Gag order, travel restriction & investigation against Sri Lankan HRD, Ruki Fernando

Change but No Change in Sri Lanka

Friday, 20 March 2015 

21st March 2015 will mark one year since a court order restricting the freedom of expression on leading Sri Lankan human rights defender and writer, Ruki Fernando was obtained by the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID). Such restriction on freedom of expression of a prolific writer and commentator on human rights issues such as Ruki, is unprecedented in recent Sri Lankan history.

Ruki and another colleague were arrested on 16th March 2014 during a fact finding mission to the war ravaged Northern part of the country. Both were released on 19th March 2014 after massive national and international outrage. Immediately after his release, Ruki gave interviews to local and international media. As a result of this, he faced intimidation after his release and a fresh investigation was launched against him by the TID. The TID also obtained Court Orders restriction Ruki’s overseas travels and freedom of expression, and also confiscated communication equipment, all of which are effective till today.

Ruki’s arrest had resulted in him being branded a traitor and terrorist supporter by some media and Sinhalese nationalist groups, and the restriction on freedom of expression had made it difficult for him to respond to such accusations and defamation and defend himself. His human rights work locally and internationally as well as personal life has been constrained by the need to go to courts each time he needs to travel overseas. Even after obtaining court permission, he was compelled to miss a flight when he was travelling overseas for a human rights conference and he had faced delays, humiliation on other occasions he was travelling overseas for human rights work, due to being stopped and questioned by the Immigration and State Intelligence Service officers.  

It is now more than 4 months since Ruki’s lawyers had made verbal and written submissions to the Attorney General’s Department about the closure of the case and lifting of the restrictions. There has been an indication of readiness to lift the travel restriction. But the Attorney General’s Department and the TID has refused to close the investigation, return the confiscated equipment and lift of the gag order.

This clearly indicates the continuing anti –human rights and media freedom mind-set of the security establishment and the insensitivity of the new political leadership towards same. It shows that HRDs released from detention can be subjected to continued harassments and restrictions, despite the new political leadership in Sri Lanka. The conditions imposed on Ms. Balendran Jeyakumari, a woman HRD released on bail on 10th March 2015 after 362 days in detention, reaffirms this. As per Ruki’s own words, we look forward to the day when all HRDs and dissenters can be freed from accusations of supporting terrorism and are able enjoy their rights to express themselves and travel freely.

'Tortured' UK asylum seeker gets deportation reprieve

A Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seeker who claims to have suffered extensive torture before escaping to the UK has won a last minute reprieve just hours before he was due to be forcibly deported.

Image courtesy of Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka

THURSDAY 19 MARCH 2015

A Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seeker who claims to have suffered extensive torture before escaping to the UK has won a last minute reprieve just hours before he was due forcibly deported to Sri Lanka.
'Tortured' UK asylum seeker gets deportation reprieve.odt by Thavam Ratna

Mr.Prime Minister, The Dollar Stops At Your Doorstep!

By Sarath de Alwis -March 20, 2015 

Sarath De Alwis

“People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.” – Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations

Things have not changed much since Adam Smith wrote the Wealth of Nations. We have a scandal tainted past. We cannot erase it. But we can put it right. Therefore we should insist that Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe take responsibility for the scandal that has undermined the credibility of the reform agenda of President Maithrpala Sirisena.

Corruption in Central Banks is nothing new. It has happened in our Central Bank and in other Central Banks.

Experts and Scholars are on record that “corruption flourishes where agents have monopoly power plus discretion and where accountability is weak”

Our Central Bank has had the malaise for nearly a decade. It began with President Mahinda Rajapaksaappointing his own Governor. The aberration was made a tradition by Prime Minister Wickremesinghe who filled the position with his own nominee. The hands on and go getter Prime Minister has got his hands dirty in the first hundred days.

The recent bond deal involves the Bank of Ceylon – the nation’s premier state owned bank. In lightning speed, the Bank of Ceylon, headed by a senior Lawyer and UNP working committee member seems to have approved a credit line of Rs. 3 billion to the Primary Dealer whose bid was accepted by the Central Bank’s Treasury Bond Tender Committee.

Unless the new Governor had changed the composition of the Tender Committee its member ship includes several high ranking officials in addition to the Deputy Governor and the Additional Superintendent of Public debt. They are the Director of Economic Research, the Assistant Governor in charge of Public Debt, Director of Domestic Operations and the Superintendent of Public Debt as the Secretary of the Tender Committee. Transparency and Good Governance commenced with the swearing in of President Maithripala Sirisena on 9th January at Independence square.Read More

Impressed by India's Right to Information Act, Sri Lanka hopes to have its own 
The government hopes to introduce what erstwhile Rajapaksa government failed to do during its decadelong rule to empower Lankan citizens.  






By Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury-20 Mar, 2015

NEW DELHI: In a major step towards political reforms, Sri Lanka has taken cue from India and hopes to introduce Right to Information Act (RTI) through a Constitutional Amendment that is likely to come in place on April 22.

The government hopes to introduce what erstwhile Rajapaksa government failed to do during its decadelong rule to empower Lankan citizens through the 19th amendment of the Lankan Constitution aimed at political reforms. The Sirisena government had promised sweeping political reforms including reverting to Parliamentary form of government.

The 100-days program of Sirisena includes the passing of a RTI in Lanka. The issues of political reforms, democracy, strengthening and freedom of institutions were on the agenda of discussions between Modi and cross section of Lankan leadership when the PM was in Colombo last week, according to diplomatic sources. Colombo's proposed Right to Information Act has been inspired by India, sources indicated. India had passed RTI Act in 2005.

"No restrictions shall be placed on the right declared and recognized by this Article (Article 14A), other than such restrictions prescribed by law as are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety. In this Article, "citizen" includes a body whether incorporated or unincorporated, if not less than threefourths of the members of such body are citizens," according to the draft 19th Amendment.

Official sources from Colombo told ETthat the Rajapaksa regime had initiated to have RTI Act in 2010 but could never introduce the Law. The regime was known for controlling flow of information and its autocratic way of functioning. The high-handedness of the former President's family members was among key reasons behind the defeat of Mahinda Rajapaksa last January, sources recalled.

Four MPs imported ethanol sans taxes: Ravi

2015-03-19

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake told Parliament today that four members of Parliament had imported ethanol without paying taxes.

He said so while revealing that a consignment of illegally imported ethanol had come to the port two weeks ago.

Minister Karunanayake who came out with this disclosure during the oral question session in the House said details of this later subject to the approval of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe shortly.

Further he revealed that around 25 consignments had arrived in the country every month during the past few years.

Meanwhile, the minister who responded to a question raised by JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said 13.6 million liters of ethanol has been Imported to Sri Lanka in 2014, 10.8 million litres in 2013, and 25.6million litres in 2010. Around 60 companies have been importing ethanol during the past three years. (Yohan Perera) - See more at: http://www.dailymirror.lk/66821/four-mps-imported-ethanol-sans-taxes-ravi#sthash.WK6IXpyv.dpuf

Exposé: Worst Of MR-Sajin Cronies Still Run Foreign Ministry

March 20, 2015

In a tragicomic turn of events the worst cronies of the former regime and in particular the cabal that surrounded the corrupt and inept Monitoring Minister of the Foreign Ministry, Sajin Vass Gunawardena are still ruling the roost at the Ministry. In a supremely ironic twist Deputy Minister Ajith Perera, who championed good governance and accountability while in opposition has been compelled to defend the appointment of Kshenuka Seniwiratne, former Foreign Secretary and close confidant of MP Sajin Vass and PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa, as Sri Lanka’s new Ambassador to Thailand. The JVP and other political parties have raised concerns over this appointment.

Minister Samaraweera

Kshenuka Senewiratne

Senewiratne who has several family connections to the UNP went out of her way to prove her loyalties to the Rajapaksas’ during the previous regime. However she maintains a close personal friendship with President Chandrika Kumaratungaunder whose tenure Ms. Senewiratne served as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the UK. However in the Rajapaksa years Kshenuka Senewiratne shunned President Kumaratunga in an attempt to cater to the small minded egos of the Rajapaksa regime. Together with President Rajapaksa and MP Gunewardena, Kshenuka Senewiratne conspired to bring the professional foreign service to its knees, informed sources told Colombo Telegraph. Playing watchdog to the new Government in Sri Lanka the JVP has focused its criticism on Senewiratne’s alleged role in ‘Geneva Gate‘. As Colombo Telegraph exposed in April 7, 2012, during her stint as Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva, Seniwiratne is accused of giving a contract to repair the official residence of the Ambassador in Geneva to a company linked to the LTTE. But meanwhile, her misdeeds and reign at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been ignored. Colombo Telegraph has reliable information about how Senewiratne was actively involved in an attempt to eradicate the professional Foreign Service and recruit political appointees to the Ministry. Under-signing Mahinda Rajapaksa’s inferiority complex and his old animosity with the Foreign Service having once had to fight for the premiership with Lakshman Kadirgamar, Kshenuka Senewiratne ensured that competent Foreign Service officers were side-lined and harassed. Senewiratne and her able lieutenant Majindha Jayasinghe were proponents of the abolishment of the Foreign Service in favour of cabinet appointments as diplomats. The move was strongly championed by Sajin Vass Gunawardena who sought to amalgamate the Foreign Service with the Administrative Service. Senewiratne strongly backed the plans. She also backed the recruitment of a group of Sajin Vass lackeys who were later tabbed “CHOGM babies” who new Minister of Foreign MinisterMangala Samaraweera said were the unemployable offspring of political and business cronies. As exclusively revealed by Colombo Telegraph among these ‘CHOGM Babies’ recruited by MP Sajin Vass at Rs. 70,000 per month – were the daughters of then Opposition MP Rosy Senanayake and JKH Chairman Susantha Ratnayake. These children, relatives and mistresses of politicians were paid more than any Foreign Service officer, given vehicles for their personal use and even allowed to misuse their official positions to make money out of CHOGM contracts without any hindrance. Kshenuka Senewiratne even tasked them vital issues of national interest, sending some of these unqualified individuals to Geneva to defend Sri Lanka at the Human Rights council.It was due to Senevirathne’s empowerment that Sajin Vass Gunawardena, an uneducated wharf clerk, managed to run the foreign ministry as his own fiefdom. In such an example, as late as in November 2014 Senevirathne demanded a letter of explanation from the Executive Director of the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for what she claimed to be an anti-government article written by the officer.Asanga Abeyagoonasekera the former head of the Kadirgamar centre laments how he had been kicked out and how Kshenuka Senewiratne has been given an Ambassadorial post. The article in question had raised the 18th Amendment and term limits of the president. These of course are in addition to one of the most pathetic incidents in the Ministry’s history when Sajin Vass Gunawardena publicly assaulted the sitting High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to London, Chris Nonis in order to defend Kshenuka Senewiratne. Later Senewiratne made officers attached to the London Mission to write petitions against Nonis and all those who were present at the dinner in New York at which Nonis was assaulted attested that they had not seen any one getting assaulted. The depths to which Senewiratne brought the Foreign Ministry, during her short one year tenure, as Secretary is unparalleled in history. During the presidential election season between November 2014-January 2015 Senewiratne created history by being spotted at a Mahinda Rajapaksa election rally in gross violation of the Establishment Code which governs the conduct of Public Servants.

Read More

Sri Lanka: multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-lingual democracy

by Mangala Samaraweera

( March 20, 2015, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Presenting amendments to the United Nations Act giving effect in Sri Lanka to the UN Security Council Resolutions against money laundering and financing of terrorism, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera made a Statement in the Parliament on March 18, 2015. In his speech, Minister Samaraweera in addition to presenting details of action against money laundering and combatting terrorism, also explained the efforts being taken by the Government in defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka as well as renewing engagement with international community and organizations for among other matters, expediting the reconciliation process in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Multi-racial, Multi-cultural, Multi-religious and Multi-lingual Democracy by Thavam Ratna

Sri Lanka police training deal ‘hideous collusion’

MSP John Finnie says the police college is under pressure to raise income

 BY LIAM O’HARE OF COMMON SPAC-MARCH 19TH, 2015 

SCOTTISH Police are set to renew a controversial contract to train Sri Lankan security forces despite major concerns over the country’s human rights record.

The Scottish Police College (SPC) has been engaged in the training since 2007 but the current contract is due to expire on March 31.

However, in a move that has been condemned by politicians and human rights campaigners, the SPC have confirmed that they are close to sealing a new contract for 2015-2016 to further work to develop Sri Lanka’s National Police Academy.

A recent British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) report found: “The human rights situation in Sri Lanka continued to be of concern in 2014, with little overall improvement.”

The FCO reported that the main university students’ union, the Inter University Student Federation, accused Sri Lankan police of torturing students, leading to the blinding of one student.

The report also mentioned various other instances of torture, deaths in police custody, police abductions and instances of deaths of suspects shot as they attempted to flee.

A trade union also claimed that it was clear that their leaders were being “suppressed systematically” by Sri Lankan police.

Corporate Watch’s Phil Miller, who published a report last year documenting British involvement in Sri Lankan human rights abuses, said: “I am concerned that the Scottish Police College is even considering renewing its contract to train the Sri Lankans.

“The college is kidding itself if it believes Scottish involvement can improve the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. The FCO’s new report shows police brutality in Sri Lanka continues unabated.

“Scottish training, started in 2007, has completely failed to stop Sri Lanka’s police from torturing and murdering suspects.

“How much more proof is needed before the Scottish Government puts a stop to this hideous collusion?”

Training of security forces by Scottish police officers has taken place both before and after the Sri Lankan government’s final counter-insurgency campaign against the Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009, which ended its civil war.

A UN report commissioned by Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon found that as many as 40,000 Tamil civilians may have been killed in the last months of the civil war in May 2009, mostly through indiscriminate shelling by Sri Lankan security forces.

The United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) recently delayed by six months the release of a report into alleged war crimes committed during the war.

Several hundred people demonstrated outside last summer’s Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Glasgow, calling for the country to be suspended from the Games in light of its human rights abuses.

Independent MSP John Finnie, who has previously raised concerns about SPC training in the Maldives due to human rights concerns, said that an extension of the contract would cause “reputational damage” to the Scottish Police Service.

Finnie, a former police officer, said: “Once again the Scottish Police Service finds itself linked with an oppressive regime whose police officers it trained.

“When the UN Human Rights Council and Amnesty International raise concerns about Sri Lankan forces abusing its citizens then I would expect the Scottish Police College (SPC) to pay attention.

“Whilst the argument ‘we can instil a policing style that respects citizens’ has some merit, however, the sad fact is those methods haven’t been adopted as Sri Lanka’s police systematically abuse Sri Lankans’ human rights.

“I am sure the SPC will feel under pressure to generate income.

“However, I would urge caution and an understanding that continued involvement with human-rights-abusing regimes will cause reputational damage.

“Likewise, I’d expect leadership from the Scottish Government, placing a rights-based approach to all it and its agencies do, rather than the distancing I encountered when raising issues about SPC links to the violent regime in the Maldives, and a clear statement that this training must stop.”

Amnesty International’s latest annual report into Sri Lanka alleges that unlawful detentions and torture by security forces were carried out with impunity.

Siobhan Reardon, Amnesty International’s Programme Director in Scotland, said: “Human rights campaigners and family members of people subjected to enforced disappearance were threatened and arrested, and fatal attacks on religious minorities went unpunished.

“We expect the college to ensure Scottish police engaged in training in Sri Lanka are not only aware of the serious human rights violations that have taken place but do not in any way facilitate training that would lead to further brutality.”

The news that the contract was likely to be renewed this year was also met with anger from people from the Tamil community in Scotland.

Uma Rajah said: “It’s infuriating to think the police forces in Scotland could be implicated in these things.

“Being involved in other countries’ affairs is politicised. It’s impossible to be neutral in that situation.

“Scottish police have been directly taking a role with a police force known to have intense human rights violations. It’s scary.”

The project in Sri Lanka is managed by Bruce Milne, a former head of education and development at the SPC, which involves delivering organisation management and leadership training.

In addition to Sri Lanka, Police Scotland are also involved in training projects in Pakistan, Abu Dhabi, Bhutan and Malawi.

Gordon Thomson, Business Development Manager, Police Scotland College, Tulliallan said: “Police Scotland is currently engaged in Sri Lanka on a project funded by the British High Commission, to develop a National Police Academy with the capacity to deliver accredited programmes.

“The current contract expires 31 March 2015, however we are in dialogue with the British High Commission about a new contract for 2015-2016 which will further the work already undertaken to develop the National Police Academy, as yet not confirmed.”

CommonSpace is a newly launched online news and views service breaking exclusive stories and keeping readers up to date with the most important developments in Scottish current affairs. Visit the website at www.commonspace.scot and follow @TheCommonSpace on Twitter

Ranil The Caesarist Deals With L’Affair Arjun: Paradox Of Citizen Kane & Gamarala

By Sarath De Alwis -March 19, 2015

Sarath De Alwis

Carl Sandburg – the Pulitzer winning biographer of Lincoln Carl Sandburg once noted that a politician should have three hats. “One for throwing in to the ring, one for talking through and one for pulling rabbits out if elected”

Soon after the Presidential Election Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe threw his first hat into the ring. On Monday March 17th he used the second to speak through.

No doubt if elected Prime Minister, he will use his third.

Besieged by growing demands for accountability in the Bond trading fiasco Prime Minister Ranil Wiskremesinghe decided that attack was the best form of defense. Sadly his use of bombastic banalities as cluster bombs has not helped him to diffuse the crisis. The charge of ‘Ugly’ governance persists.

His parliamentary performance was intentionally made in English. A few concise amplifications made in Sinhala with colloquial appellations were meant to earn the headlines in the Sinhala press.

සදාචාරය ගැන පාඩම් කියල දෙන්න එනවා.

And then throwing the gauntlet තැන් තැන්වලහැංගී මඩ ගහන්නේ නැතිව මහ මැතිවරණයකට

පැමිණ අප සමග මුහුණටමුහුණ සටනකට එන ලෙස මම ඔවුන්ට අභියෝගකරනවා .

Given the furor of the storm he managed a long rambling delivery with hardly an interruption. In our parliament speaking in English is as safe and as effective as the American drone attacks over the Khyber. Hardly effective and definitely counterproductive. It also makes the fundamental error that ‘Gamaralas’ have no idea of bond trading while it may be home turf in fifth avenue Colombo and Manipay Jaffna.

He started off with a moral without a fable – Article 148 of the Constitution. “Parliament shall have full control over public finance.”Read More

Kili –Mahinda- Tiran meet : Kili Maharaja undertakes to chase Ranil out and make Mahinda P.M.

(Lanka-e-News -20.March.2015, 5.00PM) R. Raja Mahendran alias Kili Maharaja the chairman and managing Director of Capital Maharaja establishment had met ex president Mahinda Rajapakse on the 18 th and promised to the latter (who was thrown out lock , stock and barrel on January 8 th by the people ),  that he can with ease make him the next prime minister (P.M.) , and therefore undertaken that onerous but abominable responsibility , based on reports reaching Lanka e news inside information division.

Raja Mahendran had also told his Institution media activists that P.M. Ranil Wickremesinghe and foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera must be somehow ousted form their posts , and to achieve this goal he is  prepared to collude with any devil , demon or monster (in order to revive monstrous Mahinda who was driven out by the people at long last), it is learnt. It is Tiran Alles who had taken ex president to Kili Maharaja’s residence  at Flower road .

A group including Shevan Daniel of Sirasa media , Western provincial council (WPC) member Susara Dhinal ,WPC  member of Sarath Fonseka’s Democratic Front party  Susil Kidelpitiya and  Tiran Alles have participated in this discussion at Flower road.

Raja Mahendran had declared, all his media Institutions will be enlisted to secure a government with a majority for Mahinda  at the next elections . In reciprocation Mahinda must appoint a number of  MPs from the  national list whose names Raja Mahendran will provide , for which request , Mahinda has given an answer in the affirmative , according to reports reaching Lanka e news inside information division.

 In this connection Kili Maharaja has advised Mahinda to continue making offerings to the Maha Bodhi uninterruptedly ( last elections Mahinda  lost after bribing astrologers , this time he is seeking to win , or rather lose  by bribing the deities ). Kili had also told Mahinda , towards this end , he can via the media provide a large coverage and the facilities wile pointing out , when bodhi pooja  is the overt modus operandi no one would  be able to mount any charges that Kili is providing support to Mahinda Rajapakse. Kili has also assured   he would see to it a massive venomous and vicious media campaign is conducted  against Ranil and Mangala.

With this arrangement in place , the media Institutions ,Sirasa , Derana and CSN television channels are to be directly enlisted to conduct this media campaign to steer and support the future political ‘projects’ of Mahinda the notorious ‘Alibaba’ , the chieftain  of the SLFP’s den of thieves , it is reported .

Even a fool will  understand , it is owing to  Mahinda (even when he was wielding inordinate presidential powers) seeking to manipulate all the media Institutions while in power when all those Institutions were under his control ,  to serve his political agendas and various political ‘projects’ , Mahinda precipitated his own devastation  and met his Waterloo . When that is the stark truth , how can Mahinda who could not become president after abusing all the media Institutions then under him , be made a prime minister now with the backing of a few unscrupulous bootlicking media Institutions ? Perhaps  Maharaja and Tiran Alles are blind to this simple truth because their gaze are  fixed only on the colossal amount of monies in billions that  are being passed and exchanged among them under the counters . The latest discovery  that the foreign assets of Rajapakses are even more than the country’s foreign reserves alone  cuts a long story short regarding the illicit earnings

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by     (2015-03-20 12:37:44)

Change but No Change in Sri Lanka

A crucial component of the change process was the country facing up to the violent deeds and effects of the past. Truth had long been a casualty and victim and while the real facts were buried, there could be no reconciliation. There has to be a sense of collective remorse for violations committed – for the healing power of reconciliation to work.

by Deirdre McConnell

( March 20. 2015, Paris, Sri Lanka Guardian) What is the difference between a “changing context” and a “paradigm shift”?

The anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa spanned most of the last century. A paradigm shift, enabled by a vast political process of struggle, was required to make the radical change from minority white oppressive rule, to the majority, black people, being included in government. The repressive mechanisms that had tried to crush activists, human rights defenders and all who struggled for civil rights and justice – were notorious. The methods included systematic violence, torture and killings. I remember clearly that fateful day when Ruth First was killed by a parcel bomb in 1982. Her daughter spoke on BBC Radio recently.

Change but No Change in Sri Lanka by Thavam Ratna

Modi’s New Indian Days & The Great Wall Of India

By Mano Ratwatte –March 19, 2015

Mano Ratwatte

Modi’s new India

Let’s take a good look at a few recent Indian and Sri Lankan headlines. Senior BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy said “God does not reside in Mosques and churches which are only places of worship and God only resides in temples”.

There is an increase in the number of attacks on churches. In some places right wing Hindus have forcibly converted Muslims and Christians into Hindus at the threat of death. Muslim families in Agra and Christian families in Gujarat and Kerala became victims after Modi won. It’s important to note that these increases occurred after Modi became Prime Minister.   In fairness, the scale does not compare to what Nazi collaborator Croatian Catholics did on a much grander scale during WW II when Jews and Serbian Orthodox Croats were forced to convert to Catholicism or face execution; nor to the savage level the ISIS Islamo-fascists.

Indian media and leading politicians including their FM Ms. Sushma Swaraj( a Punjabi Brahmin graduate from Punjab University, Chandigarh), who should be well versed with the atrocities Indian Hindus committed in Punjab against Sikhs during the Khalistani rebellion), expressed umbrage that Sri Lanka’s new PM made an indiscreet albeit a mild statement about a nation having a right to protect its borders?

Kudos to Mr. Wickremesinghe; all he did was state an obvious fact that all nations have a right to defend their maritime and land borders by any means necessary. Earlier this year, FM Ms. Swaraj made an insensitive racial slur about the people of the North Eastern States of India; She was speaking in Lok Sabha about the death of youth from Arunachal Pradesh, who was beaten to death in Delhi in a racial attack, said“people with flat noses are as much Indians as those with sharp ones”’ (chapti naakwale). If it were a politician in the US she would have to resign. Is this is the new Gandhian spirit of the Hindu dominated BJP?   Read More