Religious leaders & civil society back Ven. Sobhitha’s reforms

Abolition of executive presidency, 17th Amendment priorities

September 7, 2013, 7:42 pm 

Religious leaders including the Mahanayaka’s of all the Nikayas and other Mahanayakas, the Cardinal and other religious dignitaries who had been consulted have unanimously agreed that the present Constitution which is detrimental to the country should be repealed.

This was said in a statement issued by the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) seeking a righteous country, rule of law and a just society formed with the participation of Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thero whose outspoken views on national, religious and social issues have found wide resonance.

The statement issued last week by the general secretary of the movement, Dr. Ranjith Cabral, said that the rule of law was declining daily and it was evident from the reactions of those who are in touch with NMSJ that the movement was developing into a powerful force of the people.The movement includes Buddhist priests, other religious leaders, politicians, trade unions, professionals and civil activists, the statement said.

It described that NMSJ as apolitical entity embracing national issues. However, it needed political leadership and the fact that the movement was entering the political mainstream more and more was a good sign, the statement said.

NMSJ has organized islandwide seminars to discuss economic and social matters, the decline of law and order and issues relating to the Executive Presidential System introduced by the 1978 Constitution in an effort to rally people around the movement and educate the masses.

NMSJ’s main task was to immediately abolish the executive presidency, replacing it with a Westminster form of government transferring power to parliament, the statwement said.

NMSJ also said it stood for the immediate reintroduction of the 17th Amendment, the abolition of the preferential voting system which was harmful to the country and the reduction of the Cabinet to 25 ministers. It sought a new Constitution, strengthening democratic features and economic structures beneficial to the country.

Accordingly a series of seminars was recently conducted in Colombo, Anuradhapura, Kuliyapitiya, Polonnaruwa, Kalutara, Udawalawe, Tanamalwila, Gampaha, Eppawala, Kegalle, Kandy and Galle.

They had been attended by prominent professionals and jurists and the deterioration of law and order in the country had been a focus at these discussions.

"People who participate at these seminars are happy that when these issues that affect them are discussed and solutions offered. Their unhappiness at the prevailing state of affairs is clear during the course of the discussions," the statement said.

"Seminars are attended by the Buddhist priests, other religious dignitaries, civic activists and political representatives."

NMSJ said that the seminars were well attended by Buddhist priests including several Mahanayakas in areas like Anuradhapura and Kuliyapitiya.

Some of the issues that emerged at the seminars included the ill-effects of executive presidential system, impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayke, incidents of intolerable behaviour by elected representatives (a teacher being made to kneel before a member of a Provincial Council), the killing of a worker in Katunayake and the Weliweriya shootings, issues of press freedom including setting the Udayan printing press on fire and misdeeds of provincial and local authority members. The acts of thuggery by a DIG had also been highlighted at these discussions.

The statement said that seminars had been held during weekends at Naga Vihare Kotte attended by trade unions, civil activists, retired police officers and others.

On August 27 US Ambassador Michelle Sisson visited the Vihare with a group of embassy officials for discussions. She had expressed the view that re-introduction of the 17th Amendment would support, protect and strengthen democracy in Sri Lanka.

Several other diplomats, prominent ministers and government MPs had meet Ven. Sobhitha and given their blessings for the program of work that has been undertaken.

Cabral said that more seminars had been planned for the near future with the participation of Ven. Sobhitha Thero, politicians and jurists with the first to be held at Eppawala on September 11.

Sri Lankan naval officer arrested over people smuggling

Ben Doherty-September 9, 2013

A senior Sri Lankan navy officer has been arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle people to Australia.

Police allege Lieutenant Commander Sanjeewa Annatugoda, based at the Trincomalee Navy Camp in Sri Lanka's north-east, has been involved in a large-scale human-smuggling operation, sending asylum seekers to Australia and other countries.

He joins three sailors and one civilian working for the navy who were arrested last month after a boatload of more than 100 asylum seekers was intercepted as it left Sri Lankan waters.

Navy spokesperson Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya has confirmed the arrest of the officer and said an internal investigation had begun.

The arrest of a naval officer is an embarrassment for the Sri Lankan government, which has consistently maintained no naval or government personnel are involved in people smuggling.

In March, Fairfax exclusively reported that navy sailors and officers were widely believed to be complicit in, and profiting from, people-smuggling rings.

Commander Warnakulasuriya told Fairfax then the allegations were baseless. ''There is no truth to them. No one has ever presented any proof that the navy or any government personnel is involved.''

Australia provides several million dollars in training and support to the Sri Lankan navy to help it stop asylum-seeker boats.

The number of Sri Lankan asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat jumped from 211 in 2011 to 6428 last year. So far this year, 1957 Sri Lankans have arrived by boat to claim asylum, the third-largest group behind Iranians and Afghans. A total of 18,916 people have arrived in 2013.

A Historian In Focus: The Dark Side Of S Pathmanathan

By Darshanie Ratnawalli -September 8, 2013 |

Darshanie Ratnawalli

Cognitive problems and knowledge deficiencies of S. Pathmanathan, Professor Emeritus of History? Yes. First, a caveat. Although there is a school of thought that Sri Lanka shows a lack of discernment in the making of her professors emeritus (“X was made a professor emeritus after just one publication” remarked a senior academic grimly), they clearly do not mean S. Pathmanathan. In his chosen area (the middle or the medieval period of SL history), Professor Pathmanathan has enough publications (most of themdownloadable here) and his peers mention him respectfully enough. “I stress that Pathmanathan, in his Kingdom Of Jaffna, does not indulge in such outrageous statements. In fact, note the paraphrase of his carefully circumscribed statements in fn.59 above”- (Michael Roberts: 2004).

There is an Other Side though. I first learnt of it from K.S. Sivakumaran in “History of Lankan Thamilians revisited”. It contains a translation of statements from a Tamil newspaper article by Pathmanathan on Brahmi lithic inscriptions of Sri Lanka. Although the translator’s language does not inspire confidence, I will assume that it’s a faithful translation because the statements are bald, simple, without nuance and the least likely to have suffered in translation unless the translator made them up from scratch (unlikely).

“In Lanka the Brahmi inscriptions are written in Prakrit language…Paranavitana tried to convince that these inscriptions were written in Sinhala language…In Lankan Brahmi inscriptions Thamil Brahmi letters are found in many places. Arya Abeysingha and Saddamangala Karunaratne have explained this feature showing examples. But Paranavithana hides these findings. He has completely ignored the Thamil Brahmi letters. Three letters were differently written in Thamil Brahmi and Ashoka Brahmi. These two kinds were in existence in Lanka until the demise of Brahmi script.
The formation of letters of two different languages –Thamil and Prakrit- were found in the inscriptions from the beginning and its end. This shows that the inscriptions were written in both languages.”

The ignorance in this is so mindboggling that at first I did not know how to tackle it. Then I knew. Contrast. Place an educated statement (R. Champakalakshmi in “A magnum opus on Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions”) next to it. 

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Causes Of “Boat Migration” To Australia From Sri Lanka: A Rejoinder To Emily Howie

By Muttukrishna Sarvananthan -September 8, 2013 

Dr. Muttukrishna Sarvananthan

The “Special Article” on illicit migration to Australia by boats from Sri Lanka by Emily Howie (2013) in the Economic and Political Weekly (August 31) appears to be based largely on lot of conjectures. An article written by an Australian refugee advocate based on 20-30 personal interviews throughout Sri Lanka and citations from Australian (and limited Sri Lankan) newspaper articles is hardly convincing or credible.

The article appears to be based on subjective and partisan views expressed by a limited and selective number of interviewees. While the non-disclosure of the names of the interviewees is understandable, the non-explanation of the process of selection of the interviewees is inexcusable. What is the background of people in Australia and Sri Lanka (not the names) who introduced the interviewees to Emily Howie?

Emily Howie’s article lacks objectivity on several counts: as a refugee advocate in Melbourne there is vested interest of the author to arrive at the conclusion that “Stories from boat migrants depict complex political and economic motivations for their journeys, contrary to the statements by both governments that the boats are filled solely, or primarily, with “economic migrants”.” Secondly, in my opinion Australian media lacks professional and ethical rigour in comparison to British or American media and therefore cannot be a source of credible information, which is underscored by the fact that Rupert Murdoch owns most of the Australian media.

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VIDEO: AJITH P. PERERA DEMANDS AJITH NIVARD CABRAAL’S RESIGNATION

September 8, 2013 

UNP Member of Parliament Ajith P. Perera today demanded that the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Ajith Nivard Cabraal step down from his post immediately, and accused the latter of leaving out data on malnutrition from Central Bank reports.

Ajith Nivard Cabraal is saying that information regarding malnutrition in the country has never been included in an Annual Report of the Central Bank, Perera said.

The Kalutara District MP was referring to an instance when the CB Governor had called and questioned him during a political debate in a television channel attended by Perera and a government Minister. 

He said that while accepting that this year’s report does not contain information on malnutrition, Cabraal had also said that previous versions of the report also did not contain that data.

“However, I am now showing the 2008 Report of the Central Bank, signed by Ajith Nivard Cabraal, which not only contains information regarding malnutrition but also describes it as a grave solution-less problem for which the government then had no plan,” he said, holding a copy of the report at a press conference in Colombo today. 

Pointing out that even the Central Bank reports prior to 2008 had continuously detailed this issue, Perera questioned why this has been avoided. “Does malnutrition no longer exist or is it such a pointless, unimportant issue to talk about?”

The UNP parliamentarian stated that the Central Bank Governor went as far to challenge him, a representative of the people, and even called him a liar. 

Perera stated that he then asked Nivard Cabraal to resign if he is able to prove that he is correct and that previous CB reports contains information on malnutrition, and promised to resign from parliament if he was incorrect.

He inquired as to why data on malnutrition in the country has been omitted from the reports of the past 5 years, since 2008.

He also charged that “Cabraal’s economic policy” is to omit malnutrition from the Central Bank report instead of taking measures to eradicate malnutrition among children and pregnant women in the country.

Ajith P. Perera added that if Mr Cabraal can challenge a statement made by a Member of Parliament during a television debate, he should resign “if he has any shame” when he has been proven wrong.

Sarath Fonseka denies Elilan's surrender

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 September 2013, 23:07 GMT]
“Elilan was never handed over to the army,” claimed Sarath Fonseka, the former military commander of the occupying SL military, at a press conference held in Jaffna on Saturday. “Elilan was an important man and if he was handed over to the army, as the commander of the army, I will know. He was never handed over to the army,” Mr Fonseksa said, once again whitewashing the genocidal SL military from serious war crimes committed under his command during the final days of the war in Vanni. Fonseka, who visited Jaffna on election campaign for his ‘Democratic Party’ went further with a humiliating comment that some families of war-dead LTTE cadres were claiming them as ‘missing’ in order to claim compensation. Sarath Fonseka also went on record blaming the current SL military commander in Jaffna as a very corrupt officer at the press conference held in Jaffna. 

Despite the existence of public evidences, as what happened to former LTTE commander Col Ramesh, the former SL commander was defending his military, reporters in Jaffna told TamilNet. 

Sarath Fonseka

Fonseka claimed in Jaffna that everyone who were in the custody of the SL military were accounted for when he handed over his responsibilities to the new command. He further claimed that only 12,000 LTTE members were in SLA custody in May 2009. 

Sarath Fonseka, however, went on record blaming the current SL military commanders as corrupt. He was particular in stating that the present commander of the SLA in Jaffna peninsula, Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe, is a corrupt officer. “Hathurusinghe is responsible for many of the atrocities in Jaffna,” he said. 

“Even the Police in Jaffna has become helpless,” he declared. 

But, Sarath Fonseka was defending the SL military by stating that the “majority of the army are very disciplined people”. Only 5 per cent of the military is corrupt, he said. 

Hathurusinghe must be operating a team of four five soldiers and getting them to do the wrong things, he added. 

“When I was commander of the army, Hathurusinghe was caught for taking bribes from one of the LTTE leaders in Colombo, 30,000 rupees per month. He is a very corrupt officer. If he has ‘recommended’ any people from Jaffna to be candidates [of the UPFA], I am sure he must be doing it after taking bribes from them,” he told the reporters when questioned about his comments on SL military involvement in the assaults and the military’s role in promoting certain UPFA candidates in the provincial elections. The SL military was also putting up posters and destroying the posters of the TNA, the reporters said while posing questions to the former SL military commander. 

Fonseka blamed the senior army officer in Jaffna for an attack on his ‘Democratic Party’ chief organizer in Jaffna, Mr Krishnakumar, last week. 

A group of thugs carrying swords and knives had attacked Mr Krishnakumar. This is also happening in other provinces where his party was contesting, he said. 

“Although the [Rajapaksa] government is trying to show the world that they are having elections here, they are not going to do it democratically,” Fonseka said. 

Responding to a question on Navanetham Pillay's visit, Fonseka said she had not met him despite his request. 

There was more focus to North and East on human rights violations. But, more human rights violations are being committed in the south these days, Fonseka claimed. He thanked Ms Navi Pillay for having stated the present regime as authoritarian. 

Fonseka was campaigning for a ‘Sri Lankan’ identity and was ‘reminding’ the press that the TNA had supported him in the last presidential elections. His party wanted to become next to the TNA in the PC elections in North, he said.

Economic Woes Of Post-Civil War Sri Lanka Are Due To Lack Of Neo-Liberalism: A Rejoinder To Ahilan Kadirgamar

By Muttukrishna Sarvananthan -September 8, 2013 

Dr. Muttukrishna Sarvananthan

Ahilan Kadirgamar terms the economic policies and programmes of the current regime in Sri Lanka “neoliberalism” in his polemical piece entitledSecond Wave of Neoliberalism: Financialisation and Crisis in Post-War Sri Lanka. He also indirectly suggests that the current “second wave of neoliberalism” is a continuation of the open economy policy introduced in 1977 by the then government and the latter coincided with the armed struggle of Tamils militants. The insinuation is that the armed struggle of the Tamil militants was caused or aggravated by the open economic policies pursued in 1977 onwards and that the current “second wave of neoliberalism” could also potentially renew a conflict between the state and the minority communities, especially the Muslim community which has become the target of a hate campaign by fringe but hyper active groups of deviant Buddhist clergy in the past year or so. 

Ahilan Kadirgamar is not the first one to suggest causation between open economic policies and the civil war in Sri Lanka. To my recollection it was Charles Abeysekera and Newton Gunasinghe (jointly) were the first ones to suggest such causation in 1987. It was followed by David Dunham and Sisira Jayasuriya in 2001. None of the foregoing convinces this author.

It is a misnomer and a figment to term the present economic regime neoliberal for the following reasons:

• Firstly, the regime of President Rajapaksa has not only avowed NOT to privatise any state-owned enterprises but gone further and reversed few major privatisations (total or partial) undertaken during the previous Kumaratunga government such as the privatisation of Air Lanka (partial privatisation to Emirates Airlines) and Ceylon Gas Company (total privatisation to Shell Gas Lanka). In addition, few privatisations such as the Sri Lanka Insurance Company and Lanka Marines were reversed on the order of the Supreme Court. Only the partial privatisation of Sri Lanka Telecom under the Kumaratunga regime survives renationalisation to date.
• Read More

• Discretion That Leads To Policy Inconsistency Is The Biggest Enemy Of A Central Banker

  

  By W.A Wijewardena -September 9, 2013 

  

  Dr. W.A. Wijewardena

  Principles of Central Banking 3

  Difference between a programmed computer and a central banker

  If one asks the question “who is the biggest enemy of a central banker?”, the answer plainly hits on the discretionary powers given to central bankers by the statutes under which central banks have been established. It is not because discretionary powers are unnecessary or harmful, but because those powers have been mishandled by those within as well as outside central banks.

  There is a fundamental difference between a programmed computer and a central banker. A programmed computer will work according to a set of established rules and will not deviate from them until its final target is achieved. In other words, there is no possibility for a programmed computer to abandon its mission midway through if the ground conditions become unfavourable to its work. Thus, the client of the programmed computer can depend on it for delivering the desired result, come rain or shine.
  

  Changing environment permits central bankers to change too

  A central banker too starts his work with a set of rules to guide him. For instance, if he is to bring inflation down to a certain value, he starts with a money supply target based on his best projection of the growth in the economy, how will the external sector look like and how the government will behave in the forthcoming period. However, whilst on this mission, he is given powers to deviate from the rules and pursue a mission completely different from his original mission. These powers known as the discretion of a central banker have made central bankers in the eyes of their clients totally unreliable and undependable. If there is anything that has caused central bankers to lose their face, credibility and reputation it is nothing but the use of these discretionary powers for serving the interests of powerful groups.                  Read More

SRI LANKA: A short report on the features of the increasing authoritarianism

September 8, 2013

In her media statement from Colombo on 31 August 2013, Dr. Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said,

"I am deeply concerned that Sri Lanka, despite the opportunity provided by the end of the war to construct a new vibrant, all-embracing state, is showing signs of heading in an increasingly authoritarian direction."

SRI LANKA a Short Report on the Features of the Increasing Authoritarianism by nelvely

An Open Letter To The Heads Of Government Of The Commonwealth

By Rev. S.J. Emmanuel -September 7, 2013

Se

Rev. Dr S.J. Emmanuel

Open Letter

Dear Heads of Government,

I write, on behalf of the Global Tamil Forum (GTF), to humbly ask you to boycott the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo.  This is not a request I make lightly, given my strong support for an association which has shown real leadership on key issues such as the end of apartheid in South Africa. However, the 2013 CHOGM will seriously weaken the Commonwealth’s commitment to core principles of human rights and democracy and will implicitly endorse the actions of PresidentRajapaksa’s regime – a Government accused of responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity and the on-going perpetration of egregious human right violations.

Days after the end of the country’s brutal armed conflict in May 2009, President Rajapaksa gave unequivocal commitments to the UN Secretary-General to protect the rights of citizens; ensure the economic and political empowerment of the Tamil majority areas; work towards a lasting political settlement; and take measures to address the violations of international humanitarian and human rights law during the war.

However, the recent damning critique of the ground realities in Sri Lanka by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has exposed the emptiness of President Rajapaksa’s promises. Speaking at the end of her visit to the country in August, she expressed her grave concerns regarding the “curtailment or denial of personal freedoms and human rights […] persistent impunity and the failure of the rule of law.”Incredibly, a number of human rights defenders, journalists, citizens and relatives of those missing or disappeared, who had the chance to meet with the High Commissioner, were subsequently intimidated by the security forces.  “This type of surveillance and harassment appears to be getting worse in Sri Lanka, which is a country where critical voices are quite often attacked or even permanently silenced”, said Ms Pillay. Sri Lanka “is heading in an increasingly authoritarian direction.”

Her statement is yet more evidence of the significant international concern regarding the situation on the island. The UN Human Rights Council has adopted two resolutions on Sri Lanka, since March 2012, which have demanded accountability and reconciliation and raised a number of issues concerning the promotion and protection of human rights. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group and many others are unanimous in their condemnation of the Rajapaksa regime.Read More

Persecution of the CJ 43

Editorial-

Sunday, 08 Sep 2013

The impeached Chief Justice, more commonly known as CJ 43, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, has decided to stand her ground this time, not that she didn’t do so at the very beginning of an unethical process, which impeached her and removed her from that exalted position of Chief Justice of Sri Lanka. The apparent witch-hunt that was engineered by the government has now reached the portals of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

Yet, the strength of character of the former CJ sees her continuing with the fight, although against the State juggernaut, it may appear a futile endeavour. The methods used by the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to deny her the rights and privileges during the first round of the witch-hunt, now appears as though being duplicated by the Bribery Commission.

According to media reports, when the CIABOC commenced its sessions investigating into the transactions that were alleged to have amounted to bribery last Wednesday (4 September), Dr. Bandaranayake had informed that she would not present herself before the Commission in the future, as she trusted neither the integrity of the process nor the Commissioners.

It was also reported that during a hearing, which lasted for an hour, the CJ had said the Commission was yet to respond to her objections of bias, submitted during the past hearings. Dr. Bandaranayake had said the Commission was prejudiced against her and she had been politically victimized. Her main concerns had been the failure on the part of the CIABOC to issue a ruling on the preliminary objections she had raised against two Commissioners, while proceeding to file a case at the Magistrate’s Court against her.

No doubt the former CJ had her reasons for claiming the two Commissioners she had named would be biased against her. However, if due process is offered to the two Commissioners in question, and even if one finds both of them eminently suitable to sit in judgment of the Ex-CJ in the matters raised at the Bribery Commission, it is nothing but plain courtesy that her objections are dealt with in a civil and legal manner and a ruling  be given. That is natural justice. It is also fair-play and the very rudimentary concepts a decent and civil society holds aloft. The denial of these fundamental rights to a former Chief Justice is both an insult to the Judiciary and democratic principles enshrined in the Constitution.

This government, propelled forward by toadies and sycophants who will most likely say the sky is green if those in the high echelons of power deem so, is in the process of deconstructing the art of governance to create a system that is totally in consonance with the notorious dictatorships that prevail in the so-called banana republics, whose literacy rate is no higher than the mid-thirties. Sri Lanka, on the contrary, boasts of being the most educated country in South Asia with an over 90% literacy rate, and if government statistics are to be believed, is now no more a poor country. We are supposedly enjoying a very healthy growth rate on the economic front. Yet, when it comes to ‘good governance’ there doesn’t seem to be anything good about it. All what one sees are signs of an unrelenting march towards authoritarian rule. Intolerance of dissenting views has become the law of the land.

The cruellest irony of all this development is that ‘bad governance’ is being exercised against the one-time chief law officer of the country. If the former Chief Justice had to undergo this barrage of intimidation and cruelty, what would be the plight of the ordinary people? That is the question burning inside every fair-minded person. It should be noted by every citizen that when one gives into unfair demands of the authorities, there is no end to that brutal backward march. Instead of proceeding forward as a free nation, we will be heading towards certain failure as a nation deserving the ignoble title of a ‘failed-State’.

“Judicial Independence Impossible Till President Can’t Decide Judicial Appointments Alone” – Former AG & BASL Chief

September 7, 2013 

I

The greatest need of the hour is Constitutional change, to enable independence of the judiciary, said former Attorney General and past President of the Bar Association, Shibly Aziz, PC making the 6th K. C. Kamalasabayson Memorial Oration at the Hulftsdorp Law College, on the topic “What Ails The Justice Delivery System?”

Shibly Aziz PC

He said that until the process and system for making judicial appointments can be made free of the ability of the ‘executive’ to make appointments at its sole discretion, “independence of the judiciary” will remain a standard too high”.

He emphasized that a robust bar is needed, to protect the legal and judicial system. He noted that the stand taken by the bar when Chief Justice Bandaranayake was mistreated, was something to be proud of, despite what happened eventually.

Glowing tribute was paid to the late K. C. Kamalasabayson, PC who was described as a skilled counsel and a highly ethical gentleman who protected the principles on which the Attorney General’s Department should be run.

On the occasion, the website of the Kamalasabayson Foundation (www.thekamalasabaysonfoundation.com) was launched. The site contains several features, including the complete text of previous orations and a ‘Guest Book’ in which several people have started writing of their various memories and experiences with the late Mr. K. C. Kamalasabayson.                        Read More

Any lessons learnt from Navi Pillay’s visit?

Photo courtesy UNESCO-GLOBE-

by Thrishantha Nanayakkara

- on 09/07/2013 

Reading what appeared on state media, I got the impression that the ego of the Government, or at least that of the so called “independent” editors of state media has been challenged by Navi Pillay’s visit. I can understand why. If people ignored her visit, the state media would have beaten their drums of triumph, and so will the opposition – saying that the citizens of the country are confident of their representatives, that they do not need any sympathy from outside. However, what we saw was a bit disturbing. People flocked around Navi Pillay with whatever the documents they could find to validate their concerns, and Navi Pillay herself said that time was not enough to meet all parties who had something to say about the violation of their basic rights, including the former chief justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake.

Now, blaming Navi Pillay is the usual easy political tactic the Government and the opposition can do through media. Let us try to be a bit more productive here. Just think for a while. If President Rajapaksa or opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinha visits the places Navi Pillay visited and made the same amount of time available to the people to meet, of course with that level of coordination, why do you think even a fraction of those people wouldn’t come to see both of you? They are your own citizens and you are the elected people who are supposed to address their problems right? Of course we will see in media that people are dying to meet you, but you and I know how that would happen. You may not want to believe that people have felt that there is an element of dishonesty in both of you. But, people have come to feel that their problems go into your minds as far as their potential to be a political slogan goes. Not so much as concerns of citizens that you are bound to address.

Lets step back. When the UNP was in power, how many genuine inquiries were launched to identify the culprits behind burning the Jaffna Library, or killing so many Tamill civilians in 1983? Feel free to take any other human catastrophes in the South too. Think for yourself how honest you were in any of those investigations if at all. Now, take the LLRC under the present Rajapaksa Government. Honestly think about your intensions. Why was the mandate limited to find out why the 2001 ceasefire failed? However, why did you give the impression that LLRC was to address a broader set of issues to avoid any future catastrophe? When LLRC addressed a broader set of issues, why did the Government got people like Champika Ranawaka and Wimal Weerawansa to come out and lash out LLRC for over-stepping their mandate? If you had the will power to pass the 18th amendment abolishing the independent commissions in the 17th amendment and two term limit for a presidential candidate so swiftly, even cutting down the time to Gazette it, why don’t you get that same level of will power to implement the core recommendations of the LLRC? Does this reflect honesty or dishonesty?

So, there is no wonder people flocked around Navi Pillay risking their personal safety. The productive approach therefore, is to use what happened during her visit as a mirror to see your own dishonesty and the realization among the people. The danger of not doing so is that a future Government will have to take a lot of effort to restore public confidence in their own Government than any outside institute. The opposition UNP can take more courage to acknowledge the flaws in their own past. That would give us some hope in the opposition as some future choice. But in the absence of any steps to show that the opposition is taking credible efforts to be honest, and not limit people’s concerns to political slogans, why do you expect that people will have the energy to come out to express, or not choose a third outside party as their refuge?

Dutch state liable for three Srebrenica deaths - court

Matthew Price reports on the ruling by the Dutch Supreme Court

6 September 2013

The Dutch supreme court has ruled that the Netherlands was liable for the deaths of three Bosnian Muslim men killed in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.

The men had been ordered to leave a UN compound run by Dutch peacekeeping forces when Bosnian Serb forces overran it.

The ruling upheld an earlier decision by an appeals court in 2011.

Considered Europe's worst massacre since WWII, 7,500 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed in the atrocity.

The case centred on three Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims) who were working for the Dutch force, Dutchbat, during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war.

They were electrician Rizo Mustafic and the father and brother of former UN interpreter Hasan Nuhanovic.

The three men were among thousands who took shelter in the UN compound as Bosnian Serb forces commanded by Gen Ratko Mladic overran Srebrenica on 11 July 1995.

Two days later, Dutch peacekeepers forced the Bosniaks out of the compound.

Mr Nuhanovic and the relatives of Mr Mustafic, who launched the case in 2003, had argued that the three men should have been protected by the peacekeepers.

The Dutch government had argued that the soldiers were under United Nations' control.

'Very relieved'

In 2011, the court ruled that the Dutch troops should not have handed the three men over to Bosnian Serb forces.

"The (appeals) court decision is upheld," Judge Floris Bakels said as relatives of the victims broke down in tears and hugged each other.

He said it would be "unacceptable" for countries not to be able to hold their peacekeepers to account.

"It's great, it's really great," said Mr Nuhanovic, who also lost his mother in Srebrenica, but he said it is only one of "many battles" being fought in Bosnia as "hundreds of war criminals still roam the streets".

Mr Mustafic's daughter Alma, who was 14 at the time of his death, said she was "very relieved". "It's always very difficult to grieve, but I hope this decision will help us," she said.

The final ruling means that relatives of the victims can now claim compensation from the Dutch state.

Correspondents say the ruling may have an impact on future UN peacekeeping missions, as states could be reluctant to participate in foreign military operations amid fears of being held responsible for situations that get out of control.

The United Nations has said it is too early to say whether there will be any implications for international peacekeeping in future.