VIDEO: PROTESTORS BLOCK TRAINS...

Several trains operating on the Colombo-Kandy track were delayed today (23) due to a protest blocking the railway track at the Walpola station near Ragama. A group of residents of Walpola were engaged in a protest against the construction of the Northern Expressway. The protest was reportedly organized due to the construction of the expressway being carried out with alleged changes made to the initial plans. (Pix by – Aruna Shantha/Samith Roshan)

July 23, 2013 

Mahinda’s Good Cop, Bad Cop And Code Of Ethics For Media – Aesop’s Fables ?

By Lal Wickrematunge -July 24, 2013 

Lal Wickrematunge

The government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa will continue to seek total control over all public opinion and opinion makers including absolute control over the entire spectrum of the local media, be it print, electronic or social. The oldest trick in the book of playing “good cop, bad cop” between him and  his brother, the Secretary of Defence, yet hold currency. It is to be admitted the Secretary of Defence, has support from a section of the public for his role in the war and has added a few more through his Colombo beautification programme.

Instilling fear, by the constant projection of the tri forces into civilian areas of development, there remains a major portion of  intelligent people who are apprehensive that this may lead to more later, than what is seen on the ground at present. The fear factor is real and not perceived. Many would venture as far to say that most government and opposition politicians too fear, the Secretary of Defence. His uncompromising views and attitude to all areas of politics and public life is the underlying cause. They know that the entire range of enforcement come under him and that he wouldn’t hesitate to use them if and when he decides it is deemed necessary. He(the Secretary) has said many a time that his actions are to ensure national and public security. Now, how does that affect the media?

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Hun Sen: The Making Of A Cambodian Autocrat

By Marwaan Macan-Markar -July 24, 2013 

Marwaan Macan-Markar

If names of political parties are expected to elicit sympathy, then Cambodia’s hounded opposition has a winner. It is called the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), a name that says much about the fate of multi-party democracy in this still impoverished country.

The two major opposition parties that merged early this year to form the CNRP – the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and the Human Rights Party (HRP) – will certainly have to perform a rescue act to save this kingdom from ending as a one-party state at the forthcoming general elections.

It is all that stands between Cambodia having a multi-party democracy and another right wing autocrat in the mould of Suharto, Ferdinand Marcos, Mahathir Mohamed or Lee Kwan Yew.

At the minimum, that means the CNRP needs to aim for two magic numbers at the July 28 poll for the 123 seats up for grabs in the National Assembly. Were it to secure 30 seats, the CNRP legislators would enjoy power to at least summon government officials for parliamentary inquiries.

And a more ambitious 42 seats would guarantee them significant legislative power to stall proposed laws that could be detrimental to the country’s political and economic life.

                                           Read More

VIDEO: UNP CONCERNED OVER ‘MILITARIZATION’ OF SPORTS, FOREIGN SERVICE

July 23, 2013 

The United National Party (UNP) today charged that the civil society is facing a grave danger due to the “militarization” of Sri Lanka’s sports and foreign service and warned of a possible diplomatic crisis.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake stated that a top sports coach in the country had recently given an interview to a newspaper, in which he had made a statement regarding the downfall and militarization of the country’s sports because a majority of the positions in sport governing bodies have been given to retired or serving military officers.

According to the statement made by this popular coach, those who are actually devoted to sports have been disregarded through the militarization of sports, he told reporters in Colombo today. “There is a truth in this statement.”

While warning that militarization is dangerously increasing within the island, he stated that either retired or serving military officers have been appointed to top posts and to head almost all the sporting organizations in Sri Lanka. 

“This is the first step of the militarization within sports,” he stressed.

Attanayake claimed that this problem not only applies to sports but to foreign services as well. 

He stated that 70% of the foreign service officers in the country’s diplomatic missions or not professional diplomatic staff and that a majority out of them are military officers. “The professional Foreign Service expected by the Ministry of External Affairs currently does not take place,” the MP said.

Attanayake stated that the foreign ministry is facing a grave crisis today because there are no trained, professional diplomats with knowledge to counter certain activities and campaigns being carried out in other countries to discredit Sri Lanka and its leaders.

The UNP General Secretary assured that they do not object to the military’s involvement issues pertaining to national security and that they mean no disrespect to the army, however pointed out that the tradition of civilian rule of a democratic nation by civilians is slowly falling apart in Sri Lanka.   

PB says he was unaware of VAT scam

Details

 

Created On Wednesday, 24 July 2013 07:11

Category: General

Secretary to the Treasury and Finance Ministry Dr. P.B. Jayasundera has in a letter informed a court hearing the case of a massive Value Added Tax (VAT) scam that he was not aware of the fraud. 

Responding to a Colombo High Court notice issued on July 11 for Dr. Jayasundera to appear in Court on the 23rd to testify in Rs. 4 billion VAT scam case, the Treasury Secretary has sent a letter to the court through his representative saying he has no idea of the information regarding the scam taken place in the country from November 2002 to April 2004.
The suspect, former Inland Revenue Commissioner A. Gnanasiri de Soyza, is in remand over the VAT scam.
Commissioner General of Inland Revenue Mallika Samarasundara appearing in court to give evidence has also said she has no idea about the incident.
However, she has reportedly provided the names of four heads of different divisions of the Department to obtain the necessary information, and the court has issued notices for them to appear before the court to give evidence in the case. The four individuals are Senior Commissioner P.B. Jayasekera, Deputy Commissioners W.S.A. Costa and Selston Soyza, and assessor N.P. Abeysekera.
Commissioner of Inland Revenue A.A. Wijepala has been summoned to the court when the case will be taken again for hearing today.
Meanwhile, Additional Solicitor General Buwaneka Aluvihare has informed court that Dr. Jayasundera could be summoned on other day. He has also informed the court that according to the Inland Revenue Act, a court order is essential to release documents of the Inland Revenue Department.

CID delaying radio carbon tests on skeletons from Matale mass grave

Details

 

Created On Wednesday, 24 July 2013 07:14

Category: General

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is delaying carrying out radio carbon tests on the skeletal remains unearthed from the mass grave in Matale.

The JVP says that the CID has failed to carry out directives issued by the Matale Magistrate on the investigations in to the Matale mass grave.
The JVP has noted that the CID has not yet carried out the magisterial order to conduct radio carbon testing on the skeletal remains discovered from the mass grave.
Former Central Provincial Councillor Gamagedara Dissanayake has said the CID had not conducted the tests and published advertisements in the media calling on family members of missing persons to come forward and lodge complaints.
He said it is the JVP that carried out a campaign to make the relatives aware of the court case and the opportunity to find information regarding relatives that had gone missing during the time.
Matale Magistrate Chathurika Silva who was initially hearing the mass grave case and Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) Dr. Ajith Jayasena who carried out the initial tests on the skeletal remains were eventually transferred out of Matale.
The 154 skeletal remains exhumed from the Matale mass grave have been dated to a time period between 1986 and 1990, the period of the second JVP insurgency.

Police Commission: Sri Lankan Experience Shows Checks And Balances Vital

By Meena Lakshana -July 24, 2013

The establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) cannot exist without checks and balances, especially feedback from the public, said a Sri Lankan human rights lawyer.

Relating the establishment of the National Police Commission in Sri Lanka and applying it in the Malaysian context, senior advocate Kishali Esther Pinto Jayawardena told fz.com the IPCMC cannot exist without a framework that would constantly place pressure on the government for its importance.

“Legal abstracts are well enough in their own place but they are not sufficient to get the message across. Public opinion on why the IPCMC is necessary and essential for the people is extremely relevant,” she said.

“So keeping at it, highlighting individual cases are important,” said Kishali, who was part of the Forum-Asia fact-finding mission on restriction of freedom of expression and public assembly post-13th general election.

Kishali said Malaysia could learn a few lessons about the establishment of the IPCMC from Sri Lanka, as both countries have similar legal structures inherited from the colonial British rule.

According to Kishali, police torture is seriously endemic in Sri Lanka, not only to categories of people but across the board, and it is not limited to a group of people based on ethnicity.

“In the southern majority villages, if a boy is caught stealing bananas, the immediate recourse is torture. We have instances where 14-year-old boys are being mercilessly tortured,” she related.

Despite the huge constraints Sri Lanka is facing now, “a very oppressive government with two-thirds majority in Parliament, entire judiciary on the government side, the torture cases have really brought the pro-government media together because the cases have been intolerable”, she added.

The Sri Lankan lesson                                             Read More

Teacher, husband threatened by disgraced Councillor

By Danapala
Mudiyanse - Pallama

2013-07-24 

Following the recent controversy where school teacher, Priyani Herath, was forced to kneel in front of the students, by the former North-Western Provincial Councillor, Ananda Sarath Kumara, the Navagattegama Police have received a fresh complaint from the teacher’s husband, claiming that Kumara had threatened them.

Kumara has been accused of threatening the couple at a function held near their home. OIC of the Navagattegama Police, IP K. Jaufar, confirmed that investigations into the complaint were underway, while the Anamaduwa District Court will call the case when proceedings begin tomorrow (25).

Meanwhile, teachers unions have warned that all teachers will boycott election duties if Kumara is nominated as a candidate in the upcoming Provincial Council elections. However, Kumara has applied for nomination, and the Central Committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is to decide whether to nominate him or not.

Following Kumara’s arrest on 15 June, after he humiliated Ratnayake in public by making her kneel before him and threatening her, he was released on bail on 11 July by the District Judge, Ranga Dissanayake, under strict terms that he had to adhere to, and also being cautioned against intimidating or victimizing Ratnayake or any other person.

70 SL asylum seekers saved from watery grave

WEDNESDAY, 24 JULY 2013 

At least 70 Sri Lankan asylum seekers who were in distress, 290 nautical miles south east of Sri Lanka were rescued today by a merchant vessel after being informed by the Sri Lanka Navy.

Navy spokesman Kosala Warnakulasuriya said the navy sent out messages to several merchant ships in the vicinity to locate the troubled fishing trawler
“The merchant ship located the fishing trawler which was in international waters. So we took steps to inform several merchant ships going through the channel which we believed to be the possible location of the ship,” he said. “A large number of merchant vessels use the route.”

Commander Wanrakulasuriya said the merchant ship was requested to transfer the refugees to the vessel so that our Navy vessels could take them aboard at the International Maritime Boundary Line.

The Navy was informed by the Galle DIG’s office on Tuesday evening about the fishing trawler. Therefore it is believed that they had left Sri Lanka from a location in the Galle area.

The police have taken steps to identify the individuals who had boarded the fishing trawler and a special probe is underway to track down the local facilitators.

Despite Australia — a possible destination or a perceived haven for asylum seekers — introducing several restrictions including the threat of deportation to the country of origin, the attempts to flee Sri Lanka have increased.

Potential asylum seekers have being warned not to fall prey to designing human traffickers but sadly all such warnings go unheeded. (SD)

U.S. tells Rwanda to stop support for M23 rebels in Congo

By Lesley Wroughton

WASHINGTON | Tue Jul 23, 2013 4:29pm EDT

(Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday called on Rwanda to end support for M23 rebels in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, saying there was evidence Rwandan military officials were involved.

It is the first response by Washington to recent M23 clashes with Congolese government forces near Goma, the largest city in the DRC's mineral-rich eastern region, but stayed clear of directly implicating Rwandan President Paul Kagame, a U.S. ally whose poverty-fighting programs are often heralded by donors.

"We call upon Rwanda to immediately end any support for the M23 (and) withdraw military personnel from eastern DRC," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

The call comes two days before U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry chairs a special session of the U.N. Security Council on Africa's Great Lakes region.

M23 began taking parts of eastern Congo early last year, accusing the government of failing to honor a 2009 peace deal.

A U.N. report in June this year said the M23 recruited fighters in Rwanda with the aid of sympathetic Rwandan army officers, while elements of the Congolese army have cooperated with the Rwandan Hutu rebel group FDLR.

The report prompted the United States and European states to suspend military assistance to Kigali.

Psaki said the latest concerns over M23 follow credible evidence from Human Rights Watch that said the rebels were to blame for executions, rapes and forcible recruitment of men and boys while receiving support from Rwanda.

The rights group acknowledged on Tuesday erroneous testimony in the report but said it stands by its conclusions. A statement by the group said the report contained an error based on the testimony of one of the sources it interviewed.

"It said the Rwandan soldiers had served with the peacekeeping contingent in Somalia and Darfur. In fact, Rwandan peacekeepers served in Darfur but not in Somalia," the statement said.

It said, however, that more than 50 witnesses had confirmed the key findings of its report about continuing Rwandan support for the M23.

Rwanda rejected the group's allegations, saying that the inclusion of incorrect testimony undermined the report. Rwanda also accused Human Rights Watch of paying for witness testimony, a charge the group had denied.

It is not the first time that the United States has called on Rwanda to stop supporting the M23 rebels. A year ago, the United States made the same call after a U.N. investigation implicated senior Kigali officials in supporting M23.

The U.N. investigation provided the strongest evidence yet that officials from Kagame's government were providing military and logistical support to armed groups in Congo.

A 17,000-strong U.N. force, known as MONUSCO, and Congo troops have struggled in the past decade to stem a conflict involving dozens of armed groups and complicated by national and ethnic rivalries. A 3,000-member U.N. Intervention Brigade was recently deployed to fight and disarm rebels in the east.

(Additional reporting by Lou Charbonneau; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Bill Trott)

First Afghan woman governor wins Magsaysay award

By AP News Jul 24, 2013 

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Afghanistan’s first and only female governor and a humanitarian worker from Burma’s Kachin minority are among this year’s recipients of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards, often regarded as Asia’s version of the Nobel Prize.

The Manila-based Ramon Magsaysay Awards Foundation announced Wednesday that it had selected three individuals and two organizations as this year’s awardees, including a Filipino doctor, an independent commission eradicating corruption in Indonesia and a civil society organization in Nepal created and run by human trafficking victims.

Habiba Sarabi. Pic: AP.

The awards, named after a popular Philippine president who died in a 1957 plane crash, honor people and groups who change their societies for the better.

Habiba Sarabi, 57, was chosen for helping build a functioning local government and pushing for education and women’s rights in Afghanistan’s Bamyan province despite working in a violent and impoverished environment in which discrimination is pervasive, the foundation said. Public education and the ratio of female students have increased in her province, where more women are taking up careers that were forbidden under the 1996-2001 Taliban regime.

“In the face of widespread hostilities toward women assuming public roles, her courage and determination are outstanding,” the foundation said of Sarabi, a member of an ethnic and religious minority in Afghanistan.

Lahpai Seng Raw, a 64-year-old widow, was selected for helping rehabilitate damaged communities in Burma amid ethnic and armed conflicts. The emergency relief, health care and sanitation projects of the civil society group that she helped found in 1997 in then-military-ruled Burma has today reached over 600,000 people across the country.

Another awardee, Ernesto Domingo, a 76-year-old physician, has dedicated his career to pushing for the poor’s access to health services and for groundbreaking and successful advocacy of neonatal hepatitis vaccination that has saved millions of lives in the Philippines, the foundation said.

Also being honored is Nepal’s Shakti Samuha, or Power Group, the world’s first NGO created and run by human trafficking victims. The group’s founders are being recognized for working to root out human trafficking and transforming their lives to serve other trafficking survivors. The group has established a halfway home that provides shelter and assistance to survivors and emergency shelters for women and girls at risk of trafficking.

Indonesia’s Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi, or Corruption Eradication Commission, won for its successful campaign to prosecute erring officials, recovering more than $80 million in assets, and undertaking civil service reforms and citizen anti-corruption education.

Each awardee will receive a certificate, a medal and a cash prize.

What do war crimes against Tamils in Sri Lanka teach us?
Tuesday Jul 23, 2013

This handout photograph released by the Sri Lankan Army on May 15, 2009, reportedly shows civilians who managed to escape from the last remaining Tamil Tiger rebel-held patch of coastline in the northeastern district of Mullaittivu.

The bloody defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), or Tamil Tigers, in the north of Sri Lanka in May 2009, is an event tied to massive war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Critics point their finger directly at the family who runs this country, President Percy Mahendra “Mahinda” Rajapaksa, and his band of brothers: Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Basil Rajapaksa, the Presidential Advisor, and Chamal Rajapaksa, the nation’s Ports and Aviation Minister. 

The western governments turned a blind eye to the deadly events that culminated just before the summer of 2009. Civilians were attacked intensely by the Sri Lankan armed forces. As refugees, civilians were ordered into so-called “free fire” zones and then pounded with artillery. At one point the Sri Lankan military was dropping bombs straight on the UN staff workers trying to save lives in the north. 

The answer for this was the Sri Lankan government’s decision that all UN observers would have to leave the area, which they ultimately did, effectively shifting the nightmare into a higher gear for the Tamil civilians, now dying largely without any type of witness. 

Credible estimates place the number of dead at approximately 150,000 - several times higher than the figures that the international community banters about, which in turn downplay the severity of the Genocidal-type event. 

One of the worst aspects of this war was the government’s elimination of pro-Tamil journalists. The list of reporters and media employees murdered and disappeared in Sri Lanka is long and painful. 

Advocates for the government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) say they had no choice, they had to crush a rebellion that had been underway for nearly three decades. The LTTE invented the suicide vest, they eliminated large numbers of Sri Lankan military who attempted to defeat the LTTE through semi conventional means.

Finally, in 2005, the government received the blessing and understanding from both George W. Bush and Tony Blair, that a full-scale invasion of the north would be tolerated in the name of defeating the LTTE who were officially declared “terrorists”. This was the green light for the rape and murder and desecration of tens of thousands of human beings. 

When the blood finally stopped flowing across the north, the GoSL did what it could to put a good face on their deeds, and in fact many hailed and celebrated the government for its defeat of these “terrorists” from the LTTE who dared to wage a war to save their culture. Civilian murders committed by govt. forces were simply attributed to the LTTE and the world accepted it. 

It is important to note that for thirty years following independence from British colonial rule, the Tamils tried in vain to prevent the need for the LTTE to exist. The underlying truth of this violence in Sri Lanka, according to experts like Dr. Andrew Higginbottom in the UK, is the desire of this government to establish an ideal Sinhala Buddhist nation void of Hindus and Christians and Muslims. This may sound contrary to what many understand of Buddhism, but it is old history in Sri Lanka. 

Having established that the GoSL remains credible in the eyes of many, it is important to note that Sri Lanka investigated its own role in the war through a commission of inquiry appointed by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in May 2010. 

The commission “investigated” the facts and circumstances which led to the dismissal of a ceasefire agreement between the LTTE and the GoSL that had been in place since 27 February 2002. 

After 18 months, the commission turned the report over to the President on 15 November 2011. It was made public on 16 December 2011, after being tabled in the parliament. 

The LLRC, (Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Committee) concluded that the Sri Lankan military did not deliberately target civilians - but that the LTTE repeatedly violated international humanitarian law. 

The problem to most familiar with the Tamil diaspora is that the rampant murder of civilians by the GoSL is heavily and explicitly documented. It is a thousand times beyond obvious that the GoSL wantonly committed “total war” against the Tamil people. (Total war is one carried out with no respect to separating civilians from combatants, or observing the rights of prisoners of war). The GoSL famously murdered a number of LTTE officials who surrendered with white flags. These include the son and bodyguards of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. 12-year old Balachandran Prabhakaran’s death in GoSL custody is photographed. 

Backers of the war in Sri Lanka say a heavy hand was required to eliminate the LTTE from Sri Lanka’s political structure. 

In the minds of others, war crimes committed by the GoSL leave an insoluble stain. The murders which the govt. does not have to answer for, lead to an intractable sense of monstrosity. 

There is much to be learned from the war against the Tamils in Sri Lanka. War crimes and state terrorism are protected in this world. Peace and standing cease fire agreements are tremendously undervalued. 

UN Sri Lanka tribunal will avoid ICC jurisdictional issues, says Boyle

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 July 2013, 00:43 GMT]
The United Nations General Assembly (GA) must immediately establish an International Criminal Tribunal for Sri Lanka (ICTSL) as a "subsidiary organ" under U.N. Charter Article 22, and organized along the lines of the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY), which was established by the Security Council, said Professor Francis Boyle, an expert in International Law, while commenting on the appointment of Samantha Power as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and advocating that Ms Power should follow the leadership of Madeline Albright who spearheaded the setting up of the ICTY. This will avoid the jurisdictional hurdles in the ICC taking up criminal matters related to a non-signatory state, Boyle added. 

Albright on the establishment of ICTY

The purpose of the ICTSL would be to investigate and prosecute Sri Lanka war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide against the Peoples of Lebanon and Palestine--just as the ICTY did for the victims of international crimes committed by Serbia and the Milosevic Regime throughout the Balkans, Professor Boyle said.

According to Boyle, the establishment of ICTSL would provide some small degree of justice to the victims of Sri Lanka's war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide against the Tamil people in NorthEast--just as the ICTY has done in the Balkans. Furthermore, the establishment of ICTSL by the U.N. General Assembly would serve as a deterrent effect upon Sri Lanka's polical leaders such as Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse, his sibling and Defense Secretary, Gothabaya Rajapakse, another brother and minister for Development, Basil Rajapakse, Military Commander Sarath Fonseka and other top generals that they will be prosecuted for their further infliction of international crimes upon the Tamils from the NorthEast of Sri Lanka, Professor Boyle said.

Behind the scenes of ICTY

Tamil political activists agreed that without such a deterrent, Sri Lanka will likely continue the cultural genocide including forced colonization, grabing land from Tamil civilians, and militarization of day-to-day life and engaging the military in civilian affairs. 

"For the U.N. General Assembly to establish ICTSL could stop the further development of this momentum towards a regional if not global catastrophe," Boyle added.

"People need to understand that Power could push for an International Criminal Tribunal for Sri Lanka on the basis of UN Charter article 22 to be set up by the UN General Assembly, thus avoiding the jurisdictional problems with the International Criminal Court since Sri Lanka is not a party and it appears that China would veto any referral by the Security Council to the ICC," Boyle further said.

"The UN General Assembly could take the Statute for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and transform it into the Statute for the International Criminal Tribunal for Sri Lanka," Professor Boyle said.

Francis A. Boyle is a graduate of the University of Chicago and Harvard Law School. He has advised numerous international bodies in the areas of human rights, war crimes, genocide, nuclear policy, and bio warfare. He received a PHD in political science from Harvard University.

Over 85,000 In North Without IDs

By Camelia Nathaniel-Tuesday, July 23, 2013

A Mobile Clinic was jointly organized by the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), Department for Registration of Persons and the Centre for Human Rights and Research (CHR) at the Varani Maha Vidyalayam, the Ganapathypillay Vidyalayam and at the Jaffna District Secretariat office last week to assist those without ID’s and other certified documents in the Jaffna district to obtain them.

According to CaFFE, there were large crowds of people who had called at the mobile centres in order to obtain their identity cards and other documentation.

The Executive Director of CaFFE Keerthi Tennakoon said that this Mobile Clinic was initiated to assist the people to obtain their national identity cards prior to the Northern Provincial Council Elections enabling them to cast their votes. These people who are eligible to vote were concerned that they would not be able to cast their vote due to the non-availability of certified documents.

Speaking to The Sunday Leader, Tennakoon said that according to the 2012 Voter Register there are more than 85,000 people in the Northern Province without National Identity Cards (NICs) and of this, 45,000 are residing in the Jaffna District alone.

He added that the objective of this programme is to facilitate these people to obtain this service. According to CaFFE the main obstacle that had prevented these people from obtaining their ID’s was the non-availability of Birth Certificates. Therefore he said, as a result of this programme both Birth Certificates and National Identity Cards were issued.

He said that CaFFE had commenced the program to enable these people who were so far unable to obtain their ID’s with the assistance of the Registrars of the relevant districts.

“We held the pilot project in Kilinochchi where the biggest issue was that these people had no way of obtaining their NICs as they did not have their birth certificates. Therefore we had to first take measures to assist them obtain their birth certificates and in parallel obtain their NIC’s as well.

The first round of this project was highly successful where over 1600 persons were issued birth certificates and NIC’s within three days. We will be next moving to the area between Kilinochchi and Jaffna.

We began the clinic last Tuesday and by the fourth day over 4500 applications had been received and some had obtained their documentation. Over 2500 NIC applications have been accepted and processed already and we will also be commencing these clinics in Mullaitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya by next week,” he added. Since September 2012 more than 10,500 people were able to get their Identification Documents through this Mobile Clinic jointly organized by CaFFE and the Centre for Human Rights and Research, Tennakoon said.

Houses, vehicles damaged by falling trees TUESDAY, 23 JULY 2013 13: The gale force winds that prevailed in most parts of Colombo this morning had uprooted several trees, which damaged houses and vehicles in the vicinity. Pix by Kithsiri De Mel and Kushan Pathiraja Read more

Colombo engages in widespread Sinhalicisation of Mannaar: TNA-MP

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 July 2013, 23:38 GMT]
The Colombo government is actively engaged in colonising around 6000 Sinhala families in the Mannaar district of the Northern Province, including its coastal areas, while it is not taking care of the resettlement of the Tamils and Muslims displaced by the war, accused Mr Selvam Adaikkalanathan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian for Mannaar. The TNA may have to seek judicial remedy if the government is bent on bringing in Sinhalese without resettling people affected by the war, he further said. The TNA parliamentarian should first have the guts to mobilise the people to ask the USA, Co-Chairs, India and the UN that have asked the people to come into the barbed-wire camps, commented Tamil activists for alternative politics in the island. 

The Colombo government is deploying all sorts of tactics to colonise Sinhalese in Mannaar, while it shows lethargy in resettling Tamils and Muslims in their own land in the district, the TNA-MP said. 

Genocidal Colombo is very systematic in colonising the Mannaar district, especially in snatching away the entire division Musali, bordering the North Central and North Western Provinces. The Sinhala colonisations are just parallel operations to Sinhala militarisation of the district, as in the case of the recent SL Naval enclave at Ma'richchukkaddi in the Mannaar district, political observers in the district said.

The Tamil politicians are not equally systematic in scientifically exposing what is happening in the region, in explaining to the masses what is happening, and in preparing the masses in knowing and facing the ultimate culprits, because they are forced to become the part of the agenda of the actual culprits, political observers in the district said. 

This is not a domestic question. This is an international question. If the Tamil parliamentarians elected by the people are not going to project it in the proper way, who else are going to do it, ask the political observers.

The Tamil parliamentarians vaguely come out with statements accusing Colombo. It is a joke to harp on Sri Lanka’s judiciary on such matters. Everybody knows the interest taken by the genocidal State’s judiciary in politically delinking the geographically contiguous north and east of the territory of Eezham Tamils in the island, the observers said.

Rather than coming out with empty press statements, the Tamil parliamentarians could contribute better and produce better results, by mobilising the people to tell the message in no uncertain terms to the forces that are using the Colombo government as an agent, the observers further said.

Malala, Engineering Minds, Sivsena And Bodu Bala Sena

By W.A Wijewardena -July 23, 2013 

Dr. W.A. Wijewardena

The return of a girl condemned to die

Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani school girl who was shot by Taliban in October 2012 when she was 15 years old for the crime of fighting for the right of Muslim girls to education and thereby defying a Taliban order that girls should not go to schools, celebrated her 16th birthday on 12 July 2013 in a way that no other girl has ever done. She did so by delivering a very powerful and inspirational speech at the UN Youth Assembly in the presence of a large number of dignitaries including the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown now a UN Ambassador on inclusive education (available here)

Her address at the UN coincided with the declaration of her birthday as ‘Malala Day’ by the UN, a rare honour which a girl of her age and status could expect from a world body. She is not big-made and could not even reach the top of the podium of the UN Assembly without the support of a low deck to stand on. Yet, the powerful speech she delivered with confidence throughout and meaning in every word spoken captivated not only the high dignitaries who were present in the Assembly but also millions of viewers and readers worldwide.

 Read More