Sri Lanka seeks to win the backing of all countries, President tells UK

March 11, 2015

President Maithripala Sirisena says it is the foreign policy of the present Government to win the backing of all countries by sticking to the nonaligned policy.
“Sri Lanka needs the cooperation of all nations in its development drive and the Government is in the process of promoting goodwill with the United Nations,” President Sirisena said when he met UK Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Fallon on 9 March in London.
The foreign policy of the country has given a novel face and ties with regional countries will be further strengthened under it, he said.
While pointing out that the people of Sri Lanka elected him to power to create an atmosphere for the people to live without fear and suspicion, President Sirisena said he would also minimise the revenue gap between the rich and poor.
The President also said that Sri Lanka expected the support of Britain in the international arena as well as at the UN Human Rights Council.
The President added that he hoped to gain the cooperation of Britain to eradicate the drug menace, which has become an immense challenge for the country.

Commonwealth Chair in London Chairperson- in-Office of the Commonwealth, President Maithripala Sirisena and First Lady Jayanthi Sirisena arrive for the Commonwealth Observance – an inter-denominational service held at Westminster Abbey in London, England on 9 March – Pic by Sudath Silva

The present situation of the North and East was also discussed. President Sirisena pointed out that although five years had passed since the defeat of terrorism, friendship and goodwill had not been promoted between the people in the North and South. Therefore, it was the objective of the present Government to create understanding, trust and consensus between all communities, he said.

During the discussion, Fallon said that his country was ready to support Sri Lanka to eradicate the drug menace if the country was enlightened on the routes of drug smuggling. The UK could take effective steps to curb drug smuggling through the exchange of information between law enforcement authorities, he said.
He also praised the program carried out by the President for the betterment of the people in the North and the East.
The Secretary also requested President Sirisena to deploy Sri Lankan Army personnel for peacekeeping activities. He also inquired about Sri Lanka’s relations with China and India. In reply, President Sirisena said India was a neighbour of Sri Lanka while China was a good ally.
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera was also present during the discussion.

Farmers in Colombo demanding guaranteed price for paddy

TUESDAY, 10 MARCH 2015

A protest march under the theme ‘No false price increase, Legalize guaranteed price for paddy!’ organized by All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation was held in Colombo today (9th).Farmers in loin clothes marched from V.D. Sirisena Grounds at Maligawatta to Colombo Fort Railway Station where an agitation was held.

The National Organizer of All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation Namal Karunaratna addressing the media after the agitation said, “The government has announced that Samba rice would be bought at Rs.50 a kilo and a kilo of nadu would be bought at Rs.45. However, 95% of the farmers have to sell their produce to a priced between Rs. 25 to Rs.35. Only private traders buy paddy from farmers. The government has admitted that the cost of production of a kilo of paddy is Rs.33.25.

The farmers now have to sell their paddy for a price less than the production cost. During the previous government the farmers were deceived and private traders were allowed to buy paddy at a very low price. We demand the government not to deceive the farmers again but to legalize the price of paddy by adopting a bill in parliament. If the government fails to do it we would expand farmers’ struggles into a massive agitation until farmers win their rights,” said Mr. Karunaratna.

National government dominated by SLFP and UNP

National disaster rewarding corrupt politicians

By Latheef Farook

A national government dominated by the two major political parties- Sri Lanka Freedom Party, SLFP, and the United National Party, UNP, both ruled the country since independence in 1948 and bought it  to its present chaotic state, is bound to be a national disaster.

There have been reports of surreptitious moves by SLFP to form a national government together with the UNP to bypass a general election.

Confirming this move President Maithripala Sirisena’s office announced last month that the SLFP parliamentary group had agreed to form a national government.

However   such a move rewards the very same politicians accused of widespread corruption, crime, lawlessness and plundering of national wealth besides numerous other crimes. A national government will help them continue to be in power and likely escape punishments for their misdeeds and crime against the country.

Such a government also goes against the very spirit of the slogan of “good governance” which large majority of people opted for when they rejected former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his corrupt and crime oriented administration. Overwhelming majority elected President Maithripala Sirisena with great enthusiasm in the hope that he would clean up the country of crime and corrupted elements.

Under the existing political environment eliminating crime, corruption and cleaning up the country is no easy task. However this is what people who are keen on the future of the country, peace and harmony for the next generations expect .Though a gigantic task people still have faith on President Maithripala Sirisena, as the only hope for a better future, to do this job despite the slow process in bringing those corrupt to book.

Opposing the move   the JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake insisted that Parliament be dissolved on April 23 and fresh general elections be held to bring a set of politicians with honesty and integrity. He vowed that JVP would not allow the corrupt politicians rejected by the people to form a national government and secure ministerial portfolios.

He added that President Maithripala Sirisena and the minority UNP government should not work towards a national government at the expense of their solemn pledge. Those who had voted for President Sirisena expected him to dissolve parliament by April 23 as promised to pave the way for parliamentary elections.

He pointed out that “former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s defeat at the 8 Jan 2015 poll meant the rejection of the SLFP-led UPFA. Therefore, the UNP after having helped Maithripala Sirisena to secure presidency couldn’t contemplate of forming a national government with the SLFP. Neither President Sirisena nor Premier Wickremesinghe had received a mandate to go for a national government. The electorate had endorsed their 100-day project to bring in specific constitutional and electoral reforms as well as some relief to those struggling to make ends meet. Therefore, the next step should be dissolution of parliament next month as envisaged”.

However any national government led by UNP and SLFP spells disaster for minorities as SLFP politicians shamelessly promote their racist politics even today to gain or remain in power.

For example almost 65 years after the independence and five years after defeating the dreaded LTTE,   defeated President Mahinda Rajapajksa   repeatedly tried to play the racist card to remain in power during the last presidential elections. He said when he addressed election meetings that” this is a Sinhala Buddhist country and the minority Tamils and Muslims cannot dance in the way they want”.

After all it was the racist politics of these two major political parties, since State council days in 1930s, turned this paradise of an island into Asia’s worst killing fields.

Sri Lanka, during the time of independence, was blessed with everything required to move ahead to ensure a better future for all. However, where do we stand today after more than six decades?

Who is responsible for our being plunged in to the depths of moral degradation and depravity?   Aren’t these two parties, SLFP and UNP, and their communal agendas, not realizing that they were plunging the country into a bloodbath, were solely responsible?

The ruling elite belonging to all shades of political opinions which maintained ruthless control over the island’s politics were solely responsible for six decades of mismanagement which created the current tragic state of affairs causing untold misery and sufferings to the people in general.

As a result since the dawn of independence Sri Lanka failed to produce a national leader accepted by all communities who could think above communalism for all communities and administer the country for the ultimate unity and prosperity for all.

Instead  almost all governments dominated by the two main political parties  with their eyes firmly fixed on the elections, either to win or to retain power, aggressively continued to woo the majority community as the most effective vote caching strategy.

As highlighted in the media on a daily basis, the entire political system has become corrupt, criminalized and commercialized leaving little room for serious development.

Inevitably, political instability has become the order of the day. Communities remain divided and the ethnic war has also opened floodgates for sinister and destructive players from all corners of the world, with their own agendas, to enter the country, further complicating the already complicated and complex political scene.

The draconian 1978 constitution and its executive presidential system of government have failed miserably .There were demands from many quarters, from all communities, to change the system.

Absolute power in the hands of an individual, and that too with no accountability to parliament or to the country, proved a monumental disaster for the island which continues to pay the price. In a way it is a democratically-elected dictatorship similar to those enjoyed by most dictators who ruined many countries in the world throughout history.

The need of the hour is for a set of politicians with honesty, integrity and sincerity who could think for the whole country. Ends

general Daya Ratnayake : Gota’s Main Man..!

10/03/2015

Daya Ratnayake was Gota’s main man. Gota’s wish was Daya’s command. Daya really was just what Gota needed. There wasn’t a thing Daya wouldn’t do for him. He let out battalions of soldiers to attend Gota’s personal tasks, he cleaned his crime scenes, blurred the numbers in his corruption. If Gota wanted to borrow a luxury vehicle (registered under the military) or even take one home, Daya was his first phone call. When Gota was furious about the people of Weliveriya ruining his day with their protests against polluted water, one call to Daya (on his first day of work as commander) and three protestors were shot down. When Chichi baby decided he no longer wanted to sit in the audience of Rugby matches, one tap on Daya’s shoulder and Rohitha Rajapaksa is recruited by the Army and made captain of the team overnight. When Daya’s son needed to go to university in the United States, Gota provided the financial assistance. Daya was Gota’s lap dog, partner-in-crime and good friend. And when the election campaigning time came, it’s Daya who Gota needed the most. A friend in need is a friend indeed, Daya knew this very well. He knew that all his hard work to keep the Rajapaksa’s in power will pay off and his time as army commander would be extended and all the perks (legal and illegal) of it that he enjoyed, would hang around for a few more years.

Although it is both illegal and unethical to engage in political campaigning in uniform, while still in office as a government/military servant, no body campaigned for Mahinda Rajapaksa as hard as Army Commander Daya Ratnayake did. Daya had a very hectic schedule in November and December speaking to soldiers at Army camps across the country burning up the jet fuel of the state funded military helicopters and luxury cars, costing millions of rupees at a time. He would have the camps gather thousands of soldiers at all army camps and bases in the Northern, North Central, North Eastern and Eastern Provinces and speak to them about the need to keep the Rajapaksa’s in power. The speeches at all camps had a consistent structure. The speeches in Novemeber were slightly more subtle, starting off with how it is thanks to the Rajapaksa’s that we are all living in peace. (Terrible idea: don’t tell the soldiers who fought the war and lost brothers and fellow soldiers to end the conflict that the credit goes to the Rajapaksas) Then he would move on to a reference to all the development happening across the country thanks to the Rajapaksas. (Another bad idea given that it was the soldiers who soak in the rain and burn in the sun doing the construction work for the Rajapaksa’s infrastructure projects.) And he would end the speeches brushing on the need to keep them in power to continue this peace and prosperity. The speeches got less and less subtle towards end of December when he would speak about reasons not to vote for the common candidate. He would insult President Maithreepala’s speaking skills and say certain words that the President has a habit of using in an attempt to make the crowds of soldiers laugh. Little did he know that the soldiers were laughing at Daya, not his joke, because come January 8th the soldiers and their families all voted for Maithree.

Daya wasn’t entirely naive. He knew that a backup plan was necessary. Which is why he lead the team pioneered by Gota for a post-election military coup. He handpicked the best guys for this job. “Who here had the most to lose if the Rajapaksa’s lost?’ he thought. The first to come to mind was General Sumedha Perera. Daya knew that Perera had recently illegally acquired several acres of land from the North for his personal use. Daya recommended Perera to Gota and coming highly recommended, Perera was soon one of the leading members of the team and they would spend countless nights making a game- plan. The story of how the coup plan fell apart is a story for another time.

Daya has done all he can to make things right with the current President, but signs of an extension for his stay as commander in the Army are not to be seen. He has visited multiple monks and even the Prime Minister (which is quite ironic, given that thousands of soldiers have heard him make homophobic insults at his expense just months ago.) But Daya still keeps his head up high, hoping for a better day. This article is in honour of Daya’s extreme perseverance to stay in power, it’s a story for the history books.

By Retired Army Officer

Sushma Swaraj: I’m influential, not helpless minister
Swaraj said, “I am not helpless. I am a very influential external affairs minister. During President Obama's visit, I sat with my PM where I should have been seated. You see the pictures.”

NEW DELHI: India has made its objection known to Sri Lanka over Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's recent statement on shooting of "intruders" (Indian fishermen), the government told Rajya Sabha on Monday while informing that an interim arrangement was being put in place to deal with the problems of fishermen from both sides. 

India's stance was articulated by foreign minister Sushma Swaraj who had to face a volley of questions on Wickremesinghe's remarks. Swaraj, at one point, even responded to a taunt from opposition member Rajiv Shukla who called her "helpless". 

Seeking clarification on the minister's reply, Shukla said the Sri Lankan PM's remarks about "right to shoot intruders" in the context of Indian fishermen was a slap on India's face and showed the helplessness of the foreign minister who was "not even allowed to share dais with (US President Barack) Obama" during his recent visit here. 

Though deputy chairman P J Kurien wanted the word "helpless" to be expunged, Swaraj said there was no need. In a retort to Shukla, Swaraj said, "I am not helpless. I am a very influential external affairs minister. During President Obama's visit, I sat with my PM where I should have been seated. You see the pictures." 

She added, "Till we move towards deep sea fishing, the issue should not be dealt with on technical grounds but humanitarian grounds. An interim arrangement is being put in place between fishermen of both the countries to resolve the issue." 

Referring to her visit to Sri Lanka last week, Swaraj said she strongly raised India's concerns over the Lankan PM comparing the fishermen issue with that of Italian marines. 

Swaraj said she voiced objections when she met Wickremesinghe, saying the case of Italian marines could not be compared with that of Tamil fishermen. The Italian marines were not allowing the judicial process to start and had questioned the jurisdiction of Indian courts even before start of judicial proceedings, she said. 

On the contrary, in the case of two Indian fishermen released recently, the judicial process had been completed and they were granted pardon by the President through an executive order, she said. 

"I also raised with him that firing on each other's fishermen is not right... I am happy to inform you that on both issues, Sri Lanka was agreeing with us," Swaraj said, adding, "When I raised the issue with him, Wickremesinghe nodded in agreement and said he was not aware of the facts."

Is Gotabhaya Ranil’s foreign affairs adviser?

Tuesday, 10 March 2015 

Political circles in Colombo are wondering these days as to whether former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has been given the position of foreign affairs adviser to prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

This is mainly due to a controversial remark made by the PM in an interview with an Indian television channel in which he said the Sri Lanka Navy cannot be blamed if they shoot at Indian fishermen violating the island’s territorial waters.

“If someone tries to break into my house, I can shoot. If he gets killed...Law allows me to do that,” he said.

It is ridiculous that as a lawyer, Mr. Wickremesinghe cannot differentiate between breaking into a house and straying into territorial waters. He should explain to the lawyers of both countries as to how the right of private defence could be applicable to a fisherman catching fish.

The Sri Lanka-India fishing row did not begin recently, but it has a history of several centuries. It worsened due to the silly, shortsighted actions of former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. But, he did not resort to shooting at the Indian fishermen for having violated the territorial waters. He only arrested them. It is not becoming of incumbent premier Wickremesinghe to make statements to the gallery in order to appease the communalists.

He similarly got things mixed up over the port city project. Before the presidential election, Mr. Wickremesinghe said the project would be halted after coming to power. He said so in order to please India, which fully supported to expel Rajapaksa, and not after carrying out a feasibility study for the project. Now, the port city project has boomeranged on the ‘Yaha Paalana’ government. Ranil says one thing, Rajitha says another, and the entire lot is playing hell all over the place.

As a seasoned statesman, Mr. Wickremesinghe should understand the regional politics. In the South Indian politics, the fisher community has a sizeable vote base and is valued higher among the entire Indian voters. Anything that affects them in turn affects the South Indian politics. The PM is making this foolish statement as Indian foreign affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is making a goodwill tour of Sri Lanka.

In a few days, an Indian prime minister will pay a visit to our country, which incidentally is the first in 27 years. Our premier seems unconcerned by that.

Commenting on this, a veteran critic on international affairs told us, ‘If not for India , Ranil still would have been watching Hindi movies at his old residence in third lane kollpiyiya'

A Ranil – Mahendran mega game?

TUESDAY, 10 MARCH 2015

More information is being revealed regarding the auction of treasury bonds that has been involved in a large scale financial fraud. The announcement by the Central Bank on the 25th stated that it was expected to get a loan of Rs.1000 million from the auction to be held on the 27th.

However, at the issue of treasury bonds on 27th February the government obtained a loan of about Rs.10058 million. The issue that arises is that ten times of the expected loan has been obtained and it had never occurred before. Also, in the announcement issued by the Central Bank on 27th February the maximum interest mentioned was 12.5% and the normal interest rate was 11.73. This indicates an opportunity was created for Perpetual Treasuries Pvt. Ltd to carry out a large scale financial fraud. Now the President is preparing to appoint a committee of three to investigate the matter.

It is revealed that the relevant Perpetual Treasuries Pvt. Ltd is a company owned by the son-in-law of the Governor of the Central Bank Arjun Mahendran. It was Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who got down Arjun Mahendran from Singapore and gave him citizenship of this country within one day and appointed him the Governor of Central Bank. At present Sri Lanka Central Bank comes under the purview of the Prime Minister. When Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe was the PM during 2002/2004 period Mr. Arjun Mahendran was the Chairman of Board Of Investments (BOI) and there were many issues.

Financial experts say Mr. Arjun Mahendran should temporarily withdraw from his position and allow investigations to be carried out.

National Symbols, Cultural Sites & Events

By Jude Fernando –March 10, 2015

Jude Fernando

Sri Lanka Needs a Ministry of Diversity and Inclusion (Part IV/VI)

“A democratic civilization will save itself only if it makes the language of the image into a stimulus for critical reflection — not an invitation for hypnosis.” ― Umberto Eco

“It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen.” ― Aristotle

“And I should like to be able to love my country and still love justice. I don’t want any greatness for it, particularly a greatness born of blood and falsehood. I want to keep it alive by keeping justice alive.”  ― Albert Camus

National Symbols and Cultural Sites and Events

The second objective of the Ministry of Diversity and Inclusion (MID) is to foster inclusion and diversity in cultural symbols (e.g., national flag, emblem, and ID cards) and events (e.g., Independence Day celebrations, inaugurations, opening ceremonies, and commemorations and memorials) that represent an “all Sri Lankan identity” in all national institutions (e.g., administration, security, education, culture, and foreign missions). The MID should also take steps to prevent the erosion of the genuinely multiethnic and multicultural identity of cultural and religious symbols and events and sites. Inclusive national symbols create a sense of belonging and purpose for people who derive their national identity from the country’s cultural mosaic.

Peaceful coexistence is impossible when national symbols fail to be inclusive, when they embody histories of prejudice, discrimination, and violence against groups within or outside of its sovereign territory, and when the public is unaware of or provides emotive legitimacy to such histories. Inclusive national symbols could prevent the state from criminalizing dissent against such histories and legitimizing the use of force against those voicing dissent. As such, these symbols could also help prevent society from becoming imprisoned in a vicious cycle of violence when different groups attribute different meanings to national symbols in order to legitimize the use of force against other groups to meet their respective demands.

The MID should be mindful of the danger of multiculturalism becoming another source of oppression and domination. Multicultural ‘national symbols’ could lose their purpose when they provide privilege to the social, cultural, and territorial identity of one culture or group, marginalize and suppress that of others, and provide symbolic power and legitimacy for the involuntary integration or assimilation of different cultures into one overarching national culture. Although the state holds the primary responsibility of creating an inclusive symbolic national space, it could also exploit multiculturalism as a means to escape or procrastinate in fulfilling its responsibility to devolve political power and to honor its promise of transitional justice.

Read More

Wimal’s Revolution

 Tuesday, 10 March 2015 

Unable to pass the ordinary level exam but in order to exercise a socialist revolution he could not even visit the Sigiriya. He formed the school children and the university students and led them to die.

The latter didn’t have money to buy a bicycle. When he was working in the Hiru Newspaper he ate string hoppers for credit. Despite his wife was working in a communication the latter did not beg. Following his
entrance to the money politics he left the mendicant leftist politics and started to relish the lavish deal politics with comforts. He started to travel in luxury vehicles.

In spite of going to Cuba and North Korea he went to America and Italy. He enjoyed the lives limitless luxury without arrears. He drank whisky inside air conditioned rooms for 24 hours. He made forged birth certificates and passports to his wife and sent her to Dubai and Singapore and indulged in smuggling and made millions of commissions. He gave money for interest and gave bribes and made nearly Rs. 2000 million. He made luxury mansions and bought expensive lands from Colombo.

Pretending to abrogate the private medical college he sent his son to a private medical college in Scotland. The latter who started his life without a cent is going to the bribery commission to give a statement of how he earned this money and to produce a declaration of his assets.

However these are false pageants. He will never puke what he gourmet. He would never be convicted either. Tomorrow as usual he will vociferous that it is the imperialistic conspiracy and startle people with another
fake LTTE and swindle another few millions of rupees.

Military analysis of what Russia really wants reveals nuclear dangers

Russian amphibious vehicles drive in formation during celebrations to mark Navy Day in the far eastern Russian port of Vladivostok, July 27, 2014. REUTERS/Yuri Maltsev

By Commodore Philip Thicknesse-

March 10, 2015

 While it is immensely difficult to place oneself in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s position and to see the world as he and Russia undoubtedly see it, there are things that we do know.

The first is that Russia has always seen itself as encircled and threatened, a condition exacerbated by the West since the collapse of the Soviet Union and subsequent expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A simple exercise with a globe can help to demonstrate this. Rotate it until Moscow is in the center and then scan the points of the compass. To the north, over the pole, is the United States; to the east, China; to the south, Islam, and to the west, Europe, the European Union and NATO.
Military Analysis of What Russia Really Wants Reveals Nuclear Dangers by Thavam Ratna

MH370: 'Putin ordered plane to be flown to Kazakhstan space port,' conspiracy theory claims

A CNN aviation expert claims the missing plane was hijacked and flown north

LIZZIE DEARDEN-Friday 27 February 2015

Vladimir Putin ordered Russian special forces to hijack Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 and fly it to a spaceport in Kazakhstan, an aviation expert who appeared on CNN has claimed.

Jeff Wise, a private pilot and science writer, became a familiar face during the US news channel’s coverage of the plane’s disappearance last year and continues his research into the mystery.

He has extensively blogged on the subject and wrote a book called The Plane That Wasn't There outlining his theories.

MH370 'Putin Ordered Plane to Be Flown to Kazakhstan Space Port,' Conspiracy Theory Claims by Thavam Ratna

Islamic State: parents of missing teens address MPs - watch

The parents of three London schoolgirls, believed to have entered Syria with the aim of joining Islamic State militants, appear before the House of Commons home affairs committee.

Shamina Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and 15-year-old Amira Abase from east London, boarded a flight to Istanbul in February, and were last reported to have been staying in al Raqqa, an ISstronghold in Syria.

Islamic State Parents of Missing Teens Address MPs - Watch by Thavam Ratna

Israel’s Arab political parties have united for the first time

A Joint List campaign billboard in the Arab Israeli town of Umm el-Fahm. Israel’s Arab minority is hoping to gain much-needed muscle after next week’s parliamentary election, with four Arab parties uniting under one banner for the first time. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)

By Ruth Eglash-March 10 at 3:30 AM
TAYBEH, Israel — A coalition of once fractious Arab parties is suddenly emerging as Israel’s newest power bloc, forcing the Jewish state to pay attention to its large Arab minority as never before.
Israel’s Arab Political Parties Have United for the First Time by Thavam Ratna

How the Burma student stand-off descended into chaos

A police officer beats a student protester during Tuesday’s brutal crackdown in Letpadan, Burma. Pic: AP. 

By Mark Inkey Mar 10, 2015 

Earlier this morning a stand-off between student protesters and police in Letpandan seemed to be on the verge of a peaceful resolution before the police brutally attacked the students this afternoon.

Students have been protesting against the new national Education Bill for months and resumed protests at the end of January after the government failed to amend the bill within 60 days as it had promised the students it would.

About 200 students from around the country started marching from Manadalay to Rangoon to join students in protests there. They were stopped by police in Letpadan, about 130km north of Rangoon, on March 2.

The students sought shelter in the Aung Myay Baik Mann Monastery and were surrounded by about 500 police on March 3 and prevented from continuing.

The students then gave the police a deadline of 10am on Tuesday March 10 to let them continue on their way. If they did not the students threatened to tear down the police barriers.

(MORE: Shocking images, videos emerge from brutal student crackdown in Burma)

At one stage this morning it looked as if the situation had been amicably resolved. The Pegu Division’s Border Affairs department said that the students would be allowed to march to the highway at 10am where they could get into vehicles to take them to Rangoon.

Unfortunately, 10am came and went and the police continued to prevent the students from leaving the monastery.

According to a report in the Irrawaddy, at about midday tried to break down the police barriers by forming columns of five people, each led by a monk, to push past the police officers who greatly outnumbered them. The students failed to break out and some people were injured.

The police then used loudspeakers to threaten the students and anyone else involved in the protest with arrest. The students replied saying that the laws against peaceful protest were dictatorial and should be opposed.

At about 1.25pm, according to reports, the police attacked the students. Just prior to the attack the police announced on a loudspeaker: “Arrest the media too.”

The police then attacked the students, monks and journalists, badly beating defenseless people.

Before long pictures showing police violence against students, their supporters and journalists covering the protests started emerging on social media. Most footage and pictures showed groups of police attacking unarmed individuals with batons.

According to a Myanmar Times reporter about 500 police with a large plainclothes security force presence in the crowd took part in the attack. He also saw police beating student leaders who had fallen to the ground and initial reports said some of the student leaders were arrested. BBC Burmese later confirmed that 32 students had been arrested.

There was also footage of the police attacking and smashing up the vehicle leading the student convoy.

An Irrawaddy photographer at the scene said there appeared to be “a complete breakdown of police discipline” with the security forces apparently splitting into two groups, with one group indiscriminately attacking protesters and the other group trying to restrain them.

He also said that police went from door to door of houses near the monastery and dragged out protesters who were trying to escape the violence. He also saw two ambulances ferry injured people away from the scene, other reports said the ambulances did not pick up any of the injured and left empty.

Other reports said that journalists were being attacked with slingshots and bricks.

Several injured protesters are believed to be receiving treatment in the hospital at Letpadan and police with shields have blocked of the roads to the hospital.

In response to the violence students and their supporters gathered in Rangoon at Hledan junction at about 2.30pm planning to march to downtown Rangoon. According to Irrawaddythey were intercepted by 100 baton wielding police. They injured some protesters and detained one who was released after the other protesters pleaded with the police. The group then agreed to disperse.