TNA supporter attacked in Killinochchie

[ Wednesday, 02 October 2013, 02:40.32 PM GMT +05:30 ]

Group of unidentified personals have attacked Tamil National Alliance supporter with iron bars at Killinochchie today.

More than three individuals arrive in the motorbike has attacked Vijithan. Serious injuries found in his body. They have warned the suspect and also victim lodged complaint at the Killinochchie police station. At present victim receiving treatment at the Killinochchie general hospital. Maharagama Urban Councilor arrested Wednesday, 02 Oct 2013 Nishantha Wimalachandra  a member of the  Maharagama Urban Council was taken into police custody this afternoon after allegedly assaulting, Amal Ranaweera the Director of Planning for the Maharagama Divisional Secretariat The UC member is scheduled to present in Court for assault charges. Earlier Nishantha Wimalachandra surrendered himself to the police through his lawyer.

Supply of war ships to Sri Lanka: Madras High Court directs cabinet secretary to respond

Written by J Sam Daniel Stalin | Updated: October 01, 2013

Chennai: The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Cabinet Secretary, Government of India to respond to three queries on the proposed sale of two war ships to Sri Lanka before October 8. The court wants to know about the "mechanism and arrangement" of these ships, why the sale at a time there are strained relations between both countries, and by when these ships are likely to be exported to Sri Lanka. 

In his Public Interest Litigation, the petitioner, a Madurai based lawyer Stalin, has sought a direction to cancel the proposed deal. He has expressed apprehension that these ships could be deployed against Indian fishermen fishing in the palk straits. He has also pointed out that twice India had voted against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council and the deal could be insensitive to the strong sentiments in Tamil NJadu against Sri Lanka which is facing allegations of war crimes and human rights violations against Lankan Tamils.  

The judges also mentioned that two years ago the same court had directed the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard to deploy two ships in the palk straits to safeguard Indian fishermen.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa too had recently expressed concern about the proposed sale of war ships to Sri Lanka and wanted the agreement to be called off. 

The court has also directed notice the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu to respond. 

From Meltdown to Shutdown

Editorial-October 1, 2013, 6:29 pm 

A devastating financial meltdown and the attendant chaos, inter alia, propelled Barack Obama to power in 2008 because he looked a messiah, as it were, in the eyes of the American public sunk into the depths of despair and despondency. The US economy improved on his watch considerably and his reward came in the form of a second term. But, today, he is troubled by a federal shutdown.

With the current fiscal year’s budget expiring on Monday, the Republicans gave Obama a tough choice between having funds for government and the implementation of his progressive health care programme which is anathema to his rivals for obvious reasons. He opted to stand his ground and the Congress refused to pass funds, causing a government shutdown. Over 700,000 federal workers have already been placed on unpaid leave indefinitely. Unless Obama and the Congress iron out their difference and reach consensus shortly, the situation is sure to take a turn for the worse. There may even be street protests.

President Bill Clinton also played chicken with a Republican-controlled Congress in 1995 and was deprived of funds for government. The Republicans wanted him to curtail public expenditure. But, he held out courageously and the Congress blinked after three weeks; he went on to secure a second term.

Obama has apparently chosen to do a Clinton. Without giving in to Congressional pressure he is trying to turn public opinion against the Republicans in a bid to make them cave in. His propaganda campaign is apparently beginning to yield the desired results according to initial opinion polls. But, the situation is still fluid, and whether he will be able to turn the tables on the Republicans remains to be seen. Chances are that he will. For, the new healthcare law or Obamacare has gone down well with the ordinary Americans and the Republicans run the risk of incurring public wrath if they continue to crank up pressure on Obama to shelve it.

The federal shutdown has shed light on the systemic flaws of the US presidential system. The US President is at the mercy of his rivals if he fails to secure a clear majority in the Congress or the Senate or both. The US is lucky that shutdowns are rare and ephemeral and the Democrats and the Republicans act with responsibility most of the time. They haven’t shut the door on a compromise formula, though the Democrats in the Senate have rejected, out of hand, their rivals’ offer over the weekend to fund the government if the fine Obama’s healthcare law seeks to impose on the rich who refuse to buy health insurance, is put on hold for one year.

Temporary as the shutdown may be, it is bound to have a debilitating impact on the US economy which has already hit a sticky patch. In a message to the American troops President Obama has accused the Congress of having failed to fulfil its responsibility. President Mahinda Rajapaksa would have had to tell his military something similar if the western bloc’s efforts to have his budgets defeated in Parliament in 2007 and 2008 and thereby engineer the collapse of his government as well as his war effort had succeeded.

America’s enemies must be deriving some perverse pleasure from President Obama’s predicament, but further debilitation of the US economy leading to a sharp drop in consumption is likely to have global consequences.

It is hoped that President Obama will realise that Syria is the least of his problems and he should concentrate more on the economic front. The Republicans did him and the US a big favour by preventing him from opening another military front abroad.

Army personnel take part in a Buddhist ceremony in Anuradhapura yesterday

 October 2, 2013 

Army personnel take part in a Buddhist ceremony in Anuradhapura yesterday. During the ceremony in the north-western city, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilisation, soldiers offered 466 flags belonging to Army regiments to bless the troops, as part of the Army’s celebration of its 64th anniversary which will fall later this month.

– Pic by Pradeep Pathirana

Lanka to chair UN legal committee (Video)

October 2, 2013

Sri Lanka has been elected as the chair of the sixth legalcommittee of the 68^th session of the UN General Assembly.

Ambassador Palitha Kohona was elected as the chair when the committee met in New York yesterday.

The Sixth Committee is the primary forum for the consideration of legal questions in the General Assembly.

All of the U.N. Member States are entitled to representation on the Sixth Committee as one of the main committees of the General Assembly.

Meanwhile Canada expressed disappointment at Sri Lanka being elected to chair the committee. Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird tweeted saying it was disappointing that Sri Lanka should chair the committee while being accused of human rights abuses.

Dr. Kohona is the first Sri Lankan to be elected to chair the Sixth Committee of the General Assembly. Ambassador Sir Claude Corea chaired the Fifth Committee (UN Budget) in 1958 and the First Committee (Disarmament) in 1960. After a hiatus of 33 years, Ambassador Stanley Kalpage chaired the Fourth Committee (Decolanisation) in 1993. (Colombo Gazette)  

Rajapaksa Addressing Empty UN

October 2, 2013

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa joined the ranks of slain Libyan President Muammar Gaddaffi, deceased Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when he used his time at the UN General Assembly’s 68th Session in New York last week to rail against the world’s double standards and moral policing of targeted states and charged that Human Rights was being as a tool for interference in developing states.  Few heard the President’s bombastic speech however since many seats in the assembly were empty during the Sri Lankan President’s slot. 

Action on Resolution on Cooperation with the United Nations, its Representatives and Mechanisms in the Field of Human Rights

27 September 2013
In a resolution (A/HRC/24/L.17/Rev.1) on cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, adopted by a vote of 31 in favour, 1 against and 15 abstentions, as orally revised, the Council reaffirms the right of everyone to unhindered access to and communication with international bodies; and urges States to take all appropriate measures to prevent the occurrence of intimidation or reprisals. The Council requests the Secretary-General to designate a United Nations-wide senior focal point to engage with all stakeholders, in particular Member States, to promote the prevention of, protection against and accountability for reprisals and intimidation related to cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms, and to encourage a prompt and effective unified response to such acts; requests all representatives and mechanisms of the United Nations to continue to include in their respective reports to the Council or to the General Assembly a reference to credible allegations of intimidation or reprisal, as well as an account of action they have taken in this regard.

Action on Resolution on Cooperation With the United Nations, Its Representatives and Mechanisms in the Fiel... by nelvely

Ecuador officers face arrest over 'crimes against humanity'

Nine army officers and one police general have been charged in the landmark case1 October 2013 

Continue reading the main story

A judge has ordered the arrest of three army and police officers in Ecuador's first trial involving alleged crimes against humanity.

They are part of a group of 10 former senior officers accused of abducting and torturing members of an illegal opposition group in 1985.

Judge Lucy Blacio ordered that six other retired senior officers be put under house arrest.

Activists travelled to Quito for the opening day of the landmark trial.

The events took place under the government of late President Leon Febres Cordero, who was in power from 1984 to 1988.

Chief prosecutor Galo Chiriboga had requested that ten retired police officers be detained or put under house arrest.

Ms Blacio rejected the request to have one of the accused detained: an elderly army general who is seriously ill.

But he was told he cannot leave the country.

The three victims - Susana Cajas, Javier Jarrin and Luis Vaca - were detained in November 1985 for alleged links with an underground opposition group, the Eloy Alfaro Popular Armed Forces.

They will testify next week and are expected to give details of their ordeal.

'Tortured and beaten'

Ms Cajas and Mr Vaca were in court today alongside Mr Chiriboga, who denounced the cruelty of the crimes committed 28 years ago.

"They were tortured, beaten, and submitted to particularly sadistic forms of torture, including electric shocks to their genitals" he said.

Defence lawyers have asked the prosecutor to clarify his accusations.

Lawyers, politicians and human rights activists from other Latin American countries were at the National Court of Justice in the capital, Quito, for the trial.

Among them was Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino.

The director of the Prosecutor's Office Truth Commission, Fidel Jaramillo, said crimes against humanity only began to be investigated in 2007, when left-wing President Rafael Correa came into power.

"They were never tried in Ecuador because there was never the political will to do so," the director of , Mr Jaramillo told the Efe news agency.

Jumping to freedom: Court frees suspected mastermind of Sri Lanka team attack

Lahore High Court PHOTO: lhc.gov.pk-By Rana Tanveer

Published: October 2, 2013

LAHORE:A 

 three-member review board of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday directed the police to release Zubair, alias Nek Muhammad, the alleged mastermind of the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, denying further extension in the detention period.

The review board issued the order due to a lack of incriminating evidence against the accused.

Appearing before the board, Punjab police chief Khan Baig submitted that Zubair’s release could be dangerous for peace. He said that there were intelligence reports of terrorist attacks on jails to secure the release of hardened criminals who could support such activities, and therefore requested the committee to extend his detention for two months.

However, the board, headed by Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh, and comprising Justice Sheikh Najamul Hassan and Justice Manzoor Ahmed Malik, denied the plea as there was “no solid proof of his involvement in the attack”.

Zubair was brought to the Lahore High Court in an armoured personnel carrier and a large number of security personnel were deployed on the premises.

Counsel for the accused said the police did not have any proof of his client’s involvement in the Sri Lankan team attack and that was the reason why Zubair had been granted bail by a subordinate court. He also alleged that his client was being victimised.

Zubair was arrested in June 2009 for allegedly planning the brazen terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, after which he was released on bail by an anti-terrorism court. At the time of his arrest, investigators had said that a local unit of the Taliban had attacked the team.

However, after Zubair was released, government authorities again detained him under Section 3 of the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) for three months. After the three-month period expired, the review board had extended his detention by a month on August 30. Now that the period of detention has again expired, the review board has ordered his release on lack of evidence.

Earlier, on August 2, a judge of the LHC had refused to hear an appeal filed by the government against the bail granted to him. However, on Tuesday, LHC Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial constituted a special division bench comprising Justice Shahid Hameed Dar and Justice Yawar Ali Shah to hear an appeal moved by the Punjab Prosecution Department seeking cancellation of bail.

 Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2013.

   Gwynne Dyer: Greek raid lesson from Germany's past

The actions of the far-right Golden Dawn party led to the arrests of several leaders, including Christos Pappas. Photo / AP

By Gwynne Dyer
Wednesday Oct 2, 2013

New Zealand Herald

Two governments did bold, brave things last week. One of them quit and called a new election even though it had a viable majority in Parliament. The other arrested the leaders of a neo-fascist party on charges of heading a criminal gang. And you can't help wondering if things would have turned out a lot better if a couple of other governments had had the courage to do the same thing.

Gwynne Dyer Greek raid lesson from Germany's past by nelvely

Muslims go into hiding amid Burma sectarian violence

By AP News Oct 02, 2013

THANDWE, Burma (AP) — Terrified Muslim families hid in forests in western Burma on Wednesday, one day after fleeing a new round of sectarian violence that erupted even as the president toured the divided region for the first time since clashes flared there last year.

An injured Rakhine Man, centre, is taken to hospital in Thandwe, Rakhine State, Burma Tuesday. Pic: AP.

Muslims Go Into Hiding Amid Burma Sectarian Violence by nelvely

Will CHOGM mitigate convenient amnesia of war crimes

by Pearl Thevanayagam

(October 01, 2013 London, Sri Lanka Guardian) The time is now ripe to remind the government that there is no escaping UNHRC (United Nations Human Rights Council) and possible indictment by the ICC (International Criminal Court) following UNHRC High Commissioner Ms Navi Pillai’s fact-finding mission in Sri Lanka this month. ICC has incarcerated many African leaders including the former president of Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo for war crimes and Slobodan Milosevic of former Yugoslavia in Hague. Ironically his wife who is also under trial is pleading for exoneration of war crimes.

Ivory Coast President stands trial by ICC

Sri Lanka is next in line

| by Pearl Thevanayagam

(December 02, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Former President of Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo, is now on trial at the ICC (International Criminal Court) facing four charges of crimes against humanity committed by his camp as recently as between December 2010 and April 2011 since he refused to concede victory to his contender in November 2010 presidential elections. The charges against the President and his camp are murder, rape, sexual violence, persecution and other inhuman acts.

Will CHOGM Mitigate Convenient Amnesia of War Crimes by nelvely

Sri Lanka: Stop Impunity For Genocide And Torture

By Ron Ridenour -October 2, 2013 

Ron Ridenour

Tamils’ history in Sri Lanka is one of constant discrimination and misery. Ever since independence from colonialist Britain half-a-century ago, Sinhalese governments have subjected them to policies of genocide as defined by the United Nations in its Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, Dec. 9, 1948.

Article III of this Convention makes liable to punishment: a) Genocide; b) Conspiracy to commit genocide; c) Direct and public incitement to commit genocide; d) Attempt to commit genocide; and e) Complicity in genocide. Article IV states that, persons committing genocide shall be punished whether they are constitutionally responsible rulers, public officials or private individuals. (1)

Although Sinhalese governments strive to re-colonialise Tamils, treating them as inferiors and second-class citizens, no foreign government has wished to seek an indictment against Sri Lanka’s governments. Tamils have no political power or state territory, and the most powerful nations have their own genocidal ghosts in their closets, including aiding Sri Lanka’s genocide.

Evidence of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, is vivid. Satellite photos taken by the UN and the US show the slaughter of civilians during the end of the civil war. Channel 4 documentaries, testimonies of victims and UN aid workers have been released to the public. There is the revealing UN panel of experts’ 214-page report and recommendations, and the reports and recommendations of the High Commissioner, Navaneetham Pillay. Yet no session of the Human Rights Council has even discussed these recommendations for an independent investigation under the United Nations.

For decades Sri Lankan government military and police forces have tortured and continue to torture Tamils routinely. There can be no healing as long as impunity is granted torturers. The tortured feel society accepts this worst of all violence, leading to loss of confidence in democracy and in humanity. The failure to punish perpetrators encourages endless repetition of torture.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 5, states:Read More

Foreign Ministers look towards Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

Organisation:

Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Page history:

Published 26 September 2013

Topics:

Foreign affairs and International aid and development

Minister:

The Rt Hon Hugo Swire MP

The annual meeting marked an important milestone ahead of the next Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Colombo in November.

Minister of State for the Commonwealth, the Rt Hon Hugo Swire MP, represented the UK at the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers’ meeting in New York today.

Foreign Ministers:

• were provided with an update by the Commonwealth Secretary-General on his Democracy and Good Offices programme;
• reviewed the progress of the recommendations for reform, agreed by Commonwealth Heads in Perth; and
• discussed preparations and potential outcomes of the next Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

Mr Swire commented:

I was once again honoured to represent the UK at the Commonwealth Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. With the next Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting less than two months away, this was an important opportunity for Ministers across the Commonwealth to appraise the progress that has been made since Perth in 2011, and consider our joint expectations for the Commonwealth.

This has been an important year for the Commonwealth, with Her Majesty signing the Commonwealth Charter in March. For the first time in its 64 year history, the Commonwealth has a single document setting out the core values of the organisation and the aspiration of its members. Members also agreed a new Strategic Plan for the Commonwealth Secretariat which directs its work for the next 3 years.

But we recognised that there are significant challenges ahead. The decision to hold CHOGM in Sri Lanka has caused some to question the Commonwealth’s commitment to its core values and its credibility. I firmly believe, and made clear to my Commonwealth counterparts during today’s meeting, that members have a responsibility to uphold the values we agreed to in the Commonwealth Charter. Over the coming months, the Commonwealth has a great opportunity to build on the work we have already begun. We should remain ambitious but focus our attention on the areas in which we can add real value on the global stage.

Commonwealth endorsement of Sri Lanka is a sham - the country's human rights record still appals

KATE ALLEN

Despite public approbation, Sri Lanka’s dreadful human rights legacy lives on

Channel Four has just revealed that on Tuesday, Foreign Secretary William Hague co-hosted a somewhat covert drinks reception in New York down a “dimly lit side street” near the UN headquarters. The other member of the party was Sri Lanka - and no doubt over the clinking of glasses and nibbles the two countries looked forward to their next meeting, in Colombo.

Commonwealth Endorsement of Sri Lanka is a Sham - The Country's Human Rights Record Still Appals by nelvely

Ban and Khurshid discuss Lanka

September 30, 2013

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid have discussed developments in Sri Lanka.

The discussion took place when the two met at the UN in New York today, the UN office said.

Ban discussed developments in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Myanmar, stressing the importance of dialogue, inclusiveness and reconciliation, as well as India’s regional role.

He also thanked India for its significant contribution to United Nations peacekeeping operations and its generous assistance to the development of Afghan security, economic and human capacities.

He paid tribute to India’s leadership in the post-2015 development agenda, in building capacity for disaster management, and in vital efforts to promote international agreement on climate change issues. He also welcomed the recent talks held between India and Pakistan, the UN office said. (Colombo Gazette)

The Jaffna Air

By Kath Noble -October 1, 2013 |

Kath Noble

Having emphasised in last week’s column the importance of land in the Northern Province, I headed for the area in which it is most under dispute –Jaffna.

Unlike Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, Jaffna is densely populated. Jaffna has 553 inhabitants per square kilometre, compared to 81 and 25 for Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu respectively.

Another difference is that most land is privately owned in Jaffna, while there is still a lot of land that is vested in the state in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu.

That land disputes are most serious in Jaffna was made clear earlier this year when hundreds of people protested against the acquisition of their land to regularise the High Security Zone around the Kankesanturai port and Palaly airport. The Security Forces have occupied the area for decades, but it was never gazetted and their continued presence became a legal problem for the Government when the Emergency Regulations were allowed to lapse in 2011.

Cases have been filed in the Supreme Court by high profile individuals such as the Bishop of Jaffna and the son of the late Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, as well as by many of the remaining 30,000 IDPs.

The rationale for taking over people’s land in Jaffna was to facilitate the activities of the Security Forces in fighting the LTTE. They wanted a buffer around their key bases, forward defence lines and main supply routes at least as big as the reach of Prabhakaran‘s most powerful weapons.

The Government claims to agree that the requirements must be different now that there are no longer any MBRLs trained on the Security Forces.

It quite correctly points out that the extent of the Kankesanturai and Palaly High Security Zone has been reduced already.

The state and other media regularly report on ceremonies to hand back land, usually accompanied by statistics that seem to demonstrate that things are moving in the right direction. For example, on September 7^th, the Daily News quoted Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe of the Jaffna Security Forces Headquarters as saying that they had returned 136 houses and 175 acres of land to their owners the previous month, making a total of more than 4,200 plots since 2009.                        Read More  

Tamils raise over $50,000 for rehab hospital in Toronto
30 September 2013

Hundreds of people from the Tamil community in the Greater Toronto Area came together on Sunday September 15th, for the 5th Annual Tamil-Canadian Walkathon at the Thomson Memorial Park in Scarborough. An impressive £50,000 was raised in total

Tamils Raise Over $50,000 for Rehab Hospital in Toronto by nelvely

Wigneswaran receives CM appointment letter

TUESDAY, 01 OCTOBER 2013
Chief Minister elect of the northern province Justice C.V Wigneswaran received the letter of appointment as the Chief Minister of the Province from Governor of the Northern Province Major General (Rtd) G. A. Chandrasiri in Jaffna today.

The TNA is yet to decide on a date for the swearing-in ceremony which is to be held shortly.

Pix by Romesh Madushanka

VIDEO: VIGNESWARAN RECEIVES CM APPOINTMENT LETTER

October 1, 2013 
Former Supreme Court judge C.V. Vigneswaran received his Chief Ministerial appointment letter from the Northern Province Governor, the TNA stated.

Vigneswaran, who obtained the highest preference votes in the Jaffna District with a total of 132,255 votes, was named unanimously by the 28 TNA candidates who were elected for the Northern Provincial Council during a special meeting.

All TNA parliamentarians participated in the gathering held at a private hotel in Jaffna on September 23.

The Tamil National Alliance, which is registered as Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), won a landslide victory in a landmark election in the battle-scarred North, securing 30 out of 38 seats in polls for the provincial council in the former war zone.

The TNA swept all five districts in the election for the Northern Provincial Council, the first for 26 years.

Canagasabapathy Viswalingam Vigneswaran, a retired Supreme Court Judge, was nominated as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the Northern Provincial Council polls in July.