Army atrocities in Tamil areas, Wigneswaran speaks out

Posted 14 Feb 2014

Sri Lanka’s Tamil population in the North continues to live in an environment of fear and oppression in spite of claims that the situation has improved after the formation of the TNA-led government in the Northern Province.

Going by the Northern Province Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran’s speech at a conference in Colombo Thursday the army still holds complete control of the region and the elected government has little powers.

Northern Province Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran (Photo Courtesy: Global Tamil News)

Delivering the keynote address at the conference on ‘post war socio-economic development and constructive engagement with Sri Lankan Diaspora,’ the Tamil CM accused the army of engaging in “large scale agriculture and commercial activities, including the operation of golf courses and tourist resorts.”

He said the army acted as “a barrier for the entry of civilians into those areas and forces out competition from civilians. Even the tea kiosks on your way down A9 have been opened by Army men or their relatives or proxies.”

He further added that “the military presence directly and indirectly leads to numerous vices and has forced women into prostitution.”

Wigneswaran also said the Army was interfering in the provincial administration, and taken over 6000 acres of land.

The Army, he said, had “completely destroyed the habitations of the locals and have started constructing palatial buildings, golf courses and swimming pools to install comfortably the leaders of the Government and the Armed Forces when they visit the North.”

He stated: "They cultivate the lands of the unfortunate displaced in the Wanni and sell at a price the produce from the people's own lands to the very same owners. More and more lands are being grabbed, especially in the Vavuniya, Mullaitivu and Mannar Districts with the backing of the Armed Forces.”

The Chief Minister also recounted a humiliating experience when he was refused to inspect two Hindu temples and a school that he said had been “razed to the ground the other day by the Army.”

“When I went there as the Chief Minister to see what had happened, I was politely turned back to obtain the permission of the Ministry of Defence.

“To my knowledge, my Sinhala friends from the South who visited the Tal Sevana, a Hotel functioning under the Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna, had no difficulty in passing that Army barricade without any such permission from the MOD being insisted upon,” Wigneswaran said. – TWL Bureau

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Govt mulls post-war Land Commission to address grievances 

by Shamindra Ferdinando-February 13, 2014, 12:00 pm

The government is still struggling to address land issues four years after the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009. In accordance with the post-war recovery process, the government is in the process of addressing the contentious issue in accordance with the recommendations made by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).

Resolving land issues remained a priority in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga said while explaining the reasons for the delay in the finalization of the process as well as measures taken by the government to rectify shortcomings.

The Presidential Secretary was addressing the media at the Central Bank on Wednesday evening.

Referring to the difficulty in alienation of land in the wake of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, the Presidential Secretary said that the government was mulling the possibility of appointing a Fourth Land Commission to settle land issues.

Previous Land Commissions were appointed in 1926, 1935 and 1985.

Responding to queries, the Presidential Secretary said that during his recent visit to Geneva and Washington, he had an opportunity to brief the international community as regards measures taken by the government to address the land issue.

Commenting on the large extent of land held by the military during the conflict, Weeratunga said that 20,001 acres of private and 5,740 state land had been released so far in the Northern and Eastern provinces. The Presidential Secretary said that high security zones too had been done away with, leaving military cantonments at selected places to ensure national security.

Dismissing allegations of a heavy military presence in the Northern Province, particularly in the Jaffna peninsula, even after the conclusion of the conflict, Presidential Secretary Weeratunga said that the government would continue to evaluate the situation to explore the possibility of further reduction of military presence. Weeratunga said that since 2009, the presence of troops in the Northern Province had been reduced by 30 per cent, whereas a 26 per cent reduction of troops was carried out.

On the issue of the five-party Tamil National Alliance (TNA), demanding the removal of the Northern Province Governor, retired Major General G.A. Chandrasiri and Northern Province Chief Secretary Mrs.R.Wijialudchumi, the Presidential Secretary said that the government couldn’t give in to that demand. Northern Province Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran had been pushing for the appointment of a retired SLAS officer as the Chief Secretary in spite of the government ruling out that possibility. "In fact, we asked the Northern CM to appoint his choice as his advisor. We also requested him to make some other appointments. Unfortunately, he is yet to respond."

Responding to a query, the Presidential Secretary said that a retired SLAS officer couldn’t be appointed to the Northern Province, as retirees were in place in none of other provinces.

The Responsibility To Protect And External Interventions In The Sri Lankan Conflict

 By G. H. Peiris -February 14, 2014

Prof. G. H. Peiris

The focus of this study is on ‘external interventions’ in the Sri Lankan conflict – those ostensibly intended to pressurise both the government of Sri Lankaas well as the LTTE to abandon violent confrontation and seek a negotiated settlement of the conflict. Such pressures on the government take several forms, applied with varying levels of intensity and insistence by the different countries with which Sri Lanka maintains close relations – advice and moral persuasion, economic aid being made conditional upon the resumption of ‘peace negotiations’, prohibitions on the sale of arms, providing lavish support to local NGOs that claim to be engaged in the ‘peace effort’, and, above all, threat of action as envisaged in the emerging doctrine of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ (‘R2P’) against alleged violations of human rights. To the LTTE, with its proclaimed adherence to the belief that terrorist violence is a legitimate instrumentality of ‘liberation struggles’, and ranking as it does among the most violent terrorist outfits in the world, the charge of human rights violations has remained largely inconsequential except where it is given concrete expression in sanctions and proscriptions. To the Sri Lanka government, being placed at par with the Tigers in accusations of human rights violation is, of course, a damning indictment and a humiliating diminution of status in the community of nations.

During the period covered by this study (2006-2007), the secessionist campaign of the LTTE suffered major setbacks, exacerbating its earlier losses caused by the Tsunami and the ‘Karuna revolt’. The period has also been featured by an extraordinarily sharp upsurge of external “humanitarian intervention” in the Sri Lankan conflict, the intensity of which has had a remarkable correspondence with the tenor and tempo of LTTE failures. There are strong indications of this concomitance representing a causal connexion in the sense that the outcry against alleged human rights violations in Sri Lanka is, at least in part, the product of a well orchestrated attempt to rescue the LTTE from impending doom.

The study begins with a probe into the changing perceptions concerning human rights as postulated by the United Nations, attempting to contextualise such postulates both in the efforts of human rights activists to ‘globalise’ humanitarian ideals as well as in the counterpoising desire on the part of most States to safeguard national sovereignty. In the next section external interventions which Sri Lanka has encountered in the recent past are placed under critical scrutiny. This is followed by a detailed ‘case study’ of a multi-pronged human rights intervention in an episode of the Sri Lankan conflict.

Read the full article here

திருகோணமலை கத்தோலிக்க போதனை நிலைய காணி "விமானப்படையிடம்"

வரைபடத்தில் திருகோணமலை- 7 பிப்ரவரி, 2014

திருகோணமலை பிரதேசத்தில் கத்தோலிக்க போதனை நிலையம் ஒன்று அமைந்துள்ள காணியை இலங்கை விமானப்படை கையகப்படுதியிருப்பதை ரத்து செய்யுமாறு கோரி அந்நாட்டின் உச்சநீதிமன்றத்தில் மனு ஒன்று தாக்கல் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.

அந்த போதனை நிலையத்தின் தலைவர் பாதிரியார் டாக்டர் ஜெயராஜ் ராசையா மனுவை தாக்கல் செய்துள்ளார்.

தமது கத்தோலிக்க போதனை நிலையம் கடந்த ஐம்பது ஆண்டுகளாக இயங்கிவருவதாகவும், ஆனால் கடந்த இரண்டு ஆண்டுகளாக விமானப் படையினர் தமது காணியை கையகப்படுத்தியுள்ளதாகவும், அக்காணிக்குள் தாம் வருவதை விமானப்படையினர் தடுத்து வருவதாகவும் பாதிரியார் டாக்டர் ஜெயராஜ் ராசையா புகார் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

நியாயமான காரணமின்றி தமது காணி கையகப்படுத்தப்பட்டதை எதிர்த்து விமானப்படை அதிகாரிகளிடம் முறையிட்ட போதிலும் உரிய பதில் கிடைக்கவில்லை என்று அவர் கூறினார்.

தமது அடிப்படை உரிமை மீறப்பட்டுள்ளபடியால், இக்காணியை மீண்டும் தம்மிடம் ஒப்படைக்கச்சொல்லி இலங்கை விமானப்படைக்கு உத்தரவு பிறப்பிக்குமாறு டாக்டர் ஜெயராஜ் ராசையா நீதிமன்றத்திடம் கோரியுள்ளார்.

Mass ceremony held near Mannar grave site

Pictures: Sankathi24 -14 February 2014 The Bishop of Mannar held a special mass ceremony with family members of the disappeared on Thursday, near the Manthai grave site were 61 bodies have beenunearthed so far. Ringing the bell for all those that went missing in Mannar, the Bishop recited prayers for all those that had disappeared or been kidnapped. Addressing the crowd, he went on to state that, from September 2007 until May 2009 166 people had disappeared from Mannar alone, adding that he had collected all their details and submitted it to the LLRC. Yet, the Bishop lamented, their whereabouts are still unknown, and he went on to call for an independent and accountable investigation. He was further quoted as saying,  “We do not want concessions or death certificates, we want to what happened to those who disappeared.” On the issue of mass graves, the Bishop went on to state there could be many more graves in several other areas, citing his experiences of people he knew in Jaffna who had been massacred.

Gota and Gammanpila outrageously violate election laws : opposition , Maithri , monitors , media coolies asleep

(Lanka-e-News-14.Feb.2014, 9.00PM) The Sri Lanka criminal defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse had arrogantly proved that he is a law unto himself and that he does not care two hoots for the country , by attending the UPFA Colombo district group leader Udaya Gammanpila’s inaugural election campaign meeting as the chief guest thereby brazenly and blatantly violating the country’s election laws . On top of this unlawful participation , he had also addressed the rally and begged the people to ensure that Gammanpila gets votes three fold more than what he polled last time. 

It cannot be forgotten that Gotabaya (though he has) is only a government servant although he is the President’s brother . He is holding a most responsible and high position in the government service as a defense secretary. Therefore he should know better than all about the election laws . While nominations have been called for elections, he ought to know he cannot even breathe a word about politics openly as a government servant. 

Therefore Gota by addressing the rally had not only abused his official position, but had also wantonly demonstrated that laws are of no meaning and value to him.

This is not the first time this criminal defense secretary had shamelessly trod on the sacrosanct laws of the country most offensively. When speaking at this rally unlawfully he went further and said , he had even addressed the rally when Gammanpila first contested the elections. From these it is very evident, Gammanpila , despite being a lawyer had most unlawfully indulged in election malpractice.

In the circumstances , Gammanpila stands guilty and has laid himself bare to election petitions against him if he wins on grounds of election campaign malpractices.

Another news report reveals a potential election law violation Medamulana MaRa himself is going to commit next Sunday. 

It is therefore being asked by one an all , of what purpose is an election while the brutal Rajapakses are so freely committing election laws with scant regard for the laws of the country ?

It is very obvious to all ever since Rajapakses took over the reins , every election has been won by them by abuse of power via brutal violence committed against the opposition parties and most disgracefully disrespecting laws.

It is for every opposition party without exception to register their protests bitterly against Gota campaigning for Gammanpila from public platforms. If the election monitoring organizations are not bootlicking and doing the sordid biddings of the Rajapakses unlike others, they should take stern measures and action against this election malpractice.

It is worthy of note that Minister Maithripala said at a media briefing yesterday with an air of pride that even laws are to be changed to punish those who are violating election laws. If that is truly so, what has this Minister got to say about the brazen and open violations of election laws committed by Gota and Gammanpila today ? 

Let us see whether Maithripala has the guts to take action against Gota’s lawlessness and whether he can match his pompous words with deeds? It is a well known fact that Gota has always been riding a high horse . It is also a well known fact that such riders invariably have a heavy fall sooner or later . But that does not mean Gota can be allowed to ride roughshod on the laws until he had devastated the country with his ruthless lawless arrogance . Hence , it is for Minister Maithripala to prove he is a not a rat unlike Gotabaya who is only a government servant, and therefore just a brat .

What is the elections Commissioner who is banning the display of faces of party leaders going to say in regard to the outrageous violation of election laws , by Gota and Gammanpila jointly ?

The people of the country are also eagerly waiting to see how the solitary M.P who raised his hand in Parliament in disfavor of the right to information , and the Editors of the media Institution belonging to him who are enjoying the stench of the loin cloths of the Rajapakses and bootlicking the government, but posing as great champions of media freedom , are going to react in respect of these lawless acts and election law violations.

Sri Lanka apology for translation blunders

The second line is in Tamil ... but it says "dogs" instead of "mothers"

14 February 2014

Sri Lanka's government has apologised for errors in translating official notices and documents into the language of the minority Tamil community.

A number of mistakes have been highlighted recently in local media.

One was of a sign that read "Reserved for pregnant mothers" in Sinhala and English. A mistake changed that to "Reserved for pregnant dogs" in Tamil.

Officials stress that sloppiness was to blame and there was never any intention to insult Tamils.

Sri Lanka emerged from a long civil war between the Sinhala-dominated army and Tamil Tiger separatists in 2009.

'Not fluent'

The only Tamil word spelt correctly in this sign is the place name Galle

Minister for National Languages and Social Integration, Vasudeva Nanayakara, told BBC Tamil that the mistakes had been made by people not fluent in Tamil.

"Sometimes, also translations into Sinhala in mainly Tamil areas are wrong, as there are not enough Tamil people in those areas fluent in Sinhala," he added.

Some Tamils say it is quite common to find mistakes in their language.

"Tamils find language errors in name boards on buses, streets and many government official buildings," says a local Tamil rights activist, S Balakrishnan.

They also allege that Tamils find it difficult when visiting government offices as many officials can't speak Tamil fluently.

Language policy-Sri Lanka endured more than 30 years of war

The issue of language in Sri Lanka is highly sensitive.

But it did not give official status to Tamil.In 1956, the government decided to replace English as the country's official language with Sinhala, the language of the majority.

Many Tamils lost government jobs because they were not fluent in Sinhala.

Although the policy was eventually amended, the decision contributed to a growing sense of alienation in the Tamil minority.

Confrontation between the two communities erupted into full-scale civil war in 1983, with the Tamil Tigers fighting for a separate homeland.

'National harmony'

Two years ago, the government started a 10-year plan to implement what it describes as a trilingual policy.

It says the aim is to give English official status alongside Sinhala and Tamil, both of which are now official languages under the constitution.

The government will print name boards in all three languages in all government offices throughout the country, according to Minister Vasudeva Nanayakara.

The minister called on people to come forward of their own accord with examples of mistakes in Tamil.

But Tamil activists called on the minister to appoint a group to check for mistakes so they could be corrected immediately.

Sri Lanka’s War In Its Last Phase: Where WIA Figures Defeat The Gross KIA Estimates

By Mango -February 14, 2014

Millions of words have now been written about the numbers of Tamil civilians killed during Sri Lanka’s victory over the Tamil Tigers in May 2009; probably more words than the millions of bullets fired during the war. But something didn’t ring true.

Missing from this civilian casualty toll inflation is any mention of an immutable fact of warfare: the ratio of dead to wounded. This was first analysed in a ground-breaking study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in 1999, which examined casualty ratios in wars from 1940 to 1988. The study showed that the “number of people wounded is at least twice the number killed and may be 13 times as high” depending on the conflict type, weapons used and other factors.

Applying this ratio to Sri Lanka’s civilian casualty numbers during the last stages of Eelam War 4 shows a truly appalling misuse of civilian casualty numbers by international humanitarians, whose jaundiced view on Sri Lanka’s victory has led them to disregard basic mathematics, statistics, facts and logic.

Counting the Dead and Ignoring the Wounded

The number of wounded vary from 18,479 to 440,037. Odd.

Casualty Chart, KIA to WIA including Sri Lanka Army’s own casualty data © The Carthaginian Solution 2013

Spot the Glaring Error 

KIA to WIA at 1:3 ratio with data shown by release date order, from 2009 to 2013. © The Carthaginian Solution 2013

The United Nations in Sri Lanka’s Casualty Numbers                  Read More

Medamulana land crocodiles devour Lalith Kotalawala alive on their kangaroo court verdict

(Lanka-e-News- 14.Feb.2014, 9.30PM) The Kangaroo court of the Medamulana Rajapaksha regime announced a verdict against Deshamanya Lalith Kotalawala that all the private properties and assets of his shall be ‘plundered’ by the State. That verdict was arrived at in the ‘Golden Key’ deposits case heard by the supreme court (SC).
Though the objective of litigation was to repay the monies of the depositors, yet putting aside the sale of assets of the Golden Key to pay them , the Kangaroo court of vindictive vicious Rajapakse land crocodiles (SC) had decided that Kotalawala’s private assets which have nothing to do with the Golden Key Co. , be sold.

It is well to recall that Lanka e news which is not only first with the news and best with its views also proved via its news report on 18 th December 2013 , it can make accurate forecasts, for in that report we revealed how Kotalawala is being subject to a litigation which is even more cruel than the ancient eccentric King Kekille’s court , where the case is filed and heard by the same party. Today , Mohan Peiris as chief justice is hearing the very case in which he filed charges against the accused when he was the attorney general. Lanka e news was aware well ahead where the Medamulana land crocodiles were dragging half dead Kotalawala to through their Kekille courts .

The assets of Golden Key Co. include the private eye hospital near the Ayurveda clinic , Rajagiriya, land at Kirimandala road and the tea estates are much more worth than the amount of Rs. 7.5 billion due to the depositors , Hence by making a sale of them these monies due to the depositors could be easily repaid. Yet , the Medamulana MaRa and his stooge of a chief justice Mohan Peiris alias Pachoris who has fast become infamously famous for his cheap injustice and cheating justice have decided that Kotalawala’s private assets be sold to pay the debts.

The most atrociously sad part of this Golden Key crash is : it is a sequel to a conspiracy hatched by the Rajapakses themselves ( we shall reveal full details via our future reports). At the outset Kotalawala agreed to repay the depositors Rs. 6 billion that was lying with the Co. and wanted 3 years time to pay the balance. The land crocodiles who knew they can have a sumptuous feast of human flesh only if they decline this offer, did not grant his request. But now , after five years have gone by , the crocodiles well noted for shedding false tears and bestially feasting on human beings found that this is the best opportunity to fleece the victim of his private assets while falsely shedding tears for the depositors.

It might be recalled that Deshamanya Lalith Kotalawala is a respectable citizen of the country who had helped most people in the country voluntarily, after any government bound to serve the people. He is the son of the younger brother of former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Sir John Kotalawala. He was born rich , and he is now 75 years old. He was a businessman from the age of 25 years. It took 50 years of hard work for him to be appointed as the first entrepreneur. He owned over 450 companies, and over 45,000 employees worked in his companies.

His personal tax payment apart from his official taxes to the government annually was Rs. 40 million. Hence he did not become an entrepreneur by importing containers of heroin, nor by importing illicitly ethanol in containers nor on commissions from casino moguls, nor by robbing the LTTE gold nor by sale of illicit arms, nor by collecting secret commissions of 100 % on Chinese projects . (Incidentally , the commission collected on the Katunayake highway project was as large as 200 % !)

While this being the stark truth , the venomous land crocodiles pursuing their vengeful goals against Kotalawala manipulated justice using its Pachoris chief justice and its judicial lackeys to give a horrendous verdict by trampling the rule of law and crushing fair trial. Truly speaking the Chief justice Moahan Peiris alias Pachoris has no right to hear this case. As pointed out by us in our earlier reports , this is a case which was filed by him as plaintiff when he was the attorney general . Now he himself heard the case as judge. Can you beat that ? Even eccentric King Kekille would admit, Mara the JaRa and CJ Peiris the Pachoris have got together and beaten him in delivering insane judgments.

In the circumstances , it is a pity right now Lalith Kotalawala is left with only one option : seek international court redress .
(to be continued )

UN wants new drug laws in SL

 Friday, 14 February 2014 

 The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) yesterday asked Sri Lanka to set up a mechanism in the country to prosecute those caught trafficking drugs in the high seas, it is learnt.

UNODC officials said though ships with narcotics were captured in the high seas, the offenders could not be punished as there was no Jurisdiction vested in any country to try them. They said, the captured narcotics were dumped in the sea and the offenders set free. The UN said it had no deterrent effect.

The two officials- Alan Cole and Shanaka Jayasekar - met Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem yesterday at his office and asked him to set up a system in Sri Lanka to try such offenders as in Seychelles where those involved in piracy in international waters are tried.

“Drug traffickers always repeat the offence and the drug trade is thriving, causing great harm to the people. But with regard to piracy there is a model system in operation where pirates are caught in the Indian Ocean and taken to Seychelles and prosecuted,” they said.

However, Minister Hakeem had replied that this involved a policy decision by the Government and also extensive consultation between relevant stake holders including the Department of Immigration and Emigration, the Attorney General’s Department and Police Department

Intelligence probe six criminal gangs operating in North 

By Premalal Wijeratne- February 14, 2014

The intelligence services are conducting investigations into six organized criminal gangs, operating in the Northern Province, who could pose a threat to national security.

Investigations reveal that these groups have been collecting money from people, to secretly intervene and solve any problem they might have.

The members of the gang, who travel on motorbikes carrying swords and iron bars, spread fear among the public, thus no one is prepared to complain against them to the police.

Commander of the Army, Lt. Gen. Daya Ratnayake, said the Army, stationed in Jaffna, had been blamed for several of the robberies, rapes and other illegal activities conducted by these criminal groups. With such allegations levelled at the forces, they had decided to share their intelligence with the police, to apprehend the members of the organized criminal groups.

The government and the Army intelligence units together reveal that during their investigations they discovered that the groups had also broken into several houses in the area and damaged property.
These groups are known to function in areas such as Kokkuvil, Wattukotai and Achchuvil. A special police team too has been deployed to conduct further investigations.

MaRa throws party to high ranking police officers on Sunday violating every syllable of election law
(Lanka-e-News-14.Feb.2014, 9.00PM) Medamulana MaRa who is presently gripped by tremendous fear and paranoia over his belief that his party will surely lose at least one provincial council election is resorting to the most brutal election law violations and atrocities in order to reverse this debacle, has invited all police officers in the rank of ASP and above of the southern province to his Carlton house this Sunday. Despite the fact that having such meetings while the elections is in the offing is a most criminal violation of election laws , MaRa w ho is already a byword for lawlessness had in his acute desperation summoned these officers to instruct them to perform their duties in a manner that they would favor the UPFA during the elections.

The IGP had opposed this summoning of the meeting and clearly pointed out that such an action is a blatant violation of election laws. Gotabaya , the other devil incarnate and therefore knows nothing at all about lawfulness or humaneness had phoned the IGP and stated , ‘it is not a matter for you to worry , because the President as country’s commander in chief can any time summon a meeting of the police officers.’ Thereafter through DIG Wickremesinghe of the President’s security division , this meeting had been summoned.

Car bomb kills dozens outside mosque in southern Syria

Explosion in Yadouda after Friday prayers ignites nearby oil tanker, causing large fireball at mosque in Deraa province

A still from video footage shows smouldering vehicles after an explosion outside a mosque in Yadouda, Syria. 

Photograph: Associated Press in Beirut-Friday 14 February 2014 

A car bomb has exploded outside a mosque in southern Syria, killing dozens of people and filling clinics and hospitals with the wounded, anti-government activists have said.

The explosion in Yadouda, as worshippers were leaving after Friday prayers, charred nearby vehicles and damaged the white-domed mosque, according to video images posted by activists who are fighting to oust President Bashar Assad.

The motive for the blast could not immediately be determined and activists provided varying death tolls ranging from 29 to 43. State-run TV confirmed the bombing but said only three people were killed.

Car bombs have frequently been used by Islamic extremists both against the government and against moderate rivals in the Sunni-led opposition movement. Government forces also have been known to use explosive-packed vehicles and the two sides frequently trade blame in attacks targeting mosques.

An activist in the nearby region of Quneitra, Jamal al-Golani, said the car bomb killed at least 29 people, of which 18 were identified. He gave the Associated Press a list of the names of the identified men who were killed.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which uses a wide network of local activists to track violence in the country, said 32 people were killed, including a child and 10 rebels.

Another activist in Daraa, Ahmad al-Masalmeh, gave a death toll of 43. He said the car bomb blew up next to a tanker truck filled with diesel causing a large fire and burning "some bodies beyond recognition". The mosque is known as Ammar bin Yasser, although some people refer to it as al-Baraa bin Thabet, al-Masalmeh said.

Clinics in the village and nearby areas were full of wounded people and there were calls over loudspeakers for residents to donate blood. Al-Masalmeh added that some of the wounded were taken across the border to Jordan for treatment. "Hospitals are overwhelmed with the wounded," he man said via Skype.

Videos posted by activists online showed several charred vehicles outside the damaged mosque with a white dome. The video appeared genuine and corresponded to other reports of the events.

Earlier on Friday, the United Nations paused the evacuation of civilians from the embattled Syrian city of Homs, a senior UN official said, while the government screened military-age men who had left the area.

Meanwhile near Lebanon, Syrian forces and rebels clashed over the strategic town of Yabroud, causing hundreds of people to flee over the border

Lok Sabha 2014 – Guesstimate To Estimate

By S. Sivathasan -February 14, 2014 

S. Sivathasan

First Light

On 2^nd of January I thought aloud in my article about Congress under-performing at less than 100 seats in 2014 election. The expectation aboutModi and BJP was of their doing exceptionally well at 280 or more. Since December 8, such were the emerging prospects. The latter have now approached 280 or more. The former has hit 100 or less.

Much water has flowed since the state election to dispel the haze. Now with the benefit of first light, guesstimates which seemed heretical are no longer so. Mass gatherings of unprecedented magnitude attracted by Modi, clear messages conveyed thereat, morale and optimism on the ascendant, their ever widening ripple effect on voter consciousness, groundswell seen nationally and rational assessments made by the more discerning are all accessible. Realistic estimates are overtaking wishful speculation. But only orders of magnitude as of now.

Synthetic Cloud

Entering the clear sky now is a synthetic cloud called Third Front. It is being thrust into the limelight by the Communist Party of India (CPI) and CPI M – (Marxist). What is their genesis and how much weight do they exert? CPI founded in September 1924, is in dithering mode for 90 years and now upon a waning plane. In a near century what credentials have they mustered and what credibility do they command? In a quarter century Communist China had become a reality and has grown exponentially since 1949. In India the party bifurcated into two in 1964, in the background of the ideological struggle of that time. It may be recalled that at that time the CP of Ceylon too broke up into the Soviet Wing under Pieter Keuneman and Chinese wing went with Shanmugathasan.

The Indian CPI (M) bifurcated again into CPI ML- (Marxist Leninist). In 1968 there was a further bifurcation into CPI Maoist or Naxalites. Naxal violence claimed between 1989 and 2013 over 12,000 lives of civilians, security forces and insurgents. They had nothing else worth showing. In 25 years from 1924, the Chinese Communist Party captured power, created history and lifted their country as the second most powerful nation. What have the communists done for India?

Anti-Nationalistic Mode                   Read More

Gwynne Dyer: Burma’s next president

If Aung San Suu Kyi ran for president, she would surely win.

BURMA PROJECT INTERNATIONAL PHOTO

by GWYNNE DYER on FEB 11, 2014
AUNG SAN SUU Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize winner and champion of Burmese democracy, declared last June that she would run for president in the 2015 election. If she ran, she would surely win: she is to Burma what Nelson Mandela was to South Africa. However, as things now stand she is not legally allowed to run for president—and maybe she should see that as an opportunity to reconsider whether becoming president is the best use of her talents.

Gwynne Dyer Burma’s next president by nelvely

Military blocking Pakistan-India trade deal, says Shahbaz Sharif

Security networks' distrust of increased business dealings is counter-productive, warns Pakistani PM's brother

Shahbaz Sharif (centre) in London in 2007. Photograph: Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

Jon Boone in Lahore and Jason Burke in Delhi-Thursday 13 February 2014

The powerful brother of Pakistan's prime minister has warned the military establishments of both India and Pakistan not to block efforts to sweep aside trade barriers between the two distrustful neighbours.

Military Blocking Pakistan-India Trade Deal, Says Shahbaz Sharif by nelvely