Courtesy The Daily Mirror

• Another important step that has to be taken is to introduce legislation to restrict the number of children in a family to a maximum of three
• The need of the hour to tackle this growing threat is a single law for all Sri Lankans, dismantle religious or language based schools, create mixed schools and not allow political parties to be formed on ethnicity.
• The SLFP has proposed to enact a ‘Harmony Act’ to bring all ethnic and religious groups under one umbrella or one nation like in Australia and Singapore.
• Our Muslim brethren must not act like Arab Muslims. Sri Lankan Muslims have integrated well into the Sri Lankan society.         
• The SLFP led UPFA coalition would secure a minimum of 30 seats at the next general elections. Therefore, we will decide who would be the next ruler of the country.  

The Dailymirror discussed the current political and economic  situation of the country in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings  with the General Secretary of the SLFP, former Minister Dayasiri  Jayasekara.Excerpts:

Q President and SLFP Leader Maithripala Sirisena, who is also the Minister of both Defence and Law and Order has been blamed for failing to take timely action to prevent the Easter Sunday carnage. What is your response?

President Maithripala Sirisena has pointed out that he wasn’t ready to accept responsibility with regard to the Easter Sunday carnage though he is in charge of the Defence and Law and Order Ministries because there has been a major communication gap in disseminating information on National Thawheed Jamaath (NTJ) and other religious extremist groups among the law enforcement agencies.  After the NTJ accomplished its dastardly mission on April 21, it was revealed that DIG Nilantha Jayawardana had appraised the IGP Pujith Jayasundara and senior DIG Sisira Mendis on the impending threat. But it seems this information had not reached President Sirisena for necessary action to be taken. The IG or Secretary of Defence Hemasiri Fernando should have informed the President on this important intelligence report and instructed him to call a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) as a follow-up action, but sadly this didn’t happen.

However, I admit that the collective responsibility remains with the Government and the Opposition because the intelligence that had been gathered about Muslim fundamentalism and the acts of terrorism, stocks of explosives and the weapons detected were circulating within the security establishments and law enforcement agencies not for months, but for years. Also, don’t forget our past mistakes. If I am to give you a few examples, we did experience similar disasters during the ethnic conflict. No one knew until the LTTE attacked Bandaranaike International Airport at Katunayake in July 2001, when attempts were made on the lives of Sarath Fonseka in April 2006 and of Gotabaya Rajapaksa in December 2006 or the life of Chandrika Kumaratunga in December 1999. In addition to these barbaric acts of terrorism, the LTTE carried out a series of killings maiming thousands of innocent people and destroyed property worth billions of rupees. You also must keep in mind that the Cabinet isn’t under the command of the President. But President Sirisena has taken all measures possible to prevent a repetition. The raids, surveillance and detection carried out by the armed forces, the Police, the STF and the intelligence units have by now broken the backbone of Muslim fundamentalist terrorism under the leadership of President Sirisena.

Further, based on the recommendations of the interim report of the Presidential Commission that probed the Easter Sunday massacre, the Attorney General has launched a criminal probe against Pujith, Hemasiri, Sisira, DIGs Nandana and Latheef. Therefore, it is unfair to blame President Sirisena for any of the lapses related to the Easter Sunday massacre.       

But what is most important is that no party would be in a position to form a Government without our support after the next general elections

     
QAntagonism between President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has affected the country very badly. How do you see this?

I mustn’t hide the fact that the mutual trust and political ideological understanding that existed between the SLFP and the UNP suffered a big blow after the Central Bank bond scam. There are other misconceptions, policy issues and disagreements between the two. That’s why President Sirisena removed Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and dissolved Parliament late last year; a decision which was annulled by the Supreme Court. But, the SLFP or President Sirisena doesn’t want to abdicate the responsibility for the sins and merits of the Yahapalana Government. Therefore, my belief is that the two leaders must come to an understanding to get together and offer leadership to this regime during the remaining few months. The situation has been further complicated because the SLFP doesn’t have a Cabinet or a Government under its command. At the same time UNP members as well as the SLFP must refrain from criticizing each other and aggravating the conflict. However, I believe that the UNP must take a more passive stance regarding President Sirisena because he is the Head of State.    

QIs there a possibility to unite the two for the sake of the country?

I hope so and pray for such unity between the two leaders because furthering this antipathy would affect the country badly. The two leaders must unite at any cost for the sake of the country. There’s no argument on that.      

QThe exports, Direct Foreign Investments (FDI), Tourism and the overall Economy have suffered a big blow as a result of the Easter Sunday disaster. What does the SLFP propose to pull the country out of this mess?

First and foremost national security and law and order have to be restored fully, with a new vigour. Without stability and normalcy returning to the country no investor would visit Sri Lanka. Peace and security and law and order are prime requisites for the industry and exports to prosper.

Egypt, India, Indonesia, Thailand, England, Germany, France, Belgium and many other European Union countries have come under attacks carried out by jihads or ISIS during the recent past. But with the quick restoration of law and order in these countries, they have been able to minimise the ill effects on their economies. Tourists have started to revisit those countries in numbers. Sri Lanka has no option, but to follow suit. Besides, many of our friendly countries like India, China, UK, EU, Australia, Pakistan and many others have pledged the fullest support for Sri Lanka to recover from this tragedy. On the directive of President Sirisena our intelligence agencies are in touch with these countries to exchange data regarding the movements and actions of terrorists. I am glad to hear that India and Switzerland have already lifted travel advisories on Sri Lanka.   

I mustn’t hide the fact that the mutual trust and political ideological understanding that existed between the SLFP and the UNP suffered a big blow after the Central Bank bond scam

Q What is the SLFP’s strategy to prevent the rising of religious extremism and terrorism in the country?

The SLFP has given forewarnings during many instances in the past regarding the radicalization of Muslim youths and their possible repercussions. I feel, radicalization has been viewed as a fashion by certain groups that contributed to its free proliferation. The need of the hour to tackle this growing threat is have a single law for all Sri Lankans, dismantle religious or language based schools, establish mixed schools and make sure that no political parties are formed based on ethnicity. Marriage must be banned before adulthood. The marriageable age is 18 years for both sexes.  

The SLFP has also proposed to enact a ‘Harmony Act’ to bring all ethnic and religious groups under one umbrella as one nation like in Australia and Singapore.

Face veils like the burqa, niqab, hijab and chador or whatever garment that makes it difficult to easily identify a person must be banned after consultations with Muslim leaders. Another important step that has to be taken is to introduce a legislation to restrict the number of children in a family to a maximum of three. Sri Lanka is a small country. As such our economy, culture, society and per capita income cannot support big families. Large countries like China and a smaller country like Singapore have introduced laws to prevent sharp and sudden increases in population. Our Muslim brethren must not act like Arab Muslims. Sri Lankan Muslims are well integrated into the Sri Lankan society.     

   
QHow are SLFP’s preparations for the Presidential poll?

We are ready for any election. Though not declared openly by President Sirisena himself that he would contest, the SLFP’s presidential candidate would be President Sirisena for sure. The SLFP is in the process of forming a strong political alliance under the UPFA and the discussions so far with other constituent partners have been extremely successful.  The SLFP has always come to power in the past after contesting elections as an alliance. This time too there cannot be any change in this stance.

But what is most important is that no party would be in a position to form a Government without our support after the next general elections. The SLFP led UPFA coalition would secure a minimum of 30 seats at the next general elections. Therefore, we will decide who is the next ruler of the country.   

I feel, the radicalization has been viewed as a fashion by certain groups that contributed to its free proliferation. Marriage must be banned before adulthood

QYou have always stood for reconciliation, interfaith harmony and peace. But don’t you think certain elements are attempting to use this barbaric attack to their political advantage and delay the process of the country returning to normalcy?

I have never been a racist. In fact, I cannot be a racist as the General Secretary of the SLFP because the SLFP is a multi-religion, multi-ethnic and multi-social party that offers a safe heaven for voters of all faiths, languages and social status. Yes, as you said, I believe there were certain anti national elements who have been active in creating ethnic unrest in many parts of the country after calm prevailed for more than two weeks following the Easter Sunday carnage. The April 21 attack was carried out with assistance from a foreign terrorist outfit, ISIS, but the attacks on Muslim trade establishments in Kurunegala, Chillaw and Gampaha had been instigated by local goons supported by local politicians who wanted to exploit the situation to their advantage by creating another blood bath. We must not forget the fact that terrorism is promoted and spread through terrorism.      

QHow and why were Muslim trade establishments attacked after there was peace for nearly three weeks at Gampaha, Kurunegala, Kuliyapitiya, Hettipola, Minuwangoda, Nattandiya and elsewhere and also who were behind this violence?

During the search operations carried out by the Police, STF and armed forces, a large cache of arms, ammunition and explosives were found in various parts of the country.  As a result, frightened Sinhalese urged the Police and armed forces to expand search operation in these areas including Muslim villages.  These search operations should have been done discreetly and with extreme care, convincing the peaceful Muslims that searches are being done for their own safety and to identify the handful of those who support terrorism among a large majority of law abiding Muslim community. 

Muslims in Sri Lanka are a God fearing, law abiding community who first arrived in the 7th century as Arab traders. They married Sinhala women and well integrated into the Sinhala community and started to profess the Islamic faith. Later on, Muslims served Sinhala kings in various professions like medicine, security, trade and imports and exports. The Kandyan Sinhala King Senarath protected Muslims from the Portuguese attacks and gave them refuge in Kandy.

The Muslim community in Sri Lanka was further strengthened with the arrival of Muslims from India in the 19th and 20th centuries. I don’t understand as to why there are no Sinhala Muslims when we have among us Sinhala and Tamil Catholics. There are also a fair number of Tamil youth who have become Buddhist monks. 

QWhat happened at Hettipola and Bingiriya on the 13th? 

In fact, what happened on the 12th and 13th this month at Bingiriya, Gampaha, Kurunegala, Kuliyapitiya, Hettipola, Minuwangoda and Nattandiya was unfortunate and could have been prevented if all those involved acted responsibly. At the same time I would like to tell you that I was able to prevent a blood bath at Bingiriya and Hettipola due to timely action. However, I have no doubt that there were political opportunists behind the attacks on Muslim trade establishments. 

On the 12th afternoon, four Sinhala youth unleashed an unprovoked attack on two Muslim boutiques in Kuliyapitiya. The Kuliyapitiya Police arrested them and there was a gathering of people near the Police station demanding their release. The police under pressure granted the four youth Police bail. But on the same night there were attacks on Muslim trade establishments at Kiniya in the  Bingiriya electorate and Police arrested 12 Sinhalese. As there were no sufficient manpower and space in the Police cell, the Bingiriya Police transferred 6 out of 12 detainees to Hettipola Police Station. The people who had been gathered in numbers started to protest for the transfer of arrested men and staged a big scene in front of the Bingiriya Police Station demanding the release of all 12 men immediately. They also questioned the transfer of 6 detainees to Hettipola. I must remind you that there are no Sinhala or Muslim trade stalls near Bingiriya Police station, but there are a few near the Hettipola Police. The situation was extremely tense and hotting up.

The Muslim community in Sri Lanka was further strengthened with the arrival of Muslims from India in the 19th and 20th centuries

The people who had assembled near the Bingiriya Police were visibly intoxicated as liquor shops had been opened. Muslims were frightened and helpless. Some of them rang me up at home – a few hundred metres away from the Bingiriya Police – and I rushed to the scene around 12.30 in the afternoon. When I went there I saw Namal Kumara giving a lecture to the agitated crowd and I chased him away. In the meantime I spoke to the Army commander of the area, DIG, District Secretary, Divisional Secretary, OICs of Bingiriya and Hetipola Police to calm and disperse the crowd. Before the Army, STF and the police acted there were attacks at Kottampitiya and Hettipola and a few other places on Muslim trade stalls and mosques. I asked the DIG whether he could release the 12 people under police bail if I brought the six men from Hettipola to Bingiriya and he said ‘yes’.  The Police jeep of the Hettipola Police did not have space to accommodate all six men and I took four of them in my vehicle still managed to drive to Bingiriya Police under an armed police guard thus preventing a disaster. There were only about 75 policemen at the Hettipola station and 60 out them had been deployed on routine duties. At the Police station there were only about 15 personnel to deal with the station, detainees and the armoury. If attacked by hundreds of people, the detainees were taken out and the armoury was broken into, the situation would have led to a major bloodbath. I prevented it by bringing the six youth, arrested, to Bingiriiya from Hettipola and assisted the police, the armed forces and the STF to bring the situation under control and disperse the agitated crowd, thus preventing a disaster.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Payment anomalies of over half a million pensioners would be removed from July 1, the Finance Ministry said today.

The revised pension would be implemented effective from next month under a proposal made by Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera in his Budget 2019, the Ministry said.

Accordingly, over 500,000 public servants who retired before December 31, 2015, will be benefited by the removal of this anomaly.

The monthly salary of the public servants who retired before 31.12.2015 would be increased by minimum of Rs.2, 800 and the maximum of Rs.20,000,” the Ministry said in the statement.

This salary anomaly was created as a result of those who retired before December 31, 2015 and others who retired thereafter, were considered under two different circulars.

Pensions were paid to the public servants who retired before December 31, 2015 under circular 05/2015 and their counterparts who retired thereafter were paid pensions under circular 03/2016. Accordingly, the salary of a retired KKS grade I who retired before 31.12.2015 has been increased by Rs.2,800.

The salary of a retired management assistant grade I has been increased by Rs.5,200 under the proposed new pension scheme. Pension of teacher in grade one service I, would be increased by Rs.9,200 and the salary of a retired a nursing officer would be increased by Rs.9,200.

The salary of a retired police sergeant would be increased by Rs.4,200. A retired senior executive officer will get an increase by Rs.16,000 and the salary of a ministry secretary, who retired before 31.12.2015, would be increased by Rs.20,000.

An interim allowance of Rs.3,500, paid to the pensioners who retired under the circular 05/2015 until this new salary anomaly was removed, will be included to the new salary structure. Further, the cost of living allowance of Rs.3,525 paid at present would be continued to be paid to all pensioners, the Finance Ministry said.

by Zacki Jabbar Courtesy The Island

The proposed Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the US that had seen opposition from some Sri Lankan political parties, would also come up for discussion to plug the contentious clauses, during the upcoming visit of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Colombo, senior government sources said yesterday.

Pompeo is scheduled to visit India, Sri Lanka, Japan and Korea from June 24 to 30, officials said.

Secretary Pompeo expressed his desire to visit Sri Lanka when he spoke to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe over the telephone, shortly after the National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) carried out suicide bomb explosions at  three churches and three luxury hotels in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa, on Easter Sunday, which killed a total of 258 people and injured around 500.

Public Enterprise Minister Lakshman Kiriella said that  SOFA was first discussed  during the Mahinda Rajapaksa presidency and it was ironic that it was the Podujana Peramuna that was now leading opposition protests.

This was not the first time that Rajapaksa had  opposed the very agreements or proposals  that his government had introduced, now that he was in the opposition, Kiriella added.

By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island

Sri Lanka conducting investigations to find out wherther some Saudi nationals were involved in the Easter Sunday attacks may need Saudi Arabian help to verify the identities of three persons who were here at the time of the April 21 blasts but left the country the following day.

 Authoritative sources acknowledged that foreign assistance was required in that regard.

 The police investigating the alleged involvement of former Eastern Province Governor M. L. A. M. Hizbullah with those responsible for Easter Sunday attacks have recorded a statement from the UPFA politician regarding his meeting with a group of Saudi nationals the day after six coordinated attacks which claimed the lives of 260 persons.

 Police headquarters sources said that the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID), on Saturday, (15) questioned Hizbullah in this connection.

 According to Police headquarters Hizbullah met two Saudi nationals at a luxury hotel at Pasikudah during countrywide night curfew and a CCTV footage showed him leaving the hotel with three foreigners. Police headquarters said that though reference was made to two foreigners subsequent inquiries revealed the presence of a third one.

 Hizbullah, who arrived at the TID on Saturday at 9.45 am, left the office close to 6 pm. 

With the help of the CCTV footage, the police have identified the three Saudi nationals. In addition to Hizbullah, several other persons were questioned. Employees of the hotel where the Saudis stayed are believed to be among them.

 Having tendered his letter of resignation to President Maithripala Sirisena on June 03 at the Presidential Secretariat, Hizbullah told the media that the foreigners were investors and there was absolutely nothing clandestine about his meeting with them. Hizbullah claimed that he had explained to President Sirisena the circumstances under which the meeting had taken place at the Pasikudah hotel.

 The TID questioned Hizbullah two days after a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) inquiring into Easter Sunday attacks questioned the politician, who served as a UPFA National List member of parliament till January this year.

 However, many an eyebrow has been raised over the failure on the part of the PSC to question Hizbullah on his meeting with the Saudi nationals. The PSC proceedings are open to the media. 

The PSC consists of Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri, Chairman (UNP/Moneragala District), Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka (Democratic Party/UNP National List), Ravi Karunanayake (UNP/Colombo District), Dr. Rajitha Senaratne (UNP/Kalutara District), Dr. Jayampathy Wickremaratne (LSSP/UNP National List), Prof. Ashu Marasinghe (UNP National List), Rauff Hakeem (SLMC/UNP Kandy District), M.A. Sumanthiran (TNA/Jaffna District) and Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa (JVP/Kalutara District).  

Asked why Hizbullah had not been questioned regarding the alleged Saudi connection, a spokesperson for the PSC asserted that the then Eastern Province Governor meeting foreigners was not considered relevant to their mandate. When it was pointed out that the allegedly secret meeting, revealed by the media couldn’t be ignored, the spokesman said that Hizbullah’s meeting with foreigners had not crossed his mind.

 Officials said that Sri Lanka really appreciated the support extended by Saudi Arabia since the inquiry into April 21 attacks commenced. They pointed out the swift extradition of five hardcore National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) activists, including Mohamed Milhan, believed to be the right hand man of suicide bomber Zahran Hashim on Friday underscored the Saudi cooperation.

Editorial – Courtesy The Island

Time was when the European Union (EU) was known for treading cautiously with measured steps anent sensitive issues. Its responses used to be balanced and buttressed with solid facts and figures. But the EU seems to have departed from tradition if the recent statement issued by the EU mission in Colombo on the Sri Lankan media, among other things, is any indication.

The EU has accused the local media of repeatedly publishing ‘prejudiced and unsubstantiated allegations’. Here is the relevant excerpt: “We are deeply concerned by political and religious pressure being directed at Sri Lanka’s Muslim community which is undermining peace and reconciliation in the country. Prejudiced and unsubstantiated allegations repeatedly published by media serve only to fuel intolerance.” (Emphasis added.)

The EU mission is being hauled over the coals, in some quarters, for its swipe at the Sri Lankan media. But we believe its right to express its opinion should be defended. The media is not infallible the world over. The ongoing controversy over a newspaper cartoon, in the US, is a case in point. A New York Times cartoon depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a guide dog leading US President Donald Trump has come to be considered anti-Semitic and evocative of Nazi propaganda. Heavy flak it drew has caused NYT to stop publishing political cartoons in its international edition as well. (The reference to Nazi propaganda reminds us of the World War II era, when many Swedish media outfits capitulated to Hitler.)

There are various allegations against the Sri Lankan media. But an organisation like the EU, which pontificates on international best practices, should be specific when it levels allegations instead of tarring all the Sri Lankan media with the same brush. It stands accused of having sought to give a turbo boost to the government’s alleged plans to muzzle the media through the new anti-terror laws which Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is all out to bring in, on the pretext of helping tackle terrorism more effectively. Whether the EU is guilty as charged, one may not know, but the government will definitely use its statement against the media. The proposed anti-terror laws have perturbed even some allies of the government such as the JVP, which has said the Counter Terrorism Bill is far worse than a time bomb. The EU is among those pressuring Sri Lanka to scrap the existing Prevention of Terrorism Act and adopt new anti-terror laws, and, therefore, it is thought to be promoting the government’s Counter Terrorism Bill.

The European human rights gods, as it were, have feet of clay. The issuance of the aforesaid EU statement almost coincided with a massive protest in Switzerland, where tens of thousands of women took to the streets against persistent inequalities affecting them. Equality has been enshrined in the Swiss Constitution, but women continue to be discriminated against. The protesters demanded equal pay. A similar situation is said to prevail in some other western countries as well.

It is puzzling why the EU delegation, at its meetings with government leaders, did not take up the issue of the deplorable polls postponements, which are antithetical to good governance and pose a grave danger to democracy. There have been no elections to eight Provincial Councils which stand dissolved. They are without elected representatives, as a result, and have been placed under Governors in contravention of the UNHRC Resolution (No: 30/1 of 01 October 2015), which ‘encourages the Government to ensure that all Provincial Councils are able to operate effectively, in accordance with the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka’. So much for the EU’s concern for democracy, people’s franchise and devolution!

Meanwhile, we find a section of the EU statement confusing. In the italicised sentence in the above-mentioned excerpt, the subordinate clause introduced by a relative pronoun—‘which is undermining peace and reconciliation in the country’—is seen to describe the antecedent, ‘Muslim community’. A grammarian may accuse the EU of having levelled a very serious allegation against the ‘Muslim community’! Is it a Freudian slip on the part of the EU, some of whose members are prejudiced against Muslims?

FRANK DE SILVA Narahenpita Courtesy The Island

June 16, 2019, 8:23 pm 

This note is in reference to the evidence given by JJ Ratnasiri, Secretary, Public Administration (S/PA), before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), a few days ago.

JJ Ratnasiri stood out there in a class by himself in the PSC proceedings. Ratnasiri’s clear answers to the questions posed to him by the PSC were in sharp contrast to the dilatory questions by the PSC. Ratnasiri’s intelligence, his clarity of expression in his answers, and the clinically correct demeanour displayed by him at the interview in that room were of a high order. These qualities of Ratnasiri stood out, possibly against the lesser background of the parallel traits displayed by the PSC.

The PSC were even in want of suitable articulation due perhaps to convoluted ideas, when framing dilatory questions perhaps due to the same reason ; all possibly due to the confused clarity of their purpose. S/PA, by contrast, was clearly untrammelled by such vagaries. This difference noted may perhaps be due to the possible difference in agenda between the PSC and S/PA.

Whatever the difference, whatever the reasons, S/PA stood out in exemplary manner in the public service as against the PSC. If serving the people was the intent, S/PA did so better than the others in the room.

FRANK DE SILVA
Narahenpita

Sudath Gunasekara 6.15.2019

JVP MP Sunil Handunnett quite correctly has said it was not sufficient only to indict officials but the political authorities behind the scam should also be brought to book

He also has said the Presidential Commission into the bond scam and the COPE report had both clearly indicated that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was responsible for this illegal transaction. Adding more he also has said the Prime Minister mediated to appoint Arjuna Mahendran as CB Governor and the Central Bank was taken over by the Economic Affairs Ministry under him during the same period and he had given also given an assurance to Parliament that Mahendran would return to Sri Lanka in accordance with his wishes. So he should be named as the first respondent in the case,” he further said.

I attaché here part of an article I posted on February 27^th 2019 in the Lankaweb with a copy to the Secretary to the President in this regard to substantiates what is said above by MP Handunhetti. In my opinion Ranil should have been named as the first accused in this case for the reasons I have clearly explained in this article. I hope both MP Handunhetti and all those who are concerned on this mega political gamble will take up this issue in the interest of the general public.

How the conspiracy of the CB scam was hatched and carried out and who actually did it.

The whole country knows it was Ranil Wickramasinha who brought Arjuna Mahendran to Sri Lanka and got him appointed as the Governor of the Central Bank in spite of strong objections raised by the President, as the Head of the State

It was he who went to Singapore and invited him to come, offering the Governorship of the CB long before the Presidential election

It was he who got the CB under him as pre-planned from the Finance Ministry.

It was he who took full responsibility for Arjunas selection and insisted that Mahendran should be appointed, when the President objected for his request to appoint his buddy

Taking the Central Bank under him from the Finance Ministry was the first step in this mega conspiracy and crime committed by Ranil to ensure that this mega robbery will be carried out to its perfection with impunity.

I have no doubt Ranil did all this knowing that Mahendaran was not even a citizen of this country and therefore he cannot be taken to task by the Government of this country  once he send him out after the job is over. This clearly proves beyond all reasonable doubts that Ranil was the master mind behind the CB scam and he is the man who planned and got it implemented immaculately from the beginning to the end.

Therefore he is definitely the Accused no 1 in this mega robbery.

When the matter was raised in Parliament it was Ranil who defended him in the House on 17th March 2015

It was also Ranil who introduced the new system of Bond auctions as revealed by Arjuna Mahendran before the commission in his evidence

It was also Ranil who got the President to dissolve Parliament in August 2015 a day before the Dew Gunasekara COPE Report was to be presented to Parliament and thereby criminally avoided the Report being debated in Parliament which would have exposed the CB scam/

(This lapse led to the second Bond Scam the subject of the present debate)

He also appointed his own commission of Party lawyers and got Mahendran exonerated before the President appointed his own Commission

Then he also wanted Mahendran appointed for a Second term which the President refused and got Coomaraswamy appointed  (Even that I don’t think has made a     difference    as he is the brother of Radhika Comaraswamy another front line international agitator against the Sinhahala Buddhists)

After that Ranil appointed Mahendran to another high post under his Ministry disregarding and ignoring his highly questionable role in the CB scam and also ignoring the President, probably thinking that it was his party that got Mr Sirisena elected as the President, which is partly true.

When he was asked to give evidence before the Commission he got the Commissioners to send him a list of questions to be asked AT THE INQUIRY in advance carefully prepared, so that he can come prepared to answer them, perhaps designed to exonerate him.  (This is like the Commissioner of Examinations sending the Question papers to a candidate and accepting his answer scripts at the examiners home and pass him with distinction).

He also got Ravi Karunanayaka the Finance Minister his confidante and Deputy Leader of the UNP to instruct all State Banks to bid at the auction at lower interest rate ( 9.5%) so that Ajun Aloysius, who was perhaps advised in advance either by Mahendran his father-in-law who was living with him in his home  or jointly by Ranil and Mahendran asked  him to quote 12.5 % interest as pre-planned.

He was also responsible for increasing the 10 Billion to 40 Billion, as Mahendran has revealed in his evidence before the Commission

It was also he who got Sujiiva Serasinha, the Author of the famous Book on CB SCAM, appointed to the COPE as a member.

 It was RW who spear headed the 19th Amendment that reduced the powers of the President including the most crucial one, the power the Presdent had to dissolve Parliament

It was also he who sent Mahendran to Singapore when dark clouds were gathering over the sky.

(It is beyond comprehension how and why a suspect of such a crime was allowed to leave the country, unless there was some powerful intervention behind it). Ranil should know better than anybody else as to how he left Katunayaka Airport without any problem. Ranil knows better than any if Mahendran is arrested and grilled by the CID and by people like Dappula Livera and Kodagoda he will spill out all the beans and the entire gang of Alibaba and 40 thieves and all others who have jointly conspired, aided and abetted in different ways assigned to them by the leader, like writing books, adding foot notes and those benefitted directly or indirectly will be exposed.

He also has taken full responsibility in Parliament and before the President as well for all actions of Mahendraran which makes him responsible before the law for all crimes Mahendaran has committed.

In this backdrop I opine RW was the Golden brain behind this whole episode.

Why can’t the President or law enforcing authorities take action against Ranil taking these actions as serious crimes he has committed against the State and take action accordingly?

Of cause one could argue that he cannot be treated under the law as he has not duly singed a bond in court to that effect. Can’t it be accepted as a verbal bond under common law interpreting all what he has done as commissions and omissions against public interest?   I am sure what I have said here could be converted to legal jargon to frame the charges by the AG.

Therefore the citizens of this country who are the owners of the Central Bank should demand the President to at least now arrest the Golden brain, whoever it is, that conspired, planned and executed this crime with a gang of thieves and who is also doing everything he could, under the sun to protect Mahendran his erstwhile friend for nothing but shear political and personal gain. I don’t think anybody needs to name him. The President should know it better than anybody else. So I leave it to him to decide. I do not know whether he will take the correct decision. But as responsible citizens it is our duty by the country and its people to raise these issues for public debate. If he takes the correct decision on this issue at least now I have no doubt that he will at least partially emerge out of the abysmal political mire in to which he has fallen, not because of anybody else’s fault, but only of his own fault and lapses and lack of far sight.  It will also open the doors for an entirely a new political culture in this country, free from corruption and misgovernment, which the people of this country have been desperately dreaming for decades.

As I rate it under these circumstances

The First accused is Ranil Wickramasinha

Second Arjun Mahendran and

Third Ravi Karunanayaka

I leave it to the AG to list the others in order.

The President has to take the lead in this matter  more than any other as the Head of the State,  in  time as he is also definitely a partly responsible for most of these crimes committed by RW. RW should be knowing it better than anybody else that it is he who will get appointed as the President of the country if Maitri is eliminated. So it hangs on as to who will be the first. It is as simple as that. The President should realize this precarious situation at least now and arrest RW immediately and institute legal action against him for the crimes he has already committed against the nation. 

Dilrook Kannangara

The parliamentary select committee (PSC) is an evil election gimmick by UNP and its partners to turn victims of the 21/4 terrorist attack into terrorists and turn Muslim terrorists who carried out the attack into victims. This is despicable at best and downright barbaric at worst. It is total disregard for the victims of the heinous acts of Muslim terrorists and other war criminals. PSC whitewashes them which should make them offenders too, if the nation has a law.

This is done in view of the upcoming presidential election. UNP stands absolutely no chance of winning even 40% without substantial Muslim votes. Executive presidency has made them kingmakers. Premadasa, Chandrika, Mahinda and Sirisena dance to their tune in desperation.

Far too many Muslim MPs are in parliament and they use this disproportionate number of MPs to hold the nation to ransom. Although they resigned from ministries (while parasiting on perks) strangely one of them is still in the PSC whitewashing terrorists!

While this circus is going on, the army and the police have stopped searching for weapons in mosques, etc. allowing terrorists to regroup and launch another attack.

The government and the Ministry of Health is trying to push under the carpet war crimes and genocide allegedly committed by a Muslim doctor in Kurunegala. Forced sterilization is an act of genocide if it targeted specific ethnic groups. He must be investigated for the crime of genocide. Public interest groups must file genocide charges against the Ministry of Health unless they co-operate with the authorities to frame these war criminals.

If the government pushes the matter under the carpet the international community and the nation will rise up against terrorists in commensurate brutality. PSC must be dismantled before they add more insult to the injury. All PSC members must be punished under a people’s government for the heinous acts they engage in.

Dr. Chuls Rajapakse MNZM Wellington NZ

In these, Sri Lanka needs to think carefully of what is best for Sri Lanka, it’s sovereignty, economy, it’s culture.

US is still our biggest trading partner. Now  it is courting a favour from us to enhance it’s global  political ambitions ( as China did when we went to them for economic and developmental assistance)

This time US is courting us as a country headed by it’s majority population .

It is not coming to teach us human rights like the awful Dems did and favored the minority against the majority led by their misconceptions formed succumbing to decades of minority misinformation.

The challenge now is to get the best bang for the buck that US seeks . Strike a hard bargain as President Mahinda did with China.

This should not be anathema to any , least of all to a former US citizens nor to the majority of the population that would run to live in the US given half a chance, provided SL’s interests are not compromised .

The Bang” SL would need for Uncle Sam’s Buck” should include :

Withdrawal of crooked Hilary ‘ s UNHCR  resolution.

BSP provisions, improved to BSP +

Active marketing of SL or support to do so in US for tourism, investments from US companies especially in the Knowledge economy highlighting the very high literacy in language and IT among SL’s.

Supporting the transformation of SL into the financial and IT hub for South Asia with theColombo Port City project

Sharing security information with SL especially when it’s interests are compromised.

Reciprocal visa free travel to US like with many western nations

Respecting and safeguarding SL sovereignit, it’s religion and culture and not doing anything against these interests.

Fascilitating the presentation of the nation’s religion Buddhism that is likely to have strong appeal among majority of educated Americans disillusioned with the vision provided by contemporary western religions whose fundamentals are inconsistent with modern scientific findings. Not so for Buddhism. 

Buddhism is not science but it,s philosophy is consistent with Science. Not so for most other religions, which is not to say that they do not provide good guidance to a moral and peaceful life , which is still to be recommended as a simple philosophy to a not so questioning mind.

Boots on ground” provisions be restricted and  includes local approval and be reciprocal. 

SL for a long was a country that no one looked at. President JR tried his best to get US  interested in SL but the best he got was visit to the Regan White House as a state guest .

Now the two greatest powers, US and China are falling over each other to court SL . 

The Hambantota port which everybody denounced especially the Y Palanaya”, 

Is now where both of these are vying to get a foot in. So also for the new developments in the Colombo Port, all President Mahinda’s work.

Soon they will also realize the vlue of the much castigated Mattala Airport” .

The trade war between US and China has exposed China’s still reliance on US rather than the reverse . This will be so till China’s technology becomes fully independent . That is some years ahead . Till then US will have the edge. 

In that scenario Trumps US offers much more potential for SL than a Dems US

The challenge for SL leaders is for them to strike the best bargain on the above terms .The important thing is for SL leaders to keep SL’ s interests uppermost in their minds.

I would have more confidence in the one who won the unwinnable war , kept SL ‘s security impeccably intact there after and transformed Colombo into the best travel destination in the world, (lonely planet twice and CNN once ) with his insights into how US ticks having once been it’s subject, to do so,

over 

the other who miserably failed to maintain SL’s  security , ran down it ‘s economy, growth rate, per capita income , ran down Hambantota and port city and then capitulated into falling back again to these very same under worse terms and is now singing their praises to the high heavens .

However, he did get the BSP + from EU and that is not to be scorned .

My only plea and hope is that in his remaining tenure he at least keeps SL’s interest uppermost in his heart , along the lines mentioned during the negotiations in the coming weeks.

Dr. Chuls Rajapakse MNZM

Wellington NZ

15.6.19

Courtesy Adaderana

Former Eastern Province Governor M.L.A.M. Hizbullah has left the Terrorism Investigations Division (TID) after giving a statement for over 8 hours, Ada Derana reporter said.

The Police Spokesman’s Office confirmed that he left the TID at around 5.45 p.m. after recording a statement. 

Hizbullah arrived at the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) this morning to give a statement pertaining to ongoing investigations related to him.

The former Governor was summoned to record a statement over an investigation launched into a suspicious meeting and discussion he had with two Saudis late in the night on April 22, 2019 during police curfew.

Hizbullah had arrived at the TID premises at around 9.45 a.m. today (15) to give his statement.

Courtesy Adaderana

Minister of Public Administration and Disaster Management Ranjith Madduma Bandara says the Circular on the dress code for public servants was issued under his knowledge.

He stated this addressing the media on the comments made at the Special Parliament Select Committee during Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration J.J. Rathnasiri’s testimony.

The committee inquired Mr Rathnasiri on the Circular issued by the Ministry of Public Administration regarding the dress code for public servants.

Minister Ravi Karunanayake had stated that the subject minister had not been aware of the issuance of the relevant Circular. However, Minister Madduma Bandara said otherwise speaking to the media.

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia

Colombo, June 15 (newsin.asia): In a unique experiment in bridge-building between the armed forces of India and Sri Lanka, a 159-member group of Indian military officers with their spouses arrived here on Saturday for a holiday even as a batch of 162 Sri Lankan military officer and their spouses left for India on a similar trip.

The arrival of Indian military personnel and their spouses so soon after the April 21 multiple suicide attacks on a tour of this kind sends out a strong message to the world that normalcy has returned to Sri Lanka

The two groups, which had drawn officers from the army, navy and the air force, were received and seen off by the Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu and the Commander of the Sri Lankan army Lt.Gen.Mahesh Senanayake.

It was Gen.Senanayake who initiated this unique project opening up a new vista in Indo-Lankan military ties. Last year, Sri Lankan tri-services personnel had gone with their spouses to India. This year, the India reciprocated the gesture, even providing the aircraft for it.

The Indian delegation comprised of 95 Army, 32 Navy and 32 Air Force persons. They will visit places of tourist interest in the hill capital and the South before they return to India on Tuesday, June 18.

Similarly, the Sri Lankan delegation is expected to pay homage to the Buddha at Bodhgaya on Sunday June 16 Poson Poya day. The Sri Lankan delegation will also visit several other places of Buddhist and tourist interest.

This is the biggest-ever tri services Indian delegation with their family members undertaking a visit of this nature expressing their solidarity with Sri Lanka, particularly in the aftermath of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goodwill visit to Sri Lanka on June 9.

A special flight of the Indian Air Force has been made available for this reciprocal mission of goodwill, thanks to the prevailing sound bilateral relations between the Sri Lanka Army and the Indian Army.

Last year, a smaller group of Sri Lanka army personnel went on a similar pilgrimage to India following facilitation made by the Indian Army, a novel initiative launched by the Sri Lanka Army.

At the Colombo airport, both Indian High Commissioner and the Commander of the Army shared their thoughts on the reciprocal project and its contribution to the promotion of friendly ties among members of tri services in both countries.

The Defense Advisor in India High Commission to Sri Lanka, Capt. Ashok Koteswara Rao, Senior Officers including Major General Jayantha Seneviratna, Adjutant General, Brigadier Jayanath Jayweera, Director Personnel Administration and Brigadier A.I Marasinghe, Director Movement were at the airport to welcome and see off the officers and their families.

(The featured image at the top shows Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Sri Lankan Army chief, Lt.Gen.Senanayake with the Indian delegation)

Ada Derana

How come EU representatives did not make representations to the PM when 21/4 happened but are now meeting the PM claiming that Muslims are targeted? On what basis are they substantiating these comments? Is it following biased media and NGOs run by entities that the Western Govts fund? Is there a bigger motive to all this? When the country has united against extremism that caused 21/4 and to which even many Muslims are now openly showing displeasure is the entry of these global troublemakers pretending to be global police trying to pressurize government not to completely curb the extremisms as these entities need extremism around for them to interfere and push their agendas through? This is what we all need to now wonder.

Easter Sunday massacre was not only well planned it was well executed despite the fact that the entire government was aware of the attacks since 8 April 2019. While they either strengthened their security or did not attend church, none of them thought fit to even call the Cardinal or the 3 hotels that were named to be targets. Indian intelligence had been so precise and the names and numbers of the killers had been divulged to their counterparts in Sri Lanka. We really are not concerned to ask why they took no action because listening to the public hearings we can only cry at the level of incompetency, lack of concern or interest in other people’s lives those in power have. Watching them laugh at press conference and then to hear that after 150 people were killed in Mali resulting in the entire Mali Government resigning concludes that even Mali Government has more integrity than the Sri Lankan Government. Sri Lanka’s Government forces others to resign to save their face. The Mali Government stands on a higher moral ground than Sri Lanka’s Government.

The country and world stood in shock when we heard of the 1st attack, then another attack and then several more attacks and it was nothing we could connect to, even after weathering 30 years of LTTE terror because even LTTE had never carried out 8 simultaneous attacks on the same day in different places as these suicide bombers had.

The other shock came to discover that these suicide bombers were all devout Muslims, most were very rich, from affluent business families, 3 of the suicide bombers were related – 2 brothers and a wife. These were all shocks to every citizen of Sri Lanka even though they had suffered 30 years of terror. It is not that these terror cells were not known. They had been under the intelligence radar since 2011. There is little point now in asking why or who closed the 2 units tasked to monitor these Islamic terror cells in 2016 but the immediate arrests showed that the authorities knew where they were operating.

Then came the next shock as island-wide discoveries of swords, ammunition, detonators, sophisticated communication systems, jihadi videos etc were found in mosques, Muslim homes & Muslim shops. Can everyone stop for a minute and imagine the fear that the people began to next experience post-21/4 with these discoveries. Was it not why the Government was quick to ban media relaying these discoveries and probably stop the army & police raids.  

Then came another shock that Muslim ministers were linked to these suicide bombers & their families and had even been working in the ministries. Another fact not given due attention was Zaharan’s brother who was experimenting with the bombs had got injured before 21/4 and lost an eye and had been taken to Colombo and treated by a Muslim doctor for two months before Easter Sunday attack. Why has this doctor not been taken into custody or in the least questioned? Then came the news of mass sterilization by a Muslim doctors and whatever stories being attempted to cover the incident over 800 women have lodged complaints.

Then we saw a quest to regain popularity between two Buddhist theros interpreted in various ways but at least the death fast resulted in the resignation of the 2 Governors but also puzzled all as to why all Muslim Ministers should resign to show solidarity with 3 Muslims allegedly linked to the 21/4 suicide bombers. Puzzling matters further was that while these Muslim ministers resigned claiming to show solidarity with the 3 Muslims linked to 21/4 the President appoints a Muslim Governor who accepts the position happily! Ironically the leader of the main Muslim party is now sitting on the committee probing the 21/4 !

The other factor obviously justifying foreign interference is a synchronized attack 3 weeks after 21/4 which just didn’t make sense at all and clearly showed that it was an organized attack simply to divert people’s attention from the growing anger of the citizens pointing at the Government for intentionally ignoring the intel warnings given by India about the attacks. It was probably well planned to place blame at Sinhala Buddhists as the media was quick to write the story completely ignoring that it was Churches that were attacked and not Buddhist temples which was a give away as to what the real plan was all about. Unreported was that Sinhala shops were also attacked and destroyed as well as how Sinhalese kept Muslims in their homes when the attackers arrived in bus loads. All spelling government involvement.

So the media, the NGOs and the usual culprits issuing statements that pleased the western audience was quick to turn the entire narrative upside down and completely ignore covering the stories of the victims of 21/4 – the living injured some of whom included children who have had brain operations and paralyzed for life and instead the whole show was about a feigned anti-Muslim narrative. There was a lot of anger, for many the thought of Muslim homes, mosques and businesses having swords and other weapons was something they could not comprehend… obviously they transferred these thoughts on social media and Muslims did not remain silent either. There are many instances of Muslims asking each other not to buy from non-Muslim shops and so one party cannot be blamed.

https://www.facebook.com/hirunews/videos/1538591876278054/UzpfSTEyNzA0ODM2NTU6MTAyMTQ3NjAyNzE5NDE2NDk/?comment_id=10214775577404276&notif_id=1560457805777243&notif_t=comment_mention just look at this child who has had brain surgery and is paralyzed from one side. All these anti-this and anti-that allegations by EU cannot erase the pain that this child and his family are going through. Why is there no statements for them? So many other families are equally suffering.

We have one of the 3 accused claiming that Muslims should not be arrested during their fasting – how about killing people who were inside a church praying? Is that alright?

But we all know what goody-two-shoes EU-UK and US are good at – pointing fingers at others forgetting there are more fingers pointing back at them.

So what do these nosy parkers do – they go visit their man in Temple Trees and show ‘deep concern’ about the religious & political pressure directed at the Sri Lankan Muslim community – perhaps they should ponder as to how many Muslim countries they have all bombed since 2001, how many Muslim civilians they have killed but passed that off as ‘collateral damage’.

Who are the countries visiting our PM – France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Norway, Switzerland & of course the UK and they have proposed a ‘Religious Reconciliation Council’ whatever that means!

Let’s see the how UK and EU treats Muslims

The European Court of Justice interprets law for the EU and decisions are binding of member states. ECJ allows employers to ban hijab. European Islamaphobia Report states an increase in Islamaphobia in education, employment, media, politics, justice system & internet in Europe.

Foundation for Political, Economic & Social Research says ‘Muslims are seen as the enemy within Europe’.

In 2016 – 137 mosques were attacked – 60 in France, 54 in Germany, 21 in Sweden & 2 in Switzerland.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/thousands-take-part-in-anti-islam-pegida-protests-across-europe-a6857911.html

France was the first EU country to ban burka & niqab wearing in 2011. France has shut down 20 mosques and prayer halls for preaching radical ideology since 2016. After Paris bombs pigs head were thrown at mosques.

Austria has banned foreign sources of financing and Imams must speak German. 156 assaults against Muslims in 2015. Austria’s new ‘integration law’ banned full face veil in 2018.

Belgium has banned halal animal slaughter. Belgium is the 2^nd country after France to ban burka in public in 2011.

In Denmark TV2 survey revealed that a third of respondents believed Denmark was at war with Islam – 5 Muslim hate speakers were banned and 6 radical Islamic preachers were banned from entering Denmark. Halal animal slaughter was banned in Denmark in 2014.

Germany – 91 mosques were attacked in 2016. Chancellor Merkel declared in 2016 that face veils should be prohibited. Two-thirds of Germans say ‘Islam has no place in German culture’

Italy – In Lombardy burka ban was approved in local government buildings and hospitals.

Netherlands – bans full face veil in government buildings, schools, hospitals and public transport. Party for Freedom declares to ban all mosques in Netherlands.

Norway – Norway’s integration minister told Muslims ‘we eat port and drink alcohol’!

Switzerland – burka is banned in Ticino and a 2008 referendum decided to ban minarets on mosques.

Romania – a lawsuit stopped the Bucharest mega-mosque.

And then we come to UK – 1700 mosques exist in UK and half of this were attacked since 9/11. 57% of British public support burka ban in UK (YouGov poll) in 2016. After the Manchester attack a mosque was torched in Oldham.

Since the death of Lee Rigby there have been 100 hate attacks on mosques.

In 2008 leaders of 15 European cities met in Belgium and called for a ban on new mosques and halt to ‘Islamization’ of European cities.  

What is the righteousness EU is pretending to boast about.

US/EU/NATO lied & invaded & destroyed Iraq

US/EU/NATO lied and destroyed Afghanistan

US/EU/NATO lied and divided Yugoslavia into pieces

US/EU/NATO lied and destroyed Libya

US/EU/NATO lied and is out to destroy and divide Syria.

Just look at what these human rights angels have done to Yemen.

If these EU ambassadors want to help Muslims – please stop bombing the Muslim countries, dropping chemicals that are causing birth defects and millions and millions of refugees and displaced people while nicely taking over their natural resources and pretending to give these people democracy and human rights and freedoms.

None of what these EU nations have done to Muslims have happened to Muslims in Sri Lanka. It is totally wrong to put aside the real victims who are those that were killed on 21/4 the one’s who are injured and the families who are mourning the dead that must get world attention first. They were going to Church on Easter Sunday while others were going to enjoy a hearty Easter Sunday breakfast in the hotels. But their lives were cut short by a group of extremists who wanted to end life of people and we still do not know why, who tasked them to kill and what was the bigger motive in the attack and who were directly & indirectly complicit in the attacks and who by their inactions were also complicit.

These answers matter more than sitting with the PM and issuing dumb statements with this empty words when EU nations are themselves not treating Muslims properly but allowing Muslim extremisms to prevail and now the chickens have come home to roost in EU itself.

Shenali D Waduge

Kamalika Pieris

There is deep hostility between Wahhabi movements and the traditional (Sufi) groups, reported Faslan and Vanniasinkam. They fight over who is the better Muslim and who are the real followers of Prophet Mohamed. They each consider themselves as the only real Muslims, the rest are non- Muslims.

Families, including children were also trained to think on those lines. In Kattankudy, for   instance, Wahhabis publicly ridiculed the practices of traditional groups and in their homes, families gathered around the television to watch CDs of these public statements and laugh at the non-Muslim groups, reported Faslan and Vanniasinkam. 

 The Wahhabi were insulting towards the traditional groups and their saints, said Faslan and Vanniasinkam. Wahhabi groups were openly critical of traditional Muslim practices. Wahhabis object to Kanduri (celebrating feasts), Kodiyetram (hoisting of the mosque flag) and Maulid celebrations (singing songs in praise of Prophet Mohamed). Wahhabi say these are not part of orthodox Islam, but borrowings from Hindu culture.

The Wahhabi (Thowheed) groups tried to disrupt Muslim worship. Thowheed adherents started coming into our mosques, said Azath Sally. They became a nuisance to us. They have a practice of rotating their fingers disturbing all other worshippers. The way traditional Muslims pray is different. Fights have broken out as a result of this, he said.

The sighting of the new moon for Ramazan  is an important matter for Muslims.  It was turned into a major cause of conflict between Muslim groups. Usually the ACJU decides when the moon was sighted. The ACJU decision was opposed by the Wahhabi (Thawheed) groups, said Faslan and Vanniasinkam.

This issue was given publicity in the newspapers.  I recall reading that Muslim leaders had come to sight the new moon, could not see it and gone home, or some such thing. I also recall a request, in the papers, that Muslims should look out for the new moon and inform the Muslim leaders, or something like that. I cannot remember when this happened.

The hostility between Wahhabi and traditional Muslims has led to violent conflict. The two rival groups have clashed physically.A Sufi cleric was killed at Valachchenai in July 2009.   In some instances, the conflict was instigated by the Thawheed Jamaat but perpetrated by traditional Sufi groups, said Faslan and Vanniasinkam.

Wahhabi and traditional Muslims have destroyed each other’s mosques. The Wahhabis destroyed a mosque at Ukuwela in Feb 2006 and a mosque in Thihariya in May 2009. A Sufi shrine at Anuradhapura was destroyed in 2013. There were also plans to destroy the Daftar Jailany shrine in Balangoda.

The traditional Muslims hit back. There was a clash at Madampitiya between Wahhabi and Jamaate Islami in 2014 resulting in stones being thrown at a Thawheed centre in Madampitiya for two hours.  A Wahhabi mosque in Beruwala, Masjidur Rahman, was burned in 2008, leading to two deaths, 40 people injured, and 132 arrests. The traditional Muslims (Quadri Sufi) complained that the Wahhabi mosque had accused their Bukhari Thakkiya mosque of being disbelievers” and concealers of the truth” (qafirun) continuously in the eight years since the Wahhabi mosque was inaugurated.

Kattankudy in Batticaloa district,  is home to a variety of Muslim groups.  All Islamic groups and movements are represented in Kattankudy. Wahhabi hostility,    violence and desire to kill was clearly demonstrated in Kattankudy.  Kattankudy has been a centre of continuing violence, and all agree that the violence was caused by National Thawheed Jamat, (NTJ) led by Zaharan.

The Wahhabi specifically targeted two movements, Thareekathul Mufliheen and the Rauf group. NTJ has been very confrontational in its attack of the Abdur Rauf group, criticizing their practices and teachings at public platforms, conducting public debates and distributing slanderous DVDs, reported the media   NTJ are considered to be responsible for the violent evacuation of members of the Abdur Rauf group from Kattankudy in 2000 and 2006.

All Island Tharikathul Mufliheen, a Sufi sect founded by K. S. M. Abdulla, called (Rah) and also known as Pahilvan from Maruthamunai. (Rah) and the members of his order were subject to gun and grenade attacks, and other physical aggression, as well as threats.

Thareekathul Mufliheen opened a Meditation Centre at Kattankudy in 1996. Wahhabis promptly tried to burn it down. In October, 2004, 500 Wahhabis, organized as Jihadis again set the Meditation Centre ablaze, destroying its library, along with homes and businesses owned by Sufis. Financial loss to the injured parties was considerable, and one Sufi was shot and killed while another was wounded by gunfire, reported the media. Police arrested eight suspects, but released them later. No charges were framed.

The Meditation Centre and headquarters were rebuilt and a birthday celebration for the founder of the order was held on July 25, 2006, with 15,000 people provided free food. On or around this time, a group of Wahhabi indoctrinated youngsters went   rampaging in public attacking members of the All Island Tharikathul Mufliheen, reported the media.

(Rah) died on December 6, 2006. The Jihadis, armed with lethal weapons, rioted after the death of Abdullah (Rah), bringing life in Kattankudy to a halt by a general work stoppage (hartal). Schools, government and private offices, banks and businesses shut down and some banks and shops were looted and burned, reported the media.  

Wahhabi preachers from the Thawheed network and the armed Jihad” incited the local politicians and local clerics, ( Jamiathul Ulama Kattankudy,  Muslim Federation of Mosques, and  Urban Council of Kattankudy) to oppose (Rah’s) burial according to Islamic rites, in the Meditation Centre, as he was a supposed apostate.

Another member of the Sufi order  died on December 1, 2006, was buried that day, and on December 2 was exhumed by Wahhabis on the same pretext and laid out on the soil. According to the Wahhabis and their accomplices, apostates” could not be buried in Kattankudy.

On December 13, 2006 Urban Council, Kattankudy ordered the dismantling of the minaret at the Meditation Centre, as an unauthorized structure”. Police prevented commencement of the demolition, but Wahhabi fanatics interfered with the officers. Three rioters were shot and killed. A police post and police vehicle were assaulted.

On December 15, 2006, members of the Urban Council joined a Wahhabi mob that invaded the Meditation Centre and knocked down the minaret, removing the body of Abdullah (Rah), either burning or reburying it in a location yet unknown. The houses of 117 Sufis were leveled by fire. Many were threatened and fled the district. Two were injured, and one lost an arm.

Sri Lanka Supreme Court  gave an order in 2008, that 200 members of Thareekathul Mufliheen be allowed to return to their homes in Kattankudy and practice their beliefs in freedom. This was obstructed by armed Jihad members, reported the media.

There were other NTJ attacks in Kattankudy. On December 17, 2006, over 100 houses of Sufi followers were destroyed by fire and Wahhabis were blamed. In July 2009 there were clashes between Sufis and Wahhabis and two people were killed and 40 injured. In 2017, several people  were severely injured in a clash between Thawheed Jamat and the Sufis. The groups attacked each other with swords and knives on  a Friday during a lecture. Those attacked lodeged a complaint with the police.

By 2017, the residents of Kattankudy had had enough. A large number of Muslims took to the streets in March 2017, to protest the recent clash while demanding that the groups with the radical mindset leave and let the residents live in peace. Both old and young, including men and women holding placards demanded that ‘Wahabi terrorism’ stop,  reported the media. We want peace, we do not want Wahabi terrorism,” the demonstrators said.

There is evidence to show that Muslims had been concerned about these matters  for some time.In 2014 a group called the “Peace Loving Moderate Muslims in Sri Lanka” made a public protest on the matter. They sent a letter dated 14.3.14 addressed to Secretary General of the United Nations, UN Human Rights Council and to the President of Sri Lanka. They also released the text to the media.

Peace-Loving Moderate Muslims”  said “This movement [NTJ] has fast become a cancer within the Muslim community in Sri Lanka. Preaching and practicing religious intolerance, exerting pressure on other Islamic movements, making it compulsory to attend mosques, making it compulsory to learn the Arabic language, making the implementation of Sharia law above the civil laws of Sri Lanka, forcing females to wear the burka and the construction of mosques and madrasas in many parts of the country are some of these activities. This movement which started in the Eastern Province has now spread to many different parts of Sri Lanka.

“We fear that these activities, if left unchecked by the authorities, would create a situation in which the majority of Muslims in Sri Lanka, already under threat and harassment from this extremist minority, may have to face the wrath of other religions, It is tragic that the majority of Muslims who are essentially peace-loving are to pay for the actions of this minority,” the statement concluded.

Another group, the  Ex Muslims of Sri Lanka” (sic) issued a statement in March 2017.  Sri Lankan Muslims are being indoctrinated with a fundamentalist, hateful and terrorist ideology by groups, organizations and individuals who are receiving foreign funds.  They are doing so under the excuse of Islamic Missionary”, said the Ex Muslims of Sri Lanka (EMSL)

EMSL said that one of the groups involved in violence is a pro ISIS – Islamic State organization, with members and supporters all around the Island. The activities and preaching of such organizations have become a threat to the existence of ex Muslims around Kattankudy area,”. The government and the defense authorities should pay strict attention and take serious actions against the activities of the foreign-funded Islamic groups, organizations, individuals and other elements in Sri Lanka, which directly and indirectly preach and support terrorism, fundamentalism and hatred among Sri Lankan Muslims.

The incident that took place between two Muslim factions on March 10 in Kattankudy indicates that extremist groups are ready to spread their terror continued EMSL. They are causing a crisis of faith for Muslims. Some of them have started teaching their doctrine of fundamentalism,” an EMSL member said. They have become a threat to the existence of ex-Muslims in Kattankudy. The general public including the peace loving Muslims should give their fullest support and cooperation to the government and the defense authorities by providing all the information and details known to them regarding the above matter.”

Ex Muslims of Sri Lanka” called on the government and the defense authorities to take firm measures to free the nation completely from radical Islamic terrorist elements. They said they wanted the government to bring to an end all activities carried out by foreign-funded Islamic groups, organizations, individuals and related elements in Sri Lanka. (Continued)

නීතිඥ අරුණ ලක්සිරි උණවටුන

සිංහල භාෂා පාඨයට ප්‍රමුඛස්ථානය කියා රවටමින් පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසින් සිංහල ජනතාවට සිදුකරන අවමන් සහගත සැළකිල්ල/ වෙනස්කම පිළිබදව කතානායකට සහ පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට එරෙහිව නඩු පවරන බවට නීතිඥ අරුණ ලක්සිරි උණවටුන 2018 නොවැම්බර් මස 05වන දින ජනාධිපතිටත් එවකට අග්‍රාමාත්‍යයව සිටි මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතාටද, කථානායක කරූ ජයසූරිය මහතාටද ජාතික ඒකාබද්ධතා, සංහිඳියා සහ රාජ්‍ය භාෂා අමාත වාසුදේව නානායක්කාර මහතාටද, පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ මහ ලේකම් වෙතද, ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයේ රෙජිස්ට්‍රාර් වෙතද නීතිපති වෙත  පැමිණිලි කර  ඇත.

පාර්ලිමේන්තුව සහ එහි මන්ත්‍රීවරයන් විසින් සිංහල ජනතාවගේ භාෂා අයිතිය උල්ලංඝනය කරමින් සිංහල ජනතාවට වෙනස්කමක් සිදුකිරීමත්, සිංහල භාෂාව භාවිතා කරන්නන් වෙනස්කමකට සහ විශේෂයකට සහ අවමන් සහගත සැළකිල්ලකට භාජනය කර ඇති අතර, සිංහල භාෂාව භාවිතා කරන්නන්ගේ භාෂණයේ නිදහස, ප්‍රකාශනයේ නිදහස, ඇතුළු අදහස් පළ කරීමේ නිදහසද, සිතීමේ නිදහස, හෘදය සාක්ෂියේ නිදහසද, සමාගමයේ නිදහසද, ස්වකීය භාෂාව භාවිතා කිරීමේ නිදහසද අහිමි කර ඇති අතර රාජ්‍ය භාෂා ප්‍රතිපත්තියද උල්ලංඝණය කිරීම සම්බන්ධව නීතිඥ අරුණ ලක්සිරි උණවටුන විසින් පෙන්වා දී තිබුණි.

පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ මහලේකම් කාර්යාලය විසින් www.parliament.lk අන්තර්ජාල වෙබ් ලිපිනයැති වෙබ් අඩවිය සිංහල, දෙමළ සහ ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂාවලින් පවත්වාගෙන යනු ලබන අතර එහි මුල් පිටුවේ ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයේ තීරණ යනුවෙන් සැබැඳියක් දැක්වෙයි. එකී ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයේ තීරණ සබැඳිය ක්‍රියාත්මක කළ විට නව වෙබ් පිටුවක් විවෘත වන අතර එහි පාර්ලි‍මේන්තු පනත් කෙටුම්පත් පිළිබඳව ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයේ තීරණ ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂාවෙන් පමණක් පළ වේ. එම පිටුවට යෑම සඳහා මෙතැන ‘ක්ලික්’ කරන්න’” ලෙස සදහන් කර ඇත.

ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 18 ව්‍යවස්ථාව අනුව සිංහල භාෂාව රාජ්‍ය භාෂාව වන අතර 23 ව්‍යවස්ථාව අනුව නීති පැනවීමේ භාෂාවක් ලෙස සිංහල භාෂාවද විය යුතු බව දැක්වෙන අතර ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 24 ව්‍යවස්ථාව අනුව ශ්‍රී ලංකාව මුළුල්ලේම අධිකරණ භාෂාව ලෙස සිංහල භාෂාවද විය යුතු බව දක්වා ඇති අතර 27 සහ 28 ව්‍යවස්ථා මගින්ද සිංහල භාෂාව භාවිත කිරීමටත් භුක්ති විදීමටත් රජය විසින් පහසුකම් සැළසිය යුතු බවත් එය රාජ්‍ය ප්‍රතිපත්ති මූලධර්මයක් සහ මූලික යුතුකමක් බවත් දක්වා ඇති නීතිඥවරයා පාර්ලිමේන්තුව පනවන නීති මෙන් උපරිමාධිකරණ තීරණද නීති ලෙස සැළකෙන බවද පාර්ලිමේන්තු පනවන නීති මෙන් එකී තීරණද බලධාරීවන බවත් ඒවාද අනුගමනය කිරීමට බැඳීමක් ඇති බවත් ජනාධිපතිවරයාටත් කතානායකවරයාටත් පෙන්වා දී ඇත.

එමෙන්ම පුරවැසියන්ගේ රාජ්‍ය භාෂා අයිතිය ආරක්ෂා කිරීම සදහා ජනාධිපතිවරයා විසින් ජාතික ඒකාබද්ධතා, සංහිඳයා සහ රාජ්‍ය භාෂා විෂය යටතේ අමාත්‍යාංශයක්ද ස්ථාපනය කර ඇති බවත් නීතිඥවරයා පෙන්වා දී ඇත.

නීතිමය කාරණා සහ වෙනත් කරුණු සැළකීමේදී පාර්ලිමේන්තු අන්තර්ජාල වෙබ් අඩවිය මුල් පිටුවේ ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයේ තීරණ යනුවෙන් දැක්වෙන සබැඳිය ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂාවෙන් පමණක් පවත්වාගෙන සිංහල භාෂාව භාවිතා කරන්නන් වෙනස්කමකට සහ විශේෂයකට සහ අවමන් සහගත සැළකිල්ලකට භාජනය කර ඇති අතර, සිංහල භාෂාව භාවිතා කරන්නන්ගේ භාෂණයේ නිදහස, ප්‍රකාශනයේ නිදහස, ඇතුළු අදහස් පළ කරීමේ නිදහසද, සිතීමේ නිදහස, හෘදය සාක්ෂියේ නිදහසද, සමාගමයේ නිදහසද, ස්වකීය භාෂාව භාවිතා කිරීමේ නිදහසද අහිමි කර ඇති අතර රාජ්‍ය භාෂා ප්‍රතිපත්තියද උල්ලංඝණය කර ඇති බව නීතිඥවරයා සිය පැමිණිල්ලේ දක්වා ඇත.

එමෙන්ම අග්‍රවිනිශ්චයකාරවරායා ඉවත් කිරීම පිළිබඳ යෝජනාවක් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට ඉදිරිපත් වී ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණය විසින් තහනම් නියෝග නිකුත් කළ අවස්ථාවේ දී පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ කථානායකවරයා විසින් 2001 ජූනි මස 20 වැනි සිය තීරණය සිංහල භාෂාවෙන්ද ලබා දෙමින් ජනතාවගේ භාෂා අයිතියත්, තොරතුරු දැන ගැනීමේ අයිතියත්, නීතිමය රැකවරණය ඇතුළු මූලික අයිතිවාසිකම් ආරක්ෂා කළ බවත්, ඔබගේ අවධානයට යොමු කරන අතර පනත් කෙටුම්පත් සම්බන්ධව විශේෂයෙන් ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව සංශෝධනය කිරීමට අදාල පනත් කෙටුම්පත් සමබන්ධ ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණ තීරණ ඉංග්‍රීසි පමණක් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ අන්තර්ජාල වෙබ් අඩවියේ ප්‍රසිද්ධ කිරීම නීතිය නොදැනීම සමාවට කරුණක් නොවේ” යන නීති ආප්තය බිදවට්ටන බවත්, විශේෂයෙන් සිංහල භාෂාවෙන් කටයුතු කරන පුරවැසියන් එමගින් විශේෂ නොසැළකිල්ලකට ලක්කර ඇති බවත්” නීතියේ සමාන රැකවරණය අහිමි කර ඇති බවත්, සිංහල ජනතාව වෙනස්කමකට ලක්කර ඇති බවත්, ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව මගින් පිළිගෙන ඇති මූලික අයිතිවාසිකම් අහිමිකර ඇති බවත් ජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ අවධානයට යොමු කර ඇත.

ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව, ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදී මූලධර්ම සැළකීමේදී පාර්ලිමේන්තු අන්තර්ජාල වෙබ් අඩවිය මගින් ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණයේ තීරණ යනුවෙන් දැක්වෙන සබැඳිය ඉංග්‍රීසි භාෂාවෙන් පමණක් පවත්වාගෙන යාමෙන් සහ සිංහල භාෂාවෙන් පවත්වාගෙන නොයාමෙන් ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 10, 11, 12.1, 12.2, 14.1.අ, 14.1.ඇ සහ 14.1.ඊ ව්‍යවස්ථ, සිවිල් හා දේශපාලනික අයිතිවාසිකම් පිළිබද ජාත්‍යාන්තර සම්මුතියේ 11 වන 2 වන ව්‍යවස්ථාව, සිවිල් හා දේශපාලනික අයිතිවාසිකම් පිළිබද ජාත්‍යාන්තර සම්මුතියේ 111 කොටසේ 26 වන ව්‍යවස්ථාවද, 1991 අංක 18 දරන රාජ්‍ය භාෂා කොමිෂන් සභා පනතද උල්ලංඝනය කිරිමක් වන බවත් එකී අයිතීන් උල්ලංඝනය කිරීම් නතර කර, නිවැරදි කිරීමට නිසි පියවර ගන්නා ලෙසත්, පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ අන්තර්ජාල වෙබ් අඩවියට ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණ තීරණ සිංහල භාෂාවෙන්ද ඇතුළත් කිරීමට පියවර ගන්නා ලෙසත්, රාජ්‍ය භාෂා ප්‍රතිපත්ති ආරක්ෂා කරන ලෙසත් භාෂා අයිතීන් ආරක්ෂා කරන ලෙසත් ඔබට මෙයින් දැනුම් දෙන අතර එසේ කිරීමට අපොහොසත් වුවහොත් ජනාධිපතිවරයාට, අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයාට සහ පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රීවරයන්ට එරෙහිව නිසි අධිකරණයේ නඩු පවරා සහන ලබා ගන්නා බවත් නීතිඥවරයා සිය ලිපියෙන් දැනුම් දී ඇත.

එකී පැමිණිල්ල පහත දැක්වේ.

Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka (RASSL)

Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka (RASSL)

Public Lecture

 Did Japan contribute to Sri Lanka and India gaining independence from British colonial rule?” 

  by

Senaka Weeraratna 

 On

Monday 24^th  June 2019 at 5.00 p.m.

at the

Gamini Dissanayake Auditorium

No. 96, Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 07

ALL ARE WELCOME

Abstract

The time has come to challenge the hype that Sri Lanka won independence from Britain in 1948 exclusively by our own local efforts through an exchange of correspondence and political negotiations without any supportive foreign factor. This British centric – friendly narrative is increasingly unsustainable in the light of new evidence.

Moreover, it is political correctness and tendency to please our former colonial rulers that has prevented an objective appraisal being undertaken taking into account the external factors that contributed substantially towards the gaining of freedom from colonial rule.

It is indisputable that Japan struck the greatest decisive blow ever by any non – white country or non – white people to European power in Asia with the attack on Pearl Harbour.  In about 90 days beginning on December 8, 1941, Japan overran the possessions of Britain, the US and the Netherlands in east and south-east Asia, taking the Philippines, Singapore, Malaya, Hong Kong, the Dutch East Indies; much of Siam and French Indochina and Burma with bewildering swiftness to stand poised at the borders of India by early 1942.

Within less than a decade of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on Dec. 7, 1941, India, Burma and Ceylon were granted independence. At the commencement of the Second World War on Sept. 03, 1939, there was not even an empty promise or hint on the part of Britain to give freedom to its colonies.   We were lucky. Freedom came to Ceylon on a platter. How?

What are the factors that pushed Britain to withdraw hastily from India and in turn discard its control over Burma and Ceylon having lost the Jewel in the British crown?

රාජ්‍ය සේවා කළමනාකරණ සහකාර නිලධාරීන්ගේ සංගමය

ලේකම්,
සෞඛ්‍ය පෝෂණ හා දේශීය වෛද්‍ය අමාත්‍යාංශය,
පූජ්‍ය බද්දේගම විමලවංශ හිමි මාවත,
කොළඹ 10.

ලේකම්තුමියණි,

රාජ්‍ය කළමනාකරණ සහකාර සේවාවේ නිළධාරීන් මුදාහැරීම සම්බන්ධව.

රාජ්‍ය කළමනාකරණ සහකාර සේවාවෙන් විතැන්කොට සංවෘත සේවාවක් ලෙස,ජාතික සෞඛ්‍ය කළමනාකරණ සහකාර සේවාව ස්ථාපිත කරණු ලබුයේ මීට පෙර අධිකරණ තීන්දුවකින් ඒකාබද්ධ කළ සේවාවක් බව නොසලකමින් හා සියලූ වෘත්තීය සමිති වල ප‍්‍රබල විරෝධයන් මධ්‍යයේය.

එපමනක්ද නොව මෙම සේවාව සථාපිත කිරීමට පෙර අමාත්‍ය මණ්ඩලය විසින් පත්කරනු ලැබූ අනු කමිටුව (එවකට,රාජ්‍ය පරිපාලන ලේකම්යරයා,සෞඛ්‍ය අමාත්‍යංශ ලේකම්වරයා සහ කළමනාකරණ සේවා දෙපාර්තමේන්තු අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජනරාල් *විසින් ලබාදී තිබූ නිර්දේශයන් තුලද වූයේ බරපතල ගැටළු මතුවිය හැකි බැවින් මෙම සේවාව ස්ථාපිත කිරීම නොකරණ ලෙසය.එහෙත් ඒ සියලූ විරෝධයන් අලූයම ලූ කෙල පිඪක් සේ ඉවත දැමූ සෞඛ්‍ය ඇමති රාජිත සේනාරත්න මහතා තමන්ගේ දේශපාලන බලය යොදාගනිමින්  අගමැතිවරයාගේද ආශිර්වාදය ඇතිව, සෞඛ්‍ය කළමනාකරණ සහකාර සේවාව ස්ථාපිත කරන්නට යෙදුනේ බඳවා ගැනීමේ ක‍්‍රමවේදය සියතට ගනිමිනි.

කෙසේ වෙතත් රාජ්‍ය සෞඛ්‍ය කළමනාකරණ සේවාවට අකමැත්ත ප‍්‍රකාශ කල නිළධාරීන් අතරින් යම් සීමිත ප‍්‍රමානයක් නිදහස්කර ඇතත් තවත් විශාල පිරිසක් සෞඛ්‍ය කාර්යාලවල හිරවී සිටිති. මේවනවිට් ඉහත සේවාවට මනාපය පලකලාවු ඇතැම් නිලධාරීන් විසින් අප ඉහතකී නිලධාරීන් විවිධ ආකාරයෙන් පීඩාවට පත්කරමින් සිටින බැව් අපහට වාර්තාවී ඇත.ඔවුන් සෞඛ්‍ය කාර්යාලවල සිරකර තැබීම ගැන අප දැඩිව විරුද්ධ වෙමු.

සෞඛ්‍ය ලේකම්වරයා ලෙස ඔබ විසින් ඒකාබද්ධ සේවා අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජනරාල් තුමිය වෙත දැනුම්දී තිබුනේ සෞඛ්‍ය කළමනාකරණ සේවාවට නවක නිළධාරීන් බඳවා ගැනීමෙන් පසු ඔවුන් ජුනිමස අවසන් වනවිට නිදහස් කිරීමට කටයුතු කරණ බවය.එහෙත් මේවනවිට  නවක නිළධාරීන් බඳවා ගැනීමට ඔබේ බලය යටතේ පවත්වනු ලැබූ විභාගය තුල විවිධ අක‍්‍රමිකතා හේතුවෙන් එය අත්හිටුවා පරීක්ෂනයක් සිදුකිරීමට නියමිත බව අපට වාර්තාවී ඇත්තේ සකස් කර ඇති සෞඛ්‍ය කළමනාකරණ සහකාර ව්‍යවස්ථාවෙන් මෙවැනි දේ සිදුවිය හැකි බවට අපකළ පෙන්වාදීම සනාථ කරමිනි.

මේ තත්වය තුල අප නිළධාරීන් නිදහස් කිරීමද  තවත් කල් දැමීමේ සූදානමක් ඇතැයි අපට දැන ගන්නට ලැබී ඇත. විභාග දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව මගින් පැවැත්විය යුතු විභාගයක්, තම දේශපාලන බලපරාක‍්‍රමය තුලින්  රාජ්‍ය සේවා කොමිසමද රූකඩ සේ නටවමින් තම සියතට ගත් ඇමතිවරයා විභාගයක් නිවැරදිව නොපැවැත්වීමේ වරදට අප නිළධාරීන් තවදුරටත් වන්දි ගෙවිය යුතු නොවන බව අප සංගමය දැඩිව අවධාරණය කරමු. ඒතත්වයතුල නැවත විභාගයක් පවත්වා බඳවාගන්නා තෙක් අප නිළධාරීන් සෞඛ්‍ය කාර්යාල තුල රඳවාගැනීමට ඔබතුමියට කිසිඳු සදාචාරාත්මක අයිතියක් නැතිබව පෙන්වාදෙන අතරම ඔවුන්ව ඉතා කඩිනමින් නිදහස් කිරීමට කටයුතු කරණ මෙන් දැඩි  ඕනෑකමින් ඉල්ලන අතරම ඊට ඔබතුමිය සාධාරණ ප‍්‍රතිචාරයක් නොදක්වන්නේ නම් අප සේවාවේ සියලූ වෘත්තීය සමිති එක්ව වෘත්තීය ක‍්‍රියාමාර්ගයක් කරා අවතීර්ණ වීමට සිදුවන බව අවධාරණය කරමු.

ස්තූතියි.

මෙයට,
විශ්වාසී,
චන්දිම විමලසුරේන්‍ද්‍ර
ප‍්‍රධාන ලේකම්


සම්බන්ධීකරණය  – යූ.පලිහවඩන – 071-4497556
Coordinating – U. Palihawadana – +9471-4497556


පිටපත් –  
    01. ලේකම් – රාජ්‍ය පරිපාලන හා ආපදා කළමනාකරණ අමාත්‍යාංශය
    02. ලේකමි – රාජ්‍ය සේවා කොමිසම.
    03. ඒකාබද්ධ සේවා අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජනරාල්
    04. සියලූම ජනමාධ්‍ය -සම්බන්ධීකරණය

Ada Derana

Ada Derana

Editorial Courtesy The Island

“Above all, it has to take action to ensure that the current administration and future governments will not be able to enter into agreements with foreigners at the expense of the national interest. New laws are needed to make it mandatory for vital agreements to be presented Parliament before being inked. Better late than never!”

A top US official is reported to have said that the US expects future governments of Sri Lanka to honour the agreements the current administration has entered with it. This, we reckon, is a warning or even a veiled threat, couched in diplomatese, to those who have taken exception to the heavily lop-sided agreements—the ACSA (Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement) and SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement), which is to be signed. The US has told its critics, in no uncertain terms, that they had better stop entertaining the idea of abrogating these pacts.

Sri Lankan politicians are notorious for selling their souls to the devil. They are only concerned about short-term political gains or pecuniary benefits. They would not scruple even to cheat their own mothers if there is money in it for them. They don’t give a tinker’s cuss about selling state assets to foreigners or entering into agreements which are unfavourable to this country.

Leaders of the previous dispensation, driven by their yen for yuan, gave the Chinese free rein while wrapping themselves in the flag; they antagonized other world powers, which are currently getting what they want by helping the yahapalana leaders stay in power.

China got the army headquarters land and permission from the Rajapaksa government to reclaim land from the sea for the Port City project. The yahapalana politicians who opposed those questionable deals and came to power, pledging to liberate the country from the clutches of the Chinese, gave China the Hambantota Port on a platter. Now, they have handed over 49% of shares of the Colombo Port East Container Terminal to India and Japan, backed by the US. The agreements they have signed with the US are detrimental to the interests of this country, which won’t ever be able to extricate itself from what may be termed pact traps which are as dangerous as debt traps, which the US accuses China of having laid for the developing world to further its geo-strategic interests.

The government is only the controlling apparatus of the state, and those who are in power temporarily have no right to commit the country to harmful pacts at their whims and fancies. All foreign agreements must be properly studied and presented to Parliament before decisions thereon are taken. Else, at this rate, the unscrupulous politicians we are burdened with will sell this country outright to foreign powers for a song.

President Sirisena revealed, following his abortive bid to dislodge the incumbent government, last year, that the envoys of some powerful nations had overstepped their diplomatic limits to make interventions on behalf of the beleaguered UNF politicians, who made a comeback with their help. It may be argued that the controversial agreements at issue represent a quid pro quo.

Most of the problems besetting the country anent questionable agreements with the world powers boil down to the bungling on the part of successive governments which have either antagonised world powers or got too close to them, unnecessarily. No government has cared to get its foreign policy right for the last several decades.

The problem is not that the US is doing what is good for it. All countries always do so save this land like no other, and the US cannot be faulted for that. The problem is that Sri Lankan leaders are also doing what is good for the US—for obvious reasons!

The Opposition, especially the SLPP, has rightly condemned the controversial pacts the incumbent administration has signed with the US, Japan and India. But mere rhetoric won’t do. The Opposition has to assess the situation realistically and work out a strategy to help the country manoeuvre out of this difficult situation without getting hurt. Above all, it has to take action to ensure that the current administration and future governments will not be able to enter into agreements with foreigners at the expense of the national interest. New laws are needed to make it mandatory for vital agreements to be presented Parliament before being inked. Better late than never!

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=news-section&page=news-section&code_title=55

Courtesy Chiniquy

Africans who voluntarily converted to Christianity before the colonial conquest such as Affonso I of the BaKongo in the 15th century probably did not discern the purpose of the brand of Christianity that was supplied to them.  

Which was probably why they fell easy prey to the missionaries and the white traders and pirates who followed them.  

But their Japanese counterparts probably did discern the game, even without access to some version of Leopold’s letter.  

But even if the Japanese Shoguns did not intuit what Leopold makes explicit, they clearly realized the danger of Japanese converts to Christianity forming a fifth column within Japanese society and state, a fifth column loyal to their co-religionists in Europe.  

To rid Japan of that danger, in the late 16th century, the Shoguns began their expulsion of Portuguese and Spanish missionaries on the grounds that they were forcing Japanese to become Christian, teaching their disciples to wreck temples, taking and trading slaves, etc.  

Then, in 1596, it became clear to the Japanese authorities that Christianization had been a prelude to Spanish conquest of other lands; and it quickly dawned on them that a fifth column loyal to Rome and controlled by the priests of a foreign religion was a clear and present danger to the sovereignty of a newly unified Japan.  

Soon after, the persecution and suppression of Japanese Christians began.  

Early in the 17th century, sensing the danger from a creed that taught obedience to foreign priests rather than the Japanese authorities, all missionaries were ordered to leave and all Japanese were ordered to register at the Buddhist temples.  

When Japanese Christians took part in a rebellion, foreign priests were executed, the Spanish were expelled and Japanese Christians were forbidden to travel abroad.   After another rebellion, largely by Christians, was put down, the Japanese Christians were suppressed and their descendants were put under close state surveillance for centuries thereafter.   In the 1640s all Japanese suspected of being Christians were ruthlessly exterminated.  Thus did Japan, by 1650, save itself from the first European attempt to mentally subvert, conquer and colonize it.  

See 

Letter From Wicked King Leopold II to Christian Missionaries in Africa

Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya and Sheain Fernandopulle Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Two people, who had pledged to National Thowheed Jama’at (NTJ) leader Zahran Hashim to operate as suicide bombers, were arrested in a joint raid conducted by the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) and the Army yesterday, Police said today.

Zahran masterminded the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks targeting three churches and three high-end hotels in Colombo.

Initial investigations had revealed that these two suspects had received weapons training had maintained close links with Zahran Hashim and influenced by his extremist sermons

They are being detained by the TID for further questioning. (

Kelum Bandara Courtesy The Daily Mirror

A top US government official said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) assisted the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Sri Lanka in the analysis of evidence and phone details in connection with the serial bombings on Easter Sunday.

The official told a select group of journalists that the FBI, in the aftermath of the attack, extended its assistance to the CID to pursue evidence regarding suspects arrested in connection with the attack. The assistance was provided at the request of the Government of Sri Lanka.

Asked for his views about Sri Lanka’s defence cooperation agreement, he declined to comment on it without seeing the content.

Responding to a query whether the United States would be alright with Sri Lanka getting facial recognition equipment from China, he said the use of such equipment in combatting terrorism had to be reconciled with fundamental rights of individuals.

Commenting on the proposed Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), he said that it was to facilitate the US military personnel and civilians visiting Sri Lanka and other logistical services for them.

Responding to the allegation that they would enjoy legal immunity in Sri Lanka, he said such personnel would be held accountable under the US military judicial system. (

Courtesy The Straits Times

COLOMBO • Five Sri Lankans suspected of having links to the Easter Sunday bombings that killed more than 250 people were brought home in police custody yesterday after being deported from Saudi Arabia, police said.

Police declined to provide details of the arrests beyond saying the five were picked up in a Middle Eastern country and were sent back, in the custody of Sri Lankan police, from the Saudi city of Jeddah.

“These are the five remaining leaders of the April 21 terrorist group,” police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera told reporters.

The coordinated Islamist militant suicide bomb attacks on hotels and churches sent shock waves through the Indian Ocean island state that had enjoyed relative peace since a civil war ended a decade ago.

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria claimed responsibility for the attacks that the authorities said were carried out by two little-known domestic groups – the National Thawheedh Jamaath (NTJ) and Jamathei Millathu Ibrahim.

Police declined to give information about the nature of the five suspects’ roles in the attacks but said one of them, identified as Mohamed Milhan, was a senior member of the NTJ.

Milhan was also wanted in connection with the November killing of two police constables in the east of the island, where NTJ leader Zahran Hashim had his base. Hashim was one of two suicide bombers who attacked the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo.

“He could have been the next leader,” Mr Gunasekera said of Milhan.

This is the second time suspects have been arrested abroad in connection with the attacks.

Last month, army chief Mahesh Senanayake said two suspects were arrested in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Official sources said they were Sri Lankans.

The authorities have arrested more than 2,000 people in connection with the attacks. While courts have released most of them on bail, 634 remain in detention.

Sri Lanka has been under a state of emergency since the attacks. There have been recriminations over the failure on the part of security forces to act on advance warnings of the impending attacks.

The authorities say the threat of more attacks has been contained and the security services have dismantled most of the network linked to the bombings.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Courtesy Adaderana

Five suspects including Mohamed Milhan, an ardent member of the terrorist group that carried out the carnage of Easter Sunday, have been arrested in Jeddah, the Police Media Spokesperson Ruwan Gunasekara said.

A group of officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) have escorted the suspects to Sri Lanka at around 4.00 a.m. this morning (14).

The suspects are currently held under the custody of the CID.

UPDATE (2.00 P.M.): The police, earlier today, reported that the said five suspects were arrested in Dubai, however, it was later reported that they were taken into custody at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. 

Courtesy Adaderana

It is revealed that Zahran Hashim has attempted to bribe several lawyers for Rs 2 million, to solicit them to bail out the suspects arrested over vandalism of Buddhist statues in Mawanella and nearby areas.

The National Thowheed Jama’ath leader has reportedly given the said amount of money to Maulvi Rashid Mohamed Ibrahim to bribe the lawyers to release the suspects on bail.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) stated this when the case on Buddhist statue vandalism was taken up yesterday (13).

The suspects have revealed during preliminary investigations that vandalism of the Buddhist statues in Mawanella area was also led by Zahran Hashim, the CID told the court.

The two major suspects of the case and their father Maulvi Rashid have conducted advisory services to youths on extremist ideologies, according to the CID. This was reportedly carried out at Lacktowatta area in Wanathawilluwa, where 100kg of explosives and 100 detonators were seized earlier this year. The CID said Zahran had also been to the said location.

The suspects were subsequently re-remanded until 27th of June.

Courtesy Adaderana

Sri Lanka’s security forces have arrested two individuals who believed to be close associates of terrorist leader Zahran Hashim, the ringleader of the Easter Sunday attackers.

Police said that the suspects were arrested at Hingula in Mawanella during a secret operation jointly carried out by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) and the Sri Lanka Army.

Mohamed Razik Mohamed Rizvi, who had worked at a computer technician in Kandy, and Mohamed Musthapha Mohamed Rizvan, who had been employed as a driver, have been identified as the arrested suspects.

Police said that preliminary inquiries have revealed that they had both received weapons training and had also pledged to carry out suicide attacks.

It has been uncovered that the two individuals had attended sermons organized by National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) leader Zahran Hashim.  

Courtesy Adaderana

One of the five suspects, who were arrested in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for allegedly having strong links to the terrorist group that carried out the coordinated attacks on Easter Sunday, is also in connection with the murders of two police constables at Vavunativu, the Police Media Spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara said.

He stated this addressing a media briefing held today (14).

The suspect named Ayathu Mohamed Ahmed Milhan is the main suspect of the murder of two police constables at Vavunativu checkpoint, the police spokesperson added.

The 30-year-old suspect, who was identified as a close associate of Zahran Hashim, is said to be from the New Kattankudy area.

SP Gunasekara further commented that two other suspects in connection with the murder of two constables have already been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). One of the two suspects includes Zahran Hashim’s driver named Gafur.

Two police constables attached to Vavunativu Police Station who had been on duty at the Vavunativu checkpoint were murdered on 29th November 2018. Preliminary police investigations had uncovered that one constable suffered a gunshot in the head, while the other suffered cut wounds across his neck.
 
Speaking on the five suspects arrested in Jeddah, the police spokesperson said, they were brought to Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) at around 4.00 a.m. this morning (14).

They are currently held in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department, the police spokesperson added.

The second of the suspects arrested in Jeddah over the Easter attacks is a 34-year-old named Mohamed Marshook Mohamed Rila from Maruthamunai area.
The third suspect is named Mohamed Mohideen Mohamed Shanva Sabry, a 47-year-old from Wellampitiya.

Mohamed Ismail Mohamed Ilham (29) is the fourth suspect arrested at Jeddah. He is a resident at Kamburadi road in Kattankudy.

The fourth suspect is a 37-year-old named Abusali Abubakar, who had been residing in Ella Wewa area, Kebithigollewa, SP Ruwan Gunasekara said.

Courtesy Adaderana

Seventy-seven suspects involved in the Easter Sunday attacks are currently held in the custody of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), says Police Media Spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara.

He added that 25 others are being held in the custody of the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID).