M’nama faced corruption charges before being appointed Chief of Staff

... suspect sabotaged USD 100 mn project for over 2 years, manipulated sale of discarded machinery, scrap iron

Tennakoon

By Shamindra Ferdinando-May 5, 2018, 12:24 pm 

Two civil society organisations, yesterday, said the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration owed an explanation to the general public as to why Dr. T. H. K. Mahanama had been appointed the Chief of Staff of President Maithripala Sirisena, in spite of a serious allegation against him that he deliberately delayed a USD 100 mn project to establish a new sugar factory and interfered in the Cabinet approved sale of discarded machinery and scrap iron belonging to the Kantale Sugar factory.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) arrested Mahanama, on Thursday, at a leading hotel in Colombo. The senior administrator received the appointment about a month ago. The CIABOC also took into custody the Chairman of the State Timber Corporation Piyasena Dissanayake.

President of the National Movement for Consumer Rights Protection Ranjith Vithanage and Executive Director CaFFE and Executive Director CHR-Sri Lanka Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon told The Island that yahapalana leaders had been aware of corruption allegations against Mahanama. Tennakoon alleged that Mahanama had purposely thwarted the joint venture undertaken by M. G. Sugars Lanka (Pvt) Ltd and Sri Lanka for revival and restructuring of the Kantale Sugar factory. They alleged that the official, who had been the Secretary to the Lands Ministry and Parliamentary Reforms at that time, had also blocked the planned sale of discarded Kantale Sugar factory machinery and scrap metal to Meerigama Lanka Company for Rs. 540 mn, the highest bidder

Having blocked both projects during his tenure as the Secretary Lands and Parliamentary Reforms, Mahanama had tried to sell the discarded machinery and scrap iron to M.G. Sugars Lanka (Pvt) Ltd for Rs 540, a senior CIABOC official told The Island Thursday night. Following negotiations conducted between the company and Mahanama, the latter had brought down the amount to Rs. 100 mn and agreed to accept the money in installments. "We moved in soon after Dr. Mahanama and Dissanayake accepted the money," the official said.

Mahanama and Dissanayake were produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate Thursday night and remanded till May 9 pending further investigations.

CIABOC described Mahanama as the mastermind of the operation.

Both Vithanage and Tennakoon said that those receiving top appointments should have been cleared beforehand. Obviously, Dr. Mahanama hadn’t been subjected to scrutiny though civil society groups repeatedly brought accusations against him to the notice of the government. Tennakoon said that he recently told a gathering that Dr. Mahanama could even sell President Sirisena for scrap iron.

Scientific Reshuffle’ Tosses Up Ineffective State And Deputy Ministers

MAY 4, 2018

The state and deputy ministers recently sworn in consequent to what President Maithripala Sirisena said was a ‘scientific method’ of selection done with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe are from the bottom tier in terms of overall rank, parliamentary participation and the number of topics they have addressed, according to the website manthri.lk.

Except for three, the rest among the 8 new State Ministers and 10 new Deputy Ministers are ranked in the bottom half of the 225 parliamentarians. The highest ranked individual is Ali Zahir Mouland (83rd), followed by Karunaratne Paranawithana (101st) and Ranjan Ramanayake (103rd), all of whom are deputy ministers. The highest ranked state minister is Palitha Range Bandara (113th). The lowest ranked state minister is Weerakumara Dissanayake (212th) while the lowest ranked deputy minister is Sarathi Dushmantha (180th)

The website manthri.lk is updated regularly by Verite Research and the rankings are computed after considering parliamentary participation as recorded in the Hansard. Each statement is analyzed according to the Verite Research designed coding guide and scores are obtained by taking into account productive time.

In terms of the number of times each MP has participated in parliamentary debates, the highest ranked is Palitha Thewarapperuma (97), followed by Ranjan Ramanayake (78) and Ali Zahir Moulana (72). Weerakumara Dissanayake has intervened only on 8 occasions.

Paranawithana has contributed to the discussion of 11 topics (highest) while Dunesh Gankanda has addressed only 2 (lowest).

President Maithripala Sirisena meanwhile has rejected the claims that the ministries had not been assigned on scientific basis.

‘When assigning the ministries, the Prime Minister and I discussed about it and made changes. I must say that I will consider the scientific basis when the subjects and institutions of the ministries were gazetted. Most ministries which had allegations against them were changed under the new reshuffle,’ he said.

However, Sirisena did not explain the ‘science’ of entrusting different portfolios to those with allegations against them.

Meanwhile, Ranjan Ramanayake said that he wonders whether one has to be corrupt to get a ministerial portfolio. Ramanayake was appointed only as a deputy minister.

State Ministers and their ranks

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Government's action against top officials alleged of bribery is a positive sign - HR Commissioner

Fri, May 4, 2018, 11:07 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

May 04, Colombo: The prompt action taken by the government on the bribery case against two top officials is a positive sign Dr Prathibha Mahanamahewa, Commissioner of Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission said today.

He praised the government for arresting the Chief of Staff to the President H.I. Mahanama and the Chairman of the Timber Corporation, P. Dissanayake who are alleged of accepting a bribe from an Indian businessman with regards to a deal involving the sale of machines and equipment belonging to the Kantale Sugar Factory.

Dr. Mahanamahewa said the government should be commended for implementing the law disregarding the status of the officials especially that of Mr. Mahanama, who is directly involved in the President's office as the Chief of Staff.

He pointed out that during the previous regime, several allegations have been leveled against the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's Chief of Staff Gamini Senarath but the Rajapaksa government did not take any action.

Dr. Mahanamahewa said all corrupt individuals in this government and the previous government should be brought to justice and punished.

According to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) the suspects had promised to sell the machines and equipment at Rs 540 million to an Indian national.
However, on a request made by the Indian national to reduce the price, the suspects had reduced the price to Rs 100 million demanding a Rs. 20 million bribe.


Dr. Mahanamahewa said the two officials are alleged of canceling a tender for the deal instead of awarding it to a local company which was the highest bidder.

Rubber to erasers and value addition to local produce

Saturday, 5 May 2018 


I remember having seen Prof. Ajith de Alwis been described as Project Director of Coordinating Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation and whenever I see an article by him in the papers, I expect to read about some specific plans he or COSTI under him have developed to take Sri Lanka to the next level of industrial development.

Rubber to erasers and value addition to local produce.docx by Thavam on Scribd

That’s the beauty of the man, Lester

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Lester James Peries was that day, honoured as the longest living reputed film director in the world

It was only after ‘Rekawa’ was acclaimed as the path breaking Sinhala film that Lester came to be spoken of as the Sri Lankan version of Sathyajith Ray

Lester also picked on two ‘naturally Sinhala’ voices for vocals, in Sisira Senaratne and Indrani Wijebandara

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A birthday cake was cut on his 99th birthday that fittingly celebrated with wife Sumithra’s film “Vaishnavi” premièred at the Regal Cinema Colombo on 05 April (2018), attended by the most elite and the celebrated audience one could ever expect in Colombo. 

2018-05-04

He, Lester James Peries was that day, honoured as the longest living reputed film director in the world.The oldest active film director on record is the famous Portuguese Director Manoel de Oliveira, who in 2014 at the grand old age of 104 years, directed the film, “The Old Man of Belem”. 

 
Lester’s last feature film was “Ammawaruney” (Mothers) directed in 2006 when he was 87 years in age. With “Ammawaruney” he completed 20 feature films, beginning with “Rekawa” (Line of destiny), the path breaking Sinhala film released in December 1956.   

The year ‘1956’ is a very significant year in our post independent history, both politically and culturally. Politically, it brought to culmination the ride of Sinhala Buddhist politics to dominance with Bandaranaike voted PM and Sinhala made the only official language. It was a coincidence for Sinhala Buddhists to have the opportunity to celebrate Vesak as “Buddha Jayanthi” the 2,500 year anniversary of the ‘Final passing away’ of Lord Buddha. In arts and culture, Ediriweera Sarachchandra’s epic stylised drama “Maname” was staged in Colombo heralding a new beginning in Sinhala stage drama, followed by Lester James Pereis’s film “Rekawa”.  

At the 1957 Cannes international film festival, ‘Rekawa’ was well received although it forced Lester’s film production company “Chitra Lanka Limited” to put up shutters. Lester’s daring to leave studios and sets to shoot outdoor did not lift it commercially high. But that radical decision to go on location was path breaking. Ignoring the then formula of a 02 hour 30 minute film with a hero, villain, romance, fighting, comedy and a long list of songs with Dravidian melodies in a family setting and to go to a rural Sinhala Buddhist village to narrate a simple story woven around a young village boy was also high risk and path breaking too. No fighting, no romance, no hero or villain as such, but some wit and real life humanity, left ‘Rekawa’ meek in the box office.  

From his second film ‘Sandeshaya’ (1960) through ‘Gamperaliya’ (1963) to ‘Ransalu’ (1967), ‘Goluhadawatha’ (1968), Nidhanaya (1972) to ‘Madolduwa’ (1976), he borrowed most such stories from reputed Sinhala novelists

It is interesting to place Lester alongside his own film ‘Rekawa’ that was wholly rural in context and in a way was alien life for Lester. He was born to a very conservative, elite and an affluent Roman Catholic family in Dehiwala. Was schooled at St. Peters’ College Bambalapitiya and began his young life as a junior journalist with the English newspaper “Daily News” first and then “Times of Ceylon”. He tried his hand at fiction with 02 short stories, “The Teacher” and “Saree”. None about rural life he wasn’t ever familiar with. After about 10 years of journalism, he left to London in 1947. There he was drawn into films in a completely different cultural milieu, with amateur film clubs growing fast in developing cinema with experimenting.   

His first attempt in directing was in 1949 with “Farewell to Childhood” based on his own short story “Saree”. Completing it in 1950 he was recognised for its creativity and was awarded the ‘Amateur Cine World Silver Plaque’ judged as one among the 10 best amateur films that year. In 1951 he teamed up with Hereword Jansz another Sri Lankan of Dutch Burgher origin who was the cameraman in the short 20 minute film “Soliloquy”. This was awarded ‘The Mini Cinema Cup for Short Films’ for its technical proficiency in 1951 by the ‘Institute of Amateur and Experimental Film Makers Festival-Great Britain’.  

In late 1952 he returned and in just 03 plus years, scripted and directed ‘Rekawa’ a film set in a rural Sinhala Buddhist village that with superstitions, myths, rituals and beliefs, was completely different to his upbringing and grooming both in Colombo and in London. He had not seen or been influenced by the Bengali film director, the Indian ‘Great’ Sathyajith Ray when he laid his hands on Rekawa. It was only after ‘Rekawa’ was acclaimed as the path breaking Sinhala film that Lester came to be spoken of as the Sri Lankan version of Ray. Sathyajith Ray was internationally recognised with his film “Patharpanchali” (1955) and then “Aparajitho” (1956) that came before ‘Rekawa’. They were two South Asian film directors who broke into stardom and recognition, each on his own.   

It is interesting to place Lester alongside his own film ‘Rekawa’ that was wholly rural in context and in a way was alien life for Lester

Lester and village life in ‘Rekawa’ is attributed to his close working relationship with Ralph Keene a Britisher who was invited in 1952 to head the Government Film Unit (GFU). Keene knew Ceylon well having made a documentary “String of Beads” in 1947, for tea propaganda. In 1952 his script directed by George Wickramasinghe documented the lives of Negombo fishermen. The second was “The Heritage of Lanka” that covered Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Mihintale and Sri Pada. Keene was giving his documentaries a very local touch with musical scores that used folk rhythms and melodies. For the musical score in “The Heritage of Lanka” he had renowned Singer/musician Deva Surya Sena. Lester was Keene’s Assistant Director. That gave Lester good insight into Lanka’s heritage but it was Keene’s next documentary in 1953, that documented the rural village life, titled “Nelungama” that actually led Lester to ‘Rekawa’.  

After Keene left Ceylon, George Wickramasinghe was head, GFU. That led to more documentaries on local issues and “Conquest of the Dry Zone” produced in 1954 is one masterpiece among them. It was on the Ceylonese health service that successfully controlled the raging Malaria epidemic, the best success story on public health in Asia. This earned Lester much applause for his direction and it had special mention at the Venice Film Festival. “Conquest of the Dry Zone” captured the hard lif eand exposed Lester to myths and rituals in the ordinary rural life, Lester dwells on in ‘Rekawa’.   

Like Keene, Lester too brought together two ‘out of the ordinary’ personalities to write songs and create melodies for ‘Rekawa’. Both from the “Hela school” of Sinhala. One was Rev. Fr. Mercelline Jayakody the reputed lyricist and the other, also a Catholic, B. Don Joseph John, much respected for his pioneering work in Sinhala music and song, the stubborn experimentalist Sunil Santha. Lester also picked on two ‘naturally Sinhala’ voices for vocals, in Sisira Senaratne and Indrani Wijebandara. He thus created a marvel in Sinhala film, from where the Sinhala films began a new journey.  

Lester’s film life marks two phases that overlap each other. The first phase up to the beginning of the free market economy in 1978 marks a period he was accepted and honoured as the undisputed doyen of Sinhala film that reached the rural and urban middle class. Although he gradually settled within his comfortable urban life, it was a slow moving city life.There was time and space for leisure. His films in general revolved around human life that was in no hurry to leave ‘today’ to catch ‘tomorrow’as soon as possible. From his second film ‘Sandeshaya’ (1960) through ‘Gamperaliya’ (1963) to ‘Ransalu’ (1967), ‘Goluhadawatha’ (1968), Nidhanaya (1972) to ‘Madolduwa’ (1976), he borrowed most such stories from reputed Sinhala novelists Martin Wickramasinghe, Karunasena Jayalath and G.B. Senanayake. He was thus the icon of the pre ‘free market’ middle class film world.  

His second phase overlapping the previous in terms of his focus on human life, was nevertheless in a different socio economic and political context. Free market economy was pushing society into faster and new consumerised relationships quite different to the slow and peaceful life before that Lester was comfortable with. The free market consumer life was also dragged into an ethnic conflict turning it into a brutal and a savage war that was concluded 03 years after his last film ‘Ammawarune’ (2006). Yet Lester was in no mind to cinematically de-construct those new human relationships in his creations. He stood aloof from all the turmoil around him, with old stories like Baddegama (1980), Kaliyugaya (1982), Yuganthaya (1983) picked from novels written by Leonard Wolfe and Martin Wickramasinghe. His one before the final contribution to Sri Lankan cinema, ‘Wekande Walauwa’ (2002) was a Sinhala adaptation of Anton Chekov’s play “Cherry Orchard”.  

For the new generations in fast moving free market economy there was a mismatch between their turgid and taut lives and Lester’s passive and a-political creations.That distance was nevertheless narrowed with Lester’s mastery in storytelling in visual form, his cinematic language and his towering reputation as the pioneering architect of Sinhala cinema. In his second phase he therefore remained, not as the radical film director who broke with tradition in directing ‘Rekawa’ but as the matured craftsman of cinematic creation who directed ‘Nidhanaya’, from one of G.B. Senanayake’s short stories. Lester’s selection of Tissa Abeysekera as script and dialogue writer who gelled with his art of storytelling, was lifted to international heights with Kemadasa Master’s rich and haunting music. Gamini and Malini Fonseka giving off their best,‘Nidhanaya’ lies among the best 100 films made during 100 years of global cinema, as compiled by the French organisation ‘Cinematheque Institute’.  

Once over his usual “scotch on rocks” at his private residence, I had a casual chat with Gamini Fonseka the ‘Lord of Sri Lankan Cinema’s one time in 1990, when I asked him how he fared with Lester James Peries as a director, turning out two superb roles in ‘Gamperaliya’ and ‘Nidhanaya’. Silent for a few seconds, he sipped on his scotch before saying, “Never drove me to deliver what he wanted. Just told me what he wants and sometimes left me to play what I understood. That’s the beauty of the man as a director”.  

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 In appreciation of Lester James Peries who passed away on 29 April, 2018 at the age of 99 years. 

Palestinian workers say Gaza 'Great March of Return' is their 'last hope'

The march highlights the plight of Gaza's unemployed on 'Friday of Workers' despite Israeli army threats

Palestinians have been demonstrating for more than five weeks near the fence separating Gaza from Israel (MEE/Mohammed al-Hajjar)

Friday 4 May 2018 

Palestinians headed into the sixth week of demonstrations as part of the “Great March of Return” on Friday, as protest organisers chose to highlight the plight of workers in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli forces stationed behind the fence separating Gaza from Israel were firing tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets, and live ammunition at demonstrators protesting in several areas in the Strip, an MEE correspondent reported.

A Palestinian child was directly hit by a tear gas canister east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, they added, and a protester was injured in the head after being hit by a canister near Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip.

I see no hope in the Israeli occupation, as it kills us with no mercy, while we are unarmed and peacefully protesting

- Mansour al-Hattab, construction worker in Gaza

Several people were wounded by live fire across Gaza.

Meanwhile, three journalists were injured in Khan Younis - two who were hit by tear gas canisters, while another suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation. Photojournalist Sami Mosran was also reported to be wounded after being struck by a rubber-coated steel bullet while covering demonstrations east of al-Bureij refugee camp.

The Gaza ministry of health confirmed the journalists' injuries, adding that two ambulances had been targeted with tear gas east of Khuzaa in southern Gaza, while a medical tent in Rafah suffered a similar fate.

The ministry of health reported that at least 1143 Palestinians, including 36 minors, had been wounded as of 9pm local time. At least 70 people were injured after being shot with live bullets.

The ministry put out an urgent call for medical supplies, as the influx of wounded in the past several weeks has severely strained Gaza's medical infrastructure.

A Palestinian child's face is sprayed with liquid to help alleviate the effects of tear gas on 4 May 2018 (MEE/Mohammed al-Hajjar)

On Friday evening, Israeli and Palestinian media reports emerged, stating that some demonstrators had set infrastructure ablaze at the Kerem Shalom crossing - the only crossing through which Israel allows goods to enter the Gaza Strip.

View image on Twitter

شبكة قدس الإخبارية

✔@qudsn

إحدى النقاط العسكرية التابعة للاحتلال التي أحرقها الشبّان في موقع كرم أبو سالم جنوب قطاع غزّة، بعد اقتحامه بعددٍ كبيرٍ من المتظاهرين، مساء اليوم#مسيرة_العودة_الكبرى#جمعة_عمال_فلسطين

1:28 PM - May 4, 2018

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Translation: An Israeli military outpost is burned by young people at Karam Abu Salem (the Arabic name for Kerem Shalom) in the southern Gaza Strip, after being stormed by a large number of protesters this evening.

A focus on unemployment

Days after International Workers' Day, the march seeks to draw attention to the difficult economic conditions for Palestinians in Gaza where at least 43.6 percent of the population is unemployed according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, and about 80 percent of the population is dependent on foreign aid to survive.

Palestinian Authority (PA) civil servants in the Gaza Strip have also suffered from repeated salary delays and cuts, as their importance for the besieged Palestinian territory’s economy is apparently used by the PA as a pressure point to target Hamas.

Israeli army Arabic spokesman Avichay Adraee derided this Friday's theme, editing images on social media to read "Friday of Palestine's ignorance" instead of "Friday of Palestine's workers".

View image on Twitter

افيخاي ادرعي

✔@AvichayAdraee

أنتم تطلقون على هذه #الجمعة، #جمعة_عمال_فلسطين، في الوقت الّذي يعاني به العمال الفلسطينيين في #غزّة من أسوأ الظروف بسبب ظلم #حماس وغطرستها. لا تحاولوا الكذب على أنفسكم، وابدؤوا العمل لصالح مستقبلكم. #جمعة_جهّال_فلسطين#مسيرة_الفوضى #مش_عودة_فوضى #مش_عمال_جهال

6:09 AM - May 4, 2018

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Translation: You are calling this Friday, the Friday of Palestine’s workers, while Palestinian workers in Gaza suffer from the worst conditions because of the injustice and arrogance of Hamas. Do not lie to yourselves, and start working for your future.

But demonstrators rejected Adraee's claims, pointing out that Israel's nearly 11-year blockade of the Gaza Strip has had a devastating effect on the small territory's economy.

“I used to supervise 10 workers, and today I cannot find a job opportunity,” unemployed carpenter Amin Herzallah, 40, told Middle East Eye.

A Palestinian child with a kite (MEE/Mohammed al-Hajjar)

“The Palestinian workers never stop giving, they contribute in building society regardless of the Israeli occupation and wars,” Herzallah added. “However, we do not enjoy our full rights in Gaza due to the limited job opportunities, the collapsed economy, and the occupation that prevent many materials and equipment from entering Gaza, which hinder us from working and earning our income."

“We see the Great Return March as our last hope,” 32-year-old Mansour al-Hattab told MEE. The construction worker has been out of a job for eight months, and has depended on humanitarian aid for the survival of his four children - income that has dried up in the past several months due to decreased funds.

“I see no hope in the Israeli occupation, as it kills us with no mercy, while we are unarmed and peacefully protesting. We call the international world to take actions towards the situation of the workers and Israel’s crimes against us.”

An Israeli military spokeswoman told AFP that some of the protesters threw stones in the direction of Israeli forces.

The army also said there was an attempt to "sabotage the security fence and to infiltrate into Israel".

During the events, two army drones crashed in the Gaza Strip. "The matter is being looked into", a statement from the army said.

Israeli media have in recent days reported significant damage to farms due to kite-flown Molotov cocktails from Gaza, though the devices face difficult odds in making it across the fence while still lit.

News outlets have also reported Israeli army claims that some kites flying from Gaza over the security fences carried explosives - allegations demonstrators denied.

“The Israeli occupation views the kites as source of danger, as they reached the Israeli farms and caused fire in large areas,” Munir, a 23-year-old demonstrator who wore a mask to avoid being identified by Israeli forces, told MEE. “But we do not have any explosive materials.

“The occupation wants to exaggerate the issue. The kite fires can be easily extinguished with a bottle of water, but the occupation wants to deviate the international world support from our peaceful struggle by spreading lies.” 

Israel continues to shake off calls for independent investigation

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces during demonstrations in Gaza since 30 March reached 45 on Thursday, after 19-year-old Anas Abu Aser succumbed to wounds sustained a week earlier.

More than 7,200 Palestinians have been wounded during the demonstrations.

The AFP news agency reported that another four Palestinians had been killed during the same time period, outside of the scope of the protests.

According to Palestinian rights organisation al-Haq, at least 26 journalists have been injured by Israeli forces while covering the demonstrations, as rights groups have denounced the targeting of reporters and paramedics.

A Palestinian protester (MEE/Mohammed al-Hajjar)

No Israelis have been injured.

The Israeli army's use of live fire during the protests has drawn international criticism and calls for an independent probe - which Israel has rejected.

A number of human rights and legal organisations petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court in April to challenge the Israeli army’s use of live fire against demonstrators in Gaza. The Supreme Court gave the army and petitioning parties until 6 May to file additional materials.

“The army tells the court that it tries to learn its lesson from what happens each week, but the casualties are still happening, and live fire is still being used by the Israeli army according to updates from today,” Suhad Bishara, a lawyer for Adalah, told MEE on Friday.

“We think there is no justification to use any live ammunition at all against the unarmed demonstrators.”

The six-week “Great March of Return”, which began on Palestinian Land Day, is set to end on 15 May - the 70th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe), in which more than 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced by Israeli forces during the 1948 war between Israel and surrounding Arab states.

Demonstrators have been gathering every day several hundred metres from the fence separating Israel from Gaza, where almost 1.3 million of the small territory’s two million inhabitants are refugees, to demand the right to return to their pre-1948 homes.

Reporting on the ground in Gaza by Amjad Ayman.

Israeli troops fire shots, tear gas at Gaza protesters, 1,100 Palestinians hurt

Nidal al-Mughrabi-MAY 4, 2018 

GAZA BORDER (Reuters) - Israeli troops fired live rounds and tear gas at Palestinians who thronged the Gaza-Israel frontier and rampaged at a border terminal on Friday as part of a long-running protest, injuring about 1,100 people.

Medics said around 82 people were shot and wounded with live fire, another 800 treated for gas inhalation and the rest for other injuries along the Gaza side of the 25-mile (40-km) border fence, where Palestinians set up tent encampments on March 30 for what they call “The Great March of Return”.

Youths rolled burning tyres to within 300 metres (yards) of the fence, trying to use the smoke as cover for throwing stones across it while eluding Israeli snipers. Army gunfire has killed at least 43 Palestinians on the frontier over the last month.

Protesters said they used slingshots to down two small Israeli observation drones. The army confirmed the drone losses.

Hundreds of Palestinians entered Kerem Shalom, an industrial crossing point on the border. One of them said over social media that they had “torched rooms used by the Occupation (Israel).”

The Israeli army issued footage showing fires at Kerem Shalom, but said the damage was limited to the Palestinian side.

“The rioters are damaging the pipes that carry fuel and gas from Israel into the Gaza Strip,” the army said in a statement.

Facing international censure over its use of live fire in the protests, the Israeli army says it is protecting its border and takes such action only when protesters, some hurling firebombs and trying to plant explosives, approach too closely.

On Friday, troops faced “10,000 Palestinians participating in riots in six locations along the Gaza Strip border,” it said.

As Israel celebrates its 70th birthday, Palestinians mourn what they call the “Nakba” (Catastrophe) of their people’s mass dispossession during the conflict that broke out in 1948.

“GIVE US A STATE”

Two-thirds of the two million Palestinians in Gaza are war refugees or their descendants. The protests have seen thousands gather - in greater numbers on Fridays - to demand access to their families’ lost homes or lands, now in Israel.

Israel rules that out, concerned it would lose its Jewish majority. Alternatives, such as accommodating refugees and their descendants in a future Palestinian state, have been discussed in peace talks that date back to 1993 but which are now stalled.


Tear gas canisters are fired by Israeli forces at Palestinian demonstrators during a protest demanding the right to return to their homeland, at the Israel-Gaza border, east of Gaza City, May 4, 2018. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

“If it wasn’t for the occupation we would have lived as free as people like in other countries,”
Ahmed, 24, said at a protest site east of Gaza City. “If they don’t allow us back, at least they should give us a state.”

Israel says the protests have been organised by Hamas - an Islamist group that controls Gaza and is sworn to Israel’s destruction - to provide cover for attacks, and that most of the dead were militants. Palestinians deny those allegations.

Israel, which withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza in 2005 after a 38-year occupation, has expanded its settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

An added focus this year is President Donald Trump’s decision to begin moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem on May 14, the 70th anniversary of Israel’s founding.

Trump’s moves angered Palestinian leaders, who have refused to talk to his administration, accusing it of pro-Israel bias. Israel’s government celebrated the U.S. decision, saying it recognised the “reality” that Jerusalem was the historic capital of the Jewish people.

Slideshow (8 Images)

Visiting the Middle East earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lent his support to Israel’s handling of the border protests. “We do believe the Israelis have a right to defend themselves,” he said.

Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by Stephen Farrell, Mark Heinrich, William Maclean