Courtesy Ada Deara

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has permitted two Indian private banks Axis Bank and ICICI Bank to close down their operations in the country. 

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has said that it intends to take appropriate action against the banks that have not complied with the order to reduce the Average Weighted Prime Lending Rate (AWPR) for end 2019 in line with the Monetary Law Act.

License to get canceled

The Central Bank has not permitted the aforementioned Indian banks to perform banking operations and the banks cannot accept deposits from the public as well. According to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the licenses issued to them will be canceled once the winding-up process is over. 

Issuing a statement, the Central Bank said while several licensed banks complied with the order and reduced the lending rates by 250 basis points, some others including the Axis Bank and ICICI Bank have not reduced their rates. 

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka in its statement said, The Monetary Law Act Order No. 02 of 2019 on Enhancing Efficiency of the Transmission of Recent Policy Decisions to Rupee Denominated Market Lending Rates” required, inter alia, every licensed commercial bank (LCB) to reduce their weekly Average Weighted Prime Lending Rate (AWPR) by at least 250 basis points by 27 December 2019, compared to their AWPR published by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka as at 26 April 2019 in the Weekly Economic Indicators publication. This shall not apply to LCBs, whose AWPR reaches or falls below 9.50 percent per annum as at the date of this Order or anytime thereafter.”

Nevertheless, it is also observed that People’s Bank, Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC, Indian Overseas Bank, MCB Bank Ltd, Public Bank Berhad, Standard Chartered Bank, Amana Bank PLC, and Axis Bank Ltd have failed to comply with the Monetary Law Act Order No. 02 of 2019. The CBSL intends to take appropriate measures in relation to these banks, as well as those licensed banks that have not met with the other provisions of the Order, to ensure that the general public continues to benefit from an efficient transmission of recent policy decisions through the financial system,” the statement read. 

Axis Bank made its debut in the Sri Lankan market in October 2011, while ICICI Bank entered the island nation in January 2006, with the approval of the Monetary Board of Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) under the Banking Act of 1988.

-Agencies

By ANI Courtesy The Indain Express 

CAA grants Indian citizenship to Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi refugees from three neighbouring countries who entered India on or before December 2014.

CHENNAI: Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) founder Vaiko on Wednesday condemned the arrest of two journalists for interviewing Sri Lankan Tamil refugees on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

While addressing the media on Wednesday in Chennai, Vaiko said, “This shows how All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government has become fascist. It is not fair to arrest people who are protesting against the CAA. Why has the CAA been brought about like a surgical strike? They want India to be a Hindu nation.”

According to a report, two journalists – Sindhu and Ramkumar from Tamil Nadu, who had gone to seek the views of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees on CAA – were booked by the Kanyakumari district police under non-bailable sections.

CAA grants Indian citizenship to Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.

By Rohana R. Wasala

(The title is a line from the concluding passage of  Sir Edwin Arnold’s ‘Light of Asia’. The Spanish title and name Don Quixote used below is pronounced dong khee khothe”)

ANNO FELIX, HAPPY NEW YEAR, TO YOU!

Rejoice my beloved Mother Lanka!

With us your dear children just debunking

The entrenched myth created about us

In those oppressive colonial times

Of shutting ourselves up in a time warp 

Where we are thought to be overtaken

By an unhealthy love of the dead past 

That makes us resist desirable change.

Meddling aliens and their local lackeys

Do still accuse us of primitivism  

Simply because we show a deep concern

When our rare archaeological sites

Are vandalized or claimed without a right;

When our ancient ruins are razed to the ground;

When our peaceful monks and lay activists

Agitate against the desecration

And defacement of Buddha images,

And forced conversion by unethical means

Of poverty stricken rural Buddhists,

And subversion of middle class Buddhists

Through subtle methods of indoctrination

Such as personal improvement workshops

Or superstitious divine healing camps

With a sham Buddhistic tone  but a bias-

Towards a faith based deistic religion;  

When state forest reserves are cleared

In excess of what’s been lawfully marked,

For resettling allegedly displaced-

Persons solely of one religious creed,

Who have been already resettled elsewhere.

We’ve tried to free ourselves from the vice grip

Of this undue bad name for racist pride, 

Fanaticism, and xenophobia

Given to us contrary to evidence

While being beaten into a monstrous shape,

Despised in the comity of nations

Although the deliberately suppressed-

Truth is that we are the hapless victims 

Of those very evils perpetrated

By some communalist politicians

Hellbent on destroying our sovereign state

Who promote such passions just to survive,

Groping in their dark  personal ghettoes 

In this cultured Age of Information. 

What is the truth obscured by the canard

That Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists

Are racist, exclusive, and extremist

And hence backward and resistant to change,

And that the Sinhalese are as a race

Mentally retarded and inferior?

The pioneer of true national thinking

Was none other than the historical 

Hate-figure of anti-nationalists

Great Anagarika Dharmapala

Who engineered social reform through it

To kindle hopes of freedom from foreign rule.

History will recognize Dharmapala

As perhaps the first ideological-

Champion of the unarmed battle for freedom,

And the first proponent of modernity

Properly based on Buddhist tradition.

Though Brits and colonial parasites

Projected him as a Don Quixote

Through their malicious vile propaganda,

Being a leader gifted with great foresight,

He warned the majority Sinhalese

Of a racially divided country

Where they would be at the receiving end 

When the foreigner would leave them at last

Unless they were united as a race.

Today, as we can see, that prophecy,

Has come true, sad though it is to say this.

Yet the Anagarika’s life mission

Was passing on the word of the Buddha

Across the world for all peoples’ wellbeing.

He was convinced that Sinhala Buddhists

Had a unique responsibility

To protect Buddhism for the whole world

As Lanka is the repository

Of the Dhamma in its first pristine form

The hallowed Theravada tradition

Committed to writing at Matale,

Central Sri Lanka, one hundred plus-

Years Before the Common Era began.

Though religions are anachronistic

In the human reason ruled world today

Their ethical teachings are relevant

To their politically organized

Adherents, while not being so to others,

A situation that causes friction

With monumental repercussions

That endanger the very survival

Of the human civilization itself.

The Buddha preached an ethical doctrine

That is self-realization based and free

From blind faith and ritual performances

Something that Albert Einstein chose to call

A cosmic religion in the sense that

All humans could embrace its moral code

Based on kindness, reason, and mind culture, 

And work to create a safe peaceful world. 

Dharmapala knew this before Einstein

As he showed in his great dedication

For spreading the Dhamma across the globe

Without any proselytizing aim.

Being a true disciple of the Buddha 

He didn’t seek to convert non-Buddhist people.  

But he believed that Dhamma was

The Sinhala Buddhists’ gift to the world

As custodians of the pure Teaching.

Meanwhile he was passionately concerned

About their material wellbeing as well

As any good Buddhist leader would be

He advocated the education

Of the young for acquiring good life skills

And the study of science and technology

In addition to cultural subjects.

Lanka’s freedom movement and its leaders

And all patriotic politicians

That followed in the subsequent decades

Were profoundly influenced by this great man.

All the prime ministers and presidents

Since independence with two exceptions

(Whose patriotism is of a foreign make)

Have been influenced by his nationalism

Had the Anagarika been living- 

Today, he would have highly commended

The current president Gotabhaya

For his moral uprightness, gracefulness

And his commitment to Buddhist values.

All Members of Parliament on both sides,

If they really want to serve the nation

Ought to forget their personal concerns

And soon ensure that the president get

The enlightened parliament he deserves,

So that this fourth decisive surge that we-

Are in the middle of making since the Year-

The Buddha Jayanti was observed

Towards independence from foreign sway

In order to stand on our own two feet,

Will not be suppressed like the previous three.

May the Lotus Bud Bloom in our Troubled Land

Fresh and pure out of its muddy waters!    

S. Akurugoda

Foreign-funded NGOs had influenced our education system in subtle ways and an expeditious investigation will be carried out into the ideas being put into the minds of schoolchildren through school text books, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said at the National Dhamma School Convention and Awards Ceremony held at Irattaperiyakulam in Vavuniya few days ago.

He said he heard some leading academic Bhikkus explaining how school textbooks now had content that would corrupt young minds. An organisation explained how some school textbooks have depicted the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka as one province. It was also said that the Sinhala New Year had been dropped from some school textbooks,” he said. While pointing out that there is a concerted and ongoing attempt to divide the country, to destroy the Sinhala Buddhists, he made a detailed speech on how the values of the society have been eroded through subtle means.

The sovereignty is defined as the supreme political power of a government to regulate its affairs within a specified territory without outside interference. Policies are thus formulated by the people of a sovereign nation via the elected government to suit the nation and its people. Pumping billions of Rupees to brainwash the people of a nation to achieve the goals of outside elements is a clear-cut interference on its sovereignty. Who will pump billions for nothing in return? These lobbyist NGOs are to fulfill the needs of their funding agencies whose ultimate aim is none other than creating a new form of colonization around the world.

The latest news item appeared in The Island under the title NPC calls for continuation of National Anthem in Tamil” is a typical example. TNA, recently had a media briefing and asked the government to not to stop yahapalanaya practice of singing the national anthem in Tamil at the Feb 04 Independence Day celebrations.  As per the news item appeared in The Island last Saturday, NPC  (National Peace Council) has also repeated the same claim and now they are going to make a big issue out of it against the duly elected government.

Activities of NPC in the past are well known and the above photograph indicating Jehan Perera of NPC addressing a meeting organized by NESoHR (founded by LTTE proxy TNA with the Eelam map behind him) , on December 10, 2005 describe it in  thousand words.

NPC, whose annual funding is said to be in excess of 126 millions SL Rupees or 5, is funded by the USAID (Main contributor), MISEREOR  (The German Catholic Bishops’ Organisation for Development Coorporation), Asia Foundation, European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) ,US Department of State ,Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD),  SPICE-MSI, FOKUS (based on the information provided in NPC website, Financial Report 2017).

The website of the above funding agency the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development gives CAFOD’s mission as promoting human development and social justice in witness to Christian faith and Gospel values (emphasis mine). Depending entirely on foreign governments and agencies they carry on the White Man’s Burden and have a function similar to Christian missionaries during the high colonial era.

It is also interesting to note that the 10 member Governing Council of this NGO has only 2 members with Sinhala names.

Most of the foreign funded NGOs were established in Sri Lanka during the war against LTTE terrorism.  Most of these NGOs have had engaged in a movement to brainwash the people of Sri Lanka promoting federalism (or indirectly separatism).  For example, National Peace Council (NPC), considered in their vision statement published prior to the defeat of terrorism, the LTTE as an integral part of ‘their so-called solution’.  Clearly the NPC and similar ilk wanted to whitewash the LTTE and bring it out as a civilised entity.

We remember how these NGOs justified international intervention (including through the UN and US) and called for solutions manufactured from the outside spending billions of Rupees got from foreign donors which money should have gone to the poor people in the country. These piece mongers and their colonial masters in the West were behind the propaganda on behalf of Tamil racism in general and the LTTE in particular. Their activities parallel the LTTE’s global propaganda campaign against the government of Sri Lanka and its people.

The Island dated March 4, 2011 under the heading Foreign funds galore for three NGOs: Over Rs. 600mn. received in 3 yrs; Norway leading donor”, revealed how a section of the international community was pouring money into Sri Lankan NGOs like the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and National Peace Council (NPC), Transparency International Sri Lanka, in spite of the conclusion of war against terrorism in May, 2009. http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=19831

As per the report, the CPA has received Rs. 272.31 million during the 2008-2010 periods. The NPC and TI have received Rs. 171.23 million and 174.79 million, respectively. The country’s banking system has no records of the exact amount of funds received by NGOs over the past two to three decades. Sources said that an enormous amount of funds had been received by NGOs since Feb. 2002, with some countries and the UNDP providing funds to the LTTE Peace Secretariat.

Although the NPC and similar ilk were in the driver’s seat during the Chandrika-Ranil failed regimes, and later during the Ranil-Sirisena (so-called yahapalana) regime, attempting to brainwash the country from top political hierarchy to grass roots level, spending billions of rupees, the mass support received from the general public to eradicate terrorism in 2009 and to chase away  the above notorious regimes at the end of their terms  are clear proofs that the peace loving people of Sri Lanka are wiser than the foreign funded PEACE prophets.

The latest mission, after the failure of earlier vision, of these NGOs is said to be the work towards a political solution to the so-called ethnic conflict, reconciliation etc. 

Few months after the elimination of the LTTE terror from our soil, we had every reason to believe that some notable elements of the US and their allies were rapidly making a case of war crimes against Sri Lanka on the basis of the conduct of her armed forces as well as political leadership. One of the motivations of this action is to cover-up their own continuing armed conflicts on large scales, involving major humanitarian catastrophes and causing the death of large numbers of civilians due to military actions in Iraq, Afghanistan and in some areas of Pakistan.

On 28th August 2009, the two kingpins of NGOs were reported addressing a close-door meeting convened by the US Institute of Peace (USIP). Another notable participant of this discussion was Teresita Schaffer of The Centre for Strategic and international Studies, one of the former US Ambassadors to Sri Lanka, who was very critical of the Sri Lankan government during her tenure of office in Sri Lanka. As per media reports, the duos from the two NGOs basically said at a meeting, in Washington D.C. with former Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Robert Blake, was what Blake wanted them to say.

After few months of these meetings, Ban Ki-moon appointed a panel to advice him (i.e the UNSG) on Sri Lanka’s alleged war crime charges and European Union gave conditional ultimatum on GSP Plus. Thus these NGOs are the promoters of the notorious UNHCR Resolution welcomed by their yahapalanaya government.

Soon after the appointment of Ban Ki-moon panel, these Peace Vendors were back in the business by issuing statements one after the other to the foreign and local press supporting the Ban KI-moon’s panel and the EU’s conditions and condemning the actions of the Sri Lankan Government and its people as was usually done by them during the past. They started, once again, advocating solutions. The solutions they seek are from outside including foreign intervention. It is not surprising at all to learn that those who live on foreign funding are for foreign intervention.

As pointed out in an article ‘Let there be oversight’ (The Island dated December 31, 2008), “NGOs can’t and shouldn’t be allowed to self-regulate. They want to believe that the money they receive belongs to those who have given it, so pleasing their donors is enough. But it isn’t. Funds raised in the name of the people of this country, playing on their sufferings and undertaking to solve their problems, are rightfully theirs”.… “There are absolutely no democratic controls over public money that is handled by NGOs”. http://www.island.lk/2008/12/31/features5.html

Three years ago, according to media reports, Modi’s government in India revokes licences of 25 foreign funded NGOs over ‘anti-national activities’ as pool of foreign-funded bodies shrinks by almost half in two years. The evidence for anti-national activities of foreign funded NGOs operating in Sri Lanka is easy to find, one has only to read the anti-national statements made by these organisations. Further a mechanism is needed to monitor funds channeled through the banking system as well as other means from foreign donors to local agencies.

The NPC and similar ilk should be immediately investigated for what they have done in the past and for what they are doing now. If existing laws are insufficient, new laws should be enacted for the benefit of the country and its peace loving people.

S. Akurugoda

KAMALIKA PIERIS

Revised 1.1.2020

Many land mines were laid by the LTTE in their treasonable war against the Government of Sri Lanka. Landmines were one of ways the LTTE tried to ‘win’ the war. After the war, it fell to the army to clear these land mines. The mines had to be cleared before the Tamils could be re-settled on the land.

This was a formidable challenge. There were no maps of the land mines laid out by the LTTE. Sri Lanka army reported that LTTE minefields have been laid without clear recording or marking. Mines have been laid in front of defensive positions, which have subsequently been hurriedly evacuated, and the mines forgotten about.   LTTE also laid nuisance minefields to prevent access to facilities such as wells, roads, footpaths, and food. These mines also are not marked. All   nuisance mines were laid by the LTTE, emphasized the army. It is this type of landmines that has created the greatest threat to resettled and returning displaced people.

The Security Forces laid mines purely as a defensive measure. They did not use mines as an offensive weapon. Sri Lankan Security Forces have laid protective minefields to prevent the LTTE from reoccupying defended areas. These minefields are laid in keeping with universally accepted standards of laying to a specific pattern following proper marking and recording procedures. The records amounting to 3,000 minefields, except those relevant to High Security Zones  were released to the other organizations involved in mine action and these records have helped easy and speedy recovery of mines. Anti-tank mines were used by the armed forces only to cover prominent vehicle approaches. 

The demining was done by the Sri Lanka army with the     assistance of HALO Trust, MAG, DASH and SHARP. The HALO Trust (Hazardous Area Life-support Organization) is a registered British charity and American non-profit organization which removes land mines.  HALO began working in Sri Lanka in 2002. The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) is a NGO based in Manchester, and has a sister organization, in Washington. It   assists people affected by landmines. MAG field operations are managed by the  nationals of that country, MAG expatriate staff  monitor and train.

Delvon Assistance for Social Harmony (DASH) is a Sri Lankan non-profit demining NGO, consisting only of Sri Lankans, about 90% Tamils, all specialized and experienced in the field of Humanitarian Demining. DASH is funded by the Governments of Australia (AusAID) and Japan (GGP).  DASH started operations in 2011.  SKAVITA Humanitarian Assistance and Relief Project (SHARP)  has the government of Japan as its main donor. It started operations in 2016.

Japan has been a major donor in the area of mine clearance in Sri Lanka since 2003, with more than US$ 35 million assistance in total through its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project (GGP). In 2019 Japan gave US$ 1,266,825 (approx. Rs. 219 million) for the SKAVITA Humanitarian Assistance and Relief Project (SHARP) and the HALO Trust for humanitarian demining in Northern Sri Lanka.Norway provided funds to HALO and MAG.

Sri Lanka achieved an impressive record in this demining having cleared 1,319 sq km out of an area of 1,419 by 2012. De-mining operation has gone much faster than in other countries such as Cambodia observed the Government in 2012. Nearly 5000 anti personnel mines were removed by the army risking their lives, so that the Tamils could be resettled, reported the media in 2012.

As at end of 2018, only 25 sq.km is remaining to be cleared. This area included Muhamalai in the Kilinochchi District, Nagarkovil in the Jaffna District, Maritimepattu and Oddusudanin in the Mullaitivu District and other areas in the Northern and Eastern Districts. Those engaged in demining, both foreign and local, said in 2018  they had found it extremely difficult to conduct demining operations in Muhamalai in Kilinochchi and Ambagam in Mullaitivu. However, by 2019 the mines clearance programme enabled the release of 1277 sq.km for safe settlement .

The work of the Sri Lanka army was recognized abroad. In 2016 Mine detection dog Alvin and his handler   Lance corporal GNWM Navaratne were selected as the Mine detection Team of the Year by the US based Marshall Legacy Institute. They have together demined from 2011 to 2016 an approximate land area of 73,340 sq mm in the north and east. This has enabled 1945 displaced of 415 families to return to their original places of inhabitation, said the citation.

In 2018 A nine-member delegation of the Cambodian Mine Action Authority  of the Cambodian government visited the Muhamalai Humanitarian De-mining site, to learn from the Sri Lanka Army’s de-miners. International Meeting on Mine Action for National Directors and UN Advisors, in 2019 commended the achievement of Sri Lanka, when compared to other countries.

The work of the Sri Lanka army was recognized abroad. In 2016 Mine detection dog Alvin and his handler   Lance corporal GNWM Navaratne were selected as the Mine detection Team of the Year by the US based Marshall Legacy Institute. They have together demined from 2011 to 2016 an approximate land area of 73,340 sq mm in the north and east. This has enabled 1945 displaced of 415 families to return to their original places of inhabitation, said the citation.[1]

Sri Lanka became a mine riddled country thanks to  land mines laid  by the LTTE. Sri Lanka  signed the Mine Ban Treaty  in December 2017. Sri Lanka, having acceded to this Mine Ban Treaty will have four years from June 2018 to ensure that it does not use, stockpile, produce or transfer any anti-personnel mines (APMs), announced the media. Only a small quantity of APMs will be permitted in the country for training purposes. This makes the government of Sri Lanka sound as if it was the guilty party, when the real culprit is the LTTE.

Sri Lanka army has initiated two innovations in mine clearing, one is already in practice, the other is still in the pipeline. The one in practice is the locally developed raking method. This is used by DASH.

In this method a heavy rake is used to soften and prod the ground. This rake is pulled horizontal through the possible mine infested soil, loosing up the soil and possible hitting/locating the mines on the side. As the mines are designed to activate only if hit on the top, this action will not set on the mine, and we have only had one incident where a mine went off while excavating with the heavy rake.

Investigations afterwards showed that the mine had been tilted by the growth of the roots of a small tree, thereby standing” on the side, so when the heavy rake hit the mine, it was activated but fortunately the PPE and the long handle of the rake ensured that no harm came to the deminer.

After the soil is loosened up, the deminer will use the light garden rake to remove the soil. This rake is originally designed for removing grass cuttings from the lawn without damaging the lawn. Each of the fingers (in total 22) bend back if any serious pressure is made onto it, far less than the pressure that is needed to set off the type of AP mines we are recovering. It can therefore be used safely to remove the soft soil, sweeping it away from the top. Some operators use both the rakes and metal detectors together.

There is also a second innovation which is still at a the experimental stage. The Sri Lanka Army Corps of Engineers’ research arm has launched a pilot project to study the possibility of utilizing the indigenous grey mongoose for the detection of explosives.”We initially used detectors to trace explosives. Later, dogs were used for the detection of explosives. However, one of the biggest issues with dogs is that it is a very expensive operation as we cannot breed them locally. We have to import them from Europe or America and train them to detect explosives. It costs around Rs. 2 million to import a dog. Dogs can sniff out explosives and other parts of the mine or UXO (unexploded ordnance) body. They are therefore commonly used within mine and UXO detection programmes.

Training a dog to detect explosives is difficult and time-consuming, and can take from three months to several years. A mine detection dog may well be trained far from the country where it is later to be deployed, but a period of acclimatization and adaptation to the new climate, the soil and the mine or UXO type in the operating area is always required. This period can take from one to six months depending on whether there is a need to train new dog handlers from the target area too. ”

The price of a high-quality mine dog is high, while other limiting factors are unfavorable climatic conditions (such as excessive heat and humidity, too much wind or wind blowing in the wrong direction), thick vegetation, and dense minefields. The latter will result in a complete contamination of the wider area and thereby confuse the dog. Daily working hours vary from a few hours to six or seven hours per day. Dogs tend to work for shorter periods in hot climates, while they are able to work for longer periods where it is colder. A mine dog can scour a few hundred to a thousand square metres per day (figures vary sharply), depending on local conditions and training. However, like humans, dogs may have bad days where motivation is low.

We too began to look into the possibility of other cost-effective alternatives. Brigadier Seneviratne had initially done a study in 2016 on whether the mongoose can be used for the detection of explosives. We also found that a local university had undertaken research and found that the mongoose can be used for explosives detection, apart from dogs. Other than that, we had no research to go on,” said Major Herath. .

The initial experiments were done with the wet zone reddish mongoose and the dry zone grey mongoose, and of the two, the grey mongoose showed greater sniffing capability than its counterpart.

While training dogs in explosives’ detection, we use the reward method, where they are rewarded when they respond well to the training. Hence, we began experiments with the mongoose to see how they responded to the same reward system. We used both species of mongoose for this initial experiment and our experiments established that the dry zone grey mongoose showed greater ability to sniff out explosives. We also did research on the direction of the sniffing capabilities of the grey mongoose. As with dogs, they only have downward sniffing capability, which means that they can more accurately sniff areas below their feet rather than scents at a fair distance or above their head. Dogs rarely have upward sniffing capability. However, with the grey mongoose, they have a wider sniffing range. ”

In 2017, we recruited a specialist who was knowledgeable about the mongoose and its behaviour, food habits, and capabilities. Then we undertook the research and were amazed at the mongoose’s sniffing capability and response to reward-based training,” he said, adding that as a secondary project, the Army was looking at breeding possibilities under a controlled system.

Currently, we have around nine mongooses in our research programme, and, of them, one has been trained to a very satisfactory level. We have also utilized funds allocated by the Army for research purposes. Also undertake research on the possibility of breeding the mongoose locally.”

Meanwhile, visiting scholar at Harvard University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and 2008-09 Radcliffe Institute Fellow Thrishantha Nanayakkara and a group from Moratuwa University have done an explosives’ detection study using the mongoose. They picked an indigenous mongoose for its temperament, size (roughly 2.5 kilogrammes, light enough to step on a mine without detonating it), and sense of smell (ability to detect explosives three metres away). .

Nanayakkara equipped a robot (roughly a metre tall and half-a-metre wide) with a harness to keep the mongoose under control and a video camera to record its findings. Although the mongoose walks a few feet ahead, the robot with its eight metal legs sets the pace. During the test run, the pair went back and forth across a 10-by-10-metre plot, stopping whenever the mongoose detected a mine, which it indicated by sitting up (as it was trained to do). In a morning’s work, the mongoose found every mine, proving its effectiveness in explosives’ detection. (Daily News  3.8.18. p 4)

The success of the initial experiments bring great hope that the indigenous grey mongoose could prove to be a cheaper alternative in explosives’ and mine detection than the far more expensive method of using imported dogs.” This may be another first for the Sri Lanka army. ( continued)

---

[1] Daily News 24.8.16 p 7 Modern used file 13 .

Dilrook Kannangara

Chief Minister of the Northern Province is at it again – Mahawamsa bashing. Lengthy replies have been written to him by others. Having read the comments and replies, I’m compelled to make these short and sharp points to him and his unfortunate followers.

1.       If Sri Lankan (Ceylon) Tamils were an established ethnic group in the island, why did they start to appear in the national census only from 1911? There was no such ethnic group in 1881, 1891 and 1901 censuses. That too was because the person in charge of the census was a Tamil.

2.       Why there is not a single Tamil inscription in Sri Lanka attributed to locals? The few Tamil inscriptions found in the island containing Tamil Nadu language were done by Cholas, Pandyans or the Chinese. All outsiders.

3.       Why no Tamil history book or literature book was done in Sri Lanka in ancient times? Everything was done in South India. The 18^th century Tamil book containing myths and glimpses of historical events was written by a South India brought to the island by the Dutch. Therefore, that too was not done by a local but by an outsider.

4.       If Tamils had such an illustrious history (anywhere in the world, let alone Sri Lanka), why do they live under the rule of Hindi, Gujarati, Sinhala, Malay, etc. native speakers? Why can’t Tamils rule themselves in a nation anywhere in the whole wide world?

5.       If Tamils had such an illustrious history (anywhere in the world, let alone Sri Lanka), don’t they have any shame to live under the rule of non-Tamils in every country they live?

These are factual matters that Vignesrawan and others of his coterie always fail to apprehend. Tamils are entitled to equal individual rights in Sri Lanka. Nothing less and nothing more. He can make fun of Mahawamsa and other dozen Sinhala history books, but they can never have their own nation. Accepting and respecting others’ history and nations is the first step in gaining a nation of one’s own. Unfortunately, Tamils are misled by some of their politicians away from this reality.

BY EDWARD THEOPHILUS

How to sing the national anthem of Sri Lanka in Tamil is a question to me as the current National Anthem is in Sinhala language and originally it was authored by the lyricist in the Sinhala language.  If anyone suggests or requests to sing in Tamil it will not be a national anthem, but a translation of the national anthem. According to my understanding, all countries in the world sing national anthems in the language lyricist produced although there are people living these countries, who use different languages.  For example, in Australia, a considerable ethnic group that uses Greek, Italian and Mandarin but the government never allowed to sing the national anthem in any other language than in English.

Why this truth cannot be understood by Tamils.  In India there are more Tamils than in Sri Lanka and Indian national anthem, Jana Gana mana adinayake jayahe” sings only in the Hindi language. Are TNA people stupids without understanding the simple truth or they want to make unnecessary issue ahead of the general election to secure seats.

• 1. UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon commissioned 3 members (Ban Ki Moon Panel of Experts) selected personally by him to submit a personal report on the ‘final months’ of Sri Lanka’s conflict. This report was not commissioned by the UNGA or UNSC. This report was never tabled at the UNGA, UNSC or even UNHRC. This report was actually leaked to the public. How can the UNHRC head quote from this leaked personal report & how can 3 successive UNHRC resolutions be based on a personally mandated leaked report?

• 2. How can a personally commissioned report (Darusman Report) become the basis for successive resolutions against Sri Lanka when it was never officially tabled for Sri Lanka to officially respond to it?

• 3. How legal are these UNHRC Resolutions, OISL investigations & every demand & recommendations given that the Darusman Report is the basis for every action being taken against Sri Lanka? What is the platform within the UN system that Sri Lanka can seek answers for these legally questionable acts? UNSG’s actions are illegal under UN Charter Article 2(7), 99 and 100

• 4. Article 97, 98 & 99 of the UN Charter covers the role of the UNSG but UNSG can only use Article 99 (Commission report) if there is a threat to international peace & security. UNSG commissioned his personal panel more than a year after Sri Lanka’s conflict ended & there was no threat to international peace & security, if so UNSG was bound by Article 97,98 & 99 to bring that to the attention of the UNSC & seek approval to commission reports on Sri Lanka. These are legal questions for UNHRC to now answer. Isn’t this why the Darusman Report was leaked instead of placing it officially for Sri Lanka to respond to? What UNSG did constitutes an ‘ultra vires’ to the UN Charter & the spirit of goodwill among UN member states. UNSG is violating Article 2(7) REPEATEDLY by meddling in affairs that fall ‘within the domestic jurisdiction of members’.

• 5. When a UNHRC head demands a sovereign country to change its constitution & openly denigrates Sri Lanka’s judicial system & judges is the UNHRC head not violating Article 2.7 of the UN Charter? Article 2(7): Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to settlement under the present Charter;  http://www.un.org/en/sections/un-charter/chapter-i/ Not stopping there the UNHRC head has also asked Sri Lanka to delist LTTE fronts, praising constitutional amendments that were promoted by western governments (19a), praising that Sri Lanka is holding a Remembrance Day’ instead of ‘Victory Day’ while UNHRC is silent about UK & Allies celebrating Victory Day since 1945, demanding the repealing of the terrorism prevention act, commenting on ‘white vans’ when no one can even give a list of the missing or their names or even numbers that warrant it to be regarded as a national issue. UNHRC reports are full of passing comments of ‘some groups’ with sensationalized allegations sans details or evidence.

• 6. On 21 July 2007 LTTE closed the Mavil Aru sluice gates denying water to some 30,000 farmers in East Sri Lanka – did UNHRC force LTTE to return the supply of water as denying water is a war crime? What did UNHRC do against the LTTE for its actions?

• 7. Immediately after closing the Mavil Aru sluice gates LTTE began attacking several villages in the East forcing the Govt to order its troops to counter-attack & defend the lives of the civilians. Did UNHRC prevent LTTE carnage? Did UNHRC take action against the LTTE for these acts of terror?

• 8. LTTE began attacking villages since mid-1980s killing innocent men, women, children babies & even pregnant women. What did UN system do to stop LTTE carnage throughout 30 years? Were these not civilians that LTTE were killing? Give us evidence of how UNHRC or UN system has assisted the victims of LTTE terror? Not once has any UNHRC head visited victims of LTTE terror attacks.

• 9. What has the UN / UNHRC / International Community done about LTTE fronts that have been providing material support & engaged in propaganda on behalf of the LTTE raising funds that purchased the arms & ammunition for LTTE to fight & controls the LTTE international kitty from illegal & legal business ventures?

• 10. It is because the LTTE engaged in acts of terror that Sri Lanka’s Government deployed its troops to safeguard the lives of civilians and protect the country’s public property that LTTE was targeting. The list of airports, trains, passenger buses, buildings, banks that LTTE attacked are many. What did UN/UNHRC do to stop these LTTE acts of terror?

• 11. UNHRC that is today quoting 24×7 on ‘civilians’ must explain why UN did not go after LTTE for targeting and killing civilians throughout 1980s, 1990s, 2000 up to 2009? Were these civilian lives not important? How many innocent farmers, villagers, people going to work, school children were killed by LTTE? Why have they been neglected by UN and their deaths simply subject to an official statement recirculated with every attack.

• 12. The UN/UNHRC that has become overactive since the fall of the LTTE has never shown the same enthusiasm to go after LTTE as it is doing questioning how the Sri Lanka Army engaged itself in the final months of the conflict. We want to know why?

• 13. UN speaks so highly about human rights & rights of the child – did UN stop LTTE forcible kidnap & recruitment of children turned into child soldiers? This was happening openly since 1980s. These children were initially trained by Adele Balasingham who now lives in UK where LTTE still remains banned. Adele Balasingham even instructed these children to bite the cyanide capsule & commit suicide in the event they may face capture by the armed forces. Teaching children to kill and training to commit suicide are two crimes that the UN system is well aware of and her own books are evidence enough of her crime. What has the UN & UK done about her crimes against children & their human rights?

• 14. Allegations of war crimes against Sri Lankan Forces is determined based on evidence of killing. The alleged 40,000, 100,000, 150,000 has no basis without names of the dead or at least skeletons of the dead. We are into the 10^th year since the end of the conflict and apart from recirculating allegations there are no list of 40,000 names & there are no skeletons in the area where the conflict ended because 3 days after the conflict ended Ban Ki Moon travelled by helicopter over the year and he & all others travelling with him should have seen newly dug graves – 40,000 is no small number to dig graves for & hide full bodies. Without details of dead or their skeletons how can an army be accused of war crimes is the question UNHRC must answer. OISL investigation should have had 40,000 dead names but no such list has been sent. Presidential Commission on Missing Persons too has a list of less than 20,000 which includes 5000 missing soldiers & missing covering period after 1983.

• 15. The UNHRC list of war crimes allegations against Sri Lanka include: killing of civilians, shelling hospitals & humanitarian objects, denial of humanitarian assistance, human rights violations suffered by victims & survivors, human rights violations outside conflict zone including media & other critics (last point is outside of the conflict subject) Throughout the conflict the Government of Sri Lanka set up a Consultative Committee on Humanitarian Assistance (CCHA) which met twice a month with foreign envoys, select NGO heads, Sri Lankan Officials, Armed Forces officials. This was the best place to ask direct questions and get direct answers. Meeting minutes has not seen any of the questions asked after the conflict been asked at these bi-weekly meetings. WHY?

• 16. Though LTTE is not signatory to any international conventions, the laws of war is applicable to LTTE therefore it is LTTE who is at fault for using hospitals to store its military equipment and firing from these sites. LTTE is at fault for firing from among civilians not forgetting that LTTE also had a civilian armed force.

• 17. The Government transported 534,227 metric tons of food and medicines to the conflict which the ICRC has not disputed. Therefore, the allegation that the GOSL did not supply adequate supplies of food is totally uncalled for.

• 18. Why has UNHRC ignored the SL Govt census by Tamil teachers in Feb/Mar 2012 placing war dead at 7432 including LTTE killed in combat. Of the 2600 missing 1600 had been with LTTE  

• 19. Why has the UNHRC ignored the population survey by Tamil Teachers of the North in July 2011 covering migration, deaths, untraceable persons from 2005-2009 giving 7896 dead including LTTE and 1102 dead from natural illness & sickness. Assuming 5000 to be LTTE dead, a 30 year old conflict ending with less than 3000 collateral damage deaths is commendable. US war on terror since 9/11 has killed over 1million people!

• 20. Why has the UNHRC ignored the UN Country Report 2009 giving estimated deaths between August 2008-May 13 2009 as 7721 (which is close to the 7934 deaths given by the Census Dept of SL)

• 21. Why has the UNHRC ignored the aerial photos of the conflict zone by the American Association for the Advancement of Science clearly negating the allegation of 40,000 dead

• 22. How can UNHRC ignore embedded Indian journalist Murali Reddy & instead accept versions of 3^rd party / 4^th parties living overseas? Murali was present in the conflict zone upto 19^th May 2009? His reports give detailed accounts & he also claims that ICRC suspended operations on 15 May 2009 (4 days before LTTE was defeated) satisfied that the majority of civilians were in safety & only the LTTE & military were engaged in final combat. His reports cites speaking to civilians none of whom claimed military was killing them. His reports however confirm that LTTE were firing at civilians trying to escape LTTE as well as LTTE denying water & food to civilians who were not family members of LTTE.

• 23. How can UNHRC ignore David Gray Reuters reporter who toured the battlefield in April 2009 – his report details Sri Lankan forces sharing their own food rations with the civilians.

• 24. On what grounds is the UNHRC promoting a Truth & Reconciliation Commission for Sri Lanka similar to that of South Africa when the 2 countries cannot be compared? South Africa faced an apartheid problem when invader whites subjugated the black inhabitants. Sri Lanka faced a terrorist problem. 

• 25. Why has UN/UNHRC not appreciated what Sri Lanka has achieved since ending 30 years of terror in just 3 years & within 3 years a magnanimous program launched that covered resettling 295,873 IDPs (while there are still 27.5m IDPs worldwide & over 62m refugees). From 2009-2012 Sri Lanka completed 5000sq.km of demining, rehabilitated & reintegrated 11,989 LTTE combatants that surrendered, 594 child combatants given education, offered vocational training and given a presidential pardon, restoring irrigation infrastructure, canals, tanks, reviving agriculture & farming, restoring over 1000 schools and healthcare facilities, renovated and even built kovils.

• 26. UN/UNHRC or any other body cannot frame charges of war crimes against Sri Lankan troops without answering these fundamental questions

• Does the UN know how many civilians did not take part in hostilities?
• Does the UN know how many civilians took part in one or two acts of hostilities making distinction further complicated?
• Does the UN know how many civilians volunteered to take part in hostilities?
• Does the UN know how many civilians may have died while taking part in hostilities?
• Does the UN know how many of LTTE’s CIVILIAN ARMED FORCE died during hostilities?
• Does the UN know how many will admit and own up to being a civilian but took part in hostilities during the last phase?
• Can the UN rely on these civilian accounts if all those saved claim they did not take part in hostilities and thus provide them the package of witness protection for no reason?
• How many LTTErs fought in civilian clothing (pl note all 11,989 combatants who surrendered to the Sri Lanka military were wearing civilian clothing)
• How many LTTE combatants died in combat wearing civilian clothing?
• How many LTTE combatants killed were in uniform?

• 27. UNHRC has no grounds to establish any courts without answering above questions as well as proving that 40,000 were killed. With no names so far even after 10 years what is the case that the UNHRC has against the Sri Lankan troops? OISL does not have 40,000 names, Presidential Commission on Missing Persons (covering 1983-2009 period) as of 16^th June 2016 has only 19,006 civilian missing of which 5000 are soldiers. There are no police entries for 40,000 missing the most basic requirement to even investigate a case of missing. Would Sri Lanka save 295,873 Tamils and accept 11,989 LTTE combatants but kill 40,000, 70,000, 100,000 or 125,000 ‘invisible’ people? The numbers just don’t make sense.

• 28. Questioning those that made the allegation figures to prove their claims. All of the below must be asked to produce evidence for their allegations. They simply cannot throw numbers & expect to put a national army in prison without evidence or proof.

• Based on what evidence is Robert Blake, former US envoy quoting 40,000 dead at the US Congressional Hearing
• How is Siobhain McDonagh (UK Labor MP) declaring 100,000 dead and 40,000 as civilians.
• How did Charles Petrie reviewing the UNSG’s report come up with 70,000 dead
• How did The Times of London come up with 20,000 dead
• How did Amnesty International quote 40,000 dead
• How did Bishop of Mannar, Rayappu Joseph claim 147,000 as missing but did not log a single name with the Presidential Commission or the OISL investigators
• How did Alan Keenan Project Director of International Crisis Group Sri Lanka come up with civilians killed between 40,000-147,000
• How did UK Guardian quote 40,000 dead

• 29. UNHRC please answer – How many more Thayaparaja’s are classified as ‘refugees’ ‘asylum seekers’ ‘dead’ ‘missing’ ‘killed’ but actually living overseas – On 5 May 2014 Dhanushkodi police in Tamil Nadu arrested some Tamil refugees one of whom was K Thayaparaja who was listed as being tortured & killed by Sri Lankan Security Forces on 13 September 2009 a story confirmed by the University Teachers of Human Rights report (Special Report No34/Dec 13, 2009) which claims he was tortured in Avissawella by Sri Lankan Army and shot on 13^th September 2009 and died while being taken to Kalubowila hospital. His death was mentioned in the Australian Government Refugee Review Tribunal in 2010. How is it that a man supposed to have been killed in 2009 is alive in 2014? How many more people included in these international reports as ‘MISSING’ or ‘KILLED’ by the Sri Lankan Security Forces are actually alive as in the case of K Tharayaparaja has revealed.

• 30. UNHRC – Name 1 Tribunal that has delivered justice to the victims? While UNHRC must first name who the victims are we would like to first ask the high & mighty UN from all of the international courts/hybrid tribunals held how many have been success stories for the victims? The ICC set up in 2002 spent 10 years & completed 1 trial spending $900m where all investigations were against Africa. The Chief Judge in the ICC case against Kenyan President was not even a lawyer. The Chief Prosecutor was accused of withholding information on Lubanga the Congolese military leader. ICC has never taken up West’s illegal military interventions, war crimes, use of illegal weapons, arming rebel movements & terror groups globally.

The Tribunal against former Yugoslavia in 1993 took 23 years spent $2b and has been accused of selective bias in the indictments and completely omitting NATO crimes from investigations. Serbian leader was exonerated eventually but he died before the verdict in prison. Allegations of war crimes exceeding 100,000 eventually resulted in just 2788 dead bodies and that ended the ‘mass genocide’ story.

Yugoslavia tribunal was established to deter future crimes – indictments in Bosnia didn’t prevent atrocities in Kosovo, indictments for Kosovo didn’t stop atrocities in Sudan nor Libya nor Syria.

Rwanda Tribunal in 1994 again excluded foreign involvement including the UN from investigation & spent 20 years, £1 billion taking 8 years to find 2 arrested in 1999 as not guilty in 2011 citing ‘errors’ in initial judgement. So much for greatness of foreign judges!  95 indictees cost £11 million each.

Cambodia hybrid Tribunal in 2006 took 8 years spent $200m but only 5 indictments and 1 conviction for alleged killing of 1.7m by Khmer Rouge in mid 1970s by Pol Pot! US, UK complicity in these crimes were never taken.

Sierra Leone Special Court 2002 had a 65hectacre court complex, costing $1,066,300 to the taxpayer (who live on $30 a day), prosecution lawyers were mostly from US or US influenced countries and no local judges. Court spent $23m on every defendant but only 22 have been indicted.

Special Court for Lebanon 2007 tried suspects in absentia. 4 years of investigation cost $325m with 49% of court funded by Lebanese govt where poverty rate is over 60% and money wasted on the court could have easily be spent on the people.

Special Hybrid Court East Timor for crimes committed between 1975-1999. 75% of the people indicted remain at large. Only 1 person is in prison. There was no sovereign East Timor when the Tribunal was created. East Timor became independent in May 2002. UN ended Mission in 2005. Relationship between Indonesia & East Timor can be compared to Sri Lanka & India.

East Timor, Cambodia & Sierra Leone, Kosovo were hybrid courts – combining international & national element. Hybrid tribunals were set up to cover crimes committed prior to establishment of ICC. Hybrid courts do not have direct authoritative backing of the UNSC and will apply domestic & international law & international & domestic lawyers which is probably career prospects for some local lawyers in Sri Lanka.

The answers to the 30 questions posed clearly establishes UNHRC has no case against Sri Lanka or its National Army and looking at the controversial courts that UN has held the wastage of money & years as well as the biased judgements justifies our refusal to agree to such for Sri Lanka while any Truth & Reconciliation cannot omit role of India, role of West, role of UN & INGOS/NGOs and their local stooges, role of the Church, LTTE Tamil Diaspora and a plethora of others who had been operating from behind the scenes in what is far more than a terrorist problem in Sri Lanka.

Shenali D Waduge

Sri Lanka’s conflict was TERRORIST & ETHNIC

Sri Lanka’s conflict was TERRORIST not ‘CIVIL’

(GOSL must request all media releases to correct that Sri Lanka did not suffer an ethnic or civil war but a terrorist conflict)

Sri Lanka’s military defeated LTTE TERRORISTS not TAMILS.

Conflict was NOT BETWEEN Sinhalese & Tamils.

Sri Lankan Army are NOT SINHALESE.

LTTE Terrorists were ALL Tamils but ALL TAMILS were not LTTE Terrorists

Sri Lanka Army DOES NOT NEED TO RECONCILE with TERRORISTS.

Sinhalese do not need to reconcile with Tamils because BOTH WERE NEVER ANGRY or WERE FIGHTING

Both LTTE & Tamil leaders making same demands

LTTE demanded a separate state

Tamil leaders demanded a separate state

Tamil leaders endorsed LTTE as their sole representative

Tamil leaders are continuing to demand what LTTE terrorists demanded

GOSL must take legal action against separatism whether by militants or by political maneuvers.

LTTE Supporters include Tamils, Sinhalese, Muslims, Foreigners, UN, INGOs/NGOs & even diplomats.

LTTE’s 1st victim was a Tamil – Alfred Duraiappa, Jaffna Mayor in 1975

LTTE’s 2^nd victim were Tamils – Tamil policemen on duty in North to scare them from joining public service. If Tamils didn’t join public service it was because of repercussions they would suffer by LTTE for joining.

LTTE also killed TAMILS going against them including their own fighters.

Has UN totaled the number of Tamils killed by LTTE?

JULY 1983 Riots is presented as ETHNIC” but in reality the UNP Govt & their stooges (comprising thugs who were Sinhalese, Muslims & Tamils) attacked selected Tamil houses & began to loot them)

Houses of UNP Tamil friends were given protection. Sinhalese safeguarded Tamil neighbors & friends in their homes. But the media & UNP Govt had manufactured the story as ‘ETHNIC’ for it justified LTTE to come into the open from hiding.

NO UN – NO WESTERN GOVT – NO FOREIGN ENVOY – NO HR GROUPS came forward to STOP LTTE throughout 30 years of LTTE terror attacking villages, killing villagers, chasing them from their homes, shooting unarmed civilians worshipping, cutting pregnant mothers & babies, planting bombs on roads, trains & buses. But now these entities are screaming ‘accountability’

All that these entities did following every LTTE attack was to issue a customary statement regarding the ‘alleged’ LTTE attack ending with ‘we encourage both parties to engage in talks’

So-called International Community DID NOT STOP LTTE kidnapping Tamil children turning them into child soldiers inspite of compiling enough & more reports/statistics about them

So-called international community knew about LTTE illegal networks run by Tamils living on their soil and operating from their countries manipulating their systems and even duping their citizens (credit card scams, illegal human smuggling, illegal arms trade, money-laundering, hawala system) etc

UN entities tasked to protect children never called for global action against LTTE for denying Tamil children the right to be with parents, right to study, right to live in a safe environment.

UN/Western Govts continue to do nothing against the woman (Adele Balasingham) who not only trained Tamil children to kill but instructed them to bite cyanide capsule & commit suicide. Inspite of complaints logged with the UK Metropolitan police no action or even an investigation has been launched against her though LTTE remains banned even 10 years after LTTE defeat.

Countries that have banned LTTE continue to allow LTTE fronts to openly operate in them. In April 2014 – 16 organizations were declared LTTE fronts by the GOSL – no foreign govt initiated investigation into the organizations named that were operating from their countries. WHY – all of these entities were linked to entities that the Western Govts banned like TRO? However, foreign govts are even allowing their Parliaments to be used as venues for these banned entities to hold their functions and watching their MPs attend these functions and even give speeches – Jeremy Corbyn even attended!

Decision to defeat LTTE militarily came after enduring 30 years of terror & over 300 suicide attacks & failure of 5 peace talks, negotiations, ceasefires.

Just 1 attack – 9/11 resulted in bombing of Afghanistan without any investigation when none of the hijackers were Afghans BUT US/NATO continues to occupy Afghanistan since 2001 (18 years)

Sri Lanka’s military offensive would not have taken place if not for LTTE making its greatest blunder to close the Mavil Aru anicut & deny water to farmers of the East.

East was liberated from LTTE in July 2007. North was liberated from LTTE in May 2009.

GOSL attended by armed forces heads briefed foreign governments/envoys/NGO heads via Consultative Committee meetings held twice a week.

Any issues these entities had should have been brought to the table at these bi-weekly meetings and sought explanations from the GOSL. The meetings divulged details of food, medicines, sent to the conflict areas by the Govt. If there were shortcomings, these entities should have questioned the GOSL during these meetings.

Food convoys to conflict zone

Food convoys were sent with knowledge of ICRC, WFP and others. No one can ignore that Sri Lanka was sending provisions while engaged in a military operation inspite of knowing LTTE was keeping Tamils as hostages/human shields and were storing these essentials to distribute amongst LTTE family members as well as store for their use.

Rescuing 300,000 Tamils

There are only allegations against Sri Lanka Armed Forces killing ‘Tamil civilians’ but even after 10 years there are no names or skeletons to prove the dead figures alleged.

However, close to 300,000 Tamils were brought to safety.

LTTE killed Tamils fleeing

How many Tamils got shot dead by LTTE who shot at their own people to prevent them fleeing?

Can UN give a number?

UN Statements appealing to LTTE to release Tamils

LTTE shooting Tamils

How many Tamils did LTTE kill?

12,000 LTTE combatants surrendering in civilian clothing including 584 child soldiers

That Sri Lanka Armed Forces accepted civilian clothing clad LTTE combatants who surrendered is a testament that none were harmed during surrender. All were put into rehabilitation.

584 child soldiers given Presidential Pardon

All of the child soldiers that surrendered were given Presidential Pardon – given education, returned to families and assisted in their future development by the GoSL and Armed Forces. Gokulan a child soldier went on to become a singing sensation loved by all. GoSL and not LTTE or international community gave these child soldiers a new lease on life.  

Tamils supporting LTTE

Tamils not supporting LTTE

Tamils supporting separate State & LTTE

Tamils not supporting separate State & LTTE

Tamils were divided – those who supported LTTE / those who did not support LTTE / those who wanted a separate state / those who did not want a separate state

Whose side was TNA on?

Whose side was LTTE fronts on?

TNA throughout the military offensive took side of the LTTE

TNA did not demand release of Tamils from LTTE.

TNA did not send a single relief item to Tamils held by LTTE

LTTE fronts did not send any humanitarian relief to Tamil civilians.

IDP reception centres

Contrary to the negative publicity given. Every IDP centre had female soldiers, soldiers competent in speaking Tamils and given the scale of the humanitarian operation Sri Lankan Armed Forces & GoSL did their best to provide far more comforts than LTTE had given them while they were in LTTE custody.

Post-LTTE defeat

19 May 2009 – LTTE ground leadership defeated

30 years of bombs, suicide missions & assassinations ended.

A terrorist movement that crippled the country’s economy, peace, prosperity was defeated.

The relief to 20m people mattered far more than the disappointment to LTTE supporters & LTTE combatants.

LTTE kitty & international silence

In 2004 Janes Intelligence declared LTTE annual profits to be $300million from its illegal and legal international operations.

With LTTE’s illegal and legal international network in tact, that annual profits must now be doubled given the saving from expenses earlier incurred for LTTE combatants, their food, clothing, medicines, arms & ammunition procurement etc.

Why is the international community not taking steps to cripple LTTE illegal operations even 10 years after LTTE defeat?

Power of LTTE money

LTTE fronts operates TV stations, radio stations, websites, funds political campaigns, politicians, holds international conferences to which international personalities are paid to deliver speeches and paid for travel & other expenses, pays for demonstrations and even sponsors large groups to travel overseas to demonstrate on behalf of LTTE & separatist goal. LTTE kitty also is able to retain the best of lawyers for a fee in a world where integrity of profession bows to lucrative fees even if paid by internationally banned terrorist groups. Such is the reality of the world we live in. We have to wonder how much of LTTE money has contributed to the bias against Sri Lanka too.

Bogus allegations: Discrimination by Sinhalese

No one has yet been able to prove what Sinhalese as a majority enjoy because they are a majority that Tamils & Muslims as a minority do not enjoy because they are a minority?

We can however to negate this false notion prove with examples the positions held by Tamils & Muslims in Govt and Private Sector.

Bogus allegations: 3 riots

Allegations of 3 riots in 1958/1977/1983 have often been cited as grounds to showcase ‘ethnic’ element to Sri Lanka’s conflict. However, the role of Tamils in inciting these riots has often been left out. Of the 3 riots, 2 have been directly politically motivated by UNP.

Bogus allegations: war crimes / crimes against humanity / genocide / ethnic cleansing

Why is everyone ignoring how Sinhalese & Muslims were chased out of the North in the 1980s after which only the demand that North belonged to ONLY TAMILS started.

Differentiating LTTE dead & Tamil civilian Dead

In making allegations against Sri Lanka’s Armed Forces can the UN, UNHRC or any international body confirm who the dead are?

How many LTTE in uniform died during the final phase of Sri Lanka’s conflict?

How many LTTE in civilian clothing died during the final phase?

How many Tamil civilians in civilian clothing took part in hostilities & died?

How many Tamil civilians in civilian clothing without taking part in hostilities died from LTTE firing?

How many Tamil civilians in civilian clothing without taking part in hostilities died from Sri Lanka Army firing?

Without knowing these details – UN/UNHRC CANNOT make any allegations against Sri Lanka.

Roots of Tamil Homeland – Self-Determination

Questions unanswered:

• Where did Tamils originate from (South India or Sri Lanka)
• Tamil Nadu sought self-determination from India at independence BEFORE quest was sought in Sri Lanka
• Same ethnic group (Tamils) cannot demand 2 homelands in two different countries (India & Sri Lanka). Same ethnic group cannot have 2 separate states in 2 different sovereign countries. There are 70million Tamils living in India’s Tamil Nadu while less than 2million Tamils live in Sri Lanka.

Conflicts & Rules of War

No conflict is without some form of irregularities. No soldier has time to be reading rule of war books while engaged in hostilities with non-state armed actors who are not bound by rules of war and whose notoriety comes from breaking the rules of war.

A soldier is himself a human being and must defend his own life.

Ceasefire Agreement violations accounted for over 3000 violations against LTTE – what did the international mediators do against this?

Restorative Justice/Retributive Justice

There cannot be restorative justice for LTTE armed non-state actors and retributive justice for the National Army who was only doing its national duty to defend/safeguard the nation & its citizens.

Arrival of UN Secretary General & international contingent with international media

3 days after conclusion of the conflict the UNSG arrived in Sri Lanka & the delegation was taken on a helicopter tour of the final conflict area. If there had been newly dug mass graves they would have been the first to view from an aerial view. No newly dug mass graves were reported by any of them. US satellite pictures could also not find mass graves to hold minimum 40,000 dead bodies (which were not in skeleton form)

Has no expert thought of how 40,000 dead bodies can be dumped and no one can even find these supposed to be dead even after 10 years?

5000 Missing Sri Lankan Soldiers

What has the UN or UNHRC or Missing Persons Commission done about the 5000 Missing Soldiers all of whom have names and IDs? Instead of going after figures that cannot be corroborated with names & IDs, why is no one finding what happened to 5000 missing Sri Lankan soldiers?

Who are making allegations against Sri Lanka’s National Army?

All of the allegations based on which UNHRC Resolutions/Investigations have been launched have been by 3^rd party or 4^th parties or LTTE connected individuals/organizations. The foreign parties making allegations are also regular attendees to LTTE front events. Foreign MPs making allegations are dependent on Tamil vote bank and Tamil funding for their political campaigns. These constitute conflict of interest.

Questioning UNSG decision to appoint Expert Panel

The 3-member panel appointed by UNSG was on a private capacity. None of the members of the panel were from UN. The report was not tabled in UNSC or UNGA. This was the first time a private report was called AFTER the conclusion of a conflict. The private nature of the report being used as a basis for successive resolutions against Sri Lanka must be answered by the UNHRC & Sri Lanka must seek official explanation in 2020 Geneva.

Legality of UNHRC Resolutions

Sri Lanka’s National Army was ordered to militarily defeat LTTE following LTTE’s closure of water to civilians in East Sri Lanka. LTTE was militarily defeated on 19 May 2009.

17 nations led by Germany sought a special session in UNHRC to discuss whether GoSL committed crimes during the last phase of the war. Were these countries sleeping when LTTE were killing innocent people. Why did they not call for any special session then?

However, a counter resolution was passed on 27 May 2009 with 29 countries supporting Sri Lanka.

But since 2012 successive resolutions against Sri Lanka have been passed using UNSG personally commissioned panel report as foundation. How legal is this? UNHRC must formally explain to Sri Lanka the due process followed. How can Resolutions be based on a personally commissioned report. Sri Lanka must raise this question and demand formal answer.

2014 Resolution 25/1 authorized investigation by UNHRC (OISL) which ended in March 2015. Has UNHRC followed due process. If there are procedural lapses Sri Lanka must take these up in Geneva 2020. Procedural lapses if ignored will cause precedents that will impact & affect other countries too.

A procedural complaint petition has been filed in the UN questioning violation by UNHRC interfering into the internal affairs of a sovereign nation.

Sri Lanka’s government following West sponsored regime change co-sponsored the 30/1 Resolution in September 2015 against the citizens wish and without the knowledge of Parliament or President.

Main sponsors of Resolutions against Sri Lanka left UNHRC calling it a ‘cesspool of political bias’

While US called UNHRC a ‘cesspool of political bias’ Israel too declared that wordings of resolutions by UNHRC indicate purpose of investigation as not intended to arrive at truth but to impair a country’s self-defense and demonize it. This is exactly what Sri Lankans feel about UNHRC’s policy on Sri Lanka.

Ignoring 6 international terrorist expert reports

6 reports were compiled responding to the allegations made by OISL & led by late Sir Desmond de Silva. These reports concluded that the Sri Lanka Armed Forces did not commit war crimes as was alleged.

These reports must be tabled again in Geneva 2020.

Shenali D Waduge

උපුටා ගැන්ම  Adad Derana

හිටපු අමාත්‍ය රාජිත සේනාරත්න මහතා ඖෂධ මාෆියාවට අවශ්‍ය පරිදි රටේ සෞඛ්‍ය ක්ෂේත්‍රය පාලනය කළ බව රජයේ වෛද්‍ය නිලධාරීන්ගේ සංගමයේ ලේකම් වෛද්‍ය හරිත අලුත්ගේ මහතා පවසයි.

රාජිත සේනාරත්න මහතා සෞඛ්‍ය අමාත්‍යවරයාව සිටි අවධියේ දී ඖෂධ මිලදී ගැනීමේ දී සිදුවූ බව පැවසෙන අක්‍රමිකතා සම්බන්ධයෙන් ප්‍රකාශයක් ලබාදීම සඳහා අල්ලස් හෝ දූෂණ විමර්ශන කොමිෂන් සභාවට අද(30) පැමිණි අවස්ථාවේදී ඒ මහතා මේ බව සඳහන් කළේය. 

මෙහිදී වැඩි දුරටත් අදහස් දැක්වු ඒ මහතා පවසා සිටියේ, දෙරණේ සජීවිව විකාශය වු 360 වැඩසටහන සමඟ එක්වී ඉතා නරක ලෙස රටට බොරු පැවසු බවයි.

ඒ සම්බන්ධයෙන් අල්ලස් කොමිෂමේ අවධානය යොමු කළ බවත් පැවසු ඒ මහතා, ඒ සම්බන්ධයෙන් අද දිනයේ දී විස්තරාත්මක ප්‍රකාශයක් ලබා දෙන බවත් කියා සිටියේය.

විශේෂයෙන් විගණකාධිපති වාර්තා හා ජාතික ප්‍රසම්පාදන කොමිසමේ වාර්තා පදනම් කර ගනිමින් මෙන්ම තවත් වාර්තා රැසක් පදනම් කර ගනිමින් රාජිත සේනාරත්නට එරෙහිව නිරන්තරයෙන් නීතිය ක්‍රියාත්මක වෙනු ඇතැයි අපේක්ෂා කරන බවත් ඒ මහතා පැවසීය.

රාජිත සේනාරත්න මහතා අද වන විට විවිධ හේතු පවසමින් රෝහල් ගත වී සිටින බවත් කියා සිටි ඒ මහතා, සමහර මන්ත්‍රීවරු ඖෂධ මාෆියාවෙන් රාජිත සේනාරත්නට ජීවිත තර්ජන ඇතැයි පවසන බවත් කියා සිටියේය.

මෙය විහිළුවට කාරණයක් බවත් ඖෂධ මාෆියාව සමඟ ගනුදෙනු කරනු ලැබුවේ රාජිත සේනාරත්න බවත් ඖෂධ මාෆියාවයට අවශ්‍ය පරිදි රටේ සෞඛ්‍ය හසුරවනු ලැබුවේ ද ඔහු බව මෙහිදී හරිත අලුත්ගේ මහතා වැඩිදුරටත් පැවසීය.

රාජිත සේනාරත්න හිටපු ඇමැතිවරයා සමග ඩීල් දැමු පිරිස් එළිවෙන්නට පටන් ගෙන ඇතැයි රජයේ වෛද්‍ය නිලධාරීන්ගේ සංගමය සඳහන් කරයි.

එහි ලේකම් හරිත අලුත්ගේ මහතා මහතා සඳහන් කළේ අදාල ඩීල් සියල්ල ඉදිරියේදී හෙලිදරවු කිරීම සූදානම් බවයි.

මුරුත්තෙට්ටුවේ ආනන්ද හිමියන් රාජිත සේනාරත්න ඇමතිවරයාට පිරිත් නුල් බඳින්න රෝහලට යාමට තරම් ඇති භූමිකාව කුමක්දැයි හෙලි කල යුතු බවත් ලේකම්වරයා කියා සිටියේය.

එම සංගමය විසින් කැදවා තිබූ මාධ්‍ය හමුවක් අමතමින් ඔහු මේ බව කියා සිටියේය.

කෙසේ නමුත් එල්ල වන චෝදනාවන්ට ප්‍රතිචාර දක්වමින් මුරුත්තෙට්ටුවේ ආනන්ද හිමියන් සඳහන් කළේ තමා රෝහලට ගියේ ගියේ කුමන්ත්‍රණයකට හෝ පණිවුඩ රැුගෙන නොවන බවත් තම යුතුකම වෙනුවෙන් පමණක් බවත්ය.

Courtesy Ada Derana

Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D.

  Bipolar Affective Disorder (BPAD) is a chronic and disabling psychiatric disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of mania/hypomania and depression (Van Dijk et al., 2013).  In BPAD psychosocial functioning and quality of life often remain impaired between mood episodes (Ball et al., 2006; Becerra et al., 2013).  Bipolar Disorder presents in 1-4% of the world’s population, carrying significant financial and functional consequences (Stump & Eng, 2018). The long-term outcomes of bipolar disorder range from lasting remission to chronic course or frequent recurrences requiring admissions (Uher et al., 2018).  Bipolar disorder is the sixth leading cause of disability worldwide (Murray et al., 1996).

According to the American Psychiatric Association (2000) symptoms of bipolar disorder include happiness and irritability, decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, excessive confidence, increased energy, psychomotor agitation, and willingness to engage in reward-oriented behaviors without consideration of potential negative consequences. There are two main types of bipolar disorders; bipolar I and bipolar II.  Bipolar I disorder is defined by at least one lifetime manic episode, whereas bipolar II disorder is defined by less severe hypomanic episodes along with depressive episodes (Johnson et al., 2012).
Bipolar patients are more prone to heart and metabolic diseases as well as a higher risk of suicide compared to the healthy population (Riveros & Retamal, 2018). Yatham and colleagues (2018) state that approximately 6%‐7% of identified patients with BD dying by suicide.
The co-occurrence of bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder is associated with a worse prognosis (van der Veen et al., 2018). According to Simon and team (2005) BPAD has high comorbidity with anxiety disorders which is approximately 62%. Many individuals with bipolar disorder have cognitive difficulties and are disorganized in their daily lives (Deckersbach et al., 2012). 
Deficient emotion regulation is closely related to Bipolar Affective Disorder (Rheenen et al., 2014). Emotion regulation involves a coherent relationship with the self, specifically effective communication between body, mind, and feelings and effective emotion regulation involves the ability to accurately detect and evaluate cues related to physiological reactions to stressful events, accompanied by appropriate regulation strategies that temper and influence the emotional response (Price &Hooven, 2018). Emotional processing in bipolar disorder is impaired (Howells et al., 2014). Wessa  and  Linke( 2009)  state that in response to emotional stimuli bipolar patients show a dysfunction in a ventral-limbic brain network including the amygdala, insula, striatum, subgenual cingulate cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and orbitofrontal cortex. They hypothesized that this imbalance between the two networks has been proposed to underlie deficient emotion regulation in bipolar disorder.
BPAD has high relapse rate, morbidity and psychosocial impairment that often persist despite pharmacotherapy, highlighting the need for adjunctive psychosocial treatments (Reinares et al., 2014).
The management of BPAD is a challenge.  Treating bipolar depression is based on the combination of mood stabilizers and psychotherapy (McMahon et al., 2016). Some Psychiatrists recommend mindfulness based interventions for the patients who are diagnosed with BPAD. According to these clinicians there are improvements in cognitive functioning and emotional regulation, reduction in symptoms of anxiety depression and mania symptoms following mindfulness interventions.   Dr. William Marchand, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Utah, has experience using mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for bipolar spectrum conditions.  He states that anecdotally, individuals with these conditions report that they find MBIs to be helpful in managing their illness. Further, he says that scientific evidence is accumulating that MBIs may be effective adjunctive treatments for bipolar disorders (personal communication, 2018).
Chu and team (2018) reported the effectiveness of adjunct mindfulness-based intervention in treatment of bipolar disorder. Mindfulness interventions are based on teaching patients to pay complete attention to the present experience and act nonjudgmentally towards stressful events. During this mental practice the meditator focuses his or her attention on the sensations of the body. While the distractions (mental images, thoughts, emotional or somatic states) arise the participant is taught to acknowledge discursive thoughts and cultivate the state of awareness without immediate reaction (Bulzacka et al., 2018). It is a moment-to-moment awareness with qualities of kindness, curiosity, and acceptance.
Meditation practice has been found to promote well-being by fostering cognitive and emotional processes (Boccia et al., 2015). Mindfulness based cognitive therapy may improve emotional processing in bipolar disorder (Howells et al., 2014). Mindfulness influences neural processes in midline self-referential and lateralized somatosensory and executive networks (Lee et al., 2017). According to Tang and Posner (2016) mindfulness meditation improves emotion regulation. Stange and team (2011) surmise that mindfulness intervention  may be a treatment option that can be used as an adjunct to medication to improve cognitive functioning in bipolar disorder.

By : A.A.M.,NIZAM – MATARA.

May the New Year 2020 be peaceful, harmonious, happy and prosperous to all Lankaweb readers throughout the year.!

It is a tradition and customary for any decent politician to even after suffering a defeat to thank the voters for supporting him/her in the election and wish them good luck. We have seen it happening in foreign countries as well as in Sri Sri Lanka after all the previous elections. 

Surprisingly, this tradition was violated after the recent presidential election by both Tamils supported UNP candidate Sajith Premadasa and the 3% Anura Kumara Dissanayake who thinks that he is omniscient and who deceived the people in his first meeting on 18^th August by filling the Galle Face greens with cunningly ferried school children. JVP remaining can be understandable because they are a lot of vagabonds but not Sajith Premadasa because he was a candidate of one of Sri Lanka’s oldest political parties.    Extinguishing him

The UNP supporters who spent their time and energy, contributed even the scarce resources they had and, spent the nights in erecting stages, taxied people to the meetings with various promises (those who are called as Dara diya aedda people) were dumbfounded over the missing of their candidate for almost one month and some were reported to have wondered whether the powerful dynamo he claimed he was and hence he can work continuously from 4.00a.m. to midnight and every day of the week had broken down somewhere and whether he could have committed somewhere unable to overcome the humiliation he suffered.

The Maharaja TV and Radio network were also reported to have been searching for the candidate they extensively supported and were in quandary as to whether all there plans to make him their docile puppet after elections have gone astray.

It was in such an uncertain and unimaginable situation that the Ven. Bopitiye Dammissara Thera Chairman of the United National Party (UNP) Bhikku Peramuna had gone with some other Buddhist monks of his organisation in search of Sajith Premadasa and located him somewhere.  The Ven.Thero addressing the media revealed that Sajith Premadasa told him that he was hiding for almost one month, deliberately not answering all incoming calls as well because he has to return Rs. 260 Million he borrowed/collected for the election campaign The Ven. Thero has advised him not to be a coward, gutless, and spineless person and has asked him to come out and boldly face the reality. 

With this revelation the Maharajas too became energized and facilitated him to address the masses with the first meeting of coming out of the cocoon from their proxy Marikkar’s electorate Kolonnawa and it was followed by meetings in several other places but they were ‘one-man shows’ and his erstwhile supporters such as Harin Fernando, Mangala Samaraweera, Pa.Cha.Ranawaka, Ajith P. Perera, Sujeewa Senasinghe, Talata Atukorale, Chandrani Wijebandara, Hesha  Vithabage et al were not to be seen at these poorly attended meetings compared to his election campaign meetings.  He claimed that the reason for his defeat was due to pulling from his leg by UNP big wigs and alleged that some people in the UNP swindled the funds collected for his election campaign, 

The UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam quickly responded to this allegation and said that Sirikotha provided all infrastructure facilities and assistance requested by Sajith Premadasa and the fund collection was solely handled by Sajith Premadasa’s personal campaign office that was in Vauxhall Street and the former UNP General Secretary who became notorious as a ‘document forger’ was in charge of that office.

Meanwhile, a news item posted in the UNP’s London based website Lanka E News (LEN) under the title Janani plunders election money and buys properties” said:

There are many first ladies who abused political power. Lady Imelda Marcos of Philippine is one such. I dodnt have 3000 shoe pairs, I only had 1060, Even if I win or lose I will go shopping” said Imelda Marcos in a press briefing. There are many first ladies who went for shopping despite win or lose. One such lady who was born in Sri Lanka has broken even Imelda’s record.

Sajith appointed his wife Jalani to collect cash funds received for elections. More funds were directly received by Jalani. A part of his residence at Sajith’s Vahaull street office reserved for this transactions. Jalani’s siblings too were there to manage this bulk of funds received.

Finger print access locks were fixed to Jalani’s Vaxhaull street office. Those rooms were opened only to prince’s who brought ready cash. Despite large funds received Vahaull street was full of pandemonium and chaos. Donors who worked for credit fought with each other. Despite funds received Sajith always lamented as out of money. Although people didn’t ask directly from him but thought without money why the hell he became the presidential candidate?

Sajith’s sister Dulanjalie revealed an implausible truth about Sajith’s funds. Dulanjalie lamented this to one of her friends. According to Dulanjalie, Jalani has spent nothing on Sajith’s presidential campaign. Since Sajith was on post won mentality that he did not think much about the advertising campaigns.

Jalani who plundered the election money has bought properties all over the country. She has bought one of her beauty solon out rightly. Jalani who plundered the money made a wonderful story. She said it was Ranil who plundered the money with Nalin Bandara.

Finally Sajith who got saddened over his wife’s theft isolated himself. Sajith who could not say that his wife plundered Rs. 260 million, said that he owes Rs, 260 million. He said he is deprived of politics. Every scapegoat knows that he cannot demand the money given for election campaigns. Therefore the owing story is false. Meantime anyone who is deprived of politics would not cry demanding the party leadership.

From Jalani who plundered election money anyone could imagine the fate of the country if Janlani becomes the first lady of the country. Sajith who was clumsy until his wife plundered the money, could imagine the future of this country if Sajith becomes the head of the state, in short Sajith has proved that he is a person not beyond his worn out slippers and attendant suit.

Meanwhile a news item published by Lanka Newsweek.com”  posed the following questions:

·        How did Jalani find 350 million when her Husband was a debtor..?

·        Was Sajith’s debt of Rs.270 million due to Jalani’s acquiring “Jaal Saloon” for 350 million..?

·        The Salon had been bought under the name of a relative of Lakshman Fonseka

·        Sajith Premadasa spoke to President to escape from cases

·        Did Sajith borrow Rs. 270 million to pay from the public money after becoming the President..?

·        Who lent him millions and for what purpose..?

On 17^th December, 2016, almost three years before the November elections the website Colombo Telegraph published a news item titled How Did Sajith Premadasa Amass So Much Wealth? Petition Seeks To Clarify” The news item is appended below:

A petition against Minister of Housing and Construction and MP of Hambantota Sajith Premadasa‘s accumulated wealth has been finalized to be submitted for investigation by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

Minister Sajith Premadasa’s recent spending habits and doling of massive amounts in cash donations to temples has raised suspicion as to how he had accumulated such wealth despite being a mere politician. The petition is also been made to investigate those that may gifted monies to Minister Sajith Premadasa over the years.

According to public knowledge his father the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa was a career politician who did not amass wealth prior to his murder on the 1st of May 1993 .

Before entering into politics the former President’s only business dealings were to have sold a traditional sweetmeat as a street vendor called lavaria during his youthful days.

A group of lawyers, retired politicians and concerned citizens have now convened to compile a dossier of information pertaining to the mass of wealth acquired by the current Housing and Construction Minister Sajith Premadasa and will be submitted to the Bribery Commission for investigation shortly.

It is still to be established if these monies now lavishly been spent are black monies that belonged to his late father or if they are the ill-gotten wealth that Minister Sajth Premadasa has acquired since entering into politics in 1994.

Colombo Telegraph reliably learns that there are many other petitions currently being compiled for submission regarding other politicians currently in service.

A spokesman for the collective said that they were awaiting the application of the Right To Information bill, in order to further pursue their investigation. We are waiting till it properly gets underway so that it would be mandated by law to provide the public with how this man found so much money to doll out.

With all information about Sajith let us now look at who is this Janani who claims even before the election that she will be the next First Lady of this country as it was published in Island weekly.

The Island journalist Zinta Caree1m says that She’s talented, vivacious and motivated and is always bitten by the beauty bug. To the surprise of many she decided to open a state- of-the -art salon and Jalani looks every inch the dynamic entrepreneur who took an active interest in her mother’s interior decor company “Hem Decor.”

Her lifetime passion is to look beautiful and make other people look beautiful and see everything beautiful for which she has found an apt niche in the beauty business.

Born into a staunchly business oriented family, she has no formal training but she did find an abiding interest to start a beauty venture of her own, which is challenging of course, she says. “It is rather a competitive business but healthy competition is an initiative for making a business thrive” she asserts. Perhaps it is a mix of passion and instinct that is the inspiration for her enterprise. “I always want to try out new things, explore new places and this is something totally new and I feel I would create a positive niche in hair and beauty culture” said Jalani with confidence. My friend and hairdresser Priyantha persuaded me and my keen eye saw the opportunity and necessity for a totally new look salon. Somehow the idea became more positive and palatable, and finally it was born.

Situated at Maitland Crescent this hair and beauty salon includes a nail spa, body spa and the salon includes the A to Z of beauty and hair culture.

A perfectionist by nature, her recipe to success is talent, professionalism maintaining high standards and sticking to good products and good service she says firmly. She maintains the charges will be on par with other popular salons in Colombo.

“For my clients this salon will be an experience by itself.

What sets Jalani’s salon apart from the rest is the modern beauty machine called PPX. This machine is the first of its kind in Sri Lanka and is capable of performing all the beauty needs such as permanent hair removal, pigmentation, black heads, varicose veins and several other things related to beauty and to well being. The results will be amazing”, she declares with confidence.

“There are no side effects, hardly any pain, nothing surgical at all with quality emphasised and only the best is being utilized” she says confidently. It will rejuvenate your skin and you can feel a drastic transformation in the texture. She maintains of course this business concept is born out of her natural acumen for professionalism. This is evident in her facial expressions.

The name of the salon queried, she smiles and says “I will keep it private until the formal opening.

The interior is designed by Architect Asoka Perera in collaboration with Jalani and is in gold and white, definitely a trend setting urban juxtaposition of elements of elegance and style – it certainly fulfils Jalani’s aim to create a relaxed ambience where you let your hair down destress and rejuvenate and be a part of the lifestyle experience, is Jalani’s concept behind this salon. Talking to Priyantha who was all excited about this venture said there is a professional staff of beauticians and hairdressers, therapists to give the best of their experience to their clients.

A special bridal section for bridal make up, hair and beauty, saree draping are also set up. A professional make-up artists especially flown in from India will be working in the salon.

A perfectionist by nature, Jalani exudes charm and confidence. She will be using the best products from France. With a supportive husband, who is her strengthen and a family to back her Jalani Premadasa we are sure will create a new dimension in hair and beauty culture. With the assurance, focus and determination she radiates. Will Jalani change the face of the beauty conscious be if man or woman? Definitely yes is our assumption and we wish her all success in her new venture.

නීතිඥ අරුණ ලක්සිරි උණවටුන සමායෝජක

2020 පෙබරවාරි 21 මව් භාෂා දිනය අභිමානයෙන් සමරමු…!
මව් භාෂා දිනය වෙනුවෙන් පවත්වන රචනා සහ නිබන්ධන තරගයට සහාභාගී වී ත්‍යාග දිනා ගැනීමට අවස්ථාව…..  …

ජාතික ගීය සිංහලයෙන් ගයන අපි
හෙළයන් කියා උඩ පැන පැන නටන අපි
සිංහල කමට පෙම් බැදලා ඉන්න අපි
උසාවියෙදි සිංහල අත හරින අපි

සිංහලයන්ට නැහැ රටවල් හතර අතේ
සුද්දට ඉන්න ඇත රටවල් හතර අතේ
සිංහලයන් නිදයි මේ රට හතර අතේ
නොරටුන් ඇවිත් අල්ලයි රට හතර අතේ

ජාතියක් නැත ගීතයක් ඇත මේ රටේ
නිදහසක් නැත අයිතියක් ඇත මේ රටේ
යුක්තියක් නැත නීතියක් ඇත මේ රටේ
ධර්මයක් නැත ආගමක් ඇත මේ රටේ

වාහනයේ අංකයෙනුත් “ශ්‍රී” අකුරත් අයින් කළා
නඩුවේ තීන්දුවෙනුත් සිංහල බස අයින් කළා
සිංහල මොටද කියමින් බස අයින් කළා
දියුණු වෙන්න කියමින් බස අයින් කළා

නීතිඥ අරුණ ලක්සිරි උණවටුන 
සමායෝජක,
මව් භාෂාව ප්‍රවර්ධනය කිරීමේ අධ්‍යයන වැඩසටහන දුර 0712063394

මාධ්‍ය ඒකකය නාගරික සංවර්ධන, ජල සම්පාදන සහ නිවාස පහසුකම් අමාත්‍යාංශය

පසුගිය ආණ්ඩුව මෙන් වත්මන් ආණ්ඩුව කිසිවිටක ජනතාව අතරට යාමට බිය නොවන බවත්, එළඹෙන 03 වැනිදා පාර්ලිමේන්තුව රැස්වීමේදී මහ මැතිවරණයක් පැවැත්වීමට යෝජනාවක් ගෙනවිත් තුනෙන් දෙකක සම්මතයෙන් පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසුරුවන්නට කටයුතු කරන ලෙස සියලුම මන්ත්‍රීවරුන්ගෙන් තමන් ඉල්ලා සිටින බවත්, නිවාස පහසුකම් රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය ඉන්දික අනුරුද්ධ මහතා පැවසීය.    

අන්තවාදී කණ්ඩායම් සම්බන්ධ කර නොගෙන, රටට අහිතකර ගිවිසුම්වලට එළඹෙන්නේ නැතිව, පූර්ණ විනිවිද භාවයෙන් යුතුව වත්මන් ආණ්ඩුව කටයුතු කරන බවත්, ආණ්ඩුව කෙරෙහි ජනතාව තැබූ විශ්වාසය අතිගරු ජනාධිපතිතුමා සහ ගරු අගමැතිතුමා ප්‍රමුඛ රජය එම අයුරින්ම සුරකින බවත් රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යවරයා ප්‍රකාශ කළේය.   

අමාත්‍යවරයා මේ බව කියා සිටියේ සෙත්සිරිපාය, දෙවන මහළේ පිහිටි නිවාස පහසුකම් අමාත්‍යාංශ ශ්‍රවණාගාරයේ  අද (31) දින පැවැති විශේෂ මාධ්‍ය හමුවට සහභාගී වෙමිනි. 

මෙහිදී වැඩිදුරටත් අදහස් දැක්වූ අමාත්‍යවරයා මේ ආණ්ඩුව වැරැදි කරන අයට නිසි දඩුවම් දෙන්නේ නැතිව කාගේ හෝ කොන්ත්‍රාත්තුවක් සිදුකරනවා කියා යම් අයෙකුට සිතෙන්නට පුළුවන්. අපටත් දැනෙනවා විශාල වැරදි කරපු අය දවසින් දෙකින් ඇප අරන් යන බව. අධිකරණයේ ස්වාධීනත්වය අප එදත් විශ්වාස කළා. අදත් විශ්වාස කරනවා. අධිකරණයට කරුණු ඉදිරිපත් කරන පොලිස් දෙපාර්තුමේන්තුව, සී.අයි.ඩී. වැනි ආයතන වල නිලධාරින්ට අප කිසිවිටක බලපෑම් කර නැහැ. ස්වාධීනව එම කටයුතු සිදුකළා. නමුත් පසුගිය කාලයේ කිසිදු වරදක් නොකළ අය පවා මෙම නිලධාරින් කුදලගෙන ගොස් බන්ධනාගාරගත කළා.

නමුත් ඊයේ පෙරේදා එළියට ආවේ පොඩි පොඩි සිද්ධි පමණයි. පාඨලී චම්පික, රාජිත සේනාරත්න සහ තවත් හිටපු ඇමැතිවරුන්ට චෝදනා විශාල ප්‍රමාණයක් තිබෙනවා. ඒ ගැනත් සොයා බලනවා. ආණ්ඩුවේ ප්‍රධාන කාර්යය මේ අය සමඟ ඔට්ටුවන එක නෙමෙයි. පළිගැනීමේ චේතනාව තිබ්බේ පසුගිය ආණ්ඩුවටයි. පසුගිය ජනාධිපතිවරණයේදී ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ මැතිතුමා පළිගැනීමේ චේතනාවෙන් කිසිදු වචනයක් වේදිකාවේ ප්‍රකාශ කළේ නැහැ. මඩ ප්‍රචාර කළේ නැහැ. එතුමා බලාපොරොත්තු වූ රට අද නිර්මාණය වී තිබෙනවා. පළිගැනීම් කරන්න කාලය වැය කරනවාට වඩා අපගේ වගකීම වන්නේ රට සංවර්ධනය කිරීම සහ ජනතාව අපේක්ෂා කළ රාජ්‍ය පාලනය ලබා දීමයි. මේ ආණ්ඩුව ඉඹේ පහළ වූ ආණ්ඩුවක් නොවෙයි. විද්වතුන් සියලු දෙනා එකතු කර ගනිමින් සැළසුම් සකස් කර වත්මන් ආණ්ඩුව ලබා ගැනීමට අප වසර හතර හමාරක් නොවිදිනා දුක් වින්දා.

ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදීව ආණ්ඩුව භාර දුන්නා කියා විපක්ෂය අද ප්‍රකාශ කරනවා. ඒ අය ආණ්ඩුව භාර දුන්නා නොවෙයි, ආණ්ඩුව භාර දීමට සිදු වුණා. නමුත් සිදු විය යුත්තේ එය නොවෙයි. කඩිනමින් පාර්ලිමේන්තු මැතිවරණයකට යාමයි. සුළුතරයක් සමඟ ආණ්ඩුව කරගෙන යන්නට ඉඩදී උප්පරවැට්ටි යොදා ආණ්ඩුව කඩා වට්ටන්නට මේ අය සිතාගෙන ඉන්නවා. නමුත් මේ ආණ්ඩුව කඩා වැටෙන්න ජනතාව ඉඩ දෙන්නේ නැහැ. ලක්ෂ 69 ක් ජනතාව මේ ආණ්ඩුවට බහුතර බලය ලබා දී තිබෙනවා. පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ බහුතරය නැති වුණාට ජනතා බහුතරය ආණ්ඩුවට තිබෙනවා.  

අවුරුදු ගණනක් ජනතාවට කන්න නොදුන් ආණ්ඩුව ගැන ජනතාව තිබු පළිගැනීම වැඩි ඡන්ද ලක්ෂ 15 කින් ජනතාව පෙන්නුවා. ජනතාව අද බලන්නේ සහල් කිලෝවක, ලූණු ගෙඩියක ගාණ නොවෙයි. ජනතාවට කැමැති උචිත ආණ්ඩුවක් තිබෙනවාද කියලයි. පසුගිය ආණ්ඩුව භාර ගත්ත ගමන් හිටපු අගමැතිතුමා කිව්වේ ආණ්ඩුව කරගෙන යන්න අමාරුයි, භාණ්ඩාගාරයට අමාරුයි ඒ නිසා ජනතාව පටිතදකර ගන්න කියායි. නමුත් ඒ අය තමන්ට අධි සුඛෝපභෝගි වාහන ගෙන්නුවා. සුරසැප වින්දා. අද එහෙම තත්ත්වයක් නැහැ. ජනතාව වෙනුවෙන් ආණ්ඩු පක්ෂයේ සියලු දෙනා වරප්‍රසාද සියල්ල කැප කර තිබෙනවා. අපි ආණ්ඩුව ගත්තේ සැලසුම් සහගත වැඩ පිළිවෙලක් සමඟයි.  

පසුගියදා අත්අඩංගුවට ගත්තේ සිල්ලර කාසි දෙකක් පමණයි. ඒ අයගේ සහ තවත් අයගේ මහා පරිමාණ සිදුවීම් තවම එළියට ආවේ නැහැ. ඒවා පෙළට තිබෙනවා. පසුගිය ආණ්ඩුවේ දූෂණ චෝදනා ගැන ටොප් 10 කියා අල්ලස් කොමිසමට පැමිණිලි කළා. ඒවාට තාමත් අත තබා නැහැ. ඒ කටයුතු තවමත් සිදු වනවා.

ජනාධිපති අපේක්ෂක සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස මහතා හම්බන්තොට පමණක් නොව මුළු රටේම වැඩ කර තිබෙන්නේ ඔළුව විකාර වුණු ඇමැතිවරයෙක් ලෙසයි. අමාත්‍යාංශ වැඩපිළිවෙල තුළ 10 දෙනෙක් ගන්න අවශ්‍ය තැනට 100 දෙනෙක් ගෙනල්ලා දානවා. 10 වියදම් කරන්න ඕනෑ තැනට 150 ක් වියදම් කරලා. විශාල ලෙස මුල්‍ය වංචා කරලා, රාජ්‍ය දේපල අවභාවිතා කරලා, චක්‍ර ලේඛන, අණ පණත් උල්ලංඝනය කර කටයුතු කරලා. සේවක බදවා ගැනීමේදී රාජ්‍ය පාලනය හා ආර්ථිකය විනාශ වන ලෙස කටයුතු කරලා. අපේ ආණ්ඩුවේ කිසිම කෙනෙක් වගකීම් විරහිතව කටයුතු කරන්නේ නැහැ. මේ රජය බලයට පත් කර ගන්න සහය දුන් පිරිසට වඩා මේ රජය පත්වුණාට පසුව කැමැති පිරිස වැඩි වෙලා. ජනතාව බලාපොරොත්තු වූ ආණ්ඩුව අද ජනතාවට ලැබී තිබෙනවා” යනුවෙන් පැවසීය.   

මෙහිදි තේ කර්මාන්ත සංවර්ධන රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය කාංචන විජේසේකර සහ පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී ඩී. වී. චානක යන මහත්වරුන්ද අදහස් දැක්විය.  

By Shamindra Ferdinando  Courtesy The Island

December 31, 2019, 7:05 pm

Lawmaker Dr. Rajitha Senaratne’s wife, Dr. Sujatha leaving the Colombo Magistrate court after her husband was granted bail, on Monday, Dec 30, pending further investigations. (Right) Swiss Embassy employee accompanying Garnier Banister Francis (face covered) in the wake of she, too, being given bail, also on the same day (pics by Kamal Bogoda)

The UNP, struggling to cope up with a simmering crisis caused by the then Minister, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne’s, declaration, at a pre-presidential poll press conference, that some of those who had been abducted in ‘white vans’, at the behest of Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, were thrown into a tank in Moneragala, infested with crocodiles, received the backing of Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

The briefing was held on Nov 10 – less than a week before the presidential poll, in support of the candidature of UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa who contested on the New Democratic Front (NDF) ticket under the ‘swan’ symbol. A section of the media described the briefing as dramatic.

Many an eyebrow was raised when TNA spokesman and Jaffna District parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran, PC, appeared at an urgently called media briefing, at Sirikotha, last Thursday, Dec 26, to oppose what the UNP called politically motivated witch hunt directed at top opposition lawmakers.

In spite of joining the Sirikotha briefing, lawmaker Sumanthiran didn’t want to sit under the UNP name-board, at the usual place. The organizers had to shift the briefing to another room where the TNA heavyweight strongly defended his parliamentary colleague, the Kalutara District lawmaker, who was in hiding.

The UNP called the briefing several hours before MP Senaratne arrived at Lanka Hospital, Narahenpita, and got himself admitted. The rest is history.

What is the cost of lies?

Lawmaker Sumanthiran pointed out that allegations pertaining to ‘white van’ abductions were nothing new. The President’s Counsel said such accusations were first made over a decade ago. Flanked by lawmakers Ravi Karunanayake, Ajith P. Perera, Ravindra Samaraweera, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Eran Wickremaratne, Wijeyapala Hettiarachchi and Karunaratne Paranavitana, the President’s Counsel asserted that Dr. Senaratne couldn’t be held accountable for statements made by those invited to address the briefing. Later lawmaker Hirunika Premachandra joined the briefing, though she didn’t address the media.

As the war was brought to a successful conclusion, in May 2009 – over a decade ago – it would be interesting to ascertain as to when ‘white van’ abductions really began.

Referring to a couple of reported abductions, allegedly carried out by ‘white van’ squads, during Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s tenure as the Secretary, Ministry of Defence, lawmaker Sumanthiran emphasized the pivotal importance of a thorough inquiry. On the day of the special Sirikotha briefing, a group of civil society activists called another media briefing at NMSJ (National Movement for Social Justice) at Rajagiriya, on the top floor of the Keells building, to defend MP Senaratne. For the Rajagiriya briefing, the media received an invitation from health sector trade union activist, Saman Ratnapriya, who backed Sajith Premadasa’s candidature at the Nov 16, 2019 presidential election. However, Saman Ratnapriya wasn’t there.

Accusations regarding throwing bodies of abducted persons into a crocodile-infested tank, in Moneragala, were made by the then Minister Senaratne before his two guests (Anthony Douglas Fernando and Athula Sanjeewa Madanayake), at the briefing, repeated them. The writer was among those invited by the Minister’s media outfit, headed by Malith Wijenayake, to cover the briefing at the Prajathanthrawadi Jathika Viyaparaya office at Thimbirigasyaya. Soon after the launching of investigations into Dr. Senaratne’s claims, Wijenayake fled the country.

The police arrested Fernando and Madanayake, at Mahara, on Dec 13, 2019. They quickly admitted the truth. The suspects confessed they lied at the behest of Dr. Senaratne for a payment et al.

As lawmaker Sumanthiran quite rightly pointed out ‘white van’ allegations had been there for over a decade. Surprisingly, neither the war-winning government, nor the UNP-led coalition, ever inquired into there often repeated allegations.

The Irate media refrained from raising questions as the briefing was held over an hour later than the scheduled time.

It would be pertinent to mention the Thimbirigasyaya office had been previously used by those who managed presidential polls campaigns of common candidates, retired Army Commander Sarath Fonseka (2010) and Maithripala Sirisena (2015). Following Fonseka’s heavy defeat at the hands of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the former used the Thimbirigasyaya office at the onset of the 2010 April general elections. Fonseka contested the general election, on the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) ticket, as its prime ministerial candidate. The JVP, too, contested the election on the DNA ticket. The DNA secured seven seats, including two National List slots. The group comprised Sarath Fonseka, Arjuna Ranatunga, businessman Tiran Alles and four JVPers, Anura Kunara Dissanayake, Vijitha Herath, Sunil Handunetti and Ajith Kumara.

During Maithripala Sirisena’s 2014-2015 campaign, the Thimbirigasyaya office was used as their main office in Colombo. Among those who addressed the media there, at that time, were Patali Champika Ranawaka and Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa.

Accusations made at the Timbirigasyaya briefing pertaining to ‘white van’ abductions wouldn’t have caused such a huge crisis for the UNP, if not for Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s triumph over Sajith Premadasa at the Nov 16 presidential poll.

Dr. Senaratne’s guests also alleged the Rajapaksas stole and moved approximately 7,000 tonnes of gold from the Northern Province to the South.

Mock’s claims countered

Accusations in respect of ‘white van’ abductions, and the massive gold robbery, should be examined also taking into consideration the unprecedented diplomatic crisis caused by high profile Swiss accusations over an alleged abduction of local Embassy employee, Garnier Banister Francis. Within days after the Swiss complained in respect of the alleged abduction, that they claimed had taken place on Nov 25, 2019, Sri Lanka furnished irrefutable evidence to prove the incident never took place. Foreign Secretary Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, accompanied by Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. Kamal Gunartane, briefed Swiss Ambassador Mock as regards the findings, on Dec 01, 2019. Two weeks later, Ambassador Mock received an assurance from no less a person than President Gotabaya Rajapaksa that the alleged abduction never took place.

But by the time President Rajapaksa met Ambassador Mock, at the presidential secretariat, Dr. Senaratne was on record as having alleged that someone had thrust a pistol in Garnier’s mouth. Dr. Senaratne also declared that the purported victim’s health had deteriorated to such an extent she was not in a position to talk. Dr. Senaratne’s claim was proved wrong as Garnier, in spite of an abortive bid to fly her out of the country, in an air ambulance, remained holed up at the Swiss Embassy until she reported to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Dec 08 afternoon.

Swiss owed the Sri Lankan government an explanation as to why Garmier, allegedly abducted and released on Nov 25, was not presented before police till Dec 08 afternoon.

Weeks later, Dr. Senaratne had to admit himself to Lanka Hospitals as the government turned the heat on the former minister over propagating lies. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa moved quite speedily to counter propaganda projects. Having ruled out the Swiss proposal to move Garnier out of Sri Lanka without her being subjected to immigration formalities, President Rajapaksa took tangible measures to set the record straight. If not for President Rajapaksa’s hands on approach, the unthinkable could have happened. Had Sri Lanka succumbed to Swiss pressure, Garmier would have been moved out of Sri Lanka without an investigation. Garnier’s clandestine departure would have taken place close on the heels of Inspector Nishantha Silva, of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), his wife and three children, receiving refugee status in Switzerland, at lightning speed.

The government owed an explanation as to how it planned to tackle controversial Inspector Silva receiving asylum in Switzerland.

High profile political projects

The first media briefing, arranged at the Thimbirigasyaya political office, in the run-up to the Nov 16 presidential poll, was called off by Dr. Senaratne’s media outfit, claiming that those scheduled to join the Minister at the briefing couldn’t be contacted. There were a dozen representatives, from both print and electronic media, at the venue. The writer was among them.

The propaganda project, directed from the Thimbirigasyaya office, played a significant role in the overall strategy against Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Dr. Senaratne now embroiled in controversy over accusations pertaining to alleged ‘white van’ abductions, also in the run up to the Nov 16 poll, revealed civil society decision to move court against Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Dr. Seneratne didn’t mince his words when he declared that court would be moved against Gotabaya Rajapaksa over absence of his Sri Lankan citizenship. Civil society activists, Gamini Viyangoda and Prof. Chandragupta Thenuwara pursued the matter.

The UNP project was meant to demonize Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The former Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was routinely depicted as a person who resorted to ‘extra judicial practices.’ Having survived an LTTE assassination bid, on Dec 01, 2006, in Colombo, Gotabaya Rajapaksa dealt with the LTTE the way any sane person would do. Whatever the subsequent differences between the Rajapaksas and Fonseka that emerged in the immediate aftermath of the successful conclusion of the war, in May 2009, the wartime government successfully faced the conventional military challenge, in the North and East regions, and undercover terrorist units operating in the City and its suburbs.

Those who couldn’t stomach Sri Lanka’s victory over the LTTE a decade ago, still propagate the lie that innocent people were abducted in white vans. All arrests made by security forces and law enforcement authorities are depicted as abductions. The TNA continues to call those who had been convicted over terrorism and those detained in remand custody, pending conclusion of their cases, political prisoners. Having recognized the LTTE as the sole representative of the Tamils, way back in 2001, the TNA remained committed to Velupillai Prabhakaran’s macabre cause until the very end.

To former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s credit, the UNP leader publicly rejected widespread claims the government held political prisoners. The then Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, too, strongly denied accusations as regards secret detention facilities. During the conflict and post-war period, the Rajapaksa administration was repeatedly accused of running secret detention facilities. Sri Lanka never denied conducting military operations against terrorists and taking tangible measures to neutralize threats posed by covert operatives. Sri Lanka should be proud of eradicating the LTTE – definitely its single biggest post-independence achievement.

The TNA threw its weight behind the UNP’s bid to discourage the government from pursuing the case against Dr. Senaratne. But, did the TNA at least publicly request the LTTE to release as many as 300,000 civilians forcibly held on the Vanni east front, in 2009, as a human shield as it was being routed militarily?

Within months after the elimination of the LTTE, the TNA teamed up with the UNP and the JVP to back war-winning Army Commander Sarath Fonseka at the 2010 presidential poll. The TNA conveniently forgot its accusations of grave human rights violations directed at Fonseka’s army. Although Mahinda Rajapaksa comfortably defeated Fonseka, with a margin of 1.8 mn votes, the TNA delivered northern and eastern electoral districts to the former Army Chief.

Similarly, the TNA managed to ensure that Maithripala Sirisena and Sajith Premadasa secured the northern and eastern electoral districts regardless of the results in areas outside the once temporarily merged Northern and Eastern Provinces. Let me remind you that on all three occasions (2010, 2015 and 2019 presidential polls) candidates backed by UNP-led coalitions contested on the New Democratic Front ticket. In spite of the NDF not being represented at Local Government, Provincial Council and parliament, they fielded main presidential candidates thrice since the introduction of the presidential system. Having backed the UNP-led coalition at 2010 and 2015 presidential polls, the JVP contested 2019 presidential on its own. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake couldn’t even save his deposit made ahead of handing over nominations.

Why did the TNA join the Sirikotha media briefing? Political weekly Ravaya, in its Dec 29, 2019 edition, quoted Jaffna District MP Mavai Senathirajah, General Secretary of the Illankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi, as having said that the TNA was yet to decide on its stand at the 2020 parliamentary election. Lawmaker Senathirajah contradicted recent media reports to the effect the TNA would help the UNP form the next government. MP Sumanthiran recently declared TNA’s backing for the UNP at the forthcoming parliamentary poll.

The TNA is obviously divided over its strategy though an influential section seems hell-bent on continuing its alliance with the UNP. Against this backdrop, Colombo District UNP lawmaker Mujibur Rahuman, on Sunday, Dec 29, made quite a frank admission at a media briefing. Responding to a query at the Sirikotha briefing, MP Rahuman admitted the party leadership had been aware of the ‘white van’ accusations that were to be made at Thimbirigasyaya on Nov 10. Lawmaker Rahuman revealed that Dr. Senaratne, as a senior leader of the UNP, briefed the party leadership regarding the claims that were going to make headlines. In addition to the top UNP leadership, had those who backed Sajith Premadasa’s candidature been informed of the Thimbirigasyaya propaganda project, based on total lies?

Throughout the war, and after the conclusion of the conflict, over a decade ago, interested parties propagated lies to undermine Sri Lanka. The Rajapaksas were accused of mass slaughter on the Vanni front. In the wake of 2015 presidential poll, Sri Lanka co-sponsored an accountability resolution at the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Oct 2015.

The Geneva resolution was adopted on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations pertaining to killings on the Vanni front. The primary accusation was the massacre of 40,000 civilians. In case of the Nov 10, 2019 media briefing, at Thimbirigasyaya, the identity of accusers is known, whereas those who alleged 40,000 Tamil civilian killings remain unknown though the accusation was made in March 2011. The UN certainly applies strange legal standards when it comes to weak and small countries.

Let me reproduce the UN accusation verbatim. Having faulted the Army on three major counts, the UN Panel of Experts (much more like a kangaroo court) accused Sri Lanka of massacring at least 40,000 Tamil civilians. Let me reproduce the paragraph, bearing no 137, verbatim: “In the limited surveys that have been carried out in the aftermath of the conflict, the percentage of people reporting dead relatives is high. A number of credible sources have estimated that there could have been as many as 40,000 civilian deaths. Two years after the end of the war, there is no reliable figure for civilian deaths, but multiple sources of information indicate that a range of up to 40,000 civilian deaths cannot be ruled out at this stage. Only a proper investigation can lead to the identification of all of the victims and to the formulation of an accurate figure for the total number of civilian deaths.”

Sri Lanka squandered a golden opportunity to seek a review of Geneva resolution, in late 2017, on the basis of official British military wartime dispatches from Colombo in 2009.

(To be continued on January 04, 2020)

by Jolly Somasundram Courtesy The Island

December 31, 2019, 7:08 pm

“Oh! what a tangle we weave when we first practice to deceive!”- Sir Walter Scott

That was the week that was!

Built on an abduction, an exfiltration out of the country by air was planned through voluntary rendition. This sophisticated people smuggling effort was worthy of the Le Carre thriller, “The spy who came in from the cold.” The effort metastasized, though not by the smuggling face launching a thousand gun-boats but by frenzied diplomatic sound bites getting issued. In a world embroiled in moral relativism, all that is fair is foul, and, all that is foul is fair. What is, is what is not! In this dystopic environment, the hoaxed is the victim and the victim is condemned for not following due process.

She was a housewife with a desperate yearning to savour diaspora warmth but having no legal means to obtain it. The best plan B alternative was for her to lever her influential job position – of one working in a diplomatic institution as a local employee but passing off as a diplomat, to claim diplomatic privileges – to induce voluntary rendition to get out of the country. Rendition is the noun where a foreign country hustles a local into its sovereign orbit, foreswearing legal, internationally laid down modes of conduct, and undermining the host country’s sovereign rights. There are two types of rendition, one voluntary, the other involuntary. In both cases, the collusion of the receiving country is a necessary condition. This housewife’s strategy was cry rape, create an international rumpus and ask asylum from berserk sex maniacs. How many hapless males must now be languishing in jail for such frame-ups? It was a board of conspiring nights and scheming days, where, the conspirator’s consulate with men for pieces played, hither and thither them moving, conflating local law with international diplomacy and, once the mission of obfuscation was complete, in the consulate quietly laying. If it waddles like a duck and quacks like a duck it is a duck. If the attempt was to leave the country surreptitiously without the appropriate documentation and adopting innovative extra-legal travel methods to do so, then, it is people smuggling.

Philosopher George Berkeley, raising an observation on perception, asked, what, on the surface appeared to be a silly question, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, did it make a sound? The issue pertains to illusion and reality. The support argument trotted out in its favour is that truth is tied solely to reportage. In keeping with this logic, if an abduction has not been reported, then it did not occur.

On the fateful Friday afternoon with heavy home-moving and week-ending traffic gridlocking the environment, a mini-drama was alleged to have been enacted. A woman, a local employee of the non-diplomatic staff of a consulate, claimed to have been abducted, sexually molested, threatened by poking a pistol into her mouth, her phones hacked for information. She was released after two hours of torment. This happened on a major road where the traffic was denser than on Main Street, Pettah, with traffic to the right of her and traffic to the left of her, honking and tooting while tuk-tuks were brazenly cutting in and out. In this melee, the abducted woman was driven to the mouth of hell. The victim, after the deed was done, pushed the mute button. She made no complaint to the police. A woman in Sri Lanka- though it is her absolute right to do so- would find it extremely embarrassing to file such a complaint. As no complaint was made, following the Berkeley dialectic, this event did not occur. Not only did she go mute, but also appeared to have gone off screen, donning H G Wells’ robe, making her invisible.

Next day after the abduction of the desperate housewife, the next step in the plan unspooled. A deus ex machina literally occurred, a bird came from the skies as an air ambulance. An urgent application was made by the consulate to airport authorities, to immediately permit the landing of this stacked air ambulance, to allow a sickly (they said) consulate staff member to be ferried abroad for medical treatment. She had no exit documentation as required from any Sri Lankan nor any indications of her medical condition. The authorities smelt a rat and suspecting that an exquisite, fool-proof people smuggling operation was on line, refused approval for the uplift. The thwarted air ambulance had to return without the cargo indicated on its manifest. The best planned schemes of mice and men tend to go awry, since every eventuality that would negative the plan, cannot be foreseen. In management literature it is called a Black Swan, a singular presence amongst a bevy of normal white swans. The departure of the air ambulance, empty of any one stricken, vindicated the Black Swan proposition.

It is sad but true that a wronged husband is the last to know about his wife’s flighty adventures. So with this story of the abduction. Her abduction story was commonplace by then. The international newspaper, The New York Times had the details by next day but Sri Lankan authorities were in the dark. Now that the authorities were aware, they searched and searched, they searched for her, here, they searched for her, there, they searched for her everywhere and, in all places to which they had legal access. No success. As a last resort, they sought judicial intervention.

In response to the judicial notice she did turn herself over to the authorities. She was interrogated in the presence of her Attorney. What the authorities reported was another story. She was nowhere at the scene of the abduction and rape. The authorities had checked with Uber records and GPS data and none showed her presence. She had not undergone any medical attention either, in the period she was absconding. There is a principle of logic- Occam’s Razor- which says, if there are many alternatives, choose the simplest. The simplest conclusion in this case would be that the frame-up had failed.

The central figure in this drama was a Sri Lankan citizen, employed by a consulate, as a local staffer. As a local staffer she was no Prima Donna, she has no diplomatic rights, she had to conform to all civil, criminal and other laws of Sri Lanka like any other citizen. She cannot even be represented by the Consul though the consulate may look after her interests. If she needs representation, she will have to retain an Attorney-at-Law. She is presently in custody on a reasonable suspicion of committing offences under Sec 120 of the penal code that could justify criminal charges of disaffection against government and fabricating false evidence for the purpose of being used in any stage in her abduction claim. But the authorities should prove their case before a Judge.

Humpty Dumpty was seated on the Consular wall,
Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall,
All the Consular dupes
Could not put Humpty-Dumpty up again.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Switzerland yesterday said that it never intended to tarnish the image of the Sri Lankan Government and regretted that recent developments had led to the questioning of Sri Lanka’s commitment to due process.

At no point during this time did Switzerland have the intention of tarnishing the image of the government of Sri Lanka. The Embassy regrets that these developments have led to the Sri Lankan authorities commitment to due process being called into question and reaffirms that Switzerland, like Sri Lanka, is committed to upholding good governance and the rule of law,” the Embassy said in a Diplomatic Note to the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Sri Lanka.

The Note communicated on December 30 was simultaneously released by the Embassy of Switzerland in Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Foreign Relations today.

The Diplomatic Note read, The Embassy of Switzerland in Colombo presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and has the honour to state the following:

Switzerland and Sri Lanka have maintained excellent relations for decades, and have engaged in substantial cooperation in a variety of fields, to the benefit of both countries and their populations. Both countries value these relations greatly.

In the last few weeks, this relationship was marred by misunderstandings surrounding an incident involving a local staff member of the Embassy, who was subsequently taken into custody by the Sri Lankan authorities.

In this context, uncorroborated facts made it into the public domain, putting an unnecessary strain on the otherwise cordial relationship between the two countries.

At no point during this time did Switzerland have the intention of tarnishing the image of the government of Sri Lanka.

The Embassy regrets that these developments have led to the Sri Lankan authorities commitment to due process being called into question and reaffirms that Switzerland, like Sri Lanka, is committed to upholding good governance and the rule of law.

The Embassy hopes for a swift return to an environment conducive to resuming the positive cooperation between Switzerland and Sri Lanka.

Recognizing that local staff is subject to local laws, the Embassy is convinced that both sides will remain attentive to the working conditions and the well-being of all staff of diplomatic missions.

Switzerland recalls that it is the responsibility of any government to protect the diplomatic missions of other states on its territory.

Attaching great importance to its relationship with Sri Lanka, committed to maintaining and to further strengthening these relations in a constructive manner, and convinced that both countries will together continue to build relations which are based on mutual respect, the Embassy of Switzerland in Colombo avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka the assurances of its highest consideration.”

Yohan Perera Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Opposition should support a progressive budget that would fulfill the pledges made by the ruling party during the presidential election, UNF led alliance’s Presidential Candidate Sajith Premadasa said today.

Speaking at a public meeting in Negombo, Mr Premadasa suggested that time and agenda for a budget should be set when Parliament meets on January 3rd, 2020. We will act as a progressive opposition and support all progressive steps government takes to provide the concessions it promised to the people during the presidential election” Mr Premadasa said.

Also he suggested that February 4 this year is a good day to tear the Millennium Challenge Corporation Agreement (MCC), SOFA, ACSA and the free trade agreement signed with Singapore. We will also join the government if it decides to tear the copies of these agreements as that was what SLPP promised to do if comes to power” he said. Mr. Premadas pledged to set up a special unit at the office of the Opposition Leader to receive complaints of political victimisation if he is confirmed in that post in Parliament on Friday. While stating that prices of essential goods have gone up after the presidential elections he questioned whether 6.9 million people who voted this government into power are happy. Laksha Hetanamayata den Satutuda? He asked in Sinhala.

UNP MP Dr. Kavinda Jayawardene said it is Mr. Premadasa who should become the Prime Ministerial candidate of UNP at the next general election. MPs Sarath Fonseka, John Amaratunga and Harshana Rajakaruna also participated in the event. (Yohan Perera)

Courtesy Ada Derana

Former Chairman of the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) Rumy Mohamed, who was arrested in connection with the white van” press conference, has been remanded until January 06.

He was produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court earlier today by the police while the court ordered that he be placed in remand custody.

Rumy Mohamed was arrested this morning (31) when he surrendered to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

It is reported that Mohamed was absconding the police over the controversial white van” press conference held last month.

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday (30) imposed an overseas travel ban on the former SPC chairman. 

The CID had previously sought an overseas travel ban and a warrant to arrest the former SPC chairman as they intend to name him as a suspect in the case pertaining to this white van” press conference.

However, the court rejected the issuance of an arrest warrant, citing that specific charges have not been filed against him, but imposed a foreign travel ban.

In this background, Rumy Mohamed had surrendered to the CID at around 8.45 a.m. this morning (31).

Courtesy Ada Derana

Former Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, who was remanded over the controversial white van” press conference and granted bail yesterday (30), continues to receive medical treatment at the Lanka Hospitals in Narahenpita.

Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne delivered the order to release the parliamentarian on bail.

Ada Derana reporter said a group of politicians and several other individuals arrived at the Lanka Hospitals to visit Senaratne.

In the meantime, former Chairman of State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) Rumy Mohamed had surrendered to the CID this morning (31) over the white van” media briefing. He had been absconding with police and the Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday imposed an overseas travel ban on him taking into consideration a request made by the CID.

Courtesy Ada Derana

In the recent history of the United National Party (UNP), it has never had a politician who is as unperceptive as Sajith Premadasa, says Minister Johnston Fernando.

Speaking to media at Kurunegala, he said the UNP will suffer a massive defeat in the upcoming general election regardless of whoever becomes its leader.

According to Minister Fernando, the defeated presidential candidate must not be demanding the UNP’s leadership at a time like this and should let Ranil Wickremesinghe continue to hold the post.

It will take longer for the UNP to select a good leader, the Minister added.

Courtesy Ada Derana

There will be an issue of repatriation if MP Rajitha Senaratne leaves the country, says Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader MP Udaya Gammanpila.

He expressed these views by joining the 360° political program on TV Derana last night (30).

Considering how MP Senaratne hid away after the arrest warrant was issued and how enthusiastic he was about the anticipatory bails, it is doubtful whether he would return back to the country if he leaves to Singapore”, said Gammanpila.

He further said: Six weeks ago, he was the Health Minister of the country. But if he himself prefers to stay at a private hospital instead of a government hospital and seeks to go to Singapore for treatment, how can anyone else trust in the local hospital system?”

If Senaratne leaves the country, this would be another case of Arjuna Mahendran, added Gammanpila.

Courtesy Ada Derana

Steps will be taken to look into and discuss the issue on the controversial Hathe Ape Potha”, a textbook on sexual and reproductive health for school children, stated Director-General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

Speaking at a press conference held in Colombo, he said that any future action on the matter will be taken following a discussion with the Ministries of Health and Education.

On December 24, Medagoda Abhayatissa Thero at a press conference claimed that the previous government had issued a textbook that would distort the minds of children, to 7th graders.

The Thero stated that the content of the textbook issued under the intervention of former Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne and former Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam does not suit the age of grade 7 students.

Alleging that this book has been made in a way that gravely influences the morals of children, the Thero stated that the book should be canceled immediately.

උපුටා ගැන්ම හිරු නිව්ස්

අකාර්යක්ෂම රාජ්‍ය සේවයට තම ධුර කාලයේදී තිත තබන බව ජනාධිපති ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ අවධාරණය කළා.

ඒ අද පෙරවරුවේ මගී ප්‍රවාහන අමාත්‍යාංශයේ ජ්‍යෙෂ්ඨ නිලධාරින් සමග ජනාධිපති කාර්යාලයේ පැවති සාකච්ඡාවකට එක්වෙමින්.

රාජ්‍ය සේවයේ කාර්යක්ෂමතාවය සහතික කිරීමට නම්, අනවශ්‍ය අනපණත් සහ රෙගුලාසි කඩිනමින් සංශෝධනය විය යුතු බවයි ජනාධිපතිවරයා එහිදී පෙන්වා දී ඇත්තේ.

රාජ්‍ය සේවයේ ඉහළ තනතුරු සදහා හැකියාවක් සහ වෘත්තීය නිපුණතාවක් ඇති පිරිස් බදවා ගැනීමට විද්වත් කමිටුවක් පත් කළේ ද රාජ්‍ය සේවය රටේ කොදු නාරටිය නිසාවෙන් බවයි ජනාධිපතිවරයා එහිදී සදහන් කර ඇත්තේ.

දෛනික ජන ජීවිතයට වැදගත් වන රාජ්‍ය ආයතනවල අක්‍රමිකතා සොයා බැලීමට සහ නීතියේ රැහැනට හසු කර ගැනීමට තමා බුද්ධි අංශ සහ අපරාධ පරීක්ෂණ දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව වෙත උපදෙස් ලබාදී ඇති බව ද ජනාධිපතිවරයා එහිදී ප්‍රකාශ කළ බවයි ජනාධිපති මාධ්‍ය ඒකකය සදහන් කළේ.

රාජ්‍ය සේවකයෙකු දූෂණ හා වංචාවන්ට සම්බන්ධ වුවහොත් තරාතිරම නොබලා දඩුවම් ලබාදෙන බව ද, ජනාධිපතිවරයා ප්‍රකාශ කළ අතර ඔහුට යළි කිසි දිනක රාජ්‍ය සේවයේ අවස්ථාවක් ලබා නොදෙන බව ද අවධාරණය කර තිබෙනවා.

රියදුරු බලපත්‍රයක් ලබා ගැනීමේදී කළ යුතු වෛද්‍ය පරීක්ෂණ සම්බන්ධයෙන් ද , ජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ අවධානය මෙහිදී යොමුවූ අතර, ඒ අනුව, සැහැල්ලූ වාහන සදහා වෛද්‍ය සහතික ලබා ගැනීමේදී ඇස් පරීක්ෂාව පමණක් ප්‍රමාණවත් බවයි ජනාධිපතිවරයා සදහන් කර ඇත්තේ.

පූර්ණ වෛද්‍ය පරීක්ෂණය බර වාහන රියදුරු බලපත්‍ර සදහා සීමා කරන ලෙස එම සාකච්ඡාවේදී ජනාධිපතිවරයා දැනුම් දී තිබුණා.

උපුටා ගැන්ම හිරු නිව්ස්

ඇප හිමිවූ පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී රාජිත සේනාරත්න මහතා සම්බන්ධයෙන් විවිධ පාර්ශ්වයන් අදත් මෙලෙස අදහස් පළ කළා.

උපුටා ගැන්ම හිරු නිව්ස්

නීතියේ පවතින දුර්වලතා හේතුවෙන් වංචා දූෂණවලට සම්බන්ධ පුද්ගලයින්ට නිසි ලෙස දඬුවම් ලබාදීමට නොහැකි තත්ත්වයක් උදාවී ඇතැයි භික්ෂු සංවිධාන පවසනවා.

උන්වහන්සේ මේ අදහස් පළකළේ අද කැඳවා තිබූ ප්‍රවෘත්ති සාකච්ඡා කිහිපයකදී

Courtesy Hiru News

Former Chairman of State Pharmaceutical Corporation Rumi Mohamed has been remanded until January 06 He was arrested for allegedly paying a sum of Rs. two million for the two people who appeared in the white van media conference with MP Rajitha Senaratne .

Courtesy Hiru News

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa stated today that he would bring an end to the inefficient public service during his tenure.

He was addressing a group of senior officials of the Passenger Transport Ministry at the Presidential Secretariat this morning.

President Rajapaksa has pointed out that certain Acts and Regulations that are blocking the efficiency of the public service should be amended as soon as possible.

He further said a committee was appointed to recruit competent persons to run public institutions as it is the backbone of the country.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that he has instructed the national Intelligence Service and the CID to nab public sector heads if anybody engages in irregularities.

President’s Media Unit quoted the President in a communiqué as saying that if somebody is found guilty of fraud or corruption, such persons would be punished irrespective of his or her status and will not be allowed to stay in the public service.

Prof. Chandre Dharmawardana

A floating solar array system installed recently in France.

According to an Islan d news report (http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=216282), His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith says no to coal, and environment-friendly power projects which utilize renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power must be prioritized.
The Cardinal is said to have made this remark when Minister of Transport Service Management and Minister of Power & Energy Mahinda Amaraweera called on him on 23rd December.  

So, while there is an increasing understanding of the imminent threat of global warming, as well as the  need to move away from Coal, Liquefied natural Gas and other fossil fuels, the so-called hard-lipped CEB engineers and others, as well as many politicians continue to favour fossil fuels. The previous Minster of Power, Mr. Ravi Kaunanayake is said to have even contracted  power suppliers stationed on ships, and  at great cost to the public purse to bridge the power gap”. Mr. Karunanayake is not a person very concerned about costs as he did not even know the rent paid for his own pent-house lodgings and how it was paid by an aptly named perpetual treasury”. But, even more than the cost, the long and short-term health costs and environmental costs have to considered. They are irreparable, irreversible.  People contract diseases and die from the fumes of fossil fuels, their sub-micron sized particular dust that  compound with the already critical levels of  toxins coming  from the congested traffic and  farm equipment that  burn fossil fuel.

The CEM engineers support fossil fuels claiming that solar and biomass energy sources are not adequate to meet the peak-to-trough power  fluctuations and also bridge the currently existing  power gap. We show  below that the use of floating solar arrays coupled to hydro-electric power, together with bio-mass energy provides the needed firm power and gird stabilization within an inexpensive rapidly installable off-the-shelf technology.

Furthermore, there is NO REASON WHAT SO EVER to go to fossil fuels, when we look at recent reports from the CEB itself. A news report in the Island (http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=215912) says that the recent rains have shown that when the reservoirs (Tanks) are filled to capacity, Hydro can produce 70% of the total power”

During the dry period, they produced about 15-20% of the total power. Thus on the average they can produce about 40.% of the total power. However, most of the tanks have not been de-silted according to schedule. If such de-silting is done and full capacities are addressed in other ways too, this AVERAGE can be topped up to 50 or 60%.

In addition, we can increase the capacity of power generation very rapidly, i.e., within two years by using the now virtually turn-key setting up of floating solar arrays. I proposed these for Sri Lanka in 2008-2009 (at a meeting held at  the Presidential secretariat) when the technology was not even patented.. Patents came in by 2010 and now China is the world leader. The great advantage of floating solar panels is that we can set them up on the water surface of existing reservoirs. If you take a reservoir like Randenigala as an example, if we cover 50%-75% of the reservoir surface with floating solar panels, even if the panels did NOT operate, we increase the out put of the turbines because evaporation of water is reduced by 30%. That is, the annual capacity of 500 Gwh is increased  to 650 GWh. Furthermore, the solar panels are capable of producing energy at least at an average of 6 hours per day right through out the year. The energy is produced during the day time. Then, during that time that energy is used for supply to the grid while  an equivalent amount of water is saved in the reservoir for night use. That is, the solar energy is SAVED WITHOUT BATTERIES. And has become, in effect, firm power available at all times as stored water.

This power alone is more than the power that will be produced by the proposed coal pwer plant which will come into action only several years down the road, while solar arrays can e set up within two years and after that there is no need to have annual imports of coal and fossil fuels.

In effect, it is easy to significantly increase  the capacity of each of the reservoirs very simply and cheaply by  introducing floating solar arrays in every one of the hydro-electric reservoirs of the country. This gives us more than enough firm power to meet the peak-to-tough energy demand fluctuations and stabilize the grid.

France has just installed the largest floating solar reservoir last October. But China still has the world’s largest floating solar array. The technology is simple. It merely requires putting the solar panels on floater pontoons and connecting them up to the national grid.

The floating solar arrays give us more capacity for generating power than any other method available WITHOUT cutting into natural habitat, or mobilizing the roof tops of private citizens and having to deal with re-strengthening roof structures, and legal issues of  many net suppliers. By cutting down the sunlight reaching the water in reservoirs, great environmental advantages are obtained  by reducing the growth of algae aand other biomass in the reservoir and also by reducing silting. Of course, only a part of the water surface is covered.  Studies have also shown that the fish and other aquatic creatures are much better off as the reduced asphyxiating  bio-mass (like Salvinia”) leaves behind more oxygen for aquatic creatures like fish, frogs and other biota.

In addition to floating solar arrays coupled to hydro-power installations, we also need bio-mass (Dendro)  energy as a standby for extreme droughts. If we set up 75 new Dendro plants within the next three  years, each with a capacity of 10 MW, we have an energy capacity of 750MW, which is more than enough to cover the current energy gap and  peak  demand. There are many bio-mass sectors like castor, cinnamon, coconut husk etc., that are not exploited for bio-energy so far. Rubber seeds rot in the ground in most rubber plantations although they are a great source of energy. Castor grows rapidly like a weed, , and the seeds, stems  and tree can all be burnt to produce electricity using standard technology.

Unlike coal, LNG and other fossil fuels, sunlight and biomass need not be imported annually. They are inexpensive, negligibly polluting and available as well tested off-the-shelf technologies.  

So the Minister must please take note of these while the new broom sweeps clean – and clean out the  Aegean stables of the CEB and get Sri Lanka’s energy policy on the correct path.

 Prof. Chandre Dharmawardana