Gota launches espionage service- DOC :sordid media coolies detailed
(Lanka-e-News- 15.Jan.2014, 1.00PM) The Rajapakse regime has created a special intelligence unit and appointed to it sordid media coolies who readily stoop to compromising their professional ethics for selfish gains as sleuths, according to reports reaching Lanka e news inside information division. 

Towards this media personnel (or rather media disgraceful scoundrels) , local and abroad have been deployed. Already a group of such sordid media coolies have been sent to foreign countries on this assignment , reports say. Though they are supposedly following various courses , in truth they are carrying on espionage activities for the Rajapakse regime. Two such sordid media personnel who are already in two European countries on refugee status have been designated these duties. One of them is such a media coolie- former activist of a media organization who claimed he was running a media website.

Whether quite a large team that had been dispatched from Colombo is entrusted with garnering information only or some other objective is not sure , and these details are still obscure to Lanka e news inside information division. It is the view of analysts that quite a large group will not be detailed just to gather information only.

These shameless media coolies operating locally and internationally are those having close and friendly ties with the opposition and various Organizations. The duty of these media betrayers is to pass information to the regime daily on what plans are ahead against the regime and who are going to implement them.

All the information and details collected by these coolies are received by a special secret unit in the name of D .O.C. created under the defense Ministry The head of that unit is the notorious most infamous Major General Hendawitharane . This DOC unit is answerable directly and only to the criminal defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse. 

The information passed to the DOC , after analysis are transmitted for further action to the State intelligence service (SIS) , intelligence division of the forces and the IGP.

Meanwhile , an experienced deputy Director Nilantha Jayawardena , SSP of the SIS was ousted from that position and flung to Jaffna , and in his place , SSP Marso , a rugby player had been appointed to the SIS.

Because Marso knows absolutely nothing about intelligence division tasks he has muddled up every thing there , which has provoked and infuriated Wakishta who Director SIS now enters the office with a hurl of abuses , based on reports reaching Lanka e news inside information division. 

Meanwhile , Wakishta had also phoned Nilantha Jayawardena SSP who is transferred as personal assistant to senior DIG Pujitha Jayasundara and requested him to spy on the latter and pass information. Nilantha on the contrary had given a ‘slap in the face’ of Wakishta by replying , since he is no longer in the SIS , and he is now serving Pujitha he cannot act disloyally to his superior. Incidentally , Pujitha presently holds the fifth position in the seniority ladder in the police department

Common man  in power

Editorial-January 15, 2014, 

India’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or the Common Man Party has become a source of inspiration for anti-corruption activists not only in India but also in the region. In Pakistan, as we have reported, some concerned citizens are trying to float their own version of AAP.

Sri Lankans, too, have pinned their hopes on campaigners against corruption and even voted them into office in a bid to make this country a better place. In 1994, it may be recalled, the SLFP-led People’s Alliance promised to eliminate dooshanaya and bheeshanaya (corruption and state terrorism) and obtained a popular mandate to form a government. But, alas, it started doing more of what its predecessor had done. Those who had claimed that they and their children had been using hand-me-downs from friends and relatives and living on bank overdrafts became rich enough, all of a sudden, to spend billions of rupees on their election campaigns and acquire properties overseas. So much for their anti-corruption drive!

Ironically, AAP on a campaign to rid India of corruption is now at the mercy of the scandal-ridden Congress to remain in power. If the Congress withdraws support, its state governments will come crashing down. They are already at loggerheads over AAP Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s move to reverse the previous administration’s decision to allow foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail trade in New Delhi.

Most of our present-day parliamentarians entered politics as ordinary men and women. As the late Anura Bandaranaike known for his not-so-lambent wit put it very eloquently in Parliament once, some of the ministers notorious for ostentatious display of opulence had been wearing flip-flops and riding bicycles when they took to politics. This is the problem with ordinary people in politics in this country. Once ensconced in power, they become part of the power elite, amass ill-gotten wealth sufficient for generations and live in clover. Our experience is that they end up being worse than aristocrats.

Politics is all about greed, power and ego. Integrity of politicians, in our book, is lack of opportunity. It is hoped that AAP leader will make a difference in Indian politics and remain incorruptible.

A lobster honoured

Some are born great; some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them, as Malvolio says in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Never has a truer word been spoken about greatness.

However, it is not only humans who have greatness and fame thrust upon them. Even animals such as horses, elephants and canines have become great by association. Horses such as Alexander the Great’s Bucephalus and Napoleon’s Marengo have become legends.

There has been a report that a humble squat lobster which had been leading a very secluded life near the Southwest Indian Ocean seamount has had the honour of being given the same name as one of the greatest human beings—Mandela.

Described as a crustacean relative of the hermit crab, this sea creature measuring only seven millimetres in length had lived, hidden from the prying eyes of meddlesome bipeds, 750 metres below the ocean’s surface for centuries until a researcher chanced upon it recently. It has been named Munidopsis mandelai.

Opinion is divided on the choice of name for the tiny lobster. Some people are of the view that it would have been more appropriate if a bigger, gregarious creature had been named after that great South African leader who went the way of all flesh last year.

However, that is the way with naming animals and plants. A new species of a flying frog found in Vietnam last year was named after the mother of the researcher who made the discovery.

Now that a sea creature has been given Mandela’s name, what are the animals that deserve the names of our political potentates who think no end of themselves? We have some suggestions: buffalo, fox, vulture, crab, viper, chameleon, frog and wild boar. But, why should we insult those animals?

Who Is Really Gunning For Dimu Jayaratne?

By Kumar David -January 16, 2014

Prof Kumar David

Who is really gunning for Dimu Jayaratne? It gets curiouser and curiouser!

The JHU, its leader Omalpe Sobitha, the monks of Sinhala Ravana (SR) and many other odd-bods known to be bigots and chauvinists, are out for the blood of Minister of Buddha Sasana and Prime Minister, DM Jayaratne. Conversely, UNP stalwart Mangala Samaraweera speaks in stout defence of the beleaguered PM and the party’s high command keeps a studied semi-silence on the matter. The JVP takes a principled stand, demanding that the PM step-down as a precondition for an impartial investigation. The unruly demonstration on January 8 led by SR monks could not have arrived at the gates of the PM’s office on Flower Road without someone at the level ofPresident, Defence Secretary or thereabouts, winking at the cops and clearing the way. The area is under vigilance as the Leader of the Opposition’s residence is half a km to one side and Temple Trees the President’s residence is a mere one km as the crow flies on the other. A demonstration outside the US Embassy the next day must also have had regime acquiescence. There is something strange going on; as Alice said “It gets curiouser and curioser”.

I am prepared to concede that the PM may not be directly implicated in or in the know of the heroin smuggling racket. It is possible that it was just lousy judgement in the choice of staff and lack of discrimination in the people he entertains that led to the position where a ministry official issued a letter to the customs department seeking the release of a container which turned out to be stuffed with the largest shipment of smuggled heroin ever detected in this country. This must be investigated by the enforcement authorities (if this is possible with this interfering government) and if need be DMJ should be prosecuted before an impartial court (if such still exists under the aegis of this regime). Despite justified reservations about impartiality in the country, this is the correct stand that we the public must take – investigate and if a prima face case emerges, prosecute.

If this were a normal country the Prime Minister should resign and it is a shame he has not done so already. Parliamentary propriety and common decency demand he quit and let the investigators get on with the job. True, neither propriety nor decency are high on the agenda of this regime and UPFA, so don’t expect miracles, but that is not the point of this article. What I find curious is that if the PM is being protected by the Rajapakse power-centre, then it contradicts my first paragraph which says that there is no explanation for mobs running amok unless higher powers are encouraging it. In passing, it is humorous that both “Prime Ministers” DMJ and Visvanathan Rudrakumaran of the self-styled TGTE are in hot water with the law; decency demands that both resign!

The confusion and desperation thesis                                               Read More

Press has obligation to foster respect for human rights - Prof. Savitri Goonesekere

Press has obligation to foster respect for human rights - Prof. Savitri Goonesekere

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Savitri Goonesekere

Following are excerpts of the keynote address made by Emeritus Professor of Law, Savitri Goonesekere on Monday at the inaugural session of the conference organized by the Sri Lanka Press Complaints Commission (SLPCC) on Self-Regulation and Ethical Reporting, to mark their 10th anniversary:

“The celebration of the 10th anniversary of the SLPCC and the inaugural session of this international conference is a location to declare victories and also to take stock in regard to the realities that confront the professionals of journalism both in our country and others represented at this meeting.

Press Has Obligation to Foster Respect for Human Rights - Prof. Savitri Goonesekere by nelvely

MOD ponders rehabilitating NPC member 

Ananthi

By Shamindra Ferdinando-January 14, 2014,

The Defence Ministry is seriously considering accommodating Northern Provincial Council (NPC) member Ananthi Sasitharan at a rehabilitation facility to prevent her from propagating separatist sentiments. She represents the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK), the dominant partner of five-party Tamil National Alliance (TNA) led by R. Sampanthan, MP.

She was elected to the NPC last September.

A senior Defence Ministry source told The Island that those who hadn’t been arrested/surrendered at the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009 missed the government rehabilitation project. Ananthi was among those who had avoided rehabilitation , the official said, adding that a decision would be made soon.

Ananthi is the wife of Sinnathurai Sivakumar alias Elilan in charge of LTTE political section in the Trincomalee District. The Defence Ministry alleged that Sivakumar had been masquerading as a political activist during the Norwegian arranged Ceasefire Agreement (CFA).

Ambassador Stephen J. Rapp in charge of the Office of Global Criminal Justice received a briefing from Ananthi during his recently concluded visit to Sri Lanka. Since her election to the NPC, Ananthi toured Canada, the US, India, Germany, Denmark and Norway, where she met government officials and LTTE activists.

Asked whether the government was planning to hunt for those who had managed to avoid rehabilitation, the official said perhaps Ananthi wouldn’t have adopted such a hostile stance towards the government and the military if she had undergone rehabilitation.

The government has released over 11,000 LTTE cadres in batches following rehabilitation over past four years. The release of LTTE personnel took place under the supervision of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The project was funded by several countries, including the UK, the Netherlands and Japan.

The spokesman admitted that the detention of Ananthi at a rehabilitation facility could trigger strong protests from the international community ahead of the forthcoming UNHRC session in Geneva as well as the TNA. However, the government was of the opinion that Ananthi would continue to undermine post-war reconciliation process unless she underwent rehabilitation, he said.

The Year 1988: The Presidential Election Campaign

By Rajan Hoole -January 15, 2014

Rajan Hoole

The Year 1988: The Red Moon Over Sri Lanka And The Dawn Of New Wisdom – Part 5

With Premadasa as presidential candidate and the party machine firmly under Ranjan Wijeratne, the UNP campaign got under way in earnest. The fortunes of party members too came to depend on the services they rendered Premadasa. In September the UNP’s position seemed weak. On looking back, the UNP’s was a well-co-ordinated campaign throwing in everything it had, both fair and foul. Chandraprema cites an incident just after the murdered Liyannarachchi’s funeral in early September where Anura Bandaranaike and Halim Ishak, both leading SLFPers, were boastfully confident that the JVP would support them. As surprising and absurd as such wishful thinking appears in retrospect, similar hopes are entertained with regard to the LTTE today by influential lobbies not confined to the Tamils.

Any force which totally devalues mercy, compassion and the sanctity of life, and has built up a record of killing anyone who is merely a hindrance to its quest for total power or is ready to voice a frank opinion, cannot ever countenance even a symbolic power sharing arrangement. It was utterly irresponsible for the SLFP to have entertained the illusion of riding to power in coalition with the JVP, which was regularly killing political opponents and rivals. Of course, there were leading UNPers trying to use the JVP. But they were doing it deviously from a position of strength with the State apparatus behind them. The SLFP had nothing except the illusions of its leaders. It cost the grass-roots SLFPers dearly.

On 30th September 1988, the Press reported Anura Bandaranaike’s announcement that Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike would be the common candidate of an 8 party front – the Democratic Party Alliance – including the JVP. There was of course a general mood of wanting a change of government. But whether the JVP was a credit or a liability to anyone who associated with it remains an open question. In the second week of October the JVP issued threatening letters forcing people to walk out of their work-places and demonstrate for parliamentary, rather than presidential, elections under a caretaker government. But the SLFP with other alliance parties failed to condemn these and issued statements exonerating the JVP. The ordinary voter must have been puzzled.

The Shantha Bandara affair was one example of the influence of the JVP’s perceived anti-Indian bona-fides among the elite. Bandara was a senior JVPer captured in Tangalle. Ravi Jayewardene with help from Herman Gunaratne talked to him about the threat posed by India and how as a divided Sinhalese nation fighting each other, they stand to become slaves of India. He proposed that they get-together and form a common front to fight Indian domination. In this connection, Ravi Jayewardene had a word of admiration for the LTTE’s apparently fervent anti-Indianism, forgetting that the LTTE once boasted itself the chief agent for India’s domination of Sri Lanka. He persuaded his father to release Bandara about the same time that the UNP nominated Premadasa (16th September), with a view to opening a dialogue. Bandara finally wrote to Gunaratne on 19th November repeating the JVP’s standard demands – release all political detainees, presidential and parliamentary elections under a caretaker government etc. Ravi Jayewardene wrote him a pained reply. Bandara was caught and summarily killed in early 1990.  

                                                    Read More

To be continued..

*From Rajan Hoole‘s “Sri Lanka: Arrogance of Power  - Myth, Decadence and Murder”. Thanks to Rajan for giving us permission to republish. To read earlier parts click here

IMF questions integrity of government’s  economic data – UNP

By Zacki Jabbar-January 15, 2014

 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has questioned the integrity of the economic data provided by the government.

 Financial Analyst and UNP MP Eran Wickremeratne told The Island that unreliable information provided by the Department of Census and Statistics and the Central Bank had resulted in the IMF raising questions, since it differed from the information in its possession.

 There are also questions of transparency in terms of the timing and release of data, he said, adding "Sri Lanka has become the Wonder of Asia only in terms of imaginary growth, revenue and poverty reduction statistics. The doubts raised are not an aspersion on the integrity of the vast number of honest professionals, but on the political authority and some senior officials who have succumbed to political pressure."

 Wickremeratne alleged that wrong assumptions and incorrect data not only provided for subsequent manipulation, but also led to distorted policy decisions.

 The estimate provided for tax revenue as a percentage of GDP had been continuously overestimated, he observed. "For example in 2009 when revenue to GDP was 12.75 per cent, the estimation was that it would be 15 percent in 2012, but the actual tax revenue  turned out to be 12 percent. This practice has continued in recent years."

From 2009 to 2011, the government revenue figures had been published every month for the preceding 36 months. In 2012 it was available for only nine months. In 2013 the numbers were released sporadically. There was every reason to believe that the data for the fourth quarter of last year would be massaged to justify the conclusion that had been reached in advance for the whole of 2013, the MP noted.  

Referring to the government’s claim that poverty had dropped from 15.2 percent in 2006 to 6.4 percent in 2013, he said it was based on an official poverty line which translated into a daily consumption of less than one US dollar. "These assumptions are not in line with international definitions of poverty. The consequence is that the number of families receiving Samurdhi benefits decreased from 1.9 million in 2006 to 1.4 million in 2013. The dry rations programme which benefitted 122,000 families in 2006 has been discontinued. The nutrition programme which benefitted 186,000 families in 2006 has been scaled down to 33,000 families. Wrong assumptions has resulted in the poor being disadvantaged". 

Wickremeratne noted that Sri Lanka’s position in the budget transparency had deteriorated steeply from 13 in 2010 to 53 in 2012. The index was based on pre-budget information, mid-cycle reviews and post budget information and reporting.

GL and Kurshid will hold crucial talks

 Wednesday, 15 January 2014 

Sri Lanka and India will hold crucial talks on the status of its bilateral relationship during the end of this month.

The discussion will take place between External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L Peiris and Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid when Peiris visits New Delhi this month.

“All aspects of the bilateral relationship between India and Sri Lanka will be discussed,” the Sri Lankan External Affairs Ministry has said.

It is also said that the release of fishermen on a reciprocal basis by the government of Sri Lanka and India, which began after the telephone conversation last week between Ministers Peiris and Kurshid, was proceeding as a continuing initiative.

Peiris and Khurshid it is learnt will focus heavily on the progress made by the Sri Lankan government in addressing the national problem, addressing concerns of human rights and accountability and the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions in Geneva this March.

India voted in favour of two resolutions on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC in 2012 and 2013.

Thai Pongal: The charming festival of 

Thanksgiving

Thai Pongal: The charming festival of Thanksgiving

by K. Thirukumaran

Tamil month of ‘Thai’, falling on January 14th or 15th is Pongal day, the Tamil Thanksgiving Day celebrating sun, rain, farm cattle and ushering in pureness and prosperity.

In Sri Lanka, Thai Pongal is celebrated on Jan 14th in 2014, in accordance with the Tamil almanac.

Thai harvest celebration and thanksgiving are marked by the spillover of the traditional sweet rice cookout and everything good in abundance to follow in the year it joyously indicates.

Celebrated Philosopher-Poet Thiruvalluvar says in the first Kural ~ couplet, under Part I ~ Virtue (1.1.1 The Praise of God),

“As the letter A is the first of all letters, so the eternal God is first in the world”. (Translated by Rev. G.U. Pope)

(“Agara Muthala elluththellam Athi pakavan muthatre ulagu”)

On Thai Pongal Day, the Sun is the celebrated Athi pakavan, the eternal God.

The farmers’ markets around towns and villages bustle with activity during days preceding Thai Pongal. The bountiful harvests parade the markets, and the final day the market convenes prior to Pongal known as Pongal Santhai (Pongal market) especially lavishes in prosperous sentiments.

Thai Pongal is extremely popular with children.

The legendary Kuzhandai Kavignar Azha Valliappa, (1922-1989) a pioneer known for dedicated work of children’s literature in Tamil, wrote the following poem about Pongal in his collection of poetry for children, Malarum Ullam (Blossoming minds):

The poem brings out the charm in preparing for and celebrating Pongal festivities, and roughly translates as follows:

Walls newly painted
floors neatly polished

Day break shower
Lamp within flicker

Garner decorated crock
Dazzle around turmeric

Crock atop stove
Milk therein pour

Foaming milk spillovers
Greetings galore ‘Pongal ‘o Pongal’ *

Offer almighty rice
Coconut sugarcane feast

Together we eat
Singing dancing joyously

* Greeting on Pongal day saying “Pongal ‘o Pongal” signifies the abundance of milk foam spillover, from the clay pot and other vessels that are used to make the sweet rice – Pongal, as sign of prosperity and happiness.

‘Thai paves the way for good things to follow’, is a Tamil proverb.

Thai Pongal marks the first day of the Tamil month January; it is also the celebrated Tamil month for weddings, lasting introductions to eternal friendships and love.

 By K. Thirukumaran 
Added on :10 Jan 2014

Australia dangerously close to the abuse of fleeing Sri Lankans

15 JANUARY 2014

BY EMILY HOWIE

"I was the only lady in the group that was caught by CID [Criminal Investigation Department]. CID beat the men but to me they just said bad words. CID took us to their office – 16 people – and the men were beaten there. We were all in the hall for one day. CID just kept asking who the agent is: ‘Who is your agent? We just want the agent!’ Everyone was beaten, but not on their faces. They were punched but not badly enough beaten to bleed or break bones. I was afraid that they would hurt me too."

Australia Dangerously Close to the Abuse of Fleeing Sri Lankans by nelvely

When politics becomes a family business 

When politics becomes a family business 

  January 14, 2014 

In the Middle Ages, it had been tradition that Catholic Popes and Bishops passed on their titles to their nephews. Having taken a vow of celibacy, it was not possible for them to produce offspring, and relied on their nephews (nepos in Latin) to continue the religious dynasties, giving rise to the condemned practice of nepotism.    
 
Popes and Bishops took vows of chastity that prevented them from having children, but even the church found a way to perpetuate control. This has caught on and in the world over, there is so much nepotism, making it a way of life than a questionable practice that perpetuates inequity, recognized by global graft fighters as a form of corruption.
History records instances of very young persons of being Cardinals, and the dynastic practice came to an end only in 1692. The term, nepotism, however, took on various forms and survived well beyond the church, becoming a common practice and even a social norm that is difficult to break.
 
Today, nepotism broadly means favouritism practiced in politics. It is where nepotism appears to flourish the most, particularly in Africa and South Asia – a practice these countries appear to have extreme difficulty in curbing.
Sri Lankan status
 
Sri Lanka’s own dynastic legacy in post independence is largely linked to both the Senanayakes and Bandaranaikes. The United National Party (UNP) was once known as the ‘uncle nephew party’ – an identity it still fails to shed with Party Leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe, promoting not a nephew but his cousin, Ruwan Wijewardene, despite strong opposition from within – and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is no better. Starting from the Bandaranaikes, the SLPF had continued with the same tradition that denies equality, for which the current administration is well-known for.
 
Wikipedia, in a section that offers examples of nepotism refers to several country examples including Sri Lanka. It states: “Mahinda Rajapaksa has been accused of nepotism, appointing three brothers to run important ministries and other political positions for relatives, regardless of their merit. The Rajapaksa family hold the Ministries of Finance, Defence, Ports and Aviation, Highways and Road Development. The President’s brother, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, was given the post of Defence Secretary. He also controls the Armed Forces, the Police and the Coast Guard, and is responsible for Immigration and Emigration. Rajapaksa appointed his brother, Basil Rajapaksa, as Minister of Economic Development. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s eldest brother, Chamal Rajapaksa, is also the current Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, and has held many other posts before, while his eldest son, Namal Rajapaksa, is also a Member of the Parliament and holds undisclosed portfolios.
 
“Others include: His nephew, Shashindra Rajapaksa, who is the Chief Minister of Uva; one of his cousins, Jaliya Wickramasuriya is the Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States; and another cousin, Udayanga Weeratunga, is the Ambassador to Russia. Dozens of nephews, nieces, cousins, and in-laws have also been appointed as heads of banks, boards, and corporations.”
 
Case of being ‘whose who’
For long years in this country, it had been a case of being ‘whose who’ that qualified new entrants to politics much more than the contribution they could make or the vision they had to offer an electorate.  
 
   
True to tradition, now that two elections in extremely important two Provinces – Southern and Western – have been announced, there is a flurry of political activity with Party Headquarters getting geared for the upcoming hustings. One has to only look at those who have announced their political ambitions – sons, nephews, wives, widows and daughters – all ready to continue to practice dynastic politics.
 
Ask any one of them, the answers come fast and furious as to why it is right for them to do so. The first– there is a public expectation. We need to conclude that these candidates are simply there to please a few people who want to continue with the old powerbases, but have little else to offer. Besides those who are threatening to continue with family legacies and seek justice for their dead (like Hirunika Premachandra who is willing to turn her charm on the electorate and survive on the sympathy votes she hopes to garner, in her own words), there are others who think it so perfectly acceptable to continue nepotistic politics simply because voters will cast their preferences to secure their victory.
 
Voter education   
In this country, similar to many other countries, including neighbouring India that boasts of a stronger democratic tradition, nepotism is also part of political history. Adult franchise has not rendered our voters mature. They continue to rely on family links and vote families that have been trusted for years, perpetuating a system which, in its true face, debars qualified persons who may lack the political family connections to enter politics. The names that are touted at present are an embarrassment, given that they are in it, simply because of their families.
 
In Sri Lanka, if the candidates are ascending power purely due to dynastic politics, the voters deserve equal blame but not more than the political parties. It is the political parties that keep introducing generation after generation into politics, whether they have the aptitude or qualify as true peoples’ representatives. The bankruptcy of the island’s politics is clear, looking at the level of nepotism that prevails and by the actors and actresses who seek to use their stardom to garner some votes.
 
In the final analysis, the political parties of this country have failed to mentor a second generation, one that is keen to dabble in politics and show commitment. Instead, they have to rely on families who love to perpetuate family names through generations of nepotistic politics and starlets whose fame might render them successful. In that light, there is very little hope in this island for enlightened politics.

Is Angry Response Of Buddhists To Religious Conversions Justified?

By Mahendra De Silva -January 15, 2014

A thief may harm a thief; an enemy may harm an enemy; but a wrongly directed mind can do oneself far greater harm. -Dhammapada  Verse 42

Last week myself and millions of other viewers in internet watched with horror, a video showing Buddhist monks attacking a evangelical church in Hikkaduwa. It was quickly picked up by BBC and many international news agencies. It would  have been a great propaganda tool for those who have a prejudice against Buddhism, human right activist and also for people genuinely wants to seek reforms in how Buddhism is practiced in Sri Lanka. The Video shows clearly the anger, hatred and rage in the attacking monks. Watching how these monks in robes instigate young boys and others to attack a religious place is one of the saddest moments.  I can imagine ordinary people engage in this type of violence. How can we justify learned monks who are disciples of Buddha with the purpose of carrying the message of peace, loving kindness, compassion, forgiveness ever think of engaging in this violence?   In a democracy this type of hate crimes carries server punishments and people do the crime secretly. It is strange that in our country acts of serious crimes of this nature are carried out openly with the participation of many ordinary people and leading monks of the area.

I often wonder why Buddhists are so scared of new churches coming into the area or Buddhists converting to Christianity.  Statistically numbers of Buddhists who have been converted to Christianity in recent years are far lower than the number Christians converting to Buddhism. Buddhists should know that despite Hindu Kings and European were controlling for many centuries in our history; still nearly 70% of the population is Buddhists.  Today, they have a majority Buddhist government.  Protection of Buddhism is enshrined in the constitution. They have even Buddhists extremists in the government. It is not the Buddhists but other minorities who should feel insecure in their own country for genuine reasons. This imaginary threat of insecurity of Buddhists in Sri Lanka could only be a paranoid as termed in psychology.   Buddhism is not a religion that needs protection from invaders in the 21st Century.  It is a science friendly philosophy which would appeal to intelligent human being of the modern society. Interest on Buddhism is growing fast in everywhere in the world.                                      Read More

Public to be given choice between blackouts and another power tariff hike 

By Ifham Nizam0-January 15, 2014, 

The National Movement of Electricity Consumers (NMEC) yesterday predicted that the country would experience blackouts due to the ongoing technical problems,, especially at the first coal-fired power plant at Norochcholai.

NMEC Advisor Bandula Chandrasekera told The Island that with an increase in expensive oil generated thermal power purchases, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) would be compelled to pass the heavy cost on to the customers or go for power cuts.

He said that more than 30 organisations attached to NMEC were waiting to study the CEB proposals to the regulatory body of the energy sector, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL).

The CEB’s promise last year to bring down the power tariffs this year was unlikely to be honoured and instead it would attempt to heap further burdens on the consumer, Chandrasekera said, vowing to resist such a move as the CEB had failed to adhere to last year’s generation plans despite raking in a massive income thanks to high tariffs and increased generation of cheap hydro power.

Rs. 724 million was spent additionally last year due to Norochcholai failing to produce projected 2,033 GWh; only 1,474 GWh was generated.

Doubts over funding for John’s pilgrimage - JVP

 Wednesday, 15 January 2014

The JVP has raised doubts over the funding for Chief Opposition Whip, John Amaratunga’s recent overseas pilgrimage where he accompanies the President on his official tour of the Middle East.

JVP parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake has said that since Amaratunga accompanies the President and participated in his delegation, the funds for his trip could have been allocated from the President’s head of expenditure.

Therefore, Dissanayake has observed that there needs to be a proper explanation on the purpose and source of funding of Amaratunga’s pilgrimage.

He has added that there are now concerns over Amaratunga’s loyalty to the opposition in parliament.

Minister Felix demonstrates what a rowdy he is before a woman –commits housebreaking -police silent

(Lanka-e-News- 15.Jan.2014, 1.00PM) Felix Perera a Minister of the Rajapakse regime , which is by now a byword for lawlessness and corruption had broken into a house of a woman N.A. Shirani residing at Ekala, Jaela , and destroyed all what was there in that house , according to a complaint made by her to the police.

This wanton destruction had been caused in broad daylight on the 13 th. The Minister had entered the house of the victim with a group of hoodlums and destroyed the house windows , flower vases , household effects etc. underlining once again the lawlessness reigning supreme in the country stoked shamelessly by the Rajapakse regime of which he is a Minister .

As is usual under a lawless regime , in which lawlessness is exalted and rule of law is trampled , though a complaint has been lodged with the police by the victim no action has been taken by the police let alone a statement recorded of the marauding Minister.The latter , after all this violence inflicted on a woman is enjoying complete impunity . 

This is Rajapakses’ ‘Asia’s miracle in the making’ indeed ! or is it ‘Asia’s debacle in the making ?’