Sri Lanka’s “Prophets Of Doom”

By N Kumaraguruparan -June 18, 2014

Dr. N. Kumaraguruparan

Ravinatha Aryasinha has told the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)  that the”Prophets of Doom“were proved wrong. But fortunately Ravinatha Aryasinha’s “Prophets of Doom” have made the Government of Sri Lanka to finally, late than never resort to Parliamentary power to seek stances to reject UN  inquiry & to keep the Executive power clean and safe. Perhaps, it is only an isolated single incident over a decade of history. Let it may form a stepping stone.

It has been the reality that Parliament is the unique place to exerciseexecutive power democratically.

Now at a time the democratic forces are finding ways and means for the transition of power from Executive Presidency to Democratic Parliament, it is accidental in this instance GoSL Executive Presidency too have felt a dire need to refer to Parliament,the rejection of UN OHCOHR committee of inquiry into war. But it is only an isolated single incident over a decade of history.

Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ravinatha Aryasinha told the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that the “Prophets of Doom” were proved wrong. Any how “Prophets of Doom” have made the Government of Sri Lanka to finally give consideration to Parliament in taking decision on the action taken by Executive leadership.                          Read More

UNHRC ­war crimes probe:UNP to move amendment to govt.’s parliament resolution

*Participation in debate would depend on acceptance of amendment

by Zacki Jabbar-June 13, 2014

The UNP said yesterday that its participation in next week’s debate on a resolution to be moved by the government seeking parliamentary approval to call on the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) not to proceed with a war crimes probe against the Sri Lankan military would depend on the acceptance of an amendment it was planning to move.

Chief Opposition Whip John Ameratunga told The Island that the UNP’s involvement in the debate on the government’s motion would depend on its amendment being entertained.

Asked what the amendment would be, he replied that the exact wording of it would be decided on by the UNP parliamentary group which would be meeting on Tuesday morning.

Some tough questions including the failure of the Rajapaksa government to consult the legislature before and after the UNHRC adopted the resolution against Sri Lanka in March this year would be raised, informed sources said. "They are trying to shift the blame for their lack of foresight and diplomatic skills on to the legislature."

Colombo District UNP leader, Ravi Karunanayake MP said that the UNP agreed with the government’s position that the security forces had not committed any war crimes."So what is there to hide behind a resolution calling on the UNHRC not to conduct an inquiry," he queried.

When motions trying to stall the investigation process are adopted, the world would think that there was something to hide, he said, adding "Unless, of course, the decision makers are seeking cover for actions. Our job is to protect the security forces, sovereignty and integrity of the nation and not to cover up for politicians whose actions have resulted in Sri Lanka being crucified and humiliated internationally."

Impoverishment Of The Masses And Their Alienation Leading To Fascism

By Dhanusha Pathirana –June 18, 2014 |

Dhanusha Pathirana

Crowding Out or Bailing Out? Impoverishment of the Masses and their Alienation leading to Fascism – II

Ethnic violence against the Muslims in Sri Lanka and against every other minority under the strategic sponsorship of the state, which still continues to rage with considerable force, needs to be viewed in the context of prevailing social formations. Structure of society is the necessary forerunner of ethno-religious fascisms. The latter becomes the dominant means of self actualisation and emancipation of the impoverished as opposed to class

politics and hence the determining factor of political power of the political elite. This is a general outcome springing from the social structure. Or rather, it is more apt to say that class antagonisms manifest itself in the form of ethno-religious fascisms. In this light we request the reader to follow the argument from the first part of this account, although initially it may seem out of context towards an explanation of fascism. This is so because the discussion attempts to initially explain economic conditions which lead to fascism, especially among the down trodden masses. It hopefully arrives there through its progression.

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Aluthgama violence: Where was Sri Lanka’s President?

by Groundviews 

- on 06/18/2014

The horrible killings and destruction in Aluthgama on Sunday was blacked out by almost all mainstream media in Sri Lanka at the height of the violenceand the morning after. However, the violence was in detail and close to real time covered extensively over social media, leading to a documentation many times greater and more detailed than what the Government of Sri Lanka would have liked.

Aluthgama Violence Where Was Sri Lanka’s President by nelvely

Protest Against Anti-Muslim Clashes; Slogans Against Gota And Gnanasara

June 18, 2014

Members of the clergy, politicians and civil society representatives were among the crowd that gathered before the Fort Railway station today to protest against the anti-Muslim clashes that erupted in Southern Sri Lanka.

The protest that was organized by the Movement for Equal Rights was titled ‘No Black July again!’

The crowd held placards and chanted slogans in Sinhala deprecating Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara and Secretary to the Ministry of DefenceGotabaya Rajapaksaand holding them responsible for the communal violence that erupted in Aluthgama and Beruwala on Sunday.

At one point, the protesting crowd even partially blocked the road before the Fort railway station creating quite a traffic congestion in the area.

“Sinhalese blood is red, Tamil blood is red and Muslim blood is red!” the protesting crowd chanted as they called for the immediate banning of BBS.

The organizers and participants of the protest expressed concern over the close monitoring and surveillance allegedly carried out by the TID.

BBS racial catastrophe provoking public rally at Alutgama unlawful..! No permission sought, No permission granted -Only Gota approved
(Lanka-e-News-18.June.2014, 7.30PM) The Bodhu Bala Sena organization condemned internationally and classified as a terrorist organization, yesterday proved beyond any doubt that they are indeed confirmed condemned bloodthirsty barbaric scoundrels of a terrorist organization even locally, when the police sources revealed that the public meeting convened by them 15th evening at the center of Alutgama town was illegal and held without obtaining due permission.

It is significant to note that the police has never ever give permission to hold any such public rallies at the center of the main road connecting Beruwala and Alutgama while causing traffic blocks and inconvenience to the public. According to the laws of the country , if such meetings are to be staged in public places , a written police authority is mandatory , and should be obtained from the OIC of the police division. Besides , if loudspeakers or such sound equipments are being used , police permission for that too is obligatory . If the permission is to be granted apart from the regulations governing such permission , a fee should be paid to the police in that connection and a receipt issued by the police shall be collected.

It is sad to note , until the time of reporting this news , it is to be noted that the BBS terrorists in connection with their violence provoking meeting held on the 15 th , have disregarded all those procedures and unheeded any of the laws, once again underlining the lawless climate in the country under an equally lawless and brutal power drunk Rajapakse reign whose obsession is only entrenching itself in power even using terror and terrorist outfits to the detriment and destruction of the country ,and its own peace loving law abiding citizens. The BBS had brazenly and uncaringly not obtained the permission from the Beruwala police for the rally of the 15 th until the time of posting this report . Hence , if they claim they have obtained the permission after this exposure , surely that permission is spurious and secured by underhand manipulations in which direction they are most resourceful , specially because they are enjoying the patronage of the highest in the hierarchy of the country – the Rajapakses , the licensed counterparts of the BBS terrorists.

This unauthorized meeting of the BBS was borne testimony to by the report made to the IGP at noon by the OIC of Alutgama police station , IP Pradeep Kumara that this rally is provocative and not in the best interests of maintenance of peace , and law and order in the country. He had therein mentioned that the BBS had not submitted an application or obtained the legal permission to use loudspeakers or the venue they have chosen for the meeting.

On 15 th at noon , Pradeep Kumara had phoned the IGP and reported , the violent situation that prevailed a few days ago had not died down , and the feelings of the people of the area are still running irrationally high. Based on reports received by him at ground level , if the meeting is allowed to be held , the already volatile situation can turn explosive. The OIC had therefore sought the IGP’s instructions to ban the proposed meeting. 

The IGP who could not discard the assistance sought by his subordinate and himself harboring fears as he himself was fully aware of the dangers had explained to criminal defense secretary Gotabaya over the phone in detail of the grave risks besetting the peace of the area and the violence that can erupt if this BBS meeting is held. The IGP had therefore asked Gotabaya to grant permission to ban the BBS meeting. Gotabaya the defense secretary alias criminal offense secretary, on the other hand had replied in the negative. Instead of giving consideration and showing concern to the dangerous violence in store for the innocent people , the criminal defense secretary had instructed the IGP not to obstruct the meeting of the BBS under any circumstance , and to give protection to the world recognized terrorist organization, and Gnanassara its demonic leader. Accordingly the IGP had given a directive to his subordinate not to ban the public meeting of BBS terrorists. Consequently Gnanassara was provided with a security detail of six STF soldiers and a defender vehicle thereby precipitating a communal holocaust - the inevitable result SL’s criminal defense and communal offense secretary Gotabaya longed and prayed for !

Will People Sacrifice Mahinda To Avoid Sanctions?

| by Upul Joseph Fernando

( June 18, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Government sources say that Basil Rajapaksa has proposed to debate the UNHRC resolution to probe Sri Lanka’s human rights violations in Parliament. He has proposed this after thoroughly studying the impact of the probe on internal politics of the country.

Will People Sacrifice Mahinda to Avoid Sanctions by nelvely

Chief Culprits Of Aluthgama Violence Enjoy Patronage From Senior Figures In MoD

June 18, 2014

The Tamil Civil Society Forum has today condemned the violence perpetrated against Muslims in the South West of Sri Lanka – in Aluthgama, Beruwela and other places.

Rt. Rev. Dr. Rayappu Joseph

“We express sympathy to the families that lost their dear ones and to those injured. We express collective empathy and solidarity with the Muslim community in this difficult hour and time.” said Bishop Dr. Rayappu Joseh, Bishop of Mannar.

Issuing a statement on behalf of the Tamil Civil Society Forum, the Bishop said; “We are alarmed though not surprised by the fact that none of the chief culprits responsible for the violence have been arrested to date. We are not surprised because the culprits have in the past shown close contact and have enjoyed patronage from senior figures in the defense establishment. We are also not surprised because the kind of violence that Aluthgama represents has enjoyed impunity in Sri Lanka in the entirety of its history. 

“The attacks should not be seen in a vacuum or as being spontaneous. Initial well informed reports confirm that police (including the Special Task forces) did very little to contain the Sinhalese mobs that attacked Muslim residences, religious and commercial establishments. The attacks either by direct action or complicity, are part of the long established practice of the State, in its Sinhala Buddhist character, which seeks to instill fear among the other communities with the objective of negating and refusing space in Sri Lanka for their social, cultural, political and economic prosperity. While its important that perpetrators need to be brought to justice, that will not be enough. The problem is not about a single organization or a political party. It is much more perverse and deep rooted. Unless this is acknowledged and reversed we regret to say that the Aluthgama incident will be unlikely to be the last of such similar incidents. We urge all concerned to reflect and act on this more complex understanding of those issues that Aluthgama reminds us of.”

Law and order: gone to the dogs

 June 17, 2014

The Police Spokesman, SSP Ajith Rohana, was quoted by Ceylon Today on Monday as saying the police officers are afraid to man check points during the night due to the fear of armed robbers and criminals. His confession sheds light on the increasing lawlessness and the collapse of law and order in the country. The police incompetence was vindicated in no uncertain terms in Aluthgama on Sunday, where police had been ham-fisted in controlling the riots in the coastal town.
 

Now, it appears, as the Police Spokesman himself admits, police officers themselves are feeling an overwhelming sense of insecurity. Nonetheless, it is also important to give the discerning readers a backgrounder to the Police Spokesman's remarks, which came in the wake of the execution style killing of a young motorcyclist by a trigger-happy cop on the night of Poson Poya. One cannot help but suspect that Ajith Rohana is making a feeble effort to absolve his kith from the culpability in the murder.
 

However, it is the failure on the part of the police higher-ups to act decisively against the undesirable elements within the police force that has resulted in the police losing public trust.
 

It is important that the police regain its lost trust. However, that is made difficult by the regular political interference in the police service and the servile inclination of some of the police top brass, who slavishly carry out the wishes of the politician. The most shocking of such episodes is the attempts that have reportedly been made by the police higher-ups to implicate a junior cop who had allegedly been assaulted by the henchmen of a deputy minister, who had also set ablaze the personal car of their victim. The police higher-ups had tried to falsely accuse the cop himself for setting his vehicle on fire, in order to claim insurance. The recent media exposure of the incident would dissuade the top brass from going ahead with the lowly tactic.
 

Needless to say, when the top echelons of the police force loss self respect, that is bound to have a domino effect on the entire force. Some of the recent developments in the police are a reminder of the absolute negation of value that the police are supposed to stand for. It is no surprise that such individuals struggle to carry out their duties when their service is most needed.
 

In Aluthgama, the lax police response resulted in the spread of riots, which cost three lives and injured 80 people. The fundamental duty of the police is to ensure law and order of the country. However, it is shocking that the police top brass who regularly obtain Court Orders to ban even the smallest protest march launched by the university students and trade unions, have allowed the ultra-nationalist Bodu Bala Sena to hold a rally in the vicinity of Aluthgama, three days after a minor communal conflagration. The rally and a subsequent protest march added fuel to the fire.
 

It is important that the police investigate its failure in controlling the incident. President Mahinda Rajapaksa issuing a message from Bolivia has vowed not to allow anyone to take the law into their hands. Nor, should police allow a microscopic minority of rabid nationalists to take the law into their hands and destroy the painstakingly built ethnic harmony in the country.

Sri Lankan Government: Take Urgent Action to Stop Attacks on Muslims

 Wednesday, 18 June 2014 

We the under signed organizations, individuals and members of Sri Lankan and international civil society condemn in the strongest possible terms the latest wave of horrific violence led by the extreme right-wing Sinhala Buddhist organisation, Bodu Bala Sena (BBS – The Buddhist Power Force) against the Muslim community of south-western Sri Lanka in the towns of Aluthgama, Beruwala, Velipenna and Dharga Town.

Sri Lankan Government Take Urgent Action to Stop Attacks on Muslims by nelvely

Champika Ranawaka Is Conning

By Shyamon Jayasinghe -June 18, 2014

Readers, don’t miss a treat: Go to the following link and you will find a must-listen video of Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka (PCR) addressing a Paris crowd of Hela Urumaya followers:

Shyamon Jayasinghe

Now this is not what I say but it is what PCR says to an adoring crowd who keeps applauding a string of falsehoods and baseless conjectures uttered by him. He appears as a messiah, come to deliver. He doesn’t deliver at the end but manages to provoke the motley crowd of credulous people. Put in a nutshell what PCR says is firstly that the Sinhala are a rare race of people born to a unique island that surpasses all the world’s countries and secondly this race is about to be wiped out by minorities that entered the island under the welcome protection of a benign host population. He particularly picks on the Muslims at conclusion.                                     Read More

Getting High And Low In The ‘Mal’ Capital

little monk

By Udan Fernando -June 18, 2014 |

Let’s face it.  A certain section of the Sri Lankan population cutting across the class divide smokes weed. The same holds true for the tourists in Sri Lanka.  Together they actually sustain a steady, perhaps even growing demand for weed, which is better known as cannabis, marijuana or kansaa/ganja. Now in Sri Lanka, cannabis is illegal to grow, sell and possess and can be punishable under the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Act No.13 of 1984 with an exception made in the case of usage for medicinal purposes.  So, illegally or otherwise, there’s a real demand.

The plant, admittedly, does not grow by itself to meet this demand.  Instead, there is an organized network of investors, growers, laborers, brokers and distributors which runs this industry as an unrecorded economic activity in the country.   Sri Lanka’s Anti-Narcotics agency SLANA estimates that about 500 hectares of land is used to grow cannabis.  The exact figure could be higher and no one knows the volume of business generated.

                           Read More

Death toll rises to 4 from Aluthgama riots

• Curfew in Aluthgama and Beruwala lifted for four hours and re-imposed as violence erupts again on Monday night
• 41 arrests, 25 still in custody, 16 granted bail
• UN Secretary General calls for investigation into incidents
• Relief convoys bring essential items for displaced in Beruwala and Aluthgama

By Dharisha Bastians-Wednesday 18th June 2014
Fatalities from deadly sectarian clashes in the southern town of Aluthgama rose to four yesterday, after one more person perished in fresh violence on Monday night.

Death Toll Rises to 4 From Aluthgama Riots by nelvely

Canada Condemns Violence Against Muslims in Sri Lanka

June 16, 2014 - Andrew Bennett, Canada’s Ambassador for Religious Freedom, today issued the following statement:

“Canada condemns the outbreak of communal violence against Muslims, which resulted in the loss of lives and extensive damage to property in the south of Sri Lanka on June 15, 2014.

“We offer our condolences to the families and friends of the deceased and wish a speedy recovery to those injured.

“This is one of a number of recent and troubling attacks targeting the Muslim community in Sri Lanka. It is of the utmost importance that every person is able to practise his or her faith free from the threat of violence. We urge Sri Lankan authorities to act quickly to ensure the safety of all communities. These attacks are completely unacceptable and a clear violation of the right to religious freedom.

“Canada will continue to condemn all religiously motivated attacks. We urge calm on all sides and call for a swift and transparent investigation into what happened, as well as appropriate prosecution of those responsible.”

The Sri Lankan State Only Protects A Chosen Few

By Springer -June 18, 2014

It is evident from all accounts that the ethno-religious riot in Beruwala and Aluthgama has left a terrible toll. A toll of physical destruction, injured bodies and minds and death.

A victim – Photo Facebook

In the absence of worthwhile media coverage owing to a state blackout, our citizen’s group deemed it necessary to see for ourselves.  A visit to Beruwala and its precincts was just concluded. There was much to see in Beruwala even though the attacks were on a much lesser scale than Aluthgama. Time was too short to visit Aluthgama..

The town and villages in Beruwela were deserted. Shops were closed and there was an eerie feeling of violence. Men were huddling in street corners chatting quietly and watching furtively to see if violence would breakout again. There was no visible protection around .Muslim villages. However there were plenty of Police, STF and Army on the main Galle Road and on the periphery of Sinhala areas.

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How must we respond to religious extremism and incitement to violence?

• by Harendra Alwis 
• - on 06/17/2014 

Do not despair. It helps to try to understand the situation as it evolves, rather than crystallise your view of it in judgment.

If you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle. 

How Must We Respond to Religious Extremism and Incitement to Violence by nelvely