Mr. President; Give Me Back My Country

| By NILANTHA ILANGAMUWA

( April 17, 2014, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) When human beings refuse to be malignant, cunning, ulterior, reprehensible, sinister, vicious and felonious we can achieve great things together. 

Mr. President Give Me Back My Country by nelvely

Why Sri Lanka would need to look East and West

April 16, 2014, 7:07 pm 

Sri Lanka signed a number of agreements with China to further support existing projects and to initiate new ones on May 31, 2013 in Beijing.

Countries such as Sri Lanka would do well to bear these considerations in mind as they forge ahead with their foreign policy calculations. To be sure, the US is the world’s number one hegemonic power and would be increasingly intolerant of those states, big or small, which are seen as getting in the way of its plans and designs for the world, but Sri Lanka, for instance, would be working against some its vital interests by failing to relate to the US in cordial terms and on a pragmatic basis. The quantum of our garment exports to the US alone would prove the point. 

Why Sri Lanka Would Need to Look East and West by nelvely

Austerity Of Truth Can Starve This Government To death!

By Vishnuguptha -April 17, 2014 

“Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.” - Albert Einstein

Surrounded by the grandeur of loot, corruption, nepotism and lies, this government, it seems, could be starved to death only by the austerity of truth. One stark example of that truth was shown most glaringly in the recently concluded elections for the Western and Southern provinces. The monolith that has been withstanding many storms and tempests seems to be eventually showing mild signs of vulnerability. The Emperor’s clothes are beginning to fall.

The ultra-nationalist cloak that has been concealing the true nature of a corrupt regime may be showing real cracks but the peeling off is being done not by the main antagonist, United National Party (UNP). It’s being executed, not so much with military precision- no pun intended- by an ex-General and a leader of another political party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) which was once armed to the teeth to massacre innocent members of the public.

The people are showing increasing disenchantment with the old; the ‘Grand Old Party’ aka United National Party does look not just old but proving to be ‘ancient’. Fresh ideas, fresh faces and fresh avenues are all blocked; a beginning of certain decay was most unceremoniously launched with the advent of its present leader to the helm in the wake of the assassination of Gamini Dissanayake. So much has been written and talked about regarding the ineptness of the current leader and his latest maneuverings to build a wall around himself in order to insulate and fortify himself and thus it’s rather redundant to berate Ranil Wickremesinghe anymore. Both his Party, the UNP and himself are becoming increasingly irrelevant. Securing a mere 25% of the electoral vote when the other two Parties, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and Democratic Party have collectively matched  it in the recently concluded Provincial Council elections has more or less reinforced the argument that when political parties do not adapt themselves to changing circumstances and realities, they go into definite decay.

The art of political attacks on opponents has been refined but instead of sculpturing a more sophisticated craft, it has ended up in the hands of our ruling clique and the way they handle this modern-day craft reminds one more of ‘a mad monkey with a razor in its hands’ than a fine craftsman stroking a chisel. Abuse of state-controlled media outlets to manufacture lies and propagate them via some popular personalities whose political allegiances in the past had been with the UNP government and naked bribery and ‘santosams’ offered to coerce these personalities are just the tip of a giant iceberg that’s floating underneath the surface of a corrupt regime.Read More

Inducing Fear

| Editorial - Tamil Guardian

( April 17, 2014, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) The killings of three Tamil men last week, who the Sri Lankan military claims were attempting to revive the LTTE, has spread terror amongst the Tamil population. The culmination of weeks of heightened military activity in the North-East, including mass arrests, interrogations and widespread house to house search operations, the killings serve as a collective warning and reminder to the Tamil people of the state’s response, capability and preparedness to curtail any Tamil resistance. As public executions do else where, the killings seek to enforce control through violence and fear. Under the guise of counter terrorism measures, the Sri Lankan state is terrorising the Tamil population, on a scale not seen since the end of the armed conflict. Inducing fear, which disintegrates not only Tamil political space, but also social space, is the primary goal.

That this escalation in militarisation occurred at a time when the international community was scrutinising Sri Lanka is unsurprising. Intended to prevent a repeat of the protests even during the British Prime Minister’s visit to Jaffna, the arrests of prominent campaigners took place as the UN Human Rights Council began, effectively silenced any popular expressions of Tamil support for an international inquiry. The escalation of military repression subsequent to the UNHRC’s mandating of such a probe, and the proscription of diaspora groups, is collective punishment for the united Tamil support for an international investigation, and a warning against further challenges to the state. Many of those detained, including disappearances campaigner Balendran Jeyakumari, are imprisoned not in a local prison, but in Boosa – a place situated in the Sinhala heartland, that has since the beginning of the armed conflict been synonymous with torture and violent state repression.

It is no coincidence that the military’s claims of renewed LTTE activity, including the audacious claim of a new LTTE leadership, arose as Sri Lanka faced intense criticism precisely over its militarisation in the North-East. In a self-sustaining narrative, the military’s claims justify its presence. It is worth noting, militarisation of the North-East, far from seeking to protect Tamils as Sri Lankan citizens from external threats, is intended to protect Sri Lanka’s majoritarian order from Tamils. Indeed, the contrast in popular and media discourse between the military’s killing of three Tamil men this week, and that of three Sinhala men in Weliweriya is stark: apathetic endorsement of the former, and vehement condemnation of the latter. As we argued then, unless able to actively prove one’s allegiance to Sri Lanka as unitary Sinhala Buddhist state, to be a Tamil, makes you an understandable target of the state, and to be a politically active Tamil, makes you a legitimate one.

The Sri Lankan state’s definition of terrorism has a broad meaning, inclusive of laws that criminalise calls for independence and self-rule - a legitimate political view held by many peoples worldwide and one that has been central to the Tamil nation’s political aspirations since 1976. Recent arrests under the Prevention of Terrorism Act have encompassed not only those who the military claims are former LTTE cadre, (who despite having completed ‘rehabilitation’ are routinely re-arrested and interrogated), but their family, any close associates, disappearance campaigners, the diaspora at large, and those displaying signs, however innocuous, to the diaspora, such as the possession of foreign currency or having children residing abroad. As the proscription of diaspora groups makes evident, even the call for justice through international invention is branded as terrorism.

In effect, dominant Tamil political demands, whether that it is independent statehood from 1976, or international investigation since 2009, is criminalised as terrorism by the Sri Lankan state. Tamils, simply by virtue of their ethnicity, live with threat of arrest under the PTA looming over their heads at all times. Remarkably however, this has failed to silence voices from the North-East. Amidst palpable collective fear, key voices continue to condemn the state’s actions, despite the grave risks this entails. 

As the international probe begins its work, escalation of state violence, as a means of repressing Tamil engagement with the probe, is inevitable. Demilitarisation of the North-East and relentless continuing international scrutiny are imperative if the climate of terror is to end.

Resumption of ‘comprehensive military relationship’ with SL hinges on accountability progress – US

17 April 2014

The US will only resume a more comprehensive military relationship with Sri Lanka once the government has made progress towards reconciliation and accountability, the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs said at a talk at Harvard University.

Speaking on "U.S. Foreign Policy in South Asia: A Vision for Prosperity and Security", Assistant Secretary Nisha Biswal said the US continues to call for credible efforts to ensure accountability and justice.

"While the prosperity agenda in South Asia is critically important, so too is enhancing political stability and regional security. In order to enhance that stability and security, our foreign policy is designed around engagement – even on the toughest and most vexing issues,
"Sri Lanka has fortunately ended its civil war, though reconciliation has proved challenging. Following the March UN Human Rights Council resolution in Sri Lanka, we continue to call for credible efforts to ensure accountability and justice. We look forward to a resumption of a more comprehensive military relationship once the Government of Sri Lanka has made better progress toward reconciliation and accountability."

See further excerpts from her address below:

"[W]e live in one of the most complex moments in world affairs. Our world has never been more globalized – brought closer by technology and innovation – but we still must contend with the ills of inequality, conflict and poverty.

"Nowhere is this more evident than in Asia. Home to nearly two-thirds of the world’s population, squeezed into one-third of the world’s landmass, the countries of Asia manifest nearly every global challenge and are also brimming with opportunity. If Asian economies are able to address key challenges, by 2050, Asia will comprise half of global GDP. As Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns said just last week, Asia “matters enormously to the rest of the world – from our partners in the Gulf, whose oil exports move increasingly toward rising demand in the east; to our allies in Europe, whose economic revival hinges increasingly on Asian growth.”

"I assure you the United States is as engaged as ever across the Asian continent. President Obama and Secretary Kerry have said that “the United States will play a larger and long-term role in shaping this region and its future.”

"[R]egional growth hinges on the region’s economic engine. In South Asia, that engine is India.

"But India faces real vulnerabilities. Over 400 million people in India lack reliable access to energy. Road traffic is supposed to quintuple in six years but highway construction is slated to grow at a paltry 4% a year.
India’s leaders have targeted to spend $1 trillion dollars over five years in infrastructure investment to close the infrastructure gap that prevents real growth in the manufacturing sector, yet it continues to have policies that inhibit foreign investment. India still ranks poorly amongst all countries as a hospitable place to invest and start a new business, ranked 134 out of 189 countries. And India must meet the skills gap to grow its economy –In fact, India needs eight times the number of trained architects and civil engineers than it has now to meet its growth projections.

"So, without sugar-coating its challenges – a tough neighborhood, tightening economic growth and the mounting impacts of pollution on public health – India, the world’s largest democracy, must decide its own path to the future. Will it make the reforms necessary to attract investment? Will it capitalize on the opportunities that lie in front of it?

"Those are the questions that India’s voters are asking as they cast their ballots and those are the questions that we want to see answered.

"The United States is committed to growing the trade and investment ties between our two countries. We want to grow trade to $500 billion a year. And, there’s no question that India’s economic success is vital to achieving the strategic aims that both our leaders have laid out. In that vein, we pledge to look forward, and not dwell on the past."

Tamil Canadians welcome Canada’s decision to withdraw funding from Commonwealth

For Immediate Release

April 15th, 2014

Tamil Canadians welcome Canada’s decision to withdraw funding from Commonwealth

Tamil Canadians welcome the action taken by Canada to suspend its voluntary contribution of $20 million to the Commonwealth Secretariat for the period during which the Commonwealth is to be headed by Sri Lanka.

In an official statement on Monday April 14th, Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Baird said, “We can no longer justify providing additional funding to an organization that turns a blind eye to human rights abuses, anti-democratic behaviour and religious intolerance in its member states” and “Canada remains deeply concerned about the absence of accountability for alleged serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian standards in Sri Lanka.”

Canadian Tamil Congress appreciates the continued efforts of the Canadian government to hold Sri Lanka accountable for its systemic violations of human rights through its position in the Commonwealth. "We applaud Canada’s principled stand under the leadership of Prime Minister Harper and Minister Baird. We hope that other countries in the Commonwealth will follow Canada’s example”, stated David Poopalapillai, National Spokesperson for the Canadian Tamil Congress. “It’s time that Sri Lanka faces the consequences for its actions, and it is up to the international community to start that process of accountability”, concluded Poopalapillai.

For more information, please contact David Poopalapillai, National Spokesperson, Canadian Tamil Congress 905-781-7034 / 416-240-0078 

Published on: 04/15/14 13:13

Miliband calls on British government to put pressure on Sri Lanka

 Thursday, 17 April 2014

Leader of Britain’s Labour Party Ed Miliband has called on the British government and others to put pressure on the Sri Lankan authorities to ensure that fundamental rights and freedoms of all Sri Lankans are respected.

Miliband has said in a message wishing the Tamils in Sri Lanka and Britain for the New Year, that the Labour Party has supported calls for an independent, international investigation into the alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by both sides during the country’s armed conflict.

“I commend the UN Human Rights Council’s recent resolution which paves the way for such an inquiry, and I am please that there is now cross-party consensus in Britain for such action to be taken,” Miliband has said.

He has noted that the investigation will be a significant step towards securing accountability and helping to lay the foundations for reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

He has further noted that it is vital that strong support is given to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as it undertakes this crucial work.

“However, the Labour Party remains deeply concerned by the plight faced by many Tamils in Sri Lanka, as well as with the on-going perpetration of human rights violations,” Miliband has added.

Policy challenges in climate adaptation in Sri Lanka: Identifying major gaps

Thursday 17th April 2014

• Being a tropical island located in a disaster prone region, Sri Lanka is vulnerable to impacts of climate change. The 2004 tsunami has indicated that a large extent of densely populated low lying coastal areas is vulnerable to a future rise in the sea level.
  The country has frequently been experiencing disaster prone weather extremes such as droughts, floods and cyclones. Predictions by global studies on climate change suggest that both intensity and frequency of such extreme events are likely to increase in the future.
• Policy Challenges in Climate Adaptation in Sri Lanka Identifying Major Gaps by nelvely

Duty Free Vehicles To Politicos And The Billions Rupee Scam

By Nagananda Kodituwakku -April 17, 2014 

Nagananda Kodituwakku

Dishonest politicians should be held accountable for unjust enrichment of taxpayers’ money in billions 

The Secretary to the Ministry of Local Government and Provincial Councils Ministry Secretary R A A K Ranawaka in a press release to the media states that the Government has cleared vehicle permits to the value of USD 3.2 million to be given to newly elected Western and Southern Provincial Council members and the newly elected members of both Councils will receive vehicle permits to the value of USD 50,000 each. He further states that some provincial council members have already sold their permits but it is not illegal.

It seems that those holding high public offices have disregarded the constitutional oath given below (fourth schedule to the Constitution), which require every person elected to any public office to take, before resuming the performance of the duties of any public office.

“I ……………………………………………………. do solemnly declare and affirm / swear that I will faithfully perform the duties and discharge the functions of the office of …………………………………. in accordance with the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the law, and that I will be faithful to the Republic of Sri Lanka and that I will to the best of my ability uphold and defend the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.”

Exemption of levies on duty free cars

The Customs Ordinance as amended in 1988, provides (Section 19A) that the Minister of Finance may, if he deems it expedient in the public interest so to do, by Order published in the Gazette exempt any goods imported by, or consigned to, any person specified in the Order from the whole or any part of the duties of customs leviable thereon, subject to such conditions (to be fulfilled before or after clearance) as may be specified in the Order.

                             Read More

Opposition MPs attacked in Hambabtota; Ruling party politician brandishing his pistol chased MPs

Opposition MPs attacked in Hambabtota; Ruling party politician brandishing his pistol chased MPs

Hambantota Mayor Fernando brandishing a pistol
chasing the MPs (Daily Mirror) See more photos below

Thursday, April 17, 2014 

UNP MPs attacked at Hambantota

A team of UNP MPs who were on an inspection tour of the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport have come under attack by unidentified goons, the Ada Derana reporter confirms. Stones were pelted at the bus that the MPs were travelling in, UNP MP R. Yogarajan told Ada Derana.

The team comprised UNP MPs Ajith P. Perera, Eran Wickremaratne, R. Yogarajan, Nalin Bandara and Ajith Manapperuma. While our bus was attacked outside the airport, while inside a group hooted at us, Yogarajan told Ada Derana.

He added that the MPs were threatened by this group and despite complaining to a high ranking police officer no action was taken.

Then we went to the Hambantota Harbour where a gun wielding Hambantota Mayor Kavinda Fernando threatened us while a Police ASP and HQI looked on silently, Yogarajan added.

There Derana

Mob attack on UNP MPs visiting the Magampura Port

A group of UNP MPs who were visiting the Magampura Port, Hambantota were threatened and journalists accompanying them pelted with eggs by a mob that included a pistol yielding thug.

MP Eran Wickramaratna who was among the group of MPs who had undertaken the tour said that they had got prior permission to visit the port from the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA).

“When we arrived, we were welcomed by the officials there but suddenly a mob came from inside the Porte and surrounded us. First they began to question us and later they turned violet,” Wickramaratna said.

The mob had pelted stones at the vehicles carrying the MPs and thrown eggs at the journalists accompanying them.

The MP said that they had decided to leave the scene as they feared for their safety and would lodge a complaint with the Police in Colombo.

Before visiting the port, the MPs had visited the Mattala Airport, he said.

Sunday Times

UNP MPs on observation tour in Mattala threatened 

Mobs threatened the group of UNP MPs that undertook an observation tour of Mattala international airport today (17), said MP, attorney Ajith P. Perera, a member of the group.

The group of MPs is to make submissions to parliament regarding the expenses for the Hambantota port and Mattala international airport.

MP Perera said they had to abandon the inspection when around 100 pesons threatened his group at the airport.

Other members of the UNP group were Nalin Bandara, Eran Wickramaratne, Ajith Mannapperuma and R. Yogarajan.

According to our correspondents, mobs had manhandled the MPs and threw eggs at them near the administrative building of the port and also booed at and threatened the group as well as journalists present at Mattala.

Hambantota UPFA mayor Eraj Ravindra Fernando had been among those who had led the mobs, and armed with a pistol, he had ambushed the UNP MPs and the journalists.

Policemen deployed at the airport and the port had not mediated, said the correspondents.

Teacher witnesses under threat 

By Aisha Nazim- April 17, 2014 
 
 
Five teachers attached to Sir John Kotelawela School, Kurunegala have been threatened for giving evidence in the Court case against the school's principal, who was recently held responsible for the suicide of a 16-year-old girl.
 
 
The Ceylon Teachers' Union (CTU) yesterday charged that teachers' effigies had been set ablaze outside the school gates by a group of people, including students.
CTU General Secretary, Joseph Stalin, told Ceylon Today that one of the teacher's homes had also been stoned twice, once on 13 March and again on 3 April, coinciding with the Principal Saman Indrarathne being released on bail.
Despite complaints lodged by the teachers to the Kurunegala Police, no action has been taken to apprehend the culprits or assure the safety of teachers.
 
 
"The teachers were threatened because they were witnesses and gave statements in Court. Their safety is at risk and there is no security for them, they could come to harm at any moment, especially since the police are not pursuing this matter. We demand that appropriate measures be taken to ensure their safety before they return to school for the start of the second term," Stalin added.
Maldivian drowns while sea bathing 

April 17, 2014 

A Maldivian national, who went swimming off the coastal town of Ambalangoda, drowned on Tuesday (15), sources said.
Thoha Ali (28), from Male, drowned whilst swimming in an area of the sea where strong currents were observed.
Sources said the post mortem on the man, who was in Sri Lanka on vacation, had been conducted at a hospital in Ambalangoda and his burial rites were being arranged.

His relatives had reportedly travelled to Sri Lanka following the tragedy.

A Maldivian Foreign Ministry spokesperson also confirmed the incident, but declined to give details. (Haveeru)

US offers Ukraine non-lethal military aid but urges Kiev to act responsibly

The US secretary of state, John Kerry, (left) meets the Ukrainian foreign minister, Andriy Deshchytsya, in Geneva. Photograph: Pool/Rex

Julian Borger in Geneva

Thursday 17 April 2014

The US has promised Ukraine non-lethal military aid but urged Kiev to act in a "measured and responsible way" in responding to unrest in the east.

US Offers Ukraine Non-lethal Military Aid but Urges Kiev to Act Responsibly by nelvely

Journalists in Thai Navy defamation case ‘disappointed’ in Reuters’ response

Phuketwan journalists Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian. Pic: Phuketwan.com.

By  Casey Hynes  Apr 17, 2014

Two Phuketwan journalists were charged today with defaming the Thai Navy, and face seven years in prison and a $3,000 fine if convicted.  A Thai Navy captain brought charges against Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian after they republished a paragraph from a Reuters story accusing Thai officials of being involved in a human trafficking operation that exploits Rohingya refugees from Burma. Morison, who is Australian, is Phuketwan’s editor and Chutima is a reporter. The Reuters story was part of a series that won journalists Jason Szep and Andrew R.C. Marshall a Pulitzer Prize earlier this week.

Journalists in Thai Navy defamation case ‘disappointed’ in Reuters’ response by nelvely

Israel: Lift ‘ludicrous’ restrictions on whistleblower Vanunu decade after release

Mordechai Vanunu served an 18-year-prison sentence for disclosing information to journalists about Israel’s nuclear arsenal

 during the 1980s.

© Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin.

“

The authorities’ continued punishment of Mordechai Vanunu appears to be purely vindictive. The government’s arguments that these severe restrictions are necessary for national security are ludicrous.

”

Avner Gidron, Senior Policy Adviser at Amnesty International.

Ten years after serving a full sentence for his revelations to the press about Israel’s nuclear weapons programme, Mordechai Vanunu still faces severe restrictions that arbitrarily infringe on his freedom of movement, expression and association, said Amnesty International.

The former nuclear technician served an 18-year-prison sentence, the first 11 years of which were in solitary confinement, for disclosing information to journalists about Israel’s nuclear arsenal during the 1980s.

Since his release in 2004, renewable military orders, have placed Mordechai Vanunu under police supervision. Among other things, he is banned from leaving the country and participating in internet chats. He must also seek permission to communicate with any foreign nationals, including journalists.

“The authorities’ continued punishment of Mordechai Vanunu appears to be purely vindictive.   The government’s arguments that these severe restrictions are necessary for national security are ludicrous,” said Avner Gidron, Senior Policy Adviser at Amnesty International.

Israeli officials claim that restricting Mordechai Vanunu’s freedom is necessary to prevent him from divulging further secrets about Israel’s nuclear programme. He has, however, repeatedly stated that he revealed all he knew about Israel’s nuclear arsenal in 1986 and that he has no further information. He and his lawyers have also pointed out that the information he had at the time of his imprisonment has now long been in the public domain and is about 30 years out of date.

“The restrictions on Mordechai Vanunu are arbitrary, unnecessary and have no grounds in international law. The continuing restrictions on his liberty have placed a severe strain on his mental and physical health and should immediately be lifted,” said Avner Gidron.

Amnesty International is calling on the Israeli authorities to allow Mordechai Vanunu to leave the country if he wishes, and to allow him to exercise his rights to freedom of movement, association and expression while in Israel.

Last December, following an appeal by his lawyer, the High Court of Justice upheld the restrictions imposed by the Ministry of Interior on Mordechai Vanunu, which prevent him from leaving Israel, and ban him from entering a consulate or embassy or coming with 500 meters of international borders, border passages, harbours or airports.  And they upheld the requirement that he seek permission before contacting foreign nationals. The current restrictions, which are due for renewal in May 2014, should be lifted immediately.

Mordechai Vanunu is a former technician at Israel's nuclear plant near the southern town of Dimona. He revealed details of the country's nuclear arsenal to the British newspaper, The Sunday Times, in 1986. He was abducted by Israeli secret service (Mossad) agents in Italy on 30 September 1986 and secretly taken to Israel. He was tried and sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment.

In May 2010 he was imprisoned for a second time following his release, for three months, after being convicted of breaching his restrictions by speaking to foreigners and attempting to attend Christmas Mass in Bethlehem. Amnesty International adopted him as a prisoner of conscience. He was held for 11 weeks under harsh conditions in solitary confinement in Ayalon Prison near Ramle in central Israel, in a special unit for dangerous prisoners and was able to leave his cell for only one hour every day. The prison authorities said they decided to place him there in order to protect him from attacks from other inmates.

The restrictions he has been subjected to since 2004 are not parole restrictions since Mordechai Vanunu served his full sentence. They are arbitrary and contrary to Israel’s obligations under international law, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibits arbitrary interference in the rights to freedom of movement, freedom of expression and freedom of association and protects individuals from being punished again for the same offence.

Mordechai Vanunu had been previously held by Israel in solitary confinement for 11 years from 1986 in conditions that Amnesty International at the time called cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.