Former President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa

(Translated by ; A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA)

Given below is the translation of a message that has been issued bY the former President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa on the sale of the Hambantota Port to a Chinese Company.

Auctioning of Sri Lanka.

The whole nation has got shocked on the way that the Hambantota Harbour was privatised.  Although the government had a duty of debating the agreement relating to privatising the most strategical state property in the parliament before the said agreement was signed, they did not do anything like that. No one has seen a Technical Assessment report in this regard.  The government has not infrmed the peple on what basis that the relevant company was selected from the two companies that presented bids. From the information what we haave received it seems that the other bid was more advantageous for Sri Lanka.

The urgency for sale of state property has been arisen due to the economic crisis that this government has created. The yahapalakas after winning the Presidential Election in January 2015 by telling lies to the people and as it was not possible to win the ensuing General Election also in that manner what they did was to fool the people in a different manner by increasing the salaries of the public servants, and reducing the prices of fuel and gas and reducing the prices of some selected essential food items.

As a result of this the government’s expenditure increased instantly and the government’s income fell down.  According to the report of the Auditor General, the budget deficit which was only 5,7% of the GDP in 2014 after one year of assuming office by the yahapaalanaaya increased by nearly two fold to 10.5% in 2015.

Since the government did not have money to cover its day to day expenses including for payment of public servants salaries they started to obtain large scale loans. Even most of the people will be reluctant to believe if it was told to them that the government in a short peof 2 ½ years have obtained foreign exchange loans amounting to over U.S.Dollars 13.7 Billion. All this money has been spent only for consumption purposes.  Although it is possible to construct 10 Norochchoai Power Plants, or else 10 harbours like Hambantota harbour, or else 20 expressway like Southern Expressways from this U.S.Dollars 13.7 Billion foreign exchange loans they have not even built a culvert from that money.

In order to repay these loans, under the advisc of the International Monetary Fund, several government taxes including VAT were increased in 2016. Even by levyibg taxes on critical patients they could not find money to cover the U.S.Dollars 13.7 Billion loans the government’s attention has been focused on getting ‘non-tax’ revenues. It is for this purpose it has started to sell properties belonging to the State.

From the budget proposals of the yahapalanaa government it is clear that the government is getting ready to sell from State Institutions such as Hilton Hotel which has no strategic value upto strategically important institutions such as Norochchalai. Hambantota harbour is only a beginning.  The Primr Minister has already said that Mattala Airport is the next Institution tio be sold. Colombo-Katunayaake Expressway, Southern Exprssway, Water Supplu#y Board, and Electricity Board are among the Institutions or projects that are to be privatised or alienated.

It also seems that this government is deliberately making State Institutions to the level of loss making Institutions in order to justify sale of government properties.  It was for this purpose that they suspended bunkering operations at the Hambantta Harbour. In order to pay back the total amunt of loan taken for the construction of the Hambantta Harbour a sum of U.S.Dollars 1,761 has to be paid up to 2036. That is the U.S.Dollar 1,266 Million taken as a loan for the construction of the harbour and the U,S,Dollar 495 Million accruing as interest. But from the total amount of U.S.Dollar 1,761 Million that has to be paid, U.S.Dollar 500 Million had been paid by end of 2016.  These payments had been made from the Ports Authority profits.  There was no difficulty in making this payment and it was not a burden on the tax payer.  But after privatisation the loan obtained for the construction of the harbour will be vested with the Treasury by the Ports Authority and the burden of paying this loan has now directly fallen on to the shoulders of the public.

It seems that the government is attempting to justify the privatisation of the Hambantota harbour by saying tht my government directly sold the land for the construction of the Shangrilla Hotel.  The few acres of land needed for the constructin of a Hotel cannot in any way be made equivalent to 4 Terminals, 12 Jetties, an industrial zone of 5,000 acres and a main harbour.  On the other hand that the Shangrilla Hotel is not strategically important as the Hambantota harbour.  In addition to that there was a condition as per the government’s development plan that the Shangrlla land cannt be used for any oher purpose other than for building a hotel.  This government also says that under my government a land in the Port City was given to China as well.

The Port City is not a land existing in Sri Lanka but a new land being created by reclaiming from the sea.  My government had an agreement not to pay even five cents for this project and provide a small extent of that newly created land as construction charges to the concerned company.  Even the Chunese comoany has to develop the land in accordance with the rules and regulations of Sri Lanka.  Not only that port city lands are not lands with strategical importance but will be commerciaally important lands.  Everyone should understand that my government restricting the purchase of our lands by foreigners and foreign companies enacted the Lands (restrictions of vesting ownership) Act No, 38 of 2014 and this government relaxed those restrictions by Revised Act No,3 of 2017.  What was done by my government was creating new things and what is being done by this government is selling of things created by my government.

The U.S.,Dollars 1.12 Billion obtained by privatisation of the Hambantota harbour without utilization of it for resettlement of the loan have been passed on to the Treasury for utilizing it for day to day expenses of the government.  U.S.,Dollars 1.12 Billion is a small amount for this government and it would evoparize similar to the loan of U.S.,Dollars 13.7 Billion loan they obtained.  We find that the Ministers of this government, following the massive objection being built up against the privaatisation  of the Hambantota harbour is attrmpting to justify their despicable act by saying that our government also had plans and agreements to handover the whole harbour to China. This is a blatant lie that tthey are saying. All are aware that my government not only upheld a principle against privatisation and alienation but also re-acquired certain institutions that had been privatized.

If the present activities being carried out by this government continued by the time of ending this government, no national property will remain for this country.  The people should organize themselves in all their work places, in all villages, and in all towns against the plans of this government to sell the whole country to foreign buyers.

Mahinda Rajapaksa

The fifth Executive Presdent of Sri Lanka. 

Also please find appended below Mr. Namal Rajapaksa and Mahinda Amaraweera on rhe Hambantota harbour:

The Hambantota Harbour has been sold without following any Tender Procedures – Namal Rajapaksa

Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa said that this government which came to power saying that nothing will be done without following Tender Procedures has sold the Hanbantota Harbour without following any tender procedure.

Addressung a meeting of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramunaa (SLPP) at Aluthgama Mr, Rajapaksa said that this government got the Hambantota harbour sold in the midst of strong opposition of thee people of this country.  Today the leaders of this government are giving false promises to Trade Unions and recently an Act was approved against Parliament procedures when the naze was not in the Parliament. The JVP and the TNA supported this move.

It was because the former President Mr. Mahinda defeated Prabhakaran and the LTTE, Maithrpala Sirisena was able to comr to power by staging a conspiracy.

Today the war heroes and intelligence unit officers who gave a great strength to defeat the terrorists have been imprisoned with concocted charges.  It was thoseofficers who captured the terrorist who came to kill Maithripala Sirisena.  If it was not for these officers not only Maithripala Sirisena even my father may not be living today.

But the intelligence unit officers and naval officers are imprisoned today.  Thaajudeen body was exhumed to imprison Namal and Yoshita but that attept not succeeded.  They failed on this for the last 2 ½ years, now they are attempting to accuse my mother in this connection,

Today business activities in this country have collapsemade d. Trade Union leaders are being attacked by Police and the goons and drug addicts of certain MPS. The war heroes who liberated the country from terrorists have been deployed to pump petrol in petrol sheds.  This is an ineot government and it has no proper plan for controlling.  Like bandaging the shoulders for the filaria in the legs students have been asked to come to schools wearing long sleeve dresses.  They have failed in the attempts made to conceal the Treasury Bond Scam.

Meanwhile, in the Waadapitiya” programme of the Ada Derana TV Mr. Namal Rajapaaksa made Digital Minister Harin Fernando and MP Mujibur Rehman dumb founded unable to respond to the arguments made by him about the illegal Hambantota harbour sale.  He dominated the programme throughout its period by presenting facts about the harbour project and the betrayal of the people of Hambantota and the nation,(niz)

We will not allow to sell Hambantota harbour – Nincompoop Amaraweera

The nincompoop Mahinda Amaraweera who is so slavish to Sirisena which made Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa to say sarcastically that Amaraweera would even say that the Sun does not rise without obtaining permission from Sirisena has said that as long as they are there they will not allow to sell the Hambantota Port.  Is this nincompoop really ignorant of the agreement signed on the 29^th July or is he living in some other planet?

He has said that people and politicians say that the Hambantta Port has been sold and has asked where it has been sold? He has also stated that under this government of Maithripala Sirisena even an inch of this country will be sold to China, India or any other country(niz).

Wada Pitiya – 2017.08.01

https://youtu.be/owV2sv5kr6U

Director Communication and Publications INSSSL

 The INSSSL Threat Lens on The Current Dengue Trajectory: Framework and Paths to Minimize the Spread of the Epidemic with the participation of stakeholders and experts in the health sector was held at the Ministry of Defence in Colombo on 26th July. The current state for emergency in the country as a result of the rapid spread of dengue which has reached epidemic proportions is seen as a threat to national security. The impact on several sectors such as tourism, investments, education and the overall workforce has potential to cripple the economy. Therefore, the aim of this meeting was to bring together the relevant State and public health stakeholders to assess the current state of emergency in the country with regards to the dengue epidemic. Specifically, this threat lens aimed at looking at how the armed forces can be mobilized in aiding the mitigation process. The outcome hoped to ascertain from this roundtable discussion was that of proactive framework on how to minimize the threat of dengue and the paths needed to stop the epidemic from arising in the future. As the current state of the country warrants an immediate response, this round-table discussion also looked at the pervasive effects of the emergency action currently being adopted and their implications for the future of the country.

 Director General Asanga Abeyagoonasekera and researchers at INSSSL mapped the trajectory of dengue and the variant dengue viruses in the country which has been catalysed by floods and the garbage crisis. In their presentation which depicted a dengue update by epidemiologists in the country, it was disturbing to note that Sri Lanka is facing an “unprecedented” outbreak of deadly dengue fever, with 296 deaths recorded and over 100,000 cases reported in 2017 alone, according to the Red Cross with all state and private health experts stretched to their limits in terms of treating this epidemic which is now a national security concern with government and private hospitals ill equipped to treat the surging number of patients.

 In order to curb this crisis, the researchers pointed out the importance of eradicating the causative organism which is the virus rather than the mosquito which is the vector. As methods, they suggested to seek and destroy dengue breeding grounds; community-led clean up campaigns; legal action on the public; and equipping hospitals with adequate resources. Therein, attention was focused on how other countries combatted dengue, with examples from Brazil, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore and Australia. They presented a very important case study of the discovery of the Wolbachia bacteria by Professor Scott O’Neill of the Institute of Vector Borne Diseases at Monash University, which was used in Queensland, Australia. In conclusion, dynamic solutions to combat dengue in Sri Lanka were expounded. ‘Veta’, the fight dengue mobile app; locally invented mosquito trap; ‘Oxitec’ re-engineered mosquitoes; release of dragonflies into the eco system and bacteria release by Debug were proposed together with the implementation of a 10-year comprehensive, sustainable dengue eradication plan. The tri forces, the office of the Chief of Defence Staff and Police whose tremendous contribution in this crisis is largely appreciated also made presentations on their operations in dengue affected areas.

 In the discussion that followed, gaps in communication with regard to breeding sites and community participation were disclosed with recommendations that relevant local authorities should coordinate with the armed forces for a more effective outcome with central level assistance in executing plans. The incessant garbage and waste management problem was brought to the fore as a contributory factor for the breeding of dengue mosquitoes. However, an interesting point to note is that the city of Negombo which depicts the highest number of dengue patients globally is not affected by garbage disposal problems.

 The significance of entomologists with a scientific approach to this problem and an action oriented task force monitored by a central location can prevent future crises of this proportion. It was suggested that the public could approach the committee with their proposals so that they will in turn come up with plans with practical solutions to be executed with relevant authorised powers. Medical experts in the forum provided some very useful information with regard to understanding and combating the problem. Recommendations were made wth regard to the need to maintain preventive activities when the crisis subsides as well as identifying areas that need strengthening. Reducing mortality is the challenge as the disease which has many dimensions and is one of the hardest to manage. Reducing breeding places, water management, solid waste management and building management are contributory factors in the prevention of future outbreaks. Most importantly, as the topic suggests, the trajectory should be identified in formulating an operational plan to identify and strengthen capacities to combat dengue.

පියසිරි අජිත් ලියනගේ

අටවැනි දිනට යෙදෙන සෙන්පති ඩෙන්සිල් කොබ්බෑකඩුව 25 වැනි ගුණසමරුව නිමිත්තෙනි

මම අවුරුදු 23 ක සේවා කාලයක්‌ අවසන යුධ හමුදාවෙන් විශ්‍රාම ලැබුයෙමි. එම සේවා කාල පරාසය තුළ මට නා නා විදිහේ ගති පැවතුම් ඇති නා නා පන්නයේ නිලධාරීන් සමඟ සේවය කරන්නට අවකාශ ලැබිණ. තම උරහිසට නායකත්ව සංකේතයක්‌ ලද විට එය තමන් සතු බූදලයක්‌ ලෙස පරිහරණය කළ නිලධාරීන්ද ඒ අතර වූහ. ආරක්‍ෂක හමුදාවල නිලධාරියකුගෙන් යමක්‌ කිරීමට අණක්‌ ලද විට එය ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීම මිස හරි වැරදිදැයි ප්‍රශ්න කිරීමට පහළ නිලධාරීන් හට ප්‍රතිපාදන නොමැත. එවන් පසුබිමක්‌ තුළ තැනට සුදුසු ස්‌ථානෝචිත ප්‍රඥාව සියයට සියයක්‌ම නිලධාරීන් හට තිබිය යුතුය. එසේ නොවන්නට වැරදි අණ දීමක්‌ තුළින් සිදු විය හැකි අනර්ථයන් බොහොමයකි. විශේෂයෙන්ම යුධ පිටියේදී ගනු ලබන වැරදි තීන්දු තීරණවලින් ජීවිත හානි පවා සිදු විය හැක. එවන් අමනෝඥ තීරණ හමුවේ දැඩි අසීරුතාවට පත් වූ අවස්‌ථාද මාගේ සේවා කාලය තුළ අත්විඳ නැත්තේමද නොවේ. කෙසේ වෙතත් එවන් යුධ උපක්‍රම අතින් උපන් හපන්කමක්‌ දැක්‌ වූ වචනයේ පරිසමාප්ත අර්ථයෙන්ම නායකත්ව නිලධාරී ගුණාංග විදහා දැක්‌ වූ කෙනෙකි ලුතිනන් ජෙනරාල් කොබ්බෑකඩුව උතුමාණන්. ඔහු කුරිරු ත්‍රස්‌තවාදීන්ගේ බිම් බෝම්බයකට ගොදුරු වීමෙන් අපෙන් සදහටම සමු ගත්තේය. ඒ හරියටම මින් අවුරුදු විසි පහකට පෙර 1992 අගෝස්‌තු මස 08 වන දිනයි.

1940 ජුලි 27 වැනිදා ඩෙන්සිල් ලක්‍ෂ්මන් කොබ්බෑකඩුව නමින් උපත ලබා මහනුවර ත්‍රිත්ව විද්‍යාලයෙන් අධ්‍යාපනය හැදෑරීය. 1961 වර්ෂයේදී කැඩෙට්‌ නිලධාරියකු වශයෙන් යුධ හමුදාවට එක්‌ වී එක්‌සත් රාජධානියේ රාජකීය යුධ හමුදා විද්‍යා පීඨය වෙතින් පුහුණුව ලබා 2 ලුතිනන්වරයකු වශයෙන් අධිකාරියට පත් වූ හෙතෙම ලංකා සන්නාහ සන්නද්ධ බලකායට එක්‌වන ලදී. වරින් වර තම නිලයන්ට උපරිම දක්‌ෂතාව විදහා දක්‌වමින් ඉටු කරන ලද රාජකාරී ඇගයීම්වස්‌ උසස්‌වීම් ලබා 1990 වසරේදී මේජර් ජෙනරාල් තත්ත්වයට පත්වන ලදී. ඊළාම් යුද්ධය ඇරඹීමත් සමඟ සෘජුවම සටන් බිමට බට ඔහුගේ යුධ නායකත්වය අතිශයින් සාර්ථකත්වයට පත් විය. සහජයෙන් ලද්දා වූ ස්‌ථානෝචිත ප්‍රඥාවෙන් නිලධාරීන්ගේ හා සෙසු නිලයන්ගේ සිත දිනා ගැනීම තුළින් ගොඩනඟාගත් විශ්වාසයක්‌ මෙම සාර්ථකත්වයට හේතු පාදක වූවාට සැකයක්‌ නොමැත. ඔහු පහළ නිලධාරීන්ගේ සහ සෙසු නිලයන්ගේ චිත්ත ධෛර්යය වඩවාලු අතර එයට ප්‍රතිචාර වශයෙන් ඔවුන්ගෙන් පෙරළා එතුමාට ලැබුණේ අසීමිත ගෞරවයකි. මහාමේරු පර්වතය වූවද පෙරළාගෙන ඉදිරියට යැමට තරම් සවියක්‌ ඔහු තමන් සමීපයේ සිටින්නේ නම් සෙසු නිලයන්ට අනිවාර්යෙන්ම ලැබෙන්නේය.

අපි දිනක්‌ පරයානම්කුලම් ප්‍රදේශයේ ත්‍රස්‌තවාදී කඳවුරකට ප්‍රහාර එල්ල කිරීම සඳහා වව්නියාවේ සිට පිටත්ව ගියෙමු. දෙදින ක්‍රියාන්විතයක්‌ වූ එය නිම වීමෙන් අනතුරුව බ්‍රිගේඩියර් කොබ්බෑකඩුව හෙළිකොප්ටර් යානාවකින් එහි පැමිණියේ අපහට වියළි සලාක මලු ලබා දී තිබුණද උණුසුම් කෑම පාර්සල්, සිගරට්‌ මෙන්ම චොකලට්‌ ද රැගෙනය. (ඒ ඔහුගේ සිරිතය) අධික වර්ෂාව පැවැති එදින ඔහු ආපසු යන ගමනේදී මැලේරියා රෝගයෙන් පෙළුණු සෙබළෙකුද යානාවට නංවන ලදී. මැලේරියා උණ රෝගයට ඇඟ වෙව්ලන නිසාදොa රෝගියා වෙව්ලන්නට විය. එය දුටු බ්‍රිගේඩියර් වරයා සිය නිල ලාංඡනය සමඟ තම කමිසය ගලවා රෝගියාට පෙරවූයේ “බය වෙන්න එපා පුතා” කියා කරවටා අතක්‌ද දමා ගනිමිනි. ඔහු එසේ කීවද සාමාන්‍ය සෙබළ රෝගියා තව තවත් වෙව්ලන්නට වූයේ බ්‍රිගේඩියර් නිල තල ඔහුට තරම් බර වැඩි නිසා වන්නට පිළිවන. සාමාන්‍ය සෙබළෙකු බ්‍රිගේඩියර් තනතුරට උසස්‌ වීම් ලද අවස්‌ථා කුමන රටේ කුමන හමුදාවක සිදු වී ඇත්ද? ඉතිං අද වැනි දිනකවත් මෙවැනි යුග පුරුෂයන් සමරනු වටීද? නැද්ද?

කෝකිලායි හමුදා කඳවුරට ත්‍රස්‌තවාදී ප්‍රහාරයක්‌ එල්ල වූයේ එය ස්‌ථාපිත කර මසක්‌ ගත වන්නටත් ප්‍රථමය. එය ආරක්‌ෂක සාමාජිකයන් 42 කුගෙන් යුත් එක්‌ කුඩා ගොඩනැඟිල්ලක්‌ පමණක්‌ තිබූ අනුඛණ්‌ඩයක්‌ විය. අලුයම 2 ට පමණ කෝප්‍රල් ආරියරත්න “කොටි ඇවිල්ලා” යෑයි කෑ ගසමින් තම අවිය නොනවත්වා ක්‍රියාත්මක කළේ මුළු කඳවුරම නින්දෙන් අවදි කරවමිනි. ණයකින් සියල්ලන් ආරක්‍ෂක ක්‍රියා අනුගමනය කරමින් ඉලක්‌ක පථයට හසුවන සෑම ත්‍රස්‌තවාදියෙකුටම මදි නොකියන්නට ප්‍රහාර එල්ල කරනු ලැබුවේ තම ජීවිත පරදුවට තබමිනි. පසුදාට පහන් වන විට ත්‍රස්‌තවාදී මළ සිරුරු විශාල සංඛ්‍යාවක්‌ කඳවුර වටා තැන තැන විසිරී තිබූ අතර එක්‌ අවාසනාවන්ත සිදුවීමක්‌ද සිදු වී තිබිණ. ඒ එම සටනේදී සාමාන්‍ය සෙබළුන් වන දිසානායක සහ මහනාමද ජීවිතක්‍ෂයට පත්ව තිබීමයි. එහි තවත් අවසානාවන්ත මෙන්ම හාස්‍යදනවන සිද්ධියක්‌ද සිදු වී තිබිණ. ඒ දිසානායක නමින් සාමාන්‍ය සෙබළුන් දෙදෙනකු එහි රාජකාරියේ නිරතව සිටි අතර පණිවිඩ හුවමාරු මගින් මොනයම් ක්‍රමයකින් හෝ මිය ගොස්‌ සිටින්නේ ඩී. එම්. දිසානායක බව දන්වා යවා තිබිණ. එහෙත් ඇත්තටම මිය ගොස්‌ සිටියේ ඩී. එම්. සී. දිසානායකය. ඔහු ත්‍රිකුණාමලයේ දෙහිවත්ත ප්‍රදේශයේ පදිංචිකරුවෙකු විය. ඩී. එම්. දිසානායකගේ නිවස පිහිටා තිබුණේ මහනුවර අංපිටිය ප්‍රදේශයේය. ඩී. එම්. දිසානායක ත්‍රස්‌තවාදී ප්‍රහාරයකින් මිය ගිය බව ඒ වන විටත් ඔහුගේ නිවසට දන්වා යවා තිබූ අතර විශේෂ හමුදා කණ්‌ඩායමක්‌ද එම නිවසට පිටත් කර හැර තිබිණ. උදෑසන 9 පමණ වන විට කර්නල් කොබ්බෑකඩුවත් කර්නල් විමලරත්නත් හෙළිකොප්ටර් යානයකින් කෝකිලායි කඳවුරට පැමිණියේය. පළමුව මිය ගොස්‌ සිටි සෙබළුන් දෙදෙනාට සිය ආචාරය පුද කළ කර්නල්වරු දෙදෙනා කඳවුරු බේරා ගැනීම හා ත්‍රස්‌තවාදීන්ට උපරිම ප්‍රහාර එල්ල කිරීම සම්බන්ධව එක එකා ළඟට ගොස්‌ පුද්ගලිකවම සිප වැළඳ ගත්තේ අතිශය ගෞරවයෙනි. අනතුරුව දිසානායකලාගේ අත්වැරදීම ගැන දැනගත් කර්නල් කොබ්බෑකඩුව වහාම ඩී. එම්. දිසානායක නිවාඩු යවන ලෙස නිලධාරීන්ට දැන්වීය. මියගොස්‌ සිටි සෙබළුන් දෙදෙනාගේ සිරුරු අනුරාධපුරයට ගෙන ගොස්‌ භාර දීමෙන් අනතුරුව එම හෙලිකොප්ටර් යානයෙන්aම ඩී. එම්. දිසානායක අස්‌ගිරිය ක්‍රීඩාංගණයට රැගෙන ගොස්‌ ඇරලන ලෙස ගුවන් හමුදා නියමුවන්ට උපදෙස්‌ ලබා දුන්නේ කිසිදු පැකිළීමකින් තොරවය. සාමාන්‍ය සෙබළ දිසානායක හමුදාවේ උසස්‌ නිලධාරියෙකුට හිමි වරප්‍රසාදයක්‌ ලබා ගත්තේ උතුම් මිනිස්‌ ගුණාංග කර්නල් කොබ්බෑකඩුව සතු වූ බව මොනවට සපථ කරමිනි.

බළලත් නිලධාරී සෝමදාස අවුරුදු 22 ක සේවා කාලයක්‌ අවසන් කර සේවයෙන් විශ්‍රාම ගියද ඔහුට විශ්‍රාම වැටුප් ලබා ගැනීම ප්‍රමාද වෙමින් තිබිණ. ඒ ඔහු වැලිඔය ආරක්‍ෂක සේනා මුලස්‌ථානයෙන් ලබා ගෙන තිබූ යකඩ ඇඳන් 8 ක්‌ ආපසු භාර දී තිබුණද ඊට අදාල ලිපියක්‌ අස්‌ථාන ගත වීම හේතුවෙනි. ඒ වන විටත් ඔහු විශ්‍රාම ගෝස අවුරුද්දකටත් වඩා වැඩි කාලයක්‌ ගත වී ගොස්‌ තිබිණ. දියණියන් හතර දෙනකුගේ සහ පුතණුවන් දෙදෙනකුගේ පියකු වූ ඔහු විශ්‍රාම වැටුප නොමැතිව අසරණ තත්ත්වයට පත්ව සිටි අතර ඇඳන් අට සඳහා ගෙවිය යුතු වූ මුදල ද අතිවිශාල එකක්‌ විය. ඔහු බ්‍රිගේඩියර් කොබ්බෑකඩුව හමුවීමට ගියේ මෙවන් පසුබිමක්‌ තුළය. ඒ වන විට බ්‍රිගේඩියර් කෝබ්බෑකඩුව ත්‍රිකුණාමලය සහ වැලිඔය අඥාපති වශයෙන් රාජකාරියේ නිරතව සිටියේය.

“ලෙµaටිනන් වික්‍රමසිංහ ඔයාගේ ස්‌ටෝර්ස්‌ එකේ යකඩ ඇඳන්වල අඩුපාඩුවක්‌ තියනවද? බ්‍රිගේඩියර් කොබ්බෑකඩුව විමසා සිටියේ ගබඩා පාලක නිලධාරියාගෙනි.

“නෑ සර් එහෙම අඩුපාඩුවක්‌ නෑ. මේකෙ තියෙන්නෙ මේ ලියුමක්‌ නැති වෙච්ච ප්‍රශ්නයක්‌” “ලෙµaටිනන් වික්‍රමසිංහ ඔය වගේ සුළු දේකට ඇයි මේ පැන්ෂන් ගියපු මිනිස්‌සුන්ට හිරිහැර කරන්නේ.” බ්‍රිගේඩියර් කොබ්බෑකඩුව කීවේ දැඩි පිළිකුලෙනි.

කඩිනමින් ලිපියක්‌ සකස්‌ කර අතින්ම එය රැගෙන ගොස්‌ පනාගොඩ විශ්‍රාම වැටුප් හා ලේඛන කාර්යාලයට භාරදීමට බලලත් නිලධාරී සෝමදාසට ලබා දුන් බ්‍රිගේඩියර්වරයා, ” ඇයි මෙච්චරකල් මේක මට කිව්වේ නැත්තේ” යෑයි නෝක්‌කාඩුවක්‌ ද කළේය. ඔහුගේ විශ්‍රාම වැටුප ලැබුණේ සති 2 කටත් අඩු කාලයකිනි.

අපි වරක්‌ මාන්කුලම් ආසන්නයේ පිහිsටි තුනුක්‌කායි ප්‍රදේශයේ ක්‍රියාන්විතයක්‌ සඳහා පිටත්ව ගියෙමු. එහි සැලසුම හා උපදෙස්‌ දෙනු ලැබුවේ කර්නල් කොබ්බෑකඩුව විසිනි. එවකට ඔහු කිලිනොච්චි සම්බන්ධීකරණ ආරක්‍ෂක නිලධාරියා ලෙස කටයුතු කරනු ලැබිණ. අපි සිටි ඉසව්වට සතුරු මෝටාර් බෝම්බයක්‌ පතිත වූයේ නොසිතූ මොහොතකය. ඒ සමඟම අප කර්නල් කොබ්බෑකඩුව බිම පෙරළාගෙන වසාගත්තේ පොල් කටුවකින් කෝම්පිට්‌ටුවක්‌ වසාගන්නා ආකාරටය. ඒ අපේ ජීවිතවලට වඩා එතුමාගේ ජීවිතය අපට වටිනා නිසාය. වහා ඊට ප්‍රතිප්‍රහාර එල්ලවීමත් සමඟ සතුරු ප්‍රහාරය වියෑකී ගිය අතර කර්නල් කොබ්බෑකඩුව අප වැළඳගත්තේ ” මට හරි ආඩම්බරයි කොල්ලනේ ඔයාලා ගැන ඒත් මම ආරක්‍ෂා වුණාට වැඩක්‌ නෑ කියලා කාටහරි තුවාලයක්‌ වුණානං” යෑයි කීවේ ඔහු කෙරේ තිබූ ගෞරවයට තවත් යමක්‌ එක්‌ කර ගනිමිනි.

තවත් දිනෙක අප මන්නාරම තල්ලඩි කඳවුරේ නිවාඩුයාම සඳහා හෙලිකොප්ටරයක්‌ පැමිණෙනතුරු බලා සිටියෙමු. ඒ වන විට ගොඩබිම් මාර්ග සියල්ල ත්‍රස්‌තවාදී ක්‍රියා හේතුවෙන් වැසී ගොස්‌ තිබුණි. මේ අතර හදිස්‌සියේම ජෙනරල් කොබ්බෑකඩුව කඳවුරට පැමිණියේ හදිසි අවශ්‍යතාවයක්‌ සඳහා විය යුතුය. නිවාඩු යැමට සිටි අප ගැන තොරතුරු විමසා ඒ සියලු දෙනා ඔහු පැමිණි හෙලිකොප්ටරයෙන් වව්නියාවට ගෝස ඇරලන ලෙස නිලධාරීන්ට උපදෙස්‌ ලබා දුන්නේ දෙවරක්‌ සිතාබලා නොවේ. දින ගණන් නිවාඩු යැමට අවස්‌ථාව ලැබෙන තුරු බලා සිටි සියල්ලන් ගමන්වාර කීපයකින් වව්නියාවට ගෙනගොස්‌ බස්‌සවන ලදී. ” ජෙනරාල් කොබ්බෑකඩුවට නං බුදු බව ලැබෙන්න ඕනෑ. ඇත්තට අනිත් නිලධාරීන් මේ විදියට අපි ගැන බලනවනං හමුදාව කොච්චර හොඳදැයි” එකෙකු නොව කීප දෙනෙකු කියනවා මට ඇසුණි.

තණ්‌තිරිමලේ පන්සල් භූමියට වරක්‌ නිරීක්‍ෂණය චාරිකාවක පැමිණි ජෙනරාල් කොබ්බෑකඩුව විහාරාධිපති මහකෝන්ගස්‌කඩ විමලඥාණ හිමියන් හා කතා බහක නිරත වූහ. එහිදී විමලඥාණ හිමියන් අප අමතා ” මහත්වරුගේ මේ ඉන්නේ අපේ ජාතික වස්‌තුවක්‌ හොඳට ආරක්‍ෂා කර ගන්න ඕනෑ.” යෑයි පැවසුවේ ඔහුගේ පිටට තට්‌ටුවක්‌ ද දමමිනි. අවාසනාවකට දෝ විමලඥාණ හිමියන් ජෙනරාල් කොබ්බෑකඩුවට ද පෙර අපවත් වූයේ මෙම සිදුවීමෙන් ඉතාමත් කෙටි කාලයක්‌ තුළදීය. කෙසේ වෙතත් ඒ හිමියන්ගේ ඉල්ලීම ඉටු කරන්නට අප අසමත් වූවා යෑයි මාගේ පුද්ගලික හැඟêමයි.

රණවික්‍රම පදක්‌කම, රණශූර පදක්‌කම විශිෂ්ඨසේවා විභූෂිත පදක්‌කම, උත්තම සේවා පදක්‌කම ඇතුළු තවත් අගනා පදක්‌කම් රැසකින් පුදනු ලැබු මේ යුග පුරුෂයා එදා ත්‍රස්‌තවාදීන් හට එරෙහිව සිදු කරනු ලැබුවේ හුදකලා සටනක්‌ යෑයි මාගේ නිගමනයයි. ඒ ඔහුට සමහර අවස්‌ථාවන්වල රාජ්‍ය අනුග්‍රහය ලැබුණේ ඇල්මැරුණු ගතියකින් යෑයි පවසන්නට තරම් සාධරණ හේතුන් තිබිණ. 1992 වසරේ අගෝස්‌තු මස 8 වන දින කයිට්‌ස්‌ අරාලී තුඩුවේදී ත්‍රස්‌තවාදීන් විසින් වළ දමා තිබූ බිම් බෝම්බයකට ගොදුරු වීමෙන් එතුමා ජීවිතක්‍ෂයට පත් වූයේ මුළු මහත් හමුදාවම සෝ සයුරකට ඇද දමමිනි. සාමාන්‍ය කෙනකුට වඩා සොල්දාදුවකු වශයෙන් දුකක්‌, වේදනාවක්‌, වියෝවක්‌ විඳ දරා ගැනීමේ ශක්‌තියක්‌ වෘත්තීමය වශයෙන් ඇත්දැකීම් ලබා සිටියද ඔහු වියෝ වූ පුවත ඇසීමෙන් මම ඉකිගස ගසා හැඩූයෙමි. ඉකි ගස ගසා හැඩීම තුළින් මම වටපිට බැලීමි. ඒ ඉකි ගසා හඬන්නේ මා පමණක්‌ දැයි සැක හැර දැන ගැනීම පිණිසය. නොමැත හෘද සාක්‍ෂියට අනුව නොමැත. මුළු යුධ හමුදාවම එලෙසය. යුධ හමුදාවේ පියා, අපේ ගෞරවණීය තාත්තා, අපිට අභිමානයක්‌ ගෙන දුන් සෙන්පතියා අනේ ඔහුට තවත් කාලයක්‌ ජීවත් වන්නට ඉඩ හැර මා මළා නම් කොතරම් වටනේද? ඒ තරමටම අපට ඔහු උතුම්ම උතුම් වස්‌තුවකි. එතුමා තුළ වූ උතුම් මිනිස්‌ ගුණාංග ගැන දේව ගතිගුණ ගැන ලියන්නට තවත් බොහෝ දේ ඇත. එතුමාණන් යටතේ සේවය කළ ඉතාමත් කෙටි කාලයේ මාගේ හෘද සාක්‍ෂියට අනුව මෙහි සටහන් වූයේ එම අත්දැකීම් සම්භාරයෙන් සොච්චමක්‌ පමණි.

1997 අප්‍රේල් 04 වන දින ඔහුට කෘතගුණ සැලකීම් වස්‌ මුල් දින කවරයක්‌ සහ මුද්දරයක්‌ නිකුත් කර ඇත. එපමණකින් පමණක්‌ අපට සෑහීමකට පත්විය හැකිද? මෙවැනි යුග පුරුෂයෙකු මෙනෙහි නොකරමින් මඟහැර සිටීම සදාචාරාත්මකද? එහි වගකීම වගකිවයුත්තන් ගැඹුරින් සිතා බැලිය යුත්තකි.

ඩෙන්සිල් කොබ්බෑකඩුව උතුමාණනි සාදාදර පියාණෙනි ඔබට නිවන් සුව ප්‍රාර්ථනා කරනවා හැරෙන්නට අප වැනි අසරණයින් වෙනත් කුමක්‌ කරන්නද?

ඔබට නිවන් සුව…….

පියසිරි අජිත් ලියනගේ

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

 The 51^st  Jalsa Salana (Annual Convention) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the United Kingdom concluded on Sunday 30 July 2017 with a call for believers to reject all forms of extremism” in the last of his five speeches. by the World Head the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph), His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad. 

 During the event, His Holiness spoke about the rise of extremism and continued instability in the world. He called for Muslims to return to the true teachings of Islam.

During his concluding address, His Holiness said: It is up to Muslims to stand up and reject all forms of extremism and terrorism. It is the task of Ahmadi Muslims to show the true teachings of Islam which are of peace love, mercy and compassion,” he added.

The Convention began on Friday with the traditional Friday Sermon and the raising of the black and white flag of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community alongside the Union Flag. On Saturday (the second day of the event), the Caliph conducted proceedings from the ladies marquee where 15,000 Muslim women witnessed His Holiness awarded prizes to women for academic achievements and deliver a speech on the rights and empowerment Islam affords them.

More than 30,000 people from 100 countries attended this three day Convention ( Jalsa Salana), which took place at Hadeeqatul Mahdi in Alton, Hampshire.

 Apart from the thousands of Ahmadi Muslims who participated, many non-Ahmadi and non-Muslim guests also attended.  The entire event was also broadcast live on MTA International and streamed online.

 One of the highlights of the three-day Convention was the pledge of allegiance, known as Bai’at that took place on Sunday afternoon, where the participants pledged allegiance to Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad as the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph) of the Promised Messiah – Hazrat Mirza Ghlam Ahmad(peace be upon him).

 The participants formed a human chain leading to the Khalifa as they repeated the words of the pledge in unison.

 Prior to the ceremony, His Holiness announced that 609,556 people had joined the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community during the past year from all around the world. He also announced that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was now established in 210 countries. The event concluded with silent prayer led by His holiness.

Courtesy  The Island

The UNHRC which has passed many now well-publicised strictures on Sri Lanka, two of them more recently, with the active co-sponsorship of the present government, is once again in the news. The so-called Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (with a small contingent of 15 M.P.s supporting him, which itself is a complete travesty of established parliamentary democratic conventions, not being the largest opposition group), has recently made a statement that “Sri Lanka is bound to implement the UNHRC Resolution (on alleged Human Rights (HR) breaches during the terrorist-mounted civil war against successive democratically elected governments, supported by his TNA), and it cannot be repudiated by Parliament; and called for full and expeditious implementation of the Geneva Resolution”.

But in international politics, the wheel seems to have turned full circle, as it often does. The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in New York wrote an op-ed article in the Washington Post, the premier daily in the nation’s capital on Sunday 4 June 2017, with the above title – “A Corrupt UNHRC” – prominently displayed. The Ambassador followed this up immediately with a visit to Geneva where she addressed the UNHRC which is in session, an uncommon event in the agency’s history, as well as made a hard-hitting speech, critical of the UNHRC as it is now functioning, at an Institute in Geneva on the same visit.

In the op-ed article referred to earlier, the Ambassador questioned the very UNHRC membership of countries such as Venezuela and Cuba, and charged that the agency is responsible for upholding the highest standards of HR; and added that a U.S. Senate sub-committee had met last month to consider whether the U.S. should remain a part of the UNHRC. She added that the question was whether the UNHRC actually supports HR or “is merely a showcase for dictatorships that use their membership to whitewash brutality”.

The following noteworthy points were also made in the U.S. Ambassador’s article:

1. When the UNHRC focusses on HR instead of politics, it advances important causes, eg. North Korea.;
2. Very often, however, “the victims of the world’s most egregious human rights violations are ignored by the very organization that is expected to protect them”;
3. The United Nations “must reclaim the legitimacy of this organization (UNHRC), which has been given a great responsibility”; because the presence of multiple HR-violating countries in UNHCR has damaged its reputation as well as the cause of HR; and
4. UNHRC membership should be determined through competitive voting, instead of regional blocs nominating candidates like now.

The powerful U.S. Foreign Relations Committee, now dominated by the Republican majority in the U.S. Congress, has recently also discussed whether the U.S. should continue to play a role as a member of UNHRC The current U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has questioned whether, if the UNHRC did not reform itself, the U.S. should consider withdrawing from membership.

The critical HR situations were in Syria, D.R.Congo, Venezuela, Belarus and Ukraine. It is noteworthy that Sri Lanka has fallen off this priority list of alleged HR violators. It seems to have now been realized that UNHRC member countries allow politics to infect voting resulting in selective actions and partisan outcomes. The million dollar question arises whether Sri Lanka was, therefore, a victim of international politics, and if the Government capitulated too soon by co-sponsoring politically-motivated Resolutions brought against this country?

The issue also arises why there has been this sudden turn of events. Some guidance to hazard an answer to this question may be provided by past events that are reported by the U.S. media, and still accessible on the internet. When the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan disbanded the precursor agency to the current UNHRC in 2005, he blamed the agency’s ‘credibility deficit’ for that decision, because the world’s worst HR violators became HRC members to protect their policies. When the current ‘reformed’ version of UNHRC was announced in 2006, the U.S. under the George W. Bush administration refused to join it, until President Obama came to power in 2008, and the U.S. re-entered UNHRC with a 3-year membership term, leaving the current administration holding the bag. (Fox News, 5 June 2017).

Now, the current UNHRC has become “a forum for politics, hypocrisy and evasion – not a forum for conscience – and political manipulation, rather than human values. The agency tarnished the cause of HR. The UN must act now to reclaim the legitimacy of human dignity. U.S. wishes to re-establish the Council’s legitimacy”. (Geneva speeches referred to earlier).

U.S. media also reports that a personality among the top management of UNHRC injecting himself actively into the recent U.S. election campaign, and backing the losing candidate in the November 5, 2016 U.S. election, may have contributed substantially to the turn of events narrated earlier. It is reported that on 15 April 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio the same personality had delved into U.S. election territory and focused on “the crucial election for leadership of this country (USA) and characterized the front-runners in the election as “engaged in calls to hatred”.

On 12 October 2016, it is reported that a press conference at UNHRC had turned into a partisan political talk-fest. These several efforts to influence the U.S. election had been questioned at a U.S. State Department briefing immediately thereafter.

US media have traced alleged links between UNHRC management’s connections, a Middle Eastern Royal family and the Clinton Foundation. Published comments also indicate that in the expectation of a Clinton win in the November 2016 U.S. election, UNHRC’s top managers expected to “win a big pay day for the UNHRC office”, having published an annual appeal for 2017 to increase the UNHRC budget by a huge 33% increase ($234 million to as much as $360 million) in this year. The U.S. is the largest voluntary contributor to the agency.

In conclusion, a principal issue which the above narrative of recent reported events raises is whether the U.S. – being the largest regularly assessed as well as voluntary donor of funds to the UNHRC – will continue to legitimize a human rights body with a “well entrenched anti-Jewish and anti-Israel agenda”, given past as well as present U.S. foreign policy. In fact, the current U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. complained in Geneva during her recent visit that the UNHRC had focused disproportionately against Israel by passing seventy Resolutions against it. Opinions can differ widely on this particular highly politicized and sensitive issue.

We leave it to the reader to decide what lessons for Sri Lanka this sudden turn of political events in the international arena may leave the two anti-Sri Lanka Resolutions passed in a U.N. agency, which has recently given a 2-year reprieve to a small island nation which was victimised, and whose caretakers doubtless supported these actions. This saga is symbolic of the disastrous effects a multilateral HR agency can cause to turn the clock back on racial reconciliation and developmental progress, by diverting the attention of the authorities from other existential matters. It is also an object lesson for the responsible authorities. An important world power has become extremely critical of this agency to the point of seriously considering whether to terminate its membership in it.

R de S

Courtesy Ceylon Today

The government’s claim that there was a plan to sell the Hambantota Port in its entirety to the Chinese under his government is a ‘diabolical lie’, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.

Releasing a press communiqué yesterday (1) he asserted that his government had an explicit anti-privatization policy.

“Not only did my government refrain from privatizing any State assets, we reacquired several important assets that had been privatized by previous governments. If things continue in the present manner, Sri Lanka will not have any national assets left by the time this government ends. The people should band together and organize in the villages, towns and workplaces to oppose this government’s quest to sell Sri Lanka off to foreign buyers,” he stated.

The incumbent government will not be using the US$ 1.12 billion that comes from the lease of the port to pay the loan taken to build the port, Rajapaksa claimed. He added that instead the money is to go to the Treasury to meet the day-to-day expenditure of the government. The US$ 1.12 billion raised from the privatization of the Hambantota Port is small change for this government and will soon vanish just like the US$ 13.7 billion they raised earlier, he noted.

Rajapaksa observed that the government has been trying to justify the privatization of the Hambantota Port on the grounds that the land for the Shangri La Hotel was sold outright by his government. He elaborated that the few acres on which a non-strategic asset like a hotel is built cannot be compared to a strategically important port with four terminals, 12 berths and a 5,000-acre industrial park. He added,

“The Shangri La land moreover was given on the specific condition that it can be used only for a hotel in accordance with the government’s urban development plan. The government has also been saying that my government gave land to a Chinese company in the Port City. The Port City is new land that is being reclaimed from the sea. This land has commercial value but is not of strategic importance like a major harbour.”

He explained that once the new land mass was created, the company carrying out the construction was to have the use of a very small part of it subject to Sri Lankan law, in lieu of payment and that the entire project would not have cost the Sri Lankan Government anything.

“It should also be borne in mind that my government enacted the Land (Restrictions on Alienation) Act No. 38 of 2014 which restricts the ability of foreigners and foreign owned companies to buy land in Sri Lanka but the present government removed all such restrictions by Land (Restrictions on Alienation) (Amendment) Act No. 3 of 2017. My government built or created new things. The present government is making a living by selling what my government built,” he stated.

 Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Sandun A Jayasekera Courtesy The Daily Mirror

රවීට ලැජ්ජාවයි බයයි දෙකම නෑ

බැඳුම්කර වංචාවට අමතරව ලංකා ඉතිහාසය තුළ රාජ්‍ය මූල්‍ය කළමණාකරණ පනතෙහි විධි විධාන උල්ලංඝනය කිරීම හේතුවෙන් විදේශ කටයුතු අමාත්‍ය රවී කරුණානායක මහතා සියධූරයෙන් ඉල්ලා අස්විය යුතු බව පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී බන්දුල ගුණවර්ධන මහතා පවසයි.

පාලකයින්ට දේශද්‍රෝහී චෝදනාව යටතේ දඬුවම් දෙනවා

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the extra-judicial killing of Mr. Rajamuni Devage Gunadasa age???of second milepost, Rale Kanda, Alawwa, Warakapola in the Kegalle District of Warakapola Police Division. On 26 June 2017, while walking on the Kandy-Colombo main road, he was shot by Police Officers attached to the Warakapola Police Station in Warakapola Town. Later, Police handed over the dead body to the Warakapola Base Hospital. No investigation has yet been carried out into his death. The Police claim Gunadasa escaped thus preventing his arrest.

CASE NARRATIVE:

The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information about Mr. Rajamuni Devage Gunadasa of second milepost, Rale Kanda, Alawwa, Warakapola in the Kegalle District.

On 26 June 2017, Gunadasa was walking in Warakapola Town along the Kandy-Colombo main road. While he was passing the town, suddenly a police vehicle belonging to the Warakapola Police Station approached him. He was arbitrarily shot by an Officer at close range. Before the arrest he was not noticed to have stopped walking. Gunadasa was seriously injured and later succumbed to these injuries. He was transported to the Warakapola Base Hospital for treatment by the Police.

Later the Police issued a media communiqué saying that the Police fired on a person who was escaping from being arrested. Police were attempting to arrest a person engaged in a theft. Explaining the reason for the shooting, the Police stated that the deceased tried to attack them with a hand grenade. In retaliation the Police opened fire on him at extremely close range.

No details were produced on the complaint that the Police received about the theft. No property had been stolen by the victim. Neither the supposed hand grenade nor any other weapon belonging to the victim was submitted in evidence as used against the Police.

Gunadasa’s relatives maintain that he was extra-judicially killed by the Police. This is another example of a gravely faulty Policing System in Sri Lanka. It murders innocent suspects under the guise of crime prevention.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

The Asian Human Rights Commission has reported numerous cases of arbitrary arrest, detention, torture and extrajudicial killings of citizens at the hands of the Sri Lankan Police. Under international and local law, these are illegal actions. They have been taking place daily at police stations all over Sri Lanka. It is common knowledge that the Police use torture as an instrument to terrorize innocent people, harass the general public and instill fear. Presently, the Police are implementing a policy of ‘elimination with extreme persuasion’ or in plain language–murdering suspected criminals. They arrest and kill people without their ever being produced in a Court of Law.

Needless to say, there is a lack of protection for those lawyers willing to take up cases against abusive Police Officers and State Authorities. This means that the law continues to be employed as a tool by the authorities to control the populationz. By undermining society’s respect for the Law and allowing impunity to go on unabated, a long-term, psychological and financial burden is placed on the shoulders of victims, their families and the general population.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write to the Authorities listed below expressing your concern about this case. Kindly request an immediate investigation into allegations of extra-judicial killings by the Police. Prosecution of those proven to be responsible under Criminal Law is imperative. The officers involved should also be subject to an internal investigation for breach of Police Departmental Orders. The AHRC will write a separate letter to the Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions in this regard.

To support this case, please click here:

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear ________,

SRI LANKA: Innocent man extra-judicially killed by Warakapola Police

Name of Victim: Mr. Rajamuni Devage Gunadasa of second milepost, Rale Kanda, Alawwa, Warakapola in the Kegalle District

Alleged perpetrators: Officers attached to the Warakapola Police Station
Date of incident: 26 June 2017
Place of incident: Warakapola Police Division

According to the information I have received, Mr. Rajamuni Devage Gunadasa of second milepost, Rale Kanda, Alawwa, Warakapola in the Kegalle District.

On 26 June 2017, Gunadasa was walking in Warakapola Town along the Kandy-Colombo main road. While he was passing the town, suddenly a police vehicle belonging to the Warakapola Police Station approached him. He was arbitrarily shot by an Officer at close range. Before the arrest he was not noticed to have stopped walking. Gunadasa was seriously injured and later succumbed to these injuries. He was transported to the Warakapola Base Hospital for treatment by the Police.

Later the Police issued a media communiqué saying that the Police fired on a person who was escaping from being arrested. Police were attempting to arrest a person engaged in a theft. Explaining the reason for the shooting, the Police stated that the deceased tried to attack them with a hand grenade. In retaliation the Police opened fire on him at extremely close range.

No details were produced on the complaint that the Police received about the theft. No property had been stolen by the victim. Neither the supposed hand grenade nor any other weapon belonging to the victim was submitted in evidence as used against the Police.

Gunadasa’s relatives maintain that he was extra-judicially killed by the Police. This is another example of a gravely faulty Policing System in Sri Lanka. It murders innocent suspects under the guise of crime prevention.

I therefore request your intervention to ensure that an immediate investigation is undertaken into the death of Gunadasa. The officers involved must also be subjected to an internal investigation for breach of Departmental Orders.

Yours Sincerely,
———————

PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Mr. Pujith Jayasundara
   Inspector General of Police
   New Secretariat
   Colombo 1
   SRI LANKA
   Fax: +94 11 2 440440 / 327877
   E-mail: igp@police.lk
2. Mr. Jayantha Jayasooriya PC
   Attorney General
   Attorney General’s Department
   Colombo 12
   SRI LANKA
   Fax: +94 11 2 436421
   E-mail: ag@attorneygeneral.gov.lk
3. Mr. N. Ariyadasa Cooray
   Secretary
   National Police Commission
   3rd Floor, Rotunda Towers
   109 Galle Road
   Colombo 03
   SRI LANKA
   Tel: +94 11 2 395310
   Fax: +94 11 2 395867
   E-mail: npcgen@sltnet.lk or polcom@sltnet.lk
4. Secretary
   Human Rights Commission
   No. 36, Kynsey Road
   Colombo 8
   SRI LANKA
   Tel: +94 11 2 694 925 / 673 806
   Fax: +94 11 2 694 924 / 696 470
   E-mail: sechrc@sltnet.lk

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme

Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the extra-judicial attempt to kill Mr. Bodhipakshage Manjula Prabath Wijewardana a residence of Aranayaka in Kegalle. He was waiting on the road, in front of the Mayurapada Central College in Mawanella Town at 10:30 a.m. on 13 June 2017. Unexpectedly, the Police directly fired at him shooting him in the leg and causing him to fall down. Police transported the victim by police jeep to the Mawanella Base Hospital where he was admitted for emergency treatment. No investigation has yet been carried out regarding the attempt on his life. The Police claim they were in the process of arresting Manjula.

CASE NARRATIVE:

The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information about the case of Mr. Bodhipakshage Manjula Prabath Wijewardana of Nisansala, Arama, Aranayaka in the Kegalle District.

At 10:30 a.m. on 13 June 2017, Manjula was waiting on the main road, in front of the Mayurapada Central College in the Town of Mawanella. Without warning several police officers appeared in front of him, took aim and directly fired at him. Manjula’s left leg was hit and he fell to the ground. Later he was brought by police jeep and admitted to the Mawanella Base Hospital for emergency treatment.

Before the shooting, Manjula was not aware that the police officers were going to arrest him. He was not ordered by the police to obey their orders. Manjula did not know of any reasons why the Police would abruptly, without warning, directly shoot at him. He was not given any reason for his arrest or shown an arrest warrant. Police failed to produce any evidence that they tried to arrest him in a peaceful manner. Manjula respectfully states that he never tried to escape from being arrested by the Police.

A Police Communiqué was issued, stating that Manjula escaped being arrested by the Police. They never produced any independent evidence that there was a legally issued arrest warrant against him. No facts were submitted showing that Manjula tried to run away and prevent the officers from arresting him.

The family members of Manjula maintain that the Police attempted to extra-judicially kill their relative. This is another indication of the faulty Policing System in Sri Lanka. It extra-judicially kills innocent suspects under the guise of crime prevention.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

The Asian Human Rights Commission has reported numerous cases of arbitrary arrest, detention, torture and extrajudicial killings of citizens at the hands of the Sri Lankan police. Under international and local law, these are illegal actions. They have been taking place daily at police stations all over Sri Lanka. It is common knowledge that the Police use torture as an instrument to terrorize innocent people, harass the general public and instill fear. Presently, the Police are implementing a policy of ‘elimination with extreme persuasion’ or in plain language–murdering suspected criminals. They arrest and kill people without their ever being produced in a Court of Law.

Needless to say, there is a lack of protection for those lawyers willing to take up cases against abusive Police Officers and State Authorities. This means that the Law continues to be employed as a tool by the authorities to control the population. By undermining society’s respect for the Law and allowing impunity to go on unabated, a long-term, psychological and financial burden is placed on the shoulders of victims, their families and society in general.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write to the Authorities listed below expressing your concern about this case. Kindly request an immediate investigation into allegations of an attempted extra-judicial killing by the Police. Prosecution of those proven to be responsible under Criminal Law is imperative. The officers involved should also be subject to an internal investigation for breach of Police Departmental Orders. The AHRC will write a separate letter to the Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions in this regard.

To support this case, please click here:

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear ________,

SRI LANKA: Innocent man fired on by Police in broad daylight at Mawanella

Name of Victim: Mr. Bodhipakshage Manjula Prabath Wijewardana of Nisansala, Arama, Aranayaka in the Kegalle District
Alleged perpetrators: Officers attached to the Mawanella Police Station
Date of incident: 13 June 2017
Place of incident: Mawanella Police Division

According to the information I have received, AT 10:30 a.m. on 13 June 2017, Mr. Bodhipakshage Manjula Prabath Wijewardana was waiting on the main road, in front of the Mayurapada Central College in the Town of Mawanella. Without warning several police officers appeared in front of him, took aim and directly fired at him. Manjula’s left leg was hit and he fell to the ground. Later he was brought by police jeep and admitted to the Mawanella Base Hospital for emergency treatment.

Before the shooting, Manjula was not aware that the police officers were going to arrest him. He was not ordered by the police to obey their orders. Manjula did not know of any reasons why the Police would abruptly, without warning, directly shoot at him. He was not given any reason for his arrest or shown an arrest warrant. Police failed to produce any evidence that they tried to arrest him in a peaceful manner. Manjula respectfully states that he never tried to escape from being arrested by the Police.

A Police Communiqué was issued, stating that Manjula escaped being arrested by the Police. They never produced any independent evidence that there was a legally issued arrest warrant against him. No facts were submitted showing that Manjula tried to run away and prevent the officers from arresting him.

The family members of Manjula maintain that the Police attempted to extra-judicially kill their relative. This is another indication of the faulty Policing System in Sri Lanka. It extra-judicially kills innocent suspects under the guise of crime prevention.

I therefore request your intervention to ensure that an immediate investigation is undertaken into the attempted murder of Manjula, abruptly and directly fired upon by Police. The Officers involved must also be subjected to an internal investigation for breach of Departmental Orders.

Yours Sincerely,
———————
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Mr. Pujith Jayasundara
Inspector General of Police
New Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 440440 / 327877
E-mail: igp@police.lk

2. Mr. Jayantha Jayasooriya PC
Attorney General
Attorney General’s Department
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 436421
E-mail: ag@attorneygeneral.gov.lk

3. Secretary
National Police Commission
3rd Floor, Rotunda Towers
109 Galle Road
Colombo 03
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 395310
Fax: +94 11 2 395867
E-mail: npcgen@sltnet.lk or polcom@sltnet.lk
4. Secretary
Human Rights Commission
No. 36, Kynsey Road
Colombo 8
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 694 925 / 673 806
Fax: +94 11 2 694 924 / 696 470
E-mail: sechrc@sltnet.lk

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)

ශ්‍රී ලංකාව වෙන්දේසි කිරීම

හම්බන්තොට වරාය පෞද්ගලීකරණය කරනු ලැබූ ආකාරය නිසා මුලු ජාතියම මහත් තිගැස්මකට ලක් වී ඇත. ලංකාව සතු වූ වැදගත්ම උපායමාර්ගික රාජ්‍ය දේපලක් පෞද්ගලීකරණය කිරීමේ ගිවිසුම අත්සන් කිරීමට පෙර එය පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ විවාදයට ගැනීමට ආණ්ඩුවට යුතුකමක් තිබුණත්, එවැනි කිසිදේකට ඔවුන් ඉඩ හැරියේ නැත. වරායේ වටිනාකම තක්සේරු කලේ කවුදැයි කියා කවුරුත් දන්නේ නැත. මේ සම්බන්ධයෙන් තාක්‍ෂණික ඇගයීම පිළිබද වාර්තාවක් කිසිවෙකුත් දැක නැත.  හම්බන්තොට වරාය සඳහා ලන්සු ඉදිරිපත් කළ  දෙපාර්ශවය අතරින් අදාල සමාගම තෝරාගනු ලැබුවේ කුමන නිර්නායක මතදැයි කියාවත් ආණ්ඩුව ජනතාවට පැහැදිලි කර නැත. අපට ලැබී ඇති සියළුම තොරතුරු වලින් පෙනෙන්නේ, ලංකාවට වඩාත්ම වාසිදායක වූයේ අනෙක් ලන්සුව බවයි.

රාජ්‍ය දේපල විකිණීමට මේ ඇති වී තිබෙන මහා උවමනාවට හේතුව වත්මන් ආණ්ඩුව මේ රටේ ඇතිකර තිබෙන ආර්ථික අර්බුදයයි. 2015 ජනවාරියේදී යහපාලකයෝ බොරු කියා ජනාධිපතිවරණය දිනාගත් පසු ඒ ක්‍රමයටම  ඊළඟට එන පාර්ලිමේන්තු මැතිවරණයත් ජය ගැනීමට නොහැකි නිසා ඔවුන් කලේ වෙනත් ආකාරයට ජනතාව මුලා කිරීමට රජයේ සේවකයන්ගේ වැටුප් වැඩිකර, ඉන්ධන, ගෑස් හා තෝරාගත් ආහාර ද්‍රව්‍යවල මිල අඩු කිරීමයි.

මේ නිසා ආණ්ඩුවේ වියදම් එක්වරම විශාල වශයෙන් ඉහල ගිය අතර ඊට සමගාමීව ආණ්ඩුවේ ආදායම් එක් වරම අඩුවිය. විගණකාධිපතිවරයාගේ වාර්තාවට අනුව 2014 දී දළ දේශීය නිශ්පාදිතයෙන් 5.7% ක් වූ අය වැය පරතය, 2015 දී යහපාලන ආණ්ඩුව බලයට පත් වී එක් අවුරුද්දක් තුළ 10.5% දක්වා  දෙගුණයකට ආසන්න ප්‍රමාණයකින් වැඩි වී තිබුණි.

රජයේ සේවකයන්ගේ වැටුප් ඇතුළුව ආණ්ඩුවේ එදිනෙදා වියදම් පියවා ගැනීමට මුදල් නොමැති නිසා ඔවුන් මහා පරිමානයෙන් ණය ලබා ගැනීමට  පටන්ගත්තේය. අවුරුදු දෙකහමාරක කෙටි කාලයක් තුළ ඇමරිකානු ඩොලර් බිලියන 13.7 කට වැඩියෙන් මේ ආණ්ඩුව විදෙස් විනිමය ණය පමණක් ලබාගෙන තියෙනවා යැයි කීවොත් බොහෝ දෙනා එය විශ්වාස කිරීමටත් මැලිවෙනු ඇත. මේ සියළුම මුදල් වැයකොට තිබෙන්නේ පරිභොජනය සඳහාය. ඇමරිකානු ඩොලර් බිලියන 13.7 කින් නොරොච්චෝලේ බලාගාර 10ක්, නැතිනම් හම්බන්තොට වරායවල් 10 ක්, නැතිනම් දක්‍ෂිණ අධිවේගී මාර්ග 20ක් තැනීමට හැකි වුවත් ආණ්ඩුව මේ ලබාගත් විදෙස් ණය කන්දරාවෙන් අලුතෙන් බෝක්කුවක්වත් ඉදිකර නැත.

ජාත්‍යන්තර මූල්‍ය අරමුදලේ උපදෙස් මත මේ ණය ගෙවීම සඳහා 2016 දී වැට් බද්ද ඇතුලුව ආණ්ඩුවේ බදු ගනනාවක්ම වැඩි කරණ ලදී. මරණාසන්න රෝගීන් මත පවා බදු පැනවීමෙන් පසුව වත්, ඔවුන් ලබා ගත් ඩොලර් බිලියන 13.7 ක ණය ගෙවීමට ප්‍රමාණවත් මුදල් සොයා ගැනිමට නොහැකි වූ නිසා ‘බදු නොවන’ ආදායම් මාර්ග කොරෙහි ආණ්ඩුව අවධානය යොමුකර ඇත. රජය සතු දේපොල විකිණීමට පටන්ගෙන තිබෙන්නේ මේ සඳහාය. යහපාලන ආණ්ඩුවේ අයවැය යෝජනා වලින් පෙනෙන්නේ ඔවුන් කොළඹ හිල්ටන් හෝටලය වැනි විශේෂ උපායමාර්ගික වැදගත් කමක් නැති රජයට අයත් ආයනවල සිට උපායමාර්ගික වැදගත් කමක් ඇති නොරොච්චෝලේ බලාගාරය වැනි ආයතන දක්වා සියල්ල විකිණීමට සූදානම් වෙමින් සිටින බවය. හම්බන්තොට වරාය ආරම්භයක් පමණි. මීලඟට විකුණන්නේ මත්තල ගුවන් තොටුපල බව අගමැතිවරයා දැනටම පවසා ඇත. කොළඹ – කටුණායක අධිවේගී මාර්ගයත්, දක්‍ෂිණ අධිවේගී මාර්ගයත්, ජලාපවාහන මණ්ඩලයත්, විදුලිබල මණ්ඩලයත් පුද්ගලීකරණයට නැතිනම් විදේශීයකරණයට නියමිත ආයතන අතර වේ.

මේ අකාරයට රජයට අයත් දේපල විකිණීම සාධාරණීකරනය කරනු පිණිස සිතාමතාම ඒවා පාඩු ලබන තැනට මේ ආණ්ඩුව වැඩ සලස්වන බවද පෙනේ. හම්බන්තොට වරායේ නැව් වලට තෙල් සැපයීමේ ව්‍යාපාරය ඔවුන් නවතා දැමුවේ මේ සඳහාය. හම්බන්තොට වරාය ඉදිකිරීමට ගිය මුලු ණය පියවීම සඳහා 2036 වන විට ඇමරිකානු ඩොලර් මිලියන 1,761 ක් ගෙවිය යුතු වේ. ඒ, වරාය ඉදිකිරීමට ගිය ඩොලර් මිලියන 1,266 හා දශක තුනක් තිස්සේ එයට එකතුවන ඩොලර් මිලියන 495 ක පොළිය යන දෙකේම එකතුවයි. නමුත් එලෙස ගෙවීමට ඇති මුලු ඩොලර් මිලියන 1,761 න් ඩොලර් මිලියන 500ක්ම  2016 අවසාන වන විට ගෙවා තිබුණි. මේ ණය ගෙවනු ලැබුවේ වරාය අධිකාරියේ ලාභයෙන් වන නිසා එම ගෙවීම කිරීමේ අසීරුතාවයක් වත් බදු ගෙවන්නාට කිසිදු බරක්වත් තිබුණේ නැත. නමුත් මෙය පෞද්ගලීකරණය කිරීමෙන් පසු හම්බන්තොට වරාය ඉදිකිරීමට ගත් ණය, වරාය අධිකාරියෙන් මහා භාණ්ඩාගාරයට පැවරීම හේතුවෙන් මේ ණය ගෙවීමේ බර දැන් පැටවී ඇත්තේ ඍජුවම මහජනතාව මතය.

කොළඹ ෂැන්ග්‍රිලා හෝටලය ඉදිකිරීම සඳහා ඉඩම මගේ ආණ්ඩුව විසින් ඍජුවම විකුණුවේ යැයි කීමෙන් හම්බන්තොට වරාය පුද්ගලීකරණය කිරීම සාධාරණීකරණය කිරිමට ආණ්ඩුව උත්සාහ කරන බවක් පෙනේ. හෝටලයක් ඉදිකිරීමට යන අක්කර කීපය කිසිසේත්ම පර්යන්ත 4ක් හා ජැටි 12ක් පමණක් නොව අක්කර 5,000 ක කර්මාන්ත කලාපයක්ද සහිත ප්‍රධාන වරායකට සමාන කල නොහැක. එමෙන්ම ෂැන්ග්‍රිලා ඉඩමට හම්බන්තොට වරාය මෙන් උපාමාර්ගික වැදගත් කමක්ද නැත. තවද, ෂැන්ග්‍රිලා ඉඩම ආණ්ඩුවේ සංවර්ධන සැලැස්මට අනුව හෝටලයක් සඳහා මිස වෙනත් ප්‍රයෝජනයකට ගත නොහැකි බවට කොන්දේසියක් ද විය. කොළඹ වරාය නගරයෙන්ද ඉඩමක් මගේ ආණ්ඩුවෙන් චීනයට ලබාදුන් බවද මේ ආණ්ඩුවෙන් කියයි.

වරාය නගරය යනු, ලංකාවේ දැනට තියෙන ඉඩමක් නොව මහ මුහුද ගොඩ කර තනණ අලුත් ඉඩමකි. මෙතන අලුතින් ඉඩමක් නිර්මාණය කර ඉන් ඉතාමත්ම සුළු කොටසක් ඉදිකිරීම් ගාස්තු වශයෙන් අදාල සමාගමට ලබාදී මේ ව්‍යාපෘතිය සදහා ලංකාවට සත පහක්වත් ගෙවීමට සිදු නොවෙන ආකාරයට මගේ ආණ්ඩුව ගිවිසුමකට එළඹ තිබුණි. චීන සමාගමට ලැබෙන ඉඩමද ඔවුන්ට සංවර්ධනය කිරීමට සිදුවන්නේ ලංකාවේ නීතියට යටත්වය. එපමණක්ද නොව, වරාය නගරයේ ඉඩම් උපායමාර්ගික වටිනාකමක් ඇති ඉඩම් නොව තනිකරම වානිජ ඉඩම්ය. මගේ ආණ්ඩුව විදේශිකයන් හා විදේශීය සමාගම් ලංකාවේ ඉඩම් මිලදී ගැනීම සීමා කරමින් 2014 අංක 38 දරණ ඉඩම් (සන්තකය පැවරීම සීමා කිරීමේ) පනත සම්මත කළ බවද, වත්මන් ආණ්ඩුව ඒ පනවා තිබූ සීමා කිරීම් 2017 අංක 3 දරණ සංශෝධන පනතකින් ඉවත් කළ බවද කවුරුත් මතක තබා ගත යුතුය. මගේ ආණ්ඩුව කලේ අලුත් දේවල් ඉදිකිරීමය. වත්මන් ආණ්ඩුව කරන්නේ, මගේ ආණ්ඩුවෙන් නිර්මාණය කළ දේවල් විකුණා ජීවත්වීමයි.

හම්බන්තොට වරාය පෞද්ගලීකරණයෙන් ලැබෙන ඩොලර් බිලියන 1.12 ක මුදල එය ඉදිකිරීමට ගිය ණය ගෙවීමට භාවිතා නොකර ආණ්ඩුවේ එදිනෙදා වියදම් පියවා ගැනීම සඳහා මහා භාණ්ඩාගාරයට පවරා ඇත. වත්මන් ආණ්ඩුවට ඩොලර් බිලියන 1.12 ක් යනු සුළු මුදලක් වන අතර මීට කලින් ඔවුන් ලබාගත් ඩොලර් බිලියන 13.7 මෙන්ම එයද ඉතා ඉක්මණින්ම වාශ්ප වී යනු ඇත. හම්බන්තොට වරාය පුද්ගලීකරණය කළ ආකාරය ගැන මහජන විරෝධය නැගී එත්ම, මගේ ආණ්ඩුවද මුලු හම්බන්තොට වරායම මේ ආකාරයට චීනයට පැවරීමට ගිවිසුම්ගතව සිටියා යැයි කියමින් යහපාලන ඇමතිවරුන් තමන් කළ නොහොබිනා ක්‍රියාව සාධාරණීකරනය කිරීමට තැත් කරමින් සිටින බව අපට පෙනේ. මොවුන් මේ කියන්නේ මහා මුසාවකි. මගේ ආණ්ඩුව ප්‍රතිපත්තියක් හැටියට පුද්ගලීකරණයට හා විදේශියකරණයට විරුද්ධ වූවා  පමණක් නොව, කළින් ආණ්ඩු වලින් පුද්ගලීකරණය කර තිබුණු ඇතැම් ආයතන ආපසු රජයට පවරා ගත් බවද කවුරුත් දනී.

වර්ථමානයේ සිදුවෙන ආකාරයට දිගටම වැඩකටයුතු කෙරුනොත්, මේ ආණ්ඩුව අවසන් වන විට ලංකාවේ කිසිදු ජාතික දේපලක් ඉතිරි වන්නේ නැත. මුලු ලංකාවම විදේශිය ගැනුම් කරුවන්ට විකුණා දැමීමට මේ ආණ්ඩුවට ඇති සැලසුමට එරෙහිව ජනතාව සෑම ගමකම, සෑම නගරයකම හා සෑම වැඩ පොලකම සංවිධානය විය යුතුය.

මහින්ද රාජපක්‍ෂ
ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ පස්වන විධායක ජනාධිපති

Translated by : A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA

A giant figure of the Joint opposition and a leader of the Leftists in Sri Laanka, the Ratnapura district United People’s Alliance parliamentarian Mr. Vasudeva Nanayakkara said that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe should take the full responsibility for giving Haambantota Port to China.  He says that the Port was sold by making SLFP National List Ministers Mahinda Samarasinghe and Sarath munugama as Ranil’s stooges.

Addressing a media conference MP Nanayakkara said that the people of this country have well understood the policies of the United National Party and in order to implement these policies the reactionaries of this country established United National Party governments from time to time since 1948.  He said that UNP policies are especially based on mainly implementing on privatization, reactionary foreign policy, and neo liberal democracy and it is the responsibility of that party leader to implement these policies.

Accordingly profit making and not making State Institutions in this country including the Tractor Corporaation, Cement Corporation, Plywood Corporation, Wellawatte and Thulhiriya  textile Mills, United Motors, National Insurance Corporation, State Steel Corporation, Oils and Fats Corporation, Kelani Tyre Corporation, State Distillery Corporation were sold to the Private Sector.  By today some of those people who purchased some of these State institutions have even sold its movable and immovable properties and defrauded several million rupees to the Banks in respect of loans they have taken.

It was the United National Party that appointed the President of this country on 8^th January 2015.  It selected a person to implement its policies that were interrupted in 1994 and 2004.  That was to implement their policies through Ranil Wickremasinghe or his nominees. For this purpose, to topple the then extremely powerful progressive government led by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party they selected Maithripala Sirisena who was the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party then.

Sometimes, if Nimal Siripala de Silve who was a powerful personality in the Rajapaksa government then agreed to the proposals of Ranil and the reactionaries, he would have been the United National Party sponsored President of this country today instead of Sirisea..

Therefore, whoever who is in the government it is a government of implementing UNP policies and in that government despite wearing a blue coloured attire, it will not be a government implementing Bandaranaike policies, or progressive or Leftist policies. It is just like by going former Minister Muslim Imtitias Bakeer Markar to Ananda College in Colombo or former Minister Buddhist Dharmadasa Banda to Zahira College in Maradana. Such visits will not make Ananda College in Colombo a Nuslim School or Zahira College in Maradana a Buddhist School.

Just because Maithree or SLFP Ministers are in the governmet it will not become a government upholding the Bandaranaike policies or Progressive policies.  At the same time, Ranil or any other UNP leader has not set their foot at the SLFP Headquarters at Darley Road.   But, President Maithripala Sirisena has visited the UNP Headquartwes before he became the President and after he became the President.

The Chairman of the committee appointed to sell the Hmbantota port was the SLFP Nationalist MP Dr, Sarath Amunugama.  He is the Minister in charge of special projects in this government.  The Minister who implemented the sale of the Hmbantota port was the SLFP Nationalist MP Mahinda Samarasinghe.  The person who signed the sale agreement of the Hmbantota port was Parakrama Dissnanaayake who was appointed to the post of the Chirman of the Ports Authority by the said Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe.

The sale has been carried out violting all government rules and regulations pertaining to the procurement procedures and against the Ports Authority Act.  This sale ha been implemented illegally by a committee comprising the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Dr. R.H.S.Sanaratunge, the Secretary to the Ministry of Ports and Navigation Mr. L.P.Jayampaathi, the Secretary to the Ministry of Strategic Development and international Trade Chandani warden, the Secretary to the Cabinet Sumith Abeysinghe, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation Mr. Nihal Somaweera.

All these appointments have been made by Mr. Maithripala Sirisena as the Executive President of this counry and as the Pressident of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. Actually it was possible to halt the sale of the Hambantota Port, at least temporarily. because of former Minister of Ports Mr. Aruna Ranatunga who came to parliament by obtaining UNP votes from the Gampaha district and the Ports Authority Chaairman appointed by him.

By looking at this it seems that Mr. Vasudeva Nanayakkara who is the Ratnapura District U PFA MP and a representative of the joint opposition has a wrong impression about the Hambantota Harbour sale.  That is because he is also a Lawyer it is like filing a case against the second accused by overlooking the 1^st accused.

It should speciaaly be mentioned even a Provincial Council in this country is not empowered to offer even an inch of land in this country even to a poor person.  It is only the Executive President of this county who is empowered with this authority.  Therefore it is hilarious to find saying that the Prime Minister sold a priceless harbour which is a national wealth together with nearly 5000 acres amounting to more than 1500 hectares.  Therefore, those who induce to appoint a National Economic Council overriding the Prime Minister’s Economic Committee and attempt to conceal this matter will earn the curse of several generations. They will earn the curse for contributing to carry out this crime.

(Source : Lanka C News)

Sudath Gunasekara

This is the time for you to act and save your neck and get exonerated from all sins you have committed since the day you left the SLFP on the instructions of Chandrika in Nov 2014.

I don’ think I need to tell you who the 40 thieves are.  I will only name the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th that is Ravi Karunanayaka, Arjun Mahenran and Arjun Aloysius: (the James Bond of bond business) as people call him.

The first, I hope you know better than anyone else does as you are so close to him, though he is leagues away from you. He is just in front of or behind you, though you pretend not to see him or you don’t see him at all for obvious reasons. if you find it difficult to locate him please ask anyone other than the Alibaba. The rest 36 thieves you can find out from the Central Bank, Treasury and perhaps from the political and business circle, may be the Cabinet and Parliament, who have benefitted from this mega robbery. You can either use the above four as informants or through your own grape wine. Both Alibaba and his thieves will most probably be elephants in rut or those who have benefitted from this scam.

PS : I have made a similar request to you. It was Posted on April 30th, 2017 to Lankaweb but you have not taken it seriously. You must have thought I am another MR supporter or someone who cries Woolf! Woolf!

With best wishes for you and the country!

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about the extrajudicial killing of Mr. A D Pushpakumara. He was arrested on 18 June 2017 by police officers attached to the Pitigala Police Station following a domestic violence complaint made by his wife. He was publicly tortured at the time of his arrest, witnessed by numerous onlookers. His body was found the next morning floating in the Oluvila Canal. No investigation has yet been carried out into his death, although the police claim Pushpakumara escaped from police custody on the night of June 18.

CASE NARRATIVE:

Mr. A D Pushpakumara was born in Seeduwa, Gampaha District. Following his second marriage, he started to live at Manampitiya, Poddiwela, Elpitiya in Galle District.

On 18 June 2017, his wife made a complaint to the Pitigala Police Station regarding a family dispute between Pushpakumara and his wife. Later in the evening, several police officers arrested Pushpakumara at Ambana, Elpitiya, close to his residing village. Several villagers also helped the police to arrest him following the orders of the police. At the time of arrest, he was tortured by the police officers, and it was publicly witnessed. Then he was brought to the Pitigala Police Station and detained in the cell.

On the next morning, Pushpakumara’s body was seen floating in the Oluvila Canal by residents of the area. The police were immediately told, and they brought the body out of the water. Many injuries were witnessed by observers on the body. The body was then taken to the Elpitiya Base Hospital.

Meanwhile, a Police Communiqué was issued, stating that Pushpakumara escaped police detention on the night of June 18, and his body was found in the Oluvila Canal on June 19.

Pushpakumara’s relatives maintain that he was illegally arrested and extrajudicially killed by the Police. This is another indication of the faulty policing system in Sri Lanka, which extrajudicially kills innocent suspects in the guise of crime prevention.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

The Asian Human Rights Commission has reported numerous cases of arbitrary arrest, detention, torture and extrajudicial killings of citizens at the hands of the Sri Lankan police. Under international and local law, these are illegal actions. They have been taking place daily at police stations all over Sri Lanka. It is common knowledge that the Police use torture as an instrument to terrorize innocent people, harass the general public and instill fear. Presently, the Police are implementing a policy of ‘elimination with extreme persuasion’ or in plain language–murdering suspected criminals. They arrest and kill people without their ever being produced in a Court of Law.

Needless to say, there is a lack of protection for those lawyers willing to take up cases against abusive Police Officers and State Authorities. This means that the law continues to be employed as a tool by the authorities to control people. By undermining society’s respect for the law and allowing impunity to go on unabated, a long-term, psychological and financial burden is placed on the shoulders of victims, their families and the general population.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write to the authorities listed below expressing your concern about this case. Kindly request an immediate investigation into allegations of extra-judicial killings by the Police. Prosecution of those proven to be responsible under Criminal Law is imperative. The officers involved should also be subject to an internal investigation for breach of Police Departmental Orders. The AHRC will write a separate letter to the Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions in this regard.

To support this case, please click here:

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear ________,

SRI LANKA: Innocent man extrajudicially killed by Pitigala Police

Name of Victim: Mr. A D Pushpakumara of Manampitiya, Poddiwela, Elpitiya in Galle District

Alleged perpetrators: Officers attached to the Pitigala Police Station
Date of incident: 18 June 2017
Place of incident: Pitigala Police Division

According to the information I have received, Mr. A D Pushpakumara was born in Seeduwa, Gampaha District. Following his second marriage, he started to live at Manampitiya, Poddiwela, Elpitiya in Galle District.

On 18 June 2017, his wife made a complaint to the Pitigala Police Station regarding a family dispute between Pushpakumara and his wife. Later in the evening, several police officers arrested Pushpakumara at Ambana, Elpitiya, close to his residing village. Several villagers also helped the police to arrest him following the orders of the police. At the time of arrest, he was tortured by the police officers, and it was publicly witnessed. Then he was brought to the Pitigala Police Station and detained in the cell.

On the next morning, Pushpakumara’s body was seen floating in the Oluvila Canal by residents of the area. The police were immediately told, and they brought the body out of the water. Many injuries were witnessed by observers on the body. The body was then taken to the Elpitiya Base Hospital.

Meanwhile, a Police Communiqué was issued, stating that Pushpakumara escaped police detention on the night of June 18, and his body was found in the Oluvila Canal on June 19.
Pushpakumara’s relatives maintain that he was illegally arrested and extrajudicially killed by the Police. This is another indication of the faulty policing system in Sri Lanka, which extrajudicially kills innocent suspects in the guise of crime prevention.

I therefore request your intervention to ensure that an immediate investigation is undertaken into the death of Pushpakumara. The officers involved must also be subjected to an internal investigation for breach of Departmental Orders.

Yours Sincerely,
———————
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Mr. Pujith Jayasundara
Inspector General of Police
New Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 440440 / 327877
E-mail: igp@police.lk

2. Mr. Jayantha Jayasooriya PC
Attorney General
Attorney General’s Department
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 436421
E-mail: ag@attorneygeneral.gov.lk

3. Secretary
National Police Commission
3rd Floor, Rotunda Towers
109 Galle Road
Colombo 03
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 395310
Fax: +94 11 2 395867
E-mail: npcgen@sltnet.lk or polcom@sltnet.lk

4. Secretary
Human Rights Commission
No. 36, Kynsey Road
Colombo 8
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 694 925 / 673 806
Fax: +94 11 2 694 924 / 696 470
E-mail: sechrc@sltnet.lk

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)

Hindu

Mon, Jul 31, 2017

July 31 (Hindu) Here’s an explainer on bottom trawling and deep-sea fishing, and the impact of the ban on fishermen from Tamil Nadu. The Sri Lankan Parliament unanimously passed an Amendment to the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act on July 6 that declared the method of fishing by bottom trawling an offence.

It is aimed at curbing local trawlers as well as deterring trawlers from Tamil Nadu. Here’s an explainer on bottom trawling and deep-sea fishing, and the impact of the ban on fishermen from Tamil Nadu.

What is bottom trawling?

Bottom trawling, an ecologically destructive practice, involves trawlers dragging weighted nets along the sea-floor, causing great depletion of aquatic resources. The net is spread along the sea-floor to catch shrimp and fish like halibut and sole; however, bottom trawling also captures juvenile fish, thus exhausting the ocean’s resources and affecting marine conservation efforts.

What is the punishment for violators?

According to the amended Act, a violation will now attract a possible two-year prison term and a fine of Rs. 50,000 (Sri Lankan).

Did Tamil Nadu fishermen alone engage in such practice?

This practice was started by Tamil Nadu fishermen and actively pursued at the peak of the civil war in Sri Lanka. But after the decimation of the LTTE and its Sea Tigers in 2009, a small section of the northern Sri Lankan fisher folk too began using trawlers to maximise profits. Hence, it would be right to say that Tamil fishermen from both sides are engaged in this practice.

What is the initial reaction from fishermen to the amended Act?

Tamil Nadu fishermen have termed the amendment“draconian and aimed at crushing the livelihood of the fishers once for all”. They have urged the Union government to prevail upon the Sri Lankan government to withdraw the Bill. But N.V. Subramanian, secretary of the Association for Northern Province Fisher People’s Unity, says “A complete ban on bottom trawling is an important and very positive step. It will not only deter Indian fishermen but also prevent local trawlers from engaging in the practice.”

Were there any talks between India and Sri Lanka for a solution?

The Joint Working Group on Fisheries, formed by the two countries in November 2016, stated that it would meet every three months while the Ministers of Fisheries on both sides would meet every six months (from Jan. 2017) along with the Coast Guard and naval representatives to discuss the protracted issue.

Then, what made Sri Lanka hasten the Bill?

Fishermen of both countries have been in talks for a long time to resolve the conflict. While the Sri Lankan fishermen want an immediate end to incursions by Indian trawlers, those from Tamil Nadu insist on a three-year phase-out period. The proposal to ban bottom trawling is two years old.

What is the solution?

The solution lies in transition from trawling to deep-sea fishing. The Central and Tamil Nadu governments plan to provide 500 deep-sea fishing boats with long lines and gill nets this year as part of a plan to replace 2,000 trawlers in three years.

What is deep-sea fishing?

The activity of catching fish that live in the deep parts of the sea/ocean is called deep-sea fishing. The boats are designed in such a way that fishermen get access to the deeper parts of the ocean and fish species. It is practiced worldwide, especially in the coastal areas with no ecological damage.

Has the project been launched?

Yes, last week Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally launched the project to promote deep-sea fishing among Ramanathapuram fishermen by handing over work orders to five fishermen for the construction of tuna long-liners with gill nets. As per the project, 2,000 deep-sea fishing boats, costing Rs. 1, 600 crore, will replace trawlers in three years.

How many fishermen will benefit from the transition?

Nearly 14,000 fishers from the Palk Bay will be benefitted by the transtion. So far, more than 1,000 fishermen from Kanniyakumari and Nagapattinam districts have registered with the authorities for deep-sea fishing.

What is the cost factor of tuna long-liners with gill nets and its yield?

A boat costs Rs. 80 lakhs. The Centre’s contribution will be 50% and the State government will pitch in with 20% share. Of the remaining 30%, 20% will comprise institutional finance and 10% will be the beneficiary’s contribution. The duration of the deep-sea voyage would be between 15 days to four weeks and the yield from each voyage is expected to be 8-10 tonnes of high value catch. This will work out to a profit of Rs. 7-8 lakh a voyage.

Are there any apprehensions about this scheme?

Rameswaram fishermen say the beneficiary contribution of Rs. 8 lakhs (10% of the cost of a tuna long-liner) is very high. They want that to be reduced considerably, if not waived. However, the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department said the beneficiary contribution was finalised after holding discussions with the fishing community. The department also clarified that fishermen have to pay their contribution only at a later stage. It promised to “fine-tune” the project if there are any hurdles in its implementation.

 Dr Sarath Obeysekera

I was reading about the air port in Colombo next to the port suggested by the minister. I burst into  laughing and wondered why politicians listen to the crap proposed by the professors from universities who have no clue about real life .We have an airport and what we need is to connect the airport highway to southern highway   at Kadawatha and to  build the Kandy Highway as well as Trinco highway . They can build a highway to Kalpitiya and Jaffna if they need better connectivity. If they really want to expand Airport there  is plenty  of land which can be acquired in Katunayake.Trinco an Baticoloa airports can be upgraded  to International Standards and we will benefit

It looks like some people who  have visited Naritha and Hong Kong and got the bright idea .To my understandings filling up Kotte marsh and building a Parliament was a stupid idea .We have used much of national wealth to build this white elephant .

Likewise building an airport in Colombo is sheer stupidity .I wonder whether LRT in Colombo Canal Transportation System ,River transportation etc are also such dreams which we may never see in reality

I keep wondering why technocrats who are advising the politicians make such unrealistic proposal and hood wink the public .

 lanka C news

තමන් මේ රටේ රූකඩ පාලකයෙක් පමණක් බව ජනාධිපති මෛත‍්‍රිපාල සිරිසේන ඔප්පු කර අවසන් බව ජනතා විමුක්ති පෙරමුණේ නායක අනුර දිසානායක මහතා පවසයි.

ජනාධිපති රූකඩයක් යයි කලින් පැවතියේ සැකයක් වුවත් හම්බන්තොට වරාය ගිවිසුම අගමැතිට උවමනා හැටියට අත්සන් කිරීමෙන් තමන් රූකඩයක් පමණක් බව ජනාධිපතිවරයා විසින් ඔප්පු කර අවසන් බවද ඔහු සදහන් කලේ ජන හමුවක් අමතමිනි.

තමන් රූකඩයක්ද නැතොත් මේ රටේ පාලකයාදැයි ජනාධිපතිවරයා විසින් ඔප්පු කල යුතුව ඇතැයිද ඔහු වැඩි දුරටත් පැවසීය.

Lahiru Pothmulla Courtesy The Daily Mirror

The Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) yesterday said the Hambantota Port agreement signed with the China Merchant Company was corrupt and that it was evident an ‘Aloysius’ was behind this deal.

It said a five-member committee had reviewed two proposals, one more favourable than the other, submitted by two companies to lease out the port but the government had opted to the least profitable agreement.

The China Merchant Company agreed to provide US$ 1,888 million to the government for 99 years whereas the China Harbour Company had agreed to give US$ 3,281 million for only 50 years. China Merchant doesn’t give one third of the revenue of China Harbour for 99 years. Therefore, its evident that there is an ‘Aloysius’ behind this agreement. We will be able to expose all details near future.” PHU General Secretary MP Udaya Gammanpila told a news briefing.

He said others advised them not to provoke China, which will become a world powerhouse in future, when the former government members pledged to publicise the port under one of their governments.

The LTTE was considered as unbeatable but former President Mahinda Rajapaksa eliminated them. Vietnam defeated the US armies. The most important incident is Panama owning the rights of Panama Canal after going against the US for three decades. If we adopt the corect method, we can defeat powerhouses,” the MP said.

While rejecting reports that the port was operated under heavy loses, he said it had continued to collect a generous profit till 2016 and had comfortably paid back installments of the loan obtained to construct the port.

He said the revenue obtained from signing the deal would not be utilized to settle the loan and that the amount of debt of the country would remain unchanged. ()

Ports’ Act questioning whether port can be given away – Ranawaka 

Motion of no confidence should be passed against the govt. – Mahinda 

Ven. Ananda Thero added that a party made out of 15 Buddhist monks will be created in the near future and stated that they have received blessings from the Chief Monks for this establishment.

He further stated that the people of Sri Lanka elected the government into power to bring about change, not to sell off the country’s natural resources.

Ven. Ananda Thero further added that the party consisting of the 15 monks will set out to educate the public on how the government is selling off the country’s natural resources.

A special Ayubowan Program about Sri lankas First ever heart transplant operation
viewer dicreation adviced (containg a open surgery)

https://youtu.be/mBxLkvL4-qs

By Shivanthi Ranasinghe Courtesy Ceylon Today

When Mahinda Rajapaksa became Sri Lanka’s sixth President in 2005, we were up against three wars – terrorism, poverty and corruption. We won the war against terrorism in 2009. By 2014, the key economic indicators in comparison to 2004 reveal the economic revolution we have had during this period.

Briefly, the economic indicators in 2004 and 2014 were:

GDP in 2004 – USD 20.7; in 2014 – USD 80.0

Average inflation in 2004 – 9%; in 2014 – 3.3%

Foreign reserves in 2004 – USD 2.3 billion; in 2014 USD 8.3 billion

Debt/GDP ratio in 2004 – 102.3%; in 2014 – 70.7%

FDIs in 2004 – 24 billion; in 2014 – 1.6 billion

All share price index in 2004 – 1506; in 2014 – 7299

Unemployment in 2004 – 8.3%; in 2014 – 4.3%

The war against corruption on the other hand lost the political will. Overconfident in a grateful nation, the Rajapaksa administration did not counter or investigate the allegations. This only fuelled more stories of corruption. This in turn tarnished the gigantic and rapid infrastructural development projects of the time as they were portrayed as channels to earn massive commissions. In fact, it was alleged that one third of the money went to line the Rajapaksa pockets. Basil Rajapaksa who played a key role in these projects earned the nickname, ‘Mr. Ten Percent’.

People angered over these allegations never stopped to question the obvious – if one third of the money received from foreign bank loans was pocketed, then how was the project completed. This anger translated into Mahinda Rajapaksa’s defeat, who left office in 2015 labelled as a thief and a rogue. Some posts on social media requested the new government to forget everything and just catch the thieves – that’s enough!

With Maithripala Sirisena coming in as the new president, an era of good governance was expected as never before. He immediately made Ranil Wickremesinghe the Prime Minister. Despite the fact that there already was a sitting PM, which made the new appointment unconstitutional, it did not create a ripple. Though the Opposition accuse Wickremesinghe of securing the premiership through the backdoor, it was not so. Throughout the 2014-2015 Presidential Election campaign, Sirisena openly pledged to make Wickremesinghe his PM. That is the main reason for the loyalists of United National Party en mass to vote for the Common Candidate, who throughout his political career had belonged to the arch-rival Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

Wickremesinghe does not fare well at elections. Still, UNP stalwarts believed him to be a great administrator. In the 70s he worked through the party ranks and became the youngest Cabinet minister in his uncle JR Jayewardene’s government. Against the likes of Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake, he did not shine. Though he was instrumental in introducing the Sri Lanka National Guard and the National Youth Services Council (NYSCO) to provide vocational and career training to school leavers, schools in rural areas remained rural and training programmes for teachers were halted.

However, during the Premadasa government, he won the confidence of the business community, despite the role he played in suppressing the ’88-’89 Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna uprising. The Premadasa administration’s excesses were seen a necessary evil to counter the JVP brutality. During Chandrika Kumaratunga’s time, he stabilized a dangerously tottering economy. This further accentuated the business community’s confidence in him. It was believed that it was the people who did not give him the chance to perform the economic miracles he is capable of.

The Unity Government, that saw all political foes united, was the opportunity for Wickremesinghe to unleash his potential and take the country to the next economic revolution. Furthermore, his liberal views won the trust of the West, which the Rajapaksa administration did not have for most of its tenure. Together with this capability and confidence of the West, many believed the country needed Wickremesinghe.

The other attribute that stood in Wickremesinghe’s stead was that he was widely regarded as ‘Mr. Clean’. Under him, voters surmised the country stricken down by corruption would get the much needed break.

Though Sirisena was the Executive President, it was the more politically savvy Wickremesinghe who took hold of the new administration’s reigns. Again, it was expected as Sirisena came to power to abolish executive presidential powers and leave after his first term.

However, when Wickremesinghe appointed Ravi Karunanayake as the Finance Minister people were unhappy. Many perceived it as letting the fox guard the chicken coop. Wickremesinghe soothed these concerns by taking the Central Bank, which has traditionally been under the Finance Ministry, under his wing.

At the same time, Wickremesinghe appointed Arjuna Mahendran, a Singaporean citizen, as the Central Bank Governor. Though to the general public Mahendran was an unfamiliar entity, Sirisena loyalists including Sirisena himself objected. It was only after Wickremesinghe pledged to take responsibility that the appointment got through. The objection to Mahendran arose not because he disparaged the country’s economy in 2005, but because of his close family links to Raj Rajaratnam.

In 2006, Karunanayake and Mahendran met Rajaratnam in his Madison Avenue ‘Galleon Fund Management’ New York office, , and received a cheque for USD three million to buy Union Bank shares in his personal name through his Securities Investment account.

Instead, the cheque was wired via Standard Chartered Bank to an unrelated party, Nexia Corporation Services Limited, a nominee account of Lincoln Piyasena, without the Central Bank’s authority. The prosecution accused Karunanayake of aiding and abetting Rajaratnam to attempt laundering money. In 2009, Karunanayake along with Nexia Corporation Services Limited and Piyasena were indicted on charges of not following the usual procedure.

Interestingly, shortly after Karunanayake returned to Sri Lanka with the said cheque, Rajaratnam came under US authority’s investigations. Someone from Sri Lanka tipped the authorities there that Rajaratnam was funding the proscribed terrorist group, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Indeed, investigations revealed that Rajaratnam had generously contributed USD 3.5 million to the LTTE fronted Tamil Rehabilitation Organization, but not since it was accused of its connection to the LTTE and had its assets frozen. Thus, there was no proof that Rajaratnam knowingly contributed to the LTTE.

However, the extensive wiretaps of conversations he had with his associates revealed ample evidence of insider trading, which had helped him generate profits or avoid losses of US $72 million. US Attorney Preet Bharara stated that the 11-year sentence Rajaratnam received proves “privileged professionals do not get a free pass to pursue profit through corrupt means.”

When Rajaratnam began his prison sentence in 2011, Karunanayake was already embroiled in the court case for money laundrering.

It was under the same black cloud that he assumed duties as the Yahapalana Government’s Finance Minister. In fact, on 29 January 2015, Karunanayake could not present himself to the Colombo High Court as he had to present the 2015 interim Budget before Parliament. The Court thus postponed the hearing to 4 March.

On 18 May 2015, the Colombo High Court discharged Karunanayake on all counts. However, the website ‘Colombo Telegraph’ reports that on 10 March 2017, Attorney-at-Law and Public Interest Litigation Activist Nagananda Kodituwakku complained to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption that former Attorney General Yuvanjana Wijayatilake had abused his office to unethically grant favours to Karunanayake in the money laundering case.

It was not only this case that stood against him. Karunanayake was the Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister from 2001-2004. During this time, his name was linked to two major scandals – the Sathosa bankruptcy and an issue with tin roofing assigned to the poor.

Today, he is linked to the alleged 2015 Central Bank Bond scam – considered the biggest heist in Sri Lanka banking history. On 24 July 2017 the Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing this scam heard from the former owner of Monarch Residencies that a company connected to Arjun Aloysius had paid the lease for a 4,000 square foot luxury apartment for the use of Karunanayake. After eight months, this apartment was purchased for Rs 165 million by a company whose directors are directly related to Karunanayake.

Wickremesinghe who initially made light of the CB Bonds scam makes no comment about it now. Recently Wickremesinghe pulled up Ranjan Ramanayaka for his indisciplined ramblings and asked him to leave the party if he must criticize it. Thus, his silence over mounting evidence against Karunanayake is very questionable.

This alleged scam took place over two years ago. Given Sri Lanka’s general tendencies, it should have died a natural death.

Furthermore, powerful trade unions such as the GMOA are more interested in the fate of SAITM, to which the Joint Opposition had lent its weight. No one protests or threatens trade union action over the CB Bond scam. Yet, the Presidential Commission keeps it alive. It is similar to the supplementary budgets estimates for ministers’ luxury vehicles which pop up just when the country is reeling after a disaster. Eventually, after the public’s feathers are sufficiently ruffled, President Sirisena kicks these to the bin, thus emerging as the champion of the people.

Though he lamented that his directive to sack Mahendran soon after the scam was ignored, he cannot exonerate himself. The simple reason being, he dissolved the 2015 Parliament to stop the COPE from exposing the scam and those who engineered it.

The tragedy for Yahapalana voters is the loss of an idol. The CB bBnd scam has smeared Wickremesinghe’s ‘Mr. Clean’ image with dirt. Successive trade union action by the powerful GMOA and CPC and the general unrest in the country has shot down his reputation as a good administrator. The falling key indicators have shredded illusions of him being a great economist. Exactly 30 years to the day after JRJ signed the Indo-Lanka Accord,Wickremesinghe signs the Hambantota Port agreement on 29 July 2017. The shameless genuflecting to the West who are interfering with our Constitution, national security and insisting on persecuting our military have turned Yahapalana to Yamapalana. The Yahapalana Government, brought in to catch the thieves, is accused of worse and voters do not know where to turn next.

ranasingheshivanthi@gmail.com

Translated by : A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA

The former Minister of Economic Development Mr. Basil Rajapaksa said that under a government that will be established in the future headed by Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa the Hambantota harbour sold by Maithri-Ranil Junta would definitely be nationalized.

He said that this agreement which had been signed by wrong personalities is not a legally valid agreement and regardless of whoever who became opposed to it, whether it be China, or India or whoever else the agreement will be annulled and the harbour will be nationalized.

Mr. Basil Rajapaksa made these comments speaking at a function held in Udugampola in Minuwangoda to officially establish the first electoral organisation of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) at the Reggie Ranatunga Conference Hall on 29^th July.

Speaking further Mr. Rajapaksa said that while he is happy about establishing the firtst electoral organisation of the SLPP on this day he also feel sad about this day being the day of selling the Hambantota harbour.

He said that it is a day of mourning as it was on a day like this the betrayal of the country to India was instituted by signing the Indo-Sri Lanka agreement.  Hambantota Harbour was the only poperty that was available for Sri Lanka to sell.  At present we do not have tea estates to sell because the UNP governments had already sold our tea estates.  He said that airports can be built anywhere in the world but there are only few countries where harbours can be built.

Even from that Hambantota harbour is the only harbour that is situated on the international navigation route.  They say hat this harbour was not sold but only leased it out.  This lease will end only in 2116.  None of those who are living today will live until 2116. For another 99 years.  Not only those who aree here but even a child who will be born today will live until that time.

If the child born today lives for 99 years only he or she will be able to see this harbour becoming to our ownership,  The harbour’s revenue rests on bunkering.  That is why the Petroleum Corporation employees staged a strike demanding that even if the government sell the harbour they should be given the right to carry out bunkering activities.  By the time this 99 year lease ends there will ge no ships in the world running on fuel.

By that time ships will run on nuclear or solar power.  The former British Government Agent of Hambantota Leonard Wolf also dreamt of a Magampura harbour.  It was Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa who built that harbour and added it as a national resource.  Similar to what we annulled some clauses in the Indo-Sri Lanka agreement, under a Mahinda Rajapaksa government this harbour agreement will also be definitely annulled and it will be nationalized.

For doing so sometimes India may get angry with us, or China may get angry with us.   This agreement is not proper.  This agreement has been signed by a wrong person.  Therefore it will certainly become invalid.

We must also speak about what happened to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.  Some people ask why a new party is being formed?

When we received independence in 1948 the administration of the country fell into the hands of black whites (Kalu Suddhas).  We waited till 1951 until the people of this country to acquire the ruling power.  When that was not happened the five great forces got together and formed the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. In 1956 General Election the MEP government led by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party was created and the Sinhalala language was made the official language of this country.

Do we have the Sri Lanka Freedom Party policies in that party today?  A person calling himself as the President of the party while sitting in the President’s chair has sold the harbour built by Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa.  Now he says that he changed that agreement. But it is only for the President of the country who can sell lands that belong to the country. Despite that he is telling lies to the couynry that he doesn’t know about it.           -.

The country has been betrayed by signing the Missing Persons Act.  When the ECTA is signed our economic freedom will also vanish.  Today the policies of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party have been nullified.  By removing Mr. Prasanna Ranatunga who became first in the district a person who lost the election has been appointed as the electoral organiser.  Is it the work of a person who loves the party who will indulge in things like this by removing the most popular person of the party?

In a situation like this it became necessary to give national leadership and it became necessary to have a new party for that purpose.  It is for that reason the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) was formed.  It was on 1^st November 2016 that this party was registered.  After 6 months of forming this party on 1^st of May 2017 we brought Asia’s largest and a historical crowd to the Galle Face greens for the May Day rally.

You have gathered here today to participate in the moment of handing over this party to its real inheritors.  This party now belongs to you.  It is your responsibility to make house to house visits and vest this party to its real owners, the people.  The party with the highest number of membership today is the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.We are coming not to break parties but to win elections.

Meanwhile, the convenor of the joint opposition and the Gampaha district parliamentarian Mr. Prasanna Ranatunga speaking at this meeting said that that the puppet who calls himself as the leader of the SLFP has made the party a puppet dancing in the hands of the UNP. He said that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party has fallen into a deep abyss today.  MR. Ranatunga said that the late Mr. S..W.R.D.Bandaranaike letft the UNP and formed the Sri Lanka Freedom Party because the policies of the UNP were not suitable for this country.  But today the person who calls himself as the leader of the Party has tied the party to the tail of the UNP elephant.

Today the Darley Road SLFP is working under the instructions of the UNP. He stated that because of the myopic leadership of one person the SLFP members in the government have been forced to join the UNP’s despicable murderous journey of selling the national resources of the country, curtailing an suppressing workers’ rights through thugs and drug addicts and supporting other repressive measures.

He said as that SLFPers with backbones they opposed the programme of consuming the spoiled food in the UNP kitchen from the very beginning but some who have no backing of the people and rejected by the people went and joined the UNP saying that they are joining a National Government. It is those who are ready to consume UNP spoiled food are supporting this government.  Those who love the country can never support this government, he said.(niz)

By  M D P DISSANAYAKE

Finding coconut pluckers is extremely difficult in Sri Lanka.  Still there are few old folks willing to climb the trees  at a premium price.  These old folks normally start work around 8 am and take a tea break at 10 and start again in 30 minutes and stop working at mid day.   By this time they need to go to Sravasthi”  for a well earned illicit Kasippu or a Gal.

Due to the difficulty of finding human resources to pluck coconuts, several Asian countries use different methodologies.  Some fix a collapsible umbrella (up side down) where between 45 and 50 days usually coconuts will fall and drop into the umbrella.  There is a long cable attached to the umbrella, when pulled, the coconuts falls.

In some other Asian countries, predominantly Thailand and Indonesia they have trained Monkeys to pluck coconuts.  In Sri Lanka monkeys play hell in coconut estates, some owners shoot them down.  The trained monkeys perform a fantastic job.

In Sri Lanka we can find Monkeys quite easily.  Sri Lankan Monkeys are  different from Monkeys of other countries.  They get tired after working in one Estate, but wait for an appropriate time to jump to another Estate which is looking more prosperous and can retain their job for a long time.

Now  is the time for Monkey Jumping in Sri Lanka.  They have more than one Benz, with no bank loans.  They have more than one mansion, with no bank loans.  They have more than one lucrative business, with no bank financing.  They have more than one spouse with no commitment  for children.

These Monkeys have other commitments.  Most of them have their own children studying overseas, requiring funds.  They have spouses who are used to extravagant living, regardless of source of revenue.

It is becoming clear that most Monkeys belonging to the symbol of Hand, Chair or Betel Leaf” are now looking at jumping on to the Elephant.  But there are not sure if that the right choice.  So the Poor Lotus” is being targeted with various excuses.

The Monkey Business is difficult. If I have 51 monkeys and need 120,  the first batch could come relatively cheap, the second batch will demand much more.  If I get 112 monkeys, finding an extra money will be quite expensive.  To get the safety margin, I need 7 more monkeys.

I have identified some monkeys that I will never have.  But, now the situation is getting tighter as I have got 113 monkeys, there are several monkeys waiting outside to meet me.  Some  are even from Panduwasnuwara.

Democracy is the art of running the circus from the monkey cage”.  H L MENCKEN