Monday, December 12, 2016

AA Gill: Final article describes cancer treatment

11 December 2016

Sunday Times restaurant critic AA Gill described how the NHS could not give him a potentially life-extending cancer treatment in his final article.

The columnist died on Saturday aged 62, three weeks after revealing he had the "full English" of cancers.

Gill, writing in the Sunday Times magazine, said his oncologist recommended immunotherapy, but it was not available on the NHS.

It would have meant "more life spent on earth - but only if you can pay".

The former smoker was diagnosed with lung cancer that had spread to his neck and pancreas, with tumours that were inoperable and unsuitable for radiotherapy, after noticing his health failing in the autumn.

'The worst thing'

Gill said he had been denied the therapy - costing up to £100,000 ($126,000) a year - that may have helped him live "considerably" longer and is the weapon of choice for "every oncologist in the First World".

He said that the cost of the treatment suggested - nivolumab - was £60,000 to £100,000 a year for a lung cancer patient, about four times the cost of chemotherapy.

Gill said that "old men who think they're going to die anyway aren't very effective activists" and do not see the "public or press pressure that young mothers' cancers and kids' diseases get".

He added: "As yet, immunotherapy isn't a cure, it's a stretch more life, a considerable bit of life.

"More life with your kids, more life with your friends, more life holding hands, more life shared, more life spent on earth - but only if you can pay."

AA Gill, pictured with his partner Nicola Formy, had a course of

GETTY IMAGES-Image captionAA Gill, pictured with his partner of 23 years Nicola Formby, had a course of platinum chemotherapy before he died

Gill, who previously said he wanted to have his treatment on the NHS due to a sense of "human connection", drew attention to the health service's performance in international oncology rankings.

He wrote: "It was the first question I asked my oncologist, Dr Conrad Lewanski. 'Why is this such a bad place to get cancer, when we have lots of hospitals, when we teach doctors from all over the world, when we've won more Nobel prizes than the French?'. 'It's the nature of the health service,' he says."

What is Nivolumab?

Nivolumab (brand name Opdivo) is a type of immunotherapy that stimulates the body's immune system to fight cancer cells.

It works by interrupting the chemical signals that cancers use to convince the immune system they are healthy tissue.

Patients can have nivolumab into a vein as a drip.

It is used to treat advanced melanoma and squamous non small-cell lung cancer. It is also used in clinical trials for other types of cancer.

It is available on the NHS to lung cancer patients in Scotland, but it is under review by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) which makes recommendations on whether the NHS in England will fund new drugs.

Gill said he had a course of platinum chemotherapy at the Charing Cross Hospital in London, but he described how he was later rushed to hospital in pain, "by miles and miles the worst thing I have ever lived through".

'Kind and genial'

After doctors discovered his pancreatic tumour had grown to the size of a fist they offered more chemotherapy, but the article reveals that he began taking nivolumab before he died.

Gill finished the article, which was printed before he died, with a conversation he had with a cancer nurse.

"(She said) 'You're supposed to be with me down in chemotherapy. I saw your name. Why are you up here?'," he wrote.

"'Well, it turns out the chemo isn't working'. Her shoulders sag and her hand goes to her head... I think she might be crying.

"I look away, so might I.

"You don't get that with private healthcare."

Tributes have continued to be paid to Gill, described by Sunday Times editor Martin Ivens as "a giant among journalists" and the "heart and soul" of the paper he joined in 1993.

Broadcaster Andrew Marr tweeted: "Adrian Gill, waspish & ruthless in his print persona, kind & genial in person, golden writer.RIP (reporter in paradise)."

Gill's friend Jeremy Clarkson tweeted: "Please please please read The Sunday Times today."

Deputy editor of the Sunday Times Sarah Baxter told the BBC's Andrew Marr show: "He's just the best of us, I can't believe he's gone.

"He's the best writer, the funniest, the fiercest, compassionate in surprising ways. Extraordinary and gifted man.

"I want to say how adored he was by all our colleagues - everyone high and low at the Sunday Times - he was just such a kind and generous person."

And Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said: "AA Gill was one of the last great stylists of modern journalism and one of the very few who could write a column so full of gags and original similes that it was actually worth reading twice."

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Let the local discussion be your lodestar

Image via Sri Lanka Brief

TAYLOR DIBBERT on 12/12/2016

Having been in the Washington D.C. area for a fair amount of time and having read a few of the really good contributions to the most recent Groundviews series, I got to thinking – about initially trying to understand the country and getting acquainted with this website. In a way, we’ll be going from Columbia University to Wayfarer’s Inn on Rosmead Place to Omanthai to Jaffna. There’ll be time for the byroads of Kilinochchi and the Eastern province too. We’ll spend fleeting moments all over Colombo. We won’t really spend any time on the beaches because I wouldn’t know what I’m talking about.

In 2010, I remember sitting in a dull classroom at Columbia. I’d signed on with a small group of people to do a consultancy project with a Colombo-based grant-making organization. This was an integral part of the academic program and it would require travel to the island. Students rank preferences for projects and then are assigned in a somewhat opaque fashion.

To be clear, working on Egypt was my first choice. Sri Lanka was my second. For better or worse, being assigned to a Sri Lanka-related project in 2010 ended up changing, reshaping and redirecting the past six years of my life. That was the moment that led to all the other moments. That was a choice that didn’t seem all that consequential at the time. In retrospect, it was a big deal. And it’s humbling for me to say that because it’s humbling to acknowledge that life can be that unpredictable, that one’s situation can be that precarious, that you never really know what’s going to happen.

And so back to our group at Columbia in 2010.

The team was full of interesting, impressive people. Towards the end of that first meeting, we were talking about staying apprised of current events. Since our academic supervisor for the project was Sri Lankan, we just put the question to her directly.

“What should we be reading?”

“What are some good sites to check out?”

I don’t remember precisely what was conveyed, but it was clear that Groundviews was an important site. And really, that’s where things started to get interesting.

If you’re new to the scene, or even relatively new, Groundviews, isn’t the easiest site to navigate. It’s not a website that has training wheels. There is no version for people who are not relatively familiar or deeply immersed in Sri Lankan affairs.

I really like and respect that.

So, there is a fairly steep Groundviews learning curve. Just as there is a steep Sri Lanka learning curve. And so, I was doing the reading as much as I could. And I did the consultancy project; we presented our findings publicly at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs shortly before our graduation in 2011. And I remember thinking that I really enjoyed the project and that Sri Lanka was an incredibly complicated and fascinating place.

Then I went job searching.

Someone in Washington or New York would hire me, of course. Yet that didn’t happen. And I’m not a patient person and I didn’t wait around that long. There was a chance to go back to Sri Lanka, a unique opportunity, and I took it.

I moved to Sri Lanka in August of 2011. That’s when I really started to appreciate Groundviews. In 2012, I appreciated the site even more. And then in 2013 and 2014 things got dark. There

was Groundviews and there was gossip. There was Dharisha Bastians too. Of course, there were other journalists doing good work. However, when it came to really speaking out, plenty of the content on Groundviews and many of Dharisha’s pieces truly stood out. That I remember vividly.

There was also me hiding at checkpoints and pretending that I didn’t exist in the North. There was an almost constant reminder that I didn’t belong, that I wasn’t welcome. And, the space for dissent was shrinking somewhat quickly. I had friends and colleagues who were worried about what might come next.

I had the privilege of contributing a short piece to the Groundviews series that dealt with the end of the war, “Five Years On.” It was a brief and emotional article that compelled me to really think (again) about my time in the country. Those reflections were another reminder that some of the most important human rights work is neither glamorous nor fully appreciated. In fact, some of the most impressive people I know don’t have public profiles. And indirectly, yet certainly, Groundviews has played a role here as well.

On the one hand, the site caters to a more sophisticated, English-speaking audience. On the other, it’s a platform to tell stories, share and debate fervently. It’s a wholehearted embrace of pluralism. It helps ensure that crucial perspectives are taken into consideration, that a range of significant voices are part of the discussion.

It’s easy to wonder if the journey is more important than the destination. It’s easy to wonder why life isn’t a little bit easier to understand, or why the signals aren’t a bit clearer. But again, there are no training wheels; there’s only thinking and doing and acting and making mistakes and learning.

So, when you move to a new country, find the news or opinion outlets that matter. Stay out of your comfort zone. Be aware of how much you don’t know. Let the local discussion be your lodestar. Read until your eyes hurt. Learn by listening – and don’t ever stop listening.

There is so much to learn.

Land policy of the govt will be its undoing

By Rathindra Kuruwita and Umesh Moramudali-2016-12-12

SandunThudugala of the Law and Society Trust has been a vocal critic of land and agricultural policies of both Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena- Ranil Wickremesinghe administrations. Speaking to Ceylon Today he expressed deep concerns over the 2017 budget and the future of Sri Lankan farmers, fishers and urban slum dwellers of Sri Lanka.

?: You have been critical of the 2017 Budget and the emerging land polices of the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) Government. What are your main areas of concern and what steps are you taking to counter them?

Land policy of the govt will be its undoing.docx by Thavam Ratna on Scribd

SRI LANKA NEWS WEBSITE ALLEGEDLY BLOCKED, MINSTER TO MAKE A STATEMENT

09/12/2016

Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media Minister Gayantha Karunathilake has said that he had inquired from the Telecommunication and Regulatory Commission (TRC) over allegations that a news website had been blocked, accoridng to state owned Daily News.

Minister had said that he would make a statement in Parliament on the alleged blocking of the site: www.breakingnews.lk, no sooner than the Commission provided him the report.

Minister Karunathilake made these observations in response to Joint Opposition member and MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena, who demanded to know why the said website being blocking.

MP Gunawardane who raised the issue under Standing Order 23 (2), said the website had been blocked by the TRC since December 3, 2016, and asked that the government restore it.

“Is the minister of Mass Media aware of this move?” MP Gunawardena said. “The owner of the website has been trying to get the website registered for a long time and had applied with the required papers.”

Minister of Mass Media Gayantha Karunatilleke responding to MP Gunawardena said that he would make a statement on the matter in the House tomorrow/

“I have directed the matter before the TRC and I think I would get the answer today and make the statement tomorrow (10),” Minister Karunathilake said.

Daily News

Loss making government institutions total 250, Total losses incurred 600 Billion Rupees - Eran Wickremarathne

Dec 11, 2016

Deputy Minister for State Enterprise Development Eran Wickremaratne says that within the 2014 fiscal year the total losses incurred from the loss making state institutions amounts to 600 Billion Rupees. According to the minister there are more than 250 loss making government institutions in the country at present. Pointing out that there could be no common solutions to change this situations since these loss making institutions are scattered on a vast area from aviation to plantation industries, the deputy minister says that the main reasons for these titanic loses are the results of continuous undue political interventions and the poor management.

When listing down the loss making government institution the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is among the top ranks of the list. According to reports the losses incurred by CEB amounts to Rs.13303 Million. But recently it has been surpassed by Srilankan Airlines with its colossal Rs. 16,181 Million loss. While the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) has incurred Rs. 9407 losses, the controversial Mihin Lanka airlines has also managed to add a loss of Rs. 1187 Million loss into the bargain. Among the loss making institutions are the Agriculture Insurance Board with Rs. 1941 Million losses, the state Plantation Corp with Rs. 237 Million losses, the Sri Lanka Rupawahini Corp (SLRC) with Rs. 182 Million losses, the National Paper company with Rs. 209 Million losses, The Cooperative Wholesale Enterprises Corporation (CWE) with Rs. 293 Million losses, and the Gal Oya Plantation Corp with Rs. 234 Million losses. There are many other institutions in the list that have recorded continuous losses.

The treasury has not yet allocated funds to cover the losses incurred by these individual institutions. However, observations have started to look into the reasons as to why these institutions continue to make losses. Apart from the common causes such as mismanagement and political interventions, the overall inefficiencies of the staff, poor management, constant interruptions in productions due to financial problems and salary issues, the increasing gap between the income and expenses have also been identified as issues that have to be resolved. The 2016 Budget has proposed various suggestions to restructure these institutions to minimize losses and the calculation of overall losses is still going on.

According to these proposed legislations a special board would be appointed to oversee the state enterprises which would have the authority to appoint directors for other state institutions. Everyone would be allowed to propose names for these appointments. The board shall select the fit and proper personnel to hold the position and the government is intending to form the procedure in a similar fashion to the independent commissions’ structure governed by the constitutional council. The government believes that this would effectively minimize the undue political interventions upon the administration of these institutions.

Pointing out that the government has been able to decrease the rate of lossmaking in these institutions, Mr. Wickremeratne says that Srilankan Airlines has been converted into a regional Airline service. According to the deputy minister, Srilankan Airlines have been able to cut down its continuous losses due to these changes. The government is also focused on the fraudulent activities that had taken place in these institutions during the previous regime, the deputy minister said.

Another Attempt At A “Frame-Up”

By Emil van der Poorten –December 11, 2016

Emil van der Poorten

Election-related violence – Part IV

This piece should, in fact be an addendum to one of the series that preceded it. However, even as an afterthought it bears exposure given the very recent threat and intimidation I have been subjected to even after the alleged ”Yahapalanaya” lot occupied the seats of power.

I am going to hark back to the 1971 Che Guevara insurrection and my totally unwitting connection to it.

Subsequent to the 1970 return of the Sirimavo Bandaranaike clique to power, we discovered that our old Electrolux (‘Lux) kerosene-operated refrigerator (fridge) had reached the end of its tether and decided to splurge on a new, locally made appliance which didn’t require electricity either, made in Sri Lanka to boot!

An interjection here might be in order: we didn’t have “on line” electricity until a few years ago and prior to that depended illumination at night, first, on kerosene-using pressure lamps (the famous “Petromax’) and the iconic Aladdin lights which operated on a somewhat different principle. Any refrigeration of food that was required came via the afore-mentioned ‘Luxes.

Anyway, as was usual with those in our circumstances, particularly with the Bandaranaike version of the economic sword of Damocles hanging over us, we decided to try to recoup some of the cost of the new “fridge” through sale of the old one which, though frayed around the edges, so to speak, was in good working order.

In went an advertisement on the pages of the Sunday Observer and we then proceeded to wait for a response to it which, fortunately, given our somewhat straitened financial status, didn’t take long in arriving.

One morning, we were informed by one of the “domestics” that a couple had arrived, wanting to see (and we hoped!) buy our vintage ‘Lux.

It transpired that they were, particularly in terms of the social norms and class distinctions prevailing at the time in Sri Lanka, the oddest of odd couples, not only belonging to the most disparate of social strata of those days but having come together under what would have been considered “romantic,” but certainly, scandalous of conditions particularly if one were to consider the prevailing social taboos!

The entire saga of my relationship and that of my ex-wife with these two has, of necessity, to await another day and far longer narrative. For now, let me return to the attempted “frame-up” part of the story.

Out of the purchase of our fridge which, incidentally, served them very well despite its vintage, emerged a personal friendship that proved its ability to weather the political storms of Sri Lanka.

Cutting to the chase: thanks to the male half of the duo being involved in the Che Guevara uprising of 1971, the couple ended up on the run, he being on some kind of “most wanted” list.

Again, saving details for another time, the wife escaped to the safety of her brother’s home where, thanks to his extremely high standing in the then-Civil Service she was physically safe if not immune to interrogation.

Her partner, however, to cut a long and fascinating story short, ended up on our doorstep late one evening!

Having abandoned the intention of taking his life using a double-barreled approach which was unusual to say the least, he had decided that, through my wife and me, he might be able to escape what was obviously awaiting him in the matter of summary justice to Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP, Che Guevarist) adherents that prevailed at that time.

Like much of the fascinating material around the entire tale, the details will have to await another telling.

Suffice it to say, for the moment, that we succeeded in having the man surrender to the military unit in charge of the Kandy area at the time and in which I had a few friends serving as fairly senior officers.

He was immediately “choppered” to Kegalle which was the administrative hub of the area in which his group of Che Guevarists had been active and of which he and his buddies had, at the inception of the insurrection, had complete control.

Thanks to our friendships in what were, in the circumstances, pivotal positions in the army, the man came to no physical harm and was subjected to regular judicial procedure which ended with his internment at the Polonnaruwa insurgent centre where, among others, our current President was also a detainee at that time!

However, before he was sentenced to a period of incarceration in the city of Parakrama Bahu, he was subjected to an interrogatory practice that was, to put it mildly, unusual for that time (or any other I’d suspect). He was moved to an appropriate place and administered Sodium Pentothal, the famous/notorious “truth serum” under the influence of which anyone being questioned was supposed to drop their inhibitions completely and utter “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

How I subsequently became aware of this sequence of events was because the senior medical officer summoned to be in attendance while this was in process, was subsequently transferred to a jurisdiction where I and my friends ended up as close (often drinking and otherwise socializing) buddies of his!

This member of the medical profession happened also to be a star in the firmament of Trinity College rugby and had skippered one of its most famous teams of which one of my siblings was a member. Talk about weird and wonderful coincidences!

Anyway, the thrust of the questioning was an unadulterated effort to have this “major JVPer” blow the whistle on the involvement of my wife and me in the JVP uprising of April 1971.

However, all they succeeded in extracting from my friend was a statement dismissive of my politics which he described as little more than admiration for the late Dudley Senanayake. His response to information about my spouse at the time, could, if the circumstances are ignored, be considered hilarious. When asked about her, his response was that she wore “mini-mokes,” the colloquialism applied to the “mini-skirt” much in vogue at that time!

The entire story of my relationship with this man and the family he and his wife very successfully raised awaits another telling, we both hope not posthumously!

A footnote to this tale is the fact that there apparently was a voice recording made of the interrogation and my friend provided me with the name of the police inspector who held it then. I expect it might be worthwhile checking for this piece of information even in a day and age where even very recent evidence is either destroyed or disappears into thin air.

The civil society and anti-corruption activists called upon the government to setup special courts to deal exclusively with cases of high-level grand corruption involving politicians and high level public officials. It is justified to setup a special Anti-Corruption Tribunal in the country to try and provide punishments to corrupt political leaders and those who feed off corrupt practices and thus to minimise the crimes of corruption country wide.

by Raja Wickramasinghe-Dec 11, 2016

( December 11, 2016, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The United Nations Organization has declared December 9 anti-corruption day. It says corruption is a serious crime that can undermine social and economic development in all societies. This year it has focused its campaign on how corruption affects education, health, justice, democracy, prosperity and development.

Corruption is found in all countries in the world, both rich and poor. It’s a serious crime that can undermine social and economic development in all societies, while hurting the poorer countries most. It contributes to instability and poverty in these countries.

Equal and fair justice for all and the rule of law are crucial elements for a country’s stability and growth. A transparent and open business community is a cornerstone of any strong democracy. Only by creating such an environment can we attract foreign investment to the country. Everyone is willing to invest in a country when they see that funds are not being siphoned off into the pockets of corrupt politicians and officials.

Corruption, if I may say, was the most talked about subject before and after the January 8, 2015 Presidential election campaign. The people have shown the government that they want a country free of corruption. We have reached almost a two year mark since then. It is time, on this day of International anti-corruption to look at where we are heading in our drive against corruption. It is now up to the Government to deliver.

Fighting corruption needs to be the priority of the government. The Government, non-governmental organizations, civil society, the media and the people need to join forces to fight this crime. The government however needs to be at the forefront of these efforts.

The civil society and anti-corruption activists in the country frequently criticize the government’s lax enforcement of its anti-corruption laws. Delays in concluding investigations into their complaints and bringing the culprits before the law were their main allegation leveled against the government.
The corrupt dealings undercut development, distorted national priorities, accentuated inequality, and enriched conniving elites.

Where governance is weak, corruption enables whole populations to be deprived of educational opportunities and access to health benefits. Corruption gives rise to civil conflicts and creates the environment for long internal unrest.

The cost of corruption in key sectors in the country, if estimated, would run into billions of rupees. The corrupt politicians and officials thrive on bribes, kickbacks, embezzlement and other forms of grand corruption. It’s not a secret that underworld groups often feed off political corruption at all levels.

An anti-corruption tribunal with wide powers to try, and punish the corrupt politicians and government officials across the country helps to eliminate impunity and thus helps to deter grand corruption. It would bring increased attention and notoriety to the excess of corruption and to the politicians suffering from serious kleptomania more generally. It would also give a kind of legitimacy to anti-corruption efforts.

The anti-corruption tribunal would focus its energies and time on grand corruption – the large scale theft or conversion of public money to private riches. It would not focus on the insidious petty corruption that nevertheless bedevils citizens almost everywhere. The tribunal would be most concerned with prosecuting those who preside over rampant corrupt practices and reward their families, friends and henchmen.

Where executives are corrupt, and where they issue directives to law enforcement officials, public, court and law officials, anti-corruption initiatives are often stymied. That would have to be avoided. It was often found difficult forensically to pursue the tortuous and hard trails of corrupt politicians, especially those with high-placed friends and corruption committed with overseas connections. To overcome such situations, a highly trained, specialised corruption investigative and prosecutorial staff is needed. They could expedite investigations. It would be necessary to provide all the resources, expertise and assistance of other government agencies to facilitate investigations within the country and also beyond its borders.

A successful anti-corruption drive with the aim of achieving more forceful enforcement, speedier prosecution and stringent punishment for grand corruption, no doubt is a national priority. In the wake of the revelations, in the legislature and elsewhere, of grand corruption which has taken place in the country, such an initiative only would pave the way forward and give the people an opportunity to breathe in a corruption free country.

(The writer is a retired Deputy Postmaster-General)

Keynote address on Human rights Day from Dilrukshi

December 11, 2016 by

A seminar organized by Intellectuals for Human Rights (IHR) on behalf of the Human Rights Day was held at Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute yesterday (11th).
Deputy Minister of State Enterprises Development Iran Wickremeratne, the Information Secretary of the JVP Vijitha Herath participated while the keynote address was delivered by former Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) Ms. Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe.

Ms. Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe emphasized that frauds and corruption could never be eliminated without political backing. She said eliminating frauds and corruption is a duty of the people as well. She emphasized that the existing legal provisions are capable of eliminating frauds and corruption and added that introducing the subject of eliminating fraud and corruption to school text books and the degree in universities is a victory Sri Lankans have gained. She said the proposal she made at an international summit on eliminating fraud and corruption before she resigned from her position of Director General in CIABOC gained the international approval and at present measures are being taken to include it in school curricular.

Despite her resigning from the position of Director General of CIABOC, as a citizen of Sri Lanka she would always come forward in matters that are connected to eliminating fraud and corruption said former Director General of CIABOC.
Deputy Minister Iran Wickremeratne addressing the seminar said the majority of professionals who have joined politics is from legal profession. He said he entered politics from the private sector and his attitude regarding politics and frauds and corruption is different. He said he worked in an international bank before he joined politics, was the Chairman of National Development Bank and added that he followed a policy of eliminating fraud and corruption.

The ‘hamper’ given as a ‘gift’ several years ago was only worth about Rs.15,000 then but has gone up at present to about Rs.150,000 and has become the most common way of giving a bribe.

Fraud and corruption is a serious issue in Sri Lanka said Mr. Iran Wickremeratne and most instances of frauds and corruption occur in instances of government buying and methodology should be adopted to eliminate this he added. He said the outdated processes in Sri Lanka has created more opportunities for committing frauds and corruption and added that new technology and transparent methodology that could be utilized to probe issues in a short time could minimize opportunities for frauds, bribe taking and corruption.

The Information Secretary of the JVP Vijitha Herath addressing the seminar said social, economic, cultural rights and civil and political rights are identified as human rights. He said despite social, economic and cultural rights are the most violated, what is most discussed are the violations of civil and political rights.
He said owning a house is a socio-economic right but most of the downtrodden people have been denied this right which is a serious human rights violation he pointed out. He said the rights of Muslim women and children are being violated due to the Muslim law and cultural right is being violated due to child marriages. Despite Muslim women act against this violation, they are being severely harassed and it remains as a tragedy pointed out Mr. Herath.

Mr. Herath emphasized that the mandate for the present government was to act against fraud and corruption and take legal action against fraudsters and the corrupt. However, the government has completely ignored the mandate as the present rulers do not have any interest to eliminate fraud and corruption. He said honest officials who act according to the mandate received are being harassed and are being punished he pointed out.

Chief Executive of IHR the head of the faculty of Social Science in Ruhunu University Upali Pannilage, former General Secretary of IHR Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Moratuwa University Prof. Rahula Athalage also participated. The annual report of human rights violations in Sri Lanka and the ‘Right’ magazine were launched.

Caving Into Private Bus & Trishaw Drivers – A Nation On The Brink Of Anarchy?

By Rajeewa Jayaweera –December 11, 2016

Rajeewa Jayaweera

In 2015, this writer wrote a piece titled ‘Election Bribes, Budget Reversals and Trade Unions’. It dealt with the threat of a ‘general strike’ called by Trade Unions who opposed certain budgetary proposals. The government caved in, objectionable budgetary proposals withdrawn and a general strike was averted. This writer argued ‘Prime Minister Wickremesinghe accommodating the demands of unions could be interpreted as a sign of weakness and encourage strike action for unjustifiable reasons in the future’. During the ensuing one year, what was cautioned has come to pass on several occasions.

On Friday, December 2, the whole nation was in shut down mode due to Private Bus & Trishaw drivers staying away from work. There was no threat of a general strike. However, the government, on the previous day had given GMOA members a firm assurance their Disturbance, Availability and Transport (DAT) allowance would be increased after doctors stopped work on Wednesday, November 30. Due to the assurance, the possibility of strike action by both groups at the same time was averted. Railway employees too who were threatening strike action based on their own set of demands called off the strike after a discussion with the President indicating they would have won, if not all, at least most of their demands.

The fall out as a result of the Private Bus & Trishaw Drivers strike action was numerous. Some school examinations in countrywide universities had to be postponed due to low attendance of students owing to the bus strike. Examinations scheduled for Friday at Sri Lanka Law College were postponed till next Wednesday. Twelve SLTB buses countrywide had been attacked with stones and some state drivers injured by the striking miscreants. Protest marches by striking Trishaw drivers caused chaos on the roads in Colombo. The Colombo-Negombo road as well as the railway line at the Galkanda area in Negombo were blocked resulting transportation coming to a standstill. Disruption of daily life was severe.

Usually, Private Bus & Trishaw Drivers unions stop work to protest against government action such as increase in diesel charges, taxes and rejection of their demands to increase bus and trishaw fares. However, on this occasion their reasons to stop work were quite unusual. They were demanding the cancellation of the proposed increase of the minimum fine to Rs. 25,000 for seven offences.

To debate if enhanced fines should have originated through budget proposal as a means of increasing state revenue or the amendment of the Traffic Ordinance is not important and irrelevant to the issue. Either way, it is a government decision.

What is important is the government of the day feels the need to sit and negotiate with a group of persons, on certain issues which in civilized countries and societies are non- negotiable. The government’s willingness to negotiate reducing the fines from proposed levels to lower levels is a clear sign of caving into demands of the most extreme nature.

Let us examine the seven contentious offences; driving without a valid driving license, driving without an insurance certificate, overtaking on the left-hand side, high speed driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving recklessly at railway crossings and allowing someone to drive without a valid driving license.

It must be pointed out at the outset, there is much for us to learn from western countries where motor vehicles, motor and high ways, highway codes, right of way etc. originated, never mind us Sri Lankans having had irrigation and hydraulic systems when those in western countries were running around in grass skirts as claimed by some local patriots. In those countries, the said seven offences are not acceptable and penalties for offences non-negotiable. Unlike in our Shangri-La, prosecution of offenders is swift.

Government not raised against of Sisira Mendis - Ruwan Wijewarden

Dec 11, 2016

The government will not investigate allegations raised against the head of intelligence Sisira Mendis despite calls to do so by a UN committee.

State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene told that he does not see any need to investigate Mendis as the allegations against him are baseless.

However Ruwan Wijewardene said the government will look into the concerns raised by the UN committee. The UN Committee against torture last week issued the government a deadline to investigate the allegations on Sisira Mendis.

Following a review on Sri Lanka, the UN Committee last week called on Sri Lanka to submit details on the investigation on Mendis.

Mendis was the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) when the former government was in power.

The CID under Mendis was accused of torture in a UN investigations report and so the UN Committee demanded an investigation on the allegations. Mendis was part of the Sri Lankan delegation when the UN Committee against Torture reviewed Sri Lanka last month.

Arjuna’s conspiracy boomerangs : Hambantota Port workers were instigated to create mayhem -two ships released by Navy

(Lanka-e-News -11.Dec.2016, 8.15PM) The Navy yesterday(10) took action to disperse a group of saboteurs serving on a contract in a Ports private Co . at Hambantota , and released two foreign ships which were held in custody . These ships had to face a dire situation as though they were held to ransom by ‘sea pirates’ owing to the evil instigations of Ports minister Arjuna Ranatunge and Ports chairman Dhammika Ranatunge his brother.

These two ships were held in custody by protesting saboteurs at Hambantota incited by Ranatunges . These protestors behaved like ‘sea pirates’ acting under the control and care of Ranatunge brothers.

Lanka e news revealed earlier on , when the Hambantota Port entered into an agreement with the Chinese government Co. in respect of a joint venture , however since that was not done to suit the corrupt aims and ambitions of the two notorious Ranatunge racketeers , and the government policies militated against the sly lining of the pockets of the Ranatunges , the latter decided to foil the efforts of the government.

Dhammika Ranatunge at a meeting with the Colombo Ports service officers openly said, ‘Ranatunges have nothing to do with this national waste , and therefore we will not sign the Chinese agreement.’ This ‘damp squib’ who had not even passed the GCE adv. level examination , and was performing duties of a minion in a Car sales Co. in America, became the chairman of the Ports Authority by basking in the glory of his minister brother .

Believe it or not it is this corrupt minion cum moron who spoke so vehemently against the Chinese agreement , and described it as a national disaster, whereas this is an agreement which is aimed at rescuing the citizens of the country who have been made debtors to the tune of Rs. 10,000.00 each owing to the Hambantota Port which is a confirmed white elephant and a national burden. Obviously the Ranatunges were hurt and irritated because they could not achieve their characteristic overriding wheeler dealer ambitions because of government policies.

Sabotage oriented protests

These traitorous Ranatunges who are well noted for sacrificing best national interests at the altar of worst selfish seeking personal gains instigated and incited the Hambantota Port workers. Those who were behind these anti national sabotage activities were Arjuna ‘s media secretary Thameera Manju , and the CEO of the Hambantota port , who is a relative of Arjuna.

Thameera Manju was appointed by Arjuna as the Director of the Ports private Co. – MPMC, and his elder brother ‘Channa’ was appointed as the chief of the lounge of the special guests. Those Hambantota workers aligned behind them were instigated to stage the protests.

These workers are not in the permanent cadre of the Port . They have been recruited temporarily on a probation period of three years to the Magampura Private Management Co. (MPMC) of which Company , Thameera Manju is a Director. All these workers are shameless henchmen of Namal Rajapakse and Rohitha Abeygunawardena.

When Arjuna ‘s attempts to enter the Guinness book of records by erecting the world’s tallest Christmas tree came a cropper and when he ‘fell’ into the same soil he dug to lay the foundation stone for the X’ mas tree , in much the same way as the one who fell into the grave dug by the one for others , what Ranatunge brothers did in their desperation was instigating the demonstrating workers so much so to make them behave as ‘sea pirates.’ Consequently two vessels that had arrived at the Hambantota Port to unload vehicles were held captive , and not allowed to move out. Arjuna enlisted the assistance of JVP trade union leader Chandrasiri Mahagamage towards this.

Though attempts were made to seek assistance of the other unions , those leaders have pointed out , the Hambantota Port which is a white elephant is being run out of the income of the Colombo Port . Hence , somehow by even giving the Hambantota Port to China or to the devil it must be rescued so that the income of the Colombo Port can be channeled towards its own improvement. Consequently the other three main unions had not supported Arjuna. Only an inconsequential union- Eksath sevaka union that was created by Arjuna after he became the minister, and the team of Chandrasiri which extended support.

P.M. infuriated : Malik in place of Arjuna

The Prime Minister who was enraged over the Hambantota Port workers engaging in perfidious activities after abandoning their peaceful demonstrations, summoned the unions leaders and inquired into this .The trade union leaders have revealed the truth to P.M. They have disclosed main trade unions are not behind these activities , and it is a consequence of a conspiracy of the Ranatunges.

The P.M. had then instructed , in the future the trade unions should hold discussions with the minister of investment Malik Samaraweera and not with Arjuna. In addition if they have any issues they should resolve them via Mailk.

Upon hearing this , Arjuna realizing that his ministry portfolio is at stake convened an urgent media briefing yesterday (10) , and declared he cannot hold responsibility for the jobs of the workers and their security , thereby deserting the very workers whom he earlier instigated to engage in all the anti national and treacherous activities.

It is in this climate , the Navy had to move in by sea route to get the two ships released which were held captive by the Port workers who were induced to behave like sea pirates by Arjuna.

The Navy Commander himself had to intervene and take these measures because he was perhaps aware that the minister himself is behind these evil manipulations. Usually the Navy Commander does not intervene to disperse such demonstrations.

At the time of writing this report , based on information reaching LeN , even though the captivity was terminated , the foreign vessel that was held in custody forcibly , is now anchored in deep sea, while the vehicles in the other vessel are being unloaded by the workers themselves of that ship , and the transport of vehicles to the outside are being carried out by private drivers.

It is learnt the police STF of the Port is to take over the security . In any event it will be a matter for surprise if the 400 workers approximately of the MPMC who engaged in sabotage activities and behaved like ‘pirates’ are absorbed into the new administration of the Chinese Co.

This issue which could have been peacefully resolved , was blown into atrocious proportions detrimental to the whole country owing to the political opportunism and selfish self seeking aims and agendas of Ranatunges. The workers who were led down the garden path by Ranatunges are also now in deep despair.

Answers to Arjuna again…

Meanwhile minister Arjuna at a press briefing yesterday (10 ) criticized Lanka e news editor again , the only thing this moron knows to do well but on baseless grounds. He alleged , LeN is slinging mud at him because he did not grant the funds requested by LeN editor. We have told him earlier , and we are now telling him again to reveal details if he can ,that we made such a request .

Might we emphatically state , though LeN has requested for advertisements from Institutions , never ever has LeN asked even an advertisement from the Ports authority , let alone taken a phone call to speak to an accomplished liar cum villain like Arjuna the ‘Political Monkey.’ Neither did we have any truck with the entire Ranatunge family of notorious crooks.

What we are doing is not criticizing , rather exposing the havoc the Ranatunge family is wreaking on the nerve center of the country.

We challenge Arjuna and Dhammika the two Rantunge brothers to repudiate our accusations in the impeachment of 24 th April 2016 , and prove them as false , if they can

Read http://lankaenews.com/news/3885/si

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by (2016-12-11 14:53:29)