UK will continue to fully support implementation of UNHRC resolution – Swire 09 May 2014 The Foreign and Commonwealth Minister Hugo Swire said that the British government will continue to support and work with the UN Human Rights Council, to ensure the “proper implementation” of the resolution which established an independent investigation. Mr Swire, speaking in parliament on Wednesday, said that the OHCHR will lead the independent investigation into alleged violations and that the British government continues to urge Sri Lanka to cooperate with the resolution. “Our officials in Geneva continue to discuss the March 2014 UN Human Rights Council (UN HRC) resolution with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR),” Mr Swire said in response to a question by Labour MP Virendra Sharma. “We will continue to fully support and work with the UN HRC and international partners to ensure proper implementation of this resolution. The OHCHR will lead an independent investigation into alleged violations. We continue to urge the Sri Lankan Government to co-operate with the UN resolution.” Sri Lanka 7 May 2014 Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights about the implementation of the UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka of 27 March 2014; what technical advice and assistance his Department will provide to the Office of the High Commissioner for  7 May 2014 : Column 195W Human Rights for the investigation into alleged war crimes and human rights violations in Sri Lanka; and what representations he has made to the government of Sri Lanka about the UN Human Rights Council resolution. [197543] Mr Swire: Our officials in Geneva continue to discuss the March 2014 UN Human Rights Council (UN HRC) resolution with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). We will continue to fully support and work with the UN HRC and international partners to ensure proper implementation of this resolution. The OHCHR will lead an independent investigation into alleged violations. We continue to urge the Sri Lankan Government to co-operate with the UN resolution.

Transparency in  the UNHRC investigation of war crimes in Sri Lanka

By Rebecca Wexler-May 8, 2014

Unfortunately, both the U.N. and the GoSL investigations contain obstacles to the reproducibility of methods and results. These obstacles result from procedural actions on the part of investigators, and as well from material limits imposed by some of the proprietary software used in the investigations. For instance, incomplete documentation regarding evidence preservation cast doubt on whether or not all of the investigators actually analyzed identical copies of the video evidence. Researchers may employ a cryptographic hash to verify their copy of a digital file. The hash algorithmically generates a number to uniquely identify the content of a digital file. Anyone who runs this algorithm and produces the same numeric identifier can determine that they have an unaltered copy of the file. Yet, none of the U.N. and GoSL forensic video reports includes a hash.

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) should demand that its investigation into possible war crimes in Sri Lanka deploy transparent, replicable forensic tools and methods that are open to scrutiny by all.

Transparency in  the UNHRC Investigation of War Crimes in Sri Lanka by Thavam Ratna

A South African effort at promoting reconciliation

by Harim Peiris - on 05/09/2014

Ebrahim Ebrahim, Deputy Minister of  International Relation and Cooperation Republic of South Africa meeting  Basil Rajapaksa, Senior Adviser to the H.E. President and Minister of Economic development. ViaMinistry of Economic Development.

General elections in South Africa concluded a few days ago and the results were a resounding reelection victory for the ruling African Nation Congress and the government of President Jacob Zuma. Twenty years after the end of apartheid and into its third ANC president, the people of South Africa has maintained their faith in their national liberation movement and reelected the ANC for a further period of five years, till 2019. At home, 2014, also marks twenty years since Sri Lanka Freedom Party led alliances, first the PA and its successor UPFA has ruled Sri Lanka, albeit two years in a co-habitation with the UNP. An early presidential poll next year will determine whether Sri Lanka follows South Africa, in a near quarter century run for a ruling alliance.

South African efforts at facilitating post war reconciliation

Bubbling under the surface for awhile, but now out in the open is the nascent attempt by the African National Congress (ANC) Government of South Africa to facilitate and promote post war reconciliation in Sri Lanka. The exploratory efforts so far, which began with a UPFA Government delegation and a Tamil National Alliance delegation visiting South Africa as far back as early last year, has been kicked into higher gear during the CHOGM summit when President Rajapakse requested President Zuma to assist Sri Lanka in its reconciliation process. The consequential result was that South Africa appointed former ANZ General Secretary and its chief negotiator Cyril Ramaphosa as its special envoy to Sri Lanka and also to South Sudan, a country in the throes of a near civil war. Subsequent to the appointment of the special envoy, earlier this year once again a delegation from the UPFA Government and the TNA visited South Africa for meetings with Mr.Cyril Ramaphosa. Both the government and the TNA have invited the special envoy to visit Sri Lanka, get a firsthand account of the situation and take forward the initiative to facilitate Sri Lanka’s post war reconciliation.

A polarized society in need of reconciliation

That Sri Lanka’s reconciliation process needs significant assistance and serious boost has been proved both domestically and internationally. Domestically the Government tells us that there are attempts to revive the LTTE militarily, through the efforts of a since deceased former LTTE cadre called Gopi and every Tamil Diaspora organization whose names were on the war time records of the LTTE. Accordingly all Tamil Diaspora groups were banned in Sri Lanka, though even the host governments of these organizations, who have banned the LTTE themselves, remain to be convinced that these groups are now terrorists as opposed to political activists. The voting paten in the Northern Provincial Council election where the UPFA secured seventeen (17%) of the popular vote, demonstrates the extent of the Government’s failure in the post war reconciliation and the hearts and minds campaign.

The UNHRC investigation into violations of international law

The third successive UNHRC country specific resolution on Sri Lanka in March this year, now mandating an investigation into the violations of international law in Sri Lanka based on the failures of the reconciliation process, demonstrate that the international community in multi lateral forums are of the opinion that Sri Lanka has failed in its reconciliation efforts. Basically they are taking Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga’s snazzy presentation on the supposed progress on implementing the LLRC proposals with more than a pinch of salt. The reality of the situation as any objective observer could see, is that the Rajapakse Administration has basically failed to implement the significant recommendations of the Lessons learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).

Ad hoc appointments to the Supreme Court

Causing some disquiet amongst opinion makers and civil society has been the appointment from the private bar of Attorney at Law, Priyantha Jayawardena as a judge of the supreme court. If the Bar Association, which is aghast at the appointment, is underwhelmed by the latest supreme court nominees credentials for the position, it is understandable. However, the appointment of proposed Justice Jayawardena would be seen internationally in the context of the impeachment of Chief Justice Shiranie Bandaranaike and the appointment of Mohan Peiris as Chief Justice, a disputed move which was only very recently regularized, through the Supreme Court ruling against its own prior determination of the justiciability of proceedings of parliamentary select committees. However, the issue at stake, is Sri Lanka’s insistence in international forums and specifically at the UNHRC in Geneva, that it has effective domestic remedies for citizens aggrieved with actions by the State. This contention is now also challenged and impeaching a chief justice and making ad hoc appointments to the apex court does not inspire confidence in the independence of the judiciary. Even countries such as Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe, Myanmar under Than Shwe’s military junta and North Korea under its dictator has a judiciary and a court system.  Just no one takes it seriously as a means of ensuring justice for citizens. At best they are a part of maintaining order, without much of a focus on justice. Sri Lanka risks heading in the same direction, with serious implications for its post war reconciliation process, the rights of citizens and democratic and free society.

Sri Lanka: DIG Anura Senanayake next governor for Northern Province?

Sri Lanka: DIG Anura Senanayake next governor for Northern Province?

known political lackey of the regime

DIG Anura Senanayake is a prime suspect in Museum robbery -Police sources say

Friday, May 09, 2014
DIG Anura Senanayake is tipped to be the next governor of the Northern Province, a report said yesterday.“The term of office of the present Governor of the Northern Province General G.A Chandrasri ends on June 30. Speculation is rife that DIG Anura Senanayake who is expected to retire by that time would be made the next Governor of the Northern Province,” Malarum.com said. “Anura Senanayake wields a great amount of trust from the State leadership would be appointed the next Inspector General of Police.

His term of office expired recently and was extended by another six months. It was rumoured that his term of office was extended by another six months to appoint him as the next Inspector General of Police. However, it has been reported that the government has decided to allow the present IGP to continue his services and Anura Senanayake appointed as the Governor of the Northern Province,” it said.

“The government is of the opinion that the issues they face in appointing a new Governor could be alleviated by this appointment. It was made known to the government by many that appointing an ex-military officer to the post of Governor was not favoured by the Tamils in the North, their political representatives and the international organisations. “However, it is said that the stance of the government is that if the post of Governor is assigned to a civilian who lacks administrative capabilities in a region where a large population of army personnel is deployed, administration in the region would become a difficult task. The government is of the opinion that DIG Senanayake would be the most appropriate choice to manage both issues.

“Taking into consideration his seniority in the Police force, the army personnel deployed in the North would treat him with regard and respect. Hence, it is considered that he would be in a position to exercise authority on the army in civil matters. Also, the government has another school of thought that appointing a retired senior Police Officer cannot be taken as one that would lead to militarisation.

At Election Season’s End, Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees Forgotten Again

By admin on May 8, 2014

By VIABHAV VATS  

PUZHAL, India — As Tamil civilians were increasingly caught in the crossfire between the Indian Peace Keeping Force and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the 1980s, Sasitharan and his parents followed the exodus from the Tamil-majority northern and eastern regions of Sri Lanka.

At Election Season’s End, Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees Forgotten Again by Thavam Ratna

Re-visiting the Rajapaksa Hegemonic Project

Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Bloomberg News, via The Japan Times

The UPFA regime has accomplished an unprecedented hegemonic political power, consummated by landslide   electoral victories: Presidential election, January   2010, Parliamentary Elections March 2010 and the subsequent Provincial council elections, except, crucially in the North. They have consolidated their rural voter base in a remarkable fashion. As the opposition claims, these   electoral victories have been achieved at the price of    political intimidation, right abuses and encroachments on the rule of law. But the UPFA (United Peoples Freedom Alliance) government keeps on winning the elections.

Re-Visiting the Rajapaksa Hegemonic Project by Thavam Ratna

Embilipitiya Schoolboys’ Affair – The Thin End Of The Wedge

By Rajan Hoole -May 9, 2014

Rajan Hoole

The 1990s: The Culture of Untruth and a Perilous Vacuum – Part 7

The case of 32 schoolboys from Embilipitiya, which came at the tail end of mass disappearances in the late 1980s, brought poignantly to the outside world the shocking depths of brutality to which this country had descended. This publicity did help the parents, who were of very modest social position from the rural Deep South, in their 9- year saga for justice, in defiance of the obduracy of the State. The trial verdict salved the conscience of a nation darkened by the JVP episode, where everyone was touched by shades of guilt. The saga is now entombed in a history that few want to disinter.

Yet, that history is very much alive with us today and raises many issues relevant to the present. The chief accused in the case – school principal Loku Galappathy – played his part to perfection for a nation looking for something on which to hang its guilt. The Daily News produced a picture of the chief accused arriving in the Ratnapura High Court for the verdict on Wednesday, 10th February 1999, smiling at the cameras as though he had no sense of shame or remorse. If one were looking for a picture of a ghoul, this was it. The saga had an almost children’s story ending, where the wicked king was forever deposed from the throne to the dungeon. The writer in the Daily News made a point of similar import. The verdict, like the Krishanthy Kumarasamy verdict the year before, seemed to give the Kumaratunge government the aura of champions of justice.

Sadly, however, the spirit of Principal Galappathy, now doing 10 years RI, remains very much part of the nation that faked its expiation of guilt. This spirit looms large in public life, and behind persons who, unlike Galappathy, exude great charm in society. We will look at the issues as we sketch the developments.

About the first comprehensive account of the tragedy, based on the testimony of the parents, was presented by Justice J.F.A. Soza, chairman of the Human Rights Task Force (HRTF), in his first annual report of August 1992. The Sevana army camp in the locality passed under the command of Colonel R.P. (Parry) Liyanage in July 1989 when the earlier commander, Brigadier Lucky Algama, was moved to Colombo. This was the time the killing of alleged JVPers in the Southern Province picked up in intensity, peaking in October. Loku Galappathy, who was the principal of Embilipitiya Central College                                                                                Read More

WCY2014- Nigerian delegates barge into the media centre

 May 9, 2014
Nigerian delegates, supportive Sri Lankan and international delegates commenced a demonstration at World Conference on Youth 2014 (WCY2014) demanding a discussion about the Nigerian crisis at WCY2014. They were carrying posters saying "Bring back our girls".
 

According to accounts, armed members of Boko Haram (a Nigerian extremist group) overwhelmed security guards at the all-girls school in Chibok, pulled the girls out of bed and forced them into trucks. The convoy of trucks then disappeared into the dense forest bordering Cameroon.
 

On 02 May, Nigerian authorities updated the number of girls kidnapped to 276. At least 53 of the girls escaped, leaving 223 in the hands of their captors.

Tax officer fined Rs.12 b for VAT fraud and 102 years imprisonment

 Friday, 09 May 2014 

The Colombo High Court today (May 08) imposed a fine of nearly Rs.12 billion on a former Deputy Commissioner of the Inland Revenue Department and sentenced him to 102 years rigorous imprisonment to be spent in three years after he pleaded guilty to 34 charges in one of Sri Lanka’s biggest VAT default cases amounting to Rs.3.9 billion.

He was sentenced to jail terms of three years on each of the 34 charges to run concurrently.
His assets are to be seized if he evades the fine, which is said to be the largest fine imposed in the legal history of the island, reports say.

High Court Judge Kumuduni Wickremasinghe imposed this sentence on former Inland Revenue Officer A. Gunasiri de Soyza Jayatillake.

In April last year another former Inland Revenue Assistant Commissioner Ananda Ambepitiya was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment and fined Rs.500,000 by the same court after he pleaded guilty to the charge of being involved in the Rs.3.9 billion VAT scam.

The UNP Can Take A Page From Mahinda Chinthana

By Malinda Seneviratne -May 9, 2014 

Malinda Seneviratne

The Government, as usual, put its own spin on what happened in Hambantota when some UNP parliamentarians decided to check out the airport and harbor.  Mayor Eraj Fernando’s antics, however, were caught on camera.  There’s no erasing that kind of belligerence (that’s a mild word, by the way) regardless of one’s spin-doctoring skills.  Attempting to do so would invariably result in convincing the audience that its intelligence is being insulted.  The next option is damage control.  And the best damage-controller around is Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Last week, when he met with the editors of print and electronic media institutions, the President said ‘no one is above the law’.  He added that he was not talking about the Bodu Bala Sena only when he made that remark.  It applied to politicians as well, he said.  He gave a lesson in history by way of providing context.  He spoke of other politicians who have been attacked.  He spoke also of politicians who have gone berserk.  He named names.  He even fired a broadside at the media, pointing out that when crowds, egged on by politicians, attack members of the ruling party, the media calls it ‘reaction by angry citizens’ whereas when a group of people led by a member of the ruling party take on opposition politicians, it’s an ‘paalaka pakshaye mera kandaayamak’(thugs of the ruling party).  Having provided context, he came up with the ‘no o’ne is above the law’ statement.

The point on history can be conceded. The President certainly can’t undo time.  He is, however, the leader of the UPFA and the fact that these people who are not above the law continue to thumb nose at the law and law enforcement authorities are not going down very well with the people.  They vote.  It ought to be a concern.

Complicity in such attacks aside, President Rajapaksa made a very pertinent point about politics in general.  He said, ‘game ayath ekka giyaa nam ohoma venne nehe’ (this would not have happened if [they] had gone with the locals). He observed that the visiting MPs had not invited UNP stalwarts of the area Sajith Premadasaand Dilip Wedarachchi to be part of the delegation.  We don’t know if they were deliberately sidelined, but we do know that there’s no love lost between Premadasa and this particular team.  There is an obvious reference to intra-party squabbles here.  The ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ page that’s relevant, however, is the one about ‘game aya’ (village-people or ‘local folk’).                                                                    Read More

Speaker’s woes

Editorial-May 8, 2014

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa is in an enviable position. His job is becoming increasingly difficult; it must be more stressful than running a nursery. On Wednesday, he saw red when some MPs disregarded Standing Orders and talked a blue streak during question time while a minister, true to form, beat about the bush without answering a query posed to him. An irate Speaker even threatened to walk out unless the member fell in line, according to media reports.

Speaker’s Woes by Thavam Ratna

Sri Lanka: Muslim owned shop set on fire after Buddhist monks' protest

Sri Lanka: Muslim owned shop set on fire after Buddhist monks' protest

Two-storied supermarket complex gutted in Aluthgama  .-Friday, May 09, 2014 

A two-storied super market in Aluthgama town was gutted by fire early this morning.  The Kalutara Municipal Fire Brigade rushed to the scene at the request of the Aluthgama Police prevented the fire from spreading to other buildings in the town.

The Police had called for the Government Analyst’s report to establish the cause for the fire.  However, the owners of the super market suspected fire as an act of arson.

(Photo: Daily Mirror)

Meanwhile, a schoolboy was allegedly harassed by an individual in the super market complex and the residents of the area including several Buddhist monks staged a massive protest opposite the shopping complex urging the Police to bring the culprits to book. The schoolboy is under treatment at a hospital.

DM

Meanwhile Lankaenews reported that the super-market is Muslim owned, and it was set on fire by Buddhist extremist groups. According to LankaeNews a child who has hidden a toy in his trouser was checked by the salespersons. The mother has complained that salesperson had harassed the child sexually and extremists groups had organised a protest against the super-market.

Video: Rawana Balaya insists on having new police unit withdrawn

WEDNESDAY, 07 MAY 2014

A delegation from the Rawana Balaya organisation today handed over a letter to the Ministry of Buddha Sasana demanding that the special police unit set up to look into religious disputes be withdrawn before the Wesak Poya Day.

The organisation’s secretary the Ven. Ittakande Saddhatissa Thera, when handing over this letter to the deputy minister, asked that the President be requested to withdraw the newly set up police unit because it served no useful purpose.

The Ven. Saddhathissa Thera warned that in the event the new police unit was not withdrawn before the Wesak Poya Day deadline, the members of the Rawana Balaya organisation would be reluctantly compelled to move in and occupy the ministry building.(Video and text by Darshana Sanjeewa)

Sri Lanka won't oppose casino in Packer's $400 mln Crown resort

Fri May 9, 2014 

* Packer can operate casino using local partner's licence

* Religious leaders, opposition politicians oppose casinos

* Main opposition party says Sri Lanka has no real licences

* Government had earlier pledged not to allow casinos

By Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez

Sri Lanka won't oppose casino in Packer's $400 mln Crown resort by Thavam Ratna

Govt. has not fulfilled ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ promises: Weerawansa

Friday 09th May 2014

Minister Wimal Weerawansa who dropped a political bombshell last week threatening to pull out from the Rajapaksa regime reveals the country’s economy is about to collapse, the President is powerless, the country has failed to take measures to defeat separatism and racism and there is lack of good governance.

Govt. Has Not Fulfilled ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ Promises Weerawansa by Thavam Ratna

 We don't trust Govt's explanation on casinos- Wimal Weerawansa 

Minister of Engineering and Construction, Wimal Weerawansa, said James Packer's investment challenges the culture and the economy of the country, although there are several casinos already operating in the country at present. "We don't need mass-scale casinos," he said in an interview with our sister paper, Mawbima.

Following are excerpts:

By Shalika Wimalasena- May 9, 2014
Q: Why are you against James Packer's investment in Sri Lanka?

We Don't Trust Govt's Explanation on Casinos- Wimal Weerawansa by Thavam Ratna

The Silence Of Animals: On Progress And Other Modern Myths

 By Charles Sarvan -May 9, 2014 

Prof. Charles Sarvan

“‘Peace upon earth!‘ was said. We sing it …  After two thousand years… We’ve got as far as poison-gas“   – From a quatrain by Thomas Hardy

John Gray has been Professor of Politics at Oxford, Harvard and Yale; and Professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics. He has now given up these posts and turned to writing full time.

John Gray, ‘The Silence of Animals: On Progress and Other Modern Myths‘ – Penguin Books, 2013.

‘Silence‘, a slim volume of about two hundred pages, is a wide-ranging iconoclastic work, taking in its sights both religion and the secular. Gray rejects the Humanist idea that human beings are the site of some kind of unique value in the world. Secondly, the idea that history is a story of increasing rationality and human progress. (Secularists believing in progress, Gray claims, are only worshipping a “divinized“ version of themselves.) To secularists, belief in human progress towards humaneness has become the substitute for faith in religion. But belief in progress is a myth though, as with other myths,  taken to be true. The French and Russian revolutions, the overthrow of the Shah of Iran and Saddam Hussein may have produced benefits for many people but increased freedom was not among them (pages 57-8). Liberal humanists believe that humanity advances to a better world in stages, slowly, in step-by-step increments:  catastrophes are but a necessary part of human advance. But this philosophy, sometimes called meliorism, is utopian, argues Professor Gray. I am reminded of Walter Benjamin’s interpretation of the watercolour by Paul Klee titled ‘Angelus Novus‘: “The face of the Angel of History is turned toward the past. Where we perceive a chain of events, he sees one single catastrophe which keeps piling wreckage upon wreckage and hurls it in front of his feet. The storm irresistibly propels him into the future to which his back is turned, while the pile of debris before him grows skyward. This storm is what we call progress.” (Fearing he would fall into the hands of the Nazis, Benjamin chose to commit suicide.)                                                        Read More