The Mark Antony Of Nugegoda

By Sarath De Alwis -March 9, 2015

Sarath De Alwis

“To him who looks upon the world rationally, the world in its turn presents a rational aspect. The relation is mutual.” – Hegel in Lectures on the Philosophy of History

The role of identity in the political order of our Island has been redefined by Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka in his newest exposition captioned Identity & the Islands Political Order and gives it an urgency of an Existential Question.

I begin my counter with a Hegelian approach to the ‘rational’ in the hope, perhaps forlorn that we still share some of those of rudimentary Marxist notions of morality that recognizes antagonisms that are class based and not race based.

His latest treatise seems to place Dr. Dayan unequivocally in the racist variety. The Jewish theologian Rabbi Joshua Herschel points out that “Racism is man’s gravest threat to man–the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason.”

I would even go further and invoke Trotsky who spurned “those base means and ways which set one part of the working class against other parts…or lowers the faith of the masses in themselves and their organization.”

Why does Dr. Jayatilleka contrive so hard and so passionately to ‘lower the faith of the masses in themselves’?

His contemptuous dismissal of those who opt to abide by reason as rootless cosmopolitans and intellectual dilettanti is incomprehensible. His knowledge of men, matters and   minds is far more judicious and incisive than his present comrades Weerawansa and Gammanpila who share the very legitimate objective of restoration of their political master Mahinda Rajapaksa in office.

His characterization of Tamil nation hood displays the usual bias of a Gunadasa Amarasekera or a Nalin de Silva. The common prerogative of the pamphleteer. “No surrender. No defeat. A spectre’s haunting Main Street. [With apologies to the rock band Weakerthans]

Dr. Jayatilleka is on record insisting that both ‘Sinhala and Tamil nationalism’ must be contained as a prerequisite to build a Sri Lankan national identity and consciousness. How did he propose to do that? Again he is on record. “They can be contained only by being accommodated to some degree. Tamil nationalism can be contained only by a sufficiency of devolved power and resources. We must share power with one another so as to build a nation with and for us all.”

Read More

Mr. Mahendran CB Governor can we get some answers

Monday, 09 March 2015 

People were relived to see the back of Mr Cabral and Dr Jayasundera on the 9 th of January, hoping for a new start, not even a month elapsed our entire financial system is plagued again with a new financial crime. If Mr. Mahindra Governor Central bank of SriLanka wants to regain his credibility he needs to respond with some credible explanations. So far he has still not answered many of the questions that have been raised in the Lanka news web or the local media. He has glossed over the financial crime with a few vague statements.

As the Governor could you please answer the following questions?
1.    Is your son in law still a shareholder of Perpetual?

2.    Did perpetual treasuries get involved in the sale of 7-year bonds one week forward in the secondary market 1-2 days before the controversial bond issue?

3.    Did you get involved in arranging credit line for perpetual from a state bank?

4.    What was the rationale to go for a 30y Bond going up to 12.5%? Were the insurance companies and pension funds informed about this in advance? Why not 2 year, 5 year or 10 year Bonds not considered? In your statement you mention it was to cover shortfalls, so why 30 years?

5.    Did you have the sanction of the Cabinet of Ministers headed by the President to commit the government of Sri Lanka to a 30 y Bond at 12.5%, weighted average yield went up 200+ basis points, unbelievable? Especially when the expectation is for interest rates to be single digit, given that we are heading towards a middle-income country?

6.    CB after offering only 1 billion for the first time in history offered 10 times more. Why? How did perpetual get 50% of the issue (five billion)?

7.    Is it correct that the perpetual bid came though Bank of Ceylon minutes before the auction closed?

8.    Finally, are you now a Sri Lankan citizen and what is the status of the EPF investigations?

You owe the voters an explanation Sir, you are no longer a wealth manager for a foreign Bank. In you rest our entire financial system and our future. Therefore, Sir you need to come clean, if you are to continue in this high office

Good Governance Activist

Previous articles

Biggest Sri Lanka Rupee Bond Fraud

Rely to the Government statement on the Bond Issue- the real truth

JVP to take Sri Lanka Central Bank Treasury Bond allegations to Bribery Commission

JVP to take Sri Lanka Central Bank Treasury Bond allegations to Bribery Commission

March 9th, 2015

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) would lodge a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations on Bribery and Corruption on the allegations against the recent Treasury Bond issue of the Sri Lanka Central Bank, says JVP North Central Provincial Councillor Wasantha Samarasinghe.

Allegations continue to be leveled that the recent 30 year Treasury Bonds issue by the Central Bank had been carried out while enabling a certain Primary Dealer to gain a capital profit.

Meanwhile, President Maithripala Sirisena has directed that investigations be carried out into the allegations that the recent 30 year Treasury Bonds issue by the Central Bank had been carried out while enabling a certain Primary Dealer to gain capital profits.

The President’s media unit states that he has ordered the President’s secretary to appoint a three-member committee to investigate into this issue and if there are any irregularities in this Treasury Bond issue then severe punishment be meted out to the officials or individuals involved, whatever their status or positions.

Recently, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka announced the issue of Treasury Bonds to the value of Rs 01 billion maturing in 30 years. This particular Primary Dealer too had reportedly submitted its bid.

However, market sources state that this Primary Dealer had submitted bid for this auction requesting for Treasury Bonds worth Rs. 05 billion and that its interest rate was as high as 12.5 per cent.

To have or not to have IFRS: CB should not make hasty decision

Dropping IFRS should not be an arbitrary and hasty decision to be made by the Central Bank’s current management. Before they reach such a decision, they should listen to both sides and that should be a part of Central Bank’s good governance

Blaming IFRS for CB losses- March 9, 2015
After the ‘My View’ titled ‘Questionable Governance when loss incurred CB has made a profit transfer to the Government’ was published last week (available at: http://www.ft.lk/2015/03/02/questionable-governance-when-loss-incurred-cb-has-made-a-profit-transfer-to-government/), several readers have raised two issues with this writer.

To Have or Not to Have IFRS CB Should Not Make Hasty Decision by Thavam Ratna

Sri Lanka Cricket: “Logical Or Illogical” For Secretary To Contest For Presidency?

By Marlon Dale Ferreira -March 9, 2015

Marlon Dale Ferreira

The Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board has always had cricket enthusiasts following the progress of this all important election, as historically the days leading up to the vote has been nothing short of pure entertainment and drama.

This time around the pre-election work has kicked off where three potential candidates Jayantha Dharmadasa, Nishantha Ranatunga and Thilanga Sumathipala have made no bones about their intentions to contest for this post.

But don’t be surprised, if as per information received a fourth candidate and none another than the current Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation, and the former national skipper Arjuna Ranatunga our ‘Captain Cool” may be lurking in the background and may submit his nomination at the last minute.

This strategic move is now considered in what will be the attempt of the big brother protecting his small brother in the play ground and supporting the little fellow’s existence at SLC in the eventuality of him experiencing signs of been voted out closer to the day.

Nishantha Ranatunga the current Secretary of SLC has started dreaming bigger dreams of occupying the seat of present President Jayantha Dharmadasa‘s and will attempt to open batting to securely perch himself at the top whilst carrying his bat throughout the innings of this election.Read More

Considerations for the Port City

• by Ranil Senanayake 
• - on 03/09/2015 

It is heartening to see our Government standing up for the rule of law and the protection of our rights and health in the face of corrupt deals made my shadowy individuals with no concern or love for this nation.  The Port City project has nothing to do with bi-lateral projects involving the government of China and the government of Sri Lanka. It is a deal struck with a corporation and we should always be conscious of that fact. Fortune 500 or 600 or whatever, a corrupt deal that does not consider the well being of the citizens of a sovereign nation, is still a corrupt deal that must now become honest or go away.  We are all aware of the corruption that reigned during the rule of the last Government, with that in mind we should examine the “procedures and conditions stipulated in the said agreement entered into with the Government of Sri Lanka”. Did these conditions consider the impact of this project on the citizens of Sri Lanka? more specifically on the environs around the proposed project? If not, they must attend to these needs without delay.

This is especially pertinent when considering the words of the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who when commenting on the landfill projects that China was doing on the Spratly Islands stated, “We are not like some countries which have carried out ‘illegal building’ in other people’s homes, and we won’t accept unwarranted remarks about work on our own home,” If the construction of the Port City has commenced without the requisite studies and against the law of this land it has to be viewed as ‘illegal building’ in our home ! We trust that Foreign Minister Wang Yi will step in to defend the image of China as not carrying out ‘illegal building’ in our home and request the China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC) to examine and abide by the legal and environmental consequences of continuing with the Port City Project.

We also look to the words of President Xi Jinping, who recently stated his view on companies and individuals contributing to polluting activities, last Friday he said that “We are going to punish, with an iron hand, any violators who destroy ecology or the environment, with no exceptions,” We welcome his words and trust that this will apply to the Port City project as well. The Sri Lankan Government should immediately commission a study on the impact of this proposed project on our health, land, water and air quality and if the ecology and environment of Colombo city and its environs are going to be impacted, report these facts officially to the Government of China.

The stated vision of the Port City is also suspect, It states that: “The land created will attract local and international investments for shopping malls, hotels, apartments, an exhibition center, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, theme parks, restaurants etc. Port City is planned to be very much a city for the people of Sri Lanka to be shared and enjoyed by all Sri Lankans”. There is no mention of high noise and polluting racetracks for car racing and the possibility of gambling, to name a few of the ‘hidden agenda’ items. High-speed racing not only produces a massive amount of noise pollution, it also generates large quantities of particulate matter that are 2.5 microns or less. Known as PM 2.5, these particles are the tiniest of airborne pollutants, and contribute to a range of diseases, including asthma and heart disease. The air quality of major Asian cities has now become a source of major concern, has the EIA of this project addressed the air quality that the existing City of Colombo will receive from the proposed project?

It seems that the current operators are hiding behind the very narrow EIA issued, they state that they will continue to adhere to: “commitments contained in the approved Environmental Impact Assessment study and addendum thereto “ These documents must be presented to the Sri Lanka public to see if the EIA under discussion has addressed the impact on public health, air quality, water supply and toxic garbage, just to name a few. There is also a statement of jobs for Sri Lankans, is this during the construction phase (which is temporary) or once the project is completed? What are the jobs available in the new city?

As for us, we need to examine the agreements signed and identify the individuals who have signed away our birthright, we have to examine their accounts to see if they are part of the ‘Criminal Cabal’ who have been looting this country. If so they must be punished to the fullest extent of our law.

If indeed we control this runaway Port City project, what should be the next steps? While the conformity to contractual obligations and national laws have to be examined and argued we do have a physical landfill to deal with.  If this project does not meet with the requisites of a comprehensive EIA, what should be done with the land reclaimed? It might be good to envision a new public park much like Galle Face that could provide much needed public spaces for the Megapolis that is envisaged for Colombo.

Vajira gets Deshabandu as ‘servant boy’! 

Monday, 09 March 2015

Former Galle district MP, Galle electoral organizer Vajira Abeywardena has been fortunate to find a ‘police servant boy’ from among the 23 senior policemen, politically-victimized during the previous regime, who were transferred on March 07 by the public security ministry.

Accordingly, Matara SSP Deshabandu Tennakoon was transferred to Galle. Deshabandu was Vajira’s choice because he is well known to do such work as taking children to school, doing work in the home garden, cleaning homes, especially lavatories, putting up flags for ceremonies and cutting others’ flags, pasting posters and removing posers of others, issuing threats and filing false charges against opponents.

Deshabandu will do all these for Vajira now, with similar experiences in the previous Rajapaksa regime, during which he had done such work for Dullas Alahapperuma, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and Chandrasiri Gajadheera. These days, he is spending sleepless nights, going through his old diaries to find his UNP connections in the past. Entries most favoured by him are those he had made in the period he began as a policeman at Sirikotha.  Those in the police department say Deshabandu got the transfer by showing those diary entries to Vajira.

Sri Lanka travel ban for Gotabhaya Rajapaksa over arms ship

Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was one of Sri Lanka's most powerful men when his brother was in office

9 March 2015

A court in Sri Lanka has banned Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the former president's brother and defence secretary, from leaving the country.

Police are investigating a boatload of weapons belonging to a private security company set up by Mr Rajapaksa..

The company says the weapons were for escorting commercial ships, but police say they have had complaints the firearms were used for intimidation.

Mr Rajapaksa and his brother Mahinda, the former president, deny wrongdoing.

A magistrate in the southern port city of Galle impounded Gotabhaya Rajapaksa's passport, along with those belonging to three others, AFP reported police as saying.

"Police investigating the Avant-Garde Security Service floating armoury case sought and secured a ban on their travel abroad," a statement said.

Ship full of weapons

The discovery of a floating arsenal off southern Sri Lanka, and of another weapons haul in the capital, came in the days after Mahinda Rajapaksa was voted out of office in January.

Police are reported to have found a ship carrying more than 3,000 weapons, including machine guns.

The BBC's former Colombo correspondent Charles Haviland says this is not the only accusation dogging Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

An ex-minister who served in the same government has alleged that he was responsible for abductions, and for killings including that of a newspaper editor, Lasantha Wickrematunge.

This is the first restriction placed on his movements.

"The reports on travel bans imposed on the former defence secretary and some former senior members of the armed forces regarding a criminal investigation that is taking place will be welcomed by all those who wish [for] rule of law to prevail in Sri Lanka," said Basil Fernando, director of the Asian Human Rights Commission.

Wimal Weerawansa’s white van freedeedom

2015-03-09

imal Weerawansa has warned that we are now ‘losing our hard-earned freedom’. In a public rally held in Kandy on Friday to campaign for the prime-ministerial candidacy of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Rajapaksa confidante asked people to get behind the ex-president to win their freedom back.
I have been wondering as to what ‘freedom’ Mr. Weerawansa has been talking about.
Finally, I managed to jot down some of those potential ‘freedoms’ he could have meant.

Wimal Weerawansa’s White Van Freedom by Thavam Ratna

Oh! Finally it was the Private Medical College which came to the rescue of Wimal 

Monday, 09 March 2015 

Wimal Weerawansa preventing arrest by the CID concealed his wife Shashi Weerawansa who was alleged for possessing two passports and two birth certificates (One is an ordinary travel document and the other is a diplomatic passport) at the Neville Fernando’s Private Medical College in Malabe. Neville Fernando Hospital is a private medical college.

During 1988 1989 period Wimal Weerawansa alias Wimalasiri Gamlath deployed the university students to protest against the government in order to close the private medical college. Billy Boys such as Thrima Withana, Wenura Edirisinghe and Kollure who took Weerawansa’s slogan very serious at that time was rested in heaven. Weerawansa who was able to escape himself over the tire burns of those boys has now able to make mansions and comfortably live 24 hours in fully air condition rooms. Wimal who was vociferous against the private medical college  admitted his wife in a private medical college following she was accused for forging her birth date and her birth certificate. Though Thrima Withana, Wenura Edirisinghe and Kollure who are resting in the heavens may not remember Wimal but would definitely think of Wimal’s mother

Maheshi Wijeratne fled country on 2nd

Monday, 09 March 2015 

Specialist doctor Maheshi Wijeratne fled the country on March 02, after assaulting and inflicting injuries to another woman at a leading Colombo hotel three days earlier, reports say.

Colombo Fort police released her after recording a statement from her regarding the incident, although she should have been produced before courts and remanded. We reported on that previously.

As the CID is investigating the incident, she was aided by top persons in the government to leave the country secretly, reports
said.

A top official of the CID said they were discussing with the attorney general’s department the action which could be taken against her.

Previous article

Doctor Maheshi Wijerathna tries to murder a woman!

Police fears to remand Dr. Mahesi Wijerathna ! (Second disclosure)

I didn’t influence Maheshi’s release – Malik!

Thailand’s student activists speak out against political oppression

Netiwit ‘Frank’ Chotiphatphaisal. Image via Frank’s Facebook page. >

Student activist Than Rittiphan: “Mixing, diversity, that is Thainess. ‘Yam Salmon’ is Thainess.” 

By James Austin

By Saksith Saiyasombut & Siam Voices Mar 09, 2015

Since the declaration of martial last year in Thailand and subsequent crackdowns on public dissent, criticism against the junta, led by Prayuth Chan-ocha, who was appointed Prime Minister by a military-heavy national assembly, has been aired for the most part in print and online (despite a newly drafted Computer Crimes Act that includes suitably vague criminalization of the creation and/or dissemination of information deemed harmful to the country).
Thailand’s Student Activists Speak Out Against Political Oppression by Thavam Ratna

Kashmir fight adds to hurdles for Modi's reform push

 Masarat Alam Bhat (2nd R), a Kashmiri separatist leader, speaks on his mobile phone at his residence in Srinagar March 9, 2015. 

File photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi gesturing before addressing the Global Business Summit in New Delhi January 16, 2015. 

BY FAYAZ BUKHARI-Mon Mar 9, 2015

(Reuters) - A ruckus over the release from prison of a man who led one of the biggest revolts against the Indian military in Kashmir is adding to mounting problems for Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he tries to push economic reform through parliament.

The Lok Sabha was temporarily adjourned on Monday after opposition parties demanded to know why separatist leader Masarat Alam Bhat was released at the weekend by Kashmir's state government, which Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supports.

"I am angered and condemn the release, just like other lawmakers," Modi said in parliament."

Modi swept to office ten months ago promising rapid economic transformation but disparate opposition parties have united to block his agenda, forcing the government to rely on executive orders called ordinances to pass unpopular policies.

With two weeks remaining of the current session of parliament before a recess, the government needs to win support for ordinances, including those raising the foreign direct investment limit in the insurance sector, or they will expire.

Under pressure from investors and voters to perform, the government is considering calling a rare joint session of parliament to push through market-friendly laws.

"The clock is ticking for the government," deputy finance minister Jayant Sinha said in an interview with Mint newspaper published on Monday.

Modi has a majority in the Lok Sabha but needs cross party support in Rajya Sabha.

The opposition stalled proceedings in both houses to protest the release of Bhat, accused of orchestrating 2010 protests by Kashmiris demanding independence from Indian rule that led to months of clashes. More than 100 people were shot by Indian troops.

Bhat's release is an embarrassment for the BJP, which for the first time has a role in ruling the Muslim majority state after forming an unlikely coalition.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh told parliament he has asked for a fresh report from the state government on why it relased Bhat, who has 27 criminal cases registered against him.

The Hindu nationalist BJP wants to bring the contested region into the Indian mainstream, while its regional partner, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), supports self rule.

Bhat said in an interview with Reuters on Sunday that even though he had been released from jail, his life was not much better because Kashmir resembled a prison because of the heavy military presence.

Kashmir is a longtime source of dispute between India and Pakistan, with both countries controlling different parts and claiming all.

(Writing by Andrew MacAskill; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Nick Macfie)

Israel Supports Al Qaeda Militants in Syria: Photographic Evidence

By Press TV-Global Research, March 07, 2015

Press TV has obtained photos showing al-Qaeda-linked militants next to Israeli soldiers in the occupied Golan Heights.

New photos from the Golan Heights further prove Tel Aviv’s support for al-Qaeda-linked militants, especially al-Nusra Front, that have been wreaking havoc in Syria.

Image: The undated photo obtained by Press TV shows Israeli soldiers speaking face-to-face with foreign-backed militants near the Israeli occupied Golan heights in Syria.The photos obtained by Press TV show Takfiri militants from the terrorist al-Nusra Front next to Israeli soldiers.

Israel is known to have been providing medical, intelligence and military support for militants fighting to topple the government of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria. A number of militant commanders wounded in government attacks on terrorist have reportedly been hospitalized in the occupied territories.

The images obtained by Press TV shows Israeli soldiers speaking face-to-face with militants in Golan.

Cooperation aimed at targeting resistance

The Israeli military’s close cooperation with the militants also assisted the regime’s bombing of a convoy belonging to Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah on January 17. The attack led to the killing of six Hezbollah members as well as an Iranian general. Hezbollah later announced that the attack was coordinated between Tel Aviv and the al-Nusra militants.

“The assault has revealed the degree of cooperation between Takfiris and Israel,” Sheikh Naim Qassem, Hezbollah deputy leader, said during a ceremony seven days after the Israeli attack in Qunaitra, an area close to the Syrian Israeli border.

Late last year, a UN report confirmed contact between militants in Syria and the Israeli army across the Golan cease-fire line, especially during heavy clashes between the terrorists and the Syrian troops.

The report also confirmed that militants had been taking their wounded comrades into the Israeli-occupied part of the Golan Heights for treatment. The UN also confirmed the delivery of boxes by the Israeli army to militants on the Syrian side of the ceasefire line.