Female police officer tells of her 'disgust' after catching a DOCTOR filming up women’s skirts and finding out she had been targeted 

• Thilanga Iddamalgoda, 32, filmed women outside London's National Gallery
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• Female police officer noticed him acting suspiciously and challenged him
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• When she examined his iPhone she saw footage of her own legs 
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• GMC tribunal panel finds Iddamalgoda's fitness to practise is 'impaired'
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• The panel will decide what sanctions to impose on the doctor tomorrow
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By DAILY MAIL REPORTER- 9 July 2013

Thilanga Iddamalgoda,32, used his iPhone to film women's legs and groins in London's Trafalgar Square, a medical panel heard today

A senior doctor used his iPhone to secretly film women in public places – including the police officer who arrested him, a medical tribunal heard.

Dr Thilanga Kasun Iddamalgoda was arrested by a plain-clothes WPC who noticed he was behaving suspiciously as he sat on the steps of London’s Trafalgar Square.

After he was arrested and the phone was analysed, the officer found out that she was one of his victims.

The 32-year-old doctor, a clinical research fellow at Imperial College London, used his mobile to capture videos of women’s thighs, chests and groin areas as he sat in the bustling square last August.

He sat outside the National Gallery, surrounded by women dressed for the sunny weather in vest tops, skirts and shorts, a hearing was told.

The medic, who is pursuing research into heart conditions, later accepted a police caution for outraging public decency. Giving evidence before a misconduct hearing at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester, PC Tiffany Anderson said she was ‘disgusted and upset’ to realise she had been a victim.

The officer said she had been on duty at the square with two fellow officers at 4.45pm. She first noticed the doctor sitting near her on the steps but he moved to sit closer to a couple sitting a step up from him.

 

Miss Anderson said: ‘There was a woman with a very short skirt on. The movement to me seemed unusual.

‘He was also shielding his phone. He couldn’t have been shielding it from the sun because there was a lot of shading. He was shielding the screen very closely, so he didn’t want people to see. He didn’t appear to be reading a text message.

The police officer noticed the doctor filming women's legs and groins outside the National Gallery (file pic)

‘He appeared to have his phone  to his right, it appeared to be in the direction of the lady in the short skirt. He was sitting two steps in front of me. I caught a glimpse [of his phone] and it was on camera video.’

Iddamalgoda, who qualified at the University of Aberdeen in 2005, then made his way to Nelson’s Column where he continued to hold his phone and manoeuvre it around him at waist height. Miss Anderson said: ‘The angle of the iPhone appeared to be waist to chest height. There was one woman in a see-through top doing up her shoelaces and the phone stayed at that level.’

Miss Anderson and the other  officers approached the doctor.  Miss Anderson explained she was a police officer and told him she had been watching what he was doing. She said: ‘I believe his words were, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it is the first time”, and “I’m sorry, please don’t arrest me”. I arrested and cautioned him.’

The officer found four videos on the doctor’s phone which confirmed her suspicions. She said: ‘There was one by the fountain of a lady sitting there in a black skirt. Had she uncrossed her legs, it would have been a very clear view of up her skirt.’

Another video was of the women he recorded on the steps –  but Miss Anderson was shocked to find he had also zoomed in on her own legs.

She said: ‘The same film moved on, the phone had gone round to the left filming myself and my legs sitting on the steps behind.

‘I was quite pleased that my jumper and bag were between my legs as I was wearing a short skirt. I was disgusted and upset.

‘I told him, “That’s me”, and I think he said, “I’m sorry, it is the first time.”’

Iddamalgoda was not at the misconduct hearing, which continues.

I was on the LTTE hit list before Mahinda Rajapaksa SUNDAY, 07 JULY 2013 In In a wide ranging interview with the Daily Mirror, The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader, one of the few remaining Tamil nationalist politicians of a bygone era,  Rajavarothiam Sampanthan told why he believed that Tamils were being considered as second class citizens, the importance for the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and also responded to allegations against him and his party to the effect that they were the proxies of the LTTE and asserted his commitment to a united undivided Sri Lanka.

Choice between guns and butter

By M.A.Sumanthiran-2013-07-07 

When it comes to public goods like the common defence and market efficiency, every State has a choice. According to the infamous analogy, in the zero-sum game of budget allocation, every State can decide whether to prioritize guns or butter. Guns represent the State’s ability to protect her stored capital and Butter represents her ability to generate capital. According to this simple analogy, a certain balance is clearly required as one without the other is bankrupt. Post-War societies present a unique opportunity.

In a post-war society where peace has been won, Guns are (at least temporarily) obsolete. This fact provides post-war societies with an opportunity for unbridled production of ‘Butter’ Simple manifestations of this over simplified economic principle are abundant – Germany and Japan post-WWII being the most obvious examples. Intervening variables certainly exist and the nomenclature ‘Post-War’ carries no written expiration date; it could dissolve at any moment for any number of reasons. But the central principle is not a prescription for a proper ratio between Guns and Butter, it is a description of the ratio’s simple uncompromising truth: a loss in one is a necessary gain in the other and vice versa. The abiding question for Sri Lanka is: how can we expect an increase in Butter if we have had no decrease in Guns?

Strange bedfellows

Choice Between Guns and Butter by nelvely

July 26: Cuba's Revolution, Morality, and Solidarity with Tamils

True solidarity activists have no choice. We must stand by any people under attack by aggressors wherever in the world.

Photo: washingtonpost.com

Jul-07-2013

(COPENHAGEN) - On this 60th year of celebration of the start of Cuba’s humanitarian revolution, I call upon the Cuban government, as well as all members of the ALBA alliance, to return to the moral principles expressed by Fidel and Che and do the right thing by the Tamil people. Call for an independent international investigation into the war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan government, and use your moral clout, your revolutionary record to demand an end to the genocide against this people.

Sixty years ago, on July 26, 1953, 160 Cuban rebels attacked the Moncada Barracks near Santiago de Cuba. Had the rebels been able to take the fort manned by 1,000 troops—a good possibility—it would have started a revolution that might well have defeated the dictatorial regime of Fulgencio Batista within a short time.

July 26 Cuba's Revolution, Morality, And Solidarity With Tamils by nelvely

If the government wants foreign election monitors, they should be officially invited immediately - CaFFE 08 July 2013 If authorities are to invite impartial foreign election monitors to observe the coming Northern Provincial Council election they should be invited immediately to conduct their activities properly, said Keerthi Tennakoon, executive director of Campaign for Free and Fair Election (CaFFE.) Representatives from political parties and election commissioner discussed the possibility of foreign election monitors observing the elections even before the northern provincial council election was officially announced. After president established the council last week, opposition political parties have renewed their call for impartial foreign monitors. However if these monitors are to conduct proper election monitoring they should be here in time to understand the structural and political context in which the election is conducted. However by just discussing the possibility of these monitors without taking any action to invite them, CaFFE believes that the government might use this issue to buy time and divert attention. If the authorities are not taking action to invite foreign observers, it should take steps to facilitate the local election monitoring bodies, which are quite capable of monitoring elections. CaFFE director reiterated that only a few organizations are capable of providing election monitors for the Northern Provincial Council election. Out of which the Commonwealth secretariat and European Union being the most prominent. In addition there are several respected and technically capable organizations in the United States. However if any of these organizations are to send monitors the government or the department of elections must formally make a request immediately. Already it is too late to invite the European Union, which takes a few months to prepare a delegation of election monitors. However there is still a possibility that the Commonwealth secretariat maybe able to send a team. Nevertheless it takes the Commonwealth secretariat to at least three weeks to prepare the necessary logistics to send a monitoring team.

Malaysia assisting Sri Lanka hide genocide evidence?

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 July 2013, 16:14 GMT]
The Malaysian Police operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs (Malay: Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN)) intervened 3rd July in Kaula Lampur in the film screening of “No Fire Zone” directed by Callum Macrae of Channel-4 organized by the Pusat Komas, a Malaysian human rights NGO, a press released issued by the organizers said. After engaging in harassing attending journalists the KDN officials allowed the screening, and later checked the identity cards of the attendees, and took three Komas officials to the local police station for questioning. The Komas event followed a parliamentary screening of the film where, according to Macrae, "MPs were visibly shocked and pledged themselves "to renew their calls for an independent international inquiry into all the crimes committed in the final months of the civil war."" 

Malaysian Police harassing journalists

On the evening of the 3rd July, Wednesday, KOMAS a human rights NGO together with the KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Civil Right Committee (KLSCAH CRC) co-organized the film screening.

After the film screening, the KDN and Police team numbering about 30 officers ordered 3 KOMAS representatives, Ms Anna Har (KOMAS Board of Director), Mr Arul Prakkash (Executive Director) and Ms Lena Hendry (KOMAS Programme officer) to attend the local Police station for questioning, according Komas press release.

• Macrae statement on KDN intervention

According to Channel-4, "during the day members of the Sri Lankan Embassy had tried to persuade both the owners of the hall and Pusat Kumas that they should cancel the screening. Komas officials refused. The Malaysian government’s Censorship Board also contacted Pusat Komas and told them to cancel the screening. Komas declined that too."

KDN said the "arrests" were based on the violation of Seksyen 6 of Film Censorship Act which says no one should screen any film or related publicity materials which is not approved by the board.

Sri Lanka Government website reported that three "tiger terrorists" were arrested in Malaysia.

Komas officials said, "As citizens of this country, we have every right to have our freedom to express and dialog on issues that is the threat to humanity. Sri Lankan war crimes was a clear threat to humanity and the number of lives that were lost deserves the voice of the world to speak that. And as a responsible government, they should allow this discussion and not clamp it down using the enforcement agencies."

Commonwealth People’s Forum Can Enhance Government’s Credibility

By Jehan Perera -July 8, 2013 

Jehan Perera

The significance of international pressure in directing the government along the path of good governance can be seen in several recent developments.  As a member country of the international community, Sri Lanka has many obligations to fulfill, even as it seeks the benefits of being a member of the international community.  But for the country, and its political leadership, to reap these benefits that accrue from being an integral part of the international community, it has also to subscribe to international rules and norms.   It now appears to be starting to do so.  The government’s decision to conduct the long delayed election to the Northern Provincial Council is also, without doubt, primarily due to international pressure.

Obtaining foreign investments and hosting international conferences, such as the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in November this year are amongst the benefits of membership in the international community for the government.  It will provide the government with an opportunity to showcase Sri Lanka to a large part of the world.  As the host of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting this year, President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be entitled to be the Chairman of the Commonwealth for the following two years.  This would grant him an unparalleled opportunity to be a leader on the world stage, as the Commonwealth counts 54 countries (with Fiji being suspended on account of a military coup)

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More autonomy is key to Sri Lanka's stability

By The New Indian Express08th July 2013

India’s national security adviser Shivshankar Menon has a tough task cut out for him when he meets Sri Lankan leaders in Colombo on Monday. It is tough because the Mahinda Rajapaksa government has more or less decided to do away with the 13th amendment to the island nation’s constitution. Last week, external affairs minister Salman Khurshid had reiterated India’s position when Sri Lanka’s economic development minister and president’s brother Basil Rajapaksa called on him. A couple of months ago, prime minister Manmohan Singh had warned against the dangers of dropping the 13th amendment that guarantees some measure of autonomy to the councils in the northern and eastern provinces.

With elections to the provincial councils due in a few months, any decision to abrogate or water down the 13th amendment would have dangerous consequences for Sri Lanka. The Tamil minorities would feel cheated that they had been taken for a ride by the leaders of the majority community. The constitutional provision owes its origin to an Indian initiative that resulted in the India-Sri Lanka accord of 1987. At that time the ethnic conflict was in full rage and Sri Lanka played ball with India to restore peace in its Tamil-dominated areas. But, in two years its army was able to decimate the LTTE and annex Jaffna.

The hawks in the ruling establishment think they need not bother about the 13th Amendment when the Tamils are no longer in a position to challenge any decision thrust on them. History bears witness to the fact that no community can be kept in subjugation for long. India has rightly taken the stand that the amendment needs to be strengthened to instill greater confidence in the minds of Tamils that their interest lay in a united, peaceful Sri Lanka. Menon should impress upon Sri Lanka that any tampering with the 13th amendment will not only adversely affect bilateral ties but also let down Tamils who need to be brought back to the national mainstream.

Notwithstanding Indian concerns, Sri Lanka may go ahead with dilution of 13th amendment

Sun Jul 07 2013,

Overruling India's concerns, Sri Lanka may go ahead with its proposed plans to amend the 13th amendment ahead of the provincial polls in Tamil-dominated northern areas in September, a top minister has hinted. Basil Rajapaksa, the younger brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Economic Development Minister, who returned here from New Delhi after talks with Indian leaders, was non-committal about any conditions that New Delhi might have pushed for. "When we bring in a Bill we wouldn't normally retract. We will go back only if the people wanted us to go back. There are examples when we have done so on people's will", he told reporters when asked about India's concerns.

However, Basil strictly refused to say whether the Indian Government insists on Sri Lanka consulting it before changing the 13th Amendment. He maintained, instead, that some things must necessarily remain secret as they would be between "husband and wife", the Sunday Times reported. As per the 13th amendment that followed the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord of July 1987, Sri Lankan government had agreed to devolve some authority to the provinces. India has emphasised to Sri Lanka the need to fully implement the constitutional provision dealing with devolution of powers to provinces without dilution and to go beyond it to ensure meaningful development there to Rajapaksa.

During a meeting on Thursday in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid conveyed India's concerns on the 13th amendment and urged Basil not to do anything to dilute its provisions. However, Sri Lanka has made it clear that they want to dilute the police and land powers for the nine provincial councils. The move comes ahead of the September's northern provincial council polls where the main Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA), stands a good chance of victory. Asked about his talks in New Delhi Basil, speaking in Sinhala, said, "It was a good exchange of views." Basil said Indians wished to see the full participation of all political parties in the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) announced by Colombo to review the 13A.

Douglas collects 38 signatures from government members

Details

 

Created On Monday, 08 July 2013 06:31

Category: General

Leader of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), Minster Douglas Devananda has got the signatures of 38 government ministers supportive of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. 

Devananda has said that he has collected the signatures of 38 government ministers expressing their support to the 13th Amendment in its current form.
“I have collected the signatures of 38 MPs who say that the 13th Amendment should remain intact,” Devananda has said.
He has added that the government would not be able to get the required two-thirds majority in parliament to pass any amendments to the 13th Amendment.
“If the Government tries to dilute the 13th Amendment, we will oppose it. We want the full implementation of the 13th Amendment,” he has said.

Colombo’s Political Drama On Devolution And Basil’s Visit To Delhi

By R Hariharan -July 8, 2013 |

Col. (retd) R.Hariharan

President Mahinda Rajapaksa appears to have taken a pragmatic decision to go ahead with the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) election without tinkering with the 13th Amendment (13A). The presidential proclamation made on the election last Friday, has been welcomed by India as it has removed a rider that could have hobbled India-Sri Lanka relations. The NPC will go to polls along with the Central and North Western Provincial councils which have been dissolved. According to media reports the PC elections are likely to be held on September 27.

Fortuitously or otherwise, Basil Rajapaksa, Minister for Economic Development, and the President’s brother, was in New Delhi to convey the good news on holding the NPC election to Indian counterpart he was meeting. According to the Sri Lankan External Affairs Ministry’s statement, Rajapaksa’s visit to New Delhi was to deal with other areas of discussion, and was also “aimed at apprising the Indian leaders on Sri Lanka’s changes to the 13th amendment — the move to strip police and land powers to provinces.”

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No Code Of Ethics For Rambukwella 

By Nirmala Kannangara

Ramith Rambukwella

Monday, July 08, 2013

Another ministerial offspring is in the limelight again and this time bringing disgrace to the country in the eyes of the world because he was unable to distinguish between a cabin door and a toilet door due to being under the influence of liquor.

Ramith Rambukwella, son of Media Minister and Cabinet Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella has not only brought humiliation to the country but also to the gentleman’s game with his unruly behaviour on board British Airways flight 2158 from St. Lucia to London’s Gatwick airport.

Keheliya Rambukwella

Although this incident has been reported in many foreign newspapers claiming the cricketer was under the influence of liquor, it is interesting to see how Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is now trying to cover up the matter by claiming that it was due to dim lights that Rambukwella had mistaken the toilet door with the cabin door.

According to a press release issued by SLC, the team manager Jayantha Seneviratne has submitted a report to the CEO to inform that the A team boarded the BA flight from St. Lucia to London around midnight on Sunday, June 30.
“Halfway through the flight, Ramith tried to use the toilet but as the lights were switched off in the plane the player has mistakenly tried to open one of the cabin doors thinking it was the toilet door. As the passengers brought to his notice that he is trying to access the incorrect door, the manager has walked up to the player and directed him the right way.

The player apologized profusely to the passengers and to the cabin staff who accepted it in good faith. An inquiry will be conducted based on the Manager’s report and disciplinary action will be taken on the player concerned if found guilty,” says the report.

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Parents and student stage protest in Vavuniya to find misplace student

[ Monday, 08 July 2013, 09:22.28 AM GMT +05:30 ]

A leading human rights group has issued an appeal on behalf of the family of a child feared abducted in Vavuniya last month.

The London based Amnesty International said that Sivasooriyakumar Sanaraj, 15 years old, has been missing since 13 June, after he failed to arrive at school in Vavuniya. His family fears that he has been abducted, and he may be at risk of torture or extrajudicial execution. Amnesty International says that despite complaints lodged with the local police by his family, the police have failed to investigate. Sivasooriyakumar Sanaraj left his home in Ukkulankulam, near Vavuniya, to go to school as usual on the morning of 13 June, but never came back. When he did not return home that evening, his aunt went to look for him at his school, and was told that he had not arrived that day. Another of his aunts went to the Vavuniya police to report him missing. However, the police did not take the case seriously; they refused to register the case and told her that he would eventually turn up, Amnesty International said. The following morning, his aunt returned to the police to lodge a complaint, at which point they assured her that they would visit the school to obtain a statement. However, they did not do so. On 28 June at about midnight, a friend of the family who had been waiting at a bus stand in Vavuniya noticed an auto-rickshaw pass by carrying three men and a young boy with his hands bound behind his back. He called Sivasooriyakumar Sanaraj’s father who came to meet him, and they waited for the rickshaw to return. A little later, the same rickshaw returned, but was only carrying one of the men. It stopped, dropped off the man and drove away. Sivasooriyakumar Sanaraj’s father and his friend immediately caught hold of the man and took him to the Vavuniya police. Amnesty International claims that when he was caught, the man boasted of having connections to the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) and senior police officers. The Vavuniya police turned them away saying it was too late at night to deal with the matter. Therefore, they questioned the man themselves, asking him to describe the boy in the rickshaw. The man described the boy as having a red scar on his ear and lip, just like Sivasooriyakumar Sanaraj. Despite having identified the man as a suspected abductor, the Vavuniya police did not call him in for questioning and have failed to conduct any investigation to date. When the family asked the police why they were not conducting an investigation, they said that they were awaiting the return of their Senior Inspector for further instructions. The family suspects that Sivasooriyakumar Sanaraj may have been abducted by people with connections to political figures and senior law enforcement officials, Amnesty International said.

Sanjeewa Bandara remanded

MONDAY, 08 JULY 2013 
Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) Convener  Sanjeewa Bandara was remanded a short while ago by the Colombo Fort Magistrate for violating bail conditions.

Magistrate Thilina Gamage remanded Bandara after The Colombo Crimes Division informed Court that Bandara was granted bail on condition that he would not be a member of any unlawful gathering.

The CCD earlier said that his participation in the recent protest march to Nugegoda was a violation of this condition.

The IUSF convener was remanded till July 15 (L.S)

Two Jaffna university students under influence of liquor attacked [ Monday, 08 July 2013, 09:23.10 AM GMT +05:30 ] Group of unidentified personals arrive in the motorbike have attacked two Sinhala law faculty students of Jaffna university under influence of liquor at Chenmani road, Jaffna last night. Injured were rushed to Jaffna Teaching hospital. These two students are residents of Southern Province. Jaffna police conduct further investigations on this attack.

Photographic Evidence Of R Duminda Silva Syndrome: Remembers Soma well

July 8, 2013 

Two months ago, last April, the lawyers

representing Parliamentarian Duminda Silva – on the basis of multiple diagnoses by eminent physicians – assured a court of law that their client was a grievously sick man. The judge was told that Mr. Silva’s left side was paralysed, his brain function down by 40% and his recovery contingent on immediate quiet retirement into the bosom of his loving family.

But the pictures taken in the Chairperson  EAP Edirisinghe Organization ( Swarnavahini) Soma Edirisinghe’s Birthday party on July 05 shows Duminda Silva dancing the night away and he appears to remember Soma well.

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TNA fails on several counts: S.K. Sitrampalam

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 July 2013, 07:20 GMT]
In the opinion of political analysts, the polity of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is nothing but playing a stooge to the USA and India – time after time and without any returns – said Dr. S.K. Sitrampalam, Emeritus Professor of Jaffna University and a senior ITAK leader, while addressing the Jaffna Press Club on Saturday. TNA has failed in mobilising a people’s struggle, failed in politicising people on the question of rights, failed in placing a full-fledged federal solution draft as an alternative to separate Tamil Eelam, failed in forging alliance with Muslims and Up-country Tamils, failed in addressing Sinhala people on the justice behind the Tamil struggle, failed in effectively using the post-war international situation and failed in transparency within the alliance itself, Sitrampalam said. 

Prof Sitrampalam in his press address particularly criticized the TNA harping on the electoral politics based on the 13th Amendment and claiming that it is a ‘first step’.

The 13th Amendment was enacted with a judicial confirmation that it was not breaching the unitary character of State in the island. The provinces are just an extension of the presidential rule. It is unhealthy and there is no use in it. When the district councils were introduced [in the early 80s] then also the TULF alliance, including the ITAK, went into it saying that it was a first step. But it brought nothing, Sitrampalam who was then a supporter of the move conceded.

[The failed District Development Councils were introduced in 1981 under J.R. Jeyawardane regime, presumably advised by Prof A J Wilson and tacitly supported by the US Establishment. The 13th Amendment bringing in Provincial Councils was a result of the Indo-Lanka Agreement of 1987.]

The five parties in the TNA should have denounced the 13th Amendment and should have openly insisted on a full-fledged federal as an alternative to separate Tamil Eelam. But, even four years after a mass field sacrifice, the TNA has failed in categorically saying what we want and what is the draft for it, Sitrampalam said.

He was hinting at the ‘non-descript’ solution approach some TNA parliamentarians were parading after receiving instructions from the LLRC-harping USA, observers at the press meet commented.

* * * On the TNA’s failure in leading a people’s struggle, Sitrampalam compared the 1961 non-violent mass struggle and said that now no people respond to any calls by political parties.

To lead a people’s struggle, the TNA parliamentarians should be first prepared to live in the land of struggle with their families, Sitrampalam said.

Thanthai Selva once said that a time would come for the world to know and respond to the struggle of Tamils – just like the World War II paving way for the independence of India – Sitrampalam, former senior professor of history and archaeology, cited.

When such an opportunity came, and while the matter has now been taken at the level of the UN, the TNA fails in cutting an appropriate profile and internationally spearheading the struggle in an effective way. Many of them lack political vision and clarity, Sitrampalam said.

* * * In the press club address, Sitrampalam was also targeting the transparency-inner democracy situation in the TNA, particularly in the ITAK, in which he is a Vice-President of the Central Committee.

On the Coordination Committee formed recently within the TNA to keep the alliance together, Sitrampalam said that it was motivated only by an unimportant issue such as the question of contesting elections for the 13A-based provincial council.

The decision of forming the committee with 3 members each from the 5 constituent parties was taken without the knowledge of the ITAK Central Committee, Sitrampalam said.

In the past history of the ITAK, it was the Central Committee that used to take decisions on such matters. But, in recent times there is a style of functioning in which the parliamentary group is taking decisions. This is a blunder, he said.

* * * In the given context of geopolitics and military-grooming approach of all the powers involved, the people’s struggle Prof Sitrampalam was referring to needs to be addressed at an international level, primarily against Washington and New Delhi, by the mobilisation of all the global Tamils. But at every sector, whether the diaspora, Tamil Nadu or the island, the leadership is systematically gagged, bound, manipulated, or diffused through grooming mediocrity by the age-old culprits implied by Prof Sitrampalam. The TNA is just part of the picture. The breakthrough has to be achieved at some point, commented Tamils for alternative politics in the island.

SF hints at political alliance with CBK, while retaining DP identity

July 7, 2013, 12:00 pm 

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Democratic Party (DP) leader General Sarath Fonseka has hinted of his eagerness to form an alliance with former President Chandrika Kumaratunga ahead of the forthcoming elections to the Northern, Central and North Central Provinces.

Responding to a query by Lanka D. Jayawardhana, of Jaffna based Dan TV, the former Army Commander said that he wouldn’t hesitate to reach an understanding with the former President, as their political thinking was alike now.

General Fonseka revealed that he had been discussing the matter with the former SLFP leader. They were seen shaking hands at the American Independence day celebrations at the Colombo Hilton last week.

The DP leader was meeting the media at the Jaffna press club during his first visit to the Jaffna peninsula since the presidential election campaign in early 2010.

Asked whether he was ready to forge a political alliance to contest the three provinces, General Fonseka insisted that whatever the arrangement with other political parties, the DP would contest all three provinces under its own symbol. Although the DP was ready to set up a political alliance to contest the polls it wouldn’t under any circumstances forgo its identity to facilitate a political alliance, General Fonseka said.

When queried whether the DP could forge an alliance with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for the first northern provincial council elections. General Fonseka said that the DP was ready to explore the possibility of working with any political party.

The TNA backed General Fonseka’s presidential election bid in early 2010.

Addressing a group of DP supporters at the Millennium hotel, General Fonseka alleged that the manipulative Rajapaksa administration was planning to field the likes of disgruntled LTTEers namely; arms procurer Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP, propagandist Daya Master and women’s wing leader Thamilini on the UPFA ticket. The DP chief said that the government was trying to exploit the situation.

General Fonseka also visited the Nallur Temple, where he met devotees.