Colombo Port City Project – Back to Basics 

Dr. Kingsley de Alwis-May 12, 2015, 7:18 pm

The article by Dr. U. Pethiyagoda in The Island of April 30 under the above title drew my attention to two fundamental questions about the project: (a) do we really need this? (b) Could the monies be invested more usefully?

I fully agree with his alternative suggestion to invest the money in developing market-oriented smallholder agriculture in urban and peri-urban areas in the Western Province. There are many such successful projects in areas ranging from California to Gaza to – yes, believe it or not – China. However, I would like to raise other basic issues that make it absolutely foolish to go ahead with the Colombo Port City Project (CPCP). Foremost among these are:

(a) The water-shortage that would be created for the greater Colombo area

Colombo and its suburbs are already suffering from periodic water shortages resulting in water cuts during periods of drought. Uncontrolled urban growth has resulted in severe water shortages in many cities, among them Beijing, China. According to the Beijing Water Authority, the annual water consumption in the city was around 3.6 billion cubic metres in 2013. This works out to a per capita annual water availability of 120 cubic metres, much less than the UN absolute water scarcity threshold and a level that is less than some countries in the arid areas of the Middle East.

(b) Solid waste and Sewerage Problems

Colombo is already struggling to deal with its solid waste disposal problem and is saddled with a century old sewerage system that is bursting at its seams. Another addition to this by a sudden expansion of the urban area (presumably with lots of high-rise buildings) would probably ensure the collapse of the whole system, leaving Colombo drowning in its own waste.

(c) The drain on our electricity resources

As similar situation would arise in respect of the drain on our electricity resources Have the feasibility studies (if any) done on this project looked at the impact of the CPCP on our electricity supply and on how this would affect the projected demands of other sectors such as industry, services and the rural electrification programmes? This should of course be done without projections based on developing nuclear energy or exploitation of the natural gas reserves said to be present in the Mannar Bay, which sources would come on stream long after the critical shortages caused by the CPCP development have occurred.

(d) Increased Sea Erosion and depletion of the fishery resources North of

Colombo

The coastal area between Colombo and Maha Oya shows a net drift of sand northwards due to the strong littoral forces and inadequate amount of sediment coming in from the south. This has caused coastal erosion along the coast in this area and that effect could be aggravated with further reduction of the sediment load moving from the south due to obstruction caused by the CPCP. A case in point is the erosion caused in the Beruwela Bay and the coastline north of Maggona due to construction of the fisheries harbour at Beruwela. Furthermore, the fishery resource north of Colombo is also likely to be adversely affected due to the reduced inflow of nutrients from the rivers and the pollution from activities and effluents of the CPCP.

(e) Loss of Sovereignty

Ceding 108 hectares of the proposed new land area to China is a most unwise and possibly illegal step. Not only could this compromise Sri Lanka’s rights to its

Exclusive Economic Zone, but it will also mean that we expose ourselves to the consequences that may arise from use of this land for hostile acts against a friendly neighbour. Furthermore, the Chinese have agreed to finance the post filling construction only on their part of the land while Sri Lanka’s part is to be developed at Sri Lanka’s expense.

(f) Loss of Aesthetic Coastline

If the published plans of the CPCP are what we could expect at the end of the project, the aesthetic appearance of the coastline will be ruined. Why spend so much money to construct this monstrosity?

(g) Moral Pollution

Last, but not least, Sri Lanka will be exposed to the moral pollution and depravity that would accompany the casino and gambling activities that are said to be part of this plan. This is not the image that the Buddhists of this country (and equally the Christians and Moslems) would like to convey to the rest of the world. We certainly don’t want to end up like Macao. According to the China Daily, just last January, the nephew of Macao’s "Casino King", billionaire Stanley Ho and five other were arrested as suspects for running a prostitution smuggling ring.

Tax-Free Car Permit Abuse By MPs And Ministers Comes Before Supreme Court

May 14, 2015

In a Writ Application (SC/Writs/02/2015) field in the Supreme Court yesterday, by the Public Interest litigatorNagananda Kodituwakku petitioned to the Supreme Court that the ‘Tax-Free Permit Scheme’ introduced in good faith to grant tax-free permits to import vehicles free from fiscal levies, enabling MPs and the Cabinet of Ministers to use the vehicles to effectively discharge their office, has since been abused by them, exploiting the permits for unjust enrichment by selling the permits in the open market and defeating the very objective of issuance of such permits in the public interest.

Nagananda Kodituwakku

In the Petition filed in Court lawyer states that according to the said Schedule ‘A’ of the Customs Law (see the document 1 below), statutory levy on over 2500cc Diesel Motor vehicles classified under the HS Code 87033359 is 300% of the CIF value, whereas the statutory levy on a very small motor car of less than 1000cc, classified under HS Code 87032169 is 135% of the CIF value.

Producing Customs declarations to support his case, Lawyer Kodituwakku demonstrates how this system is abuse for unjust enrichment by the MPs and Ministers whilst exploiting poor taxpayers. Producing evidence (Cusdec No 4797 of 09th Feb 2015) (see the document 3 below) the lawyer demonstrates how for a small car (used 650cc Suzuki Alto Petrol car) Customs charge a levy of Rs 1,485,039.00, whilst luxury vehicles imported under permits are granted tax waivers. For instance Cusdec No 21781 dated 12th May 2015 (see the doc 2 below) produced to customs for the clearance of a Mitsubishi Montero Jeep, of over 2500 cc, Customs waives a levy of Rs.8,188,846.00, a fair share of which is syphoned by the permit holder, by selling the permit in the car market, a patent improper act done purely for unjust enrichment, denying the rightful revenue to the government.

Lawyer Kodituwakku states that he made a formal complaint in this regard to the Corruption Commission urging it to investigate this blatant abuse that falls well within Section 70 of the Bribery Act (causing loss to the government and/or profiting from abusing office) on 11th December 2014 and despite the said plausible complaint was made, the Commission failed to initiate any investigation into it. Instead the Lawyer says that he was informed by the Corruption Commission in its communication dated 04th March 2015 as follows;

“…The Conditions in the tax-free permits were decided as policy of the government. Therefore any loss caused to the government due to the implementation of such government policy will not fall within the scope of Section 70 of the Bribery Act. Accordingly, please note that the Commission will not take further action on your complaint …”

                                                 Read More

‘Judges undress on behalf of rogues’ conspiracy hatched at Kollupitiya..!

(Lanka-e-News- 14.May.2015, 5.30PM) Based on an undertaking given by the desperate defeated ex president Mahinda Rajapakse to  justice Ms. Eva Wanasundara that he will somehow form a new government in the future , and when that happens , Eva Wanasundara will be appointed as the chief justice, instant conspiracies are to be hatched to put in place a most strategic and crafty methodology so  that the pro Rajapakses shall be able to secure every advantage of court decisions unlawfully and unconstitutionally , according to a number of reports that are emerging.

This most secret urgent  conspiracy came to light following the meeting that was held  at the  business establishment of Ali Sabry PC on the night previous to the day Gotabaya’s FR (fundamental rights) petition was to be heard by the supreme court (SC)

On the 12 th  night previous to  the day on which the  FR petition was to be heard of Gotabaya Rajapakse filed to avert his arrest , the judges, Eva Wanasundara and Sarath Abrew who were to hear the petition had met(prostitution of official position )  with  ex president and held most secret discussions, based on reports  reaching Lanka e news inside information division. This secret discussion was held at the office of Ali Sabry in the premises of ‘Stone and String’ jewelry complex at Kollupitiya .

Eva Wanasundara had been summoned for the discussion by Kalinga Indratissa PC who was working with her in the Attorney general’s (AG’s) department earlier on, Lanka e news inside information division reports . These reports also further reveal that  Sarath Abrew  from Mt. Lavinia was brought to the venue of the discussion by Ajith Prassanna who calls himself a lawyer.

Ex president and  ex defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapkse were accompanied by Tiran Alles M.P.to the venue .

The broker who promoted  Romesh De Silva P.C as lawyer for Gotabaya in his FR case in the SC was Tiran Alles M.P.  Romesh De Silva has collected a sum of Rs. 6 million  as fee for his services to appear for Gotabaya in respect of his  FR petition; obtain permission for the  hearing of  the FR case ; and to avert the arrest of Gotabaya by the police based on reports.

This discussion was held with the participation of ex president Mahinda Rajapakse , ex defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse, SC judges Eva Wanasundara and Sarath Abrew ( never had judicature descended to this sordid level), Kalinga Indratissa P.C.,Ali Sabry P.C.,Ajith Prassanna  lawyer , S.C. registrar J. Jayasekera and Tiran Alles M.P..

In a most unscrupulous move (mind you with the participation of judges of the so called exalted independent judiciary ! ), the SC judges Eva Wanasundara and Sarath Abrew , PCs Kalinga Indratissa , Ali Sabry , lawyer Ajith Prassanna  and  SC registrar Ms.J. Jayasekera have sworn before ex Mahinda Rajapakse that they would stoop to any illegal dubious and devious activity to extricate the Rajapakses via the courts  from all their criminal involvements while also sabotaging the moves  of the government of good  governance.

The media’s assistance to justify the wrongful decisions of the courts favoring Mahinda Rajapakse faction is  also to be enlisted and towards this an extensive mechanism is to be put in place. 

The assistance of Television channels , Derana , Swarnavahini, Sirasa; newspapers Mawbima , Rivira,Divaina ; other channels Neth FM, Singha FM, Lak FM, V FM, can also be secured with consummate ease , it was revealed at these most sinister and sordid discussions  

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by     (2015-05-14 12:10:57)

Ranil guns for Gota

Friday, 15 May 2015

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• PM to seek advice from Commonwealth regarding SC’s order preventing arrest of Former Defence Secy.
• Says he got to know of SC order only via media; suggests onus on SC to keep Cabinet informed

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva attending the National Summit on Media Reforms, held yesterday at the Foundation Institute in Colombo - Pic by Shantha Ratnayake 

By Jayashika Padmasiri
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, reacting to the news that former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa obtained an interim order from the Supreme Court yesterday, said that he could not comment on the case until October and the only thing left to do was seek the advice of the Commonwealth.   

Wickremesinghe made these remarks at the National Summit on Media Reforms held in Colombo yesterday. He also explained that he was made a respondent in Rajapaksa’s case, which will only be taken up in October.

“Since President Sirisena is the Commonwealth Chairman now, the only solution left is to seek the advice of the Commonwealth Judges’ Union, lawyers and other relevant people of the Commonwealth regarding this situation. By no means am I questioning Gotabaya’s right to file a Fundamental Rights case, but I’m only questioning the fact that neither I nor the Cabinet can answer regarding this situation until October,” Wickremesinghe pointed out. 

The Prime Minister also noted that ideally the Supreme Court should inform the Cabinet, instead, he only found out about its decision through yesterday’s newspapers. 

He also stated that if he had been given notice by the Court then he could have at least come forward and explained his side of the story since in the petition Rajapaksa had stated that they were conducting a political witch hunt against him. 

“The problem that I have is that I cannot speak about this case till October. And the President is saying that by September there will be a new Government with new Cabinet members after the forthcoming general election. My issue is how can that Cabinet be responsible for the 2015 Cabinet? I hope that my seeking help from the Commonwealth will not be interpreted as foreign interference in the country,” Wickremesinghe said.

- See more at: http://www.ft.lk/article/420829/Ranil-guns-for-Gota#sthash.0fCBkRvu.dpuf

Inside Story: Ranil, AG’s Dept Buckled Gota’s Case

May 15, 2015

Serious concerns have been raised with regard to the conduct of the Attorney Generals’ department which resulted in Gotabaya Rajapaksa being granted a wide ranging interim relief, preventing his arrest from ‘any state officer’.

PM Ranil Wickramasinghe,Minister of Public Order John Amaratunga and former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa | File photo

The case is set for objections by the state on July 17th and the next hearing is set for October 6th. However, no date has been given for counter objections by the Petitioner Rajapaksa. Under usual circumstances “final determination” of a Fundamental Rights Petition takes a minimum of two years due to procedural lags in the system.

Earlier the Colombo Telegraph reported that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was instrumental in preventing the arrestof Rajapaksa.

The actions of the AG’s department looked blatantly politicised during the regime of ‘de-politicisation’ and good governance, with the premier and the AG’s department acting hand in glove in order to protect the political interests of the latter.

The bench hearing the Petition seemed to have been ‘fixed’ with Sarath De Abrew whose conduct had been continuously questioned to the extent that there were no cases assigned to him for a long period while he was a Judge of the Court of Appeal, was a member of the bench.

Both Abrew and Eva Wanasundera the former Attorney General have been staunch supporters of the previous regime, with the only seemingly neutral judge Buwaneka Aluwihare opting to recuse himself from the bench.

Manouevirng the benches of the higher courts is a widespread practice among practitioners in Hulftsdorp, with instructing Attorneys and the registry of the higher courts playing a ‘behind the scenes’ role in ensuring that a case is called before a preferred bench, the Colombo Telegraph learns.Read More

… and now ‘ judges undress on behalf of rogues’ Eva and Sarath stoop so low to save Medamulana rogue Gota – justice at nadir !

(Lanka-e-News- 13.May.2015, 11.55PM) The obnoxious practice  of defeated rejected  ex president Mahinda Rajapakse of politicizing the judiciary  , and appointment  of his political stooges who would give judgments in favor of Mahinda Rajapkse and his family is still devastating the country’s lofty judicial Institutions and traditions in this Democratic republic of Sri Lanka (SL) . The egregious evils of this  legacy was clearly demonstrated  today by  the controversial and reprehensible decision taken by the Supreme court (SC) in regard to the fundamental rights petition filed by Gotabaya Rajapakse.

The SC today conducted itself most derogatorily to forestall the imminent arrest of Gotabaya Rajapakse the ex defense secretary and brother of ex president Mahinda Rajapakse when  it took up the   fundamental rights (FR)  petition filed by Gotabaya Rajapakse .That is, the SC  granted leave without any legal foundation or legality  for  the FR petition to be heard amidst a maelstrom of controversy .

When Buvaneka Aluvihara was the solicitor general in the attorney general’s department before he was appointed to the SC, in   the trial  in the case against Gen. Fonseka it was Aluvihara who appeared against the general to serve the vindictive goals of Gotabaya, at the latter’s behest. Incidentally , the decision taken today by Aluvihara to withdraw himself from hearing the petition of Gotabaya was to save his skin amidst  the grave prejudices against him among the people . By his withdrawal today from the case , he indicated he is  no longer prepared to stoop to do the sordid biddings of the villainous brutal Rajapakses who are   now a  byword for  corruption and lawlessness. 

The Financial crimes division investigation division (FCID) of the CID was established by the government of good governance based on a policy decision with the sole and whole aim of rescuing the country and the people from the monumental frauds and corruption that raged under the previous Medamulana regime involving colossal misappropriation of public funds and properties, and to enforce the law most expeditiously against the crooks and culprits who under the previous regime enjoyed complete impunity, and therefore unhesitatingly continued with their corrupt and criminal activities without let or hindrance , whereby   the country was plunged into economic doom and gloom on a scale never before witnessed in the country ‘s history.

The president Maithripala Sirisena therefore in his election manifesto indicated the indispensable necessity to establish such a crime investigation division , and after his election he created this  FCID duly and lawfully in conformity with the powers vested in the IGP. The creation of the FCID was an integral part of the  main  policies of the government .In  the constitution chapter 6, this is incorporated in the main manifesto  of the government  to be implemented as a fundamental right in section 27 (1) . Moreover therein it is stated , the responsibility when this is being implemented shall be borne by the  Parliament ,president and the cabinet in the main

In the circumstances , when the government’s main policies are being implemented , under the constitution neither the SC nor any other can hinder or interfere with  that process legally.

When the law is very lucid on this , the SC has given a perverted decision hindering the government’s policy implementation and subverting the goals of the government aimed at the common good of the country- riddance of rogues and traitors . Hence , it is the consensus among all that the interim injunction order barring the arrest of Gotabaya delivered  by the SC is to serve the Rajapakse family’s illegal and sordid agendas and objectives.

The best testimony for this is , when the petition was taken up for hearing , the 41 respondents named in the petition were not noticed to be present in court .

Meanwhile the conduct of the  SC  and its decision that followed  have come in for heavy flak of the legal luminaries and senior lawyers. Based on most reliable sources , the AG’s department is making moves to make a special appeal and subject the controversial dubious decision of the SC for a review  given the outrageous miscarriage of justice.

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by     (2015-05-14 04:28:53)

PNB detects another heroin haul 

By Madura Ranwala-May 12, 2015

Acting on a tip-off the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB) on Sunday night and yesterday took into custody 8.5 kilos of heroin with a street value of more than Rs. 80 million.

Eight parcels containing over one kilo of heroin each had been smuggled into the country by sea from India at Toduwawa in the Marawila police area. The mastermind of the drug trafficking who is said to be having a number of heroin cases in Indian and Sri Lankan courts, has been identified and he is yet to be arrested.

Along with the drug haul, two suspects were arrested and they are being grilled by the PNB on a seven-day detention order.

Addressing the media at the Police Headquarters, Police Spokesman Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Ruwan Gunasekara, said yesterday that the police had been able to recover the stock of heroin before it was distributed due to public assistance.

 The drug haul was found hidden inside some wild bushes by the beach.

Explaining the raid ASP Gunasekara said that the suspects had smuggled the narcotics in boats from India, transferred it to Sri Lankan vessels on the high seas and thereafter used a yacht to bring it ashore.

 "The mastermind of the operation is wanted by both India and Sri Lanka to stand trial," he said.

 The ASP said that the police had detected over 20 kilos of heroin so far this year amounting to over Rs. 200 million and prosecuted more than 9,000 suspects.

 About 3,063 kilos of cannabis had also been taken into custody along with18,767 persons this year alone, he said.

 The heroin price had increased dramatically due to scarcity, ASP Gunasekara said.

Father’s theft has become an agony for Vasudewa

Thursday, 14 May 2015

In 1958 a retail business premises named “Vasu Brothers” situated in Dangedara Galle was owned by a leftist who always appears for the rights of the southerners and a political actor Vasudewa Nanayakkara’s

father Francis Nanayakkara. Close to that a wholesale and a retail business premises named “Ashirwadan Pille” which was quite famous in Galle was owned by a Tamil person named Asirwadan Pille a resident of Jaffna who came to Galle and started his business. 

During the 1958 riots when the troubles increased this Tamil businessmen has closed his business and given all his properties, lorry’s, vans and other goods to the owner if “Vasu Brothers” that is Vasudewa Nanayakkara’s father Francis Nanayakkara and left to India seeking protection to his life and family. Francis Nanayakkara too has accepted to look after his assets involuntarily. 

When the ethnic riots ended after a year Ashirwadan Pille has come back to Sri Lanka and tried to meet this Francis Nanayakkara but could not meet the latter. Ashiwadan Pille has thought about his assets and with greatest difficulty he has met Vasu’s father. Francis Nanayakkara has told that all his lorry’s and vans were set ablaze during the riots and nothing is left to give him. What has actually happened is Vasu’s father has sold all the lorry’s and vans for a lower price and acquired the money. Ashiwadan PIlle who was deprived due to the cheating of Vasu’s father has left Galle and gone to Colombo and lived there. 

Recently when Ashirwadan’s nephew met Vasudewa he has narrated this story which was 57 years old. Vasudewa who got vexed vehemently and denied the allegation and told the person “Are you sent by the present Good Governance? If you would have come before I know what I willdo”

Weliamuna Inquiry Costs Three Supreme Court Judges’ Combined Annual Salaries

May 14, 2015

“The money spent for Sri Lankan airlines is very large. If we are looking at it comparatively, it will come to more than the salaries of three Supreme Court Judges for an entire year.” a judge told Colombo Telegraph.

The first government-commissioned inquiry into the previous government’s corruption and malpractices, the Weliamuna inquiry has cost taxpayers Rs 3.5 million.

Weliamuna

“What is the exact use for which this amount of money was spent? It is just a report as a propaganda exercise. From what I can see after reading this so called committee report or Weliamuna report, it merely repeats a lot of what had already been said. Nothing flows in law from it. To do anything from the legal viewpoint which will pass the test of the law, criminal investigations need to done all over again, using state funds again. The government must stop engaging in these trivial and political exercises. This is quite apart from Weliamuna or whoever who had agreed to engage in these inquiries. This sum of money is very large. If we are looking at it comparatively, it will come to more than the combined salaries of three Supreme Court judges for an entire year. What is the character of the work done by them and what is the kind of work done here? Also I do not agree about this talk that, as a professional, it is justified that he is paid such a big sum of money. He is supposed to be a human rights lawyer, right? Then he must be known as just another lawyer doing work for big bucks, like these commercial lawyers” said the Judge, who requested anonymity.

The judge also said “a SC judge’s monthly salary is Rs. 130,000 and this so called investigation costs 3 SC judges annual salaries.”

As reported, Weliamuna speaking to Colombo Telegraph confirmed that he along with his team comprising three other members U.H. Palihakkara, B.A.W. Abeywardane and M.K. Bandara were paid Rs 3.5 million. At that time Colombo Telegraph did request for a breakdown from the chairman of Transparency International Sri Lanka, Weliamuna but he was not in a position to do so. A subsequent email was sent to him seeking this information. Weliamuna has not responded to that question as yet. We asked Weliamuna once again and requested him to furnish at least the amount he did receive as his fee but he is yet to respond to that question as well.                                                    Read More                          

I was offered bribe to cover up ‘Avant-Garde’ issue – Rajitha

May 14, 2015 

Cabinet Spokesperson, Minister Rajitha Senaratne claims that he was offered a bribe of Rs 20 million per month in order to cover up the ‘Avant-Garde’ issue.

Speaking at post Cabinet media briefing in Colombo today, the Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine stated that the individuals who attempted to bribe him earn a monthly income of around Rs 250 million.

Refusing to divulge any names, Dr. Senaratne alleged that because the attempt to bribe him had failed they had spread a story accusing his son of detaining an underage girl.

He further said that the bribe had been extended through one of his friends and that he did not disclose the incident because of that friend. The minister says that he is in the possession of an audio tape proving the attempted bribe.

Responding to a question regarding yesterday’s court order preventing former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s arrest, Dr. Senaratne said that the decision proves the independence of the judiciary.

“Back in the day, these things changed with one call from the President,” he remarked.    

Apriya (Anura Priyadarshana Yapa) caught red handed!

Thursday, 14 May 2015

SLFP general secretary, former petroleum minister Anura Priyadarshaya Yapa (Apriya) is in hot water after the FCID revealed a wrongdoing committed by him during the last presidential election, reports say.

He had obtained foodstuff worth millions of rupees from Lak Sathosa, purportedly to be distributed among voters. It was after several reminders that he had settled the bill. Investigating the incident, the FCID found out that the Petroleum Corporation had made the payment. Apriya is using his political powers and evading FCID officers, who want to question him, reports say.

A holocaust on the horizon

Last updated: Tuesday, May 05, 2015 4:31 PM

Tariq A. Al-Maeena

There are signs of a new holocaust, one in the 21st century that is happening in Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma.  If the flood that is fueling this impending holocaust is not arrested now, it will soon materialize into a full-scale slaughter and there will then be no looking back.  It concerns the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar who for the most part have been ignored by the rest of the Muslim world.

Researchers from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum recently stated that “conditions in Myanmar are ripe for genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority and the treatment of Rohingya Muslims could be the prelude to genocide.”  The staff from the Washington museum’s Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide visited the southeast Asian nation in March and carried out a detailed inspection of the areas to which the Rohingya have been confined.  They were there to examine the settings and circumstances of the Rohingya Muslim minority in a primarily Buddhist country and the threats that they were being subjected to.   The visit was prompted by disturbing signs of an impending and calculated ethnic cleansing operation.

During their visit, they went to internment camps not unlike those of the Nazis during World War II and witnessed first-hand how the Rohingya have been herded and shepherded into “cordoned-off ghettos, separated from their Buddhist neighbors.”

They concluded that the Rohingya are “the target of rampant hate speech, the denial of citizenship, and restrictions on the freedom of movement. These and a host of other human rights violations have put this population at grave risk for additional mass atrocities and even genocide.”

The team of researchers in a statement said: “We saw first-hand the Rohingya’s physical segregation, which has resulted in a modern form of apartheid, and the devastating impact that official policies of persecution are having on them. When asked what the Myanmar government wants to do with them, one Rohingya advocate replied, ‘They want us all to go away.’”  The team left Myanmar with a heavy heart, “deeply concerned that so many preconditions for genocide are already in place. But there is still an opportunity to prevent this devastating outcome.”

Myanmar has been the site of several outbreaks of religious tension in recent years, most notably violence between Muslims and Buddhists in western Rakhine state that left tens of thousands homeless, and the intensity of violence has forced hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya to flee to neighboring countries only to find themselves prisoners in refugee camps.  The country’s parliament recently began a debate on two controversial interfaith bills that critics say could escalate into an explosive conflict between religious groups in the country.

The increasing violence with the state’s complicit acquiescence in encouraging Buddhist terrorism against minorities prompted David Saperstein, US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, to state that Myanmar was facing a serious challenge regarding the equality of non-Buddhists in the country.

Ambassador Saperstein during a recent visit to the country said that “religious minorities face obstacles and challenges not imposed on the country’s Buddhist majority. In the area of religious freedom, of religious tensions, of minority religions not having equal rights with the overwhelming Buddhist community, there are serious challenges facing the country.”

He added that “there have sometimes been attacks on minority religious communities and the government has not acted forcefully - or as quickly as it could have done - to try to put an end to them. Where the government has intervened in such cases, as they have done recently since the new government took office, it has really made a difference.”

The US diplomat met with government officials and representatives of religious groups and made clear his country’s intolerance of the conditions imposed on the Rohingya and other minorities.  But one senior Christian pastor from the Kachin Baptist Church, said he was not optimistic. “In this country, we could never hope that our Christians and Muslims and other minority groups can spread their own faith to the people,” he said.

For the sake of humanity, the authorities in Myanmar must be brought to their senses even if it requires forceful means to do so.  Can we in the future hold our heads high knowing we silently stood by when this most recent of holocausts occurred?
 

— The author can be reached at talmaeena@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @talmaeena

GREATEST THREAT TO FREE SPEECH COMES NOT FROM TERRORISM, BUT FROM THOSE CLAIMING TO FIGHT IT

BY GLENN GREENWALD -@ggreenwald

We learned recently from Paris that the Western world is deeply and passionately committed to free expression and ready to march and fight against attempts to suppress it. That’s a really good thing, since there are all sorts of severe suppression efforts underway in the West — perpetrated not by The Terrorists but by the western politicians claiming to fight them.

One of the most alarming examples comes, not at all surprisingly, from the U.K. government, which is currently agitating for new counter-terrorism powers “including plans for extremism disruption orders designed to restrict those trying to radicalize young people.” Here are the powers which the British Freedom Fighters and Democracy Protectors are seeking:

They would include a ban on broadcasting and a requirement to submit to the police in advance any proposed publication on the web and social media or in print. The bill will also contain plans for banning orders for extremist organisations which seek to undermine democracy or use hate speech in public places, but it will fall short of banning on the grounds of provoking hatred.

It will also contain new powers to close premises including mosques where extremists seek to influence others. The powers of the Charity Commission to root out charities that misappropriate funds towards extremism and terrorism will also be strengthened.

In essence, advocating any ideas or working for any political outcomes regarded by British politicians as “extremist” will not only be a crime, but can be physically banned in advance. Basking in his election victory, Prime Minister David Cameron unleashed this Orwellian decree to explain why new Thought Police powers are needed: “For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens ‘as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone.'” It’s not enough for British subjects merely to “obey the law”; they must refrain from believing in or expressing ideas which Her Majesty’s Government dislikes.

If all that sounds menacing, tyrannical and even fascist to you — and really, how could it not? “extremism disruption orders” — you should really watch this video of Tory Home Secretary Theresa May try to justify the bill in an interview on BBC this morning. When pressed on what “extremism” means – specifically, when something crosses the line from legitimate disagreement into criminal “extremism” – she evades the question completely, instead repeatedly invoking creepy slogans about the need to stop those who seek to “undermine Our British Values” and, instead, ensure “we are together as one society, One Nation” (I personally believe this was all more lyrical in its original German). Click here to watch the video and see the face of Western authoritarianism, advocating powers in the name of Freedom that are its very antithesis.

Threats to free speech can come from lots of places. But right now, the greatest threat by far in the West to ideals of free expression is coming not from radical Muslims, but from the very Western governments claiming to fight them. The increasingly unhinged, Cheney-sounding governments of the UK, Australia, France, New Zealand and Canada — joining the U.S. — have a seemingly insatiable desire to curb freedoms in the name of protecting them: prosecuting people for Facebook postings critical of Western militarism or selling “radical” cable channels, imprisoning peoplefor “radical” tweets, banning websites containing ideas they dislike,seeking (and obtaining) new powers of surveillance and detention for those people (usually though not exclusively Muslim citizens) who hold and espouse views deemed by these governments to be “radical.”

Anticipating Prime Minister Cameron’s new “anti-extremist” bill (to be unveiled in the “Queen’s Speech”), University of Bath Professor Bill Durodiésaid that “the window for free speech has now been firmly shut just a few months after so many political leaders walked in supposed solidarity for murdered cartoonists in France.” Actually, there has long been a broad, sustained assault in the West on core political liberties — specifically due process, free speech and free assembly — perpetrated not by “radical Muslims” but by those who endlessly claim to fight them. Sadly, and tellingly, none of that has triggered parades or marches or widespread condemnation by Western journalists and pundits. But for those who truly believe in principles of free expression — as opposed to pretending to when it allows one to bash the Other Tribe — these are the assaults that need marches and protests.

Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images