Prof. Sunil J Wimalawansa, MD, PhD, MBA, DSc

ශ්‍රී  ලංකාවාසී ප්‍රබුද්ධ වෘත්තිකභවතුන් වෙත‍ය,

රජරට පවත්නා වකුගඩු රෝගය වලක්වාලීමේ සහ මුලිනුපුටා දැමීමේ ක්‍රියා මාර්ගය – ඉදිරි දැක්ම:

විශේෂයෙන් උතුරුමැද පළාතේ වකුගඩු රෝගීන්ගේ සංඛාව සීග්‍රයෙන් වැඩිවන අතර එමගින් කෘෂි සමාජයේ ජන ජීවිතය විනාශ වීමේ ප්‍රවනතාවයක් උද්ගත වී ඇති බව ප්‍රකට කරැණකි.

එම අන්තරාදායක තත්ත්වය සපුරාම අවසන් කිරීමට නන්වැදෑරුම් ප්‍රායෝගික වැඩපිළිවෙලක් ක්‍රියාත්මක කළ යුතුව ඇති බව ඔබතුමන්ලාද පිළිගන්නවා ඇත.   තිරසාර විසදුමක අරඹයා යන මෙම වැඩපිළිවෙළ ‍පහතින් සංක්ෂිප්තව ඔබගේ අවධානය සඳහා ඉදිරිපත් කරමු.

හේතු සාධක කිහිපයක් පදනම් කර ගනිමින්, වකුගඩු රෝගය උතුරුමැද පළාතේ ආරම්භ වූයේ 1990 දශකයේදීය.   මරණ සංඛ්‍යාව  දස ගුණයකින් වර්ධනය වෙම්න් , දැන් එම රෝගය උතුරුමැද පළාතේ පමණක් නොව ඉන් පිටතද අතිශයිනන්ම අනතුරුදායක මට්ටමකින් ව්‍යාප්ත වෙමින් ඇති බව දක්නට ලැබේ.  මෙම තත්ත්වය මැනවින් අධයනය කළ වත්තීයවේදීන් කණ්‍ඩායමක් විසින් පිළියල කරනු ලැබූ සංක්ෂිප්ත යෝජනාවලියක්  මෙයට අමුණා ඇත.

අප මෙහිලා යෝජනා කරන ක්‍රියාමාර්ගය අනුගමනය කළහොත් වකුගඩු රෝගය නිවාරණය කළ හැකිවා පමණක් නොව, වසර 12-15 ක් ඇතුලතදී රෝගය සපුරාම ශ්‍රී ලංකාවෙන් බැහැර කිරීමට හැකි වනු ඇත.  මෙම කරුණු ඉදිරිපත් කරනු ලබන්නේ ශ්‍රී ලංකා‍‍වේ පමණක් නොව වෙනත් රටවලද වසර 18 තිස්සේ එම විශය අධ්‍යනය කිරීමෙන් අප පදනමෙන් ලබාගත් තාක්ෂණය අත්දැකීම් පාදක කර ගෙනය.

රෝගයට ගොදුරුව පවත්නා ප්‍රදේශ තුල පිරිසිදු පානීය ජලය සහ වෙනත් විවිධ පහසුකම් සැපයීමට අතිරේක වශයෙන් අප ගේ පදනම සහ අනිකෘත් පදනම් මගින්, සම්මන්ත්‍රන සහ වැඩමුළු රාශයක් පවත්වා ඇත.  එපමණක් නොව, රෝගීන් සහ පොදු ජනතාව සමඟද සාකච්චා රාශයක් කර ඇත.

වකුගඩු බෙහෙවින්ම හානි වූ පසුව ඒ සඳහා ප්‍රතිකර්මයක් නැත. එබැවින් වඩාත් යෝග්‍ය විකල්පය වන්නේ රෝග නිවාරණය බව සැළකිය යුතුය.  දැනට සිදුවන අන්දමින් රෝගය වැළ‍‍දෙන තෙක් සිට, ප්‍රමාද වී පිළියම් යොදනවාට වඩා, නිවාරණය සඳහා කාලීනව ක්‍රියා කිරීම වාත් සාර්ථක ඵලදායී එකකි. එය වියදම් අඩු එකම විකල්පයද වන්නේය.

මෙම රෝගය හේතුකොටගෙන වාර්ෂිකව මියයන සංඛයාව 5,000 පමණ වන්නේය.  එයට අමතරව මිලියන 3.0 ක පමණ සංඛ්‍යාවක් දැනට රෝගය වැළඳීමේ අභියෝගයට මුහුණපා සිටිත්.  එබැවින් එළඔ ඇත්තේ එහි අතිශයින්ම අන්තරායකාරී ඉසව්වකටය.  තවමත් මෙම මරණ සංඛ්‍යාව වළක්වා වැඩිවන රෝගින් සංඛ්‍යාව අවම කර, කාලයාගේ ඇවෑමෙන් රුධිර කාන්දුකරණයද (Dialysis) අවම කිරීමටද තවමත් ප්‍රමාද නැත.

මෙවන් විකල්ප ක්‍රියාමාර්ග මැනවින් අධ්‍යනය කර ස්වකීය නිගමනයන් ඇසුරෙන්, ගැටළුව විසදනු සදහා ඇති වෙනත් ක්‍රියාමාර්ග පිළිබද සරලවූත්, ප්‍රායෝගික වූත් උපාය මාර්ග මෙම  පදනම මගින් යෝජනා කෙරින.  රෝගය  වැළදීමේ ශඛ්‍යතාව ඇති ජනයා සඳහා උසස් ප්‍රමිතීයෙන් යුත් පානීය ජලය සැපයීම මෙහිලා ප්‍රධාන විසදිය යුතු අවශ්‍යතාව වන්නේය.

පිරිසිදු ප්‍රජාව සඳහා සැපයීමේදී  රිවර්ස් ඔස්මෝසිස් (Baahira Arssuthiya) තාක්ෂණය සහ අනිකුත් තාක්ෂණ (උ.දා.: වැසි ජලය-rain water harvesting) මෙහිලා නිර්දේශ කරනු ලැබේ.  එම ක්‍රියාදාමය සැකසුම් කිරී‍මේදී ජලයෙහි ස්වභාවය, භෞමික පාරිසරික සාධක, සමාජීය හා ආර්ථික ව්‍යුහය, සහ දැනුමත් කිරීමේ අධ්‍යාපනික වැඩ සටහනක්ද සැලකිල්ලට ගත යුතුය.

මෙම පදනම මඟින් යෝජිත ක්‍රමවේදය අනුව, රජය විසින් ක්‍රියාදාමය සැකසුම් කළහොත්, වසර 12 ක් සහ 15 ක් ඇතුලත අසාධ්‍ය වකුගඩු උවදුර ශ්‍රී ලංකාවෙන් තුරන් කළ හැකිය (වැඩි විස්තර සදහා අංක 01 ඇමුණුම බලන්න).

මෙයට විශ්වාසනීය,

වෛද්‍ය සුන්ල් ජේ. විමලවංස,  MD, PhD, MBA, DSc.

අන්තරාසර්ය විද්‍යාවේදී (endocrine) සහ වෛද්‍ය විද්‍යා අන්ශවල මහාචාර්ය

Presidnet, Wimalawansa Foundation & PHEPRO Foundation

www.linkedin.com/pub/sunil-wimalawansa-md-phd-mba-dsc/16/3b0/5a2/

Preventive Health, Environmental Protection, and Research Organization

PHEPRO Foundation

105 Hunupitiya Lake Road, Colombo 2
Tel 011-570-0400; Fax 011-247-2535

_______________________________________________________________________________________

15^th April, 2015

Hon. Maithripala Sirisena                                                                                                                          (updated)

The President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

President’s Office, Colombo 1

Dear Sir:

Chronic Kidney Disease in Rajarata, Prevention and Eradication: The Way Forward

As Your Excellency is aware, the chronic kidney disease that has predominately affected the north central province (NCP) of Sri Lanka continues to claim new patients and destroy the agrarian civilization of Rajarata.  We welcome your pledge to bring an end to this danger and believe that the proposal we present here will assist you in making good on your pledge to the nation to bring about a solution to this epidemic.

The chronic kidney disease of multi-factorial origin (CKDmfo) [also known as CKDu; CKDuo, CKDua, etc.] surfaced in the early 1990s in the NCP.  It currently is spreading within and beyond the NCP region at an alarming rate, with the death toll doubling every 4 years.  The attached brief proposal was made by a team of professionals who have studied CKDmfo, spearheaded by the president of the PHEPRO Foundation, an international scientist, Professor Sunil Wimalawansa, who has studied CKD in Sri Lanka and other countries for more than 18 years.

CKDmfo is preventable and can be eradicated from Sri Lanka within 12 to 15 years by following the course of action we propose.  In addition to providing various forms of relief and clean water to the affected communities, The Foundation has conducted many seminars and workshops and consulted with professionals, affected people, and the general public before putting forth the proposed solutions.

Once the kidneys are significantly affected, there is no cure for CKDmfo.  Prevention is the best option and much cheaper than providing treatment, including dialysis, after individuals have the disease, which it what is happening now.  CKDmfo kills more than 5,000 per year.  Another 3.0 million across the country are at risk of contracting the disease.  All these deaths and the emergence of patients with newly contracted disease can be prevented and the requirement for dialysis markedly reduced with time.

PHEPRO Foundation has proposed a simple, practical, low-cost strategy based on the findings of the scientists who studied the options thoroughly and evaluated all possible options for solving the problem.  One of the key solutions is supplying quality water to all vulnerable people.  The recommended method is the use of reverse osmosis (RO) technology to purify and supply water; with the use of other complementary methods such as rain water collection.  The entire plan must be designed strategically, taking into consideration water quality, geo-physical factors, and social and economic situations, while also providing intensive education programs.

PHEPRO has proposed a strategy that can eliminate the deadly CKDmfo from Sri Lanka within 12 to 15 years (please see Attachment 1 for details).  We envisage that you will review the contents at your earliest convenience.  If you have questions, we are available to answer them.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Sunil J. Wimalawansa
Professor of Medicine, Endocrinology & Nutrition

President, PHEPRO Foundation
Attachment 1

Summary of the Workshop and Recommendations

Chronic Kidney Disease of Multi-factorial origin, Prevention and Eradication:
The Way Forward

Issue:  Chronic kidney disease of multi-factorial origin (CKDmfo) appeared in the 1990s in the North Central Province (NCP).  It is spreading within and outside the NCP region, and the death toll is doubling every 4 to 5 years.  Although the initial reporting of the disease was within the NCP region, new cases are emerging from other parts of the dry zone.  Most of those affected are male farmers whose living environment has been subjected to drastic modifications in recent years.  These changes include large-scale irrigation development, groundwater contamination, modern agriculture that relies on the use of agrochemicals with consequent overuse of those chemicals, high levels of poverty and malnutrition, abuse of medication and alcohol, and poor access to modern health care and education.  Evidence suggests that many of these factors are acting jointly, which is likely to aggravate the situation and cause the disease (multifactorial aetiology).

Prevalence of CKDmfo: Reportedly, the number of deaths attributable to CKDmfo each year has risen to more than 5,000 (approximately, 14 deaths per day).  Once established, the disease is painful, incurable, and associated with serious personal financial difficulties.  Consequently, approximately, 1 in 14 of the daily deaths is a suicide.  For a number of reasons, the currently available statistics from the Department of Health grossly underestimate disease severity, the disease burden on families and society, and the number of deaths attributed to CKDmfo and thus, misleading to use such for long term planning and allocations of resources.

Cause of the disease: Research carried out by Sri Lankan and international organisations and scientists suggests that the disease is not caused by a single factor but likely is attributable to multiple factors that harm the kidneys (our terminology of CKDmfo reflects the multi-factorial nature of the disease).  A clear, universal understanding of the multi-factorial aspect of the disease would greatly facilitate focussing research and taking concerted action to manage CKDmfo.  Unfounded actions, such as banning agrochemicals in the absence of credible scientific data, will have no impact on reducing the disease burden but likely will increase costs for consumers.  However, we fully support the responsible use of agrochemicals and taking action to reduce their indiscriminate use because of their potential indirect contributions to disease occurrence and environmental pollution.

CKDmfo is a chronic emergency: Because of delay in measures to implement preventative actions, including the provision of quality water to vulnerable populations, the disease has become a chronic emergency” in affected areas and is spreading rapidly into other regions.

We submit that one of the key priorities to preventing the disease is to supply affordable, accessible, clean water to all communities at risk; which is a human right.  Nevertheless, clean water alone will not eradicate the disease because there are many other aspects to address.  Neither the expanding dialysis centres nor building new kidney hospitals will prevent the disease.  Although the treatment of the persons already affected is essential, taking immediate action to prevent healthy people in the NCP from acquiring the disease is even more important.  It is the only way to keep the treatment costs and other societal and economic problems associated with the disease in control and the NCP community intact.

Based on existing scientific evidence and our calculations, we firmly believe that with the detailed program we have proposed to the government, including providing clean water, the incidence can be reduced (prevention of the disease) and the disease eradicated from Sri Lanka within 12 to 15 years.

CKDmfo prevention workshop: In this regard, we recently conducted the workshop Chronic Kidney Disease of Multifactorial Origin; Prevention and Eradication” at the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute, organized by the Preventive Health, Environmental Protection, and Research Organization [PHEPRO] Foundation.  Participants included a number of interested individuals representing the civil society, business community including CEOs, university students, and scientists and other professionals.  The participants assessed the existing evidence and knowledge on CKDmfo and discussed the way forward toward launching a program for prevention of CKDmfo and its eventual eradication.

The convener, Professor Sunil Wimalawansa (https://wimalawansa.org/community_projects), has been engaged in CKDmfo prevention and eradication programs for the past 18 years via his charitable programs in the NCP.  He summarized the current knowledge and knowledge gaps that need to be filled to eradicate CKDmfo.  Upon considering all available data and scientific research evidence and the views expressed by local and foreign scientists, the Workshop participants reached consensus on the following:

1. The cause is unknown but likely is attributable to a number of factors working together that are related to recent changes in the environment and human behaviour. The fundamental means of contracting the disease is via contaminated water; multiple interacting nephrotoxic chemicals that originate from natural (e.g., fluoride, climate change, etc.) or modified environments (poverty-driven malnutrition, agrochemicals, medications-NSAIDs, alcohol, etc.) contribute in an additive or synergistic manner.  Thus, instead of the use of CKD of unknown” aetiology (CKDuo), the disease should be called CKD of multi-factorial origin [CKDmfo].
2. CKDmfo is a rapidly expanding, an environmentally induced, acquired, occupational disease.
3. There is no common definition of an affected” individual. The number of those affected has been estimated to be between 40,000 and 180,000 by different agencies and organisations.
4. The current screening and diagnostic criteria and methods used are inappropriate and identify only one-third of those affected. Thus, a tubular-specific, sensitive screening method must be developed.
5. Kidney damage is caused by the consumption of poor quality” water; thus, the provision of affordable, clean water is one of the keys to preventing the disease.
6. Given the high cost of treatment and the opportunity costs (approximately 2.0 billion rupees per year), the negative social and economic impacts on families in the NCP and country, and the impact on the economy, prevention of the disease is not only the way forward but also the most cost-effective solution—much less expensive than merely treating those affected. Eradication of the disease will cost the same as the economy currently loses in one year because of CKDmfo.
7. CKDmfo is preventable (50%) by providing clean water for drinking and cooking. In addition, prevention will require educational and environmental programs and alleviation of poverty and malnutrition. If the disease is identified at an early stage, its progression can be prevented with clean water, improved nutrition, and basic medications.
8. Through concerted actions described in the attached documents, we strongly believe that the disease can be eradicated within 12 to 15 years.

We appreciate your initial actions and desire to take seriously this disease.  There have been several Presidential CKD Task Forces and Working/Monitoring Groups; none has been successful.  This is in part because of a lack of leadership, scientific knowledge, and commitment and conflicts of interests.  Appointing similar government entities will not work.  Instead of the recently appointed yet another Task Force (or other similar governmental organisation), we urge you to establish a CKD Eradication Authority (CKD-EA)” that is independent of ministries and government departments, reporting directly to you.  Focussing resources at one place, leverage understanding of the disease using in-depth science and implementing a practical, cost-effective program to prevent and eradicate the disease from Sri Lanka.

Recommendations for Action Plans:

Continuing to provide the best possible and most cost-effective treatments (including three-shift use of all dialysis machines) to affected individuals and going forward with a multi-disciplinary research program to establish the causal factors of the disease are important, but the following concrete action plans and solutions are recommended for prevention and eradication of CKDmfo via the new CKD-EA or the PHEPRO Foundation:

• A committed program should be launched to provide vulnerable communities with clean water; the program should be coordinated and implemented by the CKD-EA. Once adequate funds are provided to the program, its mission will be completed in 18 months.
• Identify potential threats in vulnerable communities in part based on the quality of water consumed and associated environmental pollution, and generate real-time, geographic information system (GIS)-guided interactive maps across the NCP to identify clusters of patients, deaths attributable to CKDmfo, and contaminated and clean water sources.
• Identify all affected persons (and their locations using GIS mapping) and prioritise treating them according to the disease prevalence and CKD progression pattern. This, together with a region-wide, real-time surveillance program and multi-disciplinary, long-term research programs, as proposed by The Foundation, should be the basis for effective planning, management, and prevention programs.
• Launch an affordable and accessible region-wide, clean water program through the combination of water purification using RO units, rainwater collection systems and other methods, providing safe water for drinking and cooking purposes to all in the region.
• Study the impact of giving clean water” on people and the effect on disease control (statistics).
• Introduce soil testing and promote educational programs to reduce the use of agrochemicals.
• Promote educational programs in schools from grade five onward that have a special initiative to promote nature and environmental protection and environmentally friendly agricultural methods.
• Wage a national education campaign using the media to prevent environmental pollution and protect nature.
• Provide mass media-based education on the prevention of environment pollution and the judicious use of agrochemicals; giving a high priority and be a private–public partnership.

Health is Wealth: The wellbeing results in higher productivity and contentment, and prosperity.

For others to know that proper weight has been given to the knowledge gained from much local and international research and that an appropriate way forward has been given due priority, we would like to know the Terms of Reference of the current CKD Task Force you have appointed, including the timelines and objectives set.

We are concerned about the lack of preventive actions during the past decade; this lack of response has led to the premature deaths of thousands of farmers and the destitution of their families.  We urge Your Excellency to replace all existing CKD-related Task Forces and units and establish a novel agency charged with eradication of CKDmfo (CKD Eradication Authority; CKD-EA) that is headed by a credible, senior scientist with the necessary academic qualifications and field experience.

The CKD-EA must have vested powers and the financial capacity to coordinate all actions and aspects to deal with the management of CKDmfo, leading to its eradication from Sri Lanka.  We urge Your Excellency to empower this important agency to take all actions necessary to eradicate this deadly disease from the country and immediately provide the necessary finances, as we have proposed to you previously.

The PHEPRO Foundation consists of several charitable organisations and includes independent scientists, medical experts, sociologists, engineers, philanthropists, and social service personnel.  The Foundation is dedicated to eradicating CKDmfo; supporting nurturing, and conducting region-wide coordinated programs to protect the environment; and providing clean water for affected individuals to recover from the disease.

Giving handouts, expanding dialysis centres, or creating new renal hospitals will not prevent the disease, and thus is NOT the key solution to the problem.  In fact, the country may not need renal hospital(s).  For example, if 20% of the funds allocated for ‘one’ renal hospital is adequate for eradication this disease, if spent on preventative programs.  When the disease is prevented using the action plan that we propose, much of the demand and need for renal dialysis will disappear.

We are happy to meet with you in person to discuss the way forward in eradicating CKDmfo from Sri Lanka.
We look forward to hearing from you at the earliest convenience.  Behalf of members of the PHEPRO Foundation and scientists from the CKDmfo, Prevention and Eradication: The Way Forward.

The Solution to the Problem is Directly Solving the Problem.

Yours faithfully,

   Sunil Wimalawansa

Prof. Sunil J Wimalawansa, MD, PhD, MBA, DSc               [Medicine, CKD, Science, Water & Environment]

Prof. Stanley Weeraratne, PhD                              [Agronomics, Environment & Water]

Dr. Nihal Atapattu, PhD                                             [Agriculture & Science]

Eng. Ananda Jayaweera, Eng., MSc.                     [Engineering, Water & Sanitation]

By Charles.S.Perera

Mithripala Sirisena has a subordinate mentality.  He cannot rise above that mental handicap.  He cannot even stand up against Ranil to say no to him.  Ranil is evil, he knows how to disarm his superiors, and take their place.  That he did with  President Chandrika Kumaratunga, when  Ranil  became her  Prime Minister. Ranil completely ignored the President and took her place by signing the CFA with the terrorist leader Prabhakaran, and went to USA to have lunch with George Bush.

Both Maithripala Sirisena- the Buddhist  and Ranil Wickramasinghe-the Christian, have no serious religious adherence.  They use religion as a label to  dupe the people to serve their political ends. Ranil Wickramasinghe  hypocritically stands before the  people as a Buddhist. Sirisena had no  qualms to have dinner with his President and friend and be treacherous  as to leave him secretly immediately after  to join his enemies behind his back.  You read such characters in stories, other than of course the well known Devadatte, even he appears too good to be compared to a vile character like Maithripala .

Sirisena did not stop at that, but went further to concoct absurdities to eliminate Mahinda Rajapakse from politics so that he will be rid of a feared rival. Sirisena has his  inferiority complex which makes him subservient with gratitude to  Ranil Wickramasinghe. Sirisena  was acting and speaking to please Ranil, as Mahinda Rajapakse was also Ranil’s rival for his ambition beyond the Presidency of Maithripala.

Though Maithripala is the President his inferiority  complex keeps  dragging him to his substandard character.  Ranil his Prime Minister is  a  western attired English speaking sahib a Colombo  social elite, while  the  President  Mahinda Rajapakase he left to become Ranil’s acolyte  has a far better personality, good looks, and  speaks English well.

How can Maithripala Sirisena who cannot stand up against Ranil Wickramasing and say No” stand up to say no,  like his former leader Mahinda Rajapakse said  to the Foreign white political manipulators. The interfering USA and Western Agents are more at home with Ranil than Sirisena, they meet Sirisena for small talk, and leave him out  to talk to  Ranil about more important political manoeuvres to make Sri Lanka a  western colony.

Sirisena made a weak attempt to put his Prime Minister  Ranil Wickramasinghe  in place by asking him to sack the Governor of the Central Bank-Arjun Mahendran after the  bond scam, but Ranil completely ignored him and kept his friend and accomplice in backhand dealings as the Governor of the Central Bank.

The Governor of the Central Banka Arjun Mahendran is a useful man to have around  in charge of the Central Bank with a depleting economy under yahapalanaya. More so as Mahendran is said to have been a school friend of Raja Rajaratnam, who had sent some of his black money to be cleaned to the person who is now  the Finance Minister. It is also being talked about that the secret foreigner who parked one billion dollars in Sri Lanka may also be Raja Rajaratnam.

Mitripala Sirisena’s subservience and dependence on his Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe  was demonstrated  in an interview Maithripala Sirisena the President  had  with Prasad Gunawardhane of the Weekend Nation on 9^th January,2016. The President had said that , ……present Government of Unity between him and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe would continue the full term till 2020, and dismissed speculation that it would end after two years……..the President warned sections which may attempt to disrupt his Government using undemocratic methods and stressed that  he and the  Prime Minister considered the interests and future of the country over party politics. ‘The people have given us a mandate to rule for five years and we both will not allow anyone to destabilize the country through undemocratic  methods’  Later on he said, ….. The Prime Minister and I are committed to building the nation. That’s our priority and not politics.”

Asked  whether he was happy about the foreign policy, President Sirisena  says” ……The Prime Minister and I are much concerned about improving Sri Lanka’s relations with the international community.” When President was told that people complain that he is slow in acting against corrupt persons and asked, why he do you not speed up the process, he said……

….The Prime Minister and I do not interfere with the law enforcement authorities. ………. The Prime Minister and I practice disciplined policies in governance. That is why my government is titled Yahapalanaya (Good Governance).”

The interview was with the President, but yet  in this interview  we see how much this poor man the President Sirisena  cannot even face an interview without being under the dominating  shadow of his Prime Minister.  Sirisena the President is  dependent on his Prime Minister Ranil Wickraasinghe, and cannot be separated from him, to take any independent decision of his own. President Sirisena is a sad spectator of the damages his Prime Minister is  doing to Sri Lanka.

President Maithripala Sirisen is aware of  the criminal activities of the torture camps of Batalanda under Ranil Wickramasinghe from 1988 to 1999,  when Ranil  was a senior Minister of President Ranasinghe Premadasa. http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2005/10/17/batalanda-and-ranil-%E2%80%93-lot-explanations-needed

and Ranil Wickramasinghe was accused  for the raid of the Millinium City complex, when he was the Prime Minister under President Chandrika Kumaratunga. (http://sftruth2010.blogspot.fr/2010/01/arrest-ranil-wickramasinghe.html)

President Maithripala Sirisena himself  had accused Ranil Wickramasinghe for  having played a part in the assassination of Gamini Dissanayake,: On August 2012, Minister of Health and SLFP general secretary Maithripala Sirisena  alleged that during the 1994 presidential election  campaign, all campaign details concerning the UNP presidential candidate Gamini Dissanayake were being secretly passed on to his opponent, Chandrika Kumaratunga  by Wickremesinghe. Minister Sirisena made this disclosure while addressing an election committee meeting held at Siripura, Polonnaruwa. Sirisena asserted that he has ample proof to validate his claim and allegations. Consequently, both parties started to challenge each other for open media debates” (Wikipedia)

President Maithripala Sirisena who knew those past activities of his Prime Ministe Ranil Wickramasinghe has in  giving him a free hand , unchecked and unquestioned  to do as he wants to imperil the independence , sovereignty, and the unitary state of Sri Lanka,  is himself guilty of aiding and abetting the  activities of his Prime Ministy who continues like a bull in a china shop to damage Sri Lanka,  that had been saved from terrorism and developed to being a middle income country by the  former President Mahinda Rajapakse, his Defence Secretary and his Government.

The former President Mahinda Rajapakse,  became the President of Sri Lanka in 2005 due to the  collective good Karma of the people of Sri Lanka.  Mahinda Rajapakse as the President did not precipitate into taking military action against terrorism, but thought of giving the terrorist Prabhakaran a chance  by calling him to negotiate a peace settlement.

The people, who are now vociferous about corruption of the former President, and accuse him  for being a dictator and acting  for his own benefit to enrich himself and his family , should be ashamed of such pronouncements, as from the beginning Mahinda Rajapakse  demonstrated his respect for democracy and the freedom of the individual. When  JVP began its criminal activities in the South and later came under serious victimisation by JR and R Premadasa Governments it was Mahinda Rajapakse  who  defended them even taking reports of governments notoriety against the Sinhala youth in the south, to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

President Mahind Rajapakse did not chase after the corrupt and criminals of the previous governments of JR, Premadasa, and Chandrika.  He was friendly with Ranil Wickramasinghe and the JVP .  If he was a corrupt dictator , he would have taken action against the Ministers of the former UNP governments , Ranil Wickramasinghe and the JVP. But his main concern was eliminating terrorism and developing the country and often invited JVP and the UNP to join him.  But it was Ranil, the UNP and the JVP that refused his invitation.  If Mahinda Rajapakse had the intention of being a dictator and rob the country , he would not have invited them to join him.

The Present Yahapalanaya government is on the contrary a Dictatorship of the President Sirisena, Ranil Wickramasinghe , UNP and Chandrika . Their  main aim is to  take revenge from Mahinda Rajapakse, to eliminate his political standing with the people as a wise man, astute politician and a practical political visionary.

All developed countries in the world respect their former Presidents. They criticise them for their political errors, but remain respectful to them. But unfortunately people of  Sri Lanka which is a Buddhist country still lack  the human goodness to respect their Presidents, specially the one who rescued Sri Lanka from terrorist hell fire.

There are those who  join the destructive yahapalanaya crowd in denouncing Rajapakses as corrupt, giving little credit to Rajapakses who made Sri Lanka from what it was in 2005 to what it was the day before 8^th January, 2015. During that period not only did the fear  psychosis that existed with imminent danger to life under terrorism ended , but also Sri Lanka saw a rapid development it had never seen before 2005 and since Independence in 1948.

Mahinda Rajapakse, from the day he was elected President in 2005, worked to find ways and means to release the people of Sri Lanka from nearly  30 years of suffering under terrorism. He gave  his brother Gotabhaya  a free hand to find the means to eliminate terrorism.  Gotabhaya got an extension of service to Sarath Fonseka who was due to retire, which Sarath Fonseka himself had requested of him, and coordinated the Armed Forces to finally eliminate terrorism.  In that Gotabhaya received the political support from the President Mahind Rajapakse, who ably kept away the pro-terrorist foreign Countries of the West from interfering to stop the military offensive against terrorism.

The war against terrorism was necessary for Sri Lanka which had suffered 30 years losing a considerable number of civilians of all ages and sex from all Communities , lost by assassination many  Government Ministers, Administrators, and a  number of Officers, soldiers, and men  from the three forces. The war was necessary for Sri Lanka a developing country which had lost  30 yea of development.   There were many countries like China, Russia, Pakistan, and to a lesser extent India which helped Sri Lanka in its effort to eliminate terrorism.

But the USA and countries of the West, UK, France, Germany, Norway, etc. who vow to media that they stand to eliminate terrorism from the world, were instead working with the pro terrorist Tamil diaspora to stop the war against terrorism in Sri Lanka. What a irony ?

When finally terrorism was eliminated  these Countries-the USA and the countries of the West, came to criticise and accuse Sri Lanka for ending terrorism.  USA and the West working with the pro-terrorist Tamil diaspora passed resolutions at the UN HR Council in Geneva accusing Sri Lanka for war crimes.  Sri Lanka which found the intolerable moral decadence of USA and West in accusing a developing country which single handed eliminated terrorism by a necessary military offensive without any help from them, had to look for real friends else where.

Elimination of terrorism and unfortunate civilian deaths that are collateral to military offensive against terrorism cannot by any stretch of imagination be called war crimes.  But that is what it has come to with USA itself a violator of human rights passing a resolution at the UNHR Council in Geneva. And  wht is most absurd is that Ranil Wickramasinghe the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka  has sponsored this resolution

The result was Sri Lanka  under Mahinda Rajapakse had befriended a large spectrum counties in the world and established diplomatic relations with them. Sri Lanka under Mahinda Rajapakse was not an isolated country.

China helped Sri Lanka in the infrastructure development and contributed in various ways to develop different projects in Sri Lanka.  China and Russia  generously supported  Sri Lanka when ever the necessity arose, specially when the pro terrorist western nations falsely attacked her  in various world forums.

The Friendly Nations of Sri Lanka helped  in the construction of  buildings, providing modern equipment to schools, hospitals and provided  training facilities in different  fields of development  After elimination of terrorism Sri Lanka was ready for various development projects.

The Armed Forces freed from  military operations  had to be found activities to make them useful to the country, help them release their after war psychological problems and begin normal lives in an environment of peace and freedom. Gotabhaya Rajapakse became a national hero both during and after terrorism. He found solution to the question of how to utilise the peace time Armed Forces as a useful investment for the development of the country.

Gotabhaya Rajapakse re-organised the Armed Forces, making them specialists in various occupations, such as construction work, urban development, setting up recreation centres, training them in agriculture, tourism, landscaping, and for leadership training to students entering Universities etc. The engineering section of the peace time armed forces gave life to ancient colonial buildings, by reconstruction and decoration.  The old towns of Colombo, and Galle were rebuilt without damaging the old distinctive architectural  form of the buildings.

Under Mahinda Rajapakse Buddhism too awakened and  Sri Lanka was once again bathed in fragrance of Buddha Dhamma. A Buddhist TV Chain had been established entirely for the purpose of disseminating Buddha  Dhamma to the world. Every full moon day Buddha Sermons were organised at the Temple Trees the Residence of the President Mahinda Rajapakse and televised for all television viewers.  New Temples and Dagabos were constructed , many young children  entered into Buddhist priesthood.

Sri Lanka developed under Rajapaksas,  and the USA and Western countries which hanged on to the Tamil diaspora for political purposes,  could not understand how the Rajapaksas who formed a government in 2005 when Sri Lanka was poor and  debilitated by an ongoing terrorism managed to eliminate terrorism and develop the country within a short time to become a middle income country.

This astonished and angered  the developed Western countries which depended on maintaining their leadership in the world depending on the poor undeveloped countries. If all countries were to follow Sri Lanka the developing countries would stop dependence on USA and the West, which would affect negatively the leadership of USA,  and they feared that they would be replaced by China and Russia, which were helping development of poor countries without putting conditions. The stage was set for USA and European countries to destabilise Sri Lanka and  find a workable method for  the change of  Rajapakse regime which was popular amoung the ordinary people.

The USA and the West began the initialization of regime change in Sri Lanka by awakening the dormant local destructive forces -Ranil Wickramasinghe  and UNP, Chandrika, Mangala Samaraweera and Rajitha Senaratne.  TNA and the SLMC were already active in that respect. Thus USA and the West found the  spring board for regime change .

Initially they had to break up the ruling political party led by Mahinda Rajapakse.  This was handled by the poisonous she cobra Chandrika , who spat her venom to catch the General Secretary  of the SLFP Maithripala Sirisena. He was the best catch  for the change of Rajapakse regime as he was already a weak element in the party, depressive not having been made the Prime Minister and waiting  for a chance to take revenge.  What more can Sirisena hope for other than try his chance to become the President of Sri Lanka by becoming  the common Presidential candidate of the opposition ?

Somehow the regime change was successfully completed and Maithripala Sirisena became the President. With him saw the swearing in  of  Ranil Wickramasinghe again as the Prime Minister to put Sri Lanka back on the old track of  descent to hell of poverty , disorder and colonialism.

Since the election of Sirisena as the President and Ranil swearing in  as the Prime Minister they began  a mission of destruction of  what Mahinda Rajapakse and Gotabhaya Rajpakse  had constructed  along with the government, Sri Lanka  Armed Forces , and well wishers and administrators.

Not having stopped at branding Mahinda Rajapakse, his family and all connected to him corrupt, they went on a spree of selling Sri Lanka to the West and India, distancing Sri Lanka from its friends China , Russia and the rest.  All that Rajapaksas constructed from 2005 to 2015 have now been destructed by Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickramasinghe and the Yahapalanaya crowd. To cap it all Maithripalana Sirisena and Ranil Wickramasingha have given notice of passing laws to discipline and control the behaviour of Theravada Buddhist Monks. Since Maithripala Sirisena was elected the President no development work has been carried out,  not even a set of toilets  have been built.

The extract from the Island Editorial of 15 January,2016 sums it all up as follows:An economic crisis is looming. Foreign reserves are dwindling and the rupee is tumbling. The educated youth are demanding jobs. Educational institutions, especially universities, are starved of funds. State-run hospitals are experiencing drug shortages. The cost of living has reached the stratosphere with people struggling to make ends meet. There is no solution in sight for the ever worsening public transport problems. The crime rate continues to rise; killings are reported almost daily. Corruption is eating into the vitals of society and the champions of good governance stand accused of crooked deals. And, instead of addressing these burning problems which warrant the urgent attention of the political authority, the government is worrying about indiscipline among Buddhist monks!………..”

Shenali D Waduge

Certain quarters of the Tamil polity are worried. They need to worry. They should now be more worried for their own future in the event India does turn Sri Lanka into an Indian territory thus realizing a very long historically failed goal. The manner the Sirisena-Ranil-CBK Government is allowing Indians to walk all over Sri Lanka will spell doom for the Tamils first in their new nation after devolving powers. Most Tamil leaders and high class Tamils are already weighing these consequences. The manner the Tamil demands are getting fast-forwarded most Tamils now realize is not in the interest of the Tamils but to fulfil the geopolitical objectives of both India and the West. Leaving aside ordinary Tamils the first casualties are likely to be the Tamil politicians and the high caste Tamils who had been calling the shots all the while. For when India does turn Sri Lanka into an Indian Territory, it would be Indians at the helm at every level and Sri Lankan Tamils would get pushed into a corner. This was what Prabakaran was quick to realize and why he decided the break the umbilical chord between LTTE and India by ordering the killing of Rajiv Gandhi!

There are something’s that need to be made clear. One of the first is that while LTTE was a creation of India over the years the assistance of other foreign forces was required to purchase arms, ammunition and carry out mass propaganda. That’s how the LTTE Diaspora came into the picture and obviously why these same heads have lobbied to force yahapalana government to remove the status as LTTE fronts. It takes no rocket science to now realize that the global bans on LTTE was just a smokescreen and a whitewash when none of these entities were investigated for materially supporting the LTTE. That was unlikely to happen when the very countries now screaming for greater autonomy for the Tamils vis a vis self-determination or Eelam was all part of the West’s ploy to cunningly use LTTE as first phase and Tamil grievances as next phase to realize their final objective of a separated area which they would have free license to use to manipulate the trade routes and slowly move inwards destroying all nations along the path to annihilating China and Russia. Tamils securing benefits for themselves were fine with either deal.

Prabakaran having created a very powerful version of a demi-god of himself and an outfit willing to take any order given was not ready to succumb and take orders from India.

 That India was toying with the idea of removing Prabakaran from the picture was evident in the declarations of Maj. Gen. Harkirat Singh commander of the IPKF who in his book ‘Intervention in Sri Lanka’ said that he was ordered twice by J N Dixit India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka to eliminate Prabakaran.

India’s intervention in 1987 and forcing constitutional amendment of the country’s constitution to introduce the 13^th amendment tying the north and east and claiming both to be historical habitats of the Tamils had nothing to do with bringing peace but to enable India to take over these two areas having eliminated Prabakaran. It is also poignant to recall that Prabakaran was flown back to Sri Lanka on 2^nd August 1987 only after the Indo-Lanka Accord was signed on 29 July 1987. Whatever Prabakaran felt about the accord he would have had to keep quiet or he may not have been allowed to return to Sri Lanka! That the IPKF went on a killing rampage eliminating Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims goes to show the mentality of the Indian establishment and their strategy. What is often removed from discussion is that RAW were already training another lot of civilians and armed them having decided to use the new ENDLF entity instead of LTTE. Another reason for Prabakaran not to trust the Indians and why present Sri Lankan Tamils must think of these examples before trusting India any further.

If India assured the Sri Lankan government to disarm the LTTE in 72 hours what was India doing training and arming the ENDLF? A factor that Prabakaran picked up far before the Sri Lankan Government.

Rajiv Gandhi was killed on 21 May 1991. In 1998 Indian judge V Navaneetham convicted Prabakaran and 28 others for the assassination. Prabakaran, Pottu Amman and Akila were sentenced to death in absentia. Why was India making a fuss over Prabakaran’s death in 2009? LTTE did apologize for the killing in 2006 through Anton Balasingham but India’s response through Indian External Affairs Minister Anand Sharma was the people of India cannot forget the dastardly crime that was committed by the LTTE…..confession on their part of their complicity in the assassination of our former prime minister. This has been a well-known fact for the last 15 years. LTTE leaders have been charge-sheeted and declared proclaimed offenders”.

What if Gen. Harikat had carried out India’s orders and killed Prabakaran and IPKF decided to stay on using the ENDLF to squash any resistance whether from Sri Lankan Tamils or the Sri Lankan Government?

Prabakaran successfully kept India at arm’s length which has been reversed by certain members of the former Government and is now at ridiculous levels with the decision to build a rail/road link with India. A mistake successive governments are committing is to align with the very nations that have been the creators of the problems Sri Lanka suffers from. No government had the pluck to completely revoke or dilute the powers of the 13^th amendment/provincial council system which was introduced by India for India’s own future advantage.

Let’s look from a Tamil perspective

The call for a separate state came from Tamil politicians well before LTTE hijacked it.

The 1976 Vaddukoddai Resolution was approved by Tamils who made the TULF win enough votes to become the Opposition. However the emergence of the LTTE saw misery for some Tamils but benefit for most. Yet, Tamils continue to be divided by their own caste & class systems far stronger and crueller than the differences between Sinhalese & Muslims. The same politicians calling for separatism even opposed equal status in education for their own low caste Tamils and even wrote to the British to remove legislation introduced by S W R D Bandaranaike via the Social Disabilities Act.

Already the cracks are showing. The Northern Chief Minister bemoaned that the Northern youth are either drinking or smoking and the number of pregnant teenage girls has arisen. A regular writer to forums says thus even today-idle youth who greeted me with good morning amma started laughing as soon as my back was turned” That’s the kind of culture that now exists. Her response to this is the moment they know that there are no benefits to come from a person of higher status, they start showing their true ways which is to ridicule the higher order. LTTE kept them in control under fear and then once they felt they were better off with LTTE than through any other pathway they stayed on voluntarily”. Another poignant part of her write-up touches upon a crucial area of concern to all and that was to question why we are ‘importing’ externals to head organizations while our own live overseas serving others. There are obviously some Sri Lankan Tamils who are now loathing the idea of Indians taking over the island and making Sri Lanka the 37^th political territory of India.

With no Sri Lankan Tamil political opposition to India’s designs it is only natural that the Indians are coming out with bolder statements having swept aside India’s own accountability for creating militancy, raping 3000 Sri Lankan Tamil women, Jaffna hospital massacre, killing scores of Sinhalese and Muslims and chasing them out of the region and training another militant unit in Sri Lanka.

The plot has now thickened with the yahapalana government rolling out the red carpet to all the players that were responsible for the 30 years of misery all the communities of Sri Lanka suffered from. Yahapalana leaders with no sincere intention to serve the people or nation but to remain in power at any cost and reeling with revenge and spite that rules their every decision has found it a better option to hand over the planning of governance to external quarters.

The plan being rolled out to neutralize all forces

• Weaken the military and law & order with orders to kill (intention to reduce another lot of Sinhalese as done using the JVP in the 1970s, 1980s and by LTTE)
• Place in all administrative positions lapdogs and officials who are ‘yes men’ with no patriotism
• Break up the power the Sinhalese hold by historical right through a new constitution and devolution of power removing the powers at the centre.
• Establishing a federal system dividing Sri Lanka to conclaves that will leave the Sinhalese divided and the minorities with their long aspired target of a separate state by name only.
• For India’s role India that is fully funding the road and rail will take over entire North making it an Indian protectorate
• The next question is what will happen to the all-important and much sought after East in view of the Trincomalee harbour. India may secure that too on the assurance that the West would be able to use it whenever required. An Okinawa type set up may be created for the West.
• The new constitution will seek to remove the Buddhist identity of Sri Lanka, another long and unfulfilled endeavor of the West though many people in the West are now abandoning their faith to embrace the teachings of Buddhism having now realized the futility of the capitalist system.
• Turning Sri Lanka into an Indian protectorate would mean a flood of Indians to Sri Lanka. It is likely that the Indian bureaucracy would prefer North Indians rather than deal with the South Indian influx into Sri Lanka. North Indians and South Indians never see eye to eye and many forget that Tamil Nadu has been seeking self-determination far before the Vaddukoddai Resolution was established. Many need to also be reminded that there was never a nation called India until the British christened it because what we call India today was made up of independent princely kingdoms and territories which is the argument scholars in Tamil Nadu used to demand separation from the Indian Central Government and were refused.
• Transform the education system to denationalize children and remove any linkage to feeling proud of their nation and their historical heritage and making them ‘dependent’ to importing all instead of self-sustaining their nation.
• FCID, special courts above country law and similar authoritative commissions currently being set up alongside hate speech legislation and attempts to subdue the Buddhist clergy are all aligned to stifling opposition to put behind bars anyone going against the current destabalizing changes.
• The unpatriotic foreign funded media will provide necessary anti-Sinhala, anti-Buddhist anti-unitary and pro-federal, pro-devolution propaganda through all forms of media to brainwash the general public.

Have the yahapalana leaders and the Sri Lankan Tamil politicians and their cohorts thought about what will be the status quo after the Indians have secured what they want and the West have infiltrated into areas through their NGOs and other ‘invisible investors’ and faith healers?

The yahapalana leaders and opposition are currently trading verbal abuse at each other little realizing that with each day their power periphery is being taken away by their own foolishness in devolving what they currently control to external sources unlikely to return what was given. Having weakened the military and law and order will they have the necessary reinforcements when things go contrary to what they plan and even the people will look away to suffer in silence the fate of their karma.

These scenarios have been laid out but obviously greed for power and revenge have taken over. The same fate awaits the Tamil politicians who will find sooner than later what it is like to serve under Indian masters. Good for the Tamil people to think about life under Indians now itself or perhaps ask the Nepalese or Bangladeshi’s of what they think of the Indian incursions in their countries!

Shenali D Waduge

වෛද්‍ය රුවන් එම් ජයතුංග 

1988 දී මම ජර්මනියට යන විට ජර්මනිය නැගෙනහිර සහ බටහිර ලෙසට දෙකට බෙදී තිබුණි. ඒ කාලයේ නැගෙනෙහිර ජර්මනියේ තිබුනේ කොමියුනිස්ට් පාලනයකි. මිනිසුන් ස්ටාසි රහස් ඔත්තු සේවයට තිබූ බිය නිසා විදේශික අප සමග නිදහසේ සංවාදයට  ආවේ නැත​. එහෙත් ටැක්සිකරුවන් කිහිප දෙනෙක් අප වෙත පැමින ඩොලර් හෝ ඩොයිෂ් මාර්ක්  තිබේද කියා අැසුවෝය​. එක් ටැක්සිකරුවෙක් මා අත බැඳි ජපන් සිටිසන් වර්ගයේ අත් ඔරලෝසුව මිලට ගැනීමට තැත් කලේය​.    

ටැක්සිකරුවන් ගේ කන්දොස්කිරියාවෙන් මිදුනු අප නැගෙනහිර ජර්මනියේ අවන්හලකට වැද දිවා ආහාරය ගතිමු. නැගෙනහිර ජර්මනියේ ආහාර මිල බටහිර තරම් අධික නොවේ. බටහිර ජර්මනියේ ඩොයිෂ් මාර්ක් 40 පමණ මිල වන දිවා ආහාරය සඳහා අප විසින් ගෙවන ලද්දේ ඩොයිෂ් මාර්ක් 10 පමණ මුදලකි. දිවා ආහාරයෙන් පසු අප බටහිර බර්ලිනය වෙත යාම පිණිස බර්ලින් තාප්පය කරා ගියෙමු.   

බර්ලින් නගරය බෙදා පැතිර තිබෙන බර්ලින් තාප්පයෙන් පැන බටහිරට යාම නැගෙනහිර ජර්මනියේ බොහේ දෙනෙකුගේ සිහිනය විය​. නමුත් එය භයානක සිහිනයකි. අවි ගත් රැකවළුන්,කටුකම්බි බාධක, බල්ලන් , බිම් බෝම්බ අතුරා තිබෙන භූමිය හරහා බටහිරට යාම මරණයට අත වැනීමක් විය​. බර්ලින් තාප්පයෙන් පැන බටහිරට යාමට තැත් කොට වෙඩිකෑ හෝ බිම් බෝම්බ වලට ගොදුරුව මිය ගිය අවාසනාවන්තයන් සිහි ගැන්වීමට තාප්පය අසල සාදා තිබෙන ලී කුරුස අප දුටුවෙමු.   

බර්ලින් තාප්පය හරහා බටහිරට යන්නන් දැඩි ලෙස පරික්‍ෂා කරනු ලැබේ. එහෙත් අප දුඹුරු පැහැති ආසියාතිකයන් නිසා වැඩි පරික්‍ෂාවකින් තොරව යාමට ඉඩ දෙන ලදි. හමේ වර්ණය නිසා වරප්‍රසාදයක් ලැබූ එකම අවස්ථාව එය විය​. අප සමග සිටි ලතීශ් ජාතිකයා නැගෙනහිර ජර්මානුවෙකු යැයි සැක කිරීම නිසා ඔහුව රඳවාගෙන පරික්‍ෂා කරන ලදි.   

නැගෙනහිර ජර්මනියට සාපේක්‍ෂව බටහිර ජර්මනිය ආලක මන්දාවක් මෙන් දිස් විය​. නවීන වාහන අලංකාර ලෙස ඇඳ පැලඳි ජනයා , දිලිසෙන ගොඩනැගිලි නිසා බටහිර වඩාත් චමත්කාර ලෙස දිස් වූයේය​. නැගෙනහිර ජර්මනියේ මිනිසුන් ඇඳ පැලඳි සිටියේ ඒකාකාරී ලෙසටය​. ඔවුන් ගේ ඇඳුම් රළු රෙද්දෙන් විලාසිතාවලින් තොරව මසා තිබුනාක් මෙන් පෙනුනි. නැගෙනහිර ජර්මනියේ වාහන බොහොමයක් ද සෝවියට් දේශයේ නිශ්පාදිත කමාස් , තවුරියා , වොල්ගා වූහ​.   බටහිර බර්ලිනයේ සවස් වන තෙක් කාලය ගත කල අප සවස් වරුවේ හැම්බර්ග් බලා යන  දුම්රියකට ගොඩ වූයෙමු. 

වෛද්‍ය රුවන් එම් ජයතුංග 

JVP, UNP, Sampanthan sleep on the same bed: Rohitha

by Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resource and Privileges (PRECIFAC) has been informed that Avant Garde Maritime Services (AGMS) paid Rs. 3.1 bn to the government of Sri Lanka during 2012-2014 period.

The AGMS provided security to foreign vessels and allied services.

President Maithripala Sirisena last year intervened to hand over the operation to the Navy against the backdrop of accusations that the AGMS had exploited its close relationship with the previous government to make profits at the expense of the national economy.

President’s Counsel Kuvera de Zoysa and attorney-at-law Nishan Premathiratne on behalf of AGMS on Thursday (Jan. 14) submitted to PRECIFAC documentary evidence in respect of detailed payments made to the Navy as well as Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Limited (RALL) from Oct. 2012 to Dec. 2014.

The submissions were made against the backdrop of the PRECIFAC recording statements from former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and retired Army Commando Major Nissanka Senadhipathi regarding certain alleged irregular arrangements between the Defence Ministry managed RALL and AGMS.

The submissions made by Major Senadhipathi’s legal team went unchallenged at the PRECIFAC.

The AGMS legal team also cross examined Director General naval Operations Rear Admiral Wattewa for four hours on Jan. 14. the legal team examined submissions made by Navy Headquarters pertaining to revenue from the Navy operation prior to the AGMS setting up Galle floating armoury in Oct. 2012.

The AGMS hired a tug owned by Sri Lanka Shipping Company Limited.

The PRECIFAC was informed of the Navy and RALL receiving Rs 1.6 bn and Rs 1.5 bn, respectively between Oct. 2012 to Dec. 2014.

Major Senadhipathi’s legal team also submitted reports in respect of operations undertaken by AGMS/RALL compared to the Navy. The legal team pointed out that the AGMS/RALL had handled about 800 operations per month whereas the Navy handled approximately 600.

Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajakasa’s legal team, too, cross examined Rear Admiral Wattewa during the proceedings. The inquiry will resume on Jan. 21.

Navy headquarters recently declared that it had received an income of Rs 220 million during the period from Nov. 13 to Dec. 13, 2015 after taking over operations from the AGMS.

Providing security to merchant ships carrying weapons, ammunition and related equipment and for the smooth functioning of on board security to vessels plying to and from High Risk Areas were some of the operations carried out by the Navy since the takeover.

Editorial  -The Island 

January 16, 2016, 9:11 am

Somebody has likened politicians to tortoises resting on fence posts. They cannot reach such heights without people’s help as is common knowledge. It is also people who have to bring them down. But, in this country, the creatures so elevated are deified! However, one may consider this analogy an affront to the poor tortoises in that they never harm humans. Politicians sponging off people, in our book, bear many similarities to leeches.

Disturbing news came recently about a government move to increase the colony of leeches at the grassroots level. We reported, on Wednesday, that a bill had been presented to Parliament seeking to create 1,495 new slots in local government institutions purportedly for women. At present we are burdened with as many as 4,486 members in 335 local government bodies. The public will have to brace for more taxes to maintain 1,495 additional LG members.

Let there be no argument about the need to increase female representation in male dominated Sri Lankan politics. Besides accounting for more than one half of the population, women keep the national economy afloat by slaving away on tea and rubber estates and in garment factories and West Asia, where they undergo untold suffering at the hands of their savage employers. In Mesopotamia, the cradle of modern civilization, women were regarded superior to men as Dr. Upul Wijayawardhana reminds us in his column in the SATMAG section today. Five thousand years on, they are struggling to safeguard even their fundamental rights including that to travel in buses and trains without being groped!

Women must get what is rightfully theirs. If there is a cake to be served to a group of 100 people consisting of 49 men and 51 women it has to be cut into 100 pieces of equal size and both men and women given one each. It cannot be considered fair for the 49 men to be allowed to help themselves to 75 pieces leaving only 25 for as many as 51 women. Let no argument be peddled that women are free to jostle with greedy, coarse and brutish men for their fair share. The same principle should apply to the allocation of slots in Parliament, Provincial Councils and Local Government institutions.

One should not dupe oneself into believing that a substantial increase in women’s representation will bring about a discernible improvement in our political culture. This country has had women at the helm, but they failed to make any difference. The situation only took a turn for the worse and it may be recalled that, under the watch of one of them, women were stripped naked and paraded on roads during an election campaign! No action was taken against the perpetrators some of whom are ministers of the incumbent government claiming to promote good governance. But, the fact remains that a serious attempt should be made to redress the existing representational imbalances. Such corrective action which is long overdue will help rectify a historical injustice which is antithetical to the principle of democracy.

A massive increase in the number of LG representatives is not justifiable, though. What should have been done, by way of increasing women’s representation, was to allocate at least 50 percent of the existing seats in LG bodies to women without burdening the people with more councillors to be maintained with public funds. With the proposed increase there will be 6,656 political leeches posing as people’s representatives including 450 provincial councillors and 225 parliamentarians for a population of a little over 20 mn.

The number of so-called people’s representatives ought to be reduced drastically at every level of government. It does not make sense to have 225 MPs because there are 450 provincial councillors. When the number of MPs was increased by the JRJ government there were no provincial councils. Today, for each subject, say health or education, there are 10 ministers including nine in the provinces. Each province has five ministers. The people have not benefited from the increase in the number of ministers at all as could be seen from the crises in sectors such as health and education.

The greatest service that can be done to the people of this country is to reduce the number of political leeches forthwith. Sadly, the incumbent administration is convinced otherwise. It has proved that it is also a government of politicians by politicians for politicians in spite of its good governance rhetoric, which rings hollow.

Gnanasara Thero – සිවුරට අත තියන්නේ බලාගනයි – 14/01/2016

Sinale

It is time to restore Sinhale,the historical name of our motherland.

Some countires previously were under the colonial rule have already

restored to their original names.Rhodesia into Zimbabwe and Burma

now Myanmar.It seems our politicians are still unaware that 2500 years

great civilization was built by Buddhist Sinhalese in Sinhale. 

මතුගම සෙනෙවිරුවන්

සිරිමාවෝ බණ්ඩාරනායක රජය නවසිය හැටේ සහ හැටපහ අතර කාලය තුළ ජනතාවට පිරිමහින ප්‍රගතිශීලී වැඩ කොටස් රාශියක් ඉටුකළහ. ඒ අතරින් සිංහල රාජ්‍ය භාෂාව බවට පත්වීමට අවශ්‍ය ප්‍රතිපත්තිමය  ක්‍රියාමාර්ග දියත් කිරීම ප්‍රධාන වේ.  මැතිණියගේ නායකත්වයෙන්  විශාල වැඩ කොටසක් ඉටු කෙරුණද ඇතැම් අනවශ්‍ය තීන්දු තීරණ නිසා රජය අප්‍රසාදයට පත් විය. සීමාසහිත එක්සත් ප්‍රවෘත්ති පත්‍ර සමාගම රජයට පවරා ගැනීම සඳහා ඉදිරිපත් කල යෝජනාවෙන් සිරිමා  රජය පරාජයට පත් වූයේ මෙහි ප්‍රතිඵලයක් වශයෙනි. මේ පණතට විරුද්ධව කේ.එම්.පී.රාජරත්න මහතා චන්දය භාවිතා කලේය.ඊට හේතුව ඔහු දැක්වූ ස්වාධීන මතයයි. 1965 මැතිවරණයෙන් රාජරත්න මහතා පරාජයට පත්වීමට ආසන්නම හේතුව එය නොවේ. ඔහු යටතේම දේශපාලනයේ අත් පොත් තැබූ පර්සි සමරවීර මහතාට එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය උදව් කිරීමයි.රාජරත්න මහතා නොකී කතාවකට මාධ්‍ය විසින් ප්‍රසිද්ධිය ලබා දීම නිසා ජනතාව අතර අප්‍රසාදයට පත් කිරීම එ.ජා.ප යේ එක් පියවරක් විය. කෙසේ වෙතත් අළුතෙන් පත්වූ ඩඩ්ලි සේනානායක රජයේ හිත දිනාගෙන සිටි රාජරත්න මහතා නිසා වැලිමඩ සහ ඌව පරණගම සිටි ඔහුගේ හිතවතුන්ද එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂයට ළබැඳිව කටයුතු කළ බව රාජරත්න මහතාගේ සමීපතමයෙකු වන මුහන්දිරම්ලාගේ කළුබණ්ඩා මහතා පවසයි.රාජරත්න මහතා දේශපාලනයෙන් සමුගෙන අධිනීතිඥවරයෙකු ලෙසට කටයුතු කළ අවදිය දක්වාම ඔහු සෙවණැල්ලක් මෙන් සිටි හිතෛෂි වන්තයෙකි.

ජාතික විමුක්ති පෙරමුණෙන් තරඟ කළද  සිරිමා රජයේ මන්ත්‍රීවරයෙකු වූ රාජරත්න මහතා වැලිමඩ ආසනයට සරිලන සේවයක් කිරීමටද අමතක නොකලේය. තමා අධ්‍යාපනය ලැබූ පළමු විදුහල වූ දඹවින්න විදුහල වැලිමඩ මධ්‍යමහා විද්‍යාලය බොරලන්ද විදුහල දිග්ගහපිටිය විදුහල වැනි විද්‍යාල රාශියකටම අඩුපාඩුවක් වූ ගොඩනැගිලි පහසුකම් ඇති කර දීමට ඔහුට පිළිවන් විය. බණ්ඩාරවෙල ගුරු විදුහල ආරම්භ කරන ලද්දේ ඩඩ්ලි සේනානායක මහතාගේ ආණ්ඩු කාලයේදීය. ඒ සඳහා රාජරත්න මහතාගේ දායකත්වය ඉතා ඉහළින්ම විය.හැටේ දශකයට ප්‍රථම වැලිමඩ ප්‍රදේශය සාම්ප්‍රදායික ගොවිතැනින් යැපුණු ග්‍රාමීය පළාතක් විය. රාජරත්න මහතාගේ පියා වන ගංඇතිගේ අප්පුහාමි මහතා ඌව කොළතැන්න නමින් තේ කම්හලක් ආරම්භ කොට ඉංග්‍රීසීන් අභිබවා ගියේ මේ ආර්ථිකය වෙනස් කරන්නටයි.රාජරත්න මහතා මේ ඉඩම් ඇතැම් විට සිය හිතවතුන්ට බෙදා දුන්නේ නොමිලේ බව මුහන්දිරම් මහතා පවසයි. මැතිවරණ වලට වියදම් කිරීට ඇතැම් විට මේ ඉඩ කඩම් විකුණා දැමීය. වැලිමඩ ප්‍රදේශයේ අල වගාව නැන්වීමට රාජරත්න මහතා මුල් වූ බවද සාම්ප්‍රදායික ගොවියා ඉදිරියට ගෙන ඒමට කැපවූ බවද අද බොහෝ දෙනට අමතකය.ඔහුගෙන් ඉඩම් ලබාගෙන ගොවිතැනින් පොහොසත් වූ අය රාජරත්න මහතාට විරුද්ධව චන්දය භාවිතා  කලේ කළ ගුණ නොදත් පුද්ගලයනි මෙනි. ඒ පක්ෂ දේශපාලනයේ ස්වභාවයයි.

1970 වසරේ සෙනෙට් මන්ත්‍රී මණ්ඩලයට පත් වූ රාජරත්න මහතා එහිදී ඉදිරිපත් කළ අදහස් මගින් රට තුළ මෙන්ම රජය  තුළද විශේෂ වෙනසක් ඇති කරන්නට සමත් විය. ස්ත්‍රී දූෂකයන්ට සහ මිනී මරුවන්ට මැති සභයට පැමිණීමට හැකි වන පරිදි පනතක් සම්මත කිරීමට උත්සාහ දරද්දී එයට සහමුලින්ම විරුද්ධ වූයේ කේ.එම්.පී.රාජරත්න මහතාය. මේ එදා ඔහු කළ කතාවයි.

අප වෙත ඉදිරිපත් කරන ලද පළමු වැනි පණත ගෙනාවේ මීනීමරුවන්ටත් ස්ත්‍රී දූෂකයන්ටත් මැති සභයට එන්න පුලුවන් තත්ත්වයක් ඇති කිරීම සඳහාය. ඒ පණත ප්‍රගතිශීලී පණතකැයි යමෙක් කියනවානම් ඔහු පිස්සෙක් මුග්ධයෙක් බේබද්දෙක් වන්ට ඕනෑ. ඒ පණත තරම් මේ රටේ පාර්ලිමේන්තු ඉතිහාසයේ මැති ඇමතිවරුන්ට චන්ද දායකයන්ට හා ඔවුන්ගේ බුද්ධියට අවමාන කළ පණතක් මේ රටේ ඉදිරිපත් වී නැහැ.1972 ජනරජ ව්‍යවස්ථාව සකස් කරන  කල්හි ආචාර්ය කොල්වින් ආර් ද සිල්වා මහතා ගේ මූලිකත්වයෙන් ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම සම්පාදක මණ්ඩලයක් පත් කරන ලදී. මේ මණ්ඩලයය විසින් ගෙනා යෝජනා සෙනෙට් මන්ත්‍රී මණ්ඩලයේ සම්මත විය යුතු විය. මෙහිදී රජරත්න මහතා කළ කතා මගින් පැහැදිලි කරන ලද්දේ ව්‍යවස්ථා සම්පදානය සඳහා භික්ෂූන් වන්සේලාට ද අයිතියක් තිබෙන බවයි. 1970 වසරේ සැප්තැම්බර් සහ ඔක්තෝබර් මාස වලදී දිනමිණ පත්‍රයේ පළවූ වාර්තාවන් උපුටා දක්වමින් කතා කල රාජරත්න මහතා අස්ගිරි මල්වතු අමර පුර සහ රාමඤ්ඤ යන ත්‍රෛයිනිකායික මහා සංඝරත්නය විසින්  ව්‍යවස්ථාවට ඇතුලත් විය යුතු යෝජනා ගැන පළ කරන ලද අදහස් රාශියක් සෙනට් මන්ත්‍රී මන්ඩලය ඉදිරියේ සභාගත කළේය.  1970 ඔක්කෝබර් මස 17 දාතම සහිතව එය සෙනට් මන්ත්‍රී මණ්ඩලයේ තිස් වන වෙළුමට ඇතුලත් කර තිබේ. එහිදී  අස්ගිරි මහානායක අතිපූජ්‍ය ගොඩමුන්නේ ධම්මා නන්ද මල්වතු විහාරයේ මහානායක අතිපූජ්‍ය මඩුගල්ලේ ධම්මසිද්ධි ප්‍රමුඛ කොට ගත් උභය විහාරීය මහා සංඝ රත්නය  විසින් ඉදිරිපත් කරන ලද යෝජනා අතර තිබූ වටිනා අදහස් කීපයක් මෙසේ දැක්විය හැකිය.

1/ රජයේ ප්‍රධානියා සේනා සම්මත ජනාධිපති විය යුතුය.

2/ සිංහල බෞද්ධ රටක් වශයෙන් දීර්ඝ ඉතිහාසයක් ඇති නිසාද බහුතර ජනතාව සිංහල බෞද්ධයන් වන නිසාද රටේ ප්‍රධනියා  බෞද්ධයෙක් ම විය යුතුය යන සම්මතය අවුරුදු දෙදහසකට වැඩි කලක පටන් පැවති නිසාද ජනාධිපතිවරයා සිංහල බෞද්ධයෙකු විය යුතුය.

3/ අති දීර්ඝ කාලයක් මුළුල්ලේ ශ්‍රී ලංකා ද්විපයෙහි ජනතාවගේ සදාචාරය සභ්‍යත්වය සංස්කෘතිය සාහිත්‍යය කලාශිල්ප අධ්‍යාත්මික ගුණ වගාව යනාදිය සංවර්ධනය කිරීමේලා උපයෝගී වූ අසහාය බලවේගය බවට සිද්ධානත්ව පවත්නා බුද්ධ ශාසනයද එහි කටයුතුද සංඝයා වහන්සේලාද පූජනීය වස්තූ සහ විහාරස්ථනයන්ද වත් පිළිවෙත් පුද පූජා අඛණ්ඩව පැවැත්වීමට සලස්වා තිබෙන විධිවිධානයන්ද සිංහල රජ කාලයේ මෙන්ම අනාගතයෙහි ද ස්ථීරව පැවැත්වීමට සහ ආරක්ෂා කිරීමද මෙම රජය විසින් කළ යුතු වේ.

4/ ආගමික කටයුතු පිළිබඳව බුද්ධගමට සහ සංඝයා වහන්සේලාටද බෞද්ධයන්ටද අවුරුදු දහස් ගණනක් මුලුල්ලේ හිමිව තිබුණ විදේශීය පාලන යුගයෙහි නැතිවී ගිය සාධාරණ හිමි කම් වරප්‍රසාද හා විශේෂ සහනයන් මේ රජය විසින් තහවුරු කරනු ලැබේ.ඒ සඳහා අවශ්‍ය විධිවිදාන සැලැස්වීමේදී මේ රටේ පවත්නා ආගම් බුද්ධාගම හා සම තත්ත්වයෙන් නොසලකනු ලැබිය යුතුය.

5/ සංඝයා වහන්සේලාගේ විනය කර්ම චිරාගත සම්ප්‍රදායානුකූල චාරිත්‍ර වාරිත්‍ර නිකාය පාලක සංඝ සභා නොහොත් පාලක මණ්ඩලය එහි අභ්‍යන්තර කටයුතු යන මේවා කෙරෙහි බලපානා අණ පණත් රෙගුලාසි ව්‍යවස්ථා ආඥා ව්‍යවස්ථාදායක මණ්ඩලය හෙවත් රජය විසින් නොපැනවිය යුතුය.

රාජරත්න මහතා විසින් සභාගත කළ අනෙක් යෝජනා අතර ශ්‍රීලංකා රාමඤ්ඤ නිකායේ කාරක  සංඝ සභා රැස්වීමේදී ගත් තීරණයක්ද විය.1970 /9/20 දිනමිණ පත්‍රයේ පළවූ එය යොජනා 11 කින් සමන්විත විය.එම යෝජනා සකස් කරන ලද්දේ රාමඤ්ඤ මහා නිකායේ මහා නායකව සිටි දීපේගොඩ චන්ද විමල හිමියන් සහ ගැටඹේ රාජෝපවනාරාමාධිපති ලබුදූවේ සිරිධම්ම ස්වාමීන් වහන්සේලා ගේ මූලිකත්වයෙනි. එම යොජනා අතරින් කීපයක් මෙසේය.

1/ ලංකාවේ එකම රාජ්‍ය භාෂාව සිංහල විය යුතුය. ශ්‍රී ලංකාව බෞද්ධ රාජ්‍යයක් බව අභිනව ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම පනතින් ප්‍රකාශයට පත් විය යුතුය. ප්‍රජා පාලනය පිලිබඳ බෞද්ධ මූල ධර්ම පදනම් කොට අභිනව ආණ්ඩු ක්‍රම පණත සකස් විය යුතුය.

2/ ශ්‍රී ලංකා ජන රජයේ ජනාධිපති ධූරයද අග්‍රාමාතය  පදවියද සිංහල බෞද්ධයෙකු සතු විය යුතුය. අභිනව ජන රජය ප්‍රජාතාන්ත්‍රික සමාජවාදී ඒකීය පාලන ක්‍රමයක් විය යුතුය.

3/ 1815 උඩරට ගිවිසුමේ පස්වන වගන්තිය වැනි බුද්ධ ශාසනයද බෞද්ධ සංස්කෘතියට අයත් අංගෝපාංගයන්ද ආරක්ෂා කිරීමේ ප්‍රතිඥාවක් ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම පණතෙහි අතුලත් විය යුතුය.

4/ බෝ පත් සතර සහිත පැරණි සිංහ කොඩිය අභිනව ජනරජයේ කොඩිය විය යුතුය.

5/ නව ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම පනත යටතේ රාජ්‍යෝපදේශක මන්ඩලයක් පිහිටු විය යුතුය. අභිනව ජනරජය යටතේ ධර්මාමාත්‍ය පදවියක් ඇති කොට සියලු ආගමික කටයුතු ඒ හා සම්බන්ධ කටයුතුය.

6/ සිංහලයාට අයත් සාධාරණ තැන ලාබා දෙනු පිණිස තාවකාලිකව හෝ ජාතින්ගේ අනුපාතය අනුව පොදු අයිතිවාසිකම් බෙදී යන නීති රීති අභිනව ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම පනතෙහි ඇතුලත් විය යුතුය.

රාමඤ්ඤ නිකායට පසු අමරපුර නිකායට අයත් මහා සංඝරත්නය රැස්වී ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම මණ්ඩලයට ඉදිරිපත් කරන ලද යෝජනාද සභාගත කෙරිණ. ඒ වායින් සමහරක් මෙසේය.

1/ බුද්ධාගම රාජ්‍ය ආගම කල යුතු අතර සිංහල භාෂාව නියම වශයෙන්ම රාජ්‍ය භාෂාව කළ යුතුය.

2/ පක්ෂ දේශපාලනය අහෝසි කළ යුතු අතර මහජන චන්දයෙන් තෝරා පත් කෙරෙන සිංහල බෞද්ධ ජනාධිපතිවරයෙකු පත් කළ යුතුය.

ත්‍රෛයිනිකායික මහා සංඝරත්නයට අමතරව රත්තොට ප්‍රාදේශිය මහා සංඝ සභාව  වයඹ පළාතේ ත්‍රෛනිකායික සංඝ සභාව   වැනි සංඝ සභාවන් විසින් ඉදිරිපත් කරනු ලැබූ ඉතා වැදගත් යෝජනා කීපයක්ද රාජරත්න මහතා සෙනෙට් මන්ත්‍රී මණ්ඩලය ඉදිරියේ සභා ගත කරන ලද්දේය. ඒ යෝජනා අතර ද ඉතා වැදගත් අදහස් රාශියක් විය. ඒ මෙසේය.

1/ තෙරුවන් සන්තක දේපළ අන්සතු වීම වළක්වන නීති රීති සකස් විය යුතුය.

2/තුන් නිකායේ පාලක මූලස්ථාන මගින් ඒ ඒ නිකායික භික්ෂූන් පිළිබඳව පොදු නීති මාලා ( කතිකාවත්) සම්පාදනය කරවා සම්මත කළ යුතුය.

3/ අලුත් ජන රජයට අනුශාසනා කිරීමට රාජ්‍යානුශාසනා උත්තරීතර මණ්ඩලයක් පිහිටවනු ලැබිය යුතුය.

4/ 1958 පනවන ලද කුඹුරු පනතින් සඟසතු දේපල වලට හානි වී ඇති හෙයින් එසේ නොවන පරිදි අඳ ගොවියාගෙන් ඒවා මුදා ගැනීම සඳහා නීති සම්පාදනය කල යුතුය.

5 / ජන රජය බෞද්ධ ප්‍රතිපත්ති පසුබිම් කොට ගත් බෞද්ධ රාජ්‍යයක් ලෙස පිහිටුවීමට කටයුතු කළ යුතුය.

මෙම යෝජනා සියල්ලේම සාරංශය වශයෙන් ගත් කල්හි ලංකාව බෞද්ධ රටක් බවට  නැවත පත් කිරීම මහා සංඝරත්නයේ මූලික අභිලාශයයි. රාජ්‍ය නායකයා බෞද්ධයෙකු වීමත් ප්‍රධාන භාෂාව සිංහල වීමත් කඩ කල නොහැකි කොන්දෙසි වේ. ඒකීය රාජ්‍ය සංකල්පයද මෙයට ඇතුළත් වේ.ත්‍රෛයිනිකායික මහා  සංඝ රත්නය තුළින් මතු වූ මේ යෝජනා පත්‍රවල පළ වූ නමුත් ආණ්ඩු ක්‍රම සම්පාදන මණ්ඩලයට ඉදිරිපත් වූ නමුත් එතරම් සැලකිල්ලකින් ඒ දෙස බැලීමක් එකළ නොවූ බව පෙනේ. නමුත් මේවා සභාගත කොට එයට පිළිගැනීමත් ලබා දී ඇත්තේ කේ.එම්. පී.රාජරත්න මහතා විසිනි. රෙජිනෝල්ඩ් පෙරේරා වැනි සෙනෙට් මන්ත්‍රී වරුන් මෙම යෝජනා වලට  කලේ කල අකලේ යයි සිනාසුණ ආකාරයද සෙනෙට් වාර්තා වල දක්වා තිබේ. කෙසේ වෙතත් ව්‍යවස්ථා සම්පාදනයේදී අතීත රජදරුවන්ගේ සිට භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේලා ගේ දායකත්වය සහ අනුශාසක්තවය ලැබුණු බව ප්‍රකට කිරීමට මෙම සභාගත කිරීම බෙහෙවින්ම වැදගත් වූ බව කිව යුතුය.වසර හතලිස් පහකට පසුව  වර්තමානයේ ව්‍යවස්ථා සම්පාදනයක් සිදු කිරීමට අර අඳී. කලින් සකස් කරන ලද කෙටුම්පතකට මහජන අදහස් එහෙන් මෙහෙන් ලබා ගෙන ආණ්ඩු ක්‍රම සම්පාදකයන්ගේ වුවමනාවන් සම්මත කර ගැනිම මෙහි අභිප්‍රායයි. මහානායක හිමිවරුන් ගෙන් විශේෂ යෝජනා ලබා ගැනීමක් මෙහිදී සිදු වන්නේ නැත. එම නිසා අතීත ආදර්ශයන් පදනම් කොට ගෙන   ත්‍රෛනිකායික මහා සංඝ රත්නයේ මැදිහත් වීම අත්‍යවශ්‍ය යෙන්ම සිදු විය යුත්තේය. කේ.එම්.පී.රාජරත්න මහතා එදා සිදු කළ සභාගත කිරීමට වටිනාකමක් සහ ගෞරවයක් හිමිවන්නේ එවිටයි..

මතුගම සෙනෙවිරුවන්

වෛද්‍ය රුවන් එම් ජයතුංග 

2001 වසරේ දෙසැම්බර් 25 දින මම හලාවත රෝහලේ නිර්වින්දන අංශයේ වැඩ ආවරණය කලෙමි. නත්තල් දිනය නිසා සැලසුම් කරන ලද ශල්‍යකර්ම සිදු නොවූ බැවින් මම රෝහලේ නිර්වින්දන වෛද්‍යවරුන්ට ලබා දී තිබුණු කාමරයේ පොතක් කියවමින් සිටියෙමි. සවස් වරුවේ මගේ වැඩ මුරය නිම කිරීමට පැය භාගයක් පමණ තිබියදී වාහන අනතුරකින් තුවාල ලැබූ ළදරුවෙකුට ස්වසනය කිරීමට පහසු කෙරෙන ස්වාසනාල බටයක් (Tracheal intubation) දැමීමට උපකාර කරන ලෙස ඉල්ලා බාහිර රෝගී අංශයෙන් දුරකථන ඇමතුමක් ආවේය​. මම ඉක්මනට බාහිර රෝගී අංශයට ගියෙමි.

මුන්දලම ප්‍රදේශයේ සිදුවූ වෑන් අණතුරකින් තුවාල ලත් එකම පවුලේ පිරිසක් රෝහලට ගෙනවිත් තිබුණි. ඔවුන් අතරින් මාස අටක පමණ ළදරුවෙකුගේ හා වයස අවුරුදු හයක පමණ ළමයෙකුගේ තත්වය බරපතල විය​. ඔවුන් ගේ හිස් තුවාලව තිබුණි. මම දෙදෙනාටම වහ වහා ස්වාසනාල බට දමා ඇම්බු බෑග් සවි කලෙමි. ළදරුවාගේ සහ ළමයාගේ තත්වය බරපතල බැවින් ඔවුන්ව කොලඹ හදිසි අණතුරු අංශයට මාරු කර යවන ලෙස දැන්වූ බැවින් මම හෙදියක සමග රෝගීන් දෙදෙනා ගෙන ගිලන් රථයට ගියෙමි.

ළදරුවා සිටියේ මා අතය​. අප බාහිර රෝගී අංශය හරහා ගිලන් රථයට ගොඩ වීමට යන විට ට්‍රොලියක සිටි ළදරුවාගේ මව හිස අසීරුවෙන් ඔසවා “අනේ මගේ බබාව ගෙනියන්නේ කොහේද”කියා ඇසුවාය​. වෑන් අණතුර නිසා ඇයගේ කකුලක් කැඩී තිබුණි. හෙදියක් ඇයව අස්වැසුවාය​. අප වහ වහා ගිලන් රථයට ගොඩ වැදුනෙමු. ගිලන් රථය පණ ගැන්වූ ගිලන් රථ රියැදුරා පවණට බඳු වේගයෙන් හලාවත කොලඹ මාර්ගයේ රිය ධාවනය කරන ලදි. ඒ අතරවාරයෙ මම හෙදිය සමග රෝගීන් දෙදෙනාට ඔක්සිජන් නොකඩවා දුන්නෙමු.

ළමයාගේ හිසේ දරුණු තුවාලයක් විය​. ඔහුගේ මස්තිෂ්ක පටක කොටස් සහ මස්තිෂ්ක සුෂම්නා තරලය අපගේ දෑත් වලද තැවරුණි. එහෙත් අප ඇම්බු බෑගය මිරිකමින් ඔවුනට ඔක්සිජන් ලබා දුන්නෙමු.

ලංකාවේ ගිලන් රියක් ධාවනය කරන විට අසංවර රියැදුරන් ගිලන් රිය පසුපසින් ධාවනය කරති. එසේම ගිලන් රථයේ හඞ ඇසුනද ඉඩ දීමට මැලි වෙති. එහෙත් ඇමරිකාවේ සහ කැනඩාවේ ගිලන් රථයක් යන විට රියැදුරන් වහාම තම මෝටර් රථ පසෙකට ගෙන ගිලන් රථයට යාමට ඉඩ සලසා දෙති. නමුත් අපි වසර 2500 සභ්‍යත්වයක උරුමකරුවෝ වෙමු. මේ හේතුව නිසා අපගේ ගිලන් රථ රියැදුරාට පාර ඉඩ නොදෙන  තවමත් ශිෂ්ටාචාර ගත නොවූ රියැදුරන්ට මුවින් බැන ඉඩ ඉල්ලා ගැනීමට සිදු විය​. කෙසේ නමුත් කොලඹට කිට්ටු වන විට ළදරුවා මිය ගියේය​. ඉන්පසු අප සියළු වීරිය දැමුවේ ළමයා බේරා ගැනීමටය​.

අප ළමයා හදිසි අණතුරු අංශය වෙත ගෙන ගියෙමු. එහි හෙදියන් තිදෙනෙකු සිටි අතර කිසිවෙකු අපගේ උපකාරයට නාවේය​. කාලවර්ණ තරුණ හෙදියක් අනවසරයෙන් තම නිවසට පැමිණි අමුත්තන් දෙස බලන්නක් මෙන් අප දෙස බලා සිටියාය​. ඒ අතරවාරයේ මමත් අපගේ රෝහලේ හෙදියත් ළමයාට නොකඩවා ඔක්සිජන් ලබා දුන්නෙමු.

විනාඩි විස්සක් පමණ ගතවූ පසු මැදිවිය ඉක්මවූ එතරම් නොඋස්  ස්නායු ශල්‍ය වෛද්‍යවරයෙක්  පැමිණ ළමයා පරික්‍ෂා කොට තවත් පැය භාගයක් තුල ළමයාගේ තත්වය වර්ධනය නොවූවහොත් ඇම්බු කිරීම නවතා දමන ලෙස මට කීවේය​. එහෙත් මම නොකඩවා ඇම්බු කලෙමි. අප එම අංශයේ පැයක් පමණ සිටියෙමු. අවසානයේදී ඉතා දුර්වල ලෙස හෘද ස්පන්දනය සිදුවූ ළමයා නිසල විය​. ඔහු මිය ගියේය​.

තවත් විනාඩි විස්සක් පමණ එතැන රැඳුණු අප ගිලන් රථයට ගොඩවී හලාවත බලා පිටත් වූයෙමු. ඉන් සති දෙකකට පමණ පසු මට හලාවත රෝහලේ බාහිර රෝගී අංශයේ සේවය කල වෛද්‍ය පයස් ප්‍රනාන්දුව හමු විය​. පයස් මෙම අණතුරට පත් වූ පවුල දැන සිටියේය​. ඔහුගේ විස්තර අනුව මෙම මුස්ලිම් පවුල කල්පිටියේ සිට කටුනායක ගුවන් තොට වෙත ගමනේ යෙදී සිටි අතර මිය ගිය ළදරුවාගේ නැගනිය එනම් ළමයාගේ මව මැදපෙරදිග රැකියාවකට යාමට නියමිතව තිබිනි. ගුවන් යානයට ප්‍රමාද වන නිසා  රථ රියැදුරා අධික වේගයෙන් වෑන් රිය ධාවනය කරන ලද අතර මුන්දලමේදී ඔවුන් ගමන් ගත් වෑන් රිය තවත් වෑන් රථයක ගැටුනේය​. අවසානයේදී මැදපෙරදිග රැකියා ගමන කෙලවර වූයේ නොදරුවන් දෙදෙනෙකුගේ මරණයත් සමගය.

By Gandara John

…All the king’s horses and all the King’s men Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

 D evil monster finagles Sri Lanka on Human Rights, terrorism, reconcilliation, reintegration, ‘transitional’ justice, corruption and more in its attempt to force the country to believe that Federalism is the model for democratisation, the middle path between two extremes and the stabilising mechanism for a country which had already restored stability seven years ago and where people of diverse ethnicities and religions continue to live harmoniously as vouched recently by Harsha De Silva; this view would be endorsed by nearly twenty million Sri Lankans.

D Evil Empire, widely acknowledged as one of the most corrupt in the world and seriously accused of organising global terrorism from its backrooms, brazenly flouts International Law caring not a rap for its record on the very issues it has raised here in Sri Lanka; it is attractive rhetoric. All it cares about is using these issues as a handle to attack the concept of Westphalian State sovereignty of Sri Lanka and introduce a terminator Constitution that would eventually destroy that State.

The US, tainted with its record of racism and segregation from inception and now spewing hatred around the world against people of Islamic faith with its campaign of Islamaphobia, is laughing all the way from Wall Street to hell as its dybbuks in Sri Lanka menacingly threaten the opposition to silence and attempt to force the country to commit National Hara Kiri.

By pushing for a Humpty Dumpty Constitution the monster’s chamberlains have reportedly planned to fragment the country to several identity based (ethnic, religious etc) Federations and segregate its people into gerrymandered confines.

CBK of ‘Club Madrid’ and ‘Global Leaders Foundation’ contended at an event sponsored by two organisations committed to breaking down Sovereign States  that Buddhism, the glue that binds the Sri Lankan State firmly together should be relegated in the proposed new Constitution from its present pristine position.

Her opinions would have warmed the cockles of the hearts of the likes of George Soros, Tony Blair, the NATO and the NED/CIA with whom she collaborates closely in their committed pursuit of a New World Order, a One World Government in a world bereft of States, territories and boundaries as we know it.

Analysing the conduct of the Evil Empire during the past 70 years and the volume of recorded material that abound but are deliberately kept away from the public by the mainstream media the Empire controls, the global strategy of the Evil Empire is abundantly clear.

The US is colonizing the African and Asian Continents; the word of their choice is globalisation.

To this end D Evil Empire is striving to:

• Demolish the Westphalian concept of Sovereign States, governments and boundaries.
• Shift power and control vested in the Sovereign State to a Centralised authority like the UN.
• Redefine boundaries in the two Continents to regions, as determined by the Neo Feudalists  which could be administered effectively by the Centralised Authority,
• Establish a set of International laws (Treaties) to govern these ‘freshly’ created regions in the two Continents.
• Establish one global strike force like the R2P acting under the command of the Centralised Authority.
• Establish a single unified system of International Courts like the ICC.
• Establish a unified global ‘religion’ like the idea floated by Blair’s ‘Tony Blair Faith Foundation’ or the Neo Feudalist ‘Club of Budapest’ where A T Ariyaratne has membership.
• Exterminate the lives of an estimated 2 Billion poor people in the two Continents on the Neo Feudalist interpretation that they are non productive food consumers.
• Allow easy access, ownership and control of the assets in the two Continents to the Neo Feudalists (Corporates).
• Destroy the concept of ‘family’ by removing the nucleus – the mother – out of that unit. (Attract her with jobs, positions and power out of the home.)

• Enforce Hayek’s (RW’s icon) unfettered ‘laissez faire’ capitalism in a ‘One World’ system reduced simply to Neo Feudalists (with their chamberlains) and their Workers with no Governments, Trade unions, Religious organisations and Family to protect the workers.
• Legalise Narcotics to give the workers easy access to it; to the worker Narcotic (addiction) will be a form of relaxation and to the Neo Feudalist a weapon of control.
• Establish a single global currency.

Sans family, religion, State and Trade Unions to protect the workers and their offspring they are easy pickings for the Neo Feudalists who are vociferously promoting this scenario through their Foundations and NGOs.

In Sri Lanka, the US attempts to make us believe, with Goebbels like repetition, that we are riddled with issues that should make us feel guilty and that we need to pay penance to obtain absolution for our sins; this has got us squabbling, fighting and arguing with each other, little realising that this is the stratagem being used by the US to get Sri Lankans themselves to breakdown the Westphalian State of Sri Lanka.

To the contrary I, as a member of a minority in Sri Lanka, am very happy with the majority; I find the majority to be a very tolerant community. All societies have issues and these issues can be resolved without a New Constitution; these are ‘non issues’ that have been planted and perpetuated by the Evil Empire to get us Sri Lankans to accomplish for the US their objective of  destroying the  Westphalian Sovereign State of Sri Lanka.

During the past half century, D evil monster marauded, ravaged and terrorised Africa and the Middle East; it is now peering menacingly into Sri Lanka as it pivots to Asia. ‘Sri lanka is the fulcrum’ says John Kerry.

By Gandara John

 …All the king’s horses and all the King’s men Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

 With Africa aflame, the Evil Empire homes in on Asia, leaving a tell tale trail of destruction in its wake, a grim warning to the Asian Continent to anticipate unmitigated disaster and misery.

With their infrastructures destroyed, borders erased and populations decimated, displaced and reduced to induced Statelessness by US inspired regime changes, military and political coups, assassinations, genocide, armed invasions, Arab Springs, aerial bombings, terror strikes (like ISIS, Boko Haram, al-Nusra, al-Qaeda, Kagame’s RDF) and induced economic bankruptcy, the African States, are in shambles. The concept of Westphalian State sovereignty, under attack during those five decades is in tatters and is fast vanishing in Africa before our eyes.

The neo feudalists in the US and Europe espousing the neo liberal economics of fascist Von Hayek, are rolling back history; they are re –colonizing Africa, physically repossessing Africa’s naturally endowed wealth, dismantling their structures of governance, undoing Westphalian State sovereignty and creating a set of International laws to bring back that Continent under the direct control of the Neo Feudalists.

The Neo Feudalists have planned the same for Asia too.

In 1961 Eisenhower warned the American public against the growing power of the Neo Feudalists (the Military Industrial Complex). Today they have captured State power in the heart of the evil empire and are the driving force in the US.

With the cap off on the limits to campaign funding and with lobbying fees, accommodation fees and other corrupt practices structured into the system the Neo Feudalists have taken control of the two political parties in the US and the Congress; it matters not whether the US President is Twiddle Dee or Twiddle Dum they are all actors, puppets to be precise. The US is a model of a Constitutional dictatorship.

The Democrats and the Republicans spent at the last US election a Billion dollars each in their effort to get their respective candidate elected to the Presidency. The funds came from the Neo Feudalists. Each of those parties, victor and loser, had a one Billion dollar debt to repay the Neo Feudalists after the election.

On 08 Jan 15, the D evil empire funded and stage managed an Appa Viplavaya narrowly defeating Rajapakse and easing on to the throne, with an inducement not exactly of hoppers, the Bra King of Sri Lanka.

Following this regime change in Sri Lanka, a rash of evil monsters from abroad have been crawling all over Sri Lanka. Many who backed, funded and safeguarded the Sri Lankan terrorists, from Soros to Blair to the other low lives from Norway and Canada are all over us.

The other day the representative Canadian hick in Sri Lanka overstepping her bounds and expressing pleasure at the regime change in the country hubristically warned Sri Lanka that it needs to sign the Anti Land Mine Treaty and implement ‘other’ measures to regain its ‘credibility’.

This is to forget that D Evil Empire has not signed the Anti Land Mine Treaty, that the UN has slammed the deplorable Human Rights record of Canada which refuses an Inquiry into the continuing disappearances and murder of over thousands of aboriginal females, that there is an outcry for an International Inquiry into Canada’s complicity in the war crimes in Afghanistan and that it is not in Sri Lanka’s security interest to sign this Treaty.

It was not by coincidence that Nazi collaborator Soros and Blair were in Sri Lanka at about the same time. Soros a convicted felon and Blair, a rags – to – riches pop singer turned politician now turned businessman mixing business with his not so charitable work to bag lucrative contracts in Africa Iraq and dictatorships were feted by RW bending over backwards to please them.

Again it is not a coincidence that Soros and Blair are both members of the Club of Rome, that fascist club exclusive to the Neo Feudalists; this club is avowed to destroying the concept of Westphalian States, their Governments and their boundaries in its quest to recolonise the Asian and African Continents, key milestones in setting up a One World Government, with One religion, One Law, One Army, One Court and One Currency.

While Sri Lanka was throwing down the red carpet to Soros who had had a huge hand in the break up of the Yugoslavian State and redrawing its boundaries, the Hungarian authorities were eager to question Soros, who nearly singlehandedly by his own admission funded and organized the recent massive exodus of refugees into Europe with a view to breaking down the national boundaries of Westphalian East Europe; they needed to question him on human trafficking.

Soros’ ‘Migrants Handbook’ W2eu (‘welcome to the EU’) packed with tips, maps, phone numbers and advice about getting across Europe printed and distributed by Soros’  ‘Open Society Institute’ was the bible in every migrant’s hand.

By Gandara John

 …All the king’s horses and all the King’s men Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

 RW and CBK take a page or two from Soros, a billionaire who admittedly betrayed fellow Jews to the Nazis during WW2 and profited by it. Soros who likes playing a controlled opposition was accused by Hungarian PM Viktor Orban of instigating refugees to the Continent from the Middle East and beyond. Soros reportedly unleashed ISIS thugs to Europe.

He is perhaps the strongest example of those who support anything that weakens nation states” said Orban in a radio interview

The ‘Tony Blair Faith Foundation’ a dubious money conduit, that also profited from Soros, has been used by Blair to promote the concept of a One World Government, disparage the concept of Westphalian State and boundaries, root for re-colonization of Africa and Asia through globalisation and  promote a single global religion. Spelling out a new post-Westphalian doctrine in Chicago in 1999 Blair argued that ‘globalization had made the Westphalian approach anachronistic’.

Besides RW, hovering around the two well heeled Neo Feudalists from the Club of Rome was CBK a member of Club Madrid, a subordinate club, which too is committed to breaking down Westphalian Sovereign States and creating a One World Government with one faith.

CBK’s contention of devaluing Buddhism in the Constitution expressed at a seminar organized by ICES and Equitas and funded by Soros’ OSI and that Eugenic organisation ‘John Merck Foundation’ was in line with her Club doctrine and with Blair’s ‘Faith’ organisation. And RW of course is a member of the Mont Pelerin Society a first line think tank of the Club of Rome.

The timing has been uncanny. Two fat cats arrive in the island; two minions, like carrion crow sniff around them and fete them. The country is cash strapped; a well oiled campaign has been kick started to sell a new Constitution that the people consider unnecessary; Dharshan Weerasekera reports on proposed amendments to the Buddhist Temporalities Act designed to create a division within the majority; a ‘Hate Bill’ to suppress media freedom is in the air; a mysterious depositor announces that 1 Billion USD will be deposited in the bank. Is it Soros or is it Karunanayake’s friend Raj Rajaratnam?

And the plot thickens. A senior member of the Mont Pelerin Society, an organisation committed to destroying sovereign States, is expected in the island shortly to advise his underling RW, on the proposed new Constitution; a board member of the Society upto 2014, the Emeritus Professor of Sri Lankan origin specialises in Constitutional law.

What forebodes our beloved country? Can we anticipate Soros’ ISIS thugs in Sri Lanka shortly? Can RW and CBK swearing allegiance to foreign organisations committed to destroying the sovereign State of Sri Lanka honestly and legitimately hold any office in Sri Lanka? Does it not fly in the face of our oath of allegiance to the State that we Sri Lankans have pledged?  Can working with foreign organisations committed to breaking up the State of Sri Lanka be interpreted as treacherous? Can these matters be taken up with the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and would their determinations determine the future of this country?

What is happening in Sri Lanka affects all the Asian States, all the African States, all the Non Aligned States, indeed all the poor States of the world. The Western rich of the world are trying to enslave us all after having captured our land, sowed dissent amongst us and murder two billion of us; they are working their plan. Do we accept this and stand idly by? Now is the time to act. It is our very survival.

The poor of the world let us get together. Let us organize a world forum of the poor to work out our strategy. There are many not so poor countries in the East and the Eastern Bloc that may help us. Let us take the first step. We could at this world forum also collectively decide what action we countries each should take against those who collaborate with the exterminators and against all those organisations working inside our countries with the exterminators.

Sandya Salgado

Dear Mr President,

It is one year since I woke up to an ‘aha!’ moment in my life… A long awaited sense of freedom, not just freedom from terror, but also freedom of speech, freedom of living a life devoid of constant fear of being ‘watched and listened to’,  a violation of basic human rights,  stolen from us for over a decade.  I also woke up to the hope of a clam on ‘excessive corruption’, cronyism, nepotism, lawlessness and political thuggery, to name a few. Yes Mr President, I jumped out of bed on the 8th of January 2015, realizing that the nightmare was over and it was going to be a fresh start for the country with a rainbow coalition lighting up our land. Many ridiculed me for my wishful thinking. But I am an eternal optimist Mr President, just to let you know.

Let me congratulate you Mr President, for the freedom you have given us. Yes, we have an abundance of it. Freedom of speech to write, call you names, criticize you using any form of media, without the fear of facing any repercussion, which would have been unthinkable an year ago.  This is great! At least we can give vent to our frustrations and anger at will, even though nobody seems to be listening! Now that’s another matter altogether.

From the moment you took oaths in a sense of ‘chaos’, we kind of figured that the government would also follow suite, finding some order in chaos”, especially because we knew that the new government was going to face a lot of resistance and challenges from within. Well, democracy is not an easy game, we know that for sure. So I guess we were willing to give you that space. At least for a while!

Contrary to many of our impatience and frustrations, you have in fact achieved some significant milestones amidst this chaos and madness we seem to witness on a daily basis. I salute you for shrewdly managing to get the 19th amendment passed, even though it didn’t exactly abolish the presidency and had undergone numerous amendments which sadly watered down the original bill.  The fast and furious way you managed to restore our tainted image internationally is truly commendable. The creation of a constitutional council is definitely another huge feather in your hat, or should I say ‘an additional ring on your finger’, Mr President? The Right to Information (RTI) Bill I am told, is considered best in class. Undoubtedly, the country will reap its rightful benefits of these policy changes only later on and since we have short memories, we will forget to thank your government for it then. So thank you for these efforts and more, Mr President

Mr President, your eloquent and sincere speeches before and after taking office, reinforced our belief and faith in you. You willingly or unwittingly positioned yourself as this simple man; a servant of the people and not a King”. This was a refreshing change for those of us who were desperately looking for a replacement for ‘The King’.

You took up the challenge, putting your life on the line as it were, and we in desperation thought you were the answer to our prayer, god’s gift to democracy and freedom, and just the right change the country needed. You told us exactly what we wanted to hear. You promised to change the status quo and the political landscape, starting with the family rule. And we truly believed you, Mr President.

But Mr President, a year into these promises, it seems like our dreams are slowly turning into nightmares.

Nepotism means ‘favoritism granted to relatives’, Mr President. At least that’s what the English dictionary says. When your own brother was appointed as the chairman of one of the most important government agencies, within a few days after you took office, our confidence shook, Mr President. When your son joined the entourage to the UN, the cracks started to appear, Mr President. Yes we remember how he tried to explain to us that his trip to the UN could not be labelled as nepotism and he even went on to quote some dictionary. However, I am not sure we quite bought it Mr President.

My friends in advertising seem pretty upset these days because your daughter has apparently launched an ad agency and most government work is being channeled to this agency, they lament. Now this can be a rumor or a conspiracy theory by these creative types, but may be you could look into this sometime. After all we know how the previous regime had so many companies with false fronts, making money for the family, right Mr President?  You know these things better than me, so why even leave room for such rumors? It definitely wouldn’t augur well for you, would it?

Small things matter to us Mr President. Because we thought of you as a simple, genuine man. We loved the way your family was portrayed; your wife, your daughters and the son, who appeared to be a bit perali but we were happy to give him some time to shape up. Sadly this ‘simple family’ image seems to be changing, Mr President.

When you declared ‘no cut outs of me’ policy, we jumped up in joy because we were fed up with our ex-King waving at us from every lamp post during the last decade. But Mr President, my blood pressure rises each time I go to the airport and see the most grotesque pandol greeting the visitors coming into the country, with you smiling happily on it. It is now faded too, Mr President. Time to take it down, I think. I can see how this old mania of cutouts has slowly crept back into our lives. It is not a nice thing Mr President, to go back on your word, especially when you need to make us believe that we voted in a simple man, who means what he says and says what he means.

This may be also be a rumor Mr President, but your media guys are supposed to be saying that you have become obsessed with wanting to be a news-maker on a daily basis and I was thinking that this may be why you put your foot in the mouth with the ‘bra throwing’ episode, which made you get international media attention, but sadly for the wrong reason, don’t you think, Mr President?

Now that’s another issue I thought of flagging. Do you think it is a wise thing to be policing our culture Mr President? As stated by that great statesman Mahatma Gandhi, A nations culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people”. I am sure we can take a leaf from India to understand how important it is to be prudent on matters of culture without being seen as ‘prudes’. It is true we have a 2500 plus year heritage Mr President, but don’t you think we have to move with the times? We are living in a world where people should have the choice of selecting how they should live their lives. Don’t you think there are a lot more burning issues on which your attention is badly needed Mr President?

What about making sure law breaking politicians are arrested on time irrespective of their political allegiance and how about hastening the punishment of those you claimed to have committed many a fraudulent and criminal activity and plundered the country? How about putting your foot down when ministers appoint their brothers to high positions under their ministries? We criticized when the previous regime had eighteen or so namesakes in high offices. May be they were indispensable too, come to think of it.  I do have a long list Mr President, but I think you get the drift, right?

One more thing Mr President, what was that song all about? Just curious. The song that equates you to King Parakramabahu, is it? I personally didn’t think that was the kind of anniversary song ‘a servant of the people’ should have commissioned, Mr President. Apart from it being badly conceptualized, badly produced and totally old fashioned in its genre, it badly placed you fairly and squarely on the same throne as the King who was dethroned. Tcha, tcha, Very sad!

Are you struggling with a sense of inadequacy or an inferiority complex or an incompetence on the job Mr President? It sure must be a daunting and overwhelming task. Is that why you seem to have surrounded yourself with the same cronies that our ex-President surrounded himself with? Is that why you seem to slowly but surely be going in the footsteps of the King you dethroned? I don’t think this is a very wise thing to do Mr President. Most of these cronies are with you for their personal glory and nothing else. You seem to have a problem in figuring out whom to trust and get the right advice from. Some of the people who helped you get to the presidency seem to be totally disappointed and disillusioned with your new ways of thinking and acting, Mr President. I am sure you must be aware that Sobhitha Thero was a very disappointed man when he died. He was one person who meant well, wouldn’t you agree Mr President? It is painfully obvious that your advisers are definitely taking you for a good old ride. Has that astrologer chap also visited you by any chance? Do try and stay away from him Mr President, and for that matter form that clan of astrologers, for sure.

Finally Mr President, I feel it is still not too late to get back on track and make good those promises you made to a country of hopeful people. After all, it’s been only one year and you have achieved some great things for us already. May be I am nitpicking, really. Sorry about that, I just couldn’t keep all these thoughts to myself.

May be you could just get a crash course on curbing nepotism, cronyism, kingdom building, and lawlessness. These consultant ‘chappies’ who teach how to create visions and missions will also be able to help with reinstating your credo of Yahapaalanaya which has unfortunately become the butt-end of most political jokes and frustration. With a quick brushing up, you sure will be good to go until the end of your term Mr President. That’s just five years more right?

Let me end this note by wishing that you gain the courage to stand on your own beliefs and convictions as the simple man you claimed to be Mr President! May you have the strength to make those who believed in you, not be laughed at by those who said that this whole game plan to usher in ‘a change the country so needed’ was a sheer waste of time and hogwash.

Optimistically Yours

Sandya Salgado

10th January 2016

by Chandre Dharmawardana, Ottawa, Canada

The Minster for `Parliamentary reforms and Mass Media’ is said to have proposed a bill to curb a number of human rights enjoyed by one section of the Sri Lankan public who are eligible to vote – namely, the Buddhist monks. For instance, they are to be denied the right to drive a motorized vehicle while other voters as well as ordained members of other religions are not subject to such a limitation. An even more bizarre piece of proposed legislation is to “prevent them from engaging in occult science”!

What are these “occult sciences”? Astrology? Palmistry? Casting out devils?, Blessing people? Invoking the power of the Gods, or of the triple gem (The Buddha, Dhamma and the Sangha)?

Carrying out “Deva Pooja” or “Buddha Pooja”? Chanting words that are claimed to have special powers? Providing such chanted strings (“pirith nool”, bracelets), “Yantha” (amulets and Talismans) to politicians? Advising people regarding the occult question of what they should do to ensure a good life after birth?

Does the minister consider “Ayurveda” also as an occult science?

That the minster even thought of enacting such a law clearly suggests that he is clearly under the control of some very dangerous occult and heinous forces. Perhaps Beelzebub himself. What he needs is to organize a large scale “Bali-Thovil” in the parliament itself to drive out the demons that have taken residence there. If that is “occult science”, then he should see other specialists in Mulleriyawa or Angoda.

Does it mean that priests of other religions can practice their versions of the occult sciences while the Buddhist monks cannot? It is well known that Pope Francis has recently called upon his priests to go back to the essentially medieval tradition of “casting out devils” and “evil spirits”. In June 2015, Pope Francis gave official recognition to the International Association of Exorcists (IAE), a group of priests with members in 30 countries, making it a pontifical entity. Evangelical Christians and other groups also have their IAEs, their specific traditions of blessing new homes and casting out “evil spirits”, speaking in tongues etc. The Holy mass is an occult practice where we are told that bread becomes flesh, and wine becomes blood. So, are they free to administer such services while the Buddhist monks are prevented from doing so by parliamentary fiat?

What about the Kururals, Swamijis and other Hindu Priests who carry out occult practices in Kovils? When the Poosari recites “sacred stanzas” and summons occult spirits using bells, mudras, mantras and hymns he is engaging in “occult science”. What about taking “prasad”, or engaging in bajams, frenzied dances, and in animal sacrifices to the Deity? Are all these occult practices allowed for all other faiths but not allowed for their manifestations in popular Buddhism? If someone feels that this is “not pure Buddhism”, that should be taken up with the learned monks, and not with a parliament whose majority is alleged to have not even reached the A-levels.

Then what about those rare Buddhist Monks or Priests of other faiths who may be dabbling in Quantum mechanics and Relativity, using the esoteric language of mathematics? That may seem an “occult science” to many people. Professor Polkinghorne, a theoretical Physicist that I knew slightly during my student days in Cambridge has today become an Anglican Minister and Theologian. He asserts that all knowledge is occult, and that its best presentation is found in the Anglican ministry!

If the minister wants to protect the public from frauds and quacks, the law has to be applied irrespective of a person’s religion or belief system. If a person practices “occult science” and does no harm to others, then it is not the concern of the minister. If it is a problem that affects the nature and style of monastic Buddhism, then surely it is up to the monks to deal with it, and the minister has no business there, any more than he should legislate what type of Physics or Metaphysics should be practiced by the likes of John Polkinghorne.

Dr. Chula Rajapakse MNZM Wellington , New Zealand

Dear Editor,

Relentlessly pursue with yet unsubstantiated allegations and litigation  the liberators of SL from three decades of terror,  release and pardon those alleged with the highest level of complicity with this terror,  remove the state obligation to protect Thervada Buddhism in Sri Lanka something which even the British undertook to do in the Kandyan Convention of 1815 (which true to the best of   British tradition, they  paid no heed to at all) and legislate to punish and imprison the Buddhist clergy for a litany of activities which the clergy of other faiths would be free to practice, permit evangelists and NGO’s aligned to them to descend & proliferate in SL unchecked   seem to be the pinnacles of good governance ( Yahapalanaya), in todays Sri Lanka.

On a relevant  note, on our recent visit to Sri Lanka , seeing the glittering lights of Christmas decorations & Christmas fervour  strewn across the length and breadth of not only Colombo but many parts of Sri Lanka, an accompanying New Zealander not used to any where near this level of extravagance back home,  inquired innocently whether Sri Lanka was a Christian majority country. I explained that at 7% they were the smallest religious minority  behind Buddhist, Hindu’s and Muslims. However  the festivity that was seen  was evidence of what a secular country Sri Lanka is.

However, this inquiry may well be prophetic of what is likely to happen to Sri Lanka, if Yahapalanaya  is allowed to bulldoze along it’s merry way unchecked,  given South Korea’s experience of seeing Buddhist majority  turned into a Minority in the face rapidly expanding Christian majority in a matter of half a century.

Dr. Chula Rajapakse MNZM

Wellington ,

New Zealand

සභාපති – චින්තන පර්ෂදය-මාධ්‍ය සාකච්ඡාව 2016 01 13

ධර්මන් වික්‍රමරත්න

කැලණිය සරසවියේ අතීතය 1875 දක්වා දිවයයි. රත්මලානේ ශ්‍රී ධර්මාලෝක නාහිමියන් විසින් විද්‍යාලංකාර පිරිවෙන නමින් 1875දී පෑලියගොඩදී පිහිටවනු ලැබූ මෙම පිරිවෙන 1957 අංක 45 දරණ විද්‍යාදය විද්‍යාලංකාර විශ්ව විද්‍යාල පනත අනුව 1956 ජනවාරි 1 සිට ශ්‍රී ලංකා විද්‍යාලංකාර විශ්ව විද්‍යාලය ලෙස නම් කෙරිණි. පසුව 1972 අංක 1 දරණ ශ්‍රී ලංකා විශ්ව විද්‍යාල පනත මගින් සියළුම විශ්ව විද්‍යාල එකම විශ්ව විද්‍යාලයක් බවට පත්කරනු ලැබූ අවස්ථාවේදී විද්‍යාලංකාර මණ්ඩපය බවට පත්විය. කැලණිය විශ්ව විද්‍යාලය බවට පත්වූයේ 1978 අංක 16 දරන විශ්ව විද්‍යාල පනත යටතේය.

වසර 1957දී ගිහි පැවිදි ශිෂ්‍යයින් පමණක් ආයතනයට අතුළත් කලද 1966 අංක 20 දරන ජාතික උසස් අධ්‍යාපන පනත ක්‍රියාත්මකවීමත් සමඟම ශිෂ්‍යාවන්ටද එයට ඇතුළත්වීමට හැකිවිය. පෑලියගොඩ පිරිවෙන් භූමියේ ඉඩකඩ මදිවීම නිසා වර්තමාන භූමිභාගයට 1975දී ගෙනඑන ලදී. කැලණිය සරසවිය වර්තමානයේදී පීඨ 6කින් සහ අධ්‍යයන අංශ 48කින් සමන්විතය. වසර 1971 කැරැල්ලේදී කැලණි සරසවි සිසුන් 10 ආසන්න පිරිසක් ඝාතනයට ලක්වූ අතර එය පසුව 71 කැරළිකරුවන් රඳවා තිබූ කඳවුරක් බවටද පත්විය.

ධර්මන් වික්‍රමරත්න විසිනි.

අසූව දශකයේ රාජ්‍ය ත්‍රස්තවාදය ඉදිරියේ මුළු මහත් සමාජයම දණගසා සිටි මොහොතක, මිනිසුන් වහලුන් සේ දිවි ගෙවූ අදුරු කාල පරිච්ඡේදයක ඒ සියල්ලටම එරෙහිව පෙරට පැමිණියේ සරසවි සිසුන්ය. රාජ්‍ය භීෂණය, ශිෂ්‍ය මර්ධනය, නිදහස් අධ්‍යාපන කප්පාදුව, ජාතික අර්බුදය, ඉන්දියන් හමුදා ආක්‍රමණය ඇතුළු කරුණු ගණනාවක් හමුවේ සංවේදීවූ මෙම සිසුන්ගෙන් බහුතරයක් ජනතා විමුක්ති පෙරමුණේ(ජවිපෙ) 2වැනි කැරැල්ලට සෘජුව සහ වක්‍රව බද්ධ විය. අවසානයේදී භීෂණ යුගය පැවති 1986 සිට1990 දක්වා මියගිය සරසවි සිසු සංඛ්‍යාව 396කි. අතුරුදහන් වූ සංඛ්‍යාව 227කි. කැලණිය විශ්ව විද්‍යාලයේ සිසුන් 64 දෙනෙක් ඒ අතර විය. මින් බහුතරයක්ම වෘත්තීය පුවත්පත් කලාවේදියෙකු වශයෙන් ලියුම්කරු 1984 සිට ඇසුරුකර ඇත. වර්තමානයේ කැලණි සරසවියේ වෛද්‍ය පීඨය බිහිවූයේද කලින් රාගම පෞද්ගලික වෛද්‍ය විද්‍යාලයවු එය ජනසතු කරන ලෙසට 2වැනි කැරැල්ලේදී සිසුන් ගෙන ගිය එක් අරගලයක ප්‍රතිපලක් වශයෙනි. ඒ වෙනුවෙන් කොළඹ, පේරාදෙණිය සහ රුහුණු වෛද්‍ය පීඨයන්හි වෛද්‍ය සිසුන් 34 දෙනෙකුට ජීවිත වලින් වන්දි ගෙවීමට සිදුවිය.

කැලණිය සරසවියේ ප්‍රවේශය

ජවිපෙ 2වැනි කැරැල්ල සමයේ එහි දේශපාලන බල මණ්ඩල සභිකයෙකු සහ සන්නද්ධ අංශයේ නායකයාවූ සමන් පියසිරි ප්‍රනාන්දු, මධ්‍යම කාරක සභිකයින්වූ උපාලි ජයවීර, ගාමිණී විජේගුණසේකර සහ අරුණ විජේසූරිය කැලණි සරසවියේ උපාධිධාරින්ය.  හොරණ පෝරුවදණ්ඩේ පදිංචි සමන් පියසිරි ප්‍රනාන්දු උපත ලැබුවේ 1958 මාර්තු 23 වැනිදාය. ඔහු 1989 දෙසැම්බර් 29වැනිදා ඝාතනයට පත්විය. මොණරාගලදී 1957 ඔක්තෝබර් 19වැනිදා උපන් උපාලි ජයවීර කැලණි සරසවියේ මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨයට ඇතුළත්වූයේ 1981 මාර්තු 2වැනිදාය. දෙවැනි කැරැල්ලේ ප්‍රබල භූමිකාවක් ඉටුකල ඔහු 1990 ජනවාරි 2වැනිදා අත්අඩංගුවට ගෙන 1990 මාර්තු 6 වැනිදා ඝාතනය කරන ලදී. ගම්පහ මුදුන්ගොඩ මැදවත්තේ පදිංචි ගාමිණී ගුණසේකර 1952 අගෝස්තු 20වැනිදා උපන් අතර 1974දී කැලණි සරසවියට ඇතුල්වූ අතර 1978දී ජන සන්නිවේදන ගෞරව උපාධිධාරියෙකු විය. ජවිපෙ වෙනුවෙන් ගම්පහ දිස්ත්‍රික්කයට 1981 සංවර්ධන සභා මතිවරණයට තරඟ කල ගාමිණී ජවිපෙ දේශපාලන මණ්ඩලයට විජේවීර ඝාතනයෙන් පසු 1989 දෙසැම්බර් මස උපාලි ජයවීර සමගින් පත්විය. ජවිපෙ වෘත්තීය සමිති නායකයකුවූ ඔහු 1990 මාර්තු මස ඝාතනයට ලක්විය. මොණරාගල උපන් අරුණ විජේසූරිය උපාලි ජයවීරගේ සමකාලීනයෙකු වූ අතර කැලණි සරසවියේ උපාධිධාරියෙකි. අරුණ 1989 සැප්තැම්බර් මස මහියංගනයේදී අත්අඩංගුවට ගැනීමෙන් පසු ඝාතනයට ලක්විය.

ජවිපෙ 2වැනි කැරැල්ලේ නායකයින් බවට පත්වූ කැලණි සරසවියේ ආදී විද්‍යාර්ථියීන්වූ ජවිපෙ සන්නද්ධ අංශයේ නායක සහ දේශපාලන මණ්ඩල සභික හොරණ සමන් පියසිරි ප්‍රනාන්දු, මධ්‍යම කාරක සභිකයින්වන මොණරාගල උපාලි ජයවීර සහ ගම්පහ ගාමිණී විජේගුණසේකර මෙහි වේ. මධ්‍යම කාරක සභිකයෙකු වූ අරුණ විජේසූරියද කැලණි උපාධිධාරියෙකි.(වමේ සිට)

එජාප ආණ්ඩුව 1977 ජුලි ජයග්‍රහණයෙන් පසු කැලණි සරසවිය පාලනය කළේ එජාපයේ සමවාදී ජුන්ටා ශිෂ්‍ය සංගමයේ මෙහෙයවීමෙනි. කර්මාන්ත ඇමති සිරිල් මැතිව්ගේ නායකත්වයෙන් පතාල නායක ගෝනවල සුනිල්ගේ මෙහෙයවීමෙන් ආණ්ඩුවට එරෙහි සිසු නායකයින්, සිසු සංගම් සහ උද්ඝෝෂණ මැර බලයෙන් යටපත් කරන ලදී. සිසුන්ට තාඩන පීඩන පහරදීම් කල අතර මැරයින්ගේ නිජබිමක් බවට කැලණි සරසවි භූමිය පත්වූයේ සමවාදී ජුන්ටා ශිෂ්‍ය පෙරමුණේ ආශිර්වාදයෙනි. කැළණි සරසවියට 1978 මාර්තු 16 වැනිදා පැමිණි පාතාල මැරයින් 40ක් පමණ පොලු සහ මුගුරු රැගෙන වාමාංශික දේශපාලනයේ නිරත කැලණි සිසු ක්‍රියාකාරිකයින්ට සහ සාමාජිකයින්ට එජාපයේ සමවාදී සිසු පෙරමුණේ මැදිහත්වීම මත පහර දුණි. ගැටුමේ අවසන් ප්‍රතිඵලය වුයේ පහරදීමට පැමිණි එජාප මැරයෙක් වූ ක්‍රිස්ටෝපර් ජයතිලක පොදු සිසුන් හමුවේ ජීවිතක්ෂයට පත්විමය. මැර නායක ක්‍රිස්ටෝපර් ජයතිලකගේ ඝාතනයට කැලණි සිසු බද්දේගම සමිත පසුව අත්අඩංගුවට ගනු ලැබුවද නිදහස් විය. ක්‍රිස්ටෝපර් ඇතුළු මැර පිරිස පලවා හැරීමට නායකත්වය දුන්නේ ජවිපෙ ගාමිණී විජේගුණසේකර ඇතුළු පිරිසකි.

එජාපයේ සමවාදී ශිෂ්‍ය සංගමය ප්‍රථම වරට සරසවියක් තුළ පිහිටුවූයේ 1973දී කැලණියේදීය. ඉමිතියාස් මාකර් එහි නායකත්වය ගත් අතර එය ගොඩනැන්වීමට කථිකාචාර්ය ඒ.ඒ. ජයසුරිය, ධර්මසිරි ද සිල්වා, සුනන්ද මද්දුමබණ්ඩාර, ඔස්ට්‍රින් ගුණරත්න සහ වලකන්දේ පියනන්ද හිමි සහාය විය. එහි ප්‍රථම ජයග්‍රහණය ලද්දේ 1976දී ආර්ථික විද්‍යා ශිෂ්‍ය සංගමයේ සභාපති ධූරයට කේ.එච්. විල්ෆඩ් පත්වීමෙනි. එක්සත් සමවාදී ශිෂ්‍ය පෙරමුණ 1970 දෙසැම්බර් පිහිටවූ අතර එය එජාපයේ නිල ශිෂ්‍ය සංවිධානය ලෙස පක්ෂ ව්‍යවස්ථාවට ඇතුලත් කරන ලද්දේ 1975දීය. එජාප මන්ත්‍රීවරයෙක් නිල වශයෙන් කැලණි සරසවියට 1978දී ගෙන්වා රැස්වීමක් පැවැත්වීමටද කටයුතු කරනු ලැබීය.

එජාපය මගින් සරසවි තුළ ප්‍රථම වරට ශිෂ්‍ය සංගමයක් සමවාදී ශිෂ්‍ය පෙරමුණ ලෙස 1973දී කැලණි සරසවියේ ආරම්භ කල අවස්ථාවේදී එහි නිර්මාතෘවූ ඉමිතියාස් බාකීර් මාකර්(හිටපු ජනමාධ්‍ය ඇමති), සමවාදී ශිෂ්‍ය පෙරමුණ ගොඩනැංවීමට දායකවූ සුනන්ද මද්දුමබණ්ඩාර(වර්තමාන කැලණිය උපකුලපති) සහ එම ශිෂ්‍ය පෙරමුණේ පසුකාලීනව සභාපතිවරයෙකු වූ වානිජ විද්‍යා 81/82 කණ්ඩායමේ තිස්ස අත්තනායක(හිටපු සෞඛ්‍ය ඇමති). අසූවේ දශකයේ මුල් භාගයේදී එජාප බලය මුළුමනින් පරදවා කැළණිය සරසවියේ සමාජවාදී ශිෂ්‍ය සංගමයේ බලය තහවුරු කිරීමට ජවිපෙට හැකිවිය. (වමේ සිට)

ජවිපෙ සමාජවාදී ශිෂ්‍ය සංගමය කැලණි සරසවිය තුළ පොදු ශිෂ්‍යයිනගේද සහාය ඇතිව ජුන්ටා සමවාදී ශිෂ්‍ය සංගමයට එරෙහිව බලවේගයක් ලෙස ගොඩනැගෙන්නේ 70 දශකය අගභාගයේදී සමන් පියසිරි ප්‍රනාන්දුගේ නායකත්වයෙනි. එයට පෙර ජවිපෙ ශිෂ්‍ය සංගමයේ කැලණියේ නායකයා වූයේ සුදර්ශන පොන්වීරය. මීරිගම මුද්දරගමදී 1978දී ජයතිලකගේ මෙහෙයවීමෙන් පැවති ජවිපෙ සත්දින අධ්‍යාපන කඳවුරට සහභාගිවූ සමන් පියසිරිගේ සහායට කමල්, සිරිමෙවන් ඇතුළු කිහිප දෙනෙක්ම එක්ව සිටියහ. උපාලි ජයවීර 1981 අවසාන භාගයේ කැලණි සරසවි ජවිපෙ ශිෂ්‍ය සංගමයට තීරණාත්මකව මැදිහත් වන අතර රජයේ අධ්‍යාපන ධවල පත්‍රිකාවට විරුද්ධව මහා පරිමාණ උද්ඝෝෂණ සහ අරගල දියත් කල අතර කැලණි සරසවි සිසුන් බහුතරයකගේ සහාය නිදහස් අධ්‍යාපනය සුරකීමේ අරගලයට දායක කර ගැනීමට සමත් විය. පාර්ලිමේන්තුව 1982 ජනවාරි 20වැනිදා වටකරනු ලැබුවේද අධ්‍යාපන ධවල පත්‍රිකාවට එරෙහිවය. කැලණි ශිෂ්‍ය සභාවේ සභාපති වශයෙන් 1981/82 ගාමිණී ප්‍රේමචන්ද්‍ර පත්වූ අතර එහි සුබසාධන ලේකම්වරයා වූයේ උපාලි ජයවීරය.

ඉන් පසු 1982/83 නිලවරණයේදී කැලණි ශිෂ්‍ය සභාවේ වැඩි බලය ජවිපෙ සමාජවාදී ශිෂ්‍ය සංගමය සතුවූ අතර එහි සභාපතිවරයා ලෙසද පත්වූයේ තෙවැනි වසර සිසුවෙකු වු උපාලි ජයවීරය. අන්තරේ නායකයා ලෙස ජයවර්ධනපුර සරසවියේ මහින්ද පුෂ්පකුමාර කටයුතු කල අතර අන්තරේ දෙවැන්නා ලෙස පත්වූයේද උපාලි ජයවීරය. සිසුන්ගේ බහුතර කැමැත්ත මත කැලණි සරසවි ශිෂ්‍ය ක්‍රියාකාරි කමිටුවේ 1983/84 වසර සඳහා නායකයාවූ උපාලි ජයවීර පසුව එම වසරේදී අන්තරේ නායකයා බවටද පත්විය. කැලණි සරසවියේ තුළ 1978 සිට ගෝනවල සුනිල්ගේ ආශිර්වාදයෙන් එජාපයේ සමවාදී ශිෂ්‍ය පෙරමුණ වාෂ්ප කිරීමට උපාලි ජයවීරගේ නායකත්වයට හැකිවූ අතර සමවාදී බලය මුළුමනින් සුණු විසුණු කිරීමට 80 දශකයේ අවසාන භාගයේ සේනාරත්න, රොනී සහ බලහරුවේ සෝම හිමිගේ නායකත්වයට හැකිවිය. වසර 1986 සිට 1988 දක්වා කැලණි සරසවියේ ජවිපෙ ශිෂ්‍ය අංශය භාරව සිටියේ එහි ශිෂ්‍යයෙකුව සිටි සමාජ විද්‍යා පීඨයේ 1981/82 කණ්ඩායමේ රංජිත් වීරවංශය. පසුව දේශප්‍රේමි ශිෂ්‍ය ව්‍යාපාරය 1986 ජුනි 20 වැනිදා ආරම්භ කල විටද එහි අදිසි නායකයාවූ රංජිත් විරවංශ 1989 මැද භාගයේදී ශ්‍රී ලංකාවෙන් බැහැරවී තායිලන්තය හරහා ඇමරිකා එක්සත් ජනපදයට ගොස් එහි දේශපාලන රැකවරණය ලැබීය. පසුව කැනේඩියානු සම්භවයක් සහිත ඇමරිකානු කාන්තාවක් සමඟ අවාහවී ඇමරිකාවේ ජීවත්වන රංජිත් වර්තමානයේ දෙදරු පියෙකි.

කැලණි සරසවියේ එජාප සමවාදී ශිෂ්‍ය පෙරමුණ සමඟ එක්වී මැර බලයෙන් කැලණි සරසවිය පාලනයකල එවකට ආණ්ඩුවේ කර්මාන්ත ඇමති සිරිල් මැතිව්(වමේ) සහ කැලණියේ පතාල නායකයාවූ ගෝනවල සුනිල් පෙරේරා මෙහි වේ. කැලණියේ සමවාදී ශිෂ්‍ය සංගමය වෙනුවෙන් පතාලය සම්බන්ධීකරණය කළේ වාණිජ පීඨයේ සපුගස්කන්දේ බාලසිංහ සහ ජයවික්‍රම විසිනි

කැලණිය සරසවිය රැඩිකල් භික්ෂූන්ට තෝ තැන්නක් විය. එය විද්‍යාලංකාර පිරිවෙනේ 40 දශකයේ අධ්‍යාපනය ලැබූ රැඩිකල් ඉන්දිය භික්ෂුන් වන ආනන්ද කෞශල්‍යාණ හිමි සහ රාහුල සංස්ක්‍රිත්තාන හිමිවරුන්ගේ ආභාෂයෙන් චිරාත් කාලයක සිට පැවත එන්නකි. ජවිපෙ 2වැනි කැරළි සමයේ මානව හිතවාදී භික්ෂු සංවිධානයේ නායකත්වය ඉසුලූ අම්බලන්ගොඩ කළුවඩුමුල්ල ශ්‍රී විජයාරාමාධිපති ආචාර්ය විලේගොඩ අරියදේව හිමියන්ද කැලණිය සරසවියේ සිසුවෙකි. ජවිපෙ සමාජවාදී භික්ෂු සංගමයේ කැඳවුම්කරුවූ උඩවෙල ධම්මජෝති හිමි කැලණි සරසවි මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨයේ 2වන වසරේ සිසුවෙකි.

කැලණියේදී 1987 මාර්තු 4 වැනිදා ආරම්භවූ අන්තර් විශ්ව විද්‍යාල භික්ෂු බල මණ්ඩලය තහවුරු වූයේ 1987 මාර්තු 17වැනිදා ඇරඹුණ කැලණිය සරසවි භික්ෂු නේවාසිකාගාර උද්ඝෝෂණයෙන් පසුවය. කැළණි සරසවියේ භික්ෂූන් 540ක් පමණ සටන ආරම්භ කල අතර පසුව බලහත්කාරයෙන් ගොඩනැගිල්ලක් අල්ලාගෙන එය නේවාසිකාගාරයක් බවට පත්කර ගත්හ. පේරාදෙණිය උපවාසය පැවති 1983න් පසු නැවත වතාවක් ශිෂ්‍ය පාලනයට නතු වූයේ මෙහිදිය. දේශපාලන අරමුණක් නොමැතිව අයාලේ යමින් සිටි රටපුරා සරසවි භික්ෂූන් එක පෙරමුණකට එක්කර පසු කළෙක ඓතිහාසික මෙහෙවරක් කල භික්ෂු බලවේගයේ ප්‍රථම මූලය මෙමගින් ඉදිවිණි. අන්තර් විශ්ව විද්‍යාල භික්ෂු බල මණ්ඩලයේ ප්‍රථම ජාතික නැගිටීම වූයේ 1987 අප්‍රේල් 21වැනිදා පිටකොටුවේ ද්‍රවිඩ බෙදුම්වාදීන්ගේ බෝම්බ ප්‍රහාරයට එරෙහිව ඇදිරිනීතියද නොතකා භික්ෂූන් දහස් ගණනකගේ මෙහෙයවීමෙන් පැවති යෝධ පෙලපාලියයි. එය අවසානයේදී මුරුත්තෙට්ටුවේ ආනන්ද හිමියන්ගේ නායකත්වයෙන් ජනාධිපති ජයවර්ධනගේ වෝඩ් පෙදෙස නිවසද වටලෑවේය. කැලණි භික්ෂු සටන මහා සටන් රැල්ලක ආරම්භය විය.

කැලණිය ජවිපෙ ශිෂ්‍ය සංගමයේ මුල්පෙලේ ක්‍රියාකාරිකයෙකුවූ 82/83 කණ්ඩායමේ ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨයේ අජිත් කුමාර(පාර්ලිමේන්තු බෝම්බයේ ප්‍රධාන සැකකරු), ජවිපෙට සහ එජාපයට විකල්පයක් ලෙසින් බිහිවූ ශිෂ්‍ය කණ්ඩායම්වල නායකයින්වූ සමාජ විද්‍යා පීඨයේ 79/80 කණ්ඩායමේ ඩිලාන් පෙරේරා(වර්තමාන මහාමාර්ග රාජ්‍ය ඇමති), 83/84 කණ්ඩායමේ අජිත් දිසානායක(වර්තමානයේ කැලණියේ ආර්ථික විද්‍යා අංශයේ ආචාර්ය) සහ මර්ධනයෙන් විනාශවී ගිය ශිෂ්‍ය ව්‍යාපාරයට යළි 1990දී ජීවය දුන් 85/86 කණ්ඩායමේ කළුපහන පියරතන හිමි(වර්තමානයේ සන්ධානයට අයත් දේශ විමුක්ති ජනතා පක්ෂයේ සභාපති)

සරසවි සිසු නායකයින් 310ක් අත්අඩංගුවට ගැනීමේ මෙහෙයුමක් ඉන්දු ලංකා ගිවිසුමට පෙර 1987 ජුනි 22වැනිදා අළුයම එකවර ක්‍රියාත්මක විය. එසේ අත්අඩංගුවට ගැනීමට හැකිවූයේ ලේඛනයේ සිටි 88 දෙනෙකු පමණි. හදිසි නීති රෙගුලාසි 87යටතේ රඳවා ගත් ඔවුන් අතර කැලණි සරසවියේ මොහාන්ලාල් වල්ගමගේ, රුවන් වසන්ත, බලහරුවේ සෝම හිමි, සේනාධීර, මාදම්පේ නන්දාරාම හිමි, දුනකවත්තේ ගුණරත්න හිමි, ගම්මාදගම ගුණසිරි හිමි ඇතුළු පිරිසක් විය. ඔවුන් නිදහස් කළේ මාස කිහිපයකට පසුවය.

අන්තරේ භික්ෂු බල මණ්ඩලයට නායකත්වය දුන්නේ එහි කැඳවුම්කරුවූ බලහරුවේ සෝම හිමිය. කැලණිය මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨයේ දෙවන වසර සිසුවෙකුවූ බලහරුවේ හිමි හම්බේගමුව, තණමල්විල උපන්නෙකි. නුගේගොඩ සුභෝද්‍රාරාම පිරිවෙනේ  උසස් අධ්‍යාපනය හැදෑරූ සෝම හිමි කැරැල්ල පරාජයෙන් පසු 1990 අවසාන භාගයේදී තායිලන්තය හරහා ස්වීඩනයේ දේශපාලන රැකවරණය ලබා ගත්තේය. පසුව උපැවිදිව සිසිර බවට පත්වූ ඔහු දැන් ස්වීඩනයේ ජීවත්වන දෙදරු පියෙකි. ජවිපෙ සන්නද්ධ අංශයට කාඩර්වරුන් බිහිකිරීම සඳහා 1986 ජුනි 20වැනිදා පිහිටවූ  දේශප්‍රේමී ශිෂ්‍ය ව්‍යාපාරයේ ලේකම්වරයා වූයේද කැලණි සරසවියේ දෙවන වසරේ සිසුවෙකුවු තාරපේරියේ රතනජෝති හිමිය. එහි සභාපතිවරයා වූයේ ජයවර්ධනපුර සරසවියේ සිසු කඩවත ඇල්දෙණියේ පදිංචි කාරියප්පෙරුම අතුකෝරලාගේ රනිල්ය. දේශප්‍රේමී ශිෂ්‍ය ව්‍යාපාරයේ තේමාව වූයේ පළමුව මව්බිම දෙවනුව ඉගෙනුම යන පාඨයයි. තංගල්ලේ උපන් තාරපේරිය රතනජෝති හිමිද 1991 මුල් භාගයේදී තායිලන්තය හරහා ස්විඩනයේ දේශපාලන රැකවරණ ලබාගත් අතර වර්තමානයේ උපැවිදිවී සිරිවර්ධන නමින් බ්‍රිතාන්‍යයේ ජීවත්වන දෙදරු පියෙකි.

කැලණි සරසවියේදී ඝාතනය වූ සහ අතුරුදහන්වූ සිසුන් 64දෙනා ගෙන් කිහිප දෙනෙක්.(වමේ ඉහළ සිට) අනුරාධපුරයේ බණ්ඩාගේ මච්චාගම සේනාරත්න, මාරවිල රොනී කුමාර, ගාල්ලේ ගැමුණු යසස් සෙනෙවිරත්න, බදුල්ලේ ජයසේන දිසානායක, රන්සෑගොඩ ධම්මාලෝක හිමි, වලල්ලාවිට චන්ද්‍රසිරි හිමි, සරණතිස්ස හිමි, මාතර උපාලි,  මාතලේ රත්නසිරි පුංචිබණ්ඩා, හඟුරන්කෙත බෝගහකුඹුර, ඊ.එම්. සෝමචන්ද්‍ර, පල්ලියගුරු, තිලක් ප්‍රසන්න, අම්පාර සනත් හෙට්ටිආරච්චි ඇතුළු 4ක්.

ජවිපෙ සමාජවාදී භික්ෂු සංගමයේ කැලණි සරසවි ක්‍රියාකාරින් රැසක් දෙවන කැරැල්ලේදී ප්‍රබල භූමිකාවක් ඉටු කලහ. ඔවුන් අතරින් ගණනාවක් මියගිය අතර කිහිප දෙනෙකු ජීවිතය බේරාගැනීමට සමත්විය. කැලණි සරසවියේ පනාවැන්නේ ගුණසිරි හිමි(85/86), නාරංගොඩ සීවිලී හිමි(85/86), දිත්දෙණියේ සරණවංශ හිමි(84/85), රන්නේ සෝමවංශ හිමි(84/85), දෙණියායේ ජයසුමන හිමි(83/84), පිටිපන ගුණසිරි හිමි(85/86), පද්දේතොට නන්දාරාම හිමි(85/86) ඒ අතර කිහිප දෙනෙකි. භික්ෂූන් ගණනාවක් අත්අඩංගුවේදී විවිධ වධ බන්ධන වලට මුහුණ දුන් අතර වධකාගාරවලටද කොටුවිය. සපුගොල්ලේ ඉන්ද්‍රවිමල හිමි කුරුණෑගලදී අත්අඩංගුවට ගෙන එහි අංක 5 පාරේ ලොකු පාලම අසළට ගෙනවිත් ඝාතනය කිරීමට සැරසෙද්දී ගඟට පැන දිවි බේරා ගැනිමට උන් වහන්සේ සමත් විය. මෙම භික්ෂූන්ගෙන් බොහෝ දෙනෙකු පසුව උපැවිදි විය. දෙණියායේ ජයසුමන හිමි උපැවිදි වීමෙන් පසු එජාප ප්‍රාදේශීය සභා මන්ත්‍රීවරයෙක්ද විය. සමාජවාදී භික්ෂු සංගමයේ ජාතික කමිටුවේ ඉතිරිවූ භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේලා 12 නමක් ගම්පහ යක්කල කෙහෙල්වතුගොඩ පන්සලේදී 1989 දෙසැම්බර් 26 සහ 27වැනිදා සිටියදී ගම්පහ මූලස්ථාන පොලිස් පරික්ෂක ගාමිණී සිල්වාගේ නායකත්වයෙන් 1989 දෙසැම්බර් 27 රාත්‍රී 11ට කෙහෙල්වතුගොඩ පන්සලට පැමිණි කණ්ඩායමක් හිමිවරුන් 11ක් අත්අඩංගුවට ගත් අතර බලහරුවේ සෝම, තාරපේරියේ රතනජෝති හිමිවරුන් ඇතුළු 7ක් නිදහස් කරන ලදී. එහිදී අත්අඩංගුවට ගත් 4 දෙනා පසුව ඝාතනයට පත්විය.

අසූව දශකයේ අවසාන භාගයේ ක්‍රියාත්මකවූ මානව හිමිකම් සුරකීමේ ශිෂ්‍ය සංවිධානයේ අදිසි නායකයා වූ කැලණි සරසවියේ ආචාර්ය හේමා ගුණතිලක, එම වකවානුවේදී ආණ්ඩුවේ මර්ධකාරි ක්‍රියාකලාපයට එරෙහිව රටපුරා වාම ක්‍රියාකාරිකයින්ට සහ ප්‍රගතිශීලී ව්‍යාපාරයට යෝධ ජවයක් ලබාදුන් කැලණිය විද්‍යාර්ථිකයෙකුවූ රෝහණ ලක්ෂ්මන් පියදාස(වර්තමානයේ කැලණියේ ජනසන්නිවේදන අංශයේ මහාචාර්ය) සහ එජාප මැරයෙකුවූ ක්‍රිස්ටෝපර් ජයතිලක 1978 මාර්තු 16වැනිදා කැලණි සරසවියේ ඝාතනය කිරීමට චෝදනා ලැබ පසුව නිදොස්වූ කැලණි උපාධි අපේක්ෂක බද්දේගම සමිත හිමි(වර්තමානයේ ආචාර්ය සමිත හිමි දකුණු පළාත් සභා සන්ධාන මන්ත්‍රීවරයෙකි)

අන්තර් විශ්ව විද්‍යාල ශිෂ්‍ය බල මණ්ඩලයේ(අන්තරේ) 1987 ජුනි සිට 1988 පෙබරවාරි දක්වා කටයුතු කල බණ්ඩාගේ මච්චාගම සේනාරත්නද කැළණි සරසවියේ මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨයේ 83/84 කණ්ඩායමේ සමාජිකයෙකි. අනුරාධපුරයේ මැකිච්චාවල සිප්පුකුලම ග්‍රාමයේ උපන් සේනාරත්න වීරසූරිය සමරුව වෙනුවෙන් 1986 නොවැම්බර් 12 මහජන පුස්තකාලයේ පවත්වන ලද දැවැන්ත ප්‍රදර්ශනයේ සංවිධායකවරයාය. 1987 මැයි දින තහනමට එරෙහිව රැස්වීම අභයාරාමයේ සංවිධානය කිරීමට මුල්වූ කිහිප දෙනා අතර ඔහුද විය. පසුව එහිදී සිදුවන ඝාතනවලට එරෙහිව රටපුරා ශිෂ්‍ය උද්ඝෝෂණයක් මෙහෙයවීමට දායක විය. සේනාරත්න හබරණදී 1989 ජුලි මස අත්අඩංගුවට ගත් අතර ඔහුගේ සිරුර 1989 අගෝස්තු මස මොරටුව ගඟේ දක්නට ලැබුණු බව කියති. ඔහුගේ පෙම්වතිය වූයේ ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨයේ මරදන්කඩවල වලගම්බාහු පදිංචි ඉන්දුය.

1986 මාර්තු කැලණි භික්ෂු සටනට නායකත්වය දුන් අන්තර් විශ්ව විද්‍යාල භික්ෂු බල මණ්ඩලයේ කැඳවුම්කරු බලහරුවේ සෝම හිමි(1991දී ආරක්ෂාවට රටින් බැහැරවී උපැවිදිව වර්තමානයේ ස්වීඩනයේ ජීවත් වන සිසිර දැන් දෙදරු පියෙකි), ජවිපෙ දේශප්‍රේමී ශිෂ්‍ය ව්‍යාපාරයේ ලේකම්වූ කැලණි සරසවියේ තාරපේරියේ රතනජෝති හිමි සහ උන්වහස්සේ 1991දී ආරක්ෂාවට රටින් බැහැරවී උපැවිදිව වර්තමානයේ බ්‍රිතාත්‍යයේ දෙදරු පියෙකු වශයෙන් ජීවත්වන සිරිවර්ධන(වමේ සිට)

කැලණිය විද්‍යා පිඨයේ 83/84 කණ්ඩායමේ රොනී කුමාර මියගියේ කටුනායක ගුවන් හමුදා කඳවුරින් අවි පැහැර ගැනීමට 1988 අප්‍රේල් 22වැනිදා ජවිපෙ කල කඩා වැදීමේදී ගරිල්ලා භටයෙකු ලෙසය. එහිදී රොනී සමඟ එහිදී මොණරාගල සුමිත් රණසිංහ, කාන්තා නායිකාවක් වූ මේධානිද මියගිය අතර ප්‍රහාරයට පැමිණි 46 දෙනාගෙන් 11 දෙනෙකු අත්අඩංගුවටද පත්විය. ඉහල ගුණාංග වලින් හෙබි රොනී සරසවියේ තම මිතුරන් වෙනුවෙන් පෙනීසිටි මාරවිල කටුනේරිය පදිංචිකරුවෙකි. පියා ගරාජ් හිමියෙකුවු අතර ගුරුවරියක වූ මව 2014 මිය ගියාය. සොයුරු සොයුරියන් 4 දෙනෙකි.

ගැමුණු යසස් සෙනෙවිරත්නද කැලණි විද්‍යා පීඨයේ 84/85 කණ්ඩායමේ සාමාජිකයෙකුවූ අතර ගාල්ලේ රිච්මන්ඩ් විදුහලේ ආදි ශිෂ්‍යයෙකි. ගාල්ලේ වක්වැල්ලේ උපන් ගැමුණුගේ පියා ප්‍රකට නොතාරිස්වරයෙක්වූ අතර පවුලේ එකම පිරිම දරුවා වූ ඔහුට සහෝදරියන් තිදෙනෙකි. මානව හිමිකම් සුරැකීමේ ශිෂ්‍ය සංවිධානයේ සම්බන්ධීකාරකවරයා වූ ගැමුණු 1989 දෙසැම්බර් 10වැනිදා බොරැල්ල කොටා රෝඩ්හි ටර්නර් පාරේ නිවසක නැවතී උදෑසන පිටවී යනවිට පැහැරගෙන ගොස් පසුව ඝාතනයට ලක්විය. නිති විද්‍යාලයේ ශිෂ්‍යයෙකුද වූ ඔහු රාජගිරියේ ඉම්පාලා සිනමා ශාලාව ඉදිරිපිට වුට් ඉන් නේවාසිකාගාරයේ නැවතී සිටියේය. විවේකී අවස්ථාවන්හි ඔහුගේ ගිටාරයෙන් සී.ටී. ප්‍රනාන්දුගේ ගීත වාදනය කල අන්දම ලියුම්කරුට තවමත් මතකය. බ්‍රිතාන්‍යය කේන්ද්‍ර කරගත් ජාත්‍යන්තර ක්වේකර් සාම සේවයේ සහායෙන් ජවිපෙ සමඟ සාකච්ඡා කිරීමට ජනාධිපති රණසිංහ ප්‍රේමදාස උත්සාහ කල අතර එය බ්‍රිතාන්‍යයේදී ප්‍රින්ස් ගුණසේකර විසින්ද කොළඹදී ගැමුණුද එම සාම සේවයේ නියෝජිතයින් සමඟ 1989 මැදභාගයේදී  නිරතුරුව සම්බන්ධකම් පැවැත්වීය.

ඝාතනයට ලක්වූ සරසවි සිසුවෙකු විප්ලවීය ආචාරය මැද 1989දී අවසන් ගමන් ගිය අයුරු

ජවිපෙ සාමාජිකයන් පිළිබදව ආරක්ෂක හමුදාවට ඔත්තුදීමේ සහ සහායදීමේ චෝදනාව මත කැලණි මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨයේ 81/82 කණ්ඩායමේ පියරත්න යාපා බණ්ඩාර කැලණිය වේවැල්දූව බාහිර නේවාසිකාගාරයකදී 1988 පෙබරවාරි 10 ජවිපෙ මගින් වෙඩිතබා ඝාතනය කරන ලදී. යාපා බණ්ඩාර ශ්‍රී ලංකා මහජන පක්ෂයේ ශිෂ්‍ය සම්මේලනයේ ක්‍රියාකාරිකයෙකුවූ අතර එහිදී කැලණි සරසවි සිසුන්වු ශ්‍රී ලංකා මහජන ශිෂ්‍ය සම්මේලනයේ ලේකම් සහ මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨයේ 83/84 කණ්ඩායමේ විපුල ගුණරත්න(වර්තමානයේ කැලණියේ ව්‍යාපාරික), ක්‍රිෂාන්ත ගුණවර්ධන(වර්තමානයේ මහාචාර්ය සහ මධ්‍යම සංස්කෘතික අරමුදලේ අධ්‍යක්ෂක ජනරාල්), අරවින්ද ඉහලගම(පසුව නීති පීඨයේ කථිකාචාර්ය) යන තිදෙනා බරපතල තුවාල ලැබීය. විජය කුමාරතුංග අරඹන ලද ශ්‍රී ලංකා මහජන පක්ෂයේ ක්‍රියාකාරිකයින් 117 දෙනෙකු භීෂණ සමයේදී මරණයට පත්වූ අතර ඉන් 7 දෙනෙකු ශිෂ්‍ය සම්මේලනයේ ක්‍රියාකාරිකයින් වූහ. මහජන පක්ෂයේ මෙම ශිෂ්‍ය සම්මේලනය ජවිපෙ සාමාජිකයින් සහ හිතවතුන් 1,222ක් ඝාතනය කල ආණ්ඩුවේ අර්ධ මිල්ටරි සංවිධානයක්වූ ප්‍රා සංවිධානයේ ප්‍රබල පාර්ශවකරුවෙකු විය. මෙම වෙඩි තැබීමේදී ප්‍රා හිතවතෙකුවූ සරසවි ශිෂ්‍යයෙකු නොවූ හේරත් මුදියන්සෙලාගේ ප්‍රේමරත්නද ඝාතනයට පත්විය. මහජන ශිෂ්‍ය සම්මේලනයේ ප්‍රබල ක්‍රියාකාරිකයෙකුවූ ජවිපෙ ඝාතන තර්ජනවලට ලක්වී සිටි පොල්ගොල්ලේ රංජිත් අලහකෝන් 83/84 වාණිජ කණ්ඩායමේ සාමාජිකයෙකු වූ අතර පසුව ඔහු 1990 මියගියේ හෘදයාබාධයකිනි.

ජවිපෙ විසින් පොලිස් කොස්තාපල්වරයෙකු 1988 මාර්තු මස මරා දැමීමෙන් පසු ජවිපෙ කැරළිකරුවන් තිදෙනෙකු ඝාතනයෙන් පසු මහමඟ ගිණිතබා තිබූ ඔවුන්ගේ සිරුරු අභියස සිටින ගම්වැසියන් කිහිපදෙනෙක්.

කැලණිය සරසවියේදී 86/90 භීෂණ සමයේදී ඝාතනයට ලක්වූ සහ අතුරුදහන්වූ සිසුන් 64 අතර පහත අයද වේ. ජයසේන දිසානායක- බදුල්ල: 85/86 මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨය(ජවිපෙ මගින් 1989 ජුලි 16 වැනිදා අළුයම 2.55‍ට සපුගස්කන්ද පොලිසියට පහරදී ආයුධ කිහිපයක් ගෙනගිය අතර එහිදී තවත් ප්‍රහාරකයෙකුවු සුමිත් පෙරේරා හෙවත් කළුවා සමඟ ඝාතනයට ලක්විය. මෙහිදී පොලිසියේ තිදෙනෙකුද මරුමුවට පත්විය. ජයසේන කැලණිය ටයර් සංස්ථා හමුදා මුරපොලෙන් ආයුධ පැහැර ගැනීමේදී ඝාතනයට පත්වු බව තවත් මතයකි), නිහාල් ජයවීර – ගාල්ල: 85/86 සමාජ විද්‍යා පීඨය, ටී. බෝගහකුඹුර- හඟුරන්කෙත: 85/86 සමාජ විද්‍යා පීඨය, එස්. පුංචිබණ්ඩා- වලපනේ: 86/87 මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨය, උපාලි සමන්කුමාර – කෝට්ටේගොඩ : 83/84 විද්‍යා පීඨය(ගිනි උපාලි ලෙසින් ප්‍රචලිතය), සුනිල්- බදුල්ල: මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨය( සරසවි වසා තිබියදී බදුල්ලේ පාසැලක ගුරුවරයෙකු වශයෙන් තාවකාලිකව සේවය කරමින් සිටියදී පැහැරගෙන ගොස් ඝාතනය කරන ලදි. කළින් පැවිදි නම සිරිරත්න හිමිය. විද්‍යා පිඨයේ වහලක් උඩ නැග වරෙක අධ්‍යාපන අයිතීන් වෙනුවෙන් උපවාසයක්ද පැවැත්වීය).

2වැනි කැරැල්ලේ පරාජයෙන් පසු අතුරුදහන්වූ සහ ඝාතනයට ලක්වූ භික්ෂූන් පිළිබදව ආචාර්ය විලේගොඩ අරි‍යදේව හිමි භික්ෂු ක්‍රියාකාරිකයින් සමඟ 1990 මාර්තු මස කැළණි සරසවියේ පැවැත්වූ සාකච්ඡාවක්. වාව්වේ ධම්මරක්ඛිත හිමි(වර්තමානයේ පාලි සරසවියේ මහාචාර්ය),නාරංගොඩ සීවලී සහ කළුපහන පියරතන හිමි ඇතුළු කිහිප දෙනෙක් මෙහි වේ.

පුංචිබණ්ඩා බී. රත්නසිරි – මාතලේ: 84/85 මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨය(ලග්ගල මහා විද්‍යාලයෙන් සරසවියට තේරූ ප්‍රථම සිසුවාය. ජවිපෙ මෙහෙයුමකට යමින් සිටියදී බෝම්බයක් සමගින් නාවුලදී ආරක්ෂක හමුදා අත්අඩංගුවට පත්ව දඹුල්ලේ පැල්වෙහෙර රජයේ ගොවි‍පලේ වධකාගාරයේ තබා පසුව රත්තොට මුවන්දෙනිය පන්සල අසළ කපා කොටා වෙඩිතබා ඝාතනය කර වැළලූ 28 දෙනාගේ සමූහ මිනී වළේ ඔහුගේ සිරුරද  ඇත), කෑගල්ලේ වික්‍රමසිංහ:  83/84 විද්‍යා පීඨය, ශාන්ත- කෝට්ටේගොඩ : 84/85 විද්‍යා පීඨය, තිලක් ප්‍රසන්න : 85/86 මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨය, ඊ.එම්. සෝමචන්ද්‍ර- එප්පාවල: සමාජ විද්‍යා පීඨයේ 83/84 කණ්ඩායමේ සාමාජිකයෙකි. එප්පාවල පදිංචිවූ අතර අනුරාධපුරයේදී අත්අඩංගුවට ගෙන ඝාතනය කර පුළුස්සා දමා තිබිණි.  ගාමිණී නවරත්ත- කුරුණෑගල හුණුපොල:83/84 සමාජ විද්‍යා පීඨය, සනත් හෙට්ටිආරච්චි – අම්පාර 82/83 සමාජ විද්‍යා පීඨය, අම්පාරේ චන්ද්‍රරේ-බණ්ඩාරවෙළ: 82/83 සමාජ විද්‍යා පීඨය, පල්ලියගුරු 84/85 මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨය.

රන්සෑගොඩ ධම්මාලෝක හිමි : කැලණි සරසවියේ මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨයේ අධ්‍යාපනය ලැබූ ධම්මාලෝක හිමියන් 1989 පෙබරවාරි මස බසයෙන් ගමන් කරමින් සිටියදී කොට්ටවගම කැප්පෙටිපොල විද්‍යාලය අසළදී බස්සවා ආරක්ෂක අංශ මගින් අත්අඩංගුවට ගන්නා ලදී පසුව නාකියදෙණිය තලංගහ හමුදා කඳවුරට ගෙන ගියේය. උන් වහන්සේගේ සිරුර 1989 පෙබරවාරි 21 ඝාතනයකර හිනිදුම කල්වාරි දේවස්ථානය අසලදී පුළුස්සා දමා තිබියදී හමුවිය, තංගල්ලේ ආනන්ද හිමි-85/86 මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨය, ඕපල්ලේ ඥානසිරි හිමි-85/86 මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨය, ගම්පහ පඤ්ඥානන්ද හිමි -86/87 මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨයවලල්ලාවිට චන්ද්‍රසිරි හිමි – කළුතර: 85/86 මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨය(නුගේගොඩ සුභද්‍රාරාමයේ මූලික අධ්‍යාපනය ලැබීය), ධම්මතිස්ස හිමි – 85/86 මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨය, දිද්දෙණියේ සරණවංශ හිමි – 84/85 මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨය, කඩුගන්නාවේ සීවලී හිමි – 83/84 මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨය(පොල්ගොල්ලේදී ඝාතනයට පත්විය), සොරණාතොට සරණතිස්ස හිමි – 86/87 මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨය, බදුල්ලේ ගුණසිරි හිමි – 83/84 මානව ශ්‍රාස්ත්‍ර පීඨය(බදුල්ලේදි පැහැරගෙන ගොස් හාලිඇල වධකාගාරයට ගෙනයෑමෙන් පසු ඝාතනයට ලක්විය) වේ.

ජවිපෙ 2වැනි කැරැල්ලේ අවසාන භාගයේදී සහ 1990 මුල්භාගයේදී යළි සරසවියට පැමිණි සිසුන් කිහිපදෙනෙක්ම අත්අඩංගුවට ගැනුනේ කැලණිය සරසවිය අවට ප්‍රදේශයේදීය. ප්‍රේමදාස ජනාධිපතිවූ පසු කැලණි සරසවි සිසුන් කිහිප දෙනෙකුට රැකියාවන් ලබාදුන් අතර ඔවුන් ආරක්ෂක හමුදා වාහනවල නැගී සිසුන් අත්අඩංගුවට ගැනීමට සහාය විය. ඒ අතර වන්නිනායක සහ ජයතිස්ස ඇතුළු පිරිසක් විය. කැරැල්ලේ පරාජයෙන් පසු කැලණි සරසවි ශිෂ්‍ය ව්‍යාපාරය යළි නගාසිටුවීමට පුරෝගාමි නායකත්වයක් ලබාදුන්නේ කළුපහන පියරතන හිමි ඇතුළු පිරිසකි. සාමය සහ ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදය රැකගැනීමටද, පලල් බුද්ධිමය සංවාදයකට මඟ පැදීමකට එය හේතුපාදක විය. ඇලපිලියාවේ ධම්මාරාම හිමි, විජිත බණ්ඩාර, කපිල වික්‍රමතිලක ඇතුළු කිහිප දෙනෙක්ම එම ක්‍රියාවලියට දායකවූහ.

කැලණි සරසවියෙන් සමුගත් සිසුහු නිදහස් අධ්‍යාපනය පමණක් වෙනුවෙන් නොව දේශය සහ ජනතාව වෙනුවෙන් සිය දේශපාලන භාවිතය විදහා පෑහ. ඉපදෙන සෑම මිනිසෙකුම මියයාම විශ්ව නියමයක් වුවද මිනිස් හදවත් තුළ සදාතනික මතක සටනක් තැබීමට සමත් වන්නෝ පුරාවෘතයක් වැනිය. ජනතාවගේ උස් පරමාර්ථ වෙනුවෙන් ඔවුහු සිය ජීවිත මුදාහලේ හෙට දවස යහපත් කිරීමේ පරාර්ථකාමිත්වයෙනි.  කැලණි සරසවියේ 1986/90සමයේ ඝාතනයට ලක්වූ සිසුන්ගේ ඔබ දන්නා ඡායාරූප සහ තොරතුරු පහත ආකාරයට යොමුකල හැකිය. ධර්මන් වික්‍රමරත්න, තැපෙ 26, ශ්‍රී ජයවර්ධනපුර.දුරකථනය: 011-5234384 විද්‍යුත් තැපෑල: ejournalists@gmail.com (The writer is a senior journalist who could be reached at ejournalists@gmail.com OR 011-5234384) 

by Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island

January 16, 2016, 8:30 am
The Joint Opposition comprising about 50 UPFA members and the SLFP group in the government are in the process of finalising an agreement on government efforts to frame a new Constitution.

Kandy District MP Keheliya Rambukwelle yesterday told The Island that they had been closely working on the issue for over a week.

The former Media Minister said the SLFP and the Joint Opposition had agreed that the resolution should be consistent with Article 86.1 of the 1978 Constitution.

The government presented its resolution in Parliament on Jan. 9.

Asked whether the Joint Opposition’s action could jeopardise the ongoing constitution making process, MP Rambukwelle said that there was absolutely no dispute regarding the need for a new Constitution.

MP Rambukwelle said:

“The bone of contention is the procedures proposed by the UNP. We cannot under any circumstance subscribe to a course of action that does not conform to the provisions in the present Constitution.”

MP Rambukwelle alleged that a section of members wanted to operate outside Standing Orders and, therefore, the move to do away with Article 86.1. Jaffna District TNA Parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran acknowledged in Parliament that in accordance with 86.1 outsiders couldn’t be directly involved in the process.

The SLFPer said that having studied the resolution, the Joint Opposition had raised the issue with President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as well as Speaker Karu Jayasuriya on Jan. 8. Rambukwelle appreciated the intervention made by President Maithripala Sirisena in his capacity as the leader of the SLFP to pave the way for consultations between the SLFP group in the government and the Joint Opposition.

There had been separate discussions with President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe as well as with Speaker Jayasuriya, Rambukwella said, adding that deliberations with the Speaker had lasted till midnight on January 8.

Having indicated its readiness to be flexible initially, during the discussions at the Speaker’s residence, the ruling party had declared that it would go ahead with the original text of the resolution, Rambukwelle said. Asserting that the move was meant to compel the SLFP group in the government to vote for the resolution, the former minister claimed that the SLFP was acting in the national interest.

Rambukwelle said that the UNP strategy was aimed at securing parliamentary approval for the resolution by the evening of Jan. 9. The MP said that the UNP had been confident of steering the operation to a successful conclusion on the same day.

According to the Kandy District MP, he had an opportunity to closely work with a ministerial delegation tasked with formulating the SLFP’s policy vis-a-vis the resolution. The delegation comprised Nimal Siripala de Silva, Susil Premjayantha, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, John Seneviratne, Mahinda Samarasinghe and him, Rambukwella said.

During the special parliamentary session last Tuesday (Jan. 12), Rambukwelle profusely thanked the SLFP grouping in the government for having reached an understanding on so important an issue as the proposed mechanism to change the Constitution.

Rambukwella said that whatever the criticism directed at former President Jayewardene, the 1978 Constitution clearly dealt with the contentious issue of introducing a new Constitution. The process of framing the JRJ Constitution had been based on the 1972 Constitution. Likewise, the process of introducing the new Constitution should be based on the existing one.

The Kandy District MP said they wouldn’t succumb to government pressure. Noting that the JVP, too, had been opposed to the resolution, Rambukwelle said that the parliament didn’t reflect the actual ground situation. Had that been the case, the UNP could have secured parliamentary approval for the resolution. The MP pointed out that the TNA and the JVP with 14 and six slots, had received the post of Opposition Leader and Leader of the Opposition, respectively, whereas the genuine Opposition didn’t receive the recognition it deserved.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Some former heads of local authorities which were administered by the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) are in the process of forming a new political party to contest the Local Government elections with the backing of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Former Gampaha Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Ranjith Gunawardane he and some others met yesterday to lay the ground plan for the new political party. He said they met Mr. Rajapaksa before their meeting.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is on a politically downhill path after some MPs took up posts in the government. So, we have to resurrect the party by forming a new front to accommodate party cadres,” Mr. Gunawardene said.

He said the name of the party and its symbol would be announced after elections were declared. The government has said the elections would be held this year under a mix system of Proportional Representation System and the First-Past-the-Post-System.

Meanwhile, the joint opposition is also known to be throwing its weight behind the new party. Its national organizer and MP Prasanna Ranatunga said the joint opposition would consider a new political alternative at this point of time.(Kelum Bandara)

– See more at: http://www.dailymirror.lk/103093/ex-lg-heads-planning-new-political-party#sthash.CsHrHzWL.dpuf

The British Foreign Office State Minister for Asia Hugo Swire arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka January 14 with 6.6 million Sterling Pounds (US$9.5 million or Rs. 1.36 billion), a Conflict Stability and Security Fund, as mentioned by Mr. Swire in an official letter to another British parliamentarian Siobhain McDonagh, ” has been earmarked for support to the armed forces, which we envisage focusing on ethics, law and governance training and on sharing best practice from reshaping the British armed forces, including on re-training those leaving the armed forces and rationalizing the defense estate”.The UK Foreign Office Minister for Asia, Hugo Swire

“The overarching objective of the £6.6 million of the Conflict Stability and Security Fund is to support Sri Lanka in implementing the commitments it has made to the international community on promoting peace, accountability and reconciliation in Sri Lanka”, Mr. Swire’s 26 December 2015 letter further states.

The UK opposition MPs have expressed concern about the British government’s decision to provide £6.6 million to the Sri Lankan government which will include funds towards military reform without sufficient clarity on what sort of reform is expected.

“The conduct of the Sri Lankan military is in need of serious improvement, but if the UK Government is intent on providing taxpayer’s money to Sri Lanka you must be explicit about what reforms you want to see in return. In addition, we request that you clarify how this part of the funding allocation will be spent and whether any of the £6.6m pledged will be given directly to the Government of Sri Lanka,” the Labour MP and Senior Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils, Siobhain McDonagh queried from the British government.

State Minister of Foreign Affairs for Asia Hugo Swire’s reply, quoted earlier, was in response to this query. Mr. Swire in that letter stated that he would meet the Tamil expatriate group before leaving for Sri Lanka.

This British Conflict Stability and Security Fund-package to inculcate discipline in Sri Lanka’s military “in the form of rationalizing the defense estate” is brought by Hugo Swire at a time inhuman torture and summary executions of Iraqis perpetrated by the members of the British military stationed in Iraq since the 2003 invasion and toppling of Sadham Hussein have been whitewashed, suppressed and allowing the investigation to drag for almost ten years without accountability and transparency at all.

Despite the British military has commenced with an internal investigation, the process has not yet resulted in any recommendations for a prosecution and it has been criticized by rights campaigners for moving too slowly.
Hours-long beatings, stabbings, repeated sexual assault and music as torture: Just some of the abuses allegedly inflicted upon Iraqi people by British soldiers during their occupation of Iraq, according to a new dossier provided to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and obtained by the international news organization VICE News.

The horrifying allegations are contained in documents sent by the United Kingdom’s Birmingham-based firm Public Interest Lawyers (PIL) to the ICC, which ended an initial inquiry into alleged crimes committed by UK forces in Iraq in 2006 citing a lack of evidence, but went on to reopen the preliminary examination in late 2015.

The Asian Tribune research found that according to the allegations compiled by PIL, which span more than five years, from the 2003 US-led invasion until 2008, detainees were commonly beaten, made to wear black-out goggles, and left hooded — making breathing difficult — for hours following their initial arrest by British forces. They were kicked and hit with guns if they moved or asked for explanations for their detention. In some cases, detainees were allegedly threatened with execution. Several of the claims describe the use of electric shocks to torture Iraqis. Sleep deprivation, triggered by booming music, shouting, or the hurling of objects, also featured prominently in some accounts.

The Asian Tribune is in a position to highlight one particularly disturbing claim that was brought on behalf of a man reportedly killed by British forces in April 2007. The 26-year-old was living with his wife and one-month-old daughter when soldiers allegedly entered his neighborhood.

“There had been no fighting in the area,” recounted the PIL communication, based on a claim brought by the man’s adoptive father, who said he was also present at the home. “The soldiers surrounded the deceased’s house and shot from the street directly into the bedroom,” wrote PIL solicitors.

“The deceased died instantly. The soldier then shot at the deceased’s wife who was carrying their baby,” said the claim. The man’s wife reportedly later died, as did others in the neighborhood, who were allegedly targeted by UK troops.

PIL sent two separate communications containing the allegations to the ICC in January 2014 and September 2015, and itemized them in their entirety in what they called the Iraq Abuse Handbook. As of October 2015, the handbook listed 1,251 cases, most of which were discussed in the second communication, according to the international news organization VICE News.

Along with the ICC, claims made against British forces have been lodged with authorities in the UK, including with the Iraq Historical Allegations Team (IHAT), an investigative body established by the British Ministry of Defense.

The Asian Tribune research found the news outlets reports declaring that since its formation in 2010, IHAT has referred only one case forwarded by PIL to military prosecutors, who subsequently declined to start proceedings.

News reports further notes that human rights observers say previous investigations in the UK have fallen woefully short of determining culpability for select crimes committed in Iraq. Should the ICC chose to pursue an unprecedented official investigation into the actions of UK forces in Iraq, it would largely do so in light of perceived future failures on the part of the British government to investigate Iraqi claims, the Asian Tribune found the media reporting.

The Asian Tribune further found that one testimonial in PIL’s documents recounts the arrival of British forces at a home in Basra on August 18, 2008, just a few months before the UK pulled out of Iraq. A man’s wife, whose name was redacted in the second communication, said that her 43-year-old husband was asleep in his bedroom at the time of the assault. With him were their five children and the man’s brother, as well as the claimant. After breaking into the home, soldiers allegedly took one of the sons to another room where he was “beaten and handcuffed.” After several hours of detention, the man’s wife emerged from a hallway “and found her husband dead and covered with a blanket,” killed by gunfire to his head.

Other alleged killings included that of a 17-year-old caught in the crossfire between British soldiers and armed assailants in August 2006. Already wounded, “the British forces saw the deceased on the floor and shot him through his neck and stabbed him in the chest with a knife,” said a summary of the case. “They proceeded to drag him for between 40-50 meters as they stepped and kicked his body.” PIL staff wrote that this information was relayed to the claimant by Iraqi police.

It has been reported that yet the ICC’s decision to open a preliminary examination — the first step before a possible investigation and prosecutions — only came after PIL’s initial communication, filed jointly with the Berlin-based European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, arrived at the court in January 2014. In its annual report issued earlier November 2015, the office of the prosecutor of the ICC said it had received allegations of 259 unlawful killings of civilians, including 47 of Iraqis who reportedly died in UK custody.

The international news network VICE News says that its request for comment on the allegation was refused by the UK Ministry of Defense.

As of December 2015, only one British soldier, Corporal Donald Payne, has been sentenced for war crimes violations in Iraq. Payne was jailed for one year after pleading guilty to inhumanely treating an Iraqi, Baha Mousa, who died in custody of UK forces in September 2003.

Media however reports, Asian Tribune found, though Payne’s jailing and discharge from the UK military was significant, other soldiers involved in the incident were cleared of charges lodged against them, as was Payne of manslaughter charges.

The Asian Tribune investigative research found that the proceedings of war crime probes by the Iraq Historical Allegations Team (IHAT), an investigative body established by the British Ministry of Defense, is now in their fifth year, and is not expected to escalate its own inquiry in the immediate future. Critics have disparaged IHAT for its slow speed of working. In 2012, a staffer at the inquiry, Louise Thomas, resigned in protest over what she considered was “little more than a whitewash.” The Guardian reported that she had seen interrogation films from the Iraq occupation which showed ill-treatment of prisoners. Several such videos, showing soldiers screaming at and threatening detainees with death have also emerged in recent years.

It is with this background of impunity in Britain that the UK’s foreign ministry official Hugo Swire is in Sri Lanka offering 6..6 million Sterling Pounds as “earmarked for support to the armed forces, which we envisage focusing on ethics, law and governance training and on sharing best practice from reshaping the British armed forces, including on re-training those leaving the armed forces and rationalizing the defense estate”.

With that dismal record established by the British armed forces in Iraq one could question what has been left by the British for Sri Lanka to ‘share its best practices from shaping its own armed forces.” Further, the British Government has not set an example for any country when its own defense ministry probe has been dragging for a decade with just one prosecution.

– Asian Tribune –

Shenali D Waduge

Buddhism came to Sri Lanka by royal invitation. Buddhism was followed by Sinhala Buddhists and respected by Tamil Hindus. 180 rulers of the Sinhale nation ruled following the Dasa–Raja–Dhamma: The ‘Ten Royal Virtues’. No politician (local or foreign), the UN, NGOs on payroll or heads of Abrahamic religions have any right to usurp that place on the argument that all religions must be equal only in Sri Lanka. This argument is strengthened by the fact that if Catholicism is the only religion to be given a sovereign country and a place in the UN while in majority Muslim countries the place of Islam is non-negotiable, why should Buddhism’s place that received State patronage for over 2500 years be removed just to pacify politically correct theories? As one of the 5 major religions of the world and the only to be scientifically proven the foremost place given to Buddhism in Sri Lanka is in grave danger of being removed. It is the duty of the Buddhist world to come to Sri Lanka’s assistance before a new constitution aims to dislodge the historical place afforded by the State to Buddhism.

The fear the Buddhist community has is based on factual and solid evidence.

When Christian colonial invaders saw all non-Christian religions as a threat and forced people to convert or face death, how different is the missionary program funded by Western governments aligned to western imperialism and gathering of flocks across all continents?

Did the British not lie when they promised to continue to give Buddhism its rightful place resulting in the 1815 Kandyan Convention the contents of which the British broke kick starting a well calculated plan to systematically remove the Buddhist identity of Sri Lanka?

If the Evangelical agenda made majority Buddhist South Korea into a nation ruled by Evangelicals in less than 60 years is it not this same fear that the Sinhala Buddhists of Sri Lanka have? USAID funds many faith-based organizations across the developing world.

When colonial Christians were ordered to convert natives by force and kill those that refused what makes this different from the role of missionaries/ Christian NGOs and other Evangelical groups with specific instructions to penetrate into poverty-stricken society riding on the camouflage of providing education, helping development and social service and thereby slowly entering non-Christian heartlands and converting innocent people? This was how South Korea was turned from a Buddhist nation to an Evangelical stronghold. The same fate happened to Buddhist Maldives which is today only Islam and even museums have no place for Buddhism.

That sad fate cannot be allowed to happen to Sri Lanka as history has shown how European colonials destroyed Buddhist Temples and Kovils throughout Sri Lanka.

When orders were given by the Church to colonial explorers to take over and declare as Christian any land/territory that was non-Christian to invade, capture, vanquish, and subdue all Saracens, pagans, and other enemies of Christ, to put them into perpetual slavery, and to take away all their possessions and property” how is this different to the military interventions by US/NATO and their illegal occupation? The US/NATO occupies nations in Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia using ‘status of forces’ agreement and other illegal means.

The Spanish conquest in the America’s resulted in 8-10million indigenous deaths. In 170 years the Spaniards succeeded in subjugating the Mayas while their campaigns against Aztecs and Incas were much shorter. A short account of the destruction of the Indies” by Bartolome de las Casas in 1552 says that the colony of Hispaniola was reduced from 400,000 to just 200. 500 years of colonial crimes included decimating Native Americans. An estimated 10m Native Americans lived in the land now known as US before European explorers arrived. By 1900 their numbers were less than 300,000. A hallmark of colonial rulers has been to totally remove the independent thinking capacity of indigenous/natives and use a system of dependent thinking through education wherein majority of people continue to be made to think that only the West has the answers to all the world’s problems.

When the Christian colonials excused their invasions to ‘civilize’ the unknown world is that any different to the manner US/Western nations and their allies are using ‘democracy’ ‘freedom’ ‘rights’ as terminologies to descend and force nations to function according to their dictates?

Walter Rodney’s How Europe underdeveloped Africa’ and Richard W Hull’s ‘African cities and towns before the European conquest’ also expose the falsely publicized notion that Africans were primitives and needed to be ‘civilized’ by the Europeans. William Blum’s U.S. Military and CIA Interventions since World War II” will shock most readers!

When colonials used merciless methods to annihilate and destroy the cultures, traditions and historical monuments of the indigenous people was this any different from the manner US/NATO are neutralizing Islam/Muslims using a bogus ‘war on terror’ created by them?

Today, there are no historical buildings or monuments in Africa. West Africa (present Nigeria) once had beautiful cities and monuments. Africa’s glorious past is detailed by Robin Walker (pan-African historian) in his book When we ruled”. Benin City is just one of the cities burnt to the ground by British forces in 1897 while the British war crimes in Iraq since 2001 are being suppressed by the British Government. Similarly Gold Coast (present Ghana) Asante Kingdom was also blown up and destroyed by the British. So too was Timbuktu (present Mali) the richest city in the world and emperor Mansa Musa who was worth $400billion producing half the world’s salt and gold. Today Timbuktu is almost 300 times smaller than London and impoverished with beggars. http://www.africaresource.com/rasta/sesostris-the-great-the-egyptian-hercules/the-great-bini-empire-african-legacy/comment-page-1/ This list gives an idea of the cultures/traditions destroyed by Christian conquest with the carnage continuing through missionaries. http://www.crusadewatch.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=355&Itemid=36

Australasia’s indigenous people too suffered. Tasmania’s natives who had been living for over 10,000 years were all annihilated in 73 years after Britain began settling criminals in 1803. Australian aborigines also suffered genocide in the 19th and 20th centuries with their population dropping from about 1m to 0.1m in the first century after the invasion in 1788. David Cameron who proudly says Britain is still a Christian nation is reminded that his ancestors used Terra Nullius (empty land) papal bull to take possession of Australasia and Britain destroyed a 50,000 year old culture in less than 200 years. Britain is also yet to be accountable for starving to death 29 million Indians.

Christian history books have been telling lies. Christopher Columbus did not discover Americas in 1492. Americas were already inhabited by natives living there for centuries. Columbus and his men committed horrendous atrocities. If Christopher Columbus were alive today, he should be put on trial for crimes against humanity but why do Americans celebrate Columbus Day every year on the second Monday in October? It is because the knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal service organization were looking for a Catholic hero as a role-model their kids could look up to. How many other mass murderers have been made saints! Joseph Vaz also with a scarred past was recently made a saint by Pope Francis.

Though it was only in 1944 that the word Genocide was coined by Raphael Lemkin, the accountability for mass murders, stealing land from indigenous people, forced conversions, inflicting diseases with intent to kill, annihilating entire tribes, destroying ancient monuments, cultures, stealing ancient artifacts and treasures and 500 years of Christian colonial crimes against humanity and genocide across Americas, Africa, Australiasia by conquering Christian Europeans have been conveniently brushed under the carpet with not one of these nations held for accountability.

Using the ‘war on terror’ in one hand and ‘bringing democracy’ in the other the evil axis are manipulating world systems to bring people under their control and plunder the world’s wealth amongst themselves.

None of the military interventions taking place provide any benefit or relief to the ordinary people of the West except burdening them by having to pay for the illegal wars. Every political decision being made by the West is to secure additional profit to a handful of people only using more sophisticated methodologies that what was adapted by colonial rulers.

Christianity has $170billion while Islam has $87billion to promote their faith globally. Buddhism only promotes a philosophy inherent to the individual’s goal of purifying the mind. Buddhism was founded long before Christianity or Islam. Sri Lanka is the oldest country to follow Theravada Buddhism which claims to be the oldest and authentic school. Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand are facing similar existential threats by the same forces that are manipulating the local politicians and influencing a new constitution that would legally remove the place Buddhism held for centuries thereby realizing a long attempted historical goal.

Into this axis India has joined though India is the birthplace of Buddha attracting visitors from the world. If India watches while the place of Buddhism is uprooted in Sri Lanka, India will lose its respect and bring to nought all the cosmetic efforts India is doing politically to project itself as championing the cause of Buddhism.

The present Government will be doing a historical injustice to Buddhism by removing the State patronage afforded to Buddhism over centuries just to please the forces that brought them to power. It is good to remember that these forces are capable of removing puppets just as quickly as placing them in power when they read the pulse of the people!

It is therefore crucial that China and fellow Buddhist nations including Russia, the only western nation to officially recognize Buddhism, come to Sri Lanka’s assistance and diplomatically lobby to deny the removal of the foremost place & state patronage given to Buddhism in a new constitution being drafted without the People’s wishes.

Shenali D Waduge

http://www.onlanka.com/news/how-can-buddhists-and-hindus-defend-the-christian-islam-goal-to-dominate-the-world.html

http://www.onlanka.com/news/when-buddhism-is-caught-between-the-abrahamic-religions-the-church-and-islam.html

DHARSHAN WEERASEKERA

To my knowledge, the Government has to date not commissioned an official assessment of the OHCHR report (also called the OISL report) or at any rate if it has, such report is not available to the public.[1]  And yet, one reads in the newspapers that the Government is about to start ‘the consultation process to design’ mechanisms to probe the ‘past,’ in order to satisfy recommendations made in UNHRC resolution A/HRC/30/L.29.[2]

The purpose of this article, and hopefully others if time permits, is to place on record some of the problems with the OISL report.  In my view, such information will be useful in the following two situations:  one, future legal challenges to the said ‘mechanisms’; and two, to persons who may stand accused before the proposed ‘mechanisms’ to bring lawsuits under the civil law against officials who helped design those mechanisms, for harm and inconvenience caused, including the costs of defence.

In a previous article titled, ‘The OHCHR Report:  A Brief Analysis’[3], I discussed what I consider to be the chief problems with the OISL report.  I identified the following problems:  outright lies, obfuscations, contradictions and omissions, and failure to consider exculpatory evidence.  The present series of articles is intended as a means of expanding a bit on each of those topics.  In this article I focus on ‘outright lies.’

THE PROBLEM

I focus on Chapter 13 of the OISL report and the claim by the OISL team that based on the information they had before them, they couldn’t reasonably conclude that the LTTE ever used hospitals for military purposes.  In my view, the said claim is an outright lie.

By ‘outright lie’ I mean a deliberate subterfuge through which an impression or view is created of a particular matter that is at variance with information, or reasonable inferences from such information, contained in documents cited in the OISL itself, or in documents available in public sources at the time the report was being written, documents about which it is difficult for OISL to claim ignorance.

I shall first cite the OISL’s exact claim, explain its significance in terms of OISL’s broader argument about ‘Command Responsibility’; and finally, explain why it is an ‘outright lie’ as per the criteria just mentioned.

THE OISL’S CLAIM AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE

Chapter 13 is titled, ‘Impact of Hostilities on Civilians and Civilian Objects,’ and deals with two charges:  one, indiscriminate killing of civilians, and two, shelling of hospitals.  The claim about the OISL team not finding any evidence that the LTTE used hospitals for military purposes relates to the second of those charges.  Here’s what the report says:

OISL received no information to indicate that Government run or other hospitals and ambulances were used by the LTTE for military purposes.  None of the medical or humanitarian personnel who were interviewed reported any attempt by the LTTE to carry out military operations inside the medical facilities.  According to the information received by OISL, there were no LTTE military installations placed inside the hospitals.[4]

On the basis of this information, OISL does not therefore have reasonable grounds to believe that there were legitimate military targets inside the hospitals at the time of the attacks by the SLA[5]….

However, the information gathered by OISL indicates that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the LTTE launched attacks from close proximity of hospitals.  The incidents described below show that the LTTE constructed military fortifications (mostly earthen bunds and trenches) and positioned artillery and other weaponry close to, and sometimes adjacent to, hospitals and the surrounding densely populated civilian areas, marked by a heavy presence of makeshift tents or shelters belonging to IDP’s[6]….

It is noted that, as the SLA pushed the LTTE and civilians into an ever shrinking area the possibility that the LTTE had for separating military objects from medical facilities and other protected objects became more limited.  OISL stresses that this change in circumstances did not absolve any of the parties to the conflict from their obligations under international humanitarian law to comply with the principles of distinction, proportionality and to take feasible precautions in attack and against the effects of attack.[7]

So, on the one hand, OISL expressly says that it had absolutely no information that the LTTE used hospitals for ‘military purposes’ and on the other hand admits that it had information the LTTE placed guns in proximity to hospitals and also launched attacks from those positions.

Two questions immediately arise:  first, ‘What exactly does OISL understand by the phrase, ‘military purposes?’’ And second, the related question, ‘If the LTTE placed guns in close proximity to hospitals (presumably to derive the benefit that it would discourage the SLA from launching all-out attacks on those positions) is that not using those hospitals for ‘military purposes’ as one would normally understand that term, which is to say, furthering or advancing military objectives?’

The point is this.  If one answers the second question in the affirmative, then the government can justify targeting the vicinity of hospitals.  Of course, there’s still a burden on the government to show that it took all reasonable precautions to minimize harm to civilians if there were civilians trapped in the hospitals, and, if civilians were indeed killed, that the numbers killed were proportional to the value of the target.

Nevertheless, if it can be shown that the LTTE used hospitals for military purposes, then the government has a defence.  If, however, one restricts the definition of ‘military purpose’ to mean placing guns or carrying on other types of military activities inside hospitals—then it becomes possible to make a distinction between attacking the hospital and attacking the vicinity of the hospital.

To put it another way, if one accepts that ‘military purposes’ includes placing guns near hospitals, then the government has a defence, for instance, if by accident government shells fell on hospitals in the course of the fighting.

If, however, one accepts that ‘military purposes’ mean military activity carried out inside the hospital, then, if a government shell fell on a hospital, the burden is on the government to show that there was some military activity going on inside that hospital.  Otherwise, the mere fact of the shell falling on the hospital, as the OISL would have it, is by definition a war crime.

What OISL has done is this:  it has conceded that on some occasions where Government shells fell on hospitals the Government has a defence, but, on other occasions, unless the Government can definitively establish that military activity was going on inside the hospital in question, the mere fact of a Government shell falling on that hospital constitutes a war crime.

In my view, to show that the OISL’s claim that it had no information of the LTTE using hospitals for ‘military purposes’ is an outright lie, it is necessary to ask two questions.  One, ‘In any of the documents that OISL cites in the report itself, and cites favorably in order to support various contentions, is there any indication that the LTTE placed guns inside hospitals or fired from inside hospitals?’

And two, ‘Given the intensity of the fighting that was taking place during the last phases of the war, is the dichotomy that the OISL tries to set up—i.e. between the LTTE placing guns inside hospitals or placing guns in close proximity to hospitals—a relevant distinction to decide whether the LTTE was using hospitals for ‘military purposes’?

I consider that the first question can be answered in the affirmative, and the second in the negative, and give my reasons below.  I shall present three types of evidence, which for convenience I designate as ‘primary,’ ‘secondary’ and ‘incidental’ documents.

PRIMARY DOCUMENTS

By ‘primary documents’ I mean documents that figure prominently in the process at the UNHRC that ended in the international investigation against Sri Lanka being authorized by UNHRC resolution A/HRC/25/L.1.  These documents are cited in the OISl report itself, to support various contentions, which means OISL cannot deny it knew of the documents, and also, that it accepted them as credible.

The document relied on most by the High Commissioner throughout the process of recommending an international investigation against Sri Lanka is the Report of the Secretary General’s Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka (POE) released in 2011.  Here, meanwhile, is a reference to the POE in page 171 (Chapter 13) of the OISL report:

The GPS coordinates of the hospitals were reportedly relayed to the Sri Lankan security forces on or around 26 April.[8]

The above remark is footnoted as ‘WS on file; Report of the UN Secretary General’s Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka (footnote 910).  Clearly, the OISL is citing the POE in the above instance in support of a particular contention, which means that OISL has accepted the POE as a credible source.

If one turns to the POE, however, one finds the following, in the third page of that report:

From February 2009 onwards, the LTTE started point-blank shooting of civilians who attempted to escape from the conflict zone, significantly adding to the death toll in the final stages of the war.  It also fired artillery in proximity to large groups of internally displaced persons (IDP’s) and fired from, or stored military equipment near IDP’s or civilian installations such as hospitals.[9]

I draw the reader’s attention to the phrases, ‘fired from, or stored military equipment near…hospitals.’  The phrase ‘fired from’ obviously means ‘fired from inside hospitals.’

Thus, one finds in page 171 of its report, OISL uses the POE to support a particular contention, which means, one, the OISL cannot deny that they knew about the POE, and two, that they accepted the POE as a credible source.  But, in page 152, OISL makes a claim (i.e. they had no evidence of any kind that the LTTE used hospitals for military purposes) they simply cannot make if they had read the POE in its entirety.

SECONDARY DOCUMENTS

By ‘secondary documents’ I mean documents that may or may not be cited in the report itself, but documents whose credibility OISL cannot be expected to automatically grant.  Nevertheless, these documents were available in public sources at the time the report was being prepared, so it is very difficult for the OISL to say it was unaware of the contents of these documents.

(The mandate given to the OHCHR, transmitted to OISL in turn, was to carry out a ‘comprehensive investigation.’ For OISL not to have perused relevant documents available in public sources that could shed light on the matters being investigated is, in my view, to admit to gross negligence.)

I limit myself to four documents:  the Report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC); Special Report No. 34 of the University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna); a Wikileaks revelation of a cable sent by the then US Ambassador to Geneva, of an interview with the head of operations of the ICRC[10] in Sri Lanka in 2009; finally, an affidavit submitted to OISL by one Dr. V. Shanmugarajah, the Medical Superintendent of the Mullaitivu General Hospital.

a) LLRC Report

Here is a series of relevant passages from page 76 of the report:

A nursing officer who was attached to the Mullaitivu General Hospital and had served at several medical facilities during the last phase of the conflict stated with regard to the Vallipunam makeshift hospital that on 21^st January 2009, after 7 pm, shells had fallen in the vehicle park at the hospital and a few patients had suffered minor injuries.  When questioned further he stated that he did not know from where the shells came.  He went on to say that there was a refugee camp close to the hospital which had been hit by the shells and around 40 people had died.  He added that while there was no LTTE presence in the hospital premises, there was an LTTE presence about 500 meters away.[11]

A nursing officer who served at the Anandapuram makeshift hospital stated that the facility had functioned for about 20 days in February 2009.  There had been a large armoury located near the hospital and there had been a Kfir attack on the armoury which had destroyed it.  He added that two days later there had been a similar attack on the makeshift hospital but by then the patients had been moved as the Medical Superintendent had decided to shift the hospital after the attack on the armoury.[12]

The LLRC has footnoted each of the above statements as representations made before the Commission by particular civilians, and given the transcript number of the testimony (on file with the LLRC and accessible to the public).

b) University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna), Special Report No. 34, 13 December 2009

Here are a few relevant passages from the aforesaid report:

On 1^st February afternoon between 3.00 and 4.00 PM Puthukkudiyiruppu Hospital was struck by two shells, according to ICRC statements, hitting first the kitchen and then the church.  Two persons were killed.  A statement on that day quoted Morven Murchison-Lochrie, an ICRC medical coordinator present in Puthukkudiyiruppu, ‘The staff are under acute stress, surrounded as they are by the sound of ongoing fighting and the influx of new patients.  Ambulances are constantly arriving, but people are also being brought in by wagon, tractor, and even motor scooter.’  She added that despite this, the staff remained inventive and committed to caring for the injured and sick who had made the dangerous trip to the hospital.’

ICRC reported that a few hours later at 10.20 PM the same day (1^st February) a ward with women and children was hit.  This time the hospital had more than 800 people sheltering thee, including 500 in patients.  In all nine persons were killed and twenty injured on that day.  On 2^nd February at 6.40 PM the hospital was hit again and a nurse was injured.  One factor behind the shelling was that the Army’s 59^th Division, which advanced from Mulliavalai, eight miles south, was trying to fight its way and take Puthukkudiyiruppu.  The Army was then not far to the south of the hospital.  The LTTE had gun mounted vehicles which were used to fire at Kfir bombers coming in support of the Army, even though the firing had, if anything, no more than a slight deterrent effect.

A senior educator familiar with the hospital told us that the LTTE largely disregarded the ICRC’s request not to drive or park its vehicles in front of the hospital, as these could be spotted by the UAV’s leading to shell attacks.[13]

c) Wikileaks revelation of a cable sent by US Ambassador to Geneva Clint Williamson to his bosses in Washington  

US Ambassador to Geneva (UNHRC) was reporting to Washington the gist of an interview with the ICRC’s then head of operations for Sri Lanka, Mr. Jacque de Maio.  Here is a particularly relevant passage:

On the LTTE, de Maio said that it had tried to keep civilians in the middle of a permanent state of violence.  It saw the civilian population as a ‘protective asset’ and kept its fighters embedded amongst them.  De Maio said that the LTTE commanders’ objective was to keep the distinction between civilian and military assets blurred.  They would often respond positively when ICRC complained to the LTTE about stationing weapons at a hospital, for example.  The LTTE would move the assets away, but as they were constantly shifting these assets, they might just show up in another unacceptable place shortly thereafter.[14]

d) Affidavit of Dr. V. Shanmugarajah, Medical Superintendent of the Mullaitivu General Hospital

As I mentioned earlier, Dr. Shanmugarajah was Medical Superintendent of the Mallaitivu General Hospital.  From January-May 2009 he followed the civilian population that was then being herded from place to place by the LTTE as it retreated before the advancing Sri Lanka Army.  He oversaw a number of the makeshift hospitals that were set up to treat civilians.  The following is a relevant passage from the said affidavit:

I had at various points in the conflict remonstrated with LTTE commanders about munitions being placed near to hospital buildings.  Sometimes they were sensitive to the need to remove these munitions and at other times my objections were ignored.  During the last two weeks of the fighting there was a breakdown in the command structure of the LTTE and no request that I made to move munitions away from the hospital were listened to.[15]

INCIDENTAL DOCUMENTS

By ‘incidental documents’ I mean documents that to my knowledge are never cited in the report itself, and also never explicitly state that the LTTE used hospitals for military purposes.  But, these documents were available in public sources at the time the report was being prepared, and vouch for other facts, from which a reasonable inference can be drawn that the LTTE probably used hospitals for military purposes also.

Given the limitations of time, I limit myself to just one document:  Pawns of Peace:  Evaluation of Norwegian Peace Efforts in Sri Lanka 1997-2009, released in 2011.  This was the report officially commissioned by the Norwegian Government to find out what had gone wrong with its ‘peace efforts’ in Sri Lanka.  The report was produced by a team of specialists in England.  Here are a few relevant passages:

The LTTE’s human shield of hundreds of thousands of civilians—who are not allowed to escape—form a crucial part of the insurgents’ defence….Soon after the conquest of the strategic Elephant Pass (9 January) and the remaining pockets on the Jaffna Peninsula (14 January) the Government unilaterally declares a No Fire Zone (NFZ) on the LTTE’s Southern and Western defence line (21 January).   Dropping leaflets from the air, it requests civilians to move there while the offensive continues.  The LTTE continues to fire from inside the Zone….

In the following days, the District Hospital and the Ponnambalam Hospital in Puttukkudiyiruppu, packed with injured people (as well as wounded LTTE cadre in the second hospital) get bombed.

On February 3, a co-chair statement publicly asks the LTTE to lay down arms and suggests both parties declare a cease-fire and resume dialogue.  The insurgents ignore the statement.  LTTE (child) recruitment and forced detainment of the civilian population in the war zone continues as the army keeps moving forward.  As the Front Line moves, Puthukkudiyiruppu’s hospital is moved further into LTTE territory, but shelled again on 9 February.[16]

ANALYSIS, ASSESSMENT AND CONCLUSION

Recall that, the task at hand is to answer two questions:  one, ‘Is there information in any document that OISL cannot deny it had in its possession at the time the report was being prepared, a document moreover whose credibility OISL had accepted, that indicates that the LTTE placed guns inside hospitals, which is to say, used hospitals for ‘military purposes’ as OISL defined that term?’

And two, ‘Given the circumstances of the last phases of the war, is the dichotomy that OISL tries to set up—i.e. between placing guns inside hospitals and placing guns in the vicinity of hospitals—as a relevant distinction to decide if hospitals were used for ‘military purposes’?’

The first question can be answered easily.  As I showed earlier, the OISL report cites the POE specifically in page 171.  Moreover, the POE was the principal basis for the High Commissioner’s recommendations for an international investigation, recommendations that ended in resolution A/HRC/25/L.1 that authorized such investigation.  Thus, the OISL cannot deny the credibility of the POE.

The POE, however, in its third page, says that the LTTE among other things ‘fired from’ hospitals, meaning, fired from inside hospitals.  This directly contradicts OISL’s statement that it had absolutely no information that the LTTE used hospitals for military purposes, which is to say, fired or conducted other military activities from inside hospitals.  In short, OISL is caught in an outright lie.

The second question is a bit more complicated, but also more interesting.  It gets one to consider the OISL’s duties and responsibilities in carrying out the investigation, and whether the OISL fulfilled such duties and responsibilities to a satisfactory degree.

Let us suppose, for a moment, that the members of the OISL team—every single one of them—though they had the POE in their hands, failed to read page three of that report, and therefore were genuinely unaware that there was any information in existence that the LTTE fired from inside hospitals.

But, OISL readily admits that it had information the LTTE placed guns in close proximity to hospitals, and also launched attacks from those positions.  OISL doesn’t ask the question that flows from the above admission, namely, ‘Was the LTTE’s conduct of placing guns close to hospitals a part of a deliberate strategy of war, or simply accidental or random acts?’  If it was a deliberate strategy of war, then the question as to whether such conduct served ‘military purposes’ is automatically answered.

One must therefore look to the secondary and incidental documents in order to answer the above question.  I have cited four secondary documents and one incidental document.  They were all available in public sources at the time the report was being prepared, so OISL cannot deny knowledge of them.

Even if the OISL were to suggest that some of the documents—for instance the LLRC and Dr. Shanmugarajah’s statement—cannot be trusted because both the LLRC and Dr. Shanmugarajah were connected in one way or another with the Government, the OISL cannot say the same thing about the other documents.

For instance, what reason would the experts hired by Norway have to favour the Sri Lanka Government?  The same goes for the head of the ICRC.  In short, it is highly implausible that the LLRC, the UTHR (Jaffna), the head of the ICRC in Sri Lanka, and Dr. Shamugaraja, have all conspired to whitewash the conduct of the Government.

The point is this.  All these documents unequivocally recognize that, during the last phases of the war, the LTTE followed a deliberate strategy of using the civilians as a human shield.  The Norwegian report says explicitly:  ‘The LTTE’s human shield of hundreds of thousands of civilians…form a crucial part of the insurgents’ defence.’  Meanwhile de Maio the ICRC head indicates to Williamson that in his view the LTTE saw the civilians as a ‘protective asset.’

In my view, if the above was the reality on the ground, and one is told that the LTTE placed guns in close proximity to hospitals, and also launched attacks from those positions, the overwhelming inference one can draw under the circumstances is that the LTTE’s said conduct was part of its strategy of using civilians as a human shield.

In other words, the purpose behind placing guns near hospitals or launching attacks from such positions was to deter or discourage counter-attacks by the Army, and thereby to protect assets that they (i.e. the LTTE) needed in order to continue their fight, which is to say, to further or advance their military objectives.

If the above is the overwhelming inference that can be drawn from the available evidence, then the OISL has a duty and an obligation to draw it.  It is unreasonable for OISL to draw an inference that is entirely contrary to what is suggested by the available evidence, unless the OISL has in hand other evidence that suggests such different inference.

OISL, however, accepts that the LTTE placed guns near hospitals and also launched attacks from such positions, but does not say it has evidence to suggest the LTTE did the aforesaid things for some purpose other than as part of its military strategy during the past phase of the war.

Under the circumstances, in my view, the only reasonable conclusion OISL could have reached is that if Government shells fell on hospitals (and there’s no question some did) it was an accident, and the relevant question is whether the Government took all feasible precautions to minimize civilian casualties knowing that attacking the vicinity of hospitals meant there was a danger of hitting the hospitals also.

To summarize, all the available evidence points to the Government allowing attacks on the vicinity of hospitals, for the quite legitimate purpose of thwarting attacks coming from those positions, but at times hitting hospitals by accident.  The OISL twists the above to insinuate that the Government deliberately targeted hospitals, saying that there was no LTTE military activity inside the hospitals at the time, and it is the Government’s duty to establish that such activity was in fact going on if it wanted to defend its actions.

Thus, the OISL tells a second outright—and if I may interject a personal note—disgraceful lie.   So much then for ‘outright lies’ in the OISL report.  In the next installment, I shall turn to ‘obfuscations.’

Dharshan Weerasekera is an Attorney-at-Law.  He is the author of two books:  The UN’s Relentless Pursuit of Sri Lanka (2013), and, The UN’s Subversion of International Law:  The Sri Lanka Story (2015)

[1] The OHCHR report is the only document officially sponsored by the United Nations that accuses Sri Lanka as a State of committing war crimes, that is, suggests that a case for ‘Command Responsibility’ exists with respect to the said crimes.  As such, any attempt by the Government to investigate and/or try persons for war crimes based on recommendations made in a resolution of a UN organ, has to be in response to allegations contained in the OISL report, and nothing else.  Normally, there’s a burden on a person or party that accuses another of wrongdoing to establish that the allegations of wrongdoing are prima facie credible.  Therefore, it is reasonable to suppose that public officials who act on the allegations contained in particular report, have a responsibility to first subject such report to an official assessment, to test the veracity and credibility of the allegations contained therein.

[2] See, ‘Spadework underway for war crimes probe-FM,’ The Island, 8 January 2016

[3] Published in www.lankweb.com on 29 September 2015

[4] A/HRC/30/CRP.2, page 152, paragraph 772

[5] Ibid, paragraph 773

[6] Ibid, paragraph 774

[7] Ibid, paragraph 777

[8] Ibid, page 171

[9] Report of the Secretary General’s Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka, 31 March 2011, pg. iii, www.un.org

[10] International Committee of the Red Cross

[11] Report of the Lessons Learnt and reconciliation Commission (LLRC) November 2011, page 76, paragraph 4.119

[12] Ibid, paragraph 4.121

[13] UTHR (Jaffna) Special Report No. 34, 13^th December 2009, paragraph 2.6

[14] Sri Lanka: S/WCI Amb. Williamson’s Geneva Meetings, www.aftenposten.no

[15]‘Dr. V. Shanmugarajah’s Affidavit Description of Conditions in the Vanni Pocket,’ www.thuppahi.wordpress.com

[16] Pawns of Peace:  Evaluation of Norwegian Peace Efforts in Sri Lanka, 1997-2009, September 2011, www.oecd.org, pages 65-66

RANJITH SOYSA

As reported in Sunday Island of 10^th instant former High Commissioner for India. Gopalkrishna Gandhi has subscribed to the view that a large scale killings (by the defence forces) have taken place during the last period of the war including the killing of Prabahkaran’s son. He has also advised Sri Lanka that war would not have been necessary if the Tamil grievances were assuaged and not to repeat same mistakes by not accommodating Tamils at different levels of the Government.

With regard to the large scale killings by the defence forces the statistics paint a different picture apart from Darusman report and the UNHCR report which was based mainly on ‘unlawful and questionable ‘ Darusman report itself. Mr Gandhi should have examined all the data pertaining to this vexed issue and should have been more cautious before jumping the gun as an experienced diplomat. When he says large scale killings the reader is interested to know whose figures he is trying to market in support of his opinion. Is it the figure of 140,000 of Jaffna’s catholic priest, or 100,000 of FNGOs’ or 40,000 of Darusman report etc? The official government census figures of course were around 7000 killed including members of all ethnic groups.

It is not strange at all that he conveniently forget to mention the fact that nearly 300.000 Tamils who were kept as a human shield by the LTTE ran towards Sri Lankan defence forces to deliver them from the tyranny and the violations they experienced. He also did not mention about the thousands of child soldiers who were used by the LTTE who were liberated. He did not care at all to touch on the speed and efficiency displayed by the defence forces in tackling IDPs, rehabilitation, reconstruction and redevelopment programs carried out in the war zones in the North and the East by the dedicated personnel of the SL defence forces!

While on the subject of  killings, one should also not forget the hundreds of Sri Lankan civilians killed by the Indian Peace Keeping Forces in the 80s and the tens of thousands of civilians killed in Kashmir,  the Golden temple massacre and the killings in the  NE frontier states by the Indian forces without any post investigation at all! Mr Gandhi’s exhortations to Sri Lanka and lamentations on Sri Lanka only adds insult to injury. He has completely ignored the rights of the Sinhalese who nurtured this nation in which many ethnic groups live in comparative harmony when compared to many countries in the world including India.

On the subject of Tamil grievances one should study the communal politics followed by the Tamil leaders from the time of Donoughmore commission in 1933, 50 – 50 demand, the proposals forwarded to the Soulbury Commission in 1947 ,, the formation of Illankai Arsu Kachch in 1949 i, the setting up of the Federal Party, Vaddukodai Resolutions to the armed struggle of the LTTE. One single theme going right through these events is not about grievances but about the aspirations towards a separate country based on the mythical demand that the North and the East of Sri Lanka is the traditional home- land of Tamils. Another interesting facet regarding the so called Tamil grievances is that none has been able to identify a single grievance specific to Tamil race because of their ethnicity. Some members of all groups in a developing country have grievances while others have nothing to complain as they are privileged irrespective of ethnicity and are well looked after. The issue is that grievances are not ethnic specific.

Gopalakrisha Gandhi should examine the recent history of India how the Indian Government tackled the issue of the demand for a separate country by the Muslims, the Tamils, the Sheiks, the people in the NE border states of India before opting to give a lecture on the treatment of the minorities in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan racist Tamil leaders will continue to agitate to wrest the control of 1/3 of the land and 2/3 of the coastal area in Sri Lanka even though less than 25%of the Tamils live in the Northern and the Eastern provinces. If the former High Commissioner was suggesting to Sri Lanka to give in to a federal state by subscribing to the little now more  later policy adopted by the communal minded Tamil leaders, it will only lead to the political instability.

An unstable Sri Lanka is the ideal expectation of the Indian establishment for various purposes including the geo-political objectives of India. Mr Gopalkrishna G is obviously steering Sri Lanka towards this Indian goal!

RANJITH SOYSA

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando 

Recently in Kegalle, President Maithripala Sirisena his willingness to totally prohibit tobacco and alcohol sale if not for the fact that his government would be overthrown by the opposition political parties. He reconfirmed his ambition a few days ago by stating growing of tobacco will be completely stopped in Sri Lanka by 2020. By the same token, The President explained how the government could lose in terms of Excise Tax  – Rs.60 billion on cigarettes and Rs.55 billion on Arrack and Beer annually. This clearly indicated the vulnerable position the government is in right now. 

QUANDARY

So this leads to a new predicament as per the Sinhala axiom:  Unu nisa bonnath beha, kiri nisa ahakdannath Beha situation. (Can’t throw away because it is milk; can’t drink either as it is too hot)! The regime faces a quandary as Sri Lanka’s total inward foreign remittances are mainly made up of those Sri Lankans who go to West Asian countries as well as from all the other Sri Lankans and professionals elsewhere in the world, which is estimated at a staggering figure of US$6 billion

Talking of alcohol, Scotch Whiskey comes on top as the ‘ gentleman’s drink’ globally. It is classified into three or more forms such as  (1) Distilled in Scotland, (2) Casked in Scotland (Aged 3 years and 1 day in Scotland.  (4) There is no requirement for a barrel of whiskey that meets these criteria to be bottled in Scotland and 26 brands of Scotch are bottled in India. In other words at one given time some 20 million casks, over 500 million cases, are maturing in warehouses in Scotland and approx. 10 billion bottles of Scotch after bottling are sold in more than 200 markets worldwide which acts as a major foreign exchange owner to the concerned government coffers.

From a different analysis, the Avant Garde Maritime Services issue has turned into a hullabaloo. President Maithripala Sirisena’s contention about the ‘ floating armoury run by the private company to hand it over to the Sri Lanka Navy finally evoked all arrangements with Avant Garde Maritimes Services (including handing over of a vessel and the armoury they held) to the Navy explaining it was illegal. In doing so it was it was handed over to the Navy to  operate under a private company owned by the Sri Lanka Navy according to a strategic plan.

SL Navy’s responsibilities in this area are to receive, hold and issue of weapons, ammunition and equipment that belong to foreign and local teams on board and performing security services. According to a Naval Spokesman’s statistics, quoted recently in the media, a total of 652 moves were executed in Galle and Colombo Harbour during the past month with a recorded staggering sum of earnings ( US$1.55 million (Rs. 220 m) within one month from 13 November to 12 December 2015 for providing safety and security measures to merchant ships carrying weapons, ammunitions and associated equipment to vessels crossing between the High Risk areas.

SEA PIRACY

 History of the floating armouries in the international waters became prominent in 2005 with the collapse of Somalian government and its economy. Out of desperation Somalians started to resort  to illegal and criminal activities of  hi-jacking ships and took vessels and the crew to Somalia where they held the crew as hostages and demanded substantial  amounts of money as ransoms. Sea piracy has  ever since become severe with Somalians becoming boisterous in the Indian Ocean where 2/3 of the ships proceeding towards Atlantic or Pacific Oceans sail through the Indian Ocean.

According to the Law of the Sea such protection to commercial ships could be provided only by private contractors as no naval or any other state military are allowed on ships; it is illegal for a ship to employ armed security personnel directly.

It may be the reason why President Sirisena took a rigid stance to take over the operation from Avant Guard Maritime Services and handing over to the Navy whereby in turn the Navy could delegate the responsibility to any private firm in the open market including Maritime Services too on open tender.

MORALITY

Anyone authorised to handle arms and ammunition in any emergency situation means giving an open licence to kill! Cynics claim that President Sirisena being a Theravada Buddhist, who is so concerned with maintaining the country’s old traditions and culture and permitting consumption of alcohol (even partly as a means of generating money for the State) or sanctioning the issue of guns is against the very religious principles he espouses in Sri Lanka, primarily known as a Buddhist country!  Whichever way one tries to analyse this issue (whether it is against Buddhism or not) another school of thought underlines the fact that Buddhism does  not accept  it as a sin to take up guns in a life threatening situation .

Whatever said and done, many seem to think President Maithripala Sirisena’s popularity has diminished over a period of one year to such a level where no other previous Prime Minister or a President had been subjected to before! His latest comments on Enrique Iglesias show in Colombo has gone viral in the internet as much as in the international press where he pronounced that the organisers of such a show should be whipped with toxic stingray tails” because it was uncivilised.”

In a retaliatory message President Sirisena made no bones about it by stating Some people criticise me but these people are attacking our proud culture and traditions when we reach out to global platforms”. He always maintains that during the yahapalanaya such criticism can take place where the media and journalists are given a free hand only in a democratic atmosphere. However, arguments for and against the moral governance seem to continue by the day, as the human being is someone who cannot be satisfied in whatever circumstances.

tilakfernando@gmail.com

Editorial Courtesy The Island

January 15, 2016, 9:13 am

An economic crisis is looming. Foreign reserves are dwindling and the rupee is tumbling. The educated youth are demanding jobs. Educational institutions, especially universities, are starved of funds. State-run hospitals are experiencing drug shortages. The cost of living has reached the stratosphere with people struggling to make ends meet. There is no solution in sight for the ever worsening public transport problems. The crime rate continues to rise; killings are reported almost daily. Corruption is eating into the vitals of society and the champions of good governance stand accused of crooked deals. And, instead of addressing these burning problems which warrant the urgent attention of the political authority, the government is worrying about indiscipline among Buddhist monks!

True, the conduct of some Buddhist monks is appalling, to say the least. They are a disgrace to the Maha Sangha. There are astrologers, exorcists and mudalalis in saffron robe, calling themselves Buddhist monks. Ashrams are mushrooming where monks live in clover like wealthy laymen. Some monks have plunged into the cesspit of partisan politics. (Prince Siddhartha spurned the throne, gave up worldly pleasures and went on to attain Enlightenment!) Many monks whose sole purpose of being is supposed to lead lay Buddhists on the right path have gone astray themselves! Monks who indulge in an unspeakably vulgar display of wealth while poor Buddhists are starving and neglected temples are being deserted, are not rare. But, we are afraid, the Maha Nayake Theras have an air of insouciance about them; they are busy receiving politicians and giving them advice and photo opportunities instead of making a serious, concerted effort to address the issue of growing indiscipline within the ranks of the Sangha.

The national legislature has a right to make laws and nobody can question that. But, enforcing discipline among the members of the clergy is far too serious a matter to be left to politicians, most of whom are school dropouts, drug dealers, gigolos, killers, rapists, cattle rustlers, bootleggers, bribe takers and racketeers, according to what they say about one another in Parliament.

The Kathikawath Bill presented to Parliament while the government is busy initiating a process to frame a new Constitution has come to be viewed in some quarters as an attempt to tame the Maha Sangha in a bid to ward off a possible resistance campaign. Buddhist monks in this country have been politically conscious and active from time immemorial. They have a history of standing up to repressive regimes and ruffling the feathers of autocratic rulers. Some of them had the courage to take on the late President J. R. Jayewardene, who thought no end of his executive powers, with which, he boasted, he could achieve any feat save making a man a woman and vice versa. They told the late President Premadasa where to get off. It was thanks to the valiant efforts of the late activist monk, Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera, that the present band of holier-than-thou politicians responsible for the Kathikawath Bill is ensconced in power. It is also because of some courageous monks that the country has an Opposition today! Thus, the gargantuan task before the government is to sell its controversial Bill to the Maha Sangha and the general public let alone muster the support of parliamentarians who will be wary of antagonising the Maha Sangha by voting for it vis-a-vis resistance to it.

Buddhist monks or priests of any other religion who happen to be on the wrong side of the law, must be dealt with in the same way as the ordinary people. But, matters concerning the overall discipline of the clergy are best left to religious leaders. One is cringingly amused when parliamentarians talk of Buddhist monks’ discipline; it is like prostitutes promoting chastity. Let the cobbler stick to his last! MPs ought to put their own house in order before worrying about others’ indiscipline.

That said, it needs to be added that if the Maha Nayake Theras had taken timely action to enforce vinaya rules and rein in errant monks without letting the grass grow under their holy feet the self-important politicians could have been denied the pleasure of trying to discipline the Sangha. The Kathikawath Bill may be considered an indictment on senior monks.

ධර්මන් වික‍්‍රමරත්න

මූලික මිනිස් අයිතීන් සුරකිමට ආරම්භ කරන ලද ශ්‍රී ලංකා පොලිසියට දැන් වසර 150 සපිරෙන්නේ ලබන සැප්තැම්බර් 5වැනිදාය. පොලිසිය යන ඉංග්‍රීසි නම හැදී ඇත්තේ ආචාරශීලි, යටහත්, පක්ෂපාතී, බුද්ධිමත්, ධෛර්යවන්ත සහ කාර්යශූර යන වචනවල ඉංග්‍රීසි මුල් අකුරු වලිනි.

අතීතයේ කෝලම් නැටුම් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ජනප්‍රිය කලා අංගයකි. කෝලම් නැටුම්වල ප්‍රථමයෙන් කෝලමේ වේදිකාවේ නට නටා යයි. ඉන් පසු පුස්කොල පොතක් අතැතිව පොතේ ගුරා වේදිකාවට එයි. ඉනික්බිතිව එන්නේ ප්‍රධාන නළුවාය. අණබෙර, නොන්චි, ආරච්චි, පොලිස්, හේවා කෝලම පසුව රඟ දැක්වේ. අනතුරුව පෙන්වනු ලබන්නේ සිංහ, බඩදරු, පරංගි, කාපිරි, කරපට, ගොන්, කොටි කෝලම්ය. අද පොලිසිය සහ පොලිස් කොමිසම මගින් රඟදක්වනු ලබන්නේ එම අතීතය සිහිපත් කරමින් පොලිස් කෝලමකි. එහි කෝලමාද පොතේගුරාද, ප්‍රධාන නළුවාද එකවිට රඟනු දක්නට ලැබේ.

ගම්පහ රතුපස්වල උද්ඝෝෂණයේදී වෙඩිවැදී මියගිය අය පිළිබදව අවසානයේ පරික්ෂණ කොමිසමක් පවා පත්කළේය. එදා රතුපස්වලට, හලාවතට, කටුනායක පොලිස් ප්‍රහාරවලට හඬනැගූ ‘යහපාලන’ පිරිස් ඇඹිලිපිටිය ඇතුළු පොලිස් පහරදීම් පිළිබදව දැන් පූස් පැටියන් මෙන් මුනිවත රකී. එදා ඔවුන් විසින් හැදින්වූ යුධ විරුවා පසුව වෙල් විදානේ බවට අභිෂේකකර වර්තමානයේ මන්ද බුද්ධිකයෙක් බවට අවසානයේ පත්කර තිබේ. කාලය මැවූ වෙනසක අරුමය මෙයයි.

එදා මොරටු පොලිසියේදී සිදුවූ සිද්ධිය සම්බන්ධයෙන් ඉකුත් රජය වරදකරුවන්ට එරෙහිව නීතිය ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීමට බාධාවක් වූයේ නැත. අවසානයේදී පොලිස් නිලධාරින් වරදකරුවන්වී පෝරකයටද නියම විය. එදා පොලිසියේ එකෙක් මැරුණොත් ඕඩර් එක දුන්නේ මහින්ද බවට බෙරිහන් දුන් පිරිස් අද ඇටි කෙසෙල් කෑ උගුඩුවන් සේය.

වරෙක රත්නපුරදී රූ මනමාලියෙකුවූ ‘බට්ටි’ට කොටන්න ගොස් වැරදුන විට අම්බානක ප්‍රසිද්ධියේ නෙලුවේය. පොලිස් නිලධාරියා අවිස්සාවේල්ලට මාරු කළේය. පසුව යළි වැඩට පැමිණියේය. මැදවච්චියේදී ආබාධිතයෙකුට පහරදී අත පයේ හිරිඇර ගත්තේය. කොටදෙනියාවේදී සේයා දැරිය අපහරණය කර ඝාතනය කිරීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් අහිංසක පාසැල් සිසුවෙකුට සම්බුව දුන්නේය. අනුරාධපුර මහසෙන් විදුහලේ 5 ශ්‍රේණියේ ගුරුවරියකගේ ස්ථාන මාරුවකට එරෙහිව සාමකාමී උද්ඝෝෂණයක නිරතවූ දෙමාපියන් කිහිප දෙනෙකු පොලිසියට කුදලා ගෙන ගියේය. මේ කිසිවකට එරෙහිව පොලිස් කොමිසම ගත් නිසි ක්‍රියාමාර්ගයක් නැත. දෙමාපියන් දරුවන් නලවන්නාක් මෙන් වැරදිකල බවට චෝදනා ලත් පොලිස් නිලධාරින්ට නුඹ නාඩන්, නුඹ නාඩන් නුඹට ඕවා හොද පාඩම් කියා රටට පෙනෙන්නට පොඩි කෙනිත්තිල්ලක් දැම්මාට වැඩක් නැත.

රන්නපුර දිස්ත්‍රික් පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී ප්‍රේමලාල් ජයසේකර ඉකුත් ජනාධිපතිවරණයේ පුද්ගලයෙකුට වෙඩි තැබූ බවට චෝදනා කරමින් ඇප ලබාගත නොහැකිව වසරකට අධික කාලයක් රිමාන්ඩ් භාරයේ පසුවිය. බස්නාහිර පළාත් හිටපු ඇමති උපාලි කොඩිකාර රිමාන්ඩ් කළේ බණ්ඩාරනායක ශාලාවේ පැවැත්වෙන කොමිසමට සාක්ෂි දීමට පැමිණි හිටපු ජනාධිපති මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ හමුවීමට පැමිණ සිටියදී පොලිස් නිලධාරියෙකු සමඟ ආරෝවක් ඇති කරගත් බවට වූ චෝදනාවකිනි. හම්බන්තොට දිස්ත්‍රික් පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී කේ.ඩී ඉන්දික පොලිසියට දෝෂාරෝපනය කල බවට පැමිණිල්ලක් හේතුවෙන් රිමාන්ඩ් ගත විය.

ආචාර්ය නාලක ගොඩහේවා යනු උගතෙකි. රටට හිතැති බුද්ධිමතෙකි. ඔහු සංචාරක සංවර්ධන අධිකාරියේ හිටපු සභාපතිවරයාය. ඔහු යහපාලන ආණ්ඩුවෙන් බස්නාහිර සංචාරක මණ්ඩලයේ සභාපති තනතුරට පත්කල අටපාස් ‘වාලම්පුරි මහාචාර්යවරයා’ මෙන් පොරක් නොවේ. ලක්ෂ 50ක ආධාර මුදලක් අධ්‍යක්ෂක මණ්ඩල තීරණයක් අනුව ප්‍රධානයක් කිරීම වෙනුවෙන් 2015 දෙසැම්බර් 7වැනිදා අත්අඩංගුවට ගත් අතර අද වන විට දින 39ක් තිස්සේ තවමත් ඇප නැතිව කොළඹ රිමාන්ඩ් බන්ධනාගාරයේය. පොලිසිය පොදු දේපල පනත යටතේ එය පවරා ඇත්තේ චිරාත් කාලයක් තබා ගැනීමේ බලය එයට ඇති නිසාය. පෙරටුගාමී සමාජවාදී පක්ෂයේ දේශපාලන මණ්ඩල සභික කුමාර් ගුණරත්නම් වීසා නොමැතිව ලංකාවේ රැදී සිටීම නිසා 2015 නොවැම්බර් 4වැනිදා අත්අඩංගුවට ගත් අතර ඇප නැතිව අදට දින 72ක් කෑගලු රිමාන්ඩ් බන්ධනාගාරයේය. ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ පුරවැසියන්වු මව්පිය දෙපලකට දාව ලංකාවේ ඉපිද ලංකාවේ සරසවි අධ්‍යාපනය ලැබූ කුමාර් විසා නැති චෝදනාව යටතේ රඳවාගෙන සිටියදී රජය විදේශිකයන්ට ශ්‍රී ලාංකිකයන්ට ද්විත්ව පුරවැසි ප්‍රදානය කරන්නේ උත්සවශ්‍රීයෙනි. පුද්ගලයෙකු බලයෙන් පැහැරගැනීම, අයුතු ලෙස රඳවා තැබීම, තර්ජනය කිරීම වැනි රටවැසියෝ ඇස් පනාපිට රූපවාහිනියෙන් දුටු චෝදනා ලැබූ හිරුණිකා ප්‍රේමචන්ද්‍ර පැය 2කින් ඇපමත නිදහස්ය. අනේ කාලේ වනේ වාසේ කියන්නේ මේවාටය.

හිරුණිකා දැරවි වැරදි වැඩ කල බවට චෝදනාවකි. මෙයට පෙරද එවැනි වැරදි වැඩ සම්බන්ධයෙන් ඇයට චෝදනා එමට ඇත. මෙවර ඇය පොලිසියෙන් ඇරෙස්ට් කරනවාය. ඒ සෙනසුරාදා දිනයකි. 2016 ජනවාරි 9 උදැසන 7.59ට එස්.එම්.එස්. පණිවිඩයක් ආවේ හිරුණිකා අත්අඩංගුවට ගැනීමට නීතිපති උපදෙස් ලැබුණු බවය. හරියටම උදේ 9.10ට හිරුණිකා අත්අඩංගුවට ගත් බවට තවත් පණිවිඩයක් ලැබුණේය. හිරුණිකා කොටුව අධිකරණයට ගෙන යන බවට පණිවිඩය ලැබුණේ උදෑසන 10.59ටය. වරුවක් යන්නට පෙර හිරුණිකා ක්ෂණික ශරීර ඇප මත නිදහස් විය. ‘යහපාලන’ දෙවන වසර සුභ මොහොතින් ආරම්භ විය. උදෑසන ආහාර ගෙන නිවසින් පිටත්වූ හිරුණිකා දිවා භෝජනයට යළි  නිවසට පැමිණීමට සමත්වූවාය. ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ පොලිසිය ඇමරිකාවේ පොලිසියටත් වඩා ටිප් ටොප්ය. පොලිසියේ එම ක්ෂණික නූඩ්ලස් ක්‍රියාමාර්ගයට අපේ හිතේ කහටක් නැත. ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ පොලීසිය කාර්යක්ෂම නැතැයි කියූ සැමට එය හොද අතුල් පහරකි. එහෙත් එය කුමාර් ගුණරත්නම්ලාටද, නාලක ගොඩහේවාලටද, අප්පුහාමිලා සහ රන්මැණිකේලාටද එකම හැන්දෙන් විය යුතුය. පොලිසිය නීතිය පිළිපැදිය යුත්තේ හිරු අමාවකට ගිය දිනයකදී පමණක් නොවේ. ස්වාධීන පොලිස් කොමිසමක් යටතේ සැමට එක හා සමානව නීතිය ක්‍රියාත්මක විය යුතුය. රටට දුක පොලිසියටත් වඩා ‘යහපාලන’ ආණ්ඩුවේ ස්වාධීන පොලිස් කොමිසම ගැනය.

කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික් එජාප මන්ත්‍රීනී හිරුණිකා ප්‍රේමචන්ද්‍ර ඒ අතින් හරිම වාසනාවන්තය. උසාවියද නිවාඩු කාලයක පසුවිය. ඇය ආවා ගියෝය. මාර්ටින් වික්‍රමසිංහ ශූරින්ගේ කථාවක කියූ පරිදි හරියට ‘මෙරු’ මෙනි. අධිකරණයේ වරදක් නොපෙනේ. වරද ඇත්තේ පොලිස් පැමිණිලි ගොනු කිරීම තුළය. ස්වාධීන පොලිස් කොමිසම සිදුකල යුත්තේ මෙවැනි මතභේදකාරි සිද්ධීන් පිළිබඳව අපක්ෂපාති පරික්ෂණ ඉක්මනින් පවත්වා ඒවායේ පසු විපරමක් සිදුකිරීමය. නැතිනම් පොලිස් කොමිසම පිළිබදව පොලිසියේ ආකල්පය වනු ඇත්තේ බඩුත් අපේ, නඩුත් අපේ වැනි අදහසකි. කැස්බෑව මන්ත්‍රී සෝමවීර චන්ද්‍රසිරි එදා මේවාට කීවේ මයි කාර්, මයි පැට්‍රෝල් කියාය. හිරුණිකා ප්‍රේමචන්ද්‍ර සිය පියාගේ චර්යාත්මක රටාව අනුගමනය කරන්නේද යන්න වෙනම සාකච්ඡා කල යුත්තකි. මනෝ ප්‍රවේණි විද්‍යාව මගින් ප්‍රචණ්ඩත්වය පරම්පරාවට සම්ප්‍රේෂණය වීමද මෙහිදී අවධානයට ලක්විය යුතුය. එය අපට නොව වෛද්‍ය පර්යේෂකයින්ට අයත් රාජකාරියකි.

මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ ආණ්ඩු කාලයේද පොලිසිය සුනඛ විවාහයක්ද මහනුවරදි උත්සවශ්‍රීයෙන් කළේය. ‘යහපාලන’ නිර්මාතෘ මාදුළුවාවේ සෝභිත හිමියන් ඒ පිළිබදව ප්‍රසිද්ධියේ කියා සිටියේ බල්ලෝ උත්සවශ්‍රීයෙන් හනිමුන් යැවීමට තරම් පොලිසිය ක්‍රියා කිරීම තුළින් පෙන්නුම් කරන්නේ රාජ්‍ය සේවය බල්ලට ගොස් ඇති බව කියාය. පොලිසියේ බලු විවාහයෙන් අම්බානට බැනුම් ඇසුවේ එදා සන්ධාන ආණ්ඩුවය. පොලිසියේ වර්තමාන ක්‍රියා කලාපය සම්බන්ධයෙන් කොමිසමේ අදහස වී ඇත්තේ ‘පොලිසිය මගෙ සකි, යහපත් ළමයෙකි, නුවණත් ඇත්තෙකි, වැඩටත් සමතෙකි’ යන සිරිමත්ගේ තියරිය දැයි සැක සිතේ. ඇඳ ගැනීම සහ ඇන්ඳවීම මල් හතය.

පනහේ දශකයේදී සර් ජෝන් අගමැතිධූරය දරණ වකවානුවේ පොලිසියේ සහ හමුදාවේ අමානුෂික පහරදීම් වලට එරෙහිව නැගුණ විරෝධතාව කොතෙක්ද යත් ඒ පිළිබදව එච්.ඒ.ද සිල්වාගේ සභාපතිත්වයෙන් කොමිසමක්ද පත්කරන ලදී. ඉන්පසු 1978 එජාප ආණ්ඩුව බලයට පත්වීමෙන් පසු නීතිය සම්බන්ධයෙන් පොලිසියේ ක්‍රියාකාරකම් ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයේ පවා විවේචනයට ලක්විය. සමසමාජයේ විවියන් ගුණවර්ධන ඇතුළු පිරිසකට 1983 මාර්තු 8වැනිදා පහර දුන්නේ කොල්ලුපිටිය පොලිසිය තුළදීමය. පහරදුන් අය වැරදිකරුවන්වූ විට ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණය නියමකල රුපියල් 2,500 වන්දි මුදල රජයෙන් ගෙවා චූදිත පොලිස් නිලධාරියාට උසස් වීමක්ද ලබාදෙන ලදී. තීන්දුන් දුන් ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණ විනිසුරුවන්ට එරෙහිව මැරයින් පිරිසක් ඔවුන්ගේ නිවෙස් ඉදිරිපිට උද්ඝෝෂණද කලහ. එයට නායකත්වය දුන්නේ ගෝනවල සුනිල්ගේ මිත්‍රයකු සහ 71 කැරැල්ලේ 29වැනි විත්තිකරුවූ ඇඹුල්දෙණියේ ලක්ෂ්මන් චන්ද්‍රසේන ප්‍රනාන්දු නොහොත් කළු ලකීය.

ජනපතිවරණය පැවති 1982දී පැවිදි හඬ සංවිධානය ආචාර්ය දරමිටිපොල රතනසාර හිමිගේ නායකත්වයෙන් ගම්පහ සිනමා ශාලාවක රැස්විමක් පැවැත්වීමට තිබියදී එය විසුරුවා හැරි පොලිසිය පත්‍රිකා පැහැර ගෙන ගියහ. එය මූලික අයිතින් උල්ලංඝනයක් කළේයැයි තීරණය කල ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණය රුපියල් 12,500ක් ගෙවන ලෙස පොලිස් අධිකාරිවරයාට නියම කළේය. එම මුදල් රජයෙන් ගෙවා අදාළ පොලිස් නිලධාරියාට උසස් වීමක්ද පිරිනැමුවේය.

බලවත් දූෂිත පුද්ගලයන් ඉදිරියේ පොලිසිය ක්‍රියා කල අයුරු රටට රහසක් නොවේ. බලයක් සහ හඬක් නොමැති මිනිසුන්ට එළව එළවා ගුටි බැට දීම දැන් එන්ට එන්ටම වැඩිය. මෙවැනි පොලිස් මර්ධනකාරි තත්ත්වයක් 70 දශකයේ අග භාගයේදී විද්‍යාමාන වූ අතර අවසානයේදී එය 80 දශකය ආරම්භයේදී අභිෂේක ලැබීය. ඩිමොක්‍රසි, හියුමන් රයිට්ස්, ගුඩ් ගවනන්ස් එන්.ජී.ඕවලට නම් මේවා හොද ඩොලර්, පවුම් ඇදෙන ප්‍රොජෙක්ට්ස්ය.

ඇඹිලිපිටියේ එදා තිබුණේ වැඩිවියට පත් ගැහැණු ලමයෙකු පිළිබඳව සාදයකි. පොලිස් මාධ්‍ය ප්‍රකාශකගේ දණ්ඩ නීති සංග්‍රහයේ අර්ථ දැක්වීම අනුව එය අයුතු ජන රාශියකි. කොටහලු මගුලටත් ඒ අනුව අවසර ගත යුතුය. මේවා අන්දරේගේ ෆැට් න්‍යායෙන් පිළිතුරු දෙන කොමඩි කථාය. ඇත්ත පත්තරේ කතුවරයාව සිටි ප්‍රවීණ දෙටු පුවත්පත් කලාවේදී බී.ඒ සිරිවර්ධනයන් අද සිටියේ නම් මේවාට හෙඩිමක් දමනු ඇත්තේ එදා මෙන් ‘ගොනා උනාට උම්බෑ නොකියනු’ කියාය.

පොලිස් මාධ්‍ය ප්‍රකාශක ගැන අපට දුකක් නැත. එය ඇමතිවරයෙකුගේ ප්‍රෙස් ඔෆිසර් වාගේ කලාවට සහ ලතාවට කෙප්ප ගැසීමේ තනතුරකි. එවැනි තනතුරකදී ගල් පැලෙන බොරුද, අතේ පැලවන බොරුද, කැටයම් දැමූ බොරුද කීවාට ‘පව්’ නැත. එය කුණු රෙදි හෝදන චොෂින් මැෂිමක් වාගේ වැඩකි. මන්ද තනතුර දරන්නේ රුකියාවට පින්සිදු වන්නටය. රුකියාව කරන්නේ අඹු දරුවන් ජීවත් කරන්නටය. සකල ලෝක වැසියෝ මේවා දන්නා බව සත්‍යයකි. නොබෙල් සම්මානය වෙනුවෙන් ලොක්කා රඟන රැඟිල්ල සොක්කෝ කලොත් සිදුවනු ඇත්තේ නෝ බෙල්ලය. එබැවින් කලින් සිටි පොලිස් මාධ්‍ය ප්‍රකාශක අජිත් රෝහණ මෙන් පොත පෙරලා සිනාසී කෙප්ප කෙලීමේ කලාව හැදෑරිම කල යුතුය. අජිත් රෝහණ සමුගන්නා විට බුකියේ ටොයියෝ සහ බයියෝ තරඟයට දුක්වූවෝය. අසූව දශකයේ මුල් භාගයේ පොලිස් මාධ්‍ය ප්‍රකාශකයෙකු නොසිටියද ජේෂ්ඨ පොලිස් අධිකාරි එස්. ඩී. සේනාරත්න එම කාරිය හොදින් සිදු කළේය.

පොලිසිය ජනතාවගේ උපහාසයට හෝ සමච්චලයට ලක්විය යුතු නැත. එදා වෝඩ් පෙදෙසේදී බිම ඇද වැටුණු සිසුවියට බැටන් පොල්ලෙන් පොලිස් නිලධාරියා පහර දුන්නා නොව නැගිටීමට අත දුන් බව පොලිසිය ප්‍රකාශ කළේය. අවසානයේදී පොලිස් කොමිසම කියා සිටියේ සිදුවූ පහරදීමට  සිසුවියට වන්දියක් ගෙවිය යුතු බවය. පොලිස් නිළධාරියාට මාරුවක් දුන්නේය. ඔහු දැන් ඇතැම් විට පරණ තැනම වැඩ ඇත. වන්දිය ආණ්ඩුවේ මුදලින් ගෙවනු ඇත. නීතිය රකින්නට සුද්දාගේ පොලිසිය ගෙනත් දැමීමෙන් සිදුවූ දෙය උපහාසයට ලක්කරමින් පොලිස් කෝලම එදා රඟ දැක්විණි. එය වර්තමානයේ පොලිසිය සහ පොලිස් කොමිසම විසින්ම රඟදැක්වීම හාස්‍යයට කරුණකි. තමන් බක බ්‍රහ්මයාටත් වඩා කෙරුමෙකැයි කිසිවෙකු සිතිය යුතු නොවේ. පොලිසිය ඇත්තේ පාලකයාගේ බොඩිය සහ චැසිය ආරක්ෂා කිරීමට නොව මහජනයා රකින්නටය. එසේ නොවුනහොත් මහජනතාවගේ ආරක්ෂාවට ඇත්තේ තිස්තුන් කෝටියක් දෙවි දේවතාවුන් පමණි.

ධර්මන් වික්‍රමරත්න

ejournalists@gmail.com

නලින් ද සිල්වා

Top Spin  By Suni 

January 17th 2016

The New Zealand Herald just yesterday has asked “Has an over-enthusiastic, flamboyant Sri Lankan sports minister under pressure to fix the national cricket team got the wrong end of the stick?”

This seems a very valid question in view of the stories floating around about excessive partying and drinking during the tour just concluded and that the team had showed rank disregard  for discipline and conduct expected of them which appears beyond speculation as distorted and blown our of proportion and the New Zealand Herald  has  provided just cause to assert this.

Were the Sri Lankan cricketers really partying their way around New Zealand,  and squabbling with each other as the stories go? And if this is a mere figment of the imagination on the part of some with no proof to corroborate the accusations it seems a pathetic display of vindictive rumour mongering by those responsible!

Certainly, skipper Angelo  Mathews whose credibility rating for discipline, integrity and honesty is an outstanding one has chosen to shrug off the allegations while demanding a full inquiry and if he was unaware of such goings on as did other senior members of the team asa well as the management staff serious as they might sound attests to the possibility that there could be a kind of conspiracy against the players simply because they did not bring home the bacon.

Furthermore It appears that social media posts from Sri Lankan fans in New Zealand have inspired sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara to call for an investigation into the just-completed tour where the tourists were overwhelmed in the test and short-form games.

But from the “no-smoke-without-fire department” quoting the the Herald ” there may have been some inner tensions, particularly an issue between captain Angelo Mathews and middle order batsman Kasun Vithanage, who played in the two tests and final T20 game. But what cricket team doesn’t include a bit of angst? And there is an impression for now that a new minister eager to show he will not be mucked around is playing to the crowd, and giving a cricket mad country what it wants to hear.” and set fire to an angered  Global Sri Lankan following it certainly has, judging by certain indiscreet and wicked comments which hardly need putting into perspective as it is blatantly obvious whom they are directed at and why.

Quoting The Herald further it says ” Minister Dayasiri is not backwards in coming forwards in media profile. His latest claims – which appear to be based on scant evidence – come after he alleged in December that wicketkeeper Kusal Perera’s food or urine sample may have been tampered with as retribution for blowing the whistle on a match-fixing approach. Early this month, and in relation to the Perera claim, he demanded that police arrest two Sri Lankan cricket support staff who he said “have been involved in match fixing for some time now”.

To stir the pot of speculation further- Sri Lankan cricket writer Andrew Fidel Fernando, whose work appears on ESPN’s highly regarded CricInfo, has told the Herald that he (Fernando) had found just a handful of media posts from Sri Lankans living in New Zealand about player behaviour, and they were vague rather than damning. One suggested players had been up until 2am before the final T20 match in Auckland. Fernando said that as the game started at 2.30pm those players still had plenty of time to sleep and prepare.
“I didn’t see more than four posts, and they said things like “Did staying up until 2am help you see the ball?’,” Fernando said.
The Sri Lankan management did not impose blanket curfews to Fernando’s knowledge, and relied on players using their own judgment especially when it came to senior players.
“You might not get on with all your colleagues but you can still do your job,” said the Colombo-based Fernando, who was still in Auckland when spoken to by the Herald .

Perhaps it may be in conventional wisdom to say in agreement with  Fernando that as with other cricketing countries, there have been spats between Sri Lankan players in the past including one involving Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga, who still formed a decent opening partnership.
But with the current Sri Lankan team struggling to match the glories of old, the spotlight is becoming much harsher. Especially with a team taht has been depleted through the absence of Lasith Malinga and other notables as well as the Illustrious names of Sanga and Mahela whose absences speak louder than words.

The new sports minister, appointed in September, is a rather flamboyant figure with a background in martial arts. Restoring the lustre of the Sri Lankan cricket team was seen as one of his prime objectives but at what cost. Certainly not through the incarceration of up and coming young players at times based on hearsay sans the proverbial salient truth one might surmise!

One profile described him as “a sensation with the general public for his appealing nature, overly popular as an entertainment draw as a vocalist and tele drama theme song writer with a fun going personality going by his appearance at television reality shows”. so lets raise a glass to this one than for its veracity and the poit it is trying to drive home.

Fernando, who has covered the Sri Lankan team for three years, was unsure if the minister had legislative power to force an inquiry but he certainly had the influence to do so.
“It will depend on how this plays out in the media and what is in the manager’s report. There could be some ramifications,” he said.
“There has been nothing like this around the Sri Lankan team (in the last few years) and I would say they are among the best behaved teams in international cricket.”as the NZ Herald puts it.
But almost undeniably – accusations and finger pointing aside,  the Sri Lankans  were grossly outplayed and out manouuevred by the red hot Kiwis on their own patch and time for some serious soul searching towards a panacea for the rot which seems to have set in without which they will be a sorry lot as they head for the T-20 World Cup as defending Champions in March 2016.
And the burning question will continued to be asked until the correct answers are found – Were The Sri Lankan Cricketers Castigated Needlessly Through Wicked Innuendo Just Because The Kiwis Were Simply Better?
In which case, those responsible need to be taken to task as the charge could be Slander!

(some excerpts taken from the New Zealand Herald News Paper )