Colombo, June 3 (SLPA): A joint operation in coordinating with local authorities and the Indian Coast Guard to mitigate the impact of the possible environmental damage due to the fire on MV X-Press Pearl continued on June 3.
Salvors and other officials have confirmed that the vessel’s aft portion is sitting on the seabed at a depth of about 21 meters.
No signs of oil or chemical spills have been detected so far.
X Press Pearl June-3-2021, Photo: SLPA
Th Sri Lanka Navy, Indian Coast Guard, salvos and local authorities who have capabilities to respond to any signs of oil pollution are presently on the scene and are keenly monitoring the situation.
Colombo, June 3 (Xinhua): On June 2, hundreds of security personnel in COVID-19 protective clothing were busy removing tons of chemical pollutants and plastic from a beach in Colombo. About 9.5 nautical miles into the sea, they could see the charred remains of a foreign vessel swaying in the gusty monsoon wind.
On May 20, the X Press Pearl container vessel loaded with chemicals exploded and caught fire off Colombo Port. Many of the containers and other polluting materials on board fell into the sea and were being washed ashore, posing a serious threat to the environment.
On day two after the explosion, Chinese experts from the China-Sri Lanka Joint Center for Education and Research (CSL-CER) received a request from Sri Lanka’s National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), the principal national institute responsible for safeguarding aquatic resources in the country.
Through a forecast model, the CSL-CER helped evaluate the scale of the pollution caused by the debris and the extent to which the chemicals could spread.
The southwest monsoon makes frequent landfall in Sri Lanka in May. At the observation site of the CSL-CER based on the campus of the University of Ruhuna in the south of the island nation, an Automatic Weather Station (AWS) has been recently updated to study the effects of the monsoon outbreak.
Luo Yao, associate professor at the CSL-CER, told Xinhua that the AWS can improve the accuracy of forecasting models, and it can forecast marine environmental disasters caused by the burnt cargo ship.
The AWS can monitor the atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, solar radiation and other marine atmospheric parameters. The accumulated data through long-term observations can be used to study the impact of climate change, sea level rise and other issues in the Indian Ocean and surrounding areas,” Luo said.
Sri Lanka is located in an area with warm currents between the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean and is one of the most active regions on the path of the monsoon, with frequent marine meteorological disasters. Due to the shortage of marine scientific research personnel and the lack of a mature monsoon climate forecast system, Sri Lanka is vulnerable to marine disasters.
Enomous amount of debris was cleared by the Lankan armed forces personnel. Photo:.Gayan Sameera/Xinhua
In order to strengthen the capacity to cope with climate change, the CSL-CER was established in 2015 at the University of Ruhuna, the only university in Sri Lanka with a faculty of fisheries and marine sciences.
Gamini Zoysa, former Sri Lankan minister of fisheries, once spoke highly of the observation network, saying that the network has provided scientific and technological support for the development of the marine economy in Sri Lanka and the reduction of marine meteorological disasters caused by extreme weather such as tsunamis and storms, which are related to people’s livelihood and economic development.”
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has caused some difficulties for personnel exchanges at the center, it has not stopped its activities. In March this year, the China-Sri Lanka Joint Workshop on Monsoon Climate and Marine Environmental Resource was held as scheduled in both China and Sri Lanka simultaneously by combining online and offline methods.
As an island country, Sri Lanka is particularly concerned about the monsoon. The enhanced cooperation between China and Sri Lanka on the monsoon issue will enable us to better understand the impact of the monsoon on the environment and reduce disasters caused by climate change,” said Tilak Gamage, co-director of the CSL-CER.
Inauguration of CSL-CER at Ruhuna University, South Sri Lanka
The successive bilateral seminars on the ocean and climate have greatly enhanced Sri Lanka’s capacity to address climate issues and influence in the international arena,” Gamage said.
Zhang Changsheng, director of the CSL-CER, told Xinhua that since its establishment, the CSL-CER has not only done research but also paid attention to cultivating marine science talent in Sri Lanka.
The center has trained about 30 Sri Lankan graduate students in the fields of marine science and environmental science. They have later engaged in further scientific research in Sri Lanka.
The center has also conducted hydrological training for Sri Lankan institutions and trained personnel for meteorological observation, instrument use, and maintenance.
Charith Madusaka, a research fellow currently employed by both the CSL-CER and his alma mater the University of Ruhuna, is the first China-trained master’s degree student in oceanography from Sri Lanka.
Madusaka said, Since I went to China, many of my classmates have turned to China.”
Nalin Wikramanayake, a senior Sri Lankan oceanographer, told Xinhua that the CSL-CER has made a major contribution to marine sciences and oceanography in Sri Lanka. Enditem
The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has airlifted emergency medical supplies to Maldives, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to help save lives, stop the spread of COVID-19, and continue to meet the urgent health needs across South Asia.
This new airlift follows three shipments of COVID-19 relief supplies by the U.S. Government to Nepal and the delivery of seven emergency air shipments to India to help contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Maldives, this emergency assistance delivery will provide 600 pulse oximeters and 292,000 vital pieces of personal protective equipment to support frontline healthcare workers and people most affected by the current outbreak. Prior to today’s shipment, USAID has provided $9.1 million to assist Maldives’ COVID-19 response and recovery, including a donation of 60 ventilators to care for critically ill patients. This assistance has provided life-saving treatments, strengthened clinical care, and mobilized critical supplies to bolster the response and help the country recover.
In Pakistan, this flight will bring 1,200 pulse oximeters, and 340,000 pieces of personal protective equipment for healthcare professionals. The United States and Pakistan have worked together closely to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this donation is being made at the Government of Pakistan’s request. Prior to this flight, the U.S. Government allocated $40 million to Pakistan for COVID-19 response assistance, including a donation of 200 ventilators to care for COVID-19 patients. This support has benefited more than 2.5 million Pakistanis across the country, providing life-saving treatments, strengthening case-finding and surveillance, and mobilizing innovative financing to bolster emergency preparedness. For more information about USAID’s COVID-19 response in Pakistan, click here.
In Sri Lanka, this assistance includes 880,000 vital pieces of personal protective equipment and 1,200 pulse oximeters to support frontline healthcare workers and others most affected by the current outbreak. The United States and Sri Lanka have worked closely together to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic since its outset, and USAID’s assistance has benefited millions of people in all 25 districts and nine provinces across the country, providing life-saving treatments, strengthening clinical care, and mobilizing critical supplies to bolster the response. The U.S. Government has previously provided $11.3 million to assist Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 response and recovery, including a donation of 200 ventilators to care for critically ill patients.
This airlift exemplifies the United States’ whole-of-government response to ensure assistance reaches people who need it quickly. The State of California’s Office of Emergency Services generously donated commodities, USAID sourced PPE from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of State procured the aircraft being used for transport.
USAID is coordinating additional shipments for South Asia in the coming weeks.
USAID is also working closely with the private sector to help address the immediate health needs in the region. USAID will leverage its experience with a range of private sector partners—from manufacturers to investors, from multinational companies to small- and medium-sized enterprises—to meet the critical needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
To contact the team working on mobilizing private sector engagement to support the response, please email COVID-PSE@usaid.gov
Singapore-registered container ship has released chemical waste into the sea since catching fire on May 20
The Singapore-registered container ship MV X-Press Pearl, carrying hundreds of tonnes of chemicals and plastics, sinks after burning for almost two weeks just outside Colombo’s harbor on June 2. (Photo: AFP)
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has decided to take legal action against the owner of a ship that has caused an environmental disaster on Sri Lanka’s coast.
He said the fishing community has been severely damaged by the Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl, which has spewed chemical waste into the sea since catching fire on May 20.
“I am ready to take the lead in taking legal action against the company that owns the ship,” said Cardinal Ranjith on June 2 in Colombo.Subscribe to your daily free newsletter from UCA News
The container ship was carrying 25 tonnes of nitric acid along with other chemicals and cosmetics when a fire erupted after an explosion.
Officials have warned people not to touch any debris washing up on beaches as it could be harmful. More than 1,000 people including navy and army personnel have been cleaning up beaches in recent days.
The United States has picked Sri Lanka, among other countries, to share 25 million coronavirus vaccines.
The White House said that the United States has received requests for vaccines from countries all over the world.
As a result, the US will share up to one-quarter of its donated doses directly with countries in need, those experiencing surges, immediate neighbors, and other countries that have requested immediate US assistance.
Sri Lanka had made a formal request to the US for vaccines to meet its urgent requirement, which included 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The White House said that the specific vaccines and amounts will be determined and shared as the Administration works through the logistical, regulatory and other parameters particular to each region and country.
We are sharing these doses not to secure favors or extract concessions. We are sharing these vaccines to save lives and to lead the world in bringing an end to the pandemic, with the power of our example and with our values. And we will continue to follow the science and to work in close cooperation with our democratic partners to coordinate a multilateral effort, including through the G7,” US President Joe Biden said.
The US announced the proposed allocation plan for the first 25 Million doses it will share.
Nearly 19 million will be shared through COVAX, with the approximately 7 million for Asia to countries and entities including Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Maldives, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, and the Pacific Islands.
The White House said that the sharing of millions of US vaccines with other countries signals a major commitment by the US Government.
Britain added seven countries, including Egypt and Sri Lanka, to its red list” of destinations that require hotel quarantine on return to England on Thursday, in a review that also saw Portugal move from green” to amber”.
Britain added seven countries — Afghanistan, Bahrain, Costa Rica, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Trinidad and Tobago — to its red list” of places with severe COVID-19 outbreaks.
All but essential travel to red list countries is barred, and U.K. residents returning from any of them must spend 10 days in a government-approved quarantine hotel.
No countries were added to the quarantine-free green list.
The full list of countries added to the red list” is: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Costa Rica, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Trinidad & Tobago.
Britain said that it is removing Portugal from its list of COVID-safe travel destinations, meaning thousands of U.K. residents currently on vacation there face the prospect of 10 days’ quarantine on return.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the difficult decision” was prompted by rising infection rates in Portugal and worries about new versions of the coronavirus that could prove resistant to vaccines. He said a mutation of the delta variant first identified in India was causing particular concern.
He said there’s a sort of Nepal mutation of the so-called Indian variant which has been detected and we just don’t know the potential for that to be a vaccine-defeating mutation and simply don’t want to take the risk as we come up to June 21” — the date the U.K. government hopes to lift remaining coronavirus restrictions.
The U.K. has recorded almost 128,000 coronavirus deaths, the highest toll in Europe. A mass vaccination campaign that started in December has given two doses of vaccine to more than half the adult population and brought new infections and deaths down sharply.
But case numbers are once again rising as the more transmissible delta variant spreads across the U.K.
The Ministry of Health reported that another 642 persons have tested positive for coronavirus today (03), increasing the daily total of new Covid-19 cases to 3,264.
All new cases reported today are associated with the New year Covid-19 cluster.
This brings the total cases count in the country thus far to 195,811.
This is also the fifth instance of the daily count of Covid-19 cases in Sri Lanka crossing the 3,000-mark.
Actual independence for the dominion of Ceylon came on February 4, 1948, when the
constitution of 1947 went into effect. The constitution provided for a
bicameral legislature with a popularly elected House of
Representatives and a Senate that was partly nominated and partly elected
indirectly by members of the House of Representatives. A prime minister and his cabinet, chosen from the largest political group in the
legislature, held collective responsibility for executive functions. The governor-general, as head of
state, represented the British monarch. In matters that the constitution failed
to address, the conventions of the United Kingdom were observed. The UNP had a substantial
majority in the legislature and attracted support as it governed. There were,
however, some basic weaknesses in the political structure. The consensus that the government represented embraced only a
small fraction of the population—the English-educated Westernized elite groups
that shared the values on which the structure was founded. To the great mass of
Sinhalese- and Tamil-educated residents and unschooled citizens, these values
appeared irrelevant and incomprehensible. The continued neglect of local culture as embodied in religion, language, and the arts
created a gulf that divided the ruling elite from the ruled. Inevitably,
traditionalist and revivalist movements arose to champion local values.Britannica
While
the reality pertaining to the beginning of the conflict has been one thing, Sri
Lankan politics and politicians on both sides, Sinhalese as well as Tamil, have
opted to choose opportunism rather than what is right for the people they
represent.
In
the immediate period before independence and soon after, a minority on both
sides, Tamils and Sinhalese, took comfort in assuming they represented the
majority although in reality they were safeguarding the interests of the
minority that mattered to them. The Britannica quote To the great mass of
Sinhalese- and Tamil-educated residents and unschooled citizens, these values
appeared irrelevant and incomprehensible” says it all. There is no running
away from the truth that a fraction of the population, the English educated,
land owning class governed the country and all its institutions, while the
majority on both sides lived as second class citizens in their own country.
When
Ceylon gained independence in 1948, less than 5% of the population was literate
in English, and government offices, the courts, police stations, all functioned
in English, effectively disenfranchising more than 95% of the population.
Leading
Tamil politicians of the day never campaigned for the Tamil language to replace
English as the working language in the country for the Tamil people. Instead,
in effect, they advanced the argument that the privileged position enjoyed by
English literate minority of Tamil people should not lose that privilege they
saw as a right rather than a privilege.
On
the other hand, SWRD Bandaranaike campaigned for the Sinhala language to
replace English as the working language in government, progressively, with the
Tamil language given that status in traditionally Tamil speaking areas of the
country. His clear vision was for the majority of the population, and not just
the elite minority, to enjoy the fruits of independence gained by the country
as free citizens. The mother tongue, meaning Sinhala for the Sinhalese and
Tamil for the Tamils was going to be the language of instruction in schools.
However, this was planned to be implemented progressively from the mid-sixties.
Rather
than travelling back in history, as that is bound to result in an endless
deluge of arguments and counter arguments, the writer wishes to advance a line
of thought for a role reversal, meaning, the Sinhalese to imagine they were
Tamils, and for the Tamils to imagine they were Sinhalese, and to look at
history as well as contemporary times, problems, issues, and solutions, from such
a prism.
If
the Sinhalese happened to be Tamils, how would they view their past, and their
present and their future? How would they view the regular attacks on them by
mobs, especially the debacle of 1983? Aided and abetted by sections of the then
government, Sri Lanka unleashed an abominable attack on Tamils in July 1983.
Leaving all politics aside, this attack on innocent civilians and their homes
and belongings, and above all their pride, their sense of security, was never
condemned by successive governments. If the Sinhala people happened to be the
Tamils, how would they regard their future in the country? Will they feel safe
and secure? If a government spearheads mob violence, what hope will they have
with the government machinery to protect them?
What
if your priceless library, repository of one of the largest collections of
historical, rare, Tamil and Hindu classics is burnt by a Sinhala mob, again, at
the instigation of sections of the government? A new library building cannot
restore ancient historical records of Tamil philosophy, culture and literature
burnt to cinders by such thugs.
It
took 21 years to offer an apology to Sri Lanka’s own sons and daughters,
mothers and fathers who were brutally attacked by mobs organised by people in
high places and linked to the then government. Was this a genuine demonstration
of remorse?
In
such a climate of intimidation, how would Sinhala people react if they were
Tamils?
If
the coin is flipped, and Tamils were the Sinhalese, especially Sinhala
Buddhists, how would they view the Sinhala Buddhist point of view?
The
following are some issues that perhaps Tamils could consider wearing a Sinhala
Buddhist hat, as it were. A Sinhala Buddhist perspective that prevails in
regard to the longevity associated with their pre- colonial cultural and
governance dominance. Historically, except for the period of the Jaffna Kingdom
of around 300 years, much of the rest of history has revolved around Sinhala
Buddhist dominance, of course, interspersed with non-Sinhala Kings and Queens
of Indian origin during this time. If a Tamil were a Sinhalese, how would that
person view this historical situation?
The
Sinhala Buddhist also views the special place accorded to Buddhism due to
cultural, and historical reasons, and also entertains fears that a large number
of Tamils from across the Palk Straits could impact on the Buddhist heritage in
the country. A fear exists that over 70 million in Tamil Nadu is a threat to
the 15 million Sinhala Buddhists in Sri Lanka. The influence of Tamil Nadu
politics in Sri Lankan issues of course is well known and has been a dominant
factor in the Indian government’s policy towards Sri Lanka.
Another
factor that has perhaps prevented an amicable solution to the ethnic conflict
has been what Sinhala Buddhists regard as an unsubstantiated claim about what
is touted by the Tamils as their homeland in the island, the Northern and
Eastern provinces. While there may have been sporadic settlements from time to
time, there is no evidence, archaeological or otherwise to identify the Eastern
province as part of a Tamil homeland.
In
fact it is recorded that Hugh Cleghorn, the first colonial secretary, having
never set foot in the North or the East, had recorded an official minute to the
effect that the Northern and Eastern regions were occupied by people who were
different, culturally, linguistically and by religion to the people in the rest
of the country.
Historian
K M De Silva states in his publication The Traditional Homelands” of the
Tamils: Separatist Ideology in Sri Lanka: A Historical Appraisal” that quote,”
the entire claim had been structured on one single minute prepared in June
1799 by Hugh Cleghorn, a British Academic who had been in the island in the
early years of the British rule as a political trouble shooter and who later
had become the Colonial Secretary for Sri Lank” unquote.
De
Silva goes onto say, quote It is this noting that the Tamil separatists
have used ad infinitum to drive home their point about their traditional
homeland. It should have been obvious to them that Cleghorn’ s knowledge about
Sri Lanka was abysmally poor for he traced the origin of the Sinhalese to
Thailand,” unquote
A
related fear arising from this spurious claim of a Tamil homeland, is the
extent of the claimed homeland, being more than 25% of the land area of the
island, and more than 50% of the sea front of the country with less than 10% of
the population of the country living in this land mass.
It
would be useful for this discussion, if Tamil people could think of themselves
as Sinhalese, especially Sinhala Buddhists for the reasons given, and consider
these factors from such a perspective.
The
suggested role reversal approach may hopefully enable both sides to the
conflict to see their positions from the others perspective, and people
themselves, not politicians, may be able to better understand each other’s
position and arrive at some consensus as to how both sides could move forward.
It would benefit the people of the country greatly if
the historical position and the origin of this politician made conflict as
described in the Britannica, The continued neglect of local culture as embodied in religion, language, and the arts
created a gulf that divided the ruling elite from the ruled. Inevitably,
traditionalist and revivalist movements arose to champion local values”, could be presented, impartially and objectively, so
that subsequent developments may be viewed contextually by all parties.
This
has never happened in the past, and finding a solution has been left to
politicians, who in fact created this conflict in the first place, letting it
simmer even after 73 years of independence.
While
the reasons for mistrust felt by both communities are many and not limited to
the above mentioned issues, it needs to be recognised that these issues are the
reactions to the beginning of the conflict, not the cause of the original conflict.
The
LTTE, the war, UNHRC resolutions, the proposed US Congress resolution, are all
reactions to a festering wound, and none of them represent a solution to the
core issues that created the conflict in the first place.
Politicians
on both sides have their constituencies to consider, and both constituencies
have their own power bases. There can never be a solution unless these power
bases agree to such a solution. It is impossible to see how this could happen
as these power bases are only interested in safeguarding themselves and their
power, and in regard to the conflict, the hardening of their individual
positions have in fact strengthened their power bases.
Sri
Lankans, both Sinhalese and Tamils, through their political representatives,
and in the case of Tamils, sections of the Diaspora, have provided the bullets
for various entities in the world to fire at Sri Lanka. A mechanism will have
to be found for the people concerned to work out a solution and cease
distributing these bullets. If is left to the politicians, whatever they come
up as a solution will only result in creating another problem, as for them, the
conflict is like a beggar’s wound. If it heals, the beggar will have no reason
to beg for, and so, consequently, it can never heal.
India
created Bangladesh out of East Pakistan. It took just 13 days. 73million
Bangladeshi’s were given ‘independence’. So, the question is why didn’t India
do the same to the Sikhs demanding ‘Khalistan’ or the Tamils demanding Tamil
Eelam whether it was in Tamil Nadu or Sri Lanka’s North? Why is the West so
pumped up to create ‘micro independent states’ that provide it strategic
geopolitical advantage – Kosovo, South Sudan, East Timor are just some
examples? What can we make out from Resolution 413 presented to US Congress by
a handful of US Congressmen linked to LTTE Diaspora or the ridiculous Bills getting
passed by LTTE lobbies in Canada? What do Tamils the world over read from these
developments? The crux of the problem is that the same ethnic group (Tamils)
are demanding a Homeland in 2 different countries using the same definitions to
claim self-determination/separate state. How can this be allowed? To solve
this, the question of where Tamils originally evolved needs to be answered and
that leaves the homeland nowhere else but in Tamil Nadu.
What is a homeland?
A
homeland is a person’s native land of origin. It is where their ethnic group
evolved. Generally, every ethnic group has their own country –the Japanese have
Japan, the Chinese have China, the French have France, the Germans have Germany
etc. Pakistan was divided along ethnic lines and became a state for Muslims,
while India” did not become a Hindu state. Unfortunately, when India was
created in 1947 combining princely states and autonomous areas of which Tamil
Nadu was one, Tamils were not given their demand of a separate independent
Tamil State. They only got a separate federal state. That grudge against the
North Indians by South Indians remain to this day.
Unfortunately, with 70million
Tamils living in Tamil Nadu alone and with over 80million Tamils living all
over the world including Sri Lanka, Tamils are the world’s biggest ethnic group
without a homeland to call for itself.
Evolution of Man & creation
of ethnic groups
If
we are in acceptance of the out of Africa theory, we are in unison that man evolved
from Africa and spread out to all corners of the world and with time creating
different groups of people who varied by their skin colour, features,
geographical location, cultures, traditions etc. These groups later became
codified as ‘ethnic’ groups by colonial rulers who went further to define them
as ‘minorities’ ‘majority’. So if we are having problems with how people have
been classified and categorized first blame the British!
While
people are a mixture from the African gene, they went on to create themselves
into numerous ethnic groups. Sinhalese are also a mixture but Sinhalese as an
ethnic group with its own language, culture etc evolved in Sri Lanka and there
are no Sinhalese anywhere else in the world and definitely Vijaya was not Sinhalese
to claim the Sinhalese descend from India. Sinhalese are the only ethnic group
that evolved in Sri Lanka and can claim the entirety of the island as its
homeland. There are Sinhalese living in all parts of the world but their roots
are in Sri Lanka.
There
are Tamils living in all corners of the world. Most of these Tamils were
plucked from South India and shipped off to the Caribbean, South Africa, Far
East etc by the Colonials, in particular the Colonial British. During colonial
rule in then Ceylon, the Portuguese, Dutch and British did the same by bringing
scores of Tamils as indentured labor to Sri Lanka. There have been 18 invasions
from South India and many would have decided to stay on in Sri Lanka too.
Now
we come to the most important question.
Where did Tamils originate.
Where did they evolve as an ethnic group? Is it in South India or Sri Lanka? If
anyone claims Sri Lanka, they must also answer how there are over 70million
Tamils in India while there are less than 3m Tamils in Sri Lanka.
So the most important question to be answered is where did Tamils evolve from, for that is where Tamils in the
Caribbean can call their Homeland, where Tamils in South Africa can call their
Homeland, where Tamils all around the world can call their homeland – where
their original roots are. They may live in another
country, they may hold citizenship in another country but where did their
people originate? This is the golden question to answer. This is where Tamil
Eelam has to be declared. This is why the self-determination quest started in
India with several secession movements that were quelled by the Indian
government until they found an escape by palming of India’s headache to Sri
Lanka by arming Sri Lankan Tamils to claim a separate state called Tamil Eelam.
Does India want Tamils to have
a Homeland & Does India want it created in Tamil Nadu or Sri Lanka?
India
created Bangladesh but India will not allow Khalistan for Sikhs and Tamil Eelam
for Tamils in either Tamil Nadu or Sri Lanka. Mother Indira Gandhi created
Bhindrawale & Prabakaran, Sikh bodyguards killed Indira and son Rajiv was
killed by LTTE. 9m of the 30m Sikhs live in Punjab. The Punjab Accord signed by
Rajiv in 1985 failed in 1987. It is noteworthy how LTTE Diaspora in
Canada have tapped some Canadian Sikhs to lobby for them and India should take
note of this development and the foreign hands behind this!
It
is clear that India does not wish to and will not allow a breakaway of South
India’s Tamil Nadu losing 130,058 km² area to have it declared a separate
independent & sovereign state of Tamils out of India’s Central Government
control.
Then
why force Sri Lanka to sign Indo-Lanka Accord in 1987, create the useless
Provincial Council system, merge two provinces (north & east), handpick 2
Sri Lankan Tamil poodles (Mahaththaya – LTTE’s Deputy and Varatharaja Perumal
who declared unilateral declaration of independence) and even send an Indian
Peace Keeping Force?
At least now Tamils should
understand that India did all this not to help Tamils create any Tamil Eelam.
India used Tamils for India’s geopolitical goals.India
continues to use Tamils just as foreign intel are using LTTE Diaspora.
When
foreign countries have banned LTTE, why are they not taking action against the
pro-LTTE groups openly operating in their countries? Why did they use the
previous government to deproscribe a select number of banned LTTE groups? These
are all part of their larger plan to which LTTE Diaspora have no option but to
take part in or have their shop closed & have their international money
making network nullified in the process. So naturally, they are playing their
role perfectly.
So
India and Sri Lanka must take cognizance of the developments taking place
building the foundation for 2 objectives – break up of India as that would be
aligned to the quest to create micro states and it is a quicker way to their 2
main targets – China & Russia. The other objective if Eelam is created in
Sri Lanka is to create another Israel in South Asia for West.
The
break-up of India has been earmarked & openly declared in 1998 by US
Congressmen Edolphus Towns.
At
least the Tamils in Sri Lanka should look at the situation beyond the hype and
propaganda and realize that their home in Sri Lanka remains amongst the
communities living in Sri Lanka sans any mono-ethno linguistic separate enclave
and they must finally raise their voice to say they do not wish to separate Sri
Lanka & desire to live in peace with all the communities of Sri Lanka. Let
the LTTE Diaspora and anyone else wanting to create separate states carve these
out in the countries that fund these campaigns!
Sri Lanka’s Tamils must now
boldly say ‘No to Separating Sri Lanka’ & ‘No to Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka”
As a resident of Canada for over 50 years I have seen
perhaps more than my share of Ceylon/Sri Lanka diplomatic representation in
Ottawa and Toronto. It is said that career officers make better envoys than
political appointees but, in my experience, this is not always the case. Vernon
Mendis, part of the ‘old guard’ of the Ceylon diplomatic corps, had formidable
gravitas and was a highly successful high commissioner in Ottawa. But so was
Ernest Corea, eminent newspaperman, a political appointee who was named H.C. by
the J. R. Jayawardena government. His networking skills and public speaking
facility are legendary. More recently, Geetha de Silva and Chitranganee
Wagiswara, career officers, graced the post and served with distinction.
The late Bandula Jayasekera, another newspaperman, was
appointed Consul General in Toronto by the Mahinda Rajapakse government around
2007, if memory serves. This was a time of great ructions by the
Eelam-supporting Tamils in Canada, most of whom lived in the Toronto. The
LTTE’s glory days were long over and the Sri Lanka Army’s brilliant tactical
decisions and battlefield successes were chasing the LTTE leadership and
thousands of human shields into smaller and smaller cordons. In Toronto, the
focus of LTTE activism was to take the military pressure off of Prabhakaran and
his terrorists and the Toronto supporters stopped at nothing to effect that.
They gathered in their thousands on the streets
displaying Tiger flags, spewing forth propaganda at full volume, the goal being
to bring political pressure on Canada’s famously corruptible politicians to
call off the Sri Lanka Army. I remember returning home from work and trying to
make my way through myriads of Eelamists gathered at the entrance to transport
hubs. On TV and Canadian radio there was a constant barrage of anti-Sri Lanka
propaganda by well trained Tamil and local ‘hired guns’ to smear the Sri Lankan
govt. (an effort that continues to this day). Poor communications strategies of
the Sri Lankan govt. made things worse. Eelamist argy-bargy culminated in their
halting all traffic on the Gardiner Expressway, the major highway into and out
of Toronto.
In the midst of all this mayhem stood Bandula
Jayasekera. But he hardly stood still. Death threats he got many, right from
the start of his tenure. Those seem only to encourage his fighting spirit. Bomb
threats accompanied every event Bandula organized. TV interviews here, radio
interviews there; he got so many of these media requests that he asked some of
us in the Sri Lankan community to speak on his behalf — which we did happily.
Assailed as Bandula was and fighting resolutely like Macaulay’s Horatius at the
bridge his only help came from the patriotic community; the diplomatic fort in
Ottawa, helmed by a man who told the Toronto Star newspaper that he got the
plum so that he could be ‘close to his family’ in Canada offered not a whit of
help.
We have had excellent diplomats serve Sri Lanka in
Ottawa. But in the five decades I have lived in Canada, our motherland never
had such a lionhearted defender at her service as Bandula Jayasekera. It was
fortuitous that Bandula served when he did because the challenges Sri Lanka
faced in Toronto were monumental. Sri Lanka’s reputation was being shredded by
Eelam propagandists, past masters at ‘fake news’. Tamils who opposed Eelam —
there were thousands — were being attacked physically, financially, and
psychologically. Sinhalese children were targeted at Toronto schools. A
Sinhalese-owned restaurant in Brampton was bombed. None of this fazed Bandula
the Brave Fighter.
I think I speak for tens of thousands of patriotic Sri Lankans in Toronto when I say that we are so glad that this courageous young man was there to assist us at the moment we needed him. His bravery ran deep. The way he faced death amazed all of us. It was truly exemplary. My wife Fiona and I are truly privileged to have been his friends, sometimes confidantes even. How cruel it is that this accomplished warrior was cut down in the prime of his life. With his many talents — writer, television broadcaster, scholar, diplomat — what more he could have achieved had he got more time! We in Canada mourn him.
They
say people living in glass houses should not throw stones. Canada has been one
of the staunchest proponents of unsubstantiated allegations against Sri Lanka,
simply because a handful of LTTE lobbyists have learnt the art of influencing
them through means only they would know &unlikely to admit. In accusing Sri
Lanka of genocide and what not, we would expect the accusers to be squeaky
clean. Not so…. daily skeletons (pun intended) are coming out of graves of
children killed. These are not just one or two incidents but systematic &
planned killings & abuse of indigenous children. It certainly dampens the
fictitious image Canada tries to portray itself and should remind Canada
without cleaning its own backyard, Canada should not try to clean others. It
should also wake Canada up to some ground realities of molly-cuddling with
terrorists also.
Canada
is a created country. Canada was established in 1867. Canada’s history is
therefore just 154years. That is less than the years the Portuguese ruled parts
of Sri Lanka!
Though
the whites took claim over Canada, Canada was inhabited by indigenous people
for over 12,000 years.
Canada
that is demanding Sri Lanka remove its penal codes, internal laws etc continues
the 1876 passed Indian Act. The Act allows the Canadian government to define
who an ‘Indian’ is, after which you gain ‘Status’. Canada that boasts about
equality still decides who they call an ‘Indian’ and gives status to and linked
to the ‘rights’ they enjoy ! The Indian Act does not include the Metis &
Inuit people, who are known as ‘non-Status Indians’ and yes, Canada dictates
how Sri Lanka treats its ‘minorities’.
The
Canada that accuses Sri Lanka of disenfranchising the Indian Tamils imported by
colonials, have denied Status Indians their legal & ancestral identities
via Canada’s Indian Act! First Nations women lost their Indian Status if they
married a non-Status man Their children suffered too! The Indian Act also
denied First Nations women from voting & running for elections. But Canada
has no problem with LTTE proxies running for elections! Status Indians could
vote only in 1960! Sri Lanka’s Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the world’s first
female PM in 1960!
The
Canada that demands rehabilitated LTTE be inducted into the armed forces &
police, denies Inuits & Metis women serving the Canadian armed forces,
getting college & university degrees or becoming a professional
(doctor/lawyer) How many know what happened to Indigenous Tommy Prince, who
inspite becoming a decorated Canadian war hero, faced systematic racism after
returning to his ‘home’. Not only was he not able to vote but he was not
treated like the other white veterans. Shocking!
In
their own habitat they were declared ‘citizens’ only in 1951, in their homeland
their land was usurped and made to live on ‘reserved’ land and until early
1900s they had to even get permission to leave these areas with passes. These
reserve areas still exist & are governed by the Indian Act – no wonder
Canada is supporting LTTE to usurp land & create a bogus homeland!
The
Residential School system to ‘solve’ the Indian problem and force indigenous to
assimilate was another example of the ‘white man’s burden’ having usurped and
stolen lands belonging to others and then determining who rules & on whose
terms! These schools were operational from 1600s far before Canada per se was
created! The Residential School in Saskatchewan closed only in 1996.
Here’s
how Canada ASSIMILATED indigenous Indians
Children between 4-16years were forcibly removed from their
families & communities & segregated by gender
Children were malnourished, made vulnerable to diseases
Children were sexually abused & subject to various
experimental brain tests
These schools remain federally funded (not provincially) and are
under-funded & not given same care as others.
Indigenous systems of healing was criminalized and prohibited by
Amendments to the Indian Act in late 19th& 20th
Canada
that demands Truth & Reconciliation in Sri Lanka must answer to whether the
problems of the indigenous people of Canada has been solved after Canada’s
Truth & Reconciliation Commission as well as the National inquiry into
Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women???
Canada’s TRC
declared the indigenous school system ‘cultural genocide’. So what has Canada
done to reverse this 6 years after? TRC commissioners Murray Sinclair, Wilton
Littlechild and Marie Wilson are not very happy.
Canada that demands transparency from Sri Lanka was caught
hiding evidence https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2014/1/6/canada-accused-of-hiding-child-abuse-evidenceBut
evidence keeps popping up https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-01/childrens-bodies-kamloops-indian-residential-school-trudeau/100180332which
is why we refuse to fall prey to the LTTE funded global propaganda accusing Sri
Lanka of killing 40,000 people and we wish to instead simply ask those making
the allegations to name these 40,000 dead, give some form of identity, prove
where they lived, show the police complaints filed by their families. Without
any of these and no skeletons even, the Sri Lanka’s National Army cannot be
accused of killing people who did not exist. Of course the Sri Lankan Armed
Forces do not have to apologize for killing LTTE during hostilities.
Between
1836 and 1996, Canada operated 139 residential schools in Canada. An estimated
6000 children are said to have died in these schools. The TRC requested
$1.5M to find mass graves at residential schools but the federal government denied
the money in 2009 – Oh the very year LTTE was defeated by Sri Lanka! Why don’t
the LTTE Diaspora holding positions in Canada question the Canadian government
and fight for truth & justice for Canadian Indians?
The
indigenous people living in the country called Canada have suffered much. The
irony and the issue is that Canada preaches to other countries of the world
while hiding and not attempting to remove the racism, segregations and other
stigma that aboriginals continue to suffer from. We find this highly
hypocritical given that Canada uses its envoys and international officials to
issue highly offensive statements to less powerful nations on how they should
govern their countries when Canada is doing the opposite back home!
We
can only ask Canada to take out its TRC report and look at how justice can be
given to the indigenous natives before trying to create separate homelands in
other countries for terrorists and their supporters living in Canada, holding
Canadian passports & unlikely to ever live in a ‘Eelam homeland’, Canada
wants to help create for them. But Canada is more than welcome to help create
Eelam in Canada given that more Canadian Tamils demand Eelam living in Canada
than the handful of isolated voices heard elsewhere.
Eelam war IV, which started
in June 2006, was the LTTE‘s ‘final war’ to establish Eelam, using conventional warfare across
large swathes of land, intermixed with guerilla methods. It was a high intensity, military
confrontation across a vast battlefield. The warring was almost continuous,
with few short pauses.
Eelam war IV was a Civil War, a protracted armed confrontation between the
state and a non-state army, sustained by
a secessionist movement. It was not
Terrorism” nor was it a War of liberation”.
The intention was to partition the country, creating the littoral state of
Eelam, leaving the rest land locked.
This war did not come as a
surprise. It had been brewing for some time. Tamil politicians launched a new political party in December
1949, Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK). The word ‘arasu’ could mean
kingdom/government/administration/state. A.J Wilson made it clear that their ‘Tamil arasu” meant an ‘autonomous Tamil state’ and that ‘Illankai
Tamil Arasu Kadchi ‘meant ‘Ceylon Tamil State Party”.
Modern International law uses the
term Non-international armed conflict” (NIAC) instead of ‘Civil War’. In a Non-international armed conflict” the country’s
Security Forces should be confronted within its own territory by an organized
armed group operating under an effective command structure, having the capacity
to carry out sustained and concerted military operations and exercising control
over a part of country. The
confrontation must reach a high level
of intensity.
In addition, the non state group must have access to weapons, to recruits
and to military training. It must have the ability to plan and carry out
military operations, as well as the ability to negotiate agreements, including
cease-fire or peace accords.
There are several
laws which applied to non-international armed conflicts. Firstly, Common
Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, secondly, Additional
Protocol II of 1977, and lastly, the Rome
Statue of the International Criminal Court, (1998, 2002) which includes the
items held in Common Article 3.
Two sets of
Human Rights laws have also been thrown into the arena, namely, ‘International Human Rights Law’ (IHRL) and ‘International Humanitarian Law’ (IHL). The
International Committee of the Red Cross is the custodian of IHL. IHRL
is for peace time violations of
human rights while IHL is for those engaged in war. Analysts point out that Eelam war must be judged in terms of International
Humanitarian Law. However, UNHRC has
included both IHRL and IHL in its 2021 Resolution on Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has signed Common Article 3 but has not
signed Additional Protocol II or the Rome Statute. The most important of these
for Sri Lanka was Additional
Protocol II, 1977 to the Geneva conventions.
This is the only
regulation that is of any use to a government engaged in civil war, said
analysts. This Protocol supports the right of governments to preserve national
unity, protect territory, and maintain law and order in a civil war situation.
This Protocol prohibits others from meddling in the war or interfering with any
actions the government chooses to take on the matter. The Protocol said,
1. Nothing in
this Protocol shall be invoked for the purpose of affecting the sovereignty of
a State or the responsibility of the government, by all legitimate means, to
maintain or re-establish law and order in the State or to defend the national
unity and territorial integrity of the State.
2. Nothing in this Protocol shall be invoked as a justification
for intervening, directly or indirectly, for any reason whatever, in the armed
conflict or in the internal or external affairs of the High Contracting Party
in the territory of which that conflict occurs.
3. Civilians shall enjoy the protection afforded by this Part,
unless and for such time as they take a direct part in hostilities.
As of July 2020, the Protocol had been ratified by 169 countries, however, Bhutan, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Kiribati, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Nepal,
Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tuvalu have not
signed the Protocol.
Sri Lanka has not signed this Protocol and therefore
cannot make use of these valuable clauses.
When asked why Sri Lanka did not sign, officials have no answer, said
Nihal Jayawickrema. Observers ask, was
it deliberate? The present trumped up ‘war crimes’ charges are due to this
omission.
The conflict
in Sri Lanka is a Non –international armed conflict as defined by the ICC for
Yugoslavia. However, the government of
Sri Lanka has not recognized the Eelam war as a Non international armed
conflict, observed Laksiri Mendis . Laksiri
has done legislative drafting in many Commonwealth countries.
The government of Sri Lanka has failed to say at the UNHRC sessions, in Geneva, that the Eelam
War was a non-international armed conflict, and that it comes under Additional Protocol
II of 1977. This is a serious
shortcoming on the part of successive governments, observed Neville Ladduwahetty.
Successive Sri Lanka
governments have been reluctant to categorize the conflict as an ‘armed
conflict’ said Ladduwahetty. This is despite the fact that the Government of Sri Lanka signed a Ceasefire Agreement with the LTTE which gave the LTTE control
over territory which was then identified as ‘LTTE controlled areas’ . The
ICRC in Sri Lanka joined in this, and
never referred to LTTE fighters as ‘combatants’. The land held by the LTTE was referred to as ‘uncleared areas’ added
analysts.
The last
phase of the war should have been classified by Sri Lanka as an Armed Conflict,
said analysts. All high level commentators, such as Desmond
de Silva, said that this phase was an Armed Conflict. An Armed Conflict is protected from HR charges because it comes under the rules of war.
Instead of using the term Armed Conflict, the Mahinda Rajapaksa government called the last phase of Eelam War IV a Humanitarian
mission”. The last word they should have
used was ‘Humanitarian’. When asked why
they did this, Gotabaya Rajapaksa said ‘it
was just a name we used. It had nothing to do with Human Rights. We were rescuing people as well as fighting. Of
course it was not ‘just a name we used.’ It has been deliberately introduced by
someone and thoughtlessly accepted
by those in charge. ( Continued)
The Pathfinder Foundation (PF) in collaboration with the
Washington based Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) held a virtual meeting in
January, 2021 to pursue improved bilateral relations between the US and Sri
Lanka. The discussions broadly focused on economic and relations and with a
better understanding of the ground situation of the US administration. The
report on the discussion presented by Mr. Bernard Goonathilaka to President
Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the President Secretariat.
The objective of the initiative was to provide President Joe Biden
administration with a better understanding of the ground situation prevailing
in Sri Lanka; challenges, opportunities and priorities that may impact on the
US – Sri Lanka bilateral relationship. The discussions broadly focused on
economic relations covering trade, investment, science and technology
cooperation; strategic and security cooperation; and political and common
values.
The Sri Lankan delegation was
headed by Bernard Goonetilleke, Chairman-Pathfinder Foundation and former
Ambassador to the U.S. Other members included H.M.G.S.
Palihakkara – Former Foreign Secretary, Ambassador & Permanent
Representative to the U.N; Dr. Rohan Perera – Former Legal Advisor to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs & PRUN, New York; Prof. Rohan Gunaratne – S.
Rajaratnam School of Int. Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore;
Prof. Rohan Samarajiva – Chair, LIRNEasia & former Chairman of ICT;
Dr. Indirajit Coomaraswamy – Former Governor, Central Bank of Sri
Lanka, Distinguished Fellow – PF; Waruna Karunatilake – Former
Chairman, Independent Committee for Digitalization of Television in Sri Lanka
and Senior journalist; and Chathuka Senanayake, Director, Lakshman Kadirgamar
Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies.
Amb.
Robert O. Blake Jr., former Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central
Asian Affairs under the Obama Administration and Ambassador to Sri Lanka, the
Maldives and Indonesia, headed the US delegation comprising former senior government
officials, representatives of civil society etc. The U.S. team included Alyssa Ayres –
Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia, Council on
Foreign Relations, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia;
Nisha Biswal – President, U.S. India Business Council, Senior Vice President for
South Asia, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, former Assistant Secretary of State for
South and Central Asia;
Sajit Gandhi –
Senior Professional Staff Member, House Committee on Foreign
Affairs; Nilanthi Samaranayake –
Director, Strategy and Policy Analysis, Center for Naval Analysis;
John Sifton – Asia Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch; Knox Thames –
Visiting Expert, US Institute of Peace, Senior Fellow, Institute for Global
Engagement and Alice Wells – International Government Relations Adviser,
ExxonMobil, former Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia.
Following the dialogue, each team
produced a report comprising vital areas of the relationship and made
recommendations to further develop bilateral relations. Mr. Bernard
Goonathilaka, Chairman, PF in picture the event of the report handed over to
the President at the President Secretariat on 02nd June 2021
Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka Bangkok
To Commemorate the Vesak Day-2021 (2564 B.E.), the telecast of the international award-winning True Little Monk” (“True Plookpanya”), documentary series was launched on the Vesak Full Moon Poya Day, 26 May 2021 (2564 B.E. on Haritha TV during the Buddha Rashmi” National Vesak Programme 2021 held at the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The 31-episode series is being telecast for the first time in Sri Lanka in collaboration with True Corporation PLC, Sri Lanka Embassy and Permanent Mission in Thailand, the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, and the Sri Lanka Prime Minister’s Office.The documentary was showcased with Sinhala subtitles. It was the very first translation of the documentary to a foreign language.
In 2018, True Little monk year 7” started with 12 Thai boys. Later the project expanded with the inclusion of 12 other boys from different nationalities around the world, for international audiences and the documentary was titled as True Little Monk: A Wisdom Training Programme for Novices”. During the four week creation period of the documentary, all 24 boys studied Dhamma and the essence of Buddhism through age appropriate learning method in line with monastic practices at Wat Nog Pah Pong, a forest monastery established by Phra Bodhinyanathera (Chan Subhaddo).
Authorizing the broadcast of True Little Monks” for 12 months, starting 26 May 2021 in Sri Lanka, Chief Excellence Center and Education Officer of True Corporation PLC, Thailand Dr. Naetchanok Wipatasinlapin, stated that It is our wish that we are able to reach out to all audiences in Sri Lanka who are looking for true inner peace and happiness in their lives and hope that the True Little Monk” programme will be beneficial, and bring happiness to their lives as it does the Thai audience”
Since the first telecast in 2012, True Little Monk,” the innovative Dhamma documentary has received comment, praises and encouragement from both domestic and international audiences. The Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards (2013 and 2016, Award Winner for Educational TV Programme Category), The Telly Awards (2015, 2017, and 2018 Award Winner for the Religious/Spiritual TV Show Category), Asian Academy Creative Awards (2018, Award Winner for Best Children’s Programme Category (Thailand)), TV Gold Awards (2017, Award Winner for the TV Programme for Youths Category), Nataraj Awards (2015-2017, Award for the Best Children Programme Category), and Chor Sa-ard Awards (2014- 2016 and 2018, Award for TV Programme Category) are the awards received for the documentary locally and internationally.
On 29 and 30 May 2020, after the launch of the documentary in Sri Lanka, the True TV and Thai News Network (TNN) channels as well as online media Matichon, Siamrath, and Today Line in Thailand, gave nationwide due publicity for the launch.
Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka Bangkok 01 June, 202
මෙසේ ප්රදානය කළ ජිමිනාස්ටික් උපකරණ අතර Vaulting Table, a Runway for Vaulting Table, Vaulting Boards,
Landing Mat, a Safety Collar for Vaulting Board and a Mat for Hands අන්තර්ගත ය.
Sputnik V is the world’s first registered vaccine based on a well-studied human adenoviral vector-based platform. Sputnik V is already registered in more than 65 countries.
The ongoing Sputnik V post-registration clinical trial in Russia involved more than 31,000 volunteers. Phase 3 clinical trials of Sputnik V have been conducting in the UAE, India, Venezuela and Belarus.
Sputnik V is one of the three vaccines in the world with efficacy of over 90%. The Vaccine’s efficacy is confirmed at 91.6% based on the analysis of data on 19,866 volunteers, who received both the first and second doses of the Sputnik V vaccine or placebo at the final control point of 78 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
According to analysis of data from 3.8 million vaccinated persons in Russia Sputnik V demonstrates 97.6% efficacy.
RDIF jointly with partners and manufacturers is ramping up the production of Sputnik V. The cost of one dose of the vaccine for international markets is less than $10 (Sputnik V is a two dose vaccine). The vaccine can be stored at a temperature of +2 to +8 degrees Celsius, which allows for easy distribution worldwide, including hard-to-reach regions.
The vaccine supplies for the global market will be produced by RDIF’s international partners in India, Brazil, China, South Korea and other countries.
This website has been created to provide accurate and up-to-date information about Sputnik V.
The vaccine is named after the first Soviet space satellite. The launch of Sputnik-1 in 1957 reinvigorated space research around the world, creating a so called Sputnik moment” for the global community.
The Russian Ministry of Health, the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund) announce that Sputnik Light, a single dose COVID-19 vaccine, has received authorization for use in Russia.
Sputnik Light is the first component (recombinant human adenovirus serotype number 26 (rAd26)) of Sputnik V – the world’s first registered vaccine against coronavirus.
The single dose Sputnik Light vaccine demonstrated 79.4% efficacy according to analyzed data taken from 28 days after the injection was administered as part of Russia’s mass vaccination program between 5 December 2020 and 15 April 2021.
An efficacy level of almost 80% is higher than that of many two-dose vaccines.
Sputnik Light has proven effective against all new strains of coronavirus, as demonstrated by the Gamaleya Center during laboratory tests.
Phase I/II of the Safety and Immunogenicity Study of the Sputnik Light vaccine has demonstrated that:
Sputnik Light can elicit the development of antigen specific IgG antibodies in 96.9% of individuals on the 28th day after vaccination;
The Sputnik Light vaccine elicits the development of virus neutralizing antibodies in 91.67% of individuals on the 28th day post immunization;
Cellular immune response against the S Protein of SARS-CoV-2 develops in 100% of volunteers on the 10th day;
The immunization of individuals with pre-existing immunity against SARS-CoV-2 with Sputnik Light can elicit the increase of the level of antigen specific IgG antibodies by more than 40x in 100% of subjects 10 days after immunization;
No serious adverse events were registered after vaccination with Sputnik Light.
The two dose Sputnik V vaccine remains the main vaccination tool.
The Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases of the Health Ministry has recommended that pregnant women should only be vaccinated with the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath told the Daily Mirror.
He said since there are no sufficient data on other vaccines, the Committee had recommended only the Sinopharm vaccines will be given to pregnant mothers.
Though Army Commander announced that the pregnant woman would be given priority when giving Sinopharm vaccine in relevant areas, Dr. Herath said there are certain practical issues in giving vaccine to the pregnant women.
“The Family Health Bureau is in the process of sorting them out. There are certain checks and balances that need to be included to the circular that is to be issued soon in this regard” he said.
“As it is a very complicated process, the Family Health Bureau is still developing the guidelines,” Dr. Herath underlined.
He stressed that vaccinating pregnant mothers has not yet commenced, and added it would take some time to finalise the relevant guidelines and only after that the vaccination could be started.
Moreover, he said he had received several reports that some pregnant mothers have got the vaccines without proper approval from the Health Ministry.
The attention to vaccinate pregnant mothers has been drawn as they come under one of the high risk categories.
Against this backdrop, Army Commander Shavendra Silva today announced that they would give priority to the pregnant women, and those above 60 years of age when giving Sinopharm vaccines in the areas announced earlier from June 8.
Army Commander General Shavendra Silva says that islandwide travel restrictions will be further extended until June 14.
He stated that the travel restrictions, which are currently in effect and had been initially extended until June 07 (Monday), will now remain in force until 4.00 a.m. on June 14.
Accordingly, the islandwide travel restrictions will not be lifted on June 07, as announced previously.
hirty-nine more deaths in Sri Lanka have been attributed to the novel coronavirus infection, Director-General of Health Services confirmed today (June 02).
The latest fatalities have moved the country’s death toll to 1,566, according to Epidemiology Unit data.
The deaths have taken place between May 17 and June 01, the Department of Government Information stated.
Reportedly, 27 of them were over the age of 60.
The deceased – 19 females and 20 males – were identified as residents of Moratuwa, Muwandeniya, Matale, Borella, Badulla, Jaffna, Wahamalgollewa, Trincomalee, Gampola, Kotmale, Vavuniya, Kelaniya, Waththegama, Badalkumbura, Elpitiya, Dompe, Kattankudy 02, Wellampitiya, Wattala, Horana, Bandaragama, Maskeliya, Hatton, Watawala, Nawalapitiya, Hapugasthalawa, Kurunegala, Gampaha, Gelioya, Bogawanthalawa and Medawachchiya.
COVID pneumonia was recorded as the cause of death of majority of the victims.
Chandimal Jayasinghe, Piyumi Hansamali and thirteen others, who were taken into custody over a party at a five-star hotel in Colombo violating quarantine laws, have been sent to Passara quarantine centre.
Accordingly, they will be under quarantine for a period of 14 days.
Thirteen individuals who were arrested for attending the party hosted by Chandimal Jayasinghe and Piumi Hansamali were been granted bail earlier today (June 02).
The arrestees – 11 males and 02 females – were produced before Colombo Additional Magistrate Bandara Nelumdeniya.
When the case was taken up, the police had made an appeal to direct the suspects to quarantine procedure through the prison, however, the additional magistrate ordered to release them on personal bails each valued at Rs. 100,000.
Fort Police Station had conducted investigations into an alleged incident in respect of a birthday party organised at a five-star hotel in the Galle Face area on the night of May 30.
On May 31, the Fort Police arrested Chandimal Jayasinghe and Piyumi Hansamali, who were produced before the Fort Magistrate and released on bail.
Later, six persons were arrested by Fort Police yesterday (June 01) for attending the said party. In addition to that, seven more individuals were taken into custody earlier today.
FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE
Sen. Menendez, Robert Sen. Cardin, Benjamin Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne Sen. Coons, Christopher Sen. Murphy, Christopher S. Sen. Kaine, Tim Sen. Markey, Edward J. Sen. Merkley, Jeff Sen. Booker, Cory Sen. Schatz, Brian Sen. Van Hollen, Chris Sen. Risch, Jim Sen. Rubio, Marco Sen. Johnson, Ron Sen. Romney, Mitt Sen. Portman, Rob Sen. Paul, Rand Sen. Young, Todd Sen. Barrasso, John A Sen. Cruz, Ted Sen. Rounds, Mike Sen. Hagerty, Bill
FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. Rep. Malinowski, Tom Rep. Sherman, Brad Rep. Sires, Albio Rep. Connolly, Gerald E. Rep. Deutch, Theodore Rep. Bass, Karen Rep. Keating, William R. Rep. Cicilline, David N Rep. Bera, Ami Rep. Castro, Joaqui Rep. Titus, Dina Rep. Lieu, Ted Rep. Wild, Susan Rep. Phillips, Dean Rep. Omar, Ilhan Rep. Allred, Colin Z. Rep. Levin, Andy Rep. Spanberger, Abigail Davis Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy Rep. Kim, Andy Rep. Jacobs, Sara Rep. Manning, Kathy Rep. Costa, Jim Rep. Vargas, Juan Rep. Gonzalez, Vicente Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott Rep. McCaul, Michael T. Rep. Smith, Christopher H. Rep. Chabot, Steven Rep. Wilson, Joe Rep. Perry, Scott Rep. Issa, Darrell E. Rep. Kinzinger, Adam Rep. Zeldin, Lee M. Rep. Wagner, Ann Rep. Mast, Brian J. Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. Rep. Buck, Ken Rep. Burchett, Tim Rep. Green, Mark E. Rep. Barr, Andy Rep. Steube, W. Gregory Rep. Meuser, Daniel Rep. Tenney, Claudia Rep. Pfluger, August Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole Rep. Meijer, Peter Rep. Jackson, Ronny Rep. Kim, Young Rep. Salazar, María Elvira
THE TRUTH ABOUT SRI LANKA – BEFORE YOU BELIEVE STORIES OF
GENOCIDE”, MARGINALIZATION” ,
DISAPPEARANCES” AND FORM MISIDEMOCRACY AND THE CHOICE MADE BY THE TAMIL PEOPLE
LIVING IN SRI LANKA, CONSIDER THEIR DESIRES TOO AND NOT ONLY THOSE WHO COME
THROUGH YOUR DOORS TO FEED MISINFORMATION.
THIS IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATING LEGISLATORS IN THE USA ABOUT SRI
LANKA. PLEASE READ THE ATTACHMENT. (The content below was sent as
an attachment to the members of both The Congress and Senate in foreign
affairs.)
HOW CAN YOU BE GUIDED BY PROXIES OF A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION AGAINST A
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT THAT HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO ALL CITIZENS WHEN SUICIDE
BOMBERS AND FORCED CONSCRIPTION OF CHILDREN AND TERROR TOOK PLACE FOR 30 YEARS?
DID THE WESTERN POWERS EXPECT THE COUNTRY’S GOVERNMENT TO TURN THE OTHER WAY?
THEY PROTECTED ALL PEOPLE BUT FACE HUMAN RIGHTS ALLEGATIONS” WITHOUT ACCURATE
PROOF.
PLEASE EDUCATE YOURSELF WITH THE TRUTH BEFORE SPONSORING RESOLUTIONS
AGAINST THE ONLY COUNTRY THAT DEFEATED TERRORISM AND IS ENJOYING PEACE.
PANDERING TO THE PRO LTTE DIASPORA DOMICILED OUTSIDE SRI LANKA AMOUNTS TO
MISERY FOR THE TAMIL PEOPLE LIVING IN SRI LANKA AND TO THE 17 MILLION SINHALA
MAJORITY THAT ALSO INCLUDES MUSLIMS WHO WERE ETHNICALLY CLEANSED AND MURDERED
BY THE LTTE. WITHIN THE COUNTRY THE
REALITY IS THAT THE MAJORITY REFERRED TO, THE SINHALA PEOPLE ARE A MINORITY IN
THE WORLD WITH NO OTHER COUNTRY THAT SPEAKS THEIR LANGUAGE. THE MINORITIES
REFERRED TO – TAMILS AND MUSLIMS HAVE ALMOST 6 TIMES THE POPULATION OF SRI
LANKA IN OTHER COUNTRIES AROUND THE REGION.
IF THE US PRESSES THEIR AGENDA,
REMEMBER THAT THE AGENDA TO PANDER TO THE PRO TERROR PROXIES IS A PUSH TO
OPRESS A WORLD MINORITY OF SINHALA PEOPLE.
TAMIL PEOPLE HAVE 60 MILLION IN TAMIL NADU ACROSS THE SEA AND THE INDIAN
CONSTITUTION DOES NOT PERMIT SEPARATION BUT THEY HAD TERROR TRAINING CAMPS ON
SOUTH INDIAN SITES. NOW INDIA OPPOSES ANY FURTHER TERROR ACTIVITIES AFTER THEY
LOST THEIR LEADER TO SUICIDE BOMBING BY THE TAMIL TIGERS AND A WOMAN BOMBER. A
MAJORITY OF THE TAMIL PEOPLE LIVING IN SRI LANKA DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO THE AGENDA
OF THOSE WHO COME THROUGH YOUR REVOLVING DOORS WITH CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AND
LIES.
WE THE PEOPLE OF SRI LANKA OPPOSE ANY PUSH AND STRONG DEMANDS BY ANY
RESOLUTIONS TO TAKE AWAY THE FREEDOM AND PEACE OF OUR PEOPLE. DO NOT OPRESS A WORLD MINORITY BASED ON
MISINFORMATION. GO TO SRI LANKA AND SEE
THE GROUND SITUATION. IT CAN BE ARRANGED FOR ANY POLICY MAKERS WHO SO DESIRE.
YOU ARE CAVING INTO PRESSURE FROM THE GROUP THAT IS LOOKING TO EXPLOIT THE
UNITED STATES. OPERATING ILLEGALLY TO
UNDERMINE A SOVEREIGN GOVERNMENT WITH THE TRANSNATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF TAMIL
ELAM (TGTE) UNDER THE RADAR, OPERATING IN THE UNITED STATES? HOW CAN YOU IGNORE SUCH ACTIONS? HOW CAN YOU IGNORE THE GALLEON SCANDAL
INVOLVING MONEY LAUNDERING FOR THE LTTE?
HOW COULD YOU DISMISS SOME OF THE GLARING VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS OF
INNOCENT CIVILIANS THAT INCLUDED A VAST NUMBER OF TAMIL PEOPLE FORCED INTO
THEIR WAR MACHINE FOR 30 YEARS . WITH SUICIDE BOMBINGS THAT TOOK THOUSANDS OF
LIVES IN THE STREETS, SCHOOLS AND PLACES OF WORSHIP, TRAINS, BUSES AND THE LIST
GROWS BUT THE WESTERN NATIONS IGNORE?
HOW CAN YOU IGNORE THE FBI CLASSIFICATION OF LTTE AS THE MOST BRUTAL
TERROR GROUP EVER KNOWN? HOW CAN YOU
ENTERTAIN AND BE DICTATED TO BY PROXIES OF SUCH A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION THAT
IS PROSCRIBED IN THE UNITED STATES AND 31 COUNTRIES? HOW CAN YOU CONDONE TERRORISM, IMMIGRATION,
ASYLUM AND HUMAN SMUGGLING THAT HAS BECOME A BUSINESS FOR THOSE WHO COME
THROUGH YOUR DOOR WITH LONG AND FALSE STORIES OF ABUSE AND MARGINALIZATION
UNFOUNDED AND UNPROVEN. REFER TO THE DATA IN THE REPORT MYTH OF
DISCRIMINATION” BELOW. REFER TO THE
VIDEO CLIPS OF THE LTTE BRUTALITY. LISTEN TO LORD NASEBY SPEAK IN THE UK HOUSE OF LORDS AS PROVIDED BELOW. WHY DOES THE UNITED STATES IGNORE SO MANY FOR
SO FEW WHO HAVE AN AGENDA THAT IS THEIR SELF SEEKING RACKET OF HUMAN SMUGGLING
AND ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES.
HERE’S THE DATA AND THE TRUTH. PLEASE DO NOT LEGISLATE BY REMOTE CONTROL. WE WARN YOU THAT YOUR ACTIONS DO NOT HELP THE
POOR AND INNOCENT TAMIL PEOPLE. YOU WILL
SOON HEAR FROM THEM TOO. THEIR VOICE
WILL BE HEARD AND IT IS NOT WHAT YOU HEAR FROM THE DIASPORA THAT FINANCES
POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS CLAIMING TO BE THE SAVIORS OF THE TAMIL PEOPLE. THE TAMIL PEOPLE IN SRI LANKA HAVE NOT BEEN
HEARD. THEY NEED A VISIT FROM SOME OF
YOU TO PLEASE CONTACT THE Jaffna Civil Society that will enlighten you. These are Tamil people who have a story to
tell that the United States needs to hear. Contact the Jaffna Civil Society
President Arun Arulampalam on email at:
Arun Siddharth Arulanandam -President of the Jaffna Civil
Society of Tamil People living in Sri Lanka.
CLAIMS
OF GENOCIDE CANNOT BE ACCEPTED WHEN THE VERY DIASPORA PROXIES WHO COME TO YOU
ARE VISITING THE COUNTRY OF SRI LANKA, AND RETURNING WITH NO ATTACKS OR RISKS
DUE TO RACE. THEY OBTAINED DUAL
CITIZENSHIP AND ARE LARGE SCALE PROPERTY DEVELOPERS AND BUSINESSMEN ENJOYING
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. IF GENOCIDE
APPLIES TO SRI LANKA, HERE’S THE DEFINITION AS PER THE UNITED NATIONS. I URGE READERS TO QUESTION WHETHER THIS
APPLIES TO SRI LANKA BY A GROUND VISIT OR BY CONTACT WITH THOSE LIVING THEIR
LIVES THERE.
Definition of Genocide as per the UN
The deliberate and systematic destruction of a
racial, political, or cultural group. In
Sri Lanka we are looking at ALLEGATIONS of accusations of deliberate and
systematic destruction of a racial group. On the other hand, the terrorists
(Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam – LTTE) are inaccurately named as non-state
players and have escaped any accountability for destroying over 60,000 civilian
lives in suicide bombings and an additional 29,000 uniformed security personnel
who were acting to save civilians of all ethnicities. Their sacrifice for peace in 2009 was not
dished out based on ethnicity. All
people are relieved to see the end of an era when indiscriminate suicide
bombings and mass scale killings have been almost a daily occurrence.
As per the UN Definition Article II as it
applies to the accusations of acts committed to destroy in whole or in part an
ethnic group as accused, examining the acts one by one as below, it is clear
that Genocide as applied to Sri Lanka by the UNHRC contradicts the UN definition
to the core. The UNHRC picture is that it applies to the entire the Tamil
community.
Definition according to Article II
In the present
Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to
destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group,
as such:
Killing
members of the group; The LTTE participated in mass killing
of their own Tamil citizens for not participating in the extremist, terrorist
activities that they executed starting with killing the Mayor of Jaffna and
anyone who was a dissident. We know personal stories from sibling of one such
Tamil youth member who expressed objection to their criminal activities and he
was murdered. There are many such cases. The JAFFNA CIVIL SOCIETY MEMBERS ARE
FAMILIES THAT HAVE MORE STORIES OF ABDUCTION AND KILLING OF THEIR TAMIL FAMILY
MEMBERS AND FRIENDS.
Causing serious bodily or mental
harm to members of the group; If there was such serious
bodily harm, how can 60% of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka live in the South
of the country mingling and even intermarrying with the Sinhala people among
whom they live amicably. Some even express that they are more comfortable
outside of the Elam” area where the caste system is predominant and
intolerable. The civilians living in Sri Lanka do not want a return to the LTTE
dominated separatist agenda that the US believes in as a solution. It is to the Tamil people a return to
violence as they will state fearlessly today in 2021.
Deliberately inflicting on the
group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in
whole or in part; This is absent in the country because
there is equal opportunity in education, employment, business, and property
ownership. There is no infliction or
physical destruction.
Imposing measures intended to
prevent births within the group; There are no
state controls set for the Tamil community in by the government or ethnic
majority as controls on the population growth among the Tamil minority.
Forcibly transferring children of
the group to another group. Forcibly
transferring children was brutal action by the LTTE when they conscripted
children as young as age 10 forcibly taken from the clutches of their parents
and school rooms or even abductions.
When the LTTE recruiters met with resistance from parents or teachers,
they killed the adults for protecting kids.
Kids were removed dragged crying for their parents and assaulted for
asking to go home. This fits into one of
the conditions in the UN definition of forcible transfer for terrorism a
violation of children’s human rights. Some of these occurrences are evidenced
in the supporting videos included in this document.
THE TRUTH ABOUT SRI LANKA – CHALLENGING FALSIFIED PROPAGANDA
EXPLOITING WESTERN COUNTRIES WITH LUCRATIVE ASYLUM
OPPORTUNITIES USING UNVERIFIED LIES, EXPLOITING SRI LANKA FOR FREE EDUCATION,
FREE HEALTHCARE, EMPLOYMENT AND FREEDOM TO OWN PROPERTY WHILE COMMITTING HUMAN
RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AGAINST CHILDREN AND POOR HELPLESS TAMIL PEOPLE WITH THREATS
AND MASS KILLING FOR DISSENT. ELIMINATING MODERATE TAMILS IN VISIBLE
INTELLECTUAL ROLES AND THE LESS POWERFUL WHO REFUSED TO BE PARTICIPANTS TO
TERRORISM OR BECOME PROXIES OF TERROR TODAY.
The war of 1983-2009
ended with peace for all people. Twelve
years later in 2021 the proxies of terror continue to bury the truth with
fabricated lies offering no proof. The
USA is among 32 countries that banned the LTTE but their proxies continue to be
part of the campaign against Sri Lanka while western nations including the USA
are caving into proxies of terror.
The FBI declared the LTTE one of the most brutal terror
groups. The crimes committed against children is unquestioned by any Western
nation or the United Nations that have become prey to pro LTTE proxy
diaspora. Their complacency is
tantamount to accepting and being pro
terroism and anti democracy. The USA needs to seek the truth if it is a leader
to promote democracy against all forms of proven terrorism against civilian life
with suicide bombings that destroyed innocent people going about daily life.
Sri Lanka’s suffering under domestic terror lasted almost 30
years and the real civilian victims never received justice or even a passing
consideration at the UNHRC in the resolution given leadership by the USA and
now UK. It is time for the US
Administration to wake up to the truth by a desire to seek the truth and not the
propaganda forced on them. If there is a
desire to do so, there is no shortage of opportunities to seek the truth about
Sri Lanka.
The current situation in 2021 is that those who cry
Genocide” and continue to be proxies of the terror supporting LTTE remnants
operating in the US and other western nations that have banned the LTTE,
continue to carry out illegal fundraising for a terrorist cause. They however, obtained foreign citizenship,
and made use of the dual citizenship privileges given by Sri Lanka and continue to return to the Land of Genocide”
that their lies provided and foreign governments fell for without
verification. Concurrently, claims of
Geocide and their trips to Sri Lanka continue without opening a dictionary to
figure out the true meaing of Genocide that would not permit their existence if
it was the land of Genocide.
Today, the biggest new found wealth and financing of
realestate are owned by those who deceived Sri Lanka, and their host
nations. It will only be a matter of
time when their power will deprive democracy to Sri Lanka due to the short
sighted, unverified biases of western countries that followed their trail of
lies.
Data that disproves claims of race based discrimination
that became the reason for the internal insurrection that became full blown
terrorism.
Supporting LTTE war
funding and suicide bombings with criminal activities on par with the top
terror groups recognized by the United States that fails to compare the
similarities to LTTE – Mackenzie Institute Canada.
Extensive
evidence in pictures and names of assasinated leaders and use of child soldiers.
This is graphic and has evidence of the human rights violations of civilians
and killings.
Ltte tamil terrorist atrocities
presentation by Jaliya – issuu – Click on this link for DETAILS OF ASSASINATION OF TWO LEADERS –
Indian Prime minister, Sri Lankan President, The Tamil Minister of Foreign
Affairs in Sri Lanka and other Tamil leaders by those who were self appointed
protectors of the Tamil people.
The Australian wife of the LTTE second in command who
trained child soldiers and inducted them to war with cyanide capsules on their
neck currently lives a luxury life, unscathed by any legal charges for aiding
in use of child soldiers forcibly recruited.
Lord Naseby Addressing the House of Lords – UK – Denouncing deceit of
LTTE and challenging misinformation.
Webinar on
Fake Genocide Claims and Illegal Business of Human Smuggling to western
countries for a fee. Only wealthy
countries are chosen for this operation for a fee. If they were truly saving Tamil people, why
not move to countries closer to Sri Lanka.
This must be recognized by the countries that have been fooled.
AT THE END OF VIEWING THIS PROOF, WE HOPE
YOU ARE CONVINCED THAT THE TRUTH LIES IN THE PEOPLE OF SRI LANKA WHO LIVED
THROUGH THE 30 YEARS AND CONTINUE TO RELIVE THE HORROR. THE POOR TAMIL PEOPLE WHO UNDERWENT REAL HUMAN
RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN THE HANDS OF THE LTTE AND SUFFERED MURDER OF THEIR FAMILY
MEMBERS INCLUDING CHILDREN HAVE NOT BEEN HEARD. THE SECURITY FORCES PROTECTED
ITS PEOPLE JUST AS THE US MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM WOULD DO. THERE IS NO
DIFFERENCE IN THEIR COMMITMENT TO SERVICE.
WE HOPE SANITY WILL PREVAIL AFTER VIEWING
FIRST HAND EVIDENCE IN THIS DOCUMENT.
Ships catching fire in high sea is
not an uncommon thing. But a Panamanian registered missive oil tanker carrying
270,000 Metric tons of crude oil catching fire in September 2020 in the Eastern
sea. east of Sri Lanka and another giant ship carrying containers within 7
months getting completely destroyed by fire in May 2021 in the Western sea only
9.5 nautical miles from Colombo Port needs our special attention and serious
investigations,
To me both these incidents pauses a
big mystery in view of the following reasons.
Firstly, why they caught fire in our
seas at this time in this way
2 Second, were they mere accidents or
preplanned destruction plans by someone, like the LTTE Diaspora or ISIS with
the connivance of anti – Sri Lankan forces who failed in their earlier
attempts to destroy this country,
3 Third, to assess the damage already
done to the marine life and coastal the belt and environmental damages that
would follow due to pollution and possible acid rain to the Islands water
resources, vegetation, to humans and fauna and flora both in the short and long
runs
4 Fourth the immediate and long run
impact on the fishing industry and the fishermen by disrupting their basic
livelihood.
5 Fifth the damages already done and
that would follow to the national economy in time to come
6 Sixth assess the cost of
operational activities in cleaning up the coastal belts and disposing waste
material etc and for purposes of claiming compensation for the national economy from those who are
responsible and finally to work out legal provisions and administrative
planning to avoid such calamities at least in in future at least.
1 The oil Tanker caught fire during
the North East monsoon in the Eastern sea, where, two important ports Trinco and Oluwil
are located, when the winds were blowing south westward sweeping across the
Island
2 X- Press Pearl carrying a thousand
of Containers containing a massive volume of toxic and chemical material caught
fire in the Western sea, where the wind is blowing from the South West across
the Island during this season and within 9.5 nautical miles from Colombo the
major commercial port of the Island nation the nerve point of the nation’s
national economy a major disruption of which is beyond all imagination.
Who is responsible for this disaster?
In this backdrop the whole nation is now
left with a big mystery unsolved?
by The Sri Lanka Study Circle (Sheets 1- 5 of 14 sheets)
Preamble
This is an open letter
issued by the members of the Sri Lanka Study Circle to the former Attorney
General de Livera, calling him to explain why punitive action should not be
initiated against him for alleged professional malfeasance connected with the
Port City Bill.
He is accused of having
conducted himself in a manner that compromised the Country’s sovereignty and
threatened her National Security; his alleged impropriety is more fully
described in the body of this letter.
Charges levelled against Mr.
de Livera
The charges levelled against
you, Mr. de Livera, are:
·
Serious dereliction of duties during the time you held the post
of Attorney General.
·
Bringing the post of AG and the AG’s Department, into uttermost
disrepute.
·
Conducting yourself in a manner that was prejudicial to good
order and departmental discipline.
·
Compromising the Constitutional role and responsibility of the
Attorney General.
·
Collaborating with elements attempting to subvert the Constitution
of the Country.
·
Conducting yourself in a manner unbecoming of the Attorney
General of Sri Lanka.
We, the members of the Study
Circle, are aware that you are no longer the AG; we therefore request you to
submit an explanation expeditiously.
We opine that you owe an
explanation to the people of this Republic, who had financially sustained you
in the department all these years and whose benignity would contribute to your
pension and sustain you during your lifetime on Earth.
If an explanation is not
provided
Failure to provide an
explanation, as requested in this letter, may result in the public being compelled
to pursue a course of action against you which could result in the suspension
of any foreign travel you may have planned, your passport being impounded, your
pension and assets being frozen and punitive legal action being initiated
against you, even in absentia; if you are ensconced abroad, it may compel the
people to take measures to have you extradited.
In the absence of your explanation
and in the unlikely event of successive Governments displaying a reluctance to
initiate action against you, the people shall patiently bide their time until
the opportunity is afforded when you could be brought before court to face
charges.
If perchance you have
deceased by the time the opportunity is afforded to initiate action against
you, the trial against you shall proceed, with your progeny being given ample
opportunity to defend your name.
There shall be no time
prescription in initiating charges against you.
Why did you mislead the
Government and the people?
Mr. de Livera, you are
kindly requested to explain, why you misled the Government and the people
and brought your department to such disrepute by assuring all stakeholders that
the Port City Bill was not in violation of the Constitution when it was
glaringly obvious, to even a layman, that the Bill was indeed in violation of
the Constitution?
Your conduct, an enduring
blotch on the office you were privileged to hold, smeared the reputation of the
Department when the Supreme Court found the Bill to be in violation of the
Constitution in a record 25 instances!!
If you were to plead that
your ignorance of the Constitution and the law occasioned this apocalyptic faux
pas in the history of the Department, it would indeed be a sad commentary on
your professional ability; if that is your explanation, it is strongly
suggested that you tender your resignation forthwith and walk away from the
Department without your pension, hanging your head in everlasting shame.
Failed in your
Constitutional responsibility
Article 77 of the
Constitution makes you mandatorily the prime Legal Protector of the
Constitution. You have failed miserably in your Constitutional responsibility.
When a blunder of this
proportion is made by a man of your experience in the twilight of his
government career, would it be unreasonable to entertain suspicions that you
could possibly have been influenced politically or otherwise, especially when a
ridiculous offer of a diplomatic assignment, at retirement, is made to you?
Asset declarations and Bank
statements
To allay suspicions in the
minds of the people (and also in the name of transparency) you are kindly
requested to forward to the public, copies of your annual asset declarations
for the last five years, which presumably you have already submitted, and to
make available all your bank statements for public scrutiny for the same period
of time.
On
31 ST May , SPUR -Vic Australia together with well wisheers in
Australia have jointly collected funds and handed over a Stella 100
CPAP machine with non-vent mask, with a leak Port to be able to deliver BiPap
to the Hikkaduwa District Hospital.
Exco
member Keerthi. at considerable risk to himself, drove to the hospital and
handed the equipment to Dr Anuradha in charge of the Accident and Emergency
Services node at the hospital. Dr Himal Kalambearchchi, the consultant
physician to a number of South Coast Hospitals also attended the handover
function. Dr Anuradha is dressed in green and Dr Himal is the person with the
tie.
by The Sri Lanka Study Circle (Sheets 5- 8 of 14 sheets or Part 2)
/ Contd from sheet 5 (or
Part 1)
Abandoning your
responsibility as AG when Messrs G L Peiris and P B Jayasundera intervened in
the hearings as intervenient petitioners
You are also called upon to
explain, why you acted the way you did at the Supreme Court hearings when the
Port City Bill was taken up?
The Constitution of this
country has specifically entrusted you with the role of ensuring that Bills
placed before Parliament are not in violation of the Constitution. It is your
sacred Constitutional duty to do so diligently with all the legal acumen at
your disposal.
It devolves on you to defend
the Constitution whenever it needs to be defended in any Judicial forum; you
could be described as the helmsman of the Constitution.
When therefore 19 persons
petitioned the Court against the Constitutionality of the Bill, not only were
you regulatively and constitutionally required to defend the Constitution and
the interest of the Government – both objectives being mutually inclusive – but
indeed you were the best person to do so considering your opinion that the Bill
did not violate the Constitution in any way.
It came as a surprise, to
you too it so seemed, when two members from the Government side – Messrs G L
Peiris (a member of the President’s cabinet) and P B Jayasundera (the Secretary
to the President) – applied to the Court for special leave to intervene in the
hearing.
To many it seemed as if the sacred
precincts of the Judiciary had been invaded by the Executive.
And, what was even more
surprising was when, contrary to practice, these two persons had two private
lawyers to represent them. Representing Mr. G L Peiris was Mr. Gamini Marapona
who, we learn now, has been tipped to be the ‘Chairman’ of the Port City
Commission.
Did it not cross your mind,
Mr. de Livera, that this may have been a subtle attempt by these Executive
minions to impose undue influence on the Judicial process?
Though not entirely
convincing, your performance that followed, conveyed the impression that you
were somewhat miffed by the turn of events.
But at the end you relented
with hardly a bleat and permitted Messrs Peiris and Jayasundera to take on the
‘prima donna’ role while you seemingly sulked and slinked to the background.
Indeed, your performance was bizarre for more reasons than one and had many,
smelling a rat.
What surprised many was how
easily you relented and like Esau, the biblical character, forsook your rights
enshrined in the Constitution, allowing Messrs Peiris and Jayasundera from the
Executive Arm of Government to take centre stage; thereby you seemed to
undermine the repute of your office and your department while leaving the
people of the country, in abject despair.
Theoretically, you were the
person most competent to refute the arguments of the petitioners and you were
the one Constitutionally entrusted with that task.
We ask you, What special
interests did Messrs Peiris and Jayasundera have that you could not have taken
care of?”
And, What were your
submissions and responses in Court to this intervention by the ‘Executive’ duo
with their private lawyers?”
It is customary that the AG
appears gratis for those on the Government side.
The implication of employing
private lawyers meant that the cost of their fees would be an additional
financial burden on the people; unless of course in hind sight, it is a case of
these lawyers appearing pro interesse suo.
UNHRC and the establishment of
a parallel AG’s department
A thought crossed our minds;
it was in Geneva, just earlier this year, that the UNHRC attempted to establish
a parallel AG’s Department in Sri Lanka and failed.
If anyone, holding a
prominent position, intentionally undermines the repute of the AG and the
Department, such conduct would only aid the Americans who are bent on
establishing that parallel Attorney General’s Department in this country.
Reports are circulating that
the Americans are passing Human Rights resolutions against Sri Lanka in their
Senate; there are also unconfirmed reports that you are being short listed by
the Americans for a post in this parallel AG’s department, the Americans wish
to establish.
We would appreciate if you
would, in your response, shed any light to this persisting rumour, regarding
such an appointment.
