From Residents to Rangers: Local Communities Take Lead on Mangrove Conservation in Sri Lanka

Young mangrove plants tended by women beneficiaries from the Small Fishers Federation of Lanka have helped the Puttalam Lagoon regain some of its lost natural glory. The success of the programme has prompted the government to support an island-wide project worth 3.4 million dollars. Credit: Amantha Perera/IPS

By Amantha Perera-Friday, June 19, 2015

KALPITIYA, Sri Lanka, Jun 17 2015 (IPS) - Weekends and public holidays are deadly for one of Sri Lanka’s most delicate ecosystems – that is when the island’s 8,815 hectares of mangroves come under threat.

With public officials, forest rangers and NGO workers on holiday, no one is around to enforce conservation laws designed to protect these endangered zones. Except the locals, that is.

From Residents to Rangers Local Communities Take Lead on Mangrove Conservation in Sri Lanka by Thavam Ratna

Cogent evidence available to arrest former minister Johnston , Navy Commander Karannagoda , Gotabaya : AG in deep slumber -shame !

(Lanka-e-News- 18.June2015, 11.30PM) It has been rendered impossible to duly arrest the criminals involved in the murders and conspiracies committed  directly on the orders of the Rajapakse regime which raised  storms of controversy in the country ,  because the Attorney general’s (AG) department is inordinately delaying the issue of   instructions for months on end, even after the investigations have been completed , based on information reaching Lanka e news inside information division.

Among those liable for arrest are the following suspects :

* Ex defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse in connection with murder of Raviraj M.P.
* Ex navy commander Vasantha Karannagoda in connection with murder of Tamil youths
* Ex minister of trade, Johnston Fernando in connection with the assassination bid on Mahinda Rajapakse.

Lanka e news posted a report on 25 th May in this connection :
‘It is because of the lapses in the AG’s department the arrest of Gota and Karannagoda have been delayed in connection with the murder of Raviraj M.P. Scotland yard report has not arrived .The accused  to  be produced in court next month –AG’s department ‘

With this exposure  , a responsible chief of the AG’s department  stated , AG’s advice will be proffered  before the end of June (this month) , and arrangements will be made for the arrest of the suspects. Now , even when  only another two weeks are remaining for moth of June to end, the AG’s department is still not only keeping silent , but even not taking legal steps to arrest these suspects . Moreover , the arrests of other suspects  who were involved in many heinous crimes too  are  being postponed .Even giving legal instructions in that direction are being held back.
Hereunder are some of the criminal investigations that are obstructed from making arrests and filing legal action because of  AG’s neglect and delay.

28 Tamil youths  disappear after being  abducted in the east, to collect extortion monies .

In connection with the abduction of 6 youths there was  evidence confirming the crimes, and the relevant files were sent to the AG three months ago. Yet , the AG is delaying the issue of instructions  to arrest the suspects directly involved , namely D.K.P.Dasanayake of the Navy and ex navy commander Vasantha Karannagoda ,as well as ex defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse on whose  orders  the crimes were committed as revealed via the  oral statements made by the other  suspects.

Murder of Raviraj M.P.  

A police officer implicated in this murder was arrested and remanded. However the arrest of other suspects based on his evidence is being dilly dallied because of the lethargy at the AG’s department which has still not issued its instructions. Meanwhile the Rajapakse  regime which served as a haven for all crooks, heroin dealers and murderers  during its reign is continuously threatening the suspect  constable in  remand custody , as well as offering inducements (bribes) to force him to change his evidence . It is being gravely doubted whether the AG’s department is  resorting to procrastination until the regime succeeds in its criminal attempts  to amend the evidence.

Arrest of Johnston Fernando in the assassination bid on deposed president Mahinda Rajapakse 

This is a most  intriguing case. While there are  so many unsolved crimes of the previous regime, accusations were  mounted against Johnston Fernando for an attempted assassination bid on  the crime perpetrator himself. Mind you Fernando is another villain who took refuge under the Rajapakses  who harbored all the crooks and criminals. Instead of punishing the accused ,after suppressing the crime  he is being blackmailed to use him to commit their own crimes through such blackmailing .This is a queer multiple crime involvement .

When Mahinda Rajapakse was the president ,two suicide bombers were  enlisted on the advice of Kapil Amman the deputy leader of the LTTE intelligence division to murder Mahinda. The names of these  two suicide bombers were Sivarajasingam Subash  and Linton Chandrashan , and they were monitored by Rajesh from abroad.

The investigators of the crime are in possession of the recordings of the telephone discussions Rajesh had with Johnston to secure the latter’s assistance. Rajesh at that time had promised a sum of Rs. 50 million to Johnston for the latter’s services  towards the murder of Mahinda. Out of this , a sum of Rs. 10 million was given to Johnston Fernando while he was inside his car in the vicinity of Bo tree junction Pettah . Johnston had undertaken the responsibility to transport the two suicide  bombers to close proximity of ex president Mahinda Rajapakse .These discussions were held at No. 16 , Gregory’s road, Colombo 07. There is copious information in connection with this conspiracy , and cogent ,concrete incontrovertible evidence to prove the assassination bid.

All these details were not uncovered after the government of good governance came into power . These were details furnished to court under B report  H /4765/ 2009 in 2009. Thereafter the details were forwarded under ref. F /45210 to Mohan Peiris the AG at that time, seeking his advice to arrest Johnston Fernando. 

What Rajapakse regime did was , after halting the investigations through Mohan Peiris, began using Johnston to speak and act against the UNP by blackmailing him all the while pointing out his criminal incrimination. These manipulations  were worse than those resorted to by Mafia groups. This Rajapakse Mafia criminalities even surpassed those of the Mafia organizations in Italy ,Japan and Romania.

Mohan Peris, though he occupied the lofty position of AG ,  was secretly a member of the ‘Rajapakse Mafia.’ This  file then went missing with Mohan Peiris doing the needful from behind the scene . Unfortunately for Peiris  ,the investigators of the crime had most secretly kept back the original copy with them . 

When the new government took over the reins , this file was sent to the department of the new AG ,Yuvanjana  Sadly ,this file is now languishing there for 3 months  with no advice being proffered and no attention paid  to it.

Of course Johnston is a notorious rogue alright who robbed the Sathosa goods during day time while  the mice in his Sathosa were  gnawing  at the commodities in the night. But there is a more serious crime he has committed than all others of his, that is his involvement in the assassination bid of the  president of the country. The pertinent question therefore is  : who is obstructing his arrest when he is charged with the heinous crime of conspiracy to murder the president?

Editor's Note :
If the AG is faced with a short supply of human resources , that is lawyers , Lanka e news is ready to provide him with lawyers of SL who are serving in advanced countries in the world. If his need is 50 of them we can provide him with the full complement. If he is ‘broke’ , even then we have a solution , for the lawyers who we are suggesting, no  remuneration  need be paid. They are prepared  to work for one month free on a voluntary basis.  They are only  anxious to put their motherland on the right track ,unlike  the Rajapakse regime den of crooks and culprits  who are determined to put it on the wrong track. Lank e news also wishes to inform the AG that we have with us always  a community of Sinhala , Tamil and Muslim patriotic lawyers  who are ready to offer their services.

---------------------------
by     (2015-06-19 00:51:58)

Anti Muslim Sentiment In Sri Lanka: Hate Incidents – January To April 2015

June 19, 2015 

The outcome of the presidential election of January 2015 created expectations of change, hope and reform among considerable sections of Sri Lankan society. For Muslim communities, who played a pivotal role in the election, the change in Government was willed into being in part due to the insecurity and violence suffered by Muslims particularly in the South of the country over the last two years. As indicated by the compilation of incidents carried out by the Secretariat for Muslims (SFM) from 2013 onwards, Muslims faced a hate campaign that has resulted in violence and tension, including damages to mosques and private properties, harassment and injuries to individuals and even deaths. This campaign that was carried out through a variety of methods, including direct violence, demonstrations, speeches, social media and the mainstream media had multiple impacts not just for Muslim communities but the country at large, raising serious concerns relating to the equality before the law, the lack of law enforcement, impunity and national identity. Above all it questioned the commitment of the then Government to both arrest the violence and perpetrators of the hate campaign such as the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), and deal with the underlying culture of hate. The hate campaign played a significant role in mobilizing the Muslim community, including many of the Muslim members in Parliament, to vote for Maithripala Sirisena, in the expectation that his Government would bring about positive change. The election of January 8^th created a palpable sense of security for the Muslims, especially in flashpoint areas which had seen violence in past months and had become the focus of Sinhala Buddhist extremist groups.

Over the last four months the Government has made a number of symbolic gestures and statements as to how this new Government differentiates itself from its predecessor, not just with regards to the hate campaign but also the ethnic conflict. President Sirisena has made repeated pledges and requests for a shift in the politics of this country, including at the SLFP convention on March 17 where he stated that the SLFP was “not a Sinhala Buddhist party” and for its members not to engage in racist politics. While the Government has yet to announce frameworks for addressing critical post-war issues, it has acknowledged the need for reconciliation. At the Independence Day celebrations, the President pointed out that “the biggest challenge we face today, is that of bringing together the minds of the people of the North and South, and through a process of reconciliation bring about co-existence and national understanding.”[1]            Read More    

Destination Sri Lanka

The road ahead: Infrastructure is a key area of investment

With newfound peace and a stable leadership, the island nation offers lucrative business opportunities to Indian firms

RESHMI KHURANA

June 18, 2015:  

Even after the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war in 2009, the island nation remained an international outsider, with the then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa not enjoying the best of relations with the West and India. Under Rajapaksa’s regime, India-Sri Lanka relations were strained due to issues such as Sri Lanka’s inaction to accord equal rights to the Tamil minority and the country’s growing proximity to China.

With the recent election of Maithripala Sirisena as Sri Lanka’s new president, the question arises whether Lanka will politically realign itself, and how that will impact the potential for Indian investments into the country.

The absence of major violent events during or after the presidential election and the smooth transition of power from Rajapaksa to the new president demonstrate that Sri Lanka has matured into a functioning and inclusive democracy, notwithstanding the wars of the past. The fact that that a long-standing, dominant politician could not take victory for granted and was voted out in a democratic process — and in fact, conceded defeat ahead of a full tally of votes — reflects the country’s political maturity.

It is widely believed that the new government is unlikely to overturn the major economic policy decisions of the previous government because it supports foreign and domestic investment that the country requires to accelerate growth.

While the previous government had a definite tilt towards China in terms of awarding government contracts, the new government is expected to be more open to do business with India and other western countries in order to balance Sri Lanka’s external relations. India stands to benefit significantly with the change, primarily due to the proximity and existence of important trade agreements between the two countries.

That said, the government still needs to pass important legislations such as free trade agreements, and policies on key sectors such as mining and tourism to accelerate the investment cycle. The parliamentary polls due later this year will determine the strength of the Sirisena government to pass these Bills in parliament. Sri Lanka will need a majority government to deliver on the expectations that have been set.

Three waves and after

In its report on trade between India and Sri Lanka, published in 2014, the Asian Development Bank identifies three main waves of Indian investment into Sri Lanka. The first wave was in 1977 when Sri Lanka opened up its economy and Indian companies such as Ashok Leyland established manufacturing facilities in the country for domestic consumption.

The second wave was in the mid-1990s when Indian investments in steel, cement and paint flowed into Sri Lanka. The third wave was after the implementation of a free trade agreement between the two countries in 2000, which attracted large Indian corporations such as Bharat Petroleum, ICICI Bank, Bharti Airtel and Apollo Hospitals into the island nation.

The investment momentum slowed down after 2008, mainly a result of deteriorating Indian relations with Sri Lanka over the war and large strategic Chinese investments into Sri Lankan government projects.

This year may very well be the fourth wave of investment from Indian companies, with the new governments in both countries hoping for a fresh start. The countries signed key agreements during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka early this year. India extended $318 million of line of credit to Sri Lanka to upgrade its existing railway network. The 400-km railway line linking Colombo and Jaffna was completed in October 2014, with Indian financial assistance, and the project was executed by Indian Railways arms.

The central banks of India and Sri Lanka agreed to enter a currency swap agreement of $1.5 billion, to provide stability to the Lankan currency and promote trade between the two countries. As a result, Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange reserves increased by $400 million in April 2015.

Changing trade

Traditionally, trade between India and Sri Lanka has been an unequal one, with imports from India outnumbering the exports into India. However, this trend has been slowly changing, with increased exports of high value products from Sri Lanka to India, such as insulated wires.

Despite its complexities, Sri Lanka presents several opportunities for investors — with its stable democracy, improving infrastructure and a peaceful environment. One of the best indicators of Sri Lanka’s potential is the rapid growth achieved in the infrastructure sector, where large investments have spurred consistent growth in the past three to four years.

Indian engineering and infrastructure firms can expect to get more work given the ambitious construction plans for the countrywide railway and road network. The post-war investment drive is likely to continue as it was welcomed across provinces, but the government’s client base could shift from China to include countries such as Japan and India.

Sirisena’s political history seems largely free of allegations of corruption, which undoubtedly lent credibility to his campaign.

It was recently reported in the media that Sirisena would review the $1.5-billion Colombo Port project by China Communications Construction Company and has blocked the $400-million casino project of Australia’s Crown Resorts Limited, both projects which were signed during Rajapaksa’s administration.

There are risks too

According to local sources, corruption in Lanka may be less rampant in the lower levels of government compared to the higher levels. This view seems to be supported by the 2010 and 2013 Corruption Perception Index reports of Transparency International, which noted public sector corruption in Sri Lanka is somewhat less compared to other South Asian countries in the region.

Still, conducting business in Lanka can be complex with overlapping issues such as lack of transparency, opaque disclosure norms, unstable regulations and a strong nexus between politicians and businesses that impacts business dynamics at every stage.

Expect business friendly policies, but the local environment will continue to influence the way business is actually conducted on the ground. For example, investors still need to protect themselves against the opaque nature of corporate disclosures and evolving standards of corporate governance.

They need to be careful about whom they are partnering with and must understand the various consequences of their relationships, especially with respect to any potential political witch-hunting, which is a peculiar feature in Sri Lanka.

It also remains to be seen what the new government will do with respect to investor unfriendly laws such as a 2011 Underperforming Enterprises and Underutilized Assets Act (UEUAA), which gives complete powers to the government to take over any business deemed to be underperforming. This was used by the previous government to expropriate many private businesses.

The writer is the managing director of risk solutions firm Kroll India

(This article was published on June 18, 2015)

Sri Lanka: The Bring Back Mahinda Campaign – Analysis

Sri Lanka's Mahinda Rajapaksa, File photo.

By Dr. S. I. Keethaponcalan-June 18, 2015

Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa was defeated by the incumbent Maithripala Sirisena fair and square in the January 2015 presidential election. Yet, Rajapaksa is not convinced that he has lost the election because he still retains overwhelming support within the Sinhala community. Therefore, instead of retiring from active politics and enjoying his retirement benefits, he continue to be in a state of semi-retirement. Now, he seems to be coming out of the semi-retirement and engaging in active politics. A couple of days back he declared that he will continue to fight for his people, even if he is thrown into jail.

Sri Lanka The Bring Back Mahinda Campaign – Analysis.odt by Thavam Ratna

For Whom Are Electoral Reforms Sans Voters?

By Harishke Samaranayake –June 19, 2015

Harishke Samaranayake

There was a political necessity in society over a long time to have decent electoral reforms effected. Necessity was to strengthen people’s representation in an improved parliamentary democracy. That required the whole electoral system to be clean and devoid of corruption. That in turn required political parties to be democratic, corruption free and accountable to the people. We therefore wish to note that electoral reforms brought to straighten the tail of the system as proposed in the 20th amendment will not meet the aspirations of the people in establishing a democratic change.

Though easy, it is a total lie to dump all evil of this electoral system on the “preference vote”. We are very clear that fusing the old first past the post system with proportional representation is not going to clean up the system. If the electoral system can be turned decent with such change, then the Indian parliament must be one with exceptionally decent personalities. In the present Indian parliament 186 of the elected MPs have criminal charges against them. The problem in India is also the untold and unspoken relationship between businessmen and black money launderers with political parties and politicians. This cannot be plugged for good by reforms aimed at one end of the system. Let us make this unhesitatingly clear here. Unless electoral reforms bring in legal conditions to have political parties open their election funds to the people and candidates publicly declare their campaign budgets, future elections will elect loads of corrupt representatives to the parliaments as at present.

These reforms that were reported as having now been adopted by the cabinet of ministers after months of haggling are nothing more than arithmetical jargon that never was the outcome of a democratic process. They were conspiratorially restricted to political parties represented in parliament and to some of their lackeys. The proposal to increase the number of MPs in parliament to a number above 225 is therefore not one that serves people. Those who now travel with the government on its footboard, those who avoid this issue, leans on the argument that increased numbers help better women and youth representation.

Read More

Towards a ‘prime ministerial’ election

Editorial-June 18, 2015, 7:28 pm 

SLFPers were elated at the outcome of a party heavyweights’ meeting on Tuesday; President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a committee to settle the acrimonious dispute over former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s efforts to be the UPFA prime ministerial candidate at the next general election. Their euphoria was short-lived. No sooner had President Sirisena appointed the reconcilliation committee than he let his position known to the SLFP rebels that former President Rajapaksa would not get the UPFA ticket to contest. Those who are trying to persuade Sirisena and Rajapaksa to smoke the peace pipe are engaged in a Sisyphean task. Never the twain shall meet!

President Sirisena is all out to queer Rajapaksa’s pitch for two reasons. He detests the Rajapaksa clan which harassed him; he also cannot act independently of those who enabled him to realise his presidential dream. They are determined to prevent Rajapaksa from clawing his way up through the political rubble and Sirisena cannot disappoint them. He does not want another problem to contend with.

It is now clear that Rajapaksa will go ahead with his plan to field his own team at the next general election. The enemy camp that engineered his defeat at the last presidential election is now divided. President Sirisena will be without the backing of the UNP, the TNA, the SLMC and most of the civil society organisations that stood by him in the presidential contest.

President Sirisena’s problem will be to steer the UPFA to victory, which will require the SLFP to defeat both Wickremesinghe and Rajapaksa. Else, he will be blamed for bringing about the UPFA’s downfall. He will also have to ensure the re-election of the SLFP MPs who sided with him in the presidential race vis-à-vis a hostile campaign against them within the party.

Some government heavyweights have accused President Sirisena of delaying the parliamentary election to ruin the UNP’s chances of winning. But, a delay in dissolving Parliament is advantageous to his bête noire, Rajapaksa, who is cashing in on prevailing political uncertainty. Thus, if the President has resorted to delaying tactics as his critics claim, what he gains on the swings he will lose on the roundabouts.

It is being argued in some quarters that if Rajapaksa contests a general election and fails to be PM he will fall between two stools; he will lose privileges and facilities he is now entitled to as a former president. This is a worrisome proposition for any former Head of State. So, some political observers think he might try to overcome this problem by opting for a National List slot and urging the people to give his team a clear majority if they want him as PM. But, Rajapaksa is a risk taker and his elusive mind is difficult to read.

In a three-cornered contest, the probability of Parliament being hung is higher. The realignment of political forces is likely to happen the way it did after the Jan. 08 election with the UNP and the SLFP having to opt for a political marriage of convenience. But, what if they fail to bag enough seats between them to form a government with the UPFA rebels led by Rajapaksa holding the balance of power or if Rajapaksa’s team emerges stronger than the SLFP numerically in the race? These possibilities cannot be ruled out. Both politics and cricket are characterised by glorious uncertainties though they are poles apart—the latter is played by gentlemen and the former mostly by rogues.

We have had seven presidential elections so far, but it is for the first time that we are going to have a ‘prime ministerial’ election as it were. Wickremesinghe succeeded in avoiding Rajapaksa in two electoral contests in 2010 and 2015. But, the upcoming general election will be a contest between the duo for the post of Prime Minster.

Incompetence taking center stage in driving the Sri Lankan Economy

Friday, 19 June 2015

When Ranil Wickramasinge took over as the Prime Minister much was expected from the person. People had credited him often for his willingness to ensure good governance and technocracy. His achievements on the economic and political fronts in the last six months have been a disaster for Sri Lanka.

 Eran Wickramarathne should have been the right choice for finance ministerial post. Having been a trained economist from LSE and a CEO of a Bank. He would have taken the country on the right course. His other choice Arjuna Mahendran the Central bank governor despite all the baggage he brought with him was appointed governor, what a disaster that appointment has been for the President?

No public official has got so ridiculed in such a short time. He continues regardless. All the government advisors seen in the economic forums are people of the past who as a recent article pointed have come out of retirement to run a government . What a way to run a government, when the world is running at lightening speed and the world has gone upside down with the emergence of a new world driven by technology and science. Surely cant this government get better people from within the country? The President recently ended at a wrong meeting? The results are obvious. The country is in chaos; no investment is taking place due to the uncertainty and the frequent changes in policy at the will of a few people. The outdated super gains tax is thankfully buried by the opposition for good. The government for six months has borrowed Rs 378 Billion in foreign loans. Some of these loans have been borrowed at over 6% percent, way beyond market rates. The infamous Mahendran bond has distorted the interest rates.

We have lost our reserves foolishly defending the Rupee, when the entire country knows it is not sustainable. Very Low interest rates have driven up unnecessary imports resulting in the Lankan import bill going up due to unnecessary consumption. The port city project that was stopped for corruption is now set go again according to newspapers. Government Minister Rajan Ramanayake is accusing his own colleagues about taking money from people accused of corruption to sweep their cases under the carpet and for project approvals. Who are these people? They should be exposed to ensure a level playing field to do business in the country. What is the Minister in charge of the Police doing to bring to book the white-collar criminals of the past regime? So far it has been only a witch-hunt as far as the average voter is concerned, for most of them life has not got better! The President (needs to act as the President) and Prime Minister ( usher in Yahapalanaya with in his ranks) needs to live up to the public expectation, if not they have only themselves to blame at the general election.

What The Present And Future Generations Need To Learn

Studies in international relations take the student back to liberal thinkers and provides a liberal education which is founded on reason and articulation. This inevitably leads to the power of articulation.  The world continues to lay down its policy, whether global, regional or national through written material. 

by Dr. Ruwantissa Abeyratne

“When diplomacy ends, War begins”~ Adolf Hitler

( June 19, 2015, Montreal, Sri Lanka Guardian) When McGill University where I teach the subject Air Law and Policy to  graduate students asked me last week what an enrolling student should have read prior to applying to pursue a new masters programme in aviation studies that the university was hoping to introduce, I did not hesitate in my response  that an applicant must have read international relations and politics.  My response would have been the same with regard to the requirement for the pursuit of graduate studies in any commercial subject or the study of economics or politics.

In the Preface to my latest book titled Competition Laws in Air Transport currently being finalised with the publisher, I make the point that competition in air transport is integrally connected to and impacted by various drivers such as environment and climate change, foreign trade and investment,  economic growth of nations, liberalization and the enhancement of national security which are in turn affected by globalization – a phenomenon which  opened trade barriers through politics and diplomacy.  When one looks at the story of nations both powerful and influential, it becomes evident that they did not become so merely through  their resources or  intellectual talent.  A particular example is the richest and most powerful nation – The United States – which achieved its status through a relentlessly intellectual approach to the rest of the world.

Charles King, a professor at Georgetown University,  in his article “The Decline of International Studies” published in  the latest issue of Foreign Affairs (July/August 2015) says: “The rise of the United States as a global power  was the product of more than merely economic and military advantages.  Where the country was truly hegemonic was in its unmatched knowledge of the hidden interior of other nations: their languages and cultures, their histories and political systems, their local economies and human geographies.  Through programs such as Title VIII, the U.S. government created a remarkable community of minutemen of the mind: scholars, graduate students, and undergraduates who possessed the linguistic skills, historical sensitivity and sheer intellectual curiosity to peer deeply into foreign societies.  Policymakers sometimes learned to listen to them, and not infrequently, these scholars even became policymakers themselves”.

As King concludes, international studies enable the student to see how complicated things could get in politics, diplomacy and international commerce and trade.  It trains  the student to foresee unintended consequences and provides the maturity to harmoniously blend ambition with reality while encouraging intellectual curiosity.  In an age where we are drowning  in information but starving for ways and means to use that information with wisdom and maturity, exposure to international studies and the way the world functions could be essential to a burgeoning  mind. As E. O. Wilson said: “The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices wisely.

Studies in international relations take the student back to liberal thinkers and provides a liberal education which is founded on reason and articulation. This inevitably leads to the power of articulation.  The world continues to lay down its policy, whether global, regional or national through written material.  As such, clear and unequivocal writing is still the preeminent tool of communication.  Fareed Zakaria, in his book In Defence of a Liberal Education  says: ” If you hear someone extol the virtues of a liberal education, you will probably hear him or her say that “it teaches you how to think”.  I am sure that’s true.  But for me, the central virtue of a liberal education is that it teaches you how to write, and writing makes you think.  Whatever you do in life, the ability to write clearly, cleanly, and reasonably quickly will prove to be an invaluable skill”.

International relations and international politics teaches leadership, and how world leaders spoke and wrote using diplomatic language.  It teaches negotiation skills which are useful in any discipline or profession.   I find that, in my own professional persuasion both as an international civil servant and a member of the legal profession serving the international community, statecraft and its nuances have not only given me insight and maturity but they have also provided me with a sense of purpose, direction and a sense of self worth in understanding how countries work and how their decisions impact other countries including my own.  I could unhesitatingly transfer the application of these benefits  to a businessman, politician or any other professional who inevitably has to negotiate through life.

This essay by no means claims that literacy, numeracy and technology should play second fiddle to international studies. Rather, it argues that any learned profession would be enriched by an enduring knowledge and appreciation of how the world works and thinks.  The study of leadership is an inherent characteristic of international studies which enhances both character and integrity.  It widens one’s perspective and enables one to connect the dots of the story of humanity.

When all is said and done, a grounding in international studies is the only intellectual asset that would help one in assisting his or her country in the  pursuit of the  most cherished human asset – peace.  As George Washington said in his farewell  address  “The Nation, which indulges towards another an habitual hatred, or an habitual fondness, is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest. … The Nation, prompted by ill-will and resentment, sometimes impels to war the Government, contrary to the best calculations of policy. The Government sometimes participates in the national propensity, and adopts through passion what reason would reject; at other times, it makes the animosity of the nation subservient to projects of hostility instigated by pride, ambition, and other sinister and pernicious motives. The peace often, sometimes perhaps the liberty, of Nations has been the victim.”

The current and future generations could prevent such a cataclysm.

Contradictory reports on Matale mass grave site

2015-06-19
The report of the Analytic Archaeological Laboratory in Florida in USA on Matale mass grave site was not acceptable and that it contradicted the earlier reports of Prof. Raj Somaduwa and the former JMO of the Matale Hospital, Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watawala informed the Matale Magistrate today. 

Watawala watching the interests of the aggrieved parties submitted that the reports were contradictory when the magisterial inquiry into the suspected mass grave in the Matale District Hospital ground was taken up by Matale Magistrate and Additional District Judge Sampath Gamage. 

He pointed out that the report of the US laboratory had determined the chronology of the skeletal remains found in the mass grave as of the pre-1940 period. 

The CID informed Court that the laboratory reports on the mass grave had been referred to the Attorney General and moved for a date to submit that report. 

The magistrate who considered the CIDF’s request postponed the case for July 24, 2015. 

Representing the aggrieved party, General Secretary of the JVP Tylvin Silva was present in Court. 

Attorneys-at-Law Sunil Watawala, Samantha Herath, and H.M.Sarath Wijeratne watched the interests of the aggrieved party. 

56 garment factory workers hospitalised

June 19, 2015

At least 56 workers at a garment factory in the Katunayake Investment Promotion Zone were hospitalised today with symptoms of food poisoning.

The workers had fallen ill after consuming food provided by their place of employment this morning.

Thirty factory workers were admitted to the Ragama Teaching Hospital while the other 26 were admitted to the Minuwangoda Hospital.

Katunayake Police is conducting an investigation into the incident.

The Wildly Different Ways One Senator Responds To Terrorism: Boston Versus Charleston

BY JUDD LEGUM POSTED ON JUNE 18, 2015

In response to the Boston bombing of 2013, Senator Lindsey Graham demanded that the government do everything it could to learn from the attack and prevent future attacks.

This man, in my view, should be designated as a potential enemy combatant and we should be allowed to question him for intelligence gathering purposes to find out about future attacks and terrorist organizations that may exist that he has knowledge of, and that evidence cannot be used against him in trial. That evidence is used to protect us as a nation.

Many people took issue with Graham’s claim that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is a U.S. citizen, could be designated as an enemy combatant. But Graham’s conviction that the attack was part of a more systemic problem, based on Tsarnaev’s Muslim faith, was unmistakable. Tsarnaev’s attack killed three people and injured over 250.

Graham’s reaction to Wednesday’s attack on a black church in his home state of South Carolina was very different. (His niece, coincidentally, went to school with the shooter). Graham is adamant that the attack is not evidence of any larger problem.

Graham, who is on his way to Charleston, said his niece did not recall Roof making any statements that were related to race.

“I just think he was one of these whacked out kids. I don’t think it’s anything broader than that,” Graham said. “It’s about a young man who is obviously twisted.”

We already know that the suspect, Dylann Roof, favored white supremacist symbols. Before murdering 9 members of an African-American church, Roof allegedly said “You rape our women and are taking over our country and you have to go.” Terrorism from white supremacist groups is a growing threat in the United States. A 2009 report by the Department of Homeland Security warned of “lone wolf” terrorists and found “[h]eightened interest in legislation for tighter firearms…may be invigorating rightwing extremist activity, specifically the white supremacist and militia movements.” The report was subjected to harsh criticism from Congressional Republicans.

Graham, while eager to tackle Islamic extremism, appears much less focused on terrorism motivated by white supremacy, even in his home state.