Seoul shuts down joint north-south Korea industrial complex

Kaesong manufacturing park, one of few remaining symbols of co-operation between the two nations, is caught up in the row over rocket tests

The Kaesong industrial complex, just north of the heavily armed border between the two Koreas. Photograph: Yonhap/EPA

Justin McCurry Tokyo and agencies-Wednesday 10 February 2016

South Korea is to close an industrial complex it operates with North Korea in retaliation for Pyongyang’s rocket launch last weekend, bringing to a sudden halt one of the last symbols of cooperation between the two countries.

Officials in Seoul said the decision to shut down the Kaesong complex was intended to prevent the regime of North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, from using hard currency earned through the venture to fund its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

On Sunday, North Korea launched what it claimed was a satellite into orbit. South Korea and its allies believe the launch was a covert test of missile technology that could one day be used to target the US mainland with nuclear warheads.

The Kaesong park, which lies six miles north of the heavily armed border that has separated the two Koreas for more than 60 years, opened in 2004 and was hailed as an important step towards economic cooperation and reconciliation.

The site is usually unaffected by periods of political tension between the two Koreas, although work there was severely affected after North Korea pulled its workers out in April 2013 in protest at joint military exercises by South Korea and the US.

The closure is thought to be one of the most powerful non-military options open to the South Korean president, Park Geun-hye, as she formulates a response to the recent rocket launch and last month’s nuclear test.

The South Korean unification minister, Hong Yong-pyo, said North Korea had earned 616 billion won (£355m) in cash from Kaesong, which relies on South Korean investment and technology, and tens of thousands of skilled North Korean workers.

“It appears that such funds have not been used to pave the way to peace, as the international community had hoped, but rather to upgrade its nuclear weapons and long-range missiles,” Hong told reporters in Seoul.

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Mother jailed for advertising online for men to rape six-year-old daughter

Woman placed adverts on classifieds website Craigslist

Parents posted adverts online to find men to abuse their six-year-old daughter Getty

Kayleigh Lewis-Monday 8 February 2016

A mother in the US who advertised on the internet for men willing to pay to rape her six-year-old daughter has been sentenced to 26 years in jail.

The woman, 35, and her husband, 57, trawled Craigslist, a popular classifieds website, to solicit customers to come to their home in Marysville, Washington, and sexually abuse the girl.

Police officers searching the couple’s house found videos of the girl being abused by an unidentified man while the mother watched, and sexually explicit photographs of the girl.

The defendant, who wiped away tears as the verdict was delivered by a county jury in Snohomish, Washington, was found guilty of child rape, molestation and promoting the commercial sexual abuse of a minor. 

She was also convicted on numerous counts of dealing in child pornography.

In June, her husband pleaded guilty to first-degree child rape and child molestation and possession of child pornography and received a 27-year jail term.

The pair have not been named to protect the girl and her brother, who were taken into care following the arrest of their parents in 2014.

Australia scientists develop 'bionic spine' which could help paralysed patients walk

Device can be inserted in the brain – without brain surgery – and could allow paralysed patients to operate robotic limbs “using thought alone”

The device, to be implanted in three paraplegic patients in Melbourne next year, allows patients left paralysed by injury or illness to subconsciously control equipment that can move robotic limbs. Photo: University of Melbourne

By Jonathan Pearlman, Sydney- 09 Feb 2016

Scientists in Australia have developed a “bionic spine” which could enable people with spinal cord injuries to walk again by controlling a tiny paper clip-sized device implanted in the brain.

The device, to be implanted in three paraplegic patients in Melbourne next year, allows patients left paralysed by injury or illness to subconsciously control equipment that can move robotic limbs.

"It's the holy grail for research in bionics," Professor Terence O'Brien, from the Royal Melbourne Hospital, told Fairfax Media.

The procedure, developed by a team of 39 scientists, involves placing a one-inch stent alongside the brain’s motor cortex, which controls movement.

The stent, which contains 12 electrodes, is inserted via a catheter into a vein in the neck and pushed up to the cortex – a process which avoids risky brain surgery and requires a hospital procedure which lasts hours rather than days.

• Bionic eye fitted to British pensioner in world first

Likened to a recording device, the stent can receive electrical signals emitted from the cortex and send them to a device implanted in the shoulder. This device can translate the signals into commands which can be transmitted wirelessly to bionic limbs or exoskeleton suits.

“The technical problem was how do you safely leave electrodes inside the brain, in a blood vessel inside the brain, without causing any damage to the subject,” said Dr Tom Oxley.

“We have been able to create the world's only minimally invasive device that is implanted into a blood vessel in the brain via a simple day procedure.”

The scientists hope the stent could assist with efforts to develop a bionic eye and may also be used to help to predict epileptic seizures, or to treat Parkinson's disease and motor neurone disease.

Professor Clive May, from The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, said the procedure built on research in 2002 which found that monkeys could move a computer cursor with the power of thought.

“This showed it was theoretically possible to control a bionic limb using thought alone,” he wrote on The Conversation website.

“Before receiving the implant, patients … will be asked to imagine moving their arm left and right, up and down, and to imagine moving their hand toward targets on a computer screen. This will produce a virtual map of the motor cortex the surgeons can aim for during the [stent] implantation surgery, to ensure the device overlies the appropriate region of the motor cortex.”

The procedure, which has been trialled on sheep, has been outlined in the journal Nature Biotechnology. It is expected to be commercially available by the mid-2020s.

“One aim is to add more electrodes, allowing finer control for paralysed patients to not only walk again, but gain fine finger movements,” said Professor May.

“Could we one day see a “paralysed” violin virtuoso? We can try.”

• Cure for chronic pain found: World first as patient fitted with permanent spinal cord implant

The politics of punishing war crimes in Sri Lanka

Prioritising the punishment of war criminals in Sri Lanka over other measures to achieve reconciliation risks re-empowering the extremists and undermining the government’s genuine reform efforts.

Tamil protesters demand a UN inquiry into war crimes in Sri Lanka.-Press Association/Arun Sankar K (All rights reserved)

RAM MANIKKALINGAM 8 February 2016

Last week the national anthem was sung in Tamil for the first time at the official celebration of Sri Lanka’s independence day. Six years ago the government’s own regional director for education in the Tamil north, Markandu Sivalingam, was assassinated by “unidentified” gunmen for disagreeing with then President Rajapaksa’s directive to ban the singing of the national anthem in Tamil at official functions. The United Nation’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid, who is currently visiting Sri Lanka, should welcome the transformation this signals in Sri Lanka’s politics in just over a year since President Sirisena’s election.

No doubt, the High Commissioner will also express the UN view – set out in a Human Rights Council resolution last September – that President Sirisena must set up a court to try war crimes committed during the bloody civil war that ended in 2009.  The President is on record in favour of holding violators of humanitarian and human rights law to account. But he is also committed to reaching a deal that would give the Tamil community in the north and east of Sri Lanka power to manage economic, land and cultural issues. Some argue both objectives can be realized in tandem, but the political realities in post-conflict Sri Lanka suggest otherwise.

Demands for accountability for war crimes and autonomy are made by Tamil leaders but still resisted by much of the Sinhala establishment—these remain deeply polarising issues. To achieve both requires sensitivity to the politics. President Sirisena leads the Sri Lanka Freedom Party; within it, there is a strong Sinhala nationalist faction, led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who ruled in an authoritarian manner until he lost elections in 2015. He is not yet a spent force, however, and is adept at using the divisions over accountability and autonomy as a political platform to regain political relevance and reverse Sirisena’s moves to strengthen democracy and social co-existence.                              Read More

UN Rights Chief stresses importance of international participation in accountability and de-militarisation

09 February 2016 

International participation in Sri Lanka’s accountability process is an important aspect in ensuring genuine accountability amidst war crimes allegations and widespread sexual violence, said the United Nations Human Rights Chief Zeid Al Hussein, at the end of his visit to the island this week.

Stressing the importance of international participation, the Human Rights Chief said Sri Lanka’s justice system over the years “became highly politicised, unbalanced, unreliable”.

“The country’s history over the past few decades is littered with judicial failures,” he added, noting “virtually every week provides a new story of a failed investigation, a mob storming a court room or another example of a crime going unpunished".

Stating that a recently passed UN resolution, which calls for international participation in an accountability mechanism, had “laid out an eminently sensible pathway for the country to follow”, Mr Hussein stressed that his office would be “reporting back to the Council on progress — or lack of it — next June, and again in March 2017”.He also highlighted ongoing human rights violations and the lack of accountability for them in his statement. “Sexual violence and harassment against women and girls is particularly poorly handled by the relevant State institutions — especially when the alleged perpetrators are members of the military or security services — and, as a result it remains all too widespread,” noted the High Commssioner.

Mr Hussein said torture and sexual violence by Sri Lanka’s security forces was ongoing, acknowledging reports detailing cases that took place last year, after the current government came into power.Highlighting the heavy military presence in the North-East, Mr Hussein said,

“In parallel, the size of the military force in the North and the East can be reduced to a level that is less intrusive and intimidating, as a first step in security sector reform".

The Human Rights Chief further called on Sri Lanka’s military return land that it is occupying in the Tamil North-East. “The military needs to accelerate the return of land it has seized and is still holding to its rightful owners,” he said. “While some land has been returned in the Jaffna and Trincomalee areas, there are still large tracts which can and should be swiftly given back. Once the land has been given back, the remaining communities of displaced people can — if given the necessary assistance — return home, and a lingering sore will have been cured once and for all."Drawing on Sri Lanka’s prime minister’s recent remarks that all disappeared persons could be presumed dead, Mr Hussein said it had caused "great distress among their families” and “this statement must be followed by rapid action to identify precisely who is still alive and who has died or been killed, properly account for their deaths – including whether or not they were unlawful – identify the location of their remains, and provide redress”.

Commenting on his visits to the North-East Mr Hussein said,

“When you visit Colombo, you see a bustling city… When you visit the North and the East, you see, in patches at least, damaged and depressed areas, poverty and continued displacement.”

He also stated that the North-East was yet to have full media freedom under the current Sri Lankan government, noting that the fear of reprisals “has mutated but, sadly, still exists”.

Welcoming the start of a new constitutional drafting process in Sri Lanka, the rights chief however relayed concerns that the process is too rushed and has not been properly planned or adequately resourced"and that “there are also fears that at a later stage this may be achieved at the expense of other equally important processes such as truth-telling, justice and accountability”.

Mr Hussein added, that though there were indications that the government may be wavering on its human rights commitments, he had been “reassured this morning to hear both President and the Prime Minister state their firm conviction in this regard.”

2016-02-09-HC-Sri-LankaFINAL_rev_FINAL.pdf-Statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid by Thavam Ratna

An Open Letter To UN Commissioner For Human Rights

By Hilmy Ahamed –February 9, 2016

Hilmy Ahamed

Your Highness Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein,

In your capacity as the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, I write to your Highness with much hope and confidence that the office of the United Nations Commission For Human Rights will provide and protect the human rights of Sri Lanka’s multi ethnic, multi religious and multi cultural population.

Your Highness, as you are well aware, all three communities in this country, i.e. the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims suffered in numerous ways and faced untold hardship during the 30 years of armed conflict that devastated our country socially and economically. The Muslim community in particular, who were not part of the armed conflict, paid a heavy price when ethnic cleansing took place in the Northern Province, when they were forced to leave their homes in a few hours taking nothing of value. The entire population of the Northern Province was ethnically cleansed. The Muslims in the East too suffered extreme violence including the gunning down by the Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam (LTTE) of 147 Muslims while they were in prayer inside a mosque in Kathankuddy, Sri Lanka. The Muslims paid this price because they refused to join the Thamil separatists in their quest for a separate state (Eelam).

The evicted Muslims of the North have remained in refugee camps and shelters in different parts of the country for over 25 years and still continue to live as a “Forgotten People”. They have been denied their right to return, their land and properties forcibly taken from them and their livelihoods lost.

At the end of the war in May 2009, the Government followed a policy of resettling the ‘last in, first out’, that deprived the Muslims of their right to return to their homes and restart their lives and livelihood.

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Govt. gets to make call on hybrid court: Zeid

• Urges Sri Lankans to fully understand the resolution, insists adoption was not a weakness, hybrid court should not be 
• allowed to dominate discourse  
• Opposition playing a game to endanger future peace and stability of country 
• The world wants Sri Lanka to be a success story, judicial system needs upgrade 
• Wants more lands released, military in north reduced and minorities recognised in new Constitution

By Uditha Jayasinghe 

Wednesday, 10 February 2016

Taking the wind out of ultra-nationalist sails, the UN Human Rights Chief yesterday acknowledged it is up to the Sri Lankan Government to implement a hybrid court including international judges to address allegations of war crimes, but insisted any justice mechanism should focus on victims of the country’s three-decade conflict.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHRC) Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein concluding a “more cooperative and friendly” four-day visit to the South Asian island acknowledged positive steps have been taken by the Sri Lankan Government but noted the formation of a hybrid court was the decision of the Sri Lankan Government. 

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein  yesterday called on President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat. The UN Human Rights Chief and the President held cordial discussions on the current developments in Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe with Prince Zeid al Hussein at Temple Trees

The broad consensus building discussions have begun and “it is the sovereign right” of Sri Lanka to decide on the hybrid court. However, “whatever you do is for naught if the victims cannot say the Government has done enough,” he pointed out.

Last September the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) released a report on alleged human rights abuses by Sri Lankan Government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during Sri Lanka’s civil war, which included allegations of as many as 40,000 civilians dying during the last phase of the conflict that ended in 2009.

The report called for the establishment of a special court “integrating international judges, prosecutors, lawyers and investigators” with an independent Sri Lankan investigative and prosecuting body, defence office, and witness and victims’ protection program. The resolution was unanimously accepted by Sri Lanka and 41 members of the council.

“There are many myths and misconceptions about the resolution, and what it means for Sri Lanka. It is not a gratuitous attempt to interfere with or undermine the country’s sovereignty or independence. It is not some quasi-colonial act by some nebulous foreign power. The acceptance of the resolution was a moment of strength, not weakness, by Sri Lanka. It was the country’s commitment to both itself and to the world to confront the past honestly and, by doing that, take out comprehensive insurance against any future devastating outbreak of inter communal tensions and conflict,” the UN official said.

However, the possibility of a hybrid court created much criticism for the Government, which was slammed by Opposition parties led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the grounds the military could be persecuted as human rights abusers.

“The world wants Sri Lanka to be a success story. I urge all Sri Lankans to make an effort to understand what that resolution and the report underpinning it actually say, and I urge all those in a position to do so, to make a greater effort to explain why the recommendations are so important, and why the United Nations and all those individual States — Sri Lanka included — endorsed them. Then perhaps the siren voices, who wish to undermine all reforms, all attempts to provide justice, accountability and reconciliation, will get less traction. The people who are trying to undermine confidence in these crucial initiatives are playing a game that is endangering the future peace and stability of this country,” he warned.

“Let me make it as plain as I can: the international community wants to welcome Sri Lanka back into its fold without any lingering reservations. It wants to help Sri Lanka become an economic powerhouse. It wants Sri Lanka’s armed forces to face up to the stain on their reputation, so that they can once again play a constructive role in international peace-keeping operations, and command the full respect that so many of their members deserve.”

He also pointed out the country’s judicial system remains below international standard and needs to be upgraded.

“Sri Lanka has many excellent judges, lawyers, and law enforcement officials. But over the years the system they depended on, and which depends on them, became highly-politicised, unbalanced, unreliable,” he told reporters.

“It is for these reasons that the report and the Human Rights Council resolution suggest international participation in the accountability mechanisms set up to deal with international crimes and gross human rights violations committed by individuals on both sides. This is a practical proposal to solve the very real and practical problems I mentioned earlier. But it is only one aspect — albeit a very important one — of the broad range of measures outlined in the 2015 UN report and resolution, and the extent to which it has been allowed to dominate the debate in Sri Lanka in recent days is unfortunate. Extreme nationalistic tendencies lay at the heart of Sri Lanka’s conflict, and they should not be allowed to undermine the country’s long term chances of recovery once again.”

The High Commissioner was also insistent on the need for faster release of military held land and reduction of army presence in the north. He also tasked the Government with finding a formula to swiftly charge or release the remaining security related detainees.

Minorities, including sexual minorities, should be given space in the new Constitution, he said, adding that while torture cases have reduced, fresh ones have emerged since the new Government came into power. He also highlighted the importance of strengthening the Human Rights Commission and allowing it more resources.

“Repairing the damage done by a protracted conflict is a task of enormous complexity, and the early years are crucial. If mistakes are made, or significant problems are downplayed or ignored during the first few years, they become progressively harder to sort out as time goes on. While the glass is still molten, if you are quick and skilful, you can shape it into a fine object that will last for years. Once it starts to harden in misshapen form, it becomes more and more difficult to rectify. Likewise, if any of the four key elements of post conflict resolution — truth-telling, accountability, reparations and institutional reform — are neglected or mishandled, unresolved resentments will fester, new strains will emerge, and a tremendous opportunity to establish long-term stability, which in turn should result in greater prosperity, will be lost.”

The man behind the January 8 “Revolution”

Rev. Sobhita’s vision was that the real advancement of the country is achievable only through the emergence of a Srilankan nation with a collective effort by all the citizens sans any racial differences. The utmost and special quality I had observed in our Thero was that he had no animosity towards any person, and his concerns were only with regard to concepts and not with any personalities.

written by Sisira Jayamaha

translated by R.S.Jayaratne

(February 9, 2016, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) During the early years, late Rev. Maduluwawe Sobhita Thero was best known as at most venerated prelate, uniquely eloquent in Dhamma discourses most appealing to the learned as well as not so learned audiences all over the island. Despite the resounding admiration and appreciation received, he never ever exploited them either to gain cheap popularity or fame and never ever for any personal benefits. It is possible that Rev. Sobhita Thero might have believed that most of the people remain poor undergo oppression or suffering mainly due to their ignorance of the Dhamma. Hence might have dedicated him to traverse the length and breadth of the country to guide them in the Dhamma leading them to acquire a better quality of life. However, Rev.Sobhita Thero , being a visionary, may have ultimately realized, particularly after the constitutional changes in 1978, that, despite the people’s adherence to righteous conduct, they are unable to improve their quality of life mostly due to the rulers who take turns to deceive the public. Hence, he ventured to directly request the politicians to adopt a more humanitarian attitude in their treatment of the public and to provide a just and equitable system of governance to provide the much needed relief to the poor masses of the country. For this purpose Rev. Sobhita Thero utilized every opportunity including public meetings, discussions, and through print and electronic media, to appeal to the politicians irrespective of party differences, to adopt such an approach. When his appeals were not adequately responded, Rev. Sobhita Thero commenced a stronger campaign to insist on a change of the attitude of the politicians; he was subjected to explicit and implicit obstructions, censorships, blockades and many types of harassments.

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Constitution making and strengthening horizontal democracy - I

‘The force of free people resides in the municipality’ - Alexis de Tocqueville

By Laksiri Fernando-February 8, 2016, 7:05 pm 

The move for making a New Constitution has opened up considerable opportunities to deepen democracy in the country, and the indications so far reveal that vibrant discussions are taking place at present among civil society organisations and political activists sponsored by the Public Representation Committee (PRC), on a range of issues dealing particularly with (1) the local government system, (2) the creation of possible village/local level organizations, and (3) on how to encourage people’s participation in decision making processes, among other matters.

To the credit of the PRC and the promoters of a new Constitution it should be stated that such broader discussions were not held or could not be held, during the formulation of the first or the second republican Constitutions in 1972 and 1978, or the aborted draft constitution in 2000. Apart from the necessary constitutional requirement to have a national referendum to finally approve a New Constitution (Article 83), the nature of the political changes that took place last year (Jan. 08 and August 17), and the democratic political forces behind them, seem to be the catalysts for what is going on in the form of broad political discussions.

This article argues that to deepen democracy in Sri Lanka, or any country for that matter, measures need to be taken both horizontally and vertically. If provincial councils could be the main mechanisms through which democracy could be expanded horizontally, local governments constitute the potential of strengthening democracy both horizontally and vertically.

The Concept

Horizontal democracy is conceptualized by political scientists and others in different ways at different times. It is usually considered as opposite or different to vertical democracy. ‘Different’ may be the case, but ‘opposite’ is an overstatement. There is no system completely vertical or completely horizontal. The right combination of both might be the best for any country.

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Militarization in Sri Lanka Continues

Pervasive militarization throughout the island nation’s historically Tamil areas continues to result in a range of problems.

Image Credit: Chamal Pathirana via Wikimedia Commons

By Taylor Dibbert-February 09, 2016

During a recent visit to Sri Lanka, I (unsurprisingly) saw a lot of military personnel. Many times they were riding around in vehicles. On other occasions the interaction was a bit more personal. In Jaffna, as I was purchasing a new SIM card, a pair of Sri Lanka Army members entered the shop. In Trincomalee, I walked into town to grab the Sunday newspapers. There’s a place I remembered from a previous visit; it’s right by the bus stand. When I got there, two members of the Sri Lanka Army were inside picking up papers. (Should I at least be encouraged that they’re reading something?) After I bought three papers and was walking back to my hotel, I saw a pair of Navy men drive by.

If you’re visiting Sri Lanka and you leave your hotel room in Colombo, the capital, chances are you’re going to see at least a few military personnel during the course of the day. Without question, the situation is far more noticeable in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Sri Lanka’s civil war ended in May 2009, but a military drawdown still hasn’t happened. Since Mahinda Rajapaksa was thrown out of power in January 2015, the military may be intervening less in civilian affairs, but much more needs to be done. The military’s intervention into civilian life has undoubtedly continued under the new government, which has shown no indication of wanting to decrease troop levels. And there’s no question that the Sinhalese military’s strong presence in Tamil-dominated areas results in a range of serious problems.

“The immediate impact [of militarization in the Northern and Eastern Provinces] in terms of loss of livelihood, torture, sexual violence is well known and documented,” says Kumaravadivel Guruparan, a spokesperson for the Tamil Civil Society Forum. “I am also worried about the long term collective psycho social impact on the Tamil population as a whole. The objective of militarisation I have long maintained is the normalisation of abnormalcy and this will have wide ranging impact on self motivation and self development in individuals and also the collective desire within the community for valuable public ideals,” such as justice, equality and self-determination.

Moreover, pervasive militarization throughout the island nation’s historically Tamil areas undermines any legitimate transitional justice agenda and the most basic precepts of a fully functioning democracy. In line with commitments made at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), there’s still time for Sirisena to prove that he’s actually concerned about reaching out to the nation’s war-weary Tamil community. If the president wanted to move in such a direction, he could do a few things quickly.

Sirisena could first acknowledge that the widespread militarization in Sri Lanka’s north and east is extremely problematic. He could promise that a significant military drawdown will occur during his first term in office. He could consistently explain to the entire country that the implementation of a comprehensive transitional justice package is the best way to ensure that Sri Lanka’s peace is a lasting and genuine one. Relatedly, he could fully explicate the contents of the recently passed HRC resolution on Sri Lanka (and why it matters). Lastly, he could immediately release the majority of Tamil political prisoners. Unfortunately, there are virtually no signs that Sirisena is going to do any of those things.

A Big Thank To Our Military

Apparently, the bankrupt politicians and their frustrated saffron robed consociates have run out of steam in maligning the government.  They now seem to trek a path whereby they could spur the military establishment against the government.  Therefore, we hear the weasel statements and see the crocodile tears of these insincere and unpatriotic assailants.  Is this how we respect our men and women in military uniform who sacrificed their lives for us to live happily and peacefully today?

by Mass L. Usuf

( February 9, 2016, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The sound of the thumping high boots accompanied by the notes of the various musical bands of the armed forces viz. the Army, Navy and the Air Force along with that of the Police was breathtaking.    The precision march, the neat and smart attire embellished with ceremoniality fixed the eyes of the beholder to the rare display.

The military uniforms for the parade studded with medals, order insignias, neck scarves, lanyards, coloured  berets, and other decorations was a beauty to behold.  The well rehearsed display of battle dressed soldiers carrying their glistening assault rifles, others donning the bright coloured ceremonial uniforms, the march past of the distinctive elite commandos and those with traditional military uniforms added grandeur to the parade.

Then came rolling down the road columns of military hardware only seen in the battle fronts, for the civilians to look on.  They were gazing wonderstruck at the armoured cars, vehicle mounted weaponries, armoured personnel carriers, infantry vehicles etc.  The sonic sound of the Air Force jets suddenly shifts the focus towards the blue sky with all wanting to take a glimpse of the ceremonial fly past.

Small but mighty

Watching the 68th  Independence Day parade inspired awe in every one of us.  A sense of pride deluged our feelings looking at the protectors of our nation both from external and internal threats.

This is our military.  Small but mighty.  The military of our small island nation which not long ago warred with one of the world’s most fearsome and ferocious  terrorist outfit, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).  It took almost 30 years and thousands of lives to see an end to that menace.  The country lost many innocent people of all communities.  She was systematically deprived of several intellectuals, experienced and respected politicians.  Many were the young soldiers who laid down their lives during this testing period.  If they had been living today they would have sired families of their own.  Each death of a person was a loss of a child to the parents, a brother/sister to the siblings, a husband or the wife and a father/mother to the child and a citizen to mother Sri Lanka.

Today, we are a nation free of terrorism, explosions and fears.  We are able to breath the air of peace and enjoy freedom.  The nation in unison says a big, “THANK YOU” to the military, the Police, the auxiliary forces and all those who directly or indirectly helped to bring our country to what it is now, today.

We also do remember with gratitude our elders who valiantly stood united in the cause of gaining independence to Sri Lanka.  Among them were the Sinhalese, the Tamils, the Muslims and the Malays.  A clear demonstration of One People, One Nation. All belonging to one single human “Le” (blood).

Saffron Soldiers

It is appropriate at this juncture to juxtapose our military against some significant developments in the recent past.  One is relating to the arrest of several intelligence officers from the military.  They had been detained and were being interrogated on the disappearance of  journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda.  The other is the hackneyed claim by some bankrupt politicians about the derogation or disapprobation of  the status of our army in the light of the Geneva resolution.  The third is the exploitation of these two events by the so called protectors of the Sinhala race, the Sinhala nation and the Sasana in cohort with the bankrupts.

According to reports, Homagama Magistrate R.B.Nelumdeniya had granted leave to the CID to photograph and to examine the books and documents maintained by the camp authorities at the Girithale Army Intelligence Corps Camp.  It is alleged that Prageeth Ekneligoda had been detained there.  The magistrate also ordered the Army Commander to provide all necessary facilities to the CID officers and also to detail Military Police officers to provide security for them.  This is purely legal and within the law.

As far as investigations into the violation of human rights during the last phases of the war is concerned the President Maithripala Sirisena has clearly stated in relation to the involvement of UN investigators, that: “We are ready to get advice and their opinions for the inquiry, but I don’t think we need any outsiders because we have all the sources for this.”

To any sane person, the above two issues relating to the military in no way impacts on the integrity of the military as a whole or any military personnel.  The investigation into the acts of the intelligence officers is nothing extraordinary than the normal law of the country in motion in a criminal inquiry.

So what is all this fuss about prompting the infamous soldier in saffron to address the Homagama Magistrate in a manner defying the protocols of the judiciary?  From time immemorial the court has its own decorum of polite language, calm tone and reserved body language.  The use of slang, bursts of emotions, disrespect to the judge in facie curiae (in front of the court) or ex facie curiae (outside the court) should not be tolerated under any circumstances.  Let it be a monk or a layman.  To allow such misdemeanour would be a gross affront on the principle of the rule of law.  It would also erode the trust the people have on the judiciary.  This country today needs more of such courageous judges who would uphold the pure essence of the law irrespective of extraneous considerations.

Beggared politicians

Apparently, the bankrupt politicians and their frustrated saffron robed consociates have run out of steam in maligning the government.  They now seem to trek a path whereby they could spur the military establishment against the government.  Therefore, we hear the weasel statements and see the crocodile tears of these insincere and unpatriotic assailants.  Is this how we respect our men and women in military uniform who sacrificed their lives for us to live happily and peacefully today?   Are not the actions of these beggared politicians and these handful of monks belittling our armed forces?   Why do they not honour our soldiers and leave them alone without exploiting our armed forces to achieve parochial political mileage?  Are their cries sincerely aimed at safeguarding and protecting our armed forces from danger?  Or, are these ‘military’  maneuvers just one more attempt to damage and destabilize the government to recapture power.  Or, one more in the vicious, fast depleting arsenal trying to undermine the goodwill and reputation of the Ranil/Mathri government.

Do not engage our respected military in your petty, uncouth and deceptive politics.  Shame upon those who condescend themselves to such low levels.

Long live our Military !  

Sri Lanka: Rajapaksa’s rule against money laundering boomerangs on son

BY MUNZA MUSHTAQ on FEBRUARY 8, 2016 in ASIA TIMES NEWS & FEATURES, SOUTH ASIA

COLOMBO: A law against money laundering brought in by Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa during his almost decade-long rule has boomeranged on his second son, Lieutenant Yoshitha Rajapaksa.

Yoshitha Rajapaksa

Yoshitha was arrested and remanded on January 30 for his alleged role in financial irregularities at the Carlton Sports Network (CSN) television channel, reportedly owned and operated by him, during his father’s rule.

Yoshitha, along with Rajapaksa’s press secretary Rohan Welivita, who was also the channel head, former secretary of the cricket governing body Nishantha Ranatunga, who was the channel’s chief executive officer, and two of its directors Ravinath Fernando and Kavishan Dissanayake were arrested by the Financial Crimes Investigations Division and remanded by the magistrate until February 11.

They were arrested under the Money Laundering Act in connection with financial irregularities at CSN, after their failure to give details on how they obtained Sri Lankan Rupees 234 million to fund the channel.

Speaking to reporters soon after his son was remanded, Rajapaksa said this was an act of political revenge by the current administration.

“The Money Laundering Act was brought in to stop terrorists from bringing in money to the country. But it’s ironical how they have arrested the son of the man who ended terrorism in this country,” Rajapaksa said.

He said his son was innocent. “We are hoping the court will give us a fair verdict. I am not worried because I know my son has done nothing wrong,” he said.

Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said that besides Sri Lankan Rupees 234 million not accounted for, $2.3 million was sent to CSN from a questionable foreign source.

“Some of the documents were forged, and we tried them for money laundering,” Gunasekera said.

During the interrogation, the accused did not appear innocent. “When they were questioned, their statements did not indicate their innocence, and hence they were arrested,” he said.

A police statement issued following the arrest said email communications showed that Yoshitha was the chairman and decision maker at the channel.

Reports say he also flouted the military law by holding office at a private company, and may face military charges.

Apart from charges of misappropriation of funds, the channel is also facing allegations of misuse of state resources during Rajapaksa’s tenure.

Several pro-Rajapaksa parliamentarians boycotted state functions including the country’s Independence Day celebrations which fell on Feb. 4 as a mark of protest against the recent arrests and what they claimed as the penalizing of the Rajapaksa family by the current administration led by incumbent President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Wimal Weerawansa, a parliamentarian and a Rajapaksa loyalist, said the current administration was trying to drive Rajapaksa out of politics, and hence targeting his children as that will hurt him most.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued to mark the country’s Independence Day, Rajapaksa said “even if my entire family, including myself, is imprisoned, I will not deviate from the path of reasserting our national independence, ensuring the territorial integrity of our motherland, restarting the stalled process of economic development and re-establishing our national self-respect.”

Former defense secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who is also Rajapaksa’s brother, said the time has come to end the current ‘tyrant’ regime.

Speaking to journalists, Gotabaya, who had a questionable record while holding office, said the current administration was “worse than that of even Hitler’s time.”

“They have been trying to take revenge ever since coming to power, so we must end this administration and restore peace that Mahinda Rajapaksa brought to this country,” he said.

Munza Mushtaq is a journalist based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. She is the former news editor of two leading Sri Lankan newspapers; The Nation and the Sunday Leader. She writes extensively on Sri Lankan current affairs with special focus on politics, human rights and business issues. She is currently the Colombo-based correspondent for International News Services, the Los Angeles Times and the Nikkei Asian Review.

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