Maithri unmasks Mahinda!

President Maithripala Sirisena addresses the meeting with heads of print and electronic media yesterday - Pic by President's Media Unit

By Nisthar Cassim-Thursday, 28 April 2016

President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday fired on all cylinders at MP and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, exposing the latter’s past ill-doings and sinister intentions and warned any comeback bid for an oppressive and corrupt rule would be a pipe-dream and strongly thwarted.

The stage for Sirisena’s scathing attack on his former boss-turned-nemesis whom he defeated at the 8 January 2015 presidential poll was the breakfast meeting with editors and came ahead of a much-speculated showdown of the strengths of opposing camps within the Sri Lanka Freedom Party during May Day rallies.

Taking the bull by its horns, President Sirisena inquired from media heads whether anyone had asked Rajapaksa why he decided to call for a presidential poll two years ahead or whether the former President had explained his reasons.

“If he hadn’t, he would still be President,” quipped Sirisena, and listed avoiding humiliation from the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva in March 2015 and effects of a global economic crisis on Sri Lanka as two reasons for Rajapaksa’s early call for polls.

“Their past regime was corrupt and oppressive and I knew what the Rajapaksa clan was planning if they won the election. Out of sheer fear and contempt and in the interest of the country, I decided to resign and join hands with the Common Opposition for a change despite having opposed the UNP for 48 years,” recalled Sirisena.

He described speculated efforts by Rajapaksa and his supporters to form a Government in Parliament as a pipe-dream. 

“There is no room for a Parliamentary coup and even if Rajapaksa conspires and secures 50 MPs out of 95, he cannot get the 113 majority without support from UNP Leader and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe or me, "Neither the TNA nor the JVP will support the return of Rajapaksa,” Sirisena opined.

“Rajapaksa and his camp are engaged in an exercise to create a false sense of political instability and thereby drive fear among officials, law enforcement authorities and the Judiciary. The most striking remark during Rajapaksa’s speech at the Hyde Park rally was telling the Judiciary to notice the crowd. This was to instill fear among authorities currently engaged in probing bribery and corruption of Rajapaksas. The people were coerced or lured via money to attend the rally. But our intelligence revealed only around 11,000 were present,” said Sirisena.

The President, who some political analysts claim has been losing his grip within the party, also claimed there was no crisis within the SLFP but that a small camp of corrupted people were devious and power-hungry despite their defeat.

“The founder of SLFP, the late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, wasn’t corrupt, he didn’t amass wealth but mortgaged his Rosmead Place residence to raise money for elections. He didn’t promote family nepotism or rule. During the Rajapaksa regime, the brothers took decisions before coming to the Cabinet. They reigned with corruption and oppression. Is this what the SLFPers want to return to the Party and the country?” queried President Sirisena.

He said despite being the defeated presidential candidate, Rajapaksa was provided with military security, something unheard of internationally. 

«However Rajapaksa is using State resources to go around temples and rallies to topple the very same State. How dangerous and ridiculous is this?» pointed out President Sirisena, who expressed regret over some media outlets› extra prominence to an ousted and corrupt leader like Rajapaksa.

Sirisena said that among his priorities during his term was to prevent the return of such an un-democratic and corrupt leader to power or election of such a Government in the future. «This is why we passed the crucial 19th Amendment exactly a year ago, facilitating the establishment of Constitutional Council and independent commissions to ensure democracy, good governance, meritocracy,  transparency and accountability,» the President emphasised.

President also said lack of clear majority at the 17 August general election was a strong mandate from the people  for the two major political parties to work together in the national interest and ensure good governance, unity and sustainable and equitable development.  

«In fact that our election manifestos promised a national government and the people voted expecting the major parties to work together no matter how challenging that may be,» Sirisena said.

- See more at: http://www.ft.lk/article/538745/Maithri-unmasks-Mahinda-#sthash.4CgklbnC.dpuf

Economy: Nosediving or sailing towards safer waters? 

By Dr. Janaka Ratnasiri-April 24, 2016, 9:19 pm

Two news items on the economy of the country which appeared in The Island recently prompted me to write this. One was a press release issued by the leader of an IMF team, Todd Schneider, who visited Colombo during March 31- April 11 to hold discussions with the government on its request for a loan. The other was a news item on a statement made by the Governor of the Central Bank at a press briefing.

IMF Mission recommendations

The IMF team has observed: "Macroeconomic performance in 2015 reflected a mix of positive underlying growth momentum, the impact of domestic policies, and an increasingly difficult external environment. The fiscal deficit expanded, public debt increased, and the balance of payments position deteriorated despite an improvement in the terms of trade".

The team has made several recommendations, among which was "other near-term steps include a clear strategy to define and address outstanding obligations of state enterprises, start broadening the tax base by reducing tax exemptions, and introduction of a new Inland Revenue Act." The key recommendation is the reduction of tax exemptions.

Central Bank and bonds

The Central Bank Governor’s view on the economy has been that "government finances are out of sync. There is a chronic tax-shortfall and as a consequence of the vast wage increase given to public servants, our recurrent expenditure has ballooned. Thus, the need for borrowing has increased. On top of that, the external environment is less benign for emerging markets. These factors have combined to create a volatile situation. Our borrowing rates are quite high."

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My Experience With Dr. D. B Nihalsingha

By Arjuna Ranawana –April 27, 2016

Arjuna Ranawana

Tributes for Dr. D. B Nihalsinha will come from far and wide; for he was a true giant in the movie industry, and an influential media person in Sri Lanka and other parts of Asia.

My tribute to him is part professional and part personal.

My first encounter with him was in the mid 1980’s when I was following the Diploma Course in Journalism offered by the University of Colombo. The course was taught by eminent personalities such as Dr. Nihalsingha and Prof J.B Dissanayake.

Until then, as a film buff, I had known him through his work; Welikatara was a particular favorite. His lectures for this course were not about film, but on journalism revealed the experience and in-depth knowledge he had on that subject.

Dr. D. B Nihalsinhe

In 1998 I was posted as a foreign correspondent to Kuala Lumpur. Just weeks after I moved there, my head office located in Hong Kong, informed me that they would be sending me a laptop and wanted to know if there was someone who could carry it to KL for me. I asked around and my friend and former Rupavahini colleague Rukmin Wijemanne told me that Nihalsingha and his wife Kalyani were in Hong Kong at the time and they would be able to bring the laptop with them.

I was hesitant to ask him for such a favour, since I hardly knew him. But he obliged.

A couple of days later the man himself turned up at my hotel with the laptop, handed it over and said, “let’s meet later” and disappeared.

After that brief meeting, I was fortunate to be included in a small inner-circle of Nihalsingha’s media friends from Sri Lanka who were working in the Malaysian capital. Every month we would be summoned to meet him at a restaurant of his choice and treated to food and drink. We listened to him as acolytes would – absorbing the pearls of wisdom he imparted. Nihalsingha would drink his one small beer while we ate and drank our fill. A man who observed a strict curfew, he would then drive us home.

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Ex-IGP concealed Thajudeen murder evidence! 

Apr 27, 2016

Information is coming to light to indicate that N.K. Illangakoon, who retied as the IGP on April 11, too, had concealed evidence in the murder of rugger player Wasim Thajudeen, say police sources.

Illangakoon got the then CCD director Ranaweera to submit a detailed report into the killing on 17 May 2012. That report cleared stated that Thajudeen’s death was not due to a road accident, but that he had been murdered.

After the magistrate declared it to be a murder, top police officials had inquired from Ranaweera, presently the SSP of Ampara, and he replied that his investigation concluded it to be a murder. He has stressed that he had clearly stated that in the CCD report prepared in 2013.

That report received by the IGP in 2013 had been kept a secret until now. A well-known Mahinda loyalist, the ex-IGP had intentionally pushed the report under the carpet, thinking that it’s becoming public would bring much inconvenience to the Rajapaksa regime.

The crimes OIC of Narahenpita police at the time Sumith Champika Perera is already in remand custody over a charge of concealing evidence in the Thajudeen murder, and the then OIC of Narahenpita police is to be summoned to the CID to obtain a statement.

If justice is ensured against those who have concealed evidence in this killing, the law should be enforced against ex-IGP Illangakoon too, said top police officials who revealed the details to us.

Non-workers on parade on workers day

Since the famous Haymarket riots in Chicago in 1884 that led to international recognition for a day dedicated to rights of workers, May Day has become an officially sanctioned day for protests

Thursday, 28 April 2016

The 1 May celebration in Sri Lanka is perhaps unique in the world as an event where the major political parties in power (or in Opposition) take to the streets crowding out unions or other groups. These political parades get bigger each year.

Earlier there was some effort to have participants march as workers representing different sectors, but now all pretences to a Labour Day parade are gone. The parades are now organised according to 160 or so electoral organising units with each unit distinguished by hats or t-shirts with the local politico’s name, or even the face occasionally. 

Why would anybody walk in the hot sun with somebody’s name or face on a t-shirt when that somebody is not Che, Bob Marley or other folk hero? I am guessing that these participants are political serfs who have not done an honest day of work, but hang around politicians. According to the latest labour force survey of 2015, the 8.5 million strong labour force in country consisted private sector employee (40%), Self-employed (32%), Public sector employees (14%), Contributing family workers (9%) and employers (3%).

Of these categories, it is not too hard to guess that the kind of worker who would participate in these political parades would be somebody who secured a government job thanks to the person whose face or name they are displaying, or somebody aspiring for a government job through the same route. We should do more than guessing and do some analysis of these participants. For the moment, my object is to draw attention to the issue.

Politicians will take any opportunity to advance their political agenda, but shame on the media who report these parades in excruciating detail without exposing the farce.

May days across the world

Since the famous Haymarket riots in Chicago in 1884 that led to international recognition for a day dedicated to rights of workers, May Day has become an officially sanctioned day for protests. It has become a time for those don’t get representation in Parliament or exposure in media to get into limelight. In 2015, the Guardian of UK captured some of those moments from across the world as follows: 

“Batam, Indonesia: Workers demand an increase in welfare, health and employment contracts ; Dhaka, Bangladesh: Garment workers and other labour organisations shout slogans ; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, People march towards the Petronas Towers during a May Day protest against a tax on goods and services ; Manila, Philippines: Demonstrators demand better labour programs and higher salaries for low-income workers; Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Cambodian Labour Confederation workers outside the National Assembly calling for the government to renegotiate the $177 monthly minimum wage ; Rangoon, Burma: 
Workers gather with banners for a rally to protest against wages they claim are as low as $5 a day.”

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Sandeep hit-and-run accident PHONE DETAILs imply Champika’s involvement

By Ishara Ratnakara-2016-04-28

The Welikada Police yesterday informed Colombo Additional Magistrate (Traffic) Chandana Kalansuriya that investigations into the cell phone used in connection with the accident in which two youths suffered injuries at Rajagiriya in late February this year, have proved that the cell phone found in the offending vehicle belongs to Minister Patali Ranawaka.

The cell phone bearing number 0716826067 which belongs to Minister Ranawaka had been clearly recorded by signal towers abutting the route by which the jeep was allegedly driven by the minister concerned.
When the case pertaining to the causing of injuries to two youths Sandeep Sampath and Manula Minsuka Abeysundera on 29 February was taken for hearing yesterday, the Police submitted a progress report to Court concerning inquiries into the incident.
ASP Priyadarshana Herath of the Welikada Police Division told Court "Two investigations related to this particular incident were held directly under my supervision. The Welikada OIC was tasked with conducting inquiries into the accident while the inquiries related to the driver of the Minister's jeep was conducted by the Padukka OIC. The case inquiry reports have already been submitted to Court."

Welikada Police OIC Sudath Asmadale told Court, "As per the Court order on 30 March, further investigations were conducted. Already three attempts were made to get a statement recorded from Sandeep who is currently under treatment at the Ragama Hospital. However, due to the critical medical condition of the patient it has still not been possible to get any statement from him. A statement was however recorded from the Director of the Ragama Hospital on 8 April concerning the patient's medical condition. The Hospital Director in his statement has said that though there is no threat to the patient's life, the patient is still not in a stable enough condition to make such a statement. He has stated that the patient is able to speak but is still weak and that tubes once inserted into his stomach through which he was fed have also been removed. But, as the patient is currently not in a frame of mind to speak at length or even discuss the incident , we intend to record a statement from him in due course. Also all cell phone records from Minister Patali Ranawaka who is alleged to have driven the vehicle which had caused the accident were obtained from the relevant cell phone companies. As per the Court order, records from six cell phone companies were sought. However, four cell phone companies insisted that they have not provided any cell phone facilities to the
minister concerned. The Mobitel Company had provided the minister five cell phones out of which one had been disconnected on 11 January 2011. The Dialog Company has provided the Minister concerned with four cell phones with one connection being disconnected on 11 July 2011. The signal tower records of cell phone used by the Minister were obtained by the Police without any hindrance to the minister's privacy and these records are only related to the time period related directly to the incident. One cell phone bearing number 0716826067 had been taken away by his driver Thusitha Kelum Kumara at the time of the accident. This particular cell phone has been used by the minister as his main mobile phone at public outings. Related to this incident, details were obtained concerning three other phones used by the minister from the Secretary General of Parliament.

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Danuna goes to HRC against Wijeyadasa

2016-04-27Danuna Thilakaratne, the son-in-law of Minister Sarath Fonseka, today lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission (HRC) against Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, claiming that the minister had refused to release the monies that were contained in his bank accounts that were frozen as a result of him being named as a suspect in a case brought against Hi-Corp, even after he was acquitted.

Mr. Thilakaratne said he had made a request from Minister Rajapakshe to release the funds that were contained in his personal bank accounts that were frozen as he had been acquitted from the case but the minister had not responded to his request so far.

“The case in question was filed against me by the previous regime on false charges and it went on for five years during the time the previous government was in power and went on for one year after that. I have been acquitted from the case now but my personal bank accounts are still frozen. I have requested the Justice Minister to release them on several occasions but he has not responded. As a result it is my position that my fundamental rights have been violated,” he said.

Danuna Tilakaratne was acquitted from the controversial Hi-Corp case last year. (Ajith Siriwardana) 

Minister Akila please heed us, we would show how to rebuild

Apr 27, 2016

A group of students who got suitability to enter the science faculty but subjected to injustice, started a protest opposite the education ministry in Isurupaya, urging to register them early.

Secretary of the Lanka teachers association Mahinda Jayasinghe, a group of members of the association and parents of students participated in the protest.

Israeli forces kill Palestinian woman and brother, armed with knives - police

A Palestinian woman argues with an Israeli border policeman near the scene where a Palestinian woman and a man, who the Israeli military said tried to stab security forces, were shot dead by Israeli police near Qalandia checkpoint near the West Bank city of Ramallah April...

A Palestinian boy stands in front of posters of Palestinian Maram Abu Ismail, 23, and her 16-year-old brother, Ibrahim Taha, who the Israeli police said were shot dead by the police after they tried to carry out an attack with knives at a checkpoint, at a mourning house near...REUTERS/MOHAMAD TOROKMAN

 BY JEFFREY HELLER-Thu Apr 28, 2016

Israeli police shot dead a Palestinian woman and her teenage brother on Wednesday, saying they were armed with knives and tried to carry out an attack at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank.

Police said the woman, holding a knife, and a man walked rapidly towards police and other Israeli security guards in a vehicles-only lane at the Qalandia checkpoint outside Jerusalem.

"Police called on them several times to stop. When they kept advancing...the officers neutralised the terrorists," a police statement said.

Palestinian authorities identified the two dead as Maram Abu Ismail, 23, and her 16-year-old brother, Ibrahim Taha, and said they had been en route to Jerusalem for a medical appointment.

The siblings entered the vehicles-only lane by accident and their killing was a "brutal daylight crime" by Israel, the Palestinian Information Ministry said in a statement.

Israel police, who have been on high alert during the current Jewish Passover holiday week, issued a photograph of three knives on the ground which they said the two had been carrying.

Alaa Soboh, a Palestinian bus driver who said he witnessed the incident, told Reuters the pair appeared to be unfamiliar with crossing procedures and were swiftly challenged at the checkpoint.

"As soon as the two crossed, (Israeli forces) started screaming 'Go back, go back', and then they began shooting. The first one they shot was the girl ... the boy tried to go backward, when they fired seven bullets at him," Soboh said.

In the last half year, Palestinian attacks have killed 28 Israelis and two visiting U.S. citizens. Israeli forces have killed at least 193 Palestinians, 130 of whom Israel says were assailants. Many others were shot dead in clashes and protests.

Factors behind the bloodshed that began in October include Palestinian bitterness over stalled statehood negotiations and the growth of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, stepped up Jewish access to a disputed Jerusalem shrine, and Islamist-led calls for Israel's destruction.

The pace of what had been near-daily Palestinian stabbing, shootings and car-ramming attacks has slowed, although a suicide bombing on a Jerusalem bus that wounded 15 people on April 18 has fuelled Israeli security concerns.

Israel attributes the fall-off in incidents partly to tighter cooperation with Palestinian security forces in the West Bank and more stringent monitoring of social media to identify potential assailants.

(Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ali Sawafta; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Israeli propaganda stunt exploits Gaza children

Image of Gaza children taken for a day out at a nature reserve by Israel’s COGAT occupation authority. COGAT posted the image on its Facebook page.

Ali Abunimah-27 April 2016

During the most brutal days of apartheid in South Africa, the racist regime produced reams of propaganda, including glossy magazines that “featured images of wonderful wild animals, sunsets and happy Black people on the beach.”

As South African author Ron Nixon documents in two books, Operation Blackwash and Selling Apartheid, such propaganda was often generated under the guidance of the regime’s intelligence agencies, with the aim of counteracting growing international criticism and pressure.

“Operation Heartbreak”

One scheme, part of a campaign backed by the racist government in the late 1980s, was cynically dubbed “Operation Heartbreak.” It involved a Black US pastor bringing a group of American children to deliver dolls to members of Congress.

“Each doll represented a child who would be harmed by the sanctions Congress had imposed on South Africa,”Nixon writes. “Organizers of the event also said the dolls represented children harmed by the tactics of the African National Congress and its all-out war against the apartheid government.”

These propaganda messages failed to stop the growing momentum for boycott, divestment and sanctions on South Africa – pressure that eventually helped bring down the white supremacist regime and usher in a non-racial democracy.

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'No work, no money': Bleak prospects await 

Syrians returned to Turkey
A man leans on a damaged car in Kilis on 25 April, a day after rockets hit the border town (AFP)

Critics suggest Angela Merkel's visit to a camp for refugees near Gaziantep did not reflect the real problems facing Syrians in Turkey (AFP)

Lizzie Porter-27 April 2016

BAB AL-SALAMA BORDER CROSSING, Turkey - At the Syrian border, Khaled wore an immaculate red and blue checked shirt, the collar pressed to crisp perfection as he stood proudly next to his family.

“Life in the camp is easier, better and safer than if we were in town,” said the former construction labourer from Idlib province, referring to nearby Kilis which has recently been targeted by rockets fired from Islamic State (IS) group-held territory a few kilometres away.

From Khaled's home in the Oncupinar refugee camp, the thump of bombs and the clap of fire can be heard from across the Bab al-Salama border crossing.

On the horizon, smoke can be seen resulting from what Kilis locals say are Turkish retaliation attacks on IS rocket launchers in Syria.

At least 18 people, including four children, have died in the attacks, which have also stoked resentment among locals towards the Syrian refugees who now outnumber them.

“I used to try to work a few days a week but it dried up. The overall situation is good for us but Kilis is not safe,” said Khaled.

Khaled can expect new neighbours in coming weeks: Syrians returned from Europe under a controversial European Union deal struck with Ankara.

Full Story>>>

Fastest population shift in history : opportunity or threat to the Asia - Pacific

Long-term planning now can bring unprecedented growth and tackle poverty, conflict and migration

26 April, 2016 - Demographic change in Asia and the Pacific is happening at a rate the world has never seen. An explosion in the working age population and a fall in birth rates that took a century in Europe are happening here in just 30 years.

If countries do not start planning for this demographic change, they will miss out on a unique opportunity to boost growth and investments for the future, says the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in its latest Regional Human Development Report. They also risk a surge in youth frustration, exacerbating instability and conflict.

The report, entitled “Shaping the Future: How Changing Demographics Can Power Human Development”, notes that Asia-Pacific countries now have more working-aged people and fewer dependents than at any point in history, providing a springboard for growth. Region-wide, 68 percent of people are of working age and only 32 percent are dependents.

“When countries have a greater share of people who can work, save and pay taxes, they have the potential to transform their economies and power investments in healthcare, education and other building blocks of future prosperity,” said Thangavel Palanivel, lead author of the report.

The report calls for immediate responses and outlines “9 Actions for Sustainable Development”. These are concrete policies tailored to the demographic profile of individual countries.

For states with a large working-aged population, UNDP is calling for the creation of decent jobs to match the growing workforce, equal employment for women, and ways to turn savings into investments inside the region.“Growth, employment and migration in the west are inextricably linked to what happens in the east,” said Haoliang Xu. “The sun rises here, but its effects are soon felt on the other side of the world.”

There is no one solution for every country, but the region’s diversity provides room for south-south cooperation. Governments need to share experiences on long-term fiscal planning, including the sustainable use of tax revenue. Cooperation can also encourage safe migration from younger to older countries within the region and reduce the desperate flight of migrants to Europe.

“With 50 years of expertise and offices in 24 countries in Asia-Pacific, UNDP is ideally placed to help implement the ‘9 Actions for Sustainable Development’,” said Haoliang Xu. “We can facilitate partnerships combining domestic, international, public and private funding and expertise on youth, ageing, migration, social protection, climate change and disaster risk management, governance, urbanization and technology transfer.

In older countries, governments have to design fair, sustainable pension systems, support active ageing and promote appreciation for the value of older citizens. This includes making sure that older people who want to work can bring their skills and experience to the market.

“The window of opportunity to increase productivity, invest in growth and save for the future is between now and 2050,” said Haoliang Xu, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Director for Asia and the Pacific. “If countries in Asia-Pacific do not create optimal employment conditions, the regional economy will begin to slow down by 2050 as the current working-aged population begins to retire.”

With 58 percent of all the working people on earth, what happens in Asia-Pacific will affect countries far beyond the region.

For countries with young populations, there is a need to invest in education and healthcare, smooth the transition from school to work and encourage youth participation in public life.

We believe that people are the wealth of nations and Asia-Pacific is home to more than half of all people – more than half of the world’s wealth. To make the most of this potential we need to think in decades, not years, and create policies suited to the demographic makeup of each country. On 26th of April we will release a new report on how demography can power human development. This report will detail 9 Actions for Sustainable Development, a set of policy recommendations for countries to make the best use of their greatest resources – their people. We look forward to supporting you in creating better future for all!

RHDR2016-full-report-final-version1.pdf by Thavam Ratna

Bye Bye Smog: Chiang Mai residents hold rally asking for govt action over annual smog

A photo of Sunday's 'Bye Bye Smog' demonstration. Pic: Mark Inkey

by Mark Inkey-27th April 2016

ON Sunday, some 250 to 300 people gathered in front of Chiang Mai’s Three King’s Monument to protest against the smog enveloping the city caused by burning in the surrounding countryside.

The good-natured rally started at about 5pm and went on for half an hour. Despite the Thai government’s ban on public meetings of more than three people, there was no police or military presence because the organizers had been previously given permission to hold the rally for half an hour.

Art Pawat from the ‘Bye Bye Smog’ group that helped organize the rally said: “We only decided to do this one week ago because we are facing big pollution in Chiang Mai after Songkran.” (The Thai New Year festivities that run from April 13 to 15.)

Every year from about February until the seasonal rains start, Chiang Mai is covered in a smog mainly made up from smoke particles that have rolled down off the surrounding hills as a result of farmers burning organic agricultural waste and forest fires. This usually occurs around May.

Demonstrators wearing face masks at the rally against Chiang Mai’s smog. Pic: Mark Inkey

Art said that the smog problem had noticeably worsened over the last 10 years and that the smog was even worse this year after Songkran finished on April 15 because on that day, the government’s 60-day restriction on open burning expired.

He said of the rally’s goal: “Our aim is to raise awareness about the problem of us suffering from smoke. Whoever is in charge should rethink how they deal with the problem.”

He also said that this year, for the first time, the Air Quality Index (AQI) for particulate matter of less than 10 microns (PM10) had on some days been recorded as exceeding 200 micrograms per cubic meter.

SEE ALSO: Thailand: Air quality levels in Chiang Mai reaches unhealthy levels

This exceeds the international safe PM10 level of 50 units used by both the European Union and the U.S. It even exceeds the Thai government’s dangerously high PM10 safety threshold of 120.

The U.S. government officially says that PM10 levels of 120 are unsafe for sensitive groups and that “children, active individuals, elderly adults and those with heart or lung conditions should limit activity or exertion.”

It classifies PM10 levels of 201 to 300 as very unhealthy and recommends that at those levels, “all individuals should avoid activity or exertion.”

Watcharapol Daengsubha from Greenpeace Southeast Asia, who also attended the rally, said that most of the pollution was caused by farmers burning agricultural waste.

He told Asian Correspondent: “60 percent of fires come from agriculture and most of that is from corn [maize] production. [The fires come] from clearing after growing corn and from expanding forest land to grow more corn. They [the farmers] burn because it is too hard to clear the land by machine because it is too steep.”

The corn is used as livestock feed, for which demand has been steadily growing.

Watcharapol explained: “In Thailand, meat consumption, particularly poultry, has increased rapidly and they now export poultry, especially to China and Japan.”

This has meant that cultivation of corn has increased greatly in northern Thailand over the last few years, which has led to more corn waste and subsequently more burning and unbearable smog.

As Thailand has developed, the demand for meat has increased, as is the case for most developing countries. But if farmers continue to burn agricultural waste, while people’s quality of life improves in the rest of Thailand, it will deteriorate in Chiang Mai and the north due to the smog, which will cause health problems not only in the present, but in the future as well.

North American professors' plea to President Rouhani: the full letter

Omid Kokabee, left, is an Iranian physicist jailed for more than five years on political grounds, and Hossein Ronaghi, right, an imprisoned blogger who is on a hunger strike in the country. Composite: supplied

Tehran Bureau-Wednesday 27 April 2016

Cancer and other chronic diseases are reportedly sweeping Iran’s prisons and inmates are routinely denied access to proper medical care. A group of prominent professors urge the President to intervene quickly

Your Excellency, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr Hassan Rouhani:

We the undersigned, a group of university professors in North America, write you concerning the dire circumstances of a number of political prisoners in Iran. It is our hope that you would consider intervening on their behalf and arranging for their immediate hospitalization under the care of competent and expert physicians.

Much distressing news is emerging concerning the battle some of these political prisoners are waging against cancer. It is common knowledge that in such cases the patient must be diagnosed in a timely manner and put under the care of competent physicians.

According to reliable sources, political prisoners are routinely denied access to immediate medical care. Prison authorities seem to habitually delay or limit access of inmates to the prison hospital. Medical care providers who have attended to these seriously ill prisoners have lacked proper medical qualifications. 

They may even have violated their medical oaths. We call upon you to order an immediate investigation of the medical files of the political prisoners named in this letter to ascertain the veracity of our charges.

Many of these political prisoners who are battling cancer are not allowed to visit outside hospitals specializing in oncology. The conditions of prisons add to the stress that cannot help but worsen their ailments. Prisoners who are serving their sentences often come under pressure to collaborate with the security forces as spies or to appear on national television and confess to crimes they have not committed.

Meanwhile, the entire prison is flooded in harmful and potentially carcinogenic telecommunication waves aimed at jamming mobile phones. Prisoners often complain of headaches that may be related to this reckless policy. Drinking water in Evin prison is not safe for consumption. Prisoners’ daily diet is poor and ill-suited to their conditions.

Prisoners are often subjected to psychological pressures which border on “white torture”. The families of these political prisoners are also under constant pressure. Contrary to the rules and regulations of Iranian prisons, political inmates are denied brief furloughs allowed to non-political prisoners.

The number of political prisoners that during the last few months have protested their conditions by engaging in hunger strike has increased. Some have gone so far as sewing their lips in protest. Unfortunately the judicial authorities in the Islamic Republic have no respect for the rudimentary principles of human rights, the Constitution of the Islamic Republic, or even their own rules and regulations governing prisons. The relationship between the totality of these conditions and the epidemic of cancer and other chronic diseases sweeping Iran’s prisons must be carefully studied.

The affliction of the young physicist Omid Kowkabi with cancer of the kidney and the reckless procrastinating policy of prison authorities in failing to provide him with proper care (leading to the removal of his kidney in a recent operation) is a glaring example of the condition we have outlined above.

We also bring to your attention another political prisoner, Hossein Ronaghi, who is suffering from severe kidney failure and who has started a hunger strike to protest his unbearable conditions.

The third example is Isa Saharkhiz who after a prolonged hunger strike is now diagnosed with the cancer of the adrenal glands – a condition that should have been diagnosed and treated much earlier.

The fourth case is Dr Alireza Raja’i, who after enduring five years of imprisonment is now battling the cancer of the jaw and face. Physicians are dismayed that he was not reported for treatment in a timely fashion.

The fifth case is Dr Hossein Rafiee, retired professor of Chemistry at Tehran University, suffering from multiple ailments.

These are just a few, long suffering political prisoners who are still alive. Mohsen Dokmehchi lost his life to cancer while incarcerated. Ahmad Qabel was diagnosed with brain cancer while in prison. He died soon after he was sent to the hospital in the final stages of his affliction.

Contrary to the official promise by the state that old and sick prisoners would be freed to receive treatment, no such accommodations have been made for political prisoners.

Mr President, although you are not in charge of the Judiciary, you remain the highest ranking elected official in Iran. As such, you are duty-bound to protect the basic rights of Iranian people and those imprisoned on political charges.

We are witness to your admirable work on the global stage for a peaceful resolution of the Iranian nuclear issues based on mutual respect. You have done much to achieve a more respectable image for Iran. We are confident that addressing the dire condition of political prisoners in Iran and their urgent medical needs will enhance the humanitarian image of Iran around the globe.

If the urgent release of these political prisoners is not possible, please allow for a group of independent specialist physicians from within Iran or international organizations such as Doctors without Borders, International Red Crescent/Red Cross and the United Nations) to visit these prisoners and those who have been recently released but who suffer from a variety of ailments. The physicians should be allowed to examine their medical files and assist the medical experts engaged in treatment of these individuals.

Respectfully,

Ervand Abrahamian (City University of New York, CUNY)

Janet Afary (University of California Santa Barbara)

Hussein A. Amery (Colorado School of Mines)

Ian Angus (Simon Fraser University)

Abdullahi Ahmed An-Naim (Emory University)

Andrew Arato (New School University)

Talal Asad (CUNY Graduate Center)

Ali Banuazizi (Boston College)

Golbarg Bashi (Pace University)

M Cherif Bassiouni (De Paul University)

Mehrzad Boroujerdi (Syracuse University)

Laurie A Brand (University of Southern California)

Allison Busch (Columbia University)

William Carroll (University of Victoria, Canada)

Houchang Esfandiar Chehabi (Boston University)

Noam Chomsky (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT)

Hamid Dabashi (Columbia University)

Fred Dallmayr (University of Notre Dame)

Roxanne L Euben (Wellesley College)

Samir Gandesha (Simon Fraser University)

Moisés Garduño Garcia (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)

Emeritus Irene Gendzier (Boston University)

Alan Gilbert (University of Denver)

Jeffrey Goldfarb (New School University)

Warren S. Goldstein (Harvard University)

Victoria de Grazia (Columbia University)

Ahmad Hadavi (Northwestern University)

Elaine C. Hagopian (Simmons College, Boston)

Wael Hallaq (Columbia University)

Nader Hashemi (University of Denver)

Nubar Hovsepian (Chapman University)

Andreas Huyssen (Columbia University)

Peter R. Johnson (University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada)

Mohsen Kadivar (Duke University)

Hossein Kamaly (Barnard College, Colombia University)

Sudipta Kaviraj (Columbia University)

Banafsheh Madaninejad (Southeastern University)

Mojtaba Mahdavi (University of Alberta, Canada)

Ali Akbar Mahdi (California State University, Northridge)

Ali Mirsepassi (New York University)

Brinkley Messick (Columbia University)

Timothy Mitchel (Columbia University)

Ebrahim Moosa (University of Notre Dame)

Arash Naraghi (Moravian College)

Mehdi Noorbaksh (Harrisburg University)

Mehrdad Nourani (University of Texas, Dallas--UTD)

Sheldon Pollock (Columbia University)

Farhang Rajaee (Carleton University, Canada)

Malcolm L Rigsby (Henderson State University)

Sara Roy (Harvard University)

Mahmoud Sadri (Texas Woman’s University)

Muhammad Sahimi (University of Southern California)

Emile Sahliyeh (University of North Texas)

Stuart Schaar (Brooklyn College, City University of New York)

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak (Columbia University)

Andrea L Stanton (University of Denver)

Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi (University of Toronto, Canada)

Mahdi Tourage (King’s University College, Canada)

Peyman Vahabzadeh (University of Victoria, Canada)

Jerry Zaslove (Simon Fraser University)

The Tehran Bureau is an independent media organisation, hosted by the Guardian. Contact us @tehranbureau