Rajapakse golden era: Shiranthi plays key role in 500 kilo gold racket : arrested former test cricket vice Capt.’s wife and former TID director ASP Ranasinghe are her closest sidekicks
(Lanka-e-News-07.May.2013, 2.30PM) The police revealed yesterday that a group was arrested when attempting to sell fraudulently 100 kilos gold for Rs. 500 million at Rs. 50 lakhs per kilo . According to reports reaching Lanka e news , the members of this group arrested are none other than the bosom friends and closest allies of Shiranthi Rajapakse.

One of the key suspects in this racket is Sandamalie Tharanga the wife of former SL cricket Vice captain Roy Dias , while the other suspect is retired ASP R. S .B Ranatunge. Sandamalie Tharanga is a very close associate and friend of Shiranthi , and had supplied the dance troupe for Shiranthi Rajapakse’s Carlton pre School functions, and had even been responsible for organizing these functions.

Ranasinghe had been serving in the President’s security division (PSD) for a long period prior to his retirement ,and his duties when he was in the PSD was to provide security to Shiranthi Rajapakse and her mother .Thereafter he had been a Director of the Terrorist investigation division (TID). Ranasinghe was appointed to the TID by Shiranthi. 

These gold sales had been carried on for a period of time by Shiranthi with the assistance of Sandamali and Ranasinghe. Lanka e news had already exposed this in earlier reports. 

Shiranthi and her group had been selling the gold that was seized from the LTTE which massive quantity has now been made the property of the Rajapakses . What is truly being sold in these rackets under the pretext that the gold is part of government asset, is the gold of the LTTE .

On one occasion , Shiranthi putting forward ASP Ranasinghe as the shield had sold 42 kilograms of gold to Malaysia. The Central Bank governor of SL , of all people was also a party to this illicit deal . That quantity of gold was described as that belonging to the government assets and which had been put out. By now all the details of these rackets had got exposed. Though the cat is now out of the bag , the traitorous rats that are gnawing at the country’s economy treacherously and traitorously are having a field day because of the ruthless power they possess as the omnipotent shameless political bigwigs of the country. 

Last month Shiranthi and her crooked team undertook a tour of South Africa for another illicit gold deal , but at the last moment it had been averted. These traitorous all powerful rat team is not only selling LTTE gold and converting into cash , but is even involved in smuggling gold into the country and putting through illicit deals.

In any event ,in the recent past the price of gold fell steeply , as a result purchases shot up. With the rumors doing the rounds among the large scale gold purchasers in Colombo that Shiranthi’s gold (well known among them by now) can be bought at low prices , the brokers of Shiranthi had collected large advance payments by promising to supply gold to those purchasers. Many of the dealers who were dishonored had made complaints to the police that they did not receive Shiranthi’s gold. 

The present drama of arresting a number of intermediaries is to conceal the whole true picture and extricate Shiranthi from these rackets and the police complaints before they get publicized . In order to suppress the involvements of Shiranthi , the Rajapakses as usual are using scapegoats and cronies to distort the actual picture .

Based on reports , this group of individuals who had been taken into custody cannot be charged with fraudulent gold transactions , rather they can only be indicted on charges of cash fraud. That is, after they return the money involved in the fraud or if the promise is fulfilled , the whole case will be suppressed and buried even without Shiranthi and her racket collaborators needing to attend the funeral and exhibiting their involvements. Of course , though the funeral will supposedly be over , the Rajapakses had made sure that the corpse is not buried for, it is only then they can carry on the rackets perennially following the sham funeral.

The Rajapakse golden era is slowly but surely dawning on Sri Lanka ! Thanks to the Rajapakses , Dumindas, the JHU, Mervyns and Mongol Weerawansas.

Sri Lanka: island in the storm

Sri Lanka has the hotels, the food, the climate and the charm to offer the perfect holiday, says Ruaridh Nicoll. It's just a pity about the increasingly despotic government

Ruaridh Nicoll-5 May 2013:

"I am a Tamil," the driver says, and then shouts: "BUT I AM NOT A TERRORIST!""Oh, so you're a Tamil?""No, I am Hindu.""So are you a Buddhist?" I ask the driver.

Sri Lanka is the travel destination of 2013, at least according to the travel industry. After decades of war, peace is opening up the northern reaches of the wondrous isle off the tip of India. British Airways has just created a route to Colombo via the Maldives. Set against this (although not affecting visitor numbers) is Sri Lanka's increasingly brutal government. The Rajapaksa family is tightening its grip. The Tamils are cowed. Even Sarath Fonseka, the former general credited with beating the Tigers (and accused of killing 40,000), has found his bid for political power stymied.

We are heading north to visit Palagama Beach, a collection of cabanas on the unfashionable west coast. They were designed by the architect and engineer Cecil Balmond, who with Anish Kapoor co-designed the Orbit, the helter-skelter in the Olympic Park. Balmond is probably the most significant Sri Lankan architect since Geoffrey Bawa, who was very significant indeed.

Of course, the country is so popular because on the surface it doesn't feel as if it's emerging from slaughter. After arriving, we stayed at theWallawwa, an idyllic hotel of reflecting pools and courtyards. It mimicked a private house in having no reception, nor any outward sign of authority. If you wanted something, someone just seemed to turn up. We wanted black pork and red chicken curry – one of the finest curries I've ever tasted.

Now, outside the car window, Sri Lanka seems like a garden gone mad. All is thriving: plants, people, wildlife. All are entwined. All fight for space. On the roads, this is a bit of a nightmare. We pass Buddhist shrines, churches, Hindu shrines, mosques. Occasionally enough space opens up for a paddy field. Mostly, though, there are roadside stalls, selling everything. Every hour or so, my companion would cry: "Thambili!" and we'd pull over so she could get a coconut. In the old days, the driver says, he'd have to cross 10 army check points on his way up to Kalpitiya. Now there are none. But that's OK, because he's not a terrorist…

We cut across salt pans and through wind farms, taking red-dust roads until we arrive at Alankuda Beach, home to Palagama Beach resort and four neighbouring properties. These were bought by Balmond and several friends some years back, and each has created its own idea of paradise.

Greeted at the road, we walk down through what feels like a fishing village, the illusion shattered by the sight of an infinity pool designed like a lightning flash. Beyond its trompe-l'oeil a storm is getting up offshore. As the rain arrives, we eat devilled prawns in the middle of an open-sided hut, the rain lashing so hard it seems to be trying to get us. The other guests huddle in shaded huts by the pool and with time we find that they are an eclectic group. There's a wannabe rock star on honeymoon with his lawyer wife, an Italian boat captain and his Al Jazeera reporter girlfriend, and Diana Quick. Most are at the end of a trip to the cultural triangle in Sri Lanka's centre.

When the rain eases we make for our cabana on the beach. It is still dripping from the storm, but now the rain has gone the sound of the waves fills the space. Balmond's idea for Palagama, he says, is to create "the sense of place" and it's very beautiful, very calming. Sadly, the beach isn't made up of the palm-fringed coves people know from the south. Instead it's a long stretch of mauve sand set against a heavy sea, and if you look one way there's a huge power station that one guest, with impressive upbeatness, calls "honest". (It has been thrown up recently, paid for by the Chinese, who are tweaking India's beard by cosying up to Sri Lanka.)

Yet this and the war mean the beach hasn't been affected by tourism. Fishermen still live on the beach in huts, somewhat less salubrious than Palagama's, which glow from dim lights after dark. We pass them on the way to Udekki, one of the other hotels. Guests can flit among the four resorts without carrying cash – all is charged to the same bill at the end of your stay.

Udekki was built by Glen Terry, an Indian jazz musician. Guests eat at tables around the pool, from a seemingly neverending feast of seafood and shellfish.

'A kilometre long and set into a rock in a jungle which the architect decreed must be allowed to grow unhindered so it finally smothers the building': the Kandalama Hotel

Later we head inland. I want to climb the vertiginous Sigiriya rock, but also to stay in the Kandalama, Geoffrey Bawa's masterpiece on the edge of a lake by the same name. This hotel is the opposite to Palagama (you're nothing in Sri Lanka without a lama, a gama or a drama). It is a kilometre long and set into a rock where monkeys frolic in a jungle which Bawa decreed must be allowed to grow unhindered so that it finally smothers the building itself.

Staff in sarongs and bare feet pad the airy corridors. Every turn brings views across the vast lake, a perfectly set swimming pool or a jungle glade. The rooms are proportioned to instil a sense of contentedness. In all three cases, it was not luxury that was impressive, but the ability to calm through design.

I read the papers over breakfast, about how the government had impeached its chief justice, the last internal force of opposition to its control. Amnesty recently alleged dissent was being crushed through "arrest, repeated interrogations and enforced disappearance".

There are important questions around visiting countries with atrocious governments . In Sri Lanka's case it is difficult, for it is getting worse. But then again, people are smart. We take note, and even act. One's eye snags on stories about the places we've been and know. I never for a moment thought the driver was a terrorist, but I heard a world of pain in his saying it.

Sri Lanka’s Linear Growth Projections To Prosperity In A Non-Linear World

By W.A. Wijewardena -May 7, 2013 

Dr. W.A. Wijewardena

Sri Lanka’s Linear Growth Projections to Prosperity in a Non-linear world: The challenge of tackling unexpected derailments

Now the issue is beyond $ 4000 mark

Having accepted that Sri Lanka’s average income per head, also known as per capita Gross Domestic Product or GDP, will reach the US $ 4000 mark one year before the previously targeted year of 2016, the Central Bank Annual Report for 2012 has now concentrated on how to take that impressive economic growth beyond that level.

Linear models in non-linear worlds

Table 1.5 of the Annual Report has given the Bank’s projections of economic growth till 2016 based on an accelerating linear economic growth during this period. Accordingly, the real economic growth which fell from 8.2 percent in 2011 to 6.4 percent in 2012, a significant decline from the previously projected growth rate of 9 percent set for that year, is projected to accelerate to new highs after 2013. The numbers are very impressive: starting from an economic recovery at 7.5 percent in 2013, it is projected to accelerate to 8.5 percent by 2016 with marginal increments in the growth rate in each of the intervening years. The Table also presents all the other relevant macroeconomic numbers that will support Sri Lanka to attain these linear targets, again assuming linear growth in these supportive numbers as well.

Foreign borrowings to finance BOP: Have a cautionary approach

But a well-crafted box article in the Annual Report titled “Bridging the Savings-Investment Gap to Sustain High Economic Growth in Sri Lanka” (Box 1) has recommended a cautionary approach to filling this gap by using external funding. The article has noted that the national savings – that is, savings made by all Sri Lankans irrespective of whether they live here or abroad – have increased as a ratio of GDP during 2000-12. Since there has not been an impressive increase in the savings made by Sri Lankans living within the country, known as domestic savings, the increase in national savings has been mainly due to the increased net flow of remittances which the country has received during this period. This has helped Sri Lanka, according to the article, to finance a larger portion of the investments it had made during this period. This is good news because to that extent, it has reduced the need for the country to look for foreign funding – both loans and private investments – to fill the savings investment gap. But there is still a huge gap to be filled – about 4 percent of GDP now and 8 percent of GDP if the country is to increase its investments to more than 30 percent of GDP to attain and maintain a high economic growth.

Don’t sacrifice tomorrow for today’s comforts                       Read More

UNP may join hands with JVP against tariff hike

TUESDAY, 07 MAY 2013

The UNP was considering joining hands with the JVP and other political parties in the protest campaigns against the electricity tariff hike, UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said today.

“We are having a discussion with non-UNP trade unions tomorrow at our headquarters. We already have had discussions with 47 trade unions and decided to join them on May 15 in the protest march against the tariff hike,” he said.

He said that the party was even ready to a prolonged protest against the tariff hike.

Mr. Attanayake also said the UNP would form ‘People-Regiments’ to topple the government during elections next year.

 “The regiments will be establishedat every polling station with anelection supervisor appointed by the party,” he said adding that the people-regiments would only political purposes and would in no way have a military agenda.

“These regiments will only follow a political agenda. It is essential to change the government and to renew the political movement of the countrydue to the demands of the people,”Mr. Attanayake said.

He said the President had deceived the people on the electricity tariffs.

“Everyone is talking about how the President gave relief to the people.The government is trying to hide the fact that the prices were increased. The electricity consumers will realize this fact on May 20 when they receive their bills,” he said.

UNP MP Harshana Rajakaruna said the government should remove the fuel surcharge from electricity tariffs and the world prices of fuel had reduced significantly.

“The Government should reduce fuel prices as the international prices have declined. India had also reduced fuel prices on four occasions as a result of the reduced international fuel prices,” he added. (Lahiru Pothmulla, Yohan Perera)

Ransom demanded from Jaffna businessmen arrested.

Monday , 06 May 2013

Police arrested a gang of three yesterday for threatening and demanding many lack of rupees from some businessmen located in Jaffna town. The arrest includes a person from the majority community and two youth’s natives of Jaffna.

The said Sinhala person has identified him to the businessmen that he is from the army and has demanded a large quantity of cash as ransom by threatening them.

The two natives from Jaffna are his accomplice. The unexpected arrest by the Jaffna Police of these three persons was on the complaints made by the businessmen.

The suspected persons were produced in courts and were ordered for remand prison.

Health Ministry duplicity!
By Chrishanthi Christopher2013-05-07 

While there is an acute shortage of drugs in government hospitals, and patients are directed to buy their drugs from private pharmacies, the Ministry of Health is said to be dragging its feet without finalizing the much needed National Drug Regulatory Policy. It is learnt that the Health Ministry, which had received approval for the Draft Policy from the Legal Draftsman's Office, is now entertaining certain reservations on the contents of the draft that has been finalized. Legal Draftsman, G.S.A.S. Silva, told Ceylon Today that appropriate laws had been drafted and the Policy had been forwarded to the Health Ministry so that it could be finalized. However, Silva revealed that officials of the Health Ministry have certain reservations on some of the clauses in the Policy. "The officials in the Health Ministry have certain reservations on the contents of the Policy and they have to iron out their concerns before the Policy is finalized," Silva said. He explained that the Legal Draftsman's office only looks into the legal aspects of a Policy. "We look into only the constitutionality of a document, and if everything is in order, we approve it," he said. However the Secretary to the Health Ministry, Dr. Nihal Jayatilake, said the ministry had sent the Policy with the necessary amendments back to the Legal Draftsman's office, and once the new additions are approved, they would take necessary action to ensure the Policy is passed in Parliament as soon as possible. "Once the Legal draftsman has approved the contents, the Attorney General has to also approve the Policy. Thereafter, it will be submitted to the Cabinet and then Gazetted in Parliament," he said.

We Must All Be Patriots, Not Just Azath Salley

By Silma Ahamed -May 7, 2013 |

Silma Ahamed

The Government has inadvertently made Azath Salley a hero, or so some believe.  No, the Government has not contributed to Azath turning a hero, he is one anyway.

The hate campaign against Muslims needs no elaboration.  Azath Salley has only been warning Sri Lankans of dangerous consequences as a result of it.  To arrest him on charges of inciting communal ill feeling is to insult the basic intelligence of all Sri Lankans.

Surely we Sri Lankans cannot forget so soon that Azath was a close associate of the ruling family.  When did he fall into disfavor?  Was it not when he vehemently opposed the destruction of an ancient Muslim shrine in Anuradhapura, and the campaign against the removal of the recently famous mosque in Dambulla?  Was he not the one who openly condemned the racist ideology and hate campaign against minorities by extremist Sinhala groups? Was he not the one who spoke out for unity among all races and a common Sri Lankan identity?  He is a true patriot, to fearlessly speak out in the face of not just losing favor with the Government, but also risking his personal security.

And now what is the Muslim community doing for him?  Some feel that he was ‘asking for it’, that he ‘was shooting his mouth off’.  Was he??  Is it wrong to speak your mind?  He certainly wasn’t committing a crime.  We are, by not defending him when he is wrongfully incarcerated.  Muslims in Civil Society find excuses not to get involved, only because they fear for their own well being.  It is the responsibility of Muslim individuals who wield influence in their respective fields to do whatever is possible for the release of Azath Salley.  It it isn’t within our power to secure his release, we should at least voice our protest openly.  It is also the responsibility of right minded Sri Lankans to support this cause, just like any other which stands for Democracy and Justice in the country.  Or else, silence will only embolden the forces against Peace and Justice in Sri Lanka.

‘I Sold The Majority Shares And Have No Decision Making Powers Anymore’ Says Lal Wickrematunge

May 7, 2013 

“As long as I was owner, all journalists (past and present) were afforded legal representation. I sold the majority shares and have no decision making powers anymore. All managerial and legal issues including settlement of cases are handled by the new majority holder. I suggest you ask Nigel Hatch PC and Fredericafor further clarification.”  sending an email to CT says Lal Wickrematunge.

Lal has sent the above clarification as a reply to our  story which we published yesterday under the title ” The Inside Story: Sri Lankan Court Orders Frederica Jansz To Pay Rs 1 M To Ladduwahetty“

UNP committed in activities of introducing new constitution - Ranil

According to the recommendations of Reconciliation Commission, by originating a new constitution, a new political culture and economy society can be originated was said by opposition party leader United National Party Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe.

 

According to this, our party is engaged drastically in the activities of originating the new constitution, said opposition party leader.  Concerning the introductory of new constitution, discussions will be held at the end of this month and activities will be processed to find the opinions from all sectors in the entire country.

 

He made this statement at the National Lawyers Association 41st anniversary celebrations held two days back in Colombo.

 

He said, politics is not constitution, legislature or organizations included. Political parties establish democracy and Medias, civil movement, state service, and police, military  all sectors include.

 

However currently political system and all organizations are ruined. Medias have fallen inside state sack. The entire Attorneys of the country represents the Bar Association of Sri Lanka hence we should place it in its position.

 

 

President's Attorney Wijeyadasa Rajapakse was the former chairman of BASL accomplished his duties perfectly.

 

To defeat the imperialist Rajapakse regiment to establish democracy in the country, independence of judiciary and the national Lawyers federation is operating. Similarly we too will function.

 

Our protest is not for the United National party to come into power. To establish a new political system in the country and to strengthen the economy.

 

In this backdrop, by submitting a new amendment to the constitution, to implement United National party has the competence. However we should contemplate what it is.

 

Crisis originated in the country did not limit only for constitution. Political system is also the reason for this crisis. If it so, the new political system will originate economy system.

 

Constitution cannot be created by forgetting the political system. Both these should journey equally. By originating an essential constitution to the people and country, recommendations consist in the Reconciliation Commission report.

 

 

We accept the report of Reconciliation Commission, and its recommendation, should decide of originating a new constitution.

 

According to the recommendation made in the Reconciliation Commission report, to introduce a new constitution in the country, a new political economy society should be formed in the country, is the stance of United National Party headed by me.

 

There is no problem in the new constitution whether it is executive presidential system or executive premier system.

 

However the importance indicated in this  is, how to protect the people mandate and human rights.

 

We should contemplate, to protect the referendum, how to originate a perfect government without corruption.  If this reason do not consist, whatever condition exist, it will not be beneficial to the country and people.

 

United National party is advancing activities in submitting an amendment for a new constitution. According to this, it is decided to hold discussion at the end of this month.

 

Concerning the new constitution we are prepared to hold discussion with all sectors in the country said Ranil Wickramasinghe.

Monday , 06 May 2013

Sri Lankan government drafts a new amendment to the Constitution

May 06, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government is considering to introduce the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.

The local media has reported that the amendment is aimed at reducing the terms of the President and the Chief Justice.

The President's term of office is to be reduced to five years while the tenure of the Chief Justice is to be limited to five years as well.

At present, a President could hold office for six years while the Chief Justice does not have a time limit to hold office, but has to retire at the age of 65.

However, a limit has not been imposed on the number of times a President could be elected to office.

A 19th Amendment to the Constitution has also been considered as a solution to the current national issue of power devolution, and according to the media, the 19th Amendment will limit the powers vested with the provincial councils under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

Therefore, land and police powers vested with the provincial councils will be repealed under the new Constitutional amendment.

Several government circles have pointed out the need to amend the Constitution and the government has accordingly made the decision to introduce the new amendment.

The proposed amendment is currently being drafted and will be sent to the Attorney General's Department in the next few weeks.

Since Terrorism Has Been Terminated By Now, Will The PTA Be Abrogated? If Not Why?

By Ranil Wickremesinghe -May 7, 2013 

Ranil Wickremesinghe

With a view to suppressing terrorist act of the LTTE, Parliament passed the Proscribing of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and Other Similar Organisations Act in 1978. However, since it was observed that this Act contained a number of shortcomings, the Prevention of Terrorism Act was passed in 1979 to replace it. Here, we took Prevention of Terrorism Act passed by the United Kingdom Parliament on terrorism in Northern Ireland as our basis.

Under this Act, action was taken against terrorists in South and North, and arrests were made. Now, the war in the North is over and the terrorism has been prevented. In such a situation, there arises no need for executing Prevention of Terrorism Act. As such, this Act should have been abrogated. At the inquiries made on this matter, the government stated on several occasions in this House itself that they are not going to execute the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

After the 11 September incident, the whole world is vigilant about international terrorist acts. The British parliament passed another Act in place of the formerly existed Prevention of Terrorism Act in order to prevent such terrorist activities. That Act has banned applying its articles for suppressing political activities.
Nevertheless, now this Act is being used for suppressing opposite political groups in Sri Lanka. Mr. Azath Sally was arrested under this Act. He is a politician who has been party to political activities both in the Opposition and the Government. At the Presidential Election 2010, he distanced himself from the United National Party and Supported Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse. At no occasion during his life time has Mr. Sally been ally to a terrorist organization.

It is said that he has been taken into custody based on a statement allegedly made by him. Politicians may make different statements. We have witnessed instances in which they make statements with as well as without responsibility. Mr. Sally made this statement at a time in which the government is taking no action whatsoever regarding harassments made against Muslims; at a time when Muslim Leaders in the government are keeping quiet.

Against such a backdrop, if there are charges that the frantic statement made by Mr. Sally contains some elements of wrongdoing and irresponsibility, what should first of all have done was to inquire whether he in fact has made such a statement and to take action under ordinary law if it is confirmed after such investigations that he has made an offence. Contrarily, his being arrested under Prevention of Terrorism Act can by no means be condoned.

For this reason, the present conduct of the government raises serious questions. The conclusion we can arrive at through this conduct is that the government is abusing Prevention of Terrorism Act to suppress its political opponents. This situation may be aggravated in future. Government may even resort to misuse this Act to suppress the waves of public protest rising against its misconduct throughout the country. This is a clear indication of the trend towards an autocracy. This is a very perilous state of affairs.

Therefore, I would like to ask Hon. Prime Minister the following:
1. Why was action taken on Mr. Azath Sally under the Prevention of Terrorism Act rather than under average law?
2. Will this Act be used further for suppressing politicians of the opposition and public forces?
3. Since terrorism has been terminated by now, will the Prevention of Terrorism Act be abrogated? If not why?

*Question Asked by Ranil Wickremesinghe, Leader of the Opposition under Standing Order 23(2) on 07.05.2013

What is sauce for Azath Salley is not sauce for Bodu Bala Sena

Date: Tuesday, 07 May 2013

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has reportedly obtained a detention order to keep Azath Salley, the former Deputy Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), in custody, for an additional three months, according to the family of the detained politician.
Salley has been kept in custody by the CID since last Thursday (2) after he was arrested under the much loathed and despised Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and 120 of the Penal Code. He has been accused of inciting ethnic disharmony.

Clause 2.1 (h) of the PTA states that, "Any person, by words, either spoken or intended to be read or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise causes or intends to cause commission of acts of violence or religious, racial or communal disharmony or feelings of ill-will or hostility between different communities or racial or religious group" shall be guilty of an offence under the Act.

Sweeping powers
The PTA grants sweeping powers to the law enforcement agencies and enables them to keep suspects in prolonged detention, and to extend the detention period by producing the suspect before a judge, once every three months.
The continuance of the special terrorism legislation such as the PTA, even four years after the end of the war, is justified by the fear psyches, such as the Diaspora bogeymen and the revival of the Tamil Tigers. However, Azath Salley's plight is a stark pointer as to how the PTA has been abused and used, as a means of a witch-hunt against the opponents of the regime.

Salley's story highlights three fundamental errors in the law enforcement system: In the first place, the arrest smacks of a political witch-hunt. Second, the incident is a stark remainder as to how the PTA is being abused to cater to the whims of the political leadership. The abuse of the PTA in this magnitude has potential to turn this country into a Kafkaesque nightmare for its citizens, especially for those who are critical of the current regime.
Third, the selective arrest of Salley under the purported charges of inciting racial disharmony is quite disturbing, especially in the context that the government has given a free reign to Sinhala Buddhist hardline groups such as the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), Sinhala Ravaya (SR) and so forth, which espouse a heavy dose of extremism.
'Unofficial police'

For instance, the General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena, Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, at a rally held in Maharagama earlier on, called on its supporters to act as 'unofficial police' in order to protect and promote Buddhist interests. In other words, the venerable monk was calling for vigilantism by his supporters.
Other members of his group have, on various occasions, heaped diatribe on the Muslims, and reiterated the exclusivist status of the Sinhala Buddhist.

Sinhala Ravaya, another extremist group which competes with the BBS for a receptive audience and followers, has launched protests in front of Muslim-owned business establishments. Disparate activists of those groups have been unleashing hateful propaganda online, and in the real life. Some customers of some of the Muslim commercial establishments and a group of youthful activists who launched a night vigil against the Bodu Bala Sena had been targeted by a sinister campaign of character assassination.
However, sauce for the goose is not sauce for gander. In the eyes of the government, while Sinhala Buddhist extremism is permissible, the same liberties should not be accorded to the Muslims, even when the rhetoric of the Muslim activists may have been in response to the Bodu Bala Sena.

Residual effect
The detention of Salley could have its own repercussions. The Bodu Bala Sena and its ilk would view it as a triumph, while Muslims would feel being persecuted. Disenchantment could harden the opinion of the Muslims. Where free speech and exchange of ideas in a civilized debate are constrained, the proponents' of those ideas tend to go underground. For example, the 6th Amendment to the Constitution, which imposed a prohibition against the violation of the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, and resulted in the expulsion of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) from Parliament, was preceded by a period of increased militant activism of the nascent Tamil militant groups, which culminated with their total disengagement from the Sri Lankan State.

Also, the arrest of Salley under the PTA highlights the residual effect of the special terrorism laws, which, at one point of time in the country's recent history, had been quite useful. Special terrorism legislations are a necessary evil for the States that have been pitted against ruthless terrorists and insurgent groups.
Terrorists and insurgents in general exploit freedoms that are available in our societies and are guaranteed under our constitutional systems and the rule of law, in order to destroy those very structures and to recreate new ones. It was due to those limitations of the traditional legislations that special legislations were enacted to fight terrorism. Sri Lanka was no exception and this country had been held ransom by terrorists and insurgents of three rebellions, who exploited whatever the liberties that were available in our societies to destroy those societies in order to create, (a) a communist dictatorship (by the JVP), and (b) a monolithic Tamil Eelam (by the LTTE). Democratic States, though the degree of democracy of each of them may vary, are generally forced to the wall by the terrorists and are often forced to fight with one hand tied to its back.

In this backdrop, the States may have to increase their freedom of action and suspend some of the freedoms and enact special legislations, so that the democracies won't fell prey to terrorists. Those are unpopular measures, but they are a necessary evil.
A number of fragile States in Africa were turned into veritable hellholes by cross-dressing cannibals and drugged youthful warlords, because weak governments tend to be sitting ducks to ruthless and determined terrorists. Therefore, strong governments are sometimes a blessing.
However, the blessing becomes a curse when those very governments abuse those very laws which are meant to be used with utmost caution in order to cater to its political agendas.

The special terrorism legislations are supposed to be temporary.
They are not expected, under any circumstance, to be a permanent fixture of the legislation. However, Sri Lanka is a case in point where the special legislation which was meant to be temporary has become permanent. Any rational threat assessment is unlikely to support the continuance of the PTA, four years after the end of the war. However, political prerogatives require that it remains a fixture, so that the executive is at liberty to indulge in a witch-hunt of its enemies.

Resolution adopted at the May Day by FTR and GSEU

Tuesday, 07 May 2013

Resoultion adopted at the May Day 2013 rally by the Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees' Union.

See Resoultion below

Resolution part - 1

Resoultion part - 2

Rajapaksas grab lands in Yala National Park

Tuesday, 07 May 2013

While the government is engaged in a land grab in the North, the Rajapaksa sons and siblings are engaged in grabbing land in the Yala National Park.

Reliable sources told Lanka News Web that First Son, Namal Rajapaksa has demarcated a plot of nearly 40 acres in Yala. A small sign board has been put up in the perimeter saying that the land has been allocated to the Hambantota saltern.

However, the land has not been assigned to the company that operates the Hambantota saltern.
Namal it is learnt is to use the land for a project of his own.

Meanwhile, the land where the former Yala Safari Hotel was located before the 2004 tsunami destroyed the structure, has also been measured and marked by another Rajapaksa.

Sources said that one of the President’s sister’s has marked several acres where the hotel was previously located.
The Yala National Park is soon becoming an unofficial fiefdom of the Rajapaksas.

Six soldiers injured in Oddusuddan blast At least six soldiers received minor injuries following an explosion while clearing an LTTE bunker in Oddusuddan in the Mullaitivu district this afternoon, military sources said. Military Spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya said that a minor explosion had occurred during preparatory work for a construction by the military in a former LTTE base in Udayarkattukulam area. “Preliminary investigations revealed that a stock of detonators hidden by the LTTE had exploded when a soldier unknowingly dug the ground for some construction work.Six soldiers were injured and only one sustained serious injuries. The condition of the other soldiers is not severe. Authorities are conducting further investigations.” The injured soldiers were admitted to the Mullaitivu and Anuradhapura hospitals