A ray of hope flickers in the sky - EDITORIAL


2016-04-13

The National New Year beginning tonight is perhaps one of the most important in recent decades. For the first time, the two major parties have come together to form a National Government and pave the way to build a multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-cultural Sri Lanka where we see deep and sincere unity in diversity. 
Since Independence in 1948, and especially after 1956 when S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike proposed the ‘Sinhala only’ policy for personal or party-political gain, the two major races -- the Sinhala and the Tamil people -- have built artificial walls similar to the wall that the Unites States political entertainer Donald Trump is threatening to build.  What is happening during the US primary polls for the presidential election in November, has important lessons for Sri Lanka and the faction or clique supporting former President Mahinda Rajapaksa needs to give special attention to it.

When Barak Obama was elected in 2008 as the first Afro-American President of the US, the white supremacists -- mainly ultra-conservative supporters of the Republican Party -- were apparently bitter or resentful if not revengeful. Virtually the whole world hailed the election of President Obama, but the conservative white America apparently could not change its mindset that only white is right and white is might.   

We need to remember that the legendary leader who rebuilt the Republican Party and the United States was none other than Abraham Lincoln. He led the civil war to end slavery and for the emancipation of the Afro-American people. But this republican party today -- largely because of its bitter resentment to President Obama’s election -- is likely to implode ideologically with the anti-establishment Donald Trump far ahead in the race for nomination though most republican analysts believe he is unqualified, vulgar and crude while some even believe he is mentally not balanced, largely due to self-admitted chronic sleep deprivation.

During the Ronald Reagan years especially, the Republican Party had stood for solid principles such as less government, more private enterprise and free trade. But the anger or hatred against President Obama gradually saw the growth of the ultra-conservative ‘Tea party’ within the party in 2012. Now we see the perhaps unavoidable implosion of the party with the mainline Republican National Committee strongly opposing presidential candidate Trump with many of them describing him as a fiddling buffoon trying to be a statesman. What will happen at the Republican Party’s nomination convention in July is not clear, but some 155 years after the famous PresidentLincoln, the party will have to look for someone of that calibre to maintain  the two-party democracy in the US.

As we celebrate the National New Year this week, the new government is taking practical steps to rebuild a united Sri Lanka after a devastating war of more than 25 years. The main task will be undertaken by a Truth and Reconciliation Commission similar to the legendary Nelson Mandela’s brainchild in South Africa, though twelve years after he left office the country he liberated has again been plunged into corruption. The Commission to be set up here will also consider matters relating to compensation and non-recurrence, while a wide-powered office will be set up to handle another major problem relating to people who have disappeared.

While the National Government hopefully handles these and related issues in a selfless and sincere manner, we urge the Sri Lankan people also to make some important New Year resolutions. For instance, we need to see ourselves essentially as human beings, not as Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim or Burgher people or as Buddhists, Hindus, Christians or of the Islamic faith. When filling documents and even when speaking on different issues, we need to refer to ourselves as Sri Lankans and not on a racial or religious basis. Starting with words, we could then go deeper into our minds and hearts, thinking and caring for others as Sri Lankans and human beings, not on racial or religious terms.  To achieve this accommodation on the middle path, extremists on all sides need to be marginalised. If  we do that, though the Republican Party is dying, the immortal words of its legendary statesman will live on in Sri Lanka and we will have, as he wished, a democracy that is of the people, for the people and by the people.  

Current Constitutional Reform Process: Periodic Replay; Or New Beginnings?

By Surendra Ajit Rupasinghe –April 13, 2016

Surendra Ajit Rupasinghe

The present constitutional reform is of interest since it comes after the end of a bitter protracted war that bled us all morally and spiritually. Instead of the values of love, peace, coexistence and solidarity, based on a way of life of sharing and caring, we were led to slaughter each other for territory, geography, power, dominance and supremacy. Each side promoted forms of chauvinism where the other was demonized, and the whole social order became permeated and infused with the ideology and politics of chauvinism- on all sides of the barricades. Innocent civilians and whole communities paid the price for indiscriminate shelling and bombing, being played and preyed upon, and by the widespread devastation and irreparable loss of life and livelihood. This war, gruesome, at times barbaric, was a result of a violent fault-line fracture in the very foundations of our State and political order, flowing from the dominant values and the way of life that it imposes and demands.

The people of Lanka have paid the ultimate price for a Constitution and a Political Order that have led them to an unceasing spiral of multiplying crises, indebtedness, poverty and insecurity. Most importantly, this process of State and constitutional building has robbed them of their sovereignty. It has left them without the power to enforce their will and determination, their decisions and aspirations, upon their political representatives, and upon the laws, policies, rules and practices of the State that fatally affect their lives and future. They only have the power to vote for the best candidate who can delude them most and promise them heaven and lead them to hell, repeatedly, while accumulating their own power, privilege and fortunes. This has been the bitter reality. But, after repeated betrayals and false promises, the people are awakening to the reality that for them to be free, they would have to take effective collective control and command of their State and society and so guide the ship towards the shores of universal peace, solidarity, prosperity and happiness. The current constitutional reform process will be most crucial. It is like a laboratory for educating and illuminating the people as to the path of ignorance and illusion and a scientific path of achieving democratic freedom, independence and liberation, with truth and justice for all.

The Constitutional reforms so far have served to centralize political power in the hands of a ruling class elite that takes turns in operating this highly centralized and monopolized hegemonic State, as opposed to empowering, advancing and consolidating the democratic power and will of the people to exercise effective and collective control over their Land, their society, their community, their lives and their future. This sovereign and supreme principle and most fundamental right of the people to be the conscious architects of their life and future, has been effectively robbed by accumulated violations of human rights and democratic freedoms, and gross abuse of power. The Sri Lankan State is on trial internationally and internally for its failure to honour human and democratic rights and basic civilized norms of decency. It is in this context that the current constitutional reform process is unfolding.

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Tamil journalist attacked while covering military crash in Kilinochchi 13 April 2016 A Tamil journalist was attacked on Tuesday evening in Kilinochchi, whilst photographing a fatal road collision between a Sri Lankan military water tank and a civilian construction vehicle, by a military officer dressed in civilian uniform who identified himself as a colonel. The journalist, S N Nibojan, informed the officer he was a media worker and had only come to report the news, however the officer replied, "what does it matter to me who you are." Grabbing Mr Nibojan's camera the officer deleted the photographs before swinging the camera towards the ground, smashing the lens.  The incident took place around 9.45pm local time on Paranthan Poonakari road.  Mr Nibojan has filed a complaint at Kilinochchi police station.  The driver of the construction vehicle has been admitted to hospital with serious injuries, whilst the military officer driving the water tank died from his injuries.

Champika bows to people’s wishes..! writes to FCID to probe Vidya Amarapala his bosom pal

(Lanka-e-News -13.April.2016, 4.55PM) Minister Champika has bowed to the wishes of the people in an attempt to prove  that his slate is clean and  repudiate the  accusations pointing at him.

That is , he had taken the right  step by writing to the FCID and requesting to conduct an investigation into the allegations pertaining to his bosom pal , the ex chairman of the Electricity board Vidya Maithripala during the period Champika was the minister of power and energy .

Vidya Maithripala ‘s name was revealed recently by the media as among the names in the name list of ‘Panama exposure’ or Swiss bank secret account holders.  

Amarapala is even now said  to be functioning as an advisor to the ministry of capital city  and western development of Champika Ranawake .The latter has informed that Amarapala has decided to resign from  all his posts amidst these controversies.

In the letter addressed to the FCID by the private secretary to minister Champika Ranawake it is stated , Amarapala prior to being appointed as the advisor to the ministry of capital city  and western development of Champika Ranawake , had been working at Sovereign capital Corporation during the period between 2003 and 2010.

It is in the year 2010, Amarapala was made the chairman of the Electricity board by minister Champika. The Sovereign capital Corporation is affiliated to the I.W.S. Holdings based in Singapore, and it belongs to Arthur Senanayake. The name of the latter is also there  in the aforementioned name list of those who concealed illicit wealth .

In any event , though Champika has sent the letter to the FCID using the official letterhead , he had taken precaution to have it signed by his private secretary.

In the report published by Lanka e news on the 9th of April , we questioned as follows : 

“From where did Amarapala come by such enormous wealth  ?”  and “On the face of it these are the inordinately large illicit commissions he had earned while he was the chairman of the electricity board. If that is so, could that have been  done without the knowledge of Champika Ranawake ?  Or , are those  the illicit  commission earnings of  Champika Ranawake when he was the minister in charge ?”

In that report dated 9 th April , we also stated that minister Champika must furnish answers to this , and if he is not implicated  he must initiate action to probe into his pal’s involvements as well as the concealed assets of all Sri Lankans .

Champika’s letter to the FCID in response to that report is indeed a most ethical step signaling that there is  a new political culture on the horizon in Sri Lanka . 

Let us wait and watch what action the FCID is going to take. 

A media communique of Champika Ranawake  and the letter under the official letterhead sent by Daya Perera his private secretary to the FCID are herein. 

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by     (2016-04-13 11:36:55)

Family man abducted in ‘white-van’ in Jaffna

April 13, 2016

A middle-aged family man has been abducted on Sunday (April 10) in Jaffna by a group of men who have come in civvies in a white-van. His whereabouts remains unknown.

According to legal sources in Jaffna, Rajadurai Jeyanthan was at his home at Nunavil South, Chavakachcheri when the group men in civvies, claiming to be from the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) took him away in a white van – a notorious mode of transport of “unidentified men” to carry out abductions during and after the war.

The abductors have neither given his family a note of acknowledgement nor explained the reason for the arrest.

The sources also said that the Rajathurai Jeyanthan was among those who had gone through the government’s ‘rehabilitation’ program after the end of the war.

His wife told Ceylon News on Wednesday that the abductors have only given her a telephone number and when contacted (via that number) she was asked to come the CID office in Ariyalai, near the Jaffna town.

“First two men in civvies came in motorbike were talking to him after confirming his identity. They said they were from the CID. Few minutes later a group of men, also in civvies, came in a white-van and checked the house before taking my husband away handcuffed,” the terrified wife said via phone.

“When we went to Ariyalai, we were not allowed to see him, instead were told to go to a CID office in Vavuniya. When we went to Vavuniya on the next day, we were told that my husband has been moved to Boosa. We have not heard of him since his abduction,” she told Ceylon News via phone.

The police in Jaffna have refused to entertain a complaint in this regard, instead the family has been told to be in touch with the Ariyalai CID.

Both in Ariyalai and in Vavuniya the so-called CID offices were functioning in abandoned houses without any hoarding and all the men were seen in civvies.

The latest incident has come barely a couple of weeks after the government troops on a tip off recovered a suicide jacket and explosives from a house also in Chavakachcheri.

“White-van” became a verb during the former regime of strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa. Dozens of political opponents and dissidents who were abducted and driven away in ubiquitous “white vans” were thought to have been killed by groups closely linked to the military. Those “white-vanned” seldom turned up alive.

The Ranil-Sirisena government has constantly been denying reports of white operations and abductions in the country. There is no immediate reaction from the government regarding this incident.

Sinhala fishermen assault Tamil government officials The site of the attack in Kokkuthoduvai village, Mullatitivu  13 April 2016 A group of Sinhala fishermen assaulted Tamil government officials in Mullaitivu on Sunday. The Grama Sevaka were visiting Kokkuthoduvai village when the Sinhala fishermen, who have reportedly been settled in the area under a controversial settlement scheme, attacked the officials. The Tamil officials were then handed over to the Sri Lankan military, which proceeded to confiscate their identity cards and keep them under detention. The Sri Lankan army has long been accused of unfairly aiding Sinhala fishermen, allowing them to fish in restricted areas. See more in our recent post: Sri Lanka relaunches controversial Sinhala settlement scheme in North-East (11 Apr 2016)

New government, old story: The ongoing persecution of Christians in Sri Lanka

Release International

One Sri Lankan church after a violent attack

 Harry Farley -12 April 2016

Sri Lanka has a turbulent history. From multiple invasions and colonial rule to growing nationalism and ethnic conflict, the small island nation has seen it all.

The country's '30 year war' saw violence between the majority Sinhalese ethnic group and the minority Tamil Tiger rebels. However, after the Tamil's final defeat in 2009, Christians are the new target.

Miriam* is a religious liberties lawyer in Sri Lanka who works to defend the Church against increasing levels of persecution. She spoke to Christian Today about her work and the struggles Christians face.

"We thought we were going to see a change for the better after a new government came in in 2015," she said. The previous administration was heavily influenced by Buddhist extremism and Christians were regularly subject to very violent attacks. The arrival of new president Maithripala Sirisena bought hope to embattled Christians.

However, in just over a year since Sirisena was elected, more than 120 incidents against Christians have been documented by Miriam's organisation. Indeed, the number of attacks on Christians has risen. In 2012, under the previous government, 52 incidents were recorded. In 2013 that figure had almost doubled to 103 incidents. Now at more than 120, the outlook is ominous for Sri Lanka's Christians.

"With the new government we have seen Buddhist extremists take a back seat and adopt a more strategic approach," Miriam said.

"The kind of persecution Christians now face is in the form of legal restrictions. On top of this there has been an increase in persecution carried out by local government officials.

"In many way this is more worrying because these are people with authority."

Churches and prayer groups have been forced to close, Christian burials have been prevented and a number of violent attacks have been carried out against members of the faith. 

Miriam explained that one of the major ways government officials have justified their actions was through a "circular" which required all new religious buildings to be registered. However this edict has no legal basis or support from parliamentary law, she said. It is used not only on new buildings but on places where Christians have met for many years. Introduced under the last government, the circular is used as an excuse to directly target Christians.

Although Sri Lanka has other minority religious groups, the seven per cent of the population who are Christian bear the brunt of the persecution. This is because Christianity is seen as a colonial religion for Westerners, said Miriam. The Sri Lankan government has effectively created a national identity around Buddhist philosophy. To be Sri Lankan is to be Buddhist. As a result, Buddhist monks are given positions of power in government and often actually lead attacks on Christians, seen as the last vestiges of colonialism.

The Whited Thomian Sepulchres & The Pharisees Who Cheat

By Panini Edirisinhe –April 13, 2016 

Panini Edirisinhe

Here you will find what I said four weeks ago.

I write this because private mission schools have contributed immensely to whatever educational heritage we have in this country. The teachers of this country have borne an immense load in preparing our young to face lives on salaries that are quite inadequate. Partly for this reason there has been an institutional decline in the teaching profession, in the schools as well as in the universities. Similar problems have confronted especially the churches, which once had persons of high intellectual calibre in the priesthood as well as in the schools. I think that their fight to maintain high standards would ultimately benefit the country as a whole. Despite these pressures S. Thomas’ had held its place among the handful of leading schools in this country. This it owes largely to the fight put up by the Board of Governors of the S. Thomas’ group to maintain standards. Trinity College faces severe problems today because, having by far been the leading school in the hill country, the Board has been greatly devalued and its powers had been usurped by the officialdom of a bishop who has been censured. This is why I consider it important to fight for the integrity of appointments to the S. Thomas’ Board.

On the 15th of March 2016 at 2.00 p.m., there were elections to the Board of Governors of S. Thomas’ Colleges. The Romans called this day “the Ides of March”, and Julius Caesar was murdered on that day. Let us refer to them as “The Ides of March Elections.” The elections, chaired by Mr Rajan Asirwatham, Secretary, Board of Governors, were held at S. Thomas’ Preparatory School, Kollupitiya. At 3.00 p.m., two members were declared elected. They were Mr Prabhath Jayasundera as the OBA Representative, and Mr Mithra Edirisinhe as the Staff Representative. The elections were conducted according to these regulations, which you can find on the Internet, here.

Some legal issues have been raised with regard to the election of Mr Prabhath Jayasundera; let lawyers argue those. Shortcomings have been caused by the carelessness of the different OBAs, but everybody is agreed that Mr Jayasundera is going to be the Member who is finally elected. There was no other candidate.

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Arjuna who had incurred the wrath and resentment of Port employees in his panic talks poppycock (video)

-The complaints were so vociferous Ranil forced to close both ears

(Lanka-e-News- 13.April.2016, 9.45PM) Minister of Ports authority  Arjuna Ranatunge and its chairman Dhammika Ranatunge the corrupt culprits who have earned the bitter  displeasure and detestation of nearly ten  thousand of its employees en block , now panicking and fearing that their privileges will be lost have claimed that the report published by Lanka e news on the 9 th of April is false , and issued a media communique loaded with  lies on the 12 th (yesterday)  noon.

On the 11 th morning in the presence of Arjuna , representatives of all the trade unions of the Port , that is 17 trade unions held discussions with the prime minister (P.M.) . During the discussions all the representatives without  exception in one voice demanded that Arjuna and his brother Dhammika of the ‘Ranatunge regime’ shall be expelled from the Port forthwith.Their demand was so vociferous and voluminous that the P.M. was forced to shut his ears .Thereafter the P.M. told them a decision shall be taken after the New year.

The unalloyed truth and the whole truth was reported by Lanka e news. However Arjuna through his media  secretary issuing a communique yesterday (12) stated the report is untrue.(The full text of the communique is appended and can be read after magnification) .  “By this we draw attention to the fact that the Hon. P.M. did not make any statement to the representatives of the unions during  the discussions to the effect that the  Hon. Minister of ports and shipping Arjuna Ranatunge shall be expelled,” the communique sates .

In addition another most stupid announcement has been  included in that communique , which says , “ As the joint trade unions are together not registered under that name with  the SL Ports authority , the actions  taken by these trade unions together cannot be considered as a trade union action , rather those are disruptive actions”

Truly speaking the 17 trade unions that participated in the disussions on the 11 th are all registered trade unions.Therefore if the moron of a minister is saying  , when these trade unions are identifying themselves as joint trade unions , those unions must register themselves again , this minister must get his brain examined by a veterinary doctor   because only a talking buffalo would say so. No sane and sensible human would utter such  nonsense. 

In any case , we had discussions with the presidents of three main joint trade unions of the Port to figure out to what extent the Port employees resent , detest, despise and disdain the Ranatunge regime including the two brothers , Arjuna and Dhammika …….

The president of the Sri Lanka freedom workers union Prasanna Kalutarage : ''During my 33 years of trade union life I have never ever witnessed such a Ranatunge regime. If they have any sense of shame , they should resign of their own accord.'' 

The president of the Jathika sevaka sangamaya , (affiliated to the UNP) Ports authority ,Udeni Kalutanthri:  ''It is because of the country’s constitution that the word ‘minister’ has to be used with reference to him. He is not at all suitable to be  a minister''

Lal Bangamuwa president of independent trade union, the third most  powerful trade union of the Ports authority :  ''Though  he could hit the ball with a bat ,he doesn’t know how to run an international Institution.''

The sentiments expressed by the trade union leaders can be viewed via the video footage hereunder 

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by     (2016-04-13 16:46:43)

Opposition Leader urges to uphold national unity by joining hands

13 April 2016

Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan urge every citizens in the country to uphold national unity by joining hands to strengthen relationships and foster harmony between the different communities during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.

"The Sinhala and Tamil New Year is not merely a celebration. Rather, it is a national festival that has deep roots in our culture and traditions. The Sinhala and Tamil New Year is also a symbol of unity as it brings together people, irrespective of race, caste, or creed in national celebration," Opposition Leader said in his New Year message.

 "However, while I encourage all of you to partake in the celebrations with joy and happiness, I also urge you to remember those who are not so fortunate to celebrate owing to various circumstances. My hope is that this New Year would be a peaceful and prosperous one to all Sri Lankans".he said.

U.S. GREETS SRI LANKA ON ITS NEW YEAR, PRAISES ACCOMPLISHMENTS

13/04/2016

The United States Secretary of State, John Kerry on behalf of President Barack Obama and the people of the country offered Sinhala and Tamil New Year greetings and said that Sri Lanka’s accomplishments in the past year have been historic.

Praising the accomplishments made the island state; Kerry said, it all demonstrated Sri Lankan people’s deep commitment for reconciliation, tolerance and peace.

“On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I join you in celebrating the Sri Lankan New Year. The past year’s accomplishments have been historic, demonstrating the deep commitment of the Sri Lankan people for reconciliation, tolerance and peace,” he said, reports Colombo Page.

Kerry also wished for the island nations continued success as it moves ahead with a new constitution and further efforts in strengthening Sri Lanka’s democracy and prosperity.
BS

The story of a weeping island…Sri Lanka’s lamentable limp towards progress

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” 
~George Bernard Shaw

Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran yesterday said an investigation was being conducted into the materials linked to the Panama Papers and Sri Lankans said to possess offshore accounts. However he said the authenticity of the so called leaks was doubtful and therefore he couldn’t reveal the names of any individuals due to privacy laws. 

Pic by Lasantha Kumara

2016-04-13

The roads look narrower than they really are. It’s the optics. Not that they have shrunk in their measure; the traffic has increased to such a choking level, once broad-looking motorways can no longer accommodate the daily-increasing numbers of vehicles, two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers are all competing for the same narrow space. Honking kills you and the congestion chokes every breathing person in or on these moving wheels; humanity’s busy schedules keep getting busier and the roadways look more like parking lots. The effects of the free-market economy are taking their toll.
When one adds the expansion of the human population into the mix, the choking process assumes its own destructive dimensions. Nobel laureate Pearl S Buck said “when man demands no more the earth too shall die”. Of course, Buck expressed this in the context of the suffocating effects the Chinese policies had, both on the economy and society, at the time. Nevertheless, the latter part of the Twentieth Century and the last one and half decades of this Century in Sri Lanka have proven beyond doubt that an unregulated marketplace, if left alone to the vultures of the capitalist class of businessmen, would be disastrous to a country as well to a majority of its citizens.
What was ushered in 1977 by the J R Jayewardene Government was a brutal necessity. The ’70 to ’77 Government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike along with the left parties ran the Sri Lankan economy into the ground. Instead of expanding the size of the economic ‘cake’ so that more pieces could be cut, the leftist polices of the ’70 to ’77 Government virtually shrank the economy and started cutting smaller pieces. Populist economic policies carried the day during the 1970 election campaign (rice from the moon proclamation by Mrs. Bandaranaike etc.); once in power, the obsolete Marxist economic policies and doctrinaire approach to the country’s burning issues overtook any rational and realistic adoption of policies and principles. The great experimentation of the ‘Double Doctor’ aka N M Perera failed miserably. 

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WikiLeaks: Dudley Passed Away, JR’s Cold Analytical Brain Is Not Paired With Great Crowd Appeal: US

April 13, 2016

“Former prime minister Dudley Senanayake died at 11:30 PM April 13 after suffering series of heart attacks over past week. Senanayake had been leading vigorous come-back campaign for United National Party, of which he was president. His loss is severe blow for UNP, which counted on his nationwide appeal in any future general election. Obvious successor to party leadership is JR Jayewardene, superb political tactician and sometime rival to Dudley, but man whose cold analytical brain is not paired with great crowd appeal. There are others, too, such as former Home minister R Premadasa ( MP for colombo central) who has in recent weeks presented challenge to “old- guard” UNP leadership with demands for more democratic party organization and new and more appealing platform to offer to voters.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.

Dudley Senanayake and JRJ

Dudley Senanayakepassed away on April 13, 43 years ago. The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked US diplomatic cables from the WikiLeaksdatabase. We publish below the cables in full;

US Heart specialist treats Senanayake

Date:1973 April 12, 11:30 (Thursday)

From:Sri Lanka Colombo
To:Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs | India New Delhi | Pakistan Karachi | Secretary of State

1. American cardiologist Dr Menard Gertler advised Emboff evening April 11 that condition of former Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake was improved but still matter of great concern, and that most critical period had been first 24 hours after senanayake had gone into shock in early morning april 10. At noon april 12 attending physician attygalle confirmed to Emboff that Senanayake’s condition had not changed since last examination by gertler evening april 11.

2. During visit to Sri Lanka, Gertler examined Senanayake six times and also gave brief heart checkup to Prime Minister Bandaranaike. According to gertler, pm bandaranaike has no major current medical problems. ( Gertler reportedly had examined PM during her visit to us in 1971 at request of Sri Lanka Ambassador to UN Shirley amerasinghe, a close friend and neighbor of Gertler.)

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UK Labour Party is committed to helping the Tamil people achieve their “justice, their self-expression and their self-determination” -says Jeremy Corbyn MP of UK

(Lanka-e-News- 13.April.2016, 11.30PM) The UK Labour Party has reaffirmed its strongest possible support for the Tamil people, both in the UK and in Sri Lanka, at a packed Tamils for Labour event in the Houses of Parliament in UK

Almost 200 members of the Tamil community attended a meeting hosted by the Vice Chair of the Tamil All Party Parliamentary Group (APPGt), Joan Ryan MP, on Monday 11th April, which was addressed by leading figures within the Labour Party, including the Leader – Jeremy Corbyn MP, Shadow Chancellor – John McDonnell MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary – Hilary Benn MP and the Senior Vice Chair of the APPGt – Siobhain McDonagh.

In a wide ranging speech discussing human rights abuses, war crimes accountability, and the need for a political solution for the Tamil community, Jeremy Corbyn said that the “Labour Party is committed to the needs of and justice for the Tamil people”, including their demands for “self-determination”. Mr Corbyn also said that the UK Government should take human rights considerations into account when trading with other countries, including Sri Lanka.

The Shadow Foreign Secretary raised particular concern regarding the reports of torture and disappearances committed against the Tamil people and also said that the “Tamil voice needs to be heard and to be recognised in a new political settlement.”

All Labour MPs who spoke paid special tribute to the work of the Tamil community in the UK and the tremendous contribution they have made to the country’s way of life.

Sen Kandiah, Chair of Tamils for Labour, said:

“I was delighted by the turnout on Monday. The event highlighted the tremendous support there is within the Labour Party for the Tamil cause and for our legitimate demands for truth, justice, accountability and self-determination in Sri Lanka.

The Labour Party has always stood up for the Tamil people and we need them now, as much as ever, given the serious concerns we have regarding the regarding the on-going cases of human rights abuses on the island and the lack of respect for the Tamil people’s fundamental rights and freedoms.

We are now only weeks away from London Mayoral, Local and Scottish and Welsh Assembly elections, on May 5th, so I urge all members of the Tamil community to vote Labour so that our voice can continue to be heard.”

* Tamils for Labour was founded in 2006 and is the largest party political Tamil group in the UK.

(This is a press release of the Tamils for Labour in UK) 

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by     (2016-04-14 01:36:13)

Avurudu: When we eat the same thing at the same time

This is one day when we can bridge many divides in our society and almost all of us eat the same thing at the same time

Wednesday, 13 April 2016

Today at 7:48 p.m., the sun crosses an imaginary line that separates the constellation Pisces from Aries, marking the dawn of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. The time for lighting the hearth and cooking the first meal in the New Year is set at 8:06 p.m. and the first meal at 8:54. The prescribed meal is kiribath (with lunumiris of course) and mungkavun, a sweet made of mung bean.

You don’t have to believe in astrology to participate in these festivities. There is some interesting astronomy which can be a good excuse to make the day and the times feel special. The starch heavy diet makes you feel sleepy and appreciate that you do not eat in this style the rest of the time. More importantly this is one day when we can bridge many divides in our society and almost all of us eatthe same thing at the same time.

Astrology and astronomy

Viewed from the earth, the sun’s disc takes 12 hours and 48 minutes to cross an imaginary line in the sky. Astrological New Year marks the crossing of the imaginary line. It separates the astrological positions of the constellations Pisces and Aries (the actual positions have changed over time).  For 2016, the sun begins this transition on 13 April at 1:24 p.m. and completes the transition at 2:12 a.m. on 14 April. This transition period is called the PunyaKalaya.

The first half of the transition period is the do-nothing or the Nonagatha period. When we were children, the hearth was cleaned of all the ashes and the last bucket of water was drawn from the well to prepare for the Nonagatha. No work, not even reading and writing, was allowed except for a trip to the temple.We waited in anticipation for the end of the Nonagatha and the beginning of the second half when up in the sky, the sun’s discwould becentred on the imaginary line. As soon as that time arrives, as told to us by astrologers, fire crackers start to signify the dawn of the New Year. For 2016, the dawn of the New Year is at 7:48, exactly six hours and 24 minutes after the beginning of the transition.

The second half is the active period. Astrologers pick the timesto draw the water from the well, light the fire, cook the food and eat the food,using some obscure calculations. It would be better if we arithmetically divide the time for each task, but then astrologers would be jobless. For 2016, the prescribed time to start cooking is 8:05. The time to eat is set at 8:54.They also suggest you eat kiribath and mungkavunfor the occasion. You don’t have to buy intothephony calculations to enjoy one time of the year when we all overindulge on the same food at the same time.

What we ate then and now

Traditional meals are in some ways frozen in time. The Avurudu meal is exceptionally heavy on starch. Additional bit of protein comes fromthe Maldive fish in the lunumiris. Did Sri Lankanseat a lot more starch than accompaniments in the old days?

According to the 1980 Household Income Expenditure Survey of Sri Lanka, the amount of rice a household consumed went down from 46.7 kilos per month to 34.8 kilos per household. Rice is still the centre piece in our rice and curry diet, because the household size went down from 4.9 to 3.9. However, people are now eating more meat, fish and milk products. Households increased their consumption of meat from 0.8 kilos per month to 1.6 kilos, but increased the consumption of fish only marginally from 3.5 kilos per month per family to 3.7. Consumption of dried fish went down from 1.4 to 1.2, I am sad to notice.

The data is not broken down by income group, but the well-to-do would be eating much less rice and more accompaniments.

Eat together and stay together?

They are many adages about eating together. The family that eats together stays together is my favourite. Another one we might add is that a country that eats together stays together. Here I don’t mean the familiar ethnic divide. I am thinking more of the Westernised/non-Westernised divide.

There was a time when the Sinhala elite thought it beneath them to eat rice ad curry. Once I was shocked to hear that in the 1930s before independence, an elite Sinhala family from the south would have rice and curry only on Sundays. The rest of the days they ate courses, whatever that meant. There seems to be more genuine interest in rediscovering traditional food now, perhaps due to the need to distinguish ourselves from an increasingly-connected world.

THE INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM COLLABORATION THAT PRODUCED THE PANAMA PAPERS

(Marina Walker Guevara, deputy director of ICIJ, talks with Le Monde reporters at the organization’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., on January 22, 2015. Photo credit: © Melissa Golden/Redux )

by Maria Teresa Ronderos & Algirdas Lipstas.-13/04/2016

As the traditional media business model crumbles, leading to massive layoffs in newsrooms—with investigative journalism teams often among the first casualties—collaboration is becoming indispensable. Networks with few actual employees but the ability to pool expertise and spread the expenses of costly investigative endeavors across a wide range of partners are making vast and complex investigations possible.

This week revealed a remarkable example of one such effort. About 100 media outlets around the world—including Suddeütsche Zeitung, the Guardian, BBC, Le Monde, German broadcasters NDR and WDR, the Miami Herald, Univision, and many others—began publishing reports exposing a sprawling worldwide system of offshore companies that enable financial secrecy.

Collectively known as the Panama Papers, the reports were based on a leak of over 11.5 million records—perhaps the largest data leak in history. Spanning 40 years, from 1977 through 2015, the leak provides an unprecedented window into the money that flows through the dark corners of the global financial system.

Among those exposed by the leak are wealthy and powerful figures from around the world. The reports shed light on the offshore holdings of 12 current and former world leaders; the hidden financial dealings of 128 other public officials; boldface names in finance, sports, and entertainment; and 33 people and companies blacklisted by the U.S. government. The reports also show that hundreds of banks—and their subsidiaries and branches—registered nearly 15,600 companies with Mossack Fonseca, the Panama-based law firm from which the leaked records came.

When used in law-abiding fashion, most of the services provided by the offshore industry are completely legal—simply being mentioned in the leak in no way implicates a person as guilty of a crime. But the documents show how banks, law firms, and other players often fail to adhere to the legal requirements meant to prevent the activities of clients from drifting beyond what is legal. The reports also show how loopholes in the current regulations are being exploited, and call into question the workings of the offshore tax-haven system itself.

These reports were made possible by a yearlong collaboration of more than 370 journalists from 76 countries under the auspices of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The resulting impact underlines the importance of investigative journalism and its role in keeping societies open by revealing wrongdoing at all levels, and exposing structural deficiencies that must be addressed.

This Panama Papers project exemplifies the importance of collaboration between investigative journalists across borders. Its complexity goes beyond the need to analyze and verify huge volumes of documents. Due to the sheer number of countries involved, the story demands the unifying strength of a worldwide network. This is why Suddeütsche Zeitung, which originally received the records from an anonymous source, contacted ICIJ, with which it had collaborated on previous stories.

Work on a project like the Panama Papers validates the concept of international networks like ICIJ, which marshal manpower and expertise, pool and share resources, and distribute costs. It also demonstrates the importance and power of harnessing technological tools, like secure collaboration platforms that allow far-flung reporters to share leads and ideas, and software for searching and analyzing vast amounts of data quickly.

The Panama Papers are proving wrong those who prematurely forecasted that the digital revolution would bring about the weakening of independent journalism, and with it the ability of reporters to hold powerful actors to account. On the contrary, the digital era is presenting new and exciting opportunities for journalism to play its role of watchdog—only now, with the capacity to have an impact across the globe.

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists receives general support funding from the Open Society Foundations.