Peace for the World

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

Monday, October 14, 2013

Justice for victims of crime

National authority and special fund to provide large amounts as compensation; witnesses also to be protected

The Sundaytimes Sri LankaSunday, October 13, 2013
The Government will set up a National Authority for the protection of victims of crime. This is one of the major highlights of an Assistance and Protection of Victims of Crime (NAPVC) Bill that will be introduced in Parliament.
The proposed Authority will be empowered to “provide assistance and redress to victims of crime upon an application.” It will be in the form of compensation from a special fund to be established for the purpose and to be managed by the new Authority.
The NAPVC is to be vested with quasi- judicial functions to receive complaints of alleged and imminent infringement of rights and entitlement of victims of crime and witnesses and conduct investigations and inquiries into such complaints. The new law will require relevant authorities to take “appropriate corrective measures.”
The draft of the proposed Bill which is now being knocked into final shape by the Ministry of Justice also makes provision for the establishment of a separate division in the Police Department for protection of victims of crime and witnesses. 
Assistance and protection provided to victims of crime and witnesses by courts, in terms of the new law, will include the adoption of special measures such as the conduct of judicial proceedings in camera, preventing the victims of crime or witnesses being unnecessarily harassed, intimidated or influenced by seeing the accused present at the venue of the trial or inquiry. This is intended to prevent the identity of the victim of crime or witnesses from being disclosed. According to the Ministry of Justice, which has worked out the outlines, “this is to be achieved through a video conferencing facility linked to a remote location.” Such a location will be within the territory of Sri Lanka, it says.
Other highlights of the new law:
  • There will be a statutorily recognised scheme to enable victims of crime to obtain compensation through courts from the perpetrators for losses suffered as a result of offences perpetrated against them. The court is to be empowered upon the conviction of an accused to order him or her to pay an amount not exceeding one million rupees as compensation to a victim of crime, in addition to the penal sanctions imposed on the accused.
  • The Bill will vest jurisdiction in the High Court and Magistrate Court following the conviction of a person for having committed an offence, to impose orders for the payment, in addition to the fine, of an amount not exceeding 20 per cent of the fine payable. The amount so paid is to be remitted to the Victims of Crime and Witnesses Assistance and Protection Fund.
  • The Bill will provide for the “recognition of certain rights and entitlements of victims of crime and witnesses and ensures that their rights are protected and that they receive the required assistance and redress.
  • The Bill also provides for “recognition of certain harmful forms of conduct against victims of crime and witnesses that are likely to subvert the course of justice, which have been recognised as offences.”
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Tamil-Muslim Rapprochement Is The Need Of The Hour

By Aboobacker Rameez -October 14, 2013
Aboobacker Rameez
Colombo TelegraphThe recent months of Sri Lankan politics have witnessed Tamil National Alliance (TNA) sweeping overwhelmingly the Northern Provincial election (NPC) held for the first time in the history of Sri Lankan politics. Surprisingly, the new chief minister, CV Wigneswaran, recently taking oath before the president sent shockwaves to rabbles and those who opposed the NPC election in the South, while displaying a potent political gesture to the Southern political leaders, especially the government.
The appointment of Mr Azmin Ayoob, a member of People Movement for Good Governance’s (PMGG) party under the bonus seat of the TNA and his inclusion as an advisory council member of a ministry of NPC and the first visit that the NPC Chief Minster took along with his TNA delegation to Jaffna Mohammadiya Mosque yesterday underlines an unprecedented symbolic political gesture extended towards the Muslims by the TNA to build bridges between the Tamils and Muslims in the North and the East. It was reported that CM highlighted the urgent need of the Tamil Muslim rapprochement at the meeting. Violence against Muslims including their forceful eviction from Northern Province, the intermittent killings of Muslims even at the Mosques in the Eastern province committed by the Tamil armed rebels and the resultant reaction of Muslims with the support of government forces in1990s served to drive a wedge between the Tamils and Muslims during the height of the war. This has deepened the Tamil and Muslim political schism at the national and regional level. However, the latest turn of events that occurred in the post war era heralded a scenario that posited the renewal of Tamil and Muslim rapprochement in the North and East.
Anti-Muslim campaign in the post war era                              Read More

Becoming A Tamil Speaking Minority: Grease Devils, Muslims And The Sri Lankan State

By Francesca Bremner -October 15, 2013 
Dr. Francesca Bremner
Colombo TelegraphI was in Trincomalee. It was August of 2011, two years after the end of the war when Mary, the woman who provided lunch for me burst in.
“I did not sleep a wink last night” she said, “No one in our village did. They have dropped 750 grease devils in this area to attack women. Our men roamed around with sticks whilst the women prayed all night”
“Grease devils”? I was incredulous.
“Grease devils are not quite human” Mary explained, “they are after women of childbearing age, they want the blood from the breast of these women”
In the days that followed the story assumed extraordinary dimensions, created a mass panic, was even debated in the British Parliment and drew the state of Sri Lanka in as a major player.
The need for blood was located in the person of the President. Rumors circulated that the President needed to make a blood offering in exchange of the lives taken in the war, he needed the blood for a special ritual to remain in power, he needed blood to claim the crown of King Dutugemunu. Blood, Power and sometimes Redemption wrapped the Sri Lankan State in a layer of the supernatural.
The English newspapers dismissed the grease devils as an irrational fear psychosis. The police gave conflicting statements, first that grease devils did not exist, second that these non-existent grease devils were arrested and third that the Special Task Force of the military was now deployed to apprehend any non-arrested, non-existent grease devils. Thus also began renewed militarization of the northeast in the name of the grease devils.
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Sinhala colonization to wedge North and East stepped up after NPC elections

TamilNet[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 October 2013, 20:53 GMT]
The occupying Sri Lankan military is being hurriedly deployed in clearing 2,000 acres of agricultural lands of Eezham Tamils in Kokkuth-thoduvaay in Karaithu'raippattu division of Mullaiththeevu district, after the conclusion of the Northern Provincial Council elections. Even though the uprooted people were allowed to resettle in Kokkuth-thoduvaay in 2011, their paddy fields had not been returned to them and they continue to suffer for their survival without livelihood assistance. Now, the Tamil villagers are shocked to learn that their paddy fields are being taken away to carve out a Sinhala colony in the middle of their village where they have been struggling to start their livelihood after 30 years of displacement. 

Kokku'laay
The location of Kokkuth-thoduvaay to the north of Kokku'laay. [Satellite map courtesy


More than one thousand Tamil farmers were dependent on the income of the paddy crops from these fields for their survival before they were chased out from these lands in 1982-83. 

Since the uprooted Tamils were allowed to resettle in Kokkuth-thoduvaay, the SL military was blocking them from entering their paddy fields citing the danger of land mines. 

Shown within the box is the target area where Colombo has accelerated Sinhalicisation and colonisation for demographically wedging North and East
The latest land appropriation has come at a time the NPC is expected to take up the most crucial concern of Vanni people on Sinhalicisation of strategic Tamil lands in order to permanently wedge the North from the East. 

Already, an entire Sinhala division has been carved out in Mullaiththeevu, Sinhalcising Ma’nalaa’ru into Weli-oya. 

So far, the land appropriation has been going on along the provincial border of Northern and Eastern provinces and strategic coastal areas, but now the colonization is reaching the interior areas, the Tamil villagers complain. 

After the NPC elections, the SL military, on behalf of occupying Sri Lanka’s Mahaweli Development Authority, has started to clear the bushes. The land is getting partitioned into residential plots to create a Sinhala colony in the middle of the village where Tamils have resettled. 

The colonization of Tamils land is taking place despite the villagers documenting their ownership of the said lands through the SL Government Agent of Mullaiththeevu. The villagers posses land deeds for these lands since 1974. 

The paddy fields being appropriated are located close to the Kokkuth-thoduvaay Koaddaik-kea’ni Pi’l’laiyar temple.
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Want To Beat The Middle Income Trap?


By W.A Wijewardena -October 14, 2013 
Dr. W.A. Wijewardena
Colombo TelegraphThe 10 economic commandments
Delivering the keynote address at the recently-concluded Silver Jubilee Convention of the Association of Professional Bankers, better known as APB, the former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Dr. Duvvuri Subbarao, left his audience with 10 suggestions which are in fact 10 Commandments. The theme of the Convention was ‘Beyond Growth: A Formula for Success’ and the theme of the keynote address on how to beat the middle income country trap was very apt to the Convention’s theme since it is an issue which Sri Lanka has to now tackle in its indefatigable march toward wealth and prosperity.
Sri Lanka’s linear growth models
Sri Lanka’s avowed goal, as it had been in the past, has been to attain continuous economic growth to elevate its economy from the current lower middle income country to higher middle income country in the next few years and from there, to a rich country within the next one and a half decades.
As this writer has pointed out in previous articles in this series, these linear growth projections are fraught with unexpected impediments that will derail the country’s march on a pre-planned linear growth path (available at: http://www.ft.lk/2013/05/06/sri-lankas-linear-growth-projections-to-prosperity-in-a-non-linear-world/). For instance, for the country to attain this goal, it has to grow at a compound rate of 10% plus year after year. But the resource limitations within the country and market limitations outside the country are to work against it slowing down the growth and limiting the initial high growth only to a few successive years.
The disappointed reality                                                                 Read More

WikiLeaks: Ranil Never Really Took People Into Confidence


Colombo Telegraph
October 15, 2013 
“Overall, the discontent within the UNP stems from the view of many party members (and outside observers) that Wickremesinghe led the party poorly in the April election campaign.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.
The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The cable is classified as “CONFIDENTIAL” and discuses the UNP’s internal crisis after the 2005 April parliamentary election. The cable is signed by the US Ambassador to Colombo Jeffrey J. Lunstead on May 12, 2004.
Ranil
The sense that Wickremesinghe was a failure has taken various forms, including many press commentary pieces in English- and Sinhala-language newspapers grumbling about his leadership style, which is commonly seen as lackluster to put it mildly. In one such article, which appeared in the English-language ISLAND on April 5, local political analyst Rohan Edirisinha said “the prime minister never really took people into confidence, whether he was dealing with the peace process or the rebels or dealing with the economy.”
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SRI LANKA: An Appeal for the Early Publication of the Inquiry Reports on the Welikada and Vavuniya Prison Riots

A prisoner  killed in November 2012 in Welikada Prison, Colombo
‘OCTOBER 14, 2013
'The Friday Forum urges you to make public the findings of the Committee appointed by the Hon. Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms, to investigate the events that took place in the Welikada prison, Colombo, in November 2012 resulting, in the death of some 27 inmates, with 43 injured and 11 reported to have escaped ”


SRI LANKA BRIEF



12th October 2013.
Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksa,
The President,
Presidential Secretariat,
Janadhipathi Mawatha,
Colombo 1.

Dear Mr. President,
An Appeal for the Early Publication of the Inquiry Reports on the Welikada and Vavuniya Prison Riots

This intervention is made in a spirit of democratic engagement by the Friday Forum, a group of concerned citizens who have come together to consider current issues of public interest with a view to making a contribution to peace, democracy, good governance and social justice in Sri Lanka.
When persons in the custody of a state institution meet with violent death it is a matter of great public concern, reinforcing and even going beyond the immediate issue of justice for victims and their families.

The Friday Forum urges you to make public the findings of the Committee appointed by the Hon. Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms, to investigate the events that took place in the Welikada prison, Colombo, in November 2012 resulting, in the death of some 27 inmates, with 43 injured and 11 reported to have escaped. We note from media publications that this Committee report has now been formally handed over to the Minister, and that the Prison Authorities have developed action plans covering the implementation of specific recommendations made in the report. The public has a right to be informed of the Committee’s conclusions and actions to be taken by officials responsible for the administration of the prison system.

The Friday Forum urges you to make public the findings of the Committee appointed to investigate the events that took place in the Vavuniya prison, in June 2012 resulting in the death of 2 inmates out of the 30 inmates reported as injured.

We believe that the publication of these reports can contribute to creating public confidence in the Government’s frequently stated commitment to strengthening administration of criminal justice and help the government to address problems in the prison system.

Yours sincerely,
JD signature
Jayantha Dhanapala Professor. Savitri Goonesekere on behalf of the Friday Forum- the Group of Concerned Citizens 

cc. Hon. Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms,
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VIDEO: POLICE OFFICER BLOCKS VEHICLE PARADE OVER RATHUPASWALA

VIDEO: Police officer blocks vehicle parade over RathupaswalaOctober 13, 2013

Gampaha ASP Chandana Kodithuwakku has allegedly forced a group of activists to abandon a vehicle parade to spread awareness regarding the drinking water issue in Rathupawala.  

An organization for the protection of water had organized a vehicle parade today (13), to educate the public regarding the Rathupaswala water crisis, after the glove factory at the center of the recent controversy in Welieriya had decided to recommence operations. 

However, before the parade had commenced ASP Chandana Kodithuwakku had arrived at the location and prohibited them from engaging in the parade while warning that the vehicles involved in the movement would be severely damaged, Ada Derana reporter said. 

He added that the senior police officer asked them not to come back to the police station complaining over the damages caused to vehicles while warning that those forcefully engaging in the parade would be arrested.

The convenor of the organization, speaking to reporters at the location, said that another group was scheduled to join the motor parade from Biyagama and that, however, they were threatened with firearms last night.

The parade was scheduled to travel visit Balummahara, Rathupaswala, Weliweriya, Kirindiwela, Malwathuhiripitiya and Nittabuwa areas today. 

When Ada Derana contacted the Police Spokesman’s Office, to inquire into police intervention to halt the vehicle parade, an officer said that no information has been reported so far on the matter and that they are looking into it.  

The controversial Dipped Product glove manufacturing factory in Weliweriya was reopened for a period of 6 months with conditions, following a discussion held on Thursday (10) between the concerned parties.   
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Govt. snubs UNP on gaming by qualifying green-era casinos for new licensing


 October 14, 2013
Under fire from the Opposition for promoting the gaming industry, the Government is apparently checkmating the UNP by qualifying casinos which operated during the latter’s regime for licensing under new regulations.
The Daily FT learns that upcoming new regulations under the Casino Business (Regulation) Act No. 17 of 2010 are expected to stipulate that all casinos which have operated for a period of over 12 years or since 1 January 2002 and that have paid applicable levies continuously to the Department of Inland Revenue under the country’s Betting and Gaming Levy Act No. 40 of 1988 will qualify to obtain new licence. These casinos which have operated for nearly two decades qualify under what is described as Designated Area 3 with 1 and 2 designated areas for gaming identified as D.R. Wijewardena Mawatha, Colombo 10 and Glennie Street, Colombo 2.
The latter two are in view of the already announced gaming inclusive integrated resorts of Aussie casino mogul James Packer’s partnership with Rank Entertainment Holdings Ltd. of Ravi Wijeratne fame and top blue chip John Keells Holdings’ (JKH) Waterfront project. Dhammika Perera’s mega integrated resort project Queensbury will be located at D.R. Wijewardena Mawatha as well.
Casinos that have been operating in Designated Area 3 (MGM, Ballys, Star Dust and Bellagio) will be deemed to have been issued valid licences under the Casino Business (Regulation) Act No. 17 of 2010, from the date hereof, and are to be relocated or transferred to any party in any one of the designated areas at present or those designated areas in the future.

Foreign applicant should be in possession of a casino business in operation in a foreign country for a period of over 10 years with all statutory charges and levies paid to the relevant authorities in the respective country and should have a track record of compliance with legal and regulatory requirements elsewhere or Sri Lanka.
The Government will also have a Regulatory Authority to regulate and supervise casino operations. The regulator will be tasked to safeguarding and protecting the interests of all parties and the social sectors apart from investigating into any complaints and take necessary punitive action.
Upcoming regulations and the regulatory authority will be in conformity with prevalent international norms, regulations and standards, taking into reckoning the Articles of the proposed Declaration of Global Responsible Gaming.
Analysts said that the latter is in addition to international operators such as Crown having to comply with global regulations on gaming industry. Crown is also listed on several stock exchanges.
They also said that new regulations are likely to address some of the concerns raised over the mega push for casinos in the country, which though widely criticised by the Opposition has been welcomed by the tourism and entertainment industries.
A vocal critic, UNP MP Dr. Harsha de Silva last month urged the Government to come clean on its policies on casinos with greater transparency as well as proper taxation.
“A well-regulated, licensed and taxed casino industry is recommended if the Government wishes to promote casinos despite assurances to create a just and values-driven society,” Dr. de Silva told the Daily FT last month.
Strategic Development Bill No. 14 will be presented to Parliament on 24 October to legalise casinos in the country and set up the legal framework.
Last week the UNP Parliamentary Group unanimously decided it will vote against attempts by the Government to legalise casinos through draft legislation to be presented in Parliament on 24 October.
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Abductors’ identity still a mystery
by Our Investigations Desk- Monday, 14 Oct 2013

The police are in the dark over the identity of the kidnappers, who allegedly abducted a wealthy businessman who is also a close confidant of controversial Minister Mervyn Silva, and the businessman’s bodyguard in Maradana last Tuesday (8).

The kidnappers have reportedly questioned the two men over their alleged involvement in the drug trade and warned them to sever their relationship with Minister Silva, who has reportedly fallen out of favour with the high echelons in the government.

The abduction took place at D.R. Wijewardena Mawatha, in the wee hours of that morning. The abducted businessman, K.G. Don Thilakasiri alias Hut Thilakasiri, is reportedly a Coordinating Secretary to Minister Silva. The bodyguard is a former soldier. Both victims were later abandoned in  Kaduwela in the following morning.

A special police team from the Maradana Police has been detailed to conduct investigations in connection with the mystery surrounding the abduction.

Acting Police Spokesperson, SSP Ajith Rohana, told Ceylon Today, that no suspects have been identified. However, the police investigations are currently based on the statement recorded from the abductees and several other individuals, it was reported.

Sources from the police said the motive behind the abduction is not identified yet. It is reported the victims were thoroughly interrogated by the abductors, concerning their alleged involvement in drug trafficking and extortions in the Kiribathgoda area. The abductees were harassed and manhandled by the kidnappers, according to the police.

However, it has come to light that Hut Thilakasiri was warned against maintaining links with Minister Silva and threatened that failure to comply with those instructions would result in his permanent disappearance.

The abductors had used a white van, police sources added. The vehicle number is unknown. The incident had occurred, while the businessman and his guard were returning home from a casino at a night club located at D.R. Wijewardena Mawatha, it was reported.


In 2011, Amal Rodrigo, who was a Coordinating Secretary to Minister Silva, was abducted by an unidentified group in Pitakotte and later released unharmed. However, by then Minister Silva claimed that there was no one by the name of Amal Rodrigo in his staff and never had been. However, it was a well known secret that Rodrigo was a close associate of the minister and was in fact the minister’s Coordinating Secretary.

POLICE FIND BODY IN A FOREST IN MEDIRIGIRIYA

Police find body in a forest in MedirigiriyaOctober 14, 2013 
Police found the body of a middle-aged man in a forest in the Medirigiriya area of Meegasweva. The body was found when police officers searched the area after receiving a tip-off.

The victim was a 48-year-old resident of the area, police reported.

The Medirigiriya police will conduct further investigations into the incident.
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Herman insults the court

 Monday, 14 October 2013 

herman 14Malinga Herman Gunaratne, who is accused of shooting at protestors in Matara recently, has used his good offices with the President to get the court order directing him to be remanded in the Matara prison to first the Tangalle prison and has later got a detention order to allow him to be admitted to the Merchant’s Ward at the Colombo National Hospital.
He is now in a luxury room at the Merchant’s Ward claiming he needs medical attention.
Ignoring the fact that he is supposed to be in prison, Gunaratne has made a bold decision to even give an interview to Sunday Lankadeepa.
When in remand, a person has to get permission from court to give an interview to the media.
A senior lawyer who spoke about the situation said this incident shows the deterioration of the law and order situation in the country. He added that the Matara Cowboy had showed that a person could be above the law if he has friends in high places.
Meanwhile, when the father is violating the law in this manner, son Maithri Gunaratne and grandson Charitha Gunaratne have visited the Matara SSP’s office on the 13th morning and given another list of names of persons to be arrested in connection with the Matara incident to SSP Deshabandu Tennekoon. There have been 35-40 names in the list and they have been asked to be present at the Matara police station at 8.30 am tomorrow.

Former Foreign Ministers and head of the UNP Communications Division and MP, Mangala Samaraweera has been asked to come to the Matara Police for a special inquiry.
Apart from Samaraweera,UNP seniors like Kithsiri kahathpitiya and Suranimala Rajapakse have also been summoned by the police.
The Matara SSP’s office has summoned additional police personnel from surrounding police stations to the Matara Town tomorrow in preparation for any trouble that could take place. The police personnel are to report to the Matara Police by 7 a.m.
As reported earlier, there’s a plan to arrest several senior UNP members tomorrow with the knowledge of a senior member of the government.
The police officer who gave us the information said that there’s a plan to arrest Samaraweera, who has become a headache to the President and the Defence Secretary, and his supporters.
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Arrest Warrants Out For Mangala And 10 Others

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Special Media Release - Mangala Samaraweera M.P.

 On Monday, 14 October 2013
mangala samaraIn the guise of investigating a clash between UNP supporters and participants of a Rajapaksa/ Rajamahendran sponsored march in Matara on 5 October, the Matara police led by SSP Deshabandu Tennakon initiated a wich hunt against senior UNP activists of the district.
In fact, I personally handed in 24 members of my party last Saturday at the request of the police, although I have photographic and video evidence to prove that they did not indulge in any violent activities during this confrontation where five people were shot including an innocent bystander who the doctors say will be partially paralyzed for rest of his life.
The police including the said SSP thanked me several times over the week for my
cooperation and I have been in and out of the SSP's office during last week as the rest of my supporters continued unabated.
According to the video evidence available it can be proven beyond any doubt that 30 out of the 37 UNP activists who have been arrested so far have not participated at any violent activity at all and their only crime seems to had been staunch and loyal members of the United National Party.
The police intelligence are in posesion of video footage of the club wielding thugs of the Rajapaksa / Rajamahendran march and these videos clearly show the organisors of this march ditributing clubs from a parked vehicle at the very start of this march that morning. However, only seven of the club wielding goons have so far been arrested.
Jaliyah Jayawardana, senior vice president of UNP Matara ex-co was brutally beaten up by a group of thugs led by Herman Gunaratne, immediately prior to his shooting spree and Jaliya's life was saved by the timely intervention of a lotus flower seller nearby who go down an ambulance to send Jaliya to hospital. Jaliya Jayawardana was arrested and chained to his bed while receiving treatments at the Aparekka Ayurvedic Hospital while Sunil, the flower seller, is now languishing in the Matara remand prison with my other supporters. None of the club wielding thugs who are easily identifiable from the photographs available have yet been arrested.
As I informed parliament last Thursday the impunity extended to these thugs is perhaps because of the presence of Presidential Security Division personal in this march. In fact, we have reliable information that some of these PSD personal in civilian clothes who were attacked by enraged UNP supporters recieve treatment for minor injuries secretly at the Matara Army camp.
It is in this context that I met SSP Tennakon several times over the week after giving two statements to the police voluntaraliy last Sunday (13) morning. It was only last Saturday (12) that I met SSP in the morning and again DIG Chandana Wickramaratne along with the SSP the same afternoon and they thanked me once more for the cooperation I have extended to the investigation and they promised to conduct the inquiry impartially and fairly. They also promised to arrest the thugs from the other side if we provide them with a list of names. At this point I pointed out to the police that my job is not to play the role of a police informant and the police should be able to identify and locate these people with the same level of enthusiasm that they displayed in pursuing my UNP supporters in Matara. It is in this context that I was amazed to hear from media that the Matara has sought a warrant for my arrest.
I will be presenting myself to Matara courts tommorow at 9.00 a.m. Not only will I continue to fight against the Rajapaksa / Rajamahendran sponsored witch hunt against my supporters in the Matara district but I will also continue with extra vigour to expose the true nature of this evil and despotic regime.

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Video Footage Emerges Showing Anti-Ranil Faction Armed With Poles At Beginning Of March


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