INTERNATIONAL DRUG CARTEL BUSTED, HEROIN FROM AFPAK TO INDIA, SRI LANKA

December 21, 2013 

An international drug cartel was smashed by the Special Cell of Delhi Police with the arrest of three of its members and recovery of nine kg of heroin with street value of Rs 30 crore. According to the police, A Venugopal Reddy (29), a resident of Cuddapah district of Andhra Pradesh, Ragmeet Singh (25) and Shurbir Singh (28), both residents of Delhi were arrested recently.

Under the racket, several conduits based in Afghanistan and Pakistan push heroin into India through Punjab border from where it is carried by road, rail into Delhi and delivered to conduits like Shurbir, Ragmeet and some other Afghani Sikhs From here it is taken to southern part of the country from where Sri Lankan conduits receive it for smuggling into Sri Lanka, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav. Initially, a tip off was received on Wednesday that Reddy would come to Shankar Road here to collect drugs from suspected suppliers of the syndicate.

“Following the tip off, a trap was laid and Reddy was apprehended and three kg of heroine seized from his possession. By the time he was located, identified and apprehended, the supplier had managed to leave the scene,” said Yadav.

During sustained interrogation, he disclosed that he has been into this illegal trade for the last six months along with his associates Gopi, Durra and others, he said. Reddy also revealed that in this month alone, he had received two big consignments from a Sikh man known to him as ‘Mr Singh’ and one Tamilian known to him as ‘Arun’, both residents of Delhi.

Venugopal Reddy provided inputs about the identities of two Afghani Sikhs who were coordinating this trade and were living somewhere in the area of Mahabir Nagar. While efforts were afoot to locate the two Afghani Sikhs involved in the trade, on Thursday a team of Punjab Police also arrived in the office of Special Cell and sought assistance in the identification and apprehension of a suspect known to them as Shurbir of Delhi.

This Shurbir was wanted in a case of NDPS Act registered in Punjab and finding the similarities in the suspects being pursued by Special Cell and the Punjab Police, a joint team was formed, police said.

“Sources were put on work and soon, it was learnt that suspects Shurbir Singh and Ragmeet Singh were present in the area of Majnu Ka Tila where they were supposed to meet another courier member of this syndicate for delivering another consignment of heroin. The joint team reached the spot and nabbed the duo. They were found in possession of 6 Kg heroine,” said Yadav.

During their preliminary interrogation, the duo allegedly told police that they are members of a large trans-national narcotics racket which is being jointly coordinated by one Ali of Kuwait and one Samiullah of Afghanistan.

“Ali finds customers while the delivery is done by Samiullah who controls production in Afghanistan,” said Yadav, adding, from there it istaken to Pakistan and pushed through Punjab border from where it is carried by road and rail to Delhi. In Delhi, the Tamil and Telugu regulators of the syndicate take over and utilise several south Indian conduits to distribute the heroin into the southern part of the country from where Sri Lankan conduits receive it for smuggling into Sri Lanka, he said.

“The accused have disclosed that since January itself, they have, in the manner stated above, received around 125 kgs of heroin which has been pushed down the chain for intending processors as well as bulk and retail consumers,” said Yadav. Efforts are on to identify other members of this syndicate and to apprehend them. Further investigation is in progress, police said. - PTI

Central African Republic: War crimes and crimes against humanity in Bangui

More than 1,000 people have been killed in violent attacks in Bangui, Central African Republic.

© Amnesty International

“

Our in-depth research on the ground in the Central African Republic over the past two weeks has left no room for doubt that war crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed by all parties to the conflict

”

Christian Mukosa, Amnesty International’s Central Africa expert, who has just returned from Bangui

Thu, 19/12/2013

“

It is important to establish responsibility for the crimes that have been committed by all sides in this conflict and ensure an end to decades of impunity that have prevailed in this country

”

Christian Mukosa

Thu, 19/12/2013

19 December 2013

War crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed in the Central African Republic, Amnesty International said at the close of a two-week mission to the country.

The organization is calling for the rapid deployment of a robust UN peacekeeping force with a clear mandate to protect civilians – and sufficient resources to do so effectively. 

“Our in-depth research on the ground in the Central African Republic over the past two weeks has left no room for doubt that war crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed by all parties to the conflict,” said Christian Mukosa, Amnesty International’s Central Africa expert.

“Crimes that have been committed include extrajudicial executions, mutilation of bodies, intentional destruction of religious buildings such as mosques, and the forced displacement of massive numbers of people.”

The three-person Amnesty International delegation has documented the violations and abuses that have taken place since violence erupted on 5 December in the capital, Bangui, with an early morning attack by anti-balaka militia.

In some neighbourhoods, the anti-balaka forces went door to door and killed approximately 60 Muslim men. The de facto government forces, known as ex-Seleka, retaliated on a larger scale against Christians in the wake of the attack, killing nearly 1,000 men over a two-day period and systematically looting civilian homes. A small number of women and children were also killed.

During the days that followed the initial burst of violence in Bangui, human rights violations and abuses continued at a staggering pace. 

Despite the presence of French and African military forces meant to protect the civilian population, civilians are being wilfully killed on a daily basis, with at least 90 additional people killed since 8 December. Some victims have been shot; others have been killed by angry mobs with machetes; others have even been stoned.

The complete absence of justice and accountability for these crimes has led to a downward spiral of revenge killings and to deepening inter-communal hatred and mistrust. In total 614,000 people have been displaced across the country – 189,000 in Bangui alone, a quarter of the city’s population.

“The continuing violence, the extensive destruction of property, and the forced displacement of the population in Bangui are feeding enormous anger, hostility and mistrust,” said Christian Mukosa.

“There can be no prospect of ending the cycle of violence until the militias are disarmed and there is proper and effective protection for the thousands of civilians at risk in the country. Residential neighbourhoods must be made safe as an urgent priority in order to allow people to go back to their homes and resume their normal lives.”

Any disarmament process must be accompanied by effective physical protection measures, particularly in crisis hotspots such as the PK5, Miskine and Combattant neighbourhoods. Amnesty International has learned of revenge attacks on those who have been disarmed to date.

One of the most worrying aspects of the current situation is the blurring of lines between organized armed groups and civilian mobs. In many cases it has been difficult to identify those responsible for the killings, but it is clear that many local civilians advocate violent acts of revenge, and some are participating in them. 

Both the Christian and Muslim communities have a deep sense of anger and grievance – many people have shown Amnesty International researchers photos and videos of slaughter that they keep on their mobile phones.

Amnesty International believes that more international troops are urgently needed to ensure security in Bangui and elsewhere in the Central African Republic. 

The African Union has promised to deploy up to 6,000 troops in a new peacekeeping force which is due to take authority in the Central African Republic on 19 December. This deployment is urgently needed but the makeup and deployment plans for the troops have not yet been spelled out.

Amnesty International is also calling on the UN to expedite its plans to set up a commission of inquiry to investigate war crimes, crimes against humanity and gross violations of human rights.

“It is important to establish responsibility for the crimes that have been committed by all sides in this conflict and ensure an end to decades of impunity that have prevailed in this country,” said Christian Mukosa. The organization has received credible information about militia leaders who are directly implicated in the attacks and should be brought to justice. 

“The international community has an important role to play in the Central African Republic, ensuring peacekeeping forces are deployed with all haste and are given the resources they need to prevent even greater bloodshed.”

Amnesty International will present its preliminary findings in a briefing at a press conference today in London. It will publish a more in-depth report in early 2014.

Human Rights Watch is publishing a separate report focusing on an escalation of sectarian violence and atrocities in Ouham province in northern Central African Republic.

See Amnesty International's news conference to launch preliminary findings from Central African Republic (London, 19 December 2013)

India transfers diplomat to U.N. in bid to defuse row with U.S.

3 OF 4. Demonstrators protest across the street from the Indian Consulate building in New York December 20, 2013. 

BY SANJEEV MIGLANI-Sat Dec 21, 2013

(Reuters) - India said on Saturday that it had transferred the diplomat at the center of a row with the United States to its U.N. delegation, a move that it hopes will give her protection from prosecution for visa fraud and underpaying a maid.

Whether the accreditation of Devyani Khobragade as a member of India’s U.N. mission leads to a way out of the dispute could depend on the U.S. State Department approving her transfer.

Asoke Mukherji, India’s ambassador to the United Nations, said he had written to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon informing him of the 39-year-old diplomat’s transfer.

The world’s two largest democracies have been at loggerheads for the past week, amid mounting outrage in India over the arrest of Khobragade, who was strip-searched and handcuffed while in custody.

Khobragade was arrested on December 12 and released on $250,000 bail after giving up her passport and pleading not guilty to charges of visa fraud and making false statements about how much she paid her housekeeper, also an Indian.

At the time of her arrest Khobragade was serving as deputy consul general in New York, a role which affords less diplomatic protection from U.S. law. She faces a maximum of 15 years in prison if convicted of both counts.

In an unusual move, the United States has flown the family of the housekeeper, Sangeeta Richard, out of India.

Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said on Wednesday Richard’s family had been brought to the United States after legal efforts had begun in India “to silence her, and attempts were made to compel her to return to India.”

Mukherji said that once Khobragade receives her diplomatic card at the U.N. she would be eligible for greater privileges, including diplomatic protection from arrest.

"We have welcomed her into our team here at the U.N. I have had a meeting with her," Mukherji said. "As soon as she is accredited, we hope she will be able to discharge her responsibilities."

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki declined to offer any opinion on whether the change in diplomatic status could prevent Khobragade from being re-arrested or enable her to leave the United States.

"I don’t want to speculate on that," Psaki told reported.

But she added that a change in status would not provide a “clean slate from past charges.”

STAIN ON THE BIGGER PICTURE

India is demanding that all charges against Khobragade are dropped, and political parties preparing for an election next May have tried to out do each other in their calls for retaliatory action against the United States.

"The U.S. has to understand that the world has changed, times have changed, India has changed," said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath.

"The conduct and attitude that the U.S. has shown regarding Devyani issue is a matter of concern not only for India, but also for all countries and everyone should raise their voice."

On Friday, protesters ransacked a Domino’s Pizza in a Mumbai suburb in anger on Friday while others shouted slogans outside the U.S. consulate in the southern city of Hyderabad.

While in New York, a few dozen protesters including several domestic workers from South and Southeast Asia gathered outside India’s consulate, chanting slogans and waving posters demanding that Khobragade’s diplomatic immunity be waived.

"Passports revoked, slave wages, restricted communication - this constitutes trafficking workers," said Leah Obias, an organizer with the migrant-workers rights group Damayan. "There are diplomats trafficking workers all over the city and we demand justice."

For all the strong words, both sides have a strong interest in getting relations back on track. India and the United States have enjoyed warmer ties on several fronts over the past decade.

Bilateral trade has reached over $90 billion, and New Delhi and Washington cooperate closely in counterterrorism, while sharing a common interest in ensuring stability inAfghanistan once western forces withdraw.

"We want to move beyond this, and I think we all recognize the importance of our long-term relationship," Psaki said.

(Additional reporting by Jonathan Allen, Joseph Ax, Tabassum Zakaria and Will Dunham in Washington, Louis Charbonneau and Elizabeth Dilts in New York; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)

Further SL Navy landgrabs in Pulmoddai
Tamil Guardian 21 December 2013

The Sri Lankan Navy has been engaging in further landgrabs in Pattikuda in the eastern Pulmoddai region, reports Tamilwin.

A sign was erected on the land, belonging to local residents, declaring it to belong to the navy. Residents were forced out, with their huts, fences and crops destroyed.

The land was in the midst of being cleared for agriculture, by owners who had only recently returned to the region after years of displacement.

The navy has reportedly already grabbed almost 500 acres of land in the east, despite not having received administrative approval to push ahead with plans for a naval camp.

புல்மோட்டை பட்டிக்குடா பிரதேசத்தில் மீண்டும் கடற்படையினர் காணி அபகிரிப்பு

[ வெள்ளிக்கிழமை, 20 டிசெம்பர் 2013, 12:24.59 PM GMT ]

புல்மோட்டை பட்டிக்குடா பிரதேசத்தில் கடற்படையினர் மீண்டும் காணி அபகிரிக்கும் முயற்சியில் ஈடுபட்டுள்ளதாக அப்பகுதி மக்கள் விசனம் வெளியிட்டுள்ளனர். 

செய்திகளை படிக்க...

Further SL Navy Landgrabs in Pulmoddai by nelvely

Muslim MPs demand urgent action

December 20, 2013

Muslim Members of Parliament (MP) met Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne, who is also the Minister of Buddhasasana and Religious Affairs, this afternoon and raised concerns over attempts to close three Mosques in the Dehiwala area.

Ministers A.H.M. Fowzie, Rauff Hakeem, Rishad Bathiudeen and Deputy Minister Faizer Mustapha as well as MPs Hassan Ali were among those present at today’s meeting at the Parliamentary complex, sources told the Colombo Gazette.

The police had initially ordered that the three Mosques be closed down and the issue was then taken up with President Mahinda Rajapaksa this week.

The President had said that he was not aware of three Mosques being ordered to be shut but yet he had been briefed over an issue concerning one Mosque.

The Muslim MPs alleged that there were extremist groups behind the attempt to have the three Mosques shut down.

It was later decided that the Muslim MPs meet the Prime Minister to further discuss the issue and the meeting was set for this afternoon.

At that meeting the Prime Minister had said that his secretary will meet the Muslim MPs on Monday for which the MPs objected saying they did not want the secretary involved.

The Prime Minister then cancelled that meeting and assured the MPs he will look into the issue directly. (Colombo Gazette)

Report by Easwaran Rutnam

மன்னார் திருக்கேதிஸ்வரத்தில் மனித எச்சங்கள் - மன்னார் நீதவான் முன்னிலையில் தோண்டும் பணி ஆரம்பம்:-

Global Tamil News
மன்னார் திருக்கேதிஸ்வரம் பகுதியில் நேற்று வெள்ளிக்கிழமை (20.12.13) மாலை மனித எச்சங்கள் மீட்கப்பட்டுள்ளமையினைத் தொடர்ந்து குறித்த பகுதியில் இன்று சனிக்கிழமை காலை மன்னார் நீதவான் ஆனந்தி கனகரட்னம் முன்னிலையில் தோண்டும் பணிகள் ஆரம்பிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.
                                                        செய்திகளை படிக்க...

POLICE PROBE SKELETAL REMAINS NEAR MANNAR TEMPLE

December 21, 2013 

Police have launched an extensive investigation after human skeletal remains belonging to several persons were unearthed from the road which leads to the Thiruketheeswaram Temple in Mannar.

A group of workers engaged in road construction work had discovered the skeletal remains and proceeded to inform the Mannar Police Station regarding the find.

Police Spokesman’s Office said several skeletal remains including 3 complete human skulls have been found at the location and that the magistrate’s inquiry is to be conducted.

Mannar Police are conducting further investigations. 

Deputy Secretary-General’s press conference on Rights up Front Action Plan

New York, 19 December 2013

DSG:  There is a connection between the two subjects today and I will mainly brief you on the Rights Up Front initiative, but perhaps should pick up where Farhan ended and, of course, tell you how deeply concerned the Secretary-General and I and our colleagues about the current situation in South Sudan.  Our base in Akobo, Jonglei State was attacked and we have reports that lives are lost.  We don’t have the details of that yet.  And, of course, the Secretary-General and I both condemn this attack in the strongest terms.  I welcome reports this morning that President Salva Kiir is willing to enter into talks and deplore the call by some from the [Riek] Machar camp to topple the Government.  In fact we have reports also about a willingness to go into dialogue from that side.

Secretary-General's year-end press conference [full transcript]

Deputy Secretary-General’s press conference on Rights up Front Action Plan by nelvely

Govt. Commissioning Former LTTE Commander To Restart Tigers Outfit Subservient To The Regime: Wigneswaran

December 21, 2013 

Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran today warned that according to latest reports they were receiving, a former  LTTE military commander was being commissioned to restart an LTTE outfit subservient to the powers that be.

“Thus the White Van drama could now be enacted by a different cast,” the Chief Minister warned.

Wigneswaran

The Chief Minister said that he could become a target like Tamil politicians before him, saying that politicians seeking to stress commonalities between people of Sri Lanka often got brutally killed.

Speaking at the Sarvodaya Annual General Meeting today, Wigneswaran said that when his student, the late Parliamentarian Raviraj was trying to stress commonality and trying to get closer to the Sinhalese masses, he had been brutally killed.

“They could quite easily decide to do the same with his teacher speaking to you today. In fact a lot of my students are worried about my security and safety,” the Chief Minister explained.

Speaking of Sarvodaya Founder Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne, Wigneswaran said he has always fought the deed rather than the doer. “Let me hope I could learn the intricacies involved in this exercise from Ari. Because I get misquoted or misunderstood many a time. If I say we must have a Civilian Governor the media says I am trying to oust the Governor. Surely I have nothing personal against the Governor. If I say please allow a Maths’ teacher to teach mathematics to my son and not to allow the Chemistry teacher to teach him maths, does it mean I am against the Chemistry teacher?  Similarly I am asking for a civilian Governor not a former Military person,” he said.

“Similarly when I say withdraw the Army from the North it is said that I am against the Sinhalese coming to the North. Have we asked Ari to remove the Sinhalese volunteers sent through the Sarvodaya to the North and East? Sarvodaya is interested in humanitarian services. Who would believe the Army who are criticized for murder and mayhem in the North during the latter part of the War by the International  Fora are in fact stationed there now to do humanitarian services?” he charged.

The Chief Minister said they had no doubt that the Army was stationed in the North with ulterior motives. “We see it taking place. Our lands are being grabbed. Our businesses are being grabbed. Our employment opportunities are being grabbed and to say it most mildly our war widows and women are definitely not safe. How long does the Government want to keep its Military Forces in the North?” he asked.

“Why does the Government not enhance its Police presence in the North and reduce progressively its Army presence if it does not have a hidden agenda? These are questions which must be posed by reasonable ordinary humane Sinhalese in the South. It is indeed their duty to do so. We must not forget that the Muslims are also stakeholders in this exercise. There are Sinhala Speaking Muslims and Tamil speaking Muslims. They should act as forces of moderation towards both sides,” he said.

Read the full speech here

US Steps Up the Drumbeat on Sri Lankan Human Rights

Global Research

December 20, 2013

The Obama administration is stepping up its pressure on Sri Lanka on “human rights,” with discussions taking place on another resolution critical of its record to be put to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) meeting next March. The US and its allies are using the threat of a probe into Sri Lankan war crimes and human rights abuses to press the Colombo government to align more strongly with the West.

In previous years, the US has already pushed two resolutions through the UNHRC on Sri Lanka. The one passed last March called on Colombo to implement the recommendations of the government’s own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) into the island’s protracted civil war, which ended in 2009 with the military defeat of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The LLRC report was a sham that whitewashed the war crimes carried out by the Sri Lankan government and military, and made limited proposals that are yet to be carried out. A UN study estimated that at least 40,000 people were killed during the final weeks of the war, the majority innocent civilians.

In the past few days, US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal and State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf have both issued statements calling on Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse’s government to take the necessary steps to investigate human rights abuses in the country.

On December 4, Biswal warned that the patience of the international community “will start to wear thin … if there is no real progress in this regard.” Two days later, Harf said the US continued to be concerned over accountability issues for human rights abuses and also the erosion of the rule of law, violence against religious minorities and restrictions on press freedom.

US foreign relations committee staff member Damien Murphy visited Sri Lanka last week. According to the Colombo-based Sunday Times, he and American officials held a wide range of discussions with government officials and Tamil leaders in preparation for a new UNHRC resolution.

Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister Hugo Swire this week raised the possibility that the UK could also press for a new UNHRC resolution if the Sri Lankan government failed to carry out its own “independent and credible” investigation into human rights abuses. Last week, the European Parliament passed a motion threatening a full UN inquiry if Colombo failed to implement the LLRC recommendations in full.

Japan’s special envoy to Sri Lanka Yasushi Akashi concluded a visit last Friday by telling the media there were international concerns over the government’s delay in acting on the LLRC report. “There is a notion that the Sri Lankan Government has taken too much time appointing commissions and then shelving their reports without taking any action,” he said. Akashi warned that listening to “the international community is a prerequisite” for closer collaboration.

This “human rights” campaign is completely hypocritical, not least because the US and its allies all backed Rajapakse’s war against the LTTE and covered up its war crimes, right up to the final few weeks. Just as the US has exploited “human rights” to justify illegal and predatory wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria, so it is using the same phony banner to pursue its imperialist interests in Sri Lanka.

Washington is focussing on Sri Lanka as part of Obama’s “pivot to Asia,” aimed at undermining Chinese influence throughout the region and encircling China militarily. The US began to point to the Sri Lankan military’s atrocities only as the war was drawing to a close. Its real concern was that China enhanced its position in Colombo during the conflict by providing military and financial aid to the Rajapakse government.

A bipartisan initiative, the US Congressional Caucus on Ethnic and Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka, last month held a panel discussion on the topic: “What is next for Sri Lanka—progress or back-pedaling—and the US-Sri Lanka relationship?” Panelists included Ashley Wills, the former US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and Lisa Curtis from the right-wing think tank, the Heritage Foundation.

The invitation letter noted “continued concerns about the treatment of ethnic and religious minorities” but drew attention to “the broader context of worrisome political trends in Sri Lanka [that] threaten to undermine stability in Sri Lanka and the region, as well as prospects for a comprehensive, forward looking US-Sri Lanka partnership.”

As reported by Reuters, Curtis declared that since 2009 US-Sri Lanka relations had been in a “downward spiral” and called for the US to reverse the trend through a combination of “carrots and sticks.” She explained what she meant by “downward spiral” in a September Heritage Foundation article. “There are increasing geostrategic reasons to care about Sri Lanka, particularly because the island nation is strategically located in the Indian Ocean and is increasingly being wooed by China,” she wrote.

The same message was spelled out in a document in December 2009, just months after the end of the Sri Lankan war. US Secretary of State John Kerry, then chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, co-authored a review of US interests in the island. After outlining China’s growing influence in Colombo, and the island’s strategic location across important shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean, it concluded that the “US cannot lose Sri Lanka” and proposed a strategy to bring it firmly within the US orbit.

China has continued to side with Sri Lanka against the US-led “human rights” campaign. Its embassy in Colombo recently stated: “China supports the Sri Lankan government’s efforts to safeguard independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.” It added that “the international community, instead of taking measures that may complicate the issue” should allow the Sri Lankan government to choose its own path in addressing human rights.

Rajapakse government has awarded $US4 billion in projects to Chinese companies during the past four years. Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardhana last month told reporters that the government would sign $2 billion worth of investments before the end of the year, of which $1.3 billion was from China.

Speaking in parliament last week, External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris insisted that the “direction the country needs to go can, and will, be decided by Sri Lanka and no other country. The government is not prepared to pass on that responsibility to another country at any cost, despite threats and intimidation.”

However, the Rajapakse government’s room for manoeuvring is narrowing as the Obama administration ratchets up the pressure on countries throughout Asia to fall into line with its aggressive “pivot.” The constant drumbeat on “human rights” abuses in Sri Lanka carries the menacing threat that Rajapakse and other political and military leaders could find themselves the target of war crimes proceedings—unless they fall into line with Washington’s strategic requirements.

Colombo seeks genocidal subordination through military indoctrination of students

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 December 2013, 12:21 GMT]
A Tamil student from Aaraip-pattai (Aaraiyampathi) in Ma’nmunaip-pattu division of Batticaloa district was rushed to the hospital in serious condition on Saturday, when he attempted to commit suicide by self-poisoning just a few hours before he was supposed to travel to the notorious Minneriya camp of the occupying SL military to attend an enforced indoctrination programme for all new students in order to become eligible for university entrance. The SL military is conducting a genocidal subordination in addition to the psychological pressure. There are students who lost their hard earned university admission as they were not able to secure the money needed to spend on meeting the demands of the military indoctrination programme, under the so-called ‘leadership’ indoctrination, the students from East say. 

A section from the letter sent to Tamil students by Dr Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne, the Secretary of Ministry of Higher Education in Colombo

23,125 students eligible for university entrance under 86 various disciplines throughout the island are to undergo the SL military run indoctrination programme in 21 military camps in three different batches at each camp. The programme lasts for 3 weeks for each batch. Around 8,000 students were ‘trained’ at the military localities across the island in November - December 2013. 

• [Tamil] Instructions to Tamil students by Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne, the Secretary of Ministry of Hig

In the first batch, 600 Tamil, Sinhala and Muslim students were subjected to the indoctrination programme at the ‘Infantry Training Centre’ of the SL military at the notorious Minneriya camp, where those abducted by the SL military intelligence were earlier taken before they were either slain or subjected to indefinite detention. The SL military also runs so-called rehabilitation programme for former LTTE members at Minneriya.

The training programme for the first batch started on 25 November at Minneriya. On the very first day, the SL military instructors displayed certain photos from the final days of genocidal onslaught on Vanni targeting to inject feelings of inferiority among the Tamil students while making the Sinhala students celebrate a ‘military victory’ singing ‘victory songs’ in Sinhala in a follow-up ‘cultural’ programme a week later. 

The SL military instructors verbally abused the Tamil students, who walked out from the show. They had also warned the students that they would ‘identify’ and ‘abduct’ the ‘unruly students’ outside and warned the students ‘not to spoil’ their future. 

Following this, the SL military instructors gave a Tamil student from the Faculty of Engineering in Jaffna a harsh military punishment by instructing him to walk round the playground wearing only his underwear. The ‘punishment’ was meted out on the Tamil student stating that he had ignored the ‘procedure’ to cover himself with a towel when changed his underwear inside the male hostel. 

While claiming that the military training was seeking a ‘positive thinking’ what takes place in reality was the indoctrination of ‘genocidal thinking’ on Sinhala students, Tamil students who have gone through the first batch have said. 

The SL military carried out a genocidal onslaught on the nation of Eezham Tamils, and the so-called military victory was made possible by the powers and countries that abetted the Colombo regime, was the lesson they had learned by going through the SL military’s genocidal training programme, the Tamil students in Batticaloa said. 

Every day, given to the Colombo government to rule over Tamils is another ‘milestone’ in the genocide. But, that is what the genocide partners cum engineers sitting in Washington, London and New Delhi want to happen, commented Tamil university student circles and those who watch the new Sinhala military capital taking shape in Valikaamam North of Jaffna. 

All the instructors are Sinhala military inspectors and the training is conducted at 21 military facilities across the island

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20.05.11   Tamil university students get Sinhala summons for military c.. 

Raviraj Killers Could Quite Easily Decide To Do The Same With His Teacher

By C.V. Wigneswaran -December 21, 2013

C.V Wigneswaran

Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu Gurur Devo Maheshwaraha Gurur

Saakshaat Para Brahma Thasmai Shree Guruve Namaha.

Dr. Ariyaratne,  Reverend Sirs, my dearest brothers and sisters!

It is indeed a great honour to have been invited as Chief Guest to your Annual General Meeting and to be called upon to address you.  Dr. Ariaratne is an old friend of mine. As a student at Royal I had heard of the Teacher at Nalanda though it was much later that I came to know Ari personally. To those of us who had romantic visions of the type of work done by Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba  Bhave , Jayaprakash Narayan and  indeed even of  Mother Theresa among common people, their counterpart in Sri Lanka was Ari. His Sarvodaya Movement has now come a long way, thanks to his illustrious son and others who have transformed the Movement to face up to the rigours of modernisation in a competitive, commercial, computer oriented world.

Yet the spirit of Sarvodaya lies in our hearts. The spirit of Shramadana too has its genesis in our hearts. As the word Shramadana connotes it is the sacrifice of our efforts. Sacrifice for what? For Sarvodaya which is the awakening in all. You had set up three principles to achieve such a goal -Truth, Non Violence and Self  Denial.  So you are all in a journey of self denial, non violently and truthfully to reach the goal of Sarvodaya, which is the awakening in all.

It is the awakening of our innate basic humanity that could bring peace to this World.

Peace cannot be achieved without a change of heart. This change of heart comes when the pivot of decision making in one’s life shifts from the self to an ambience of love pervading all around us. There is natural good will, concern and love in the hearts of all human beings but most often untapped.

Unfortunately all our decision-making centers around the Self. Therefore our decisions are based on what “I” need, what “We” need or what brings happiness to “me” or “us”. When a politician has to make a decision which should bring satisfaction to most human beings around him, very often he inquires as to what the benefit would be to him monetarily or politically and thereby there is misery all around him.

A friend of mine became a Deputy Minister. I asked him what he intends doing now that he is a Minister. He said immediately “Don’t you know how much I spent on my Election? I intend earning all that money quickly!” So we spend money to obtain positions and power and then our positions and power are used to earn money. Therefore primarily our thoughts centre  around us and our welfare. To cease to look selfishly from such a stand point is to awaken into another dimension. The dimension of love and care.

This dimension of love and care is what the Major Religions of the world have been preaching to all of us all this time. Christians preached Charity, Muslims preached brotherhood, the Buddhists preached Metta (loving kindness), Karuna (compassion), Muditha (altruism) and Upekkha (equanimity) while Hinduism said Anbe Sivam (God is Love). We have all four religions in practice in this country. Yet there is strife, conflict and confusion. Why is that?  It is not difficult to answer that question. I am a man of religion of some sort who was forced into politics. I have found what has gone wrong.                               Read More

Budget booster!

December 21, 2013 

•  President in Parliament tells Opposition to stop underestimating the Government’s economic policy
• Invites UNP and TNA to join forces to create national economic plan for development and reconciliation
• Claims Opposition criticism of Govt. borrowings is unfair
• Hails Govt.’s management of budget deficit to 36-year low
• 2014 Budget passed with 95-vote majority; UNP, TNA, JVP oppose
• By Ashwin Hemmathagama Our Lobby Correspondent

Budget Booster! by nelvely

UN Should Render Her Positive Assistance To Member Nations

| by Sripali Vaiamon

( December 20, 2013 – Colombo – Sri Lanka Guardian) League of nations, the creation of Franklin d Roosevelt, during the end of first world war, disbanded to establish united nations which came into effect on oct.1945, where 51 nations gathered in san Francisco with great expectations, primarily because of former didn’t serve purported objectives. 

UN Should Render Her Positive Assistance to Member Nations by nelvely

Did An Email Stop The Completion Of The River For Jaffna Project?

December 21, 2013

Cows and engineers

C.V.Wigneswaran



By C. Wijeyawickrema -

If NPCM Wigneswaran and TNA members want to help Jaffna famers there is an unusual book that they should read. The principal author of this book of collection of essays, “Community based water conservation and development: two contrasting examples from Sri Lanka and from Russia” (OPRO Printers, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, September 2013) is the well-known engineer D.L.O. Mendis. With names and dates, he alleges, that the River for Jaffna project was derailed half-way from its completion by two or three non-engineers holding high-level positions in GOSL, just by exchanging a few e-mails between them!  Despite this arbitrary act, a technical committee which had the task of prioritizing the water resource development projects to be undertaken in the island listed River for Jaffna as the new number one priority. Therefore, instead of promoting Tamil separatism by way of planting maaveerar trees or using the word genocide, Wigneswaran can help Jaffna people by getting the RfJ project resurrected ASAP. DLOM’s book gives all the information he needs to request, if necessary, funding help from David Cameron, Manmohan Singh or the Canadian one, via MahindaR

.Cows and engineers

DLOM’s book reminded me two engineering episodes that I could never forget. One was about the Mahaveli Authority engineers. They had a hard time figuring out why cows and buffaloes did not use the bridges that they built for the animals to cross the irrigation canals so that the canal bunds do not get damaged. The bridges were at the identified cattle crossings. When this cow issue came to the attention of a new Director General (and who told me this story), who was a people oriented manager, and a believer in the value of “community knowledge,” he asked the field engineers to arrange a joint meeting with the area farmers.

.Read More