BY EDWARD THEOPHILUS

Many people talk that under the constitutional reforms, a Muslim administration unit should be established in the Eastern Province and what is the logical base for this idea is a question when current experience in Sri Lanka is analysed and who created this idea is needed to discuss broadly.

Since the election of yahapalana regime in 2015, the existing constitutional structure of the country wanted to change converting to a federal system in which the hidden motive of the yahapalana advocates was to disunite the country and with a hidden objective of creating a Muslim administration unit in the Eastern province.  The aim of the proponents might have expanding IS terrorism to the South and South East Asia.   The hidden motive of the yahapalana advocates was strongly opposed by the Sinhala community in Sri Lanka without a religious difference. The yahapalana advocates attempted to define the vote base of the country using dubious points and arguments using unrealistic assumptions that Sinhala votes might divide basically Buddhists and Christians, then UNP and SLFP.  Mr. Mangala Samaraweera and Mr. Rajitha Senaratne in the yahapalana coalition pushed to achieve the objective eye washing of the president of Sri Lanka as well as prominent members of UNP. In fact, the secret agenda of Mr. Mangala Samaraweera was to achieve a UN position and Mr. Rajaitha Senarathne was to find a place for his son, who became an unpopular politician in Sri Lanka mainly because he is a popular figure, who lies to the public.  Mr. Mangala Samaraweera attempted to get a UN position before, but his qualifications for a UN position (A Tailoring Certificate) was not a foundation qualification for a senior UN position.

Historically, Sri Lanka had been governed by Kings, who treated the country as a unitary state with provincial administrative units like Municipal style governing bodies (Rata) at district levels. The district administrative units (Korala or pattu) was not entirely based on religions, ethnical races or castes. There was some historical evidence that Kings mentioned Demala Pattutu and Vedi Pattuwa as Tamil and Indigenous people lived in those areas, but they were not federal style constitutional units.  At present majority residents in those area are Sinhala people. There were not administrative divisions based on religions.

Current population of the country according to the census of 2012, 74.9% Sinhala, 11.2% Lanka Tamil, 4.1% Indian Tamil, 9.3% Muslim and 0.5% others.  This ethnic mixture of population assumes to be changed during the past ten years period, the major contributing factor could be considered as migration of Tamil and Christian population overseas and the current Sinhala population, could be assumed that has increased to 77% and Muslim Population also increased to 10% as the women fertility of Muslim women is higher than the average. The national average of women fertility in Sri Lanka is 2.3 (Sinhala 2.3, Sri Lanka Tamil 2.3, Indian Tamil 2.9 and Muslim 3.3), but Muslim women’s fertility is comparatively higher (3.3) than the national average (2.3).

Although the government had a policy agreement to change the women fertility, it has not been successfully implemented by the government and there is an informal view that Muslim women are given encouragement to have more babies.  Compared to other races in the country most Muslim women do not willing to go out of houses and work.  Muslim women stay at home and look after kids, when they go out wear burqa and walk on the road, no one can recognize them and maintain any relationship and association. Only few Muslim women married with Sinhala or Tamil men and the usual practice is when a Muslim female married to a Sinhala or Tamil person she would be expelled from the family.  It seems that Muslims want to increase their population, despite the government policy to control women fertility in the country.  The culture of Muslim people in Sri Lanka encourages women to stay in the house and live in a static society without an employment in outside and the purpose of the culture is to look after kids at home.  For education, marriage and divorce, Muslim people have more flexible legal provisions in Sri Lanka, which are not available to other ethnic communities in the country.

According to the census of 2012, 70.1% of population in Sri Lanka counts as Buddhist in religion, 12.6% Hindus, 9.7% Islam and 7.6 % Christian and others. It is quite easy to assume that 75% of current population is Buddhist and Islam has increased to more than 10% of population.  Within these religions there are sects and accurate statistics of sectoral population of each religion are not available.

The first official census of Sri Lanka was taken place in 1881 and the classification of population included Muslims as an Ethnic race in the country without clear anthropologic or biological evidence.  All other ethnic groups were identified based on language they speak. In other countries we cannot see that population is classified by religious basis and in the Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran do not classify on religious basis and why Sri Lanka did adapt such a fallacious classification system and it needs to be corrected as soon as possible. According to historical information, Sinhala speaking people converted to Islam in Upcountry and Sothern area and Tamil speaking people in the North, North Central and East, in fact, they should have classified as Sinhala Muslim and Tamil Muslim.  The Muslim religious people should have included to Sinhala and Tamil ethnic groups. Why this problem is not corrected by the government?

The historical information indicates that the major reason to Sinhala and Tamil people convert to Muslim was the flexible marriage and divorce legal provisions in the Muslim culture.  This reason caused to massively convert people in Indonesia and Malaysia.  In the history people in those countries were Buddhist and Hindus.  In a society where allowed to polygamy, Muslim religion did not expand rapidly.  For example, it can give Papua New Guinea and many South Pacific Countries.  In Sri Lanka, when men wanted to divorce and remarry, they converted Muslim as it was easier. When I was a law student in Sri Lanka, I read a new law report that a famous Sinhala political figure, Mr Anil Moonasinghe converted to Muslim to divorce his wife and marry another woman.   

The major concentration of this article is to consider the constitutional style of the country and uniting the country with different divisions.  As the ambassador of the United States in Sri Lanka it is correct that the unity of people in the country is a key factor to defeat terrorism whether it originated within the country or imported from overseas. The other important factor is that the unity of Sinhala people is vital factor to overcome terrorism issue in the country and to defeat fabricated constitutional reforms.

If Sinhala people are united without political deviations, majority of the parliament would be Sinhala, and Muslim and Hindus will be a minority, which need the consent of majority Sinhala community to make constitutional reforms.  Sinhala people divided on political party basis since the era of the State Council.  Later it was appeared that Sinhala people was divided by economic policy and it was changed after 1978. Now all Sinhala people agree with the market economic policy and why they have differences now is a question. The most conspicuous answer to the question is power and motive to be unduly enriched achieving political power.

Sri Lanka is a small country and the most appropriate constitutional style to the country is a unitary system with the unity of people. Any other style of a constitution will create never ending political, social and economic problems to the country.

The current problems clearly indicated that Sri Lanka needs anti-discrimination laws to control hate speeches and Muslim women are discriminated by male and the caste system among Tamil discriminate lower caste Tamils

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia

Baghdad, April 29 (AFP): The elusive chief of the Islamic State group Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has purportedly appeared for the first time in five years in a propaganda video released Monday by the extremist organisation.

It is unclear when the footage was filmed, but the man said to be Baghdadi referred in the past tense to the months-long fight for Baghouz, IS’s final bastion in eastern Syria, which ended last month.

The battle for Baghouz is over,” the man said, sitting cross-legged on a cushion and addressing three men whose faces have been blurred.

But he insisted that IS’s operations against the West were part of a long battle,” and that IS would take revenge” on members who had been killed.

There will be more to come after this battle,” he said.

Sky News✔@SkyNews

BREAKING: Video appearing to show Islamic State leader, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi emerges.

In the propaganda clip, he praises those behind the Sri Lanka attacks.

Full story here: http://po.st/IMAQVa 1166:13 PM – Apr 29, 2019239 people are talking about thisTwitter Ads info and privacy

Baghdadi, 47, had a long grey beard that appeared dyed with henna and spoke slowly, often pausing for several seconds in the middle of his sentences.

He appeared for the first and last time in public in Mosul in 2014, where he declared an Islamic caliphate” in the swathes of territory IS then held in Syria and Iraq.

He was reported killed or injured multiple times since then.

His last voice recording to his supporters was released in August, eight months after Iraq announced it had defeated IS and as US-backed forces closed in next door in Syria.

Courtesy Adaderana

Presidential hopeful, former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa says he is not a citizen of the United States anymore.

Joining the 360° political programme yesterday (29), the former Defence Secretary said nearly 99 percent of the process of withdrawing his US citizenship is completed.

Gotabaya said he does not dual citizenship as of now.

දීපිකා දිල්රුක්ෂි ගුණසේන

මම බෞද්ධයෙක්. හතර වරිගෙම බෞද්ධ අමු සිංහල බෞද්ධයෙක්!

 ඒත් මගේ රටේ කතෝලික බැතිමතුන් ගැන පුදුම ආදරයක් මට දැනෙන්නේ.මට විතරක් නෙවි, මේ රටේ හැම කෙනෙකුටම ඒ විදියේ හැගීමක් අනිවාර්යයෙන්ම ඇතිවෙලා ඇති. මගේ රටේ කතෝලිකයන් කියන්නේ කොහොමටත් රටට කරදරයක් නොවී… නිසිතැන-සමතැන ගන්න වද වෙන්නේ නැතිව… මේ රටේ මහා සංස්කෘතියට අභියෝග කරනු වෙනුවට යස අපුරුවට තමන්ගේ විශ්වාසයන් ඇදහීම් මේ රටේ සංස්කෘතියට… මුල්වලට… හද ගැස්මට ගලපාගෙන… මිශ්‍රවෙලා… සහයෝගෙන්, සමාදානෙන් තමන්ගේ පාඩුවේ ජීවත්වුණු සහෝදර ජනවර්ගයක්.

 ඒ වගේම මට කතෝලික බැතිමතුන් ගැන පුදුම ආඩම්බරයක් තියෙන්නේ. ඒ අයගේ කකියන ලේ කඳුලින් දියකරලා අයෙමත් කලින්ටත් වඩා ලෝකෙට ආදරය කරන්න පුළුවන් හදවතක් තියෙනවා කියන එක ලේසි පහසු වැඩක් නෙවි. ඒක ජිවිත කාලයක…පරම්පරා ගණනක හුරුවක්… උගැන්මක්… පුහුණුවක්.. කිතු සමිදාණන් ගේ ඉගැන්විමතුළ ලද ඔවුන් අපුරු ශික්ෂණය හා දෙවිඳුන් කෙරෙහි වූ අප්‍රමාන භක්තියක් එයින් අපුරුවට විදහා දක්වනවා.

 ඒ වගේම කතෝලික බැතිමතුනි, මට ඔයාලා ගැන පුංචි ඉරිසියාවක් තියෙනවා. ආත්මනුකම්පාවක් එක්ක කැටි වුනු පුංචි  ඉරිසියාවක්. මේක බෞද්ධ රටක් උනාට අපිට ඔයාලට වගේ පෙරටුගාමී, පරිණත, මධ්‍යස්ත ජීවමාන ආගමික නායකත්වයක් මේ වෙද්දී මේ රට ඇතුලේ අපිට නැහැ.අපි වෙනුවෙන්… රට වෙනුවෙන්.. කතාකරන්න.. හසුරවන්න ඉදිරිපත්වෙන තරුණ හිමිවරුන් කිහිප නමක් අතරින් පතර උන්නත් ආගමික සංවිධාන රාමුවේ බලය හා නිලය උසුලන කිසිම බෞද්ධ ආගමික නායකත්වයක් මේ වෙලාවේ රටේ ජනතාව හසුරවන්න…. ජනතාවත් එක්ක එකට හිටගන්න… එලියට වැඩියේ නැහැ. මේ කර්කශ ලෝකේ ජිවත්වෙද්දී ආගමික ශාස්තෘ වරුන් හා ඒ ඉගැන්වුම් විතරක් නෙවි මිනිසුන් හසුරවන්න ජීවමාන ආගමික නායකත්වයකුත් තියෙන්නම ඕනි. ඒ නායකත්වය යම් ආකාරයක සාර්ථක නායකත්ව ගුණවලින් අනුන විය යුත්තේද  … එකී සියලුම නායකත්ව ගුණෝපේත ලක්ෂණ ඔබේ ජීවමාන ආගමික නායකත්වය සතුයි කියල කියන්න මම අබමල් රේණුවකවත් ලෝබ වන්නේ නැහැ. ඒ වගේම වර්තමානය වෙද්දී බෞද්ධ අපිට ඒවගේ නිලයෙන් පැවරුණු වගකීම් ඉටුකෙරෙන ආගමික නායකත්වයක් පෙනෙන්නට ඇත්තේ නැති බවත් කියන්න ලජ්ජා වන්නේත් නැහැ

 අගරදගුරු හිමියනි, මගේ රට, ගැහුවොත් ගහන… මැරුවොත් මරණ කා කොටා ගන්නා ම්ලේච්ච ජන වර්ගයක් නොවන බව ලෝකයට පෙන්වන්නට මුල්වුණේ ඒ පසුපස උන්නේ ඔබ වහන්සේයි.තව තවත් ලෝකයේ අවමානයට, අපවාදයට, අසරණ භාවයට පත් වීම වළක්වාලූයේ ඔබ වහන්සේයි. නගර පුරා…කාණු දිගේ…වීථි දිගේ… ලේ ගලන මහා සංහාරයක් වළක්වාලූයේ ඔබ වහන්සේයි.  ත්‍රස්තප්‍රහාරයෙන් විනාශ වූ දෙහැර මිනිසුන් අනේක දුක් විඳ උපයා සපයාගත් දේපල සියල්ල මෙතරම් ව්‍යසනයකාරී තත්වයකදී පවා ඉතා සුළු ලෙසවත් විනාශ නොවුනේද… රැකුනේද… ඔබ වහන්සේ නිසාය. විපතට පත්ව ගිනියම්වූ හදවත් ඉවසීමෙන් නවතාලුයේ…  සන්සුන්වන්නට  කියන මේ එකම දේශපාලුවකු ගේ ඉල්ලීමකට නොව ඔබ වහන්සේගේ වචනයට ඔබේ බැතිමතුන් ගේ ඇති ආදරය හා ගෞරවය නිසාය.රටක ආගමික නායකයකුට ඉපයිය හැකි… හිමිවන… ඉහළතම ගෞරවය ඔබවහන්සේට ලැබී අවසානය.ඒ මේ රට වැසියන් පසුගිය පාස්කු ඉරිදා සිට අද වෙනතෙක් හැසිරුණු කටයුතු කල අයුරිනි. මේ ලෝකයේ කිනම් හෝ ආගමික නායකත්වයකට ලබන්නට මීටත් වඩා ඉහල පදවියක්… ගෞරවයක්… නිලයක් හෝ තානාන්තරයක් ඇත්දැයි මට හිතා ගන්නට බැරිය

 ඔබ වහන්සේගේ සභාවේ ඔබේ බැතිමතුන්ට මෙවන් අපරාධයක් කල ද්‍රෝහීන්ටත් ප්‍රේම කරන්න වෛර නොකරන්න. ආදරය කරන්නටයි ඉල්ලන්නට හැකි ඔබවහන්සේ ඔබේ බැතිමතුන්ට කෙතරම් ආදරය කරනවා ඇතිද? එකි බැතිමතුන්ට මේ ඇතිවූ ව්‍යසනය, ඔබවවහන්සේව කෙතරම් කම්පනයට පත්කරන්නට ඇතිද? එවන් අවස්ථාවකදී මෙතරම් පරිණත ඉවසීමක්… සුපේශල හික්මීමක්…ඇතිව වචන මාත්‍රයක පරොස් බවක්… අංශුමාත්‍රයක තරහවක්… ඉස්මතු නොකරන්නට තරම් ඇති ඔබේ බුද්ධිමත් ඉවසීම මනුෂ්‍යත්වය ඉක්මවා ගිය දේවත්වයකි

 ගෙවුණු  සතියේ මේ රට පාලනය කලේ අතිඋතුම් අගරදගුරුහිමිපාණන් බව කිවහොත් මේ රටේ කිසි කෙනෙකු විරුද්ධ වන්නේ නැත. උන්වහන්සේ එසේ පිළිගන්නට අකමැති විය හැකි වුවද මේ රට පාලනය කළ නිහඩ හඬ අගරදගුරු හිමිපාණන් ය . කිතුණු බැතිමතුන් පමණක් නොව රටක් හැටියට අපි සියල්ලෝම උන්වහන්සේගේ වචනයට ලබ්ධීන් ගේ බෙදීමක් නැතුවම අනුගත වුනෙමු.එකී අනුගත භාවය නායකයකුට ලේසියෙන් උපයා ගතහැක්කක් නොවේ.ඉවසීමෙන් නැවතිල්ලේ කතාකරන… කියන හැම වචනයකටම වගකීමෙන් බැඳෙන ලෙස අදහස් ප්‍රකාශ කරන…ඒ හැම වචනයකම තමන්ගේ ශාස්තෘවරයාණන් ගේ ඉගැන්වීම පිළිඹිබු කරන… ශාන්ත නිවුණු ප්‍රතිරූපය තුල වූ අභිමානවත් නායකත්ව පෞරුෂයට අපි සියල්ලෝම අනුගත වුනෙමු.ආගමික නායකයෙකුට අනුගාමිකයන් අනුගත කරගැනීම එතරම් අමාරු නැති බව  කෙනෙක්ට කිව හැකි වුවද… මෙවැනි උඩු ගං බලා පීනන්නට අවශ්‍ය අවස්ථාවක අනුගාමිකයන් අවනතකරගැනීම ලෙහෙසි නැත. උන් වහන්සේ ලද දිනුම එයයි. ඉවසීම යනු වචනයක් නොකියා සිද්දිය කර ඇරීමක් නොවන බවත්… අවදිකරවන හඬේ ස්වරයද… අන්තර්ගතයද… තමන්ගේ ශාස්තෘවරයාගේ ඉගනුම අභිබවන්නේ නැතිව ඊට අනුකුල වීමද ආගමික නායකයකු ලබන ප්‍රසාදයට හේතුවන බව පෙන්වා දුනි. උන්වහන්සේගේ අනුපමේය නායකත්ව පෞරුෂය … මනුෂ්‍යත්වය ඉක්මවන ජිවන ස්වභාවය අගයන්නට මම කිතුණු දහම දන්නේ නැත. මගේ බුදුපියාණන් වහන්සේගේ ඉගැන්වීම තුළ ඇති මිනිසා බ්‍රහ්මයකු කරවන නොහොත් මනුෂ්‍යත්වයේ ඉහලම තලයකට පමුණුවන විහරණය අගරදගුරුහිමිපාණන් තුලින් දුටිමි. ඒ මෙත්ථා-කරුණා-මුදිතා-උපේක්ඛා ගුණයි.එකී සතර බ්‍රහ්ම විහරණය වචනයේ පරිසමාප්ත අර්ථයෙන්ම අනූනව උන්වහන්සේ තුළින් ජීවමානව දුටිමි.

 තවත් ඉතා දිගු කාලයක් ඔබේ බැතිමතුන්ට පමණක් නොව මගේ රටේ සියලුදෙනාට ආදරය කරන්නට මග පෙන්වන්නට ඔබ වහන්සේට තිසරණ සරණේ බලෙන් ජය ශ්‍රී මහා බෝසමිඳු පිහිටෙන් උතුම් ශ්‍රී දළදා වහන්සේගේ අනුභාවයෙන් නිරෝගී සැප…දිගාසිරි ප්‍රාර්ථනා කරමි.

 ©️ දීපිකා දිල්රුක්ෂි ගුණසේන

By ; A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA

Amidst a scathing attack and continuous fish market behaviour by the Ministers and MPs the delinquent government, the former President and the Leader of the Opposition Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa blasted the the government inParliament on 23^rd April over the previous day’s Easter Sunday ISIS terrorist attack which killed over 300 innocent people and injured more than 500 persons.

 Given below is the full text of his speech..

Hon Speaker,

We are gathered here today, to discuss the future of our country following the bomb attacks that took place on Easter Sunday. More than 300 people were killed and more than 500 people were injured in those attacks. I wish to take this opportunity to once again convey my heartfelt condolences to the families of all those who have lost their lives and to wish those injured a speedy recovery.

After we ended the 30 year war on 19 May 2009, we all thought we had seen the last of such attacks. We were to mark the 10^th anniversary of the ending of terrorism next month. Even during that 30 year war, no single attack carried out by the terrorists targeting civilians ever resulted in as much carnage as the Easter Sunday attacks. The LTTE also carried out co-ordinated simultaneous attacks on multiple targets but even they were not able to wreak the same amount of destruction. The Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka is said to be the biggest single terrorist attack targeting civilians ever to take place in South Asia. So many people did not lose their lives even in the Mumbai attacks of 2008.

This House has to look into the circumstances that enabled terrorism to once again raise its head in this country with such virulence. In November 2005, when I became President for the first time, there was a nominal ceasefire in operation. But the LTTE was carrying out attacks on a daily basis and killing two or three armed forces personnel in each attack. During that period a bomb attack on a bus resulted in a large number of civilian deaths.  When I went to St Anthony’s Church last Sunday following the attacks, I was reminded of the Kebithogollewa incident. The people of that area expressed a great deal resentment at our government over the Kebithogollewa incident.

The people have no use for a government that cannot assure them of the safety of their lives. In July 2006, we recommenced the war because the LTTE closed the Mavilaru anicut and blocked the water supply to a large number of villages in that area. It is the duty of the government to at the very minimum, to uphold the right of the people to live and to create an environment where they will be able to go about their day to day lives. That is why we never looked back after recommencing the war following the Mavilaru incident.

In January 2015, I handed over a completely secure and peaceful country to the new President. We had strengthened the intelligence services so that there would be absolutely no threat to the national security of the country. Our intelligence services worked closely with other intelligence services of neighbouring countries and other international intelligence services to ensure the security of the country. Whenever we got wind of a threat to national security, we acted on it. The Easter Sunday attacks would never have taken place under our government.

The present government is squarely responsible for the terrorist attacks that took place last Sunday. The police had issued early warnings of an impending attack.  However what action did the government take with regard to those warnings? They never informed the Church leaders about those warnings and neither did they provide extra security to the possible targets. All that the leaders of the present government did was to ensure that they themselves were nowhere near a possible target. On important occasion such as Easter, representatives of the government usually attend Mass, but this time there were no such representatives in the Churches.

When I went to the scenes of the attacks on Sunday, one government minister said that the opposition is trying to make political capital of the situation. I must remind them that I also visited Kebithigollewa in the same way in 2006. I am not speaking here as someone spewing forth empty words but as the individual who gave leadership to the government that defeated the terrorists that no one thought could ever be defeated.   From the moment this government came into power in January 2015, they have been persecuting the members of the armed forces and the intelligence services that ended that war.  How many of our armed forces personnel have they jailed over the past four years? How many times have they hauled former army commanders and commanders of the navy and airforce to the CID to be questioned?

Our war time defence secretary was relentlessly persecuted because he was my brother. They were not able to imprison him due to the intervention of the courts.

I have told this government on many occasions that this is not the armed forces of the Rajapaksas but the armed forces and intelligence services of the Republic of Sri Lanka. Regardless of which political party is in power, it is they who will have to ensure the security of the nation. This government never understood the point. Due to the political leadership that we gave them, our armed froces were able to win the war that was deemed unwinnable.

The armed forces personnel who carried out their duties on behalf of the nation were harassed and hunted down by this government. The government should at least now realise that you cannot run this country according to the dictates coming from foreign countries. We have to solve our own problems. The government was preparing to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act on the instructions of their foreign masters. If that Act had been repealed, what kind of a position would we be in today? Because the government was engaged in relenetlessly persecuting its own armed forces, we became an easy target for terrorists. No other country in the world has persecuted and weakened their own armed forces and intelligence services in this manner. Terrorists observe these things and plan accordingly.

The Sunday attacks did not take place due to the negligence of one or two officials.  We can now see that the government is preparing to sacrifice some official and wash their hands of the matter. This incident occurred because of the conduct of this government from the time they came into power in January 2015. If anyone is to resign over these incidents, it should be the government. Despite the persecution that the intelligence services had been subject to, they did obtain prior intelligence relating to this attack and conveyed the information to certain quarters. But nothing happened thereafter.  That warning had been sent to my security officers as well, but they did not keep me informed about the threat.

If I had known that there was an imminent threat of this nature, I would have immediately informed His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith and also curtailed my own movements. Instructing officials on the manner in which they should conduct themselves in relation to matters involving national security, is the task of the government. That is what people elect governments for. The signal sent by this government to officials at all levels is that national security is not important.That is the reason for all this mayhem.  These incidents did not occur without warning. The recent destruction of Buddha statues in Mawanella, the attempt on the life of a close supporter of a Muslim Minister from that area, the discovery of over 100 kilos of explosives from Puttlam, are all connected. So this attack did not just come from the blues. Having received information that an attack can take place, all that the government did was to ensure that they themselves were safe. 

This terrorist attck is very different to similar attacks that took place during the 30 year war. The terrorists of that time did not target foreigners because they had people living in those countries and funding the terrorist campaign in Sri Lanka. But this new terrorism targets locals as well as foreigners. That strikes a death blow not only to the tourist industry but to foreign investment as well. This terrorism has to be conclusively defeated.  I request the government to halt the persecution of the armed forces at least now. The Council of Religions headed by the Ven. Ittepane Dammalankara Mahanayake Thera and His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has also called upon the government to desist from weakening the intelligence services further.    

The arrests of armed forces and intelligence services personnel that took place after this government came into power was very often not based on solid evidence. In order to please the yahapalana government the CID obtains statements from certain people using various stratagems and then uses these statements to arrest members of the armed forces and intelligence services. Some of these so called witnesses have made special statements to Magistrates explaining how the CID obtained statements from them implicating various people. Stop this filthy practice at least now.

As the opposition, we will extend our fullest cooperation to the law enforcements authorities and the armed forces to ensure national security. I request the people not to take the law into their own hands and to extend their fullest cooperation to the law enforcement authorities and the armed forces to solve this problem. We must remember that terrorists have no religion. The public needs more information about some matters and I would like to address the following questions to the government.

1. When did the SIS and the Security Concil first get to know of the organisation that is said to be behind these attacks?
2. According to the information available to the government, since when has this organization taken to terrorism?
3. What action was taken in respect of these reports?
4. Who investigated the Wanathaviluawa incident where over 100 kilos of explosives were found?
5. Who were the suspects arrested in this regard? Was this brought to the notice of the Security Council? If so when and by whom? What action was taken in this regard?
6. How many persons were arrested in this regard? Who were they? How many of them sere produced in courts?  How many were released?
7. Were any of these suspects released at the request of any person? If so who was the person who made such a request?
8. Was there an intelligence report of a threat to national security in the month of April? Was this brought to the notice of the Security Council? If so, when and by whom? Who attended the security council on that day?
9. Has the involvement of a foreign party in these attacks been established? If so what is the foreign party involved?

Thank you.

Addressing a meeting of religious and political leaders in the parliamentary complex, the former President Nr.Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that  priority should be given to religious reconciliation in the country and that religious reconciliation was as important as communal reconciliation and ahas ssured that neither he nor his party would try to gain political mileage out of the present situation in the country. The Opposition Leader said all those concerned with safeguarding the country should take the responsibility for the Easter Sunday bombings.

On 28^th Sunday evening Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa held a special meeting with former Security Chiefs on the current security situation in the country, and inj this meeting he requested the participants to provide short term and long term solutions that need to taken at this moment.  

the meeting was attended by the former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, formerChief of the Security Division Jagath Jayasuriya, former Army Commander Daya Ratnayake, former Air Force Chief Roshan Gunatilleke, former Navy Commabders Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, Admiral Mohan Wijewickrema, Admiral Jagath Kolombage, former IGPs Mahinda Balasuriya, Cyhandra Fernando, former Governot Major General G.A.Chandrasiri, MPs Dalas Alahapperuma, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Bandula Gunawardene, Udaya Gammanpila, and former Ministers Basil Rajapaksa and prof. G.L.Peiris

MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardena, lashed out at the government for its failure to prevent the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks. He scoffed at claims that its leaders were unaware of intelligence reports in the days leading up to the attacks.

Speaking in Parliament during the debate on State of Emergency, Mr. Gunawardena noted that before the commencement of a debate on a state of emergency, the government

would usually present all available information that necessitated the declaration of a state of emergency. “Yet, this government is incapable of doing even that,” he said.

Commenting on claims that both the Prime Minister and State Minister of Defence were unaware of intelligence reports warning of an impending attack, the MP pointed out that as both claimed to be leaders of the government, they could not claim ignorance.

He said that “We have never in our history, ever had a Prime Minister who claimed he did not know. How can he say he didn’t know? You admitted that information (of attacks being planned) was available from April 4. There was information about this group from 2016, when the PM was in the National Security Council,” MP Gunawardena remarked.

MP Gunawardena said he was saddened to see his classmate, the PM, trotting out such excuses. “A Royalist should stand up, not just dodge and run,” he said.

In a separate address in Parliameny MP Gunawardane told  the government that it should not by any circumstance allow foreign security forces to enter this country at this moment.

He urged the government to conduct an investigation into the issuance of Visas to thousands of foreigners under lax conditions.

He said that investigations into the matter should be carried out immediately and said it was pointless asking the IGP to do so.

He said if the government could not defeat this extremist terrorist groups, it should quit and hand over this country to someone who could do it and added that the country could not be governed when there was a crisis between the President and the Prime Minister and stressed the need to pay way for a new government.

(To be copntinued)  .

අද දින පැවැති ශ්‍රී ලංකා පොදුජන පෙරමුනේ මාධ්‍ය හමුව

අද දින පැවැති මාධ්‍ය හමුවට සහභාගි වූ නියෝජිතයින්

■             ශ්‍රී ලංකා පොදුජන පෙරමුනේ සභාපති මහාචාර්ය ජි. එල්. පිරිස් මහතා 

■             පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී සුසිල් ප්‍රේමජයන්ත මහතා 

■             පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී රෝහිත අබේගුණවර්ධන මහතා 

■             පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී කෙහෙළිය රඹුක්වැල්ල මහතා 

■             නීතිවල අඩුපාඩුවක් නෙවෙයි ලැබුණු තොරතුරු වලින් ප්‍රයෝජන ගෙන ජනතාව ආරක්ෂා කිරීමට රජයේ දෙපාර්ශවය අපොහොසත් වීමයි සිදුවුනේ. 

■             රටේ වාසනාවට තව මාස හයයි තියෙන්නේ. ඒ කාලයේ අවම වශයෙන් ජනතාවගේ ජිවිත ආරක්ෂා කර ගැනීමට උත්සුක විය යුතුයි.

ශ්‍රී ලංකා පොදුජන පෙරමුනේ සභාපති මහාචාර්ය ජි. එල්. පිරිස් මහතා

මෙවැනි සිද්ධියක් නැවත සිදුනොවිමට වගබලාගත යුතුයි. ඒ සදහා ආණ්ඩුව එකක් ලෙස වැඩ කළ යුතුයි. රටකට ආණ්ඩු දෙකක් තියෙන්න බැහැ. රජයේ පාර්ශවයන් දෙක එකිනෙකාට ඇගිලි දිගු කරනවා පමණය’. එකට එකතු වෙලා රට පාලනය කරන්න වරමක් මොවුන් ජනතාවගෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටියා. අද ජනාධිපති ශ්‍රීලනීපයේ. අගමැති එජාපයේ. මොවුන් එකතු වෙලා සාමුහිකව රට පාලනය කරන්නයි ජනතාවගෙන් වරමක් ගත්තේ. ජනාධිපතිතුමා බුද්ධි අංශ දුර්වල කිරීමේ වගකීම රජය භාරගත යුතු බව කියනවා. කවුද රජය. ජනාධිපති ඇතුලු කැබිනට් මණ්ඩලය. රජයේ උච්ඡතම ස්ථානය ජනාධිපතිවරයායි. ජනාධිපතිවරයාට රජයෙන් බැහැර වෙලා රජය විවේඡනය කරන්න බැහැ. 

නිව්යෝක් ටයිම් පුවත්පතේ පළවෙනි පිටුවේ තියෙනවා ශ්‍රී ලංකා රජයට බුද්ධි අංශවලින් තොරතුරු ලැබුණු බව. පුද්ගලයින්ගේ නම් දුරකතන අංක, සාකච්ඡා පැවැත්වූ ස්ථාන පවා එහි සදහන් වෙනවා. මේ තොරතුරු රජය අතට පත්ව තිබුණත් පියවරක් ගත්තේ නැහැ. මේ තොරතුරු අගරදගුරුවරයාට දිලා තිබුණා නම් කිසිදු දේව මෙහෙයක් පවත්වන්නේ නැහැ. යුද හමුදාපතිවරයා කියන්නේ මේ ගැන තොරතුරක් තිබුණා නම් ඔවුන් ක්‍රියාත්මක වෙන බවයි. හොටල් ක්ෂේත්‍රයේ අයට මොන යම් හෝ තොරතුරක් ලැබී තිබුණානම් හෝටල් ආරක්ෂා කර ගන්නවා. මේකට ජනාධිපතිතුමා අගමැතිතුමා වගේම සමස්ත රජයම වගකිව යුතුයි. රජයේ ස්ථාවරය මෙහි වගකීම භාරගෙන ආරක්ෂක ලේකම් හා පොලිස්පතිවරයා ඉවත් වීමයි. අපි එය පිළිගන්නේ නැහැ. දේශපාලන අධිකාරියම වග කිව යුතුයි. මෙවනි නිලධාරීන් පත්කිරීමේදී රජය වගකිව යුතුයි. සිද්ධ වුනු ඛේදවාචකය වගේම හිටපු ආරක්ෂක ලේකම්වරයාගේ ප්‍රකාශයත් රටට බලපෑවා. සිද්ධි එකක් දෙකක් වෙයි. මෙතරම් දෙයක් වෙයි කියලා හිතුවේ නැහැයි එතුමා කළ ප්‍රකාශය ලොව පුරා ප්‍රචලිත වුනා. හදිසි නිතිය නොතිබුණු නිසා හමුදාවෙන් ප්‍රයෝජන ගැනීමේ හැකියාවක් රජයට තිබුනේ නැහැු කියලත් හිටපු ලේකම්වරයා කිව්වා. හදිසි නීතිය තත්ත්පර 30න් ක්‍රියාත්මක කරන්න පුලුවන්. ජනාධිපතිවරයා ලියවිල්ල අත්සන් කිරීම පමණයි ප්‍රමාණවත්. ගැසට් කරන්නේ ජනතාවගේ දැන ගැනිම සදහායි. හදිසි නීතිය නොතිබු බව කියමින් කෙදිරි ගෑමෙන් ප්‍රයෝජනයක් නැහැ. අවශ්‍යතාවය තියෙනවා නම් ඒ බලතල ලබා ගන්න පුලුවන්. නිතියේ අඩුපාඩු නෙවෙයි දේශපාලන අධිෂ්ථානය නැති එකයි වුනේ. 

පොලිස්පති ගැන මුලු රටම දන්නවා. පළමු දවසේ සිට තනතුර දරන්න නුසුදුසු බව එතුමා මැනවින් ප්‍රදර්ශනය කළා. ව්‍යවස්ථා සභාවේ නිර්දේශය මත මිසක් හැකියාව හා ජ්‍යේෂ්ඨත්වය අනුව නෙවෙයි ඔහු පත්වුනේ. කරූ ජයසූරිය මහතාගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් රැස්වුනු ව්‍යවස්ථාදායකයයි මේ පත්කිරිම කලේ. පටු දේශපාලන වාසිගැන නොහිතා රටේ ජනතාවගේ ජිවිත ගැන සිතා දැන්වත් ජනාධිපති හා අගමැතිවරයා කියන දෙපාර්ශවය සාමුහික වගකීමෙන් කිසියම් විදිමත් වැඩපිළිවෙලකට පැමිණිය යුතුයි. නිලධාරීන් දඩමිමා කරගැනීමකයි මොවුන් යෙදී ඉන්නේ. ඒ අතර අගමැතිවරයා ස්කයි නිව්ස් සමග සම්මුඛ සාකච්ඡාවකදී නීතිවල අඩුපාඩුවක් තියෙන බව ප්‍රකාශ කර තිබෙනවා. ඒක සම්පූර්ණයෙන් වැරදයි’ එතුමා වගකීමෙන් මිදෙන්න කරන ව්‍යාජ තර්කයක්. ත්‍රස්තවාදය ආරක්ෂා කිරීමේ පනත, මහජන ආරක්ෂණ පනත හා දණ්ඩ නීති සංග්‍රහය කියන පනත් තුනේම ප්‍රමාණවත් විදිවිධාන අඩංගුයි මෙ තත්ත්වය සම්බන්ධයෙන් කටයුතු කරන්න. මිහිපිට තිබුණු භයානක ත්‍රස්තවාදී කණ්ඩායමක් මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතාගේ රජය සමයේ මර්දනය කලේ  මේ නීතිවලින්. ඒ කියන්නේ නීතිවල අඩුපාඩුවක් නෙවෙයි ලැබුණු තොරතුරු වලින් ප්‍රයෝජන ගෙන ජනතාව ආරක්ෂා කිරීමට රජයේ දෙපාර්ශවය අපොහොසත් වීමයි සිදුවුනේ. 

රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතා කියනවා මේ සියලු ප්‍රශ්න ඇති වුනේ ප්‍රති ත්‍රස්තවාදි පනත පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ සම්මත නොවුනු නිසා. පොල් ගාන්නේ නැතිව ඉක්මනින් මෙය සම්මත කරන්නලු. ත්‍රස්තවාදය වැළැක්වීමේ පනත අහෝසි කරන්නයි මේ යන්නේ. එහෙම කරනවා කියලා ජාත්‍යන්තරයට පොරොන්දුවක් දීලා තියෙනවා. මේ ඛේදවාචකය ඇති වුනාම රජය යොදා ගත්තේ ත්‍රස්තවාදය වැළැක්වීමේ පනතයි. අද වෙන කොට 150ක් පමණ සිරභාරයට අරන්. ඒ ත්‍රස්තවාදය වැළැක්වීමේ පනත යටතෙයි. පනත අහෝසි කරලා තිබුණා නම් මේ ක්‍රියාමාර්ග කඩිනම් වෙන්නේ නැහැ. ඒ වගේම ත්‍රස්තවාදය වැලැක්වීමේ පනතේ සමහර වගන්ති හදිසි රිති රෙගුලාසිවලටත් යටත් කළා. ප්‍රති ත්‍රස්ත පනතින් වෙන්නේ ත්‍රස්තවාදින් නලවලා පෝෂණය කිරිමයි. මිනි මැරුමකදි දෙන්නේ මරණිය දණ්ඩනය. හැබැයි මෙම්පනත යටතේ 350ක් මැරුවොත් සිද්ධ වෙන්නේ ජිවිතාන්තය දක්වා සිරදඩුවමට යටත් කිරීම පමණයි. ත්‍රස්තවාදින්ට පුදුම දයාවක් කරුණාවක් මේ පනතින් දක්වනවා. පනතේ දෙවැනි උපලේඛණය අනුව ත්‍රස්තවාදියෙක් අත් අඩංගුවට ගත්තොත් වහාම ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ මානව හිමිකම් කොමිෂමට දැන්විය යුතුයි. තුන්වැනි උපලේඛණය අනුව පොලිස්පතිවරයාට වහාම දැන්විය යුතුයි. මන්ත්‍රීවරයෙක් අත් අඩංගුවට ගත්තොත් එවැනි අවශ්‍යතාවයක් නැහැ. මේ පනත ගේන්නේ ත්‍රස්තවාදය වළක්වීමේ අරමුණින් නෙවෙයි. වෙනත් අරමුණකින්. විශේෂයෙන් මාධ්‍ය, වෘත්තීය සමිති සිවිල් සංවිධාන මර්දනය කිරීමේ අංග සම්පූර්ණ වැඩ පිළීවෙලක් මේ පනතේ ගැබ්වෙලා තියෙනවා. රාජ්‍ය දේපල වලට හානි කිරීම ත්‍රස්තවාදී ක්‍රියාවක් කියලා තුන්වැනි වගන්තියේ සදහන් වෙනවා. මේ පනත යටතේ අත්‍යවශ්‍ය සේවාවලට බාධා කිරීම ත්‍රස්තවාදී ක්‍රියාවක්. අවුරුදු 20ක් බන්ධනාගාර ගත කරන්න පුලුවන්. එයට අනුබල දීම වසර 15ක් බන්ධනාගාර ගත කරන්න පුලුවන් වරදක්. එවැනි ක්‍රියාවකට තොරතුරු සැපයිමත් ත්‍රස්තවාදයට සම්බන්ධ ක්‍රියාවක් කියලා 10 වැනි වගන්තියේ සදහන් වෙනවා. මේවා බෝම්බ පුපුරන ත්‍රස්තවාදින්ට ගේන නීති නෙවෙයි. ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදි සමාජයක තමන්ගේ නිත්‍යාණුකූල අයිතිවාසිකම් වලට පෙනි සිටින මිනිසුන් නිහඩ කිරිමයි. අද රටේ මැතිවරණ නැහැ. පළාත් සභා අකර්මන්‍යයි. මැතිවරණ ඉල්ලා අපේ හිටපු මහ ඇමැතිවරු දෙන්නෙක් අධිකරණයට ගිහින්. මැතිවරණ ඉල්ලා ජනතාව පාරට බැස්සොත් ගන්න දරුණු ක්‍රියාමාර්ග තමයි මේ පනතේ අඩංගු වෙන්නේ. 62 වැනි වගන්තිය පොලිස් රාජ්‍යයක අඩිතාලමයි. අගමැතිවරයාගේ අත්සාහය මෙරට පොලිස් රාජ්‍යයක් බිහිකිරීමයි. 62 වගන්තියෙන් යමම්නිෂ්චිත ප්‍රදේශයකට හෝ පරිශ්‍රයකට ඇතුල් නොවන ලෙස, නිශ්චික ල්‍රදේශයකින් පිට නොවන හෝ රැදදිසිටින ලෙස, යම් මාර්ගයක ගමන් නොකරන ලෙස, නිෂ්චිත ස්ථානයක රැස් නොවන ලෙස එක පෑන් පහරකින් කිරීමේ හැකියාව පොලිසියට ලැබෙනවා. 95 වගන්තිය තවත් භයානකයි. මේ යෝජිත නිතිය සමග ගැටෙන වෙනත් නිති තියෙනවා නම් ඒවා අහෝසි වෙනවා. මේ නිතියයි බලාත්මක වෙන්නේ. එවැනි භයානක පනතක් තමයි අවශ්‍ය වෙලා තියෙන්නේ. මාධ්‍යවේදින්ට කිසියම් ස්ථානයකට ගිහින් ජායාරූප ගැනීම සටහන් තබා ගැනීම පවා තහනම් වෙනවා. මේ හදන්නේ ආඥාදායකත්වයක් රටේ ඇති කරන්නයි. ජිවිත 350ක් බිලි දීලා භයානක පනතක් සම්මත කර ගැනීමේ උත්සාහයකයි රජය ඉන්නේ. 

පළමු දවසේ ඉදන් අදක්ෂභාවය හා තනතුරට නුදුසුදු බව පෙන්වූ පොලිස්පතිවරයා පිට වගකිම පවරලා මෙයින් මිදෙන්න රජයට හැකියාවක් නැහැ. දැන් මේ රජයේ 6 වැනි ආර්කෂක ලේකම්වරයා පත්කරනවා. හිටපු ලේකම්වරයා පත්කලේ කවුද. පත්කරන අයගේ වගකීම මොකක්ද. ජනතාව තමන්ගේ ආරක්ෂාව භාර දුන්නේ පොලිස්පතිටවත් ආරක්ෂක ලේකම්ටවත් නෙවේ. දැන්වත් එකිනෙකාට චෝදනා කිරිම් නතර කරලා ජනාධිපති හා අගමැති එකතු වෙලා රට කරන්න වෙනවා. රටේ වාසනාවට තව මාස හයයි තියෙන්නේ. ඒ කාලයේ අවම වශයෙන් ජනතාවගේ ජිවිත ආරක්ෂා කර ගැනීමට උත්සුක විය යුතුයි. 

■             පොලිස් මාධ්‍ය ප්‍රකාශය ප්‍රහාරය එල්ල වී පැය කිහිපයක් ඇතුළත කරපු ප්‍රකාශයේදී නියෝජ්‍ය පොලිස්පති නිකුත් කරපු චක්‍රලේඛණය ගැන දන්නේ නැහැ කිව්වා. ඒ බොරුකාරයෝ තමයි අදටත් මාධ්‍ය ප්‍රකාශයක කිය කිය ජනතාවට කරුණු දක්වන්නේ

■             අගමැතිතුමාට වගකීම ගන්න බැරිනම් පොල් ගාන්නේ නැතිව අයින් වෙන්න.

■             අපරාධ නඩු විධාන සංග්‍රහය හා දණ්ඩ නිති සංග්‍රහයට අනුව මනුෂ්‍ය ඝාතනයට සහාය දුන්නේ කවුද කියලා හොයලා නඩු දාන්න. ත්‍රස්තවාදය වැලැක්වීමේ පනත, අපරාධ නඩු විධාන සංග්‍රහය, දණ්ඩ නිති සංග්‍රහය තියෙනවා

■             මගේ තාත්තා කිව්වා. මම ගියේ නැහැ කියන්නේ සාක්ෂි තමයි. තොරතුරු සැගවීම යටතේ නඩු පවරන්න පුලුවන්.  

පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී සුසිල් ප්‍රේමජයන්ත මහතා 

මේ ආන්ඩුව තොරතුරු ජනගත විම වළක්වන්න සමාජමාධ්‍ය තහනම් කරලා, ආන්ඩුවට එන ප්‍රකෝපය හා අවලාද වෙනතකට යැවීමට දරපු උත්සාහය අපි හෙළා දකිනවා. රාජ්‍ය ආරක්සාව සම්බන්ධයෙන් එවැන්නක් කළාට ප්‍රශ්නයක් නැතත් ජනතාවට යම් යම් සත්‍ය තොරතුරු දැන ගැනීමට තිබුණු හැකියාව වැළැක්වූවා. පොලිස් මාධ්‍ය ප්‍රකාශය ප්‍රහාරය එල්ල වී පැය කිහිපයක් ඇතුළත කරපු ප්‍රකාශයේදී නියෝජ්‍ය පොලිස්පති නිකුත් කරපු චක්‍රලේඛණය ගැන දන්නේ නැහැ කිව්වා. බොරු කිව්වා. ඒ බොරුකාරයෝ තමයි අදටත් මාධ්‍ය ප්‍රකාශයක කිය කිය ජනතාවට කරුණු දක්වන්නේ. ත්‍රස්තවාදය වැලැක්වීමේ පනත 1978 අංක 48. වත්මන් අගමැතිවරයා ඇමැති ධූරය දරපු ජේ. ආර්. ජයවර්ධන ආණ්ඩුවෙන් තමයි මේ පනත ගෙනාවේ. ඒ පනත හා ඊට පස්සේ ගෙනාපු සංශෝධනත් එක්කයි අවුරුදු 30ක් තිබුණු ත්‍රස්තවාදයක් නැති කරන්න හැකිවුනේ. ඒ පනත ඉතා කෙටි පනතක්. ඒ යටතෙ පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට බෝබ්ම ගහපු විත්තිකරුවන් වෙනුවෙන් පෙනි හිටපු එක නිතීඥවරයෙක් මම. මම අගමැතිවරයාට අභියෝග කරනවා. ඒ අත්දැකිම තියෙන එක පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රීවරයෙක්වත් අද ඉන්නවාද. ඒ පනත යටතේ නඩු සිය ගණනකට වඩා මම කතා කරලා තියෙනවා. මේ ත්‍රස්තවාදි ව්‍යාපාරයට එකතු වුනු සැකකරුවන්ට,තවත් ඉන්නවා නම් අල්ල ගන්න, මේ කර මර්ධනය කිරීමට මේ පනත ප්‍රමාණවත්. දැන් අගමැතිවරයා කරන්න හදන්නේ මොකක්ද?පුර්විකාවේ ප්‍රතිත්‍රස්ත පනත කියලාවත් නැහැ. දැනට තියෙන පනත ඉවත් කිරීම පිණිසද කියලා තියෙන්නේ.මේකකාගේ වුවමනාවක්ද. මංගල සමරවිර ඇමැතිවරයා විදේශ ඇමැතිවරයා විදියට 2015 සැප්තැම්බර් මාසයේ ජිනිවා වලට ගිහින් 30 යෝජනාව සම්මත කරන්න සහාය දැක්වූවා. එහි කොන්දේසියක් තමයි ත්‍රස්තවාදය වැලැක්වීමේ පනත අහෝසි කිරිම. ත්‍රස්තවාදින්ට පනත දියාරු කරලා සාමාන්‍ය ජනතාවගේ පුරවැසි අයිතිවාසිකම් මැඩ පවත්වන්නයි මේ පනත ගෙනත් තියෙන්නේ. වෘත්තීය සමිති වලට කිසිම ක්‍රියාමාර්ගයක් ගන්න ලැබෙන්නේ නැහැ. මාධ්‍යවේදින්ට තොරතුරු වාර්තා කරන්න ලැබෙන්නේ නැහැ. අගමැතිතුමාගේ පළවෙනි කතාවෙන් කිව්වේ ගෝලීය ත්‍රස්තවාදයක් කියලා විශ්වීය ත්‍රස්තවාදයට සම්බන්ධයි කිව්වා. ඊට පස්සේ ස්කයි නිව්ස් එකට කියනවා මෙම්පනත ගෙනාවේ නැත්නම්නඩු පවරන්න බැහැලු. මම අභියෝග කරනවා අගමැතිතුමාට පුලුවන් නම් පෙන්වන්න තියෙන පනතෙනක් කාටද නඩු පවරන්න බැරි කියලා. පාර්ලිමේන්තුව පොල් ගහන්නේ නැතිව මේක සම්මත කරන්නලු. අගමැති එතුමා. කමිටු පත්කලේ පාර්ලිමේන්තුව. පොල් ගාන්නේ නැතිව සම්මත කරන්නලු. අපිට කියන්නෙ වෙන්නේ පොල් ගාන්නේ නැතිව අයින් වෙන්න කියලයි. 

වගකීම ගන්න බැරිනම් පොල් ගාන්නේ නැතිව අයින් වෙන්න. එතුමාගේ ඇමැතිවරු දෙන්නෙක් ආරක්ෂක ලේකම්වරයා, පොලිස්පතිවරයා කරුණු දැනගෙන හිටියේ නැහැ කියන්න බැහැනේ. පිළිඅරන් තියෙනවානේ. මේ අයට පුලුවන්නේ දැන් තියෙන ත්‍රස්තවාදය වැළැක්වීමේ පනත යටතේ නඩු පවරන්න තොරතුරු වසන් කිරිමට එරෙහිව. ඇමැතිවරු දෙන්නෙක් දැනගෙන හිටිය බව කියනවා.ආරක්ෂක ලේකම් දැනගෙන හිටියා. මේ තරම් දෙයක් වෙයි කියලා හිතුවේ නැහැලු. පොලිස්පතිවරයා දැන නොසිටියා කියන්න බැහැ. චක්‍රලේඛණය යැව්වේ පොලීසියෙන්. ජනවාරි 8 වැනිදා මේ විනාශය කරන්න යහපාලනය ගෙනාපු රාජ්‍ය නොවන සංවිධාන නඩයත් මේකට වගකියන්න වෙනවා. අද කෝ ඒ එන්. ජී. ඕ නඩය. 

මේ සිද්ධීයෙන් කියන්නේ ආන්ඩුවට සහාය දෙන අයගේ යෝජනා ක්‍රියාත්මක කරන බවයි. ජිනිවා වලට සහාය දෙන්නේ කොටි ඩයස්පෝරාවේ හා බටහිර වුවමනාවට. ආන්ඩුව පවත්වා ගෙන යන්නේ සමහර ජනවර්ගවල සහාය ඕනේ වෙනවා. විශ්වාස භාගයේදිදිනුවේ කොහොමද. හොයලා බලන්න. බහුතරය පෙන්නුවේ කොහොමද. හොයලා බලන්න. ඒ අයට අත තියන්න කැමැති නැහැ. නොරතුරු දැන ගෙන හිටියත් අත් අඩංගුවට ගන්න හෝ අත් අඩංගුවට ගන්න හැකියාවක් තිබුනේ නැහැ. එහෙම කළා නම් ආන්ඩුව වැටෙනවා. රට බිල්ලට දුන්න ආන්ඩුවක් ඉතිහිසයේ තියෙනවා නම් රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහගේ මේ ආන්ඩුවයි. අපරාධ නඩු විධාන සංග්‍රහය හා දණ්ඩ නිති සංග්‍රහයට අනුව මනුෂ්‍ය ඝාතනයට සහාය දුන්නේ කවුද කියලා හොයලා නඩු දාන්න. ත්‍රස්තවාදය වැලැක්වීමේ පනත, අපරාධ නඩු විධාන සංග්‍රහය, දණ්ඩ නිති සංග්‍රහය තියෙනවා. දැන් දේශපාලන සිරකරුවෝ කියලානේ කියන්නේ. එහෙම කියන්නේ ලක්ස්මන් කදිරගාමර්, ජෙයරාජ් ප්‍රනාන්දුපුල්ලේ මහත්වරුන්ට බෝම්බ ගහලා මරපු පිරිසට. මේ අයට සහාය ලැබෙන්නේ රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතාගේ පනත ගෙනාවොත් පමණයි. මේ උත්සාහ කරන්නේත්‍රස්තවාදින්ට උඩගෙඩි දීමට මිසක් ත්‍රස්තවාදය අවසන් කරන්න නෙවෙයි කියන දේ හොදින්ම පැහැදිලියි. 

මේ පනතේ 85න්, සන්නද්ධ හමුදා කැදවීම කරන්න වෙන්නේ මේවගේ අවස්ථාවකදී මහජන සාමය පවත්වා ගෙන යන්න බැරි බව පොලිස්පතිවරයා ප්‍රකාශ කලොත් විතරයි. මේ පොලිස්පති ඉන්න වෙලාවක මෙම්පනත අද තිබුණා නම් ජනාධිපතිතුමාට සන්නද්ධ හමුදාව කැදවන්න වෙන්නේ මේ විහිලුකාර පොලිස්පතිවරයා යටතෙයි. උසාවිවල නඩු කතා කරපු අපිව මෝඩයාට අන්දන්න ද යන්නේ.ජනතාව වගේම ජනතාවත් මුලා කරන්නයි හදන්නේ. බැරිකම හා නොහැකිව හැරෙන්න ිසිවක් අගමැතිගේ මුවින් පිට වෙන්නේ නැහැ. දැන් ඉන්නේ මාරපන විදේශ ඇමැතිවරයා. මේ ජායාරූප අරන් ගිහින් අපේ රටේ මානව හිමිකම් අහිමි වෙන හැටි පෙන්වන්න පුලුවන්. අපිට කටු ඔටුනු දාන්න එනවා වෙනුවට අපේ මානව හිමිකම් අහිමි වීම් දැකගන්න කියන්න පුලුවන්නේ. අපේ ජනතාව මියගියාම මැනව හිමිකම් වලට යන්න මැලිද කියලා අපි ආණ්ඩුවෙන් අහනවා. එහෙම කලොත් රණ විරුවන්ට” බුද්ධි අංශවලට ප්‍රශ්නයක් වෙන්නේ නැහැ.ප්‍රශ්නයක් වෙන්නේ අගමැතිතුමාටයි ඔහුව බලයේ තියාගන්න හදන අයටයි. මගේ තාත්තා කිව්වා. මම ගියේ නැහැ. කියන්නේ සාක්ෂි තමයි. තොරතුරු සැගවීම යටතේ නඩු පවරන්න පුලුවන්.  

■             ලෝකේ දරුණුම ත්‍රස්තවාදින් කියපු අයව, රටවල් 193ක් එක්ක සම්බන්ධකම් තිබුණු ධනවත්ම ම්ලේඡ්ඡ සංවිධානයක් අවුරුදු දෙකහමාරක් ඇතුළත පාලනය කලේ මේ ත්‍රස්තවාදය වැලැක්වීමේ පනතෙන්.  අගමැතිතුමාට ඒ පනතෙන් වැඩක් කරන්න බැහැලු. 

■             දැනගෙන පුරවැසියන් ගැන අනුකම්පාවක් නැතිව ඡන්ද පදනමට හානියක් නොවන විදියට වැඩ කිරීම නිසයි මේ ඛේදවාචකය වුනේ.

පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී කෙහෙළිය රඹුක්වැල්ල මහතා 

මෙවැනි අවස්ථාවක රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ අගමැතිවරයා හා ජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ හැසිරිම දිහා බැලුවම හිතෙන්නේ මේකියන කරුණු ඇත්තද කියලයි. මේකරුණු සත්‍යයද, ඇයි මෙහෙම හැසිරෙන්නේ. 2015 ජනවාරි 8 වැනිදා ජනතාවට අහසක් උසට බලාපොරොත්තු දිලා මේ ආන්ඩුව පත්කර ගත්තේ. තිස් අවුරුදු යුද්ධය අවසන් කරපු හමුදා සහ බුද්ධි අංශ වගේම මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ රජය ලෝකය ඉදිරියේ අවමානයට ලක්කිරිමයි සිද්ධ වුනේ. මානව හිමිකම් යෝජනාවේ සිට රටේ ස්ථාවරත්වය බාල්දු කිරීමට මොවුන් කටයුතු කරලා තියෙනවා. අතුරුදන්වූවන්ගේ පනත හරහා ගෙනයන වැඩපිළීවෙල වගේම ප්‍රතිත්‍රස්ත පනත කියන එක ගේන්න යන ගමන් කියන කතා බලන්න. ලෝකේ දරුණුම ත්‍රස්තවාදින් කියපු අයව, රටවල් 193ක් එක්ක සම්බන්ධකම් තිබුණු ධනවත්ම ම්ලේඡ්ඡ සංවිධානයක් අවුරුදු දෙකහමාරක් ඇතුළත පාලනය කලේ මේ ත්‍රස්තවාදය වැලැක්වීමේ පනතෙන්. ජිනීවා වලට දුන්න පොරොන්දුවක් මේ ඉටු කරන්නේ. ඒ වගේම ත්‍රස්තවාදියෙක් අල්ලගත්ත ගමන් මානව හිමිකම් කොමිෂමට දැන්වීම වගේම නිතිපති දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවට අධීචෝදනා නැගීම වසර 10ක් පමා කරන්න පුලුවුන්. දේශපාලන වශයෙන් ඛේදනිය තත්ත්වයකට මේ වෙද්දි රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතා මුහුණ දිලා තියෙනවා. වොක්ස්වැගන් සිට සාවද්‍ය තොරතුරුයි කිව්වේ. සීතලයි කියලා කියන යුද්ධයක් එජාපයේ තියෙනවා. එහි දුර්වල තැනකයි රනිල් අගමැතිවරයා ඉන්නේ. ඔහුගේ ස්ථාවරය ඇති කර ගන්න නම් මෙම්සිද්ධිය වෙස් වලාගත්ත ආශිර්වාදයක් විදියට යොදා ගන්න උත්සාහයකයි ඉන්නේ. මේ වනවිටත් විදේශිය හමුදාවන් මෙරටට ඇවිත්. සිරියාවේ හිටපු අගමැතිවරයා පවත්වා ගෙන යන මුවාවෙන් කරන විනාශයයි අද සිරියාවේ දකින්න තියෙන්නේ. එවැනි විනාශයක් වුනත් තනතුර ආරක්ෂා කරගැනීමයි රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහය අවශ්‍ය. මේ ප්‍රහාරය සම්බන්ධයෙන් ආරක්ෂක අංශ හා පාලකයින් දැනුවත් නැති බව කියන්න පුලුවන්ද. පවතින පාලනයට ඇලුම් කරන අයට වුනත් හෘද සාක්ෂියෙන් අහලා බලන්න පුලුවන්. දැනගෙන පුරවැසියන් ගැන අනුකම්පාවක් නැතිව ඡන්ද පදනමට හානියක් නොවන විදියට වැඩ කිරීම නිසයි මේ ඛේදවාචකය වුනේ. මේ ඛේදවාචකය කොහොන් කොහොම නැවත ඇරfඹිදිද කියන්න බැහැ. 

දෙමුහුන් ආණ්ඩුව රජය නම් රජය එකිනෙකාට චෝදනා කරන්න බැහැ. ආරක්ෂක මණ්ඩලයට මාස 6ක් තිස්සේ කැදවුයේ නැත්නම් ඒක පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට කියන්න තිබුණා. වෙන දෙයක් වෙන්න කියලා බලන් හිටියා. අපි ඒකාබද්ධ විපක්ෂය විදියට අපිට හැකි උපරිම පරිත්‍යාගයක් කරමින් නැවත නගා සිටුවීම්වලට සහාය දෙනවා. අපි දැවැන්තම මැයි රැළිය කරන්න සූදානමින් සිටියා. නමුත් මේ තත්ත්වය මත අපිට මැයි දින රැළිය පවත්වන්න වෙන්නේ නැහැ. 

■             ත්‍රස්තවාදයක් තුරන් කරපු හමුදාවක් බුද්ධි අංශයක් හිටපු රටක් වෙලත් අගමැතිතුමාට ජාත්‍යන්තරය තමයි විශ්වාස.

■             මේ සම්මත කරගන්න හදන පනත තිබිලාද 30 වසරක යුද්ධය අවසන් කලේ. තිබුණු නිතියයි, හැකියාව හා නායකත්වය තිබිලයි යුද්ධය අවසන් කලේ. මීට වැඩි පනතක් ගෙනාවත් මේ ආන්ඩුවට කවදාවත්ම බැහැ. මේක නොහැකියාව.

■             අල්හාජ් මොහොමඞ් ඉබ්‍රහිම් අපේ ජාතික ලයිස්තුවේ ඉබ්‍රහිම් හිටියා නම් මොකද වෙන්නේ.

පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී රෝහිත අබේගුණවර්ධන මහතා 

මේ අවස්ථාවේ රටේ වගකීම දරණ ආන්ඩුවේ අගමැතිතුමාගේ හැසිරීම රටම බලා සිටිනවා. ගිය ඉරිදා බෝම්බ ප්‍රහාරය එල්ල වුනා. කතෝලික දේවස්ථාන වගේම හෝටල්වලට බෝම්බ ප්‍රහාරය එල්ල වෙද්දි අගමැතිතුමා හිටියේ කොහෙද කියලා අපි දන්නේ නැහැ.නමුත් බෝම්බ ප්‍රහාරයේ ශබ්දයෙන් දැන් එතුමා කම්පනයට පත්වෙලා. යම් අනතුරක් වුනාම ඒ කම්පනයෙන් කරන්නේ මොනවාද කියලා දන්නේ නැහැ. විදේශීය හමුදාවන් ගෙනත් මේ සම්බන්ධයෙන් හොයන්න පුදුම වුවමානවක් තියෙන්නේ. ත්‍රස්තවාදයක් තුරන් කරපු හමුදාවක් බුද්ධි අංශයක් හිටපු රටක් වෙලත් ජාත්‍යන්තරය තමයි එතුමාට විශ්වාස. මේ ඊළග තුරුම්පුව. මේ තුළින් විදේශීය හමුදාවන් ගෙන්වා ගෙන රට තළ අස්ථාවරභාවයක් තියෙන්නේ කියලා මේ ආන්ඩුවම ගෙනියන්නයි හදන්නේ. අගමැතිතුමනි මේ සම්මත කරගන්න හදන පනත තිබිලාද 30 වසරක යුද්ධය අවසන් කලේ. තිබුණු නිතියයි, හැකියාව හා නායකත්වය තිබිලයි යුද්ධය අවසන් කලේ. මීට වැඩි පනතක් ගෙනාවත් මේ ආන්ඩුවට කවදාවත්ම බැහැ. මේක නොහැකියාව. තමන්ට රට ආරක්ෂා කරගන්න බැරි බව එතුමා පිළීගන්න වෙනවා. 

දිගන සිද්ධයේදී මාධ්‍ය වාර්තා කළා දිලුම් අමුණුගම මන්ත්‍රීවරයාව පැය 18ක් ප්‍රශ්න කිරිම ගැන.  මොන විදියකින් හරි දේශපාලන දඩයමක් කර ගන්නයි බැලුවේ..මේ සිද්ධි දෙක අහසයි පොළවයි වගේ. ආන්ඩුවේ අයගේ නම් තුනක් ප්‍රසිද්ධියේ කියැවෙනවා. එක රිෂාඩි බදියුදීන්. දෙක අසාත් සාලි ආන්ඩුකාරවරයා. තුන මුජිබර් රහුමාන්. අද වෙනතුරු මොවුන්ගෙන් එක ප්‍රශ්නයක් ඇහුවද. ඒ ඡන්ද මල්ලට. ගෙනත් ප්‍රශ්න කලොත් ඔවුන් ඡන්දෙ දෙන්නේ නැහැ. ආන්ඩුව ඉවරයි. දේශපාලන පොතෙන් සිද්ධිය වැහෙනවා. ජවිපේ නායක අනුර කුමාර දිසානායක කට අල් කරගෙන ඒක වුනේ කොහොමද. කියලා කියනවා. ඒ අනුර කුමාර දිසානයක නායකයාගෙන් අපි අහන්නේ එතුමාලාගේ ජාතික ලයිස්තුවේ 11 වැනියා අල්හාජ් මොහොමඞ් ඉබ්‍රහිම්. අපේ ජාතික ලයිස්තුවේ ඉබ්‍රහිම් හිටියා නම් මොකද වෙන්නේ. දැන් කියනවා එතුමාට සම්මානයක් මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහත්තයා දීලාලු. එතුමාලාගේ ජාතික ලයිස්තුවට දාන්නේ මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහත්තයා සම්මාන දුන්න අයද. මේ කන්න ඕනේ වුනාම කඹරගොයා තලගොයා කර ගන්න උන්නැහැලා ටිකක්. මේවාට වගකියන්න ඕනේ නොහැකියාව තියෙන රූකඩ පාලකයින් රටට දායාද කරපු ජනතා විමුක්ති පෙරමුණත්. රාජ්‍ය ආරක්ෂාව බිංදුවට දාලා අද වැඩිය ශබ්ද නැහැ. මාධ්‍ය ඉස්සරහට වැඩිය එන්නෙත් නැහැ. මහානායක හාමුදුරුවෝ ප්‍රකාශ කළා චෝදනා විරහිතව ඉන්න බුද්ධී අංශ නිලධාරින් නිදහස් කරන්න කියලා. රට අස්ථාවර කරන ස්වාධිනත්වය නැති කරන තින්දුවක් ගත්තා නම් ඒ මංගල සමරවිර තමයි. අපේ ගෙවල්වල දරු පැටව් ඉන්නවානේ සමරවිරට පැවැත්මක් නැති වුනාට. බුද්ධි අංශය විනාශ කිරීමේ වගකිමත් මේ රජය ගන්න වෙනවා. රජය බලයට පත්වුනු දා ඉදන් බුද්ධි අංශවල චිත්ත ධෛර්යය වැටෙන දේ කලේ. අපි කියන්නේ මේ ආන්ඩුවට ඉදිරියට යන්න බැහැ. රටේ ආර්ථිකයත් දැන් කඩා වැටිලා. සංචාරයට එන්න හිටපු සංචාරකයෝ සියල්ල අවලංගු කරලා. මිනිස්සු රුකියාවට එන්නේ නැහැ. 

GREG SHERIDAN FOREIGN EDITOR Courtesy The Australian

In every one of these terrorist atrocities there is something new, some lesson to prepare us better to prevent the next one, and to try to break the syndrome. With 359 now confirmed dead in Sri Lanka, this is one of the biggest single terror attacks in history. Two moments, before the carnage, were striking. One of the bombers, walking towards the church where he was to commit mass murder, paused for a nanosecond to pat a child on the head. Another bomber lined up at the breakfast buffet in the hotel where he was to commit mass murder, waiting to be served.

Both the terrorists looked completely calm. There was not the feverish agitation and nervousness that fictional presentations of suicide bombers typically present. Boffins talk of the martyrdom mindset” , which Islamist terror leaders can instil in followers, the gripping conviction that what they are doing is right and will be rewarded. It indicates the tenacious power of the extreme Islamist ideology that lies behind these atrocities.

Everything about these murders suggests the strength of the underlying belief system. There has been no serious hostility between Christians and Muslims in Sri Lanka. Muslims make up a little under 10 per cent of the nation’s population, Christians a bit less than that. The attacks on Christian churches and five-star cosmopolitan hotels instead reflect the agenda of Islamic State and al-Qa’ida .

Both these terror groups hate the West and very specifically hate Christianity. Islamic State has now claimed responsibility for the attacks and released a photo of a group of men, allegedly the bombers, of whom only one has his face uncovered, pledging allegiance to the group. It would seem impossible that a Sri Lankan Islamist group with no previous experience in mass terrorism could organise such a big, sophisticated attack on its own.

If it does turn out Islamic State was involved, it is not so remarkable that it was able to get its Sri Lankan adherents to attack targets even where there was no previous local hostility. After all, Islamist groups have got terror attacks organised in such peaceful countries as Canada and motivated attempted attacks in equally peaceful Australia. The news that one of the bombers had studied in Australia will lead to intense investigation of his experience and associates here.

While it is right to try to probe and understand the path young men take to radicalisation, the key factor really is the powerful ideology the Islamists propagate. It is hateful and full of falsehood but it contains an inner logic and a compelling though fraudulent narrative.

Islamic State claims the attack was revenge for the Christchurch killings. We surely should not credit everything it says. And it seems impossible that such a big operation could have been organised from scratch in little over a month. However, if Islamic State attributes the attack to Christchurch, the propaganda effect is the same as if it really was a response to Christchurch.

Still, is it possible that Christchurch was the motivation for the Sri Lanka attacks? The answer is no, but it is still possible Christchurch played a critical role. Islamic State does not need any new specific motivation to carry out murderous attacks. Islamic State, al-Qa’ida and other Islamist groups have been doing so for decades. However, it is possible the Christchurch atrocity played into the psychology of motivating a goodly number of young men with sufficient hatred that they would go to the extreme of suicide bombing. All extremists feed off each other.

The other feature that suggests the power of ideology is that at least some of the bombers were very well educated, high achievers. It is absurd to attribute any of their motivation to social disadvantage or alienation as normally understood.

Another striking feature of the past few days was the Sri Lankan government’s decision early on to shut down social media after the bombings had occurred. Concerns about censorship are understandable but this was a prudent decision and probably designed to protect Sri Lanka’s Muslim community.

There had been some anti-Muslim abuse and violence against property last year carried out by extreme nationalist Buddhist groups. Social media played a key role in transforming rumours and lies into physical violence.

This is common in many parts of the Third World especially. An accusation against some group is made of conduct that touches some especially sensitive religious or communal nerve. The accusation is then magnified in the dishonesty and hysteria of social media. Someone issues a call to action and someone else publishes the addresses of individuals in the targeted group. And then you can very easily get deadly mob violence.

This shocking sequence of events has also led people to question whether Sri Lanka is peculiarly disposed towards violence and communal conflict. The long civil war between the Hindu Tamil Tigers and the predominantly Buddhist Sinhalese government was indeed very savage. The Tigers pioneered suicide bombers and child terrorists.

But this latest violence involves neither Buddhists nor Hindus. I think it is a gross defamation of Sri Lanka to suggest it remains uniquely prone to large-scale violence. Like many Australians, I have spent time in Sri Lanka I travelled to different regions within the country and found nothing but hospitality, kindness and friendship.

The civil war ended 10 years ago and Sri Lanka has been at peace — not perfect and not without problems, but at peace — for the past decade. There is only one way the civil war and its aftermath may have played into this terrorist outrage.

When the war ended, Sri Lankans yearned for a normal life in which security concerns played a much smaller role. The previous government was thought to overemphasise the security state when the threat had passed, and so a new government moved to de-emphasise security. This doesn’t explain the shocking failure to act on Indian and US intelligence that an Islamist terror attack was likely. It does show there is no country on earth that can ignore this threat.

It is a gross defamation to suggest Sri Lanka remains uniquely prone to largescale violence

Courtesy Shanghai Daily

AS Sri Lanka’s civil war ended in this once-contested region along its eastern coast, Muslim women eager to show their piousness began wearing the black veil to hide their faces.

Now in the wake of Easter suicide attacks by Islamic State group-linked militants that killed over 250 people, Sri Lanka’s president has used his emergency powers to ban the practice previously unheard of in the island nation off the southern coast of India.

The ban, which took effect yesterday, has been touted as a security measure. However, it criminalizes a practice associated with an ultraconservative form of Islam, one that more closely adheres to the strict beliefs common in Saudi Arabia.

It also focuses public attention on women who practice their religious beliefs peacefully, while the government and foreign diplomats say IS-linked militants armed with explosives still roam the island.

As we have seen in Afghanistan and elsewhere, Muslim women will become a convenient cover for military action,” wrote Nimmi Gowrinathan, a professor at the City College of New York. Sri Lanka’s pain from the Easter attacks should not be used to promote failed policies.”

The niqab is a black veil made of thin fabric, often with a small opening from which a woman’s eyes can peer out. It’s far more concealing than the hijab, a scarf covering the hair that some Muslim women wear. Most Islamic scholars and experts say a woman is not religiously required to cover her face with a niqab.

However, strictly orthodox Sunni Muslims known as Salafists who advocate a literal return to centuries-old Islamic law believe women must cover their faces.

Such ideas previously were unknown in Kattankudy, a city 220 kilometers northeast of the capital, Colombo. But gradually, foreign money and ideas have entered the area.

The population grew more conservative, reflected in the current construction here of a massive copy of Jerusalem’s famed Al Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam. The alleged mastermind of the Easter bombings, Mohammed Zahran, also preached an increasingly extremist version of Islam in Kattankudy glorifying the killing of nonbelievers.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe acknowledged that authorities wanted to investigate the role of foreign money in the Easter attacks, saying in particular that money from Saudi Arabia had been going to religious organizations.

Saudi Arabia or the Middle East has been the source of many of those funds and some of it has gone into these extreme organizations,” Wickremesinghe said. These are what we are investigating.”

The Saudi government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

However, the niqab ban wouldn’t have stopped the suicide bombings of the three churches and three hotels on Easter, as all were carried out by men. But some Muslim women acknowledged the need to follow the government’s laws amid the ongoing crisis.

It’s good (the ban on face covering) but some people will feel some hurt because that’s the Islamic culture,” Fathima Musthaque said. When they are dressing (without covering their face), they get a guilty feeling. All Muslims are not a terrorist. The terrorists are doing this kind of work and it has affected all.”

REBECCA SPEARE-COLE Courtesy Evening Standard

Sri Lankan Christian devotees pray in Colombo, a week after a series of bomb blasts targeting churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka ( AFP/Getty Images )

Sri Lankan security officials have warned that Islamist militantsbehind Easter Sunday’s suicide bombings are planning further attacks and could be dressed in military uniform.

Security sources say the militants were targeting five locations for attacks today, as the archbishop of Colombo complained about insufficient security around churches.

In a letter to the government and officials on Monday the head of the police ministerial security division said: “There could be another wave of attacks.”

“The relevant information further notes that persons dressed in military uniforms and using a van could be involved in the attacks.”

There were no attacks on Sunday and security across Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka has been ramped up.

Scores of suspected Islamists have been arrested since the April 21 attacks on hotels and churches that killed more than 250 people, including 40 foreign nationals.

The government has also banned women from wearing face veils under an emergency law that was put in place after the attacks.

There were concerns within the Muslim community that the ban could fuel tensions in the multi-ethnic nation.

But government officials said it would help security forces identify people as a hunt for any remaining attackers and their support network continues across the Indian Ocean island.

The Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Ranjith, said that security had not been sufficiently stepped up around churches.

We are not satisfied with the security arrangements and urge authorities to ensure our safety,” he told reporters.

Authorities suspect members of two little known groups – National Thawheedh Jamaath (NTJ) and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim – of carrying out the Easter attacks, though Islamic State has claimed responsibility.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said a tight-knit group of people was involved, mostly close friends and families. They spoke face-to-face, possibly to evade electronic surveillance.

“They were small enough that they were not using normal communications, instead meeting each other,” Wickremesinghe told Reuters.

He added the coordinated bombings, the type of explosives used and the tightly guarded plot suggested the bombers had guidance.

“ISIS has claimed, we also felt there has to be some international links,” he said, referring to Islamic State.

Authorities believe Zahran Hashim, the founder of NTJ, was the mastermind and one of the nine suicide bombers.

One military source told Reuters that five sets of white attire commonly worn by Buddhists when visiting temples were recovered from a safe house in the east, the site of a gun battle on Friday that killed Zahranâ’s father and his two brothers.

His wife and daughter escaped an explosion with minor injuries, hospital staff and police said.

Susan Ormiston · CBC News ·

Security officials trying to root out any remaining members of extremist group

Susan Ormiston · CBC News · Posted: Apr 29, 2019 5:00 PM ET | Last Updated: an hour ago

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe acknowledges that ‘the government machinery was faulty’ and warnings from intelligence agencies were not implemented before the Easter Sunday attacks. (Lily Martin/CBC)

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe vows his country can eliminate the threats extremists pose following the Easter Sunday attacks but admits his greatest immediate fear is that a “lone ranger” may evade authorities and blow himself up in a public place.

“The organization is broken, people are on the run,” he told CBC News in a wide-ranging interview, “but some of them do have explosives and someone may out of desperation do an act.”

Wickremesinghe said that for the next few days or weeks, he worries most that one of those individuals may not turn up in surveillance inquiries or isn’t detained before acting independently.

“My fear is that one of the guys on the run, the lone ranger, doesn’t appear and decides to … commit suicide by blasting himself in public”

Sri Lankan security officials warned lawmakers recently there could be other attacks and militants may be dressed in uniforms and using a van. A letter seen by Reuters News said there could be “another wave of attacks Sunday or Monday.”

Security and army officials are sweeping the country trying to root out any remaining members of the extremist group, which killed more than 250 people on Easter Sunday in six separate attacks.

In Negombo Monday, an army truck pulled up in front of a small supermarket. About a dozen soldiers jumped out, lining the street as five others entered the shop.

Security forces gather outside a supermarket in Negombo on Monday after searching the premises and questioning staff. (Lily Martin/CBC)

With the entire country on edge, staff at an international hotel across the street watched with worried expressions. At least one man was questioned, his identity details recorded before the authorities left the scene.

“The nets are closing in and let’s hope and pray that the security forces succeed,” Wichremesinghe told the CBC during the half-hour interview Sunday at his official residence, Temple Trees, in central Colombo.

“Then we’ve got to put into effect measures to ensure it doesn’t happen again, that information comes to be acted upon.”

Leaders criticized

The prime minister and President Maithripala Sirisena have come under intense criticism for mishandling repeated warnings from intelligence agencies, notably Indian, that an attack might be imminent.

“The security warnings were issued by the Ministry of Defence to the relevant security agencies and the circulars went down,” Wickremesinghe said. “The real issue is why were they not implemented.”

Wickremesinghe said that is being investigated.

Catholic churches across Sri Lanka remain closed and the archbishop of Sri Lanka decreed no public mass on Sunday following the leak of a security document that stated churches were a major target a week after the Easter Sunday attacks. (Lily Martin/CBC)

But pressed as to why, as prime minister, he did not know about repeated serious warnings, he accepted accountability.

“My being aware is separate from the fact that the security system had failed to implement it — some of them didn’t take it seriously.

“But yes, we have to acknowledge the fact that the government machinery was faulty.”

A personal and political rift between the prime minister and the president is being blamed by many Sri Lankans for undermining national security. The president fired the prime minister last year but was forced to reinstate him after pressure from the Supreme Court. An election is expected before year’s end.

‘Cohabitation governments’

Questioned about the ongoing feud and its possible effect on national security, Wickremesinghe said: “Look, we have cohabitation governments. You all have had coalition governments. You know how it is.

“The fact is all that has strained our cohabitation government would not have mattered if the relevant instructions were carried out and implemented properly. If the tourist hotels were aware, if the churches were aware.”

Worshippers arriving at Mount Lavinia Mosque in Colombo face a security check before being allowed to enter for Friday prayers on April 26, 2019. Muslim leaders had urged people to pray at home amid fears of retaliatory violence. (Lily Martin/CBC)

Sri Lankan Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith criticized top leaders in government for feuding during the crisis.

“At a time when the whole country has been affected by a major catastrophe, politicians should stop finding fault with each other,” he said.

• Faith leaders in Sri Lanka fear reprisals but vow to unite country after Easter Sunday attacks

The economic impact of the attacks could cripple the tourism industry — at least for awhile.

Sri Lanka’s Tourism Bureau warned Monday that tourist arrivals in Colombo could drop by 50 per cent over the next two months, with 30 per cent fewer travellers predicted in other parts of the country, according to chairman Kishu Gomes.

‘Look at the travel advisories’

But the prime minister predicted a smaller impact long-term. Sri Lanka is in its low tourist season. He could not, however, firmly recommend that travellers come now.

“We aren’t saying not to come. Neither are we pushing them to come. It’s up to them to look at the travel advisories.

“You have to take your own decision but in the next few weeks we will stabilize the situation and then we can look forward to the next tourist season in August.”

Damage from the blast surrounds a statue of St. Jude at St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo. More than 100 people were killed here in the terrorist attack on Easter Sunday. (Lily Martin/CBC)

In an otherwise dark week, Wickremesinghe said he took relief from the fact there was not significant community backlash causing more violence in the critical first three days after the attacks.

But he shook his head sadly, saying: “It’s been terrible.” People are angry and worried, recalling the ongoing violence and corresponding security measures during Sri Lanka’s nearly three decades of civil war that ended in 2009.

• ‘They have no humanity’: This woman lost her parents to Sri Lanka’s deadliest blast

“We’ve gone through this before so let’s get into it, but let’s hope we get out of it quickly. I certainly don’t want 30 years to take place before the end of this,” said Wickremesinghe.

“We are not on the sidelines of jihadi terrorism. We’re in the middle of it. We are the last of our region to suffer this. India has had it, Pakistan has had it, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka has now been affected. But we want to root it out.”

WATCH | The full interview with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe:

CBC News’They are on the run’ WATCH00:00 21:15Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe discusses the ongoing search for suspects associated with the Easter Sunday suicide attacks that killed more than 250 people and the possibility of another attack in an interview with CBC’s Susan Ormiston. 21:15

by Eyal Zisser / Israel Hayom / JNS.org

The jihadist war being waged by radical Islamist groups across the globe has never stopped at the gates of holy sites and places of worship. Indeed, worshipers in these places have become legitimate and convenient targets for jihadists in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia — as we learned from the recent massacre in Sri Lanka, and in recent years in Europe as well.

Minority communities, mostly Christians, are persecuted in large portions of the Islamic world, and the tolerance once shown to Jews and Christians has now been replaced by extremism, threatening the continued existence of Christianity and other religions in these places. Some 70 years after the end of Jewish life in Iraq and Syria due to persecution and expulsions, the Middle East’s Christian community is now disappearing.

The Islamic State has engaged in the systematic destruction of churches in the territories it has held, but churches are attacked and often burned as a matter of routine in other Arab and Muslim countries, which are struggling, despite the efforts of their rulers, to protect their Christian minorities. The extremists also destroy mosques that don’t share their radical views and have targeted them in hundreds of attacks within the framework of jihad.

In light of these attacks, Europe’s voice has barely been heard. Due to their desire to maintain political correctness, European governments have failed to stand in defense of Christian and other communities in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, out of fear they will be perceived as enemies of Islam.

APRIL 29, 2019 3:26 PM0

New York Times Is ‘Cesspool,’ Israeli Ambassador to US Says

Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, has called The New York Times a cesspool of hostility towards Israel.” In remarks…

It’s interesting to note that radical Islam has found a partner in the form of the neo-Nazi far-right, whose members are behind hate crimes against Jewish synagogues, but also against Muslim mosques, the most recent case being in New Zealand. In the Israeli context, these two camps are joined by the far-left, which is flooding Europe with a tidal wave of anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiment.

Jihad, however, made its way to European shores a while ago. It has been reported in recent years that in France alone, many churches have been attacked by extremists, the majority of them Muslim. The authorities in Europe are silent on this too. They apparently believe the most effective way to contend with extremism and terrorism is to ignore and contain it, in the hope that it will simply disappear.

The question of Europe’s approach to radical Islam has resurfaced in the wake of the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, one of France’s most important historical and religious symbols. The reason for the blaze is still unknown, and it could be that a technical mishap — the site was under renovation — was behind the fire.

Yet it was fascinating to see the outrage in Europe toward anyone who hinted at the possibility of arson, perhaps by extremists. No one is allowed to suggest this possibility, despite the track record of church attacks. This is also the approach, particularly in France, to any terrorist attack that takes place on the continent, where the jihadist aspect is blurred and disregarded.

Europe still believes that burying its head in the sand is the best way to cope with the challenge posed by radical Islam, but time and again we see that denying the existence of a problem doesn’t solve it.

We can assume the problem will only worsen in light of Europe’s failure to absorb the waves of Muslim immigration to the continent. These immigrants currently represent less than five percent of the entire population of Europe, but that could spike due to low natural birth rates among native Europeans. And the ratio of Muslims in some large European cities, such as Paris or Brussels, is already around 20 percent or higher. An effort to absorb these immigrants and accommodate them across the continent — while also fighting radical Islam with determination — is the order of the day, but in Europe, no one is ready to acknowledge this challenge, let alone tackle it.

Eyal Zisser is a lecturer in the Middle East History Department at Tel Aviv University. A version of this column first appeared in Israel Hayom.

By Samiha Nettikkara Courtesy BBC

A ban on face coverings in public has come into effect in Sri Lanka, following a series of suicide attacks on Easter Sunday, in which at least 250 people were killed.

Any face garment that “hinders identification” was being banned to ensure national security, the office of President Maithripala Sirisena said.

• Sri Lanka attacks: Face coverings banned
• Hijab, niqab, burka: Guide to Muslim headscarves

Those who support the ban say it’s vital for public safety and encourages assimilation of ethnic and religious minorities.

But rights groups say it discriminates against Muslim women, some of whom view these garments as a religious obligation.

Where else in the world has adopted similar bans?

Europe

France was the first European country to ban the full-face Islamic veil in public places, in 2011.

The ban was upheld by the European Court of Human Rights in July 2014.

A ban against a full-face veil led to protests in Denmark when it came into effect, in August 2018. The law says that “anyone who wears a garment that hides the face in public” will have to pay 1,000 krone (£118; $157), with fines 10 times higher for repeat offenders.

The Senate in the Netherlands passed a law in June 2018 banning face coverings in public buildings such as schools and hospitals, and on public transport. It does not apply on public streets.

In Germany it’s illegal to have any face coverings while driving. Germany’s lower house of parliament has also approved a partial ban for judges, civil servants and soldiers. Women wearing a full-face veil are also required to uncover their faces for identification purposes.

A ban on full-face veils in public spaces such as courts and schools came into force in Austria in October 2017.

A law banning the full-face veil came into effect in Belgium in July 2011. The law bans any clothing that obscures the identity of the wearer in places such as parks and on the street.

A bill was passed in Norway in June 2018 banning clothing covering the face from being worn at educational institutions.

Bulgaria‘s parliament passed a bill in 2016 to fine and cut the benefits of women who cover their faces in public.

There are also some restrictions in Luxembourg, in specific public locations such as hospitals, courts and public buildings.

Some European countries have bans in specific cities or regions.

This includes Italy, where several towns have bans on face-covering veils, including Novara, run by the anti-immigration Northern League, which imposed its ban in 2010.

In Spain, the city of Barcelona announced a ban on face coverings in 2010, in some public spaces such as municipal offices, public markets and libraries.

Face veils are also banned in public areas in some regions of Switzerland.

Africa

In 2015, multiple suicide bombings by women wearing full-face veils in the region prompted full-face coverings to be banned in public places in Chad, Gabon, Cameroon‘s northern region, Niger‘s Diffa region and the Republic of Congo.

In Algeria, public officials have been banned from wearing full-face veils in the workplace since October 2018.

China

The wearing of veils in public places – and “abnormally” long beards – are prohibited in China’s Xinjiang region.

Xinjiang is home to ethnic Uighur Muslims, who say they face discrimination.

The region has seen violent clashes, which the government blames on Islamist militants

Written by Deeptiman Tiwary |New Delhi Courtesy The Indian Express

Investigators, meanwhile, suspect that Hashim broke away from the Lanka-based National Thowheeth Jamaath, which has been blamed for the blasts, to form his own outfit recently.

INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES are tracking over a dozen men from Tamil Nadu and Kerala whose phone numbers were found in the Call Detail Records (CDRs) of Zaharan Hashim, the suspected mastermind behind the Easter Sunday blasts in Sri Lanka, a security official told The Indian Express.

Hashim is believed to have spent close to three months in India, possibly from late last year, and the CDRs pertain to this period and the months since his return to Lanka, the official said. Hashim was among the group of suicide bombers that targeted churches and hotels across Sri Lanka, killing over 250 people.

On Monday, as part of its probe into Hashim’s India links, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested one of the three men from Kerala, who were detained Sunday, on suspicion of being an Islamic State (IS) recruit and for conspiring to commit a terrorist act”.

The agency identified the man arrested as Palakkad resident Riyas Abubakar alias Abu Dujana. He has disclosed that he has been following speeches/videos of Zaharan Hashim… for more than a year and has also followed the speeches of (Islamic preacher) Zakir Naik. He admitted that he wanted to carry out a suicide attack in Kerala,” NIA IG Alok Mittal said.

Investigators, meanwhile, suspect that Hashim broke away from the Lanka-based National Thowheeth Jamaath, which has been blamed for the blasts, to form his own outfit recently.

The group was named Nation of Thowheeth Jamaath, perhaps alluding to the idea of a Caliphate. He got around 35 young men to join him. The suspicion is that it is these people who carried out the attack,” a security official said. The NTJ had issued a statement condemning the blasts.

On Sunday, the NIA arrested Riyas after raiding his house in connection with the 2016 case of 22 Kerala youths leaving for Afghanistan to join the IS — and found that he was allegedly in touch with one among that group.

He has disclosed that he has been in online contact with absconding accused Abdul Rashid Abdulla @ Abu Isa for a long time and has been following his audio clips, including the clip which he had circulated on social media instigating others to carry out terror attacks in India,” an NIA statement said. Abdulla is believed to be in Afghanistan.

According to the NIA, Riyas was also chatting online with Abdul Khayoom alias Abu Khalid who was believed to be in Syria”. Khayoom is an accused in the IS case from Valapattanam linked to the group that left for Afghanistan.

Sources said the Hashim video with Riyas was similar to the one retrieved from the phones of six IS suspects detained in Coimbatore last September. In the video, Hashim is seen asking Muslims to join his cause of forming an Islamic Wilaya (province) in the region,” sources said.

The Coimbatore case was transferred to the NIA last December, and the agency found the video while drafting the chargesheet this year.
The suspect had deleted the video, which was retrieved by forensic experts. The input was shared with the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), which developed it and gave Sri Lanka the specific input on April 4 of an impending attack,” an intelligence official said.

Apart from Riyas in Palakkad, the NIA searched the houses of two others in Kasaragod for their suspected links with the group that left for Afghanistan — some of them via Sri Lanka and Iran.

Apart from the Hashim video, the NIA claimed to have recovered several digital devices, including mobile phones, SIM cards, memory cards, pen drives, diaries with handwritten notes in Arabic and Malayalam, DVDs of Dr Zakir Naik, besides untitled DVDs, CDs with religious speeches, books of Dr Zakir Naik and Syed Kutheb”.

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | BALA CHAUHAN

 This NIA had registered a case in July 2016 after 15 youths has fled away to ISIS. (Representional Image)

Bengaluru: Kerala may reportedly have been the next destination of suicide attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq & Syria (ISIS) homegrown cadres in the southern state, who were reportedly radicalised by the Sri Lanka suicide bomber Hashim Zafran and fugitive preacher Zakir Naik. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested Riyas A. alias Riyas Aboobacker alias Abu Dujana (29), a resident of Palakkad, Kerala in Kasargod in the ISIS (RC No. 02/2016/NIA/KOC) case for conspiring to execute terrorist attacks in Kerala.

Riyas was reportedly inspired by Hashim and Naik. He was in contact with absconding accused Abdul Rashid Abdulla alias Abu Isa for a long time and has been following his audio clips including the clip, which he had circulated on social media platform instigating others to carry out terrorist attacks in India,” said the NIA spokesperson IGP Alok Mittal. Riyas was in touch with Abdul Khayoom alias Abu Khalid, who was also involved  in Valapattanam ISIS case and is believed to be in Syria.

The NIA had earlier received inputs that a group of four persons has been in contact with Abdul Rashid, Ashfaq Majeed, Abdul Khayoom and others, who had earlier migrated to Afghanistan and Syria. After verification, NIA carried out searches at three places (two in Kasaragod and one in Palakkad). Three group members have been interrogated for their ISIS links and their plans.

This NIA had registered a case in July 2016 after 15 youths has fled away to ISIS. Out of them 14 people went to Afghanistan and one person to Syria so far. 

Movement Against Radicalism Courtesy Ceylon Today

The Easter Sunday attacks that took place in Colombo and other parts of the country are being condemned in no uncertain terms. As Muslims living in this country and innumerable generations before us from time immemorial, we, (a large and representative group of Muslim women), condemn these dastardly acts perpetrated on our fellow citizens and the visitors to our country, all of them innocent and unfortunate victims of radical terrorism.

It’s sad on the one hand and unforgivable on the other that, those who claim to be leaders of the Muslim community, as well as a majority of the Muslim politicians from various political parties, did not address the issues that were looming; they did nothing to stem, nay eliminate totally, the growth and rise of Islamic radicalism in this paradise island, Sri Lanka. They were only concerned with their political growth and gain, to the detriment of the healthy growth and gain of the community, Muslims who should be exemplary citizens in a democratic country such as ours. Thus, these so-called leaders now condemning the violence that was perpetrated is paying mere lip service, and akin to closing the stable doors after the horses have bolted.

Today, all Muslims in the country have to bow their heads in shame.

Meanwhile, we wish to categorically state that no Muslim organisation operating in Sri Lanka, comprising males or females or a mix of both as members, can claim to be the representatives of the entire Muslim community. Such claims made in the Media are utterly ludicrous! We have no single body that can make such a claim, period.  We have no leaders we can look up to, be it on the religious or political front. It’s about time that such organisations and individuals shed their claims of leadership, as a majority of the community don’t subscribe to their ideologies or dictates.  

Muslims (from various segments, all of who practise Islam) have lived throughout in peace and harmony with people of other ethnicities and religions, each respecting the others’ faiths and cultures. Granted that there have been occasional conflicts in the past; however, none of them had been due to radicalism. Rather, those had been local conflicts that had been contained by the application of the law, and order restored. While reiterating that Muslims have no individual or organisation that could claim to be the representative of the community at large, we request such persons or bodies to look inward and do some serious soul searching, to ascertain why their so-called leadership is questionable.

We are a movement working to uplift the less fortunate segment of our community, a daunting task, as we receive no funds locally or from overseas for the humanitarian work we carry out, silently, and sans any claims of leadership. We have only one being to look up to, the Almighty, the One above! We pray for the souls lost due to radical terrorism and wish those injured a speedy recovery. Sadly though, they will live the rest of their lives with mental trauma.

(Movement Against Radicalism)

Yohan Perera Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Amending the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) was better than bringing in a new Counter-Terrorism Act (CTA), Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said today.

The Cardinal said this in response to a statement made by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday that the Easter Sunday bombings could have been averted had the Counter-Terrorism Act was in force.

It is easier to amend the remaining legislation rather than bringing a new one,” he said.  

Both the Cardinal and Venerable Ittapana Dhammalankara Maha Nayaka Thera expressed their dissatisfaction on the investigations carried out by the government on Easter Sunday bomb attacks and the Presidential Commission appointed to look into the security lapses.

However, they said that they would welcome if a committee headed by Buddhist clergy was appointed to look into the matter as they neither belong to Catholic nor Islamic communities.

Venerable Dhammalankara Thera said the steps taken by the government to investigate and apprehend those behind the bombings were far from satisfactory.

We don’t see that the government had given its utmost attention to pull out the country from the crisis that is prevailing in the country,” the Thera said while highlighting that the government should speak in one voice at this moment. (

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

The Government Intelligence Service has received information on an attack targeting the Buddhist temples by the National Thawheeth Jamaath (NTJ), using female bombers.

The officers of the government intelligence service have found white pairs of skirts and blouses from the house which was raided after the explosion in Sainthamaradu area.

On March 29, 2019 Muslim women had spent Rs.29,000 to purchase nine sets of such clothes from a textile shop in Giriulla.

So far, five sets of white clothes had been found from this house and Intelligence services are continuing their efforts to find the remaining clothes.

The CCTV footage of the shop shows the visuals of these women who purchased clothes from the shop. Meanwhile, the intelligence services raise doubts that this type of clothes had been purchased by them to direct an attack on a temple by female bombers posing as Buddhist devotees. (Wasantha Chnadrapala)

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Senior DIG C.D. Wickremerathne had been appointed as Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) by President Maithripala Sirisena today, President’s Media Unit said.

Former IGP N.K. Illangakoon has been appointed as adviser to the Ministry of Defence.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya was sworn in as the new Chief Justice before the President this morning, while Solicitor General Dappula de Livera has been appointed as the Acting Attorney General.

Additional Auditor General Chulantha Wickramaratne was appointed as the Auditor General.

These officials received their letters of appointment from the President this morning.

Darshana Sanjeewa Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Following the appointment of C.D. Wickremeratne as the acting Inspector General of Police, IGP Pujith Jayasundara has been sent on compulsory leave, sources said.

It was reported that the Law and Order Ministry has ordered that the IGP be sent on compulsory leave.

After the Easter Sunday attacks on April 21, President Maithripala Sirisena asked the IGP to resign.

However, IGP Jayasundara rejected the President’s request. (

Courtesy Adaderana

His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith urges that government carry out proper investigations into the terror attacks that took place on Easter Sunday (April 21st).

Take proper legal action in this regard and do not let us take the law into our hands,” the Cardinal said, addressing a press conference held at the Catholic Archbishop’s House today (29).

He called on the political leadership of the country, regardless of their party politics, to reach a common policy concerning national security, he further remarked.

We are not aware of the measures taken by the presidential commission appointed to probe the terror attacks, nor do we know if the commission even assembled,” the Cardinal complained.

Cardinal Ranjith expressed his displeasure over how security matters are being handled presently.

Courtesy Adaderana

Former Army Commander General S. H. Shantha Kottegoda has been appointed as the new Secretary to the Ministry of Defense.

The General received his letter of appointment from President Maithripala Sirisena at the President’s Office, this evening (29).

This is following the resignation of the former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando after he was requested by the President over the failure to prevent the Easter Day bombing despite receiving prior warnings of a possible attack.

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia

Colombo, April 29 (newsin.asia): The Joint Operations Command (JOC) of the tri-forces and the police began to funcion on Monday with Maj.Gen. Sathyapriya Liyanage as its head. But it will be under the overall supervision of the Chief of Defense Staff, Army Commander Mahesh Senanayake said.

All Army, Navy, Air Force and Police areas within the Western Province and Puttalam District have been placed under command to the Overall Operational Command – Colombo for operational purposes with immediate effect, the Army Headquarters said.

In a statement, the Army said Major General Sathyapriya Liyanage, (Commander, Security Forces – West) would function as the Overall Operational Commander in the establishment.

Rear Admiral W.A.S.S Perera of the Navy, Air Vice Marshal W.L.R.P Rodrigo of the Air Force and Superintendent of Police L.K.D Anil Priyantha will function as Coordinating Officers of respective services and the Police in the OOC,” it said.

A communiqué sent to the Ministry of Defence by Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, Commander of the Army said the Overall Operational Command (OOC) in Colombo will begin its functions under the Chief of Defence Staff with immediate effect.

Sri Lankan News

Person arrested with 25 CDs containing information on ISIS

Courtesy Adaderana

Twenty-five CDs of which the content was on Islamic State (IS) have been seized in Kantale area yesterday (29).

The haul was recovered while in possession of a person feigning as a businessman.

The seizure took place during a raid carried out in Per Aru village, in which six other suspects were also taken into custody.

Three swords have also been seized from a household in the same area.

Meanwhile, the Jamia Manarul Huda Arabic College was searched by the security forces.

Accordingly, several mobile phones, burqas and books containing the activities of the LTTE organization were recovered from the school.

A symbol with two swords painted on a school’s wall was also observed.

SLTJ’s posters for seminars targetting O/L students found in Kaduruwela

Courtesy Adaderana

An individual has been arrested in Kaduruwela town along with a poster published by the Sri Lanka Thawheed Jama’ath (SLTJ) in 2018.

The poster was published for a seminar conducted by the SLTJ for Ordinary Level students, the police said.

Meanwhile, three persons employed at private companies in the same area, who were unable to prove their identities.

High-sensitivity device recovered from house in Kaleliya

Courtesy Adaderana

A suspicious three-wheeler has been seized while its driver and two passengers, a woman and a child, were taken into custody in a search operation carried out by the police.

Upon searching the three-wheeler at a roadblock in Veyangoda, the police had recovered a passport that did not belong to either of the individuals who were inside the vehicle at the time.

Further questioning revealed that the passport belongs to a person involved in distributing swords.

Accordingly, the police also managed to apprehend the owner of the passport.

Interrogations into the suspects led the police to search a house in Kaleliya owned by the sister of the driver of the three-wheeler, where a high-sensitivity device, to which 8 SIM cards can be inserted, was found.

Motorbike used in Batticaloa church attack found

Courtesy Adaderana

The police have discovered one of the motorbikes used in the attack at the Zion Church in Batticaloa in Thihariya.

Based on a tip-off received by the intelligence unit of Gampaha SSP Office, Nittambuwa Special Police Unit has carried out a special operation.

Accordingly, the officers have found the bike in a house in Thihariya, last evening (28).

The number plates of the bike were also found in pieces inside a freezer at the house, stated the Police.

CID & TID question 59 arrested over Easter attacks

Courtesy Adaderana

Forty-four suspects out of the total, who were arrested in connection with the Easter Sunday terror attacks, are currently being interrogated by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), says the Police Media Spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara.

Speaking to media this evening (29), SP Gunasekara said, seven of the suspects held in custody of the CID are women.

Meanwhile, fifteen suspects including 2 women are being interrogated by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID).

Seven out of these fifteen suspects were held by the Army on suspicion for having links to the Easter Sunday terror attacks, while the other 8 suspects were arrested for involving in terrorist activities.

Fathima Latifa, one of five suspects wanted by the police for the terror attacks on churches and hotels, was arrested by the CID in Mawanella area recently. She was identified as the wife of Mohamed Yuhaim Sadiq Haq, who was arrested by the CID yesterday (28).

The identity of the woman, who sustained injuries in the extremist militants’ explosion at their safe house at Sainthamaruthu in Kalmunai and was later identified as the wife of Zahran Hashim, has been confirmed by the police as Abdul Kader Fathima Kadiya. She was also included in the list of wanted suspects.

The investigating officers suspect that the other two wanted suspects, Pulasthini Rajendran alias Sara and Mohamed Kasim Mohamed Rilwan, to have died in the explosion at Sainthamaruthu. 

Residents in the area have rendered massive support to the security personnel and the investigators to uncover more information concerning the suspects, the Police Media Spokesperson further said.

Suspected NTJ intelligence member detained for 72 hours

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

A suspected member of the proscribed National Tawheed Jamaat (NTJ) movement was detained by Keselwatta Police in Colombo for 72 hours for further questioning in a bid to ascertain whether he has any link with the banned outfit.

On information provided by the public, the Western Province Intelligence Division of the police had arrested the suspect, Mohamed Farook Mohamed Fawaz, at Keselwatta.

Following the arrest, the police had recovered some literature and visuals of the vehicles alleged to have been used in the Easter Sunday mission.

The police told Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne that the suspect was an expert in handling electronic devices and that he could have been used by the terrorist movement when making explosive devices.

When questioned by the magistrate, the suspect said he was a resident of Keselwatta for the past nine years.(T. Farook Thajudeen)

An accomplice of Zahran arrested in Medawachchiya

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

An accomplice of National Thowheed Jamath’s leader Zahran Hashim was arrested at Rambewa in Medawachchiya on Sunday, police said.

Identified as Abdul Latif Mohamed Sathy, the 46-year-old electrician had allegedly been involved in the affairs of the group from its inception in Kattankudy.

He was arrested by the STF of Mihintale on information received by a police officer.

The suspect is employed as an electrician of a Chinese company handling a construction project in Colombo.

It was revealed that he had returned to Rambewa to visit his wife and children following the suicide bomb attacks on Easter Sunday.

After interrogations, the suspect was to be produced before the Anuradhapura Magistrate. (Athula Bandara)

By Charles.S.Perera

USA and UK with their resolutions 30/1 and 40/1 presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva,  sponsored by their local pawn Mangala Samaraweera,  prepared Sri Lanka as a propitious ground for” their terrorists” to bomb Churches targeting  their religion and their tourists.

Hillary Clinton  the USA Secretary of State under President Obama said  that all terrorists cannot be put into the same basket, as only those  terrorists who attacked USA and European Countries were the true terrorists,  and the others like those in Sri Lanka were freedom fighters.

Hence the USA Ambassadors in Sri Lanka  from O’Blake onwards became close associates of the Sri Lanka terrorists and after their  elimination the USA, UK and others such as the EU,UN, etc. supported and acted along with those  sympathises who funded terrorism in Sri Lanka  the Tamils of the diaspora in USA and European countries, to communally divide Sri Lanka.

They urged the Sri Lanka Goveernment led by their lackies  Ranil Wickramasinghe and Mangala Samaraweera  to reconcile with the Tamils allowing them to set up a separate Tamil Province in the North and East, writing for that purpose a New Constitution.  That was the declared  demand of the USA and the West from the Government of Sri Lanka.

Today USA seems to be well establised in Sri Lanka having Sri Lanka  Government under Ranil Wickramasinghe  well under its  control making Sri Lanka  an American puppet state.

Sri Lanka, under Ranil Wickramasinghe  has become a logistic supply hub for a US Warship US Air Craft carrier USS John.C.Stennis stationed in the Indian ocean with Sri Lanka receiving supplies to be transferred unchecked by Sri Lanka custom to  the warship which is a PLA Presence in the Indian Ocean to counter the influence of China in Sri Lanka.

(see below for details of this warship and its potential  danger to Sri Lanka one could imagine)

Sri Lanka has submitted to an American demand to allow the American Army to transport any material of any size and weight through the Bandaranaike International Airport and allow temporary storage of such material which  are interdicted  by the US Military for a Sri Lanka Custom check.

With these developments and an ISIS terrorists attack never imagined could happen in Sri Lanka, it should be investigated  whether,   the presence of a US Warship stationed in  close vicinity and material being transferred to and from  the warship through BIA in Colombo, has any connected to the terrorist strike on the Easter Sunday.

Was it a coincidence or is there an unexplained and unseen connection to the US Presence in the Indian Ocean and an International terrorists attack in Sri Lanka ?

It should also be noted that the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina Teplitz had been very active since the terrorist attack and  overzealously  initiated actions that Sri Lanka does not want,  such  as the presence of FBI and their assistance in  the  investigations into the terrorist attacks by the Security Forces of Sri Lanka.

This is strange as no FBI personnel had been present in the Island through out the the 30 years of terrorism in Sri Lanka. Why now ? Why is USA so intent in having their FBI investigators present in the country now ? Has Amerika any thing to hide, and the FBI is working to cover up any thing that would point the finger in the direction of state terrorism coming from America ? The FBI did not come to France to investigate terrorist attacks in France. Why in Sri Lanka ?

All these makes one wonder whether the terrorist attack on the Easter Sunday was indeed  ISIS initiated or was there other unseen hands behind those attacks ?

If it was the ISIS what did the attackers expect from this suicide bombs other than a bloody carnage or a  mere passport to heaven to sit by the side of their God as a divine reward for massacre of unbelievers ? 

But on the other hand USA and the West have much to gain by such attacks that would destabilise Sri Lanka.  A politically strategic island, with a Chinese influence which America would wrench away from Chinese influence to make the Island a puppet state taking orders from the American  Embassy and the American political  hierarchy.

The suicide bombers according to reports are normal educated people, without a troubled psychological past, or having any serious political  involvements or financial difficulties. It is best to investigate who had been their friends, relatives, teachers and religious contacts. Because unless they were suffering from collective psychological problems, they had been brainwashed by  clever manipulators of the minds of their followers.

With the change of  President Mahinda Rajapakse’s  government in January, 2015, Sri Lanka became opened to all types of  undesirable elements to hold high office ,  such as a citizen of Singapore to become the Governor of the  Central Bank of Sri Lanka who under the protection of the country’s Prime Minister  wiped out the finances of the country and escaped safely without having to answer anyone for the crime he committed. But those highly placed political leader and his Ministers  who aided and abetted him in the crime have not been arrested or even taken to the CID for questioning..

The Yahapalanaya and the present UNP Government from the beginning on the 9^th January,2019 did nothing but ruined the country, until it became the centre of International terrorism and soon  would perhaps  be a victim of crossfire between  heavy fighting between America and China with America setting up an army base in the Indian Ocean with a warship ready to carry out even a nuclear war stationed not far away from Sri Lanka with Sri Lanka acting as its logistic supply hub.

All these happened to a Sri Lanka which suffered under local terrorism for 30years and was rescued  just in time by a visionary leader Mahinda Rajapakse  who gave political leadersip to eliminate terrorism under a military operation organised  by the Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse carried out with a united Armed Forces with the Army lead by  its Commander Sarath Fonseka, Navy lead by its Commander  Wasantha Karannagoda,   Air Force lead by its Commander  Roshan Gunatilleke and Civil Defence Forces led by Sarath Weerasekara.  They all contributed for the victory over terrorism.

Mahinda Rajapakse won the war against terrorism and developed the country  remarkably because he faught a war against terrorism, and was determined to develop the country and unite the Communities which he started by stating that, …  hereafter there are no minorities but the good and the bad citizens”. He gave leadersip to a, government to develop and unite the country and he had no vengeance to take against any one, he raised no voice of anger or hatred even to his enemies.

The Yahapaalnaya was from the beginning a government to make the people forget the previous regime of Mahinda Rajapakse. It was a government led by Maithreepala Sirisena to take revenge from the previous President Mahinda Rajapakse. In his rage against Rajapakse he  was blind to the mismanagement of the country by Ranil Wickramasinghe and his UNP click.  The President Sirisena did not see the Bank robbery, he did not see Mangala Samaraweera running his own government slavishly abiding to the wishes of the USA and the west, and even sponsoring a resolution against Sri Lanka Armed Forces.

Ranil Wickramasinghe the Prime Minister was gradually leaving behind  the President and taking over for himself the powers of the President to decide on matters relating to the country. He agreed to sell even the Hambantota Harbour to the Chinese and sign a Trade  agreement of 1000 pages with Singapore without even consulting the Parliament. 

The President Sirisena was slowly and surely loosing his authority. The development, peace and security of the country suffered while the Yahapalana Government was getting involved in taking revenge from the former   President Mahinda Rajapakse his Ministers and every one that supported him.

The country was being mismanaged , Communities were disunited one looking at the other with suspicion, there was a constant demand  for a reconciliation with the Tamils. Every thing was being done with the aim of giving more political power to the Tamils even by proposing to write a new Constitution giving more political; power to the Provinces which was to be exclusively forTamils. The Tamil politicians were beginning to wield more power and one of them Sumandiran even  dictating terms to the Prime Minister.

It was then that the President Sirisena realised that he was being left behind and the Government of Ranil Wickramasinghe is becoming all powerful, to the detriment of the country,  the welfare of the people and the security of the country was being neglected. President Sirisena then tried to take over things into his own hand.

The coalition that formed the Yahapalanaya government collapsed. And with that there was  for him an opportunity to appoint a new government with his former rival Mahinda Rajapakse as Prime Minister. He also moved to dissolve the Parliament., which was contested by the disempowered Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe  and his supporters.

It was then that the President Sirisena realised that it was too late and that all institutions including the judiciary had been taken into the Prime Minter’s confidence.   The judiciary which he thought was independent failed to render  independent and fair justice when the President asked for judicial interpretation of the Constitution.

The Supreme Court gave a ruling interpreting the Constitution in favour of the Prime Minister against the dissolution of Parliament stating that  the President has no right to dissolve the Parliament before four and a half years in terms of the Article 70 of the constitution ,when there was the Article 33 of the Constitution which definitely gave the President the right to dissolve the Parliament when there was a political crisis that needed the dissolution of the Parliament as a solution.

Thereafter there was a conflict between the President and the Prime Miniter with the Ministers of Ranil Wickramasinghe’s Cabinet like Mangala Saaraweera, Rajitha Senarathne, Malik Samarawickrama  acting on their own creating a disunited government. There was no ruling authority. The Inspector General of Police and the Minister of Defence were not taking their responsibilities seriously. Sri Lanka is without a ruler today.  This prepared the ground for whoever was planning to destabilise and breakup the county to create  utter political chaos.

This situation would have been avoided if the Supreme Court had interpreted the Constitution correctly  by confirming the authority of the President to dissolve the Parliament under article 33 of the Constitution. Or if the Prime Minister had respected democracy of which he speaks often and resigned from his Office

There is also doubts about President Sirisena’s intentions of forming a united front along with  the joint opposition and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna,  against the UNF of the UNP and its partners. If President and the SLFP wanted such a unity one cannot understand why the President allowed Dayasiri Jayasekara the General Secretary to demanding the acceptance of  20 condition by the Joint Opposition  as a prerequisite for unity and running away from Parliament  without voting against the UNP Budget, along with the Parliamentarians of the Joint Opposition..

Apparently President Sirisena’s silence on the issue makes his intention to unite with the joint Opposition doubtful. This also could be sited as a reason for foreign interventions in Sri Lanka and the paving of the way for international terrorists to create mayhem in a country which had been peaceful for nearly ten years.  If Dayasiri Jayasekara continues to bargain for unity with the Joint Opposition by insisting on its accepting  his conditions its better not join with the SLFP for the next Presidential and General elections, and that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna contests the elections  alone as a Political force without joining with the SLFP.

Such a situation is sad as it would weaken the Presidents position today as he has only Dayasiri Jayasekara and SLFP to stand with when there is already a serious political crisis in Sri Lanka.

If Dayasiri Jayasekara is insistant for a conditional unity , and if the President Sirisena is genuinely interested in settling the present unsettled political situation in Sri Lanka, the President should change the General Secretary of the SLFP and settle for an unconditional Unity with the SLPP.

                                                          ************

The following  is about the US warship USS John C.Stennis an American Military Presence in the Indian Ocean using Bandaranayake International Airport as a logistic supply hub.  The US Warship is  by itself a complete American Military Camp ready for any massive war with its foreign enemies.  It is another great danger into which Ranil Wickramasinghe has  plunged Sri Lanka. Fear is USA being  a country not sympathetic towards developing countries it would not hesitate even to  destroy our country without a second though if its in the interest of America. We have Libya, Iraq as  examples of its vicious intentions and itsinhuman State terrorism.

The mission of John C. Stennis and her air wing (CVW-9) is to conduct sustained combat air operations while forward-deployed. The embarked air wing consists of eight to nine squadrons. Attached aircraft are Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet, EA-18G Growler, MH-60R, MH-60S, and E-2C Hawkeye.

The air wing can engage enemy aircraft, submarines, and land targets, or lay mines hundreds of miles from the ship. John C. Stennis’s aircraft are used to conduct strikes, support land battles, protect the battle group or other friendly shipping, and implement a sea or air blockade. The air wing provides a visible presence to demonstrate American power and resolve in a crisis. The ship normally operates as the centerpiece of a carrier battle group commanded by a flag officer embarked upon John C. Stennis and consisting of four to six other ships.

John C. Stennis’s two nuclear reactors give her virtually unlimited range and endurance and a top speed in excess of 30 knots (56 km/h, 34.5 mph). The ship’s four catapults and four arresting gear engines enable her to launch and recover aircraft rapidly and simultaneously. The ship carries approximately 3 million US gallons (11,000 m3) of fuel for her aircraft and escorts, and enough weapons and stores for extended operations without replenishment. John C. Stennis also has extensive repair capabilities, including a fully equipped Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department, a micro-miniature electronics repair shop, and numerous ship repair shops.

For defense, in addition to her air wing and accompanying vessels, John C. Stennis has NATO RIM-7 Sea Sparrow and Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) surface-to-air missile systems, the Phalanx Close-in Weapons System for cruise missile defense, and the AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare System.

KAMALIKA PIERIS

Revised 3.5.19, 12.5.19

On Easter Sunday, April 21 2019 there were consecutive bomb blasts in two Roman Catholic churches, one Evangelist church, and three five star hotels. The churches were St. Anthony’s, Kochchikade, Colombo, St Sebastian’s,   Katuwapitiya, Negombo and Zion Church, Batticaloa. The blasts took place around 8.45 am. The first blast was reported at St Anthony’s, followed by a second at St Sebastian’s. The roof of St Anthony’s had been blown almost entirely off. At St Sebastian’s, buildings in the area shook with the blast. 

There was a third Catholic Church on the list, St. Mary’s, Batticaloa.  However, a priest had seen the suicide bomber lurking around the St Mary’s complex the previous day. The Easter service was advanced to 7 am instead of 7.30 and by the time the suicide bomber arrived, the mass had ended and the congregation had left. When the bomber found that most of the congregation had left, he had made his way to the evangelist Zion Church, about 50 meters down the road.

An alert churchgoer, seeing the bomber’s back pack had detained him. The bomber claimed his backpack held a video camera and he had come to film worshippers. It was not a convincing explanation. He was asked to leave. Barred from entering the church, the bomber detonated the bomb outside. Catholic and Protestant  churches cut short their Easter services and sent the congregation home, when the news of the bomb blasts reached them.

It later emerged  later that a fourth church had been targeted, St. Theresa Church, Kilinochchi.  Parish priest of St. Theresa Rev Father A.J Jesudasan said that a person, arrested in connection with the bomb attacks, had revealed the decision to attack St Theresa Church. It was also felt that the real target at Negombo would have been St Mary’s Negombo, it was  the biggest church there.

Bombs also went off at three hotels In Colombo, Kingsbury, Shangri La and Cinnamon Grand, The blasts took place in the restaurants that were serving Easter Sunday breakfast. Cinnamon Grand was hit sometime after   8.30. Kingsbury and Shangri-La were hit at   9 am approximately. The blast had been felt on the 17^th floor at Shangri La. The bombers had checked into the hotels the night before.

A fourth hotel, Taj Samudra was also on the list, but the suicide bomber failed to carry out his task. His handler, not wanting to waste the bomb, had thereafter instructed him to go to Dehiwala and explode the bomb at St Mary’s Dehiwela, but security was too tight there.

There were seven suicide bombers.  All   were Sri Lankan citizens  and all were Muslim. They operated singly, except for Shangri-La where there were two. The extensive damage caused to the buildings indicated that military-grade high explosives were used. The explosive used, triacetone triperoxide dubbed ‘Mother of Satan’ was made in a copper factory in Wellampitiya owned by Inshaf Ahamad, who died bombing Cinnamon Grand. The death toll was 290 with 500 injured.

The horrified public, glued to the television, nevertheless found the whole thing somewhat staged. There was visible uniformity, right down to the identical jeans, baseball cap, the backpack and even the way of walking. At Katuwapitiya the bomber stayed well within the range of the CCTV cameras.  He pats a child on his way into the church. How easily, casually and confidently, as shown on CCTV, the suicide bombers who blasted the church in Negombo and the two hotels walked with explosives in backpacks”, commented Cassandra.

Experts have flatly dismissed the notion that this was a home grown attack. The first efforts of small, homegrown extremist groups are usually marked by failure. Some of the bombs fail to detonate entirely. Others explode early or late, and still others cause smaller blasts than their builders intended. But in this case, all seven bombs had detonated accurately.  The attackers were unusually successful, especially for a group with no track record of large-scale assaults. This shows that the group has received support from a global terror network, experts   said.

This was a very well coordinated sophisticated attack said experts. It was meticulously planned and executed within just 20 minutes. There would have been months of planning, possibly years, with foreign agents arriving in Sri Lanka to advice on the execution.

 Yahapalana has pinned the blame for the attack on   a radical Islamist group called the National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ). Until now, National Thowheed Jama’ath was known mainly  for vandalizing Buddhist statues in Mawanella in December 2018. The NTJ was formed in Kattankudy, in 2014. It is a splinter group of the hard-line Islamist group, the Sri Lanka Thowheed Jamath (SLTJ).  Its founder Zahran Hashim is believed to have been the suicide bomber who targeted Shangri-La Hotel.

NTJ is a tiny organization with few hundred followers, said analysts. it consists almost entirely of young people, especially recent graduates of Islamic schools. The group   has no hierarchy or organizational structure and no older leaders. 

Terrorism experts are definite that NTJ does not have the capability to plan, train and execute the Easter Sunday attacks. Such coordinated suicide attacks,   at several places, at the same time with such powerful explosives were beyond them.  Procuring explosives, getting  them into the country, assembling them, training persons  to handle such explosives, planning the logistics and execution  of the task are beyond the capability of this tiny outfit, they said.

Such an extensively planned and coordinated attack would almost certainly have required considerable financing as well as expertise from an experienced group overseas. The brilliant execution of these bomb blasts clearly indicated a foreign hand. There is an international force behind this, experts said. A foreign entity, most likely a foreign state or state intelligence agency was behind the attacks. The locals are merely pawns.

Given the level of sophistication, this was probably the work of al-Qaeda or Islamic State, announced analysts.  Sure enough, two days later, ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) claimed responsibility for the killings but without providing any evidence. ISIS only released a photograph which claimed to show the seven suicide bombers.  Expect for Zaharan Hashim, the faces of the others are completely covered. The photo generated no interest, and the ISIS argument was immediately dismissed.  ISIS only carries out attacks against countries that are fighting Muslims. That is not the case in Sri Lanka, said  the public.

Analysts think otherwise .The sophistication of the synchronized blasts in Sri Lanka, are indicative of a much more sinister design by the ISIS. The extent of planning and calculation that went into planting the right amount of explosives so as to inflict the kind of damage that was done, plus the level of sophistication in the use of detonators and fuses, as well as the extent of radicalization, should clear all doubts over whether or not the Islamic State has spread its wings to South Asia.

The group has long been specifically looking at recruiting young engineers, computer professionals and other qualified individuals so as not to go wrong in either planning or execution of attacks. The group has done away with any form of satellite communication to avoid being tracked. What is now a cause for concern is the pattern of lethal, coordinated explosive vector attacks, which can’t be traced.

Yahapalana government  however, offered three separate causes for the attacks. JVP said the bomb attacks were to create a Muslim state in Sri Lanka. State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene said that ‘preliminary investigations have revealed that what happened in Sri Lanka was in retaliation for the attack against Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand. That cannot be, replied critics. These bombings would have been planned months or years ahead.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe said the attacks were a part of global terrorism. Global terrorism had now come to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka too is now in the global terrorist incidents map thanks to those who unleashed terror on Easter Sunday, he said in Parliament.

But the public do not think it is ISIS, Christchurch or global terrorism. They think it is the CIA, the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States of America. The possibility of CIA is hinted at by the analysts. They said,” A foreign entity, most likely a foreign state or state intelligence agency was behind the attacks.”

CIA knows about bombs. In 1999 CIA admitted to bombing the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. They said it was an accident. They were going to bomb elsewhere. It is thought that CIA was responsible for the 2002 Bali bombings and the 2009 bomb blasts at Ritz-Carlton and the Marriott hotels In Jakarta in 2009. It is also important to note that ISIS, which says it is responsible for the bomb blasts, was created by United States, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, so was al Qaeda. So there is a USA link there too.

Many said that the moment they heard of the bomb blasts, the first thing that came to mind was this is CIA”. The name was mentioned on television news on the 21^st itself. (Derana 6.55 news. 21.4.19). This is not the first time that CIA has been suspected in Sri Lanka., L.H.Mettananda, who had access to political information,   had said in a private conversation that SWRD Bandaranaike’s assassination in the 1960s was done by the CIA. In the 1970s The JVP was considered a CIA organization.

The public are angry about the bomb blasts. This has put the USA temporarily on the defensive in Sri Lanka. The US Navy and the Sri Lanka Navy to called off their CARAT military exercise at Hambantota port. After the NTJ attacks, foreign governments were certain to review joint exercises conducted in Sri Lanka territory.

The US ambassador has had to face interviews and questions. She is the only ambassador to be interviewed and questioned. The US ambassador, questioned by Amanpour, denied the United States had prior knowledge of the Easter Sunday attacks.”We had no prior knowledge of these attacks,” US ambassador Alaina Teplitz told the CNN in an interview.

US ambassador said expert teams from the FBI and the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) are helping with the bomb investigations. This was at the request of the Sri Lankan government. These teams are working side by side with Sri Lankan officials. This cooperation is short-term, temporary, and specific to the recent attacks and bringing the perpetrators to justice, said the US embassy in a statement.

However, USA is a prominent force in Sri Lanka today. The Yahapalana government is a creation of the USA.  At the Parliamentary debate on the bomb blasts, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe emphasized that US President, Donald Trump had phoned and offered assistance. Mike Pompeo US Secretary of state had also phoned. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) of the US Government has given  Yahapalana government a grant of USD 480 million for land related projects.  (Continued)

Prof. Hudson McLean

The Opposition led by HE Mahinda Rajapaksa should bring a Motion of No Confidence in the Government.

Hopefully, even the Members of the Government might join the Opposition to remove the present Government.

It will be interesting to see how may would support the Maggots.

This is a Life or Death Motion for the entire population.

PS: Loved the well written article by Shenali Waduge

Easter Sunday attack in Sri Lanka by ISIS & who else?
By shenali Waduge

Express Your Opinion – Read What Others Say!
The Independent Interactive Voice of Sri Lanka on the Internet.

Please visit -: http://www.lankaweb.com/

UNITED AUSTRALIANS OF SRI LANKAN ORGANISATIONS VICTORIA 3175, AUSTRALIA,

The Society for Peace Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka (SPUR) organisations based in Victoria, New South Wales Queensland and Western Australia (WASPUR) as well as the Global Sri Lanka Forum (GSLF) Australia extend their profound sympathies to the families who lost their loved ones and those who sustained serious injuries due to the barbaric terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka on the Easter Day of 2019.

In particular, we offer our heartfelt condolences to our Christian communities whose lives have been cruelly destroyed on their most sacred day, as well as to the overseas visitors who sustained irreparable damages to life and limb.  We also pay tribute to the members of the Sri Lanka Police who paid the ultimate price in their attempt to safeguard the nation and its people.  Among those seriously impacted are members of the Australian-Sri Lankan community including members of our own organisations.

While unreservedly condemning the acts of terror perpetrated on innocent civilians including a large number of children, we must also point out that this damage could have been prevented had Sri Lanka not made itself a ‘soft-target’ due to a series of commissions and omissions made by its dysfunctional rulers.

These included the hounding of intelligence operatives and military officers due to the co-sponsoring of UNHRC resolutions 30/1 & 40/1 to appease foreign powers, the relaxation of on-ground security measures, lax immigration controls and the appointment of incompetent officials to senior positions in the Police and Defence Ministry. The loss of focus on National Security was compounded by arms of the administration being used for a witch hunt against political opponents.

It is apparent that there has been a total lack of preparedness for an attack by Islamic extremists despite warning from many quarters over several years right through to the last hours before the Easter Day bombings.  No action was taken after repeated exposures of extremist ideologies taking root in Sri Lanka that were issued by multiple sources including Muslim organisations.  Even the recent discovery of arms and explosives at Wanathawilluwa and the vandalising of Buddha Statues were glossed over, the likely reasons being the patronage of a few Muslim politicians and the desire to appease foreign powers and their NGO cronies in the name of reconciliation.

In contrast, the Sri Lankan armed forces and police should be praised for acting professionally and decisively in countering the terrorist threat once the shackles placed on them by the political leadership were removed during the past few days.

Even at this late hour, our organisations urge the Government of Sri Lanka to act on the following priorities.

• Taking all legal steps to bring to justice those who planned, encouraged and executed these attacks, as well as the officials and politicians whose criminal negligence prevented them from being nipped in the bud.
• Appointing patriotic and competent officials to key positions in the armed services, police and the defence ministry and rebuilding a strong and cohesive intelligence service.
• Reinstating all officers of the intelligence services who are remanded or on bail without being charged
• To provide immediate assistance to rebuild the damaged property including the churches and houses and to extend all assistance to the civilians affected.
• Tightening immigration controls to prevent anti-national or radical elements entering the country and also deporting non-nationals who are illegally present.
• Banning foreign funded religious schools that preach a violent ideology.
• Implementing a common policy on the teaching of Sri Lankan history and national languages at all schools in the country.
• Banning dresses with full-face covering.
• Preventing or removing illegal settlements on state land sponsored by politicians.
• Protecting historical sites particularly in the North and East of the country.
• To appoint a high powered commission to investigate the issue of radicalization of the segments of the Muslim population and to take effective action within a short period.
• Ensuring that foreign powers do no use the current instability to infiltrate Sri Lanka for their own geopolitical objectives.  This includes inter-country agreements that compromise the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, thereby turning it into a violent international battleground.

In conclusion we appeal to all Sri Lankans and their well-wishers to unite in the face of this latest adversity and support those who are in need.  The terror unleashed on Easter Day is not merely an attack by one community or religion on another but a coordinated effort to socially and economically cripple the entire nation.

Sri Lanka was able to overcome a three-decade long campaign of terror and enjoy 10 years of peace and stability due to the vigilance and heroism of its security forces, determined political leadership and the resilience of her people.  Let us all stand strong and united on behalf of mother Lanka and her people once again.

Signed :

Dasarath Jayasuriya   (President – SPUR Victoria)

Nimal Liyanage           (President – SPUR New South Wales)

Priya Barnes               (President – Western Australian SPUR)

Anil Perera                  (President – SPUR Queensland)

Harsha Perera            (President – GSLF Australia)

Prof. Hudson McLean

Without using puns, Kalinga Seneviratne  has given a more practical and a realistic dimension to Easter Sunday Massacre in Sri Lanka.

It is obvious that this Merciless Criminal Act was perpetrated  in collusion with External Forces & Influence.

A group of home born Sri Lankan Muslim terrorists, some edúcated in the UK, could not have had the Planning Intellect & Capability without the tacit support of external forces, possibly ISIS – Al Qaeda and beyond.

Kalinga, you may have touched a very important salient point, to prevent Regime Change, by the Western Forces, by creating mayhem, leading to cancellation of Democratic Vote.

No one doubts that the Russians or the Chinese had any hand in this Vile Scheme.

The finger points to CIA of USA trying to meddle with national politics to keep the UNP Puppets in Power.

Divide & Rule. Create ethnic conflict between Christians & Muslims?

However, USA has lost in almost all their meddling in Asia and in the Middle East. The latest being with North Korea.

With the possibility of a joint exercise of cooperation of One Belt – On Road project, between China & Russia, the possible political control of Sri Lanka, is on the cards.

This is the New Silk Route, which will connect China with Asia-Europe-Africa and beyond.

USA should not under-estimate the Democratic senses of India or Sri Lanka.

The Easter Sunday Massacre might lead to more Dirt unearthed from the on-going investigations.

Latest threats from ISIS on creating terror in Europe may be a message to white-wash who was behind  the Terror in Sri Lanka.

Thank You Kalinga!

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Wimal Senanayake 

When the army was making advances against the terrorists the church was all against it. In fact its ally Jayalath Jayawardene went to the courts to curtail army’s advancement. Therefore it is ironical to hear now the Cardinal Rev. Malcolm Ranjith demanding the government to do all to improve the resources of the army. Terrorists are terrorists irrespective of their demands & all & sundry should support the army always to safeguard the country not only when their interests  are affected.

If a significant number of people die after consuming some food but most escape you still label that food as poisonous. Do you wait until all of those who consumed the meal die to declare that it is poisonous? On that same note if a significant number of people is persuaded to become terrorists and suicide bombers  after following a certain religion it should be banned irrespective of the majority remain normal.

PM Ranil is playing his game as normal by appointing committees & calling foreign help when confronted with problems putting the independence of the country at stake. Having FBI & American help encroaching into our country will be the beginning of a worse set of scenarios embroiling the country further in international politics. However PM Ranil is least concerned of it as his only goal is to cling onto power at any cost. The public is awaiting eagerly to hear the departure of these sleuths from our shores at the earliest.

Of course PM Ranil should have resigned immediately has he had some dignity at the first place.

Banning Burka & Madrassa schools should be top priority and a permanent step not just during the emergency which is unlikely to happen under this weak government in power. Ministers, MPs & Chandrika  are talking of these to ease the pain of the suffering public but they know these just are window dressings. All those culprits should be prosecuted under the law but how many will be released on the sly under orders from the top is worrying.

This is a country thrice blessed with the visit of Buddha. What we saw in the recent past was unending harassment and prosecution of Sangha by the government on flimsy grounds. No wonder today they have cause to weep. Isn’t it Ven Galaboda Gnanasara Thero who first brought the extremism of some Muslims into focus? He was hounded away on the pretext of maintaining national unity. The country is paying now for its sins.

Thripathi Sirisena & Thripathi Ranil with their frequent homages there have brought the country the curse it deserves in this way. What a let down to the majority Buddhists of the country after the huge publicity of the steps taken on Thripitakaya, the President seen on Thripathu Vandana, literally the next day. Mahinda too does this unBuddhist frequent homages there and how pleasing it is to note however not by Gotabaya. We earnestly plead Gotabaya not to fall into this disappointing ritual.

The suffering public has only one demand and that is going to the polls as early as possible to see the back of these jokers. The parliament should agree to vote with two thirds majority to go for elections to bring in a new government to power.

If there was a single pleasing news to the public amid this carnage it was the Reuters report that Gotabaya admitting that he is running for the Presidency!

By ; A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA

His highness Cardinal Dr. Malcolm Ranjith who is very much saddened about the carnage that struck the Christian community on the Easter Sunday held a meeting with diplomats from Islamic countries resident in Colombo on Friday 26^th April and blamed the powerful western countries for implementing a vicious, abhorrent and inhuman programme to create divisions among communities for the sake of marketing their arms and ammunition.  H.H.Cardinal also stated that he has instructed all priests to refrain from holding Church Sermons until the situation returns to normal

Meanwhile peace and inter religious harmony loving patriotic Muslim organizations have held a meeting in Colombo on 27^th April and have issued a statement titled ‘We are ashamed at the barbarism perpetrated in the name of Islam – a religion of peace and tolerance’

The message (only an extract of the long message given below) states that the leaders and members of civil society, Islamic and Muslim Associations and Movements, are horrified by the events of Easter Sunday, which resulted in killings, destruction and attack on innocent lives and they express their deepest sympathies and sorrow and condemn in the strongest terms the incidents, which were against all human and Islamic norms and it is grounded in the Noble Laws of Islam, which forbid all forms of violence and aggression..The message states that their hearts are profoundly troubled as they contend with the aftermath of this horrific act of violence and terror. They also state that they

 are ashamed at the barbarism perpetrated in the name of Islam, which is a religion of peace and tolerance and they express unity with the victims’ relatives and have called upon the authorities to immediately apprehend the true perpetrators of these crimes, as well as those who aid and abet them through incitement, financing or other support and urge tat they must be brought to justice in a court of law and punished appropriately.

Representatives of All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, National Shoora Council, Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, Memon Association of Sri Lanka, Dawoodi Bohra Community Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum, Sri Lanka Jama’athe Islami, Lanka Minaret, Quadiriyathun Nabaviyyah Thareeqah, Nabaviyyah Islamic Youth Organisation, Sri Lanka Muslim Womens’ Conference, Muslim Ladies Study Circle, Young Muslim Women’s League, and All Ceylon Union of Muslim Youth League Front have participated in this meeting.However it is shameful to find that none of dollar voracious political vultures who sustain by selling the Muslim community for their personal and political benefits has not attended this meeting.

Now let us focus attention on political aspects related to this abhorrent carnage which incidentally amounts the largest terrorist attack in this country.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe who was missing for two days following this attack, similar to his uncle JR who was missing for 5 days following UNP program of Black July in 1983 ,  has expressed regrets over the government’s failure to prevent the Easter Sunday a and said that as Prime Minister, he shares in the collective responsibility and express his  sincere regret to the people of the country for the Government’s lapse. He has said d that it is not enough to simply apologise and have to make sure these mistakes will never be repeated in the future and we must take measures to prevent such systemic failures, and commit ourselves to safeguard all human life.

In a tweet message he has said that everyone in the government takes collective responsibility for the failure to protect victims of tragic events. Despite CNN and a number of Indian news services reproof about the ring sent by the Deputy Inspector General of Police Priyalal Dissanayake on 4^th April, almost two weeks prior to the Easter attack he has denied receiving this warning.

Ranil Wickremasinghe is very much notorious among the people for his penchant qualities of denying facts, inventing illusory and imaginary stories and lies, distorting matters, making false promises, and for his untrustworthy qualities. People say that this denial is also one of his attempt to fool the people and evade responsibility.  

Critics question if that was so, how the Ministers and the government’s Christian MPs refrained from attending Mass on the Easter Sunday which is the 3^rd most important event in the Christian calendar.  They particularly ask about  foul mouthed Minister, John Ameratuga, the Minister of Christian Affairs, who is a staunch Catholic who frequently visits Bethlehem attend audience of His Eminence Pope at Vatican City.

Utterly disregarding and without any concern for the death of innocent people and those injured in the carnage he has proposed measures to open the doors of the country for foreign spies and allow them to gain access to strategic secrets of the country. He has said that this terror cannot be fought alone by us at a national level and the planning and training could be done in a foreign country.  It is shameless to find this Anglophile Suddha puppet making utterances belittling the talents, devotion and determination of our heroic war heroes.  Was he in a limbo when our Naval officers ed to international maritime territory near Indonesia and destroyed LTTE’s weapons storage vessels, when our Air Force personnel carried out precise bombing of Tamilselvan’s hideout and child soldier training camp Sen Cholai and when or intelligence operators went to Malaysia to apprehend KP and bring him back to Sri Lane. Canhe cite any example of such achievements by his Suddha forces. Only example that reminds us in the post World War II era is the Entebbe Airport raid by Israeli forces.

Another matter he has stated about is that our existing laws are insufficient to deal with the extraordinary situation we are faced with and we are to efficiently combat global terrorism, we have to enact laws that deal severely with academic institutions that impart extremist  views. If that is so why you are making all attempts to repeal the existing powerful PTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) and attempting to introduce a toothless law called Counter Terrorism Act on the insistence of your Suddha uncles, the diaspora, terrorist TNA and the cesspool UNHRC?

If you are so hateful and antipathy to Sri Lanka why don’t you with your Butterfly acolytes and your childhood playmate that opld Hag anf go and settle down in your Sudda uncle’s laqnd allow we Sri Lankans to live peacefully managing our own affairs suitably?.

President Maithripala Sirisena has charged that the responsibility of the Easter Sunday carnage should be borne by all sections of the government that weakened the security forces and intelligence services by putting intelligence officers behind bars.

Addressing the media at the President’s House, he said that the Defence Secretary and the Inspector General of Police should accept the responsibility of dereliction of duty which led to the disaster that took place on Sunday.

He noted that the Human Rights ‘uncles’ (bappala) who were making a big noise could not be even found after the incident happened.

The President further said that the problems between him and the government aggravated about two years ago after he protested within and outside the government against the weakening of intelligence services and unnecessarily arresting security services personnel.

He said at that time the ‘Human Rights uncles’ (Manawa Himikan Bappala) were saying that the law should be applied to everyone in the country equally.

The President said that what he was against was not about applying the law equally but about weakening the intelligence services and security forces.

He noted that under these circumstances many intelligence officers and experts left the country during the past few years. He added some of them were put to Sri Lankan missions in foreign countries by him due to this harassment they had to undergo. The President said that the other sections of the government insisted that they could not continue to keep these officers in those posts.  

The President said that he has the fullest confidence that the law and order machinery has all the required capabilities to meet the challenge of terrorism and bring back peace and normalcy very soon since major search operation has been undertaken. Every household in the country will be checked and lists of permanent residents of every house will be established to ensure no unknown persons could live anywhere.  He pointed out that during the fight against LTTE terrorism, similar methods were adapted.

The President acknowledged that there was a serious lapse on the part of Defence Secretary and Inspector General of Police (IGP), who failed to inform him about the intelligence agency letter from a friendly foreign country sent on April 4, warning about a possible attack.

The letter warned of possible attacks on churches, places of public gatherings and VIPs.

The IGP has sent that letter to Staff DIG and it was sent from table to table and finally it was forwarded to DIG Dissanayake of VIP Security, who, in turn, forwarded it to officers in-charge of security of VIPs protection. I was not informed.

He said that both, Defence Secretary and IGP came to wish me on New Year Day (April 14) and they did not say a word about this warning letter. It was a serious lapse on their part and shirk of responsibility,” he said.

He said that the letter kept on going from one place to another with minutes being put and he was not informed about it. The President added that while in Singapore a friend who was with him had shown the letter that was circulating in social media.

The President said that he asked the Defence Secretary and the IGP to tender resignations immediately and they agreed to do so.

He added that an appropriate process will be implemented while completely reorganizing the security services including State Intelligence Service and Intelligence Units of the Police and Tri-forces, to prevent recurrence of these kinds of terrorist activities.  

Referring to the current operations, raids and arrests of suspects, he praised the law enforcement and intelligence services for their efficiency and dedication in responding to this situation. The government has already been able to crack down on many criminals, suspects and those responsible for the recent attacks and many arrests have taken place. Therefore, I truly believe that we can avoid a repetition of such gruesome acts of violence in the future,” he said.

I have already planned necessary actions to build an environment where the people of this country could live freely and without fear in the future,”

Answering a question about the safety of schools and places of worship, the President said that as the Government, it will create a background where the public servants, school children, entrepreneurs and the general public of the country could act liberally in a free and peaceful environment.

We had to declare an Emergency situation to suppress terrorists and ensure a peaceful environment in the country. What have been enacted by gazette are clauses pertaining to suppressing terrorism only. If these enactments were not made, the powers prevailed were not sufficient for Police to take proactive measures and the Army, Navy and Air Force could not take part actively in the operations,” he said.s.

The President said There is a nexus between international terrorism and international drug trade. Furthermore, I got staunch support for anti-drugs campaign from His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, who joined us at Anti-Drug Walks. Perhaps the terrorist hastened the attacks on churches for these reasons”.

Asked about proscribing the Islamic militant groups responsible for terror attacks, the President said that can be done under the emergency laws, but the ban would end, when the emergency is lifted.

I have asked to draft a new legislation for proscribing these organizations and we are studying such laws enacted in Singapore, Australia and other countries”.

The President recalled that when the LTTE terrorism broke out in early 80s, most Sinhala and Muslim people used to look at Tamils as if all of them were terrorists.

However, people quickly learned about the LTTE and the fact that not all Tamils were terrorists, and that laid the foundation for the nation to unite for peace.

I request from Sinhala and Tamil people not to look at our country’s Muslim community with suspicion, fear or distrust. You must keep in mind that not all Muslims are terrorists. It is only a very small minority who are linked to such a barbaric terrorist organization,” he said.

It is very important therefore, that peace and harmony among Sinhala, Muslim and Tamil communities prevail. It is important for us to foster trust among us.”

He emphasized the importance of everybody joining together despite differences for the task of protecting the national security, However the patriotic, civil. Professional and religious orgaorganizations and the general public faulted the President for failing todismiss the Ranil Wickremasinghe government at least on the 22^nd night itself and handover the country to a caretaker government comprising a panel of secvurity service and judicial officers yorun the country until the people a new government.

(To be copntinued)  .