Monday, February 8, 2016

The Lion In The Sinhalese Imagination: Bestiality, Incest & New Beginnings

By R S Perinbanayagam –February 7, 2016

Prof. R.S.Perinbanayagam

The use of the idea of incest in narratives of one kind or another for what may be termed its thematic and logical implications is quite common in the texts of many societies, if not indeed of all societies. The Sinhalese use of it in the chronicles is truly a continuation of the uses made of it in other legends and myths as one instrument for the solution of certain narrative problems.

In his famous discussion of the structural approach to myth, Levi-Strauss deconstructed the Oedipus myth and observed, “The myth has to do with the inability for a culture which holds the belief that mankind is autochthonous . . . to find a satisfactory transition between this theory and the knowledge that human beings are actually born from the union of man and woman.” (1967:212) Having stated this problem, Levi-Strauss notes that this is obviously a problem that cannot be solved. Every human being is born out of a union of two others and each of those two was born out of the union of an earlier two and so on into an infinite regression. In a succinct explanation of Levi-Strauss’ position on the incest taboo and its occurrence in myths, Edmund Leach wrote:

Incest and exogamy are, therefore, the opposite sides of the same penny, and the incest taboo (a rule about sexual behavior) is the cornerstone of society – a structure of social and political relations. This moral principle implies that in the imaginary initial situation, the First Man should have had a wife who was not his sister. But in that case any story about a First Man or a First Woman must contain a logical contradiction. For if they were brother and sister then we are all outcomes of primeval incest, but if they were separate creations only one of them can be the first human being and the other must be in some sense other than human. Thus the biblical Eve, is of one flesh with Adam and their relations are incestuous, but he non-biblical Lilith is a demon” (1970: 57).

In the Buddhist texts, too, one can see a similar use of marriage, copulation and birthing. Besides the miraculous birth of the Buddha, there are other instances too. Here, I quote from the rendition of the origin of the Sakiya clan given in the Mahavatsu:

It appears that one of the ancestors of the Sakyas married a second time and this wife bore a son and she, demanded in the usual fashion, that he should inherit the kingdom and that the elder children should be banished. The elder children, both sons and daughters, were banished and lived with their retinue in the forest for a while. In time, the ministers who were banished with the royal children thought, “These youths are grown up. If they were with their father, he would make marriage alliances, but here it is our task.” So they took counsel with the princess, who said, “We find no daughters of Kshatriyas who are like ourselves (in birth) nor Kshatriya princess for our sister, and through union with those of unlike birth the sons who are born will be impure on the mother’s or father’s side. Let us consort with our sisters.” They set the eldest sister in the place of the mother and consorted with the rest. They “increased with sons and daughters” says the commentary by Buddhagosa from which the above is taken, and reported in Thomas (1956: 6-10).

(Lanka-e-News -08.Jan.2016, 11.00PM) The acting Attorney General (AG) Suhada Gamlath the pro Rajapakse lackey and lickspittle who is moving heaven and earth unscrupulously and shamelessly to get himself appointed as the pro Rajapakse AG has withdrawn the senior state counsel Dileepa Peiris from the Ekneliyagoda case and replaced him with a junior trainee state counsel in pursuance of a cold ,calculated conspiratorial move.

Ordinarily when a case is under trial , the counsel appearing in the case is not withdrawn without valid reason . However in this case Dileepa Peiris has been withdrawn citing no reason whatsoever. Incidentally the Ekneliyagoda is slated to be heard tomorrow.

Speculations are rife that this conspiratorial move is to release the army suspects in Ekeneliyagoda case ,and Gnanassara . The Citizen’s Force during a recent media briefing revealed that there is a conspiracy to withdraw Dileepa Peiris , and that should be halted.

It was Dileepa Peiris who opposed when Gnanassara broke into the court violently . Consequently Dileepa Peiris became the target of verbal abuse of hooligan monk Gnanassara. This move of the AG is a clear demonstration and confirmation that he is acting on behalf of Gnanassara who brazenly and ourageously committed contempt of court while at the same time obstructing a State officer when performing his official duties.

This move is very clearly a foretaste of what illegal and professionally unethical actions Suhada Gamlath will indulge in brazenly and shamelessly if he takes over the role of AG. It is also an illustration to what length Gamlath will go to hinder and hamper the good governance actions.

It is very obvious why the pro Rajapakses are craving for the appointment of Gamlath as AG . However the minister of justice Wijedasa Rajapakse requesting that Gamlath, the Rajapakse lickspittle and stooge be appointed as AG is most reprehensible, and is an index on whose behalf he is stooping this low , and to do whose sodid biddings.

It is a pertinent question in this climate of secret plots and perfidies, did the people elect a government of good governance to perpetuate the illegalities and crookedness of the corrupt machiavelian mendacious Rajapakses who were thrown out lock , stock and barrel by the masses sumounting Himalayan obstacles ? The people must therefore take to the streets and halt the conspiracies , and surreptitious activities of these scoundrels once and for all.

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by (2016-02-08 18:28:53)

Shrillness of Nonsensical Cultural Politics and the Social History of a Song

by Prof Sasanka Perera
- on 02/08/2016

The latest news from Sri Lanka’s often bizarre domains of cultural politics is that Buddhism is under threat along with Sinhala culture. This however, is not due to the corrupt and violent politics that still remain the hallmark of the country’s mainstream politics or because of the unethical and anti-doctrinal work of marauding Buddhist monks who have become storm troopers causing bodily harm to people, disrupting court proceedings and vehicular traffic in the country putting Hitler’s dreaded Brown-shirts to shame. The apocalypse of Sinhala culture and the island’s Buddhism is supposed to happen as a result of Soprano Kishani Jayasinghe’s masterful rendition of the well-known Sinhala song, Danno Budunge within an operatic sensibility in a cultural program organized to mark the 68thanniversary of the country’s independence. Personally, I am thankful to the organizers of the event for attempting to do something out of the ordinary.

But going by the attacks on Jayasinghe orchestrated by sections of the mainstream media (see for example, the undignified assault by Derana TV) and the multitude of comments from unenlightened swaths of the social media, the doomsters’ main concern is that that Jayasinghe’s new rendition has insulted both Buddhism and Sinhala culture as they perceive these, and this act alone would bring the house that ‘Vijaya’ built, crashing down. Interestingly however, she also sang at the same event — in the same kind of musical sensibility — the old folk verse (paru kavi), “Matara gange inna kimbulige petiya”. That however, has by and large escaped the scorn and anger of doomsters. One can assume this is because the latter has no reference to Buddhism while the former has. Musically speaking, both were good examples for specific genres of songs which can be successfully reinterpreted within the parameters of an entirely different genre, if one was competent enough to know what to do.

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Sri Lanka & The International Illegal Wildlife Trade

By Vidya Abhayagunawardena –February 5, 2016

Vidya Abhayagunawardena

To Curb International Illegal Wildlife Trade Transiting or Exported from Sri Lanka’s Ports; Sri Lanka Needs to Introduce Legislations Enforcing the CITES Immediately

The Government of Sri Lanka publicly destroyed the forfeited blood Ivory on 26th January at the Galle Face Green, with the participation of the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretary General John E. Scanlon who was invited by the President. This event received tremendous positive international publicity from both governments and the private sector. There is no doubt that this was one of the largest wildlife-related events held in the South Asian region.

We are all thankful to the Sri Lanka Customs for their excellent detection of the blood ivory container in 2012. However, Sri Lanka Customs were able to detect and forfeit only this one container of blood ivory, mostly due to the unusual circumstances of this instance, as the vessel with the illegal container was forced to make an unscheduled entry to the Colombo Port due to mechanical failure. Since then, although several other blood ivory containers transited under normal circumstances through Sri Lankan ports, they were not apprehended. This is due to lack of local regulations in place to properly enforce the CITES to which Sri Lanka has been a signatory since 1979.

Today the world’s largest illegal international trade contributions are from drugs, arms, human trafficking and wildlife. The report on Global Financial Integrity, “Transnational Crime in the Developing World,” finds that the illicit trade in “goods, guns, people, and natural resources” is a billion dollar enterprise, which most negatively impacts on the developing world. According to the United Nations Environmental Programme Year Book 2014, the annual dollar value of illegal wildlife trade is somewhere between $50-$150 billion dollars per year and INTERPOL estimates it is the third largest illegal trade by dollar value after drugs and guns.But we can argue that nature and wildlife cannot be quantified interms of monetary value as these are essential for the earth’s survival.

Central Bank’s clarification on EPF has unwittingly refuted Prime Minister and Minister of Finance?

Selective response by EPF to concerns raised

The Central Bank has issued a clarification, carried by Daily FT in its print edition of 1 February 2016, on the Monetary Board’s alleged failure to publish the annual reports of the EPF after 2012, a concern raised by this writer in a previous article in this series.

This alleged failure has been only one of the concerns raised in the article under reference among many failures of the Monetary Board in the recent past as the trustee of EPF (available at: http://www.ft.lk/article/520800/EPF-and-ETF--Should-or-shouldn-t-they-be-merged-into-a-separate-institution?). Thus, the bank has been very selective in making its clarification and defensive in its tone. Yet, it could be considered a good sign since it displays the bank’s willingness to engage itself in an exchange with the public concerning its role in EPF.

The Monetary Board as trustee of EPF is ultimately accountable

The Monetary Board is the trustee of EPF and in terms of the Monetary Law Act, or MLA, it is the Monetary Board which has been incorporated and not the Central Bank. Hence, the Monetary Board is responsible for both the good and the bad outcomes of the actions of the institution known as the Central Bank.

The Governor, who is the Chairman of the Monetary Board, functions as CEO of the Central Bank and performs his duties on a delegated authority basis. Hence, it is the Monetary Board which is the master and not the Governor or any other officer of the Central Bank. Ultimately, the Board has to be accountable for everything which the Central Bank or its officers do, requiring it to be extra vigilant and cautious.

Central Bank’s ‘fault-finding’ with others

In this context, it is not clear whether the clarification in question had received the Monetary Board’s sanction, though it had defended the board’s failure to publish EPF annual reports after 2012. The clarification, while indirectly admitting that the Monetary Board had not published annual reports of EPF after 2012, had made three points in defence of the board.

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‘Yahapalana’ government’s Rs.4000 million fraud to be taken to FCID

MONDAY, 08 FEBRUARY 2016

All Ceylon Farmers Federation has decided to complain to the FCID against the Minister of Agriculture and Paddy Marketing Board for inflicting a loss of Rs.4000 million to the government by handing over 234,800 metric tons of ‘Nadu’ paddy to three mill owners, who are close associated of the government, at reduced prices. They also have taken a decision to take legal action.

The complaint would be filed at FCID tomorrow (9th) and All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation will be joined by United Rice Mill Owner s Association, Small and Medium Rice Mill Owners Association said the National Organizer of All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation Namal Karunaratna participating as the chief guest of the 2nd Anniversary Summit of Dambulla United Farmers Foundation held at Dambulla yesterday (7th).

During the previous season Paddy Marketing Board bought from farmers 234,000 metric tons of ‘Nadu’ paddy at the rate of Rs.45 a kilo and 29,000 metric tons of ‘Samba’ paddy at Rs.50 a kilo. The government also spent Rs.3.00 per kilo as handling charges and Mr. Namal Karunaratna pointed out that the government had spent Rs.48 for a kilo of ‘Nadu’ paddy.

Despite small and medium mill owners requesting on several occasions to make the stock of paddy available for them at a fair price to mill it into rice, the government, without agreeing to it, sold the paddy to three of its favourite mill owners at Rs.35 a kilo said Mr. Karunaratna.

This is the biggest financial fraud of the ‘yahapalana’ government said Mr. Karunaratna and added that a team of lawyers has been assigned to take legal action against the sordid act.

President Maithri revives ‘call tapping’ imitating MR’s reign

(Lanka-e-News -07.Jan.2016, 1.25PM) The tapping of telephone calls that was raging under the Rajapakse reign has been revived on the orders of incumbent president Maithripala Sirisena , based on reports received from the Lanka e news inside sources within the State intelligence service(SIS).

The president has given this order to detect who is providing information from within the presidential secretariat to the outside .

The cruel irony of this move is , Maithripala Sirisena himself issuing this order now who during the Rajapakse call tapping period sought the Skype and Viber communication methods to circumvent the Rajapakses’ call tapping .

What is most ludicrous in this obnoxious move is , it is Maithripala who took into his fold all the villains and worthless Rajapakse lackeys and lickspittles who were thrown into the garbage bin by the people , though he is now entrusting the SIS with the task of tracking down those who are passing out presidential secretariat information.

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by (2016-02-07 07:59:15)

Ranil Does A Mahinda: Appoints Cousin As Sri Lankan High Commissioner To UK

February 8, 2016

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, appears to be flouting his own election pledges in his attempt to appoint his cousin Amari M. Wijewardene as the new Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

Amari Wijewardene

Wickremesinghe, who came to power promising to wipe out nepotism, and promote good governance, transparency and accountability, has bypassed much more qualified foreign service officials, and has instead proposed the name of his cousin, who is Chairman & Managing Director at the Swadeshi Industrial Works PLC.

Her name has been nominated to the Parliamentary Working Committee on Senior Portfolios as the new High Commissioner to UK.

She is also cousin to Ruwan Wijewardene, the State Minister of Defence.

Last November, Manoj Warnapala, the son-in-law of Austin Fernando, advisor and confidante of PresidentMaithripala Sirisena and the Governor of the Eastern Province, was appointed as a consul to the Sri Lankan High Commission in UK. Read More

Let Us Stand Up For Comrade Kumar Gunaratnam's Political Rights -In Sri Lanka

- Feb 07, 2016

Current Sri Lankan government of Maithree – Wickremasinghe are proving day by day that they have failed to deliver the promises made prior to the election. Their main slogan against the Rajapakse regime was to establish democracy in the country which was blatantly denied to the people of Sri Lanka by the previous government. But now they have done no justice to the political prisoners, disappearances and political victims. They have failed to bring to justice anyone responsible of shooting at Rathupaswala and they are keeping a silence stance on Lasantha Wickremasinghe and Prageeth Ekneligoda case. No investigation is conducted on Lalith-Kuhan disappearance and failed to arrest anyone responsible. At the same time current government has no hesitation to unleash violence against the students, workers, farmers and youth who fight democratically to win their rights. This has been proved at Kotakethana, Meethotamulla, Bandagiriya, Dambulla and Jaffna.

Fate of the people who fled country including comrade Kumar Gunaratnam due to suppression is remain same. Open request made to the people fled the country to return has now been only applicable to their friends who accept their policies. Others have been denied the right while Arjun Mahendran was granted citizenship in 24 hours and made him the Central Bank governor. What is their policy on comrade Kumar Gunaratnam? He was born and bred in Sri Lanka and also had his primary, secondary and university education in Sri Lanka. He engaged in Sri Lankan politics since 1981 and had to flee the country due to the same reason. His request of granting him Sri Lankan citizenship and allow him to engage in Sri Lankan politics could not be challenged by any right minded person. That is the justice. It is very clear that the reason for rejecting his application is due to the fact that he is involving in Frontline Socialist Party politics which oppose government ruling policies and party is actively in a struggle against the government to safeguard and win right of the people who denied them by the current government as well.

Democracy is not giving rights to the people who agree with them but accept the right of anyone who oppose your views. Comrade Kumar Gunaratnam example is good enough to understand Maithree-Wickremasinghe government is not working on that direction. It’s been over 60 days for the agitation in front of the Fort Railway station which demand comrade Kumar Gunaratnam’s political rights and nearly 3 months him been detained in remand custody. Government at least so far failed to disclose their policy on this matter. We need to oppose and denounce this policy of the government. History has repeatedly proved that people will not win our rights without a fight. Let us join hands to protect and win our rights. We request you to join and add your strength in our struggle.

Establish Kumar Gunarathnam’s political rights !!!!
Stop political harassments !!!!
Keep all election promises made regarding democracy !!!!

Frontline Socialist Party
UK Committee

'Nishantha Malli's' fate due to wrong company: Arjuna

2016-02-09

“If Nishantha Malli was in the company of good guys, he (Nishantha) would not have to face to such a scenario. The law should be equal to everyone.

No interferences from me. However, I will be with my Malli,” Ports and Shipping Minister Arjuna Ranatunga yesterday said referring to the arrest of his younger brother Nishantha Ranatunga over the CSN case.

The minister made this comment to the media after lodging a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on the recently concluded Sri Lanka Cricket election.
He said the Director General of Sports had violated several laws related to the cricket and the Sports ministry should take the responsibility in this regard. (Jayantha Samarakoon)

Dublin weigh-in murder: doubts cast on Continuity IRA's claims of responsibility

Irish security sources still believe gangland feud behind Friday’s murder of David Byrne at the Regency hotel

Police tape cordons off the Regency hotel in Dublin after Friday’s shooting. Photograph: AFP/Getty

Henry McDonald in Dublin-Monday 8 February 2016

Security sources in Ireland have expressed scepticism over a claim by theContinuity IRA that it carried out the attack on a boxing weigh-in at a Dublin hotel on Friday.

Gang member David Byrne was shot dead and two others were injured in the carefully planned attack at the Regency hotel, which involved six gunmen, one dressed as a woman.

In a coded statement to the BBC in Belfast, a man claiming to speak on behalf of the Continuity IRA said it had targeted Byrne and that the group would continue to go after “drug dealers and criminals”.

The man’s statement claimed Byrne was shot dead because he had been involved in the killing of Alan Ryan in Dublin four years ago. Ryan was a leading member of another dissident republican group, the Real IRA.

“Although [Ryan] was not a member of our organisation, we are not going to stand back and allow drug dealers and criminals to target republicans,” the statement said. “This will not be an isolated incident.

Continuity IRA units have been authorised to carry out further operations. More drug dealers and criminals will be targeted. The Continuity IRA will carry out further military operations.”

But security sources in the Irish capital still believe Friday’s attack was rooted in an ongoing feud between the Costa del Sol-based Irish gangster Christy Kinahan and his rival, the north Dublin criminal known as The Monk.

One source said the CIRA statement may have been designed to “muddy the waters and sow confusion”.

The CIRA is one of three armed republican paramilitary groups who oppose theNorthern Ireland peace process. Its origins lie in the 1986 split within the republican movement.

Continuity IRA is the smallest but also the most ideologically pure of the three. It was responsible for the 2009 killing of the Police Service of NorthernIreland constable Stephen Carroll in Craigavon, County Armagh.

To counter any retaliation for Friday’s fatal shooting, the Garda Síochána have erected armed checkpoints at major routes into Dublin.

There were reports in the Irish media on Monday morning that senior members of Kinahan’s gang held a “war summit” in a central Dublin pub to discuss retaliating.

Among those that targeted Byrne and other members of Kinahan’s gang on Friday were gunmen carrying AK47 Kalashnikov rifles – once the standard-issue weapon of republican paramilitary groups in Ireland.

In recent years there has been some crossover between armed republican factions and Dublin-based crime gangs in terms of sharing weapons and targeting rivals.

In 1994 the Provisional IRA claimed responsibility for shooting the infamous criminal Martin “The General” Cahill. But the gunman who killed him was a member of the rival Irish National Liberation Army who was paid about 30,000 Irish punts to eliminate The General on the orders of another Dublin gangster who wanted him out of the way.

Aafia Siddiqui’s Mother’s Moving Letter to Obama

I sent my daughter to your country as a seventeen year old, to get the kind of education she couldn’t get anywhere else in the world. I taught her that the values that matter most are kindness and justice, to care for people in need, and to help the helpless. I taught my daughter that this is what America stood for. But I wonder if you have forgotten those values. Her tow US born citizen children ask why they were kidnapped and tortured and why their country did this to them? Can you answer that?

by Ismat Siddiqui

( February 7, 2016, Karachi, Sri Lanka Guardian) Here is an open letter from political prisoner Aafia Siddiqui’s mother to the President of the US. Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui and her mother Ismat live in their family home in Karachi with Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s children who were restored to them when she was brought to the United States for trial and incarceration. They have worked tirelessly for Aafia’s release since she was abducted in 2003. The letter was transcribed Judy Bello.

Barak Obama
The President
White House
Washington, DC20500

Dear Mr. President,

My name is Ismat Siddiqui. I am a mother, a grandmother, a widow, but most importantly I am your fellow human being. As I write this to you I am in failing health, so you will understand my sense of urgency.

Aafia Siddiqui could have been anyone’s daughter. But she is my daughter

Mr. President, my daughter Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, is someone about whom you may have already heard something. Most likely something negative. On the internet and in the press there are literally millions of pages of conjecture, praise, innuendo and a blend of fact and fiction woven into a picture of a person who has been raised to sainthood by supporters and vilified as a demon by detractors. The truth of one human being is lost in the midst of this. The truth is that Aafia is a mother of three and a brilliant Muslim woman whose only passion was to bring education to her people. For this she studied at the finest institutions in the world including MIT and Brandeis in the United States. Then somewhere in the blind aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, Aafia became a victim of the war on terror.

This is not just a sad story told by a sick mother. It is a reality of torture, of abuse, humiliation, deception and barbarism by those who claim to be the most civilized. It is a grave injustice by those who claim to be the most just. It is an epic of prejudice by a nation that claims to be free of it. This is not just one woman’s ordeal; it is a slur and blackening stigma on the world’s mightiest nation and its rulers. Sir, it is a shameful legacy of two American administrations. I will not go into the horrendous case, its merits or demerits as I am sure the prosecutors with much greater access to you will give you the “facts” necessary to justify themselves. But I am attaching a fact sheet prepared by the International Justice Network in the hope that you will glance at it and see that there is another side. I am told that you were a brilliant lawyer and among the top of your peers at Harvard so I hope you will be able to recognize fact from fiction.

Mr. President, the thought of what my daughter has gone through these past years, being kidnapped, forcibly separated from her children, tortured, shot, beaten, shackled and strip searched tears my heart apart. Even now the conditions of her detention and treatment defy common decency.

After arriving in New York City with oozing bullet wounds, she was denied any medical care for a month. Both in New York and at Carswell Medical Facility in Fort Worth her captors have continued a pattern of threatening her if she cooperates with her lawyers and punishing her when she does. She has been placed in a situation where she is effectively denied access to family for fear of brutal retaliation. It is now over 12 years of agony. Five years in secret detention and seven under institutionalized cover.

Aafia is committed to peace, to justice and to God. She is not a terrorist. With her education and passion for children she would have been a brilliant light in the darkest corners of this world. Her research in early childhood learning could have helped millions of children everywhere. My daughter would have been an asset in the world that needs these values more than ever.

I appeal to you to use your Presidential power of pardon and undo one of the gravest injustices of our time. This will be a gesture that will gain you immense goodwill in the Muslim world that millions of dollars in aid will not. This simple gesture on your part will warm the heart of a dying mother and revive the American way of mercy and compassion. I urge you to, for a moment; just think as a father, who can save a daughter from doom. I can assure you regardless of what your intelligence agents may tell you, my daughter is no threat to anyone. Letting her go will only make you more powerful and glorious as an act of mercy is twice blessed.

Thank you very much for your time,

Ismat Siddiqui

Judy Bello is a member of the Aafia Movement and met Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s sister Fowzia, a Neurologist who specializes in Epilepsy, her mother Ismat and her children Miriam and Ahmed in their home in Karachi in the fall of 2012. She and Joe Lombardo met with them as representatives of the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC).

Kurdish club becomes political football as it chases Turkish cup dream

Third division Amedspor's run to the cup quarter-final has been hit by player and fan bans, and police raids for alleged 'ideological propaganda'
The club from Turkey's largest Kurdish city, Diyarbakir, have dispatched two top division sides on their run to a last-eight tie with the giants of Fenerbahce on 9 February (AA)

Suraj Sharma-Monday 8 February 2016

ISTANBUL, Turkey – They have booked themselves into the Turkish football cup's quarter-final with an inspiring run. But the third-tier club Amedspor have found to their cost that in Turkey, sport and politics are seldom separate.

The unfashionable club from Turkey's largest Kurdish city, Diyarbakir, have dispatched two top division sides on their run to a last-eight tie with the giants of Fenerbahce on 9 February. But this success appears to have come at a cost.

Amedspor's officials allege the success has led to scores of supporters being arrested, a raid on the club's premises by counter-terrorism units, supporters being banned from the home leg of the Fenerbahce tie, and an unheard of 12-match ban on a key player for "politically motivated ideological propaganda".

The club's cup run comes as the Turkish-Kurdish conflict has flared after a three-year peace plan fell through last July. In recent months, cities in Turkey's southeast have become battlegrounds once again as the Turkish army fights the banned Kurdish PKK.

Amedspor's chairman, Ali Karakas, believes the club is being discriminated against politically and racially, simply because authorities find Kurdish success hard to stomach.

"We train every day surrounded by the sounds of tank and artillery shelling. These raids are not going to intimidate or demoralise us," Karakas told Middle East Eye. "But what we are facing is pure and simple racial discrimination and we will resort to every legal means available to seek justice."

Karakas said the club had been under the cosh at the start of the season, but the intimidation got worse because of their giant-killing acts in the cup. In January, the club's premises were raided by anti-terrorism police after a fan-run Twitter account dedicated the cup victory over top-tier Bursaspor to the Kurdish "guerrilla fighters" in Sur and Cizre.

"Why send a team of 40 counter-terrorism officers to investigate the source of a tweet? They could have just traced the IP address remotely or even just sent a few officers in plainclothes, who we would have gladly helped," Karakas said. "It is all just a ruse to intimidate us."

The Turkish Football Federation banned Amedspor supporters from the home leg with Fenerbahce for using chants and slogans at a cup tie against Medipol Basaksehir in Istanbul including "the resistance is everywhere".

Almost 100 supporters were also arrested.

Then, midfielder Deniz Naki was banned for 12 games by the TFF for "ideological propaganda" after using social media to dedicate the Bursaspor win to Kurds killed in the government crackdown. He signed off in Kurdish "Her biji azadi", or "Long live freedom."

Karakas has appealed against the decisions and says the club will take the matters to European football's governing body, UEFA, if their domestic appeals fail.

UEFA and FIFA, football's global governing body, both have clear statutes about political interference in football and racism.

In extreme cases, a country's federation can be suspended and its national team barred from international competition for political interference.

Cetin Cem Yilmaz, a Turkish sports analyst, said he could not remember a 12-match ban ever being handed out for "conducting ideological propaganda". However, stadium bans for fan behaviour are more common in Turkish football.

He said he did not think a charge of political interference against the TFF would stick. Although UEFA takes a tough line against racism, it is usually clubs and their fans that are reported, rarely national football federations – particularly for domestic games.

"It is not a secret that Turkish football is highly politicised, but I doubt the scale of this particular incident is enough to bring about a UEFA ban for Turkey's football federation or put the national team's participation in Euro 2016 at risk," Yilmaz told MEE.

"I believe of more pressing concern is Amedspor being able to get the stadium and player ban overturned in time for their quarter-final tie to give them a slightly better chance," he said.

Bilal Akkulu, a founder of the fan group Amedspor Barikat, was among supporters arrested after the Medipol game in Istanbul.

"We were arrested, taken away; some were mistreated by the police and even forced to sing the Turkish national anthem while being constantly abused," he told MEE.

He said the club's fans, players and staff face the vilest abuse at most away games.

"We are treated like mortal enemies at almost every away game and the worst abuse is hurled at us, but what happened at the Istanbul game was a new low."

A representative from the Basaksehir supporters group, 1453, however had a different view, saying that Amedspor's supporters had insulted national values.

"If any Amed supporters acted out of line, then our police forces did what was required and we fully support that," he said.

"We as a group, however, don't believe that all Amedspor supporters should be viewed as PKK sympathisers and also don't believe in mixing politics and football.

"But this issue [the conflict in the southeast] is above politics and something we will not negotiate on. We will respect all visiting teams and their fans as long as they respect our religion, flag and nation," he said.

Despite already facing steep odds, Amedspor will now face a Fenerbahce side - containing world-class players such as former Manchester United stars Robin Van Persie and Nani – deprived of their supporters and without a key player.

But none of this will dampen the optimism with which its fans approach their team's games.

"Whatever the circumstances, we will back our team to the full. Our team's success at least brings a little joy to our beleaguered people," said Akkulu. "We are going to win the cup."

Local TV hints Aung San Suu Kyi could be in line for Burmese presidency

Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Pic: AP.

8th February 2016

TWO pro-government television channels in Burma (Myanmar) have said that “positive results” could come out of negotiations between Burma’s military chief and Aung San Suu Kyi on a constitutional clause preventing her from becoming the president.

Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy Party won a landslide victory in the Nov. 8 general elections.

But she is barred from becoming president because of the Constitution’s Article 59 (f), which says anyone with foreign spouses and children cannot hold the executive office. Suu Kyi’s late husband was British.

In separate but identical broadcasts late Sunday, Sky Net and Burma National Television said “positive results could come out on the negotiation for the suspension of the constitution Article 59 (f).”

Meanwhile, the chairman of Burma’s parliament said Monday that the nominees for the country’s next president and two vice presidents will be known on March 17.

Parliament chairman Man Win Khine announced that the upper house, the lower House and the military will have to select one candidate each for the three posts on March 17.

Parliament will then take a vote and the person with the largest number of votes will become president, and the other two will be vice presidents.

Given that democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party has a majority in both houses of parliament, it is certain to get the president’s post