Central African Republic ‘urgent test’ for UN, regional partners, Security Council told

Destroyed houses in the village of Boyeli, near Bozoum, Central African Republic, burned by the Séléka in January 2014. Photo: IRIN/Nicholas Long

14 February 2014 – Warning that “dark clouds of mass atrocities” are looming over the Central African Republic (CAR), Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for solidarity and concerted action by the United Nations and regional organizations to help the people of the strife-torn nation.

“The United Nations and its regional partners face an urgent test,” Mr. Ban said, referring to the situation in CAR in his remarks to the Security Council’s meeting on cooperation between the UN and regional organizations.

Central African Republic ‘urgent test’ for UN, regional partners, Security Council told by nelvely

Rathika Slams Conservatives on Separating New Canadian Families

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Tamil demonstrators protest land grabs despite intimidation
15 February 2014
The National Fishermen Committee, despite government intimidation, held a protest against the appropriation of Tamil land, today, in front of Jaffna Muniyappar temple.



Hundreds of people gathered with placards and slogans, reading, ‘Resettle us back in our homeland’, ‘Do not invade our land’ ‘Where are our disappeared relatives?’ and ‘Let our fishermen live.’

Speaking at the protest, the Northern Province Agriculture Minister, Ayngaranaesan,stressed,

"The government is using development to conceal the wounds of those affected by the war. The government's development in the North-East does not work towards peace or solve the problems faced by the people. The motive behind the current form of development in the Tamil Areas is to steal our resources and people's hard work."

Crowds gathered despite intimidatory and coercive tactics used by government forces to deter protestors. Sri Lankan intelligence personnel were present at the protest taking videos and photographs of the demonstrators. Further attempts to stop the protest were taken with buses transporting demonstrators from Killinochchi and Mullaitivu  to Jaffna stopped by Sri Lankan military forces.


Sources on the ground told Tamil Guardian that intelligence operatives in Killinochichi and Mullativu had forced themselves into the homes of fisheries society leaders and threatened them.

Reports also suggested that the Valikaamam north Internally Displaced Persons Society (IDP) president and TNA member, Kunapalasingham,  had been escorted by the military around camps to tell the people that their lands would be released for resettlement provided they didn’t protest and ‘behaved.’

Relatives search for Sri Lanka's missing

15 February 2014

Relatives of missing people in Sri Lanka have flocked to testify at a new commission set up to examine the issue of the missing.

The island has thousands of outstanding unsolved cases of disappearance, many, though not all, of people suspected of involvement with the Tamil Tigers.

Charles Haviland reports from the commission in Jaffna.

 UK monitoring civil, political rights and land issues in Sri Lanka
Sat, Feb 15, 2014, 09:19 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Feb 15, Colombo: The British government said it will continue to monitor closely civil and political rights as well as land issues in Sri Lanka.
Responding to a question raised during a debate on Sri Lanka in the UK parliament on Thursday, the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire said that the Prime Minister David Cameron during his November meeting with the Sri Lankan President raised the issue of land rights and militarization in the North.
He said the UK has expressed concerns at military involvement in civilian activities in the north and is aware of reports that the military are involved in education.
Welcoming the Northern Provincial Council elections held in September 2013, Swire told the UK parliament that it was the first provincial council election held in the predominantly Tamil north since the 1987 establishment of provincial councils.
"The opposition, Tamil National Alliance, won over 80% of the vote. Local election observers noted that elections were relatively free from violence, though not from intimidation," he told parliament.
Cameron during his meeting with the Sri Lankan President called for a "meaningful political settlement with the north, including demilitarization and full implementation of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) recommendations," Swire said.

"We continue to underline to the Sri Lankan authorities the need for a long-term political settlement to address these underlying grievances and will continue to monitor these issues," the Minister reiterated.

கொழும்பு தேசிய வைத்தியசாலையில் முஸ்லிம் வணக்கஸ்தலத்தை மூடுமாறு கோரிக்கைகொழும்பு தேசிய வைத்தியசாலையில் முஸ்லிம் வணக்கஸ்தலத்தை மூடுமாறு கோரிக்கை

 Fri, 02/14/2014

கொழும்பு தேசிய வைத்தியசாலையில் புதிதாக மீள் புனர்நிர்மாணம் செய்யப்பட்ட முஸ்லிம்களுக்கான வணக்க ஸ்தலகூடத்தை மூடுமாறு குறித்த வைத்தியசாலையில் உள்ள பெளத்த பிக்குகள் சுகாதார பணிப்பாளர் சுனில் ஜயசிங்கவிடம் கோரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளனர். இந்த நடவடிக்கை கண்டிக்கத்தக்கது என  இலங்கை வை.எம்.எம்.ஏ. அமைப்பு நீதி அமைச்சின் செயலாளர் சுரேஷ் சாலியவிற்கு முறைப்பாடொன்றை கையளித்துள்ளது. 

இது தொடர்பாக இலங்கை வை.எம்.எம்.ஏ. அமைப்பின் அஷ்ரப் ஹூசைன் கேசரிக்கு கருத்துத் தெரிவிக்கையில், 

கொழும்பு தேசிய வைத்தியசாலையில் 1994ஆம் ஆண்டு முதல் வைத்தியசாலையில் சேவை புரியும் முஸ்லிம் ஊழியர்கள், வைத்தியர்கள் மற்றும் நோயாளிகளுக்காக நிர்மாணிக்கப்பட்ட முஸ்லிம்களின் தொழுகைக்கான வணக்கஸ்தலம் இடைக்காலங்களில் உடைக்கப்பட்டு மூடப்பட்டிருந்தது. 

இந்நிலையில் குறித்த வைத்தியசாலையில் முஸ்லிம்களுக்கான வணக்கஸ்தல கூடத்தை மீள் நிர்மாணிப்பதற்கு வை.எம்.எம்.ஏ. அமைப்பினருடன் இணைந்து தாங்கள் மீளவும் அதற்கான அனுமதியினை சுகாதார அமைச்சிடம் பெற்றுக்கொண்டோம். கடந்த மாதமளவில் குறித்த மீள் புனர்நிர்மாணம் செய்யப்பட்ட  குறித்த கட்டிடத்தை சிரேஷ்ட அமைச்சர் ஏ.எச்.எம்.பெளசி திறந்து வைத்தார். 

இருப்பினும் தற்போது கொழும்பு தேசிய வைத்தியசாலையின் பெளத்த விகாரையிலுள்ள சில பிக்குகள் சுகாதாரப் பணிப்பாளர் சுனில் ஜயசிங்கவிடம் முஸ்லிம்களுக்கான நிர்மாணிக்கப்பட்ட வணக்கஸ்தலத்தை உடனடியாக அகற்ற வேண்டும். இது பெளத்த நாடு. இங்கே முஸ்லிம்களுக்கு நினைத்தவாறு வாழ முடியாது என கோஷமிட்டுள்ளனர். 

முஸ்லிம்களுக்கு எதிராக  பெளத்த பிக்குகள் மேற்கொண்டு வரும் அசம்பாவிதங்களில் இது முதற்தடவையல்ல. இதுவரை நாட்டில் 30 இற்கும் மேற்பட்ட முஸ்லிம் பள்ளிவாசல்கள் உடைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதேவேளை முஸ்லிம்களுக்கெதிராக பல்வேறு அசம்பாவித சம்பவங்கள் இடம்பெற்று வருகின்றன.

இதனை இவ்வரசாங்கமோ, ஜனாதிபதி மஹிந்த ராஜபக்

ஷவோ கண்டுகொள்வதில்லை. இலங்கையின் பெளத்த இனவாதிகளால் இந்நாடு எதிர்காலத்தில் இனக்கலவரங்களுக்கு உள்ளாகும் என்பதில் எவ்வித சந்தேகமுமில்லை. எனவே, இவ்வாறான அசம்பாவிதங்களுக்கு அரசாங்கம் தீர்வு காண வேண்டும். 

எனவே, இதனடிப்படையிலேயே வை.எம்.எம்.ஏ.  அமைப்பினரான நாங்கள் ஒன்றிணைந்து நீதி அமைச்சின் செயலாளர் சுரேஷ் சாலியவிடம் முறைப்பாடொன்றை கையளித்தோம். 

இந்நிலையில் குறித்த அமைச்சிற்கு பொறுப்புடையவராக கருதப்படும் ஸ்ரீலங்கா முஸ்லிம் காங்கிரஸின் தலைவரும் நீதியமைச்சருமான ரவூப் ஹக்கீமிற்கு இவ்விடயத்தில் பாரிய பொறுப்பு ஒப்படைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. ஆகையால் இதற்கான உரிய தீர்வு கிடைக்கப்பெறுமென அவர் நம்பிக்கை வெளியிட்டார்.

Dawn On The Ethnic Front?

By Izeth Hussain -February 15, 2014 

Izeth Hussain

As I have written two articles on darkness at noon on the ethnic front, it might seem to the reader that I am taking joy in being contrary by immediately afterwards writing an article on dawn on the ethnic front. I am not being contrary because I have placed a question mark at the end of my title. It is meant to signify that the dawn may take fifty years, or five years, or five months, or it may never come at all. What is important is that we should bear in mind the difference between the physical and the human realm: in the former the dawn comes automatically as the result of cosmic processes beyond human control, while in the latter the dawn will never come unless we prepare for it.

In an earlier article I quoted Hegel’s observation that it is only when the shades of night are falling that the bird of Minerva – meaning the owl symbolizing wisdom – spreads its wings and takes flight. It is precisely now, when it is darkness at noon, that we must rethink the ethnic imbroglio and try to attain at least some measure of wisdom to put an end to our decades-long criminal murderous ethnolunacy. The basic reasons why it is darkness now are these. The TNA wants far more than 13A while the Government wants to give far less. In fact it is doubtful that the Government wants any political solution on the basis of devolution. Furthermore its implicit ideology is quasi neo-Fascist and racist, which means that it is to an appreciable extent inimical to the idea of giving fair and equal treatment to the minorities. As for the outside world, it is more threatening than ever before since 1948. International investigations into war crimes are threatened and sanctions are in the offing. It is precisely this darkness that can push us into an earnest rethinking of the fundamentals of the ethnic imbroglio.

There is another reason why we should prepare for the dawn. I have in mind an essay that I read some weeks ago by the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, which much impressed the former Labour leader Gordon Brown. In a Nigerian figure of speech – which I take from a novel by Chinua Achebe – Dr. Williams’ words have entered my ear and built a house. He argued that all the military victories of the English over the other constituent peoples of Britain were never complete because Britain consisted of islands and the defeated could not make their getaway, which meant that they had somehow to learn to live with each other in peaceful accommodation. At the time that Britain was being formed, frontiers on the Continent were ill-defined and porous, and they remained porous for a long while even after the nation states and firm frontiers were established. The conquered could therefore move elsewhere. That option was not open to the inhabitants of islands where the conqueror and the conquered had to live with each other in peaceful accommodation. That evidently was the basis for the long tradition of tolerance in Britain which came to be envied on the Continent. It was an example of geography determining history.                                           Read More

Conference on genocide of Tamils held in Bologna
14 February 2014
A discussion on the ‘genocide in Sri Lanka and trials against the Tamils in Italy’ was held by the TPO Centre in Bologna on the 12th February.

Photo: TYO Italy

The panel included Professor of Anthropology at the University of Bologna, Christiana Natali, a speaker from the Tamil youth Organisation Italy (TYO – Italy), International Law professor and jurist at PPT on Sri Lanka, Gabriele Della Morte and a lawyer that has defended Tamil activists, Vainer Burani.
Christiana Natali spoke on the historic genocide of the Tamil people that led to an armed resistance that formalised as the LTTE. Speaking on the LTTE she said,

“The LTTE was a revolutionary movement. Not only within the island, but also within the south-Asia region. I’m not talking about their armed struggle but about their progressive revolution in the social life of the Tamil Nation. They abolished caste system and they made effective equal rights between men and women. Even the largest democratic country, India, is failing to achieve the implementation of these important human rights. The Tamil women fought for their nation, shoulder to shoulder with the men. Equal to them.”

Photo: TYO Italy

The spokesperson for TYO went on to outline the ongoing destruction of the Tamil people in the North-East, highlighting the unabated land appropriation of Tamil land.


Gabriellie Della Morte then went on to speak about the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT), which classified the assault on the Tamil populous in Sri Lanka as genocide. Commenting on the failure of the international judicial system to hold Sri Lanka accountable, she said,

“The failure of R2P (responsibility to protect) is followed also by the failure of an International judicial system. In fact the ICC jurisdiction is not recognised internationally. Some countries like United States, Russia, China, India and Sri Lanka don’t recognise the international Court. The countries that I mentioned represent 2/3 of the world population. Countries that commit these crimes (War crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide) are free to decide if face to trial. This is why alternative tribunals like the PPT are important to enlight the crimes that cannot be investigated by international law.” 

“The word genocide is a precious word in the judicial system. It’s hard to prove genocide, but the case of Eelam Tamils it was possible. It’s important that a group of international jurists recognise it when the international community keep the silence. Tamils should use this verdict and say it louder that what happened to them is genocide, without fear or doubt."

The discussion ended with Burani, elaborating on the philosophy behind his decision to defend Tamils that had been accused of terrorism, arguing the difficulty in defining a terrorist, he said,

“The terrorism definition is something relative that could be used politically to ban something inconvenient to them. In the case of the LTTE international powers pushed the ban because the Tamil Tigers’ activities affected their geopolitical interests. Banning the LTTE, the International Community did not just ban the movement, but the entire Eelam Tamil nation.”

Premadasa’s Appeal To The JVP And The LTTE

By Rajan Hoole -February 15, 2014

Rajan Hoole

1989: The Eclipse of the JVP and the Perplexity of the Left – Part 1 

“The cause of all these evils was the lust for power, arising from greed and ambition…The leaders in the cities, each provided with the fairest professions, on the one side with the cry of political equality of the people and on the other of a moderate aristocracy, sought prizes for themselves in those public interests which they pretended to cherish. Recoiling from no means in their struggle for ascendancy, they engaged in the direst excesses. In their acts of vengeance they went to even greater lengths, not stopping at what justice or the good of the state demanded. But they made party caprice of the moment their only standard, and invoked with equal readiness the condemnation of an unjust verdict or the authority of the strong arm, to glut the animosities of the hour.

“Thus morality was in honour with neither party, but the use of fair phrases to arrive at guilty ends was in high reputation. Meanwhile the moderate part of the citizens perished between the two, either for not joining in the quarrel or because envy would not suffer them to escape.”

- Thucydides, on the civil war at Corcyra (Corfu) (427 BC), from his History of the Pelopponesian War between Athens and Sparta (431-404 BC)

Premadasa took his oaths of office as the new president from the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy – a practice inaugurated by Jayewardene – on 2nd January 1989. It was also early in the New Year that attacks on SLFP candidates along with their supporters commenced, and commenced with a vengeance. They were easy targets since they had not faced this before and were unprepared.

In the closing months of 1988 grass-roots SLFP supporters featured on hit lists provided by UNP agents, and were killed off as JVPers with the SLFP hierarchy hardly showing any signs of being aware of it. But this time party meetings and candidates were attacked by the JVP, and SLFP candidates had to be protected by the security forces. A notable attack was that on the SLFP meeting at Hingurakgoda on 8th February 1989 when Mrs. Bandaranaike was on the stage. She narrowly escaped and was taken away by helicopter.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

Include Eelam in manifestoes: Tamil leader

: February 15, 2014 

The self-styled Prime Minister of the transnational government of Tamil Eelam, Visvanathan Rudrakumaran, on Friday appealed to all parties in India to include the issue of Tamil Eelam in their manifestoes and urged the Centre to prevail upon the international community to pave the way for a referendum in Sri Lanka.

Addressing journalists through videoconferencing from the United States, he said the people were aware of the genocide committed against Tamils during the last phase of the war in Sri Lanka, and the sentiments had snowballed into a vote bank. “If a referendum can happen in South Sudan, East Timor and Kosovo, why not in Sri Lanka.” India was morally, diplomatically and strategically positioned to take the lead in reaching out to the Tamils.

The government should either sponsor or co-sponsor a resolution in the upcoming United Nations Human Rights Council session for an international independent commission, Mr. Rudrakumaran said.

India may vote against Sri Lanka again

 February 15, 2014

India is most likely to vote against Sri Lanka when its human rights record comes up for evaluation before the United Nations Human Rights Council in March, according to a senior official who did not want to be named.

Sri Lanka had an opportunity to highlight elections to the Tamil-majority Northern Province as one concrete attempt at political reconciliation. But Colombo seems to have “squandered it by locking horns” with the newly elected provincial government.

The provincial elections apart, Sri Lanka does not appear to have done enough to make countries like India that voted against it last year to change their minds.

Intellectuals to urge Govt. Follow procedures of 13th Amendment 

   February 15, 2014  

Several renowned academics and intellectuals are planning on informing the government of the negative consequences that may be felt from the international community, if the government does not follow the procedures of the 13th Amendment.

Several ministers and academics are preparing to confront the government if the 13th Amendment is not completely followed by the government as they believe that Sri Lanka would not be able to withstand international pressure that it would result in.Following a meeting presided over by Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara, held at his ministry, several ministers including Rajitha Senaratne, Reginald Cooray and Douglas Devananda as well as a few Members of Parliament such as Wasantha Senanayake, Ramesh Pathirana came to a common agreement to confer with government in this regard.

Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka and Tamara Kunanayagam, who represented Sri Lanka in the previous UN human rights conventions in Geneva, were also present at the meeting along with Dr. Kumar Rupesinghe, Victor Ivan and a large host of academics attended the meeting.They discussed extensively regarding the upcoming UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session in March and how another resolution against Sri Lanka would affect the country economically, as well as how Sri Lanka should face another resolution.

Minister Nanayakkara stated that all ideas and suggestions made at the meeting would be documented and a report would be presented to the President shortly.

Democracy In Crisis At Rajarata

By Students for Human Rights -February 15, 2014 

As we speak now, the students of University of Rajarata are facing the threat of brutal repression by the state using police violence, democracy is in crisis in Rajarata and students are risking their lives to fight a war against the state, to protect the people’s right to dissent. While the news about students’ sit-in at Rajarata has been on the news for the past few days, we do not believe that dimensions of democracy that is being repressed in Rajarata are being represented genuinely or accurately. As students’ who care about democracy, freedom and as students who understand and believe that we must stand in solidarity with anybody being oppressed anywhere to meaningfully protect democracy for everyone, everywhere we want the citizens of this country to know what is happening at Rajarata and what it means for democracy.

The sit-in

Students of University of Rajarata have been engaging in a sit-in action for the last 60 day to oppose the arbitrary suspensions given by the University administration to 27 student activists and because we believe that information and only complete information will make the people of this country understand the level of repression that they, along with us, are being subject to we would like to narrate what caused these suspensions.

Although it is a day like any other to most people in this country, 20^th of June is a special day for all university students of the country because the Student Heroes’ Day that celebrates the students martyrs who paid with their lives for the protection of the supposed “free” education on behalf of all of us, fall on that particular date. While any government would want their people to forget the ordinary men and women who fight battles for us every day, we as university students want to remember them, not only to respect them and cherish them but also to remind ourselves, that the path has been difficult, the times have been harder and we are here today only because of those men and women who refused to give up. Inter University Students’ Federation organizes a commemorative event, every year on this day to celebrate the student heroes and this fact is not unknown to university administrations.                                                Read More

Thiru's story

15/02/2014

If you are on our mailing list or follow us on social media you will already have heard a little of the story of Jeyaseelan or "Thiru". Now that it appears that he will remain in the country, at least for a while longer, we thought it right to tell the whole story on our blog.

Thiru was kept in an immigration detention centre like this for nearly two months

Thiru's Story by nelvely

Press freedom under attack - the risks journalists face in order to report

Roy Greenslade-Wednesday 12 February 2014

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is carrying eight essays on its website based around the theme of "attacks on the press in 2013."

One, by San Francisco lawyer and university tutor Geoffrey King, deals with the threats to freedom posed by the National Security Agency.

It is long, 4,500 words long, so a précis doesn't really work. But it merits reading so set aside 20 minutes to absorb it. Among the people who should definitely read are those who think the wholesale collection of metadata is an innocent and unthreatening activity.

See also Maya Taal on the threats to journalists by the supranational sphere of cyberspace and Joel Simon on the implications of the US-China dispute over control of the internet.

Another piece that shouldn't be missed is on impunity by Elisabeth Witchel, "When journalists are killed, witnesses may be next". One factual paragraph stands out:

"In the last 10 years, 348 journalists have been murdered for their work worldwide. In only a handful of cases- one in 10 - have any perpetrators been brought to trial and sentenced."

Witchel shows how dangerous it is becoming for the witnesses to such murders. They are being killed in turn to prevent them giving testimony.

Michael Casey, in "Without stronger transparency, more financial crises loom", argues that the press needs to overcome secrecy in a market economy because of the threat to everyone's well-being posed by banks and financial institutions.

The other three articles are about censorship; the role of journalists asthe voices of the poor and powerless; and the risks journalists must take in certain countries in order to report rape and sexual violence.

WikiLeaks: India Supports Sri Lankan Military Only Defensively – India

February 15, 201

“Expediting aid to Jaffna via Sri Lanka’s large and powerful neighbor makes perfect logistical and economic sense and will help to temporarily defuse an incipient controversy over a UN resupply effort by sea. At the same time, the Charge’s comments make clear that India remains sensitive to potential charges that India’s provision of aid opens the door to claims by both the Tamil and Sinhalese sides that India is again meddling in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.

Blake

The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The cable is classified as “CONFIDENTIAL” and recounts details of a meeting US Embassy had with the  Indian Acting High Commissioner Manikkamon. The cable was written by the US Ambassador to Colombo,Robert O. Blake on November 07, 2006.

The ambassador wrote; “President Mahinda Rakapaksa has announced plans to travel to New Delhi November 26-29 where he will meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and address a conference of Asian mayors in Dehra Dun. Acting High Commissioner Manikkam told DCM that the heads of state will focus on defense cooperation, economic links, and the ‘political situation,’ i.e., Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict. Manikkam stressed that India supports the Sri Lankan military only defensively. He mentioned India’s provision to the GSL of ‘defensive’ military equipment, such as explosive detection dogs, and training programs, which include joint exercises and the training of 400 Special Protection Force commandos for diplomatic VIPs. He noted that detection dogs had discovered several truckloads of LTTE explosives but that ‘we don’t expect Colombo to be targeted’ at this juncture.”

“On economic cooperation, Manikkam said the Government of India (GOI) and the GSL are pursuing an enhanced free trade agreement. Manikkam expressed concern over the Sri Lanka Supreme Court’s October ruling against the merger of the North and East provinces. He described the de-merger as a major setback which has “strengthened the LTTE by demonstrating that the GSL can’t be trusted. Post will report by septel on the Ambassador’s November 7 meeting with Presidential Advisor Lalith Weeratunga on GSL efforts to supply food and other commodities to Jaffna.” Blake further wrote.

White van abduction in Wanathamulla after threat by Army

 Saturday, 15 February 2014 

A white van abduction has taken place this morning in the Wanathamulla area in Colombo. A resident from the Wanathamulla housing scheme, Sunil Aiya, was abducted this morning in a white van, a day after Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and a senior Army officer had paid visit to him demanding that he vacates his residence.

Residents in the Wanathamulla housing scheme have posed a problem to the Urban Development Authority (UDA) under Gotabhaya since they have refused to accept the eviction orders issued by the UDA. The residents have instead resorted to legal action and have even taken the matter before the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka.

Gotabhaya and a senior army officer had visited Sunil Aiya yesterday and asked him to vacate the premises along with the others in the area.
Sunil Aiya has however refused to give in saying that none of the residents wanted to vacate their houses since there was no purpose in them giving up their houses to live in rented flats, which are not suitable for people to live in.

Following Sunil Aiya’s abduction, the residents in the Wanathamulla housing scheme took to the main road protesting against the abduction and demanding the authorities to find him and bring him back alive.

Traffic on the Baseline Road was also affected due to the protest.

It is learnt that the authorities are trying to level various allegations against Sunil Aiya.

However, JVP politburo member K.D. Lalkantha who pledged support to the protestors said that people cannot be abducted according to the whims of some people. “There is a law in the country and if there is any issue, the law has to be applied,” he said. He also called on residents in housing schemes in Colombo who face the threat of being evicted to join the Wanathamulla residents to protest to safeguard what is rightfully theirs.

Monk receives death threats After saying will reveal politician’s drug involvement 

  February 15, 2014 



ABuddhist monk has received death threats after saying that he intended to reveal information to the media regarding a politician, who is involved in drug trafficking in Kolonnawa

Chief Incumbent of the Kolonnawa Sri Anandaramaya, Ven Sitinamaluwe Vajirasiri Thera, had received the threats.
Associates of the politician, who represents the Kolonnawa area, are suspected of threatening the thera.
Apart from these threats, Ceylon Today learns that between 12.00 midnight and 2.00 a.m. on Friday, a white van had arrived at the Sri Anandaramaya Temple, which is located in the Kolonnawa-Salamulla area.

According to eyewitness accounts, when several people living in the area had approached the van to make enquiries, those in the van had pulled out guns and threatened them.
It has also been revealed that in the past week, on two occasions, an unidentified man was found lurking next to the Sri Anandaramaya Temple shrine.

MINOR FIRE REPORTED BATTARAMULLA

February 15, 2014 

A minor fire broke out at the military headquarters under construction in Battaramulla which has been doused, the Army Spokesman told Ada Derana.