Janaka Perera

Buddhism is definitely making headway in Germany and the rest of Europe.

http://archives.dailynews.lk/2007/08/28/news24.asp

First Sri Lankan Buddhist Mission to Germany

 First Sri Lankan Buddhist Mission to Germany  

http://collect.ceylanka.net/itempage.asp?prod=MS-LK-07150&dum=19

  Buddhism is definitely making headway in Germany and the rest of Europe.  

Expressing this view were prominent German invitees to a very significant event marking the 50th anniversary (1957-2007) of the first Sri Lankan Buddhist Mission to Germany, at the Savsiripaya Auditorium in Colombo 7, Sri Lanka on August 22.

Sri Lanka honoured the mission – sponsored by the German Dharmadutha Society – with the issue of a commemorative postage stamp and a first day cover by the Government Philatelic Bureau. This is the second time that a Sri Lankan Postage Stamp depicting a scene in Germany has been issued here. Nihal Sangabo Dias designed the new stamp issued on Wednesday.

Guest of Honour, German Ambassador in Sri Lanka, Juergen Weerth thanked the Sri Lankan Authorities for honouring his country in this manner. Focusing on Buddhism’s contribution to the creation of close and sustainable links between the two countries, he said the understanding the teachings of the Buddha had been growing in Germany and the rest of Europe for the past 50 years.

He said: “Germans have always been fascinated by the Buddha’s teachings. Arthur Schopenhauer called it the most perfect of world religions. Einstein said that if there was any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism.

Why are we fascinated? It is because Buddhism is a philosophy of rationality, realism and ethical purity. The respect for Buddhist approach towards creation in general can lay the foundation of universal social ethics – that are dedicated to ecological well-being and social justice and to world peace.”

Delivering the keynote address – ‘The German Contributions to Theravada Buddhism and the Reception of Buddhism in Germany and its influence on German Culture ‘ – Professor Karl Heinz-Golzio of the University of Bonn: traced the history of Buddhism in Germany from the early 19th Century to the present day and drew attention to the services of many a German thinker and scholar to the cause of Buddhism in Europe.

Among them were, Arthur Schopenhauer, Karl Eugen Neumann, Dr. Paul Dahlke, the Venerable Nyanatiloka (the first German to become a bhikku) and the Ven. Nyanaponika.

“Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer,” Prof. Golzio said, “was among the thinkers who had recognized the validity of Buddhism before its sources were edited and translated into European languages.”

Golzio said: “To him Buddhism was the best of all religions because it is preferable to Brahminism with its caste system and even more to Christianity with its fallacious ideas about God and its defective code of ethics in which animals were given no consideration”.

The Professor further noted: “Schopenhauer claimed that his own philosophy agreed with the Buddha’s teachings. The affinity between Schopenhauer’s philosophy and Buddhism is in many ways striking. “

Golzio said that the advent of the Nazis heralded a dark period for Buddhism in Germany. Some Nazi sympathizers had distorted and misinterpreted the Buddha Dhamma, giving it a racial connotation and called it an Aryan religion similar to Hitler’s National Socialism. At the same time true Buddhists suffered under the Hitler regime.

Among them was Dr. Paul Dahlke’s former Secretary, Dr. Kurt Fischer who published a Buddhist Journal each issue of which the Nazis censored. After Fischer died of a heart attack in 1942 upon hearing that he was to be arrested by the notorious Gestapo, the latter confiscated all his books on Buddhism.

“Today, ” Golzio noted “More and more and more Western people have become interested in Buddhism – especially in meditation – as a way to mental peace and calmness. And they convert to Buddhism after a critical trial period.”

He said that Buddhism – although still not an officially recognized religion in Germany – it is now a subject in the school curriculum there. This according to him is very significant.

“It is a chance to teach Buddhist values and Buddhist ethics, loving kindness and compassion and unselfishness to the younger generation of Germans – especially at a time of materialism, consumerism, environmental crime, pollution and natural disasters, terrorism and war. Many western people have lost confidence in Christianity and are searching for rational ways of leading a spiritual life. They are also looking for guidance to lead meaningful and happy lives.”

Richard Lang – Director of Geothe Institute, Colombo – observed:

“One of the articles on Buddhism by Golzio has been particularly quoted again and again – because he puts forward a very interesting question: Whether we can expect even a larger number of Europeans turning to Buddhism in the future – probably because of this in world which we are living.”

Chief Guest, Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister Karu Jayasuriya said that the German Dharmadutha Society’s first mission – Initiated by a young Sri Lankan Businessmen Asoka Weeraratna – was the beginning of a long and deep-rooted relationship between Sri Lanka and Germany.

“It was not a mission for conversion but an undertaking to meet the German people and give them solace in their hour of need. Asoka Weeraratna saw the immense potential for Buddhism in Europe , particularly in post-World War II Germany.

“I reiterate that this mission was not for conversion but to give the Buddha’s message – to give that philosophy. It is the greatest gift Sri Lanka can offer to the West. I cannot think of anything better.”

The Minister said that today Buddhism has become part of the Western culture. According to him, in America alone there are over a million people looking at Buddhism. “Germany and Sri Lanka have had a very long and warm friendly relationship. People of this country have a very special place for Germany.

Sri Lankans will never forget names such as Wilhelm Geiger, Paul Dahlke, Ven Nyanatiloka and Ven Nyanaponika. Socially Germans are very fond of this country. When they visit once they visit many times. I thank the good work done by the German Cultural Institute (Goethe Institute).”

Chief Sanghanayaka of Europe and Chief Patron of the Austria Buddhist (Theravada) Society, Sri Lankan Bhikku Venerable Dr. Wijayarajapura Seelawansa after speaking briefly in Sinhala gave a lengthy talk in German on Buddhism to the Germans in the audience.

He said that many Germans are deriving an immense benefit from the services that the Berlin Buddhist Vihara (Das Buddhistische Haus) in Berlin – Frohnau in offers. Giving the vote of thanks Emeritus Prof J. B. Dissanayake spoke on the Buddhist connection between Sri Lanka and – Greece – the first European country known to people here.

Honorary Secretary of the German Dharmaduta Society Senaka Weeraratna also spoke. Raja Kuruppu was the compere.

Asian Tribune

The 50th Anniversary of the German Dharmaduta Society – 21 September, 2002 – 4.50 (R)

2002 The 50th Anniversary of German Dharmaduta Society – 21 September – 4.50 (R)

Sarath Wijesinghe President’s Counsel, Former Ambassador to UAE and Israel, President Ambassador’s Forum

First Woman Prime Minister in the world 

First woman you see in life and the best friend thereafter is your mother who is so caring and lovely towards you for ever. Mother is a woman that child loves most and she grooms and controls the world as the woman educating producing and donating the child to the world be a productive citizen to the society and the world over. The entire world revolves round mother who moulds the education and the future of the world having nurtured the children and structured the family to be an example to the world and productive to all. Mother is your first doctor, teacher and the best friend, you will never be deserted. Whether you are poor and a prisoner, mother will not desert you that you will witness in stories around prisons. Respect for your mother increases the value of motherhood and womanhood. You can see mothers in front of prisons awaiting for their children and sensitive stories among mother and prisoner sons with close bonds despite the crimes committed and the way of life. Your sisters come next in life and your beloved wife comes next to your mother who loves cares and takes all burden on your behalf as the protector saviour and the best friend. There is no life without a women in the world who is born to serve care and love with endless unlimited love towards children giving priority in life. Why a women’s day when every day is their day for us with your mother sisters and wife your next mother and the protector. She bears children, feeds you and be in your side till death in any season whether rich or poor. Good wife is a blessing and the best friend and the protector of you your life and property including your children. She will care you and defend at any circumstances even at fault due to excessive love and affection. World respect and cared her and Sri Lankans historically are better in treating women. First Executive Prime Minister is from Sri Lanka (1960) who has been the best Foreign Minister ever having led the non-alignment movement with top world leader and her daughter HE Chandrika Bandaraneika followed suit as the woman Executive President ever in Sri Lanka, with no iota of objections or opposition from the people. We had the historical experience of with Queen ‘’Anula’’ during Anuradhapura era as the first Queen in 47 BC. Women were treated and cared equally historically and traditionally by Sri Lankans with the religious backgrounds on equality to women by Lord ‘Buddha’ by giving equal position in the Buddha ‘Sasana’ after ordination. Sanagamitta” who brought the Boo sapling to us is ever remembered by Sri Lankans and Buddhists world over.

Chief Justice – a woman

In Labour, education, employment, and many productive and popular sectors women in Sri Lanka are in the lead performing may be better than men counterparts. Sri Lanka has shown above any other nation in the globe equality in treating women equally unlike many countries with restrictions to women. Madam Shirani Bannaraneike has been the Chief Justice with many female Supreme Court Judges the Attorney General, Legal Draftsman, and many judicial appointments were held by women with large number of lady lawyers in the Bar. Majority of lawyers are women in excellent positions in public and private sector. Currently there are four sitting members of Parliament in the parliament from either party with the Secretary General once held by a woman having performed the job exceptionally well. These few examples show that women in Sri Lanka Is treated equally and with their performances not second to men in any respect. 70% labour within 52.1% are women in the woman percentage of 67% showing the productivity and the sacrifice made to the family and the nation. Women in the Middle East is treated differently due to religious practices and in the Indian sub continent the situation is no better with domestic violence, ill treatment and unequal treatment despite the fact that  India  produced a lady Prime Minister. 6.7 million Domestic workers are in Arabian countries with 80/% women –many Sri Lankans going through immense hardships from the employers due to lack of training, not having proper contracts and less supervision from the Sri Lankan embassies expected to supervise the wellbeing of the Sri Lankan community. Sri Lanka must take a policy decision on the domestic employment as the families are broken down and the children are at the risk of even from their won relations and friends we come across in media. There are many ladies in detention centres in Embassies and prisons in host countries. Today due to Covid 19 some are homeless in Middle East countries, living in parks and roadside with no proper shelter of income. They were a main source of our income once in place of traditional crops which are now replaced by now kinds or revenue such as apparels, export of crops, tourism, IT field ect. We have sent our mothers and sisters for   employment in Middle East when we need them most for agriculture development and industries and industry which is booming today. It is high time to take a comprehensive plan and a policy decision in the interest of women and children stranded in host countries. Among professionals 64% are women and out of professors and lecturers 336588 are women and men comprises of only 174644 showing the women power. In labour forces too women are in the majority with more females in labour force than men. Women in sports are in high positions with Susanthika” obtaining the Olympic Gold Medal and the women cricket team ever improving. We have women in Police, Army and to our pride there is a women DIG against whom a group of male senior police officers have filed a fundamental rights case. Woman DIG may use the same article to find the way for her success to confirm as the first women DIG Ms Bimshani Jasin Arachchie who has been doing a yeoman service to women and chidden who is now fighting a legal battle hold on to the position. With all these pleasant stories there are unpleasant sides of the plight of women in the areas of family life, domestic violence, on prostitution, rounding up on suspicion to be in massage clinics and offers on prostitution by organized criminals using innocent women in employment and students. FB and social media is playing a pivot role in endangering innocent women as prey for the playful men resulting disasters and break up of marriages. There are 40, thousand prostitutes active with 44% pregnant women undergoing domestic violence in the hands of husbands and boyfriends. These are dark sides or our women who should be credited to bring foreign exchange from employment abroad and here with her sweat is commendable. What about the great women in front lines fighting against Covid with a comparatively good success rate? Sirimova Bandaraneika, Srima dissanayake who attempted to succeed her late husband’s Gamini, Jayanthi Utampala first lady Sri Lankan to reach Mount Everest, Marine de Levera winner of international winner on awards on courage, Otara Gunawardena founder of ODEL, Geetha Illaperuma of Rajagedera Pannipitiya owner of a top restaurant, both top entrepreneurs,  Dr Sudrashani  Fernandopullie State Minister, Dr Seetah Aramabapola State Ministerr, Vijara Chithrasena, Dr Prasenthi Mendis world renowned musician, Mrs Nonis former leader of the House wives Association, Shiranthi Rajapaksa Rosy senanayaka,  Aruni rajapaksa nee Samarawikrama all former beauty Queens, Damayanthi Perera a famous expert of food and hygiene , Indra Ghandi, Marget thather , Angila Markel Lady Shaka Lubna from UAE who visited Sri Lanka with a trade mission are some famous names to be remembered by Sri Lankans on the world women’s day today. Viharamadevi, Queen Kuvani, Somawathis devi, are fondly remembered with late Ruckmini Devi and Malini Fonseka are fondly remembered.

In the west young leave home for independence early in life unlike in Sri Lanka mother insists in living with children until maturity. In Sri Lanka the situation is different. For a Sri Lankan mother child is her child even maturity and it is the duty of the children to look after parents until they peacefully depart, with the strength on the mother as the live wire always. In west mother is seen with flowers on mother’s day in Sri Lanka it is the duty of the children to look after parents which is the strong culture due to the bond created by mother with the family. In Sri Lankan culture and way of life husband is the head of the family but always it is the mother’s word that prevails on all the matters indicating the position held by the woman in the family and the society. Motherhood is the biggest gamble in the world would need to take the child forward to the most beautiful world, and the way  a child is develop can be largely attributed to the role them other plays.

Sri Lankan women were in leading positions at all times in all fields even when the west took long for women to reach the limelight. Adelin Molamura was elected to the Parliament in 1931 when UK was considering to give adult franchise to women. Queen Elizabeth visited Sri Lanka which has been a celebrated event to all Sri Lankans. There were number of world leaders held positions including Sirimova Bandaraneike, Indra Gandi, Magret Thatcher, Vigda Finogdotta Iceland, Angaal Marke Germany, Cillia Johsn Siveaf of  Liberai, are some one time world leaders held the prestigious positions successfully as leading able women. But the situation in Sri Lanka today is sad and pathetic. Elderly women are helpless on roads and ill  equipped home of elders when in the UK there is an excellent scheme in practice with the cooperation of the local bodies and NHS an ideal system to be followed in Sri Lanka. Bitter news on Devi children’s home and the stories on elders in the road and elder homes are worrying.

Today 100 counters celebrates the women’s day for gender equality  seeking equality and against  suppression from families , husbands and oppressions due to family customs such as honour killings in Pakistan and  female circumcision in African countries which are unhealthy  inhuman and cruel. Due to world trends women grouped and organized together and in1908 15000 women marched towards demanding equality, which subsequently y taken over by UN at 65^th session on the status of omen. Today women are organized and celebrating the day worldwide. Sri Lankan Embassy in Israel celebrated the women’s day in 2014 Malini Forsake and Geetha Illeperuma” making the speeches on main themes. The theme of the day is a challenged world is an alert world” and we are responsible for our own action. In 2014 Consumer Affairs Authority organized women’s day with the help of Mrs Rajis Nonis and Sri Lanka house wife’s association and it is a pity that women in Sri Lanka is forgotten today suggesting groups to celebrate this at least next year. It is time for women in Sri Lanka to face challenges being alert to the challenges faced by women and the country over on all fronts, there are personal challenges on women by media, society and perpetrators includes employers and people with disturbed abnormalities with abnormal mind-sets thereby a women is to be alert all the time in life and future developments. Let us assist our women including our mother wife and sisters for a prosperous and peaceful life in the successful post covid society. Let us celebrate a better and happier women’s day in 2022 with colours.

Courtesy Thuppahi’s Blog

Lord Michael Naseby, in Island, 5 March 2021, where the title is Lord Naseby asks why Adele not prosecuted in UK for child recruitment”

Lord Naseby President of the UK all party British-Sri Lanka Parliamentary group, has questioned the failure on the part of the UK to prosecute senior LTTE leader Adela Balasingham, wife of the outfit’s late theoretician Anton Balasingham. Lord Naseby said that Adele, who had been involved with the LTTE for several decades, was responsible for recruitment and deployment of child soldiers.

The following is the text of the statement issued by Lord Naseby in response to the UK statement at the Human Rights Council by Lord Tariq Ahmad on Feb 25:

I am astounded how the UK or any other Member of the Core Group can possibly welcome the High Commissioner’s so called ‘detailed and most comprehensive report on Sri Lanka’ when it is riddled with totally unsubstantiated allegations and statements completely ignoring the huge effort to restore infrastructure and rehouse displaced Tamils and Muslims, who lost their homes due to the Tamil Tigers.

Furthermore, I question how the UK Government knowingly and apparently consciously withheld vital evidence from the despatches of the UK military attaché Col. Gash. Evidence I obtained from a Freedom of Information request, resisted by the Foreign Office at every stage for over 2 years. These dispatches from an experienced and dedicated senior British officer in the field makes it clear that the Sri Lankan armed forces at every level acted and behaved appropriately, trying hard not to harm any Tamil civilians who were held by the Tamil Tigers as hostages in a human shield.

This conscious decision totally undermines the UK‘s standing as an objective Leader of the Core Group; made even worse by the impunity for not prosecuting the LTTE leader living in the UK, largely responsible for recruiting, training and deploying over 5,000 Child Soldiers – a real War Crime. It is time that the UK Government acknowledges and respects the recommendations of the Paranagama Commission, which involved several international expert advisers, including from the UK – Sir Desmond de Silva QC, Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, Rodney Dixon QC and Major General John Holmes. Sri Lanka and the UK should be honouring the recommendations of the Paranagama Commission, which provides real evidence over all the years of the conflict, rather than just focussing on uncorroborated claims during a few months in 2009, only when the war concluded.

Furthermore, the criticism of the way Covid has been handled with no burials for anyone based entirely on scientific advice at a time when there was no advice from WHO shows no understanding. Following the scientific advice from WHO and Sri Lanka’s scientists, burials are now permitted. The UN ignores the fact that only about 400 people on a population of 22m have sadly died in Sri Lanka, whereas no less than 120,000+ have died in the UK with a population of 66 million. By any yardstick Sri Lanka has been more successful at saving lives than any member of the Core Group.

It seems to me that the Core Group needs to have more faith in the reconciliation structures already on the ground such as the Office of Missing Persons and the Office of Reparations. If the UN Core Group really wants to help, then why cannot the UK, Canada and Germany release to Sri Lanka the names of all asylum seekers since the war so that they can be checked against the list of Missing Persons and be removed from the master list?

During the period of the Sirisena/Wickremesinghe government, draft legislation for a Truth & Reconciliation Commission was prepared and the current government should be given the time and space, whilst also handling the pandemic, to introduce its own TRC mechanism. Britain should stand in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka as a unique TRC is developed and is implemented. Reconciliation cannot be externally forced on to the people of Sri Lanka. It must come from within and I would also urge the diaspora communities living in the Core Group countries to also trust, engage with and contribute towards Sri Lanka’s reconciliation processes.

It is for Sri Lanka to decide how much help they seek from outside but for me I doubt the need or the efficacy of the UNHRC being able to help in an enhanced monitoring role as proposed.”

    ****  ****

EDITORIAL NOTE: In step with this SET of Accusations, all concerned should view the BBC film presented in 1991  with the title Suicide Killers” after filming in the territory of Thamililam — a film that includes a meaningful and vivid Passing Out Ceremony of female Tiger soldiers supervised by a Female Tiger Officer with Adele Balasingham as an uniformed and key officer among those placing the kuppi (cyanide suicide pill of commitment) around the neck of  females become-trained-Tigresses.

ALSO SEE

• https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19472490903387191
• Michael Roberts: Killing Rajiv Gandhi: Dhanu’s sacrificial metamorphosis in death,” South Asian History & Culture, 2009, vol 1/1,  pp. 25-45 …. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19472490903387191

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

ශ්‍රී ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාවේ 70 වැනි සංවත්සරය නිමිත්තෙන් සංවිධානය කළ ගුවන් සංදර්ශනයේ (Air Show) සමාප්තිය අද 2021.03.05 පස්වරුවේ ගරු අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතාගේ  ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් ගාලු මුවදොර දී පැවැත්විණි.

දින තුනක් පුරා පැවැති මෙම ගුවන් සංදර්ශනය පසුගිය 03 වැනිදා ආරම්භ විය. ශ්‍රී ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව සහ ඉන්දියානු ගුවන් හමුදාව එක්ව සංදර්ශනය සංවිධානය කළේය.

සමාප්ති උත්සවයට පැමිණි අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතා ගුවන් හමුදාපති එයාර් මාර්ෂල් සුදර්ශන පතිරණ මහතා විසින් පිළිගනු ලැබුවේය.

1951 මාර්තු 02 වැනි දින රාජකීය ගුවන් හමුදාව ලෙස ස්ථාපිත වූ ශ්‍රී ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව 1972 මැයි මස 22 වැනිදා ශ්‍රී ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව බවට පත්විය.

සුරකිමු ලකඹර තේමාව සිය මුඛ්‍ය පරමාර්ථය කොටගත් ගුවන් හමුදාව තිස් වසරක් තිස්සේ මෙරට පැවැති ත්‍රස්තවාදී යුද ගිනි නිවා දැමීමේ මානුෂීය මෙහෙයුමට සිය සක්‍රීය දායකත්වය ලබා දුන්නේය.

ගුවන් සංදර්ශනය නැරඹීමට අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය ආර්යා ශිරන්ති රාජපක්ෂ, රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය කනක හේරත්, අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය කාර්ය මණ්ඩල ප්‍රධානී යෝෂිත රාජපක්ෂ මහත්ම මහත්මීන් ඇතුළු පිරිසක් එක්ව සිටියහ.

Prime Minister’s Media Unit

The Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, and the Chief of Air Staff of the Bangladesh Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Masihuzzaman Serniabat, called on Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees last evening.

Both heads of the Air Force are visiting Sri Lanka to attend the 70th Anniversary Celebrations of the Sri Lanka Air Force.

The Pakistani and Bangladeshi delegations spoke to the Prime Minister about providing training for Air Force officers as well as assisting each other with technical requirements that arise.

Air Chief Marshal Khan said that his visit to Sri Lanka shortly after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit last week augments, strengthens and enhances the relationship” between the two countries. We stand by shoulder-to-shoulder [with Sri Lanka],” he said.

Air Chief Marshal Serniabat of Bangladesh spoke about the close ties between the two countries and the two Air Forces. We stand with our friends,” he said.

The topic of cricket also came up in the conversation with the Pakistan Air Chief Marshal. We’re very thankful to Sri Lanka for reviving our cricket,” Air Chief Marshal Khan said, noting that when the Sri Lankan team toured Pakistan in December 2019, it helped boost confidence of other teams to play in Pakistan once again.

Sri Lanka Cricket’s 2019 tour of Pakistan was the first international test match Pakistan hosted since the 2009 terrorist attack on the bus carrying the Sri Lankan team.      

In other topics, the two Chiefs of Air Staff also discussed the COVID-19 situation in their countries, economic revival in the post-COVID era, regional cooperation and tourism

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

පාකිස්තානයේ ගුවන් හමුදාවේ ගුවන් හමුදා ප්‍රධානී එයාර් චීෆ් මාර්ෂල් මුජාහිඩ් අන්වර් ඛාන් සහ බංග්ලාදේශ ගුවන් හමුදා ප්‍රධානී එයාර් චීෆ් මාර්ෂල් මසිහුසාමාන් සර්නියාබාත් මහත්වරු ඊයේ 2021.03.04 පස්වරුවේ අරලියගහ මන්දිරයේ දී ගරු අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතා හමුවූහ.

ශ්‍රී ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාවේ 70 වැනි සංවත්සර සැමරුමට සහභාගී වීම සඳහා පකිස්තාන හා බංග්ලාදේශ ගුවන් හමුදා ප්‍රධානීන් දෙදෙනා ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට පැමිණ සිටිති.

පාකිස්තානය සහ බංග්ලාදේශයේ ගුවන් හමුදා ප්‍රධානීහු ලංකාවට අවශ්‍ය තාක්ෂණික සහයන් ලබාදීමට මෙන්ම මෙරට ගුවන් හමුදා නිලධාරීන්ට ලබා දිය හැකි පුහුණු පාඨමාලා පිළිබඳව ද අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයාට සැල කර සිටියහ.

පසුගිය සතියේ පාකිස්තාන අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය ඉම්රාන් ඛාන් මහතාගේ සංචාරයෙන් දින කිහිපයකට පසු ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ සංචාරය කිරීමට ලැබීම දෙරට අතර සබඳතා වර්ධනය, ශක්තිමත් කිරීම සහ වැඩි දියුණු කිරීමක්”යැයි පකිස්තාන  ගුවන් හමුදා ප්‍රධානී එයාර් චීෆ් මාර්ෂල් මුජාහිඩ් අන්වර් ඛාන් මහතා පැවසීය.

අපි ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සමඟ උරෙන් උර ගැටී සිටිමු” යැයි හෙතම සඳහන් කළේය.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සහ බංගලදේශ ගුවන් හමුදාවන් අතර ඇති සමීප සබඳතා ගැන අදහස් පළ කළ බංග්ලාදේශ ගුවන් හමුදා ප්‍රධානී එයාර් චීෆ් මාර්ෂල් සර්නියාබාත් මහතා අපි අපේ මිතුරන් සමඟ එකමුතුව සිටිනවා” යැයි අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා හමුවේ පැවසීය.

පාකිස්තාන ගුවන් හමුදා ප්‍රධානී සමඟ වූ සංවාදයේදී ක්‍රිකට්  මාතෘකාව ද මතු විය.

පකිස්තානයේ ක්‍රිකට් ක්‍රීඩාව නැවත නගා සිටුවීමට ශ්‍රී ලංකාව කළ මෙහෙයට ස්තුතිවන්ත වෙනවා” යැයි කී එයාර් චීෆ් මාෂල් ඛාන් මහතා,  2019 දෙසැම්බර් මාසයේදී ශ්‍රී ලංකා ක්‍රිකට් කණ්ඩායම පාකිස්තානයේ සංචාරය කිරීම ලොව සෙසු රටවල්වලට පකිස්තානයේ ක්‍රීඩා කිරීම සඳහා විශ්වාසය ඇතිකිරීමට ඉවහල් වූ බව කියා සිටියේය.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

මේ වසර අවසන්වන විට මෙරට විදුලිය ලබා දීමේ වැඩ පිළිවෙල සියයට සියයකින් අවසන් කිරීමට බලාපෙරොත්තු වෙනවා යැයි ගරු අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතා අද 2021.03.05 දින පෙරවරුවේ පැවසීය.

කෙරවළපිටියේ ඉඳිවන ලංකාවේ පළමු ස්වභාවික ද්‍රව වායු (LNG) විදුලි බලාගාරය සඳහා මුල්ගල තැබීමේ අවස්ථාවට එක්වෙමින් අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා මේ බව අවධාරණය කළේය.

ජාතික විදුලිබල පද්ධතියට මෙගාවොට් 350ක් එක්වන මෙම විදුලි බලාගාරයේ පළමු අදියරේ කටයුතු මාස 21ක් තුළ නිමා කිරීමට නියමිතය. එම අදියරේ දී මෙගාවොට් 220ක් ද තවත් මාස 12ක් තුළ අවසන්වන මෙම ව්‍යාපෘතියේ දෙවැනි අදියරේ දී මෙගාවොට් 130ක් ද ජාතික විදුලිබල පද්ධතියට එක්වීමට නියමිතය.

පළමු ස්වභාවික ද්‍රව වායු (LNG) විදුලි බලාගාරය සඳහා මුල්ගල තැබීමෙන් අනතුරුව අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා කළ සම්පූර්ණ කතාව මෙසේය.

අප රට භාරගෙන ටික දවසක් යන්න කළින් කොරෝනා වසංගතයට” මූණ දෙන්න වුණා. බලවත් රටවල්වලට වඩා හොඳින් අපි එය කළමනාකරණය කළා. ඉන් නොනැවතී අප ඉදිරියේ පවතින සියලු අභියෝගවලටද වගකීමෙන් යුතුව මුහුණ දෙනවා.

පසුගිය යහපාලන ආණ්ඩුව සංවර්ධන කටයුතු කළේ නැහැ. අපි ආරම්භ කළ සංවර්ධන ව්‍යාපෘතීනුත් නතර කළා. වසර 5කට ආසන්න කාලයක් රට සංවර්ධනයෙන් ආපස්සට ගියා.

රටත් ජනතාවත් වෙනුවෙන් අප නැවතත් සංවර්ධනයේ යෝධ පිම්ම ආරම්භ කරල ඉවරයි.

ලෝකෙම අද තීන්දු ගන්නේ බලශක්තියට ප්‍රමුඛතාවය දීලා. ඒ තරමට අපේ ජීවිතවලට බලශක්තිය වැදගත්.

බලශක්ති ක්ෂේත්‍රයේ සිදු විය හැකි අර්බුද ගොඩක් කළින් දැක්ක නිසයි ජල විදුලිය ගැන පමණක් විශ්වාස නොතබා ගල්අඟුරු බලාගාරය නොරොච්චෝලේ අපි ඉදිකළේ. ඒකට විවිධ කතා කිව්වත්, කටකතා හැදුවත් පසුගිය කාලයේ ඇති වූ මහා නියඟයන් ජයගන්න ඒක මහා පිටු බලයක් වුණා.

අපි එතනින් නැවතුණේ නෑ. සුළං බලාගාර, තාප බලාගාර සහ පසුගියදා විවෘත කළ ඝණ අපද්‍රව්‍ය බලාගාරය වගේම  සූර්ය ශක්තිය මගින්ද දේශය බලගන්වන වැඩ පිළිවෙල දියත්කළා. ජනතාවට අඩු වියදමින් විදුලිය ලබා දීමටයි අපි මේ හැමදේම කරන්නේ. ‍

ලෝකයේ පවතින ඉහළම තාක්ෂණය යොදාගෙන අද සිට ඉදිවන්නේ මෙගාවොට් 350ක ස්වභාවික ද්‍රව වායු (LNG) විදුලි බලාගාරයයි. මේක මේ රටේ බලශක්ති නිෂ්පාදනයේ යෝධ පිම්මක්.

අපි හැමවිටම ලංකාවේ බලශක්ති නිපදවීම් සඳහා නව ක්‍රමවලට ගියා. ප්‍රථම ගල් අඟුරු බලාගාරය, ප්‍රථම තාප බලාගාරය, ප්‍රථම සුළං බලාගාරය, ඒ විතරක් නෙවෙයි පසුගියදා අපි විවෘත කළේ ප්‍රථම ඝණ අපද්‍රව්‍ය බලාගාරයයි.

මේ වන විට අපි අපේ විදුලිබල පද්ධතිය පෝෂණය කරමින් සිටිනවා. අද මේ බලාගාරය අරඹන්නෙත් ලංකාවේ ප්‍රථම ද්‍රව වායු (LNG) බලාගාරය ලෙසයි. අපි ප්‍රථමයා වුණේ වැඩවලින් මිස කථාවෙන් නොවෙයි.  අපේ රජයන් පුරුදු වෙලා ඉන්නේ වැඩ කරන්නයි. ජනතාව අපෙන් ඒක බලාපොරොත්තු වෙනවා. ඒකයි අපිට බලය දෙන්නේ.

මේ  බලාගාරය මාස 21ක් වැනි කාලයක් තුළ පළමු අදියර නිමා කරන බව විදුලිබල අමාත්‍යංශය මා සමග පැවසුවා. පළමු අදියරේදි මෙගා වොට් 220ක් එමගින් නිපදවීමට අපේක්ෂා කරනවා.

නිදහස් අධ්‍යාපනයෙන් පෝෂණය වූ අතිදක්ෂ දේශීය ඉංජිනේරුවන් ගැන විශ්වාසය තියල ඔවුන්ට සම්පූර්ණ වගකීම පැවරුවොත් එය ඉටු කරන්න පුළුවන්. දෙවන අදියර වසරකින් අවසන් කරනවා. දෙවන අදියර මගින් මෙගා වොට් 130ක් නිපදවීමට අපේක්ෂා කරනවා. ඉදිරි වසර 4 තුළ මෙරට බලශක්ති අවශ්‍යතාව සම්පූර්ණයෙන් සපයන්න අපි කටයුතු කරනවා.

අද කෙරවලපිටියේ ඉදිකිරීම් අරඹන පරිසර හිතකාමී ස්වභාවික ද්‍රව වායු (LNG)  විදුලි බලාගාරය මෙරට විදුලි ඉල්ලුමෙන් 13%ක් සම්පූර්ණ කරනවා. මේක තමයි රටක දියුණුව කියන්නේ. අපි සංවර්ධනයේදී ජාතික ප්‍රමුඛ අවශ්‍යතා හඳුනා ගත යුතුයි.

එහෙම නැතුව එක එක්කෙනාගේ පෞද්ගලික අවශ්‍යතා මත ජාතික වැඩ පිළිවලක් ගොඩනගන්න බෑ.

අපි රට බාරගෙන කෙටි කාලයකින් විදුලි බලාගාර 03ක් ජාතියට දායාද කරල ඉවරයි. වැඩ ආරම්භ කරල අතරමග නවතා දමපු, කිසිවක් දේශපාලන පටු පරමාර්ථයෙන් නවත්වන්නේ නෑ. ඒ සියල්ල ඊටත් වඩා හොඳින් කඩිනමින් අවසන් කිරීම අපේ දැක්ම වෙලා තියෙන්නේ.

විදුලිබිල අඩු කරමින් ජනතා සහනය ලබාදීමට මේ මගින් හැකි වෙනවා. වේගවත් සංවර්ධනයේ නියමුවා බලශක්තිය බව ලෝකය ඉදිරියේ අද ඔප්පු කරල හමාරයි. අඛණ්ඩ විදුලි සැපයුම රජයක වගකීමක් ලෙස මම දකිනවා.

ලං.වී.ම(ලංකා විදුලිබල මණ්ඩලය) ජනහදට ලංවීමට මෙවැනි ව්‍යාපෘති විශාල පිටිවහලක් වෙනවා. ඒකට අපි සූදානම්.

අපි මේ වන විට මේ රටේ 99.8%කට විදුලිය ලබා දිලා තියෙනවා. තව අපිට ඉතුරුවෙලා ඉන්නේ 84 000ක් පමණ පිරිසක්. අපි මේ වසර අවසන්වන විට මෙරට විදුලි ලබා දීමේ වැඩ පිළිවෙල 100% කින් අවසන් කිරීමට බලාපොරොත්තු වෙනවා.

පහුගිය කාළේ අපිට මතකයි මොනතරම් විදුලි කප්පාදු විම් සිදුවුණාද කියලා, ඔවුන්ට ඒ කිසිවක් ගැන හැඟීමක් තිබුණ කියල පෙනුනෙ නෑ. තාක්ෂණය මගින් විදුලිය සම්බන්ධ සියලු ගැටළු පාරිභෝගිකයාව දැනුවත් කිරීමට පහසුකම් සැලසීමත් අපි ආරම්භ කළේ අනාගතයේ වේගවත් සංවර්ධන සඳහා බලශක්තිය අත්‍යවශ්‍ය වෙන නිසයි.

මිනිසාගේ මූලික අවශ්‍යතා ලේඛනයේ මුල් අංක අතරට විදුලිබලය තීන්දුවෙලා තියන මොහොතක අපේ ඩලස් අලහප්පෙරුම ඇමතිතුමා විදුලි වේගෙන් වැඩකරන එක අපිට මහත් ශක්තියක්.

මහින්ද චින්තන” ඉදිරි දැක්ම යථාර්ථයක් කරමින් සෞභාග්‍යයේ දැක්ම” තුළින් වැඩකරන රටක් උරුමකර දීම අපගේ එකම අභිලාශයයි.

ඔබ සැමට තෙරුවන් සරණයි! යැයි අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා පැවසීය.

මෙම අවස්ථාවට විදුලිබල අමාත්‍ය ඩලස් අලහප්පෙරුම, පුනර්ජනනීය බලශක්ති රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය දුමින්ද දිසානායක, රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යවරුන්වන සුසිල් ප්‍රේමජයන්ත, නිමල් ලන්සා, විදුලිබල අමාත්‍යංශයේ ලේකම් වසන්තා පෙරේරා, ලංකා විදුලිබල මණ්ඩලයේ සභාපති ඉංජිනේරු විජිත හේරත්, ලක්දනවි සමාගමේ සභාපති ඉංජිනේරු යූ.ඩී ජයවර්ධන මහත්ම මහත්මීන් ඇතුළු පිරිසක් එක්ව සිටියහ.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

සී/ස ලංකා ගොඩනැගිලි ද්‍රව්‍ය සංස්ථාවේ කොළඹ 12 සංඝරාජ මාවතේ පිහිටි නවීකරණය කරන ලද සුපිරි වෙළඳ සංකීර්ණය ගරු අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතා අද 2021.03.05 දින පෙරවරුවේ විවෘත කළේය.

සෞභාග්‍යයේ දැක්ම සංකල්පය යටතේ දේශීය නිෂ්පාදන ආර්ථිකයට රට පෙළගැස්වීමේ කාර්යය වඩාත් ශක්තිමත් කිරීමේ අරමුණ ඇතිව මෙම සුපිරි වෙළඳ සංකීර්ණය නවීකරණය කර තිබේ.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා වෙළඳ සංකීර්ණය විවෘත කිරීම සංකේතවත් කරමින් එහි වූ සමරු ඵලකය නිරාවරණය කරමින් පීත්ත පටිය කපා නව ගොඩනැගිලි පරිශ්‍රයට ඇතුළු විය.

ලෝක ජනාවාස දිනය වෙනුවෙන් සී/ස ලංකා ගොඩනැගිලි ද්‍රව්‍ය සංස්ථාවේ සේවක මහත්ම මහත්මීන්ගේ දරු දැරියන් වෙනුවෙන් පැවැත්වූ චිත්‍ර තරගය ජයග්‍රහණය කළ දරුවන්ට අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා අතින් ත්‍යාග හා සහතික ප්‍රදානය කෙරිණි.

අනතුරව සී/ස ලංකා ගොඩනැගිලි ද්‍රව්‍ය සංස්ථාවේ නවීකරණය කළ සුපිරි වෙළඳ සංකීර්ණයේ වෙළඳ ප්‍රදර්ශන කුටි අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමාගේ නිරීක්ෂණයට ලක්විය.

මෙම අවස්ථාවට ග්‍රාමීය නිවාස සහ ඉදිකිරීම් හා ගොඩනැගිලි ද්‍රව්‍ය කර්මාන්ත ප්‍රවර්ධන රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය ඉන්දික අනුරුද්ධ,  සී/ස ලංකා ගොඩනැගිලි ද්‍රව්‍ය සංස්ථාවේ සභාපති මහේන්ද්‍ර විජේසේකර, සාමාන්‍යධිකාරී දිලුම් රත්නායක මහත්වරු ඇතුළු පිරිසක් එක්ව සිටියහ.

Courtesy Ceylon Today

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said a proposal has been issued to construct three railway lines covering the suburbs of Colombo to reduce traffic congestion.

The proposed railway lines will be constructed as follows; Ragama to Kirulapone via Colombo Fort; Moratuwa to Kelaniya via Piliyandala and Narahenpita; Kottawa to Hunupitiya via Pannipitiya and Thalawathugoda.

Prime Minister Rajapaksa additionally mentioned that in implementing this project, priority should be given to fulfilling the needs of the people.

This railway project is to be implemented in several stages in the future.

Courtesy The Island

Lord Naseby President of the UK all party British-Sri Lanka Parliamentary group has questioned the failure on the part of the UK to prosecute senior LTTE leader Adela Balasingham, wife of the outfit’s late theoretician Anton Balasingham. Lord Naseby said that Adele, who had been involved with the LTTE for several decades, was responsible for recruitment and deployment of child soldiers.

The following is the text of the statement issued by Lord Naseby in response to the UK statement at the Human Rights Council by Lord Tariq Ahmad on Feb 25:

I am astounded how the UK or any other Member of the Core Group can possibly welcome the High Commissioner’s so called ‘detailed and most comprehensive report on Sri Lanka’ when it is riddled with totally unsubstantiated allegations and statements completely ignoring the huge effort to restore infrastructure and rehouse displaced Tamils and Muslims, who lost their homes due to the Tamil Tigers.

Furthermore, I question how the UK Government knowingly and apparently consciously withheld vital evidence from the despatches of the UK military attaché Col. Gash. Evidence I obtained from a Freedom of Information request, resisted by the Foreign Office at every stage for over 2 years. These dispatches from an experienced and dedicated senior British officer in the field makes it clear that the Sri Lankan armed forces at every level acted and behaved appropriately, trying hard not to harm any Tamil civilians who were held by the Tamil Tigers as hostages in a human shield.

This conscious decision totally undermines the UK‘s standing as an objective Leader of the Core Group; made even worse by the impunity for not prosecuting the LTTE leader living in the UK, largely responsible for recruiting, training and deploying over 5,000 Child Soldiers – a real War Crime. It is time that the UK Government acknowledges and respects the recommendations of the Paranagama Commission, which involved several international expert advisers, including from the UK – Sir Desmond de Silva QC, Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, Rodney Dixon QC and Major General John Holmes. Sri Lanka and the UK should be honouring the recommendations of the Paranagama Commission, which provides real evidence over all the years of the conflict, rather than just focussing on uncorroborated claims during a few months in 2009, only when the war concluded.

Furthermore, the criticism of the way Covid has been handled with no burials for anyone based entirely on scientific advice at a time when there was no advice from WHO shows no understanding. Following the scientific advice from WHO and Sri Lanka’s scientists, burials are now permitted. The UN ignores the fact that only about 400 people on a population of 22m have sadly died in Sri Lanka, whereas no less than 120,000+ have died in the UK with a population of 66 million. By any yardstick Sri Lanka has been more successful at saving lives than any member of the Core Group.

It seems to me that the Core Group needs to have more faith in the reconciliation structures already on the ground such as the Office of Missing Persons and the Office of Reparations. If the UN Core Group really wants to help, then why cannot the UK, Canada and Germany release to Sri Lanka the names of all asylum seekers since the war so that they can be checked against the list of Missing Persons and be removed from the master list?

During the period of the Sirisena/Wickremesinghe government, draft legislation for a Truth & Reconciliation Commission was prepared and the current government should be given the time and space, whilst also handling the pandemic, to introduce its own TRC mechanism. Britain should stand in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka as a unique TRC is developed and is implemented. Reconciliation cannot be externally forced on to the people of Sri Lanka. It must come from within and I would also urge the diaspora communities living in the Core Group countries to also trust, engage with and contribute towards Sri Lanka’s reconciliation processes.

It is for Sri Lanka to decide how much help they seek from outside but for me I doubt the need or the efficacy of the UNHRC being able to help in an enhanced monitoring role as proposed.”

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

China will endorse a US $ 500 million loan and a currency swap arrangement of two billion Yuan (around US $ 600 million) within the next couple of weeks, informed sources said.

Sri Lankan ambassador to China Dr. Palitha Kohona held talks with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui on Wednesday and discussed bilateral cooperation covering a wide range of areas. Sri Lanka has sought financial cooperation from China.

Mr. Luo oversees China’s relations in the Asian region. According to a sources, the US $ 500 million is to be approved by the Bank of China within the next two weeks. Besides, the currency swap facility will be approved by People’s Bank of China which is the central bank of that country.

China also asserted once again that it would stand by Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

Also, Dr, Kohona and the Vice Minister discussed the expedition of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries. The FTA negotiations were launched during the 2010/2015 government led by Mahinda Rajapaksa as the then president.

The previous Yahapalana government also made arrangements to proceed with the talks.(KELUM BANDARA)

Courtesy Hiru News

President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa says that the challenges that extend beyond the borders can be successfully faced through genuine international cooperation.

The President was speaking at the Presidential Colours Ceremony held at the Katunayake Air Force Base this morning.

President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa presented colours to two squadrons of the Air Force in recognition of their outstanding service to the nation.

The President’s Media Division stated that the President presented colors to the No. 5 Fighter Squadron and the No. 6 Transport Helicopter Squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force.

After the awarding ceremony, President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa also inspected the Katunayake Base Air Force Base.

Courtesy Hiru News

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says that a crisis has arisen in the country due to the lack of a proper method for administering the covid vaccine.

The Leader of the Opposition made this remark while participating in the 50th Mobile Service held in Bloemendhal, Colombo North.

Courtesy Adaderana

Courtesy Adaderana

Construction of the Lakdhanavi Liquified Natural Gas Power Plant in Kerawalapitiya, was flagged off this morning (March 05) by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

On completion, LNG Power Plant is set to become the first of its kind in the country.

Construction of the power plant will be completed in two phases with the first phase to be concluded in 21 months.

The national grid will get an additional 220 megawatts of power from the LNG Power Plant, and it is expected to provide cheaper power, with savings of up to Rs. 15 per unit.

According to Minister of Power Dullas Alahapperuma, this would calculate to annual savings of Rs. 12 billion.

Completion of the second phase will add further 130 megawatts to the national grid and increase the plant’s total capacity to 350 megawatts.

The total cost of the project is USD 150 million.

In the meantime, Premier Rajapaksa, speaking during the event, said the government plant to complete all stalled projects faster and better than expected and not halt them halfway due to narrow political objectives.

Courtesy Adaderana

Sri Lanka registered 156 more positive cases of COVID-19 today (March 05) as total novel coronavirus infections reported within the day reached 493.

Department of Government Information says 325 of today’s cases are close contacts of earlier cases linked to the Peliyagoda cluster.

Thirteen others were detected from the prison cluster and the remaining 12 were identified as arrivals from foreign countries.

New development has pushed the country’s confirmed COVID-19 cases count to 84,960.

According to COVID-19 figures, 3,146 active cases are still under medical care at selected hospitals and treatment centres.

Meanwhile, total recoveries reported in the country now stand at 81,321.

Sri Lanka has also witnessed 493 fatalities due to the outbreak of the pandemic.

Courtesy Adaderana

Four new COVID-related deaths have been confirmed by the Director-General of Health Services today (March 05).

The new development has pushed the total lives claimed by the pandemic outbreak to 493.

1. A 39-year-old man from Atala area – He had been transferred to Kandy National Hospital after testing positive for the virus while at Kegalle District Hospital. He passed away today due to severe kidney damages and COVID pneumonia.

2. A 67-year-old man from Colombo 08 area – He was initially under medical care at a private hospital in Colombo and was moved to Homagama Base Hospital after testing positive for the virus. He succumbed to COVID pneumonia, acute diabetes and kidney disease today.

3. An 81-year-old man from Colombo 10 – He was transferred to Homagama Base Hospital after testing positive for the virus at the Colombo National Hospital. He had been suffering from COVID pneumonia, high blood pressure, acute diabetes and heart disease at the time of his death today.

4. An 84-year-old woman from Rajagiriya area – Upon testing positive for novel coronavirus, she was moved from Colombo National Hospital to Mulleriyawa Base Hospital where she died today. The cause of death was recorded as COVID- infection, acute kidney infection, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Courtesy Adaderana

The Court of Appeal has directed the Attorney General to present submissions on probes into the import of a large consignment of swords following the Easter Sunday terror attacks, in consultation with the Inspector General of Police and the Defence Secretary.

The petition filed by His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith seeking an impartial investigation on the alleged incident was taken up before Appeals Court judges Arjuna Obeysekara and Mayadunne Correa today (March 05).

Senior State Counsel Avanthi Perera who appeared on behalf of the Attorney General, said she also represents the IGP and Defence Secretary who were named as the respondents of the petition.

Accepting a request made by the Senior State Counsel, the judge bench permitted the respondents to present submissions on the progress of the investigations on March 31.

Legal counsel representing the Cardinal, President’s Counsel Sanjeewa Jayawardena meanwhile informed the court that the Presidential Secretariat recently handed over the report of the PCoI, which investigated the terror attacks, to his client.

Investigations have revealed that the swords were brought into the country by an individual named Mohamed Saththar on the orders of Mohamed Insaaf – the suicide bomber at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, the President’s Counsel said adding that nearly 600 swords of the consignment have been located.

He further pointed out that the swords which are yet to be located pose a threat to both national and public security.

Courtesy RT

(L) Portrait non daté de l’avocat algérien Me Ali Boumendjel alors âgé de 32 ans. © AFP PHOTO / ERIC FEFERBERG; (R) French troops holding back crowds in front of Government House, Algiers, during the Algerian War of Independence. © Stan Meagher / Express / Getty Images

French President Emmanuel Macron has formally admitted that his country’s forces tortured and murdered” Algerian freedom fighter Ali Boumendjel in 1957 during the nation’s war for independence in a meeting with his grandchildren.

Macron made the confession in the name of France” as he met with Boumendjel’s grandchildren on Tuesday, providing an honest and official explanation for his death over 60 years ago, which, until now, had been classed as a suicide.

A formal statement from France’s Elysee Palace confirmed that Boumendjel was placed incommunicado, tortured and then killed on 23 March 1957, after being detained during the battle of Algiers.

Boumendjel’s family have not issued a statement after Macron’s statement but, last month, his niece Fadela Boumendjel-Chitour decried France’s behavior as a devastating” lie.

Previously, the former head of French intelligence in Algiers, Paul Aussaresses, admitted that he ordered Boumendjel’s murder and the following cover-up. However, the country’s government had refused until now to confirm if that was true.ALSO ON RT.COMMacron rules out official apology for colonial abuses in Algeria despite calling colonization ‘crime against humanity’

The admission of guilt comes after Macron agreed to establish a truth commission” to investigate abuses that occurred in countries that were once controlled by France, including Algeria, in order to end the culture of denial” that has clouded the country’s colonial past.

While he has done more than previous presidents, Macron has caused anger in some communities for refusing to issue an official apology over what took place in Algeria on the orders of French forces and officials, declaring that there will be no repentance nor apologies.”

Macron has, instead, pledged to work to present symbolic acts” that are aimed at promoting reconciliation after the eight-year war between 1954-1962 strained relations between France and Algeria, with each side accused of committing significant atrocities.

Concerned citizens of Sri Lanka

To:              UNHRC member nations at the 46^th Sessions in Geneva, to be shared with your representatives at the meeting.

From:         Concerned citizens of the small and nonaligned nation of Sri Lanka dispersed around the world. (Author’s identity is withheld for personal safety.)

Date:           March 2, 2021

We seek support for the nonaligned, independent nation of Sri Lanka, and desire for consensus through a vote to preserve the sovereignty and independence of Sri Lanka that ended terrorism 12 years ago in 2009 after 30 years of suffering for all its people.  Also, to join in maintaining support for other small nations that number around thirty-five, that can be subject to persecution in place of assistance needed. With hard won peace, they are making progress although the UNHRC resolutions do not wish to recognize progress and choose a path of retribution instead.

Ignoring progress based on assumptions and unproven allegations, from unverified sources, the charter of assistance and support to small countries has become one of vengeance that can be influenced by hostile elements and hidden plans to target, destabilize, and occupy countries.    It is not necessary for UNHRC to rake up hatred while undermining the UN Charter when people are living freely within the country. Sri Lanka is not benefitted politically or militarily by targeting civilians.  It has proven evidence of saving civilians mostly from the Tamil minority.

The weapon used here is Human Rights” applied and interpreted as deemed necessary for the agenda of the divided UNHRC. Countries can solve their problems without interference or domination from bodies that do not have a mandate to do so.  The countries could be assisted with resources and with fair and equitable judgement instead.

The demands and proposed actions of the UNHRC and its Commissioner Michelle Bachelet are moving in a direction to violate the Human rights of all people of Sri Lanka including the Tamil People who consider themselves Sri Lankans living peacefully in the country.  It will further exacerbate the suffering of people that is not a solution to their allegations.

The USA is among 32 countries that proscribed the terror outfit called Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) that invented the suicide bomb, used forced conscription of men women and children as young as ten years old, to make them into human bombs. Even domesticated animals in families were not spared. Declared the deadliest terror outfit by none other than the FBI in the USA.  This invention by Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers continue to kill in suicide bombings around the world including US and NATO troops. Link to information from the FBI explaining their operation appears below:   https://www.google.com/search?q=FBI+reference+to+LTTE&rlz=1C1UEAD_enUS940US940&oq=FBI+reference+to+LTTE&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i160l2.7179j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Protecting such offenders in subtle ways are not justified in the charter of any international organization with scant attention to the human rights violations by terrorists.  The UNHRC is hounding Sri Lanka with threats of punishment when it is not a danger to the region.  The remedial action proposed will deal further blows to civilian life in the island nation violating their human rights by self-guided protectors doing more harm than good.

When bigger countries with large armies have not been successful even with invasion or occupation, they are not held accountable for missing persons.  In such cases missing persons become collateral damage except in the case of Sri Lanka.  The proof of the security forces saving a large population of Tamil civilians captured in the safe zone from certain massacre by the LTTE that crept in with heavy artillery is ignored. Anti Sri Lankan nations are aware of their forces that have been destroyed with the same suicide bombs invented by the terror outfit in Sri Lanka.

• To impose sanctions proposed for Sri Lanka is to contravene the mandate of the UNHRC when Sri Lanka is not a security threat to any other country or the region. The UNHRC uses alleged” violations and imaginary deterioration” leveled against a government which was elected with an overwhelming two third majority and rejection of Ethnic Tamil parties by the voting civilians in the northern region.  Supposition criteria cannot be arbitrarily applied to damage and violate the sovereignty of any nation by those who are supposed to protect and help. Instead, they act at the whim of anti Sri Lankan elements outside the country.
• The UNHRC appears to defend the word of the terror support proxies preferred over Tamil survivors of LTTE terrorism who are thankful and enjoying peace?  The civilians in Tamil areas suffered the most. They were saved from the terror they suffered under the LTTE.   This is proven by the figure of 60% of the Tamil people living in the southern end of the country inhabited by the majority Sinhala people.  It is the terror proxy groups that are looking for ways to keep the unrest going for their financial gain through instilling fear used in extortion and criminal activities.
• Sanctions will cripple the economy stopping exports, and will result in lack of medical supplies, food and other basic human needs for the people who have suffered long years of brutality from those who you have befriended and duped western nations and international bodies to guide actions and resolutions.
• The remedy is not to pose further suffering for all people in the country whether it is Sri Lanka or any other small powerless country.

With the case of Sri Lanka, Human Rights is a weapon, when the weapons of terrorism and the human suffering on two sides of a conflict are ignored on one side.  UNHRC can preserve its hard line on one side using Human Rights to gain their goal and overextend their powers. Peace is persecuted.

• Destabilizing free sovereign nations that have preserved democracy as Sri Lanka has done with universal franchise since 1931 and an overwhelming acceptance through a landslide victory for the present administration, UNHRC charter provides for intervention only if a country does not protect its people.  In the case of Sri Lanka, the people are not divided by ethnicity for persecution as alleged” human rights are quoted by the UNHRC using the term that defines ambiguity of their sources of information. 
• At the end of the war, 200,000 Tamil civilians held by the terrorists as human shields were freed.  Out of 5,700 Tamil child soldiers reported by UNICEF, 600 were rehabilitated at government expense and returned to families and into schooling.  With freedom and protection in their mainstream life, they told their story.
• Over 300,000 Tamil civilians were returned to their homes in areas heavily mined by the terrorists. In the conflict civilian deaths account for around 60,000 in LTTE bombings, shootings, and murders. They warrant no attention from the UNHRC.  Out of 11,700 combatants, 7,000 who surrendered were returned to mainstream life.  Those that perished are not attributed to the LTTE by the UNHRC for convenience.  Most were forced participants abducted and brainwashed into killing machines.  They were, however, Sri Lankan civilians converted to terror but today, they live among fellow Sri Lankans enjoying freedom.
• The UNHRC appears to defend the word of the terror supporters preferred over Tamil survivors of LTTE terrorism who are thankful and enjoying peace?  The civilians in Tamil areas suffered the most and they are now saved from the terror they suffered under the LTTE.   It is proven by the figure of 60% of the Tamil people living in the southern end of the country which is territory that is inhabited by the majority Sinhala people.  It is the diaspora groups that are looking for ways to keep the unrest going for their financial gain through instilling fear used in extortion and criminal activities.
• The reward of peace, safety and protection has restored the free education, free healthcare, freedom to own businesses and property and live anywhere in the country for all people. Sri Lanka’s ground situation must be considered before the UNHRC makes assumptions to bring resolutions, sanctions, and other forms of punishment to all. The price included men and women in uniform losing 29,000in their ranks for saving the country and people.
• UNHRC operates without visits to the country and with ignoring authentic and independent sources who provided accurate information. Their sources are pro terror proxies, hearsay and unverified information far removed from the country they left for economic migration in western countries now manipulating the truth into misinformation.  However, they return to Sri Lanka to visit unchecked while defining Sri Lanka as a Land of Genocide.  Plane loads of them return for holidays and have second homes in Sri Lanka.
• In this so-called land of genocide, dual citizenship is offered to those who relinquished Sri Lankan citizenship for foreign citizenship.  The group claiming Genocide, go back obtaining dual citizenship. They invest in large scale prime businesses purchasing property in areas where the so called enemy” lives in the southern part of the country.
• As for protecting people, the mechanism of the Responsibility to Protect” must be as before, being one of internal determination, that is successfully carried out despite the persecution attempts by the UNHRC.  This responsibility should not become any part of UNHRC purview.
• The terror movement was financed by various criminal activities.  Read this report for details on funding operations for LTTE terrorism:
  • https://mackenzieinstitute.com/1995/12/funding-terror-the-liberation-tigers-of-tamil-eelam-and-their-criminal-activities-in-canada-and-the-western-world/
• The link to information below is proof of LTTE atrocities that will open eyes that continue to remain closed.
  • Reference source: https://issuu.com/jaliya/docs/ltte_tamil_terrorist_atrocities_pre
• Proof of demographic data on disproportionate opportunities for minorities claiming discrimination can be disproved in this report. 
  • The Myth of Discrimination. An Australian study  http://www.infolanka.com/org/srilanka/issues/acslu.html
• Watch this video:  This is true violation of human rights of children, revealed by those who survived to tell their story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpz8Cl_-YpM&t=4s
• Sanctions to punish Sri Lanka is not a solution for the minorities, as it contradicts the claims made by UNHRC. As a body that is part of the UN, to bring threats to Sri Lanka to destroy the country is preposterous. The obvious sources of information should be the surviving civilians who want the protection of the military remaining among them.  Not the assumption of the diaspora and their imaginary outcomes.
• The UNHRC should not be empowered to initiate any actions toward destroying a beautiful and peaceful multiethnic, multi religious and multicultural country.  It is not a wonder that the people of Sri Lanka look at international organizations with distasteful suspicion.
• For people on the ground within the country sustained peace lives on and they are protected with security to avert any further threats.  Memories of times of terror live on. Sri Lanka doesn’t need the destructive hand of any unverified, biased authority.
• The UNHRC nations against Sri Lanka must understand that the Sri Lankan Government past and present have no political or military advantage to destroy lives of civilians of any ethnic group.  They preserved peace for all people. They exercise their civic rights to elect leaders in a democracy that is not favorable to the UNHRC. 

 Let Sri Lanka continue to progress, preserve their sovereignty and democracy for sustaining peace. Sri Lanka strengthened can render assistance joining in the global effort of counter terrorism strategies that benefits peace. Aggression against Sri Lanka is not the solution. It will result in a reversal and return to conflict that was left behind.

The pursuit of peace happens when all forms of aggression are exhausted.”
― Stewart Stafford.

By Garvin Karunaratne .

 I have in several of my Papers detailed as to  Why the 13 th Amendment should be abolished. I have detailed my experiences in my eighteen years’ service in the Administrative Service implementing development programmes islandwide. To state briefly if I were to work in either the agricultural marketing sector, the agrarian extension sector or the small industries sector I will not be able to achieve any target purely because the subjects are devolved(not decentralized) and the implementation of any policy determined by the Minister working at the Centre, on policies laid down by the Houses of Parliament  will depend on the whims and fancies of the Provincial Ministers. Officers in the provinces takes orders from him.

 The full effect of the 13 th Amendment even without devolving land and police powers has not yet been felt because the Provincial Ministers have not asserted their full rights.

 I am most thankful to Cecil Dharmasena of the Department of Agriculture, for his insightful article that appeared in The Island of 22/4/2013. Let me quote a few of his words, which fully support my above statement:

Referring to agricultural extension today he states:

The lack of an organized and coordinated extension and advisory system today as we had in the past(prior to the Provincial Administration System) where the Department of Agriculture through its comprehensive islandwide extension Division provided an efficient service appears to be the biggest drawback in agriculture at present.”

 The situation today he says is that all types of agencies of the Provincial Councils and private sector offer confusing services”.

 He details what happened to the Department of Agriculture after the implementation of the 13 th Amendment. The Department was broken up, the research division broken into independent institutes, the extension service given to the Provincial Councils and the seed farms sold to the private sector.

 Harking back to my days ”…” up to 1973, the Department of Agriculture had a full control over the technical side of Agriculture. At the divisional level there was an Agricultural Instructor, an officer who had two years’s study at the Agricultural School. Under him were several  Overseers- Krushi Vyapti Sevakas at the village level. They had an year’s training in agriculture. This was an effective service. In addition, after the Paddy Lands Act was enforced in came the Agrarian Services Department with cultivation committees at the grass roots level. This Department had Divisional Officers at the Divisional level and Overseers at the village level. The Overseers had an years’ training in agriculture. The Cultivation Committees took over grass roots level planning. Today the Paddy Lands Act is no more and the cultivation committees do not exist.

 Another important change that took place is that the  Overseers of the Agriculture Department- the Krushi Vyapti Sevakas were all promoted as Grama Sevakas( now Grama Niladharis) during the time of President Premadasa. No official trained in agriculture took their place.  After a few years’ lapse when the Agricultural Instructor at the Divisional Level did not have a single Overseer Assistant, during the days of President Kumaranatunge , O Level qualified youths were appointed as Niyamakas.

 This was the extension system that was bequeathed to the Provincial Councils. Cecil Dharmasena has stated that the efficiency of the extension system depended entirely in the hands of the Provincial Minister of Agriculture.

 My own experience with the agricultural extension system under the Provincial Council administration is detailed in my book: How the IMF Ruined Sri Lanka.& Alternate Programs of Success”.(Godages):

The entire  agriculture department has to get a bone shake which I hope can get done. In about 1997, running my small family farm I had the occasion to visit the extension centers at Kadawata and Delgoda. The officers there did not know the exact amount of fertilizer that I should use and when. At my insistence they raked their files and provided me with details. The circular advised the use of  ammonium sulphate and urea  at the basal stage  and no mention was made of the top dressing. ¦ About a year later I dropped into one of these Centers and to my amazement  I found that even then  the top dressing had not been incorporated into the advice. . In our inefficiency we are wasting fertilizer.”. This fully supports Cecil Dharmasena’s statement that the extension system is in shambles. My comments pertain to the late Nineties while Dharmasena speaks of the extension service of today.

 Sri Lanka is a small country which is smaller than a State in India and there is no necessity to devolve any subject in administration. Under the 13 th Amendment we have devolved many subjects and accordingly the extension sections of the Department of Agriculture and the Department oif Agrarian Services has been handed over to the Provincial Councils.

 In my days in the Agrarian Services, I was once in charge of fertilizer distribution and we sent out the first circular on fertilizer use for the entire island and this was immediately enforced through the cultivation committees. Not so any more. The futility of devolution is easily realized when one realizes that the Kegalla and Ratnapura Districts which come under the Sabaragamuwa Province is only some 25 miles away from the City of Colombo. It is inimical for Provinces situated in close proximity to have an extension service that is not coordinated. In my days if a circular left the main department signed by the Commissioner or his Deputy it had to be effective. Not so now because one will have to contact the Provincial Ministers and cajole them. In my days as a Senior Assistant Commissioner any communication from me was acted on in the entire island on the next day. Not so now my paper will sit on the Provincial Minister’s desk and mind you there are  a number of them. 

 It is also well known and not disputed by anyone that the 13 th Amendment was drafted by India and imposed on our country under duress by Rajiv Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India. Though President Jayawardena shivered in his boots and gave in and forced his Members of Parliament to vote for it. The fact remains that President Jayawardena held all his members of parliament incarcerated in a Five Star Hotel and they were all marched to parliament to vote. What Democracy! This fact is proved because the Finance Minister Ronnie de Mel shouted and stated that he was not among the incarcerated.   Though the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, also under duress (judges quarters were stoned),gave legitimacy to it, the 13 th Amendment remains a foreign appendage onto our Constitution.

 I am certain that if any Provincial Council asserts itself, the working of all Government Departments will totally cease from the Centre and the implementation of the policies laid down by Acts of Parliament can no longer be a reality.

 This will be the situation once a TNA which is pro Tamil Nadu and also following the LTTE agenda of separation is elected.  The Government will be faced with a crisis of severe dimension, a situation that will eventually lead to the formation of a separate State.

 All this is not surmise. As an experienced administrator with four decades’ experience, I can sense what will happen.

 The abolition of the 13 th Amendment is the only option if we are to remain a sovereign country.

 The International Community, India and the LTTE Diaspora whom we are trying to please by retaining the 13 th Amendment and implementing it are having their act cut and dry. Their one aim is to enable a separate State in the North and the East of Sri Lanka and it is hoped that our leaders will realize this fact before it is too late.

 It is upto our leaders to decide for our sovereignty.

Garvin Karunaratne, Ph.D

former GA Matara, International Consultant

4/3/2021

මතුගම සෙනෙවිරුවන්

        කන්දක් විලි ලා මී පැටියෙක් වැදුවා බඳු වූ සෞභාග්‍ය ආණ්ඩුව මෑතකදී තම හෙණ්ඩුවෙන් කළ එකම දේ ජිනීවා විරෝධය ට පළිහක් නිර්මාණය කරලීම පමණි.ඒ සඳහා රටේ සෞඛ්‍ය විද්වතුන් ගේද ඇඳිවත ගලවමින් කළ විගඩම දෙස කෝපයෙන් බලා සිටීන ජනතාවක් නිර්මාණය කරමින් ඇත.ඉරණතිව් දූපතේ මිනී වැළලීම තුළින් එම දූපත මුස්ලිම් දූපතක් වන බව දුටුවේ සිංහලයන් නොවේ.මේ ප්‍රශ්ණය හමුවේ සිංහලයන්ට ඇත්තේ කෝපය  හා ශෝකය පමණකි.ජිනීවා බලහත්කාරය යනු යටත්විජිත වාදී බෝම්බයකි. කුඩා රටක් වන ලංකාව බියටපත් කරමින් අධිරාජ්‍යවාදී වුවමනාවන් ඉටු කරගන්නට වළිකන ධවල රෙජීමයක් ලෙසට මෙය හඳුන්වා දිය හැකිය.දෙමළ බෙදුම්වාදී මතවාදයෙන් උන්මත්තකව සරණාගතයන් ලෙසට ඇමරිකාව බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය වැනි රටවලට වී සිටින කොටි හපුවන් තමන්ගේ සල්ලි බලයෙන් ජිනීවා මානව හිමිකම් කවුන්සලයේ නිළධාරීන් මිළයට ගෙන තිබේ.එවැනි මිළයට ගැනීමක් වෙනස් කරලන්නට නම් දෙගුණ තෙගුණ වූ මිලක් සහිතව ජිනීවා සනසන්නට ආණ්ඩුව කටයුතු කළ යුතු බවට අතැම් කේවට්ටයන් කී බවට  දැන ගන්නට  ලැබී තිබේ.. ලංකාවේ විදෙස් කටයුතු මෙහෙයවන්නේ මෙවැනි කප්පම් මානසිකත්වයෙන් හෙබි පුද්ගලයන්ය.

        1815 මාර්තු දෙවනි දින සිට දහඅට වන දා දක්වා වූ කාලය තුළ ‌ෙඑතිහාසික කන්ද උඩරට මගුල් මඩුවේ දී ධවල අධිරාජ්‍යවාදීන් සමග අත්වැල් බැඳගත් සිංහල රදළයන් ගිවිසුමක් අත්සන් කළහ.එම ගිවිසුමේ අත්සන් හොරට ඇතුලත් කරමින් තහවුරු කල බවක් පැවසෙන නමුදු ජෝන් ඩොයිලි ගේ සට කපට උපායයන් සාර්ථක වූ හැටි අපට මතක් කරගත හැකිය. හොඳින් සිංහල බස කතා කිරීම බණ දහම් දත් බව හැඟවීම බුලත් විට හැපීම භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේලා සමග ළඟ ආශ්‍රය වඩුග රජුට  රහසේම අරක්කු සැපයීම මේ කපටි උපායන් අතර විය.සිංහල රජ වාසලේ සිටි ඇහැලේපොල පිළමතලව්වේ මඩුගල්ලේ ඔවුනොවුන්ට ඥාති වුවද ඥාතිත්වය අභිබවා බල අවස්ථාවාදය රෝපණය කිරීම මේ කපටි උපායන් අතර මහඟු දේශපාලනික ක්‍රියාදාමයක් විය. 1803 දී උඩරටට වන් මැක්ඩොවල්ට පන්න පන්නා පහර දීමට සමත් වූ උඩරට හමුදාව අකර්මණ්‍ය කරන ලද්දේ කුමන උපායකින්ද. වඩුගයෙකු වුවද සිංහල රාජ්‍යත්වය ආරක්ෂා කර ගන්නට වෑයම් කළ කන්නසාමි කුමරුට තනිවම මැද මහනුවරට පසු බසින්නට සිදු වූයේ මේ කපටි උපාය මාර්ගික සැලැස්මේ කූඨප්‍රාප්තියත් සමගය. අවසානයේ වසර දෙදදස් පන්සීයක් ලිඛිත ඉතිහාසයක් හිමි රටක් පරාධීනත්වය පත් විය.මේ වන විට මේ සිදු වීමට වසර 206 ක් ගත වී තිබේ.

      1815 සිට 1948 දක්වා දිගු කාලයක් අපගේ මවුබිම පරාධීනත්වයේ ගැලී සිටියේය. ඒ කාලය තුළ ඉංග්‍රීසීහු තමන් ගේ යටත් විජිතයේ සියලුම දේශපාලනික සමාජීය ව්‍යුහයන්හි මහා වෙනසක් සිදු කරන ලදහ. යන්ත්‍රයක් සහමුලින් ගලවා ඒ කොටස්ම යොදවා නව යන්ත්‍රයක් නිර්මාණය කළ කල්හි එම යන්ත්‍රයෙන් ගම්‍ය වන්නේ අලුත්ම ඉලක්කයකි. ඉංග්‍රීසින් ගේ නීති රීති මෙන්ම සමාජීය ඇවතුම් පැවතුම්ද කරමත පටවනු ලැබූ කල්හි සිංහලයන් යදමින් බැඳුණු අතර තමා වටා වෙලී පැවති දම්වැල් වලට ඇලුම් කිරීමට පටන් ගනු ලැබූහ. දේශපාලන නිදහස ලැබී ස්වදෙශික පාලනයක ඉඩ හසර හිමි කර ගත් නමුදු  වසර හැතුතෑ දෙකක් ගත වීත් ඉංග්‍රීසීන් ගේ රැහැන් පොට අප වටා වෙයි.එම රැහැන ආඩම්බරයෙන් යුක්තව ගෙල පහළට පැළඳීම මගින් ඉස්මතු කරනු ලබනුයේ සිංහල දේශයේ නූතන වහල් භාවයයි .

 තිරිසනා දැක්කවීමට කෙවිටක්ම භාවිතා වෙයි.මිනිසා දැක්කවීමට කෙවිටක් නැති වුවද මානසිකව කෙවිටි කිරීම ඊට පහසුය. ඉංග්‍රීසීන් විසින් දමා ගිය අධිකරණ පද්ධතියක රැස් පරස් තුළින් සාමාන්‍ය ජනතාව පීඩාවට පත් වීම සාමාන්‍ය කරුණකි. නමුත් ඒ පද්ධතිය තුළම සිටින අනුගාමිකයන් ද නිරන්තරයෙන් පීඩාවට පත් වී සිටිති. නමුත් ඔවුහු ඒ බැව් නොදනිති.   බෙදා පාලනය කිරීම ජාත්‍යන්තර දේශපාලනයේ  සිද්ධාන්තයකි.බෙදීම සාර්ථක වන්නට නම් ගැටුම් වැඩි විය යුතුය. කෙප්පයන් නිරිමාණය කළ යුතුයි. දෙමළ බෙදුම්වාදයද එලෙස නිර්මාණය කරන ලද්දකි. ඉංග්‍රීසීන් සහ මිෂනාරින් විසින් නිර්මාණය කරන ලද්දකි.තමන්ගේ පූර්වගාමීන් වූ ලන්දේසින් විසින් ගෙනෙන ලදුව වහල්කමේ යොදාගත් මලබාරයන්ට මුදලි පට්ටමක් ලබා දී භූමියේ අයිතිය සඳහා තරඟ කිරීමට අවස්ථාවක් සලසා දුන්නේ ඉංග්‍රීසින්ය.රෙදීයප් කියමින් තැන තැන සංක්‍රමණය වූ වෙළෙන්දන්ට මුහන්දිරම් තනතුර දී සිංහලයන් ට විරුද්ධව ඔත්තු සැපයීමට රාජකාරියක් භාරදුන්නේ ඉංග්‍රීසින්ය.ඔත්තු සැපයීම සාර්ථක වීමෙන් පසුව ඔවුන්ට වරප්‍රසාද දී නැගෙනහිර පළාතද පුත්තලම් දිස්ත්‍රික්කයද මහනුවර රාජකාරි ඉඩම්ද ලියා දුන්නේ තවදුරටත් සිංහලයන්ට විරුද්ධව යොදා ගැනීම පිණිසය.අද වන විට නූතන කලු සුද්දන් හමුවේ එය වඩාත් සාර්ථක වී තිබේ. ඒ නමුත් දෙමළ බෙදුම්වාදයට විරුද්ව අවි ඔසවා ඉංග්‍රීසින් ගේ තක්කඩි තැරැව්කරුවෙකු බවට පත්ව සිටි ප්‍රභාකරන් අල්ලා පොළවේ ගසා  දෙමළ ජාතිවාදයට තිත තැබූයේ අපගේ වීරෝධාර හමුදාවන් විසිනි. තමන්ගේ තැරැව් කරුවන් ඝාතනය වූ පළිය ගන්නට නැවත වටයකින් මානව හිමිකම් දඩඅඬුව දිගු කර ඇත.

     ඉංග්‍රීසින් ගේ ටයිපටිය ගෙලට සිරකරගනිමින් වැදගත් මහත්වරුන් ලෙසට පෙනී සිටින කලු සුද්දන් ඉදිරියේ  මානව හිමිකම් කෙවිට ලෙල දෙන විට  තැලීමටත් වඩා මහත්ම බියක් ඇති කරගෙන තිබේ. ඉංග්‍රීසින් විසින් ලබා දෙන ලද වරප්‍රසාද අහිමි වීම ලොකුම පීඩාවයි.මේ නිසා මානව හිමිකම් කොමිසමට කප්පම් ලබා දෙමින් වසරින් වසර දුක් අඳෝනා කරමින් සිටීම මහත්ම ප්‍රෝඩාවක් නොවේද. මාර්තු 22 වන විට ලංකාවේ හමුදාවේ රණවිරුවන්ට විරුද්ධව සැකසූ බොරු යුද අපරාධ චෝදනා තවත් වටයකින් එළි දැක්වෙනු ඇත. මේ බොරු තොරතුරු ලබා දීමට මෙරට සිටින දේශ ද්‍රොහීන් කලක් තිස්සේ වෑයම් කර තිබේ.අතුරුදහන් වූවන් ගැන සෙවීමට පත් කළ කොමිසම් වලින් සිදු වූයේ මේ බොරු තොරතුරු වලට නිල තත්වයක් ලබා දීමයි. මේවා රහස්‍ය ලේඛන ලෙසට ජාතික ලේඛනාගාරයේ තැන්පත් කළ පසු නොයෙකුත් විවිධ උපක්‍රම යොදමින් ඒවා පිට කරලීමට සැරසෙති.ඒ කටයුත්ත සාර්ථක කරලීමට පෙර යහපාලන ආණ්ඩුවේ ප්‍රධාන විදෙස් ඒජන්ත ලෙස කටයුතු කළ රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ විසින් පත් කළ කාන්තාවක් තවමත් මෙම ලේඛනාගාරයේ රැඳී සිටී.එවන් පසුබිමක ජිනීවා උසාවියට කරුණු ඉදිරිපත් කරලීමට තවත් වසරක් ලබා දුන්නද ප්‍රතිඵලයක්  ඇති වන්නේ නැත.දිනෙන් දින සිදුවන්නේ ආණ්ඩුවේ අත කරකවමින් යටත් විජිත වුවමනාවන් සිද්ද කරලීම පමණකි.

       යහපාලන ප්‍රෝඩාව අවසන් කරමින් සෞභාග්‍ය සඳහා යන ගමනකට සිංහල ජනතාව එක හිතින් චන්දය ලබා දී ඇත්තේ තවමත් අප පාලනය කරනු ලබන ධවල සේනාව පරාජයට පත් කරලීම පිණිසය.දේශීය නිෂ්පාදන සහ කර්මාන්ත ආර්ථිකයක් සමග රට ඉදිරියට ගෙන යෑමත් සකල විධ සතුරු කුමන්ත්‍රණ සහ ආක්‍රමණ පරාජයට පත් කරලීමටත් සමත් නායකත්වයක් ජනතාව බලාපොරොත්තු විය.නමුත් මේ ප්‍රාර්ථනා සිහින බවට පෙරළෙමින් තිබේ.සෞභග්‍ය වෙනුවට අභාග්‍ය ළඟා කරවීමට කැස කවන කුමන්ත්‍රණ කරුවන් ජනපතිවරයා වටා පෙළ ගැසී සිටිති.මෙහි ප්‍රතිඵළය වන්නේ ඉන්දියාවේ ඇමරිකාවේ පමණක් නොව චීනයේ ද දඩබිමක් බවට ලංකාව පත් වීමයි.

මතුගම සෙනෙවිරුවන්

Sri Lanaka

The Kalutara Bodhi

The city of Kalutara unlike other urbanised cities is redolent of the ancient Buddhist Sinhala culture. It is because of the most sacred Kalutara Bodhi encircled with the gold fence seemingly holding the sky with its massive branches and standing majestically in the upper terrace of the temple premises. Even the gentle breeze blowing through the branches of the Bo” tree heals the hearts of people.

History

The Kalutara Bo” tree is proven to be one of those 32 saplings of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi which was planted on the advice of Arahat Mahinda Thera during the reign of king Devanampiya Tissa. Back in 1052 AD, a pandyan prince by the name of Wickrama Pandyan, said to have been the viceroy of Kalutara had planted a Bo” tree at the Pahala Maluwa of the Kalutara Temple.

Influence of the Portuguese

The tragedy struck this Buddhist country after the invasion of the Portuguese. The lamp of the wisdom lit with the Buddhist teachings and the Sinhala culture blew out. The virtues instilled into the people’s hearts began to vanish. Not the morality but the immorality began to engulf the city.

Considering the geographical location of the city, the Portuguese used the Bodhi premises for their military purposes.

Railway bridge

Bridging the Southern border and the Western border together, the British Government decided to construct the Kalutara railway bridge. The only obstruction they had was the Bo” tree. As a result, they proposed to uproot the Bo tree” and continue the construction of the bridge.

But later due to the protests led by a layman named Sandanayaka, the British Government decided to construct the bridge without harming even a leaf of the Bo tree. The history of the Kalutara bridge dates back to 1990s. What is more picturesque is that in the morning, anyone can catch the glimpse of Sri Pada” veiled with the morning mist.

Another striking scenery is the Buddhist devotees attired in the immaculate white meditating in the lotus position around the Stupa. It is common to see even the foreigners meditating in the temple like the Buddhist devotees.

Sir Cyril De Zoysa

The relationship between the Kalutara Bodhi and Sir Cyril De Zoysa is inseparable. Born in Galle, Sir Cyril De Zoysa dedicated himself to protect the dispensation of Buddhism. After having received his primary education at S Thomas’ College and Richmond College, Sir Cyril entered the law college.

Winding back the clock of his childhood, it is said that his father had to travel in a hired-buggy cart because he could not afford the expense of buying a new buggy cart. But later with the little money Sir Cyril earned, he purchased a brand-new buggy cart for his father. This is only a glimpse of his childhood.

No one might have thought that the day on which the Kalutara Bodhi flourishes would dawn. But miraculously Sir Cyril De Zoysa had to come to Kalutara and saw the Kalutara Bodhi which had been isolated and degraded for a long time. Later, he set up a committee to protect the sacred place. From that day, everyone pays homage to this most sacred Bodhi.

Righteous life

According to the Buddhist teaching, The one who behaves in Dhamma is protected by Dhamma.” It is clear that Sir Cyril De Zoysa is one of those who had believed in the Dhamma until his demise. Never in his life had he neglected to observe the Buddhist rituals.

He started his day at 6.00 O’ clock by paying homage to the Kalutara Bodhi. The last words he said will prove the Buddhist life he lived.

Now I am free. The state of your wealth does not really matter. These are all illusions. I was born without any wealth. I will die just as I was born – without any wealth. As I reach the end of my days, Buddhism is my sole consolation, my happiness and my strength.”

The glory of Kalutara

The city of Kalutara enriched with the natural beauty and blessed with the sacred Bodhi Tree has overflown with the aroma of the burning joss-sticks and the Buddhist sermons.

At night, the temple illuminated with a myriad of twinkling lights scatters the light of wisdom throughout the city, planting the seeds of generosity, discipline and love in the hearts of people. The moon beams brighten the reflection of the illuminated lights on the still water of the Kalu Ganga” as if in a surreal world. All we hope is May the glory of the Kalutara Bodhi shine forth blissfully forever.”

මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ ශ්‍රී ලංකා ප්‍රජාතාන්ත්‍රික සමාජවාදී ජනරජයේ අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය

හාතාගල රජමහා විහාරය ඇතුලු විහාරගණයන්හි අධිපති, ශ්‍රී සුමංගල විද්‍යායතන පිරිවෙනේ කෘත්‍යාධිකාරි නිල්වලා ආනන්ද විද්‍යාලයේ කළමනාකාර, රුහුණු මාගම්පත්තුව ඇතුලු ගිරුවාගම් දොළොස්දහස් රට ප්‍රධාන සංඝනායක, ගෞරවාර්හ පල්ලේගම ශ්‍රී ජිනරතන නායක ස්වාමීන්වහන්සේ, අපවත් වු පුවත ඇසීමෙන්, මම බලවත් සංවේගයට පත්විමි.

වසර 67 ක තම ජීවන ගමන්මග තුළ වසර 54 ක් සම්බුදු සසුනේ උතුම් භික්ෂුවක ලෙස ගතකළ ජීවිතය අනුස්මරණය කිරීමට කැමැත්තෙමි.

හක්මන ලාල්පේ ශ්‍රී ගුණානන්ද පිරිවෙනින් භික්ෂුවකට අවශ්‍ය ත්‍රිපිටක ධර්මය හා විවිධ භාෂාවන් උගත් අතර, පසුව උන්වහන්සේ තම ප්‍රදේශවාසීන්ගේ ජනජීවිතය නඟා සිටුවීම සඳහා අපමණ සේවාවක් සිදුකළහ.

ශ්‍රී සුමංගල විද්‍යායතන පිරිවෙන ආරම්භ කිරීමේ දී මහත් කැපවීමෙන් කටයුතු කළ අතර, එය අද ප්‍රදේශයේ ගිහි පැවිදි ශිෂ්‍ය පිරිසට අධ්‍යාපනය ලබාදෙන ප්‍රමුඛ ආයතනයක් බවට පත්ව තිබීම සතුටට කරුණකි.

නිල්වලා ආනන්ද විද්‍යාලය රජයේ ආධාර ලබන පාසලක් බවට පත්කළ අතර, ඒ තුළින් සමාජයට විශාල  ශිෂ්‍ය ප්‍රජාවක් බිහිකිරීමට හැකිවිය.

ප්‍රදේශයේ ජනතාව අතර, පවතින ප්‍රධාන ගැටලු අතර කෘෂිකර්මය සඳහා අවශ්‍ය වැව් අමුණු රජය සමග ඒකාබද්ධව සංවර්ධනය කිරීම, ජල විදුලිය නොමැති දිළිඳු ජනතාවට හා ගම් සඳහා අවශ්‍ය එම පහසුකම් ලබාදීම, මංමාවත් පිළිසකර කොට සංවර්ධනය කිරීම වැනි කාර්යයන් සඳහා ප්‍රමුඛවූයේ උන්වහන්සේය.

ප්‍රදේශයේ මහසඟරුවනට අවශ්‍ය නායකත්වය ලබාදුන් අතර, ඒ සැමගේ ගෞරවාදරයට උන්වහන්සේ නිරන්තරයෙන් පාත්‍රවූහ.

සමාජයට අවශ්‍ය ගිහි පැවිදි විශාල ශිෂ්‍ය පිරිසක් තම ආයතන හරහා   බිහිකළ   අතර, තම   ජ්‍යෙෂ්ඨ   ශිෂ්‍ය බස්නාහිර පළාත් පිරිවෙන් නියෝජ්‍ය අධ්‍යාපන අධ්‍යක්ෂ ශාස්ත්‍රපති ගෞරවාර්හ පල්ලේගම වංගීස     ස්වාමීන් වහන්සේ ඉන් ප්‍රධාන වේ.

විශේෂයෙන් මාගේ දේශපාලන ගමන්මග තුළ කළ්‍යාණ මිත්‍රයෙකු වශයෙන් කටයුතු කළ උන්වහන්සේ මාවෙත ලබාදුන් අවවාද අනුශාසනා බොහෝ ය. ශ්‍රී රෝහණ ජනරංජන ගෞරව නාමය ලබාදීමේ දී නායක ස්වාමීන්වහන්සේ  පුරෝගාමී මෙහෙවරක් ඉටුකළ අතර, මා වෙත දක්වන ලද විවිධ සහය හා උපකාර මෙම සංවේග ජනක අවස්ථාවේ දී, කෘතවේදීව සිහිපත් කිරීමට කැමැත්තෙමි.

නායක ස්වාමීන් වහන්සේගේ අපවත්වීම  දකුණු පළාතට පමණක් නොව මුලු රටටම සිදුවු බලවත් පාඩුවකි.

පුරා වසර 67 ක් ආයුවළදා අපවත් වී වදාළ ගෞරවාර්හ පල්ලේගම ශ්‍රී ජිනරතන නායක ස්වාමීන්වහන්සේට උතුම් නිවන්සුව අත්වේවා’ යි ප්‍රාර්ථනා කරන අතර, උන්වහන්සේගේ ජ්‍යෙෂ්ඨ ශිෂ්‍ය ගෞරවාර්හ පල්ලේගම වංගීස ස්වාමීන් වහන්සේ ඇතුලු ශිෂ්‍ය හා සහෝදර පිරිසටත්,විහාරස්ථ දායක සභාවටත්, ප්‍රදේශවාසි සැමටත්, සියලු ඥාතීන් ඇතුලු පවුලේ සැමටත් මාගේ බලවත් සංවේගය පිරිනමමි.

මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ

ශ්‍රී ලංකා ප්‍රජාතාන්ත්‍රික සමාජවාදී ජනරජයේ

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

මහා ශිවරාත්‍රි දින උත්සවය උත්කර්ශවත්ව සැමරීමට අවශ්‍ය පියවර ගන්නැයි බුද්ධශාසන, ආගමික හා සංස්කෘතික කටයුතු අමාත්‍යවරයා ලෙස ගරු අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතා හින්දු ආගමික හා සංස්කෘතික කටයුතු දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවට උපදෙස් දී තිබේ.

හින්දු බැතිමතුන්ගේ විශේෂ මංගල්‍යයක් වන මහා ශිවරාත‍්‍රී දිනය මෙවර 2021 මාර්තු මස 11 දිනට යෙදී ඇත.

මහා ශීවරාත‍්‍රි දින උපවාස උත්සවය හින්දු කෝවිල්වල හොඳින් සංවිධානය කිරීම සඳහා දිරිමත් කරන්නැයි ද අග‍්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමා හින්දු ආගමික හා සංස්කෘතික කටයුතු දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවට දැනුම් දී තිබේ.

ඒ අනුව, ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ හින්දු බැතිමතුන් බහුතරයක් වෙසෙන ප‍්‍රාදේශීය ලේකම් කොට්ඨාශ කේන්ද්‍රකර කරමින් විශේෂ හින්දු ආගමික වතාවත් සංවිධානය වනු ඇත.

එහිදී හින්දු ආගමික දරුවන්ට කෝවිල්වල දී මහා ශිවරාත‍්‍රි උපවාසයේ මහිමය අවබෝධ කරවීම සහ හින්දු දහම් පාසැල් සිසුන්ගේ භක්තිමත් කලා උත්සව සංවිධානය කිරීමට නියමිතය.

හින්දු බැතිමත්හු මෙදින මහා ශීවරාත‍්‍රි දින උපවාස උත්සවය භක්තිමත් ලෙස වන්දනාමාන කරමින් ශිව දෙවි කරුණාවේ ආලෝකය සියලු තැන්හි පැතිරවීම උදෙසා නමස්කාරයේ යෙදෙති.

මෙම හින්දු ආගමික වතාවත්  මනා ලෙස පෙළගැස්සවීම උදෙසා හින්දු ආගමික හා සංස්කෘතික කටයුතු දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව විසින් ප‍්‍රාදේශීය ලේකම් කාර්යාල ඔස්සේ තෝරාගත් කෝවිල්වලට අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමාගේ උපදෙස් පරිදි මූල්‍යාධාර සපයනු ලැබේ.

Courtesy Adaderana

Courtesy Adaderana

Sri Lanka has reported 05 more coronavirus-related deaths, the Director-General of Health Services confirmed today (March 04).

As per the Department of Government Information, one male patient and four female patients are among the victims.

The new deaths bring the number of COVID-19 related deaths witnessed in Sri Lanka to 489 in total.

01. The deceased is a 53-year-old female resident from Ussapitiya. She was transferred from Mawanella Hospital to Base Hospital Kegalle where she was diagnosed as infected with the Covid-19 virus. Consequently, she was transferred to General Hospital Kandy where she died on 22.02.2021. The cause of death is mentioned as Covid-19 pneumonia.

02. The deceased is a 78-year-old female from Giriulla. She was diagnosed as infected with the Covid-19 virus while undergoing treatments at a private hospital in Colombo. Then she was transferred to Kothlawala Defense Hospital where she died on 04.03.2021. The cause of death is mentioned as Covid-19 pneumonia and multiple organs dysfunction.

03. The deceased is a 72-year-old male resident from Kolonnawa. He died on 02.03.2021 while undergoing treatments at a private hospital in Colombo, The cause of death is mentioned as heart disease, Covid-19 pneumonia, and acute kidney damage.
 
04. The deceased is a 62-year-old female from Mattakkuliya, She was diagnosed as infected with the Covid-19 virus while undergoing treatments at General Hospital Colombo and transferred to Base Hospital Homagama where she died on 01.03.2021. The cause of death is mentioned as Covid-19 infection and respiratory system failure.

05. The diseased is a 70-year-old female from Boralesgamuwa. She was diagnosed as infected with Covid-19 while undergoing treatments at Apeksha Hospital Maharagama and transferred to Base Hospital Mulleriyawa where she died on 03.03.2021. The cause of death is mentioned as blood poisoning shock, Covid-19 pneumonia, acute kidney damages, and cancer.

Courtesy Adaderana

Sri Lanka has registered 147 more positive cases of Covid-19 today (March 04), the Ministry of Health confirmed.

Thereby, Sri Lanka has detected 351 new positive cases of COVID-19 within the day.

As per statistics, the total number of Covid-19 infections confirmed so far in the country now stands at 84,577.

Recoveries from the virus meanwhile climbed to 80,836 earlier today, as 399 more patients regained health.

However, 3,257 active cases are still under medical care at selected hospitals and treatment centers located across the island.

Total lives claimed by the pandemic outbreak sits at 484 at present.

Courtesy Adaderana

Charges against former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka over the hit-and-run case in 2016 have been read out at the Colombo High Court today (March 04).

The matter was called before Colombo High Court Judge Namal Walalle, Ada Derana correspondent said.

Accordingly, the indictment filed by the Attorney General was read out in the open court during the legal proceeding.

Preliminary objections against the indictment are schedule to be taken up on the 27th of April.

The case was filed over the alleged hit-and-run incident which took place on February 28, 2016, in which the vehicle the former Megapolis and Western Province Development Minister was travelling in collided against a motorcycle in Rajagiriya, causing life-threatening injuries to its rider, Sandeep Sampath Gunawardena.

We are told there is a War against Terror. Sri Lanka should know, we suffered various forms of terror, the LTTE being the most heinous. That terror lasted 3 decades. We wasted decades following Western/UN templates of ceasefires, negotiations, peace talks. Lives were lost and people lived in fear. All communities fell victims. In 2006, LTTE went overboard with the closure of the Mavil Aru anicut committing a war crime denying water. LTTE challenged the Sri Lanka military and the military took the challenge. The East was liberated of LTTE in 2008 and thereafter with the capture of LTTE’s capital Kilinochchi on 2 January 2009, the Eelam quest was annihilated and the country fell under one flag. By 8 March 2009 LTTE had lost all the towns held forcibly and by 12 March, the troops took over Pudukudurippu hospital which had been occupied by LTTE. All civilians were rescued by 17 May and LTTE was cornered and refused to surrender choosing its fate. LTTE were terrorists and we are baffled why the UNHRC is not commending Sri Lanka for the manner it conducted a military offensive plus a humanitarian rescue operation. The timeline below together with video footage will make you also to wonder what agenda UNHRC is actually working to. Please share among all UNHRC Member states for them to realize the lies that the Office of the UNHRC is cooking up and the bogus allegations being made going so far as to even claim the GoSL starved Tamil civilians.

Tamil civilians flee LTTE 

30 – January 2009 – Tamil civilians demonstrate against LTTE

5 – February 2009 – Mannar civilians rally against LTTE

6 February 2009 – civilians escape LTTE held territory

12 February 2009 – More civilians flee LTTE

13 February 2009 – Injured civilians taken to Trincomalee

13 February 2009 – Sri Lanka Navy evacuates sick and wounded from Mullaitivu

16 February 2009 – Vanni civilians tell of heinous crimes committed by LTTE (with English subtitles)

17 February 2009 – SL Navy rescues 440 Tamil civilians from LTTE

18 February 2009 – More civilians escape LTTE

25 February 2009 – 386 Tamil civilians flee LTTE and seek refuge with Sri Lanka Armed Forces

1 March 2009 – LTTE attempt to abduct children

16 March 2009 – More civilians seek shelter with Sri Lanka troops

17 March 2009 – Large exodus of civilians flee LTTE

17 March 2009 – LTTE kill a fleeing child

18 March 2009 – Tamil civilians revolt against LTTE

19 March 2009 – LTTE continue to attack fleeing ciivlians

22 March 2009 – Tamil civilians describe hardships they were subject to under LTTE

25 March 2009 – 1386 Tamil civilians escape LTTE

3 April 2009 – Tamils go against LTTE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q07OHlWs8ow

8 April 2009 – LTTE exerting pressure on civilians

9 April 2009 – Tamil civilians attack LTTE

12 April 2009 – Sri Lanka Army doing utmost to grant security to fleeing Tamil civilians

18 April 2009 – escaping civilians a challenge to Prabakaran (no hostages/human shields)

19 April 2009 – over 70,000 Tamil civilians come to the Army

19 April 2009 – LTTE plan to stop fleeing civilians revealed

20 April 2009 – More civilians continue to flee LTTE and enter government controlled areas

20 April 2009 – large exodus of civilians flee LTTE

21 April 2009 – Army enters vacated areas of NFZ and saves over 31,000 civilians

22 April 2009 – during the past 3 days over 60,000 Tamil civilians brought to safety by Sri Lanka Armed Forces

22 April 2009 – More civilians flee LTTE

22 April 2009 – Over 100,000 Tamil civilians flee LTTE

23 April 2009 – LTTE attempt to take cover among civilians

28 April 2009 – Sri Lanka troops continue humanitarian rescue operation

2 May 2009 – LTTE activities inside he safe zone

3 May 2009 – LTTE video footage shows LTTE activities inside safe zone

7 May 2009 – Humanitarian rescue operation continues

13 May 2009 – Civilians who escape curse LTTE

15 May 2009 – 3000 civilians flee LTTE

17 May 2009 – all Tamil civilians rescued – Only LTTE & Sri Lanka Armed Forces in 1sq.km

President of Sri Lanka

2 January 2009 – LTTE is asked to surrender

30 January 2009  – President Mahinda Rajapakse demands LTTE to release civilians

12 February 2009 – a New safe zone declared by GoSL

26 February 2009 – With troops reaching Pudukudurippu on 25 February, the GoSL again asks LTTE to lay down arms and surrender

19 March 2009 – LTTE attack troops from the Safe Zone declared for Tamil civilians (what has UNHRC to say about this) 

25 March 2009 – LTTE fire at Sri Lanka Army helicopters from within the safe zone (another clear example of LTTE violating IHL rules of war)

27 March 2009 – Sri Lanka’s President gives another warning to LTTE

19 April 2009 – President Mahinda asks international community to tell LTTE to release civilians

20 April 2009 – President Mahinda gives last warning to LTTE to surrender

UN & UNSG statements & Foreign Government appeals

31 January 2009 – UNSG Ban Ki Moon commends Sri Lanka’s President call to release civilians

5 February 2009 – Gordon Weiss UN Spokesman accepts Sri Lanka did not possess cluster weapons

16 February 2009 – India tells LTTE to lay down arms and surrender

17 February 2009 – UN tells LTTE to stop recruitment of civilians (how many did LTTE recruit & how many died engaged in hostilities- none of them can be classified as civilian)

17 February 2009 – UNICEF asks LTTE to stop child recruitment (as if LTTE cares too hoots)

18 February 2009 – India says it holds LTTE responsible for fate of Tamil civilians

19 February 2009 –  UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes calls on LTTE to free civilians

20 February 2009 – UN representative monitors displaced civilians – civilians who have taken shelter in Social Welfare Camps in Vavuniya have told UN Deputy Secretary General John Holmes that they are satisfied with the relief (so what rubbish is UNHRC head talking about)

23 February 2009 – Japan slams LTTE

24 February 2009- UN & EU tell LTTE to surrender

28 February 2009 – UN ambassadors tell LTTE to surrender

5 March 2009 – World accepts LTTE’s forcible recruitment (30 years too late)

13 March 2009 – EU MPs condemn LTTE violence

16 March 2009 – UN accuses LTTE of recruiting their members (oh the innocent UN)

19 March 2009 – The United Nations accepts that statistics of the UN Human Rights Commissioner which led to a controversy had not been verified (seems to be a regular malady) 

21 March 2009 – Australia condemns LTTE’s terror tactics

23 March 2009 – Majority of UN Members do not wish to extend a life line to LTTE

26 March 2009 – Rahul Gandhi says no support for LTTE (well LTTE did kill his father)

27 March 2009 – UN tells LTTE to disarm or perish (after perishing UN is mourning) 

4 April 2009 – UN Special Representative for internally displaced persons, Walter Kalin lauded the welfare facilities including food (they make no complaints in SL but then go back & write lies years later – these UN officials must be investigated)

4 April 2009 – UN issues ultimatum to LTTE to free civilians (oh yeah – LTTE listens)

5 April 2009 – Co-Chairs order LTTE to free civilians

15 April 2009 – The Hindu newspaper says LTTE had no right to enter safe zone meant for civilians

16 April 2009 – UK and France call for LTTE to surrender

18 April 2009 – UNHRC calls on LTTE to release Tamil civilians

23 April 2009 – UNSC demands LTTE to surrender

29 April 2009 – UK and French envoys PRAISE facilities provided for civilians

12 May 2009 – UN spokesman Gordon Weiss summoned to explain civilian bloodbath” (the guy would say anything for publicity)

15 May 2009 – NO UNHRC special session on Sri Lanka (what took place thereafter was nothing but a witch hunt)

Food sent to civilians (forcibly taken by LTTE for combatants & their families)

3 February 2009- Needs of civilians taken to account

12 February 2009 – Airforce airlifts dry rations for civilians

19 March 2009 – All requirements of civilians are met says Essential Services Commissioner S.B. Divaratne

4 April 2009 – More essentials sent by GoSL to the war fronts – most confiscated by LTTE for their families

22 April 2009 – Cooked meals for civilians who fled LTTE (UNHRC head seated in Geneva accuses Sri Lanka of starving civilians)  

23 April 2009 – More food air lifted to North

These are only a timeline of video footage, statistics and facts can also prove how admirably Sri Lanka conducted the military-humanitarian rescue operation.

Shenali D Waduge