by A. Abdul Aziz, Press Secretary, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Sri Lanka.

Where a veto power exists, the scales of justice can never be balanced” – Ahmadiyya Head.

According to our Press Department, U.K., on 9 March 2024, the World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph), His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad delivered the keynote address at the 18th National Peace Symposium hosted by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK.

The event was attended by more than 1,200 people including more than 550 dignitaries and guests who had gathered from 30 countries, comprising of Ambassadors of State, Members of Parliament and academics.

During the proceedings, His Holiness presented Adi Patricia Roche, founder of Chernobyl Children International (CCI), recognised for her long-lasting post-Chernobyl disaster efforts, with the 2020 Ahmadiyya Muslim Prize for the Advancement of Peace.

His Holiness also presented David Spurdle, founder of the charity Stand By Me, with the 2023 Ahmadiyya Muslim Prize for the Advancement of Peace, for his remarkable support for orphans and underprivileged children across the world.

As he began his address, His Holiness mentioned that for over two decades he has repeatedly urged policymakers to work towards peace and harmony of the world.”

Highlighting the importance of learning lessons from history, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

History teaches us that internal conflicts can spiral into regional wars – often fuelled by the interference and influence of external powers who ferment instability and division in other countries to serve their interests. In recent decades, we have witnessed the devastating consequences of such interference in countries such as Kuwait, Iraq, Syria and Sudan.”

His Holiness mentioned that he has warned of how unjust policies of major powers are triggering an ever-rising tide of inequality” leading to global insecurity.

His Holiness stated that many intellectuals and policymakers had previously held the impression that His Holiness was wrong to believe that existing conflicts could escalate into a global war and even trigger the use of nuclear weapons, considering it to be unnecessarily pessimistic.”

Commenting on those who held such views, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

Either due to their idealism and a desire to look at the world through rose-tinted glasses or perhaps due to an incapability to learn lessons from history, they seemingly ignored the widening cracks that have been opening up in recent decades in international relations. Perhaps, they simply did not wish to accept the reality of what was staring them in the face. As they say, ‘ignorance is bliss’.”

His Holiness stated that although many of the same people are now raising the alarm warning of a world war, in which nuclear weapons could wreak unimaginable devastation, many still seem unwilling to consider what must be done to end these conflicts and remain reluctant to hear the genuine voices for peace that exist in the world.”

Because those with the power to influence seemed unwilling to sincerely work towards lasting peace, His Holiness said he had questioned whether there was any point in reconvening for the event once again to speak of the urgent need for peace. However, he determined to proceed because Islam teaches Muslims never to waver in the pursuit of peace.”

His Holiness said that to speak truthfully and courageously before one’s leaders, especially those who are hard-hearted, unjust and cruel” is in fact the greatest form ‘Jihad’ as stated by the Holy Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

His Holiness reiterated that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community continues to use all the means available to work towards establishing peace in the world, and will continue to do so without fear of any sanctions.

Turning towards the role of the United Nations, which he referred to as a weak and almost powerless body,” Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

Instead of deciding each issue based on its facts and merits, nations have formed alliances and vote according to their self-interests.  Ultimately, critical decisions are made by a few privileged nations in whose hands rest the veto power. Instead of faithfully serving the cause of peace and justice, they wield their veto like a trump card wherever their narrow interests are threatened, irrespective of whether their decision shatters the peace and prosperity of other nations and leads to the death and destruction of scores of innocent people.” 

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued and said:

Where a veto power exists, the scales of justice can never be balanced… Regrettably, due to its inherent lack of justice, the fate of the United Nations seems set to mirror that of its failed predecessor, the League of Nations. And, if the system of international law, weak as it may be, completely collapses, the resulting anarchy and destruction is beyond our comprehension.”

During the address, His Holiness explained how the teachings of Islam in relation to warfare and the creation of peace are extremely important today at a time when several wars are being fought where these principles are not being adhered to.

His Holiness explained that although in extreme circumstances, the founders of the major religions, including the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), permitted the use of limited force, it was always solely with the intention of ending warfare and oppression.”

Referring to the teachings of the Holy Quran, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

In chapter 42, verse 41 of the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty commands that where a person or nation has been wronged, they must never respond disproportionately or stray into realms of seeking revenge. Furthermore, Allah says that it is better to forgive if it can lead to reformation. Chapter 49, verse 10 of the Holy Quran, says that if two nations are at war, neutral parties should mediate between them and strive to establish peace based on the principles of justice and equity.”

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad further stated:

If having reconciled, one party violates the terms of the agreement and again resorts to warfare, other nations should forcefully unite against the aggressor until it desists from its aggressive conduct.  Once it stops, the other nations must also cease using force.  The objective should always remain to build sustainable peace underpinned by justice. It should not be that a third party takes advantage of the vulnerability of the warring parties by usurping their rights for his own benefit.”

His Holiness said if these principles were observed by the United Nations and other relevant bodies, conflicts would be resolved far more amicably and swiftly.”

Turning to the present-day conflicts, His Holiness said that just like the Russia and Ukraine war, the conflict between Israel and Palestine is also geopolitical and territorial” as opposed to being a religious war.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

I firmly believe there is only one way to end these wars – by ensuring that justice prevails and that whatever settlements are made are based on equity, as opposed to what better serves the interests of external powers.”

Commenting once again on the perils of the veto power and its role in the present conflicts, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

In terms of the Ukraine war, Russia has a veto power at the UN Security Council, whilst, in effect, Ukraine also has one by virtue of its alliance with those Western nations who have permanent membership of the Security Council. How can a settlement be agreed if both sides can effectively wield a veto?”

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad further stated:

As for what is happening in Gaza, though both the Israelis and the Palestinians have their supporters, the veto power has only been used in Israel’s favour since the current war ignited several months ago. For example, in February, 13 out of 15 members of the UN Security Council voted in favour of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza but the United States utilised its veto power and the Resolution was defeated. How can peace be established where the majority view is so easily discarded? That is not justice – instead, it is a rejection of democracy and the principle of equality.”

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad spoke of protecting the sanctity of all places of worship and said:

Islam also teaches that unless one’s opponent uses a place of worship as a military base, it is not permissible to violate the sanctity of a place of worship by fighting within it or even near it.  It is strictly forbidden to knock down or desecrate the places of worship of your opponents.”

Turning to the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza, His Holiness quoted a recent interview of US Senator Bernie Sanders, who strongly condemned the actions of the Israeli government, describing them as unspeakable” and said that we in the United States, through our financial support of Israel are complicit in what’s happening.”

The Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community stated that he took no satisfaction in the fact that politicians and commentators were now reaching the same conclusions that he had long warned the world about for over two decades. Rather, he felt only regret that necessary efforts had not been made to bring an end to inequality, injustice and warfare.

Certainly, it is my opinion that there should be a full ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and also in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Thereafter, instead of inciting their respective allies towards further warfare, all members of the international community should prioritise ensuring relief efforts are stepped up to help those in desperate need and focus on bringing about a lasting and peaceful settlement.”

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad concluded and said:

We must all come together, setting aside national, political, and other vested interests for the greater good of humanity and to ensure that we leave behind a prosperous world for our future generations. It is the need of the time that we must focus all our energies and efforts on establishing true peace so that we may live in a world of hope and prosperity, rather than a world defined by inequality, hatred and bloodshed.”

Prior to His Holiness’ address, several dignitaries addressed the audience including the winners of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Prize for the Advancement of Peace, as well as the National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the UK, Mr Rafiq Hayat.

Representatives of several political parties also addressed the Peace Symposium.

Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP spoke and said:

The Ahmadiyya community has been at the forefront of calling for peace since the very start of the conflict. It is his holiness who urged all world powers to de-escalate and work towards a lasting peaceful solution”

Jonathan Lord MP said:

Your commitment (the community) to promoting peace, justice and tolerance across the world, is truly commendable…In the face of such uncertainties in the international situation, Your Holiness, and your Community have been true beacons of peace, reminding us of the values that should unite us all.” 

PEPE ESCOBAR  Courtesy The Unz Review

The Four Stooges saga of Bundeswehr officers plotting to blow up the Kerch bridge in Crimea with Taurus missiles and getting away with it is a gift that keeps on giving.

President Putin, in his comprehensive interview to Dmitry Kiselev for Russia 1/RIA Novosti, did not fail to address it:

They are fantasizing, encouraging themselves, first of all. Secondly, they are trying to intimidate us. As for the Federal Republic of Germany, there are constitutional problems there. They correctly say: if these Taurus hit that part of the Crimean Bridge, which, of course, even according to their concepts, is Russian territory, this is a violation of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany.”

Yet it gets curioser and curioser.

When the transcript of the Taurus leak was published by RT, everyone was able to hear Brigadier General Frank Gräfe – head of operations of the German Air Force – speaking with Lieutenant Colonel Fenske from the German Space Command Air Operations on the plan to deploy Taurus systems in Ukraine.

A key point is that during the plotting, these two mention that plans were already discussed four months ago” with Schneider”, the successor of Wilsbach”.

Well, these are German names, of course. Thus it did not dawn on anyone that (Kevin) Schneider and (Kenneth) Wilsbach could instead be… Americans.

Full Report

The German-American Strategic Depth Clown Show, by Pepe Escobar – The Unz Review

Ministry of Defence  – Media Centre

‘I am extremely happy that the College has selected a timely theme this year: Diversity and Inclusion towards Excellence in Military Medicine.” I firmly believe that striving for excellence in military medicine cannot be achieved by merely being knowledgeable and developing skills in military medicine but by creating and fostering an attitudinal and behavioural change, which is implied by the theme you have selected’.

Defence Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne made these remarks while taking the stage as the Guest of Honour at the Inaugural Ceremony of the Seventh Annual Academic Sessions of the Sri Lanka College of Military Medicine (SLCOMM) held at the Wave n’ Lake Navy Banquet Hall, Walisara on Friday (Mar 15).

Hon. Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, the Minister of Health and Minister of Industries graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. The seventh Annual Academic Sessions of the SLCOMM are to be unwrapped for two days from March 16 at Cinnamon Lakeside, Colombo.

President of SLCOMM, Surgeon Commodore Nandanie Wijedoru welcomed the Chief Guest and the Guest of Honour on arrival to the venue.

The SLCOMM functions with an executive committee consisting of the respective heads of the military medical services and its seventh annual academic sessions will provide a platform to share experiences and exchange knowledge and insights among Tri-Forces and foreign military medical experts.

The dignitaries  including Secretary Ministry of Health, Dr. Palitha Maheepala, Chief of Defence Staff, General Shavendra Silva, Commander of the Navy, the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, Directors of the Tri-Forces Health Services, Executive Committee Members of the SLCOMM, senior officials of the Ministry of Health and foreign delegates were present at the occasion.

මතුගම සෙනෙවිරුවන්

            තායිලන්තය යනුවෙන් වර්තමානයේ හඳුන්වන රට අතීතයේ දී සියම් දේශය ලෙසට ව්‍යවහාර වුණි.මොන්ගෝලියානු ජන වර්ගයට අයත් කහ මිනිසුන් ගෙන් පැවත එන මේ රට වාසීන් ගේ සම්භවය සහ සංස්කෘතික හැදියාව වර්ධනය වනුයේ බෞද්ධ මූල ධර්මයන් අනුවයි.අතීතයේ දී තාඹුලිංගමුව යනවෙන් දැක්වුණු පෙදෙස දෙකට බෙදී බුරුමය සහ තායි සියම් දේශය යනුවෙන් බෙදී වෙන්  ව ගිය නමුදු දෙරටේම ක්‍රියාත්මක වනුයේ ථෙරවාදී බෞද්ධ සම්ප්‍රදායයි.තායිලන්තයේ අදටත් රාජවංශයක් පැවතෙයි.ඈත අතීතයේ සිට යුග ගණනාවකට සම්බන්ධ මේ රාජ වංශය වර්තමානයේ දැක්වෙන්නේ රාම රාජවංශය යනුවෙනි.බැංකොක් නුවර රාජධානිය කරගත් මෙම රාජකීයන් වර්තමාන දේශපාලන ක්‍රම හා සමගාමීව  රාෂ්ට්‍ර පාලනය ගෙන යන නමුත් පැරණි සම්ප්‍රදායන් අනුගමනය කිරීමට බෙහෙවින්ම කැමැත්තක් දක්වති.

      අතීතයේ දී බුරුම වාසීන් විසින්  සියම් දේශය ආක්‍රමණය කොට අත්පත් කරගත් අවස්ථාවක් ඇත. ඒ මොහොතේ දී රජු විසින් සිය දේශයේ නිදහස වෙනුවෙන් ඉදිරිපත්ව සියම නැවතත් ස්වාධීන කරගන්නට සමත් වූ බව ඉතිහාසය පැහැදිලි කරයි. ඒ අනුව නිදහස් ලන්තය යන අර්ථය රැගත් තායිලන්තය යන වදන භාවියට පැමිණ තිබේ.තායි වරුන් සහ ලංකාවාසී සිංහලයන් අතර සංස්කෘතික වශයෙන් සමාන කම් රැසක් දක්නට ලැබේ. ඊට හේතුව අවස්ථා කීපයකදීම මෙරට ශාසනික සම්ප්‍රදායන් සියම් දේශය විසින් ලබා ගෙන තිබීමයි. ප්‍රථම වරට සියම් ලංකා සම්බන්ධය ඇති වන්නේපොලොන්නරු යුගයේ දීය.මහා පරාක්‍රමබාහු රජු ශාසනය පිරිසඳු කර කතිකාවත් පණවා ථෙරවාදී සංස්ථාව පිරිසිඳු කල බව ආරංචි වූ සියම් රාමඤ්ඤ ආදී රටවල භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේලා ලංකාවට පැමිණ පිරිසිඳු ථෙරවාදී බුදුදහම උගෙන උපසම්පදා වී තමන්ගේ රට ශාසනිකව බබළවමියි යන උදාර චේතනාවෙන් මෙරටට පැමිණියහ. ඉන් පසු ක්‍රි.ව.1170 දී පමණ සියම් භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේලා පැරණි තාමුලිංගමුවේ නඛොන් සිරිධම්ම නුවරට පැමිණ ලංකා සම්ප්‍රදායේ වෙහෙරක් තනා  එහි ලංකා ශාසනය ඇති කළ බව ඉතිහාසයේ සඳහන්ය. ලංකා භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේලා පැමිණි සිටි වගද උන්වහන්සේලා ගේ උසස් ගති පැවතුම් ගැනද ආරචි වූ එවකට සියම් අගනුවර වන සුඛොදය හි සිටි සියම් රජතුමා බලවත් ප්‍රමෝදයට පත්ව උන්වහන්සේලා එහි වැඩමවා බණ අසා දායකයන් බවට පත් වූහ.එසේම එවක රාජ්‍ය හෙබවූ බුන් රාමකම් රජතුමා විසින් ලංකා භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේලා ගෙ උසස් ගති පැවතුම් පිළිබඳව ශිලා ලේඛනයක්ද පිහිටුවා ඇත.

     මේ තත්වය මේසේ වුවද එවක සියම් හි පැවති පුරාණ ථෙරවාදී නිකාය බලවත්ව සිටි බැවින් නව ලංකාශාසනය හා පැරණි නිකාය වශයෙන් දෙපිළිකට බෙදී පැවතියායැයි සඳහන්ය.ලංකා ශාසනික සම්ප්‍රදායේ භික්ෂූන් ආරාණ්‍ය වාසීව සිටි අතර පැරණි සියම් භික්ෂූහු නගරබදව විසූහ.මේ දෙපිරිසෙන් ලාකා භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේලා පාළි භාෂාවෙන් ද පුරාණ සියම් භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේලා සංස්කෘත භාෂාවෙනුත් කටයුතු කිරීම නිසා දෙපිරිස එක්ව විනය කර්ම කිරීමේ බාධාවක් තිබුණු බව සඳහන්ය.මේ වන විට මහජනතාව අතර ජනප්‍රියව තිබුණේ ලංකා ශාසනයයි. එම ශාසනයේ තම කුල දරුවන් පැවිදි කරවනු වස් දෙමව්පියන් කැමැත්තෙන් සිටියහ. නමුත් පුරාණ භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේලා ගේ බලපෑම නිසාවෙන්ද නගර බද දරුවන්ට දුරබැහැර ආරණ්‍ය වාසී භික්ෂූන් කර යෑමට තිබෙන අපහසුව නිසාද යම් ගැඨළුවක් පැණ නැගුණු බව සදහන්ය.

මේ අවස්තාවේ දී රජු මැදිහත් විය. රජු දෙපිරිස කැඳවා කතිකා කොට පොහෝ සීමාවන් හි අතිරේක ගල් පිහිටුවීමට උපදෙස් දුන්නේය. ඒ අනුව සීමා ප්‍රාසාද වල නිමිති නොහොත් ගල් 16ක ද පැරණි රාජ මහා විහාර නොවන ස්ථානයන්හි ගල් කණු අට බැගින්ද පිහිටුවන ලදී. මේ සමගම පැරණි සියම් භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේලා ගේ ඇතැම් ඉල්ලීම් වලටද ලංකා හාසනික භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේලාට කන් දෙන්නට සිදු විය. රජතුමාද එය අනුමත කලේය. බුද්ධම් සරණං ගඡ්චාමි යන්න සංස්කෘතයෙන් ගායනා කිරීම එක ඉල්ලීමකි.මේ එකඟතාවය මත ඇති වූ සංඝ සාමාග්‍රීය නිසා දෙපිරිසම එකට විනය කර්ම කිරීම් පැවිදි කිරීමත් නිසා නව සියම් සම්ප්‍රදායක් ඇති විය. ලංකාවේ වාස්තු සම්ප්‍රදායික හැඩයට විහාරස්ථාන සකස් කරගත් අතර පාළි බස එහි ජනප්‍රිය විය.සියමේ සුඛොදයෙහි  රජු වූ ප්‍රචෞලිද්‍යෙ තුමා ගේ කාලය වන විට සියම් ශාසනය සෑහෙන තරම් දියුණුවක් තිබි යේ යැයි දැක්වේ.

          තුන්වන කාලිංග විජයබාහු සිට දැතිගම පරාක්‍රමබාහු දක්වා කාලයේ දිඹුලා ගල මහ කාශ්‍යප මහ රහතන් වහන්සේ මහා සංඝ පීතෘ වරයන් වහන්සේ නමක් ලෙසට ජනතාව අතර ගෞරවයට පත්ව සිටියහ. රාමඤ්ඤ දේශයට වැඩම කර බව සඳහන් වන්නේ උදුම්බර වාසී කාසයප මහ රහන් වහන්සේ යැයි පොත පතේ දකවා ඇත උන් වහන්සේ පිළිබඳ දැන ගන්නට ලැබුණු රජු උන්වහන්සේ සියම් දේශයට වඩම්මවා සත්කාර කොට සියම් ශාසනය ශුද්ධ කළ බව සඳහන්ය. එසේම රජු කෙටි කලක් පැවිදව සිටි බවද දැක්වේ.බු.ව. 1967 දී නොහොත් ක්‍රි.ව. 1424  දී තවත් සියම් භික්ෂූන් පිරිසක් ලංකාවට වැඩම කොට පිරිසිදු ථෙරවාදී සම්ප්‍රදාය අනුව උපසපන් වී ආපසු පැමිණි ඇති බව දැක්වේ. ඒ තෙවන වරටත් ලංකා ශාසනය සියමේ පිහිටුවන අවස්ථාවයි.මහා ධම්ම ගාම්භීර මහා මේධංකර මහා ඤාණ මංගල මහා ශීලවංශ මහා සාරිපුත්ත මහා රතනාකර මහා බුද්ධ සාගර ආදී තෙරුන් වහන්සේලා විසිපස් නමක් සියම් රටෙන්ද මහා ඤාණ සිද්ධි තෙරුන් ප්‍රධාන අට නමක් කාම්බෝජයෙන්ද රාමඤ්ඤ දේශයෙන් තෙරවරුන් සය නමක්ද ද වශයෙන් තෙරුන්වහන්සේලා 39 නමක් ලංකාවට සැපත්ව බු.ව. 1968 දී නොහොත් ක්‍රි.ව.1425 ඇසල මස පුරපසලොස්වක  ලත ඉරුදින කැලණියේ උදකුක්ඛෙප සීමාවේ දී වනරතන සාමීන් කර්මාචාර්ය  ස්වාමීන් වහන්සේ වශයෙන්ද ධර්මචාරි තෙරුන් උපාධ්‍යාය ද කොටගෙන උපසම්පදාව ලබාගෙන බණ දහම් උගෙන උපාධ්‍යයාය තනතුර සඳහා විජයබාහු සහ උත්තම පඤ්ඤ යන සිංහල භික්ෂූන් දෙනමක්ද ධාතුන් වහන්සේලාද  සිරි මහා බෝඅංකුරයක්ද පොත්පත්ද ද රැගෙන බු.ව. 1974 දී නොහොත් ක්‍රි.ව.1433 දී  ආපසු සියමට වැඩම කළහ. මේ සමය වැටෙන්නේ කොට්ටේ ශ්‍රී ජයවර්ධනපුර රජ්‍ය කාලයටයි. එසේම සියමේ රාජ්‍ය කලේ පරම ත්‍රෛයිලෝකනාථ රජතුමා බව සඳහන්ය.

       මෙලෙස සියම් රටත් ලංකා රාජ්‍යයත් අතර දැඩි සම්බන්ධයක් ඇති විය.බුදු දහම පමණක් නොව රාජ්‍ය පාලනය අතින් පවා සම්බන්ධතා දැඩි විය. කෝට්ටේ යුගයේ දළදා වහන්සේ භාරව සිටි කීරවැල්ල පරපුරේ කඳුරේබණ්ඩාරයන් ගේ දියණියක් දෙවන රාමාධිපති රජ්‍ය සමයේ දී( ක්‍රි.ව. 1489 ) සියම් රජුට විවාහ කර දුන් බව සඳහන්ය. ඇය රාමවතී යනුවෙන් සඳහන්ය.මේ විවාහ සම්බන්ධකම් මත දෙරට අතර දැඩි දේශපාලන සබඳකමක් ඇති විය. දළදා පොරහැර සඳහා සියම් දේශයෙන් ඇළි ඇතෙක් ගෙන ඒමේ සිරිත ඇති වූයේ මේ සබඳකම නිසාය. මේ විවාහ සබඳකම පිළිබඳ ලංකාවේ මූලාශ්‍ර මද වුවද සියම් රටෙන් ඒ මූලාශ්‍ර සොයා ගත හැකි යැයි සිතමි.කෝට්ටේ යුගයේ දී සුඛොදය නුවරට රැගෙන  ගියේ සිංහල වංශයයි.ඒ සුඛොදයත් අයුධ්‍යා රාජ වංශයත් අතර කාලයයි.මේ කාලයේ දී  එහි ආරාම පිහිටවූහ.උතුරු සියමේ මේ පන්සල් ඇත. සිංහල වංශය පැරණි ලංකා වංශයත් මේ දෙකම රිසි සේ වැඩුණු අතර ග්‍රාම වාසී ආරණ්‍ය වාසීව වැඩ විසූ  භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේලා දෙපිරිසම පසු කාලයේ දී ශ්‍යාම වංශය යනුවෙන් හැඳින්වෙන්නට පටන් ගත්හ.

ලංකාවේ රජ කළ අවසන් සිංහල රජු යැයි සැළකෙන වීරපරාක්‍රමනරේන්ද්‍රසිංහ රජුගෙන් පසුව සුදුසු රාජවංශයක කුමරියක් නොවීමෙන් හටගත් ගැටළුව සමහන් කරගත්තේ මධුරාවෙන් නායක් කුමරියක් ලබාගෙනයි. මේ නිසා ඒවක බලවත්ව සිටි වඩිග රාජවංශයක් ලංකාවේ බලයට පත් වූහ. නමුත් කළ ක්‍රියාව මෝඩකමක් යැයි වටහා ගන්නට වැඩි කලක් ගත නොවීය. කෝට්ටේ යුගය අවසානය වන විට සිංහල ශාසනය පිරිහි ගිය අතර පළමුවන විමලධර්ම සූරිය රජු උපසම්පදාව පිහිටුවා ලීමට කළ උත්සාහයන් අසාර්ථක වූ බැවින්. නායක්කර් යුගයේ දී වැලිවිට සරණංකර සංඝරාජ  හිමියන්ගේ මූලිකත්වයෙන් නැවත කල උත්සාහය සාර්ථක විය. එනම් අප කවුරුත් දන්නා පරිදි සියම් රටෙන් උපසම්පදාව රැගනෙ සියම් උපාලි ප්‍රමුඛ භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේලා පිරිසක් මෙරටට වැඩම කිරීමයි.

  එකළ  රදළවරු සහ නිලමේ වරු රජු සමග බැඳි සිටියහ.කීර්ති ශ්‍රී රාජසිංහයන්ද බුදු සසුනට මහත් මෙහෙයක් කළ බැවින් රජ නෙරපීමට කිසිවෙකුත් ඉඩ නුදුන්හ. එහෙත් සෙනරත් රජු  සමයේ සිට මෙතෙක් සැඟවී සිටි රාජ වංශිකයන් උත්සාහ අත් නොහළහ. සියම් රාජවංශය සමග තිබෙන ලේ ඥාති සම්බන්ධකම නිසා සියම් කුමරෙකු බලයට පත් කිරීමට ගත් උත්සාහයක් විය. නුමුත් එකල එය ව්‍යර්ථ විය.   කෙසේ වෙතත් සියම් උපාලි හිමියන් ප්‍රමුඛ භික්සූ වහන්සෙලා ඉතාමත් දුෂ්කර තත්වය යටතේ ලංකාවට වැඩම කොට ශ්‍යාම උපසම්පදාව යලී පිහිටුවීම සිදු නොකලා නම් අදටත් බුද්ධ ශාසනය පවතින්නේ නැත. ඒ නිසා ලක් බුදු සසුනේ නැගීමට මෙන්ම සියම් රටේ බුදු සසුනේ නැගීමටද  මෙරට මුල් බුදු සමය උපකාරී වූ බව සිහිපත් කළ මනාය.

මතුගම සෙනෙවිරුවන්

Senaka Weeraratna

India has repealed three colonial-era laws that governed India’s Criminal Justice System namely the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act, and three new laws were enacted by the Parliament in December 2023.

The three new laws are Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) 2023.

The earlier laws were based primarily on the protection of the colonial rulers. Now, a new era has begun in India which is firmly grounded in the principles of ‘Citizen First-Justice First-Dignity First’

The chief motive behind these reforms is to provide convenience to the general public. But before doing that the framers of the new laws thought that it was essential to break the shackles of colonialism by replacing the regressive colonial laws.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said in his Independence Day speech (August 15, 2023) delivered from the Ramparts of the Red Fort, that a nation burdened by a colonial legacy must dedicate itself to the ‘Panch Pran’ (five pledges). One of these pledges was the elimination of all remnants of colonial servitude.

The purpose of the new laws is to protect and reinforce the concept of justice rooted in India’s civilization inspired by the Sanatana Dharma.

Prime Minister Mody also said that India stood at a juncture between a thousand years of slavery and a thousand years of a new and energized nation. Now, we neither have to pause nor live in doubt”, he said. The laws made by the British before Independence, reflected a punitive mindset. Now, the new laws reflect a sense of justice by eliminating the imprints of the dark patches of colonial mindset”.

 The Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, said that discussions, consultations, and deliberations for changes in these laws had been underway since August 2019. It is not just the names of the laws that have been changed, but there has been a fundamental transformation in their objectives,” he said.

Swaraj does not only mean ‘self-governance’. The word ‘Swa’ is not just connected to ‘governance’. Swaraj also means advancing ‘Swadharma’ and ‘Swabhasha’, by promoting ‘Sanskriti’ and establishing ‘Swashasan’. Mahatma Gandhi did not fight only to free us from British rule”, he said.

While introducing the three bills in the Lok Sabha on August 11, 2023, Shri Shah said that from 1860 to 2023, the criminal justice system of India had continued to be operated based on laws made by the British Parliament, but now those three laws would be replaced by imbibing the Indian soul, which would bring about a major change in our criminal justice system. Shri Shah said that a total of 313 changes have been made in the old laws, which would bring a widespread change in the criminal justice system.

New Criminal Laws: Salient Features

1)     The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, replacing the Indian Penal Code, has 358 sections instead of the earlier 511 sections, 175 sections have been changed, 10 new sections have been added and 19 sections repealed.

2)     The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, which replaced the Criminal Procedure Code, has 531 sections, 177 sections have been modified, 9 provisions added and 11 sections have been deleted.

3)     The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) 2023, which replaced the Indian Evidence Act, of 1872, has 170 sections instead of the earlier 167. As many as 23 sections have been changed, 2 new sections have been added and 11 sections have been repealed.

4)     The entire process—from the first information report to the case diary, from the case diary to the chargesheet, and from the chargesheet to the delivery of justice—will be digitized.

5)     The presence of a forensic team at the crime scene for offenses with a punishment of seven years imprisonment or more has been made mandatory, providing the police with scientific evidence that will greatly reduce the likelihood of the accused being acquitted in court.

6)      In cases of sexual violence, video recording of the victim’s statement is now required.

7)      Police will give the status of the investigation within 90 days to the victim.

8)     A time limit of 90 days is fixed for filing supplementary chargesheet during the trial and depending on the situation, the court can further permit 90 more days.

9)      The scope of summary trials in minor cases has been expanded, it now includes offenses with up to three years of imprisonment. This provision alone will eliminate over 40% of cases in the courts.

10)                         Provision of the death penalty has been included in cases involving gang-rape of girls under 18 years of age, and provisions for life imprisonment and death penalty have been made for mob-lynching cases

Here are some of the new Changes:

Speedy Justice

*Maximum three-year timeframe for dispensing justice, eliminating prolonged waiting for justice.

*Timeline has been added in 45 sections.

* If a complaint is given electronically, the e-FIR is to be registered within three days.

 * The medical examination report for rape cases must be submitted within seven days.

*Charges to be framed within 60 days from the commencement of the first hearing on the charge.

* Prosecution proceedings against declared offenders in absentia should be initiated after completion of 90 days from the date of framing of the charge.

*Judgments required to be delivered within 45 days after the conclusion of the trial.

* Sanction for prosecution, supply of documents, committal proceedings, filing of discharge petitions, framing of charges, pronouncement of judgment, and filing of mercy petitions have been mandated to be completed within stipulated timelines.

* No more than two adjournments are allowed to be given in criminal proceedings.

* Use of technology for issuance and service of summons and deposition of evidence before court removes unnecessary delay and cost attached to court proceedings.

Terrorism

For the first time, a terrorist act has been defined clearly and made a punishable offense.

A terrorist act is punishable with a death sentence or life imprisonment.

Activities such as damage or destruction of property, disruption of supply of essential services, damage to the monetary stability of India, and destruction of any property in India or abroad used for the defense of India are covered in terrorist acts.

Acts such as organizing camps for imparting training in terrorist acts, recruiting any person to commission a terrorist act, and being a member of a terrorist organization are made punishable. Possessing property derived or obtained from terrorist acts is made punishable

Promoting Technology

The new laws promote digitalization and emphasize e-FIRs.

Police officers must provide information to victims through digital means within 90 days. Promoting forensics, mandatory visits to crime scenes, and mandatory videography for collecting evidence in cases with sentences of seven years or more.

The entire process of police search or seizure of any property must be video graphed through electronic devices.

Statements of rape victims are to be recorded in audio-video mode.

Appearance before the court can be done by the use of audio-video electronic means. Audio-video recording of all search and seizure processes. Use of audio-video conferencing modes for deposition of evidence by the accused, victim, and witnesses. Leveraging technology for service of summons and electronic supply of document

 There are many other law reforms undertaken under the following titles:

1)      Focus on Justice, not Punishment

2)      Addressing Offences against Women & Children

3)      Eliminating Corruption – Establishment of a Directorate of Prosecution

4)      Trial in Absentia

5)      Boosting Forensics

6)      Provisions Related to Reclassification of Courts

7)      Mob-lynching

8)      Organized Crime

9)      Victim-centric

The Victim gets a chance to express his/her views. Right to Information and Right to Compensation for Loss. Zero-FIR has been institutionalized, now an FIR can be filed anywhere. Victims are entitled to a copy of the FIR and possess the right to be informed about the progress of the investigation within 90 days. The accused-centric approach in defining the term ‘victim’ has been removed in the new law. Victims are entitled to receive police documents. The victim’s right to participation has been recognized at the stage of withdrawal of prosecution.

10)   Organized Crime

11)   Accountability of the Police

12)   Sedition Decriminalized

The offense of sedition, considered one of the most potent tools of colonial suppression, has been abolished. Stringent penalties have been introduced for anti-national activities. Activities against the sovereignty and integrity of India can now result in imprisonment for up to seven years or life. The IPC did not mention ‘intent or purpose’, but the new law includes ‘intent’ in the definition of treason, providing safeguards for freedom of speech and expression. Mere showing disaffection to the Government or contempt/hatred towards the Government is no longer a criminal act under the new law.

13)   Expediting the Judicial Process

Mandatory summary trials are now required for minor and less serious cases. Magistrates are empowered to conduct summary trials in cases that involve imprisonment of up to three years. Decision.  A timeline has been set for initiating criminal proceedings, proceedings before a magistrate, framing of charges, plea bargaining, the appointment of public prosecutors, trial, bail, judgment, sentencing, mercy petitions, etc. As many as 45 sections have been added with timelines to enable speedy delivery of justice. e-FIR must be placed on record within three days by a person filing a complaint through electronic communication. After the conclusion of a trial.  Discharge provision has been introduced in summon cases. The timeline has been prescribed for making discharge applications, charge framing, etc.

14)   Undertrial Prisoners

The maximum period of detention for a first-time offender has been reduced. A person who has committed a crime for the first time and has served ‘one-third of the maximum imprisonment’ will be released on bail by the court. In such cases, the Jail Superintendent must immediately apply in writing to the court, for bail. Release on bail will not be available for undertrial prisoners in cases carrying life imprisonment or death sentences.

15)   Witness Protection

16)   Measures against Declared Criminals

17)   Community Service as Punishment

18)   Search & Seizure

The procedure of search and seizure by the police will rely on technology. The entire process of searching or acquiring evidence will be video graphed through electronic devices. The records will be sent to the magistrate without any delay

19)   Disposal of Property

Since a large number of case properties are lying in police stations, new provisions have been made for their swift disposal. After creating a description of the property by the court or magistrate and photograph/video graphing of such property, they can be used as evidence in any investigation, inquiry, trial, or other proceedings. Orders will be given for the disposal, destruction, confiscation, or delivery of the said property within 30 days of taking photographs/videos.

Removing Colonial Imprints from Indian Legislation

Framed in the 19th Century, the old laws were enacted to fortify and uphold British dominance. They were debated in the British Parliament and not in India. When the old criminal laws were made no Indian leaders were consulted. The essence of the new laws is centered on safeguarding the rights granted to Indian citizens by the Constitution of India. Crafted with the spirit of Indian ethos, these three laws are poised to bring about a significant transformation in India’s criminal justice system. The three old laws, tainted by the specter of colonialism, were originally imposed by the British Parliament and were merely adopted by India after Independence. The old criminal laws used terms such as Parliament of the United Kingdom, Notification by the Crown Representative, London Gazette, Possession of His Majesty, Jury, Her Majesty, Privy Council, Court of Justice, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen’s Printer, Commonwealth, Her Majesty’s Dominions, etc. They have been removed in the new laws. Traditional legal titles such as ‘barrister’, ‘pleader’, and ‘vakil’ have been updated to ‘advocate’. Additionally, outdated terminologies such as ‘metropolitan area’ have been discarded. Terms considered derogatory or demeaning such as ‘idiot’, ‘lunatic’, and ‘mental retardation’, have been updated to more respectful terms such as ‘intellectual disability’ and ‘unsound mind’, aligning with the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. These changes signify the shedding of the British legacy, removing the symbols of colonial subjugation.”

Shri Amit Shah said that India was committed to running its criminal justice system with Indian ideas and ethos. India’s criminal justice system is also ready to leap from the 19th Century to the 21st Century. He said that after the implementation of these laws, India’s criminal justice system will become the most modern in the world.

Note: The above information was extracted from a new digital Magazine called

‘Vigilant India’ Magazine

Issue: 1-31 December, 2023 Year: 1 Volume: 17/18 (Joint Edition)

https://jan-sampark.nic.in/campaigns/2024/05-Mar/BPRD/images/eng.pdf

Law Reform in Sri Lanka

The British Colonial Govt. enacted the Penal Code (Ordinance No. 2 of 1883), Code of Criminal Procedure Ordinance, No. 3 of 1883 (later replaced by Act No 15 of 1979) and the Evidence Ordinance (No. 14 of 1895) in British occupied Ceylon around the same time that the British Raj imposed the counterpart legislation in India.

Though many amendments have been introduced by the Sri Lanka Govt. to these statutes in the post-colonial era there is no resolve within Sri Lanka as yet to follow India in this manner of total replacement. There is no political will to do so. The best example of a lack of political will to reform pre-colonial legislation is the 1907 statute ‘Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ‘No. 13 of 1907’, where the maximum punishment is a mere Rs. 100 fine. It still prevails to this day.  It has become a big joke.

The Animal Welfare Bill prepared by the Law Commission in 2006, pro – Animal Welfare document, to replace the ‘Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ Ord of 1907, has been subject to mutilation of a significant kind such that the latest version of the Animal Welfare Bill (2022) is no longer Animal friendly or pro-animal welfare.

 The Animal Welfare Bill proposed by the Law Commission and handed over to the then President, Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa in June 2006, was a comprehensive document. Upon enactment, it was felt that it would set the standard for other countries, particularly in Asia to adopt. Unfortunately, the Bill has had an uneasy ride over the last 18 years largely owing to the opposition of people with vested interests e.g. Meat vendors and Abattoirs.

 It has reappeared in a new incarnation in the year 2022 as a Bill of Parliament with many of the outstanding features that made the 2006 draft Animal Welfare Bill admirable and highly valued, discarded. Today, the Bill (2022 Version) is at the penultimate stage of its passage. Some of the content is draconian. It has fallen short in critical areas vis-à-vis the original Animal Welfare Bill, henceforth referred to as the 2006 Version. The potential of creating room for possible committing of greater harm to a wider number of animals through misinterpretation and misconstruction of words, though not conceived at the time of drafting, is very high and alarming.

The moral challenge for the people of Sri Lanka is to either give effect to the long-suppressed voice of the voiceless animals via an effective piece of Animal Welfare legislation or accommodate the demands of those who see animals in an entirely different light i.e., as fit only for abuse and exploitation for profit, and thereby belying the noble purpose of the Animal Welfare Bill.

Concluding Remarks: The entire Animal Welfare Bill proposed by the Law Commission in 2006 has been hijacked by the Meat trade and its acolytes and converted into an AWB (2022) protecting not the innocent animals but more the interests of the Poultry and Meat trade, and those who use live Animals in unnecessary experiments despite the availability of viable non-violent and harmless alternatives.

Can the friends of voiceless animals remain silent in the face of enactment of a bad piece of draft legislation to be incredulously called the ‘Animal Welfare Act’ upon enactment?

Senaka Weeraratna

උපුටා ගැන්ම  ලංකා ලීඩර්

එදා මෛත්‍රීපාල සිරිසේන මහතා ජනාධිපති කර බලය ලබාගත්තේ ද රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතා බවත්, එහෙත් ඔහුට එදා ඉන්දියානු කොන්ත්‍රත්තුව ඉටු කිරීමට ඉඩක් නොලැබුණු බවත් මහාචාර්ය පූජ්‍ය මැදගොඩ අභයතිස්ස හිමියෝ පවසති.

2019 වනවිට ගෝඨාභය මහතාටද ඉන්දියානු කොන්ත්‍රත්තුව ලැබුන බවත්,  එම කොන්ත්‍රාත්තුව ඉටු කිරීමට මිලින්ද මොරගොඩ වැනි ඒජන්තයන් යැවූ බවත් උන්වහන්සේ පවසති.

මිලින්ද මොරගොඩ දිනක් තමන් වහන්සේව හමුවී අදානිගේ හොඳ ගැනත් ඉන්දියාවට පොරොන්දු වූ දේ නොකර සිටීමට නොහැකි බවත් පැවසූ බවද උන්වහන්සේ සඳහන් කරතිි.

ඉන්දියාවත් සමග ගනුදෙනු කිරීමේ දී ගමරාළගේ දියණිය නරියාට දුන් කතාව වැදගත් වන බවද, ඉතිහාසය තුළ ඉන්දියාවත් සමග සැමදා ලංකාව වැඩ කළේ නරියත් සමග වැඩකරන ලෙස බව ද මැදගොඩ අභයතිස්ස හිමියෝ වැඩිදුරටත් සඳහන් කරති.

උන්වහන්සේ මේ බව පැවසුවේ කැලණිය, නාමල්වත්ත මහා විහාරීය සම්මන්ත්‍රණ ශාලාවේ දී පැවති ත්‍රෛනිකායික විශේෂ ජාතික මහා සඟ සමුළුවේ දීය.

වීඩියෝව නරඹන්න…

KAMALIKA PIERIS

Senior nurse Somawathi recalled that as the morning progressed the crowd was swelling to uncontrollable levels at Ampara   Base hospital, a large crowd had gathered in the public areas of the hospital .people were visibly upset

Bhikkhus from Sri Vidyananda Pirivena, Mahawapi Vihare and from all around Ampara began arriving at the hospital along with neighboring dayakayas who had heard the news.  Some monks were openly weeping at the sight of the carnage. Some were angry, wondering if Ven. Indasara’s outspoken and strong stance against LTTE intimidation had got them killed. Some were quiet, in shock.

Ampara resident, W. G Sirisena, a dayakaya remembers the moment when he learned that Ven. Indasara and the samanera had been massacred. He rushed to the Ampara Base Hospital to see for himself. When he saw the bodies of all the monks laid out at the hospital I started shivering and shaking,” he recalled. 

The villagers who milled about the temple struggled to grasp the magnitude of their loss. Their beloved Head priest and leader, Ven. Indasara, several members of their community including a driver, conductor, a school-aged youth and all the child monks whose wellbeing and progress they had attended to with personal interest and care were gone.

By late afternoon parents of the victims began to arrive from all parts of the island frantic for news about their children. The villagers helped the family members locate their loved ones. After an emotional reunion, Wawinne Sirinanda’s mother took him back home to Wavinna that same evening.

The state-run newspapers carried a short, sanitized account of the Arantalawa massacre. However, despite the JR Jayewardene government’s effort to downplay the event, the news of the massacre spread across the island. Throughout the nation people reacted to the news with shock and disgust.  Buddhists across the island raised yellow flags. It was a restrained reaction to a horrific crime against humanity, observed analysts.

The mood in Ampara however was grim. However the anticipated riot never happened due to the intervention of President J.R. Jayewardene. JR was not interested in the murdered bhikkhus, not at all, his concern was only for the safety of the 144 Tamil families living in Ampara.

He sent  Austin  Fernando,Secretary to the Ministry of Rehabilitation, to Ampara with the instruction, there are 144 Tamil families living inside the Ampara Town. Ensure that these people are safe, until we sort out this situation.”

Austin Fernando went to Ampara and   found that   a  troubling emotion” was brewing, fury. While the 144 Tamil families he was assigned to protect were of immediate concern, Fernando also worried about  that  this may lead to a full-blown riot in the country.

 At that time, with the  relentless barrage of LTTE attacks taking place, a spark of civil unrest in Ampara had the potential to spread through the country like wildfire. While this particular massacre was by no means the biggest in terms of the number of casualties or economic impact, it had a devastating effect on the nation’s morale. Even by LTTE standards, it was a dastardly, dirty thing” that had been done.

Without revealing his mission, Fernando identified a government stenographer  he knew,  who had his ear to the ground and used him as  an informant. The steno told him  people are furious and fed up and openly discussing what has taken place,”  Fernando asked if there could be retaliation against any Tamil families and  the steno replied, I am sure that there will be retaliation” .

Through the stenographer, Fernando learned that a group of thugs and mudalalis” had already gathered at the back of a shop and were discussing angrily,  what to do next. The steno knew where the meeting was taking place, but was reluctant to take a government official there, fearing  reprisal  later.

Fernando went to the location .In the smoke filled back room of a shop,  our hero, Fernando  faced the group of incensed, sarong-clad men who had been working each other up for some time. The men vowed to take  revenge on them”, by which they meant any Tamil, whom they equated with the LTTE, related analysts. 

Fernando saw an opportunity to enter the conversation when someone started to talk about funeral expenses. He deftly turned the whole discussion towards the funeral,  on which he then talked about at length, until it sobered the men. What do you want me to do regarding the funeral?” He asked them. As he was also the Commissioner General of Essential Services, he stated that he had no problem with bearing the victims’ funeral expenses. He would ask the GA to bear all funeral expenses.

When this was announced, the men settled down. Most of them felt that they had won a battle. Fernando obtained assurances from them that there would be no trouble that night. Once the group had sufficiently calmed down, and he was satisfied with the men’s assurances that there would be no violence against any Tamils in the area, Fernando returned to Colombo via helicopter. 

A  curfew was imposed in Ampara that night. Due in large part to Fernando’s diplomacy, and the president’s decision to send a civilian administrator to calm tensions rather than the military to quell them, that night was a peaceful one. There was no civil unrest and no innocent Tamil people were harmed in retaliation by vigilantes, observed  admiring analysts.  By all accounts, it was a quiet night.

Due to the tremendous outpouring of grief from the community, the funeral was held at the Ampara municipal grounds on June 05, 1987 with more than a thousand senior monks from temples all over Sri Lanka and several thousand members of the public in attendance.

The STF responded swiftly to the massacre. They moved into the jungle to gather evidence of LTTE activities in the area.  They discovered campsites that had been used by the LTTE cadres and some discarded uniforms that resembled those of the Air Force.

They monitored LTTE communications from the STF base in Kalawanchikudi. From this, they learned  that the LTTE team that had carried out the attack  was led by Regan,  who was also chief participant. He was part of a seasoned team of eight LTTE leaders in the East that operated out of Batticaloa  They were responsible for many of the attacks on civilians in the Eastern Province such as the Kituluttuwa massacre of 126 civilians and most of the village massacres. Karuna Amman, LTTE commander of the Eastern Province, would have been aware of the attack the STF said.STF added that  it was very difficult to prevent such attacks as these were not discussed over the LTTE communications prior to the events.

The STF were also unable to gain intelligence from the Tamil villagers in those areas, as many of the LTTE members were integrated into these villages. In this area, the LTTE lived in the Tamil)villages as ordinary citizens during the day, and would join the (TTE’s)clandestine operations at night. It was difficult to identify the perpetrators before this event because we could not get good information from the villagers.

The STF made an effort to be friendly in these villages during foot patrols, but the villagers were too scared to speak with us, because the LTTE  were among them and watching them and would retaliate against them if they were thought to be friendly with the Security Forces.” He recalled an incident where the STF members found someone in a Tamil village killed and strung up on a light pole because (she) smiled with us” on the previous day when the officers were on foot patrol.

A week after the attack the STF responded militarily, targeting the LTTE’s Eastern leaders. Using the communications monitoring from Kalawanchikudi, a small STF team of five led by SI Faizal Hadji carried out a targeted operation in the Unnichchai forest. The team ambushed an LTTE campsite and killed three of the eight LTTE leaders who had carried out the Aranthalawa Massacre. Two other LTTE leaders were killed in a subsequent targeted STF operation.

However, Regan, remained elusive. LTTE leadership went to great lengths to keep Regan alive sending him to South India for medical treatment  in 1987 in 1990 after he was injured in another military operation. In addition to the Aranthalawa Massacre, Regan was believed to have participated in many of the gruesome attacks on civilians in the Eastern Province by ambushing buses along eastern roads and killing its passengers by day  and  by massacring sleeping villagers by night. 

Regan later sought and received political asylum in France where he lived in Paris under the name Nadarajah Matheenthiran, while maintaining a low profile. He was eventually granted French citizenship for having a blemishless” record there. After a while, he became active again in the LTTE under the name Parithy and in 2002 took over LTTE’s leadership in France which was operating under the front organization Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC) which was responsible for extorting money from Tamils living in France as taxes” for the LTTE. On November 08, 2012, Regan was shot and killed next to a bus stand in Paris by two unknown assailants on a motorcycle. French authorities believe that he was killed by members of a rival faction within the LTTE.   ( Continued)

KAMALIKA PIERIS

The intention of the LTTE in their Arantalawa attack was to destroy the Sri Vidyananda Pirivena. But the opposite happened. The late Indasara was  promptly  replaced by his pupil, Ven. Kirindiwela Somaratana. Ven. Somaratana  had recently left Sri Vidyananda Pirivena to pursue his higher studies at the Kelaniya University.  He returned immediately to Ampara when he heard about the massacre and took over as the  chief priest. He was 24 years old. He also took over the 40 or more temples that had been under the care of Ven. Indasara.

Buddhists rallied around the  young  chief priest, offering him all assistance .Even the parents of the slain monks gave him their support to  continue the Pirivena and maintain the vision of Ven. Indasara .

Ven. Somarathana oversaw the ardhana ceremony and cremation of the slain monks. Then he focused his attention on the needs of the injured who were scattered between hospitals in Ampara, Kandy and Colombo. He also tried to create an environment for the remaining monks to return to a much-diminished Pirivena,  which was now without its leader,  one teacher and almost all of its students.

One by one the surviving child monks asked to leave  robes. Some were dealing with debilitating injuries. Some were scared about being attacked again for being Buddhist monks. Parents too begged to take back their sons. Of the 12 surviving monks, only three would remain in robes. 

After the Aranthalawa Massacre Ven. Wawinne Sirinanda  felt frightened daily that his saffron robes made him a target of the LTTE. The fear and the terror with which he lived took a mental toll on him. After spending a week with his family after the Aranthalawa Massacre, Ven. Wawinne Sirinanda Thero returned to the pirivena, but struggled to adjust. He found it impossible to stay there especially at night, he said. He missed his friends with whom he had spent every waking hour. I could not fill the void.” He said.One day at the pirivena, he became so frightened at the thought of being attacked again for being a Buddhist monk that he decided to leave the robes and re-enter lay life. He was 15.

The ordained life was a difficult existence back then he continued.. We didn’t always receive alms (at the temple) so we had to often go on pinnapathé with our alms bowls to collect our meals. Unlike many Buddhist monks whose needs are taken care of today, we had to be very self-sufficient. It was a difficult and meager existence, one which lost its appeal to meafter what happened.”

But the  Pirivena did  not collapse.  It survived and in 2022 Sri Vidyananda Maha Pirivena is a bustling school for novice monks   .with a new group of 60 students and teachers, said analyst.

The Pirivena now provides both primary and secondary education to its students.  There is a strong focus on higher education, dhamma duta work and social service in keeping with Ven. Indasara ‘s vision. The Pirivena  also operates the Sri Vidyananda Dhamma (Sunday) School for lay children and also runs a pre-school for the community’s youngest children.

The current Pirivena students are the same age as the victims of the massacre and come from the same parts of the island, mostly the rural heartland, observed analysts.  The majority, like their predecessors, felt an urge to become monks at a young age.

 There are also a few very young students who were given” to the temple. They are as young as four or five years old and are too young to decide if they want to join the Order. They arrived at the Pirivena due to an unfortunate change in their families’ circumstances, such as the death of a parent or a divorce. These children follow the same routine, classes and Vinaya as the ordained student monks, but are not required to wear robes. If they ask to join the Order, we will ordain them.” the  Pirivena said.

The student monks have always actively participated in social service work within the Ampara community. The Pirivena has accepted many refugees  who were looked after by student monks.

The Pirivena took in refugees after the Akkaraipattu Massacre on March 24, 1991, another village cutting” in the Ampara district. The Akkaraipattu  survivors who were from a middle-class suburban part of Ampara were mostly teachers, public servants and professionals.  they arrived  in a state of shock, unable to grasp what had happened to them. The monks cared for these traumatized families for more than a year until they could pick themselves back up and leave the Pirivena,

In 2004, when the tsunami struck the East Coast, the Pirivena  accepted refugees. This time the refugees were all Tamil, from the east coast’s fishing villages. The BBC Sinhala Service carried a news article about this titled LTTE Massacre Site is Haven for Tamil Victims”. The refuges were not told  the story of Arantalawa.

The  temple has also  remained the sole, safety net for the Arantalawa  survivors  and the  families of  the dead samanera. D. M Siriyawathi  said the Pirivena was the only institution that provided her with support after her son’s death. Whenever she visited, The Pirivena monks treat me very well.” She said tearfully. They give me sugar, tea, flour to take back with me. They give me money for bus fare or medicine. If we call and ask for anything, Somaratna Hamudurwo  will inquire about our well-being and attend to our needs,” Said Wasantha,formerly Ven. Wawinne Sirinanda  who was 11 years old when he faced the massacre

Ven. Kirindiwela Somarathana , chief priest, felt that this gruesome terrorist act against Buddhist monks should not be forgotten. I vowed that I would keep the memory of this event and of the monks who died alive in the hearts of the people of this country, through some action.” 

He decided to build a memorial at the very site of the massacre,  though it  took place  in the middle of a thick jungle .I wanted to  show the world, this is where these Buddhist monks were cut, chopped, shot and killed. He wanted to show the b brutality of the LTTE .

He obtained permission  from the government to clear the jungle and build the memorial.   It was a difficult site, with no access. But volunteers helped Ven. Somaratna clear the area. He then obtained ownership of the bus, was being kept at an SLTB bus depot in Bandarawela which he got delivered to the massacre site.

He was awarded a grant from the Deyata Kirula program. He then commissioned sculptor Anil Arumapura to recreate the scene of the massacre inside the bus, using eye-witnesses’ testimonies and photographs that the temple had collected.

The sculptor got to work, to create a moving scene of the violence and chaos unfolding inside the very bus in which the massacre had occurred. No details were left out, from the injuries depicted on the life-sized bodies made of plaster to the alms bowls covering the heads of some of the dead victims.  See https://youtu.be/e0C-yOsO1tc

The Memorial was unveiled on March 24, 2013 . A statue of the Chief Priest Venerable Hegoda Indasara came up nearly sometime later. Ven. Hanguranketa Pūnnyasara , a survivor of the Aranthalawa Massacre, who has visited the Memorial, said. It speaks to the heart,.” 

 Sunday Observer commented, In 2013, a  memorial  museum  was  built  at  the  location  using  the same  bus  in  which  these  monks  were  travelling .The gruesome last minutes of these novice bhikkhus had  been re-created in the bus and is open to the public.

The Memorial  was also threatened. It was going to be defaced. Monks offered to stay overnight at the site to protect it. They built a small temple adjacent to the Memorial, and the Aranthalawa Buddhist Monks Memorial Temple, came into existence, also in 2013..It was built with donations from Buddhists worldwide.

Visitors observed, a small number of Buddhist monks live here in simple dwellings. They lack basic facilities such as running water and do not have a surrounding lay community that is large enough to support it but Ven. Kirindiwela Somarathana now the Chief Incumbent of the Eastern Province, and head of40 temples and pirivenas,  intended to expand the site into a large complex.

Ven. Somaratana  holds  a well attended commemoration every  year at Arantalawa, on the anniversary of the Massacre. Religious ceremonies  are  held  annually  on June  2. Thanks to the Memorial Temple and the commemoration, this heinous event is slowly being etched into the public memory, while the hundreds of other similar acts of terrorism by the LTTE are now all but forgotten by a population eager to move on after the war ended, said analysts. 

This annual commemoration is  well patronized .One parent  whose child died at Arantalawa said that he finds the annual memorial service conducted by the temple to be immensely helpful, which he had participated in every year until he became frail and lost his vision due to cataracts. Since then, he had been unable to travel to the commemoration events, he said, but he hopes that they continue to perpetuity so that his son and the others who were killed in the massacre can be offered enough good karma to avoid being born into our world again.

D. M. Siriyawathi, the mother of 17-year-old Wavinne Aththadassi  who was killed in the Aranthalawa Massacre, had visited the Memorial and has attended the commemoration event every year until the Covid-19 pandemic. She hopes the annual commemoration event continues to perpetuity so that her deceased son and the other victims can continue to be offered good merit to avoid facing such an event in a future life.

B. M. Thilakarathna, brother of Ven. Wavinne Gunawansa  who was killed in the Aranthalawa Massacre at the age of 17 said that his parents attended the annual commemoration event every year till they died.

The victims’ families unanimously agreed that the annual commemoration events are an important part of the temple-centered support structure that Ven. Kirindiwela Somarathana Nayaka Thero had created for them. Every year, the families receive letters of invitation to attend the commemoration event. The event is a large and somber one that is also attended by delegations of monks from other temples, local officials, dayakayas and the Ampara community with the survivors and the victims’ parents being its honored guests. Here they are able to connect with each other and check on each other’s well-being, and form a community around their shared trauma. The parents, most of whom are in poverty, also receive an annual financial contribution from Ven. Somarathana, analysts reported .

The government  also  joined in and commemorated the Aranthalawa Massacre’s 20^th anniversary in Colombo at the BMICH, in a photographic exhibition that was open to the public. Sri Vidyananda Pirivena arranged transportation for the victims’ families to attend this exhibition, including finding them accommodation to stay overnight at Colombo temples.  Daily News ran a photograph of M.H Kiriappu, father of  a samanera killed at Arantalawa  viewing the exhibition.( continued)

KAMALIKA PIERIS

After the Arantalawa massacre, the government offered one-time compensation to the victims’ families: Rs. 25,000 for the slain adults and Rs. 15,000 for the slain children. Even by 1987 standards, this was a paltry sum, observed analysts.

Some families, such as Ven. Indasara‘s family, rejected the offer. But, most of the families of the slain monks were poor to refuse it. The victims’ families have received no further assistance from the government or any form of reparations. The survivors, received nothing at all, said analysts.

D. M Siriyawathi, mother  of Wavinne Aththadassi  who died in the massacre said that the entire payment of Rs. 15,000 that her family received got used up  to obtain her son’s death certificate.

Of the 47 who boarded the bus that morning 34 were killed in the massacre. 31 of the dead were Buddhist monks, of whom 29 were samanera. Of the four lay people who had taken part as volunteers, three were killed .Pulse channel features interviews with parents and others who had some link with the massacre. Contains first person accounts of the massacre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpDl5Kw2SAUby  

At Arantalawa eleven  Bhikkhus  had  escaped  death  with  critical  injuries  and  three  bhikkhus are  living  with  medical  aid and another bhikkhu is permanently  disabled.

19-year-old Ven. Hanguranketa Pūnnyasara underwent life-saving procedures and was transferred to Kandy for specialized surgeries and again to Colombo. More than three decades later, he still undergoes surgeries and treatment for his injuries.

Pūnnyasara has not received any compensation or reparations. All his medical expenses have been borne by Ven. Kirindiwela Somarathana who has traveled all over the island with him in search of specialist doctors, procedures and treatments that may alleviate his pain. He has lifelong medical expenses: for treatments and surgical procedures as well as for medication.

Rathnayaka Mudalali was shot in the legs and knee during the massacre. While in hospital, he learned that his 12-year-old son, Ven. Dewalahinda Dhammarakkitha had died in the attack. For the remainder of his life, Rathnayaka Mudalali dedicated his life to helping the monks build the Pirivena back up and attending to the welfare of the child monks there.

Records show that over the years he traveled to multiple parts of the country at his own expense and gave multiple sworn affidavits and testimonies, including to the Ampara police and the Commissioner of Oaths in Polonnaruwa.

 He kept meticulous records of his injuries and treatments as evidence. As a survivor as well as the father of one of the victims, it was his quiet hope to somehow initiate a criminal investigation into what he firmly believed was a crime against humanity that was committed against him and the 46 others.

He died in 2018 at home in Ampara, never fulfilling this hope. In his final hours, he requested the presence of the Sri Vidyananda Maha Pirivena student monks to chant pirith for him one last time. The temple sent five samanera; all around the same age as the son he lost, to perform this service.

15-year-old Ven. Andaulpotha Buddhasara was stabilized and airlifted to Colombo where he remained in a coma. For six years Buddhasara lived in various hospitals undergoing multiple surgeries on his spine and doing physical therapy to regain the use of his arms. After four years, the hospital discharged him, he said, but then kept him on as an in-patient for two more years because he had nowhere to go. He was 15 years old and unconscious when he entered hospital and 21 years old and paralyzed when he was discharged.  He is paralyzed from the waist down

Buddhasara said that he struggled to find a temple that could accommodate him with his special needs and all the expenses that came with his paralysis. He needed two attendants throughout the day and night to help him with his basic needs, a wheelchair accessible temple to house him; and financial support to cover surgeries, physical therapy and medications for the rest of his life. 

In the hospitals, the doctors, nurses and orderlies treated him with care and kindness, he said. In the outside world, he found himself unwanted and completely alone. His old Pirivena could not accommodate him with his special needs, he said. And, no government institution, non-government organization or temple volunteered to take him in. He sank into a depression, he said, and wondered if his life was over at 21.

For a while, he was homeless. Eventually, some senior Buddhist monks petitioned the government to find him an accommodation. Due to their persistence, officials moved him to a small building in Badulla close to his hometown of Kirindiwela, neither a temple nor a residence. He has since lived there in a state of limbo, surviving from one month to the next.

 Without any financial resources of his own, he has to raise the funds from donors to pay for his care, he said. Having to raise Rs. 50,000 every month to pay for his care has been draining for him. He said that does not have the funds to make a small viharage (monastery) on the premises to be able to run his own temple. He has not been able to complete his education.

 He finds it frustrating that the survivors, who have struggled immensely since this massacre have been forgotten by both Sri Lankans and an international community, with the latter eager to discuss reparations only for alleged Tamil victims of the government, but not the hundreds of thousands of documented war victims of the LTTE like him. 

Having undergone multiple surgeries on his spine and also his hands, Buddhasara has now resigned himself to the possibility that he may not recover. He fears that his medical expenses will continue for the rest of his life. He says, to the Sri Lankan public, We are still alive. Come and see us. Help us. We are struggling to make ends meet.”

People talk about the Aranthalawa Bhikkhu Massacre, they worship the Memorial, but they don’t make inquiries and help the survivors who are struggling to stay alive or the parents of those who died there. If those children were alive today, they would not let their parents be in these desperate circumstances.” He said, noting that many of the victims’ parents are now elderly, helpless and have steadily fallen into poverty. Look after the victims’ parents, they are destitute today. We the survivors are struggling today.”

Wasantha, former Wawinne Sirinanda comments, Our people have no memory, we forget after a few weeks. I am not sure if our children even know the hardship we faced during the war with the LTTE. Back then, if we got on a bus to travel from the Eastern Province to Colombo, we had to stop at about 50 military checkpoints along the way, climb down, get searched, climb back on and less than a kilometer later we had to stop and go through it again at another check point – we really suffered day after day. The UNHRC and the international community should consider what the LTTE did to us. Those who suffered the most from the war are the Sinhalese, so their resolutions at UN needs to be equitable.

Consider the parents who lost their sons that day, continued Wasantha .Some of them are in desperate circumstances now and suffering immensely. They even struggle to find their next meal. If their sons were alive, they would have been adults by now, and would not have allowed that to happen. They would have supported them somehow, whether they were Buddhist monks or not. But many of these parents have nothing and no one. The humane thing to do is to find out about them, learn about their struggles, and find out how to support them for the remaining years of their lives. Investigating this event and achieving a fair settlement (for the survivors and families of the victims) would be my hope for the future.”

On June 30, 2020, 33 years after the Aranthalawa Massacre, A Fundamental Rights (FR) petition was filed at the Supreme Court by Ven. Andaulpotha Buddhasara who sustained critical injuries in the Aranthalawa Massacre. Seeking an order be made on the Acting Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General to take immediate legal action against any surviving terrorists responsible for the attack which took place on the 02nd of June 1987.”   

The Thero requested the Court to initiate legal action and prosecute living LTTE members who were involved in the incident. He further requested the Supreme Court to issue an order to provide a compensation of Rs. 20 million for the injuries he sustained in the attack.

The petitioner stated when the case came up in August 2021 that no legal proceeding has ever taken place about the Aranthalawa LTTE attack, and it is a violation and continuous infringement of Fundamental Rights guaranteed to the petitioner and others. This petition was on behalf of venerable Sri Indasara Thera and other brother novice Buddhist monks who were brutally killed in the massacre. 

 The petitioner states that both Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Colonel Karuna Amman and Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan commonly known as Pillayan are LTTE terrorists who were active in Eastern Province.

The Attorney General informed Supreme Court that the CID has commenced an investigation. Since then, no public announcement on the investigation has been made said Wikipedia.  

This heinous killing at Arantalawa, pre mediated and cruel, carried out in cold blood, using swords,  on small defenseless children,   has not received the exposure that it deserves. It was to a great extent hushed up and removed from public memory. It is time to bring it back   to the notice of the public.

Black July of 1983 is celebrated each year, as our so- called Day of shame, but in 1983 lives were not snuffed out, only houses. In the case of Arantalawa, it was young promising lives.  Hereafter, when Black July of 1983 is   memorialized, the Arantalawa massacre of June 1987 should also be given publicity.  Also the many attacks on Sinhala villages carried out by the LTTE. (CONTINUED)

By Sarath Wijesinghe President’s Counsel (LL.M (UCL)), former Ambassador to UAE and Israel, President of the Lanka Ambassador’s Forum – United Kingdom, Solicitor in England and Wales, and Suchithra Withanage (LL.M (UK) (LL.M (UK) MBA (UK | Reading) LL.B (Hons) (UK)) Diploma in Law (UK) MCIArb (UK) MBCS (UK) MCMI (UK) ACIPR (UK) ASIArb (Singapore)

Sri Lanka, oft described as the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’, is a nation that is as rich in history and culture as it is in natural beauty. The island, strategically located at the crossroads of major shipping routes connecting the East and the West, has been a significant center of maritime trade for centuries.
The country’s population is a diverse mix of ethnicities, languages, and religions. The peaceful coexistence of the many communities within the island, despite historical tensions, speaks volumes about the nation’s commitment to harmony and inclusivity. The country’s natural beauty is a major draw for tourists, with attractions such as the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Sigiriya, an ancient rock fortress, and the sacred city of Kandy, home to the Temple of the Tooth Relic. The nation’s economy is multifaceted, with sectors such as textiles and apparel, tea export, tourism, and agriculture playing significant roles. In particular, Sri Lanka is renowned for its Ceylon tea, which is a major export product and an integral part of the country’s identity. In recent years, the government has also focused on technological advancement and digitalization, aiming to position Sri Lanka as a hub for information technology and innovation in the region.
Sri Lanka’s rich history is a source of both pride and fascination. The island has been inhabited for thousands of years, with a recorded history that dates back to the 6th century BCE. Ancient kingdoms, such as Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, have left behind magnificent ruins that offer a glimpse into the island’s glorious past. The influence of Buddhism is particularly significant, with the religion shaping the country’s culture, art, and architecture over the centuries.
In contemporary times however, Sri Lanka has faced its share of challenges, including a devastating civil war that lasted for nearly three decades and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. However, the nation’s resilience and spirit have shone through, with efforts toward reconciliation and rebuilding being a priority in the post-war era. Despite its many positive attributes, Sri Lanka, like any society, is not immune to the challenges of crime. Recent statistics indicate that the nation currently ranks third out of 193 countries globally and sixth among South Asian nations in terms of crime rates. This is a significant shift from the era following the end of a grueling 30-year conflict, during which the crime situation was far from satisfactory.
The rise in crime rates is a complex issue, influenced by various factors. The aftermath of the long-standing civil war has left deep societal scars, with the proliferation of small arms and the presence of combat-trained individuals contributing to an increase in violent crimes. Additionally, the economic hardships faced by many, exacerbated by the global COVID-19 pandemic, have led to a surge in property crimes and theft. Drug trafficking and abuse have also become significant concerns in Sri Lanka. The island’s strategic location makes it a convenient transit point for international drug smuggling routes, contributing to a growing drug problem within the country. The government has launched numerous initiatives to combat this issue, including stringent anti-drug laws and rehabilitation programs for addicts. Another contributing factor to the crime situation is the issue of corruption. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index has highlighted corruption as a persistent problem in Sri Lanka, affecting various sectors of society. This not only undermines the rule of law but also hampers efforts to effectively combat crime.
The government of Sri Lanka has taken steps to address the rising crime rates. Initiatives include modernizing the police force, implementing community policing programs, and enhancing surveillance and intelligence capabilities. There is also a focus on addressing the root causes of crime, such as poverty, unemployment, and social inequality. However, effectively tackling crime requires a multifaceted approach that involves not only law enforcement but also the active participation of communities, non-governmental organizations, and international partners. Education and awareness campaigns, social programs aimed at youth empowerment, and efforts to improve social cohesion are essential components of a comprehensive strategy to reduce crime.
Weaknesses in law enforcement, judicial processes, and public administration create loopholes that are often exploited by criminal elements. Corruption within various levels of government further undermines efforts to combat crime effectively. Human trafficking is another grave concern in Sri Lanka. The island’s strategic location, combined with socio-economic factors such as poverty and unemployment, makes it both a source and a transit point for human trafficking. Victims are often lured with false promises of employment and then subjected to exploitation, including forced labor and sex trafficking. The government has taken steps to address this issue, but challenges remain in terms of enforcement and victim support.
Drug trafficking is a pervasive problem, with Sri Lanka being used as a transit point for narcotics, particularly heroin, en route from the Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle regions to other parts of the world. The country’s extensive coastline and maritime routes facilitate the smuggling of drugs, which not only fuels addiction within the nation but also contributes to a broader network of international criminal activity. The involvement of retired military personnel in criminal activities is a concerning trend. Individuals with combat training and access to weapons can escalate the lethality and sophistication of criminal operations. This phenomenon is a residual effect of the country’s prolonged civil conflict, which left a legacy of militarization in certain segments of society.
The link between consumer goods and the drug trade is another dimension of the crime landscape. Money laundering activities often involve the use of legitimate businesses to disguise the proceeds of drug trafficking. This interconnection between legal and illegal economies complicates efforts to trace and dismantle criminal networks. Moreover, environmental destruction and the illegal trade in fauna and flora have emerged as lucrative criminal enterprises with international ramifications. Sri Lanka’s rich biodiversity makes it a target for poachers and traffickers seeking to profit from the illegal wildlife trade. The destruction of natural habitats for commercial gain further exacerbates environmental crime, posing a threat not only to the country’s ecological balance but also to global biodiversity.
The escalation of crime rates in Sri Lanka can also be attributed to the inadequacy of the digital infrastructure and the prevailing financial crisis. The digital divide, characterized by limited access to technology and the internet in certain regions, hampers effective crime monitoring and prevention efforts. This gap in digital infrastructure also affects the efficiency of law enforcement agencies, hindering their ability to utilize modern tools and techniques to combat crime.
The financial crisis in Sri Lanka has further exacerbated the situation. Economic instability and austerity measures have led to widespread discontent and desperation, creating fertile ground for criminal activities. Tax evasion has become a common issue, as individuals and businesses seek to circumvent financial pressures. This not only deprives the government of crucial revenue needed for public services and development but also undermines the rule of law. The criminal justice system in Sri Lanka, while robust on paper, faces significant challenges in practice. Issues such as lengthy legal processes, case backlogs, and limited resources hinder the effective administration of justice. The lack of swift and fair legal proceedings can erode public trust in the system and embolden criminal elements.
Civil society’s role in addressing crime in Sri Lanka has been minimal. This can be attributed to various factors, including fear of reprisal, lack of awareness, and limited engagement opportunities. Strengthening civil society’s involvement in crime prevention and justice initiatives is crucial for fostering a collaborative approach to tackling these issues. The crime network in Sri Lanka remains powerful, with some culprits operating from abroad or even within prisons. This is indicative of the deep-rooted nature of organized crime and the influence of corruption among officials. The ability of criminals to operate from within the penal system highlights the urgent need for reforms to ensure the integrity and security of correctional facilities.
As the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) celebrates its 50th anniversary, it stands at a crucial juncture in the nation’s legal history. This milestone presents a unique opportunity for legal professionals to reflect on their roles and responsibilities in shaping a just society. The BASL’s legacy of upholding the rule of law and advocating for justice is more relevant than ever in the face of contemporary challenges.
The need for impartial application of the law is paramount. Ensuring that justice is administered without fear or favor is crucial for maintaining public trust in the legal system. This requires a judiciary and a legal profession that are committed to upholding the principles of fairness and equity. Advancements in legal education are also essential. The rapidly evolving legal landscape necessitates a modern approach to legal training that equips future lawyers with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate complex legal issues. Emphasizing practical experience, ethical conduct, and a deep understanding of human rights is vital for preparing a new generation of legal practitioners.
Furthermore, maintaining judicial independence is a cornerstone of a functioning democracy. The judiciary must be free from external pressures and influences to make impartial decisions based on the law and evidence. Safeguarding this independence is essential for ensuring that justice is served and that the rights of citizens are protected. A concerted effort to curb bribery and corruption is crucial for the integrity of the legal system. Corruption undermines the rule of law, erodes public confidence, and hampers economic development. The legal community must take a proactive stance against corrupt practices, advocating for transparency and accountability in all sectors of society.
It is hoped that this event will mark the beginning of a renewed commitment to legal excellence and social justice. By addressing the pressing issues facing the legal system and society at large, the BASL can pave the way for a safer and more just future for Sri Lanka. The 50th anniversary is not just a celebration of the past, but a call to action for a brighter future, where the rule of law prevails and justice is accessible to all. In conclusion, it can be observed that addressing the rising crime rates in Sri Lanka requires a multifaceted approach that involves improvements in digital infrastructure, economic stability, and the criminal justice system, amongst other things. Engaging civil society, tackling corruption, and enhancing international cooperation are also vital components of an effective strategy to combat crime and ensure the safety and well-being of the nation’s citizens.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

A special discussion was held on 14.03.2024 between Ven. Welamitiyawe Dharmakeerthi Sri Gnanarathana Thera, Chief Sanghanayaka of Colombo and Chilaw Districts,  Parivenadhipathi of Vidyalankara Pirivena, and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena regarding the future development of International Buddhist Center Complex located at Vidyalankara Pirivena, Kelaniya.
The Secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development, Chairman of the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau, Director General of the Urban Development Authority, the Director General of the National Physical Planning Department, and officials of many other institutions including the Ministry of Buddha Sasana also joined the discussion.
A group including State Ministers Sisira Jayakodi, Prasanna Ranaweera, Member of Parliament Yadamini Gunawardena participated in this event.

       

Courtesy The Island

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Sri Lankan environmental groups are intensifying their campaign against the proposed Adani wind farm in Mannar. They have accused the Sri Lankan political parties of having ignored the the disastrous environmental, social and economic implications of the Adani wind farm to be established in Mannar.

Prominent among the senior environmentalists and scientists opposing the Adani project are Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda and senior environmental lawyer Jagath Gunawardena.

In an interview with The Island, Dr. Pethiyagoda said: We see a foreign company coming to Sri Lanka literally out of the blue, harnessing our wind energy, which is a sovereign national resource, and then selling it back to us for foreign currency over a fixed 25-year contract. How does this make economic sense? If the government called for bids from local companies, Sri Lankan shareholders would have had a chance to invest. That way we don’t bleed foreign currency, and what’s more, there’s tax revenue as well. What is the logic in giving this on a platter to a foreign company?”

Studies have shown that Mannar Island is among the most important bird areas in Asia, and perhaps the world. Every winter, millions of birds representing more than 120 species, come from all over the northern hemisphere. Some come from as far away as the Arctic Circle, flying over the Himalayas. This is therefore a hugely important conservation site, with huge potential for tourism.”

Gunawardena said that environmentalists were fighting a lone battle against the establishment of a wind farm in a sensitive environmental and strategic area.Gunawardena said that once a country entered into an agreement with a multinational, extrication becomes difficult.

This is why we must put pressure on the government and prevent this project,” he said.

Mannar was not an area that has a high potential for wind power, Gunawardana said.

A study conducted by the Sustainable Energy Authority a few years ago found that at best the wind power potential in Mannar was medium, he said.

Then why would a company want to build a wind farm there?” he asked.

උපුටා ගැන්ම  ලංකා ලීඩර්

ඉන්දියාව වැනි ආරක්ෂකවාදී රටක් සමග වෙළෙඳ ගිවිසුම් අත්සන් කළද, එම ගමන සාර්ථක ලෙස යා නොහැකි බවත්, එට්කා යනු සාමාන්‍ය වෙළෙඳ ගිවිසුමක් නොවන බවත් වෘත්තිකයන්ගේ ජාතික පෙරමුණේ සභාපති ඉංජිනේරු කපිල පෙරේරා මහතා පවසයි.

එට්කා හරහා මෙරට දේශීය වෙළෙඳපොළ ඉන්දියාවට විකුණා දමන බවද එමගින් දේශීය ව්‍යවසායකයා අමු අමුවේම විකුණා දැමෙන බවද ඒ මහතා පෙන්වා දෙයි.

ඉන්පසුව මෙරට සේවා වෙළෙඳපොළ ද විකුණා දැමෙන බවත්, මේ හරහා සිදුවන්නේ සම්පූර්ණයෙන්ම රට පාවා දෙන වැඩපිළිවෙලක් බවත් කපිල පෙරේරා මහතා සඳහන් කරයි.

ඒ මහතා මේ බව පැවසුවේ ඉකුත් 12 වැනිදා ‘ඉන්දියානු ආක්‍රමණයේ මාර්ග සිතියම… එට්කා අවසන් සැතපුම’ කෘතිය කොළඹ 7 නිදහස් චතුරස්‍රයේ පිහිටි පුස්තකාල හා ප්‍රලේඛන සේවා ශ්‍රවණාගාරයේ දී ජනගත කිරීමේ අවස්ථාවට එක්වෙමිනි.

උපුටා ගැන්ම  ලංකා ලීඩර්

ලංකා ලීඩර් පාඨකයකු එවා ඇති 2016 දී පළ වූ පුවත්පත් සිරස්තලයක සඳහන් වන්නේ එදා අගමැති රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහගේ ප්‍රකාශයකි.

ඒ මගින් කියවෙන්නේ 2020 දී රට ණය බරින් නිදහස් කරගන්නා බවය. ඔහු එසේ කියන්නේ 2015 සිට 2016 දක්වා ඩොලර් මිලියන 10,000ක් ජාත්‍යන්තර ස්වෛරී බැඳුම්කර ණය ගැනීමෙන් පසුවය.

සමස්තයක් ලෙස 2019 දක්වා ඔහු විසින් ඉතා ඉහළ පොලියකට එසේ ලබාගත් බාහිර ණය ප්‍රමාණය ඩොලර් මිලියන 12,000කි. එම ණය එදිනෙදා ගෙවුම්ශේෂ හිඟය  පියවා ගැනීමට මිස නිසි සංවර්ධන ව්‍යාපෘතියකට යොදා නොගත් බව රහසක් නොවේ.

ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ පාලනය තුළ ණය ආපසු ගෙවීමට නොහැකිව හිරවන්නේ රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ පාලනය විසින් එසේ ලබාගත් ණය නිසා බවද දැන් රහසක් නොවේ. ඒ අනුව බොරු සහ පට්ට බොරුවලට අමතරව දැන් කියන්නේ සුරංගනා කතා දැයි පාඨකයා අසයි.

2024-03-15

LIFE DOCS Athula Disanayaka

After the 30 years of war ragged in North and East of Sri Lanka, Tamil girl and Sinhalese boy started a love affair at Jaffna university. Their love affairs had a numerous social taboos and opposition. But finally they got married.

ස්ත්‍රී-පුරුෂ ප්‍රේමය ඉදිරියේ අන් කිසිවක් දුහුවිල්ලක් තරම් නොවටී. ලෞකික ප්‍රේමය උත්කර්ශය නැගෙන්නේ එසේය. ප්‍රේමය ඉදිරියේ අධිරාජ්‍යයන්, රජුන් පවා දන ගැසූ අන්දම ඉතිහාස පොත් වල තිබේ. මේ ප්‍රේම කතන්දර වලදී ජාතිය, ආගම, කුලය පසෙක ලා, ඒවා කැප කොට, ඒවා දෙවැනි කොට සිය ප්‍රේමණීය විජිතයේ කිරුළු පැළඳි පෙම්වතුන් අප කොතරම් ආදරයෙන් වැළඳ ගන්නේ ද? සාහිත්‍යයේ, සිනමාවේ, ටෙලි නාට්‍යයේ එන එවැනි කතා වලට අශක්ත වන, එවැනි කතාවල වෙනස් ජනවර්ග වලට අයත්, වෙනස් ආගම් වලට අයත් පෙම්වතුන් පෙම්වතියන් අවසානයේ එක්වීම ගැන සතුටු වන මිනිසුන් සැබෑ ලෝකයේ දී එවැනි මිශ්‍ර විවාහ වලට, අන්තර්වාර්ගික විවාහ වලට ප්‍රතිචාර දක්වන්නේ කෙසේ ද? ලංකාවේ අන්තර් වාර්ගික ප්‍රේම සබඳතා සහ විවාහයන් සිදුවේ. සිංහල- දෙමළ, දෙමළ-මුස්ලිම්, බෞද්ධ-කතෝලික, කතෝලික-මුස්ලිම්, කතෝලික-හින්දු, බර්ගර්-සිංහල ආදී කී නොකී අන්තර් වාර්ගික ප්‍රේම සබඳතා සහ විවාහයන් ශ්‍රී ලාංකිය සමාජයේ සිදුවේ. එහෙත් ඇත්ත වශෙයන්ම වාර්ගික හෝ ආගමික වෙනස්කම් නිසා ස්ත්‍රී-පුරුෂ ප්‍රේම සබඳතා ප්‍රේමණීය හැඟීම් හැඟීම් වලට පමණක් සීමාවන අවස්ථා කොතෙකුත් ඇත් ද? ඒ වෙනස්කම් නිසා පෙම්වතුන් පමණක් වී, එය විවාහයෙන් කෙළවර කරගන්නට නොහැකිව ලතවන අය කොපමණ ඇත්ද? විවාහ වුණත් ඥාති පාර්ශවයන්ගේ වෙනස්කම් වලට, හිංසාවන් වලට භාජනය වන අන්තර් වාර්ගික විවාහයන් කොතෙකුත් ඇත් ද? ලංකාවේ ජනවාර්ගික අරගල, ගැටුම් හටගන්නා සෑම අවස්ථාවකම වඩාත් අවදානමට, හිංසාවට හෝ පීඩාවට පත්වන පෙම්වතුන් සහ මිශ්‍ර විවාහ පවුල් කොතරම් වේද? එවන් තත්වයන් දියුණු සමාජ වල ලක්ෂණයක් ද? කිසියම් රටක, ජන සමාජයක ආගම, ජාතිය, කුලය ආදී වූ වෙනස්කම් නොසලකා අන්තර් වාර්ගික ප්‍රේම සබඳතා වලට, විවාහයන්ට ඉඩ සලසා දෙන්නේ නම්, එයට බාදා කිරීම් අවහිර කිරීම් නොකරන්නේ නම් එය දියුණු සමාජයක් ලෙස සැලකිය හැකිය. එය ආගමික විශ්වාස හෝ වාර්ගික සීමාවන් ඉක්මවා ගිය උතුරා යන මනුෂ්‍යත්වයක් ඇති තැනකි. ඇත්ත වශයෙන්ම තිස් අවුරුදු ජනවාර්ගික යුද්ධයකින් බැට කෑ රටක, ජාතීන් අතර සැකය, අවිශ්වාසය සහ සිත් නොහොඳකම් ඇති වූ රටක අන්තර් වාර්ගික විවාහයන්ට ඉඩ සැලසීම සැබෑ සංහිඳියාව ගොඩ නැගීමට උපකාරී වන්නකි. එය සැබෑ මනුෂ්‍යත්වයයි. ලංකාවේ උතුරු නැගෙනහිර දෙමළ ජනතාවගේ ප්‍රශ්න විසඳීමට ඇති එකම විසඳුම එය නොවෙතත්, යම් මට්ටමකට සැබෑ සංහිඳියාවක් ගොඩ නැගීමට අන්තර්වාර්ගික විවාහයන් සහ ප්‍රෙම සබඳතා ඉවහල් වනු ඇත. එවන් ප්‍රේම සබඳතා ගොඩ නැගීමට අවැසි තැන, එවන් විවාහයන් වීමට අවැසි තැන ඊට ඉඩ සැලසීම ශිෂ්ට සම්පන්න සමාජයක යුතු කමකි. මේ සටහන ලියවෙන්නේ එවන් ප්‍රේම සබඳතාවකින් විවාහ වූ, යාපනයේ විශ්ව විද්‍යාලයේ දී එකිනෙකා හමුවූ දකුණෙන් ගිය ඉන්ද්‍රජිත් සහ නැගෙනහිර ත්‍රිකුණාමලයෙන් ගිය අරුණ්‍යාගේ ප්‍රේමණීය කතාව නිසාය. ඔවුන්ගේ ප්‍රේමණීය හමුවීම සැබවින්ම අභියෝගාත්මක අරගලයක් වූයේය. ඔවුන්ගේ ප්‍රේමණීය කතාවෙන් දකුණේ සිංහල සමාජයටත්, උතුරේ දෙමළ සමාජයටත් උගෙන ගැනීමට බොහෝ දේ තිබේ. දැන් ඔවුන් විවාහකය. මාස 06 ක පුතකු ඔවුන්ට සිටී. දෙදෙනාම රාජ්‍ය පරිපාලන සේවයේ නියුතු අතර අරුණ්‍යා වේගයෙන් සිංහල භාෂාව ඉගෙන ගනිමින් යන අතර ඉන්ද්‍රජිත් දෙමළ භාෂව සිංහල අයට ද, සිංහළ භාෂාව දෙමළ අයට ද උගන්වමින් සිටී. මේ අතර මේ දෙදෙනා ආරම්භ කළ අළුත් ම මුහුණු පොතේ පිටුව වන්නේ Mix Marriage – මිශ්‍ර විවාහ යන්නයි. ඔබ මිශ්‍ර විවාහයකට අයත් වූවෙක් වුවත් නැතත්, මේ රටේ සැබෑ සාමය සහ සංහිඳියාව ප්‍රාර්ථනා කරන්නේ නම්, මනුෂ්‍යත්වය අගයන්නේ නම්, ස්ත්‍රී-පුරුෂ ලෞකික ප්‍රේමය අගයන්නේ නම් ඔබගේ අදහස්, මිශ්‍ර විවාහ පිළිබඳ කතන්දර ආදිය එම පිටුවට වැදගත්ය. Athula Disanayaka

Dilrook Kannangara

Victoria Nuland quietly retired recently after multiple failures around the world, particularly in Ukraine. Her services” were never appreciated by the countries that received them! Except Sri Lanka under President Gotabaya. And the timing of the book release could not have been better.

On 22 March 2022, Victoria Nuland, the Under Secretary for Political Affairs of the US Department of State visited Sri Lanka. When she met me, she came across as being conciliatory and wanting to work with my government to overcome the economic crisis that Sri Lanka was facing. Usually, when high-ranking members of Western governments visit Sri Lanka, we hear a lot about what we were not doing right. However, the tone set by this visit was different and I did not hear the lecture that Sri Lankan leaders would normally expect” (The Conspiracy to Oust me from Presidency- How internationally sponsored regime change made mockery of Democracy in Sri Lanka by Gotabaya Rajapaksa).

What is most interesting is Victoria was by Gotabaya’s side when his closest allies, party members, supporters and even family deserted him. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

It’s no surprise that she was nice or too nice for a reason. Just 15 days later, that is, on April 6, 2022 Sri Lanka and USA both approved the new US military strategy for Sri Lanka – Integrated Country Strategy.

https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/ICS_SCA_Sri-Lanka_Public.pdf

When compared to the ICS, all previous actual and attempted US military domination efforts pale into insignificance. ICS turns Sri Lanka into Asia’s Ukraine to fight against China, etc. All readers are encouraged to read the published PDF on the matter. It will decide the future of Sri Lanka.

Although the events took place about two years earlier, Gotabaya wrote the book and published it in 2024 and it contains his current views. He has still not realized why she was nice to him. Or he always knew it and played along. It is extremely unlikely that he didn’t know in 2022 why she and the US ambassador to Sri Lanka were very nice to him and even so in 2024! Therefore, it must be concluded that he knew very well what USA was after. It’s the repeat of 2007 ACSA military deal with USA signed secretly by the same person on behalf of Sri Lanka.

This ridicules Rajapaksa supporters’ anti-Nuland rhetoric. Why are they anti-Nuland when Gotabaya is not?

Rajapaksa supporters are dishonest and hypocrites when they criticize Nuland when Gotabaya himself disagrees with his voluntary supporters and henchmen.

These events highlight the naked reality of Sri Lanka’s politics. It is full of astonishing deception and deceit. It is the fault of the people too who are too gullible and trusting. It must serve as a lesson. Once an American, always an American. No amount of hair-splitting nonsense can take that fact away. It is a bigger tragedy that the largest party in parliament is also headed by an American (who is the organizer of the party)!

By 2021 Sri Lanka had moved way ahead than Ukraine in 2014 in its path to self-destruct itself. Truth to be told, Tamil Tigers never betrayed their aspirational nation to anyone – not even to India that once nurtured and protected them. The moment India turned against Tamil Eelam Tamil leaders fiercely defended it. In wide contrast Sri Lankan leaders have offered it on a platter after saving the nation from terrorists with tremendous sacrifices. Tamil Tigers only asked for 37% of the island, US military strategy encompasses the entire island without firing a bullet but being extra nice to a fellow American.

Asoka Weerasinghe

Dreaming of the joy of wanting

to make an offering of sharing moments

of poems, music and the theatre

there haven’t been many

who have walked beside me

with the courage of a lion roaring

at dinner circuits through polemical acts

of ethnic hate and tensed moments.

I have admired your conviction

of not backing away from hastily

constructed arguments parachuted

with twisted horns and creepers.

We have scanned the road together

(with Asoka Yapa)

praying for the blessings before we

picked our bags to walk

into the fires of songs and wisdom.

I envy your karmic delight

of wishing for bunches of coconuts,

the smell of  diesel fumes coughing out

from twentieth century buses, the bazaar

with fruits and fishes and stalls hooked

with raw meat boiling with buzzing flies

in the sun’s heat, the streets lined with

cathedral trees of scented araliya blossom,

and long haired tropical women

pasting their wet sarongs over tanned bosoms

and buttocks under streaming waterfalls.

In your journey outward,

scanning the road alone

I shall wish you pots brim-full with curd

and honey, lasting music of tom-toms

and string-bead festoons of raindrops

of falling monsoon rain.

(from Tewa selected poems by Asoka Weerasinghe

page 87)

Brother Harrison, I  touch your feet in reverence being a

a trusting friend who covered my back together with

brother Asoka Yapa, when I stood tall for yours and My

 Mother Lanka from my critics in Ottawa.

Rest in Peace Harrison wherever you chose to be.

I will  Love you for always and will never ever forget You.

Your brother Comrade-in-arms. Asoka Weerasinghe)

By Sarath Wijesinghe President’s Counsel (LL.M (UCL London)), former Ambassador to UAE and Israel, former Chairman of the Consumer Affairs Authority, President of the Lanka Ambassador’s Forum – United Kingdom, Solicitor in England and Wales

In the era of rapid technological advancement, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an important force driving innovation across various sectors. As we celebrate World Consumer Rights Day 2024, the theme “Fair and Responsible AI for Consumers” urges us to reflect on the ethical and societal implications of AI, particularly in automation, such as automated vehicles, and engineering.
AI’s integration into automation and engineering has revolutionized industries, offering unprecedented efficiency, precision, and innovation. In the realm of automated vehicles, AI algorithms process vast amounts of data in real-time, enabling self-driving cars to navigate complex environments safely. This technology has the potential to reduce traffic accidents, ease congestion, and lower emissions, contributing to a more sustainable and safe transportation future. Similarly, in engineering, AI-driven tools are transforming design, manufacturing, and maintenance processes. AI algorithms can predict equipment failures, optimize energy consumption, and assist in designing more efficient and resilient structures.
These advancements not only enhance productivity but also promote sustainability and resource conservation.
While the benefits of AI in automation and engineering are undeniable, they come with significant challenges that need to be addressed to ensure consumer protection and fairness. One of the primary concerns is safety. As automated vehicles become more common, ensuring their reliability and safety in all driving conditions is paramount. This requires rigorous testing, transparent safety protocols, and continuous monitoring to prevent accidents and protect passengers.
In engineering, the reliance on AI-driven systems raises questions about data privacy, security, and the potential loss of jobs due to automation. Ensuring that AI systems are secure from cyber threats and that personal data is protected is crucial for maintaining consumer trust. Moreover, there is a need for policies that support workforce transition and re-skilling to mitigate the impact of automation on employment. To address these challenges, it is essential to develop and enforce ethical AI guidelines that prioritize consumer safety, privacy, and fairness. This includes establishing clear standards for AI transparency, accountability, and inclusivity. For automated vehicles, this means creating a regulatory framework that ensures safety standards are met and that consumers are informed about the capabilities and limitations of the technology.
The ethical landscape of AI in automation and engineering is complex, requiring a multidisciplinary approach to navigate. Ethical AI involves more than just ensuring that technology does not harm consumers; it also entails promoting social good and enhancing human capabilities. For instance, in automated vehicles, ethical considerations extend to ensuring equitable access to this technology and addressing the potential displacement of workers in the transportation sector.
In engineering, ethical AI calls for transparency in algorithmic decision-making processes. Engineers and developers must ensure that AI systems do not perpetuate biases or discriminate against certain groups. This requires a thorough examination of the data used to train these systems and a commitment to diversity and inclusion in the development teams.
Regulation and policy play a critical role in ensuring fair and responsible AI for consumers. Governments and regulatory bodies need to establish clear guidelines and standards for the development and deployment of AI technologies. This includes setting safety standards for automated vehicles, data protection regulations for AI systems, and guidelines for ethical AI practices. Policymakers
must also consider the long-term implications of AI on society, including its impact on employment, privacy, and security. By engaging with stakeholders from various sectors, including industry, academia, and civil society, policymakers can develop comprehensive strategies that balance innovation with consumer protection.
Consumer education and empowerment are crucial for navigating the AI-driven future. Consumers need to be informed about the capabilities and limitations of AI technologies, as well as their rights and responsibilities. For example, understanding the safety features of automated vehicles or the data privacy implications of AI-driven services can help consumers make informed decisions. Moreover, empowering consumers to voice their concerns and participate in the development of AI policies can ensure that their interests are represented. Consumer advocacy groups play a vital role in this regard, raising awareness about consumer rights and advocating for responsible AI practices.
The future of AI in automation and engineering holds immense promise, with the potential to drive innovation and improve the quality of life for consumers. However, realizing this potential requires a concerted effort to address the ethical, social, and regulatory challenges that come with these technologies. The development of AI in automated vehicles is advancing rapidly, with significant progress being made in areas such as sensor technology, machine learning algorithms, and data processing. Modern self-driving cars are equipped with a combination of cameras, radar, and LiDAR sensors that enable them to perceive their environment with high accuracy. AI algorithms then process this data to make real-time decisions, such as identifying obstacles, predicting the behavior of other road users, and determining the optimal path. Moreover, advancements in deep learning and neural networks have improved the ability of autonomous vehicles to learn from vast amounts of driving data, enhancing their decision-making capabilities. Companies like Tesla, Waymo, and Cruise are continually testing and refining their AI systems to improve safety and reliability. The integration of 5G technology is also expected to boost the performance of automated vehicles by enabling faster data transmission and real-time communication with other vehicles and infrastructure.
In the field of engineering, AI is driving innovations in various domains, including construction, manufacturing, and energy management. For instance, AI-powered robots are being used in construction sites to automate tasks such as bricklaying,
welding, and structural inspection. This not only increases efficiency but also reduces the risk of accidents. In manufacturing, AI is being used to optimize production processes, predict maintenance needs, and improve product quality. By analyzing data from sensors and machines, AI algorithms can identify patterns and anomalies that human operators might miss. This predictive maintenance approach can significantly reduce downtime and maintenance costs.
AI is also playing a crucial role in energy management, with smart grids and AI-driven energy systems enabling more efficient distribution and consumption of energy. These systems can analyze energy usage patterns, predict demand, and optimize the generation and distribution of renewable energy sources. Despite the significant advancements, the development of AI in automation and engineering also presents challenges. Issues such as data privacy, security, and ethical considerations need to be addressed to ensure that these technologies are developed and deployed responsibly. Additionally, there is a need for skilled professionals who can design, implement, and manage AI systems in these fields.
The future of AI in automation and engineering holds immense potential for transforming industries and improving the quality of life. As AI technologies continue to evolve, they will enable more efficient, sustainable, and safe solutions in various sectors. However, it is crucial to navigate the development of AI with a focus on ethical principles and consumer protection to ensure that the benefits are equitably distributed and that potential risks are mitigated.

KAMALIKA PIERIS

Gunaratna and Jayakody have given a full description of the massacre of samaneras at Arantalawa.   Gunaratna and Jayakody have interviewed persons who were   physically present at the massacre and obtained first person information.  .They speak of the joyful preparations and happy start to the charikawa, and then describe the massacre, as it was recalled to them is a very detailed account [1]  .

On the day of the trip, Ven. Indasara had arrived at Sri Vidyananda Pirivena in his van. There, the samanera comprising mainly 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 year olds as well as a nine year old, were ready and waiting.  They were taken to the Mahawapi vihara. They were beyond excited about the next day’s trip, Wasantha, then 11-year-old Ven. Wawinne Sirinanda, recalled that many of them were too excited about the trip to sleep that night

On June 02, 1987 around 5:00am, a SLTB bus arrived, at the temple, carrying a board saying ‘Visesa Charika’. It was driven by G. G. Samarapala. He was a bus driver by profession and a dayakaya of the temple. N. P. Jinadasa was the conductor. Vasantha Jayawardene, a youth who lived in the area and was friendly with the young monks, had been invited to come and assist the group. 47-year-old Ratnayaka Mudalali, a trader in Ampara and a loyal dayakaya had a son, at the Pirivena, 12-year-old Ven. Devalahinda Dhammarakitha. He came on the trip to be with his son and also to help.

The monks in charge got the little ones seated inside the bus, each clutching his round talipot leaf fan in one hand and a cloth travel bag in the other, containing a spare robe, a black metal alms bowl, a needle and some thread and a parcel of food for lunch. This charikawa was a brief, delightful respite from the highly disciplined life at the Pirivena for which they had signed up at impossibly tender ages, observed Gunaratna and Jayakody.

Eventually the bus filled up, with the monks sharing seats with each other because it was so full. Ven. Andaulpotha Buddhasara had a list of all those going on the trip. He checked off the names and squeezed into a seat at the back. Behind the bus was Ven. Indasara’s white van carrying the remaining monks.

At 5:45am, the bus left the temple with 47 monks of whom 39 were samanera and four laymen. Some dayakayas from the neighborhood came to see them off. Ven. Indasara took the front seat next to a little samanera. .For the first one hour everyone in the bus was joyous and exhilarated. The little monks started to sing folk songs. After a while, Ven. Indasara with mock sternness reproached the group and instructed everyone to chant pirit with the same gusto with which they had sung the songs. Soon everyone was chanting pirit.

The bus crossed from Ampara District into Batticaloa District. Everyone was relaxed and happy. At approximately 7:15am, the bus entered a desolate stretch of road that cut through a thick teak jungle known as Aranthalawa.

Suddenly, Samarapala pressed on the brakes and the bus slowed down to a stop. A log had been placed across the road blocking the path. Samarapala consulted with Jinadasa. The conductor suggested driving over the log, but Samarapala, perhaps sensing danger, started to put the bus into reverse.

Three men appeared on the side of the road wearing navy blue uniforms similar to those worn by the Sri Lanka Air Force. One of them, a well-built tall and light-skinned” young man holding a T-56 assault rifle stepped up next to the bus and put out his hand, instructing the bus to stop.

Samarapala complied believing the man to be a member of the Security Forces, perhaps in need of a ride. The man climbed inside the bus with the two others. Pointing the machine gun at Samarapala and speaking in Tamil, he ordered the driver to turn the bus from the road into the jungle. It was now apparent to all those in the bus that the person who had entered their bus was not a member of Sri Lankan Security Forces but a member of the LTTE in disguise.

Immediately, those on the bus became frightened. Samarapala, who was proficient in Tamil, spoke respectfully, that the bus was full of innocent samanera who were headed on a pilgrimage. Please let us pass without trouble.” He begged. The LTTE cadre pointed his weapon threateningly at Samarapala’s mouth and shouted at him to turn the bus into the jungle immediately.  This shows that LTTE knew about the charika, the route it was going to take and when to expect the bus to enter Batticaloa.

Samarapala turned the bus away from the open road and towards a secret place that had been prepared deep inside the jungles of Aranthalawa. With the weapon pointed at him Samarapala drove further and further into the jungle and away from the road.  25 to 30 LTTE cadres holding machine guns, swords, machetes, knives and poles had now positioned themselves on either side  of the bus and  behind it and were following along silently on foot. They were dressed in civilian clothes.  Some seemed to be teenagers. The bus continued to move forward extremely slowly. The samanera inside the bus began to cry.

About 50 meters in, LTTE ordered the bus stopped. Another LTTE cadre boarded the bus as the one who had pointed the gun at Samarapala stepped off. He looked about 17 years old. Munny munny woch woch” he shouted holding out a bag. He moved through the bus, grabbing the wrist watches and wallets off of the lay folk.  The monks also gave the money that they had on them, which was not much. With the loot secured in the bag, he stepped off the bus.

The first LTTE cadre    returned and pointed his machine gun at Samarapala.  Samarapala begged and pleaded, saying over and over again that he was the father of six children who would be left destitute were he to be killed. The LTTE cadre shot him multiple times in the head and Samarapala collapsed on to the steering wheel. 

Another LTTE cadre climbed in. he was carrying a sword. He was well-built, dark-skinned, and had a terrifying face and demeanor”. When the   samanera saw him, they began to cry even louder. “Vettada!” (Cut them!”)  The LTTE cadre shouted in Tamil.  

 Ven Indasara stood up from his seat and said I am Hegoda Indasara from Galle. Kill me, but, do not harm these little ones.”One of the cadres shouted at Ven Indasara and pushed him back into the seat as the other swung the sword. The sword first hit the ceiling of the bus. , Ven. Indasara attempted to block the falling blade with his arm, but it struck his head. The LTTE cadre then struck him again and again like felling a banana tree” and everyone on the bus watched in horror as blood spewed out of his neck. Their beloved Head priest Ven. Indasara,   59 years, crumpled into the seat and died.

Ven. Valallawita Wimalanyana, who was seated directly behind, sensed that he would be next. He was Ven Indasaras’ deputy on this trip. He stood up and repelled the blade of the sword with his arm causing it to hit the roof of the bus. This blunted the force with which the sword came back down and saved his life. Ven. Valallawita Wimalanyana slid to the ground as the blade sliced his hand, arm and chest in one deep long gash. He fell between seats.

The samanera began to scream. Some started to run here and there inside the bus. Some hid between seats.    11-year-old Ven. Wawinne Sirinanda who was seated in the third row ducked under his seat. From this vantage point, Sirinanda could see what happened next.

An LTTE cadre grabbed a samanera who had been seated in front, and attempted to drag him outside. The little monk clung to the metal pole near the entrance of the bus and screamed and struggled.  Realizing the difficulty of taking the victims off the bus one by one to be executed, an LTTE cadre struck the little monk’s head with a machete with great force splitting open part of his skull like a coconut.”

The other LTTE cadre then shot into the bus, killing Jinadasa and Jayawardene instantly. Rathnayaka Mudalali was shot in the legs as he ran further into the bus. He fell down in the aisle and passed out. With all the adults around them dead or incapacitated, some of the little monks started to call out to their mothers and fathers.

Ven. Sirinanda was under the seat. He did not know whether to cry, scream for help or be silent as the massacre went on in front of him. The LTTE cadre standing next to the seat he was hiding under reloaded his gun and around 25 bullets fell on the metal floorboard next to where he was hiding. The bullets hitting the floor made a deafening noise. He thought he would be discovered and killed when the LTTE cadre bent down to collect the fallen bullets, but the cadre did not reach down for them. Instead, he moved through the bus methodically shooting. The other LTTE cadres sliced and chopped the fallen monks.

Lying on the ground unable to move Ven. Valallawita Wimalanyana listened helplessly to the sound of slicing, chopping, shooting and crying going on. One by one, he felt bodies falling on top of him.

As the LTTE cadres moved towards the middle of the bus, one terrified little monk curled up on his seat and stuck his metal alms bowl on his head. Several others around him who saw this did the same. The LTTE cadres killed them anyway, slicing and shooting their bodies while the metal alms bowls still covered their heads.

Hearing the sound chis chis” as the blades struck flesh over and over again, Ven. Hanguranketa Pūnnyasara, 19 years, hid his head behind the back of the seat in front of him and curled up into the fetal position. He was seated towards the back right corner of the bus over the rear wheel. He knew the LTTE cadres would soon make their way down to him.  He stayed quiet.

17-year-old Ven. Wawinne Gunawansa seated on the left next to Ven. Hanguranketa Pūnnyasara stood up when the LTTE cadres approached them and was struck down by a sword so forcefully that his flesh fell on Pūnnyasara’s neck and lap and his blood poured onto his robes. Pūnnyasara stayed slumped over in his seat with his eyes shut. As he lay motionless, he felt more warm fluid and pieces” falling on him.

He would later realize that what had fallen on him was the brain matter of 11-year-old. Mahiyanganaye Wipulasara who had been seated on his right next to the window. With both those on either side of him dead, he stayed motionless, completely covered in his friends’ blood and body parts. The LTTE cadres seemed to think he too was dead, but they shot him anyway, piercing his left leg and back with bullets.

In a final effort to escape death, some children begged their murderers Aney mamé, epa! Epa!”  and Aney ayyé, apiva maranna epa!” . Ven. Andaulpotha Buddhasara  was shot four times and parts of his vertebrae were shattered. The sound of his friends’ desperate pleas was his last memory from that day.

The LTTE cadres left the bus and began shooting into the bus from the outside. The sound of crying children was replaced by the sound of deafening gun shots and windows shattering.  Unable to move and with the weight of several bodies piled on top of him Ven. Valallawita Wimalanyana   recalled that there was a short period of quiet where the only the sounds of kendiri ganawa” of the dying children and gasping for air could be heard.

Suddenly, there was a loud noise of LTTE cadres re-entering the bus. They moved about briskly identifying all those who were still moving or making small sounds and shot them on their heads at close range. Lying on the ground . Valallawita Wimalanyana watched blood flow like a river” down the aisle.

 The LTTE cadres  then left the bus. He heard celebratory hoots and howls of laughter outside. Gunshots were fired into the air. The jungle was quiet.  Approximately 10 or 15 minutes after the massacre had started, it was over. The survivors would later describe their attackers as practiced” and efficient”. 

Approximately 45 minutes after the bus and van had passed them, STF officers on  patrol near the Mangalagama camp saw Ven Indasara’s    van rush  back   at great speed  and stop before them.

 The driver  told them that  the bus  ahead of them had been stopped by the LTTE  and shot at. He last saw the bus turn turning left into the Aranthalawa jungle. He had  stopped  his van some distance away and when he saw what was happening, he  reversed and sped back towards the STF post. Due o this, the monks in the second van escaped the massacre.

SI Hapuhinna realized that  this was a major attack on the monks. The driver  had  seen about eight  LTTE standing near the bus.   However, his STF unit had no vehicles at the time. They quickly flagged down lorries as and when they came along the road and climbed in or hung on the sides and rushed to the scene in  numbers that could fit into each vehicle. Near Arantalawa, they hopped off and ordered the lorries to remain on the side of the road.

They entered the jungle on foot, moving towards the direction of the gunfire, firing as they advanced. Approximately 50 meters from where it had been diverted, the  bus with its windows blown out came into view. The bus was eerily quiet.

Nuwaragaltenna’s Chief Home Guard, Jayawardene,  was also certain that  the bus was under attack. Soon after the bus had bounced by carrying the pirith-chanting monks, he  heard gunshots in the distance. He sounded his horn and the   Home Guards arrived  quickly.

A lorry came down the road and they flagged it down Did you pass an SLTB bus carrying b bhikkhus going in the opposite direction?” Jayawardene asked.. The  lorry driver said,  No.” Jayawardene dispatched two of his men to the nearest STF camp in the lorry. The remaining 23 men, gripping a variety of weapons such as rifles, axes and poles, charged into the jungle, risking their own lives in the process. As they searched inside the dense jungle they could hear the sounds of gunshots and screaming.

When Jayawardene eventually  reached the bus and climbed inside he saw the carnage. Everything that could have been done had been done to them.” He said. Not just shot, but cut. Cut with swords, chopped, shot.”

STF found the  steps on to the bus  covered in a layer of blood so thick it looked like mud. SI Hapuhinna heard only a low constant noise, like bees,” coming from inside the bus. He was not sure how many victims were there or whether anyone was still alive.

The STF team  climbed inside and assessed the carnage.  Jinadasa’s body lay close to the entryway. Samarapala’s body was slumped over the steering wheel. Bodies were strewn about, but most of them were in a pile towards the back. No one spoke.

Hanguranketa Pūnnyasara who was  under a seat, heard someone say, Ape Hamuduruwani, who committed this atrocity on you?” in Sinhala. He looked up cautiously. He saw someone in military uniform. Speaking clearly in Sinhalese, the person announced, We are from the Army and Police. We came to rescue you. If you can talk, talk.  you have any life, quickly get up! We will take you to the hospital.” Pūnnyasara  had heard of LTTE members returning to the sites of their massacres and speaking in Sinhalese to the survivors, only to kill them when they moved or revealed themselves.  He hid his head again and dared not speak. 

Even though SI Hapuhinna had identified himself, no one in the bus spoke. Some survivors watched as the rescue team moved through the bus, moving some bodies, lifting others, wiping blood off their faces, and gently shaking them to identify those who might still be alive. They urged the monks to speak if they could. We have come from the Mangalagama Camp to rescue you.” The officers said.

Finally, some of the samanera who had hidden under the seats came out.  Valallawita Wimalanyana  shouted from under a pile of bodies.,” I have not been killed, take me.”  The STF moved the dead bodies that were on top of him and Wimalanyana  managed to stand up. For the first time he saw the extent of what had happened. The floor of the bus was one river of blood,” he  recalled.

15-year-old  Andaulpotha Buddhasara, lying in a pool of his own blood and unable to move, had  a part of his siwuru pota (robes) covering his face.. Komariye Wimalajoti reached  out and moved the robe. .Some moments later, Wimalajoti  collapsed and died, probably from a heart attack.

The rescuers quickly identified and carried out the heavily injured survivors.  They included  Andaulpotha Buddhasara  who was unconscious by then,  Hanguranketa Pūnnyasara  with gunshots to his left leg and back,  Valallawita Wimalanyana  with a long deep gash that ran from palm to chest, and Rathnayaka Mudalali with gunshot wounds to his legs and knee.

Jayawardene said, We carried these small monks through the jungle, who were barely alive and kendiri ganawa. They were 12, 13, 14 years old. Some of them died in our arms.” 

11-year-old . Wawinne Sirinanda  along with one or two others were miraculously unharmed. They helped the  STF and Home Guards to identify survivors and get them off the bus. the survivors were carefully loaded onto another bus that had been flagged down and its driver raced to the Ampara Base Hospital. As the bus headed back towards Ampara, everyone was quiet. Some were in shock, some unconscious, some barely alive and some would die on the way.

The  LTTE had shot out one of the tyres of the bus. The bus was reversed back to the road, where it was fitted with the spare tyre from one of the lorries that had waited by the roadside .Once the tyre was fitted on, the bus driven by SI Chandrasena, with SI Hapuhinna also inside raced to the Ampara Base Hospital carrying the remaining bodies.

 the Ampara Base Hospital was informed by the STF communications team in Kalawanchikudi to prepare to receive the victims. The hospital staff there were used to  treating victims of LTTE attacks.  They were used to working under pressure, attending to the large number of casualties that were brought in,   which included wounded soldiers from the eastern warfront, victims of LTTE village massacres, victims of landmines and victims of random claymore bombings. There seemed never to be a pause in the deaths, recalled  M. V. Somawathi, a senior nurse who had worked at the hospital from 1974.

During the war, the hospital staff themselves came under threat from time to time, Somawathi recalled. They received a few warnings that the LTTE  was going to attack the hospital. at night the staff would change out of their uniforms and into regular” clothes. Those on night duty would finish attending to the patients before nightfall and would let them know where to find the staff in their hiding place if they were needed. Working under these intense conditions eventually began to feel normal for  Somawathi, and she remained at the Ampara Hospital for more than three decades, noting that she never requested to be transferred out of the east.

On the morning of June 02, 1987, Somawathi returned to her home after her night shift at the hospital . The evening before, several monks from the neighboring Sri Vidyananda Pirivena had come by to inform the hospital staff that they were going on a long charikawa. The staff had wished them well and the monks had left.

as she stood at  the well washing her face, a SLTB bus tore through the street at high speed with orange robes flying out of the windows. The disorderly sight   felt unusual to her. She asked  her husband  to find out whether something had happened to the Mahawapi and Sri Vidyananda Pirivena monks.

When she heard of the massacre, she rushed back to hospital When she got there, one bus had dropped off the survivors and another had unloaded the dead. Inside the hospital the staff quickly separated the survivors and the dead and directed one group of stretchers to the emergency room and the other group of stretchers to the morgue. The few who sustained no injuries were looked over and quickly discharged.

Medical and surgical teams were called in and they arrived at the hospital within minutes. The nearby funeral hall was informed and an embalming crew also arrived. While the doctors and the embalmers got to work on their respective charges, the administrative staff began to discharge the existing patients at the hospital to free up the beds for all the children.

As the medical staff moved quickly trying to stabilize those who were severely injured, in the morgue the embalmers moved more slowly. They washed off the blood and dirt from the faces and the small bodies, and closed the eyes. They scrubbed small chests and polished little shoulders. They tried to unclench fists. And in a loving, if futile, gesture they carefully covered the gunshot wounds to the heads and faces with squares of white medical tape as though to hide from view what the children had suffered. They were given the  hospital’s own supplies of white cloth for their work.

Once the bodies were prepared, the hospital staff laid down their own white hospital sheets on the floor of one room for the bodies to be laid on. The staff hoped that this small gesture would provide the monks with some dignity. To hide the injuries to their bodies, the staff covered them from shoulders to toes with the same blood-soaked robes they had died in. They tried to cover up some of the gruesome head injuries with rags.

Gunaratna and Jayakody have  listed the names of the samaneras who died in the attack..  The names are:

 Ven. Hegoda Sri Indasara Nayaka Thero, 59,Ven. Paragahakale Vijithananda Thero, 24,Ven. Kalugala Ananda Saagara Thero, 19,Ven. Wavinne Saddhawansa Thero, 19,Ven. Kehelpotha Sugathapala Thero, 18,Ven. Thalgamuwe Uparathana Thero, 18,Ven. Wavinne Saddhatissa Thero, 18,Ven. Wavinne Gunawansa Thero, 17,Ven. Wavinne Aththadassi Thero, 17,Ven. Mahiyanganaye Gunasoma Thero, 17,Ven. Kurupanawela Kolitha Thero, 17,Ven. Manthrithenne Dhammasiddhi Thero, 16,Ven. Komariye Wimalajoti Thero, 16,Ven. Handungamuwe Ariyawansha Thero, 15,Ven. Dambarawe Mahinda Thero, 15,Ven. Kotawehere Wimalabuddhi Thero, 14,Ven. Kurunagale Pan͂n͂ananda Thero, 14,Ven. Karupanawela Dharmapala Thero, 13,Ven. Handungamuwe Buddharakkitha Thero, 13,Ven. Rajagaltenne Pranaji Thero, 13,Ven. Ambagahawellle Sarana Thero, 12,Ven. Dewalahinda Dhammarakkitha Thero, 12,Ven. Mahiyanganaye Vajirabuddhi Thero, 12,Ven. Mahiyanganaye Sumana Thero, 12,Ven. Keripahe Sobhitha Thero, 12,Ven. Wavinne Vijitha Thero, 11,Ven. Mahiyanganaye Ananda Thero, 11,Ven. Mahiyanganaye Wipulasara Thero, 11,Ven. Ragala Ananda Thero, 11,Ven. Devalahinda Anomadassi Thero, 10,Ven. Kalugala Palitha Thero, 9,Mr. G. G. Samarapala,Mr.  J. P Jinadasa,Mr. V. Jayawardene,

I have written at length on this massacre, because this massacre has not received sufficient attention. It was hushed up for a long time. The account by Gunaratne and Jayakody makes up for this lapse. Their account is  is rich in human interest” and reads like a story.  I have tried to retain this flavor

The Arantalawa massacre illustrates many aspects of the LTTE which are never discussed. First, LTTE has a deep hatred and contempt for Buddhism and Buddhists. This is something which the Buddhists refuse to recognize..

The Arantalawa massacre shows that LTTE is capable of committing heinous crimes against Buddhism. Arantalawa was premeditated and cruel. They used swords. Afterwards, there were celebratory hoots and howls of laughter as they left the place after killing.

LTTE   eliminated bhikkhus who were opposing them.. LTTE  killed Kitalagama Seelalankara   (Dimbulagala Hamuduruwo) and now Ven Indasara.  LTTE are  not the   idealistic, dedicated freedom fighters, they were portrayed to be. They were greedy and dishonest. They  grabbed munny” and woches” before they killed the samanera at Arantalawa  . (Continued)

---

[1] https://sundaytimes.lk/online/opinion/The-Saffron-Children/158-1137728

KAMALIKA PIERIS

There was a deep hatred of Buddhism within the Tamil Separatist Movement. Buddhists seem unaware of this, though it is clearly visible.  It is right under their noses.  This animosity is not new. I saw it as a schoolgirl in the 1950s in Kandy, both in my school and in the area where we lived.

The Tamil Separatists are Hindu, Roman Catholic or Protestant Christian.  Of this group, Hindus lack animosity towards Buddhism. They think the two religions are related. But there is a deep hatred and contempt for Buddhism among the Christians.  Christians see Buddhists as unbelievers, as heathens, to be treated with contempt. Buddhist lives do not matter.

LTTE is anti Buddhist as well as anti Sinhala. LTTE   destroyed temples and Buddhist monuments in the northern and Eastern Province. LTTE destroyed the   huge stupa at Kombanachchiya in Trincomalee district. LTTE had bulldozed the standing Buddha statue at Paravankandam (Batticaloa district) and destroyed its head. The rest of the statue was rescued and the pieces sent to Ampara museum. 

 Wedivetttukallu Chaitya, Ambakamun stupa  and the stupa at Kannyar kovil  were used as bunkers.  Stupas at Verugal,  Kalladi   and Toppur   were used as communication towers. It appears that heavy weapons were installed at Thoppigala. Kumbakaranamale Chaitya, Ampakaman, was used as a food store.    LTTE had built Hindu kovils at Oddusuddan  and Nilaveli.

When Ven. Ellawela Medhananda went to Pulunkunawa, in 1982   he found that LTTE had established an Eelam kingdom there. On all hilltops there was the Eelam symbol drawn in color.  There was a house built on top of the stupa. The owner glared at me, said Medhananda.  Bricks from the stupa were taken to build houses and there was manioc cultivation in the ruins. 

Medhananda had visited an archaeological site at Walakapitiya in Ampara  on August 19, 2003. A kovil was being constructed there with the backing of the LTTE. Nearly 25 armed LTTE cadres had chased him away and threatened him with death if he ever came back.  Inscriptions found by the monk had been destroyed after the monk left. 

Sihala Urumaya decided to accept the LTTE challenge and taka the monk back to the site. Media announced that monks and the members of the Sihala Urumaya accompanied by a group of journalists will go with Ven. Ellawela Medhananda to Walakapitiya to the exact spot where the Tamil Tigers had earlier turned him away. The plan is to let Ven. Medhananda complete copying the stone inscriptions while giving him protection by forming a human shield.

Sihala Urumaya, led by Tilak Karunaratne, accompanied Ven. Ellawela Medhananda to the site. The special Task Force and the Police were on duty to provide security and prevent any incidents.  The LTTE cadres were just onlookers despite the Tiger threat that the monk would not be allowed to set foot on that site, reported the media. 

Medhananda said he had visited Mundikulammale ruins for the first time in 1964. Then there was fear of wild animals. In 1999 the fear was of the LTTE. To visit we needed the support of the army and police. We had visited Girikumbara vihara, Ampara earlier,    said Medhananda, but when we went in 1986 to see what had happened, no one wanted to drive us there.    It is now dangerous for Sinhalese to go there” he said in 2003.  No Sinhalese can go to Rugam now either.

When the Eelam war ended in 2009, the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka (RASSL) led a team to the north, where the army pointed out the places where LTTE had renamed Buddhist sites. Separatists in the Provincial Council wanted the sites to be declared Hindu    by the Archaeological Department.

LTTE had a deep and venomous hatred of Buddhists and Buddhism. LTTE did not target churches, kovils or mosques, only Buddhist sites. Places of religious worship are protected sites. Attacks on them are considered criminal acts [1] But the LTTE did not care.

On 25 January 1998, the LTTE exploded a massive truck bomb inside the   Dalada Maligawa in Kandy. Three suicide LTTE Black Tigers drove an explosive laden truck along Raja Veediya, crashed through the entrance to the Maligawa and detonated the bomb. The truck contained 300–400 kilograms (660–880 lb) of high explosives. 

16 people, including the 3 attackers and a 2-year-old infant were killed in the incident.^[Over 25 people, including 4 women, a monk and a police officer were injured. The powerful attack left most of the buildings within a radius of 5 kilometers damaged, and glass panes broken.

Later crowds gathered around the temple, and set fire to 3 vehicles and burned down a Hindu cultural center in Kandy. They attacked the Sri Selva Vinayagar Hindu temple at Katukelle .In October 2003, three LTTE cadres involved in the attack were convicted by the Kandy high court and sentenced to death. Two others were sentenced to 680 years of rigorous imprisonment and third to 490 years.

LTTE  attacked  Girihandu seya in Tiriyaya in 1985 and  destroyed almost all the buildings there. The living quarters of the monks were completely demolished and the monks  chased away.  All 15 Buddhist monks had to leave the temple.  Tiriyaya authorities have placed this attack on record at the entrance to the complex, with photos and video, for  visitors to see.

LTTE targeted Buddhist monks. Monks are ‘protected persons’ as well, whom soldiers are forbidden to kill (Geneva Convention IV). LTTE murdered the monks at the ruined panchavasa monastery at Kombanachchi villu in Trincomalee district.   In 1987 armed LTTE cadres ambushed a bus taking samaneras, ordered the bus to Arantalawa jungle, and killed the chief priest and all 30 samanera monks in a brutal manner, using swords, guns and machine guns. 29 of the 31 Buddhist monks killed were child monks. Most of the victims had been attacked with swords, machetes and knives prior to their deaths.It was described as a heinous crime.

LTTE killed Matara Kithalagama Sri Seelalankara better known as Dimbulagala Hamuduruwo in June 1995. The priest and his driver were gunned down on May 26 while visiting paddy farmers in Dimbulagala. Seelalankara opposed the LTTE and was seen as a hero by Buddhists.

His death was marked by riots in the town of Dimbulagala reported Agence Press. Police declared an indefinite curfew after rioters left shops and businesses owned by Tamils ablaze. Police had clamped an indefinite curfew in Galle after mobs of Sinhalese people attacked Tamil-owned shops, looting and burning them.

Agence Press reported again on the day of the funeral. The high priest was cremated Saturday at a ceremony attended by half a million mourners.  Yellow ribbons and flags could be seen all over Sri Lanka in memory of Kitalagama Seelalankara, the 71-year-old monk, who opposed to demands by the Tamil rebels for an independent homeland in the north and east of the island.  Security was tight at the site of the funeral, in Dimbulagala village 170 kilometers (105 miles) east of the capital Colombo, where the body was kept for eight days.

Saffron robed Buddhist monks wept openly as nearly half a million mourners from across the country attended the elaborate ceremony. People travelled in hundreds of buses, trucks and tractors to the monk’s temple. Flanked by more than 800 monks and traditional drummers, the bier was taken through the village streets. The coffin progressed slowly to the site where it was finally burned. The killing of the priest is expected to harden the resolve of the majority Sinhalese in their dealings with the Tamils, concluded Agence Press.

LTTE also targeted worshippers in Buddhist temples. The most significant of these attacks was the one made at the Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura. LTTE hijacked a bus on May 14, 1985, and entered Anuradhapura.  They opened fire with automatic weapons, at the main bus station,  killing and wounding civilians who were waiting for buses. The LTTE cadres then drove to the Sri Maha Bodhi and gunned down worshippers, killing 146 persons including children.

Somawathi vihara was attacked twice by LTTE . The second shooting was done to discourage pilgrims coming to the temple on Esala Poya. A bomb killed 23 and injured 70 at a Buddhist temple in Batticaloa during Vesak in 2000. The bomb that exploded in an Anuradhapura-Kandy private bus at Dambulla (2008) was to be exploded at Ruwanveliseya when a ‘pichchamal pujawa’ was in progress with thousands of devotees taking part in the ceremony. The informant who had carried the bomb had been accompanied by her mother and sister, all posing as Buddhist devotees going on pilgrimage.  (Continued)

---

[1] ICRC Rule 38, , Hague Convention 1999)

උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා සී නිව්ස්

අවිස්සාවේල්ල ප්‍රදේශයේ අඩු ආදායම්ලාභී දිළිඳු පවුල් කීපයක දෘශ්‍යාබාධිත පුද්ගලයන් වෙත ඇස් කන්නාඩි බෙදා දීමේ අවස්ථාවකට සහභාගී වෙමින් හත් වන විධායක ජනාධිපති ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂගේ හිටපු පෞද්ගලික ලේකම් සුගීෂ්වර බණ්ඩාර  මේ දින වල ජනප්‍රිය මාතෘකාවක් බවට පත් වී ඇති ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ මහතා විසින් රචිත කුමන්ත්‍රණය නැමති ග්‍රන්ථයේ හෙළි කොකල කතාවක් වෙත  අවධානයට යොමු කරන ලදී.

ජාතික මතවාදී කඳවුරට නායකත්වය ලබා දෙන පිරිස අතර සහ එම මතවාදය එළියේ සිටින ජනතාවට සන්නිවේදනය කරන චරිතයක් ලෙස ගෞරවය දිනා සිටි පූජ්‍ය ඕමල්පේ සෝභිත හිමියන් සම්බන්ධයෙන් කුමන්ත්‍රණය” ග්‍රන්ථයේ 97 හා 98 පිටු වල සඳහන් කර ඇති කරුණු හේතුවෙන් වර්තමාන ජාතික මතවාදී කඳවුර තුල සිටින ජුදාස්” ලෙස උන්වහන්සේ පිළිබඳව මහජනතාව තුළ හැඟීමක් ඇති වී ඇති බව සුගීෂ්වර බණ්ඩාර මහතා එහිදී ප්‍රකාශ කරන ලදී.

මෙම කාරණය සම්බන්ධයෙන් කලබල වූ පූජ්‍ය ඕමල්පේ සෝභිත හිමියන් සුගීෂ්වර බණ්ඩාර මහතාගේද නම ඈඳා ගනිමින් ප්‍රසිද්ධ මාධ්‍යයේ ජනතාව වෙත අසත්‍ය කරුණු ප්‍රකාශ කරන මොහොතක කාලයේ වැලි තලාව මත සැඟවී යාමට තිබූ ඇතැම් සංවේදී කාරණා හෙළි කිරීම සිදු වන බව ප්‍රකාශ කල සුගීෂ්වර බණ්ඩාර මහතා කුමන්ත්‍රණයේ නොකී කතාවක් ජනතාව ඉදිරියේ ප්‍රකාශ කරන ලදී.

2022 ජුලි මස 12 වන දින තමා ඇමතූ පූජ්‍ය ඕමල්පේ සෝභිත හිමියන් හත් වන ජනාධිපතිතුමාට ධූරය හැර යන ලෙසට බල කරන බවත්, ඒසේ ධුරය හැර යන බවට වන ලිපිය තමා සන්තකයට ලබාගෙන තහවුරුවක් උන්වන්සේට ලබා දුන් පසු ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ මහතාට අරගල කරුවන්ගේ බාධාවකින් තොරව කටුනායක ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන් තොටුපලෙන් නික්ම යාමට අවශ්‍ය කටයුතු සූදානම් කර දීමට උන්වහන්සේට හැකි බවටත් වන පණිවිඩය හත් වන විධායක ජනාධිපතිතුමාට දන්වන ලෙසට උද්දාමයෙන් උන් වහන්සේ තමා වෙත කියා සිටි බව සුගීෂ්වර බණ්ඩාර මහතා ප්‍රකාශ කළේය.

ඒ වන විටත් රාජ්‍ය බලය හෙබවූ හත් වන විධායක ජනාධිපති ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ මැතිතුමාට ඒසේ පූජ්‍ය ඕමල්පේ සෝභිත හිමියන්ගේ බහට අවනත වීමට කාරණා නොතිබූ බවත්, කටුනායක ගුවන් තොටුපල භාවිතා කිරීම සඳහා ඕමල්පේ සෝභිත හිමියන්ගේ සහය ලබා ගැනීමට කිසිදු අවශ්‍යතාවක් එතුමාට ඒ අවස්ථාවේ නොතිබූ බවත් සුගීෂ්වර බණ්ඩාර මහතා ඉතා වගකීමෙන් ප්‍රකාශ කරන බව එහිදී පැවසුවේය.

ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ මැතිතුමා එසේ කලබල වන්නේ නම්, 2022 මැයි මස 12 වන දින රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතා 26 වන අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා ලෙස පත් කිරීමට ඉතාමත් ආසන්නයේ දී විපක්ෂ නායක සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස මහතා දන්වා තිබූ කොන්දේසි පිළිගෙන වහාම අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය ධූරයට පත් කළ යුතු බවත්, එම මතය මැල්කම් රංජිත් කාදිනල්තුමාගේද මතය වන බව උන්වහන්සේට පැවසූ බවත්, එසේ සිදු නොකරන්නේ නම් තමන් ඇතුළු ස්වාමීන් වහන්සේලා කණ්ඩායමක් ජනාධිපති මන්දිරය ඉදිරිපිට ගිනි තබා ගෙන අපවත් වන බවත්, ජනාධිපතිතුමාට දන්වන ලෙසට පූජ්‍ය ඕමල්පේ සෝභිත හිමියන් ලබා දුන් දුරකථන ඇමතුමට අදාල පණිවිඩය සුගීෂ්වර බණ්ඩාර මහතා එතුමා වෙත දන්වන අවස්ථාවේ බිය වීමට හෝ කලබල වීමට ඉඩ තිබුණේ යයි විශ්වාස කරන බව සුගීෂ්වර බණ්ඩාර මහතා එහිදී ප්‍රකාශ කළේය.

තමාගේ අනන්‍යතාවය ඇති ජාතිකවාදී කඳවුර තුල ඕමල්පේ සෝභිත හිමියන් ප්‍රතික්ෂේප වේ යයි පවතින බිය මෙම අසත්‍ය කරුණු ප්‍රකාශ කරමින් සිදු කරන සියලු මාධ්‍ය සන්දර්ශන වලට හේතුව වී ඇති බවත්, ඒ් සම්බන්ධයෙන් කනගාටු වන බවද සුගිෂ්වර බණ්ඩාර මහතා අවසාන වශයෙන් ප්‍රකාශ කළේය

– Repoter

උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා සී නිව්ස්

හිටපු ජනාධිපති ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ මහතාගේ පාලනය බිඳ වැට්ටවීමට ප්‍රධාන කුමන්ත්‍රණ කරුවා වන්නේ එවක ජනාධිපති ලේකම් පී බී ජයසුන්දර මහතා බව හිටපු ජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ පෞද්ගලික ලේකම් සුගීෂ්වර බණ්ඩාර මහතා සඳහන් කරයි.

ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ ජනාධිපතිවරයාට කිසිදු පුද්ගලයෙකු මුණ ගැසීමට නොදී හිර කරන ලද්දේ ජෙනරාල් එගොඩවෙල බවටද ඔහු චෝදනා කරයි.

ආරක්ෂක ලේකම් කමල් ගුණරත්න මෙන්ම එවකට හිටපු හමුදාපති ශවේන්ද්‍ර සිල්වාද ගැහුවේ ගේමක් බවත් හෙතෙම කියා සිටී.

ඔහු මෙම අදහස් පළ කළේ අන්තර්ජාල නාලිකාවක සාකච්ඡාවකට එක් වෙමිනි.

එදා ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ මහතාගේ මිරිහාන නිවස වට කළේ 150ක 180ක පිරිසක් පිරිසක් බවත් පැවසූ ඔහු ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ මහතා ඝාතනය කිරීමේ සූදානමක් තිබූ බවත් ඒ සඳහා පැමිණ සිටියේ මුස්ලිම් ජනතාව බවටත් එහිදී තවදුරටත් හෙළිදරව් කලේය.

උපුටා ගැන්ම  ලංකා ලීඩර්

හිටපු ජනාධිපති මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතා ප්‍රමුඛ ශ්‍රී ලංකා පොදුජන පෙරමුණ ඇතුළු  ආණ්ඩුවට සම්බන්ධ ජනතා නියෝජිතයන්ට සංඝ ආඥාවක් නිකුත් කර තිබේ.

ආර්ථික සහ දේශපාලනික අර්බුදය තුළ ජනවරමට පිටුපාමින් නැවත නිවැරදි කරගත නොහැකි ලෙස රට විදේශීය ආධිපත්‍යයට යටත් කිරීම, ආර්ථික මරමස්ථාන විකුණා දැමීම වහාම නැවැත්විය යුතු බවටත්, මහ නායක හිමිවරුන්ගේ අනුශාසනා පිළිගත යුතු බවටත් පක්ෂ විපක්ෂ සියලු දෙනාට දැනුම් දීම සඳහා  ත්‍රෛනිකායික විශේෂ ජාතික මහා සඟ සමුළුවක්  කැලණිය, නාමල්වත්ත මහා විහාරීය සම්මන්ත්‍රණ ශාලාවේ දී අද(14) දින පැවැත්විණි.

එහිදී මෙම සංඝ ආඥාව නිකුත් කර තිබේ.

ත්‍රෛනිකායික අනුනායක ස්වාමීන්වහන්සේලා නිකුත් කළ සම්මුති ප්‍රකාශය පහළින්…

2024-03-14

By YOHAN PERERA Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Colombo, March 14 (Daily Mirror) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said that he will submit the IMF technical assistance reports to Parliament soon. 

The President in his latest X message said he will submit the reports to Parliament following a request by TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran during talks on Tuesday. The President met TNA MPs on Tuesday to dicuss the IMF assistance programme. 

“MP Sumanthiran voiced a key concern regarding the availability of the IMF technical assistance reports. I committed to releasing these reports to the TNA and Parliament. We discussed further how our government remains dedicated to following a structured roadmap for economic stability,” the President said. 

“I invited  party leaders to discuss the IMF proposals. I always encourage open dialogue and shared commitment. TNA Leader and Parliamentarian, M.A. Sumanthiran, along with other stakeholders, joined me yesterday. We discussed the progress of our negotiations with creditors at this meeting. We remain optimistic about concluding these discussions by June this year.

“I invited Sumanthiran and other opposition members to engage directly with the IMF to fully understand our proposals. Sumanthiran’s acceptance of my invitation to engage in this dialogue underscores the spirit of bipartisan cooperation we seek to foster. I hope the other party leaders will join these efforts, setting politics aside for the sake of our country and people,” the President added.

By SUNIL JAYASIRI Courtesy The Daily Mirror

---

Sri Lanka has refuted recent claims from US intelligence that there are potential plans for a Chinese military base to be established on its soil.

State Defence Minister Premitha Bandara Tennakoon told Daily Mirror that Sri Lanka has not engaged in any discussions with foreign governments, including China, regarding the establishment of a military base within its borders.

Sri Lanka has not held discussions with any foreign government including China for a possible establishment of a military base here in Sri Lanka,” the State Minister said in response to a question on the US claims.

In its annual threat assessment 2024 report this week, the US Intelligence Community said that China is exploring the possibility of establishing military facilities in various countries including Sri Lanka, in a bid to bolster their power projection capabilities and safeguard national interests.

“The US intelligence report on the possible establishment of a Chinese military base in Sri Lanka is inaccurate; we vehemently deny these claims,” the minister said.

The State Minister has affirmed that Sri Lanka will not permit any foreign country to establish military bases within its borders under any circumstances.

The US report also stated, Beyond developing its military base in Djibouti and its military facility at Ream Naval Base in Cambodia, Beijing reportedly is considering pursuing military facilities in multiple locations, including—but not limited to—Burma, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Pakistan, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania, and the UAE”.

KAMALIKA PIERIS

Sarita Gunaratna and Dinesh Jayakody (2022) have provided a comprehensive, well-researched and heart-rending account of the brutal murder of samaneras at Arantalawa by the LTTE on June 3rd, 1987. The   essay is titled The Saffron Children: Massacre of samanera: Aranthalawa, 35 years on”. The link is https://sundaytimes.lk/online/opinion/The-Saffron-Children/158-1137728

The account was compiled using the interviews with survivors, eye witnesses, first responders, family members of victims and others with direct involvement or knowledge of this event, as well as the sworn statements and affidavits obtained by the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and police. All other statements were corroborated by accredited sources, which are cited or obtained from experts in the area to which the statement pertains. They are listed in the extensive Acknowledgements section.

Analysts have asked, why LTTE chose to kill these samanera. Why not monks engaged in silent meditation in forest monasteries. They are easier targets. What is special about this Pirivena.

The Gunaratne/Jayakody  essay provides the answer. The massacre was intended  to stop the rise of an influential  Buddhist pirivena in Ampara ,the  Sri Vidyananda Pirivena  whose   head priest  Ven. Indasara  was becoming a force to be reckoned with  and the   samanera were being  trained for leadership roles in the near  future.

Gunaratne and  Jayakody start at the very beginning. In 1959, when the Gal Oya Development Project started, a 27-year-old  bhikkhu ,Ven. Hegoda Sri Indasara  came to Ampara.  He first lived in a cave then he was given land next to the Ampara Base Hospital where he established a small temple.

Born and ordained in Galle, Ven. Hegoda Sri Indasara who came from a prominent and well-respected Southern family, was a bit of a curiosity in the area, said Gunaratna/Jayakody. For a bright young university-educated monk, from an elite family, with his choice of well-established and comfortable temples throughout the southern and western provinces available to him, to move to the newly developing region of the East was  unusual.

Ven. Indasara believed in the promise of the Gal Oya Project. These new agrarian settlements needed community temples to anchor them, or people simply would not stay, he said and set about establishing many small vihares to support the farming settlements throughout the Gal Oya  district. By 1987    Indasara was overseeing almost 40 temples in the Eastern Province.

Ven. Andaulpotha Buddhasara  who was  then a samanera recalled that poor people from a nearby Tamil village would arrive, children and all, at the time of the monks’ mid-day dané. Ven. Indasara instructed the kitchen to prepare food for these families, even though the monks themselves had barely enough to eat.

When the LTTE started attacking  Sinhala villages in the eastern province, Indasara  went several times to Colombo to   speak to the  country’s political leaders  and make them aware of what the LTTE was doing  to the Buddhist population in the East. He implored the leaders to take some action on the matter,  they must provide adequate military protection. He did  not get a favorable response. His pleas were ignored.

Using his van,  with two dayakayas as his drivers and a megaphone,  Indasara went about, advising people on how to keep themselves safe from LTTE attacks. The LTTE attacks villages at night when you are sleeping. Don’t sleep in your homes!” He instructed through his megaphone. Many heeded his advice.

When  the LTTE attacked   Arantalawa on February 07, 1987, Indasara immediately rushed there.  He ignored police and military who had been instructed not to let anyone into the village. He pushed his way through ,consoled the bereaved and conducted last rites.

In 1966,  Indasara established  a Pirivena school named Sri Vidyananda Pirivena in Ampara. He  linked it  to Vidyalankara Pirivena in  Peliyagoda. It had a  few students, then Indasara ordained 60 young boys in one bout and  Sri Vidyananda Pirivena expanded from a few students to almost 70 in the mid 1980s.  Indasara had  recruited many  intelligent   boys and had also scooped up” those who at a young age felt the urge to join the    bhikkhu order.  How he found these boys, we do  not know.

The life that the samanera entered  into at Ampara was a difficult one. Meals were meager, often consisting of rice, lentils and coconut sambol.  Villagers were too poor to provide daily danés (alms) to all the students residing there, so the monks had to go on pindapathé.

The villagers supported this ambitious  pirivena project .They had supplied the monks with meals within their very limited ability. When the pirivena grew from a few students to almost 70 the villagers arranged  for  families to offer alms in groups.

The buildings were primitive. They had been built with donated or collected materials using volunteer labour from the construction workers and craftsmen in the area. Classes were conducted in  a wattle and daub hall .Another similar building functioned as the avasa .

Despite the basic nature of the facilities and the daily hardships they faced, the  samanera thrived  in the pirivena. Ven. Wawinne Sirinanda recalled that the samanera did everything together. Among the close friends he remembered with affection were Buddhasara, Buddharakkitha, Wimalajoti, Sarana, Saddhananda, Vijitha, Gunawansa, Vijithananda…” He said before trailing off as he recalled their murder. They were clever, bright students.”.

By mid 1987, the Sri Vidyananda Pirivena was the leading training institute for Buddhist monks in the Eastern Province. Samanera were  taught languages,  Sinhala, Tamil and English, as well as  Hindi to able to communicate with all the communities on the island and those in India. Tamil teachers risked their lives and  came to the pirivena to teach Tamil. Ven. Andaulpotha Buddhasara recalled that the special English class would go on till late. At 10 at night, we were still learning.”

Some were busy studying for their O/Level examinations. They were expected to do well. But that was not to be. The samanera were massacred at Arantalawa before they could sit the exam.

The Pirivena knew that a war was going on. Ven. Andaulpotha Buddhasara recalled how anxious the samanera became when   the Head Monk got late returning from visiting  Aranthalawa village. When he didn’t come back by nightfall, we went and sat in a row on top of the low rock boundary wall by the road and waited for him.”

The Pirivena had planned  a month  long charika for the samanera,  which would take in Kandy, Anuradhapura,  Kalutara, Galle Kataragama,  and Mahiyangana. The little monks were delighted by the upcoming field trip and were unable to contain their excitement . The older Samaneras were doubtful. They thought the trip would attract unwanted attention from the LTTE. Some of the dayakas were also concerned.

Two days before they were to go on the charika,17-year-old Wavinne Aththadassi visited his mother and told her that he would be participating in an important charikawa that Ven. Indasara had organized. But he  was uneasy about joining the trip. ( Continued)

By Peter Koenig Global Research, September 06, 2023

The Criminal Insanity of Climate Change: Direct Energy Weapons (DEW) Create Forest and Bush Fires, Destroying Entire Cities and Igniting Boats in the Sea.

Climate change – climate change – climate change – the world is burning. The Global North with the CO2 emission is the culprit. Weather maps in Southern Europe and Australia are deep red. Add an invented degree or two, and they are going to be black.

News are talking about 48 to 50 and more degrees C in Spain, Southern Italy, Sicily, Greece. Scary. Hardly anybody notices and reports that the temperatures are largely exaggerated by the media, to cause a fear and guilt effect. Possibly a precursor to heat-lockdowns.

Meteorologists are part of the lie-game. Often, for fear and shock effect, they are reporting ground temperatures instead of air temperatures which are usually measured 2 meters above the ground and are typically 10 or more degrees C lower than ground temps.

It is like MK-Ultra has been socialized: When people see the deep-red-colored weather map and are being told that temperatures are at record heights, in the upper forties into the fifties, they feel the burning heat, they feel it is much hotter than other years, when in fact it is not.

---

This is the map that climate researchers themselves use.

TEMPERATURE DEVIATIONS FOR LAND AND SEA, APRIL 2023 relative to the temperature normal, the average for the years 1991–2020. In this map, which uses a clearly indicated and color-coded temperature scale that the scientists themselves use, the temperature deviations we reported about over the last few months from North and South America, Central and Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, with hard-hit Mongolia, India, and Australia, are confirmed. This is despite the fact that critics argue it consistently shows higher temperatures due to non-representative and then tampered with measurement data. Source and map: NOAA 

TEMPERATURE PERCENTILES FOR LAND AND SEA, APRIL 2023 based on an unspecified average. Here we can see that the Benelux countries, where Belgium and the Netherlands in April were 1.4 and 1.1 °C cooler than the climate normal 1991–2020, are falsely presented as having had an April average temperature Above average” or Much above average”. Central and Eastern Europe, which were much cooler than normal in April—for example, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Serbia were 2.1 to 2.8 °C below the climate normal in April, which is significant in a climate context—are marked as Near average” with misleading neutral white color. Source and map: NOAA

For more details see GR article entitled Climate Maps Manipulated to Mislead the Public

---

This is a list of heatwaves going back 500 years, demonstrating that worldwide temps vary widely and that there were much hotter” years even in the past 20 to 30 years, than 2023. See this.

Since 2020, with the onset of the infamous UN Agenda 2030, the news and fake news about the heat, the man-made CO2-provoked climate-change” reaches new heights. To press that point, forest fires are not just made by paid arsonists, but by military grade Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) and other means of Environmental Modifications (ENMOD) technologies.

It is called geoengineering – and what we are witnessing today, in the last three years and even way before, is an outright war with highly sophisticated weaponized laser-directed electromagnetic energy. The energy is so strong, it blows up entire buildings on impact, with towers of flames, but it spares trees, blows up and burns cars, but not tires – and also boats on the sea, far from burning forests.

This is how the beautiful Hawaiian island, Maui, and her major city Lahaina was destroyed. For more on this – see further down.

Directed Energy Weapons are defined as electromagnetic systems capable of converting chemical or electrical energy to radiated energy, then these energies are fired by laser beams with the speed of light on specific targets. DEWs can produce forces that range from deterrent, to damaging, to destructive.

In parallel with these horrendous heat waves come typhoons, hurricanes and tsunami-like floodings around the world, especially but not exclusively, in the northern hemisphere. Most of them are also the result of geoengineering. Scandinavia was hit by deluge-like rains, causing floods throughout Norway and Denmark.

Extreme floodings were also experienced in Japan and northeastern China. Beijing registered almost simultaneously record heat waves, closely followed by extreme typhoon-caused torrential rains and consequential flooding. Natural? You bet.

Just a thought: The self-styled masters of the universe think linear. That is what their minds have been trained for. What if these weather and climate modifications they now carry out on specific – always more diverse – targets, develop their own dynamic, since they are not linear, but, yes, dynamic – and have long-lasting effects much different from those intended by the Globalist Cult? – Just saying.

Now while everybody screams climate-change, climate-change, climate-change”, always referring to man-made CO2 emissions, on July 6, 2023, the Aviation Tracking System, Flightradar 24”, registered a record number ever of civilian airplanes in the air – some 134,384 airplanes. This does not include military airplanes and other non-civilian flights.

See this.

Have you noticed, airlines put on your ticket or your flight reservation how many kilograms of CO2 your flight produces – and so far, mostly on a voluntary basis they suggest you pay for the global warming or climate change damage” you cause. Nobody has been able to provide a clear answer what happens with this money.

Maybe the money helps compensating for the airlines’ losses during the covid hoax, or it flows into budgets of governments. The same way traffic fines do. Speeding infractions are not reduced by the fines, nor are the numbers of civilian flights reduced by the CO2-emission charge.

Have you noticed, the media must have a restraining order not to speak about military CO2 emission, let alone war-emissions. Just imagine, CO2 emissions of the Ukraine war and other armed conflicts around the globe, dwarfs all civilian car and industrial CO2 emissions worldwide. But nobody talks about it. Very strange.

Back to DEWs and other ENMOD technologies. This science has been developed since the 1940s and in the last 80 years has become highly sophisticated, resulting in a myriad of technologies, capable of causing unspeakable damage, destroying infrastructure, housing, forests – and lives of all sentient beings, including animals and humans.

These technologies are very diverse and range from DEW, to the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program, or HAARP, a US Airforce program, as well as Scalar electromagnetic wave weaponry, similar to DEW – and more.

There is a vast literature on the subject but virtually no media coverage.

HAARP array of antennas. Gakona, Alaska

It is worth noting that the HAARP program was acknowledged by a CBC Program as early as 1996

Video HAARP CBC. Weather Control

Why Is It So Massively Used?

People are spellbound – have no idea what is going on and why. They cannot understand that such all-destructive and killing disasters are actually man-made, by technologies intent of simulating climate change”. These people, the Globalist Cabal, who have sold their soul to the devil cannot be called humans anymore.

Maybe part of the answer provides the case of Australia – which is committed to the UN Agenda 2030. It supports the implementation of radical changes in the central role of land ownership and natural resources over the next decade.

In this context, Aussi authorities are developing a series of smart city initiatives, promising locations full of sustainable” programs.

Could it be that the current forest fires across Australia – and across the world for that matter – are part of this plan? What is the hidden agenda? The link below provides more details of Australia’s bushfire ‘crisis’, including weather / climate geoengineering, the proposed CLARA high-speed rail network and the connection to the smart city agenda led by the fully compromised United Nations. See this and this: Australia under Fire – Environmental Warfare and the Climate Change Deception.

See also this by Jeff Philips and this.

A similar question, why and how is Lahaina of Maui and much of this paradisical Hawaiian island destroyed, with so far officially close to 100 deaths – and thousand missing?  The unofficial but closer-to-the-truth figure, is up to thousand and more deaths. And the devastation and the count goes on.

The rumor mill about the destruction of Maui is diverse. One of the more consistent gossips has it that the Lahaina and Maui fires are meant to depopulate Maui and pave the way for a buyout of all property owners – for a penny on the dollar – by the multi-multi billionaires. It is living in paradise when the shitstorm hits.

Here are terrifying images on how paradise” became hell and this.

Maui, a paradise island, might be bought for pennies on the dollar… privatized paradise for the powerful financial interests.  

And for more on Maui you may also want to see this (video of more than an hour).  

Apparently some 90% of the people of Maui know what is going on, that it has nothing to do with the climate change hoax, but was a direct assault on their paradise island. See this.

Video

Were Directed Energy Weapons Used In Maui? Let’s Look At What We Can Prove…

Who are actors behind the DEW attacks? Were the US and State governments involved?

There are several, speculative answers, but they are food for reflection for those who are somewhat familiar with UN Agenda 2030 and the Great Reset — and with Klaus Schwab’s (WEF) dream of the all digitized Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The government of Hawaii states as goal of the destruction is the rebuilding to make the entire island of Maui the first Smart Island. They want the entire island governed by Artificial Intelligence (AI), as outlined in the Hawaii Digital government summit of 2023 that they have planned to host on September 25, 2023 on Maui.

Plans to Implement a Digital AI Government over Hawaii

See this and this and this, Maui Island of Hawaii, a case study.

Dr. Rosalie Bertell, author of Planet Earth: Latest Weapon of War”, says

While the earth’s human civic community has been trying to rid itself of nuclear weapons over the last 65 years, some economically developed nations have quietly moved into the realm of geo-warfare. Geo-weaponry has recently been introduced to the public as a ‘new’ high tech way to mitigate the effects of ‘global warming’, and it is being called ‘geo-engineering’…defined as planetary-scale environmental engineering of our atmosphere: that is, manipulating our weather, our oceans, and our home planet itself.”

What is planned now are climate and weather wars, wars in which earthquakes and volcanoes, floods and droughts, hurricanes and monsoon rains will play a role. See this.

Does this make living today on Mother Earth scarier? Is it fear-mongering for pushing the Agenda 2030? – or is it real?

In any case, Do Not Fear, But Stand UP – as We, the People, against this unhuman atrocity, in unison and solidarity and in a mind of PEACE – not anger, not aggression, but PEACE. This is the only way we can defeat the drive to the abyss – and start afresh. But the time is NOW.

*

Note to readers: Please click the share button above. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to our Telegram Channel. Feel free to repost and share widely Global Research articles.

Peter Koenig is a geopolitical analyst and a former Senior Economist at the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO), where he worked for over 30 years around the world. He lectures at universities in the US, Europe and South America. He writes regularly for online journals and is the author of Implosion – An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed; and co-author of Cynthia McKinney’s book When China Sneezes: From the Coronavirus Lockdown to the Global Politico-Economic Crisis” (Clarity Press – November 1, 2020).

Peter is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG). He is also a non-resident Senior Fellow of the Chongyang Institute of Renmin University, Beijing.  

Featured image: US Navy personnel operate a Directed Energy Weapon aboard the USS Ponce during an operational demonstration in the Persian Gulf in 2014. Photo | DVIDS

The original source of this article is Global Research

Copyright © Peter Koenig, Global Research, 2023

---

Comment on Global Research Articles on our Facebook page

Become a Member of Global Research

By P.K.Balachandran/Daily Mirror

Vladimir Putin

Colombo, March 13: Of the two countries that are at each other’s throats now – Russia and Ukraine – it is Ukraine which appears to be the underdog despite massive American and Western arms aid.

While the Russian economy is growing despite severe US and European sanctions, Ukraine is facing a severe arms and manpower shortage with dim of chances of being rectified. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Given the possibility of Donald Trump coming back to power in the US, even the current level of Western support to Ukraine may not be forthcoming. And unlike Russia, Ukraine has no indigenous capability to sustain itself, whether economically or militarily.     

On the other contrary, Russia, has been able to circumvent the sanctions and keep its economy humming, according the Vienna Institute of International Economic Studies (VIIEC). And there has also been no let-up in its military efforts.

Resilient Russian Economy 

The VIIEC study done in 2023 and published in January 2024, says that Russian industry has in fact grown due to the war. War-related production has increased Russia’s GDP. Demand for domestic manufactures has also increased due to a fall in imports because of sanctions.   

In the first eight months of 2023, real GDP and gross industrial production picked up by 2.5% and 3%, respectively. Capacity utilisation reached very high levels and unemployment plunged to an all-time low, the VIIIES study says.

And with no end in sight to the war, the current growth trajectory – based as it is largely on military fiscal stimulus – will likely continue for some time, despite the fact that the economy is suffering from increased labour shortages and is falling behind on the technological front, due to the Western sanctions,” the VIIES study says.

Despite sanctions, Russia has been able to import most of the products it desperately requires, including semiconductor chips, via third countries. A survey conducted in August 2023 by the Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy found that 77% of Russian industrial companies are planning to purchase equipment from such countries as China, India and Turkey, compared to 59% a year ago.

Other sectors of the Russian economy that recorded above-average growth included construction (plus 9.8% in the first half of 2023, in value-added terms) and hospitality and catering (plus 12.3%).

Construction benefited largely from the creation of military infrastructure in regions bordering Ukraine, as well as of transport and logistics infrastructure in the Far East. The Trans-Siberian Railway is being built in the wake of the foreign trade reorientation towards Asia.

The surge in hospitality and catering partly reflects the boom in domestic tourism, since travelling abroad has become so much more difficult for Russians.

The automobile industry – which was hit hard initially, as Western and Japanese car manufacturers left Russia en-masse, has been recovering strongly month by month, as Chinese companies have stepped in.

The level of capacity utilisation in the Russian economy has been generally rising and, according to various surveys, now stands at historically very high levels. For instance, a survey conducted by the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) has found that by Q2 2023, it had reached 80.9% – an all-time high.

On the downside, labour supply has been shrinking for several years now on account of long-term demographic decline; the ‘partial’ military mobilisation announced in September 2022 (of up to 500,000 men) and the recent emigration of many Russians fleeing mobilisation. According to recent estimates, 800,000 to 900,000 people have left Russia since the beginning of the war.

Labour and skill shortages are particularly acute in the IT sector, which has suffered from the recent exodus of many IT professionals. Workers laid off in sectors that are affected by sanctions and by the withdrawal of foreign firms often cannot be absorbed by those sectors that are booming, such as the arms industry.

Besides, because of sanctions, there is a foreign exchange shortage, which is a major drawback.

However, there is a welcome demand-side effect: with employers forced to compete for labour, real wages are being pushed up. Real earnings soared by 6.8%, becoming an important driver of private consumption.

Under these circumstances, the continuation of economic growth will crucially hinge on new (labour-saving) investments and their productivity.

Indeed, there is evidence of vibrant investment activity currently underway in Russia, the VIIS study says. Fixed capital investment was up 7.6% in the first quarter of 2023, partly on account of the above-mentioned construction boom, but also in the wake of the realignment of production and logistic value chains by private businesses in response to the recent shocks of the war and sanctions.

However, there are question marks hanging over the productivity of investments, given Russia’s reduced access to Western technology. The other fundamental drawback in the Russian economy is that it is fundamentally natural resource linked. Russia relies on extraction rather than manufacturing. Mining accounted for around 26% of gross industrial production in July 2023, and three industries – extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas, coke and refined petroleum products manufacturing and basic metals manufacturing – made up more than 40% of the total.

Ukraine’s Position  

Ukraine faces greater challenges than Russia because it relies heavily on an outside power- the US. The US has poured in US 75 billion dollars as arms aid, but this has not resulted in Russia’s defeat even after two years of fighting. There is also manpower shortage of 500,000 in the Ukraine military.   

Then there is the possibility of the US virtually walking out of the conflict if Donald Trump is voted to power in the next Presidential election. With Nikki Haley withdrawing from the race for the Republican party’s nomination for the US Presidential election, Donald Trump has emerged as the candidate of the Grand Old Party.

As Nikkei Asia points out, Halley lost 14 of the 15 contested State primaries to Trump, who gained more than 70% of the vote in nine of the States

And Trump’s chances of winning the Presidential election appear to be brighter than Joe Biden’s, given his catchy slogans like American First” and Make America Great Again.”

There needs to be a clear-cut, well-defined reason for America’s interest in foreign engagements, be it Ukraine, Gaza, North Korea or Taiwan,” Nikkei Asia quotes Marc Lotter, chief communication officer for the America First Policy Institute as saying.

If Trump wins the Presidency, the US might withdraw as much as possible from overseas conflicts which drain its resources with little or no gains to cite. He had shown this clearly when, as President, he withdrew from Afghanistan handing over that country to the Taliban.

Trump has also said many times, that America’s allies must learn to defend themselves and not expect America to do the job for them. At the very least, they should share the expenses. This was addressed to European countries which had left to the US the job of defending them against a resurgent and defiant Russia. If Trump does win the US election, Europe and Ukraine will have to face Russia with much less American help than now.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is already complaining bitterly that Europe and the US are not giving him enough military aid to blunt the Russians.  

To add to Zelensky’s woes, the US has decided not to put its boots on the ground, when Zelenskyy is desperately looking to beef up his army.  

On February 26, France’s Emmanuel Macron had suggested that Europe should send troops to Ukraine at a conference in Paris. But German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the conference discussed the matter, but the agreement was that there will be no ground troops, no soldiers on Ukrainian soil who are sent there by European states or NATO states”.

END

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

---

The finds included the archaeological remains of ponds and several buildings which were indicative of a sophisticated society in Polonnaruwa area

Archaeologists carrying out excavations in the historic Polonnaruwa city have found evidence of a civilization that dates back to a period before the Polonnaruwa period recorded in history.
Prof. Prishantha Gunawardene of the Archaeological Studies Division of Kelaniya University said that evidence of that pre-historic civilization came to light during the recent research project implemented by Kelaniya and Jaffna Universities with the help of La Trobe University of Australia and the Central Cultural Fund. 
He said that the researchers used radar scanners penetrating through the crust of the earth deeper into the inner strata to lay bare the archaeological evidence of the ancient civilization. 
We launched the excavation project to conduct research on the urban civilization that existed during the Polonnaruwa period. A team of archaeologists of Kelaniya University, Jaffna University, La Trobe University of Australia, the Department of Archaeology and the Central Cultural Fund carried out research in the archaeological site of King Parakramabahu’s royal palace and its surroundings. They used modern technology in research. The project is to be completed by February 26.

The main object of the excavation project is to find archaeological remains of the urban life that existed in the ancient Polonnaruwa city. The researchers use modern technology including radar scanners to examine the remains of antiquated civilization. This resulted in extensive research on more than eighty percent on Polonnaruwa inner city. It is of significance that the researchers have made a forward stride beyond the archaeological remains of King Parakramabahu’s royal palace, the conference hall, and the ponds, and discovered the archaeological evidence of a historic civilization buried about three metres deep in the ground. 
The finds included the archaeological remains of ponds and several buildings which were indicative of a sophisticated society in Polonnaruwa area that dates back to a period much farther than the Polonnaruwa period recorded in history. Archaeologists are conducting further excavations based on the finds. This would open the gate for wider knowledge of the historic Polonnaruwa city and we would take step to provide the opportunity to the tourists to watch the grandeur of the historic city in the far gone days,” Prof.  Prishantha Gunawardene further said.

Courtesy Adaderana

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested Dr. Thusitha Sudarshana, the Deputy Director of the Health Ministry’s Medical Supplies Division on arrival in Sri Lanka at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake.

Police Media Spokesman DIG Nihala Thalduwa said the arrest was carried out in connection with the import of substandard Human Immunoglobulin vials.

Eight individuals including former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, former Health Ministry Secretary Janaka Chandragupta and Additional Secretary of the Health Ministry Dr. Saman Ratnayake currently remain under remand custody in connection with the case.

Meanwhile on March 06, Dr. Ratnayake made a 4-hour-long confidential statement to the Maligakanda Magistrate regarding the procurement of substandard human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).

In October 2023, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) revealed that forged documents were found to have been submitted for Customs clearance to procure a batch of vials containing human immunoglobulin, an antibody produced by blood plasma cells, which later failed the quality tests.

The product, which was said to have been manufactured by Livealth Biopharma Pvt Ltd. India, was imported by a local medicine supplier called Isolez Biotech Pharma AG (Pvt) Ltd. However, the India-based manufacturer has denied having a hand in this fraudulent activity and communicated to the NMRA that it has neither manufactured, supplied nor exported these products to any party.

Reportedly, funds amounting to Rs. 144 million have been misappropriated through the unlawful procurement of 22,500 vials of IVIG.