VIDEO: GOVT DEBT WILL EVEN BURDEN CHILDREN BORN IN 2050 – TISSA

July 30, 2013 

The UNP today said that the recent incidents involving the sons of Ministers clearly display the extent of the decline in the country’s law and that the “law of the jungle” is reigning over the rule of law.

They are different from what happens to normal citizens as they are not happen suddenly and are different to daily occurrences, UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said.

Referring to the assault on Minister Mervyn Silva’s son Malaka in Colombo and a group attacking and damaging the vehicles belonging to the Son of Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, he inquired whether the average person can rely on the country’s law when such events involving sons of prominent Ministers take place in main cities and a lackluster approach is adopted towards investigating them.

He alleged that the organized attack on Minister Mervyn Silva’s son in broad daylight in Colombo yesterday clearly proves that the law of the jungle has risen to the top and that the average person cannot expect assistance from anyone.  

Pointing out that this is a breakdown in the country’s law, Attanayake said: “if such things are happening to Ministers, in addition to the thousands of illegal activities taking place in the country on a daily basis, who can the people rely on?”

The UNP Parliamentarian also accused the government of curtailing funds for health care while continuing to waste money for showing off. 

He claimed that the government has decided to reduce Rs 5,000 million from the funds allocated for health services in 2013, the treasurer’s circular.  Amidst all this however the government has not stopped its fake shows.

Attanayake stated that the “wastage” which is the ‘Deyata Kirula’ exhibition has not been changed one bit and that public funds are wasted of unwanted foreign tours. 

He also accused the government of obtaining loans from China at high interest rates and donating that money as if its “inheritance” to Uganda and Maldives. 

“These have all led to the per capita debt ratio exceeding Rs 300 000,” he said, while pointing out that even a child born in 2050 will be eligible to pay this massive debt. 

Mervyn vows to tackle assailants himself

* Malaka in ICU following attack

By Hemamtha Randunu and Madura Ranwala-July 29, 2013

 Public Relations Affairs Minister Mervyn Silva’s son, Malaka, has been hospitalized with serious injuries, after being attacked with a sharp instrument, at the Odel clothing store car park, in Town Hall, around 4.15 p.m. yesterday.

He had been admitted to the Nawaloka Hospital, Police spokesman SP Buddhika Siriwardena said.

Minister Silva told Hiru TV yesterday that he had no need for the police and he himself would deal with the assailants if they dared come forward.

Malaka was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit. He had been attacked by about ten persons at the cark park of the clothing store, SP Siriwardena said, adding that the suspects had arrived there in a Defender and had waited for Malaka to return from the shop with his girlfriend. They had tried to abduct him following a heated argument. They had first attacked Malaka in his head and face using bottles of water and shoes.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the attackers had used a vehicle with false number plate to give the impression that it was a vehicle belonging to VIP security division.

One of the attackers had grabbed the bottle of water from a security guard at the Car Park and attacked Malaka with it.

The attackers spared girlfriend and fled.

SP Siriwardena said that entire episode had been recorded in the CCTV network fixed at the car park and the attackers would soon be identified.

Colombo Crimes Division and Cinnamon Gardens police are conducting further investigations.

VAAS GUNAWARDENE’S SON BARRED FROM LEAVING COUNTRY

July 30, 2013 

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court today ordered the Immigration Controller to prevent former DIG Vaas Gunawardene’s son Ravindu Gunawardene from leaving the country. 

The order was issued by Colombo Additional Magistrate M.A. Sahabdeen after considering a request made by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

ASP Shani Abeysekara of the CID informed court that investigations are underway to arrest Ravindu, who along with his father are suspects in the murder of businessman Mohamed Siyam, and that the Kaduwala Magistrate has also issued a warrant for his arrest. 

Therefore the CID requested a court order preventing him from leaving the country.

Seven suspects including former DIG Vaas Gunawardene area currently in remand custody until August 01 over the abduction and murder of the Bambalapitiya-based businessman.  

•  Arrest warrant issued for Vaas Gunawardena’s son 
  Jul 11th, 2013


•  Vaas Gunawardena’s son also a suspect - CID tells Court
  Jul 9th, 2013
• 
  

Is Buddhism Opposed to Self-Defense?
Thoughts on Mia Zapata and Jyoti Singh Pandey

By M. SOPHIA NEWMAN-July 24, 2013

M. Sophia Newman

M. Sophia Newman, MPH, is a freelance writer, a health researcher currently completing a Fulbright fellowship in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and a Gits fan. Her writing often focuses on psychology, feminism, and politics in South Asia. She blogs atmsophianewman.com.

Twenty years after the murder of Mia Zapata inspired a self-defense movement in Seattle, Indians are responding to a widely-reported gang-rape case in Delhi by joining similar violence prevention courses. Only they’re doing so over the advice of religious opponents, who echo a famous Indian guru: the Buddha.

Is Buddhism Opposed to Self-Defense by nelvely

One Step To The North And Two To The South

By S.Sivathasan -July 29, 2013 |

S.Sivathasan

A Beginning

For a single move with purity of motive, reciprocity from Tamils can take multiple wholesome ways. If the country’s regeneration is valued by the polity, then the concerned parties intent upon a dialogue have to move close to one another. Who is in the driver’s seat with the hand on the wheel? It is the major community, vested with the full panoply of state power, freed from any incubus that restrained it till four years back. Now it is at a vantage position to steer in the desired direction.

If the major community moves one step forward, the Tamils can move two steps towards. What inhibits? The absence of initiative to give kinetic energy to a static situation. What can be the first move? A profession of good intentions to put the past of six decades behind and a declaration of the steps to be taken for rapprochement. Withdrawing the army of occupation and appointing a civilian Governor will establish the credentials. Doing them ahead of the electionwill have optimum leverage. To proceed in this direction, the state of mind of the Tamils has to be appreciated and their psyche understood.

Aching Frustration

What vexes the Tamils both inland and out? It is the ominous presence of the military, lacerating the dignity of the people. The spread of the army throughout the Province, it’s peering into people’s lives at all times and its display of military might rub in the fact of subjugation. This is the design and the same is the effect. Tamils perceive it this way and all others see it the same way. It restrains them in every manner and impels the people to demand its removal. They are having a collective toothache and can think of nothing else unless the offending tooth is removed.

How should the extraction be done? Speedily, before the PC election. This is seen as a condition precedent to a free election. Otherwise it will be a khaki election with fatigues added. How long does it take? Within hours of signing the Accord in July 1987, the continuous roar of planes for five days to and from Palaly, bespoke the induction of the Indian Army and the moving out of the SL Army. With decision taken by India to vacate SL, the operation took but a few weeks. Even such assets as fence posts and used barbed wire were shipped from Trincomalee. I was witness to it. All it takes for the army to move out and to create a wholesome environment is for the government to take a decision, if moving towards reconciliation is intended.

Objectivity                 Read More

30th Anniversary Of Black July By MP Patrick Brown | MP For Barrie ( Ontario)

Details

 

Created On Monday, 29 July 2013 12:21

Category: General

Today I stand with the Tamil community as we pay tribute to the victims of Black July 1983.

The senseless acts of violence and brutality committed against the Tamils of Sri Lanka a mere 30 years ago serve as a constant reminder about the importance of establishing values of freedom and human rights.
Canada has the largest Sri Lankan diaspora in the world today, with some 300,000 Canadians of Sri Lankan origin, who have made a huge contribution to Canada’s prosperity and the success of our model of unity and diversity. Canadians value freedom, respect for cultural differences and a commitment to social justice. We are proud of the fact that we are a peaceful nation.
Sri Lanka is a very important country for Canada. Tamils began immigrating to Canada in the late 1940’s. Only a few hundred came to Canada back then, but in the 1980’s many thousand chose to make Canada their home and the numbers have risen since then.

While the current situation in Sri Lanka remains volatile, I urge the international community to continue to pressure the Sri Lankan Government to put in place measures to ensure the protection of human rights for all Sri Lankans.

As a Member of Parliament, I have the privilege of representing many Tamil Canadians who have expressed with great concern the experience of their friends and family presently in Sri Lanka. I believe it is the responsibility of Parliamentarians to make it our first priority to raise our voice in support of every person’s fundamental human rights.

I have followed, and will continue to follow with great concern, the plight of the Sri Lankan people.

I would like to extend my warmest regards to the Tamil community as we mourn the events of Black July.

Patrick Brown
Member of Parliament
Barrie

London Black July event rejects 13th Amendment

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 July 2013, 22:20 GMT]
Tamils across the UK, braving showers to attend the Black July event held in Mitcham, London on Saturday, rejected the 13th Amendment and the Provincial Councils system under the unitary Sri Lankan system as even a starting point of resolution of the Eezham Tamils’ national question. A statement by the TNPF elaborating on the subject released earlier in the day was read out at the event. A play by youth activists depicted the possible negative aftermaths of accepting the Provincial Council system. The play also urged the older generation to hand over the struggle to the next generation who are willing to fight from principled positions instead of accepting half-baked solutions that will only deny the youth their space to take forward the struggle. 

The relay flame in memory of the victims of Black July was carried by youth activists born after 1983, from 23 July till 27 July passing through landmarks in London. 

The event in Mitcham included poems, dances, plays and speeches. 

Speaking at the event, Yathavi Ratnabal from TYO-UK asserted that a solution for the Eezham Tamils within a unitary state was not possible, reasoning that “pogroms and massacres from 1956 to 2009 account for the on-going systematic genocide of the Tamils by the successive Sri Lankan regimes. Post-Mullivaikaal the atrocities have not ceased instead has taken on various other forms, such as sexual abuses on Tamil women and the illegal appropriation of Tamil owned land to name a few.”

Former TNA MP for Batticaloa Mr. Jeyanandamoorthy urged the diaspora to stay strong on principled political grounds. 

Reading out a Tamil language statement from the TCC-UK, Mr. Rajamanoharan said: “The 13th amendment was a creation of the enemies of Eezham Tamils. It was not produced with any input from Tamil political representation. It is not a starting point or interim solution to the Tamil national question.”

Also timed at the 30th commemoration of the Black July pogroms, the British Tamils Forum (BTF), announced earlier this week a new campaign titled “Stop Uprooting Tamils from their Land”. The campaign targets the pertinent issue of genocidal land grabs in the Tamil homeland by the occupying Sri Lankan State.

Media landscape not as gloomy

2013-07-29 

Last week, during an embassy luncheon, this columnist happened to have a chat with a diplomat who, has recently arrived in Colombo for his posting. “Political columns in your (Sri Lankan) newspapers are informative,” he told me. I replied that it was because newspapers sell for political news and that we hardly have inspiring business news that would tickle public attention, which most emerging market economies do have. Hence political news makes the staple of newspaper coverage.

But, Sri Lanka has a vibrant press, he quipped. I reminded him that we are ranked fourth from the bottom in the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Impunity Index, and are classified as ‘not free’ in terms of press freedom by the Freedom House.

He laughed it off. What are the others, he queried. I told him that another is Philippine, which, whatever, the indices say, has a vibrant press and is an emerging liberal democracy, whereas, the CPJ Index, on its part, gauges Manila, solely  on a 2009 political massacre in Mindanao, which killed among others, 34 reporters.

Pondering
I am inquisitive. However, the question I have been pondering over for sometime has been whether media freedom in this country is restrictive as it has been depicted in the dominant narrative.
Surely, Sri Lanka has a problem in terms of media freedom, a situation which has been further aggravated under the incumbent regime. The objective of this column is not to discount that reality, but rather to put it in perspective.
The dominant narrative on the absence of media freedom in the country is supported by a rather self serving argument that the servile mainstream media has abdicated its responsibility, and that those mushrooming websites are filling the vacuum. And when the mainstream press refuses to publish unverified, politically motivated and agenda driven slander and fringe opinion, that appear in those websites, the press is blamed as being subordinate to the government.

This narrative also goes on to imply that the local media had their freedom of action cut off, and that the exiled journalists are the torchbearers of the struggle for press freedom in Sri Lanka. I reserve my comments in order to avoid a fratricidal warfare.
A myriad of reasons

However, it is the contention of this writer that, this narrative is one that is exaggerated for a myriad of reasons, some of course self serving, some factual, and others imaginary and perceived.
A couple of years back, the then Foreign Minister of Bangladesh was quizzed by an interviewer of Channel News Asia, who asked: ‘You have a serious corruption problem. Your government is accused of high level of corruption by your own newspapers. What do you have to say?’  

‘Granted, we have a problem. But, many others also do have the same problem,’ the Bangladeshi FM retorted. ‘But why we have been exposed and why others have not is because we have a free press, which liberally takes the government to the task,’ he contended.
That is the crux of our problem as well. In fact, it is the case with much of the Indian subcontinent, which generally has a liberal, free press, and also has a penchant to wash our dirty laundry in the open, just like any other free press does.

World rankings
But, take for instance the rankings of the Reporters Sans Frontiers’ Press Freedom Index. India, which has one of the most vibrant press’ in the world, is ranked at 120, well behind Mauritania, the last frontier of slavery (67), coup-prone Central African Republic (65), Haiti which had no functioning government until recent election (49), Niger, another African hellhole (43), the UAE, where you would end up in jail for reporting rape (114), and Qatar, the land of Al Jazeera, of which activism ends at the palatial gates of the Emir.
Sri Lanka is ranked at 162, behind DR Congo, where rape is endemic (142) and Swaziland, the last feudal kingdom in Africa (155).

Glancing through the index, it did not take very long for this writer to realize that what he was reading was garbage. But, every now and then, we dutifully borrow from those indices to remind the public, and the rest of the world of our predicament, in terms of media freedom. 
Those indices are themselves influenced by our input. We make it a point to flaunt our woes, and dutifully brief the rest of the world of every real and purported attack. That is not a bad strategy, after all. As the incumbent regime is intolerant by design and the virtue of its personalities, it is always good to be on the safe side and have groups of mutual interest to look for help for any eventuality.

However, overplaying this doomsday melody is counter-productive and self-injurious. 
Media freedom is relative. Those who have followed media practices in the Middle East or even Singapore should know how suffocating media laws there have been, whereas Sri Lanka does not have institutionalized laws that are heavily restrictive of that nature.  Nor do we have crippling liable laws, such as those in Singapore, which were meant to dissuade the disclosure of matters of public interest. 
We, of course, have a Press Council, but despite the highly contentious nature of its appointment and powers it is vested with, in reality, it is a lame duck. That does not mean to suggest activism against the Press Council is obsolete.

Temperament of personalities
The real problem in Sri Lanka lies with the temperament of the personalities who are at the helm of the government, who have proved to be intolerant, small-minded and have a penchant for extra judicial means of dispute resolution. The media is a victim of their wrath. However, with all their evil and the heavy toll the press suffered during the recent years, media in Sri Lanka is still outspoken, activist, and well ahead of many of its counterparts in South East Asia and the Middle East.

Sri Lankan media has not cowed as it had been depicted. Any reader who would go through pages of morning newspapers would vouch for the fact that they are presented with a diverse collection of news and views.
However, the real problem in the Sri Lankan media begins after publishing the news. Angry defence officials, perhaps the most senior of them all, may call for the blood of the reporter and send in a white van.

It is the general lawlessness in the country, and not the law itself, that allows the powers-that-be to indulge in a media witch-hunt. It is those men, whose tenure has been perpetuated by the post-war triumphalism that pose the greatest threat to the media. In that sense, this columnist could not help but agree with RSF’s predators of the press freedom classification.

Lessons From Black July And The Recommendations Of The LLRC

By Jayantha Dhanapala and Rev. Jayasiri T. Peiris On behalf of Friday Forum -July 29, 2013 

Jayantha Dhanapala

Lessons From Black July For Law And Order And Tolerance 

This week we remember with deep regret, shame and sadness, the Black July of 1983, now chosen to be forgotten in history. Many factors paved the way for the incidents that took place during the 1983 Black July. We remember the intensifying hate campaigns, the terrorism and the ever increasing tensions between the ethnic groups that preceded black July and the thirty year war this led to.  During this long period of hate and war citizens of this country were subject to terror and unimaginable destruction was caused to life and property. It is consequently important that we should be of one mind and collectively learn from the lessons of this evil and traumatic experience so that similar mistakes will not be repeated now or in the future. It is regrettable that in spite of the destructive war, many seem to have failed to learn lessons from this sad period in our history and continue to promote hatred among different ethnic and religious groups.

During the last few months, we have come to learn through the media that certain groups in our country have embarked on another hate campaign that could cause harm to our country. This hate campaign is based on religious grounds. Hate and violence are advocated, suspicion is brewing and citizens of this country are being estranged from one another. A few individuals and groups have taken the law into their own hands, in a manner detrimental to the welfare of this country and its citizens. It is our view that some of the speeches made by certain individuals are not only against the tenets of true religion  but also against  Article 10 of the Sri Lankan Constitution. This article guarantees the freedom of religion, including the freedom to have or to adopt a religion of choice for every citizen. We firmly believe that no person is above the law.

According to our understanding the threats and attacks that have been launched against places of worship of Muslims and Christians are incompatible with the core teachings of all religions -and are detrimental to the peaceful co-existence among our communities. This hate campaign should stop immediately if we are to move forward as a nation that has overcome selective violence. If not the chances are that we may end up a failed state. All four major religions in our country have spiritual values that promote peaceful co-existence and respect for all. True followers of these religions should be guided by their respective teachings.

Read More

Dayasiri causes confusion in the North West while Vigneswaren prepares to lead the North

Dayasiri causes confusion in the North West while Vigneswaren prepares to lead the North

Groundviews

Harim Peiris-28 Jul, 2013

Photo courtesy dbsjeyaraj.com

Last week, Rajavarothiam Sambanthan, the leader of the Tamil National Alliance pulled a political rabbit out of a proverbial hat, when long running rumors were confirmed that eminent jurist and articulate good governance advocate, retired Supreme Court Justice C.V.Wigneswaren was to be the TNA’s nominee for Chief Minister of the Northern Province.

Justice Vigneswaren as Chief Minster

That announcement essentially confirmed that Justice Wigneswaren would be the first Chief Minister of the post war Northern Province. Tamil politics is essentially a one horse race, for the TNA, with the EPDP as an also ran. The UPFA with its strident majoritarian ethno religious nationalism, has no appeal among the Tamil community. The Regime’s attempts, through Chinese funding of extended cantonments with adjacent settlements, to change the Tamil majority demographics of the North will take several years to reach fruition and certainly not by the September polls. The Muslim vote in the North will be divided between Rishard Bathurdeen’s Party which will contest within the UPFA and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) which will go it alone. However, the Eastern Province model of an amalgamation of Muslim votes and Sinhala votes which just saw the UPFA beat the TNA by a mere six thousand two hundred votes only, in the entire eastern provincial vote, after losing the popular vote in both the Trincomalee and Batticalo districts, will not work for them in the North, with a much lower Muslim vote and a miniscule Sinhala vote.

However in victory, the TNA should be generous in the North and offer a provincial ministerial seat to the SLMC, forming a joint TNA – SLMC administration, which will be no constitutional bar to the SLMC’s role in the UPFA Cabinet at the Center. This will both serve as a model for the East, where the former military governor, ignores the elected Council and acts as if he has a popular mandate from the people. The President’s meeting with the Eastern Provincial councilors who were boycotting sessions, only papered over differences, since none of the substantive issues were dealt with. Keeping the SLMC within government in the context of the anti Muslim activities of government allies will increasingly be a very tough task.

Dayasiri joins the UPFA

Not to be outdone, President Rajapakse earlier this week played his own political trump card, when long running rumors that UNP Member of Parliament Dayasiri Jayasekera was crossing over to the UPFA, was confirmed, as he resigned his parliamentary seat, to become as he claimed the Chief Ministerial candidate of the UPFA for the North Western Province. That announcement saw more confusion in UPFA ranks as the incumbent UPFA Chief Minister of the province, Athula Wijesinghe was to claim that he, as the current Chief Minster would indeed be the UPFA’s chief ministerial candidate. Despite state media and pro government analyst often talking about dissension within the opposition, be it UNP or TNA, it is the UPFA which has been showing signs of serious fissures within its ranks and confusion over crucial national policies like constitutional amendments.

A narrowing electoral coalition for the Rajapakse regime

The governing coalition of the Rajapakse Administration, in fact its two third majority in parliament managed to hold together once the regime, both due to internal dissent and Indian pressure decided that its urgent bill of the 19thamendment, to strip away the exiting limited powers of the 13th amendment, was no longer urgent. An object lesson perhaps in how not to engage in constitutional reform.  A vote on that bill might have precipitated a loss of the government’s two third majority, when the old left, comprising the CP, LSSP and NSSP, in a rare display of political backbone not demonstrated since 2005,  joined the SLMC in stoutly resisting the proposed 19th amendments. Fisticuffs at a Cabinet meeting on the subject, between Ministers DEW Gunsekera and Wimal Weerawansa were barely avoided and then formally denied by the Cabinet Spokesman. One wonders if this new show of defiance is a reading by all these political players, that the regime is relatively weaker now and has seemingly lost its ability to steam roller unpopular measures catering to the whims of its more extremist allies.

A Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) of dubious credibility

Limited claims to credibility that the Government’s parliamentary select committee might have claimed to have disappeared, when the Government failed to make even its own solely government only PSC representative by excluding LSSP leader Professor Tissa Vitharana and SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem. In the parliamentary traditions of the Commonwealth, whose summit Sri Lanka is proud to host, a solely government PSC must be another unique first. The Government’s indecisiveness and political theatre of its proposed 19th amendment must surely make any opposition move to participate in the PSC, prior to a clear statement of policy by the Rajapakse regime, not only a futile exercise but worse a naive provision of political legitimacy to a government divided amongst itself and unable to represent a coherent policy.

No dilution of the 13th Amendment-India

MONDAY, 29 JULY 2013 

Top Indian minister reiterated that the Indian government was firm that there should be no dilution of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution, PTI reported.

Union Minister of State in PMO V Narayanasamy said, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured Tamil Nadu government that there was no change in the stand of the Centre on reconciliation and devolution of political powers to ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka.

13th Amendment is part of the Indo-Lanka accord of 1987 which seeks to give more powers to the provinces. There are reports that the Lankan government wants to repeal it despite India's concerns.

He said the Prime Minister had also made it clear that there would be no change in the Centre's stand on Sri Lankan Tamils issue.

He said the Sethusamudram Canal Project would be implemented and already Rs 5,500 crores had been earmarked for the project which would not affect environment.
"The Centre is firm to implement the project," he said. On Tendulkar Committee for Poverty Estimation, Narayanasamy said the Prime Minister would have a detailed study of the committee's report and then take a decision.

Ensure safety of Tamils- BJP leader SUNDAY, 28 JULY 2013 Tamils in Sri Lanka should be given special protection and their safety assured, visiting BJP leader Ananth Kumar said. On a visit to the US with BJP chief Rajnath Singh, Kumar said the Sri Lankan government should come out with a model where the Tamils will have a major say in the socio-political and economic development of the island-nation and contribute to the growth of the nation and are not discriminated against. BJP MP and General Secretary Kumar is also the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs. "Human rights have to be safeguarded and we want a united secular Sri Lanka where all the citizens have equal rights and are not discriminated against. We will take all steps to ensure this when we come back to power," Kumar said. "The only way forward is how diplomacy is used and we should not shy away from strongly and effectively conveying our feelings and concerns to the Sri Lankan authorities," he said. The foreign policy of BJP will be on the lines of national interest with a clear decisiveness, he said. (PTI)

SC Determination On JHU Bill To Repeal 13A – Purposely Ignores Arguments On Behalf Of The CPA?

July 29, 2013 

A Supreme Court bench headed by de facto Chief Justice Mohan Pieris has sent to the Speaker of Parliament, a controversial determination on the “”21st Amendment”, a Bill presented by a member of the rightwing political party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU). The JHU is part of the ruling UPFA coalition. There have only been 18 amendments so far, so it should have been called “19th Amendment Bill”.

Mohan Pieris

The determination is made, after the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) challenged the Bill as being completely invalid under the Constitution because it had not been referred to all the Provincial Councils as specifically required by the Constitution. The Supreme Court has previously upheld that this is a mandatory requirement, after the Provincial Councils were established by Constitution.

The de facto CJ’s ruling which goes against earlier determinations of the Supreme Court after the Provincial Council system was brought about, seems to be agreed with by the other two judges who sat with him (Sathyaa Hettige and Chandra Ekanayake) who have not made any comments or determinations of their own. Hettige is known to have got his judiciary appointment from the AG’s Department using connections to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Colombo Telegraph has previously reported how even after his appointment as a judge, Hettige has entertained Rajapaksa to private parties. According to several retired senior judges and legal academics contacted by Colombo Telegraph, this is fully unacceptable by international standards for conduct of judges. Earlier, Hettige’s request for appointment had been rejected many times by the Constitutional Council which functioned under the 17th Amendment. The 18th Amendment pushed through by the Rajapaksa regime repealed all the safeguards of the 17th Amendment for independence of the judiciary.

According to a Constitutional Law expert, all arguments taken up should be fully dealt with in the Supreme Court ruling. If there are ignored arguments, the determination “is highly questionable”, she said.

The Colombo Telegraph publishes below without any comment, the written submissions for the CPA and the Supreme Court’s determination published in the Hansard, so our readers can make their own conclusions in an informed way.

Click here for the written submissions for the CPA

Click here for the Supreme Court’s determination published in the Hansard     Read More

NINE SUSPECTS OF ESTATE SUPERINTENDENT MURDER IDENTIFIED IN COURT

July 29, 2013 
Nine suspects including ‘Atha Kota’ out of the 21 persons arrested over the murder of an Estate Superintendent in Deraniyagala were identified in the identification parade in courts today (July 29).

The Avissawella Magistrate Court ordered the rest of the suspects to be presented at courts tomorrow and day after tomorrow while they were ordered to be kept in remand at the Kuruvita prison.

 

Noori Estate superintendent Nihal Perera was hacked to death in Deraniyagala on July 5.

 

Anil Champika, also known as ‘Atha Kota’, a former Deraniyagala Pradeshiya Sabha chairman, had personally handed himself over through a lawyer.

•  VIDEO: Fmr. PS chairman and 18 others further remanded
  Jul 15th, 2013


•  VIDEO:Estate Superintendent hacked to death in Deraniyagala
  Jul 5th, 2013
• 
   Nine including ‘Atha Kota’ remanded over estate superintendent’s murder 
  Jul 9th, 2013

Notice on ousted. CJ Shirani Bandaranayake Notice has been issued on ousted Chief Justic Shirani Bandaranayake to appear before the Colombo Magistrate Court on September 16 over non declaration of assets. The notice was issued following a case filed by the Bribery and Corruption Commission against the former CJ for not declaring assets in her bank accounts.

Milking militarisation

Tamil Guardian 28 July 2013

Sri Lankan army soldiers embarked on their latest venture into the civilian life of Tamils in the North-East, with a milk programme. The 51st Division of Kopay, have gave Tamil children in four Jaffna schools a cup of free milk on July 16th. The four schools were: St James Maha Vidhyalaya, St. Roches Roman Catholic Vidyalaya, Seevari primary school and Thordarmalee school. The Sri Lankan army's 'Civil Military Coordination' in Jaffna, proudly states, "The company sponsored the project not as a promotion to its product but as compliance to the request of the Army."

Education May Deliver Garbage But Remove Garbage Elsewhere Too

By W.A Wijewardena -July 29, 2013 

Dr. W.A. Wijewardena

Inconclusive debate over Sri Lanka’s education: Education may deliver garbage but remove garbage elsewhere too

At the recently-concluded Economic Summit 2013, organised by Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, three divergent views had been expressed on the present state of Sri Lanka’s education and how its potential should be harnessed for the country’s future prosperity.

Anoop Singh: Improve productivity to raise income

Anoop Singh, Director of IMF’s Asia-Pacific Department, in delivering the keynote address, had identified three contributors that will enable Sri Lanka to increase its per capita income, measured in 2005 international dollars, to a level above $ 25,000 by 2037 so that the country will not be left behind the other emerging market economies (available here). They are the productivity of human capital, productivity of physical capital and the combined effect of these two productivities known as the total factor productivity.

With improvements in these three productivities, Singh had found that Sri Lanka could increase its average growth rate which stood between 4.5 and 6.5% during 2003-12 to 8% in the period to follow. All these three are in turn dependent on one single investment, namely, human knowledge that comes from education, research and technology.

Education should help produce more with less                  Read More

Dayasiri’s Crossover, Rajapaksa’s Political Power And The Hope

By Jehan Perera -July 29, 2013 

Jehan Perera

First Principle Of Governance Must Be Got Right First

The crossover of UNP Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekera to the government is being seen as yet another example of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s political power and acumen that is proving difficult to resist. It is also seen as an example of political opportunism and venality.  More than adding to the strength of an already over-powerful government the crossover of the former UNP stalwart will further demoralize an already demoralized opposition.  It will also serve as a warning to any potential dissenters within the government that they can be replaced by the President if need be.  The President continues to be the dominating figure of Sri Lankan politics.  Therefore those who are concerned about the political direction of the country, have to find ways to work with the President and his government.  This is the justification that many of those who join the government have given.

At the present time the opposition cannot match the government in regard to the material power that can be thrown into the political arena.  However, there are also other forms of power.  One is religious power. It is from religion that human societies first learnt of universal values, and that what applies to oneself, needs to be applied to others as well.  The first principle of good governance is to look at the larger interest, at the wellbeing of all, rather than the wellbeing of the few.  It is said that Mahatma Gandhi combined the spiritual symbols of Indian society with personal asceticism which made for a powerful appeal to the Indian psyche.  This is one of the attractions of Justice C V Wigneswaran’s nomination to the TNA’s Chief Ministerial candidate at the forthcoming Northern Provincial Council elections.  He has steeped himself in the Hindu religious tradition, so much so that he became a representative of the Hindu religion at multi religious functions.