FR Cases To Have Standing Order 78A Declared Illegal: Petitioners Object To Intervention Bid By A Citizen In Contempt Of SC And CA

June 11, 2013 

The Colombo Telegraph is reliably informed that a person by the name of ‘Koggala Wellala Bandara’ claiming to be acting ‘in the public interest’, has filed papers to be allowed to intervene in fundamental rights cases before the Supreme Court challenging the validity of Standing Order 78A which was used as a purported basis to conduct a so-called impeachment of Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, in which leave to proceed had been granted after hearing the counsel for the petitioners and the Attorney General who at that stage had objected to the grant of leave.

Mohan Pieris

SC (FR) 665, 666, 667 and 672/2012, fundamental rights cases now required properly speaking to be set down for argument in open court, challenge the validity of Standing Order 78A which was used as a purported basis to conduct a so-called impeachment of Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake and install Mohan Pieris (PC) as the de-facto Chief Justice by force, are due to be taken up in the Supreme Court today (11.06.2013) to consider the application to intervene. SC (FR) 23/2013 challenging Mohan Pieris being substituted for Bandaranayake is also due to be only mentioned.The petitioners who obtained leave to proceed have pointed out to court that the application to intervene is worded in a way that is disrespectful and contemptuous of Supreme Court judges, and that the person seeking to intervene should be punished for contempt of both the Supreme Court and the Appeal Court.

FR Cases to Have Standing Order 78A Declared Illegal Petitioners Object to Intervention Bid by a Citizen in... by nelvely

Cyclone claims 41 lives ; 21 still missing : better close Observatory that gives wrong forecasts
(Lanka-e-News-11.June.2013, 7.00PM) The failure of the Observatory to issue due warnings of the impending extreme weather conditions , had resulted in 41 fishermen dying so far and 21 going missing due to the devastating cyclone on the following day. 14 dead bodies were piled along the Ambalangoda to Ahungalla coastal strip yesterday. While these bodies were in a highly decomposed condition , ten more bodies of fishermen were discovered yesterday, according to the Disaster management center .

The bodies so found are now in the morgue of the Balapitiya base hospital. 40 boats have been destroyed and 29 fishermen with injuries are admitted to the hospital.

On the first day , the disaster management center that gave the figures of the dead , said only five died while 12 bodies were washed ashore , and that only 31 were missing when the figure stood at 43.

It is worthy of note that the warning of this cyclone that hit Sri Lanka on the 7th night was announced by America on the 4th , that is 2 days ahead. Our own observatory however could not forecast this impending disaster. It is therefore better that our Observatory is closed down before it jeopardizes the lives of more people following natural disasters owing to its negligence and inefficiency, and we depend on foreign observatories like how the SL government is depending on foreign Companies to revive its moth eaten image paying them colossal sums of monies.

Mahinda becomes a dentist

Monday, 10 June 2013 

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has now been made out to be dentist by NFF Leader and Minister Wimal Weerawansa.

Addressing a public meeting in Piliyandala as part of the JVP’s island wide campaign against the government that is burdening the people, JVP politburo member, K.D. Lalkantha said that Weerawansa is now making public statements saying that the 13th Amendment is snake and that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has to remove its fangs.

Lalkantha observed that Weerawansa has now made the President a dentist.

The JVPer added that President Rajapaksa does not have the backbone to do away with the 13th Amendment or to present a solution to the ethnic issue while Weerawansa does not have the backbone to speak the truth about Rajapaksa’s inability.

Coalition: No war memorial ban for Sri Lanka

Tuesday 11 June 2013

Kate Devlin

UK Political Correspondent

The Coalition Government has refused to bow to demands from human rights groups to bar Sri Lanka from an event in Glasgow to commemorate the First World War.

Campaigners including Amnesty Scotland had said the country should not be invited because of its appalling human rights record.

The Government will mark the centenary of the war after next year's Commonwealth Games with a special service in Glasgow Cathedral followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Cenotaph.

The heads of state of Commonwealth countries are to be invited.

Asked if Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa would be included, a spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said the UK "enjoys normal diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka".

He added: "The final list of invites to the event in Glasgow will be decided nearer the time."

Mark Bevan, programme director at Amnesty Scotland, said: "We would urge the UK Government to prevent Sri Lanka using any Commonwealth event to gloss over the very serious human rights abuses in the country."

The Glasgow ceremony is among a programme of cultural events, candlelit vigils and other services that will be held to commemorate the First World War.

Culture Secretary Maria Miller, unveiling the programme in London, said: "Next year marks the centenary of events which did more than any other to shape the world in which we live.

"Given the scale of the conflict, it will not be difficult for every family in every village and every town up and down our country and indeed across the Commonwealth to be able to find their own story to tell."

Sri Lanka's progress in reconciliation and human rights accepted by many internationally 

Mon, Jun 10, 2013, 01:06 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

June 10, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government says the progress it made in addressing human rights concerns and reconciliation is accepted by many in the international community.
Exercising Sri Lanka's right of reply with regard to references made to Sri Lanka by Canada and the US in the General Debate of the 23rd Session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, the Sri Lankan delegation said it was surprised by Canada's claim of "ongoing violations of human rights and lack of reconciliation in Sri Lanka."
Replying to Canada's statement, the Sri Lankan delegation said the "Government's progress with regard to addressing human rights concerns and reconciliation is being amply demonstrated on the ground, acknowledged by many in the international community, and elaborated comprehensively and in detail at successive Council sessions by the Sri Lanka delegation, including during the current Council session."
"The many facets of reconciliation including resettlement of displaced persons, demining, rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-combatants including child soldiers, resolution of land issues, infrastructure development, housing, implementation of the language policy, as well accountability issues are being addressed in a comprehensive manner taking into consideration the aspirations of the affected communities," the government said.
The delegation noted that the progress achieved in the implementation of the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) recommendations is well documented in the public domain and it is easily accessible.
As a founding member of the Commonwealth, Sri Lanka said it is firmly committed to its values and principles.
Sri Lanka said its "longstanding engagement and commitment to the Commonwealth is known" and demonstrated by the undertaking to host the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November this year.
The delegation expressed puzzlement over Canada referring to the Commonwealth meeting at the UNHRC meeting considering its membership not being universal.
Responding to US concerns, the Sri Lankan delegation said that every effort is being made by the Government to investigate incidents relating to alleged attacks on the media and to prosecute perpetrators of such crimes in instances where they are identified and sufficient evidence is available.

The delegation reiterated Sri Lanka's continued and constructive engagement with special procedures which itself is evidence of Sri Lanka's serious commitment to engagement with the Council and its mechanisms.

Gillard orders deportations to danger - says Govt. official

The Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has breached international  refugee law by ordering asylum-seekers to be deported without proper investigation of their claims for asylum, an Australian TV report has revealed.

11 JUNE 2013

BY TREVOR GRANT

A former Immigration Department official  revealed on the ABC’s 7.30 report last night that Gillard had demanded that up to 400 asylum-seekers from Sri Lanka be deported a week.

Numbers rather than validity of claims was the priority, and this meant the use of an “enhanced screening” process that fails to meet Australia’s basic legal responsibilities under the UN  Refugee Convention.

'Inside' evidence

The official, Mr Greg Lake, said he understood that under this process legitimate refugees were likely to have been returned to danger  --  unprecedented “insider” evidence that the Immigration Department is returning people knowing there is a possibility they face persecution.

Mr Lake, a former Immigation Department operations manager at Nauru detention centre and a senior manager at Christmas Island and Shergar detention centres, said the department was in no doubt that pressure to send people back was coming from the Prime Minister’s office.

“The Prime Minister, as far as I was informed, had an expectation that at least 200 a week initially, and then there was an expectation of more like 400 a week would be returned from Christmas Island straight to Colombo in Sri Lanka,” Mr Lake told the 7.30 Report.

“That was made very clear, I think, to senior management at Immigration, the department, and they were then, not forced, but really they had no option but to come up with something as best as they could that would execute that expectation for the Prime Minister.”

Article 33 of the 1954 UN Refugee Convention, to which Australia is a signatory, states that asylum-seekers cannot be returned if their life or freedom may be threatened. It is also incumbent upon the Government to properly investigate their claims that they have fled from persecution.

However Lake says this wasn’t being done under the brief and incomplete “enhanced screening” process.

1,200 returned

Lake said he had quit his job because he was no longer comfortable having to execute this policy. “I was beginning to look back on some of the experiences I had had and wondering if I was part of the next horrific Australian story that we’ll reflect on in 20 0r 30 years time. We might have another prime ministerial apology on this kind of thing.”

More than 1200 Tamils have been returned to Sri Lanka from Australia since late last year. Refugee advocates have been saying for many months that many of these people have been returned to torture and intimidation.

The Tamil Refugee Council was recently contacted by a family of four, who had been returned to Sri Lanka from Christmas Island last month.

A spokesman for the TRC, Aran Mylvaganam, who was in touch with relatives of the family, said the children have been allowed to live with relatives but the parents were taken straight to jail and kept there. “They have been bashed with brooms and wooden sticks regularly during interrogation,” said Mylvaganam.

“It is always the same mode of operation. They are accused of having links with the Tamil Tigers and are bashed and tortured until they sign something and then pay a bribe to get out of jail.”

“Nathan”, another Tamil asylum-seeker who had passed the screening test, told the 7.30 Report that his brother, who failed it and was sent home, was now in Negombo jail, where he was being beaten, along with many other returned Tamils.

“At the moment 26 Tamil detainees are there, and some have been beaten and they are in different cells. My brother is afraid for his life. He has been beaten, he has been without food for many days,” he said.

Co-Existence And Communal Harmony In Sri Lanka Today

By Rifai Naleemi -June 11, 2013

Rifai Naleemi

This part of my article should be read in conjunction with previous part. That is to avoid to any de-contextualization of any part of my article. It would be wrong to choose and pick some of  my ideas out of context.

All Sri Lankan communities should work together on a commend ground to promote and protect national interest ofSri Lanka.  At the same time each community should have rights to promote and protect its own cultural and religious identity:  Each community does not need to give up its cultural identity and heritage in order to promote national interest. What we need is a dynamic social interaction and participation of Sri Lankan communities to support and help sustainable development in Sri Lanka: not cultural and religious assimilation: In the spheres of socio-economic, educational and political life,  all communities should participate and contribute equally to build a strong economy in Sri Lanka. This is a true social interaction and contribution.

We could learn many lessons from modern democratic values and multi ethnic cultures of western countries: Western countries give preference to the talented and skilful people in recruitment and job opportunities: They do not look down on you because of your ethnicity or religion when they need skill workers.  They appreciate the quality and skills of human resources: because, in our modern world, strong economies are based on the quality and skills of human resources.   We too inSri Lankashould give preference to the highly qualified people in recruitment and job opportunities in the national interest of our country:

What I mean here is that we should not give preference to the less qualified people on the basis of our ethnicity and religion over highly qualified people. In many occasions, this has happened inSri Lankadue to religious and political influence. This social attitude and political influence have already greatly damaged our developments: whoever is talented whether he or she is a Sinhalese or Tamil or Muslim he or she should be given preference in job and career opportunities.  It is regrettable to say that political influence has been dominating in the third world countries at the expense of national interest.  This political influence takes place in our country at all levels.  Consequently it is people who are going to suffer from this type of malpractice and misconduct.

Compared to other nations in Asia, human resources and skills of Sri Lankans are highly appreciated and recognized in the western world. Moreover, our university degrees are recognized in the western countries.  Unlike other Asian nations, our literacy rate is high.

We have talents and skills to become one of the most developed countries ofAsia. Yet, it is really sad to see thatSri Lankais trapped in communal violence and ethno- religious tension. It was argued by some economists that if there was no war inSri Lankafor the last three decades,Sri Lankawould be economically better off thanSingaporeandMalaysia. I think given the speedy progress of military successes in the battle fieldSri Lankashould win the economic battle field as well.  But such success and victories can be only sustained inSri Lankaif onlySri Lankadecides to adopt good policies of social and communal harmony. Such policies should be on the basis of humanism, social justice and equal opportunities. More importantly it should give preference to the talented and skilful people of all communities without any discrimination.

We should have some plans and strategies to sustain social harmony and peace in Sri Lanka: Religious leadership of different religious groups should sit down and discuss ways and methods of improving communal harmony: Even they could  hold annual conferences regularly in the various parts of Sri Lanka discussing similarities between religious concepts: Moreover, we should teach comparative religious education in our schools: our future generation should learn each other’s culture, tradition, customs, religious tenets, religious beliefs and way of life.  So that children of each community will appreciate and respect other’s sacred belief and traditions. In this way, Sinhalese children will learn to appreciate and respect Hindu cultures and traditions.  Hindu children will learn to appreciate and respect Buddhists’ culture and religion and tradition: Unfortunately, each community has been teaching & learning only about its religion:

At least, we should introduce comparative religious education at secondary levels so that our new generation will not only increase their understanding of world religions but also such education system could enhance social harmony and peace in our community: Moreover, It will open up job opportunities for our next generation in teaching of RE and related subjects. In western countries RE teachers should teach at least six religions.

Moreover, Our universities should urgently introduce comparative religious studies: Since the  inception of University education system in Sri Lanka up to now,  Universities have been teaching Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam exclusively for Sinhalese, Christians, Tamils and Muslims:  But, these religions have  not been taught as a comparative subject so that our graduates could learn from each others religion and culture:  Many people would  disagree with such comparative approach to  different religions in Sri Lankan context for fear of conversion and indoctrination.  However, we should learn about and from other religions so that we could deepen our understanding of our world around us.

More importantly, We could compare and contrast various philosophical & theological aspects of different religious teachings:  At least, if our universities start such comparative religious study courses that could generate more interest in the  minds of our next generation to learn about other faith and that would  help us to enhance social cohesion and tolerance in our communities: In addition to these, we all should learn other community’s language: Tamil people should learn Sinhalese language and Sinhalese people should learn Tamil language. This is a very demanding task, yet, at least teachers, police officers, key professionals and office workers should learn each other’s languages: so that we could develop inter communal communication skills.  I really appreciate this government policy on this matter. Moreover we could promote mutual understanding between communities. I think that  Sri Lankan government has already taken some positive steps in this regard. Srilankan Army, Navy and Police officials has made rapid progress in learning Tamil Languages. I wish that all other professionals do the same in all other departments.  I happened to listen to one of Buddhist monks speaking in Tamil fluently. This is really a wonderful achievement of social and communal integration.

In addition to ongoing development process, we should have programmes for social interaction; We can not live anymore in watertight compartments as we did in the past:  Dramatic changes have been taken place in our modern global world:  different cultural and ethnic groups are living more closely than before: In western countries, Multicultural ethnic and religious groups live in big cities and towns side by side: unlike in the past, humanity has come very closer now.  There is no room for racial hatred and social prejudice in our modern world. We have moral duty and responsibility to educate our publics about these dramatic changes that are taking places in the world. Through the constant process of education we could change hearts and minds of public: As I said before by nature all human beings are good.  They love to live in peace and they enjoy co-existence.  There may be few black sheeps in each community who stir communal violence.  Anyway, if  our communities in Sri Lanka  once again plunge into hostilities and racial revenge the bright future of our new generation will remain questionable: But it all depends on the political will and religious guidance. We all should reach out to the public with the message of tolerance and communal harmony.

NOW IT'S BUDDHISTS BEHAVING BADLY

MICHAEL CARL-Mon, Jun 09, 2013

Buddhist clerics in Sri Lanka reportedly have launched a terror rampage against Christians that has included attacks ranging from verbal threats to beatings and church burnings.

And Christians say Sri Lankan authorities have done little or nothing to protect them.

“The Christians in Sri Lanka are under considerable threat and quite naturally with this many attacks there is considerable concern for safety among the Christians,” Dobbs said.Barnabas Aid USA Executive Director Julian Dobbs says the attacks have prompted fear among Sri Lanka’s Christian minority.

Dobbs says the threats are wide ranging.

“The monks have threatened the communities; they’ve threatened to kill church leaders if they don’t shut down the churches,” Dobbs said.

Dobbs adds that since Christians make up only seven percent of the population, the Christians, both Anglican and Catholic, are keeping a low profile.

“The threats aren’t directed specifically at Anglicans or Catholics, or the evangelicals. The threats are being made against the Christian community as a whole,” Dobbs said.

One report from Sri Lanka says that the Sri Lankan government hasn’t completely ignored the violence.

The Hambanthota district secretary reportedly had two meetings in May in an attempt to reconcile Buddhists and Christians.

An attorney who only identifies herself as Rebecca for security reasons attended both of the sessions and she told Open Doors USA that the Buddhist clerics used the meeting to accuse the Christians.

“There were questions raised as to the legality of the churches led by pastors. During the tense meeting, Buddhist clergy set forth various accusations against the pastors, but the latter were not given much opportunity to speak,” Rebecca said.

Rebecca adds that the Buddhists have successfully closed a number of churches.

“One Buddhist monk said that they had already closed down 17 churches,” Rebecca said.

A report by Christian human rights organization International Christian Concern puts the number at 18.

Rebecca adds that Christians in the meeting cited the country’s constitution.

“The pastors and their leaders explained that the law of the land gives them a right to practice their religion anywhere in Sri Lanka and that the law does not require registration with the Ministry of Religious Affairs,” Rebecca said.

“They also explained that some of the larger denominations were in fact incorporated under the Act of Parliament and have a long history of presence in this country,” Rebecca said.

Even with those two sessions, Dobbs says the Christians are angry at the delayed reaction.

“The Christians are frustrated because of the authorities’ inaction. It’s taken over three months to investigate the various attacks,” Dobbs said.

A statement from the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka attributes the violence to a strong sense of Sri Lankan nationalism.

“There is an open hate campaign directed against the religious minorities in this country,” the NCCSL statement said.

Dobbs agrees that nationalism may play a part in the violence, but he adds that the monks sense a direct threat to their Buddhist religion.

“The attacks are mostly reprisals for people converting from Buddhism to Christianity. One monk did the unthinkable and engaged in self-immolation in response to the conversions to Christianity,” Dobbs said.

Open Doors USA spokesman Jerry Dykstra says the Buddhist anti-Christian campaign is likely a rebirth of violence reminiscent of the lengthy civil war.

“When the three-decade civil war between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the government army ended in 2009, incidents of religious persecution in Sri Lanka went down,” Dykstra said.

“But the tide of persecution seems to be rising once again, and a number of pastors expressed their anxiety over the evolving nature of religious persecution in the country, led mainly by Buddhist militancy,” Dykstra said.

Dykstra adds that Sri Lanka barely missed being on the Open Doors World Watch List for 2013.

“Sri Lanka was only a few points short to make it to Open Doors’ 2013 World Watch List, which ranked the 50 countries where practice of the Christian faith was most difficult,” Dykstra said.

“It may be a different story this year, if the trends persist and the Sri Lankan government continues to turn a blind eye at the plight of the religious minorities in the country. Pray for the Christians there and pray that they can practice their faith in their churches without threats or attacks.”

The NCCSL agrees and asks for Christians to intercede for their Sri Lankan brothers and sisters.

“We call upon the Christian community to be engaged in continuous prayer, especially upholding those directly affected and those who live and worship in vulnerable areas. We also need to pray for the perpetrators in a spirit of forgiveness and love,” the NCCSL said.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/06/now-its-buddhists-behaving-badly/#PjkO5MR48c5RlC69.99 

Video: Collective formed to block13-A

TUESDAY, 11 JUNE 2013 

A new organisation calling itself the “Collective for the abolition of the Provincial Council System” was formed today. It comprises the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), the SihalaRavaya (SR), and civil activists including Attorney-At-Law S.L.Gunasekara, Professor Nalin De Silva and other individuals and organisations.

The collective is calling for the abolition of the 13th Amendment from the Constitution.

At its first news briefing held today in Colombo, the Collective stressed the need to devolve administrative powers as a solution for the existing impasse and pointed out that the devolution of political power to provincial councils had failed.

“What is needed is the devolution of administrative powers and not the devolution of political power. The Provincial Council system has failed to address this issue and as a result the entire country has been made to pay for this,” BBS Secretary the Ven. GalabodaAththeGnanasara said at the news briefing attended by many monks and civil society activists.

Ven. Gnanasara said the Buddhist populace has to take responsibility for failing to win the hearts and minds of the people living in the north.

“Although its four years since the LTTE was defeated LTTE militarily,wehave still failed to win the trust of the Tamil people. The Tamil people are least bothered about the provincial council system andonly want to live happily in their areas,” he said.

All the speakers underlined the various shortcomings of the provincial council system insisted that it did not solve the existing “problem”.

When asked by journalists whether there were moves by certain sections within the government to scuttle the aim of the organisation, the collective’s acting spokesman Rev. Gnanasara said it was so.

“This is the way these things work and of course there are moves to break this movement, but we aren’t afraid to face these challenges,” he said.

The Thera said the newly formed collective would take all possible measures to create awareness among the people against the provincial council system in case the government decided to proceed with it.

“Like the ‘halal sermons’that were preached we will now start preaching the ‘provincial council sermon’ at every given opportunity and we will take all measures within democratic boundaries to oppose moves to implement it.”

BBS Leader the Ven. KiramaVimalajothiThera, concurring with the communiqué released said if the government proceeds with the Northern Provincial Council Elections, it would have to do so subject to the amending Police andLand powers, the power to merge, the majority rule and amendments on adhering to Central Governmentdirectives.(Hafeel Farisz & Jayashika Padmasiri)

Pix by Kithsiri De Mel

Video by - Kithsiri De Mel & Darshana Sanjeewa

Video: Collective formed to block13-A	11 June 2013

Sinhala Buddhist organizations rally to abolish the 13th Amendment to the Constitution 11 June 2013 A number of Sinhala Buddhist organizations in Sri Lanka have rallied to abolish the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Accordingly, a general assembly has been planned to be held in Colombo with the participation of a wide range of political movements. The rally will be held in Colombo Hyde Park on June 28. Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), National Buddhist Monks' Federation, Sinhala Ravaya National Organization, Bodu Bala Sena, All Lanka Buddhist Federation, All Lanka Buddhist Women's Federation, Dharmavijaya Foundation, Swarna Hansa Foundation, Sinhala Weera Vidahana, Chinthana Parshadaya and Jayagrahanaya are the movements that have joined to hold the rally. National Freedom Front led by Minister Wimal Weerawansa and other Sinhala nationalist parties that are with the government except the monk party JHU have not yet confirmed the participation in the rally.

Q&A: “The U.N. Is Too Slow to Respond to Crisis”

Monday, June 10, 2013 - 19:31Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, Jun 10 (IPS) - As the situation in Myanmar deteriorates, thousands of Rohingyas have fled the country in search of a safe haven.

Reports continue to emerge depicting inhuman and squalid conditions in the temporary camps where these displaced people live.

Local officials in the Rakhine state of Myanmar recently called for the strict implementation of a “two-child policy” on Rohingya Muslims. Even though this announcement has been condemned by human rights groups around the world, the crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar is far from over.

In an interview with IPS correspondent Sudeshna Chowdhury, Dr. Wakar Uddin, director general of of the Arakan Rohingya Union, a non-governmental organisation incorporated in the United States, urged the international community to stand up for the Rohingyas of Myanmar, also known as Burma.

While the international community has taken note of the sectarian violence against the community, “it is not enough,” Uddin said.

Critics of the United Nations often cite examples from history when the world body failed to prevent such tragedies, such as the Rwanda genocide and more recently, the death of civilians in Sri Lanka.

“How many Rohingyas have to die for the international community to respond to the ongoing crisis?” asks Uddin.

Excerpts from the interview follow:

Q: What are the larger implications of a two-child policy on the Rohingya Muslim population?

A: This two-child policy is a tool employed to reduce as well as control the population of Rohingya Muslims. It is an ethnic cleansing policy filled with hate. The policy is specifically for Rohingya Muslims who are unwanted and hated by the government as well as some extremist Buddhist elements. Some experts would say that it is also a genocide policy.

The population of Rohingyas in Myanmar has grown like the population of any other ethnic group in any part of the world. It is about three million now globally, including those in Myanmar.

In fact, this two-child policy was there in Myanmar since 1994. However, it lacked serious enforcement. But surgical and forced operations were prevalent in remote pockets of the country. This is why it wasn’t reported widely. But now local authorities are actually stepping up the implementation of the directive.

The authorities are trying to eliminate the population by driving them out of the country as well as putting a cap on the birth of Rohingyas. So they are controlling the population growth in both ways. Eventually, there will be no Rohingyas left in the region and then one can easily grab all their land.

Q: So, this is not just about sectarian violence?

A: A significant amount of land in the Rakhine state, also known as Arakan state of Myanmar, is owned by Rohingyas. Areas within this region are rich in hydrocarbons, natural gas and other resources. So, the goal is to grab these lands that belong to the Rohingyas.

The extremist elements are trying to drive Rohingya people out of the country by making false claims. They are saying that the Rohingyas had illegally infiltrated the Arakan State of Myanmar, and that they actually belong to Bangladesh and to the state of West Bengal in India.

But what is important to understand is the fact that the Rohingya history in the country of Myanmar dates back many centuries.

Q: Is the violence spreading to other parts of the country as well?

A: The Burmans are the majority ethnic group in Burma. Therefore, what we are seeing is the “Burmanisation” of the country.

The aim is to eliminate other minority groups in Myanmar. In places like the Kachin state, people are now asking for autonomy. To begin with, violence was mainly directed against the Rohingya Muslims. But now you see Muslims, who are not even Rohingyas, being targeted by the ruling class. Slowly Hindus and Christians, too, won’t be spared as the violence escalates in the rest of the country.

Q: What is the current situation of those who are displaced?

A: The most vulnerable are the women and children. From lack of medicines to malnutrition to squalid conditions - you name it. Monsoons are coming so the situation is going to deteriorate further. The internally displaced persons (IDPs) are therefore at a huge risk.

What is most disturbing is the emergence of sex slave camps where Rohingya women are raped and used as “sex slaves” by Burmese forces. These women have nowhere to go. The authorities provide them with food and shelter. In return they exploit them.

While incidences of rape do get reported in the media once in a while, there is no systematic data collection or records that can give us an estimate of how many women have been raped.

Q: How are the neighbouring countries and the international community dealing with this situation?

A: Some of these Rohingya Muslims took shelter in neighbouring countries, such as India, Thailand and Bangladesh. But we are talking about 1.5 million people here. Absorbing them will not solve the Rohingya issue. The root cause of the problem needs to be addressed here. One has to give them their rights. Proper education and jobs will help solve this crisis.

As far as the role of international community is concerned, it is only now that people outside Burma are paying some attention to the plight of the Rohingyas.

As members of the Rohingya diaspora, we have to continuously work towards keeping the discussion alive, and keep reminding people that the Rohingyas are suffering and a permanent solution is important to solve the crisis.

But the international community, like the United Nations, is very slow in responding to such emergencies. Moreover, it is too bureaucratic in nature. Historically, the international community has been very slow in its response when it comes to intervention during such situations.

So, those capable of intervening wait until a certain number of people die. Before that they do not take action.

Also one must understand that until very recently Burma was a closed country. International media did not have much access to the region. It was only after the mass killings last year that the international community, including the media, took notice of the Rohingya crisis.

Former Drone Operator Says He’s Haunted 

By His Part In More Than 1,600 Deaths 

(VIDEO) 

June 6, 2013

A former Air Force drone operator who says he participated in missions that killed more than 1,600 people remembers watching one of the first victims bleed to death Brandon Bryant says he was sitting in a chair at a Nevada Air Force base operating the camera when his team fired two missiles from their drone at three men walking down a ro ad halfway around the world in Afghanistan. The missiles hit all three targets, and Bryant says he could see the aftermath on his computer screen — including thermal images of a growing puddle of hot blood.

“The guy that was running forward, he’s missing his right leg,” he recalled. “And I watch this guy bleed out and, I mean, the blood is hot.” As the man died his body grew cold, said Bryant, and his thermal image changed until he became the same color as the ground.

“I can see every little pixel,” said Bryant, who has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, “if I just close my eyes.”

Dan Roberts in Washington, Ewen MacAskill in Hong Kong and James Ball in New York- Tuesday 11 June 2013

Former Drone Operator Says He’s Haunted by nelvely

Five ways to stop the NSA from spying on you

By Timothy B. Lee, Published: June 10, 2013

If recent reports are to be believed, the National Security Agency has broad powers to capture private information about Americans. They know who we’re calling, they have access to our Gmail messages and AOL Instant Messenger chats, and it’s a safe bet that they have other interception capabilities that haven’t been publicly disclosed. Indeed, most mainstream communications technologies are vulnerable to government eavesdropping.

But all is not lost! The NSA’s spying powers are vast, but there are still ways to thwart the agency’s snooping. Here are five of them.

Five Ways to Stop the NSA From Spying on You by nelvely