Permanent settlement to Tamils will be, by north election. Cafe movement Executive Director Keerthi Tennakone notify

Monday , 01 April 2013

Joining the civil social representatives,  the northern provincial council election should be held  in a democratic manner, and through this, the Tamil people will acquire permanent political settlement was said by Cafe Executive Director Keerthi Tennakone.

"Tamil, Sinhala, Muslim community's role in contemporary politics" was the theme for the event organized to share views two days back at Jaffna Moorthy Color Lab center by the Viluthu”  organization,  and he made this statement.

He said, after Sri Lanka obtained independence, democratic rights of people are denied. The three ethnic communities have lost democracy, are now discussing concerning their rights.

Difference is prevailing amidst ethnic, hence how could you say harmony.

Pirabakaran, his family and Tamil people were killed during war, the Sinhala people assume that they have won and the Tamil people are defeated. But generally after war, Sri lanka government and army achieved victory, but there is nonexistence for democracy. People from the southern party are facing many crises.

Representatives in the local council are much aware about people’s crisis and expectations. Hence we have been deprived from our democracy rights. Measures should be advanced to settle this crisis.

In the midst of people,  a situation is originated of not having confidence in opposition parties including political parties. Same situation exist in the south.  The civil movements should be merged into a strong political movement.  Different crisis occur in the midst of people in each district.

The political freedom of northern people is a massive crisis.  A reasonable settlement should be acquired through provincial council election.  Currently government feels that it will be defeated hence it will not come forward to hold the northern provincial council election. Because government is not prepared to face defeat even in local councils was said.

Election should hold by the pressure from civil social movements.  Geneva resolution will not provide us a proper settlement.  If proper political settlement is obtained, Tamil people could live a compromised democracy life.

Chauvinists Sinhala movement threatens �will not consent to hold elections in north�. �Protest will explode�.

Monday , 01 April 2013
If Northern Province council election is held,  it would affect the country. It is similar to the implementation of 13th amendment. Hence we would not permit the government to infringe our demand and to hold the northern provincial council election.

Protests Island wide would be organized was the threats given by the racism movements.

Not only threats, but the Sinhala Chauvinists movements have decided to organize massive protests island wide by gathering Sinhala people against the Northern Province council election.

The arrangements towards this are processed by National Integration Union. The first stage of protests would commence after the April New Year is the decision taken by the movements.

At a situation government had taken measures to hold the northern provincial council election in the month of September,  and Sinhala movements have decided to carry out protests, opposing the northern election.

Concerning this, in the coming days, a  notification  in public would be made by the National Integration Union. Concerning this a special journalist briefing will be held was said.

A member from the National Integration Union expressed opinion concerning the northern election oppose protest said,  many times we have requested the government to refrain from holding the northern election, but government without considering our request are showing more attempts to hold the northern election. This we strongly condemn.

Different views were expressed by the government in Geneva and here. Holding northern elections is similar to the implementation of 13th amendment.  Government willingly should not fall inside a pit.

Government failed to scrutinize positively what we said to refrain from holding the northern election, and the Sinhala people will gather massively and will pressurize the government by organizing  protest. Most probably after the New Year, this protest will be held, was said.

Sri Lanka’s traumatised families of disappeared seek justice in court

01 APRIL 2013

BY RAMANAN VEERASINGHAM

Breaking the prolonged silence, five 

families - whose loved ones were among those disappeared after surrendering to the advancing Sri Lankan troops during the final stages of the war in May 2009 - have filed applications for the writs of habeas corpus, with the government continuing to deny knowledge of tens of thousands of people disappeared.

The petitioners, including the wife of former LTTE’s political commissar for the eastern Trincomalee district, Elilan, have cited the Army Chief and General Officer Commanding of the Sri Lankan army for Mullaithivu as respondents in their writ applications in the Vavuniya High Court, demanding relief from the court by getting their loved ones released.

This is notably for the first time since the bloody end of the war in May 2009, the families of the disappeared people have sought justice from a High Court. One petitioner has lost an entire family – husband, wife and their two children aged three and five.

According to legal sources in Vavuniya, these families have claimed that they, along with thousands of others, approached the Mullaithivu Army camp on May 18 night, with the military making public announcements, calling all LTTE cadres to surrender to security forces and promising general amnesty to all surrendees.

Following this announcement, the men in the five families surrendered to Sri Lankan security forces along with several thousands of others in the presence of Rev. Fr. Francis Joseph on May 18, 2009. Even the Christian priest and three other priests who were facilitating the surrender between army officers and the families due to language barrier have also reportedly disappeared.

Complaining to LLRC

The family members have lodged complaints with the ICRC, Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission, the Ministry of Defence and its armed forces in this regard long ago. They even appeared as eye-witnesses before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry, well-known as Lesson Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) in their desperate bid to know the fate and the whereabouts of their loved ones.

No investigation has been launched and no one has been brought to justice to date, with the hawkish Rajapaksa government sternly defying the widespread call for an international independent and impartial inquiry into to the disappearances, extra-judicial killings, other human rights violations and alleged war crimes. 

Instead, the Sri Lankan government, the armed forces and the Ministry of Defence have consistently and categorically denied any military involvement in the disappearance of persons in the last phase of the war, including the surrendees.

The High Court of Vavuniya has issued notice on the respondents to appear in Court on May 20, 2013.

'Surrendees killed'

It is notable here that former Army Commander, General Sarath Fonseka, under whom the Sri Lankan forces concluded the war, gave an interview to the Sunday Leader newspaper that he was aware that the LTTE leaders and cadres who surrendered to the army holding white flags during the final days of the war were killed by the army on orders from the top.

General Fonseka, however, retracted his statements in the interview in this regard after an uproar from the Southern electorate on the eve of the Presidential elections held in 2010, at which he was fielded as the common opposition candidate.

“Gota Ordered Them To Be Shot” – General Sarath Fonseka

• General Fonseka speaks on the killings of the LTTE’s Pulidevan, Nadeson and Ramesh
• Basil denies involvement
• General Shavindra Silva says “no comment”

By Frederica Jansz –

Pulidevan, Nadesan and Ramesh

Common opposition candidate General Sarath Fonseka says Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa instructed a key ground commander in the north that all LTTE leaders must be killed and not allowed to surrender.

In an explosive interview with The Sunday Leader General Fonseka the then Army Commander said he had no information communicated to him in the final days of the war that three key LTTE leaders had opted to surrender to Sri Lanka’s armed forces as the battle drew to a bloody finish.

Fonseka charged that communications were instead confined between the LTTE leaders, Norway, various foreign parties, Basil Rajapaksa, Member of Parliament and the powerful senior adviser to the President and such information was never conveyed to him as he supervised the final stages of the war. “Later, I learnt that Basil had conveyed this information to the Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa – who in turn spoke with Brigadier Shavendra Silva, Commander of the Army’s 58th Division, giving orders not to accommodate any LTTE leaders attempting surrender and that “they must all be killed.”

General Fonseka explained how on the night of May 17^th this year desperate efforts of three senior LTTE leaders trapped in the war zone to save their lives failed as they were instead shot dead as they prepared to surrender to government forces.

The government later claimed that troops found bodies of three key LTTE leaders identified as Nadesan, Pulidevan and Ramesh during the mop- up operations in the last LTTE stronghold on the morning of May 18.

General Fonseka said the incident took place as the remaining LTTE cadres were boxed into a 100m x 100m area, North of Vellamullivaikkal.

Balasingham Nadeshan a former police constable of Sri Lanka police was the political head of the LTTE. Seevaratnam Pulidevan was the head of “LTTE peace secretariat” while Ramesh a senior special commander of the military wing.

Hours before they surrendered, in a flurry of emails, text messages and telephone calls between NGOs, a foreign government and Sri Lankan officials in Colombo, the two LTTE political leaders had frantically inquired as to how they could give themselves up.

They were told: “Get a piece of white cloth, put up your hands and walk towards the other side in a non-threatening manner.”

But the attempt to surrender by the three LTTE leader and their families failed. Sometime between midnight on 17 May and the early hours of the next morning, the three men and their family members were shot dead.

General Fonseka said it was Basil Rajapaksa together with the Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa who through foreign intermediaries conveyed a message back to the LTTE leaders who wished to surrender to walk out carrying a piece of white cloth. “It was their idea,” he said.

GENERAL SILVA AND ARMY COMMANDER SAY ‘ NO COMMENT’

When we contacted Shavendra Silva, now promoted to Major General he sounded very shocked when told of the allegation but insisted he could not respond to this charge until he had clearance from the military spokesman.

Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told us he had to get clearance from the Army Commander Jagath Jayasuriya.

Later in the day the military spokesman said that he had contacted both the Army Commander and General Shavindra Silva and both had said that they would not comment on the matter.

The chief intermediary for the three LTTE men was the Norwegian government’s then Environment and Development Minister Erik Solheim. (Solheim is now the overseas development minister) On Sunday 17 May, Mr Solheim apparently received calls from LTTE figures who said they wanted to surrender.

The ICRC in Colombo later confirmed that it had received word from the Norwegians that the two leaders were looking to give themselves up. “The ICRC was approached on this matter by the representatives of the LTTE as well as the Norwegian authorities,” spokeswoman Sarasi Wijeratne was quoted saying at the time of the incident. “The information was referred to the Sri Lankan authorities. We have no idea what happened [then]. We lost contact with everyone in the last conflict.”

The government’s point man in the negotiations appears to have been former foreign secretary Palitha Kohona who is now Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the United nations He was quoted by news agencies saying that in the days leading up to Sunday evening, he had received a number of messages indicating from Mr. Nadesan and Mr Pulidevan – whom he has met at various peace talks – wanting a way out.

In one interview with ‘SiberNews’ Mr. Kohona said that his response had been that “there was only one way to surrender that is recognised by military practice”. He said they should obtain a white flag and give themselves up. “I kept saying this for three days,” he added.

But General Fonseka maintains that Nadesan, Ramesh and Pulidevan had been shot dead by government troops as they advanced towards them carrying a white flag, as they had been instructed to do.

Fonseka said he later learnt about what exactly had taken place as a result of journalists who had been entrenched at the time with General Shavendra Silva’s brigade command. These reporter’s according to Fonseka were privy to the telephone call received by the Army’s 58^th Brigade Commander from the Defence Secretary –“telling him to not accommodate any LTTE surrenders but to simply go ahead and kill them.” – “These journalists later told me what exactly took place,” Fonseka said.

“Norway never got in touch” – Basil

Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa refuted this damning charge. He told The Sunday Leader, “The Norwegians never got in touch with me over this particular incident. I have been in touch with the Norwegians over various issues pertaining to the conflict but never once on this particular issue.”

When asked if he had been unaware then that three LTTE leaders were seeking surrender during the last stages of the war – Rajapaksa replied, “No. I won’t say that. But Norway never got in touch with me.”

Asked nevertheless if he did convey something to this effect to his brother and Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Mr. Rajapaksa said “If I had not been informed by Norway in the first instance then obviously the second did not happen.”

Our attempts to contact Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa failed. When we telephoned the Defence Ministry Friday we were told Mr. Rajapaksa had not been in office the entire day. His staff refused to release any other telephone number.

ICC's focus on Africa examined

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 March 2013, 14:04 GMT]
Defining the International Criminal Court (ICC) in glowing terms, Kofi Annan said 15 years ago, after the Rome Statute was drafted in Rome, “Until now, when powerful men committed crimes against humanity, they knew that so long as they remained powerful, no earthly court could judge them." But, American University professor David Bosco asks, "[a]fter more than a decade, all eight investigations the court has opened have been in Africa. All the individuals indicted by the court — more than two dozen — have been African. Annan’s proclamation notwithstanding, some very powerful people in other parts of the world have avoided investigation," and mentions Sri Lanka as one of the countries that escapes ICC scrutiny, in the latest Sunday edition of the Washington Post. 

Former African Union (A.U.) chairman Jean Ping has suggested to journalists that the court is a neocolonial plaything and that “Africa has been a place to experiment with their ideas.” At an African summit meeting in 2009, Ping accused the ICC of ignoring crimes in other parts of the world: “Why Africa only? Why were these laws not applied on Israel, Sri Lanka and Chechnya and its application is confined to Africa?” Boscoe notes.

African leaders have taken note of the ICC’s intense interest resulting in swelling backlash after the court indicted Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in 2009, and the African Union with nearly 50 member nations, even instructed its members that they had no legal obligation to arrest Bashir.

Bosco notes that to this day, the A.U. has refused to allow the ICC to establish a liaison office at its headquarters, and that there are even plans for an African criminal court that might displace the ICC. 

Bosco says complaints on ICC's approach to prosecution land mostly on the desk of the court’s prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda. Originally from Gambia, she was elected in December 2011 with strong support from African states and has made repairing the rift between the court and the continent a priority. Along the way, she has fired back at some of the court’s African critics, insisting that seeking justice for victims on the continent is hardly evidence of discrimination, Bosco writes.

Commenting on the June 2012 sentencing of Charles Taylor by the UN's Special Court for Sierra Leone (SC-SL) for 50 years and the ruling by the UN's International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) giving life imprisonment to Rwanda's Nzabonimana, Professor Boyle, an expert in International Law, who teaches at the University of Illinois College of Law, told TamilNet, that UN's "International Criminal Court (ICC) has become a joke and a fraud. I supported it originally. But no more. It has no credibility whatsoever. It [ICC] just goes after tin-pot dictators in Africa while real war criminals such as Bush...get off scot-free... I am keeping Rajapaksas et al on my list of things to do," Boyle said. 

Commenting on the enforced disappearances of human beings that are widespread and systematic in Sri Lanka, Boyle said these are a Crime against Humanity under the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court (ICC). "So if Gotobhaya Rajapakse travels to an ICC Member State, it might be possible to get him prosecuted in the visiting country under its domestic implementing legislation for the Rome Statute," Boyle said, on the possibilities of how ICC can scare off genocidaires from travelling freely across the world.

Taking old friends too seriously: Sri Lanka, Burma and Buddhist 

Meghal Perera-1 Apr, 2013

People collect pieces of metal from the rubble of a neighbourhood in Pauktaw township that was burned in recent violence October 27, 2012. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun (Caption and content from Reuters)

Sri Lanka’s long relationship with Burma is something that anyone who has even a nodding acquaintance with Sri Lankan history is aware of. In both nations, Theravada Buddhism has been a vital political idea that has cemented the legitimacy of monarchs. Both Burma and Sri Lanka saw a Buddhist revival as a response to colonial occupation, a revival which has allowed Buddhism to fuse with nationalism as both countries achieved their independence.

With such a similar and connected past, it should come as no surprise that the Bodu Bala Sena’s manifesto echoes that of the 969; an extremist Buddhist organization in Myanmar that seeks to ethnically cleanse Myanmar of Muslims, who make up 4% of the country’s population.  The 969 take their title from Buddhist numerology and have styled themselves as defenders of the Buddhist faith and more importantly, protectors of a Buddhist nation. They are led by a monk named Wirathu, who has been inciting religious hatred as far back as 2003.

The 969 propound that the Muslim community is destroying the Buddhist way of life, and thus the very fabric of society, but much of their rhetoric is meant to stir up economic resentment as well as nationalist fervour. They accuse the Rohingya of monopolizing industry and preventing wealth from trickling down to poorer ‘true’ Burmese citizens. And in an effort to rectify this alleged injustice the 969 has promoted wide scale boycotts of Muslim owned stores and enterprises, encouraging Buddhists to patronize Buddhist businesses instead, which are now distinguishable by the 969 stickers they sport on their storefronts. This is similar to the tactics of the BBS in Sri Lanka, where Muslim shops in Kurunegala have been told to close  down by the 31st of March and the organization openly handed out leaflets  in Maharagama, telling Buddhists not to shop at No Limit. Despite having a religious and nationalist agenda, the rhetoric of both these extremist groups revolves around economic discrimination to implement it.

The aims of the Bodu Bala Sena and 969 may be similar but they have very different means of spreading their ideology. For instance the Bodu Bala Sena has a frequently updated website and Facebook page, despite attracting critics who post comments along the lines of “die extremists!” on their wall. While their views are anything but progressive, their methods certainly are and they are quite at ease with technology and social media.

By contrast Myanmar’s low internet penetration and long history of censorship mean that such a campaign would be pointless; 969 does not even have a Wikipedia page. Instead its ideology is disseminated through sermons and the distribution of anti-Muslim leaflets. The organization uses the existing religious infrastructure to transmit these opinions, particularly the monastic schools which have become a driving force in the education of poorer Burmese who have no access to state schools.

Myanmar’s isolation from the rest of the world has allowed the agenda of the 969 to go mostly unnoticed by mainstream international media. Yet the effects of its hate-mongering have now come to a head. Last week a dispute between a Buddhist customer and a Muslim shopkeeper sparked a wave of violence against the Muslim Rohingya community in the Burmese state of Meikhtila. The three days of rioting have led to 40 casualties, mosques and the homes of Muslims and Buddhists alike being torched, and an estimated 10,000 Muslims being displaced.

Sri Lankans should be wary because we are mimicking the trajectory of Myanmar at an escalating rate. Just days after the BBS sent out an SMS asking Buddhists to shop at non-Muslim shops for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, a mob allegedly led by Buddhist monks, attacked and damaged Muslim owned Fashion Bug.

In both instances these fundamentalist groups have succeeded in manipulating and contradicting the tenets of moderation and non-violence to form a dogmatic religious identity, which is then equated with a national identity. While common sense should remind us that a violent fanatical Buddhist organisation should be a contradiction in terms, the terrifying truth is that these groups are impervious to this irony.

Gota had phoned the IGP prior to the BBS attack and told, "There will be an attack at Pepilyana but don't worry"

(Lanka-e-News -31.March.2013, 7.00PM) According to Lanka e news inside information division reports , the defense Secretary Gotbaya Rajapakse prior to the attack launched on the Pepiliyana Fashion Bug store by the Bodhu Bala Sena goons and gangs ,had given instructions on the phone to the IGP Dept. asking him not to get worried over the attack on the Fashion Bug store , and that the Boralesgamuwa police will look after the issue. When this phone call was given to the IGP’s Dept. , since the IGP was not present in office at that time, another officer had received the call , and he has made a record of it. By this action it is very evident that the Bodhu Bala Sena (BBS) launched the attack on the Pepiliyana fashion store with the full consent of Gotabaya nad it was premeditated . The Bodhu Bala Sena members who assembled at the Pepiliyana Sunethra Devi Pirivena had by tolling the Temple bell summoned the people and announced falsely that a 15 year old girl had been raped inside the Fashion store premises, thereby inciting the crowd. It is to be noted that a person to be employed in an Establishment he must necessarily be above the age of 18 years . Despite this the Bodhu Bala sena had misled and provoked the people. However the BBS leader, Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero , the drunkard IRC ,addressing a media briefing Friday had said, the BBS had nothing to do with this attack , and the police shall take action against even the monks who had acted in violation of the law. But it is to be noted that it was Galagoda Thero who also made loud public provocative announcements few days ago at a Kandy Rally that at the Fashion Bug , young girls are being subjected to mass rape. A goon of the BBS, before he assaulted the Hiru journalist Isuru Udayanga had claimed that inside the Fashion Bug , girls are being raped. There is evidence to testify that it was that utterance which marked the beginning of the attack. Hence , it is the BBS leader,Galgoda Gnanasara the drunkard and IRC who should be taken into custody for inciting the people into violence. The Pepilyana Chief Sangha Medagoda Dhammathissa speaking to the media the following day said , they had nothing to do with that attack. This is an absolute falsehood, because the BBS members congregated at this very Pepiliyana temple and tolled the bell to summon the people and incited them to attack. It had taken about an hour within the Temple to orchestrate this attack , and therefore what the Pepiliyana temple monks say is a total lie. He has also responsible for inciting the people into violence at Kandy rally. The handing over of the investigation to DIG Anura Senanayake notorious for the most infamous and villainous acts , also well known as the stooge of Gotabaya who does all the sordid biddings of the latter and readily stooping to the lowliest levels in the performance of official duties itself is clear proof that this incident is also going to be manipulated in much the same way as the museum robbery bogus investigations. Gotabaya recently told publicly that there is nothing to be afraid of BBS , implying that he knows too well who is at the bottom of all the violence , and BBS being his own evil creation , that it is certainly well under his control - for the present. If after violence and attacks are launched, a media meeting can be convened by the perpetrators and exonerate themselves by blabbering some lies and bluffs , criminals like Julampitiya Amare can also escape from his liability in the future after committing crimes by holding a media briefing. This is also a foretaste of what is to follow in the future . It is an index that Government opponents will also be attacked this way. The government in order not to shoulder the liability directly is seeking to attack them using this methodology. Though Minister Hakeem had made a request to the President immediately after this attack ,yesterday 5 people arrested but not any sanga goon among them. These pictures show how ‘religious’ and ‘devoted ‘is BBS ; and the Sangha goons launching attacks while the police are idly watching . The picture below depicts how the police were attacked by the Sangha goons.

Counter Campaign To Overcome New Threat To Peace

By Jehan Perera -April 1, 2013 

Jehan Perera

Even as the government prepares to celebrate the fourth year anniversary of the end of the war next month in May, a new threat looms on the horizon.  This is the prospect of violence arising from politically-motivated communalism which passes for patriotism within a society that has grown increasingly polarized on ethnic and religious lines.  The sudden rise of extremist Buddhist groups is occurring in a context in which the fears of the Sinhalese majority are being fanned by increased international involvement in the affairs of the country.  Patriotism is also the favourite refuge of governmental leaders in facing the challenges arising from the international community on account of their conduct of the last phase of the war.  The danger is that the activism of religious zealots will become escalated from violent rhetoric to violent action.

The earlier violence of extremist religious groups was confined to marginal communities belonging to other religions. The Christians from the new churches, often described derogatively as fundamentalists, have long been a victimized group even in more harmonious times where relations between the religious communities were concerned.  As they are small and viewed with disfavor by the larger mainstream Christian churches, their sufferings have often gone unheeded.  It was also the same with the Muslim and Hindu religious sites that came under attack.  A recent study by the Centre for Policy Alternatives listed religious sites and persons that had come under attack in the past few years. Since the end of the war there have been high-profile incidents such as the attack on the Mosque in Dambulla in April 2012, however other incidents, have received little or no public and media attention. This has resulted in a limited understanding of the scale and nature of these incidents.

The CPA report documents incidents of attacks on places of worship in Sri Lanka since the end of the war in May 2009 and discusses the broader context of such attacks.  The report lists 65 cases of attacks on religious places of worship between May 2009 and January 2013. Direct attacks have been reported from all provinces of Sri Lanka. Most of the reported incidents were from the Western province (16), followed by the Eastern province (12), the Southern province (11) and the North-Western province (9). Although the list cannot claim to be comprehensive, it offers a starting point to document attacks against places of worship of the four main religions practiced in the country. The lack of coverage by the media and other civil society groups, lack of consistent documentation by religious groups, and the caution of religious and civil society groups to engage on this issue were key obstacles in the compiling of this list.

But now extremist groups are taking on more mainstream targets.  Big Muslim-owned businesses located in city centres are becoming a target.  The usual method has been to first spread poisonous stories about them, such as alleged distribution of sweets to unsuspecting customers, but which have the effect of rendering them impotent and decreasing their chances of producing offspring.  These are clearly fabrications meant to dupe the people and to evoke hysteria amongst them.  Another has been to accuse the Muslims of more heinous crimes that include having insulting images of sacred objects and even seduction, rape and coerced marriage involving innocent Sinhalese girls.    As a result Muslims of all backgrounds are living in considerable fear and with insecurity.  The memories of the 1915 Sinhalese-Muslim riots are being added to the host of more recent incidents of communal rioting are haunting the Muslim consciousness.

PUBLIC STAND

So far only a handful of governmental leaders have been prepared to take a public stand in favour of the position that Sri Lanka is a multi ethnic and multi religious society.  There is a reluctance to publicly oppose the extremist sentiment that is creating and believing in a cocktail of lies and semi truths.  Even those groups that specialize in community-level educational programmes are wary of getting into the explosive arena of inter-religious prejudice.  The impunity and appearance of governmental patronage of the extremist Buddhist groups has intimidated civil society.  The failure of the police to take deterrent action and arrest those who have been responsible for attacks has created an acute sense of vulnerability.  The lack of support by the government and its media to those who wish to counter the lies and half truths of extremists is a further source of discouragement.

In this context the efforts of Minister of National Languages and Social Integration Vasudeva Nanayakkara is commendable.  Last week he summoned a meeting of religious leaders and intelligentsia to discuss the issue of inter-religious tension with them.  A Muslim intellectual pointed out that 7 of the 13 countries that had voted in favour of Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council had been Muslim countries.  He said that in the Middle East where he had worked for many years, he had found an utmost respect for Sri Lanka on account of former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s leadership of the Non-Aligned Movement. He cautioned those present at the meeting that the ongoing attacks on Muslims could jeopardize this high regard for Sri Lanka, especially if the news spread internationally that Muslims were being violated for practicing their culture, such as wearing their traditional clothing.

In the discussion that followed it was pointed out that although more than 90 percent of artistes and writers were opposed to racism and communalism, there was no platform for the intelligentsia to speak out.  There was an appeal to Minister Nanayakkara to empower this section of civil society to awaken the silent majority.  A Buddhist monk, said that unifying the country was not only a matter of reunifying its territory but also the people’s hearts and minds.  He asked the question whether we can be satisfied with what the Tamil people have received after the end of the war, and said that this had opened the door to foreign intervention.  This fair-minded and other-centered thinking prevalent at the highest levels of the Buddhist Sangha needs to be more widely known by the general public.  The country’s intelligentsia has the necessary ideology to counter the growth of extremist religious sentiment in the country.  The report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, which was compiled by a multi ethnic and multi religious group of eminent persons handpicked by President Rajapaksa, contains both the theory and practice of what needs to be done to achieve national reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

EDUCATE PEOPLE

Among the key recommendations of the LLRC are activities specially designed to promote inter-religious cooperation, such as the formation of inter-religious committees that could be a first point of reference to people for problem solving and taking their problems to higher levels for resolution.   There is no doubt that the government has been doing much on the ground that corresponds to what the LRRC recommended. These include the resettlement of displaced persons and building of basic infrastructure facilities that is necessary to sustain the life of the community.  However, there has been relatively little educational or relationship-building work that caters to healing old divisions.  This accounts for the abysmal ignorance of the general public in all parts of the country, including the north and east, regarding the LLRC report and its recommendations.  The absurd fact is that this document, which is at the centre of international debate, has still not been made available to the general public in the Sinhala and Tamil languages.

According to media reports Minister Nanayakkara is to present a cabinet paper in the course of the coming week that calls for a ban on groups that espouse communal hatred.  There is no guarantee that he will succeed or be even given a fair hearing by his colleagues in the cabinet. Prior to National Day which was celebrated in the primarily Tamil-speaking district of Trincomalee in February, Minister Nanayakkara made a proposal to have the national anthem sung in Tamil also.  This was in accordance with an LLRC recommendation. However, he came in for strong criticism from within the government itself and the matter was dropped. The national anthem was sung in Sinhala only on National day in predominantly Tamil-speaking Trincomalee.

There are laws in other countries that prohibit hate speech, just as much as there are laws in many other countries, including South Africa and Canada, to permit the national anthem to be sung in more than one language.  However, legal prohibitions alone are not the answer to the growing campaign of misinformation and religious hatred that is being spread by the extremist groups.  The bigger part of the solution is to educate people and win their hearts and minds to religious harmony.  There is a need to debunk the myths that are being spread about the other through one-sided, baseless and simplistic descriptions of their ways of life. What is urgently necessary at this time is for political, religious and civic leaders to come out and educate the general population about the realities of living in a multi ethnic and multi-religious society as opposed to a mono-cultural society.  This alone shows how far we  have regressed, socially, culturally and politically, after the war.

THE GOVT. IS INVOLVED WITH BBS REGARDLESS OF DENIAL - RAHMAN

April 1, 2013 

The Muslim nations must feel foolish having voted in favour of Sri Lanka on the US-led resolution at the UNHRC after the recent attack in Pepiliyana, Western Provincial Councillor Mujibur Rahman stated.

Speaking at a press conference held in Colombo today (April 1) Rahman said that he was baffled at the fact that the government had stayed silent on this issue after around 40 incidents of attacks against Muslims were reported in the recent past.

He added that even though the government had continuously stated that it has no connection with the Bodu Bala Sena the Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa was involved with the organization.

He further stated that the police force in the country was strange and that he could not understand the SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem’s behavior following the incident in Pepiliyana.

Rauf Hakeem was apparently asleep during the incident while we have not been able to get any sleep for 6 months due to the various attacks on the Muslim community, Rahman stated.

A tense situation erupted in Pepiliyana where a mob attacked a shop on March 28.

The attack was later clarified to be caused by a love affair while a nearby clothing shop was also attacked by the unruly mob.

Bodu Bala Sena says it aims to create a moral society

By Hansani Bandara-Sunday, March 31, 2013

The Bodu Bala Sena Organisation (BBSO) will set up youth corps to educate youth about the dangers of smoking, alcohol and drug abuse.

Among other things, BBSO will hold monthly conferences in all districts to make Buddhists aware of the challenges they face and to advise them how to overcome these problems. The organisation’s next general conference is scheduled to be held today in Kelaniya.
The organisation is also planning to set up an academic institution called the Bodu Bala Sena Vidyayathanaya which will incorporate Buddhist leadership and attitudes with other disciplines such as management and information technology, said Dr. Dilantha Withanage, Programme Coordinator.

“Students are only taught theoretical knowledge but they are not taught values,” Dr. Withanage observed. “This university will help produce academics with moral values,” he said.

Dr. Withanage blamed ‘groups with ulterior motives’ for misrepresenting their campaign as a fight against Muslims. He claimed that there were well planned efforts to make it seem as if the BBSO used violence and spread hatred among communities. “Sending text messages threatening Muslims is a part of this plan. We are well aware of these things,” he said.

The BBSO was ready to accept that Sri Lanka was a multi-religious and multi-racial country, even going to the extent of letting other communities hold their religious festivals in Buddhist temples, provided they were willing to reciprocate. “I will let them play on my field provided they let me play on theirs,” he pledged. “But what is the assurance that they will?” Dr. Withanage said.

At another BBSO conference last week, its Secretary, Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera challenged anybody to prove that the organisation used violence to achieve its goals. “If we are using violence, why won’t the security forces arrest us?” he asked.

Ven. Gnanasara openly alleged that nine out of 11 leading narcotics importers to Sri Lanka were Muslim. He said they were destroying the lives of young people in the country. Asked for evidence, Dr. Withanage told the Sunday Times, “These are known public secrets,” he said.

Among the programmes BBSO plans to conduct is the restoration and renovation of Buddhist shrines, particularly in rural areas. Dr Withanage denied that his movement opposed the existence of the Kuragala Mosque in the Ratnapura District. He said the BBSO was only worried about vandalism of historic sites in Kuragala.

The organisation will launch the BBSO Youth Corps this week to educate young people about the dangers of smoking, alcohol and drug abuse. It will conduct workshops on leadership and personality development and promote healthy living and eating habits through an effort called ‘Arogya Parama Laba’. This week, an awareness programme will be launched in Pannala to educate farmers about the use of organic fertilizers.

While Rome burns...

2013-04-01 

President Mahinda Rajapaksa in conversation with Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and Justice Minister, Rauff Hakeem, at the Sri Lanka Vs Chinese Taipei Rugby Match at Havelock Ground, Colombo, last evening. Sri Lanka captained by presidential scion, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, won 39 to 8. Pic by Tharaka Basnayaka

DefenseSecretary attempts to instigate ethnic conflict. Hakeem allege

Monday , 01 April 2013

Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem alleges, Defense Secretary Gottabaya Rajapakse by attending the Pothu Bala sena movement meeting is encouraging attacks against the Muslim community.

He expressed his views concerning the incident of a Bhikku headed group recently attacked the Fashion Bug organization located at Pepiliyana area.

If government fails to take immediate action to curtail the enmity between ethnics and hostile activities advanced by the Pothu Bala Sena group, the international attention will be directed concerning this was the warning given by the Minister.

Continuous activities are advanced by the Pothu Bala sena movement against the Sri Lanka Muslim community, and the request made by him to immediately call for a cabinet meeting was rejected by President, Hakkem mentioned.

 President responding to my request, said, the Muslim people’s crisis, will be discussed at the ruling party parliamentary committee meeting at the parliament. However this is not sufficient which is my stance was said by Minister.

Monday , 01 April 2013

Chandrika, Shirani, Anoma - Women celebrities join against government

Monday , 01 April 2013

Reports reveal in the backdrop discussions are held to introduce three vital women popular figures in the national political arena.

Former President Chandrika Bandaranayaka Kumarathunga, former Chief Justice Prof.Shirani Bandaranayake and spouse of former Military Commander Sarath Fonseka -  Anoma Fonseka the three celebrities  jointly to get introduced, and the initial stage discussions have commenced.

By considering the future elections some important personnel from the opposition parties have held discussions with the respective personalities, is according to information.

However, this three leading women personalities are disappointed by the government activities, hence certainly they will join politics is the information disclosed, but official information is not so far made was said.

Government observers notify if this three women leaders get involved in politics, severe political crisis will occur to the ruling United People Alliance.

 It is much spoken that former President Chandrika and former Chief Justice Shirani Bandranayake came together to attend the Bar Association annual convocation.

 Chandika is well versed in politics but political field  is new to Shirani and Anoma.