A Monk Killed, BBS Claimed But IGP Refused & The Full Speech By BBS Head
Furthermore, IGP, N.K Illangakoon stated that the rumour that a monk was killed as a result of the Aluthgama clashes is false.
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)
Monday, June 16, 2014
SRI LANKA: BBS leads riots and mayhem in Aluthgama
June 16, 2014
Violence has spread in Aluthgama. According to reports, it has so far caused three deaths, as well as injuries to many persons and damage to some Muslim places of worship and gathering. The violence has driven many women and children out of their homes into places of refuge. The man leading this mayhem is a Buddhist monk named Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara Thera.
His threats are quite clear. He threatens to destroy Muslim businesses at Aluthgama, Beruwala and other places. He instructs his listeners to grab any bags with Halal signs and throw them on the ground. He asks his audience to fight against the minorities. Part of the audience shouts back saying yes, they will do it. The monk calls the President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa a brainless person and asks whether any person with brains would appoint a Muslim to be a Minister of Justice. He tells the crowd that party politics have destroyed us and calls upon the crowd to unite and take things into their own hands.
Things are set on fire and another disciple of his sings poetry to the crowd, asking them to rise up.
According to the monk, the minorities are organizing themselves and he calls upon the Sinhalese to wake up and fight back before they get destroyed.
Large numbers of policemen can be seen in the background with heavy weapons. They do nothing to stop the violence or the calls for more violence.
In recent years, every student demonstration, every attempt by the trade unionists to bring their grievances to the public, and even the protests by fishermen on issues relating to their livelihood have been met by severe repercussions by the police, the Special Task Force (STF) and even the military. In such attacks on demonstrations, many people have even been killed and many others have been seriously injured. Even more persons have been arrested, brought before courts and remanded.
However, when the BBS openly call people to violence and engage in rioting and arson, there is no retaliation. Instead, the police provide protection for holding such gatherings aimed purely to cause violence on minorities, particularly against Muslims.
June is a month away from July and it is natural for memories of Black July to come forward when such rioting and mayhem is unleashed.
June is a month away from July and it is natural for memories of Black July to come forward when such rioting and mayhem is unleashed.
There is no doubt that this violence has the blessings of the government and the Ministry of Defence. Strangely, the idea of national security in Sri Lanka seems to incorporate allowing a free hand for violence against the minorities. Using mobs for this purpose and allowing lawlessness is strangely a part of a “security plan”. The Asian Human Rights Commission has constantly warned that lawlessness, when allowed, knows no bounds. The Rajapaksa regime is committed to the pursuit of lawlessness. Without any doubt, the country is facing extremely dangerous times.
It is under these circumstances that the government is asking the parliament to decide on whether to give permission to UN investigators to come to Sri Lanka. At no stage has the government opened a debate on the violence caused by the BBS and the threats to peace caused by rioting and mayhem under the leadership of Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara Thera. The government is concerned about the possibility of investigations being held on crimes, including war crimes. Sri Lanka is turning into a strange country, one in which investigating crimes, no matter how serious, is disallowed.
Violence is allowed; investigations into violence are a taboo. Vast masses of people in the country want peace and the prevalence of the rule of law. It is the government that wants violence and provides opportunities for a small group to cause it. Unless those who want peace and the rule of law intervene, things may turn out to be bleak for everyone.
Turn Your Twitter Words To Action – NPC Tells Rajapaksa
TJune 16, 2014
“We draw attention to President Mahinda Rajapaksa‘s statement that his government will not permit anyone to take the law into their own hands. But it is necessary to back words with actions and if anyone is not following the President’s commitment then such person or persons should be dealt with.” says the National Peace Council.
Issuing a statement on ongoing Sri Lanka’s growing unrest, the NPC said today; “We hope the truth behind the incident will be made public and the perpetrators of violence and destruction will not go free to continue with their rampage elsewhere.”
We publish below the statement in full;
The mob attack on Muslim owned shops and homes in Aluthgamaand Beruwela signifies a significant escalation in anti Muslim activities that have been taking place over the past two years. It is reported that at least 2 persons have died and more than 30 injured in clashes. Previous such incidents were on individual targets, including mosques and shops. In most of those previous incidents the responses by the police and security forces was slow or ineffective with the miscreants going free, which created a climate of impunity for the attackers. Read More
‘Aluthgama’ Needs To Be Arrested Forthwith
By Malinda Seneviratne -June 15, 2014
Malinda Seneviratne
The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) holds a rally following an ‘incident’. A second, more violent incident follows. That’s an easy line to draw, i.e. from BBS to violence. It holds. The language, the whipping up of emotions, creation and/or exacerbation of apprehensions regarding another community do not add up to prthagjanas reverting to the foundational tenets, especially wisdom and compassion, or the inhabiting of the sathara brahma viharana (compassion, kindness, equanimity and rejoicing in another’s joys) but produce a quick slide to besieged mentality, persecution mania and the adaptation of ‘attack is the best form of defence’ thinking.
What are the ‘facts’ that we have here? There’s the ‘incident’ where it is claimed that a Muslim person had hit a bikkhu. Claiming is easy and this side of arahathood anyone, bikkhus included, can transgress precepts, including the fourth, the commitment not to utter falsehood). Not only are things lost in narration, lots get added on too in the process. A disagreement becomes dispute, dispute becomes argument, argument raises voices, raised voices lead to in-your-face closeness, proximity tends to contact, contact is read as aggressive touch, touch is blow, and blow is assault. What happens between two human beings is then an altercation between two persons from two communities, religious communities, that is. Read More
Sri Lanka Muslims killed in Aluthgama clashes with Buddhists
Muslim shops were burned and looted in the town
16 June 2014
At least three Muslims have been killed in overnight clashes with hardline Buddhists in southern Sri Lanka.
The men died of gunshot wounds near a mosque in the town of Aluthgama in what is seen as Sri Lanka's worst outbreak of sectarian violence in years.
Muslims killed in Sri Lanka mob attacks
: 16 Jun 2014
Sinhala Buddhist monks accused of leading attacks in coastal towns of Aluthgama and Beruwala.
At least three people have been killed and more than 80 people injured in overnight mob attacks led by Sinhala Buddhist monks in two coastal Sri Lankan towns, according to medics.
Over 1,000 Sri Lankan army have been deployed on Monday in the popular resort towns of Aluthgama and Beruwala, and police extended a curfew after Muslim properties and mosques came under attack. Violence also spread to Lathugana town.
Police said they fired tear gas and widened the curfew to Beruwala, a predominantly Muslim area, after initial violence broke out in Aluthgama, 60km south of the capital Colombo.
Both areas are popular beach resorts frequented by international tourists, but there were no reports of any foreigners caught up in the violence.
Hilmy Ahmed, the spokesman of Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, told Al Jazeera that the situation was calmer now, but there was large-scale destruction of property.
"At least nine shops and up to 40 houses have been gutted in Aluthgama, while three mosques were attacked," Ahmed said over phone from southern Sri Lanka.
The army has been brought in to control the situation, while the injured have been admitted to hospitals.
Escalating clashes
A police spokesman said trouble began on Sunday evening when members of Bodu Bala Sena, or Buddhist Force tried to march in an area with a sizeable population of Muslims.
Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem accused his own government of failing to protect Muslims from the mob led by monks from BBBS, which has been engaged in an anti-Muslim campaign in recent years.
Hakeem urged "all relevant parties to remain calm and not to instigate further violence".
"Please let the police do their job. The attacks last night will not be tolerated and we will prosecute any and all responsible," he told Al Jazeera.
At one point elite police commandos were called upon to rescue a deputy minister, Faiser Mustapha, who was trapped inside a school along with dozens of Muslims who fled their homes fearing attacks from angry Buddhist mobs.
"Some Buddhists are deliberately targeting Muslims. But unfortunately police have not been able to protect the minorities," the Muslim Council's Ahmed earlier told Al Jazeera.
"A petty feud between two individuals has been allowed to take a religious tone. The extremist Buddhists led by BBS attacked Muslims and are still in the area despite the curfew."
President's appeal
A spokesman for Bodu Bala Sena could not immediately be reached for comment. The group said representatives would meet with reporters later on Monday to clarify its position.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is currently visiting Bolivia, said he would not allow "anyone to take the law into their own hands".
"An investigation will be held for ... to bring to book those responsible for incidents in Alutgama," he said onTwitter.
"I urge all parties concerned to act with restraint."
There were no reports of arrests, as people in the riot-hit areas said Muslims were leaving their homes and seeking shelter in community centres as fears of more violence lurked.
The latest unrest came just weeks after Muslim politicians asked Rajapaksa to protect their minority community from "Buddhist extremist elements" blamed for a recent spate of hate attacks.
Nationalist Buddhist groups have in turn accused religious minorities of wielding undue political and economic influence on the island.
Barbarism Of Sinhala Buddhist Extremist Forces Against Muslims
By Eastern Muslim University Teachers’ Association for Human Rights -June 16, 2014
The Eastern Muslim University Teachers’ Association condemns the outrageous barbarism unleashed against the Muslims of Sri Lanka by the Sinhala Buddhist extremist forces like Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) aimed at resurrecting another pogrom of 1915 or 1983.
The recent trend of hatred and intolerance coupled with incidents associated with violence towards Muslims underlines the ethno-religious politics of the successive government in the post-independence of Sri Lanka. In the aftermath of the war in the country, the Buddhist extremist forces like Bodu Bala Sena and Sinhala Ravaya whipping up anti-Muslim campaign or hysteria with the tacit approval of the government aims at wrecking the cordial and congenial relationship between Sinhelese and Muslims.
Ranil to make special speech on Aluthgama incident
June 16, 2014
Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe is to deliver a special statement in Parliament tomorrow (17) over the situation which has risen in Aluthgama and Beruwala areas.
In a statement issued today, the United National Party (UNP) stated that a groups of party representatives, including Leadership Council chairman Karu Jayasuriya and General Secretary Tissa Attanayake are scheduled to visit the aforementioned areas to look into the situation and submit a report to the party.
The opposition party accused the government of completely failing to control the tense situation in Aluthgama and Beruwala.
In a statement issued today, the United National Party (UNP) stated that a groups of party representatives, including Leadership Council chairman Karu Jayasuriya and General Secretary Tissa Attanayake are scheduled to visit the aforementioned areas to look into the situation and submit a report to the party.
The opposition party accused the government of completely failing to control the tense situation in Aluthgama and Beruwala.
An innocent man is shot dead - the police officers must be charged with murder (2)
16 June 2014
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding unlawful killing of a young man by the Sri Lankan police. Subash Indika Jayasinghe (24), a resident of Kithuwala, was riding his motorbike in the company of his passenger, Saveen Chathuranga (18) when they were flagged down by officers attached to the Nittambuwa Police Station. The two men had just alighted from the bike when one of the officers shot Indika point blank in the chest. No words were spoken and no warnings were given. The police made no effort to provide medical assistance to the victim who died shortly after.
South American Drug Trade Deja Vu
After overtaking Colombia as the world's top producer of coca, cocaine's main ingredient, in 2013, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) announced this week that Peru greatly decreased cocaine cultivation, reducing coca production by 17.5 percent. U.N. officials herald it the "most remarkable reduction rate achieved in the last 14 years."
After overtaking Colombia as the world's top producer of coca, cocaine's main ingredient, in 2013, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) announced this week that Peru greatly decreased cocaine cultivation, reducing coca production by 17.5 percent. U.N. officials herald it the "most remarkable reduction rate achieved in the last 14 years."
But no one is declaring victory in the war on drugs quite yet: Although Peruvian yields are down, the price of coca leaves has increased by 30 percent. Similarly, the price of base cocaine has increased more than 17 percent. Most importantly, the street form -- cocaine hydrochloride -- increased almost 32 percent from 2013 prices, according to the UNODC. Though authorities have squeezed the supply of coca and its products some, demand remains high. Moreover, if the Andean drug trade's history is any indication, supply will simply shift to another country.
Drug researchers call this the "balloon effect" -- where pressure from the authorities in one country or region pushes drug production elsewhere. Squeezing the balloon at one end causes drug producers to compensate and expand into another. Since the U.S.-led war on drugs began in the 1980s, the balloon effect has shaped the cocaine trade.
In 2013, fumigation and forced eradication of coca crops in Colombia finally hit a turning point and the South American nation bequeathed its crown as the world's top coca producer to its neighbor, Peru. Both the United States and the U.N. declared it a milestone. Unsaid was that the Colombian government's efforts to crack down on production -- in part under the banner of Plan Colombia, the U.S.-backed effort to combat left-wing guerrillas and drug traffickers -- simply shifted production to Peru.
Colombia and Peru have swapped the coca-producer champion crown for decades. In the mid-90s Peru launched an intense eradication campaign and Colombia was back on top. In 1990, Colombia was only responsible for 19 percent of the global coca market, behind top producers Bolivia and Peru. By 1997, it was the world's top producer. See the pattern here?
Growing global demand is a big factor in shifting supply locations. Even though demand for cocaine is dropping in the United States -- still the world's largest cocaine consumer -- it's up in Brazil, Europe, and Africa, according to the 2013 U.N. World Drug Report. Colombia is the United States' largest cocaine supplier but Brazil -- the No. 2 cocaine market and No. 1 crack-cocaine market -- and Europe are supplied by Peru and, to a lesser extent, Bolivia. Peru's crackdown will undoubtedly move coca central again but exactly where is unclear. History makes Colombia and Bolivia top contenders. Coca growers in Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, and Brazil are trying to increase production in those countries.
Meanwhile, Brazil is also becoming a vital transit route for shipping cocaine to West Africa and Europe, where markets are growing. Brazilian consumption, as well as trade of the substance, will only open up more emerging markets to the high of cocaine. And as incomes rise in Asia, cocaine consumption there will likely spike, possibly more than making up for Americans' shrinking appetite.
As before, the South American drug trade will find a way to persevere.
How billionaires are fixing philanthropy
Steve Forbes is Chairman of Forbes Media, Inc., Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Magazine, and co-author of the recently published book 'Money, How the Destruction of the Dollar Threatens the Global Economy and What We Can Do About It.'
Imagine a child, suffering from malaria in Tanzania. A couple of years ago, philanthropists would have donated medicine or money for treatment. Today, they’re working to cure the disease for good.
Russia cuts gas to Ukraine, flows to EU threatened
KIEV/GORKI Russia
(Reuters) - Russia cut off gas to Ukraine on Monday in a dispute over unpaid bills that could disrupt supplies to the rest of Europe and set back hopes for peace in the former Soviet republic.
Iraq crisis: US considers talks with Iran
MONDAY 16 JUNE 2014
The United States is preparing to open direct dialogue with Iran to discuss the ongoing crisis in Iraq, after photos emerge that appear to show Sunni extremists massacring captured Iraqi soldiers.
The United States is preparing to open direct dialogue with Iran to discuss the ongoing crisis in Iraq, after photos emerge that appear to show Sunni extremists massacring captured Iraqi soldiers.
A Horrible Lynching in Omaha, Nebraska, 1919
This Lady Refused To Sit Next To A 'Negro.' The Best Part Is What The Captain Did!
From May through September 1919, over 25 race riots rocked cities from Texas to Illinois, Nebraska to Georgia. In Omaha, the trouble began on September 25, when a white woman, Agnes Loebeck, reported that she was assaulted by a black man.
  Agnes Loebeck .Source — NSHS. |
"The most daring attack on a white woman ever perpetrated in Omaha occurred one block south of Bancroft street near Scenic Avenue in Gibson last night."Coverage in the World-Herald was slightly less inflammatory:
"Pretty little Agnes Loebeck ... was assaulted ... by an unidentified negro at twelve O'clock last night, while she was returning to her home in company with Millard [sic] Hoffman, a cripple."
 Will Brown was accused of assaulting Agnes Loebeck. Source — NSHS. |
Before the police could leave the Loebeck house, a mob gathered outside and threatened to seize Brown. After an hour's confrontation, police reinforcements arrived and Brown was transferred to the Douglas County Courthouse. Several police officers were ordered to report at once to police headquarters in case of further trouble, and 46 policemen and a detective were kept on duty well into the night.
 Rioters on the south side of Douglas County Courthouse, Omaha, Nebraska, September 28, 1919. Source — NSHS, RG2281-72. |
After the confrontation outside the Loebeck home, rumors began to fly that a mob would try to seize Brown again. On Sunday, September 28, a group of youths gathered in south Omaha and began a march to the Douglas County courthouse. Eventually, thousands of angry people gathered at the courthouse and by evening, the Omaha police and city officials inside the courthouse were virtual prisoners. The size of the crowd was estimated as between 5,000 and 15,000 people. By 8:00 p.m. the mob had begun firing on the courthouse with guns they looted from nearby stores. In that exchange of gunfire, one 16-year-old leader of the mob, and a 34-year-old businessman a block away were killed. By 8:30 the mob had set fire to the building and prevented fire fighters from extinguishing the flames. Inside, Will Brown moaned to Sheriff Mike Clark, "I am innocent, I never did it, my God I am innocent."
Mayor Smith had been at the scene for several hours. He came out of the courthouse and tried to reason with the mob. He asked them to forget the prisoner and allow the firemen to put out the flames. At that point, the mayor was knocked down by a blow to his head, and the next thing he knew, he was on Harney Street. One end of a rope was being flung over a lamp post. The other end tightened around his neck. That was the last thing he remembered until he woke up in a hospital where he remained for several days in serious condition with severe head injuries.
Mayor Smith had been rescued, but there are several versions of how the rescue happened. Some reports say police detectives were responsible for saving Smith's life. Others give the credit to a young man named Russell Norgaard.
Whatever the true story, the mob lost interest in Smith and concentrated on getting Brown out of the courthouse.
Brown ended up in the hands of the crazed mob. He was beaten into unconsciousness. His clothes were torn off by the time he reached the building's doors. Then he was dragged to a nearby lamp pole on the south side of the courthouse at 18th and Harney around 11:00 p.m. The mob roared when they saw Brown, and a rope was placed around his neck. Brown was hoisted in the air, his body spinning. He was riddled with bullets. His body was then brought down, tied behind a car, and towed to the intersection of 17th and Dodge. There the body was burned with fuel taken from nearby red danger lamps and fire truck lanterns. Later, pieces of the rope used to lynch Brown were sold for 10 cents each. Finally, Brown's charred body was dragged through the city's downtown streets.
 The burning of Will Brown's body, Omaha, Nebraska, Sept. 28, 1919. Source — NSHS, RG2281-69. |
Nebraska-born actor Henry Fonda was 14 years old when the lynching happened. His father owned a printing plant across the street from the courthouse. He watched the riot from the second floor window of his father's shop.
"It was the most horrendous sight I'd ever seen . . . We locked the plant, went downstairs, and drove home in silence. My hands were wet and there were tears in my eyes. All I could think of was that young black man dangling at the end of a rope."During Fonda's long career, at least two of his best movies — "Young Mister Lincoln" and "The Ox Bow Incident" — featured lynchings as major plot points.
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