Sunday, November 3, 2013

Phosphorus attacks covered up in hospitals

Civilians walking across a lagoon from inside the “No Fire Zone” where government troops have the Tamil Tiger rebels surrounded

An article by British newspaper the Times has presented evidence of the use of phosphorus shells against civilians, and of the cover-up methods, including blackmail, employed by government medical staff.

The article recounts the experiences of 'Kannaki', a victim of phosphorus shelling left with extensive bodily burns and a disfigured face.

Kannaki, six months pregnant at the time, was hit by the shell while in bunker with 15 others, and regained consciousness in a hospital staffed by Sinhalese doctors. While recovering at the hospital, she was presented with a legal document declaring that her burns were the result of an accident at home. She said that “when I refused, they became abusive,” and threatened to abort her unborn child.

Although Kannaki was able to move to another hospital with the help of a 'sympathetic Tamil doctor', she endured a difficult pregnancy after which her child reportedly required numerous blood transfusions to remove the phosphorus contamination.

Kannaki claimed that the shelling came from the Sri Lankan army and said:

“All of us in the bunker were ordinary people... It was mostly women and the elderly sheltering together.”

See the Times for full story.

Why train our guns on the ICRC?

Editorial-November 2, 2013,-
The Island report last week that an ``urgent review’’ of Sri Lanka’s relationship with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which has long been present here and rendered yeoman service during the war and also during the tsunami, was to say the least most disturbing. This is especially so as it said that ``perhaps the ICRC’s presence here was no longer necessary due to the conclusion of the conflict four years ago.’’ Does that mean we are seriously considering asking the ICRC to leave the country over Major General Jagath Dias not being able to travel to Australia for an ICRC event to be held there? If that is the case, it is essential that it is first established whether, for whatever reason, the ICRC which invited the Sri Lanka Army to nominate a participant for a workshop on healthcare in danger situations had rejected the army’s nomination. If it had done so, it is obviously necessary that it is asked the reason why. If there is no satisfactory reply forthcoming, then the whole business must and we repeat must, be carefully reviewed.

According to the report, an ICRC spokesperson in Colombo has gone on record saying that organization had no problem accommodating Dias. Then why is he not going to be present at the December event in Australia? That’s where a grey area surfaces. The ICRC spokesperson had said ``procedural matters relating to international travel were beyond its control’’ but had refused to clarify what exactly the problem was. To our mind, and we are only speculating because we have no information whatever on the subject, one possibility could be that that some organization other than the ICRC is paying the international airfares of the participants of the workshop as is not uncommon. Maj. Gen Dias may not be a persona grata of such an organization, be it governmental or non-governmental; hence these ``procedural’’ matters about which the ICRC is waffling. It cannot be blamed for that as it cannot be realistically expected to embarrass a funder. It may also be possible that getting Dias a visa had been problematic. If the host country, Australia, did not wish to issue him a visa and said so to the ICRC, it can hardly be expected to go public on that. There can be other reasons also and the right one may not even be close to the hypothetical possibilities stated above. But there must be extremely good reasons for us to tell the ICRC that they are not welcome here.

We fully understand the sensitivities of the military and the defence establishment to senior officers being snubbed and humiliated by various parties and countries for the role they played in the war. Dias was General Office Commanding the Army’s 57th Division deployed in the Vanni central front during the war. He subsequently served in Sri Lanka’s embassy in Germany before returning to Colombo to take up a position at army headquarters. It is not unreasonable to assume that it is Dias’ war time role that has made him persona non grata somewhere. That is why he has been shut out of the ICRC workshop by somebody other than the ICRC. The military and the defence establishments are understandably aggrieved by such singling out of their people who played a significant role in ridding this country of the scourge of terrorism. The Island report quoted an unnamed senior official saying that the US had earlier deprived senior army officers of prestigious courses on the basis of the so-called Leahy Amendment which is part of the US law and accused the ICRC of acting unfairly on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations although there had been no specific allegations against the 57th Division that Dias commander.

There is no escaping the reality that countries such as Canada, where there is a very large presence of Canadians of Sri Lanka Tamil descent, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States are under pressure from pro-LTTE elements to embarrass the Sri Lanka government, its officials and the military over alleged war crimes. Although it happened four years ago, we should not forget that there was an attempt by the US Department of Homeland Security to interview General Sarath Fonseka, then Chief of Defence Staff. Relations between Fonseka, President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had broken down at the time and it was widely expected that the general, once described by the president as the ``world’s best army commander’’ was flirting with the thought of running for president against Rajapaksa as a common opposition candidate. He was then in the U.S., where his daughters lived, and was believed to be looking for permanent residence himself. It was in this context that it was feared that there was an effort to elicit confidential information that Fonseka, in his capacity of army commander, was privy to by the US authorities. Eventually this attempt was happily aborted and Fonseka returned home without talking to the US agency at their Oklahoma offices to which he was summoned.

That incident is sufficient evidence, if such evidence is needed, about how foreign governments act in matters they see as of interest to them. The lobbies unsuccessfully mounted in Britain pressuring the Brits to keep of CHOGM, Canada’s virtual boycott (there will be very low level participation) and what is happening in India right now over whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be present or not at the Colombo Summit all point to the influence of Tamil constituencies over their countries of domicile. Australia is no exception and despite the help they need and have been getting in abundance from Sri Lanka over the illegal boat people, it is not inconceivable that some lobby had successfully moved to keep Major General Dias out of the ICRC workshop down under. That this is happening and will continue to happen is a fact of life that we will have to live with. But it will be manifestly unfair to blame the ICRC for something that is not of their doing. As we have said before in this comment, we do not know why Jagath Dias appears to be personal non grata with whoever is responsible for keeping him out of Australia. Who that may be is something worth finding out but it would be a big mistake to blame a wrong party. An ICRC presence here, whether there is or there is no war raging in the country, is part of our disaster preparedness. We never know when a disaster can strike and the presence here of a well experienced humanitarian organization with an excellent track record must necessarily be a comfort factor to all of us.

Free Media Movement Busted

By Malinda Seneviratne -November 3, 2013

Malinda Seneviratne

IFJ’s Jacqui Park violated immigration law 19 times

Convenor Sunil Jayasekera lies about Jacqui Park

Director Asia-Pacific Region of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ),Jacqui Park, shortly after being deported from Sri Lanka, has tweeted her sentiments thus: a) ‘Thanks to Aust FM Bishop for raising issue with SL FM. Thanks to Aust High Comm in SL too for crucial support,’ b) ‘Good to be home. It was wonderful to have so much support from Australian and SL colleagues,’ and c) Just transiting in Singapore and please to be on my way home with Jane. Thanks for the support, especially our brave Sri Lankan friends’. In one of these she has hash-tagged ‘pressfreedom’. ABC News, Australia, writing thereafter, waxes eloquent about Park being queried over her ‘work’ in Sri Lanka. We shall get to that later.

What is the context? Jacqui Park arrived in Sri Lanka on a tourist visa along with a colleague Jane Worthington, but was not doing any sightseeing. She was attending a workshop titled ‘Freedom of Expression in Post-War Sri Lanka: Challenges and Way Forward’. It was jointly organized by the IFJ and the Free Media Movement. She was detained and questioned and found to have violated immigration laws of the country. A person of her age with all the traveling she has done could not have been ignorant about visa types and which types permit or forbids what. This was not a one-off misdemeanor. Park has visited Sri Lanka on 20 occasions, 19 of which were work-related, each time on a tourist visa. She is therefore a multiple and even compulsive offender.

Lankaenews claims that the two IFJ workers and the FMM were ‘betrayed’. No mention of violating immigration law. AFP claimed that an ‘international media rights activist’ was detained. The AFP report was heavily editorialized with a lot of claims and little substantiation.

APF is at pains to paint Park as some kind of media activism heroine intent on investigating alleged war crimes. AFP has quoted FMM Convenor, Sunil Jayasekera: ‘She was meeting with us at a hotel in Colombo while on holiday; she was not engaging in any work as such but was meeting with friends she had made over many years.’

It is strange that the AFP story appeared without any reference to tangible proof that compromised Jayasekera’s ‘holiday’ statement; another website, www.srilankamirror.lk accusing ‘security forces’ (it was immigration authorities) crashing the AFP-IFJ party, carried pictures of the banner announcing the collaborative nature of the exercise. It is strange that AFP didn’t see reason to ask Jayasekera the obvious question. When ‘The Nation’ asked Jayasekera, he first said ‘she was not here for the workshop’. Later, when Colombo Telegraph released the leaked emails, Jayasekra said ‘I don’t want to comment; I’ve said it all to the CID’.

Sri Lanka detains, then releases two visiting journalists

By Bob Dietz/CPJ Asia Program Coordinator-November 1, 2013

With two weeks to go until the start of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka, the government's anti-media policies remain a pressing topic. There are two links below to statements by media support groups today relating to the government's wrongful and heavy handed response to a media workshop held in Colombo this week.

In IFJ Condemns the Detention of Asia-Pacific Directors, the International Federation of Journalists took on the Sri Lankan government over the detention of its Asia-Pacific Director Jacqui Park and Asia-Pacific Deputy Director Jane Worthington in Sri Lanka for two days this week. Park and Worthington left the country today. They were detained in their hotel, questioned, not physically abused, and their laptops were copied, but not taken from them. The IFJ's statement has a full account of the incident, but one of the conclusions they drew is that:

The IFJ believes this move by Sri Lankan officials is an attempt to intimidate and harass journalists inside and outside Sri Lanka to prevent reporting on the realities of life in Sri Lanka in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Park and Worthington were attending a seminar and workshop on media issues in Sri Lanka organized by the local Free Media Movement. They had entered on tourist visas, which it turns out is permissible -- the IFJ statement says the immigration department apologized to the women for their error in saying they had entered illegally. Access for the media and accreditation became an issue earlier this year, and it appears that some foreign broadcasters critical of the government have not yet been accredited, although the government has extended the deadline for applications.

Another point the IFJ statement makes is more worrisome than expats being unduly harassed by immigration officials. And it is a concern for CPJ, too. The IFJ said:

The IFJ has grave concerns about the safety of media personnel inside Sri Lanka arising from this incident. The IFJ is also deeply concerned about the safety of media personnel in Sri Lanka over the long term, most immediately once international leaders leave the country after the CHOGM meeting ends on November 17.

People close to the FMM say that surveillance has been stepped up, and its members are taking a wait-and-see attitude toward how best to protect themselves now and in the long term.

The FMM might be harassed, but that hasn't stopped them today from issuing an Open appeal to CHGOM: Ensure that the Commonwealth values on Freedom of Expression respected in Sri Lanka; Ensure unhindered access to media. "The FMM earnestly hope that delegates representing democratic traditions will raise the issue of freedom of expression rights in Sri Lanka in the appropriate forums and discussions during upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting," the appeal says in part.

Given the acrid media atmosphere in Sri Lanka, even issuing such an anodyne statement takes courage, particularly when two of the attendees of a professional event the group had organized have just been unfairly detained and left the country.

The FMM and an array of other media support groups have been confronting the government for years over media freedom issues. They have been detained, questioned, harassed, followed, intimidated and, at times, assaulted. Following the IFJ incident and the issuing of this statement, it must be assumed that will continue, if not get worse. For protection, it might be good of the high commissions of those Commonwealth countries attending CHOGM to offer such groups moral support, even protection, if necessary.

God Is Amazing

By Arjuna Parakrama -November 3, 2013

Dr. Arjuna Parakrama

Forgiving us our filth, She’s even found some use for CHOGM now, for

Colombo’s rat-addled graves have come alive,

Fooling fossorials that there’s fresh flesh galore to feast on.

But even worms are said to turn at times, not us, this Lankan (supper) middle class.

The grandest graves look grander now, the small are tiny, all fittingly piled high with decay,

Chuck is due, the dead must be on show: Trees are chopped, walls painted, gates fixed.

He’s visiting white men killed in their old wars; we’ve seen more, and don’t discriminate so much.

Note, this dressing up’s on the surface, stuff goes on below, and that’s unchanged,

Since we’re only rats and mice here, and, of course, lemming thinkalikes.

God or Charles who cares, give old Caesar his due: Our departed

Sleep happier, now the Army has cleaned them up.

Not so for the Wanni’s ungrateful dead. So what? Let corpses burden the living there,

Serves them right for dying like flies for rotten terrorist causes. Embarrassing us, machan.

The deities do not forsake lightly, but when they do it’s murderous, and eternal.

“Beyond A Reasonable Doubt” Vs “The Balance Of Probabilities”

By Emil van der Poorten -November 3, 2013

Emil van der Poorten

It seems like what used to be the yardsticks in allocating guilt in criminal and civil law respectively have now begun to play an increasingly important part in general public discourse with, it seems, an increasingly polarized Sri Lankan public choosing to use one or the other of those yardsticks as is convenient to them at any given point.

What has lent a significant element of irrationality to the use of the two terms has been the dearth of hard information in the public domain due to the deliberate suppression of information that might not project the Rajapaksa Regime as being one of absolute perfection. This has been achieved by two primary means: literally buying over the media or inveigling the decision-makers in that sector into unquestioning allegiance by threat or bribe.

There appear now to be two streams of public expression – the “bought and paid for press” and the elements under threat, on one hand and the “underground” media, “underground” for Sri Lanka, that is. Typically, the government has sought, with varying degrees of success, to block the latter which the public hitherto had free access to via the internet. Typically, the suppression of normal avenues of discussion and debate has led to information, sometimes wildly speculative and often times deliberately mischievous, reaching not only epidemic proportions but achieving a degree of hitherto-unprecedented credibility. To someone of my vintage, this comes as no surprise. In the days of Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s efforts to crush dissent of any and every description during the first JVP uprising of the very early ‘seventies,’ something very similar occurred and the wildest of wild rumours achieved gospel-like credibility, bolstered by occurrences unheard of before then such as the disposal of piles of bodies under burning motor vehicle tyres. There was then also, for a time, the blocking of “trunk telephone calls” and the impact of this could be imagined in a day and age when a call to anyone outside a radius of a few miles had to go through an operator. For instance if I needed to call anyone outside the immediate Galagedera area, I had to call the “Kandy Exchange” and (hopefully!) have the operator connect me with whoever I was trying to reach. The modern equivalent of this was the attempt made to register every mobile phone to facilitate the easier interception of people’s private telephonic communications. I will desist from naming the individual who succeeded in having this done for the reason that it would be redundant!

TV Derana launches telethon to raise funds for kidney disease

November 3, 2013
TV Derana launches the first ever telethon to raise funds for the fight against kidney disease in Sri Lanka. Join our live coverage now or call us on 077-0701010 to contribute to the cause.

Donations can be made to ‘Manusath Derana,’ aimed at collecting funds to aid people suffering from kidney disease in rural villages, by joining our 9-hour live coverage from 10.00am to 7.00pm today (3) on TV Derana or just click the link below.

Click to Donate: http://derana.lk/donation

Herman To Get Bail On Monday; Charges Against Him Changed To Self Defense

November 3, 2013 |

Author and presidential associate Herman Guneratne who was recently transferred to the Matara Prison hospital last week has had the charge against him reduced to the use of minimal force in self defence and is expected to be given bail when he is produced before the Matara magistrate on Monday or the Matara High Court later this week, The Colombo Telegraph learns.

Herman

Guneratne who is the father of former UNP member and southern provincial councillor Maithri Guneratne was arrested on October 5 for firing a weapon into a crowd during the UNP factional clashes in the Matara town.

The original charges against him was the wielding of an unlicensed firearm in the middle of a populated area. The weapon in his possession was also recorded as a 9mm automatic pistol that is prohibited. Guneratne was charged with critically wounding several bystanders including a soldier. At least four people were injured from gunshots fired from Guneratne’s weapon.

However at the Magistrate’s court on Monday the police will redefine the charge to the bona fide use of minimal force in self defense, it is learnt.

His weapon description will also be changed to a .38 revolver, sources said. As such the magistrate is likely to grant bail although under the original charges only the Matara HighCourt could have granted bail.

He was transferred to the MerchantWard of the National Hospital Colombo soon after he was remanded on October 7.

Of Monks And Dice And Dismal Sciences

By Kumar David -November 3, 2013 |

Prof Kumar David

Of monks and dice and dismal sciences: All things sans gear and tackle and trim

This piece is not about monks prancing with casino moguls; but that story, which painted Colombored last week, gives me my point of departure which is that things no longer are what they seem to be. Hopkinswould grumble that all things have lost “their gear and tackle and trim”. It was reported that some venerable monks, all bearers of great esteem, conducted a news conference one morning last week to lambaste the government’s stratagem of making Colombo Fort a casino den. Then at noon the same day, these worthies presented themselves at a posh Colomborestaurant to be fed and feted by a leading casino magnate. They departed the repast their limousines laden with gifts and goodies, no doubt showered by the mogul in his quest for merit in his dismal journey through samsara. These bare facts, to the best of my knowledge, have not been contradicted.

The incident evoked dismay since these august personages are held in high esteem and prized as learned men of high scruple; they are not nobodies in yellow robes. Clearly something was amiss; things were not what they should be. It would be impertinent to conjecture how Gautama would have dealt with the dilemma, were he to speak against a misdeed and then be implored by the wrongdoer to accept alms; but of one thing we can be certain, the Master would not have left the laity befuddled and confused. It would be an opportunity to teach right attitude, instruct in right understanding, and show right action in practice. The disciples, this time, failed the Master, they cross-dressed; robes at one moment, the raiment of seduction by temptation at another. Read More

Danger Ahead! – Local Govt. Politicians Running Amok

By Rasika Jayakody -November 3, 2013

Rasika Jayakody

Four years after the victory of war, the biggest threat to the existence of the Rajapaksa regime has come not from without the administration, but from within.

No, we are not talking about the Casino Bill that earned the ire of religious leaders, nor the recommendations of COPE report that call for monetary transparency and certainly not obtuse statements made by minister on crucial matters concerning people. The biggest threat to regime has been the conduct of local government politicians who represent the government at the ground level, effectively the bridge between people and regime.

The level to which the conduct of local government and provincial politicians has deteriorated needs no elaboration. Stories with regard to their unruly behavior are reported in the media almost on a daily basis and there seems to be no remedy to the problem. It is not clear whether the powers that be deliberately turn a blind eye to the issue or they find it extremely hard to come up with a formidable solution.

It does not require Einsteinian wisdom to understand than whenever a local government politician runs amok somewhere it creates a seriously negative impact on the popularity of the government at the ground level. The erosion happening at that layer is more disastrous that what is happening on the surface. For instance, the negative impact created by Casino Bills, lack of monetary transparency, bribery and corruption allegations can be mitigated, at least to a certain extent, by remedial action that can restore people’s faith in the government. But, when the government is losing its ground at the very bottom level it hits the very foundation of its popularity.

Packer’s Debts $2b and yet ticking: Never intended to invest in Sri Lanka

(Lanka-e-News-03.Nov.2013, 7.00PM) Kerry Packer was notorious for losing millions of dollars on the gaming tables of the world. But since his father’s death in 2005, James Packer has been making far bigger, billion-dollar bets, building and buying casinos around the world. And so far every one has lost.

Packer’s Debts $2b and yet ticking Never intended to invest in Sri Lanka by nelvely

Uduwe Dhammaloka Supports Casinos

November 3, 2013 |

Even as religious lobbies are agitating against the government’s proposed casino bill causing the president to withdraw the draft legislation for amendment, Government affiliated monk Uduwe Dhammaloka there has come out in support of the laws saying Sri Lanka must change with modern times

Uduwe Dhammaloka

He said he had no objection whatsoever to casinos operating in the country as long as Sri Lankans were not permitted to enter.

The monk told a weekend Sinhala newspaper that Sri Lanka needed casinos in order to woo tourists.

“We can’t ban tourists from participating in those activities,” he told the newspaper .

Dhammaloka Thero is a former member of the JHU and considered high flying Buddhist monk in Colombo running an affluent temple in Polhengoda that is heavily patronized by the Rajapaksa family. The temple is popular with cololmbo’s upper middle class devotees with Dhammaloka Thero charging heavily for light and sound systems whenever he is invited to alms givings and pirith ceremonies.

SB Calls University Students Buffaloes, Comments On Unchaste Girls On Campus

November 3, 2013

Launching a scathing attack on university students, Minister Of Higher education S.B. Dissananayake referred to the students as Water buffaloes and said female students lose their virginity within days of entering campus.

Addressing the media after a group of student unions petitioned the British High Commission against the opening of a branch of UK’s Lancashire University in Colombo.

“These are not donkeys these are buffaloes,” Dissanayake said referring to the fact that there were already dozens of private universities operating in SriLanka even though the petition claims Lancashire Willie the first.

“Back in our day women entered university Virgins and left the same way. These days girls enter campus virgins but within a few days the job is done. That means that today campus girls are very advanced,” he charged.

EX-COP AND SOLDIER ARRESTED OVER RAJAGIRIYA MURDER

November 3, 2013
A former Police Constable and army soldier have been arrested in suspicion over the recent murder of a woman, who is said to be the mother-in-law of prominent film director the late Tissa Abeysekara.

The Police Spokesman’s Office stated that the suspects were arrested following extensive investigations carried out by the Mirihana Police.

The murder had taken place in Moragasmulla, Rajapgiriya on September 28.

Police have also recovered a large number of gold jewelry believed to have been stolen by the arrested suspects.

Chairman and Deputy of Bentota PS bailed out

By Premalal Wijeratne-Sunday, 03 Nov 2013

The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Bentota Pradeshiya Sabha who were arrested by the Bentota Police, after exchanging blows at the Financial Committee meeting of the local body, were released on personal bail after they were produced before the Balapitiya Magistrate.\

Both the chairman and his deputy were earlier admitted to hospital after the verbal argument they had been engaged in, led to a fracas between the two at the Pradeshiya Sabha.

The Chairman, Gayan Sirimanne, was released on two personal bails amounting to Rs 200,000 each, and was also ordered to present himself at the Bentota Police Station on the second and fourth Sunday of every month, between 9.00 a.m. and 12.00 noon.

The next hearing was fixed for the 24 June 2014.

The Vice-Chairman of the local body, Ranjith Wickremesinghe, was released on a personal bail of Rs. 50,000, and was ordered to be present in Court on 18 June 2014, when the case is scheduled to be taken up again. (Ceylon Today Online)

Video: Assange Opens M.I.A.’s New York Show

Maya

November 3, 2013

UK artist M.I.A. (Maya Arulpragasam) got some radical help in opening her performance at New York City’s Terminal 5, employing wanted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange as a guest speaker. Assange appeared on screen via Skype, much to the surprise and awe of the crowd last night.

Thavisha Peiris pizza delivery murder: Two remanded in custody

By Chris Richards, Steve Robson

Victim: Thavisha Peiris (right) with his parents. His father Sarath Mahinda Peiris, mother Sudarma Narangodaand brother and brother Pramod Chetheka

Shamraze Khan, 25, and a 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are charged with murder

Two people have been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with the murder of a Domino's pizza delivery driver.

Shamraze Khan, 25, of Southey Crescent, Sheffield, and a 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were both charged with the murder of Thavisha Lakindu Peiris overnight.

Mr Peiris, 25, had been delivering his last pizza before starting a new job when he was stabbed to death in the Southey area of Sheffield on Sunday night.

Khan and the youth appeared at Sheffield Magistrates' Court for a five-minute hearing today.

They were remanded in custody and told they will appear again at Sheffield Crown Court on November 15.

The two defendants stood in the glass-fronted dock for the brief hearing flanked by two security officers.

Both wearing navy-blue T-shirts, they spoke only to confirm their names and give their dates of birth and addresses.

There were no applications for bail.

Mr Peiris was on his last shift before starting his dream job when he died.

He was found dead in a silver Toyota Yaris car in Southey Crescent in the city at about 10.30pm by fellow Domino's workers who had gone looking for him after he failed to deliver his order.

His family described him as the "most caring and loving son a parent could have".

Earlier this week, his father Sarath Mahinda Peiris and mother Sudarma Narangoda said: "We sent our son to the UK to study so he can have a better life. Now we are left with only a broken heart."

They said: "Thavisha was one of the most caring and loving sons a parent could have. He was full of life and always had a smile on his face. Anyone who met him immediately liked him."

Mr Peiris came to the UK to finish an IT degree and graduated from Sheffield Hallam University in 2011.