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News Archive for Feb 2012

Psychopaths and the moral conscience of the world
By Mario Perera, Kadawata
There was another shooting in an American school. A school boy entered that precinct of learning with a gun and let off a barrage at his school mates. There were deaths. Photos and videos displayed it all. There was weeping and hysteria. School children were seeking consolation in one another’s arms. The parents of the suspect were asking pardon from the disconsolate parents of the deceased and injured. They were nonplussed to explain why it happened. However it did happen. This scenario takes place all the time with a disconcerting regularity. In Norway a man,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/02/12)

US-Indian Resolution against Sri Lanka Only the First and not the Last
Dilrook Kannangara
When the illegal CFA was signed, there were widespread protests organised by patriotic groups against it. Their slogan was a ‘respectable peace’. Interestingly the current President participated in them. These protests were extremely popular although the then government tried hard without succuss to downplay them; so successful that the CFA UNF government was toppled prematurely just two years later.  Similar protests were launched in 1958 against the illegal Banda-Chelva and Dudley-Chelva (1965) Pacts, 1987 Indo-Lanka Peace Accord and the political package of 2000. People burnt the political package inside and outside the parliament. PTOMS (2005) is another... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/02/12)

The incredible hijacking of the word Freedom
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey-Courtesy Pravda.Ru
 Freedom, a word so much used during the Cold War period and repeated so many times, that one began to get suspicious. And the more time that elapses, the more obvious it gets that those using this word were abusing it, so tenuous were their arguments based upon lies and so thin and fragile their glass roofs. Their freedom is a chimera, an illusion and a fraud. The conclusion is that Freedom is a meaningless word describing a notion that does not exist. There are certain soundbites that bite deep into the collective conscience of humanity,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/02/12)

France, US arming Syrian rebels with anti-aircraft missiles - report
RT
A general in the opposition militia known as the Free Syria Army has told journalists that the rebels have received French and American military assistance, amid reports of worsening violence in the stricken nation. ­In Homs on Tuesday, a general claiming to be from the rebel group appeared on camera and told a journalist from Reuters news agency that “French and American assistance has reached us and is with us.” When asked to elaborate on the nature of the assistance he added, "We now have weapons and anti-aircraft missiles and, God willing, with all of that we will defeat... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 29/02/12)

Asylum shopping and how AI earns its keep in Canada
By Lucien Rajakarunanayake
 ‘One principle of asylum law is that you seek protection at the first available opportunity. You don’t asylum shop,’ said Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. These are important words in a world where asylum is a heavily traded commodity, with both calculating Tamils and human smuggling mentors seek to score high of the asylum shopping list by vilifying Sri Lanka on human rights. Minister Kenney was quoted in the Canadian National Post when it ran a prominent piece on February 9, on the first public hearing of the claim for asylum in Canada by... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/02/12)

Letter to Ambassador Tamara Kunanayakam
wws
Ambassador Tamara Kunanayakam Geneva Dear Ms Kunanayakam, The West has held back Sri Lanka's economic and social development since Independence by flying in economic spin doctors to hector its statesmen. The country was handcuffed no sooner it began to need help from the IMF. Sri Lanka was turned into a raw-material supplying slave. On the other hand, a selected group of countries were allowed unfettered growth. Examples of such countries include Sri Lanka's friends Singapore and the Republic of Korea. Pupils from Singapore once gained an education in schools, including state-funded ones, in Sri Lanka. Trainees from Korea... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/02/12)

Strategy for Sri Lanka at the Geneva Sessions
By Neville Ladduwahetty
There is speculation that at the 2012 sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, a resolution would call on the Sri Lankan Government to table the Report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) together with a plan as to how the Government proposes to implement its recommendations.   There is also an expectation among those who are of the view that the LLRC report falls short in respect of accountability that the resolution would call on the Government to present to the UNHRC how it plans to address more fully, issues... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/02/12)

DIAN GOMES AND AJIT JAYARATNE LAUNCH INNOVEST INVESTMENTS
 Innovest Investments
Former Chairman of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and Finance Commission Ajit de S. Jayaratne, Business Leader Dian Gomes and Oxford-educated Wealth Manager AroshaGunasekera launched Innovest Investments (Pvt) Ltd., an Innovative Investment Management Company offering expert services to both institutional and individual clients looking to invest in the Stock Market as well as Fixed Income Securities such as Corporate Bonds and Treasury Bills.  The company will offer clients investment management services carried out by a highly skilled and accomplished team who, utilizing state-of-the-art analysis software, have identified certain undervalued stocks with high growth potential as well as... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/02/12)

What would be the chemical composition or the formula of the smell of cooking chicken or chicken cologne that deposits on you while cooking?
Dr Hector Perera                       London
 Why do we wait for servants’ cooking or frying sardines, sprats, prawns, dry fish or even preparing chicken or fish curry? Try it out yourself then only you would notice that you get showered with these tiny volatile molecules or microscopic particles in these foods, spices escape with molecules of steam evaporating, leaving an ‘oily sticky cocktail’ of molecules. YOU MIGHT ASK WHERE THEY DEPOSIT? If you think for a moment what I say has no basis then try this acid test, just try running your finger on the wall near the cooker, and then... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/02/12)

Iran ready to be paid in gold, national currencies for oil
RT
Tehran announced Tuesday that it is ready to receive payment for oil supplies in gold as well as the national currencies of importer countries. That’s according to Mahmoud Bahmani, Governor of the Central Bank of Iran. ­In trade operations with foreign countries Iran does not limit itself to dollars, and any state is free to use its own currency, Bahmani is quoted as saying by Russia's Itar-Tass news agency. He also added that if any client state wants to pay in gold, Iran would accept it without hesitation. In 2012 the US toughened sanctions against the country that... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 29/02/12)

Of Atavism, Brownian emotions, human rights etc
Dr Bandula Kothalawala London N7
According to a news report in the Island of 28 February 2012, Jeremy Browne, UK Foreign Office Minister responsible for the human rights, emphasized the responsibility on the part of the global community to intervene inSri Lanka unless the government addressed accountability issues.  Alas, Mr Browne has missed a good opportunity to keep his mouth shut, unless, of course, he wanted to make an ass of himself. These utterances allegedly made at the XIX UNHRC Sessions inGenevatypify persistent, often unsuccessful, attempts by British ministers and their fellow travellers to occupy moral high ground on... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/02/12)

Darwinism can only be believed through blind faith
Ajit Randeniya
 A writer named R. Chandrasoma has written to the Lankaweb about my postings on Richard Dawkins and Darwinism, describing the matter contained as a diatribe: to describe my criticism of Darwin and his so-called ‘theory’, and Dawkins’ wild interpretation of it, as ’diatribe’ is based on cliched use of the word without a proper understanding of its meaning.  What I have done in those articles is to ask some pertinent questions about Darwin’s credentials as a scientist, and point to some glaring holes in his ‘theory’: reference to such analysis as a ‘caricature of Darwinism’ shows that... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/02/12)

Letter to Ban-Ki Moon over Louise Frechette’s behavior towards Maj. Gen. Silva (Sri Lanka)
From Shenali Waduge Sri Lanka
The UN Secretary General Ban-ki Moon UN Head Quarters New York, 28 February 2012.  Dear Mr. Ban-ki Moon  As the person tasked to steer a global peace organization comprising over 14,000 people serving in all parts of the world it is important that you not only set an example for others to follow but you take action when UN staff break or violate the code of conduct which all UN staff must abide by.  The appointment of Madam Louise Frechette by you to Chair the UN Senior Advisory Group has resulted in this present... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/02/12)

Human rights violations in Iraq
Sinhale
a Sinhala song with You Tube clips on victims in Iraq.So please watch this clip and think again how anyone could justify killing of over hundred thousand Iraqies... -Full Story-
(youtube.com - 28/02/12)

බුද්ධමත්ව තීරණ ගනිමු. අනුකම්පා විරහිතව සතුරාට එරෙහිව සටන් වදිමු.
චන්ද්‍රසේන පණ්ඩිත විසිනි
මුලුමහත් පෘතුවිතලයම් අනුකම්පා විරහිතව පෙලන සතුරා, මෙවර දැඩි තීරණයක් ගෙන අපගේ ආදරණීය මාතෘ භූමියට එරෙහිව සෘජුවම සිටගෙන ඇත. එදා අප ඉතා පැහැදිලිවම ප්‍රකාශකලේ සැබෑ සතුරා වේලු පිල්ලේ ප්‍රභාකරන් නොවන බවයි. වේලුපිල්ලේ ප්‍රභාකරන් යනු බිල් ලාඩන් මෙන්ම වූ ඇමරිකානු නිශ්පාදනයක් බව මෙරට ජනතාව කල් ගතවී හෝ දැන් අවබෝධ කරගෙන සිටීමද, අප ලද  ඉතා විශාල ඓතිහාසික ජයග්‍රහණයකි. ප්‍රභාකරන් නම් වූ මිනීමරු කුලී ඝාතකයා සිදුකරන ලද්දේ, සිය හාමුපුතුන් වූ ඇමෙරිකාව හා යුරෝපා සංගමයේ අවශ්‍යතවයන් බව මෙරට ජනතාවට වටහා ගැනිමට තව කාලයක් ගතවිය හැකි වුවද, එසේ වටහා ගැනීමේ ආරම්භය ක්‍රම ක්‍රමයෙන් ජන විඥානය කරා සම්ප්‍රෙෂණය වීම මේ වනවිටත් සිදුවෙමින් පවතී.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/02/12)

How great is the US human rights record?
 Shenali Waduge
The US has self-appointed itself to chide nations using the tool of human rights – therefore human rights becomes the perfect tool to give or deny loans, trade concessions or even maintain diplomatic dealings. To point fingers one’s own terrain must have in the least minimum human rights violations but a closer look at the US will reveal how appalling the US human rights record actually is and begs to ask the US to first put its own house in order before crowning itself the undisputed leader of human rights. For a country that has been responsible... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/02/12)

Where Did The Lankan's Squander The Game Against India And What Are Their Options ?
Top Spin By Suni
February 29th 2012 They squandered the game in all probabilities by being overly confident in the first place after their surge to the top of the points table against all odds, taking the Indians for granted and almost clinically wasting the two fine performances by Sangakkara and Dilshan and handed the game on a platter to India. who should have by rights been making return reservations to go home prematurely at the end of it but revelled in the Sri Lankan Faux Pas, inconsequential as some may be inclined to think in the run off... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/02/12)

Iraq Today: Afflicted by Violence, Devastation, Corruption, and Desperation
by Stephen Lendman / April 28th, 2010
Seven years under occupation, Iraqis still cope with what Refugees International calls “a dire humanitarian crisis that sees huge numbers of displaced (and other Iraqis) struggl(ing) to survive,” a situation “for which the US bears special responsibility” but does nothing to correct. Recent UNHCR figures estimate around 4.5 million refugees, nearly 2.8 million internal ones (IDPs), a third of these in squatter slums in Baghdad, Diyala and Salah al-Din. Many fear returning home. Most are impoverished. Settlements lack basic services, including water, sanitation, electricity, and health care. Education is difficult where... -Full Story-
(dissidentvoice.org - 28/02/12)

NAVANIDEM PILLAI - Commissioner of UNHRC Impartiality in Doubt!
Prof. Hudson McLean
 I have been following  the learned Hon. Ms. Navnethem Pillai and one must admit that she has excellent credentials to hold the position of Commissioner of UNHRC.   http://www.ungei.org/infobycountry/247_2378.html   Undoubtedly, her rise to the top of the tree was through her own achievements in South Africa, the African Continent and at the Hague.   Throughout her life, during and after Apartheid, Ms. Pillai has exercised strong vocal opposition to the Apartheid  regime in South Africa. As a Tamil, she then changed her atention to Tamil causes in Asia, especially Sri Lanka.  Since her stance is... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/02/12)

Madam Louise Frechette
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J  6G1 . Canada
27 February 2012 Mr. Ban ki-Moon, Secretary-General, of the United Nations New York, US Dear Ban ki-Moon: Re: Madam Louise Frechette. UN’s Chair of the Senior Advisory Group Well…well…well…what’s all this then Ban ki-Moon?  This Canadian-woman thinks that she owns the United Nations, at least she seems to believe that  she has a lease on the United Nations. No doubt you have been made aware of the botch-up she has created by vetoing the appointment of Ambassador Major-General Shavendra Silva of Sri Lanka from your... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/02/12)

What has the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) actually achieved?
Shenali Waduge
The UN Human Rights Council replaced the UN Commission on Human Rights in 2006 in a bid to strengthen human rights, move away from politicization & selectivity and instill professionalism & credibility. Six years since its inception – we simply ask what has the UNHRC actually achieved and on behalf of whom is the UNHRC really functioning and more importantly on what basis are the judgments arrived at.  From which angle the decisions of the UNHRC is taken is important for in including nations like Russia, China, Pakistan, Cuba & Libya into the UNHRC membership the UNHRC... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/02/12)

Open letter to Brad Adams Human Rights Watch - article ‘Hold Deportations of Tamils to Sri Lanka’.
Lakshman Peiris
Can HRW deny that they have received funds for operational purpose by LTTE supporting Tamil Disapora (Asylum seekers) who has built up hundreds of mushroom organisations around the globe!    Without just spouting false allegations can anyone from the HRW  researches accuse any individual or department of the GoSL with proof beyond doubt or on balance of probability that some returned Tamil asylum seekers from the United Kingdom have been subjected to arbitrary arrest and torture upon their return to Sri Lanka. Sri lankans can also make convincing allegation that Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/02/12)

GoSL welcomes US stand on ‘accountability’
By Shamindra Ferdinando in Geneva-Courtesy The Island 
February 26, 2012, 10:04 pm  The Sri Lankan government says that those talking of moral obligation on the part of the US and its allies to intervene in Sri Lank have conveniently turned a blind eye to the position taken by the US at the first Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the world’s solitary superpower  before the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Nov. 5, 2010.  GoSL sources told The Island that the decision to move a resolution against Sri Lanka was contrary to US position articulated by Assistant Secretary... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/02/12)

'NATO hijacking UN powers' - Putin
RT
In the latest installment of his pre-election manifesto, Vladimir Putin issues a blunt assessment of US and NATO behavior, while stressing the need for Russia’s active participation in the international security architecture. With global leaders attempting a precarious balancing act along dangerous fault lines, Putin offered wisdom that has been proven correct many times in the past: “The only way to ensure global security is by doing it together with Russia, not by trying to ‘demote’ it, weaken it geopolitically or undermine its defensive potential.” Admitting to the emergence of a “new world order” based upon the “new geopolitical... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 27/02/12)

‘Attempt on Putin could fan anti-Americanism’
RT
The planned attempt on Vladimir Putin’s life would bring anti-American sentiments in the world to a new low, Russian political commentator and a member of the Public Chamber Nikolay Svanidze told RT. In an exclusive comment, Svanidze noted that if the most pessimistic scenario somehow got implemented this would bring dire consequences both to Russia and the world as a whole, but the situation would remain stable. “If this happened after the elections, as they planned it, the elections would be canceled and ordered anew with current President Dmitry Medvedev running the country before them.If the assassination took place... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 27/02/12)

Putin assassination plan foiled (VIDEO)
RT
Russian and Ukrainian intelligence services have foiled terrorist plans to assassinate Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Russia’s most-wanted terrorist Doku Umarov is thought to be behind the plot. ­The internationally-wanted criminals detained in Ukrainian city of Odessa confessed they had intended to assassinate Putin. The attack was supposed to be carried out in Moscow right after the presidential elections of March 4.... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 27/02/12)

Tehran not ruling out access to any military sites - Iran nuclear envoy
RT
Iran does not rule out giving the IAEA access to military research sites on its soil, Iran’s envoy to the IAEA told RT. This comes after UN nuclear experts visited Tehran, only to say that Iran had barred inspectors from visiting a key military site. ­“First of all the group were not inspectors per se,” explained Ali Asghar Soltanieh. “They were high officials of the agency from the legal, political and technical departments.” The IAEA suspects a key military site in Parchin could have been the site of high-explosives tests related to nuclear weapons. They requested permission to visit... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 27/02/12)

89% vote in favor of new Syrian Constitution
RT
Syria’s Interior Minister has announced that 89 per cent of those who took part in the referendum have voted in favor of a new constitution. The new law puts an end to five decades of one-party rule among other reforms put forward by President Assad. Interior Minister Ibrahim al-Shaar announced the results of the referendum at a press conference on Monday.­ According to the minister, out of 14,580,000 Syrians eligible to vote some 8,376,000, or about 57 per cent, actually came to the polling stations and voted, RT’s Maria Finoshina reports from Damascus. Al-Shaar said that the opposition groups... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 27/02/12)

Louise Fre’chette a symbol of abuse of authority, of intolerance , and of denial of right of speech which UNO champions.
By Charles.S.Perera
 We now know what UNO is made of – it is made of falsehood, arrogance, abusers of authority, intolerance, money grabbers ,  withholders of  free speech and egocentrics. Its Administrators like Louise Fre’chette  besides  lacking social nicety and moral uprightness of a  Senior UN executive,  also lacks diplomatic integrity.    This is what had taken place on the 21 February, 2012 in a room at the panel of the Senior  Advisory Group ( the Peace Keeping Panel) of the UNO, where rates of reimbursement to troop contributing countries and related issues were to be considered.  The meeting... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/02/12)

Neocons, Al-Qaida and Hamas are united in building the next nuclear bomb
Ajit Randeniya
 The current US, British and French led attack on the Syrian President Bashir Al-Assad and his government, carried out with financial help from the corrupt sheikdoms of Saudi Arabia and Qatar is in fact a part of the psychological warfare (PSYWAR) aimed at Iran, the next military target of the neocon-captured American foreign policy apparatus.  Adding to the sinister nature of this conspiracy, two weeks ago, the neocon-Arab collective received support from their ‘partner in crime’ in many ways, Al Qaeda: the new leader of Al Qaeda,  Ayman al-Zawahri  issued a statement urging Muslims in the region... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/02/12)

Hello America!(and WEST)-The Human Rights allegations to be advocated against Sri Lanka by USA at the UNHRC on 27th Feb. 2012., solicited by their duped hound NGO’s, LTTE Cohorts & other parasites.
by mahinda karuanaratne
You point one finger at us, four towards you. The shameless America and West is relentlessly attacking on us the Sri Lanka an innocent nation,  and its majority the Sinhela as if we are uncivilized because the words being used portray that they are equating us to barbarians and jingoistic, bellicose community. This is what the corrupted minds of the west (due to their pre Churchian Devil Worship Cult practice and later Churchian fallacy had planted in their minds) cannot understand about other very civilized nation well before them (west), and well mannered and fully civilized... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/02/12)

TNA wants Tamil Nadu to ask India’s Central Government to pressure Sri Lanka!
 Asada M Erpini
With the US-spearheaded resolution that is due to be tabled at the UNHRC sessions starting on 27 February, which in no way would be complimentary to Sri Lanka as regards alleged human rights violations, the TNA has a team of its Parliamentarians visiting Tamil Nadu (TN), according to media reports on 25 February, at cursory glance, on a hilarious mission.  Third World, Developing or Resource-compromised are all fashionable and condescending euphemisms that only mean the same – poor. And, Sri Lanka, unfortunately, is one such country, however much one may love it. When the US,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/02/12)

NAVANIDEM PILLAI SHOULD RESIGN FROM HER POSITION AS THE COMMISSIONER OF UNHRC WHEN POLITICAL ISSUES RELATED TO GOSL ARE TAKEN UP FOR INVESTIGATION
SINHALA NATION
When the Commissioner of the UNHRC is directly or indirectly a party to an issue under investigation, then he or she is not in a position to act impartially, hence has no moral right to act as the Commissioner unless that person has no personal sense of honour and dignity, has no sense of shame to abuse one’s position to allow an advantage to a party that the Commissioner supports or wishes to win. It has been reported in the media (The Island Newspaper – 25.02.2012) that Ms. Pillay had been a judge of the ICC,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/02/12)

UN must apologize to Sri Lanka
Shenali Waduge
When lies, fabrications, distortions, covert action plans and everything other than the truth has been part and parcel of Sri Lanka’s conflict by players projecting themselves as conflict-solvers we need not be naïve to be surprised at the latest antic by Louise Frechette in her capacity as Chair of the UN Senior Advisory Group. In many ways it is a perfect example to highlight the lack of work ethics in an international body, the neglect of common diplomacy & decorum towards fellow team members and simply racism at its peak. Louise Frechette is just one such person... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/02/12)

Submission to the House of Commons Sub-Committee on Human Rights re Sri Lanka
Mahinda Gunasekera
Mr. Scott Reid, MP for Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Assington, Chair of the House of Commons Sub-Committee on Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, and the other members of the Sub-Committee on Human Rights Honourable Members of the House of Commons Sub-Committee on Human Rights, Submission on the Human Rights situation in Sri Lanka
 Further to my letters e-mailed to Ms. Miriam Burke, Clerk to the Sub-Committee on Human Rights with copy to Mr. Scott Reid, MP, Chair of the House of Commons Sub-Committee on Human Rights on November 24, 2011, December... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/02/12)

Despicable is Hillary Clinton
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey Courtesy Pravda.Ru
26.02.2012   Hillary Clinton is an interesting case study. She started four years ago as a charming Secretary of State, the smile on the snout to wipe out the snarl of her predecessor, Condoleezza Rice and four years on, she appears on camera butch, a trucker-type probably complete with tattoos, insolent, inconsequential and incompetent. We now understand Bill. What happened to Hillary Clinton? Her credentials for the position of Secretary of State were never that great; let us be honest: someone who lied on camera for all to see about getting... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/02/12)

GENEVA: WHERE THE VULTURES ARE GATHERING
Underpala 

Tomorrow the circus will begin. The tents are up in Geneva. The trapeze artistes, the tightrope walkers and the clowns are all dressed up raring to get on with the job of entertaining the multitude. In the days of the Roman empire the people may not have had rights (human at that) and freedoms but they had bread and circuses. Maybe just to keep the plebs happy the Roman emperors gave it a high-sounding Latin name - panem et circenses. The Roman populace seemed to be happy enough even if their only right was to trek... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/02/12)

TNA Aren't Imbeciles To Want To Show Up At Geneva Having Once Been And Still Is An LTTE Front, Where They Should Probably Have Been Forced To Attend!
Insight By Sunil Kumar
February 26th 2012 The TNA probably needs to be deemed the ultimate example of complete LTTE supportives during the height of their existence of nefarious and Nation destructive activities and it is mind boggling how they have come to be politicians in Sri Lanka today. Despite their diluted palavering with the Administration which the true discerning see as a mere ploy they have gained access to their present day status mainly due to the upholding of democracy within Sri Lanka and its legislators but this privilege could be shortlived once their true transparencies show and... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/02/12)

Car insurance scam: 37 arrested in Project Whiplash raids
Wendy Gillis and Josh Tapper
A lengthy investigation into a multi-million dollar auto-insurance scam led to the arrest of 37 people Thursday, many in the South Asian community, with police cracking down on an escalating problem that’s made the GTA Canada’s phony collision capital. In early morning raids across the GTA — part of an investigation dubbed Project Whiplash — police arrested dozens, laying a total of 130 charges stemming from 77 collisions police say were staged and have helped send insurance premiums skyrocketing in the province. Additional arrests are expected. “The victims of this crime are all of us... -Full Story-
(thestar.com - 26/02/12)

Election of Wijedasa Rajapaksa (MP) as New BASL President a Sign of Politicising the Legal Profession and Compromising Judicial Independence
Dilrook Kannangara
Bar Association of Sri Lanka has a new president – Wijedasa Rajapaksa – who is currently a Member of Parliament. It may be one of few instances or the first time a member of parliament became the president of BASL. It is certainly not a healthy sign. Active senior politicians holding high office in Bar Association politicises the legal profession. Although Bar Association is only the professional association of lawyers, it exercises tremendous power in the profession. That is why it is always best not to have members of parliament creep into the top posts of BASL.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/02/12)

Some Tamils
A Concerned Sri Lankan
 The derogatory label Jaffna Tamils tagged on Indian Tamils imported by British, has now tagged on them as their behaviour has become irritable and despicable.   They crept into countries like Canada and Australia playing the refugee card, fooling the pathetic, stupid Canadians and Australians.  Their brethren in cities like Toronto and Sydney then went on to skin Sri Lanka GOSL to bring in more Tamils to Canada and Australia as their chances otherwise would have been nil, except for few qualified Tamils.  Now the Tamil Diaspora seeks to carve out a separate state a concept conceived by... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/02/12)

POST ARAB-SPRING, LANKAN WINTER OF CONTENT IN GENEVA
Rajpal Abeynayake- Lakbima
No doubt about it. The barely concealed buzz here in Geneva is that Sri Lanka has been able to thumb her nose at the world’s number one superpower and get away with it, when a la Arab spring, the US is being able to accomplish practically anything in countries that do not say ‘aye aye sir’ to Uncle Sam. Ever since the Canadian sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Commission sessions in 2009 was defeated and Sri Lanka managed to pull off a counter resolution, the US has been looking for pay-back... -Full Story-
(lakbimanews.lk - 26/02/12)

Nomination of Channel 4 UK Video for 2012 Nobel Peace Prize
Mahinda Gunasekera
To Mr. Lars Heikensten  Executive Director ran The Nobel Foundation  Sturegatan 14  Box 5232  SE-102 45 Stockholm  Sweden    Dear Mr. Lars Heikenstein,   Nomination of UK's Channel 4 Video for 2012 Nobel Peace Prize   I was shocked to learn that Britain's Channel 4 video titled 'Sri Lanka's Killing Fields' had been nominated for the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize by none other than AI,ICG and HRW,which are three of the better known well funded lobby groups active in the human rights field. This video has been compiled with borrowed footage obtained from the Tamilnet, the propaganda arm of the internationally... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/02/12)

It’s eyeball to eyeball, in Geneva
Editorial- Sri Lankan News Paper LAKBIMA
Sri Lanka is facing war by other means, and it is all happening in the most placid of locations, in the picture-postcard backdrop and the lake serenity of Geneva. The feature article on the opposite page gives an on the spot rundown of events that had transpired in that city. Nobody is able to predict the outcome of the battle, but it is not exactly a moving spectacle when the big, rich and the powerful seem to gang up against the long-suffering that deserve a better break. Some say that engagement or acquiescence... -Full Story-
(lakbimanews.lk - 26/02/12)

Democracy’ at gun-point!
Editorial Sri Lankan News Paper Nation
Democracy in recent times has turned definition on its head. It has provided much grist for the lampoonist’s mill. ‘Be nice to us or else we will bring democracy to your country,’ screamed Uncle Sam, fully armed and standing amidst the carnage that has been the collateral of ‘democratisation’ in recent months. A blogger (NoealamInSL) gives the gist in a post titled ‘Regime change strategy and action plan’ (paraphrased below): ‘First provide arms to a selected rebel group. Wait until civilian are killed. Deploy spin doctors. Pass a UN resolution about protecting civilians.... -Full Story-
(nation.lk - 26/02/12)

United nations will flourish
Editorial -Sri Lanka News Paper NATION
There are two kinds of united nations, the first is the in-your-face institution that was birthed after World War II, where rivers of blood were produced in the mad rush by some to carve the world among themselves. This ‘united nations’, or rather the ‘United Nations Organisation’ has moved far from the founding principles and is widely seen as a bullying tool for bully-nations. Right now, in Geneva, there are moves to censure Sri Lanka over some allegations made by a group of people who are to remain anonymous for 20 years. The veiled... -Full Story-
(nation.lk - 26/02/12)

The United States is Trying the Regime Change Again!
Jay Deshabandu
 The government has rightfully appealed to its citizens and people from all works of life around the world to support Sri Lanka when it meets UNHRC in Geneva on Feb 27 to March 23rd. There will be a charge sheet by the United States against Sri Lanka on its conduct during the final stages of liberating its people from the LTTE terrorist outfit.     What happened during the final stage was Sri Lanka doing what it was right; and, it is purely an internal affair.  As usual, the United States wishing to meddle in other nations’ internal... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/02/12)

US pressures India to give up Iranian oil
RT
“Anyone but Iran,” is what the United States is telling India, as America attempts to persuade the country to go elsewhere for its oil needs. There are currently no sanctions that would restrict India from continuing to do business with Iran, but any disruption in their relationship could cause the Iranian economy to be impacted significantly. Traditionally, India purchases around 12 percent of all its crude from Iran, a transaction that is worth around $12 billion each year. As the US continues to warn Iran to abandon its nuclear program or face the consequences, America is getting creative in... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 26/02/12)

Controversy over Iran cutting oil flow to Greece
RT
Iran has denied a shipment of crude oil to Greece, Fars news agency reported on Sunday. However, according to ISNA, an Iranian oil industry official has rejected the report, saying there had been no changes in Iranian oil shipment schedule. A Greek oil tanker, denied loading of the expected 500,000 barrels of oil in Iran, has returned home, the Fars report says. The shipment was meant for Hellenic Petroleum refinery. The refinery official, however, denied that the company was refused any oil shipments from Iran. “That has nothing to do with us … all supplies from Iran have been... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 26/02/12)

Syria holds referendum amid bloodshed
RT
An unprecedented referendum on a new draft constitution has taken place in Syria despite opposition calls for the population to boycott the vote. Once adopted, the new constitution will put an end to five decades of one-party rule. Although the ballots are still to be counted, the authorities confidently state that Syrians have taken a very active part in the crucial vote. According to an official representative from the Ministry of Information, there were no public order violations in Damascus. Millions of Syrians are expected to have voted on their country’s new constitution. Posters and banners calling on people... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 26/02/12)

Despicable actions of Russia & China: Secretary of State does not see the US in the vanguard
Asada M Erpini
The UK Mail Online on 25 February had a story headlined “Hillary Clinton blasts Russia and China as 'despicable' for opposing UN action on Syria”. The apt response to that comment, assuming it deserves a reply, should be one of the calibre of what the foreign Minister of Russia gave a the Foreign Secretary of the UK in September 2008 when the latter objected to the involvement of Russia in Georgia: “Who the f*** are you to lecture me? The issue of importance in this context is not whether the language used by the Russian Foreign... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/02/12)

"Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width"
Prof. Hudson McLean
 This ongoing episode in the LankaWeb reminds me of a 1967 British TV comedy "Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width", based on two tailors, Manny Cohen, a Jew, and Patrick Kelly, an Irish Catholic .    I am flattered that so many persons have searched me on Google and may have noticed over 500,000 entries related to Prof. Hudson McLean. And all the entries lead to LankaWeb.   Allow me to explain why I took a position in LankaWeb for over 12+ years. Firstly, LankaWeb is a Open Forum, independent, impartial, with a dedicated Gaggle... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/02/12)

VILLAGE SKETCH—4, MENIKE NENDA GOES TO THE ‘BIOSCOPE’
 Arcadius
The fresh morning air they breathed, the sweet songs of the birds they heard, the beautiful flowers they saw, and so many other lovely rustic things that they sensed and felt, explained very clearly the cause of the health and happiness of the village folk of Pathegama. Just before the approach of the Sinhala Avurudda (New Year), the village was a-blooming.  Multitudes of butterflies—white ones, yellow ones, blue ones, multicolored ones—swarmed across the beautiful vegetation of the village, bound, the villagers believed, for Samanala Kanda (Butterfly Peak) to end their lives. Mango trees, Cadju trees, Jambu trees lured... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 25/02/12)

Expatriate Tamils, TNA and 13-A
by Sebastian Rasalingam Canada Courtesy The Island 
February 24, 2012, 6:57 pm The trans-national Eelamists (TNE) living in Canada have been super-active in gearing up forces against Sri Lanka and wielding ‘human rights’ as their weapon. Canadian parliamentarians were lobbied on February 1st by the ‘Canadian Human Rights Voice’, run by ex-LTTE Tamils. The most recent activity was by the ‘Centre for War Victims and Human Rights (CWVHR)’, held in Toronto on the 18th of February. This was run by Anton Philip (Father Sinnarasa), who was well-known as a war monger rather than a war victim. He... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 25/02/12)

Sanctions on Iran-An Insidious Warfare
By Latheef Farook
The United Nations together with United States and European Union have imposed crippling sanctions on Iran knowing very well how the UN sanctions virtually destroyed the Iraqi society. The reason being Iran is accused of developing nuclear weapon. Iran is only accused of developing nuclear weapon and not developed yet. So sanctions were imposed to force Iran to stop what it has been time and again claiming as peaceful nuclear program. Iran has never been a threat to anyone in the region and beyond. Iran is only making every possible effort to protect itself from military... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 25/02/12)

COVER UP IN PROCESS?
Hameed Abdul Karim
 You must think Iranian leaders are out of their minds if you were to believe the propaganda that comes out of the empire via its kept press. First we were told that the FBI had uncovered an Iranian plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US. From the tales that emanated from the empire the plot looked so ridiculous that it beggars belief. Iran, we were told, had hired a Mexican drug peddler and a used car dealer to carry out the murder. Going by recent Iranian achievements we can safely assume the Iranians are... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 25/02/12)

Is Miriam Shahrzard Schive, Robert Blake’s undercover agent in Geneva to have a resolution passed against Sri Lanka ?
By Charles.S.Perera 
Robert O Blake has taken it seriously to take revenge from Sri Lanka for the elimination of his dear  terrorist friends. Could any one understand why the USA is taking such a low and an incomprehensible attitude to  pass a resolution in the coming HRCouncil meeting in Geneva against Sri Lanka, when Sri Lanka compared to most other countries in the world has carried out a remarkable military operation  to remove terrorism from Sri Lanka ?   Sri Lanka did not in any way put the people of the country into danger or to any risk in... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 25/02/12)

India May Turn Against Lanka at the UNHRC
Dilrook Kannangara
It is obvious USA will move a resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC session later this month. Noticeably they have done their homework. EU has already stated its position on the likely resolution. They are in the process of collecting support from the 46 member commission for an independent investigation into alleged war crimes. Relying on India is an absolute disaster. India has a history of fooling Lanka. The Indo-Lanka Peace Accord of 1987 promised to disarm the LTTE but nothing of the sort happened. Ultimately Lanka ended up disarming the LTTE all alone while... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 25/02/12)

Louise Frechette vs. Ambassador Maj.General Shavendra Silva at the UN
Asoka Weerasinghe  Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1 . Canada
24 February 2012 OPEN LETTER TO Madame Louise Frechett  Chair of the Senior Advisory Group in UN  New York, New York , US Dear Madame: After hearing your bombastic arrogance throwing your weight around and ostracizing  Ambassador Major Gen. Shavendra  Silva, one of my heroes,  who was nominated by the Asia Group to be a member of a UN  Committee,  a female acquaintance of mine from a little unsophisticated  town in Quebec during a get together came running to me and asked… “Hey Asoka, wat... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 25/02/12)

The Geneva Carnival is on
Dr Bandula Kothalawala London N7
It is that time of the year again. The annual carnival is back in town! The main protagonists are busy putting finishing touches to their masks… The XIX Session of the UN Human Rights Council opens on 27 February 2012 and is due to end on 23 March 2012. I have no intention of scoffing at human rights or being dismissive of the need to have international mechanisms in place to deal with serious violations of human rights. No fair-minded person should have any objections to the respect for human rights being accorded high... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/02/12)

UN Group and Maj. General S. Silva
Ira de Silva London, Canada
The Editor The Island Colombo, Sri Lanka   Dear Sir:   It has been reported that Maj. General l Silva who was nominated by the Asia Group to be a member of a UN committee was snubbed when he attended the first meeting, was ostracised and not allowed to participate by  Madame Louise Frechette, Chair of the Senior Advisory Group. In other words Mme. Frechette has found the Major Gen. "guilty" - she has acted as prosecutor, judge and jury. She is the Canadian representative, coming from a country that is supposed to be... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/02/12)

IFC affirms commitment to inclusive growth, private sector development in Sri Lanka
Press Release
Colombo, Sri Lanka, February 24, 2012 ─ IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, affirmed its commitment to take a more active role in promoting inclusive growth in Sri Lanka by working closely with the Government and the private sector. On his first official visit to the country, IFC Executive Vice President and CEO Lars Thunell met with the President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and the Honourable Basil Rajapaksa, Minister for Economic Development, where he reiterated IFC’s commitment to supporting private sector development. “IFC sees great potential here and we are expecting a strong program... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/02/12)

Ranil Abeynaike's Passing A Tragic Loss To Sri Lanka Cricket
Top Spin By Suni
February 24th 2012 It would hardly be fair to let the memory of Ranil Abeynaike fade away without a few words of appreciation. A cricketer who hailed from that wonderful mould of Thomian cricketers from Mount Lavinia and fashioned into the gentlemen's game from what was then and still is one of Sri Lanka's finest educational institututions which has stood for centuries and produced some of the finest who ever played the game both at school, club and international levels. Ranil was someone who wielded the willow as well as sling the leather equitably albeit... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/02/12)

කෙමරූජ් භිෂණය අංක 7
වෛද්‍ය රුවන් එම් ජයතුංග
 පන්ති අර්බුදය පොල්පොට් දුටු අයුරු පොල්පොට් විග‍්‍රහ කළ  ආකාරයට විප්ලවයට පෙර කම්පුචියාව පන්ති පහකින් සමන්විත විය. එනම් ගොවීන්, කම්කරුවන්, බුර්ෂුවා කොටස්, ධනපතියන් හා වැඩවසම් ක‍්‍රමය ව්‍යාප්ත කළ ඉඩම් හිමියන්ය. මෙම පන්ති ක‍්‍රමය නැතිකර දැමීමට පොල්පොට්ට අවශ්‍ය විය. ඔහුගේ වෑයම වූයේ පියවරෙන් පියවර නොව කෙළින්ම කොමියුනිස්ට් සමාජයක් කම්පුචියාවේ ඇති කිරීමටය. එය එක්තරා ආකාරයක අත්හදා බැලීමකි. ඒ සඳහා ගෙවිය යුතු වන්දිය පිළිබඳව පොල්පොට්ට අවබෝධයක් තිබුනේ නැත. පොල්පොට් ඔහුගේ Monarchy or Democracy පොත මගින් කම්පුචියාවේ ගරා වැටෙන රජ පෙළපත පිළිබඳව කරුණු දැක්වීය. එසේම පන්ති අර්බුදය අවසන් කරන අයුරුද ඔහු පවසයි. 1975 අපේ‍්‍රල් 17 දිනෙන් පසු දේශපාලනික වශයෙන් සැකයට... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/02/12)

Saudis embrace China in new polygamy
By Joshua Jacobs
Speaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest writers to have their say. Please click here if you are interested in contributing. Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the former ambassador Saudi ambassador to the United States once called the US-Saudi relationship a "Catholic marriage". When the remark was uttered in the 1990s it was a view common in both Riyadh and Washington. The US-Saudi alliance had just capped two major... -Full Story-
(atimes.com - 24/02/12)

A Chinese vision begins to emerge
By Peter Lee
The dominant stereotype of Chinese foreign policy in the Middle East is "amoral oil grubbing mercantilists who never met a dictator they didn't like". Perhaps. But the job of an amoral, oil-grubbing mercantilist has been made much more complicated and challenging as tensions rise in theregion and heightened demands are placed on the People's Republic of China (PRC). Saudi Arabia, China's largest oil supplier, expects China's support in its campaign against Iran. Iran turns to China for help in breaking the sanctions blockade that threatens its oil exports, its access to the global financial... -Full Story-
(atimes.com - 24/02/12)

'3 NGOs diverted foreign funds to fuel Kudankulam stir'
Hindustan Times
Three non-governmental organisations, opposing the Russian-built nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu’s Kudankulam, have been found to have used foreign funds received for social and religious purposes to fuel protests, violating foreign exchange regulatory rules. Announcing this, minister of related stories PM should clarify Kudankulam remarks: BJP Where's the proof, activist asks PM Foreign NGOs behind Kudankulam protests: PM state in the prime minister’s office V Narayanasamy said on Friday the three NGOs’ licences had been cancelled, although he did not divulge the names of the organisations.The Kudankulam power station in Tamil Nadu was slated to be commissioned last... -Full Story-
(Hindustan Times - 24/02/12)

Cost of hiring Sri Lankan maids 'unreasonably high'
By RIYADH: ARAB NEWS
Several Saudi citizens have decried an exorbitant hike in recruitment charges by the Sri Lankan manpower recruitment offices and middlemen. They noted that the recruitment offices have raised the charges for hiring housemaids from $3,000 to about $4,000, and that was in clear violation of the agreements signed earlier between the two countries. The citizens urged the intervention of Saudi authorities to put an end to the reckless practice of raising recruitment charges, according to a report in Al-Riyadh newspaper.... -Full Story-
(arabnews.com - 24/02/12)

Extreme Prejudice - CIA Whistle Blower Susan Lindauer PDX 911Truth
MUST WATCH! Susan Lindauer - Jailed without charge or trial under the Patriots Act after 9/11 and scheduled for a chemical lobotomy because "THEY" were concerned she knew too much and might be a whistleblower... -Full Story- (youtube.com - 24/02/12)

SL writes to UNHRC member states to counter US claims
Island
The Sri Lankan government yesterday accused a section of the international community of trying to distort the situation in Sri Lanka to undermine the post-war reconciliation and recovery process. A senior spokesperson for the Sri Lankan delegation, headed by External Affairs Minister, Prof. G. L. Peiris, yesterday told The Island that the US-led moves were unethical. Such actions would only help the LTTE rump, operating in the US and other parts of the world, the official said, adding that Sri Lanka had no option but to write to Geneva-based diplomatic missions, including those member states of the UN Human... -Full Story-
(The Island - 24/02/12)

‘Tamil Diaspora numbering over 300,000 a powerful inducement’ Lanka alleges UK Labour MP timed debate for UNHRC sessions
by Shamindra Ferdinando in Geneva
The UK continued to play politics with SriLanka’s national reconciliation process, government officials, now in Geneva for the 19th sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), told The Island yesterday (23). They alleged that a group of British parliamentarians, too, was campaigning against Sri Lanka at the behest of the LTTE. The officials were responding to a British onslaught directed at President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government at Wednesday’s private member’s motion debate secured by Labour backbencher, Virendra Sharma, who represents Ealing Southall constituency.... -Full Story-
(The Island - 24/02/12)

The NYPD's Muslim Profiling Problem Gets Worse
—By Adam Serwer
It's no secret that New York City is a huge target for terrorism. In the last few months, however, the Associated Press has shown that the New York City police have responded to that threat by treating its entire Muslim community like possible suspects. That approach harms the NYPD's ability to respond to threats in the future, since American Muslims are frequently the ones who alert law enforcement to poential threats. Here's what we now know about the NYPD's counterterrorism operations:... -Full Story-
(motherjones.com - 24/02/12)

War correspondents: Do we really need them?
Asada M Erpini
A woman correspondent from a UK newspaper who was killed in Syria on 22 February is being heaped with accolades by every Tom, Dick and Harry in the rich nations. She is being portrayed as brave and determined to get to the truth. Incidentally, she was the same individual who was booted out of Sri Lanka by the authorities for biased reporting during Eelam War IV, and was at the forefront of the band of media persons who continued with their anti-Sri Lanka campaign by her parent newspaper.  Death is tragic and no one is happy... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/02/12)

The Conservative Foreign and Commonwealth Council in the British Parliament applauds Sri Lanka's progress.
Media Release The High Commission of Sri Lanka London
Sri Lankan High Commissioner for the U.K., H.E. Dr. Chris Nonis addressed the Conservative Foreign & Commonwealth Council, chaired by Sir Ronald Halstead, which provides a forum for discussion of International Foreign relations, and the promotion of greater understanding and awareness amongst Conservative Party members and activists, in the House of Lords building of the British Parliament. The patrons of this society include The Rt. Hon William Hague MP, Foreign Secretary; The Rt. Hon Sir John Major KG, CH; The Rt. Hon Lord Howe of Aberavon QC; The Rt. Hon... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/02/12)

Transparency and Equality in human rights arena
Sarath Wijesinghe  LLM ( London) Solicitor & Attorney-at-Law - Ambassador of Sri Lanka to United Arab Emirates
 Human Rights Council  Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights and the Human Rights Council are noble bodies structured for the benefit of the humans representing the “Family of Nations”.  These bodies are sacred because they are set up for the sacred duty of prevention, promotion and protection of the mankind through the “Honouable” United Nations body which is set up by replacing the League of Nations,  which the world considered inadequate to serve the mankind to the maximum benefit. Over... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/02/12)

E MAIL RACKETEERS
Dr. Tilak Fernando
Recently I was bombarded with telephone calls and emails from friends who received a message in the same fashion described by Racket Buster where a hacker stated that I was 'marooned in Madrid, lost all my belongings and in a desperate situation for funds. He had nominated a reputed international money transfer-agency to send money to 'me' which 'I could reimburse in three days of my return to base'. Many friends got alarmed. Personally, I was overwhelmed with the sincerity they exhibited thinking it was a genuine mishap. Some who had heard about this game before... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/02/12)

Misrepresenting Darwin and insulting Dawkins
R Chandrasoma
The diatribe against Richard Dawkins and the caricature of Darwinism given in the recent article by Mr Ajit Randeniya calls for a strong rebuttal. It is abundantly clear that Mr Randeniya has his learning on Evolution from nothing better than the polemics highlighted in the popular press where the chief source of anxiety is the threat to conventional religion posed by the writings of skeptical evolutionists. Let us take Darwin first – to suggest that he was a racist is a colossal absurdity. He was a most compassionate man who viewed with horror the slavery he witnessed... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/02/12)

Are we running out of options to generate power?
Dr Hector Perera        London
Energy can be found in a number of different forms. It can be chemical (thermal energy) light or radiant energy, mechanical and also nuclear energy, electrical energy heat. Renewable energy is generated from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain and tides. These sources are considered renewable because they quickly replenish themselves and are usually available in a never-ending supply. Even from very early days, we made use of coal, fossil fuels, wind power; water falls to generate electricity and power, not only that biogas and bio fuel, geothermal energy to generate electricity. Then nuclear... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/02/12)

Road from Geneva to Nanthikadal
By Shamindra Ferdinando in Geneva -Courtesy The Island 
February 22, 2012, 7:55 pm After a second round of talks in April 2006 failed to materialize due to transgression on the part of the LTTE, Norway arranged for the two parties to meet in Oslo on June 8 and 9, 2006. The LTTE refused to meet the government delegation on the basis it wasn’t led by a minister. The LTTE took up the position that Dr. Palitha Kohona wasn’t important enough for them to sit at the negotiating table. The LTTE also objected to the presence of Sri... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/02/12)

The Iran War - How It Will Begin
By The Earl of Stirling
Sometime in the weeks to months ahead, there will be a war launched against Iran. The war may be started by Israel, or by the United States, or by a NATO/EU/US embargo, or by some 'false flag' attack. What matters is that it will begin; and where it will take the world. Regardless if the war begins with a limited number of air strikes against Iranian military and nuclear targets, or if an all-out several thousand target attack begins from day one the probabilities of the war becoming a major regional war within 48... -Full Story-
(rense.com - 23/02/12)

US preparing for military intervention in Syria?
RT
The US and other NATO countries could soon launch a ground assault on Syria. The final decision will be made soon, following this week’s Tunis conference where allied countries will meet to discuss possible scenarios of military intervention. Sources in Washington tell Israeli news agency Debka that the Pentagon is currently drafting the approach they want America to take in the Syria ordeal, and once it is ready for the president, Obama could approve military action. Debka adds, however, that the decision will also depend on what US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton takes away from this week’s... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 23/02/12)

Road to Geneva
By Gomin Dayasri- A senior lawyer in Sri Lanka
"An agreement between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on a lasting political settlement is also critical.”-Under Secretary for State (US) Marie Ottero at the media conference at Colombo Hilton.  Americans will throw plenty rope to hang ourselves, as they did in urging Sri Lanka to talk peace and not make war with the LTTE, which yielded no results over years of worthless talk. They hate to admit a mistake. Instead opt to punish us before the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva for not following... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/02/12)

NGOs asked to leave terrorist controlled areas as Armed Forces cannot assure security, cried Government of Sri Lanka is “violating human rights” .
By Charles. S. Perera
Second part In the midst of terrorism, Sri Lanka became a victim of a terrible natural disaster on the  26 December , 2004,  when a  tsunami  of a magnitude of 9 earth  quakes  swept over the east coast of Sri Lanka taking a toll of  35 322 lives.  The people of the Western countries who are extremely generous and often moved by the suffering of other people  donated freely and generously to help the victimised people to re construct their disaster affected lives.  Though these foreign  people  were generous their  Governments distrusted the government ofSri... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/02/12)

Giving in to TNA is buttressing the old “Little now and more later” policy of Tamil Arasu Kadchi
Asada M Erpini
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) as one of its constituent parties. The latter was founded in 1949 by Chelvanayakam, Vanniasingam and Naganathan. “Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi was shrewdly morphed into Federal Party for use by the English educated non-Tamil Sri Lankans, but the original term meant a Tamil nation, with no reference whatsoever to federalism. “The concept of federalism itself is anathema, as it was then, to the majority of Sri Lankans, who have the right to decide on the form of governance based on universal suffrage.  The clamour... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/02/12)

Banned LTTE using front organizations to disguise as Human Rights champions
 Shenali Waduge
There is little doubt to the truth that non-profit especially charitable organizations have become terrorist’s best friend. It is through these organizations that terrorists are sending money tax free to terrorists to procure arms & ammunition to kill while simultaneously using their “human rights” camouflage to exert pressure on Governments/UN & international bodies by feigning concerns for the lives of people, communities and livelihoods thereby shielding terrorists from legal punishment.      How are people to know which NGO/INGO, which non-profit organization, which charity is honorable & genuine? There is certainly no guarantee. In a world with 7billion... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/02/12)

LTTE presence at the Cricket in Australia
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade  Canberra- No. 14/2012
 The High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka presents its compliments to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and with reference to the visit of the Sri Lankan National Cricket Team to Australia has the honour to bring to the attention of the esteemed Department an incident that occurred on the 17th of February at the Sydney Cricket Grounds during the match between Australia and Sri Lanka for which I too was a witness from a distance.  It has been reported that supporters of the LTTE... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/02/12)

Urging Political Reform in India
By Nava Thakuria
It was an unusual gathering where jurists, legal luminaries, political visionaries, Parliamentarians, social reformers and journalists expressed their views in a brainstorming discussion highlighting various ambiguities in the Indian governance mechanism. Most of the speakers agreed that there is an urgent need of electoral and political party reforms as India adopted a partial colonial model of Constitution after independence. Moreover, the excessive political power exercised by the Union Government creating tremendous problems in governance was also conversed in the meeting. Seminar-cum-Workshop on ‘Urgency of Reform in the Indian Political System: Revisiting the Constitution’ on > progress... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/02/12)

Real cowards go to Tehran - THE ROVING EYE
By Pepe Escobar
Imagine the classic United States neo-conservative wet dream; staring at Iran on a map and salivating about the crossroads between Europe and Asia, between the Arab world and the Indian subcontinent, between the Arabian Sea and Central Asia, with 10% of the world's proven oil reserves (over 150 billion barrels) and 15% of proven gas reserves - an energy complex bigger than Saudi Arabia and arbiter of the energy routes from the Persian Gulf to the West and Asia via the Strait of Hormuz. It's like a pudgy armchair action man mesmerized by a nimble... -Full Story-
(atimes.com - 22/02/12)

IRAN ON THE MOVE Warships sail to Syria
By M K Bhadrakumar
A flotilla of Iranian warships crossed the Suez Canal and docked at the Syrian port of Tartus on Saturday. Egypt never allowed Iranian warships to cross the Suez until February last year following the overthrow of the Hosni Mubarak regime when, undeterred by the diplomatic pressure from the US and threatening noises from Israel, Cairo allowed an Iranian destroyer to pass through. Israel called it a "provocation". But since then, Egypt has been in turmoil and the initial enthusiasm for normalization of ties with Tehran has somewhat waned even as Egypt became dependent... -Full Story-
(atimes.com - 22/02/12)

Modernisation of world by the West has brought it to brink of disaster. Violation of Human rights is another aspect of it.
By  Charles.S.Perera
 PART ONE  The west had invented Human Rights after the second world war, and today they are  turning it into  the worst of  all “arms” to  keep  powerless  poor nations poorer and remain dependent on the powerful.  The Assistant Secretary for Central  and South Asia of US State Department Robert O Blake  said in Sri Lanka “   “ US will support a resolution against Sri Lanka at the forthcoming UN Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva, as the Rajapaksa administration has not done enough to address accountability issues.”  This statement of Robert O Blake is  arrogant , pretentious... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/02/12)

Sri Lanka”s response to US allegations
 Shenali Waduge
Why can”t Sri Lanka’s officials in particular the foreign ministry respond to allegations made against Sri Lanka if not directly but with the same political gibberish they use upon us? What stops anyone from defending one’s nation?  When these allegations of accountability are thrown at us what stops our officials from saying – Let’s compare notes, and refer to US war crimes in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and subtly point out that US has a record of over 160 military interventions 77 of which have taken place since 1950 Vietnam war, where civilian killings are likely to... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/02/12)

If Not For the 13A Sri Lanka Would be Debt Free
Dilrook Kannangara
Foreign debt is a major problem facing the nation. Every Sri Lankan born today inherits close to a staggering 100,000 rupees debt at birth and increases this debt burden through their life. What is the main evil that made Sri Lankans debtors and tied them eternally to service this humongous debt as bonded labourers?  Although foreign debt was around, it escalated after 1977 and particularly after 1987. Today it stands at US$ 18 billion. In order to pay (retire) older debt more debt have to be borrowed. With a meagre foreign reserves position of US$ 6 billion,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/02/12)

Richard Dawkins is lost for words on radio!
Ajit Randeniya
 The item on Richard Dawkins posted by this writer on Lankaweb (Monday, 20 February) appears to have generated some interest and discussion within the Lankaweb fraternity and outside.  While choosing to ignore some of the anticipated vitriolic attacks from those who think we all evolved from slime (without having had access to all the facts), the writer is obliged to inform two major relevant developments relating to Richard Dawkins that took place during the past week : one relates to Dawkins family’s past as slave owners in Jamaica, and another relating to the unravelling of Dawkins... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/02/12)

SL among countries pushing for transparency in UN Human Rights body
By Shamindra Ferdinando in Geneva -Courtesy The Island 
SriLanka will continue to campaign against the use of Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to undermine UN member states. Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Tamara Kunanayakam, is expected to raise the issue at the 19th sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council scheduled to begin on Feb. 27. Sessions are scheduled to continue till March 23. Amb. Kunanayakam, who was previously in charge of Sri Lanka’s mission in Havana, will emphasize the need to address the issue urgently. Asked whether... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/02/12)

The Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL) launches Deyata IT
Press Release Issued by Computer Society of Sri Lanka
The Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL - www.cssl.lk) has launched its newest program to popularise Information and Communication Technology (ICT) among all Sri Lankans, especially focusing on rural areas. Deyata IT programme is aimed at increasing overall awareness on ICT, supporting ICT education and assisting with understanding ICT career road map. It also plans to organise ICT competitions for the students. The first event under this initiative was conducted as an ICT awareness programme at the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) stall at Deyata Kirula.  This workshop... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/02/12)

Are we not giving legitimacy to the EELAM and strengthening the hands of anti Sri Lankan international lobby by using the word Diaspora indiscriminately to designate Sri Lankan Tamils living abroad?
Dr Sudath Gunasekara. President Senior Citizens movement Mahanuwara 20.2.2012.
The word Diaspora is usually used to describe Jews who are supposed to have been exiled in mass scale from Egyptin the 6th and 7th centuries BC. The term Diaspora in Greek means "dispersion or scattering". This Biblical legend refers to the dispersion of Jews among the Gentiles who are not Jews. It is generally referred to as exodus in Biblical literature. This involved a forced eviction of a people by force against their wishes followed by mass exile of people from their traditional Homeland and they lived in exile... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/02/12)

Self-determination for Sri Lanka’s Tamils: Solution professed by Tamil Diaspora and its local appendage
Asada M Erpini
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), buttressed by the Global Tamil Form (GTM) and the anti-Sri Lanka human rights crusaders in the affluent countries, continues to insist on self-determination and the granting of land and Police powers to the North-East. In January the GTF demanded irreversible autonomy to Tamil speaking people in the areas of historic habitation.  Two aspects that warrant attention are the elaboration of “Tamil speaking people” and correction as regards areas of historic habitation. These are two catch phrases that keep on surfacing whenever those who wish to see peace dawning in Sri Lanka... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/02/12)

A Second Instalment Of A Presentation Tantamount To The Virtually Trashed "Killing Fields" With The Same Objectives,
In Hindsight  By  Citizen Perra!
 February 20th 2012 The UK based Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow now pretty much exposed as a bucket carrying sycophant for the so called 'Tamil Tiger Rump' according to many analysts is at it again alongside his theatrical players and computer whizs who had presented ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields’ the documentary which caused a degree of sensational responses around the world until it was decried as a hoax to a greater part.He  is now said to be also involved in a second project once again intended to drag down the Government of Sri Lanka and the Armed Forces thereby... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/02/12)

A Cross-Sectarian Mechanism for Integrated Efforts towards the Progress of Buddhism in the New Millennium
By Dr. Ananda W. P. Guruge
I.                    Origin and Spread of Buddhism             Buddhism had existed for over two thousand six hundred years ago in that we have just celebrated in May last year its 2600th birthday.1 During this period it had spread to a significant part of the world bounded by Greece and Bulgaria in the West, Mongolia and Buriatsi in the North, Japan, Korea and the Philippines in the East and Maldive Islands and Indonesia in the South. That Buddhism was the fountainhead of a multifaceted culture in this Region is evident from the vast treasures of its... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/02/12)

Fifteen years' jail for fraudster's $45 million luxury shopping spree
•Took $45 million over five years •Abused by grandfather •Threesome with supervisor and husband •Spent millions in lunch hour A Sydney accountant who stole $45 million from a major finance company then went on a shopping spree has been sentenced to 15 years' jail. Over the course of five years, Rajina Subramaniam, in her role as a senior accountant with ING Holdings, siphoned the money out of the company's accounts in the largest case of fraud by one woman in Australian history.... -Full Story- (smh.com.au - 20/02/12)

Corporatocracy: Ron Paul says US slipping into fascism
RT
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul slammed America's system of governance at a rally in Kansas City, saying businesses and government are pushing the country into twenty-first century fascism. ­But before you start picturing fair-skinned, blue-eyed CEOs and bureaucrats running amok and with their right arms held high, calm down. What the outspoken Texas Republican meant was fascist corporatism – an economic model most prominently seen in Mussolini’s Italy of the 1920s to the 1940s. Fascist economic corporatism involved government and private management of full sectors of the economy – which Paul says is par for the course in today's... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 20/02/12)

China: US and allies push Syria into civil war
RT
US and its allies are pushing Syria into civil war by backing the armed opposition, the newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party writes. The article insists Beijing must stick to opposing any attempt to intervene or regime change in Damascus. ­"If Western countries continue to fully support Syria's opposition, then in the end a large-scale civil war will erupt and there will be no way to thus avoid the possibility of foreign armed intervention," a foreign affairs expert Qu Xing wrote in the piece as cited by Reuters... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 20/02/12)

Strait partners: Iran and Oman to carry out joint naval exercises
RT
An Iranian Navy commander says his country is set to conduct naval exercises with nearby ally Oman in March. Iran looks to be on its way to major naval power status, fighting piracy and cooperating with other countries in the region. ­Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the exercises will involve joint rescue and relief operations. He expressed his country’s readiness to cooperate militarily with other countries in the region in an effort to ensure the peace and stability of the Middle East. Iran and Oman occupy opposite shores of the Strait of Hormuz. They have already conducted two drills... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 20/02/12)

Doctor struck off for having links to Tamil Tigers
Hillingdon Times
A doctor has been struck off after being accused of having links to the Tamil Tigers. Dr Muregeshu Vinayagamoorthy wanted to return to his GP surgery in Enfield, north London, after he spent four-and-a-half years in a US prison for providing material support to Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers. He was detained following a taped conversation with undercover US government agents in which he attempted to bribe them into removing the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) from the country’s list of designated foreign terrorist organisations... -Full Story-
(hillingdontimes.co.uk - 20/02/12)

Richard Dawkins has made the Galle Literary Festival look even more of a farce!
Ajit Randeniya
 The Galle Literary Festival (GLF) seems peculiar in terms of literary festivals elsewhere in that the organisers do not seem to have pretensions that it offers little more than a relaxing holiday to the boho-chic set. What is on offer is interestingly named cocktails in resort hotels in and outside the colonial Fort in the pleasant coastal town of Galle, and probably some hanky-panky after enebriation!  Serious literary pursuit at the GLF appears to have been relegated to a distant second to events aimed at challenging the traditional belief systems of the host country: the focus... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/02/12)

Discrimination -- the bogus cry of the privileged Jaffnaites -Part 1
H. L. D. Mahindapala
M. A. Sumanthiram, a rising legal eagle at Hulftsdorp, old Royalist, TNA MP, and an emerging Jaffna Tamil leader aspiring to be a successor to Ponnambalam or to Chelvanayakam, is a nice and affable man. I met him only for a brief while when he was visiting Melbourne. He was pressed for time to have one-to-one interview in Melbourne. So I sent him the questions as requested by him. To this day he has not replied. I was a bit disappointed because I trusted him to keep his promise, even though I knew the promises... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/02/12)

Free Speach, Right of Expression Create Platform for Dialogue.
Prof. Hudson McLean
 Over the past fifteen years, scripts I have submitted have been patriotic, controversial, with the primary objective of creating an interactive Platform for Dialogue. It is always better to allow peoples opnion to "steam-out", a form of catharsis, than bottling-in, then bursting-out with a cardiac arrest!   Said that, my personal opinion of HE Mahinda Rajapaksa is of the highest, the best "Peoples President" the Island has created. His outstanding achievement is the destruction of the LTTE Tamil Tiger Leadership and allowing Peace to Dawn in Sri Lanka. Following the peace & tranquility, the country is... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/02/12)

No benefit to Sri Lanka from the 13th amendment to the constitution
Asada M Erpini
The 13th amendment to the constitution ofSri Lanka is projected by its protagonists, within the country as well as operating from beyond its territorial boundaries, as the panacea for all the ills thatSri Lanka faces in the sphere of the so-called ethnic problem. It has come to the fore again, in full force, with the visit ofIndia’s Minister of External Affairs toSri Lanka in mid January and the renewed demands of the Tamil National Alliance for land and police powers to be devolved to an institution called the North-East Provincial Council.  The constitution of any nation... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/02/12)

Are we on a suicidal mission or are we just foolish ?
Ben Silva
There are numerous reports on the possible implementation of the 13th amendment. Many writers have said that implementing 13th A, would be suicidal. Yet the masses remain passive. With reference to this issue, it is reasonable to ask ‘Are we on a suicidal mission or are we just foolish ?’ It is well known that TNA (Tamil Nadu Alliance ? )was the proxies of LTTE and also well known that LTTE wanted to create a separate Tamil racist state Elam carved from the Sri Lankan State. In the process LTTE created its armed forces, including a Police... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/02/12)

VILLAGE SKETCH – 3-PUNCHI AMMA SAYS GOOD-BYE
ARCADIUS
The World War II era was the time when my grandfather reigned supreme in thevillageofPathegama– liege lord of his territory, displaying a bearing as if to say “I am the king of all I survey.” The villagers, liegemen one and all, did not dispute that, though a degree of resentment against his omnipotence latently gathered momentum unnoticed by him. Perhaps my grandfather, poor man, was unaware that his decline and fall were approaching.  He was advancing in years and very near retirement.  The myrmidon of the law would soon be relieved of his duties, and a younger man... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/02/12)

Identification of Maitreya by Buddha
By A. Abdul Aziz.
 In my article titled: The Return of the Buddha – A Reality (LW – 8.12.2011), it was mentioned that the Gauthama Buddha had prophesized the advent of a ‘Maitreya’ after his demise and that refers to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by quoting references from the Buddhist scriptures.  I can give so many references in support of this truth. I want to elaborate further on this subject for the benefit of the seekers after truth.    As regards the identification of the Promised Maitreya, Buddha has given a detailed discussion in his own write. He says the promised... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/02/12)

Iran to conduct joint exercises with Syria?
RT
An Iranian flotilla has arrived in a Syrian port to provide maritime training to the country’s navy, media reports. It’s only the second time Iranian warships have sailed through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean. The ships have docked in the Syrian port of Tartus some 220 kilometres from the capital. They are due to take part in a joint training exercise with Syrian navy which was organised last year, the Mehr News Agency reports. Syria is the only country in the region which has an agreement on naval cooperation with Iran.... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 18/02/12)

Iran ‘may trigger new Cold War’: Talks carrot & arms race stick
RT
The US and EU indicated “careful optimism” on possible renewal of talks with Iran over its controversial nuclear program. Meanwhile the UK has accused the Islamic Republic of provoking a nuclear arms race and a new cold war in the Middle East. ­Iran and the group of six negotiators trying to resolve the ongoing crisis may soon be back at the negotiating table, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and EU foreign policy and security chief Catherine Ashton said. It follows Iran sending a letter to Ashton pledging to renew the talks and offer new initiatives, according to Reuters,... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 18/02/12)

A Brief: An Observation on Dr. Pakiasorthy Saravanamuttu’s Talk on 7 February 2012, in Ottawa
Asoka Weerasinghe  Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . Canada
17 February 2012 John Argue AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, Toronto  Dear John: Re:  A Brief:  An Observation on Dr. Pakiasorthy Saravanamuttu’s Talk on 7 February 2012, in Ottawa I promised you to provide a post-mortem according to my observations on Dr. Pakiasorthy Saravanamuttu’s (PS) talk on post-War Sri Lanka, “Human Rights and Reconciliation Process in Sri Lanka: Domestic and International Dimensions”, at Amnesty International Headquarters in Ottawa on February 7, 2012.  I have been quite busy with the manuscript for my next book of poetry, and hence this delay. Knowing... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/02/12)

CANADIAN FRIENDS OF SRI LANKA - OTTAWA - MEETING 7 Feb 2012- Open Letter to Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu
Rohan Basnayake Ottawa, Ontario Canada
To Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Executive Director, Centre for Policy Alternatives, Sri Lanka.   Dear Dr. Saravanamuttu:   Pls take some time to read the article below. It will certainly help you understand the reasons as to why these so-called western super powers are so interested in Sri Lanka.   I attended the meeting organized by Canadian Friends of Sri Lanka at Amnesty International in Ottawa on 7 February 2012. You were the guest speaker at that meeting and you spoke about the post-conflict situation in Sri Lanka.    Dr. Saravanamuttu, I was really taken aback by the unsubstantiated details... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/02/12)

The Trojan Horse in Oil price protests.
By Mahinda Karunaratne
 This is another conspiracy by LTTE using the Church, who is aiding and abetting the agitation against the govt. for the sole purpose of discrediting the SLG. On the face of Human Rights Meeting at UN, they have been able to get one more body on the street to say the world that there are no human rights in Sri Lanka.   The ultimate aim of these conspirators is to topple the PA Govt., take the M.R. to Guillotine and then establish Pro LTTE govt. that will give away the North & East to create Tamil... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/02/12)

Opposition Protests Are Out Of Order! The Call By The Government To Conserve Fuel Consumption Makes Sense!
Insight By Sunil Kumar
February 17th 2012 Almost on cue the opposition coalition of the UNP and JVP have resorted to what appears to be a civil disobedience campaign in the capital not by a Nation in protest but by the bourgeoisie and affluent elements within the opposition parties personally affected by the direction of the Government action to conserve fuel consumption based on very valid reasoning and not as portrayed by the sources organizing the protest as one intended to inconvenience the average consumer through bad Government policy which if it does appear to be so, a mere... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/02/12)

What is Sri Lanka’s crime to deserve all the threats and accusations by the rich and the powerful?
Asada M Erpini
The latest salvo that has been directed at Sri Lanka is from the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs – no stranger to seeing evidence of Human rights violations under every bush in the island - and the State Department's Undersecretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights. The duo during their 12-14 February visit to Sri Lanka granted an audience to the representatives of the Tamil National Alliance almost as soon as they received their diplomatic clearance to get into the country, met a few other Sri Lankans, as it... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/02/12)

A CLASS ACTION AGAINST TNA? YES IT IS BREWING
By Stanley Perera, Melbourne
A CLASS ACTION against TNA, Pillayan and Hakeem is a major topic being discussed amongst the patriotic Sri Lankans.  Legal opinion has also been sort and it is favourable to proceed with.  Some are of the view that initially TNA to be charged and subsequently Pillayan and Rauf Hakeem’s case brought up.  However that is a subject matter at the moment and a decision has not taken yet on Pillayan and Hakeem.  The group of the patriots have reached a consencus on the action against the TNA.  The initiator feels, no matter what TNA and... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/02/12)

‘PARTNERING WITH THE HUB OF ASIA’ - SRI LANKA EXPO 2012 PROMOTIONS IN BIRMINGHAM & LONDON UK
Media Release -The High Commission of Sri Lanka - London - United Kingdom 
 The Sri Lanka High Commission , London UK organized a targeted programme of promoting Expo 2012 with lead Organizations in  Birmingham and London on 15/16 Feb. 2012 in support of the visit of the  UK Trade Mission to Colombo for Expo 2012.  Dr. Chris Nonis, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka visited the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and addressed the members of that Chamber and a well represented gathering of the West Midlands Chambers of Commerce and the Institute of Asian Business of the Birmingham Chamber... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/02/12)

IS YOUR MONEY REALLY BELONGS TO YOU
Sarath.Wijesinghe  LL.M ( London) Solicitor - Ambassador of Sri Lanka to United Arab Emirates( former Chairman, Consumer Affairs Authority )  
 World Consumer Day The theme of the World Consumer Day (15.03.2012) this year is very opportune , interesting and timely.  It is our money, our rights-campaigning for real choice in financial services.  There is a doubt whether your money is really yours because it is managed by others. Your money is managed by Central Bank, Banks and other Financial Institutions at their wish and will. Whether they are accountable to you is very doubtful.  The money is managed... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/02/12)

Do you approve of a people power uprising to oust potential dictators? Sunday Times Poll
Prof.Hudson McLean
Do you approve of a people power uprising to oust potential dictators? Sunday Times Poll - 17.02.2012   Indicative of the Current Mood of the Nation. Yes: 84.7% No:  14.1% No Opinion: 1.2%   Need one say more?         Express Your Opinion - Read What Others Say! The Independent Interactive Voice of Sri Lanka on the Internet. Please visit -: http://www.lankaweb.com/... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/02/12)

Does India really want a Chief Minister at its door-step?
Chandre DHARMAWARDANA, Canada
The assumption that everyone is making is that India wants Provincial Councils and devolution of power to the North of Sri Lanka. The 13th amendment WAS indeed Rajiv Gandhi's baby. The idea of having a Chief Minister in a controversial ‘Tamil Homeland’ made up of two merged provinces, with regional control in the hands of Prabhakaran’s nominee was the knee-jerk solution of Gandhi, in response to the armed Eelamist uprising in Sri Lanka. Gandhi, instead of thinking afresh, simply miniaturized the Indian model and pushed it on an unwilling and weakened Sri Lanka. However, today India... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/02/12)

Norway’s apology on LTTE stamps: “Thank you”, but…
Asada M Erpini
Posten Norge, the Norwegian Postal Authority, giving a belated apology on the release of personal stamps that carried LTTE symbols is little penitence for the unpardonable act. The mention in the same statement that all orders are checked (emphasis mine) and that its policy is never to produce "illegal, inappropriate or improper" images, almost amounts to rubbing salt into the wounds of the Sri Lanka citizen that suffered at the hands of the terrorists for nearly three decades.  It is incomprehensible that an important government institution of Norway, such as Posten Norge, was ignorant when it... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/02/12)

Australian Greens – Protect Australian citizens instead of LTTE terrorists.
Shenali Waduge
 It arouses our curiosity to know what makes the Australian Greens in particular Senator Lee Rhiannon so anxious to move the Australian senate to bring a motion to suspend Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth and to even push for a war crimes tribunal against Sri Lanka? The motion was debated on 22 September 2011 and a second motion brought by the same Senator was defeated on 9 February 2012?   So why does the Australian Green party seem to think the LTTE is the victim and not the villain? Lets imagine the scenario pictured by the Australian Greens.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/02/12)

Sri Lankan stock market up 5.5 per cent
February 17, 2012 Print COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s stock market surged 5.5 per cent on Thursday as retail and foreign investors snapped up battered, while the rupee currency strengthened, dealers said. The main share index jumped 5.61 per cent during the day and closed 5.08 per cent or 255.29 points firmer at 5,279.09. “The market has been reflecting severe selling sentiment for the last nine days and got discounted highly. Eventually this induced some buying interest,” said Kumuthini Sivathas, an analyst at Asha Phillip securities in Colombo. The index shot up to the neutral territory on Thursday with the 14-day Relative... -Full Story- (gulftoday.ae - 16/02/12)

ජන මන පිනනා නා නා නා!
චන්ද්‍රසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ විසිනි.
පින්කල දනා මහා මැති සබයට      වැඩිය පව් කල දනා හට බැට දුනි ඇති      සැටිය පින් පව් දෙකම නැති ජනහට මල කෙළිය නිම කලයුතුය මේ  හුරු නැති දූ    කෙළිය මැති සබයට වැඩිය අපෙ සිත් ගත්  පුත්තු බැලු බැල්මටම හරි හැඩරුව ඇති  ඇත්තු පලමුව සිදුකලා පොඩි මිනිසුන්     පත්තු අණ පැතුරුවා සිරි ලක තුල ගිනි    ගත්තු රතු නිල් තහද කොළ යටතේ බෙදුන ජන ඉල්ලා හඪනවා රට තුල බෙදුන        මන බෙදු මේ මනස ඇති ජන   ඉදිරියට   පැන තව තව බෙදනවා අ'සමලියෙ           වින බලව සබද වට... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/02/12)

Spot fine- Sri Lankan way
Letter to the Editor by Dr. Mrs. Mareena Thaha Reffai, Dehiwala
I happened to travel in other’s vehicles on two occasions , once to the airport and the other to Trincomalee. Both times the driver happened to speed and were copped. Both times the reporting story of the drivers were almost identical.  It goes something like this between the cop and the driver.  “You were speeding”  “Yes..Mahathaya, you know I was in a hurry; Did into notice I was speeding;” “ithin, you will have to pay the fine or come to the courts”  “ Aiyo Mahathaya, do not write to... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/02/12)

Eating or heating?
Dr Hector Perera    London
Some poor families who earn low income are left with a dilemma of eating or heating. They cannot afford to have hot food and have a warm house as well. “It’s hard, the more we want to use it, the more it’s costing us. We can’t afford it.” “We feed the kids before us, some days we won’t have hot dinners. At the end of the day their health is more important than ours.” They need money for electricity, even to run the washing machine and the dryer cost some money but they cannot afford... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/02/12)

Israeli/Jewesh Quotes - Cannot vouch for the authenticity...but have a read
Israeli Quotes
1.     "There is a huge gap between us (Jews) and our enemies, not just in ability but in morality, culture, sanctity of life, and conscience. They are our neighbours here, but it seems as if at a distance of a few hundred meters away, there are people who do not belong to our continent, to our world, but actually belong to a different galaxy." Israeli President Moshe Katsav. The Jerusalem Post, May 10, 2001. 2.     "Our race is the Master Race. We are divine gods on this planet. We are as different from the inferior... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/02/12)

Patriot and Mentor-Gamini Iriyagolle
A.R. de Silva
As a friend I am blessed to have known Gamini in the latter years of his life, shared his knowledge and be inspired by his visionary thinking. In my estimation, he was a genuine patriot. It is nine years since he passed away on 3rd February 2003, the day before Independence and barely two weeks before his birthday. He will remain a part of Sri Lanka’s modem history of the war period. He alerted the nation to the danger and destruction of the armed conflict in the North and East of Sri Lanka, when the sparks arose.... -Full Story-
(The Island - 16/02/12)

USA wants Comrade Zyuganov to be Russia's next president
PRAVDA
The U.S. is interested in Gennady Zyuganov's victory in the presidential elections in Russia, said Anthony Salvia, former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Reagan administration. It is not ruled out that American political consultants are involved in the campaign of the Communist Party leader. Judging by the attitude of the protesters "for fair elections," the Russian analogue of "Arab spring" is not to be expected at the presidential election in March of this year. The leaders of the regional opposition groups returning from Moscow say that the rallies against the fraudulent elections will be conducted... -Full Story-
(english.pravda.ru - 16/02/12)

A Tale of Two Countries: Bahrain and Libya
RT
Society-wide, violent social upheavals triggered throughout the Muslim World were dubbed an “Arab Spring” by the Western governments. But when comparing Libya and Bahrain, the full force of US and European double-standards becomes flagrantly evident. A year ago, two Muslim countries – Bahrain and Libya – went into “Arab-Spring” mode. Revolt in Bahrain, a country aligned with Western interests, began February 14, 2011. The next day, a revolt followed by war and invasion was unleashed on Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya, a sovereign country not aligned with foreign interests. The question here is: Why were Libya and its leadership so utterly... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 16/02/12)

Resolution on Syria passed by UN General Assembly
RT
Resolution on Syria passed by UN General Assembly... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 16/02/12)

The Agony of Isolation and Family Caregiving:An Alzheimer’s tragedy
Ethelle G. Lord, DM Professional Alzheimer’s Coach
The pain of isolation for the family caregiver increases exponentially as Alzheimer’s advances. On a scale of one to ten, ten being the highest, isolation must be at the top of the list.  As a woman once wrote and providing care for her aging father, “With Easter tomorrow I’m feeling forgotten by people around me and it’s making me feel blue”. It is estimated that millions of baby boomers with be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s within the next decade. For every one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, a primary family caregiver is becoming responsible for... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/02/12)

Concern of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at Major General Shavendra Silva’s appointment to a UN advisory panel
Asada M Erpini
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the lady from South Africa who is not known to get fatigued at attacking the peace-loving Sri Lanka and whose connections to South Africa – the land of the Zulus, Xhosa, Swazi, and Ndebele, Sotho–Tswana, Venda, Lemba, and Shangaan-Tsonga – span only a relatively short period, is quoted as being concerned about the appointment of Major General Shavendra Silva to a UN advisory panel.  The world knows that her blood links her to Tamil Nadu for generations prior to that, and as the saying, “Blood is thicker than water”... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/02/12)

Navineetham Pillay’s services as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights should be terminated for being a racially prejudiced person.
By Charles.S.Perera
Navineetham Pillay a Tamil, has already taken her stand on the issue with regard to Sri Lanka Tamil terrorists, and therefore she cannot be objective, and cannot act as an Independent Commissioner of  the UN Human Rights Commission. When I recently read in an article that, «…….. Navi Pillai, ….started a “Tamil EELAM in Ceylon” movement, in South Africa when she was a teenager at high school.  »  I was hesitating  to quote it  as there was no mention of the source  of  the information. But reading  the following reports  the extracts of which I have given below,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/02/12)

A 'Jekyll And Hyde' Side To Robert 'O' Blake And The Diabolical Intent Of The TNA Exposed!
Insight By Sunil Kumar
February 17th  2012  In   September 2012 U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Mr. Robert O Blake  making an official visit to visit to Sri Lanka and undertaking a fact finding tour of the Northern Province then commended the work being done by the Government of Sri Lanka to uplift the living standards of the people. He  said that he found a different country in Sri Lanka than the country that existed at the time he left in Sri Lanka in May 2009 after serving as the Ambassador of the country as quoted from the Asian... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/02/12)

How could the US be so wrong,
Ananda US
It is indeed heartening to see a bipartisan request, by both Republicans and Democrats, to review the current US Foreign Policy against Sri Lanka to one that recognizes Sri Lanka’s drive to secure the nation and bring peace and prosperity to all of its people irrespective of community, the Sri Lankan way … not according to the dictates of other countries based upon their own geopolitical assessments. In this context, I would like to draw your attention to a recent article in the Island newspaper, entitled ‘How could Amb. Blake forget TNA’s war-time partnership with LTTE?’. I... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/02/12)

Police powers under the 13th Amendment: A rare example
by C. Wijeyawickrema
Leo Perera’s summary essay ‘The 13th Amendment to the Constitution –– Devolution of Public Order and exercise of Police powers –– Indo-Lanka Accord has no such requirement’ (The Island News paper, 6/10/2009) explaining (1) the conflict between 13-A and 17-A, and (2) the failed past attempts during the colonial times (1892-1905) to implement police powers by Government Agents at the Province-level, is a significant contribution especially due to three new developments we see today. These developments indicate that Tamil separatism is buried and not dead. The lucrative, many-faceted international network created by Prabakaran is rapidly raising... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/02/12)

Russian Buddhist Exhibition Opens in India
Russkiy Mir Foundation Information Service
An exhibition devoted to the history of Buddhism in Russia has opened in India’s capital New Delhi, Voice of Russia reports. The exhibition mainly displays photos, both old and present-day, of Buddhist monasteries located in those regions of Russia which are populated mainly by Buddhists – Kalmykia, Buryaia, Tuva, Altai and others. Russia’s ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin is hoping that the exhibition will help Indians to learn more about the life of Russian Buddhists. Buddhism in Russia is steeped in rich traditions, and Russian Buddhists have always maintained close contacts with their Indian... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/02/12)

The new airport at Multan has been named Dr Abdus Salam Airport
In a series of steps announced last night by the prime minister of Pakistan at a special session of the National Assembly – steps that have taken the world by storm and raised Pakistan’s image manifold – the new airport at Multan has been named Dr Abdus Salam Airport to honour Pakistan’s first and only Nobel Prize winner. The prime minister observed that “for too long we have neglected this great human being because of views held by people who spread hate and intolerance.” He added amidst thunderous applause that a new stamp was being issued on 29 January to... -Full Story- (thenews.com.pk - 15/02/12)

‘Iran capable of defending regional security despite threats’
RT
As Iran braces itself to face fresh West-imposed sanctions, the country’s Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar tells RT how the measures will do more harm to the West, than to Tehran itself. ­RT: We are talking several days after the EU introduced oil sanctions against Iran, and I know the Iranian leadership has responded by saying that the sanctions would do more harm to Europe than to Iran. Still, since Iran gets 70 per cent of its revenues from oil, do you have any fears about negative social reactions, including strikes, as people may lose their jobs? Do you... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 15/02/12)

Turkey stays loyal to Tehran, does not plan to cut oil imports
RT
Turkey has no plans to consider alternative oil suppliers, and will continue to import fuel from Iran. Ankara officials disapprove of the EU and US embargo against Tehran, which they see as ‘Western economic bullying.’ Ankara will remain a rare loyal customer of Tehran “unless the UN endorses the EU and US oil embargo," Turkish and Saudi sources told Reuters. The prospects of United Nations supporting the oil embargo seem improbable as Russia and China, who have a veto power, insist on peaceful resolution of the conflict. China is also being the largest buyer of Iranian crude.... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 15/02/12)

SWIFT sanctions: West going to extremes to punish Iran
RT
US wants Iran evicted from SWIFT, an independent financial clearinghouse that is crucial to the country's oil sales. This could immediately cripple Tehran’s financial lifeline, but would come with its own costs for the world economy. Iran’s eviction from SWIFT could drive forward the current slow pressure campaign of sanctions aimed at persuading Iran to drop its nuclear program. It might also buy time for the US to persuade Israel not to launch a pre-emptive military strike on Iran this spring. The bitter truth is, the plan might actually backfire on western nations themselves as it could send oil... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 15/02/12)

Syrian referendum on new constitution announced for 26 Feb.
RT
Syrian state TV has announced the government will hold a referendum on a new constitution on February 26, in an attempt to end the conflict that has wracked the country for 11 months. President Assad has confirmed a new constitution has been drafted, but the referendum had previously been scheduled for March. The draft constitution was handed over to Assad last week by members of the drafting committee. The new document reportedly includes a chapter that stipulates an end to the political monopoly of the ruling Baath party. When the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March last... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 15/02/12)

Challenging the 40,000 Tamil civilian deaths story propagated by the LTTE
Asada M Erpini
Kumar Moses in his post on February 13th, 2012 in Lankaweb has pointed out the origin of the figure of the 40,000 Tamil civilian deaths that apparently occurred in the Sri Lanka liberation war of 2009. The fabrication clearly has been conceived in February 2009, a few months before the armed forces of Sri Lanka annihilated the ‘invincible’ LTTE leadership and its top ‘commanders’ who were bogged down in the Nandikadal marshes, their Western backers not coming soon enough to extricate them.  One may also point out that the UN Office in Colombo at the time... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/02/12)

"Must Be Ruthless!" Is Rhetoric. Being Ruthless Through Actions Is What's Needed. Ask Arjuna !
Top Spin By Suni
February 11th 2012"But I think the fielding got us into the game," Mahela Jayawardena Sri Lankan skipper has said . "The run-outs and the way we stopped at least 20-25 runs on the field, on a hot day, on a bigger ground as well. We didn't give them any easy twos. Only the last few fumbles. That's the thing. Make or break situations. We have got to be ruthless." All in a days rhetoric Mahela but the fact of the matter is your team did not win convincingly enough! Ask Arjuna Ranatunga! He will in... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/02/12)

Throat Mucus in Babies & Children
Dr. Nishan Wijesinha Colombo 03.
Infants only breathe through their nose for the first few months after they are born, and though it is common for a baby to have some nasal congestion due to their small, flexible nasal passages, it can interfere with nursing and sleeping. Similarly to an adult, cells line the nasal passages and make mucus; however, since a baby’s nose and throat is not yet equipped to handle large amounts of mucus, they may sneeze more to help clear mucus from the back of their throat. A lot of parents find it useful to ask... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/02/12)

German Defense Minister Warns Against Israeli Attack in Iran
By Elad Benari
Germany’s Defense Minister, Thomas de Maizière, warned on Sunday against an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. In an interview with the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Maizière said he believes an Israeli attack on Iran is unlikely to achieve its goals, adding that such an attack may have severe political consequences for all countries involved. The German minister added, however, that as far as he knows such an attack is not on the agenda at the moment. When asked about recent remarks by U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta that there is "a strong likelihood" that... -Full Story-
(israelnationalnews.com - 14/02/12)

Peacekeeping déjà vu: Arab League pushes Syria the Libyan way – Lavrov
RT
A case is being built to justify a Libya-style military intervention in Syria, says Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The FM warned against attempts to exclude Damascus from international peace efforts. ­Lavrov wondered at the Arab League’s decision to suspend its observer mission in Syria. In January, the Arab League chose to freeze the mission over the resurgence of violence in the Arab country, dubbing their peace attempt “a failure.” “Instead of expanding and boosting the mission, they say now that the mission is no use, and they need a joint effort with the UN. And that this... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 14/02/12)

West may strike Iran by summer - Russian Gen-Staff Chief
RT
Russia’s top military boss says an attack against Iran, which the west suspects of developing nuclear weapons, could begin as early as summer. Thus far, tensions between Tehran and the west have been confined to the battlefield of heated rhetoric. Russia’s highest ranking military officer, however, predicts it may be just a matter of time before the verbal grenades get real. The Russian General Staff is closely watching the situation, and is not ruling out the possibility of a coordinated attack on the Islamic Republic, General Nikolai Makarov, head of the Russian General Staff, told reporters on Tuesday. "Iran... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 14/02/12)

Quantum Physics in the Sinhala Buddhist culture
Nalin de Silva -Department of Mathematics, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya
Abstract
 It is shown that neither the wave picture nor the ordinary particle picture offers a satisfactory explanation of the double–slit experiment. The western Physicists who have been successful in formulating theories in the Newtonian Paradigm based in their culture find it difficult to interpret Quantum Physics which deals with particles that are not sensory perceptible. A different interpretation of Quantum Physics based in the Sinhala Buddhist culture is presented in what follows. According to the new interpretation Quantum particles have different properties from those of Classical Newtonian... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/02/12)

The Truth about 40,000 Dead Tamils in Last Stages of the War
Kumar Moses
The 40,000 figure is cited by many with half knowledge as the number of civilians killed during the final stages of the war. Nothing can be further from the truth. There is conclusive evidence to show it is a mere number with no relevance to civilians and in fact most of the dead are LTTE armed cadres who tried to ‘defend’ LTTE control in Vanni. This is a pro-LTTE claim made on February 17, 2009; three months before the war ended. Please note the date. LTTE invented the number well in advance ‘40,000 people prepared to die... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/02/12)

VILLAGE SKETCH—2-LOKU MAAMA MAKES THE BIG-TIME
Arcadius
[Note: A shorter version of this Village Sketch by Arcadius appeared in the CDN Saturday Magazine on June 12, 1965. Arcadius revised it in 2012. This is the work of a Ceylon-born rural lad who used his mastery of English to give the global literati direct access to the principal characters of his birth-village in the mid-20th century.] Pathegama was a small village. Its Arcadian charm pleased its denizens.  Whereas city dwellers hardly knew even their neighbors, rural dwellers knew everything about their neighbors, as well as about the entire village. The African apothegm that “it takes a... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/02/12)

Sri Lankan Tamil Model - The Judas Kiss of Death to Sinhala.
Prof. Hudson McLean
 It is an interesting fact that the Arab Spring is now moving towards an Asian Spring.   From the Asian Spring Board President Rajapaksa attended the Libyan Festivities in Tripoli a few months before the demise of Colonel Ghaddafi. Next to receive the "Blessing" was the President of Maldives, and soon afterwards, His Excellency was dragged in the street by the Police. Now in close chit-chat with the President of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of Pakistan, certainly good friends of Sri Lanka, but on their way to the slaughter-house.   A well constructed highly commendable... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/02/12)

Reply to M Sumanthiran
Kanthar P. Balanathan Melbourne, Australia
Dear Mr.Sumanthiran, Please address the issues related here in this piece. The passage of the 1949 act made two MPs (SJV & Vanniasingham) to resign from the All Ceylon Tamil Congress(ACTC) and found the “Federal Party”. The lack of vision by the Tamil politicians can be seen here. In 1833 when the nations were merged, the Tamils made no objections to the British. It took 115 years for the Tamils to trigger that anxiety of separatism, for no other reason, but purely because of the portfolio GG Ponnambalam took charge refusing SJVC, which is... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/02/12)

The evil axis – LTTE, Tamil Diaspora & the International Community
Shenali Waduge
Like all terror groups, LTTE earned its status. To be known as a deadly terrorist movement, to be feared and to be able to gain international notoriety the LTTE had to kill. From assassinations, to bombing civilians & economic targets to mastering the suicide bombing the LTTE has redefined terrorism. Is there any terrorist organization running its own police, judiciary, levying taxes, own healthcare & educational infrastructure? Has any terrorist group been treated like VIPs? What terrorist group is allowed to run international offices, hold demonstrations and even hold tete a tete with foreign Government officials? Ask... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/02/12)

Is love a canvas furnished by nature?
Dr.Tilak Fernando 
Love is a strange phenomenon. Like wind, which is not visible to the human eye, it can be felt. These two marvels have very much in common and have relative effects when they react on human beings. A cool breeze cools the body and calms the mind. On the contrary, turbulent whirlwinds can ruffle and bring about drastic effects. Opinions on Love vary from parental, brotherly/sisterly, patriotic, spiritual, carnal and love for animals/pets. Love has no boundaries, no limits and no hatred. All religions advise people to love others; they do indeed depending on their personal point... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/02/12)

US Senators send petition supporting Sri Lanka: may their tribe increase
Asada M Erpini
The letter from twelve senators sent to the US President is a whiff of fresh air and some relief to Sri Lanka that is being attacked by almost every rich nation in the West on war crimes and human rights issues. Some of the signatories had visited Sri Lanka a few months back and had seen for themselves the situation in the country since the defeat of the LTTE fighters. Thus, when they say, “…we are encouraged by significant progress in resettling almost all of the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons and providing family... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/02/12)

Aussies Joining The 'Lankabasher's' Bandwagon Has A Hollow Echo To It!
Insight By Sunil Kumar
February 13th 2012  Of all people, Kevin Rudd the former Aussie prime minister now foreign minister who was replaced by a female counterpart as a result of many inconsistencies pointing to administrative ineptitude to lead Australia as it was pointed out by his critics at the time seems to be an apathetic choice for Australia to added a voice to international criticism of a Sri Lankan Government report on the country's civil war. This time it seems to point to foreign policy ineptitude!  Somehow curiously he has not called for a fresh, independent inquiry like... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/02/12)

PIRACY – THREAT TO WORLD PEACE
Sarath. Wijesinghe  LL.M ( London) Solicitor - Ambassador of Sri Lanka to United Arab Emirates
 Maritime Piracy is a threat to all nations and is a crime subject to universal jurisdiction.  States are called upon to favourably consider the prosecution of suspected and imprisonment of convicted pirates, consistent with applicable International Human Rights Law and United Nations Security Council Resolutions.  Pirates are considered by International Law as common enemies of all mankind.  The world naturally has an interest in the punishment of offenders and is justified in adopting international measures for the application of universal rules regarding the control... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/02/12)

මිනිසුන් නොමිනිසුන් වූ යුගයක නොමිනිසුන් මිනිසුන් වූ මෙවැනි කතාද අපට අසන්නට ලැබෙනවා
ඊමේල් 1981 -Jayasekara
"1990 ජූලි 11 වෙනි දින කොකාවිල් හමුදා කදවුර ත්‍රස්තවදී ප්‍රහාරයෙන් බේරා ගැනීම උදෙසා දිවිහිමියෙන් අභීතව සටන් වැදි මේජර් පරාක්‍රම අලවත්ත හට රණශූර පදක්කම (RSP) ප්‍රදානය කරන ලදී" සුභ සැන්දෑවක් හිතවතුනි මම හර්ෂ අතපත්තු, අද වැඩසටහන ආරම්භයෙදී මම මේ සදහන් කරේ ශ්‍රී ලංකා මාතව රුදුරු ත්‍රස්තවාදයෙන් බේරා ගැනීමට සටන් වැදි අභීත රණවිරුවෙක් වූ මේජර් පරාක්‍රම අලවත්තයන් RSP, ලද සම්මානයට අදාල සහතිකයේ සදහන්ව තිබූ එක්තරා කොටසක්.  අපි අද මේජර් පරාක්‍රමයන් සමග කතා කරන්න මේ හෝරා භාගය වෙන් කලේ ඒ කුරිරු ත්‍රස්තවාදයේ අමිහිරි අත්දැකීම් ගැන නම් නෙමෙයි. මේ ආදරණීය පියෙකු ඔබගේ මනුශ්‍යත්වයට කතාකරන අඩහෝරාවක්. එසේ නම් මේජර් පරාක්‍රමයාණෙනි අවසරයි ඔබට........... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/02/12)

QABBAH & BUDDHAS FOOT PRINT
Shripal Nishshanka Fernando
Taliban had to consult the Chechnyan Islamist terrorists inRussiato blast and destroy the Bahamian rocky Buddha statues inAfghanistanin 2000-2001. Destroying artifacts and carvings would never happily satisfy any good God/s or any other pure spiritual entity or entities but make only demonized evil forms happy. The history proves how those Buddha statues were made as a memorable place to remind Buddha’s visit on the way to “Yonaka-Pura” or currentMeccainSaudi ArabiafromIndiasome 2530 years ago.                                 Yannammadaya nadiya Pulinecha Theere`                                 Yang Sachchabaddha girike sumanacha lagge                                 Yang thaththa Yonakapure Muninocha Padang                                 Than pada langchana varang sirasa... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/02/12)

NDP MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan’s population math may need fine-tuning
By Andy Radia | Canada Politics – Tue, 7 Feb, 2012..
It appears that rookie NDP MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan doesn't know what the population of Canada is. Or at least she didn't until last week. Speaking at a Canadian Human Rights Voice (CHRV) conference on "Human Rights Abuses in Sri Lanka" last Wednesday, the Young MP from Ontario took to the podium to talk about her struggles as a young Tamil child in Sri Lanka. She went on to talk about how Canadians can help fight for human rights, not just in Sri Lanka, but around the world. "Tamils united,... -Full Story-
(ca.news.yahoo.com - 13/02/12)

Sri Lanka needs to stand up against external meddling in the Maldives
Ajit Randeniya
 The Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rightly warned against external meddling or intervention in the Maldives following the peaceful transition of government that took place on 7 February.  Such a warning was warranted in view of the flurry of activity that began within the first 24 hours of change of government in the Maldives, with India, Robert O. Blake (not necessarily the US government or people), the UK and the United Nations trying to get involved.  Also, Sri Lankan ‘friends of friends’ of the ousted Mohamed Nasheed, such as Gamini Weerakoon of The Sunday Leader... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/02/12)

India Imposing the Malaysia-Singapore Model for Sri Lanka-Tamil Elam
Dilrook Kannangara
There is a widely held myth that India will disintegrate if Tamil Elam is created in Lanka. It is human nature to succumb to unsurmountable pressure. Since Indian pressure cannot be overcome without thinking outside the box, Lankans comfort themselves convincing themselves that India will not make their worst dreams come true. But our worst dreams are coming true by the day. Lankans who took things easy claiming that India would never allow the disintegration of Lanka are in for a rude awakening. India is now running with the Tamil Elam baton coordinating between the West,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/02/12)

AT THE MERCY OF CRIMINALS
PROFESSOR ALI SUKHANVER
 A few days back, Chaudhry Aslam khan, the SSP CID Karachi said in an interview with a private TV channel that unless courts give a legal authenticity to the evidence of the police officials particularly in cases of terrorism, the giant of terrorism cannot be chained. It is a common complaint that in most of the cases people from common public lack courage to appear before the court and record their evidence against any terrorist activity. They are frightened of the threats of grave consequences from the terrorists they have to face as a result of... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/02/12)

Libya: NATO's worst crime
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
Lies, deceit, blackmail, bullying, murder, torture, concentration camps, destruction of property, looting, massacres... all these words pale into insignificance when we look at what NATO has done in Libya - and intends to do to Syria within a few days. The sickening evidence coming out of Libya underlines what we are dealing with. It is very difficult to imagine that Messrs. Cameron, Hague, Sarkozy, Juppé, Obama and Hillary Clinton are happy with their legacy in Libya. In fact, what they have done there would lead any normal human being to the depths of desperation; in a professional... -Full Story-
(english.pravda.ru - 12/02/12)

Russian superlaser to be as good as H-bomb
RT
Russia has launched a $1.5 billion project to create a high-energy superlaser site which designers pledge will be the best in the world. Capable of igniting nuclear fusion, the facility will be used both for thermonuclear weapon and civil purposes. The new laser device will be used for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) studies. The field aims to recreate in the lab the processes which happen inside a star or in a hydrogen bomb explosion. ICF is similar to what scientists are trying to do with the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, but takes an alternative approach to how... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 12/02/12)

‘Foreign military presence in Syria raises ghost of Libya’
RT
Russian lawmakers declared their unanimous support for Moscow's official position on Syria, which one Duma member says may have been infiltrated by foreign military. Chairman of the State Duma International Affairs Committee Alexei Pushkov spoke out following reports that a “foreign special task force” has been dispatched to Syria in an effort to provide assistance to the political opposition. "According to the latest reports that are now being verified, a foreign special task force has been deployed in Syria,” Pushkov told reporters on Friday. “If these reports are proved to be true, the scenario will be absolutely the same... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 12/02/12)

Passing judgment on Western and Sri Lankan wars
H. L. D. Mahindapala
The following narrative is morbidly unreal. It is a tale where leaders -- both at secular and religious levels -- are mired in their own sordid morality. Their failure to live up to their proclaimed standards borders on the surreal. The main segment of this narrative comes from the nation where politics = morality. When a US politico/diplomat/official struts the global stage he/she begins and ends on high notes of morality. US poses as the greatest moral force on earth preaching human rights to everyone except to.......read on: * In 260 relentless strikes US Predator and Reaper... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/02/12)

Machiavellian strategies in Sri Lankan Foreign Policy: the crucial importance of Pakistan
R Chandrasoma
We must accept the hard truth that the coming years will be trying ones for our country. It is not the economic threats – important as they are – that will test our powers of survival in a dangerously destabilized world. It is the insecurity of great neighbours and the decline of Western Imperial Power that will be the prime cause of discontent in our region. We are fated to be very close to the historic land of India - a billion-strong nation with little internal cohesiveness and even less of the discipline and determination that... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/02/12)

LTTE Tamil Diaspora involved in human smuggling
Shenali Waduge
Europe knows, Canada knows, the US & UK Government knows, India knows and so does Australia….but the biggest question is apart from making a few arrests what have these Governments realistically done about the LTTE Tamil Diaspora’s involvement in international human smuggling or any of the LTTE’s other illicit & illegal activities which all these nations & their authorities are aware about?  So with LTTE fighting force now eliminated why does the LTTE need so much of funds. More than ever before it is now that the LTTE needs money. They need to pay rent for... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/02/12)

MARRIED LIFE OF THE PROPHET OF ISLAM
By A. Abdul Aziz.
 At the age of twenty-five Prophet Muhammad was employed by Khadijah, a noble lady of Mecca, as her agent  in a caravan that was about to set out for Syria on a mercantile mission. And Muhammad acquitted himself so well in the discharge of his duties that she was deeply impressed by his  honesty, integrity, business acumen and his pleasing and attractive personality.  Khadijah was a widow, after married twice, and had children from both marriages. Now she  sent the proposal of marriage to Muhammad through one of her maids. Muhammad (peace and  blessings of... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/02/12)

Canadian Tamil MP fails grade in general knowledge
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1.Canada
9 February 2012 Rathika Sitsabaiesan NDP, Tamil Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Rouge River,Ontario                                                                                                              House of Commons, Ottawa. Dear Rathika: I just saw the video clip of your address at the Canadian Human Rights Voice Conference (CHRV) at Parliament Hill.  What an abominable farce it was.  The more you try to look and pretend to be a smart rookie MP you keep falling flat on your face. You know what Rathika, I would have loved to have subjected you to a polygraph test to find out how true your... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/02/12)

රජතුමාගේ සිහිනය!
චන්දුසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ විසිනි.
රජතුමා රාජ්‍ය පාලනය සම්බන්ධව හොදටම හෙම්බත්ව දැඩි කලකිරීමේ ස්වරූපයෙන් මාලිගා භූමියේ ඔබ මොබ සක්මන් කරමින්; තම රාජ්‍ය පාලනය සම්බන්ධව මෙනෙහි කරමින් සිටියේය. තමා පාලනය බාර ගන්නා විට තිබුණ රට දැන් විශාල විපර්යාසයකට භාජනය වී ඇති බව එතුමාට හැගුණි. බියකුරු හෙන හඩ පරයන පිපිරුම්, තැන තැන මළ කදන් සුපුරුදු දසුන් බවට පත්ව තිබූ රටක ජනතාව එදා තම ජීවිත රැකදෙන ලෙස ඉල්ලා නැගූ හඩ හා අදෝනාවන් රජතුමාගේ මතකය පුරා රගදෙන්නට විය.  එදා තමා රාජ්‍ය පාලනය බාර ගන්නා විට සිටි ජනතාව අද හොදටම මොඩ් වී සිටින බවක් එතුමාට හැගිණ. එදා ජීවිතය රැක දෙන ලෙස ඉල්ලූ හඩවල්මද? තම උදර පෝෂණය... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/02/12)

Sri Lanka Still Floundering! Close Finishes, Acollades For Individual Brilliance Etc. Are Not Good Enough, They Must Produce Wins!
Howzat By Doosra Sammy
February 11th 2012  Sure! the  Lankans look peppier and on their toes, sharp in the field and committed towards  applying themselves but if the last two games they played in the Commonwealth Bank Series in Australia are anything to judge by, they are still floundering and no amount of fancy jargon can equate to the wins they need to produce towards justifying it. In fact the Lankans are still floundering with two heartbreaking  pips at the post and the rest of their schedule looming so hopefully the return to captaincy by Mahela Jayawardena will be the catalyst towards better returns... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/02/12)

SRI LANKA’S 64TH YEAR OF INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATED BY EMBASSY OF SRI LANKA, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
EMBASSY OF SRI LANKA UNITED ARAB EMIRATES PRESS RELEASE
On the 4th February 2012  the National Flag was hoisted by the Sri Lankan Ambassador H.E. Sarath Wijesinghe  at the Embassy Premises  in the presence of the staff and a large gathering of Sri Lankan Community .  The main Reception on the  7th February 2012  was held at Hotel Hilton,  Abu Dhabi for diplomats and the business community was  also well attended.  Almost all the Ambassadors and a large section of the community over 400 gathered at the main reception at Hotel Hilton, Abu Dhabi.   His Highness Sheikh Nahyan Bin... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/02/12)

Rangabhisheka - Kala Eli Mangalyaya-First Time Ever In New Zealand & Outside Sri Lanka
Dr. Chula Rajapakse MNZM, Wellington NZ 11.2..12
Over three hundred Sri Lankans in Wellington New Zealand and their Kiwi friends , were treated to a scintillating display of a wide array Sri Lankan dancing, for over three hours, on Saturday the 4th of February at the Memorial Theatre in the Victoria University  Wellington .  This Rangabhisheka  show was a celebration of excellence achieved by four graduating students of the  Sri Lankan Dance Academy of Wellington New Zealand, Ruwangi De Silva, Nirosha Gunawardana, Thilini Nanayakkara & Yasassvie Sunderapperuma. The show ,followed a consecration or crowning of the four dances with... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/02/12)

To Stephen Rapp, Robert O Blake , Marie Otero and all those who demand accountability from Sri Lanka.
By Charles.S.Perera
 On the 27 February,2012  inGenevaSri Lanka is to be “hanged by the neck until dead”  The  “prosecution” lead by Navi Pillai, UNCHRC, has presented the case againstSri Lanka, with the key witnesses lead by Stephen Rapp theUSAAmbassador at Large for war crimes, Robert O Blake a longtime sympathiser of theSri Lankaterrorists, and Ms Marie Otero US latest  recruit to Civilian Security, democracy and Human Rights.   Even if they were not be physically present inGenevathey hope to influence many members of the  UNHRCouncil vote to “pin ”Sri Lanka.  Then of course there are the British, Canadian, Australian and... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 10/02/12)

15,000 elite Iranian special-ops 'head' to Syria
RT
The regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria is expecting up to 15,000 Iranian troops to help maintain order in the country’s provinces, a Chinese newspaper reports. Iran has yet to confirm or deny the news. According to the central Chinese daily Renmin Ribao, the Iranian special task troops are due to be deployed in Syria’s key provinces. The Syrian opposition announced earlier that commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, Qassem Suleimani, advises the Syrian authorities on quashing the country’s opposition movement, the Telegraph newspaper reports. According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, the Quds Force includes 15,000 elite soldiers,... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 10/02/12)

Accountability & Punishing LTTE for killings its own cadres
 Shenali Waduge
The world needs to be reminded again. Sri Lanka was a victim of terrorism. The LTTE was an agent of terror & it was against LTTE terrorism that the Sri Lanka armed forces were fighting. If the West, the UN & all other “humanitarian” organizations wish to ignore the LTTE’s spate of killings over 3 decades so be it. Yet, when pressure is being exerted on a sovereign country completely ignoring punishing the LTTE for its acts of terror, the people of Sri Lanka will not remain silent.  Starting with the killing of the Jaffna May... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 10/02/12)

Yet another open letter to Brian Senewiratne
Rudra Gamini de Zoysa
At the expense of making Brian Senewiratne respectable I wish to draw the attention of the readers of these columns to the questions I have put to clarify some aspects of his twisted outlook and the venomous hatred he has towards the Sinhala race. Answers to these questions will make clear why Senewiratne, even as an octogenarian is so twisted, bitter and exudes such venom. Lanka Peiris has aptly quoted Sir Walter Scott – well done. My questions to Brian Senewiratne, (a contributor of many articles to the Tamil Net and proselytizer of LTTE... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 10/02/12)

Mob storms National Museum in Maldives, destroys Buddhist statues in Male’
By Hawwa Lubna On February 9, 2012
8:36 PM In Society,Travel & Arts 

Several historical artifacts exhibited at the Maldives National Museum, including Buddhist statues were destroyed in a mob attack on Wednesday morning, an act of vandalism that is said to have caused “unimaginable damage” to the treasured Maldivian heritage. Speaking to Minivan News, a museum official said that a group of five to six men stormed into the building twice, “deliberately targeted the Buddhist relics and ruins of monasteries exhibited in the pre- Islamic collection, destroying most items “beyond repair”. The official said that the details of the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/02/12)

To the President and People of Sri Lanka from Britain !
The High Commission of Sri Lanka - London - United Kingdom 
High Commissioner for Sri Lanka to the UK, Dr Chris Nonis called on Britain to replenish the tremendous reservoir of goodwill it has with Sri Lanka, stemming from the antecedent history between the two countries. He articulated that both our countries have a rich and varied plurality of economic, cultural, and linguistic traditions, and we should draw more deeply on the strength of our shared heritage, harness our collective strengths, and leverage on our commonalities.  He was addressing a large gathering of the British polity including Members... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 10/02/12)

Negotiating With The TNA Seems As Worthless And A Wasted Effort As Was The Case With The LTTE For Very Valid Reasons.
Lankaweb Weekly Editorial
February 10th 2012 While it seems somewwhat incomprehensible, ( although some kind of pragmatic wisdom which the President of Sri Lanka is renowned for being behind it all is cannot be ruled out) it is, from many perspectives a wasted effort for the Government to continue negotiations with the Tamil National Alliance. They might as well be negotiating with the LTTE despite it being even hypothetically impossible for obvious reasons but it does not take rocket science to ascertain where the TNA are coming from and what they are aiming at. Of course certain blinkered world... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 10/02/12)

This was sent Amnesia International (Amnesty International) this morning.....waiting for a response
G. de Silva
To Amnesty International The world’s largest and most influential human rights organisation. Their researchers help uncover and halt human rights abuse across the globe. Dear Sir/Madam, As an organization which has been extremely concerned with the violations of human rights of ordinary people of Sri Lanka, especially during the last stage of the war with the Tamil Tigers, aka LTTE, I am appealing to your good offices to take swift action on the following information that has surfaced on gross violations and abuse of human rights in Sri Lanka. I know you have always supported the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 09/02/12)

Ruthless_Part I
Sri Lanka... -Full Story- (youtube.com - 09/02/12)

Ruthless_Part II
Sri Lanka
Massacre of disabled and wounded cadres and civilians by the LTTE in Mullaivikkal on 17 May 2009 - Ministry of Defence and Urban Development,Sri lanka... -Full Story-
(youtube.com - 09/02/12)

Evolution of a nation
Dr. Tilak S. Fernando
The tiny pear shaped island known as the ‘pearl of the Indian Ocean’, whose material treasures and spiritual values acted as a magnet to foreign travellers around 350 BC was known as Taprobane, Simundu, Salke, Silv-Diva, Serndib, Zeilan and Ceylon under foreign domination from 1505 to 1948. During the final stages of the British governance, the Donoughmore constitution offered an elected legislature - the State Council and the Universal Adult Franchise. While ‘Ceylonese’ politicians derived training in legislative and executive functions some of the British planters and business hierarchy influenced the local politicians to become... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 09/02/12)

උපාධිධාරීන්ට රැකියා ලබාදීම සදහා වන තරග විභාග පැවැත්වීම
පී.ජී. ප්‍රියදර්ශන,   දොඩං‍‍ගොඩ , කලුතර
මෙරට නිදහස් අධ්‍යාපනයහි උපරිම අවස්ථාවද ප්‍රයෝජනයට ගෙන උපාධිය සමත් අප මෙරට ක්‍රියාත්මක තරග විභාගයන්ට ද මුහුණ දෙමින් රැකියාවක් ලබා ගැනීමට අපමණ වෙහෙසක් දැරුවෙමු. ඒ අනුව 2010 වසරේ පැවති පරිපාලන සේවා විවෘත තරග විභාගයට ද සහකාර රේගු අධිකාරී (11 ශ්‍රේණිය) නිළධාරීන් බදවා ගැනීම සදහා වන තරග විභාගයටද ඉල්ලුම් කළෙමු. මා මෙම තරග විභාග දෙකම සමත්වූ අතර සම්මුඛ පරීක්ෂණයට ද පෙනී සිටියෙමි. එහෙත් මෙම රැකියා දෙකම අහිමි වීම ඉතා කණගාටුදායකය. මෙහිදී සිදු වන්නට ඇතැයි මා විශ්වාස කරන්නාවූ අසාධාරණය පිළිබදව ඔබ දැනුවත් කිරීමට තීරණය කරනු ලැබුයේ එහි ප්‍රථිපලය ලෙසය. මෙහිදී පරිපාලන සේවා විභාගය පිළිබදව පළමුව ඔබගේ අවධානය... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 09/02/12)

Accusations of war crimes and demands for accountability in the final stages of the liberation war in Sri Lanka
Asada M Erpini
The valiant armed forces of Sri Lanka decimated the armed wing of the ‘invincible’ LTTE, delivering the knockout punch to the ‘Sun God’ and his top lieutenants who were trapped in the marshes of Nandikadal in May 2009. The country has enjoyed an explosion-free period of peace since, and people living in any region of the country move about attending to their daily chores and business with no fear of running the risk of being blown to smithereens by bombs. The happiest among them must be those residing in the Northern Province: the eye witness accounts... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 09/02/12)

ලංකාවේ දහතුන කෙසේ වෙතත් ඉන්දියාවේ දහසය නම් අපට අවශ්‍යයි
සී. එ. චන්ද්‍රප්‍රේම-දිවයින
13 වැනි ව්‍යවස්‌ථා සංශෝධනයෙන් ඔබ්බට ගිය විසඳුමක්‌ ලංකාවේ ක්‍රියාත්මක කරන බවට ජනාධිපති මහින්ද රාජපක්‍ෂ මහතා තමන්ට පොරොන්දු වූ බව ඉන්දීය විදේශ ඇමැති එස්‌. එම්. ක්‍රිෂ්ණා මහතා කළ ප්‍රකාශය ඉකුත් සතියේ කාගේත් අවධානයට යොමු වූ කාරණයක්‌ විය. මෙහිදී ඉන්දියාවත් ලංකාවත් දැන් සිටින තත්ත්වය කෙරෙහි අවධානය යොමු කිරීම වටී. අපට ගිය සතියේ ඇසුනේ ස්‌වෛරී රාජ්‍යයක විදේශ ඇමැතිවරයකුගේ ප්‍රකාශයක්‌ නොව ප්‍රාණ ඇපකරුවකුගේ අෙ¹aනාවයි. කොටි සංවිධානය අවසන් කළ යුද්ධයේදී හරි නම් ඒ වෙනුවෙන් වැය කළ හැම උණ්‌ඩයක්‌ම, සෑම නැවක්‌ම, හැම ප්‍රහාරක අහස්‌ යානාවක්‌ම ඉන්දියාවෙන් ලැබුණු ඒවා විය යුතුව තිබුණත් එය එසේ නොවීය. ලංකාවට කිට්‌ටුම රට ඉන්දියාව වුවත් අපට සිදුවූයේ මේ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 09/02/12)

British, Qatari troops already waging secret war in Syria?
RT
British and Qatari troops are directing rebel ammunition deliveries and tactics in the bloody battle for Homs, according to an Israeli website known for links to intelligence sources. ­Four centers of operation have been established in the city with the troops on the ground paving the way for an undercover Turkish military incursion into Syria. The debkafile site said the presence of British and Qatari troops in Homs topped the agenda of Tuesday’s talks between Assad’s officials and head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service Mikhail Fradkov. Qatar makes little secret of supporting the Syrian opposition with cash, arms and... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 09/02/12)

Mossad hit-squads behind Iran scientists' murders - US official
RT
Israel’s Mossad trained and financed a terrorist group that carried out a series of Hollywood-style assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists, unnamed US officials have revealed. Iran, however, believes the CIA was also sponsoring the killings. ­Two senior US officials confirmed to NBC that People’s Mujahideen of Iran dissident group (MEK) was to blame for the killing of Iranian scientists. “All your inclinations are correct,” said one of the officials in an interview, while speaking about MEK’s involvement in the assassinations and Israel’s support for the group.... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 09/02/12)

Giving Land and Police powers to the Provinces is dangerous – it should not happen
Sri Lanka Support Group, Canberra
 News emanating fromSri Lankashows that there is the  tendency to give land and Police powers to the Provincial Governments including the Northern and Eastern provincial governments.  The Sri Lankan Government is under tremendous pressure both fromIndiaand some powerful western nations, it is quite probable that the ultimate political package can contain giving these powers to the Provinces.  Note that the forthcoming CHOGM to be held inSri Lankain 2013 will give enemies ofSri Lankato put enormous pressure onSri Lankato give wider powers to Northern and Eastern provincial governments, including threats to boycott the summit.  For... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/02/12)

Any More Takers For Sri Lanka Bashing? Answer To This Question By Charles Perera Is: One Basher, Judge Baltasaa Garzon Will Not Be There. Why? Because he is Under investigation by the Spanish Supreme Court
Kithsiri Athulathmudali, Florida, USA
Going through the Charles’s list, I find Navi Pallai and Louise Arbour are there, but little known to Sri Lankans and to conflict analyzers of Sri Lanka, is the Spanish Judge Baltasaa Garzon. We know everything about Navi Palai, she started a “Tamil EELAM in Ceylon” movement, in South Africa, when she was a teenager at high school. Our Canadian friends like Ira De Silva have published many articles about Louise Aebour. This little known judge to Sri Lankan theater of operation in Hague is Judge Baltasaa Garzon.  He is on trial in Spain, for,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/02/12)

Self government for Tamil-dominated areas?
Gamini Premadasa
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) survives on its never-ending call of self government for Tamils and autonomy for “Tamil-dominated Northern and Eastern Provinces”. What the TNA leader and his deputies, who claim to represent the Tamilians in Sri Lanka, should do instead, at least for a change, is to attempt doing something that will bring some form of tangible benefit to those who sent them as their representatives to Parliament under the jackboot dictates of the LTTE leader.  The media habitually label the TNA as the major Tamil party, which gives the erroneous impression to the outside... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/02/12)

උපාධිධාරීන් සදහා රැකියා ලබාදීම සදහා වන තරග විභාග ‍පැවැත්වීම
පී.ජී. ප්‍රියදර්ශන, දොඩංගොඩ, කලුතර
මෙරට නිදහස් අධ්‍යාපනයහි උපරිම අවස්ථාවද ප්‍රයෝජනයට ගෙන උපාධිය සමත් අප මෙරට ක්‍රියාත්මක තරග විභාගයන්ට ද මුහුණ දෙමින් රැකියාවක් ලබා ගැනීමට අපමණ වෙහෙසක් දැරුවෙමු. ඒ අනුව 2010 වසරේ පැවති පරිපාලන සේවා විවෘත තරග විභාගයට ද සහකාර රේගු අධිකාරී (11 ශ්‍රේණිය) නිළධාරීන් බදවා ගැනීම සදහා වන තරග විභාගයටද ඉල්ලුම් කළෙමු. මා මෙම තරග විභාග දෙකම සමත්වූ අතර සම්මුඛ පරීක්ෂණයට ද පෙනී සිටියෙමි. එහෙත් මෙම රැකියා දෙකම අහිමි වීම ඉතා කණගාටුදායකය. මෙහිදී සිදු වන්නට ඇතැයි මා විශ්වාස කරන්නාවූ අසාධාරණය පිළිබදව ඔබ දැනුවත් කිරීමට තීරණය කරනු ලැබුයේ එහි ප්‍රථිපලය ලෙසය. මෙහිදී පරිපාලන සේවා විභාගය පිළිබදව පළමුව ඔබගේ අවධානය යොමු... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/02/12)

Syria: Russia and China chain the dogs of war
Prensa Latina-Translated from the Portuguese version by:Lisa Karpova   Courtesy Pravda.Ru
The diplomatic struggle due to the crisis in Syria on Sunday (5th) moved into a new phase after failing in a week of overwhelming pressure from western powers to achieve the fall of Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. Meanwhile, Syrian forces discovered two workshops for the manufacture of explosives US/westerm global domination objectives were masked in a draft resolution expressing the support of the Security Council on a proposal from the Arab League in which the Syrian president would transfer the government as a first step to elections and other... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/02/12)

WORLD MUSLIM LEADER SAYS THAT PERSECUTION CAN NEVER HALT AHMADIYYAT’S PROGRESS
By A. Abdul Aziz Press Secretary, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Sri Lanka.
 88 th Annual Convention (Jalsa Salana)  of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at in Bangladesh concludes with powerful address by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Ahmadiyya Supreme Head.  The three-day, 88 th Annual Convention (Jalsa Salana) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at in Bangladesh concluded on 5 th February 2012 in Dhaka with a powerful and faith inspiring address by the World Head of the community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, who addressed the event from the Baitul Futuh Mosque in London via satellite. The convention attracted over 6,300 people from various... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/02/12)

"Visit, make available expertise and invest in Sri Lanka" - Ambassador Aryasinha
The embassy of the democratic socialist republic of sri lanka to belgium,  luxembourg  and the european union
Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU Ravinatha Aryasinha has called on expatriate Sri Lankans, to visit, make available expertise and invest in Sri Lanka. Addressing the celebrations to mark the 64th anniversary of independence of Sri Lanka in Brussels, he noted that, “Sri Lanka, having overcome long years of terrorism and its after effects, had an unprecedented opportunity of ensuring economic growth, social advancement and reconciliation. While the energies of the Government and the people of Sri Lanka was... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/02/12)

Healing wounds of a long-gone war
Lawrence Money.
ONCE more, Melbourne fashion trader Kymlee will return to Vietnam this year. And yet again she will weep for the children of her former homeland, uncountable thousands who are born disfigured, deformed, crippled - the cruel and enduring legacy of the chemical bombardment in a war that ended four decades ago. ''I cry every time,'' she says, taking some photo albums from the shelf at her Braybrook factory. They are almanacs of dreadful suffering - babies born with holes in their faces, an eye missing, anus missing, limb missing.... -Full Story-
(theage.com.au - 08/02/12)

Syrian opposition getting 'daily shipments' of arms
RT
With recent reports of fierce fighting in Homs, many wonder where the opposition is getting so many arms from. No wonder, argues Professor Ibrahim Alloush, as “weaponry is being smuggled into Syria in large quantities from all over the place.” “It is pretty clear that the rebels have been receiving arms from abroad and Syrian television has been showing almost daily shipments of arms being smuggled into Syria via Lebanon, Turkey and other border crossings,” the professor from Zaytouneh University in Jordan said. “Since the rebels are being supported by the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] and by NATO it... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 08/02/12)

Syrian tribes and clans denounce foreign interference
PRAVDA
Prensa Latina The heads of the clans and tribes of Syria gathered in assembly on Monday (30th) in Raqqa in the north of the country. They confirmed what is believed among the people, that they are facing a foreign conspiracy and expressed their support for the government. Speaking on television, Sheikh Saleh Al-Nuemi, chief organizer of the forum, said that these communities, which generally live in rural areas particularly in the north, are aware of the need to defend national unity. This assembly of wise and respected figures in Raqqa, the capital of the homonymous province, is not... -Full Story-
(english.pravda.ru - 08/02/12)

Syria: Russia and China chain the dogs of war
Pravda
UN: double veto against "regime change" in Syria Prensa Latina The diplomatic struggle due to the crisis in Syria on Sunday (5th) moved into a new phase after failing in a week of overwhelming pressure from western powers to achieve the fall of Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. Meanwhile, Syrian forces discovered two workshops for the manufacture of explosives US/westerm global domination objectives were masked in a draft resolution expressing the support of the Security Council on a proposal from the Arab League in which the Syrian president would transfer the government as a first step to elections and other... -Full Story-
(english.pravda.ru - 08/02/12)

­Syrian opposition violence - shocking video
RT
Torture, booby-trapped cars, machine-guns shooting in the air – RT has come into the possession of a video that deals with episodes of the day-to-day life of members of the Syrian opposition. It shows members of the opposition wielding various weaponry – from sickles to pump-action shotguns – and using it, as well as some results of their actions. Parts of it contain too much violence to be reproduced for an unprepared audience, the rest is available to demonstrate the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe Syria is dealing with.... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 08/02/12)

Legal framework required to stop CIA drone carnage
RT
&1057;IA drones are attacking funeral processions and civilian and Taliban rescue teams in Pakistan. A staggering report exposing the practice has outraged NGOs and legal experts, who are demanding international laws to govern drone warfare. ­The investigation is a follow-up to last summer’s report issued by the London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism, says Chris Woods, the author of the report. “We've uncovered evidence that the CIA has repeatedly been targeting civilian and Taliban rescuers at the site of previous drone strikes [in Pakistan],” Woods told RT. “We identify by name 48 civilians killed in such attacks. We also... -Full Story- (rt.com - 08/02/12)

Mistake in the Making
By Gomin Dayasri
Intentions maybe honorable in reaching consensus but the results can be disastrous.  A Parliamentary Select Committee [PSC] is the instrument selected by the Governmentto fabricate a road map to stamp the national seal on an amity highway. It is wistful thinking of imprinting the lion logo on the masthead of a blueprint for alabyrinth thoroughfare that will not reach beyond wasteful deliberations because ofstrange bedfellows.  Blinking red lights as a reminder, in the background is the disastrous All Party Conference that meandered meaninglessly and ended with report that stays in the waste paper basket. It’s an exercise... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 07/02/12)

The 13th Amendment, Sri Lanka And Lessons From The Maldives
Janaka Yagirala
Just hours ago President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives resigned after widespread protests. Until 2008, Maldivians lived under the iron fist of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and back then Nasheed was one of the main campaigners for democracy. Things went full circle after Nasheed had a critic of his government arrested which set forth a domino effect of protests, aggravated by the economic woes of the country, culminating with the resignation of President Nasheed himself. Ironically one of the main figures behind the protest was none other than Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Both the people and politicians of Sri... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 07/02/12)

Krishna and Skanda – symbols of Indian expansionism
By Mario Perera, Kadawata
All Sri Lankan rulers embroiled with the secessionist movement of the LTTE, went to great pains not to ruffle India and to be in her good books. India’s foreign policy regarding Sri Lanka was deeply embedded in domestic compulsions. The South Indian, especially Tamil Nadu electorate was the key factor. An often repeated phrase is that Tamil Nadu is the home to sixty million Tamils who feel linked with the Tamils of the North by religion, culture and language. This is, we are made to understand the justification for the involvement of the Indian Central... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 07/02/12)

Village Sketch - 1-‘CANNIBALS' INVADE VILLAGE
Arcadius
 [Note: A shorter version of this Village Sketch by Arcadius appeared in the CDN Saturday Magazine on June 12, 1965. Arcadius revised it in 2012. This is the work of a Ceylon-born rural lad who used his mastery of English to give the global literati direct access to the principal characters of his birth-village in the mid-20th century.]  Pathegama [‘Low lying village’ in Sinhalese], which I have chosen to write these sketches, was the place of my birth. Those days, it was a sparsely populated simple village whose people were dirt poor so much so they could hardly... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 07/02/12)

SRI LANKAN CULTURE: A FEW HIGHLIGHTS
Dr. Ananda W. P. Guruge (Former Sri Lanka Ambassador to U. S. A.)
 No other country of comparable size has a culture so ancient in antiquity and development, so diverse in character, and so rich in variety of creativity. In this respect Sri Lanka is unique. Sri Lanka received many waves of migrants as revealed by prehistoric burial places and, at least, one megalithic structure and twenty-five centuries of history. History begins with the arrival of the Indo-Aryans originally from the Northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, followed by migrations from other regions of Northern India. The history of the Sinhala Kingdom... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 07/02/12)

Assad ready for talks, 'fully commits' to end violence - Lavrov
RT
Syria’s President Assad has agreed to talks with the opposition and will follow the Arab League’s roadmap, increasing the number of observers in the country, even in the most hostile areas in Syria. This follows talks with the Russian delegation headed by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Russia’s Foreign Ministry has announced that President Assad has agreed to send a government delegation to Moscow to meet with representatives of the opposition. Assad stands firm in his resolve to stop violence in his country, wherever it should come from, said Lavrov. The parties reaffirmed their readiness to use the Arab League’s... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 07/02/12)

Syrian opposition agrees to Russian mediation
RT
The opposition Syrian National Council does not object to Russia coordinating the talks with the Syrian government. "The Syrian opposition needs all the help there is. Considering the good relations between the Russian and Syrian nations, Russia has a good chance of playing this part," George Sabra, a senior member of the council, told Interfax news agency on Tuesday. His remarks come in the wake of talks between the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Moscow has offered its assistance to bridge a diplomatic gap between the ruling regime and opposition groups. “We think Russia... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 07/02/12)

Egyptian delegation snubs US Senators amid NGO scandal
RT
An Egyptian military delegation has abruptly canceled meetings with their US counterparts, marking a sharp escalation in US-Egypt tensions. The move may jeopardize US$1.5 billion in aid Egypt is set to receive from US this year. Nineteen Americans are due to stand trial in Egypt as the country’s military rulers accuse US-backed organizations of funding protests. They are among the 43 accused in this case. A date has yet to be set for the start of the trial. Egyptian military officials who were scheduled to meet with US Senators John McCain, Joseph Lieberman and Carl Levin on Tuesday were... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 07/02/12)

Lake Vostok mystery: Alien life, global warming and Hitler's archive
RT
Scientists, environmentalists and even World War II historians have reacted with a mixture of excitement and concern to news that Russian geologists have drilled through to a huge subterranean lake in Antarctica, some 20 million years old. It has taken more than 30 years to work through 3,700 meters of thick ice – drilling in temperatures as low as minus 80 centigrade. But it will have been worth it, if even half the claims being made about the lake are true.... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 07/02/12)

Letter to Nobel Peace Prize Evaluation Committee
Asoka Yapa, Chairperson &  Asoka Weerasinghe, Vice Chair, Project Peace for a United Sri Lanka, Canada
Mr. Lars Heikensten Executive Director The Nobel Foundation Sturegatan 14 SE-102 45 Stockholm Sweden Dear Sir,   We would be most grateful if the relevant Nobel Committee would consider the appended letter prior to evaluating a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.   Thank you,   Sincerely,   Asoka Yapa, Chairperson   Asoka Weerasinghe, Vice Chair     Project Peace for a United Sri Lanka 2360 Hilltop Lane, Oakville, Ontario L6M 3M9, Canada   PROJECT PEACE FOR... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/02/12)

I will hoist a black flag the day Robert O. Blake comes to Sri Lanka.
By Charles.S.Perera
 In the last phase of  the war against terrorism no one counted the bullets, and none the dead so from whom can one demand  accountability?  We burst out in joy when Barack Obama was declared the 64th President of United States of America.  He was a black man from the poor state of Illinois, having worked for the  underpriviledged Communities we believed he was doubly suitable to be the President  of America.   We expected him to take the Administration of the USA in a different direction from that which had been traced by the  previous war mongering... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/02/12)

Disintegration of the nation on ethnic basis
S. Akurugoda
Responding to a question at a breakfast meeting with heads of print and electronic media held on 30th January at Temple Trees (as reported in The Island), the President Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR) has said: “the land powers were vested with the Provincial Councils (PCs) and the contentious issue was the police powers.” According the reporting appeared in Sinhala daily The Divaina, on the same day, the President has said: “The land powers are already vested with the PCs. The problem is with the police powers. That too could be given as necessary, without hindering the state security... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/02/12)

Accountability never an issue before conclusion of conflict, says UPFA MP
By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island 
Those demanding the UnitedNations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) to take up what they call Sri Lanka’s accountability issues had never been bothered when the LTTE was killing civilians in their thousands, UPFA parliamentarian Dr. Mrs. Sudarshini Fernandopulle says. Sudarshani, in brief interview with The Island, emphasised the need for an effective mechanism to counter LTTEpropaganda. Some foreign politicians had become eelam propagandists due to their dependence on the votes of LTTE activists in their electorates, while some NGOs bashed Sri Lanka as that was the way they could get funds, she said.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/02/12)

An open letter to Brian Senewiratne
Lanka Peiris
Brian you do get senile at your age but you should stop reminiscing and acting like a women spurned, spouting vile stories fantasising yourself as a long-time defender of the Eezam Tamil cause! Brian only someone like you with a poor knowledge and understanding of conflicts would try comparing the black South African conflict to the Tamil problem in Sri Lanka. Brian, are you aware that there are more South African Whites in South Africa than Tamils in Sri Lanka? Please get the so called reconciliation committee of Bishop Tutu, explain to the world the following. ·        ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/02/12)

Separatism and Empire Building in the 21st Century
by Prof. James Petras
Throughout modern imperial history, ‘Divide and Conquer’ has been the essential ingredient in allowing relatively small and resource-poor European countries to conquer nations vastly larger in size and populations and richer in natural resources. It is said that for every British officer in India , there were fifty Sikhs, Gurkhas, Muslims and Hindus in the British Colonial Army. The European conquest of Africa and Asia was directed by white officers, fought by black, brown and yellow soldiers so that white capital could exploit colored workers and peasants. Regional, ethnic, religious, clan, tribal, community, village and other... -Full Story-
(globalresearch.ca - 06/02/12)

Allah is with those who are righteous and do good.
By A. Abdul Aziz,
Press Secretary, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Sri Lanka. (Given below is an excerpt the Friday Sermon of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Supreme Head of the world-wide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Islam, delivered on 3rd February 2012 at ‘Baithul Futhuh’, London, U.K., gave a discourse on Allah is with those who are righteous and do good. Ahmadiyya Khalifa recited the following verse at the start of his Friday sermon: ‘Verily, Allah is with those who are righteous and those who do good.’ (16:129) and said that Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Islam Hazrat Mirza Ghulam... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/02/12)

Facts from fiction: What's really happening in Syria?
RT
The diplomatic standoff around Syria seems to be reaching endgame as the US and UK withdraw their ambassadors and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov flies to Damascus for talks with the Assad government. As the political war of words heats up – so does the tone of reports on Syria. The deadly crossfire has left international media relying on snatches of information and dubious or unverifiable sources to report the unrest dragging the nation towards civil war. On Friday Syrian rebels claimed a massive govt artillery barrage killed 200 in Homs, an unverifiable figure that was nevertheless widely cited in... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 06/02/12)

M.I.A gives America the middle finger
RT
M.I.A. has never shied away from speaking her mind — and when the singer got the biggest stage in the US to express her views on Super Bowl Sunday, she didn’t hesitate to make the most out of the moment. One of the singer’s latest videos showing a SWAT-style raid carried out by US flag-clad combatants against civilians caused so much outrage that it was banned from televisions in the United States — and even from YouTube. But this time, M.I.A. knew all eyes would be on her as she performed live during the Super Bowl half-time show. So... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 06/02/12)

West 'hysterical' and wrong over Syria – Lavrov
RT
The western reaction to Moscow and Beijing's veto on the UN Security Council resolution on Syria is “indecent” and “almost hysterical”, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. “Those who get angry are hardly ever right,” Lavrov stated at a media conference in Moscow. According to the diplomat, the point of such “hysterical statements” is to conceal what has really been happening in Syria. Lavrov says that there is more than one source of violence in the Arab Republic, which is why Moscow supported the settlement initiative put forward by the League of Arab States (LAS) back last... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 06/02/12)

US and Egypt clash over Americans accused of conspiracy
RT
The honeymoon between the United States and the new post-Mubarak government in Egypt didn't last long. Only months after the US helped force the former president to step down, new rulers of Egypt are turning against the US. The Egyptian government vows that they will bring 19 Americans to trial for allegedly influencing the violent revolutions after last year’s ousting of former President Hosni Mubarak with the aid of foreign funds. Nearly 20 Americans have been named in an Egyptian investigation over how foreign pressure help fund unrest by way of international pro-democracy groups. An English-language website out of... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 06/02/12)

The failure of the 'three card trick on Syria' at the UN Security Council is good news for the developing world
Ajit Randeniya
The vetoeing by Russia and China of a draft United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution that sought regime change in Syria marks a significant turning point in the voting patterns of these two permanent member nations at the UNSC. The significance of the event can be gauged by the fact that since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has only twice used the veto at the UNSC; once to block a resolution criticising Bosnian Serb forces and once to block a resolution on the finances of UN operations on Cyprus. The March 2003 Russian... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/02/12)

THE ROVING EYE Exposed: The Arab agenda in Syria
By Pepe Escobar
Here's a crash course on the "democratic" machinations of the Arab League - rather the GCC League, as real power in this pan-Arab organization is wielded by two of the six Persian Gulf monarchies composing the Gulf Cooperation Council, also known as Gulf Counter-revolution Club; Qatar and the House of Saud. Essentially, the GCC created an Arab League group to monitor what's going on in Syria. The Syrian National Council - based in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries Turkey and France - enthusiastically supported it. It's telling that Syria's neighbor Lebanon did not.... -Full Story-
(atimes.com - 05/02/12)

Report of the Head of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria
League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria
When the over 160 monitors, after one month of enquiries, issued their report ... surprise! The report did not follow the official GCC line - which is that the "evil" Bashar al-Assad government is indiscriminately, and unilaterally, killing its own people, and so regime change is in order.... -Full Story-
(columbia.edu - 05/02/12)

The Church & its links to Sri Lanka’s terrorism & elsewhere
Shenali Waduge
In the game of politics it is not hard to imagine how or why nations and leaders opt to use terrorism for their advantage and as a bargaining tool over governments. Nevertheless, when religious groups and movements join this nexus so much so to not only fund terrorists but also influence governments and practically all establishments in society it raises the alarm bells and the need for people born into these faiths to be aware of the falsities and hypocrisies that prevail and the gross injustice the leaders of the Church are actually doing to the Founder... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/02/12)

Damage done by invisible molecules in volatile cooking ingredients.
Dr Hector Perera London
I read the article about the speech delivered by the Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry, University of Colombo Eric H. Karunanayake, Chairman, National Research Council, at the Convocation of the University of Colombo. This was a few years ago but I am glad he also spoke about microscopic particles called molecules as well so that the general public could understand. Let me tell you how these invisible microscopic molecules escaped while cooking gradually ruin the kitchen, your clothes, make up, jewellery, how they deposit on your face, body and also on exposed parts of the chest.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/02/12)

ගම-කේන්ද්‍රගත සංවර්ධනයක් කරා- Towards a Village-centred Development
ආචාර්ය රෝහණ උල්ලූවිස්හේවා විසිනි
1) ශාරාංශය
ශ්‍රී ලංකාවෙි වත්මන් සංවර්ධන ක්‍රියාදාමයේ ආරමිභය යටත් විජිතවාදී යුගය දක්වාම දිවෙි. යටත් විජිතවාදීන්ගේ රටවලට මෙන්ම ඔවුන්ගේ පරිපාලන හා වාණිජ මධ්‍යස්ථාන වශයෙන් ගොඩනැගුන දේශීය නාගරික අංශයට ප්‍රතිලාභ ලැඛෙන ආකාරයට ග්‍රාමීය ආර්ථිකය වෙනස් කිරීම අරමුණු කරගෙන ආරමිභ කරනල ලද සංවර්ධන ව්‍යාපාරය දේශපාලන ස්වාධීනත්වය ලැබීමෙන් පසුව ද ඒ ආකාරයෙන්ම දේශීය මුහුණුවරකින් ඉදිරියට ගෙනයනු ලැබීය. මෙම මුළු සංවර්ධන ව්‍යාපාරයටම පොදු වූ එක් කැපී පෙනෙන ලක්ෂණයක් වන්නේ එහි නාගරික කේන්ද්‍රගතභාවයයි. නාගරික චින්තනයෙහි පිහිටා ග්‍රාමීය අංශය දෙස බලන දේශපාලන නායකයින් හා සංවර්ධන බලධාරීහු නාගරික චින්තනයේ කණ්නාඩිය තුලින් ඔවුනට පෙනෙන ආකාරයට ග්‍රාමීය අංශයේ සංවර්ධන ගැටළු හඳුනාගෙන එම කණ්නාඩිය තුලින්ම... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/02/12)

Sri Lanka may drop dollar to meet Iran oil sanctions
By C. Bryson Hull
COLOMBO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka may avoid a costly squeeze by the United States sanctions on Iranian crude by purchasing it in a currency other than dollars, following India's lead, officials said on Sunday. The Indian Ocean island nation is facing the most potential collateral damage from the sanctions, which are meant to cut off the dollars Washington believes are being used to fund Iran's nuclear ambitions. Sri Lanka imports 93 percent of its oil from Iran, OPEC's second biggest producer, and its sole refinery, the 50,000 barrel-per-day Sapugaskanda plant, can only refine... -Full Story-
(in.reuters.com - 05/02/12)

Three CID teams to investigate land disputes
Sarath Malalasekera Daily News
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) DIG Jayantha Kulatilaka has deployed three special teams to Kandy, Kurunegala and Jaffna to conduct on-the-spot investigations into complaints received by the CID in connection with land disputes and preparation of forged deeds. These three special CID teams at present, in those areas will conduct investigations into complaints received by the CID and submit a comprehensive report to the CID DIG. Earlier, the CID DIG set up a separate unit to investigate complaints that lands are sold on forged documents and by preparing forged deeds. ‘If any party has threatened you... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/02/12)

THE BUDDHIST AND CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHICAL POSITION COMPARED
AggaDhamma 2003
CONTENTS:          INTRODUCTION           1.00  THE BUDDHIST'S PHILOSOPHICAL POSITION           2.00  THE BUDDHIST DEFINITION OF  ‘GOOD’ and ‘BAD’           3.00  CHRISTIANITY’S  PHILOSOPHICAL POSITION           4.00  PARTICIPATION  AND INVOLVEMENT BY DEVOTEES           5.00  RELATIONS WITH OTHER RELIGIONS and PEOPLES  Introduction: Have you ever wondered why there have been so few wars in the "East", but in contrast, so many major and world wars, purges, pogroms, etc., in the "West"? European history and mindset has demanded their kings and politicians to be war-like. This required the development the finest weapons of war over recent centuries. And... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/02/12)

Sri Lanka’s Independence Day celebration was held in Don Bosco, Auditorium in Toronto
Toronto News
Sri Lanka’s Independence Day celebration was held in Don Bosco, Auditorium in Toronto, with the participation of huge Sri Lankan crowd, including over 300 Tamils and over 100 Muslims living in Toronto area.  Toronto Tamil resident Ingenious Sellaiya Manoranjan was the master of the ceremony. Buddhist and Tamil Hindu and catholic priests blessed the crowd. In his speech Tamil Hindu priest request all Sri Lankan Tamils living in Toronto to take part in rebuilding Sri Lanka.  Addressing the crowd Ajex Tamil Resident Mr. Chandrakumaran using Canadian Parliamentarian Joe Daniel quote and said none of the money... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/02/12)

"Get lost" around the corner for the TNA
Written by Malinda Seneviratne
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is making demands from the Government. Seeking betterment is legitimate in a democracy. There’s nothing wrong in wanting the moon. Proposal must match grievance, however, aspirations should be reasonable and practical realities cannot be wished away. First of all, there is the issue of territory and relevant boundaries. Arbitrarily drawn, the provincial boundaries make for claims that are ill-supported by history and demography. Tamil Chauvinism has always been thin on fact, thick on myth and fidgety when it comes to substantiation and in drawing a solid line between grievance and... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/02/12)

Resolution presented to UNHR Council Geneva, and absurdity of accusing Sri Lanka- the Victim of Terrorism.
By Charles.S.Perera
 Sri Lanka has just escaped from the tiger jaws of terrorism to fall amoung a group of vultures praying on carcasses  calling them selves defenders of human rights, despite the fact that their governments are the worst of violators of human rights.  But Sri Lanka is still not dead but breathing and living  though it lived facing “ death “ for thirty years, without no one of these numerous Human Rights activists to accuse  the ruthless group of terrorists for the violation of its rights to exist as a unitary state, in peace without fear and stress.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/02/12)

‘PAWNS OF PEACE-EVALUATION’ AND, LESSONS UNLEARNT ! -How did the Norwegians happen to get involved in Sri Lanka’s issues, and what was Norway’s hidden agenda in the island?-OPEN LETTER
Ranjith Soysa
01 February 2012 Dear Editor,                      We, of the World Alliance for Peace are committed to find a rational answer to a burning query: How did the Norwegians happen to get involved inSri Lanka’s issues, and what wasNorway’s hidden agenda in the island?  We found we needed to a commission and identify a person who knows the Norwegian culture intimately, be associated withSri Lankaand knowledgeable of the history of the terror campaign unlashed on the Sri Lankan nation, to carry out such a mandate.  While there are experts who specialize in each such field, the person we... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/02/12)

‘PAWNS OF PEACE-EVALUATION’ AND, LESSONS UNLEARNT !
Mahinda Weerasinghe
UD – Norwegian Foreign office SLMM –Sri LankaMonitoringMission GOSL – Government ofSri Lanka TacticallyNorwaypre-emptedSri Lanka’s ‘Lessons Learnt Commission’s (LLRC) report, in order to confuse and bamboozle her disastrous ‘peace facilitator role (2002-2009) inSri Lanka. Titled, ‘Pawns of peace-Evaluation’, but it did not mislead anyone, except perhaps a few naïve Norwegians. Curious thing about ‘Pawns…’ is that, most Norwegians were oblivious to its very existence. It was not carried by the popular media, which is conspicuously unusual! We remember when the terrorist friendly SLMM was at its operational best, even if a Jaffna Tamil broke wind, it... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/02/12)

PAWNS OF PEACE –EVALUERING AV NORGES ROLLE PÅ SRI LANKA OG HVA HAR MAN LÆRT
Mahinda Weerasinghe (20.01.2012)  Forfatter av: misjon til Oslo
UD – utenriksdepartementet SLMM – Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission GOSL – regjeringen i Sri Lanka Av taktiske grunner har Norge vært tidlig ute i forhold til rapporten fra ‘Lessons Learnt Commission’  (LLRC) på Sri Lankas, for å forvirre og tåkelegge Norges katastrofale  ‘fredstilrettelegger’ rolle (2002-2009) på Sri Lanka.  Tittelen på denne evalueringen er Pawns of Peace er lite egnet til å overbevise mange unntatt kanskje enkelte naive nordmenn. Det merkelige med denne rapporten ('Pawns…') er at de fleste nordmenn var uvitende om dens eksistens. Det har ikke blitt nevnt eller skrevet... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/02/12)

Russia, China veto UN Security Council resolution on Syria
RT
The United Nations Security Council has just voted on a draft resolution concerning the ongoing violence in Syria. Russia and China were the only voting members to oppose the draft. And as permanent members of the UNSC, they had the option to use veto power to block the draft's passage. Beijing and Moscow have both taken issue with the draft's vague wording, which they say leaves the door open for possible international military intervention in Syria and creates a picture of the current situation that favors opposition forces over the Assad government. American Ambassador Susan Rice told the Security... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 04/02/12)

'Imported Solutions' Won't Work in Lanka: Rajapaksa
With differences over a political solution hampering Sri Lanka's efforts to resolve the Tamil issue, President Mahinda Rajapaksa today said participation in a parliamentary panel and not an "imported solution" was the way to heal the ethnic woes. In a reference aimed at the stalled talks with the TNA over the India-supported devolution of power to Tamil-majority areas, the President asked the Tamil party to join the political process rather than utilising "foreign influences". "We believe that the mechanism for solving the national question is the parliamentary select committee," Rajapaksa said in comments marking Sri Lanka's independence day.... -Full Story- (news.outlookindia.com - 04/02/12)

Making Independence Meaningful for Sri Lankans
Shenali Waduge
As Sri Lanka marks sixty four years of independence, it is imperative that Sri Lankans are aware of the status of their own country. How many of us actually hoist the national flag. More importantly how many of us is really proud to be Sri Lankan? It is the right of every individual to be treated equally and any government tasked to lead a nation has to firstly ensure the systems & mechanisms of governance in place function properly while fine tuning areas that can be better improved. Prior to exploring the possibilities of incorporating any political... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/02/12)

The LTTE was a political hoax
by Victor Karunairajan
 A community cheated to chaotic consequences because it lacked the consciousness of collective co-existence  The general belief that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is a homogenous political organization committed to a liberation struggle to create a State ofEelamis a hoax.  All that Prabakaran wanted was a Sicilian type mafia state inSouth Asia.  The political immaturity of the TULF leaders offered him just that opportunity to embark on such a dream with cold-blooded savagery. He fleeced the Tamil community to assume leadership of it and turned down many opportunities for solutions that came his way... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 03/02/12)

The ugly side of Sri Lanka
Sarath Warnakulasuriya Sydney
During my recent visit to Sri Lanka, I was pleased to see the massive development projects taking place in the country.We were on a ten day tour that took us to Heritage Kandalama via Pinnawela elephant orphanage. From there we travelled to Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Mihintale and Polonnaruwa.Our next stop was The Tea Factory fron where we travelled to Nuwara eliya and The World's end in the Horton Planes.From there we went to Kandy spent a couple of nights and visited the Holy temple,the Peradeniya gardens etc.Our next stop was at Chaya Wild at Yala from... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 03/02/12)

Gunaratne clarifies his stand on capitalism in response to three American critics
By Shelton A. Gunaratne
 Three obviously Republican replies have appeared in response to my opinion piece “Of wealthy, by wealthy, for wealthy,” published in The (Fargo-Moorhead) Forum on Sunday, Jan. 15. [The original article appeared in the Lankaweb of Jan. 10.] I commend each of them for allowing me the opportunity to elucidate my exposition further. The latest response (Feb. 2) comes from Rep. Wes Belter, R-Mapleton, who accuses me of expounding my “dislike for the American free enterprise system.” He gloats, “Only in America could a professor express his disdain for the system that pays his check without... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 03/02/12)

Changing Gears
Hameed Abdul Karim
 The US Empire suffered a major blow to its occupation of Afghanistan when its trouble shooter Richard Holbrooke, nicknamed ‘raging bull’, died a sudden death in Washington. At this point of time, the US depended entirely on him to pull it out of the quagmire it had got embroiled in Afghanistan. This left one to wonder why an empire as militarily and economically powerful as the US should have placed all its bets on just one man. Incidentally it was a Pakistani surgeon who operated on Holbrooke. To him Holbrooke said ‘you’ve got to stop the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 03/02/12)

IF GOSL DIDN’T, I WILL I HAVE A DREAM, I HAVE A PLAN
By Stanley Perera, Melbourne 
When Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, Indian government appointed Jain Commission to investigate.  The Indian High court jailed a LTTE woman conspirator, and sentenced three others to death and now they are awaiting execution. When Sri Lanka’s President Premadasa was assassinated by the LTTE, not even a police inquiry was held by the Government of Sri Lanka.  Aranthalawa massacre, Kent Farm massacre, Dollar Farm massacre, Dambulla bus massacre and many other massacres in the border villages conducted by the Terrorists were not even investigated.  Massacre of the Buddhist priests and many more politicians including the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 03/02/12)

STRONG DEFENCE MEANS ULTIMATE SURVIVAL
PROFESSOR ALI SUKHANVER-The writer is a Pakistan based analyst on defence and strategic affairs.                           
 What is more important; food or security; health or defence; prosperity or safety; certainly a difficult question to be answered. Today one finds a hurricane of allegations, accusations ultimately forming the shape of suggestions thatPakistanneeds not spend a huge amount on its army and the relevant security set-up. Various so-called western thinkers are doing all their best to create an atmosphere of disbelief and mistrust against the security agencies ofPakistanby painting a picture which depicts these agencies as an unbearable burden on the already... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 03/02/12)

02 February 12 - 15:08"The Scarborough Curse" - Open Letter to the Editor of Toronto Life Magazine by Triple P
Phill PereraToronto Sri Lankan Students/Alumni Alliance
Dear Editor: Here is a response to an article titled, “The Scarborough Curse” written by Don Gillmor on Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. While surfing the net I came across an article titled, "Scarborough Curse" written by Don Gillmor published few years back on your online magazine www.Torontolife.com (you can find the url link to the article at the very bottom of my e-mail response) the writer I mentioned above covers a story of the tragic stabbing death of Dineshkumar Murugiah, a 16-year-old student at Scarborough’s Winston Churchill. If you can recall it was a horrific... -Full Story-
(torontoslsa.myblogsite.com - 03/02/12)

PAKISTAN: The Ahmadiyya community has once again been targeted by banned terrorist organisations
A Statement from the Asian Human Rights Commission
The Ahamadiyya community, a minority religious community, is again facing systematic genocide from the militant religious groups in coming days particularly from the banned terrorist organizations that have made a joint strategy to force them to leave Pakistan. This campaign has been started from the garrison city of Rawalpindi, Punjab province, in the presence of heavy contingent of police, rangers and, of course, plain clothed men from notorious intelligence agency, the ISI.... -Full Story-
(humanrights.asia - 03/02/12)

02 February 12 - 15:08"The Scarborough Curse" - Open Letter to the Editor of Toronto Life Magazine by Triple P
Phill Perera Toronto Sri Lankan Students/Alumni Alliance Dear Editor:
"The Scarborough Curse" - Open Letter to the Editor of Toronto Life Magazine by Triple P Dear Editor: Here is a response to an article titled, “The Scarborough Curse” written by Don Gillmor on Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.           While surfing the net I came across an article titled, "Scarborough Curse" written by Don Gillmor published few years back on your online magazine www.Torontolife.com (you can find the url link to the article at the very bottom of my e-mail response) the writer I mentioned above covers a... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 03/02/12)

‘Israel to strike Iran in April, May or June’ – US Defense Sec
RT
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said that Israel could attack Iran in the next few months. This follows Israeli reports that Iran has the capability to develop four nuclear bombs and reach the US with a missile strike. Panetta sees a ‘strong possibility’ of an Israeli strike on Iran in either April, May or June, according to Thursday’s Washington Post. The attack would occur before Iran enters a so-called ‘immunity zone’, when its nuclear facilities will be too heavily fortified for an attack to succeed. Post columnist’s David Ignatius, who broke the story, believes the overriding fear in... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 03/02/12)

Unwittingly Supreme Court canmake Sri Lanka Insecure!
 By Gomin Dayasri                                        
 In the foreseeable future a government with a 2/3 majority is unlikely. The people returned the present government for another term with a 2/3 majority for making the country secure.  But the country will never be safe with a constitution that vest police and land powers in the Provincial Councils and hold a possibility to merge the North and East. These are matters that affect the security of the entire country.  To change the constitution with comfort a 2/3 majority is required. This government on a show of hands has the numbers intact but will it materialize... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/02/12)

On experiments in Economic governance-To plan or not to plan?
by Chandre Dharmawardana, Ottawa, Canada
I wish to comment on an interesting article by Leelanada De Silva (Sunday Island of Jan. 28), from a scientist’s perspective. Articles by Usvatta-aratchi and Carlo Fonseka (The Island Oct. 19), and by Gunadasa Amarasekera et al treated related topics. When my article entitled `Some lessons from China’ (The Island of Jan. 12 Jan.) appeared some readers wrote that `planning is better than blind process’. Leelananda suggests that effective planning is possible in both socialist and capitalist systems. Social and physical sciences
Planners need to predict and choose among various possibilities. The task of scientists... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/02/12)

What LLRC recommendations? Which“devolution” path?
C. Wijeyawickrema, LL.B., Ph.D.
 “All human progress has depended on ‘new questions’ rather than on ‘new answers’ to the old questions."Alfred North White — Science and the Modern World, 1925  Four blind men and the (devolution) elephant              The reactions to the LLRC report, on the subject of institutional, administrative and legislative measures need to be taken to promote national unity,remind the parable of the four blind men and the elephant.  For example, the section on the subject of “the need for devolution of power” (8.212-8.226) generated different interpretations depending on the hidden or open agendaof the respective writer/speaker. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/02/12)

Smugglers Dump Canada Bound Tamils in Togo - January 31,2012
Ira de Silva London, Ontario, Canada
The Editor Ottawa Citizen Ottawa, Ontario   Dear Sir:   It is interesting to note that these Tamils went by ship to India first. It is logical as Tamil Nadu, India is their homeland. There are sixty one million Tamils living there, the State Government is all Tamil, regularly lectures Sri Lanka and threatens to invade Sri Lanka if it does not do as Tamil Nadu wishes and dictates about how the Tamils living in Sri Lanka should be treated etc. and pushes the central government of India to do the same.   If these Tamils landed... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/02/12)

White Paper on Colonial Rule in Sri Lanka
By Senaka Weeraratna
As we celebrate our freedom from colonial rule on its 64th anniversary nothing is more conspicuous in our literature and written records as the absence of a White Paper and a Report of a Commission of Inquiry on the period of Western Colonial presence in Sri Lanka commencing from the landing of the Portuguese in Colombo in year 1505 until the inglorious exit of the last colonial rulers from our land in 1948. Sri Lanka cannot move forward seeking a new destiny until we come to terms with our past – the past that shackled this... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/02/12)

කෙමරූජ් භිෂණය 6
වෛද්‍ය රුවන් එම් ජයතුංග
Tuol Slengවධකාගාරයෙන් බේරුණු භාග්‍යවන්තයින්  Tuol Slengක් සිරකරුවන් අතරින් ඔමදක ීකැබට  වධකාගාරයෙන් පණපිටින් පැමිණීමට හැකිවූයේ දොළොස් දෙනෙකුට පමණි. ක්‍යසප ඵ්එය මෙම දොලොස් දෙනා අතර සිටි එකම කාන්තාවයි. අනෙක් සියළුමදෙනා ම පිරිමි වූහ. අත්අඩංගුවට ගනු ලැබූ ඪ්බබ භ්එය  නම් පුද්ගලයාගේ පණ රැුකුණේ ඔහුට චිත‍්‍ර ඇඳීමට තිබුණු හැකියාව නිසාය. ඔහු පොල්පොට්ගේ චිත‍්‍ර ඇඳීය. එම නිසා ඔහුට චිත‍්‍ර ඇඳීමට ඉඩ දෙනු ලැබීය. නිදහස ලැබීමෙන් පසු ඪ්බබ භ්එය වධකාගාරයේදී සියැසින් දුටු වධක සිද්ධීන් චිත‍්‍රයට නැගීය. දෙපාවලින් එල්ලා පහරකනු ලබන මිනිසුන්, ඇඳන්වලට බැඳ තියුණු අවිවලින් ශරීර අවයම කපාදමා තිබුණු මිනිසුන්, විදුලි පහර වලට ලක්කළ මිනිසුන්, ඔහුගේ චිත‍්‍ර අතර වෙයි. ඔදමක ිකැබට... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/02/12)

DISCARD AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORTS AGAINST SRI LANKA
Malin Abeyatunge
 Now the next session of the UNHRC in Geneva is around the corner, Amnesty International has already started its campaign against Sri Lanka who coughs for LTTE dollars with other humanitarian Organizations like Human Rights Watch (HRW) and International Crisis Group (ICG) to revive the demand to bring charges against Sri Lanka for war crimes. At the last UNHRC sessions in 2011, UNHRC resolution against Sri Lanka on war crimes was humiliatingly defeated by the majority countries and they will try aging this Feb/March with the help of International Humanitarian Organizations like AI,HRW and ICG.  As reported... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/02/12)

Qaddafi, the Man Who Came to Dinner
John Swinton, the doyen of the New York press corps, upon his recent retirement, made the following speech:
“There is no such thing, at this stage of the world’s history inAmerica, as an independent press. You know it and I know it. There is not one of you who dare write your honest opinions, and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinions out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for similar things, and any of you... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/02/12)

Petrodollar pumping US policy on Iran, backfire looms
RT
As tensions between the US and Iran heat up, author Michael T. Winter believes the main reason behind America’s harsh stance is Tehran’s move to seek an alternative to the dollar as an oil currency. ­Economic sanctions, spearheaded by the US and, less willingly, the EU could have a disastrous effect on both of their respective economies. If Iran cannot sell their oil to Europe, there are plenty of customers waiting in the wings, and if they come bearing not petrodollars, but gold and sovereign currencies, then all the better for Iran. These sanctions, if enforced, will in effect... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 02/02/12)

Who is Syrian opposition? West has no idea
RT
The West should drop the Libyan scenario when dealing with Syria. The country’s opposition is neither homogenous, nor ideologically transparent, and the West cannot be completely sure who it is supporting, political editor Mehdi Hasan told RT. It is wrong to compare the Syrian opposition to their Libyan counterparts, believes Hasan, who is senior political editor with New Statesman magazine. The Syrian opposition is far less homogenous. “There is this division between the external opposition figures, like the leader of the Syrian National Council who is based in Paris, and those who are on the streets, who have said... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 02/02/12)

UN resolution drops demands for Assad’s resignation, arms embargo - reports
RT
Diplomats at the United Nations Security Council have reportedly agreed to drop demands for an arms embargo against Syria and the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad. Russia had vocally opposed both points. The latest revision removes a clause calling on Assad to immediately transfer power to a deputy in advance of elections for a new government. However, the draft still “fully supports” the Arab League's decision to “facilitate a political transition leading to a democratic, plural political system,” the Associated Press reports. The Security Council could soon reach a consensus on a Syria resolution, current council president Kodjo... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 02/02/12)

Zero-sum political games in Post-Independence Sri Lanka
R Chandrasoma
In a zero-sum game, the winner takes all and the loser is left high and dry to rue his losses. The native card-game of booruwa is a classic example of a zero-sum game. In the great game of politics, parties joust for success but the presumption that it is a kind of zero-sum game will be rejected by those who truly care for their country. Let us travel backward in time to the early days of the UNP when the Marxist forces (LSSP. CP, etc) were a formidable political presence. The ‘Leftists’ reacted to political defeat by... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/02/12)

Any more takers for Sri Lanka bashing at the UN Human Righs Council Geneva this 27 February ?
By Charles.S.Perera
The infamous anti Sri Lanka DBS Jeyaraj introduces  his latest Sri Lanka Basher , Louise Arbour,  describing her as, «  the distinguished Canadian whose name is not unknown to many in Sri Lanka”. Of course Sri Lanka has not forgotten the  dubious role  she played as the UNHigh Commissioner for Human Rights, in which she failed to give a proper bashing to Sri Lanka and when she finally  left as a failed UNHCHR  formed with the help of the Terrorist Front Organisations of the Tamil Diaspora, her own International Crisis Group to champion the Human rights issues,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/02/12)

Wave-particle duality of nature challenged at Kelaniya University
Janaka Wansapura, Ph.D.
In 1807, Thomas Young demonstrated that light had wave properties by using a simple experiment now famously known as the Young’s double slit experiment. Young showed that the pattern of bright and dark fringes that forms on a screen when light passes through two narrow slits can be explained using the wave theory. Since Young’s revelations, the wave theory of light (of electromagnetic radiation in general) took firm root and dominated the physics world for nearly a century. Until Max Plank, in 1901, showed that the energy of the radiation emitted by heated objects was discretized... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/02/12)


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