Antibiotic-free meat to hit the shelves

Don’t want to eat pork pumped full of penicillin? Look for a smiling pig’s face on your next packet of bacon

 Intensive farming relies on the blanket use of agricultural antibiotics. Photograph: Joel Sartore/Getty Images/National Geographic Creative

Wednesday 22 June 2016

Name: Antibiotic-free meat.

Age: Brand new.

Appearance: A smiling pig’s face.

Oh good, I’m so hungry. Are you? Hungry for meat?

Yes, I love meat! Yum! Meat that has been intensively farmed? If so, there is a very strong chance that it has been systematically pumped full of antibiotics.

Good! I don’t want to eat a poorly animal. It’s not so much because they’re poorly, more that the antibiotics – when administered in subtherapeutic doses – improve feed conversion efficiency. They might be brimming with penicillin or bambermycin or salinomycin or virginiamycin or carbadox, all because they make the animal bigger.

Thank God for that! Big animals means more meat for me! That’s not a good thing. All these antibiotics are entering the food chain. They are in your body now.

Great! I’ll never be ill again! You might be very, very ill. This blanket use of agricultural antibiotics is thought to be blunting the effectiveness of these drugs on humans. And if antibiotics stop working on humans, then we might all start dying from infections again.

Well, that doesn’t sound great. No, it doesn’t. But Karro – which bills itself as one of the leading pork processors in the UK – has just registered an “antibiotic-free” trademark with the Intellectual Property Office.

What does that mean? It means that some meat will soon come packaged with a picture of a smiling pig, which will show that the animal wasn’t treated with antimicrobial agents during its lifetime.

What a good idea! It’s good, but not exactly new. Sweden banned agricultural antibiotics in 1986, and Denmark has cut down drastically in the last 20 years.

Does that mean that I can eat Danish bacon without worrying about getting MRSA? Probably, although don’t forget the World Health Organisation’s claim last year that bacon gives you cancer.

Actually, I’ve lost my appetite. I’m worried that this has been too preachy. Has it been too preachy?

A bit. Sorry. Eat what you like, I say. We’ve all got to die of something, right?

Do say: “Finally, meat you can eat with a clear conscience.”

Don’t say: “So long as you’re cool with the mass murder of millions of animals, obviously.”

Shortage of safe land blocks Sri Lanka disaster relocation efforts

To move families out of risk zones, the government may resort to building high-rise housing, even in rural areas

By Amantha Perera-Tuesday, 28 June 2016

GAMTHUNA, Sri Lanka, June 28 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Every time the wind picks up in the night, the Karunadasas get the shivers.

The couple has been living in this remote village in the western foothills of Sri Lanka's central mountains for over five decades. But since May, when a massive landslide hit another mountain slope 15 kilometres away, they have struggled to sleep at night.

The landslide, which followed relentless rainfall, buried 130 people in the Egalpitiya area. But the Karunadasa's village may have been on the verge of slipping as well.

The only road that runs through town has sunk about two inches at a spot where it goes around a narrow curve. On either side of it, houses now sport large cracks running across their walls.

"How can you live here? It is like living in a death trap," said 81-year-old P.P. Karunadasa, as he stared at a large fissure running down the wall of his living room.

But his wife said they have no option but to remain. "No one has told us whether these are high risk areas or not, but we have been told unofficially that they are," she said.

More extreme weather, linked to climate change, is raising the threat from disasters such as flooding, landslides and drought in a range of already at-risk places around the world. But moving people out of harm's way is an enormous challenge, not least because safe places to relocate families are in short supply almost everywhere.

The Karunadasa family stand in their living room, near a crack in their wall that first appeared on May 17, a night when landslides claimed 130 lives in a neighbouring area, and that has been slowly widening since. TRF/Amantha Perera

TOO STEEP

In Kegalle District, where the Karundasas live, most of the land is hilly, and flat, safe places are rare. But those are precisely what authorities are looking for, with the aim of relocating landslide victims and families like the Karundasas who live in high-risk areas.

"Right now we are having a problem trying to locate safe land to move out those displaced," said Jagath Mahedra, the Kegalle District head for Sri Lanka's national Disaster Management Center.

A month after the disaster, 42 displacement centres had been set up around the district, offering safe housing for 3,500 people. But most of those were located in public institutions such as schools and places of worship.

Those now need to be vacated, so they can be put back to their original use. But that process has been hampered by a severe shortage of safe land to relocate people, officials said.

The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) is currently conducting surveys in the region to determine zones at high risk of landslides. So far it has mapped 20 out of the 61 administrative divisions in the Kegalle district.

"We have 610 families that need to be relocated. That number is definitely going to rise as the surveys progress," said Mohamed Faizal, the top public official in the landslide-hit area.

The government estimates it will need more than 300 acres of land to relocate those whose homes were destroyed or who are at high risk, said Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, the Minister for Disaster Management.

Faizal noted that "not money, but land, will be our biggest headache."

FLOOD ZONES

It is not only in the hilly regions that the government is likely to run short of relocation land. Since landslides and flooding killed close to 200 people in May and water marooned over 300,000 others in their homes, the Sri Lanka government has been exploring the possibility of relocating thousands of families living in low-lying areas prone to floods.

But finding suitable land has been a struggle.

"All over Sri Lanka we are facing a situation where we just cannot distribute land ad-hoc," Minister Yapa said. In urban areas, like the capital Colombo, an already large population is one key reason finding unused land is difficult.

Yapa said that, to deal with the problem, the government is discussing building high-rise apartments, which are still a rarity in rural Sri Lanka, as well as single-family houses on land used for relocation.

The minister said that while land was the biggest problem, families relocating have also raised concerns over access to jobs, schools and amenities like transport.

"It is a complex problem that we are facing, and it does not have easy answers," Yapa said.

(Reporting by Amantha Perera; editing by Laurie Goering :; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, women's rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit http://news.trust.org/climate)

TNA stance on UNHRC resolution

By Ananth Palakidnar –2016-06-28

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran, who is also the spokesperson of the TNA, was in Washington and Geneva last week taking part in important meetings and holding discussions on the 32nd United Nations Human Rights Council sessions.

On his return, to the island a few days ago, Sumanthiran spoke to Ceylon Today on the Government's failure in implementing the several aspects which were agreed upon in the UNHRC resolution which was co-sponsored by Sri Lanka along with the United States of America and the United Kingdom in October last year.

According to Sumanthiran the international community is of the view that as Sri Lanka co-sponsored the UNHRC resolution which was released last October the country should implement it successfully without backtracking and create a healthy atmosphere for peace and reconciliation.

"The UNHRC Commissioner Prince Zeid Raad Al Hussein will be submitting his verbal submission on 29 June on the progress in implementing the UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka adopted in October last year. This submission is expected to be based on the UNHRC chief's findings during his tour in Sri Lanka last February and on the observations made by the UNHRC officials who had travelled to Sri Lanka since last October. The verbal submission of the UNHRC chief will be mainly on the findings in the past nine months and the overall report will be presented after eighteen months in March next year. The TNA welcomed Sri Lanka being a co-sponsor of the UNHRC resolution and even agree on the progress made in certain areas in implementing the resolution."
Sumanthiran went on to say,
"But the TNA finds several key features such as the releasing of political prisoners and investigation into the alleged war crimes with the participation of the Commonwealth and other foreign legal experts as it was agreed upon in the UNHRC resolution have not yet."
Commenting on the three main aspects the TNA is very much concerned with implementing the UNHRC resolution according to Sumanthiran are (a) immediate day to day issues, (b) accountability mechanism and (c) permanent political solution.
"As far as the day to day issues are concerned, the TNA finds there are some encouraging developments have taken place, such as the releasing of lands from the High Security Zones in the North and the initiatives taken towards resettling the Internally Displaced Persons. However, this particular issue has to be addressed extensively to expedite the resettlement process. It was promised by the government in 2015 that within 100 days solutions would be reached on releasing the political prisoners. But only a handful of prisoners have been released and a significant number still remain behind bars without any judicial process. It was also agreed that the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) will be repealed. But nothing has been done so far," Sumanthiran added.

Washington and TNA
Elaborating on his visit to Washington and the protests that surfaced against the TNA there, Sumanthiran said that there was a handful Tamil expatriate without understanding the ground realities shouting against the TNA.
"When I was in Washington an organization called 'Tamils for Obama' criticized the TNA over the failure in implementing the UNHRC resolution. The 'Tamils for Obama' is a 'one man show'. A person called Pathmakumar is dealing with it. Whereas several key Tamil expatriate organizations realize the constraints of the TNA in dealing with the issues in the island as well as abroad. The Tamil Political Action Committee (TPAC) which is an umbrella organization of the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) has better understanding over the TNA's role. I had even discussed the issues with the TPAC which is chaired by Dr. K. Arulananthan in the US. Therefore when the TNA was even unhappy over the shortcomings in the implementation of the UNHRC resolution it is ridiculous to blame the alliance for the Government not taking any adequate measures to implement the resolution," Sumanthiran said.

Addressing at a joint meeting with the Lankan Ambassador to the US Prasad Kariyawasam in Washington on the UNHRC sessions on the shortcomings in implementing the resolution Sumanthiran said that Lankan envoy Kariyawasam accepted the slow process in implementing the resolution and assured that the government needs more time for the implementation of the resolution. It was also interesting to hear Prasad Kariyawasam stating specifically that the government would not stay away from implementing what was agreed upon in the resolution.
The US being a sponsor of the Geneva resolution Sumanthiran met the US Assistant State Secretary for Central and South Asia Nisha Biswal Desai and detailed her on the TNA's disappointment over the implementation of the UNHRC resolution and on government's backtracking from the process agreed upon in investigating into the alleged war crimes with the involvement of the foreign legal luminaries.
The meeting with NIsha Biswal Desai lasted for couple of hours and she had pointed out the necessity for the Sri Lankan Government to respect the resolution.
Meeting Prince Zeid
Following his visit to the US, Sumanthiran had travelled to Geneva and met the UNHRC Commissioner Prince Zeid Raad Al Hussein and briefed him on the TNA's disappointment on the implementation of the UNHRC resolution.
"As the UNHRC sessions are currently in progress, despite his busy schedules Commissioner Al Hussein met me for more than an hour and he pointed out that what he had gathered from the TNA would help him in fine tuning his verbal submission to be presented on 29 June. Even during his Sri Lankan tour in February this year, the TNA delegation led by R. Sampanthan had met the UNHRC Commissioner and briefed him on the priorities in implementing the Geneva resolution. Following the meeting with the UNHRC Commissioner a briefing to the representatives of the UNHRC member countries was also made by me and the interactive meeting would help for the UNHRC member countries to be well informed on the TNA's stance and to raise questions when the Commissioner delivers his verbal submission Sumanthiran," said.
Responding to my views the Commissioner said that he would point out on the delays in implementing the UNHRC resolution by the Sri Lankan Government.
Briefing on the investigations into the alleged war crimes, Sumanthiran has said that the TNA has mentioned to the Commissioner clearly that it was agreed by the Sri Lankan Government to carry out the investigations with the participation of the foreign legal luminaries. The US and other countries that co-sponsored the UNHRC resolution were also aware of the assurance given by the Sri Lankan Government in accommodating the foreign legal luminaries to investigate the alleged war crimes, Sumanthiran said. "So, the Lankan Government cannot backtrack from what it had agreed upon on accommodating the foreign legal luminaries. The TNA is very firm on an investigation with the involvement of the foreign legal luminaries. Even the UNHRC Commissioner is firm on implementing whatever agreed upon by the Lankan Government in the resolution," Sumanthiran added.
Elaborating on the UNHRC resolution's implementation with regard to the reconciliation and the final settlement to the ethnic question Sumanthiran said that the forming of the Constitutional Assembly on 9 March was encouraging.

"Three issues have been identified by the steering committee on electoral reforms which is almost completed. Second is on the devolution of powers that is being discussed. Third is on abolishing the he executive presidency is also presently being dealt by the steering committee. As far as the TNA is concerned a final political solution based on a federal system will only fulfil the political aspirations of Tamils in the North and East. The Federal system and the merger of the North and East Provinces were agreed upon earlier in the Banda –Chelva pact in 1957. Thereafter the 1987 Indo- Lanka Accord paved way for the merger and the Accord also emphasized the need of extensive devolution of powers to North and East Provinces through the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

"However, the Federal system could be introduced without any jargon by implementing the features of the Federal system successfully. During the regime of previous government in 2007, even the All Party Representatives Committee (APRC) advocated the linking of the two Provinces. The government is now in the process of going for a new Constitution. Even the Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera has mentioned the necessity of finding a political solution to the ethnic crisis through the new Constitution. So I have clearly stated that a political solution to the ethnic question could only be found through a new Constitution with a federal arrangement to the North and East, during my discussion with the UNHRC Commissioner," Sumanthiran said.

Commenting on the TNA's expectation on the verbal submission of the UNHRC Commission on 29 June, Sumanthiran said, that the UNHRC Commissioner was well aware of the pluses and minuses on the implementation of the resolution.

"The verbal submission report is now ready. We are looking forward to see the outcome. Definitely the submission will underline the failure in implementing the resolution by the Sri Lankan Government and it will also emphasize on reaching constructive developments before the submission of the full report in March next year, " Sumanthiran said.

Chandra Jayaratne Wants Sirisena To introduce A ‘Ministerial Code Of Conduct’

June 28, 2016

Good Governance activist, Chandra Jayaratne has urged President Maithripala Sirisena to introduce a ministerial code of conduct, which should apply to all ministers, deputy ministers and state ministers.

Chandra Jayaratne

In a letter addressed to Sirisena, Jayaratne also said; “In addition, kindly consider requiring all persons holding Ministerial Office (including Deputy Ministers and State Ministers), to make the following declarations annually, which are to be tabled and noted by the Cabinet and transparently published in the Cabinet Office web site;

1. Declaration that the Ministers are “Fit & Proper Persons”; and have discharged their duties in compliance with the Ministerial Code of Conduct; and that their conduct have not been impacted by any conflicts of interests or related party contractual interests, in the course of functioning and performing duties as a Minister.

2. Declaration of Interests and Related Party Interests – some examples of such declarations made in 2015 by Ministers of the UK government are attached” the letter stated.

The full text of the letter is below;

27th June 2016

President Maithripala Sirisena,
President of Sri Lanka,
Presidential Secretariat,
Janadhipathi Mawatha,
Colombo 1

Dear Mr. President,

Ministerial Code of Conduct – Declaration and Avoidance of Conflicts of Interests

I write to You, in your capacity as the head of the Cabinet of Ministers -Article 42 (3), and appeal that You introduce, as a significantly important step in the assurance of Yahapalanaya (Good Governance), a Ministerial Code of Conduct, to apply to all persons holding Ministerial ranks in the Government ( including Deputy Ministers and State Ministers).

In addition, kindly consider requiring all persons holding Ministerial Office (including Deputy Ministers and State Ministers), to make the following declarations annually, which are to be tabled and noted by the Cabinet and transparently published in the Cabinet Office web site;

1. Declaration that the Ministers are “Fit & Proper Persons”; and have discharged their duties in compliance with the Ministerial Code of Conduct; and that their conduct have not been impacted by any conflicts of interests or related party contractual interests, in the course of functioning and performing duties as a Minister.
2. Declaration of Interests and Related Party Interests – some examples of such declarations made in 2015 by Ministers of the UK government are attached.

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ZEID AL-HUSSEIN’S REPORT ON SRI LANKA TO HRC 32 : CONSTRUCTIVE AND POSITIVE

Human Rights Council, 32 session.

28/06/2016

Thirty-second session Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General.

 Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka*

1.    This oral update is presented pursuant to Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1 on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka, which was adopted by consensus with the co-sponsorship of Sri Lanka.  The Human Rights Council noted with appreciation the High Commissioner’s report on Sri Lanka to its 30th session, including the findings and conclusions of the comprehensive investigation undertaken by OHCHR, and encouraged the Government of Sri Lanka to implement the recommendations contained therein. Sinhalese and Tamil versions of the OHCHR investigation are now available at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/LKIndex.aspx.   The Human Rights Council requested OHCHR to continue to assess progress on the implementation of its recommendations and other relevant processes related to reconciliation, accountability and human rights, and to present this oral update to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-second session.

Zeid Al-hussein’s Report on Sri Lanka to Hrc 32 Constructive and Positive by Thavam Ratna

Continuing abuse under PTA: Abductions, Arbitrary Arrests, Unlawful Detentions and Torture

Featured image courtesy Tamil Guardian

WATCHDOG on 06/28/2016

By Marisa de Silva, Swasthika Arulingam and Ruki Fernando for WATCHDOG

On 30^th March, 2016, a suicide jacket, explosives and other ammunition was found in Chavakachcheri, Jaffna. Since then, as at 28^th June, the arrest of at least 28 persons have been reported. All of them have been Tamils from the north and east of Sri Lanka. All were men, except one woman whose husband was been arrested. A further 2 persons, (also Tamil men) were given “chits” (pieces of paper) at the international airport summoning them to the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) of the Police for inquiry. They were questioned and released on the same day.

Continuing Abuse Under PTA Abductions, Arbitrary Arrests, Unlawful Detentions and Torture by Thavam Ratna

srilankan war crime
Published on Jun 28, 2016

U.N. urges Sri Lanka to rein in military, prosecute war crimes

BY STEPHANIE NEBEHAY- Tue Jun 28, 2016

Sri Lanka must rein in its military forces, prosecute war crimes committed during the long civil war with Tamil rebels and win the confidence of the Tamil minority, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

Witnesses must be protected under an effective transitional justice mechanism that should include international judges, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said in an annual report.

The military and Tamil Tiger rebels - who were fighting for an independent Tamil state in the north and east of the Indian Ocean island - are both likely to have committed war crimes during the 26-year conflict that ended in 2009, the U.N. said last year.

President Maithripala Sirisena's government, formed in March 2015, has "consolidated its position, creating a political environment conducive to reforms", but governance reform and transitional justice had lagged, the report said.

"The early momentum established in investigating emblematic cases must be sustained, as early successful prosecutions would mark a turning point from the impunity of the past," it said.

"Continuing allegations of arbitrary arrest, torture and sexual violence, as well as more general military surveillance and harassment, must be swiftly addressed, and the structures and institutional culture that promoted those practices be dismantled."

Deputy Foreign Minister Harsha de Silva said the foreign minister would respond on Wednesday.

"But overall, Zeid's report is positive," he said.

Sirisena has said that foreign participation is not needed for an impartial inquiry. Many Sri Lankans oppose foreign involvement and supporters of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa believe that U.N. efforts aim to punish the military unfairly.

The U.N. Human Rights Council will debate Zeid's report on Wednesday when the government is expected to come under fresh pressure to commit to prosecuting perpetrators.

Sri Lanka acknowledged this month for the first time that some 65,000 people were missing from the war.

The United Nations and activists have long urged justice for the families of those who disappeared, including those alleged to have been secretly abducted by state-backed groups and paramilitary outfits.

At least 250 security detainees were still being held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, the U.N. report said, noting that Zeid had urged the government during a visit last September to quickly charge or release them.

The report voiced concerns over "military engagement in commercial activities, including farming and tourism" and aggressive campaigns in social media that it said "stoke nationalism against ethnic, religious and other minorities".

(Additional reporting by Shihar Aneez; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Getting “Yahapālanaya” Is A Process?

By Ravindra Galhena –June 28, 2016

Ravindra Galhena

The word “Yahapalanaya” (good governance) has been the most used lexis in Sri Lankan politics since Maithripala Sirisena decided to run for the office of President in November 2014. Sri Lankans would not find it difficult to understand the reasons behind this mind-set. In a nutshell, ensuring ‘Yahapalanaya’ was an attractive promise (given the situation that the people were in) made to the public and many of us Sri Lankans considered it as an immediate panacea for all our woes!

On January 10 2015, Maithripala Sirisena was sworn in as President. As per his manifesto and the mandate, Ranil Wickremesinghe took office as Prime Minister despite the meagre parliamentary support he was able to garner single-handedly at the time. However, the life of the said government was not meant to last over 100 days. The promise and the plan was to go for a parliamentary election having successfully delivered the promised ‘100 Day Programme’. A young person would think that this was the most chaotic 100 days in our political history! President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe had to work very closely to harness the support in parliament to pass an emergency budget and the legislature to trim the presidential powers etc.

However, due to numerous reasons, the ‘100-day Government’ had to last beyond the designated period and it was still legitimate. In August last year, we the Sri Lankans voted for a new parliament. At this election, United National Front (UNF = United National Party + other smaller parties) was able to win only 106 out of 225 parliamentary seats and the President Sirisena faction of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) joined hands with the UNF under the premiership of Ranil Wickremesinghe to form a government which now accounts for more than two thirds altogether.

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EXPANDED PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ON REFORM PROCESS IS NECESSARY

28/06/2016

Sri Lanka is on the agenda for discussion at the ongoing 32nd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.  The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will be submitting a report on Sri Lanka’s implementation of the resolution of the 30th session in October 2015, which was co-sponsored by the Sri Lankan government.  The government is currently in the process of establishing the transitional justice mechanisms it agreed to at the October 2015 session.  As a first public step, the draft legislation for an Office of Missing Persons has been released.

The government is also fast tracking a process of constitutional reform with a draft document expected before the budget in November.  It has restored law and order and improved the sense of security of the ethnic and religious minorities. On the other hand, the government has yet to deliver on many commitments, including repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, restoration to people of land taken over by the military, the significant reduction of military presence in the North and East and, most controversially within the country and internationally, the involvement of foreign judges and legal personnel in a Sri Lankan judicial mechanism.

The National Peace Council emphasizes the importance of winning the confidence and support of the general public for these reform efforts.   The strength of Sri Lanka’s present reform processes is that they have the concurrence of the political leaderships of the major political parties.  However, the outcome of the Brexit referendum in the UK shows that the majority of people must not be made to feel alienated by processes they are either ignorant of, or over which they feel they have no control.

The government has enlisted civil society organizations to conduct public consultations on the proposed transitional justice mechanism with a limited time frame having done the same with regard to constitutional reforms earlier in the year.  We call for an expanded process of public engagement so that viable reforms that have the people’s understanding and acceptance are developed especially if there is to be a referendum to implement constitutional change.

– Press release issued by the National Peace Council

More than 40 arrests under PTA in 2015-16

By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan-

2016-06-29

United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein, prior to his oral report that is to be released today (29), said he 'remains convinced' that international participation in the accountability mechanisms would be a necessary guarantee of the independence and impartiality of the process in the eyes of victims, as Sri Lanka's judicial institutions currently lack

the credibility needed to gain their trust.

In his advanced oral report made yesterday, at the 32 session of the UNHRC in Geneva, the UN Rights Commissioner said Sri Lanka must keep in mind that the magnitude and complexity of the international crimes alleged, which the OHCHR investigation discovered, could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity and he remains convinced that international participation in the accountability mechanisms would guarantee an independent and impartial probe process.

He also called for an impartial and independent probe on new evidence that emerged recently on the use of cluster munitions towards the end of the conflict by the government Forces and recalled that the OHCHR investigation report also had mentioned the use of cluster bombs.
He noted that in late May 2016, it was reported that Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had in an address to a large group of senior military officers again ruled out international participation in a domestic Sri Lankan justice mechanism - but he remains convinced that international participation guarantees independence and impartiality.

While commending Government's symbolic steps towards promoting reconciliation and de-listing of several Tamil diaspora organizations and individuals who had been proscribed under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), Zeid noted that the GoSL has made more than 40 new PTA arrests in 2015-16, including more than 25 in March-April 2016, during a security operation after the discovery of an explosives cache in Jaffna.

He stated that the manner in which some of these arrests reportedly took place, in an arbitrary manner and without adherence to established legal procedure, have led some to compare them to the infamous 'white van' abductions/disappearances of the past.
While there are clear differences (all those arrested reappeared in detention in a matter of hours), such cases strike fear in the community and undermine confidence in the government's efforts to restore the rule of law and criminal procedures in accordance with the law and international standards.

He said that the UN's Special Rapporteur on Torture had also at the end of his visit made reference to recurring allegations of torture and ill-treatment of detainees, albeit with less frequency and severity than in the past. Some groups have also reported cases of torture and sexual abuse of Tamils returning to Sri Lanka from abroad who are suspected of LTTE involvement.
" In December 2015, the government released on bail 39 individuals detained without charge, but around 250 detainees are believed to remain in detention. The government has filed indictments in 117 of these cases, and in January created a special High Court Bench to expedite proceedings. The government had promised the Attorney-General's Office would make decisions by the end of March 2016 but there have been no further indictments or releases this year. This situation is not only traumatic for the individuals concerned , some of whom resorted to hunger strikes, and for their families, but a source of growing frustration among Tamil political parties and the community at large. At the end of his visit in February 2016, the High Commissioner urged the government to quickly find a formula to charge or release the remaining security-related detainees. This situation is compounded by the government's continued reliance on the PTA to make new arrests, despite its commitment to repeal the law, he added.

He also reiterated that these continuing concerns point to a deeper challenge for the government in asserting full civilian control over the military and intelligence establishment and dismantling the units and structures allegedly responsible for grave violations in the past.

Despite welcoming the steps towards demilitarization, such as the removal of checkpoints, the military presence in the North and East remains heavy, and a culture of surveillance and, in certain instances, intimidation and harassment, persists, he noted.
The High Commissioner firmly believes that bold and visible steps of this kind can have a far-reaching effect in creating a climate of confidence and trust, but obviously need to be accompanied by more institutionalized change.
He also noted his concerns about the continued aggressive campaigns in social media and other forms (such as the Sinha Le bumper sticker campaign) which stoke nationalism against ethnic, religious and other minorities.

Peacebuilding of the Future: The Challenges

Image courtesy Getty Images

DR. RADHIKA COOMARASWAMY on 06/28/2016

Keynote Address at the Peace Building Commission, Annual Session 2016

Hon. Chairperson
Hon. Secretary General
Your Excellences
Ladies and Gentlemen,

INTRODUCTION

Transitions are periods of potential danger in a nation’s history. They are moments when we can move forward or moments where we may slip back into cycles of perpetual violence. They are interregnums where we must act with caution and wisdom. The nation state should take the lead but the international community, especially the Peacebuilding Commission, has an important role to play.

When the Department of Peace building asked me to give the keynote speech here today, I realized that they were sending a signal, For the most part of the last fifty years the United Nations, its agencies and their departments have had their policies and programmed framed by the wars in Africa- with Liberia and Sierra Leone being the ultimate prototype. Today, there is a greater realization that the devastating wars are now being fought in West Asia and in South Asia and until recently in my own country Sri Lanka. The experience of these wars of recent years, especially after 2001, must fundamentally challenge how we look at war and therefore, how we look at peace building.

The most dramatic changes to take place since the great African wars of the 1990s have been the technologies of war.  Unmanned and manned killing machines that can create extensive damage, acts of “terror” by increasingly brutal non state actors, extensive surveillance through the collection of meta data and personal attacks of human rights defenders using the media and cyber attacks has increasingly characterizes modern warfare in the new theatres of conflict.  In addition new and porous judicial doctrines like the theory of “human shields” to justify attacks on civilian populations remain deeply problematic. Massive refugee flows and the inevitable humanitarian consequences also remain an important part of this scenario. Many of these conflicts are now in Asia. However the United Nations from the Security Council to United Nations departments remain wedded to the old ideas of war and therefore to out of date ideas of peace building. It is important that the United Nations, as an institution come to terms with the unfolding reality around us and that we collectively respond to the crisis that many countries face.

PARADIGM CREATION

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Making Sense Of IMF Credit Facility

By Sirimevan Colombage –June 27, 2016

Prof. Sirimevan Colombage

The landmark credit facility approved by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) early this month is not only a relief to ease the country’s severe external payments imbalance but also an opportunity to jump-start the long-overdue economic reforms. The facility amounting to US $ 1.5 billion comes under the Fund’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF). This three-year arrangement aims to meet balance of payments needs arising from the weakening external finance situation and pressures that may persist during the adjustment period.

Correcting economic misalignments

The arrangement is a signal to global capital markets that the government is keen on economic recovery. It thereby enhances investor confidence and provides the necessary support to execute the reforms.

Hence, it is the utmost responsibility of the government to ensure strict adherence to the reform agenda so as to rectify the prolonged macroeconomic misalignments. In the past, many such programs did not succeed due to the then governments’ failure to implement bold reforms for political reasons. The adverse effects of such negligence still haunt the economy. The success of the present program too will depend on the commitment on the part of the government.

The reform package along with the market-responsive exchange rate and interest rate systems which are now in place would facilitate rectifying the economic disarrays.

Confidence booster

Some critics argue that the IMF facility is hardly sufficient to meet the country’s external payments commitments which run to the tune of over $ 5 billion for the next 12 months. But the point is the program with the IMF has wider implications than its financial assistance per se. It is more a confidence booster giving positive signals to global investors that investment climate is going to be improved through structural adjustments under the stipulated reform agenda.

Strong focus on structural reforms

The EFF has been designed to provide assistance to countries experiencing severe payments imbalances due to structural impediments, or to countries characterized by slow growth and an inherently weak balance of payments position. The EFF provides assistance in support of comprehensive programs that include policies required to correct structural imbalances over an extended period. Given the longer time needed to correct deep-rooted structural weaknesses, the implementation of EFF and its repayment period are longer than most other Fund arrangements.

When a country borrows from the IMF, it commits to undertake policies to overcome its economic and structural problems. Under an EFF, these commitments, including specific conditionality, usually have a strong focus on structural reforms to address institutional or economic weaknesses, in addition to policies that maintain macroeconomic stability. The IMF assesses the program performance regularly allowing to readjust it depending on economic changes.

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GSP Plus concessions by UK to SL seen as being hit with EU exit 

By Hiran H.Senewiratne-June 28, 2016, 7:29 pm

"Some of the GSP-Plus concessions will no longer be on offer by the UK to Sri Lanka when the UK is out of EU, Executive Director of the Institute of Policy Studies Dr. Saman Kelegama said.

"It is said that 35 percent of Sri Lankan exports to the EU goes to the UK market and 40 percent of Sri Lankan textile and apparel exports to the EU goes to the UK market. They will not qualify for GSP-Plus preferences if and when we get such preferences, Dr Kelegama told The Island Financial Review in an exclusive interview.

He said the redeeming factors are that there is a two year exit period and during that time, if Sri Lanka could work out a bilateral deal with the UK on the basis of Sri Lanka’s Commonwealth membership, that could offset whatever preferential market access Sri Lanka loses in the UK market due to Brexit.

Kelegama said in relation to foreign investment that Brexit has already weakened the British pound. Thus, UK investors may consider diverting their investment to countries like Sri Lanka and other such countries where they expect to get a better return.

On Brexit, he said, the UK will no longer be obliged to offer quota-based jobs to citizens of the EU.

This will open up the job market for skilled and semi-skilled labour from elsewhere. Overall there will be more job openings for Commonwealth country citizens, including temporary workers. In other words, there will be more job opportunities in the UK market for Sri Lankans, Kelegama said.

The UK will no longer be required to tie-up its Overseas Development Assistance to the EU’s rules, regulations and directives. It is expected that the UK will divert its ODA to Commonwealth countries as a strategic measure.

"Overall, it is expected that there will be more direct financial assistance from the UK to countries like Sri Lanka, he explained.