Don’t Boycott; Vote For Democracy – Jaffna Uni Science Teachers

(Statement by Jaffna University Science Teachers’ Association)

04/01/2015

The forthcoming Presidential Electionis the last chance to save democracy in Sri Lanka. This is the time to prevent the country slidinginto the mire where the ordinary people endure huge privations for the benefit of a band of rulers.

Development projects are planned to secure fat commissions rather than to benefit the people. The money spent on development and the money the ruling clique gets as commissionsis money that lawfully belongs to the people.

The rulers’ boast that they have carried out huge development projects, while in reality taking an inordinate share of the money as commissions, is an ongoing farce that is enacted to fool the masses.

Tax money belonging to the people is spent on luxurious living by a small powerful group. Interference in the administration of justice, destruction of law and order, corruption and complete misuse of power has reached unprecedented heights. Those who are paid by the people to serve them have virtually become parasites with scant intention of service.

This can be seen from the fact that the peoples’ representatives in the North elected by popular vote are powerless and cash-strapped, while those who have minuscule support enjoy limitless power, cash and privilege.
It is true that the minorities’ question has been placed on the back burner against the need to protect and revive democracy that is in imminent danger of being lost forever.

Neither of the two major candidates nor their strongest supporters showed any indication that they understood the national question. It is thus clear that they have no answer to this question that has sapped, misdirected and wasted the energies of generations since independence and not just of Tamils. However, it is a great blunder to ask Tamils to boycott the presidential election for this reason. Democracy should first be saved for the Tamils to have a voice to demand and fight for their rights. When a democratic dispensation dawns on the entire country, the Tamils too can enjoy its benefits. We must exercise this opportunity that is our right and duty as citizens to cast our ballot at the forthcoming election to secure broader options for the future.

Therefore the Tamils should cast their vote without fail to demonstrate our intention to prevent misuse of our tax money, and to secure justice,law and order and, above all, democracy in this our country.

Default in not casting our vote would strengthen dictatorship that would lead the country towards irreversible destruction. This is the lesson we learn from the history of nations that went down the path of dictatorship.

Even if our numbers are small they may be the determining factor in the choice between democracy and dictatorship. Had the Tamils used the power of their ballot at the 2005 presidential election rather than boycott it; we may have secured a happier and less destructive course of events.

We therefore urge the Tamil people to get the value of their ballot by enabling the victory of the

who shows a markedly better prospect of placing democracy in this country on a healthy footing.

An American Maverick – England’s Absolute Monarchs

By Kumar David -January 4, 2015 

Prof. Kumar David

Let’s take a break from the pandemonium of crossovers and filthy money-politics and enjoy the New Year. In any case I have had my final say when I argued for a “Principled Compromise” in Colombo Telegraph on New Year’s Day. The compromise was: OK back Sirisena and ensure he wins; but culturing a strong people’s movement and independent mass mobilisation demanding abolition of the Executive Presidency and no longer tolerating rotten rulers is the far more important long-term priority. I will leave it at that with no more interventions, including what follows below till after 8 January.

Today will be two yarns with odd symmetries to the present; one anecdotal, Teddy Roosevelt at the turn of the Twentieth Century; the other historical, reaching back to the century before the English Revolution. The Roosevelt story is charming. One of five great American Presidents alongside Washington, Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson and FDR; he was an accidental comet which appeared out of the blue but he did not renege on his pledges, unlike Maithripala Sirisena who did but seems headed for a big victory unless Rajapakse can cook up a pretext to call off elections.

In year 1900 Republican presidential nominee William McKinley chose New York Governor Theodore Roosevelt as running mate thanks to two quirks of fate. McKinely was running for his second term but his serving Vice-President Grant Hobart died of heart failure a year before and the slot was empty. The second reason, paradoxically, was Teddy’s tough stance against monopolies and big business. Mega-money wanted him out of NY State. The likes of J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller longed to see his back as no amount of cash or cajoling could budge his obstinacy to curb monopoly capital which ruled New York, read United States, those days. He believed that the people’s mandate belonged to the elected representatives, not big business. (Andrew Carnegie just after he sold Carnegie Steel to J. P. Morgan for $1.4 billion in 1901 was the richest man in the world, worth in equivalent money, more than the two richest billionaires of today combined).Read More

Polls Chief assures C’wealth observers of integrity of results process

January 5, 2015

• Group will deploy observers in key battleground provinces, including N-E and North Central
• Issues raised about military role in election process, say observers
• Will assess situation and seek meeting with military if necessary

Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya with the group of election monitors from Asia Pacific

By Dharisha Bastians
The Commonwealth Observer Group yesterday admitted that concerns had been raised about the possibility of computerised fraud during the transmission of results, but insisted that Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya had assured them of the integrity of the process.
“The Elections Commissioner has given us a detailed explanation from the time boxes leave the polling station till the transmittal of the results to his office,” Commonwealth Observer Group Chair Bharrat Jagdeo, told a news conference last evening.

Jagdeo, who is a former President of Guyana, said the Polls Chief had assured the Group that there were several safeguards to secure the integrity of the process.
Most parties appeared to have confidence in the Elections Commissioner, Jagdeo said.
The nine-member observer mission from the Commonwealth held their arrival press conference yesterday. They had been invited by the Elections Commissioner of Sri Lanka.
“We will consider among other things, whether conditions exist for credible elections, including a fair election environment, whether public media has been impartial, the transparency of the entire process, whether voters are free to express their will and whether the counting and results process is transparent,” the Group’s Chair said in his arrival statement.
The group will deploy in key battleground provinces around the island on polling day.
Jagdeo told journalists that Commonwealth observers would be in the North, East, North Central, North Western, Western, Southern Provinces on election day. “They will most probably be travelling in these regions as extensively as possible to cover as much as possible,” the Chair added, saying the observers could not be present at all polling stations.
Jagdeo explained that in their meetings with political representatives and other stakeholders, concerns had been expressed about the integrity of the process on election day from the time the ballot boxes leave polling stations till the results were issued by the Elections Chief.
Several issues had been raised during their meetings with political representatives and others, the Observer Group said.
“There are concerns about violence against Opposition candidates, the role of the military in the election process and that there could be attempts by the military to intimidate voters on polling day,” the Head of the Group said.
Asked if the Group had met with military officials to discuss these concerns, the Group’s Chair said they had no such meeting planned. “We will assess the situation and if we find it necessary we may request such a meeting,” Jagdeo said.

Rajapaksa family tree is at Temple Trees, not at Sirikotha – lawyer Nissanka Nanayakkara

 Sunday, 04 January 2015 

Lawyer Nissanka Nayakakkara, legal advisor to UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, told CID officers who had gone to Sirikotha armed with a search warrant today (03), “It is useless to come to Sirikotha to see the Rajapaksa family tree. If you all go to Temple Trees, you will see with your own eyes the Rajapaksa family tree.”

After reading the open search warrant, the lawyer told the CID men that they cannot use it to search the UNP headquarters, as it does not mention the place to be searched. Even unwillingly, the CID agreed with that argument.

The CID director has told the secretary to the ministry of law and peace, “250 out of the 300 sent for the raid were UNPers. 40 others are Maithripala’s men. The other 10 too, are uncertain. The other thing is that the boys do not want to interfere in such things and get FR cases filed against them. Sir, even we too, should act carefully at this moment.” Ministry secretary Mahinda Balasuriya listened to that without uttering a word.

A CID officer who gave these details to Lanka News Web said the aim of the raid was not to find the Rajapaksa family tree, but to ascertain rumours that two leading government politicians were at Sirikotha.

Anyhow, he said, that if no search takes place before 4.00 pm according to the law, an unlawful entry could take place thereafter.

Compromising national security: FUTA defends MS

Dewasiri

by Shamindra Ferdinando-January 4, 2015, 11:12 pm 

With the government and the Opposition trading allegations as regards national security and post-war deployment of armed forces in the Northern Province, the Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA) yesterday came out strongly in support of Maithripala Sirisena’s candidature at January 8, 2015 presidential poll.

Addressing the media at Solis Hotel Pita Kotte, FUTA executive committee member and ex-FUTA Chief Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri emphasized that there was absolutely no basis for a government claim that Maithripala Sirisena’s election would be detrimental to national security.

The Colombo University academician accused Sri Lanka’s former ambassador in Geneva Dr. Dayan Jayatilleke and presidential media spokesman Mohan Samaranayake of propagating falsehoods to cause panic among the electorate. Dr. Dewasiri insisted that Messrs Jayatilleke and Samaranayake had been trying to convince the electorate of an international conspiracy to compel Sri Lanka to follow a Western agenda and a separatist plot at the behest of Tamil political parties as well as overseas Tamils.

Declaring that the US hadn’t adopted a policy inimical to Sri Lanka, the FUTA chief alleged that those who were claiming of a Western conspiracy weren’t aware of the actual situation.According to him, the US had intervened in West Asia as well as in some parts of Asia, including Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan because the situation in those countries seriously affected US security interests. As Sri Lanka hadn’t been categorized along with those countries, there was no reason for us to be concerned, Dr. Dewasiri said.

Claiming that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had thanked the US once for taking a strong position against the LTTE, Dr. Dewasiri emphasised the US position on the national issue shouldn’t be construed as hostile approach towards the country. The FUTA leader said that the country hadn’t been faced with threat of separatism though the government accused various parties of trying to divide the country on ethnic lines. Although the LTTE could again pose a threat with the support of Tamil Nadu, such a project wouldn’t be realistic, Dr. Dewasiri said, warning of dire consequences in case President Rajapaksa won a third term. Terrorism could be revived because re-elected President Rajapaksa could suppress the democratic rights the of Tamil speaking people, he said.

Sri Lanka: Skulduggery- The Deciding Factor?

 by Rajasingham Jayadevan

( January 4, 2014, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sunday Leader editor, Late Lasatha Wickramatunga, predicted his death (reproduced below) in the hands of the state goons on 8 January 2009 and his very thought of death is to befall on the despotic regime of Rajapakse on 8 January 2015, six years later. The people of Sri Lanka should give a collective homage to the very worthy sole, that will pave the way for the perpetrators of his heinous killing is brought to justice to reflect a sigh of relieve Sri Lanka needs to emerge out of its progressing decay.

The time is opportune to fulfil the yearns of Lasantha and he rightly said before his death: ‘I hope my murder will be seen not as a defeat of freedom but an inspiration’.

Sri Lanka Skulduggery- The Deciding Factor by Thavam Ratna

Imperialism A Much Bandied But Little Understood Word Of The Leftists

By R.M.B Senanayake -January 4, 2015

R.M.B. Senanayake

I watched the Leftists Forum on TV in relation to the presidential election. The speakers kept referring to imperialism as the threat to the country. What is imperialism and to whom does it constitute a threat? Imperialism as explained in Marxist theory ended with the collapse of the Soviet Empire after 1989 when Soviet Central Asia broke up into several republics which include: Kazakhstan (pop. 16 million), Kyrgyzstan (3.8 million), Tajikistan (6.0 million), Turkmenistan (4.2 million), and Uzbekistan (28.2 million), for a total population of 57.1 million as of 2013-2014. They are all independent of Russia. Was there any difference between the Russian imperialism and the imperialism of Britain and France? Was it also exploitation and plunder? How does Marxist theory explain the Soviet Imperialism?

Imperialism as the last stage of Capitalism

The use of the term “imperialism” as the last stage of Capitalism is due to Lenin who wrote the work “Imperialism –the last stage of Capitalism.”The economic imperialism implied in Marxism refers to a dependent relationship- not the inequality in economic relations between the states which are rich and poor or large and small in trading patterns but the dependence of the latter on the former involving the control of the states of the latter on the state power of the former. It involved a political dependence in addition to the economic subordination. Marxists ascribe the domination of the colonies by the Capitalist States as imperialism. They say such imperialism was an essential feature of capitalist development without which capitalism could not have developed. Even if one concedes this to be partly true for British and French Capitalism it is not true for countries like Germany or the USA or even Japan although these countries also aspired to become colonial powers themselves for the sake of national pride and power.Read More

A Government Sinking Under The Weight Of Incompetence

By A. Ilango -January 4, 2015

The Opposition’s election rally held in Nallur on 30th December was attended by a large crowd that came spontaneously. By contrast Rajapaksa’s rally held on the Jaffna esplanade on 2nd January involved a huge effort and bribery, using the government machinery in Jaffna and all those given jobs in government and public institutions over several years on political quotas. Being on call by their political bosses for occasions like this is more important than their duties in assigned places of work. The result has been a steep rise in lack of initiative, incompetence and indifference.

Douglas and Rajapaksa

Rats in the sinking ship?

On 2^nd January a forum styled Momentum was organised by the Government at Tilko City Hotel facing the esplanade for which academics and professionals were invited and asked to be seated by 9.00 AM. Apart from the President and his secretary, the main speaker was Prof. Balasundarampillai, a former VC of Jaffna University and member of the Council. Speakers claimed credit for the student from Jaffna who topped the A. Levels in Mathematics, for getting that there had been outstanding performances when students had to study by the light of kerosene lamps during the 1990s. One speaker promised to make Jaffna the educational hub of Sri Lanka – though how it could be do

Read More

Military Attempts To Obtain Details Of Polling Centres in Mullaitivu – CMEV

Presidential Election 2015: Media Communiqué 11 /by Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV)-

04/01/2015-On 4th January 2015 at 1.00 pm:

02nd January, Common Candidate Maithripala’s rally was attacked- Pelmadulla

Military Attempts to Obtain Details of Polling Centres in Mullaitivu – CMEV by Thavam Ratna

Choice at elections: Rationally ignorant people will decide the final outcome !

January 5, 2015

Electors who do not read manifestos
Just three more days to go for the election of a President, this writer asked a group of acquaintances whether they have gone through the election manifestos of the two main contenders to the post before they made their choice. The answer was a resounding ‘nape’.

Choice at Elections Rationally Ignorant People Will Decide the Final Outcome ! by Thavam Ratna

Dayan Jayatilleka’s Arguments For Supporting Mahinda: False Premises And Faulty Logic

By Niranjan Rambukwella -January 4, 2015

This article is not about Dayan Jayatilleka – it’s about the arguments he uses to defend the Rajapaksa regime. These arguments are currently the most sophisticated apologies that exist for the Rajapaksa regime. If they are flawed, then the entire foundation underlying the case for supporting Mahinda Rajapaksa crumbles.

Arguments can be flawed for two distinct reasons. First, if an argument’s premises are false. The second cause of flawed arguments is invalid logic linking premises to conclusions. For example, the conclusion in the argument below:

Premise I: Socrates is a man

Premise II: All men are mortals

Conclusion: Therefore, Socrates is mortal.

holds because the premises are true and the logic linking the premises to the conclusion is valid. If either of them were faulty then the conclusion would not hold.

Dayan’s has two inter-linked arguments for supporting Mahinda Rajapaksa. The first argument is to arrive at to the conclusion that voting forMaithripala Sirisena will result in a Ranil or Chandrika government. The second argument, that we should vote for Mahinda Rajapaksa because his track record is better that Ranil/Chandrika, depends on the first. But the first argument is flawed because its logic is faulty. The second fails because its premises are false and also because of faulty logic.

Faulty Logic – A Vote for Maithripala is a Vote for Ranil/CBK          Read More

Imprecise And Inaccurate Generalizations About The ICES Episode

By Rajiva Wijesinha -January 4, 2015

Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha MP

Having addressed a meeting of professionals in Kandy, I was taken back to the past on returning to Colombo and reading the last episode of Doc (the Seventh Dwarf in my series on Enemies of the President’s Promise) in the Colombo Telegraph. The comments relate mainly to my description of the Rama Mani episode, when we found that the International Centre for Ethnic Studies was being perverted from the purpose for which it had been initially set up. I did not want to respond in the Comments section of the Telegraph, since the arguments there tend to go round in circles, but since two people I know have used their own names, I feel I owe them the courtesy of a reply. I will accordingly post this on my Facebook Page, and send it to Colombo Telegraph for publication on its own.

I will not here go into the old ICES story again, but four of the comments were most interesting. One was from R Varathan, who I think was the Finance Director at the time, who had been responsible according to Radhika for the financial mess ICES was in. If it is he, I am sorry that he does not mention his own involvement in the matter. His comment is confined to suggesting that Rama Mani was treated badly, but he does not attempt to defend her conduct.

Then there is someone who calls himself Moda Putha, who was asked by Rama Mani to deliver a birthday present to Bradman Weerakoon on his 90^th birthday. This would suggest he was a friend of Rama Mani, but again he does not disclose his interest.Read More

Govt. to deposit 5,000 dollars in Chandrika’s account!

 

Sunday, 04 January 2015 

A plan is being hatched by the government to deposit 5,000 dollars in the name of the Diaspora to the account of former president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and give extensive publicity to the account statement through state and pro-government media, including websites, reports say.

This is aimed at showing that the Tamil Diaspora was supporting the ex-president. Commenting on this, former head of the UNP media unit Mangala Samaraweera said, “Why Chandrika’s only? Tell them to find out my account and deposit too. But, tell them not to withdraw it after the election saying it was a mistake.”

Also, the government plans to say that Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera has fathered a child to a woman from Gampaha, and is to publicise a birth certificate to that effect.

Military officers in Foreign Service summoned for campaign work!

 Sunday, 04 January 2015 

Several pro-government military officers have been recalled, at the request of the defence ministry, from their military attaché positions at Sri Lankan missions abroad in order for them to take part in the president’s election campaign, say military sources.

Among them are Maj. Gen. Sumith Manawadu, who arrested former Army chief Sarath Fonseka following his 2010 election defeat, Maj. Gen. Kamal Gunaratne, Maj. Gen. Shavendra Silva, Brig. Krishan Silva and Brig. Wijesiri.

According to military sources, the Army is 100% committed for Mahinda Rajapaksa’s victory.

On every January 01, all military camps in the country hold a parade and the commanding officer extends the well wishes of the Army commander and that of his own to the officers. This year, the parades and the well wishes were totally committed for Rajapaksa’s win.

The Army commander’s message, normally confined to one or at most two A4 pages, this year extended to five A4 pages. After reading that out, the commanding officers had no time left to say their own messages.

The elections commissioner has ordered the military to stay away from election work on Election Day, but it is a big question as to what extent that order would be respected.

US and Russia in danger of returning to era of nuclear rivalry

American threats to retaliate for Russian development of new cruise missile take tensions to new level

A Russian nuclear-powered submarine at the Murmansk naval base. Photograph: Fedoseyev Lev/Itar-Tass Photo/Corbis

Julian Borger

A widening rift between Moscow and Washington over cruise missiles and increasingly daring patrols by nuclear-capable Russian submarines threatens to end an era of arms control and bring back a dangerous rivalry between the world’s two dominant nuclear arsenals.

US and Russia in Danger of Returning to Era of Nuclear Rivalry by Thavam Ratna

10 Wars to Watch in 2015

From Afghanistan to Yemen, the conflicts and crises the world faces in the coming year.

BY JEAN-MARIE GUÉHENNO-JANUARY 2, 2015

The last year was a bad one for international peace and security. Sure, there were bright spots in 2014. Colombia’s peace process looks hopeful. The last round of Iran’s nuclear talks was more successful than many think. Tunisia, though not yet out of the woods, showed the power of dialogue over violence. Afghanistan bucked its history and has, notwithstanding many challenges, a government of national unity. President Barack Obama’s restoration of diplomatic relations with Cuba can only be positive.

But for the most part, it has been a dispiriting year. Conflict is again on the rise after a major decrease following the end of the Cold War. Today’s wars kill and displace more people, and are harder to end than in years past.

The Arab world’s turmoil deepened: The Islamic State captured large swathes of Iraq and Syria, much of Gaza was destroyed again, Egypt turned toward authoritarianism and repression, and Libya and Yemen drifted toward civil war. In Africa, the world watched South Sudan’s leaders drive their new country into the ground. The optimism of 2013 faded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ebola ravaged parts of West Africa, and Boko Haram insurgents stepped up terrorist attacks in northern Nigeria. The international legal order was challenged with the annexation of Crimea by Russia, and war is back in Europe as fighting continues in eastern Ukraine.

So what do the last 12 months tell us is going wrong?

On a global level, increasing geopolitical competition appears, for the moment at least, to be leading to a less controlled, less predictable world. This is most obvious, of course, with regard to the relationship between Russia and the West. It’s not yet zero-sum: The two nations still work together on the Iran nuclear file, the threat of foreign terrorist fighters, and, for the most part, on African peacekeeping. But Russia’s policy in its neighborhood presents a real challenge, and its relationship with the United States and Europe has grown antagonistic.

FULL STORY»>

Drone strike kills six suspected militants in northwest Pakistan

BY SAUD MEHSUD-DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan Sun Jan 4, 2015

(Reuters) - A U.S. drone strike killed at least six suspected militants in northwest Pakistan on Sunday, four intelligence officials said, as Pakistani officials debated plans to strengthen a crack down on the Taliban insurgency.

The strike hit two compounds in Lawara Mandi, North Waziristan, near the border with Afghanistan, the officials said. They said between six and nine suspected militants had been killed.

The strike comes as Pakistan seeks to intensify a crackdown on Taliban insurgents who massacred 132 school children last month, the worst single militant attack in the country's history.

Legislators are due to vote on Tuesday on a constitutional amendment allowing militant suspects to be tried by military courts. Many say the country's civilian courts are too intimidated and corrupt to properly try militants.

Pakistan often publicly denounces drone strikes as an infringement of its sovereignty. Drone strikes stopped for the first six months of 2014 while Pakistan pursued peace talks with the Taliban, but resumed days before Pakistan's latest anti-Taliban offensive started last June.

(Additional reporting by Haji Mujtaba in Bannu; Writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Michael Perry)