Educating For A Lesser Idea Of Knowledge

By Arjuna Seneviratne -October 26, 2013 |

Arjuna Seneviratne

The greatest knowledge there is, is that there is no greater knowledge than that which enables one to be in harmony and in contentment with one’s self and the externalities that affect one most.

Harmony and contentment are difficult to engineer without much trial and error, without spectral scoping and without many lifetimes because one must be able to absorb and resolve both internal and external negatives and positives with joy, compassion, equanimity, understanding and insight. Tough though this certainly is, some have come very close to achieving precisely that harmony, precisely that contentment. All of them had that rare ability to heal souls and calm troubled waters not because they crusaded for it but simply because they existed. Most of them basked in happiness and signed off on their lives with the slogan “a job well done”. A few, a very few, spent their lives instructing others on how to sample that happiness and achieve it if not to a higher degree than they did themselves, then at least to a level equal to theirs.

Some of these I have known, some I have heard of, some I have read of or studied and from others I have got to know many things.  They were the accomplished ones. They saw a lot and instructed those that came into their orbit to look both wide and deep. They knew a lot of things about a lot of things and encouraged others to know similarly before they call themselves “knowers”.  They subsumed their egos completely in order to instruct those who were full of it in the skills they required in order to perform.  They never held up a board saying “Come to me, I am a teacher”. Instead, people naturally gravitated to them and were given instruction according to their abilities. None, ever, were sent away empty handed.  They taught the world all that was worth knowing.                                         Read More

Rajapaksa government withdraws two gazettes due to protests

 

Saturday, 26 October 2013 

Massive protests from opposition political parties and religious leaders have pushed the Mahinda Rajapaksa government to withdraw two regulations presented to parliament under the Strategic Development Projects Act to set up two luxury hotels with gaming facilities in Colombo from the parliamentary Order Book.

Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena has withdrawn the two regulations that were presented by him on October 8th to set up two luxury hotel complexes with gaming facilities on D.R. Wijewardena Mawatha, Colombo 10, and Justice Akbar Mawatha, Colombo 2.

The management, operation and the ownership of the multi-function resort at a cost of US$ 650 million in Slave Island will be by Waterfront Properties (Pvt) Ltd., a John Keells Holdings (JKH) company.

The management and operation of the US$ 350 million hotel complex along D.R. Wijewardena Mawatha will be undertaken by Lake Leisure Holdings Company, the joint venture between Australian gaming tycoon, James Packer's Crown Ltd. and the local Rank Holding (Pvt.) Ltd.

The two regulations were entered in the Order Book of parliament and were to be taken up for debate on the 24th and 25th.
However, the massive outcry against the government’s move has compelled the Rajapaksas to take a step back in their move.

The Call For Local Talent – A Response To Gotabaya’s Speech

By Thrishantha Nanayakkara -October 26, 2013 

Dr. Thrishantha Nanayakkara

I read defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s keynote address at the inaugural National Engineering Conference, organized by the Institution of Engineers in Sri Lanka (IESL), with great interest. He had given a number of good advices to the members of IESL about positive thinking, initiative, professional conduct, and leadership. The specific examples of success in the infrastructure development projects in Colombo were impressive. His observation – “We need engineers to come up with innovative methods to help mitigate problems such as water, land and air pollution. Even with regard to public security, it is very clear that traditional policing methods are no longer adequate to deal with the increasing sophistication of criminals and terrorists.” – is commendable.

He identifies migration of engineers abroad as a problem while the foreign ministry applauds the foreign currency remittances by Sri Lankan workers abroad. Not only Gotabaya, but also all other politicians including the president keep on re-iterating the importance of professionals in this kind of forums and election rallies, without seeing what they can do to get professionals engaged in the development process of Sri Lanka. I thought of writing this note because some flaws of attitude are clearly evident in the statement by Gotabaya – “Unfortunately, one of the problems we face as a nation is that many of our talented professionals leave the country in pursuit of higher paying jobs abroad”.

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Unfortunately, Many Of Our Talented Professionals Leave The Country

By Gotabaya Rajapaksa -October 24, 2013 

Gotabaya Rajapaksa

It gives me great pleasure to deliver the keynote address at the inaugural National Engineering Conference, organised by the Institution of Engineers in Sri Lanka. The theme chosen for this conference-”Engineering Sri Lanka’s Future”-is a very timely and appropriate one. The present era will in many ways be a decisive one for the future of this country. Having emerged from a three decades long terrorist conflict less than five years ago, Sri Lanka today is one of the most peaceful and stable countries in the world. It is also a country in the midst of a widespread and far reaching economic development thrust. What is required at this time is for all stakeholders to work together with vision, dedication and commitment to drive the nation’s development. In this context, the role of Engineers assumes particular importance.                               Read More

Facebook an ‘epidemic’? Which parasites will cause ‘pandemic’?

October 26, 2013 

The media reports that the President has branded Facebook as an epidemic and advised school children to trust the visible gods. The million dollar question now before citizens is to identify the real parasites that may cause a pandemic, which will in turn destroy the emerging ‘Miracle of Asia’.

Facebook an ‘epidemic’ Which parasites will cause ‘pandemic’ by nelvely

Maldivian MP barred from Parliament

 Sunday, 27 Oct 2013

The Maldivian military yesterday blocked Mid-Henveiru MP, Ali Azim, who was debarred by the Supreme Court from entering Parliament for the sitting scheduled yesterday.

Military personnel in combat uniform entered Parliament and escorted Azim outside. He was taken away in a police vehicle.

Confrontation between military personnel and some lawmakers ensued before Azim was led away.

Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) said in a statement that Azim had assaulted a military officer and had been handed over to the police.

The Supreme Court on Thursday (24) disqualified Azim and Alifushi MP Mohamed Nashiz from Parliament over a decreed debt.

The verdict was issued in absentia by the four-judge majority of the Supreme Court. (Haveeru.com)

 Allowance increment to teaching assistants in Northern Sri Lanka withdrawn, Union complains 

Fri, Oct 25, 2013, 12:42 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Oct 25, Colombo: A trade union affiliated to Sri Lanka's education sector has alleged that the increase in allowances granted to teaching assistants in the Northern Province during the period of the provincial council elections has been withdrawn.
The Ceylon Teachers' Union (CTU) has said that teaching assistants in the North were granted a Rs. 4,000 increment in their allowance during the months of July, August and September.
General Secretary of the CTU, Joseph Stalin has explained that a teaching assistant was paid Rs. 6,000 monthly and it was increased to Rs. 10,000 from July till September.
However, he has noted that following the end of the Northern Provincial Council election, the pay has returned to its initial Rs. 6,000.

According to Stalin, it is unethical and unjust to withdraw the increment in the pay offered to the teaching assistants in the North in such a manner.

Campaign Of Rape And Torture Overshadows Sri Lanka’s Summit

By Robin Pagnamenta -October 26, 2013 |

Robin Pagnamenta

After three days of torture at the hands of Sri Lanka’s security forces, Thusi Srivastava was at breaking point.

Stripped naked, beaten with iron bars and subjected to mock suffocations and drownings after her abduction in northern Sri Lanka, the Tamil detainee thought her condition could not get any worse.

She was wrong. “Physically I was in very bad shape,” said Thusi [not her real name], recalling her ordeal in February.

“But the next day, two of my interrogators came back and raped me – to read more 

click here

*Robin Pagnamenta South Asia Correspondent – The Times – UK

Samantha Power breaks down after visiting Rwandan genocide memorial

Philip Weiss on October 25, 2013 

This is moving. From Samantha Power’s twitter feed. The US ambassador to the UN visited the memorial to the Rwanda genocide in Kigali two weeks ago and broke down afterward, speaking to local media (and posted by this human rights organization). Note the humility in her comments, putting herself in the company of citizens and churchgoers. Excerpts:

My name is Samantha Power, I’m the US ambassador to the United Nations. I have just come out of the memorial, and I honestly need time to recover. This is very soon to be talking to all of you… This is my third time visiting Rwandan memorials, it is almost 20 years after the genocide, and the power of not only what happened here in 1994 but the strength of the Rwandan people as they seek to move forward is immensely moving to me and to my colleagues. I am here as part of a mission from the United Nations Security Council, and of course we all know what the United Nations failed to do back in 1994 for the Rwandan people. But the international community is determined to stand with the Rwandan people in the same way that our guides today have, who were themselves 13-year-old boys at the time of the genocide– I’m sorry– and they tell their stories so that diplomats like me, journalistis, citizens, churchgoers, everyone in the world can know what happened here so that it never happens again in Rwanda and it never happens again anywhere else in the world… Nobody who comes to this memorial site is ever the same when they leave. People who come to this site dedicate themselves with new passion… to the broader cause of preventing genocide forevermore.

Power, who made her name writing about genocide, has of course defended militarist policies in the Middle East. I went to Power’s feed seeing if she had anything to say about her mentor on Middle East issues, Shmuley Boteach, countenancing Sheldon Adelson’s call for Obama to strike Iran with a nuclear weapon. Zilch.

P.S. Boteach reported that Power cried when she met with Israel lobbyists to defend herself from accusations that she doesn’t like Israel.

A Haunted Nation: Other Minority Groups And The July Violence

By Rajan Hoole -October 26, 2013 

Rajan Hoole

Sri Lanka: A Haunted Nation - The Social Underpinnings Of Communal Violence- Part 3

There was also then considerable pressure on the other minorities to stay with the Government’s line and not show any sym- pathy for the Tamil victims. Dr. M.C.M. Kaleel, a prominent UNPer and president of the All Ceylon Muslim League wrote a public letter to the Indian Union Muslim League protesting at the latter’s concern for Tamil victims in Sri Lanka (CDN 23.8.83):

“We the Moors of Sri Lanka who are all Muslims by religion were shocked to hear that the MP belonging to your party walked out from parliament in New Delhi in protest because there was no discussion on what they have called ‘the atrocities against Tamils in Sri Lanka’.”

Dr. Kaleel then tried to explain, as it were, to his Indian counterparts, the crime of the Tamils deserving punishment: “They are demanding a separate state called Eelam consisting of the North- ern and Eastern Provinces of the island.”

Muslims affiliated to the UNP and SLFP of- ten found themselves in an unenviable position. When there were communal attacks on Muslims in the North Western and Southern Provinces in the late 70s, it was left to the TULF leader Mr. Amirthalingam as Leader of the Opposition to raise the public outcry. Mr. A.C.S. Hameed was however, a leading Muslim member of the UNP whose influence in minority questions has been arguably benign. In the cabinet meeting of 27th July, Hameed argued unsuccessfully against the 6th Amendment, which effectively proscribed the TULF. He said that it would completely estrange the Tamils, and predicted that it would give In- dia a role by bringing her in as an intermediary

between the Government and the Tamils. (T. Sabaratnam, p.304). No one else, whether in the UNP or the SLFP, saw the practical consequences arising from this.

Ten years earlier (5th December 1973), Hameed, then in the opposition, criticised both standardization and the district quota system be- ing introduced as retrograde steps. He made a plea that “Education in this country should never contribute to the growth of communalism”. There was no protest from a single Sinhalese MP. In time the state of affairs among Muslim MPs in the SLFP and UNP led in 1986 to the birth of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress with its base in the south of the Eastern Province.

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BBC investigates Sri Lanka disappearances

video

24 October 2013 Last updated at 23:25 BST

Journalists and activists in Sri Lanka have accused the government of threats, intimidation, and violence against those who criticise the authorities.

It comes as the Commonwealth heads of government, who subscribe to freedom of expression in the Commonwealth Charter, are preparing to meet there.

The BBC's Fergal Keane reports on a newspaper at the centre of the claims, and the country's notorious white vans.

Confrontation at Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields screening in Oslo

by Shamindra Ferdinando-October 24, 2013

British documentary maker Callum Macrae, during a recent visit to Oslo, where he denounced the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo, was told by a Tamil, of Sri Lankan origin, that the Britisher was making it difficult for the Tamil community to reconcile with the Sinhalese.

Macrae is expected in Colombo during the second week of November to cover CHOGM 2013.

Having shown the much hyped Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields in Oslo last Friday, Macrae and several other persons, including Norwegian representatives of Amnesty International, had engaged the audience, sources said. Among the panelists was Yohan Shanmugaratna, editor of Norwegian language Klasse kampen.

In spite of two representatives from the Sri Lankan diplomatic mission in Oslo remaining silent in the face of the latest propaganda onslaught, the Tamil and a Sinhalese lady responded to the allegations much to the embarrassment of the organizers of the event, sources said.

Norway arranged a ceasefire between Sri Lanka and the LTTE in Feb. 2002. The LTTE quit the agreement in April  2003 during Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure as the Premier.

Sources quoted the Tamil member of the audience as having asked Macrae why he was focusing on a 30-year-long conflict and making allegations against the military while conveniently being silent on untold atrocities committed by the LTTE. Sources said:"Macrae briefly explained the difficulty in covering conflict, though he was aware of LTTE atrocities."

The Tamil explained that the situation in Sri Lanka was much better since the defeat of the LTTE in May 2009. Sources quoted him as having declared that since then no one had died due to hostilities and peace on the ground had paved the way for closer relations between the Sinhalese and Tamil speaking people. The man in the audience said that he was optimistic of the situation back at home. "Although there are 70 million Tamils in Tamil Nadu, they live across the sea. Whatever said and done, Tamils have to live with Sinhalese therefore we have to work hard to improve the relationship between the two communities."

The Tamil alleged that Macrae was mistaken if he believed he was helping Tamils. In fact, the likes of Macrae were making it difficult for Tamils to reconcile with Sinhalese. He went on to stress that there was no alternative to reconciliation.

An irate Macrae alleged that those who worked for the Sri Lankan government propagated such views. The Tamil demanded an apology alleging that a serious unsubstantiated allegation was levelled against him. Macrae promptly apologized.

Macrae told the audience that the Sri Lankan government had intervened to prevent screening of Sri Lanka’s ‘Killing Fields’ in Malaysia and Nepal.

The External Affairs Ministry told The Island that a section of the media was still propagating lies on behalf of the LTTE rump. The Ministry said that the documentaries produced by the British media outfit were meant to justify an international war crimes probe targeting Sri Lanka and undermine ongoing efforts at national reconciliation.  

The ministry alleged that unsubstantiated allegations made by Macrae had been the basis for demand for war crimes probe. British MP Siobhain McDonagh and Australian Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon, at the behest of the LTTE rump, proposed that Macrae and John Snow, who presented the story, should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012.

Sri Lanka: India’s CHOGM Dilemma

By R Hariharan -October 25, 2013 

Col. (retd) R.Hariharan

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s is facing a Shakespearean dilemma on attending the CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) to be held in Colombo in November 2013. This is not surprising as there are strong political and strategic reasons, both for and against, attending the Colombo summit.

He is facing strong internal and external pressures that cloud objective decision making on the issue. Added to this is the erosion of the PM’s leadership image in recent times. It has taken a severe beating recently after huge scams linked to his office started surfacing one after the other. As a result, each and every decision of the PM is being questioned and the same fate probably awaits his decision on CHOGM as well.

He has to do some delicate tightrope walking to meld long term national interest with short term political priorities. The task is made more difficult because it can affect not only the poll prospects of the Congress party in the 2014-parliamentary election but even the longevity of his coalition before the election.

Political leaders of almost all hues including the Congress party in Tamil Nadu have called for a boycott of the CHOGM. This is not surprising as they got on the Eelam bandwagon ever since Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MsJayalalithaa effectively used the Sri Lanka Tamil issue to sweep  the state elections. She has continued her strident stance as many Tamils consider the Centre’s response to Sri Lanka’s war crimes and human rights aberrations as inadequate and ineffective; this has put both the Congress and the DMK on the defensive. Smelling blood, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister turned even more hawkish, calling for slapping a trade embargo on Sri Lanka and international action against President Rajapaksa. The developments in Tamil Nadu seem to have  influenced India’s vote against Sri Lanka in the UNHCR last year.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister had been emphatic in calling for an Indian boycott of the CHOGM. All parties in the state were quick to follow suit. None of them, barring some notable exceptions, have critically debated the pros and cons of boycotting the CHOGM on the country’s Sri Lanka policy or on Sri Lanka Tamils.

Read More

British PM to visit Lanka's former warzone, to talk tough

October 25, 2013 

British Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to have "very tough" conversations with the Sri Lankan government on human rights during next month's Commonwealth summit here when he will also visit the Tamil- dominated war-torn north in a landmark trip. 

Cameron will become the first foreign head of government to visitSri Lanka's former warzone Tamil heartland. 

"My decision is the right thing for us to do is to go to the Commonwealth conference...And have some very tough conversations with the Sri Lankan government," Cameron said while defending his decision to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) hosted by Lanka. 

"I am not happy with what they've done following the conflict and we'll have some very frank conversations to make those points," he said at a joint press engagement held in London this week with Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi, a transcription of which was issued by the British High Commission here today. 

He said he will visit Sri Lanka's north during his attendance at CHOGM. 

Lankan officials said Cameron would thus become the first head of government to visit Jaffna since Sri Lanka gained independence from Britain in 1948. 

The British government is set to defy its own foreign affairs advisory committee recommendations by attending the Colombo summit. The committee said Britain should shun the summit. 

Sri Lanka's lack of progress in its human rights accountability and achieving reconciliation with the Tamil minority have forced Canada, another leading Commonwealth nation to stay away from the summit.

Letter To African National Congress On Sri Lanka CHOGM

By Rev. S.J. Emmanuel -October 25, 2013 |

Rev. Dr S.J. Emmanuel

Cde. Mr Gwede Mantashe,

Secretary General,

African National Congress,

Luthuli House,

PO Box 61884 Marshalltown,2107,

Republic of South Africa.

24th October 2013

Dear Comrade,

I am writing, on behalf of the Global Tamil Forum (GTF), to humbly ask whether South Africa would be willing to boycott the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka. As Secretary General of the ANC – an organisation that has done much to draw attention to the human rights violations on the island as well as the lack of accountability and reconciliation since the end of the armed conflict in 2009 – I would be most grateful if you were willing to raise this matter with senior figures in the South African Government, including the President.Read More

Transnational Government Of Tamil Eelam’s Parliament Dissolved For Next Election

October 26, 2013

After completing the first term in office, the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam’s (TGTE) Prime MinisterVisuvanathan Rudrakumaran, dissolved the Parliament on October 1, 2013.

Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran - Prime Minister TGTE

The TGTE Election Commission then took over the responsibility to hold elections for the 2nd term of the TGTE Parliament. The Chief Election Commissioner S. Sridas along with her other Commissioners around the world started to organize the elections, says the TGTE

The TGTE says; “Nominations were accepted by respective Country Election Commissions to elect 112 Members of Parliament (MPs). Countries where the nominations were filed are: Canada, United Kingdom, United States of America, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, France, Denmark, Norway and New Zealand. Even though arrangements were made to conduct elections in all these countries, timely withdrawal of groups who were unwilling to go along with TGTE agenda in the past, have resulted in all the candidates elected unopposed.

“This heralds a remarkable welcome development in the Tamil Diaspora. Signifying unity not seen before and effectively strengthening the Diaspora’s role for the freedom of Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka.

“With this elections, Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) begins its 2nd Parliamentary Term.”

The following is the list of Candidates who have been elected as Members of Parliament (MP) for the second term of the TGTE Parliament.

CANADA:                                                                Read More

UPDATE :Video: NP governor should be removed; CM Vigneshwaran says at the inaugural PC meeting.

Friday, 25 October 2013 - 08:12 AM

Northern Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran says that the Northern Governor Major General G.A. Chandrasiri should be removed from the current position.

Addressing the Northern Provincial Council inaugural session today, the Chief Minister said that the Governor who has close rapport with the armed forces stands a barrier before a civil administration.

Chief Minister Wigneswaran said that Tamil people, equal to their Sinhala counterparts are stakeholders of this country.

The Chief Minister also termed the agitations by Tamil Nadu as an effort to bring about a better life for Tamils in the North.

Meanwhile Northern Provincial Council Opposition Leader and EPDP member Kandasamy Kamalendran said the Northerners’ dream came true after setting up of the Northern Provincial Council.

Earlier a brand new Northern Provincial Council building put up at Kaithadi in Jaffna was opened by Northern Governor Major General G.A. Chandrasiri and Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran this morning.

50 resettled families received cash cheques to meet their medical defrays during the opening ceremony.

NP wants Tamil Speaking police - says CM Vigneshwaran

Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran says that Tamil speaking policemen are wanted to serve in the North.

After the inauguration of the Northern Provincial Council meeting today, the Chief Minister said the new recruits should be made aware of the police powers vested on them under the 13^th Amendment.

Meanwhile a brand new Northern Provincial Council building put up at Kaithadi in Jaffna was opened by Northern Governor Major General G.A. Chandrasiri and Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran this morning.

During the opening ceremony, cash cheques were handed over to 50 resettled families to enable them to meet medical defrays.

Later the inaugural sessions of the PC started, and Tamil Arasu Kachchi member C.V.K. Sivagnanam was appointed as the Chairman.

Anthony Jeganathan from the same party was appointed as the Vice Chairman.

Addressing the inaugural sessions of the PC, the Chief Minister said that policemen who lack language skills, cultural and way of life of the Northern Tamils have been an annoyance to the residents.

Sivayanam appointed chairman of NPC

The first Northern Provincial Council session began today.

C.V.K. Sivayanam had been appointed as the chairman of the Northern Provincial Council.

Friday, 25 October 2013 - 10:48 AM

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The fist Northern Provincial council sessions today.
Friday, 25 October 2013 - 08:12 AM

The first Northern Provincial Council session begins today.

The first Northern Provincial Council session will thus take place after the inauguration of new Provincial Council Complex constructed at Kayithadi in Jaffna.

The TNA was victorious at the provincial council election held on 21^st September this year.

While at that election they obtained 30 seats inclusive of two bonus seats, the UPFA secured seven seats.

The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress too won a seat.

However, after the election a problematic situation arose in the TNA with regard to assigning of minister posts.

Consequently only 21 councilors had participated in the swearing in ceremony held on 11^th this month.

The five E.P.R.L.F. councilors, Councillor M. L. Sivaajilingam and two councilors representing the PLOTE boycotted the ceremony.