New Zealand PM talks human rights with MR

Monday, 18 Nov 2013

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key says the issue of human rights, including the abduction of citizens, dominated his meeting with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Mr Key had a 15-minute one on one discusssion with the president, whose country hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in the capital Colombo.

 

Amnesty International says there is still a climate of fear and intimidation in Sri Lanka, in part because citizens continue to disappear in what are known as 'white van abductions'.

Parents of those who have disappeared over the years, who number in the thousands, put out a plea to the international community to put pressure on the Sri Lankan Government.

Mr Key asked the president specifically about abductions and was told the Government has a process for identifying those who remain missing, and where they might be.

He says Sri Lanka has presented New Zealand with an elephant for Auckland, in recognition of the two countries' burgeoning relationship. (Radio NZ)

Singapore vows not to "take sides" on Sri Lanka

Monday, 18 Nov 2013

Singapore vowed not to "take sides" on Sri Lanka's human rights issue, the official news portal reported Sunday.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa that more time is needed to heal wound after a prolonged war ended.

"We are observers and don't take sides," said Lee.

Sri Lanka has been under intense scrutiny over alleged human rights abuses during the last phase of the three-decade conflict with the Tamil Tiger rebels which ended in 2009.

Briefing Lee on Sri Lanka's situation, Rajapaksa said now peace has returned and Sri Lanka is on the path to development.

He said that since the end of the conflict a great deal of progress has been made in resettlement, rehabilitation, reconstruction and reconciliation.

The bilateral talks were held on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which runs from Friday to Sunday in Colombo. It is the first time in 24 years an Asian country hosts the summit of the 53-member bloc comprising Britain and its former colonies.  (Xinhua) 

Canada hits out at Sharma (Video)

Report and interview by Easwaran Rutnam
November 17, 2013

Canada has hit out at Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, saying his opinion that Sri Lanka has done enough to address human rights concerns, is unacceptable.

The Canadian government says it wants to see tangible results on the human rights issue in Sri Lanka and termed the action taken so far by the government as “cosmetic” and not enough.

Canadian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and for International Human Rights Deepak Obhrai, who was representing Canada at the Commonwealth summit, visited the North last week and came back with a poor image of the past and present situation.

Speaking to Colombo Gazette at the residence of the Canadian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Obhrai said that there was a clear deterioration in democracy, rule of law, freedom of the press and the freedom of religion in the North.

“I went to the local newspaper there (Uthayan – Jaffna) and saw horrific pictures of journalists being killed and the press being attacked.  What is very disturbing to us, aside from the attacks on the journalists, is that nothing has been done to catch the culprits; nothing has been done to provide security to the people. This is the lack to what we are saying is tangible results to achieving the Commonwealth principles,” he said.

However, Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma feels otherwise. He feels there is progress on the ground and the Commonwealth Secretariat is helping Sri Lanka further that progress.

Obhrai did not agree. He insisted that what Sharma said is wrong and that the Commonwealth, as a group, has failed to fulfill its mandate.

“We are on record that the Commonwealth is not taking the hard steps it is expected to take. I completely disagree with Sharma’s assessment. The Commonwealth countries must stick to the principles of the Commonwealth. If they stick to the principles of the Commonwealth, they will be able to tell Sri Lanka ‘look we need you to move in the forward path’; a real, tangible, forward path, not a cosmetic path. That will be a strong message,” he said.

The Sri Lankan government has, on a number of occasions, accused Canada of interfering in Sri Lanka’s domestic issues and even feels it has been driven by LTTE supporters or anti-government Diaspora in Canada.

Obhrai, however, said that assumption is “nonsense” and that the government must be realistic instead of making excuses.

“Sri Lanka must show us that it is taking tangible steps, not cosmetic steps. But real, tangible steps, only then can we say ‘yes, there is forward movement and we are happy’. During my trip to the North, it was the people of Sri Lanka who were telling us their problems, not the Diaspora – the people of Sri Lanka. I have told the Diaspora that they can help assist Sri Lanka through the development processes, not through political interference.  The people over here will make the decision. The Tamils of the North, or should I say the Sri Lankans of the North, will make that decision on how they want to run the country. So, it’s better for the government of Sri Lanka to get off this wrong notion they have in their heads and look at what is really happening in this country,” he asserted. (Colombo Gazette)

Colombo CHOGM 2013 creating ignominious record : least members attended summit in history
(Lanka-e-News-16.Nov.2013, 11.00PM) The much hyped Commonwealth heads of governments conference (CHOGM) 2013 began yesterday(15) morning in Colombo but not before creating an ignominious record as the CHOGM with the least number of participating heads of governments , in its history. Though the foreign Ministry revealed yesterday evening that 23 government heads were to arrive , by this morning , 21 only of the 53 scheduled commonwealth heads came for the CHOGM thereby creating a record as the CHOGM that was attended by least number of heads of governments in its entire history – a poor reflection on the lawless Rajapakse regime hosting it. The number of heads of governments who participated in the previous CHOGMs are as follows :

2011 in Perth - 36 heads of governments 
2009 in Trinidad - 34 heads of governments
2007 in Uganda - 36 heads of governments
2005 in Malta - 38 heads of governments
2003 in Nigeria - 38 heads of governments
1999 in Durban Africa - 47 heads of governments
1997 in Scotland – 42 heads of governments

Meanwhile a sum of Rs. 1700 million was distributed earlier itself among the print media, broadcasting and television channels across Sri Lanka to publicize that the CHOGM is a roaring success by the pro Rajapakse media. Hence these pro government media coolies have turned blind to the flops and failures , and are not making any adverse reports . All these coolie media Heads are deaf and dumb after their pockets ,pot bellies and foul smelling mendacious mouths have been filled to the brim with CHOGM lump-sums .

In addition , it has been assessed that 1000 local and foreign journalists are to participate in this CHOGM , and towards them a sum of Rs.980 million has been set aside towards their expenditure. It is media secretary Charitha Hearth alias ‘Heeralu’ Herath and shaggy hog media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella who are in charge of this sphere .

The photograph herein shows the sparse breakfast that was served to the media personnel who were loitering about the venue from early morning 5.00., after Heeralu Herath and bearded Keheliya getting together and spending Rs.980 million – only a roll and a cutlet were served to the journalists.

The contract to provide food had been entrusted to Testa Bakehouse , Avissawella .This same Bakery is providing meals to about 18000 security personnel throughout the period of the conference .

Let us see how ‘Heeralu’ Herath who abandoned robes and bearded Keheliya ‘kalliya’ teamed together and took everyone for a ride in this colossal food supply scam.

the sum set aside towards 1000 media personnel was Rs. 980 ,000,000 ! That is Rs. 980000 per journalist. If the conference is to last for 10 days , the sum spent per day is Rs. 98000 towards each journalist for their meals.

In other words , ‘Heeralu’ Herath and (bearded ) ‘Rewula’ Keheliya ‘gahapu heti’(swindling duo) is very obvious based on their spending Rs. 98000 (nearly a lakh) per journalist vis a vis the sparse breakfast table ( roll and cutlet) as depicted in the photograph.

Who Gave Authority To BBS ?

By Tamara Wickremabahu - November 17, 2013 |

None of the Heads of the Countries of the Commonwealth I believe would endorse the forced entry of the “Bodu Bala Sena” (BBS) into the Human Rights Festival yesterday. Also, the delegates would see this incident as a scandal. This unruly act has to be condemned by all who respect the values of the commonwealth.

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Commonwealth Values: New Zealand Gets Elephants, Sri Lanka Gets Patrol Boats

November 17, 2013 |

Australia will give Sri Lanka two patrol boats to intercept asylum seekers in Sri Lankan waters under a deal to be signed on Sunday and New Zealand getting elephant from Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan government has praised New Zealand for its stance at this weekend’s controversial Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Colombo and says its sending an elephant to New Zealand as a symbol of the two countries’ friendship, New Zealand media repots.

The gift of two patrol boats is understood to be part of a memorandum of understanding to be signed between the countries, designed to curb the already diminished flow of asylum seeker boats from Sri Lanka, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Sri Lanka rejects Cameron on rights inquiry as Abbott takes own course 
David Cameron hits at a ball during his visit to the Colombo Cricket Club yesterday 

Amanda Hodge in Colombo

From: The Australian

November 17, 2013

BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron has hinted at a stark divide between Australia and Britain over alleged rights abuses in Sri Lanka, saying it is important not to "glide over difficult issues", but his stance has been rejected by his hosts.

At a media conference on the sidelines of the Commonwealth summit in Colombo, Mr Cameron made the comments after setting a March deadline for the Sri Lankan government to set up an independent inquiry into war crimes.

Mr Cameron warned that if that did not happen he would formally demand an international investigation.

But last night a senior Sri Lankan minister rejected pressure for any international probe into alleged war crimes at the end of the country's civil war, saying the government would "definitely" not allow it.

"Why should we have an internal inquiry? We will object to it . . . definitely we are not going to allow it," Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapakse, who is a brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse, told AFP.

Also last night, President Rajapakse said Sri Lanka must be trusted to conduct its own investigation into war crimes allegations.

"People in glass houses must not throw stones," President Rajapakse told a press conference in Colombo, where he is chairing the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

Mr Cameron's ultimatum was delivered less than 24 hours after the British Prime Minister became the first foreign leader since Sri Lankan independence in 1948 to visit the northern provincial capital of Jaffna.

"It's fair to say to the Sri Lankans there needs to be an independent inquiry into the particularly dreadful things that happened at the end of the war but if they do not set it up I will fully back an international inquiry," he said.

Mr Cameron's tough stand has highlighted the difference between Britain and Australia's position on the fellow Commonwealth founding member, which faces allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses, including torture by state security forces, committed during and after the final stages of the country's 26-year-long civil war

Asked about Tony Abbott's position stated on Friday - that "difficult things happen" in war and it is not his place to lecture or embarrass Sri Lanka - Mr Cameron said he would let the Australian Prime Minister speak for himself.

"I think he's absolutely right that it's important we talk up the potential of this country," he told reporters.

"I am very keen to do that but we do that not by gliding over the difficult issues, the human rights issues, journalistic freedom issues, reconciliation. It's important to talk about those."

Mr Cameron said his visit to northern displacement camps and to the Uthayan newspaper office in Jaffna - where five journalists had been murdered which had been subject to numerous deadly attacks

"I will take with me the images of people who have been displaced and are desperate for homes and livelihoods and I will also remember going to that newspaper office and seeing how those journalists had suffered."

"It's very important to see the good and the bad. It's important I was able to take journalists from the UK with me so they can report on that."

Mr Cameron described his Friday night meeting with President Rajapaksa as "frank and clear" in which he raised issues of human rights, media freedom, displaced people.

"At the heart of what I'm saying is an optimistic message about this country. It has a chance for real success after the end of the civil war and my message is to seize that chance by trying to reconcile people within this country," he said.

The biennial Commonwealth summit has been mired in controversy, with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and then Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh boycotting the summit over the Colombo government’s failure to address alleged human rights abuses.

Early yesterday Mauritius, which has also boycotted attending this summit, pulled out of its planned role of hosting CHOGM in 2015.

Meanwhile, as reported in The Weekend Australian yesterday, the Sri Lankan government yesterday confirmed an arrangement was being negotiated with Australia to tackle people-smuggling.

Sri Lankan Minister for Media, Keheliya Rambukwella, told journalists in Colombo the deal was a memorandum of understanding between the two navies.

"There is an arrangement, an MOU to be signed between the two naval forces,'' the minister said.

"All the details have been discussed and once it is signed it will be made a public document.''

Mr Abbott told reporters in Colombo on Friday that Australia had "good and close co-operation'' with the Sri Lankan government and navy.

"I'll be thanking the Sri Lankans for the co-operation which they have extended to us on this important issue and I will have more to say about this in the next day or so,'' Mr Abbott said.

At home, Mr Abbott's assessment of torture in Sri Lanka was slammed by the federal opposition.

Mr Abbott told reporters in Sri Lanka that while his government "deplores the use of torture we accept that sometimes in difficult circumstances difficult things happen".

Labor rejected the comment.

"The use of torture is never justifiable," Labor's attorney-general spokesman Mark Dreyfus said.

"There is never a 'difficult' situation where torture should be accepted."

Additional reporting: AFP, AAP

- See more at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/abbott-cameron-diverge-on-sri-lanka-human-rights/story-fn59niix-1226761628995?sv=379be27708fe2209de93c1bcdbfece18#sthash.3wh62JRT.dpuf

Curious Case Of UNP – Battling The Enemies Within

By Rasika Jayakody -November 17, 2013

Rasika Jayakody

It is impossible to believe that the newly appointed leadership council of the United National Party will translate into a meaningful reform. The leader who spearheaded nearly 25 election defeat is still at the helm of the party andKaru Jayasuriya has been offered the top post of a council that is gravitated towards the party leader’s line of thinking. Technically, there isn’t any real change in the internal governing structure of the party and the membership at the bottom rung does not feel any difference!

Sajith Premadasa, who emerged as a leadership hopeful at one point has now been reduced to an Internally Displaced Person of the same party of which his father was once the leader. Premadasa’s voluntary resignation from the leadership council failed to elicit any significant response from the party members and the decision finally played into the hands of the party leader who always wanted to get Premadasa out of the equation. In the end, the UNP has gone round and round and returned to the place where the party feels more at home – Square One.

Considering the present state of affairs, it is almost impossible to believe that the party would be able to secure any significant victory at any national level election, scheduled for 2014. President Mahinda Rajapaksahas already alerted the rank and file of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party that there will be a presidential or parliamentary election in 2014 and electorate organizers should work towards that.Read More

An Objective View of Reincarnation

By Ruwan M. Jayatunge -November 18, 2013 

Dr. Ruwan M Jayatunge MD

“Reincarnation contains a most comforting explanation of reality by means of which Indian thought surmounts difficulties which baffle the thinkers of Europe.” - Albert Schweitzer 

Reincarnation is a popular belief among many people, and it is a fundamental basis for many religions. The general idea of reincarnation is the belief that when a person dies he is reborn again. Is there a life after death? The clinical evidence for reincarnation is subjective and arguable. Belief in reincarnation has ancient roots.

Pre Historic Concepts on Reincarnation 

Neanderthal traits appeared in Europe as early as 350,000 years ago. The first signs of religion are found in gravesites of Neanderthals in Eastern Europe. These gravesites were found to have very clean fossils, with flowers, dyes, and later, pottery placed around the body of the deceased. The Neanderthals had unusual funeral rituals, which can be interpreted, as they believed in some form of existence after life.

The Egyptians and Transmigration of the soul 

The Egyptians Pharos believed in transmigration of the soul. This means their immortal souls travel through the valley of Nile until it meets the next existence. They thought the soul transmigrate from body to body. The Pharos built mighty Pyramids to provide provisions and other necessities to their next extramundane voyage.

The Ancient Greek Philosophers on Reincarnation                 Read More

Police officer and wife killed in Walasmulla

By Binoy Suriyaarachchi-Monday, 18 Nov 2013

Police investigation teams are still unable to gather concrete evidence in connection to the unidentified group of persons allegedly involved in the murder of a 32-year-old police Constable and his wife at their residence in Walasmulla, Kamburupitiya last night (16).

Police Constable, Sunil Weligamaarachchi, an officer attached to the Matara Division Anti-vice Squad who recently engaged in a number of drug raids, his wife and two-year-old daughter had been attacked with clubs and sharp objectives, it is reported.

The child who suffered critical injuries has been receiving treatments at the Karapitiya General Hospital.

Police Spokesperson SP AJith Rohana said the preliminary police investigation into the tragic incident is being carried out by the Crime Unit of the Kamburupitiya Police station.

Police investigations have found that the suspects had carried out the attack a short while after the police Constable approached home after concluding his duties that night.

The police officer is said to have died on the spot, while the woman died upon admission to the Karapitiya General Hospital.

The remains of the police officer are kept at the Kamburupitiya Base hospital. The autopsy examinations of the deceased will be performed, tomorrow (18). (Ceylon Today Online)

Future of the Hindus in Bangladesh

 by Swadesh Roy

( November 16, 2013, Dhaka, Sri Lanka Guardian) After the death of the father of the nation of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahaman, the noted intellectual of India Annada Shankar Roy wrote regarding the future of Hindus in Bangladesh. He wrote, a day would come when, if somebody found any person, who is Hindu in religion, in Bangladesh, he would ask why his forefather came in this land, they would not believe that he was a Bengali kayesto by cast. In fact, he wanted to say that, one day this land would be a Hindu free country. This article was published in 1976 or 77. Then freedom fighters of Bangladesh were young. So it was very shocking matter for those Hindu boys who fought for the freedom of this country because before the assassination of Sheikh Mujib ,they never thought that they are Hindus and they have not equal rights in this country and they have to leave this country.

Future of the Hindus in Bangladesh by nelvely

A film of alleged war crimes … how I became Sri Lanka's most hated man

The reaction of the people I met in Sri Lanka is at odds with the intimidation against me engineered by a despotic government

A film shot in January 2009 allegedly shows a Sri Lankan soldier executing a Tamil Tiger prisoner. Photograph: Journalists For Democracy/AFP/Getty Images

Callum Macrae- Saturday 16 November 2013

They haunt our every move, on their motorbikes in their silver hatchback and on their tuk tuks. Sri Lanka's intelligence officers are a tenacious lot, but there's another group perhaps even more tenacious in their pursuit of us: "spontaneous", pro-government demonstrators.

A film of alleged war crimes … how I became Sri Lanka's most hated man by nelvely

Cameron leaves CHOGM early

The British Prime Minister David Cameron has left Sri Lanka ahead of the CHOGM gala dinner tonight and concluding sessions tomorrow. 

Leaving at 1pm local time on a British Airways special flight, Mr. Cameron landed in UAE a short while ago.

Tweeting on arrival, Mr. Cameron said he was there to "help boost British business and support Dubai's bid to host Expo 2020". 

Tamil sources close to the Conservative party however, told Tamil Guardian that his premature departure, missing the CHOGM gala banquet scheduled for tonight, was an intentional snub.

David CameronVerified account‏@David_Cameron

Just landed in the UAE to help boost British business and support Dubai's bid to host

TNA Captures Military Intelligence In Action

November 16, 2013 |

The photographs below show that the Sri Lankan military intelligence taking photograph of peaceful protests with giving special attention to particular people. Photographs and photo captions from TNA parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran‘s Facebook.

TNA Leader Sampanthan leading peaceful fast at Klivetty of displaced from Sampur

Military intelligence capturing on camera the faces of those fasting at Kilivetty!

Military intelligence working under the auspices of the Police at Kilivetty!

Now showing particular attention to the front row of the fasting people

Kamalesh Sharma is no Shridath Ramphal

Make way for someone with chutzh-pah

 by Pearl Thevanayagam

(November 16, 2013, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) An undisclosed memo to Commonwealth Office from its secretary general Kamalesh Sharma, the Indian diplomat in 2010, is not to address human rights in their meetings. Ergo, CHOGM is deemed not to be the platform to dig up unsavoury truths such as war crimes, curtailment of press freedom, erosion of democracy and suppression of the independence of the Judiciary.

Kamalesh Sharma is No Shridath Ramphal by nelvely

Elite police stifle peaceful rally by families of disappeared as Cameron visits Jaffna

BY RAMANAN VEERASINGHAM-

16 NOVEMBER 2013

Showing sheer ignorance to mounting international pressure over alleged war crimes, hawkish Sri Lankan government on Friday deployed anti-riot elite police squads to violently stifle a peaceful demonstration by hundreds of family members of disappeared and effectively prevented them from meeting the visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron in the war-hit northern Jaffna peninsula.

Elite Police Stifle Peaceful Rally by Families of Disappeared as Cameron Visits Jaffna by nelvely

BBC World News - Sri Lanka, behind the headlines of the Common

Published on Nov 15, 2013

The meeting of Commonwealth heads of government has started in Sri Lanka. But the summit's attendance list has already narrowed. Leaders of Canada, India and Mauritius have boycotted the gathering. The reason stems from concern over the Human Rights record of the Sri Lanka government, particularly with the regard to the last few months of the end of the civil war in 2009. Coverage on Impact included an in-depth report on the issues underlying the controversy by George Alagiah, followed by a studio discussion by Impact presenter Lucy Hockings with Sri Lankan Democracy Activist Nirmala Rajasingam, and Dushy Ranatunge, a London based journalist for the Sri Lankan newspaper, The Island.

Genocide, Refugees And An Inconvenient Truth About Harper’s Boycott

By Krisna Saravanamuttu -November 16, 2013

Krisna Saravanamuttu

“Canada will not tolerate the abuse of the Immigration system by terrorist elements escaping Sri Lanka.” — former Minister of Immigration Jason Kenney

In 2009, I was amongst thousands of Toronto’s Tamil community that protested against the war in Sri Lanka. We braved the bitter cold and formed human chains across downtown to desperately turn people’s attention to the carnage of chemical weapons unleashed on our families and communities.

While most Torontonians celebrated mother’s day, we occupied the Gardiner Expressway when over a thousand civilians were killed in 24 hours.

Despite months of protest and direct lobbying, the Harper government refused to condemn the Sri Lankan atrocities. In the Conservative Caucus it was business as usual in the midst of genocide.

Two years later a UN report vindicated our protests and accused the Sri Lankan Armed Forces of killing 45,000-75,000 civilians from January to May 2009. The report shed light on the Sri Lankan Armed Forces indiscriminate shelling of hospitals, churches, temples, food distribution lines and even government declared “No Fire Zones.” Fast forward to the fall of 2013. The Prime Minister announces that he will boycott this weekend’s Commonwealth meeting to be hosted by Sri Lanka in light of the country’s human rights abuses.

Analysts suggest that Harper’s boycott is really about courting the concentrated votes of Toronto’s 300,000 strong Tamil community in the next federal election.

Of course, Sri Lanka’s treatment of the Tamil people — characterized by occupation, dispossession and continued violence — warrants international isolation. However, by contrast, the Harper government’s treatment of 492 Tamil refugees onboard the MV Sun Sea raises a troubling inconsistency in the Prime Minister’s commitment to human rights.

Harper’s past treatment of Tamil refugees reveals inconsistencies with present speak

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