De Facto CJ Felicitated By De-Facto Bar Midst Navi Pillay Visit

August 26, 2013 

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka has refused to welcome the present de facto Chief Justice Mohan Peiris, despite several attempts made by pro government lawyers, Colombo Telegraph learns.

De facto Chief Justice Mohan Pieris

Former Vice President of the BASL Anoma Gunatilaka who resigned when the Bar voted overwhelmingly to support Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake during the impeachment and resolved to refrain from welcoming and illegally appointed successor, and W. Dayaratne along with recently appointed PCs have now organised a felicitation dinner to show the world that the “Bar” is with Mohan Pieris.

Interestingly, it has been organised for Monday night, the day hand picked judges meet Navi Pillay to impress upon her that the Sri Lankan judiciary is upto the mark on the protection of human rights. The lawyers working in all state institutions and Forces are mandatorily required to attend tonight’s dinner while all Partners of all  the legal Firms have been given the books of 10 tickets (and often spoken to personally by the judges) to ensure attendance of the lawyers.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka has decided to boycott the event.

The de facto Chief Justice was formerly the advisor to the Cabinet, the infamous Defence Ministry and the spokesman of the Government of Sri Lanka who had defended the Sri Lankan human rights record in Geneva.  During his brief period as the Attorney General he is credited with having totally politicised the AG’s department.

In a news flash an  SMS is currently being circulated through the lawyers with the  following message:

“A felicitation of the de facto CJ without the BASL blessings to be held on Monday evening by a grateful group of lawyers. In reaction to the inconvenient pressure group   “Lawyers for Democracy”, those who attending this function are to be used to form a counter  pressure group – “Lawyers for Favors”.

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TID ordered to probe disappearances

By Ishara Rathnakara-Monday, 26 Aug 2013

Colombo Additional Magistrate, N. Fernando, today ordered the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) to launch immediate investigations into the disappearance of 2,550 people who had gone missing in the North and East.

Meanwhile, the TID Director presented the Court with a register of the names of the missing persons. The documents were given to the Court in confidentiality, and the Additional Magistrate ordered the documents be kept in the Court’s Safe.

A request was made by the TID to the Magistrate asking permission to conduct special investigations into the disappearances of the 2,550 people. After considering their request, Additional Magistrate Fernando granted leave to conduct the necessary investigations.

She further instructed the TID to report the proceedings of their investigations to the Court. (Ceylon Today Online)

Expose Disgraceful Justice: Justice Shiranee T Gave False Evidence Before Parliamentary Select Committee

August 26, 2013 

There was a finding by the infamous Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) that the case commonly known as the “Trillium Case” was wrongly taken before a bench presided by CJ Bandaranayake by CJ Banadaranayake herself. To arrive at this finding the PSC mainly relied on the evidence of JusticeShiranee Thilakawardene and PSC stated in its report that they believe and accept Justice Thilakawardene’s evidence in toto without hesitance.

Justice Shiranee Tillekewardene

Though not relevant, this finding is wrong and apart from that, the so called evidence given by Justice Thilakawardene is absolutely false.

The objective of this article is to analyse the evidence given by Justice Thilakawardene being a Senior most Judge of the apex Court of the Country.

The background to the matter

A motion and affidavit was filed on 19/08/2011, challenging certain decisions made by Justice Thilakawardene in SCFR 191/2009 ,by a affecting party an Intervenient-Petitioner , inter-alia ,and the party affected wanted to review the orders made on 29/06/2011 by Justice Thilakawardene and also asked for 5 Judge Bench to review the particular order made by a bench presided by Justice Thilakawardene.This motion and Petition contained 11 pages and annexes running into 72 pages. What more is that this affidavit shows the conduct of Justice Thilakawardene and how the orders were made in the matter affecting rights of people in violation of their rights.

In short this motion and affidavit comprehensively challenged the decisions made by Justice Thilakawardene.The affidavit and motion were filed not merely to ask for 5 Judge Bench.

It was referred to Justice Thillekewardene by the Registrar of the Supreme Court.

Justice Thillekewardene made a minute on 30/08/2011 only stating an intervenient –Petitioner has filed an application and affidavit is dated 19/08/2011 and referred the same to CJ which reads as follows-

The Hon. the Chief Justice- 

Intervenient-Petitioner have asked for a bench

Of  5 Judges to hear this case.

Affidavit is dated 19/08/2011.f.n.a pl.

Signed-Thilakawardene J                                           Read More

Conceiving and designing strategy for ‘Struggle and Development’

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 August 2013, 20:08 GMT]
Tamil activists have to reject outright any suggestion of ‘partnership’ with genocidal Colombo in the international ‘development’ agendas. They should insist and wage a struggle for a direct deal, writes an academic in Jaffna cautioning against a current move of the Establishments in linking development with the PC-LLRC process, aimed at the annihilation of the identity and territoriality of the nation of Eezham Tamils. Development doesn’t come without justice. Every generation has to be provided with the struggle of its own times, as a righteous struggle only brings in true social progress and development. Genocide-facing Tamils have to conceive and design strategies of their own for a paradigm of “Struggle and Development,” he further said. 

Conceiving and designing strategy for ‘Struggle and Development’ by nelvely

…And Our Rulers Smile

By Shyamon Jayasinghe -August 26, 2013 

Shyamon Jayasinghe

“..that  one may smile and smile and be a villain.” –Hamlet, Act I, Scene 1

Paul Babiak and Robert D Hare published a book titled, ”Snakes in Suites- When psychopaths go to work.”

Take a look at our ruling political elite in Sri Lanka from the very top man, right through the hierarchy of tail-wagging, incompetent Ministers, to the lowest Pradeshiya Sabha ranks. Look at the para-political levels ,namely the myriad hangers-on- of this mainstream elite: servile lowly monks who confer exalted religious titles on corrupt leaders; opportunistic Public Servants willing to concoct bogus statistics to boost the government; media personal who are recipients of royal patronage; the kind of artist that announces that Mahinda Rajapakse belongs to the lineage of the Buddha; the kind of artist who sings the anthem for the  rowdy and beefy monk brigade that is going round the country attacking churches, mosques, meat stalls in the name of the Great Compassionate One or even the simple naïve men and women who go to Lanka and return with stories of “great improvement” or “miracles,” as the ancient Arab traders did.

In repose, all these guys smile, and smile and even hug. The biggest of all smiles come from the highpoint of power.

Why do they smile while rot goes on under their watch? It is not as mysterious a question as the Mona Lisa smile. Babiak & Hare have done an exhaustive study of psychopaths. “Callous and manipulative, adept at conning people a psychopath relies on superficial charm, makes great first impressions….they never feel bad about anything they do that is shameless.”

To say that you can spot a law-abiding psychopath is an oxymoron (ie something weirdly self-contradictory). Psychopaths are by definition masters of emotional disguise. If there were an Olympics for impression management our psychopathic leaders would be exultant medalists. Sri Lanka’s ruling politicos have proved themselves to be deceitful and shameless and masters of lying and subterfuge. At the same time, our general public including some formally educated types have proved to be gullible, naïve peasants.

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Intruders said they were on a contract - Mandana

by Harishchandra Gunaratna-August 25, 2013, 10:10 pm 

Mandana Ismail Abewickrema speaking to media after the horrific incident

Mandana Ismail Abeywickrama, Associate Editor of The Sunday Leader and President of Sri Lanka Journalists’ Trade Union (SLJTU), yesterday said that one of the five-member gang that broke into her house, in the wee hours of Saturday, had told her that they had been given a contract by a person who had an axe to grind with her.

She said that one of them had even slapped her several times, telling his gang members they had spent too much time in the house and had to leave soon.General Secretary of SLJTU Priyantha Karunaratna said the intruders were not robbers and the incident was a part of a campaign to suppress media freedom. "Several days ago a dead cat was placed opposite Madana’s residence and the day before the attack a tyre of Manadana’s husband Romesh’s vehicle was cut.

Meanwhile, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association, Ranga Jayasuriya, in a release issued to media said: "The SLWJA is disturbed by the recent incident in which at least five armed men intruded the residence of journalists Ms Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema and Mr Romesh Abeywickrema on Friday night. The armed men ransacked the house, robbed jewellery and allegedly perused files and documents belonging to Ms Abeywickreme with a keen interest.

"Mandana is the Associate Editor of the Sunday Leader and Romesh is the Business Editor of the same newspaper.

"The intruders were at the residence from 2 am to until 5 am. Later, an alleged robber was killed and three police constables wounded in an exchange of gunfire after police arrived in the scene.

SLWJA calls on the authorities to conduct an independent investigation into the incident and disclose the identities of the intruders."

Will LTTE Ezhilan’s Wife Ananthi Sasitharan Get to Meet UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay?

By

D.B.S.JEYARAJ-25 August 2013,

Ms. Anandhi Sasitharan in campaign paraphernalia---High Commissoner Navi Pillay speaks to reporters at a Colombo hotel on Sunday, Aug 25-pic: newsfirst.lk

The current visit to Sri Lanka by UN Human Rights Commissioner Ms. Navanetham Pillay known as Navi Pillay has aroused much interest and anticipation in the country. There is hectic activity by many Human rights activists and Non–Governmental Organization personnel to meet Ms. Pillay directly and air their grievances. It appears that meeting Navi Pillay in person is almost a status symbol for a certain category of persons. There are also attempts to derive political mileage out of such encounters.

Will LTTE Ezhilan’s Wife Ananthi Sasitharan Get to Meet UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay by nelvely

Pillay urged to meet polls monitors, all candidates 

Dasun Edirisinghe reporting from Kilinochchi-August 25, 2013, 10:12 pm

A local election monitoring group, Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), yesterday said that visiting United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay should meet all other political parties and independent groups contesting the Northern Provincial Council election, if she decides to meet the TNA candidates.

Addressing a media conference here, CaFFE Executive Director Keerthi Tennakoon said that as a responsible human rights official she should look into the rights of all candidates who were in the fray.

Answering a question, he said that Pillay was scheduled to meet only the candidates of the Tamil National Alliance (Illankai Tamil Arsu Kachchi), contesting the Northern Provincial Council polls from the Jaffna District, during her visit to the province.Tennakoon said that as the UN’s human rights chief, she should ensure the rights of all candidates in the fray otherwise the TNA would get an unethical political advantage by meeting her in Jaffna.

The senior observer said that meeting the candidates of just one party contesting the Northern Provincial Council polls was very similar to violating election laws and using state vehicles in campaigning for the North -Western and Central Provincial Councils in the run up to the September 21 election.

While paying attention to probing alleged human rights violations during the final phase of humanitarian operations in the Northern Province, it was equally important to honour the election laws, Tennakoon said.

He said that members of the civil organizations in the area, especially of the war affected people, were the better observers of the election than outside monitors as they knew the people of their areas and their movements well.

"Civil organizations must get together to protect the rights of people in the province," Tennakoon said adding that people must cooperate with the three forces and police to develop the war affected province as the government had implemented several mega development projects in the north.

Tennakoon said that neither foreign nor local NGOs could solve problems of the Northerners and solutions to their problems should come from themselves.

Focus On Civilian Policing

By Basil Fernando -August 26, 2013 

Basil Fernando

Within just a few days of the announcement of the new ministry, the Ministry of Law and Order, a rather unusual level of interest has emerged, judging by the many articles that have appeared in response to the government’s move. Though such quick responses are unusual, they are not surprising. If anyone is asked to point out some of the most pressing issues of public importance, the issue of the civilian police would emerge, without doubt. In fact, for several years, this issue has been addressed on an almost daily basis in all media, in all languages.

Therefore, it is worth trying to trace, by way of a brief history, how the issue of civilian policing acquired such importance.

Since the British established a policing system in Sri Lanka, some 147 years back, the idea of establishing a civilian policing system, which would be in charge of the law enforcement in Sri Lanka, gradually became quite a consolidated part of the building of the state in Sri Lanka. The critical point at which the idea of civilian policing came to be challenged is in the aftermath of the 1971 JVP ‘insurrection’. Suddenly, the police, together with the military, was pushed into the executing the idea of ‘exterminating insurgents’. The idea of extermination was in direct contradiction with the ideas of the administration of justice and enforcement of law in the normal sense, anywhere in the world.

Looking back, it is easy to identify the elements of such extermination, as compared with normal law enforcement functions.

Those elements are:                 Read More

VIDEO: AGAINST PILLAY’S VISIT…

The Ravana Balaya Organisation today held a protest in front of the United Nations Colombo office against the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay’s visit to Sri Lanka. Pic by Sanjeewa Lasantha

August 26, 2013  

Sri Lankans protest against U.N. rights chief's visit

COLOMBO | Mon Aug 26, 2013 9:11am EDT

(Reuters) - About 100 Sri Lankan demonstrators led by Buddhist monks protested on Monday against U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay, saying she should get out of the country and not criticize its human rights record.

The protesters gathered at the U.N. head office in the capital, Colombo, as Pillay began a seven-day fact finding mission on Sri Lanka's rights record.

"She should visit countries like Iraq and Afghanistan which have become slaughter-houses," said protesting Buddhist monk Ittekande Saddatissa.

Sri Lanka battled separatist guerrillas from the minority Tamil community from 1983 until finally defeating them in 2009.

Tens of thousands of civilians were killed in the final months of the war, a U.N. panel said earlier, as government troops advanced on the last stronghold of the rebels fighting for an independent homeland.

The U.N. panel said it had "credible allegations" that Sri Lankan troops and rebels both carried out atrocities and war crimes, and singled out the government for most of the responsibility for the deaths.

Sri Lanka has come under international pressure to bring to book those accused of war crimes and boost efforts to reconcile a polarized country.

But it has rejected the accusations of rights abuses.

Pillay, a South African national of Indian Tamil origin, said she had come to Sri Lanka to assess the human rights situation.

"I have not come here to criticize, I have come hear to raise human rights concerns," she told reporters on Sunday.

"I'm not writing my own statute, I'm looking at the framework that was also developed by Sri Lanka so if I raise criticisms its weather they comply with those standards."

In a resolution in March, the U.N. Human Rights Council urged Sri Lanka to carry out credible investigations into the deaths and disappearances of thousands of people. Many Western nations, including Britain and Canada, have also demanded an independent inquiry.

(Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Compliance not criticism: Pillay

August 26, 2013 

• UN Human Rights Chief says she is not here to criticise but to address human rights concerns as per global standards
• Busy schedule kicks off with first meeting with CJ Mohan Peiris today followed by talks with Hakeem, Vasu and Mahinda Samarasinghe
• Luncheon briefing with Colombo’s diplomatic community
• Will fly to the north tonight

By Dharisha Bastians 
Visiting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay says she is not in the country to criticise but to raise human rights concerns as per the standards set by the entire world, including Sri Lanka. However, with her arrival, Sri Lanka will remain under the microscope for a week as the UN’s Chief Envoy on Human Rights tours the former conflict zones and discusses progress made on international calls for accountability and reconciliation with the country’s political administration.

During a brief interaction with the media last evening, High Commissioner Pillay said her visit to Sri Lanka was to assess whether the Government here is complying with the standard for human rights set for the whole world that she said has also been accepted by Sri Lanka.
“I frame myself within the human rights standards set for the whole world by all the governments of the world including the Government of Sri Lanka. So I’m not writing my statute. I’m looking at the framework that was also developed by Sri Lanka. So if I raise criticism it is whether they are complying with those standards,” Pillay told reporters.
She said that it was true that the Government had invited her some time ago but that she had preferred to wait until the release of the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). “When I go back, I will report on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka to the Human Rights Council.”

Pillay, who flew into the island last morning, will hold a series of meetings with senior Government ministers and senior judges including Chief Justice Mohan Peiris today.
The UN High Commissioner, who had briefings with the UN country team following her arrival yesterday, will have her first meeting this morning with Chief Justice Mohan Peiris and Supreme Court judges, followed by discussions with Attorney General Palitha Fernando and Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem. She will also meet with National Languages and Social Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara before a luncheon at Cinnamon Lakeside with the diplomatic corps in Colombo including officials from the US, Indian and EU missions in Colombo. Pillay is also scheduled to meet with Presidential Special Envoy on Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe this afternoon.
The UN Envoy will leave for her tour of the north and east this evening for meetings with civilians, civil society representatives and the military, although the details of her meetings in the former battle zones will remain confidential. Pillay returns to Colombo on Wednesday for further meetings with External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris and Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunge. Her meeting with representatives of the Tamil National Alliance will take place on Friday.
High Commissioner Pillay is in the island on a technical mission as mandated by the UN Human Rights Council that passed two resolutions against Sri Lanka calling on the Government to investigate alleged excesses during the final phase of the war, pushing for progress on reconciliation and a permanent political settlement for the Tamil community.

VIDEO: UNP QUESTIONS PRESIDENT’S VISIT TO BELARUS DURING PILLAY’S ARRIVAL IN SL

August 26, 2013

The UNP questioned as to why President Mahinda Rajapaksa left for Belarus during the visit of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay.

UNP General Secretary, MP Tissa Attanayake questioned as to why the President would schedule a visit to a country which is known as the last dictatorial state of the European Union during the visit of the UN High Commissioner.

Speaking at a press conference held in Colombo today (August 26) he said that it was wrong that the President ran away from the country without facing Navi Pillay.

He also spoke about the alleged robbery at journalist Mandana Abeywickrema’s home in Colombo, stating that it is suspicious that a group of robbers would remain at her house for so many hours.

Attanayake said that a robbery of this nature has never been reported in Sri Lanka while he commended the manner in which the police responded. He charged that the incident was an attack on the media.

Trust only the peoples of the Palk Bay: Jaffna fishermen leader

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 August 2013, 08:01 GMT]
The perspective of the coastal people of North is that the States of Sri Lanka and India collaborate in the destruction of Eezham Tamils, said Mr N.V. Subramaniam, a fisheries society leader from Maathakal in Jaffna, who is taking part in the Northern Provincial Council elections representing the Tamil National Alliance. Based on his experience in the grassroots activism and participation in the negotiations and meetings held in India and in Colombo, Mr Subramaniam said the coastal people of North had lost all hope in negotiating with the Establishments of both the States. Instead, the only hope for the fishermen now is strengthening the understanding between the fishermen societies across the Palk Strait and also with the fishermen from South in a people-to-people discourse. 

The Eezham Tamil fishermen have been facing three external problems so far: poaching trawlers from India, trawlers coming from the South and the intruding fishermen from south who are deploying illegal methods of fishing. But now, adding to the woes, is the arrival of Chinese trawlers carrying Sri Lankan flags fishing in our waters, he said while briefing the journalists in Jaffna on Friday on the plight of fishermen. 



150-feet boats from China are fishing in the territorial waters of Eezham Tamils carrying Sri Lankan flags. After the news of the arrival of these Chinese vessels, many more Indian trawlers are poaching close to our coast, he further said. 

The average Eezham Tamil fisherman going to the sea using traditional fishing methods is unable to get a catch of 1-2 kg of fish for their survival. 

Combined with the interests of exploiters, a big power play is unfolding in the seas. Amidst this, our protests remain useless. 

While the fishermen have to struggle for their daily food how can they concentrate on chasing away the Chinese trawlers one day and the Indian trawlers the other day, he questioned adding that the fishermen are now questioning whether there is any further use in continuing their protests adding that there is no political will in Colombo or New Delhi to resolve this. 

On the contrary, the SL military even cooperates with the intruding trawlers from India. Sometimes, receiving some catch, the SL Navy allows the trawlers to proceed through its ports near KKS Harberview Hotel, he says. 

He was also referring to a protest and the conversation he had with the Consul General of India in Jaffna, Mr V. Mahalingam sometime back. 

When the Consul General received an appeal from the protesters and witnessed our plight, he was asking us to come with some ‘achievable’ demands. Even he had to admit that politics is in play, Subramaniam said. 



However, the fishermen societies in Jaffna were firm in continuing to raise the issue through protests and various actions, he said. 

Now our only hope is to engage with fisheries societies at people-to-people level across the Palk Strait and also with the fishermen from South, he said. 

“I am aware of the type of people owning the trawlers in Tamil Nadu and the workers deployed in the exploitation. Those who come in trawlers to our shores are poor workers, who do it for a wage of 400 rupees or for some fish catch they are given for their food. Understanding this, we don’t allow any of our fishermen to harm them in our protests against the Indian poaching,” he said. 

No politician or parliamentarian from any of the political parties has done anything meaningful to address the plight of the Eezham Tamil fishermen, he said. 

The SL Fisheries minister Rajitha Senarathne organised a meeting where the fishermen representatives explored some arrangements, but the move had no follow-up and ended as an eyewash arrangement. 

Although the matters related to fisheries are in the control of the central government in Colombo, Mr Subramaniam said he was seeking to articulate the problems through the provincial council mechanism.

Evidence recorded from 72 witnesses- Army MONDAY, 26 AUGUST 2013 The Army said today that the Court of Inquiry appointed by Army Commander Lt. General Daya Rathnayake into the recent Weliweriya shootings, recorded evidence from 72 witnesses which include 58 Army personnel ‘associated with the incident’. In a release to the Media, the Army further said the Court of Inquiry inquired into the “chain of incidents” that led to the “violence at Weliweriya during the period July 27-Aug 2, 2013 Below is the text of the full release The Army-appointed Court of Inquiry (C of I) which inquired into recent Rathupaswala-Weliweriya incidents has recorded evidence from 72 witnesses, including clergy, Army and Police personnel, wounded victims, eye witnesses, etc during Aug 2, 2013 Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake, barely 24 hours after his assumption of office at Army Headquarters on Aug 1, 2013, appointed the Court of Inquiry, comprised of five senior Army officers, including Major General N.A.J.C Dias (President), Brigadier K.J. Jayaweera, Brigadier N.I. de Silva, Colonel T.D. Weerakoon and Lieutenant Colonel W.P.A.D.W. Nanayakkara (Secretary) who prepared this comprehensive report which was delivered to the Commander of the Army on Wednesday (21). The Court of Inquiry Report, now referred to the Directorate of Legal Services at Army Headquarters for observations, inquired into the chain of incidents that led to violence at Weliweriya during the period July 27-Aug 2, 2013. A total of 58 Army personnel, associated with the incidents gave evidence before this Court of Inquiry. 58 Military personals involved in Weliweriya shooting incident [ Monday, 26 August 2013, 01:23.49 PM GMT +05:30 ] 58 Military personals involved in shooting incident reported at Weliweriya recently. Army headquarters said that the Army-appointed Court of Inquiry which inquired into recent Rathupaswala-Weliweriya incidents has recorded evidence from 72 witnesses, including clergy, Army and Police personnel, wounded victims, eye witnesses, etc between Aug 2-21. Army commander Daya Ratnayake appointed 5 member panel headed by Maj.Gen.N.K.J.C.Dias to conduct further investigations on this shooting incident. Gang robs Rs.2.2 million MONDAY, 26 AUGUST 2013 A gang of robbers have reportedly robbed Rs.2.2 million from a petrol station in Thihariya and have got away, the police said. The robbery had allegedly taken place at around 1.30 this afternoon. According to initial reports the gang had fled in a car just as the Police was arriving at the scene.

Omanthai Checkpoint’s Challenge To National Unity And LLRC

By Jehan Perera -August 26, 2013 

Jehan Perera

The UN Human Rights Commissioner is visiting Sri Lanka during a time of peace, but it is indeed a fragile peace.  This month alone saw two major breaches of the peace which are reflective of deep seated problems in the country’s governance.  The army attack on the community level protestors at Weliveriya, and anti-Christian sentiment displayed, and the police inaction during the attack on a Muslim mosque in Colombo are still fresh in the mind of the general public and ethnic minorities in particular, even though a fortnight later most of the dust has cleared.   The efforts by the opposition parties to highlight the flaws in governance, and the acts of violence by the state, have been sporadic and short lived due to their weakness.  The weakness of the opposition and the ability of the government to co-opt or negate those who dissent are opposite sides of the same coin.  The role of the international community continues to remain important in upholding human rights standards.

Just two days prior to the arrival in Sri Lanka of UN Human Rights Commissioner, Navanethem Pillay, the government implemented yet another one of the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) by moving the Police Department out of the Ministry of Defence.  It did so by creating a new Ministry of Law and Order which has been mandated to implement the Police Ordinance.  The LLRC had said that “The Police Department is a civilian institution which is entrusted with the maintenance of law and order.  Therefore it is desirable that the Police Department be de-linked from the institutions dealing with the armed forces which are responsible for the security of the State.”  But indicative of continued resistance to a total de-linking, the government appointed a retired army general to be the Secretary to the new supposedly civilian-controlled Ministry.

The deployment of the police along with the military was not a recent phenomenon brought about by the present government but is a practice that has continued for many years.  This may account for the resistance to de-militarising the country after the end of war.  During the war, the police began to play an increasing para-military role on account of the need for more manpower to cope with the power of the LTTE.  The period of the Ceasefire Agreement from 2002 onwards led to the creation of a short-lived Ministry of the Interior which was responsible for the police.  But this ended when former President Chandrika Kumaratunga brought back the police under the Defence Ministry in 2004 so as to coordinate all the security forces under one unified command structure.   The negative dimension of bringing the police under the Defence Ministry was that it was that it would be used as an adjunct to the military even in matters of preserving civil order and the two could be used interchangeably by the government.

Omanthai Eyesore

Bathiudeen meets President over police raids on his residences

By Chris Kamalendran-Sunday, August 25, 2013

Industries and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen has asked President Mahinda Rajapaksa to carry out an investigation into police raids carried out on two of his residences and a circuit bungalow. Mr. Bathiudeen had met the president personally to make the request. Two weeks ago police teams had searched for weapons at the minister’s residences in Mannar and Puttalam and his circuit bungalow in Vavuniya.

Mr. Bathiudeen told the Sunday Times that the police had questioned the inmates and personal staff about visitors to the residences and whether they carried any weapons. “They also searched the premises for any hidden weapons and could not locate anything,” he claimed.
The raid came a day after Mr. Bathiudeen during a meeting to discuss the recent Grandpass mosque incident had demanded the resignation of the Inspector General of Police on the grounds that the police had failed to prevent the clashes there.

Two days after the raid Mr. Bathiudeen had written to the IGP demanding a full inquiry into the mosque incident and submitted CCTV footage on the attack which took place on August 10.

Police spokesman SP Buddhika Siriwardena said he was not aware about the raids.