Prosecutors question Julian Assange at Ecuador embassy in London

Prosecutor Ingrid Isgren from Sweden arrives at Ecuador's embassy to interview Julian Assange in London, Britain, November 14, 2016.REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

By Paul Sandle and Guy Faulconbridge | LONDON-Tue Nov 15, 2016

Prosecutors on Monday questioned WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has been holed up for four years, in an investigation into allegations that he committed rape in Sweden in 2010.

Assange, who enraged Washington by publishing a flood of secret U.S. diplomatic cables, fled to the embassy for fear that, if extradited to Sweden, he could be sent on to the United States and face a long prison term there for leaking U.S. secrets.

Swedish Chief Prosecutor Ingrid Isgren spent around four hours in the embassy, where she posed questions through an Ecuadorian prosecutor, before leaving without making comment.

Ecuador, which helped Assange avoid extradition by granting him asylum after he fled to its London legation, agreed to help Swedish prosecutors question Assange, who has denied the rape allegation.

"Today, after six years of offering his statement to the Swedish authorities, Julian Assange has finally been afforded the opportunity to do so," WikiLeaks said in a statement.

But it complained that Assange's Swedish lawyer, Per Samuelson, was not notified or summoned to attend the session, and his absence was "a clear breach of process".

A member of Assange's legal team, Melinda Taylor, said procrastination on the part of Swedish investigators had denied Assange any right to clear his name.

"As a result of six years of delays and over four and a half years of illegal and arbitrary detention, Mr Assange is today faced with (a) Hobson's choice: either he gives a statement in which his health, memory and psychological state are severely impeded, or, he is denied once more, an opportunity to be heard," she said by email.

The 45-year-old Australian has refused to go to Sweden for questioning, saying that would expose him to further extradition to the United States, where a criminal investigation into the publication of secret documents by WikiLeaks continues.

In 2010, WikiLeaks published thousands of classified U.S. military and diplomatic documents in what became one of the largest information leaks in U.S. history.

Assange made international headlines in early 2010 when WikiLeaks released classified U.S. military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters that killed a dozen people in Baghdad, including two Reuters news staff.

EMBASSY QUESTIONING

Under conditions agreed by Ecuador, Isgren and a police investigator asked questions through the Ecuadorian prosecutor, who will then report the findings to Sweden, which will then decide whether to continue the investigation.

Samuelson, Assange's Swedish lawyer, said he had been barred from the meeting. "Ecuador refuses to let me in and insists that the questioning will continue without my presence, against my client's wishes to have me there," he told Reuters.

While Assange's Ecuadorean defence lawyer appeared to be present, Samuelson said he still hoped to be admitted if the interview continued. "But a good chunk of questioning has already taken place as far as I understand," he said.

A Swedish appeals court decided in September to uphold Assange's arrest warrant, saying a strong public interest argument outweighed a case to set it aside based on the lengthy deadlock and a previous lack of impetus in pursuing the case.

Assange's request to have the warrant overturned came after a U.N. panel assessed in February that his stay at the Ecuadorean embassy amounted to arbitrary detention, and said he should be let go and be awarded compensation.

Even if Sweden drops the investigation, however, Assange could be arrested for breaching bail conditions in Britain.

(Additional reporting by Peter Nicholls and Daniel Dickson; editing by Mark Heinrich)

2016 will be the hottest year on record, UN says

World Meteorological Organisation figures show global temperature is 1.2C above pre-industrial levels and will set a new high for the third year running

A heatwave in India where temperatures were recorded at 51.0C. Climate change means the occurrence and impact of extreme weather events has risen. Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty Images

Damian Carrington-Monday 14 November 2016 

2016 will very likely be the hottest year on record and a new high for the third year in a row, according to the UN. It means 16 of the 17 hottest years on record will have been this century.

The scorching temperatures around the world, and the extreme weather they drive, mean the impacts of climate change on people are coming sooner and with more ferocity than expected, according to scientists.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report, published on Monday at the global climate summit in Morocco, found the global temperature in 2016 is running 1.2C above pre-industrial levels. This is perilously close to to the 1.5C target included as an aim of the Paris climate agreement last December.

The El Niño weather phenomenon helped push temperatures even higher in early 2016 but the global warming caused by the greenhouse gas emissions from human activities remains the strongest factor.

“Another year. Another record,” said WMO secretary-general, Petteri Taalas. “The extra heat from the powerful El Niño event has disappeared. The heat from global warming will continue.”

“Because of climate change, the occurrence and impact of extreme events has risen,” he said. “‘Once in a generation’ heatwaves and flooding are becoming more regular.”

The WMO said human-induced global warming had contributed to at least half the extreme weather events studied in recent years, with the risk of extreme heat increasing by 10 times in some cases.

“It is almost as if mother nature is making a statement,” said climate scientist Michael Mann, at Penn State University in the US. “Just as one of the planet’s two largest emitters of carbon has elected a climate change denier [Donald Trump] - who has threatened to pull out of the Paris accord - to the highest office, she reminds us that she has the final word.”

“Climate change is not like other issues that can be postponed from one year to the next,” he said. “The US and world are already behind; speed is of the essence, because climate change and its impacts are coming sooner and with greater ferocity than anticipated.”

The record-smashing heat led to searing heatwaves across the year: a new high of 42.7C was recorded in Pretoria, South Africa in January; Mae Hong Son in Thailand saw 44.6C on 28 April; Phalodi in India reached 51.0C in May and Mitribah in Kuwait recorded 54.0C in July. Parts of Arctic Russia also saw extreme warming - 6C to 7C above average

Arctic ice reached its equal second lowest extent in the satellite record in September while warm oceans saw coral mortality of up to 50% in parts of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

Extreme weather and climate related events have damaged farming and food security, affecting more than 60 million people, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. The level of CO2 in the atmosphere has also broken records in 2016, with May seeing the highest monthly value yet - 407.7 ppm - at Mauna Loa, in Hawaii.

The forecast for 2017 is another very hot year, but probably not a record breaker.

“As the El Niño wanes, we don’t anticipate that 2017 will be another record-breaking year,” said Dr Peter Stott at the UK’s Met Office. “But 2017 is likely to be warmer than any year prior to the last two decades because of the underlying extent of [human-caused] warming due to the increasing atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases.”

However, another analysis released at the UN summit in Morocco showed that global carbon emissions have barely grown in the last three years, following decades of strong growth. The main reason is China burning less coal.

Professor Corinne Le Quéré, at University of East Anglia in the UK, who led the analysis, said: “This third year of almost no growth in emissions is unprecedented at a time of strong economic growth. This is a great help for tackling climate change but it is not enough. Global emissions now need to decrease rapidly, not just stop growing.”

The WMO’s temperature analysis combines the three main records, from the Met Office, Nasa and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and stretches back to 1880.

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Inability to store fat safely increases diabetes risk

SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

14 November 2016

Being unable to store excess fat safely in the body increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart attacks and strokes, Cambridge University research suggests.

A study of 200,000 people showed that those with a variation in their genetic make-up were less likely to deposit fat under the skin in the lower body.

This can lead the body to become resistant to the hormone insulin.

The scientists said their findings explain why even slim people who eat too much and are inactive are at risk.

And they added that a healthy diet and physical exercise is important, regardless of body weight.

Genetic link

Insulin is a hormone that controls levels of blood sugar.

When the body becomes resistant to it, levels of blood sugars and lipids rise, increasing the risk of diabetes and heart disease - but no-one is sure why insulin resistance happens and why some people become resistant when overweight, and others do not.

International figures show that 43% of people who develop type 2 diabetes are obese, 43% are overweight and 14% have a healthy weight.

The Cambridge study, published in Nature Genetics, found that a large proportion of the population has inherited some of 53 separate genetic variants that inhibit the storage of fat safely under the skin, particularly in the lower half of the body.

Their fat is more likely to end up in the bloodstream or stored in and around the body's central organs.

The study said people who have more of this genetic material are at much greater risk of type 2 diabetes - no matter what their BMI (body mass index) is.

Fat location

In the 20% of the population with the highest number of these genetic variants, their risk of diabetes rose by 39% compared to the 20% of the population with the lowest genetic risk.

People with fat storage problems can end up with fat accumulating in and around the liver, pancreas and muscles - where it causes insulin resistance and eventually type 2 diabetes.

Dr Luca Lotta, from the Medical Research Council epidemiology unit at the University of Cambridge, said that fat stored in the arms, legs and under the skin played an important role.

"Our results highlight the important biological role of peripheral fat tissue as a deposit of the surplus of energy due to overeating and lack of physical exercise."

Jaffna Uni remembers 2 students killed by Sri Lankan police

13 Nov  2016

On Tuesday students at the University of Jaffna paid tribute to the two students who were last month shot dead by Sri Lankan police officers. 

Hundreds of students attended the memorial event, laying flowers and lighting candles. 

The killing of the students, 23 year old Nadarasa Kajan and 24 year old Pavunraj Sulaxan, sparked protests and demonstrations across the North-East, demanding justice. 

His Excellency, if your dog is mad administer anti rabies injection otherwise it can make you and country mad !

(Lanka-e-News -13.Nov.2016, 11.30PM)  The best and most loving security sentinel of man is the dog , and none other. There   are  dogs which are trained and possessed of  the habit of holding the ears of the blind. However if this dog is suffering from rabies , the blind person will have to face the fate of being bitten by the same mad dog , and himself dying after going mad , not to mention he/she  roaming without direction and travelling  along the wrong road . 

Karunasena Kodituwakku the defense secretary is the most important of the secretaries of president Maithripala Sirisena  cum  defense minister. Sadly , this secretary has contracted the madness of Gotabaya.  Consequent upon this madness , this eccentric bloke has acted most queerly and insanely.
 
Gagan Bulathsighala was the Air Force Commander who retired some months ago.  Yet he hadn’t  so far  handed over the official residence ‘Air house’ to the new Air force commander. Neither did he hand over the official vehicle. Believe it or not  Gagan is still staying put in the official residence while also retaining the security contingent of 63 Air force soldiers (male and female) 

Among these 63 soldiers are women soldiers who serve Samanthi the wife of Gagan, engaged in duties in the kitchen including cooking and cleaning .Lanka e news had reported this on several occasions ,and the secretary to the prime minister too had phoned  rapacious and rabies infected  Gagan in regard to this , and requested him to return the official residence and the official vehicle .  Gagan however had not heeded it.

The Air Force in writing informed the president who is also  the defense minister about this , and the president immediately directed Gagan to return  the official residence and the vehicle.  Lo and behold ! Gagan did not care two hoots .  

What is this inordinate  power this  pensioner has to ignore the requests made by the president and the P.M.’s secretary ?

This inordinate power of this pensioner is that of Karunasena Hettiarachi , the president’s  defense secretary .To  Hettiarachi who is a booze addict and a rapist it is Gagan  who supplies women to him. Hence , he cannot sever his connections with Gagan.

After the president instructed Gagan to leave , and after the conclusion of the security council meeting , Hettarachi  addressing the other leaders of the forces said as follows :

 ‘Allow Gagan to stay longer  in that house .He is a man who helped the  ‘defense secretary’ immensely at that time. He cannot be kicked out.  We must arrange to help him go to a respectable house’

The ‘defense secretary’ Hettiarachi referred to was , none other than Gotabaya Rajapakse the devil incarnate.

On the orders of Hettiarachi who spoke that way ,  a special team of the army out of army funds  and raw materials  has started renovating a house at Wijerama Mawatha belonging to the mother of Gagan’s wife Samanthi .This team comprising about 50 members under  an army Lieutenant are transporting building  materials belonging to the army in army trucks to renovate the house of the retired Air Force commander’s mother in law spending (wasting) public funds. Anyone can go to the site and verify the truth of our report .

Meanwhile on the 9 th ,the new Air Force Commander Kapila Jayampathy called back the 63 soldiers who were being unlawfully employed in Gagan’s  ‘Air house.’  It was Hettiarachi who is suffering from AIDS  (acquired intelligence deficiency syndrome)  who came forward again in Gagan’s defense.

Hettiarachi immediately instructed the army commander Chrishantha Silva to provide army  security (soldiers) detail to Gagan . Accordingly a platoon of 25 army soldiers  was sent to provide security to Gagan’s house and for menial work of his wife on the 10 th. When inquiries were made  into this , a responsible officer of the army said ,only about three soldiers were dispatched for security detail , which is untrue.

There are certain privileges a retired commander is lawfully entitled to, but nowhere is it stated they can be provided with  soldiers for security. It is nowhere mentioned that they   can renovate the house of their   mothers in law enlisting the army out of Government funds.  Neither is it stated they can remain in the official residence and use the official vehicle as long as they want after retirement , without handing them over to the government . 

Moreover Gagan Bulathsinghala  is  not a commander who did yeoman service to  deserve special privileges – he is a notorious crook out and out ….

Hence under the circumstances, what Hettiarachi has done is a grave abuse of his official position , and misuse of public funds. The president Maithripala Sirisena  too is rendered liable for the grave wrongdoings and misdeeds of his secretary .

Of course as long as powers of president is being wielded these malpractices and misdeeds can be concealed , but when that  power leaves , even the posse of sycophants , scoundrels, sidekicks and hangers on will leave him  on the lurch . After that happens  ,  is he  going to weep  and wail  “Revenge is being taken on me”  when he is   hauled up before the FCID , CID and the Commission investigating bribery and corruption .

His Excellency the president …
Therefore , isn’t it much better rather than face all that trauma and despair ,  administer the rabies injection now itself to these mad dogs of yours and cure the disease. If that is not possible , decapitate the rabid dog and hand over the head to the MRI  for examination and save your own neck now itself.  Otherwise one thing is sure ,that dog is going to infect you too  with the madness meaning that the whole country  will finally become a lunatic asylum. None including you would prefer that , would you ? 

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by     (2016-11-13 23:03:59)

70 Judicial officers transferred

2016-11-13

Seventy Judicial Officers including District Judges, Additional District Judges, Chief Magistrates, Magistrates and Additional Magistrates have been transferred by the Judicial Service Commission with effect from January 1, 2017.

Deputy Secretary of the Judicial Service Commission R.P.D.P.P. Ratnayake said the move was in line with annual transfers and stated that any appeals regarding the decision should reach the Judicial Service Commission Secretariat on or before November 25, 2016

Charges paid for filing cases cannot be approved - Ceylon Teacher's Union

Nov 13, 2016

As the number of cases accumulated  to be examined in courts are becoming greater and as it is getting delayed instead of finding solutions for that it is not appropriate to approve the charges incurred for filing cases by proposing to the budget which makes the persons who had been victimized to become  more feeble is the belief of the officials of the Ceylon Teacher's Union.

Adding further to this matter the Secretary of the Lanka Teachers Society Joseph Starling had made a plea to the Sri Lanka Law society in this regard. 
 
The Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake had presented in the budget in this manner: 
 
 
485 - Lodging of court fees: As a number of court cases have got accumulated. The entire legal podium is confronted with a huge task.The delay in giving verdicts have been the main cause for the setback.This is a matter of concern for the government.Hence  for any person who intents to file a case in courts a charge for it is proposed.

Alliance For Economic Democracy Calls On Public To Resist Yahapalanaya Budget

November 13, 2016

While emphasising that the Yahapalanaya Government’s budget will accelerate a financial crisis and lead to social exclusion, the Alliance for Economic Democracy has urged the citizenry and peoples’ organisations including trade unions, estate workers, farmer and fisher organisations, and student and teachers unions, to resist the 2017 budget the people cannot afford and build a movement to reverse these policies.

In a statement the alliance said, “the theme of the 2017 Budget as stated by Finance Minister, Ravi Karunanayake, in his speech on Thursday is ‘Accelerating Growth with Social Inclusion.’ Alliance for Economic Democracy believes that it is in fact a budget that will accelerate the crisis and lead to social exclusion. The IMF Agreement and the Appropriations Bill reflected an impending Austerity Budget. It is clear now that the objective of the budget, is to reduce the role of the state in providing essential services and distribution of resources. The budget, reflecting the vision of the Government, is paving the way for elites to benefit in three major areas: 1) financial speculative investments, 2) privatisation and 3) trade liberalisation, while increasing the economic burden for the people.”

According to the Alliance, Karunanayake’s budget has proposed revising the Banking Act and expanding the draconian Debt Recoveries Act, creating the necessary infrastructure to expand the financial sector and to entrench loans and financing in every aspect of people’s daily lives. “Not only does it seek to expedite the issuing of loans and expand micro-credit, it plans to extract rural people’s savings by amalgamating Cooperative Rural Banks. Introducing such measures as restructuring SEC operations, consolidating and raising the capital assets threshhold of banks and financial institutions, the government hopes it will be able to attract foreign capital to invest in the country. Further, it has proposed plans to expand the real estate and insurance sectors, even extending health insurance for students. These proposals point to the worrying trend of expanding risky speculative investments, we have seen around the world, leading to accelerated financial crisis and increased inequality.”

The Alliance for Economic Democracy is a movement consisting of trade unions, student unions, progressive intellectuals, social organisations and activists who believe that the economic policies of the country should not be for the benefit of a few, but in the interest of all people

The statement said that the budget is even setting a precedent by establishing a Financial Assets Management Agency and using state funds to bail out and rescue ailing financial institutions. “Wealthy investors make quick profits through financial speculation and exit before a crisis. The economic costs of the crisis, however, are transferred to those in the lower strata of society, whether in the form of bank bailouts, hidden corporate subsidies, or a general decline in services,” the alliance said.

Read More

Villagers who protested release of MP’s nephew in fatal accident to be arrested

2016-11-13

The Thelikada Police had informed the Court that it would soon arrest five more villagers, who protested over a release of a 17-year-old nephew of Opposition MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena, in connection with a fatal accident in Hikkaduwa..

 Around 500 villagers in Gonapeenuwala, Hikkaduwa took to the streets in a protest against the release of the under-aged suspect, who was charged in the fatal accident which killed a 27-year-old and a 28-year-old in September, 2016. 

The Police later arrested three of the protesters, on charges of public nuisance. 

However, when the case was taken up in court recently, the Police informed court that they were preparing to arrest five more protesters. 

The villagers alleged the dead youths were subjected to grave injustice because those who are responsible for the deaths were released on bail. 

Preliminary investigations had revealed that at the time of the accident five persons were travelling in a speeding sports car. 

The car was driven by the under-aged suspect Navin Kanishka Abeygunawardena who was under the influence of alcohol and did not have a driving licence. (Jayakantha Liyanage) -

Budget spells out economic revolution..! Era concealing caste is over..! Amazon, e-bay, Pay-Pal in SL !!

By Sandaruwan Senadheera

(Lanka-e-News -13.Nov.2016, 11.30PM) This year’s budget has brought sensational and inspirational  news to the doorstep of those who are seeking to market their products via the internet. Accordingly , they can sell  their products by linking themselves to super internet markets such as the Amazon and e bay .In simple terms avenues have been opened in this budget for small scale businessmen to conduct on line business with world famous establishments  without  any hindrance  or impediment.

Hitherto this on line  business activity was restricted to a small elite group only . That group included companies which can make  large  payments to banks and businessmen who can maintain foreign bank accounts. Banks too charged a huge annual fee. Those who did not transact huge volumes of business were stymied, as they could not  pay such large amounts since  the popular Pay pal mode of payment was not available in Sri Lanka . Though payments could  be made via Pay pal from SL , payments could not  be received in SL. This was because , if the bank account that is  requested is  Sri Lankan , opening a Pay pal account was impossible.

What is Pay pal ? Central bank governor himself questioned in amazement

12 years ago when Lanka e news was launched (at that time even face book was non existent) , we had discussions in this regard with all the banks we had dealings, yet we could not get a positive  answer.  When we asked Cabraal the notorious Central bank governor at that time about this , he in return in amazement posed the question ‘ what is Pay pal?’ Thereafter , Lanka e news for 3 -4 years tried to look for an individual who had the capacity to understand the value of this , yet there was none.  Consequently Lanka e news had to abandon  the marketing network which we had created at the same time as our news website was commenced .

At that time  what concerned the financial administrators was , searching for an answer to the issues relating to taxes that can  be levied on the goods exported and imported  via on line transactions . Nevertheless , they could not find a solution.

In this year’s  budget speech Ravi Karunanayake revealed that a solution has been found for this. That is , the tax which  ought to be collected by  SL’s financial administrators  be  allowed to be collected by Amazon and e bay hereinbefore mentioned , and the SL government collecting from them thereafter. These transactions will be monitored by the treasury. Truly speaking , other countries in the world already follow this procedure. It is a pity this simple mechanism could not be understood by the erstwhile moronic and corrupt rulers  whose focus was solely an wholly  on illicit  transactions and collecting commissions thereof. 

Pay pal in SL from February next year

Prior to the budget when Lanka e news questioned Ravi Karunanayake in regard to pay pal , he disclosed  , discussions are being held with ‘Pay pal ,’ and by February next year all the issues will be ironed out, meaning that Sri Lankans can directly transact through pay pal  thereafter.

Era of Middle east migrant workers engaging in menial work is over …

The monumental worth of the pay pal : It enables a person  who is somewhere in Sri Lanka doing a wall decoration here to  sell that instantly to  somebody in New York, America, or in London ,England , and obtain payment by pay pal. 

There is a demand for handicrafts in America alone to the value of US dollars 3 billion! This is because those cannot be mechanically made, and have to be done by hand.

Hand made beeralu (lace)  wall decorations or table décor can easily be sold to a customer in the city of London at a price  of Rs. 100,000.00 and a hand woven woolen winter cloak can be sold for   a minimum  price of Rs. 200,000.00. The present Middle East migrant workers (women) by learning the art of spinning beeralu and wool can earn three fold more in the future   than what they earn  by engaging in menial work  in Middle East ,without any trace of doubt.

Not only handicrafts , this applies to farming too. A bag of vegetables grown sans chemicals in his/her private farm can be sold to a family in Europe. In Sri Lanka , the value of such a bag of vegetables is about  Rs.5000.00. So are fruits. In England just six seeds with the covering  flesh on of a Jak fruit fallen on the ground fetches Rs. 250.00 .Therefore one can imagine the price a whole Jak fruit would fetch in England.

 A new era in which hidden ‘caste ‘ can be marketed 

Based on the handicraft abilities, ‘castes’ have sprung up . That is , those abilities are innate and ancestral in those who have that talent.

Therefore in the future it is not the era of concealing the ‘caste’ , it  is the era in which sales can be made placing  a high value on the ‘caste’. Say , if one is a goldsmith , one can say ‘yes , I am of the ‘achari’ caste , and we have been making jewelry for generations since the time of Sri Lankan Kings  ’, and get a higher price for the pendent or earrings . This is quite a natural method in the global market.

Artistes can also attract foreign clients with ease, while there is a huge market  for  live productions and musical instrument productions .  Writers too can augment their income by publishing their books in the form of   e books. Cinema  owners can leave aside their Sri Lankan cinema halls , and can present their cinema productions via the Netflix, Amazon and google play, and earn money. 

End of Bogus ‘mang poras’ (I am the great)…

When these are in motion and action , genuine production and international standards become important.  When that happens , those in the Island writing ‘mang pora jathakaya’ cannot  but know their  true standard  and ‘size’

The budget presented on the 10 th has opened wide the doors  to these astonishing facilities. The era in which only  payments could be sent  has now been transformed into an era in which payments on line too can be received. It is now possible for you to purchase a small space in the e bay and Amazon  on line  super market and sell your products through those . It is significant to note  the e bay and Amazon are taking  full responsibility in respect of their transactions in this regard! 

Lanka e news earnestly anticipated this new mode for the last 12 years which will  keep intermediaries, cheats  and  liars  at bay while the workers can continue non stop and now Sri Lanka has been blessed with such a climate.  What this  government which had brought in the most salutary change for the benefit of the country must do now  is , disseminate this information among the people via a program that will enlighten them .  If this is done , without an iota of doubt country’s economy is headed for a  most welcome revolution . The Neanderthals and primitive creatures who are blabbering about   global Octopuses will turn mute thereafter. 
 

By Sandaruwan Senadheera 

Translated by Jeff 

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by     (2016-11-13 22:57:26)

Mahinda was misled by those around him – Shiranthi Rajapaksa

Given below is an interview by us with Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Nov 13, 2016

It was you who has shared sorrow and happiness in both the radical political and personal lives of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Did you start on this journey with Mahinda Rajapaksa on a love affair?

No. we got married following a proposal. I was well known those days as Shiranthi Wickremasinghe.Mahinda had seen me and proposed through a relative of us. He was a radical in politics, but not so in personal life.

You know best about the person Mahinda Rajapaksa. What are the special characteristics in the political life of Mahinda Rajapaksa?

I married a lawyer. I was not interested in his politics. But, my husband is a politician. I respect him as my husband. I help him when he needs it. I may not join him at political meetings, but I help him in public welfare work.

How did you face the various clashes in the political life of Mahinda Rajapaksa?

When I was bearing eldest son Namal, he was imprisoned. At that time, my father looked into everything. I was not burdened.

How do you see former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and MP Mahinda Rajapaksa?

I still see him as the president. Anyone can be an MP. But he is in the people’s hearts. I cannot think differently. I do not see any difference.

How does he cope with that change?

Normally, I do not discuss politics with him. He too, is the same. He does not show me any sorrow. I too, do not show him any sorrow. I remain as in the past.

That means, your role is only as his wife?

Yes. The loving wife and the loving mother.

When Mahinda Rajapaksa takes political decisions, he never speaks to you about them?

That is what had gone wrong. I should have been consulted.

Why do you say so?

Had that happened, I would not have allowed him to go for the presidential election. I normally check with his horoscope. That time, I could not do that.

Why was that?

That is, because those around him deceived him. Now, I take care. I will not allow him to be deceived.

Previously, there was talk that Mahinda Rajapaksa’s horoscope was read by an astrologer named Gupta. Did that actually happen?

Not to my knowledge. Normally, I do not believe much about horoscopes. Everything I place before god.

Also, the much talked about astrologer Sumanadasa’s entry occurred without your knowledge?

When he checked the horoscope, Mahinda would tell me this was the best time. By that time, the decision had already been taken. I had no time to go for a second opinion. I would never have allowed him to take such a decision had I been involved. But, on one hand, a bad time that had to occur had happened in that manner. He might have a very bad time. That very bad time was spent thus. But, whatever problems we had, our family did not lose heart. I am not a subject of the government. I am not a government servant. My car, my petrol.

You have studied child psychiatry and childhood education. When was that?

Even before I got married, I engaged in those studies. I completed them after marriage. The sons were small when I got all those educational qualifications. I do everything with those experiences.

There is a belief in society that Mahinda Rajapaksa is opposed to president Maithripala Sirisena. What do you think about that?

There is no such thing. We are sad because those around him were not loyal to Mahinda. But, I am saddest because of what my sons were made to suffer. I will not forgive anyone for that. God will see to that. I will never go to take revenge. Also, what Mahinda does is politics, he does not take revenge from anyone. Our eldest son speaks against taking revenge. Those who take revenge are fools. The uneducated take revenge. The educated do not take revenge.

You are accused over funds in the Siriliya Saviya accounts and also that you had seized a land at Dehiwela allotted for artistes. What have you got to say?

The Dehiwala land was obtained on a 20 year lease. All the documents are there. Nothing of the sort had been done. I helped the poor. I did not help myself. The first lady is useless if she does not help people. Is a single hospital given equipment now? Only the ones I had given are there. Did anyone help hospitals in the past two years? Through Siriliya, all the funds were collected for a hospital for children in Hambantota. Now, that funding has stopped. Some day, when that money is released, I will build that hospital. And, I will hand it over to the government. Our bank accounts do not have others’ money. I inherited enough from my parents. I do not need others’ money. If we had others’ money, we would not have lived like this. Even the present president criticized the activities of the FCID.

What do you think about the FCID?

Those in the FCID only do their job. I feel sorry for them.  They are helpless. They themselves say that they feel sorry to question madam and sir, and that they do so under orders. I pity them.

A son of yours was accused over a land at Dehiwala. Who is this grandmother Daisy?

Daisy is my aunt. She did not marry. She has enough property. She wanted to give her property to our three children. She looked after them when I spent time on work at schools. So, she cares for them. She wanted to give her property, and passed them onto Yoshitha. What is wrong in that? She gave because she had them. Now, she is absentminded due to all these problems. She is worried about Yoshitha. What injustice this government has done her? It was a pity. It is bad to do something against someone in his youth. As parents, we gave our children a good education and did not teach them to be cruel. I am worried if they will become cruel due to what this government had done to them. That is a big worry.

What did Yoshitha tell you after that incident?

Yoshitha does not talk to me about that because he thinks I will feel sad.

JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake once told a media briefing that Shiranthi Rajapaksa was not arrested or legal action not taken against her despite the presence of many charges because there is a deal between the UNP and the Rajapaksa family? What is this deal?

How can I strike deals without doing politics? I do not have time at least to watch TV. I have enough work. I arrive at school in the morning and leave around 3.00 in the afternoon. Thereafter, I have enough work to do at home. I help my husband in his politics. I will help him even if he comes from a different party. My party is my husband’s party.

Once you were summoned to the FCID. There were pictures of you leaving home. But, you did not give the statement at the FCID. Where did that happen?

I cannot say that.

Did you give a statement?

I scolded them strongly. I have done nothing wrong. I produced all the documents through my accountant. I am not guilty of anything, and why should I answer? I scolded them and left. I did not go alone. My son Namal is a lawyer. I took him and two senior lawyers with me. They would have checked if anything was mentioned wrong, or if there were defects. Had I signed anything with defects, I would have admitted guilt.

Did that meeting take place at the speaker’s official residence?

I do not remember where. I went twice. The FCID did not want to question me. Two or three of them said, “Madam gave a wheelchair for my mother…Madam gave a lens for my mother. How can we question you?”

President Maithripala Sirisena once told the cabinet that he had a lot of information about the Rajapaksa family, but that he would not resort to strong action against Mahinda Rajapaksa and Shiranthi Rajapaksa. Do you accept that?

How can he take action against us? He did everything in the health ministry with me. He knows what I have done. I showed him all the equipment I brought before giving them away. But, the credit went to them. I did a favour for the government. Therefore, he cannot say anything wrong about me. He will not say either. How can he? He knows everything I did.

What do you think about your three children, as their mother?

Namal is a lawyer. He is in politics. All these are a good experience for him. The youngest is like a professor. He is not into politics much. He has his own line. I will never forget what has happened to Yoshitha.

But, they face various accusations. There is talk that you scolded Namal severely for having accompanied an actress in the Jana Satana march. Can you answer these?

I can answer. I have never scolded them. Ask the children. At their age, they should have girlfriends. Girls should have boyfriends. We know about those things. I will never tell them to marry this girl or marry that girl. Even if a girl comes to our home, I talk to them courteously. I have not yet been told by any of the three about their marriages. I will never insist them. They are intelligent children. I have never raised my hands against them.

What does Mahinda Rajapaksa think about the children?

He too, is like that. He looks at the children with an open mind. He jokes with them. What he too, says is to make a good choice when marrying.

Even today, there are people with Mahinda Rajapaksa. Do you belief that they show him the correct way?

Basically, yes. Now there are loyal people with him.

How many of those who had been with him in the past remain with him now?

It seems that everyone who matters is there with him. People want him. They remain so.

Some allege that Mahinda Rajapaksa has to work according to the agendas of others. Do you believe so yourself?

No. I don’t think so. I do not go to them when they discuss matters. He has a brain. He will work wisely. Now, his times are not bad. The bad times are over.

Do you believe that Mahinda Rajapaksa will form a new party?

Let’s see then. May be, everything will work out OK. His father worked with Mr. Bandaranaike to form the SLFP. He had many opportunities to leave the SLFP. But, he did not do that. He loves the SLFP very much.

(Pictures by AS)