A New Strategy For Post-War Tamil Politics

By M.A. Sumanthiran -

M.A. Sumanthiran MP

Vickramabahu Karunaratne once told me that I would have no problem making speeches in Tamil, but that it is only if I, like Raviraj, start making speeches in Sinhala that I would have to be careful. The Sinhala political leaders, he said, did not want to tell Sinhala people the truth. They feared that if the people came to know the truth, it would become dangerous for them.

Sadly, the reverse is also true. There are Tamil politicians who wish to keep the Tamil people ignorant. According to some analysts, this is the cause of our ethnic conflict – Sinhala political leaders only addressing the Sinhalese people, and Tamil leaders only addressing the Tamil people.

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'குடிநீரில் பார உலோகங்கள் இருப்பது உறுதிசெய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது'

-பொ.சோபிகா-சனிக்கிழமை, 13 டிசெம்பர் 2014

சுன்னாகம் பகுதியில் எண்ணெய்க்கலப்புள்ள குடிநீரில் பார உலோகங்கள் இருப்பது ஆய்வுகளில் உறுதி செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதற்கு விரைவான நடவடிக்கைகளை மேற்கொண்டுள்ளதாக வடமாகாண நீர்வழங்கல் மற்றும் சுற்றுச்சூழல் அமைச்சர் பொ.ஐங்கரநேசன் சனிக்கிழமை (13) தெரிவித்தார்.

இவ்விடயம் தொடர்பாக அவரிடம் வினவியபோதே அவர் மேற்கண்டவாறு தெரிவித்தார்.

இது தொடர்பாக மேலும் தெரிவிக்கையில்,

வடமாகாண முதலமைச்சர் தலைமையில் சுன்னாகம் பிரதேச சபையில் இரண்டு வாரங்களுக்கு முன்னர் கழிவு எண்ணெய் தொடர்பான பிரச்சனை கலந்துரையாடப்பட்டு, இது தொடர்பான ஆராய்ச்சிகளை மேற்கொள்ள 18 பேர் கொண்ட ஒரு குழு உருவாக்கப்பட்டது.

இக்குழு பாதிக்கப்பட்ட பிரதேசங்களின் களநிலை மாற்றங்களை அவதானித்து வாராந்த கூட்டத்தில் எமக்கு தெரியப்படுத்துவார்கள். இதன் வாராந்த கூட்டம் வெள்ளிக்கிழமை (12) நடைபெற்றது.

அதில் தற்போது அப்பகுதியில் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட கிணறுகளின் எண்ணிக்கை அதிகரித்துச் செல்வதாக கூறியுள்ளார்கள். அப்பிரதேச மக்களுக்கு உடனடி தீர்வாக நீர் வழங்கலை  மேற்கொள்ள ஆரம்பித்துள்ளோம்.

பாதிக்கப்பட்ட இடங்களில் உள்ள அனைத்து சிற்றுண்டிச்சாலைகளும் பயன்படுத்துகின்ற கிணறுகளை உடனடியாக பரிசோதனை செய்வதற்கு முடிவெடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. அவ்வாறு எண்ணெய்த் தொற்று இருந்தால் உடனடியாக தண்ணீர் பெறுவதற்கான மாற்று ஏற்பாடு செய்யப்படவுள்ளது.

மத்திய அரசாங்க சுற்றாடல் அதிகாரசபைக்கு தெரியப்படுத்தியுள்ளோம். அவர்கள் ஆசிய அபிவிருத்தி வங்கி ஊடாக ஆய்வு, சுத்திகரிப்பு, மேலதிக பல திட்டங்களுக்கு என 390 மில்லியன் அமெரிக்க டொலர்கள் ஒதுக்கீடு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. தொடர்ந்து நடவடிக்கைகளை மேற்கொள்ளவுள்ளோம்.

ஆய்வு ரீதியாக நடவடிக்கைகளை மேற்கொள்வதற்கு மேலதிகமாக நிபுணர்கள் கொண்ட குழு ஒன்றை அமைப்பதற்கு பிரதேச மக்கள் கோரிக்கை விடுத்திருந்தனர். அதை  ஏற்றுக்கொண்டு அடுத்து வருகின்ற அமைச்சரவை கூட்டத்தில் இது தொடர்பாக ஒரு முடிவு எடுப்பதாக உள்ளேன்.

இது உடனடியாக தீர்க்கப்படக்கூடிய பிரச்சனை  இல்லை  நீண்டகால நோக்கத்தில் தீர்க்கப்படவேண்டிய விடயம். ஆனால் இது போன்ற பாதிப்புக்கள் ஏற்படுத்துகின்ற திட்டங்கள் எமது பிரதேசத்தில் இனி நடைபெற கூடாது என்று அவர் தெரிவித்தார். 

1500 ஏக்கர் காணிகளை மகாவலி அபிவிருத்தி திட்டம் என்னும் போர்வையில் அபகரிப்பு

ஆதவன்-Submitted by MD.Lucias on Sat, 12/13/2014 -
முல்லைத்தீவு மாவட்டத்தில் தமிழர்களின் 1500 ஏக்கர் காணிகளை மகாவலி அபிவிருத்தி திட்டம் என்னும் போர்வையில் அபகரிக்கப்பட்டு மாற்று சமுகத்தினருக்கு மாகாண காணி ஆணையாளரினால் வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.
 
முல்லைத்தீவு மாவட்ட செயலகத்தில் நேற்று இடம்பெற்ற  கற்றுக்கொண்ட பாடங்கள் மற்றும் நல்லிணக்க ஆணைக்குழுவின் பரிந்துரையின்படி யுத்தகாலத்தில் தமது காணிகளை அல்லது ஆவணங்களை இழந்த மக்களுக்கு தீர்வை பெற்றுத்தருவதற்காக நடைபெறும் 2 வருட வேலைத்திட்டத்தின் இறுதிமாதமான இம்மாதத்தில் இது தொடர்பான முன்னேற்ற மீளாய்வு கூட்டத்தில் தமிழர்களுக்கு  பாதகமான இரண்டு முக்கிய விடயங்களை நடைமுறைப்படுத்துமாறு மாகாண காணி ஆணையாளர் பொ. தயானந்தன் பிரதேச செயலாளர்களிற்கு உத்தரவிட்டார்.

குறிப்பாக கரைதுறைப்பற்று கொக்குத்தொடுவாய் பகுதியில் தமிழருக்குச் சொந்தமான 1500 ஏக்கர் வயல் காணிகள் மகாவலி அபிவிருத்தி திட்டம் என்னும் போர்வையில் அபகரிக்கப்பட்டு மாற்று சமுகத்தினருக்கு வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இக்காணிகளுக்காக 1980 இற்கு முற்பட்ட காலப்பகுதியில் தமிழர்களிற்கு பகிர்ந்தளிக்கப்பட்டதுக்கு ஆதாரமாக காணி உத்தரவுப்பத்திரத்தை வைத்திருக்கின்றனர்.

அக்காணிகளை மீட்டுத்தருமாறு கோரி சுமார் 600 குடும்பங்கள் தமது காணிப்பிரச்சனை தொடர்பாக விண்ணப்பித்திருக்கின்றனர். இதற்கு எதுவித தீர்வும் அம்மக்களிற்கு பெற்றுக்கொடுக்கப்படாமல்; குறித்த பிரச்சனை தீர்வுகாணப்பட்டதாக அறிக்கையை மாற்றியமைக்க வட மாகாண காணி ஆணையாளர் பொ. தயானந்தன் பிரதேச செயலாளருக்கு உத்தரவிட்டார்.

அத்துடன் முல்லைத்தீவு மாவட்டத்தில் காணியற்றவர்களாக பதிவு செய்த 3000 தமிழ்மக்களின் பிரச்சனைக்கும் தீர்வுகாணப்பட்டதாக அறிக்கையை மாற்றியமைக்கவும் இவரால் சகல பிரதேச செயலாளர்களிற்கும் உத்தரவு பிறப்பிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இவ் அனைத்து அறிக்கைகளும் இவ்வருட இறுதியில் காணி அமைச்சால் ஜக்கிய நாடுகள் சபைக்கு சமர்பிக்கப்படவுள்ளதென்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

600 தமிழர்களின் பூர்வீக காணி உரித்தை அவர்களின் முகவரியை அழித்தொழிப்பதற்கு தயானந்தனிற்கு அதிகாரம் வழங்கியது யார்? மன்னார் மாவட்டத்தில் 2000 ஏக்கர் அரச வன ஒதுக்கை சட்டத்திற்கு புறம்பா வழங்க உடந்தையாக இருந்தவரும் இவரே.

சம்பந்தப்பட்டோர் , வட மாகாண காணி ஆணையாளர் பொ. தயானந்தனின் இச்செயற்பாட்டை உடனடியாக தடுத்து நிறுத்துங்கள். இவ்வரலாற்றுத்தவறு இடம்பெறாதிருக்க  இவ்விடயத்தில் உடனடியாக செயற்படவேண்டியது காலத்தின் அவசியமாகும்

52 ஏக்கர் காணி படையினரால் 

சுவீகரிப்பு

2014-12-13 12:01:56 | General

தென்மராட்சியில் கண்டி வீதியருகே மிருசுவில் பகுதியில் தனியாருக்குச் சொந்தமான சுமார் 52 ஏக்கர் தென்னங்காணியை பலவந்தமாகக் கையகப்படுத்திய பின்னர், அதில் 52 ஆவது படையணியின் தலைமையகத்தை அனுமதியின்றி அமைத்துவிட்டு தற்போது அந்தக் காணியை பலவந்தமாக படைத்தரப்புக்கென சுவீகரிப்பதற்கு அரசு தரப்பில் எடுக்கப்பட்டுவரும் நடவடிக்கையை ஆட்சேபித்தும் அதைத் தடுத்து நிறுத்தக் கோரியும் கொழும்பு  மேன்முறையீட்டு நீதிமன்றத்தில் தாக்கல் செய்யப்பட்ட மனுவை நீதிமன்றம் விசாரணைக்கு ஏற்றுக்கொண்டுள்ளது.

மனுவில் எதிர் மனுதாரர்களாகக் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ள பாதுகாப்பு அமைச்சின் செயலாளர், இராணுவத் தளபதி, 52 ஆவது படையணி கட்டளைத் தளபதி அனுர சுபசிங்க,காணி அமைச்சர், காணி சுவீகரிப்பு அதிகாரி ஆகியோரை எதிர்வரும் பெப்ரவரி 10 ஆம் திகதி நீதிமன்றத்தில் ஆஜராகுமாறு உத்தரவிடவும் நீதிமன்றம் பணித்தது.

மேற்படி, 52 ஆவது படையணி அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ள 52 ஏக்கர் நிலமும் தனி தென்னந்தோட்டக் காணியாக இருந்தது.

ஒரு தாய்க்கும் நான்கு மகள்மாருக்கும் இது சொந்தமானது. இந்தக் காணிக்குள் புகுந்த படையினர் அங்கிருந்த தென்னந்தோட்டத்தை அழித்துவிட்டு அங்கு தங்கள் படையணியின் தலைமையகத்தை அமைத்திருப்பதாகக் கூறப்படுகிறது.

தற்போது இந்தக் காணியை சுவீகரிப்பதற்கான சட்ட நடவடிக்கைகள் அரசு தரப்பால் ஆரம்பிக்கப்பட்டமையை அடுத்து காணி உரிமையாளர்கள் இதனை ஆட்சேபித்து
நீதிமன்றத்தில் மனு செய்திருக்கின்றார்கள்.

பொதுத் தேவைக்காகத் தனியார் காணிகளை அரசு சுவீகரிக்க முடியும் என்ற சட்ட ஏற்பாட்டை மேற்கோள்காட்டியே இந்த சுவீகரிப்பு நடவடிக்கை முன்னெடுக்கப்படுகிறது.
நேற்று (வெள்ளிக்கிழமை) இந்த மனு கொழும்பு மேன்முறையீட்டு நீதிமன்றத்தில் மேன்முறையீட்டு தலைமை நீதியரசர் விஜித மலகொட, நீதியரசர் டிலிப் நவாஸ் ஆகியோர் முன்னிலையில் எடுத்துக்கொள்ளப்பட்டபோது மனுதாரர் தரப்பில் சட்டத்தரணிகள் கே.சயந்தன், லூயி கணேசநாதன் ஆகியோரின் அனுசரணையுடன் சிரேஷ்ட சட்டத்தரணி எம்.ஏ.சுமந்திரன் ஆஜராகி வாதாடினார்.

"பொதுத் தேவைகளுக்கு தனியார் காணியை சுவீகரிக்கலாம்’என்றாலும் இராணுவத்துக்குத் தேவையான ஒன்றை "பொதுத் தேவை’என அர்த்தப்படுத்த முடியாது என்று அவர் விளக்கினார்.

இதனை செவிமடுத்த நீதிமன்றம், மனுவை விசாரணைக்கு ஏற்று எதிர் மனுதாரர்களுக்கு நோட்டீஸ் பிறப்பிக்க உத்தரவிட்டது.

Journalists rally in Colombo over media restrictions ahead of election

Journalists and trade union activists protest against media restrictions at the Colombo Fort railway station on Friday (photo by ucanews.com)

• December 13, 2014

Hundreds of journalists and trade union activists protested on Friday against government threats to the media ahead of a contentious presidential election in January.

The protest, organized at the Colombo Fort railway station by the civil society group Citizen’s Power, condemned the interrogation of KW Janaranjana, editor in chief of the Ravaya Sinhalaweekly newspaper, by the Criminal Investigation Department.

Janaranjana was questioned for several hours on November 30 over an article that suggested opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena had an edge in the race for president.

Joining Friday’s protest, Janaranjana said police had no just cause to question him.

“All these incidents are direct attempts to supress the media close to the election,” he told ucanews.com, referring to his interrogation as well as the targeting of other journalists, including an attempt to pull the broadcasting license of Derana TV by a cabinet minister.

"Some groups have threatened newspaper agents not to sell copies of Ravaya in several cities," he added.

"The media suppression will pose a grave threat to a free and fair election."

President Rajapaksa called for a snap election on January 8 — almost two years early — after his Sri Lanka Freedom Party made a poorer than expected showing in local elections earlier this year.

Since then, support for Rajapaksa has flagged. On Wednesday, two ministers resigned from the government and joined the opposition candidate Sirisena, who told reporters last week to expect more defections.

Sunil Jayasekara, the convenor of the Free Media Movement and a participant in Friday’s protest, said the government was clearly suppressing freedom of opinion and expression in the lead-up to the election.

"We urge the commissioner of elections and the inspector general of the police to exercise their powers to prevent high pressure and restrictions imposed against journalists," Jayasekara told ucanews.com.

The Brussels-based International Crisis Group said in a report last week Rajapakse was facing an unexpectedly strong challenge from his former health minister Sirisena, who has secured wide opposition support.

"The sudden emergence of a strong opposition candidate caught many, including President Rajapakse, by surprise," the ICG said.

It warned the election could turn ugly and called for the international community to send monitors to observe the campaign and deter any violence.

The warning coincides with efforts by Catholics in Sri Lanka to postpone a planned Apostolic visit by Pope Francis January 13-15.

Concerns have been raised over Rajapaksa’s use of the pope’s image on campaign posters, and that a papal visit could be seen as an endorsement for Rajapaksa.

In early December, the Vatican confirmed that the papal visit would proceed as scheduled.

Additional reporting by AFP.

Related reports

Opposition secures Buddhist backing ahead of Sri Lanka vote

UK says trade with Sri Lanka goes 'hand in hand' with human rights

13 December 2014

The British government continued to call on Sri Lanka to co-operate with a United Nations investigation into mass atrocities on the island and stated that the UK's trade with Sri Lanka goes “hand in hand” with its commitment to human rights.

Speaking during a debate in the House of Lords on Thursday, Lord Livingston, the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills & Foreign and Commonwealth Office, said,

“Trade is important not only to the prosperity of the UK but to Sri Lanka and its people. However, the UK’s commitment to free trade goes hand in hand with our commitment to human rights. That point has been made volubly.” 

“We continue to urge Sri Lanka to co-operate and ensure the protection of those providing evidence to the investigation, and to implement the recommendation of its own internal commission on resettlement and rehabilitation.”

The question of whether the British government would deploy sanctions against Sri Lanka was raised during the debate, with Lord Livingston saying,

“The UK Government’s position on this is that it is premature to do anything more prior to the UN reporting on the matter, and we are expecting the UN’s report in March 2015. When we receive it, it will be appropriate for the Government to take a view of which, if any, of those recommendations should be taken up.”

The minister also responded to a question from Lord Bach, who asked why more than £8 million of arms export licenses, including shotguns, assault rifles and ammunition, were granted to Sri Lanka. Lord Livingston said,

“The British Government have a rigorous policy of assessing all export licences to each country, including Sri Lanka, very much on a case-by-case basis. We seek not to export equipment where we assess that there is a clear risk that it might be used for internal repression, would provoke or prolong conflict within a country, or would be used aggressively against another country. The equipment concerned included antennae for military transport, carbon fibre tows, some software to do with internet access, and things such as sporting cartridges. On these cases, which we reviewed carefully, we decided that export licences could be granted.” 

“It is also something that we will keep under review, as we do with all countries.”

Earlier Lord Bach said that Sri Lanka has “done all within their powers to block any effort to discover what went on and what may still be going on.” He went on to add “the Sri Lankan Government have just gone on blocking: there is no access for the investigative team and a reported threat by the Minister for Mass Media in Sri Lanka that legal action may well be taken against those who testify before the Commission, if they breach the terms of the Sri Lankan constitution”.

Also speaking during the debate was the vice-chairman of the All-Party Group on Sri Lanka and supporter of Conservative Friends of Sri Lanka, Lord Sheikh, who said he had visited the island twice, met Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and “enjoyed a highly successful relationship with the Sri Lankan high commission” in London. He was joined by Lord Naseby, who was labelled “an apologist for the Sri Lankan government” by the Daily Telegraph's chief political commentator, in calling for an expansion in bilateral trade with Sri Lanka.

A COMPROMISED JUDICIARY

Dr. Nihal Jayawickrama-December 13, 2014

(The text of a presentation made at a conference on Judicial Integrity and Accountability held in Manila last week.)

In this session on "The Battle for Judiciary Integrity: Lessons from the Asian Experience", I have chosen to focus on a country with which I am familiar. What is interesting about Sri Lanka, as a case study, is that since it became independent of British colonial rule in 1948, it has experimented with two radically different forms of government. In the first 30 years, executive power was exercised by a cabinet of ministers responsible to an elected parliament, headed by a Prime Minister who held that office only for as long as he or she enjoyed the confidence of Parliament. The Prime Minister was subject to the law and the jurisdiction of the courts. Judges of superior courts were appointed by the constitutional head of state on the advice of the Prime Minister, who invariably consulted the relevant stakeholders before tendering such advice. During this period, a strong tradition of integrity underpinned the judiciary at every level. Despite immense political and social change, a competent, impartial and fiercely independent judiciary remained constant in its commitment to equal justice under the law.

A Compromised Judiciary by Thavam Ratna

54% for Maithri, president ahead in 

Wayamba, Sabaragamuwa!

Saturday, 13 December 2014 

The State Intelligence Service, in its weekly report given yesterday (12) to the president, with copy to the IGP, says common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena is leading the presidential election campaign at 54%.

However, the president is ahead in northwestern (Wayamba) and Sabaragamuwa provinces at 56%, while his popularity has waned from 55% to 51% in southern and Uva provinces, says the SIS report. In addition, his popularity has declined to between 45% - 50% in northcentral, central and western provinces. The most prominent declines are in Colombo and Nuwara Eliya districts, at 46% and 48% respectively.

Presidential Election And The Challenges Facing The Tamil National Alliance

By Shanthan Thamba -December 14, 2014 

Shanthan Thamba

On the 9th of January 2014 the Sri Lankan Presidential election results would have been announced.  It is needless to say that, this election is a two horse race between the incumbent Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa and his erstwhile secretary of his party turned his contender, Mr Maithiripala Srisena. One of them is expected to be declared elected as the President by the election commissioner on the 9th of January. There are about nineteen other names on the ballot paper, but every voter including those ‘candidates’ know that they are not in the running.

The incumbent President has two more years in the office but he decided to call this election now. ‘A week is a long time in politics’ is one of the famous quotes of the 20th century; by the former British Prime Minister Mr Harold Wilson. Mr Rajapaksa’s two years in government is a hell of a long time. If one wants and willing; it is long enough time to accomplish a substantial social, economic and political program.  There is nothing in the way to the present government to implement their program. There is no terrorism to fight; there is a legislature where this government has the absolute majority.

Why did the President choose to sacrifice his power and opted to go for a poll prematurely?  Some say it is due to the astrological considerations. This may or may not be plausible. However there are people who believe that the President who has been a shrewd and an innate political operator for more than four decades; assessed that he has a better chance now than in two years’ time. This also shows that he foresaw further decline of his popularity and he could not find a way to reverse this trend. Thus the scene is set by Mr Rajapaksa for the Sri Lankan voters to exercise their franchise.Read More

Here are the bootlicking MaRa stooges betraying the nation- Rajaa-pakse intelligence division traitors identified..

(Lanka-e-News- 14.Dec.2014, 8.00PM) The people of a country form a State so that the people can carry out their affairs duly. There is no State without people , as the terms, State and the people are synonymous.

Unfortunately , in present Sri Lanka (SL) all the public Institutions that are there for the security of the State of Sri Lanka (SL) or the people of SL are now being used by the Medamulana Rajapakse regime for the security of its own family only. This brutal family of beasts are assuming that the entire state is owned by them .
Here Are the Bootlicking MaRa Stooges Betraying the Nation- Rajaa-pakse Intelligence Division Traitors Iden... by Thavam Ratna

Will Tamil Maximalists Be Able Enforce A Election Boycott Like In 2005?

[SP Tamilchelvan with  Minister Nimal Sripala]

by Tisaranee Gunasekara-14/12/2014

“We are totally unconcerned about the outcome of this election.”
SP Tamilchelvan, LTTE Political Head (on 2005 Presidential election)

The Opposition needs Tamils. Tamils need the Opposition.

The Opposition cannot win without Tamil votes. Tamils will be stuck with Rajapaksa rule, if the Opposition fails to win.

The Rajapaksas do not need Tamil votes to win. They just need Tamils to abstain from voting.

The Rajapaksas understood this in 2005. That is why they did a deal with the LTTE to impose an election-boycott on Tamils.

Will Tamil Maximalists Be Able Enforce a Election Boycott Like in 2005 by Thavam Ratna

Presidential Election 2015: Deliberating On Our Decision

By Dayan Jayatilleka -December 13, 2014

Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka

Sri Lanka appears to face an easy choice: continuity or change; stay where we are and the way we are or turn a new page. That, however, is an illusion.

The truth is that Sri Lanka faces two ghastly choices: death by continuity and stagnation or death by uncontrollable radical reform; death by claustrophobic, even suffocating centralization or death by centrifugal downward spiral.

The uncritical supporters of the Rajapaksa status quo do not see the first danger. They see a linear progression in material modernization, which either does not require an accompanying political, educational and cultural modernization or they assume that modernization of the material base will inevitably, inexorably bring the other desired modernizations in their wake.

The uncritical supporters of the Combined Opposition see no benefit from the material modernization. For them it is all a sham and a financial shakedown. For this school of thought, any kind of change is better than none, and this upcoming Presidential election is the last chance for democratic change possibly in our lifetime, so any risk is worth taking.Read More

I Do Feel Immensely Sorry For Rajapaksa

By Rajiva Wijesinha -December 13, 2014 

Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha MP

A Presidency Under Threat – Facing Realities

Though I do not in any way regret our decision not to support Mahinda Rajapaksa at the forthcoming Presidential election, I do feel immensely sorry for him. He is neither a fool, nor a villain, so he knows well the mess into which he has got himself. Though he and his advisers will use every trick in the book now to win re-election, and he might even succeed, he knows that the methods he is now using serve only to make crystal clear how very unpopular he has become.

This was not something the Mahinda Rajapaksa who led us to victory overthe Tigers deserves. It is quite preposterous that a man who took bold decisions to save the country from terrorism has been incapable of taking any decisions at all in recent months to remove the various blights that have hit us.Read More

Barking up the Jilmaat tree

by Ruvan Weerasinghe-December 13, 2014

So we come to yet another time of electioneering where politicians run a circus to amuse the rest of us. And, to a large extent we oblige, exchanging cartoons and videos via social media and even reading posters and cutouts smiling down on us from giant hoardings.

Barking Up the Jilmaat Tree by Thavam Ratna

Long thought dead, man returns home after 25 year detention

• Sunday, December 14, 2014

A resident from Chunnakam in Jaffna returned home on Friday
after more than 25 years in a detention camp, residents said. S. Vairavanathan was arrested at Armour Street in Colombo soon after a bomb blast in 1990. He was 28 then. Since then, he had been detained at a detention camp in Hambantota for 25 years without any charges being filed against him.

Both his parents died not knowing where their son was after they had searched for him for a long period without success. Recently, the Hambantota Magistrate Court sent a letter to his family to take charge of him. But the Sunday Times learns that some of his relatives were reluctant to welcome Mr. Vairawanathan as they had allegedly sold properties belonging to the Vairavanathans using forged documents.

However, other relatives turned up at the Hambantota courts on Thursday to take Mr. Vairawanathan home.

Bogus 5000 face book accounts and fake elections office website to ‘adorn’ MaRa’s election campaign

(Lanka-e-News- 14.Dec.2014, 8.20PM) In the wake of a majority of the people of the country developing a bitter anathema to the moribund Rajapakse regime , and with the opposition to the regime presently ever growing and never abating, while the regime’s popularity is also plummeting in the international social network , Medamulana MaRa with a view to giving a shot in the arm to his Presidential campaign that is tottering most precariously , a huge conspiratorial operation is being planned to be put in place by Medamulana MaRa .

Accordingly, with effect from 12th night ,5000 face book accounts are to be falsely created in order to fiercely sling mud at Maithri , while at the same time conceal all the evil corrupt traits and murderous despotic propensities of MaRa . In the circumstances , we urge all Sri Lankans not to be misled by these subterfuges , and be wary of the face book accounts. MaRa’s team is also readying to publicize a phony website (Mirror website) akin to the website of the elections office .To achieve these ends , 30 computers and an exclusive server have been provided by Sanjeewa Wickrenmenayake of eWis computer company.

It is significant to note that that these actions are absolutely illegal and offending against the international computer network laws.

Prisoners too are harassed by the ‘sensitive leader’

SUNDAY, 14 DECEMBER 2014

We have been able to prove with evidence that prisoners are being used in Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s election campaign.

The following photographs show prisoners being deployed for a rally to be held at the bus stand at Akuressa. The prisoners are given blue coloured cloths and are used to do various tasks. Reports that come from various areas in the island indicate Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa has to violate election laws as his popularity is diminishing day by day and the organizers of his campaign find it difficult to get persons to volunteer to carry out various tasks needed for the campaign.

Persons in Prisons Department say Rajapaksa regime that savagely murdered 34 prisoners in Welikada Prison deploying prisoners in their campaign is deplorable.

Govt. borrows Rs 150 Billion

By Paneetha Ameresekere

2014-12-14

Government and State Corporation local bank borrowings increased by Rs 149.7 billion or 9% to Rs 1.8 trillion as at end October on a year on year basis, latest Central Bank of Sri Lanka data showed.Market sources told Ceylon Today that among the reasons for such increases were new employment opportunities provided in these two sectors, which have upped their costs, coupled with having to take bank loans to make loss making institutions, such as the CPC, CEB, Railway and the SLTB which operate under this sector, functional.

Meanwhile, Government of Sri Lanka's (GoSL's) foreign debt servicing commitments in the 11-month period, ending October 2015, is envisaged to increase by US$ 1.2 billion or by 21% to US$ 6.9 billion, latest Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) data showed.

In the 12 months to November 2014, such commitments were envisaged to have been US$ 5.7 billion, according to CBSL.
This increase is equivalent to two thirds of Sri Lanka's tourism earnings in the first 10 months of the current year, which, according to CBSL, was US $ 1.8 billion. Matters are made worse when considering the fact that Sri Lanka's trade deficit, in the first 10 months of the current year, increased by 4.3% year on year to US$ 6.9 billion.

Market sources told Ceylon Today that the problem Sri Lanka is facing is the drying up of concessional loans and grants from its traditional friends, the West and Japan, and agencies controlled by them, such as the World Bank, ADB, and the IMF, due to the country's belligerent attitude towards them, vis-à-vis human rights allegations and the island veering closer towards China and Russia at the expense of its aforesaid traditional friends, which do not see eye-to-eye with Sri Lanka's new friends.
To tide over this crisis, the country is expected to raise five-year money worth US$ 1.5 billion at commercial rates from international markets next month.

They further said, Sri Lanka's external economic sector is further jeopardized by foreign funds which have invested in the government securities market (GSM) exiting from the same due to the uncertain political environment besetting the island.
Records showed that in the 15-week period to Wednesday (10 December), foreign funds to the value of Rs 46.9 billion had had exited from the GSM. This is equivalent to US$ 356 million on the basis that the current administered spot price is Rs 131.55/65 in two-way quotes to the dollar.

"There are more such exits to come in the coming days," sources said.
Such exits have had caused further pressure on CBSL's foreign reserves and also on the exchange rate (rupee). Latest records showed that CBSL's foreign currency reserves in the two-month period ended 31 October declined by US$ 304 million to US$ 7.8 billion.

Meanwhile, in the 15 week period to date, the rupee, vis-à-vis the dollar, has depreciated by 1%-1.4% (Rs 1.27-Rs 1.80) to Rs 131.90/132.00 in "spot next next" trades, thereby making imports more expensive to the consumer, made worse by the fact that Sri Lanka is an import dependent economy, even having to import its staple food, rice.
CBSL by a mix of moral suasion and offering dollars at discounted (administered spot) prices from its foreign currency reserves, is preventing the rupee from depreciating further.

Sources said if CBSL lets go of protecting the rupee, it would depreciate and settle down at the
Rs 134 level, a depreciation of between 1.5%-1.6% (Rs 2.00-Rs.2.10) from its current administered prices.

Video: SB displays his ideocy

SUNDAY, 14 DECEMBER 2014

Minister of Higher Education S.B. Dissanayaka, participating in a propaganda rally of UPFA candidate for the presidential election held at Nawalapitiya, said that Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa will win the election with a majority of 2500 million.

This statement reveals how idiotically the Minister of Higher Education, who insults university students calling them dogs, donkeys and jackals, acts before Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The total population in Sri Lanka is 20.48 million while the number of voters is 15.4 million. Stating that someone would win by a majority of 2500 million is a clear indication of the person’s idiocy.

2500 million is more than 33% of the world population. It is to such an idiot that the Ministry of Higher Education has been handed over.

Buckingham Stables Horses And Private Choppers For Rajapaksas

December 14, 2014

The common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena has revealed some interesting details of the lavish lifestyles led by family members of the ‘සංවේදී නායකයා’ during several election campaigning rallies held over the weekend.

Speaking at a rally in Panduwasnuwara yesterday, Sirisena had said that millions were spent to buy a horse last year from the Royal mews of the Buckingham palace for the young ‘prince’ Rohitha Rajapaksa.

“The horse was unloaded from the Port and directly taken to Nuwaraeliya where it was visited by the ‘little prince’. He got onto a helicopter in the morning, arrived in Nuwaraeliya, rode the horse and headed back to Colombo after a few hours. They claim to promote campaigns for the youth under the title ‘Tharunyata Hetak’’ – where is that future for the youth from the villages?” he questioned.

Meanwhile, during a campaign rally held in Wennappuwa Maithripala Sirisena had revealed more details of how state funds are being misappropriated by the Rajapaksa family as if it is their personal wealth, to maintain their luxurious lifestyles.

“Six choppers were brought down and they were shared among the family including the ‘princes’. They have separate choppers and separate bullet proof vehicles. Who has to pay for these? It is the common man and the woman who are being made to pay for their exorbitant schemes,” he said.