Beautification: A Highly Ironical Title For An Immensely Provocative Exhibition

By Janaka Samarakoon -July 27, 2013 

Janaka Samarakoon

Thenuwara

Beautification. Another “B” word for Chandraguptha Thenuwara, some 15 years after unveiling the first… But Thenuwara, this assiduous killjoy of the pseudo-democratic, post-war political space of this country, has still much to yell at and to oppose to and he does so with the same vehemence he stunned us with as a budding artist back then.

Beautification is at first glance pretty disconcerting. More or less like any other Thenuwara Exhibition has been over the past 15 odd years. But even for the hardcore Thenuwara fan, this year’s vintage is highly startling. How so?

We remember that we left Thenuwara last year with his minimal /conceptual series (e.g. This is not a white flag, Oil on canvass, 2012). These paintings were of course as satirical and politically committed as ever. But on an aesthetical point of view, I had some issues with them. I found them superficial and was afraid that the trouble-making ogre of Sri Lankan contemporary art had found comfort in a facile practice of art, driven only by the mojo of his iconic career.

I was wrong. Here he comes this year with Beautification, arguably the most innovative collection of works since that famous exhibition which popularized that “B” word, back in 1997.   Read More  
  

Ethics: A Christian Perspective

By Ranil Jayantha Wijeyesekera -July 28, 2013 

Ranil Jayantha Wijeyesekera

From the beginning man had within him some knowledge of right or wrong.  God gave man a revelation of the standards of conduct he required in human relationships, and a person’s conscience judged him according to these standards.  This was so even when the person had rejected the knowledge of God ( Rom 1;21-23; 2:14 -15, cf Matt 7-11).

How should we live? Shall we aim at happiness or at knowledge, virtue or the creation of beautiful objects? If we choose happiness, will it be our own or the happiness of all? How should we live? Shall we aim at happiness or at knowledge, virtue, or the creation of beautiful or more particular questions that face us: Is it right to be dishonest in a good cause? Can we justify living in opulence while elsewhere in the world people are starving? If conscripted to fight in a war we do not support, should we disobey the law? What are our obligations to the other creatures with whom we share this planet and to the generations of humans who will come after us?

Although ethics has always been viewed as a branch of philosophy, its all-embracing practical nature links it with many other areas of study, including anthropology, biology, economics, history, politics, sociology, and theology. Yet, ethics remains distinct from such disciplines because it is not a matter of factual knowledge in the way that the sciences and other branches of inquiry are. Rather, it has to do with determining the nature of normative theories and applying these sets of principles to practical moral problems.

The Christian contribution to improving the position of slaves can also be linked with the distinctively Christian list of virtues. Some of the virtues described by Aristotle, as, for example, greatness of soul, are quite contrary in spirit to Christian virtues such as humility. In general, it can be said that the Greeks and Romans prized independence, self-reliance, magnanimity, and worldly success. By contrast, Christians saw virtue in meekness, obedience, patience, and resignation.         Read More

Khuram death: SL ministers apologise

SATURDAY, 27 JULY 2013 

Senior members of the Sri Lankan government have apologised for the death of a Rochdale man in the country in 2011, the visiting MP has said.

Khuram Shaikh, 32, from Milnrow was shot and stabbed on Christmas Day 2011.

Eight people, including a Sri Lankan politician, were arrested and bailed in November. They all denied the charges.

Simon Danczuk, who has been visiting the country said he had meetings with a "number of senior ministers, who said sorry for what happened to Khuram".

"That has to be welcomed, because I think it is the first time that anybody at a senior level has said sorry for the murder."

The British High Commission in Colombo has previously said the 18-month delay in bringing the accused to trial was "not a good message to tourists".

The Labour MP said the ministers had told him that missing DNA evidence, which had delayed the prosecution, had been "produced".

"That is a significant piece of the jigsaw in terms of a successful prosecution and it has taken a long time for the forensic examinations to be done on that."

He added that the officials had also given him "assurances and guarantees that justice would be done and [the case] would go to trial".
'Cautious but optimistic'

In a statement issued earlier this month, the Sri Lanka High Commission said the government of Sri Lanka "is committed to prosecute the persons responsible", with a "special prosecutor nominated by the Attorney-General to conduct the prosecution".

It confirmed the case had been transferred from Tangalle to Columbo Magistrates Court "to prevent the alleged intimidation of witnesses".

Mr Shaikh, who graduated from the University of Salford, had been working in Gaza for the Red Cross, fitting prosthetics limbs.

He was shot and stabbed when he and his Russian girlfriend, Victoria Aleksandrovna Tkacheva, were attacked on holiday in the resort of Tangalle.

His brother, Nasir Shaikh, said the responses to Mr Danczuk's visit were "very encouraging and positive".

"I'm cautious but optimistic - I hope this will actually move them towards the trial that needs to take place.

"We have been very concerned that it has taken so long to get the DNA report, but if it has been completed, that is a step forward."(BBC)

China airports world's worst for on-time performance

By Chuck Thompson- Fri July 12, 2013

Beijing International: Looks pretty, but performs poorly

(CNN) — Need to get somewhere on time?

Alaska Airlines had an on-time performance of 86.8%

Don’t book a connecting flight through China.

According to FlightStats, a U.S.-based air travel information service, mainland China airports are the world’s worst when it comes to on-time departures and arrivals.

Worse still, according to the report, which covers airport and airline activity in the month of June, the overall performance of Chinese airports has become worse in the past half year.

At the bottom of the list of major world airports is Beijing Capital International Airport. In June, just 18.3% of flights from the airport left on time.

Around 42% of flights from Beijing suffered delays of 45 minutes or longer.

Second worst on the list is Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. Just 24% of its June flights departed on time, compared with a 38.9% on-time departure rate six months ago.

"None of China’s provincial airports surveyed by FlightStats — including Guangzhou, Kunming, Nanjing, Chengdu, Changsha and Urumqi — could manage to get half of their flights on time," according to a story in the South China Morning Post.

Osaka Airport (95.88%) and Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (95%) led Asian airports for on-time performance.

Top performing large North American airports were in Honolulu (86.29%), Vancouver (86.18%) and Salt Lake City (85.55%).

Top performing large European airports were in Amsterdam (83.52%), Munich (83.35%) and Vienna (82.15%).

China’s major airlines also fared poorly compared with regional and global counterparts.

"Major international airlines on average delivered 75.85% of their flights to the arrival gate within 15 minutes of schedule in June, down from May’s 80.70%," according to the FlightStats report summary.

Map: The best and worst for airport delays

"Six major international carriers, South African, Gulf Air, ANA, Japan Airlines, Finnair, and Tyrolean Airways, delivered over 90% of their flights on time."

Meanwhile, China United Airlines brought in only 27% of its flights on time, while large national carriers Air China and China Southern also reported a considerable number of delayed flights.

The top on-time performing carrier in North America was Hawaiian Airlines (92.2%). Top major carriers were Alaska Airlines (86.8%), Air Canada (81.28%) and Delta Air Lines (76.39%).

Top overall European performers were Binter Canarias (99.41%), Malmo Aviation (95.56%) and KLM Cityhopper (93.6%).

Top overall Asian performers were Air Busan (96.77%) and J-Air (95.64%).

According to the South China Morning Post, the poor performance of Chinese airports and airlines is blamed on “excessive military control of airspace and poor urban planning."

"Nearly 80% of China’s airspace has been reserved for military use. In other countries, such as the U.S., the situation is exactly the opposite," according to a Hainan Airlines official quoted by the SCMP.

To get the full FlightStats report click here.

Harmful chemical found in four milk powder brands: Report

FRIDAY, 26 JULY 2013 

The Technology and Research Ministry today revealed that a harmful chemical identified as DCD (dicyandiamide) is found in four varieties of imported milk powder available in the market today.

Technology and Research Ministry Media Secretary Dhanushka Ramanayake in a media statement said that DCD was found in four brands of imported milk powder but DCD was not contained in locally manufactured milk powder products.

“The Industrial Technology Institution has conducted investigations to check whether DCD was found in popular milk powder brands that are available in the market. Following these investigations, it was revealed that DCD was found in four imported milk powder brands. During these tests, two local brands were also tested, but they were proved to be free of this chemical,” Ramanayake said.

The statement quoted researchers as saying that milk powders that contain DCD were not fit for human consumption and that DCD could not be contained in milk powder.

Ramanayake also said in the media statement that the Industrial Technology Institution had submitted reports on the final results of the investigations to the authorities of the Consumer Affairs Authority, Health Ministry and the Customs for scrutiny. (Jayashika Padmasiri)

Death and divisions in Egypt after judge orders Morsy jailed

By Ben Brumfield. Hamdi Alkhshali and Ben Wedeman, CNN

updated 11:15 AM EDT, Sat July 27, 2013

Supporters of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy protest outside a field hospital in Cairo where the bodies of slain Morsy supporters have been brought on Saturday, July 27. The military ousted Morsy, Egypt's first democratically elected president, in early July after days of mass demonstrations. See photos of protests that have engulfed the country.

Cairo (CNN) — Any use of force to end mass protests staged by supporters of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy will only result in more death, the country’s interim interior minister said Saturday.

The warning from Minister Mohamed Ibrahim came as dozens were reported killed overnight in clashes between Morsy’s supporters and those opposed to his rule, an escalation of violence that has raised concerns among Western leaders about the stability of a key ally in the region.

Death and Divisions in Egypt After Judge Orders Morsy Jailed by nelvely 

Sri Lanka Government twice in my student life confirmed that I will be safe in my ‘Homeland’ – MA Sumanthiran MP

26 July 2013, 6:20 am

M A Sumanthiran MP speaks in remembrance of Black July, the anti Tamil progrom and riots of July 1983. The TNA parliamentarian made the remarks ahead of a session on July 23, 2013 regarding Sri Lanka Electricity Board Amendment Bill

He describes the dark period in Sri Lankan history which has split the individual and collective living experience in this country:

Part 1 (22 minutes)

Part 2 (13 minutes) – The sound at 10:20 to 10:50 drops out because it has been expunged from the Parliament record.

‘No fire zone’ screened in Malaysia

FRIDAY, 26 JULY 2013 

The controversial Channel-4 documentary ‘No Fire Zone’, which was earlier stopped screening by the Malaysian Home Ministry in Kuala Lumpur, was screened in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday night, Free Malaysia Today reported.
’

Addressing the media former senator in the Malaysian Parliament S Ramakrishnan said that the screening of the documentary was organized by Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), an organization in Malaysia.

Earlier this month, joint organisers Komas, Suaram and the KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Civil Right Committee (KLSCH CRC) had screened the movie, but Home Ministry officials gatecrashed and stopped the screening.

This time around, the screening organised by LFL went on smoothly without any disruption from the Home Ministry officials, paper said.

During mid-way of the screening, around 30 Home Ministry officials arrived at the scene, but then left the hall after 10 minutes.

After the screening, Macrae joined the audience for a 10-minutes Q&A session via Skype.

“I am not a fan of LTTE, but the war crimes committed against the ethnic Tamil are speechless. Innocent people became victims of the civil war,” said Macrae.

Religion For reconciliation: Is It Feasible?

By Ven. Galkande Dhammananda -July 26, 2013 

Ven. Galkande, Dhammananda Thero

Most Ven. Professor Bellanwila Wimalaratana Thera, the Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayawardhanapura, Rev. Father Benedict Joseph, all the other respected representatives of the religions of our country, Mr. Chairman, Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne and all the other respected speakers, ladies and gentlemen.  I am privileged to have this opportunity to address this distinguished gathering at this prestigious institute which is founded to take forward the good message of one of the finest human beings produced by our motherland, Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar.

Since the war ended in May 2009 four years and two months have elapsed.  Now we are in July 2013. The topic of the conference is the ‘Role of Religion in Reconciliation’. The organizers of the conference seem to expect to take the outcome and recommendations of this national conference to the national level, to feed them into the development of an action plan which will facilitate in addressing fractures in the social fabric of the Sri Lankan society. Let me explain how I understand the context of this conference. First I understand that the theme of the conference itself suggests that we have yet achieved reconciliation, although some four years have slipped away without much notice of that historical responsibility. But forget about the reconciliation. Tragically, today, whether you may accept it or not, we are on the verge of another social crisis or conflict. This is the context in which we are having this conference on the role of religion in reconciliation.

If you ask me to point out the most important message that I can derive from Buddhism for reconciliation in our society, I would like to remind you of this verse in Dhammapada.

Jayam veram pasavati – Dukkham seti parajito

Upasanto sukham seti – Hitva jaya parajam (Dhammapada, Sukha vagga verse 5)

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Anatomy of an Anti-Tamil Pogrom: Thirtieth Anniversary of “Black July” 1983.

by

D.B.S. Jeyaraj-26 July 2013

“Shops, Banks, Offices and Restaurants in the Capital’s crowded City Centre and Main Streets being burnt while the Police look on. Thousands of houses ransacked and burnt, sometimes with women and children inside. Goon squads battering passengers to death in trains and on station platforms and, without hindrance, publicly burning men and women to death on the streets! Remand prisoners and political detainees in the country’s top prison being massacred.The armed forces joining in and sometimes organizing this pogrom against members of Sri Lanka’s two Sri Lankan minority communities. The nation’s President and top ranking cabinet members publicly justifying the pogrom!”

(Introductory Paragraph from “Sri Lanka”The holocaust and After”by C.R. Hensman writing under the pseudonym L.Piyadasa)

Anatomy of an Anti-Tamil Pogrom Thirtieth Anniversary of “Black July” 1983. by nelvely

GREENS SUPPORT AUSTRALIA'S TAMIL COMMUNITY

Australian Greens Spokesperson for Multiculturalism Senator Richard Di Natale today published a statement expressing support of the Australian Greens for Australia's Tamil community, and solidarity with the ethnic Tamil population of Sri Lanka on the anniversary of Sri Lanka's "Black July" anti-Tamil riots.

To Australia's Tamil Community:

Today marks 30 years since the start of Sri Lanka's "Black July", when anti-Tamil riots broke out in Colombo and soon spread to other parts of the country. Many Tamils lost their lives, their loved ones and their homes. It is estimated that up to 3,000 Tamils lost their lives in those riots - and nearly 700,000 people were forced to flee the country.

Black July was a tragic turning point in the history of Sri Lanka and marked the beginning of a long period of intense civil war. The events of that time and those of the war shattered lives, tore families apart and sent hundreds of thousands of people into exile.

I have spoken to Australian Tamils who remember Black July and have expressed to me the unimaginable fear of not feeling safe in one's own home and the agony of not knowing the fate of family and loved ones.

Many countries around the world have welcomed Sri Lankan Tamils who sought a new and safer life overseas.

The Greens thank you for your contribution to Australian life and culture. We know that today must be a time of sad reflection for many whose lives were forever changed by the events of 30 years ago. The Greens will continue to be a strong voice for a humane refugee policy in Australia and an independent war crimes investigation into the final stages of the war in Sri Lanka.

The Greens will keep up the fight for human rights in Sri Lanka and around the world.

Senator Richard Di Natale
Greens Spokesperson for Multiculturalism

on behalf of The Australian Greens

Religion For Peace: A Perspective From Hinduism

By Ven. Ramachandra Kurukkal Babu Sharma -July 26, 2013 

Ven. Ramachandra Kurukkal Babu Sharma

There are many reasons as to why people are drawn to a religious or spiritual way of life. Having faith in something bigger than us, can encourage strength in times of trial. Religion can provide us with a system for living. Religiousness makes every person to feel that we are together. In our heart we find godly peace and we might bring that peace to the world. As Dalai Lama said,

“This is my simple religion, there is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophy, our own brain, our own heart is our temple and the philosophy is kindness.”

One thinks passionately today of Peace and Harmony only because the reality of our environment is war and disharmony. Throughout history we human beings have acted foolishly to precipitate war and disharmony and then when their effects become intolerable we yearn for Peace and Harmony while wallowing in misery and distress. At such times religious leaders have given leadership only because they had recognized the importance of altruism – that is the principle of considering the welfare and interests of others.

When leaders of Mankind set their societies on the path of altruism there was peace and tranquility in such societies, but when they deviated and dabbled in selfish on a selfish theory of morals concentrating upon themselves, their families, their particular community and so on ultimately such behavior led to disharmony, disagreement and discord.

When selfishness predominates in human relationships there would soon be discord and disagreements. When altruism prevails peace and harmony would result.

Let us next refer to the commonality of all religions in stressing the importance of altruism.

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The Commanding Officer

The Commanding Officer

Photo courtesy BBC

Groundviews

W.S. Mendis-26 Jul, 2013

I remember going over to the house of a friend and trying to save the house from attack and destruction. I remember our failure to achieve that hope. A friend who I never counted as the ‘Other’. At that time, in our youth, we related to each other regardless of our ethnicity. We never asked if one was a Tamil, Muslim, Sinhalese or Burgher. I still never do. I stayed over there that whole week and we miraculously escaped assault and death as groups of thugs repeatedly forced themselves into the house. I remember sending members of their family over the boundary wall to safe houses.

I remember, July 29th. ‘Black Friday’. We ran for our lives. After the rest of the family was sent to safety, my friend’s brothers and a couple of friends sat down to a lunch we had cooked up – hot white rice and pol-sambol. We heard an uproar outside. We ran. A mob too large to count came charging at us and finally managed to burn the house down. I remember my friend’s brother hiding under the bed of a neighbour; escaping the sword of a thug, swiped under the bed in the room, by the sheer grace of God. I remember hiding from the mob in half-built houses, scaling walls and hanging on a ledge over a canal.

I remember a gun in my face stuttering to explain that I was not a tiger come to bomb SLBC and being let off by a Commanding Officer who was my schoolmate and providentially who recognised me. (If memory serves me right, he said he had orders to shoot the ‘tigers’ on sight). I remember walking back barefoot with the many others. I remember walking past burning cars and bodies charred beyond recognition.

The stench was awful.

I remember the day that changed my life forever. A day that made my friend’s siblings and their families all leave this country. A day that made all my siblings and their families also leave Sri Lanka. They all left hopeless. But for me, this was a day that made me (and my friend) choose to remain in Sri Lanka and do what we do despite all that we valued crumbling around us. Sadly, echoes of July ’83 return hauntingly when I see similar hate mobs and instigation by authorities and powers that be, using ethnicity and even religion to maintain their own popularity. The apathy and inaction of law officers who stood by and watched the mobs on rampage is not too dissimilar.

But I still hope.

I hope that what I do, though it may only be a drop, still fills the bucket. I hope one day it will be full and we would have made a difference. I pray that it we never have to face a Black July again. Our children must have a better future in this nation.

Sri Lanka must have a better future.

Black July: ‘Api Suddha Kara’ – JR’s Failure To Declare Curfew

By Rajan Hoole -July 26, 2013 |

Rajan Hoole

Jayewardene’s failure to declare curfew thus appears in an appropriate setting. About 1.30 A.M. this same witness from the Left party saw the walls of TULF president M. Sivasithamparam’s house, which was on fire, collapsing to the ground. A little over a week later, this witness was placed under arrest along with other members of Left parties accused by the Government of being responsible for the violence.

From Jayewardene’s house fires could be seen in an arc stretching from Elphinstone Theatre in Maradana, all the way down the road to Borella and then to Narahenpita and Thimbirigasaya. In fact, from any window of his house Jayewardene would have seen roaring fires. The Police did not know what had happened, and, except for perhaps one or two in the hierarchy who were necessarily privy to the designs of those high up, were completely at sea. Late into the night the bursting of tear gas shells could be heard as the Police tried to disperse the crowd. About 2.00 AM on the 25th there was a lull.

The people living in Colombo’s residential areas from Colpetty and southwards to Mt Lavinia had in general no idea of what happened the previous night. People sent their children to school and went to work, and came to know that something had happened only upon seeing burnt buildings. Borella itself was quiet. From Kynsey Road junction on Ward Place to Borella junction, burnt out Tamil shops could be seen. Not far from Jayewardene’s place, there was a burnt out corpse. The skull was cracked and the charred remains of the brain could be seen. The victim was probably a poor man with a roadside stall who had slept on the verandah of a shop.

ASP Abeygoonewardene from Jayewardene’s security arrived at home in the early hours of the 25th morning. He expected a curfew in the morning and told his wife not to wake him up. His wife put him up at 6.30 AM telling him that there was no curfew on and the children needed to be taken to school at St.Peter’s. This he did, though surprised at curfew not being declared. He had to go later again to fetch his sons as the situation got worse.

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USTPAC Remembers 30th Anniversary of “Black July”

Details

 

Created On Friday, 26 July 2013 05:29

Category: General

A State-abetted Pogrom against Tamils in Sri LankaUnited States

Tamil Political Action Council marks 30-yr anniversary of anti-Tamil violence in Sri Lanka, expresses concern over further deterioration and calls for international action to protect Tamils.

July 25, 2013: Washington, DC- This week Tamils living in the US and all over the globe somberly remember the dark days of “Black July 1983,” a pogrom against the Tamils living in Sri Lanka, carried out by Sinhala mobs with total impunity and support of the Government of Sri Lanka. Over 3000 Tamils were killed, some burnt alive, women raped, and tens of thousands of Tamil homes and businesses destroyed. Even Tamil political prisoners detained in government prisons were not safe, 53 of them were murdered by Sinhala prisoners with the assistance of prison officials. Tens of thousands were evacuated to the relative safety of the North and East, the traditional homeland of Tamils.
While the triggering event was the killing of 13 army personnel by Tamil militants there is little doubt that the government helped plan and organize the violence. More disheartening was the tacit endorsement of the violence of the mobs by the then President of Sri Lanka, Mr. Jayawardene, who came on TV as the carnage was going on, not offering a word of sympathy to the victims, but justifying the violence as spontaneous reaction to Tamil political demands.
“While there is little doubt on government complicity in this massive crime, hope for the Tamils and for humanity was evident in the many Sinhala civilians who risked their own life protecting and safeguarding the lives of many Tamils,” said Dr. Elias Jeyarajah, President of USTPAC, whose close friend and colleague from University of Jaffna, Anthonipillai Vimalathasan was a victim on July 24, 1983. Mr. Vimalathasan was shot and killed by the rampaging military in Jaffna along with scores of civilians including elderly and students while travelling in buses or walking on the streets.
The Tamils fled the country in droves, and now a million of them live in freedom and dignity and contributing to their adopted countries. Another more tragic consequence was that a segment of the Tamils chose to support and strengthen the nascent armed struggle giving rise to the war in Sri Lanka which ended in May 2009, again with tens of thousands of innocent Tamil civilians killed, this time by the government’s Sinhala armed forces.
War may be over but the many conflicts and fault line in Sri Lanka remain. Now not only the Tamils but religious minorities, the Muslims and Christians too find their way of life being
constrained by Sinhala mobs often led by Buddhist monks who enjoy state protection. Churches have been burnt, and Mosques and Muslim businesses attacked with impunity. Tamils continue to be repressed by an intrusive army of occupation of their traditional homeland, their homes and property expropriated by the armed forces, and their freedoms substantially restricted. Yet their brave resistance to oppression being treated as second class citizens by the state continues, this time using peaceful political process and trusting the just impulses of the international community.
“While remembering the victims, I wonder what my friend Vimalathasan, an ardent rights activist, would have become, if his life was not snuffed out by Sri Lankan state terror thirty years ago,” pondered Dr. Jeyarajah. He then recalled the advice of Eva Mozes Kor, a Holocaust survivor and one of the surviving twins of Dr. Mengale’s deadly experiments in Auschwitz. After participating in the laying of “one million bones” on Washington Mall on June 10th remembering victims of genocides, Kor stated: “Remembering is not enough; We must take all actions possible to stop and prevent Genocides such as in Sri Lanka today.”
USTPAC urges the international community of states to ensure that accepted international norms for governance and Human Rights become a reality in Sri Lanka. “The actions of the UN Human Rights council is a start, but it has to broaden its concern to investigating alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity including genocide of Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka” said Jeyarajah.
For more information, visit www.ustpac.org
Media contact: eliasjey 919 247 4072

Role Of Religion And Religious Men In The Process Of Reconciliation

By Ven. Bellanwila Wimalarathana thero -July 26, 2013 

Ven. Prof. Bellanwila Wimalarathana thero

There is perhaps total consensus that religion is one of the major factors that exerts influences on the people: nurturing, moulding, and contributing to the development of their character. But religion by itself is not able to exert this influence. This happens depending on how it is communicated to the people. This religious communication is done by the religious men. Therefore, in discussing the issue of reconciliation, which involves both inter-religion and inter-religious harmony, the role of religious men has to be examined very carefully.

There are many religions in the world, and among them there are a number of world religions. I am not focusing my attention on all religions and all religious men, but on Buddhism and the Buddhist monks. This is mainly because I am a member of the community of Buddhist monks.

Buddhism is one of the world religions. It has influenced peoples of different nations and cultures throughout a very long period of over two and a half millenniums. From ancient times Buddhism has served as a reconciliatory force bringing together different factions divided on various grounds and issues: political, ethnic, social, economic, and so on. Sri Lanka itself bears evidence to this. It is with the introduction of Buddhism that the country became united and commenced its forward march to progress in all spheres of life. The world history shows similar histories in countries like Myanmar, Korea and Japan. This shows that Buddhism is a teaching that unites people. It is very necessary to understand this factor when communicating Buddhism.

There are certain factors that contribute to make Buddhism a unifying force. Basically one has to understand that Buddhism is for the ending conflict and for establishing peace. In Buddhist technical terminology these two objectives are explained as dukkha and its nirodha, which means cessation. Dukkha, usually translated into English as suffering, is in fact a term impregnated with different nuances of meaning. The term ‘Dukkha’ covers all human problems: pain, discontentment, dissatisfaction, dejection, conflict and so on. Hence, Buddhism can by simply explained as a teaching dealing with ‘human problems’. Though nonhumans, including animals, are not left out, the main focus is on the human being and his problems. This has to be born in mind when communicating the Buddhist teachings. Read More

The Young Persons’ Document On Constitutional Reform

By Rajiva Wijesinha -July 27, 2013

Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha MP

Political Machinations: Youth ideas about Constitutional Reform

A group of young people, including a few politicians, have been working recently on suggestions for Constitutional Reform following the appointment of the Parliamentary Select Committee. The brief of that Committee is wide and, even though efforts were made to hijack it, and turn it into a vehicle to amend the 13^th Amendment, the Chairman stood firm and made it clear that the terms of reference as laid down by those who proposed the Committee should stand.

I have no doubt that, despite the omission of perspectives that are more common in the country and in Parliament than extreme views on either side, there are enough persons on the PSC who will ensure that the commitments that country and the President have entered into will be upheld. However I suspect the Committee will deliberate for a very long time, and a lot of problems that it would be very simple to resolve will only get worse.

I welcome therefore what I see as a Youth Initiative, and have been impressed by the systematic way in which they are proceeding. They have used as a basic text a comparison which has been made of the three recent comprehensive proposals for Constitutional Reform that have been published. The first of these – as usual, I am tempted to say – was that of the Liberal Party, and this was followed this year by the proposals of theUNP as also those of a group led by the Rev Omalpe Sobitha.

The comparison noted that there were two factors on which all three documents were in agreement, and these are what the Liberal Party had identified as perhaps our most urgent needs, because they contribute to the disfunctionality in other respects that bedevils us. I refer to the size of the Cabinet and the current electoral system. All three documents assert that the Cabinet should have no more than 25 members, and that we should have a mixed system of election, with half the seats filled on a first past the post system, while the other half would be on a proportionate basis.Read More