| Sexual violence against Tamils ‘systematic’, ‘part of policy framework’ - Yasmin Sooka | ||||||||||
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Peace for the World
First democratic leader of Justice the Godfather of the Sri Lankan Tamil Struggle: Honourable Samuel James Veluppillai Chelvanayakam
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Hague to investigate claims of Tamil rape victims being deported
- Wednesday, 11 June 2014
William Hague has said the government will investigate claims that Tamil asylum seekers are being deported from the UK to Sri Lanka despite evidence they have been subjected to rape and sexual abuse by the country's security forces.
Refugees, their lawyers and advocacy groups made the allegations on Tuesday on the opening day of the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, hosted by the UK, which has faced accusations of hypocrisy over the issue.
Lawyers even reported an acceleration of deportations of Tamils in recent weeks, which they believed has been triggered by anticipation of new Sri Lankan guidelines expected to bolster the cases of Tamil asylum seekers fleeing torture.
The foreign secretary pointed out that asylum decisions were handled by the home secretary, Theresa May, but that the Foreign Office contributed to country-by-country assessments of human rights. He promised an investigation and training for immigration officers to make them more sensitive to the plight of rape victims.
"We are a country that is open to asylum seekers. We uphold our standards very strictly and, whenever anyone thinks we are not doing that, we are always happy to investigate," Hague said.
"I particularly discussed with [May] already the importance, which she fully agrees with, of our immigration officers being trained in how they deal with people who have suffered sexual violence abroad.
"These things are discussed across government. They will continue to be. Where people have a valid point, a valid complaint, we will take it up. This is something the whole government feels strongly about. So be in no doubt: where there are issues, we will investigate them."
Hague was speaking at the start of the summit he is co-hosting with Angelina Jolie, serving as special envoy of the UN high commissioner for refugees.
Jolie said she would be talking to female Tamil refugees in Britain during the four-day summit to hear about sexual violence in Sri Lanka and would raise the issue when she meets the high commissioner, António Guterres, at the conference on Thursday.
A Home Office spokeswoman said Tamil refugees' complaints would be reviewed before commenting on their status.
Five years after the Sri Lankan army crushed the Tamil Tiger insurgents, human rights groups have reported continued abduction, torture, rape and other sexual violence against both male and female members of the Tamil minority.
A report this year by Yasmin Sooka, a member of the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales, found that "abduction, arbitrary detention, torture, rape and sexual violence have increased in the postwar period".
In a foreword to the report, Desmond Tutu, the South African archbishop emeritus, said: "I find it horrifying that almost half the witnesses interviewed for this report attempted to kill themselves after reaching safety outside Sri Lanka."
The conference at the ExCel centre in London brings together government ministers from more than 100 countries, including the US secretary of state, John Kerry, as well as activists and aid organisations.
The aim is for states and their security forces to sign up to a code of conduct aimed at preventing rape and other sexual abuse in conflict and agree to a protocol to ensure evidence of sexual violence is properly collected, crimes prosecuted and victims supported. On Tuesday Hague announced £6m in new UK funding for victim support.
Jolie said her joint two-year campaign with Hague leading up to the summit would only start making a real difference to the lives of war victims once the agreements made in London were implemented.
"For me it's going to be when I start to see prosecutions, when I start to see the evidence being collected, used in court, and the victims start to see the people that abused them pay for their crimes," Jolie said.
"When we start to see that regularly, we will know that there has been a change. That will start to not only change countries and communities and people's perceptions and make people think differently about the stigma of what they go through, but it will also prevent future situations. These things happen because people are sure they can get away with it."
Jolie and Hague said they would both continue to campaign for the protocol and other commitments by the world's governments, calling the London conference "just the beginning". Jolie, who has recently hinted she may retire from acting, vowed to keep campaigning against rape in war. "If there is more to be done, I will certainly do that. I'm committed to this for as long as it takes," she said.
However, the further the UK goes with its campaign against sexual violence abroad, the more the Home Office is likely to face pressure over its asylum practices, particularly in regard to Sri Lanka.
In Home Office documents released under a freedom of information request from advocacy group Freedom from Torture, the UK Border Agency admitted deporting 15 Sri Lankan nationals since 2009 who were then tortured by government security services on their return.
"It is very clear torture is still a common practice in Sri Lanka for both the police and military," said Jean-Benoit Louveaux, Freedom from Torture's policy and advocacy manager.
"In many of the cases we have examined in detail the victim disclosed, and our clinicians documented, evidence of sexual forms of torture including rape (anal, vaginal, oral and/or instrumental), beatings on and violence to the genital area, sexual molestation and individuals being forced to commit sexual acts on others."
In many cases, the Home Office appears to disbelieve asylum seekers, despite medical opinion supporting torture claims.
In the case of Thiru, a 25-year-old Sri Lankan Tamil facing deportation and showing increasing signs of trauma while in detention at the Brook House immigration removal centre at Gatwick, a doctor's medico-legal report in January said: "My professional opinion, from the physical and psychological evidence presented to me, is that there is nothing in the clinical picture to suggest a false allegation of mistreatment. On the contrary, [he] displays clinical symptoms and observed features which in my opinion are highly compatible with a history of torture."
Kulasegaram Geetharthanan, an immigration lawyer who says he has been involved with deportation cases of torture victims in the past few weeks, said: "It is shocking. We have plenty of forensic evidence to show a lot of our clients were subjected to rape during their time in detention, yet the British government is not even staying their deportations."
He added: "In my experience the [Foreign Office] is being elusive and showing double standards on this question. They're well aware of what is going on in Sri Lanka."
The Home Office said: "The UK has a proud record of offering sanctuary to those who need it, but people who do not have a genuine need for our protection must return to their home country. Each claim for asylum is carefully considered and where we find individuals are in need of our protection, for example if they are at real risk of torture or ill treatment on return, asylum in given.
by Victor Cherubim
( June 11, 2014, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) “It is not human to be a woman, but that is what we expect in war, to be called a woman. In the hierarchical structure in society, male dominance empowers life. Man is not only perceived as a symbol of patriotism, but conflict is the driver for his power. This is what it means to be a man, to be both patriotic and in conflict. Thus violence breeds man to overpower woman, in every part of the world.” So said Keedi of ABAAD, an organisation dedicated to the advancement and empowerment of women in Lebanon, at the landmark global summit to “End Sexual Violence in Conflict”.
| Day 2: Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict | |||||||||
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Advising students to think of us as Dons can engender a DO –Dr. Rasakumaran , President Jaffna FUTA laments
(Lanka-e-News-11.June.2014, 7.30PM) ‘Even if we advise the students to think of us as University Dons , the following day , we are branded as terrorists and a detention order (DO) may be served on us. Or , we may be labeled as of the Tamil Diaspora. As a result the University Dons of Jaffna are forced to remain silent and stop thinking,’ Dr. Amirthalingam Rasakumaran , the President of the Jaffna University Dons Association (FUTA) bemoaned, when he was explaining with profound concern the true situation in Jaffna which he claimed is a dark peninsular yesterday(10). He was making these comments when he arrived in Colombo to enlighten those in the south who are unable to understand the truth.
Dr. Rasakumaran made this rudely shocking exposure when participating in the media briefing held at the National library auditorium , Colombo last evening (10) , organized to express the solidarity of the civil society organizations and lawyers associations with the University Dons federation (FUTA) and against the death threats and intimidations posed to them , as well as to rescue and protect the State education .
Dr. Rasakumaran went on to elaborate as follows :
‘Today the situation in Jaffna is , if we express the truth , the following day we are bound to give explanation to the Terrorist investigation department (TID). If we talk out what we know we run the risk of being served with a DO and detained. What we ought to do and what we ought not are decided by them. I still remember what happened in 2012. The leader of the Jaffna University students was attacked with iron rods. That brutal attack was launched by none other than a group supporting the government. Because I issued a statement in that regard I was summoned to Vavuniya by the TID and questioned. I have neither done anything in violation of the country’s laws nor shall I in the future.
We just cannot express the truth. All what we can only do is , just say whatever they do is right. If we state the truth we are threatened . One day , my daughter and I went home in the evening. At about 6.45 p.m. they came in a jeep and told me to come and make a statement at about 10.00 p.m. I told them I cannot come in the night .
We cannot mourn for those who died. When Sinhalese people die , like how the Sinhala people mourn , deliver sermons and give pinkama (almsgiving) , the Tamil people also have a custom of lighting lamps in memory of the dead.
We don’t light lamps on behalf of terrorists. We do that in memory of our dead relatives who count as many as about 80,000. Because the ‘Great heroes day’ is in November , we have selected May as the month to commemorate the dead by lighting lamps. Yet many of our relatives died in November. They are alleging we are commemorating dead Prabhakaran. In Jaffna , many do not accept that Prabhakaran is dead. Why can’t we commemorate our dead relatives? We are being described as terrorists when we do that .
On the one hand when we look at ourselves we are like Robots. All Sri Lankans , whether they are Sinhalese or Tamils must have the right to express their views. Otherwise Sri Lanka (SL) is headed for disaster.
A 30 year period was destroyed. Please allow us room to express opinions and ideas without fear of death . Allocate 6 % towards education. Create a bright future for our children. Of course , because I uttered these truths , there is a possibility that I might face a DO tomorrow .
If we do not express now , in the future too freedom of expression may be denied . Hence , I was requested by Nirmal to come to Colombo and make my speech. My heartfelt gratitude to all of you.’
One journalist who stooped low to entertain a misconception based on Rasakumaran’s exposure that there are people in Jaffna who still think Prabhakaran is not dead tried to question whether that was the view of all others in his group . Another speaker answering that question replied , ‘we are here to express diverse opinions. Rasakumaran talked only about the belief of the Jaffna people.’
Attorney at law Lal Wijenayake , the convener of the lawyers for Democracy speaking on the occasion said, the Bar association is holding hands with the people to dethrone jungle laws and enthrone rule of law. The bar association is with the students to safeguard them against the devastation of State University education , Lal Wijenayake further emphasized.
Lawyer JC. Weliamuna of Lawyers united addressing the crowds said , the University Dons were facing death threats for about a month. Dons and students of Ruhunu University were attacked. The struggle of the teachers , students , FUTA must be safeguarded with the support of the civil organizations.
President of the University Dons federation (FUTA) Chandragupta Thenuwara, convener of media freedom campaign ; Sunil Jayasekera , Executive Director of PAFFREL organization Rohana Hettiarachi ;and convener of Platform for freedom , Sudahrshana Gunawardena , attorney at law also addressed the Press conference .
Dr. Nirmala Ranjith Devasiri , former President of the University Dons federation (FUTA); attorney at law W. Janaranjana ,chief editor of Ravaya newspaper; and Lakshman Gunasekera of the South Asian mass media association too were present among others at the Press conference.
(Lanka-e-News-11.June.2014, 7.30PM) ‘Even if we advise the students to think of us as University Dons , the following day , we are branded as terrorists and a detention order (DO) may be served on us. Or , we may be labeled as of the Tamil Diaspora. As a result the University Dons of Jaffna are forced to remain silent and stop thinking,’ Dr. Amirthalingam Rasakumaran , the President of the Jaffna University Dons Association (FUTA) bemoaned, when he was explaining with profound concern the true situation in Jaffna which he claimed is a dark peninsular yesterday(10). He was making these comments when he arrived in Colombo to enlighten those in the south who are unable to understand the truth.Dr. Rasakumaran made this rudely shocking exposure when participating in the media briefing held at the National library auditorium , Colombo last evening (10) , organized to express the solidarity of the civil society organizations and lawyers associations with the University Dons federation (FUTA) and against the death threats and intimidations posed to them , as well as to rescue and protect the State education .
Dr. Rasakumaran went on to elaborate as follows :
‘Today the situation in Jaffna is , if we express the truth , the following day we are bound to give explanation to the Terrorist investigation department (TID). If we talk out what we know we run the risk of being served with a DO and detained. What we ought to do and what we ought not are decided by them. I still remember what happened in 2012. The leader of the Jaffna University students was attacked with iron rods. That brutal attack was launched by none other than a group supporting the government. Because I issued a statement in that regard I was summoned to Vavuniya by the TID and questioned. I have neither done anything in violation of the country’s laws nor shall I in the future.
We just cannot express the truth. All what we can only do is , just say whatever they do is right. If we state the truth we are threatened . One day , my daughter and I went home in the evening. At about 6.45 p.m. they came in a jeep and told me to come and make a statement at about 10.00 p.m. I told them I cannot come in the night .
We cannot mourn for those who died. When Sinhalese people die , like how the Sinhala people mourn , deliver sermons and give pinkama (almsgiving) , the Tamil people also have a custom of lighting lamps in memory of the dead.
We don’t light lamps on behalf of terrorists. We do that in memory of our dead relatives who count as many as about 80,000. Because the ‘Great heroes day’ is in November , we have selected May as the month to commemorate the dead by lighting lamps. Yet many of our relatives died in November. They are alleging we are commemorating dead Prabhakaran. In Jaffna , many do not accept that Prabhakaran is dead. Why can’t we commemorate our dead relatives? We are being described as terrorists when we do that .
On the one hand when we look at ourselves we are like Robots. All Sri Lankans , whether they are Sinhalese or Tamils must have the right to express their views. Otherwise Sri Lanka (SL) is headed for disaster.
A 30 year period was destroyed. Please allow us room to express opinions and ideas without fear of death . Allocate 6 % towards education. Create a bright future for our children. Of course , because I uttered these truths , there is a possibility that I might face a DO tomorrow .
If we do not express now , in the future too freedom of expression may be denied . Hence , I was requested by Nirmal to come to Colombo and make my speech. My heartfelt gratitude to all of you.’
One journalist who stooped low to entertain a misconception based on Rasakumaran’s exposure that there are people in Jaffna who still think Prabhakaran is not dead tried to question whether that was the view of all others in his group . Another speaker answering that question replied , ‘we are here to express diverse opinions. Rasakumaran talked only about the belief of the Jaffna people.’
Attorney at law Lal Wijenayake , the convener of the lawyers for Democracy speaking on the occasion said, the Bar association is holding hands with the people to dethrone jungle laws and enthrone rule of law. The bar association is with the students to safeguard them against the devastation of State University education , Lal Wijenayake further emphasized.
Lawyer JC. Weliamuna of Lawyers united addressing the crowds said , the University Dons were facing death threats for about a month. Dons and students of Ruhunu University were attacked. The struggle of the teachers , students , FUTA must be safeguarded with the support of the civil organizations.
President of the University Dons federation (FUTA) Chandragupta Thenuwara, convener of media freedom campaign ; Sunil Jayasekera , Executive Director of PAFFREL organization Rohana Hettiarachi ;and convener of Platform for freedom , Sudahrshana Gunawardena , attorney at law also addressed the Press conference .
Dr. Nirmala Ranjith Devasiri , former President of the University Dons federation (FUTA); attorney at law W. Janaranjana ,chief editor of Ravaya newspaper; and Lakshman Gunasekera of the South Asian mass media association too were present among others at the Press conference.
No Future Without Respect For Law Enforcement
| by Basil Fernando
( June 11, 2014, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) The major problem affecting all Sri Lankans now, and which is likely to affect future generations, is the complete failure of law enforcement and resulting lawlessness. While virtually everyone is aware of this problem, it is not subject to conversation.
For the few who are vocal on matters of public interest, the sole concern seems to be regime change. This is, of course, something any reasonable person would agree with. However, the survival of the regime itself rests on the breakdown of law enforcement in every area of life and on the regime’s capacity to rely on lawlessness in order to guarantee its own survival.
What may be worth reflecting on is the aim achieved by causing the failure of all possible avenues for law enforcement by those who want to prevent any challenge to their power. Generating lawlessness is a political scheme. Like the prevention of the advance of an opposing army by destroying bridges or railway lines, a regime in power can defeat all who wish to oust it from power by ensuring that its opponents have no legal ground to stand on.
Under these circumstances, some may consider that the only option left is to resort to illegality themselves. However, such a strategy can itself play into the hands of a regime that stays in power lawlessly. Such a regime can attack its opponents with ferocity, unrestrained by any legal criteria or limitation. The violence through which the regime achieves its objectives may be horrendous.
However, there is nothing that can be achieved by way of retaliation. The lawless regime paralyses all possibilities of investigations and judicial interventions. The more demand there is for investigations and redress, the greater will be the resistance of the lawless regime to such moves.
Lawlessness affects everybody but the people affected most are poor and vulnerable groups. Incomes can be reduced to the point of making survival difficult. Even if real incomes remain the same, lowering of value can be done by various inflationary policies. The poorer the vulnerable groups get, the more that they have to turn to various ‘solutions’, such as borrowing at exorbitant interest. The result is the loss of whatever little property and possessions they have. Through various methods of increasing prices of essential goods, such as milk powder for children or medicine, the poor can be driven to accept the only alternative left, which is death. The more such things happen, the less talk there is about it.
Such things become normal.
And, when the problems are this deep, the kind of political alternatives suggested by the opposition appear more like gimmickry or mockery. People beset with such deep problems find no attraction to such kind of political opposition.
Unfortunately, the result is again in favour of the lawless regime. The people’s lack of faith in the opposition political parties generates the reason for the survival of such a regime. It does not exist on its own merit but due to the weaknesses of those supposed to oust it from power.
Thus, the breakdown of law enforcement and the resulting lawlessness is a vicious chain. It goes on and on. It creates more and more misery, more unimaginable evil. By destroying whatever possibilities exist within the law, it can extend its survival.
This has become the modus operandi of survival of many regimes and such regimes learn from each other. The lawless cooperate with the lawless. That is the kind of challenge people face under the present circumstances.
Praying At Pentecost
On Pentecost Sunday we celebrate the great feast of God’s gift of God’s very self, the Spirit of God to us. The Risen Lord breaths his Spirit on his disciples and sends them to bear witness to his mission. The Holy Spirit appeared in the form of tongues of fire and enabled the apostles to preach the word of God with courage.
Bishop Kumara Illangasinghe
The Holy Spirit came upon the disciples when they had gathered in prayer. The Spirit of God prays with us too, when we gather to pray. St Paul says, “We do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes, with sighs too deep for words”. Further when ever the community is founded on faith, there the Spirit of God is alive. Only when our community is grounded on their own spiritual resources, will we experience the presence of God. Jesus says, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I, in their midst”.
Just like God who raised Jesus the Son of God, from the dead, the Holy Spirit becomes the agent of our own everyday resurrection, in our mortal flesh. The Apostles were transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and it is our hope that we would be transformed too by that same Spirit. Therefore, let us pray that the power of god be active in our lives.
We need to first pray for ourselves that we will be strengthened, encouraged and empowered to discern the truth, amidst so much of deception and untruth around us. Let us pray that God will help us to develop a Sri Lankan spirituality. A spirituality of silence and a spirituality of voice, which will go side by side and hand in hand. ‘Silence’ to listen to the still small voices of God, that will also come to us through the cries of God’s people around us. Also to understand our own calling and to realise what God is calling us to do, amidst such cries. The ‘voice’ is to express and reveal this reality of God’s crying people around us. This is also to give a voice to the unheard cries, the voiceless in our society, there by to enhance the bond of solidarity in the community. Such binding will also express the ‘community salvation’, rather than individual and selfish salvation or the liberation, that is much prevalent in our religious as well as social aspects of the community. This is important because even in the calling of individuals in the Bible, God calls them to be co-workers with God for community salvation. Certainly not for individual, personal or selfish inward looking liberation. Therefore, it is necessary for us to pray for ourselves, so that we uphold each other, in the total mission of God in our own country and in the world, for the liberation of the community.
The Spirit of God is also the Spirit of Freedom and Liberation. The apostles were freed from all bondage and fear. As much as in the world, it is also a reality in our own country that freedom is only served with lip service. Therefore let us uphold in our prayers all those whose freedom has been curtailed or denied in our society. We need to identify al least some of the main areas where freedom is being curtailed. Read More
Arbitrary Disruption of TISL’s Investigative Journalism Workshop
admin | June 10, 2014
The Transparency International of Sri Lanka (TISL) vehemently condemns the disruption of a workshop they had organized on investigative journalism for the second time and urges the government to take stern action against those who were responsible.
TISL has been conducting training programmes for journalists on the subject of investigative reporting against bribery and corruption and good governance for many years. With the intention of encouraging journalists to write investigative reports on the recommendations made by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Committee (LLRC) to ensure good governance, a similar programme was introduced for the vernacular language journalists.
The entire process of the programme was publicized through the media in view of complete transparency and selection of the participants was done through application process.
The programme had already been conducted for Sinhala language journalists. The workshop for Tamil language journalists started in Deer Park Hotel, Giritale on 22nd May. Tamil and Muslim journalists from North and Eastern provinces and Colombo were in participation. However, during the conference the hotel management informed the TISL that the workshop could no longer be conducted based on instructions received from the Ministry of Defence. The TISL is in possession of written evidence from the hotel management to prove this.
Thereafter, TISL decided to hold the workshop at the Goldie Sands Hotel, Negombo, but this was disrupted by an organized group of persons who arrived at the premise. The protesters accused the TISL of supporting terrorists and claimed that the workshop was to train people to give evidence against Sri Lanka in an international investigation. We have evidence that these protesters were transported to Negombo from outside.
Despite continuous emphasis by our representatives that this workshop is legal and not something against the country, the police did not take any action to disperse the protestors, instead. Even TISL representatives continually highlighted the fact that the police did not take any steps to disperse the crowd. Instead of dispersing the crowd, the police ordered to stop the workshop. Superintendent of Police J.K.H. Liyanage who arrived at place said police protection can be provided only if we stop the workshop and leave Negombo.
The TISL express displeasure over the statement made by a high rank police official. The police acting in favour of the protestors imply that there is an invisible but powerful hand behind the incident.
The journalists who took part in the workshops were registered with and accredited by the Ministry of Mass Media and Information. Protestors claimed that these journalists are Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) agents. If these journalists are LTTE representatives as claimed, the Ministry of Mass Media and Information should then take responsibility for it.
These journalists were labeled as LTTE agents because they are Tamils and since they work in the Tamil language. Such acts are an obstacle to the reconciliation process and at a time when we speak of national unity, the violation of rights of the Tamil journalists cannot be approved. We firmly believe that Tamil journalists should also have the right to receive training like the Sinhala journalists did.
Due to the intimidation, we took steps to take the journalists to the Galadari Hotel, Colombo and there also the hotel management informed us to leave the hotel within one hour after check in. When we inquired further the hotel management said that a powerful organization had forced them to remove the journalists from the hotel threatening that if not complied with they would personally come and remove the journalists from the premises.
This is the kind of power that some organizations have to influence the civil administration. These journalists went back home after sleepless nights due to the hardships they faced. It has since come to light that people from the Military were among protestors. When we are in dire need of a strong civil administration, the Ministry of Defence overuses their powers. Interference in to civil administration has restricted human rights and violated good governance. This is not an isolated event but an undemocratic attempt to stop the efforts to combat corruption.
Race in Sri Lanka: What genetic evidence tells us
By Asiff Hussein-Sunday, January 26, 2014
Race is a touchy issue almost everywhere in the world but nowhere is this more pronounced than in countries where there is a plurality of peoples. People become more race conscious when another group of people differing in physical features, language, culture and religion live in their midst. The greater the difference, the greater the distance. But there is one little thing that people often miss out on, which is that all races can freely interbreed with one another. This, needless to say, points only to one fact, that all humans have a common origin. From the Darkest African to the Fairest European or the Red Indian from a continent discovered a little over 500 years ago, all men are one. The Biblical story of Adam and Eve after all does seem to have a factual basis.
A Veddah man from Dambana
A Moor man from Panadura
Bow Down Politics
| by Robinhood
( June 11, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) There were few articles by local political commentators in where they were questioning the worshipping of the leaders in the Sri Lankan political culture? He stated that the current growth of deterioration in Sri Lankan politics is this Politics of Worship. There is a picture of Minister Pavithra Devi Wanniarachchi worshipping president Rajapaksa during the May Day platform in the internet. Sri Lanka is the only country which has a picture of ministers worshipping the head of state amid a large gathering.
Before this there was a world famous picture of an infamous minister Mervin Silva worshipping President Rajapaksa following swearing him as a minister. Recently there was another mostly seen picture of a leftist leader Vasudeva Nanayakkara who stooping two three times and worshipping president Rajapaksa. These pictures above do not bring any dignity for Sri Lanka but bring shame why because the leaders who entertain and promote such customs lived only in the feudal era. In the present world such personified politics remain only in authoritarian regimes. As a matter of fact all the pictures above symbolizes the current beneficial political culture of Sri Lanka.
Generalizing his bowing to president minister Vasudewa told the Lanka Herald website that “I love this person; we should keep this person as the head of state as well as in the parliament why because there isn’t anybody better than him, I can tell this hundred times”. This worship committed by Vasudewa is not because of any love but due to Mahinda Rajapaksa being the Executive President. When Mahinda Rajapaksa was spending his time as a warrior this Nanayakkra never bowed him because both were in a similar position.
When president Rajapaksa recently gave political appointments to individual in the Police, Judicial and to the Human Rights Commission this Vasudeva Nanayakkara generalizing these appointments said that “The policing should be governed by the government in power which cannot be run by an independent commission.
The government is in charge of governance. Governance cannot be implemented without enforcing the police and law. We cannot let it operate independently. So this independent commission is just an imaginary ideology which is not possible to be rooted in the earth”. The above statement takes us to the center of the worshipping political culture. The implied meaning of that is all the acolytes should be submissive to the powers vested by the King who is the executive president. If a road is to be named by the name of a young songstress who sang the “Rajapaksa is our king” when the regime won the war, anybody could realize how this Rajapaksa monarchic glory is powerful. If such a monarchical glory is imposed to an executive he becomes a universally exculpatory and universally authoritative. The ironic point in this is not only the executive president but his entire escorts exploit this power.
A provincial politician recently told he felt pity and shame to see how the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) ministers were stooping and humble in front of this young Namal Rajapaksa when the latter attended a meeting. These pictures above where politicians worshipping the head of state exposes a loyalty and discloses a message of impunity aiming the people to become beneficiary and stooge to his executive power which discloses an unquestionable royal grandeur and to enjoy freedom from crimes. How long can a President Rajapaksa continue offering state properties and lands to his loyal politicians, stooges and relatives to his own whims? This is the reason why the media abstains reporting at least an accident committed by the president’s son. That is why when the first ladies brother lands a Sri Lankan airline in Singapore for his personal benefit does not reflect in the headlines of any newspapers. That is why only Ravaya Newspaper can only publish (besides the internet) the sports warfare and arms training of president’s son who bears the captain of the Sri Lankan rugby team.
Exercising the weapons used to kill people for sports warfare does not increase the spirit of sports but a defeating attitude via fowl means. If an exercise of combat is used to train any sport in a country where thousands of people were killed in a brutal war does not increase the spirit of any sports but to harm and kill the opponents. If a question is raised to this young sportsmen’s who are the imaginary enemy the answer would be the UNP MP’s in Hambanthota, the people in Rathupaswala who wanted good drinking water and the suspected Tamils in the North.
Recently we heard a similar story from North Korean sportsmen who participated in Olympics. He said he in front of media that he shoots the target considering shooting to an enemy. His statement shocked the whole Olympic and the entire world because his enemy was his neighboring South Korea. No wonder his statement was a heinous one.
This North Korean story is much more important to us in another way. Why because there is a cult of personality joining hands with a brutal authoritative power. North Korean calendar begins from the Birthday of Kim II Sung the grandfather of the current leader Kim Jong-un. It is similar to stating the birth years of the Christ and Lord Buddah. According to the North Korean constitution Kim II Sung is the leader of North Korea till eternity. The university students in North Korea have to cut their hair according to the model of Kim Jong-un. North Korea is a typical example of how extreme a personified obeisance would reach.
Personal obeisance would always join hands with authoritarian. There is no difference for that for Uganda or North Korea. At present the personal obeisance is building up by the help of modern communication. Authoritarian leaders always try to use the mass media, photograph’s, praising songs and large cut outs of the latter and tries to impress him as a national hero and as a savior among the people. In a short time he becomes a symbol of heroic journey. An alternative for such a regressive and feudal political culture is the civil and a political custom. But at present politics you can only find leaders as gallery politicians. Today as a consequence of an equality culture in 1980’s you can find a culture of calling the politicians as “Sir, Madam and Oh Lord”
Robinhood – Defending the rights of politically oppressed.
”Paradigm Shift Needed In Tamil Thinking”
By Vishwamithra1984 -June 11, 2014
“The time is long overdue to stop looking for progress through racial or ethnic leaders. Such leaders have too many incentives to promote polarizing attitudes and actions that are counterproductive for minorities and disastrous for the country.“ ~Thomas Sowell
Velupullai Prabhakaran had a dream until it turned out to be a terrible nightmare that kept on haunting the forlorn hearts and minds of the people in the North in particular and the majority Sinhalese in the South for nearly thirty punishing years. After many thousands of young men and women have perished, some as fighting soldiers on the battlefields in the North and East and others, innocent civilians, as victims of suicide bombings and indiscriminate slaughter, the dust doesn’t seem to have settled. The two communities, Sinhalese and Tamils, are as divided as ever, more so politically, than in the ordinary spheres of culture and economy. The distrust and lack of empathy for each other in both communities are growing invisibly. The rhetorical utterances, especially those made by Sinhalese Government politicians, are most closely backed by their allies in the clergy but these utterances have become empty words, with more noise than voice; nothing more, nothing less.
This play-acting by both communities is mainly for the consumption of the foreign media and overseas leaders. While portraying themselves to the global marketplace as fair-minded and compassionate, the governing circles, particularly those who are closely identified with the First Family as well as theTNA leadership, are posing to the indigenous audience as diehard nationalists whose only purpose of political existence is the safeguarding and the well-being of their respective communities. Enmeshed in a indirect and intricate socio-political maneuver of nationalistic propaganda, both communities and their respective leaders have been betrothed in a mad rush to drive their peoples to extremes; that extreme seems to be receding further and further into irreconcilable postures adopted by both parties with each successive event or sub-event that is overtaking the speedy flow of politics and legislative process. Read More
SLT, Upali Newspapers become joint business under Welgama!
- Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Nimal Welgama is the chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom and Mobitel. According to reports, he is using resources at these two institutions for activities of Upali Newspapers Ltd. He is being aided in this wrongdoing by Mobitel CEO Kapila Chandrasena, CFO Nishantha Weerakoon and senior administrative officer Namal Ratnayake.
Two Mobitel-owned Montero jeeps, one bearing the number KE 6827 and silver in colour, and the other a black one bearing the number KK 0071 had been used for a considerable period by two top officials of Upali Newspapers. Mobitel is providing fuel and paying the maintenance costs for the two Monteros. It is Mobitel which provides vehicles and fuel free to top officials recruited to Upali Newspapers. This should be investigated and a sworn affidavit obtained from the relevant officials, as CEO Chandrasena, CFO Weerakoon and SAO Ratnayake all are to be blamed for this fraud. Both Welgama and Chandrasena have been committing such wrongdoing, but the chiefs of the ‘Subha Anagathayak’ are not taking any action against them, according to SLT and Mobitel employees.
These employees point out that the duo is using CFO Weerakoon and SAO Ratnayake after understanding their weak points and keeping with them the material evidence against the two. For instance, CFO Weerakoon had tried to sexually abuse one Sarayanya, a girl employed at Mobitel, and she has lodged a complaint against him. Instead of taking action against him, Welgama and Chandrasena had transferred victim of the incident to the engineering division.
It is no secret that this year, Upali Newspapers did not print diaries, and it was the diaries printed by Mobitel that had been distributed to all employees of Upali Newspapers. Welgama and Chandrasena had been aided in that by one Nalin Perera, of Mobitel, who is a habitual user of filthy language and one who serves his father’s packaging business more than Mobitel. Everybody knows about that, but Welgama and Chadrasena do not take any action against Nalin Perera, as they fear him, according to SLT and Mobitel employees.
As we exposed previously, Welgama and Chandrasena had carried out the requirements through Shamindra Rajapaksa for the the shady deal between Lyca and Mobitel. Await full details of that deal…
Diplomatic service in further disorder due to Anushi Shivaraja’s posting!
- Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Sri Lanka is on course for yet another diplomatic crisis owing to the appointment, at the request of minister Arumugam Thondaman, of Anushi Shivaraja, deputy chairperson of the Ceylon Workers Congress and former education minister of Central Province, as the deputy high commissioner at the Sri Lankan deputy high commission in Chennai, South India.
Anushi is the daughter of Annamalai, the financial secretary of the CWC during the period Saumiamoorthy Thondaman was its leader. She is married to Ponnaiah Sivaraja, the private secretary to Senthil Thondaman, who is hoping to become next leader of the party.
Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalitha Jeyaram and the CWC have been at odds for a long period of time due to the party’s having supported Karunanidhi, her political opponent, since the time Saumiamoorthy Thondaman was its leader.
It was on the advice of Jayalalitha that Arumugam Thondaman and a popular South Indian actress were arrested from Saveri Woodland Hotel in Chennai in 1996. Later, Arumugam Thondaman was freed following diplomatic influence, but by then, the South Indian media had given wide publicity to the incident.
Jayalalitha knows that minister Thondaman still has close ties with members of the Karunanidhi family, and is going after them seeking revenge. In such a scenario, it was downright foolish to appoint a deputy chairperson of the CWC as the deputy high commissioner in Chennai, said the senior officer of the external affairs ministry who related this story to us. By making this appointment, what the external affairs ministry has done was to add fuel to the fire.
Sri Lankan Parliament to Decide on Probe by UN Rights Panel
World | Press Trust of India | Updated: June 11, 2014
Colombo: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that the Parliament will decide whether to allow a UN panel in the country to probe alleged human rights abuses during the final phase of the conflict with the LTTE."Parliament is the forum for people's representatives. They will decide if the inquiry panel should be allowed into the country," he said, while addressing a public gathering in the north central town of Medirigiriya on Tuesday.
Mr Rajapaksa said his government had been penalised by the international community for ending terrorism. "We have to go and file answers in Geneva every six months for the sin of liberating the country," he said.
"Now they have appointed an individual to conduct an inquiry against the country. I was informed by a letter that they have appointed an individual. They sought permission to travel to Colombo.
They will want to dig here dig there to raise war crimes charges against us," he said. His comments came as the UN rights chief Navy Pillay yesterday outlined her operationalising of the comprehensive investigation on Sri Lanka.
Lanka has repeatedly declined to cooperate with the investigation saying it was intrusive of its sovereignty. Lanka's opposition was also stated by its UN Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha in Geneva yesterday at the opening of the UN rights body's 26th session.
International rights groups claim nearly 40,000 civilians were killed by Lankan troops in the final stages of the civil war that ended in May 2009 with the killing of LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran.
Sri Lanka denies that its military killed any civilians, but instead says the defeated LTTE rebels. The UN panel is said to be willing to visit Lanka between July and November.
Mr Rajapaksa has two thirds majority in the 225-member parliament.
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