Ukraine prime minister resigns along with the entire government as anti-protest laws which sparked the riots are scrapped

• Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has resigned today along with the entire Ukrainian government 
• The news comes as president Viktor Yanukovych scraps anti-protest laws which sparked the violence
• Yesterday a man, 55, was found hanged inside frame of a giant Christmas tree at main protest camp in Kiev today
• Justice minister Elena Lukash had threatened to impose a state of emergency after justice ministry was stormed but now says there are no immediate plans after protesters evacuated building

By CHRIS PLEASANCE

PUBLISHED: 09:06 GMT, 28 January 2014 | UPDATED: 14:44 GMT, 28 January 2014

Ukraine's prime minister Mykola Azarov resigned along with his entire cabinet today over the country's deepening political crisis, as parliament repealed harsh anti-protester laws.

Ukraine Prime Minister Resigns Along With the Entire Government as Anti-protest Laws Which Sparked the Riot... by nelvely

What the new NSA Angry Birds leak means - video

TUESDAY 28 JANUARY 2014

Ed Snowden's latest leaks not only show spy agencies tapping into and hoovering up data from apps like Angry Birds - they also reveal what a treasure trove the information is.

Torture in Tibet-This video is inspiring people

 to help Keeping #Silent Is Not An Option

This video is inspiring people to help Keeping #silent is not an option. Namkha Drongpa 24 signatures HELP BY SHARING or Watch the video This post inspired 3 signatures

Suspicions over mysterious death of Sriskandaraja confirmed : MaRa lets the cat out of the bag by obstructing funeral orations

(Lanka-e-News -26.Jan.2014, 11.30PM) The funeral of justice Sriskandaraja the President of appeal court who died suddenly under every circumstance of suspicion took place this noon. The suspicions that were aroused over his death were confirmed when threats were held out to the bereaved family members of late Sriskandaraja against making funeral speeches by the Rajapakse regime, who thereby let the cat out of the bag clearly indicating who are those behind responsible for his death.

Following the threats the relatives of Sriskandaraja had requested Bar association President Upul Jayasuriya and acting appeal court judge Sisira Abrew who were scheduled to make speeches to refrain from making the funeral orations. Consequently, they had to go home without the funeral orations. The relatives have disallowed the Attorney general (AG) a stooge of the government too from making a speech.

Family of Sriskandaraja being an ordinary and not a high flying family, have got alarmed by the intimidation and threats held out by the Rajapakse regime.

Late Sriskandaraja who gave a bold verdict abiding by the laws duly as a judge on the impeachment motion against former chief justice that the relevant Parliamentary committee was unlawful was suffering in silence thereafter because of the harassment inflicted on him by the Rajapakse regime. A popular individual and a close friend to whom Sriskandaraja had confided his untold grief , silent misery and pain of mind he was subjected to by the Rajapakse regime following the verdict he gave on the impeachment motion, related this to the Lanka e news inside information division , while wishing to remain anonymous. 

It is usual when a government employee in a high rung falls sick ,his medical bills being fully met out of President’s funds, but that benefit was not conferred on Late Sriskandaraja .

Such disbursements out of President’s funds were made lately to EPF chairman Denzil Gunarathna-. Rs. 45 million was released on his behalf. Rs. 25 million was similarly released on behalf of former AG C .R. De Silva. Rajapakse henchman Nihal Jayamanne PC was paid Rs. 15 million to meet his full hospital bill.

While such generous disbursements had been made to meet their hospital bills , to meet the hospital bill of Rs. 8 million of late Sriskandaraja , only Rs. 1.5 million was released from President’s fund. May we emphasize here that to call these funds as ‘President’s fund’ is a misnomer for these are not personal funds belonging to the President’s walauwa or part of his dowry , rather they are funds collected from the public.

Meanwhile the legal fraternity who attended the funeral of Sriskandaraja today have identified the cause of his death. It is the MRI disease. MRI standing for Mahinda Rajapakse Infection. This is the latest infection spread by the MaRa’s JaRa (pollution). This infection is more dangerous than AIDS , a disease where the victim gets it for an evil he commits, but with MRI , this infection is contracted by only those who are upright , honest , performing their duties duly in the nation’s interest and who have not betrayed the trust , for this JaRa infection is from the source that is an all in one embodiment of all the vices , sins, atrocities and evils.

SIVAJILINGAM CALLS FOR PROBE TO CONFIRM WAR WAS WON THROUGH ‘GENOCIDE’

Northern Provincial Councilor M.K. Sivajilingam addressing the council session today (Jan 27)

January 27, 2014

An international inquiry should be carried out to confirm that the Sri Lankan government won the war by committing genocide against Tamil people, claims Northern Provincial Council member M.K. Sivajilingam.

He made these comments while addressing the Northern Provincial Council, which convened for the 5th session today (Jan 27).

However, responding to this statement Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Vigneswaran stated that the word ‘genocide’ should not be used in this context and urged for the use of a similar word instead in order to avoid legal issues.  

He stated that it is unsuitable to use such a word until an international investigation proves what actually happened during the war. 

Meanwhile TNA member Anandi Saseedaran had proposed that an investigation sanctioned by the United Nations should be conducted into the mass grave found in Mannar recently.

A proposal for the erecting of a memorial in Mullivaikkal, commemorating the thousands of Tamil people who lost their lives during the battle there, was approved by the council today.

In addition 14 draft bills tabled in the Provincial Council were also granted approval, Ada Derana reporter said.  

The Continuing Divide Between What Is Required To Be Done And What Is Done

By Jehan Perera -January 27, 2014 

Jehan Perera

In preparation for the forthcoming meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva  the government has sent its top civil servant, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga to Geneva to put the government’s achievements into perspective.    Since 2012 when the government lost the vote at the UNHRC and had to face a resolution calling on it to implement post-war recovery and accountability measures, the government has been seeking to get the best communicators working for it.  The government has even hired public relations companies in foreign countries at high rates in order to get its message across.  As the person in charge of ensuring that the government implements the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) as mandated by the UNHRC resolution, the President’s Secretary is now being seen as the best person for the job.

According to the government media, during his visit to Geneva where he had briefed the international human rights community, the Presidential Secretary stressed that the Sri Lankan government has done all that was humanly possible to implement the National Plan of Action to carry out the LLRC recommendations since it was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers in July 2012.  He had also detailed the action taken by the government over the past 18 months to give effect to the recommendations of the LLRC in the areas of international humanitarian law issues, human rights, land return and resettlement, restitution and compensatory relief and reconciliation.  He used statistics to make the point that life in the former war zones of the North and East is on an upward curve.

The government affirms its success in the area of post-war recovery by focusing on its success in rebuilding the economy especially in the North and East and also in rehabilitating those who were victims of the war.  The government points to its success in resettling those displaced by war in a relatively short period of time as compared to other countries.  It shows facts and figures that put the number of those resettled in the hundreds of thousands.   But what the international community wants is different. There continue to be exceptions that prove the rule that much more remains to be done, especially in terms of governance.  An example is the village of Mullikulam in the Mannar district in the north of the country.  It is a village that has fallen between the cracks of the government’s macro strategy of resettlement and reveals those key aspects of the LLRC that remain to be implemented.

Village Takeover                                                        Read More    

International Pressure Is A Mixture Of ‘Power Politics’ And Genuine Concerns

| by Laksiri Fernando

(January 27, 2014, Sydney, Sri Lanka Guardian) It is quite unlikely that the US will back down without proposing a resolution on Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva this March, irrespective of the Sri Lankan government making some last minute ‘defence overtures’ and the Minister of Foreign Affairs arguing that ‘repeated resolutions are counterproductive and will further polarize the country.’ 

International Pressure Is A Mixture Of ‘Power Politics’ And Genuine Concerns by nelvely

Popular “Sexist” Outburst And “Independent” Election Monitoring

By Kusal Perera -January 27, 2014

Kusal Perara

Nominations for the Western and Southern Provincial Council elections will close on 03 March next and the run up to nominations have already stirred much amusement in the local media with new female names and faces announcing their entry into politics. The ruling UPFA in particular has succeeded in listing some names that caught immediate public attention and Face Book comments. So did the statement by Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) on these prospective candidates. If not all, most media using the CaFFE statement, enjoyed playing with captions that talked of “sex symbols”.

In the CaFFE official website “http://www.caffesrilanka.org/more-4a-9121-2.html” the statement says, [quote] The main political parties have commenced interviews to select candidates for each district. Reports have revealed that a large number of regional politicians with years of experience behind them have been neglected in favor of ‘sex symbols.’………. CaFFE urges all political parties and independent groups to disengage from petty politics by promoting ‘sex symbols’ for short term gain…… [emphasis added and unquote] They concede that ‘sex symbols.’ they refer to, are [quote]movie stars and beauty queens without political experience and knowledge [emphasis added and unquote]

This shows a fundamental intellectual flaw in CaFFE and its brains. It assumes sex and intellectual ability don’t ever go together. Well, they often go together. Its not sex that has to be argued for or against them, but their understanding of politics. That may not be what the Sri Lankan voter checks when voting. The entry into politics of many “black characters” CaFFE didn’t bother to issue statements on, would not have happened if voters decided on knowledge and political experience. CaFFE thus proves, it is as ordinary as any feudal lord and thus don’t have the ability to lead democratic interventions in a modern society.

The very “sexist language” employed by a supposed election monitoring agency that talk of justice and fair play in a modern democratic society, raise far more serious issues about themselves and their conduct as “independent monitors”. Before that, let me dwell a little on “celebrities and moviestars” taking to politics. The man who generated “Reagonomics” as the 40^th President of the USA was a moviestar by the name of Ronald Reagon. But that’s an American film idol, CaFFE may say, for in Sri Lanka, President Rajapaksa did it the other way round. He took to film and tele drama acting, long after taking to politics.

Moviestars taking to politics is nothing new here nor even in next door India. An Indian entertainment world website, “TopYaps” rates top 10 moviestars who became politicians. They start with Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran, said to have been born in then Ceylon, but a legend in Indian Tamil film industry as “MGR” who dominated TN politics as its Chief Minister for a long period. His later co-star and present CM Jeyalalithaa, Thelugu-Kannada-Malayali and Bengali film idol Jaya Pradha, Thelugu star Chitranjeevi, Hindi film idol Vinodh Kanna who later became the Cultural and Tourism minister of the Central government in 1999, Hindi film star Shatrugan Singha, five time Indian National Film Award winner and a highly acclaimed actress plus a social activist Shabhana Azmi appointed to the Rajya Sabha, one of the most versatile actresses in Indian cinema Jaya Bachchan, Hindi actor Dharmendra who stormed the Indian film world much before Bollywod and a maverick but a super star of the Tamil Nadu screen, Govindha are others in the “TopYap” top ten.

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In Sri Lanka an authoritarian Executive Presidency is acting as if the Constitution and the laws of the land are irrelevant in governance.

In Sri Lanka an authoritarian Executive Presidency is acting as if the Constitution and the laws of the land are irrelevant in governance.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Authoritarianism or Democratic Governance? by Friday Forum  

There has been, in recent times, public discussion in regard to whether our country is moving towards an authoritarianism that undermines democratic governance. The President, Ministers and government spokespersons have consistently denied this allegation. They refer in particular to the recent elections in three provinces as indicative of a functional and vibrant democracy responsive to the needs of the people.

In Sri Lanka an Authoritarian Executive Presidency is Acting as if the Constitution and the Laws of the Lan... by nelvely

Sri Lanka Should Have Rolled The Red Carpet To Rathika

By Veluppillai Thangavelu -January 27, 2014 

Veluppillai Thangavelu

Sri Lanka Should Have Rolled  the Red Carpet to Rathika, MP  Instead of Unleashing Sleuths to Harass Her

Sri Lanka like Don Quixote has gained notoriety in fighting imaginary enemies. Tilting at windmills is an English idiom which means attacking imaginary enemies. The phrase is sometimes used to describe confrontations where adversaries are incorrectly perceived, or to courses of action that are based on misinterpreted or misapplied heroic, romantic, or idealistic justifications. It may also connote an importune, unfounded and vain effort against confabulated adversaries for a vain goal.  Don Quixote is Spanish novel written by Miguel de Cervantes and published in two volumes, in 1605 and 1615.In the novel, Don Quixote fights windmills that he imagines to be ferocious giants.  For instance Quixote sees the windmill blades as the giant’s arms.

Sri Lankan politicians and bureaucrats are so paranoid like Don Quixote that they perceive visitors to the country as potential enemies or to be precise LTTE sympathisers, proxies, rumps etc. Such visitors are treated roughly no matter their status.

A classic example is the deportation of Mr. Bob Rae back to Canada in June 2009.  Mr. Rae travelled to Sri Lanka on a private visit with a valid visa issued by the Sri Lankan High Commission Office in Ottawa. Upon arrival, Mr. Rae was detained, accused of being a national security threat by the government of Sri Lanka, and refused entry into the country.  He was further accused as a supporter of LTTE. 

“He is barred from entering the country. He is being deported. . . . We have intelligence information that he is supporting the LTTE,” chief immigration controller P.B. Abeykoon said, according to Agence France-Presse in Colombo, the country’s capital.

“To describe me as ‘an LTTE supporter,’ as an army spokesman has done today, is a lie, pure and simple,” Mr Rae fired back in an e-mailed statement. “The Sri Lankan government has made this decision because they have apparently reached some ill-conceived and defamatory conclusions about me. But after 30 years of public service at home and abroad, I have to say, this decision reflects on them, and not on me.”

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Batticaloa Catholic Bishop asks for general amnesty to political prisoners

 Monday, 27 January 2014 

The Batticaloa Catholic Bishop, Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Ponniah, has requested the Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, to offer a general amnesty to the Tamil political prisoners or rehabilitate them and reintegrate them into the society. 

The Defence Secretary paid a courtesy call on the Batticaloa Catholic Bishop Rt.Rev. Dr.Ponniah, at the Batticaloa Bishop’s house on Thursday.

During the discussion the Batticaloa Bishop requested the Defence Secretary to expedite the process to release the Tamil political prisoners by offering them with a general amnesty or to take measures to rehabilitate them and integrate them into the society.

The Bishop also pointed out to the Defence Secretary that several families have been affected as a result of their bread winners having been detained for several years without any legal action.

Responding to the Bishop the Defence Secretary said that he was also willing to rehabilitate the Tamil political prisoners and if they really preferred to undergo rehabilitation they could express their consent through their lawyers.

The Batticaloa Bishop also explained to the Defence Secretary on the poverty stricken state of the people of the Easters Province and urged him to look into the ways and means of providing job opportunities to the youth in the province.

According to the Bishop the Batticaloa District remains a backward region as a result of the natural resources in the area not being utilized properly.

The Defence Secretary also brought to the notice of the Batticaloa Bishop that 100 development projects will be launched in the Batticaloa area this year.

Courtesy - Ceylon Today

JVP calls for impartial probe into Mannar mass grave 

January 26, 2014, 10:15 pm

The JVP yesterday called upon the government to ensure that an impartial investigation would be conducted into the mass grave at Thiruketheeswaram, Manthai in Mannar and those responsible brought to justice.

The JVP politburo has, in a media statement, said that the government should facilitate the ongoing investigation. It should also remove any obstacles which hinder and delay the investigations. The involvement of the government was not adequate and it should take action to expedite those investigations, the JVP has said.

Full text of the message: "Media has reported that skulls and bone remains of 43 humans had been recovered from the mass grave at Thiruketheeswaram, Manthai in Mannar. We believe that these skeletal remains too represent another human tragedy just like the skeletal remains of over 150 persons found at the Matale mass grave recently.

This site was first discovered by a group of labourers who were cutting the earth to lay water pipes and found three human skulls. Further excavations had yielded some more skeletal remains. This could be identified as a place where people had been buried unlawfully.

Whether it is in South or North, justice should be done to those who had been killed. It has also been reported that there were skulls of children and these skeletal remains had tell-tale gunshot injuries.

The site belongs to an area which had been under the control of the LTTE and the Indian Peace Keeping Force. While one party says the killing could have committed either by the LTTE or IPKF, another party says the killing had been done by Lankan security forces. What should be done now is not leveling accusations and counter-accusations but expediting an impartial inquiry into these killings and bringing the perpetrators before justice.

However, it is so pathetic that the government’s mediation and involvement in this regard is very poor and lukewarm. For example, when the Matale mass grave was unearthed and skeletal remains of over 150 persons had been recovered, political parties including the JVP, civil organizations and general public mounted pressure on government to probe it. The government appointed a Presidential Commission to look into the matter and the said commission seems gone missing. There are no other results these commissions have achieved except diverting the public attention to the problems.

Religion Without God

By Charles Sarvan -January 27, 2014 

Prof. Charles Sarvan

Ronald Dworkin, Religion Without God, Harvard University Press, 2013

The attempt here is merely to draw the attention of readers to this short (about 150 pages) but concentrated and demanding work. It is likely to be of particular interest to Buddhists: they, unlike adherents of other religions, won’t find the title, ‘Religion without 

God’, oxymoronic or absurd – cf. “Marxism without Marx” – because Buddhism is agnostic. (“Among religions in this country [USA] which do not teach what would generally be considered a belief in the existence of God” is Buddhism: Dworkin, Note 5, page 161.) The Buddha in a well-known story said that what a man wounded by a poisoned arrow needs is immediate and practical help, not abstruse speculation: “So too, Malunkyaputta, if anyone should say, ‘I will not lead the noble life under the Buddha until the Buddha declares to me whether the world is eternal or not eternal […] whether the soul is the same as or different from the body; whether or not an awakened one continues  or ceases to exist after death,’ that would still remain undeclared by the Buddha, and meanwhile that person would die.” Dr K. S. Palihakkara in his lucid work, Buddhism Sans Myths & Miracles (Stamford Lake Publication, Pannipitiya, 2003), notes that unlike in other religions, there is no Creator God in Buddhism (p. 97). All Buddhists know that “Buddhism preaches ‘Anathma’ or no rebirth” (page 41).  Lest Dr Palihakkara’s credentials be questioned, the book tells us that he has held posts such as Director of Education, Sri Lanka; “Director of Pirivena Education (temple schools)” and was “also one time Secretary to the Oriental Studies Society (which conducts examinations mainly for the Buddhist clergy”). Going further than agnosticism, some would argue that Buddhism is practical, based on reason (“enlightenment” implies knowledge, the product of reason) and essentially atheistic.

Dworkin (1931 – 2013), renowned Professor of Law and Philosophy, aims not to divide those who believe in God and those who don’t but to unite them by showing they share certain fundamental values and approaches. Though an atheist, Einstein said he was a deeply religious man: “To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their most primate forms – this knowledge, this feeling, is at the centre of true religiousness. In this sense, and in this sense only, I belong in the ranks of devoutly religious men” (Einstein, quoted by Dworkin, page 3). Einstein did not subscribe to a ‘Naturalism’ which holds that nothing is real except what can be studied by the natural sciences. One can be “spiritual” without believing in the existence of spirits; “religious” without believing in a creator, controlling, God. Men whose religion does not allow them to serve in the military are termed “conscientious objectors” and granted exemption but the US Supreme Court exempted “an atheist whose moral convictions” prohibited military service (page 4). The appellant’s moral convictions constituted his religion.                                                                                Read More