Hormone-insulin combo more effective for Type 2 diabetes than other therapies

By M Tyler, Fri, September 12, 2014

A drug that mimics the action of a gut hormone combined with basal insulin is more effective at controlling blood sugar than other diabetes treatments, according to new research published in The Lancet.

The findings are important given that many anti-diabetic treatments can increase risk for hypoglycemia and weight gain, said lead author Dr. Ravi Retnakaran, an endocrinologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.

GLP-1 hormone

Glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) is a hormone secreted by the gut after eating. The GLP-1 therapy seems to help people with Type 2 diabetes due to its ability to regulate blood sugar and help with weight loss.

After analyzing 2,905 studies over 64 years which involved basal insulin and/or GLP-1, researchers found that a combination of the two therapies resulted in a 92-percent greater likelihood of controlled blood sugar. Not only that, but the combo was associated with a 33-percent lower risk of hypoglycemia and almost a 13-pound greater weight loss.

"Combining a GLP-1 agonist with basal insulin is a treatment strategy that can achieve the ideal triumvirate of short-term outcomes in diabetes management: optimal glucose control alongside weight loss and a low risk of hypoglycemic episodes," said Dr. John Buse, Chief of the Division of Endocrinology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. "As such, this combination treatment could improve the management of people with type 2 diabetes."

Source: The Lancet

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Non-violent Campaign To Merge North & East – M. A. Sumanthiran

Sunday, September 14, 2014

According to Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), in the democratic aspirations of Tamil people, they have come to a point to find a legitimate solution within a united, undivided country – which will enable Tamils to live with self-respect and dignity while being part of political decision making and enjoying other rights as much as the majority community. For this process, the ITAK, one of the alliance members of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) brought up several resolutions during the recent Convention of the party. Speaking toThe Sunday Leader TNA MP and ITAK Member M. A. Sumanthiran said the need to merge North and East is recognised in Indo-Lanka Accord and they would launch a non-violent campaign if the Sri Lankan government is unable to address the issues raised by them by the end of this year.

Excerpts of the interview:

By Waruni Karunarathne

Q: What is the need to merge the North and East?

A: Merging North and East is stated in the Indo-Lanka Accord. The North and East are the historic habitation of Tamil speaking people. There has been systematic state sponsored colonization of Sinhalese in the Eastern Province. In 1821, Sinhala population in Eastern Province was 0.5% but today it is 29%. People are free to move about and live anywhere they want to live in the country. But what has happened here is not a free movement but a deliberate state sponsored colonization with a view to change the ethnic demography of the area.  Sinhala settlement growth rate in East was several times higher than the birth rate of Sinhalese in the country. It is unethical and deliberate alteration of the demography. This has been a historic issue. In The Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam Pact and Dudley Senanayake-Chelvanayakam Pact, the fundamental issue that was addressed was the issue about land alienation.

Q: What are the key issues that ITAK will take up under its new leadership?

A: We have passed 15 resolutions in which we have laid out what our priorities are. That is what we will take forward.

Q: The ITAK has stated that if the government does not address their issues before the end of this year they would take non-violent actions. What would those actions be?

A: We have clearly said that we will act in line with the non-violent actions of Mahatma Gandhi. There are many forms of the non-violent struggle introduced to the world by Mahatma Gandhi. We will certainly carry out non-violent protests. These issues that we are raising about are related to resettlement of people and who have lost their original settlements. The President promised the UN General Secretary in May 2009 in a joint communiqué that every person who is being displaced will be resettled in their own place before the end of December 2009. Five years have elapsed but it is not yet being done. Besides, the private lands of the people are being acquired for military purposes. People are still languishing with their families and relatives. Our move is a result of the government not keeping their promises – not only to us but also to the world at large.

Q: At the ongoing UNHRC sessions what kind of pressure do you expect the council to put on Sri Lankan government?

A: I do not think that the Council is interested in putting any pressure on Sri Lanka at all. The Council will do its work. The new High Commissioner for human rights made his initial speech in which he mentioned Sri Lanka and importance of having a comprehensive international investigation into Sri Lankan human rights issues.

He also commended on the work of his predecessor Navy Pillay. In this particular session there will be an oral update on their investigations by the High Commissioner which will probably come out during the last week of this month. We will have to wait and see what the investigation report is and how the investigations will proceed from here on.

Q: Will the witness protection bill that is to be passed in the parliament serve any purpose?

The Witness Protection Bill is not being passed yet – it was only tabled in the Parliament recently. This is also a promise that was given by the government long time ago when the Presidential Commission of Inquiry was headed by retired Supreme Court Judge Nissanka Udalagama. It was introduced during the last parliament and was debated and then the government abandoned it. At least now they have taken the measures to table it.

There are some good features in the bill but in the bottom line, it is the state authorities who are tasked with giving protection to the witnesses and victims of crime. We are at a situation where state is accused of many crimes.

So the question arises whether the state, being in the accused end, would be able to provide protection to witnesses who might testify against the state.

எம்மை மீறி எவருமே இல்லை இதுவே இராணுவத்தினர் விடுக்கும் செய்தி 

 "எவரும் எங்களை மீறியவர்கள் அல்லர் என்பதுதான் இராணுவத்தினர் சொல்லும் செய்தியாகவுள்ளது.  அதனால்தான் எமது மக்களின் பாதுகாப்புக் குறித்து நான் கருத்துக்களைத் தெரிவித்தேன். எனது பாதுகாப்பு பற்றி எதையும் நான் சொல்லவில்லை இவ்வாறு தெரிவித் துள்ளார் வடக்கு முதலமைச்சர் க.வி.விக்னேஸ்வரன்.

"தன்னை ஒளிப்படம் எடுக்கின்றார்கள் என்று முதலமைச்சர் கூறுகின்றார். ஆனால் அது தொடர்பில் பாதுகாப்பு பிரச்சினை இருந்தால் ஏன் பொலிஸில் முறைஆ;பாடு செய்யவில்லை'' என்று சிரேஷ்ட பொலிஸ் அத்தியட்சகர் பி.விமலசேன நேற்று முன்தினம் இடம்பெற்ற ஊடக வியலாளர் சந்திப்பில் கேள்வி ஸழுப்பியிருந்தார்.

 இது தொடர் பில் முதலமைச்சரிடம் "உதயன்' வினவியது. அதற்குப் பதில ளிக்கையிலேயே மேற்கண்ட வாறு முதலமைச்சர் குறிப்பிட்டார். 

"எனது பாதுகாப்பு குறித்து நான் முறைப்பாடு செய்ய வில்லை. மக்களின் பாதுகாப் புக் குறித்தே முறைப்பாடு செய்திருந்தேன். பொது நிகழ்வுகளில், இராணுவத்தினர் சுற்றி வளைத்து ஒளிப்படங்களை ஏன் எடுக்கின்றார்கள் என்று தான் கேட்டிருந்தேன். அது எங்களுடைய மக்களின் மனங்களில் பயத்தை ஏற்படுத்துவதற்காக அவ்வாறு செய்கின்றார்கள். 

இன்றுள்ள தொழில்நுட்பம், கண்டுபிடிப்புக்களைக் கொண்டு யார் வேண்டுமானாலும் என்னை எவ்வளவு ஒளிப்படங்கள் வேண்டுமானாலும் எடுக்கலாம். அத்தோடு எனது உடல் மொழிகளையும் மதிப்பீடு செய்து கொள்ளலாம். ஆனால் யார் படம் எடுக்கின்றார்கள் ? அந்தப் படங்கள் ஏன் முக்கியமானவை ? யாருக்கு அவை முக்கியமானவை என்பதை நாங்கள் கருத்தில் எடுக்க வேண்டும்.

பின்தங்கிய கிராம மக்கள் கடந்த காலங்களில் வெளியில் சொல்ல முடியாத துன்புறுத்தல்களுக்கு உள்ளாகியுள்ளனர். "எவரும் எங்களை மீறிய வர்கள் அல்லர்' என்பதே இராணுவத்தினர் அவர்களுக்குச் சொல்லும் செய்தியாக உள்ளது. இந்த விடயத்தை பொலிஸாரிடம் முறையிட வேண்டிய அமிசியம் கிடையாது. இது இராணுவத்தினருக்கு அவர்களது நடவடிக்கைகளுக்கு எதிராகவும் சொல்லப்படும் அரசியல் முறைப்பாடு'' என்று அவர் மேலும் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.        

- See more at: http://onlineuthayan.com/News_More.php?id=565063427314703802#sthash.nlVwF31q.dpuf

No Man Is Above The Law And No Man Is Below It

By Upul Jayasuriya -September 14, 2014 

Upul Jayasuriya -BASL President

I could quote a few examples from the past. Dr. Colvin R De Silva as the Minister of Plantations he was on a tour in the Badulla Region. He heard over the radio that he has been stripped of his portfolio. He returned his official Car and returned to Colombo by Train. Minister of Finance UB Wanninayake who lived in Polgahawela used to travelled to Colombo by Train and was picked up at the Fort railway station by his official vehicle. When another Minister Mr. Vincent Perera passed away his body could not be taken to his home as there was not sufficient room in his humble home. When Mr. Dudley Senanayake, four times Prime Minister of Sri Lanka passed away with only Rs. 400 in his bank account. Sirimavo Bandaranaike Prime Minister lost all her husbands ancestral wealth, tens of thousands of acres, due to the Laws that they brought in.

It gives me great pleasure to speak today in commemoration of Hon. Al-haj M A Bakeer Marker. He was born on the 12 May 1917, in the hamlet of Maradana – Beruwala. His father was a Native Physician. He Had his early education at St. Sebestian’s College, Hulftsdorp and thereafter at Zahira College Colombo. He had the privilege and the benefit of being moulded by a first class educationist of Sri Lanka Hon. T B Jaya. Hon. Jaya was his mentor, Teacher and friend. He was called to the Bar in 1950. Even before Joining the Bar he was in politics. That was in 1949. He was welcomed by the doyens of the Kalutara Bar and later formed the partnership with Mr. NLR Fernando of Kalutara. He was later elected the President of the Kalutara Bar.

He entered the Parliament a decade after joining the Bar. He was elected the Deputy Speaker and later as the speaker of the Parliament in 1978 and a Minister in 1983. That was an era of Gentlemen in politics. He belonged to a rare creed and did not believe in nepotism even within the family. He was a rare example to the politicians of the past and present. In 1988 he bowed out of politics and made way for his son who was a lawyer himself with a natural flare for political leadership to fill his void. That was no favour for his son but a display of Love and affection to his dear constituents. Those were the good old days when He nor his leaders believed in family bandysm where father, brothers, children, cousins and even in Laws were all bundled in to the political arena creating a political heritage.                             Read More

De-inviting Sri Lankan HRDs by University of Sydney : Amnesty, Janasnsadaya withdraw in protest

[ Sudarshana Gunawardane and Brito Fernando ]-13/09/2014
The decision of the University of Sydney to de-invite two Sri Lanka human rights defenders under the pressure of Sri Lanka Defence Ministry form the International conference on Enhancing Human Rights and Security in the Asia Pacific is a serious issue says number of organisations. The University itself admits that they are de-inviting HRDs working in difficult situation.

Explaining the situation Brito Fernando of the Right to Life organisation says that ‘the Sydney University did invite me (Right to Life) and some other NGO activists from Sri Lanka, including Sudarshana Gunawardane (Rights Now ) to participate in a seminar on Torture, in Bangkok All of a sudden , myself and Sudarshana were requested by Sydney university to withdraw ourselves from attending the conference, due to the opposition from Sri Lanka defense ministry against the participation our participation’.

In an open letter to Associate Professor Danielle Celermajer, Director Enhancing Human Rights and Security in the Asia Pacific of the University of Sydney, Amnesty International insists that best course of action would have been ‘the reissuing the invitation to the individuals you have excluded from the conference and reassured all participants without exception that they may speak freely.’

In the letter of de-inviting two Sri Lankan human rights defenders form the International conference, Associate Professor Danielle Celermajer admits that in asking certain NGOs not to attend, they are capitulating to pressure and thus in a sense affirming that power can be misused in this way. It further says that they are also aware of the danger that we are sending you or other Sri Lankan NGOs (who continue to work under the most difficult circumstances) the message that they will simply cut you off when the programme is faced with a conflict.

Richard Bennett, Director, Asia-Pacific Programme of the Amnesty International further says in his letter that ‘the Sri Lankan government has been persistent in its intolerance of dissent, its attacks on human rights defenders and journalists and its assaults on academic freedom. The climate of impunity that exists in Sri Lanka has been devastating to civil society and to the rule of law. Brave individuals still able and willing to speak out openly against this trajectory of abuse deserve our respect and support. The organizers’ retraction of their invitations sends a message that the sentiments of the officials who have been invited matter more than those of civil society participants. But in fact change in Sri Lanka, as anywhere, depends on individuals having the freedom to challenge state authorities to be accountable and to uphold human right and the rule of law. It is our duty to help them do that.’

Meanwhile another Sri Lanka NGO also working on torture has withdrawn in protest. The Janasansadaya in its letter to the University says that ‘ our organization has been informed by the Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice of dis-inviting of two NGO participants from Sri Lanka due to objections from the Ministry of Defense.
That is a sad and a serious situation.
We also share the view of several other colleagues from human rights organizations that unless these two participants are re-invited we feel obliged not to attend this meeting as it will compromise us, on the principles we hold dear.’

The letter of invitation:Invitation to Right to Life
The letter of withdrawing the invitation: Deinvite letter to Right to Life
Amnesty International letter: Amnesty letter to Danielle Celermajer

To Editors Of Sri Lankan Media; Enduring Conspiracy Theories

By Chandra Jayaratne -September 14, 2014

Chandra Jayaratne

To Editors of Media Institutions; Enduring Conspiracy Theories

A Sunday Paper published today in a Column “ Sunday Punch 2” titled “Rambuk’s ‘right to info’ poppycock”, quotes the chief government spokesman, the Media Minister as stating “ the Lankan people do not require a Right to Information Act”, and “There is more than enough access to information. In Sri Lanka, democracy is such that the government has only two TV channels, whereas there are over twenty TV channels owned by the private sector. In print Media, the government has one Sinhalese, one Tamil and one English newspaper-the rest is owned by the private sector. I do not know what the urgency is to bring an Act. An Act is needed only in a country where public has no access to such rights”

There is no purpose in debating neither the validity nor the rationality of the statements of the Media Minister. Let us assume, as articulated by the Minister, that the operating environment in Sri Lanka, allows the Media, and the Editors of Media Institutions, the democratic space to practice, the accepted best practices in journalism and the journalists to freely engage in their professional activities, express views, opinions and engage in investigative journalism.

In the above assumed context, here is a challenge to the Editors of Media Institutions in Sri Lanka! 

Those of you who are courageous and have the commitment to strive to have your names potentially inscribed amongst those recognized for the World Association of Newspapers “Golden Pen of Freedom Award” in journalism, can attempt to develop, by research, investigative journalism, a competition or other means, a list of 10- 20 most enduring conspiracy theories in Sri Lanka since its independence.

“Conspiracy Theory”, is defined as “a belief that some covert but influential organization is responsible for an unexplained event”. 

The Time Magazine on the 40^th anniversary of the moon landing asked whether it was just a sinister hoax and then developed 10 of the world’s most enduring conspiracy theories. These included The JFK assassination, 9/11 Cover-up, Secret Societies Control the World, The Moon Landings Were Faked, and CIA and AIDS.

Derik Bradshaw in the Guardian wrote on “The Worlds Top 15 Conspiracy Theories of All Time” and included  some already identified in the ‘Time’ published list and also included Jesus and Mary Magdalene, The Death of Princes Diana, The Shroud of Turin, The Holocaust, Global Warming, and Who really wrote the plays of Shakespeare?

The Telegraph list in a similar initiative had many of the conspiracies identified earlier and others like, Harold Wilson was a Soviet Agent and Elvis Presley Faked His Own Death.

It is hoped that the Sri Lankan Media Editors will design their challenge to cover  not only the 10-20 most enduring  conspiracy theories at a macro level, but will in addition expand the structure to further sub classify 5- 10 political, ethno/religious, economic, business and social/societal conspiracies theories as well.

I trust that in the interest of your readership, you will kindly accept and give leadership to this challenge in the near future.

With Best Regards,

Yours Sincerely,

Chandra Jayaratne

14^th September 2014

Manipulations ad hominem?

September 15, 2014

Former CJ's Eureka on Third Term
"...So always the power rests with the people. It's a very democratic process where the people are the masters."– Sarath N. Silva, former CJ, on Constitution.

Manipulations Ad Hominem by Thavam

Colombo exploits mineral resources of Eezham Tamils in occupied Vanni

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 September 2014, 22:50 GMT]
Despite the action by Northern Provincial Council Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Irrigation and Environment in August this year in prohibiting excavation of sand from the coast of Vaaviyadi and Puthu-aattadi in Kokku’laay region in Vanni, the Colombo government and agents of Namal Rajapaksa, the son of SL president Mahinda Rajapaksa, have accelerated the excavation of mineral sands containing ilmenite and rutile, raw materials for manufacturing Titanium Dioxide. The SL government in Colombo has seized several acres of lands along the coast in recent weeks, news sources in Mullaiththeevu told TamilNet on Saturday. 

11 families have complained that their lands have been taken over by the SL government and that the sand is being taken away from an area of 20 square kilometers. 

Although the SL government claimed that the families would be provided alternative lands, the landowners complain that such exploitation is causing environmental destruction. The SL government will not be providing proper lands as alternative lands, they complain. 

The Northern Provincial Council is not able to block the destructive excavation of mineral sands and all the efforts by the NPC minister have been ignored by the Sri Lankan government, the landowners say. 

Namal Rajapaksa has also been purchasing and transferring lands along the coast of Mullaiththeevu, especially in Kokku’laay and Ma’nalaa’ru areas for the excavation of minerals. 

The Sri Lankan government's main customers for ilmenite in have been Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha Ltd. (Japan), ACI (US), Derby & Co (British), Currumbin Minerals Ltd. (Australia), and Rare Earth's Ltd (India's state-owned firm) in the past. The current contractors are not known.

New Wheeler Dealer Mafia Now Gunning For Iqbal Athas

September 14, 2014

A dirty media war has broken out in Colombo with a new businessman turned broker and now publisher together with a TV tycoon are jointly gunning for an unnamed Political Correspondent.

Iqbal Athas

The first salvo was fired when the Ceylon Today newspaper (Sunday Edition) owned by Tiran Alles today. Without naming the Correspondent, a front page report said the journalist in question was a rapist, took bribes to build a “palatial house” and was corrupt.

Who is this Political Correspondent? Inquiries by the Colombo Telegraph revealed that the vicious personal attack was onIqbal Athas now the Political Editor of The Sunday Times.

The cause for the personal offensive against him, initiated by the Editorial Director of the Mawbima Group, is because Athas exposed the role of both Alles and Raja Mahendran alias Kili, the owner of Maharaja Television. However, he did not name them personally in The Sunday Times.

Inquiries by Colombo Telegraph revealed that it was Alles, a close friend and ally of leaders of the UPFA Government, who was responsible for efforts in getting Sajith Premadasa to become the Deputy Leader of the United National Party (UNP). Wickremesinghe will propose his  name at a Working Committee meeting on September 23. He worked through General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, former UNP Chairman Malik Samarawickrema and Sagala Ratnayake among others.

Alles, very well informed sources in Colombo told Colombo Telegraph had in fact draft a letter written by Sajith Premadasa containing a list of demands from Ranil Wickremesinghe. He was helped by Kili Maharajah. After the exposure by The Sunday Times, the two persons have been badly embarrassed. Alles had asked Thushara Gunaratne to give top priority to “exposing” Athas. Gunaratne tried  unsuccessfully to obtain information from his former colleagues at the Lankadeepa but told them something “exclusive” was being published on Sunday.

Reliable sources in Colombo say Attanayake was allegedly paid an advance of Rs 25 million for lobbying to get Ranil Wickremesinghe to agree to making Premadasa Deputy Leader. Through this move both Alles and Kili  Maharajah are helping to ensure there is no common candidate against President Rajapaksa. Premadasa has already declared publicly that the next presidential candidate from the UNP will contest under the elephant symbol.

Iqbal Athas was not available for comment today. A member of his household who answered the telephone said he was out of Colombo and not expected till mid week. His mobile phone was switched off. All this while, the Mawbima has been directing personal attacks against the publisher of The Sunday Times, Ranjit Wijewardene and his son Ruwan Wijewardene, MP. The venom against them has been very poisonous for Thushara Gunaratne who was one time Deputy Editor of the Lankadeepa. He was forced to leave after it was discovered that he was feeding scurrilous material against President Rajapaksa and Defence SecretaryGotabaya Rajapaksa to some non Sri Lankan websites.

Tiran Alles, now an MP in the Democratic Front became wealthy after he became the sole marketeer of mobile phones in the former LTTE controlled Northern Province. As revealed in the Colombo Telegraph, he once told a news conference that he carried money to the LTTE in order to persuade them not to allow voters to take part in the 2005 presidential elections.

A one time mentor of Alles has said that he will expose both Kili Maharajah and Alles soon after the Uva Provincial Council elections are over on September 20.

This week UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe pleaded with Mangala Samaraweera not to issue a strongly worded statement against Alles and Kili Maharaja. He had branded them as “wheeler dealers” trying to make government and defame anyone who is not in line with their thinking.

UNP  MP Ravi Karunanayake told media “Tiran Alles is causing all the mischief from behind the scenes. He is  now exposed. Wait till next week. There will be more known about this small time mudalali who is a traitor to our party.”

Knowing Is One Thing; Doing Is Another Matter…

| by Chandi Sinnathurai

( September 14, 2014, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) The whole world knew about the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka. The Tamil tigers were waging a war of attrition against the Sinhala state. A nascent state of Tamil Eelam was embryonic. The tigers were convinced that they were getting stronger. However, the sad truth was that the rug was being pulled under their feet slowly but surely…May 19th 2009 the world knew about the demise of the tiger leader Vellupillai Prabaharan. The tigers fell like a pack of cards!

During the whole struggle from the 1950s until 2009 – The plight of the poor Tamils – I mean the POOR, the dispossessed, the internally dispersed were struggling to free themselves from abject poverty - not having a roof over their heads, no protection, no voice, no basic human rights. Many of the children from such communities lost their childhood to the war – to fight in the front lines of the war. Many were abducted or forcibly recruited into the struggle: Such a despicable plight is not unique to such a struggle; that is of course horrid nature of war. But it is always the poor who get the worst hit.

The whole world knew what was going on…The Tamils – the “educated” ones really knew what was happening on the ground.

The whole war machinery on both sides, the Sinhala state and the Tamil liberation industry, was running an economy empowered by the wealthy.

Some Tamil MPs who belonged to the Liberation Movement were surreptitiously cutting deals with the Sinhala State. They managed to accumulate wealth and send their daughters and sons abroad for private education and yet speak out for “liberation” in order to attract votes. Yet again, this is not unique to this context.

Since the demise of the tigers, the liberation industry has focused its attention on Rajapaksha – the War President. They want Rajapaksha charged as a war criminal. The errors of the past and the present simply cannot be rectified by supplanting focus.

The plight of the poor Tamils remain the same.

When the tigers took their last stand in Mullivaikal, the World knew that thousands of civilians were trapped with them while the State forces were planning to decimate the tigers. The Church hierarchy in the West knew – In Britain, the Church of England and the Methodist Church knew that there were potentially thousands of innocent civilians who would be victims. They too were happy to be silent.

The world stood and watched simply mouthing platitudes. Even today, nothing is done to the Tamils – the plight of the poor has worsened in spite of the economic upturn in Sri Lanka.

The greatest violation is not to do something to alleviate the plight of the poor. They are the ones who have been truly betrayed and discarded by the whole industry of war.

Chandi Sinnathurai is a peasant priest.

Bizarre 1

Shashindra Rajapaksa

By Emil van der Poorten -September 14, 2014

Emil van der Poorten

Given the realities of Sri Lanka, I am certain that I will need to use this title in the future as well because there isn’t a word that more accurately describes the goings on in the Debacle of Asia, hence the “1” that follows the single-word title.

A word of caution would certainly be indicated at the inception – those responsible for the bizarre goings-on in this country who would certainly fit into the category of boors, buffoons and the uneducated might not represent the peak of human development but they can and have given evidence of their ability to inflict violent physical, mental and psychological cruelty on those they’ve decided to be “the enemies of the state” (a term interchangeable with their last name) and who are perceived as placing obstacles in the path of their pursuit of unimagined power and pelf.

With the Uva Provincial Council election campaign in full  swing we have a never-ending litany of violence being visited upon those standing in the way of the Rajapaksa hegemony which has a very personal complexion here with the son of the eldest of the siblings standing for election to the Chief Minister’s post, one he came by with the President, his uncle, exercising his dictatorial power and removing the legal prohibition to his incumbency of the head position at the Kataragama shrine while running for, leave alone occupying, political office. While hardly surprising, there was barely a whimper of protest from “the Official Opposition” or from Sri Lanka’s mainline media which had already begun its descent into abject servility when this occurred.  So we now have the spectacle of a man running for re-election to a position that he should not have held in the first place!

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