News Archive for Feb 2010

Global Tamil Forum - The Church leading the defunct LTTE
Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia
The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) had its inaugural meeting last week. The GTF is the defunct LTTE resuscitated in a different format,'old wine in new bottles' !.  It is the current LTTE network and their goal is to set up a separate state.   The British PM's attendance and David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary's speech had lent credibility to an organisation carved by former LTTE activists who were the fund-raisers of the West for a separate agenda. The British elections are to be held within the next few months and therefore, the involvement of the Labour Party is... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 28/02/10)

Ranil, the Boy in the Barbershop.
Geethanjana Kudaligamage
After reading H.L. D Mahindapal’s article “Ranil Concedes Defeat on April 8” I thought of adding some of my observations to the forum. None of the contenders of the presidency in the opposition camp including Rtd. Gen. Fonseka or Mr. Wickramasinghe could offer the type of charisma and leadership that the nation was demanding at this historical moment. Had Ranil contested, he may have gone into the abyss of the history for making a record of the worst looser hard to break for another one hundred years in Sri Lankan political history.  At this juncture in our... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 28/02/10)

Ranil concedes defeat on April 8
H. L. D. Mahindapala
Even before the nominations closed on Friday for the next parliamentary elections to be held on April 8, 2009 Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Leader of the United National Front, has admitted that he cannot win. His aim, as declared by him, is not to win the election but to prevent the ruling UPFA from getting a two thirds majority. This may even be a Freudian slip but it reflects realistically the current political situation of the opposition which is in total disarray.  Till the last minute he was hoping to keep the make-shift coalition with the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 28/02/10)

ජාතික හොරකම හා මාතෘ භූමිය.
චන්ද්‍රසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ විසිනි.
හොරකම. වංචාව හා දූෂණය, කාලාන්තරයක් පුරා මෙරට සියලු වේදිකා දෙදරවූ මාතෘකාවන් විය. හොරකමට විරුද්ධව වේදිකා දෙදරවූ පල් හොරුන්ද, එම පල් හොරුන්ට එරෙහිව උස් හඩින් කථා කල හොරුන්ද මෙරට සුලබව දක්නට ලැබිණ. මෙරට සිටින සියළු තරාතිරම් වල ජන කොට්ඨාශයන් තුල සිටින හොරුන්ගේ සංඛ්‍යාත්මක අගය එසේ නොවන්නන්ගේ අගයට වඩා අති විශාල අගයක් ගනී. එය ප්‍රතිශතයක් වශයෙන් ගත් කල 90% වඩා ඉහල අගයකි. මෙවන් සමාජයක් තුල අප හොරකම. වංචාව හා දූෂණයට එරෙහිව කථා කිරීම සැබෑ ලෙසම ප්‍රායෝගික ක්‍රියාවලියක් නොවේ. එසේ නම් අප කල යුත්තේ කුමක්ද? ඒ සම්බන්ධව අපි විමසා බලමු. මෙම මිනිස් සමාජය, ජාත්‍යන්තරව හා ජාතිකව සොරකම්, දූෂණයන් හා... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 28/02/10)

හුලං ගිය ජේ.වී.පී. කාරයින් හා ඉබා ගාතේ ගිය සරත් ෆොන්සේකා
චන්ද්‍රසිරි විජයවික්‍රම
 ඔවුන් එකට කැමරාව ඉදිරි පිට සිටින විට අනෝමා ෆොන්සේකා ගේ සඳමෙන් රවුම් මූණටත්, එහි පෙනෙන මොනා ලීසා ගේ මෙන් එහි සැඟවුනු දුකටත්, වඩා මේ දිනවල පෙනෙන්නේ සෝමවංශ ගේත්, ටිල්වින් ගේත්, විජිත හේරත් ගේත් අර්ශස්ගායෙන් පෙලෙන්නන්ගේ වැනි වූ දියාරු වුන මුහුණුය. මා තුල ජේ.වී.පී. කාරයින් ගැන හැම විටම එක්තරා කනගාටුවක් තිබුනේය.  කලකට පෙර මේ ගැන ලිපි කිහිපයක්ම ද අයිලන්ඩ් පත්තරයට ද මම ලිව්වෙමි. නමුත් ලංකාවේ දේශපාලයෙන් මේ අයව ලාදුරු රෝගයෙන් පෙලෙන අයව මෙන් ඉවත් කර දැමීමේ කාලය දැන් පැමින ඈත. අප්‍රියෙල් චන්දය ඔවුන්ගේ මිනීවල කිරීමට මහින්ද රාජපක්‍ෂ ජනාධිපතිට කල හැකි දේ වල් කීපයක්ම ඈත.   1971 දෙසැම්බර් මාසයේදී අල්ලාගත්... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 28/02/10)

On Ekneligoda, in spite of Ekneligoda and his pals
Malinda
Some years ago a newspaper whose editor and editorial policy was so uncritically pro-UNP and operated on the my enemy’s enemy is my friend that it was full of pro-LTTE content, observed, editorially, that a Government with a fifth class media policy cannot complain about third rate journalism. I think a reverse of those figures would be more apt. The Government does not have a first rate media policy but we’ve certainly seen far worse situations over the past 30 years or so. My contention has been that the Government is overly worried about criticism because the critics, apart... -Full Story- (Daily News - 28/02/10)

Sri Lanka to tighten NGO Act
B. Muralidhar Reddy
COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan government would amend the Act which deals with both local and foreign NGOs to enable the agencies concerned to probe their activities and take appropriate action against them, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka told the English paper Daily Mirror online. It quoted the Premier as saying a Ministerial Committee appointed to propose amendments to the Act has already put forward a draft document which will be taken up by the new Parliament. “The draft document has already been sent to the Attorney- General for his advice and it includes a proposal to give... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 28/02/10)

The Travels of a Journalist—14- TIKI-TOURING NEW ZEALAND: CROSSING THE ALPINES ON SOUTH ISLAND
By Shelton A. Gunaratne  c 2010
 My son Junius was barely 2 years old when my wife Yoke-Sim and I took him on a two-week-long tour of New Zealand. We landed in Christchurch, the big city of the South Island, on a Saturday (12 Dec. 1981) at 4.30 p.m. although we left Brisbane, Qld. (Australia), at 10.30 a.m. and the Qantas flight itself took only three hours. But the New Zealand time zone was also ahead of Queensland by three hours.  Our intention was to introduce Junius to the joys and sorrows of foreign travel from a very early... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 27/02/10)

Is it American Democracy or Hypocrisy?
Orpheus Perera
I present this web address to the readers, so that they can get first hand information about the American Interest in the third world. They are talking about human rights, democracy and of war crimes. American Ambassador to Colombo Robert Blake openly supported the Sri Lankan Terrorist. Why? They are concerned about the Retired General Fonseka's arrest. These are the stories most of the people, other than the people from South America did not know. They employ different techniques and reasons to invade different countries. Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan  were invaded directly using their State of the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 27/02/10)

Beyond Presidential Election 2010
Daya Wijesinghe   Hony. President - De Dham Rakno
Just as a large number of patriotic organizations, we too endeavoured, within the limits of our resources, for the victory of Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa. Just as they, we too are happy to congratulate him on his victory. If somebody or some organization promotes a candidate at an election and if that person wins, there is a responsibility to the voters, on the part of those who recommended that person, to ensure that he or she meets the expectations of the people. We have been motivated to write this letter to the media,... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 27/02/10)

The UK Green Party: Promoters of International Terrorism?
MS
The LTTE, categorised by the FBI as the “the most ruthless terrorist organization in the world”, has another supporter in the European Union Parliament. Step forward Jean Lambert, Green Party MEP (Member of European Parliament) for London and a member of the its Human Rights Sub-Committee and Delegation to South Asia (SAARC). Jean petitioned for a ceasefire during the final battles in Northern Sri Lanka as the LTTE held 100,000+ civilians hostage as protection against the advancing Sri Lanka Army. She was unaware that the LTTE had not released any civilians during previous ceasefires, initiated by the Sri... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 27/02/10)

FALSIFIED STATEMENTS BY SRI LANKAN GUARDIAN AGAINST GOTABAYA RAJAPAKSA ARE DAM LIES.
By Noor Nizam, Sri Lankan Peace Activist, Freelance Journalist and Political Communication Researcher – Hamilton, Canada, Feb.27th., 2010.
It was interesting to read an article datelined Saturday, February 27, 2010 appearing in the Sri Lankan Guardian internet newspaper where certain allegations have been made against Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. According to the damming article it refers to the allegations made in a report from University Teachers for Human Rights – Jaffna, that it is Defence Secretary not Army Commander that was responsible for waves of killings that took place in Colombo. The deception of this journalistic adventure by Sri... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 27/02/10)

History is made as the Sri Lankan flag is shown live on Canadian and International television for the first time Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver/Whistler BC Canada.
Sri Lanka News
Sri Lankan and Canadian flags were taken by Prathap Perera to Vancouver, BC with the hope that family and friends back in Toronto, ON would be able to easily spot him if seen on television. However this turned out to be something much more and the following is a brief recap of several events which led to a great idea.  When Prathap carried the Sri Lankan flag to the Olympic Winter Games many tourists and onlookers were very curios as to where this beautiful flag originated from. Some locals and foreigners were quickly able to recognize the Sri Lankan flag with much disappointment because... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 27/02/10)

The Labour Party – Looking for the Bus Bomber Vote
Michael Sierra London, UK
On the 24th of February, just a day before the grieving families of the victims of 7th July London bombing attended the official inquest of that atrocity, Gordon Brown, David Milliband and a host of mainly Labour MPs celebrated the launch of the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) at the House of Commons.The GTF is yet another front organization for the LTTE, the brutal and racist terrorist organization, finally crushed in May 2009 after a failed 30-year struggle to carve out an ethnically cleansed statelet in Sri Lanka.... -Full Story- (my.telegraph.co.uk - 27/02/10)

Official inspects refugee camps
Staff Reporter
ERODE: The State Government has carried out various improvements at Rs. 72.36 lakh in the three Sri Lankan refugee camps in Erode District. After inspecting the camps at Arachalur, Echampalli and Bhavanisagar, Commissioner for Rehabilitation of Refugees Muthiah Kalaivanan said that the Government had carried out repairs and maintenance works, constructed public convenience facilities and created adequate drinking water supply provisions. The sanitary conditions of the camps were also improved significantly. Street lighting and various other basic amenities were created utilising the funds.... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 27/02/10)

Toronto News Report About Possible Tamil Tiger Bombings In The Future Put Into Perspective.
In Hindsight By Sunny
Feb.25th 2010
  It has been reported that Canadian security officials are concerned that last year's defeat of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels could trigger attacks like the 1985 Air India bombings. While this sounds like a touch of paranoia on the part of those who suggest it, if there is a  even semblance of true anticipation of such a turn of events by investigative reports perhaps the Canadian law enforcement agencies should get cracking with preventive action against it post haste!   When The International Crisis Group study quotes unnamed Canadian law... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 26/02/10)

How much did LTTE pay Miliband to speak at Global Tamil Forum?
Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia
Despite protests by the Sri Lankan government, David Miliband, British Foreign Secretary, had addressed the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) creating sour relations between the two countries.   The Sri Lankan govt has expressed displeasure because the GTF is the current LTTE network in the west and their agenda is to set up a separate state called the 'Trans-National Govt of Tamil Eelam'. This would be a direct threat to the sovereignity of Sri Lanka. Therefore, David Miliband by addressing the GTF had become a supporting pillar of the LTTE lending credibility to an organisation which propogates separatist policy.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 26/02/10)

THINK WISELY AND CAST YOUR VOTE FOR A BETTER TOMORROW.
RANJIT WICKREMERATNE
Dear voters of my homeland, think wisely irrespective of party politics and cast your valuable vote without fail this time as we are facing the most important General elections after defeating the most ruthless terrorists organization in the world L.T.T.E. This is the first time in thirty years we go to the polls as a free nation. Because of L.T.T.E terror North and East population never had the freedom to cast their vote in any elections freely. Now the time has come to do our duty as free citizens of Motherland thanks to our Commadering chief and to our gallant... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 26/02/10)

To The Honourable World Leaders & World Media
Warna Hettiarachchi Ontario, Canada
To The Honourable World Leaders and Media Controllers,  The previously inconspicuous island nation Sri Lanka has become the center of attention for all of you since December 2009. Over the past 30 years all you heard on this small country was a suicide bomber blasting its citizens to bits and smithereens.  The whole problem for you is that Sri Lanka used its own laws, constitution, local strategies and grass-root-level thinking to wipe out an internationally-fed and supported brutal terrorism. Yes, that is correct - the Tamil Tiger terrorism, funded and coordinated with YOUR political, financial,... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 26/02/10)

SRI LANKAN EMBASSY AND WORLD BANK SPICE UP THE BANK'S RESTAURANTS WITH A SRI LANKAN FOOD FESTIVAL
“Heritage Days” highlights authentic Sri Lankan Cuisine and Culture
On Tuesday (23 February 2010), Restaurants Associates (RA) at the World Bank and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington, D.C. inaugurated the first day of “Celebrating Sri Lankan Cuisine, a special country promotion, launched under the RA’s “Heritage Days” luncheon series.                 The inaugural luncheon, prepared by two leading chefs specially flown from Sri Lanka, namely, Chef Gerard Mendis of Hilton, Colombo and his colleague, Chef Madhawa Weerabaddhana, featured a colorful spread of seafood, curries and vegetarian dishes laced with authentic... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 26/02/10)

Sri Lanka Says General Fonseka to Face Civilian Court
By Paul Tighe
Feb. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Sri Lanka said General Sarath Fonseka, the defeated opposition candidate in January’s presidential election being detained for violating military law, will face additional charges in a civilian court. Charges will be filed “within the next two weeks” under the country’s penal code, the government said on its Web site. “He will be accused of fraud, condoning fraud, plotting against the government, creating unrest within the army and keeping army deserters under his protection,” the government cited G.L. Peiris, the minister of export development and international trade, as saying late yesterday.... -Full Story- (Bloomberg - 26/02/10)

Sri Lanka army officers remanded over 'coup plot'
A Sri Lankan court has ordered that six army officers suspected of plotting to overthrow the government should remain in custody. The officers appeared before Colombo Chief Magistrate Champa Janaki Rajaratne on Friday. The government has accused one of the suspects of being involved in the assassination of Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickramathunga last year. The six are all sympathetic to detained opposition leader Gen Sarath Fonseka.... -Full Story- (BBC - 26/02/10)

Nominations for parliament elections close
Nominations for Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections closed yesterday with the ex-army commander currently in military custody on allegations of conspiracy against the government also contesting the April 8 poll, officials said. General Sarath Fonseka, the former army commander, is running in the capital district of Colombo for the Democratic National Alliance, a Marxist party. He signed his nomination papers while in custody. Fonseka opted for the new party after an opposition alliance whose candidate he was in the presidential elections in January fell apart. But the main contest is set to be between the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance, led... -Full Story- (Gulf Times - 26/02/10)

Double murder mystery cracked
Staff Reporter
KARUR: Police here claim to have cracked the mystery behind the murder of two children and arrested three persons, including a Sri Lankan refugee, in connection with the case. The murders took place on May 17, 2007. The names of the arrested were given as Murali alias Robbery Murali of Thanthonrimalai, Pandi alias Muthupandi of Karur and Kumar alias Tharkolai Kumar. Kumar is a Lankan refugee and inmate of the Rayanur refugee camp here while Pandi is married to a Sri Lankan Tamil girl from the camp. Police claim that the trio had entered the house of... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 26/02/10)

Jayasuriya, former captain of the Sri Lanka cricket team, to run for parliament
The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has accepted Jayasuriya's request to stand for elections. Though Jayasuriya has announced his retirement from Test cricket, he still plays one-day internationals.Sanath Jayasuriya, former captain of the Sri Lanka cricket team, will soon commence a new innings. He has decided to enter politics and will contest for the parliament seat from Matara, his home town. The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has accepted Jayasuriya's request to stand for elections. Though Jayasuriya has announced his retirement from Test cricket, he still plays one-day internationals. Jayasuriya's decision to enter the electoral fray in April follows a request from... -Full Story- (gulfnews.com - 26/02/10)

Diplomacy and Sovereign Equality
Sarath Wijesinghe - -Senior Solicitor Senior Attorney – at- law and former Chairman Consumer Affairs Authority
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups of states. This usually refers to international diplomacy. Apart from recently codified International Instruments such as Charter of the United Nations (24.10.1945), ILO (1919), Universal Declaration of Human Rights ( 10.12.1948), Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties and many other codified instruments and unwritten conventions and practices on which the current diplomatic relations among the world family conducts affairs, friendship of sovereign nations depend on mutual friendship respect among... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 25/02/10)

Fonseka to face more charges
B. Muralidhar Reddy COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan government on Thursday made it known that fresh charges would be framed against the defeated opposition common consensus presidential candidate, retired General Sarath Fonseka, in civil courts under the Penal Code and Exchange Control Act in two weeks. Minister of Export Development and International Trade G.L. Peiris told a news conference here that the former Army Chief would be charged on counts of fraud, condoning fraud, plotting against the government, creating unrest within the Army and keeping army deserters under his protection. General (retired) Fonseka is in the custody of the military on... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 25/02/10)

ඩේවිඩ් මිලිබෑන්ඩ් කියන්නේ කජු කිරි කොල්ලෙක්
චන්ද්‍රසිරි විජයවික්‍රම     හිලරි ක්ලින්ටන් සමඟ ලඟින් හිටගෙන ඉන්නා විට මිලිබෑන්ඩ් වැඩුනු මිනිහෙක් නොව කජු කිරි කොල්ලෙක් බව පෙනේ. ඔහුගේ මොළයේ වර්ධනය අතින්ද ඔහු තවම ළමා වයසේම බව ඔහුගේ හැසිරීමෙන් ද පෙනී යයි. අවුරුදු හතලිහක් දේශපාලයේ සිටි මහින්ද රාජපක්‍ෂව රැවටීමට පුලුවන් වේය කියා හිතා 2009 අප්‍රියෙල් මාසයේ ඔහු ප්‍රංශ ඈමති කෙනෙක් සමඟ කොළඹට පැමින සවුත්තු වී ගියේ ලංඩන් නොව නිව් යෝර්ක් වලටය. ඔවුන් දෙන්නාට සිදුවු හියුමිලියේෂන් එක නිසා ඔවුන් කලේ නිව් යෝර්ක් නඟරයේ යූ.එන්.ඕ. එක අසල පත්තර වාර්තා කරුවන්ට තම දුක් ගැනවිල්ල කීමය.     1505 න් පසු සුද්දන්ට මෙසේ කනේ පාරක් ගැසුවේ ලංකාව කියන පුංචි රටේ ඔක්ස්ෆර්ඩ්-හාර්වඩ් නොගිය ගමෙන්... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 25/02/10)

Britain blunders again
H. L. D. Mahindapala
Highlighting the rise of Irish terrorism once again The Wall Street Journal reported that last Monday, in the dead of night, “a 225-pound bomb went off in a car near the front security gates of the courthouse of Newry, a town near the border with the Republic of Ireland.” How did the Prime Minister of UK, Gordon Brown’s office react? A spokesman from No: 10 Downing Street said: "Such acts are entirely unrepresentative of the views of the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland. We will not allow a tiny minority to turn the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/02/10)

Robert O Blake is the war criminal: ‘villain with a smiling cheek’
Ajit Randeniya
The greatest challenge posed by Robert Blake’s recent remarks on Sri Lanka, while his agent Fonseka is yet to explain the source of the US dollar bounty, and while his neocon forces in Afghanistan are exterminating poor Afghan villagers, is to find means of expressing the utter disgust such remarks deserve; they surpass the levels of description achievable through commonly used terms such as ‘hypocritical’ and ‘dishonest’.  A few moments of reflection makes one realise that this Zionist grub is almost a caricature of Shylock, the greedy Jewish usurer Shakespeare created in The Merchant of Venice: to... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/02/10)

Robert O. Blake: Your concerns on Sri Lanka
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1 . Canada
February 23, 2010 Mr. Robert O. Blake Assistant Secretary of  State South & Central Asia                                                                                                                                                                                                                          State Department Washington, US Dear Robert: I see that you are back into your hissy-fits about Sri Lanka.   The Sri Lankan media has reported under the headline “U.S. not Happy with Sri Lanka”.  According to the Daily Mirror of February 23, 2010, it says “the US is not satisfied with the manner in which the Sri Lankan government has handled the issue of former Sri Lankan Army Chief General Sarath Fonseka’s arrest and... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/02/10)

WHY MR.PRESIDENT WHY! THIS SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR A MAN WHO BETRAYED OUR MOTHERLAND?
Ranjit Wickremeratne
He is a man who has done immense damage to our country and to it's reputation. He openly opened his big mouth and issued a statement to the local and foreign media that his boss defence secretary Hon.Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his own colleagues in the Army was responsible for killing innocent Tamils when they were coming forward to surrender with white flags ( Innocent is his words, to me they are murderers ) Isnt it enough to put him in jail Mr.President? This statement he repeated several times during the Presidential elections. We have not forgotten any... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/02/10)

මහා මැතිවරණය හා මෙරට ජනතා ප්‍රශ්න
චන්ද්‍රසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ විසිනි.
මෙරට ජනතාව ප්‍රශ්න ගනනාවකට මැදිව සිටී. දේශපාලකයින්ට පමණක් විසදිය හැකි ප්‍රශ්න හා ජනතාව විසදිය යුතු, නමුත් දේශපාලකයින් මත පටවා ඇති ප්‍රශ්න කන්දරාවක්ද මෙරට තුල ඔඩුදුවමින් පවතී. මහා මැතිවරණයකට අවතීර්ණව සිටින මේ වකවානුවේදී අප මුහුණ දෙන බරපතල ප්‍රශ්නයක් සම්බන්ධව සමාජයේ අවධානය යොමුකරවීම මෙම ලිපියේ අරමුණයි. තාක්ෂණික දියුණුව මිනිසාට හොද සමාජ තත්වයක් උරුම කිරීම සදහා පාදක කර ගතයුතු වුවද, ශ්‍රී ලංකාව තුලදී එය ශ්‍රී ලාංකිකයාට දෛනිකව විදවීමට උපකාර කරන මෙවලමක් බවට පත්ව තිබේ. මෙරට ජනතාව තමන්ගේම ගෙදරදීම, තමන්ගේ වියදමින් ගොඩනගා ගත් සමාජ පීඩක යන්ත්‍රය රූපවාහිනී යන්ත්‍රය බවට පත්ව ඇත. මෙම සමාජ පීඩක යන්ත්‍රය පෞද්ගලිකව මිනිසාත්, පොදුවේ සමාජයත් විනාශ... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/02/10)

කොළඹ සිට ඉංග්‍රීසියෙන් මනස්ගාත ලියන දයාන්-ජෙහාන් ක්‍රිස්තියානි යුවල
චන්ද්‍රසිරි විජයවික්‍රම
"ලෝකයේ ප්‍රථම සිංහල බෞද්ධ ජනාධිපති" යන ශීර්ෂය යටතේ ලිපියක් ලියන්නට සූදානම් වන මට ඊට කලින්, ඊට පසු බිමක් වශයෙන්, කොළඹ වසන සිංහල ක්‍රිස්තියානි කළු සුද්දන් ගැන ලිවීමේ අවශ්‍යතාවයක් පෙනී ගියේ මේ දිනවල දයාන් ජයතිලකත් ජෙහාන් පෙරේරාත් ලියන දේවල්, විශේෂයෙන්ම මානසික ලෙඩෙක් මෙන් හැසුරුන ආමි ජෙනරාල් මිලිටරි හිර භාරයට ගැනීම ගැන ලියන දේවල් නිසාය (අලි මදිවාට හරක් කිව්වා වගේ ක්‍රිස්තියානි මාර්ක්ස්වාදී කාලෝ ෆොන්සේකාද 21 දා ද අයිලන්ඩ් ප්ත්තරයෙන් දයාන් ට මුක්කුවක් ගසා ඈත). මේ දෙන්නාම උපතින් ක්‍රිස්තියානීන් වීම නිසා බටහිර සුදු ක්‍රිස්තියානීන්ගේ මත වාද ක්‍රිස්තියානි කළු සුද්දන් වශයෙන් බදා ගෙන ඔවුන් උදෙසා කඩේ යාම පුදුමයක් නොවේ. යම් කෙනෙකුගේ... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/02/10)

UPFA SHOULD REJECT TNA SOMERSAULTERS
Malin Abeyatunge
Daily News(22/2/2010) reported that three Tamil National Alliance (TNA) members namely Ganeshamoorthi Gunam (Kaludavalai), Thangeswari Kadirgaman and Ramesh plus another  in the offing are to contest under UPFA. UPFA should not accept these once LTTE proxies for a couple of extra votes knowing very well that they don’t carry a wide voter base nor they will change their ideology of  Eelam. Even at the Presidential elections, TNA leader Sambandhan was totally rejected by the moderate Tamils. These  somersaulters will leave UPFA and jump again to another party when the next UPFA Government needs their support at a... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/02/10)

"Missed opportunities for reconciliation & healing" - Some comments
Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia
In article on 'Missed opportunities for reconciliation and healing', to an English Daily  of 23rd February, Jehan Perera (JP) says, that the President despite a handsome 18% majority at the election does not appear interested in being magnanimous to the defeated opponent. He adds, "...the governments apparent unwillingness to soften its approach to Fonseka who continues to be incarcerated in solitary confinement is a frightening example to other dissidents..."   Contrary to what JP says, the President in an interview to The Hindu has said that Fonseka is getting five star treatment in custody. He had been given... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/02/10)

Milinda protests unconscionable campaign expenditure - hands over donation to Vajiraramaya Temple
Press Release Gamini Sarath Godakanda
As always, his campaign to be free of posters, cut-outs, firecrackers
The Leader of the Sri Lanka National Congress, Milinda Moragoda is to be a candidate for the Colombo District, contesting on the UPFA list in the upcoming General Elections. Today (24.02.2010) at the Vajiraramaya Temple, he announced his pledge to continue to follow the principles he has always practiced and will again run a campaign free of posters, large cutouts, firecrackers and polythene decorations. In addition, in order to highlight the gross waste of money spent on campaigns, he has pledged to... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/02/10)

UNP fails to woo Fonseka for polls
Colombo ,Feb. 24: Sri Lanka’s main Opposition UNP has failed in its last-ditch effort to convince detained ex-Army Chief Sarath Fonseka to contest the April 8 parliamentary poll under the front led by it, setting the stage for a three-cornered fight also involving a JVP-dominated alliance and the ruling UPFA. Fifty-nine-year-old Gen. Fonseka’s position was conveyed to the UNP-led United National Front (UNF) of ex-Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe by the General’s wife Anoma, who had a meeting with the chief of the main Opposition party on Wednesday. Mr Wickremesinghe had urged Ms Anoma to ask the General to reconsider his stand... -Full Story- (Asian Age - 24/02/10)

Jettison LTTE agenda, Diaspora told
B. Muralidhar Reddy
COLOMBO: The International Crisis Group (ICG) has urged the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora to jettison the failed Tamil Eelam agenda of the LTTE. Instead, they should pursue the quest for a just peace in a united Sri Lanka. The Brussels-based independent NGO has a branch here. In its 29-page report titled “The Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora after the LTTE”, the ICG is blunt in its assertion that after 26 years of exhaustion from the war, an overwhelming majority of Sri Lankan Tamils has no stomach for return to militant politics. As per the ICG, however, in... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 24/02/10)

Govt lodges strong protest
Sri Lanka News
Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama summoned acting British High Commissioner Mark Goodin to the Foreign Ministry to lodge the Government’s strong protest over the decision of the British Foreign Secretary David Milliband to address the London meeting of the LTTE front organization, Global Tamil Forum, a ministry press release said yesterday. The Foreign Minister informed the acting High Commissioner that the Global Tamil Forum was an umbrella body formed with several LTTE front organizations working in the Western Countries with the agenda of setting up a separate so-called Inter-state Tamil Eelam state that was a threat to... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/02/10)

Miliband addresses Tamil Forum
Hasan Suroor LONDON: The British government defended Foreign Secretary David Miliband's decision to address a meeting of the Global Tamil Forum here saying Britain would “engage'' with all members of the Sri Lankan community who shared its view that a peaceful political solution was the only way to achieve lasting peace in Sri Lanka. A Foreign Office spokesman told The Hindu: “The U.K. firmly believes that the only way to achieve lasting and equitable peace in Sri Lanka is through genuine national reconciliation. The U.K. will engage with all members of the Sri Lankan community who share this goal, whether... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 24/02/10)

The new silk road
News that China is pressing ahead with the construction of yet another port in the Indian Ocean – this time in Sri Lanka – has led to alarm in India that the strategic ‘string of pearls’ China is building along the lucrative trade routes from Africa to Asia could become an expensive choker on the Indian economy. But India is not taking the move lying down. While China moves to take advantage of the shipping lanes between the Middle East and China, India is charging ahead with a partnership with Japan to build a freight corridor that will link Mumbai... -Full Story- (businessspectator.com.au - 24/02/10)

Colombo 'commentariat' is neoconned
Ajit Randeniya
British right wing polemicist Frank Johnson coined the term ‘Commentariat’ to refer to the usually university educated politically active ‘metropolitan middle class’, especially those with political, media, and academic connections who see themselves as the arbiters of conventional wisdom and morality. Dr Gunadasa Amarasekera probably alluded to the parallel group in Sri Lanka when he referred, somewhat more harshly, to ‘English speaking Colombo pariahs’.  Irrespective of the description one chooses to adopt, the commentariat is distinct and different from the largely unrepresented ‘Silent Majority’ in most societies; the working class, the peasants and artisans who make up... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 23/02/10)

Formal Complaint against the ABC TV’s bias reporting on Sri Lanka, in its “Foreign Correspondent” broadcast on 9 February 2010
Sri Lanka Support Group, Canberra
24 February 2010 ABC Audience and Consumer Affairs GPO Box 8884 Sydney NSW Dear Sirs Formal Complaint against the ABC TV’s bias reporting on Sri Lanka, in its “Foreign Correspondent” broadcast on 9 February 2010 We refer to the ‘Foreign Correspondent’ documentary, dated 9 February 2010. Said program was totally biased against Sri Lanka. It was intentionally designed to bring forth disrepute to Sri Lanka and to stir the efforts of ethnic reconciliation that the Sri Lanka is vigorously attempting to now create. The program contains lies, deceptions, distortions, misinterpretations and innuendos. The program... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 23/02/10)

Sunday Morning Herald,Ref; your editorial on 21/02/10, under the heading “Rajapaske is the cause, not the solution”:
Vajeera Warnakulasuriya,
The Editor Sunday Morning Herald, Dear Sir, With reference to your editorial on 21/02/10, under the heading “Rajapaske is the cause, not the solution”: I wish to posit the following response.  If the Sri Lankan President wanted to deprive the General Sarath Fonseka (Rtd) to be the challenger he could easily refused to accept his resignation from the Army. Match over, kaput! End of story. But he practiced the ”Democratic” rights of the ex-General and relieved him from active service. Isn’t that magnanimous of the President?  Since then there are enough evidences to show that this General... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 23/02/10)

Former Envoy Blake Seems To Be Getting Carried Away With His Rhetoric And Needs To Asked To Tone Down A Bit!
Insight By Sunil Kumar Feb.23rd 2010
The news from Washington DC that A top Obama Administration official has said that "the US is not satisfied with the manner in which the Rajapaksa Government has handled the issue involving former Sri Lankan Army chief General Fonseka's arrest and hoped that Colombo would follow the rules of the land in this case" is an affront to the integrities involving a Sovereign Nation, a breach of diplomatic protocols against a Nation which is also part of the Commonwealth of Nations and if true beyond journalistic jargon, the US which he represents should... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 23/02/10)

US Not Happy With Sri Lanka - Robert Blake To BBC Februaary 23, 2010
Ira de Silva Ontario, Canada
Mr. Robert O.Blake Assistant Secretary of State South & Central Asia State Department Washington, U.S.A.   Dear Sir:   I have just read details of an interview you have given to the BBC which appears in the Sri Lankan media titled "U.S. not Happy With Sri Lanka" - Daily Mirror February 23,2010. It states that according to you "the US is not satisfied with the manner in which the Sri Lankan government has handled the issue of former Sri Lankan Army chief General Sarath Fonseka's arrest and hoped that Colombo would follow the rules... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 23/02/10)

US Ambassador Butenis, Waving the Stick!wants SL to Muffle the Media
by hela puwath
Ambassador Butenis had met Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Bogollagama on February 18th to express US’s displeasure about unfavorable media reports about the US, saying that these reports in Sri Lankan media is damaging US, Sri Lanka bilateral relations. [LankaPage] The report says, "The United States maintains that no room should be left for the creation of impressions that this reportage has any support extended by official sources," Sounds like madam ambassador’s first lecture to Sri Lanka government on “Good Governance”, reminiscent of her stint in Bangladesh. It is no secret that when the US “expresses its... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 23/02/10)

Hindu Religious Leaders at a ceremony held at the Shanmuga’s Hotel
Press Release
Leader of the Sri Lanka National Congress and Minister Milinda Moragoda handed over the policy document of the party on the forthcoming General Election titled “Agenda for influencing the Government.”  to a number of influential members of the Hindu Religious Leaders  at a ceremony held at the Shanmuga’s Hotel, Wellawatta recently. Handing over the policy paper the Minister told the Venerable Religious Leaders that it was the intention of the Sri Lanka National Congress, to pursue these policies as a constituent party of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), within the framework of the Mahinda Chintana-Idiridakma. He... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 23/02/10)

A six-week window for Lankan oppostion
Sutirtho Patranobis, Hindustan Times
Time is running out for the beleaguered opposition in Sri Lanka as it readies for the April 8 general election. For all their promises of bringing in good governance, better economics and stamping out corruption, opposition parties now are now preparing to fight each other then putting up an united stand against the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA). The opposition parties were an ideologically assorted but politically keen group as they rallied behind former army chief Sarath Fonseka – or rallied against incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa – in the run-up to the Presidential election; less than... -Full Story- (Hindustan Times - 23/02/10)

Statement on the EU Decision for the Temporary Suspension of the GSP + Facility to Sri Lanka
Source: Government of Sri Lanka
Responding to the EU's decision to temporarily suspend the GSP+ trade concessions to Sri Lanka in 6 months, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo in a statement issued on 16 February 2010 said "Sri Lanka values her longstanding relations with the EU" and "will therefore continue her engagement with the EU in the upcoming 6 months with a view to sensitizing the European side through a constructive dialogue, concerning both the rapid, demonstrable and sustainable progress that has been gained since the end of the conflict situation, as well as the further steps that... -Full Story- (Relief Web - 23/02/10)

US$25 million loan from IFAD to support Agribusiness Development in Sri Lanka
Source: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Date: 23 Feb 2010 Press release No.: IFAD/17/2010 Rome, 23 February 2010 – A US$25 million loan to the Republic of Sri Lanka from IFAD will directly benefit small producers, women, landless households and young people in rural areas. A loan agreement for the National Agribusiness Development Programme was signed today in Rome by Hemantha Warnakulasuria, Ambassador of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and Governor to IFAD, and Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of IFAD.... -Full Story- (Relief Web - 23/02/10)

Lanka: Fonseka's wife to campaign in poll
IANS
COLOMBO: The wife of Sri Lanka's detained former army general and defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka will campaign in the forthcoming parliamentary election on behalf of her husband, Xinhua reported Tuesday. Vijitha Herath, secretary of the newly formed Democratic National Alliance (DNA), told reporters that Fonseka will contest the April 8 election from Colombo district and his wife Anoma Fonseka would campaign on behalf of her husband. "My husband who is in custody for no fault was ready to do any sacrifice. He always puts the country before himself. The government is scared of him and that is... -Full Story- (ExpressBuzz - 23/02/10)

Fonseka denied bail
B. Muralidhar Reddy COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan Supreme Court on Tuesday declined bail to the former Army chief, General (retired) Sarath Fonseka, who is in the custody of the military on a number of charges including treason. On Monday, General (retired) Fonseka was named leader of the newly floated Democratic National Alliance (DNA), of which the ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna would be a key constituent. According the Daily Mirror, the United National Front (UNF) led by the United National Party (UNP) has once again invited the retired General and his wife, Anoma Fonseka, to join their alliance to contest the... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 23/02/10)

Govt to ban anti Sri Lankan INGOs
Shirley Wijesinghe
International Non-Governmental Organizations that engage in anti Sri Lankan activities or have links with elements conspiring against Sri Lanka would be banned following investigations, Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Minister Rishard Bathiudeen told the daily news yesterday. He said the Government has reasons to believe that certain INGOs are enaged in acts of sabotage against the Sri Lankan State. The Government had launched a series of investigations to trace the INGO s that had been connected to these activities and their members found guilty will be deported, Bathiudeen said. According to sources, over 50 INGO... -Full Story- (Daily News - 23/02/10)

Lanka top court refuses to release ex-army chief
The Supreme Court yesterday rejected a plea for the release of a former army commander in military custody for two weeks on charges of conspiracy against the government, officials said. The high court agreed with the attorney general’s argument that General Sarath Fonseka should not be released because military proceedings were continuing against him. The court did grant permission for Fonseka’s family and lawyers to visit him in custody, and to take measures to ensure his safety.... -Full Story- (Gulf Times - 23/02/10)

Sink or swim for Lankan opposition
Sutirtho Patranobis , Hindustan Times
The fissures are showing between the liberal and pro-west United National Party (UNP), the ultra-nationalist-Marxist, anti-India, Janatha Vimukti Peramuna (JVP), and the Tamil National Alliance, a succession battle tearing it apart in a post-LTTE era. As of Tuesday, the UNP — the principal opposition party which seems to have realised the futility of aligning with lesser parties — will fight the election on its own. Fonseka is aligned with the JVP and sacked and sulking TNA members have either switched to UPFA or are floating new entities.... -Full Story- (Hindustan Times - 23/02/10)

Hell or High Water – False Program on ABC TV
Manjula Wettasinghe
Dear Editor, Australian ABC TV recently (9th Feb) telecasted an episode in it's "Forign Correspondent" program. This was called "Hell or High Water" and was on Sri Lanka's boat people who arrive at Australian shores as refugees. As we all know these are mostly bogus "economic" regugees rather than real refugees. However this episode was totally oriented around false information fabricated by numerous Anti-Sri Lankan elements including Gordon Weis , the former UN office who is an Australian. This episode was included in ABC website also and is currenly on (http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2009/s2814960.htm). A lot of readers have left... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/02/10)

Allow Less Affluent Pilgrims to Nagadeepa to Use the Facilities at Palali
Kumar Moses
After almost 30 years later the Nagadeepa Buddhist Vihara is open to the people. Nagadeepa is very special for Sri Lankan Buddhists as Lord Buddha visited this place around 2,500 years ago. The present large influx of pilgrims is historical. It symbolises the ending of racist demarcations imposed by the LTTE using terror and violence. It also symbolises people’s undying devotion and the determination to integrate. The fallacy of racial homelands is another manifestation. However, most pilgrims who are from less affluent sections of the society find it pretty bad in Jaffna where there are no decent... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/02/10)

Fatal road accidents in Sri Lanka
Ben Silva 
Media reports (Ref: http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/02/21/sec10.asp )  indicate the large number of unnecessary road traffic accidents in Sri Lanka. The victims of road traffic accidents  include pedestrians, motor cycle riders, schoolchildren, and women pillion riders etc. Hardly a day goes by without something tragic on our highways being reported in our newspapers. The cause of these accidents include  speeding, reckless driving, irresponsible behaviour and negligence of drivers. I observed  that  drivers of  cars  and other vehicles   had total disregard for law and order and for the safety of  other users of the road. People crossing the road risked their... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/02/10)

Agenda for influencing the Government.” to M. I. M. Rizwe Mufthi, President of the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama
Press Releases -Gamini Sarath Godakanda
Leader of the Sri Lanka National Congress and Minister Milinda Moragoda handed over the policy document of the party on the forthcoming General Election titled “Agenda for influencing the Government.”  to the number of influential Scholars of the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama. Handing over the policy paper the Minister told the Muslim Religious Leaders that it was the intention of the Sri Lanka National Congress, to pursue these policies as a constituent party of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), within the framework of the Mahinda Chintana-Idiridakma. He also said that his party would... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/02/10)

A questionnaire of sorts to Ms. Butenis
by Malinda Seneviratne Courtesy Lakbima
The US Embassy is livid.  They are pissed off their minds because, ‘various state media outlets’ had alleged that the United States of  America had supported a candidate at the recently held Presidential  Election.  The US Embassy in Colombo in a special media statement has  categorically denied any such involvement and had chided these ‘media  outlets’ for making baseless charges without giving Patricia Butenis a chance to comment on what the Embassy calls ‘spurious claims’.  The statement includes the usual disclaimer about Sri Lanka and the USA  being longstanding partners, buddies in arms, and... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/02/10)

Judicial system to be reestablished in former LTTE-held towns
Press Trust Of India
Over a year after liberating Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu from the LTTE, Sri Lanka will reestablish judicial system in the two districts from next month replacing two decades of 'Kangaroo Courts' run by the now vanquished Tamil Tigers. Jaffna High Court authorities are working towards reestablishing the judicial system in Kilinochchi on March 1 and in Mullaitivu later. Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu -- the former de-facto capital of the Tamil Tigers and headquarters of the outfit's naval wing respectively -- had 'Kangaroo Courts' administered by the LTTE with its won judges and police force since 1987. "Executions by... -Full Story- (Hindustan Times - 22/02/10)

Opposition invites Fonseka to contest polls
IANS
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's main opposition party United National Party (UNP) said Monday that the door is still open for the defeated presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka to join it in the parliamentary elections April 8. UNP general secretary Tissa Attanayaka told reporters that the UNP's invitation is not only for Fonseka but also for the JVP and any other party interested in bringing democracy back to the country, Xinhua reported."At this crucial juncture, the opposition needs to be strong and stand together as one to fight against the Mahinda Rajapaksa government. There is no respect for law of... -Full Story- (ExpressBuzz - 22/02/10)

CBI requests more evidence on Prabhakaran’s death
Sutirtho Patranobis,
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has asked the Sri Lanka government to provide documentary evidence about the death of Tamil Tiger chief V. Prabhakaran, prime accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case of 1991. Prabhakaran is said to have been killed in the third week of May 2009 while fighting government troops. His death was formally announced on May 19. India had subsequently asked for a death certificate from Sri Lanka so that Prabhakaran’s name could be struck off from the list of accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The Sri Lankan foreign ministry had recently... -Full Story- (Hindustan Times - 22/02/10)

Demise of the Rottweiler in Lankan politics
The Third Eye- Daily News
Rottweiler is a large black Germen bred dog whose tail wags the body. But then, why are we talking about the ‘demise’ of this rottweiler and what has that particular breed got to do with Sri Lankan politics in the first place? Rottweiler is of particular relevance to our politics because this phenomenon of ‘tail wagging the body’ is something that has been linked with Sri Lankan politics for some time now.... -Full Story- (Daily News - 22/02/10)

Oman Air to commemorate flights to Lanka
By Staff Writer
Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, will be commemorating its flights to the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo on Friday. The flights to this destination were launched in November last year with four weekly frequencies between Muscat, capital of the Sultanate of Oman, and Colombo. Eng Sultan Hamdoon Al Harthi, President of the Muscat Municipality, will be the chief guest for the launch celebrations that will have a high-level delegation from Oman Air, led by Oman Air's Chief Executive Officer Peter Hill, along with other Senior Management team who will be in Colombo... -Full Story- (business24-7.ae - 22/02/10)

Tamil newspaper ransacked in Toronto
Toronto, Feb 22 – The office of a prominent Tamil newspaper here was ransacked Saturday night for covering the talks of a local Tamil leader with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Kula Sellathurai, president of the United Tamil Council of Canada and the Canada-India Business Council, had recently met Rajapaksa in Colombo to discuss the Tamil issue and hand over funds raised for the orphans of the war. His talks with the Sri Lankan president were covered in the Uthayan newspaper edited by his friend Logan Logendralingam. The coverage earned the newspaper the ire of many sections of Tamil Canadians.... -Full Story- (indiatalkies.com - 22/02/10)

Tamil newspaper’s Scarborough office attacked
John Rieti Staff Reporter
The front window of Uthayan newspaper’s office looked like a “vehicle drove right through it” when Kula Sellathurai arrived at the scene. Overnight, Sellathurai said, the newspaper’s editor received a threatening call and hours later its office on Progress Rd., near Markham Rd. and Highway 401, was vandalized. Police are on scene, but said their investigation is still in the early stages. The threats stemmed from a recent meeting Sellathurai, President of the Canada-Sri Lanka Business Council and the United Tamil Council of Canada, had with the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa. The meeting was... -Full Story- (thestar.com - 22/02/10)

Has Dude Danuna Sold His Mother for Rs 75 million??
Prof. Hudson McLean
Judas sold Jesus Christ for 30 pieces of silver! Converted to US$ today with inflation after 2000 years, it might come to a handsome sum, depending on the value of silver then. In today's terminology, "Money Talks & Bullshit Walks", and Apsara's greed to save the Bucks and help the father, whilst Dude Danuna is "on the run", was to sacrifice the mother-in-law. Would any son who has suckled the mother's breast could wake up and see his mother being sent to "Hard Labour" with drug addicts, prostitutes and petty criminals in a Sri Lankan prison,... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 21/02/10)

President Rajapaksa inaugurates the Nagamu Purawara programme
By Janaka Alahapperuma
“Nagamu Purawara”, a special programme to enhance infrastructure facilities of the low income housing schemes in the Colombo City area is launched under the patronage of the President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the early hours of Sunday on 21st of February. President Mahinda Rajapaksa made a surprise visit to the 60 (Hete) watta, Muhandiram Road this morning to inspected the area with Minister Geethanjana Gunawardena, secretary to the President Mr Lalith Weeratunga, Special Commissioner of the Colombo municipal Council Mr Omar Kami and Mr Azath Sali. President Rajapaksa is seen here inspecting the area while talking to... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 21/02/10)

Lanka probes Fonseka’s campaign funds
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka is investigating whether foreign sources funded the campaign of defeated opposition presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka, a newspaper reported Sunday. The former Army commander is already in military custody facing charges of conspiracy against the government. The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) began investigating after $527,000 in cash were found in the bank locker of a close relative of Fonseka last week, the Sunday Times in Colombo reported. Sri Lankan law limits the possession of US bank notes to $2,000 without government permission, it said. The report said the CID sought the help of Interpol in France to... -Full Story- (ExpressBuzz - 21/02/10)

Govt seeks Interpol help to probe Fonseka's families account
The government has sought the help of the Interpol to probe foreign bank accounts of the son-in-law of Sri Lanka's defeated presidential candidate whose company allegedly supplied arms to the military. The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is investigating foreign bank accounts of Danuna Tilakaratne, the son-in-law of retired General Sarath Fonseka. The Interpol assistance is being sought to collect information on his international financial dealings, the police said. This is with regard to supply of arms to Sri Lankan security forces by his US-based company Hicorp Inc. The CID has already gathered information on Tilakaratne's accounts in Sri Lanka, the... -Full Story- (Hindustan Times - 21/02/10)

Sydney Morning Herald recycles opposition propaganda
H. L. D. Mahindapala
Sydney Morning Herald has done it again. The Editor publishes editorials as if he is the last word on Sri Lankan politics but when errors are pointed out they black out the corrections. That’s Aussie rules for you. The following is an expanded version of the original letter sent to the Editor which, needless to say, was not published. Sir, Please permit me to comment on some points raised in your editorial on Sri Lanka.  You mention that “there are credible reports” of election commissioner, Dayananda Dissanayake and his wife being held captive in the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 21/02/10)

THANKYOU AUSTRALIA
Malin Abeyatunge
The Sri Lankan print and electronic media reported on 17/2/2010 that the Australian Government has donated five demining machines to facilitate acceleration of the demining operations in the North of Sri Lanka. The consignment of de-mining equipment including five "Bozena +4" demining machines and spare parts valued at Rs. 272 million was handed over by Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Kathy Klugman to Human Rights and Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe on 16/2/2010. The Sri Lankan expatriates community in Australia is very grateful for the Australian Government for their generous donation and BIG Thank YOU. In... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 21/02/10)

Where will Fonseka go from here?
By Sunday Times Political Editor
Retired General Sarath Fonseka continues to boycott the sessions before a senior Army officer tasked to record a 'summary of evidence', the prelude to his facing trial before a General Court Martial (GCM). He maintains that he is now a civilian and is therefore no longer subject to military law. As our front page report today reveals, his attorney, President's Counsel Wijedasa Rajapaksa, confirmed this. The Sunday Times front-page lead story last week headlined "FONSEKA DEFIES MILITARY INQUIRY" was cause for some discomfort among official propagandists and jaunty media spin-doctors. The former did not know... -Full Story- (sundaytimes.lk - 21/02/10)

Army wanted to arrest Fonseka before election, MR stopped it-"If I allowed that they would have said I was frightened"
Island'
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has told one of India’s most influential journalists that the army had wanted to take General (Rtd.) Sarath Fonseka into custody for an inquiry into serious allegations against him but the president had stopped that. "If at that time I had allowed that, they would have said that I was frightened of this man contesting," the president had told N. Ram, the editor-in-chief of The Hindu, a director of its owning company and a member of the family owning the influential South Indian newspaper. Rajapaksa has said in the interview at Temple Trees last week... -Full Story- (The Island - 20/02/10)

Sri Lanka to set up community villages for ex-rebels
Irish Sun
Saturday 20th February, 2010 (IANS) The Sri Lankan government said Saturday it will set up community villages to rehabilitate former Tamil Tiger rebels. Over 11,000 former cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are now sheltered in 18 state-run rehabilitation centers. The majority of them surrendered to the military during the last stages of the battle in May last year and the rest were arrested. The newly appointed commissioner general of rehabilitation, Brigadier Sudantha Ranasinghe, told reporters that the proposal to establish community villages is in the process of administrative cleareance before being sent... -Full Story- (story.irishsun.com - 20/02/10)

Colombo sees attempts to derail democracy
B. Muralidhar Reddy
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka on Saturday complained to two visiting envoys that some countries were channelling funds via international and local non-governmental organisations to destabilise democracy. In separate meetings with Australian special envoy to Sri Lanka John McCarthy and Ambassador of Sudan Khidir Haroun Ahmed, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama conveyed the concern. Though he did not name any country, his remarks assume significance against the backdrop of a February 10 interview Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa gave to the Singapore-based Straits Times where he had talked about the alleged coup plans of the former Army Chief, retired General... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 20/02/10)

Rajapaksa says Fonseka getting 5-star treatment
Colombo: Sri Lanka’s president says arrested ex-army chief and defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka is getting “five-star” treatment in custody, it was reported yesterday. Fonseka, whose detention came two weeks after being beaten in presidential elections in late January by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is being held by the military pending court-martial proceedings on unspecified charges. Rajapaksa reiterated allegations in an interview with India’s The Hindu newspaper that Fonseka had been working to divide the army and “engaging himself in activities prosecutable under military law.”... -Full Story- (thepeninsulaqatar.com - 20/02/10)

The evil that men do live with them
henry jayaweera
Dear Editor,   The evil that men do live with them (With apologies to the Bard).   Isn't the cache of cash in the private vault of the son-in-law's mother enough to convince the most diehard supporter of the General that they have been led up the garden path-just as the supporters of he JVP should have been when the cache of gold was found in Maskeliya, and the supporters of the terrorist boss should have been when Pathmanathan spilt the beans after his boss' inglorious exit from life on earth?   The elected leader of the country must ensure that justice... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/02/10)

Educated but misguided eccentric!(a reply to article on TamilNet, Thursday, 18 February 2010)
L Peiris
When will eccentric idiots like Rev. Prof. Dr. S.J. Emmanuel, the former Vicar General of the Catholic diocese of Jaffna just fade away! TNA leaders Sampanthan, Mavai Senathirajah, Suresh Premachandran, Selvam Adaikalanathan and Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam are over the hill, their ‘sell by’ date has expired, like their Eelam dreams. Sri Lanka is one unitary nation and will be so till the end of time. Any Sri lankan seeking to divide this nation with ‘separate state’ and ‘homeland concepts’ will be dealt the same fate that was given to LTTE terrorist vermin. The greatest event of 2009... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/02/10)

Reading Aloy Perera’s Diatribe – Admittedly Better than a Root-Canal!
By Pretty Kfir
I must confess reading through the anti-Mahinda Rajapakse GOSL diatribe of Aloy Perera was actually a tad more comforting than the root-canal I had to endure recently when my dentist strapped me to a “white chair.” I am no nifty scribe and definitely am no scribe who enjoys taking a fellow mortal’s time to read 100,000 words when I can say what needs to be said in a few hundreds of words. So, let me cut to the chase by saying that Aloy Perera’s diatribe is not dissimilar to that of what we, the “pseudo patriots,”... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/02/10)

2010 Presidential Election and Reactionary Propaganda.
Sri Rohana
Presidential election results of 2010 is what really expected by majority of Sri Lankans. This was the first Presidential election after defeat the Tamil Terrorist LTTE on 18th May 2009. Prior to this there were several Provincial council elections held and President’s UPFA won most provinces with the majority of 60%-70%. If any one compared the 2010 presidential election results with the 2009 provincial council election results in non-biased criteria will accept it. Time gap between both elections are just a matter of few months. Within such a short time if someone believe to change voters from... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/02/10)

Amnesty International calls to end repression in Burma
By Nava Thakuria
The Burmese military rulers, who are trying to earn credibility from international communities after declaring the general election some time in October this year, has received a brickbat from the Amnesty International. The London based influential rights body has warned the military junta of Burma (Myanmar) ‘halt its repression of ethnic minority activists before forthcoming national and local elections’. The Amnesty International, in a major report released on February 16, stated that ‘the repression of ethnic minority activists in Myanmar, draws on accounts from more than 700 activists from the seven largest ethnic minorities, including the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/02/10)

Fonseka should have been arrested earlier - SB
Asela KURULUWANSA and Sanjaya MATURATA
Sarath Fonseka should have been arrested when he made statements which betrayed the Sri Lanka Security Forces during the Presidential election campaign. It was President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa who intervened to present his arrest then as he was a Presidential candidate, said former UNP National Organiser S. B. Dissanayake. When the UN Human Rights Commission raised questions about Fonseka's statements, the Government was not in a position to dismiss Fonseka's statements without conducting a systematic investigation into them, he said.... -Full Story- (Daily News - 19/02/10)

30 Rajapakse guards train at Haryana cop academy
Chandigarh, Feb. 18: Thirty officers of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse’s elite personal guard have completed an advanced two-month training course at the Haryana Police Academy at Madhuban near Karnal. Ranging in rank from assistant inspector to superintendent of police, the Lankan officers were imparted VVIP protection and related skills as part of a Government of India initiative to train police contingents from friendly nations. The HPA, which is an ISO 9001: 2001 certified institution, has been designated as the preferred location for such training courses following assessment by the Bureau of Police Research and Development. Haryana’s DGP Ranjiv Dalal,... -Full Story- (Asian Age - 19/02/10)

Now, arrest warrant for Fonseka's son-in-law
Sutirtho Patranobis,
A Colombo court on Monday issued an arrest warrant for the son-in-law of former army chief Sarath Fonseka, himself is in military custody for a week now, for his alleged involvement in arms’ deal transacted during his father-in-law’s tenure as army chief. According to reports, the arrest warrant for Danuna Tillekaratne, also the chief of Hicorp transaction, a US-based firm was issued by the Colombo Fort Magistrate. Danuana, who is in Colombo, could soon be arrested. The arrest warrant was issued even as protests continued against Fonseka’s arrest. Several protest meetings and religious prayers were held over... -Full Story- (Hindustan Times - 19/02/10)

Sri Lankan opposition coalition splits
The Sri Lankan opposition coalition which contested the recent presidential poll has split after some parties said they were forming a new alliance. A group of smaller parties have said they are uniting without the biggest group, the United National Party (UNP). Senior opposition leader Vijitha Herath told the BBC that the coalition broke up after the UNP refused to contest the elections under a common symbol.... -Full Story- (BBC - 19/02/10)

Bashing Sri Lanka relentlessly using fabrications, THE AGE and SYDNEY MORNING HERALD refused to carry the following article by HLD Mahindapala
WHY ONLY ONE SIDED STORIES ARE PUBLISHED ON SRI LANKA IN AUSTRALIAN MAIN MEDIA????????
Two leading newspapers of Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) and the Melbourne Age published identical editorials urging Australia to spearhead a campaign to ban Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth. Thefollowing response was sent by H. L. D. Mahindapala to both but predictably they did not carry it. We reproduce the correspondence and the article suppressed by both newspapers that never fail to speakstridently about media freedom. * Dear Editor, The Age / Sydney Morning Herald. The following is a response to your editorial of... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 18/02/10)

Employment in the Zion may not be such a good idea
Ajit Randeniya
The Daily News of the 17th reported that a team of Israeli executives was arriving in Colombo to sign a bilateral agreement with the Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Ministry of Sri Lanka to provide more job opportunities for Sri Lankans as attendants and agricultural workers in Israel.  This news is particularly interesting, and frightening at the same time, in the context of the current Sri Lankan political situation; interesting due to the background of Fonseka’s now obvious dealings with the US arm of the Zionist network and their response to his arrest, and frightening due to... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 18/02/10)

We now have an opportunity to dream dreams - Victor Ivan
In this wide ranging interview, Victor Ivan, editor of Ravaya, speaks to C.A.Chandraprema about last month’s presidential election and the post election tensions that have gripped society. Among the matters discussed are what we would and would not like to see happening in the future and how the next six to seven years of stable government can be made use of to ensure that the mistakes and undesirable aspects of the recent past are not repeated.... -Full Story- (The Island - 18/02/10)

NUA leader Mrs Farial Ashaff joins SLFP
By Janaka Alahapperuma
Leader of the Jathika Samagi Peramuna- National Unity Alliance (NUA) Mrs.Farial  Ashraff met President Mahinda Rajapaksa and accepted her  membership to join SLFP at Temple Trees on 18th February. More than 250 NUA members were participated with her at the occasion this morning. Widow of the founder leader of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) late Mr M.H.M.Ashraff,  Mrs Farial Ashraff was the 1st Muslim woman to become a Sri Lanka Cabinet Minister.   At the same time former UNP parliamentarian for Samanthuraya electorate Mr A.M.M.Naushad also met President Rajapaksa and received his SLFP membership at Temple... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/02/10)

MILLION SIGNATURES by RANIL
Ranjit Wickremeratne
 Dear Ranil million signatures for what? We know that you are the best joker in SRI LANKA politics. Sometimes you break pots and pans, sometimes you tell kindegarten stories, sometimes you promised to give brcaelets and chewing gums so on. So this time Mr.Opposition leader you have started to take signatures from a million of stupids in my homeland Ah! Why dont you do something good for the country atleast once? Why dont you join the President as a decent opposition leader and help him to build our country of birth. Arent you a Sri Lankan? We know... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 18/02/10)

Appeal to the Ven Mahanayaka Theros to be Unbiased and Apolitical when dealing with the Arrest of (ret) General Fonseka
SPUR  (Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka Inc) Reg: A003 0777 M P.O. Box 4066, Mulgrave VIC 3170, Australia
Most Ven Thibbatuwawe Sumangala Mahanayaka Thero of Malwatta Chapter                   17 February 2010 Most Ven .Udugama Buddharakkitha Mahanayaka Thero of Asgiriya Chapter Most Ven. Dawuldena Gnanissara Mahanayaka Thero of Amarapura Nikaya Most Ven. Weweldeniye Medhalankara Mahanayaka Thero of Rammanna Nikaya Awasarai Swaminwahansa, Appeal to the Ven Mahanayaka Theros to be Unbiased and Apolitical when dealing with the Arrest of (ret) General Fonseka  Background  The General (retired) Sarath Fonseka has been arrested by the military police... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 18/02/10)

The Pathetic State of MR’s Republic: Scribes Who Insult Our Maha Sangha Are No Patriots!
By Aloy Perera
( Freelance writer based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada –. Comments welcome! Mail: stephenperera
rogers.com) Among the many self-styled super patriots of Sri Lanka are a bunch of common everyday scribes who rush to write to the web at the mere drop of a hat with feigned high caliber intellectual assumptions or presumptions, not fully realizing what they write is flouting all norms of ethics and self restraint which writers in the print medium are normally expected to follow. We have seen a glut of this kind of trash during the last few weeks with incredible unsubstantiated accusations,... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 18/02/10)

අස්ගිරි මල්වත්තේ දේශපාලනය
ආචාර්‍ය ප්‍රශාන් ප්‍රේමරත්න, ඔස්ට්‍රේලියාව
සරත් ෆොන්සේකාට දේශද්‍රෝහි ලේබලය වැදීම නිසා ඉමහත් කලබලයට පත්ව ඇත්තේ අස්ගිරි මල්වත්තේ උන්ණාන්සේලාය. ලංකාවේ ඇති අලුත්ම දේශද්‍රෝහි AXIS හවුලේ අලුත්ම හවුල්කාරයෝ උන්ණාන්සේලාය. විජාතික ක්‍රිස්තියානිකාර බලවේග මෙයට පෙර යොදාගත්තේ හකීම්ලා, මනෝලා, සෝමහන්සලා මංගලලා, රනිල්ලා හා ත්‍රස්තවාදීන්ගේ කවදත් සුදුහුණූ ගෑ රාජ්‍ය විරෝධි, පත්තරවල පිටුගණන් දැන්වීම් දැමූ කතෝලික සභාවය. මීට පෙර ආණ්ඩුව පෙරලීමට දැඟලීමට රනිල්ට හවුල්වුනේ ලලිත් කොතලාවල සහ ඔහුගේ අතිජාතී කතෝලික සභාවයි. මේපාර කොටිටික මර්ධනය කළාට පස්සේ සරත් නඞයේ සතුරැ හවුලට උඩගෙඩි දෙන්නේ අපේ උන්ණාන්සේලායි. ලංකාවේ ඉතිහාසය දෙස බලනවිට, ඉංග්‍රීසි ආක්‍රමණය හා පාලනය තුල ඔවුන්ගේ දුර්දාන්ත පාලනයට විරුද්ධව ක්‍රියාකළ බවට සාක්ෂි ඇත්තේ ඉහගම උන්ණාන්සේ, ශ්‍රී සුමංගල හිමි,... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 17/02/10)

JVP’s Survival Stunt is Fonseka’s Demise
Strategist
Mahinda Rajapakse has indeed rescued us from a potential disaster. The so-called grand coalition is already crumbling. Ranil wants the Elephant and the others appear to want the Swan as their symbol. How uncommon are these fighters of the “common front”? What are the chances of such a “common front” developing a cohesive strategy for the development of Sri Lanka? If this coalition is unable to even fight the general election on a common platform how on earth can we entrust these “power at any cost” politicians to represent us as a common force? Is the common opposition... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 17/02/10)

Mahanayake of Malwatte Chapter
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1. Canada
OPEN LETTER To The Mahanayaka of Malwatte Chapter Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddharta Sumangala  Thera Kandy, Sri Lanka Venerable Sir: Phew!...I just happen to read an announcement in the Daily Mirror which said, ‘Prelates postpone Sangha Convention.’ It was touch and go…that was lucky wasn’t it?  Because you would have lit the embers of an emotional Kandy rebellion and the waters in the Kandy Lake wouldn’t have been enough to dowse the anger of a section of the people who knew that you were wrong when you... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 17/02/10)

The Travels of a Journalist—13 An Australian Adventure: From the Top End back to Central Queensland
By Shelton A. Gunaratne c 2010
The Forday family of Darwin—Harry Forday; his sister, Pauline; his daughter-in-law Sylvia and her daughters Penney and Leanne—gave my wife Yoke-Sim and me a warm welcome at the Darwin coach terminal on Saturday (27 Dec. 1978) early afternoon. Apparently, the Forday family of Rockhampton, headed by Albert and Winnie, had advised their relatives in Darwin to accord us their “royal” treatment! Harry took us to his home in Rapid Creek (2 Roma Place) and made us his guests. He had already prepared us a hearty lunch of prawns. On the Top End Later... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 17/02/10)

Sri Lanka will not be sold
By Jamila Najmuddin
Sri Lanka is not prepared to be sold in order to regain the GSP plus facility from the European Union and will maintain its policy stand instead of giving in to any unfair demands, Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal told Daily Mirror online. In an interview with the website this evening the Governor also noted that the country will not be hurt by the loss of the GSP Plus concession from the EU as all the remedial measures have been taken to maintain the economy minus the trade concession. “I agree that for us the GSP+... -Full Story- (dailymirror.lk - 17/02/10)

Lies, damned lies and computer jilmaat
Island Editorial
No sooner had the final result of the Jan. 26 presidential polls been announced than the JVP claimed that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had won fraudulently by manipulating the Election Department computers. While results were still being released, rumours were also floated that Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake had been placed under house arrest and the government was doctoring results to secure victory. There were various other rumours about the election results doing the rounds not only here but also across the globe. Sadly, in this country, where a sucker is said to be born every minute, there were... -Full Story- (The Island - 17/02/10)

Sri Lankan Bishops go bananas
H. L. D. Mahindapala
 Those who are keen on finding out the perversity of our moral leaders must take a peek at the statement issued by the some Catholic and Anglican Bishops of Sri Lanka on the latest presidential polls. A Reuter report said: “Catholic and Anglican bishops in Sri Lanka have criticized recent presidential elections as beyond the boundaries of democratic rule and failing to address the concerns of the Tamil minority.” The two main issues raised by the Bishops are (1) going beyond the boundaries of democratic rule referring to slander between the two leading candidates, President... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/02/10)

Mura Dewathawo – Who will guard the Guardian Angels!
Ratanapala
The Buddhist Establishment in Sri Lanka and the Buddhist Priesthood has always been referred to as the Guardian Angels of Sri Lanka – a nation comprising of nearly 70% Buddhists. Traditionally they have intervened in the politics of the country when they felt that the country was under dire threat of destruction and disintegration – be they due to foreign interventions or due to internal disputes. Regardless of the stances taken in most cases their interventions have always been in the best interests of the country, its sovereignty and integrity. Having said that they must understand their roles.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/02/10)

Should the party stalwarts forgive Ranil for denying competent leader?
By Vishvamithra
People of this island nation know as to why Ranil Wickramasinghe refused to field himself for the just concluded Presidential election and agreed to support General Sarath Fonseka instead. It is very sad but a fact that Ranil is a fatal failure as a leader, and because of him the UNP, a formidable political party in this country for so many decades, has lost so many party loyalists, some of whom were ardent supporters of the party for many decades. Simply, this man has become a political joker and the people have repeated endorsed that they are... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/02/10)

Anti Government Pundits Over The Gen. Fonseka Arrest Should Back Off Or Face The Consequences!
LankaWeb Midweek Editorial. Feb.16th 2010
Despite the facts which keep staring them in the eyes , inalienable facts that Fmr. Army Commander, Gen. Sarath Fonseka now in custody for treason despite certain media hoopla and hype that he was legit ~it seems exaggerated beyond the norm as his transparencies are spilling all over the floor and becoming more evident that he was not.  The Ranil Wickremasinghe led coalition continues to push for his release and continues to act as though the high handed intimidation of a duly elected President comes with impunity where sooner or later they too could... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/02/10)

The Travels of a Journalist—12 An Australian Adventure: Backtracking the Nullarbor and reaching the Top End
By Shelton A. Gunaratne c 2010
I participated in the AATEJ (subsequently renamed Journalism Education Association) general meeting in Perth 14-15 December 1978. Doug White transported us from Cottesloe to the meeting venue on the WAIT (subsequently renamed Curtin University of Technology) campus. The first day’s highlight was a discussion with high-school journalism teachers. My paper elicited heated comments on the second day. Doug Golding and Charles Stokes, both of Queensland, opposed my advocacy of precision journalism (application of the scientific method to journalism) while Murray Masterton (South Australia) and Maurice Dunlevy (Canberra) gave it qualified support.  Friday evening, we... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/02/10)

Eruption of Fonsekas, why?
Anura Seneviratna, Dr MB Ranatunga (for expat Hela team).
The constant awareness of ever changing nature of man should assist us for a better understanding of problems arising out of society and individual. A criminal in the past may have changed to a better person at present but many hold him or her against the dark past. Similarly, a great person in the past turns evil now also tends to be identified with his dead past than the living today. Not much thought is required to know that both cases are wrong. The highly respected then national Army Commander... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/02/10)

AN APPEAL TO 4 CHAPTERS
Malin Abeyatunge
First let me say that I am a Buddhist. The Chief Sanghanayakas of the 4 chapters (hereinafter called 4 Chapters) in Sri Lanka have planned a Sangha Sammelenaya (SS) on the 18th at the Dalada Maligawa Mahamaluwa. First and foremost, may I request the venerable monks not to use the sacred historic site (Mahamaluwa) for their political agenda. As reported in the print media, they are organising this Sammeleneya (a) to oppose the arrest of Sarath Fonseka and requesting the Government to release him (b) to protect democracy and (c) forge good governance. I believe the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/02/10)

Infinitely Asymmetrical Compassion And Maithri
Swarnajith Udana
Most Venerable Prelates (Athi Garu Maha Nayakawaruni) It is an extremely rare opportunity that happens once in an eon that one gets to witness an act of such infinite and unconditional compassion. I am simply speechless to talk about piety and reverence I felt by reading your recent letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksha. The letter is an epitomic gem of universal Maithri. Upholding of this centre pillar concept of Maithri by you, most venerable prelates, deserves extolment made in eloquence of Ama Wathura. Buddha preached and practiced infinite compassion and Maithri in a non-selective manner. He did... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/02/10)

Venerable Mahanayakas, have you been sleeping all this while ?
Ben Silva
It has been widely reported in the media that SF has made allegations of war crimes against our war heroes that eliminated terrorism and also against the Defence secretary. It seems that all these allegations are an act of revenge. SF made alliances with terrorist sympathiser TNA, former terrorist group JVP and the traitor RW who gave a large part of the country to be under the control of the terrorists. In fact if SF was not arrested he would have caused real damage to Lanka. SF poses a grave danger to Lanka, its dignity, it’s military... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/02/10)

All tentacles of the Zionist beast is over Sri Lanka
Ajit Randeniya
They are worried! The end of the war in Sri Lanka removed a convenient diversion from the Genocide that is taking place in Palestine, Afghanistan and Pakistan and the resounding victory of President Rajapakse showed that the Sri Lankan polity, especially the rural masses, are well informed about the conspiracies aimed at keeping them poor.  Now the conspirators are deploying all their infrastructure and 'heavy weapons' to stop the rest of the world learning from Sri Lanka's intelligent and courageous response to the many conspiracies being thrown at them. The most cynical, and inconsequential is the statement... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/02/10)

The Green Party – Re-inforcing poverty and jeapordising women’s jobs.
Posted by: Michael Sierra on Feb 16, 2010 at 01:06:18 AM
The UK Green Party has played a leading role in ensuring that the poorest segments of Sri Lankan society will remain poor and downtrodden, even after the successful conclusion of a 30-year civil conflict. The EU has removed its ‘GSP+’ trade preferences to Sri Lanka on the grounds of human rights violations during the 30-year war, resulting in the loss of concessions worth over $100 million for its top exports to Europe. The Sri Lankan textile and garment sector which is most affected by the GSP+ scheme is... -Full Story- (my.telegraph.co.uk - 16/02/10)

Mahinda vs Premadasa
Ananda De Costa
There are a lot of similarities between Mahinda and Premadasa. Premadasa ended conventional UNP politics. Mahinda ended the more difficult Bandaranayake Dynasty.  Premadasa helped to chase out invading forces using extremely shrewd methods (using local murderers). This was a win so far as the sovereignty of Lanka is concerned, because the invaders surely violated Mother Lanka. Similarly Mahinda eradicated the murderers with lot more difficulty but with much superior wisdom. Premadasa ended JVP terrorism. Make no mistake, it was a very dark era which was terminated with brutal force. Similarly Mahinda ended... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/02/10)

ගිහියෝ ලනු ගිලිති, මහානායක හිමිවරු සුද්දන්ගේ ලනු වළදිති
චන්ද්‍රසිරි විජයවික්‍රම
අබුද්දස්ස කාලය මේ වනාහී පසේනදී කොසොල් රජ්ජුරුවන්ගේ හීන දාසැය සැබෑවෙමින් පවතින කාලයකි. බුද්ධාගමට අයත් සංඝ රත්නය ගැන බෞද්ධයින් තුල ඇත්තේ ඉතාමත් සාධාරන හා විද්‍යාත්මක ආකල්පයකි (රීසනබල්/සයන්ටිෆික්). ඔවුන්ගේ නොයෙක් අඩුපාඩු කම් හා දුර්වලතා ගැමියන්/ගිහියන් සලකන්නේ පුරුතග්ජනයින් වශයෙන් සිදුවන දේවල් ලෙසය. මොනතරම් වැරදි කලත් ගැමියා කියන්නේමම වදින්නේ චීවරයට කියාය. බුද්ධරක්කිත හිමි විමලා විජේවර්ධන සමඟ මොන නැටුම් නැටුවත් කැලනිය පන්සලට ගිය ජනයා ඔහු දුටුවොත් ඔහුට වැන්දේ සිවුරට වැන්දාය කියා තම සිතින් සිතමිනි. ගිහියෝ බත් කති, පාරේ ඇවිදිති, නිදා ගනිති. හමුදුරුවරු දානේ වලඳිති, පාරේ වඩිති, සැතපෙති. මහනකම වටා සිංහල බෞද්ධයින් ඉදිකර ඇති ආරක්‍ෂක පවුර එසේය. පරස්පර විරෝදී කාරනා ඉදිරියේ මෙවැනි මනෝවිද්‍යාත්මක... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/02/10)

The Mahanayakes, Politicians and the International Media
Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia
The recent episode in the 'Fonseka arrest' is the Mahanayakes getting involved in politics. In the past, some monks had got interested in active politics, trade union work, business etc. But the Mahanayakes had kept away from these areas.   But in the 'Fonseka arrest' they seemed to have aligned with the opposition politicians, the international media and the west in supporting the release of Fonseka who is alleged to have broken the Military Act. For neutral observers it appears that access to the Mahanayakes are only for politicians, the rich and the powerful in contrast to Buddha who... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/02/10)

Ultimate peace and prosperity for Sri Lanka – My appeal to SF and MR
orpheus perera
Since February 2008 I gave my whole hearted support to the war under the leadership of Hon. President Mahinda Rajapakse. My admiration was for the President’s ability to rally the masses around him to fight LTTE and the way how he handled the international community. My heart was also with the armed forces, the soldiers who sacrifice their lives and those who lost their limbs. I still contribute to the Ranaviru fund. I admired Genaral Sarath Fonseka who led the Army. I was not a poet, but I became one to support our soldiers specially the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/02/10)

REBIRTH & the FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
SUMERUBuddhist books & art
The Sumeru Press is pleased to announce publication of Rebirth as Empirical Basis for The Buddha’s Four Noble Truths, by Prof. Suwanda Sugunasiri, PhD. Rebirth is a chronological analysis of Buddha’s enlightenment meditation and how Buddha’s growing awareness of the rebirth process was congruent with his opening to the Four Noble Truths. The book is available for free download in PDF format from the Sumeru website. Just click on the “Latest Releases” tab at the top of this page. Then click on the book cover or the text link below it to begin your... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/02/10)

UNO CORRUPTION REITERATED UNO DEAF AND BLIND
By Stanley Perera
UNO Representative in Colombo, Please deliver this letter to General Secretary Banky Moon. The writer many a time exposed the corruption by the UNO official. To-date there does not seem to be any action taken or likely to be taken in the horizon. It is surprising to note that some of the UNO officials like Navaneetham Pillai is hell bent on taking revenge from Sri Lanka for losing her secondary income from the LTTE terrorists. At the drop of the hat Pillai woman is crying her eyes out for an independent international investigation over alleged war... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 15/02/10)

Sanath Jayasuriya to contest under UPFA
Suraj A. Bandara
All-rounder and veteran cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya who entertained Sri Lankan and world cricket fans with his aggressive batting for more than two decades, will contest for the upcoming General Election. He will also come into politics under the UPFA ticket from the Matara District. “I will not give up cricket though I come into politics. I was pushed to this decision after an exhaustive study” the master blaster told the Daily News. I have nothing to earn from the politics like many others do. But I can work for the people who loved me a... -Full Story- (Daily News - 15/02/10)

EU suspends Sri Lanka trade preferences
Human-rights abuses cited as reason for the decision; Sri Lanka argues that the move is unfair. The member states of the European Union decided today to suspend trade preferences for Sri Lanka because of violations of human-rights agreements. The suspension comes into effect six months from now and preferences could still be reinstated if, at the European Commission's suggestion, a qualified majority of member states so chose. If the suspension enters into force, Sri Lanka's exporters – primarily in the textile industry – will face tens of millions of euros in additional duties annually... -Full Story- (europeanvoice.com - 15/02/10)

‘LTTE operated bank chain before defeat’
Colombo ,Feb. 15: The vanquished Tamil Tigers had a well placed chain of financial institutions called “Eelam Banks” which provided loan and credit facilities to the people of north and east Sri Lanka, officials have said. The LTTE operated 11 bank branches in Northern Sri Lanka with claims of prompt service and various loan facilities prior to its annihilation in May 2009. Police investigations say that the LTTE had operated these branches of the Eelam Bank mainly in the East and in the Wanni in the North. The entire Eastern Sri Lanka was captured by security forces from the LTTE... -Full Story- (Asian Age - 15/02/10)

Act of retribution for sins: Fonseka harassed Army officials for personal reasons
Hiran H.Senewiratne General Sarath Fonseka harassed several Army officials for personal reasons and now under custody as an act of retribution for his sins, Chamilla Nishanthi Wickramage, wife of Regimental Sergeant Major S.A.S Wijetunga said. She said last year General Sarath Fonseka then Army Commander sacked her husband from his post by framing bogus charges that he was harassing a woman soldier known as Corporal Wijetunga and also selling arms to the LTTE, while serving as a ground force soldier attached to the Gajaba Regiment. She said her husband was honest and faithful to her and he had advised a... -Full Story- (Daily News - 15/02/10)

‘Fonseka has become unpopular after poll’
G.P. Shukla TIRUMALA: The former Sri Lankan Army Chief, Sarath Fonseka, has become unpopular after the Presidential election, said Chief Minister of the Central Province Sarath Ekanayake. Talking to journalists here on Monday, Mr. Ekanayake said General (retired) Fonseka was deserted by the Opposition soon after he lost the election. To a question, he said the former General, who was detained for breach of secrecy and war crimes, was safe and was housed in a highly secured place.... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 15/02/10)

Buddhist clergy split over arrest
Sri Lanka’s Buddhist clergy was reportedly divided yesterday over the arrest and detention of former army commander General Sarath Fonseka on charges of conspiring against the government. The split appeared to surface after some of the most prominent Buddhist monks issued a statement calling for Fonseka’s release, while others reportedly defended the February 8 arrest. Anti-government monks complained yesterday that they were being harassed for organising religious programmes to invoke blessings on Fonseka. “Our temple was surrounded by policemen early Monday claiming there were explosives inside the temple,” a Buddhist monk at a temple in Kotahena who requested anonymity said.... -Full Story- (Gulf Times - 15/02/10)

India Worries as China Builds Ports in South Asia
HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka — For years, ships from other countries, laden with oil, machinery, clothes and cargo, sped past this small town near India as part of the world’s brisk trade with China. Now, China is investing millions to turn this fishing hamlet into a booming new port, furthering an ambitious trading strategy in South Asia that is reshaping the region and forcing India to rethink relations with its neighbors. As trade in the region grows more lucrative, China has been developing port facilities in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, and it is planning to construct railway lines in Nepal. These... -Full Story- (nytimes.com - 15/02/10)

Arrest warrant for Fonseka's son-in-law issued
£Sutirtho Patranobis, Hindustan Times
A Colombo court on Monday issued an arrest warrant for the son-in-law of former army chief Sarath Fonseka, himself is in military custody for a week now, for his alleged involvement in arms’ deal transacted during his father-in-law’s tenure as army chief. According to reports, the arrest warrant for Danuna Tillekaratne, also the chief of Hicorp transaction, a US-based firm was issued by the Colombo Fort Magistrate. Danuana, who is in Colombo, could soon be arrested. The arrest warrant was issued even as protests continued against Fonseka’s arrest. Several protest meetings and religious prayers were held over... -Full Story- (Hindustan Times - 15/02/10)

අනේ හාමුදුරුවනේ සමාවන්න, අපට ඔබතුමන්ලාගේ ලිපිය තේරෙන්නේ නැත.
චන්ද්‍රසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ විසිනි.
අපගේ සම්මා සම්බුදුපියාණන් වහන්සේ විසින් දේශනා කර ඇති ආකාරයට; බුදුරජානන්වහන්සේ විසින් දේශනා කරන නිසාවත්, මල්වත්තේ මහා විහාරයේ නායක ස්වාමීන් වහන්සේ, අස්ගිරි මහා විහාරයේ නායක ස්වාමීන් වහන්සේ, අමරපුර මහා නිකායේ නායක ස්වාමීන්වහන්සේ හෝ රාමඤඤ නිකායේ මහා නායක ස්වාමීන් වහන්සේ, දේශනා කරන නිසාවත් කිසිවක් පිලි නොගන්න. නැවත නැවත විමසා තමන්ගේ බුද්ධියට අනුකූල නම් පමණක් පිලිගන්න; යන සම්මතයේ පිහිටා, ඔබතුමන්ලා විසින් ජනාධිපතිතුමාට යවූ ලිපියේ අඩංගු ගැටලු සහගත කරුණු සම්බන්ධව විමසන්නට අවසර පතමි. ඔබ වහන්සේලා අතිගරු ජනාධිපතිතුමාට යවන ලද ලිපියේ සිරස් තලය වන්නේ, "විශ්‍රාමික යුධ හමුදාපති සරත් ෆොන්සේකා මැතිතුමා හා එතුමාට සහය දැක්වූයේ යැයි සැලකෙන යුධ හමුදා නිලධාරීන් හා වෙනත්... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/02/10)

මහ නාහිමිවරුන්ගේ භූමිකාව
සී. ඒ. චන්ද්‍රප්‍රේම-දිවයින
අත්අඩංගුවට ගෙන සිටින විශ්‍රාමික ජෙනරාල් සරත් ෆොන්සේකා මහතා යම් වරදක්‌ කර ඇත්නම්, ජනාධිපතිතුමාගේ විශේෂ බලතල භාවිතා කොට හෝ ඔහුව වහාම නිදහස්‌ කරන මෙන් ෙත්‍රෙනිකායික මහනාහිමිවරුන් ජනාධිපතිතුමාගෙන් ඉල්ලීමක්‌ කර ඇත. වෛරයෙන් වෛරය නොසන්සිඳෙන බවත්, රටේ ප්‍රධාන පුද්ගලයන් අතර විරසකවීම් ඇතිවූ අවස්‌ථාවලදී භික්‍ෂු ප්‍රජාව මැදිහත්වී එදිරිවාදිකම් සමනය කර දැමීමේ ඉතිහාසයක්‌ මේ රට තුළ ඇති බවද උන්වහන්සේලා ජනාධිපතිතුමාට පෙන්වා දී ඇත. භික්‍ෂුන්වහන්සේලා හැටියට මහනාහිමිවරුන් කර ඇති මේ ඉල්ලීම සාධාරණය. ජනාධිපතිතුමා හා ජෙනරාල් ෆොන්සේකා අතර තිබුණේ හුදෙක්‌ම පෞද්ගලික ආරවුලක්‌ නම් එය සමනය කිරීම පහසු කාරණයකි. මේ ජනාධිපතිවරයා පෞද්ගලික කෝන්තර මත ක්‍රියා නොකරන නායකයෙක්‌ බව පසුගිය අවුරුදු හතර තුළ මනාවට ඔප්පු... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 15/02/10)

Venerable Mahanayakas, Stop Meddling in Law & Order and Keep Out of Politics
Dilrook Kannangara
Citing the Dutugemunu-Saddhatissa feud in relation to the present crisis is hilarious. When the two brothers disagreed, they knew their boundaries. They never betrayed the nation or its national interests. However, Fonseka has betrayed national interests. The Fonseka affair is more akin to the Dhatusena-Senpathi Migara affair. Senpathi Migara was Great King Dhatusena’s army commander. After successfully vanquishing enemies of the nation, the two fell out. Senpathi Migara engaged himself in anti-national and anti-government business and was duly punished. Therefore Fonseka must be punished for his crimes too.  In the past the Mahasangha took the lead in... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/02/10)

Chief Monk of Malwaththe and few of those towing his line will never be respected by a majority of the Singhalese
Nimal R Melbourne Australia
Chief Monk of Malwaththe and few of those towing his line will never be respected by a majority of the Singhalese Chief monk of Malwaththe chapter Thibbotuwave Sri Sumangala did not utter a word against retired General Sarath Fonseka’s recent statement to the BBC Sinhala Service stating that he was willing to give evidence as a witness at a War Crime Tribunal and he will not defend any one who committed war crimes and would definitely expose all those who have done so. However this chief priest along with few others is now making a... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/02/10)

Shocking revelation of what Fonseka did in U S; Asian Tribune’s timely alerts changed course of events
By K T Rajasingham
A shocking and sensational revelation Asian Tribune learnt that when the then General Sarath Fonseka made an official visit to Washington in his capacity as the Chief of Defence Staff on October 24, 2009, he had clandestine meetings with the top agents of US Department of State and Department of Homeland Security. During those meeting with those agents, he handed over, it was reported, classified documents regarding the final phase of the war with Tamil Tigers in Vanni, and specially prepared CDs depicting the vivid scenarios of the encounters with the Tigers including the shooting down... -Full Story- (asiantribune.com - 14/02/10)

The American Karanang
K Godage Courtesy The Island
 O Tempora O mores, (O what times O what habits)  The government ought to congratulate itself on an unintended diplomatic success. Reaching out particularly to Iran and by consolidating further our close relations with China, (which is seen by the US and its new ally India, as an emerging threat to their interests) has resulted in the US doing a karanang with regard to its policy towards Sri Lanka. The US volte face was in a sense shameless, for she was, not so long ago, hell bent on going for our jugular led by... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/02/10)

විනී මැන්ඩෙලා හා ජෙනරාල්ගේ සොඳුරගේ සාරි පොට
චන්ද්‍රසිරි විජයවික්‍රම
නෙල්සන් මැන්ඩෙලා හිර ගෙදර සිටිද්දී ඔහුගේ තරුන භාර්‍ය්‍යාව වු  විනී සෑහෙන කාර්‍ය භාරයක් ඉෂ්ට කලේය. ඇය ඔහුගේ නොයෙක් පනිවුඩ ඇපාර්තීඩ් නම් වහල් ක්‍රමයකින් දුක් විඳි දකුණු අප්‍රිකාවේ කළු මිනිසුන්ට ගෙන ආවේය. බොහෝ විට සිදු වූයේ මිනිසුන් ඇය එලියට එනතුරු හිරගෙදර දොරටුව ඉදිරියේ මාසයකට් හෝ මාස ගනනකට වරක් බලා සිටීමය. ආමි ජෙනරාල් ගෙන් බොහෝ අතවර ප්‍රසිද්ධියේම ලක් නොවුවත් පොල් තෙල් බෝතලයකින් ඔලුව නෑවූ තම නීතියෙන් කසාද සවාමියා වෙනුවෙන් අනෝමා ඉදිරියට ඒම  දැන් අපි දකින අලුත්ම ජවනිකාවය.    ඇමෙරිකාවේ ඔක්ලහෝමා ජනපදයේ වසන උපුල් ඉලංගමගේ නම් ජාතික වීරයාගෙන් මම පුද්ගලිකවම දැනගත් ආකාරයට  ජෙනරාල්ට චන්දයෙන් ජනාධිපති වීමේ මේ පිස්සුව ගැන... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/02/10)

Intellectuals say Sarath Fonseka should be dealt with the law due to his betrayals.
Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.
Intellectuals state that there is no injustice on inact military law on Sarath Fonseka who has betrayed war heroes who liberated the country from decades-long war. Senior lawyer Gomin Dayasiri says any presidential candidate is bound by the law in the country and no exceptions. Sarath Fonseka as a military commander has let down his own Army for appeasing personal agendas. Mr Dayasiri points out that Sarath Fonseka’s aim is to take revenge from President Mahinda Rajapakse. He re-called that Fonseka’s vindictive politics was severally defeated by the general public in last presidential election.  Professor... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/02/10)

ලංකාවේ කුමන්ත්‍රණ ඉතිහාසය 1815-2010
චන්ද්‍රසිරි විජයවික්‍රම
   සරත් ෆොන්සේකා ඉතා සැර පරුෂ කටුක මිනිසෙක් (රුත්ලස්) යැයි ඔහුව නිතර දැක පුරුදු, ඔක්ලහෝමා වල එඩ්මන්ඩ් නගරයේ වාසය කරන මගේ ම්ත්‍රයෙක් (ජෙනරාල්ගේ බොරු වෙස් මුහුන ගැලවූ උපුල් ඉලංගමගේ නොව) මේ ලඟදී මට කිව්වේය. මීට පෙරද අවුද්දකට පමන පෙර ඔහු  මේ කතාව මට කියා ඇත. ෆොන්සේකාගේ මේ චරිතය තුලින් දැන් මා දකින්නේ මානසික රෝගයකින් පෙලෙන අසරණවූ මිනිසෙකි. ලංකාවේත් ලෝකයේත් ඉතිහාසවල සිදුවූ ඉතාම භයානක කුමන්ත්‍රණයට කරගැසීමට ඔහු ඉදිරිපත් වූයේ මේ නිසාය කියා මට සිතේ. සිංහල බෞද්ධ සාර ධර්ම වලින් යම්තම් හෝ බලපෑමක් ඔහුට ලැබී නැති බව නිසැකය. මෙම 2010 කුමන්ත්‍රණය 1815 දී මෙන්ම විදේශිකයින් අභ්‍යයන්තර ඉත්තන් යොදවා ගෙන... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/02/10)

Robert Blake finally comes out in support of his spy in Sri Lanka
Ajit Randeniya
The news last week that Robert Blake summoned the Sri Lankan Ambassador to the US Jaliya Wickremasuriya to the State Department to lodge 'strong protests' over the arrest of Sarath Fonseka provides conclusive proof that Blake 'cultivated' Fonseka as a US spy over a relatively long period of time, and backed his 'campaign'. Blake resisted showing his dirty hand behind this entire 'operation' as long as he could. That concern has now been overridden by the fear that Fonseka could 'crack' during court martial, and also the impact of this bungling operation might have on other such... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/02/10)

YES SUPERSTAR SHOW OF MTV – DISORGANIZED, HUMILIATING & DECEITFUL
By Ruwani Panamaldeniya
I together with my husband , my son and daughter purchased 4 tickets from the MTV Braybrooke Place, Colombo-02 for Rs.750/- each. The show was scheduled at 6.45 pm on 13.2.2010 at the Empire Ball Room of Mt.Lavinia Hotel. The people were told to sit anywhere and we went and sat on the centre 5th row. We observed that all seats at the rear had a label “Reserved”. We sat at 6.15 p.m. and at 7 p.m. we were asked to get up and sit somewhere else. They made repeated announcements that Reserved seats are for... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/02/10)

PARABHAVA SUTRA Vs TALDUWE SOMARAMA, MAPITIGAMA BUDDHARAKKITHA, UDUGAMA SRI BUDDHARAKKITHA, THIBBOTUWAWE SRI SUMANANGALA
By Dr M D P DISSANAYAKE
The best Prime Minister we had in Sri Lanka was none other than Mr S W R D Bandaranaike. He had a habit of meeting people in the early hours to discuss their problems and find solutions. For Buddhist Monks who are waiting to see him, Mr Bandaranaike always served a glass of milk, by himself. On September 25, 1959, when he served the glass of milk to a Buddhist Monk, the Monk pulled a revolver and shot the Prime Minister several times. This has shell shocked the entire nation. There was no... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/02/10)

Free Sarath Fonseka, BJP urges Sri Lanka President
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1 . Canada
February 13, 2010 OPEN LETTER to Madam Sushma Swaraj  Leader of the Opposition in India’s Lok Sabha   Bharatiya Janata Party  (BJP) 11 Ashoka Road ,   New Delhi, India , 110001    Dear Sushma  Swaraj:  It was worrisome to read in India’s Economic Times that you had requested Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa to free former Commander of Sri Lanka’s Army Sarath Fonseka immediately who had been arrested and facing a possible court martial. “As the world’s largest democracy we cannot approve of this particularly when it is happening so... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/02/10)

In Kandy, Roads are closed , flyovers in other areas. A9 is also open.
Sri Lankan
In other words prelates in Kandy are very keen to topple a democratically elected government with an 1.8 Million majority through  a military conspiracy. Prelates expect General Shravidra Silva, General Prasanna Silva , G. Gallage and all other war heroes to be brought in-front of an international tribunal and executed.  Prelates are for the planing to Kill the president and government elected ministers with the help of a private army. And the prelates openly interfere with independent  judiciary. They also keep the roads closed in Kandy despite recommendations of the President and all citizens living in Kandy to make the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/02/10)

Malwatte & Asgiriya Prelates in defense of Fonseka
by hela puwath
It is indeed commendable that the Mahanayake’s Malwatte and Asgiriya has sprung to action in defense of General Sarath Fonseka, but one cannot help agree with Stanley Perera when he asks “When did they speak for the less previllaged and suffering poor?”  http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2010/02/12/prelates-in-politics-only-for-rich-and-famous/  “Asoka Weerasinghe has highlighted in the media of the attack of a Forestry worker by a minister in the south. Couldn’t this forestry worker approach the local Mahanayaka to take the matter up with the authority and why are they convening a crisis meeting to discuss Sarath Fonseka’s arrest?” [Stanley Perera].  “Have they... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/02/10)

Cry Sri Lanka, Cry
By Faraz Shauketaly
Sitting through the press conference on Tuesday last, at the Opposition Alliance’s offices, to hear their condemnation of the arrest of defeated Presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka, was an exercise in amazement. The amazement was on a number of fronts. The first of course was to do with the opposition statement on the retired General’s arrest. He was they said, treated worse than a terrorist; he after all, being the man they credit with ending the war. Their focus was on the alleged force used on Sri Lanka’s only four-star General when he was being arrested. No... -Full Story- (thesundayleader.lk - 13/02/10)

The Travels of a Journalist—11 - An Australian Adventure: Crossing the Nullarbor back and forth
By Shelton A. Gunaratne   (C) 2010
After my wife Yoke-Sim and I settled down in Central Queensland in 1976, we decided to get better acquainted with our adopted land by criss-crossing the big island  (continent?). Since I had considerable experience exploring the United States by Greyhound during my year (1966-67) with the World Press Institute, I convinced Yoke-Sim that we should explore Australia by coach to get a better feel of our new country. Moreover, our transportation would be quite inexpensive because each could purchase a $225 Aussiepass or Eaglepass for unlimited travel for a month. Accommodation would also... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/02/10)

බටහිර පිනවීමට ජාතියට නියවීම !
මහචාර්ය නලින් ද සිල්වා
යමකු පොලිසිය විසින් හෝ හමුදා පොලිසිය විසින් හෝ අත්අඩංගුවට ගනු ලැබීම යුක්‌ති යුක්‌ත කෙරෙන ලිපියක්‌ සාමාන්‍යයෙන් ලිවීම අපහසු කාර්යයකි. එහෙත් සරත් ෆොන්සේකා හමුදා පොලිසිය විසින් අත්අඩංගුවට ගනු ලැබීම යුක්‌ති යුක්‌ත කිරීම සඳහා එක්‌ ලිපියක්‌ නොව ලිපි දහසක්‌ ලිවීමට මට නම් ඉතාමත් පහසු කාර්යයකි. නීතියෙන් ඉඩක්‌ ඇත්නම් ඔහු යුද්ධාධිකරණයක්‌ ඉදිරියට ගෙන ආයුතු යෑයි අප කියා සිටියේ පසුගිය දෙසැම්බර් 27 වැනිදා "දිවයින ඉරිදා සංග්‍රහයෙනි". එයට අමතරව අයිලන්ඩ් පුවත්පතින් ද, ජනාධිපතිවරණ ව්‍යාපාරයේදී පවත්වන ලද කතාවලින් ද ඵ් අදහස තවත් තහවුරු කළෙමු. අප ඵ් නිගමනයට පැමිණියේ ෆොන්සේකා විසින් කරන ලද කතා කිහිපයකට සවන්දීමෙන් හා ඔහුගේ දේශපාලනය අධ්‍යයනය කිරීමෙන් පසුවය.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/02/10)

එලඹෙන මහා මැතිවරණය හා මැතිවරණ කොට්ඨාශ සංවර්ධනය.
චන්ද්‍රසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ විසිනි.
පසුගිය ජනාධිපතිවරණයේදී ඉතා පැහැදිලිව තීන්දුවක් ගැනීමට මෙරට ජනතාවට හැකිවිය. ඊට හේතුව වූයේ සුපැහැදිලි පුද්ගලයකු තරග බිමේ සිටි බැවින් හා ඔහු කොටි සංවිධානය පරදවා ඓතිහාසිකව මහගු කාර්යයක් මේ මාතෘ භූමියට සිදුකර තිබූ බැවිණි. ජන මනස එතුමා හා බද්ධ වූයේ, සැබෑ ලෙසම කොටි සංවිධානය විනාශ කල නිසාම නොවේ. ජන මනස තුල ඔහු කියන දේ කරන, කරන්න පුලුවන් දේ කියන පුද්ගලයකුගේ ප්‍රතිරූපය දෑවැන්තව ගොඩනංවන ලද නිසාය. අප, අපගේ මනස තුල සිදු වූ විකශනයන් සියුම්ව පරීක්ෂා කර බැලූව හොත් එදා ජනතා වාදී සුපිරිසිදු දේශපාලන පක්ෂයක් වූ ජනතා විමුක්ති පෙරමුණ; මොකටද මේ මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතා සමග සන්ධාන ගතවූයේ යන පදනමේ සිට,... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/02/10)

WHO DID THIS, IS IT THE JVP? Disabled soldier who backed Fonseka abducted and assaulted.
By Noor Nizam. Sri Lanka Peace Activist and Freelance Journalist, Canada. Saturday, February 13th., 2010.
The run up to the general elections are already getting heated up. The overwhelming majority the UPFA/HE.Mahinda Rajapaksa received, stands a stumbling block to the JVP to enter parliament even with 6 or 7 seats. Campaign strategies are needed, but the JVP definitely knows that the UNP coming on it’s elephant symbol will never bring votes from among the opposition voters to the JVP. UNPers do not vote the Marxists because they are opposition. UNPers vote “green” because they are UNP. The “Swan” was... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/02/10)

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE RALLYING FOR ‘DEMOCRACY’ & ‘HUMANITY’?It is the same UNP-JVP that committed brutal Crimes against Humanity during 1988-1990
THIS IS NOT A PARTY POLITICAL MESSAGE.  JUST THE FACTS.6
5,000 Sinhalese Killed or disappeared 1988-1990 – in the ‘Killing Fields of Sri Lanka’ operated by the UNP government Batalanda torture chamber operated by Ranil Wickremasinghe Hundreds of government officials ruthlessly killed by JVP, among them tea estate planters such as Ratwatte who was killed and burned in his vehicle. Journalists such as Premakeerthi de Alwis and Richard de Zoysa murdered Countless young men tortured and left to die by the road side with burning tires around their necks . HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN HOW... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/02/10)

Weiss spreading lies claims govt
By Dianne Silva
The government said today that former UN spokesman in Colombo Gordon Weiss was spreading false information, about the last stages of the war. “That is absolutely wrong information,” Director General of the Media Centre for National Security Lakshman Hullugalle told Daily Mirror. Weiss stirred up controversy by telling ABC news that as many as many as 40,000 civilians could have been killed during the final stages of the war, last year. Hullugalle stated that there was sufficient information provided at the time and months thereafter to confirm that such a large number of civilian deaths did... -Full Story- (dailymirror.lk - 12/02/10)

The Pain of a daughter
By De Silva
Dear Aparna, I was deeply moved by reading the contents of your circular letter regarding General Fonseka. As a father of two children I am saddened and shaken by the fact that General Fonseka has been dragged away and kept incommunicado without medicine and other basic needs and your mother or anyone else seem to unknow where he is kept and her appeal to the authorities and tears moved every one to empathise with her and it was the silent prayers that the authorities should permit her to give the daily medicine that is necessary... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/02/10)

General Fonseka was planning a military rule - Defence Secretary
Sri Lanka News
General's involvement in clandestine politics and his anarchic behaviour during the latter stages of his tenure as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army clearly demonstrated that he was heading towards leading a coup, said Secretary Defence Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa. "He was planning on a military rule. It was very clear in the latter stages, in the way he had spoken and addressed the people. He said he wouldn't allow the politicians to rob the military of the victory they had achieved and offer a political solution. He was completely trying to isolate the politics and... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/02/10)

CID probes Danuna's accounts
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) today probed bank account details and safety deposit boxes maintained by Danuna Tilakaratne, the son-in-law of Sarath Fonseka being maintained at a private bank in Colombo, CID sources said. Danuna Tilakaratne had allegedly earned money through commissions from weapons procurements he made for the Sri Lankan military. It is reported that the CID had probed the account and the safe for more than three hours... -Full Story- (dailymirror.lk - 12/02/10)

Malwatte Chapter, the Church and Fonseka
Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia
Ven. Tibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera, chief Buddhist Monk of Malwatte has said, "... It was a grave crime to imprison a war hero who had done an immense service to eradicate terrorism...Even if such a person does something wrong he should be pardoned..."  With due respect to the Malwatte Chief Monk, we wish to ask him if he knows about what the Military Act says regarding the release of Military secrets to the enemy. Human Rights Organisations and some western countries are waiting to take Sri Lanka for war crimes before a War Tribunal. So we... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/02/10)

PRELATES IN POLITICS ONLY FOR RICH AND FAMOUS
By Stanley Perera
Malwatte High Priest is calling Sanga to a crisis meeting on the arrest of Sarath Fonseka. When did they speak for the less privillaged and suffering poor? Can they be accessible by anybody other than rich and famous? Have they ever build a house for the poor or granted a single scholarship to a under privileged and poor student. What do they do to the colossal amount of money collected in the till? Can they give a “Yes”answer to any of the above questions? HYPOCRITICAL PRELATES It is to my mind hypocrisy is the term to... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/02/10)

චන්ද මංකොල්ලය
චන්ද්‍රසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ විසිනි.
ජනාධිපතිවරණය නිමාවිය. අප නුදුටු, අපට නොහැගුණ මහා චන්ද මංකොල්ලයක් සිදු වූ බවට, විශේෂයෙන් සෝමවංස අමරසිංහ කණ්ඩායම විසින් ප්‍රචාරයක් ගෙන යමින් සිටී. මෙය ගෙන යන්නේ එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය සමග වීම, විශේෂයයි. මෙවර චන්දය පාවිච්චි කල චන්ද දායකයින් අතර පලමුවරට චන්දය පාවිච්චි කල චන්ද දායකයා උපත ලැබ ඇත්තේ මීට 18 වසරකට පෙරය. ඒ 1901 වසරේදීය. ඒ මේ රටේ චන්ද මංකොල්ලයන් උපරිම වශයෙන් සිදුවූ වකවානූන් තුලදීය. තවද 1977 න් පසු එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂයේ නායකයා විසින් චන්ද විශේෂඥයකු මෙරටට හදුන්වා දෙන ලදී. එම මහතා ප්‍රසිද්ධියේම, පෝල් පෙරේරා නම් වූ ඒ පුද්ගලයා තම පක්ෂයේ චන්ද විශෙෂඥයා යයි පවසන ලද්දේ සකල විද... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/02/10)

President tells Opposition Leader: Fonseka's arrest legal, He could appeal to Supreme Court, Investigations will be expedited
Daily News
UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe met President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday morning and among the matters they discussed was the arrest and detention of Retired General Sarath Fonseka, a press release from the President's media division said. The President explained to the Opposition Leader that the arrest and detention of Sarath Fonseka was not an act against him but a an Army disciplinary step. Fonseka has been provided with facilities to appeal against his arrest to the Supreme Court. He said investigations regarding the case would be done expeditiously. The Opposition Leader asked whether... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/02/10)

If Fonseka’s innocence proved, he will be freed, President tells Ranil
If it could be proved that former Army Chief and defeated presidential candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka had not violated the law, he would be released, President Mahinda Rajapaksa told Opposition and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at a meeting between the two leaders at Temple Trees yesterday. Sources said when the Opposition Leader pointed out that tension was building up in the country over the arrest and detention of Gen. Fonseka, the President said, investigations would be expedited and there was no need for anyone to worry about Gen. Fonseka. Gen. Fonseka, the President said, had ready access to the Supreme... -Full Story- (The Island - 12/02/10)

PEACE & DEVELOPMENT
Ranjit Wickremeratne
Every citizen irrespective of race,religion or colour just think of yourself for a second how you celebrate May 18th victory of all battles with the most ruthless,barbaric,murderers,L.T.T.E. terrorist organization in the world. Just remember how you suffered in one way or another during those dark days in your life. Were you able to go to work or take your children to school or go in a picnic or were you able to travel anywhere inside the country as a free person? Just give me an answer please. How many of your loved ones were taken away from... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/02/10)

“REFDIFINING AND REDEMICATING FOREIGN POLICY IN SRI LANKA BASED ON MAHINDA CHINTANA AND MAHINDA VISION”
Sarath Wijeisnghe - -Senior Solicitor and Senior Attorney at law - LL.M London (International Law) Former Chairman Consumer Affairs Authority
Foreign policy of a country is not a static scenario. It varies from leader to leader and political changes of a Nation in the world family. It decides and directs the economy, development and all aspects of the citizen as the behaviour of the state is interconnected to the government machinery. It is the study of foreign affairs and global issues within   the international system including the role of states, NGO’s, INGO’s and multinational corporations. It is a set... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/02/10)

Re: Sri Lankan Church Leaders Condemn Presidential Poll
Vajeera Warnakulasuriya Melbourne, Australia
To the Attention of Patrick Nicholson Media Caritas International Vatican City State Italy Dear Mr. Nicholson Re: Sri Lankan Church Leaders Condemn Presidential Poll The Presidential Elections held in Sri Lanka was the first ever free and fair Elections since the Independence! Secretary General of UN Ban Ki Moon and all Leaders of the West, EU and even Australia articulated this loud and clear!  In third World developing countries it has become a common feature to witness election related disturbances pre & post event. It is the degree of the seriousness of these disturbances... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/02/10)

A Frankenstein scares Rajapaksa
The New Indian Express
Developments in Sri Lanka have taken a predictable course since President Mahinda Rajapaksa began to view his army commander, General Sarath Fonseka, as a threat to his life as well as his government, in the closing stages of the war against the LTTE and immediately thereafter, last year. Fonseka’s arrest on Monday and the decision to haul him before a court martial for a variety of ‘military crimes’ including a bid to stage a military coup and assassinate the president, did not come as a surprise. The general’s unabashed public posturing as the sole ‘war hero’... -Full Story- (ExpressBuzz - 12/02/10)

LET'S PROTECT THE STABILITY OF MOTHER LANKA‏
Mr. Hasaka Ratnamalala  Dr. Asoka Perera FRIENDS OF SRI LANKA-CANADA
Dear Sri Lankan Friends, Our motherland has suffered hundreds of years due to autocratic actions from imperialistic powers of the west. This is the first time that our country has been freed by our heroic forces defeating all forms of terrorism. Now west is planting another trap in Sri Lanka using our own heroes who helped eradicating the LTTE terrorism, to destroy the country’s stability. There is a democratic and fair judicial system in Sri Lanka to proceed for whom being arrested under criminal and military code of conduct.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/02/10)

Fonseka’s private army, within the Army, killed Lasantha
H. L. D. Mahindapala
The mounting evidence from foreign and local sources against Gen.(retd) Sarath Fonseka, now held by the Military Police at a Naval base in Colombo, indicate that he is in deeper trouble than he knows.  First, there is the internal evidence collected from the rank and file. In it there is substantial evidence to establish a prima facie case if all his covert and overt moves to stage a coup under his command are put together. Although the finer details are yet to be revealed military sources have connected the links that point directly Gen Fonseka... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 11/02/10)

Fonseka’s trial soon, Norway supported Fonseka to oust Govt. - Gotabaya
By Noor Nizam. Peace Activist and Freelance Journalist, Canada February 11th., 2010.
The comments made by Secretary of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa that to the media that “He have proof of the Norwegian government paying journalists to write against the government", is 100% true. When Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that the Norwegians and the US have vested interests and used to support the Tamil Tigers in various ways, this is also 100% true. They also supported Fonseka to try oust the government is also 100% true.  I support Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa fully on his statements. As a PATRIOTIC Sri... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 11/02/10)

GENERAL FONSEKA’S ARREST UNDER MILITARY LAW- IS IT LEGAL AND IN ACCORDIANCE OF LAW AND DUE PROCESS
Sarath Wijesinghe – (Solicitor in England and Wales , Attorney –at –law in Sri Lanka and one time army officer of Sri Lankan Army- )
Retired General Sarath Fonseka was arrested by the Military police for investigations for commitment of military offences under S/57(1) of the army Act No 17 of 1949 in which any army officer during active service or within the period of six menthes of retirement which states as follows; Where a person subject to military law commits any offence and thereafter ceases to be a person subject to military law, may be taken into and... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 11/02/10)

Sri Lankan church leaders condemn presidential poll
Warna Hettiarachchi Canada
Mr. Nicholson,  http://www.caritas.org/newsroom/press_releases/PressRelease10_02_10.html  Regarding your article in CARITAS with subject topic on Feb 10th 2010, let me remind you that the Vatican, the Anglican and Catholic Church, the Buddhist Temples or the Buddhist Monks, or any other religious dignitary has absolutely no business in Sri Lanka’s politics.  Sri Lankan Bishops, Archbishops and Buddhist Monks, must preach their sermons and discuss religious matters within the perimeters of houses of worship in Sri Lanka.  Interestingly, the Catholic Bishops Thomas Savundaranayagam of Jaffna, Kingsley Swampillai of Trincomalee and Batticaloa, Rayappu Joseph of Mannar are Tamil nationals who openly sustained... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 11/02/10)

The Prelate’s Pathetic Plight
By Mario Perera, Kadawata
Sri Lanka is a country which loses no opportunity to polish and brandish its image of religiosity. Even the highest of the land punctuates every important utterance made in public with a subservient ‘Ehema netha apey hamuduruwane?’ Countless films introduce the figure of the monk as being the ultimate reference on all important issues; political, social, religious. There is no major ceremony, especially political without recourse to gatherings of monks. In this context one will still remember the mammoth assembly of Buddhist priests endorsing the candidacy of MR. It was a sea of yellow, and... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 11/02/10)

194 new “Dispensers” News Item
Vajiragnana Warnakulasuriya Melbourne, Australia
The Secretary, The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry Mr. W.M.D Wanninayaka Dear Sir,  194 new “Dispensers” News Item  “The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry has appointed 194 Dispensers to rural hospitals island-wide, Media Secretary to the Health Ministry W.M.D Wanninayaka told www.news.lk”  It is indeed encouraging to hear that the replacement of Sanitary labourers who administered a very important section in a hospital by Dispensers! I believe sanitary labourers now Dispensers have been handling a very responsible task of issuing of medicine to out door patients. The administration of the Ministry of Health would have been ashamed... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 11/02/10)

Allegations of War Crimes in Sri Lanka by AI
Sunil Vijayapala
Dear Sirs/Madams,           Here we go again, the Anglo Saxon hegemony against a weak country Sri Lanka, accusing of war crimes, while they themselves were/are the worst perpetrators of war crimes in the history of humanity!  Ignoring the Vampire Victoria's era, one of the worst eras,  the recent history showed that the worst war criminals were the Anglo Saxons.  The incinerating of UNARMED Japanese civilians TESTING both uranium and plutonium on the during the closing stages of 2nd world war was the WORST war crime committed by a country in the history of humanity.  The use of Agent... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 11/02/10)

Racist alien-national political parties violate national sovereignty
Anura Seneviratna, Dr MB Ranatunga (for expat Hela team).
No country in the world allows non indigenous settler minorities to set up their racist alien-national political parties. It is a dangerous precedent leading to insidious invasion of the host country by minorities. If one day, the population of non indigenous minorities exceeds the population of the host nation – in the first general election they will acquire majority seats and form a government, which will then become an alien-national country annulling the country’s national sovereignty. Due to this dangerous repercussion, no country allows the formation of racist alien-national political... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 11/02/10)

Govt. grant of 25 perches prime land to Fonseka ?
Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia
Karu Jayasuriya, an opposition spokesman has said that, "... the opposition will be speaking to all religious leaders and will have a series of religious events to seek the release of Sarath Fonseka from custody and ensure more democratic freedom..."  It is alleged that Fonseka had colluded with the opposition politicians last year while still heading the army. Thus he had been politicising the army.  With regard to the accusation against Sri Lanka for war crimes, Fonseka on 8th Monday had said, "...I am going to reveal what I know, what I was told and what I... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 11/02/10)

Sri Lankan ex-army chief planned coup
SINGAPORE - Sri Lanka’s defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka — facing court martial for offences related to his term as army chief — was clearly plotting a coup, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse said in remarks published Thursday. ‘He was planning on military rule. It was very clear,’ Rajapakse, who is the younger bother of President Mahinda Rajapakse, said in an interview with the Straits Times of Singapore. ‘In his very last stages as army commander he began bringing his people into Colombo and his regiment, positioning his senior regiment people all over,’ Rajapakse said. ‘All these things were looking like... -Full Story- (Khaleej Times - 11/02/10)

‘Fonseka's trial soon, 5-year jail possible’
IANS
NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka's former army chief Sarath Fonseka will face immediate court martial for treason and he can be jailed for up to five years, the country's Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said in an interview published Thursday. Rajapaksa, brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, also told Singapore's Straits Times that Fonseka had planned to impose military rule and his candidature in the presidential election that he lost was backed by the US and Norway.... -Full Story- (ExpressBuzz - 11/02/10)

Fonseka guilty of treason: Gotabaya
B. Muralidhar Reddy
COLOMBO: Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has alleged that the defeated common opposition presidential candidate and retired Army Chief, Sarath Fonseka, is guilty of charges of treason, military coup and of being involved in the disappearance of a few journalists. Meanwhile, the commander-turned-politician through his wife appealed to all sections to maintain calm after clashes were reported from parts of the island... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 11/02/10)

More Russian schols in the offing
Dharma SRI ABEYRATNE
More Sri Lankan students will receive scholarships from Russian universities, Chairman of Russian Friendship Society, Education Minister Susil Premajayanth said. The Russian Government will take measures to increase the number of scholarships offered to Sri Lankan students following various degree programs in universities including medicine, engineering, Information Technology and many other spheres. Following discussions between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Vice Chancellor of the Russian Friendship University, Russia has taken this decision to give more opportunities to Sri Lankan students to follow undergraduate programs in Russia.... -Full Story- (Daily News - 11/02/10)

Observe law in Fonseka case: India to Lanka
Ending its silence on the detention of former Sri Lankan army chief and losing presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka, India on Thursday hoped that the Rajapaksa government would “observe” due process of law in the case. The Indian embassy in Colombo has been in touch with the Sri Lankan authorities over the issue. “We have been in touch with the government of Sri Lanka over the detention of Rtd Gen. Sarath Fonseka,” External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said in a statement .... -Full Story- (Hindustan Times - 11/02/10)

US, Norway deny helping Fonseka
IANS
NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka's former army chief Sarath Fonseka is to face early court martial for treason, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said in remarks published Thursday, while accusing the US and Norway of aiding the defeated presidential candidate during the election. The accusation triggered quick denials from both countries, which were closely involved in overseeing the peace process in Sri Lanka before the military crushed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) last year. Rajapaksa, a brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, told Singapore's Straits Times newspaper that Fonseka had planned to impose military rule. Speaking candidly but harshly about... -Full Story- (ExpressBuzz - 11/02/10)

Fonseka warned against speaking to intl bodies on 'war crimes'
Press Trust Of India
Press Trust Of India... -Full Story- (Hindustan Times - 11/02/10)

මහ රැජින හා මල්වත්තේ මහානායක හාමුදුරුවෝ
චන්ද්‍රසිරි විජයවික්‍රම
ටෝනි බ්ලෙයාර් හා එලිසබැත් රැජින ටෝනි බ්ලෙයාර්, ජෝර්ජ් බුෂ් සමඟ සදාම් හුසේන් පස්සේ යන්න තීරණය කල් විට එංගලන්තයේ මහ රැජින ඊට විරුද්ධව කතා කලා නම් රැජිනට වෙන්නේ කුමක්ද? නැත්නම් ටෝනිට වෙන්නේ කුමක්ද? මල්වත්තේ හමුදුරුවන් සරත් ෆොන්සේකා හිරභාරයට ගැනීමට විරුද්ධව කල ප්‍රකාශනය මේ වගේ ප්‍රශ්නයක් නොවේද? හැම නරක දෙයකින්ම හොඳක් ද සිදුවිය හැකි අන්දමට, "දේශපාලකයින්ට මගේ පන්සලට එන්නට ඉඩ නොදීමට මට තීරණය කිරීමට සිදුව ඇත," යන අවභොධය උන්වන්සේට දැන්වත් තේරුනා නම් එය උන්වන්සේටත් රටට හා ජාතියටත් මහඟු සේවයකි. සෑම දේශපාලන කොල්ලන්-බල්ලන්, අට පිරිකර සමඟ පන්සලට වද්දා ගැනීමෙන් පන්සල බාල්දුවට ලක් කර ගත්තේ උන්වනහ්සේගේ හිත හොඳකම නිසාද නැත්නම් මෝඩ... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/02/10)

කුණාටුව
චන්ද්‍රසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ විසිනි
සරත් ෆොන්සේකා මහතාව අත් අඩංගුවට පත්ව ඇත. තමන්ව අත් අඩංගුවට පත් කර ගැනීම, ඔවුනගේ ඊලග දේශපාලන ඉලක්කය බව අපි දැන සිටියෙමු. ඒ සදහා අවශ්‍ය කරන පසුබිම ඔහු විසින්ම මනාව නිර්මාණය කරන ලදී. ඒ විදේශීය ඒජන්තයින්ගේ උපදෙස් මතය. දේශපාලඥයකු නොවූ ඔහු බාර ගත්තේ බැරෑරුම් ජාත්‍යන්තර කොන්ත්‍රාත්තුවකි. ඔහු වටා සිටින ජාත්‍යන්තර බලවේග දුටු ඔහුට, ඔහු සතු බලය අදහා ගැනීමටද බැරි විය. වසර ගනනාවක් එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂයේ නායකයාව සිටි රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතාව පහතට දමා ඔහුව ඉහලට දැමීම, තමන්ගේ පරම සතුරු බලවේගයන් සුනඛයින් සේ තමා වටා කැරකෙනු දැකීම; කුමන ප්‍රාතිහාර්යකින් සිදුවූවාදැයි ඔහුටම අදහා ගැනීමට නොහැකි තත්වයක් මතුවිය. යතාර්ථය වටහා ගැනීමට... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/02/10)

The Opposition Reactionaries May Revolt In Favour Of Their Champion Fonseka And Attempt Anarchy Which Must Be Stopped In Its Tracks !
LankaWeb Editorial Feb.10th 2010
Apparently, incarcerating Fmr.Gen Sarath Fonseka obviously a victim and cat's paw of the Nation's reactionary adversaries ~ translating to UNF baiting as well as being a pawn of Ranil Wickremasinghe and his motley alliance with the JVP, TNA, The Muslim League and the entire anti Government coalition comes with a price for the Nation so recently freed from the anarchy and threats of the LTTE terrorists.  The coalition which tried to unseat the President with all the wrong means and rhetoric will probably aggravate the consequences of the court martial Gen. Fonseka faces and the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/02/10)

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SHOULD LEARN TO KEEP THEIR MOUTH SHUT ON SRI LANKAN ISSUES.
By Noor Nizam, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada – February 10th., 2010.
Amnesty International has once again stooped to cheap publicity stunts to draw attention to their scheming international activities of undermining the sovereignty and integrity of the office of the democratically and duly elected President of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Nation as a whole. HE. Mahinda Rajapaksa was re-elected to the office of Executive President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka at the presidential elections that was held on the 26th., of January 2010. The overwhelming majority was 1.8 million votes above his opponent opposition... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/02/10)

Dr Iftikhar Ayaz honored as Man of the Year in Human Rights
By A. Abdul Aziz,Press Secretary, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Sri Lanka.
A Senator of the World Nations Congress and the Consul General of the Tuvalu Islands in the United Kingdom, Dr Iftikhar Ayaz, OBE (Officer of the Excellent Order of the British Empire), has now been honored to present the Commonwealth Human Rights Brief at the U.N Human Rights Council.  Dr Ayaz is a well known International Human Rights activist and is making useful contribution to the restoration and sustenance of Human Rights particularly in the Commonwealth countries. Dr Ayaz, who visited Sri Lanka last year said that the genuine... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/02/10)

Minister Samarasinghe Briefs High Commissioner for Human Rights, Country Missions to the UN in Geneva
The Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva
Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe, met with Navanetham Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, at the Palais Wilson in Geneva on Tuesday (09). The Minister, who was accompanied by Attorney General Mohan Peiris, PC, and Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN at Geneva, Ambassador Kshenuka Senewiratne, briefed High Commissioner Pillay, on the progress achieved in developing a National Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (NAP) in Sri Lanka. Noting that the NAP was the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/02/10)

UN chief vows to support Rajapaksa in strengthening peace
Colombo: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday congratulated Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on winning second six-year term in office in the January 26 polls and assured him of all support from the world body in his efforts to strengthen peace and reconciliation in the country. During a 25-minute telephonic conversation with the President, Ban wished success to Rajapaksa in strengthening peace and reconciliation and said the UN would support his efforts in this regard.... -Full Story- (zeenews.com - 10/02/10)

Former Sri Lanka's Army Commander Court-martialled
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1 Canada
February 10, 2010 The Editor (Letters)   THE OTTAWA CITIZEN Sir: The story ‘Sri Lanka: Former army chief to be court-martialled’ is a storyline fit for a Shakespearian tragic play. . It was just nine months ago that former ex-Army Commander, Sarath Fonseka together with commanders of the Navy, Air Force and the Defence Secretary, directed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, wiped out  on May 18, 2009, the Tamil Tigers after 27 years of warring and 100,000 deaths.  He became the island’s instant... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/02/10)

TRAGEDY OF THE SINHALA NATION
SINHALA PATRIOT
The Sinhalese the inhabitants of Sinhale has a written history of 2500 years. During this time it attained the heights of civilisation as seen in the archaeological ruins in the North Central Province. However it was never able to maintain social stability because of Invasions from India. The Sinhalese were pushed further and further to the south. Right through history the Sinhala people have been made to fight for her survival. Sinhalese have displayed resilience to maintain her identity be it the language ,culture or Buddhism. In fact it has accepted the worship of Hindu gods as... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/02/10)

Sri Lanka - Hell or High Water of 9th Feb
Vajeera Warnakulasuriya Melbourne 98088763
The Presenter, Foreign Correspondent, ABC (Australia) Reporter: Eric Campbell,  Gordon Weiss claims that he has resigned from the UN after 14 years and returned home to Australia. While he was serving in Sri Lanka with UNICEF he has been reporting adversely on Sri Lankan government aiding LTTE movement. He never wrote how the Sinhalese lived in war tone border villages. It shouldn’t be difficult to see the style of his reporting due to political professionalism being his background. His UN posting was a cover up giving easy access to get on with his pro LTTE... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/02/10)

Fonseka to 'testify on war crimes'
Sri Lanka's former military commander says that he is prepared to give evidence in an international court on war crime charges against Sri Lanka. General Sarath Fonseka speaking to journalists in Colombo on Monday said, "I am not going to save anyone who has committed war crimes". International human rights organisations as well as the US state department has alleged that the Sri Lankan government committed war crimes during the final phase of the war against Tamil Tigers. Several human rights organisations have called to try the Sri Lankan state in international courts on alleged abuses against civilians and surrendees.... -Full Story- (bbc.co.uk - 10/02/10)

No tears for Fonseka
H. L. D. Mahindapala
 Retired General Sarath Fonseka is one of those tragic Shakesperean heroes who is doomed because of a fatal flaw in his character. In short, Fonseka has been the main cause of his own downfall. In the last few days Fonseka was asking for it and he got it last night. He was challenging the government to arrest him if they have any charges against him and when the Military Police went to arrest him he resisted. He had to be dragged out initially though he walked the last steps to the van in which he... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 09/02/10)

Fonseka's arrest
Island Editorial
Gen. (retd) Sarath Fonseka's arrest came as no surprise, though he may have been confident that the government would fight shy of taking him in. His confidence may have prompted him to challenge President Mahinda Rajapaksa, a few hours before the military police descended on him, to arrest him. It is a supreme irony that on the eve of the recently concluded presidential election Fonseka threatened that, in the event of his victory, he would haul up some serving military officers including those who led the war in the Vanni and killed Prabhakaran, before a military court... -Full Story- (The Island - 09/02/10)

Downfall of Gen. Fonseka from Patriot to Traitor
Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia
Eight months ago, with the defeat of the LTTE, Gen. Fonseka's popularity was at it's height. He became an idol overnight. This led to his greed for power.   The bankrupt politicians who smelt this used him as a cat's paw sponsoring him for the Presidential elections. He thought he could use Obama's strategy but Obama's oratorical skills are no match for him. Fonseka's speeches were more in military style. Some speeches made by him to discredit the govt backfired as they were against the army which he led.    He continued these allegations after the elections. For... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 09/02/10)

A Heavy Price To Pay For Being A Pawn Of The Nation's Adversaries!
Insight By Sunil Kumar-Feb.9th 2010
Fmr.Gen Sarath Fonseka has now become a victim of the Nation's adversaries translating to UNF baiting as well as being a pawn of Ranil Wickremasinghe and his motley alliance with the JVP, TNA and the entire anti Government coalition which tried to unseat the President with all the wrong means and rhetoric and will pay the price of facing a court martial.  Everything in the General's conduct as he ran against the President glaringly pointed to a breach of many protocols both military as well as legislative and the man had the audacity to... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 09/02/10)

If you are a true Sri Lankan, Then, it should chill your spine.
John Kerry is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (US) This is A part analysis of John Kerry Report on Sri Lanka
Stunned by the unexpected annihilation of the terrorists in Sri Lanka and fearing consequently a grave threat to US security interests in the region, the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (SCFR) hastily scrambled two of its staff members to visit the island nation in the first week of November 2009 with a mandate to evaluate the fall out of the terrorist debacle on US policy in the island and geopolitical, in the region;... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 09/02/10)

COURT MARTIAL SARATH FONSEKA; DIS-HONOURABLY DISCHARGE FROM ARMY; SF AN ENEMY OF THE NATION, WORSE THAN PRABHAKARAN!
 By Dr M D P DISSANAYAKE Posted on December 17th, 2009
General Sarath Fonseka has betrayed the country in style. Living in a dreamland to become the President, he has spoken out of turn, conducted himself to bring disgrace to the entire Army, its serving men, women and breached the Oath as an ex-Army Officer, He has divulged the most sensitive information and thus need to be disciplined forthwith. The Court Martial proceedings against this ex-Army Officer must begin immediately. There has been several such Court Martial proceedings world wide, including India, against ex-Army Officers for breach of conduct... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 09/02/10)

එක්සත් ජාතීන්ගේ සංවිධානය, හා පැට්රිස් ලුමුම්බා මිත්‍රත්ව සරසවිය.
චන්ද්‍රසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ විසිනි.
ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට දිය හැකි ඉහලම උත්තමාචාරය, ලෝකයේ ප්‍රබලම රාජ්‍යයක් වන රුසියාව මේ වනවිට පුදකර ඇත. අතිගරු ජනාධිපති මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතාට ගෞරව ආචාර්ය උපාධියක් ප්‍රධානය කිරීම හරහා ශ්‍රී ලංකා වාසී ජනතාවට පිරිනැමූ ගෞරවය හදපිරි බැති සිතින් පිලිගනිමින්, රුසියානු ජනතාවට අපගේ ගෞරව ස්තුථිය පුද කරමු. ඇමරිකන් අධිරාව්‍යවාදීන් විසින් පෝෂණය කරවපු චෙච්නියන් ත්‍රස්තවාදය අනුකම්පා විරහිතව සුනුවිසුනු කර දැමූ රුසියාව; ඇමරිකන් අධිරාව්‍යවාදීන් විසින් පෝෂණය කරවපු කොටි ත්‍රස්තවාදය. අනුකම්පා සහිතව සියලූම මිනිස් ගුණ ධර්ම රකිමින් විනාශ කර දැමූ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට දිය හැකි ඉහලම ගෞරවය පූදකර ඇත. අප එය අගයමු. තවද මෙහි ඇති විශේෂත්වය වන්නේ මෙම ගෞරව ආචාර්ය උපාධිය ලුමුම්බා මිත්‍රත්ව සරසවියෙන්... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 09/02/10)

New Delhi High Commission celebrates Independence and National Day
Press Release Sri Lanka High Commission New Delhi
The grand Reception held at the High Commission in New Delhi to celebrate this year’s Independence and the National Day was attended by a cross section of distinguished personalities in New Delhi and the diplomatic community. Union Cabinet Minister of Human Resource Development of India, Kapil Sibal represented the Government of India as the Chief Guest. The event included a Cultural Show presented by Sri Lanka Navy Cultural Troupe and was embellished with authentic specialty Sri Lanka cuisine prepared by the two prominent chefs from Sri Lanka.  The celebrations of the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 09/02/10)

LET US WORK FOR A TAMIL PRIME MINISTER ONE AND ONLY WAY
By Stanley Perera reporting from Kandy
My dear peace loving Sri Lankans, The one and only way in reconciliation with our Tamil people in Sri Lanka is according to my sincere beliefs are integrate with the Tamils and Muslims in our country and include them in a much more aggressive manner in the administration. One should not expect this process only on one way traffic. Both communities must realise that first and foremost thing is remove from their minds the misstrust carried over the centuries. Fifty per cent or may be ninety per cent of the Sinhalese may not... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 09/02/10)

Kanneliya Forest Reserve & a two-bit Minister
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1 . Canada.
February 8, 2010 Your Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa President of Sri Lanka Temple  Trees Colombo, Sri Lanka  Your Excellency: I wrote to you two days ago complaining about the episode at the Kanneliya Forest Reserve and asked you to rein in the two-bit politician from the Southern Province and read him the Riot Act. I read about this stunning incident again in the Sunday Times, ‘Freedom of the wild ass by ministerial group’ bylined by Damith Wickremeasekera. Good God, Your Excellency, the Forest Ranger Sunil Ranaweera to be... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/02/10)

The firsthand account of the drama leading to Fonseka’s arrest
By K T Rajasingham
The scene: office of an important person located opposite the Royal College, Colombo. The time: 10 p m on Monday. The Provo Martial of the Military Police Brigadier Wijesri enters the Office with authority. He is accompanied by Maj Gen S R Manawaduge, Commandant of Western Province and Puttalam, and the Colonel of the Commando Regiment. The police top echelons are also present. The Provo Martial of the Military Police Brigadier has an important assignment on hand, that was already talk of the town. Only the timing was not known and how was not known.... -Full Story- (asiantribune.com - 08/02/10)

Ex-army chief maybe charged for plotting to kill Rajapaksa Fonseka held, to be court-martialled
Sri Lanka’s defeated opposition presidential candidate former army chief General Sarath Fonseka was arrested on Monday night by the army and will be court-martialled for offences committed while he was in service, a fortnight after he suffered defeat at the hands of incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa.The 59-year-old Fonseka, credited with the annihilation of the LTTE, was arrested along with his media secretary Senaka de Silva while on work at their office in the capital. Defence spokesperson Major General Prasad Samarasinghe, who assumed charge on Monday, said Fonseka was taken into custody by the army and will “face court martial proceedings for... -Full Story- (Deccan Herald - 08/02/10)

President Rajapaksa receives a crown in Moscow
By Janaka Alahapperuma
President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Madam Shiranthi Rajapaksa participated at the Golden Jubilee Anniversary celebrations and a cultural show of the Peoples’ Friendship University, which was held at the university auditorium in Moscow yesterday evening, 7th February. President Rajapaksa is seen here being welcomed at the ceremony by the students of the university and the Vice Chancellor Professor Vladimir M. Philipov.                 The Sri Lankan President was honoured once again at the cultural show by Prof. Philipov, by presenting a memento, a Russian style gold plated crown, decorated in... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/02/10)

AHMADIYYA MUSLIM JAMA’AT CONDEMNS FRENCH PARLIAMENTARY REPORT
By A. Abdul Aziz,ress Secretary, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Sri Lanka.
The World-wide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (Jama’at) wishes to express its condemnation and regret at the recommendations of a French Parliamentary Report published on 26 January 2010 which called for a partial ban on Muslim women wearing veils. The recommendations, if adopted, would deny Muslim women the right to cover their faces in public arenas such as hospitals, schools, government buildings and whilst using public transport.  According to the recommendations, any Muslim woman who attempted to flout the ban would be denied the relevant public service. Therefore if the recommendations... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/02/10)

Justice for the Hela Nation is long overdue
Anura Seneviratna (for expat Hela team).  
National motherland of the Hela Nation is the whole Hela Island of Heladiva. Helabasa - Hela culture – National Hela Sovereignty is the inviolable fundamental human right of the nation of Hela people ONLY in our national motherland.   The pre-historic Heladiva is masked by pseudonym of Lanka has caused  the wrong name in our national land deed, making it vulnerable to our national heritage. The nation is degraded to a race against Hela nation. Although, root of a nation is race distinguished by genes, evolved into a nation is inclusive of... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/02/10)

PAK-CHINA HIMALAYAN FRIENDSHIP
ALI SUKHANVER
A close neighbor can be more helpful than a relative living far away. Pakistan is fortunate enough to have a friend like China as a neighbour but unfortunate to have a neighbour like India who never desires for stability and prosperity of Pakistan. The Pakistanis must be thankful to God for making China its neighbour because the situation could have been much painful for them if there were no China in the region. Pak-China friendship is time -tested and progressing by leaps and bounds every moment. Unluckily this friendship is proving itself much agonizing for those countries... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/02/10)

“GSP+ GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERANCE - IS IT ARMS TWISTING A PRIVILAGE HUMAN RIGHT VIOLATION OR A MATTER TO BE AMICABLY RESOLVED “
Sarath Wijesinghe Senior Solicitor and Attorney-At-Law- former Chairman Consumer Affairs Authority
GSP+- the background
 GSP+ is a system introduced by USA and EU to conditional help and encourages trade industries and production in selected and identified countries by adjusting tariff and other facilities for a given period. European Union and the member countries intensified the scheme during and aftermath of Tsunami Disaster for Sri Lanka.  Before the introduction of this facility managed our affairs without this concession and we should have known that this is not a permanent facility and should have been ready to be without at... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/02/10)

Seoul Sri Lanka Embassy celebrates Independence and National Day
Embassy of Sri Lanka, Seoul, South Korea.
The celebration of the Independence Day and National Day commenced at the Residence of Sri Lanka on 04th February with the flag hoisting ceremony attended by a cross section of Korean and Sri Lankan distinguished personalities, representatives of Sri Lankan migrant workers and Sri Lankan students. A multi religious rituals with the participation of the clergy of Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Islamic were observed and the National Day Messages of H.E. the President, Hon. Prime Minister and the Hon. Foreign Minister were read.                ... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/02/10)

TAMILS SHOULD TOTALLY REJECT LTTE PROXY TNA
Dr. Raju Selva
I was a very disappointed Tamil moderate who have been voicing my opinion against LTTE Diaspora who were actively supporting LTTE . In a similar manner I raised my voice against Tamil Diaspora asking them not to mislead the ordinary Tamils mainly in the North and East at the Presidential election. I was flabbergasted to observe that LTTE’s Eelam is still alive when one analyses the voting pattern in the North & East. Sarath Fonseka , who claimed that he alone crushed LTTE got majority Tamil votes in the North & East and in Nuwera-Eliya. Not... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/02/10)

Defeated Sri Lankan presidential candidate arrested on coup charges
COLOMBO, SRI LANKA—Sri Lanka's defeated presidential candidate was hauled from his office by military police Monday and will be court-martialled for allegedly planning to overthrow the government while serving as the head of the army. Sarath Fonseka, who as the top general helped defeat the Tamil Tiger rebels, was forcibly detained after objecting to his arrest, opposition politician Rauff Hakeem told The Associated Press.... -Full Story- (thestar.com - 08/02/10)

Former CJ assisted by DGC open the floodgates for the revenue fraudsters
Sri Lanka Customs Whistleblowers
We, the Sri Lanka Customs Whistleblowers are an independent body formulated to fight corruption and abuse of power by any person holding any public office. Today, we bring with full confidence to the notice of the people about the background and the decision of a very important and infamous supreme court decision from the, government revenue view point, that set up a precedence with very damaging and far-reaching effects. The modus-operandi in this case, that was designed to protect the organised fraudsters has been a minutely planned and well supported by the DGC, by his deliberate... -Full Story- (presidentialelections2010.blogspot.com - 07/02/10)

The Dangers of opening an Indian Consulate in Jaffna
Ranjini Deraniyagala Ambassador General United Cultrual Convention, USA
This is alarming indeed. Chilling story!   We do hope the president is keeping a watchful eye on this decision. India has ulterior motives. LTTE who have been defeated in the North may have other scheming ideas. If this is done to counter TNA emergence, it may backfire when India settles down to lay her "Aid" demands. They may try to play an innocent role to creeping in again as various incidents in the past. People have not forgotten the Indian Troops entry in the past. Then we are opening the welcome door... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/02/10)

Court martial next for S Lanka's defeated candidate?
Defeated Sri Lankan presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka could be hauled before a court martial to answer charges of plotting a coup to topple the government, a press report said on Sunday. The government has sought legal advice on using a military court to fast-track proceedings against Fonseka, who challenged President Mahinda Rajapakse in the January 26 vote, the Sunday Times said. "A military court will try retired general Sarath Fonseka on several charges of conspiracy," it said. There was no immediate comment from Fonseka, who has already accused the government of planning to arrest or assassinate him after he fell... -Full Story- (Hindustan Times - 07/02/10)

Mahinda’s Victory
Reyyaz Salley  - Islamic Solidarity Front of North America
 Mahinda’s Victory is People’s Victory was the title of the article I wrote in the Daily News on 22 December 2005 soon after the Presidential Elections. In the last four years he delivered the most anticipated election promise in 2005 – that he can be relied upon to restore peace in the country, a country which has been scarred by conflict for so long was pausing for breath, and wondering what comes next. Year of war and the worst financial crisis in decades – still not over – few believed... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/02/10)

Can the soiled trio JVP, UNP and TNA put swan back on the wall?
Herold Leelawardena
Is it in the Bible that says; “tell me who your friends are; and I will tell you who you are”. Anyway, Stupid Fonseka (SF) showed the Sinhalese who his friends are: They were the JVP, the Marxists revolutionaries who bloodied this country in two failed revolutions; and the UNP that got its thugs to hammer and slaughter sixty thousand JVP cadres; and the TNA that gave the cover to LTTE suicide bombers to kill and maim tens of thousands of civilians in buses, trains and public places. SF’s alliance or soup is so odd; Sinhalese viewed... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/02/10)

සර් අයිවොර් ජෙනිංන්ස්ගේ නෝනා ගේ උපන් දින තෑග්ග
චන්ද්‍රසිරි විජයවික්‍රම
1776 ජූලි මාසයේ 4 වෙනිදා ඇමෙරිකා එක්සත් ජනපදයේ නිදහස් දිනය ලෙස තෝරා ගත්තේ ජූලි 2 දා වන විටත් නිදහස් ප්‍රකාශනය ගැන ජනපද 13 එකඟතාවයකට පැමිණ නොතිබීමය.  වාද විවාද අවසන්ව එය ප්‍රසිද්ධ කිරීම සඳහා මුද්‍රණාලයට යැවුවේ ජූලි 4 වෙනිදාය. මා දන්නා කරුණක් නම් 1826 ජූලි 4 වෙනිදා ජෝන් ඇඩම්ස් හා තෝමස් ජෙෆර්සන් යන ඇමරිකාවේ දෙවැනි හා තුන්වැනි ජනාධිපතිවරු දෙදෙනා පැය ගණනක පරතරයක් තුල (කලින් ජෙෆර්සන්) මිය ගිය බවය. දෙදෙනාම මළේ ඔවුන් ඇමෙරිකාවේ නිදහස් ප්‍රකාශනය අත්සන් කර හරියටම අවුරුදු පනහකට පසුවය.      මෙය මට මතක වුනේ ලංකාවේ නිදහස් දිනය ලෙස පෙබරවාරි 4 වෙනිදා තෝරා ගත්තේ ඒ දිනය... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/02/10)

සබද, දැන්වත් බසයෙන් බසින්න.
චන්‍ද්‍රසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ විසිනි.
අප මේ බසයට නැගුණේ, සමාජවාදී රාජ්‍ය පද්ධතියක් දකින්නටය. අපට දකින්නට අවශ්‍යවූයේ සෝවියට් දේශය, සමාජවාදී මහජන චීන සමූහ ආණ්ඩුව, උතුරු කොරියාව, වියට්නාම් ජන රජය, හා කියුබාව වැනි වූ රාජ්‍ය පද්ධතියයි. මේ බසයට නැගීමට පෙර මේ චාරිකාව යාම සදහා අප වෙනත් බසයක නැගී වසර 30ක්ම ගමන යමින් සිටියහ. අපගේ බසය ඇදගෙන යාමේ කාර්යය තවත් බසයකට පැවරූ මොහොතේ; මහත්සේ උරණවූ අප, එදා බසය පදවා ගෙන ගිය නියමුවන්ට, "කෙස් පැහී, දත් වැටී, ලොම් හැලී, වල පල්ලට යනවිටත් අපට ධනවාදී සමාජ ක්‍රමයක් ඉතිරි කර යන වාමාංශික නායකයිනේ, අපට ඊර්ෂ්‍යා කරන්න එපා"යි හඩගා මේ බසයට නැගුනෙමු. මේ වන විට මේ... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/02/10)

Lumumba University honors President Rajapaksa with a Doctorate in Moscow, Russia
By Janaka Alahapperuma
Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa was awarded a Honoris Causa Doctorate by the Peoples’ Friendship University (PFU), formally known as Patricia Lumumba University of Moscow in Russia on Saturday 6th February 2010 at 6.00pm. The PFU is celebrating its Golden Jubilee and to mark the anniversary it has been decided to award the Honorary Doctorate to President Rajapaksa for his contribution for world peace and outstanding success against defeating terrorism. The award ceremony was held at the conference hall of the Great Kremlin Concert Hotel in Moscow.                ... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/02/10)

The Travels of a Journalist—10 -EXPLORING GERMANY: A DRIVE IN SCHWARZWALD (BLACK FOREST)
By Shelton A. Gunaratne 
2010
My encounter with Germany’s Schwarzwald (Black Forest) began on Tuesday (3 March 1992) morning, when I arrived in Karlsruhe (population 289,000) in the federal state of Baden Württemberg. Karlsruhe is the country’s judicial capital or home of justice because it is the location of the Bundesverfassungsgericht (Federal Constitutional Court) and the Bundesgerichtshof (Federal Court of Justice). I left Dahn soon after breakfast and drove east on the mountainous B427 to see the ruins of Burg Berwartstein at Erlenbach bei Dahn. The old castle had turned into a restaurant. I tarried at a park with... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/02/10)

IMPORTANT: A Complaint
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1 .  Canada
February 6, 2010 Your Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa President of Sri Lanka Temple Trees, Colombo Sri Lanka. Your Excellency: With your busy daily schedule I doubt you have time to read the local newspapers, but, however your morning briefing notes would have flagged the concerns brought to your attention and all Sri Lankans by journalist Malinda Seneviratne in his article ‘Do you know how Kanneliya celebrated Independence Day, Mr. President?” In brief, a two-bit Minister from the Southern Province had arrived for a meeting to the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/02/10)

SRI LANKAN 2010 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND THE DILEMMA OF THE LTTE PROXIES
Mahinda weerasinghe -Author of. Mission to Oslo
(UD – Norwegian Foreign office)Translated version of the attached Article appeared in NY TID 5. – 11 February 2010. Page 43 -IN Norwegian it was called “Norsk fallitt pa Sri Lanka” Translated this would mean “Norwegian collapse in Sri Lanka” The voter turnout for the Sri Lankan presidential election may have been as high as 80 percent, according to election officials. The Asian international monitors who were in Sri Lanka to oversee the election concluded that the presidential elections on Tuesday were conducted in a free and fair manner. Incumbent President Rajapaksa... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/02/10)

DESAMANYA DR. P. R. ANTHONIS: AN APPRECIATION
Ananda W. P. Guruge
The death of Sri Lanka's most eminent and renowned and deservingly legendary surgeon, Desamanya Dr. P. R. Anthonis, within days of reaching the hundredth birthday, engulfed thousands of his friends and well-wishers in depths of sorrow. We have all been beneficiaries of his superior talent as a healer and his remarkable generosity and example as a human being. It is but natural, therefore, that praise for and appreciation of his notable services should accompany our heartfelt condolences to his family and relatives. I consider it my duty as a close friend and admirer of Dr.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/02/10)

Lessons from Singapore
Ananda De Costa
The following is an extract from some recent news article written by a critic of Singapore. “Dr Chee Soon Juan, Singapore's most prominent  opposition leader and human rights defender, is again in prison, along with his colleague Gandhi Ambalam. In December 2009, they were found guilty under the Miscellaneous Offences Act of distributing pamphlets during the 2006 election that were critical of the ruling People's Action Party, an action for which they had no permit. They were sentenced to a fine of S$1000 or one week in jail. The Deputy Public Prosecutor stated that it was not the distribution per se that was illegal,... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/02/10)

හුම්මානේ!
චන්ද්‍රසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ විසිනි.
හුම්මානේ හරිම ලස්සන තැනකි. එම ස්ථානයට දේශීය හා විදේශීය සංචාරකයින් පවා යන තරමට එම ස්ථානය ප්‍රසිද්ධ බවත්, එම පලාතේ ජනතාවට ඒ හේතුවෙන් අමතර ආදායමක් ලබා ගත හැකි තත්වයක් උදාවී ඇති බවත් අපට ඇසේ. එය බලන්න යන සමහර අය අවට පරිසරය පුරා, තමන් කෑමෙන් හා බීමෙන් පසු ඉතිරිවන දෑ විසුරුවා, පලාතම ගද ගස්සන බවත් අපට ඇසේ. ඒ ශ්‍රී ලංකා වාසීන්ගෙන් තුනෙන් පංගුවක ආත්මීය පුරුද්දයි. දැඩි ආදරයකින් වෙලුන ආදරවන්තයින් එකිනෙකාට තුරුළුව හුම්මානේට පැන මියයන බවක්ද අප අසා ඇත්තෙමු. මේ හුම්මානේ ජාතියට හඩගා කියන පණිවුඩයක්ද ඇත්තේය. ගල් දෙබොක්කාවේ මුහුදු රල වැදෙමින් හඩ තලමින්, තල් කදක් සේ ජල කදක් අහස... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/02/10)

Opening a consulate - Tamil Tigers through the back door
Ben Silva
I am referring to the media report that India is to open a consulate in Jaffna. Indians are treated with respect and affection by most Sri Lankans. The Sinhalese are fully aware that their ancestors, religion, language, dress etc came from India.. However the destruction of the Sinhala civilisation is attributed to invasions from South India. We also must never, and I do mean never forget that India, trained, funded and supported the Tamil racist terrorists that caused massive death and destruction in Sri Lanka, which took over 30 years to neutralise. There is absolutely no threat... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/02/10)

Defeating Fonseka: The Final Blow for the LTTE
By Dr. Stephen Long, Los Angeles, California
My last article about Sri Lanka was entitled, “Is Sri Lanka Crazy Enough to Elect a Retired General as President?” Yesterday’s election answered that question with a resounding “No!” It actually answered a number of questions with a resounding “No!” Here are a few of those questions:  “Is Sri Lanka willing to elect someone as President who was a convicted rapist, serial womanizer, and alleged wife beater?” That’s what I like: a role model for the nation’s youth.  “Is Sri Lanka willing to elect someone as President who was a national hero... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/02/10)

President Rajapaksa arrives in Moscow
By Janaka Alahapperuma
President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived at Vinukoa International Airport in Moscow today (6th February) for three day official visit to Russian Federation. This afternoon President Rajapaksa will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the People’s Friendship University of Russian Federation (PFU), formally known as Patricia Lumumba University for his contribution for world peace and outstanding success against defeating terrorism. The PFU is celebrating its 50th Anniversary and to mark this special occasion it has been decided to award the Honorary Doctorate to the Sri Lankan President. After the award ceremony a special reception will be held at... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/02/10)

National Harmony in Sri Lanka - Catalysts and Solutions.
Ananda Ariyarathne
When Mr.Alagaratnam wakes up in the morning, he does not miss his tea made in the traditional manner it is normally made in Jaffna and his wife who was sharing the burdens in life together bringing up their children has not become changed simply because they have now been living in Colombo for quite some time. Being staunch Hindus, they have their lives strictly controlled by the traditional rites and customs. They have their own relations and friends in the same communities, but live in Colombo just like them. The friends they have among Singhalese and Muslims... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 05/02/10)

HRW: another report on Sri Lanka
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1 . Canada
Sri Lanka’s 62nd Independence Anniversary Brad Adams Executive Director    Human Rights Watch   350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor    New York, NY 101183299   US Dear Brad: I just read in Australian News that you guys had come out with another Report on Sri Lanka embarking on Round 17 of the fight with Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the squared circle in front of your building with several hundreds of people witnessing this fight.  Many of them were dark skinned Tamils I was told cheering you along to get bashed... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 05/02/10)

Your support for Pro-LTTE Mob in Federal Parliament!
Vajiragnana Warnakulasuriya Melbourne,
Dear Mr.Murphy Your support for Pro-LTTE Mob in Federal Parliament! You are parroting what the pro LTTE mob is propagating. You say Tamil community were discriminated and brutally oppressed, because the Britts did not pave the way to power share with the independence.  What you fail to see I, that during the period of independence, Britts saw the Tamil population was insignificant to make such a provision, besides the country had peace, harmony & unity, unlike here in Australia where initial settlers annihilated the indigenous population eliminating the issue totally.  It’s the missionary education in the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 05/02/10)

PRABAKARAN REBORN
Ranjit Wickremeratne
Dear readers it's not even one year passed since the brutal war was ended but we can see another Prabakaran in Sinhala dress was emerging on our soil and we need to be more careful than before because he is with the same kind of Sinhala terrorists like Tamil terrorists led by Prabakaran. You saw how we faced the 1971 uprising 40 years ago and how many innocent lives was taken by those terrorists who now talking about democracy like hypocrits. This gang now get together with the Sinhala Prabakaran and trying to take our land... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 05/02/10)

Russia will give $300 million arms loan to Sri Lanka
Moscow: Russia will give Sri Lanka a $300 million loan to buy arms and dual use equipment from it, an agreement regarding which will be inked during the upcoming visit of president Mahinda Rajapaksa, a top official said today.Rajapaksa is arriving in Moscow tomorrow, according to Kremlin. "Such agreement is being prepared for signing," deputy finance minister Dmitry Pankin said. President Dmitry Medvedev is scheduled to hold talks with his Sri Lankan counterpart on Monday. Rajapaksa will be on a three-day visit to attend the Golden Jubilee celebrations of his alma mater - Peoples Friendship University of Russia (PFU), till... -Full Story- (dnaindia.com - 05/02/10)

Rajapaksa vows to regain progress lost in war
KANDY: Sri Lanka’s newly re-elected president vowed on Thursday to regain the progress lost in a quarter-century war with the Tamil Tigers separatists by boosting the country’s economy and unifying its people. Speaking at Sri Lanka’s first independence day since the end of the civil war last year, Mahinda Rajapaksa also signalled that he would not accept any outside solutions imposed to solve the ethnic strife that sparked the war. Rajapaksa has won two major victories in the last year, the first coming in May when he led the nation to defeat the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and... -Full Story- (thepeninsulaqatar.com - 05/02/10)

Sri Lanka beats UK in hospital hi-tech use -free health service since 1934
Nadira GUNATILLEKE The Daily News
Sri Lankan State sector hospitals use more modern hi-tech medical equipment than in the United Kingdom. This number is 80,000. Only 61,000 modern hi-tech medical equipment are used in hospitals in the UK, a survey conducted by the Bio Engineering Medical Unit of the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry revealed, a Ministry spokesman said. The spokesman said the survey was conducted on modern hi-tech medical equipment used in Sri Lankan State hospitals since 2005. Since President Mahinda Rajapaksa became the President, the State hospitals have been using 80,000 modern hi-tech medical equipment. The Sri Lankan... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 05/02/10)

EU to suspend Sri Lanka trading privileges over rights
(BRUSSELS) - EU nations have decided to suspend Sri Lanka's preferential trade status because of the island's human rights record and will make the formal move later this month, officials said Friday. "European ambassadors have taken the decision. The EU Commission's investigation showed Sri Lanka has not demonstrated that it has taken the steps that would allow it to retain or regain the GSP+ status," a European diplomat said. The European Union's Generalised System of Preferences Plus (GPS+) scheme gives 16 poor nations preferential access to the trading bloc in return for following strict commitments on a wide variety of... -Full Story- (eubusiness.com - 05/02/10)

Time to heal divisions, Obama tells Rajapaksa
Sutirtho Patranobis, Hindustan Times
US President Barak Obama has urged newly re-elected President Mahinda Rajapaksa to lead Sri Lanka towards national reconciliation in the post-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) era and heal the divisions created by conflict. The reconciliation, Obama added, should have the essential elements of respect for human rights and rule of law. In a congratulatory message to Rajapaksa on the 62nd anniversary of independence, Obama said for the first time on over a generation, Sri Lanka was not under the shadow of terrorism.... -Full Story- (Hindustan Times - 05/02/10)

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