Friday, June 28, 2013

Amending The 13th Amendment: Immorality Of Mahinda Rajapaksa Regime

By Sumanasiri Liyanage -June 28, 2013

Sumanasiri Liyanage

President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his closest associates have shown their determination to amend the 13^th Amendment to the Constitution that was enacted in 1987 as a part of an agreement between India and Sri Lanka. Whatever its political implications and repercussions this attempt has proved blatant immoral nature of the present regime. However, there is a glimmer of hope as this immoral determination was questioned and challenged within the governmental front by 8 ministers. The Muslim Congress, the Lanka Samasamaja Party, The Communist Party of Sri Lanka and the Democratic Left Front, those are constituent parties of the governmental coalition have already recorded their opposition to any amendment to dilute the

Amending the 13th Amendment Immorality of Mahinda Rajapaksa Regime by nelvely

SLMC members suspended for backing move to dilute 13-A

By Shamindra Ferdinando-June 27, 2013

A simmering dispute between the SLFP and the SLMC over the move to dilute the 13th Amendment to the Constitution has taken a new turn with the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) suspending two members of the North Western Provincial Council (NWPC) for throwing their weight behind the government.

SLMC sources told The Island that Rizvi Javaharsha and Abdeen Eheiya, who represented the Kurunegala and Puttalam Districts, respectively, had voted for doing away with two key provisions in the 13th Amendment.

The NWPC voted for scrapping the provision which enabled two or more provinces to merge to form a single unit. The government also proposed rescinding the requirement that the consent of all Provincial Councils is necessary for the passage of legislation coming under their purview.

Sources said that SLMC members wouldn’t be allowed to work against the interests of their party.

SLMC General Secretary M. T. Hassen Ali has informed the two councillors of the party decision. The party leader would give them an opportunity to explain their position, though they would have to face the consequences of their decision to act against specific instructions from the party.

Sources said that another SLMC member of the NWPC Mohamed Thassleem had been present at the time of voting.

Video: President Rajapaksa himself for 13A - Mangala

Video:

UNP parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera said today President Mahinda Rajapaksa was an experienced and veteran politician and he would not act against the 13th Amendment, if he was to take a decision on his own.

“I do not think the President would act against the 13th Amendment, if he is to take a decision on his own. He has been taken hostage by extremist groups led by Gotabaya Rajapaksa. What we should do is not to abolish the 13th Amendment but to carry it forward. It should be 13++ not 13-.”

Mr. Samaraweera told a news conference in Colombo that certain extremist groups in the government were attempting to suppress the stance of the majority with regard to the 13th Amendment.

“Some extremist groups within the government are trying to suppress the stance of the majority with regard to the 13th Amendment. The majority of SLFP parliamentarians do not accept these amendments to the constitution. SLFP totally accepted the 13th Amendment after 1994. Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike and even president Mahinda Rajapaksa accepted that there was an ethnic conflict and it should be addressed soon. In 1997 SLFP presented a draft constitution titled, ‘Council of Regions’ which proposed a total devolution of power which goes even beyond the 13th Amendment. SLFP have not brought any proposal to change that stance yet,” Mr. Samarweera said.

Some politicians in the government were conspiring to abolish the 13th Amendment which was gained with difficulty saying that there was no ethnic conflict in the country.

He said the UNP had presented a draft document to all political parties, religious groups and people for discussion.(Ajith Siriwardana)

Abolish The Pradesiya Sabhas Not The Provincial Councils

By R.M.B Senanayake -June 28, 2013

R.M.B. Senanayake

Everybody talks of a “Grama Rajya” as a great and good thing. It is perhaps one proposal where everybody will agree is necessary. But they do not know how to proceed to establish one. The Grama Rajya concept requires the re-establishment of the old Village Committee which was based on the traditional village. Unfortunately the village is no longer the unit of administration at the level of the village. It was abolished in the 1980s by the UNP Government and replaced with Pradeshiya Sabhas by an Act of Parliament in 1987 as part of the reforms under the 13th Amendment under which Provincial Councils were established.

Abolish the Pradesiya Sabhas Not the Provincial Councils by nelvely

CAPCS demands abolishing of PCs ahead of Northern poll

By Thushari Kalubowila-June 26, 2013

General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena Ven Galagodatte Gnanasara thera addressing yesterday’s press conference. Also in the picture are Ven Hadigalle Wimalasara Thera, Ven Rajawatte Vappa Thera, Jagath Sumathipala of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress, Prof Pandula Andagama of Hela Deya Wadanno organization, Bandula Chandrasekera of the National Intellectuals’ Council and representatives of other member organizations of the Collective for the Abolition of the Provincial Councils System. Pic by Nimal Dayaratne

The Collective for the Abolition of the Provincial Councils System (CAPCS) is demanding that the provincial councils system be done away with prior to the proposed election to the Northern Provincial Council.

"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," Ven Galagodatte Gnanasara, General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena, a member organization of the CAPCS, told a media briefing at the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress conference hall yesterday.

Gnanasara Thera said although it had been four years since the LTTE was militarily defeated the country had failed to win the trust of the Tamil people.

"The Tamil people are least bothered about the provincial council system and only want to live happily in their areas," the monk claimed.

Gnanasara Thera said that the 13A and the provincial councils entered the country’s statutes in 1987 as part of the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord, which had been forced upon Sri Lanka by India.

"If the government cannot repeal the 13th Amendment to the Constitution at this juncture, then it should take urgent action to amend five clauses in the Constitution which gives undue powers to the Provincial councils. We demand that the government either repeal the 13th Amendment or amend clauses that gives police powers, land powers, powers of provincial councils to merge and the so-called concurrent list.

The government should amend the Article 154A (3) – that allowed the merger of the provinces, which could lead to the North merging with the East to create a new state, ‘North-Eastern Sri Lanka’ – encompassing 1/3 of Sri Lanka’s land mass and 2/3 of the coast, he said.

It was imperative that the Article 154G (3) be done away with. The Article reads that any Bill in regard to matters in the Provincial Council List shall become law only if they are passed by every Provincial Council.

The removal of the Land and Police powers from the concurrent list (9th Schedule) would eliminate the threat to the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Gnanasara thera said.

The Thera also said that the CAPCS would hold a national rally in Maharagama on July 02 demanding the abolition of the 13th Amendment.

Ven. Rajawatte Vappa thera of the National Sangha Council, Prof Pandula Andagama of Hela Deya Wadanno organization, Jagath Sumathipala of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress, Bandula Chandrasekera of the National Intellectuals’ Council and representatives of other member organizations of the CAPCS attended the media conference.

No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka: An utterly convincing doc

LIAM LACEY-Friday, Jun. 28 2013

As advocacy documentaries go, this chronicle of war crimes conducted by the Sri Lankan government against Tamil civilians during the 2009 conclusion of the Asian country’s 26-year-long civil war, is utterly convincing, and a refutation of Sri Lankan government denials.

Composed largely of cellphone and video images culled from Tamil civilians and trophy videos from government soldiers, the film is damning both of the largely Sinhalese government’s ethnic assaults against its Tamil minority population, and the United Nations, which failed to stop or report the attacks, leading to the deaths of between 40,000 and 70,000 people (according to UN reports) in the final five months of the campaign.

More than a dozen dead as Sri Lanka is hit by storms

Reuters

Published Sunday, Jun. 09 2013,

More than a dozen people including 14 fishermen are killed and 36 others are missing in Sri Lanka as strong winds hit the island.

Much of the footage is extremely gruesome, with the purpose of getting the crimes recognized and perpetrators prosecuted, though the TV news voice-over can seem jarringly artless. Sometimes, it’s important to know when words fail.

At the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema.

The Road Not Taken

By Dayan Jayatilleka -June 28, 2013

Dr Dayan Jayatilleka

“…Sri Lankan foreign policy must be centred on a non-hostile relationship with India…Choice is the essential question; not only the choices open to us, but the choices likely to be taken by others…” -Mervyn de Silva, ‘External Aspects of the Ethnic Issue’ (1985), Crisis Commentaries (2001: pp68-78)

The Road Not Taken by nelvely

SLBC workers perturbed

Thursday, 27 June 2013

The country’s pioneer broadcasting service, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) is heading to a major crisis due to bad administration. It has been brought notice that higher authorities in the entity always safeguarding persons involved in various irregularities and malpractices.

The speculations rife among employees in the SLBC that the higher authorities going to sack workers since the Corporation is facing an acute financial crisis. This has been proved when several buildings in the SLBC premises have been demolished in the recent past to remove workers in an indirect manner.

SLBC Additional Director General who is also a person safeguarding bad characters in the organization is dreaming to be the next SLBC Chairman in five years’ time. Since the administrative authority is corrupt to the core whoever support them will be awarded with promotions and other fringe benefits. The classic example was that one of the officers attached to Administrative Department was transferred to Marketing Department with a promotion. Further Director General who is also one of the persons who support such bad characters in the SLBC.

Therefore, SLBC Chairman who highlight other persons mis-deeds and other irregularities on air, should pay more attention to the coconut raft that is in his eyes rather than making an attempt to comment on a piece of fiber that is in another person's eyes.

(digathanews.com)

Nephew tries to usurp Thondaman’s powers

Details: Created On Friday, 28 June 2013 05:56; Category: General

Uva Provincial Council Minister Senthil Thondaman is trying to oust CWC Leader, Minister Arumugam Thondaman in order to take charge of the party, CWC sources said.

Senthil Thondaman is Arumugam Thondaman’s elder sister’s son. Senthil is engaged in the power struggle claiming he too had the right to the party leadership since he too is a descendent of CWC founding leader Saumyamoorthy Thondaman.
Senthil is currently the vice president of the party’s youth wing.
Senthil’s party supporters have commenced a campaign to educate party seniors and members that the CWC is in need of a new leadership since Arumugam Thondaman is most often engaged in overseas tours and the days he is in Sri Lanka are spent in Colombo with his racketeer friends and women. The Deputy Chairman of the Kaldemulla Pradeshiya Sabha, Ashok Kumar plays a key role in this campaign. He is also a well known thug.
Another key figure in Senthil’s campaign is a vice president of the CWC, Jegatheeshwaran. He serves as a Presidential advisor and draws a monthly salary of Rs. 65,000. He has been accused of smuggling people. He had taken his son Murali Jegatheeshwaran to India and left him there after participating in the bi-annual summit organized by the People’s of India organization. Meanwhile, he had applied for a visa for his wife to travel to Australia. However, when the Australian High Commission had called for police reports on him, it has been revealed that he was involved in the attack on MP Digambaram in Punagala.
Senthil Thondaman had also met the Uva Province Chief Minister Shashindra Rajapaksa recently and asked that he be appointed as the acting chief minister when Shashindra travels overseas. Shashindra is to travel to the US.
Shashindra had said the decision to appoint an acting chief minister was up to the President. The Chief Minister had informed the President of this request and the President in turn had informed Arumugam Thondaman about the matter. After listening to the President, Arumugam Thondaman had told the President to ask Senthil to build a toy house for himself and become the chief minister within its confines.

Withdrawal of US$ 324 Mn. case against SCB: Pressure or corruption, asks Ravi K

By Zacki Jabbar-June 27, 2013

The UNP yesterday questioned as to why the Central Bank had withdrawn a US$ 324 million case against the Standard Chartered Bank for alleged exchange control regulation violations.

Was it due to pressure applied on the Central Bank by a higher up or was corruption the reason, Senior UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake queried during a press conference in Colombo.

He noted that the allegation of US$ 324 million being smuggled out of the country was a serious charge and assumed greater importance considering the fact that the government’s massive debt burden was rising by the day.

When those critical of the Rajapaksa regime received remittances from abroad, through the proper legal channels they were harassed and even taken to courts, but the authorities acted as if it was none of anyone’s business despite a US$ 324 million case being withdrawn, the MP observed.

Karunanayake said that he would write to the Committee on Public Enterprises requesting a thorough inquiry into the matter.

Five Questions To IMF Resident Representativ e

By Chandra Jayaratne -June 28, 2013

Chandra Jayaratne

Dr. Koshy Mathai

Resident Representative in Sri Lanka,

Resident Representative’s Office in Sri Lanka,

International Monetary Fund,

Central Bank Building,

Janadhipathi Mawatha,

Colombo 1.

Dear Dr, Mathai,

Press Conference on the IMF Article IV Report

Five Questions to IMF Resident Representative by nelvely

Video: British tourist murder suspects threatened witnesses:CID

FRIDAY, 28 JUNE 2013

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s court today that the case of the murder of British tourist Kuram Shaikh was transferred to Colombo due to the suspects allegedly threatening witnesses.

The case which was initially heard at the Tangalle Magistrate’s court was taken up in Colombo today after the Attorney General’s department requested the transfer on special grounds.

The suspects which include the Chairman of the Tangalle Prageshiya Sabha who were released on bail previously were ordered to appear before court on November 1.(FT)

Video: Video by Sanath Desmond

Out on bail

By Theekshana Jayasundaram-2013-06-28

Disgraced North-Western Provincial Councillor, Ananda Sarath Kumara, who was in remand custody for allegedly forcing a female school teacher to kneel down before him, was yesterday released on bail, amidst jubilations by his supporters and protests by school teachers and principals. After the former Provincial Councillor was granted bail by the Puttalam Magistrate, about 200 school teachers held a protest march from the Court to the Anamaduwa Central College, holding banners and placards denouncing the politician.

The Ceylon Teachers' Service Union (CTU) expressed concerns over the security... ...of the teacher as the politico, flanked by his henchmen, some appeared to be inebriated, toured the town, celebrating his release and blocking the vehicular traffic along the Puttalam-Kurunegala Road. His release came in the wake of complaints that his goons had threatened the victimized teacher, Priyani Susila Herath. General Secretary of the CTSU, Mahinda Jayasinghe, said 'a large number' of teachers of schools in Puttalam reported sick leave yesterday in protest of the politico.

The police, outnumbered by the demonstrators, tried to prevent the two rival demonstrators coming closer to each other.

Sarath Kumara was taken into custody following the public humiliation of a female teacher at the Navagattegama Navodya School. Since then, he had resigned from his position in the Provincial Council and was sacked from the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance.

Parliamentarians, Arundika Fernando, Indrani Dasanayake and North-Western Provincial Council Minister, Sanath Nishantha, were seen at the Puttalam Magistrate's Court premises to greet their political colleague.

Later, Kumara, accompanied by his supporters, visited the Aiyanayaka Kovil in Anamaduwa and dashed coconuts and invoked blessings.

Speaking to the media, former Provincial Councillor Kumara blamed the media for taking sides.

"I had a great faith in the media. But, the media decided to take the side of the teacher and brought me to shame. I condemn that. If the teacher manages to prove that I did something wrong, I will leave politics forever. These allegations against me are politically motivated. Whatever the case, the principal of the school, as well as 80 or so teachers came to see me in prison. The people trust me."

Meanwhile, CTSU's Mahinda Jayasinghe raised concerns over the security of the teacher and said the presence of ruling party MPs in the Court was proof that the disgraced politico continues to have the backing from the ruling party

"Even while Kumara was in prison, his henchmen harassed the teacher. Now that he is out, we can't say what will happen to her. The presence of ruling party MP Arundika Fernando in the Court premises when Kumara was released showed that he has the backing of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), no matter what they have said on the matter," he said. "If justice is not delivered to the teacher, we will step up our trade union actions," he added.

“We Have No connection With The Govt. Other Than Our Leader Ven. Kiram’s Relationship Wth Gota” – BBS CEO Vithanage

June 28, 2013

“We are not supported by the government as accused by many people including the media,” the chief executive officer of the Bodu Bala Sena, Dilanthe Vithanage, told Colombo Telegraph.

Vithange said that when asked for the relationship between the BBS and the Sri Lankan government, adding that “For example, we wanted to meet President Rajapaksa to discuss the issues we are raising, and we had sent 18 letters to him seeking an appointment before we got an appointment on January 27. This itself explains our relationship with the government.”

Speaking further he said, “Only the secretary to the ministry of defence responded to our letter and came to open one of our projects. That is also because our leader Ven. Kerama Vimalajothi has a relationship with him”

When asked whether the secretary to the ministry of defence is a blood relative of the Ven. Vimalajothi, Vithanage said; “I really don’t know but I know they have a long relationship.”

Burma’s Rohingya Muslims Targeted by Buddhist Mob Violence

by Brendan Brady Jun 27, 2013 4:45 AM EDT

Muslims from an obscure ethnic group in western Burma have become targets of vicious Buddhist mob attacks. Brendan Brady reports from Rakhine state on the increasing violence.

Del6184749 — A woman cries moments after she and other Rohingya Muslims, trying to cross the Naf river into Bangladesh to escape sectarian violence in Burma, were intercepted by Bangladeshi border authorities, June 13, 2012. Bangladesh has refused boatloads of Rohingya Muslims, officials said, despite growing calls by the international community for the border to be opened. (Munir Uz Zaman/AFP/Getty)

130627-burma-04-tease — A doctor attempts to stanch the bleeding from a gun shot wound to San Shar Aung, a Buddhist Rakhine, in Kyauk Taw township hospital on October 25, 2012 in Kyauk Taw, Burma. Over 20,000 people have been left displaced following violent clashes between Muslim and Buddhist groups in the country which began in June. (Kaung Htet/Getty)

Burma’s Rohingya Muslims Targeted by Buddhist Mob Violence by nelvely

Big Brother sees red

Editorial-June 27, 2013

When Dan Brown’s unputdownable techno-thriller, Digital Fortress, was first published about fifteen years ago, many may have considered its fascinating story a figment of the imagination. It tells us about a code-breaking supercomputer created by the US National Security Agency (NSA) to access people’s personal information and resistance from a prominent NSA employee, Ensei Tankado, who is pursued and assassinated for trying to expose and sabotage that project on ethical grounds.

But, today, the US is all out to nab an intrepid NSA worker, Edward Snowden, on the run, for leaking highly sensitive information to the media about a clandestine electronic surveillance programme known as Prism, with which the NSA steals web and phone data from individuals and institutions. One is also reminded of George Orwell’s dystopian novel, Nineteen Eighty Four, which tells as about the Oceanic regime notorious for Big Brother and omnipresent surveillance. Whoever would have thought way back in the late 1940s, when that book was first published that such condemnable methods would one day sully the image of America, ‘the land of liberty, peace and plenty’?

While Julian Assange of the Wikileaks fame is hiding in a foreign embassy in London, having ruffled the Eagle’s feathers by leaking US diplomatic cables and Pentagon documents, Snowden is stuck in a Russian airport in transit. The US has faulted China for having allowed Snowden passage through Hong Kong. His presence in Russia has led to a diplomatic spat, but President Putin is holding his ground.

In what has turned out to be a queer turn of events replete with irony, some western democracies have ganged up against two whistleblowers and the nations castigated by the international media as incorrigible human rights violators have risen in their defence! Russia, China etc may not be able to project themselves as five-star democracies by helping Snowden evade extradition, but they have caused the so-called free world to lay bare its true face.

Information leaks naturally hurt those in power and they react in different ways when their interests are threatened. In a country under the jackboot of a dictator acts such as whistle-blowing are serious offences which carry stringent punishment––even the death penalty. In an ‘advanced democracy’ whistleblowers may not be put to death, but they run the risk of being incarcerated and harassed in such a way as to create a deterrent for others of their ilk. How Bradley Manning, a US soldier, accused of having helped Wikileaks disclose America’s classified information is being treated is a case in point. Arrested and manhandled, he is now facing a military trial; he is sure to be made to rue the day he was born!

How would Snowden have been treated if he had been a Russian intelligence operative hiding in a US airport following a damaging information leak in Moscow? The White House would have promptly rolled out the red carpet for him and elevated him to a hero; he might even have got an international award for bravery and defending democracy.

Should a person blow the whistle selectively and steer clear of national security matters including unethical and illegal projects that pose a serious threat to democracy like the NSA’s Prism? Should he or she work on the so-called my-country-right-or-wrong basis? If the US and other western powers think a whistleblower ought to subjugate his or her conscience to his or her country’s national security concerns and he or she should be hunted down for not doing so how can they condemn the autocratic regimes that act in a similar manner in dealing with whistle-blowing and dissent?

One may not agree with Venezuela, Cuba, Russia etc ideologically, but the question is whether any whistleblower with the courage to take on the US would have had any place to take refuge in to avoid persecution if those countries hadn’t been strong enough to stand up to Washington. What would have happened to Snowden if he had happened to land in a country subservient to the US is anybody’s guess.

What’s this world coming to when the very defenders of global democracy intrude into people’s private lives to steal information in the name of national security and hunt down those who have the courage to turn the spot light on their sordid operations?