US acknowledges complications in Sri Lanka war crimes investigation 

Saturday, 16 July 2016

Reuters :  Implementing a U.N. resolution calling for the investigation of alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka during a war with separatist rebels is complicated and needs more consultations to build confidence, a senior U.S. official said.

The United States along with other Western countries have long demanded an international investigation into the killing of thousands of ethnic minority Tamils in the final weeks of the war, in 2009, under then Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Both the military and Tamil rebels “most likely” committed war crimes including mass killings of civilians, during the 26-year war, the United Nations said in a landmark report last year.

Sri Lanka has promised to implement the U.N. resolution adopted in October that calls for a special court with foreign judges to investigate.But President Maithripala Sirisena, who came to power last year, is facing resistance to an investigation from political rivals led by his predecessor, Rajapaksa.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Tom Malinowski said international participation in a special court had been emphasised because of “an erosion in the confidence” in Sri Lanka’s courts over the years.

“These are complicated issues and there needs to be a process of consultation with all in order to ensure these things are done in a way that earns confidence of the people,” Malinowski told a group of reporters in Colombo late on Thursday.

He said the U.N. resolution respected Sri Lanka’s sovereignty.

“Under the resolution, the government of Sri Lanka will determine the structure and the composition of the court,” he said, noting that Sri Lanka had made a commitment to include some international participation in the investigation.

The U.N. resolution also calls for an inquiry into missing people and progress in reconciliation.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said in an annual report last month Sri Lanka must rein in its military forces, prosecute war crimes and win the confidence of the Tamil minority.

He also said witnesses must be protected under an effective transitional justice mechanism that should include international judges.

Rajapaksa, while president, rejected international intervention in addressing rights abuses and denied visas for top U.N. officials who wanted to assess conditions in the South Asian country after the war ended in May 2009. 

GOVT. URGED TO AVOID COLLISION COURSE WITH JUDICIARY

15/07/2016

Alleging that the government is as corrupt as the ousted Rajapaksa administration, the People’s Intellectual Assembly (PIA), civil society organization promoting good governance warns of dire consequences unless the UNP-SLFP coalition makes a course correction.

The PIA comprising individuals who backed Maithripala Sirisena’s presidential campaign also alleged that the parliament and the judiciary were on a collision course consequent to the former seeking to intervene in what attorney-at-law Chrishmal Warnasuriya called judicial matters.

Warnasuriya was addressing the media at No 46/2, Fife road, Colombo 5. Referring to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent decision to obtain a ruling from Speaker Karu Jayasuriya in respect of proposed ratification of the first Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Warnasuriya said that the country was heading for a major crisis. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe’s move received the backing of government parliamentarians and Opposition ranks.

Warnasuriya said parliament mus not be allowed to usurp judicial powers on the pretext of promoting good governance, rule of law, human rights, transparency, and accountability

Convener of the movement Ven. Ambulagala Sumangala Thera emphasised that theirs was apolitical movement set up for the benefit of the people.

Warnasuriya said the move should be examined against the backdrop of reports pertaining to foreign judges to be accommodated in proposed war crimes court and Sri Lankans being subject to universal jurisdiction.

Urging Prime Minister Wickremesinghe not to pursue a dangerous path, Warnasuriya compared the decision to seek Speaker Jayasuriya’s opinion on a matter decided by five Supreme Court judges in respect of Nallaratnam Singarasa case with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa utilising his two-thirds majority in Parliament to impeach the then Chief Justice Dr Shirani Bandaranayake.

Warnasuriya alleged that the nearly 20 years old Singarasa judgment had been used to cause an unnecessary situation with a specific intention.

The civil activist said that President Maithripala Sirisena could request the Supreme Court for an interpretation in respect of the Singarasa judgment. Parliament had absolutely no right to intervene in such a matter, the attorney-at-law said, asserting that confrontation between parliament and judiciary would cause political turmoil.

Warnasuriya urged the government to adhere to the existing Constitution without triggering an unprecedented crisis. The previous government had moved against the then CJ thereby creating a situation which caused the fall of the seemingly invincible SLFP-led administration, Warnasuriya said.

Commenting on the recent suspension by the Supreme Court of the VAT increase on a range of goods and services, the apex court reminded those in power that they couldn’t operate contrary to the laws of the land. The Supreme Court had upheld National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa’s challenge as the ruling coalition didn’t bother to obtain parliamentary approval before proceeding with the latest tax hike, Warnasuriya said.

Warnasuiry faulted Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera for being dismissive of President Maithripala Sirisena’s statement that he would not allow foreign judges to participate in the domestic war crimes probe to be launched. Samaraweera shouldn’t forget that the President’s opinion on any matter couldn’t be ignored as long as he remained the executive president, Warnasuiya said.

Appreciating the stand taken by the President, Warnasuriya said that they genuinely expected the President to uphold that position.

Responding to a query from the media, Warnasuriya said that the recent Supreme Court judgment on an application involving the largest tender ever awarded by the government of Sri Lanka to supply coal to the first coal-fired power plant complex, the Lakvijaya Power Plant at Norochcholai had highlighted the role the judiciary could play in dealing with irregularities.

By Shamindra Ferdinando/ The Island

Disarmament Is A Must For Sri Lanka’s Reconciliation

By Vidya Abhayagunawardena –July 15, 2016

Vidya Abhayagunawardena

Without Accession to Disarmament Conventions Sri Lanka Will Not Achieve Its Reconciliation

It seems that almost one and a half years have gone by after the National Unity Government (NUG) came to power in early 2015, but still Sri Lanka is distanced from the international disarmament community. This is a serious issue for the ongoing reconciliation process and its human rights record by peace-loving people of Sri Lanka as well as peace-loving people around the world against the use of certain prohibited weapons, such as Anti-personnel (AP) Landmines and Cluster Munitions. Post-war Sri Lanka (since 2009), had not acceded to any disarmament treaties, particularly the accession to the Mine Ban Treaty (MBT) known as the Ottawa Convention and the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM). These two conventions are the most significant humanitarian disarmament conventions with regard to war-time and post-war Sri Lanka which should have acceded by now by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) for very obvious reasons. Otherwise it may completely undermine the ongoing reconciliation process and that will negatively impact on the country’s human rights record.

Photo by Vidya Abhayagunawardena

Issue of AP Landmines and Cluster Munitions

Post-war Sri Lanka is still grappling with the AP-landmines as well as the allegation on the use of cluster munitions at the last stage of the war. Sri Lanka has still not cleared the AP mines (54sqkm) and post-war mine-victims have been 100% civilians including children. The current mine-action programme is facing severe constraints due to scarcity of resources and lack of political will and this is mainly because Sri Lanka is not a state party to the MBT. Still over 60,000 people (15,000 families) in the North are yet to be resettled but unable to do so due to AP-mines affected lands. What is more, due to AP mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) many animals including the elephants, buffaloes and cows get injured or die. To overcome the landmine issue as well as allegations on the use of cluster munitions, immediate action should be taken for accession to both these Conventions by the GoSL.

Humanitarian Disarmament and Disability Rights Should be Linked to Reconciliation

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U.S. hails Sri Lanka's post-war reconciliation efforts

Nisha Biswal, U.S. assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs gestures after the meeting with Sri Lanka"s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera in Colombo, Sri Lanka July 12, 2016.

 Jul 12, 2016

COLOMBO (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday praised Sri Lanka's steps taken under a U.N. resolution to address alleged human rights abuses in the final phase of a 26-year war with Tamil Tiger rebels, and said it would do what it could to see through the process.

Washington along with other Western nations had long demanded an international investigation into the alleged killing of thousands of ethnic minority Tamils in the final weeks of the war, in 2009, under then Sri Lankan leader Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Two senior U.S. State Department officials visiting Colombo welcomed its steps in implementing the U.N. resolution adopted in September last year calling in part for an inquiry into missing people and progress in post-war reconciliation.

"We strongly commend the government for working closely with the United Nations and the High Commissioner (for Human Rights) Zeid (Ra'ad Al Hussein)," Assistant Secretary of State Tom Malinowski told reporters in Colombo.

"The United States co-sponsored the resolution. As such we feel we have a shared responsibility to help see that process through."

The visit of Malinowski, along with Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal, came two weeks after the United Nations urged Sri Lanka to rein in its military forces, prosecute war crimes and win the confidence of the Tamil minority.

Former president Rajapaksa rejected international intervention in addressing human rights abuses and denied visas for top U.N. officials who wanted to assess conditions in the South Asian country after the war ended in May 2009.

President Maithripala Sirisena, who unseated Rajapaksa in January last year, promised to implement the U.N. resolution. However, he and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe rejected the resolution in one respect by saying foreign judges could not be admitted into the country in keeping with its constitution.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on a visit last year that Colombo would not be compelled to accept a role for international judges in investigating possible war crimes, but any process must be impartial and independent.

(Reporting by Shihar Aneez; editing by Mark Heinrich)

SRI LANKA GOVT. HAS AGREED ON FOREIGN MONITORS, NOT JUDGES: FONSEKA

14/07/2016

The government had agreed to allow foreign monitors and obtain international technical assistance for machinery that would be set up to probe alleged human right violations during the war time, Provincial Development Minister Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said today.

Field Marshal Fonseka told a media briefing that both President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe were favourable towards foreign monitors and obtaining technical assistance from countries to a machinery that would be set up to probe human right violations during the war time, while highlighting that the government was not in favour of including foreign judges.

He was responding to a a statement made by US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal who had called for a credible probe. “Foreign judges cannot be allowed to engage in a probe as the Sri Lankan Constitution does not provide provisions for such a thing, “the Field Marshal added.

Further he dismissed the claim made by some international organizations that the security forces used cluster bombs during the war. (Yohan Perera)

Daily Mirror

On people, poverty, parties, and the periphery

On people, poverty, parties, and the periphery

Fragments.

 Posted by Uditha Devapriya-Friday, July 15, 2016

About two years ago, someone pointed out to me that the SLFP housed racists and the UNP housed those who were against racism. I believed him, but pointed out that it’s always a fallacy to associate a political party with a set political ideology, especially in as small and unpredictable country as ours. I also noted that people don’t always pick party-colour on the basis of personal beliefs. This was of course before the 2015 Presidential Election.

Since then events have borne out what I said. The 2015 Election (for better or worse) erased the distinction between the two parties in terms of their congruence with personal belief. The SLFP, at least under Mahinda Rajapaksa, was associated with Sinhala Buddhist nationalism. The UNP was not. But the racists were there voting for both, not because they were confused but because (especially in the case of the UNP) they took it for granted that their personal beliefs were already fixed and framed by constitutional guarantees, laws, and rhetoric. They didn’t need a vote to ensure all that. The floating voter, let’s not forget, was shifted to the Common Opposition by the Jathika Hela Urumaya, a party hardly known for its cosmopolitanism.

Soon after the election I pointed out that Mahinda Rajapaksa’s moves towards creating an ideology that would eventually give rise to a Third Force (the Joint Opposition) made use of the race-card. He claimed (quite erroneously) that he lost because of the North and East. He did not accept defeat. He did not twiddle thumbs. Instead, being the astute strategist he is, he made use of the kind of voter the SLFP was normally associated with (the Sinhala Buddhist nationalist) and, upon his rejection from that party by those hardly considered to be sympathisers of Sinhala Buddhist interests, entranced that voter to his side. The rest, they say, is history.

The lesson 2015 taught us was this: political ideologies aren’t necessarily shaped by personal beliefs. I hence observed in an article submitted to the Colombo Telegraph (“On Straight Lines that Curve and Don’t Exist”) that inasmuch as the SLFP was from its inception associated with the kind of nationalist extremism that the UNP tries hard to avoid, the truth was that when it came to winning elections and mandates both parties were guilty, in some form or the other, of pandering to racism. I should have also observed, as I did not, that both are guilty of pandering to poverty.

The Joint Opposition, which loves to paint things in black and white (not that the government doesn’t), frequently claims or implies that the country is “being sold”. It was sold the moment national policy was subjected to the whims and fancies of the IMF, the World Bank, and other dubious agencies with even more dubious track records, and this process continued essentially unhindered during the time of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Pandering to poverty, did I say? Well yes, but only in times of elections. After the elections, the poor remain as screwed as they were before them.

The only difference with Rajapaksa was, however, that he managed to politicise poverty in ways no one in the present government or preceding him (with the exception of Ranasinghe Premadasa) has quite matched (the way he “handled” Samurdhi speaks for itself, I should think). That he succeeded in this can be gleaned from the results of the January Election in 2015: while the cosmopolitan urbanised areas (regardless of the faith adhered to by the majority community therein) voted for Maithripala Sirisena, polling divisions like Anamaduwa (considered to be the poorest in the country) voted overwhelmingly for the incumbent.

Why? The most common reason those who voted for the winning side will tell you: “Because they’re uneducated and gullible!” When I pointed this out to a friend, he gave a clearer answer: “Because they’ve been drugged to believe Mahinda’s gospel.” In the days following the election, Rajapaksa’s rhetoric about the North and East dumping him (which he shouldn’t have mouthed) led commentators to conclude that those who voted for the man weren’t just extremists, but poor and stupid. How? Because the poor (as the demographics show) voted in large numbers for the incumbent. “Stupid is as stupid does,” some will say.

But I disagree. The comments made by Akila Viraj Kariyawasam (while still in the opposition) which gave rise to the baiya-toiya dichotomy, buttressed by what the inimitable Sarath de Alwis called Ranil Wickremesinghe’s “Royalist Regency”, did little to nothing to heal the fissures in citizenry that Maithripala Sirisena’s victory gave birth to. If at all, thanks to both the Joint Opposition and the government, those fissures remain as divisive as ever.

Look at it this way. What triumphed in the days and months following the election was meritocracy over nationalism. True, those who support the former president conflate meritocracy with minoritarianism (while supporters of the incumbent regime conflate it with pragmatism), but even despite that, we can conclude that what won in 2015 was a cosmopolitan variant of technocracy which the likes of Harsha de Silva and Eran Wickramaratne had valiantly developed.

Now I have nothing against meritocracies. In a country like ours, which has sustained and institutionalised corruption so much that the government’s supporters now defend it on the basis of relative (and not absolute) merits, we need to embrace a culture which rewards talent, not power.

But there’s a problem. The masses who remain detached from the centre are connected to the periphery (i.e. those who reach out to them, not just politicians), which lacks meritocrats. The discriminating minority who remain detached from the periphery are connected to the centre, which lacks popularity.

Sure, the likes of Harsha de Silva and Eran Wickramaratne are among the most decent politicians we’ll get, but I wonder whether the “Royalist Regency” alluded to by Sarath de Alwis will be enough to salvage an essentially corrupt system. Put simply, those who have merit are associated with the kind of prestige (based essentially on the kind of institutions they come from) that the masses aren’t impressed with. Merit is good, but when linked with prestige that can have serious consequences for the kind of voter the Joint Opposition (which has its lion’s share of politicians who have both merit and popularity, notwithstanding the idiots who garland it in public) woos and continues to woo. I don’t like to pick on schools or institutions, but I will say this: just because you’re prestigious and have merit, doesn’t mean the people will be moved by you.

There’s more.

In his now classic satire on class differentiation, “The Rise of the Meritocracy”, Michael Young argues that the creation of a class of technocrats detached from the pulse of the common man was inevitable in a society (and education system) which linked intelligence with economic power.

In 2001 Young revisited his book in an article written to The Guardian (“Down with meritocracy”) where he pointed out the differences between the Labour governments of Clement Attlee and Tony Blair: the former housed by ministers who had working class backgrounds (like Ernest Bevin), the latter housed by ministers who’d spent their teenage years at Cambridge and Oxford (like David Miliband). Taking a cue from Sarath de Alwis, I’d have called this the “Oxbridge Regency”. I suspect I wouldn’t be wrong if I did and I believe it holds true. Even now.

Here’s what Young wrote in that article: “It is good sense to appoint individual people to jobs on their merit. It is the opposite when those who are judged to have merit of a particular kind harden into a new social class without room in it for others.” I’m not arguing that those with merit always congeal into a social class that seeks to be differentiated from the rest by its economic clout, but I am saying that the risk of such a thing happening in a society which affirms class stratification isn’t small. Even in as welfarist a society as ours.

And you know what? Neither the government nor the Joint Opposition is helping. The irony is that the sort of economic power-based values each purports to affirm is at variance with what they do in reality. For instance, it was (if I remember correctly) Akila Viraj Kariyawasam who first made a snide remark against the baiyas and it was Mahinda Rajapaksa who ended his Budget Speech in 2014 by declaring his pride at being a baiya, but just the other day those who support the Rajapaksa cabal (and hence the baiyas) were openly mocking Kariyawasam when a video of the latter awkwardly speaking in English at an official function emerged. Where’s the logic in that, one can legitimately ask.

Despite this manifest hypocrisy of the Joint Opposition (which isn’t to say that sections of the government don’t indulge in hypocrisy – the fact is that we all do), however, I believe its message is correct, unintended though it would have been. Merit is good. Confusing merit with prestige, on the other hand, isn’t.

And you know the irony of all this? Despite their best intentions, those who contend for a better and more prosperous Sri Lanka work from the centre. The masses, on the other hand, live in the periphery. The centre and the periphery, clearly, haven’t met. When I think of that, I am reminded of what Rand Paul, the American senator who despite his hardcore stance on social issues wins my respect, said in his response to Barack Obama’s 2015 State of the Union Address:

Before I ran for office, I practiced medicine for nearly 20 years in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Liberal elites fly over my small town, but they don’t understand us. They simply seek to impose their will upon us – from what insurance we can buy, to what light bulbs we can use, to how we generate electricity.

Most of us in flyover country, and I suspect many who live in our big cities, think those in government take us for granted. Those of us who are actively pursuing the American Dream simply want government to get out of our way.

For those of us who feel separated and distant from the American Dream, we don’t want be perpetually talked down to, forgotten, and left in perpetual poverty. Many are discouraged that the “gifts” offered by liberals have not generated wealth, but rather perpetuated poverty.

There are those who mock Donald Trump (and by the same token, Rand Paul) on account of what they feel to be his crass attempts at pandering to the lowest social denominator. There are those who commend Hillary Clinton for raising her platform to the highest social denominator. Both commentators are wrong. Dead wrong.

So let me be as simple as I can. The “liberal elites”, or in the case of this country the meritocrats, remain uprooted. They continue to come from the city and they continue to stand for urban, secular values which don’t strike a chord with either the South or North. They stand for decency and high office, but by their actions (conflating decency with merit and merit with prestige and prestige with economic clout) they become no better than the vulgar bumpkins they see in the Joint Opposition.

The truth, then, is that no politician in this country panders to poverty except when elections are around the corner. That’s bad enough. Having a government which Michael Young would have based another satirical book on (had he lived today) is worse.

About time we understood this. And about time we realised that Regencies (whether Royalist or Oxbridge) can’t salvage societies by themselves. We need people. People who’re connected with the periphery.

Uditha Devapriya is a freelance writer who can be reached at udakdev1@gmail.com

The Central Bank Should Be Relisted Under The Ministry Of Finance Now!

By Hema Senanayake –July 15, 2016

Hema Senanayake

Arjuna Mahendran has gone now. So, it is the time now to relist the Central Bank under the purview of the Ministry of Finance. I submit two important reasons for it. Both reasons are equally important. One reason is about the line of authority and the other is about the macroeconomic management of the economic system. Let me begin as follows.

Recently, top officials of the central bank were summoned to testify before the COPE (Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises). According to newspapers, those officials have testified that former Governor Mr. Arjuna Mahendran had violated all laws in the institution. Such a law breaking governor has to be there in order to execute the policy decisions made by the Ministry of Policy Planning and Economic Affairs under which the CBSL has been listed as at now. It is because the secretary to the Ministry of Policy Planning and Economic Affairs does not represent in the Monetary Board. Therefore the said Ministry needs to have a proxy in order to exercise its authority over the Central Bank and the Monetary Board –And that man it seems was Mr. Arjuna Mahendran.

If there was no such proxy, the Ministry of Policy Planning and Economic Affairs would not have had any meaningful authority over the CBSL even if the CBSL is listed under that Ministry, because it is the secretary to the Ministry of Finance who represents the government in the Monetary Board under which Board, CBSL operates. Therefore, if the Ministry of Policy Planning and Economic Affairs wants to instruct anything direct to the CBSL which is the operating arm of the Monetary Board, the Ministry has to have a Governor who is ready to listen and carry out its virtual orders. It is in this process that all laws could have been broken.

Now, let us assume that the new Governor is listening to the Monetary Board not to the Ministry of Policy Planning and Economic Affairs. Therefore, the government’s view or likely decisions to be made by the government must be communicated to the Monetary Board only through the secretary to the Ministry of Finance, because, even though the CBSL listed under the Ministry of Planning its secretary is not a member of the Monetary Board as mentioned above. It is proper for the government to maintain its relationship with the CBSL through the secretary to the Ministry of Finance always. We also hope that the new Governor Dr.Indrajith Coomaraswamy will manage the CBSL by the decisions made by the Monetary Board.

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Brexit wind down gives two year breathing space for FTA with UK: Harsha

 By Hiruni Dabarera-Saturday, 16 July 2016

Downplaying the Brexit impact on Sri Lanka a top official yesterday said about 40% of exports to Europe will remain intact as the Government has at least two more years to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Britain. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva expressed confidence in the strong relations enjoyed between Sri Lanka and Britain and emphasised breathing space for the Government to ride on GSP+ while negotiating a potential FTA with Britain once Article 50 is implemented. 

“The appointment of Liam Fox as the UK Secretary for International Trade will be quite favourable to Sri Lanka. He has been a friend and was closely associated with political relations between UK and Sri Lanka in the past,” Dr. De Silva said, addressing the Brexit Forum organised by the Shipppers’ Academy Colombo, as the keynote speaker. 

“Sri Lanka is going to enter into as many beneficiary trade agreements as possible in future. The Prime Minister is scheduled to leave for Singapore next week and hopes that trade with Singapore will speed up Sri Lanka’s trade income growth. Further, the highly controversial ECTA will be confirmed. By August the Government will have a national trade policy,” he added. 

The Minister went on to note how once UK leaves the European Union (EU), Sri Lanka will no longer enjoy duty free access to the European market. “We are certain to get GSP+ within the next six to nine months. Until the Brexit is sorted out and the exit is ratified in 27 odd parliaments which will take close to two years, we will have access to free trade. 

After Great Britain leaves the EU we are certain to enter into fresh but similar duty free trade agreements with them owing to amiable relations with new state officials,” he substantiated. 

As much as 40% of Sri Lankan exports to Europe were earlier absorbed by UK. In this context the challenge is the need to be a part of the common market and also the limitation of migration to Europe (free movement of work force within Europe). The Minister believes that the latter challenge is not something unique to Brexit but common to the whole world. 

“Even in Sri Lanka we want to access the Indian market but do not want free movement of labour within the sub-continent,” De Silva emphasised. “In USA too this is met with in relation to Mexico and Canada”, he further explained. However, primarily the focus is on exports. According to economists British per capita income will be reduced by 5000 Sterling Pounds during the next few years. The Sterling Pound has lost close on 13% to the US Dollar. 

Yet, there is also stability in the British financial market. Even though experts expected bank interest rates to fall with Brexit, it has not happened. The Minister believes the UK government will come up with stimulus packages around August to tackle such challenges. In addition, British unemployment rates have been the lowest in the world for the last twenty years. UK is also a prominent member of the United Nations Security Council, G7 and the Commonwealth organisation. 

When it comes to the Sri Lankan tourism sector, British tourists are reported to spend the most for a fortnight stay in Sri Lanka. With the depreciation of the Sterling Pound the tourist sector needs to be braced towards a fall in its revenue from British tourists. However, with increased travel cost for the British within the European continent, Sri Lanka can also expect a boost in the arrival of British travellers. 

Good governance govt. trembles and is tremulous before apparition of sinister discarded Rajapakse !

-Navy officer who exposed the murders and corruption in trouble again

(Lanka-e-News -15.July.2016, 10.20PM)   Lieutenant Commodore K.C.Welegedera who exposed the corruption and murders committed during the period when Karannagoda was the Naval Commander ,is being exposed to victimization because of the spineless and cowardly conduct of the government of good governance which instead of protecting and encouraging Welegedera to expose more of the crimes , is safeguarding  the present conspirators who are shielding  and saving those corrupt , criminals and murderers who committed them , based on reports reaching Lanka e news inside information division.

Lanka e news reported earlier on that ,while not taking any action against Yoshitha Rajapakse with regard to the 74 foreign tours made by Yoshitha Rajapakse  of which as many as 50 were unworthy and unnecessary tours, military court under the judge advocate Shavendra Fernando ( who appears on behalf of cases of the Rajapakses)  , decided that Welegedera’s promotion shall be barred for 4 years just because he went on a single foreign tour. Against this decision ,  Welegedera made an appeal to the commander in chief of the forces , it was reported.

Believe it or not ! those lickspittles and lackeys in the Navy and the defense ministry  who are still shamelessly stooping to do the sordid biddings of the Rajapakse regime have  not until today  forwarded the appeal of Welegedera to the president  ! In addition  conspiracies  are afoot to haul him up before the military court again.

An officer of the forces can only forward an appeal to the commander in chief of the forces only through his chief –the Commander . The latter however has delayed Welegedera’s appeal for a week by holding it back without forwarding to the president. After this appeal was belatedly and finally forwarded to the defense ministry , the additional secretary of the ministry , Siripala Hettiarachi , another Rajapakse lackey and crony had kept it hidden for a further three weeks without submitting it to the president.

Siripala Hettiarachi has been in the defense ministry for over ten years despite the fact  a government servant can be in one Institution for only a maximum of 5 years. He is therefore above the law or because double standards are practiced when laws are being implemented under the governments of SL.

 Sinister Siripala who was surviving and thriving on the corruption and crimes of the nefarious decade by adding fuel to those criminal activities is  committing the same sins and crimes even now without let or hindrance .Welegedra’s ordeal and trials are  clear and ample testimony that Siripala  is now exploiting his position to cover and conceal the corruption , murders and robberies committed during the nefarious decade.

In addition Welegedera is being subjected to undue harassment and embarrassment 

In 2010 , a group of 28 including 7 students  were abducted in Trincomalee by a murder squad operated by  ex Navy Commander Karannagoda . After the extortion monies  were collected from the victims they were murdered. When the CID  was conducting investigations into this and in relation to some navy officers engaged in the human smuggling to Australia on refugee boats ,it was Welegedra who  was a key witness giving evidence and exposing the truth.

Recently , the Navy conspirators had  even broken open Welegedera’s locker and stolen important documents and files .Besides Welegedera is not being given the necessary permission to visit the CID to give evidence.

The latest development aims at  hauling  up Welegedera before another military court. Sadly and shockingly ,behind all these dastardly and despicable moves to rescue the murderers and the corrupt is the present Navy commander Raveendra Wejegunaratne.

What is most  deplorable is , while there exists a commander in chief of the forces who has been elected as president by the majority of the people for and on behalf of  good governance, still opportunities and the environment are being  created now   to the deadly ghosts and destructive apparitions of the discarded Rajapakse   regime to play merry devil and rule the roost to the detriment of the country . If these devils and demons that  can only wrought destruction on the country are not driven away even by resorting to exorcism (if such a need is imperative)  immediately ,may we warn the life of the Commander in chief is in grave peril.

Related news reports …..
1. Defense secretary confirms again he is taking good governance for a ride !
-Punishes Navy officer who went abroad once while Yoshitha Rajapakse who went 29 times without permission is scot free !

2. Incredible but true ! Rajapakse lackeys and lickspittles taking Commander in chief for a ride..!!
-Rajapakse bootlicker in Navy delivers judgments against good governance innocents..!

---------------------------
by     (2016-07-15 18:33:54)

Police to seek Interpol assistance to nab 

Udayanga Weeratunga


July 15, 2016

Sri Lanka Police today sought a court order for getting Interpol’s assistance to arrest Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga, for graft charges. 

 The Financial Crimes Division (FCID) sought the order from the court for the issuing of ‘red notice’ from Interpol to arrest Weeratunga on corruption charges.

 The Colombo magistrate, however, deferred issuing the order till Monday. 

 Weeratunga, a Ukranian resident faced corruption charges during the purchase of fighter aircraft for the Sri Lankan army, after former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was defeated in presidential elections in January last year. 

 The FCID wanted him in the country for questioning.  

Weeratunga has denied all charges levelled against him in a press statement issued recently.  -Agencies

President knows, Neluwa power plant is illegal - Daya Neththsinghe

Jul 15, 2016

It is reported by media personnel Daya Neththsinghe that the proposed power plant in the Neluwa region would cause a ruthless environmental vulnerability is a fact known to the President in charge of the environmental ministry. In this regard the President had called for a practicability report on the project which has been stalled and  an attempt is made to recommence the project by the former  senior minister Piyasena Gamage and a  related group.

Considering the attack made on media personnel Daya Neththasinghe and the amount of destruction that would be caused to the environment, in an endeavour to elaborate on the dangers of the proposed power project in Neluwa region representatives of media organizations, environmental organizations and civil organizations had organized a media briefing in Colombo.

At this media briefing media personnel Daya Neththasinghe had added this to the media:

“During the month of March he and his team of media personnel had explained to the people of the severe environmental hazards that would be confronted by the public in the event the proposed power plant is constructed. These views had been made after the media personnel and environmentalists had made a survey and after studying the report they had conveyed the dangers of the proposed project. The assault on him had been made then.

Owing to protests made by the media personnel and environmentalists the work on the project was stalled. But even after the presidential election was lost the senior minister in charge of the environmental ministry Piyasena Gamage had made unacceptable influence on the officials of the ministry to continue the work in the project by sending a letter to the Director of Irrigation”. This was emphasised by Daya Neththasinghe at the media briefing.

At this media briefing environmentalist Ravindra Kariyawasam, media personnel Chandana Sirimalwatta and the secretary of the Sri Lanka teachers association Joseph Starling also had aired views

Basil et al indicted

on a charge of misappropriating Rs. 33 mn

By Chitra Weerarathne-July 15, 2016, 9:50 pm 

Colombo High Court Judge Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne yesterday handed over indictment papers to former Divineguma and Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, then Secretary to the Ministry Dr. Nihal Jayatillake, Kithsiri Ranawaka and Bandula Thilakasiri.

The Attorney General has indicted them on a charge of misappropriating Rs. 33 million from Divineguma fund, to distribute roofing sheets, in the run-up to the last Presidential election.

These persons are already on bail in respect of a charge of having misappropriated Divineguma funds, for the printing of almanacs in the run-up to the presidential election.

The inquiry was next fixed for August 30.

President’s Counsel Jayantha Weerasinghe appeared with President’s Counsel Anil Silva for the accused.

State Counsel Shamindra Wickrama appeared for the Attorney General.

A ‘beast’ that sells P.M.’s name to rescue rogues of Rajapakse brigand on the rampage..!

-Conspiracy to release Sajin Vaas ; full B report is hereunder

(Lanka-e-News -15.July.2016, 9.30PM) A Private Secretary of the prime minister (P.M.) by the name of Sudath Chandrasekera , an ‘old  cop’ has moved heaven and earth illegally and slyly to get Sajin Vaas Gunwardena the notorious rogue during the nefarious decade and belonging to  the Rajapakse  Blue brigand released on bail , based on reports reaching Lanka e news inside information division.

This rascal of a cop has been providing  a lot of assistance to Vaas  including  securing for him a ministry portfolio, and  had in return collected large sums of money from Vaas. This scoundrel  had successfully got everything what he wanted done by ‘selling the P.M.’s name by saying  , ‘P.M. told’, and ‘on the orders of the P.M.’

Following the exposure of these sinister activities , the P.M. has prohibited him from stepping  into Temple Trees. But he is in Sirikotha.

Sudath has tried to get bail to the notorious crook Sajin Vaas by conspiring with  CID Director , SSP B.R.S.R. Nagahamulla .These two had joined the police service together and are batch mates.

The conspiracy hatched by  Sudath and Nagamulla…

Sajin Vaas was remanded on a B report filed by the CID commercial crimes division in court. In that report it was mentioned Sajin Vaas has collected a sum of Rs. 30 million via extortion from time to time by threatening and frightening Krishna Selvanathan a Tamil national, the owner of ‘Carsons group’ comprising 14 companies,  when Sajin Vaas was holding office ( the full B report is appended). The court while remanding Sajin Vaas ordered to produce  Selvanathan in court.

What Sudath and the CID director Nagahamulla the conspirators who were manipulating  on behalf of Sajin Vaas did was , apprehending Krishna Selvanathan. They had told  him that   Sajin Vaas had agreed to return the extortion monies he collected , and have  coached  Selvanathan to tell court the CID officers who conducted the investigations  and  interrogated Selvanathan recorded his  statement by threatening him. Sudath on that occasion too had not forgotten to say ‘this is on the orders of the P.M.’

Accordingly , Krishna Selvanathan told the magistrate  via an affidavit  that the officers of the commercial crime division of the CID obtained his statement by threatening him. That is he made the statement under duress. Hence , Sajin Vaas was released on bail.( When reading the B report hereunder , it is evident the statement has been recorded sans threats , and is supported on  valid grounds).

It is clearly deducible that Nagahamulla is associated with this conspiracy  . This is because , though he is the director of the CID and it is his paramount duty to investigate  the officers who conducted the probe by ascertaining whether the affidavit was genuine , yet  he has not conducted such an investigation, let alone initiated it.

Based on reports  reaching Lanka e news inside information division in regard to Nagahamulla, he is an impediment to the investigations that are on going against the accused army officers.  Saying, ‘after all they are army comrades’ he is hampering the investigations. If Ravi Wijeratne DIG   in charge the CID is not there , this Nagahamulla would have successfully intervened to suppress many of the investigations.

Meanwhile, irrespective of what Selvanathan is revealing now  about Sajin Vaas Gunawardena , by now it  has come to light that the latter is in possession of far greater assets and funds than what he has stated in his assets and liabilities  declaration .

In his declaration of assets and liabilities, Vaas Gunawardena had stated apart from his monthly salary he receives as an M.P. he has a monthly  income of about Rs. 300,000.00 only. Yet , the amount of cash  in his 15 accounts within SL, is more than Rs. 610 million .Although Sajin Vaas had stated he has resigned from Cosmic Co. of his , he had withdrawn Rs. 150 million from  that Co, calling it  as ‘M.D. withdrawal’ from time to time. It is therefore abundantly clear he had cheated on the government by making false declarations pertaining to his  assets and liabilities.

In any case it is very obvious  that Sudath Chandrasekera has acquired a notoriety in the sphere of rescuing the rogues of the Rajapakse regime after collecting kickbacks from those rogues while ‘selling’ the name of the P.M. In the circumstances , it is incumbent on the P.M  that he takes immediate action to ensure against Sudath engaging in rackets and activities  that could soil P.M.’s reputation and ‘ clean suit.’

The full B report produced to court by the CID in relation to Sajin Vaas can be read by  clicking on the small image hereunder , and clicking again on the ‘magnification .’
 

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by     (2016-07-15 16:47:13)

JVP demands punishment

By Nelani De Costa-2016-07-15

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna yesterday held Minister of Megapolis and Western Development Patali Champika Ranawaka directly responsible for the controversial coal purchasing tender scam which has presumably resulted in the State incurring a loss of Rs 1,803 million.

JVP North Central Provincial Councillor Wasantha Samarasinghe who is also the Convenor of the Voice Against Corruption (VAC) who made a complaint to the Anti- Corruption Secretariat yesterday afternoon, demanded that Minister Ranawaka who was in charge of the  Power and Energy portfolio at the time and officials involved in the alleged scam to be brought to book.

"Minister Ranawaka and the entire Cabinet of Ministers of the 100-day 'good governance' government of President Maithripala Sirisena should be held responsible for defrauding in public finances," Samarasinghe charged.

He said, this scam occurred in 2015 purchases of coal for the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).
"Even the Supreme Court has said, it was surprised by this colossal fraud tantamount to a huge misappropriation of public finances," he said.

Meanwhile, UPFA Parliamentarian Vasudeva Nanayakkara said incumbent Minister of Power and Energy Ranjith Siyambalapitiya was made a scapegoat as he had to put his signature to this deal in which he had no involvement. That deal was completely handled by Minister Ranawaka, he added.