Sri Lankan police question BBC Tamil reporter

Ponnaiah Manikavasagam has reported for BBC Tamil for many years-3 September 2013 

Security officials in Sri Lanka have questioned a BBC Tamil reporter over phone conversations he had with two Tamil prisoners.

Anti-terrorist police summoned Ponnaiah Manikavasagam for questioning in Colombo on Monday, without disclosing the reason until he arrived.

He was not allowed to have a lawyer present during the interview.

It comes days after UN human rights chief Navi Pillay lambasted Sri Lanka for being increasingly authoritarian.

She also said that although she was allowed to travel freely during her week-long visit, the Sri Lankans who came to meet her were harassed and intimidated by security forces.

Sri Lanka dismissed Ms Pillay's comments as "prejudiced".

Sri Lanka is one of the world's most dangerous places to be a journalist. Earlier this year, Sri Lanka was placed 162nd out of 179 in a Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders.

Prisoner 'grievances'

Terrorism Investigation Department officials in Colombo questioned Mr Manikavasagam over phone conversations he had with two prisoners who are under trial and being held at Colombo's Magazine prison.

The prison is known for holding hundreds of Tamil prisoners suspected of links with Tamil Tiger rebels.

Human rights groups say these inmates are being held without due process and have called for them to be put on trial or immediately released.

Mr Manikavasagam told the officials that as a journalist he would receive calls from prisoners and their families. As many of these prisoners had been in custody for years, they generally discussed their grievances.

He said that he returned missed calls in accordance with his journalistic duties and that many people had access to his number.

He has reported for BBC Tamil for more than 15 years from northern Sri Lanka.

It is unclear if any case will be registered against him or if he will be summoned for questioning again. The authorities have made no statement about the case.

Sri Lanka's army defeated separatist Tamil rebels after a brutal 26-year war in 2009. It is the final phase of that war which has come under particular scrutiny as well as the government's rights record since then.

RSF-JDS: BBC reporter interrogated even as Pillay slams Colombo of turning authoritarian

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and its partner organisation, Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS) vehemently condemn the summoning and questioning of the Vavuniya Reporter of the BBC Tamil Service, Ponniah Manikavasagam by officials of Sri Lanka’s anti-terrorism unit on Monday (02) and urge the authorities to ensure his safety.

03 SEPTEMBER 2013-BY RSF | JDS

The BBC Tamil Service reporter Manikavasagam has been summoned and interrogated by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) with regard to the telephone conversation he had with two prison inmates at Colombo Magazine prison, where hundreds of Tamil political prisoners are housed without any legal proceedings for several years. He was not allowed to be accompanied by a legal representative.

“Being a senior journalist, Manikavasagam has all the rights to maintain contacts to discharge his professional duties. The authorities trying to intimidate and behave in a threatening manner should be seen as serious assault on the already worsened media freedom and freedom of speech in Sri Lanka. We urge the international community, especially the United Nation to ensure the safety of Manikavasagam and fellow journalists in the country, which is ranked 162 nd out of 179 countries in the 2013 RSF press freedom index,” the two media rights organisations said in a joint-statement.

“The latest incident clearly shows that Colombo is not taking any international pressure seriously on the issues of media freedom and human rights issues,” they said.

The BBC is yet to issue a statement in this regard.

Manikavasagam has been the BBC Tamil Service Reporter for nearly 15 years and has been covering the island’s bloody ethnic conflict from the volatile Vavuniya district.

The TID questioning Manikavasagam has coincided with the death of a Tamil political prisoner who has been kept in the Magazine prison for over seven years.

According to reports, the victim is identified as Frances Nelson (31) from north-eastern Mullaitivu district. He has contacted his wife Sanjeevani on September 1. However, his wife has been informed about his death on the very next morning while in prison custody.

His wife Sanjeevani, who has been suffering physically, mentally and financially without her husband since his arrest in 2006, has requested the authorities to conduct an independent and thorough investigation into his death. She is so broken that she cannot even undertake a visit to the Magazine prison hospital with her two children.

It is not immediately known whether the death of Frances Nelson and the questioning of Manikavasagam by the TID has any link.  The incident has sent fresh panic waves among journalists in the country in general, and in the region in particular.

The interrogation of BBC Tamil reporter has come barely a couple of days after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navaneetham Pillai openly blasted the incumbent regime of President Mahinda Rajapaksa as one that is “heading in an increasingly authoritarian direction”.

“The war may have ended, but in the meantime democracy has been undermined and the rule of law eroded,” she stressed, adding that the physical reconstruction “alone will not bring reconciliation, dignity or lasting peace”. She said this while addressing the media in Colombo at the end of her week-long trip on Saturday.

Referring to the incidents where a number of human rights defenders, priests, journalists, and many ordinary citizens who met with her or planned to meet her were subjected to harassment and intimidation by police or military officers both before and after her visit, Pillai publicly warned that it was “utterly unacceptable at any time”.

Over 30 media workers have been killed, abducted and made to disappear while media institutions have been bombed and burnt, forcing many to flee the country. Sri Lanka’s only provincially produced newspaper, Jaffna based ‘Uthayan’ alone, has come under brutal attacks over 37 times and at least five of its journalists have been killed since 2002. While all these crimes were committed in an extremely militarised area, no one so far has been brought to book to date.

It is notable here that Reporters Without Borders and Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka issuing a statement prior to UN rights chief's visit, urged the High Commissioner “to be firm in securing a transparent commitment from the Sri Lankan government to bring justice to those who have been victims of grave crimes against media freedom”.

“As long as crimes against the media and its workforce go unpunished, while perpetrators feel safe with the implicit assurance of impunity, media freedom in Sri Lanka is facing a grave threat. We urge Navi Pillay to remind Sri Lanka’s leaders of their accountability in delivering justice,” said the two organisations.

Reporters Without Borders | Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka

July 1983: Ranil Wickremasinghe Followed Cyril Mathew

By Rajan Hoole -September 3, 2013 

Rajan Hoole

Sri Lanka’s Black July – Part 19

During that period several ministers seemed to be inspired by the rulers of Malaysia and in particular Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, who of course never set fire to his economy. Mathew strongly advocated Malaysia’s Bhumiputra policy. He cited in Parliament (4 Aug.83) Mahatir’s argument that the Chinese and Indians of Malaysia, if forced to leave, could find an alternative home, but not the Malays. Mahatir’s assertion that an indigenous race is one that is ‘truly identified’ with a country was adduced by Mathew to make his case. Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe, Minister of Education and Youth Affairs – who as Jayewardene’s relative, shared with Jayewardene’s chief henchman Mathew, his political estate in Kelaniya – closely followed Mathew in his view of the situation. Mr. Gamini Jayasuriya, Minister of Agriculture, said in an article (Daily News, 26 Aug. 83): “The immediate cause of the recent outburst of violence is not an independent or spontaneous act. It was the climax of a long drawn-out and well-planned series of treacherous acts over the years committed by the terrorists of the North.” Thus Mathew, Wickremasinghe and Jayasuriya advanced Sinhalese anger as the cause of the violence and failed to distance the Government from its planning and execution.Read More

To be continued..

Part one - Sri Lanka’s Black July: Borella, 24th Evening

Part two - Sri Lanka’s Black July: What Really Happened At Kanatte?

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

Part four - Sri Lanka’s Black July: The Cover Up

Part five -  30th July 1983: The Second Naxalite Plot

Part six  - Black July: The Testimony Of Lionel Bopage, Then General Secretary Of The JVP

Part seven - Black July: Thondaman & Muttetuwegama

Part eight - What Was Behind Tiger Friday – 29th July? -The Significance Of The Pettah

Part nine - Tamil Merchants In The Pettah – Post July 1983

Part ten –  Sri Lanka’s Black July: A Family’s Tragedy In Colombo

Part eleven -  Sri Lanka’s Black July: The Question Of Numbers

Part twelve –  Welikade Prison Massacres: The First Massacre: 25th July 1983

Part thirteen –  Welikade Prison Massacres: Testimonies Given At The Magistrate’s Inquest

Part fourteen -  Circumstances Leading To The Magistrate’s Inquest

Part fifteen - Welikade Prison: The Second Massacre: 27th July 1983

Part sixteen - Welikade Prison Massacres: Chief Jailor Observed Army Commandos Coming In

Part seventeen - Welikade Prison Massacres: Postscript

Part eighteen - July 1983: Planned By The State Or Spontaneous Mob Action?

*From Rajan Hoole‘s “Sri Lanka: Arrogance of Power  - Myth, Decadence and Murder”. Thanks to Rajan for giving us permission to republish. To be continued..

Appoint permanent UNHRC panel - Wigneswaran to Navi Pillay

[ Tuesday, 03 September 2013, 07:53.09 AM GMT +05:30 ]

TNA Northern Provincial Council chief ministerial candidate and the former supreme court judge C.V.Wigneswaran urge UN Human Rights Commissioner Navaneetham Pillay to appoint permanent UNHRC panel to monitor human rights situation of SriLanka.

During the meeting with Navi Pilly he said due to pressures government step forward to benefit Tamil nationals. Due to continue pressure from India at present government decided to hold election in the Northern Province. It’s necessary to appoint permanent UNHRC panel to monitor activities of Lankan government. At present we face major challenges such as land accusation and militarization in the Northern Province. In the parliament Sambanthan has brief on land accusation. Due to militarization people face hardships to carry out their day today activities and also people are helpless to inform about their problems. Police never take legal action against issues related with military personals. People are forced to lodge complaint in Sinhala language and police fail to take legal action on these complaints. Recently police questioned parliamentarian speak about the investigations carried out against the woman. Colombo occupies 5,000 acres of Tamil land in Trincomalee [TamilNet, Monday, 02 September 2013, 23:14 GMT] Following a recent Gazette notification by Colombo's Minister of ‘Land and Land Development’, a large area of 4,857 acres of lands are being acquired ‘for use of the government’. The area consists of private and public lands located in 8 villages. Most of the lands being seized by the occupying SL State are private lands belonging to Tamils. Several centuries old historic Aathi Koanesvaram koayil is situated at Koayiladi in Thampalakaamam village.  Lands located in Tamil villages Thampalakaamam Pattu, Puthuk-kudiyiruppu, Potkea'ni, Paddi-meadu, Koayiladi, Kugnchan-thidal, Naayamaar-thidal, Naduppa'ran-thidal, and Mu'l'liyadith-thidal have been acquired according to gazette notification.  Thampalakaamam Divisional Secretary has issued instruction to his officials to make arrangements to physically acquire those lands.  The entire land have been surveyed on the direction of the SL Surveyor General into 199 lots as per survey plan number TR/T.M.P./103 dated 19/12/2012.

After ignoring Namal, Mahindananda summoned by Bribery Commission

Tuesday, 03 September 2013 13

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption has summoned Sports Minister Mahindanada Aluthgamage to question issues related to the Sports Ministry.

He has been summoned by the Commission to question about a complaint received on assets acquired by Aluthgamage. When the Minister had questioned as to who had lodged the complaints, the officials have refrained from responding.

A senior government minister said that the Sports Minister has been summoned by the Bribery Commission after he had ignored a request made by the President’s eldest son, Namal Rajapaksa.

The main aim of these bribery complaints is to intimidate the government ministers who do not follow directives by the Rajapaksas. The bribery inquiries are expected to force the government ministers to tow the Rajapaksa line.

Minister Mervyn Silva was summoned by the Bribery Commission on August 30th. However, the inquiry was postponed by three months following a last minute presidential directive.

The senior minister said the Bribery Commission is to receive complaints against Ministers Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, John Seneviratne, Rajitha Senaratne, Champika Ranawaka and Wimal Weerawansa in the future.

Aluthgamage is disgruntled that he is now being treated in this manner after carrying out the Rajapaksas’ bidding. He has told his friends that he did not expect to be subjected to the condom theory so soon.

Sri Lanka Cricket Secretary Nishantha Ranatunge has given files to Namal Rajapaksa against the Sport Minister on matters related to cricket.

A secret discussion was held with Aluthgamage’s wife who is now separated from him, at the residence of a vehicle importer in Kiribathgoda, to gather more information about the minister. She had given details about Aluthgamage’s assets.

Come On Over, Everything’s Free In Sri Lanka

By Kath Noble -September 4, 2013 

Kath Noble

Foreign investors must imagine that this country is a vast, uninhabited wasteland. Because if they are willing to start a business here, they are literally deluged with gifts. They get a conveniently located piece of real estate, hooked up to all of the necessary services, for very little or sometimes nothing, while they are earnestly reassured that the Government is working really hard to ensure that they can come and go smoothly via the most modern of infrastructure – brand new ports and airports, a network of expressways and so on. And no matter how much they make in profits, they won’t be asked to pay so much as a rupee in tax.

No doubt they are delighted to find that the scenery is quite nice too. They can congratulate themselves on their good fortune while reclining on a palm-fringed beach, champagne flute in hand.

This week, it is the future of Sri Lankan youth that they must pretend to care about.

A few days ago, this newspaper carried a report of an announcement by the Secretary to the Ministry of Higher Education regarding what he described as ‘Free Zones for Education’. The Government is planning to establish five of them – in Gampaha, Hambantota, Puttalam, Trincomalee and Kilinochchi.

Naturally, these are not going to be zones in which education is free but zones in which companies will be free to sell education without any of the normal controls.

They are to be given 100 acres each to set up their campuses.

If the agreement already reached with the University of Central Lancashire is anything to go by, they will also be offered a fifteen year tax holiday, followed by ten years in which they will pay at a concessionary rate. Twenty five years later, they may perhaps be ready to compete with other businesses.

I hardly know where to start.                     Read More

Sinhala contractor scoops 500 acres of prehistoric gravel in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 September 2013, 04:36 GMT]
While a section of 400 Tamil families, who had sought refuge in Tamil Nadu 23 years ago in 1990 from Parappuk-kadanthaan village in Maanthai West in Mannaar, are trying to come back to their village, 1,500 acres of their lands have been appropriated with the backing of an SL minister and 500 acres of these lands have been illegally sold to a Sinhala trader from South, who has been scooping gravel deposits in the village. The gravel deposits are part of a geological feature called Ira'nai-madu formation that bears crucial evidence for prehistoric human habitation in the island. As such gravel deposits are mostly found on floodplains, scooping the gravel could cause environmental disasters related to drainage, cautioned the local people living with the environment and knowledgeable about the consequences of gravel scooping. 

But, the local officials subservient to the occupying SL State are helpless on one hand and self-centered on the other in collaborating with the irresponsible environmental destruction of the country of Eezham Tamils, the local people accused. 

Although the Rural Development Society of Parappuk-kadanthaan had managed to block the building projects in the appropriated lands, the Sinhala trader from South had obtained a permit to scoop gravel through exerting pressure on the village (GS) officer. 

Following the end of war in 2009, the agents of Colombo have been engaged in large scale scooping of gravel and sand dunes from the country of Eezham Tamils, causing environmental disaster in several parts of the Tamil homeland. 

Two weeks ago, a Tamil man, who was confronting a similar exploitation at Kooraay was abducted and later ‘released’. The Sinhala trader had deployed 22 workers from South in sand-removal at Kooraay. 

A young Tamil environmentalist, Ketheeswaran Thevarajah, who confronted such exploitation in Ma’nat-kaadu, Kudaththanai, was assassinated on the eve of 2011 New Year in Jaffna. 

Large-scale sand scooping has also been reported in Ma’n’nith-thidal, which is a landmass of sand dunes, projecting towards Jaffna, from the Poonakari part of Vanni. Poonakari has become a major hub of Sinhala militarisation and colonisation.

Also in Batticaloa, the SL military has been issuing death threats after severely assaulting the Tamil villagers who protested against the environmental destruction caused by sand scooping at Chanthana-madu river basin in 2011.

Belarus And Sri Lanka: Birds Of A Feather

By Pearl Thevanayagam -September 3, 2013 

Pearl Thevanayagam

Both Belarus and Sri Lanka share some commonalities in the field of governance, press freedom and human rights. These do not exist in the two countries and their respective presidents truly and sincerely believe their countries are their own fiefdom and not a democracy as many of us would want to believe.

It may not be common knowledge that as President of Belarus since 1994,Alexander Lukashenko, brazenly extended his term through constitutional amendments to fit in to secure unlimited presidency not unlike our own authoritarian president of two tenures to infinitive thus appropriating himself the leadership of Belarus against the will of his people and against democracy.

Belarusis a one party democracy and it does not tolerate dissent. It declared independence on August 25, 1990 and it is a battered nation successively ruled by invaders.

EJN (Exiled Journalists Network) in UK organised the Press Freedom Forum on Belarus, an annual event examining press freedom in under-reported countries, at the House of Commons in 2007. The event coincided with the visit of Lukashenko to UK where this writer and a Belarusian exiled journalist went to cover the press conference in London. Access was denied to us by the black-suited bodyguards of the president.

On a tip-off the president would be staying in Mayfair that night and hosting a dinner reception, we hot-footed it to the hotel in the biting November cold and stood for hours at the door handing out leaflets outlining the many human rights violations including curtailment of press freedom to the dignitaries arriving to welcome him.

Some of them hissed profane words according to my Belarusian colleague and others simply refused to take our leaflets. Anyhow, we left a bundle at the reception and left another lot at Frontline, the war correspondents’ club in London.

Mahinda Rajapaksa decamped to Belarus of all places to visit his counterpart last week as the UNHRC chiefwas in Sri Lanka on her fact-finding mission. He probably was seeking sagely advice on how to thwart UN scrutiny on his abysmal performance in annihilating a terrorist outfit aka the Tamil Tigers along with 40,000 or more Tamil civilians.                            Read More

FOREIGN OBSERVERS SET TO ARRIVE FOR PC ELECTION

September 3, 2013 

Seventeen international election observers are scheduled to arrive in the country on September 13 to monitor the upcoming polls for the Northern, North Western and Central provincial councils.

A decision was taken to invite international observers following discussion between local monitoring groups, party representatives and the Department of Elections.

Nine observers from the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) had previously agreed to monitor the provincial election while another 8 international observers have expressed willingness to carry out monitoring duties.

They are expected to monitor the complete election situation in the country in addition to election day, a spokesman for the Elections Department said.

Elections for the North, North Western and Central Provincial Councils will be held on September 21. 

Women to the fore

Editorial-September 2, 2013

In Jaffna, a women-only independent group is in the PC polls fray, as we reported yesterday. This is an interesting development in Sri Lanka’s male dominated politics.

Leader of Independent Group 9, Thambipillai Udayarani has, explaining her outfit’s decision to field only female candidates including widows at the PC election, said that the mainstream political parties do not look after the interests of the war-affected women, especially widows and children. There are believed to be about 60,000 war widows in the North and the East alone. Needless to say, they and their children are undergoing untold hardships.

Udayarani’s organisation is still a pressure group trying to punch above its weight electorally and how it will perform at the upcoming polls remains to be seen. A women’s group has its work cut out in trying to secure a toehold in conservative, northern politics. The same goes for the other parts of the country as well though we boast of having produced the world’s first woman prime minister. But, if the Independent Group 9 keeps working hard, even after the polls, undeterred by obstacles in its path, it might be able to emerge as a force to be reckoned with.

Women are slaving away on plantations, in West Asia and in sweatshops of the Free Trade Zone to keep the national economy afloat. But, what have they got in return? They cannot even travel in buses and trains without being sexually harassed and they are not safe at workplaces as well if the high incidence of sexual abuse of female workers reported from some state institutions is any indication. They are suffering in silence. Children are equally vulnerable and the situation is fast deteriorating.

Women account for 51 percent of Sri Lanka’s population, but are terribly underrepresented in all political institutions. It is high time they fought for their due place in electoral politics instead of being grateful for small mercies like quotas.

The Independent Group 9 has sent an example to all Sri Lankan women. It is worthy of emulation.

 Cops in the doghouse

 The hullabaloo over canine weddings has not yet died down and the officers of the police kennel division are still in the doghouse. Having got some straitlaced politicians’ goat they are likely to face an inquiry because they stand accused of what is being described as the offensive use of the ‘poruwa’ associated with traditional Sri Lankan wedding ceremonies.

The opponents of canine weddings are apparently labouring under the delusion that man is far superior to the dog. But, in our book, it is the married men who cheat on their wives, get caught with their pants down in bordellos, rape women and children and gratify their sadistic desires at the expense of their hapless spouses, who make a mockery of not only the ‘poruwa’ but also the institution of marriage itself. The same may be said of women given to infidelity. Therefore, the police dogs which were made to tie the knot at the recent mass ‘wedding’ must have been rather annoyed; they may have considered it an affront to their dignity!

If politicians and the police bigwigs are averse to canine weddings, they should instruct the police kennel division to stop such events and leave the dogs alone. Instead of blowing the issue out of proportion they ought to concentrate on how to tackle the high crime rate and deal with those who are blatantly violating election laws in the provinces that are going to the polls shortly.

The real issue is not the police dogs being made to tie the knot but the government’s failure to tie the mad dogs within its ranks short.

Colombo Declaration On Media Freedom Signatory Nimal Welgama Blocks Colombo Telegraph

September 3, 2013

Colombo Telegraph remains inaccessible in Sri Lanka using the website’s regular domain, while no authority has accepted responsibility for the illegal censorship.

secretary to the Ministry of Difence and Welgama

Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) the country’s largest internet service provider (ISP) continues to block Colombo Telegraph even though persistent denials by the Telecom Regulatory Commission that it had ordered the blocking prompted other ISPs like Dialog to remove the blockade last week.

Interestingly, Sri Lanka Telecom Chairman Nimal Welgamawho is a signatory to the Colombo Declaration on Media Freedom and Social Responsibility. The Declaration signed in October 2008 calls upon the Government to recognise the Internet as an important space for deliberative democracy, and to extend to it, all such policies as would enhance this space for free speech, and to avoid all policies of banning, blocking, or censoring websites without reasonable grounds.

Strength in unity: The revised Colombo Declaration on Media Freedom and Social Responsibility was signed by Ranjit Wijewardene (Newspaper Society), Uvindu Kurukulasuriya (Free Media Movement), Sanath Balasuriya (Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association), and Sinha Ratnatunga (Editors' Guild). Kumar Nadesan, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Press Institute was also present.| Sunday Times Photo Caption

In the section “Internet” the Declaration states as follows:

• One of the most significant developments in the last ten years has been the growth of the Internet, which has resulted in the democratization of media and encourage the contribution of non professional journalists in the form of bloggers etc. We acknowledge the contribution of bloggers toward the promotion of free speech and democratic media. We also recognize that bloggers are as susceptible to controls by the state, misuse of their work as traditional print and broadcast media. We take this opportunity to commit our support to responsible bloggers and other new media which is strong and independent.
• We specifically call on the government to recognize the internet as an important space for deliberative democracy, and extend to it, all such policies as would enhance the space of free speech on the Internet, and to avoid all policies of banning, blocking, or censoring websites without reasonable grounds. There is now a convergence between the traditional print media and the internet, with a number of newspapers being accessed through the internet, and we would strongly urge that all the privilege and protections sought in this declaration be extend to the web editions of newspapers. Read More

FUTA condemns Harrassing Academics   

 Tuesday, 03 September 2013 15:23

Recently the Chief of Defense Staff General Jagath Jayasuriya made a public statement that some academics had attended a conference organised by the Transnational Government of Tamil Ealam.

The Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education and the UGC Chairperson have stated to the media that investigations are underway about the participation of several Sri Lankan academics at this conference.

So FUTA released media statement regarding on Harrassing Academics.

See full statement here

FUTA Statement on Harassing Academics_Page 1 by nelvely

Futa Statement Tamil Conference Pg 2 by nelvely

Gota’s Statement On Muslim Extremism Is An ‘Important Victory’ – BBS

September 4, 2013 

The Bodu Bala Sena Executive Committee that met yesterday hailed remarks made by Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksaat a Defence Seminar about the threat to Sri Lanka from rising Muslim Extremism as a courageous statement from a national leader and said it was an ‘important victory’ for the BBS in its year long ideological battle.

Gotabaya and BBS monks

It is the Bodu Bala Sena movement’s view that the MOD Secretary’s revelation would effectively answer detractors and pseudo politicians who called the organisation a terrorist movement for expressing the very same sentiments, the BBS said in a media release.

“If the LTTE extremism had been identified 40 years ago Sri Lanka could have been a developed country, that would not have had to endure the dangerous results of a 30 year war,” the Bodu Bala Sena said.

It is the nation’s good fortune that Muslim extremism has been identified and exposed now before it could result in similar devastating consequences in 20 years time, the BBS asserted.

“At a time when expressing the truth is not part of the conduct of the politician and official, at a time when people work for temporary gain, the Bodu Bala Sena believes that the gratitude and respect of all non-extremist sections of the Sinhala, Muslim and Tamil communities is due to Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa who has eschewed petty political gain and had the backbone to make such a statement,” the BBS said in a statement released to the media.

“The Bodu Bala Sena asserts that this statement will be the stepping stone to a leadership that will defeat Muslim and all other types of extremism and make Sri Lanka a peaceful country,” the organisation said.

Illegal Media Sources Spreading False Propaganda: Gota

September 3, 2013 

Three days after visiting UN Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay warned that Sri Lanka was becoming increasingly authoritarian and said critical voices were silenced in the country, often permanently, the powerful  Secretary to the Ministry Of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday said “illegal media sources” were engaging in false propaganda to damage the country’s image internationally.

Gota

He said it was the responsibility of every citizen, political group and media organisation to “exercise their democratic freedoms with responsibility and not engage in unlawful activity under the guise of exercising their freedoms.”

The  Secretary MOD who was delivering the keynote address at Defence Seminar 2013, differentiated between ‘legitimate’ media channels, newspapers and websites that “freely operate” in Sri Lanka and “illegal sources” that engage in “false propaganda.”

Gotabaya Rajapaksa warned people should not abuse freedoms guaranteed through democracy with ulterior motives. “Rights and freedoms must always be exercised with responsibility; if not, negative consequences could ensue for the country at large,” he said.

One month after the military allegedly opened fire at a public protest for water in Gampaha, the  Secretary MOD said: “In our democracy, there is ample freedom for people to demonstrate with regard any issue that they feel is important. This is a healthy sign of a vibrant democracy. However, when people go beyond peaceful demonstration and engage in violent protest, incite violence or act in other undemocratic ways, they exploit and abuse democratic freedoms. Certain groups with vested interests exploit legitimate demonstrations to show the country in a bad light-some of them confront the police, cause disturbances and even riots, and create a very negative image about the country internationally.”

The Secretary MOD warned that subversive elements with ulterior motives may use modern technology and connectivity to portray the country in a negative light.Read More