Muslim party protests in New Delhi against Sri Lanka CHOGM

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 October 2013, 07:09 GMT]
The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), a pan-Indian Muslim political party, demonstrated on Tuesday at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi demanding India to expel the Sri Lankan State from the Commonwealth. If that is not possible, the very least India could do is not to participate in the CHOGM held at the genocide-accused country, the protestors from the grassroots Muslim organization emphasized. Speakers at the demonstration also condemned Indian Minter for External Affairs Salman Khurshid’s recent statement that he would represent India at the CHOGM in Sri Lanka. 

The people of Tamil Nadu are nearly unanimous in appealing to the Prime Minister of India and the Govt. of India should give effect to the Tamil Nadu people’s demand, said SDPI's National Secretary Rafiq Mulla in a statement issued following the protest. 

SDPI National President A. Sayeed, who led the demonstration, stating that Sri Lanka was receiving worldwide condemnation for its genocidal attacks on the Tamils, gave the example of countries like Pakistan, Fiji and South Africa which were removed from the Commonwealth for their failure to adhere to its values.

Likewise, KKSM Dehlan Baqavi, Tamil Nadu State President of the SDPI, strongly condemned the statement of Salman Khurshid, accusing him of disrespecting the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu and the resolution passed in the TN state assembly calling for a boycott of CHOGM in Sri Lanka.

The protest “March to Prime Minister’s Office” was headed by Mr A Sayeed. SDPI's Tamil Nadu State President Dehlan Baqavi, SDPI's National VP Sam Kutty Jacob, Afsar Pasha, SDPI National GS Abdul Majeed Faizy, and the Vice President of SDPI Rajasthan, Adv Vijendra Kasana took part in the protest. 

Joint opposition to agitate during CHOGM

By Niranjala Ariyawansha-Tuesday, 29 Oct 2013

The joint opposition is to launch a series of anti-government agitation campaigns during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) next month, the Leader of the Nawa Sama Samaja Party (NSSP), Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne, said. "We are planning to enlighten the visiting dignitaries on the 'real' situation in the country," he said, emphasizing that their aim was to provide better living conditions for the people of Sri Lanka, by revealing the truth about the government's suppression and its racist policies to the world.

"World leaders who are visiting the country should know what is actually happening. Especially India and its people should know what the people in their neighbouring island are going through. We have a right to protest and we are not ready to compromise our right to protest just because of the summit," he asserted.

The NSSP Leader insisted that the security plan that would be in place for CHOGM will in no way hamper their planned activities. He added that they have chosen a venue in the Kotte area to hold a series of protest campaigns, as well as an art exhibition and many discussions that are also scheduled to be held under the aegis of the protest campaign.

"In addition, we will hold a candlelight vigil in memory of those who have gone missing. We plan to walk in a procession towards Independent Square on 14 November evening, as part of our agitation against the government's suppression," Dr. Karunaratne further said.

He went on to say that these events will be organized for only those who are concerned about the human rights situation in the country. As such, it will be open to representatives of the heads of state, diplomats, civil society organizations, trade unions, opposition politicians and media personnel.

White Van Stories: Documentary on Sri Lanka set for international release

White Van Stories: Documentary on Sri Lanka set for international release

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Critically acclaimed Indian filmmaker Leena Manimekalai’s White Van Stories, a documentary on enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka with never-seen-before footage, is set for an international release.


The two-hour documentary shows seven characters and the unexplained disappearances of their loved ones in post-war Sri Lanka.

The characters will also give audiences a stark glimpse at their resilience to find the disappeared as part of their continued fight for justice.

The global broadcast coincides with the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo that has been highly criticised in the face of Sri Lanka’s ever-increasing human rights abuse cases.

“The lives of the families of the disappeared across Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim ethnicities are portrayed,” said  the documentary maker. The rally that was held in Jaffna and Colombo recently on Int’l Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, during UNHRC High Commissioner Navi Pillay’s visit to Sri Lanka is the centerpiece of the docu-feature. as the characters were amongst the hundreds of families of the disappeared who had protested
IE

Alarm over malnutrition in North East

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 October 2013, 12:08 GMT]
Malnutrition level has reached 50% in North and East while the island-wide rate stands at 29%, according to a leading Community Medicine Specialist attached to Sri Lankan Ministry of Health in Colombo. Dr Murali Vallipuranathan, who held a workshop to journalists in Jaffna on reporting health, revealed the latest malnutrition rates from the districts in North and East as 53% in Batticaloa, 51% in Vanni (comprising 4 districts), 45% in Trincomalee, 44% in Ampaa’rai and 43% in Jaffna district. The alarming malnutrition rate in the occupied country of Eezham Tamils comes after more than 4 years of the so-called ‘development’ propaganda waged by the Sri Lankan State. 

The malnutrition rate is corresponding also with the alarming poverty rate measured at 58.7% in the North and East, the medical expert told journalists at the workshop held on Saturday.

The latest alarm comes while UN agencies have closed down most of their humanitarian field offices and international NGOs have wound up their activities in the North and East. 

In the meantime, Tamil officials attached to the UN said that the World Food Programme (WFP) was aware of the alarming situation already in 2011. 

The WFP itself has reported in June 2011 that 63% of resettled people were living below the poverty line. 

But, due to the lack of funding from the donor countries that were facing the economic crisis, the humanitarian agencies reduced their activities. They were also citing the World Bank reclassification of ‘Sri Lanka’ as having reached the status of middle-income country in 2010.

Commenting on the malnutrition prevailing in the North, health officials in North attributed the deteriorating situation to the structural genocide being committed on Eezham Tamils, especially in the two prime areas of livelihood: agriculture and fishing. 

The health officials in Jaffna have urged focus on the high rate of mortality in the Tamil homeland, the situation of mental health among the resettling people and the restriction of birth rate among Tamils.

 Opposition says 47 percent of Sri Lanka's 2014 budget to be allocated to the ministries under the three Rajapaksas 

Mon, Oct 28, 2013, 11:28 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Oct 28, Colombo: Nearly half of the 2014 budget expenditure has been allocated to the ministries under the President and his brothers, Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) charged today.

"47 percent of the budget has been allocated to three Ministries handled by the President, Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa," General Secretary of UNP Tissa Attanayake said today at a press briefing held in Colombo.

Commenting on the Appropriation Bill for 2014, Attanayake said that a staggering Rs. 724 billion has been reserved for the Ministries under the three Rajapaksas out of the entire budget of Rs. 1.54 trillion.
The UNP General Secretary said that the President's expenditure for 2014 has been increased to Rs. 8.56 billion from Rs. 7.42 billion last year while slashing the Prime Minister's expenditure by Rs. 20 million to Rs. 300 million.

Attanayake said it is laughable that the President has allocated Rs. 362.56 billion for the Finance and Ports and Highways ministries which are directly under the President.

The UNP General Secretary said that Rs. 106 billion has been reserved for Ministry of Economic Development handled by Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Rs. 253.9 billion has been reserved for Defense and Urban Development Ministry that UNP says run by the Secretary of the Ministry Gotabhaya Rajapaksa although it is under the President.

He noted that only Rs. 624 billion has been allocated for all important ministries including Petroleum Resources, Foreign Employment, National Languages, Resettlement, Parliamentary Affairs, Public Administration and Private transport, and Telecommunications.


The opposition MP said the government has not revealed the expenses to pay the loan installments and the interests in the 2014 Appropriation Bill. However, in 2013, the government has paid nearly Rs. 1.2 trillion for loan payments and with that amount as an estimate the total government expenditure will exceed Rs. 2.72 trillion for this year.

New Delhi implements Eezham model ‘counterinsurgency’ on its own people

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 October 2013, 17:04 GMT]
Indian State now consolidates a policy that extraordinary political movements of mass basis, coming from peoples long exposed to social oppression, material deprivation, un-freedom and stark poverty in India, have to be eliminated with the deployment of an increasing number of armed forces. The more the forces are special and armed to the teeth with impunity the more they are effective, is the policy outlook. “The establishment's view is that over a period of time, this strategy, notwithstanding its viciousness, has paid rich dividends and must be persisted with. The decimation of the LTTE in the summer of 2009 in Sri Lanka has served to consolidate this view,” says an October 2013 publication of the Human Rights Forum.

The HRF publication, “The Terrible Cost of an Inhuman Counter-Insurgency,” was reporting on the war the Indian Establishment is waging in the Adivasi territories in India.

“When the State was called upon to recognize that Naxalism had a social base, it would refuse to do so. This is because such an acceptance would mean that the State will then be conceding that it is a political movement with a base among the people. This it is not willing to do.”

• Human Rights Froum: The Terrible Cost of an Inhuman Counter-Insurgency

“However, in the State’s counter-insurgency strategy it does recognize that the Naxalite movement has a support base among the people. And this is precisely what it targets and seeks to brutalize to a point where the people themselves reject the militancy that speaks in their name.”

“The intention is clearly to isolate the armed squads of the Naxalites and then finish them off. This is not a novel method that the Indian State is employing but a strategy that is common to counter- insurgency operations worldwide. What the Indian State seems to have convinced itself after the military decimation of the LTTE by the Sri Lankan State is that this policy can succeed here as well,” the HRF publication said.

The HRF report, generally bringing out what is now witnessed in the Indian States of Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and parts of Andhra Pradesh, was specifically focussing on South Chattisgarh and bordering Andhra Pradesh.

Distribution of Dravidian-speaking peoples in South Asia.

The region is a home for a number of Dravidian-speaking aborigine tribes. New Delhi Establishment’s onslaught strategy on these peoples has a cultural dimension too, partly based on Hindi-Hindutva implementation through the newly created State of Chattisgarh.

While the affluent Dravidian brethren in further south are not responding at least in lingua-nationalist sentiments to voice for the plight of these peoples facing an imperialist onslaught, ironically it is a New Delhi Minister elected from Tamil Nadu, Mr P. Chidambaram, who has had a hand both in the genocide of Eezham Tamils as well as in declaring Eezham model ‘counterinsurgency’ war in the tribal belt of India.

The HRF publication was disproving the claim that the war in the tribal belt is fought for the ‘development’ of the people concerned.

“The horrific crimes they committed had driven terrified adivasis in their thousands across the border into AP. As well as creating severe humanitarian problems, this large-scale forced displacement has also severely threatened the cultural viability of the indigenous peoples of the region, who depend on their local lands for sustenance and survival.”

“That is why the statement by former Union Home Minister Chidambaram in the initial days of the massive launch of security forces (referred to as Operation Greenhunt in the media) in this region that their "intention is to usher in development in these areas after re-establishing the rule of law" sounds utterly hollow. Scheduled V areas where the Maoists have no presence, and there are many such vast tracts, have never seen a whisper of development. Yet, this hypocrisy by a senior minister is taken by most otherwise intelligent and sensitive commentators as gospel truth,” the publication said.

For the first time in South Asia’s recent history, when the New Delhi Establishment perpetrated a genocide model in the case of Eezham Tamils, many in India didn’t realize or were deliberately kept in dark about its consequences, thanks to the mainstream media and the so-called intellectuals in India, commented Tamil activists for alternative politics in Jaffna.

Those who read the HRF report on Chattisgarh could find out the identical ways, in which the Corporate Imperialist War of New Delhi is fought against Eezham Tamils as well as against the small nations in India.

The HRF report says, “The silence that follows this acceptance [Chidambaram perception of development through counterinsurgency] is precisely the social legitimacy that the government needs for its brutal counter-insurgency campaign.”

“Human Rights Forum feels strongly that society must speak out against this violence being inflicted on the poorest of the poor,” the publication said.

Unless peoples of India realize the seriousness of the test case of Eezham Tamils and articulately come forward in teaching a lesson to New Delhi on the independence of Eezham Tamils, the domino effect of New Delhi’s ‘experiment’ on Eezham Tamils afflicting the peoples of the entire region can’t be prevented, the activists for alternative politics in Jaffna commented.

Distribution of Dravidian-speaking peoples in South Asia: The recently created State of Chattisgarh in the tribal belt of Central India, where a Corporate Imperialist War is now waged by New Delhi, is the home of a number of Dravidian-speaking aborigine nations. The map shows the identity and territorial distribution of the small aborigine nations of Dravidian speakers who are not much known even to the major Dravidian-speakers of the region.

30 Year Old Dambulla Badhrakaali Amman Kovil Completely Demolished Last Night

October 29, 2013 |

Dambulla Badhrakaali Amman Kovil has been completely demolished last night raises question about the safety of Badhra kaali amman temples in the southern Sri Lanka, says Dr.N Kumar Guruparan,Western Provincial Councillor and the Deputy Leader of Democratic Peoples’ Front and Spokesman for the Hindu Front.

Bhadrakali Mata Statue /File photo

Issuing a statement he says; “It’s with deep shock & sorrow I record here that theDambulla Badhrakaali Amman Kovil (Temple) has been demolished yesterday  razed to the grounds ,which raises question about the safety of Bathra kaali amman temples in the southern Sri Lanka. I was shocked to hear when my good friend Hon Parliamentarian R .Yogarajan conveyed the sad news.We both in our own individual  capacity appealed to His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapaksa him to act immediately to stop a 30 year old kovil in Dambulla being shifted.

We both in our individual capacity  appealed to His Excellency for the safety of this temple right from the beginning  of a buddhists’ chauvnistic  group started attack on this temple and moors mosque in the city of Dambulle, Dr.N Kumar Guruparan said.

He said; “It’s only a couple of days back I appealed to the President,through English media and Hon Yogarajan took up this matter to the notice of the Preident ‘that President need to take steps to safeguard the Badhrakaali Amman Kovil  in Dambulla. If things are going out of hands in spite of our appeal are we to find alternatives to appeal and bring pressure hence bring this to the notice of the High Commission of India now after the complete demolition by the civvies forces.

Unfortunate is that according to the trustee ‘Lechhumi ammah’ it was government forces went along in civvies with the well known Buddhist monk requested them to remove the temple from the historically in habited tamil area imediately  if not to face the consequences but trustees requested time till Wednesday for the religious rites to take place to close down the temple. without waiting they have demolished.Now fores have embarked on building  a fountain ammah’s relation told  me  in the evening now; Satue the deity is lying in  the trustees residence. There is a group of Buddhist fundamentalists eager to change the history of tamils and Hindus’ and Muslims’ in Dambulla to bring down the  prominent life pan of history demolishing the temple and Mosque in prominent palace.This issue and deliberate attack on Badrakaali amman temple  is still continuing, the deity’s statue was smashed and thrown in to the well not even a month back. Guruparan said the trident in the premises had been used to remove the roofing.”

UPFA politicos in bloody clash Chairman, his deputy in hospital

by Lalith Chaminda-October 28, 2013, 9:55 pm 
Galle Correspondent

 A heated verbal exchange that led to a physical clash between the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Bentota Pradeshiya Sabha, yesterday during its Finance Committee meeting left both combatants bloodied.

Deputy Chairman Ranjan Srilal Wickramasinghe, who was initially taken to the Bentota Hospital, was later transferred to the Neboda Hospital with injuries to his mouth with at least one tooth broken.

Shocked officials and area residents, who had come to the PS to get various matters attended to, watched in horror as the two UPFA heavyweights exchanged accusations at the top of their voices, followed by blows.

Wickramasinghe, when queried by The Island about the clash, said: "While I was attending the Finance Committee meeting, Chairman Gayan Sirimanne assaulted me asking why I was scolding his people. One of my teeth broke in that assault"

"I was taking part in the finance committee meeting at about 10:15 a.m. when this happened. One tooth broke and another has got damaged. My body is also aching after the assault," he said from his hospital bed.

The Deputy Chairman said the dispute had been over burnt street lights in his area not being replaced. However much he complained about it, a henchman of the Chairman there was preventing the replacement of bulbs.

That person who was a casual labourer had been promoted as a supervisor by the Chairman, Wickramasinghe added.

When Chairman Sirimanne was questioned in this regard, he claimed that there had been no assault, but an argument. The Deputy Chairman had scolded a worker in bad language. "So, I told the Deputy Chairman not to talk to workers in that manner as they, too, have some self respect, but Wickremesinghe reacted badly and scolded me as well, but I got up and told him not to talk that way. Then he attacked me with the Sabha seal franking equipment. In self-defence I moved to avoid the blow and in the process the Deputy Chairman fell. I tried to hit him after he fell, but PS employees intervened and separated us.

The Chairman said he was receiving treatment at the Balapitiya hospital.

Using GL as bait Namal attempts at premiership!

 Tuesday, 29 October 2013 13:

President’s senior son, MP 

Namal Rajapaksa is getting ready to test himself in the position of prime minister by getting one of his stooges, external affairs minister Prof. Gamini Lakshman (G.L.) Peiris, appointed the premier, according to sources at Nil Balakaya. The president has decided to sack incumbent D.M. Jayaratne, owing to the antagonism between them, but he is finding it difficult to choose a successor.

The proposal of appointing the eldest brother, speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, has been abandoned due to objections by the president’s family members. The president was forced to dump the idea owing to the Uva province chief minister Shashindra Rajapaksa and MP Namal Rajapaksa not seeing eye to eye. Looking for an alternative, MP Namal Rajapaksa has suggested the name of G.L. Peiris.

The president has sanctioned the proposal in light of the fact that the world’s leading authority on the law of delict, Prof. G.L. Peiris is calling Namal Rajapaksa, a legal novice, ‘sir’. Some days ago, MP Namal Rajapaksa had summoned Prof. Peiris and said, “G.L. If you are ready to do as I say, I can make you the prime minister.” The conceited junior had not had the civility to at least call the professor, his senior by many decades, as ‘uncle.’ Drooling at the carrot thrown at him, Prof. G.L. Peiris, who has sold his integrity and soul for politics, has said, “Sir, what do you want me to do?”

Taking full advantage of the unmanly G.L. Peiris, MP Namal Rajapaksa has tasked him with the speeding up of the cases filed against his politician friends at many courts in the island to their advantage. Accepting the order by both hands, the professor has already set himself to the task. It is none other than him who is advising the attorney general on how to proceed with the criminal case against Tangalle Pradeshiya Sabha chairman Sampath Vidanapathirana and six others over the murder of British tourist Khurram Shaikh. In order to save their skins, the AG and other senior officials of the department are making entries in documents secretly that they had been ordered so by Prof. G.L. Peiris. Even if an independent, impartial investigation is conducted in the future, all the Rajapaksas will be cleared and it is a lonely Prof. G.L. Peiris who will have to count the iron bars in his prison cell.

Army officer as 2nd in command in SIS

 Tuesday, 29 October 2013 

The Defence Secretary is going to appoint a lieutenant colonel in the Army as the second in command of the State Intelligence Service (SIS). The appointment is going to be made in January, reports said.

Functioning under the Defence Ministry and the Police, the SIS is a civilian outfit and never had Army personnel as its top officials before. Therefore, the impending appointment by the Defence Secretary is deemed a militarization of the SIS, some of its officials have alleged.

Certain officials of the police too, have discussed the militarization of the police, tasked with civilian affairs, and its units in this manner as a serious precedent by the Defence Secretary who is militarizing the entire country.

Nevertheless, a lieutenant colonel of the Army is going to be appointed the second in command of the SIS in an attempt to get its reports to serve the wants of the government, which has not been the case so far.

Legalize abortion, prostitution

By Chandrasena Marasinghe-Tuesday, 29 Oct 2013

Project Director of the Women's Political Academy, Dr. Nimalka Fernando, said abortion and prostitution should be legalized, in conjunction with the growth of the tourism industry.

"Going by the present trends, the tourism industry should be identified as a 'leisure culture'. Tourists arrive here to enjoy and relax, and the other side of this leisure culture relates to sexual conduct. The women in this leisure culture have to engage in diverse activities including sex, and therefore they must be provided with health safeguards by legalizing abortion and prostitution," she said.

Dr. Fernando said she is not opposed to the government's plan to promote the tourism industry, but is only asking to take the necessary measures to protect the women who are associated with the industry, particularly as commercial sex workers.

"Health officials have revealed that nearly 50,000 Lankans are engaged in prostitution and the numbers seem to be increasing by the day. In the not too distant future, this will further spiral with the boom in the leisure culture.

  

The Ministries of Health and Women's Affairs must focus attention on this and take expeditious action," Dr. Fernando pointed out.

Buddhism And Sexism: Can There Be Buddhist Gender Equality?

October 29, 2013 

Buddhist women, including nuns, have faced harsh discrimination by Buddhist institutions in Asia for centuries. There is gender inequality in most of the world’s religions, of course, but that’s no excuse. Is sexism intrinsic to Buddhism, or did Buddhist institutions absorb sexism from Asian culture? Can Buddhism treat women as equals, and remain Buddhism?

Let’s begin at the beginning, with the historical Buddha. As told in “The First Buddhist Women,” the Buddha originally refused to ordain women as nuns. He said that allowing women into the sangha would cause his teachings to survive only half as long –- 500 years instead of a 1,000.

Read more

UNP decision making in the hands of a few Bhikkhus: Senior UNP advisors threaten to resign

(Lanka-e-News-29.Oct.2013, 3.00PM) The UNP is faced with an issue since its seniors have threatened to resign if the party’s powers are to be delegated to one Bhikkhu organization. The seniors point out that the United national party (UNP) was founded by Late D S Senanayake with a view to taking decisions with the participation of all races . 

Senior UNPer and Hambantota district working committee advisor Sarath Abeysinghe had communicated in a letter addressed to the UNP gen. secretary Tissa Attanayake that he would resign from the Party if the powers to appoint a UNP committee entrusted with party powers are to be vested in 4-5 monks .

Abeysinghe had questioned , while the Executive committee comprised of 94 members should take decisions, how can that be vested in a few who are put on the pedestal by the media ? He had stated in the letter that the UNP is a party that belongs to all races , and therefore he is averse to the powers to take decisions being vested in the hands of a few bhikkhus .Consequently , he has no need to be a member of a company which abides by decisions taken by a few monks. In the letter sent to the UNP Secretary , he has stated thus :

The Hon. Leader and those responsible have agreed to the 8 point proposal of the Bhikkhu Organization .( I do not so far know whether that is true .) . Among those 8 proposals , my attention had been drawn to 2 main proposals which I oppose . In the circumstances I am thoroughly disillusioned.

Those two proposals are as follows :

The transfer of all powers of the Executive Committee to the proposed Council to be appointed which shall take all decisions.

So far two Bhikkhus have been named for this council by the Bhikkhu Organization , and the remaining members are to be appointed by them.

In other words , all the party powers are to be vested in the proposed council , and the powers to appoint the council are with the Bhikkhu organization.


The UNP was founded by D S Senanayake so that all races could be to together , and take decisions together. He was able to win freedom for the country because he united all races and completely defeated the forces for the 50-50 division. Our party should hence unite all races , Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and Burgher and must take decisions in the future which serve all religions.

I am therefore informing that I do not want to be a member of a company of a few Bhikkhus that takes decisions on behalf of the UNP which is a party belonging to all races .

Ranil Tells Sirima In 1992: Leaders Who Lose Elections Must Go

October 29, 2013

UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who is now embroiled in a bitter struggle to retain his position with the party, derided SLFP Leader and former Prime Minister Sirima Bandaranaike for refusing to quit her party leadership despite losing successive elections.

Ranil

Speaking in Parliament in 1992, Wickremesinghe said the most important thing about the Westminster system is that when a leader loses, that leader should step down and a new leader should take over.

Given the UNP’s crisis following a series of election defeats since 1994 Wickremesinghe’s words seem prophetic. It is often said that the Wickremesinghe-led opposition is the best thing the Rajapaksa Government can ask for.

“Hon Deputy Speaker, we cannot wish for a better Opposition than the Opposition there is now. This is the best Opposition we can have. We like you, we want you to stay in this place. You cannot face up to the fact that the people do not want you and that you have been thrown into the dustbin,” Wickremesinghe further said.  “I will tell you that at the next elections you will lose, the elections after that you will lose and the election after that”. He continued: “You all cannot win. You want people from other parties.”

The following excerpts from his speech are from Hansard, columns 1045-1046.

“The Government has not run away. We have said here is the forum, go to the forum and prove the case. The opportunity is available….. But you are sorry because what you all (sic) what is some mud to throw because you cannot win the election. How can you win the election? You are talking of the Westminster system. The first thing is that when a leader loses the election, that leader should step down and a new leader should take over. Without doing that  do not go and blame this on black cats, white cats and other cats, tigers and the JVP. Firstly your leader has not resigned. In this period look at the (British) Labour Party. Mr Callaghan resigned. Mr Michael Foot resigned; Mr Neil Kinnock resigned. What has happened to the SLFP? That is the First, you must face the situation. Have a new leadership. Have a new set of policies. Then if you are beaten you can go into the matter. Hon Deputy Speaker, we cannot wish for a better Opposition than the Opposition there is now. This is the Best Opposition we can have. We like you, we want you to stay in this place. You cannot face up to the fact that the people do not want you and that you have been thrown into the dustbin.”

NAVY CHIEF APPOINTED CHAIRMAN OF CEYLON SHIPPING CORP.

October 29, 2013 

Vice Admiral Jayanath Colombage has been appointed as Chairman of the Ceylon Shipping Corporation (CSC) in addition to his present duties as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy.

Colombage, Sri Lanka’s 18th Navy Commander, will take over from Kanchana Ratwatte who was named as Chairman for the national line Ceylon Shipping Corporation Ltd. (CSC) in January 2012.

After assuming duties as the CSC’s 20th Chairman, Vice Admiral Colombage stated that he will do his utmost to develop the company’s stature to new heights emulating the laudable efforts made by the late Ministers P.B.G. Kalugalle and Lalith Athulathmudali. 

He also expressed his sincere gratitude to the President and the Secretary of Defence for their confidence in entrusting him with a strategically important state entity. 

He further stated that he would not receive any perks and privileges for his new appointment and it will be his greatest pleasure to render his services for the uplift of the shipping industry in Sri Lanka in keeping with the Mahinda Chinthanaya, the Vision for the Future.

Deputy Minister of Ports and Highways, Rohitha Abeygunwardana and Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Dr. Priyath B. Wickrama were also present on the occasion.

The Corporation was converted into a limited liability company Ceylon Shipping Corporation Ltd in 1992 while the Government of Sri Lanka still fully owns CSC being one of the strategically important state entities for the island nation.

Dilith frightens casino owners, grabs their advertisements!

 Tuesday, 29 October 2013 

Renowned for his fishing in troubled waters, Triad Advertising co-owner Dilith Jayaweera is nowadays engaged in taking casino owners for a ride. After grabbing hold of advertising work of ‘No Limit’, ‘Fashion Bug’ and all other Muslim-owned businesses by showing them the ‘Bodu Bala Sena’ wolf, Dilith Jayaweera’s next scheme was to get all commercials of liquid milk producers by creating a fear psychosis against milk powder.

After tasting success at both schemes, Dilith Jayaweera is now frightening casino operators and has already been able to obtain all advertising work of Rank Holdings Pvt. Ltd. At Avisswella Road, Orugodawatte, which is owned by casino businessman Ravi Wijeratne. Rank Holdings has nearly 10 subsidiaries and allocates millions of rupees each year for their advertising purposes.

Despite Ravi Wijeratne being a very close associate of the president, Dilith Jayaweera is portraying his links with the Defence Secretary as a stronger bond in order to lure the casino owners.

Newspaper coolie Editors eager to get rotated by the casino roulette that rotated the monks

(Lanka-e-News-29.Oct.2013, 3.00PM) Lanka e news the website most reputed locally and internationally as always the best with the views and first with the news exposing frankly , fearlessly and forthrightly the sordid , unscrupulous and corrupt activities even of the highest in the hierarchy of the country as well as those in the highest echelons of the misguided clergy groups who parade as paragons of virtue has another report that exposes the evil propensities and disgraceful levels certain media Institutions and coolie journalists stoop to, and who are ever ready to sacrifice media and professional ethics at the altar of selfish self seeking ambitions , selling their honor (if they have any) and soul for filthy lucre and most foul personal propulsion.
While referring to our earlier report which exposed the sordid and sacrilegious activities of the Sangha nayakes (the Buddhist sentinels) who ate dhana of the casino mogul and collected lavish gifts privately and secretly within minutes after making grandiloquent speeches publicly against casino and their magnates , we have another exposure which relates to our latest breed of media coolies who are eager to sell their souls , honor and professional ethics to reach their self degrading self centered goals .
It is only recently the casino magnates using their pelf and evil power rotated a group of Sri Lankan Buddhist prelates the so called custodians of the Buddhist faith by turning on the roulette table . The monks were made to spin so fast by the casino ‘game’ that their robes nearly flew away leaving them nude on the roulette table. Now the same casino magnates who know some of the Sri Lankan media coolies are selling their honor cheaply are seeking to rotate these coolies too using the ‘roulette table’ , according to reports reaching Lanka e news.
The Sri Lanka (SL) casino Kings have prepared a ‘fun and frolic’ tour package to Australia for these media coolies which is sponsored by the casino ‘King’ of Australia James Packer so that these coolies who can be bought over for a half penny, be induced to write in favor of the casino introduction into SL, and paint a picture that it is most virtuous and not a vice.
Among those who are in earnest anticipation of this tour package of Australia organized by James Packer are : Sisira Paranathanthri-Rivira newspaper Editor , Thushara Gunaratne – Mawbima Editor , Tissa Kudathihi who organized the casino dhana for the Bhikkhus, Nisthar Cassim – Sunday Times (Finance Times) Editor .
The sordid task of these dishonorable coolies is to project and portray casino as honorable and not an evil or sin , and that it is a sport of the wealthy who spend their money unselfishly ; and through it the poor classes are going to be inspired towards meditation , when it is an unequivocal truth that casino has become a deadly cancer to the societies of even the most affluent countries.
That is , in short this new breed of coolies who cannot prosper except on squalor and stench are going to whitewash this sinister scenario to the detriment of the country , future generation and religious values. These media coolies under the guise of finding an option to this evil are on the other hand pursuing their selfish horrendous agendas to the detriment of religious , cultural and national interests even ruining the future of the younger generation.
This sinister contagion had spread from the top to the bottom of these media scoundrels because of their inordinate avarice for pelf , power and position at any cost.
In testimony of this , might we reveal one incident : Every year awards are distributed to media coolies at an awards ceremony of the Editors Guild at the Mt. Lavinia hotel .This ceremony is mainly under the patronage of casino magnates , which truth only newspaper editors are aware while the public are in the dark. Last year , Dhammika Perera SL’s ‘sin more’ casino magnate and John Keells Co. which owns a casino empire donated Rs. 2 million together (one million each) towards this ceremony.
The other casino mogul Ravi Wijeratne had donated Rs. 100,000. Since this amount was considered insufficient , the present anti casino media attacks are directed against Ravi Wijeratne only. Any person with a common sense and appraisal can understand this . In the event Ravi Wijeratne had contributed Rs. One million like the others , no media coolie or their Institutions will be writing a word against the casino evil.
In addition , this disgraceful breed of media coolie Editors would have even gone so far as to write and proclaim to the whole world, casino is ‘sin no’ ,‘aney masino’ , and an honorable sport of their fathers and forefathers . It will also be unsurprising if these coolies who are accustomed only to squalor and sordid activities write that those who are gambling will lose their selfishness and reach the state of ‘Buddha’ . Sri Lankans who expect any better philosophy than this from these rascals and scoundrels are also as bad as these sinners because of their folly .
No matter what these scoundrels and rascals are trying to achieve selfishly, unscrupulously and shamelessly putting the country , people and the future of the youths in jeopardy , our own elders , fathers and forefathers on the contrary have always warned , those who gamble to win go home naked after losing even their clothes not to mention the monks who nearly went naked recently losing their robes on the ‘roulette table’.

Health Unions threaten to strike on 1 Nov

By Ruwan Laknath Jayakody and Aisha Nazim

Tuesday, 29 Oct 2013

The Joint Council of Health Unions threatened a 24-hour token strike on 1 November, to protest against the failure of the Ministry of Health to address salary anomalies among other issues.

Addressing a media briefing today, they maintained the measure they are resorting to, is due to the failure of repeated discussions and negotiations held over the years with the relevant authorities of the Health Ministry, in particular with the Secretary and the Minister, through which they sought redress for the issues the members of the unions have been facing.

Co-convener of the Government Nursing Officers’ Union (GNOA), Saman Ratnapriya, said the demands ranged from inadequacies and discrepancies of salary increments to various allowances for communication, transport and overtime payment. “Emergency services will be maintained while we engage in the strike, and the staff at certain hospitals which deal primarily with children, pregnant women and cancer patients would be exempted from the strike as we are concerned about the well-being of our patients,” Ratnapriya explained.

Co-convener of the Professions Supplementary to Medicine (PSM), Saman Jayasekera, said 15 health sector unions under the aegis of the joint unions will be part of the token strike, with a total workforce of 45,000 supporting the move. They will be meeting again on 15 November to discuss the next course of action. Some of the issues that are not addressed by the Health Ministry include promotions and duty free vehicle permits.

Until the issues are addressed and an agreeable solution is provided, the unions will not end their agitation, he declared.(Ceylon Today Online)

State doctors in Sri Lanka to launch island wide strike next month
Mon, Oct 28, 2013, 10:12 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Oct 28, Colombo: The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA), the powerful union of Sri Lanka's government doctors, has announced that it would carry out an island wide strike next month.
The GMOA has announced that the association would launch an island wide strike on November 4th to win several demands.
GMOA says that the association and the Ministries of Health and Public Administration and Home Affairs have reached an agreement two years ago on the promotions granted to doctors.
However, the government has failed to implement the agreement.

According to the GMOA, the island wide strike is to be carried out to demand for the promotions of doctors and three other issues.