Tuesday, April 15, 2014

A feather in the cap for BBS..! Named as terrorist organization by TRAC

(Lanka-e-News- 15.April.2014, 2.30 PM) The ‘Terrorist research and analysis consortium’ (TRAC) , a main organization which does research on terrorist activities in the world had declared Bodhu Bala Sena (BBS) organization comprised mainly of monks preaching and promoting violence and murder, and supposedly backed by the defense secretary of Sri Lanka (SL) as a terrorist organization . Hereunder is the summary of the report of TRAC:

“The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS - translated as the Buddhist Power Force) is a radical Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist organization based in Colombo, Sri Lanka that was formed in 2012. The BBS seeks the enforcement of Buddhist predominance in Sri Lanka. It has organized various campaigns against the country's minority Muslim and Christian communities which, by its activities and campaigns pose a threat to Sri Lanka's Sinhalese-Buddhist identity itself. The BBS engages in hate speeches and attacks against minority religions.....

Association with Sri Lanka Government
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Allegations are rampant that the BBS has a close relationship with the Sri Lanka government and is seemingly enjoying immunity from prosecution. These allegations mainly are directed against the Sri Lankan President’s brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who is regarded as a patron of the BBS....

Ideology
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The BBS’s mission is to "save the Sinhala race," which makes up 74 per cent of the population in Sri Lanka, by means of non-violent and violent attacks on places of worship. At rallies, monks claimed Muslims are out to recruit children, marry Buddhist women and divide the country. Their extremist ideology is reflected in their violent attacks, calls for the boycotts of Muslim-owned businesses and properties, imposing bans on headscarves and halal foods, and using derogatory language to describe Muslim Imams .

At one meeting Gnanasara called on each Buddhist to become "an unofficial policeman against Muslim extremism" and said the "so-called democrats" were destroying the Sinhala race.

Herein is a photograph that depicts Gnanassara meeting the most despised , detested and depraved monk of Burma , Ashin Virathu most notorious for fomenting hatred , violence and murder in the name of religion. The TRAC report had incorporated in it this photograph .

TRAC organization is a most powerful and revered Organization which comprises about 3000 recognized intellectual researchers . This Organization had included in its terrorism list a number of organizations in the world . A number of pro Eelam organizations of SL have also been included in that list.

It is significant to note that when such a powerful and highly recognized international organization describes any movement as a terrorist organization, that has a tremendous impact internationally , including the barring of seeking education abroad , securing foreign employment , joint commercial ventures with foreign countries and receiving of foreign assistance and aid.

The ‘Mad Monk’ Phenomenon: BBS as the underside of Sinhala-Buddhism

by Kalana Senaratne

- on 04/15/2014

The marauding Buddhist monks, who appear to be tied to a long political leash, have run out of control. They need to be stopped. But it is equally necessary to take a cold look at the complexity of the phenomenon that groups such as Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) have come to represent. This is no freak show, and is hardly an aberration in post-war Sri Lanka; also because we know now that critics such as Ven. Dambara Amila (JVP) who predicted that the BBS was bound to dissipate in a matter of months were hopelessly wrong.

Sinhala-Buddhism & BBS

The ‘Mad Monk’ Phenomenon BBS as the underside of Sinhala-Buddhism by nelvely

If He Continues To Be Adamant He Will Perish

By Veluppillai Thangavelu -April 15, 2014

Veluppillai Thangavelu

If he continues to be adamant he will perish, even though there be no one to destroy him

A King, with none to censure him, bereft of Ministers who can rebuke him, will perish even though there be no one to destroy him. This is a quote from Thirukkural written in the form of couplets (two line poems) is an ethical treatise espousing various aspects of life. It is considered as the magnum opus of Tamil literature and culture with the highest and purest expressions of human thought.

Thirukkural has three major parts. The first part (38 chapters) deals with Aram (Virtue), the moral value of human life. The second part (70 chapters) is on Porul (Wealth), the socio economic values of men in a civilized society. The final part (25 chapters) is on Kamam or Inbam (Love) is about ethical living in private life.

The above quote is from Chapter 45 under the heading “Securing friendship of great men.” I was reminded of this quote when I read in the papers that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had berated senior SLFP Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Sripala de Silva at a recent cabinet meeting over a statement the latter made to the media. Minister Nimal Sripala de Silva told the media that mega development projects would not suffice to win votes. The President expressed his disgust over such remarks by a senior member of the Cabinet and a SLFP stalwart. Boiling with anger, he told the Minister that he should not have made such remarks. A crest fallen Mr. de Silva did not have the guts to defend his statement, instead sheepishly offered the typical excuse that his remarks had been misinterpreted. (Daily Mirror – April 05, 2014)

In a parliamentary system of government the Prime Minister will not dare rebuke a Minister since he is only the first among equals in the cabinet. The situation is different under a presidential system. Mahinda Rajapaksa has developed a penchant to criticise Ministers in the presence of other Ministers. Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem is another victim of Rajapaksa’s tongue lashing over the presentation of a petition handed over Ms Navaneetham Pillay complaining about the demolition of mosques by Sinhala – Buddhist extremists.

An analysis of the Western and Southern Provincial council results shows even to the un-initiative that the ruling party has lost votes and seats compared to the elections held 5 years ago in 2009. The percentage votes have also dropped, but an arrogant and self-conceited Mahinda Rajapaksa is refusing to read the writing on the wall. Such arrogance will lead to self-destruction, if not self-defeat - even though there will be no one to destroy him.

Read the full article here

SRI LANKA: The abuse of Presidential Pardon is an abdication of the state responsibility to control crime

April 15, 2014

The Panadura High Court judge, Kusala Sarojani Weerawardana, found ten Presidential Security Division (PSD) officers who were accused of assaulting two famous songsters Rookantha Gunathilike and Chanta Chandraleka Perera to be guilty of the charges and sentenced them to four and a half years of rigorous imprisonment. The PSD officers entered the living premises of the two famous singers, shaved their heads and assaulted them in the year 2000. The PSD officers did this due to the two singers participating publically at an opposition UNP political rally. The attack on the two singers was political revenge for them participating in the opposition rally. At the time of the attack Chandrika Bandaranaike was the executive president. The Presidential Security Division became notorious during this time as they were used for political attacks on opponents of the government.

On April 11, 2014, the ten former PSD officers were released from prison as they were granted Presidential Pardons. On an earlier occasion, Mary Juliet Monica Fernando, the wife of the Minister of Parliamentary and Christian Affairs, Melroy Fernando, who was charged and found guilty of murder, was also released on a presidential pardon in 2008.

The pardon by the head of the state is done for specified reasons in any country. Such pardon is not meant to forgive persons who have committed serious crimes and certainly not for the purpose of favouring political allies. However, there is no surprise that this kind of thing happens in Sri Lanka as the president does not consider himself bound by any conventions or ethical and moral considerations in the use of his extraordinary powers. Above all, it is no longer considered essential to weigh the impact of such pardons on the processes of crime control. It can be said that crime control is not considered a primary state obligation in Sri Lanka.

A huge list of cases of uninvestigated crimes glaringly speaks of the loss of commitment on the part of the government to stand firmly on the issue of crime control. From around the country there are large numbers of complaints that rise routinely, expressing serious frustration about the failure of the state to deal with crime.

What is disturbing is the message imparted by such negligence which is that the issue of crime control is no longer a priority of the Sri Lankan state. There can be no worse contribution to creating public insecurity than such an impression of the blatant absence of concern for crime control.

Some may argue that this is a matter of no surprise as those who are most closely connected to the government are the criminal elements in society. The government relies on the friendship and the contributions of drug dealers and others involved in illegal businesses. In almost all areas of the country many of the close allies of the government are also those who have criminal allegations against them. This has gone to the extent of the failure to prosecute serious crimes against foreigners that government politicians are alleged to be involved in so as not to disturb such criminal links.

Among the objectives that any government finds most difficult to achieve is the problem of crime control. Any reading into political science of modern times will demonstrate how in the creation of a modern state one of the primary factors that influence things has been the need for state intervention for crime control. In fact, the origin of the social contract theories is usually traced to the need felt by people to protect themselves by agreeing to give enormous power to the state for doing so. The vast development of criminal investigation mechanisms globally and the associated development of the court systems have revolved around the achievement of the primary objective of crime control. It has been a primary realisation that if a state fails to control crime it will itself become a victim of criminal forces.

One of the results of the introduction of the executive presidential system in Sri Lanka was the granting of the exercise of power without any responsibility and accountability. The president’s capacity to stand about the law and all accountability processes has come to a point when the state can abdicate its primary responsibility of protecting people from crime. The Sri Lankan government is preoccupied with only one objective and that is the protection of itself. For this purpose the governments ally themselves with anyone including the criminal elements.

For this very reason the state is unable to take firm action against those who abuse state power such as these officers who abused the power of the Presidential Security Division. Even when the court finds such officers guilty the president grants them pardon. Thus, the impunity is guaranteed even against court orders. What this means to the ordinary citizen is that he or she will have to live in a bewildered state having no one to protect them from criminals?

Canada suspends $10-million contribution to the Commonwealth Secretariat over alleged human rights abuses in Sri Lanka

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird appears at a Commons committee on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, April 9, 2014.

Stewart Bell | April 14, 2014

TORONTO — Canada is suspending its $10-million contribution to the Commonwealth Secretariat over the alleged human rights abuses in Sri Lanka, which currently chairs the 53-nation alliance, Foreign Minister John Baird said Monday.

Mr. Baird said Ottawa could no longer justify funding “an organization that turns a blind eye to human rights abuses, anti-democratic behavior and religious intolerance in its member states.” The money will be directed elsewhere, he said.

Sri Lanka began a two-year term as Chair-in-Office after hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting last year. Prime Minister Stephen Harper boycotted the summit over concerns about wartime atrocities and human rights abuses.

Since defeating the Tamil Tigers rebels in 2009, Sri Lanka has faced mounting allegations its forces committed war crimes during the final months of the separatist conflict. The United Nations launched a formal investigation last month.

But Sri Lanka has denied violating international laws and in an apparent act of score settling recently banned a long list of Tamil organizations, including several in Canada, that had lobbied for a war crimes probe.

“Canada remains deeply concerned about the absence of accountability for alleged serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian standards in Sri Lanka,” Mr. Baird said.

He said Sri Lanka “has a duty to take meaningful action on human rights, political reconciliation and accountability. However, Sri Lanka has failed to realize progress on any of these issues.”

According to the Commonwealth Secretary website, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the Commonwealth Chair-in-Office.

“The Chair-in-Office voices Commonwealth positions at high-level international forums and reinforces the Good Offices role of the Commonwealth Secretary-General,” the website says.

Sri Lanka Says Canada Has Sought To Use Its Funds As A Political Tool

April 15, 2014

“Canada’s suspension of voluntary Commonwealth funds announcement is not a surprise. It may be recalled that when the Canadian Prime Minister announced his non attendance of the 2013 CHOGM in Colombo, he also alluded to the issue of cutting back his Government’s contributions to the Commonwealth.” says the Ministry of External Affairs of Sri Lanka.

Minister of External Affairs

Sending an email to Colombo Telegraph the MEA Spokesman said; “during conversation with a Canadian Government representative in Sri Lanka over a year ago it was mentioned that Canada was considering the rationalization of their contributions to international organizations including the Commonwealth.

“When Sri Lanka was to assume Chairmanship of the Commonwealth, the Canadian Government sought to make their reservations in this regard as the reason for the cut.

“Concern has been expressed amongst the wider Commonwealth that the countries which provide the majority of the finances seek to unduly influence the working of the Organization.

“This action by Canada stands in evidence of such machinations.

“Regrettably the Canadian Government has sought to use its voluntary funds as a political tool based on the dictates of electoral compulsions, thereby holding the membership of the wider Commonwealth to ransom, through competing claims for power.

“Further, the relentless action pursued by Canada on Sri Lanka, will only seek to undermine the delicate reconciliation process, as the bona fides of the basis of that Governments trajectory is questionable and not in tandem with the interests of the people of Sri Lanka. It is the GoSL which is best placed to continue the evolution of a home grown solution for its people in accordance with a realistic time frame.

“This action taken by Canada is at variance with the underlying spirit of the Commonwealth as a voluntary Organization of sovereign nations, with diversity being its hallmark.

“Sri Lanka upholds Commonwealth values and has never sought their change. Baird’s comment in justifying Canada’s action is a castigation of the organization as a whole, and believe that the wider Commonwealth stands in solidarity against such manipulations. “

Tamil man recovering from self-immolation in Sydney

: 15 APRIL 2014; BY TREVOR GRANT

A Tamil asylum-seeker is recovering in a Sydney hospital from burns to 70 per cent of his body after setting himself alight last week.

A member of the Sydney Tamil community, Balasingham Prabhakaran, said today that 29-year-old Janarthanan began showing signs of recovery at the weekend when he came out of an induced coma.

“He opened his eyes and looked around a bit. He can’t talk because of all the tubes in his mouth but the signs are a lot better than they were. Nobody can be certain about his long-term health but it’s good news that he will survive,” he said.

Janarthanan, from Jaffna, (pictured above) is in the burns unit of the Concord Hospital, where he is expected to remain for at least three months. He has undergone several operations. His 65-year-old mother and brother are expected to arrive at his bedside later this week once visas are arranged by the Sri Lankan and Australian authorities.

Janarthanan, 29, received notice from the Immigration department last Tuesday that his application for a protection visa had been refused and he would have to return to Sri Lanka, where he insists he will face persecution, including jail and torture.

After he finished his shift as a cleaner in a building in Balmain last Wednesday, he poured petrol over himself and set himself alight. Several men working in a nearby shipyard ran to his aid and doused the flames. Paul Garrett, a member of the Maritime Union of Australia, was at the scene soon after it happened. “We are all in a state of shock. It was a hellish thing to witness. The men who helped him are devastated. It will be comfort to them to know he has survived,” he said.

Victor Karunairajan : A Man Who Taught Us

| by Nilantha Ilangamuwa

(April 15, 2014, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) Just hours before the dawn of the traditional New Year in the northern peninsula, the area where we fought for decades, another man has passed away. There are not many obituaries being written about him but his tremendous work prevails in many hearts. It has created a deep memory of his courage and kindness and at the same time, a feeling of anger and frustration.

Victor Karunairajan, a journalist who started work with the Sun newspaper, one of the oldest newspapers in Sri Lanka, and then he moved from country to country. He passed through several continents until he settled down in a small city in Canada.

We came to know each other by accident when I was a journalist at Divaina, a daily newspaper based in Colombo. He never used his real name for a long period of time but he was always honest about informing us of the nom de plumes he was forced to use due to security reasons.

Time passed, we knew that we were fighting against the separatism, terrorism with our best efforts while at the same time, screaming for the long lost peace in the country. We were all happy when the armed conflict was over in 2009. We hated the war. Writing in the independentsl, then in the subitcham, and still later in the Sri Lanka Guardian, we did not just limit our work as journalists, but worked hard to bring to light the issues that other professional journalists thought it best to ignore.

Victor Karunairajan was a great man in that sense and he used several pen names to express the fact that he believed the eradication of the LTTE would be the first step to any kind of a long lasting solution in the country. His writings had tremendous diversity.

Karunairajan was an emotionally motivated political character who devoted his life to God. There is a lot to write about on his life and activities, pre and post conflict in Sri Lanka as well as certain sections of the Tamil Diaspora.

May he rest in peace!

Female Women’s Rights Advocates

By Arjuna Seneviratne -April 15, 2014

Arjuna Seneviratne

Female women’s rights advocates: the convenience of the plural identity for the singular benefit

The Devyani khobragade incident is stuttering, heaving and swirling on two subcontinents, buffeted by those little storms that are created out of ego, one-upmanship, brinkmanship and stark raving stupidity. When, where and whom that particular teacup hurricane is going to hit next has been bisected, trisected, dissected, reflected, detected and chopped up into a thousand itty-bitty pieces by a thousand itty-bitty people. Ugh! Let is lie…let it fly…let it die. I am not interested.

Ms. Khobragade does interest me though. Not because she is a diplomat whose arrest started an excellently constructed, beautifully sound-tracked and brilliantly choreographed diplomatic and legislative ballet but rather, as an alleged women’s rights advocate. I use that term “alleged” in its accusatory form because she has never been charged with that particular crime and any claims to her guilt on the matter are based, as far as I am aware, only on the fact that she held a conversation on “Women’s Rights and the Influence of Demographics in India” at the Australian High Commission on the New York Young Leader’s program. According to the Australian High Commission, “as a woman of the Dalit caste, Dr. Khobragade provided a unique perspective on gender and social equality in India and she spoke passionately about women’s rights”.

Hrmph!

Phrases like “unique perspective” and “passionate speech”, need to be second guessed when they are part of diplomatese and she could very well be unique in condemning women’s rights and passionately speaking against the inclusive treatment of Dalits in Indian society. Possible but doubtful. As a diplomat she just wouldn’t dare even if such was her belief. Overall, I think there is sufficient evidence to prove that Ms. Khobragade is guilty of being at least a woman who stands for women’s right if not an outright women’s rights advocate.

Why guilty? Read More

Body found in well in Visvamadu identified

14 April 2014

The Tamil woman whose body was found yesterday in a well in Visvamadu has been named as 32 year old T. Rajasulosana.

Rajasulosana was found, floating in a well with lacerations on her neck, after barking dogs led to villagers discovering blood on the ground, which led them to discover the body, locals told the Tamil Guardian.

The body, which appeared to have been raped, was recovered by the villagers in the presence of police officers at 6.30pm today.

Rajasulosana was employed by the Sri Lankan army in the cultivation of toddy (palm wine) six to seven months ago said locals.

Body found in Visvamadu of Tamil woman working for Army

13 April 2014

The body of a Tamil woman was found in a well in Visvamadu, local residents told Tamil Guardian this evening.

The body, which appeared to have been raped, was recovered by villagers in the presence of police officers at 6.30pm today.

The woman, whose name is yet unknown, was employed by the Sri Lankan army in the cultivation of toddy (palm wine) six to seven months ago said locals.

Tamil woman found dead in Jaffna

14 April 2014
The body of a Tamil woman was recovered from a well in Jaffna on Sunday, reported theUthayan, making it the second such case in the last few days.

The woman was identified as 22-year-old Jeromy Conselita, from Gurunagar, Jaffna

The police said that the death was being treated as suspicious and further investigations would be held, according to the Uthayan.

The body of Conselita was found in Jaffna a day after the body of another woman was discovered in a well in Visvamadu.

Negombo Prison inmate dies in hospital

April 14, 2014

An inmate of the Negombo Prison, who was arrested and remanded on charged of heroin possession, has passed away today.

Prisons Commissioner General Chandraratne Pallegama stated that the prisoner was admitted to the Negombo Hospital on April 12 due to suffering from pneumonia.

However, he passes away at the hospital this morning, Mr Pallegama said.

The suspect was arrested in 2010 for the possession of 30 kilograms of heroin and placed in remand custody.

On Pulitzer Prize Committee Decision To Reward Guardian And Washington Post

By Edward Snowden -April 15, 2014

I am grateful to the committee for their recognition of the efforts of those involved in the last year’s reporting, and join others around the world in congratulating Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, Barton Gellman, Ewen MacAskill and all of the others at the Guardian and Washington Post on winning the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.

Edward Snowden

Today’s decision is a vindication for everyone who believes that the public has a role in government. We owe it to the efforts of the brave reporters and their colleagues who kept working in the face of extraordinary intimidation, including the forced destruction of journalistic materials, the inappropriate use of terrorism laws, and so many other means of pressure to get them to stop what the world now recognises was work of vital public importance.

This decision reminds us that what no individual conscience can change, a free press can. My efforts would have been meaningless without the dedication, passion, and skill of these newspapers, and they have my gratitude and respect for their extraordinary service to our society. Their work has given us a better future and a more accountable democracy.

*Statement issued by Edward Snowden today

‘We don’t accept Ukraine’s government – it’s not legitimate’

Tuesday 15 Apr 2014

A chain of about 20 cars snaked through the rolling farmlands out of Donetsk. Spring is here, and the copses are green with buds.

‘We don’t accept Ukraine’s government – it’s not legitimate’ by nelvely

Ukrainian troops begin military operation to 'destroy foreign invader'

Kiev confirms deployment of troops outside Slavyansk in effort to wrest control of city from pro-Russian elements

Ukrainian army troops receive munitions on the outskirts of Izyum. Photograph: Sergei Grits/AP

Alec Luhn in Slavyansk and agencies

, Tuesday 15 April 2014

Ukrainian military and special forces gathered outside Slavyansk on Tuesday in the first real show of force since Kiev announced an "anti-terrorist" operation at the weekend aimed at wresting the city from armed protesters and unmarked soldiers reported to be Russian.

Ukrainian Troops Begin Military Operation to 'Destroy Foreign Invader' by nelvely

Game of drones: Why Google and Facebook are going head-to-head for control of the skies

Google has bought Titan Aerospace, a drone manufacturer previously courted by Facebook - what are the internet giants planning for this technology?

Yet it's in this quiet portion of the stratosphere that the next battle two giant internet companies will be taking place, as both Google and Facebook invest in building high-altitude drones, capable of unmanned flight for years at a time.

There won't be any dogfights of course, but the commercial skirmishes have already begun, with Google announcing that they have acquired Titan Aerospace – a respected drone manufacturer that Facebook had previously been making overtures towards.

Google reportedly offered to beat any offer made by the social network, but Mark Zuckeberg’s team seems far from disconsolate: the social network announced this March that it had bought up a clutch of aerospace talent from Nasa as well as swallowing whole tiny Somerset-based firm Ascenta in order to power its own drone dreams.