Peace for the World

Peace for the World
First democratic leader of Justice the Godfather of the Sri Lankan Tamil Struggle: Honourable Samuel James Veluppillai Chelvanayakam

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Muslim congress may split due to cold war between party leader Hakeem and Chairman Segu Dawood

by D.B.S. JEYARAJ-17 August 2013,
Basheer Segu Dawood MP-pic courtesy of: Rupavahini.lk
Rauff Hakeem MP-pic courtesy of: ALJazeeraTV

Rauff Hakeem MP-pic courtesy of: ALJazeeraTV

This column shifts its focus away from the Tamil National alliance this week and turns the spotlight on the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress instead. The premier political party representing the Muslims of Sri Lanka is once again in the grip of an intra-party crisis with the time bomb of split cum defection ticking away. The name of that bomb threatening to explode is Basheer Segu Dawood!
Basheer Segu Dawood MP-pic courtesy of: Rupavahini.lk
SLMC081213











53 Year old Basheer Segu Dawood is the “Thavisaalar” or Chairman of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress(SLMC).The former school teacher hailing from Eravoor was elected to Parliament in 2010 from the Batticaloa district in Eastern Sri Lanka. Segu Dawood is currently a cabinet minister in charge of Productivity Promotion.Earlier he was the deputy minister of Cooperatives and Internal Trade.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa Might Need A Lesson On Economics


By Hema Senanayake -August 17, 2013 
Hema Senanayake
Colombo TelegraphWith due respect, I think President Mahinda Rajapaksa needs a lesson on economics. By profession he is a lawyer and we do not expect him to know everything about economics, but since he being the Commander in Chief in regard to the nation’s economy holding the portfolio of the Minister of Finance, the nation expects him to know a little bit about economics when he interpret economic policy. This is a challenge for any president who is not an economist by profession. When the former U.S. president Richard Nixon who was a lawyer too by profession decided to abolish the Breton Woods Agreement unilaterally, he convened a summit of his economic advisers at Camp David.  He carefully listened to opposing views, perhaps which is the easiest way that anybody could study a subject that he or she is not familiar with. That was a huge economic decision with global impact. Nixon learned much about economics and once he said that “We all are Keynesians now”, that was to interpret that his administration was to abandon the formally favored less-interventionist-policies.
When President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared opened the Mattala Airport he said that previously Sri Lanka borrowed from foreign countries to “eat bread” but his administration is borrowing to build infrastructure like the Mattala Airport. When I heard it I thought it was just a slip of tongue of a political leader. But he reiterated the same point a few days ago when he declared opened the new Water-Break of the Colombo Harbor. This made me to think that his opinion is not just a slip of a tongue instead it is an economic theory and policy of the government.
In economic terms what the president tries to insist is that borrowing for consumption (to eat bread) is not what he is doing; he borrows to build infrastructure which is considered as investment. His economic conclusion might be that borrowing for consumption is bad and borrowing for so called investment is good. If this was his conviction then it appears to be right but unfortunately non-revenue generating expenditure made on infrastructure is economically considered as consumption – And moreover, the expenditure made on lost making commercial ventures with borrowed money is the worst form of consumption.     Read More

UPFA clan tree in PC Elections


Friday, August 16, 2013

SRI LANKA BRIEFThe political arena has got agitated with the topic of government politicos’ relatives who have been given nomination for the Central and North – Western PC elections. We publish here a list of such relatives for the amusement of our viewers. 

The son of Deputy Minister of Education Nandimithra Ekanayaka is contesting for Matale District while his brother is contesting for Kandy District. 

Minister of Sports Mahindananda Aluthgamage’s brother Ananda Aluthgamage and his cousin Althgmage Weerasinghe have given nomination to contest Kandy District. 

The Minister of Higher Education S.B. Dissanayake’s two brothers Saliya Dissanayake and Jayalath Dissanayake are contesting for Nuwaraeliya District. 

Anuradha Jayaratne, the son of Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne is contesting from Kandy District. 

Mohommed Hamjad, son-in law of Deputy Minister of Environment and power Abdul Carder, is contesting from Kandy District. 

M.G. Jayaratna, the husband of Sunethra Gamage, the Chairperson of Teldeniya Pradehiya Sabha is contesting Kadny District. 

Pramitha Bandara Tennekone, the son of Minister of Lands Janaka Bandara Tennekone is contesting from Matale District. 

The Deputy Minister of Transport Rohan Dissanayake’s brother Parakrama Dissanayake is contesting from Matale District. 

Johan Fernando, son of Minister of Cooperatives Johnston Fernando, The Minister of Botanical Gardens and Public Recreation Jayarathna Herath’s son Piyumal Hearath, the Minister of Indigenous Medicine Salinda Dissanayale’s wife Mangala Dissanayake, Minister of Petroleum Industries Anura Priyadharshana Yapa’s brother Chandana Yapa are contesting from Kurunegala District. 

Nilanthe Wimalaweera, the son-in-law of Ananda Sarath Kumara, who forced a lady teacher to kneel down. is contesting from Puttalam District
LT


By Steve A. Morrell-August 16, 2013

Superintendents are resigning as they see no reason for them to be arrested because the required funds have not been provided by the JEDB.

Superintendents of state owned and managed estates have begun to resign from their jobs fearing arrest over non payment of their workers’ retirement benefits.

On Thursday, the Superintendent of Kumarawatte Estate in Moneragala was arrested by the police there on a Court order for non payment of EPF, ETF and gratuity following action filed by Labour Department officers to recover the outstanding dues.

Having spent a night in the police lockup, Superintendent Perera was eventually released yesterday morning through the intervention of the Ceylon Planters’ Society.

The Island learns that, following the ordeal, Sudesh Perera has resigned from his job as the Superintendent of Kumarawatte Estate.

Perera said he had been instructed by his Chairman to give himself up to the police on the assurance he would not be arrested.

It is also learnt that the Superintendent of Le Vallon Estate, Popuressa, too, has suddenly resigned for fear of being arrested. The superintendents are resigning as they see no reason for them to be arrested becausethe required funds have not been provided by the JEDB.

Chairman of the Janatha Estate Development Board, which administers most state-run plantations, Udayasiri Kariyawasam, contacted in this regard, conceded that it alone had defaulted on retirement benefits of its employees to the tune of nearly Rs. 900 million.

He said those outstanding sums were in the estate account books, but there were no funds to settle the defaulted sums.

The JEDB manages 16 estates totaling 11,758 hectares.

Similarly, Sri Lanka State Plantations Corporation, which manages 11 government estates, totalling 9,691 acres, too, has defaulted on its employees’ dues to the tune of Rs. 664 million and the third state sector player,

Elakaduwa Plantations, which manages nine estates, has defaulted to the tune of Rs 193 million.

Recently, Minister of State Resources and Enterprise Development Dayasritha Tissera announced a scheme to fell more than 67,000 trees on the affected estates to be sold to the State Timber Corporation to raise more than Rs. 12.7 billion to settle the total defaulted by the three companies over a period of about 16 years.

Some of the victim workers are already said to be dead, while many others are too feeble.

Mad Milk Mayhem For P & P

By  Kusal Perera -August 17, 2013 
Kusal Perera
DCD (dicyandiamide) –
Colombo TelegraphChlostridium (C.) Botulinum –
Whey Protein –
What do I know about all those medical and specialised lingo ? Nothing until a huge uproar broke out in media about a week ago and prompted some digging in. How much would a nurses’ trade unionists in Sri Lanka know ? Doubt they know it right. The medical doctors in government service ? They may know something, but what is their credibility ? What do journalists know ? They know what others say. This is everything about the on going battle against imported milk foods, especially the “Fonterra” brand from New Zealand. Little is now said about “Maliban” non fat and “Diamond” that were also marked as contaminated. It is now  just plain “Fonterra”.
This uproar reminds me of a similar campaign over two years ago, against imported pesticides and fertiliser. The origin was then an academic from Kelaniya university, a gold medallist in mathematics turned “fiction theorist” claiming “Naatha Deviyo” (god) informed of cyanide in fertiliser and was thus researched and proved right. Another publicist Channa Jayasumana of Rajarata University who sat with Rev. Athuraliye Rathana thero, the Sinhala introvert, told media on 04 August 2011, “…… These (pesticides from Germany, Switzerland and Europe) had high content of arsenic, mercury and cyanide and can have damaging side effects such as sensory impairment, disturbed sensations, lack of co-ordination, kidney dysfunction, damage to the skin and infertility.”
These publicity campaigns were later shot down by few other academics, who questioned the methodology and rationality of the “so called research done on Naatha deviyo’s information”. Any way, the Sinhala mindset created by these pseudo academics and Sinhala introverts, does not fade off with logical answers. They get life through other similar social campaigns by violent groups like the BBS and RB. Their campaigns too harp on “other forces” and attempts at making Sinhala people “infertile”, a symptom linked to imported fertiliser by Jayasumana.

Right To Information – “Mea Culpa”


Colombo Telegraph
By Rasika Jayakody -August 18, 2013 
Rasika Jayakody
Sri Lanka Press Institute last week organized a panel discussion on right to information where Kevin M. Goldberg, a general counsel of the American Society of News Editors, gave the keynote address. The American journalist turned lawyer gave some insight into the importance of right to information and the manner in which the Sri Lankan media should pursue it. His patronizing speech should be analyzed in the light of the recent developments arising from the NSA and Edward Snowden controversies. It was nothing more than a ‘pot-calling-the- kettle- black’.
Nevertheless, some insightful thoughts were also shared at the forum. In my view, the most important speech of the session was delivered by Manik de Silva, Editor in Chief of the Sunday Island. Being a journalist at the forefront of print media for more than five decades, Manik mainly spoke of the conduct of journalists with regard to freedom of expression and right to information in Sri Lanka. He asked whether the journalists who are fervent advocates of right to information have actually done their part in their capacity. He ended his speech saying “mea culpa” accepting the failure of the journalistic fraternity in making an effective approach towards ensuring right to information.
Media is gagged in Sri Lanka directly and indirectly, covering all bases of the media industry. This government, like all the other governments who governed this country after 1960, is geared towards suppressing media institutions that do not ‘toe the line’ of the government. The Rajapaksa regime may have taken it to another level by introducing a hitherto unprecedented formula of stifling media, particularly at the organizational level. But, it is interesting to see whether journalists, as a community, can distance themselves from the present trend of suppression and take the moral high ground, saintly vis-à-vis the conduct of the government.
Heartless blood sucking parasitic Rajapakses halt pulse beat of People too – the People's Bank
(Lanka-e-News-17.Aug.2013, 10.30PM) The largest State bank in Sri Lanka , the People’s Bank is to be purchased by the Rajapakses, and towards this all underhand activities are being resorted to. The President Mahinda Rajapakse who is also the Finance Minister presented a Cabinet paper to the Cabinet when it met on the 15 th forenoon to privatize the largest Sate Bank in Sri Lanka , which the Cabinet too had approved .

Based on this proposal, since the bank is enmeshed in a financial debacle, (for which the Rajapakse regime itself is responsible ) citing building its asset base as a reason , opportunities are being offered to the private sector to invest via the share market . By an amendment to section 29 of the People’s bank Act 1961 , it is aimed purportedly to improve the bank’s asset base through private sector share investment. 

Minister Keheliya Rambukwella , answering a question posed by a journalist at a media briefing held by the Minister on the 15 th , accepted this story as true. The legal draftsman’s department had been enlisted to prepare the draft amendment , and based on that draft amendment , the necessary steps to be taken will be made known thereafter, he explained ,.

There are several options open to the government : The government can retain 51% of the shares or it can transfer it to a private management or retain 100 % of its ownership with the government by opening the share issue in the stock broking market , he noted.

In any event , according to what has come to light, as always there is a an underhand deal in all these maneuvers , that is , a few days ago , the introduction of Namal equity value fund into the name list of the Colombo stock market . 

The Colombo stock exchange announced that there is no bar to the transactions of the foreign investors ,adding that the number of shares the foreign investors can have in their funds is now unlimited. 

The bottom line of all these unscrupulous and sordid manipulations of the Rajapakses is : through the spurious Rajapakse companies , purchase the People’s Bank via ‘Namal equity value fund’ .It is to achieve this fraudulent and dastardly objective , the number of shares of a fund which was limited is now abolished.

The sum total of all these diabolic manipulations is : the Rajapakes exploiting their despotic powers are seeking to own the People’s bank which was considered as the pulse of the people. Even before finishing with sucking the blood of the people , these avaricious Draculas and monsters have decided even to devour the bank that served as the pulse of the people. How can these monsters without hearts know the value of human pulse?

The Staunchest Friends Of The Regime


Colombo Telegraph
By Malinda Seneviratne -August 18, 2013 |
Malinda Seneviratne
The word in the street is that Ranil Wickremesinghe’s is the regime’s best friend.  Inept leadership, fuelling division in opposition ranks to prompt defection, refusal to take on the Government in any meaningful manner on crucial issues of public concern, rhetorical slip-ups made to be pounced on for purposes on ridicule and being conspicuously out-of-touch with the sentiments of the masses are often cited as evidence to support this friendship claim.
On the other hand, it must be mentioned in Ranil’s defence that the 1978 Constitution does not grand the opposition any favors. In fact, just as it confers dictatorial powers on the executive president, it also disempowers the opposition.  Sarath N Silva’s horrendous crossover ruling that made parliamentary traffic a one-way matter hasn’t helped.  These factors helped scuttle the 17th Amendment and worse paved the way for the 18th, further strengthening those in power and conferring further disempowerment on the opposition.  Ranil’s detractors might say ‘Still!’, implying that he could do much better.
But is Ranil really the only friend that the regime can count on among those who object to it on matters of policy and policy implementation, and of course corruption, incompetence, inefficiency and overt and covert attacks on democracy?
Mahinda Rajapaksa had few friends when he was running for President in 2005.  Today he has few enemies and fewer still have the courage to stand up and object.  That’s not unusual.  Power corrupts.  Power also attracts.  There was a time, after all, when there were countless ‘friends’ swarming around his predecessor.  That was not the case before she became President and it is not the case now that she is Ex-President.  It is about playing the right card.  It is about mutual benefit.  Important no doubt, but still less critical than friends among the enemy in times of declining popularity.
It’s not just Ranil.
In the past few years there have been ample reason for many to object to the regime.  Not just object but to be appalled, in fact.  The umbrage however has not translated into mass protests. ‘Fear,’ some explain, but that’s just a part of the story.  A small part, one might add.  Where does the anger find expression, then? Why, in social media!           Read More


 
 
Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen has sent a CCTV footage which, according to him, contains evidence of police inaction during a recent mob attack on a mosque at Grandpass, to IGP N. K. Illangakoon. The former insists that the latter has promised to order a probe if allegations against the police could be substantiated. This is an interesting development.

Minister Bathiudeen has also said, in his letter to the IGP, that there are several people who saw ‘armed hoodlums attack the mosque, enter the sacred precincts of the place of worship, assault the worshippers and thereafter get away under the watchful eye of a number of police personnel on duty around the mosque’. Therefore, he is of the view there is enough ground for an investigation.

Bathiudeen has articulated the position of all Muslim politicians in the government on last week’s dastardly attack which put the country to shame. They insist that the Grandpass disturbances could have been prevented if the police had made a timely intervention to scatter the unruly crowds converging on the scene. What one gathers from their version of the incident is that the police just stood by while the mosque was being attacked and then intervened to prevent a counter attack. This is a very serious allegation which the police have to counter, if they could. There have been similar allegations against them previously that they looked on while mobs were attacking mosques and business places belonging to Muslims.

By no stretch of the imagination could Minister Bathiudeen and other Muslim politicians who have rightly taken up the cudgels for their community under threat be accused of having a hidden agenda. They have always stood by the government. They are only demanding justice.

Now that he has got the CCTV footage containing evidence, the IGP is left with no alternative but to honour his pledge. His failure to do so will be tantamount to an attempt at a cover-up. The public may not take calls for his resignation seriously in that public officials and politicians seldom resign in this country. An IGP once took the responsibility for a brutal attack on a workers’ protest at Katunayake, where a youth was killed. In so doing he made a virtue of necessity and got a diplomatic posting in return for services rendered. He couldn’t have asked for more!

However, IGP Illangakoon is duty bound to order an investigation into the serious allegation that police inaction helped mobs carry out the mosque attack with impunity. There is no reason why the police personnel detailed to maintain law and order at Grandpass should be allowed to go unpunished if they have either failed to carry out their duties or collaborated with politically motivated violent mobs. Only an impartial probe will help the government get to the bottom of it. Such action is sure to send a strong message to ethno-religious fanatics that the sky is not the limit.

The police leave no stone unturned in their efforts to gather ‘evidence’ against Opposition politicians and activists who are prosecuted amazingly fast. (This is what Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem has famously called ‘selective efficiency’ of the police.) Therefore, they cannot justify their foot-dragging on the promised investigation into alleged police inaction at Grandpass.

Let Minister Bathiudeen be urged to call a press conference and officially release the CCTV footage to the media so that the public could see for themselves what really happened at Grandpass. They have a right to know the truth.
Water should never be made a weapon - Minister Basil
 Saturday, 17 Aug 2013
Minister Basil Rajapaksa Friday said that water should never be made a weapon and reminded that the British colonialists had destroyed the country's ancient tanks, irrigation systems, reservoirs and other water resources which were the main stay of the country's economy.


Minister Rajapaksa addressing the second international Conference on Community and Water Services at the North Central Provincial council's auditorium at Anuradhapura, Friday (16) said that their objective was to break the will of the nation and subjugate it by turning cultivated fertile agricultural land into waste lands," he said,


He added that once again the country was reaching self-sufficiency, thanks to the 'Mahinda Chinthana' Vision, although in the process of developing the country various problems are confronting the government, especially because of the activities of certain groups.


He stressed that Sri Lankan society should not to be racially and religiously divided. He also observed that water was strongly linked to the Sri Lankan way of life and culture.


The Anuradhapura civilization gave the highest priority to irrigation technology, according to Minister Rajapaksa who also pointed out that the mark of prosperity of the village in ancient times was the combination of the tank (wewa) and the dagaba.


While industrial development was vital today it was necessary to be fully aware of its harmful side effects - environmental pollution such as effluent and industrial waste seeping into the ground and flowing into water ways – and take preventive measures.


Nearly 500 local and foreign delegates attended the first day of the three-day seminar, titled 'Water Cooperation for Community Development' organised by the Water Supply and Drainage Ministry under the direction of Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.


Ministers Dinesh Gunawardena and Felix Perera, Chief Minister Ranjit Samarakoon, Deputy Ministers H.N. Chandrasena and Tissa Karaliyedda, Weerakumara Dissanayaka, WB Ekanayaka were also present. (Info Dept)

Manamperi Murder Case, Incident At Ratupaswela And The Law


Colombo Telegraph
By Lal Wijenayake -August 17, 2013 |
Lal Wijenayake

When thousands of people from several villages around Weliweriya were demonstrating and if the law enforcement authorities considered this to be an unlawful assembly which is a threat to the maintenance of Law and Order, then under our law the Police is vested with powers to disperse such an assembly under Section 95 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Under Section 95(3), the military can be used only when such an assembly cannot otherwise be dispersed and if it is necessary for the public security that it should be dispersed.  In such a situation a Magistrate or a Government Agent of the District or any police officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police may cause it to be dispersed by requiring any commissioned or non commissioned officer in command of any personal of the Sri Lanka Army, Navy or Air Force, to disperse such an assembly using such military force as necessary to disperse the assembly.  The Section specifically states “In so doing he shall use as little force and do as little injury to person and property”.
The powers under section 96 of the Criminal procedure code for a commissioned military officer to disperse an unlawful assemble is not relevant to this incident as police officers were present and handling the situation at the time.
There are universally accepted procedures that has to be followed by the police in dispersing an unlawful assembly.  The assembly is 1st informed that they have to disperse and that action will have to be taken to disperse them if they failed to heed the order.  Thereafter if necessary water cannons are used, and then tear gas shells and thereafter, if necessary rubber bullets are used.  If all these steps fails, and if the life or property of the police is in danger live ammunition can be used and it is accepted procedure that they should try to disperse the crowd by firing into the air and that they can shoot only in self defense and even in such extreme situations should shoot below the knees.
It is accepted in all civilized societies that only minimum or the necessary force should be used.  We have never heard of dispersing a crowd by chasing them for miles to places of worship to shoot them and in such an event the action amounts to murder.
The Supreme Court in the well known Manamperi murder case, Wijesuriya Vs. the State 77NLR 25,regarding a soldier subject to Military Law, it was held that a military officer “continues to remain the custodian of the Civil Law and it will be his duty to shoulder the responsibility of police duties, in the discharge of which he is as much subject to the civil law as an ordinary policeman Read More

N’Eliya MC top officials in hot water
By Premalal Wijeratne and 
Binoy Suriyaarachchi- Saturday, 17 Aug 2013

The Mayor and the Deputy Mayor of the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council are in hot water, the former for accepting bribes while the latter is accused of abusing five underage children.

Deputy Mayor, Tissa Seneviratne, accused of child abuse, is on the run and the police have launched a hunt, police said.
The Deputy Mayor earlier lodged a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) against Mayor Mahinda Dodampegama, over misuse of funds related to the Nuwara Eliya Wasantha Samaya festival, held in April. The Deputy Mayor later made a complaint with the police that he had received death threats after he lodged the complaint against the Mayor and that he had been threatened with death by the secretary of the Mayor, if he failed to withdraw the complaint.

Meanwhile, the police said a unit attached to the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) has launched an investigation into the complaint lodged against the Deputy Mayor, who is currently evading police.  The NCPA yesterday dispatched a police team to Nuwara Eliya, after receiving a complaint on its hotline. Statements were obtained by the children, who had allegedly been subjected to abuse by the Deputy Mayor.

The Deputy Mayor is accused of abusing five children during the past two years. The children were produced for a medical examination by the Judiciary Medical Officer of Nuwara Eliya. However, since the doctor was absent, the children were ordered to be reproduced for the medical examination on Sunday.
When contacted, Chairperson of the NCPA, Anoma Dissanayake said, the NCPA has launched an investigation after it received a complaint.

A team of police officers attached to the NCPA, led by IP B.W. Bopitiya, under the supervision of Superintendent of Police, Jayantha Wickremesinghe, are conducting further investigations.


New law to prohibit publications defamatory of the major religions

FRIDAY, 16 AUGUST 2013 
The Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs Ministry is to introduce a new law seeking action against publications, either in print or online, that defames the original teachings and traditions of the major religions, officials said yesterday.
   
As a first step in this effort, the Ministry has drafted a bill that provides for the establishment of a Buddhist Publications Regulatory Board with authority to regulate any publication that is in violation of Buddhism, its philosophy or traditions.

The Board, if established under the proposed bill, will have two ex-officio members -- the Ministry’s secretary and the Commissioner General of Buddha Sasana. Besides these, there will be other members: one member will be nominated by each of the Mahanayakes of the four chapters (Malwatta, Asgiri, Amarapura and Ramagna), each of the heads of the departments of Pali and Buddhist Studies of four major universities will also nominate one member, and the subject minister will nominate another two.  

Ministry secretary M.K.B. Dissanayake said that this bill was now with the Attorney General pending approval.

“After approval by him it will be sent to the Cabinet of Ministers for approval,” he said.

Mr. Dissanayake said the Board would have the authority to specify standards, norms and criteria that should be adhered to in written and oral Buddhist publications. It would also have the power to examine any Buddhist text to see whether it conforms to the Buddhist teachings and traditions practiced in Sri Lanka.

Once the new bill is enacted to deal with publications regarding Buddhism, another law is to be introduced to deal with publications that are contrary to the original teachings of other religions. (Kelum Bandara)

Man with learning difficulties to be sterilised in unprecedented court ruling

Telegraph.co.uk -By -16 Aug 2013

The High Court has ordered a man with learning difficulties to have a vasectomy to prevent him having further children in an unprecedented legal ruling.

A man with significant learning difficulties has been ordered to undergo a vasectomy to prevent him from having further children in a landmark legal ruling by the High Court.

The High Court has ordered a man with learning difficulties to have a vasectomy to prevent him having further children in an unprecedented legal ruling. Photo: PA

DR Congo unrest: Children freed from militia, says UN

Monusco is tasked with protecting civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo-16 August 2013 

BBCMonusco vehicles in Kagnaruchinya, north of Goma. 2 June 2013 The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo says that 82 children - some as young as eight - have been rescued from an armed group.

Monusco says the children, including 13 girls, had been forcibly recruited in the past six months by the Mai Mai Bakata Katanga militia


The group is active in Katanga province in the south-east of the country.
Forty of the rescued children have been reunited with their families and the others are said to be receiving care.
Correspondents say the region remains very restive, with local militia demanding a fairer distribution of wealth between the poorer north of Katanga and the southern zone where foreign mining firms operate.
Monusco - the UN's stabilisation mission in DR Congo - said in a statement that the children had been identified and separated from the militia through the concerted efforts of child protection agencies.
"We are extremely concerned by continued reports of active recruitment by Mai Mai Bakata Katanga and other armed groups in eastern DRC," said Monusco head Martin Kobler.
"Children face unacceptable risks when they are recruited for military purposes. The recruitment of children, particularly those under 15 years of age, could constitute a war crime and those responsible must be held to account."
Monusco said that since the beginning of the year, 163 children, including 22 girls, have been removed from the militia.