Council Of Eelam Tamils Calls For A Boycott Of Tamil Leaders’ Conference In Delhi

June 4, 2013 

The International Council of Eelam Tamils is calling for a boycott of the Sri Lankan Tamil Leaders’ Conference in New Delhi scheduled for this month. Convened by Congress Parliamentarian Sudarsana Natchiappan, the conference seeks to establish a permanent solution to the ongoing conflict by implementing the 13th amendment.

Krisna Saravanamuttu

“The 13th amendment and its parent the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987 fails to deal with any core issues critical to the Tamil National Question. The Tamil Independence struggle received its democratic mandate from the Vaddukkodai declaration of 1976, and was reaffirmed in the Diaspora through global referenda in 2010.” says the ICET.

“The Tamil National Question cannot be resolved through the fundamentally flawed 13th amendment. Based on the democratic will of the Eelam Tamil Nation, we are calling for a boycott of the meeting because it does nothing to address the Tamil Nation’s core grievances,” said Krisna Saravanamuttu, spokesperson of the International Council of Eelam Tamils (ICET). “While condemning any proposal for a solution within the already limited 13th amendment, we call for a boycott of the meeting in New Delhi because it undermines the Tamil struggle for self-determination and sovereignty established through the Vaddukkodai referendums”

“In 2010 Tamils from around the world voted in referenda to either support or reject the principles of the Vaddukkodai declaration first established in 1976. Tamil Diaspora members supported the original mandate of the Vaddukkodai declaration and democratically re-established their national aspirations for independence.

“Tamils continue to be oppressed. This is a genocide-in-process, moving slowly but relentlessly, and with the steady support of major international powers. Until Tamils can freely articulate their national aspirations through a UN facilitated referendum, we will continue to uncompromisingly defend their right to self-determination and sovereignty. Our struggle for Tamil liberation is rooted in the democratic will of Eelam Tamils around the globe.

Even though the New Delhi conference seeks to lock Tamil leaders from the island, Tamil Nadu and the Diaspora into a unitary solution, the Diaspora voice is crucial in supporting the Tamil Liberation struggle in the face of military occupation, ethnic cleansing, and stolen lands. The ICET advocates for a permanent political settlement that establishes a sovereign Tamil Eelam through a UN referendum.“The insistence on the 13th amendment completely ignores the historic evidence of an explicit strategy to destroy the national existence of the Tamil nation in their homeland. We argue that justice and peace can best be established when the sovereign Tamil nation can exercise their right to self-determination. Any strategy to achieve this must recognize that the 13th amendment maintains the problematic unitary Sri Lankan state structure.” says the ITEC.

Starting point of non-cooperation struggle

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 June 2013, 10:00 GMT]
After staging one of the worst genocides humanity has seen–this time a paradigm setting one experimented jointly by all the major Establishments of the world–a torturing structural genocide is now conducted almost as a daily routine against the remaining Eezham Tamils and their nation in the island. This is facilitated by an agenda agreed upon and legitimised at Geneva by the ultimate culprits, especially New Delhi and Washington. The pressure that is now exerted on Tamil leaders to accept the 13th Amendment or any provincial deception under the unitary constitution of the genocidal State, whether in the guise of a ‘starting point’ or not, aims at making Tamils to confirm their own genocide. In the last four years both New Delhi and Washington proved nothing in stopping the structural genocide, but demonstrated only to the contrary, commented a Tamil activist for alternative politics. 

Further comments from the activist in the island:

Ancient texts of India talk of four strategies in facing adversaries: Saama (peaceful approach), Daana (donation), Bheda (show of difference/ non-cooperation) and Danda (armed action).

A Saama or peaceful struggle of decades failed with genocidal Colombo, Even the peaceful pleadings of Tamils in the last four years fell on an international community pretending deaf and blind, but actively competing in facilitating the genocidal State. Of course, the Tamils don’t have anything to give as Daana now, as everything is occupied and seized. The IC tilting the balance has crushed Danda, the armed struggle.

In their long struggle, if the Tamils have not given any serious consideration to a strategy so far, that is the third one, Bheda (non-cooperation), and that is the only one they could do now in spearheading the struggle. Mahatma Gandhi made an effective use of the strategy in the struggle against a world empire.

Tamils in the island, in Tamil Nadu and in the diaspora should have no hesitation in boldly showing Bheda to the ultimate culprits, who because of their own interests or because of the need to appease the Sinhala State for their interests, dare to talk to the genocide-affected nation of Eezham Tamils to ‘start’ with unitary solutions. 

Eezham Tamils and their politicians should never forget that the genocide was staged and is being continued by New Delhi, which they were always looking upon as saviour, and by the Washington-led West with which they never had any qualms in history. Yet the two didn’t hesitate on staging the genocide. It is time to ask that how could we ‘cooperate’ any further with our own genocide.

Detractors of non-cooperation and advocates of collaboration have been planted among Tamils at every place.

Those who advocate ‘cooperation’ with the provincial model in a unitary State as a ‘starting point,’ know well and have seen well, how the model, especially after the war, has become the starting point of a bulldozing structural genocide in the East. Yet they speak of ‘starting’ that in the North too. They are also prepared to welcome the unitary constitution giving special status to Buddhism proposed by the UNP, in order to satisfy the ‘regime change’ masters. Rather than exposing them, Tamils expect that they should mend their ways.

In the inevitability of not shunning the Northern PC election and in facing the ground realities, the TNPF leader, Mr Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam advises open denouncement of the model even as a starting point, and to field a set of independent and committed candidates commonly supported by the Tamil national parties.

Either through such an elected body or by other means in other eventualities, Eezham Tamils should plan and be ready for a non-cooperation struggle. 

The PC deception should never be allowed to provide excuse to an anti-humanity Commonwealth of Establishments that will be meeting at the backyard of Rajapaksa this November, or to serve the enactment of another round of confirmation of genocide at Geneva by Washington and New Delhi. 

In their struggle, Tamils need not worry about the ‘bear hug’ of Beijing or ‘economic expansion’ ambitions of New Delhi or ‘regime change’ imperialism of the USA that aim at sustaining the genocidal State, because none of them would ideologically or otherwise justify the credibility of these Establishments in the long run. Eezham Tamils have a universal case for humanity and they should succeed if they are fearless in showing non-cooperation with injustice, and if the global Tamils cast their weight in the process.
Genocide exhibitions take place across Canadian universities
03 June 2013

A series of mobile exhibitions, portraying the genocide of Tamils, were held in several locations in Canada.

The ‘Thazhumbakam’ (Tamil Genocide Memorial Museum) exhibitions, showed various aspects of the structural genocide through paintings.The exhibitions were held in McMaster University, Carleton University, Ryerson University Library, York - York University, Waterloo University, the Civic Centre in Markham and in Toronto’s Queens Park.

Commemoration Of Aranthalawa Massacre

By Thrishantha Nanayakkara -June 4, 2013 

Dr. Thrishantha Nanayakkara

Back in year 2006, my research team at the University of Moratuwa was studying the odor guided locomotion behavior of Brown Dwarf Mongoose found in Sri Lanka. We were beginning to see that the mongoose had a very sharp sense of smell, and that it could locate a trace of explosives buried under the ground from as far as 3m. Seeing the potential of using this carnivore to detect antipersonal landmines, we were exploring different techniques to train them to trace explosives only based on the sense of smell. Knowing that this animal exhibits other interesting capabilities like exploiting the inertial dynamics of a snake’s body to buy time to attack them from unexpected angles, ability to find and eat wild herbs in a sequence with a stereotypical structure of intervals to form an anti-venom in it’s blood through planned digestion, and so on, I started to talk to various experts about this animal. Dehiwala Zoo helped me a lot and even offered to be a collaborator in order to secure permission from the Wild Life Authority to keep mongoose in the University premises. In the meantime, I came to know that a Special Task Force Commander based in the Eastern province was a good contact point to get more information about useful behaviors of the mongoose he had noticed. Seeing a good collaborative opportunity to set up a centre to train this animal to detect antipersonal landmines, I requested an officer I knew, to take me to meet him in the East.

Having secured official permission from the STF headquarters, we set up a date for the trip to East. Due to some urgent work in the University, I had to leave Colombo little later than I was advised to leave. On the way, the STF officers who gave me transport were giving me assurances that the East I may have imagined is not what it is. They were telling me stories about how people of different ethnicities were living in harmony, how Muslims do paddy cultivation, how Buddhist monasteries survived amidst some fighting, etc. However, I continued to be the nervous civilian academic in the group. Watching how vegetation changes from the wet zone to the dry zone so quickly, I was wondering if training techniques of mongoose to detect landmines in the dry zone should be different from that in the wet zone, because the soil moisture that disperses the smell plays an important role to form the smell gradient. That gave me added motivation to start collaboration with somebody physically located in the affected zone.

It was dusk by the time we reached Aranthalawa. I requested the officers to briefly stop at the place where a bus load of Buddhist monks were massacred by LTTE, just to pay homage to them. They allowed my request. I got off the vehicle, and slowly walked towards a concrete slab erected as the memorial among some dry zone bushes. It was so silent, and no trace of human habitat was to be found in the vicinity. I looked around and quickly imagined how the incident might have happened. The helplessness of the monks, the brutality of the massacre, and the mindset of the assassins started to make swirls in my mind. I didn’t have a good training in meditation at that time, but I tried to do a silent satyakriya for the monks, wishing them to enter the path of healing leading to Nirvana one day, so that they don’t have to be born again to this World of wars and hatred.

Yesterday, I saw a commemoration notice on facebook, published by a well known office bearer of Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU). A comment underneath the notice by a supporter said “If Tamils could do that; pigs can do the same in the future too. Beware!”. My mind quickly rushed back to the brief Satyakriya I did at the site seven years ago. A series of questions began to flow through. Why did LTTE choose to kill those monks? Why not many other monks in still meditation in forest monasteries located in several places in the North, North Central, and Eastern provinces, when they were far more easy targets? What is special in the way the monks who were massacred practiced Buddhism? Did exploitation of Buddhist monks as political objects play a role in the build up of hatred leading to the Aranthalawa massacre? If so, how far JHU that shed tears now is responsible for the massacre?….

Last night, my daily meditation was not normal. It was a struggle to observe waves of thoughts rising and passing. Finally I managed to build up a fairly stable compassion towards all parties involved, including the LTTE that killed those monks. Then I thought of writing this brief note for the benefit of those who are struggling to stay connected with Sri Lanka amidst all political bigotry going on.

We can avoid future gruesome incidents like the massacre in Aranthalawa, if we understand the nature hatred. If you carefully watch how hatred rises from within us, you may see that it works like a vine trying to wrap around branches. To stay stable, it makes you generalize the reasons for hatred across groups that are convenient for you to recognize, because tracing the true causes and analyzing is a tough thing to do. Our residual intensions play an opportunistic role here. They push these generalizations in various strange ways. If you have some residual envy towards some ethnic group, the currents of hatred will make you believe that they are responsible for your agony. Those LTTE cadres who perpetrated the massacre may have been victims of this phenomenon. If so, and if they are still alive, may they be free from such anger towards others and may they be free from hatred from others. If JHU’s exploitation of Buddhist monks played a role in the massacre, may all Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka attain the wisdom to stay within the ten precepts, gain courage to follow the path of sila, samadhi, and panya, to attain total freedom from compulsions (Nirvana), so that they will not be political prey anymore. If JHU intentionally exploited Buddhist monks knowing the end result, may they be free from such ill will. May all others, including president Rajapaksa, who may have the slightest hope of staying in power by agitating hatred and paranoia among different ethnic groups, be free from such ill will, greed, and self centeredness.   May Sri Lankans see lasting peace, and may all its ethnic groups celebrate their cultures side by side in peace.

Muslims Killing Muslims: How West Benefited From Bloodshed

Sun, 06/02/2013 

By Yuram Abdullah Weiler
The western world, with typical shortsightedness, has picked the date of September 11, 2001 as the point in time when the world changed. The terrorist attacks executed on that day, which have been packaged as a watershed event, a modern-day Pearl Harbor to be embedded in the 21st century western consciousness, propelled terrorism to the forefront of the American political agenda, and provided the perfect pretext for Washington to launch a bellicose response, the War on Terror, whose repercussions are still being felt throughout the Greater Middle East.

How West Benefited From Bloodshed by nelvely

SC To Rule On Constitutionality Of Registration Of Electors (Special Provisions) Bill

June 4, 2013 

The Registration of Electors (Special Provisions) Bill referred to the Supreme Court for urgent consideration certified by the Cabinet of Ministers under Article 122 of the Constitution as being urgent in the national interest, was taken up for consideration today (04.06.2013) before de facto Chief Justice Mohan Pieris, Justice Sathya Hettige and Justice Rohini Marasinghe.

Mohan Pieris

A determination by the Supreme Court on such a matter is required by the Constitution to be communicated by the Supreme Court only to the President and Speaker of Parliament.

Deputy Solicitor General Arjuna Obeysekere with Senior State Counsel Shaheeda Barrie and State Counsel Manohara Jayasinghe appeared for the Attorney General. M. A. Sumanthiran with Viran Corea and J. Arulanantham appeared to assist court in considering the Bill. Sumanthiran told court at the beginning that the Bill was not made available and was only seen by him a shortwhile earlier in court.

Obeysekere explained to court, the purpose and intention of the Bill.

Sumanthiran stated that the object of the Bill to grant the right of franchise to the displaced is welcome, and that it is only a limited part of the Bill which raises concern. He stated that it is important that the electoral register used is the one prepared by a process commenced in June 2012. He said, between June 2012 and today there are many people who have gone back to the Northern Province who would not be enabled to vote in terms of the Bill as drafted. This is due to a defect in the definition of ‘internally displaced person’ in the Bill. Both Obeysekere and the court stated that this is a valid concern that should be addressed by amending the definition, so that more people are enabled to vote.

Sumanthiran also pointed out that the right for a person to object to wrongful inclusion of a name in the electoral register is not included. There is only a right of a person left out to appeal his rejection. This he pointed out, should also be remedied by clearly providing a right to do so.

Sumanthiran stated that under UN Guidelines, the term ‘internally displaced person’ refers to persons who are displaced within a state. The term ‘refugee’ is used for persons displaced beyond the boundaries of the state. He submitted that recently returned refugees (there being many especially from India) should also be enabled to gain a vote, since they are also citizens and the special legislation should ideally extend to enfranchise them too.

Pieris pointed out that clause 2 of the Bill lacked the word ‘or’ which should be included. He also said that he noticed that this legislation is part of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Action Plan.

Sumanthiran pointed out that it is necessary for administrative arrangements to be made to prevent people having to travel too far to exercise their fundamental right of franchise. He said this too is a matter that should be addressed seriously.

Submissions were concluded today. The President and Speaker are due to be informed of the court ruling by the Supreme Court, shortly.

JSC too degenerates into MSC – Justice Sathya Hettige (Asathya) appointed ignoring 8 other seniors

(Lanka-e-News-03.May.2013, 11.30PM) Sathya Hettige , a supreme court (SC) judge who spends more time at Temple trees and less time in courts where his official duties are and who is in the top rung when singing praises for MaRa , but in the lowest rung of judges in seniority has been appointed to the Judicial service Commission (JSC).

The JSC is constituted of the chief justice (CJ) and two other SC judges. The CJ is the President of the Commission. That is the JSC is now comprised of the CJ (cheat justice) and two others . Of the two others , one is Hettige the MaRa – JaRa who was appointed last week. The other judge is Nimal Gamini Amaratunge.

The appointment of Hettige is a controversial issue because he is low down in seniority among the SC judges, being 9th in the line. In other words there are 8 others above him meaning that Hettige had been air lifted over all others because he is a MaRa- JaRa , and to transform the JSC into a Medamulana service commission (MSC). At present , of the three judges constituting the JSC alias MSC , the JSC chief is the chief justice better known as ‘cheat justice,’ and Hettige the MaRa –JaRa, the other judge are in the majority as they are two out of the three judges of the JSC, and they are of course stooges of the Rajapakse land crocodiles. As the JSC can take to task any judge in the Island , the Medamulana land crocodiles have now crept into the JSC too , in order that they can now officially even control all the judges. These two JSC asses can turn legal cases into illegal decomposed carcasses and vice versa. 

It is worthy of note that Gotabaya the notorious defense Secretary of SL had summoned Hettige to his home prior to this appointment . At the discussion , they have talked about the large number of legal cases filed by land owners against the acquisition of lands in Colombo by the City development Authority under Gotabaya , who is himself lawlessness personified.

It is absolutely unethical and a flagrant violation of laws by both parties - the defense secretary of SL and a SC judge to have private discussions on cases that have been filed against an Institution under the purview of the former . The very following day Hettige was appointed to the JSC. 

Hettige’s antecedence to say the least is most putrid. He is well noted as a chameleon who changes colors for selfish self propulsion. He is one who changed his name at birth twice. He is a cheat who deceived even Lord Buddha. We say this because of the under-noted reason :

There is a small Temple named Wimalarathnaramaya behind Narahenpita mahajana pola (People’s Fair). A monk in that Temple had a great skill of making Buddha statues. In order to earn an income these statues were sold to the devotees who visited the Temple. Sathya Hettige was also a purchaser . He had bought 40 statues on the promise that he would pay for them later , but not honored his promise. This SC judge has thus cheated the Temple. Later , the statue that was so taken by cheating had been sold to the Nugegoda Samudradevi School by his teacher wife in that school. The Ven.monks are still waiting to deliver a sermon to Sathya or rather ‘Asathya’ Hettige on the wrath and curse that can befall a robber of temple property.

Justice For Matale Victims? Never!

By Helasingha Bandara -June 4, 2013 

The secret

One hundred and fifty people had been buried in one mass grave, some of them after having been severely tortured, in a hospital ground, without the knowledge of anyone for almost 25 years. It is almost impossible to imagine how anyone could dig such a large grave and bury 150 in it without the outside world learning about it, particularly in a public place like a hospital. There could have been four parties who knew about this: the murderers, supporters of the murderers, the murdered, and another few who witnessed the brutal act. The murderers and the supporters would not speak about it, the murdered could not speak about it even though they might have wanted to cry out for the whole world to hear and the few who unfortunately witnessed the atrocity could have been denied the opportunity to reveal the secret being pushed into the same grave with others.  Thus a secret was buried together with brutally murdered humans for 25 years until an accidental unearthing of some bones .

What does this say

Estimates say 60,000 youth were killed during the JVP insurrection by the armed forces including the police and the civil defense force. They all could not have been burnt by the roadside though some were. This means that there are other similar mass graves around the country. Thousands of people are waiting six feet under for them to be unearthed to tell their untold stories. There must be people who know those sites. In the name of humanity they should come out and show those sites.

Why justice cannot be delivered

The most prominent reason is that Gotabaya Rajapaksha is implicated together with other army Generals. Gotabaya is the President’s brother. Plenty of people can be influenced to protest against any legal action against him.   At the time of the murders took place the murderers were heroes for at least one section of Sri Lanka society. Coincidentally many years after, the very same Generals became heroes at least for one community in Sri Lanka. Heroes could not be tried at the time, nor can they be tried now because in the eyes of some they were heroes at that time and in the eyes of others they are heroes now.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa

The next reason is that the country is full of fools and undignified people. They can be persuaded to do anything for a bun and a bottle of Coke. When Duminda Silva was released from hospital how many people were there to welcome an alleged murderer? There is no doubt in anybody’s mind that Bharatha was shot on Duminda’s orders even if it is proved that he himself did not pull the trigger.  The people gathered there to welcome an alleged murderer who in fact announced that he was going straight to the Head of this country to be blessed. Where else can we hear a public announcement by an alleged murderer that he was going to meet the President of the country to be blessed, except in a country full of fools?   There will be more than enough people who can be influenced to agitate against any action against Gotabaya or the implicated Generals.

Why not SLFP

The murders took place during the regime of the UNP.  The rationale should be that the SLFP should investigate all complaints of disappearances, murders, extrajudicial killings etc to bury the UNP forever in a political grave, but it did not. The reason was that the killers belong to one set of families. At a close review it may be revealed that the higher ranking positions of the armed forces including the police were mostly held by the people who have village names such as Daramitipola, Libbokka, Gomagoda, notwithstanding some Silvas, Pereras and Fernandos came into rank and file too. This new class that the British created to do their admin, clerical and interpreting work assumed high social status being closer to the rulers.  Betrayals, back-stabbing, selfishness, cunning and opportunism are evils that are not alien to that clan. The foolish sons of such families who could not even pass their OL had no option other than to join the forces upon the influence their parents had in the governance. The members of such families intermarried and exclusive relationships  were created. Whether they belong to the UNP or the SLFP it is the same people who hold those positions and they cannot act against each other.

In summary, because the implicated perpetrators are still high and mighty with close connections to the ruling elite, because the country is full of extraordinarily  ignorant people and because  murderers are protected by the rulers,  justice can never be done for the victims of the Matale grave and  many other undisclosed graves in the cursed land. Despite the claim of Wimal Weerawansa that most of those victims have been active members of the JVP, a case study that this writer will bring forward in the near future would prove that it is not the case and that the majority of the murdered was the innocent members of other political parties who perhaps jeered at the peril of the UNP at the time, the only crime to be punished with unimaginably painful deaths.

Gota appreciates the services of Ratnapura SSP

Tuesday, 04 June 2013 

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had ordered the SSP in-charge of the Ratnapura Division and acting Police Spokesperson Prishantha Jayakody to meet him at the Defence Ministry last Thursday (May 30) at 10.20 a.m. As soon as Jayakody had visited the Defence Ministry, he was told, “You are slinging mud at the government by taking into custody police personnel from Panamure. I have known Amila since childhood. Amila’s father (Beliatte Chandi Malli) sacrificed his life for us. You only looked at promoting your name as the media spokesperson and not at the government’s plight. Whose powers are you abusing in this manner? Don’t try to be killed like a dog.” The Defence Secretary had shouted in this manner in front of everyone. The Defence Secretary had shouted out so loud that the female computer operators in the office have walked out thinking there was a murder being committed inside the office.

“You have become a great hero. You raided Piyadasa’s casino and arrested his wife and the staff. You remanded the Deputy Mayor of Ratnapura. All these are people who worked hard to bring us to power. You fellows are UNPers. The UNP gave you your job. Therefore, you fellows are still working for the UNP. I will send you home if you even touch Amila,” the Defence Secretary had continued to shout.

SSP Prishantha Jayakody had said, “Sir, please forgive me and give me a minute to explain.”

“I don’t care about what you have to say. Just get out from here,” the Defence Secretary had said, but the SSP had remained trying to explain his side. An army colonel who is part of the Defence Secretary’s personal security had held Jayakody’s hand taken him away.

Everyone at the Defence Ministry had witnessed the incident. Jayakody after coming out of the Defence Secretary’s office had requested for a glass of water from a minor employee and walked out after drinking the water.

The person Amila referred to by the Defence Secretary is the Embilipitiya Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman M.K. Amila. He is the son of Beliatte Chandi Malli who was killed when he became victim to the Rajapaksas’ condom theory. Sons of most of the persons killed by the Rajapaksas are given perks and privileges to keep them silent. It is in this manner that M.K. Amila became the Embilipitiya Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman, Janaka Bandara became the former Public Trustee and a national list MP of the current government.

The police tried to arrest M.K. Amila for obstructing the work of two police personnel and injuring a police officer by assaulting him with the butt of a T-56 weapon. However, the Defence Secretary had prevented Amila from being arrested.

Ridimaliyadda PC Chairman on the loose

MONDAY, 03 JUNE 2013 

J. Chandra Chothirathna (49) and her daughter S.M. Wathsala Aroshani Sandanayake (21) who have been assaulted and injured by a group of thugs headed by Karu Weeraratna, the Chairman of UPFA ruled Ridimaliyadda Pradeshiya Sabha, have been admitted to Mahiyangana Hospital.

The assault had taken place on the 1st at about 7.30 p.m. The suspect Chairman has not been arrested yet and police have told relatives of the injured that he cannot be arrested as he is to have a discussion with the President today (3rd).

A complaint no. CIB4/180/05 has been lodged regarding the incident at Ridimaliyadda Police on 01.06.2013.

The immediate reason for the assault is a telephone call made by Ms. Chandra Chothirathna asking the Chairman to hold an audit inquiry regarding transactions using ‘Gamidiriya’ funds.

In the evening the Chairman had come with five others brandishing swords, poles and firearms and assaulted Ms. Chandra Chothirathna and her daughter.

Ms. Chandra Chothirathna has undergone surgery for the injuries she received in the attack and another surgery is to be carried out today say reports.

Heritage Ministry to take legal action against Japanese beer company

04 June 2013

Sri Lanka's National Heritage Ministry said on Tuesday that it would be taking legal action against a Japanese beverage company using the Sigiriya site in a beer commercial and thereby 'disgracing' the heritage side.

The Minister Jagath Balasuriya accused the company of misleading officials, stating:

“The Sri Lankan company had created the beer commercial for a Japanese beverage company by convincing the archeological department that the commercial was for an energy drink.”

Sigiriya ('lion rock' in Sinhalese), is a huge rock in Matale District, considered by Sinhala people to be the site of an ancient Sinhala kingdom and fortress.

See also:

British tourist denied entry for showing disrespect towards Buddhism (16 Mar 2013)

Police arrest tourist for Buddha tattoo (11 Feb 2013)

Arrests made over 'Buddha Bar' meal (27 Jan 2013)

Buddhist monks demand 'protection' of 'archeological sites' in East (29 Nov 2012)

Tourists convicted for insulting Buddhism (21 Aug 2012)

A disrespect to Buddhism (14 Jan 2012)

The Guardian: 'Akon banned from Sri Lanka for Buddha statue video'  (25 Mar 2010)

VIDEO: WE WILL SOON BECOME CITIZENS OF A ‘CHINESE COLONY’ - UNP

June 4, 2013 

VIDEO:

The United National Party says that the people of Sri Lanka will become citizens of a “Chinese colony” in the near future, due to the vast amount of loans the island nation has obtained from the Asian powerhouse. 

Claiming that the government is now entangled in a severe issue, UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake stated that the President, following his visit to China last week, announced that Sri Lanka has received another loan from that country.

“The government is trying to show that obtaining a loan is a great development,” he said addressing a press conference in Colombo today.

But this “loan trap” is such that nothing can stop us Sri Lankans from becoming citizens of a Chinese colony in the near future, he said. “We are gradually becoming citizens of a Chinese colony.”

The reason for this is because the government is no longer receiving loans under concessionary conditions, due to the “government misleading the international community and the accusation on human rights violations,” Attanayake said.

He stated that monetary institutions have rejected providing loans to Sri Lanka on concessionary policies due to these reasons and that the government has now become solely dependent on loans provided by Chinese banks.

The UNP MP stated that obtaining loans from China is not an agreement between governments, and that it’s an “intermediary deal” as Chinese banks provide these loans for development projects with conditions.

He stated that the main conditions are that the development projects linked to the loans should be contracted to a Chinese company though the bank while Chinese equipment and workforce should be utilized to carry it out.

Video: Boston Bomb Suspect Speaks

June 4, 2013

The voice of the teenager suspected of the Boston marathon bombing – can be heard on this Channel 4 programme.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston bombing suspect shot by police is heard for the first time since his arrest, in a taped phone conversation with his parents in Russia. They still protest his innocence.

WikiLeaks: GSL Continued To Detain Civilians – ‘GSL Might View Doing So As Electorally Favorable’ – JVP To US

June 4, 2013 

“Herath said that the IDPs were a major issue in Sri Lanka and that the GSL’s claim that it was waiting to release IDPs because of the need to demine was false. He said that the government could and should release more IDPs and that the government’s continued detention of civilians was likely to lead to problems in the future.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington. 

Vijitha Herath

The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The ‘confidential’ cable recounts the details of a meeting the US Embassy had with the JVP MP Vijitha Herath. The cable was written on November 06, 2009  by the US Ambassador to Colombo, Patricia A. Butenis.

The ambassador wrote; “In response to PolOff’s question why the GSL continued to detain civilians in the camps, Herath suggested that the GSL might view doing so as electorally favorable, or it could be that the GSL was just not focused on releasing IDPs. More generally, he said that people were upset that peace had not changed the security situation, adding that citizens were fed up with continued road blocks and security checks, which the JVP viewed as impediments to democracy.”

Read the cable below for further details;

MaRa’s judges get number plate-less vehicles; lawless paramilitary group to secure them

(Lanka-e-News-04.June.2013, 11.45AM) The Paramilitary security of the Presidential division have been deployed for the security of the judges of Supreme court(SC) which has been turned into MaRa’s Kangaroo courts , according to reports reaching Lanka e news.

While there is a judges’ security division of the police separately for the judges , additionally, a para military security team of the Presidential security division (PSD) is being detailed for the judges.

Needless to say this is to seriously interfere with the independence of the judges. Previously the PSD was under the IGP , but with this present MaRa administration , after bringing together various sections of the forces , an unofficial paramilitary group is being maintained which includes Medamulana nursed and nurtured thugs and murderers , which is uncontrollable by the chiefs of the Police or Forces. Moreover when recruiting them , no regulations or criteria govern them .The security chiefs of the country do not know even their identity. It has been clearly confirmed that it is this group that is used for the lawless white Van operations of abductions and killings . When the white Van criminals tried to abduct and murder the mayor of Kolonnawa some time ago, the people seized them and produced to the police . There it was exposed that they were the murderers and marauders of the PSD which has descended to the most criminal and disgraceful level under the Medamulana land crocodiles who shed crocodile tears after killing innocents .

Detailing such PSD groups for the security of the judges is a serious issue. Such security at the moment have been provided to the MaRa’s HoRa chief justice (cheat justice) ‘Moron’ Peiris ,and the other is Sathya Hettige better known as ‘Asathya Hettige’, the other MaRa JaRa. Mind you the defender vehicles used for their security have no umber plates. That is MaRa is promoting lawlessness among the judges too. This is a grave crime. There are only two other vehicles that have no number plates ;they are the official vehicles of the President and the Prime Minister. Now , these number plate –less Defender vehicles will be traveling along with those of these two judges. This is a clear and sure illustration that Madamulana licensed underworld criminals are ruling this country.

On the one hand the goons and gangs that attack the police are provided safety and security at the Carlton house , while on the other , Medamulana underworld criminals are providing security to the judges in Sri Lanka – the Rajapakse miracle in the making !