The
Olympic games have been subjected to politics since 1936, the refusal of some
Western countries to boycott the Winter Olympics (2022) in China is the newest
politics and China has reacted that countries like Australia, the US, Canada
and New Zealand would be subjected to consequences, and the politics in
Olympics might lead to economic relationships and what would be the measures
that China has planned to implement is not clear. Politics in Olympic games is
a less emphasis point, however, the story of politics in Olympic games would
provide a broader knowledge about the game history and to understand how
international events used to spread propaganda.
Many
accept that Nazi abuses in the Berlin Olympic games of 1936 were the first
evidence of politics in the modern Olympic games. Since then, different
organized politics have been assiduously worked for a long time, and so-called human
rights abuses of China against the Uhgher community have become to originate
new politics in the Winter Games in 2022. As people are involved in the games,
it is easy to assume that the involvement of politics cannot avoid whether athletes
are like to politics or they don’t. The vital nature that could be observed in politics
is unidentified powers are behind politics.
When
the Olympic games were forming in 1887, Baron de Coubertin had to get the
consent of politicians of different countries and he could not organise the International
Olympic Committee as an independent body that purely represent the wishes of
the people. It is observable that the representatives to the committee from
many countries have political links and they should make hidden representation
for the political link. The political influences of modern Olympic games have a
long history and the political influences have been increased since 1900.
The
second obvious evidence of politics in the Olympic games was recorded in 1956
in the Melbourne games. There were two international political events that
people were talking about. The first event was the Russian invasion of Hungary
and the British and French Invasion of the Suez Canal was the second. They were
not related to games. The Netherland and Arabic countries pulled out from the
1956 Olympic games in protest at these two political events.
African
Nations threatened to boycott the 1968 Mexico Olympic games and because of this
threat, the International Olympic Committee reversed its decision to readmit
South Africa to the Olympic games. The 1968 Mexico Olympic games were the most
violent Olympic ever recorded in Olympic history. Ten days before the Olympic
games over 10000 protesters, many of them university students gathered in Plaza
De Las Tres Cultures in the centre of Mexico City for the protest and without
warning the Mexican government opened fire with rifles and machine guns and the
army dropped grenades by military helicopters. In this incident, 300 to 500 died
on the spot and over 1000 were injured. It was so violent and recorded
regrettable violence despite the peace expected by peace-loving athletes, but
the Mexican government claimed only four persons died. This incident had wide
publicity in the world and sport loving people question why is such an incident
incurred and what was the use of such a violent game festival for the world?
The
London Daily Telegraph reported the incident as one of the bloodiest assaults
on a civil group that had taken place anywhere in the world for the past twenty-five
centuries. The best observation was recorded by Chris Brasher, a Gold Medallist
in the 1968 Games, that they were killing people when I arrived in Mexico City
on the night of Wednesday the October 22nd”. Many people living
today are out of knowledge about the records of politics and many have an idea
that the game spirit should not be disturbed by politics. When it is talking
about politics the involvement of money with the politics of the Olympic Games
could not be ignored and money has been an incentive for politics despite that
many critics don’t talk about it.
The
Olympic Committee for Human Rights in the United States was organised by Harry
Edward, a prominent Californian activist who specialized in racial politics in
sports. Two US runners, Tonic Smith and John Carlos, protested against American
racial discrimination by wearing black gloves and socks and making the black
power salutes and bowing their heads during the US anthem.” This circumstance
showed that how did the Olympic games could have been used for politics for
various human issues in countries.
In
the 1972 Munich Games, the German government expected a cheerful game intending
to erase the Nazi abuses of the 1932 Berlin Games, Moshe Weinberg, an Israel
Wrestling Coach was killed by eight members of the Black September Group, El
Fatah and they took the custody of ten Israeli hostages. The Black September group demanded the
release of 234 Palestine guerrillas and German terrorists, Andreas Baader and
Ulrike Meinhof. Later, ten Israelis were killed and the Black September group
was provided with a plan by the German authorities to be flown to an Arabic
country. The politics in the Olympic game have gone too far and the organized
structure of the games was abused by terrorist-style political groups. The division of International political administration
would have the major reason for violent politics in the games. The visible
aspect of politics in the Olympic Games was the division of political groups
based on philosophies or leadership or any other reasons. That situation complicated issues and intricate
the manipulating a solution to the demand that was complicated and arduous to
solve.
Further,
the 1976 Montreal games were boycotted by Africans and the American president,
Jimmy Carter influenced 62 countries to boycott the Moscow Olympic Games in 1980
to display the disapproval of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. The politics
further revealed in the Los Angeles Games in 1986, many East European countries
boycotted it and the International Olympic Committee is in a difficult
situation to avoid politics.
Although
the common people of the world disapprove of politics in the Olympic Games the
experience indicates that politics have become the major event in the game. The
other significant aspect of politics is internal political parties and
organizations and others play politics selecting players to games from
countries and in many instances have selected players who are not the best
spirit in countries. This type of politics dominates in developing countries.
The
politics in the Winter Games in 2022 seem to involve political and economic
arguments that should have not been considered because the economic
backwardness created by the COVID 19 forced the world to cooperatively work the
economic problems.
The couple and their family members
will be deemed ineligible to travel to the United States. The United States has
imposed sanctions on two Sri Lankan government officials for alleged human
rights abuses. The couple and their family members will be deemed ineligible to
travel to the United States. The two accused Sri Lankan officials from the
United States are Navy officer Chandana Hettiarachchi and former Army Sergeant
Sunil Ratnayake.
Chandana Hettiarachchi
was involved
in human rights abuses against at least eight Tamil civilians between 2006 and
2009, the US government said in a statement on Friday. Sunil Ratnayake, on the
other hand, is accused of extrajudicially killing at least eight civilians in a
Tamil village in 2000. He was also convicted in the country’s courts. The court
sentenced him to death. However, President Gotabaya pardoned him last year.
The
U.S. state department in 2020 has also sanctioned the current Sri Lankan Army
chief Gen. Shavendra Silva on allegations of war crimes committed during the
final phase of the armed conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) in 2009.
The
Sri Lankan Army denies the charge, claiming it as a humanitarian operation to
rid the Tamils of LTTE’s control. On the other hands, The United States has recently imposed
travel bans on officials from China, Belarus, North Korea, Myanmar and
Bangladesh for alleged human rights abuses.
On
the other hand, the US on December 08, imposed an arms embargo on Cambodia,
citing concerns about human rights and corruption in the southeast Asian nation
as well as China’s activities there.
In
November, Washington sanctioned two Cambodian officials for corruption allegations
linked to a US-funded naval base. But Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen has
repeatedly denied his country would host the Chinese military at the base. Cambodia’s longtime leader is one of
China’s closest partners in Asia, and his government has been allegedly dismantling
facilities at the Ream base that were built partly with American money and
hosted to US exercises. The Sihanoukville-base on the Gulf of Thailand has been
a running sore in US-Cambodia relations in recent years, with Washington suspecting
it is being converted for use by China. But Cambodia denies the US allegations.
When Bangladesh is working to ensure
the security for the region including Indian North Eastern part from terrorism,
extremism, separatism etc., a recent inappropriate decision by US can hamper
the situation. When Bangladesh’s law enforcement and security agencies are
working to curb the extremism, terrorism, separatism to bring peace in the
region, The US has imposed sanctions on Bangladesh high officials at this time
which is very inappropriate. The contribution of Bangladesh’s security and law
enforcement agencies are well known to the world. Bangladesh ensured the region
including Indian North Eastern part from terrorism, extremism, separatism etc. Bangladesh
security and law enforcement agencies has established an example in the whole
world to deal or counter with separatism, terrorism and extremism (ULFA
terrorists and separatists, Holy Artisan incidents, JMB terrorists for the
region). On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, the US Treasury
Department has announced the imposition of sanctions on the assets of 15
individuals and 10 organizations in various countries for serious human rights
violations. The United States has also imposed sanctions on Bangladesh’s
Special Police Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and six of its officers.
Extrajudicial killings are taking
place even in many countries but we do not see any such action against those
countries. Why not those countries? Because US needs those countries to serve
its vested interest in Afghanistan. But Why Bangladesh, Sri Lanka? They have chosen a few countries to
show that they want to work with democracy. It is clear that their biased
policies to some countries totally are baseless. They targeted a peaceful
country in the South Asia like Bangladesh, Bangladesh is a role model of
counter terrorism, extremism and separatism. They targeted small country like
Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh has expressed
dissatisfaction over the US sanctions. The US ambassador to Dhaka, Earl R.
Miller, had been summoned to the State Department today to express his
dissatisfaction.
Million’s people go missing in the United States each
year, but the US government does not know how.
The US police kill thousands of people every year in the line of duty.
The United States should be informed. So, the sanction of this America on other
countries isn’t appropriate. In fact, the countries that develop, the
governments that do-good work are often attacked. If you do good then the
problem is. In the case of Bangladesh, Security forces may fire several times
to save lives when terrorists fire their weapons. There might have been some
separatist incidents. But what a US punishment in reaction to those! The US
might have very ill motives behind this. The US wants to sign two defence agreements
with Bangladesh as the latter is seeking to buy advanced equipment from the US
as part of its goal to modernize the military by 2030. But Bangladesh didn’t show interest to sign
the ‘General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA)’ and the
‘Acquisition Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA)’ agreement with USA. It may be an
issue for Bangladesh.
The sanction of the US is very
problematic in the case of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Cambodia in this regard., Myanmar
and North Korea cases may be totally different. It is the bad universal
habit of the USA to counter the rising power. It imposed sanctions upon anyone
at any time anywhere in the name of serving human rights worldwide when it can
understand that its interest isn’t serving. (Iran, Venezuela, Iraq, etc.)
Let’s talk about the human rights
situation in the USA. recent 918 people have been shot and killed by police in
the USA in the past year. This isn’t my data. This is the data of the ‘Washington Post.’ Protests over the 2020 Black Lives
Matter, revived by the extrajudicial killing of George Floyd by three Minneapolis police
officers, indicate the largest protest movement in U.S. history.The US should look at the human
rights situation in its territory first.
On February 26 this year, UN human rights experts called on the
US government to end police torture and racial discrimination in the United
States. According to reports of Western media outlets such as The Guardian, BBC, there are serious violations of
human rights in the USA.
An article in the Lancet titled ‘Fatal police violence by
race and state in the USA, 1980–2019: a network meta-regression on October 2,
2021, shows the horrific pictures of human rights violation in the USA. The
report stated that between 1980 and 2018, many people died in police custody in
the United States. Fifty-five percent of these deaths were unreported or
miscellaneous, meaning the exact cause of death was not disclosed. Although
only 10 percent of the population is black, the death rate of blacks in police
custody is three and a half times that of whites.
Can the US answer the
question of Abu Ghraib prison, Guantánamo Bay prison abuses? The world hasn’t forgotten the
incidents of the USA’s ‘Enhanced interrogation and waterboarding’ cases?
The world has not forgotten the
tragic scene of a black man being strangled to death by the police on the
streets of the United States last year. Not only that, when Palestinian
children hurled stones at the Israelis who attacked their homes, Israeli forces
fired indiscriminately at them. The United States has not imposed sanctions on
the Israelis. On the contrary, if a country proposes condemnation of this human
rights violation at the United Nations, the United States vetoes it. So, their
sanction is motivated, one-sided, and ineffective.
According to Human Rights Report
2021,
Covid-19’s grossly disproportionate impact on black, brown, and indigenous
peoples, associated with chronic inequalities in health, education, and
economic conditions, has highlighted the lasting effects of past clearly racist
laws and policies and the continuing obstacles to equality. The series of
police killings of George Floyd and other police killings of blacks in May gave
rise to widespread and extensively peaceful protests, which in many cases were
met with brutality by local and federal law enforcement agents.
This is the human rights situation
in the USA. The self-proclaimed promoter of world peace, human rights,
democracy worldwide, the US always speaks about the human rights violation in
their targeted country. There may have been an ill motive behind this. In
the name of protection of human rights in many countries, the US tries to serve
its vested interest. We know the incident of the Iraq war, the war in
Afghanistan, etc. The US authority should look at the human rights situation in
its country first. The United States is involved in human rights abuses,
including killings, disappearances, and abductions, not just in its own
country.
The democratic forces of the world
are well aware of the fact that they are now talking about strengthening the
“world democracy” and holding a conference to regain the lost ground
after failing to establish a single world order.
The United States, meanwhile, claims
that an average of 1,100 people are victims of law enforcement killings each
year in the United States. Even in their country, six lakh people go missing
every year.
Former United States Senator Robert
Reich tweeted a few days ago. He said there were 984 extrajudicial killings in the
United States in 2020. According to various US media reports, at least 6,700
people have been extrajudicially killed by law enforcement in the United States
since 2015. That means an average of 1,000 people die without trial each year
in the United States.
For example, the United States has
sanctioned seven people, including a Bangladeshi police chief and a RAB DG, in
the United States. Allegedly, that was extrajudicial killing. The number of
extrajudicial killings in the United States is higher each year than in Bangladesh.
Moreover, there are several countries in South Asia where extrajudicial
killings are taking place.
It is clear that their biased
policies to some countries totally are baseless. When Bangladesh Security
agencies starts to curb extremism, terrorism in the region, the US has imposed
sanctions upon Bangladesh this time. It is a biased, one-sided step of the US.
On the other hand, it is very
disappointing to see that Sri Lanka, Bangladesh has been put in the line with
states like North Korea or Myanmar which significantly stands different, both
in terms of human rights records and political standing on the global, regional
and domestic scale. North Korea and Myanmar should be another issue? Thus, it
is clear to say that the recent US sanctions upon Bangladesh, Sri Lanka are
very problematic.
When Bangladesh is working to ensure
the security for the region including Indian North Eastern part from terrorism,
extremism, separatism etc., a recent inappropriate decision by US can hamper
the situation. When Bangladesh’s law enforcement and security agencies are
working to curb the extremism, terrorism, separatism to bring peace in the
region, The US has imposed sanctions on Bangladesh high officials at this time
which is very inappropriate. The contribution of Bangladesh’s security and law
enforcement agencies are well known to the world. Bangladesh ensured the region
including Indian North Eastern part from terrorism, extremism, separatism etc. Bangladesh
security and law enforcement agencies has established an example in the whole
world to deal or counter with separatism, terrorism and extremism (ULFA
terrorists and separatists, Holy Artisan incidents, JMB terrorists for the
region). On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, the US Treasury
Department has announced the imposition of sanctions on the assets of 15
individuals and 10 organizations in various countries for serious human rights
violations. The United States has also imposed sanctions on Bangladesh’s
Special Police Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and six of its officers.
Extrajudicial killings are taking
place even in many countries such as Pakistan but we do not see any such action
against those countries. Extrajudicial killings are ongoing in Pakistan’s
Balochistan, across the India-Bangladesh border. But US’s eyes are blind here.
Why not Pakistan? Why not those countries? Because it needs Pakistan to serve
its vested interest in Afghanistan. But Why Bangladesh? They have chosen a few countries to
show that they want to work with democracy. It is clear that their biased
policies to some countries totally are baseless. They targeted a peaceful
country in the South Asia like Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a role model of
counter terrorism, extremism and separatism.
Bangladesh has expressed
dissatisfaction over the US sanctions. The US ambassador to Dhaka, Earl R.
Miller, had been summoned to the State Department today to express his
dissatisfaction.
Million’s people go missing in the United States each
year, but the US government does not know how.
The US police kill thousands of people every year in the line of duty.
The United States should be informed. So, the sanction of this America on other
countries isn’t appropriate. In fact, the countries that develop, the
governments that do-good work are often attacked. If you do good then the
problem is. In the case of Bangladesh, Security forces may fire several times
to save lives when terrorists fire their weapons. There might have been some
separatist incidents. But what a US punishment in reaction to those! The US
might have very ill motives behind this. The US wants to sign two defence agreements
with Bangladesh as the latter is seeking to buy advanced equipment from the US
as part of its goal to modernize the military by 2030. But Bangladesh didn’t show interest to sign
the ‘General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA)’ and the
‘Acquisition Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA)’ agreement with USA. It may be an
issue for Bangladesh.
The sanction of the US is very
problematic in the case of Bangladesh in this regard. China, Myanmar and North
Korea cases may be totally different. It is the bad universal habit of
the USA to counter the rising power. It imposed sanctions upon anyone at any
time anywhere in the name of serving human rights worldwide when it can
understand that its interest isn’t serving. (Iran, Venezuela, Iraq, etc.)
Let’s talk about the human rights
situation in the USA. recent 918 people have been shot and killed by police in
the USA in the past year. This isn’t my data. This is the data of the ‘Washington Post.’ Protests over the 2020 Black Lives
Matter, revived by the extrajudicial killing of George Floyd by three Minneapolis police
officers, indicate the largest protest movement in U.S. history.The US should look at the human
rights situation in its territory first.
On February 26 this year, UN human rights experts called on the
US government to end police torture and racial discrimination in the United
States. According to reports of Western media outlets such as The Guardian, BBC, there are serious violations of
human rights in the USA.
An article in the Lancet titled ‘Fatal police violence by
race and state in the USA, 1980–2019: a network meta-regression on October 2,
2021, shows the horrific pictures of human rights violation in the USA. The
report stated that between 1980 and 2018, many people died in police custody in
the United States. Fifty-five percent of these deaths were unreported or
miscellaneous, meaning the exact cause of death was not disclosed. Although
only 10 percent of the population is black, the death rate of blacks in police
custody is three and a half times that of whites.
Can the US answer the
question of Abu Ghraib prison, Guantánamo Bay prison abuses? The world hasn’t forgotten the
incidents of the USA’s ‘Enhanced interrogation and waterboarding’ cases?
The world has not forgotten the
tragic scene of a black man being strangled to death by the police on the
streets of the United States last year. Not only that, when Palestinian
children hurled stones at the Israelis who attacked their homes, Israeli forces
fired indiscriminately at them. The United States has not imposed sanctions on
the Israelis. On the contrary, if a country proposes condemnation of this human
rights violation at the United Nations, the United States vetoes it. So, their
sanction is motivated, one-sided, and ineffective.
According to Human Rights Report
2021,
Covid-19’s grossly disproportionate impact on black, brown, and indigenous
peoples, associated with chronic inequalities in health, education, and
economic conditions, has highlighted the lasting effects of past clearly racist
laws and policies and the continuing obstacles to equality. The series of
police killings of George Floyd and other police killings of blacks in May gave
rise to widespread and extensively peaceful protests, which in many cases were
met with brutality by local and federal law enforcement agents.
This is the human rights situation
in the USA. The self-proclaimed promoter of world peace, human rights,
democracy worldwide, the US always speaks about the human rights violation in
their targeted country. There may have been an ill motive behind this. In
the name of protection of human rights in many countries, the US tries to serve
its vested interest. We know the incident of the Iraq war, the war in
Afghanistan, etc. The US authority should look at the human rights situation in
its country first. The United States is involved in human rights abuses,
including killings, disappearances, and abductions, not just in its own
country.
The democratic forces of the world
are well aware of the fact that they are now talking about strengthening the
“world democracy” and holding a conference to regain the lost ground
after failing to establish a single world order.
The United States, meanwhile, claims
that an average of 1,100 people are victims of law enforcement killings each
year in the United States. Even in their country, six lakh people go missing
every year. Neighboring democracies like India have similar cases.
Former United States Senator Robert
Reich tweeted a few days ago. He said there were 984 extrajudicial killings in the
United States in 2020. According to various US media reports, at least 6,700
people have been extrajudicially killed by law enforcement in the United States
since 2015. That means an average of 1,000 people die without trial each year
in the United States.
For example, the United States has
sanctioned seven people, including a Bangladeshi police chief and a RAB DG, in
the United States. Allegedly, that was extrajudicial killing. The number of
extrajudicial killings in the United States is higher each year than in
Bangladesh. Moreover, there are several countries in South Asia where
extrajudicial killings are taking place.
Extrajudicial killings are taking
place even in many countries such as Pakistan but we do not see any such action
against those countries. Why not Pakistan? Why not those countries? Why
Bangladesh? They have chosen a few countries to show that they want to
work with democracy. It is clear that their biased policies to some countries
totally are baseless. When Bangladesh Security agencies starts to curb
extremism, terrorism in the region, the US has imposed sanctions upon
Bangladesh this time. It is a biased, one-sided step of the US.
On the other hand, it is very
disappointing to see that Bangladesh has been put in the line with states like
North Korea or Myanmar, China which significantly stands different, both in
terms of human rights records and political standing on the global, regional
and domestic scale. North Korea and Myanmar should be another issue? Thus, it
is clear to say that the recent US sanctions upon Bangladesh is very
problematic.
In recent days, the
government has sent mixed signals with regard to improving the human rights
situation in the country. On December 10, on which day International
Human Rights Day is celebrated, a civil society organisation in Kandy, the
Human Rights Organisation headed by Fr Nandana Manatunga was issued a court
order obtained by the police to block it from organising a human rights event
on the theme Ensure the Prisoners their Dignity and Rights to Human
Conditions.” A similar event in Puttalam organised by an inter-religious
group was subjected to surveillance by persons believed to be from military
intelligence in civvies.
On the other hand, on
November 27, the Ministerial Subcommittee to amend the PTA chaired by Foreign
Minister Prof G L Peiris outlined proposed amendments to the PTA in a discussion
with members of the Sri Lankan Collective for Consensus (SLCC). We
consider our meetings with the government to be part of a process of necessary
engagement between the government and civil society in general where issues
could be highlighted and government members would give serious hearing and
attention beyond partisan defence and inaction.
When SLCC met with the
ministerial subcommittee, a case involving ten persons arrested under the PTA
was highlighted by us as an example of unfair detention and remand. One of the
draconian features of the PTA is the power it gives to the police to arrest
people on suspicion and to hold them in prison custody without bail until the
conclusion of the trial. This can extend to several years.
We are pleased that on
December 8, the 10 persons who were being legally represented in the court by
one of our members were granted bail after 7 months in remand. This was
at the Magistrate’s Court Valaichchenai on the instructions and recommendation
of the Attorney General’s office. As we had taken this case as an example
during our discussion, the release of the detainees from remand may be a
coincidence or consequence of SLCC’s discussion. In either event we are
happy that this has been done.
The larger picture with
regard to the PTA is to hear the voices of all those in remand who have been
granted an order by the Magistrate’s court and are awaiting the decision of the
AG for release or indictment. If all those could be considered for bail
until a decision is made either way, as we proposed at our meeting, it will be
of great value for a great number of those in remand under the
PTA. Consequently we call for the government to become more
institutionalised and less ad hoc in its approach to human rights. This
is not only in regard to the content and implementation of the PTA but also the
ordinary law.
Am I being flippant about something that is of serious concern to the health of the economy and the well being of the citizens? No. It’s sarcasm. Unfortunately, it needs to be labeled for the benefit of those who spin doom’s day scenarios with the unabashed objective of living in political territories closer to their hearts.
Pandemics are not for celebration. Covid-19 has taken an immense toll on one and all. It has crippled economies across the globe, a fact largely ignored by those who believe that bad times are a Sri Lankan preserve. The virus itself is evolving and scientists are struggling to keep pace. The world is better prepared in terms of people being well acquainted with basic safety protocols but there is still a considerable knowledge gap.
The pandemic has, as mentioned several times in this column, spawned innumerable epidemiologists. Remove the rhetoric, remove the commonsensical that does not warrant media conferences but nevertheless takes up much space in statements and news reports, and we have ‘better safe than sorry,’ or ‘prevention is better than cure.’
So why this ‘flippant’ title, then? In a word, politics. Ominous were the signs, ‘apocalyptic’ were their readings, especially from those who had political axes to grind (read this as ‘reduced political circumstances with respect to achieving preferred political outcomes’). Pundits expected health officials and the government to fight way above their respective weights in a world in which even the WHO and top scientists acknowledged being flummoxed by the virus.
The arrival of the virus was celebrated (yes, considering the unholy salivation!) as evidence of incompetence. Then there was talk of inability to obtain the vaccine. Then there were whispers about the efficacy of the Sinopharm Vaccine. Then there were questions about the entire population not being vaccinated. Lock-downs were insisted upon, followed by dire warnings about impact on the economy, food shortages and such, followed once again by calls for restrictions. In short goalposts were constantly shifted. It’s an easy game. It’s a political game.
People are concerned as they should be. Organizations too. For example, Dr Padma Gunaratne, President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), regularly issues public statements which are essentially directed at the general public. The SLMA has, I’ve learned, frequently offered advice to health authorities. Recently, after the detection of the Omicron variant, Dr Gunaratne said that all precautionary measures should be taken to ensure the new variant does not enter the country. She acknowledged that such measures have already been taken. She added that there is no guarantee that the variant would not arrive. She was proven right — an Omicron case was detected a few days later.
What can we conclude here? The best precautions cannot guarantee that variants will not enter, whether it is Omicron or the variants that came before or those into which the virus may mutate in the future. Now if we look back, what can we make of those who made a song and dance about government-failure in keeping variants away from Sri Lanka? Where they ignorant or were they wishing for disaster in anticipation of possible political rewards?
What is interesting about Dr Gunaratne’s (and of course the SLMA’s) statements is that they consistently appeal to the public to adhere to safety protocols including vaccination. The last echoes the views of Dr Chandima Jeewandara, Director of the Allergy, Immunology and Cell Biology Unit of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, who said it was vital for the eligible personnel to obtain the booster dose as well to face the new variant.
And yet, it’s the commonsensical by-the-ways that get media play: ‘Omicron: non-entry into country cannot be guaranteed!’ Upul Rohana, head of the Public Health Inspectors’ Union gives it a sexier twist: ‘there are many loopholes through which the new variant could enter the country.’ Dr Gunaratne doesn’t talk of loopholes, a word that implies incompetence. She’s essentially preambling as follows: ‘despite the best efforts of one and all…’ Not enough for ‘Doctor’ Rohana, no. He has to script in something sinister. No caveats such as those offered by doctors and health experts.
For example, Dr Gunaratne stated, ‘Experts are of the opinion that the new variant is more transmissible than previous versions of the virus, and that it may be able to bypass certain levels of immunity. However, these theories are not yet proven to be true.’ Prof. Neelika Malavige, Head of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine at Sri Jayawardenepura University echoed, ‘Sri Lankans should not worry about the new Covid-19 variant – Omicron – but rather should continue with the immunization program and follow strict health guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as they were of vital importance.’ The WHO’s chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said ‘the new coronavirus variant Omicron appeared to be very transmissible, the right response was to be prepared, cautious and not panic.’
Panic, however, seems to be what the likes of Rohana are aiming for. After the first Omicron case was detected, he howled that the Health Ministry had not informed his union. Why should anyone keep unions informed? PHIs, perhaps, but unions? Director of Technical Services of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Anwar Hamdani stated that protocols were followed after the detection. Dr Hamdani stating that there’s no cause for alarm, did acknowledge that PHIs should have been informed by relevant MoH officers. So what do we have here if not lapse on the part of MoH officers. That warrants a media conference? Seriously!
The consensus medical opinion is that there is a knowledge-gap. Even the efficacy of the vaccine is being questioned. Talk to ten ‘experts’ and you’ll probably get several opinions about the behavior of the virus and ways of combating it. Here’s an example. Hong Kong based virologist Professor Malik Peiris, recipient of the 2021 John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award, states (the obvious): ‘it is sensible to act with caution.’ The primary aim, he says, should be to avoid this virus getting into the country. Anyone can tell you that. Then comes this: ‘Detecting it after it has got into Sri Lanka will be too late, as we saw with Delta.’ Wow! Wow! Wow! Detection is only possible after entry, is it not? So ‘too late’ (in the case of detection) goes without saying. Wait. Didn’t Dr Gunaratne say that entry is inevitable?
So there you have it. People like Dr Gunaratne act responsibly, communicating or rather reiterating a message we all know but is conveniently forgotten by some and offering advise to health authorities. We have the Rohanas, spoiling for a fight (or is it some media-boost). We have the likes of Prof Peiris, again stating the obvious, but making for all kinds of media spin. And we have the media or rather certain sections of it, silent for quite a long time suddenly being titillated by a new variant, never mind obvious uncertainties and never mind the obvious irresponsibility of effectively urging one and all to press the panic button. malindasenevi@gmail.com. [Malinda Seneviratne is the Director/CEO of the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute. These are his personal views.]
Geneva (Switzerland), December 9: America’s democracy is run by an oligarchy, former United Nations independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order Alfred-Maurice de Zayas said recently.
“In the United States, we really do not have a functioning democracy,” de Zayas told Xinhua during an interview outside the Palace of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
“Functioning democracy means that there’s a correlation between the will of the people and the policies that affect them,” the American-Swiss historian pointed out, saying that whereas “you let the politicians do whatever they want to do” in the United States.
The system, he explained, “may call itself democratic, but in essence, it’s an oligarchy,” in which political power effectively rests with a small, elite segment of society.
The opinion echoed what former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said in 2015 that the United States is “an oligarchy with unlimited political bribery.” A study from Princeton University and Northwestern University in 2014 also concluded that the U.S. government does not represent the interests of the majority of the country’s citizens, but is instead ruled by those of the rich and powerful.
“There’s a very, very small group of people who run the country, the business, and the education,” de Zayas noted.
One of the influential vested interests is America’s military-industrial complex, a network of the country’s military establishment together with the industries involved in the production of arms.
Author of multiple books, de Zayas said he agrees with what Dwight Eisenhower said about the military-industrial complex in his final speech as U.S. president from the White House in 1961, in which the retired five-star Army general warned it could endanger democratic processes.
“He (Eisenhower) was absolutely right,” the historian said. “The only problem is the situation is much much worse today than it was in 1961.” Major U.S. defense contractors, the biggest beneficiary of America’s monstrous military spending, have spent massively on lobbying and elections, fuelling the country’s never-ending military campaigns overseas, despite polls showing that most Americans would like to see an end to war. De Zayas added that the United States has been using such topics as democracy and human rights to manipulate public opinion and pave the way for interventionism with the help of its media.
“Whenever you want to influence public opinion, you call demonstrators pro-democracy activists,” he continued. “If you want to, shall we say, skew the narrative, you will put labels on individuals and on movements so that essentially if you rely only on the mainstream media you’re swimming in an ocean of lies.” Source: Xinhua
Government spokesman Dr. Ramesh Pathirana dismissed media reports that the solar power generation projects in the north about to be launched by China but abandoned under controversial circumstances would be given to India.
He told the media that neither the government discussed it nor the government intends to entrust the construction of a solar power generation project to Adani Group of India as suggested by interested parties.
The Chinese Embassy in Colombo has announced that China has decided to suspend the construction of a hybrid solar power (renewable energy) project in three islands in the north, namely, Nagadeepa, Analthivue and Delft off Jaffna but decided to suspend the project owing to security concerns raised by a third party. Following the awarding of the contract to China in early this year, India vehemently protested to the awarding of the contract to a Chinese company citing security concerns.
Responding to a journalist at the news briefing, Minister Dr. Pathirana flatly rejected that the government was in a move to give the renewable energy project to Adanis of India.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Ajith Nivard Cabraal has denied reports that he has been summoned by the Cabinet of Ministers for its meeting today.
In a twitter message, the governor said the news reports claiming that he has been summoned by the Cabinet to discuss matters related to seeking the assistance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were originated by an ‘opposition politician’ and that they are ‘totally fake’.
He alleged that this is a part of the opposition’s misinformation campaign to cause uncertainty.
The media stories originated by an Opposition politician that the Cabinet has summoned the Governor of the CBSL to discuss seeking IMF assistance is totally fake. This is a part of their misinformation campaign to cause uncertainty,” he tweeted.
It was reported yesterday that the Secretary to the Finance Ministry Mr. S.R. Attygalle and the CBSL Governor Mr Ajith Nivard Cabraal have been summoned to the Cabinet meeting today (13).
The Cabinet is set to meet today for the first time since the government’s Budget for the financial year 2022 was passed in parliament.
The meeting is reportedly expected to also focus on the foreign exchange reserves crisis the country as well as the controversial Yugadanavi power plant deal.
Meanwhile state minister Dayasiri Jayasekara says he believes the country should seek the assistance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at this moment.
Speaking to reporters following an event, he said: I think at this point we need to negotiate and work with the IMF as an alternative.”
He said it currently appears that other countries seem a little less supportive to Sri Lanka and that therefore he personally believes that the country should discuss with the IMF and move forward.
He said the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has still not discussed the matter and that they have many ideas which they intend to present correctly in the future.
The Health Ministry says that another 195 persons have tested positive for Covid-19, moving the daily count of new cases detected to 747.
Two of the coronavirus infected patients identified today are returnees from overseas.
This brings the total number of Covid-19 cases reported in the country to 573,649 while approximately 13,575 infected patients are currently undergoing treatment island-wide.
The Director General of Health Services has confirmed another 27 coronavirus related deaths for December 12, pushing the country’s death toll due to the virus to 14,641.
The deaths confirmed today includes one person below the age of 30 years while 13 are between the ages 30-59.
The remaining 13 victims are in the age group of 60 years and above.
Sri Lanka Parliament was suspended by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, through an extraordinary gazette notification dated December 12, while he left for Singapore on an unscheduled visit.
Sri Lanka Parliament was suspended by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, through an extraordinary gazette notification dated December 12, while he left for Singapore on an unscheduled visit.
Parliament, which ended its sessions on Friday, was originally set to convene on January 11. It will now convene on January 18.
President Rajapaksa, through an extraordinary gazette notification dated December 12, suspended the assembly.
I do by this proclamation prorogue Parliament with effect from midnight of the Twelfth day of December, Two Thousand and Twenty One and hereby fix the Eighteenth day of January Two Thousand and Twenty Two at 10 am for the commencement of the next session and summon parliament to meet…..” the gazette notification read.
Hours after proroguing Parliament, Gotabaya, 72, left for Singapore on an unscheduled visit.
Presidential officials said that he was on a private visit, believed to be for medical purposes.
Two key issues billed for discussions during Monday’s Cabinet meeting would not be taken up, energy minister Udaya Gammanpila told reporters.
The weekly Cabinet meeting was to discuss the possibility of Sri Lanka going for a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in view of the severe foreign currency crisis.
Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves have slipped to the lower level to suffice only a month’s imports.
The Cabinet was also scheduled to discuss a controversial power deal with a US power company for which the government allies had expressed vehement opposition.
The president’s action means all standing committees in Parliament would have to be reconstituted and reconvened.
Two oversight committees on public enterprises and public accounts have been pointing to many irregularities in running state institutions.
The assembly session dates and timings are set by political party leaders represented in Parliament in concurrence with the House Speaker.
However, the President has the power to prorogue Parliament under Article 70 of the Constitution.
During the prorogation, the Speaker continues to function and the members retain their membership even though they do not attend meetings of Parliament, according to the Colombo Gazette newspaper.
Police on Monday claimed to have arrested 18 more main suspects involved in the lynching of 49-year-old Sri Lankan factory manager Priyantha Kumara in Sialkot.
A mob comprising hundreds of protesters, including the employees of the factory Kumara was the manager of, had tortured him to death on December 3 and later burnt his body.
A first information report was registered against 900 workers of Rajco Industries on the application of Uggoki Station House Officer Armaghan Maqt under sections 302, 297, 201, 427, 431, 157, 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code and 7 and 11WW of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
With Monday’s arrests, the total number of suspects in custody has risen to 52, Sialkot police spokesperson Khurram Shehzad told Dawn.com.
The 18 suspects were later produced before a special anti-terrorism court in Gujranwala, which remanded them in police custody for 15 days. The judge directed police to present the suspects again on December 28.
“Thirty-four primary suspects are already in remand with police. More than 100 individuals are under investigation,” the spokesperson said.
‘Horrific vigilante attack’
The incident saw widespread outrage and condemnation across Pakistan with politicians, scholars and civil society members calling for swift punishment to be meted out to the perpetrators.
Reacting to the horrific vigilante attack”, Prime Minister Imran Khan termed it a day of shame for Pakistan. I am overseeing the investigations & let there be no mistake all those responsible will be punished with full severity of the law. Arrests are in progress,” he had tweeted.
Kumara’s remains were repatriated to Sri Lanka on Dec 6 and a condolence reference was held for him a day later at the Prime Minister’s House.
The political and military leadership subsequently decided the government would pursue a “comprehensive strategy” to stamp out religious extremism and vigilantism in the incident’s wake.
The travails of Fundamentalist Islam is a global scourge that has spread like wildfire around the world sadly because there seems to be no control to curb it by the powers that can effectively do so probably due to apathy and the usual excuse that it is not a global priority which is an irresponsible and unrealistic one, to say the least, if this is the case!
The recent gruesome and unwarranted killing of Factory Manager Priyantha Kumara in Sialkot Pakistan must take center stage on the platform of world opinion about the mendacity of what Pakistan is today and the dangers of tolerating with impunity such a miserable and conscienceless nation which is also a nuclear power, which alarmingly is also a land full of wretched fanatics who even destroyed the life of the beautiful, charismatic, and politically focused, patriot Mrs.Benazir Bhuto and many others who sought to resuscitate the ills of Pakistan based on their own sense of patriotism and continues to pander to global terrorism by tolerating the Taliban also reputed for butchery, rape, wanton destruction and the trappings of related criminality along with many other criminal excesses including the bus bombing of the Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore some years ago. This is a country that seems to be a hotbed of despicable criminal activity which needs curbing.
What has transpired appears to be a direct result of the fundamental political dogma of undesirable sources like the Taliban, ISIS, and AL Quaeda which have indeed taken root u in countries like Pakistan where it is imperative that the Government of Sri Lanka needs to respond post haste beyond mere lip service to this atrocity in a manner that will stir the consciences of those who matter and set up a sense of global awareness about Pakistan if it already hasn’t!
True enough there are monetary responses and others by the Government of Pakistan and the GOSL to compensate the widow and children of the victim but they will not bring him back and the agony and shame of it all will remain perhaps indefinitely as an indelible aberration which was a price paid for missed preventive action that might have been taken although the impossibility of it all looms high in a country of fanatics with whom Sri Lanka has close ties which is a real irony.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan who is a beacon in the darkness of the country has been magnanimous and gracious in his response where hopefully the penalties for the accused will be more than stringent which even then will hardly compensate for the dastardly deed as the fanaticism which has gripped countries like Pakistan will need a huge upheaval of procedures towards restitution which many believe could prove to be a near-impossible task.
Perhaps if all world leaders are unanimous in their
response towards the need to initiate immediate action against fundamental
Islamist practices involving murder and mayhem it could be a start.
Jayantha Liyanage General secretary Sinhaladeepa Jathika Peramuna
Dr. Jehan Perera, Executive Director, Naitional Peace Council, No: 12/14, Purana Vihara Road, Colombo – 06. Date – 11.12.2021
Open Letter By Registered Post Dear Sir, SRI LANKA (SINHALADEEPAl ls NOT A MULTI EThNIC COUNTRY I refer to the article that appeared on 16.11.2021 in the Island Newspaper titled “New Constitution needs to reflect Sri Lanka’s plurality” by Jehan Perera.
The concept of plural nature in Ceylon had been introduced by the British in 1815 under their “Divide & Rule” policy, hence not an indigenous concept. That concept continues to exist because the indigenous Sinhala people did not get their due historical rights in 1948. The so-called freedom fighters were from families groomed by the British in order to protect and maintain the said policy. That concept thereafter had been incorporated into the country’s Constitution under the Republican banner denying the historical national rights Of the Sinhala people.
The Republican Constitutions of 1972 & 1978 are without the name of a nation and only a citizenship is in place. Hence, a great enmfty had been done to the indigenous Sinhala people by the British, the Sinhala traitors and by some ethnic minorities, especially by the Tamils. King Pandukahabaya established the Sinhala nation state in the year 437 BCE and the Sinhala nation state was in operation as a unitary nation until 1505 A.D, but thereafter continued to degrade its supremacy under foreign invasions and occupations. But in substance still the Sinhala nation exits under an erroneous name called Sri Lankan nation, which does not reflect the name Of the group Of people who created the country’s civilization.
The so-called Sdi Lankan nation has no legal validfty either in the Constitution or in any of the legal documents. We, as a Sinhala nationalist political party reject the multi ethnic coneept.
We believe that all other ethnic groups should accept that this country is as a Sinhala country and should assinilate into the Sinhala mainstream while preserving their identities & cultures as sub identities & cultures and not on equal national grounds.
Sinhala people & the minorities should be on equal grounds only under the fundamental rights. Right to land, national flag, language, national identity are exclusive rights of the Sinhala people.
Therefore, we would like to inform the NPC that your attempts to promote this country as a mLIlti ethnic & multi cultural country is a clear attempt to rob & destroy the historical national, cultural & identity rishts Of the indigenous Sinhala people under the cover of fundamental rights with the sLlpport of certain foreign countries.
This, we regard as a cri.me against a’.Lj peaceful nation that has not done any harm to any other foreign nation. But now, we have clarified our position to you, therefore we kindly & respectfully ask you to refrain from promoting multi ethnic concept hereafter.
This is the land of the Sinhala people and v`re Sinhala people have no other country to go. All other ethnic minorities here have their own original countries that they could return.
We expect a response from you within a reasonable time and also willing to discuss this issue with you, if you so wish.
The plan is to extend credit lines for Sri Lanka to import food, medicine, fuel and other essential items from India, the Economic Times newspaper reported Saturday.
File photo of PM Narendra Modi with his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa in New Delhi | Bloomberg
Mumbai: India is working on an urgent package of assistance for Sri Lanka to help the island nation out of an economic crisis, the Economic Times newspaper reported Saturday, citing officials that it didn’t identify.
The measures will cover areas including food and health security, energy security and a currency swap, the officials said. The move follows a recent visit by Sri Lanka’s finance minister to India, the paper said. The plan is to extend credit lines for Sri Lanka to import food, medicine, fuel and other essential items from India.
Sri Lanka is at risk of a possible default amid dwindling foreign-exchange reserves, even as its central bank governor said he’s confident the government will service all its overseas debt. It’s also trying to revive its Covid-hit tourism industry with the reopening of borders following extended pandemic lockdowns, and is expecting increased remittance inflows as more Sri Lankans head overseas to seek employment.
The two countries have identified ways and means through which the existing bilateral economic relationship between the two countries could be further broadened and deepened,” ET said, citing a statement from the Sri Lankan government. –Bloomberg
The stone, discovered in the gem-rich area of Ratnapura, has been dubbed the ‘Queen of Asia’
A woman walks past the world’s largest natural corundum blue sapphire, weighing 310 kilograms CREDIT: DINUKA LIYANAWATTE /REUTERS
Sri Lankan authorities on Sunday put on show what they said was the world’s largest natural corundum blue sapphire, weighing 310 kilograms, which was found in a gem pit about three months ago.
Local gemologists, who have examined the sapphire, said it was one of the rarest gems in the world as it weighed more than 300 kilograms. International organisations are yet to certify the precious stone.
People inspect the single natural corundum (blue sapphire) named ‘Queen of Asia’ CREDIT: ISHARA S. KODIKARA /AFPGemological Institute of Ratnapura Director of research and development, Chamila Suranga, inspects the world’s largest natural corundum blue sapphire CREDIT: DINUKA LIYANAWATTE /REUTERS
The sapphire was put on display at the home of one of the gem pit owners in Horana, 65 kilometres (40 miles) south of Colombo. A group of Buddhist monks chanted blessings for the gemstone before it was unveiled.
The stone was found in the gem-rich Ratnapura area where local people had previously found the world’s largest star sapphire cluster in a backyard by accident
Owner of the single blue sapphire Chamila Suranga poses for pictures with the stone, named ‘Queen of Asia’ CREDIT: ISHARA S. KODIKARA /AFP
Ratnapura is known as the gem capital of the South Asian country, which is a leading exporter of sapphires and other precious gems.
The country earned around half a billion dollars through the export of gems, diamonds and other jewellery last year, the local gems and jewellery industry body has reported.
The lynching of Sri Lankan factory manager, Priyantha Kumara (49) in Sialkot, Pakistan on December 3, is but the latest in a long series of mob or vigilante killings in the world. Lynching goes back to the American War of Independence in the 18th Century. It is, therefore, a contribution of the United States, the world’s oldest democracy, ironically. And it survived in the US till as recently as the 1950s and 1960s. Priyantha’s case had all the hallmarks of typical lynching. In lynching, there is always a social, cultural, religious and ethnic distinction between the perpetrators of the violence and the victim.
It has a hidden cause which is distinct from the overt cause. The actual and underlying cause is portrayed differently in the public sphere so as to gain instant popular support for the lynching. The killing is done with mass participation, which enables the real culprits to escape detection and punishment. However, in Priyantha’s case, since the victim was a foreigner from friendly Sri Lanka, and the incident occurred days before the Democracy Summit in the US, the Pakistani authorities launched a quick investigation and arrested key suspects.
Normally, Pakistani lynch mobs would go scot free. According to sources, Priyantha was a quality control manager in a factory manufacturing export items. By virtue of his mandate, he was strict, which the workers apparently resented. In the process of whitewashing the factory, he had removed a poster or sticker which was an announcement of a religious event. Being a foreigner, he had not understood what was written, as it was in Urdu.
The workers objected to the removal and Priyantha apologised. But a section of workers, who could have had a prior grievance against him, interpreted his act a blasphemous one, for which the punishment is death under a Pakistani law made by President Zia ul Haq in the 1980s. The thrashing of Priyantha in no time snowballed and attracted other workers and outsiders. In mindless frenzy, the mob beat him to death and burnt his body. Hundreds of spectators, including Policemen, watched the gruesome spectacle coolly recording it on video.
The ‘Other’
Priyantha was an easy target for a blasphemy charge as he was a foreigner, a non-Muslim, and therefore, the quintessential ‘other’, who had no natural rights. In White majority US and in Hindumajority India, the typical victim of lynching is a local ‘other’, Black, Muslim or Dalit. As the ‘other’, Priyantha was outside the ambit of the law. A mob could dispose him off without any pangs of conscience. The perpetrators of the murder also knew that when the accusation was blasphemy, the Police, the Judiciary, and the Pakistani political system would not intervene.
These institutions would not oppose a religiouslysanctioned act, no matter how dubious the charge of blasphemy might be. In fact, they would intervene only at their peril. In Pakistan, those who take the law into their own to punish a person for blasphemy, are hailed as heroes. The killer of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer was hailed as a hero and 500 clerics backed the killing. A person does not have to commit blasphemy to be accused of blasphemy.
Human rights bodies say that personal scores are settled by slapping the charge of blasphemy especially in cases where the person concerned is a non-Muslim. Priyantha’s wife, Nilushi Dasanayake, was probably right when she said that there could have been a non-religious reason for the murder of her husband. With eleven years of service in Pakistan, Priyantha would not have been so mad as to wantonly commit a blasphemous act, she said.
Blasphemy Laws
Lynching in Pakistan is rooted in its Blasphemy laws made by President Zia-ulHaq in the 1980s under the 1973 Constitution, which had made Islam the State religion. On 5 July 1977, Zia had said that Pakistan, established in the name of Islam, would survive only if it stuck to a particular interpretation of Islam. As per Section 295 B of the Blasphemy Law, whoever willfully defiles, damages or desecrates a copy of the holy Quran or of an extract therefrom or uses it in any derogatory manner or for any unlawful purpose shall be punishable with imprisonment for life.
Section 295 C says that whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to a fine. In 1990, the Federal Sharia Court held that the death penalty is the only punishment for contempt of the Holy Prophet”. In his paper: Blasphemy Laws and Pakistan’s human rights obligations, Bilak Hayee says that death sentence became a mandatory penalty for offences under 295 C.
The accused in blasphemy cases are denied equality before law, presumption of innocence, the right to legal counsel, and fair trial. Abuses occur at every stage of the proceedings. Sections 295 B and 295 C are cognisable offences, and so, a Police officer can arrest an accused without a warrant. No proof of intent is required, which makes the victim susceptible to abuse. Religious clerics and their supporters, especially in the Punjab Province, file complaints of blasphemy based on false or flimsy allegations.
Despite weak evidence, Police Officers, prosecutors and trial courts tend to be reluctant to throw out such cases because of pressure from religious groups (such as Tehrik-e-Tahafuz-eKhatm-e-Nabuwat) Bilal Hayee says. Common Features in Lynching A look at the history of lynching will show that it has common characteristics. In lynching, a mob, under the pretext of administering justice, executes a presumed offender, often after inflicting torture and corporal mutilation. The term ‘lynch’ is traced to Charles Lynch (1736–96), an American planter in Virginia, who meted out summary justice of this kind to loyalists of the British crown during the American War of Independence (1775-1783). Later, lynching became an instrument and a symbol of power of one socioeconomic and racial group over another.
Typically, the poor, especially the Blacks, were considered prone to crime, including sexual crime, and deserving torture and a public execution outside the law. They were considered unworthy of legal protections. According to Paula Giddings, Professor of Afro-American Studies at Smith College, the number of Blacks lynched overtook the figure for the Whites in 1886. After 1886, Blacks constituted the majority. Between 1882 and 1951, 4,730 persons were lynched in the US, of whom 1,293 were White, and 3,437 were Black.
Lynching of Blacks continued till the 1950s and 1960s. According to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), between 1882 and 1968, 4,743 were lynched in the US and the Blacks accounted for 72 per cent of these. Charges of rape were routinely fabricated to enforce segregation and propagate stereotypes. Hundreds of Black people were lynched for murder, arson, robbery, vagrancy and even speaking to Whites with less respect than expected. Lynching was typically done by mobs.
The victims were either hanged publicly or tortured to death and sometimes decapitated or burnt. It was a public spectacle, a celebration of White supremacy. Photos of lynching were sold as souvenir postcards. Though mob lynching is not seen now, killing of people outside the framework of the law is still taking place in the US, NAACP points out. In 1998, James Byrd was chained to a car by three White supremacists and dragged to his death in the streets of Jasper, Texas. In 2020, Ahmaud Arbery was fatally shot while jogging near Brunswick, Georgia. The three White men charged with killing Arbery claimed he was trespassing. The public killing of Black man George Floyd by a White cop for suspected shop lifting in Minneapolis was the most recent case of lynching in the US.
His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith today (December 12), responding to a proposal made by the Tourism Ministry, urged the authorities not to devalue Christmas.
The Archbishop of Colombo stressed that the authorities should not be allowing the sale of liquor on Christmas when it is banned on Vesak.
His remarks came during the feast of the Sacred Heart Church in Bollatha.
Citing newspaper reports, the Cardinal said the Tourism Ministry has sought approval to allow the ministry-registered hotels and restaurants to sell liquor on Christmas day.
Is this the wonder of Asia? Is this the vistas of prosperity?” The Cardinal noted that this move devalues the spirit of Christmas.
The meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers scheduled to be held tomorrow (13) will reportedly focus more attention on the foreign exchange reserves crisis the country is currently facing.
Secretary to the Finance Ministry Mr. S.R. Attygalle and the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Mr Ajith Nivard Cabraal will also be summoned to the Cabinet meeting.
Tomorrow is the first meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers since the government’s Budget for the financial year 2022 was passed in parliament.
Meanwhile minister Bandula Gunawardena says that the agreement on the Yugadanavi power plant is also expected to be taken up for discussion tomorrow (13).
The daily count of COVID-19 cases confirmed in Sri Lanka moved to 714 today (December 12) as 172 more people were tested positive for the virus, the Epidemiology Unit said.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus reported in the country to 572,902.
As many as 545,051 recoveries and 14,614 deaths have been confirmed in Sri Lanka since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 13,200 active cases in total are currently under medical care, official figures showed.
The Director General of Health Services has confirmed another 19 coronavirus related deaths for December 11, increasing the death toll in the country due to the pandemic to 14,614.
The deaths confirmed today include 13 males and 06 females while three of the victims are between the ages 30-59 years.
The remaining sixteen patients are in the age group of 60 years and above.
Perhaps a Paper written and published a decade ago may show why we need a Marketing Department .today
Proven Sri Lankan solution –
Part IV:
Marketing Dept determined prices for producers
(Ceylon
Daily News: 12 th April 2010)
Garvin Karunaratne
During
the red onion season there was a hive of activity and the Assistant
Commissioner in Jaffna ran round in circles attending to purchasing red onions
and dispatching them by the wagon load to Tripoli as well as to cities like
Galle. Once, I covered the Galle District from my headquarters at Ambalantota.
I
can remember an instance regarding the sale of red onions in Galle. Wagonloads
of red onions came from Jaffna. We sold to the traders at a wholesale price and
also sold at a cheap rate in our retail unit at Galle. It was my task to see
that traders were provided with red onions and also to see that our retail shop
never ran out of red onions. I was in Galle on a certain day and everything was
in order. I got back to Ambalantota my headquarters by night.
Private
retailers
The
next morning when I went to my office, I received a telegram from Head office.
It read ‘MP for Galle, Dahanayake reports shortage of Red Onions in Galle.
Proceed immediately, inquire and report.’ I hooked into my car in anger – it always
had my toiletries and extra clothes. I was back on my way to Galle, driving as
fast as my Peugeot 203 would take me. I went to a number of private retailers
observing whether they had red onions and finding the sale price.
I
went to our retail unit and found they had ample stocks. I had my network of
private informants whom I contacted and was satisfied that our shops functioned
well. I always built up a private spy service of friends. Then I went to meet
Dahanayake. He was not at home and I waited till he came. It was hours but I
had to meet him. He came home at around ten o’ clock in the night and was
surprised to see me waiting for him.
I
showed him the telegram and told him that there was no shortage of red onions
at all in Galle. He looked hard at me for a moment. I knew him well and was in
constant touch with him.
It
was strange and I wondered for a moment. ‘You know, Garvin, we have to please
our voters. Some fellow came and told it to me and to keep him happy I sent a telegram
to your Ministry’, I asked for the name of his informant and was told that he
cannot remember. I pointed out that this telegram gave the impression to my
Ministry that I was not doing my work well. ‘That is politics,’ he said. Next
time I go to the Ministry I will tell the Minister that everything is
satisfactory. Tell me if you have any problem? That was all.
I
submitted a report of my investigation and what Dahanayake told me, and the
Ministry took no further action. Evidently Dahanayake had contacted the
Ministry. We, Assistant Commissioners were always on pins. Working with
politicians was always demanding.
Politicians
were of two categories. One group was the Minister and the Deputy Minister in
the Ministry under whom the Department functioned. The other category happened
to be the politicians in the Districts where we worked like Dahanayake.
At
times it so happens that the requests of the District Members of Parliament
cannot be accomplished by us. A clash ensues and we get transferred overnight
to please the District Member of Parliament. We are even kept in quarantine for
a short while to please the Member of Parliament – to give him the impression
that we are punished. Eventually we are given a kick upstairs. We
administrators get used to this play of politics.
Van
sales
The
Marketing Department also made van sales. Van sales on the streets in cities
was done when there were quantities that could not be easily sold at our normal
outlets. A van with a Marketing Officer or a Manager would be sent out to
attend to street sales. The sales will go on till late in the night at times
till our stocks were sold. Our officers had to work round the clock when the
necessity arose.
The
Assistant Commissioners in the Districts advised the producers what varieties
should be produced – this was based on the demand. They attended divisional
meetings chaired by the Divisional Revenue Officers (later Assistant Government
Agents) and worked through various cooperative and rural development societies.
Low
prices
We
laid a dragnet covering all producer fairs in the island and visited them to
see that the traders offered reasonable prices to the producers. We were known
to the traders and they were aware that if they offered low prices, one of our
mobile purchasing units will be sent the very next week.
Overall
the Marketing Department did purchase less than ten percent of the crop, but we
really ruled the day to determine the prices for the producers as well as the
prices in the cities.
A
Bakery was established in Colombo which produced bread, cakes and short eats
and sold to consumers at reasonable rates. This Bakery proved to the bakers
that they could easily manage to get a profit and offer the bread at the
controlled price. Today most loaves of bread offered for sale in the cities are
short weight. This Bakery was closed down by the UNP Government.
Hospital
supplies
The
Marketing Department also had a Hospital Supplies Branch that supplied the
requirements of vegetables, fruits and essential commodities to the main
hospitals. The idea was that the hospitals would get good quality supplies at a
rate cheaper than local traders. In the case of main hospitals there was a unit
with an Assistant Manager who had to order supplies from Tripoli Market or one
of our main depots at Kandy etc. and buy the rest at cheap prices at local
Fairs.
At
times problems cropped up and were solved. At times though good quality fruits
were supplied by us, by the time the fruits reached the patients at meal time,
it was not the same fruit. The Department got the blame. Once I remember one of
our Assistant Commissioners stood in as a patient on a hospital bed, with a bed
head ticket, unknown to the hospital staff other than the doctor in charge, to
prove what was happening.
Effective
administration
The Marketing Department was really built up
overnight by Commissioner Basset. That will explain why many units even when I
joined in 1955 were housed in wooden sheds. There was no time to plan and make
up buildings. It was a case of a cement base for the floor, wooden uprights and
walls built of timber – a structure that was put up within a few days.
‘President Jayawardena and my close friend,
Ronnie de Mel, the Minister of Finance were fooled by the IMF. The IMF
has successfully taken Sri Lanka to its grave.’
Garvin Karunaratne, ‘The economic woes of today
(2021) go back to 1977,’ Lankaweb, Dec. 4, 2021
DPO vows to deliver justice to the bereaved family members of Priyantha Kumara
Participants of the walk organized by Sialkot police in solidarity with the family of Sri Lankan citizen Priyantha Kumara. PHOTO: EXPRESS
SIALKOT:
Sialkot police on Saturday organised a walk to show solidarity with the family of the Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara, who lynched by a mob in the city earlier this month.
The walk was led by Sialkot District Police Officer (DPO) Omar Saeed Malik. Top political leadership, administration, business community, lawyers, and representatives of all religions of the district were among those in attendance on the occasion.
The participants marched from DPO office to Sialkot Chamber of Commerce building, carrying banners in support of the late factory manager.
Talking to media persons, the DPO said, “We are sorry for this incident. Sialkot police shares the grief of Priyantha Kumara’s family”.
Malik noted that most of the main culprits had been held and that they would be brought to justice. He vowed justice for the family of the deceased.
Conveying that Sialkot is a peaceful city, other participants said, “We are deeply saddened by the death of the Sri Lankan national in Sialkot”.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister Usman Dar, Minister for Special Education Punjab Chaudhry Muhammad Akhlaq, Additional Deputy Commissioner Sialkot, on behalf of Deputy Commissioner Sialkot, President Sialkot Bar Council Khalid Mehmood Qureshi, vice president and senior vice president of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce, members of the interfaith harmony and district peace committees, and hundreds of people from other walks of life attended the activity.
The nation was left shell-shocked on December 3 when the Sri Lankan national was brutally lynched before being set ablaze by the mob in Sialkot over allegations of blasphemy.
LAHORE : Leaders of different faiths while condemning the lynching of Sri Lankan citizen in Sialkot expressed full support for unanimous stance of Muslim scholars against the misuse of blasphemy laws and announced endorsing declaration of Prime Minister Imran Khan and corps commander conference against those misusing blasphemy laws for personal objectives.
This was announced by Special Assistant to Prime Minister for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East affairs and Chairman Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi while addressing a press conference following an interfaith meeting with clerics of Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Islam including the Church of Pakistan, Pakistan Ulema Council and Interfaith Harmony Council on Saturday. Raiwind Diocese Dr Bishop Azad Marshall, Faisalabad Diocese Bishop Munawar, Bishop Elon Samuel of Sialkot Diocese, Archbishop of the Catholic Church of Lahore Sebastian Shaw, Pastor of the Moderator Presbyterian Church of Pakistan Dr Majeed Abel, Reverend Emmanuel Khokhar, Allama Pir Zubair Abid, Hafiz Noman, Muhammad Aslam Siddiqui, Sikh Leader Sardar Sikandar Singh, Hindu Leader Bhaghat Laal Khokhar, Allama Asghar Arif Chishti and Shehzad Khokhar of Sialkot Diocese attended the meeting and told the media that all Pakistanis were united against extremism and terrorism. Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi said the declaration of the prime minister and corps commander conference is a clear message against extremism and terrorism and the nation must now move forward in this struggle, Ashrafi said. He said no culprit of blasphemy should be released, adding no innocent person should be punished.
We have witnessed the impassioned response of the ulema to the Sialkot tragedy, reinforcing the sacred values of peace and tolerance. There was an impressive gathering of some of the most prominent religious leaders and scholars on Tuesday when they visited the Sri Lankan High Commission in Islamabad. A joint declaration emphasised that there was no place for extremism and violence in Islam.
All news channels telecast live these proceedings that continued for a considerable time. It appeared to be a well-thought out plan to activate ulema of different religious persuasions to amplify the government’s resolve to take stern action against those who had participated in the mob violence and the lynching of Priyantha Kumara. Prime Minister Imran Khan proclaimed: I will not allow such incidents to happen as long as I am alive”.
Very well, but why has the government not sought the opinion and involvement of social scientists, historians, psychiatrists, writers, poets, criminologists and the academia as such to try to understand why this kind of violent extremism has flourished in Pakistan? And how can we contend with it in a comprehensive strategy of social renewal?
Obviously, our rulers have not been listening to the voice of reason and they are unwilling to comprehend the dynamics of how societies change and grow. Their appreciation of ideas that shape and govern human behaviour is frightfully deficient. That is how Pakistani society has descended into the lower depths of violent extremism and intolerance. The issue of blasphemy is only one dimension – though a dominant one in terms of how it excites the passions of the multitude – of our moral and intellectual deprivations.
There is little doubt that we are so terribly shaken by the Sialkot atrocity mainly because the victim was a foreigner and the incident had serious implications for our image in the world and it may impact our economic relations with other countries. Look at how vociferously the prime minister is leading the campaign to ensure that there is no recurrence of such killings in the name of Islam.
On Tuesday, a condolence reference was held for the Sri Lankan national at the Prime Minister’s Office in which Imran Khan made some candid remarks about the existing state of affairs. Our social values, he said, had deteriorated to an extent that if someone was accused of blasphemy, everyone seemed reluctant to investigate what had actually transpired. Everyone is afraid of it. In fact lawyers do not come forward and judges also refuse to hear the cases”, he was quoted as saying.
This was partly a preamble for honoring a colleague of Priyantha Kumara who displayed the courage of confronting the mob at the risk of his own life. At the reference, Adnan Malik was given a certificate of appreciation and he will be awarded with a Tamgha-e-Shujaat. However, it is true that lawyers and judges are generally afraid of taking up the case of an individual accused of blasphemy in the prevailing environment of fear and terror.
Ah, but there have been exceptions and it breaks one’s heart to realise that some heroic undertakings in defence of victims of violent religious extremism are generally not recognised. On the contrary, defenders of human rights are considered as adversaries by the ruling establishment and several are even persecuted for proactively supporting the cause of the oppressed sections of our society.
So, will someone please tell Imran Khan who Rashid Rehman was and what happened to him in May 2014. Here is a very sad as well as an inspiring story in the struggle for truth and justice in this land where forces of bigotry and obscurantism have reigned. In the process, the prime minister would also be introduced to Junaid Hafeez, who is in his eighth year of solitary confinement after being convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to death two years ago, waiting for his appeal against the conviction to be decided.
Briefly, Junaid Hafeez, a lecturer in Multan’s Bahauddin Zakariya University was accused of blasphemy for something he had posted on Facebook. Rashid Rehman, a lawyer who was also a prominent human rights activist, came forward to defend him, believing that it was a trumped up case.
During one hearing held in Multan Central Jail in May 2014, three persons threatened Rashid and said that he would not be alive for the next hearing. Within a few days, Rashid was shot dead while he was working in his office, leaving the civil society to mourn the loss of one more defender of human rights. The times of similar mourning have not been infrequent, with the state invariably looking the other way.
What will change now, given the outrage that the lynching of a Sri Lankan national in Sialkot has provoked? Sadly, the evidence we have does not inspire much hope for a meaningful transformation in the policies of the rulers or in the social environment. The present and the previous rulers were manifestly not able to enforce their writ when faced with an onslaught of religious militancy.
The latest example of this seems to be the most noxious. It happened last month, instructively on Imran Khan’s watch. A secret deal with the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan allowed a religious outfit that had been proscribed to return to the political mainstream and secure the release of its militants who, apart from other violations of law and order, were guilty of killing eight policemen.
It would surely not be easy for the rulers to change the course of events. This would amount to forsaking the ideas they have nurtured for so long. These ideas have survived a number of soul-destroying tragedies – and December will remind us of some of them. But once the rulers find the courage to expose these ideas to the glare of reason and sanity, new realities are likely to emerge on their mind’s horizon. This is the time when a beginning in that direction can be made.
But can a leader who considers Osama a martyr and who celebrates the Taliban victory in Afghanistan make this beginning?
A controversy has arisen regarding the Government Valuation Department issuing an assessment report within a day following an agreement to hand over shares of the Kerawalapitiya Yugadanavi power plant to an American company.
Leader of the JVP Anura Kumara Dissanayake presented the agreement to transfer the shares of the Yugadanavi power plant to an American company yesterday.
NFE Sri Lanka Power Holdings LLC entered into this agreement on behalf of the New Fortress Energy Company of the United States and Government of Sri Lanka on September 14.
>Prior to the signing of the agreement, the Ministry of Finance had requested the Government Valuation Department on July 9 to submit a report on the valuation of the Yugadanavi Power Plant at Kerawalapitiya.
Accordingly, the valuation report of the Yugadanavi Power Plant has been submitted on behalf of the Government Valuation Department within one day with the signature of the Chief Government Assessor DS Muthukumarana.
The value of a share of that power plant is between 1155 and 1252 rupees.
