Thailand: Police arrest Russian, Uzbek for stealing over $28.5m using malware

22nd July 2016

THAILAND’S tourist police have arrested a Russian man and an Uzbek woman on suspicion of embedding malware people’s computers and siphoning more than US$28.5 million from their bank accounts.

Authorities announced on Thursday that they had apprehended Dmitry Ukrainsev, 44, and Olga Komova, 25, with cooperation from the U.S.’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Police caught up with Ukrainsev in Pattaya, where he was running a business chartering yachts, while Komova was detained in Koh Chang, where she was employed at a hotel, reported the Bangkok Post.

SEE ALSO: Thailand ranked 5th highest risk for cybersecurity threats in Asia

Speaking to members of the press, Police Maj. Gen. Surachet Hakphan said the U.S. had been looking into the case since 2014 after they uncovered several questionable money transfers into Thailand involving large amounts of money from various countries.

The investigation revealed that the suspects had apparently used malicious software that allowed them to hack into their victims’ computers, where they then swiped sensitive information.

According to Surachet, more than 50 people’s bank accounts and personal banking information were compromised.

The suspects’ victims hailed from a number of countries, such as the U.S., England, Japan, Italy, Australia, and Germany.

Additional reporting by Associated Press

What Everyone’s Getting Wrong About Zimbabwe’s #ThisFlag Movement

It's not just on the internet and it's not just about President Mugabe.

BY CHLOË MCGRATH-JULY 21, 2016

Zimbabwe’s nationwide protest on July 6 was a clear sign that its citizens have had enough — and are discovering the courage to call their government to account. The country’s 92-year-old President Robert Mugabe and his ruling party have run the economy into the ground and appear to be out of options:

Diamond reserves have run out, China is no longer interested in extending condition-free loans, and government coffers are completely empty.
The situation is so bad that even military personnel did not receive their pay on time last month. As if this wasn’t bad enough, the country is facing a severe El Niño-induced drought that has forced the government to declare a state of disaster in some of the worst-affected areas.

At this critical juncture, the recent surge of citizen-led activism — united under the banner of the #ThisFlagmovement — has the potential to upend the status quo. It began this April, when a previously unknown pastor, Evan Mawarire, posted a video on Facebook that went viral and unwittingly launched a nationwide social media campaign. Soon, Zimbabweans at home and in the diaspora began posting videos of themselves draped in the national flag and calling for government reforms to address the numerous serious issues facing the country. Last week, the movement won a critical victory when a court in Harare dropped charges against Mawarire, who had been detained by police following the nationwide protest.

The events in Zimbabwe have captured the attention of the world. But commentators have persistently failed to identify the essence of the movement’s significance. Prevailing sentiment makes two main errors: Analysts either dismiss #ThisFlag as no more than a social media campaign or assert that it is calling for an Arab Spring-like revolution to remove President Mugabe. Both perspectives miss the point:This citizen-led movement is neither restricted to social media, nor is it calling for a revolution. Instead, it aims to mobilize citizens to hold the government accountable for the “poverty, corruption, and injustice” that plague Zimbabwe.

Although it began online, #ThisFlag has long since moved beyond the confines of the internet. In June, the movement organized a public debate with the Reserve Bank Governor to air citizen discontent about the forthcoming “bond notes” — Zimbabwe’s proposed “own version” of the U.S. dollar. Public engagement of this sort in Zimbabwe is rare, as officials are loath to place themselves in the firing line of disgruntled citizens. During the event, a lawyer linked to #ThisFlag presented an articulate legal argument against bond notes and has since begun building a case to challenge the constitutionality of the Reserve Bank’s actions.

Next, the movement organized a peaceful nationwide “stay-away” protest on July 6, resulting in eerily empty streets and an unprecedented one-day closure of schools and businesses across the country. The state responded by arresting Pastor Mawrire, which precipitated the movement’s next mass demonstration on July 13, when thousands of people thronged around the courtroom in his support. (President Mugabe finally broke his silence on the recent events at a state funeral on July 19 when he called for Mawarire to leave the country.)

Such effective use of social media as a tool for mobilizing grassroots activism has rocked the government. You can tell by its reaction: On the day of the nationwide shutdown, it allegedly blocked the WhatsApp private messaging service, which is widely used in Zimbabwe. And, even as it denied any involvement, the country’s Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority released a menacing statement “noting with concern the gross irresponsible use of social media and telecommunications services” and threatening to identify “perpetrators” through “registered SIM cards.” The government’s nervousness shows that it is aware of the role that social media, especially secure private platforms like WhatsApp, can play in mobilizing nonviolent resistance to its rule.

Another common misunderstanding about #ThisFlag is the assumption that the movement is calling for the end of the Mugabe regime. In fact, up until now, its messaging is notable for lacking any such demands. Although other affiliated movements such as #Tajamuka (“we have rebelled”) have repeatedly called for Mugabe’s removal, #ThisFlag has carefully chosen to avoid the “Mugabe must go” mantra that has been repeated by Zimbabwe’s opposition movements for decades to little effect.

The lack of “regime change” rhetoric has been so noteworthy that Mawarire has even been accused of being a government plant, despite his recent assertion that Mugabe is as complicit in the country’s woes as the rest of government.In fact, it is both politically astute and eminently realistic to avoid calling for the president’s removal. In the past, the ruling party’s propaganda has capitalized on denouncing any “regime change” agenda as subversive, whether it comes from Zimbabwe’s citizens or from the international community.

#ThisFlag’s rallying cry against “poverty, injustice, and corruption” has made it much more difficult for government spin doctors to twist the movement’s central message. In any event, it’s unlikely that Mugabe’s immediate removal from office would provide any solutions to the country’s woes. Under a transitional clause in the constitution, upon Mugabe’s death, resignation, or removal, the ruling party can install a leader of its choice. And those waiting in the wings are just as much part of the problem as Mugabe himself. Instead of focusing on the president, #ThisFlag has sought to break people’s fear of speaking out, creating an active citizenry ready to hold its government to account. While #ThisFlag remains explicitly nonpartisan, the movement’s activists are already encouraging citizens to register to vote ahead of the 2018 polls.

The efficacy of non-violent civil resistance has been well documented. Research shows that nonviolent campaigns have significantly higher (53 percent to 26 percent) odds of success than violent resistance for two main reasons. First, non-violent resistance movements enjoy more legitimacy, both domestically and internationally. Second, it is more difficult for an oppressive regime to justify violent crackdowns against a nonviolent movement — and any such action is likely to backfire. #ThisFlag has been explicit in its call to nonviolence, denouncing any acts that involve vandalism or destruction of property and instead encouraging peaceful demonstrations. The movement has focused primarily on policy issues — such as the impending bond notes and a crippling import ban — rather than on personality politics. And this distinctly nonpartisan approach has transcended ethnic, racial, and party divisions, mobilizing citizens around bread-and-butter issues.

Zimbabwe’s notorious security sector — which includes the military, the police, and the intelligence service — remains the elephant in the room. Though these bodies once presented an insurmountable obstacle to any political transition, the situation is no longer so certain. The military’s loyalty is divided among various factions of the increasingly fractured ruling party, and unpaid salaries show that even those essential to bolstering the regime are not escaping the country’s economic crisis.

There have already been some glimpses of softening attitudes among the police, despite the widespread brutality it wielded against protesters in the wake of the shutdown. During Pastor Mawarire’s court proceedings, police officers stationed within the court room joined in song with scores of well-wishers as they awaited the verdict. At one point, riot police stormed the courtroom, but left less than five minutes later after a polite exchange with a defense lawyer. While there is no certainty that #ThisFlag will gain any traction with the security establishment, the movement’s nonpartisan commitment to demanding economic accountability has the potential to resonate with the security forces, particularly when their salaries are delayed.

In these early stages, it is hard to know just how effective #ThisFlag will be. There is much left undone — most importantly, activists must find a way to reach the rural areas where two-thirds of the population lives. The movement must also address how to keep its central message clear while working with activists that may hold different values. But it would be a mistake to overlook the movement’s significance and its potential to bring about transformative change. The combination of dire economic circumstances and innovative civil resistance methods places the government in an unfamiliar corner, and may just set the stage for serious changes as the 2018 elections get closer.

In the photo, anti-riot police guard the entrance of the Harare court where pastor Evan Mawarire was due to appear on charges of inciting public violence on July 13.

Photo credit: JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images

Crispr: Chinese scientists to pioneer gene-editing trial on humans

• Team will start testing cells on patients with lung cancer in August
• Technique can find and replace parts of DNA using an enzyme named Cas9
• The Cas9 protein uses a molecular structure - a system for editing, regulating and targeting genomes. Photograph: Alamy
• Nicky Woolf in San Francisco-Friday 22 July 2016
  
  Led by Lu You, an oncologist at Sichuan University’s West China hospital in Chengdu, China, the team plan to start testing cells modified with Crispr on patients with lung cancer in August, according to the journal Nature.
  Crispr is a game-changer in bioscience; a groundbreaking technique which can find, cut out and replace specific parts of DNA using a specially programmed enzyme named Cas9. Its ramifications are next to endless, from changing the color of mouse fur to designing malaria-free mosquitoes and pest-resistant crops to correcting a wide swath of genetic diseases like sickle-cell anaemia in humans.
  The concept of editing human DNA has often been controversial. In the UK, genetic modification in humans remains off-limits. Peter Mills, assistant director of the UK Nuffield Council on Bioethics, has told the Guardian of the worries it raises about playing god and “designer babies”. 
  A study on non-viable human embryos, also conducted in China, was called off after researchers found what they described as “serious obstacles” to using the method in a clinical setting.
  And in March 2015 a group of researchers published an open letter in Naturesaying that there were “grave concerns” about the ethical and safety implications of editing the “germ-line” in human genes – the genetic code which is passed on.
• A team of Chinese scientists will be the first in the world to apply the revolutionary gene-editing technique known as Crispr on human subjects.
• The Sichuan University trial, it is important to note, does not edit the germ-line; its effects will not be hereditary.
  What the researchers plan to do is enroll patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, Nature reported, and for whom other treatment options – including chemotherapy and radiotherapy – have failed.
  They will then extract immune cells from the patients’ blood and use Crispr to add a new genetic sequence which will help the patient’s immune system target and destroy the cancer. The cells will then be re-introduced into the patients’ bloodstream.
  China has been at the forefront of Crispr research. In 2014, researchers at Nanjing University reported that they had successfully engineered mutations in macaques – the first reported successful use of the technique in non-human primates.
  Crispr was approved for human trials in the US by a research group backed by tech billionaire Sean Parker, but if it begins on schedule in August the Sichuan University study will beat them to the punch of being the first of its kind.

US Senators Show No Courage to Investigate Big Pharma and Save Lives

My testimony in 2007 in front of US Senator Patrick Leahy's Judiciary Committee.

Jul-21-2016

(MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.) - How many deaths could have been prevented Senator Leahy if you had the courage to initiate an investigation into the maker of OxyContin, Purdue Pharma when I implored you to do so? Would we now be fighting for the lives of our children in a Holocaust of heroin deaths?

Testimony
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Evaluating the Propriety and Adequacy of the OxyContin Criminal Settlement
July 31, 2007

Marianne Skolek

_________________________________________

My name is Marianne Skolek. I had a beautiful 29 year old daughter named Jill. She had the misfortune of being prescribed OxyContin in January 2002 and was killed on April 29, 2002.

Senator Leahy at the 20th Women's Economic Opportunity Conference, June 4 2016

Why did a $9 billion privately held pharmaceutical corporation take the life of my precious daughter? My work against Purdue Pharma for the past 5 years initially focused on J. David Haddox, dentist turned psychiatrist and Senior Medical Director of Purdue Pharma. I also focused on Robin Hogen, former Public Relations spokesman for Purdue Pharma.

In 1996, the American Academy of Pain Medicine and the American Pain Society issued a set of guidelines for the use of opiates in the treatment of chronic pain. These guidelines are referred to as a “consensus statement.”

The statement leaning toward a more liberal use of opiates was adopted just as the marketing push for OxyContin began. This consensus statement was produced by a task force, which was headed by J. David Haddox, former president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, who was senior medical advisor for Purdue Pharma – the maker of OxyContin.

Haddox was quoted as saying that “the point was to gather consensus. If you are going to do this, this is how it should be done.”

There was question as to whether it was ethical for Haddox to be associated with a pharmaceutical manufacturer to guide the formation of a document that would play a key role in promoting the use of products made by the company – Purdue Pharma.

When OxyContin was introduced on the market, it was intended for the treatment of cancer patients and they were losing the patent on MS Contin. At one point, in the greed and sheer evil of Purdue Pharma, they intended to market OxyContin to OB/GYN patients.

I flooded the country with emails and faxes to Attorney Generals and the media reporting that we had enough devastation in the country without addicting infants to OxyContin. This marketing ploy was terminated by Purdue Pharma.

Pain patients from various pain societies will speak of the merits of OxyContin and their quality of life being restored because of the drug. These pain societies throughout the country – are funded by Purdue Pharma.

Let the pain patients not a part of any funded pain society of Purdue Pharma speak about the quality of life they have after becoming addicted to OxyContin – and when their physicians refuse to renew prescriptions for the drug – and they go on the street to buy the drug because they can’t kick the habit of this less addictive drug. Ask the FDA and the DEA why OxyContin is in such plentiful supply on the streets all over the country.

Jill and thousands of victims of an out of control, greedy pharmaceutical company headed by three convicted criminals marketed OxyContin as less likely to be addictive and abused.

There are assertions that the only victims in the criminal activities of Purdue Pharma were the physicians who were misled by Purdue Pharma’s sales representatives. The physicians, who were used as pawns by Purdue Pharma, were not ingesting a powerful narcotic that was being marketed as less likely to be addictive or abused – the patients were ingesting OxyContin and were becoming addicted and dying.

If patients aren’t victims of Purdue Pharma’s criminal activities, tell me what they should be called.

The addictions and loss of lives because of OxyContin continue to impact every state in the country every single day. The far reaching consequences of the criminal activity of Purdue Pharma did not end in 2001 or 2002 as they would like it to be believed – no one can turn the clock back. This has been allowed to become a national crisis because there was no conscience in the marketing of OxyContin – there was only greed.

We all hear on the news every day about individuals who work for government agencies or private industry who embezzle funds. Purdue Pharma has been found criminally responsible for marketing OxyContin which resulted in death and addiction.

Is it justice to have these convicted criminals – these monsters – fined an amount of money that is very well afforded by them, or will the Senate send a message that because of the magnitude of the crime committed, they deserve to be further investigated by the Senate?

Anything that is imposed against these convicted criminals will not give us back Jill, but I will guarantee that Purdue Pharma will never forget the name Jill Skolek. When I began my work at exposing these three convicted criminals and Haddox and Hogen, I told Hogen that you messed with the wrong mother – and they did because my work is not over.

I want to know why the FDA allowed OxyContin to cause such destruction to the lives of scores of innocent victims. I want to know why 12 warning letters were sent by the FDA to Purdue Pharma about their marketing of OxyContin and to this day, they are not required to put “highly addictive” or “addictive” on the label of the drug.

I want to know why the FDA deleted without reading so many of my emails about the marketing of OxyContin until this last month. I want to know why Curtis Wright while employed by the FDA played an intricate part in the approval of OxyContin and then was hired by Purdue Pharma.

I want to know why Attorney General Blumenthal of Connecticut’s Citizen Petition which requests strengthened warnings for OxyContin as a result of information they uncovered in their investigation against Purdue Pharma has been sitting at the FDA – without any action – since January 2004.

I want to know how Rudy Guliani could be the “big star” hired by Purdue Pharma to play down the abuse and diversion of OxyContin and also get paid by the DEA for work performed for them. I want to know why the Sackler family has not been held accountable for their involvement with Purdue Pharma and the mass marketing of OxyContin.

Eventually Purdue Pharma will introduce another blockbuster drug similar to OxyContin and as they did with another devastating drug called Palladone. Palladone was removed from the market after a couple of months. I like to think that my faxes and emails all over the country played an intricate part in having it removed.

My advice to Purdue Pharma is when you are ready to introduce another drug such as OxyContin or Palladone, look behind you, because I will be right there.

I will be working at having Howard Udell disbarred for his criminal activities and Paul Goldenheim’s medical license revoked for what amounts to white collar drug trafficking.

I will be actively working at Friedman, Udell and Goldenheim never being able to work in the pharmaceutical industry again because they are convicted criminals who criminally marketed OxyContin.

I will accomplish this – hopefully with the help of Attorney General Blumenthal -- do not doubt me at not being successful at achieving this.

Her name was Jill Carol Skolek. She did not deserve to be prescribed OxyContin and die because of the criminal activities of individuals of Purdue Pharma. Please give my family justice and investigate the criminal activity of Purdue Pharma.

Thank you Senators for giving me the opportunity to speak for thousands of victims of an out of control pharmaceutical corporation.

(Here ends my 2007 testimony in front of US Senator Patrick Leahy's Judiciary Committee.)

Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On Cloture Vote of S.524, the Comprehensive Addiction And Recovery Act

Ongoing Innovation In Prostate Cancer Care

PATIENT PERSPECTIVE Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Canada, with one man in eight being diagnosed within their lifetime, so new treatments can have a huge impact on a large number of people.

Levi with his loved ones, Denise and pet Benji.

Prostate cancer was once a death sentence. See how that is changing with new immunological technologies

Dr. Urban Emmenegger

hile some varieties of prostate cancer can be treated with high success rates surgically, with radiotherapy, or with the use of hormone therapy, some patients will see their disease develop into what is known as metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), which, until recently, had a grim prognosis.

Levi Clain of New Brunswick was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of prostate cancer in 2011, at the age of 72. By the time the cancer was identified, it was already showing two areas of metastasis, and rapidly advanced to mCRPC. If his cancer had developed just a few years earlier, Levi’s outlook would have been dire. “In the past, mCRPC was treated primarily with chemotherapy, which was the only treatment that had shown a survival benefit for patients,” explains Dr. Urban Emmenegger of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, one of the doctors involved in Levi’s treatment. “Since 2010, we have had four new treatments become approved in Canada, all of which improve both survival and quality of life.”

Two of these new medications are very easy to take, administered at home by the patients themselves in the form of simple oral tablets, and they have shown themselves to be very safe and effective. “These new medications work in four out of five patients,” says Dr. Emmenegger. “They can have side effects, but these side effects are highly manageable.”

Not just surviving, but living

For patients, this means an opportunity to continue living and enjoying their lives while undergoing treatment, rather than spending much of their time in and out of hospitals and cancer centres. “If the treatment is working, these are medications that allow patients to continue with their lives,” says Dr. Emmenegger. “They can live just as they did before.”

For Levi, this is exactly what has happened. “In the last five and a half years, I have not really suffered any symptoms of the cancer itself,” says Clain. “The only symptoms I have had were from the treatment, and those have been very minor. My quality of life has been extremely good.”

With his cancer under control, Levi is enjoying life in New Brunswick and the good company he surrounds himself with. “I’ve been extremely fortunate because I have a very lovely lady who gives me tremendous support,” he says. “My morale has been very high because she’s been with me every step of the way since I was diagnosed.”

Levi has recently added to this loving circle with the adoption of a puppy. Thanks to the treatments that are keeping his cancer in check, Levi can look forward to watching his new friend grow old with him.

Research and innovation continue

It’s stories like this one that drive home just how important ongoing innovation in cancer treatment is. 

These new medications are remarkable, but given the speed at which research is progressing, even more advanced therapies may be just around the corner. “We have a lot of good tools now, but we would obviously like to have even better ones,” says Dr. Emmenegger. “There are some very interesting and promising clinical trials going on right now.”

For the 24,000 Canadian men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, this is very good news, and it is getting better every day. Stories like Levi’s will grow more and more common.

 

D.F. MCCOURT, ca.editorial@mediaplanet.com

Tamil protestors fend off Sri Lankan military land surveyors 22 July 2016 A group of Tamil protestors staged a demonstration in Mannar on Wednesday, as Sri Lankan military land surveyors attempted to acquire a disputed tranche of land in the region. The demonstrators gathered in Pallimunai after surveyors attached to the Sri Lankan navy attempt to initiate allocations of land located in a housing scheme to military personnel. Kalanidhi Gunaseelan a member of the Northern Provincial Council led the demonstration and demanded the military surveyors halt all activity on the land until legal proceedings have completed. There has been at least three other reported attempts of Tamil protestors beating back military surveyors in the past year alone, despite pledges by the Sri Lankan government to release military occupied land in the Tamil North-East. See our earlier posts: Tamil protestors block military surveyors (08 Mar 2016) Tamil protestors beat back Sri Lankan military surveyors (29 Apr 2016) Sri Lankan military intimidates Tamil protestors in Poonakari (12 May 2016)

UN must do more to fight causes of extremism, says frontrunner for top job

Former New Zealand PM Helen Clark makes global security central plank of her pitch for replacing Bank Ki-moon as secretary general

 Helen Clark speaks during a debate at the UN general assembly in New York between candidates vying to be the next secretary general. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

Ed Pilkington in New York-Thursday 21 July 2016

The United Nations must do a better job at combating the root causes of violent extremism and global insecurity, Helen Clark, one of the frontrunners to succeed Ban Ki-moon as UN secretary general, has said.

With jitters rising around the world in the wake of recent attacks in Nice, France; Wurzburg, Germany; and Orlando, Dallas and Baton Rouge in the US, Clark said the UN was struggling over global security. “The UN is seen to be not doing so well on the peace and security front,” the former prime minister of New Zealand told the Guardian.

Clark said that the UN’s archaic bureaucratic structure was proving a drag on its ability to help in the fight against extremist attacks. “We have the tools from the middle of the last century to fight today’s battles, and we can do better than that.”

She said: “If we are going to effectively fight violent extremism it’s not just intelligence and security cooperation that’s important, it’s addressing the root causes. That takes you into development, human rights, peace-building: how can we get them to work in harmony to address these issues?”

Clark spoke to the Guardian in New York just days before the UN security council holds the first of three straw polls in which the 15 member states will begin to indicate their preferred candidates. At a time of unprecedented anxiety and fractiousness in politics – expressed in the UK’s Brexit decision to withdraw from Europe and the fear-mongering tactics of Donald Trump at the Republican national convention in Cleveland – her pitch for the top job in global governance is centering around her self-projection as a safe pair of hands.

“The UN needs someone with leadership ability, experience, judgment – someone who is predictable, practical, pragmatic, who likes to get results,” she said.

The approach is strikingly similar to that of Hillary Clinton in the US presidential race, where the former secretary of state is billing herself as the dependable option in an increasingly unstable world. Against that model stands the maverick rule-breaking volatility of the Trump campaign that is the polar opposite of a safe pair of hands.

So could a UN secretary general Helen Clark work with a US president Donald Trump?

Clark, who proved her political stamina and resilience by holding on to the premier’s position in New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, said her track record spoke for itself.

“It’s been my job in life to work with people with very different approaches,” she said. “In my time as prime minister I worked with George Bush for eight of the nine years, and John Howard for eight of the nine years.”

Since 2009 she’s been head of one of the UN’s most important departments, the development programme UNDP. Her tough approach to management efficiency and cutting budgets has won her plaudits from the US administration, the UN’s main funder, but prompted grumbling from within the institution.

Foreign Policy magazine recently carried a probe into Clark’s management style that reported widespread disgruntlement among staff. The article talked of a “trail of embittered peers and subordinates” in UNDP and told the story of an official who was allegedly driven out by Clark in retaliation for the employee’s participation in a critical review of the agency’s response to human rights abuses in Sri Lanka.

Clark denied that her reorganisation of UNDP had been an internal disaster. She said the number of employment tribunals brought by individuals was “tiny, a handful”.

“One of the hardest things is to change an organisation, as people have a vested interests in the way things are. But not to do it, knowing that the whole nature of funding is changing and you have to be much more adaptable, is not an option – you have to act in the interests of the organisation.”

Clark also dismissed the claims about the allegedly retaliatory treatment of the official: “I have no evidence of that”. She said there were legitimate criticisms of the way the UN dealt with Sri Lankan abuses during the civil war with the Tamil Tigers, but said the conflict was officially declared over a month after she started at the helm of UNDP – “it was before my time”.

Being a self-avowed pragmatist, Clark knows better than to promise a radical restructuring of the UN security council with its 20^th-century dominance of the five permanent members – US, UK, France, Russia and China. The secretary general has no power to make such changes that could only come from the P5 itself.

But she did put in an appeal: “I hope member states will agree to reform, as the world is clearly not what it was in 1945. You have to make the UN more effective. If we didn’t have it today we’d have to invent it, and now that we’ve got it we have to reinvent, renovate, renew, overhaul it.”

She pledged to clamp down on crimes committed by UN peacekeepers amid thebillowing scandal around sexual exploitation and abuse by troops in the Central African Republic. “No trooper going into these situations should be under any allusions of what the expectations and standards are. The slightest whiff of a problem, stand the person down, investigate. Blue helmets are set up to protect people, not to prey on them.”

And Clark promised to respect whistleblower protections where UN staff can safely sound the alarm on corruption or wrong-doing from within. “The point is listen hard: if there is any suggestion of wrongdoing, deal with it.”

This year’s selection process for Ban’s successor has been staged with unprecedented openness, with the 12 candidates engaging in public hustingsfor the first time. But with veto-wielding Russia indicating that it expects the job to go to one of the eight candidates from eastern Europe in accordance with Buggins’ turn, Clark is under no illusions about how the final decision will be made.

She says the new openness in the process spearheaded by the general assembly has thrown up a different kind of lead candidate, but it remains unclear whether that will result in a different kind of appointment.

“Will it be Buggins’ turn again? We don’t know it won’t be. All we know is that when the call went out there was no sub-clause saying ‘Don’t bother to apply if you’re not from X region’. Given the problems the world faces, surely you would have a global search for the best talent for this job. The focus has to be on the problems the UN has to face, and who is the best candidate to deal with them.”

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS ON RECONCILIATION MECHANISMS

July 20, 2016 at 12:28 pm

The Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms is calling for submissions from diaspora organisations on the design of structures, processes and measures for truth, accountability, reparations and non-recurrence, i.e. an Office on Missing Persons, an Office on Reparations; a Judicial Mechanism with a Special Counsel; a Truth, Justice, Reconciliation and Non-Recurrence Commission; and any other mechanisms, processes or measures for advancing reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

Submissions can be made to the Task Force by diaspora organisations/ individuals until July 28, 2016. 

Please see announcement in English, Sinhala and Tamil.

Consultations-on-Reconciliation-Mechanisms.pdf by Thavam Ratna on Scribd

Tamil people’s proposals rejected – Sampanthan

2016-07-21

The Tamil people's proposals were not included in Sri Lanka's Constitution when it was being framed in the past, Leader of the Opposition and Tamil National Alliance Rajavarothayam Sampanthan said.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Sri Lanka – German Technical Training Institute in Kilinochchi on Monday (18), Sampanthan said that Tamil leaders had made certain proposals to be included in the Constitutions, when they were being framed in 1972 and 1978, but those proposals had all been rejected.

He added that the Tamil and Sinhalese people, who supported the SLFP, had not contributed to the framing of the Constitution during the time of UNP rule and that had resulted in the country not going forward and prospering.

He said President Maithripala Sirisena has made many a genuine effort to amend the Constitution and ensure the participation of all peoples and political parties of this country.

He asked the President to bring about a situation where every citizen of the country could feel that this country belongs to them and they belong to the country. (MT)

Premechandran on northern problems and Govt. inaction 

Friday, 22 July 2016

EPRLF Leader and TNA member Suresh Premechandran
Q: What is the latest with regard to the Jaffna University clash?

A: I do not know why this much of exposure is given to this drama. Earlier there were three incidents in the Eastern University. There was some misunderstanding and as a result a brawl took place between Tamil and Sinhalese students; they were both assaulted and Tamil students were hospitalised. These things have happened earlier. This is not the first time. The Education Minister or the Higher Education Minister didn’t take much notice. But when it comes to Jaffna University, the matter was blown out of proportion.

The Sinhalese students were assaulted, one child was hospitalised and he was later discharged. The Northern Governor went and met these students. The Education Minister went to the hospital. On Tuesday three Ministers came to Jaffna. Today (Friday) the seven members of the University Grant Commission are coming here. The Jaffna University appointed a three-member committee to investigate this matter.

I don’t understand why they are giving this much of prominence to this incident. But I can tell you one thing, definitely such disturbances are backed by some unknown and powerful group in Jaffna. Not only here even in the east there is an unknown group behind similar incidents. Because of the heavy militarisation and military intelligence having dealings with the students, they are trying to create uncertainty in these areas. This may be to create problems against the Government. These officials may be supporters of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. I think these are the people who are behind most of these unfortunate incidents. They are pushing some of the Sinhalese students to create this sort of adverse situation.

There is no point punishing the Sinhalese students or the Tamil students. What they need to do is to investigate the reasons behind these incidents and find out who is behind them. These people have to be identified and dealt with. The authorities must punish those people, not the students.

About a week back, in Sampalthivu, Trincomalee, a Buddhist temple was put up. Sampalthivu is a 100% Tamil village. There was a Ganesha statue in the corner of a place. Suddenly this statue was demolished and a Buddha statue was put up in that place. I asked Sampanthan who is doing these things. He says some people who are against the Government are doing it because they want to create problems against the Government. If that is the case, Government must take immediate action to stop that.

In Mullaitivu District, some people are building a Buddhist temple, but there was a stay order given by the Mullaitivu Judge against the construction, because it is taking place on a private land, a disputed land. The Judge has given an order to stop the construction till the case is over, but the Buddhist monks are going ahead with the construction. They are not concerned about the stay order. The Government has not taken any action so far.

These are some of the matters taking place in the northern area. The Government is also simply watching all this and not taking any action. Anything can happen in this part of the country.

Q: Are you saying Mahinda Rajapaksa loyalists are behind the Jaffna University matter and other similar incidents that are taking place in the north?

A: There is a possibility of that. But the thing is, the Government never investigates these matters and never arrests anybody. The Government is allowing these things to take place. Various incidents are taking place right now in Trincomalee, Jaffna and Mullaitivu that disturb ethnic harmony. Moves are afoot to put up a 67-foot Buddha statue in Nagadeepa. I don’t understand why they want to do this. Before you resolve the existing problems, why are they trying to create more trouble?

You know very well that there are victory monuments in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Elephant Pass. What sort of message are you going to give to the Tamil people? Why is the Government allowing all these things? Why are Army officials involved in all these things? Just because they are military, can they act in such an illogical way? Why doesn’t the Government take measures to stop these sorts of unwanted matters? These are some of the questions we have.

Q: Why do you feel it’s wrong to build a Buddhist temple in the north?

A: If there are Sinhalese people and if they want to have a Buddhist temple, I don’t see any wrong in building one in any part of the country. One classic example is Sampalthivu in Trincomalee. There isn’t a single Sinhalese person living in this area.

Why do you need a Buddhist statue there? Even in Kokkulai, it is a private land belonging to a Tamil man that was forcefully taken over by the forces. Why do they want to put up a Buddhist temple there? There is another Buddhist temple to be built at Iranamadu, Kilinochchi. Why are they trying to create unnecessary problems? We are not against Buddhism. They can build any number of temples is areas where Buddhists are living. But what are they trying to gain by putting up temples in Tamil areas? There is nobody in these areas to visit these temples or worship.

Q: How can you campaign for reconciliation having this kind of mindset?

A: Where is reconciliation? What reconciliation are you talking about? Of course the Government talks a lot about reconciliation. But let me tell you the current situation is not healthy for both Sinhalese and Tamil people. If they want reconciliation they should stop these unwanted problems, at least temporarily.

Unlike the previous regime the present Government makes an attempt to accommodate opinions of the Tamils. I have to admit they have a friendly approach towards the Tamils. They are trying to sort out the problems. Definitely there must be a clear resolution. According to the Constitution and law and order they can do it. We are not going to be against it.

Unfortunately some people are trying to sabotage this. They may be the people who are against reconciliation. They may be the supporters of the past regime. I do not know who they are. But definitely they are harassing the Tamil people. They want to create unwanted situations over here and put the blame on the Tamils.

These people are trying to make the entire Northern Province a Sinhala Buddhist area. They know very well that this is a Tamil majority area. They are only trying to provoke the Tamils. Then they can say Tamils are creating problems.

We are not against Buddhism. We are not against any sort of religion. Why at this moment, before resolving all the problems, do they want to put up Buddhist statues? There are many things that needs to be done in these areas before building Buddhist temples. People in these areas lived with a 30-year-long war. The Government should give them a better life, better living standards. Before any of that is done, when they see these types of unwanted incidents taking place, they will have doubts about the on Government.

Q: What are your remarks about the Jaffna University clash?

A: There are 17 universities in Sri Lanka. The University Grants Commission must have the same yardstick for each and every university. They cannot have different yardsticks for Jaffna and Batticaloa universities. Both these universities are in Tamil areas and most of the activities in these two universities take place based on Tamil tradition. If we take University of Ruhuna, Kelaniya, Colombo or Wayamba, most activities take place according to the Sinhala Buddhist tradition and nobody will question these things. University of Jaffna must be a national university but definitely it is in a Tamil area. All these years, all functions took place in line with Tamil tradition. This time too they wanted to follow the same. That’s it.

Q: Nisha Biswal during her visit commended post-war reconciliation efforts by the present Government. Your comments?

A: This Government earlier cheated the Tamil people. There were several agreements. All were cleared away. This time the Government cheated the United Nations Human Rights Commission and the international community. There is a resolution passed at the United Nations Human Rights Commission. That was sponsored by Sri Lanka. Each and every word were approved and accepted by Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka accepted a domestic mechanism under prosecutors and lawyers. They said they will accommodate Commonwealth and international judges. Now the President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister are saying they will not do it. They are saying they will not invite foreign judges. The affected people will not have any say in the Sri Lankan Judiciary. The Sri Lankan Judiciary will not give them proper judgments. They strongly feel there must be international judges. That is the only way these affected people can get some remedy.

Unfortunately the same Government which promised to support this is now totally against it. I don’t know whether there will be an investigation commission. Even the Foreign Minister says it is only if there are any war crimes that they have to appoint an investigation body. They are saying if there are no war crimes, there is no need for an investigation commission. How are they going to decide whether there were war crimes or not?

The United Nations appointed a three-member committee head by Darusman. They have submitted a report saying there is enough evidence there were war crimes against humanity. That is why the United Nations Human Rights Commission passed a resolution calling for a mechanism to investigate these matters. Now the Sri Lankan Government does not want to do it. In that situation I don’t think that will be acceptable to the Tamil people and diaspora and there is no other alternative except for us to take it up again with the international community.

Q: Is this the stand of the TNA or is just the view of the EPRLF?

A: The EPRLF is a part of the TNA. We are of the view that we cannot accept a domestic mechanism without international judges. I think most of the constituent parties within the TNA are of the same view.

Q: What is the actual situation in the north at present?

A: The Army is still controlling a large amount of private land. In the north and east only some 3,000 acres were released. This year 118 plots of land have been identified by the Army for its own purposes. Some have two acres, some have 20 to 30 acres. The Army has said it needs these plots of land; some areas they say are for cultivation purposes. The Army at present has the same agenda it had during the Rajapaksa regime. It has not changed.

Although the Government has changed, the administration and policy as far as the Tamils are concerned have not changed. In that situation people cannot be resettled fully. They are still in camps. There are Buddhist temples coming up unnecessarily. People in the north are not happy at all. We expected this Government to try and resolve some of these things much earlier. President Sirisena said within six months he would resettle all these people, but he has failed to do it. This is the sad situation in Jaffna.

Q: What are your thoughts on the new Constitution? Do you have any proposals?

A: Already the Northern Provincial Council and the Tamil People’s Council have given two reports for constitutional changes. I think that there are comprehensive reports. If these reports are considered carefully, there can be a proper constitution for Sri Lanka in its entirety. I do not know how far they will discuss these matters at the steering committee. We have to wait and see how far they will accommodate our proposals.

Q: We see Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister Wigneswaran taking extreme views most the time. Do you agree?

A: The Northern Provincial Council is a Tamil provincial council. The Tamil people fought for a separate state. A provincial council in such an area must use limited powers they have to fight for their people. This is why we want much more power. Nobody can deny that.

Even Sampanthan in the election manifesto said to the Tamil people that if he was elected he would fight for the merger of the north and east and fight for the Tamil people and sovereignty of the Tamil people. Under this we will have a federal autonomous state in the north east. This is the promise given by Sampanthan to the Tamil people. It is for this reason that the people voted. That is the mandate given to Sampanthan. Now is that an extreme view? This is the same view followed by Chief Minister Wigneswaran.

The TNA manifesto was drafted by Sampanthan and other party members. Then they too have to be blamed for having extreme views. Chief Minister Wigneswaran is only trying to implement what is in the manifesto. All of us are trying to achieve all of this within a united Sri Lanka. Everyone must understand that.

Q: What is the clash with TNA Leader Sampanthan?

A: There are contradictions. We are a four-party alliance. Sampanthan is having his way. Maybe the rest of the members wants to implement their thinking. There are disputes. If the ITAK headed by Sampanthan cannot come to an understanding with the rest of the parties in the TNA, anything can happen in the future.