Another Resolution: Will The Lives Of Tamils Be Better After This? – Dr. Paul Newman

30/09/2015

Sri Lanka has committed some of the most heinous crimes against its own people, be it the Tamils or the Sinhalese in the post World War II period. The climax of it was the massacre of Tamil civilians in May 2009. There are 146,679 people unaccounted, 90,000 war widows, a minimum of 25,000 war orphans, 160,000 houses destroyed according to UN estimates, 7,000 square kilometers of land belonging to the Tamils in a total of 18,000 sq kms inhabited by them under the control of the army.

The UN appointed three member panel of experts put the number of dead as 40,000. The UN review panel of Charles Petrie put the number of dead as 70,000 on a conservative estimate. The north of Sri Lanka counts as one of the most militarized zones in the world, despite the civil war ending more than six years ago.

Thousands of displaced are yet to be resettled. Many innocent Tamils are still languishing in unknown detention centers. Yet these verified facts and figures do not matter to the world as these Tamils are not of any political significance to any country.

The only recourse and solace, the Tamils and its Diaspora found post May 2009 was in the United Nations (UN) which had taken up their case after moral pressure asserted on it by many Human Rights groups. The UN was formed to protect the innocent civilians but today the UN hardly intervenes when people are suffering, be it in Sri Lanka or Syria. They do not want to interfere with the sovereignty of the member nations!

Do human rights and sufferings of the people inflicted by states come under the purview of state sovereignty? In the name of state security, state sponsored terrorism was operated in Sri Lanka by its armed forces exclusively comprising of 99% Sinhalese against the exclusive Tamil population living in the northern parts of Sri Lanka.

Four resolutions have been passed since 2009. In June 2009, the first resolution in fact complimented Sri Lanka as the first country in the history of the world to eliminate terrorism from its soil. The massive presence of the Chinese in the island nation was a cause of concern to both India and the USA prompting the USA to press for a regime change using the issue of war crimes and crimes against humanity as an excuse to intervene in Sri Lanka.

In 2012 and 2013, the soft resolutions urged Sri Lanka to implement its own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission report published in 2011. When Sri Lanka failed to comply with it, in 2014 a stronger resolution authorizing the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Investigation in Sri Lanka (OISL) to be set up. The report of the OISL which was supposed to be published in March 2015 was delayed by six months to give space to the new President to bring about reforms. On the ground nothing seems to be changed.

On the 16th of September 2015 the OISL report was published and it acknowledged that they were not permitted to enter Sri Lanka even after the regime change. The International Crisis Group which has produced some good ground level reports on Sri Lanka had the following in its statement.

Sri Lanka has seen decades of failed investigations and prosecutions, with fewer than half a dozen successful prosecutions of (low- and mid-level) military personnel for hundreds of serious human rights cases. No senior commander has ever even been charged with a war-related crime, and the military retains significant autonomy from civilian oversight. Witnesses and rights activists in the Tamil areas of the north and east continue to be threatened. Police investigations into a few high-profile cases from the Rajapaksa era reportedly face resistance from military leadership. Legislation parliament approved for a witness- and victim-protection system in February has yet to be implemented and lacks provision for protection units independent of the police and testimony of the many witnesses outside the countryi.

The UN investigation in Sri Lanka was on War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity, Sri Lanka had very seriously violated International Laws and as a state party to many UN International instruments, should be tried in an International mechanism as domestic laws in Sri Lanka are inadequate to deal with International crimes committed by them. The draft resolution does not use the words War Crimes or Crimes against humanity anywhere.

The language used in the draft resolution is very much evident that USA does not want to hurt the sentiments of Sri Lanka as it coaxes and cajoles them. In the preamble they use the word WELCOME 7 times. In the Operational para they use it 10 times and use ENCOURAGES 6 times.

In operational para 5, the resolution is sure of the abuses committed by the LTTE, on the other hand in operational para 6, it welcomes and appreciates the Government of Sri Lanka’s proposal to establish a Judicial Mechanism with a special counsel to investigate allegations of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law.

The resolution has no specific time frame for implementation. As President Sirisena stands accused of war crimes as the then defense minister, who will prosecute him as he enjoys immunity?

LTTE was a non state actor and you can’t  treat them on par with Sri Lanka, though they have a moral obligation to respect International laws, they have not signed any International treaties and can be tried only according to domestic laws. More importantly, more than 18,000 LTTE cadres have already undergone punishment and rehabilitation.

There’s no mention of International guarantee of witness protection given the great history of impunity, mass graves, disappearances, torture, rape, murder and white van abductions. The government has categorically stated that they will not demilitarize, still that has been included in the resolution.

Out of a total of 67,000 acres of land taken over by the armed forces only 1,000 acres have been returned over the past 8 months and there is no guarantee of returning all land belonging to civilians and dismantling the high security zones. The period of investigation is only from 2002 to 2012. What happens to the other victims from 1983 to 2002? Will they get any reparations or be counted?

This resolution will be a consensual one without voting. There is already euphoria in Sri Lanka over the next resolution as it gives Sri Lanka another 18 months of leverage and an easy exit strategy from this mess. States and governments can wait as it is a very short period of time for them. Can the victims wait?

Notes:
i. http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/publication-type/media-releases/2015/asia/statement-on-the-un-sri-lanka-investigation-report.aspx, September 18, Brussels Published by Dr. Paul Newman

Dr. Paul Newman holds a Doctorate of Philosophy on ‘Internal Displacement and Human Rights situation in Northern Sri Lanka’ from Bangalore University. He was one of the four public speakers at the Permanent People’s Tribunal on War Crimes against Sri Lanka. He also the Coauthor of ‘Unfettered Genocide in Tamil Eelam’, published by Karnataka State Open University, Mysore, India in November 2014. He is also a Member of the Forum Against Death Penalty, Chennai View all posts by Dr. Paul Newman
UAR

Strong calls for Sri Lanka to implement said commitments on delivering justice as OISL discussed at UNHRC

30 September 2015

There were strong calls from member states at the UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday for the new Sri Lankan government to deliver concrete steps on its said commitments towards justice and accountability, as the report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights' Investigation into Sri Lanka (OISL) was discussed at the Council.

Find our live coverage of the discussion on our Twitter feed here.Introducing the debate High Commissioner, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, reiterated the report's recommendation that a hybrid special court be established in order to give confidence to the victims and their families in the process of justice and accountability.

See: Hybrid special court essential to give victims confidence in process reiterates UN Human Rights chief (30 Sep 2015)

Sri Lanka responded to the OISL report, stating that the recommendations of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights' Investigation into Sri Lanka (OISL) will “receive due attention”.

See: OISL recommendations will ‘receive due attention’ says Sri Lanka (30 Sep 2015)

Member states and non-governmental organisations added to the debate with responses on the findings of the OISL report in statements to the council. 

Calls for strong international involvement

Several statements called on the necessity of international involvement in Sri Lanka to see true justice and reconciliation on the island. 

Highlighting that victims confidence in the process would need a strong international component, Canada's envoy said, 

"We underline the importance of meaningful international involvement in such a mechanism to enhance its credibility particularly for victims."

Stressing the need for on-going international involvement the Estonian UN envoy said, 

"We agree with the High Commissioner's views that there is a need to tackle deep-seated and institutionalized impunity which risks violations being repeated. In this regard in our view, the suggested international component of the investigation into human rights violations together with systematic reporting would assist in guaranteeing an effective and credible accountability mechanism."

Calls for credible justice and prosecutions 

Member states and NGOs stressed the importance of seeing prosecution and credible justice to see a lasting peace on the island. 

Concern with on-going violations in Sri Lanka

Concerns of ongoing violations in Sri Lanka were also highlighted by several statements during the debate.

Calls for commitment to non-recurrence and ratification of Rome Statute

Sri Lanka was urged to ratify the Rome Statute as an immediate tangible measure to show commitment to non-recurrence on the island during the course of the debate.

Calls for devolution and ethnic political settlement 

Calling for the root cause of the ethnic conflict and violations in Sri Lanka to be addressed, statements called for a devolution of power to the Tamil community as a measure towards non-recurrence of crimes. 

Calling on the Sri Lankan government to implement the “immediate adoption of essential confidence building measures” for the victims of Sri Lanka’s armed conflict, the European Union said the tabled resolution on Sri Lanka “marks a crucial step towards a credible transitional justice process... with the active support and participation of the international community”.

See more: EU calls for ‘immediate adoption of essential confidence building measures’ for victims in Sri Lanka (30 Sep 2015)

See UK Statement: UK reaffirms commitment to justice and non-recurrence in Sri Lanka(30 Sep 2015)

Do fish drink water? Does nepotism matter?

President Maithripala Sirisena and his son Daham Sirisena at the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN Headquarters in New York

Thursday, 1 October 2015
Initially this writer could not comprehend the furore over young Daham Sirisena accompanying his father to New York. It was possible that his official role was that of a ‘private secretary’ who also happened to be the son of the President. To all appearances it was much ado about nothing.
Daham Sirisena expressed his anguish at what he felt to be unjust or unwarranted criticism with the plaintive words: “My dear friends, what is nepotism?” This query in cyberspace opened up a new debate and a Pandora’s Box.
The occasional opening of a Pandora’s Box is not without its merits. The mythical Pandora’s Box when opened released misery and sadness but left hope behind. We too can find some hope in this public discourse on nepotism. It is very unlikely that his response was purely his own. Image engineers can be quite counterproductive. The debate is far more serious. It is a feud between sovereignty of hypocrisy and universalism of modernity.

What is nepotism? 
What is nepotism? The word nepotism derives from the Italian word ‘nepote’ which means nephew. In days past, the illegitimate progeny of Popes were explained away as “nephews”. They often received paternal patronage. This practice of papal preferential treatment added the term ‘nepotism’ to the lexicon.
Ours is not a rule-based culture. Ours is a relationship-based culture. How else can you explain the hierarchical succession of our Mahanayakes who through generations happen to belong to a tiny cluster of villages in the Matale District? The sacerdotal succession in the Siyamnikaya is testimony to institutionalised nepotism in the Sinhala Buddhist ethos. The accepted tradition of well-endowed temples was to ordain a nephew to perpetuate succession. Today the ceremony is covered on live television.
The Angarika Dharmapala Trust consisting mostly of grandnephews of the revered Angarika – the ‘homeless ascetic’ – is currently engaged with the Mahabodhi Society in the District Court of Colombo over the title to its temple property in the proposed Megapolis! That is nepotism of the ‘Buddhist Hamu’ class.
Yet we live in interesting times. There is great disorder under the heavens and the purebred resist the hybrid with much muscle.

Good governance
This is the time for us to resolve the dichotomies of our public morals by situating the conversation on good governance, nepotism, corruption, cronyism and human rights in the universalist frame.
To begin with, good governance is not home grown in the Mahavamsa land. This is our problem in Geneva as well. The imperialist and decadent West presumes that society should function in a universalist manner. Political behaviour according to these neo colonial regime manipulators and Western theorists should be regulated by laws that apply to everyone. Now that is precisely the grievance of Gunadasa Amarasekera and Wimal Weerawansa against poor Rajavarothiam Sampanthan.
The calibration of the capacity of the State to ensure good governance measured against universal benchmarks is a very late 20th and early 21st century phenomenon. The sobriquet ‘Uncle Nephew Party’ was not resented by the then UNP. Even today Punchi Premadasa is in reluctant cohabitation with JR’s nephew. Comrade Tissa Vitarana’s nephew of a Trotsky adherent claims titular succession in the LSSP. Had Feroza Muzzamil succeeded in her bid, UNP General Secretary Kabir Hashim woud have had his sister-in-law in Parliament.
The father and son combinations, husband and wife teams and sons and daughter trekking the paths of glory in family tradition makes our Parliament a hybrid of representative democracy and incestuous feudal archaism.
We condemn nepotism but are reconciled to its practice. The reason for our collective tolerance of nepotism, corruption and human rights abuse is because we are not ready for corrective action. Instead we rationalise our ambiguity on grounds that it makes little sense to be “the only one” who has read or heard of Immanuel Kant.
Corruption, nepotism, irrational chauvinism are all forms of behaviour. These patterns of behaviour cannot be singled out and defined unless we contextualise how the particular society functions. The advanced democracies are mainly to be found in the West. The Western cultures evolved through the ages of renaissance, enlightenment and discovery are rule based. The people in those cultures trust the system.

Politics based on personal relationships
We in our system trust our family first, friends next and others perhaps. Our politics are based on personal relationships. That was demonstrated when seven election rejects were appointed to Parliament and rewarded with ministerial office. It was a classic demonstration of organising governance based on personal relationships and mutual obligation. How can loyalty to cronies be sanctioned and filial or familial loyalty be condemned?
Universal ethical norms are based on the behavioural expectations of the rational individual from which individual responsibility, dignity and individual human rights are derived. The Sinhala Buddhist world view refuses to acknowledge human beings as individuals but as a single overarching consciousness and a connectedness that is tribal.
The classical Buddhist doctrinal position on free inquiry is contained in the ‘Kalama Sutta’. It is where the Buddha exhorts the Brahamin Kalama: “Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor upon tradition; nor upon rumour; nor upon what is in a scripture; nor upon surmise; nor upon an axiom; nor upon specious reasoning; nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over; nor upon another’s seeming ability; nor upon the consideration, ‘the monk is our teacher’. When you yourself know: These things are bad; these things are blamable; these things are censured by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to harm and ill, abandon them.” Free inquiry is the one Buddhist ideal that has been utterly distorted in Sri Lanka.

Difficult to detect when fish drinks water
Daham Sirisena accompanying his father is no big deal. That he was allowed to speak for the younger generation of his country at an international event too should not be held against him. Obviously the President would have been advised that his son could play a constructive role in New York. President Sirisena should heed Kautilya who warned his King how difficult it was to detect when exactly the fish drank water. Or do the fish drink water?
Nepotism is considered wrong in some cultures. It is perhaps virtuous in ours. The lyrics of this hauntingly melodious Sinhala song by Victor Rathnayake encapsulates the distance we need to trek. Poignantly tender sentiments. Yet they turn Prince Siddhartha’s purpose of renunciation upside down. ‍

- See more at: http://www.ft.lk/article/477345/Do-fish-drink-water?-Does-nepotism-matter?#sthash.snhLzB0k.dpuf

Lobby payments: How the Central Bank goldmine was plundered

American influence peddler registers his deals only after exposures in the Sunday Times and Foreign Policy Magazine

By Namini Wijedasa-Sunday, September 27, 2015

For three consecutive years, the Auditor General’s Department queried the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) about the millions paid in fees to foreign lobbyists, consultants and public relations agencies.

Imaad Zuberi

The reports for 2013 and 2014 will be published within weeks, when they are tabled in Parliament. The Auditor General first raised concern in 2012 after noticing that the CBSL had advanced money to these firms when it should have been routed through other channels. But this observation was omitted in that year’s final report.

The Central Bank’s income statement for 2014 places accumulated costs for advertising, consultancy, communication, advisory and professional fees at Rs. 2,050,619,000 or more than Rs. 2 billion.

Lobby Payments How the Central Bank Goldmine Was Plundered by Thavam Ratna

General to be grilled regarding Eknaligoda disappearance

WEDNESDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER 2015

It is reported that an Army General, with strong links with Army intelligence unit is to be questioned by the CID in connection with the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda.

The CID has already questioned Brig. Aruna Wannaiarachchi, who headed the Army intelligence unit and several Army officers including Lt. Col. Shammi Kumara Ratnayake, Lt. Col. Siriwardena, Staff Sergeant Rajapakse, Corporal Jayalath, retired Sergeant Maj. Ranbanda, Sergeant Maj. Upasena, retired Corporal Ranjith Rupasena, Corporal Anurajeewa have been taken into custody by the CID in connection with the journalist's disappearance. Also, ex-LTTE intelligence members Thavendran and Satya Master too have been arrested over the incident.

According to police sources the investigation teams will seek court permission to visit two army camps early next month to gather more information about the Journalist Eknaligoda’s disappearance.

The journalist was abducted in Colombo two days before the Presidential election in 2010, and had been taken to Girithale Army camp where he was questioned by a group of intelligence unit officers.

Meanwhile, Sandhya Eknaligoda, Prageeth Eknaligoda's wife, has accused a senior state official in the Ministry of Defense  of the former regime of issuing orders to abduct Eknaligoda.

Why Daham Sirisena At UN Is A Big Deal

By Nalaka Gunawardene –September 30, 2015

Nalaka Gunawardene

When the first signs appeared of the new Yahapalana (=well-ruled) government going astray some months ago, I tweeted: “Good governance must not only be done, but also be SEEN as done”.

Optics or appearances do matter. They are especially important in this social media age when every action of the government and its top leadership is closely monitored and commented upon by many citizens.

For reasons of governance and optics, President Maithripala Sirisena taking his son Daham Sirisena to UN General Assembly in New York is wrong. We presume that the young man’s travel and accommodation was paid for with public funds. Yet he has holds no public office; it was completely out of his league to be seated with the president, ministers and diplomats who had official reasons to be there.

It was not good that the officially released photos showed an all-male, mostly Sinhalese delegation seated at the main UN assembly hall.

It did not help matters when the President’s media director tried to explain that the son was a “member of the president’s personal staff”.

And it certainly was not helpful when Daham himself offered a feeble defence on his Facebook page (and giving us definitions of nepotism in the process).

As far as I know – and I have studied how the UN works – the UN Secretariat does not invite individuals to attend the General Assembly. It is the right of member states (which Sri Lanka has been since 1955) to determine who will be on its official delegation. This decision is typically made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in consultation with the President’s office.                Read More

SL currency notes pose a signature issue !

(Lanka-e-News -30.Sep.2015, 11.00PM) There is going to be an issue pertaining to whose signature should appear on the currency notes of Sri Lanka in the future . Is the signature of the finance minister or the P.M. that  should officially appear  on  the printed currency notes ? Those who are showing concern in this connection have questioned. Another group is of the view that the signature of either is invalid.

This is a consequence of the central bank of SL which was under the finance ministry being brought under the purview of the prime minister via the new gazette notification. In any  country the currencies (coins and notes) are turned out controlled by the  country’s  main bank which is in charge of it . In Sri Lanka it  is the Central bank which is in charge.

In all other countries in the world , the  main (Central) bank is under the finance minister or governor finance or the financial secretary or another under various names. At any rate , they are all subordinate to the individual in charge of finance who is responsible to the parliament alias government. Accordingly ,those who are signatories to  the currency notes are , the chief of the main Central  bank and the individual who is responsible to the government regarding finance.Only in special places , one signature would suffice.

Hitherto , when the Central bank printed currency notes , since it was under the finance minster , the signatures on the notes were of the Central Bank governor (chief) and finance minister . But now  , as the Central bank is under the prime minister there is an issue.

Hence the issue revolves around the  other signature . The individual who is reponsible to the parliament in regard to finance is the finance minister. But can the finance minister be signatory to the currency notes which are produced by an Institution he is not in charge of ? If he is , is that note valid? Though the Central bank is under the P.M. , it is another individual who is answerable to parliament with regard to the country’s finances. In such circumstances , can the P.M. be signatory to  the notes? On the other hand if he is  ,  is it valid?

It is the view of many , the government of good governance guided and governed by the aim to stamp out corruption has created more issues by trying to divest ministries of essential Institutions belonging to them . 

It is the duty of the government to clear the doubts which have proliferated thereby among the people.

---------------------------
by     (2015-09-30 06:10:38)

Minister's treasure Hunting son Nirosh on a Joy Ride in Paris 

Sep 30, 2015

The current Tourism Minister John Amaratunga's son in law Nirosh Rasia, who was involved in an illegal treasure hunting mission some time back in Trinco that was exposed in Parliament by Wimal Weerawansa, is currently attending a Tourism conference in Paris courtesy the Sri Lankan Tax Payer. 

The Minister's son in law according to the information in the web is an estate agent in the US selling properties and has no connections to any tourism. The Minister instead of sending an official from the Board has sent his son in law who is attached to the Minister's personal staff as a Public Relations Officer. According participants at the conference  the son in law is have a rollicking time visiting the Bars drinking and enjoying the night life in the city. 

 

The Government should from now have a declared policy to prevent any minister's kith and kin to travel oversees at state expenses to attend official functions, unless they go at their cost or hold responsible positions in the government which gives them the right to represent Sri Lanka at an international conference. 

 

It was only last week there was a public outcry of the President's son Daham Sirisena accompanying him to the UN at state expense. Unless it is the President's spouse no other spouse should be allowed to travel at state expense. It is only in banana republics that governments squander public funds this way to satisfy the desires of politicians and this must be stopped. This Ranil - Sirisena government is happily heading the same way like the previous Rajapaksa administration.

 

 - Good governance Watch

Sri Lanka Rises On Global Innovation Index From 105th To 85th Place

By Asanga Abeyagoonasekera –September 30, 2015

Asanga Abeygoonasekera

“Each nation must find the right mix of policies to mobilize the innate innovative and creative potential in their economies.” Francis Gurry, WIPO Director General

The Global Innovation Index 2015 was released on the 17th September 2015. It is co-published by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The report surveys 141 economies around the world, using 79 indicators to gauge both innovative capabilities and measurable results.

The report marks Sri Lanka’s progress from 105th position last year to 85th position in 2015. This significant rise in rank owes mainly due certain improvements in all pillars of the Global Innovation Index (GII). According to the report “Although some of this development can be linked to methodological changes and other countries worsening (particularly in Human capital and research), Sri Lanka makes advancements at the raw data level in areas such as the government’s online service index and online e-participation, 34 GDP per unit of energy use, and communications and computer and information services imports. Conversely, Sri Lanka worsened at the raw data level in areas such as ease of starting a business, ease of resolving insolvency, rule of law, employment in knowledge-intensive services, and new business density”. Indian remains at the top of the regional ranking of Central and Southern Asia this year, followed by Kazakhstan and Sri Lanka, which has improved.

As the new government is ready to kick start its development plan for the next five years it is important that Sri Lanka sets out its economic policy to move towards an innovation driven economy. It could progress in these policies by firstly launching a campaign to enhance growth of innovation by setting the eco-system conducive to fostering innovation.                                                 Read More  

Mirissa attack a stab in the back for 

tourism

By Chrishanthi Christopher-Sunday, September 27, 2015

View(s): 2341

The stabbing of a British tourist and the attempted rape of his girlfriend residing in a tourist resort down south are sending ripples of concern among the authorities over the impact on the tourism industry.

A 37-year-old British tourist was stabbed with a sharp knife allegedly by four men who came in a three wheeler in the early hours of Saturday last week.

Mirissa Attack a Stab in the Back for Tourism by Thavam Ratna

Selling drugs in Sri Lanka Drug Lord Siddique earned Rs 1 B

Selling drugs in Sri Lanka Drug Lord Siddique earned Rs 1 B

BY Ishara Ratnakara- 2015-09-30

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) informed Chief Magistrate of Colombo, Gihan Pilapitiya that Mohammed Siddique, allegedly a large-scale international drug dealer who....

...was brought to Sri Lanka from Pakistan, had sent large stocks of heroin to this country and earned an income of more than Rs 1 billion.
The huge sums of money earned by selling drugs in this country had then been sent to Dubai illegally through the 'Hawala System' from a place in Kolonnawa, according to the CID which submitted a report to Court.
The CID informed the Court that these facts were revealed during investigations carried out up to now, on the instructions of the Inspector General of Police in connection with Mohammed Siddique, who was brought to Sri Lanka from Pakistan on 18 March this year.

The CID informed the Court that it has been also revealed, that the suspect had sold drugs smuggled into to this country and earned
Rs 70 million in 2013 and Rs 100 million in February 2014 and a sum of Rs 255 million during March and that money had been sent to Dubai through the 'Undiyal' system, which is another method of private transaction. In addition, the CID said, a large sum of money had been taken to Dubai using the illegal method of exchanging money, the Hawala system, by a person named Mohammed Nazeer, a resident of Kolonnawa.

The CID also said, Mohammed Siddique had been engaged in the heroin racket in this country through Gampola Vidanage Samantha Kumara alias Wele Suda and that a person named Akithabdeen alias 'Bawa' had also been involved in smuggling heroin which the suspect had brought into this country from Pakistan.

The person named Bawa, who had been connected to the heroin racket, had fled the country, the CID informed the Court.
When Mohammed Siddique had transferred money to Dubai through the 'Undiyal System', the agent in this country had been Abubaker Sahajan, a resident of Wellawatte, the CID said.
Mohammed Siddique is accused of earning money through drug dealing, which is an illegal activity under the Money Laundering Act. Chief Magistrate Pilapitiya ordered that the suspect be further remanded until 2 October.

Sajin’s wife gives tougue-lashing to Rajapaksa sons!

Sep 30, 2015

Thiyana Dayanthi Anthonis Gunawardena, the wife of Rajapaksa servant Sajin Vaas Gunawardena who had made the biggest ever betrayal of the Rajapaksas, has given a tongue-lashing, during a telephone conversation, to two Rajapaksa sons, who are unlikely to call her ever again, say reliable sources.

As Sajin is not responding to telephone calls by ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa, his two sons Namal and Yoshitha telephoned his wife Thiyana to know what he had told police in his statement. Presently staying at a luxury apartment at JAIC Hilton in Colombo, she has given a choicy piece of her mind to the two Rajapaksa sons.

 

“Oh… Only now you have remembered us? Have you asked how we are doing all this while? I am the one who told Sajin to betray all. What your father did while in power was to betray everyone and then throw them away. Your father tried to do the same to us and got it wrong. Sajin has revealed only a little. Soon, he will reveal the rest. Hereafter, do not worry to give us telephone calls.” The Rajapaksa sons told Thiyana, “Let us discuss all these and solve them. If we clash, our opponents will gain the advantage. Let us talks at leisure later.”

U.S. troops dispatched to Kunduz to help Afghan forces

Video shot by a police officer shows Afghan forces fighting to retake central Kunduz, after Monday's surprise attack by Taliban fighters. At the United Nations, Afghanistan's Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah put part of the blame on Pakistan for the attack. (Reuters)

By Tim Craig September 30
KABUL — Special Operations forces from the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan came under fire from Taliban militants Wednesday after being dispatched to the northern city of Kunduz to help Afghan forces retake it from insurgents who seized it earlier this week, coalition officials said.

U.S. Troops Dispatched to Kunduz to Help Afghan Forces by Thavam Ratna

Russia launches first airstrikes against targets in Syria

Russian defence spokesman says equipment belonging to terrorists hit, though there are fears that all anti-Assad forces are being targeted, and not just Isis

Amateur footage appears to show Russian airstrikes hitting targets in the Syrian city of Homs on Wednesday.

Shaun Walker in Moscow,Kareem Shaheen in Beirut and Spencer Ackerman in New York-Wednesday 30 September 2015

Russia has launched its first airstrikes against targets in Syria, two days after the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, spoke to the UN and called for an international coalition against terrorism to fight Islamic State.

Russia Launches First Airstrikes Against Targets in Syria by Thavam Ratna

Gaza’s caretakers become its breadwinners

Amal Abu Ruqayiq, a divorceé raising a daughter with special needs, works in her carpentry shop in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza in March 2014.

 Ashraf AmraAPA images

Isra Saleh el-Namey The Electronic Intifada Gaza Strip 29 September 2015

Five years ago, Soha Masri lost her husband because of an Israeli air strike on Gaza.

Becoming a widow placed her in financial peril. She had three daughters, all of whom had plans to study at university. How could she support them?

Masri, now aged 45, took the initiative of setting up a small poultry farm in Nuseirat refugee camp. She began selling the food produced on it to relatives and neighbors.

“It is not an easy job to take care of the chickens,” she said. “But I try my best so that I can make enough to pay part of my children’s expenses.”

Many other women in Gaza are in a similar situation. Although men are usually the main breadwinners for their families here, their death or injury leaves their wives having to perform that role.

Manal Azizi set up an embroidery business for traditional Palestinian dresses after her husband was left paralyzed when Israel bombed Gaza for eight consecutive days in November 2012.

She lacked much of the equipment required at the beginning. “Yet I did not give up,” she said. “The work goes on.”

The 34-year-old has to take care of four children, as well as her husband.

Destitution and dependence

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) recently described femaleunemployment in Gaza’s formal economy as “severe.”

Among Palestinian refugees — the majority of Gaza’s inhabitants — 8 out of 10 young women do not have a regular job outside the home, according to an UNCTAD study.

The study states that Israel’s 51-day offensive against Gaza in the summer of 2014 sent almost all people in Gaza “into destitution and dependence on international humanitarian aid.”

UNCTAD predicts that the implications will be long-lasting. “Prolonged spells of unemployment deskill workers, rendering their education and training obsolete,” its report states.

The problem of unemployment has also been exacerbated by the siege that Israel has imposed on Gaza since 2007.

It has prevented Palestinians there from selling goods outside the territory. Activities on which many women relied for income — such as flower exports — have been badly affected.

The Gaza-based Women’s Affairs Center offers help to those wishing to set up small businesses. Each year it receives hundreds of applications for support but it has to prioritize just 10 projects. Most of those who approach it are either widows or divorced.

“During last year’s summer war, many women lost their businesses — or their business lost a lot because of the fierce Israeli bombing,” said Reem Nerib, a center spokesperson.

“We are faced with many problems in our efforts to assist destitute Palestinian women, particularly a lack of donations,” she added.

“All I can do”

Naheel Awida, 38, gives private classes to children of primary school age at her home in al-Bureij, a refugee camp in central Gaza that was heavily shelled by Israel during July 2014.

She has five children and her husband has been unable to find full-time work.

“I have a university degree, but getting a job is almost impossible in Gaza nowadays,” she said. “This is all I can do.”

Despite the scarcity of aid for small firms, numerous women are displaying a spirit of enterprise.

Fatima Qalban, a 40-year-old mother of six, started a food business because her husband is too ill to work.

She supplies cakes and maftoul — Palestinian couscous — to supermarkets in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza.

After a while, her business was able to provide a number of people with jobs. “I was really happy when some of my needy neighbors joined me in this project,” she said. “It is better than waiting for other forms of support.”

Isra Saleh el-Namey is a journalist from Gaza.