White van robbers flee with filling station safe

2015-08-31

A filling station in Keppetipola area has been robbed this morning. The robbers – who arrived in a white Dolphin van - have fled with the strongbox of the filling station. The safe contained Rs 10 lakhs, Police said.

No arrest has been made in connection with the robbery yet, nor have the Police identified the thieves.

Further investigations are being conducted by the Rambukkana police.

Mahinds trying to contest for the Beliatta Municipal Council election

Aug 31, 2015

National freedom Front report confirms that Mahinda Rajapaksa is trying to contest the coming local government election coming in March next year through another alliance.

Mahinda who have completed the goodwill will with the SLFP is reported trying to form an alliance with the other parties of the UPFA and contest for the coming election under his leadership. Wimal Weerawansa has taken the leadership of building the alliance.

 

The election would take place for 335 local government bodies and the majority powers of those local bodies were obtained by the UPFA. 301 local bodies administration has now come to an end.

 

However majority representatives who tried to rise up with Mahinda Rajapaksa belong to this group. This group is strongly urging Mahinda Rajapaksa to contest the election by forming another party.

Bangkok blast latest: Police seek 2 new suspects

A sketch of an unidentified man, left, and a photo of Thai national Wanna Suansun, right. Both are being sought by Thai police in connection with the Bangkok bombing. Pics: AP.

By AP News Aug 31, 2015

Thai police say they are seeking two new suspects — a Thai woman and a foreign man of unknown nationality — in the widening investigation into Bangkok’s deadly bombing two weeks ago.

The police released a photo of the woman’s Thai identification card and a sketch of the man in a televised announcement Monday.

The Aug. 17 bombing of the Erawan Shrine in central Bangkok left 20 people dead and more than 120 injured.

On Saturday, police arrested a man from an apartment in Bangkok’s outskirts and seized bomb-making equipment. More bomb-making materials were found in a second apartment during a separate raid in the nearby neighborhood of Min Buri.

National police spokesman Prawuth Thavornsiri said Monday the apartment in Min Buri was rented by the Thai woman who is being sought. During the broadcast, police showed her ID picture in which she is wearing a black headscarf.

He said the man is believed to have lived in the apartment.

Earlier, police said they discovered bomb-making materials during a raid of a second apartment on the outskirts of the capital.

National police spokesman Prawuth Thavornsiri said Monday that police found fertilizer, gun powder, digital clocks and remote-controlled cars whose parts can be used for detonation, among other items, during a raid over the weekend at an apartment in Bangkok’s Min Buri district.

Prawuth said “these are bomb-making materials”.

Min Buri is near the neighborhood where police on Saturday arrested an unnamed foreigner and seized a trove of bomb-making equipment that included detonators and ball bearings.

Prawuth said Saturday the man’s nationality is still not known. He said “we are very certain he’s part of the network” that carried out the Aug. 17 bombing.

Nepal: Violence in Southern Nepal: Mainstream Political Leaders should review their stand: Update No. 313

By Dr. S. Chandrasekharan-Dated 28-Aug-2015

 

I had always maintained that without solving the contentious issue of the delineation of provinces, the drafting of the new constitution cannot be completed.  This was the most serious issue affecting the Madhesi and the Janajathi groups and some solution should have been found before the final draft copy was handed over to the Speaker.

 

But the brazen way in which the three main political parties- the Nepali Congress and the Maoists went their way with the six province formula was rather surprising and it inevitably led to protests and violence from the Terai from 8th of August onwards. 

 

What made it worse was the addition of a seventh province to satisfy the Karnali region which led to the departure of the only Madhesi group - Madhesi Janadhikar Forum ( democratic) of Gachhadar who had all along gone with the mainstream group despite inviting the wrath from their own constituents, from the constitution making process.  With Sadhbhavana party following Gacchadar’s exit, there is now left no Madhesi vote in the Constituent assembly in finalising the constitution.  This is a serious flaw affecting the credibility of the new constitution that is supposed to have consolidated the gains made in the 2006 Jana Andolan agitation and 2007 Madhesi movement.

 

Violence has been widespread following hartals, stoppage of traffic and closure of shops with the Police opening fire at many points.  Many civilian deaths have occurred.  

 

The most critical incident was at Tikapur in Kalilali district where seven Police men including the Senior Superintendent were lynched on 24th August.  Five more Policemen were critically injured of whom one succumbed to the injuries subsequently.

 

It is not clear how an unarmed Superintendent and two of his guards were isolated and how they could have approached the mob of thousands holding knives and sticks  without waiting to get support of other armed police groups from nearby.  This lack of coordination among the Police and resultant deaths that would demoralise the Police could have been avoided.  Tikapur as well as other neighbouring villages are now desolate with all the young and old having fled the area for fear of reprisal. It is hoped that the perpetrators of the killings are brought to justice soon.

 

Instead of addressing the grievances and the reasons for violence, Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam in an apparent reference to India had alleged “foreign conspiracy” in instigating violence.  He also alleged that intruders from outside have entered many of the Terai districts.  

 

The Home Minister’s statement was most inappropriate and rightly the Indian ambassador while reserving his comments met the Home Minster personally to convey his concern that the statement of the Home Minister was not helpful for Indo Nepal relations.

 

The Prime Minister of India, soon after the Tikapur incident is said to have had a telephonic talk with the Nepalese Prime minister Sushil Koirala to discuss the latest political developments in Nepal.  

 

In the wake of the inappropriate comments from the Home Minister, should PM Narendra Modi have telephoned Nepalese PM at all?  With the agitation centered mainly in the Terai districts where the Madhesis predominate any action or statement from the Indian side will be misunderstood.  

 

Earlier Prime Minister Modi, during his visit to Kathmandu in addressing the Parliament maintained that India will not interfere and that Nepal should find its own solution for all the problems faced by it.  This stand was universally applauded by all the political parties including the Maoists in Nepal.   However in a subsequent visit he made a reference to the constitution making process and suggested that the new draft should be inclusive.  This nullified whatever good will that was generated in the previous visit and the feeling gained in Kathmandu was that India wanted the demands and the aspirations of the Madhesi groups should be accommodated in the new constitution.  The present call from the Indian PM will not be liked by many in the establishment.  One does not know who in the PMO is advising the PM on matters relating to Nepal.

 

What needs to be done now is clear.  There is a need to talk and the Prime Minister Sushil Koirala should reach out to the Madhesi leaders to desist from agitating and come to Kathmandu for talks.  If there is going to be delay in finalization of the new constitution, it will not matter.

 

The Madhesi leaders instead of making “fiery and provocative” speeches should allow a pause in the agitation and seek a dialogue with the leaders of the three mainstream political parties. It does not matter whether there should be one or two provinces in the Madhesh and they should therefore formally give up the demand for one province for the entire Madhesh area.  The Tharus will also be happy with a second one covering the western half of the southern districts.

 

On the question of the five disputed districts of Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Kanchanpur and Kailali, instead of going for a federal commission which apparently appears to be an “Indian suggestion” why not ascertain the views of the voters of the five districts directly by some form of a referendum?”

 

On the gender discrimination and citizenship rights, it is not clear why at all, a change was being suggested when the provisions in the interim constitution were adequate.  Perhaps a status quo will be more acceptable.

 

The only other important point that is being contested is in declaring Nepal as a secular state.  While the Maoists are insisting on a specific mention of “secularism” why not consider the suggestions of some others where freedom of religion could be embedded into the constitution?

 

It is time that normalcy is restored as soon as possible.  With the blockade of transport to Kathmandu Valley, the situation in Kathmandu could become critical.  The three major parties particularly the UML should give up their rigid and brazen attitude towards constitution making and at the same time, the Terai groups particularly- Upendra Yadav should become more conciliatory and be ready for a compromise for the well being of whole of Nepal.

National guardsman dies in Ukraine parliament clashes

A Ukrainian national guardsman dies and scores more are injured as grenades are thrown at a demonstration against concessions to pro-Russian separatists.

MONDAY 31 AUGUST 2015
It was initially reported that a 25-year-old national guardsman had died of a gunshot wound to the heart, but interior minister Arsen Avakov later said the man had died after being injured from "splinters from grenades" during clashes in Kiev.

Mr Avakov said in a tweet that nearly 90 national guardsmen had been hurt, four with serious wounds to the eyes, stomach, neck and legs, after several explosive devices were thrown at them from crowds who gathered outside Ukraine's parliament.

The clashes broke out as politicians backed reforms giving more autonomy to eastern regions of Ukraine being held by pro-Russian rebels, allegedly with military support from Russia.

President Petro Poroshenko is due to address the nation later on Monday following the violence outside parliament, where deputies loyal to him managed to push through a first reading of a "decentralisation" draft law - part of a peace agreement brokered in February.

Opponents of the bill said it played into Russia's hands and would lead ultimately to Ukraine losing control over the eastern Donbass region, large areas of which are controlled by the rebels.

Blaming the clashes on members of the main Ukrainian nationalist party, Svoboda, Mr Avakov asked Svoboda leader Oleh Tyahnybok: "Tell me, how does Svoboda differ from the b*****ds who shoot at our national guard at the front?"

It is unclear whether Mr Poroshenko will be able to get the 300 votes for the bill to get through a second and final reading later this year.

Passing legislation granting special status for parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which are largely controlled by is a central element of a peace
agreement reached in Minsk, Belarus, in February.

Western governments are urging Ukraine to abide by the letter of the Minsk agreement amid a fragile ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.

Maksim Burbak, from Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk's Popular Front party, said the bill would "give our western partners the ability to put pressure on Russia to fulfil three basic points of the Minsk agreement - the ceasefire, withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine and re-establishment of control over the border."

But opponents say the concession gives Russian president Vladimir Putin too much power.

Opponents say it gives Putin the upper hand in the east.

"We believe that these anti-Ukrainian changes to the constitution ... are a road to realisation of Putin's plan for destroying Ukraine.

Former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko said: "This is not the road to peace but to decentralisation. This is a diametrically opposed process which forces us to lose territory.

"Putin does not need the Donbass. He needs war in Ukraine. Our task in the vote is to get back to negotiations on the right road to bring peace, not the illusion of peace."

More than 6,500 people have been killed in the east since pro-Russian separatists rebelled against Kiev government after Russia annexed Crimea in March last year.

Arrested Vice News journalists accused of supporting IS in Turkey 

The journalists had been covering Kurdish activists in Turkey's restive southeast 

Jake Hanrahan was arrested along with his cameraman Philip Pendlebury (@Jake_Hanrahan/Twitter) 

Monday 31 August 2015

Two British journalists, arrested by Turkish authorities on Thursday, have been accused of having ties to the Islamic State (IS).

Jake Hanrahan and Philip Pendlebury, who were working for Vice News, were arrested in the Kurdish majority city of Diyarbakir in Turkey’s southeast. They had been covering the political unrest spilling over from the breakdown of the Turkish state's ceasefire with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

When news of their arrest first emerged late last week, reports indicated that they were in custody as a result of their contact with the outlawed PKK's youth wing, the Patriotic Revolutionist Youth Movement (YDG-H), and lacked media accreditation to work in Turkey.

Patriotic Revolutionist Youth Movement (YDG-H)

However, police now say that the two had been charged with supporting IS.

Vice News also reported in a press release that a driver and a fixer had been arrested.

The journalists are scheduled to appear in court on Monday and will, according to a Vice News spokesperson, "face unsubstantiated charges of terrorism".

"VICE News continues to work vigorously with all relevant authorities to secure the safe release of our four colleagues," the spokesperson said.

Amnesty International described the allegations against the journalists as “bizarre".

“This is yet another example of the Turkish authorities suppressing the reporting of stories that are embarrassing to them,” Amnesty said in a statement. “They should release the journalists immediately.”

“It is completely proper that that journalists should cover this important story. The decision to detain the journalists was wrong, while the allegation of assisting Islamic state is unsubstantiated, outrageous and bizarre.”

Turkey has frequently been criticised by international bodies for its heavy-handed approach to journalists.

In 2013, Turkey had the largest number of journalists in jail in the world, often arrested for alleged links with the PKK or other Kurdish activist groups, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

"Anti-press measures in Turkey are having a devastating impact on the country's media," wrote the CPJ on their Turkey page. "Journalists face harassment and prosecution over social media posts; authorities repeatedly gag coverage of sensitive issues; and reporters face detentions, raids, and investigations."

In February, Dutch journalist Frederike Geerdinke was threatened with five years in jail for spreading “terrorist propaganda".

Kashmir-Where People Don’t Fear Terror

by Ali Sukhanver

( August 30, 2015, Islamabad, Sri Lanka Guardian) ‘Four kids are standing near the Grand Mosque in Srinagar. They are edgy; they appear to be ready to jump, to run, and to fight, also ready to run and retreat if necessary. It all depends on the circumstances. “They are raping our sisters and mothers!” screams one youth. I am shown teargas canisters, similar to those used in so many other parts of the world to disperse protesters. They are usually fired into the air. Here they are fired by the security forces directly at people’s heads – with the intention to kill,’ these are few lines from an article of Andre Vltchek; the title is Shame India. This article was picked and published by various international newspapers and websites. In this article he has narrated his experiences and observations during his visit to the Indian Occupied Kashmir. Andre Vltchek is a world-renowned filmmaker and an investigative journalist who has covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries.

A few days back a girl from the Indian Occupied Kashmir wrote on her face book, ‘Last night, my Mom’s phone kept ringing all night. The man on the line was drunk and spoke in accented Hindi and demanded that we talk to him or he would give our number to all the army drivers in his circles. The man was abusive and vile. It all scared us a lot and we could not sleep even for a moment. I was thinking of the girls who get terrified with such calls and have no way to articulate their frustration in the Indian Occupied Kashmir. But what can we do; we have no one there to listen to us’. Such horrible is the true face of Kashmir. The Kashmiris are being punished and penalized simply because they love Pakistan. But in spite of all such examples of Indian atrocities in Occupied Kashmir, some of the pseudo-intellectuals, some of the people from trade and commerce, a few politicians and a lot of foreign-supported NGOs in Pakistan have ever been insistent on the promotion of an air of trust, co-operation and cordiality between Pakistan and India and unfortunately no one has yet succeeded. Most of the times their extra-ordinary interest in bringing two countries closer gives birth to suspicions and doubts. One feels compelled to search the actual motives behind their hard-efforts and sincere-desire in this regard but with a grain of salt. In today’s world, there are so many examples of such neighbouring countries which do not have cordial relations with each other, rather they are hostile to each other; but neither the people of such countries do any efforts for the removal of this enmity nor they allow anyone else to facilitate the ‘peace-process’ between the two countries. When we look at the relationship between Pakistan and India, we come to the conclusion that since after its creation Pakistan has been doing a lot of sincere efforts for a deep-rooted cordial relationship with India but all these efforts have always gone waste just because of no-response from India; and this is the fault with Pakistan. It must have not wasted its time and resources on ‘insane-desire’ of peace with India. India is in no way a country from which one could expect friendliness and affability. It is a country which claims the valley of Kashmir as its integral part but at the same time the Indian forces deputed there have made the lives of the Kashmiris a hell of pain and agony. They have deprived the Kashmiris of even the basic human rights.

Those who dream of friendly relations with India must also keep in their minds the statement of Mr. Manohar Parrikar in which he very innocently admitted the fact regarding using terrorism as State policy of India. A few months back Mr. Parrikar said talking to the Times of India “Many terrorists are drawn into terrorism because of financial allurements… they are paid money for it. If such people are there, why not use them.” Atrocities and human rights violations are a part of Indian temperament. Those who are the supporters of cordial relationship between India and Pakistan must review their point of view. The desire of friendly relationship with India would push Pakistan into an inferno of whole-sale destruction. Peace and friendship are no doubt wonderful blessings but the relationship of peace and friendship could never proceed one-sided; this is most of the time a two-way traffic. Be it Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China or the Indian Occupied Kashmir, India always patronizes the terrorists and uses them for its heinous objectives. If we are sincere in our efforts of crushing the terrorists and terrorism we will have to be very much cautious and careful in our relations with countries like India. We will have to realize the real face of India hidden behind the so-called veil of democracy.

Myanmar's president signs off on law seen as targeting Muslims

An ethnic Rakhine man holds homemade weapons as he walks in front of houses that were burnt during fighting between Buddhist Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya communities in Sittwe June 10, 2012.

NAYPYIDAW | BY HNIN YADANA ZAW- Mon Aug 31, 2015

Myanmar's president on Monday signed into law the last of four controversial bills championed by radical Buddhists but decried by rights groups as aimed at discriminating against the country's Muslim minority.

Myanmar, which will hold its first democratic national poll in more than two decades on Nov. 8, has seen a flowering of anti-Muslim hate speech since the military gave up full power and opened up politics and the economy in 2011.

President Thein Sein signed the Monogamy Bill after it was passed by parliament on August 21, Zaw Htay, a senior official at the president's office, told Reuters. The law was briefly sent back to parliament for review before being signed.

The bill sets punishments for people who have more than one spouse or live with an unmarried partner other than the spouse.

The government denies it is aimed at Muslims, estimated to make up about 5 percent of the population, and some of whom practice polygamy.

The president also signed two other laws, which restrict religious conversion and interfaith marriage, on August 26, Zaw Htay said.

The measures are part of four "Race and Religion Protection Laws" championed by the Committee for the Protection of Nationality and Religion, or Ma Ba Tha.

The laws were dangerous for Myanmar, said an official of New York-based Human Rights Watch.

"They set out the potential for discrimination on religious grounds and pose the possibility for serious communal tension," said Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch.

"Now that these laws are on the books, the concern is how they are implemented and enforced."

In May, the president signed a Ma Ba Tha-backed population control bill that forces some women to space three years between each birth.

The monk-led group has stoked sentiment against Muslims, whom it has accused of trying to take over Myanmar and outbreed its Buddhist majority.

Hundreds of people have been killed in flare-ups of religious violence in Myanmar. In 2012, an incident in Rakhine State led to the displacement of more than 140,000 people, most of them members of the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority.

(Additional reporting and writing by Aubrey Belford in Yangon; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

The Rise of Bulgakov Diplomacy

The Kremlin is backing an ambitious effort to make the B-sides of the Russian literary canon more accessible to a global audience. Is it a boon for cultural understanding -- or propaganda?

BY LIESL SCHILLINGER-AUGUST 31, 2015

The Russian classics occupy an unassailable position on every passionate reader’s shelves. They’re the books you reread — Chekhov’s plays and short stories, Anna Karenina, The Brothers Karamazov,The Master and Margarita — and of course, no library is complete withoutWar and Peace. But which contemporary authors do Russians read? Do you know? And have you read any Russian authors besides Tolstoy or Dostoevsky — or anyone who has been alive and writing fiction in Russia for the past 40 years? Would you know where to start, if you wanted to?

The Rise of Bulgakov Diplomacy by Thavam Ratna

E.U. leaders show little unity ahead of emergency conclave on refugees

Refugees from the Middle East are silhouetted against the setting sun as they walk on railway tracks from Serbia, in Roszke, Hungary, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015. (Darko Bandic/AP)

By Michael Birnbaum and Anthony Faiola-August 31 

BRUSSELS — European leaders traded barbs Monday about who was to blame for a worsening migration crisis, as mounting calls to take in desperate asylum-seekers mixed with skepticism that swift changes would actually take place.

E.U. Leaders Show Little Unity Ahead of Emergency Conclave on Refugees by Thavam Ratna

The science behind dietary supplements

From multivitamins to fish oil, daily pills and powders have become routine for millions around the world. But do we really need to take them?

Should you believe the hype about dietary supplements? Photograph: Alamy

Dr Spencer Nadolsky-Sunday 6 April 2014

Doctors say we need them. Advertising encourages us to take them. And – with industry estimates of more than £36bn being spent on them worldwide – we are clearly buying them. Yes, we're talking about supplements – things that most people will agree are good for us. But what if we don't really need them? This is the question I try to answer every day at Examine.com. Our agenda is simple: to tune out the hype and see what science has to say. A recent survey has shown that multivitamins, protein powders, fish oil, vitamin D and glucosamine are among the most popular supplements. But are they doing us any good?

Multivitamins

The hype: For years, "one a day" has been the cornerstone of many health regimens, but recent research has poked holes their popularity. Before you take any type of vitamin or mineral, ask yourself: why am I using this? Several scientific reviews have shown daily multivitamins have a lacklustre effect when it comes to preventing heart attacks and improving cognition. This, in turn, has resulted in an overreaction and now everyone is saying that multivitamins are a waste of time.

Do you need them? Instead of taking one pill that can't possibly fit every person's daily requirements, we recommend supplementing specific deficiencies or needs. If you're worried about a particular health problem, search for the common vitamin weakness, and look at your diet. Common deficiencies include vitamins D, K, and minerals such as magnesium. For instance, if you don't eat many vegetables, there's a high likelihood you could use some more vitamin K. There are two situations when a multivitamin is a good option: if you pay no attention to your diet or are always dieting. Multivitamins still have flaws, but getting some of those nutrients is better than none.

Fish oil

The hype: Good heart health has become closely linked to the use of healthy fats, particularly fish oil. Now they are one of the biggest products on the market. It was originally thought that fish oil could keep our hearts healthy with its anti-inflammatory and triglyceride-lowering properties. However, a few recent studies suggest it has no benefit. The catch? Those studies used populations of "high-risk" individuals, meaning the research was hiding the real story and benefits.

Do you need it? In newer studies focusing on blood work, those with the lowest levels of fish oil (specifically EPA and DHA) have the highest risk of heart disease. Similarly, those with the highest levels of EPA and DHA in their blood have the lowest risk. While more experiments are needed, there are plenty of reasons to take fish oil. Research suggests that it helps with brain development and also mental illnesses. Given its safety, price, and potential benefits, the odds are that this is a product worth taking. Algae oil is a good vegetarian alternative.

Vitamin D

The hype: Vitamin D was first recognised as essential in bone and mineral metabolism – without it, in childhood people can develop a bone-deforming disease called rickets. Recently, though, it was found that vitamin D could have an effect on many other systems, including the cardiovascular, muscular, endocrine and nervous. Because of this, it was touted as a super-supplement that could cure all ills.

Do you need it? For those with genuine deficiency, vitamin D supplementation has truly beneficial effects. If your vitamin D levels are in check, you won't notice much difference. A blood test will show your vitamin D levels, and from there you can make an informed decision. If you are not due for a checkup any time soon, take 2,000 IU per day. This has been shown to be both a safe and effective dose.

Glucosamine

The hype: One of the most common things I see in my own clinic is joint pain and osteoarthritis. Unlike many deficiencies, pain and discomfort is something you can feel, meaning you are much more likely to take action. Glucosamine is one of the most common go-to supplements, and luckily it appears to offer benefits for both pain relief and slowing down arthritis … but there's a catch, or two.

Do you need it? Check the label. You will need glucosamine sulphate, as glucosamine hydrochloride has been shown to be less effective. Also, make sure your dosage is enough. For any benefit, you must take at least 1,500mg daily. It may not be a miracle supplement, but it could be worth using instead of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or paracetamol.

Protein powder

The hype: Slowly but surely, protein powders have become a common part of a regular diet. Once reserved for people who are trying to bulk up or those on a rapid weight-loss plan, protein powder is now used for everything from snacks to post-workout refreshment. As its popularity has grown, so has the variety of options.

Do you need it? Powders are simply the most easily ingested and convenient form of protein. Whey protein has been shown to help ageing men increase or preserve muscle mass, which is very important for mobility and overall health. This is likely due to its highly concentrated levels of branched chain amino acids, often an area of deficiency for those who don't eat enough protein. To find out if you should use it, work out whether or not you are not eating enough regular protein. As a general rule of thumb, we recommend 1.5-2.2g per kg of bodyweight per day, especially if you are active.

• This footnote was amended on 8 April 2014 to add information about Dr Spencer Nadolsky's former links to Leaner Living. Examine.com is an independent encyclopedia on supplementation and nutrition. It does not accept advertising. Dr Nadolsky was a co-founder and owner of Leaner Living, a website which sells supplements. He no longer has any connection with Leaner Living, which is now run by his brother. The content written by Dr Nadolsky was verified by all five researchers at Examine.com.

The politics of Good Governance and Ethno (Sinhala/Tamil/Muslim) Nationalisms 

by Rajan Philips-August 29, 2015,

In the January presidential election, having been let down by astrology and political machinations, then President Rajapaksa invoked the spectre of nationalism and national insecurity to shore up his sliding support among the Sinhalese. His efforts fell short by 400,000 votes. He and his supporters blamed the shocking defeat on Western conspiracy and minority voters who voted virtually en masse for Maithripala Sirisena. In the August parliamentary election, the Rajapaksa forces upped the nationalist ante and campaigned to win a majority of parliamentary seats with the votes of the Sinhala Buddhists only.

The Politics of Good Governance and Ethno (Sinhala-Tamil-Muslim) Nationalisms by Thavam Ratna

UNHRC: US, Lanka Adopt ‘Collaborative Approach’

30/08/2015

Sri Lanka has agreed with the United States to adopt a “collaborative approach” with regard to a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions next month but there is still no text. Work on a draft document is likely to start in mid-September after the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) releases its investigative report on allegations of war crimes and other human rights abuses. The US has been the main co-sponsor of all resolutions since 2012 and it will float the first draft.

The OHCHR report will be presented to the Sri Lanka Government shortly and also presented to the UNHRC during its 30th sessions next month. On August 24, US Ambassador for Human Rights, Keith Harper, told the UNHRC that his Government plans to offer a new resolution on Sri Lanka. It would be a follow-up on the new Sri Lankan administration’s efforts “to promote reconciliation and accountability and on the release of the report of the OHCHR investigation request in HRC resolution 25/1″.

“We hope to work collaboratively with the new Government of Sri Lanka and key stakeholders on this text,” Mr. Harper said.
“The only factor we have agreed to is to adopt a collaborative approach at the 30th sessions of the Human Rights Council with regard to the resolution,” said Mahishini Colonne, the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson. “There is no draft text of a resolution at this point. The US delegation made a statement at the Organisational Session of the 30th HRC on August 24 in Geneva regarding the approach that will be followed, which is to work collaboratively with the new Government of Sri Lanka and key stakeholders on the text of the resolution.”

In an indication of where the US stands on the subject of a war crimes investigation, US Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Labour, Tom Malinowski, who accompanied US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, Nisha Biswal, on an official visit to Colombo earlier this week, was reported as saying that a domestic investigation must have the trust of the minorities. He said that it must be acceptable to both the people of Sri Lanka and the international community but “that it need not be a completely international process.”
ST

US-SL resolution after release of HR chief’s report

The US – Sri Lanka collaborative resolution will be ‘crafted’ after the release of the UN Human Rights High Commissioner’s report on accountability issues in Sri Lanka in September.

A spokesperson at the Ministry of External Affairs said President Maithripala Sirisena will be given a copy of the High Commissioner’s report sometime next month, before it is tabled at the 30th Session of the UN Human Rights Council. The report will incorporate the Sri Lanka Government’s inputs, before it is tabled.

“The thrust of the resolution will be based on the (recommendations) report of the Human Rights High Commissioner,” US Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights, Tom Malinowski, told media in Colombo, adding that the resolution will show Sri Lanka the way forward in dealing with accountability issues.

Once the report is made available to the President, Sri Lanka will respond outlining the recommendations that it would be taking on board and the progress it has made so far in the human rights front.

A resolution A/HRC/25/1, moved by the US and four others in March 2014, mandated the report ‘Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka’, by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Following the regime change post January 8, the Human Rights High Commissioner granted a onetime deferral of the report at the request of the Sri Lankan Government, much to the dismay of the Tamil Diaspora groups and Tamil political parties calling for an international inquiry into the alleged rights abuses during the final phase of the war.

Last week, Malinowski and US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Nisha Biswal, conveyed the US would help Sri Lanka promote a credible domestic mechanism through another resolution in Geneva. The domestic process is expected to be assisted by a team of international technical experts.

Malinowski also said, apart from the justice and accountability process, the US believed confidence building among Tamils can be achieved by actions such as returning land, releasing prisoners, working on demilitarization and changing the fundamental role of the military.
SO