Padeniya’s GMOA of Dr. Monsters brought to its knees ! New ‘Graded medical officers association’ blossoms !!

(Lanka-e-News - 19.July.2017,11.30PM)   A new organization of doctors has come into being, in fulfillment of the aspirations and  hopes of  one and all to combat the terrorist GMOA organization . Its name is ’Graded medical officers  association’ .The inaugural meeting of this new Doctors association was  held this noon  (19) at the Colombo Foundation  Institute.

It is an incontrovertible fact ,monster doctors like Padeniyas ; those who have forgotten their GCE  advanced level results; and of their barbaric breed , after taking over the leadership of the GMOA clung  on for  a long time only to  tarnish  the image of the profession and destroy the  prestige the doctors enjoyed earlier on.  The doctors who were treated like gods  in the past, because of  the terrorizing inhuman leadership of the GMOA  lost their prestige and high estimation before the people.  It is heartless Padeniya’s team that was responsible for  inviting  this  disgrace voluntarily upon themselves .

It is very unfortunate this  terrorizing group  of doctors despite  having taken the sacred of oath of Hippocrates to serve the sick subordinating all other interests wasted their time on the SAITM  issue  with ulterior motives only to finally bite the dust most humiliatingly. They lost their mental balance so much so that they even opposed the free ambulance service transporting  patients let alone neglecting the helpless patients fully depending on the doctors in hospitals,  by  staging senseless and meaningless strikes .These tie coat wearing so called medical officers descended to the level of Medical oppressors in the eyes of the public. The final comedy act of these terrorizing doctor brutes  came to an end when Dr. Carlo Fonseka , the retiring president of  Medical Council  issued a dire warning to them  while  these medical oppressors were trying to continue to oppress the public and neglect the patients ,  by threatening to  stage  villainous strikes under the flimsy excuse to extend the term of Dr. Fonseka . 

When  they created a huge uproar and screamed  ‘ if the official term of Fonseka is not extended we will hold the patients hostage and jeopardize their lives by staging strikes ,’ Dr. Fonseka on the other hand gave a slap in their face when these  terrorizing doctors met him . He sternly warned  them directly ‘ do not use me as a tool when I am saying no to it.’    Dr. Fonseka pleaded and told them before the entire media and cameras  ‘  if you are  still insisting on staging  strikes ,you do it only after slitting my throat.’ These terrorists posing as doctors only then realized they are headed for doom and gloom.

In the circumstances , it is a matter for surprise if the medical practitioners have still not understood that the GMOA is not an organization that is concerned about the  professional dignity or the   prestige of the doctors  not to mention their  ill treatment meted out to the  patients who they should instead care for based on the sacred oath they have taken. 

By now Padeniya’s group  has made the GMOA a disoriented  organization that is incapable of serving its own members or the patients , thereby proving itself as  a bane to the doctors  and patients alike as well as society and nation in general. Moreover by GMOA staging strikes to demand superior schools for their children and getting enmeshed in other irrelevant issues all along , demonstrated to the educated society they are a bunch of buffoons fond of only  tomfoolery while  also confirming the fears harbored  by the patients about  them as  not doctors but monsters trying to kill the patients  rather than heal  them  .

If the people wish death the  Padeniya’s GMOA monsters shall live , on the contrary  if the people  wish to live the GMOA should die a natural death or it  must be  dealt a death blow .

Fortunately for the patients and the country the genuine doctors who truly understood the wishes of the people have today organized themselves under “Graded medical officers Association’. The GMOA leaders recently referred to this association as groomed by minister Rajitha , and as such  they are bitterly opposed to it  ( the JVP having formed the Samastha Lanka medical officers association does  not sting these   GMOA leaders) 

The GMOA by  their opposition have only proved what illiterate and ignorant  class of individuals the GMOA leaders are, because in a Democratic country anybody has a right to  commence an organization . Of course if the organization was commenced by Rajitha it ought to  be criticized even though it  cannot be criticized. It is a fundamental right of any  human being to form organizations.

High time the GMOA terrorist leaders tried  to understand that they are the architects of their misfortune . Much more important than that is , these leaders must realize as a trade union they  cannot ride the high horse kicking and trampling the aspirations of 6.2 million  people because , in that   event sooner or later they will have a heavy fall , and that is the irretrievable disaster they finally courted.

Dr. Niroshana Premaratne , secretary of the new Graded medical officers association convening  the general meeting today said , the name of erstwhile multifunctional division fully skilled medical officers association has now been changed to Graded medical officers association  , and this has been started with a view to function much more extensively.

The secretary further revealed , since during the last about  two years the GMOA instead of focusing on  the professional rights of the doctors and neglecting them had been working to serve other agendas , consequent upon which a large number of doctors who were disappointed and disillusioned with the GMOA  have now joined the new organization.

Minister of health Rajitha Senaratne who received an invitation for the general meeting of the new medical association  said,  he has nothing to do with the new association. The trade union is launched by the doctors and not by the health minister , and this is not the first time it  has happened , he pinpointed.

The minister cited as an example , the inauguration of the joint medical specialists association by medical specialists , while adding , if any trade union of the health ministry  invites him for its meeting he shall attend . Two months ago two Nurses associations had their functions on the same day , and he attended both , the minister elaborated. 

At any rate  the people  are going to very soon witness fireworks - a violent and fierce  clash between the two doctors’ associations  .  The genuine association with honest intentions will triumph . History has proved that.

---------------------------
by     (2017-07-19 21:40:27)

We think we cannot, therefore we cannot! Our power of self-doubt!

We need to place a different fuel to drive the economic engine. The fuel that is on everyone’s lips – except ours of course – is innovation and there is hardly any disagreement outside Sri Lanka, that innovation is being recognised as the central driver of economic growth and development. Here, a young man works on a laptop while waiting at a bus stand in Colombo during a private bus strike day – Pic by Shehan Gunasekara

Thursday, 20 July 2017

With sincere apologies to Virgil who stated quite simply and yet with much depth that ‘they can because they think they can,’ I really must present the quote quoted differently! The title is also meant to reflect the frustration that one gets when trying to realise some meaningful progress perhaps in an unorthodox manner. We are quite ready to fail by sticking to same old routines when common sense may indicate that there is no hope at all in going down such routes.

I did paraphrase Virgil’s line in this manner because this is the way we think and act and the basis for most of our decisions too. We are ever ready to justify why something cannot be done. We are in quite muddied waters and there is the dire need for some creative decision-making. The surfeit of problems that are facing us which need tackling with some alacrity are, to be quite blunt, quite alarming.

Consider what I have included in the inserted figure. This list is really is a random collection with the express intention of creating an impact on the reader’s mind. Continuing to trundle along with ensuring simple solutions to go by the day is not going to serve us well and most of the time that is what we are doing and achieving. Hanging on with dear life to procedures that have not served us at all – but many simply do not see these in this light – is a hallmark of subservient behaviour and simply a mindless activity.


Fuel of innovation

We need to place a different fuel to drive the economic engine. The fuel that is on everyone’s lips – except ours of course – is innovation and there is hardly any disagreement outside Sri Lanka, that innovation is being recognised as the central driver of economic growth and development.

Innovation may mean in many ways to many people but essentially it is all about doing new things or doing old things differently and better. The widely-accepted manual in Europe for assessment purposes is the Oslo Manuel and this has quite a broad definition for innovation – An innovation is the implementation of a new or significantly improved product (good or service), or process, a new marketing method, or a new organisational method in business practices, workplace organisation or external relations. So much is defined under innovation and so little of such thinking is taking place and the net result in this vacuum are all these burning issues.

The recently-released Global Innovation Index report has further pushed Sri Lanka back. In its 10th edition GII places Sri Lanka in the 90th position from 127 economies. If it is any consolation we have moved up one position from the analysis last year but the general trend had been going down the slippery slope. However we have been languishing in this 90-105th sector for most of the time though the oft-stated mantra had been consistent on knowledge based economy. Again Sri Lanka considers seriously the middle-income trap that we are in and have had many a conference workshop on identifying ways and means of getting out of it.


Strong decisions needed

The 2016 Central Bank report is quite revealing that it attributes and acknowledges the yeoman service rendered to the present economic position by the remittances from Middle East and this is not earnings generated from knowledge-based endeavour. Hence there is a lot of recalibration that needs to be carried in our assessments and some strong decisions need to be taken to put the ship on right path.

GII indicates a position for the country in relation to others. However what it contains and reveals is also specific pointers for action if we consider it that way. The former Secretary General of UN mentioned that the GII is a unique tool for refining innovation policies and for providing an accurate picture on the role of science, technology and innovation in Sustainable Development. Sri Lanka is yet to have an innovation policy. However there is an ongoing process in this regard with the Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade with the support of World Bank. There is a clear need for decision makers co-opting the GII framework for decision-making with the proviso that they really understand its usefulness.


Have some confidence!

Having some confidence when trying to achieve something is quite important and we just appear to fail there. Wanting to succeed coupled with the determination to follow through is simply missing with most people. We just do not believe we by ourselves can get something done. Always reaching out without an iota of self-belief is something we see and hear always. In any situation we appear to seek outside help and we appear to be ever willing to be perfect hosts in this help importation exercise.

We appear to accept certain ways of doing things as sacred and any deviation from an accepted way of work is really frowned upon. This behaviour as per set operating guidelines cannot take you far especially when we know that one of the biggest complaints for lack of progress in FDI and in business confidence is the way we do things.

Now this is not recommending that all safeguards and due diligence be waived for the sake of getting a business going – may even remember the concept of opening up and saying may the robber barons come in. No, we need decent FDIs that have the potential of transformation as well. However, ensuring speed and efficiency is vital in developing confidence. We do meet on improving the Doing Business Index but may be it is much more important to meet over the Global Innovation Index – then you are covering much more and considering much more vital matters across many more parameters.



Positive reinforcement

We need positive reinforcement to our mind over the ability to create new things. Ask the ordinary citizen what the country is offering them, the answer may be that there is nothing new except perhaps the aggravation of the age-old problems. We have the Government hotline for information and the most frequent query from that is how to obtain the passport as per an analysis and that question speaks volumes.

A lot of effort has gone into teaching English and we spend many a year in school trying to conquer this language. Yet the progress overall is not exactly satisfactory. However, interestingly we appear to learn Korean in quite a short time to a level that is considered eminently satisfactory to live and work in Korea – of course the work available is not for the knowledge worker kind. Is there an attitudinal issue here or a sign of desperation?

Sometimes we may be considering that if we can get an additional five billion dollars the economy can weather all the immediate storms! Then we seek the quickest and the fastest way to ensure that the money is available. Yes there is very little chance to generate billions quite quickly through immediate high technology innovation but we have to understand that the efficiency improvements in our economy actually can deliver billions via changing the way we do things.

I will elucidate on this point later but will stop with the statement for the moment allowing you to agree or disagree but I urge you think how efficiency can prop up our economy immediately.

We also do have the issue of meek acquiescent in challenging authority and usually follow the requirements – doing everything that is told again is an issue and many a senseless move can happen as we allow our conscious to be frozen. Must admit that overcoming this in most instances can be a quite a challenge but if proper people with right qualifications at least start occupying places the task obviously will be made easier. That is a quantum jump we must make too, as no ship can sail properly with the wrong skipper on deck!

Indian girl held in Sri Lanka for Buddha image on dress

Released after she signed a statement and apologised

Sri Lanka to deport Buddha tattoo British woman

Meera Srinivasan
-,JULY 18, 2017 

Sri Lanka police on Monday detained and questioned an Indian tourist who was wearing a dress with a print of the Buddha on it.

Wearing the image of the Buddha remains a sensitive matter in the island where a majority practise Buddhism. In 2014, a British tourist was deported for sporting a tattoo of the Buddha on her arm.
The 26-year-old tourist was on the island on a family holiday at a resort near Bentota, along the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Before the group’s departure from Colombo on Monday, some of them were shopping at an upmarket mall in the capital.

“Just as we were about to make the payment at the counter, three cops came up to us and said they needed to arrest and take my niece. We were terrified,” said Deepam R., aunt of the young woman. The 26-year-old and the rest of the family apologised to the police and said they did not intend to offend Sri Lankans, she said.

“One of my nephews rushed to the store next door and bought a T-shirt, so my niece could wear it over the dress. But the police did not allow her to do that. They asked her to come to the police station with them,” Ms. Deepam told The Hindu over telephone, upon her return to Chennai.
Insisting that she would accompany her niece, Ms. Deepam went to the police station, where they were made to sign a statement and apologise, before being allowed to proceed to the airport for departure.

Legal offence

When contacted, the police said the family was let off with a warning. “Wearing such a print is an offence according to the penal code. It is not just about the Buddha, wearing prints of deities of any religion is considered offensive,” police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara told The Hindu. However, senior lawyer J.C. Weliamuna said: “Only defaming a religion is a criminal offence in Sri Lanka, wearing a normal print of the Buddha does not amount to that. This is ridiculous.”

Who represents the real SLFP… Maithri or Mahinda ?

2017-07-20

“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” 
~ William Faulkner

• MR practiced economic policies, same as CBK’s crony-capitalist principles
• MS’s rise in SLFP’s hierarchy is noteworthy and his current struggle to keep together is extraordinary

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), although purported to be following the Bandaranaike policies and principles, basically consists of socialized economic principles and hard nationalism bordering on extremism. Its fundamental appeal has been to Sinhalese Buddhists who it rightly assumed as marginalized and under-served by the then governing principals, a Colombo-based, English-speaking elite led by the United National Party (UNP). That is all post-Independence politics in Ceylon.   

However, prior to Ceylon obtaining freedom from the British Raj, in both Councils, Legislative and State, amongst the dominating elements, the most striking was its composition that of a foreign cum English-educated, whiskey-drinking, impervious super-elite whose allegiance to and being arrogant towards the local culture of the average Haramanis. Haramanis was nurtured and nursed by the glorious tales of the Great Chronicle - Mahawansa. Living in the rural countryside, nourished by the soil of the land and its meagre fruits of rain-fed cultivations, the average Sinhalese Buddhist was literally kept in the dark. His wants and desires were not heard nor adhered to. His culture which boasts of thousands of years of monarchical rule by Kings and Queens was rooted in aggressively held beliefs and unforgiving faith in a religion that is sacred and universally accepted as a supreme philosophical teaching of life and living. They were proud of that faith and rightly so.  

The then decision-makers who were mainly part and parcel of the establishment comprising of the colonial powers and Colombo-based elites executed their legislative callings with an exclusive mindset of arrogance on the one hand and a reprehensible sense of oblivion on the other. This mindset of the ruling elites was dictating the performance of its obligations without any substantial relationship to the great majority in the land whether they were Sinhalese, Tamil or Muslim. But the appeal of the SLFP, as per historical records, is essentially a logical progression of the Sinhala Maha Sabha, ‘founded by SWRD Bandaranaike in 1934-35, in order to promote Sinhalese culture and community interests’. While retaining its fundamental nationalistic character, the SLFP also promulgated a message of vastly different economic policies- policies that later implemented as ‘socialist’ and ‘common man-friendly’- from the UNP’s capitalistic free-market-friendly approach.  
When the govt was formed as Mahajana Eksath Peramuna coalition with well-known Marxists/Trotskyites like Philip Gunawardene at the helm of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Co-operatives, the direction in which the govt was taking the country was obvious. Undoing of capitalist economic structures continued whenever any govt led by the SLFP was in power, until Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaranatunga (CBK) assumed office as President in 1994, thanks mainly to the assassination of Gamini Dissanayake by the LTTE. Had Gamini not been taken out of the scene, it might have been a UNP-led govt in power in the wake of the 1994 Presidential Elections. Well that, as they say, is history now.  

Coming back to the major policies and principles adopted by successive SLFP-led governments up to CBK, both of economic and national significance, a radicalisation of the country’s national posture, as a third-world nation advancing towards embracing oncoming modernization and rejecting archaic feudalistic strangulation of man’s inherent thirst for freedom, changed for good. The Pancha Maha Balavégaya unleashed a more radical force whose anger and rile were difficult to control and contain. Degradation of parliamentary debating, a custom of unpublishable vernacular barrage, both within and outside the ‘House of the People’, political power being misunderstood and misplaced by an uneducated class of parliamentarians contributed to an eventual decay in the national polity. Not that this did not happen under the UNP-led governments, but the difference between the two is too stark to ignore.  

The SLFP became the party of the ‘common man’. The so-called underprivileged and déclassé found a proverbial ‘place in the sun’. That is indisputable and remained so until the early 70s when JR took control of the UNP, the so-called ‘rich man’s party’.  

It is in this context one has to look at Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR), the former leader and Maithripala Sirisena, the current one of the SLFP. Both are typical by-products of the 1956-transformation. In so far as the 1956-change is concerned, I deliberately use the term ‘transformation’ instead of the more commonly used term ‘revolution’. There were only two attempts at a revolution in the country. The first was in 1971 and the second in the 1987-89 period. However, the change that the Bandaranaike-led SLFP government entailed in 1956 was gleefully hugged by a large majority of Sinhalese Buddhists in the country. That character of the SLFP is still valid and vastly accepted as a ‘given’ in the context of closely fought election battles.   

MR is one of the sons of D. M. Rajapaksa, one of the pioneers of the SLFP. MR’s allegiance to democratic principles and commitment to the elevation of the ‘common man’s status is recorded history. But that was in the early 90s when he was in the Opposition, specifically during the Premadasa-regime, leading a sleeping SLFP in Paada Yaatra marches. None can dispute MR’s dedication to the cause of the party in which his father was one of the pioneer members along with A. P. Jayasuriya, Sri Nissanka and of course, SWRD Bandaranaike. MR while reflecting the fundamental ethnic profile of the party, that of ultra-nationalist and pseudo-patriotic, he practised economic policies that were same as those of CBK’s crony-capitalist principles. 

One of the greatest ironies in the SLFP’s practice of economic policies was when CBK’s mother who was primarily responsible for enacting the Land Reform Bill, which its opponents called ‘draconian’, CBK in fact was one of the key officials who were responsible for implementing Sirimavo’s Land Reform policy. The irony is, it was CBK herself who was responsible for the undoing of most of the policies enacted by her mother. Privatization of management of the vast business empire of Tea Estates in fact rectified that grave economic mistake done unto Sri Lanka’s economy. Mahinda embracing crony-capitalism and practising it with blind allegiance to his kith and kin ultimately led to his fall. The passage of the Nineteenth (19th) Amendment further confirmed MR’s cavalier attitude towards ‘others’ and the concerns and needs of the ‘common man’. To disregard so ungratefully the very entity that rendered loyal and unstinting support at successive elections is an unforgivable wickedness. And MR paid a very severe price for that wickedness.  

Maithripala Sirisena (MS), a product of the same traditions and practices of the SLFP had a rare quality a very few in that party have displayed so far. Standing against the party leader, the sitting President of the country requires more than conviction and courage. It needs ‘guts’. In that deed, MS stands alone. And MS’s scrutiny into the unjust displacement of the Northern Tamils and his commitment to a speedy solution to making ground for those unfortunate Tamils in the North is ample evidence of a clear departure from the traditional postures of the SLFP. In this sphere, MS is closer to CBK than anyone else in the SLFP history except perhaps SWRD himself. Although the latter was considered a ‘liberal’ in Sri Lanka’s history, his lack ‘guts’ led to the doing away with the so-called BC Pact and his disconnect with the country’s agony during the 1958 anti-Tamil riots has also been penned in history.   

In short, MR might be an aberration while MS is a true product of the SLFP. Adherence to the founding principles of the Party matters. It matters prior to, during and after elections. While the former erased much of the traditional aspects of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the latter being an outsider of a ‘family clan’ is trying to embrace and advance the cause of the party. Whether such adherence to the SLFP principles is valid today is another question and in this writer’s opinion, such allegiance should not be blind nor should it be unwise.  

In a rapidly changing environment, where the social media is overtaking each news cycle in double-quick time, authenticity of a politician is most critical in the eyes of the public. That sense of authenticity belongs to MS. Having started his professional life as Grama Niladhari and risen to the pinnacle of Presidency of the country is no mean accomplishment. His rise in the SLFP’s hierarchy alone is noteworthy and his current struggle to keep the SLFP together is extraordinary. He might succeed and sometimes fail. But the journey of the SLFP has been and is not uneventful. Having shown that he is a far better public speaker than MR, MS might indeed have an easier task in convincing the majority in the country. But he might be running into an impregnable wall within his own party. How far his authenticity would carry him is a matter not yet resolved. MR’s acts of connivance might overshadow MS’s authenticity. In such a battle, MS will succeed, come what may.  
The writer can be contacted at vishwamithra1984@gmail.com  

Hong Kong: Sri Lankan maid files lawsuit

(July 19, 2017, Hong Kong SAR, Sri Lanka Guardian) A domestic worker from Sri Lanka is seeking a judicial review, claiming the government’s requirement that helpers live and work in their employer’s residence violates the international law against slave labour, The Hong Kong Economic Journal has reported.

According to the report, “In a writ filed in the High Court on Tuesday, Rankothpedi Duravalage Kamalawathi, said she had been mistreated by her employer since she was hired in 2012.”

She claimed that she is now suffering from schizophrenia and auditory hallucination, which prevents her from continuing to work, news website hk01.com reports.

Kamalawathi blamed her condition on exploitation by her employer. She said her employer paid her less than the minimum wage, cut her leave short and demanded she works in multiple places.

She said that although the Director of Immigration has the authority to put restrictions on conditions of domestic helpers’ stay, such restrictions should be limited only to their types of work, employers and work addresses, and should not apply to regulate where they sleep.

The live-in requirement not only breaches international law but also makes foreign domestic helpers like her discriminated against since other foreign workers doing other jobs are allowed to choose where they can live.

She asked the court to find the requirement unreasonable and illegal.

The case is the second of its kind after a domestic worker sought a judicial review on the live-in requirement in November last year.

Nancy Almoriny Lubiano, who arrived in Hong Kong from the Philippines in 2011, said the requirement violates the Hong Kong Bill of Rights, the Immigration Ordinance and the Basic law.

The High Court is set to hear the case of the Filipino woman on Oct. 3.

School girl murder – Fake drama in the making that IGP and CID tried to kill criminal Lalith Jayasinghe–Pathiba Mahanama is drama producer !

(Lanka-e-News - 19.July.2017,11.30PM)  Unbelievably , it is Pathiba Mahanama the former  president of  Human Rights commission during the  nefarious decade of corrupt criminal Rajapakses has made the latest despicable move telling   most rudely shocking and abominable lies  to save SDIG Lalith Jayasinghe  who is now in remand custody for allowing  the prime suspect to escape in connection with the murder of a school girl after collecting a bribe of Rs. 4 million.

Lalith Jayasinghe and Mahanama are not only bosom pals but ‘bottle’ pals too who would empty liquor bottles in double quick time.  Like birds of a feather flock together these two debauched buddies of the same feather drink , dine and will not hesitate to commit crimes together. 

Mahanama who went and met Lalith Jayasinghe at Anuradhapura prison has plotted to rescue his bosom bottle pal.  When the CID which took Lalith Jayasinghe into custody was transporting Lalith Jayasinghe  in the Benz car to Kayts court the vehicle  met with an accident on the way. 

Infamously famous Mahanama taking advantage of this accident has advised to make a spurious complaint that the IGP and CID conspired to murder Lalith Jayasinghe . Thereby the IGP and CID can be intimidated , Mahanama had further pointed out to Lalith. 

As both of them are birds of a feather who commit crimes together,  Lalith Jayasinghe had also added his own piece of criminal advice . That is ,citing  an incident that happened after Lalith was produced in court.

When Lalith was produced in court he was remanded until the 25 th. His lawyer informed court that since Lalith is linked to  the school girl murder , his life is in danger if he is detained in Jaffna remand prison. Hence a request was made by the lawyer to transfer him to Anuradhapura prison to which request  the judge gave permission.

Subsequently , when Lalith was being transported in the prison vehicle to Anuradhapura , it was discovered that the judge has inadvertently not signed the order to transfer  Lalith to Anuradhapura prison. The officers have then come back , obtained the judge’s signature and again traveled  to Anuradhapura. 

Pointing out this incident , criminal minded Lalith had told Mahanama it can be used to paint a picture that it was a  part of a conspiracy to murder Lalith .

Accordingly , Mahanama and a group are orchestrating a fake drama that there is a conspiracy to murder Lalith Jayasinghe , casting aside the actual facts.  Making an official complaint to the IGP, informing the president in writing and filing  a human rights petition in  the Supreme court (SC) are part of this conspiracy .

The cruel irony of all these manipulations and machinations is, it is Sri Lanka’s former Human Rights Commissioner of all people  who is playing the key role in this fake drama to save a criminal who is an accomplice in the cold blooded brutal  murder of an innocent  school girl . 

It is only in present SL  after corrupt criminal crooked Rajapakses ruled the country such murky and criminal activities are resorted to with impunity by even high State officials  including Commissioner of human rights shamelessly and unconscionably metamorphosing into Commissioner of inhuman wrongs  !

---------------------------
by     (2017-07-19 21:37:10)

Collection from police stations to pay Lalith Jayasinghe’a lawyer fees!

Jul 19, 2017

An attempt is being made to collect Rs. 25,000 from each police station in Uva and Central provinces to pay lawyer fees of senior DIG Lalith Jayasinghe, who is in remand custody over the court case in connection with the gang rape and murder of schoolgirl Vidya at Pungudutivu in Jaffna, junior policemen of the two provinces have informed Lanka News Web.

A certain DIG has issued the order to make the contributions, but we refrain from revealing his identity as we have so far been unable to confirm that as true, and also because he has so far been having an unblemished service record.

Juniors who had to suffer under Jayasinghe when he had been serving in these two provinces are vehemently opposing this attempt to collect money on his behalf. Police sources say he will be represented at court by top legal adviser in the ex-Rajapkasa regime, Kalinga Indatissa. What is ironical here is that the person who had mediated to get Indatissa’s legal support for Jayasinghe is a senior DIG who has earned the wrath of the Rajapaksas.

Rs. 10 m fixed deposit for Jayasinghe

The CID has now revealed that Jayasinghe has had a Rs. 10 million fixed deposit maintained at Lalith Kotelawala’s Golden Key financial company, but to the name of a family member. The CID is presently investigating his bank accounts too, and is watching how hundreds of thousands of rupees get deposited to one account every month, in addition to his police salary.

A suspect in the case has confessed before the magistrate that he had given Jayasinghe Rs. 40 million to facilitate Swiss Kumar, who had masterminded the Vidya crime, to flee to Colombo from Jaffana.

Empathy wanted!

Wednesday, 19 July 2017

J.K. Rowling, the famous novelist, observed a broader perspective on human imagination and empathy. She said: “Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and, therefore, the foundation of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathise with humans whose experiences we have never shared.”

Had one said that empathy is the base for humanity and humility, many would agree without a debate. Undoubtedly, the human ability to empathise and imagine are two of the fundamental facets that make a clear distinction between us and machines. However, machines are now tuned to perform many complex tasks which we would have never dreamt of, 20-30 years ago. Thanks to technology for making our lives more comfortable and durable!  

One previous column of the writer (http://www.ft.lk/article/619046/Sri-Lankans--livelihood---Past--present-and-future-of-work) shed some light on the rapid evolution and revolution of automation, and the future of work. In a nutshell, here, there are two schools of thought. Some believe that machines would steal the jobs. But, others are hell-bent that the new world order that we are embarking into would only create different kinds of work (may be professions?) but would generate sufficient employment opportunities for many. However, automation is the order of the day for numerous tasks that include many menials! But, no matter what, we should not forget that empathy is the essence of humankind!

In this context, clearly, we the human beings have a delicate and vital responsibility to bear in order to make the world functional. The most important matter is encircling more people into the ‘human equation’ to make sure that the human race at large is well placed and not left out. Machines are incapable of doing this. Simply put, it is essential that we maintain a cohesive humanistic world to make our very existence and that of the generations to come, sustainable.

How can we do this? Here, we should examine the basic characteristics of imagination and empathy.

Imagination and empathy

Imagination has no limits as we all know. We are now enjoying the fruits of imagination more than ever before. Usually, imagination is progressive, creative, innovative, versatile, dynamic, passionate… Albert Einstein emphasised its importance. He expressed: “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” Robin Williams, the comedian, believed imagination is a slightly positive madness. He said: “You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.” However, for the imagination to be human, it must be positive!

In the last few centuries, human imagination has materialised to a great extent and is bringing a lot of comforts, possibilities and opportunities to our lives. This trend would prevail as automation is growing by leaps and bounds. We now have machines that are even capable of diagnosing diseases and making various day-to-day decisions with augmented (artificial) intelligence (AI) etc. AI is limiting and replacing the need for day-to-day human interaction to a great extent! Essentially, imagination is taken in a mechanical process to convert the ideas into products (services included). So, naturally, we need empathy as a balancing act.

In simple language, empathy means slowing down to understand each other. It cannot be dynamic for obvious reasons, so, it is less efficient – no set timeframes or formulae! So, here, we must be mindful of the innovation path that travels in the opposite direction to empathy, in us. Empathy must be a perpetual task that could surface in different forms and shapes in our interaction with each other. This is the very quality that makes us real human - the best human talent!

Barack Obama elucidated on the importance of empathy: “We need somebody who’s got the heart, the empathy, to recognise what it’s like to be a young teenage mom, the empathy to understand what it’s like to be poor or African-American or gay or disabled or old - and that’s the criterion by which I’ll be selecting my judges.” Empathy, which is your heart eventually, is a vital prerequisite to give a good hearing to the society!

This is where the humans could always be smarter than the most sophisticated machine that has been invented. But, this ability must be maintained despite the sophistication of innovation. We must focus more on emotional intelligence (much more than artificial intelligence!) to strike a balance with fellow beings, in a highly automated world.

A great challenge 

But, this is a great challenge. Unfortunately, our empathetic ability is depleting as per research! People, especially the younger generation, are getting distracted by the machines such as smart phones, big-time. The number of people that prefer a text chat to an actual conversation are on the rise. So, it is real disengagement and is going against the basic humanistic norms.

The attached diagrams and charts show some alarming findings published (about Americans) in the ‘Trends in Consumer Mobility Report – 2016’ published by the Bank of America (http://newsroom.bankofamerica.com/files/press_kit/additional/2016_BAC_Trends_in_Consumer_Mobility_Report.pdf). Unfortunately, people are becoming more mechanical than human by the day!

Sherry Turkle, the author of the book titled ‘Reclaiming Conversation’ & MIT sociology professor, expressed her views on technology and human interaction. She said: I’ve spent the last 20 years studying how compelling technology is, but you know what? We can still change. We can use our phones in ways that are better for our kids, our families, our work, and ourselves. It’s the wrong analogy to say we’re addicted to our technology. It’s not heroin. My book is not anti-technology; it’s pro-conversation. So, if you find that your use of social media increases your number of face-to-face conversations, then I’m 100% for it.”

She continued: “You can’t have conversation if you have to be constantly on your email. Some of the people I interviewed were terrified to be away from their phones. That translates into bringing your cell phone to breakfast and not having breakfast with your kids. So, allow for those human moments, accept that life is not a steady ‘feed’, and learn to savour the pace of conversation - for empathy, for communion, for creativity.”

Turkle stressed: “Conversation is the most human and humanising thing that we do. It’s where empathy is born, where intimacy is born – because of eye contact, because we can hear the tones of another person’s voice, sense their body movements, sense their presence.”

Essential need

for empathy 

Internet usage has gone up from 888 million in March 2004 (time Facebook was founded) to 3.7 billion people in March 2017. This number is half of the global population now. South Asia is one of the fastest-growing regions, in this context. The world needs more attention!

How can we change or take control of this dreadful situation? The writer believes it is all about educating people, and institutionalising, the essential need for empathy. As one learns and acquires the skills of using technology, the pitfalls must be taught simultaneously, to balance out the ill-effects.

It will be added work but will be better understanding of the real situation for parents, teachers, governments, employers and the like. Having the knowledge and skills on sports, art, social and aesthetic aspects would also help the balancing. It is all about careful understanding of the pros and cons of digitisation. This is the only way we could produce a tech-savvy younger generation that are not mere human robots!

[The writer is the founder of the Skill Conference (www.skillconference.com). He is a borderless thinker and futurist. You can email him at ravindra@skillconference.com.]

Video: Is Israel a step closer to al-Aqsa takeover?

Ali Abunimah 19 July 2017

For the first time in decades, Israel closed the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City to Friday prayers.

The closure followed an attack near an entrance to the compound which houses the al-Aqsa mosque, one of the holiest sites for Muslims.

Three Palestinian citizens of Israel ambushed police officers, fatally injuring two and lightly wounding another.

The assailants fled back into the compound where there was reportedly an exchange of fire before the Palestinians were killed by Israeli occupation forces.

Since the killings on Friday morning, Israel has arrested dozens of employees of the Waqf, the Islamic trust that oversees the holy site.

When the compound was reopened two days later, Palestinians and Waqf officials refused to enter, objecting to metal detectors installed by Israel.

They have continued to stage sit-ins and perform prayers in the streets around the compound in protest of the Israeli restrictions.

TONIGHT: Israeli forces suppress a Palestinian protest against the newly installed metal detectors at some gates of Al Aqsa, #Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/K9RIEDznDR

— Activestills (@activestills) July 18, 2017

 Follow

Activestills @activestills

TONIGHT: Israeli forces suppress a Palestinian protest against the newly installed metal detectors at some gates of Al Aqsa, #Jerusalem.

6:07 PM - 18 Jul 2017

Israeli forces have injured scores of worshippers as protests continued into Tuesday night.

Independent journalist Dan Cohen says that in reporting these events mainstream media have missed a critical part of the story.

He told The Real News: “The huge context that is missing, which might explain what precipitated this attack, was that there is a far right, what I would call an apocalyptic right-wing Israeli movement that tours the al-Aqsa compound under military protection on a daily basis, where they make explicit threats to destroy the mosques hoping that they will provoke Palestinians to react violently.”

“Then the Israeli military will have the pretext to arrest, expel and even kill anyone who resists with the idea that eventually Israel will control the entire compound and be able to destroy the mosques and build a temple in its place,” Cohen added.

Israel may follow the playbook it used in Hebron, where it took the 1994 massacre of 29 Palestinians by an American Jewish settler as a pretext to tighten its control of the Old City and partition the Ibrahimi mosque.

“If you go to Hebron now, it’s one of the most shocking forms of Israeli apartheid that you’ll see,” Cohen said.

The encroachment on al-Aqsa is spearheaded by the so-called Temple movement – messianic Jewish extremists who seek to replace the existing al-Aqsa mosque with a Jewish temple.

While once on the fringes of Israeli society, this movement has gained power in Israel as well as support from the Israeli government.

Cohen said that there has been a “theocratization” of the Israeli military and institutions.

“In the past decades and especially the past couple of years, the Temple movement – mainstreamed into Israeli society as religious Zionist fundamentalists – have achieved prominence and really taken over the state,” Cohen said.

He added: “Now this movement to destroy the al-Aqsa compound is positioned as the tip of the spear in the Zionist project, in Israeli society, against Palestinians.”

Watch the video above.

North Korea: Public executions for theft, watching South Korea media – report

19th July 2017

NORTH KOREA carries out public executions on river banks and at school grounds and marketplaces for charges such as stealing copper from factory machines, distributing media from South Korea and prostitution, a report issued on Wednesday said.

The report, by a Seoul-based non-government group, said the often extra-judicial decisions for public executions are frequently influenced by “bad” family background or a government campaign to discourage certain behaviour.

The Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG) said its report was based on interviews with 375 North Korean defectors from the isolated state over a period of two years.

Reuters could not independently verify the testimony of defectors in the report. The TJWG is made up of human rights activists and researchers and is led by Lee Younghwan, who has worked as an advocate for human rights in North Korea.

SEE ALSO: US think tank says North Korea may have more nuclear bomb material than thought 

It receives most of its funding from the US-based National Endowment for Democracy, which in turn is funded by the US Congress.

The TJWG report aims to document the locations of public killings and mass burials, which it says had not been done previously, to support an international push to hold to account those who commit what it describes as crimes against humanity.

“The maps and the accompanying testimonies create a picture of the scale of the abuses that have taken place over decades,” the group said.

North Korea rejects charges of human rights abuses, saying its citizens enjoy protection under the constitution and accuses the United States of being the world’s worst rights violator.

However, the North has faced an unprecedented push to hold the regime and its leader, Kim Jong Un, accountable for a wide range of rights abuses since a landmark 2014 report by a United Nations commission.

UN member countries urged the Security Council in 2014 to consider 

referring North Korea and its leader to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, as alleged in a Commission of Inquiry report.

The commission detailed abuses including large prison camps, systematic torture, starvation and executions comparable to Nazi-era atrocities, and linked the activities to the North‘s leadership.

North Korea has rejected that inquiry’s findings and the push to bring theNorth to a tribunal remains stalled due in part to objections by China and Russia, which hold veto powers at the U.N. Security Council.

TJWG said its project to map the locations of mass graves and executions has the potential to contribute to documentation that could back the push for accountability and future efforts to bring the North to justice.

SEE ALSO: US eyes new sanctions on Chinese firms trading with North Korea – officials 

It said executions are carried out in prison camps to incite fear and intimidation among potential escapees, and public executions are carried out for seemingly minor crimes, including the theft of farm produce such as corn and rice.

Stealing electric cables and other commodities from factories to sell them and distribution of South Korean-produced media are also subject to executions, which are most commonly administered by shooting, it said.

Testimonies also showed people can be beaten to death, with one interviewee saying: “Some crimes were considered not worth wasting bullets on.”

Government officials were executed on corruption and espionage charges, and bureaucrats from other regions would be made to watch “as a deterrence tactic”, the report said.

Defectors from the North have previously testified to having witnessed public executions and rights abuses at detention facilities. – Reuters 

ANALYSIS: Nuclear deal or no nuclear deal, US-Iran standoff continues

The Iran nuclear deal stays for now, but experts warn that another showdown is on the cards

James Reinl-Wednesday 19 July 2017

NEW YORK – While visiting the United States this week, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif admitted he was flummoxed. Figuring out US foreign policy under President Donald Trump was like reading tea leaves.

“We receive the same signals as you see in the press, the tweets,” Zarif told a crowd at the Council on Foreign Relations, a New York think tank for Ivy Leaguers, in reference to Trump’s penchant for 140-character diplomatic salvos.

“But, the point is, we received contradictory signals. We don’t know which one to interpret in what way.”

To say that Trump blows hot and cold is an understatement. During his election campaign, the billionaire vowed to “rip up” the nuclear deal that the administration of his predecessor, Barack Obama, painstakingly brought to fruition in July 2015.

"Not one attempt at resolving tensions diplomatically has been made."

- Trita Parsi, National Iranian American Council president

This week, he stuck with the pact by re-certifying that Iran had abided by the terms - if not the spirit - of the deal. Hours later, however, the administration slapped sanctions on 18 Iranian people and entities linked with the republic’s ballistic missile program. 

The State Department criticized the “malign activities” of Iran’s military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, citing its support for Lebanon’s Hezbollah party, the Palestinian Hamas group, the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad and Houthi rebels in Yemen.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders bemoaned Iran’s “destabilizing influence”. Officials were hatching a “comprehensive integrated strategy” to check Iran and bypass “serious flaws” in Obama’s nuclear pact with the revolutionary mullahs, she said.

It re-ignited debates about whether Trump would come good on his bluster over Iran, and whether the growing threat of flashpoints between Iranian and US-backed troops in Iraq or Syria could spark a full-on military confrontation.

Ash Carter, the US defence secretary under President Barack Obama, told MEE the deal still makes sense (MEE/James Reinl)

According to Ash Carter, the US defence secretary under President Barack Obama, the deal, which traded sanctions relief for curbs on Iran’s uranium-enrichment and other nuclear work, still makes sense if it is being “verifiably implemented”.

“It’s important to stick with it, if it’s being abided by, because it’s in our interests to do so,” Carter told Middle East Eye.

The Obama administration worked hard to use United Nations Security Council sanctions to pressure Iran to the negotiating table, and then broker a seven-nation deal alongside France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany, he said. 

“It is not in the interests of the US to unilaterally break the agreement so long as Iran is in essential compliance with it. We would isolate ourselves, not Iran,” Richard Haass, a former White House official, told MEE.

With security woes in the shape of Syria’s civil war and North Korea’s missile tests, Trump’s West Wing has enough to deal with, he said. “The inbox is sufficiently full without bringing this issue to the fore,” Haass added.

Others are less sanguine and point to rifts in the West Wing. Trump’s desire to nix the deal and confront Iran has reportedly been tempered by top officials – Defense Secretary James Mattis, National Security Adviser HR McMaster and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. 

There are already plenty of tensions in the Middle East, warned Trita Parsi, founder and president of the National Iranian American Council. As the Islamic State (IS) group loses ground in Iraq and Syria, Iranian troops are more likely to run into US-backed Kurdish and Arab forces.

READ MORE ►

So far, Iran has endured Trump's hostility. That patience will run out

Trump’s Gulf visit in May likely gave a “green light” to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and others to launch a blockade against neighbouring Qatar and open the deepest rift between the region’s US allies in recent years, he added.

All the while, the US-Iran communication channels that were forged during the nuclear negotiations are now closed. Zarif has never spoken with Tillerson. During the Iranian envoy’s US visit, he was not received by any high-ranking American official.

“With turbulence in Iraq and Syria and sabre-rattling by the Saudis, many unforeseen crises risk bringing the US and Iran into direct confrontation,” Parsi, author of Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy, told MEE.

“Despite the significant risk of war, not a single phone call has taken place between Tillerson and Zarif. Not one attempt at resolving tensions diplomatically has been made. It’s time the former ExxonMobil CEO placed a call.”

Even though Tillerson, Mattis and others - who analysts have dubbed the “adults in the room” - have a moderating influence in the West Wing, they are nonetheless too hawkish on Iran, said Reza Marashi, a former State Department employee.

“All of them want to escalate vis-a-vis Iran because they believe that Iran only responds to pressure,” Marashi told MEE. “How can anybody say with a straight face that this administration is interested in anything resembling diplomacy with Iran given the statements made thus far?”

There is also a flip-side to the nuclear deal. While the US has re-certified Iran’s compliance, Tehran has accused Washington of violating its terms - and warned that it, too, could walk away from the agreement.

Speaking on CNN, Zarif said that Trump’s efforts to talk other leaders out of doing business with Iran at this month’s G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, was a “violation of not the spirit but of the letter” of the nuclear deal.

A review session of the accord, technically called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action(JCPOA), in Vienna on July 21, will more likely focus on Trump flouting Iran’s right to trade than gripes over Tehran’s actions, said Marashi.

While they concluded that Trump’s White House will likely dodge a face-off with Iran in the short term, Haass and Carter warned that another showdown is on the cards thanks to the lifespan of the JCPOA.

Clauses of the deal start lapsing after 10 years, allowing Iran to step up uranium enrichment and develop advanced centrifuges from October 2025. Should Trump win a second term, he would leave office in January of that year. 

“The agreement did not solve the Iranian nuclear challenge, it parked it for a number of years,” Haass told MEE.

“We had better think about what the multilateral response is, because we don’t want an Iran that’s unconstrained and we don’t want it to set in motion a proliferation cycle. Just when you think the Middle East couldn’t get any worse, trust me, it could get worse.”