Oral contraceptives 'unlikely' to cause birth defects, according to new study

A large Danish study finds no increase in the risk of birth defects due to contraceptive pill usage.

Written by Tim Newman-Thursday 7 January 2016

A arge Danish study looking at nearly 900,000 births finds no link between birth defects and the use of oral contraceptives around the time of conception and early pregnancy. The global sigh of relief is almost audible.

The oral contraceptive pill is the most commonly used form ofcontraception by women in America. An estimated 16% of women aged 15-44 use the contraceptive pill regularly.

The reasons for this prevalence are clear; they are simple to take and, when used accurately, are 99% effective.

However, within the first year of taking the oral contraceptive, around 9% of users become pregnant. This is generally through missed doses, illness or drug interactions. Also, when a woman decides to become pregnant and stops taking the pill, she may become pregnant within just a few menstrual cycles.

In both of these cases, the fetus may have some exposure to the sex hormones in the pill.

Despite the vast numbers of women and fetuses exposed to these hormones, very little is known about their potential effects on the unborn child.

Previous research into fetal effects of contraceptive pills

Research into this matter spans decades, and for good reason. It is known that exogenous sex hormones increase levels ofvitamin A and decrease the levels of folate in the mother. Both of these changes are considered to be theoretically teratogenic; in other words, they have the potential to disturb the development of the embryo.

Although the subject has been investigated, much of the findings are tentative at best. Some of the previous studies were reliant on retrospectively self-reporting usage of the contraceptive pill. The concern is that a woman who has a child with a birth defect may recall their oral contraceptive exposure differently.

Other studies utilized only small sample sizes, and because birth defects are rare, unless a huge sample is used, it is difficult to infer a genuine relationship with any degree of accuracy.

Some earlier research found no links between oral contraceptives and birth defects; others found associations between the pill and hypoplastic left heart syndrome (malformed left ventricle), limb defects, gastroschisis (the baby's intestines protrude through a hole in the abdominal wall) and urinary tract anomalies.

A fresh look at the problem

The current study, published in The BMJ, is the largest and most wide-ranging study to delve into the details of this important topic.

A team of Danish and American researchers poured over the records of live births in Denmark between 1997-2011. In total, after discounting children born with birth defects caused by a known factor, for instance, fetal alcohol syndrome, the team was left with 880,694 births.

Of this huge sample of births, 2.5% had birth defects within the first year of life.

From a national registry database, the team was able to pinpoint the last time the mothers were prescribed oral contraceptives.

Of the mothers, 68% used the contraceptive pill but stopped using it more than 3 months before becoming pregnant. In total, 8% continued using the pill within the 3 month window before pregnancy and 1% used the oral contraceptive beyond pregnancy.

The team adjusted for other factors that can influence the likelihood of using contraceptives or potentially increase the risk of birth defects. These included education level, household income, previous pregnancies with birth defects, smoking during pregnancy and other prescription drug use.

The findings were clear-cut and are sure to put expectant mothers' collective minds at ease. The quantities of birth defects were stable across all four groups:

• Never used oral contraceptives: 25.1 birth defects per 1,000 births
• Used oral contraceptives more than 3 months before pregnancy: 25.0 birth defects per 1,000 births
• Oral contraceptive use 0-3 months before pregnancy: 24.9 birth defects per 1,000 births
• Oral contraceptive use during early pregnancy: 24.8 birth defects per 1,000 births.

The authors of the research say:

"For women who have a breakthrough pregnancy during oral contraceptive use or even intentionally become pregnant within a few months of stopping oral contraceptive use, any exposure is unlikely to cause her fetus to develop a major birth defect."

Although the authors are quick to note that this is an observational study and, therefore, cannot claim to prove cause and effect, it certainly adds compelling evidence for the level of safety of the oral contraceptive.

Medical News Today recently covered research showing a reduction in endometrial cancer through contraceptive pill usage.

Written by Tim Newman

President wreaking havoc : Blocks arrest of Rajapakse siblings in Thajudeen murder ; interferes in Ekneliyagoda investigations and with FCID

(Lanka-e-News -07.Jan.2016, 1.05AM) Based on the evidence  that have surfaced in connection with the ghastly cruel murder of Thajudeen the Rugby player , though it is possible to arrest both Namal Rajapakse and Yoshitha Rajapakse , but because of the pressures exerted by president Maithripala Sirisena , the arrests are thwarted, according to information reaching Lanka e news inside information division. Earlier on too the media reported  one of the Rajapakse siblings was to be taken into custody , that too was obstructed on pressures brought to bear on  it by  the president. 

Meanwhile , the CCTV recordings relating to the Thajudeen  murder forwarded to the computer division of the Colombo University for investigation are blurred because of the light flashing on the pictures  ,and consequently ,  the video recordings cannot be made out  , the information system  Manager S.C.M. B. Dissanayake of the University computer faculty had informed Colombo additional magistrate Nishantha Peiris yesterday, while recommending that those video recordings be subjected to a foreign investigation.

Lanka e news is in receipt of reports that in the FCID investigations in connection with the suspects - Rajapakse siblings  , president Maithripala is applying intense pressures . Even when Lalith Weeratunge the secretary  to the  ex president Mahinda Rajapakse was summoned to the FCID pertaining to the Sil clothes colossal fraud , the president has furiously berated DIG  Ravi Waidyalankara the chief of the FCID via the phone. It is also learnt that in the Siriliya account involvement of Shiranthi Rajapakse , because of the intense pressures applied  by the president , the investigation has been suspended.

The Lanka e news inside information service within the Presidential secretariat reveals that DIG  Waidyalankara who was conducting investigations  impartially so far is to be replaced by DIG S.M. Wickremesinghe the president’s secret friend who became notorious as the ‘helup karaya’ of the President when the latter goes gallivanting in the nights after facial ‘make up’ is done for the president by Royal cosmetic expert . Indeed the family of Maithripala had complained that DIG Wickremesinghe is trying to break up the family based on these night outings.It is reported plans are afoot to hand over the FCID to this DIG Wickremesinghe who accompanies Maithripala when he turns into prince charming in the nights and creeps out. Wickemesinghe is the son of a Goviraja of Polonnaruwa.

It is learnt that the president during the last several days using his close SLFP ministers castigated the FCID  through media briefings . This is believed to be  a part of the plan driven by  the ulterior motive to make  the FCID submissive and make it dance according to his villainous  tune.

It has by now become crystal clear that providing legal aid by the army to the army suspects in the murder of Prageeth Ekneliyagoda , which has never ever happened before in the country’s history is being carried out with the president’s consent . Hence the Civil organizations are throughly disappointed and disillusioned over it. They have expressed their displeasure in this regard.

A Civil organization leader Saman Rathnapriya making a statement today said , the defense secretary Hettiarachi had pressurised the Attorney General’s department to withdraw  Dileepa Peiris who is the state counsel ,from the Ekneliyagoda case . It is noteworthy Dileepa Peiris is taking a firm stand against legal aid being provided to the army suspects in Ekneliyagoda’s case.

In the meantime , Josef Stalin the secretary of the Teachers association convening a media briefing yesterday said , “a group is saying ,in the Ekneliyagoda murder investigations, the heroes of the forces have been taken into custody . Just because they fought a war , it does not mean anybody  is issued license to kill people. The Brigadier who is responsible for the shooting in  the Rathupaswala incident has returned to the country. No action has been taken agaisnt him either.In the report of the Human Rights Commission , it is clearly mentioned , the law shall be enforced against  those who did the shooting and who gave the orders. Until today nothing has been done in this regard.  It is most intriguing and a big issue to us why this government too is giving protection to them,'' Stalin pointed out.

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by     (2016-01-06 19:41:38)

Sri Lanka is Already ‘Quasi Unitary’

Our empirical evidence show, although I have not exhausted all, that with the 13th Amendment, our state system has transformed relatively into a new form. The Supreme Court’s majority determination also noted that ‘devolution should be distinguished from decentralization.’ Decentralization is primarily a device in a unitary state, but devolution moves beyond its parameters.

by Laksiri Fernando

( January 6, 2016, Sydney, Sri Lanka Guardian) There are possibilities that the debates on the new constitution making process becoming polarized on ‘unitary’ versus ‘federal’ lines. This is unfortunate because the ‘old distinctions’ between the two do not exist any longer. The distinctions or differences are within a broad spectrum of state or constitutional types, and not between the above binary categories. It is only at the two extreme points that ‘pure unitary’ or ‘pure federal’ states may exist, and even that only in theory, but not in practice.

Sri Lanka is Already ‘Quasi Unitary’ by Thavam Ratna

National Reconciliation: Preservation Of Religious & Ethnic Harmony

By Mass L. Usuf –January 6, 2016

Mass L. Usuf

The idea of national reconciliation embraces the citizenry of the entire nation. The path to reach this consensus is through aligning the nation to the theme of Mankind. If there is one thing which can catalyze the bonding of people of different hues, it is this basic social structure – Man and woman. Allow the nomenclatures of race, religion and caste orbit on their own field forces. Let the differentiations serve only as identities for the purpose of knowing and understanding the diversity.

This alignment is a process by itself. There is a huge national and social responsibility that has to be shouldered by the government, civil organizations, religious institutions, educational institutions and the citizens. The greatest responsibility lies with the government. It must commit itself with courage, steadfastness and a determined will to engineer this social change. A redirection of the trajectory of traditional notions towards a more inclusive social structure should be on the anvil. To live with 18th century thinking in the present cannot be more disastrous to the nation. The reality is, whether we like it or not, we must take cognizance of the potpouri of different cultures, heritages, languages, religions, ethnicities and their evolutionary processes. The mutually exclusive elements of this mix nevertheless are inclusively linked by a simple basic structure – Man and woman.

Testing sincerity

As part of the powers and duties presently exercised under Article 33 of the Constitution, the President shall also promote national reconciliation and integration. A powerful personality has been appointed as the Chairperson to the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR), Ex-President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Her task inter alia is to ensure and facilitate the preservation of religious and ethnic harmony.

A mere extension of the President’s powers to embrace these areas may arguably be critiqued as a cosmetic embellishment. In fact, if the President decides he can ignore or go slow on the promotion of national reconciliation and preservation of religious and ethnic harmony. Who can question him in this regard? Therefore, from a Presidential power point of view, in this instance, there is the concentration of power in one authority with the choice for elective usage. This nation has seen the good, the bad and the ugly. President Maithripala Sirisena is a good person but Article 33 will survive him.                   Read More

Sri Lanka’s torture machine continues in peacetime

Photo: Amantha Perera/IRINVijitha Pavanendran holds a photo of her husband who was killed by unknown attackers during Sri Lanka's civil war

By Jared Ferrie -06 January 2016

PHNOM PENH, 6 January 2016 (IRIN) - Sri Lanka’s new government has been lauded for efforts at reconciliation after a devastating civil war. Yet, civilians are still being abducted, tortured and sexually abused by security forces, according to a report published today.

The abuses carry echoes of the not-so-distant past.

War erupted in the early 1980s in the island nation when the Tamil Tigers began fighting for an independent homeland for the ethnic Tamil minority, which had suffered discrimination under the Sinhalese majority. The conflict finally ended in May 2009 with the defeat of the Tamil Tigers, but by then more than 100,000 people had been killed, mostly civilians.

Thousands more civilians disappeared during the war in a practice that became known as “white vanning”, because of the choice of vehicle used by the security agents.

Sri Lanka’s government resisted international pressure to investigate crimes committed during the war. But the political dynamic changed a year ago when President Maithripala Sirisena took power after a closely fought election. His government has initiated programmes aimed at reconciliation, and even promised a truth commission.

SEE: Will UN report bring justice for Sri Lanka war victims?
The new report by the International Truth and Justice Project is based on testimonies from 20 victims who were abducted during the past year under Sirisena’s tenure. It raises questions about how sincere the government is about reconciliation, and about how much control it has over security forces.

“Sadly Sri Lanka’s notorious ‘white vans' are still operating; it’s very much business as usual,” said ITJP’s executive director Yasmin Sooka in a statement.

Sooka is a former member of truth commissions in South Africa and Sierra Leone, and was a legal adviser the United Nations secretary general on accountability in Sri Lanka after the war. The identities of most members of the ITJP are kept secret to allow them to work, but they include prosecutors and researchers who have worked with international war crimes tribunals. The ITJP is administered by the Foundation for Human Rights, which was set up by the South African government under the leadership of former president Nelson Mandela.

Here are some key points included in the report:

· All victims were Tamil and many had come home from other countries or came out of hiding in Sri Lanka, because they felt secure after the change in government. The most recent abduction was last month.

· Researchers interviewed 15 men and five women in four countries. In addition to other corroborating evidence of torture, several victims had fresh wounds and two were still bleeding at the time of the interviews.

· Torture occurred in well-equipped rooms and included being hung upside-down and beaten, being branded with metal rods, and asphyxiated using a plastic bag soaked with petrol or chili. Both male and female victims were raped repeatedly.

· The perpetrators were members of the police and military intelligence, and some were senior officers. The torture took place in army bases in the former war zone, at Terrorism Investigation Division headquarters in the capital, Colombo, and in secret facilities throughout the country.

· The abductions were pre-planned operations and the torturers had information about many of the victims' political activities, including participation in peaceful protests or elections. Several victims were accused of attempting to start up the Tamil Tigers group again.

· All but one victim paid security forces for their release and escape from the country. The bribes ranged from $2,500 to $7,000 for release from detention and $17,000 to $35,000 to then be smuggled out of the country. 

· The report concludes that there is a well-organised "machine" within the security forces that practices torture and extortion in order to terrorise and oppress Tamils. It urges the government to stop denying the extent of the problem and to take action immediately to halt the abuses and hold perpetrators accountable.

jf/

In the throes of political reform

"The outcome of the presidential and parliamentary elections of last year represents significant democratic gains that Sri Lanka can ill-afford to fritter away.” File photo shows Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe with President Maithripala Sirisena in Colombo.

K. Venkataramanan-January 6, 2016

As Sri Lanka begins a complicated and cumbersome process of writing a new Constitution, it must recover a Westminster-style parliamentary system and have safeguards for minorities

Writing about constitutional change in Sri Lanka is like watching a video that does not have a pause button. If the viewing is interrupted for some reason, it has to be watched from the beginning again. Each time there is a pause in the ceaseless quest for ethnic and national unity in the island nation, one has to go back to where it all began: how much devolution for Tamils will lead to an acceptable resolution of the ethnic question? And, more pertinently, will this be yet another missed opportunity?

In the Throes of Political Reform by Thavam Ratna

Norway to Hold Talks with ex-President Chandrika

06/01/2016 

( Mr. Vidar Helgessen (centre) and Special envoy to the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, Mr.Erik Solheimmet with then Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga – file photo)

The Norwegian Government is to hold talks with former President Chandrika Kumaratunga.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Børge Brende, who will undertake a one-day official visit to Sri Lanka tomorrow, will hold talks with former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, the Foreign Ministry said.

Norway played a key role in Sri Lanka during the war when Kumaratunga was President. The last visit by a Foreign Minister of Norway took place in 2005.

The former President currently heads the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR).

Børge Brende is visiting Sri Lanka at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mangala Samaraweera.

Minister Brende will hold bilateral discussions with Minister Samaraweera at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tomorrow, following which the two ministers will address the media.

Minister Brende will call on President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Leader of Opposition R. Sampanthan, and former President Chandrika Kumaratunga tomorrow afternoon.

In the evening Minister Brende will attend a Business Forum organized by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

The visit is expected to focus on economic and development cooperation and explore ways to strengthen and enhance bilateral relations. (Colombo Gazette)

EIA Report On The Environmental Impact Of The Colombo Port City

By Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda –January 5, 2016

Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda

A representative group of over hundred people are submitting their responses to the Director General of the Coast Conservation and Coastal Management Department at Maligawatta on the 6th of January. A period of 30 days was given to the general public to submit their comments on the EIA report on the Colombo Port City. If the authorities were genuinely interested in obtaining public opinion on the assessment, they should have been sensitive to two important realities.

Firstly, an important of document of such nature should have been presented to the general public in a simple language with limited technological and scientific jargon because those directly affected by the project are ordinary citizens of this country and would not be qualified to understand it in technical and scientific language. It is to be regretted that the Coast Conservation and Coastal Management Department has been so insensitive to the above fact.

Secondly, the call for such exercise should not have been called during the month of December. It is simply due to the reason that many who live in the coastal areas, who are deeply affected by the Colombo Port City project, celebrate one of their most important and most popular feasts of their Faith. It is impractical and insensitive to expect from a community to read and understand 400 page document containing so many technological data, maps and diagrams when they are deeply engaged in such a religious and cultural event.

It should be emphasized therefore, the concerned authorities should have published the EIA report either well in advance of the festive season or thereafter. This makes us wonder whether the government was really sincere and serious in receiving the public opinion or was it an attempt made merely to hoodwink the people.

Therefore it is with much regret that people respond to the call of the government for comments on the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) report on the proposed Colombo Port City.

                    Read More

Ranil held the Key..!

By Krishantha Prasad Cooray

(Lanka-e-News -07.Jan.2016, 2.45AM) Victory never falls from the sky.  In politics victories are produced when the conditions for meaningful and effective struggle mature and more importantly those who struggle are empowered by single minded determination, unity of purpose, coherence, coordination and synergy in action, and visionary leadership. It is said and not without cause that victory begets a thousand fathers and that defeat is always a foundling.  Indeed victory is not only fathered severally it is interpreted severally as well.  The result of the Presidential Election held on the 8thof January 2015 is no exception. 

Ranil Held the Key..! by Thavam Ratna

Foreign Ministry appointments: Master Forger to Brussels and Master Joker to Turkey

Jan 06, 2016

Lanka News Web exposed the Yahapalana government gimmicks in making political appointments to Sri Lankan Missions.

We revealed that Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera has made unsuitable and questionable service appointments to Sri Lankan Missions overlooking suitable and deserving officers. Investigations carried out by Lanka News Web have shown that appointments of Maxwell Keegal to Brussels and P.M. Amza to Turkey are questionable and have raised many eyebrows in the Ministry.

There are certain requirements to be fulfilled in the Foreign Service to get the promotions.

One is the proficiency in a foreign language. Keegal who joined the Ministry in 1998 was allocated French language. He was not able to fulfil it for many years.

Suddenly in 2010 he sent a copy of certificate when he was serving in New York supposedly from Alliance Frances in London which indicated that he had passed the required examinations in 2008. This copy apparently certified by the then Ambassador to the UN in New York Dr. Palitha Kohona.

Although these certificates are routinely accepted as genuine the Ministry asked the London High Commission to check on it.

Then it was found out that the certificate was a forgery and Keegal has never attended the Alliance Frances.(Ironically this inquiry made by P.M. Amza when he was serving in London)

On an inquiry from New York it was revealed that Dr. Kohona's signature also has been forged. That means Maxwell Keegal has done two forgeries.

With Keegal's forgeries coming to light some of the senior Foreign Ministry officials set the plan in motion to safeguard him. It was spearheaded by Shenuka Seneviratne, then Additional Foreign Secretary with whom Keegal worked in London High Commission carrying tales to her and the then Foreign Secretary Romesh Jayasinghe.

It was well known that Keegal was sent to New York straight from London to look after the daughter of Jaysinghe who was studying in New York at that time. When Romesh Jayasinghe came to visit his daughter in New York he used to stay at Keegals apartment.

Instead of reporting the matter to the Police as it was two criminal offences, Seneviratne and Jayasinghe got round Sajin Vaas and convinced him to have a domestic disciplinary inquiry.

Suitable letters were sent to mislead the Public Service Commission and a disciplinary inquiry was held. Keegal was demoted and allowed to continue in the Foreign Service. In a country where a poor student who picks up a coconut from a neighbours garden is taken to Magistrates courts as it is considered a criminal offence the Foreign Ministry has acted in a very high handed manner in treating two forgeries which are non bailable criminal offences as a mere matter of indiscipline. This shows the indiscipline of the Foreign Ministry officials.

Keegal became a Rajapaksa faithful for his survival. Seneviratne appointed Keegal to head the BIDTI (Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute)  when she became the Foreign Secretary. She even went to the extent of placing him, a mere Deputy Director, in charge of training the new entrants to the Foreign Service.

After the change of government on January 08 the new Foreign Secretary Wagiswara removed Asanga Abeygunasekara, son of Ossi Abeygunasekara and appointed Keegal to head LKIISS (Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies)

It became a good source of income for Keegal as he gave lectures without attending to his Ministry work at these institutions and also went to give lectures to outside institutions as the head of BIDTI and LKIISS. According to reliable information he does not even now has a Masters degree in International Relations.

After sometime Wagiswara and Samaraweera decided to send Keegal to Brussels overlooking more senior deserving officers and disregarding that he had previously served in Canberra, London and New York, all considered to be grade 1 stations. Not bad for a master forger who should be behind bars and not representing Sri Lanka.

P.M. Amza who is considered a very incapable and a mediocre officer by his superiors and batch mates is considered to be joker in the Ministry because of the stupid things he used to do when he was doing a desk job. But he has proved that he is very good at going behind those in power and marketing himself.

As he could not do a desk job properly he was put to the Protocol Division.

He capitalised on this position going behind politicians and became one of Sajin Vaas Gunawardena’s lackeys. Through Sajin Vaas first he got the post of Chief of Protocol. He never acted according to his post. He was like the ‘palace joker.’ But it was smart on his part to be like that and because he managed to get lot of favours.

It was Amza who taught Sajin Vaas how to go round the world at Government expense and abuse state funds without getting caught. It was Amza who started the advance parties visits which was not there before that.

By doing all the biddings of the Rajapaksas he managed to get posted to Chennai with the Ambassador rank. There he and his wife interfered in the construction of the Chancery building for obvious reasons. From then he had three more postings for a continuous period of about 10 years in London and as the Ambassador in Germany and Brussels.

During Rajapaksa era all political appointees were asked to come to Sri Lanka to work for Rajapaksa campaign. Amza is the only career diplomat who came to Sri Lanka to campaign for Rajapaksa. He came down for the 2010 Presidential Election campaign from London at Government expense and was given free accommodation at Jaic Hilton. According some of his colleagues he has addressed rallies in the eastern province campaigning for Rajapaksa.

From Brussels he wanted to go on another posting or at least get an extension. But Sajin Vaas refused saying that it was time for him to serve in Sri Lanka like others.

He sent an email blasting Sajin to some of his close colleagues. A copy of the email was given to Sajin and inquiries conducted and Amza was recalled immediately and sent to the ‘pool.’ He spent about three months without being given any work. 
After January 08 election he immediately changed colours and claimed to be a ‘politically victimised.’

A foreign Ministry senior official told Lanka News Web ‘all of us don’t mind being politically victimised if that means we can have about 10 years of continuous posting and then be in Sri Lanka not doing any work for a few months while being paid the salary and then get plum positions again and go on another round of postings.’

In the Yahapalana government he was handpicked by Wagiswara to be Chief of Protocol again with the approval of Samaraweera. This was a golden opportunity for him to travel the world on advance visits and Presidents visits earning lot of money. Now he is teaching the ropes to the Yahapalana Government how to enjoy life at state cost while doing the palace joker role once again. Foreign Ministry sources say that he is more out of the country than the Foreign Minister. Now he has got round Samaraweera and got posted to Turkey which also covers seven other countries.

While war winning General Sarath Fonseka was sent to prison and his civic rights removed for allegedly doing politics in uniform, a person like Amza who has not done anything for the country other than marketing himself well and enjoying the facilities has been rewarded by the Yahapalana Government with a plum posting for doing politics for the Rajapaksas.

Why the people of Sri Lanka voted the Yahapalan Government into power was to make sure that Rajapaksa time abuse of power is put to stop. But Mangala Pinsisri Samaraweera who shouted himself hoarse against the Beeshnaya and Dooshanaya of the Rajapaksas instead of taking action against who has done wrong seems to be rewarding the misfits in the Foreign Ministry sideling the professional straight forward officers.

It is time for Samaraweera to open his eyes and do the correct thing or he will become just another Foreign Minister who ruined the Foreign Ministry.

Sri Lanka Economic Forum Structured Around Four Key Areas: Prime Minister’s Office

January 6, 2016 

JaSri Lanka Economic Forum 2016 is structured around four key areas of risk and opportunity, with several internationally-respected thought leaders invited to share their perspectives with the Government of Sri Lanka, the Prime Minister’s office said today.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe

According to the statement issued by the PM’s office, Harvard University’s Center for International Development has done an initial growth diagnosis on Sri Lanka and has identified the following key areas they believe are important to support sustained and inclusive long-term growth.

• Macroeconomic and Fiscal Stability
• Structural Transformation and Competitiveness
• Urbanization and Development
• Regional Development and Social Inclusion

We publish below the statement in full;

On the threshold of entering into an era of unprecedented economic growth, spotlight falls on Sri Lanka in 2016 with the much awaited Sri Lanka Economic Forum 2016.

Under a theme of “Steering Sri Lanka towards Sustainable & Inclusive Development”, the Sri Lanka Economic Forum is held in Colombo at the Cinnamon Grand on the 07th and 08th of January 2016 under the patronage of His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena, President of Sri Lanka and Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. The Forum will be graced by the likes of international investor and Founder Chairman of Open Society George Soros and Nobel Laureate Economist Joseph Stieglitz, in addition to a glittering line up of internationally acclaimed experts and other distinguished visitors.Read More

Ranil brings Soros who destroyed economies in Eastern Asian countries

SUNDAY, 03 JANUARY 2016

Prime Minister, while making a special statement in Parliament on 5th November, said that billionaire businessman George Soros would be invited to Sri Lanka. Soros arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday (2nd).

Born in Hungary and considered as the second biggest investor in the world Soros is a US businessman who has been accused regarding the economic and financial crisis that occurred in Eastern Asia during mid nineties.

Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad accused him of destroying the economy of Eastern Asian countries by instantly withdrawing funds that had been invested in those countries.

Also, two foundations launched by George Soros have been officially banned by the Russian government. Russia charged that the groups pose a threat to Russian national security and public order.

He arrived in Sri Lanka last night with his wife and children. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was holidaying in the UK, arrived in the island today (3rd) morning. He is expected to make a special statement tomorrow.

Torture casts a shadow over Sirisena’s first year as President of Sri Lanka

The following statement issued by the Freedom from Torture, a rights group based in London. 

( January 6, 2016, Colombo – London , Sri Lanka Guardian) As Sri Lanka marks a year since the election on 8 January 2015 which brought President Sirisena to power, Freedom from Torture releases new details of recent torture cases and warns that the government must place a higher priority on tackling torture by the country’s military, police and security services.

The UK human rights charity’s report Tainted Peace: Torture in Sri Lanka since May 2009 galvanised international concerns about ongoing torture and helped build support for a UN Human Rights Council resolution in autumn 2015 emphasising the need for action.

Since then, however, Freedom from Torture has continued to receive a high volume of referrals for people tortured in Sri Lanka, including under Sirisena’s presidency.

In 2015, for the fourth year in a row, Sri Lanka was the top country of origin for those referred to Freedom from Torture for clinical services. More than 300 Sri Lankan referrals were received in all, more than 20% of all referrals received by the charity last year.

These patterns look set to continue unless the Sri Lankan government follows through on its public commitments in Geneva to reform the security sector including credible efforts to stamp out torture practices.

Freedom from Torture is particularly concerned at the government’s failure to produce a detailed action plan to eliminate torture and make accountability for past torture a reality.

The absence of such a plan calls into question the wisdom of channelling foreign aid to the Sri Lankan military since there is still such a high risk that it will be linked to further human rights abuse. Ahead of a planned visit by Prime Minister David Cameron in 2016, the UK recently pledged £6.6 million to Sri Lanka over the next three years, including for ‘military reform’.

Sonya Sceats, Director of Policy and Advocacy, said:

“President Sirisena’s recognition that reconciliation requires accountability for torture and other serious abuses is a welcome change after persistent obstruction by his predecessor.

“But having set a new tone, the President must match his rhetoric with a clear blueprint for rooting out torture from Sri Lanka’s security sector and putting perpetrators on trial, no matter how powerful they may be.

“We have medical evidence of torture by the Sri Lankan military and intelligence services since Sirisena came to power, which suggests that an abusive ‘deep state’ is still terrorising communities and impeding Sri Lanka’s post-war revival.”

To date, Freedom from Torture has received eight referrals for torture that happened in Sri Lanka after the change of regime in January 2015, including one case of torture in July 2015. In all eight cases the victim was Tamil and they reported arbitrary detention and torture by the Sri Lankan army or intelligence services.

Two of these survivors identified the notorious Joseph Camp, run by the military in Vavuniya, as the site of their most recent torture. Other reported torture facilities included the fourth-floor headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department in Colombo and a makeshift jungle camp and in other cases the precise location of the torture facility was unknown, including because of the use of blindfolds.

Many of these survivors of recent torture have the tell-tale signs of branding with heated metal rods and disclosed sexual forms of torture.

Freedom from Torture is calling on President Sirisena to mark the second year of his presidency by:

• Ensuring Sri Lanka ratifies the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention Against Torture and adopts an effective torture prevention programme including extensive training within the military, police and intelligence services and measures to enable independent national and international monitors to make regular unannounced inspections of any place of detention, including unofficial detention facilities;
• Implementing commitments made by Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera at the UN to:
  Undertake security sector reform;
  • Issue a clear instruction to all branches of the security forces that torture, rape, sexual violence and other human rights violations are prohibited and those responsible will be investigated and punished;
  • Review the Victim and Witness Protection Act; and
  • Extend psychosocial support to communities and individuals in need of such care.
• Establishing a credible judicial mechanism to investigate torture and other serious violations of international law, with the participation of Commonwealth and other foreign judges, defence lawyers, prosecutors and investigators, as called for by the UN Human Rights Council resolution supported by Sri Lanka in October 2015; and
• Inviting the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture to visit Sri Lanka in line with the interest he has expressed in undertaking a mission to the country to support torture prevention efforts.