Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Sri Lanka: No single journalist attacked in the past few years !- Ministry of Defence

SLB -30/07/2014

Issuing a lenghty statemet, on behalf of the Minstry of Defence, the military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya says that ‘there has not been a single attack on journalists reported in the past few years’. This is only one statemt among number of such radiculous assertions made by Brigadier Wanigasooriya. On the issue of attacks on minority religions he says that ‘the action taken to address reported incidents of disturbances in the recent past’

The Brigadier has conveniently forgotten the attacks and harassments faced by Tamil journalists as well as attacks on Sinhalese journalists in Aluthgama, a press freedom activist told SLB. He further added that Brigadier Wanigasooriya shuould explain the action taken against Aluthgama murderers or why the promised independent commission is not being appointed to investigate the Bodu Bala Sena violence in Althgama against the Muslims.

Exxerpts form the statement released by military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriyaon behalf of the Ministry of Defence folows:

“The latest comes in the form of comments made by the Embassy Spokesperson regarding the Commission of Inquiry on disappearances and the recent appointment of an international advisory panel. The broad, sweeping allegations made by these officials therein, are without any factual basis.

“In its comments, while welcoming a credible investigation, the US Embassy spokesperson says that there are “numerous reports of widespread threats and intimidation by security forces against witnesses and potential witnesses to the Commission”.

To date no evidence to substantiate this claim has been brought to the attention of any Government authority. If indeed the US Embassy was genuinely concerned regarding threats to witnesses, specific details of such incidents and reports should have been made available to the Government for a response.

“Furthermore, it is reported that the Embassy spokesperson expressed concerns on continued attacks against journalists and members of religious minorities, as well as the weakening of the rule of law and increasing impunity for illegal actions.This gives the impression that journalists and members of religious minorities are attacked in Sri Lanka, on daily basis, whilst no action is taken by the Government to enforce law and order and bring perpetrators to justice. There has also not been a single attack on journalists reported in the past few years.

Some of the journalists came under attacks in reent years

“It may be noted that all people living in Sri Lanka enjoy freedom of religion, which is a constitutionally guaranteed right. The Government of Sri Lanka remains committed to ensuring that this right is protected. This is evidenced by the action taken to address reported incidents of disturbances in the recent past.

Action has been taken on those who have contravened the law of the land, once sufficient evidence has been gathered for prosecution. More broadly, religious leaders of all faiths have been consulted at the highest levels in arriving at a mutually acceptable solution to issues that have arisen. In keeping with Sri Lanka’s societal, cultural and historical norms, regular dialogue continues to take place at various levels to ensure interfaith harmony and understanding amongst its diverse populace.

It is therefore unfortunate that isolated, sporadic and media-sensationalised incidents have been misinterpreted as representative of an overall weakening of the rule of law and impunity for illegal actions.

The Government has asserted clearly on many occasions that if reliable evidence is available in respect of any contravention of the law, the domestic legal process will be set in motion.

Civil society: The greatest bugbear, the greatest hope?

Mahinda Rajapakse knows the power and impact of civil society because he worked with us – Dr. Nimalka Fernando, lawyer and activist

July 31, 2014

The young Parliamentarian from Hambantota was trying to board a plane bound for Geneva on 11 September 1990, when he was intercepted by an Assistant Superintendent of Police by the name of Kudahetti.
The senior Policeman wanted to search the MP’s baggage for fabricated documents likely to be “prejudicial to the interests of national security or promote feelings of hatred or contempt” towards the ruling Government of the day.

Civil Society the Greatest Bugbear, The Greatest Hope by Thavam

In Sri Lanka crackdown, mobs and death threats turned on journalists

Sunil Jayasekera, convener of the Sri Lankan Free Media Movement, talks to journalists in Colombo in June. (AFP/Lakruwan Wanniarachchi)

By Bob Dietz/CPJ Asia Program Coordinator

There is genuine cause for alarm about the anonymous death threats going to Sunil Jayasekara's phone. They started streaming to Jayasekara, the convener of Sri Lanka's Free Media Movement, an umbrella group (hence calling the leader a convener) of journalists' organization in Sri Lanka, just before an FMM press conference on Saturday in Colombo.

The hastily called press conference had its own daunting reason for being. It denounced the use of a mob of pro-government activists who blocked a group of about 11 Tamil journalists from attending a training program in Colombo earlier on Saturday. The group had traveled from the northern former war zone of Jaffna to attend the U.S.-funded workshop. They were stopped twice at road blocks while traveling to the capital city. When they did not turn back, a score or so of hastily assembled demonstrators barged into the Sri Lanka Press Institute and disrupted the session. The journalists had been there to learn about digital security and communications. If troops and cops at roadblocks can't deter a determined group of journalists, a threatening and violent group of citizens, angered by journalists being trained to become better (and safer) at their jobs, could.

Jayasekara is well known to CPJ, I have met with him several times. And we have given him assistance in the past, at other times when he was also deeply in danger. Rail thin and soft spoken, married and a father, his integrity is not in question when he writes things like "Let's stand together; Death threats will not deter us," an article bylined by him shortly after the group's Saturday press conference. "I was born in this country and will die in this country. We are ready to face the challenge," he wrote. It appeared on the website Sri Lanka Brief, which offers "news, views and analysis of human rights & democratic governance in Sri Lanka." Underfunded and harassed, FMM does not maintain a website of its own.

There is little question that FMM was pushing the limits with this weekend's training sessions and subsequent press conference. The harassment came after a government directive handed down July 1 warned non-governmental organizationslike FMM not to make public statements or engage in training sessions. Such activities are "unauthorized" and "beyond their mandate," the Ministry of Defense said. On July 8, the FMM released a statement condemning the government's move.

In a strongly worded statement today, the United States Embassy in Colombo expressed its concern about the tactic of using well organized demonstrations to shut down events of which the Sri Lankan government does not approve: "These events continue a troubling pattern of impunity for those who interfere with both freedom of speech and freedom of assembly in Sri Lanka."

The mob tactic, using demonstrators in civilian clothes to swarm a room full of journalists, was used again Monday to stifle media coverage of a rape trial in Jaffna. The victims were two preteen girls; the alleged perpetrators were navy men. The demonstrators seized journalists' cameras and mobile phones and warned them not to publish news on the proceedings. A crowd of Tamil protesters was outside the courtroom, angered by what they considered a cover-up of what could prove to be a heinous crime.

Make no mistake. Using ostensible demonstrators in civilian clothes is only the latest tactic by Sri Lanka's government to suppress the media. When that ploy fails, it falls back on anonymous threats to try to silence independent journalists. With Sri Lanka's history of impunity in bringing the perpetrators of violence against journalist to justice, such threats have to be taken extremely seriously.

Sri Lanka has long been a dangerous country for the press, and ranks fourth on CPJ's international Impunity Index, which spotlights countries where journalists' are murdered regularly and their killers go unpunished. "The government of Mahinda Rajapaksa has shown no political will to address its record of perfect impunity in the nine murders of journalists that have taken place under his leadership, first as prime minister and then as president," we noted in our index this year.

Blow-by-Blow: A Tamil journalist’s nightmare

Oomanthai journalists detained 25Jul2014ssssss

[Police torch light on journalists faces; Original photo - Tamil Gaurdian]

By Mayoorapriyan–30/07/2014

It was last Friday the 25 July. We, a group of journalists, were asked to come to Jaffna Media Press Club from where a vehicle would depart around 5:30 PM to Colombo, in order to attend for a media training program.
Blow-By-Blow a Tamil Journalist’s Nightmare by Thavam

Through The Eyes Of The Damned…

Instead of administering the country on a sound and steady strategic premise, the governments that followed, first of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaranatunge and later of the Rajapaksas, essentially governed the country on a crisis-management basis on the one hand and a deal-making basis on the other.

By Vishwamithra1984 -July 30, 2014

“In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.” —Confucius

The culvert has gone into neglect for a long time. The government civil engineer had promised the villagers that repairs would be effected soon but that ‘soon’ does not seem to have any definite timeframe. The dilapidated condition has rendered the culvert worthless; its primary function of circumventing the gushing of water from the tertiary canal and inundating the gravel path that leads up to the homesteads of the settlement seems to have been abandoned. The presence of the engineer is urgently required and in fact, awaited by many soon; otherwise the hamlet consisting of fifty to sixty homes, some complete and others still in construction but dwelling condition and their home gardens, would soon become virtually inaccessible by any motorized vehicle, agricultural or otherwise. The hustle and bustle of activities that was observed during the early days of settlement is now gone.The coming-in and going-out of busy land officers, community development officers, irrigation engineers, unit managers and block managers and other staff who belonged to the Authority that was in charge of the downstream settlement programme had brought a vibrancy to the new environment, raising hopes and aspirations of a people, who up to the time of uprooting from their traditional habitat, had led lives on the level of subsistence farmers.

| by Upul Joseph Fernando

( July 30, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The letter sent by the Minister of External Affairs, Prof. G.L. Peiris, citing the reasons for President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Chairman of Commonwealth, not attending the Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, Scotland, exposed a hitherto unknown fact. The reason has been cited as the failure on the part of the British Government in suppressing the agitations by Tamil Diaspora against the Sri Lankan President. Prof. G.L. Peiris has mentioned in his letter that the agitators pelted empty bottles and cans at the motorcade of the Sri Lankan President as he was in England to attend the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth’s crowning. This was news to many. As soon as the President returned to the home country, Sri Lanka Government thanked the British Police for the safety provided to the President. Local television showed the footage of the President travelling defended by the British Police. The message delivered by the government to the local people was that the British Government had provided security and recognition despite the protests of the Tamil Diaspora.

However, several years later, the same government says that the President’s motorcade was attacked with empty bottles and cans. It is cited as the reason for the Sri Lankan President being absent at the Commonwealth Games.

Mahinda is the Chairman of the Commonwealth. This is the first time the Commonwealth Games is held sans the participation of its Chairman. After being appointed as the Chairman of the Commonwealth, the Commonwealth Day was celebrated in UK. By then, the President had not still met Queen Elizabeth who is the head of the Commonwealth. The Queen did not attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Colombo. She was represented by Prince Charles. Mahinda was expected to meet the Queen alongside the Commonwealth Day celebrations. But Britain asked Mahinda not to attend the function because they could not guarantee 100% security, to the Sri Lankan President amidst protests of the Tamil Diaspora activists. Mahinda may be the first Chairman of Commonwealth who did not participate in the Commonwealth Day celebrations.

Accuse

At that moment, Mahinda did not accuse the UK and stated that he would not participate in the Commonwealth Day as he had another foreign engagement. But this time the government announced that the reason for the President’s absence at the Commonwealth Games was the failure of the UK Police to suppress Tamil Diaspora. Yet we have doubts if the UK Government has advised Mahinda unofficially to avoid the tour due to security concerns. He may have directed his External Affairs Minister to accuse the British Government about the past incident of pelting bottles and cans at him.

However, Sri Lanka spent billions of rupees of public money to hold the Commonwealth summit in Colombo, at the cost of hard earned money of the people of this country. Eventually the Chairman of the Commonwealth cannot attend the Commonwealth Day and Commonwealth Games. As the country holding the Chair of Commonwealth, Sri Lanka is highly dejected by this situation. The government could have evaluated all these before taking the costly decision of holding CHOGM here.

On 18 May 2009, the day the war ended, the ruling coalition parties surrounded the British High Commission of Sri Lanka and held a massive protest depicting then Foreign Minister David Miliband as a Tamil Tiger. The mobs threw rotten eggs and tomatoes at the windows of the High Commission office. The government was pretending that it was unaware of these happenings. This is the chance for the Britain for tit for tat.

The nightmare that ‘Black July’ conjures up

Where to go for safety? Where to earn our livelihood? These were the questions writ large on the faces of the Tamil refugees in July 1983. Photo: The Hindu Archvies.

Though it is five years since the civil war ended, 69,000 Tamils continue to live as refugees

VIDYA VENKAT-July 30, 2014

The date was 25 July, 1983.

Antony* reached Luckyland biscuit factory at Kundasale, a suburb in Kandy, his place of work for 10 years, in the morning as usual. On that fateful day, his manager warned him. “They can come to get you any moment. You must leave now.”

Only two days earlier, an ambush by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam had claimed the lives of 13 Sri Lankan soldiers in Jaffna. The incident sparked riots across Sri Lanka, in which mobs of Sinhala goons targeted the Tamil minority community with government support. For the first time, Tamils started leaving the island nation in large numbers.

Those who could afford it took the flight to India, while others braved the seas.

“I may not have survived to tell you this tale, had my Sinhala friends not rescued me that day,” says Antony, looking back at the dark days of the anti-Tamil pogrom from July 24 to 29, 1983, remembered as ‘Black July’.

Antony’s brother Solomon* saw his brand new house in the Raddoluwa Housing Scheme, near the Katunayake airport, being burnt down on July 29 after a rumour that the LTTE had poisoned the water tank.

He continues to preserve the half-burnt wedding photo, found hanging from the sooty black wall of his home, when he went there a year later.

He lives with his family at Tuticorin now, and is apprehensive of going back.

Mary*, a resident of Muttuwal, Colombo, escaped to India at the age of 16, with her mother and four sisters.

“We lost everything,” she recalls. “After the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, surviving as a refugee in Tamil Nadu has not been easy either.” Her eyes well up as she recalls the stigma of having to show up at the police station every week to sign the register.

Such stories abound, and though it is five years since the civil war ended, 69,000 Sri Lankan Tamils continue to live as refugees in 110 camps in 25 districts of Tamil Nadu.

They live in 10x10 feet homes, which have basic amenities; but, livelihood concerns run deep. Desperate for a better life, people in these camps often make futile attempts to escape to other countries. Referring to the recent attempt at trafficking Sri Lankan refugees to Australia, Antony says: “These incidents are quite common. The younger generation of the refugees faces a bleak future.”

S.C. Chandrahasan, founder of the Organisation for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation (OfERR), started the NGO in Chennai in 1984 to work among the displaced Sri Lankan community.

“One good thing is that owing to our intervention, the refugee children have attained 100 per cent literacy,” he says.

“The governments of India and Sri Lanka must expedite efforts to rehabilitate the refugee families,” says Mr. Chandrahasan, who, too, escaped to India in 1983.

Quoting from Kani Nilam Vendum, a poem by Subramanya Bharathi, he sums up the aspirations of his community:

“All I need is a small piece of land, oh divine mother, A small piece of land, and there,

In the midst of that small piece of land, build me a house with four pretty pillars and several floors near the small pond…”

(*Names of refugees have been changed in order to protect their identities.)

Clarifications On The Demographic Perspective Of Tamils In Sri Lanka

By Murali Vallipuranathan -July 30, 2014

Dr. Murali Vallipuranathan

As speaker of the popular talk titled “Future of Tamils: A demographic perspective” I am thankful to Dr.Krishna Kalaichelvan for translating the media report and discussing under the title “Understanding the Demographic Decline of Tamils in Sri Lanka”. I however, wish to clarify the following:

The media report published in GTN website and other media was prepared by a media personnel who attended my talk in Jaffna University on 26/06/14. That report was however, not comprehensive and in fact left out two other important aspects of my talk affecting the population growth: migration and mortality. Just because I had posted those links in my Facebook does not mean that I had agreed it as a complete report of my presentation. Please note that public officers are generally not allowed to publish media reports under the Sri Lankan Law and I am merely responding here to what was stated by Dr.Kalaichelvan without any political agenda. The main objective of my presentation in Jaffna was to create awareness among Tamils of their declining fertility and discuss ways to recover the population which suffered heavy losses due to war.
Although part of the Youtube clip Muslim demographics was shown during my presentation neither that part of the clip nor I made any derogatory statements against Islamic brothers. I have in fact appreciated some of their ways and suggested Tamils to follow those during my presentation.Read More

‘More Questions Than Answers’ – Suren Surendiran

( July 27, 2014, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) While the Government feels it has achieved something more by expanding the mandate of the Missing Persons Commission to investigate war crimes and appointing three foreign experts to oversee the probe, the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) feels it is not enough. GTF spokesman Suren Surendiran says more questions than answers have surfaced following the Government announcement. He also notes that historically such Sri Lankan commissions have failed to meet the expectations of the families of the victims and the international community.

Excerpts of the interview:

| by Easwaran Rutnam

Q: What does the GTF think about the new mandate given to the missing person’s commission?

A: The view remains the same that only an impartial independent international investigation can establish the truth and serve justice. The predicament for President Rajapaksa and his Government is that they themselves are being accused. When an alleged party to crimes is involved in the decision making process of choosing the investigators or the counsel of advisors and their terms of reference for the investigation, that may not be impartial.

Why did President Mahinda Rajapaksa take more than five years to appoint and/or expand the mandate? Why did he now believe that there is a reason for increasing the mandate to investigate whether war crimes were committed? Why did the Government publicly accept an army investigation that exonerated the military from all charges only a few months ago to now accept the President’s decision to increase the mandate to include war crimes investigation too?

These will be the questions the thousands of victims and the general public will want the two most powerful people in the country to answer.

Q: Is there room for the diaspora to share information on the war with the Presidential Commission?

A: When we do not have any faith in the commission or its limited mandate, why would anyone even consider being engaged in such a flawed process? The answer to your question is ‘No’.

Q: Will the appointment of the three foreign experts give the Presidential Commission credibility?

A: None whatsoever, I am afraid. Firstly, apparently the decision to increase the mandate to include war crimes and the appointment of three foreign legal experts happened without following due process. The Sri Lankan Parliament wasn’t informed or this decision put for debate and a vote, nor did the cabinet apparently was informed. All these after protesting at the UN Human Rights Council for appointing an investigation as interference in an internal affair and calling it a threat to the sovereignty of Sri Lanka, the President appoints a group of international experts to oversee a local commission. At the same time, senior cabinet ministers say that the advisory panel could only advice but the President and the government have the final say to either listen to or reject any such advice given. Why anyone with basic understanding of law, governance, controls and due processes would consider these appointments as giving any more credibility to an already discredited commission?

Also these appointments must be viewed in the context and history of this government, which has appointed several (e.g. APRC) commissions in the past but have ignored all their findings and recommendations and never even published these to the public. This is the same government that appointed the IIGEP (International independent Group of Eminent Persons) back in 2007/2008 and after several attempts to do their job, finally in early 2008 the team left the country terminating their work after being frustrated by the lack of political and institutional will by the government.

Q: In your view do you see the UN or local investigations process actually ensuring justice for the victims of the war?

A: The UN process will and must if the UN had to maintain any credibility. This, after letting down several tens of thousands of innocent people died in vein and their friends and families.

UN Secretary General himself has gone on record admitting that mistakes were made and the UN on its watch, during the war, could have taken many steps including going public loud and clear with the real ground reality. It could have saved several thousands of life that were unnecessarily lost in the hands of a very few including a president of the country.

Q: Some feel that the whole process is unfair as it fails to properly investigate crimes committed against civilians by the LTTE. What is your opinion on that?

A: I disagree. The UNHRC Resolution clearly mandates the OHCHR to investigate alleged crimes committed by both sides.

GTF has consistently called for any independent investigation to include alleged crimes committed by both sides.

Aluthgama 13 suspects released 'legally'

Wednesday, 30 July 2014

Police say that a police OIC is empowered to release the 13 suspects of the Aluthgama incident, on police bail.

Speaking to BBC Sandeshaya, police media spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana has said thus, while responding to queries over the release of the 13 suspects.

Though journalist J.S. Tissanayagam was arrested on the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) on charges of abetting terrorism, the Aluthgama incident did not come under the PTA, he has added.

Responding to queries as to why persons charged of abetting racism and religious fanaticism at a public meeting on the day of the clash in Aluthgama, the police spokesman has said that under common law, a man cannot be arrested just over a statement.

Releasing 13 persons is just a part of the charges. If it is a conigsable offence, the police OIC can act on releasing the suspects, SSP Ajith Rohana has said.

However, speaking to BBC Sandeshaya, legal experts have said that a police OIC had no call on releasing or giving bail for suspects arrested over a conigsable offence.

A cognisable offence is defined as an offence that can be acted upon by a peace officer without an arrest warrant.

DIG gets 'threats'

Meanwhile, the police media spokesman has also added that the preliminary inquiry against Kalutara DIG V. Indran was suspended after witnesses and statements proved that he had not neglected his duties.

"The preliminary inquiry was held to ascertain whether DIG Indran had failed to comply with a higher order in accordance with police disciplinary provisions. However, it was revealed at the inquiry that such a charge cannot be leveled against him."

Media reported that the DIG Indran's refusal to comply with an order of higher officials and release the 13 suspects had led to the preliminary inquiry.

Speaking to BBC Sandeshaya, DIG Gamini Navaratne has said that he had not issued such an order.

Meanwhile, police media spokesman has that he has not learnt of any threats leveled against DIG Indran.

[B](BBC Sandeshaya)[/B]

Mahinda’s Message

By Dayan Jayatilleka -July 30, 2014

Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka

When he addressed the awards ceremony and dinner yesterday on the occasion of the 175^th anniversary of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce hosted by the outgoing chairperson of the Chamber, the highly perceptive and articulate Suresh Shah, Mahinda Rajapaksa was a man with a message. Cast your mind back or go back to your records of encounters with Sri Lankan leaders and top officials in the ten years before 2005, he said. Your highest priorities were the cessation of terrorism and the provision of infrastructure, and while you were optimistic about what your enterprises could do if these conditions were fulfilled, you were pessimistic about the prospects of their fulfillment. Remember that we, this administration, delivered what was thought to be impossible; so impossible that some were even willing to give Prabhakaran free run of the North for ten years or more – said Mahinda in a barb aimed at the Leader of the Opposition sitting in the audience. Now we are criticized for not moving forward on political reconciliation, but “just as we succeeded in eradicating terrorism which was thought impossible, we shall succeed in the task of political reconciliation too, Mr. High Commissioner”, he added, in a gentle jibe at the genial John Rankin.

An Appreciation Of Professor Ranjith Amarasinghe

Professor Ranjith Amarasinghe

By Laksiri Fernando -July 29, 2014

I was sad to hear the passing away of Professor (Emeritus) Ranjith Amarasinghe, University of Peradeniya, a teacher and a friend, on Sunday the 27th. This sadness is shared by many of our friends and former colleagues who informed me of the sorrowful demise by email, Professors Gamini Samaranayake and Kalinga Tudor Silva in particular. Ranjith was ill only for a short while and then suddenly vanished from our presence. Even I was not aware of his illness. He will be intimately missed by his wife, Mallika, and two sons, Samanga and Dhanusha and Samanga’s family.

Personal Dedication Read More