Ajith Siriwardana Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Wickremesinghe observed the damaged property in Kengalla and Akurana and attended a special discussion of Kandy Defense Committee held at Kandy District Secretariat afterwards, Ada Derana correspondent reported.

Meanwhile, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya led a group of party leaders of all political parties in parliament representing all communities, religious leaders and people’s representatives in Kandy district to meet the people affected by the violence in the last few days.

The group met with the Buddhist Chief Prelates of Malwatta and Asgiri chapters and afterwards with the Muslim religious leaders at the main Mosques in the Kandy City. The group also met with the Hindu religious leaders and community leaders at the Central Provincial Governor’s office.

The group also held a special discussion with the security forces chiefs prior to visiting the affected towns to meet the people affected by the violence.

Meanwhile security forces have been further deployed in the Kandy Police Division as normalcy was returning fast after the unrest that was raging in Kandy recently. In addition to the police, the Police Special Task Force, the Army and the Navy have been deployed in the area to  ensure the safety of all civilians and property.

As Buddhists, we feel hurt & saddened at the manner mainstream media has been reporting on Sri Lanka. Every event is quickly turned into delivering headlines that specifically targets Buddhists & Buddhism and completely brainwashes the world against the majority populace in Sri Lanka. The owners, the paid journalists that carry the story, the editor who decides the headline & approves content are so hateful of Buddhists & Buddhism. Why? What have Buddhists or Buddhism done to them to be this vengeful with their pen? How can media be allowed to demonize a race & religion this way? When the Government & international bodies are clamping down on racism and going as far as to completely block social media, how fair is it for the print media to be allowed to publicly attack one party this way without an iota of evidence?

Take the headlines that have been relayed globally by mainstream media. Are these media fishing for catchy headlines to sell or are they truly serious about reporting truth & facts? We seriously have our doubts. Take each of the write ups and there is nothing factual except sensationalism which gets picked up by other media and after a few additional sensationalism is rotated as news once more. These are serious media ethic violations but then who can we raise objections with. It is apparent & clear that the global objective is to tarnish the image of Buddhists & Buddhism as Sri Lanka is geopolitically significant competition.

Reading below not a single would be able to grasp that the entire fracas arose from an isolated incident wherein 4 drunkards assaulted a truck driver for not allowing them to overtake him and the truck driver died after over 10 days in the intensive care.

It was secondary that the drunkards were all Muslim and the truck driver was a Sinhalese Buddhist. As everyone can see the drunkards did not drink because they were Muslim or the truck driver did not allow the drunkards to overtake him because he was Sinhala Buddhist! If Police had immediately arrested and charged the men with attack and murder and publicly stated this, there would have been no room for any mischief by any party.

Globe and Mail – Buddhist mobs sweep through Sri Lanka’s Muslim neighbourhoods

https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/buddhist-mobs-sweep-through-sri-lankas-muslim-neighbourhoods/article38247030/

The writer Bharatha Mallawarchi makes a sweeping statement alleging that the mobs were Buddhist. How can he ascertain this? Did they wear t-shirts carrying ‘I am Buddhist’?

Reuters – Buddhist mobs target Sri Lanka’s Muslims despite state of emergency

By Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilalt – the article has nothing whatsoever about the incident & is plugging various other past news with the obvious objective of declaring Buddhists as guilty.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sri-lanka-clashes/buddhist-mobs-target-sri-lankas-muslims-despite-state-of-emergency-idUSKCN1GJ0TJ

BBC – Sri Lanka struggles to curb Buddhist riots

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43305453

Times of India – Buddhist mobs target Sri Lanka’s Muslims despite curfew https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/buddhist-mobs-target-sri-lankas-muslims-despite-state-of-emergency/articleshow/63200233.cms

Let it be reiterated that the people of the area, the victims who had their houses & properties destroyed and attacked are in unison to say that it was a pre-planned attack and they have openly pointed fingers at the Government & the police for inaction. Please listen to this Muslim cleric (in civilian clothing) He does not make one reference or accuse Sinhala Buddhists of being the attackers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVPUF52oJkk

Let us also remind the world and media in particular that not one war has been waged by Buddhists on behalf of Buddhism which cannot be said of either Christianity & Islam. History is witness to how both these religions have waged wars in the name of their religion.

Let us also remind the world that Buddhism spread to Persia & Far East with millions of people embracing the teachings of Buddha not because a sword, missionaries or coercive tactics were used but purely because people found sense in the teachings and Buddhism could be scientifically proved. There were no requirement to indulge in myths, fairytales, mandatory rules & regulations and anyone could question and seek answers. Are these the factors that threatens others? Is this why a global campaign is out to denigrate Buddha’s teachings and ridicule the followers? We are also alert to how a subtle campaign is out to hijack Buddhas core teachings and repackage as being non-Buddhist. Mindfulness is one such attempt we notice is being promoted without any acknowledgement to Buddha. We really want to know why there is such a well-funded campaign lying in wait to use media to make sweeping generalizations and corner Buddhists into not defending their religion.

The plan may work with a lot of people but we would like to play straight and ask directly what it is that the anti-Buddhist and anti-Buddhism lobby find so hateful?

Whether it is the global media or even local media great pains are taken to pinpoint every blame to Sinhalese Buddhists. The 1964 Press Commission Report will reveal how media has been playing politics with communication. The unabashed lengths media owners, the editors and the journalists go to is shocking when extracts of this report is read. These are no exaggerations and come with examples and proof. A content analysis of present media outlets and the editorials and journalists will further reveal that the malady has not changed.

Press Commission Report 1964 – Some extracts https://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2014/05/04/the-press-commission-report-1964-some-extracts-and-a-brief-commentary/

Denigration of Buddhism by Sri Lanka’s Mass Media – Commission of Inquiry urgently needed – https://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2017/06/30/denigration-of-buddhism-by-sri-lankas-mass-media-commission-of-inquiry-urgently-needed/

Press Complaints Commission – Buddhism bashing in newspapers in Sri Lanka https://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2014/06/24/press-complaints-commission-buddhism-bashing-in-newspapers-in-sri-lanka/

Sri Lanka needs a national media commission to steer journalistic ethics https://www.onlanka.com/news/sri-lanka-needs-a-national-media-commission-to-steer-journalistic-ethics.html

Is Sri Lanka’s Media promoting peace – https://www.onlanka.com/news/is-sri-lankas-media-promoting-peace.html

These are all violations of the Code of Professional Practice (Code of Ethics) of The Editors Guild of Sri Lanka and Free Media Movement adopted by the Sri Lanka Press Institute.

https://samsn.ifj.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Sri-Lanka-Code-of-Ethics.pdf

• 1 The media must take all reasonable care to report news and pictures accurately and without distortion.
• 3 A journalist shall not knowingly or wilfully promote communal or religious discord or violence.

Why is everyone against Sinhalese Buddhists – the West hates them because the West needs to use the minority tag to advance their agendas for which Tamils have been useful for 3 decades and now with the West’s pivot to Asia both Sri Lanka & Myanmar are being targeted with Islamic fundamentalists with media going on a crying campaign about Rohingyas without ascertaining the true facts on where Rohingyas actually belong to and not asking why these Muslim refugees are not taken in by Muslim majority countries, India hates Sinhala Buddhists because Tamils are key to advancing their agendas but none of the minorities seem to realize that all these external ‘friends’ are simply using the minorities to advance their own agendas.

It is only when the majority feel safe that they have the strength to protect the minorities. This is why all external forces are out to weaken the majority. In weakening the majority the foundation of the country is affected. We all know that none can rely on politicians and it is the politicians that have brought great damage to the nation with their irresponsible and power-hungry governance. The minorities of Sri Lanka bear witness to how the Sinhalese have protected them. King Senarath sent his envoy Attapattu to the North to fight the Portuguese and sacrificed his life in defending the land, the same King gave refuge to the Muslims who were being hounded & killed by both Portuguese & the Dutch. The present Muslims in Kandy are sons & daughters of those Muslims the Sinhala king helped resettle saving them from death & danger. In every riot that has had government backing it was the Sinhalese who provided safe haven, food and protection to the minorities July 1983 is one such example of many. Can the minorities please come out and admit this without allowing the media & vested parties to get away with their lies.

It is commended that many Muslims at least have realized the larger plan and the bigger picture. Perhaps it is one reason why social media was blocked. While social media allows free and unrestricted expression of opinion, it also enables people to counter lies and falsehoods which is not possible on print media for even right of replies are rarely entertained if it means a Sinhala Buddhist is trying to get the true story across. Even poya day supplements are now being used to contest the teachings of Buddha by non-Buddhist writers while a bevy of non-Buddhist regular writers are given columns to write what they like against Buddhists and there is no room for response. Now even the state print media is being used to convey the message by so-called historians who are indirectly asking all minorities to gang up against the Sinhala Buddhists!

http://www.dailynews.lk/2018/02/26/features/143898/cycles-history

There’s a political space that’s been left empty. The UNP has taken advantage of this, to a point. Let’s look at the mathematics of it: if you get the Sinhalese Christians, the Muslims, and the Tamils together”

When these truths are told openly and bravely, the response is to get some pseudo Sinhalese to call the messenger all sorts of names – racist, fundamentalist, extremist are generally terms that are thrashed across media to bury the message and prevent anyone from reading and understanding the message. This tactic has worked in the past but people are now waking up and realizing the truth. They are not suckers for lies any more. Anyone is welcome to tag people by name calling but they must come out and challenge where and which line racism prevails instead of indulging in a maligning campaign simply to hide the truth from the readers.

The public is advised to verify print media reports without accepting every story on print. Media is paid to only report not to claim to be the sole witness, judge, jury & executioner.

Shenali D Waduge

Sarath Wijesinghe – former Ambassador to UAE and Israel

Law and Order

Law and order of a nation is paramount for the citizens live in peace and harmony in the complex society. State and religions have provided for the legal implementation of the laws and morality by religions in a developed society. Any country Rule of Law should prevail with supremacy of law which is fair and reasonable and equal to before law to all citizens, provided by the supreme law of the country namely the constitution which is considered to be supreme created by the constitution which is the supreme document through which all subsidiary law is derived from. Citizens are subjects, subject to law and order which is reasonable and supreme monitored by the Independent Judiciary independent from political or any other interference or influence. Law and Order is enforced by the security forces appointed by the State elected by free and fair elections held periodically. In this ideal situation there is no room for the breakdown of law and order if the system runs smoothly with no briery corruption or nepotism. How long and to what extent this idealism is applied to the citizen is the moot issue today with conflicts around due to miss readings and misunderstandings by gossip and media.

Break down of Law and Order

Sadly in Sri Lanka there is a severe break down of law and order today countrywide in the pretext of various faces, such as communal hatred, drug menace, organized and sporadic crimes and motor and other accidents and many manmade disasters such is deforestation, sand mining and environmental disasters, in which the recent riots and commotions in Tambutthagama Water”, Ampara,” and Digana”, and many have emerged as most recent suppressed by police with the assistance by some civilians appear to be trained in such situations. Root courses of these unfortunate incidents are complex and varied which is the duty of the governance and sociologists to explore, and to find permanent solutions. Clamping down and keep the incidents under control is the duty of the security forces and the political authority expected to act with extreme care and vision when the situation is in the state of ignition due to disappointments, economic deprivations due to cost of living, loss of hopes, gossip, misreporting and no reporting of the news with spread of information fast with over 22 million mobile phones and strong network of social media and gossip network. Now that the social media is blocked and controlled leaving room for Gossip to spread faster via mobile networks not necessarily via social media. Covering the actual facts under the carpet will raise suspicions and leave room for gossip mongers to spread juicy stories via easily accessible social media in hand prioritized over other needs today. What has happened in Digana” is inaction and not taking prompt steps to an isolated incident of attack by some Muslim youth under influence of liquor resulting death of a Sinhala lorry driver not based on racial hatred at all

which is an undisciplined act of some ruthless group of Sri Lankan youth, exploded out of proportion due to lack on publicly to the citizen on the correct situation and inability of the police and the Ministry of Law and order expected to have taken prompt and immediate steps to clamp it with least effort and tact. Nobody was responsible and there appear to be no leadership and promptness in immediate steps on such explosive unforeseen incidents with potential to explode out of proportion. Moving Sagala out ,was an unwise move, as he had proved himself to be a person capable of handling such a situation though a novice to the ministerial portfolio.

Government and Governance /Sagala – Fonseka factors/ and appointment of Madduma Bandara

Appointment of Madduma Bandara appears to be on the right direction and a good choice satisfying all the parties. He is a balanced and accepted personality temperamentally suited for the position and it is the duty of all parties to help him at this decisive juncture to clear the mess. Elected government is expected to govern the nation with a policy and vision giving confidence to the people for safety for life, livelihood, free from bribery corruption, nepotism, without disappointing the citizen voted the government on trust to be trustees for a given time. If the trust is lost the contract ends and the citizen will start revolting for justice fail play and equality on justice. Efficient and honest administrative mechanism is a pre requisite to maintain the trust thrust on the elected representatives during the course of governance. Though inefficient, the governance is elected by the people for a given period and the best use of the available resources should have been used in selecting the Leaders of the government. In that respect Sagala Ratnayaka has been a good choice for the position of the Minister of law and Order who performed reasonably well and the reluctance of other members of the parliament for the appointment indicates of the choice as the best out of the lot. Non appointment of Sarath Fonseka probably a narrow escape to avoid blood bath and a major disaster as he would not have been in a position to deliver goods due to his ruthlessness and tactlessness with lack of facilities with only police department under the ministry compelling him to use his ministry portfolio and the high position/designation as a field Marched supposed to be a powerful position in compares with the international accepted norms of such positions worldwide. Ministry of Law and order was set up on recommendations by the LLRC with the police department under the Ministry w sharing the power with Ministry of Justice and Defense complementing the same/similar duties in maintains law and order of the country which is the main task of an elected government. Sagala did a reasonable good job and his departure is a grave mistake as had he been the line minister during riots the unfortunate situation should have been probably avoided. Apart from being a ruthless army commander aimed at meeting targets given by the political leadership to end the war which has lasted nearly thirty years in which SF has been in active service over three decades, it is not clear how a person of his experience will be able to handle and give leadership to such a sensitive, complicated, difficult, and people friendly organization the world is watching through the international law and political microscopic eye.

Break down of law and order

Threat break of law and order continues with no solution and the steps taken place to clamp down appear to escalate situation and complicated issues. Though the immediate reaction of any prudent government is to impose emergency rule, whether is it the best solution is to be decided considering the corruption of the system and the police forces against whom there have been continuous protests taking law into the hands of the citizen, and the ruthless and in fortunate incidents taken

place durian g emergency rules in Sri Lanka, India and the Asian/African countries indicate dangers of emergency rule over the solution to the issue .Will ban on FB and social media will be a solution or acceleration of events is yet to experience with the gossip mongers with 23 million mobile phones and dense internet users in the country giving priority to political discussions priority compare to other countries. Therefore every step taken should be well thought and well calculated

Way forward for a peaceful resolution to end the unfortunate situation in this blessed land of blessed people

People of Sri Lanka is blessed with finest whether, climatic condition, beautiful scenery and natural resources to be a best tourist destination, religious tolerance, cultural diversity, educated and intelligent citizens with highest proportion of education amidst unfortunate events that takes place due to bad governance and lack of proper leadership. Experience has shown us that we need an iron fist governance with a human face, akin to Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia or Israel adopted to us with democratic and cultural values with a visionary leader/leadership with a stranger and vision with Sri Lanka friendly foreign/economic and other policies free from corruption bribery and nepotism are ideal conditions wished by the citizen expected to choose the governance to manage the country for a limited period on trust as trustees. Sri Lankans are adopted to be tolerant and tendencies of sharing and looking after each other. It is a fact that racism is less in Sri Lanka compared to UK, EU. West and East which is a fact known to those explored the inner world of the world citizen. Sri Lankans are inherently kind and considerate pressured on economic and political deprivations due to mismanagement of the poor and economy by successive governments. It is the duty of all sectors of the society to resolve to work together to make this blessed island great with unity and hard work with a proper leadership. When Muslims arrived as traders Sri Lankan kings gave them shelter and freedom to enjoy personal life and religion and saved them from other colonial invaders. Tamils and Snhalese are united on religious beliefs and practices on the belief and practices of religions. In Colombo the majority race is Muslims with Tamils second and Sinhalese the majority race last indicating the co-existence and religious/ cultural harmony. Differences and disputes are common even in the same family and Sri Lankans have proved they are though tempered has the ability to forget and forgive soon to live together as brethren’s. Therefore it is the wish of every citizen to forge ahead to be true Sri Lankans in this blessed Island.

Author could be contacted on sarath7@hotmail.co.uk

Sarath Wijesinghe former Ambassador to UAE and Israel

Bribery and corruption is rampant

Bribery and corruption is rampant and all over like air and breathe. Development and reputation of the country depends on the impact of the corrupt regime and governance which has a direct impact of law and order and rule of law. There is no room for law and order with corrupt rule and rulers with bribery corruption and nepotism. Sri Lanka has ranked the 4^th position in the globe with law and orders ranked very much below, also ranked as a main Hub on drugs and drug peddling with daylight robberies and crimes increasing day by day. “President Sirisena” has launched war against Bribery and corruption by appointing three Ministers headed by the Health Minister who is inquired into by the on accusations and misuse of public funds in rent, shipping scams and other shady transections which are in the public domain. Incidentally Prime Minister who is alleged to be a main brainchild of Bond Scam by inviting and defending the main accused “Arjun Mahandran”, too have launched a vigorous campaign against bribery and corruption in the recent past by appointing a group to carry out the program under his personal supervision, despite programs by both President and the Prime Minister whilst Bribery and corruption is thriving countrywide as before. It is an open secret that the members of the executive and legislature is accused of direct and indirect bribery and corruption known to the citizen carrying on the criminal acts of bribery against the state without being investigated. Only few members of the government are inquired into for petty incidents when accusations amounting to millions and trillions on the ministers on the government are still shelved. Accusations against former President “Mahinda Rajapaksa” swindling and siphoning 18 billion dollars in Dubai complained by the Health Minister ” Rajitha Senaratna” is shelved with no inquiry or further proceedings. Allegations against the President on corruption and nepotism will emerge only after he relinquishes the post as he is currently protected by the immunity under the constitution. Bribery Commission should take notice of complaints via media and take immediate steps or exonerate the accused person to be fair by him. Bribery is an offence against the state punishable jointly under the bribery act and the penal code with a special procedure by a Commission appointed by the Constitutional Council and headed by a Director General a reputed and experienced lawyer also appointed by the President. Independence of the Commissioners, Director General and the staff is guaranteed and adequate facilities are given to conduct the inquiries with no fear and interference. Bribery act no 11 0f 1958/2 of 1965/7 of 65/38 of 79/1 of 75/9 of 88/19 of 1994/11 of 1954 and no 19 of 1994 will be amended soon again, which defines bribery as who offers any gratification to a public servant as an inducement or reward for a public servant for performing or abstaining for performing any official act or expediting or hindering or preventing the performance of any official act whether by that public servant or any other public servant or assisting favoring hindering or delaying any person in the transection of any business with the Government. With the limited staff and the resources it is not possible to net the countrywide bribe takers unless other methods such as Education, Name and Shame methods with the help of the media, recognizing and rewarding the complainants and the informants, appointment of dedicated officers in  the public sector, are few suggestions to be followed in the clamping process. But in the complicated economic regime of millions of transactionsit is hard to find millions of indirect/direct bribing in business transactions and government dealings adopting traditional methods of investigations.

Currently – a hot topic and seminars conducted

Because it is the current hot topic of the day two seminars were organized at Organization of Professionals on 15^th and 16^th – one on 15^th by Sri Lanka 2050 organized and moderated by the former Ambassador Sarath Wijesinghe, with speakers D E W Gunasekara- former Miister, Rusiripala Tennekoon, former BOC Chairman, Nanagananda Kodituwakku,  activist lawyer and Sham Nuwan Ganawatta  the  journalist who inaugurated his book on the title “Kawada Hora” – Who is the Thief in the bond Scam with the topic” Bond Scam and Corruption  and impact on the economy” ,and the other seminar on 16/2/2018 jointly organized by the BASL and OPA on the topic “Bribery and  Good Governance” addressed by Sarath jayamanna – Director General Bribery Commission, S C Mayadunna – a former Auditor General, and Yasantha Kodagoda Additional Solicitor General and Presidents Council. First seminar was lively while the second seminar was somewhat academic. The seminars indicated the interest and activism in the field of Bribery and corruption and deliberations were extremely useful on planning combating war on bribery and corruption and planning out short and long term strategies for eradication of the menace. There is news that the Commission will be given more powers to expand the jurisdiction, and to bring private sector under the Bribery Act  are moves on the right direction though the existing powers could be properly utilized if there a genuine need, desire and direct power without the influence of invisible forces acting with remote controls of the governance which has proven to be bitter past experiences as once Churchill state med “what worries is inaction and not necessarily active in the right direction” . Bond Scam responsible for the loss of billions of EPF, Bank, and public money took long time to expose those responsible in the toothless commission of inquiry which could have been easily dealt with the Bribery Commission on its own motion. We do not find fault of the Director General and the Commission as it is not our culture as in USA where the sitting President was rigorously interrogated by the special prosecutor, when in Sri Lanka prime Minister who invited Mahandran to Sri Lanka and defended him in the Parliament was soft peddled by giving few questions in advance contrary to the professional way the other witness were interrogated. Minister Duminda Dissanayaka and Minister Rajitha Senaratna are alleged to overspent millions on rental scams which are in the public domain which has not come to the purview of the Bribery Commission with many other scams in the public domains. Public will have trust and confidence on the Commission and will cooperate if proactive matters are taken place to bring the offenders to justice whilst catching sprats in small transactions.

Previous convictions of members of legislature

It is ironic that despite  the steps against  Bribery and Corruption no member of the legislature or Executive was convicted  is except during S W R D Bandaraneika’s  regime when “Monnakulama” “Marrikker” and few members  of the  parliament  were convicted as a result of the findings of “Talgodapitiya” Commission. Members of the Parliament were found guilty in India and many countries on charges of bribery and corruption, but in Sri Lanka despite the citizen’s knowledge and information on the public domain bribery is rampant from the top downwards. Activist lawyer N “Kodituwakku” has filed a case in the Supreme Court on misuse and corruption by all the members of the Parliament with a loss of 3 billion to the tax payer on tax free vehicles which is dragging on technical grounds without quick disposal which is the need of the hour to set an example to the culprits.

Complete eradication impossible but try to minimize the cancer

Eradication of bribery and corruption is impossible. The attempts should be to minimize and to introduce a bribery/corruption free culture in the society. Is it possible in the current political and economic situation of poverty struggle corruption with easy black money and disappearance of the values of the citizen cherished historically with religious and cultural bonds which now has diapering  fast. Director General “Sarath jayamanna “was comparing the situation in the west culturally anti Bribe trends to be followed in the Sri Lankan polite and citizen, which is an arduous task in the most corrupt society with free economy freedom for bribery absence of law and order opportunities for illegal deals drug crime and weak implementation of legal regime.

Director General and Way forward

Director General appear to be working hard within his mandate which is an impossible task to achieve alone, unless legal structure is

strengthened and new strategies adopted with honest dedicate and committed leadership whiter than white. If the leadership is corrupting inert the political situation inevitably is worsened with disability.” Dilrukshy de Silve” started the job with enthusiasm and funfair who was compelled to leave, when services of” Lacille Silva” was abruptly discontinued by a powerful invisible hand with a blow on the trend against bribery. Toothless commission was appointed on the bond scam to catch the thieves of the biggest robbery in Sri Lanka ever when the main culprit is free with others enjoying the fruits freely worldwide. Prime Minister who invited controversial “Arjun Mahandran” to Sri Lanka  and defended him in the parliament was soft peddled at the commission with prearranged few questions reminding us of how Clinton was interrogated by the special prosecutor whilst he was still the powerful President – the most powerful person on the planet!. Law and Order, Rule of Law and Equality Before Law should be rigorously implemented to clamp down bribery and corruption!. Author Sarath Wjesinghe could be contacted on sarath7@hotmail.co.uk

Is this the key man who mastermind  Anti-Muslim Violence In Kandy or a man who exposed Muslim exapnsionism ?

මහනුවර මුස්ලිම් “රෝයල්” ෆාමසියේ හොර බෙහෙත් අල්ලලා -Amith Weerasinghe Kandy Royal Muslim pharmacy

https://youtu.be/oT0u0zPnx_s

ජාතික සංවිධාන තහනම් කල යුතුද

Ruwan M. Jayatunge and Mieczyslaw Pokorski

Dr. Mareena Thaha Reffai, Dehiwela

 While watching the videos of the riots in our country within the last one week, I was absolutely devastated. Not only because of the destruction caused to the innocent poor people’s property and homes, but more so watching the youth who were causing these.

I am also a mother. It makes me wonder what the mothers of these rioting Sinhalese youths will be thinking if they actually saw the videos. Are they going to be proud? Would they condone the actions? Would they  applaud them? Certainly not.

What are the Buddhist leaders thinking when they watch these? Are they proud of the youth society they are producing? I’m sure certainly not.

There’s something very sinister going on in our country. What makes the youth – hardly out of school – most of them appear to be within  18 to 25 years of age. how can a gang of such children cause  the vandalism we see  so clearly in the videos? I saw a video where about 10 of them stealing and setting fire to a shop. Another about a gang of about 25 roaming the roads armed with poles and picking up large stones and throwing at windows and CCTV. What struck me was – isn’t there a single son of our soil in this crowd  who stops to think – Hey! This is not right! We are supposed to be Buddhists. Buddhism does not teach this?

I know herd mentality can set the crowd reaction – but that is usually on actions done at the spur of the moment, with anger or rage. But this looks perfectly  pre medicated and everyone of them seems to be enjoying it. They don’t seem to have an iota of Buddhist sense – the religion of peace, selflessness, kindness in them.

How did this happen? What motivated them?  Was it a promise of money? Or a hatred for fellow human beings? Jealousy of other people’s apparent success? Fear of being overcome in number – surely!

I am sorry to say this – but I think the Buddhist clergy – not the ones parading in robes but have no idea of true Buddhism, but – the ones with correct knowledge, the ones with correct Buddhist attitude  and the ones who are in authoritative positions of guiding the society, has to shoulder the whole blame. If these youth have been given the simple teachings of Buddhism in their prime, they would have developed a conscience. They would have known that thanhawa – greed for worldly things is alien to Buddhism. They would have felt it in their bones that this action is wrong, wrong, wrong. All, about 1000 of them or more,  for days continuing to cause havoc with no sense of remorse? Something is seriously wrong.

Having so many poya holidays and banning meat and alcohol on these poya  days alone does not obviously imprint Buddhist principles in the young minds. These youths probably never attend any banas. This has to change.   From childhood they must be inculcated with the correct moral codes of human life. Whose responsibility is that?

Where would these youngsters end up? What does the future hold for them? What sort of society that Srilanka is nurturing? How many thousands more with this mind set are out there?

It’s time someone gave serious thought to this matter.

Sent by:

Dr. Mareena Thaha Reffai,

 Dehiwela

By Palitha Ariyarathna

When travel around when talks with many people’s I came to know that many of tourist around the world believe that srilanka provide sleazy sex for tourist.

Dr. Mareena Thaha Reffai, Dehiwela

The week that went by has been a severe trial for the Srilankan Muslims.  Needless to elaborate, a small incidence was falsely  blown out of proportion and riots erupted in an unexpected way which definitely points to the fact that this was a well- pre planned, well-orchestrated attack on Muslims in a systematic way. It definitely was not an ad hoc uncontrolled angry mob  reaction to the incidence.

Actually two incidences are related to the riot. The first one, where the kothu rotti shop owner is accused of mixing fertility control tablets for the males (!) in the kothu is, if not for the tragedy it brought about, is very comical. Comi –tragedy indeed.   To think  not even   one single person of the 500 youth who went massacring innocent civilians, absolutely  unrelated to the incidence,  did not stop to verify whether such a thing is even possible,   is mindboggling. Our Srilankan youth are not that stupid. No, they were already programmed to attack, irrespective of a cause, is the only conclusion one can arrive at.

What followed was nightmare for the Muslims in the whole island. But how the Sinhalese reacted – albeit a little late –  is heart warming. Generally the Sinhalese condemned the attack but were not expressing the protest openly. However from day one, there were bhikkus who actively, bravely protected the Muslims in some areas. The civilians held protest meetings. By and by, some of the Bhikkhus, famous cricketers and other personalities spoke up on cameras and the videos went viral. While there was a real threat of attack on Friday during the Jumu’a prayers, it was heart warming that monks and Sinhalese youth stood vigilant protecting the Muslims.  Sinhalese youth who comprises the  majority in the law enforcing groups performed their duty well.  JVP performed a silent protest against ethnic violence.

So, Srilankans are humans – excellent humans. They have not forgotten the war torn days. Common sense prevailed and people came forward to respond.  It warms the cockles of our heart that after all humanity is not dead, karunawa is not dead, Buddhist principles are not dead in our blessed country. This is the beginning of mutual protection of different ethnic groups, different religious people and different language speaking citizens  in our country. This will set the precedence. If ever there is another incidence – may Allah forbid – next time people will be quicker to respond. Quicker to rise to the occasion to express resistance and act against  civic violence.

Long live Srilanka! Long live Srilankan brotehrhood!

Sent by:

Dr. Mareena Thaha Reffai,

 Dehiwela

https://youtu.be/h6G7dNbbw6k?list=PLsEZuHCCZRkz4vyGYByl0reEZpxyKm6E1

By Lucien Rajakarunanayake Courtesy The Island

March 10, 2018, 12:05 pm

The violent clashes in the Kandy District come more than three years after the election of a government that said much about peacebuilding, accountability, and reconciliation. In fact, reconciliation was the keyword in the Yahapalanaya or good governance propaganda. But what do we have of reconciliation today?

We are caught in a wave of extremism, largely Sinhala Buddhist, as well as Tamil and Muslim, which contributes to a system of continued confrontation in politics and the wider areas of society. A land that saw the vast tragedy of Black July in 1983, and moved on to a 30-year war against the forces of terror, moved on both sides by the impact of communal differences, is now fooling itself about the myth of reconciliation, which no political leader has any commitment to.

The end of the war against the terrorism of the LTTE in May 2009 was a great opportunity for those who gave the political leadership for that defeat and victory, to think in terms of genuine peacebuilding and reconciliation. But, that was not the reality. The end of that war was seen as the victory of the Sinhalese – more particularly, Sinhala-Buddhists, and the losers saw it as the defeat of the Tamils. The victors were happy singing paeans about the glories of victory, saw the opportunities for the restoration of a feudal monarchy, and ignored the many recommendations by its own lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) on the building of genuine peace and harmony, true reconciliation in the country.

Military parades celebrated the anniversary of victory with hardly any action taken to build the true foundations for peace, understanding, and reconciliation.

It did not take very long for an ethno-religious confrontation to take place in the South, at Aluthnuwara, where the communal differences had been building up over the years, on the halal controversy, and rising voices of hatred directed at the Muslim community by the forces of disunity. The forces ready to wrongfully use the message of Buddhism, into a message of ethnic dominance, and bring about violent clashes that were the new low water mark in communal relations. And the leadership for this did come from those who paraded as the defenders of Sinhala-Buddhism, with the larger echo of Buddhism. The Bodu Bala Sena – the Buddhist Power Army; so much for its relevance to the core values of Buddhism – tolerance and understanding.

We did have Gintota a few months ago, and more recently there was Ampara. The perceived enemy is the same. At Ampara, it was the threat of sterilization pills that could prevent reproduction among the Sinhala-Buddhist majority, to benefit a minority. This story is not new; it has spread over some years. There are people who ask friends not to eat chocolates from the Middle East, which would make them sterile! That is the bunkum of those against national unity, and for a majoritarian rule.

And now it is Kandy and its environs, where there are many areas with large Muslim populations, coming down from the days of the Kandyan kings, and very much part of the Kandyan community for centuries. But, such history, including Muslims with Sinhala ’gey’ or family names, is of no value to those who spread ethno-religious hatred today, and will encourage violence for their cause.

But, what of reconciliation today? The past three years have seen both leaders of the government – President and Prime Minister – move away from the core values of reconciliation. It is significant that the violence in Kandy takes place as the UNHRC is meeting in Geneva, where Sri Lanka’s record of reconciliation and accountability would be seriously considered. Having co-sponsored a resolution that has key factors of reconciliation included, they have both moved away from that resolution, and its various clauses that can cause political problems here; whether it is foreign judges and aspects of ‘war crimes’ by members of the security forces. What we hear so often is a denial of questionable clauses in the co-sponsored resolution, or the inability to enforce them. It is never a rejection of the Resolution.

This is the farce of reconciliation. The absence of guts or political strength and commitment to stand by what this county co-sponsored or declare that we do not accept that anymore. It is shameless to say they were not aware of the contents of the resolution. That is the humbug the country and people are treated to every day. It is the very mockery of reconciliation, and the impact of such mockery is seen in the violence in Kandy and its outskirts. The mockery of not having the strength to work towards genuine national unity, with the promised reconciliation; it is the rejection of the promises the two leaders of the Common Candidate campaign gave to the people.

But it is time for those who have made a farce of reconciliation to look at the trend of popular feelings in democracies abroad. Populism is on the rise. We have seen it with the rise of Donald Trump in the USA. Of the huge rise of the extreme right-wing Alternate for Deutschland in Germany, and now the huge rise in populism in Italy, against immigration and the socialist and left-wing thinking.

It is good to realize the rise of populism here too, with the huge electoral success of the SLPP.

That rise was certainly caused by the failure to pursue reconciliation in Sri Lanka, and the overall moves to fool the people about the pledges given about the fight against corruption and building communal harmony.

The events in Kandy show that communal harmony will take many more years, and will need a much better political leadership than we have in any party or colour today. We must be aware of the political leaders, with hopes for tomorrow, who say the crisis today is due to attempts to alter our constitution, to bring in federalism and alter the position of Buddhism in the Constitution.

Is it not time to have a more serious look at our Constitution, and whether the place that Buddhism has in it, is in any way practiced in the aspects of communal understanding or trust building. Is genuine reconciliation against Buddhism?

Courtesy The Island

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) yesterday called for a Presidential intervention to halt the outsourcing of the laundry in government hospitals to an Indian Company.

GMOA Secretary Dr Haritha Aluthge warned that all health service trade unions would unite in fighting against such projects.

Dr. Aluthge said the parties involved in washing hospital linen had been registered with and certified by the Health Ministry after calling for tenders. They were experienced and met the required standards. Some Sri Lankan politicians acted as agents of foreign countries. They were responsible for selling government institutions and services to foreign companies, Dr. Aluthge said.

He added the Government Hospital Washermen’s Union said up to date they had not received a complaint that Beira Lake waster was used for washing hospital linen.

The GMOA Ex-co member said that the Minister’s comment regarding the use of clean water had created a dilemma for the GMOA for it was yet to figure out as to whether this clean water was to be brought from India or whether linen was to be sent to India to be washed and brought back to Sri Lanka.

Dr. Aluthge said that the GMOA had warned that the Economic and Technology Corporation Agreement (ETCA) would threaten the services and professions in Sri Lanka. Now, it was obvious that not even small enterprises and family trade would be safe with it.

Thilanka Kanakarathna Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Though some ministers blamed the police for their failure to control the prevailing tense situation, the Police is also part of the government, former President and MP Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday.

Speaking to journalists at his residence in Mirihana, Mr Rajapaksa said that the government should be held responsible for the events that take place in the country.

This shows the Government’s inability. It has failed to control the riots,” he said.

He said during his tenure, order and proper system were in place and did not allow incidents to spill out of control.

Since there is no order in the present government, there is no one to take responsibility, he added.

Ajith Siriwardana Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Joint opposition MP Gamini Lokuge said yesterday the recent communal clashes could have been prevented if the government had obtained the services of the intelligence agencies.

He told parliament that the government had imprisoned or interdicted most of the officials of these services over various allegations.

“Several capable officers of the intelligence services are in prison now. If the government had obtained their services, incidents like this would not have happened,” the MP said and added that these officials had contributed immensely on security matters during the war.

“These services update the government of impending situations. But the government disregarded their services and remanded or interdicted them for political reasons,” he said and pointed out that the government should act with responsibility and put aside political victimization.

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Courtesy Ceylon Today

Three years ago, on the 4 March 2015, Dr. Buddhadasa Bodhinayake had to answer the inevitable call from above, at the age of 75, in London. This tribute is, therefore, devoted to this great personality (an old boy of Ananda College), on his third death anniversary, for the great service he rendered to humanity as a prominent paediatrician attached to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children in Colombo, as well as bolstering his career up to emeritus status at retirement, in the field of psychiatry, attached to the UK’s National Health Service.

Born in Bentota, to parents who were both teachers in a suburban school, Buddhadasa Bodhinayake succeeded as an exceptional scholar, from the time he joined the Ananda College, Colombo, and reached the peak in his career (medicine) to become a man of the world! His school record, as President of the Literary Union (both English and Sinhala), within a single academic year, still remains intact. He bagged the junior, senior, and open college oratorical championships in school, and shone as the only Anandian to win five all-island oratorical championships, plus a Gold Medal from the United Nations.

As an undergraduate, ‘Bodhi’ fought against university sadistic practices of ragging by senior students, who traumatized new comers, both physically and mentally, and formed the first Sinhala Student Union called Tri Sinhala Sanvidhanaya, under the aegis of the late Ven. Baddegama Wimalawansa Thera, Ode’ Temple, Maradana.

Upon graduating from the Faculty of Medicine, Colombo, in 1969, he underwent his internship at the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital, under the supervision of the late Dr. P.R. Anthonis, the Founder President of Ceylon College of Surgeons, and the eminent paediatrician, Prof. M.H. Hamza.

The young doctor Bodhinayake suddenly suffered from hepatitis that forced him to go on Medical-leave. However, upon his recovery from the illness, ‘an inadvertent administrative bungling’ at the Medical Council, compelled the President of the Medical Council to request him to repeat his internship, which he rejected. This trivial matter was allowed to blow out of proportion and became a public issue, ending up in the National Newspapers (Daily News). Dr. Anthonis and Prof. Hamza, having gathered the injustice meted out to this newly qualified medical doctor buttressed Bodhi’s stance; the late Dr. R.B. Lenora consented to assist him financially, and S. Nadesan, QC, offered free legal advice, should the case continued up to High Court status. Nevertheless, the President of the Medical Council stuck to his guns by referring to a Government Circular. The young Bodhinayake responded to the uncompromising act by leaving the President’s office stating: “I would rather distribute newspapers from the Colombo pavement than repeating his internship again”.

Sinhala Youth Organization

This incident tempted young Bodhinayake to get involved in backstage politics, thus forgetting medicine momentarily. The birth of the Sinhala Youth Organization (SYO) was the result of such dramatics, with the cooperation and assistance extended to him by the late Dr. Seevali Ratwatte, Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera, and few other individuals in 1970. The idea of the Organization was to set up a campaign to topple the existing government, and to get Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, elected as Prime Minister in a new Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) government.

When Dr. Seevali Ratwatte introduced Buddhadasa Bodhinayake to his sister, Mrs. Bandaranaike, she asked him a direct question whether Bodhi could galvanize the youth into action, as there was only a breathing space left before the general elections. With an affirmative answer, young Bodhi immediately went into action and sought support from the national newspapers, numerous Buddhist monks, and several other Sinhala Organizations to execute an effective campaign, out of the newly formed socio-political wing of the SLFP, SYO. The Sinhala Youth Organization appointed Dr. Seevali Ratwatte as the President, while Nimal Siripala De Silva and Elle Gunawansa Thera became founding members of the organization.

When Mrs. Bandaranaike became victorious at the 1970 elections, she consulted Buddhadasa Bodhinayake and offered ‘whatever position he desired’ in her new Government. Everyone expected that he would consent to be the new Minister of Health, but Bodhinayake wanted only one thing from Mrs. Bandaranaike – to get his internship regularized. The Minister of Health, W.P.G. Ariyadasa, immediately attended to it with the blessings of Mrs. Bandaranaike and advice and guidance from the Attorney General.

Dr. Bodhinayake continued his medical practice to become one of the most popular Paediatricians in the country. As a young Paediatrician he became interested in Anorexia Nervosa, and ended up publishing his first book in Sinhala, after an intensive research, on the psychology of children titled Daruwage Heti Therum Ganna (understand your child). He also published several papers on Anorexia Nervosa and Adolescent Medicine in Sri Lanka, between 1975 and 1980 (UNESCO Publications). All these helped
Dr. Bodhinayake to Chair the first UNESCO International Symposium on Health in Paris and to act as Chairman of the State Advisory Board on Scientific literature. He became the youngest Asian to win a UNESCO award in 1966 based on original scientific writing. He also launched and published the first ‘Science Magazine’ called ‘Vidya’ that lasted for 25 long years.

National Advisory Committee

At the end to the JVP insurrection, Mrs. Bandaranaike appointed a three-member National Advisory Board, which included Dr. Bodhinayake, A.J. Rajasooriya, the Head of the CID, and another official, to deal with the young rebels who were in remand custody.

A popular broadcaster Karunaratne Abeysekara afforded Bodhi to enter the broadcasting arena through his popular children’s programme, Lama Mandapaya. This experience helped him to record over one thousand broadcasts on radio and TV over a period of 25 years. Despite many claims about the ball-by-ball cricket commentary in Sinhala, by various journalists, Buddhadasa Bodhinayake held the record as the first-ever broadcaster to experiment this task from the Oval Cricket Grounds, during Ronnie De Mel’s tenure as the Director General of Broadcasting. E.R. Erathne at the Official Language Department helped Bodhinayake in the use of appropriate Sinhala words in his live cricket commentary.

Dr. Buddhadasa Bodhinayake and eminent science fiction writer, Sir Arthur C. Clarke, were buddies in Sri Lanka. The duo jointly authored the first book on space in 1961, titled Oba Vennek Handata Yai (someone like you will go to the Moon). Subsequently, Sir Arthur persuaded Bodhi to immigrate to the UK and encouraged him by offering his (Sir Arthur’s) house in North London for the family’s accommodation. As Sir Arthur Clarke had decided to live in Sri Lanka, his brother, the late Fred Clarke, was entrusted to look after the Bodhinayakes. Finally, Bodhinayake family became the proud owners of Sir Arthur C. Clarke’s house at Nightingale Road, North London N22.

In the UK

In the UK, Bodhi was extremely fortunate to have been chosen as a trainee at The Royal Free-University College-Friend rotation as he landed in London, where there was a Royal Free Anorexia Nervosa Unit. Within a year, he was promoted as a Registrar, and later became a Senior Registrar at St. Bartholomew’s North Middlesex, Hospital, and Worley Rotation.

Branching out to Psychiatry, Buddhadasa Bodhinayake became the Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Tutor to mould postgraduates at Barking & Bentwood Hospital and conducted, in excess of nine annual symposia; trained more than 120 postgraduates during a period of 12 years. Finally, he was appointed a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 1990.

On his pre-retirement, due to ill health, he was conferred the Emeritus Status by the North East London Mental Health Trust. Dr. Buddhadasa Bodhinayake has gone on record as the only Sri Lankan to serve on the Editorial Board of the recognized International Review of Hospital Medicine, which has been the primary periodical journal for hospital-based medicine for decades.

The writer was a close friend of Dr. Buddhadasa Bodhinayake in London. During one of our intellectual conversations, Bodhi explained to the writer how he made reference to and practised meditation in his psychiatric lectures, as a therapy for over 20 years in the UK successfully. Being an ardent Buddhist, he firmly believed in the theory that concentration of the mind was always beneficial to an individual.

At first, however, the term ‘meditation’ in psychiatry managed to raise some eyebrows amongst the senior medical professors in the NHS. Some even took it as a pun for discussion, because even eminent psychiatrists were made to disbelieve so, and meditation was regarded as an alien topic in the Western medical mindsets. Ostensibly, it has now become acceptable with more and more applications coming out to the world in the medical press about the advantages of meditation.

His alma mater, Ananda College, offered him the opportunity to visit the College again, with an invitation to be the Guest of Honour at the Ananda College Prize Giving in 1993. That was regarded as an opportunity, on the part of the Ananda College, to uphold and recognize this old boy, in the presence of an audience of 2000, consisting students, teachers and guests. Up to the end of his lifetime that recollection remained in his memory as the biggest achievement in his life.

By Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha Courtesy Ceylon Today

Evans did not respond to my letter as he promised. When I met him a year later in Geneva and asked him about this, he said he thought he had replied, but then confessed that he had heard that I was a dangerous man to engage with. This was similar to what had been said to me by another Australian, Philip Alston, the rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Killings, and I began to wonder who was warning to those who had been attacking Sri Lanka with impunity previously.

Though I was flattered, I told Gareth that he had promised to answer, given that his lecture with the misleading claims had received much publicity. He said I should send the queries again, and he would respond, but of course I heard nothing further, and I have not met him since.

I could however, understand his silence, by then we had rumbled what he was up to. The clue was provided by Anil Amerasekera, a retired Colonel who has maintained an active interest in international affairs, and regularly circulates information he has culled.

He emailed me to say that the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) had been named in the website of the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect as one of its Regional Centres. When I inquired about this from the Board of Directors of the ICES, it turned out they knew nothing about this. The commitment given to GCPR had been by the Executive Director of ICES, Rama Mani, acting on her own.

Or, rather, it seemed that she had done this in collusion with her predecessor at ICES, Radhika Coomaraswamy. The latter was now an Under Secretary General at the United Nations, dealing with the issue of Child Soldiers, but before leaving she had handpicked Rama as her successor, overlooking capable internal candidates. And she continued to interfere in the affairs of the ICES, whilst also being on the Board of the GCRP.

The missive

Rama meanwhile made no secret of her political affiliations within Sri Lanka. Her invitation to Gareth to deliver the Tiruchelvam lecture suggested that he make waves. The email in which she invited him, and made clear her commitment to R2P as a measure that could be implemented in Sri Lanka, is worth –

9 July 2007
Hon. Gareth Evans
President
International Crisis Group
Brussels
Dear Gareth,

I am looking forward eagerly, as is much of Colombo, to your imminent visit, which, I have no doubt, will create (much needed) waves.

I have read your proposal for the Global Centre with great interest and shared it with my colleagues at ICES. The proposal is excellent, powerfully argued and brilliantly spelt out. It proposes to do exactly what is imperative now to ensure that the sustained momentum through which you and other visionary individuals and governments managed to obtain R2P at the UN 60th isn’t now dissipated. We must now move towards implementation through a considered process. We would be honoured and delighted to accept your offer that we join you as a Southern associated centre.

This would also be fully in keeping with ICES’s traditions and expertise….our ‘Justice and the Struggle for Peace Programme’ has prioritised as one of its three key objectives, supporting the implementation of the Responsibility to Protect. So you can see that we are well placed to partner with you and the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect.

A very important element for implementing R2P will be confronting governments and supporting the international community and R2P advocates with hard evidence from the ground, and analysis of the perspectives, views held about R2P by affected vulnerable populations and by ordinary citizens.

As you rightly pointed out in your cover note to me, we would need to look into the resource implications, and procure some basic funding to ensure that we can support the Global Centre as a Southern Associate Centre. I did not notice on the attached budget a separate entry for financial and material support to the Southern Associate Centres. Did I miss this

Kindly let us know as soon as you can what you would see as the prospects for financial and material assistance to the southern centres. Also, let us know ASAP whether you need us to supply some basic figures and budgets for what we might need – and what you would expect exactly from the southern centres — and a ball park figure of what you think would be a reasonable figure that the main donors supporting the Global Centre might accept – so that we could draw up a budget accordingly. If you are able to go ahead and pitch for financial support for the southern centres, without such a detailed budget from us at this point, please do so and we can work out figures subsequently.

Basically, R2P is an idea that both ICES institutionally and I personally, deeply support. We would be honoured to be associated with the Global Centre. To the extent that your resources and fundraising efforts allow, we will do whatever we can within our wide areas of expertise but our very modest resources and capacities to ensure that we can move R2P forward towards implementation. ..
With my warmest personal regards,

Rama

It is significant that this missive makes clear that Rama was also looking for funding. This was on a massive scale, for later one of her associates said that ICES had lost $4 million because the connection was terminated. Sadly many of those who claimed to be idealists committed to peace and equity were always primarily concerned with the money they could get from gullible donors or, more often in the Sri Lankan case, those pursuing their own political agendas.

Rama’s prevarication

In fulfilment of this agenda, Rama worked together closely with those elements in the international community opposed to the Rajapaksa Government, in particular the Canadian High Commissioner, Angela Bogdan. This lady was prepared to resort to protect her favourite. Long before the R2P connection became apparent, there had been a problem at ICES because it was clear that Rama had no idea about financial management, and the healthy endowment that ICES had built up over the years was being frittered away. In fairness to Rama though, the rot had begun under Radhika, who claimed later that she had simply signed what the Finance Manager put before her but later realized he was no good at his job.

When questions were raised by the Board, Rama prevaricated, and ultimately she was dismissed from the position. Meanwhile Angela Bogdan had threatened one of the ICES members questioning Rama, Jeevan Thiagarajah, by cutting funding for projects he was implementing. Jeevan was head of the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies, predominantly a service NGO though it also engaged in Human Rights advocacy. Unlike other such advocacy groups, it was prepared however, to work together with government.

Mervyn useful

Jeevan was later accused of being a propagandist for government, but nothing could have been further from the truth. In fact the first time I met Basil Rajapaksa, the President’s brother who was gradually taking over as the czar of all humanitarian project work, he was bitter about Jeevan who had brought a case against Mervyn Silva, one of the most unsavoury of government MPs. But Basil found Mervyn a useful ally for various strategies he employed, and sounded very angry with Jeevan, though I tried to point out that the complaint had nothing to do with the business of government.

Jeevan and a number of researchers at ICES were worried about what was going on, and they had convinced the Chairman of the Board, Kingsley de Silva, that he should act. But when he dismissed Rama, all hell broke loose.

Bradman Weerakoon, who had been one of the most influential administrators in Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Government, used all his influence to countermand the decision. He even persuaded Lalith Weeratunge, who respected him as a senior Civil Servant, to lobby on Rama’s behalf. Given that she no longer had a job in Sri Lanka, there was no reason to renew her visa, but her supporters were convinced that they exercised enough influence to have the decision changed. They even persuaded the head of the UNDP Regional Office to sign a petition asking Rama should be allowed to continue in Sri Lanka – though when he found out what the issue was really about, he made it clear that he had been persuaded to sign the document under false pretences. The letter of apology he sent me made clear the unscrupulous acts which were done, trying to stop the Sri Lankan Government in its tracks.

Fortunately the President, perhaps to escape from the lobbying being conducted even by those close to him, asked the Prime Minister to decide on the matter. That reliable old warhorse duly confirmed the decision that Rama Mani’s stay could not be extended.

By Ravi Ladduwahetty Courtesy Ceylon Today

Chairman of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Prof. G.L. Peris on 5 March alleged that the Government has appointed the Commissioners to the Office of the Missing Persons (OMP) even ahead of the debate on the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which is scheduled to be taken up in Parliament today (7).

This is one of the ways that the Government has bent backwards to appease the United Nations Human Rights Council ahead of the sessions which will be held in Geneva on 16 March, Prof. Peiris told a news conference in Battaramulla on 5 March.

He also said that it was ludicrous for the Government to have appointed as an OMP Commissioner civil society activist Dr. Nimalka Fernando, who allegedly has a reputation for tarnishing Sri Lanka’s image overseas during all these years, being a beneficiary of Non-Governmental Organization funds.

He also said that the Government which should be using the Prevention of Terrorism Act to nab and punish the terrorists, is now using it in the reverse to attack the military sleuths.

He also said that this Government had compromised the interests of the Armed Forces and the Police in the most shameful manner.
Prof. Peiris also charged that the Government had not done anything to probe the revelations made by Lord Naseby to the House of Commons that the total casualties of the war were not more than 7,000-8,000 despite the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam claiming that the numbers were between 30,000 and 40,000.

 They say the white man speaks with a forked tongue. The double speak & hypocrisy is seen clearly in the manner the West preaches to the rest of the world while doing the exact opposite by policy. The statistics by West speak for themselves.

At times Western nations partner with political Islam when it suits their agenda while at other times the West bombs Islamic nations to the stone age. The Muslim world have yet to understand the real politik of the plot or are they addressing this by covert means. Today, many abandoned Christian churches in the West are now mosques. Rich Muslim businesses are purchasing key Western cities and influencing Western policy makers and driving the whites out of the city to more rural & quieter surroundings. The whites are feeling isolated in their own land. These are undoubtedly angering the ordinary white citizens and their reactions have got lukewarm attention by white policy makers.

It is no secret that CIA & Pentagon are linked & supporting Islamic terrorist groups while the Western media loves to denigrate Muslims when it pleases their agenda & then empathize with Muslims when it suits their global expansionist agenda too. Muslims are a favored battering ram.

Muslim population

France – 6.2m (9.6% of total population)

US – 3.45m (1.1% of total population)

UK – 2.7m (4.4% of total population)

Germany – 4m (5% of total population)

Canada – 1m (3.2% of total population)

Australia – 604,200 (2.6% of total population)

Muslims are unaware how far West influences Madrassas & Mullahs that turn Muslims into radicals en route to doing exactly what the West wants, to fill their war chests and generate dollars through sale of manufactured arms & ammunition for every conflict that are ‘created’. If Islamic countries are not manufacturing arms, how is it that Islamic terrorists are armed? Who is supplying the arms to them?

The intellectual Muslims have failed to rise and educate their people not to fall prey. The Muslim youth have become guinea pigs of the West’s geopolitical agendas and they have not cared that these brainwashed men let loose around the world are causing mayhem.

What are the ‘irritants’ against Muslims claimed by people of the West?

Political correctness and fear of being called ‘racists’ curb people expressing their sentiments but a good analysis of comments by people in the West pinpoint these irritants to be – questioning the demand for sudden halal food labels (a demand that never existed before), open animal sacrifice (a ritual the West feels belongs to stone age), loud speakers at mosques, mosques & madrassas mushrooming in residential areas especially close to other religious sites, new dress code of all black worn by women and children and the new dress by males which many whites feel is not showing any respect for the indigenous culture and are intentionally self-segregating from society while Muslims are complaining that the whites are not making Muslims feel welcome…

Countering these arguments, the Muslims claim they have a right to continue their identity and the response of the whites to this is that then they should remain in Muslim majority nations without departing to Western nations where the value systems are stark opposite to which they came from. Many whites are of the view that it is unfair to demand that Muslims are allowed to live as they like in Western states when the whites going to Muslim majority states have to abide by Islamic rules & customs. The argument of the whites in the West is that Muslims hold up Western secular liberal rights and freedom cards when in the West while when white people go to Muslim majority nations they cannot even put up religious structures, hold their religious prayers, carry their religious symbols or have religious events without the hassle of getting approvals which most often is refused. Many whites feel Muslims are unfairly making use of the freedoms in liberal democratic societies while not insisting that non-Muslims be given the same rights in Muslim majority countries.

So whose side are we to take? Whose side is the UN, global media or human rights organizations taking and why?

US & Western policy is we can commit crimes’ you cannot we can be racist, you cannot” we can discriminate, you cannot”. What a policy! But who can do anything about it or against it? None,

• Human Rights Watch – Hate Crimes Against Muslims in US Continue to Rise in 2016
• in 2017, a mosque in Victoria, Texas was burned to the ground
• 481 crimes reported against Muslims in 2001
• FBI data show that in 2015 there were 257 hate crimes against Muslims
• Crimes against Muslims now account for 4.4 percent of all reported hate crime even though Muslims are estimated to be only 1 percent of the population.
• From 2002 to 2014, the number of respondents who stated that Islam was more likely to encourage violence doubled from 25 percent to 50 percent, according to Pew research.

How many countries in the Islamic world has the U.S. bombed or occupied since 1980? 14

1. Iran (1980, 1987-1988),
2. Libya (1981, 1986, 1989, 2011),
3. Lebanon (1983),
4. Kuwait (1991),
5. Iraq (1991-2011, 2014-),
6. Somalia (1992-1993, 2007-),
7. Bosnia (1995),
8. Saudi Arabia (1991, 1996),
9. Afghanistan (1998, 2001-),
10. Sudan (1998),
11. Kosovo (1999),
12. Yemen (2000, 2002-),
13. Pakistan (2004-) and now
14. Syria

U.S. Dropped 26,171 Bombs on 7 Muslim-Majority Countries in 2016 over 12,000 on Syria alone

(and this is the country telling Sri Lanka to be tolerant of minorities!) https://www.alternet.org/grayzone-project/us-dropped-26171-bombs-7-muslim-countries-2016

In UK & EU the situation is no different.

• We are well aware of how the UK destroyed 700 mosques.
• Half of all mosques in the UK have been attacked since 9/11
• Since London Bridge attacks there have been anti-Muslim attacks reported 54 a day and includes abusive calls and verbal attacks in public
• Tell Mama said it recorded 141 hate crime incidents after the Manchester attack
• Muslim hate crime ‘rises 65% in London’ (2014)
• Anti-Muslim hate crimes in London soared by 40% (2017)
• https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/my-week-as-a-muslim-channel-4-documentary-black-up-brownface-row-white-woman-islamophobia-racism-a8016911.html
• 2017 – 950 attacks on Muslims recorded in Germany

It is not only in the US, UK & EU, in Canadian anti-Muslim sentiment is rising, disturbing new poll reveals – http://www.macleans.ca/politics/land-of-intolerance

• In Europe too, the European Court of Human Rights has upheld a full ban on face veils citing national security concerns. Had the same been attempted in Sri Lanka the EU, US & UK Governments and even the UN may draft a fresh resolution against Sri Lanka.

The present Government, brought in through regime change is learning from their masters. The West has an uncanny way to create a problem then use that to justify strict legislation that is in reality meant to curb the rights of the people and gag them opposing the Government. As everyone can see when the public started claiming Government links to the tensions across Sri Lanka, even the Muslims blamed the Government & the police, the response by the Sri Lankan Government was to freeze all social media claiming it was taking action against the spread of racial tensions. This was far from the truth! So there are hate laws to curb hate crimes but what if the hate crimes are being committed by the very party that is making the hate laws?

Since 2000 there have been over 200 school shootings with over 400 people killed? So what has the US done about this? Has the UN sent envoys each time a man with a gun goes on a shooting spree? The media generally ends up diagnosing the shooter as being mentally ill and case is closed.

The US, UK, Canada, Australia & EU calling for swift action on hate crimes are asked – what have your governments done about hate crimes happening on a daily basis in your Western societies? NOTHING

The mainstream media and the human rights organizations both of which are in the pockets of and controlled and influenced by the West are silent on the crimes of the West and reluctant to expose the links as well as debate on the mischief being created to push different agendas. The silence of media and human rights organizations and their action against selected countries completely dispels their credibility and people should revert to alternate media to believe what is going on around the world if they wish to know the truth or be ready to digest nothing but lies and distortions of mainstream media. In their reporting of the current Sri Lanka situation, the mainstream media has gone overboard and highlights a completely unethical & biased coverage full of hatred and peddling ulterior agendas.

Shenali D Waduge

H. L. D. Mahindapala

…… my administration, I believe, has had the most successful year in the history of the Presidency,” Donald Trump, Conservative Political Action Conference, Maryland, February 23^rd, 2018

Since it is generally agreed that one week is a long time in politics it is time to ask, at the end of one year, how far have America’s stature grown since Donald Trump set out to make America great again.”  From the first step he took to march on the road to White House he has been chanting the mantra of making America great” which also translates into putting America first”. They are two shades of the same slogan.

This theme, which he played to the hilt with characteristic brashness, is the most relevant standard available to review his first year in office. It is only fair to judge him by the standard he set himself. He recycled it relentlessly and noisily as the winning mantra. Besides, there isn’t a better standard to judge a man than the one set by himself.

He wrapped himself round this populist slogan to exploit the historical memory of America’s great past as he had nothing new to take or give from the future to add to its past. It was bruited as a vague concept that was left open, without clarifying it with a clear-cut definition, for his loyal base to embrace it freely with meanings that would suit their fancies. It was also romanticized and packaged as a palatable pill that could be digested readily by America poised nervously on the edge of decline, as perceived by the informed commentariat..  His theme of making America great again (the operative word is again) too was designed to underline the fact that America is in decline. His emphasis was not in lifting America to greater heights from where it is now. He was not going to build on what has been achieved so far by his predecessors. That would be an admission of the fact that America has not lost its greatness. He clearly underscored the fact that America has declined and that his mission was to make America great again. It lacked the grandeur and the soaring hopes of the Founding Fathers who had clear and positive vision of America’s future and destiny. It was sheer sloganeering to grab as many votes as he could get to make him great.

 His slogan was meant to raise the hopes of the discombobulated electorate swirling in a vortex of uncertainties. It was a time when America felt disoriented and even alienated by the rise of challenging forces threatening its supremacy, both at home and abroad. Trump emerged, beating all other conventional contenders by assuring the American electorate the restoration of the known certainties of the past. The past was great. And he  implied that America can be made  great again only by returning to a romanticized past. He also surfaced at a time when President Obama, weighed down by the Nobel Peace Prize hanging round his neck, was dithering between unmanageable wars and unwinnable peace. Trump was caught in a disorderly world spinning out of the Cold War. Trump is yet to find his feet in the multi-polar world. The multiple centers of  power is too confusing for  him to  handle.

Trump’s slogan of America First” surfaced as a safety net to disengage from the confusing complexities which baffles him. Multilateralism is viewed  as an inimical force to American interests. Trump’s solution, each time he faces a crisis, is either to disengage from the world (Example: exit from TPP), or  to seek refuge in the garrison-mentality of the pioneers who withdrew into walled fortresses when they were surrounded by the hostile Indians. (Example: Mexican Wall). Vindictive reprisals against  nations who refuse to fall in line with him is another part of his counter-productive foreign policy. (Example : Cutting aid to those who refused to vote for shifting the capital of Israel to Jerusalem!)

At the end of his first year in office he has gone only deeper and deeper into his own politico-economic swamp and expecting him to change is a bit too rich. Having no  constructive alternative he will continue to stick to his tried and tested strategy of playing up to his base. He has nothing but contempt for anything above his base because there are no votes for him at the higher level.

One of the main characteristics of his controversial victory was that it distanced itself from the open-ended optimism that flowed from the iconic Founding Fathers. Unlike in the period of pioneering Enlightenment, the dreamtime of America, the underlying theme operating right now is to close the doors opened by the Founding Fathers  to make America great again. He rode into power selling this theme of putting America on reverse gear which was mistakenly taken to be a progressive step in the right direction. His electoral mission was carefully crafted to turn his populist slogans into a cult – a cult that would revolve round him. Putting America first” was another way of saying putting Donald Trump first”. Both were intertwined and inseparable. He identified himself as the messiah who had come to save America in peril and he was seeking a mandate to put him first to fulfill his mission.

The hidden side of this populist cult was to legitimize a monolithic political culture which would unfailingly obey his orders. His messianic arrogance was aimed at making America march to his drum beat. The simmering crises in the internal affairs of the White House stem from Donald Trump’s urge to over ride the tried and tested principles, laws, and norms. The new recruits to the White House find that the chances of standing straight on the Titanic, without losing their footing and future, were much greater and foreseeable than balancing on Trump’s keeling deck.  For instance, not even his Attorney-General, Jeff Sessions, knows his  future because he refuses to be the obedient bandmaster playing the music according to score dictated by him. Obama at least had the knack of masking  his use of power with sophisticated and theoretical verbalizations. Trump has reduced his justifications of the abuse of power to snappy tweets in a daily exchange of  fire with the media. His verbal crassness bursts out from time to time like his toilet talk” which, incidentally, was recorded in the tapes of Billy Bush, the NBC host. Referring to his dealings with women he told Bush: I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star they (women) let you do it. You can do anything…..Grab them by the pussy! You can do anything!” (p.13. Fire and Fury, Inside the Trump White House, Michael Wolff.)

This summarizes the raw essence of the unvarnished man. There doesn’t seem to be much of a difference between his grab for power and his other tendency to grab pussies”. Once you attain a position power, as he says, you can do anything. Even grab pussies! Twenty women have complained on record about his sexual misconduct. The image of America is fast turning  out to be like that of Trump: its crumbling  down daily. The scandal of Stormy Daniels, the porn star who was paid $130,000 to silence her affair with Donald Trump, has thrown the White House into the latest storm.

In every sense Trump has been the outsider who barged in promising to redefine America’s identity in the new world, breaking away from the heights attained in the post-WWII decades. The role of the outsider suited his authoritarian personality to act arbitrarily dismissing with contempt traditions, conventions, precedents, norms if any of them obstructed his path. He cultivated with disdain an attitude of disrespecting and dispensing of tradition to make it easy for him to impose his erratic and unpredictable will. Tradition was cramping his style. Obama’s departure marked the end of the era that was striving to maintain the respectability attached to the office of the President. Obama struggled strenuously to draw lines that would make him look as if he was standing on the right side of history. With almost missionary zeal he spent considerable time in defining the morality of the day. Though controversial he wrestled in his own way to clear any ambiguity about morality. His morality was aimed at maintaining the dignity of the indispensable nation”.

Whether accepted or not, America was actively engaged in playing the role of a moral leader, taking great pride in American values”. Whatever happened to those American values after Trump took over the Oval Office? Quite brazenly, he touts America First” as his trade mark in foreign policy, dismissing all other values as irrelevant to making America great again. . In a practical sense, which other country will put America first” sacrificing their interests? The intricately meshed international order, dependent on each other despite pursuing individual interests, can survive and thrive only on a fine balance that is mutually beneficial. Unilateral action, disregarding consequences, has the potential to unhinge the connected parts and send them spinning in a free fall. His latest decision  to raise the tariff of steel and aluminum, putting America first”, is not  going down well with the rest. Feeling the hostile reaction he  is now wriggling to tone down his arbitrary decision. This is  typical of his style of decision-making : he treats the world outside as an extension of his Trump Tower, expecting them to follow  his orders. In his decision-making he  has shown an extraordinary talent to create new enemies out of old allies. He began with the Mexican Wall, expecting them to pay for the wall he plans to put  up for his  own  protection. It is this erratic behavior that questions  his  fitness to be President  of America.

His favourite pastime has been to pick fights with anyone who does not fit into his agenda. He is at his best when he sanitizes words dropped in the toilet for common use in headlines. His stubbornness, his limited experience in handling complex international affairs rooted in a tangled past, and his obsession with his own greatness often have landed him in his own shitholes”. His excremental vision of the world is not likely to take him or America into heights of greatness. On the contrary, the moral settings that elevated America to adulatory peaks have been shattered daily by the unprincipled politics of a short-sighted President who is yet to discover whether he is Donald or Trump.

The fall of the Berlin Wall ushered in the end of the history that gripped the post-colonial period dominated by Cold War ideologies. The universality of Marxism was displaced by the fragmentation of the world into narrow domestic walls. Communalism proved to be far more forceful than communism. The working class cut loose from  the global brotherhood and realigned as ethnic entities. Western Liberalism congregated around its new broad church of  economic blocs. As usual, history refusing to lie low in ideological jackets, produced the miracle of lifting 300 million Chinese from poverty for the first time in history not on Marxist principles but through capitalism with Chinese characteristics. Communist commissars of China surprisingly turned Marxism on its head and stunned the capitalists by teaching them how to make money within a communist framework. Simultaneously, America, the shining symbol of capitalism, went  into decline. The specter of class war that haunted the 20^th century disappeared into the theoretical bookshelves from where it came.  The digital generation of the Fourth Revolution, no longer confined to Dickensian factories, was in search of a new ideology which went briefly in the direction of human rights. But it was soon  hijacked by big powers who  used it as a tool to impose neo-colonialism. The new age needed a new messiah with a new message.

He stepped into political stage at a time when America too was seething with anger against the new currents sweeping inland from the intrusive world, disturbing their familiar universe. His idiosyncratic behaviour, together with his abrasive language but surely, appealed to the introverted American base that was withdrawing from the broad-based, inclusive culture. Exhausted by unwinnable wars America too was withdrawing slowly but surely. In an unmanageable world, slipping out of its hands,  America was casting around, looking for a new compass. Most of all, America was running around looking for new ideological moorings to locate its next phase in history. Marie le Pen and Nigel Farage in UK were surfacing as the  claimants to the new leadership. They knew how to exploit the fears of a dying past but not to produce the solutions for peaceful co-existence in the new world. The bewildered world was spinning without dependable certainties. The feeling of insecurity was pervasive. The ambience was open for messianic figures to triumph with inward-looking populism. Trump stepped into the vacuum. Trump marketed himself successfully as the light at the end of the tunnel. He stepped in posing as the flaxen-haired Moses in a lengthy tie that dropped below his belt. It signified his aggressive style. In the run up to the election, he demolished his rivals in the arena with below-the-belt blows. Overnight he became the master of the ring. He was putting on a show the like of which America had not seen before.” Its novelty swept the mesmerized Americans off their feet. In the prevailing mood of the time, Trump breezed in as a wave of fresh air that was needed to clean up the cobwebs in  decaying America.

In 2016 the American base  voted for what they thought he would be in their minds and not for what  he stood for in reality. In fact, in 2016 he too was a bewildered candidate who was neither trained nor qualified to hold the White House job. Without any solid grip of the tasks ahead of him he could only mouth bland generalizations like We shall start winning wars again” to make America great again”. He has yet to keep his promise. Right now  he is sinking deeper in the longest of American wars – the 17-yearold war in Afghanistan.

On the Inauguration Day he was fit only to savour the flavor of the occasion. He is yet to show any signs of being Presidential. His White House has gone  beyond the limits  of white lies.   The Washington Post reported that Donald Trump passed a milestone that none of his  predecessors is known  to have attained : just short of the anniversary of his first anniversary in office, he told his two thousandth lie.” (The New York Review of Books, Feb. 22, 2018).  Besides, under the Trumpocracy proxy wars continue unabated in the Middle East and at the UN. Oddly enough, he  has blurred the Cold War lines by embracing Putin. So far he has been gingerly backing off any serious confrontations with Putin, though to keep up appearances he drops a bomb or two in Syria which is Putin’s backyard. Of course, Trump also makes appropriate noises at the Security Council against Putin which are akin to the noises made by prostitutes imitating a fake orgasm. The decibel level of his anti-Kim Jong-Un has been far more threatening than his toned-down rhetoric against Putin.

He is also never happy unless he is fighting with someone. Provoking women, media, minorities, his own White House staff, etc., has been a part of his daily routine. An aggressive tweet a day helps him to stay awake for the rest of the day. Trump is totally lost when it comes to dealing with the bigly” world that overwhelms him. Not knowing how to handle the world outside he plans to hide behind walls despite the prophetic warning that Something there is that doesn’t love a wall, / That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,/And spills the upper boulders in the sun”. (Robert Frost). In his world there are no reds under his bed now. There are only Feds. And he raves and rants against the sacred institutions that had served America’s best interests at all times. In his eyes the enemy within is seen as an inimical force greater than those outside. He seeks refuge in building political and  economic walls. Each time he sees America coming apart he blames it all on foreigners. His  xenophobia borders on paranoia. Amidst this  despair he believes he  is the  only one who is doing great things to make America great!

He is now claiming greatness even before he could complete his first term. Like any other Abominable Showman he is wont to writing  cheap advertisements for his own glory. He believes that he has fulfilled a messianic role that surpasses that of all other  presidents. He fancies himself as the new American Moses. In the past  messiahs came out of the deserts of despair to lead their people into new worlds of promise. Moses, for instance, brought forth a whole new political and moral  culture to hold the derelict Jews together. His power and glory was in  imposing the new morality. He was the commander of a new morality. He derived his authority from the values contained in the God-given laws. The greater the universality of the law the greater the power of the morality to command acceptance and obedience.

Once upon a time America’s boast was that it exports great American values. Does anyone know what  is left of America ’s values that are available for export? After the arrival of Trump does anyone know even what those values are? How great  can America be after President Trump is booed not by the usual raucous claque in the streets but by a section of the most respected elite gathered at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos? How great is America when India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, gets a standing ovation at the WEF and not Donald Trump? How great is America when its mighty destructive forces, the  like of which the world has never seen”, are knocked into a cocked hat in Afghanistan? How great has been Trump’s power to impose his will on the world to establish Jerusalem as the capital of Israel? How great is America when it wins only Israel and loses the rest of the world? When the 11 members of Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) – a 500 million market worth $14 trillion —  thumbed its nose and continued to function as if nothing has happened after Trump’s withdrawal from the multilateral trade agreement, hasn’t the world proved that America is no longer up there, holding the coveted status of being the indispensable nation”? Doesn’t Trump’s sham show of power to a tin-pot dictator in N. Korea make him the Great Pretender on the world stage? Most of all, how great is the man who claims to posses the code to destroy the world in a flash but  does not have the power to prevent a 19-year-old mentally disturbed from walking into a shop in Florida and buy a gun that led to the latest mass massacres in his America? Doesn’t each mass massacre expose the powerlessness of America than its greatness?

His egotistic braggadocio reveals his powerlessness in the post-Obama age to reconstruct the world according to his image. The least he should have done was to give hope and momentum to enhance the credibility, viability and the reliability of American leadership. Instead the Global Gulliver has been thrown to the ground by an Asian Lilliputian and is lying paralyzed, pinned down by the impotency of his counter-productive missiles. Of course, in the prevailing balance of terror, no one is going to come out as winner. Nevertheless, the balance of terror is tilting in favour of N. Korea with Trump holding the superior weapons and means of destruction without having the power and consent to press the pulverizing button. He will have to strike at multiple targets to eliminate the total nuclear armory in N. Korea without leaving a second chance for Kim to strike back. Kim Jon Un has only to hit one target to make his point and humiliate America – a unique foreign blow which has never hit America in its history

In any likely flare-up N. Korea cannot win. That is given. When a little fellow fights a big  fellow the outcome  is always a foregone conclusion. However, the little fellow fights not to win but to humiliate the big fellow. Leaving even one single black eye is a victory. Leaving even  one  single nuclear black hole on American soil is a victory for N. Korea.

Trump’s arrogant attempts to impose his greatness on the world are challenged instantly by a hostile global reaction that tends to isolate America and leave him out in the cold. His egotistic arrogance, which he mistakes for greatness, is making America increasingly irrelevant in the emerging world order. The world that voted against him in the UN, refusing to walk with him into Jerusalem, has not crumbled because he cut off aid to the pro-Palestinian nations. It was a childish reaction of a peeved imp who had lost his marbles in the kindergarten.

So far the greatness he claims has not gone beyond the shock he gave America and the world when he won the presidential election which the best of leading pundits thought he could not win. His volcanic rise from the bottom layers of the American depths has shaken the very foundations of the vaunted American values, leading directly to question the future of the American way of life. Most of all, his rise to power has divided America into two entrenched camps. His shift from the tiny Trump Tower to the bigly” White House has traumatized the best and the brightest of America.

So far the major political and economic actions of Trump has thrown America, one of the most stable nations, off balance. Ever since his rise to power the main focus of American politics has been to find ways and means of coping with the chaos created by Trump. Baffled by the overwhelming post-Trumpis(s)t phenomenon, which is yet to find its meaning, definition and direction, American is left with only theoretical guesswork and speculation. It is so gassy and incoherent that not even the President’s men and women assigned to explain his policies to the public do not know for certain today of what he has said and done yesterday.

In broad outline, leaving aside the diurnal details, the unfolding drama at the White House could not have been scripted by the best of Kafkesque writers. As far as the search for meaning goes he stands out as the sole representative marking the beginning of the end of the traditional way of American politics. Obama seems to be the last of the best in the American tradition. The world will have to wait a long time to recapture the rapture of the American style, substance, and the spirit if, by any sad chance, crude Trumpis(s)m catches on as the new normal in America.

Already there is an opening for a Trumpis(s)t dynasty to succeed him. The greater danger is in Trumpis(s)m gathering momentum and putting down  roots at the base as the  new political force  in the American landscape.  That would be the time when

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,…..”

But that can  happen only if

The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.” (The Second Coming – W. B. Yeats)

Shenali D Waduge

In Sri Lanka, there is the majority Sinhala Buddhists and there are the minorities that comprise Tamils, Muslims, Christians & Catholics. The people live peacefully but there are many others who do not want them to live peacefully. It is always important to dissect who are the benefactors of racial tensions and it is generally not the party that is being accused. No one brings upon himself global condemnation unless there is a bigger plan. In putting a pattern to the violence, the real mischief makers can be derived.

Let us first run through the events.

22 February Teldeniya – 4 drunk men travelling in a three wheeler attacked a truck driver for not allowing them to overtake his vehicle. The truck driver H.G. Kumarasinghe, a 41-year-old father of two (one child disabled) succumbed to his injuries and died. What right do 4 drunks have to hit a person to the point of death just for not allowing them to overtake him?

It so happened that the 4 drunk men were Muslims and it so happened that the truck driver was a Sinhalese Buddhist. In all probability this was an isolated incident and the incident had nothing to do with racism – a few drunkards were angry that another vehicle was not allowing them to overtake.

More importantly note the dates. The attack took place on 22 February 2018 and Kumarasinghe had been in the hospital intensive care for 10 days. He eventually succumbed to his injuries on 3^rd March 2018. Attacks started only on 4^th March 2018 with curfew being put in the night in Digana area of Kandy district.

This is what Kumarasinghe’s wife had to say There is no point in fighting and claiming more precious lives of the people and making more widows like me.”

It is very important for people to understand the incident timelines.

Now came an opportunity for parties looking for ways to aggravate an incident to start mayhem. Anger by people is instigated when authorities do not take action against the initial action but allow reaction & go after the reactions & reactors only. Similarly, ignoring racist sentiments of one party/individuals and highlighting statements by others and claiming only those to be racist invariably contributes to tensions. This was the case in all previous incidents of racial tensions. Actions are ignored & Reaction & Reactors are punished causing further chaos. In this case it warranted action against the 4 drunkards without waiting for a man to be killed 10 days later and riots that ensued by parties that were waiting for an isolated incident to turn it into a racial riot.

The easiest way of inciting people’s emotions was by triggering racial hatred and transferring isolated incidents into major themed issues which benefits all but the actual victims. As people can see the ultimate victims were Sinhalese and Muslims living in the area – the trouble makers who are generally not of the area and those that fund them have the last laugh while others like media and parties that need issues to live & earn by are elated because these are opportunities for them to show their importance! Are you getting the bigger picture now?

Media stands guilty of fanning these tensions with their media headlines and half-truth & exaggerated stories. Here are a few examples,

• Times of India – Sri Lanka blocks social media networks to stop sectarian violence”
• Indian Express – In Sri Lanka’s anti-Muslim violence, an echo of post-war Sinhala triumphalism”
• Sri Lanka Guardian – Anti-Muslim violence rears its ugly head again in Sri Lanka”
• BBC – Sri Lanka struggles to halt days of Buddhist riots”
• Al Jazeera – Muslims say they are being systematically targeted by the Sinhalese Buddhist majority.”
• ABC Australia – Sri Lanka blocks social media as Buddhist mobs attack mosques”

See the extent of exaggerations, falsehoods and lies the media are spreading – it is not social media but these media entities that need to be blocked!

Who are preaching to Sri Lanka on racial violence it is none other than the countries that create racial violence. US where blacks are still discriminated, US where they fund regime change and import Islamic extremists to create mayhem to justify their troop presence, US which has been the only country to drop the atomic bomb twice and killed thousands of people. UK where half of all mosques have been attacked since 9/11, UK where Muslims live in fear of Islamaphobia attacks. Germany witnesses 10 attacks a day on migrants, less said about the UN puppet envoys and their solutions the better. India, that secretly trained Tamil militants in India, that uses its intelligence to influence various parties & individuals in Sri Lanka and where daily some sort of racial riot is taking place – these are the parties preaching to Sri Lanka on ethnic violence and racism!

The speech by MP Wimal Weerawansa in Parliament clearly brings this out. He declared that one Mohamed Irfan Mohamed in his face book post had said that the police had asked Muslims to stay inside, then electricity was switched off in the area and an unknown group came and attacked. This time a Muslim boy died not killed because he had entered a shop that had been attacked and the smoke caused difficulty in breathing. His name was Samsudeen Abdul Basith.

This is what Basith’s brother had to say I am requesting all groups not to fight anymore because no good will come out of it. We all are sons and daughters of the same mother and father. We all have the same red blood. We are separated only by religions and races. It is not fair to attack innocent people like us. We are living in Pallekele in peace and harmony. Don’t destroy the unity in our area to fulfill any personal agendas,”

If Kumarasinghe’s wife and Basith’s brother the real victims are saying that violence is not the answer why should others feel need for violence than them? This clearly points to insidious agendas erupting using these isolated incidents.

MP Weerawansa also went on to say that Opposition MP Dilum Amunugama had spoken to the police & informed them to take action as he felt some trouble was brewing. So warnings were given well ahead of time for the police to take action. Did they do so? If they didn’t, were they told not to do so, if so by whom? Police take orders only from their superiors and their superiors take orders only from the Government in power. Who will investigate this?

Let us go back at some of the riots in the past.

1958 riots (lasted 5 days from 22 May to 27 May)

Important to note some key events that led to the riots: British Navy closure of Trincomalee base left Indian laborers without jobs and GOSL agreed to resettle them in Polonnaruwa which the people opposed. Polonnaruwa train station attacked on 22^nd & 24^th May. On May 26, PM Bandaranaike claimed riots were due to the death of Nuwara Eliya Mayor D A Seneviratne which gave reason to start fresh riots and highlights the irresponsible remarks politicians make. The 1958 riots is one of Sinhalese attacking Tamils, Tamils too attacking Sinhalese. Just as Tamils were killed, Sinhalese were also killed. The victims were the people who ended up killed, those that were injured and those whose properties were destroyed even Tamil kovils and Buddhist temples were attacked. In short there was no one completely innocent party. It was on 27 May 1958 that emergency was declared and ITAK was banned & JVP were banned in 1972. It was these same two groups that became key instigators of future bloodsheds.

That riots are planned & manufactured can be seen from the absence of riots from 1958 to 1977. If there was natural affinity between ethnic groups they should be eternally fighting each other – which was never the case especially zero such incident before 1505. An element of state involvement together with other hidden groups is obvious.

1977 August riots is one such case of state terrorism together with political opportunism. A case of a Tamil getting accidentally electrocuted in Jaffna led to the JRJ Govt refusing to conduct an impartial inquiry and cunning Tamil politicians making political mileage out of it. There was nothing anti-Tamil or pro-Sinhalese about this incident. Further proof of state involvement comes in the fact that there was no mass participation. State involvement was confirmed recently when the UNP Leader and PM admitted & apologized for the UNP’s role in burning of the Jaffna library in 1981 where claims of promoting police officers responsible further strengthening the argument of UNP role in fanning ethnic tensions. Months later the constitution was changed and Executive Presidency was created and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) came into being. Sri Lanka’s constitution has been amended 19 times. 17 times it has been amended by UNP, the political party that introduced the 1978 constitution!

July 1983 again contrary to misconception this riot too had nothing to do with the general masses in particular the prime accuser the Sinhala Buddhists. In fact it was they who housed Tamil friends and families. Again the UNP Government was in power, the men that came seeking Tamil homes had electoral lists and looted the premises after which the homes were doused. Many of the elite Tamil areas were given police protection and saved from attack. It had all the hallmarks of state involvement.

It was under the same UNP government that terrorism emerged and falsely spread the notion of ethnic-racial conflict when LTTE terrorism victimized all communities including Tamils.

Just ahead of the 2015 Presidential elections took place the Durga Town/Aluthgama riots. Once again isolated incidents were either manufactured or vested groups were lying in wait to create a tension. The incident killed several birds – it lost Muslim vote base for the former President, it added to the case that Sinhala Buddhists were the only violent ethnic community in Sri Lanka and it gave a reason for the entire world and UN to declare Sri Lanka a failed state requiring foreign intervention.

Gintota riots of 2017. Here too an isolated incident of a vehicle injuring a mother and a child led to unnecessary tension. The vehicle was ridden by a Sinhalese and the injured was a mother and child. At no point of time did the vehicle purposely knock the mother or child. In fact the driver paid Rs.25,000 and settled the matter at the police.  However, after the riots ensued locals accused a former UNP Pradeshiya Sabha member Mohamed Kiyaz as leading the mob attack. Another example of UNP involvement in racial riots. Who are these mobs that are attacking? Are they associated to any political party or politician, do they even have links to foreign intelligence and on their payroll, are police also on other payroll – these are the answers we need to know.

There is a major difference in State supported conflict and actual racial riots. This is what people need to understand. Similarly, racism is one thing, racist practices are quite another. Everybody will have some racist attributes depending on their personal experiences but that does not necessarily construe racial discrimination leave alone violence against others. In short Sinhalese cannot be blamed for 1977 or 1983 but the then State Government should be held accountable. The world projection is that Christians hate Muslims and vice versa but it does not necessarily mean all Christians hate or must hate Muslims and vice versa. Similarly, the perception on Jews & Muslims is the same, blacks & whites too.

Let’s put things in political perspective. Like it or not it is slowly emerging that this present coalition government came into being with a lot of foreign help & funding to advance foreign agendas. The people having got deceived once reversed their wrong by giving the coalition government a clear message through the local government elections. The social media that greatly helped the Opposition victory was also highlighting Muslim sentiments that appealed to fellow Muslims to be calm and showcased Government involvement, it was no surprise that with the cat out of the bag the Government quickly decided on damage control by freezing all social media and slowing internet. It showed a desperate government and the desperate measures a desperate government that had lost the publics approval would take.

An isolated incident was enough and came at a time when the PM was facing image catastrophe’s – he was publicly being called a rogue decimating his Mr. Clean image built over the years, he was under public scrutiny for not arresting his close friend Mahendran, he was facing a No Confidence Motion, the election results clearly convened that the people were not agreeable to constitutional changes, the witch hunt against the armed forces, the plans to devolve and divide Sri Lanka and numerous other detrimental decisions the Government was taking in respect to selling national assets and giving stakes to India including allowing Indians to live & work in Sri Lanka.

Therefore, it is important for people to ask themselves – who are the benefactors of ethnic tensions. It is not the ordinary Sinhalese or Muslims who are really the victims. The benefactors are generally those who instigate the worsen the situation.

It is also important for people to be thankful that the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) is in place. If the PTA had been repealed as the international community and UN are insisting by violating UN Charter & interfering in Sri Lanka’s domestic affairs, the Government would not have been able to declare emergency or curfew and take measures to quell the situation.

If powers had been devolved and tensions emerged the Centre would have been helpless and the devolved politically motivated leaders would have worsened the situation. If ethnic tensions had taken place in North against Sinhala minority what would have been their fate? If ethnic tensions had taken place in East against Muslim minority by Tamils what would have been their fate?

These answers are important and should completely demolish the demands that the foreign interfering governments are making to change the constitution, devolve powers, repeal Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and other detrimental demands that if implemented would certainly take Sri Lanka into a destabilized state. Is it en route to this that the US forced Sri Lanka to sign deals with Peace Corps to place US military on the ground or agreements with India would also ensure India becomes the decision makers in Sri Lanka? Is this what the people of Sri Lanka want and is this what the treacherous politicians are helping using our vote. Why is the Opposition not highlighting these clearly to the people? Our people are intelligent enough to understand the ground realities. It is why both Sinhalese & Muslims used social media to highlight the truth while vested parties were trying to spur hatred and since social media provided people to counter argue which print media and electronic media does not, the State quickly went and removed people’s rights to express themselves. This is a major faux pas on the part of a government losing public approval and confidence.

People must accept facts. To appease the situation the solution is not to take sides but to table the facts and ensure that the people honor these facts. Every time the spokespersons have turned incidents into minority-majority or ethno-religious and ignoring the initial action accused the reactors further aggravating the chaos. If facts are presented before the nation & properly explained to the world, media & others there would be no occasion for them to manipulate or misinterpret the situation. This is what everyone needs to understand.

The other major coincidence is that these ‘tensions’ are emerging just before a key Geneva session wherein the UNHRC have no evidence but are arm-twisting the Government to commit hara kiri and make drastic decisions just to remain in power at the cost of the entire Nation & its People.

Shenali D Waduge

By Rathindra Kuruwita Courtesy The Island

March 9, 2018, 12:20 pm
Police said yesterday the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) had arrested Amith Jeevan Weerasinghe, alleged to be one of the masterminds of the communal unrest in Kandy and nine others, in predawn raids in Digana and Poojapitiya.

The TID also arrested Weerasinghe’s second in command Sureda Suraweera. They are accused of spreading misinformation that led to communal violence, organising violent mobs that attack persons and property and using social media to incite violence.

“What you should note is that only two of them are residents of the Kandy District. All others are outsiders,” said Police Spokesperson Superintendent Ruwan Gunasekera.

He said the TID was questioning the ten suspects and ascertaining information about the violent acts they had carried out.

“I am sure they will tell us who is behind these acts and we will reveal this to the public soon. We will take action against them under the Emergency Ordinance no 1 of 2018.”

Altogether police and the TID have arrested 81 persons for being involved in the communal strife. Police have also received 45 complaints of damage caused to houses and commercial properties, out of which 16 were in Pallekele and 18 from Teldeniya. Seven reports of religious places were either damaged or destroyed. “There have also been 11 cases of damage caused to vehicles and 11 persons were injured and two killed. Eleven persons were injured on Wednesday when a grenade in possession of a mob exploded in Poojapitiya and one person, who is believed to have carried the bomb was killed.”

Kandy Police also arrested four persons on Wednesday night for violating the curfew and those who were arrested can be imprisoned for up to seven years. “They were produced before the Kandy Magistrate, who remanded them till March 21,” the Police Spokesman said, adding that 3,000 policemen and 750 STF personnel had been deployed in Kandy.

“There was only one minor incident on Thursday during early hours. Some people who came on motorcycles tried to stone a place of worship. When the policemen near by rushed in they had run away leaving one motorcycle behind. We traced the owner of the motorcycle and arrested three persons who were involved in the incident. Two of them were from Karandeniya and Meerigama who work in private institutions in Colombo.:

Gunasekera added that a CID team led by a DIG and several other probe teams, also led by DIGs had been sent to the affected areas.

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

News Item last year……

IGP WANTS TO CHANGE THE COLOUR OF THE UNIFORM TO BLUE ……………. AND CHANGE THE LOOK

Derana TV news 23/4/17 …..

T wrote about it sometime back.Not only colour  we need to do a full make over and change the name to Rajapurusha” !!!!!!

Read Below

https://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2017/01/11/sri-lankan-police-new-name-needs-new-out-look-and-training/

SRI LANKAN POLICE ( NEW NAME ) NEEDS NEW OUT LOOK AND TRAINING

During my stay in UK ,I have noted that UK Police is trained to be polite to the people .When you drive the car erroneously and  violate a regulation such as dropping a cigarette butt on the pavement ,or drink or eat while driving ,they stop you. Once they approach they call you Sir” or Madam irrespective of your car or your attire and politely ( sometimes politeness does not come from their heart if you are a foreigner with a beard ) and yet talk to you calmly ,explain the rules of law ,Then they will tell you that you will have to pay a penalty or you will be charged .Unless you are absolutely sure that you have not violated any law you have no chance of talking him out not to charge you argue that he is at fault.

Their black Uniform in Winter and white shirt in summer does not give you shivers.You can stop them and  ask a road way and they will almost salute you .I do not say that the capitalist police is the best in world but ,I can assure that that they are trained to handle public  in a professional manner .Even if you are  the Price of Wales law ,is equal .

I remember few years back, there was a traffic policeman near Liberty Junction who keeps smiling all the time and sometime salute you .But today we have young cops who do not know how to smile or to be polite .When they stop you they call you Mister” without knowing that word mister can only be used only as a prefix to your surname.

They will then ask you where are you going ? or where are you coming from ?!! These questions seem absurd ,because some people may not give the correct answer in the  if they are  on an illegal mission !

In big corporate entities,  talk about Rebranding” to uplift the marketability of their products .Similarly we may have to use some famous cricketers ( some of them appear in advertisements o sausage selling ! which is very unhealthy )   and put get them to wear a police uniform and advertise Police  using them in a very hilarious act or some other attractive manner .

We need to change the minds of the people that Police is bad” I even suggest that when there are demonstrations they should use Navy or Army ( of course last  episode  in Hambantota was a debacle as the Navy Commander like to squeeze the chin of a  journalist ( may be he likes squeezing chins like we do to small kids!)

And yet Army and Navy is more respected by the people (except in Rathupaswela and in Hambnatota ) hence they can control crowds better ?

My opinion is that changing name to Sri Lanka Police did not help .We need to give a complete new name like Rajapurusha” !!!!!!! ( We have to be careful because Rajapurusha may support much hated word Rakapakse” among some  politicians .

Next step is to change the colour of uniform form Khaki” to a much pleasant colour after holding a referendum to get the best colour people like then to wear ( I suggest pink or blue  ! because DIG gave the impression that he is more feminine because he cried recently at a public gathering  )

Last resort for the time being may be to give them pink/blue  Uniforms and Pink /blue Masks they were at traffic junctions

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

– Kumar Moses (Defence Analyst specializing on VEOs Violent Extremist Organizations)

During the past fifteen (15) years, Sri Lanka saw increasing violence perpetrated by or involving Muslims. Concurrently, a large number of Sharia “universities”, learning centers and libraries were set up in the island, particularly after 2012. Muslim population which was below 7% before a bloody civil war (1983-2009) commenced had reached almost 10% by 2012. Sri Lanka shows all signs of other country that have a Muslim population of 10% or more. The transition is violent as can be evidenced from around the world. Sri Lanka is not alone in the steady collapse of the social fabric due to extremism. It is taking place all over the world including Europe.

A turning point took place in July 2009 in Beruwala where Muslims were slaughtered by Muslims. Close to ten Muslims were killed and scores suffered injuries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFQ1tZSBwEg

The rise of extreme Islam became obvious throughout the country except the north. However, with the illegal deforestation of Wilpattu Reserve, the north too saw the spread of extremism. The government turned a blind eye. In 2014, another violent incident erupted in Aluthgama (very close to Beruwala) where a Buddhist procession was attacked by Muslims. Resultant riots killed four people. In 2015, US State Department’s country report on terrorism warned, “The security services’ focus on a possible LTTE resurgence affected the government’s attention to emerging threats, such as reports of Sri Lankan foreign terrorist fighters joining the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). In July, Sri Lanka saw the first confirmation that Sri Lankans had joined ISIL when social media announced the death of Sharfaz Shuraih Muhsin, an ISIL fighter from Sri Lanka, after he was killed in coalition airstrikes in Syria. Thauqeer Ahmed Thajudeen – Muhsin’s brother-in-law and fellow Sri Lankan national – was later identified as a member of ISIL in Syria. According to media reports quoting Turkish government sources, 10 members of Muhsin’s family went to Iraq through Turkey. Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi said that although there were reports of Sri Lankans joining ISIL, there was no concrete evidence to suggest the group was operating in Sri Lanka.”

https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2015/257518.htm

Former Minister of Justice warned the government that 32 Muslims from Sri Lanka have joined ISIS. Instead of investigating his claims, the government removed him from the ministry!

Sharfaz Nilam from Kandy went to Syria with 16 others (parents, wife, six children and friends). He studied Shari’a law at International Islamic University (Pakistan). This information was published in Dabiq (ISIS’s English magazine). He worked at Colombo University and later as the principal of a school in Kandy. Although he died in a coalition air strike on a ISIS hideout, 35 other Sri Lankan Muslims who joined ISIS have unknown whereabouts. They probably survived the war.

President Dr Bashar Al Asaad scored a series of dramatic military victories in Syria forcing foreign ISIS terrorists to flee. ISIS gave them new passports (mostly Indian passports) to travel back. Most Sri Lankan ISIS terrorists came home in 2017 as they followed scores of other losing ISIS fighters in Syria.

This is when extremism and terrorism became headline news in Sri Lanka. Extremist ideology, terrorism, guerilla warfare and networks came with them, and possibly guns and bombs too. The problem is bigger than Sri Lanka. An estimated 10,000 foreign fighters joined ISIS. While some died, surviving terrorists went back to their countries. However, the maintain close links mostly via social media that recruited them. Sri Lankan ISIS terrorists probably co-ordinate with their colleagues in a host of Asian countries to advance their common project. The world most come together to face this existential threat to civility and peace. External instigation of recent violence has been suspected and conclusively stated in statements issued by human rights organisations.

For the past 4 months Sri Lanka witnessed two large-scale violent incidents involving Muslims. At the rate the situation is deteriorating, no one can say for sure the island nation has seen the last of terrorism.

ලියුම්කරු කීර්ති රත්නායක

ජාතිවාදී ගිනි දලු වලින් වැසීගිය  මහනුවර ප්‍රදේශය තවමත් යථා තත්වයට පත්ව නැත. ව්‍යපාරික ස්ථාන දින ගනනාවකට වැසී ගොස්ය. ගමනා ගමන  සේවා ඇන හිට ඇත. දවසේ පඩියෙන් ජීවත් වන පවුල් වල කුසගිනි නිවීම පවා  බරපතල අභියෝගයක් බවට පත්ව ඇත. ලීසිං , බැකු ණය හිර වී අනාගතය අවිනිශ්ච්චිත අඩියකට පත්ව ඇත. දෛනික ජන ජීවිතය උඩු යටිකුරු වී ඇත . මෙහි බරපතලම කාරනය නම් ඔය කිසිවක් නොවේ නමුත්  ජාතිවාදී ගිනිදලුවලින් අගතියට පත්වූන්ගේ මතකය අවසන් හුස්ම හෙලන තෙක් හොල්මන් කිරීමය. එම තත්වය  යලි සුවපත් කල නොහැකි අති භයානක රෝග තත්වයකි.

 

මහනුවර වෙලා ගත් ජාතිවාදී කලබලය අතිශය සැලසුම් සහගතව දියත් කරන ලද්දකි.  සී අයි ඩී ප්‍රධානී ෂානි අබේසේකර මහනුවරට පිටත් කර හැරියේ මෙවන් පසුබිමක් තුලය. මහින්ද පාර්ශවය ශානිගේ ගමන පිලිබදව දේශපාලන කෝනයකින් විග්‍රහ කර තිබුනි. මහින්ද පාර්ශවයේ ජාතිවාදීන්ගේ  මුග්ධ බව ශානි පිලිබද එම විචාරයේ මොනවට ගැබ් වී ඇත. එසේ කියන්නේ කරුනු කාරනා සහිතවය. කොළඹ තානපති බුද්ධි අංශ වලට වාර්තා වී ඇති පරිදි, තෙල්දෙනියේ සිදුවීම අති බිහිසුනු කුමන්ත්‍රනයකි. තරුනයා පි‍ටුපස අදිසි හස්ථයක් ක්‍රියාත්මක වී ඇත. ඒ පිලිබද අදහසක්  ගැනීමට පහත සරල සටහන ප්‍රමාණවත්ය.

කුමාරසිරි තරුණයාට පහර දීම සිදුවන්නේ කවදාද ?

පහර දීම සම්බන්ධව පොලිසියට ගොස් පැමිනිලි කලේ කවුද?

දින කීයක් ඔහු රෝහලේ ගත කලේද ?

ඔහු බැලීම සදහා පැමිනි පුද්ගලයන් පාලනය කිරීම හෝ සෝදිසි කිරීම නොකලේ ඇයි ?

කුමාරසිරි දැඩි සත්කාර එකකයෙන් සාමාන්‍ය වාට්‍ටුවට මාරු කලේද ?

ඔහුගේ මෘත ශරීරය නැවත ගොඩගෙන පරීක්ෂණ කිරීමට නියමිතව ඇත්ද ?

කොලඹ තානාපති කාර්යාල වලට වාර්ථා වී ඇති පරිදි කුමාරසිරි මහනුවර රෝහලේදී අදිසි හස්තයක් විසින් මරා දමා ඇත. ඒ පිලිබදව ශානි අබේසේකර  වැන්නකු යොදවා පරීක්ෂණ කිරීම අතිශය යුක්ති යුක්තය. තවද මහනුවර ප්‍රදේශයේ භීෂනය පැතිරූ 60 ක පමන  සිංහල පිරිසක් අත් අඩංගුවට පත්ව ඇත. ඔවුන් කිසිවෙකු එම ප්‍රදේශයේ පදිංචි කරුවන් නොවේ. තවද ඔවුන් මහනුවර දිස්ත්‍රික්කයෙන් පවා එපිට දුර බැහැරින් පැමිනි අයය. අත් අඩංගුවට පත්වූවන්ගේ විශේෂ සලකුනු බොහෝය. පදිංචිය එකම බෝඩිමේය . සමහරෙක් එකම පවුලේ අයය , එකම ගමෙ අයය , එකම දේශපාලන පක්ෂයක අයය .එකම දේශපාලනඥයෙකුට වැඩ කරන අයය. කරුනු එසේ වූ කල්හි ඒ පිලිබදව පරීක්ෂණ කල යුතු නොවේද ?

 

කුමාරසිරි මියගියේ මාර්තු මස 3 දින රාත්‍රීයේදීය. මරණය ගෙදරට ‍රැගෙන ආ විගස ප්‍රදේශයේ මුස්ලිම් ව්‍යාපාරිකයන් එක්ව රු ලක්ෂ 3 මුදලක් කුමාරසිරිගේ පවුලට ලබාදී තිබුනි. එය ලබා දී තිබුනේ ගමේ පන්සලේ හාමුදුරුවන්ගේද  අනු දැනුම මතය .  තවද 4 වන දින රාත්‍රියේ තව ලක්ෂ 10 මුදලක් ඔවුන්ගෙන් ලැබීමට තිබුනි. මාර්තු මස 4 වන දින ඔහුගේ මල ගෙදරට ඥානසාර හිමි වඩැම්මේය. නමුත් ඥානසාරහිමි මලගෙදරදී කියා සිටියේ කුමක්ද ? මුස්ලිම් ව්‍යපාරිකයන්ගෙන් මුදල් ලබා ගැනීම අවඥාවට ලක් කලේය. උන්ගෙන් යැපීමට තරම් තවම්ත්  අප බංකොලොත් නැතැයි කීවේය . කැමරාවට ඔහු කුමක් කියා සිටියද තෙල්දෙනියට පැමින භීෂණයේ පලමු වෙඩිල්ල පත්තු කලේ ඥානසාර හිමිය.

ජාතිවාදී ගිනිදලු නැග ඒම ආරම්භ විමත් සමගම රිෂාඩ් බදුර්දීන් මහනුවර සංචාරය කලේය. රිෂාඩ් වැන්නෙකුට මහනුවර ප්‍රදේශයේ අසරනව ඇති මුස්ලිම් පිරිසට ලබා දිය හැකි ‍රැකවරණය කුමක්ද ? ඇතිකල හැකි සංහිදියාව කුමක්ද ? රිෂාඩ් මහනුවරට පැමින රටේ ආරක්ෂක අංශයට  දෝෂාරෝපනය කලේය. රටේ ආරක්ෂක අංශය අද  කුජීතය. සීයට දෙසීයක් රිෂාඩ් සමග මම එකගය. නමුත් ඊට ඇගිල්ල දික් කිරීම සදහා රිෂාඩ්  සුසුසු නොවේ.  පියාසරනිලධාරී ආකාෂ් ගේ මිනීමරුවා සිටියේ  රිෂාඩ්  සමගය. මහ දවල් මන්නාරම  අධිකරණයට ගල් සැසූ රිෂාඩ් වැන්නකු  නීතිය හා සාමය යැදීම මහා අපුලකි .  ඥානසාරලා , රිෂාඩ්ලා මහනුවර පැමින කලේ ජාතිවාදී ගින්න ඇවිල වීමය

ශ්‍රී ලංකා ඉතිහාසයට නොමැකෙන කලු පැල්ලමක් එක් කල 83 කළු ජූලියට  ආසන්නම් හේතුව වුනෙ  ලුතිනල් වාස් ගුනවර්ධන  ඇතුලු 13 මරණයට පත්කල කොටි ප්‍රහාරය.  හේම ශ්‍රී කියන්නේ ලංකාවේකවුරුත් දන්න මාධ්‍ය  වේදියෙක්. ඔහුගේ සහෝදරයත් මේ කොටි ප්‍රහාරයෙන් මිය ගියා.

 මිය ගිය තමසහෝදරය පිලිබද හේම ශ්‍රී මෙහෙම සටහනක් තියනව. “මගේ මල්ලී රටේ පැවති දේශපාලනය සහ ජාතිවාදී තත්වය ගැන කිසිත් දැන නොසිටි අතර ඔහු දැන සිටියේඉලක්කයට වෙඩි

තබන්නටත් මවු බිමට ආදරය කරන්නටත් පමණි. කඩමන්ඩි වල බොරු ප්‍රචාරවල සිටපත්තර වල ලොකු අකුර දක්වාම

ජාතිවාදය  ජාතිවාදය ඇවිලුනේය .

අවසන බොරැල්ල කනත්තට සිරුරුබාරගන්නට පැමිනියේ ඥාතීන් පමණි.. එහෙත් බොරැල්ලේ සිට මුලු කොලඹටම ගිනි

තියන්නට දහස් ගනන්අයවලුන් පොර කෑහ. කඩ ගිණි තැබූ විට මට මගේ සහෝදරයා යලි හමුවේ නම් මුල්ම දෙමල කඩයකට ගිනි තියන්නේ මමය .  ඔවුන් මගේ සහෝදරයාගේ මරණය පිලිබද කනගා‍ටු  නොවේ . ඔවුන් තුල ඇත්තේ දේශප්‍රේමය නොවේ,  නමුත් කඩ ගිණි  තැබීම සහ  බඩු පැහැරගැනීම පමණි “

 දේවදූතයන් පය නොගසන භූමියේ  පාපතරයන් පිනුම් ගැසීම ලෝක ස්වභාවයයි. රට ගොඩ ගැනීමට ඇති එකම මග නම් නීතියේ පාලනය ස්ථාපිත කිරීමයි.

පාලිත ආරියරත්න

විදේශිය මානව හිමිකන් කාරයන්- 

(මොවුන් අති  භයානක උවදුරකට අප රට ලක්  කර තිබේ ගමේ හා නගරයේ සිටින ශි බුද්ධිය ඇති තරුණ තරුණියන් ක්‍රමානුකුලව සොයාගෙන් ඔවුන් හට මානව හිමිකම් විධායක තනතුරු ලබාදී දේව වාදී ආගම්  ස්වරුපයෙන් වර්තමානයේ ඇති මානව හිම්කම් පද්ධති කියාදී ඔල මොට්ටල කොට අප රටට විරුද්ධව (පුජක නියායන්වලට හා ඔවුන්ගේ අගමික  තර්ක විධි හා අයිති වාසිකම් කියාදී ) හොර පදිංචි කරුවෙකුට හෝ රටක් බෙදීමට කටයුතු කරන ත්‍රස්වාදීන් හටද සමාන මානව හිමිකම්  ඇතැයි කියා ඔවුන්ව රවට්වා අප බොදු රටට උරුමයට විරුධව උසි ගන්වමින් සිටි). 

පුජකයන්,පුජකයන් නොවන පිරිස්,සමහර දේශපාලකයන්, ආචාර්ය ස්වරුපයෙන් සිටින සමහර භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේලා කථිකාචාර්යවරු, එන් ජි ඕ  කාක්කන් හා විශේෂයෙන් වාමන්සික ව්‍යාපාරිකයන්- 

(වාමන්සිකයන් නිසා ලක්ෂ ගණන් බොදු දරුවන් අපේ ජාතියට අහිමි වී තිබේ (1988-1989  වැනි කාලයන්) නමුත් ඒවගක් නොතකා තවදුරත් මේ වාමන්සික මිනිසුන් ක්‍රියාකරන්නේ විදේශිය ජනයාගේ නිවරදි නොවන මත ඔස්සේ රටේ බහුතරයක් වන නිත්‍ය ජන්ම භුමි කරුවන් වන සිංහල/හෙළ භුමි පුත්‍රයන්ට එරිහිවය.මොවුන් සඟවන හෝ නොදන්නා කරණයක්  වන්නේ රුසියාවේ කොමුනිස්ට් වාදීන් ද (මොවුන්ගේ මත නිර්මාණය කලවුන්ද ) පළමුවෙන්ම ක්‍රියාකළේ රුසියාවේ මුල් පදිංචි කරුවන් වන ස්ලැවූ ජාතිකයන් බේරාගැනීමටය. නමුත් අප මාතෘ භුමියේ සිටින මෙම වාමන්සික වාදීන් ක්‍රියාකරන්නේ ඉහත කි මුලික කොමුනිස්ට් සංකල්පද පසෙකලාය. තවද මොවුන්ගේ දේශපාලනික අරගල දෙස බලන විට පෙනීයන්නේ සිහල බොදු ළමයින් නිකරුනේ රජයන් මගින් ඝාතනය භිහිසනයට ලක්වීමට තුඩුදෙන (1988-1989 වැනි ) අසාර්ථක දේශපාලනික අරගල නිර්මාණය කිරීමට තුඩුදෙන ආකාරයට.

Courtesy Colombo Telegraph

Colombo Telegraph is in possession of video footage that show members of the Special Task Force (STF) of the Police Department or Sri Lankan Army in cahoots with those who have perpetrated violence against Muslims in Kandy district.

The video clearly shows the assailant humiliating his victim, bragging about what he did, while STF/Army personnel look on and laugh.

He is heard saying ‘It is because of what I did to you that you now find yourself on the streets, isn’t that so?’

The STF/Army officers present do nothing to apprehend the thug who has just confessed to his crimes in their presence. They only laugh.

Watch the video below:

lanka C news

සිංහල – මුස්ලිම් මරා ගැනිල්ලකට පාර කැපුවේ ආණ්ඩුවේ ආශිර්වාදය ලබන සිංහල හා මුස්ලිම් මැරකම් කණ්ඩායම් බව රට පුරා සිදුව ඇති ලේ වැකි සිදුවීම්වලින් පැහැදිලි වන බවට ජාතික නිදහස් පෙරමුණේ ජාතික සංවිධායක පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී ජයන්ත සමරවීර මහතා චෝදනා කරයි.

පිටකෝට්ටේ පිහිටි ජාතික නිදහස් පෙරමුණේ ප්‍රධාන කාර්යාලයේ පැවති මාධ්‍ය හමුවකදී ඒ මහතා මෙසේ චෝදනා කර සිටියේය.

එහිදී වැඩිදුරටත්ටත් අදහස් දැක්වූ සමරවීර මහතා මෙසේද සඳහන් කළේය.

අම්පාර මුස්ලිම් කොත්තු කඬේ සිදුවීම් පිටුපස ඉන්නේ ආණ්ඩුවේ දේශපාලනඥයෙක්. ඉන්පසුව දිගන නගරයේ සිදු වූ සාපරාධී, ප්‍රකෝපකාරී තත්ත්වයට මුල් වූ කුමාරසිංහ නමැති සිංහල තරුණයාගේ ඝාතනයට අදාළ මුස්ලිම් තරුණයන් අත්අඩංගුවට නොගැනීම බලපෑම් කළෙත් ආණ්ඩුවේ දේශපාලනඥයෙක්. ඒ වගේම කුලියාපිටිය නගරයේ මුස්ලිම් වෙළඳසැල්වලට පහරදීම නිසා අත්අඩංගුවට ගත් මැරයන් පැයකින් නිදහස් කර ගත්තේ එජාප ප්‍රබල ඇමතිවරයෙක්. මේ සියල්ලෙන් පෙනී යන්නේ ආණ්ඩුවේ ආශිර්වාද සිංහල – මුස්ලිම් මැරයන් තමයි මේ මහා මරා ගැනිල්ලට පාර කැපුවේ කියා.

සිංහල – මුස්ලිම් මිනිසුන්ගේ මළ කඳන් මතින්, ගිනි ගත් දේපල හා ලේ ගංගා මැදින් ඇවිත් ආණ්ඩුව තමන් මුහුණ දී තිබෙන විශ්වාසභංගය යටපත් කරගන්න හදනවා. තවත් පැත්තකින් මේ මහා මරා ගැනිල්ලා මැද්දේ තමන් දෙමළ ඩයස්පෝරාවට, ඇමරිකා එක්සත් ජනපදයට, ඉන්දියාවට දුන් පොරොන්දු ඉටු කර දෙන්න හදනවා.

රණවිරු දඩයමට තවත් මෙවලමක්

මේ රටට එරෙහිව ඇමරිකා එක්සත් ජනපදය විසින් ගෙන ආ යෝජනාවලියට, එක්සත් ජාතීන්ගේ මානව හිමිකම් කවුන්සිලයේ 30 වැනි සැසිවාරයේ දී ආණ්ඩුව වෙනුවෙන් එවකට විදේශ අමාත්‍ය මංගල සමරවීර සමඅනුග්‍රාහකත්වය දක්වන්න එක්ඟ වුණා. ඒ අනුව තමයි මේ වන විට බෙදුම්වාදී ව්‍යස්ථාවක් කෙටුම්පත් කර ඇත්තේ. ඒ අනුව තමයි කොටි ත්‍රස්තවාදය පැරද වූ ‘රණවිරුවන් යුද අපරාධ කළා’ කියන මිත්‍යාව සනාථ කිරීමට අවශ්‍ය නීති කෙටුම්පත් කරමින් ඉන්නේ. ඒ යටතේ දැන් රණවිරුවන්ට එරෙහිව යුද අපරාධ චෝදනා හදන ෆැක්ටරියක් නිර්මාණයය කර තිබෙනවා. පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ සම්මත් වූ ‘අතුරුදහන් වූවන් පිළිබඳ කාර්යාලය පිහිටුවීමේ පනත’ මඟින් තමයි ඒ කාර්යාලය පිහිටුවා ඇත්තේ.

ඊට දෙමළ ඩයස්පෝරාවේ හිතවතුන්, ඩොලර් කාක්කන් පිරිසක් කොමසාරිස්වරුන් ලෙස පත්කර ඇත්තේ ඇමෙරිකා එක්සත් ජනපද තානාපතිවරයාගේ ලැයිස්තුවට අනුවයි. ඒ රණවිරු දඩයමට අවශ්‍ය තවත් නීතියක් (07) පාර්ලිමේන්තුව තුළ සම්මත කර ගත්තා.

‘ලෝකයේ එකම රට?’

මේ මහා මරාගැනිල්ල මැද්දේ මේ රටේ පාර්ලිමේන්තු ඉතිහාසයට මහා කළු පැල්ලමක් එක් කරමින් තමයි ඒ රණවිරුවන්ට යුද අපරාධ චෝදනා එල්ල කිරීමේ නව නීතිය බලහත්කාරයෙන්, විපක්ෂයේ මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් නොමඟ යවමින් සම්මත කර ගත්තේ. ‘බලහත්කකාරයෙන් අතුරුදහන් කිරීම්වලින් සියලූ තැනැත්තන් ආරක්ෂා කිරීම සඳහා වූ ජාත්‍යන්තර සම්මුතියේ පනත් කෙටුම්පත’ තමයි එසේ ඊයේ සම්මත කර ගත්තේ. ඒ මඟින් ‘බලහත්කාරයෙන් අතුරුදහන් කිරීම්වලින් සියලූ තැනැත්තන් ආරක්ෂා කිරීම සඳහා වූ ජාත්‍යන්තර ප්‍රඥප්තිය’ තම රටේ නීති පද්ධතියට ඇතුලත් කළ ලෝකයේ පළමු රට බවට ලංකාව පත් වුණා. ඇමරිකා එක්සත් ජනපදය පවා මෙම ජාත්‍යන්තර ප්‍රඥප්තියට අත්සන් කර නැහැ. ඉන්දියාව අත්සන් කළත් තම රටේ නීති පද්ධතියට ඇතුලත් කර නැහැ. මේ ජාත්‍යන්තර ප්‍රඥප්තියට අත්සන් තබා ඇත්තේ රටවල් 58යි. ඉන් රටවල් 20ක් අපරානුමැතිය ලබාදී ඇතත් ලොව කිසිඳු රටක් මේ ප්‍රඥප්තිය තම රටේ නීති පද්ධතියට ඇතුලත් කර නැහැ.

මේ ජාත්‍යන්තර ප්‍රඥප්තිය තම රටේ නීතියට ඇතුළු කළ පසුව ‘අතුරුදහන් කිරීම්’ නැමැති යුද අපරාධයට මේ රටේ ආරක්ෂක හමුදාවන්හි නිලධාරීන් වරදකරුවන් කිරීමට මඟ පෑදෙනවා. එයයි ජිනීවා යෝජනාවලිය අනුව රණවිරුවන් දංගෙඩියට දක්කන න්‍යාය පත්‍රයේ ඊළඟ පියවර. ඊයේ මේ පනත් කෙටුම්පත් ඡන්ද විමසීමට ලක් නොකරන බව කතානායකවරයා පොරොන්දු වුණා. වෙනත් දිනයක් ඒ සඳහා ලබාදෙන බව කීවා. සංශෝධන ඇතුළත් කරන බව විදේශ අමාත්‍යවරයාපැවසුවා. එසේ තිබියදී මුළු මහත් පාර්ලිමේන්තුව නොමග යවමින්, මුලා කරමින් බලහත්කාරී ලෙස මේ පනත් කෙටුම්පත ඡන්ද විමසීමට ලක් කර සරල බහුතරයෙන් සම්මතකර ගත්තා. ඡන්ද ඡන්ද විමසීම නොපවත්වන බව කී නිසා ඒකාබද්ධ විපක්ෂයේ මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවෙන් පිටත රට තුළ ඇති වී තිබෙන අර්බුදකාරී තත්ත්වයට විසඳුම් සෙවීමේ සාකච්ඡාවල නිරතව සිටියදී තමයි මේ අපකීර්තිමත්මත් සිදුවීම සිදුවූයේ. මේ පිළිබඳව ජානිපෙ පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී කණ්ඩායමේ බලවත් අප්‍රසාදය පළකරනවා.”

මෙම අවස්ථාවට ජානිපෙ දේශපාලන මණ්ඩල සභික පත්ම උදයශාන්ත ගුණසේකර මහතා ද එක්ව සිටියේය.

අනුරුද්ධ බණ්ඩාර රණවාරණ
මාධ්‍ය ලේකම්
ජාතික නිදහස් පෙරමුණ