Sri Lanka government under fire for threatening human rights lawyer

BY KITHSIRI WIJESINGHE-

20 JUNE 2017

The government of Sri Lanka has come under heavy attack for threatening to disbar a leading human rights lawyer who publicly criticized continuing violence against religious minorities.

Following remarks in a televised talk show by attorney at law Lakshan Dias that over 190 attacks against Christians have taken place since the government of President Maithripala Sirisena took office in January 2015, the minister of justice has threatened to revoke the license of the lawyer.

LAKSHAN DIAS

Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe and President Sirisena publicly attacked Lawyer Dias, quoting  the Catholic Archbishop of the Colombo diocese Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith who denied any knowledge of attacks against places of worship.

Rights watchdogs, Christians, civil society activists and leftist leaders have condemned the concerted effort to discredit Lakshan Dias instead of taking action against perpetrators. They have also called upon the government to assure the security of the lawyer.

Threat to marginalized groups

Human rights watch in a statement from New York has condemned the statement by justice minister as bullying.

“The government needs to put a quick end to Justice Minister Rajapakshe’s attempts to bully Lakshan Dias, a leading human rights lawyer who stands up for Sri Lankans at greatest risk,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

“By threatening Dias’s license, the government is threatening all marginalized groups that depend on him and other rights defenders for protection.”

The statistics presented by Lakshan Dias has been based on information documented by the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL), including police complaints and case numbers of many such incidents.

NCEASL says that the information has been shared earlier the Ministry of Religious Affairs under successive governments, and shared information of acts of intimidation and violence. It has also shared its’ incident reports and documentation with other agencies closely working with the government including the South Asia Policy and Research Institute.

A statement issued by the NCEASL endorsed by over 200 signatories calls upon the government to ensure the safety and security of the lawyer and his family and uphold his fundamental rights to engage in his chosen profession, and continued enjoyment of the freedom of expression as a Lawyer and a defender of rights as guaranteed under the constitution.

Catholic and non-Catholics

It further emphasizes that the attacks referred to by Lakshan Dias is against churches of non-Catholic denominations.

“We draw attention to the distinction between the references made to attacks on Evangelical Christian churches as opposed to Roman Catholic churches, and also note that Cardinal Ranjith functions as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Colombo,” says the NCEASL statement.

BISHOP REV. ASIRI PERERA

Leader of the left wing Nava Sama Samaja Party, Dr Vickramabahu Karunaratne heavily criticized the government for acting on misinformation provided by Catholic Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith on attacks against non-Catholic institutions.

He slammed the president and justice minister for “acting like fools” without studying facts provided by sources other than the Catholic church.

Mobs led by saffron robed individuals

The Methodist church of Sri Lanka has expressed its frustration over the fearful trend of religious fanaticism 'raising its beastly head' once again.

A statement issued by the Bishop of the Methodist Church says that mobs led by a few saffron robed individuals had physically obstructed their members from worshiping on several occasions.

“We hoped that with the dawn of the ‘Good Governance Government’ in 2015 this wave would have abated, and we state that due to the humane and righteous vision and policies of His Excellency the President and the Government, this wave of fanaticism was subdued to a larger extent,” says the statement issued by Bishop Asiri P Perera, “But unfortunately since of late we have observed this fearful trend raising its beastly head once again. What should be done is that all religions come together to establish and affirm noble human qualities in this country.”

The Bishop strongly condemns the attempt to obstruct the legal carrier of Lakshan Dias by “some individuals who have been misled by these extremists”.

Pluralism and Diversity within religious communities

Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) has urged Minister Rajapakse to broaden his sources of information and verification and to desist from threatening human rights defenders which it describes as “a bad practice of governments from the past”.

It calls upon the Minister to be both aware of and sensitive to the pluralism and diversity within our religious communities in his verification of facts.

“We reiterate our calls to President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe to launch an independent investigation of recent attacks against religious minorities, places of worship and businesses as a matter of national priority and to take all necessary action within the present legal framework to arrest and prosecute perpetrators,” says a statement issued by CPA.

“The government must take speedy and effective steps to restore the trust and confidence of all communities in its willingness and ability to protect and defend the rights of all its citizens.”

Is The Sinhalese Community Rising Up Against Racism & Violence?

By Mass L. Usuf –JUNE 24, 2017

Mass Usuf

There has always been this uneasy feeling among the average Buddhist clergy and the Sinhala people in relation to racism and religious extremism. This embarrassment is not surprising because it reflects the teachings of the Buddha himself – metta (loving kindness). Therefore, the general assumption that anything to do with racism is confined only to an insignificant number of people is very correct. However, the havoc they can wreak can be devastating. The 1983 riots provide a good historical study.

The pogrom on the night of 24 July 1983, was not planned but spontaneous. Only small numbers, those who were related to the deceased soldiers, had gathered that day at the Kanatte. They were angry at the government’s decision to directly handle the funeral arrangements without handing over the remains to the families. Wild rumour spread fast and thousands from the nearby Wanathamulla slums kept coming. The crowd rioted with the Police. This cocktail of rumour, anger and sadness exploded into attacking some Tamil shops in the vicinity of Kanatte and Borella area. Later it spread beyond control like wild fire. Different estimates place the death toll between 400 and 3,000 and economic loss of the riots at US$ 300 million.

Ramadan And Aluthgama Riots

The build-up of acts of violence and arson against Muslim places of worship and commercial establishments in the past two months were alarming. Around 28 incidents had been recorded and several Police complaints made. Sadly, The Minister of Law and Order and his law enforcement machinery were in a deep state of coma. The month of Ramadan (the month in which Muslims devote themselves to fasting) was approaching so was the third anniversary of the Aluthgama riots in June 2014. The highly charged turn of events greatly disturbed an insecure Muslim community. They made several representations at all levels of the political spectrum having discussions with the Minister for Law and Order, the Prime Minister and even the President. There was apparently a lack of will to implement the rule of law which was the only request the Muslims were making at these meetings.

The failure both institutionally and in the due process were signs of a disaster in the offing. The writing was on the wall. If a man made planned destruction was disposed of by a vis major in the form of devastating floods and landslides that took place in May 2017, is anybody’s guess.  The loss of lives, destruction of properties and the suffering of the people in the floods were of course, tragic and unbearable. 

Sinhala Society

During this month, the voice of the Sinhala society was being heard. The clergy and the laymen; The intellectuals and the Artists. To be fair, it must be mentioned that among the politicians the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna also voiced their concern at the breakdown of the law and order. These developments reassured the Muslim community that there is still hope in this country. The majority which consists of respectable and right-minded Sinhala people had decided, enough is enough. They would not permit a handful of criminals and thugs to take this country down the path of death and destruction with the tacit blessings of opportunistic politicians and a section of the clergy. This signalled the rise of the silent civic minded Sinhala majority.

The Puravesi Balaya joined hands with the late Venerable Maduluwawe Sobhita thero’s Sadharana Samajayak Sandaha Vu Jatika Vyaparaya (National Movement for Social Justice) (please see this writer’s article in Colombo Telegraph of 08 -11 -2015) and entered the fray ably supported by other civil bodies.  They met with the Inspector General of Police on 11th June 2017, to express their deep concern on the increasing number of attacks on Muslims. Also, to question the hide and seek game played by Ven. Galagoda Atthe Gnanasara who had appeared to have transformed himself from being a monk to a fugitive.  He was wanted on a contempt of court case and has been avoiding the courts with what the pubic considers as lame excuses.  Sick on one date and claiming a threat to his life on another date at the court.  The Appeal Court has now given three dates for the inquiry that is 17th, 18thand 19th of July with the warning that warrant will be issued if he does not appear in court.

“Last week, the Fort Magistrate issued an arrest warrant against Gnanasara after he failed to appear before courts, despite two summons over a contempt of court charge. Incidentally, it was the second arrest warrant issued against the monk within less than a month, the first was issued on May 25, 2017 on charges of inciting racial hatred and for hate speech against the Muslim community.

The police claimed that they had deployed several units to arrest Gnanasara in May, however as he was in hiding they were unable to apprehend him”. (Colombo Telegraph: 21 – 06 – 2017)

Despite Frightening Confession

Meanwhile, the arsonist who attacked a Muslim owned leather Store in Wijerama Junction, Maharagama on 22nd May 2017 had been arrested due to mounting pressure. The IGP, Mr. Pujith Jayasundara had said in this meeting that he was horrified at a confession made by this arsonist. The suspect had said that he planned to attack two Buddhist temples in order to trigger a backlash on the Muslim community. This gives an idea as to the extent of radicalisation of the youth through misinformation and misperception about another community. The Police investigations have now established that he is a member of the Bodu Bala Sena organisation whose Secretary was the fugitive monk Ven. Galagoda Atte Gnanasara, who surrendered to the courts on the 21st of June.

The Word On The Streets

This monk who did not present himself at the Appeal Court claiming a threat to his life, on this day, simply walked in to the Fort Magistrate Court to surrender. As the well-choreographed drama was unfolding, people on the streets were asking, “what happened to the so called hyped up death threats of this monk”. “What happened to the so called four Police units deployed to arrest this monk”?  People were also questioning, “who was harbouring this monk all these days”?  “Why did the Police soft pedal the gravity of the offences of this suspect monk when questioned by the Magistrate?”

The civic minded people feel disillusioned and greatly insulted by this stage-managed saga. They asked, “do these people think we are fools? One rule for the monks and another for the lay person”. Many were also mocking at the fast track bail calling it eligible for an entry into the Guinness book of records. The public is heaping blame also on the corrupt and opportunistic politicians, the Rajapaksas, the Police, the justice system and the government.

Read More

Are they doctors or monsters when they strike amidst an epidemic in the country ? Minister Rajitha to take stern stand , enough is enough

-Damages caused run into millions of rupees !

 (Lanka-e-News - 23.June.2017, 11.30PM) ‘As a former leader of trade union myself I did not take any stern decision hitherto against the strikes staged by the GMOA , but henceforth strong and stern decisions will have to be taken against them ,’ said  Dr. Rajitha Senaratne , minister of health , nutrition and indigenous medicine . The minister made this dire announcement at a media briefing held at the State information department following the laying siege to the Suvisiripaya coming under the health ministry on the 21 st  by those who behaved  most violently like terrorists. The media briefing was attended by the minister of health , and a group of officials of the ministry. 

At a time when the whole country is in panic and turmoil  owing to the dengue menace  , the doctors deciding to strike cannot be condoned under any circumstances.  At this juncture when the whole country is in dire peril and it is an emergency situation that is prevailing , could these doctors act this inhumanly ? It  must be first questioned , whether  they are doctors at all ? the minister went on to ask.  The GMOA is not conducting itself as a union ,  but as a political party , he bemoaned. 

The terror group that held Sivisiripaya hostage , caused damage to the health ministry , and even harassed the employees . What is most despicable is  ,  these terror groups after causing all these harm to the health ministry , shamelessly went to the national hospital run by the very  ministry to get  treatment , he pointed out . The damage caused to the ministry and its 16 vehicles by the anti SAITM protestors is in the region of many millions  of rupees , though an accurate assessment has not been made yet   , the minister revealed with regret. 

A group of about 4000 were involved , and the Peratugami political party is behind this . Those who participated were not all medical students , and there were others. Since all these terror activities  were  recorded by the cameras , legal action will be taken in the future for causing damage to State  property  , the minister observed.

When this terrorizing group entered the ministry forcibly , there was no police security detail , hence when such protests are being staged  it is vital ministries such  as the  health and the Higher education be provided with police security personnel. 

Besides 21 st was the  public day of the ministry  and special ,submission of the report on the standard of medical education , and the meeting of the producers of  local drugs were scheduled for that day , but  because of the terror and sabotage activities of these groups , all those programs were turned topsy turvy to the detriment of the entire country , the minister stated with concern.

By now, a large number of measures have been taken on behalf of the free health services . 150 doctors have been dispatched to districts where dengue menace is most threatening . At the outset the death toll due to dengue was 1 % , but now it has dwindled to 0.3% based on the action plan, the minister pinpointed. 

Moreover when the government has ensured medicines in  all hospitals are available without any scarcity , and drug prices have been reduced , this type of sabotage activities under any guise or guile to impede the health services which is  doing its best for  the benefit of the public  is most deplorable and despicable , the minister highlighted.  While arrangements have been made to commence lectures for the medical faculty students on the 26 th , it is a crucial question , then  who were those that indulged in such wanton  terror and sabotage activities ?  

The ministry secretary who participated in the press briefing said , after he informed the police on the 21st  , and when  the tense situation was defused at the ministry , its employees were sent out with security escort. 

It is significant to note on the 21 st when the terrorizing group was  engaging in sabotage activities and causing damage to property after storming into the ministry , the ministry officials and employees acted with great fortitude and forbearance.  However when the terror group sought to pull down  the  hoisted  national flag and replace it with their own slogan , because of the strong opposition mounted by the ministry staff , the terrorizing  group could not succeed , the secretary said.

---------------------------
by     (2017-06-24 01:26:55)

A stroke, heart attack or acid reflux?

 2017-06-21

Query: I’m a 24-year-old woman and have symptoms such as headaches and dizziness when I bow my head. I also feel faintish at times but this lasts for about three to four seconds. I do not actually faint but feel as if I am about to; this feeling settles down afterwards. I have also started developing occasional chest pains where I feel pain shooting up my chest. Sometimes I feel the pain on the left side and sometimes on the right. These symptoms usually last for a couple of seconds and then they go away. But since I have been getting them quite frequently, I have started to worry. I started noticing these symptoms over a week ago and have not felt them before. I wanted to know if this could be a heart attack, a stroke or gastritis or if there could be any kind of link between the symptoms

- (Madara Jayasinghe from Dehiwala).  

Answer: It is very unlikely that you are having a heart attack or a stroke. The dizziness could be vertigo, which is an imbalance in the middle ear. The chest pains are unrelated to this. You need medical attention however and it is advisable to visit your family doctor first. Chest pains can be related to many things, there’s not enough information to make a definite diagnosis. Since it doesn’t sound cardio-related, it could be muscular pains or even neck pain. Considering your age, it is highly unlikely to be a heart problem but it definitely warrants investigation. At your age, a stroke is not common and there should be more symptoms if this were the case. Unless you have a family history of strokes it’s unlikely that you would be diagnosed with one. There are many risk factors such as having a predisposition to blood pressure, smoking and high cholesterol, which are very unlikely at your age. It could be gastritis but all this could also indicate an acid reflux. When you have acid reflux, you suffer from heartburn, belching and burping.   

The reason you are experiencing these symptoms so suddenly could be due to stress from factors such as changing your job. If not, they could be related to family issues, diet and lifestyle changes that trigger these symptoms. You could also be suffering from migraines, which are common at your age. Although it may not be very serious, you should definitely see a general physician and get medical attention.

When Mahinda found second page of his speech missing

Jun 23, 2017

Ex-president, MP Mahinda Rajapaksa gave a very meaningful speech during his ongoing visit to Pakistan, his media unit said yesterday. That was said to be a significant statement, and the Pakistanis had well received it with rounds of applause.

Seeing that, a colleague of ours recounted an old story. It happened four to five years ago. The then president Mahinda Rajapaksa was the chief guest at the annual awards ceremony organized by the leading business magazine Business Today. On the previous day, his script writer Dr. Sunimal Fernando wrote the speech, got it typed and handed the copy to Mahinda Rajapaksa, saying, “Aney Sir. This is unlike any other speeches. This is attended by the best businessmen in the country. Therefore, read this at least once now. Or else, a big disgrace will happen.” “Hari, Hari, Ban,” so saying, Mahinda Rajapaksa folded it and put it into a file.

The following day, he readied himself for the occasion, looked for and found the speech, put it into his pocket and left for the ceremony. After the chief guest was invited to deliver his speech, he took the document he was given and started reading it. After finishing the first page, he could not find the second and only the third was there. Without troubling himself, he carried on with the third page. Those in the audience looked at each other in askance. Without taking any note of them, Mahinda Rajapaksa finished his speech and sat down. But, no one asked if any page was missing.

Before the media asked him, Mahinda told them, “See, I say, what has happened. Our Dr. Sunimal last night gave me the speech. I was sleepy. I did not look and just put it into a file. The man has forgotten the second page. I was shamed.” And, he placed the blame for his mistake on his script writer. Later, the organizers found the missing page and published his entire speech in the next issue of the magazine.

Cap on credit card interest rates removed to curb personal loans

Central Bank Governor Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy (L) addressing the media while Deputy Governor Dr Nandalal Weerasinghe looks on.Pic by Sujatha Jayaratne. 

By Hiran H.Senewiratne-June 23, 2017, 12:00 pm 

The Central Bank has issued a directive to all commercial banks to the effect that the cap on credit card interest rates should be removed and instructed them to charge competitive interest rates with effect from June 26. The reason being to discourage the number of personal loans, Central Bank Governor Dr Indrajit Coomaraswamy said.

"All commercial banks could  charge a competitive interest rate on credit cards  to discourage unproductive short term personal loans or lending , which have increased during the recent past, Dr Coomaraswamy said at the monthly monetary policy review meeting held at the Central Bank auditorium yesterday.

He said that personal loans are most of time being used for consumption and not help reap any economic benefits. Therefore, the Central Bank has issued a directive to all commercial banks to charge competitive interest rates on credit cards.

'The total credit card debt is 3 percent to 4 percent of the GDP, which is a very high amount. These are mainly personal loans, he said.

The Governor also said that the country's macro economic fundamentals are strong; the government's fiscal consolidation is on track and the CBSL will maintain a monetary policy to sustain economic development.

"This is in line with the government's road map. It would  enabled to reduce inflation, stabilize interest rates in the country in the future due to all economic fundamentals being on track, he said

He also said that the country's foreign reserves amount to US$ 7 billion and are expected to increase to US$ 7.2 billion before the end of the year."However, those foreign reserves are borrowed funds."

Further, Sri Lanka kept rates unchanged in June, but the Central Bank raised a red flag on rising borrowings by state-owned enterprises, although central government revenues were improving.

Sri Lanka's economy grew 3.8 percent in the first quarter, with bad weather hurting agriculture and electricity generation."Growth in the first quarter was weighed down by the impact of unfavourable weather conditions, particularly on agriculture-related activities, he said.

"The performance of industry-related activities was largely driven by the continued expansion in construction, while services-related activities recorded moderate growth. The economy is expected to recover during the second half of the year."

"The recent expansion in credit obtained by state-owned business enterprises poses a risk to the behaviour of overall domestic credit, reflecting the need to address concerns in relation to the financial performance of key SOEs, the Central Bank said in its June monetary policy statement.

Credit to SOEs rose to Rs. 557 billion in April 2017 from Rs. 495 billion in December 2016 as oil prices rose and a drought forced more thermal generation of electricity, reversing a trend of a net payback in loans seen up to the third quarter of 2016.However, since May, oil prices have begun to ease, though they remain at much higher levels than in 2016.Sri Lanka is still gripped by a drought and does not have a mechanism to adjust energy prices. The lack of a price formula for fuel and the frequent adjustment of electricity prices pose threats to the credit system, the economy and the exchange rate, economists have pointed out.However, private credit was slowing now, and better revenue collection was also helping reduce central government borrowing."The growth of credit to the private sector continued to decelerate gradually, the Central Bank said.

Further deceleration in growth of credit to the private sector is anticipated, given the prevailing high nominal and real lending rates in the market."As the impact of the revisions to the tax structure and weather-related supply disruptions are expected to dissipate in the period ahead, inflation is projected to moderate to mid-single digits by the end of 2017, and stabilise thereafter," the Central Bank said.

IUSF Convener Lahiru Weerasekara arrested

By Yusuf Ariff-June 23, 2017

The Convener of the Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF), Lahiru Weerasekara, has been arrested by police, Ada Derana reporter said. 

He was arrested while leaving a press conference held today (23) at the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR) at Deans Road, Maradana.

The IUSF Convener was reportedly arrested in connection with the incident at the Health Ministry on Wednesday (21).

A large number of university students, during a protest against SAITM, had forcibly entered the ministry premises and caused damages to public property. 

Convener of the Inter-University Bhikku Action Committee, Ven. Tempitiye Sugathananda Thero, was also arrested and remanded yesterday in connection with the incident. 

UPDATE (2.51pm) : IUSF Convener Lahiru Weerasekara has been remanded till July 05 after being produced at court. 

Shame on medical profession ! Dr. Monster Naveen, secretary of GMOA leadership rowdy group attacks pro SAITM doctor !!

(Lanka-e-News -23.June.2017, 11.30PM)  Doctor Kamal who opposed the anti SAITM view of the GMOA was ruthlessly and brutally  assaulted by  rowdy GMOA secretary  Dr. Naveen De Soysa (best known as having a face that is only attractive enough for  a pummeling)  ,necessitating  the victim to be hospitalized , based on reports .This incident occurred on 22nd evening  during  a conference held at the Colombo Foundation entitled  ‘end the SAITM  crisis’

Kamal has expressed his opinion against the unjust stance  of the GMOA on the SAITM issue during the evening tea break of the conference .Naveen De Soysa the barbaric secretary of the even more  uncivilized rowdy GMOA leadership of terrorizing members, who lost his patience (naturally being a brute ) when listening to Kamal had entered into an altercation with Kamal. Barbaric Naveen has then thrown the cup of tea  first at Kamal. Thereafter Naveen and Prabath a bosom pal of his , have together attacked Kamal brutally, as a result  Kamal had  to be admitted to the Colombo emergency ward for treatment.

Maradana Police are conducting investigations. 

---------------------------
by     (2017-06-24 00:09:25)

Tyrant And Tradesman; Gota & Dayan 

By Sarath de Alwis –JUNE 20, 2017

Sarath de Alwis

“I think Gota has changed considerably for the better since 2015, but even if he hasn’t, he is ten thousand times preferable to Ranil and his gang of traitors ….” ~ Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka

That is pure poppycock. Brazen bullshit. Deplorable drivel. These musings are about political sophistry. To qualify it further, it is about Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka.

Political pundits and hair dressers have much in common. One rearranges hair. The other splits them. Given Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka’s present assignment in coiffuring, we must concede that he is an exceptionally gifted friseur. Yet, he fails to groom or dress up Gotabaya Rajapaksa as an acceptable presidential candidate.

Both Gota and Dayan are experts in abuse. Gotabya abused his power. Dayan J is abusing language in pursuit of Gota’s return to power – an evil objective. 

The German Catholic philosopher Josef Pieper (1904-1997) also regarded as the ‘philosopher of virtue’ has explained what Dr. D.J is attempting to do.

“ ..  Abuse of political power is fundamentally connected with the sophistic abuse of the word in the fertile soil in which to hide and grow and get ready, so much so that the latent potential of the totalitarian poison can be ascertained, as it were, by observing the symptom of the public abuse of language. The degradation, too, of man through man, alarmingly evident in the acts of physical violence committed by all tyrannies (concentration camps, torture), has its beginning, certainly much less alarmingly, at that almost imperceptible moment when the word loses its dignity.” 

Now, that is what happened to us in the ten years that the Rajapaksas ruled our land. The word lost its dignity. [I am not suggesting that Sirisena and Ranil have restored its dignity. On the contrary they have made the ‘word’, the instrument of deceit. That is another subject for another day.]

In the digital age, there are lasting records of almost every word spoken or written. Chose the wrong words, and you not only share them publicly but rue the day when you are made to masticate them.

What did Dayan say?  “There is something I want to reveal. A highly placed defence official has sent a SMS to me and asked me who I was to be criticising Israel. I said I was the Ambassador appointed by his brother.”

There can be no argument about who said what and about whom. The identity of the parties – the highly placed defence official, his brother and his brother’s choice of ambassador.

So, instead of fruitless fornicating with spiders let us agree that the reference is to Gotabaya Rajapaksa the then defence secretary and that he is a ‘cardboard’ Nethanyahu – committed to a Sinhala Buddhist version of ‘ Eretz Yisrael’- the ‘Singhe Le.’ Just as the Jewish nation, the Sinhalese are the chosen people and Lion land is the Promised Land.

Dr. D.J. points out in one of several rebuttals he has penned recently that the Colombo Telegraph report “proves that at a time when no one — including today’s Yahapalana heroes–had the guts to criticise Gotabaya who was at the zenith of his power, openly and on the record” he bearded the ‘lion’  in his den.” [Pun intended]

What does the Political Scientist DJ mean by the curious phrase ‘Gotabaya at the zenith of his power’? What happened when Gota was at the ‘zenith of power’?  Lasantha’s murder? Keith Noyahr’s beating? Ekneligoda’s disappearance?  Aluthgama pogrom? Rathupaswala carnage? The list runs long. Dayan knows what he is talking about Gota at his zenith.

Although Dayan has turned from political critic of Gota to his political marketer ‘Ranil represents Political Evil. Gota is the Exorcist.’

Ranil-CBK are administering political-ideological poison to the nation. Gota is the Antidote, Ranil-CBK-Mangala are committing sins and crimes against our nation. Gota is The Punisher. Dayan, the critic of Gota was indeed and in fact was shit scared. I don’t blame him. He knew his adversary, the exorcist, the antidote, the punisher very well. Dayan should be commended. At the zenith of his power, Gota was the antidote – the counteragent of democratic freedoms, the exorcist who rid Mahinda of  the demons that haunted his conscience, and the punisher of those who dared to challenge the power hegemony of the family.

Dayan says, “I have written proof of this, and my friends also have written proof of this in case something happens to me”. So when Gota was at his zenith, Dayan did seriously consider that something may happen to him.

When Gota was in power, we did indeed enjoy freedom of speech. What we did not have was freedom after speech. Worse, we were cautious before speech. We had second thoughts before exercising free speech. 

Dayan rightly points out that one cannot have the cake and also eat it. However, that is precisely what he did with Premadasa, Mahinda Rajapaksa and now with Gotabaya Rajspaksa. Premadasa was a populist tyrant. He had what was then called the Lawrence mafia which his successor D.B. Wijetunge dismantled immediately after he was sworn in. We are yet to discover the full extent of the grip of the Hendawitharana octopus that made even the brave Dayan consider the possibility of something nasty happening to him.

Read More

Aloysius’ arrack drowns Excise Department

June 23, 2017

The taxes Mendis Liquor Company maintained by Perpetual Treasuries, a primary dealer, has not paid millions to Department of Excise due as excise duty states Voice Against Corruption (VAC).

The convener of VAC Wasantha Samarasinghe says the company owed Department of Excise Rs. 320 million for the month of May.

Companies producing liquor have to pay taxes to Department of Excise every 15 days. However, Mendis Company owned by Arjun Aloysius has not paid taxes not only for May but also for the first fortnight of June says Mr. Samarasinghe.

He said companies that don’t pay taxes regularly are banned from production and legal action should be taken. However, Arjun Aloysius’ company has been allowed to continue production despite it has not paid taxes for several months pointed out the convener of VAC.

Time to rethink liquor sale on Poya Days: Mangala

2017-06-23

The time has come for the country to rethink banning of liquor sales on Poya Days, Finance and Mass Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera told Parliament yesterday. 

Speaking during a debate on the notifications made under Excise Ordinance in the House, the Minister said liquor sales were higher on Poya Days than the ordinary days. 

"Liquor shop owners take stocks to their residences and sell them at a price which is hundred percent higher than normal," he said adding that people purchased liquor early, usually before the Poya Days, as they were fully aware that shops would to be closed.

Drug menace: What is going wrong?

Jun 23, 2017

June 26 is International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking—as good an occasion as any to point out that Sri Lanka needs a multipronged approach to eradicate its growing narcotics problem. Flinging people in jail, where they continue to traffic and consume drugs, is no longer adequate or sustainable.

Department of Prisons’ statistics show that in 2015, nearly half, or 46.4 percent, of prisoners convicted were drug offenders. This means that, of the 24,086 who were sentenced, a massive 11,171 went to jail for narcotics crimes. That is the tip of the proverbial iceberg. The previous year, the percentage of total convicts that were drug offenders was 43.5 percent but it was 34 percent in 2013. The data show an upward trend in the number of those getting sentenced for trafficking and taking narcotics. The Government maintains these high conviction figures are a result of improved law enforcement.

Data do indicate a rise in seizures. The National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB) has recorded 82,482 arrests in 2015—an increase of 23 percent over the previous year. But experts also believe the larger numbers can be explained, in part, by more people pushing and taking drugs. There are certainly bigger quantities of narcotics in circulation now than in the past.

Cannabis and heroin are the narcotics of choice, in that order. The Western Province is the most afflicted followed by the South. There is now a risk of heroin (restricted, before the 1980s, to a few locals who frequently travelled abroad and foreign tourists) spreading across the country, if it hasn’t already. Among those arrested for heroin-related offences, a majority are drug users caught with a few milligrams in their possession for personal use.

This is consistent with patterns worldwide. A 2013 study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime suggests the global increase in drug-related crime is driven mainly by a rising number of offences related to drug possession, particularly in Europe and Africa. Moreover, the vast majority of traffickers in prison were low-level offenders.The estimated quantity of street level heroin supply in Sri Lanka is 985kg a year or nearly 2.7 kilograms a day. This is sufficient for 45,000 heroin dependents. But, in 2015, only 47kg of heroin was seized.

One of the issues the authorities need to address is that, despite there clearly being a widespread drug habit, as backed by statistics, the number of users entering rehabilitation and reintegrating into society is abysmal. Last year, there were just 2,355 addicts registered with the official Drug Abuse Monitoring System. The prisons have treatment programmes but, ironically, few takers.

The Government’s four rehabilitation centres can accommodate only around 40 to 50 patients at a time. The Civil Defence Force runs an outfit in Kandakadu in Polonnaruwa. But with the bulk of users concentrated in the Western Province, it is a challenge to get addicts to go, let alone stay, there.

The private sector runs a few more treatment centres of varying quality. The biggest impediment is a lack of funds. For facilities to be of acceptable quality, there must be money to run them. But there is precious little going into drug rehabilitation. And the returns are not attractive enough for investors to take the plunge.

So, while new drug users enter the equation every year, there is no system to draw and keep them away from this destructive dependence. This contravenes international conventions that not only require drug offences to be punishable but mention treatment as an alternative to prison alongside education, after-care, rehabilitation and social reintegration.

The absence of such mechanisms in Sri Lanka guarantees a high rate of relapse to drug use, and the vicious cycle of supply and demand continues, nourished by new entrants. The country’s national policy for the prevention and control of drug abuse states boldly that “the overall goal of the Government in relation to the drug problem is to reduce the drug supply and drug use to the barest minimum possibly [sic] by 2010”. The policy contains a comprehensive section dedicated to prevention, education and training; and to treatment and rehabilitation of drug dependents.
The numbers contradict any success the Government may claim in achieving its targets. By its own admission, law enforcement alone will not help eradicate the drug problem. It is time to take a long, hard, critical look at what is going wrong.

Save our heritage buildings
The Kompannaveediya Castle Hotel, a building which is more than 140 years old, has been pulled down to make way for a mixed development project implemented by an international company. In June 2016, the Archaeology Department wrote to the Urban Development Authority stating that the edifice was of historical value and must be preserved. But it neglected to gazette the building as a historical monument and in May 2017 granted permission to the developer to have it razed to the ground.

In its latter stages, the Castle Hotel had been a working class bar. The descendants of Charles Henry de Soysa, who held ownership, were repeatedly denied permission to carry out alterations or have it cleared from that space on the premise that it was a heritage building. But the might of an international developer was too much for the authorities to bear and the Castle Hotel paid the price. What, now, will become of similar edifices in Kompannaveediya, Fort and other areas? Studies, we are told, have been done and buildings earmarked for preservation. But there was much confusion over how the Castle Hotel had slipped through the cracks.

With Colombo due to be converted into a modern megapolis, there are legitimate questions over what policymakers and implementers have planned for monuments that stand in the way of their lofty plans. Countless cities around the world have made an example of the old cohabiting with the new. Unless structurally unsafe, there is no longer any reason why heritage buildings–their worth cannot be measured in pure economic terms–must be pulled down.

Led by Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the then Secretary to the Defence Ministry, the former administration set about actively preserving historical architecture while transforming the city into a modern metropolis. Fort was identified as an area that had tremendous historical depth. The plan was to put these buildings to use after renovation, restoration and rehabilitation.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has himself expressed a wish to conserve old edifices within a framework of urban redevelopment. On a visit to Singapore last year, he saw how old courtrooms and office spaces were turned into galleries that housed world-class art. But somewhere along the line, the message seems to be getting lost. It is time to put in place and carry out a clear policy as regards Sri Lanka’s irreplaceable heritage buildings.

http://www.sundaytimes.lk