Once again Sri Lanka cheats the International Community

by S. V. Kirubaharan

Views Expressed in this article are author own

( February 14, 2016, Paris, Sri Lanka Guardian) Over the last year, the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon has become an international playground for China, Japan, India, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, USA, UK and EU countries. Except for two or three, all the others supported regime change and now they are competing to have their share of gain.

Some are progressing well! Unfortunately, neighbouring India, accused by the former President as being a country in favour of regime change, has not received its reasonable dividend. India is not happy about the recent developments in Sri Lanka. Regarding the ethnic conflict, they took a very lenient path but that trick didn’t work with the new government. The new government prefers to deal equally with China and India.

For various reasons, no government in power in Sri Lanka will exclude China. In other words, there are many reasons for Sri Lanka to be watchful of India. Even though Indian decision-makers know this well, they play a silent diplomacy.

On the other hand, the USA, UK and EU countries are doing well with the new regime. Whether economically or on human rights, it is all based on politics. It is a question of how much Sri Lanka is willing to offer those countries. Some say India is looking for a giant share in Sri Lanka.

In Sri Lanka, the ethnic conflict has existed since independence in 1948. But Tamil political grievances never reached the international community until 1983. Even though there were many Sinhala riots against the Tamils (1956, 1958, 1977, 1981 and 1983), it was only after July 1983, the international community began to be aware of the longstanding communal blood-bath in Sri Lanka.

No country except Britain was aware of the failure of the Banda-Chelva pact in 1956 and the Dudly-Chelva pact in 1965.

SWRD Bandaranayake (Banda) father of ex-President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who belongs to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party – SLFP was Prime Minister in 1957 and Dudley Senanayake (Dudly) of the United National Party – UNP was Prime Minister in 1965. They both signed agreements in 1956 and 1965 respectively, with then Tamil leader S.J.V. Chelvanayagam (Chelva). These agreements were based on a quasi-federal system, devolving certain powers to the North and East.

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Govt. faces critical phase: Good and bad news from Zeid’s visit

By Our Political Editor-Sunday, February 14, 2016
View(s): 1999

• Visiting UNHRC Chief gets a more friendly reception than accorded to his predecessor
• Rajapaksa loyalists taking full advantage of the Geneva crisis; new office opened for new party

There was both good and bad news for the Government during the four-day visit to Sri Lanka by the United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.

The good news was Zeid’s demonstrated willingness to address what the Government of Sri Lanka believes are contentious issues. Main among them is the participation of Commonwealth and foreign judges, prosecutors and investigators in the proposed judicial mechanism to probe alleged war crimes. He acknowledged the views expressed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe during talks last Tuesday but placed the onus on the Government to prove itself through performance. This was after the Premier set out the Government’s road map to address issues. That discourse has opened up avenues but it hinged on how best the Government will tackle the issues.

Zeid also for the first time elaborated on the US-backed Geneva resolution, co-sponsored by Sri Lanka. In a carefully crafted eight-page eve of departure statement Tuesday, he said, “the resolution suggests international participation in the accountability mechanisms set up to deal with international crimes and gross human rights violations by individuals on both sides…” In that elucidation he left out any pointed reference to the armed forces collectively. As for the Tiger guerrillas, the fact that such offences came from their slain leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is a historic fact.

The bad news was the insistence in Zeid’s official statement that all provisions in the resolution should be implemented. That had to be expected. The resolution has been unanimously endorsed by 47 members of the Human Rights Council and it is Zeid’s responsibility to ensure it is done. That is why he declared that he would have to report back to the Council on progress — or the lack of it — next June, and again in March 2017.

Foreign Ministry not in the loop
Needless to say that Zeid’s assertions have left the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has accused of doing little or nothing in the past one year, in a spin. By its “Most Urgent” Circular No: 45 dated February 10 distributed to Sri Lanka heads of missions overseas, the Ministry has only sent (a) a copy of Zeid’s eight page statement, and (b) the transcript of the news conference he held at the UN office in Colombo. What about Sri Lanka Government’s own response to the assertions Zaid made? In some Sri Lanka diplomatic missions overseas there were media queries on what the Government’s response was. High Commissioners and Ambassadors were unable to answer and asked for time. Sri Lankan diplomats were confused over what to tell their host Governments.                  Read More

Accountability and a Political Solution: A Response to Ram Manikkalingam

Photo courtesy Understanding the Age of Transitional Justice

by Niran Anketell 

- on 02/14/2016 

In a recent article, Ram Manikkalingam – a member of the Sri Lankan President’s Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) – argues that Sri Lanka must not prioritize accountability for mass atrocity crimes until a new constitution addressing Tamil autonomy is formulated, and that international human rights advocates must stop giving precedence to war crimes trials over other forms of reconciliation. Interestingly, Manikkalingam’s advice is targeted at ‘international human rights activists who have little patience for the complex domestic politics’ of Sri Lanka, and not the many champions of devolution and accountability within the country – Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim – who continue to navigate the island’s intricate politics but nevertheless believe that progress on all fronts is necessary and possible. With respect to the demand for accountability at least, Manikkalingam is at risk of mimicking the patronizing error of those he critiques in failing to recognize that the intellectual and moral leadership in respect of the demand for accountability has long shifted from those outside to those who live and work in Sri Lanka.

Manikkalingam’s article touches two recurring debates within Transitional Justice, both of them as old as the discipline itself: first, the peace versus justice debate, and second, the question of sequencing reconciliation related measures. The article suggests that because a political solution is more important than war crimes trials, the sequence in which they are unveiled should privilege a political solution with war crimes trials coming later. In this response to his article, I claim that Manikkalingam’s dichotomization of a political solution to the national question and accountability for atrocity crimes is false, but also that in sequencing reconciliation measures, it is strategically better to establish the legal architecture to try atrocity crimes earlier rather than later.

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Kidneys Going Cheap in Poor Estate Community

By Amantha Perera-Saturday, February 13, 2016

TALAWAKELE, Sri Lanka, Feb 10 2016 (IPS) - One and half years ago, Johnson, a 20- something youth, hailing from Sri Lanka’s tea plantations, received an unusual request. The caller, someone Johnson knew casually, made an offer for his kidney. “It was for a half a million rupees (around US $3,500),” he said.

Rajendaran, a 24 year-old beggar at the Talawakele railway station who gets regular requests for his kidney but has so far refused. Credit: Amantha Perera/IPS

Johnson thought for a while and agreed. Mired in poverty and without a permanent job, half million was something he could only dream about till then. Soon he admitted himself into a private hospital in the capital city, Colombo, about 170 km from his native Talawakele. Neither did Johnson know anyone there nor was he familiar with the sprawling urban maze.

After several tests, his kidney was deemed compatible with a 41 year-old man from the north of Sri Lanka, the only detail Johnson knew of the man who now has his kidney. From the time he got admitted, Johnson was well taken care of by his initial caller, a middle man. To those who were curious, he was advised to tell them that he was a relative of the kidney patient. No one asked, Johnson said later.

Johnson stayed in the hospital for several days after the operation. 

When he returned home, he was provided a vehicle. But the benevolence ended there. For days Johnson went to the bank and checked his account. No monies had been credited. Nervous, he called the middle man; the number returned a message that said it had been disconnected.

He visited the man’s residence, only to be told that he had moved out and was now overseas. “I did not receive a cent for my kidney,” a desperate Johnson told IPS. He suspects that the middle man did in fact get the cash, but decamped with it.

Johnson’s story may be unusual in other segments of Sri Lanka society that are richer and savvier. But among the estate community in the central hills, selling a kidney has now become a frequent tale of woe.

Mahendran, a 53 year-old father of four, is also a victim of the same racket. He received a request for his organ while working as a helper at a rich household. It was the same modus operandi: a middle man, known a little but not that much, approached Mahendran, made the play for the kidney and got his consent.

Both thereafter travelled to Colombo, where Mahendran like Johnson was a fish out of water. At the hospital he was asked to pretend to be a relative of the patient. Mahendran also got played out after he had parted with his kidney. “I was promised Rs 150,000 ($1,050) and paid Rs 10,000 ($70).”

Mahendran told IPS that he initially balked at selling his organs, but finally gave way because of abject poverty. “I have four children to look after, that was why I did it,” he said.

Now with one kidney, he can’t work hard and earn as much as he used to. Two of his eldest kids, two boys have now dropped out of school.

Both men said that poverty was the main factor behind their decision. Sri Lanka’s plantations, where the island’s popular tea is grown, has been mired in poverty. According to the Government’s Census and Statistics Department, over 15 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, in some areas the rate is close to 30 per cent.

However, there are no statistics on the large-scale trafficking racket. Officers at the Talawakele Police station say that they have heard about the sale of the kidneys but no complaints have been lodged.

There could be several reasons for the lack of police complaints. Both Mahendran and Johnson told IPS that they have now become the butt-end of village jokes. Another is that according to Sri Lanka’s Penal Code anyone who sells an organ faces a jail term of seven years.

Clearly, this issue warrants closer investigation. Prabash Karunanayake, a doctor at the Lindula hospital in Talawakele has had to regularly admonish villagers who have sought advice on parting with a kidney. “In recent days I have had to warn at least three persons on the dangers they court by doing this,” he added.

Another one who has had to deal with such offers is Rajendaran, a 24 year-old beggar, who lives and begs at the Talawakele railway station. He said that several people have made offers for his kidney which he says have now become routine. “I have refused all of them so far. I don’t want to make a complaint because these are dangerous people.”

Kanapathi Kanagaraja, a member of the Central Provincial Council, feels that before the sale of kidneys acquires larger proportions, the government should take decisive action to stem it. “We will take this up at provincial level, but it warrants national level attention.”

Prathiba Mahanama, the former head of the national Human Rights Commission said that till national level programmes are launched, the most effective deterrent is public awareness. That is a view that Karunanayake, the area doctor, also agrees on. “Right now because people don’t know the medical dangers, the sale of kidneys is purely a financial transaction. People are unscrupulously making such offers because they know that at the right price, a kidney can be bought.”

(End)

Gamman Pillars

By Nishthar Idroos –February 14, 2016

Nishthar Idroos

Member of Parliament Dilan Perera said something interesting recently at one of those ubiquitous press briefings. What he took great pains to enunciate momentarily confused me. Referring to an action of a colleague known for his noisy political aspirations in the muddied milieu of turbulent politics of Sri Lanka, Mr. Perera mentioned for some odd reason two strange and incomprehensible words and attributed it to this individual .i.e. Gamman Pillars. An awkward yet hilarious set of words that had the potential to induce laughter in anyone. I for one was laughing.

Incidentally this individual’s legendary notoriety to capitalize on scarce opportunities for political fame and subtle maneuvering was doubtless second to none. His persona and character interesting artistic material for a discerning scriptwriter with eyes set on a magnum opus. It’s not for any reason we say Sri Lanka is a country like no other. Its insouciant politicians thrive on all kinds of opportunities. Trying valiantly to fabricate phantasmagorical tales either to woo people or being booed by people.

This youthful Member of Parliament in question reminds a lot about another former parliamentarian all be it a senior one, prone to similar theatrics. We all remember A J Ranasinghe of the “Serappu soup” fame. Arthur Jayasena Ranasinghe former State Minister, diplomat and ardent confidante of President Ranasinghe Premadasa. The bloke rose to a powerful position from a relatively insignificant one. I think the youthful Member of Parliament too would one day soar to greater heights when his masters are returned to power, until such time he has to do one thing very right – keep his eyes strictly focused only on the script.

Why did Member of Parliament Dilan Perera say Gamman Pillars? He separated the two words clearly, possibly using it as some kind of a proper noun. Why would he refer to his colleague as a pillar when actually the bloke is a Pilla? More precisely Udaya Gammanpilla? It did not make much sense initially. My first reaction nonetheless was to acknowledge the need for pillars in the country, I mean all kinds of pillars.

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Latest expose`- Brutal Rajapakse family also had an abortion doctor for their sons -Full report with evidence

Padeniya, Murunththetuwe Ananda have suppressed information

(Lanka-e-News- 14.Feb.2016, 6.30PM) It is a well and widely known fact that during the brutal corrupt Rajapakse reign , the Rajapakse family had a ‘Royal’ astrologer. However the fact that the Rajapakse family had also a ‘Royal abortion’ Doctor  who was also very actively involved  with them was not that well known, because with the aiding and abetting of Padeniyas and  Muruthettuwe Anandas he was protected and covered . But now Lanka e news inside information division has been able to unravel  the whole sordid truth  and unsavory details with supporting evidence.

During the criminal corrupt Rajapakse era under their  aegis ,Doctors like Padeniyas of the government medical officers association (GMOA) in collusion  with Dr. Monics who were conducting illicit kidney business have also engaged in illicit abortion activities in association with this ‘Royal abortionist’ by the name of Randeniya , based on reports reaching Lanka  e news inside information division.
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Sinha Le Politics and Socio-cultural Persecution

Extremism and fanaticism begin with destruction and end with self-destruction. That is a lesson no Lankan, be he/she of the majority community or minority communities can afford to forget.

by Tisaranee Gunasekara

“Cultural purity is an oxymoron.”~ Kwame Anthony Appiah (Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers)

( February 14, 2016, Colombo, Sri lanka Guardian) The Independence Day celebrations commenced with the national anthem sung in Sinhala and concluded with the national anthem sung in Tamil. It was a first and a good first, a gesture of enormous symbolic significance, an unmistakable indication of the new government’s commitment to an inclusive, pluralist project of nation-building.

Gotabhaya Rajapaksa once derided the singing of the national anthem in Tamil as “a ridiculous and unpractical idea.” But for those who accept the pluralist nature of Sri Lanka and look forward to a truly Lankan future, that moment felt not ridiculous or unpractical, but deeply moving. The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government is not living up to expectation in several key areas, starting with the economy. But now and then it does something which vindicates fully the historic outcome of January 8th 2015 and keeps hope of a better future alive.

We don’t love other people’s countries; we can only love our own. Measures which humiliate ethno-religious minorities cannot promote national reconciliation or foster Lankan patriotism. There is a greater chance of inculcating a sense of Lankan patriotism in Tamil/Muslim children and youth when they are allowed to sing the national anthem in their own language rather than parrot it in a language they barely understand.

Mahinda Rajapaksa imposed the de facto ban on singing the national anthem in Tamil not during the war, but several months after the defeat of the LTTE, as a petulant response to the Oxford Debacle. The LLRC (appointed by the Rajapaksa administration) in its report criticised the ban and warned that it would “create a major irritant which would not be conducive to fostering post-conflict reconciliation.”  It also recommended that “The practice of the National Anthem being sung simultaneously in two languages in the same time must be maintained and supported.” That recommendation was finally implemented by the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government on February 4th, 2016.

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Time For Tamil Politicians To Think Of Suffering Jaffna Muslims

By Latheef Farook –February 13, 2016

Latheef Farook

Despite criticism at the slow pace of fulfilling election promises, tribute should be paid to President Maithripala Sirisena for allowing the singing of the Tamil version of national anthem during the island’s 68th Independence Day celebrations. Addressing the ceremony to mark the event he called on all citizens to work collectively in harmony, friendship and brotherhood to face the decades ahead.

This was a welcome gesture especially at a time when desperate racist political forces led by defeated president Mahinda Rajapaksa making every possible effort to regain power by exploiting such a move by rousing anti Tamil feelings.

In fact only a year and half ago one could not even dream of such a move in the highly corrupt, communalized and criminalized political environment under Rajapaksa regime.
Calling for unity and brotherhood during his address to the nation President Sirisena said that, “almost every government which came to power gave priority to develop physical resources to build the economy. However had they concentrated on building unity, reconciliation and friendship, terrorism that affected the country for 26 years could have been avoided”.

National anthem of the country “Namo Namo Maatha” was adopted in 1952 .It was translated into Tamil by M. Nallathamby, a famous Tamil poet. The words were changed from “Namo, Namo Maatha” to “Sri Lanka Maatha “in 1961.

Tamils in general expressed their emotions freely on the singing of national anthem in Tamil. Tamil National Alliance and Opposition leader R. Sampanthan and Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran were in tears. Columnist D.B.S Jeyaraj said he was in tears on seeing school children singing national anthem in Tamil language.

After watching the National Day ceremonies Chief Minister Wigneswaran drove straight to Sri Naga Vihara in Jaffna and offered lotus flowers to Lord Buddha and lit oil lamps. He said there that if the Sinhalese took one step the Tamils were ready to take ten.

President Sirisena, by allowing the singing of the Tamil version of the National anthem, has set in motion the path towards the long and arduous journey to reconciliation.   Read More

Derana TV suspends presenter (video)

14 February 2016

The incident is related to what he has said at ‘Derana Aruna’ programme with regard to a female singer who sang ‘Danno Budunge’ at the Independence Day musical show.

Sankha has said that she-cats in the heat should be driven away by throwing bricks at them.

At a statement to the media in Badulla yesterday (13), prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe referred to the utterance and condemned it, saying stern measures would be taken against electronic media stations that insulted women.

Noting that TV frequencies belong to the public, the PM slammed the utterance, saying such things would not be tolerated and granting permits to channels would be more closely monitored.

Later, the PM summoned the Derana TV correspondent and asked him about the measures taken with regard to the matter.

The correspondent said the channel expressed regret, after which the PM noted Derana TV should take measures to safeguard its license.

Related news:

Stern measures to safeguard women – PM
Sankha’s response:

PM’s remarks:

Even as MR opens political office on reverse gear his SLFP takes decision to punish members who criticize Maithri and party !

(Lanka-e-News -13.Feb.2016, 9.00AM) At about the same time as   Mahinda Rajapakse a byword for corruption and lawlessness who became best known for ruining every Institution in the country while in power was inaugurating this morning a new office at Jayanthi mawatha,  Battaramulla after being responsible for the party’s defeat twice  , and now to destroy what is left of the  SLFP party although he is  claiming the new office is for future poltical  activities , the Central  working committee of the SLFP which met this evening arrived at a unanimous decision to take disciplinary action against any party member who criticizes the party leadership or the party .

It is specially noteworthy that Mahinda Rajapakse cut the ribbon  at the inauguration ceremony while looking behind (vide photograph) -(signifying his political reverse journey from now on?)

A crucial decision was also taken by the SLFP working committee not to give permission to SLFP M.P.s to function within parliament as an independent  group. The group of coconut robbers that is demanding they be reckoned as an independent group was told by Nimal Siripala De Silva , the leader of the UPFA group yesterday that 30 % of the UPFA time will be allocated to them .Accordingly the parliament time allocation will be distributed as follows :

70 % of government time  to be allocated to UNP ; 30% time to the UPFA  which  is with the government; and now 30 % out of that 30% time is being allocated to the ‘United Coconut Robbers’ group  . However , it cannot be forgotten that this ‘United Coconut Robbers’ group is therefore at the mercy of the government for they are  using the time of the Government and none else. 

Be that as it may, when the Central working  Committee of the SLFP comprised of 53 members met today at president Maithripala’s Paget road official residence, the  patron of the party Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge too participated . Though members of the ‘United Coconut Robbers’ group including villainous  Kumara Welgama, Mahinda Yapa and Pavithra were also present , none of them uttered a word against the decisions taken by the working committee .

Already 9 chiefs of provincial administration bodies are facing disciplinary inquiries for holding media briefings and criticizing  the party. However only one of them accepted that a new party is being formed. In any case it was decided that they be  given another opportunity to furnish explanations to exonerate  themselves.

A member of the Central working Committee speaking to Lanka e news in regard to today’s meeting had this to say …

The Rajapakses  are  desperately seeking to build a public opinion to cover up their monumental robberies and find an escape route . With this in view they are conducting a campaign gathering together several parties from the wayside which have no popularity base to achieve their foul and clandestine designs. If the SLFP too falls in line with those destructive agendas , the party that was driven to defeat twice by the Rajapakses will again surely court disaster.He also asked , whether the SLFP supporters are therefore crazy to rally around the leader who was the architect of the party’s defeat twice?

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by     (2016-02-13 03:50:50)

17 kg of Kerala ganja seized in Mannar

February 14, 2016

A team attached to the Excise Department in Mannar has seized some 17 kilograms of Kerala ganja, Ada Derana reporter says.

The raid was carried out in the wee hours of this morning in a forest area in Musali, Mannar, the reporter added. 

The estimated street value of the seized haul of Kerala ganja is over Rs. 17 million, it was reported. The seized haul will be produced before the Mannar Magistrate today.

President John F. Kennedy and His Brother Robert Kennedy Were Murdered By The Military-Security Complex

By Dr. Paul Craig Roberts-13 February 2016

Presstitute Media, such as the UK Telegraph, spend a lot of energy debunking exposés of government conspiracies. For example, the thousands of highrise architects, structural engineers, physicists, nano-chemists, demolition experts, first responders, military and civilian pilots, and former government officials who have provided vast evidence that the official story of 9/11 is a made-up fairy tale at odds with all evidence and the laws of physics are dismissed by presstitutes as “conspiracy theorists.”

Similarly, those, such as James W. Douglass, who have proven beyond all doubt that President John F. Kennedy was not assassinated by Oswald but by his own paranoid anti-communist military-security complex, are dismissed as conspiracy theorists.

The 9/11 Commission Report and the Warren Commission Report were cover-ups. VP Dick Cheney and the neoconservatives he sponsored needed a “new Pearl Harbor” in order to begin their military assaults on the Middle Eastern countries that had independent foreign policies instead of being US/Israeli vassals. 9/11 was their orchestrated “new Pearl Harbor,” and this fact had to be covered up when 9/11 families persisted in their demands for an investigation and could not be bought off for large sums of money.

Similarly, the Warren Commission had no choice but to cover up that a popular American president, John F. Kennedy, had been murdered by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the CIA, and the Secret Service, because he was believed by paranoid anti-communists to be “soft on communism” and thereby a threat to the security of the United States. The cold war was on, and the Warren Commission could not hold those responsible accountable without destroying the public’s confidence in the American military and security services.             FullStory

Obama urges Russia to stop bombing "moderate" Syria rebels

Still image taken from aerial footage released by Russia's Defence Ministry on February 11, 2016, shows airstrikes, carried out by the country's air force and hitting what the Defence Ministry says were Islamic State oil storage facilities, at an unknown location in Syria.

BY TOM PERRY AND JEFF MASON-Sun Feb 14, 2016

U.S. President Barack Obama urged Russia on Sunday to stop bombing "moderate" rebels in Syria in support of its ally Bashar al-Assad, a campaign seen in the West as a major obstacle to latest efforts to end the war.

Major powers agreed on Friday to a limited cessation of hostilities in Syria but the deal does not take effect until the end of this week and was not signed by any warring parties - the Damascus government and numerous rebel factions fighting it.

Russian bombing raids directed at rebel groups are meanwhile helping the Syrian army to achieve what could be its biggest victory of the war in the battle for Aleppo, the country's largest city and commercial centre before the conflict.

There is little optimism that the deal reached in Munich will do much to end a war that has lasted five years and cost 250,000 lives.

The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin and Obama had spoken by telephone and agreed to intensify cooperation to implement the Munich agreement.

But a Kremlin statement made clear Russia was committed to its campaign against Islamic State and "other terrorist organisations", an indication that it would also target groups in western Syria where jihadists such as al Qaeda are fighting Assad in close proximity to rebels deemed moderate by the West.

Full Story>>>

Putin could end Syrian war with one phonecall, says Philip Hammond

Foreign secretary says question of Assad staying or going depends on whether Russia is prepared to use its influence to remove him

Putin could end Syrian war with one phonecall, says Philip Hammond

Frances Perraudin in London and Kareem Shaheen in Beirut-Sunday 14 February 2016

Vladimir Putin could end Syria’s civil war with one phonecall, Britain’s foreign secretary has said.

Calling on the Russians to end airstrikes on moderate Syrian opposition fighters,Philip Hammond said: “There is one man on this planet who can end the civil war in Syria by making a phonecall and that’s Mr Putin.”

He said the political situation in Syria had not changed in the past year. “Whether or not Assad goes or stays ultimately will depend on whether the Russians are prepared to use their influence to remove him. That was exactly the same a year ago,” he said.

On Saturday Turkey said it had shelled a Kurdish militia in northern Syria and said it, along with Saudi Arabia, would consider sending ground troops in.

The US has urged Turkey to turn its attention to fighting Isis after world powers including the UK, the US and Russia agreed to pause hostilities in Syria on Friday– an agreement that did not have the backing of the Syrian government or include attacks on Isis or al-Nusra Front.

Renewed violence in the multi-layered conflict threatens to upend the truce agreed in Munich, which calls for a “cessation of hostilities” within a week and the delivery of humanitarian aid to besieged areas around the country.

An aerial campaign by Moscow launched last autumn and intensified in recent weeks has driven the most significant gains by the regime of Bashar al-Assadsince the start of the war, having primarily targeted mainstream rebels bent on overthrowing him.

On Sunday the Kremlin said Putin and Barack Obama had discussed the crisis in a phonecall, agreeing that the deal reached in Munich was a positive step and pledging to implement the ceasefire and the delivery of aid.

But Moscow continued to bomb areas in the provinces of Latakia and Aleppo on Sunday, abetting a regime advance days after the Munich deal. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group with wide contacts inside Syria, said Russian warplanes had carried out an intense bombardment in northern Aleppo backing an offensive of troops loyal to Assad.

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2 Indian soldiers, 4 rebels killed in Kashmir fighting

by AP News-13th February 2016 

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — The Indian army says four suspected rebels and two soldiers have been killed in a fierce gunbattle in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir.

Army spokesman Col. Nitin Joshi says police and soldiers cordoned off a village in northern Kupwara region after they got a tip that militants were hiding in the area.

The fighting erupted Friday evening and intermittent gunfire continued through the night.

Joshi says an intense firefight resumed early Saturday in which two soldiers were killed and two others wounded.

Police say the bodies of the militants have been spotted and soldiers were in the process of retrieving them.

The area is close to the Line of Control dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Both countries claim the Himalayan region in its entirety.

Clashes and protests mark fifth anniversary of Bahrain's 'uprising'

Pro-democracy activists accuse authorities of repression as police use tear gas and water cannons to break up demonstrations
Bahraini protesters wearing masks are seen during clashes with security forces in Manama, Bahrain (AA) 

A protester in Manama carries a flag depicting executed Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr (AA) 

Alex MacDonald-Sunday 14 February 2016

Clashes have taken place and youths have been arrested in Bahrain as protesters commemorated the fifth anniversary of the beginning of pro-democracy protests in the Gulf island state.

An unspecified numbers of minors were arrested for “riots and acts of sabotage” and for having “disrupted people’s interests,” the state-run Bahrain News Agency said on Sunday.

Clashes broke out in Manama, the Bahraini capital, over the weekend as police fired tear gas and water cannons at mainly masked youths who burned tyres and threw debris at police officers.

Many also carried flags or pictures of martyrs, including depictions of Nimr al-Nimr, the Shia cleric executed by Saudi Arabia in early January.

Sayed Alwadaei, director of advocacy at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, described the situation on Sunday as similar to a state of martial law with "violence, arrests and tear gas".

"There has been an appearance of security forces at every entry and exit of each village," he told Middle East Eye.

"There are protests all over the areas in Bahrain."

He added that villages were being "evacuated with tear gas as a method of collective punishment".

Pro-democracy activists posted evidence on Twitter of birdshot being used against protesters.

- See more>>>