CJ and AG transgress on fundamental rights of law students – can you beat that.!

(Lanka-e-News-16.July.2014, 3.45PM) It is most regrettable and deplorable that because of the joint obnoxious actions of the chief justice (CJ), the attorney general (AG) and the principal of law College , the fundamental rights of the students have been most gravely damaged and dented so much so that their recourse to the supreme court for redress is also impaired and impeded, based on reports reaching Lanka e news. 

The worst part of this serious violation of the fundamental right of the students is: the second year law students are unable to answer the question papers at the examination that is being conducted by the Law College these days in the medium they followed the course because the question paper has been set in another language. 

That is ,the question papers for students who followed the course in Sinhala and Tamil media have been set in English only. What is even most ridiculous and ludicrous in this arrangement is the request to the students to read the question paper that is in English and answer them in Tamil or Sinhala languages. Even a Kindergarten class child will understand that this is a gross violation of fundamental rights of the students though our CJ and AG could not understand this . Perhaps this is because their tomfoolery and buffoonery override even serious issues concerning student interests. 

What is most unfortunate from the standpoint of the students is : they are unable to seek legal redress since the committee conducting the exam is comprised of the Attorney general (AG) and the chief justice (CJ) who head the legal system of SL and it is they who occupy the highest seats of dispensation of justice. When they are themselves instrumental for this injustice , will it serve the students any purpose if they seek justice from the same culprits on this same matter?

In the circumstances , the students have no choice but grin and bear the injustice faced by them .Believe it or not , they are compelled to read the question paper that is in English , and answer them in Tamil or Sinhala slang street language . If the legal education is to be converted into the English medium , there is a just and fair method to be followed. If the students are taught in English and the question papers are in English there is no issue. On the contrary , if the students are taught in the vernacular languages – Tamil or Sinhala , and the students are made to answer the question papers in English , nothing can be more unjust and stupid.

In the question paper on property (second part) at the exam held yesterday , the candidates were subjected to a grave injustice. Even after the distribution of the question paper , one question was withdrawn and another substituted .In addition , all the questions were those relating to property part 1 question paper, whereas the students had gone prepared to answer Property part 11 question paper .The students had to face the same injustice and confusion even in regard to part 1 of Property question paper.

It is the view of the students that these errors and blunders are being deliberately and unjustly incorporated in order to diminish the number of students passing the law exam.

UNP, UPFA red allies agree on amending

 Constitution-Abolishing executive 

presidency or reducing its powers

by Shamindra Ferdinando-July 15, 2014

Communist Party General Secretary and Senior Minister Dew Gunasekera yesterday said that the UNP, too, was willing to either do away with executive presidency or dilute presidential powers through a constitutional amendment, though it had earlier pledged to scrap the presidency in the event of winning the next presidential election.

Asked whether the Socialist Alliance (SA) comprising the CP, LSSP and DLF represented in Parliament intended to initiate a dialogue with the UNP in this regard, Minister Gunasekera told The Island that UNP National Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had assured him of the UNP’s support to move a constitutional amendment in Parliament.

Wickremesinghe gave that assurance to Gunasekera on the sidelines of last Friday’s meeting of multi-religious dignitaries and senior representatives of political parties at the Abhayaramaya in Colombo.

The objective of the parley was to discuss the possibility of curtailing the powers of the executive presidency and the current political and economic situation in the country.

Responding to another query, CP chief asserted that Wickremesinghe had appeared to have changed his position in the wake of receiving Ven. Athureliye Rathana Thera’s proposal to dilute presidential powers.

National List MP Gunasekera said that the UNP’s support would be crucial for the success of their effort.

The MP said that further discussions among them would be necessary to reach an agreement on an action plan. According to Gunasekera, except Ven. Rathana Thera, all others wanted to do away with the executive presidency.

Gunasekera said that Chairman of the UNP Leadership Council Karu Jayasuriya, too, had assured him their backing if a constitutional amendment was presented to Parliament.

Last week, TNA heavyweight M. A. Sumanthiran declared that the alliance would support efforts to scrap executive presidency.

The CP Chief said that all minority political parties that had been supportive of the presidential system were now calling for an end to it. He claimed that a recent ruling party confab held at Beruwela had revealed that the majority of government MPs supported the scrapping of executive presidential powers.

Swire meets Biswal in Washington for talks on Sri Lanka

Photograph @HugoSwire

15 July 2014
The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) minister, Hugo Swire met with the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Nisha Biswal in Washington on Tuesday, for discussion on South Asia, as well as "detailed talks" on Sri Lanka.

"South Asia including detailed talks on Sri Lanka with Nisha Biswal. UK remains committed to international efforts," Mr Swire tweeted following the meeting.

The visit also included a meeting with the US ambassador to North Korea, Bob King, to discuss the situation in North Korea. Mr Swire said he was "keen to maintain international pressure on this."

He also met with US policy makers regarding the situation in Myanmar. Commenting on the meeting, Mr Swire tweeted: "Critical 18 months ahead, important international community speaks with one voice."

International community must not forget Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan police officers secure a barricade outside the U.N. office in Colombo earlier this year. Pic: AP

By Asian Correspondent Jul 16, 2014-By Taylor Dibbert | @taylordibbert

The U.S. Congressional Caucus on Ethnic and Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka held a hearing on July 9 in Washington, D.C. Good intentions notwithstanding, it’s unclear how powerful this caucus will be.

Since the conclusion of the nation’s civil war in May 2009, lobbying efforts regarding Sri Lanka have been intense in both Washington and New York City, headquarters of the United Nations (U.N.). These advocacy initiatives include ongoing efforts by the Sri Lankan government to deny serious war crimes allegations and to question concerns about accountability, reconciliation and the ongoing human rights abuses that remain so widespread on the island.

In fact, the administration of President Mahinda Rajapaksa currently pays four U.S. lobbying firms to defend its underwhelming record. Two groups were added last month, the Madison Group and Beltway Government Strategies.

Not surprisingly, services provided by these American lobbying firms aren’t cheap. Sri Lanka’s Central Bank has been paying the Thompson Advisory Group (TAG) more than $66,000 per month for its services. The Madison Group will earn at least $15,000 per month.

The World Bank describes Sri Lanka as a “Lower Middle Income” country. According to the Bank, the nation’s 2013 Gross National Income (GNI) per capita was $3,170 and nearly 7% of the population still lives under the poverty line. In this context, the government’s lobbying expenses may concern some people.

On the other hand, there are others who are willing to challenge the Rajapaksa regime’s questionable version of events – including nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and human rights activists.

Some critics of the regime have also sought the services of U.S. lobbying firms, but those expenses don’t come close to what the Sri Lankan government has paid. It’s also worth mentioning that many notable advocacy initiatives have been undertaken without the support of any lobbying firms. And, of course, there’s plenty of meaningful advocacy work on Sri Lanka that doesn’t include U.S. involvement, geographical or otherwise.

U.S. Congressional engagement on Sri Lanka should be encouraged, but when it comes to foreign policy it’s the executive that wields most of the power in Washington. With the passage of three U.S. – led resolutions on Sri Lanka at the U.N.’s Human Rights Council, the Obama administration hasn’t been ignoring this island nation. However – from media freedom to militarization – the human rights situation in Sri Lanka only continues to worsen.

Therefore, sustained international engagement is more needed than ever. If this recently created caucus raises awareness about Sri Lanka throughout the U.S. Congress and compels Mr. Obama to place additional pressure on the regime, then it’s something that should be welcomed.

Taylor Dibbert is an international consultant based in Washington, D.C. and the author of the book ‘Fiesta of Sunset: The Peace Corps, Guatemala and a Search for Truth’. Follow him on Twitter @taylordibbert.

Cyril Ramaphosa : What’s he doing out here, in Sri Lanka?

Cyril Ramaphosa : What’s he doing out here, in Sri Lanka?

TRC South Africa based on truth

Ranga Jayasuriya-Wednesday,July16, 2014

 Not usually, does the second in command of a regional power, flanked by a presidential delegation, fly thousands miles to some embattled small State, disguised as ‘tourists’ to talk to the adversaries of a protracted domestic problem. However, Cyril Ramaphosa, the Deputy President of South Africa and the ruling African National Congress, pretty much did that— at least if you are to believe the Sri Lankan government’s initial remarks on the visit by the South African delegation.

Cyril Ramaphosa  What’s He Doing Out Here, In Sri Lanka by Maria Anderson

மகிந்தவை வெட்டி ஓடும் முதல்வர் -அமைச்சரவை கூட்டத்தில் பங்கேற்க முடியாது!

POSTED BY SIVA KUMAR -July 15, 2014

TAMILKINGDOM

மாகாண முத­ல­மைச்­சர்­க­ளுக்கும் ஜனா­தி­பதி 
மகிந்த ராஜ­பக்ஷவிற்கும் இடையில் இடம்­பெ­ற­வுள்ள சந்­திப்பில் கலந்­து­கொள்­ளு­மாறு விடுக்­கப்­பட்ட அறி­வித்­த­லுக்கு வேலைப்­பளு கார­ண­மாக தன்னால் கலந்­து­கொள்ள முடி­யா­துள்­ளது என வடக்கு மாகாண முத­ல­மைச்சர் சி.வி.விக்­கினேஸ்­வரன் தெரி­வித்தார்.

வடக்கு மாகாண சபையின் 12 ஆவது அமர்வு நேற்று இடம்­பெற்­ற­போது உரை­யாற்­று­கை­யி­லேயே அவர் இவ்­வாறு தெரி­வித்தார்.

இவ்­வி­டயம் தொடர்­பாக அவர் மேலும் தெரி­விக்­கையில், 

ஜனா­தி­ப­தி­யுடன் கடந்த ஜன­வரி மாதம் 2ஆம் திகதி இடம்­பெற்ற சந்­திப்பில் பத்து விட­யங்கள் தொடர்­பாக கலந்­து­ரை­யா­டப்­பட்­டது. ஆனால் இங்கு கலந்­து­ரை­யா­டப்­பட்ட விட­யங்­களில் ஏதா­வது ஒன்­றுக்­கா­வது தனது அனு­ச­ர­ணையைத் தந்­தி­ருந்தால் எங்­க­ளுக்கு வச­தி­யாக இருந்­தி­ருக்கும். 

நான் வசதி என்ற சொல்லை தான் கூறு­கின்றேன். ஆனால் அது­கூட இன்னும் செய்­து­த­ரப்­ப­ட­வில்லை. எங்­களைப் பொறுத்­த­வ­ரையில் சில விடயங்களைக் குறிப்­பிட்டோ அல்­லது அதற்கு மாறா­கவோ நாம் செயற்­ப­ட­வில்லை.

ஏற்கனவே தமக்கு உறுதியளித்தபடி வடக்கின் ஆளுநர் சந்திரசிறியின் பதவிக்காலம் முடிவடைந்ததும் அவரை மீண்டும் அந்த பதவிக்கு நியமிப்பதில்லை என்று ஜனாதிபதி தமக்கு உறுதியளித்திருந்தார். எனினும் தற்போது அதனை அவர் மீறிவிட்டார் என்று விக்னேஸ்வரன் குற்றம் சுமத்தியிருந்த நிலையிலேயே அவருடைய அமைச்சரவை பகிஸ்கரிப்பு அறிவிப்பும் வெளியாகியுள்ளது.

முத­ல­மைச்­சர்­க­ளுக்கு கூட்டம் ஏற்­பாடு செய்­யப்­பட்­டி­ருந்­தது. எனினும் ஜன­வரி மாதம் நடை­பெ­ற­வி­ருந்த கூட்டம் பிற்­போ­டப்­பட்­டி­ருந்­தது. ஆனால், எனக்கு அக்­கூட்­டங்­களில் கலந்­து­கொள்ள வேண்­டிய அவ­சியம் ஏற்­ப­ட­வில்லை.

கடந்த வாரம் முத­ல­மைச்­சர்­க­ளுக்கு கூட்டம் இடம்­பெ­ற­வுள்­ள­தாக கடி­த­மொன்று அனுப்பி வைக்­கப்­பட்­டுள்­ளது. இம்­மா­தத்­திற்குள் அக்­கூட்டம் நடை­பெறும் என திகதி குறிப்­பி­டப்­பட்­டி­ருக்­கின்­றது. இந்த நிலையில் எனக்குப் பல வேலை­களும் கட­மை­களும் இருப்­பதால் கூட்­டத்தில் கலந்­து­கொள்ள முடி­ய­வில்லை என கடிதம் அனுப்­பி­யி­ருக்­கின்றேன்.

ஆகவே, எங்­களுக்­குள்ளே அது சம்பந்தமாக எந்தப் பிரச்சினையும் இல்லை. எதிர்க்கட்சித் தலைவர் கூறுவதைப் போல் நாங்களும் ஒத்துப்போகின்றோம். ஆனால் எங்களுக்குக் கூறுகின்ற எந்தவொரு விடயமும் செய்துதரப்படவில்லை என்றார்.

Mahinda Rajapaksa To Go 3D At Upcoming Presidential Elections

July 16, 2014

Reports indicate the Rajapaksas are making preparations to pay through the nose to create a spectacle of the campaigning activities for the upcoming Presidential elections.

Lankacnews – a news website owned by Government Minister Wimal Weerawansa has reported that ‘3D projection’ technology is being considered to be used for Mahinda Rajapaksa’s upcoming Presidential election campaigning activities.

The use of this cutting edge technology will enable him to address several rallies around the country, live and simultaneously, with the added advantage of the ability to project a scalable holographic-like display of him.

The report further states that discussions are underway between top UPFA officials and officials of several tech companies that offer this technology to consider the feasibility of the plan.

Rajapaksa Plays His Trumps Against India

| by Upul Joseph Fernando

( July 16, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) While Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris was having discussions with Indian Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, President Mahinda Rajapaksa extended the service of Northern Provincial Council Governor Major General G.A. Chandrasiri. It was an unexpected move for the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). TNA and its Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran had been demanding the removal of Chandrasiri from the post of Governor of the Northern Province for a long time. The former Congress Party Government of India was also in support of this. They were of the view that the Sri Lanka Government, which was hesitating to implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, should at least replace the military officer with a civil servant.

In fact, this is not a difficult task. The nationalist parties of the government may not oppose it. But President Mahinda Rajapaksa showed that he would not pay heed to the TNA or India. President 

Rajapaksa did this move while his Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris was meeting his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj, who knew very well about Sri Lankan issues. As Opposition Leader of the Indian Parliament, she visited Sri Lanka, discussed with TNA and studied the problems including the Governor’s issue. Her Bharathiya Janatha Party (BJP) Government has also stated that it would not deviate from the Congress Government policy on Sri Lanka’s ethnic problem.

Different gift

However, the Indian Foreign Minister offered a different gift to Sri Lanka, which elated President Mahinda Rajapaksa. It was a guarantee that India would not support a UNHRC probe on Sri Lanka. She also said the policy of not voting in favour of a probe against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Commission may also not change.

In fact, the objective of Peiris’ visit was to obtain this guarantee from India. President Rajapaksa thinks that such statement from Modi’s Government can be a slap on the face of the US and its allies. It can also hurt the Opposition of Sri Lanka that is waiting till Modi’s Government upsets Rajapaksa’s rule. While the much needed guarantee is solicited from India, Rajapaksa extended the service of the Northern Province Governor knowing that India may not respond to it.

The first issue raised by Modi, when he had discussions with Rajapaksa, following the former’s swearing in, was the threat India faces from the Pakistani nationals residing in Sri Lanka. Rajapaksa may be thinking of playing the Muslim card to Modi like he trumped the Congress Government by playing his China trump card.

After returning to the island, Rajapaksa took steps to deport the Pakistan nationals, who had sought refugee status through the UN High Commission for Refugees. Rajapaksa went further ahead forgetting the friendship with Pakistan and asked Pakistan to recall a diplomatic official from the Pakistan Embassy in Sri Lanka, who the Indian establishment had suspicions about. Rajapaksa did all this to appease Modi, since he felt it was crucial at that moment. Rajapaksa has eventually been successful in trapping the Modi Government with the Muslim issue like he trapped the Congress Government with the China issue. 

Rajapaksa may be thinking that Modi may forget the 13th Amendment to the Constitution for some time now. Perhaps, he may be thinking that the Shiv Sena, which is behind Modi, may look at the attacks against the Sri Lankan Muslims with their tongues in cheek. The Mahinda Rajapaksa Government knows that appeasing Shiv Sena is appeasing the Modi Government.

Monk gets 21 year prison term for sexual abuse

 Wednesday, 16 July 2014 

The head of a Pirivena at Paradise in Kuruwita has been found guilty of sexually abusing a novice monk aged 13 years, and sentenced to 21 years in prison.

Ratnapura high court judge Achala Singappuli handed the sentence that is to be served within seven years, BBC Sandeshaya reports.

Balangoda Wijayanaga was indicted on three charges, and the court handed him a prison term of seven years for each of the charges.

The convicted monk was also ordered to pay a Rs. 300,000 compensation, at Rs. 100,000 per each charge, to the complainant.

If the compensation is not paid, it will be turned into a fine and a two year compulsory prison term at eight months per charge, was also imposed on him.

The sexual abuse had taken place on or near 17 March 2003 and indictment was served in 2009.

The victim is now aged 26 years and is disrobed.

Mohan Peiris’ Kohila Dhamma & Gnanasara’s Abasarana

| by Sokayatapath Ananda

( July 16, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Kohila Dharmay became famous due to a relationship that he had with a particular magistrate. The magistrate was on such good terms with this man, who acquired the nickname Kohila Dharmay as a youth when he became a convicted criminal, to an extent that when auctions were held on court premises for confiscated goods, Kohila Dharmay would get the best of items for the cheapest price. Unfortunately for the magistrate, this was exposed and the magistrate lost his job. Both Kohila Dharmay and the magistrate were good talkers and could create an image of themselves as innocent, simple people.

Gnanasara Thero, Mr. Nandasena Rajapaksa, Mr. Mohan Peiris and Mr. Sarath Silva

Listening to Chief Justice Mohan Peiris preaching Buddha dhamma ( watch video here), one could not help but to imagine a reincarnation of Kohila Dharmay. Not only in personality but also because the dhamma he preached is better called kohila dhamma and not Lord Buddha’s dhamma.

The Chief Justice also talked about seela. He said that one such seela was not to take other people’s things. He did not acknowledge that taking Dr. Bandaranayake’s place as CJ was just that.

He talked only of three seelas and forgot the fourth – the one about musavada; not telling lies. Perhaps it was a Freudian slip of the memory - he may not have forgotten how he lied blatantly before an official United Nations session, in which he said that he has reliable information that Prageeth Eknaligoda was living abroad. Later, when asked in court about the source of his information, he said that he had forgotten it. 

Such is the great dhamma of the man who conspired with the President to destroy the independence of the judiciary altogether. That again is no surprise as another Chief Justice, Sarath Silva (who had until this man done more than anyone else to destroy the legal system and judiciary) was also a great preacher of what should be called the same kohila dhamma.

To pretend to be impressed by the great teachings of the Buddha without batting an eyelid, while at the same time destroying everything that is decent, just and legal in the country itself, suggests a kind of mental aberration that only psychopaths are capable of.

Someone compared the experience of watching Mohan Peiris’ extreme hypocrisy in preaching Buddhism to that of a victim of abuse seeing mass being performed by a pederast priest.

For Sri Lankan citizens, listening to Mohan Peiris hypocritical rubbish was a similar experience.

Many forms of abasarana Buddhism

The infamous Gnanasara Thera of BBS has introduced a new form of Buddhism, which may be called abasaranaBuddhism. It is a Buddhism that pursues violence in order to obtain the properties of opponents. In essence, greed is the highest virtue of abasarana Buddhism.

In essence, Mohan Peiris’ and Sarath Silva’s Buddhism is also the same. Sarath Silva persecuted innocent people, such as Tony Fernando, who requested that the case he filed should not be heard by Sarath Silva and was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for one year.

In the same way, he first used his office to punish the opponents of Chandrika Bandaranayake and later tried to do the same for Mahinda Rajapaksa. Intimidating lawyers and litigants was also part of his idea of practicing Buddhism.

Now, as Mohan Peiris talks about Buddhism, the life of the President of the Bar Association is being threatened, causing alarm among the lawyers of Sri Lanka.

So for everyone there is this abasarana Buddhism.

The Dalai Lama preaches the Buddhism of compassion and love for everyone. He recently said that, ‘The Buddha preaches love and compassion. If the Buddha is there, he will protect the Muslims who the Buddhists are attacking.’

In India, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism, saying that Buddhism stands for non-discrimination and for the dignity of everyone, including India’s most discarded section of society, then called Untouchables. Now they call themselves Dahlits, a word derived from the Sanskrit for ‘the poorest’. The uplifting of the oppressed and bringing peace and harmony for all is the aim of that Buddhism.

Sri Lanka’s best-known novelist and writer, Martin Wickremasinghe, in his great work Bhavatharana talked about Buddha’s search for liberation for everyone, as against the cruelties and repression of the princes and other powerful elements in society in his day.

However, what has come to prevail through Gnanasara, Sarath Silva and Mohan Peiris is abasarana Buddhism, which may also be called the kohila dhamma.

இலங்கையிலுள்ள ஒரே பயங்கரவாத அமைப்பு பொதுபல சேனாவே: ரொஹான் குணரத்ன

Jul 14, 2014

இலங்கையிலுள்ள ஒரே பயங்கரவாத அமைப்பு பொதுபல சேனா மட்டும்தான் என்று சர்வதேச பயங்கரவாத தடுப்பு நிபுணர் ரொஹான் குணரத்ன திட்டவட்டமாக தெரிவித்துள்ளார். இலங்கையில் முஸ்லிம் அடிப்படைவாத அமைப்புகள் மற்றும் பயங்கரவாத அமைப்புகள் இருப்பதாக அண்மைக்காலமாக திவயின மற்றும் லக்பிம செய்திப் பத்திரிகைகள் பெருமளவில் செய்திகளை வெளியிட்டு வந்தன.

இந்நிலையில் தனது கருத்துக்கு வலுச்சேர்க்கும் விதமாக லக்பிம பத்திரிகை செய்தியாளர் சர்வதேச பயங்கரவாத தடுப்பு நிபுணர் ரொஹான் குணரத்னவை அண்மையில் பேட்டி எடுத்திருந்தார். இதன்போது இலங்கையில் முஸ்லிம் பயங்கரவாதம் இருப்பதாக லக்பிம செய்தியாளர் திரும்பத் திரும்ப வலியுறுத்தியும் அதனை ரொஹான் குணரத்ன திட்டவட்டமாக மறுத்துள்ளார்.

இலங்கையில் தற்போதைக்கு தமிழ், முஸ்லிம்கள் யாரும் பயங்கரவாதச் செயல்களில் ஈடுபடுவதில்லை என்றும், பொதுபல சேனாவுடன் இணைந்துள்ள ஒரு சிலரே அவ்வாறான செயற்பாடுகளில் ஈடுபட்டுள்ளதாகவும் அவர் சுட்டிக்காட்டியுள்ளார்.

விடுதலைப் புலிகளுடனான யுத்த காலங்களின்போது அரசாங்க இராணுவத்தில் இணைந்து செயற்பட்ட சில முஸ்லிம் இளைஞர்களுக்கு ஆயுதங்கள் வழங்கப்பட்டிருந்ததை ரொஹான் குணரத்ன ஏற்றுக் கொண்டுள்ளார். எனினும் இறுதி யுத்த கொடுமைகள் கண்டு அந்த முஸ்லிம் இளைஞர்களும் தங்கள் ஆயுதங்களை மீளக் கையளித்து, இராணுவத்துக்கு உதவுவதை நிறுத்தி விட்டதாகவும் அவர் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

அந்த வகையில் எந்தவொரு முஸ்லிம் இளைஞரிடமும் சட்டவிரோத ஆயுதங்கள் இருப்பதற்கு முகாந்திரம் கிடையாது என்று ரொஹான் குணரத்ன மறுத்துள்ளார்.

எனினும் பொது பல சேனாவின் செயற்பாடுகள் தொடரும் பட்சத்தில், அரசாங்கம் அந்த அமைப்புக்கு தொடர்ந்தும் உதவி செய்யும் பட்சத்தில் இலங்கையில் முஸ்லிம் பயங்கரவாதம் எதிர்காலத்தில் உருவாக வழியேற்படும் என்பதை அவர் ஏற்றுக் கொண்டுள்ளார். அதனைத் தடுக்க பொதுபல சேனாவைத் தடை செய்து, அதன் முக்கியஸ்தர்களுக்கு எதிராக நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும் என்றும் ரொஹான் குணரத்ன வலியுறுத்தியுள்ளார்.

Gota offers alms for Gnanasara Thera

 Wednesday, 16 July 2014 

Defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa engaged in a meritorious deed by offering alms to a group of monks led by Bodu Bala Sena general secretary Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera who had gone to the defence ministry yesterday (14) for a discussion.

The defence secretary has publicly engaged in this alms giving despite his claims over the pro-Rajapaksa media that he has no connection whatsoever with BBS.

He has brought the meal for the alms for the monks from the five-star Kingsbury Hotel owned by casino businessman Dhammika Perera.

The discussion in question was aimed at how to bring Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to the fore as the prime ministerial contender. Presidential advisor Milinda Moragoda coordinated the meeting. Moragoda is also the international coordinator in the campaign to make Gotabhaya Rajapaksa the premier.

Is Gnanasara Another Buddharakkhitha In The Making?

By Vishwamithra1984 -July 16, 2014

“The human race is challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery – not over nature but of ourselves” ~Rachel Carson

Is the person who is identified asGalagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero another Buddharakkhitha in the making or is he just a pretender? But the circumstances and conditions seem to be much too close for comfort, although the mannerisms and public demeanor of the two seem to keep them wider apart than one would like to accept. At this juncture it might be useful to indulge ourselves in some post-independence history of Sri Lanka, especially regarding the Sir John Kotelawala era and the following ‘1956 Revolution’, one of the main architects of which was Ven. Mapitigama Buddharakkhitha Thero, the Head Priest of the historic Kelaniya Vihara. Buddharakkhitha’s very ascension to the exalted position of the Chief Incumbent of Kelaniya was not without any rumblings either. At the very tender age of the early twenties, to assume leadership among an exclusive clergy and for that matter, at Kelaniya of all places, is indeed a spectacle by itself. Yet Buddharakkhitha achieved it with overt support from one of the leading members of the Daayaka Sabha (Lay Committee) of the Temple.

The chief among those who supported Buddharakkhitha was D C Wijewardene whose young wife was Wimala who made no effort whatsoever to conceal her political ambitions. Her first attempt at the hustings failed when she contested the Kelaniya seat in the 1952 General Elections and lost to none other than J R Jayewardene; yet with money, power and the might of the Eksath Bikkhu Peramuna (EBP), fully behind her, Wimala defeated her opponent quite comfortably at the 1956 General Elections, this time in the Mirigama electorate. Her majority was over 25,000 votes, a prodigious majority in any era. Wimala Wijewardene was one of the beneficiaries of the ’56 Revolution, a child of the “new nation”.                 Read More

The BBS and a catalyst for a Buddhist Muslim conflict

by Harim Peiris 

- on 07/16/2014 

The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), Sri Lanka’s catalyst for opening up a new Buddhist verses Muslim conflict, perhaps due to boredom now that a thirty year civil war has ended, follows more by design than accident a classic military strategy of an escalation or advancement and then a tactical retreat due to over reach. Immediately after the previous attacks as well, whether in Dambula or Nugegoda, there was silence for awhile and similarly after the anti Muslim events of “Dark June 2014”, there has been a steady denial both by the state security establishment and the extremist perpetrators of responsibility for the violence, the former denying connivance and the latter denying instigation. Both want to blame a spontaneous mob.

Sri Lankan society unequivocally condemns

Political leaders, both those allied with the government and the opposition have taken aim at the BBS  as an extremist group bent on violence against religious minorities, both Muslims but also Christians. The Government’s own ministers ranging from Rishard Bathuideen to Vasudeva Nanayakkara and including such stalwarts as DEW Gunasekera and Tissa Vitharana have been unequivocal in their condemnation of the BBS. The main opposition UNP, through its media spokesman former minister Mangala Samaraweera has directly held the state intelligence agencies responsible for support to the BBS, while the UNP’s area MP for Beruwela and Aluthgama, Palitha Thewaperuma has also alleged police cover up. Lawyers have alleged that the JMO is falsifying evidence regarding the deaths of the three Muslim persons, claiming stab wounds, when they were actually gunshot injuries, raising the question as to who carried guns that day. The Bar Association has formally lodged a complaint with the Attorney General’s department regarding the BBS and understandably the ethnic minority parties are even more concerned, with Minister Rauff Hakeem a publicly troubled man and TNA leader R.Sambanthan condemning the anti Muslim violence. Even President Rajapakse felt compelled to visit the victims, talk vaguely of compensation and thereafter claim, quite correctly, that the true Buddhist path was both moderate and non violent. Clearly the Sri Lankan polity is reacting negatively to the Aluthgama and Beruwela violence and the response has been two fold. Firstly the standard blanket denials, lacking much credibility but now more insidiously, a rationale for the violence.

The Dalada Maligawa attack did not enrage mobs

The General Secretary of the BBS in a full page interview in a leading national newspaper, on Wednesday 16th July has sought to articulate what in essence is an excuse for not just the violence which occurred but also possibly lay the ground work for future violence. Firstly the ethics of giving extremist groups, the oxygen of free publicity and the veneer of respectability through media interviews, is itself an issue which should be avoided, given that Deputy Minister Faizer Mustapha is on record in the same newspaper stating that the media should bear some responsibility for the rise of extremist groups, due to giving them undue prominence and free publicity. They are also intolerant, even of other monks, voicing contrary views and attack their press conferences

In the interview, the BBS chief states that a mob became incensed due to an alleged assault on a Buddhist monks, three days prior to that. However, mobs get enraged spontaneously and immediately, not after a three day cooling off period, unless instigated and orchestrated thereafter. The alleged assault on the monk or his driver over a traffic altercation was anyway before the courts. So the BBS rally was a contempt of court, since it was about a matter pending before courts.

Moreover, the gravest and most dastardly, cowardly and utterly contemptible attack of all time on the religious traditions of our country and society was the Dalada Maligawa attack by the LTTE. However, to the credit of Sri Lanka and her then leaders, there was no anti Tamil pogroms or a repeat of Black July’83, the folly of attacking civilians for a terrorist outrage had been learned. Highly unlikely that a traffic altercation unlearns those lessons without a lot of help .

A possible ground work for future violence 

The most troubling aspect of the BBS rationale for the violence of the past, is the ground work that it lays for further violence. Firstly is the claim that there are Muslim extremists and that it is these forces should be examined. The staunchly pro government National Shoora Council and the All Ceylon Jamaiyyatul Ulama are the BBS definition of extremist. Even if one considered some unknown Muslim activist groups in the East, there activities are not violent. Just perhaps fervent in religious belief and practice. As one young social media activist put it quite simply after Aluthgama “some people seem more interested in fighting and killing for their religion than in practicing its teachings and precepts”.

The other rationale for further violence lies in the premise, advanced by the BBS, that Sinhala Buddhists face threats from the other minority religious groups, the government is doing nothing about it and hence this may lead to further violence. Now the theory that Sinhala Buddhism is under siege, rather than progressing has been a thesis argued in the political arena especially by the JHU and  also the NFF. Especially during the Rajapakse presidency this message has just not resonated with the public. It is hard to imagine or portray President Mahinda Rajapakse as being a betrayer of Sinhala Buddhists in anyway. On the contrary, both the Tamil and Muslim communities, through their voting behavior clearly see his administration as hostile to them. Conversely the JHU and the NFF, which have been raising alarm bells about threats to Sinhala Buddhism has fared very poorly at the recent provincial polls. A message that does not resonate with voters, is now being touted by the BBS as the rationale for violence.

Monks complain against local media

By admin on July 16, 2014

A group of monks representing at least three organisations, filed a complaint with the Media Ministry today against some English private media, accusing them of biased coverage on the Aluthgama incidents.

The Bodu Bala Sena, Sihala Ravaya and National Bhikku Front, lodged the complaint with Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.

Minister Rambukwella had told the monks he will look into the concerns raised by them.

BBS General Secretary General Secretary Galagodaaththe Gnanasara thero accused the media of disrespecting Buddhism.

“Some journalists are being funded by Embassies to publish misleading reports on the Aluthgama incident,” he said.

Galagodaaththe Gnanasara thero said the monks did not expect more coverage for what they have to say but fair reporting on the incidents.

He also insisted that State media report the “truth” on the incidents as it is their responsibility as public owned institutions.(Colombo Gazette)

Statelessness In A ‘Modern Era’

By Thanges Paramsothy -July 16, 2014

Thanges Paramsothy

Statelessness in a ‘Modern Era’: The Everyday Life of Sri Lankan Tamil Failed Asylum Seekers in the UK

We often hear of people from conflict and post-conflict settings enter into the borders of industrialized or Western countries as ‘illegal travellers’ to seek asylum or refugee status. Travelling without legal permit from one state to another is not a new phenomenon, but it has increasingly become a legal and global issue following the stringent policing of the borders separating one state from another in the ‘modern Era’.  The UNHCR adopted a convention in 1951 relating to the status of refugees with a view   to protecting a person fleeing his/her country of origin, owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion and/or membership of a particular social group. This is usually called the ‘1951 Geneva Convention for Refugees’. A person who suffers generalised repression, violence and poverty does not qualify as a refugee. Asylum or the status of refugee is the protection granted by a state to a person who cannot return to his/her home country due to fear of prosecution. It is obvious that most Western countries reject asylum migrants stating that their claims for asylum do not satisfy the definition of the refugee.

Contemporary asylum migration challenges this narrow definition, which sees persecution as a precondition for one to claim refugee status. For many asylum migrants, being a refugee means more than having to leave or escape home due to insecurity or potential threats.  At present, many see leaving home and becoming an asylum migrant as a pathway to begin a viable life outside their home country. For asylum migrants, exile is not only a safe haven, but it is also a state in which they expect to improve the quality of their lives in socio-economic terms. It is important to note that multiple socio-economic, political and personal reasons play a crucial role in contemporary asylum migration particularly when an asylum migrant chooses a country of destination to seek refugee status in. Analysing the reasons for asylum migration through the lens offered by the official definition of a refugee will not provide a holistic picture of contemporary asylum migration. Papademitriou (1993: 212-213) has commented on this obvious problem as follows: Increasingly, both pure refugees and purely economic migrants are ideal constructs rarely found in a real life; many among those who routinely meet the refugee definition are clearly fleeing both political oppression and economic dislocation.

                                                                          Read More