Pakistan Still Eying JF-17 Thunder Fighter Sale to Sri Lanka

Pakistan is trying to convince Sri Lanka to purchase the JF-17 fighter jet, despite Indian pressure.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons/ Eric Salard

By Franz-Stefan Gady-February 23, 2017

Pakistan has reportedly upped the ante in its ongoing campaign to sell eight Pakistan Aeronautical Complex/Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (PAC/CAC) JF-17 Thunder fighter jets to Sri Lanka. According to ANI News Service, Islamabad has purportedly offered Colombo an F-7 fighter for free for each JF-17 the Sri Lankan Air Force purchases from Pakistan. (The F-7 is China’s license-built version of the MiG-21, a supersonic third-generation fighter jet.)

Furthermore, Pakistan has hired a Singapore-based consultancy group to assist with lobbying efforts. ANI News Service also claims that Islamabad has attempted to offer kickbacks to Sri Lankan government officials. “According to sources, Pakistan has attempted to reach out to the key political leaders and officials through two separate entities that have been assigned for this task. One is a front company of the Pakistan Air Force, with links and a base in Colombo. This team is being assisted by a former Pakistan High Commissioner in Colombo,” the media report claims.

None of these claims could be verified independently and neither Pakistan nor Sri Lanka have so far publicly commented on the news report.

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As The Diplomat reported last year, the Sri Lankan government, headed by President Maithripala Sirisena, canceled its plans to procure the JF-17 after alleged pressure from India not to add these aircraft to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF).

New Delhi purportedly sent a report to Colombo outlining that the JF-17 does not meet the SLAF’s requirements. As an alternative, India tried to pitch its Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, so far, however without success (See: “Outwitting Pakistan: India Offers Sri Lanka Its Newest Fighter Jet”).

Besides Indian pressure, Sri Lanka was also reportedly left unimpressed by Pakistan’s failure to offer a credit or financing program.

Following the alleged cancellation of the JF-17 order in January 2016, the Sri Lankan government announced in August of the same year its intention to purchase eight to 12 new multirole combat aircraft for the SLAF. The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense was officially tasked to solicit offers from foreign aircraft manufacturers for the procurement of new aircraft and associated weapons systems on a government-to-government basis.

Interestingly, the official announcement coincided with an official two-day visit of the chief of air staff of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Air Chief Marshall Sohail Aman, to Sri Lanka. As I reported elsewhere, the SLAF fighting strength has been severely depleted as a result of inadequate pilot training and maintenance, as well as the Sri Lankan Civil War:

The SLAF’s fighter fleet currently consists of one single Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Kfir multi-role combat aircraft. While the Kfir uses the same airframe as the French-made Dassault Mirage 5, it is equipped with Israeli avionics and an Israeli-built variant of the General Electric J79 turbojet engine. From 1995 to 2005, Sri Lanka acquired a total of 16 Kfir fighter jets from Israel. At least seven aircraft were lost due to accidents or ground attacks on airbases during the Sri Lankan Civil War.

Up until now, the Sri Lankan government has not made a selection and one can expect the India-Pakistan competition over the contract to intensify in the months ahead.

A reply to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa's press release on the appointment of R Kannan as a High Court Judge

Feb 23, 2017

By Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon - Executive Director – Campaign for Free and Fair Elections and Center for Human Rights and Research (CHR) Sri Lanka.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa issued a press release earlier this week criticizing the appointment of R Kannan, a member of the private bar, as a High Court judge. While Mahinda Rajapaksa has the right to express his opinion, I believe that it’s necessary to point out a number of glaring lies, misinformation and creative interpretations of reality that was strewn across Rajapaksa's press release. I also believe that it’s time to look at how the independence of the judiciary was affected in that last decade, so that we can avoid similar unfortunate situations from happening in the future.

It must be reiterated that this is not an attempt to defend or conceal any attempts by the current administration to influence the judicatory but an endeavour to prevent the good governance administration from repeating the unconstitutional and unethical actions of the Rajapaksa administration.

Appointment of judges
In the very first paragraph of Mahinda Rajapaksa's press release, he states that 'the accepted way, in Sri Lanka, is to appoint judges to the Supreme Court, Appeals Court and High Court from officials in the judicial service or from the Attorney General's Department.' This utterance of Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is not only an attorney but also made a number of appointments to the Supreme Court, Appeals Court and High Court, is false.

Through Sri Lankan judicial history a number of persons that did not belong to the judicial service or the Attorney General's Department, have been appointed as Supreme Court, Appeals Court and High Court judges. Among them are Christopher Gregory Weeramantry, Neville Samarakoon, Mark Fernando, Shirani Bandaranayake, Dr. ARB Amarasinghe, Dr.RanjithDeeraratne, PriyanthaJayawardane, PrasannaJayawardane and Suresh Chandran who are among the most renowned judges we have had. We have always appointed suitable and qualified attorneys from the private bar as Supreme Court, Appeals Court and High Court judges, when the occasion demanded it.

The former President goes on to say that 'when I was the President I appointed only one member from the private bar to the Supreme Court.' This is also not true as both PriyanthaJayawardane and Suresh Chandran were appointed as Supreme Court judges during Rajapaksa's tenure. Moreover it was Rajapaksa who appointed Mohan Peiris, who was being paid by the government consolidated fund as Central Bank legal advisor and advisor to the Cabinet, as the Attorney General. Later he would go on to appoint Peiris as the Chief justice, replacing Shirani Bandaranayake, in an unconstitutional manner.

In the second paragraph of his press release Mahinda Rajapaksa said that 'if a judge is appointed, based on the recommendations of a political party, this would be a blow to the foundation of judicial independence.' The political party he alludes to is the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which is ironical because the TNA is not at all pleased with the appointment of Kannan as he belongs to the estate sector Tamil community and does not come from the 'right' caste.

Rajapaksa goes on to add that 'the best person to appoint (as a Tamil speaking judge)is Vavuniya District Court Judge DLA Manas.' We must consider multiple factors before appointing a Muslim person as a judge in a majority Tamil area, because of the deep rift between the two communities, but Rajapaksa's practice, when he was the President, was to close down the courts if there were not enough Tamil speaking judges. A few years ago, the activities of the Jaffna Appaleate Court came to a standstill after retired judge K Peramparajah's service contract ended. The government made little attempt to find a replacement for Peramparajah and for a few years, people in the area suffered greatly because there was no functioning appeals court.

BASL and selection judges
The former President rightly states that the Bar Association of Sri Lanka has no constitutional or legal right to make recommendations in appointing judges. However we must have a broad and in-depth discussion on whether this should be the case in the future as well because in many other countries Bar Associations do play a role in the appointment of judges.
In the fourth paragraph of Mahinda Rajapaksa's press release, he states that 'the good governance government is attempting to give more powers to the BASL, to influence the appointment of judges, because of the role it played in toppling the UPFA government in January 2015.' This accusation is directed at Attorney UpulJayasuriya and it up to Jayasuriya to respond to that allegation. Jayasuriya is affiliated with the UNP and many of the leading lawyers are affiliated to political parties. We must not forget that UR de Silva, who is contesting for the Presidency of the BASL this time, has held a number of positions in organizations affiliated to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). On the other hand AnuraMedagoda, another contestant, comes from a family that has connections with the UNP (although he has not held any positions in institutions affiliated to the UNP.) What matters is not the background or the political opinions of those who contest for positions in the BASL. What matters is whether they safeguard the responsibilities and dignity of the positions they are elected to. Ultimately it’s up to the BASL membership to decide who should hold the reins of the association.
Mohan Peiris and Shirani Bandaranayake
I don't think anyone can deny that the appointment of Mohan Peiris as the Chief Justice was highly irregular and that the no confidence motion against Shirani Bandaranayake and its verdict are black marks in Sri Lankan judicial history. It was Mahinda Rajapaksa who signed and ratified the no confidence motion against Shirani Bandaranayake passed in the parliament. Was Shirani Bandaranayake removed via a decision of the President who considered a request by the MPs? Or through a joint operation by goons lead by Mahinda Kahandagama, a ‘trade union’ leader affiliated with the UPFA, and those from Medamulana? I don't think the country has forgotten(http://www.hirunews.lk/51172/lawyers-procession-begins-tense-situation-near-hultsdorf-court-complex). The politicians who led the goons, that came with police and army protection, must be hanged in the Judicial Museum so that we never forget those dark ages.

Appointment of UpaliAbeyratne
This narrative will not be complete if I don't highlight some of the appointments made by Mahinda Rajapaksa to the judiciary. Given below is a translation of what Ravaya Editor Victor Ivan says about the Appointment of UpaliAbeyratne.(http://ravaya.lk/?p=18660)
"The main charge against UpaliAbeyratne, district court judge, is the illegal and biased manner in which he presided over that case in which an engineer, Jayasekara, had filed making Sarath Nanda Silva, the President of the Court of Appeals, a co-respondent.
The Chief Justice at that time, WPS de Silva, had to appoint a three member committee, comprising of appeals court judges, to investigate the continuous allegations I was making against Abeyratne. The committee found Abeyratne guilty and recommended his removal from the judicial service. Judicial Service Commission decided that he should be removed from his post from January 31, 1990. But after considering the appeal filed by his lawyers it was decided to repeal the initial verdict and to transfer him to Moneragala. His promotions were also suspended for two years. However Chief Justice Sarath Nanda Silva gave him a promotion to High Court even before those two years were up. Abeyratne was promoted to the Court of Appeals by Sarath Nanda Silva and now he is in the Supreme Court. Appointing a person who was recommended to be removed from the judicial service , to the Supreme Court couldn’t be good for the respect of Supreme Court.”
Neither Sarath N Silva nor Mahinda Rajapaksa has responded to the allegations of Victor Ivan yet. On the other hand the BASL did not accept the appointment of Abeyratne but he still is a member of the judiciary. This is how Ravaya editor felt aboutAbeyratne’s appointment to the Supreme Court. (http://ravaya.lk/?p=6058)
"I only realized Abeyratne has been appointed to the Supreme Court because of the event to welcome the new Chief Justice. The event was also to mark the appointment of Anil Gunaratne and UpaliAbeyratne. I believed that Gunaratne and Abeyratne were appointed by the new government but later I realized that Abeyratne had been selected during the last days of the Rajapaksa administration, in a very odd manner. He was appointed on December 14, 2014, during the presidential election period. What was stranger was that he was appointed when there was no vacancy in the Supreme Court. Speaking at the event BASL President UpulJayasuriya only spoke of the Chief Justice and Gunaratne."

Nexus between AG's department and Supreme Court

Rajapaksa also spoke of appointments from the Attorney General's department to the judiciary. He implies that his appointments to the judiciary from the Attorney General's department were without any controversy and that best persons were appointed. It seems that he has forgotten he appointed two officers from the Attorney General's department, 8th and 13th in seniority, to the Supreme Court. The appointee for the Appeals Court was 10th in seniority.
When these appointments were taking place, S. Sri Skandharajawas the President of the Appeals Court but he was denied the opportunity to be a Supreme Court judge in five separate occasions during the Rajapaksa administration. The reason for this was his statement that the removal of Bandaranayake from her position as Chief Justice was illegal. Meanwhile Rohini Marasinghe who was junior to Skandharaja was appointed a Supreme Court judge and Skandharaja, who was disillusioned because he was continuously denied the opportunity to become Supreme Court judge, passed away due to a sudden illness.
Another Rajapaksa appointee Sarath De Abrew, also chosen over Skandharaja, has been disgrace to the entire judicial service. What was his legacy? Sexual harassment, cruelty, alcoholism? Why was he appointed? Was it because he was friends with Rajapaksa during Law College? Usually an official of the Attorney General's Department is appointed as a Supreme Court judge only if there is a plan to elevate that person a Chief Justice.
In July 2012,our first ever woman Attorney General of Sri Lanka,Shanthi Eva Wansundera was appointed a Supreme Court Judge to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of justice RSK Sureshchandra. During an interview with Deshaya newspaper on July 6, 2012 Justice Eva Wansundera spoke of the day she was informed of her appointment. "One afternoon the President gave me a phone call and asked Eva, would you drop by at Temple Trees on your way home. I asked him why? and he said I will tell then. I went to Temple Trees on 4.45 PM and the President came down to see me. He said I am sorry for being late, I fell asleep and he spoke to me in his usual friendly manner. He asked me 'Eva, I am going to appoint you as a Supreme Court Judge. You want to become one, right?' I always wanted to be a judge and now someone was giving me the opportunity. I also realized he was asking me this for a reason and I said ok.'
After her departure from the Attorney General's Department,Palitha Fernando and YuwanjanaWijethilakewere appointed as Attorney Generals.
The biggest blow to the independence of the judiciary in recent times was the dismantling of the Constitutional Council, an integral part of the 17th amendment to the constitution, during the Rajapaksa administration. During that period JagathBalapatabendi, Andrew Somawansa and SaleemMarsoof were appointed as Justices of the Supreme Court. While none of them tarnished the image of the Supreme Court or the judiciary, we must acknowledge that these appointments were unconstitutional.
Lowering standards
During the tenure of Mahinda Rajapaksa, a judge attached to Negombo High Court granted bail on the last day of being stationed in Negombo, to a person accused of being involved in the narcotics trade. He had to repeal his verdict after media gave significant publicity to this incident and he was found guilty by an investigation carried out by the Judicial Services Commission. But because of political backing, he was not penalized and was later promoted as an appeals court judge.
The biggest honour an attorney can receive is the title of President's Council and during his tenure, and Mahinda Rajapaksa lowered the prestige of this position by elevating a large number of attorneys to this position, mainly for political reasons. These wholesale appointments destroyed the prestige of being a President's Council and a number of renowned attorneys refused the 'honour'. Attorney SL Gunasekara, known for his outspokenness and principals, refused to be made a President's Council stating 'if someone is to give me a honorary position, the person who grants me that post should be a honourable person.”
The crisis which occurred due to the appointment of R Kannam is the result of a struggle between BASL and the Judicial Services Association. It did not occur because the appointment was unconstitutional. Most Sri Lankans respect the judiciary and wants its independence cherished, and we need is a broad and in depth debate and discussion on the independence of the judiciary and transparency in appointments to the service, for this.

AshWaru Colombo

Civil society alleges Gotabhaya responsible for Noyahr abduction-NGO activist shoots in the dark

Gotabhaya

By Shamindra Ferdinando-February 23, 2017, 9:51 pm 

A civil society grouping that campaigned for Maithripala Sirisena at the January 2015 presidential poll yesterday alleged that the wartime Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was behind the abduction of Associate Editor of The Nation, Keith Noyahr in May 2008.

Addressing the media at the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR) Chameera Perera, co-convenor of the Left Centre alleged that the ongoing investigation pointed to the direct responsibility of Gotabhaya Rajapaksa in the heinous crime.

Perera claimed that those who had been arrested in connection with the abduction of the journalist had shed light on Gotabhaya Rajapaksa involvement during ongoing investigations.

The police (Criminal Investigation Department) have so far arrested five army personnel in this connection. The suspects had been attached to the Military Intelligence and were accused of taking the journalist to Dompe where he was tortured.

When The Island pointed out that there hadn’t been court proceedings or official statements attributed to police headquarters or any other authority in respect of the former Defence Secretary’s alleged involvement even though the Left Centre confidently made specific accusations, Chameera Perera said that he was commenting on the recent reportage of the Noyahr incident. Chameera Perera said that they studied various matters raised by the media and the investigation into abduction of Noyahr was one. Perera couldn’t cite police or any other official who had alleged the former Defence Secretary’s involvement on the basis of available information.

In his response to The Island query, Perera referred to the court ruling given respect of the Nov 2006 assassination of TNA Jaffna District MP Nadarajah Raviraj and his police bodyguard in Colombo. The Island stressed that the issue at hand was unsubstantiated accusations directed against the former Defence Secretary and the court ruling in respect of the MP’s assassination was irrelevant.

Unidentified persons seized Noyahr on May 22, 2008 near his Dehiwela residence when he was returning home after work. He was dropped off close to his residence, during the early morning of May 23, severely injured after being assaulted and tortured by the abductors. Noyahr left the country following the incident.

Chameera Perera said the police had made a significant breakthrough into the unresolved attack. Alleging that a spate of abductions and other atrocities committed during the previous administration hadn’t been probed, Perera warned of attempts to save Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. The NGO activist alleged that those who had been responsible for extra judicial actions during the war and post-war era should be brought before justice. The likes of Gotabhaya Rajapaksa couldn’t be shielded in the guise of protecting war heroes.

Perera alleged that the Rajapaksas were responsible for many crimes.

At the onset of the briefing, Chameera Perera claimed that soon after Noyahr’s abduction, the then CEO of The Nation had contacted Karu Jayasuriya and he in turn reached President Mahinda Rajapaksa and soon thereafter Noyahr was released. "We demand a thorough inquiry," Chameera Perera said, adding that the taking punitive action against those who had been responsible for violence was nothing but a great honor to the armed forces.

The civil society grouping vowed to closely follow the Noyahr case until justice was done. Those who -had exercised their franchise in support of Maithripala Sirisena expected the yahapalana government to go the whole hog now that a group of military personnel was in custody over the Noyahr attack.

Army headquarters recently announced five personnel, including an officer holding the rank of Major remanded in connection with the abduction had been interdicted pending –legal proceedings.

Chameera Perera alleged that a small section of the military had been responsible for the assassination of The Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickremetunga (January 2009), attempted assassination of Rivira Editor Upali Tennakoon (January 2009) and the disappearance of media personality Prageeth Ekneligoda (January 2010). Those responsible should be brought before courts, Perera said.

Victims forced to drink urine by Peradeniya University students, Peratugami and IUSF raggers -Torture chamber and GMOA have links

(Lanka-e-News -23.Feb.2017, 11.45PM)   8 students of Peradeniya University – victims of ragging were stripped naked and attacked with clubs though they had become most sick because they were forced to drink urine of the students leading to  their  vomiting, according to the police. 

The raggers have filled bottles with urine and forced the victims to drink. Right now the ailing students have been produced before a psychiatrist  because of their dire mental and physical conditions. 

These 8 students who could not be forced to fall in line with the evil  political agendas of the torturers and because they did not participate in the anti SAITM protests , these students were abducted in a Van to a rented house which was used as a torture chamber by the raggers. The victims had been tormented and tortured for a whole night . The senior raggers  of the Peradeniya University agriculture faculty -are members of the IUSF, and members of Peratugami party , police had discovered.

After the torturers (raggers) were remanded , 8 members of Peratugami party had come to the prison to see them , but only 5 of them were given permission to meet the prisoners, based on reports. 

Since there individuals are  in the age range between 31 and 32 years , and students of such age are not in the University  second year ,the assistance of the University  administrators have been sought to ascertain whether they are truly students. 

Meanwhile the Van that was used for the abduction has by now been taken into custody.

Torture chamber and GMOA are linked. 

Grave suspicions have arisen in regard to the Torture chamber used by the students situated at Hindagala Megoda Kalugamuwa , Peradeniya.  This is a semi constructed house not suitable for habitation. It is said , Rs. 30,000.00 has been paid for the three months at Rs. 10,000.00 per month.

Suspicions  had been triggered following the discovery  that this house belongs to an individual attached to  Galaha health medical officers office. Certainly students who are getting doles of Rs. 5000.00 from Mahapola   cannot maintain such a house. It is therefore the responsibility of the investigators to probe whether this house where the torture chamber is , given to  the Peratugami  ragging tormentors has any connection with the  monstrous Era Soysas and Pacha Padeniyas of the terror GMOA organization because this has been given on rent  by an individual of the medical officers office ,.

The University administrators have also begun a separate investigation against the raggers , and already 15 students have been suspended. 

This is not ragging – it is a terrorist torture !

No Matter what , this torture cannot be classified as ragging  . If it is the usual ragging, it  is conducted within the University premises including the hostel. But this is much worse than terrorist activity , for the victims have been unlawfully abducted ,taken to a torture chamber and tormented  most inhumanly until the victim abjectly submitted to the evil agendas of the terrorizing  raggers  .If that is the case ‘ragging’ charges cannot be filed against  the torturers . It is terrorism , pure and simple. 

This is clearly terrorism that has been resorted to in order to force  the victims into submission to achieve the political agendas of these torturers . Yet , the University authorities owing to the fear that the  reputation of the  University would be tarnished are not taking harsh measures  ,  and are not assisting the police too to take action in that direction , Lanka e news learns. 

It is a pity the University authorities and the country’s rulers had not been able to halt these  uncivilized and villainous ragging after the country gained independence and even for the last  half a century  . These barbaric activities began after independence with the JVP politics starting to drag the free education along  most viciously and villainously and closing Universities   ,  followed by the Peratugami terror and villainy. The entire country and the nation must feel ashamed over this failure   this  long .

Of course in civilized countries these activities are carried out , and punishment is meted out under the ordinary laws without  special laws to govern the students.  In addition to meting out deterrent and severe punishments , the students , parents and officials should get  together . Unless and until  an evaluation is done on every student up to the last in the  Universities , coupled with a powerful spiritual , educational and the latest technological program being put in place , these barbaric activities cannot be stamped out. 

Those who are responsible must ponder carefully whether these Neanderthal rascally Leftists are going to be permitted to drive this country into a holocaust in the next half century too. 

Post scriptum ..

Sirimalwatte who calls himself as the Peratugami mediaman referring to our report yesterday had responded by claiming, Lanka e news once again has engaged in unethical reporting in breach of media traditions.  It is not strange to hear a shameless disgraceful  member of a nudist colony to call those outside decently dressed  as dishonorably attired. It is best if Sirimalwatte  would go through  the basic lessons  of etiquette and media ethics , and tries to    learn what is ethical about  forcing human  urine down the throats of innocent students before he points an accusing finger at others .We hope he is intelligent and intelligible despite his bestiality to learn that bit at least before he talks of media ethics. 

The photos herein depict …
the raggers leaving the courts headed towards the prison while  covering their faces.
The torture chamber run by them and
The medical officers office where the owner who rented out  that torture chamber is employed.

---------------------------
by     (2017-02-23 21:05:47)

SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF TAMIL WOMEN: RAJAPAKSA TAKES ON CBK; CBK TAKES ON THE ARMY!

23/02/2017

Taking on  former president Kamarathunga for her statement that “the war-affected Tamil women are now subjected to sexual harassment by men from their own community and military and other public officers”  former president Rajapaksa says that ““what we have here is a former President of Sri Lanka and a former Commander in Chief of our armed forces echoing the accusations made by our enemies in what is obviously a deliberate attempt to vilify our armed forces on the eve of the UNHRC meeting.”

Kumarathunga’s accusation made at a meeting with Sri Lanka Foreign Correspondent’s Association  was widely published by local and international media. It is common knowledge that sexual exploitation of war-affected Tamil women by unformed and civilians takes place in Sri Lanka.

AFP report dated February 15, 2017 contained these paragraphs:

“Tamil women who survived Sri Lanka’s civil war now face widespread sexual exploitation by officials in their own community as well as from the army, the head of an ethnic reconciliation body said Wednesday.”

Former president Chandrika Kumaratunga, the chairman of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation, said women who were widowed during the 37-year conflict were among the victims of abuse by officials who frequently demand sexual favours just to carry out routine paperwork.

“There is a lot of sexual abuse still going on by officials, even Tamil officials and even at lower levels, the grama sevakas (village officials),” she told Sri Lanka’s Foreign Correspondents’ Association. “Even to sign a document, they abuse the women and of course some people in the (armed) forces” continue to commit sexual abuse, she said.”

Kumarathunga did not deny the AFP report.

Then Sri Lanka Army issued a statement refuting Kumarathunga’s accusation. it said that “The Army categorically denies the same as a baseless allegation.”

Taking a clue form the statement issued by the Army now Rajapaksa wants President Sririsena to make an apology. He says that ”  Mrs Kumaratunga holds the position of head of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) which functions under the Presidential Secretariat and the statements she makes goes to the world as the official position of the Sri Lankan government. The Sri Lanka Army’s statement rebutting Mrs Kumaratunga’s accusations does not carry any weight. When a former President and commander in chief makes such a statement the person to respond should be the present President and the Commander in Chief. As a former President and Commander in Chief myself, I call upon the President to publicly condemn the statement made by Mrs Kumaratunga. The government should also seriously consider whether Mrs Kumaratunga is fit to be the head of ONUR as she is using that position to bring disrepute upon the armed forces of Sri Lanka.”

Suddenly woken up Kumaathunga now has  issued a statement form her outfit ONUR accusing Army for issuing a statement.

“It appears that the news reports refer to a meeting Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Chairperson of ONUR, had with the Foreign Correspondents Association (FCA) in Sri Lanka. We are surprised that a senior Army official has not thought it fit to peruse and understand the news reports of a statement allegedly made by a former Head of State and Commander in Chief,” the statement says.

“ONUR is an institution that is coming under the purview of the Commander in Chief, President and is chaired by Ms Kumaratunga. It would have been good practice and common courtesy for the Director – Media of Army Headquarters to seek clarifications from ONUR before rushing to issue a statement,” it further says.

Sri Lanka: Appointments and extensions

Appointments, promotions and service extensions of either military officers or public officials or politicians should be carefully handled and the deserving among them enabled to achieve their goals while the misfits are left out if the rulers are to avoid trouble.

by Prabath Sahabandu-Feb 23, 2017

( February 23, 2017, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, who turned 55 yesterday couldn’t have asked for a better birthday present; his term has been extended by six months by President Maithripala Sirisena! His extension has come as no surprise. Numerous as the failings of the yahapalana leaders are, they cannot be considered a bunch of ingrates.

Last December, the Navy Commander helped crush a workers’ protest at the Hambantota Port and, went out of his way to pounce on a journalist covering the biggest ever peacetime naval operation the former himself led gallantly. His naval commandos secured the release of a foreign vessel being held by a group of protesting workers. Following that incident, we predicted, in this space, that his services would not go unappreciated. SP Shani Abeysekera of the CID has also been promoted to the rank of SSP!

Wijegunaratne is an old salt who has proved his mettle in battle in spite of his deplorable conduct at Hambantota. We don’t intend to discuss either the merits or the demerits of his ‘birthday gift’. It is only hoped that such extensions won’t cause deserving senior officers to be put out to grass without being promoted to the much coveted topmost post.

The extension at issue reminds us of serious political trouble the Rajapaksa government brought upon itself way back in 2009 by retiring the then Navy Commander Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda four months before the expiry of an extension he had been given. The Rajapaksas did so to kick Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka upstairs as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

The Rajapaksas, in their wisdom, had first sought to appoint Gen. Fonseka Secretary to the Sports Ministry as a way out, but in vain; he declined to accept that post. Karannagoda, being the more flexible of the two, hung up his boots to become the Secretary to the Ministry of Road Development.

Changes the Rajapaksa government effected in the army and its attitude were not to the liking of CDS Gen. Fonseka, who felt unfairly treated and slighted. Hence, his decision to retire and challenge his erstwhile Commander-in-Chief, President Mahinda Rajapaksa. in the 2010 presidential race! Anyone’s right to run for President cannot be questioned, but Fonseka by throwing his hat into the ring, unwittingly, created a situation where the pro-LTTE groups who were still licking their wounds bounced back by hitching themselves to the Opposition combine that backed him.

It was also a dispute over an appointment that brought about the downfall of the Rajapaksa regime in 2015. If the Rajapaksas had not denied Sirisena the post of Prime Minister, perhaps, the latter would not have voted with his feet and the former might not have suffered so painful a pratfall two years ago.

In short, the SLFP-led UPFA lost power in January 2015 because President Mahinda Rajapaksa refused to appoint Sirisena Prime Minister; it failed to recapture power seven months later because President Sirisena declared he would not consider former President Rajapaksa, seeking election to Parliament, for the post of Prime Minister even if the UPFA secured a majority to form a government. In so doing, Sirisena demoralised the UPFA supporters beyond measure and many of them did not care to vote.

The less said about the manner in which the Rajapaksa government handled appointments and extensions, the better. Placing square pegs in round holes was its forte; the then Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva happened to observe in open court that his peon had far better educational qualifications than the person the Rajapaksas had handpicked as the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation Chairman! The situation remains the same in spite of the 2015 regime change. The yahapalana leaders have appointed several candidates rejected by people at the last general election as National List MPs and even made them ministers. President Sirisena has drawn heavy flak for the recent appointment of a member of the private bar as a High Court judge. The UNP remains determined to reappoint Arjuna Mahendran, who is under a cloud, the Central Bank Governor.

Appointments, promotions and service extensions of either military officers or public officials or politicians should be carefully handled and the deserving among them enabled to achieve their goals while the misfits are left out if the rulers are to avoid trouble.

( Prabath is the editor of the Island, a Colombo based daily newspaper where this piece published as the editorial of Feb. 23, 2017 edition)

Bellanwila Anunayake Thero slams ETCA, Indian expansionism

People’s Commission to formulate national policy on international trade and treaties

*PM flayed for his determination to sign ETCA
* Padeniya bitterly criticises India-Sri Lanka FTA
*Sale of state assets condemned
*Prof. Lakshman warns against employing foreign workers

By C. A. Chandraprema-February 23, 2017, 

The inauguration of the People’s Commission to formulate a policy framework for international trade and treaties appointed by the Professionals’ National Front was held last Wednesday (22 Feb.) at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. The need for such a policy framework arose as a result of the numerous discussions the Professionals’ National Front had with the government about ETCA and the need to be guided by a set of criteria in entering into trade treaties. The auditorium was packed to capacity with standing room only. The Professionals’ National Front is a consortium of a dozen professionals’ associations including among others, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), the Electrical Engineers’ Association, the Customs Officers’ Union and the National University Teachers’ Association. Explaining the objectives that led to the setting up of the People’s Commission to formulate a national policy on international trade and treaties, Dr Anurudda Padeniya of the GMOA said that the word ‘development’ used in days gone by had now been replaced by the phrase ‘sustainable development’ and that our people’s representatives keep uttering this phrase all the time.

The President, Dr. Padeniya pointed out, utters this phrase even if he happens to be addressing a daham school ceremony. However, if the politicians had any understanding of this phrase, they will know that what it means is that economic development has to take into account factors other than just the economic considerations in isolation and that matters like the environmental impact of the development, its effect on health etc also have to be taken into account. Giving an example he said that there was talk of building a bridge between Sri Lanka and India but that he had never seen even a newspaper article outlining the benefits that this bridge is supposed to bring to Sri Lanka but that medical experts have told him that this bridge will bring communicable diseases like Malaria, AIDS and tuberculosis into Sri Lanka.

Dr Padeniya drew reference to the existing India- Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement and said that this agreement has not benefitted Sri Lanka but that on the contrary Sri Lanka had suffered losses as a result of it. Drawing attention to a booklet published by the GMOA on the FTA with India, he pointed out that one of the top exports from Sri Lanka to India after 15 years of the FTA was animal feed and wanted to know whether the objective of having an FTA with India was to promote poonac exports. (The booklet pointed out that though arecanut was the main export from Sri Lanka to India even this had not resulted in a development of arecanut cultivation in Sri Lanka because arecanut is imported from Indonesia to be re-exported.)

He stated that India was seeking to subjugate the countries in the South Asian region and that Sikkim is now a state of India and Nepal was completely at India’s mercy and that certain people were now suggesting that Nepal too should become a state of India. Padeniya went on to state that some economic advisors retain their positions despite changes of government and that these individuals claim to have been educated in Oxford and Harvard and say they know what is best for this country. He stated that something akin to match fixing was going on with regard negotiating the trade deal between India and Sri Lanka and that even the people who were supposed to represent us were actually representing the other side. Dr Padeniya stated that the Prime Minister has said that ETCA would be signed in June despite all opposition to it, and that under such circumstances professionals cannot stand by idly and do nothing.

Dr Bellanwila Wimalaratnana Anunayke Thero of Sri Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha of the Siyam Nikaya addressing the gathering said that Sri Lanka has set a world record by having no national policy for anything. He said that some time ago, politicians deceived the people saying that they were going to build a ‘dharmista’ society but that it turned out to be an absolute canard. In recent times said the Anunayake Thero, the people have been promised yahapalanaya but nobody can understand what this yahapalanaya is. The Anunayke thera said that people were being bamboozled with fairytales. He stated that treaties were being entered into without a proper study of their implications. He said that he was not opposed to trade treaties with other countries if they were of benefit to this country. For example, the Rubber-Rice Pact with China was a good treaty which benefitted Sri Lanka for many years.

The Anunayake thero stated that the authorities claimed that when the ETCA agreement is signed, both goods and services will be able to move freely between India and Sri Lanka but that even a child could say who would stand to benefit from such an arrangement. He said Indian professionals will be able to come to Sri Lanka but will Sri Lankan professionals be able to go to India and find work? He stated that there were PhDs driving trishaws in India. He said that in days gone by, a certain youth movement had a theory about Indian expansionism and that ETCA was another example of Indian expansionism and that people should talk about these things. He stated that the leaders of the nation had no right to say that they would go ahead with a trade treaty no matter who opposed it.

He said that the professionals had embarked on an important endeavour and he likened the National Commission to formulate a national policy on trade and international treaties to the Buddhist Affairs Commission in the 1950’s headed by Professor Gunapala Malalasekera. The Anunayake thero observed that the recommendations made by that commission had a major impact on the 1956 general election with S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike undertaking to implement those recommendations.

Speaking on this occasion, entrepreneur Samantha Kumarasinghe of Nature’s Secrets stated that an agreement was entered into in the 1980s with a Singaporean Company to mill wheat imported into Sri Lanka for 30 years on a ‘build operate and transfer’ basis but that in 2001, the then President sold the business that was to come into the hands of the government in 2007, for 60 million USD. The turnover of that enterprise since then had been well in excess of eight billion USD and that abuses like this happened due to the lack of a national policy on trade and investment. The point that Kumarasinghe made was that in the absence of a policy framework, leaders and governments could make arbitrary decisions with regard to national assets. He said that people are being hauled to courts for misusing vehicles, but there is not even a discussion about the abuses that took place in selling assets to foreigners.

Kumarasinghe said that likewise fuel distribution rights were given to an Indian company for 75 million USD simply to import fuel and to distribute it without even refining it in Sri Lanka. He stated that even the Central Bank Governor was saying that our country is in a debt crisis and that assets have to be sold to get out of this trap. He said that the debt to GDP ratio in Japan was over 250% but that nobody was talking in terms of selling off Japanese state assets to foreigners. He appealed to the government not to sell the Hambantota harbour. Prof W. D. Lakshman the Co-Chairman of the people’s Commission to formulate a national policy on trade and international treaties stated that while the powers that be in Sri Lanka have placed their faith in the neo-liberal economic model of free trade, sweeping changes were taking place in the world with Brexit, and the Trump administration in the USA reviewing NAFTA and the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Speaking further, Prof. Lakshman stated that foreign remittances from Sri Lankans employed abroad was what enabled us to meet our foreign exchange needs but if Indian employees coming into Sri Lanka under ETCA and the opening up of the services sector, were allowed to remit money from Sri Lanka that would deplete Sri Lanka’s biggest source of foreign exchange. The members of the People’s Commission to formulate a national policy on international trade and treaties are Prof. Lakshman and Palitha Fernando PC (co-chairmen) P. D. Fernando, R. P. L. Weerasinghe, Dr Bandula Weerasekera, Dr Anula Wijesundera and Lakshman Perera.

The ‘superior quality’ doctor of Padeniyas- Soysas kills the first baby of wife of an army soldier !

(Lanka-e-News -23.Feb.2017, 11.45PM)  While the Padeniyas-Soysas doctor mafia are showing loud spurious concern for the medical standards and the rights of  patients , while  making a big din staging public demonstrations ,one of the doctors of  their own so called  ‘high standard’,   demonstrated how inferior their true standards are , when he killed a healthy infant within the womb of a mother who is a wife of an army soldier. 

This doctor killer of the Padeniya –Soysa mafia which is obsessed with so called  ‘superior standards’  is attached to Mawanella base hospital .

25 years old Demodara Wijesinghalage Vasantha  the unlucky  husband of the mother who suffered this fate at the  hands of the  so called  ‘superior quality’ doctor killer is  attached to the infantry division  of the army Trincomalee camp.  

When there were signs that wife of Vasantha was  going to have her first baby  , the doctors after examination have given the delivery date as 9 th February 2017. 

Vasantha’s wife was under the supervision of a doctor who is engaged in  private  channeling practice in Mawanella town  . Unfortunately , this happened to be  a doctor who also served at the base hospital of Mawanella , and therefore of the so called ‘ superior quality’  mafia.

On the 9th Vasantha after  taking leave has gone home and taken his wife to  consult their doctor at the channeling hospital. The doctor has instructed them to get her admitted to Mawanella base hospital.  Accordingly the patient was admitted on the 10 th   morning .

That evening the patient has developed labor pains . On the 11 th and 12 th the pain has intensified , but no doctor had taken any interest to  perform surgery , or to deliver the baby.

When the army officer had inquired about their  private doctor who is also attached to the base hospital , the staff had  informed  , he is on leave  for three days -10, 11 and 12.

After the staff of the hospital had contacted the relevant doctor on the 12 th and informed him of the emergency. This irresponsible doctor of the so called superior quality ( Padeniya – Soysa mafia organization) , has told the hospital staff , since there is no way to perform surgery and deliver the baby  there , to transfer the critical mother to the Kegalle general hospital. The doctors who were patiently waiting for the instructions at the base hospital have transferred the patient to Kegalle hospital. The doctors at Kegalle hospital have however  broken the sad news to the soldier that the infant in the womb of his wife had died before delivery. 

Following the advice given by the doctors that , as the baby is now dead and  surgical intervention will  serve no purpose , to  permit the baby to be expelled normally. Accordingly , the grieving mother delivered  a still born baby  on the 13 th.

The post mortem in this regard was conducted on the 20 th by specialist judicial medical officer, Ramesh Agaliyawanna  of Kegalle general hospital .It was pronounced death was due to fecal matter and urine collecting within the womb,  and failure of placental feeding,   by the inquirer into sudden deaths, Renuka S. Kaluarachi  of the Kegalle general hospital . This was a consequence of the  infant being  not taken out from the womb before these complications supervened.

So this is just one super tragic story that came to light of the superior standard  doctors of so called ‘superior quality’ mafia doctors of Padeniyas and Soysas. But, how  many such neglected cases go unrevealed is unknown.

The grieving father of the child  speaking to the media said , such a tragedy should not strike anybody else . He bemoaned , his  first baby died  due to the negligence of the doctors at Mawanella base hospital , and he is begging them not to be cruel to  others  in the same way.

While this is the treatment meted out to patients  by the ‘superior quality’  doctors of Padeniyas-_Soysas GMOA mafia, the irony of ironies is the same killer mafia is  staging strikes from district to district purportedly  for and on behalf of ‘rights of patients’

The masses must decide whether the  killer mafia  of Padeniyas-Soysas- Heraths should be allowed to continue with their atrocious operations wearing the hypocritical livery instead of the cloak of genuine doctors ? Or  should they be taught an unforgettable lesson of their life time?  SL losing   two or three doctors  of the same ilk of Padeniyas , Soysas and Heraths , will only be a boon to the patients , medical profession and the country at large ,and not a bane !

(Thanks to Amunupola Chaminda  Jayalath of Mawbima)

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by     (2017-02-23 20:56:02)

Massive crowd to denounce illegal degree shop

February 23, 2017

The protest march held by the JVP against SAITM illegal degree selling medical institute took place today under the theme ‘Denounce SAITM that destroys free education’ and the rally is being held now.

A large crowd including leaders of the JVP, trade union leaders, doctors, artistes and students participated.

The rally was addressed by the Leader of the JVP Anura Dissanayaka, its General Secretary Tilvin Silva, the National Organizer of Socialist Students’ Union (SSU) Rangana Devapriya, the General Secretary of All Ceylon Medical Officers Association Dr. Jayantha Bandara and several others.

The large crowd that attended the rally caused heavy traffic around Colombo Fort area.

Fordham charges student over SJP support rally

Sapphira Lurie, center, has been charged by Fordham University for organizing a 23 January rally in support of Students for Justice in Palestine. (Facebook)

Nora Barrows-Friedman-22 February 2017

A student at Fordham University in New York faces punishment for helping organize a 23 January rally in support of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), the activism group which was banned by the college’s dean last month.

Dean Keith Eldredge charged senior student Sapphira Lurie with violating the university’s demonstration policy and summoned her to a closed-door meeting on Wednesday to determine her guilt and punishment.

Faculty, students and lawyers see the accusations against Lurie as part of a broader attack on free speech and academic freedom.

Eldredge prohibited Lurie from bringing legal counsel, a friend, or her faculty advisor to accompany her inside the meeting, prompting her attorney to tell The Electronic Intifada that there was “no semblance of due process whatsoever, which requires a fair and neutral decision maker.”

However, when Lurie showed up to Eldredge’s office for the hearing, she brought accompaniment anyway.

Her attorney, Radhika Sainath of Palestine Legal, came with her, along with Lurie’s advisor and more than a dozen other members of faculty.

The small crowd initiated “an ad-hoc sit-in” in the hallway, Sainath told The Electronic Intifada, as Lurie asked the dean if she could bring her counsel or her faculty advisor inside the meeting, or if the door could remain open. Eldredge refused all of the requests.

Sainath said that she reviewed printed-out student conduct policies with the dean and showed him that no policy demands that a student attend a disciplinary meeting alone with an administrator, but he dismissed her assertions.

The Electronic Intifada also could not find a rule in Fordham’s online student handbook which states that a student must be alone when facing a disciplinary hearing.

After the dean refused Lurie’s requests for accompaniment, Lurie, her attorney and supportive members of faculty left the hallway, effectively canceling the hearing altogether.

“We don’t know whether [Lurie] will be punished more severely because she wanted to exercise some basic due process,” Sainath said.

“Embarrassing”

Glenn Hendler, the faculty advisor for SJP at Fordham, criticized Eldredge’s insistence on a closed-door meeting.

“It is appalling and embarrassing that Fordham has a procedure for adjudicating alleged violations of its demonstration policy in which a single person serves as accuser, prosecutor and judge,” Hendler told The Electronic Intifada.

Hendler said he had offered to accompany Lurie to the meeting and was rebuffed, even when he insisted he would not interfere in the discussion. Fawzia Mustafa, Lurie’s faculty advisor, told The Electronic Intifada she had also offered the dean the same, but he had refused.

When pressed for a reason, Eldredge reportedly told Hendler, “that’s the way we do things.” According to Hendler and Palestine Legal, the dean admitted that there was no formal rule forbidding a student from bringing support to a disciplinary meeting.

Eldredge refused to answer The Electronic Intifada’s question about the university’s rules and his remark to Hendler.

More than 100 members of Fordham faculty signed a petition this week urging the administration to drop the charge against Lurie, while students held another rally on Tuesday in support of Lurie and Fordham SJP’s right to organize.

A group of faculty advisors held a meeting with Eldredge prior to Wednesday’s hearing where they tried to persuade him to drop the charges against Lurie and reverse his decision about banning SJP. “But he was absolutely unmoving,” Mustafa told The Electronic Intifada.

“It’s disgraceful that [Eldredge] continued to ignore the requests from my lawyer, from the faculty and from the dozens of students who rallied to support me,” Lurie told The Electronic Intifada on Wednesday.

Demands to lift the ban

More than 100 students and local activists demonstrated on 23 January to demand that Fordham lift the ban and allow SJP to establish a chapter on campus.

“We were asking Fordham to reverse its decision banning SJP and to commit to free speech on campus, which I think is a huge issue right now for students at Fordham and for students in this country,” Lurie told The Electronic Intifada.

In charging her, Eldredge claims the protest may have violated university demonstration policy.

But the students say that this came as a surprise.

“Before that, we had no indication that [the rally] was unsanctioned,” Lurie said. “We had sent someone to meet the dean the morning of [the event] and designated someone to be the campus public safety and administrative liaison, in accordance with the student handbook rules.”

She told The Electronic Intifada that Eldredge himself was present at the rally. But she said it was unclear why Eldredge singled her out for disciplinary charges, as she was just one of many students who organized and spoke at the rally.

Eldredge did not comment when questioned on this issue. He only sent The Electronic Intifada a statement implicating students in possible violations of university policies.

“Our students are free to express themselves and to advocate for the issues and causes that they believe in; this includes demonstrations and protests​, which the university routinely supports​,” Eldredge wrote.

“In this instance, the question is if the student organizers chose to hold their demonstration outside of the policy parameters that are in place,” the dean added. “The focus in the disciplinary hearing is not on expression nor speech, but on the possible violation of policy (a relatively minor violation).”

“Misconstrues facts”

But faculty members and lawyers disagree.

Fawzia Mustafa says that members of faculty are “alarmed” at the administration’s behavior not just against an individual student, but also in the context of the ongoing SJP ban. “We see it as a freedom of speech and an academic freedom issue,” she said.

In banning SJP, Eldredge unilaterally overruled the students government’s approval of an SJP chapter in November.

Civil rights groups have demanded Eldredge reverse his decision and uphold students’ freedom of speech.

“All evidence indicates that the denial was based on the viewpoint of [the] students’ message and/or their national origin,” attorneys with Palestine Legal and the Center for Constitutional Rights state in a 17 January letter to Fordham administrators.

The attorneys also warn that the denial “could give rise to a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act” – US legislation meant to protect students from discrimination at educational institutions.

Days later, Fordham replied to the attorneys, saying it was sticking to its decision to ban SJP.

The administration claims that SJP exhibits “a singular focus” on the “political agenda of one nation, against another nation” and that the group “encourage[s] disruptive conduct” which would contradict the college’s values of “civility.”

Palestine Legal and the Center for Constitutional Rights responded once again, asserting that the administration “misconstrues the facts [and] misunderstands the law.”

Sainath told The Electronic Intifada that Fordham has so far refused to meet with attorneys from Palestine Legal and the Center for Constitutional Rights.

“Not backing away”

FIRE, a free speech watchdog, designated Fordham as one of the top ten worst universities in the US for free speech, based on its banning of SJP.

The group last month condemned Fordham’s SJP ban.

The National Lawyers Guild admonished the ban, with attorney Lamis Deek saying it “exemplifies a long and ubiquitous history of anti-Palestinian censorship rampant across campuses.”

Fordham, a Catholic institution, is also drawing criticism from a Christian group.

Tarek Abuata, executive director of Friends of Sabeel North America, an ecumenical activism organization which works closely with SJP chapters, called on the university to reverse its decision in accordance with a recent statement from Catholic bishops encouraging solidarity with Palestinians under occupation.

Friends of Sabeel this week encouraged its members to call Fordham administrators and demand they drop the disciplinary charges against Lurie and allow SJP.

Palestine Legal’s Radhika Sainath said that if Fordham maintains its decision to ban SJP and punishes Lurie for her involvement in the rally, it would set a troubling precedent.

“Fordham is not only sending a message that supporting Palestinian rights won’t be tolerated on campus, but if you question Fordham’s censorship of you, that you will be punished,” she said.

“It has a terrible chilling effect, especially in Trump’s America,” Sainath added.

For her part, Lurie says the dean’s charge and his handling of the disciplinary hearing has been “a pretty blatant attempt to try and intimidate me into stopping organizing on campus.”

But, she said, “I will not be backing away from this work.”