The continuing need for international 

presence

byJehan Perera-March 14, 2016, 7:35 pm

The issue of international participation in Sri Lanka’s transition process continues to remain a matter of speculation with different pronouncements being made by different members of the government. However, support for an international role in ascertaining the truth of what happened in the last phase of the war has received a boost due to the maiden speech in parliament made by former army commander Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka. His credentials as a champion of Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and unity as a state cannot be denied even by his political opponents. It was he who turned round the military debacles of an earlier period and achieved military success by leading from the front. Speaking in Parliament the former army commander said that Sri Lanka should permit foreign observers to participate in any inquiry on whether war crimes had been committed in the last phase of the country’s war.

During the period of the last government, the former army commander was victimised by its leaders who saw him as a potential threat to their monopoly of power. After the election of President Maithripala Sirisena the former army commander was compensated for the political victimisation he suffered and was also promoted from the rank of General of the army to that of Field Marshal. After the general election that saw the formation of a government of national unity, he was also appointed to parliament on the national list and thereafter made a cabinet minister. He disclosed that government decision makers during the final period of the war had asked him to get out from operational duties and assigned the political authorities to handle the military operations. In his maiden speech in Parliament that "If there are any who violated the laws then inquiries should be held and punitive actions taken against them."

Since the end of the war in May 2009 there has been intense pressure on the government to investigate whether war crimes took place in the closing stages of the war due to indiscriminate and mass killing of civilians and also whether there was targeted killing of LTTE leaders and their families who surrendered to the Sri Lankan military. There has been strong opposition to the issue of international participation agreed to in the Geneva Resolution that was co-sponsored by the government. In his speech, Field Marshal Fonseka said that under his leadership the military "had waged the war in accordance with international law." But he also said that "Inquiries should be made open to international observers who can observe whether there were any violations of international law." It is significant that Field Marshal Fonseka spoke of international observers at the inquiry, and not foreign judges or prosecutors which is more controversial.

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SOME THOUGHTS ON CURRENT ORTHODOXIES – SUNIL BASTIAN

(File photo: anti Muslim agitation in Colombo;  “Don’t forget that there are extreme Sinhala nationalists waiting round the corner to make use of such a situation” says Sunil Bastian)

14/03/2016

The year 2009 is important for the post-colonial history of Sri Lanka, because in that year the most serious armed challenge to the territorial integrity of the country was defeated. Using military means, the territory was consolidated. Not only that, this marked the end of almost four decades of violent challenges to the state. In the process the Sri Lankan state has developed a formidable military machinery.

For the new period of capitalist transition that began in 1977, which emphasised markets, the private sector and openness to the global economy, the separatist demand of Sri Lankan Tamils and the ensuing armed conflict were the biggest challenge. Armed conflict did not allow the full potential in economic growth to be realised. It also had a direct negative impact on the economy. In 2001, for example, this conflict, along with other factors such as the downturn in the global economy and weather, contributed to negative growth for the first time in the post-colonial history of Sri Lanka. Therefore, the end of this challenge has created a better atmosphere for capitalist growth.

The defeat of Rajapaksa

What surprised many was, after the consolidation of the territory through military means, the electoral defeat of Mahinda Rajapakse in the January 2015 presidential election. Rajapakse not only gave political leadership to this historical event, but also ruled for ten years espousing a form of Sinhala nationalism that would have made him the hero of the Sinhala majority. Contrary to this expectation, a section of the Sinhala voters who voted for Rajapakse during the previous Presidential Election held in 2010, voted against him just five years later. If we take the Sinhala majority electoral districts, the drop in the Rajapakse vote between 2010 and 2015 is over 10 per cent in five of them and between 5 and 10 per cent in nine others.

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Army protection for CEB sub-stations island-wide

( March 14, 2016, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) President Maithriplala Sirisena had ordered the army to provide protection for all power sub-stations connected to national electricity grid with immediate effect.

Meanwhile The Electricity and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya stated that the police had been assigned to conduct a special investigation into the island wide power failure yesterday.

Also the Minister had refused to accept the resignation letter of Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Chairman Anura Wijepala.

Further a special discussion is due to be held this afternoon regarding yesterday’s power failure with Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe in the chair.

Power play over power outage

• PM promises long-term plan to supply uninterrupted power, assures investigation 
• President appoints special ministerial committee from both parties  
• Power Minister says Police also investigating, local and foreign expertise to be sought
• Sabotage not ruled out, Army sent to guard power stations
• Public requested to use electricity with care, more blackouts expected over the next few days

By Himal Kotelawala-Tuesday, 15 March 2016

Investigations are underway to find those responsible for Sunday’s countrywide power outage, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday issuing a special statement, while the President ordered the Army to guard power stations and appointed a special ministerial investigative committee in an unprecedented move.

Wickremesinghe assured the public that, in keeping with the Government’s mandate, priority would be given to finding short- and long-term solutions to providing an uninterrupted power supply to the populace.
A concerned-looking Power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya touring the receiving 

station in Biyagama yesterday

The statement followed discussions the Premier had held with President Maithripala Sirisena, the Minister and Deputy Minister of Power and Energy. Meanwhile Sirisena ordered out the Army to prevent possible acts of sabotage and selected Ministers Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Ajith Perera, Champika Ranawaka and Susil Premajayantha to a committee to investigate the power failures.

Apologising to the public on behalf of the Government for any inconvenience caused by the six-hour-long blackout – the longest in 20 years – Wickremesinghe said Minister of Power and Energy Siyambalapitiya was expected to present a full report on the incident to Parliament on 23 March.

“It is the duty of a government to ensure that such a situation doesn’t occur in the future,” he said, adding that it was essential that long-term preventative measures were taken by correctly identifying causes for the status quo.

Among the points raised at the discussions the Prime Minister had with Government officials was that the country was now dealing with the consequences of not having an adequate long-term plan for power generation.

“Several rounds of discussion held before on power generation and distribution revealed that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) did not have a proper plan that could sufficiently meet present and future challenges. We are currently in the process of formulating a new plan with the assistance of external advisors outside the Board, both local and foreign,” he said.

The Government was elected to power by the people to carry out its mandate, said the Wickremesinghe, adding that he and his Government were committed to make necessary reforms and restructurings to this end.

Meanwhile, Siyambalapitiya who went on an inspection tour of the Biyagama Receiving Station said that he had not ruled out sabotage with regard to Sunday’s unplanned outage and that the Police was carrying out its own investigations into the matter.

“I will not rule out sabotage because the repetition within two or three weeks’ time is quite similar in nature. We have informed the Government analysts and Police to do an investigation,” he told Reuters.

President Sirisena had deployed the Army to protect over 100 power stations connected to the National Grid in the wake of the incident in Biyagama, which reportedly involved an explosion in a transformer at the Biyagama receiving station.

“We requested the President to provide military protection to these key positions and the President has assured us he will provide the required security,” Reuters quoted Minister Siyambalapitiya as saying.

CEB Additional General Manager Corporate Strategy Bandula Tilakasena, speaking to journalists yesterday following the 2016 Consumer Rights Forum organised by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka, said that he couldn’t confirm nor rule out sabotage until a formal assessment of the incident had been carried out – a process that could take four to five months.

“We have not made any assessment at the moment. Analysing a fault of this kind is a long-drawn process. People might suspect various things. I’m not saying it’s totally technical or whatever. There may be various reasons,” he said.

CEB officials confirmed that more sporadic outages were expected to take place in the coming days until the Norochcholai Power Plant was back in operation and urged the public to be considerate when consuming power.

Sirisena isolating Rajapaksa, also brings UPFA under his fold

By Our Political Editor-Sunday, March 13, 2016

• SLFP and joint opposition led by Dinesh work together on Constitutional and other important issues
• PM taking charge of economy for crisis management
• Zeid says coming months important for Sri Lanka; contradictory claims on foreign involvement in alleged war crimes probe

It has been an important and significant week for the eight-month-old United National Front Government.
The brewing economic crisis spilled over to the public domain. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe spelt out in Parliament on Tuesday some of the key measures to cope with the issue. More are due. Parliament also unanimously approved a resolution moved by him, with important amendments, for a Constitutional Assembly, or a full Committee of the House, to draft a Constitution. In Geneva, the United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner Zeid Ra’Ad al Hussain declared on Thursday that the coming months would be important for Sri Lanka. His comments came after a Cabinet Minister, just the day before, told a news conference Sri Lanka would not favour any foreign involvement in an alleged war crimes probe.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe

This is while the Attorney General’s Department is fast tracking cases on which probes have been completed by state investigating arms. A high ranking Government source said new Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya was arriving in office as early as 6 a.m. and leaving at 7.30 p.m. in a bid to clear a backlog. He took a few days leave this week so that he could attend a family function overseas. A few cases were filed this week too.

As revealed in these columns last week, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe announced a set of tax proposals in Parliament on Tuesday. He said Non-Corporate Income Tax and Corporate Tax would remain at previous levels and proposals in the 2016 budget would not apply. VAT would be increased to 15 % and Corporate Income Tax to 17.5 %. The Capital Gains Tax which was withdrawn in 1987 would be re-introduced. Whatever remains of November last year’s budget was being undone. The new taxes will lead to price increases in a variety of goods and commodities. Yesterday, the price of a kilo of Prima flour went up by Rs. 7.20. This will raise the price of bread, a common diet among Sri Lankans, to a new high.

PM questions ratings

The Premier’s announcement came as a second international rating agency revised the outlook on Sri Lanka from “B+” long term sovereign credit ratings to negative from stable. Standard and Poor said the country’s weakening external liquidity has been “driven inter alia, by the following trends:

= Our expectation of the trade deficit widening to an estimated 11.4% of GDP in 2016, versus 10.2% in 2013-2015. This development is due partly to a sharp rise in motor vehicle imports for investment purposes and personal use. A reduction in import-related taxes on motor vehicles in the 2016 budget, low interest rates for leasing facilities, and increases in public sector salaries were reasons for the higher demand.

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Rajapaksa’s prison visits: What’s he up to?

2016-03-14

x-President Mahinda Rajapaksa has recently developed a habit of visiting all kinds of suspects in remand prisons, many of them implicated in offences allegedly committed during the MR reign.  Last week, he visited Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera, who was arrested over allegedly keeping an unlicensed elephant calf at his temple, which is an offence under the Fauna and Flora Act, though the prelate claimed that the calf was found abandoned in his temple yard (He was later released on bail. 
Earlier, MR visited the imprisoned Galabodaatte Gnanasara Thera, who was indicted for contempt of court and for threatening Sandya Ekneligoda, the wife of the missing journalist, Pradeep. Also, the ex-President himself visited military personnel implicated in the alleged abduction of Pradeep Ekkneligoda. He also visited several of his acolytes who were arrested over alleged financial crimes, and of course, his son, Lt. Yoshitha (who is also accused of money laundering).

"MR is also losing the battle to wrest control of the SLFP. Maithripala  Sirisena has finally succeeded in bringing both the SLFP and the UPFA under  his grip. MR’s plans for a political comeback have also been put in the  back burner, partly due to lukewarm public reception "

On the surface, MR’s prison visits are perfectly legitimate. He projects himself as a leader who cares about his followers and loyalists in their (and of course, his) good and bad times.  Prison inmates are entitled to visits and he, as a Member of Parliament can exercise his privileges to visit the prison any time he wishes. And he prefers to do so in front of cameras. MR should be showing empathy with the predicament of his loyalists, now being investigated by judicial organs, for he himself and his siblings are now making regular appearances before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power (PRECIFAC).
However, his visits are more than a gesture of solidarity with the suspects. They are meant to de-legitimize the judicial process. Many of his remarks and those by his acolytes in the Joint Opposition are aimed at discrediting the judicial process under which their past actions are currently being investigated. They paint the ongoing investigations as a political witch-hunt, and one of his loyalists, Wimal Weerawansa tried desperately to infuse an anti-Sinhalese Buddhist tilt into it. He alleged that the court was discriminating against monks. Those are dangerous but effective tactics. MR enjoys loyalty of some of the champions of rabble-rousing.  

He has a personal interest in de-legitimizing the on-going investigations in particular and the judiciary in general. He is being investigated for allegations of unpaid payments due to the state television for election adverts. His wife Shiranthi is being  probed for  irregularities of the Siriliya Account. Basil was remanded and later released on bail over the alleged misuse of the DiviNeguma funds. Gotabaya is making regular appearances before the PRECIFAC over the allegations of corruption related to the Avant Guard floating armoury.  Second son, Yoshitha is in remand custody over the charges of alleged money laundering related to funds invested in the Carlton TV network.  The Financial Crime Investigation Division (FCID) has now filed ‘a B report’ in Colombo Magistrate’s Court informing that it was investigating the  eldest of Rajapaksa’s sons, Parliamentarian Namal on alleged money laundering related to the Gower’s Corporate Services (Pvt) Ltd, a firm owned by the presidential scion. Also, earlier, the court, based on CID findings, ruled the suspicious death of rugby player Wasim Thajudeen as a murder. Unsubstantiated sources for a long have implicated the Rajapaksa scions with the death of Thajudeen. 

To make matters worse for MR, some former erstwhile loyalists, earlier implicated in corruption and misuse of public funds, are now reportedly considering of becoming State witnesses.
MR is also losing the battle to wrest control of the SLFP. Maithripala Sirisena has finally succeeded bringing both the SLFP and the UPFA under his grip. MR’s plans for a political comeback have also been put in the back burner, partly due to lukewarm public reception. His political clout has recently taken a beating within his own party and outside, as fresh allegations against the former first family keep emerging. Surely, he still commands a sizeable following, but the numbers are dwindling. 
The incumbent government itself is faced with a dilemma. If would have rather preferred to let the ex-president and his siblings off the hook in exchange of their silence. But, it could not do so without risking its credibility, which would in the medium run help MR himself. The government itself is under pressure from civil society groups (as well as the JVP) over the lack of results in investigations into corruption and abuses of power blamed on the heavyweights of the former regime. 

"Many of his remarks and those by his acolytes in the Joint Opposition  are aimed at discrediting the judicial process under which their past  actions are currently being investigated"

Politicians in this country have adopted an uncanny strategy to defend themselves from scrutiny; that is to discredit investigations and investigating organs. MR and his siblings are following this familiar suit. By doing so, not only do they try to de-legitimize the PRECIFAC or the FCID, but also to discredit the judiciary itself, which was, in fact, in tatters during his presidency. Most Sri Lankans who witnessed that their courts were merely mouthing rulings sanctioned by the President’s house during the reign of the ex-President still cannot get rid of that mental image of the subservient court. That in fact helps those who cry foul about judiciary investigations currently being conducted into their previous records. 
However, the courts have regained their lost clout since MR left office. That would mean even if the government wishes to give him a way out, the courts would not comply. That is bad news for himt and many others in his inner circle. So the best means of defence, he and his cohort believe, is to discredit the judicial process. 

Follow RangaJayasuriya @RangaJayasuriya on twitter.

- See more at: http://www.dailymirror.lk/106813/Rajapaksa-s-prison-visits-What-s-he-up-to-#sthash.RvdaAlvL.dpuf

Who Was The Finger On The Trigger In The Rajapaksa Regime?

By Vishwamithra1984 –March 14, 2016

“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.”  ~ Thomas Paine

The multiple misdeeds, alleged crimes ranging from abductions, assaults to even murder, acts of corruption and nepotism, providing wrong and deceitful information on the economy etc. belong, as already alleged, in the right domain – the Rajapaksa regime. These were all acts of commission. When one adds the acts of omission to this lot, the list rises nauseatingly high and the scope of investigation into them becomes excruciatingly tough.

However, at the very outset, allow me to emphasize: ‘Finger on the trigger’ should not be assumed literally as one holding a gun against someone’s head. The writer uses the metaphor, not to sensationalize the various allegations that are being dangled against some prominent members of the ruling cabal of the last regime, but merely as a figure of speech. The real question that the writer is asking is: Who was really and wholly responsible and accountable? Where did the proverbial buck stop?

Yet again, it is, as I wrote in my earlier columns, redundant to keep beating the same drum as the Rajapaksa regime was defeated in the January-2105 Presidential Elections and that defeat has passed down to history. But keeping them as part of history and not allowing the average citizen to be intimidated, abused and violated by the same perpetrators is as important as protecting what was gained.

For quite some time, allegations have been flying and the average citizen every now and then made a very legitimate inquiry as to why nobody is getting punished for the alleged misdeeds; they expressed utter frustration at the snail’s pace at which the so-called investigations were being dragged on; wild rumors made their usual rounds in drawing rooms inside homes, crowded bars in Colombo clubs and even inside three-wheelers which the average citizen uses for his or her daily regular/irregular commuting. That frustration reached a peak and may have died a natural death as they always do, when a sense of resignation dawns and day-to-day workloads overtake indulgences in unnecessary yet interesting pastimes.

But there is no circumventing the fact that the members of the former First Family were deeply entrenched in almost all the alleged misdeeds; their names came up as the first culprits of corruption, not so much as smalltime dealers of the trade of wheeler-dealing, but as major players of some mega deals, sometimes involving foreign governments. The deals were alleged to have been consummated not to the benefit of the country or its citizenry; engineering estimates of infrastructure projects were way over the engineer’s estimates so that the contract price was artificially bloated and the extra millions were siphoned out to illegitimate stakeholders. Not once, nor twice but multiple times this exercise was repeated and there was no way in which one could even guesstimate what the actual costs were and what really went into the pockets of the powers that be.

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Can MR Break through with Black Magic?

2016-03-09

Coconuts play a vital role in the politics of Mahinda Rajapaksa and his loyalists. They believe that fruitful results are emerging from the lakhs of coconuts they dashed into bits at kovils and temples against the government and its members ' Results are surfacing as an outcome of dashing coconuts', said Mahinda Rajapaksa having paid homage to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy. When he made that statement at the entrance to the Temple,
Dr. Rajitha Senaratne was bed-ridden in a Singapore Hospital awaiting coronary by-pass surgery.

When Rajitha was airlifted to a Singapore Hospital, Mahinda loyalists used the social media to claim that their exercise in dashing coconuts against the government yielded favourable results. It was the same story that this group spread through the social media outlets when the Ven.Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera passed away in Singapore.

When Minister M.K.A.D.S. Gunawardena also died, these Mahinda loyalists used the facebook and social media to state that Gunawardene faced retribution for what he (Gunewardena) did to Mahinda. When octogenarian politician Dr.WishwaWarnapala who had nothing to do with the past presidential poll passed away last week, Mahinda loyalists spread the same charge against him. So the Mahinda loyalists are of the view that Rajitha had to undergo by-pass surgery for having betrayed Mahinda. In the same trend, this group thinks it can topple the government by dashing coconuts.

During the Premadasa regime the then Opposition Leader Ms.Sirima Bandaranaike slipped and fell down the stairway at her residence in Rosmead Place. She was at that time in a depressed state of mind over differences with her son Anura.

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Is High Commission in London against Sri Lankan traditions and customs?

 Mar 14, 2016

In Sri Lanka we give pride and place to our religions. In Sri Lanka when we go into a new building or a house the first function we have is a religious function to bless the building and those who will occupy. If it is government building we have a multi religious function. But it looks like the Sri Lankan High Commission in London and the Minister of the High Commission who is currently the Acting High Commissioner P.R.S.S. Gunaratna or Pahala Rallage Sanathana Sugeeshwara Gunaratna is shy to follow Sri Lankan traditions and customs.

The government after spending millions of sterling pounds has put up a magnificent building to be used as the High commissioners residence at 35, Avenue Road in St. Johns Wood area which is one of the most exclusive areas in the city. Although the building is completed it has not yet being officially occupied. But Gunaratna after becoming the Acting High Commissioner decided to have an Independence Day function at this building. In London for the Independence Day celebrations there are two functions arranged by the High Commission. In the morning there is a multi-religious function with the traditional kiribath and sweetmeats where Sri Lankan expatriates will be present and messages by the President, Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister will be read out. In the evening there is a reception hosted for the diplomatic community and the representatives of the Sri Lankan community. Over the years these events were held at the High Commission building.

Inquiries reveal that Gunaratna who assumed duties only in November did not listen to other officers who have served in London for a longer time and insisted on hosting the evening reception at the Avenue Road building. He has been expecting to occupy the house hoping a High Commissioner will not be appointed for some time. But after the Government appointed a High Commissioner to London Gunaratna at least wanted to go on record of having the first function in the building. If he really wanted this record then he should have had the morning event with the multi religious blessings, kiribath and the Sri Lankans living in UK. He wanted to have only the evening reception with liquor, meats and only the diplomatic community and his chosen friends. The Sri Lankan Diaspora in UK is very disappointed by the anti-Sri Lankan attitude of Gunaratna. A long standing Sri Lankan community member told Lanka News Web ‘the first thing Goonaratns did when he came was to run to the London Buddhist Vihara with Warnapala for a photo opportunity. But now we can see his true colours. Government should not send this type of Kalu Suddas to represent Sri Lanka in the UK.’ Another community source said ‘this is a deliberate attempt to embarrass the Prime Minister as the new High Commissioner is a relative of the Prime Minister.’

The correct thing for Gunratna to do would have been to allow the new High Commissioner to decide on a time and date to have a function or occupy the building. Even it is a Government property it is for the exclusive use of the High Commissioner and not to be used as a reception hall. A Sri Lankan diplomat should think like a Sri Lankan and should be proud to be a Sri Lankan. They are paid by the tax payers’ money. Lanka News Web has exposed Gunaratna in the past.

This is yet another blunder by Foreign Secretary Chitrangani Wagiswara who seems to be very good at appointing incompetent favourites to top positions. Wagiswara who herself is well known to be very incompetent is only interested in going on posting to spend her retirement in cool climes of Europe. Foreign Minister mangala Samaraweera seems to be unconcerned by the blunders made by his officers. It is sad that President and Prime Minister have not yet taken steps to weed out the anti-Sri Lankan elements from the diplomatic service.

SEARCHING FOR AN ELUSIVE ‘PEACE’: WOMEN IN TIMES OF TRANSITION

by Groundviews 

- on 03/14/2016 

October 2015 marked fifteen years since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security.  To celebrate this anniversary, FOKUS WOMEN launched a traveling exhibition and theatre performance entitled Searching for and Elusive Peace: Women in Times of Transition on December 8th at the J.D.A Perera Gallery in Colombo followed by a reception.

Women, Visual and Creative Arts and Communication is one of the main thematic areas of the FOKUS Sri Lanka Programme.  For the past two years, the FOKUS WOMEN, the FOKUS Country Office in Sri Lanka has engaged with a number of young male and female artists from different ethnicities who wanted to depict their notions of women and peace building through visual art. These young artists have been affected by the war and have their own personal story to tell through their art.  A collection of paintings, sculptures, drawings and mix media depicting different perspectives of these artists were exhibited.

The five short plays staged on December 8th were directed by Kaushalya Fernando. They explored the complex issues faced by women from different ethnic communities who have been affected by the war.  Each play was approximately ten minutes. After each one ended, a discussion, moderated in Sinhala and English by Sanjana Hattotuwa, engaged with audience responses and comments. Comments in Tamil also featured in these audience interactions. The themes of the plays included the reintegration of a female ex-combatants, violence against women, how language acts as barrier for women when accessing government services, women’s access to land and issues faced by Muslim women.

In addition to the art, Groundviews encouraged FOKUS to take the short plays, which were all equally compelling, around the country. Each short play was a refreshing critical perspective on the issue it was anchored to, eschewing the usual subjects, stereotypes and frames, questioning gender bias, power, privilege, identity and patriarchy. Ultimately, the plays grappled with the nature of systemic violence, often invisible or rendered ‘normal’. Kaushalya’s group did without the use of spoken language, with just simple props, the most basic of lighting and a minuscule budget what in comparison English theatre, with far more resources, hasn’t come even close to achieving in terms of a critical engagement with enduring systemic violence, post-war.

See the art and photos from the evening of the productions here. Also embedded below.

Continue Reading →

International Women’s Day? What’s that? Gender Gap in Sri Lanka and the Hillary Factor in the US

Hillary Clinton-March 12, 2016, 8:50 pm

by Rajan Philips

This article is four days late. The International Women’s Day on March 8 has come and gone. But gender issues are not going anywhere. They are to the fore everywhere as they should be. The question on the title is the same question that Cat’s Eye raised in her media piece 19 years ago, to mark the Women’s Day on March 8, 1997. Cat’s Eye also wrote a piece on the "Hillary Factor" in 1996, after the second presidential victory of Hillary Clinton’s husband in the US. The "Hillary Factor" is again a factor in the US presidential primaries this year, the second time in eight years. The middle part of the title is about the female-male gap in Sri Lanka on a number of select indices based on a comparative evaluation of gender gaps in 145 countries, including Sri Lanka, by the World Economic Forum. Sri Lanka is ranked 84th overall, and has the second highest rank among the South Asian countries, after Bangladesh ranked 64th. India, Nepal, Maldives, and Bhutan cluster at 108, 110, 113, and 118, while Pakistan virtually brings up the rear of the sample at 144, ahead of the last-placed Yemen. What is striking is that Sri Lanka was ranked 13 out of 115 in 2006, and has been sliding down over the last decade, more rapidly after 2011.

The ranking is based on four main criteria, namely, Economic Participation and Opportunity; Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. Each criterion has several indicators and sub-criteria against which sample countries are measured. The comparisons across these indicators present quite a global distribution. The top ranked country, the best place for a woman, is Iceland, which is also the safest country for child birth, and the country with the highest proportion of female board members in businesses. Nordic and smaller European countries fare well on a number of indicators: Estonia is the country with the longest paid parental leave; Slovenia is where men do the most housework; Finland has the highest percentage (63%) of female cabinet ministers; Portugal the highest proportion (18%) of female inventors; and Estonia the highest proportion of female mathematicians (67% of PhDs in Math). In Asia and Down Under, New Zealand has the smallest (5.2%) wage difference; South Korea has the highest (37%) wage gap but a whopping 72% of university graduates in the 25-32 (millennials) age group are women. Little Singapore is the safest country in the world for a woman to walk alone at night, while giant China has the largest number (49 out of 73; the US is second with 15) of self-made female billionaires. The Philippines, ranked seventh, is the highest ranked Asian country.

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Billionaire donor using British Council to combat Israel boycott

The boycott, divestment and sanctions movement is supported by an increasing proportion of the British public.

Mark EsperPolaris

Hilary Aked-14 March 2016

New documents seen by The Electronic Intifada, obtained under freedom of information laws, show that theBritish Council has been quietly working to thwart the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement in support of Palestinian rights.

The revelations about the government-funded program come as the UK attempts to ban local government from boycotting companies complicit in Israeli human rights abuses.

The Electronic Intifada has also discovered that Nathan Kirsh, a billionaire businessman profiting directly fromIsrael’s wall in the occupied West Bank, is a donor to the British Council’s little-known anti-boycott project BIRAX: the Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership.

Facts on the ground

The British Council is a quasi-governmental body which describes itself as making an important “contribution to UK soft power.” It gets approximately 20 percent of its funding from the UK Foreign Office. It administers educational and “cultural relations” projects in more than 100 countries around the world.

In 2008 its Israel office instigated BIRAX jointly with the British Embassy in Israel and private pro-Israel donors.

As the original proposal, published below, states explicitly, BIRAX sought to offer “a practical response to recent calls in the UK for an academic boycott of Israel” — a reference to one of the first major boycott victories in a British trade union, the 2007 vote by the University and College Union which caused international alarm in the Zionist camp.

In response, BIRAX was launched by the prime ministers of Israel and the UK with the aim to “deepen institutional links” between British and Israeli universities. Only later, in 2011, was it decided that BIRAX should focus on regenerative medicine, a scientific emphasis which played neatly into Israel’s public relations strategy to promote itself as a hub of technological innovation.

Through BIRAX, the British Council has so far arranged 15 research collaborations between Israeli and UK universities. With a total value of at least £7 million ($9.9 million), these function as facts on the ground, undermining the campaign to boycott Israeli academic institutions by their very existence.

The third round of calls is currently open, offering £3 million ($4.2 million) of additional research funding.

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Knesset passes law that jails Israelis who hire undocumented Palestinians

The bill, which was passed 44-16, enforces stiff penalties and jail time on business owners who employ Palestinians without work permits



The new legislation strikes at Israelis who employ undocumented Palestinian workers (AFP)

Monday 14 March 2016

Israel’s parliament approved a tough new law on Monday evening to keep out Palestinian workers, as a measure to quell a five-month wave of violence.

The bill, advanced by Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, was passed by a vote of 44-16.

“For the first time, the responsibility will be put on the employers who risk public security,” Erdan told parliament.

While the workers themselves are already subject to arrest and imprisonment, the new legislation strikes at Israelis who employ them and those who transport them. 

Erdan said in a statement that with the passage of the new law "the police can be expected to mount large-scale operations to seize illegal entrants and those who assist them".

Among its provisions are that the Israeli employer of a Palestinian who has entered the Jewish state without the obligatory – and often hard to come by - permit, could face up to two years in prison.

That is in the case of one worker for a single day. 

However, the law becomes more strict for “those who employ more than one illegal worker, or hire an illegal worker for more than 24 hours”, where the accused could “face up to four years of incarceration", the site said.

In the case of companies who regularly take on unlicensed Palestinian staff, they face fines of between 40,000 and 452,000 shekels ($10,550 and $119,000).

Since 1 October, a wave of violence has killed 193 Palestinians, 28 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians killed, allegedly, were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks.

Others were shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes or demonstrations, while some were killed in air strikes on Gaza.

Many analysts say young Palestinians are fed up with Israeli occupation, while Israel blames incitement by Palestinian leaders and media as a main cause of the violence.

A government adviser told a Knesset committee on Sunday that of the attacks carried out in Israel, including Jerusalem, 44 percent were carried out by Palestinians in the Jewish state illegally.

Israeli police say the security forces are engaged in a two-pronged campaign to shut down underground West Bank arms makers and to keep out Palestinians who have not undergone the rigorous security checks carried out on applicants for entry and work permits.

Last Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided on a package of measures to quell the violence, including completion of the unfinished security barrier between Jerusalem and the West Bank.

He also ordered the cancellation of Israeli work permits for relatives of Palestinian attackers and fast-track demolition of perpetrators' homes.

Israel has increased its efforts against unauthorised Palestinian labourers, arresting more than 400 workers and dozens of their Israeli employers last week alone, police said.

Indonesian FM denied entry into West Bank, appoints envoy in Jordan

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. Pic: AP.

14th March 2016

RAMALLAH, West Bank – Israeli authorities reportedly barred the Indonesian Foreign Minister from crossing into Palestinian territory on Sunday to inaugurate an Indonesian consulate in the West Bank.

According to several news reports, the minister, Retno Marsudi was denied entry to meet with Palestinian officials to appoint Indonesian envoy Maha Abu-Shusheh.

Retno Marsudi was scheduled to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Foreign Minister Riad Malki.

However, according to the Associated Press, Malki travelled to neighbouring Jordan to meet Marsudi instead.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon refused to comment on the issue, but Israeli media reported Marsudi was denied access to the West Bank because she was not slated to meet Israeli officials.

Indonesian media had reported that Retno had also made Maha’s official appointment at the Jordanian capital of Amman.

“The bottom line is that Israeli efforts to obstruct Indonesia to induct its envoy in Ramallah did not succeed because it was done in Amman (instead) and the appointment had taken effect immediately,” she was quoted as saying in detikcom yesterday.

Retno told the popular Indonesian news site that her delegation was prevented from entering the Palestinian city because Israeli authorities did not provide clearance for its charted flight on board a Jordanian government-owned aircraft to land there.

“But this does not prevent the inauguration of the consulate in Ramallah as it was done this afternoon at 15:00 hrs in Amman with the Palestinian foreign minister present. Mission accomplished, it’s done, thank god,” she said.

With the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia has continued to show political and developmental support for Palestine and the opening of the consul’s office there, Retno said during the inauguration speech, was clear evidence of this.

Last week, Retno called for an end to “Israel’s injustice” against Palestine and its people during the 5th extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Palestine in Jakarta.

“Israel’s intransigence towards Palestine and Jerusalem continues along with its illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories,” she told 500 delegates at the summit, adding their support would lay the foundations for stability and peace in Palestine.

Additional reporting by Associated Press