Sri Lanka: Tamil Mother Identifies Son Alive in Army Custody

02/03/2016

A middle-aged Tamil mother Monday identified her missing son in a photograph that showed a group of LTTE cadres alive while in the Sri Lankan military custody during the final few days of the bloody war.

Sriswary Pushparajah, a teacher, told the Paragama Presidential Commission of Inquiry that the young boy sitting next to the girl in the photograph publish by the Channel 4 News was her son Pushparajah Ajinthan.

She said that her son seen in the photograph was forcibly recruited by the LTTE during the war.

“I lost my son in Mullivaikkal. We got caught in a military round-up on March20, 2009 and the son did not come because he was on the other side. As I am a teacher, my students told me that they saw my son alive while in military custody. We searched for him everywhere but of no avail,” Mrs Pushparajah told Ceylonews.com after giving evidence to the Paranagama Commission at the Chavakachcheri Divisional Secretariat in Jaffna.

She said she saw her son first in the photograph published in a newspaper in 2013.

“It is clearly evident that the Army has caught him alive. Although we do not know his whereabouts, we firmly believe that he is still alive. Because, they were seen in military custody with their hands and legs bound,” she said pointing to a photograph published by Channel 4 News.

She said that her son was studying Advanced Level at the Mallavi Maha Vidyalayam when the LTTE forcibly conscripted him.

“He fled LTTE and was with living us when we lost him. Later, we see him like this in military custody with his and legs bound. The army should be keeping them,” teacher Sriswary said.

Several photographs have surfaced in the past that show prominent LTTE figures or their family members alive and in Sri Lankan army custody at the end of the war. Those same people have either been photographed dead or have disappeared subsequently. These include the pictures of 12-year old Balachandran and some of the pictures of LTTE TV newsreader Isaipriya who was also taken into army custody on 18 May 2009. Some of these photographs were independently authenticated in the past by the Channel 4 News.

“It is now the duty of the Sri Lankan military to locate my son and hand him back to us. I firmly believe that they will return him,” she said.

Speaking to Ceylonews.com, another elderly man said his 33-year old son, daughter in law and three grandchildren went missing in Mullivaikkal where tens of thousands of Tamil civilians were killed during the final phase of the war.

“I have searched for them everywhere and there no news of them. This Presidential Commission just recorded my statement but gave no convincing answers. They just said they will look for him,” he said.

Another mother said that she was demanded to pay Rs 50 lakhs to release her son. We don’t that much of money. I told them we will pay the ransom only if they produce my child,” she said.

She, however, said her children living abroad have paid some money via bank transfers hoping to get her child released. She said the she does not have those bank details in her possession.

(ceylonews.com)

Ninth day fasting, Magazine inmates serious

Mar 02, 2016

Reports reaching us confirm the situation of the 14 political prisoners who were on a fasting protest is said to be serious. Yesterday 1st four of those inmates have been taken to the prisons hospital.

The inmates started a fasting protest on February 23rd for detaining without a charge sheet for a long time following their arrest. Despite nine days has completed for the fasting the authorities has not taken credible steps. The inmates include one female and thirteen male prisoners.
 
The national campaign to free political prisoners convened a media communiqué yesterday and briefed the situation. They said the government should take a credible political solutions and complete their release.

Tamils, The North & The State

By Mahinda Rajapaksa –March 1, 2016

“Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.” ~Charles de Gaulle

When we discuss in our high-sounding socio-political conversations of reconciliation or accommodation, we simply mean a genuine feeling of empathy, based fundamentally on compassion and kindness. Whether one is a Tamil, Sinhalese, Muslim or a Burger, reconciling oneself to the feelings, ambitions and desires of the other is not an easy human endeavor. Centuries-long myths have taken their toll and prepped the hearts and minds of our people. And it is not specific to Sri Lanka alone. All humankind has proven to be most receptive and consequently susceptible to the moods of the contemporary world. From the dawn of time, man has ventured out to be part of a group, family or a sect. Instead of living alone, he had realized that numbers give not only strength, they give a sense of belonging.

That sense of belonging gave man his desire and ambition to endeavor out together and conquer what was to be conquered. That desire for conquest is still going on unrelentingly. That unrelenting ambition of man has helped land a man on the Moon; it has propelled him to carve out lush green fields out of desert sands; it has given us the smartphone and fax machine and it continues to drive him through the proverbial peaks and valleys of victory and defeat. Man’s mastery of the universe, though not complete by any standard, is breathtaking and mind-boggling. And when the spirit of man continues to conquer everything around him, as Jawaharlal Nehru uttered in his Independence address: “a moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new; when an age ends; and when the soul of a nation long suppressed finds utterance”.

Yet when one comes back to the basics of human decency and human graciousness, time and time again he has failed to contain his mean anger and primeval fears; he has resorted to the most wicked endeavors of violence and man’s inhumanity to man has been well chronicled for all to see. In the words of Herodotus the father of history, “It’s impossible for someone who is human to have all good things together, just as there is no single country able to provide all good things for itself”. Man’s unyielding march towards bettering himself has given the world all wars and conflicts; it has left the world with more questions than answers, it has redirected the journey towards self-centered parochial ends. And in this pursuit of parochial ends and selfish goals, he has invented cocoons that nourish him; he has produced bubbles that protect him and patriotism, nationalism are essential parts of those cocoons and bubbles. To quote French President Charles de Gaulle: “Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first”.

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A House on fire

MAR 02 2016

One thought that Parliament was a privileged entity. Its inhabitants, meaning our worthy peoples' representatives, take cover behind the cloak of Parliamentary privilege at the drop of a hat. No member, at least theoretically, can be arrested without the sanction of the Speaker of Parliament. 'Dignity' and 'decorum' of Parliament are today hackneyed expressions that describe the sanctity attached to Parliament. Hence one is given the impression that it is the holy of holies, the sanctum sanctorum, not be belittled or trifled with. Or so one is inclined to think. Not any more though, going by a news item we carried in our front page yesterday headlined "Now Parliament under PRECIFAC probe".

According to the news item the Presidential Commission investigating Fraud, Corruption, Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges has launched a broad investigation into alleged mass scale acts of corruption, fraud and misuse of state assets which had occurred in Parliament in the past. Quoting reports, it states that waste, corruption and fraud committed ran into millions which were beyond estimation. There had also been various acts of corruption and fraud involving the repairs at the MPs' housing complex at Madiwela, granting of scholarships to high officials and the purchase of building materials and vehicles.

No mention is made of the colossal waste of food, which are discarded in mountains at the end of each sitting day. Here too there had been allegations of a favoured supplier being given the contract in the past.

So after all, there is a question mark hanging over the 'supremacy' of Parliament. It is no longer a no go zone, if the news item is to be believed. It is indeed a telling indictment on the country's supreme legislature that it is soon to be the subject of an investigation for incidents of fraud and corruption. Or has the August Assembly turned out to be the mirror image of its members (or most of them) who are now been trooped before various Commissions for acts of fraud and corruption. Who is responsible for this sad state of affairs?

One recalls an allegation made by Opposition members in the 89-94 Parliament over the purchase of a consignment of neckties by a high authority in Parliament. But the matter was not allowed to be raised by the Chair. This was perhaps the first instance that the public was given the impression that all is not well at the country's supreme legislature entrusted with the task of enacting laws. The latest revelation may only be the tip of the iceberg. They say a fish starts rotting from the head. It is hoped that this is not true of our Parliament.

An in depth investigation is bound to reveal the more serious incidents of fraud and corruption. True, Parliament being the behemoth that it is, there is no way to exercise close supervision of the activities of its various departments and sections. Besides, Parliament being what it is, its labyrinthian workings and functions are bound to escape close scrutiny. Prior to this we have never heard of any law enforcement authority or other investigative arm called upon to probe any irregularities or misdeeds in the Parliament administration, leaving the door wide open for the kind of fraud and corruption that has now come to light. Therefore it behoves on the authorities to clean up the mess and not leave room for any scandal to surface that would in the future mar the dignity of an August body like the country's Parliament.

It has been observed time and again that Parliament being what it is, dedicated to a task of the kind it is entrusted with, involving volumes of work, mundane matters such as supervision of the conduct of its staff, particularly the minor staff, has gone by default, leaving room for irregularities. Hence it is time that the Speaker, as the chief custodian of Parliament, exercises close vigilance and devise ways so that a close check could be kept on the inner administration and the vast subterranean functions of the Parliament. The House of Parliament is after all a sacrosanct institution in the eyes of the public, never mind the conduct of its members, and should always strive to be above board. If the country's supreme legislature becomes tainted by scandals it would send a wrong message to the public.

One of the allegations pertains to the purchase of a finger print machine for over Rs. 10 million that had been discarded after limited use. Such a purchase could not have been made without the knowledge of persons in authority in Parliament. Were tenders called for or was this machine merely dumped on Parliament at the instance of the then powers that be? It is indeed shocking, no less, to know that an institution such as Parliament which is the representative body of the country's people too has fallen victim to the type of shenanigans that were witnessed in almost all state bodies in the past. Whoever thought that the day would dawn when Parliament, of all places, would be the subject of a Presidential Commission of inquiry for fraud and malpractice? 

Sri Lanka’s New Regime Revives Rajapaksa’s Censorship of Websites

Same law by the New Govt

02/03/2016

Sri Lanka’s new government which came to power promising media freedom, has revived a move to censor news web sites, a popular form of dissent that significantly contributed to the downfall of Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The Ministry of Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media took out an advertisement in the state-run Daily News today warning websites that they must register before the end of this month or will be considered “unlawful.”

Former government of Mahinda Rajapaksa slapped restrictions on news websites which had become the most effective medium of dissent during his decade in power. However, there is no law in Sri Lanka to implement such a registration.

The ministry in its latest advertisement did not say under what law it required websites to register.

However, a purported “Application for Registration of News Casting Web sites” demanded to know the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all contributors.

The latest move follows the government’s frayed relations with the media with Higher Education Minister Lakshman Kiriella using unprintable words against reporters and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe using derogatory language to describe media personnel loyal to the Rajapaksa regime.

In 2012, police raided the shared offices of two news websites, Sri Lanka Mirror and Lanka X News, in a move that triggered a fundamental rights case as well as international condemnation of the Rajapaksa regime.

It is ironic that it was Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, who as the then head of the UNP media unit, petitioned the Supreme Court challenging the Criminal Investigations Department action to raid the Lanka X news website for not obtaining a “registration” from the media ministry.

In that landmark case, the then chief justice Shriani Bandaranayake declared that the highest court had at no time said it was necessary for website to be registered with the media ministry. She made the clarification when the CID argued that they obtained a search warrant on the basis that the website was functioning illegally.

The then chief justice issued strictures on the CID for obtaining a warrant by misrepresenting facts. Interestingly, the three judge bench which heard that case included K. Sripavan who is the current Chief Justice. (COLOMBO, March 2, 2016)

ECONOMYNEXT 

Will ETCA hit Ranil the way ’87 Accord hits JRJ

J.R. Jayewardene signed the Indo-Lanka Accord in 1987 using his intelligence in a farsighted manner. He viewed the northern war as cancer. He knew that the war was a creation of India.

by Upul Joseph Fernando

( March 2, 2016, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Editor of the Indian Express newspaper Shekar Gupta interviewed then the President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2008 in which Mahinda made very interesting observations. Mahinda claimed the Indo-Lanka Agreement signed in 1987 was the best solution to the ethnic crisis and praised the introduction of the 13th Amendment as also the best solution and noted that former Indian Premier Rajiv Gandhi had thought wise in 1987 ( two decades before that interview) to propose a viable solution. This is what Mahinda told Shekar in brief about the IPKF presence in Sri Lanka following the signing of the Indo-Lanka Accord: “President Premadasa committed a grave error by demanding the withdrawal of the IPKF. It soured Indo-Lanka relations. The Sri Lankan community should have been thankful for the services rendered by the IPKF. They sacrificed their lives for the unity of Sri Lanka. If the IPKF was permitted to stay a bit longer, we would have gained the victory? But Premadasa succumbed to the pressure mounted by southern extremists and sent the IPKF away”.

The same Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked and criticized the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987 and the IPKF as an Opposition MP on 26 May 1989 in Parliament in the following manner; “The IPKF had been brought here. The country has experienced many problems as a result of its presence. The IPKF was brought to suppress the Northern people, kill the Tamils and Muslims, violate their fundamental rights and that scenario had spread to the South (interruptions by the government benches). Read this Amnesty International report. It says…’ In late 1987 there were increasing allegations that members of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) deployed in the North and East as part of the July peace accord were responsible for rape and other acts of brutality against Tamil civilians'”.

Continuing his speech Mahinda charged that the IPKF which was brought here as a peacekeeping force was raping innocent women in those areas.

Opposition Member (in support of Mahinda): Not a peace force but a sex force…

Mahinda Rajapaksa: Yes, the IPKF had turned an Indian Sex Force. They are raping women there. They must be indulging in rape for women to give birth to Indian nationals in the North in the future. People are killed and women are raped in the North. See what’s happening in the South? When the southern youth rise against such brutality in the North, they are being burnt on tyres.

‘ETCA drawn up in a manner similar to CEPA is harmful to the interests of Sri Lanka. Even 15 years after signing the Free Trade Agreement with India, the main commodity Sri Lanka exports to India is areca nut’,– Prof. G.L. Peiris (08.02.2016 Mawbima).

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Suspicious PSD vehicle was around in Imbulgoda on the day the two University students died !- Lawyer in court

(Lanka-e-News- 01.March.2016, 11.30PM)   A vehicle suspected to be  belonging to the president’s security divison has been  seen hovering about in Gampaha a few moments before the two students , Janaka Bandara and Sisitha Priyankara of the Inter University student federation  died  supposedly in a vehicle  accident on the 27 th of September 2012 at dawn at Imbulgoda , Gampaha .This vehicle has been noticed   by the officers of the mobile police vehicle on that day . Therefore, Lawyer Ms.Rajika De Silva appearing on behalf of the victims requested Gampaha court today to issue an order to inspect the records made by the officers who went on police patrol  on that day.

This revelation was made  by the lawyer before the Gampaha additional magistrate Lalith Kannangara when the trial was heard yesterday (29) relating to the death of the two University students . Interestingly , this case was first heard before judge Khema Swarnadhipathy  . Thereafter it was heard before Tikiri K. Jayathileke , and now it is being heard before the third judge. 

Under the Rajapakse regime , steps were taken to suppress this investigation , but now it has been entrusted to the CID . The CID officers who were present in court for the hearing told court that they have undertaken this investigation , and in the future they will be prosecuting. 

The lawyer for the victims informed court that the earlier orders issued by the judges had not been carried out . The key issue that took center stage at the hearing was the erroneous report provided by Mobitel Co.pertaining to the telephone calls exchanged  on the mobile phone of one of the students who died. Though the earlier judge Tikiri Jayathileke gave an order to take legal action against it , this order was not carried out hitherto, it was pointed out. 

The mobile phone of Janaka was lost , but the students of the federation had found his phone number and given it. Mobitel Co. lied to court that no phone calls had been taken or received on that number , whereas the  students insisted that calls have been taken to and received from that number , and there are records in that respect. In the circumstances the Mobitel Co. by providing wrong information had deceived the court.

In this connection, though Judge Tikiri Jaythileke gave an order to take legal action in this regard , no such action had been taken so far necessitating the  lawyer Rajika to draw the attention of the court today to this neglect . 

Rajika also wished the court to pay attention to another incident. That is, since the deaths were  due to an accident ostensibly , the order was given by the former judge Khema Swarnadhipathy to the government analyst to bring the motor bike that was involved in the accident back to the scene and subject it to a  ‘re construction’ , yet that order was not carried out. After the CID informed that they would investigate this , the judge postponed the trial until the 26 th of April.
 
The victim Janaka Bandara Ekanayake who was murdered on 27 th September 2012 was a resident of Matale and former president of  Kelaniya University main student body , while the other victim was Sisika Priyankara De Silva a first year student of  Ruhunu University , residing at Modera. 

They were allegedly murdered when they were on a march  from Kandy to Colombo, (Delkande)  in the early hours of the morning of 27th September 2012 to collect handbills , while they were extending support to the career struggle waged by the University Dons .
 
At that time when the police declared these deaths following vehicular accident  were akin to the death  of Thajudeen which too was alleged by the police as  an accident involving a vehicle, Lanka e news on the other hand exposed these deaths as murders with evidence. The Inter  University student federation too charged the deaths of the two students were homicides, and not accidents.    

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by     (2016-03-02 02:36:52)

Education Ministry To Draw Up Guideline To Prevent HIV And Other Discriminations At Schools

March 2, 2016 

The Ministry of Education is looking at introducing a guideline in an effort to prevent students from been discriminated, following the recent incident where a six year old boy was refused admission to the Sambodi Primary School in Kuliyapitiya as he was suspected to be HIV positive.

Education Minister – Akila Viraj Kariyawasam

According to the Secretary to the Ministry of Education W. M. Bandusena at present there is no guideline issued by the authorities to deal with such issues, hence the ministry is looking at developing a guideline to deal with similar situations in the future.

However, after authorities intervened and the child was granted admission, on February 29, parents of some 179 students studying in the school removed their children from the school in protest for granting admission to the six year old child.

The child’s mother, Chandani Soysa said that there had been rumours saying that her husband died from HIV/AIDS, and hence the child had also contracted it. She however denied the rumours and said her husband died from a kidney failure.          Read More

Sri Lankan boy excluded from school over false HIV rumour

It's unclear where the six-year-old can now go to school-Princess Diana with Children with HIV AIDS

The school has been left deserted

Education officials in Sri Lanka have excluded a boy from school after false rumours he was carrying the Aids virus.

The six-year-old has been promised another school place and his former schoolmates have been told to return to class but where he can go is unclear.

Parents at the school in the western city of Kurunegela refused to allow any of their children to study with him.

The boy's mother said they had been stigmatised since her husband's recent death was wrongly attributed to Aids.

She has also denied that she herself is HIV positive.

The move to exclude her son came after a meeting on Wednesday between officials and the parents of other pupils at the school. Health and human rights officials opposed the boy's expulsion.

To cheers from other parents, provincial education minister Sandya Rajapaksa told the packed meeting: 

"We will not do an injustice to that child - we will give him a different school. And we will not do any injustice to your children so please bring them to school from tomorrow."

The boy's mother, Chandani De Soysa, told BBC Sinhala the minister had promised a school place "in two weeks".

"Now I have to wait and see whether he will fulfil his promise."

National Child Protection Authority deputy chairman Sajeeva Samaranayake said other parents had failed to keep an open mind on the boy's case.

"Whether it's the correct decision or will give a good message to the country is something we have to reconsider."

Low HIV awareness

After his case was reported by BBC Sinhala this month, the educational and human rights authorities became involved, and last week one school was ordered to take in the child.

Despite Sri Lankan authorities confirming the boy was not infected, parents in Kurunegela immediately began putting pressure on the mother to remove him, but she refused.

His class teacher, who stayed with him at school, said she felt "very sad when the child asked me why all my friends are leaving because of me, and why the police and others are here".

Sri Lanka is considered to have a very low prevalence of HIV, the virus that causes Aids.

According to UN figures, in 2014 there were 3,200 adults and 100 children living with HIV, fewer than 0.1% of the population.

But there is also concern about poor awareness of the virus and how it spreads, which leads to stigma and discrimination.

Correspondents say because the boy's case has been widely publicised in Sri Lanka it is unclear where he will now be able to continue his studies.

No place for murderers, ransom seekers -- 

Chandrika

2016-03-02
“There is no camp of Sarana Gunawardene in Attanagalle now. Murderers, ransom seekers and rogues and those who were engaged in illegal activities have no place now in the SLFP,” said former president, the chief SLFP organiser for Attanagalla Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumarathunga at a seminar held at Sangabodhi college Nittambuwa. 

She said there weren't two factions in the SLFP. "There is no SLFP of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Only the SLFP under Maithripala Sirisena exists now," she said. 

"The rule against the people ended on January 8, 2015. There was a time when two ministers could not speak to each other. The ministers lived in constant fear. Now it is not there. People are now able to breathe freely and there are no white vans. We should not forget that we ended the terror regime of Rajapaksa and good governance was established by all the forces that rallied round to usher in a country that would safeguard the future. Despite certain shortcomings, the state institutions, police, courts and other establishments are functioning according to the requirements of the people," she said. (Warana Ananda and E. Jayakody) 

Rs. 10 million worth vehicle to Mahanayake of Asgiriya chapter to open closed road in front of Dalada Maligawa..!

(Lanka-e-News- 01.March.2016, 11.30PM)  A directive has been issued from the highest echelons of the government to the General  treasury to gift a vehicle worth Rs. 10 million to Ven. Mahanayake Galagama Athdassi Thera of the Siyam Nikaye of the Asgiriya chapter , based on reports.

Doubts have proliferated whether the mahanayake is going to receive this vehicle as a bribe.Though the Malwatte mahanayake agreed for the  opening  the road in front of the Dalada Maligawa which remains closed now , the mahanayake of the Asgiriya chapter was bitterly opposed to this .

Spending Rs. 10 million of public funds to secure the willingness of mahanayake to open a road for the benefit of the people is a clear manifestation to what lowliest level a mahanayake who ought to be  the sentinel of Buddhism and a custodian of its pristine  tenets has descended.

Meanwhile officers of the treasury revealed  , without an expenditure allocation from the treasury ,monies cannot be spent on a motor vehicle to be given to  mahanayake is  not possible. If necessary , it might be  possible to grant  a vehicle to the Ven. mahanayake duly  under the Ministry of Buddhist affairs , the officers pointed out. 

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by     (2016-03-02 02:34:28)

Sri Lankan Embassy Provides a Photo Opportunity for a Drug Peddler with FM Samaraweera

02/03/2016

(SLB) Sri Lanka Embassy in Berlin had invited a drug peddler convicted by German courts to a get together with the President Sirisena and other ministers who were visited Germany early this month.

He has been able to take photographs with the minsters and posted them on his face book. In one of the phots he posted alongside the foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera.

Here is the one of the photos now circulating among the SriLankan living in Germany. The person on the left corner in white shirt had been convicted for 10 years imprisonment for drug peddling in Berlin few years ago.

The gentleman next to FM Samaraweera in this photograph has no connection to the person in question.

According to SLB sources after 4 & half years he had been released on parole and deported to Sri Lanka. Unconfirmed information says that he came back to Germany after marrying a social worker.

Among the SriLankns invited by the embassy for the get together with the President and the ministers were extreme Sinhala nationalists including former Sinhala Weera Vidana activists.

Reliable sources say that President and FM had a meeting with the GTF during their short stay.

None of the pro-democracy SriLankans, who have been campaigning for democratic Sri Lanka for decades and living in Berliin were not invited by the Embassy for any such meetings.

North - Central farmers encircle Minister's residence demanding fertilizer

WEDNESDAY, 02 MARCH 2016

All Ceylon Farmers' Federation engaged in an agitation In Anuradhapura town today (2nd) demanding restoration of the previous fertiliser subsidy scheme, a new certified price for paddy and take measures not to inconvenience farmers when opening new bank accounts and taking photographs as the governemnt has requested.

The agitation was lead by the JVP Member for North Central Provincial Council and National Organizer for All Ceylon Farmers'Federation Namal Karunaratna, the Vice - President of All Ceylon Farmers' Federation Susantha Kumara Navaratna and several farmer leaders. After engaging in an agitation farmers encircled the residence of the Minister of Agruculture Duminda Dissanayaka which is near Anuradhapura town.

A brother of Minister Duminda Dissanayaka spoke to the farmers and said the Minister had gone to Colombo but he would apprise the Minister if farmers explain their issues to him. After speaking to Minister's brother farmers marched to Aiport Road and held a meeting.

Mr. Namal Karunaratna emphasized that his organizzation will give leadership to farmers' struggles throughout the island and if the governemnt  does not take measures to solve the issues of the farmers his organization would bring farmers from all over the island to Colombo and hold an agitation blocking all roads.

ds.

Mendacious monkeys setting the country on fire shall be chased out – massive public protest against Padeniya mafia

(Lanka-e-News- 01.March.2016, 11.30PM) The people staged a huge  demonstration lastday at Padeniya town , Kurunegala against Mafia doctor Padeniya and his henchmen who  instead of engaging in their medical tasks in the services of the people for which they are paid a salary out of public funds, are exploiting the GMOA powers to obstruct development programs of the new government , and oppose the fulfillment of promises made by the government to the people . Unbelievably , despite being doctors who should be most humane and concerned about lives of patients, they are behaving as demons and morons by obstructing even the ambulance services meant for patients. 

The protestors , over 3000 in number who are naturally annoyed  and anguished over the behavior of these mafia team of heartless , selfish,  self seeking doctors  went on a massive  procession which created a traffic snarl. 

The protestors comprising a large number of men and women took part in the demonstrations and the procession carrying placards that had the following slogans written on them …..

GMOA  sold by Padeniya to his relative draped in shawl because of his relationship with P.B.

No barriers shall be placed that impedes country’s advancement 

Because car permits were not given out of people’s tax payments , Padeniya’s are spreading lies

Racism shall be defeated , united we shall  build the country 

The aims of villains to plunge the country in darkness shall be defeated

Shall kick out the liars who are trying to hold the country to ransom on  old wives’ tales 

Are you doctors jealous that we will get good jobs

We shall rally together to chase out the troop of monkeys trying to set the country on fire

Nation , please  be in the vanguard  to develop the country in line  with the world

Progressive doctors , don’t fall prey to the mafia conspiracies of Padeniyas

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by     (2016-03-02 02:23:06)

UNP Conspiracy To Destroy The SLFP

By Mahinda Rajapaksa –March 1, 2016

Mahinda Rajapaksa

I take pride in the fact that I built the strongest SLFP government in our party’s history during my tenure in power. That government was so strong that it could be defeated only by conspiratorially creating divisions in the party and a section of the SLFP joining the UNP in its campaign of vilification and false propaganda against my government. The UNP by itself was in no position to defeat the SLFP government that I built. Even after the defeat of my government, the president of the country is the present leader of the SLFP. The cabinet is equally divided between the UNP and the SLFP in what has been called a national unity government. Yet the policy of this government is decided by the UNP, resulting in a situation where the SLFP has been held captive and forced to follow the UNP line. The SLFP is now in danger of losing its identity as a political party.

Demonstrations by farmers against the abolition of the fertiliser subsidy have now become a daily occurrence. The president’s order to fix the price of a bag of fertiliser at Rs. 2,500 will be about as effective as the price controls on dhal and dried fish. An SLFP government would never have abolished the fertiliser subsidy which was one of the main incentives to cultivate paddy. Yet when the UNP government abolished this production subsidy, the SLFP members in the government had to endorse that decision.

Professional groups in this country have been agitating against the decision of the UNP government to sign an Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement with India. The UNP Prime Minister says that he will go ahead with the agreement regardless of the opposition to it. During my government too, a similar agreement styled CEPA proposed by India was under discussion but we had to reconsider it after giving due consideration to opposition from Sri Lankan stakeholders. Today the SLFP members in the government have no option but to silently consent to the arbitrary actions of the UNP.

The UNP government accepted and adopted as their own the American sponsored UNHRC resolution against Sri Lanka which betrayed our armed forces and the country by agreeing to institute a war crimes court with the participation of foreign judges, prosecutors and investigators while SLFP members of the government stood by helplessly. It was an SLFP government led by me that won the war against the LTTE. Today, the UNP with the acquiescence of a section of the SLFP is engaged in exacting revenge from those who won the war against all odds.

The 2016 budget had no SLFP characteristics at all and was based on the UNP’s neo-liberal economic outlook. It sought among other things to privatize every government owned enterprise including the Norochcholai power plant and the operations of all harbours and airports. It also sought to abolish the government pension for new recruits to the public service, the fertiliser subsidy and free school uniforms programme. Yet the SLFP members serving in the government had to vote for this budget.

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Steps taken to stop taking extortion's from buses

 Mar 02, 2016

President Maithripala Sirisena has ordered to immediately enforce a mechanism to stop the mafia taking extortions from bus owners and drivers.

The president instructed the chairman of the provincial transport authorities to resolve the problems in the transport sector at a special discussion held at president’s secretariat.

The president said “you all should know how much money taken as extortions appearing as Island’s reconvicted criminals (IRC’s)”

The President said although the former regime did not take any credible steps to stop this extortion mafia, he would take stern actions to prevent this.

The discussion was chaired by transport minister Nimal Siripala De Silva, provincial ministers, the secretary to the transport ministry and other officials.  

The president said although a decentralized administration is implemented by provinces a single policy should be formed for the whole country.

The president’s media unit said although a combined schedule is functioning now and despite buses running at once and the private buses running slow, not achieving the required profit targets was also discussed.

Champika in hit-and-run drama

By Premalal Wijeratne-2016-03-03

In a dramatic turn of events, two young men who gave chase to a black Jeep which attempted to escape after running down two motorcyclists in Welikada last Sunday said that the driver of the jeep at the time of the accident was in fact Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, Patali Champika Ranawaka.

Two eyewitnesses, who are friends of the 24-year-old motorcyclist Sadim Sampath, said that while the injured motorcyclists were being transported to the Colombo National Hospital (CNH) they chased after the fleeing Jeep and obstructing its path forced it to halt before demanding the driver's NIC.
The driver of the vehicle had identified himself as Minister Champika Ranawaka. "I am Minister Champika and since i am at fault let's go to the Borella Police Station" the Minister had allegedly told them.
The two young men had however abandoned the idea of going to a Police Station with a Minister in tow as they felt it was not prudent and they had left to visit the injured motorcyclist at the Colombo National Hospital (CNH).

One of the friends of the injured motorcyclist, Vinura, who visited his friend at the CNH told Ceylon Today that he, along with his other friend who gave chase to the vehicle allegedly driven by the Minister, had lodged a complaint with the Welikada Police.
He said that in their statement to the Police they had mentioned the name of the Minister and said that the Policemen who had recorded their statement had not allowed it to be read by them but insisted they place their signatures to the complaint.

Ceylon Today reliably learns that there had been a change of driver in the Jeep allegedly involved in the accident before it reached the Borella Police and that driver had been subjected to a medical test before they were directed to report to the Welikada Police.
Welikada Police had informed the two youth that if they wanted a copy of the statement given by them to the Police with an identifying number given to it, they should make a written application by a lawyer for that purpose.
The Jeep that was driven into the Welikada Police compound had its number plate covered.
The driver who apparently claimed to have been driving the Jeep at the time of the accident was produced in Court by the Welikada Police and released on personal bail of Rs 500,000.