Peace for the World

Peace for the World
First democratic leader of Justice the Godfather of the Sri Lankan Tamil Struggle: Honourable Samuel James Veluppillai Chelvanayakam

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Obama gives searing speech on race in eulogy for Charleston pastor

President speaks of ‘systemic oppression’ and leads congregation in singing of Amazing Grace at funeral for state senator and reverend Clementa Pinckney

Obama led the congregation in a rendition of Amazing Grace during his eulogy for Rev Clementa Pinckney. Link to video

 in Charleston, South Carolina-Friday 26 June 2015

Wrapping his words in the cloak of a church sermon, deploying the inflections and oratorical rhythms of a pastor, Barack Obama delivered one of his most searing speeches on modern race relations in America at a funeral service in Charleston on Friday.

Thai junta forces cancellation of HRW event in Bangkok

Sunai Phasuk, left, Human Rights Watch’s senior researcher in Asia, and Umesh Pandey, a board member of Foreign Correspondents of Thailand, right, talk to policemen at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand in Bangkok, Thailand Friday. Pic: AP.Sunai Phasuk, left, Human Rights Watch’s senior researcher in Asia, and Umesh Pandey, a board member of Foreign Correspondents of Thailand, right, talk to policemen at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand in Bangkok, Thailand Friday. Pic: AP.
By  Jun 26, 2015 
Thai authorities have forced a human rights group to cancel the launch of its report on the Vietnamese government’s persecution of an ethnic minority.
The 33-page report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) describes persecution of Montagnard Christians in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, whose religious practices have been described by the government as “evil.”
Thai police said in a statement Friday the scheduled event at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) could impact national security or the relations between Thailand and Vietnam.
The FCCT said it received a written order from the Royal Thai Police to cancel the event at 10.34am Friday. The report launch was scheduled to take place at 10.30am.
“From the perspective of the FCCT, it was a routine press event and part of any normally functioning media environment… The release of reports with no particular connection to Thailand, such as the one on the Vietnam’s Montagnards cancelled today, reflects the significant foreign media presence in Thailand covering Southeast Asia, nothing more,” the FCCT statement said.
HRW also issued a statement Friday, saying it was “disappointed” that the Thai government forced the cancellation of the event.
“By stepping in to defend a neighboring state’s human rights violations against a group of its people and interrupting a scheduled press conference, Thailand’s military junta is violating freedom of assembly and demonstrating its contempt for freedom of the press,” it said.
“This action today is just the latest indication that Thailand is choosing to side with dictatorships in ASEAN while further stepping up repression at home.”
Human Rights Watch researcher Sunai Phasuk said the intervention will damage Thailand’s already tarnished international reputation under the military rule.
Thai authorities have cracked down on critics and dissents since last May’s coup.
Friday’s press conference was the third event in one month that has been cancelled at the venue.
On Thursday, HRW issued a report at the FCCT that sharply criticized Thailand’s treatment of the Burmese Moken ethnic minority.
The full HRW report on the plight of the Montagnard Christians in Vietnam can bedownloaded here.
Additional reporting from Associated Press

100,000 tonnes of meat, some of it 40 years old, seized in China during smuggling crackdown

Some of the illegally smuggled meat was 40 years old, and could have been sold to consumers if it wasn't seized by customs officials

The IndependentDOUG BOLTON-Wednesday 24 June 2015

Chinese officials have seized more than 100,000 tonnes of smuggled meat, some of which is more than 40 years old, in a major nationwide crackdown.

The vast quantities of chicken, beef and pork, worth more than £300 million in total, were seized across the country in anoperation aimed at weakening the smuggling industry.

China's General Administration of customs said that 14 different gangs had been busted in the nationwide raids, China Daily reported.

Meat smugglers make their money by purchasing meat at verylow prices in foreign countries and illegally shipping it to China where it can be sold at higher prices.

However, the unregulated and illegal nature of the smuggling means that the frozen meat can thaw and be re-frozen multiple times during its journey to China, posing a serious health risk to consumers.

However, even this meat would seem relatively fresh compared to the goods that were seized in Guangxi, a province that borders Vietnam, where officials apparently found meat that was more than 40 years old.

One customs officials working in Hunan told China Dailyabout his experiences of the raid involving the 'zombie meat'.

"The products fully filled an entire compartment," he said. "It was smelly, and I nearly threw up when I opened the door."
READ MORE: CHINA IS BUILING FAKE ISLANDS
CHINESE POLICE SEIZE MILLIONS OF FAKE CONDOMS
CHINESE PANDA FAKES PREGNANCY FOR TREATS
It is the latest in a long line of food safety scandals that have come out of China in recent years.

The most notable was the 2008 milk scandal, in which 54,000 babies were hospitalised after drinking formula milk that was adulterated with a harmful chemical, melamine.

More recently, Shanghai Husi Food Co Ltd was found to be selling expired meat to Japanese branches of international chains such as Starbucks, Burger King and McDonalds.

Why You Should Stop Drinking Bottled Water Right Now?

Healing, Body, Mind and Soul
Jun 20, 2015
There are numerous reasons to stop drinking bottled waters. The writer of this article would like to bring to your notice and enumerate a few of the same. On a personal note, I have quit drinking bottled water for a while now and I shall provide you with enough reasons to quit as well.
In the year 2014 there was a huge scandal with regard to Nestlé CEO since they continued to bottle water at their factory in a neighborhood where many people had no water to drink due to wells drying up. In addition to that the CEO showed no remorse at doing the same. Instead, he stated that he would bottle more and more bottles of water if he had the resources to stating that Americans couldn’t do without them.
stop bottled water
The people all around the world being aggravated by the response of the CEO began to spread this news via all forms of social media such as facebook, twitter, instagram, etc. requesting the people of the world to boycott the same.
However, the point of this article does not focus on banning bottled water solely because of the drought in California. Neither it is the point of this article that we should ban bottled water because nestle is capitalizing on in and depriving fishes and other organisms of the water they deserve.
The main and the most important reason for you to boycott bottled water is to improve the quality of life led by most people of the world. The basic idea behind the same is that all people should have access to clean and safe drinking water. The fact that you are boycotting bottled water also implies that you stand strongly for all people irrespective of their economic status should have access to drinking water and it is only through the process of boycotting the same that you would be pressuring the governments in different parts of the world to make clean and safe drinking water available to the public.
From the time of civilization, providing clean and safe drinking water to all homes have been one of the biggest priorities. Engineers, scientists, and technicians all of whom contribute to providing water to our houses have acted as our infrastructural protector and development machinery. It is always best for all humans to drink water that is provided to us at our homes. It is not only safe and beneficial for you on a personal note but it is also a method by which you are protecting the availability of water in the world in the future.
Most companies that pack water earn such high profits that fail to bother about the ill effects on the use of bottled water on the availability of water in the future. They fail to understand the fact that the ultimate result of the long terms effect of climatic changes on the availability of water would fall on them as well. They befool customers to buy bottled waters since drinking water is any day better than drinking coke, pepsi, soda or any other aerated beverage. Moreover, they sell their bottled water for a price which ranges from are 240 to 10,000 times more than the price that you pay for tap water.
When you drink only the water supplied to you at home you are indirectly conserving natural resources by making full use of the municipal system of distribution of water to public which cleans the water in your local water system providing safe and clean drinking water to the public.
However, if you continue drinking bottled water you would be supporting the companies that bottle water most of whom need not reveal any information regarding how its endeavors to sustainability use water, pay the minimum ages to the workers in order to provide you with the bottled water for which they charge amazingly high prices.
This article is not based on the premise that our current water system is perfect and needs no up gradation. We do admit that lack of and ill maintenance of drinking fountains is one area in which the municipality needs to work on. There are several cases in which many schools, universities, work places have stopped providing clean drinking water to the public since they found repairing of old pipes to be an excessive expense. The people working and studying at these places were forced to purchase water.
One needs to make everyone aware of the fact that it is always beneficial both for the individual and the environment if the person consumes drinking water provided at home. Los Angeles for the first time celebrated its Tap Water Day in the year 2014 as a mark of appreciating and building more water drinking stations.
Though encouraging humans to use water provided by the municipality is a great leap towards making people aware of the benefits of the same. However, one cannot end its awareness program to the municipality level. One needs to think of the humankind as a whole. We need to be aware of the fact that more than ten precent of the world’s population have no access to safe drinking water. Many countries in the world face ground water contamination problems and issues. Instead of catering to our selfish needs one should instead focus on permanent methods of providing water to every person on this planet.
Boycotting bottled water also implies that you are thinking about long-term preservation of water. One may fail to realize the fact that though you may think that the earth has plenty of water but you must be aware of the truth that is the drinkable water on earth has been reducing at a drastic rate. On the contrary, the bottled water industry has been the fastest growing industry on earth. One needs to always remember the fact that it takes three bottles of water to produce a single bottle of bottled water.
Here are some genuine doubts and concerns that people have which the writer has solved exhaustively.
Some people do not like the taste of tap water.
Filtering the tap water you drink can easily solve the above stated problem. Filters are widely available in the market. Not only are they reasonable, but they are also available in attractive shapes and colours. Some refrigerators have inbuilt filters.
Some people like sparkling water.
If you like only sparkling water you can always purchase and consume a Soda Stream.
In case you don’t want to purchase a soda steam.
You always have the option of build your own.
Is drinking water from big jugs provided in offices ok?
It’s ok to drink water from big jugs provided in offices as long as the office has a pipe line though which the municipality provides water to the office. If not, no.
Is plastic the primary issue with this regard?
The chemicals that are the contents of plastic bottles are extremely harmful when heated. Moreover, only one out of three plastic bottles are recycled by the US while the rest is disposed off polluting the environment.
What about other beverages packed in plastic bottles?
The answer remains the same. It takes more than 3 bottles of water to produce a bottle of aerated beverage. Moreover, the harmful effect of plastic bottle remains.
What is one suppose to do in case of emergencies?
You may opt to purchase cans of water
Can people die as a result of bacteria in tap water?
This may happen at times since there exists flaws in everything so there could be a flaw in the bacteria tap water. However, most of the waste pipes all over the world especially in USA are well tested and well maintained and there may be little or no chances for the same to happen.
From an individual’s perspective, isn’t bottled water good since it is filtered?
Tap water is healthier than bottled water considering it contains fluorine. The deficiency of fluorine in human body causes toothache and.
Is it possible to do away with the use of bottled water?
You may have thought and asked the same question regarding plastic bags 10 years from today. However, as you may be aware of the fact that plastic today is banned in most countries of the world. The only lesson you can learn from the same is that if you actually try to do away with bottled water you may be able to do the same. Even if we are not able to boycott plastic bottled water totally one’s efforts can drastically reduce the amount of it’s production and usage.
What other bottles can one use?
We have made a list for this as well.
Source: www.gizmodo.com

Friday, June 26, 2015

Sri Lankan government covering up link between abductions, Navy, and former defence secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa - TNA
26 June 2015
The Tamil National Alliance has accused the Sri Lankan government of attempting to cover up increasing evidence linking abductions with former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaska and the Sri Lankan Navy.

Speaking to journalists in Jaffna, TNA spokesperson and MP, Suresh Premachandran said that an international inquiry would be the sole means by which to discover the truth behind abductions and disappearances in Sri Lanka.

Mr Premachandran said the current government were attempting to cover-up concrete evidence linking the navy and Gotabhaya with abductions, including reports of over 700 imprisoned in a camp known as 'Gota camp' in Trincomalee's naval base.

The government, Mr Premachandran said, addressed the issue long enough only to deny that any such camps presently existed.

Mr Premachandran remarked as follows:

"A Missing Persons Commission report has revealed that twenty thousand people have gone missing. According to this report, neither the previous government nor the new government have to this day revealed what happened to these missing persons."

"Have these missing persons been killed? Or have they been hidden? We still do not know."

"Those that have compiled reports on missing persons have put forward much evidence. Details have been released regarding the date, the place, the military personnel within the vicinity of disappearances or where people were abducted and by whom."

"Furthermore relatives have given testimonies about when and where missing persons presented themselves to the army."

"However no-one related to these incidents has been found or released."

"The Tamil National Alliance pointed out in Parliament that we had reliable reports that over 700 people were held as prisoners in the Trincomalee naval base known as Gota Camp."

"We also questioned what had happened to over 35 families that had been detained in small houses."

"Other than replying that there are no longer any such camps, this government did not delve any further into the matter."

"The government is attempting to close this matter by simply stating that there is no longer such thing as the Gota camp."

"Intelligence officials have revealed in court that naval troops, under the direct command of former naval chief Vasantha Kannangara, were responsible for the kidnapping of 5 students in Colombo and 11 in areas like Wattala and Gampaha and that they extracted millions in ransom from these kidnappings."

"There it is probable that not only in Trincomalee, but in Colombo's naval bases and many other places, people would have been kidnapped for ransom but many others would have been murdered."

"The Gota camp which we mentioned was in Trincomalee's naval base. An investigation involving the former defence secretary and navy chiefs, must take place into the wherabouts of the more than 700 that were imprisoned there. The truth must be discovered from these investigations."

"These truths will only be revealed if the government enables reliable investigations, with international weighting, into secret camps like the Gota camp."

"However the Sri Lankan government is only carrying out actions to cover up everything. This is unacceptable."
Up-country Tamils: The Forgotten 4.2%

Screen Shot 2015-06-11 at 2.33.19 AM
Published on June 10, 2015 by Centre for Policy 
Centre for Policy AlternativesSri Lanka has long been synonymous with fine tea; with a plantation history dating back to 1862 to an export value estimated to reach US$ 2,500 million this year, the humble beverage is the island’s pride across the globe. Accounting for nearly 14% of the country’s total export earnings, it is among the nation’s most valuable and prized produce.
However, history has and might continue to overlook the most important cogs in the large machine that is the tea industry of Sri Lanka; the people without whose tireless labour this process would grind to a screeching halt – the workers on the tea estates. Descendants of South Indian labourers first sent here in the 19th and 20th centuries to work in the first British plantations, the ‘up-country Tamils’ or ‘Indian Tamils’ constitute 4.2% of the Sri Lankan population.
The Centre for Policy Alternatives has worked with local government on gazettes and policies to develop estate roads, provide addresses to these communities and to furnish several individuals with identity cards. Information and anecdotes gathered during a field study carried out during the months of March and April in estates across the Central and Uva provinces are now presented in a new immersive photo story, accessible here.
The content is also embedded below.

Mandana to get the Sunday Leader editorial post in a new form from next week !

mandana 
Friday, 26 June 2015
The new team which has taken over the “Sunday Leader” which was about to closed its operation is planning to publish the newspaper in a new outlook. After the gruesome murder of its founder editor Lasantha Wicramathunga by the Rajapaksa regime and chasing Manda Ismail Abeywicrama who worked with him as a team is supposed to take over the newspaper on the 29th of this month.
Mandana Ismail who called Lanka News Web from Sri Lanka confirmed us that she is going to take over the chief editor post. She told us before taking over the job she would visit the grave of Lasantha Wicramathunga and pay a respect and take over the job.
The management of “IRUDINA” is also making arrangements to publish the newspaper in a new form by appointing Ravi Rathnavel as its acting editor. The current editor of Irudina Jatila Wellabada is to be appointed as the editor for its daily publication. However under the editorial of Mandana English daily named “Daily Leader” is also to be started.

An open letter to President Maithripala 

Sirisena

Dear Mr. President, -2015-06-26
If my memory serves me correct, it was June 26, 1996 at Polonnaruwa Rajakeeya Vidyalaya’s anniversary educational exhibition where Prof. G. L. Peiris, a high profile cabinet minister of that regime was the Chief Guest. I went there to cover the event for the Daily News. The speech you made there - the then Mahaweli Minister - would never fade from my mind.

Kumarasinghe Sirisena brother of Maithri in London to pocket IDD revenue -Kumarasinghe –Lalith –Wegapitiya troika illicit deals exposed


LEN logo(Lanka-e-News- 25.June.2015, 3.25PM) Kumarasinghe Sirisena , who holds the post of chairman of Sri Lanka (SL ) Telecom and Mobitel , the younger brother of the incumbent president Maithripala Sirisena traveled all the way to London recently to manipulate a deal to divert  the revenue in  billions of rupees from foreign calls into his widely gaping pockets, what   ought to come into the coffers of the government of SL. Lanka e news London office is in receipt of information that he was in London to ensure the  success of this conspiracy. 
This illicit business termed ‘Call termination’ operates via  international calls which are deceptively treated as national  calls. That is the higher  revenue that ought to be received by the  Telecom and Mobitel Co. is fraudulently limited to national call revenue . The resulting difference in the revenue straight goes to line the pockets of president’s brother , Kumarasinghe Sirisena.
Kumarasinghe had discussions regarding this traitorous deal while in London with a SL Tamil national businessman owning a prominent mobile phone chain , who is well known for marketing  international calls at very cheap rates, serving as a ‘terminal’  of the call termination racket.
Interestingly , Kumarasinghe visited London along with his son on a private tour. No sooner he arrived than he was taken by another plane to London where he was met by Lalith De Silva , an ex CEO (chief executive officer) of the Telecom Co. , a most notorious crook of the Rajapakse era who became famous for his most infamous corrupt nature. It is this notorious traitorous villain who acted as the intermediary for the transactions with the Tamil national . Like birds of a feather flock together these rogues got together with assiduous ardor.
Lalith De Silva was one among the many notorious crooks who addressed rallies from the stage of Mahinda Rajapakse during the last presidential elections. After the advent of the government of good governance he was sent out from his post with great difficulty. Now , president Maithripala’s brother had made this crook his closest  aide to put through the shady deals. Kumarasinghe has also taken every possible measure to make Lalith as his advisor at Mobitel. 
After the clandestine discussions with the Tamil national, aforementioned, Kumarasinghe and Lalith have flown direct to China from London on Saturday (13). This is to discuss the next nefarious deal- how to plunder via  the equipment purchases  the SL telecom and Mobitel Co. are going to make from the Huawei Co. in China.
The other businessman who was associated with Kumarasinghe Sirisena was another notorious racketeer Wegapitiya . Kumarasinghe has appointed him to  the board of directors of Mobitel . Now the two of them are ready to pocket  another  massive sum from the Rs. 200 million generator import deal. Unfortunately for this crooked duo , the director finance of the Co. is opposed to this generator tender being awarded to a Co. that enables the duo to collect their illicit commissions.The duo are so infuriated over it that  Wegapitiya had via  sms messages threatened the director finance with death.
 
Wegapitiya has in a fit of rage threatened the Mobitel Co. high officials that if he takes his sword out he never puts it back into the case without shedding blood , and if he takes his revolver out he does not put it back without firing. Wegapitiya is therefore by hook or by crook trying to award the tender to a  Co. from which he and his pal Kumarasinghe, the two wheeler dealers  can collect their illicit commissions.
To make matters worse , the daughter of Gagan Bulathsinghala who was made the air force commander recently despite clear , cogent and copious evidence against him substantiating his corrupt and criminal activities, is going to marry the son of this Wegapitiya. The need to make Bulathsinghala the air force commander was most paramount for Wegapitiya and none else.This is not for  any other reason but to further facilitate illicit deals and rackets . There are rumors afloat already that Gagan’s first and most enthusiastic move  after becoming the commander is to purchase a fighter aircraft for SL even when there is no war in the country – his motive in the backdrop of his putrid antecedence is  therefore obvious.  
Kumarasinghe Sirisena during the tenure of the  last Rajapakse regime was engaged in cutting trees . After the elder brother became the president , Kumarasinghe became the Mobitel Co. chairman by force after compelling the president’s secretary Abeykoon to write a letter appointing him as the chairman even before the cabinet was appointed.(LeN reported on this sordid episode earlier on).
Let us warn ,Lanka e news is intently watching and following the culpable and criminal moves of Kumarasinghe Sirisena the younger brother of the incumbent president Maithripala Sirisena, for the government of good governance of the latter came into power  after defeating Basils and  Gotabayas the crooked and criminal younger brothers of Mahinda Rajapakse , and on solemn promises to the people that bribery , corruption and crimes would be stamped out . Of course we know without any trace of doubt that president Maithripala never resorted to vices, or  vile activities of any sort , let alone plunder of national wealth. 
We are in possession of the file relating to illicit felling of trees by Kumarasinghe Sirisena , which was suppressed, while we are also aware that though Kumarasinghe is a brother of the president , he is not from the womb of the same mother .
We are curiously watching how the elder brother Maithripala Sirisena is going to speak of  good governance for the benefit of the country while his younger brother Kumarasinghe Sirisena is gobbling up illicit commissions in millions under the very nose of his elder brother to the country’s detriment
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by     (2015-06-25 10:02:53)

Statement by LTTE Leader Pulithevan’s Wife at UNHRC 29, Side Event

Side event on 25 June hrc 29
( Ms Kurunchi – Member of Liberation Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Civil Administration and wife of LTTE Chief Peace Secretariat in the middle, image © S.Deshapriya)
Sri Lanka Brief25/06/2015 
I am the wife of Pulithevan who was the peace secretariat for the LTTE. He surrendered alongside other political leaders and Tamil civilians and was killed by security forces. Previosuly My husband took part in several rounds of peacetalks held in Europe from 2002-2006 and worked strenuously to broker peace.
During the final stages of the war he was communicating with the international community to update them on the situation of civilian casualties in the No Fire Zone.
On May 16 2009, we moved to our final destination in the No Fire Zone of Mullivaikal. My husband, who was the LTTE peace secretariat, Pulithevan, asked me to surrender with Tamil civilians into government hands because I was ill. He said he would stay with LTTE Political wing leader Nadesan.
On May 17 2009, I crossed Vatuwal bridge into the military controlled areas. Before I left Pulithevan speaking to international community through satellite phones to discuss a surrender mechanism.
Pilidevan's wife making her statement at the side event
Pilidevan’s wife making her statement at the side event

I stayed in the Chetikulam internment camp for a month after the end of the war.
I was not aware of what happened outside of the camp.
When I left the camp after 1 month, I came to know that my husband Pulithevan along with other cadres and injured civilians had walked into the military controlled area holding a white flag and was killed.
I don’t know why they were killed after they agreed a surrender. We do not know who placed the order for their killing or how they were killed.
After informing the highest level authorities in Sri Lanka and people in the international community, I want to know why those people who surrendered were killed. I urge the international community to give justice for thousands of people like me.
– Courtesy Tamil Gaurdian

LTTE and Tamil lunatic fringe anti-Muslim racism


article_image
By Izeth Hussain-

This article is really an addendum to my three-part article on Tamil lunatic fringe anti-Muslim racism in The Island of April 28, May 2 and May 9. I feel impelled to write this article because the political context has changed radically since I wrote the last one. At that time the LTTE was seen by me and practically everyone else as the rump LTTE, just a vestigial presence without much bite and vigour to it. We were mistaken. It has become clear that for quite some time there has been a resurgent LTTE without the limiting epithet of rump, an LTTE with plenty of bite and vigour to it, though it may not be identical with the pre-2009 LTTE. Consequently I now have to reassess Tamil lunatic fringe anti-Muslim racism taking count of the LTTE.