The parliament will have ample opportunity to review the MCC grant assistance agreement once it is signed, the US Embassy today said.
Issuing a statement, the Embassy said once the grant assistance agreement is signed, the Government of Sri Lanka will send it to parliament for approval.
Consistent with the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) worldwide policy in all partner countries, once the grant assistance agreement is signed, the Government of Sri Lanka will send it to parliament for approval,” it said.
It said during that review period, the government will develop plans to implement the grant assistance agreement and design projects to improve transportation and land administration.
Parliamentary review and approval are required by MCC to ensure the grant assistance agreement has the support of the government and the people,” it said.
The Embassy said the MCC pact will directly benefit over 11 million Sri Lankans and meaningfully stimulate economic growth.
Daya Gamage worked at the American Embassy in Colombo, as the Sole Foreign Service National and a Political Specialist.
He retired in 1994 and has been living in Las Vegas since retirement. He has been able to share his knowledge, understanding and his intimate professional association with the US Department of State in the form of a book – ‘Tamil Tigers’ Debt to America’.
While assuring the facts contained in his book cannot be found anywhere else, he has authorised the writer “to quote anything from his book” so that that the readers will get a sound idea of America’s Foreign Policy, Sri Lanka’s National Issues and the LTTE struggle in depth.
A politician’s career mainly consists of making a part of the nation do what it does not want to do, to satisfy the other part of the nation. It is the persistent sacrifice of the rights of some at the request and for the gratification of others.
The dominant idea of the politician therefore would be that those who are opposed to him exist to be made to serve his ends if he can acquire enough power to force these ends upon them.
It was Auberon Herbert’s dictum that formed the basis of the Foreign Service Officers’ (FSOs) mindset from the time of Kenneth M. Scott (1981) and throughout the next fifteen years, which created policy planks formulating the United States’ attitude towards numerous Sri Lankan issues related to good governance, civil rights, race relations, shared rule at the centre and periphery and the rule of law.
It is in this context that one needs to consider American policies towards Sri Lanka, in order to put it into proper perspective, to clear the air for both nations to have a better understanding and a fruitful relationship.
It is even more important for Sri Lankan officials, even those who at the time regarded themselves as ‘diplomatic/foreign policy whiz kids’ and ‘political pundits,’ to get an erudite understanding of how the American diplomatic mind works.
It is this mind that was taken seriously in Washington through a constant flow of classical diplomatic cables to which Daya Gamage had the privilege to contribute.
But, what is noticeable is the ignorance of the GoSL (Government of Sri Lanka) officials and their inability to even decipher a glimpse of FSOs’ (Foreign Service) mindset, the result being unexplainable contradictory policy decisions by GoSL officials.
The FSOs listened to and interacted with both sides: the Sinhala activists,who claimed that a majority of Tamils enjoyed privileges beyond their numerical strength and proportion in Sri Lanka and Tamil representatives, who highlighted the separate identity of their ethnic group and canvassed the West to convince them that their rights, status in society and privileges had declined.
The latter had a better hearing due to the occurrence of significant incidents that the American diplomatic corps took serious note of.
Nancy Murray (Journalist) who carried out extensive research in 1984 for her article titled, “The State against Tamils in Race and Class”, greatly influenced the thinking of American Diplomats in Colombo during the initial period.
A tense atmosphere exploded into State-sponsored mayhem on 31 May 1981 when an unidentified gunman opened fire during a District Development Council election meeting.
Two Cabinet ministers, Cyril Mathew and Gamini Dissanayake (both self-confessed Sinhala supremacists), who were present in town,with uniformed security men and plain-clothes thugs, carried out several well-organised acts of destruction in burning down certain targets that included the Jaffna Library, with its 95,000 volumes and priceless manuscripts, a Hindu Temple, the office and machinery of the independent Tamil daily newspaper Eelandu, the home of a Jaffna MP, the headquarters of the TULFand more than 100 shops and markets.
Four people were killed. No mention of this appeared in the national newspapers, not even the burning of the library and the symbol of the Tamils’ cultural identity.
Eye Wash
The District Development Council system, which the Jayewardene administration (1977-1988) put into effect in 1981, as an answer to Western pressure, mainly by America, to devolve power to the periphery, was regarded as eyewash by the international community.
The American diplomats who scrutinised the system concluded it was not the remedy required to broad-based Tamil agitation for devolution to the periphery; indeed, it would be a catalyst for a violent uprising by the minority Tamils in the country.
The Jayawardene administration’s failure to immediately declare an islandwide curfew when the Sinhala mobs started attacking Tamil households and businesses in July 1983 in Colombo and other cities/towns, following the killing of thirteen army soldiers in the Jaffna Peninsula by the Tamil Tigers, perturbed American observers, as closely witnessed by Daya Gamage.
The declaration by President Jayawardene, which described the mob attacks on Tamil properties and Tamils as an ‘expression of sentiments by the Sinhalese,’ shocked American diplomats in Colombo.
The embassy also received credible information that a leading political leader of the Jayawardene regime from the Kurunegala District assembled Sinhala mobs elements, transported them by train to Jaffna and created havoc in the predominantly Tamil district in the Northern Province.
Diplomatic Cables
The reports, observations, and analysis that went into the diplomatic cables on ethnic disturbances of 1977, 1979 and 1981and regarding other significant political trends and developments were readily available to every chief mission and FSO at that time (1981-1995) for them to digest.
Once serious attention was focused on issues such as race relations, devolution of power to the periphery, governance, civil liberties, and the rule of law. The reading materials and the embassy officers’ engagements in public diplomacy and strategic communication helped the United States to develop policy planks on critical issues faced by the country.
It is important to understand that the policies pursued by the United States in the new millennium were the ones that were developed, shaped, and brought forward from the 1980s and 1990s.
The focus of the American diplomats regarding the status of Tamils in Sri Lankan society was clearly portrayed when Ambassador James W. Spain (1985 -1989) confronted the Minister of Education in the 1956 Solomon Dias Bandaranaike regime, Dr. W. Dahanayake, at his Richmond Hill residence in 1987 in the presence of Daya Gamage and asked him why was he responsible for English being used as a medium of education with a prime place for Sinhala language and marginalising Tamil education when he too was educatedâ¦â¦ to which Dahanayake replied that it was not under his watch that the change was made but during the time of Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 1960.
Diplomacy
When Cyril Mathew, a Sinhala Nationalist Minister in the Jayawardeneregime, died late 1989, the American Ambassador and the chief of political affairs quite rightly refused to pay their last respects to a ‘Sinhala chauvinist,’ but finally agreed at the insistence of Daya Gamage, who was their prime political specialist, to visit the Mathew residence in Horton Place in Colombo 7, after discussions that took note of the fact that his son, Nanda Mathew, was a Minister in the Cabinet and it was advisable to sustain the cordial contacts with him.
This was at a time when Cyril Mathew’s special assistant, who was one of Daya Gamage’s high school teachers, had been inquiring from Daya as to why the American Embassy was so interested in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs and raised questions about whether the United States was supporting the Tamil separatist agenda.
The renowned Sri Lankan journalist, Mervyn de Silva, in the May 15, 1990, edition of Lanka Guardian, wrote a eulogy for Sri Lankan (EPRLF) Parliamentarian Sam Thambimuttu, who was assassinated by an LTTE hit squad in front of the Canadian High Commission in Colombo, viz: “Right through the war in the East, before and after the arrival of the IPKF (Indian Peace Keeping Force), Sam Tambibuttu was the reporter’s (Mervyn) first choice for what in the professional patois is called a ‘check’ and a ‘double-check’â¦.
There was the more exacting professional demand rooted in the very character of a highly competitive profession.
For the foreign correspondent or the local stringer, the source of information is vital. So is ready access to the source but most of all one had to depend on reliability and credibility.
Since this was not personal, but a professional’s tribute toSam Thambimuttu, DayaGamage had to break an old established rule of revealing the source in this instance, however, Sam’s assistance to the International Press was hardly a secret. His name had been mentioned a hundred times.
tilakfernando@gmail.com To be continued Courtesy: Daya Gamage – Author of ‘Tamil Tigers’ Debt to America.’
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Presidential candidate, Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that it is his primary responsibility to build a secure nation while ensuring communal harmony.
He claimed that the only concern of all citizens is national security even though the country is amidst an economic crisis and that this is because the present Government had not prioritised national security, while adding that as an individual who has experienced the impact of terrorism and having dealt with it, he would ensure that no such extremist activities take place in the future.
He further claimed that democracy had been upheld prior to the present Government taking over and assured that he would take control of the situation after he becomes the President. ”We brought the war to an end and achieved much during the period of peace that followed, while this Government only initiated a new war and built fear within all communities,” he alleged.
He expressed these views while attending a convention under the theme ‘The Turning Point’ organised by National Muslims Collective on 31 October.
He added that strategic plans had already been formulated in this regard and he was looking forward to implementing them in order to completely eradicate terrorism while gaining the confidence of all communities and ensuring that the rights and freedoms of the Muslim community are upheld, along with the rights other minorities.
”The Tamil community’s issues were heard and addressed while rehabilitation programmes were carried out for LTTE cadres who surrendered following the war.
This is the way a caring Government should ensure the prosperity of all its citizens,” he said. President’s Counsel M.U.M. Ali Sabry claimed that over 35 per cent of people from the Muslim community had extended their support to Rajapaksa and that this is expected to increase to at least 50%, adding that the Muslim community is would not place their trust in any of the promises made by other candidates who have continuously lied to the Muslims.
”This Government has failed the entire community and we are now being looked down upon.
We need a leader who would ensure that our rights and security is protected and this is definitely not a part of the agenda of the UNP candidate,” he added.Parliamentarian Faiszer Musthapha further added that over 95% of the Muslim community voted for a regime change in 2015 and instead had to face incidents such as those that took place in Digana, Gintota and the Easter Sunday attacks in which there was a total breakdown of the national security apparatus, adding that Gotabaya is the only candidate who can bring about a change that is required by the Muslim community.
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Chief Organiser Thusitha Kularathne claimed that they have verifiable information to believe that Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa will receive more than 70 per cent of the Government workers’ votes.
Speaking at a Press conference yesterday (1), Kularathne claimed that with a total of 6.7 million votes from both the SLFP and the SLPP on his side, announcing Rajapaksa’s Election win will simply be a formality.
He claimed the project ‘Mahinda Chinthanaya’ which was conducted under former President Mahinda Rajapaksa helped develop the country to a great extent after the separatist war and added that he is certain Gotabaya Rajapaksa will prioritise the improvement of the country if elected.
Kularathne alleged that President Maithripala Sirisena was not able to complete all the promises he made was because he received zero cooperation from his Government.
Boralesgamuwa Municipal Council Chairman Anura Priyashantha added that if elected, Rajapaksa will ensure the living status of villagers is uplifted and will also develop the infrastructure of agriculture.
Priyashantha claimed that Rajapaksa has the full support of the local Government and added that the Presidential hopeful is capable of ensuring the country’s security.
The SLFP clarified that though the Organisation to Protect the SLFP operates using the name of their Party, it is not an organisation the SLFP agrees with or is a part of.
Colombo Municipal Councilor Sharmila Gonawala said that people who lived in shanties were provided apartments in the city during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Presidency and added that if elected, Gotabaya Rajapaksa has promised to bridge the gap between urban and rural development.
She alleged that the Colombo Municipal Council is one of the most corrupt Municipal Councils in the country and claimed that measures were taken to ensure the Council wouldn’t be a culprit to bribery and corruption during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s tenure.
She added that Gotabaya Rajapaksa promised to improve public transportation and introduce a systematic solution to waste disposal which the current Government has failed to do.
SLPP presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa says that he believes the people want to change the political culture of this country.
Speaking during the conference ‘The Turning Point’ organised by the National Muslim Collective, he said that towards the latter stage of the previous government a certain fear was created within the Muslim people in the country.
It is no secret that the Muslims decided to remove that government then due to that suspicion,” he said.
We are not people who started a war. We are the people who ended a war.”
Rajapaksa said that they know very well the effects of terrorism and as a person who witnessed it, there will be no room for any extremism and terrorism under his rule.
President’s Counsel Ali Sabry, who also addressed the event, said that Sri Lanka’s Muslims want somebody who empowers the communities and who will give a vision to the communities. That’s the kind of leader the Muslim community is looking for.”
I think Sri Lanka will be turned around by Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He is the next Lee Kuan Yew for this country,” he added.
Mr. Sabry stated that Muslims need to live here with dignity, with respect. Ensure communal harmony and the security. That is all we want. Rest of it we can look after ourselves.”
UPFA MP Faiszer Musthapha stated that today the Sinhala community is voting for Gotabaya Rajapaksa and he will definitely win.
We asked for a change in 2015. We failed. We need to have a turning point,” he said.
The Muslim community will be the biggest beneficiary of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s victory at the presidential election, he said.
The presidential candidate of the National People’s Power (NPP) Anura Kumara Dissanayake says that NDF presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa cannot talk about catching thieves” when the whole team” is on his stage.
He stated that if Sri Lanka is to be developed an administration devoid of stealing and wastage is required and that only they can provide such governance.
Speaking during a rally in Chilaw, Dissanayake said that they have individuals who will be better finance ministers than any of the individuals who have held that position so far in the country.
Give us power. What is our fault? Is it the fact that we don’t steal?” he questioned.
UPFA MP Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena says that the election manifesto unveiled by NDF presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa is a dream shop” while also comparing it to a small novel”.
Speaking at a press conference today (1), he alleged that they had somewhat delayed the released on their manifesto as it would be emulated by Sajith Premadasa.
He said that as they had predicted even in the last minute it had been clear that certain parts of SLPP presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s manifesto had been included into Sajith Premadasa’s manifesto.
We have presented a manifesto which has a programme, a vision,” he said, adding that in Premadasa’s manifesto it is clear that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) will come forward to help Sajith.
The Colombo Magistrate’s Court today (01) reminded the Attorney General to brief the bench on legal action that would be taken against State Minister of Education Vijayakala Maheswaran over her statement concerning the now-defunct LTTE.
When the case was taken up before the Colombo Magistrate this morning, the officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) told the court that the investigations on the case have concluded and all of the relevant reports have already been directed to the Attorney General.
The CID officers stated that they are yet to receive the Attorney General’s instructions on the legal action to be taken against the State Minister.
The magistrate then ordered to issue a reminder to the Attorney General calling for his briefing on the matter and postponed further hearing of the case until December 13th.
Addressing a state event held at Veerasingam Hall in Jaffna on the 2nd of July 2018, the former State Minister of Child Affairs Vijayakala Maheswaran had stated that the LTTE should be resurrected for the freedom of the Tamil people.
The OCPD subsequently commenced investigations into the controversial statement made by the State Minister of Education and she was arrested on October 8th 2018.
She was granted bail on a personal bond worth Rs 500,000 on the same day.
A Fundamental Rights (FR) petition has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking an interim injunction against the signing of certain agreement with the U.S. including the MCC, ACSA and SOFA by the government of Sri Lanka.
The FR petition has been filed by Attorney-at-Law Darshana Weraduwage while the Attorney General, President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Foreign Affairs Minister Tilak Marapana and Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera have been named as respondents.
The petition states that local media had widely reported recently that Cabinet approval has been granted to sign several agreements including the MCC without the consent of the Parliament or the people.
The petitioner also claims that these agreements would be seriously harmful to the national security and sovereignty of the country and that this is a violation of the Constitution.
Therefore the petition requests the court to issue an order declaring that the decision taken by the government of Sri Lanka to sign these agreements are in violation of the constitution and to also issue an interim order preventing the signing of them.
Dr Sudath Gunasekara Former Secretary to Prime Minister Mrs Bandaranayaka and President Sri Lanka Administrative Services Association (1991-1994)
31.10. 2019.
1 Abolition of the Provincial Councils that have been a white elephant and that has wasted billions or
even trillions of public funds for the past 33 years with no benefit at all for
the country or the people and has become a political and Administrative
disaster for this country, aggravating separatism laying the foundation for a
Federal State in this country. To continue a rotten and devastative political machinery spending
billions that only multiplies a useless set of parasitic political rogues like
9 Governors, 5 Chief Ministers, another 36 Ministers and nearly 700 parasitic
politicians and 9 institutions called Provincial Councils wasting billions with
no service to the country at all when the whole nation is deeply sunk in a
national debt trap, where the debt ratio
to GDP stood at the end of 2018 at 80% and now it could be even 100%, is
disastrous for any country.
2 Abolishing the Rajiv /JR Accord of 29 July 1987 whish has almost nullified the Sri Lankan Constitution of 1987 reducing
it to a mere piece of useless demy paper by compelling us to
1) Accept the
Northern and Eastern Provinces as the Traditional Home land of the Tamils comprising
1/3 of the country and 2/3 of the coastal belt plus the marine resources for
just less than 5 % of the nation’s population who are claiming a separate Rata
(EELAM) for Tamils, first within this country and later to embrace the whole of
Sri Lanka that would finally form the Head Quarters of their dream EELAM
Empire.
11) Making Tamil also a National Language
in this country and
111) Granting Sri Lankan Citizenship to all
Estate Tamils contrary to the Nehru/Kotalawala Pact of 1954 and thereby paving the way for India
to convert the entire Central Hill country of this country in to an overseas
Indian Protectorate in future.
(This is a total
distortion of the history of this land of the Sinhala Nation that was there for
2500 years and a criminal and unprecedented betrayal of the Motherland and the
Sinhala Nation by the treacherous politicians in 1987 which has to be reversed
at least now if we are going to exist as a nation on this planet earth.)
3 Reducing the Cabinet to a maximum of 20 and the number of Politicians in Parliament to 150 and Pradesiya
Sabhas by half, removing the 4300 odd new additions made at the last Local
government Elections ( oe preferably abolishing the PS sabhas and replace them
with Village Councils), abolishing the National list, going back to earlier
electoral system and abolishing the District MP system and PR system and
reverting to the old electoral system where we will again have true
representatives of the people in Parliament.
4 Pruning exorbitant Public institutionsand reducing overstaffed Public
Service to manageable levels to cut down public expenditure.
5 Creation of a new Political Culture by laying down
minimum educational and other qualifications and a
Strict Code of Conduct to Politicians and making attendance in Parliament
compulsory
6 Abolition of Pensions and excessive privileges to politicians
and converting politics to a ‘Mahajana Sevayak and a Desa Sevayak” instead of
the present political culture of public exploitation and torment. Also do away
with Official vehicles to all; instead give them a loan to buy their own vehicles and pay the mileage as it was done
in the past.
7 Ending the tragic House Maids trade with Middle East
countries,that has completely ruined our culture
and valued social fabrics and reduced this country to a land supplying slaves
to oil rich countries. And replacing it with
a) Avenues of a dignified and safe
employment for them within the country and
b)
Start a programme of sending professionals and technicians as an
exportable item to earn foreign exchange, if the government cannot develop
other means of earning Foreign Exchange
8 Ending the menace of University ragging by addressing their grievances and to convert the youth of this
country to a dignified and valuable asset for development.
9 Declaring all lands over 5000 ft above Sea level as a
strictly protected natural reserves and prohibiting any form of settlement
above 3500 ft MSL as it had been in the past, to protect the water resources of
the country, as water resources originating on
these hills decide the entire life system and all economic activities in this
country like Agriculture, Hydroelectricity potentials and all other industries
10 Making Buddhism the State Religion as it had been throughout history
11 Lay down the Laws as to what is the Nation of this country, Official Language,
National Anthem, the Law of the country and the National flag (One Official
Language, One National Anthem, One law and One National Flaga)
12 Need for a clear Action Plan to solve the plight of
the Kandyan Peasants (all Sinhalese) heaped up from
1815, not rectified for the past 72 years by any Government, although we are supposed
to have got some fake Independence in 1948 from the Colonial British.
13 An independent efficient, productive and people
centric Public service and Judiciary free from Politics and Recruitments to
Public Service and Judiciary only on competitive exams and meritocracy to be
the only criterion in selection and appointment.
14 Prohibiting all communal and religious Political
Parties and replacing them with National Political Parties [f you can’t think
of a system to run the country without political Parties imported from the
colonial west and ending the tyranny of minority
politics in this country wedded to a One nation concept.
15 A national programme to develop and diversify the
economy to make them productive and attractive
avenues of self-employment in the fields of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries,
Industries, Shipping, Aviation, trade and Commerce and Services instead of
trying to pack all men and women to an already excessive and unproductive government
service that has become a big burden to the national coffers and tax payers
16 Professional Foreign Service that can take Sri
Lanka to the world and bring the whole world to Sri Lanka to develop this
country
17 A programme to make Sri Lanka number 1 in the world
in Fishing Industry by making use of the Indian Ocean
that stretches from Africa in the West to Australia in the East and South Pole
in the South and making this country a
major naval power in the world by using our strategic location on the globe
in relation to the Great East and West trade routes and its enormous economic potentials
of fabulous ports around the Island. (The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of
the world’s oceanic divisions, covering 70,560,000 km² or 19.8% of the water on
the Earth’s surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west,
and Australia to the east)
18.To convert this country to an International hub in Aviation, Shipping,
trade, Banking and all kind of Services to make this Island a world Giant
making use of its strategic location and god given resources both natural and
Human.
19 The need to take immediate action against Hindu and
Muslim vandalism against Buddhist religious places in the North and East and to
take steps to protect those places and the Monks living there.
20 To reduce excessive public holidays (some years
running in to 132) to world average of 12 per year and to limit religious
holidays only to those who profess those religionsto save hundreds of millions of man days to
boost development to catch up with the competitive world
21 Death
Penalty to persons involved in drug dealing
23 Designation of Ministers will be confined to
Cabinet Ministers and Deputies only
24 A national Planning Council and a Supreme national
Advisory Council consisting of non-political personalities
25 A new
Constitution based on the history, State craft, legal systems, cultural
heritage and traditions and customs of the 2500 year old civilization that suits
this country best without blindly following the imported alien systems. That will end up with
what is called A Civilization State” as expounded by Martin Jacques in his
When China Rules the World.
Realization
of these objective entails far and wide structural changes in systems and
institutions which call for many a hardship and sacrifices in the short term
that brings long term benefits for the country.
Mr. President, Sack all these Governors immediately for Messing up the provincial administration like bulls in a China shop in the absence of the Provincial Councils. How can they behave like this, When you as the President has set an example not only by remaining impartial but also by handing over even the Chairmanship of the Party to your Ex-General secretary? These Governors were appointed by you as your representatives in the Provinces. I am sure the Secretaries of the PCC can do a better job than these parasitic so-called Governors. Then why spend millions out of public funds to maintain these jobless men for nothing.
The whole nation must condemn the ridiculous behavior of
these men for bringing these positions to public disrepute.
Dr. Sudath Gunasekara Mahanwara
31 10 2019
The News item
Seven Provincial Governors supporting two main candidates
October 30, 2019, 9:57 pm
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Seven Provincial Governors were directly or indirectly supporting the two
main candidates in the November 16 Presidential Election, Acting Executive
Director of the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) Manas Makeen said
yesterday. He said that four Governors that support Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
(SLPP) Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa were doing so openly while
three Governors supported New Democratic Front (NDF) Presidential candidate,
Sajith Premadasa indirectly. He said the Governors that supported Premadasa had
done so indirectly. But CaFFE and civil society organisations that work with it
were keeping an eye on their activities, Makeen said. Since Provincial Councils
were not functioning, Governors had access to vast resources. Using those
resources and their positions to support candidates was illegal and unethical.
In a sudden move, this quisling Mangala Samaraweera got the cabinet to approve on Tuesday (29th October) to sign theMilleniumChallenge Corporation ( MCC) agreement with the United States despite stern objection by the President. Political analysts say that this move has been taken 18 days before the election to express gratitude for the assistance being provided by the American Embassy for the election and ask why Sajith Premadasa who keeps on making hollow promises saying that he will not bow down to foreign powers did not oppose this move and raised his hand supporting it? Not only the visionless, rakish and lewd Sajith Premadasa abut all American stooge Ministers who raised their corrupt hands in support of this sell-out motion should be condemned as unpardonable traitors.
Sri Lanka’snational enemy, the foreign servile Ranil Wickremasinghe has said that the agreement with the United States on the MC will be signed before the Presidential Election. It will be a Black Day in the history of SriLanka and all Sri Lankans should Black flags on their houses, religious places of worship, offices, shops and vehicles (Including three wheels and bicycles) on the day that Ranil signs this agreement. The treacherous Ranil authorized negotiations of this agreement soon after getting elected in the 2001 General election.
The SLPP President and the Leader of the Opposition Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa has expressed curiosity why the government is in a hurry to sign this disgraceful agreement prior to the presidential election, for which there are only a few more days and it is highly awkward to sign an agreement in this manner with a foreign country. Issuing a special message in this connection Mr. Mahinda has stressed that there is much suspicion on the contents that will be included in the agreement and hence the government should divulge to the people and the Parliament the contents of the agreement. He has called to immediately summon the Parliament and give sufficient time for the opposition members to study the agreement and express their views and suggestions. If it was not possible or the government is not willing to do so the signing of the agreement should be deferred until after the election. The message also states that although the government has said that this agreement is about road development and land reform the government has failed to properly apprise the people what would happen this proposed measures. Wonder why there is so much secret about this agreement if it, as the government says, is beneficial to the country. We emphatically point out to the government that no agreement with a foreign country should be signed on the sly without the knowledge of the people and the parliament.
Many Buddhist prelates, religious organizations, civil society personnel, and parliamentarians condemned Tuesday’s cabinet approval and strongly demanded to abandon the moves to sign this agreement through which the country is pawned to the United States for 200 years. It was sad to note that the bogus nationalist JVP and the NGO vultures remained totally silent as nothing has happened in the country.
Now let us see what the American Embassy says about this project. Here are extracts from an interview given by U.S. Ambassador Alaina Teplitzto to Nirmala Kannangara of Daily Mirror on 27th May this year (2019). This was her first interview given in this country.
Denying the allegations leveled by the media concerning a permanent US base in Sri Lanka, the US envoy said the ‘Visiting Forces Agreement’ that the US has been negotiating with the Sri Lankan Government updates an existing agreement that dates way back to 1995.
I know there has been talking in the press around the concern of a permanent US base in Sri Lanka. This agreement would provide for nothing of that sort. It is about visiting forces here temporarily at the request and invitation of the Sri Lankan government for the conduct of exercises,” she added.
Responding to a question as to what are the geopolitical interests of the USA in Asia she said that she would look at it from a slightly different perspective. Not so much what the US’ specific geopolitical interests are but as a community of nations, their more global interests regarding a free and open Indo-Pacific space, the free transit of goods both by sea and air, and making sure there are laws and norms that allow nations to trade together peaceably and to get along, and that preserves these spaces for the transit of goods and the transit of services. She said that their interest is in preserving that rules-based order, ensuring that they have a chance to interact with other countries to their mutual benefit. Peace and prosperity are what they jointly working towards as beneficial outcomes for their countries. That’s how she sees their interests. It’s around what is in the mutual interests of all nations.
Responding to a question as to what is the interest of the USA in Sri Lanka’s strategic geographical position along a major sea lane, she said that there is no denying that Sri Lanka is in a very strategic location because of the sea lanes pass by here. For hundreds of years, it has become a path of trade and commerce heading between other parts of the world and the far east. So, it is very important in that regard and a lot of the economy here is linked.
She said that their interest in Sri Lanka as a friend and partner of this country, however, is not entirely around those sets of issues. Sri Lanka is a democracy. The US is a democracy. She said that they partner with democracies worldwide and they have common interests around maintaining that rules-based order that can benefit all nations globally with free and fair playing fields. She said that they also have interests around other issues of global stability and security, such as peacekeeping. Sri Lanka has been a troop-contributing country and they have also wanted to support that effort to maintain stability in other parts of the world.
She added that they also look at
other security interests in the sense of ensuring the sovereignty of nations
and making sure they can patrol and maintain not only the economic space around
their countries but end transnational crime like global narcotics trafficking
and human trafficking. We have common interests there. The bottom line is we
have many, many more interests than Sri Lanka’s physical geographic locations.
She stated that they have another
common interest around human rights and dignity for all and we want to make
sure that globally these values are respected.
In response to a question the proposed status of forces agreement between the Sri Lankan and US military and hat are the benefits and drawbacks for both countries in entering into such an agreement, she explained that the Visiting Forces Agreement will help to mutual recognition of professional licenses, fees for professional support rendered, regulations for hiring foreign and local contractors, how US military personnel and civilian personnel can enter and exit Sri Lanka, the mutually agreeing what specific methods will be used. Given that she said that they conduct many joint exercises throughout any given calendar year as a part of their military-to-military relationship, it would certainly help both sides avoid a lot of case-by-case negotiations as they go from one exercise to another. The Ambassador said that there has been talking in the press around the concern of a permanent US base in Sri Lanka and said that this agreement would provide for nothing of that sort and it is about visiting forces here temporarily at the request and invitation of the Sri Lankan government for the conduct of exercises.
Ms. Tepliyz stated that the US looks at partnerships in the region including Sri Lanka with the idea that countries need to have many options, many friends and many partners. She said that they themselves have a relationship with China and they would expect that other countries in the region are also going to maintain relationships and the question for her was always what is the quality of those relationships? Are they ones where there is mutual respect for sovereignty? Are the relationships mutually beneficial in the sense that countries can work together for prosperity in the future? Are they transparent relationships? Are they equal relationships? These are the questions that any country should be asking about its partnerships.
The Sri Lankan Association in Australia
SPUR (Society
for Peace, Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka Inc) published an article in
Lankaweb on 4th May, 2019 titled Reveal
the contents of the MCC agreement to the general public” stated that in the aftermath of the tragic Easter Sunday
bombings, the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe on 27/04/2019 announced that
the Millennium Challenge Corporation agreement was signed and that this
agreement has provided Sri Lanka USD 500 million which could be used for
development work. In two articles published on the internet in February and
March 2019, alleged details of this agreement were leaked to the public.
The articles allege
that the MCC agreement is nothing but a plan to splinter Sri Lanka and turn it
into a US Military Base.
The Key points
alleged in these articles are:
The agreement was drafted after two years of secretive negotiations between Ranil Wickremasinghe and the Millennium Challenge Corporation and It was to be signed in November 2018
Undercover of ‘Megapolis’ development, the Americans demanded from Sri Lanka an ‘Economic’ Corridor of 1.2 Million Acres of land from Trincomalee to Colombo for a lease period of 200 years and they insisted that US law must prevail within this corridor
The US has offered USD 400 million for the corridor which works out to Rs.24 per acre per month.
It appears that Sri Lanka has been offered 80 million USD more
The area covered by the corridor contains Eppawela’ phosphates, ilmenite, thorium, monazite, and rare-earth metals Cerium and Lanthanum
The US insisted that Sri Lanka should abrogate her land laws which had protected her Sovereignty and National Security and that Ranil Wickramasinghe has agreed to oblige by drafting to two new Bills – the ‘State Land Bank’ Bill and the ‘Land (Special Provision)’ Bill
The construction of an ‘Electrified’ Railway Line from Trincomalee to Colombo protected with electric fences on either side which will effectively physically split the country into two.
Anuradhapura and Kurunegala will be in the north of the corridor
The allegations
above show that Ranil Wickremasinghe has signed an agreement that destroys the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.
Given the grave nature of the allegations, it is imperative that the government immediately reveal the contents of the agreement without any redactions to the general public. We strongly request the government to do so immediately and all political and national leaders to recognize the dire implications of the agreement to the national sovereignty and take all steps to REJECT AND REPEAL ‘the agreement with MCC, USA.
Turning towards the audience,
this person then went on to show another of the pages from the document in
hand, a page that had a Map.
As the lettering just above the
map indicates, the map is a visual representation of the spatial structure of
Sri Lanka in 2050, as perceived by the MCC.
Edelman was clearly upset and
she mumbled feebly that Steve had erroneously shown the wrong map.
Contrary to what Edelman said,
there is an electrified railway line running from Trincomalee to Colombo; see
the map-legend on the right side of the map; it indicates ‘proposed electrified
railway line’. The protective electric fences on either side of the railway
line would be the electric border between the North and the South of Sri Lanka.
Again, contrary to what Edelman
said, the Corridor between Trinco and Colombo is one of the focus areas for
land investment selected by the MCC; it has been chosen by the MCC for maximum
economic impact, as indicated in the MCC document above.
In the 7 districts along this Corridor, the Edelman team admitted that there are 10 Land Registries; the GOSL has authorized the Americans to go into these Land Registries where documents pertaining to Sri Lanka’s sensitive and precious Land-Assets are stored and secured; this, even before any agreement has been reached.
Today, from all accounts
received, there are Americans seen crawling out from all crannies and crevices
in the Land Registry and Survey department buildings.
The Commissioner-General of Lands is no doubt aware of the principle of law applied at the Nuremberg Trials; he is required to comply with only lawful orders; failure to do so would make him equally liable before the law. Perhaps, the Surveyor-General, the Land Title Commissioner, the Government Chief Valuer, officials involved with digitalizing land documents and other Government Officers thrust with responsibility should bear this in mind and consider themselves, to have been put on notice.
In that same MCC Map above, to the South East of Polonnaruwa where the MCC has projected an International airport, there is a distinct encirclement of an area bounded by Vallachenai, Kattankudi, Batticaloa, Sainthamaruthu, Kalmunai, Amparai, Moneragala, Badulla and Hingurakgoda.
Within this area is, where the
‘Muslim University’ has been constructed, where investigators have identified
the heartland of Sri Lanka’s Caliphate terrorists, where the US army, from the
US Indo-Pacific Command, has built barracks that could accommodate a Division
of US troops, where 20 Caliphate terrorists committed suicide following the
Easter massacre, where investigators have identified the home-base of terrorist
Zaharan and where the meeting between Hizbullah and Teplitz took place, just
two days prior to the Easter slaughter.
Quite suspiciously, while Sri
Lanka was yet in deep shock the MCC Board in Washington, just two days after
the Easter massacre, unilaterally approved the MCC compact although there is
much opposition to it from the Sri Lankan public (on the grounds that they have
been deliberately kept in the dark about the details of the Agreement).
and, the matter not even discussed in Parliament; the ‘gift’ had been upped from 420M to 48OM USD by an organization adjudged the most transparent in the US.
‘Matara-Spyhole’, Samaraweera
and Teplitz announced the details of the ‘gift’ gleefully to a Nation numbed by
shock and horror; it is a silver lining was their message and a ‘gift’ that
must be taken immediately, lest the Americans withdraw the ‘gift’.
It would appear that the Americans are using the Easter killings to force us to accept their ‘gift’. That is food for thought.
An untruthful Edelman said that
this ‘gift’, has no attached conditions, it is an outright grant and does not
have to be repaid.
Bernard Gunathilaka of
Pathfinders, of the same ilk as Prasad Kariyawasam the willing servant of the
US, said Do not look a gift horse in the mouth”.
Was it Sri Lanka’s misfortune
that these two persons had to be in the Foreign Ministry and head it too?
When does a gift horse become a
Trojan horse? It is when the gift horse is given with attached conditions; it
is when an Agreement has to be signed, to receive a ‘gift’. The ‘conditions’
laid down by the MCC for Sri Lanka to comply with, become the price Sri Lanka
has to pay.
When payments are made by the
receiver of the ‘gift’, the money touted as an outright grant, ceases to be a
grant.
This is the type of modus operandi that was adopted by the traveling snake-oil-salesmen of the wild-west to dupe the people in America; MCC, Teplitz, and Edelman have traveled a long way to Sri Lanka to do the same.
And in the case of the MCC Compact, Sri Lanka would be making an eternal payment to the donor of the ‘gift’ horse; Sri Lanka by complying with the conditions laid down would be gifting the Americans, the donor of the ‘gift’ horse, the entire country forever.
By Noor Nizam, Peace and Political Activist, Political Communications Researcher, SLFP Stalwart and Convener – The Muslim Voice” –
SLMC & ACMC “PORAALIGAL/PAMARAMAKKAL” IN THE EASTERN PROVINCE SHOULD FOLLOW THIS EXAMPLE TO VOTE GOTABAYA ON NOVEMBER 16th., 2019.
Hassanali is a powerful vote bank in the Nithavur district and the Eastern province. Hassanali joining the Gotabaya campaign team will strengthen the Muslim support base for Gotabaya in the Eastern Province. The Muslims have begun to act on their own politically and have started to support Gotabaya, Insha Allah.
THE MUSLIM VOICE” has been doing all it is possible since June 14th., 2014 within its ability to make Gotabaya’s victory a success. “The Muslim Voice” has written nearly 1500 “Rebuttals and Comments” to lobby support from among the Muslim vote bank in Sri Lanka in almost all the Tamil and English web news publications, web forums, National newspapers, yahoo groups, TV channel websites and Indian Tamil websites reaching out to Sri Lankan Tamil/Muslim readers.
Wait and see” what the Muslims voters will do in the Eastern and Northern provinces too, “The Muslim Voice” had predicted, Insha Allah. Rauf Hakeen has already complained that the Muslims are moving away from the SLMC and this has become a “craze” in the Muslim supported SLMC areas.
The duped and hoodwinked Muslim voters who were made to vote” the Hansaya” have begun to understand the treachery of these Muslim Civil Society Leaders, Community Leaders, and Ulema Sabai Leaders by the action of the Yahapalana Government” now. They are disgruntled” and they have begun to show their displeasure and have begun to retaliate against these so-called deceptive, hoodwinking and opportunistic Muslim Politicians, Muslim Political parties and their leaders, Muslim Civil Society Leaders, Community Leaders and Ulema Sabai Leaders to safeguard their legitimate Muslim Rights” and work towards National Reconciliation”. They are no more willing to be duped by the press releases and media dramas staged by these stooges of the Yahapalana Government” anymore.
The Muslim Youth and the young professionals of the community have begun to use SOCIAL MEDIA” to challenge these scoundrels. In the next elections, surely the Muslims are contemplating to vote the Joint Opposition” to power even in the general elections of 2020, Insha Allah. THEY WILL VOTE GOTABAYA RAJAPAKSA TO BECOME THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF SRI LANKA BECAUSE THEY CAN TRUST HIM TO ERADICATE MUSLIM TERRORISM TOO, Insha Allah.
MEDIA RELEASE Mahinda Rajapaksa Leader of the Opposition
The Cabinet has decided to enter into a pact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation of the USA. The Prime Minister in answering a question put to him by the media stated that the government intends signing this agreement before the presidential elections. It is now just over two weeks to the presidential elections. We wish to stress in the strongest possible terms that no agreement should be hurriedly signed with a foreign government just days before a decisive presidential election. Any such agreement should be signed if at all, only after the presidential election.
The contents of this proposed agreement are not known even to parliamentarians let alone the general public. Before this agreement is signed, its text should be made public, and presented to Parliament and debated. The information available indicates that this agreement has to do with road development and land reform. However, the government has not taken any steps to explain what exactly this entails and what its impact will be on the country. If this agreement will be as beneficial to Sri Lanka as is made out, why is everything shrouded in secrecy?
We wish to emphatically state that the
government should not sign this agreement behind the backs of the general
public and the Parliament.
Adding boost to Sri Lanka’s growing potential as an
emerging world ICT destination of choice, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Bangkok
together with the Department of Commerce of Sri Lanka, organized for the first
time, the participation of Sri Lankan IT companies in the ‘Digital Thailand-Big
Bang 2019 Exhibition’ held in Bangkok Thailand from 28-31 October 2019. The Exhibition, which is considered the biggest international
conference and exhibition on digital technology and innovation in South East
Asia, had the overall theme of ‘ASEAN Connectivity’, also promoting and
featuring Thailand’s current Chairmanship of the ASEAN.
Prime Minister of Thailand General Prayuth Chan O Cha, declared
open the exhibition which facilitated exhibits connecting to three distinct
segments, namely ‘creativity zone’ including advanced creativity in the field
of digital technology, the ‘society zone’, encompassing new ways of improving
quality of life and equal opportunities, and ‘smart city zone’ projecting
future outlook of cities.
The Sri
Lankan pavilion was opened by H.E. (Mrs.) Samantha K. Jayasuriya, Ambassador of
Sri Lanka to Thailand and Mr. Anil Sirimanna, First Secretary (Commerce) of the
Embassy also joined her on this occasion. The five IT companies, namely Imara
Software Solutions (Pvt) Ltd, Softcodeit Solutions (Pvt) Ltd., Sky Management
Systems (Pvt) Ltd, Itechro (Pvt) Ltd, and Silverleap Technology (Pvt)
Ltd. displayed their IT products and services ranging from
Big Data Solutions, eBusiness Development, ERP Software, ICT Infrastructure
& Services, Mobile Application Development, Software Development, Systems
Integration, Web Development and Marketing, IOT, Cloud Services, Business
Solutions and MIS, Payments Processor and Real-Time System etc. They already
have strong niche for their
Software products and services to North America, EU, Australia, East Asia,
Middle East, Africa and in the Nordic, and Big Bang 2019 provided an
opportunity to further explore potentials to expand into the ASEAN market.
Sri Lanka’s IT sector is aspiring to transform the country
into the most prepared ICT hub in Asia and it is the 4th highest
export revenue generator in the country’s economy, catering also as an offshore
development center for several fortune 500 companies from the USA, Ireland, UK,
Australasia, Sweden and joint venture development companies from Sweden,
Norway, USA, Japan, etc. The
Exhibition brought in more than 200 exhibitors from 14 countries from the
region and world and drew several thousands of visitors from multiple
disciplines.
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — Seremban Jaya state assemblyman P. Gunasekaran, Gadek (Melaka) assemblyman G. Saminathan and eight other men were brought to the Sessions Court again to face additional charges relating to the LTTE terrorist group.
On Oct 29, all of them were charged separately in Sessions Courts across several states. Today, the 10 men were taken to three Sessions Courts here to face the additional charges.
Two other men were also charged today, taking the total number of individuals charged to 12.
The prosecution filed two charges of lending support to the LTTE group through the use of social media applications Facebook and YouTube, as well as attending events related to the group, in accordance with Section 130J (1) (a) of the Penal Code which provides for life imprisonment, or for a term not exceeding 30 years, or a fine, and shall also be liable to forfeiture of any property used or intended to be used in connection with the commission of the offence, if found guilty.
They were also charged with possession of items related to the terrorist group under Section 130JB (1) (a) of the Penal Code which provides for an imprisonment of up to seven years, or a fine, and shall also be liable to forfeiture of the items, if found guilty of the offence.
In front of Judge Rozina Ayob, Saminathan, 34, taxi driver V. Balamurugan, 37, despatch rider S. Teeran, 38, and scrap metal dealer A. Kalaimughilan, 28, were each charged with supporting the LTTE through their respective Facebook accounts.
Saminathan was alleged to have used the alias ‘Gsami Nanthan Siva’, Balamurugan under the name ‘BALAMURUGAN VEERASAMY’, Teeran as ‘TAMMIL KANNAMAH’ and Kalaimughilan as ‘Kalai Mugilan’.
They were charged with committing the offences at the Bukit Aman Special Branch Investigations Division E8 (M) Counter-Terrorism Office, here, on Oct 7 and Oct 8, 2019, at different times of 9 am, 10 am and 9.30 pm.
Teeran was also charged with possessing items related to the LTTE at level B2 of the Mandarin Pacific Hotel parking lot at Jalan Sultan here, at 11.40 am on Oct 10.
Kalaimughilan also faces a charge of lending support to the LTTE via the YouTube application at 10 am, June 2, 2014, at the same location.
He was also charged with supporting the group during a ceremony at the Tan Sri Soma Hall in Wisma Tun Sambanthan, No 2, Jalan Sultan Sulaiman, Kampung Attap, here between 8 pm and 11.30 pm on March 17, 2014.
Both charges were filed in accordance with Section 130J (1) (a) of the Penal Code.
Meanwhile, chief executive officer of a corporation S. Chandru, 38, technician S. Arivainthan, 27, storekeeper S.Thanagaraj, 26, security guard M. Pumugan, 29, and a national secondary school teacher in Telok Panglima Garang, Selangor, Sundram Renggan @ Rengasamy, 52, were charged in front of Judge Azman Ahmad.
All of them were alleged to have supported the LTTE using their Facebook accounts with the aliases ‘Ariventhan Subramaniam’, ‘Sivam Tamilarasan’, ‘Pumugan Tamilan’, ‘Chandru Suparmaniam’ and ‘Elilan Elilan’.
They were each charged with committing the offence at the Office of E8(M) Investigating Officer of the Special Branch Bukit Aman, here, at 9 am and 3 pm, between Jan 11 and Oct 11 this year.
In front of Judge Azura Alwi, Gunasekaran and Kalaimughilan were charged with additional charges related to the group.
Meanwhile, DAP member V. Suresh Kumar, 43, and businessman B. Subramaniam, 57, were brought to the Sessions Court here for the first time in connection to the LTTE.
Gunasekaran, Suresh Kumar and Subramaniam were each charged with supporting the LTTE via their respective Facebook accounts using the names ‘DAP Guna Palanisamy’, ‘RocketSuresh DAP’, and ‘US SUBRA SUBRAMANIAM’.
They were separately charged with committing the offences at the Investigating Officers’ office of the Bukit Aman Special Branch (Counter Terrorism) here on Oct 7 and Oct 11, 2019 at 2 pm, 5.30 pm and 6 pm.
Kalaimughilan was also charged with knowingly distributing items connected to the LTTE at the Tan Sri Soma Hall in Wisma Tun Sambanthan, No 2, Jalan Sultan Sulaiman, Kampung Attap, here, between 8 pm to 11.30 pm on March 17, 2014.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad and Aslinda Ahad offered no bail to all the accused, citing their detention under the Security Offenses (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA).
However, Ramkarpal Singh applied for the court to use its discretion to allow his client bail and applied for the bail application to be referred to the High Court.
The court set tomorrow for a decision over the matter.
On Oct 29, Saminathan, Gunasekaran and Chandru were charged at the Melaka Sessions Court with supporting the LTTE during a ceremony at Dewan Kasturi Ayer Keroh, Jalan Utama, Taman Ayer Keroh Heights here from 8.30 pm to 10.50 pm on Nov 28, 2018.
Saminathan was also charged with another charge of possessing items related to the terrorist group on a mobile phone.
Chandru was also charged with possession of materials related to the group at the Alor Gajah Sessions Court in Melaka.
At the Kuala Kangsar Sessions Court, Arivainthan and Balamurugan were charged with lending support to the LTTE during an event at the Sungai Siput (Utara) branch Kuala Kangsar Municipal Council Hall between 6.30 pm and 11.45 pm on Dec 28, 2014.
At the Selayang Sessions Court, Kalaimughilan was charged with two counts of possessing items related to the LTTE, and in Segamat, Johor, Teeran was charged with a similar offence.
Sundram Renggan, who is an English and Physics teacher, was charged at the Sepang Sessions Court in Selangor with a similar offence.
At the Butterworth Sessions Court in Penang, Pumugan and Thanagaraj each faced two similar counts.
All the courts set Nov 18 and Dec 16 for mention.
No pleas were recorded from the accused as they are being held under SOSMA and cases under SOSMA are tried in the High Court.
Their pleas will be recorded in the High Court later.
All the accused are being held at the Sungai Buloh Prison.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad said bail was not allowed for all four accused on the grounds that their detention was under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) 2012 which does not allow bail.
Counsel S. Selvam, who represented Subramaniam asked that the case be immediately moved to the High Court on the grounds that there were legal issues which must be decided and an application made for the court to listen to the appeal from his client who alleged that he had been abused while in detention and investigated by the police for 20 days.
Muhamad Iskandar however said that the application was not relevant as on Oct 24, the Shah Alam High Court had rejected the habeas corpus application by the accused and there were no grounds for the court to consider the application from the counsel.
Counsel Ramkarpal Singh, who represented Gunasekaran and Suresh Kumar asked that his two clients be allowed bail on the grounds that their detention under SOSMA was unconstitutional.
Counsel M. V. Yoges, who represented Kalaimughilan, said the charge faced by his client was flawed and pre-mature as the charge did not state specifically the item which is alleged to be connected to the LTTE.
“The offence is alleged to have been committed in 2014 but why is it only now that my client has been charged in court,” he said, questioning the element where the accused had threatened national security was not stated in the charge.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Izhanudin Alias replied that the charge against the accused was clear about threatening national security and the prosecution will obtain reports from experts to prove that an offence had been committed.
On Kalaimughilan who was charged in court today whereas the offence was committed in 2014, Mohd Izhanudin said it was correct that the offence was committed in 2014, but the accused had just been arrested and he was brought to court today to be charged.
The court set tomorrow for hearing from both parties.
After the proceedings ended, a female relative of one of the accused suddenly collapsed, causing chaos in the court.
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — Five men were again charged in the Sessions Court here today with regard to the LTTE terrorist group.
They were a chief executive officer of a corporation, S. Chandru, 38, technician S. Arivainthan, 27, storekeeper S.Thanagaraj, 26, security guard M.Pumugan, 29, and a national secondary school teacher in Telok Panglima Garang, Selangor, Sundram Renggan @ Rengasamy, 52.
They were all charged with giving support to the LTTE terrorist group by using their respective Facebook account under the names of Ariventhan Subramaniam”, Tamilarasan Sivam”, Pumagan Tamilan” ,”Chandru Suparmaniam” and Elilan Elilan”
They were each charged with committing the offences at the Office of E8(M) Investigating Officer of the Special Branch Bukit Aman, here at 9 am and 3 pm, between Jan 11 and Oct 11 this year.
The charge under Section 130J(1)(a) of the Penal Code provides for a life sentence or a maximum of 30 years or fine and forfeiture of any asset used or intended to be used to commit the offences, upon conviction.
All of them nodded to show that they understood after the charges against them were read separately before Justice Azman Ahmad.
The pleas from all the accused were not recorded as they were detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA) and cases under SOSMA are tried at the High Court.
Their pleas will be recorded at the High Court later.
On Oct 29, all the five accused were charged at the Sessions Court in several states on charges of giving support and possessing items related to the group.
The prosecution was handled by Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad while lawyers Ramkarpal Singh, Gan Chen Kiong, Damian Yeo and R.S.N Rayer represented the accused.
Muhamad Iskandar did not offer bail on all the accused on grounds that their detention was made under SOSMA which did not allow for bail to be made.
Lawyer Ramkarpal appealed that the accused be allowed bail and also requested that the application for bail be referred to the High Court.
The court decided that tomorrow be set as the day to decide on the bail request.
The court lobby area was filled by family members of the accused and media representatives who arrived at 8 am to follow the case proceedings.
President Maithripala Sirisena had today assured that Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC) agreement will not be signed before November 16.
The President had given this assurance to MPs Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila and Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera, who had gone to meet him to verify reports that the MCC was to be signed at 3.00 pm today.
When we informed this to the President, he telephoned Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera in our presence and asked him about it. We understood from the conversation that it would not be signed in a hurried manner,” MP Weerawansa told the media.
President Sirisena told that the cabinet nod was granted for the agreement on the condition that it would not be signed before November16,” MP Weerawansa said.
The agreement consisted of grant funds for traffic management in Colombo, road construction island-wide and land administration improvements covering the whole country.
These compact programmes to be funded by this project have been developed by the Sri Lankan officials of the line ministries and departments based on the needs of the country. The Sri Lankan Government has the option of amending the identified projects even after the signing of the agreement.
Sri Lanka is the 37th recipient of such grant funds from the US.
No sooner had Minister Navin Dissanayake said the next Prime Minister should be from the hill country than Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe declared, on Wednesday, that he would be the PM if Sajith Premadasa won the presidency. The UNP like any other political party is full of ambitious men and women, and the PM may have thought others would also try to take the bread out of his mouth if he remained silent. It will be interesting to know what Sajith thinks; which part of the country would he like to have his PM from—the hills or the coastal plain?
Governments suffer serious setbacks when their seniors jostle for the post of Prime Minister. President J. R. Jayewardene craftily let his parliamentary group select the PM. Sajith’s late father got the post much to the consternation of other ambitious UNP heavyweights. President Kumaratunga acted prudently to preserve the unity of the SLFP by appointing Mahinda Rajapaksa the PM in 2004. She was under tremendous pressure from her coalition ally, the JVP, to deny him that post. Perhaps, the Rajapaksa administration would not have collapsed, in 2015, if Maithripala Sirisena had been able to realise his prime ministerial dream. The UPFA would have been able to form a government again in August 2015 if President Sirisena had not gone all out to queer the pitch for Mahinda, who was trying to make a comeback as the PM. President Sirisena was eyeing the premiership in a future SLPP-SLFP government, but he lacked bargaining power to bend the Rajapaksas to his will.
The SLPP has already made it known that Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa will be the PM if Gotabaya Rajapaska secures the presidency. Thus, the presidential election has also become a contest between Ranil and Mahinda. A vote for Sajith will be a vote for Ranil. A vote for Gotabaya will be a vote for Mahinda.
The Prime Minister has emerged very powerful owing to the 19th Amendment so much so that he can even tame the President, as we saw during last year’s abortive constitutional coup. A similar situation could arise even if both the President and the PM happen to come from the same party. It is also on the advice of the Prime Minister that the next President will have to appoint Cabinet ministers. Some transitional provisions in the 19th Amendment have stood President Maithripala Sirisena in good stead, but his successor won’t benefit therefrom.
Sajith has said that, if elected, he will not appoint anyone under a cloud to his Cabinet. In fact, that is what his supporters and well-wishers want him to do. But he will have to act on the advice of the PM in making ministerial appointments. There’s the rub. Tainted ministers in the present Cabinet are in the good books of the current PM, who is beholden to them for having rallied behind him last year following his unlawful ouster. One of them even got back into the Cabinet by throwing his weight behind the beleaguered PM. Sajith, no doubt, is desirous of making some of them walk the plank, if he becomes the president, but the question is whether he will be able to do so without the PM’s consent.
Similarly, Gotabaya is also promising a professionally run, clean government, but he, too, will have to act on the advice of the PM in making Cabinet appointments. All the rogues responsible for the downfall of President Rajapaksa’s government are prominent members of the SLPP. If Gotabaya wins with the SLPP forming the next government, those elements will ride high again and start making up for lost time.
Will the two longstanding leaders vying for the post of Prime Minister, in the next government, help improve the chances of the presidential candidates of their parties? Or, will it be the other way around? The people will provide the answer on Nov. 16.
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) yesterday urged the UNP government not to go ahead with controversial Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) agreement without fully examining the proposed pact.
The following is the full text of the letter issued by BASL President Kalinga Indatissa, PC:
“The Bar Association of Sri Lanka views with grave concern the news item pertaining to the Cabinet paper seeking approval for the entering into of the MCC agreement.
“Despite news reports seeking to assure the public of the benign nature of the said agreement, the draft that was previously made available to us had a multitude of disadvantageous clauses for Sri Lanka. The BASL as a responsible organization took a lot of time to study the proposed MCC and submitted a detailed report. The BASL outlined the grave consequences that Sri Lanka would face as an independent and sovereign State in the event the GOSL proceeded to sign the MCC in that form.
“The proposed MCC as it stood then contained many issues of a very grave nature, as explained by us to the Honourable Prime Minister in writing, which we now disclose to the public to make their own observations. In fact, on 5/8/2019, the BASL received a letter of the Hon. Prime Minister thanking us for our efforts.
“We take this step as a responsible Association as the assurance given to us previously by the Government not to take any step towards signing the agreement without amendment and making a full disclosure of the contents to the public after obtaining our views has not been honoured.
“It is our belief that the draft proposals should be made available for Democratic debate before committing the Country to honour an agreement which only a privileged few have been privy to according to these newspaper reports. In the past these have been instances where the country and the people had to face the consequences where the respective Governments of the day proceeded to enter upon agreements without educating the public about the contents.
“In such circumstances the BASL holds the view that the MCC agreement should not be signed without providing an opportunity to the people to understand the true nature of the agreement.
“Therefore, we urge the Government not to proceed with the proposed agreement whatever compelling short-term economic reasons there may be without honouring its commitment made to us which we accepted in good faith.”
The presidential candidate of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) said the political parties that signed the agreement to form a new coalition today (31) unified for a common purpose.
The members of these 17 political parties who love the country have formed the biggest ever alliance in Sri Lanka, Rajapaksa said further.
An accord was inked this morning (31) at The Foundation Institute with the auspices of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, SLPP chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris and the members of other political parties of this alliance, which is named ‘Sri Lanka Nidahas Podujana Sandhanaya’ (Sri Lanka Freedom People’s Alliance).
SLPP’s presidential hopeful said he intends to contest for the upcoming elections under this new coalition.
Rajapaksa added that, if elected, he expects the utmost support from all the parties of this political coalition to fulfil the hopes of people within his tenure as the president the country.
Rajapaksa confidently said that they are already leading the presidential election race with 56 percent of votes, which is the total of the votes obtained by these 17 political parties at the previous elections.
The political parties that had inked the accord for the ‘Sri Lanka Nidahas Podujana Peramuna’ are as follows: 1.Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna 2.Sri Lanka Freedom Party 3.Communist Party of Sri Lanka 4.National Freedom Front 5.People’s United Front (Mahajana Eksath Peramuna) 6.Lanka Sama Samaja Party 7.Democratic Left Front 8.Pivithuru Hela Urumaya 9.Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) 10.Ceylon Workers’ Congress 11.Vijayadharani Jathika Sabha 12.National Congress 13.Sri Lanka Mahajana Party 14.Desha Vimukthi Janatha Party 15.Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulika (TMVP) 16.Eksath Mahajana Pakshaya 17.Mutpokut Tamil Kachchi (MTK)
Leader of Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa has stressed that the government should not sign the pact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) of the USA behind the backs of the general public and the Parliament.
He quoted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as saying that the government intends signing this agreement before the presidential election.
Issuing a media release today (31), Rajapaksa said no agreement should be hurriedly signed with a foreign government just days before a decisive presidential election, however, the Cabinet has decided to enter into a pact with the MCC before the upcoming election.
Any such agreement should be signed, if at all, only after the presidential election,” Rajapaksa emphasized in his statement.
The contents of this proposed agreement are not known even to parliamentarians let alone the general public. Before this agreement is signed, its text should be made public, and presented to Parliament and debated,” he added.
The information available indicates that this agreement has to do with road development and land reform, the statement continued.
However, the government has not taken any steps to explain what exactly this entails and what its impact will be on the country, Rajapaksa pointed out while raising questions on the benefits this agreement can bring to Sri Lanka and the reasons for everything regarding the pact being shrouded in secrecy.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) agreement, which has been drafted with the consent of the Attorney General will be presented in and enacted by the Parliament Lanka once it is signed, the Ministry of Finance said today (31).
Issuing a media release, the Finance Ministry said the Compact Agreement and the Program Implementation Agreement will be published in the Government Gazette before being submitted to the Parliament.
On the request of the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL), the MCC undertook a constraints to economic growth analysis” in year 2016, the release said, adding that the MCC and the Sri Lankan government subsequently decided to focus on the land and transport sectors, which were identified as binding constraints to growth.
Following the constraint analysis, which concluded that congestion in the Colombo Metropolitan Region, poor transport connectivity between Provinces, and weakness in land administration constrain economic growth, the MCC agreed to grant USD 480 million for financing the above projects, the Finance Ministry said further.
According to the release, the final negotiations on the Compact were conducted in October 2018 between the MCC and a Cabinet-approved Sri Lankan government delegation.
The whole process and the final Agreements were done under the guidance of the Attorney General and well within the legal framework,” the Finance Ministry emphasized.
The Attorney General is in the opinion that Agreements are in order and there exists no legal impediment to execute same, it continued.
The complete media release issued by the Finance Ministry is as follows:
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a bilateral United States Foreign Aid Agency established by the United States Congress in 2004, applying a new philosophy towards foreign aid. It provides time limited grants and assistance to developing countries that meet rigorous standard for good governance, from fighting corruption to respecting democratic rights. On the request of the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL), the MCC undertook a constraints to economic growth analysis” in year 2016. MCC and the GOSL subsequently decided to focus on the land and transport sectors, which were identified as binding constraints to growth. The constraints analysis concluded that traffic congestion in the Colombo Metropolitan Region, poor transport connectivity between Provinces, and weakness in land administration constrain economic growth. Accordingly, the MCC agreed to grant USD 480 million for financing the above projects.
Final negotiations on the Compact were conducted in October 2018 between the MCC and a Cabinet approved GoSL delegation which consisted of officials from the relevant Ministries and Government Agencies for implementing the selected projects including a representative from the Attorney General’s Department.
The whole process and the final Agreements were done under the guidance of the Attorney General and well within the legal framework. The Attorney General is in the opinion that Agreements are in order and there exists no legal impediment to executing the same. A Cabinet Memorandum along with the final drafts of the Agreements was submitted on 31.05.2019 to the Cabinet of Ministers. The Cabinet appointed a committee for further discussions of the matters in detail. And subsequently, the Ministry of Finance submitted the Cabinet Memorandum dated 05.07.2019 seeking the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers for signing the Compact Agreement and the Program Implementation Agreement. The Cabinet of Ministers has granted its approval for signing above Agreements on 29.10.2019.
The Compact Agreement and the Program Implementation Agreement will be submitted to and enacted by Parliament of Sri Lanka once it is signed and before its entry into force and will be published in the Government Gazette before submitted to Parliament.
