tamil Christians, more orchestrated attacks can be expected this week in the run-up to the visit, upping the embarrassment quotient.
The first self-immolation has already taken place in Salem on Monday, and rabidly anti-Lankan Opposition politician Vaiko’s Marumalarchi DMK has held out a threat of black-flag demonstrations when the Sri Lankan leader arrives in Madhya Pradesh.
In weeks past, the training of Sri Lankan armed forces personnel at Tambaram airbase has seen the Tamil Nadu chief minister protest strongly.
In fact, this recent tumult against the Sri Lankan government by the AIADMK-run state government, the Opposition DMK and Vaiko’s group with each party attempting to outdo the other in trying to be more anti-Sri Lankan than the next is in keeping with a worrying trend India-wide that sees the politics of state and region impinging on, and in many ways, overwriting and influencing India’s foreign policy.
The issue of Lankan Tamils will be a test of how far India is willing to push for their welfare given the ruling Congress’ belief its hands are tied, and abandoning the Tamils is as good as handing over a loaded electoral weapon to domestic political opponents.
That said, in a country with which our people-to-people links have held in the face of the divisive and hugely emotional pull exerted by the now defunct Liberation Tigers for Tamil Eelam (LTTE), hunted down and annihilated three years ago, Mr Rajapakse’s visit serves to highlight the monumental differences that now go beyond the LTTE and the fate of the Tamils in the north of that country, to encompass the strategic imperative that drives India to keep Colombo within its larger sphere of influence in the face of avid cash-rich suitors like China and less so, Pakistan.
The smaller irritant, as in the plight of Indian fishermen, who sail across the Palk Straits and fall afoul of the trigger-happy Sri Lankan Navy, has created its own ripples in the relationship. Despite platitudinous hand-wringing, it is no closer to a resolution.
Neither is the issue of the repatriation and resettlement of hundreds and thousands of Tamil refugees who continue to live on in refugee camps in the southern state since the Tigers began their war of attrition in 1983. The recent “capture” near the west coast port of Karwar of a group of refugees who planned to smuggle themselves onto a boat that would have taken them to Christmas Island in the Pacific underlines their plight — they remain stateless, without a future, unwelcome in their homeland. And that while the brightest and the best of the Tamils have long fled Sri Lanka to the west where they have subsumed their LTTE sympathies and gone on to rebuild their lives, there are others like them trapped in India — whom many believe have turned to crime and drugs and face certain arrest on their return — who remain in limbo. There’s no going back.
Behind the bonhomie, Mr Rajapakse’s government has danced around the issue of resettlement skillfully, clearly unwilling to allow the LTTE strongholds to be resettled to the satisfaction of the defeated ethnic minority, many of whom harbour sympathies for their former masters.
Of the Tamils who hail from Tiger-held towns like Jaffna and Kilinochchi and returned from the west to reclaim what was theirs, many found to their shock, that their homes and property, farmlands that the LTTE had turned into a granary of sorts, had been taken over by the government.
The same is true of the east in Batticalao where some of the bloodiest battles were fought between the government and the Tigers and where, apart from the scorched earth policy that laid waste to vast swathes of territory and made settled areas uninhabitable, Lankan Army checkpoints now reportedly prey on Tamils.
India’s external affairs minister S.M. Krishna’s visit in January this year to Sri Lanka had raised hopes that New Delhi’s long-standing demand for an equitable devolution of power to Tamil-dominated provinces in the north and east would be met. Mr Rajapakse had promised as much, but whether by accident, collusion or design, the foot-dragging has been accompanied by the artful resettlement of other communities in these areas that ensure it no longer can qualify for the moniker Tamil-dominated.
By bringing back Muslims, who had fled in the face of LTTE threats through the 26-year separatist insurgency, as well as more Sinhalese-speaking Lankans, the Rajapakse government ensured that when the promised local body elections took place, the results would be more pro-government.
In effect, Mr Krishna’s call for “a genuine political reconciliation” fell on deaf ears, with the only credible Tamil party, the Tamil National Alliance, unable to counter Mr Rajapakse. Indeed within Sri Lanka, India pressing for the 13th Amendment to be put into effect which would devolve more powers to the Tamil-dominated provinces is seen as rank interference by a bigger neighbour.
Sri Lankan government spokesperson and minister of information Rambuka Keheliya went so far as to contradict Mr Krishna, saying the amendment could not be implemented, over serious concerns in granting police and land powers to a Tamil provincial government.
In effect, Mr Rajapakse may pander to a neighbour that he cannot afford to alienate by offering crumbs in the form of a railway project that in effect will see India get only a part of the project. China, which has a major stake in a key port project, gets the lion’s share.
That India voted at the United Nations in Geneva for an international inquiry into war crimes committed by Sri Lankan military forces when feared LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran and hundreds and thousands of non-combatants, including women and children, were mowed down in cold blood, has not been forgotten by the man sitting in Temple Trees.
Is Sri Lanka then well on the way to becoming a southern Teesta?

Convert The Simple Economy Into A High-Tech Based Complex Economy

By W.A. Wijewardena -September 17, 2012

Dr. W.A. Wijewardena

Jack Welch, Chairman and CEO of the US giant General Electric or GE from 1981 to 2001, has offered his experiences as a fool-proof survival kit whichanyone – people, companies or nations – could use if they wish to be winners in a hostile competitive world.

Jack Welch: Produce what others cannot copy

In his autobiography ‘Straight from the Gut,’ which he published immediately after he left GE in 2001, he has narrated the strategy he adopted to make a turnaround in GE which was heading for bankruptcy at the time he assumed its captaincy.
GE, a reputed brand name for household electric appliances for many decades, had faced the inevitable problem of losing its well protected markets to cheap imports from Japan that had flooded the US and other consumer markets in 1960s and 1970s.

When GE could not survive the Japanese onslaught and was forced to close its doors, the reaction of any other person would have been to protest to the US Government and seek banning of Japanese imports, explains Jack Welch. But he and his team had burned the midnight oils for many days and finally zeroed on the cause of the GE’s plight.

That cause was simply that GE had been producing electric appliances like irons, refrigerators, ovens and deep freezers which involved low technology and therefore could be copied by anyone with ease. If they will go into high tech products which could not be copied by others easily, they would enjoy a protected market for some time, he and others at GE had reasoned.
So, Jack Welch had decided to close all the factories that had been manufacturing these low tech products and used the savings for doing research on three main products which involved high technology and, therefore, could not be easily copied by competitors.
These three products were electric power generating turbines, jet engines and sophisticated medical equipment like magnetic resonance imaging or MRI machines and equipment to undertake non-invasive surgeries, a novelty getting fast popularity at that time.
Having concentrated on these three high tech products, GE was able to eliminate the competitors effectively and managed to make a quick turnaround in its business within a few years.
What does this lesson teach the rest of the world? That is, the competition out there is fierce, cannot be avoided and should be faced with a matching strategy. That matching strategy, based on a world view that things around us are not soothing or comfortable at all times, makes it necessary for us to change from a simple production process to a complex production process. Why a complex production process? Because that is the way to keep our competitors at a safe distance from us so that they cannot grab a big chunk of our markets.
Today, a new branch of economics calling itself ‘complexity economics’ has offered the same advice to nations intending to create prosperity on a sustainable basis.

The world is not moving along a straight path Read More

‘Academics Trying Indonesia-Style Plot’ Says State Media

By Colombo Telegraph -September 17, 2012

“The strike of university academics is an indirect plot to engineer a regime change. It is similar to what happened in Indonesia where the Suharto’s government was ousted, State Intelligence Service reports said.” says state run Daily News.

We below reproduce the Daily News story in full;

‘Academics trying Indonesia-style plot’

Samanmalee Priyashanthi and Ridma Dissanayake

The strike of university academics is an indirect plot to engineer a regime change. It is similar to what happened in Indonesia where the Suharto’s government was ousted, State Intelligence Service reports said.

At the executive meetings of the Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA), priority is given to demands that would place the government in economic difficulty rather than discussing their genuine requirements. These are the same tactics followed by the Indonesian rebels that eventually led to Suharto’s ouster in 1998, sources said.

“The government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa obtained a massive vote base which no party has obtained. Hence, the latest strategy is to weaken the President and government through large scale protests.

“This way, they plan to effect a regime change as in Indonesia,” sources said.

One academic directly mentioned that they should do anything to defeat President Rajapaksa.

According to state intelligence service sources some powerful persons have also agreed assistance to make FUTA’s project a success.

FUTA has presented number of demands to the government and these demands are not implemented in any university throughout the world. They are requesting a rental fee for houses while attending to universities from their own homes and special allowance for two children to study in private schools. But they are always talking against private universities as well.

These things are shameless and unfair, Higher Education Minister S B Dissanayake said.

Sri Lanka has allocated a huge sum for the education sector more than in other countries. It is 1.87 percent out of the GDP but lecturers are requesting a six percent allocation which is untenable, the minister said.

Most lecturers have understood that these demands are unfair, he said.

UN Human Rights Commission representatives visits Jaffna today

[ Monday, 17 September 2012, 02:45.30 PM GMT +05:30 ]

Representatives of the UN Human Rights Commission visited to the Jaffna district this morning and hold discussions with the people. Later on delegates visited to the Killinochchie district this evening.

Delegates arrive to the Jaffna district this morning met the general secretary of the Northern Province and also visited to the resettled people in the Ariyalai and Marawanpulo areas.
In the afternoon representatives met coordinator of the SriLankan Human Rights commission. Parents and relatives of misplaced persons in the Northern Province interrupt the official and urge to grant justice for their problems.
Representatives urge the relatives to register information’s about their misplaced persons in their official website. Group visited the Killinochchie district would monitor other activities in the area.
It was revealed UNHRC officials paid special attention towards situation end of war and human rights issues in the district.

Koodankulam: Sri Lanka Condemned to be in a Nuclear Neighbourhood?

Sulochana Ramiah Mohan Special to Salem-News.com

Is the island nation going to be permanently compromised by nukes?

Kundankulam protest last week in India turned deadly

(COLOMBO, Sri Lanka) - Sri Lanka is not in a position to claim compensation if a nuclear disaster occurs in South India and would also be unable to do anything in the event a nuclear accident occurs in the Kundankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP), just 240 km away from Sri Lanka, a government minister said. Meanwhile, several anti-nuclear movements are prevailing upon the Government of India to abandon the entire project in South India.

Sri Lanka’s stand

Minister of Power and Energy Champika Ranawaka who is preparing to participate at the Vienna Nuclear Convention that is to be held soon, stated that they cannot bring up the negative issues of KNPP in Vienna. “We cannot talk about compensation in the event of KNPP causing destruction to Sri Lanka. As per the convention, there is no clause for such compensation.”

He said, “But there are concerns mainly in the North and Northwestern regions as there could be an adverse impact if a nuclear leak occurs. We will take steps to protect the people of that area. We will coordinate with the Indian authorities and the MoU will evolve around this. They have assured that technically, no disaster will happen.” “We are not Indians to protest,” he said, adding that, “it’s India’s internal problem and we cannot give our views based on these issues.”

Protest in South India

India’s historic anti-nuclear struggle against a nuclear power plant took a violent turn last week when more than 2000 villagers and fisher folk, including women and children, entered the sea and occupied it. The protestors ended their 48-hour fast in the Idinthakarai village in the Tirunelveli district after the police used teargas, shells and batons to disperse crowds, and the police also conducted a house-to-house search, leaving an agitator dead due to police firing.

A leading anti-nuclear struggle committees, the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), in an email to LAKBIMAnEWS said that the plant will bring destruction to the entire nation and to its neighbouring countries. In a recent petition to the government, PMANE stated that “the ruling AIADMK tries to create the impression that they are working for the Tamil people but are actually functioning with a self-serving agenda. Even though the capacity factor of the Indian nuclear power plant is hardly 40 per cent, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu has been demanding 2,000 MW from s Chief Minister Jayalalitha has been demanding the expulsion of Sri Lankan soldiers and football players from India but she is not dealing with the serious and life-oriented issues that jeopardize the Tamil people’s well-being, our natural resources and the future.” Adding to the ongoing struggle, a petition also has been filed in the Supreme Court to stop fuel loading at the plant.

Safety steps not implemented

PMANE says the Indian government should not go ahead with the loading of the fuel rods till 17 safety steps recommended by the expert committee are implemented. But the Tamil Nadu Supreme Court declined to put the project on hold, and would hear the plea seeking to restrain the Central Government on September 20.

Advocate and social activist Prashant Bhushan, presenting the issue before the bench had told the Court last week that the expert committee was set up after the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident in Japan, to suggest safety steps to ward off any such incident in the future. Bhushan pleaded that out of 17 safety steps recommended by the expert committee only six have been put in place and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) will require six months to two years to implement the remaining 11.

Vavuniya – close to KNPP

One of the activists, a leading journalist in South India, Nityanand Jayaraman, replying to the email as to when KNPP will be commissioned stated, “Only astrologers like Abdul Kalam would be able to predict when KNPP will be commissioned. I would say commissioning of the NP would be a function of technicalities.”

He also stated that Vavuniya is closer to KNPP than Chennai. If a nuclear disaster occurs at KNPP, Sri Lanka cannot escape the dire consequences but it would not face the same impact as the nearby areas. However, depending on the magnitude of the accident, Sri Lanka could be significantly affected. Radiation fallout and contamination of marine resources is almost certain. Radiation fallout on land and the resultant contamination of agricultural crops is a possibility. Increased rates of thyroid cancers and problems as a result of heightened levels of radioactive iodine and possibly cesium are likely.

The Site Evaluation Report (SER) for KNPP reveals that liquid waste from nuclear plants will “be diluted” and “discharged into the sea.” Most of these wastes are to seep into the Bay of Bengal and therefore to Sri Lankan waters too.

Sulochana Ramiah Mohan is a senior Journalist at Lakbimanews (an independent English newspaper) of Sri Lanka. She is the Deputy Business Editor and writes on various contemporary topics

Courtesy: Lakbimanews

http://www.dianuke.org/koodankulamsri-lanka-in-nuclear-neighbourhood/

Special thanks to Kamal Rajapakse

‘I’m Just A Normal Guy, The Media Has Been Completely One-Sided’ Says Malaka Silva

By Colombo Telegraph -September 16, 2012

“The media has the power to make a persons reputation either good or bad..sadly in my case, the media has been completely one sided..the main reason for that is politics…..what the media has to understand is that I’m not a politician, I’m just a normal guy who likes to have a good time…the people who know me, will testify on the fact that im a good friend so at the end of the day,thats all that counts..the rest is for u to find out…cheers!” says Malaka Silva in his Facebook account.

Minister Mervyn Silva‘s son Malaka Silva is a convicted criminal and police fail to arrest him for assaulting an Army intelligence officer Major Chandana Pradeep.

Malaka’s track record

*An Army Major was assaulted by Malaka Silva, Former Minister Mano Wijeratne’s stepson Rehan and five other persons at the Jaic Hilton car park at around 3.30 early morning on September 9,2012.

* In September 2007 an Accountant, Chaminda Senasinghe was hit on face with pistol butt by Malaka Silva at the Bistro Latino Restaurant. Speaking to The Sunday Leader from the Nawaloka Hospital, Chaminda recounted those last moments before he fell to the floor only to be kicked and manhandled by about 10 persons. (Sunday Leader September 9, 2007). After visiting hospital Chaminda lodged a complaint at the Bambalapitiya Police Station. However Malaka had made it to the police station before Chaminda and had himself made a complaint indicating a small bruise on the bridge of his nose and stating a group of persons had assaulted him. Senasinghe who had 11 stitches on his forehead and Malaka Silva was remanded on September 11, 2007 for pistol whipping Chaminda Senasinghe.

* Malaka Silva and two of his bodyguards on November 2, 2006 pleaded guilty to attacking attacking Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) officers who were on a drug raid at a night club in a five star hotel.

Colombo High Court Judge Upali Abeyratne ordered each of them to pay compensation of Rs. 10,000 each and enter into a bond in Rs 100,000 each to be of good behaviour for one year. The accused were Malaka Silva and his bodyguards Sampath Kumara Rajapakse and Prasanna Kumara Suresh. The judge ordered that the compensation be directed to the Police Rewards Fund.

In a direct indictment by the Attorney General the three accused were charged with willfully causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty. Malaka Silva was charged with intimidating and obstructing the PNB team which went on a narcotics raid with a court order to the night club My Kind of Place at Taj Samudra in the early hours of July 24, 2005.

The accused were indicted with assaulting police personnel including PC R.W. A. Dayan Lasantha – an offence punishable under Section 323 of the Penal Code.

According to the statements given by PNB officers and PNB OIC Buddhika Balachandra at the magisterial inquiry, on the said date the narcotics team, on a tip-off had raided the night club to arrest an ‘ecstasy’ dealer who was said to have been trafficking the drug at the hotel. When the PNB officers who were in plain clothes were leaving the night club after completing the ten-minute raid, Malaka Silva had obstructed them and abused them in foul language. Malaka Silva had allegedly threatened the police officer at gunpoint and assaulted the police officers. Later he had called his bodyguard who was armed with a pistol and attacked the police officers.

The PNB team had allegedly withdrawn from the place as the accused were armed and as they did not want to create a problem there. Later they had complained to the Colombo Fort police station.

The accused had later surrendered to the police station. Ironically two days after the attack former Police Chief, Chandra Fernando, announced the release of Malaka Silva and his mates saying that there was no evidence. Media reported that the police were under pressure not to work hard on the case.

In his attempt to defend his son, Mervyn Silva abused journalists in filth and stated that he knows what to do with the owners of Sirasa and Swarnavahini – two privately owned media outlets.

Earlier in connection with this trial Malaka had also been banned from entry into night clubs after 7 p.m with a warning that if the ban were violated the one million rupee bail on the two persons would be converted to a fine and charged from them. (Sunday Leader September 9, 2007)

* According to a leaked US diplomatic cables, in February 2007, US Ambassador Patricia A. Butenis wrote to her Secretary of State saying that “according to a former Sri Lankan security services official, drug kingpins in Sri Lanka have political patrons in the government, chief among them Dr. Mervin Silva, a Member of Parliament and the Minister of Labor. His son, Malaka Silva, is suspected of trafficking the drug ‘ecstasy’ in Colombo.”

East will have Muslim CM - Hakeem

Sumanthiran says offer was made during campaign

By Shamindra Ferdinando-September 17, 2012

Having had talks with the UPFA and the TNA on the formation of the next Eastern Provincial Council, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader and Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem yesterday evening declared that the Chief Minister of the Eastern Province would be a Muslim.

The declaration was made in Sinhalese before the SLMC leader delivered the 12th A. H. M. Ashraff commemoration speech in Tamil at party headquarters, Dharussalam.

SLMC leader’s media spokesman Dr. A. R. A. Hafeez last night said that the party was

having talks with both the government and the Tamil National Congress (TNA). Dr. Hafeez asserted that the party wouldn’t compromise its demand a Muslim Chief Minister for the East under any circumstances.

TNA National List MP M. A. Sumanthiran last night told The Island that his leader MP R. Sampanthan had offered the post of the Chief Minister to a Muslim in the run-up to the recently concluded PC polls. In fact, the TNA had publicly declared its readiness to offer that post to the SLMC in a bid to reach an understanding ahead of the election, the MP said. Responding to a query, Sumanthiran said that an SLMC delegation and a three-man TNA group comprising Sampanthan, Mavai Senadhiraja and Sumanthiran had met at a neutral venue at Park Road, Colombo 5.

The SLMC secured seven slots in the 37 member council, whereas the SLFP-led UPFA obtained 14, including two bonus seats. The ITAK, the UNP and the National Freedom Front (NFF), won 11, 4 and 1 seats, respectively.

Sumanthiran said that the ITAK’s pre-poll offer of Chief Ministerial post was made both to Minister Hakeem and SLMC General Secretary Hassen Ali. The bottom line was that there was no change in ITAK position, the MP said. "We are ready to accept a Muslim as the Chief Minister."

UPFA General Secretary Minister Susil Premjayanth wasn’t available for comment.

Sumanthiran said that the TNA was ready to discuss Senior Minister Dew Gunasekera’s proposal for an all-party provincial administration in the Eastern Province if President Mahinda Rajapaksa endorsed the Communist Party Chief’s move. Sumanthiran pointed out that Minister Gunasekera’s had written to General Secretaries of all parties, which won seats at the eastern Provincial Councils and President Rajapaksa.

Ministerial sources told The Island that UPFA’s efforts to accommodate the SLMC on its nomination lists failed due to Minister A. L. M. Athaulla demanding an equal number of nominations given to the SLMC in the Digamadulla electorate.

Having contested the last parliamentary polls on the UNP ticket in April 2010, the SLMC switched its allegiance to President Rajapaksa. The eight-member SLMC parliamentary group functions as a UPFA constituent party.

The UPFA felt in the run-up to the election that a Tamil would remain a Chief Minister of the Eastern PC until the elections for the Northern PC was held in September 2013, according to government sources.