Ukraine Chooses Homophobia Over Europe

Ukrainians had a revolution to move closer to Europe. But they’re not ready to embrace European values.

BY LEV GOLINKIN-NOVEMBER 10, 2015

This spring, Ukraine’s government decided to purge the country of its Soviet past. All through the land, chisels and winches went to work chipping away Communist symbols and toppling Lenin statues by the dozens. But the Soviet dictatorship was composed of more than stone. It was also an ideology, the chief component of which was a callous disregard for human rights. Recently, however, the Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, proved that this part of its Soviet past is very much alive in modern Ukraine.

On Nov. 10 the Verkhovna Rada refused to pass a law that would have allowed Ukrainian citizens to have the long-awaited privilege of visa-free travel in the European Union. The reason behind the legislation’s resounding defeat? A provision preventing discrimination against gays in the workplace. This provision, which is a precondition for visa-free travel set by the EU, ignited a vociferous outcry, and ultimately turned into a red line which the Rada refused to cross.

“As a country with a thousand-year-old Christian history, we simply cannot allow this,” is how Rada deputy Pavlo Unguryan, a member of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s own party, explained it after a previous attempt to pass the legislation on Nov. 5 failed.

This isn’t the first homophobic news to come out of Ukraine this year: On June 6, members of the ultranationalist group Right Sector attacked Kiev’s gay pride parade, brutally injuring numerous marchers as well as police. In July, when a pair of gay activists decided to test the extent of Ukraine’s new Western values by holding hands in the middle of Kiev, they were quicklyassaulted by thugs. On Nov. 2, the Kyiv Post profiled Mykola Dulskiy, the founder of a vigilante group called Fashion Verdict, whose mission, according to the article, is to “sweep promiscuity, gambling, sexual offenders and homosexuality from the streets of Ukraine’s cities.” The “verdict” is delivered in a rather straightforward manner: Members of the organization track down and beat anyone they deem degenerate.

But the damage caused by the Rada’s refusal to pass anti-discrimination laws extends far beyond generating just one more negative headline for Ukraine. It undermines the two biggest factors that enabled the country to survive the horrors of the two previous years: Western support and the dream of European integration.

EU association is the issue that ignited Ukraine’s Euromaidan revolution in November 2013. “Ukraine is Europe” was the rallying call for the hundreds of thousands who flocked to Kiev bearing EU flags following then-president Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to go against the will of his people and cast Ukraine’s lot with Russia. Today, billions of dollars, over 2 million refugees and internally displaced persons, and thousands of lost lives later, a new group of politicians is once again dealing a blow to the dream of EU integration — all in the name of homophobia.

Some politicians, such as Oksana Syroyid, the Rada’s deputy speaker, hintedin a Nov. 9 remark that the anti-gay discrimination requirement had been suddenly sprung on the Rada. In reality, the EU made it clear as early as 2010 and continued reminding the Rada of its importance in the lead-up to the vote. It must also be noted that Moldova — another former Soviet republic mired in post-Soviet corruption and malaise — already enjoys the privilege of visa-free travel because it managed to pass a similar law.

For the past two years, Ukraine has asked the West to provide it with billions of dollars, material support, and training, as well as to enact and sustain sanctions against Russia — sanctions that hurt not only the Russian economy but also the economies of Western Europe. Time and again, Ukrainian politicians fought to keep themselves at the forefront of Western agendas by reminding the West that Ukraine has been fighting not just for its sovereignty, but also for democratic values. “We have shown the world the true face of our nation, one that fights for European values and defends European security on its frontiers,” Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenkowrote in a June op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. This notion of a land struggling to escape its Soviet past and break out of Russia’s orbit is behind everything the West has invested in Ukraine.

By turning down the chance to pass reforms that would enable visa-free travel to Europe, the Rada undercuts the very EU and American support that is keeping Ukraine alive. This couldn’t have come at a worse time. Over the past several months, public statements by American leaders, including Vice President Joe Biden and Geoffrey Pyatt, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, have made it clear that Kiev’s window of opportunity to battle the corruption that continues to plague the ex-Soviet republic is growing smaller. Europe, already strained by dealing with the Syrian refugee crisis and rehabilitating the Greek economy, is also running out of patience. “You keep reforming and we will keep supporting. That is the contract we are making with you,” is how Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, put it during a visit to Kiev earlier this year.

There is a not-so-veiled flip side to that statement: Support, dear Kiev, is conditional. You stop reforming, we stop supporting.

When it comes to explaining the glacial pace of Ukraine’s anti-corruption reforms, the Rada has excuses — the country is involved in a war with Russian-backed separatists, the entire system needs to be changed, old views must be rooted out, and so on.But when it comes to throwing away the privilege of visa-free travel to Europe, the Rada has no excuse. It should not, therefore, be surprised to discover that Europe (which has a history of Christianity at least as long as Ukraine’s) has no time for a country that places a higher value on discrimination than European integration.

The ultimate irony in all this is that Eastern Europe already has a country with organizations of homophobic thugs and politicians who use conservative Christian traditions to justify an atrocious record of violating the rights of the LGBT community. That is the very country Ukraine is trying to separate itself from: Russia.

In perusing websites and statements by both Russian and Ukrainian far right groups and politicians, one is stunned by the identical tone: Both invoke the imagery of a nation with “a thousand-year history of Christianity” battling back the encroachment of decadent Western values in order to justify their cause. Both use the same derogatory terms for homosexuals. Both insist that their country can have a future only once it is cleansed of “foreign” influences. The only difference is, one set of slogans is written in Russian, the other in Ukrainian.

Last year, as the conflict between Ukraine and Russia heated up, a controversial political cartoon appeared on the Internet. In it, a young woman wearing the white, blue, and red Russian flag colors is comforting what appears to be a younger sister dressed in the yellow and blue of Ukraine’s flag. Over the past two years, Ukraine has been fighting to prove that offensive cartoon wrong, to show the world that Ukraine is more than Russia Junior, and that Ukraine belongs in the West.

Ukraine’s politicians just squandered the opportunity to justify the bloodshed and horror that so many of their people have endured over the past two years. Instead — and in spite of their loud declarations of being European — they chose to embrace homophobia, placing themselves firmly in line with Russia. Big sister would be proud.

Image credit: SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/Getty Images

Why no one’s dropping out of the GOP presidential race

Ted Cruz, center, gestures as, from left, Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina and Rand Paul participate in a Republican presidential debate at the Milwaukee Theatre in Milwaukee on Nov. 10. (Morry Gash/Associated Press)

Eight Republican candidates faced off in Milwaukee.

GOP presidential candidates clashed over immigration, government spending and how to handle Russia's Vladimir Putin during Tuesday night's debate. As the night got heated, the audience got involved: here are the must-watch moments. (Ashleigh Joplin and Rebecca Schatz/Fox Business Network)

By Dan Balz-November 11

MILWAUKEE — More than 10 months of campaign activity have left the Republican Party in a quandary. The contest for the GOP’s presidential nomination has no obvious front-runner.

Why No One’s Dropping Out of the GOP Presidential Race by Thavam Ratna

David Cameron sets out key EU referendum demands

David Cameron spells out four "substantial" demands ahead of the European referendum, including restricting benefits for citizens of other EU countries living in the UK.

TUESDAY 10 NOVEMBER 2015

In a speech, the Prime Minister said he wanted the UK to be exempt from "ever-closer union" and to receive protection from further eurozone integration, while there should be more effort to boost the EU's competitiveness.

London Mayor Boris Johnson said the government's negotiations with other EU countries would be "tough", with "blood all over the carpet", and stressed that the UK could have a "very attractive" future outside the EU.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage said Mr Cameron was not calling for "substantial" reforms.

'Deaf ear'

Mr Cameron said "emotional ties" would not keep Britain in the EU and he was simply asking for what the country "needs" to remain a member.

Mr Cameron denied he was seeking "mission impossible", saying: "I have every confidence that we will achieve an agreement that works for Britain and works for our European partners.

"If and when we do so... I will campaign to keep Britain inside a reformed European Union. But if we can't reach such an agreement and if Britain's concerns were to be met with a deaf ear, which I do not believe will happen, then we will have to think again about whether this European Union is right for us. As I have said before, I rule nothing out."

Mr Cameron said the in/out referendum, which will be held by the end of 2017, was "perhaps the most important decision the British people will have to take at the ballot box in our lifetimes".

He warned that if the country voted to leave, it would not find itself in an economic "land of milk and honey", and would have to forge similar trade ties with Europe without having as much influence.

The Prime Minister also stressed that so-called Brexit would have implications for national security.

"The EU, like Nato and our membership of the UN Security Council, is a tool that a British Prime Minister uses to get things done in the world, and protect our country.

"If the British Prime Minister was no longer present at European summits, we would lose that voice and therefore permanently change our ability to get things done in the world."

Benefits

On benefits, he said 40 per cent of recent European Economic Area migrants received an average of around £6,000 a year in in-work benefits.

But he hinted that he was open to compromise on previous calls for access to in-work benefits to be denied to other EU nationals until they had lived in the UK for four years.

"We have proposed that people coming to Britain from the EU must live here and contribute for four years before they qualify for in-work benefits or social housing, and that we should end the practice of sending child benefit overseas," Mr Cameron said.

"Now, I understand how difficult some of these welfare issues are for other member states, and I am open to different ways of dealing with this issue.

"But we do need to secure arrangements that deliver on the objective set out in the Conservative party manifesto to control migration from the European Union."

British journalists freed from Indonesian jail say UK treated them like criminals

Documentary film-makers Rebecca Prosser and Neil Bonner say they felt let down by British officials during months in detention
 Rebecca Prosser and Neil Bonner have criticised the Foreign Office. Photograph: Martin Godwin for the Guardian

 Prosser and Bonner surrounded by their welcoming committee at Heathrow. Photograph: Steve Parsons/PA

Jessica Elgot-Wednesday 11 November 2015

Two British journalists held for more than five months in an Indonesian prison have described their relief at being back on UK soil but criticised the Foreign Office for a dismissive attitude they said had left them feeling alone.

British Journalists Freed From Indonesian Jail Say UK Treated Them Like Criminals by Thavam Ratna

US official: China should pay price if it breaks agreement

by AP News-11th November 2015

WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior Justice Department official says China could face criminal charges or sanctions if the U.S. determines hackers there are violating an agreement to not conduct economic cyber espionage on American businesses.

The government’s top national security attorney, John Carlin, made the comments Tuesday at a think-tank event.

The tough talk may signal a warning toward China amid continuing skepticism and accusations of a weak administration response on the effectiveness of the September agreement.

The agreement has been touted by administration officials as an important step acknowledging hacking and labeling it as illegal theft.

California-based cybersecurity company CrowdStrike found no change in behavior and seven Chinese cyberattacks against U.S. companies for the theft of intellectual property and trade secrets just weeks into the agreement.

The Chinese Embassy declined to comment.

Drug industry bemoans Britain's lack of science skills

A student works in a laboratory at Imperial College in London, in this May 28, 2010 file photo.

REUTERS/PAUL HACKETT/FILES

 Wed Nov 11, 2015

British pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies face a major skills shortage which threatens future investment and the long-term success of the life sciences sector, according to a new industry report.

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) said on Wednesday that firms could increasingly seek workers abroad due to low numbers of good quality candidates, particularly those with appropriate biology and maths skills.

The report follows a warning this week from lawmakers on the House of Commons science and technology committee that Britain's position as a "science superpower" would be jeopardized if government spending on science was not protected.

Government spending on science has fallen about 6 percent in real terms since 2010, leaving Britain spending 1.7 percent of gross domestic product on science and research, below the 2.8 percent and 2.9 percent spent by the United States and Germany respectively, the parliamentary committee said.

Despite a number of site closures in recent years, pharmaceuticals remains an important industrial sector in Britain, employing more than 70,000 people, and the country has traditionally punched above its weight in developing new drugs.

(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by David Clarke)

How to Reduce a Bloated Belly in 60 Seconds 

With This Simple Recipe

Womans Vibe

10 NOVEMBER 2015
There’s an easy way to reduce that big belly size of yours, this is the Sassy Water. Named after its inventor Cynthia Sass who came up with it for the “Flat Belly Diet”, this recipe transforms ordinary water into a wonder drink that can do wonders for your health. It contains almost no calories and can even help improve your digestion.

Sassy Water is a key element in the Flat Belly Diet program. And there’s a good reason for it. You see while drinking eight glasses of water might meet your body’s requirement for hydration there are a few things that you need to be concerned about: your body’s fluid (electrolyte) balance and water retention

Drinking Sassy Water can help facilitate good digestion and its ingredients are there just for the kicks so to speak. Ginger, cucumber, lemon and spearmint can improve your well being in more ways than you can imagine.

Ingredients

2 liters water (about 8½ c)

1 tsp freshly grated ginger

1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

1 lemon, thinly sliced

12 spearmint leaves

Directions

Do not peal lemons

Mix all ingredients in the large picture

Leave the mixture in the fridge over night

Drink Sassy Water during the next day, starting in the morning.

Lemon and lemon water are perfect for the weight loss process. Lemon is a natural diuretic and it is an alkaline food which provides proper pH balance.

Cucumber is a nutritive diuretic. It boosts kidney function that burns fat through urine. This function has an essential significance for healthy weight loss effect.

Mint. It is well known after calming effect on your stomach. It also helps you to improve digestion.

Ginger is one of the most impressive ingredients in this recipe. It has a marvelous smell & taste and conveys many healthy benefits. Ginger is very useful for calming down your gastrointestinal tract and it is a proved cancer fighter.

Life and Tamil despair in Sri Lanka’s refugee camps (video)

by Melani Manel Perera-11/09/2015

Some 30,000 people remain internally displaced in northern Sri Lanka. Some 38 refugee camps accommodate 1,536 families. A displaced Tamil talks ​​about life in the Neethavan camp, on the Jaffna Peninsula. Each shelter is home to 2-3 families, or 10-15 people, without electricity and poor sanitation. Security remains a problem. Video shows conditions in the Konatpulam Tamil refugee camp.


Colombo (AsiaNews) – “If we do not get our land back by the end of the year, we will go to a famous place and set ourselves on fire. One person from each of Sri Lanka’s 38 Tamil refugee camps will do this. Those who burn to death might not go back home, but their families will,” said Vijaya Raajaa, a young Tamil refugee ​​living in the Neethavan refugee camp near Jaffna, northern Sri Lanka, home to scores of people who fled their lands during the country’s civil war.
The young man has had it. “Enough is enough. We can’t take it anymore. Some of us have lost our parents; others lost wives, husbands, and children. Some have disappeared. As if that was not enough, our land is still occupied by Colombo’s army. Is there any justice in all of that?”



The Tamil refugee’s protest comes a few weeks after another group of refugeesthreatened massive actions should the authorities fail to listen to their demands. Also recently, the National Fisheries Solidarity Movement (NAFSO) released a study about the current conditions of the Tamil population. It shows that some 1,536 families, or 5,836 people, live in 38 refugee camps.

The study also shows that the Jaffna Peninsula is home to 30,000 Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs). It found that 2-3 families, or 10-15 people, live per shelter. About 55 per cent of the shelters lack electrical power. Inadequate sanitary facilities have to be shared. Without electrical power in the camps, security is an issue. No one dares go outside at night.

The Neethavan camp is about six kilometres from Jaffna and has been in operation since 1990. At present, it holds 58 families: 111 men, 116 women (15 of whom are head of the household), and 65 minors. Most families are Hindu; seven are Christian.

A video showing the conditions in which people live was shot in another camp, that of Konatpulam, illustrating the hardships Tamils have to endure.

Vijaya said that his father disappeared in 1995, when he was 11 years old. His mother was left alone to raise him and his two siblings. Now he has to care for his mother, wife and two kids.

“This is 151st time I tell my story of suffering and sadness,” he said bitterly. “We do not want anyone’s help, not even the government. So many have come to listen to us, but no one has done anything. We do not want assistance aid anymore. All we want is to get out of the camps and go back to our villages."

The refugee said that Tamils ​​do not believe the "promises made by the government and [aid] organisations. Everybody comes here; they give us food, and then they leave. I hope someone puts poison in the rice they give us; at least we’ll die without realising it. We can’t go on like this."

Now monsoon rains are expected at the end of the month. Every year, they cause a lot of damage.
"We got some tents from one organisation but they are broken and must be repaired. They gave us six nails for seven tents. We have to buy the others, but we don’t have the money."


“Everyone living in a camp should be resettled immediately,” he insisted. “Otherwise we will do what we said we would do.”

Forced disappearance Stuck in the same paradigm

2015-11-10
A quarter century since it began, the issue of missing persons is still a problem, that has left more questions than answers.  As the website of the Presidential Commission to Investigate into Complaints Regarding Missing Persons itself states, 23,249 complaints have been made regarding disappearances as at October 23, 2015; 18,249 by civilians and 5,000 by security forces.  That’s a minimum of 0.11% of the total population of Sri Lanka having disappeared.  Take a minute and think of the fact that a minimum of 23,249 people have disappeared in Sri Lanka; disappeared from their homes without a trace. The scarier fact is that since June 10, 1990 no solution has been found to the problem.

Forced Disappearance Stuck in the Same Paradigm by Thavam Ratna

Sri Lanka’s Unexpected Political Opening Won’t Last Forever

After two big elections and the passage of another UN Human Rights Council resolution, is Sri Lanka’s new government really sincere about deeper reform?

Image Credit: Maithripala Sirisena/ Flickr

By Taylor Dibbert-November 09, 2015

Sri Lanka’s new government, led by President Maithripala Sirisena, has now made a range of assurances via an extensive reform agenda and is now faced with the trickier task of implementation. Elections in January (when Sirisena defeated the increasingly authoritarian Mahinda Rajapaksa in his quest to win an unprecedented third term) and August parliamentary polls, combined with the recently passed UN Human Rights Council (HRC)resolution on Sri Lanka, have presented the country with an unanticipated opening.

The Sirisena administration has set out a wide-ranging plan and may be tempted to deprioritize the more controversial war-related matters. Nonetheless, failing to recognize that transitional justice, including accountability (for wartime abuses), is an essential part of the government’s broader governance and institution-building agenda would be a significant mistake. Thus far, Colombo has been reluctant to take even small steps to reach out to the Tamil community. That needs to change.

On October 25, Rajapaksa, delivered a predictable speech. Unsurprisingly, Rajapaksa has problems with the latest HRC resolution on Sri Lanka, which is designed to promote human rights, justice and reconciliation in the divided island nation that’s still recovering from a civil war that spanned nearly three decades. Rajapaksa doesn’t want to see meaningful international involvement in the country’s transitional justice process and hopes to protect the military. Here’s part of his speech:

These plans that are being made to persecute members of our armed forces cannot be implemented without amending the law. Parliament has the power to thwart all these plans being made to victimise our war heroes who sacrificed so much in the war against terror. I appeal to all Members of Parliament regardless of party affiliation, not to allow the passage of any legislation aimed at persecuting members of our armed forces. This is a matter that goes beyond politics and is about our country, our nation, our sovereignty and our self respect.

Rajapaksa goes on to state that Sri Lanka is “now faced with the most perilous moment since independence in 1948.” That’s simply untrue.

It should come as no surprise that Sinhala-Buddhist nationalist elements, especially Rajapaksa, would try to thwart the new government’s proposed agenda. Let’s keep in mind that Sinhala people are the overwhelming ethnic majority in Sri Lanka (and most of them are Buddhists). Sinhala people dominate the country’s institutions, including the military. Will worries over a Sinhala-Buddhist backlash again be used to justify prevarication from those in power?

2015 has not treated Rajapaksa well, though things could arguably be worse. He’s now a member of parliament and has retained some political support (although the current alliance between the nation’s two big political parties, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the United National Party, does not work in his favor). He’s likely concerned about protecting himself and his family from criminal prosecution as well. Ensuring that his eldest son Namal Rajapaksa, who is also a member of parliament and was obviously being groomed for a larger political role, stays politically active is probably a priority for the former president too. Ideally, Rajapaksa wants to preserve his reputation (amongst Sinhala people) as a war hero. After all, under his leadership, Sri Lankan government forces finally defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and ended a war which ran from 1983 to 2009.

Since the conclusion of the HRC’s 30th session in Geneva, senior Sri Lankan government officials have been making it clear that there is no hybrid accountability mechanism in the works and that what’s called for in the latest resolution on Sri Lanka is a domestic mechanism – that Sri Lanka will be moving forward with minimal assistance from the international community. Ruki Fernando, one of Sri Lanka’s leading human rights activists, says that “the government has tried to interpret the HRC resolution it co-sponsored in [a] way that suits its political interest, with different announcements by various government persons.” Fernando also notes that protecting the military looks like a priority for the Sirisena administration, as is downplaying “one of the key focuses of the resolution, which is justice and accountability.”

Jehan Perera, executive director of the Colombo-based National Peace Council, mentions that the Sirisena administration “has done little in terms of explaining the resolution.”

“It seems that the government prefers to let the debate on it, that was there at the time of the passing of the resolution in Geneva, subside before taking further action on it. There is hardly any mention of the resolution in the news, though opponents of it criticize it in articles they write,” says Perera.

Colombo definitely doesn’t want to look like it’s getting pushed around in the international arena, although it’s time for the country’s political leadership to describe the contents of the HRC resolution clearly (to Sri Lankan citizens) and explain why the reforms it calls for are so crucial. Things may be happening behind the scenes orin smaller meetings, although a compelling program without a thoughtful public diplomacy strategy is unlikely to draw broad public support. Explaining the need for accountability will be especially contentious. “The most difficult thing for the government will be the international element in the judicial mechanism,” notes Perera.

Fernando says that the main challenge now is for Colombo “to have political vision and courage to be transparent and honest about intentions and plans and do the correct thing, even if it may not be the most popular and politically convenient.”

The international community has made it clear that it’s ready to help Sri Lanka at every step of the way. And, in spite of the ambiguities, the HRC resolution (which the Sirisena administration co-sponsored) clearly calls for international involvement; it’s the ambit of international participation that remains a source of debate. For their part, international actors (including states, nongovernmental organizations and U.N. special procedures mandate holders) should keep pressing Colombo to include them in the process.

In making its case to the public, the Sirisena administration could deftly explain that while the country’s plans for transitional justice will be uniquely Sri Lankan, international assistance is advantageous to ensure a truly credible, inclusive process. “A major part of this will be to explain to the Sinhalese population why independent mechanisms are important, and why [a] significant degree of actual international participation – beyond monitoring, advising, offering finances and training – is important to ensure independence and effectiveness of transitional justice mechanisms,” notes Fernando.

The next six to eighteen months will define both Sirisena’s political legacy and the future direction of the country. The obstacles to deeper changes are real, although they are not insurmountable. Based on what we’ve seen during two recent elections and the resolution that was recently passed at the HRC, there’s a genuine chance to begin ending the cycle of impunity, to start building a more inclusive state and to commence creating a lasting peace that Sri Lankans from all walks of life – irrespective of peoples’ ethnic, religious or social background – can truly enjoy.

Let’s hope that Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe recognize the importance of working together and acting upon this unique opportunity to help move the country from a post-war society to a post-conflict one. Unexpected political openings don’t last forever.

Memories Of Ven Sobitha Thero

By Nimalka Fernando –November 10, 2015 

Dr. Nimalka Fernando

On Sunday I received a telephone call inquiring whether I have heard a bad news regarding Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha. I immediately thought ‘Oh no. Not at this point of time’. I told my friend

‘We need him most now.’ Venerable Sobitha and I did not share the same political views for quite sometime. May be even in the present context we might have had strategic differences. We belong to different religions and social ethos and came to share the ‘yahapalanaya’ political dream only few years ago. But I have always feared and respected him as the only Buddhist charismatic leader in Sri Lanka since I met him three decades ago. I think it was in early 1983. A meeting had been convened by trade unions and religious leaders at the Kotte Nagaviharaya to support the strike launched by the of Nurses Union lead by Muruthetuwe Ananda Thero.

I was then the Secretary of the Development Commission of the National Christian Council. I had just passed out as an Attorney-at-Law. I was not inclined to continue as a practicing lawyer. Some leaders of the Student Chriatian Movement who had encouraged me to get a professional qualification quickly bundled me back into the safe heaven of a christian institution. I had dabbled in theology for a while at the Theological College of Lanka and they realised that my interest in liberation theology would serve the purpose of the NCC-DC which was pioneered by the late Bishop Lakshman Wickremesinghe and catholic priests like Fr Paul Casperz. They wanted an activist assistant. The NCC-DC was a path breaking experiment. We had Venerable Buddhiyagama Thero and the late Dr Rajasigham who was murdered inside the Welikade prison during the sinhala mob during the communal pogrom in July 1983 as members. It was truly an ecumencial initiative and was creating the much needed buddhist-christian dialogue. It is this urge to promote a closer alliance with what is happening in contemporary politics that lead me to attend this solidarity meeting held in the Kotte Naga Viharaya Temple. This is when I first saw, met and listened to Ven Sobitha and realised the strong leadership he provided in this struggle for rights.                                                            Read More                                          

Mauled Marapana quits

Tilak Marapana at the media briefing yesterday - Pic by Shehan Gunasekara

By Dharisha Bastians-Tuesday, 10 November 2015

In a historic twist being hailed as a great tribute to good governance crusader late Maduluwawe SobithaThero who passed away on Sunday, Law and Order Minister Tilak J. Marapana submitted his resignation to President Maithripala Sirisena, shortly before his Cabinet colleagues looked set to demand his sacking at a special ministerial meeting yesterday.
Marapana’s resignation marks the first time a cabinet minister in Sri Lanka has been forced to resign following public outrage over a perceived conflict of interest and an alleged implication in a corruption scandal.

Mauled Marapana Quits by Thavam Ratna

The courageous role the Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero played should continue to the future!

Picture courtesy SithTV

by Lionel Bopage 

- on 11/10/2015

We are deeply saddened by the demise of the Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero, the chief incumbent of the Kotte Naga Maha Vihara. He contributed immensely as the Convener and Chairperson of the National Movement for a Just Society in Sri Lanka. As far as I know, the Venerable Thero was one of those rare Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka’s post-independence history, who had the courage to stand up against the injustice of the powerful.

At the end of 1970s, when I was a member of the JVP, I had the opportunity to meet up with the Venerable Thero to discuss the prevailing situation of the country. He was clearly standing above party politics, but willing to work for achieving fair and just solutions to the problems of the people. While in exile, I visited Sri Lanka in early 2000, and had the opportunity to meet up with him again at the Kotte Naga Vihara. One of the important points of our discussion was regarding the necessity for developing a political solution to the national question in Sri Lanka, which would be acceptable to all stakeholders involved. Even at the height of the armed conflict, while he was supporting the war of the state against the LTTE, he was not against working out a fair and just solution to the problems and grievances of the Tamil people.

In discussing the issue, the Venerable Thero expressed the view that political parties in Sri Lanka work mostly for narrow gains and their own selfish interests, rather than being focused on the needs of the country and its people as a whole. His view was to establish a council of the country’s intelligentsia that reflects the diversity that exists in the island, so as to study all aspects of the national question and develop and recommend a political solution appropriate to the country and its people as a whole. Later those recommendations can be subjected to discussion at the political and executive level in order to gain wide support. He emphasised the need for a clean policy based politics, rather than working on an opportunistic political agenda.

He played a leadership role in the movement that worked for defeating the corrupt and criminal political culture that prevailed, by establishing a new President to the country in January 2015, and a new government in August 2015. He has always emphasised the need to fulfil the pledges that were made to the people during the two elections. He went on to state that if these commitments are not fulfilled, it will be disastrous to all. In order to achieve this, he wanted civil society to be active and for it to take steps to ensure an end to the Executive Presidency; to change the electoral system, to properly investigate allegations of bribery or corruption and to penalise the perpetrators. He did not want corrupt individuals or candidates that were incapable of serving people to be elected to the Parliament. The Venerable Thero appealed to all political parties to nominate only suitable individuals. He further appealed to the people to vote only for suitable candidates.

I believe the greatest honour we can bestow upon the Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero will be to make what he envisaged in terms of good governance in Sri Lanka and addressing the problems of its people a reality. He was a boundless inspiration to all those people who have been in the forefront in the struggle for defeating autocracy, family bandyism, nepotism, bribery and corruption.

The active role he played courageously and fearlessly to restore basic human rights and freedoms of peoples of Sri Lanka needs to carry on to the future!

10 November 2015, Melbourne, Australia