Man in Manila gets $30 million cash from cyber heist; Bangladesh central bank governor quits

Bangladesh's central bank Governor Atiur Rahman talks during an interview inside his office in Dhaka October 2, 2013. REUTERS/Andrew Biraj

Maia Santos Deguito, a branch manager of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) takes an oath during a money laundering hearing at Senate in Manila March 15, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

BY SERAJUL QUADIR AND KAREN LEMA- Tue Mar 15, 2016

Bangladesh's central bank governor resigned on Tuesday over the theft of $81 million from the bank's U.S. account, as details emerged in the Philippines that $30 million of the money was delivered in cash to a casino junket operator in Manila.

The rest of the money hackers stole from the Bangladesh Bank's account at the New York Federal Reserve, one of the largest cyber heists in history, went to two casinos, officials told a Philippines Senate hearing into the scandal.

They said a mix of dollars and Philippine pesos was sent by a foreign exchange broker to the ethnic Chinese junket operator over several days, a haul that would have been made up of at least 780,000 banknotes.

Unknown hackers last month breached the computer systems of Bangladesh Bank and attempted to steal $951 million from its Fed account, which it uses for international settlements. They managed to transfer $81 million to entities in the Philippines.

Bangladesh Bank officials have said there is little hope of apprehending the perpetrators and recovering the money would be difficult and could take months.

In Dhaka, central bank governor Atiur Rahman said he had resigned to set an example in a country where there is little precedence of accountability and to uphold the image of the institution.

The government also fired two deputy governors of the bank, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said, days after blaming it for keeping the government in the dark about the theft.

Rahman's exit could be a blow to Bangladesh, a South Asian nation of 160 million. The country has been aspiring to reach middle-income status, and Rahman was seen as one of the driving forces helping Dhaka towards that goal.

Under the former development economics professor, the country's foreign exchange reserves have increased four-fold to $28 billion and he also sought to ensure farmers and women entrepreneurs had better access to banking services and credit.

Rahman defended his record at the central bank, saying he was proud of his achievements there.

He described the heist as an "earthquake" and said the bank had promptly informed intelligence agencies in Bangladesh and abroad and also brought in international experts to investigate.

FireEye Inc's (FEYE.O) Mandiant forensics division is helping investigate the cyber heist. The bank has also been in touch with the Fed and other U.S. authorities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Justice.

TRAIL ENDS AT CASINOS

Bangladesh Bank is also working with anti-money laundering authorities in the Philippines, where it suspects the stolen $81 million arrived in four tranches.

The Philippines' Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) (RCB.PS) said last week it was investigating deposits amounting to just that sum, which were made at one of its branches.

Teofisto Guingona, head of the Philippines Senate's anti-corruption committee, told Reuters the transfers into RCBC were subsequently consolidated into one account and some of the money was converted to pesos.

CCTV cameras at the branch were not functioning when the money was withdrawn, RCBC's anti-money laundering head, Laurinda Rogero, told the Senate hearing.

The president of a foreign exchange broker called Philrem Service Corp, Salud Bautista, told the Senate that her firm was instructed by the bank branch to transfer the funds to a man named Weikang Xu and two casinos.

She said that $30 million went to Xu in cash. Guingona has said Xu was ethnic Chinese and a foreigner, but he was not sure if he was a Chinese national.

A tranche of $29 million ended up in an account of Solaire, a casino resort owned and operated by Bloomberry Resorts Corp (BLOOM.PS). Bloomberry is controlled by Enrique Razon, the Philippines' fifth-richest man in 2015, according to Forbes.

Silverio Benny Tan, corporate secretary of Bloomberry Resorts, told the hearing that the $29 million was transferred into a casino account under Xu's name in exchange for 'dead chips' that can only be cashed in from winnings.

Bautista said a further $21 million went to an account of Eastern Hawaii Leisure Co., a gaming firm in northern Philippines. Reuters tried several phone numbers to seek comment from Eastern Hawaii officials but was unable to reach any.

"Our money trail ended up at the casinos," Julia Bacay Abad, executive director of the Anti-Money Laundering Council, told the open hearing.

She said her agency had frozen 44 accounts connected to the case and had requested assistance from the FBI.

Senator Guingona said that because casinos are not covered by the country's anti-money laundering laws it was not clear if the stolen funds could ever be recovered.

"The paper trail ends there. That is the problem," he said. "Right now we are at a dead end."

(Additional reporting by Ruma Paul in DHAKA and by Neil Jerome Morales, Enrico Dela Cruz and Manuel Mogato in MANILA; Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Htin Kyaw wins historic vote in Burma’s parliament to become new president

Burma's new president, Htin Kyaw. Pic: AP.

15th March 2016 

HTIN KYAW, an aide and long-time confidant of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has been voted in as Burma’s next president by the nation’s parliament.

Kyaw won 360 of 652 votes cast by Burma’s two legislative chambers, which are dominated by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

The 69-year-old, who will be Burma’s first civilian leader in decades after years of military rule, will replace current president Thein Sein next month.

Suu Kyi, who is barred by the constitution from becoming president, can be seen here casting her vote Tuesday.

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NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi casts ballot for president. She'll be followed by 651 other lawmakers.

12:08 AM - 15 Mar 2016 · Myanmar, Myanmar

Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won a Nov. 8 general election by a landslide, gaining an overwhelming majority in both houses of parliament.

Her party nominated Htin Kyaw and another NLD lawmaker Henry Van Tio. A military bloc in parliament nominated Myint Swe, a hard-line retired lieutenant general.

Henry Van Tio and Myint Swe will become vice presidents.

Additional reporting from Associated Pres

After Activist’s Murder, Dutch Investors Question Ties to Hydroelectric Project

BY MEGAN ALPERT-MARCH 15, 2016 
Two weeks ago, Gustavo Castro fell to the floor and pretended to be dead, waiting for the gunmen who shot Honduran environmental activist Berta Cáceres to leave her house. He survived, and in doing so, became the only witness to a murder that has since drawn international attention towards a massive hydroelectric project Cáceres had protested against for nearly a decade.

Now, nearly 50 activist groups are demanding the Dutch government distance itself from the project, known as Agua Zarca, and to take steps to protect Castro. In a letter Monday, the activists called on Amsterdam to direct Netherlands Development Finance Co., or FMO, to divest from Agua Zarca, which the indigenous Lenca people say will cut off vital river access. The letter also demands that FMO review its portfolio to ensure it is not invested in other projects in Lenca territory.

Additionally, the activists demanded that Amsterdam press Tegucigalpaallow international bodies and non-governmental organizations to help with the investigation into Cáceres’s murder and to “use all diplomatic means at its disposal to ensure the safe return of Gustavo Castro, witness to Berta’s murder, to Mexico.” Castro, a Mexican citizen, is staying at the Mexican Embassy in Honduras after he was told on March 6 that he could not leave the country.

FMO first invested in Agua Zarca in 2014, a year after another activist, Tomás García, was shot and killed by a Honduran soldier during a protest against the project. The Dutch bank claims it has addressed the indigenous communities’ concerns through a plant redesign, but admits that “unrest continues.” Nanno Kleiterp, FMO’s chief executive, and the company’s energy sector director, have pledged to travel to Honduras to meet with the affected communities.

The bank says that whether it will pull out of the project is “a legitimate question to ask, and a question we ask ourselves.”

But that’s not good enough for the writers of Monday’s letter.

“FMO knew, or should have known, at the time of its investment in 2014 that the Agua Zarca project had the potential to result in conflict and violence,” they wrote.

In a March 7 letter in the local newspaper, La Prensa, Castro claimed his life was in danger, that the crime scene had been altered, and that Honduran authorities were investigating other members of Cáceres’s organization — the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations (COPINH) — rather than individuals who had threatened her in the past. He also claimed the government questioned him for days after Cáceres’s March 3 death without allowing him to rest.

The NGOs plan to similarly lobby other Agua Zarca investors. One of them, FinnFund, issued a statement pledging to monitor the “development of the situation.”

“There is no information that confirms the identity of [Cáceres’s] killers,” FinnFund said in the statement issued through Agua Zarca project manager Desarollos Energeticos S.A. “FinnFund hopes that they will be brought to justice.”

Tomás Gomez, the current coordinator of COPINH, said that is unlikely as long as the Honduran government is in charge of the investigation. In a phone call with Foreign Policy Tuesday, Gomez said that his community has “seen that there isn’t any line of investigation” into Cáceres’s murder.

“The interest of the state is not to explain the murder,” he said. “They’ve been looking for the way to clean their image at the international level.” The government has labeled the murder as a “crime of passion” and arrestedAureliano Molina Villanueva, another member of COPINH.

Gomez and his organization want the government to come to an agreement with the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights to launch an independent investigation.

“Berta Cáceres was the object of systematic threats and intimidation and this has all been documented,” Gomez said. “We demand that the project Agua Zarca is completely cancelled.”

Photo credit: ORLANDO SIERRA/AFP/Getty Images

Marine archaeologists discover rare artefacts at 1503 shipwreck site

British-led team off coast of Oman find the Esmeralda, the earliest wreck ever found from the European ‘Age of Discovery’

The Esmeralda was captained by an uncle of Portugese explorer Vasco da Gama. Photograph: David Mearns/National Geographic Creative

 A Portuguese gold cruzado coin found at the wreck site. Photograph: David Mearns/National Geographic Creative

Esther Addley-Tuesday 15 March 2016

A British-led archaeological expedition has uncovered the 500-year-old wreck siteof what it claims is the earliest ship ever found from Europe’s “Age of Discovery”, a Portuguese vessel that was captained by an uncle of the legendary explorer Vasco da Gama.

The Esmerelda was one of two ships that sank in a storm off the coast of Oman in 1503, only five years after da Gama discovered the first sea route from Europe to India.

After three years of excavation and historical and scientific research, the archaeologists, who included teams from Bournemouth University and Oman’s ministry of culture, announced that they had found the site of the wreck, and with it a collection of artefacts including one of the rarest coins in the world and what may be part of a previously unknown maritime astrolabe.

David Mearns, director of West Sussex-based Blue Water Recoveries which led the expedition, told the Guardian the major significance of the find was the date of its sinking, very early in the period when a handful of European maritime powers were racing to discover and exploit new routes to the east.

“This is the earliest ship [from the period of European maritime exploration of Asia] that has been found by a long stretch,” he said. “If you consider that that pre-colonial period started on a major basis with Columbus, in 1492, this is just a decade after that.”

The ship sank in a storm off the coast of what is now the small Omani island of Al-Hallaniyah in 1503, with the loss of all crew and of its captain Vicente Sodre, a maternal uncle of da Gama.

Because it broke up in shallow waters, very little of the ship itself has survived, but thousands of artefacts were uncovered from the sand in the shallow bay. Among them was an incredibly rare silver coin called an indio, of which only one other is known to exist. The coins were forged in 1499 after da Gama’s first voyage to India, which helps date the wreckage, Mearns said. Stone cannonballs appearing to bear Sodre’s initials were also discovered.

However Mearns said the most exciting discovery was a metal disc bearing the Portuguese coat of arms and an image of an armillary sphere, a model of celestial globe, which was the personal emblem of the then King of Portugal. The archaeologists have speculated that it may be a component part of a type of astrolabe, a navigational device, but are not certain, he said.

“There’s no doubt it’s a very important object. It’s made of valuable material, it’s got these two iconic symbols on it, they don’t just stamp those things on to any piece of equipment on a ship. This was an important thing, but what was it?” He said he hoped other experts would now add their input to help identify the object.

“What’s really exciting about this discovery being so early, this may be something nobody has ever seen before, and that’s challenging for the archaeologists but also fun and exciting.”

He said the dig had been a “dream job” for the archaeologists. “These are people who work in England in dry suits in freezing cold water, sometimes they can see no further than their nose. So to come to this really beautiful island, completely remote, you have nothing there … this lovely bay, warm waters and you are visited every day by dolphins coming to play with you.

“These are the sort of exotic holidays that people would pay tens of thousands of pounds to go on.”

The findings of the expedition were published on Tuesday by The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology.

Ayoub al-Busaidi, the supervisor of marine archaeology at the Oman ministry of heritage and culture, said the dig marked the first underwater excavation carried out by his country. He said it had inspired officials to continue to explore the waters around the sultanate for other finds.

“Oman is now looking at outside archives to read about the relationships and trade between Oman and the outside world.”

Cold turkey is best way to quit smoking, study says

By Carina Storrs, Special to CNN-Tue March 15, 2016

(CNN)Just the thought of quitting cold turkey is probably enough to make any smoker uneasy. But a new study adds support to the notion that people who give up cigarettes all at once are more likely to be successful than those who wean themselves off gradually.

Researchers looked at nearly 700 long-term heavy smokers in England who wanted to kick the habit. 

They instructed half of the participants to quit abruptly -- that is, pick a quit day when they would give up smoking entirely. The other half were told to scale back their cigarettes gradually for two weeks leading up to their quit day.

But even the abrupt-quit group was not exactly going it alone. The researchers gave them nicotine patches to use for two weeks before their quit day. During this period, the gradual group also got patches, as well as gum, lozenges and other types of short-acting nicotine replacement therapy to help them as they cut back. After the quit day, both groups got patches and short-acting therapy, in addition to counseling.

The researchers found that 49% of the participants in the abrupt-quit group were not smoking by one month after their quit day, compared with 39.2% in the gradual-quit group. By six months, success rates had dropped, but the difference between the groups was still there: 22% of the abrupt quit group was not smoking, compared with 15.5% of the gradual-quit group.

Even though the more cold turkey method came out on top, the quit rates for both methods were still "quite good," said Nicola Lindson-Hawley, a postdoctoral researcher at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford in England. Lindson-Hawley is the lead author of the study, which was published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

"Health care workers should offer abrupt quitting first, but if that is not an option, gradual quitting can be a second-line approach," Lindson-Hawley said. "We understand that people might be dead set against quitting abruptly so if the only way they would consider quitting is gradually then the results of this trial suggest it shouldn't be ruled out."

Guidelines on smoking cessation generally urge smokers to quit abruptly. Although some studies have seen no difference between the methods, others suggest that going cold turkey could yield higher success rates.

The high success rates in the current study for both groups is in line with the level of abstinence in the general population achieved through the Stop Smoking Service in the UK, which offers social support and nicotine replacement therapy, Lindson-Hawley said.

But rates are much lower when people people try to go it alone, Lindson-Hawley said. Only a small number of people get help to quit smoking, and a small number of people in the general population -- about 5% to 7% -- manage to remain smoke-free a year after quitting.

"There is really good evidence for nicotine replacement therapy like patches and gum, that are also very safe, and also Chantix (varenicline)" to help people quit smoking, Lindson-Hawley said.

In addition to the method of quitting, a person's attitude about quitting may help determine whether he or she will be successful. The current study found that participants who preferred trying to quit abruptly before the study started -- suggesting they were especially motivated to quit -- were also more likely to be kick the habit.

In the abrupt quit group, rates of abstinence at four weeks were 58% among participants who had wanted to quit cold turkey, but only 42% among those who had preferred quitting gradually. In the gradual quit group, success rates at four weeks were 45.8% and 34.6% among those who had wanted to quit cold turkey or gradually, respectively.

"There are two things that are important in quitting. One is confidence, belief in your ability to be successful. ... And the second is desire, the commitment to do it," said Michael P. Eriksen, dean of the Georgia State University School of Public Health, who was not involved in the current study.

The study did not detect a difference in the confidence levels between the two groups.

"One of the implications [of this study] is we need to really get people to understand that quitting cold turkey is more effective, it kind of gets it over with," Eriksen said.

For her part, Lindson-Hawley suspects that quitting gradually might leave people out in the cold by prolonging cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

"We hypothesize that you get it all out of the way in one go [by quitting abruptly]. In the gradual group, because they were put through it in a gradual way, they lost the motivation," Lindson-Hawley said. In support of this possibility, the study found that fewer participants in the gradual quit group managed to actually quit on their predetermined quit day, as compared with the abrupt quit group.

"Rather than discouraging people from quitting at all, [the findings] will encourage them to quit abruptly, to go cold turkey and line up whatever support you need," which can include nicotine replacement therapy, setting up counseling or locating quit lines you can call, Eriksen said.

"I used to smoke and stopped cold turkey and never touched a cigarette since and it's been over 40 years," Eriksen said. "To me it was really a matter of doing it and being fed up, but also liking smoking and knowing I couldn't stop gradually."

HRC 31:SRI LANKA NEEDS INTERNATIONAL EXPERTISE AT ALL LEVELS, SAYS IMDAR HEADED BY DR. NIMALKA FERNANDO

14/03/2016

“Sri Lanka needs in order to effectively implement the resolution 30/1″ emphasised by the  International Movement against All forms of Discrimination(IMDAR) headed by Dr. Nimalaka Fernando making a oral statement at HRC 31. It further said that ” The President and Prime Minister made statements which have created uncertainties and anxieties in the minds of the families of the disappeared and those seeking accountability in the post war context.”

The statement read by Taisuke Komatsu, IMDAR representative in Geneva follows.

IMADR Oral Statement: 31st session of the Human Rights Council.
Item 2: Annual report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
10 March 2016.

Thank you Mr. President,

IMADR and Franciscans International welcome the High Commissioner’s visit to Sri Lanka last month, in which he oversaw the progress in implementing the consensus resolution “Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka (A/HRC/RES/30/1)”. We appreciate that his visit was received in a friendly and cooperative environment, though we note that a smear campaign was launched by the supporters of the former regime which illustrates the dangers to democratic yearnings of the people of Sri Lanka.

We commend the efforts of the new Government to address challenges related to setting up of transitional justice process including the initiative taken to launch a broad consultation related to the constitutional reform. We also appreciate the steps taken to keep the engagement with the civil society in these efforts. The appointment of Task Force headed by prominent civil society leaders is one such example.

Unfortunately, it is not clear whether the recommendations of their report will be incorporated and implemented.

The President and Prime Minister made statements which have created uncertainties and anxieties in the minds of the families of the disappeared and those seeking accountability in the post war context. It is our experience that Sri Lanka needs international expertise at all levels in order to effectively implement the resolution 30/1.

Wider consultation with victims and survivors is necessary in building the transitional justice mechanisms.

While we welcome the recent developments in a few well-known cases including the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda, there are a countless number of cases waiting for investigation. However, rule of law remains fragile as a result of the decades-long conflict and political manipulation.

Against this backdrop, we urge the Government to carry out a swift judicial reform as part of confidence building measures, including revision of the Victims and Witness Protection Act, adoption of the pending Right to Information Act, repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and strengthening independent commissions.

The Government should also launch investigations into cases which sufficient evidences and witnesses are ready to be presented, such as the “Trinco 5” and “ACF (Action Contre la Faim)” cases. Finally, we call upon the Government to ensure transparency and raise public awareness on transitional justice mechanisms and pledges given under resolution 30/1.

Thank you Mr. President.

Peace-Making In Sri Lanka: Challenges, Aspirations & The Future

By Imtiyaz Razak –March 14, 2016 

Dr Imtiyaz Razak

Winning peace after war in deeply divided societies is daunting. It is daunting, because such peace-seeking efforts deal with the forces attached to the war and conflict, and thus their need to be genuine compromise at elite level to seek political settlements. For this reason, it is better to seek peace without engaging war and violence. But when war was fought and casualties were recorded with blood and pains, the path to peace is daunting.

Competing Goals 

This week, the regime in Colombo announced it would open a forum to receive submission from the public for the new constitution. To win peace, dominant part or parties in the conflict should have willingness for accommodation and compromise. In other words, winning truest is key to begin a process for peace. Sri Lanka experiences suggest that the Tamil Tigers, who were forced to silence their guns in 2009 wanted partition. Though the Tamil Tigers were resolutely defeated, the aspirations they shared still have a greater political influence. The major political goal of Tamil nationalism was separation. On the other hand, the key goal of the Sinhala nationalism was and is to consolidate unitary state structure. In between the Tamils and the Sinhalese are the Muslims who form their identity based on their faith. Muslim political elites would seek political accommodation that would not radically challenge the aspirations of the Sinhalese who are the majority in the island of Sri Lanka.

There is a belief that a democratic system will liberate masses from the burden of ethnic, religious, and gender discrimination. But experiences from Sri Lanka would contradict such an understanding. Sri Lankan experiences suggest that a highly competitive electoral system, due to politicians’ desire to win power at any cost, helped increase religious and ethnic tensions and hostility among different groups. Also, Sri Lanka’s experience suggests that the opening-up of political modernity in the absence of economic democracy has created destructive religious and ethnic forces that are able to manipulate sensitive emotions for political gain, and thus pave the way for instability. However, the future offers three formulas to gain stability and progress, and to strengthen democracy.

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CLEARLY OUTLINE US SUPPORT TO SRI LANKA TO IMPLEMENT UN RECOMMENDATIONS – CONGRESS COMMITTEE

14/03/2016

“I ask you to clearly outline the steps that the US government will take to support reform [ in Sri Lanka], including efforts to implement recommendations from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and ensure that development and security assistance are in line with reform efforts”says Edward Royce, chairman of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs  in a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry.

The letter further says that “it is important that the US carry out a clearly-articulated policy to support reform in Sri Lanka and urge Kerry to  press the Government of Sri Lanka to take immediate steps to release political prisoners, repeal the war-time “Prevention of Terrorism Act”, and return land seized during the conflict.

Read the letter as a PDF here: 03 08 16 – DOS Secretary John F Kerry Support for Increased Engagement with Sri Lanka

03-08-16-DOS-Secretary-John-F-Kerry-Support-for-Increased-Engagement-with-Sri-Lanka-Strupp.pdf by Thavam Ratna

Political Prisoner Issue Sees Light At The End Of The Tunnel

by Easwaran Rutnam-Monday, March 14, 2016

The political prisoner issue is likely to see an end soon with the Attorney General’s Department set to file charge sheets on those arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) but not charged.

At least 14 political prisoners not charged after being arrested under the PTA when the former government was in office, were on hunger strike for several days demanding that they either be charged or be released, suspended the strike last Friday.

Earlier the prisoners refused to accept rehabilitation and instead demanded unconditional release.

The Tamil political prisoners also reject a request by the Tamil National Alliance to suspend the fast before Parliament met Tuesday.

The TNA urged the prisoners to suspend the fast saying the issue will be raised in Parliament but the prisoners refused to comply.

A demonstration was also staged in Jaffna recently seeking the release of all political prisoners arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

Civil society members, politicians and relatives of the political prisoners participated in the demonstration.

A Tamil detainee who was freed from prison this week also joined the demonstration.

Later during the week Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian M A Sumanthiran said that the Tamil political prisoners who had refused to accept rehabilitation and demanded unconditional release are now willing to accept rehabilitation.

Sumanthiran said that while the lawyers of the prisoners had said earlier that the inmates will not accept rehabilitation, those same inmates have now changed their minds.

Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms D.M. Swaminathan said that the government is ready to offer the option of rehabilitation once again to the prisoners who had refused to accept it earlier.

While some Tamil political prisoners had accepted rehabilitation and were eventually freed, a few others refused to accept it and some of them are now on a hunger strike.

Opposition leader R. Sampanthan however asked the government in Parliament last week how the Tamil political prisoners can continue to be kept in detention after being arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act especially if the current government has taken a policy against the PTA.Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera responded by saying that the government is still opposed to the PTA and the process to repeal the PTA is now underway.

The issue was raised in Parliament when the House discussed about political prisoners and missing persons.

During that discussion joint opposition member and Mahajana Eksath Peramuna leader Dinesh Gunawardena created a storm by saying most people reported “missing” sought asylum overseas.

He claimed that of 7000 Tamils reported missing during the war some had sought political asylum in Canada, Europe and India.

Sumanthiran then accused Gunawardena of insulting those killed during the war by saying they are living overseas.

Gunawardena however stood by his comments and accused the Tamil National Alliance of working with a UN panel to create false numbers of those missing and killed during the war.

He also questioned the right the Tamil National Alliance had to speak on human rights when they remained silent at the time the LTTE abducted and killed Tamils.

Mass Media Supported Myths & Fallacies – A Modern Scourge

By Lasantha Pethiyagoda –March 14, 2016

Lasantha Pethiyagoda

Our contemporary cyber-scientific age is riddled with intriguing contradictions and human-made follies that belie the advances in technology. The mass-media-driven consumer culture and entertainment industry has fueled the growth of primitive superstitions, myths and new age beliefs that are the very antithesis of science.

The dire need to promote a rational discussion on science, technology and equitable social development in a market-capitalist environment has never been so pressing. One must assiduously guard against trends that promote myth and be aware of the subtle persuasive techniques, marketing strategies and advertisement gimmicks that make us increasingly helpless consumers.

Strongly emotive words that appeal to one’s core values and grossly false analogies are drawn to promote free market ideology by depicting the consumer as king and the market as his empire. Subtle ideas that promote agendas and values that support consumption are ingrained through clever visual imagery, tantalizing graphics and sound effects.

Wholly unworthy products are embedded in popular entertainment, movies and general advertising. Innocent children are highly susceptible to propaganda and become soft targets for ruthless mind control. No wonder that children want things that are advertised in television commercials. They are made brand conscious from a tender age and grow up as trained and loyal customers.

The unconcealed and shameless motto for many brand managers is to hook them young. They often hire the best psychologists and designers to invent ways that entice kids to buy their products using peer pressure while fostering a life time allegiance to their brand.

The increasing numbers of television channels are willing to cater to anything that will amuse people until their death. The largely unethical lucrative entertainment business thrives on sensational soap operas, family “tele”dramas, tele-shopping, sponsor-paid news, subliminal advertising, propagating doomsday theories, fake reality shows, mythological story serials, fear and uncertainty mongering, superstitious themes, faith preaching and dedicated time slots for highly paid bogus-astrology, feng-shui, varsthu and yoga exponents.

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Bonanza for MPs – This “Yahapalana fraud” must be stopped forthwith

The following statement issued by the DecentLanka 2015, a Colombo based Civil Society group

( March 14, 2016, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) This weekend’s mainstream media reports, political party leaders in parliament had decided on an unbelievable economic package for the benefit of all 225 members of parliament (MPs). Over and above all the monetary and other benefits and privileges presently enjoyedby MPs, this proposed package includes a monthly addition of Rs.175,000 for rent, telephones and an office. Calculated for 225 MPs this totals to Rs.39.4 million per month. For a year it would thus be Rs.472.8 million, over and above the billions paid for maintaining these MPs at present. Added are allowances of Rs.2,000 proposed for a sitting in the Constitutional Assembly and Rs.4,000 per sitting in the newly established Oversight Committees. Let us stress that all these are public funds and no small money to play with.

To begin with let us note, the first and the most important responsibility and duty of all members elected to parliament on a people’s vote and those nominated accordingly from the nationalist list, is to participate in all discussions and debates in the House and to vote at every resolution and bill that comes up in parliament. That is a political responsibility of every elected MP as representatives of the people, for which the voter does not have to pay MPs for. We firmly believe, those who cannot take up that responsibility should not contest elections to enter parliament.

Yet on their own decisions, they have by now accrued monetary benefits and privileges more
than what they actually deserve. Even after the war was declared over in May 2009, they are
still provided armed security at the cost of public money. Decided by them alone, they also
enjoy a duty free vehicle import permit every 05 years. The proposed package would now
make them a special breed of State employees on a pensionable salary with extraordinary
privileges and luxury status.

This “Yahapalana” government may have their own agenda to molly coddle MPs this way.
But let us say quite emphatically, that is no public necessity. Moving amendments to taxes
and levies from what PM Wickramasinghe said in parliament on 08 March (2016), even after
14 months this government is incapable of calculating the total debt accrued during the
Rajapaksa regime. He said it could be well over 09.5 trillion rupees. Whoever faulted and
whoever is accused for fraud and corruption, this government came to power promising to
rectify all that and to put the economy in order. Therefore this government has no moral right
or financial responsibility now to propose further benefits and privileges to MPs but to axe
out what’s already in excess.

There is yet another very important issue we wish to stress here. As we see, there is
absolutely no necessity to provide office facilities for MPs and to incur Rs.16.9 million per
month for their offices. This awfully distorted “need” for MP’s offices was first mentioned by
PM Wickramasinghe when he proposed his Village Development Centre (Grama Sanvardana
Kendra) programme. MPs are elected as legislators. They have to remain as legislators only
and should not be allowed to get involved in village development activities. There is a whole
network of State offices manned by public officers from the Grama Seva Niladhari (GSN),
the Samurdhi officers right up to the Divisional Secretary working with the District
Secretariat, all paid for by public funds. There is also a devolved provincial governing
system, again funded by the public that needs to be strengthened. MPs from the central
government getting into local development will politicise the whole local and provincial life.
Added is the fact that allowing legislators to become managers handling finances leads to
nothing but corruption.

None of the proposed monetary benefits to MPs have any relation to “Yahapalanaya” (Good governance). This is total and crude exploitation of people’s aspirations. Of people who voted at the two past elections. We therefore condemn and oppose this proposed “Yahapalana bonanza” for MPs and demand it be completely dropped, forthwith.

Signatories ;
Attorney at law Neville Ananda
Attorney at Law Sujeewa Dahanayake
Social activist Muditha Karunamuni
Journalist Kusal Perera
Trade union leader Anton Marcus
Attorney at law Srinath Perera
Public interest activist Amrit Muttukumaru
Srinath Perera President’s Counsel

Contacts –
Attorney at law Neville Ananda – 0777876811
Attorney at Law Sujeewa Dahanayake – 0777324062