The United National Celebration as the then main opposition took a firm stand in October 2013, when they unanimously decided to vote against the attempts created by the Rajapaksa regime to legalize casinos via a draft legislation which was presented in Parliament.
Even so, current photographs of the Mayor of Colombo, UNP’s Ahamed Jamaldeen Mohamed Muzammil‘s full action playing higher stakes in a casino is going viral in social media.
The UNP Pc MP, President’s Counsel Srinath Perera wrote to the UPFP Pc member Udaya Gammanpila the following letter in February 2014
Mr Udaya Gammanpila,
District Leader of Colombo for the UPFA.
Dear Mr. Gammanpila,
We have come to know – by way of media reports – that you have launched your election campaign beneath the auspices of Defense Secretary Gorabhaya Rajapaksa.
Gota and GammanpilaAlthough you brag about political ethics and adherence to election laws, you have launched your election campaign under the aegis of a government official, showing the level of your hypocrisy and duplicity.
It is an offence to use state officials and state house in an election campaign beneath any circumstance, and the fact that you have violated election laws in public at very outset of your campaign disqualified you from boasting about political ethics or “new political culture”
We are also interested to know why you – who stated to stand against establishing casinos in the nation – chose to launch your campaign with the support of Mr. Rajapaksa, who explicitly favours casinos in Sri Lanka.
The Urban Improvement Ministry was the physique that gave approval to start off new casinos in Colombo, and Mr. Rajapaksa, in his capacity as the Secretary of the Defence and Urban Development Ministry, handles numerous essential responsibilities in this regard. He has always been of the view that Sri Lanka ought to have an open policy towards casinos.
This brings into question your self-styled anti- Casino patriotism. It is clear that you have betrayed your policies, ethics and values for your new ‘position’ as the District leader for the UPFA.
We therefore challenge you to disclose your stand on numerous matters,
Have you changed your policy on Casinos? Have you changed your view on ‘political culture’ and political ethics’ ? What is the reason for sudden shift of core beliefs? We openly challenge you to answer the aforesaid questions.
The President’s resolve to make sure the passage of 20A in its present type, is noticed by more than twenty minor and minorities parties as a blatant attempt to dislodge them from parliament. His commitment to 20th Amendment could be due to the assurance that he gave the SLFP members when he sought their help for the 19th Amendment, yet it is crucial that this approach is not bulldozed.
The group of little parties that met at the headquarters of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) wants the gazette notification published on the 20th amendment withdrawn and a correct consultation undertaken. Failure would mean that it passage would be challenged both in and outdoors parliament.
While, it is agreed and accepted that delimitation and constitutional reforms to rid the scourge of the preferential vote are an absolute necessity, and a guarantee in Maithripala’s Yahapalanaya manifesto that needs to be honoured, it is critical that the fears expressed by the minor and minority parties are addressed forthwith.
President Maithripala Sirisena could stand accused of entirely betraying the minority communities that ensured his victory at the Presidential election of January 2015. The 20A will get rid of the representation from parliament most of the minority parties who helped him reach the presidency. Many of these parties do not command a big enough voter base to win electorates but are sturdy enough to win representations in the districts. They fear that if 20A is implemented in its present kind, it would cement the two celebration rule. This may auger effectively as a nation to move away from ethnic primarily based politics, but, Sri Lankan electorate has been polarized along ethnic and religious lines. We want to go back to the days when the elected legislators represented all the folks and communities alike. This might not be the effortless following more than 35 years of ethnic/communal politics that was introduced under the JR Jayewardene constitutional reforms.
Numerous amongst the minority communities see this the push for 20th A as a Hela Urumaya (JHU) agenda to dilute the influence of minorities in government. This calculated move would force minority parties to kind alliances with Maithripala’s Sirisena’s SLFP or Ranil Wickremesinge’s UNP for their political survival. This will at some point make certain that no minority celebration could dictate terms or hold the remote controls of government.
The late MHM Ashroff, the founder leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) during President Chandrika Bandaranaike’s government used to claim that they held the remote controls of government with their numbers in parliament. The mainstream parties saw this as holding the majority view to ransom. This may or could not be a accurate assumption, but they did have the clout to demand and receive genuine dues for their constituencies. They also employed this clout to receive undue perks and privileges for themselves. If the 20A goes through, the controls of the remote would end up in the hands of either Maithripala Sirisena’s SLFP or Ranil Wickrmesinghe’s UNP.
One may possibly wonder why the JHU is on a suicidal mission to remove themselves from parliament, but the reality is that they have ensured their place in Maithripala’s SLFP, understanding really nicely that their saffron politics will be entirely rejected by the folks at the subsequent General Elections. There is no way that they could contest alone and anticipate to survive, so this is a face saving agenda and a convenient route back to parliament through con the 20th Amendment as all minor and minority parties would be compelled to be portion of 1 alliance or the other.
If candidates from minority parties had been to be elected from the districts exactly where they are a minority, they would need to type alliances with major parties to be granted the benevolence of an chance to contest from 1 of the significant parties. Under the current Proportional Representation, minor and minority parties can seek their votes from the complete district. Proponents of 20A will argue that they can still obtain that by means of the district preference, however is it the exact same?
On the other hand, this could also lead to additional polarization of the various communities, ought to they commence forming alliances based on religion or language.
20A could not influence the bigger minority parties line the TNA in the North and East and the Muslim Congress in the East, but it will affect these parties and all other minor and minority parties in each and every electorate outside their bastions.
The minority parties are convinced that the JHU and other Buddhist forces had this strategy to minimize the dominance of minority parties in government correct by means of out the presidential campaign of Sirisena. The UNP, which would stand to obtain substantially if minorities have no option but to vote for one particular of the principal parties, stay uncommitted. On the other hand if minority parties kind their own coalition, the UNP would stand to be the greatest looser.
All credit must go to Maithripala Sirisena for the passage of the 19A , however he is in an unenviable position with regard to the 20th A. On a single hand, as the leader of the SLFP, he need to continue to lead the SLFP to victory at the subsequent general elections, and on the other hand, he requirements to maintain his promise of the one hundred-day reforms to the typical opposition that got him elected. To get anywhere close to reaching it, he demands the numbers in parliament, exactly where the opposition commands the majority. Through this the majority in the SLFP has managed to hold President Sirisena to ransom.
The average civilian wants an end to this wheeler dealing and an early election may possibly be the only selection, but without having the passage of the 20th A, Maithripala would be observed as a weak president by his SLFP and the group led by former President Rajapaksa. This has driven President Maithripala Sirisena to compromise on all aspects of the reforms that he promised by way of the Yahapalanaya Manifesto.
It would be tragic if Maithripala pushes 20A by deceit. He may possibly not require the voters in the course of the existing term as president, but exactly where would he be if the UNP and the minority parties that propelled him to the presidency were not part of his campaign in January 2015?
Amongst different proposals put forward by the professional committee on 20A of Asoka Abeygunawardene, Dr Sujata Gamage and Kirthi Tennakoon is the alternative of seeking in to the suggestions of the Muslim Congress and All Ceylon National Congress to accept the dual ballot notion. This may satisfy the demand by the minorities as it would give them a chance at the preference vote, however has it been researched effectively to push it by means of in this mighty hurry. Will this not drive us back to the “manapay pora” that we have skilled? If implemented, the largest winner of this would be the JVP. Most individuals may not want to dilute the value of their vote on the JVP which stands a poor likelihood of acquiring elected below FPTP, however numerous would not hesitate to vote for the particular person in the JVP list.
Whatever the method that would be introduced require not be pushed through in haste. Fresh elections and a fresh mandate ought to be given to the next government to formulate a new constitution where all Sri Lankans would be able to live in dignity and peace.
The outcome of the presidential election of January 2015 created expectations of change, hope and reform among considerable sections of Sri Lankan society. For Muslim communities, who played a pivotal role in the election, the change in Government was willed into being in part due to the insecurity and violence suffered by Muslims particularly in the South of the country over the last two years. As indicated by the compilation of incidents carried out by the Secretariat for Muslims (SFM) from 2013 onwards, Muslims faced a hate campaign that has resulted in violence and tension, including damages to mosques and private properties, harassment and injuries to individuals and even deaths. This campaign that was carried out through a variety of methods, including direct violence, demonstrations, speeches, social media and the mainstream media had multiple impacts not just for Muslim communities but the country at large, raising serious concerns relating to the equality before the law, the lack of law enforcement, impunity and national identity. Above all it questioned the commitment of the then Government to both arrest the violence and perpetrators of the hate campaign such as the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), and deal with the underlying culture of hate. The hate campaign played a significant role in mobilizing the Muslim community, including many of the Muslim members in Parliament, to vote for Maithripala Sirisena, in the expectation that his Government would bring about positive change. The election of January 8th created a palpable sense of security for the Muslims, especially in flashpoint areas which had seen violence in past months and had become the focus of Sinhala Buddhist extremist groups.
Over the last four months the Government has made a number of symbolic gestures and statements as to how this new Government differentiates itself from its predecessor, not just with regards to the hate campaign but also the ethnic conflict. President Sirisena has made repeated pledges and requests for a shift in the politics of this country, including at the SLFP convention on March 17 where he stated that the SLFP was “not a Sinhala Buddhist party” and for its members not to engage in racist politics. While the Government has yet to announce frameworks for addressing critical post-war issues, it has acknowledged the need for reconciliation. At the Independence Day celebrations, the President pointed out that “the biggest challenge we face today, is that of bringing together the minds of the people of the North and South, and through a process of reconciliation bring about co-existence and national understanding.”[1]
In addition to statements, the new Government has taken a number of measures to restore and strengthen democracy and the rule of law as promised in the ‘100-Day Plan.’ While some promises have been delayed and/or not fully implemented,[2] efforts to reform the Constitution, most notably the system of governance, and to strengthen the rule of law, including reinstating the 43rd Chief Justice, Shiranie Bandaranayake and initiating a series of investigations into corruption and other crimes have helped to restore public confidence in State institutions. Some of these reform processes lack transparency, have been rushed through with little or no public dialogue and participation, and represent significant compromises. Coupled with the delays and gaps between promises and implementation these developments have increased public cynicism as to whether this Government is fully committed to introducing good governance and improving the status quo.
In dealing with fundamental post-war issues of reconciliation and accountability, the new Government has signaled that it is approaching these issues through a fresh perspective, but there continues to be lack of clarity as to how these processes are moving forward, while on the ground the victims continue to find little recourse. The Government announced that some land held by the military would be released in Valikammam, Sampur and Panama, but each release has its own set of problems that have meant those attempting to return have been delayed or have not been provided the resources to rebuild their lives, homes and livelihood. As noted by SFM, there are a number of other locations of military occupation continues to hamper post-war recovery and amounts to a denial of rights.[3] The Government reinstated the past practice of permitting the national anthem to be sung in either Sinhala or Tamil.
An important development took place on May 26th when the General Secretary of the BBS, Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera was arrested by the police on a court warrant. He was later released on bail but made clear that at the very least that this group would not enjoy the level of immunity that it enjoyed in the past. This has been a long standing demand of Muslim groups and civil society organizations that the State should use the systems of law and order to investigate and to prevent communal violence. Heavy police presence and action at key demonstrations at sites such as Kuragala/Jeylani in the last few months, also minimized or even thwarted violence, highlighting the importance that the restoration of the rule of law is to enjoying peace, security and stability, whereas during the past administration there were serious concerns about the inaction or even complicity of State actors in the lead up to and during violence.
As this compilation of incidents of hate speech and actions against Muslims that have been documented in the mainstream and social media, make clear this period from January to April 2015 has seen a continuation of incidents. This reinforces concerns that even though there has been a change in Government the actors involved in these acts of hate are still at large and the culture of hate and violence that was unleashed has not completely receded. In total there have been 37 incidents in the first four months of 2015. This is a decline in the total number of incidents as compared to the last four months of 2014 (48). Jeylani/Kuragala Mosque has become a critical site of dispute in the last few months, with some of the key Sinhala Buddhist extremist groups such as BBS and Sihala Ravaya organizing protests and making ultimatums regarding the site. The latter group also threatened to commit mass suicide if Muslims are not evacuated from Kuragala. This location is currently a protected archeological site and is shared by Muslims and Buddhists. That the BBS is incriminated in approximately one third of the incidents between January and April (13) makes clear the threat the group continues to pose.
The political context remains highly charged and dynamic, with the stability of this current government also being uncertain. The use of a flag depicting the lion from the national flag without the stripes for the minorities at a rally outside the Bribery Commission by key members of UPFA and the SLFP on April 23 represented flagrant disrespect of the Constitution but also demonstrated the willingness of those supporting the Rajapaksas to use divisive communal politics to mobilize support.[4] Figures in the Government and in civil society condemned this act, and an apology was later extended by some of the high profile protestors for using the flag but it once more highlights questions of the very identity of post-war Sri Lanka and the place of minorities. These mainstream politicians appear to be echoing sentiments expressed by groups such as the BBS and Sihala Ravaya who have highlighted the exclusive claim of Sinhala Buddhist to the island. In February one group, Sinhala Jathika Peramuna publicly claimed that Sri Lanka “does not belong to Sri Lankans, but to the Sinhalese.”[5] With the coming general election, there are concerns that both during the election and possibly its outcome could create a context for a re-launching of a hate campaign and even violence against minorities. The campaign to seek new positions of power for the defeated and previous President Rajapaksa has seen increasingly racist undertones, particularly focusing on the Tamil community.
At the Independence Day celebrations this year the new Government presented a Pledge for Peace that highlighted key goals:
“On this solemn occasion we pledge to adopt consensual approaches through democratic means, to advance national interest, national reconciliation, justice and equality for all citizens. We shall do this in a spirit of tolerance, accommodation and compromise and uphold the unity and territorial integrity of the nation for the progress and development of our pluralistic society.”
From May to July the country recorded a number of anniversaries of mass violence, not all of which are officially commemorated. The sixth anniversary of the end of the war, the thirty second year since Black July along with the century commemoration of the 1915 Riots in May and the one year anniversary of the Aluthgama Violence should serve as reminder of the urgent need for introspection as to how to move forward by tackling fear, distrust, and hate, in order to create, as highlighted in the pledge, an acceptance of values of democracy, justice, peace and pluralism.
Hate incidents against Muslims – January to April 2015
(Threats, attempts to attack, attacks, harassment, inciting, warning, violence, provocation, etc. against Muslims)
January 03, 2015 – Kirulapone, Colombo District: Ven. Gnanasara calls Justice Minister Hakeem a pariah: Gnanasara when speaking at a meeting organized by Bodhu Bala Sena (BBS) in support of Mahinda Rajapakse, in Kirulapone said “Hakeem is a pariah! I clearly tell this, he is a pariah. I have told media that he is a prostitute. He is cheaper than those prostitutes. They (prostitutes) are more respectable than Hakeem. We remember that a few years back he signed an agreement with Norway and crossed over to opposition for money when 137 Muslims were massacred by LTTE in Muttur’. At that time, he criticized the Sinhala army for doing that. During the last election he talked of ‘yellow robe terrorism’. He is in the habit of feeding poisonous racism to garner votes. Rishad Bathiudeen and Faizer Mustafa are no different than him. Whoever comes to power, we will take care of these guys”.“Have we ever talked about and targeted traditional Muslims? During Aluthgama riots extremist who attacked Sinhala Buddhist four times and groups who insulted Buddhism have also joined Maithripala Sirisena. I ask the JHU leaders how they plan to achieve a Pivithuru Hetak (a clean tomorrow) and develop a good society by joining Rauff Hakeem, Rishad Bathiudeen, Mujeebur Rahman, Azad Salley, Thawheed Jama’at, Ikhwanul Muslimeen and Jama’at e Islami?”, he queried.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTfPCVuWhuo (Starts from Minutes 22)
January 04, 2015 – Nationwide: We are only against fundamentalism – Ven. Gnanasara: In an interview with Irida Lankadeepa, Ven. Gnanasara stated “We only talk about religious fundamentalism and pointed our finger at them. We did it during Chardrika’s period also. There were no issues between Sinhalese and Muslims until the appearance of groups like the Thawheed Jama’at. Has anyone ever heard of Lord Buddha being referred to as a cannibal and that the ‘Triple Gem’ is just three pieces of stones? Traditional Muslims have never insulted Buddhism. We have identified who these groups are. We are disclosing the nature of extremists and racist Muslim leaders. These people instilled a fear into the minds of Muslims as if the BBS is going to massacre them”. He further said “if BBS had attacked Muslims, mosques, or business establishments, the police and other law enforcing bodies are there to inquire into it.”
Lankadeepa (page 10) January 04, 2015
January 04, 2015 – Nationwide: Those who left us are separatists – President: President Mahinda Rajapaksa during an exclusive interview with ‘Deshaya’ newspaper said that Muslim and Tamil separatist factions who demanded separatism have left the government since the government was not ready to divide the country. Furthermore, President Rajapaksa claimed that the Muslim Congress who was demanding a separate district and Tamil separatist factions had joined the opposition due to the rejection of their separatist proposals.
Deshaya (page 1) January 04, 2015
January 04, 2015 – Nationwide: BBS Advertisement aimed at forthcoming Presidential election: BBS full page advertisement appeared on Sunday Lankadeepa newspaper which reads as fellow. “O! Sinhala Buddhist! Awaken and unite! The Opposition’s manifesto and agreement are dangerous. Do not allow racists, separatists and minority powers/ politics to decide the leadership of the country. Let’s defeat the force that will pay ransom to extremists, those who put the unitary state and the wellbeing of motherland into jeopardy, and the international conspiracy. Cast your vote diligently.”
Lankadeepa (page 12) January 04, 2015
January 05, 2015 – Nationwide: Media briefing – Maithripala Sirisena’s Manifesto based entirely upon Muslim extremism and Christian fundamentalism – BBS: Speaking to the media in Colombo, BBS CEO Dilanthe Withanage stated “the common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena’s Manifesto was based entirely upon Muslim extremism and Christian fundamentalism. Factions of Christian fundamentalists, Muslim extremists and other NGOs are implementing their own agendas through this manifesto”.
Ceylon Today (page 3) January 06, 2015, Daily Mirror (page 6) January 06, 2015
January 11, 2015 – Nationwide: Media briefing – We will never abandon our struggle – BBS : Gnanasara asked what the present government’s stand on Halal, Sharia banking, Niqab and so on is. He also criticized Azath Salley and Mujibur Rahman, and demanded to know from the present government whether an inquiry would be made about people who said the Buddha is cannibal. In addition, they wanted to know if those who are destroying Wilpattu forest and grabbing land in Mannar will get punished.
January 13, 2015 – Public Library, Colombo District: Muslim fundamentalism is a threat to the country: When speaking at a book launch “Anthawadaye Beeshanaya” (A book ‘Terror of Extremism’ by Chatura Pamunuva, a journalist of Divaina newspaper) at the Colombo Public Library Auditorium Gnanasara said “Muslim fundamentalism is a threat to Sri Lanka, and when the BBS discloses these facts we are being targeted”.
Divaina (page 14) January 14, 2015
January 20, 2015 – Nationwide: Media interview – BBS got the inspiration from RSS and BJP – BBS: Speaking to The Indian Express, the BBS CEO Dilanthe Withanage said that his group is inspired by the BJP and RSS (of India) and that it would soon launch “a party modeled on these Indian ventures to protect Buddhist culture in Sri Lanka”. “We have a very positive understanding with Modi,” Withanage said. “We admire him as a leader. Unofficially, there have been personal relations and talks with RSS and BJP leaders. We will soon launch active political talks with our Indian counterparts.” Claiming that the portrayal of BBS as a religious terrorist organization was similar to the situation faced by Modi when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat during the 2002 riots, Withanage said, “We are not against any religion. We don’t spread hatred against anyone. But it’s true that we do deliver hard speeches on certain truths that we believe in, to protect Buddhist values in Sri Lanka.” He added that what his organization does in Sri Lanka for the majority Buddhist religion “is inspired by what the RSS and BJP do in India”. “There are lots of similarities between India and Sri Lanka,” Withanage said. “Both of us face threats from Muslims and minorities who are actively engaged in conversions. When Sinhalese families have a child or two, minorities have half a dozen or more. When foreign money plays behind such activities, we need to resist. So Modi and his party is a great inspiration for us,” he added.
January 20, 2015 – Nationwide: Media briefing – Separate administrative district will lead to division – Ven. Gnanasara: Answering to a question raised by a media person related to separate administrative district Ven. Gnanasara said “Muslims in Colombo and suburbs live peacefully, do they ask for separate administrative unit? We are against racism. The concept of so called good governance of the new government will ultimately lead the country towards division as Sinhala speaking and Tamil speaking like what happened in Sudan”.
The BBS Attempts To Undermine President Maithripala's Government And Attempts To Spread Fear Among Sinhalese Buddhists
February 01, 2015 – Dehiwala, Colombo District: Muslim owned business place stoned: ‘Nawalanka Super City’ in Allen Avenue, Dehiwala a Muslim owned business place where items like hijab were sold, was stoned early morning today shattering its window glass front by unknown persons. The owner of the shop while explaining said that the previous evening a Sinhalese person had cast some critical comments to a Muslim lady customer who had been in hijab in the shop. On a complaint regarding this by the lady the management had questioned the person. This had led to an argument. Subsequently, the person had threatened the management whilst wielding a knife and said “see what will happen to your shop” and gone.
February 10, 2015 – Nationwide: Media briefing – Will start our struggle again from Kuragala – BBS: Gnanasara at the media briefing held in Colombo criticized former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumartunga for making a speech at Thihariya against BBS which he alleged that will encourage extremist forces in this country. “An organization called the Shoora Council conducted a programme at Independence Square where once again she made derogatory comments against the BBS. We have waited enough; we will start our struggle again from Jailani[6] Kuragala.” he said. Dilanthe Withanage, stated that the National Shoora Council has been given unnecessary privileges and positions; and called for a competent authority to “look into its formulation, funding and financial transactions, links and the individuals involved including their relationships. Meanwhile, the BBS will file a lawsuit again Minister Rauff Hakeem,” he said. Commending the government for amending the United Nations Act No. 45 of 1968 to ban the Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, Withanage said that “The government has acknowledged the truth and depth of what we have been talking about since 2013 for which we were labeled racists and extremists inciting religious tensions, challenging religious freedoms and discriminating against minorities. MPs and political leaders are ignorant about this issue. We must protect moderate, traditional Muslims from this scourge.” Speaking further, the BBS also called for the niqab to be banned. “niqab must be banned in public places and on public transport as it is a danger to national security since one can conceal weapons and materials underneath. Muslim terrorists are also engaged in drugs and weapons smuggling and human trafficking,” he added.
February 17, 2015 – Nationwide: Media briefing – Muslim extremism nourished at mosques – Ven Gnanasara : “If anyone thinks that they can continue with their Muslim extremist activities after electing Maithripala Sirisena, they will never get that opportunity”, Ven. Gnanasara said at media briefing held in Colombo today. “We will never allow Buddhist ideology to get destroyed. Muslim extremism is being nourished at mosques. This will have great impact. They’re challenging us without knowing who we are. They are trying to hunt us because we are silent, the Muslim separatist leaders must keep in mind that we are like lions, if they rouse our anger the repercussion will be very serious”, he added. “Muslim separatists are totally responsible for what happened in Aluthgama, but we were blamed for it”, Ven. Gnanasara noted. “Giving preference to Islamic law in this country is unacceptable. Similarly Islamic law about dress is terrible; it is awkward to see women walking around with their faces covered; it is frightening too”, he added.
13. February 23, 2015 – Balangoda, Ratnapura District: We will not allow these infidel Muslims to run riot in Kuragala – BBS: The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) has requested a meeting with the government, to call for the Antiquities Ordinance to be enforced with regards to the Kuragala monastery. The Kuragala monastery dates back even before 2nd century BC and is considered a national treasure. “We will not allow these infidel Muslims to run riot in Kuragala,” Ven. Gnanasara recently stated. The BBS had previously threatened that if the Antiquities Ordinance was not enforced within a month, they would remove the Sufi mosque within the premises brick by brick. (Please refer incident number 11 – February 10, 2015)
14. February 26, 2015 – Nationwide: Media briefing – This country does not belong to Sri Lankans but to Sinhalese: “Red was the only color which prevailed in the national flag of Sri Lanka to denote that this is a Sinhala country; and other two colors denoting Tamils and Muslims must be removed from it”, said the leader of Sinhala National Front Ven. Gallage Punniyawardana. He told this at the media briefing held in Colombo today. He further said that he will go on a protest march from Colombo to Kandy and remove the flag from Naga Vihara which gives recognition to three communities and replace it with one that gives recognition only to Sinhalese. This country does not belong to Sri Lankans but to Sinhalese, he emphasized.
Virakesari (page 8) February 27, 2015
March 02, 2015 – Kandy, Kandy District: Attempt to hoist the ‘Sinhale Flag” at Dalada Maligawa: A tense situation was reported in Kandy today when the Sinhala Jathika Peramuna (Sinhala National Front) and Swarna Hansa Foundation organized a commemorative ceremony to mark the hoisting of the national flag 200 years ago by Ven. Wariyapola Sri Sumangala at the Sacred Temple of the tooth in Kandy. A group of extremists including few Buddhist monks, tried to remove the Sri Lankan National Flag hoisted inside the Sri Dalada Maligawa by force and attempted to hoist the ‘Sinhale Flag’ instead. A police team attached to the Kandy Police prevented this from happening, and the police media unit states that investigations have been initiated into these incidents. Many ‘national organizations’ including the Sinhala National Front and the Bodu Bala Sena have declared several times that the country’s name should be changed to ‘Sinhale’ instead of Sri lanka and that the green and saffron stripes in the National Flag also should be removed . ( Please refer incident number 14 – February 26, 2015)
March 02, 2015 – Katugastota, Kandy District: Tensed situation in Aladeniya: Attempts have been made to create communal tension in Aladeniya, Katugastota following an incident that occurred few days ago between private bus owners. Following this incident four Sinhala youth had attacked a Muslim. Following complaint to the police one of the attackers had been arrested. Some Sinhalese of the area have threatened that Muslim owned shops would be attacked if the arrested person was not released. In the meantime some Muslim owned business premises have been stoned. Police presence has been strengthened after Azad Salley – Central Provincial Council member brought the matter to the notice of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
http://madawalanews.com/61738
March 03, 2015 – Nationwide: Picture in text books creates misconception of Muslims: Muslim teachers complain of a cattle-slaughtering picture that appears page 9 of the Tamil (second language) book currently taught at Government Sinhala Medium Schools for Grade-9 is offending Muslim sentiments. This picture creates an unnecessary bad impression in mind of Sinhala students about Muslims. Muslim teachers who teach at Tamil as a second language in Sinhala Schools feel uncomfortable about it and have requested Educational Publications Department to amend to it. Today’s Vidivelli carried this report.
Vidivelli (page 11) March 03, 2015
March 03, 2015 – Seruwila, Trincomalee District: Abaya banned in Seruwila Divisional Secretariat: The Seruwila Divisional Secretary issued instructions banning Muslim lady staff of the Secretariat from wearing abaya to the office. This has compelled the lady staff to wear sarees to office during weekdays. Staffs who do not wish to adhere to this instruction have been asked to stay away from the office.
Navamani (page 13) March 08, 2015, http://madawalanews.com/61772
March 03, 2015 – Nationwide: Media briefing – BBS calls for ban on burka in public: BBS General Secretary Ven. Gnanasara at the media briefing held at its office Kirulapone said “ BBS will instruct youth to not to adhere to face-covering helmet law until burka is banned. There cannot be two different laws in the country. If the authorities are really concerned of the safety of the citizens and the national security they must ban burka as well, if the Government does not ban the burka we will also cover our faces with the robe ”, he added.
Thinakkural (page 7) March 04, 2015, Virakesari (page 2) March 04, 2015, Mawbima (page 12) March 05, 2015
March 09, 2015 – Ratnapura, Ratnapura District: Discrimination: According to August 8, 2014 gazette notification applications called for 4500 Tamil medium teachers to teach in schools in the upcountry completely ignoring Muslim Schools. Interviews were held on 9th, 10th& 11th of March at Ferguson Girls School, Ratnapura. When Muslims went for the teaching interview they have not been entertained by the interview board. They were informed that these vacancies were available only to upcountry Tamil teachers.
http://madawalanews.com/62474
March 10, 2015 – Kurunegala, Kurunegala District: Slogans vilifying Allah and His prophet at Kurunegala: Derogatory sentences vilifying Almighty Allah and Prophet Muhammad appeared on walls closer to Kurunegala Zahira College. Furthermore, some abusive, disparaging sentences against Muslims and Muslim ministers too have appeared.
Navamani (page 1) March 14, 2015, http://madawalanews.com/62752
March 10, 2015 – Badulla technical College, Badulla District: Teacher barred hijab at technical College: Female Muslim students of Badulla technical College were barred from entering the college in hijab by a newly appointed teacher. This was amicably settled after the matter was taken up by the Badulla District Muslim Council President Mr. Muzammil, to the relevant authority.
March 17, 2015 – Nationwide: Muslim extremists encroach historic places – Ven. Medille Pangnaloka: A letter written by Sinhala National Front President Ven. Medille Pangnaloka was circulated on websites claiming that Muslim extremists are destroying historic places and are encouraging communal disharmony. Ven. Pangnaloka alleged that the activities of the Muslim extremists have been rising once again with emergence of the good governance. He claims that the Muslims were constructing religious places of worship in a manner which did nothing but provoke the Sinhala Buddhists. “Buddhist temples and religious identities can be challenges for the Muslims when their population increases, economy and culture develop, therefore, the Muslims are planning a long term strategy to encroach the historical places,” he alleged. “The settlements closer to the Pottuvil Grand temple, Kirinda, Kuragala, Rangiri Dambulla and Dalada Maligawa in Kandy are some example of their expansion,” he further elucidated. The letter concluded with the author requesting responsible officials to refrain from making false allegations against Sinhala Buddhists by accusing them of racism. According to Ven. Pangnaloka, actions of Muslim extremists continue to provoke Sinhala Buddhists. Offering a solution, he states that the re-establishment of the Ministry for Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs will ensure religious harmony, especially if priority is given to Buddhism.
March 22, 2015 – Warakapola, Kegalle District: Tenants of shops owned by Muslims claim the shops belong to Naga temple of Dalada Maligawa: Sinhalese who had leased shops from Muslims for a long period in Warakapola recently started to claim ownership of 13 shops by stating that they belonged to the Naga temple of the Dalada Maligawa. They used to pay rent to the Muslim owners but now make payments to the above temple instead. Additionally, they produced paid rent receipts from the temple as well. Recently, several Sinhalese forcefully entered and attached new locks to shops belonging to Muslims. Though the shop owners took legal action and the court had ordered the shops to be returned to its rightful owners, these orders were defied by several extremist groups. Allegations by extremists also claim that Muslims have no right to live in certain areas on land in Warakapola, and that those residing in such areas should pay tax to the temple.
Nawamani (page 1) March 22, 2015
March 30, 2015 – Dehiwala, Colombo District: Neighbours insist closer of Kadawatha Road Mosque : The Sinhalese people in Kadawatha Road lodged a complaint insisting the closure of the Dehiwela Kadawatha road Masjidul As-Shafee Mosque, as it is a hindrance to the people who live closer to the mosque. They made this complaint to the Special Police Unit dealing with complaints related to religious activities. In their written complaint they have mentioned that the Mosque comes under the Kohuwela Police Division, creates unpleasant noise from religious activities and vehicle parking of Mosque visitors in front of Sinhalese houses also pollute the environment. The Special Police Unit (which handles religious complaints under the Ministry of Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs) requested the Mosque’s administration to present themselves to the Ministry to record a statement in this regard.
Vidivelli (page 1) March 31, 2015
March 31, 2015 – Boralesgamuwa, Colombo District: Case filed against Jummah Mosque: The Boralesgamuwa Urban Council chairman filed a case against the Boralesgamuwa Jummah Mosque at Nugegoda Magistrate alleging that some building blocks attached to the mosque were illegal, and for the removal of such blocks. Nugegoda court took the case for examination on March 31, 2015. However, the mosque administration states that the urban council refused to approve the revised plan for the mosque, claiming that there were legal issues concerning the plan. The Court is due to examine the case on July 14, 2015.
Vidivelli (page 1) April 05, 2015
April 01, 2015 – Arayampathy, Batticaloa District: Stop building Mosque and Muslim settlements: The President of Nam Hindu (We are Hindus) organization and former Provincial council member P. Prasandhan handed over a petition to several senior officials of the government requesting to stop the building of a mosque and of planned Muslim settlements in holy land of Kovilkulam Sikaram, Arayampathy East. Requesting the Archeological Department to declare the land as a ‘Holy Site’, he threatened to launch a hunger-strike if officials failed to respond to his demands within a week.
Thinakkural (page 5) April 02, 2015
http://www.battifm.com/2015/04/blog-post_56.html
April 02, 2015 – Nationwide: Media briefing – Ban niqab/burka if full-face helmet to be banned – Sinhala Ravaya: The Sinhala Ravaya demanded the police to ban the wearing of the burka and niqab with immediate effect, if they decide proceed with implementing the ban on wearing the full-face helmet. Speaking at a media briefing today, Convener of Sinhala Ravaya Magalkande Sudaththa said, “If the police claims full-face helmets are banned to reduce crime rates, it is nothing more than a decoy to cover the inefficiency of the police. A man dressed in a burka attempted to rob a bank in Katugastota, and a drug lord was evading the police for a year under the guise of this attire. What is the technique deployed by the police to identify a criminal hiding under this attire?”He went on to state that if the police is able to identify whether it’s a man, a woman or a criminal who hides under the niqab or burka, the police should deploy similar methods to crack down on criminals attempting to engage in illegal activities under the cover of the full face helmet. “We urge the Police to ban the burka too as it is a grave threat to national security,” he added.
https://www.facebook.com/751267798237933/photos/a.786058734758839.1073741829.751267798237933/949146491783395/?type=1&theater Lakbima (page 5) April 06, 2015
April 04, 2014 – Kuragla, Ratnapura District: Sihala Ravaya tried to enter the Kuragala mosque: A group of protesters led by Ven. Magalkande Sudantha demanded the demolition of the mosque and two tombs within the Kuragala mosque premises, claiming that they stood on an archaeological site that once housed Buddhist centres. The protesters vowed to come back if the authorities did not take action to remove them, and gathered outside the Kuragala mosque site despite an enjoining order issued by the Balangoda Magistrate against any protests. Police said they were forced to disperse the crowd of about 150 Sihala Ravaya supporters who had come armed with crowbars and other tools to demolish the mosque. However the local Sinhala neighbors had obstructed the road while holding banners which read “We are Sri Lankans and we are against racist powers which provokes Sinhala-Muslim clashes”. Further conversation between protesters and locals lead to a tense situation and police intervention to control the situation also failed. Therefore police resorted to using tear gas in order to disperse the crowd. ( Please refer incident number 13 – February 23, 2015)
Lakbima (page 6) April 06, 2015, Mawbima (page 4) April 08, 2015, Rivira (page 3) April 08, 2015, Rivira (page 3) April 06, 2015, Serendib (page1) April 06, 2015, Thinakaran – Arangam – April 10, 2015
April 05, 2015 – Kuragala, Ratnapura District: Sinhala Ravaya vows to fight on for Kuragala: Sinhala Ravaya Chairman Ven. Akmeemana Dayarathana said that his organization will continue fighting to protect the Kuragala archaeological site from Islamic extremist elements. Releasing a video statement, Ven. Dayarathana said that the Sinhala Ravaya went to Kuragala after they had repeatedly requested relevant authorities to protect the archaeological site by implementing available rules and regulations. Explaining further, Ven. Dayarathana said that there were several signboards indicating that the site is a Buddhist archaeological site, and that Islamic fundamentalist elements were damaging the area. He added that it was in fact the site of the ‘Diva Guhava[7]’ found in Buddhist folktales, and is believed to be the cave in which Lord Buddha rested in on his way to Sri Pada(Adam’s Peak). “Since it is an archaeological site, authorities could have taken steps to protect it. If they are not taking action, Sinhala Ravaya will continue fighting to protect the site”, he concluded. ( Please refer incident number 29 – April 04, 2015)
April 05, 2015 – Nationwide: Protecting the Buddhist historic places is our obligation- Ravana Balaya: General Secretary of Ravana Balaya Ven. Ittekande Saddhatissa stated when laws on hate speech is implemented, action must be taken against R.Sampanthan and Rauff Hakeem as well. He further claimed that Sinhalese Buddhists did nothing to provoke communalism or racism, but merely struggled to protect their historical rights; whereas Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader Sampanthan and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress’s (SLMC) leader Rauff Hakeem initiated hate speech with the intent of causing disharmony within the country.
Virakesari (page 21) April 06, 2015
April 06, 2015 – Kiribathgoda, Colombo District: Protest against Muslim business: Hameedia, the leading fashion wear for men, has opened a new branch at Kiribathgoda. After few minutes of opening it, a small group of people gathered and began to protest. People who protested held boards stating that they didn’t want the outlet in Kiribathgoda. The protest was stopped upon the arrival of the police. Additionally, a number of posters displayed condemning the clothing chain’s expansion to Kiribathgoda. Muslims have not been allowed to begin any businesses within the Kiribathgoda area for a long while now.
April 07, 2015 – Kuragala, Ratnapura District: Media briefing – “We cannot allow Muslims to encroach Kuragala” – BBS: BBS CEO Dilanthe Withanage stated in a media briefing held at BBS head quarters Kirulapone that the BBS will not allow Muslims to occupy the holy Buddhist land of Kuragala. Furthermore, he condemned the actions of police towards the Sihala Ravaya monks who lead protests in Kuragala, and accused the government of failing to take action against those who continued to defy the court order by constructing mosques in the area. Further they demanded government intervention to find an immediate solution to this problem. ( Please refer incident number 30 – April 05, 2015)
http://madawalanews.com/64925
SudarOli (page 1) April 08, 2015, Virakesari (page 21) April 06, 2015
April 08, 2015 – Nationwide: Media conference – Sihala Ravaya warns the Government: At a media conference held at Buddhist Cultural Centre Dehiwala, President of the Sinhala Ravaya Ven. Akmeemana Dayarathana warned the Government to safeguard the Buddhist sites – namely Kuragala, Dambulla and Devanagala – from Muslim Fundamentalists. He also threatened to join the Bodu Bala Sena and the Ravana Balaya in joint protest and launch massive protests if the government authorities failed to comply with them. ( Please refer incident number 33 – April 07, 2015)
Vidivelli (page 1) April 13, 2015
April 23, 2015 – Kuragagala, Balangoda, Ratnapura District: Kuragala Mosque to be relocated – Minister: State Minister of Cultural Affairs Nandimithra Ekanayake issued a statement declaring that a decision has been taken to relocate the Kuragala Mosque, following discussions with the Muslim community. He further stated that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had appointed a committee to look into the matter. However, this statement was concerning the relocation of the mosque was strongly denied by the mosque trustees. ( Please refer incident number 34 – April 08, 2015)
The Nation (page 3) April 26, 2015, Rivira (page 3) April 24, 2015, Vidivelli (page 1) April 27, 2015
April 23, 2015 – Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 07, Colombo District: Distorted Sri Lankan National flags marginalizing minorities: The emergence of distorted Sri Lanka National flag sans the standard green and orange coloured stripes representing Sri Lankan Minorities were noted again today at an anti – government protest outside the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption. These flags widely used by the protesters when former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa appeared to make a statement. Following the incident three complaints were lodged and Inspector General of Police ordered the Crime Investigation Department (CID) to launch investigations into the distortion of the National Flag. Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya directed the CID to arrest the suspects in this regard and to produce them to court on July 13, 2015. ( Please refer incident number 15 – March 02, 2015)
Ceylon Today (page 10) April 29, 2015, Daily FT (page 1) April 24, 2015, Daily Mirror (page 1) April 25, 2015, Sunday Times (page 2) April 26, 2015, Dinamina (page 1) April 25, 2015, Thinakaran (page 5) April 27, 2015, Vidivelli (page 2) April 27, 2015, Virakesari (page 1) April 25, 2015 https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=900878889972629 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpmEXxgzZZc
April, 2015 – Nationwide: Muslims discriminated in teaching appointments at plantation sector: It was reported in the newspapers that only the Tamil youth wereappointed for the posts of teachers to serve in plantation sector schools. Muslim youth from plantation sector and upcountry also applied for the aptitude test and appeared for the interviews. But they were disappointed in the manner these interviews were held. The selections were made only from the Tamil youth. The Muslims were told at the interviews that these appointments were only meant for Tamil youth. A large number of Tamil students study at Muslim schools just as a considerable number of Muslim students study at Tamil schools in the plantation sector.
Daily News (page 8) April 24, 2015, Thinakaran (page 2) April 23, 2015
[1] President Maithripala Sirisena’s Address to the Nation at the 67th Independence Day Celebrations.
[4] Hilmy Ahmed, “Gota’s flag: Desecrating the national flag,” Colombo Telegraph, April 25 2015
[5] Published in the Virakesari newspaper (page 8), 27 February 2015).
[6](Jailani – a Sufi Muslim religious, pilgrimage site which is being threatened by Buddhist extremists for a long time claiming it as a Buddhist archaeological site).
[7]A cave temple, believes to be that the place Buddha had rest while visiting Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak)
Speaking on the efficiency of the Maithripala-Ranil led government, Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake was quoted to have said that the Sri Lanka Insurance coverage Corporation run by his lately appointed retired police sergeant brother in law T.M.R. Bangsa Jayah, has shown a important development of revenue as higher as 35 % given that January this year.
Sri Lanka Insurance coverage Corporation’s (SLIC) Managing Director Bangsa Jayah the former police sergeant and brother in law of the Finance Minister Karunanayake, was appointed to his post soon after the new government assumed energy. “I have practically nothing to do with it” the minister was quoted.
The SLIC comes directly beneath the purview of the Ministry of Finance.
In a miraculous turn of events at SLIC, the Finance Minister was quoted to have told Lanka Organization On the web “it’s better to appoint a go getter rather than an inefficient expert. In insurance you have to appoint go getters rather than inefficient people and the revenues have increased 35 percent for the past four months.What far more do you want? You must see how effectively the Insurance Corporation runs now” the Finance Minister was quoted to have said.
Sri Lanka Insurance web site says
MR.T.M.R.BANGSA JAYAH APPOINTED AS THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SRI LANKA Insurance
Mr. T.M.R.Bangsa Jayah is a retired commissioned Police Officer, who has experience in the Police service for 29 years. For the duration of his profession with the Police Department he worked as the Chief Security Officer for the Deputy Speaker and North- East Governor.
He is a item of St.Anne’s College, Kurunegala and has studied additional in Aquinas College, Colombo. In the course of his school period he has excelled in sports like Cricket and Soccer. He is a member of College Cadetting Group and has held rank of Organization Sergeant Main. After his schooling he has completed his Very first In Laws at the Law Faculty, Colombo.
Mr.Bangsa Jayah has knowledge in construction business for much more than 15 years and he has been a principal partner in a nicely recognized piling business.
One particular of the main reasons why the folks in Sri Lanka decided to topple Mahinda Rajapaksa regime on January eight was its excessively authoritarian character in governance. Hence, individuals expected far more democratic governance from the new regime. What we realize by ‘democratic change’ may possibly be problematic as democracy is, as Wendy Brown says, “among the most contested and promiscuous term in our contemporary political vocabulary” (Undoing the Demos). She further writes: “In the political imaginary, ‘democracy’ stands for every thing from free of charge elections to cost-free markets, from protests against dictators to law and order, from the centrality of rights to the stability of states, from the voice of the assembled multitude to the protection of individuality and the wrong of dicta imposed by crowds.”
It is correct that at macro level the new regime was capable to implement lengthy overdue constitutional reforms minimizing the power of the executive presidency (19th Amendment) and altering the electoral method (proposed 20th Amendment). These two amendments, albeit half-baked in nature, could have good implications in macro-democratic atmosphere in the nation that was paralyzed by the enactment of the second republic constitution of 1978. Nonetheless, the query remains as to what extent these macro-democratic reforms would modify the basic atmosphere of governance. Has the way in which politicians, judiciary, police and the bureaucracy operate in actual practice changed as a result of these reforms? If I place it yet another words: Can we see a starting of a procedure of inversing the ‘real’ globe practice of almost 4 decades? Of course, it is as well early to forecast what would really take place in the future. But my submission in this report is that the present trends signify not a reversal of the method but a continuation of the past process.
Prof Carlo Fonseka, in a recent article in The Island, has shown that the way in which President acted in the appointment of the Prime Minister and the removal of Chief Justice was undemocratic and contrary to the current rules and procedures. A single might argue that the appointment of the Prime Minister is constitutional as the constitution does not explicitly say that a individual who has the majority in the Parliament be appointed as the Prime Minister. Though the 19th Amendment was enacted by the Parliament, it seems that the way in which the President operates right now is not qualitatively various from the way in which the previous presidents had operated. The executive presidential program, despite the fact that offers huge and unchecked power to the elected President, she or he is bound to get the support of the Parliament as it has the power to pass monetary bills. Only brief-term confrontations can take place, either the President wins or the Parliament wins. What we have seen in the recent previous, especially under President Mahinda Rajapaksha, is that the President used both and carrot and stick in taming the energy of the Parliament for which the celebration mechanism was not sufficient. Party mechanism of the two principal parties had been developed following the executive presidential program. So President and the president/leader of the celebration to which s/he belongs have grow to be the same individual. Like Mahinda Rajapaksa, the current President, Maithreepala Sirisena is trying to sustain his hold on energy by throwing many types of bread crumbs to either silence the opposition or to win their support. The current appointments of minister from the SLFP and the appointment of SLFP stalwarts, Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka and DM Jayaratne as Senior Presidential advisors also demonstrates anti-democratic continuation of presidential system that legalize the method of bribes. Similarly, like Mahinda Rajapaksa, he has been trying to crush pro- MR components within the SLFP by employing his celebration presidency.
1 may possibly argue that although the actions taken by Maithripala Sirisena seems non-democratic by themselves, in the context of prior powerful authoritarian rule its reversal could not be feasible with making use of the identical high-hand tactics. So the usual logic ‘end justifies mean’ can be deployed to legitimize the non-democratic actions painting them as conjunctural. Though it entails some amount of truth, it is feasible for it to be a hazardous proposition. Does the President stand for democracy? Two statements ha has not too long ago produced put a robust query mark on his understanding of democracy. The 1st statement was produced at the ceremony that announced the selection of producing all the private belonging to civil armed force permanent. At this meeting, he proposed that all young individuals should be offered a compulsory military instruction in order create a disciplined society. Following president JR Jayewardene, he praised Lee Kwan Yu of Singapore not due to the fact his achievement in the economic front (as JRJ did), but because of his action to disciplined the nation. This is significantly more that the methods taken by the previous government to give military education to school principals and induction to university students by military persons. The second was his proposal to extend capital punishment to more offenses.
It is important to note that it was not only the actions of President that show the continuation of non-democratic tendencies. The prime Minister and some cabinet ministers have been engaging in old undemocratic practices. The greatest example of the way in which the government encountered student protests and other peoples’ protests. Two student leaders were white vanned some were arrested students protests have been faced by the so-named minimum force. We have witnessed the same in Wellampitiya, Jaffna and a lot of other areas. Some folks could argue that these protests have been to provoke the government so that it is forced to take repressive measures. This is an absurd argument. Democracy is tested when men and women are offered the appropriate to protest. If all are hunky dory, protests are not required, and even a few ‘provokers’ contact for a protest, other will neglect the get in touch with. The Open University has enhanced its fees by 120% last year. The continuous student protests had been ignored. The distinct region must have method to manage its waste not to make it a problem of other individuals. When compared with the prior government, the present government is not improvement. It seems that the police and judiciary as soon as again is applying the same function procedure following the government’s line as it did beneath preceding regime.
The exact same trend can be seen in judicial action. Arrests and keeping them in custody are a serious affair. The power to arrest is a key supply of corruption and taking revenge. Several arrest in the current past provides the impression that these decisions had been not taken only on legal grounds. Right here the warning offered by Indian Supreme Courts appears to far more proper.
In the Joginder Kumar v/s State of Uttar Pradesh case (air 1994, SC 1349), the Supreme Court observed: “No arrest can be produced because it is lawful for the police officer to do so. The existence of the power to arrest is a single thing. The justification for the workout of it is quite one more. The police officer have to be in a position to justify the arrest apart from his energy to do so. Arrest and detention in police lock-up of a person can result in incalculable harm to the reputation and self-esteem of a individual. No arrest can be made in a routine manner on a mere allegation of commission of an offence produced against a particular person. It would be prudent for a police officer in the interest of protection of the constitutional rights of a citizen, and maybe in his personal interest, that no arrest should be produced with out reasonable satisfaction via some investigation as to the genuineness and bona fides of a complaint and a affordable belief, each as to the person’s complicity, and as to the want to effect arrest.
“Denying a individual his liberty is a serious matter. The recommendations of the National Police Commission (NPC) merely reflect the constitutional concomitants of the basic right to private liberty and freedom. A person is not liable to arrest merely on the suspicion of complicity in an offence. There must be some affordable justification in the opinion of the officer effecting the arrest that such arrest is necessary and justified. Except in heinous offences, an arrest must be avoided if a police officer issuing notice to particular person to attend the Station Home and not to leave the Station with out permission would do.”
“If, from info received or otherwise, an officer in charge of a police station has cause to suspect the commission of an offence which he is empowered under section 156 to investigate, he shall forthwith…proceed in person, or shall depute 1 of his subordinate officers not getting beneath such rank as the state government could, by common or unique order, prescribe in this behalf, to proceed, to the spot, to investigate the details and situations of the case, and, if essential, to take measures for the discovery and arrest of the offender.” Note that the words “and, if necessary” have been deliberately utilized, indicating that the law does not authorize the police to arrest in every criminal case. But the reality is that the moment an FIR for a cognizable offence is lodged, policemen rush to arrest and frequently demand funds for not doing so.
How do we explain the continuation of non-democratic practice although men and women count on a “change” on January eight, 2015? Of course this phenomenon may not be attributed to a single course. In fact, the nation was not offered on January eight a new set of political leaders it was the very same group with the exact same ‘habitus’ are controlling the government and the state. Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe defended the technique as it existed prior to January 8. The track records of the new ministers have been not greater compared with the ministers of the prior government. The second cause is completely “uncritical nature” of the civil society. Even some has attempted to portray student protests and Inter University Student federation as “provokers”. This is tantamount to legitimization of repressive action by the government.
This brings us to an situation of basic nature. Is there a simple contradiction amongst political conjunctures and democratic procedure? In some context, political conjunctures might justify imposing limits to democratic method if the unabated democracy itself becomes hindrance to expected and accepted goals. Nonetheless, any justification on this ground need to raise the problem what defines the political conjuncture. Some civil society individuals could argue that the political conjuncture is defined these days by growing Sinhala Buddhist nationalism. Even so, this argument does not hold water stronger version of Sinhala Buddhist nationalism can be observed within the government. My reading of the scenario have made me feel that the democratic alter is being blocked by the political conjuncture of neo-liberalism that this government intends to stick to much more vigorously.
An exuberant media, print and electronic, has acclaimed a fleeting and fragile observation by Master Card , that Colombo is the fastest growing tourist city in the globe as a monumental achievement.
One particular isolated line in a 46 web page document- Tracking International Growth: 2009 -2015 became a retrospective endorsement of Gota’s second war on the urban poor of Colombo.
It is a clear reminder that the media in this nation in spite of their avowed assertion of independence was an acquiescent partner of the Rajapaksa siblings in manufacturing well-known consent of post war triumphalism, the myth of the Asian miracle and the Indian Ocean hub of 21st Century worldwide commerce.
The once powerful and now plaintive and powerless Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa wasted no time in appropriating the credit for this imaginary accomplishment.
In his face book web page, the former defence secretary and the czar of the UDA trumpeted that he was ‘truly delighted’ to see Colombo getting recognized as the fastest expanding city for tourism in the Global Index of Mater Card whose vision statement is ‘A planet beyond Money ‘.
The former strongman has promised to share his thoughts on Urban Development undertaken by the prior government. In a Television interview, he warned the new government not to squander the developmental success in Colombo by neglecting to preserve the parks, jogging tracks and shopping arcades. The purpose of this report is to dissuade not only the former defense secretary, but also the present heads of Sri Lanka tourism and Sri Lankan airlines from misreading the conclusions and misconstruing the reasoning of the report.
The full report “ Master Card 2015 International Location Cities Index” can be accessed here.
Does the survey pronounce Colombo as an exceptionally desirable location? It does not.
What it. in fact observes, is analytically correct and revealingly bland. It qualifies its assertion that Colombo is the quickest expanding with a CAGR 0f 20.1 percent with the following clarification.
“Colombo in Sri Lanka is the quickest increasing with a CAGR of 21.1 percent, albeit coming off a extremely low base, with just more than a single million guests in 2005. Chengdu in the Sichuan Province of China is the second fastest growing, with a CAGR of 20.7 percent. It is also expanding from a low base, with about 1.five million visitors in 2015. [Emphasis mine]
Thus what tends to make Colombo exceptional is the base year 2009 – the year when the Lions beat the Tigers. The compound annual development rate is calculated from 2009.
The goal of the Global City index is not to deliver worth judgments on city administration. The report as explained in its introduction charts how 132 of the most crucial cities in the globe are connected via air travel – how a lot of international visitors arrive at each of these cities from other cities and how considerably these visitors commit for the duration of their pay a visit to?
The report does not evaluate the length of the jogging tracks or the square footage of shopping space that Colombo has added considering that 2009. The report is unequivocal in its prognosis of Colombo. “Colombo in Sri Lanka is the fastest expanding destination city amongst the 132 cities covered by the index at 21.1 % CAGR among 2009 and 2015. Tourism there is clearly recovering strongly after the ending of the civil war.”
In an report captioned 21st Century Silk Route in Skies: No stop in Serendib, published in the Everyday FT of 2nd February 2015, this writer urged the new interim government to seriously take into account closing its loss generating routes to Europe or even contemplate shutting down the airline completely. It also stated that the government has no enterprise to be in the Airline enterprise.
Sri Lankan Airlines is not a going concern. Its losses on the far eastern sectors are marginally less than its losses on the European routes. Its losses on its Middle Eastern routes are slightly higher than its losses on its operations to the Indian subcontinent. If indeed Colombo has recorded a 21.1 percent improve in guests, how did they arrive in Colombo? Has Sri Lankan airlines registered a corresponding increase in its cabin factor on any of its routes to tourist producing points?
Quickest Expanding Destinations
The Master Card report carries the chart of the quickest increasing Destination Cities by International Overnight Visitor [2009- 2015CAGR]. Colombo heads the list and its lead over Osaka and Tokyo explains the distinction Colombo is entitled to and the distinction it ought to not overlook.
It then provides a additional clarification in the subsequent chart.- The quickest Developing Location Cities inside the prime 20. The report notes that ‘A really diverse picture emerges in this comparison. Four out of five in this chart are from Asia although Istanbul is from central Europe.
These according to the report are the destination cities that have large enough numbers of international visitors to put them in the top 20 of the globe. Then comes the coup de grâce: As for the Asian cities, their strong growth in visitors has come from the huge outbound travel from China.
This report is crucial reading for those entrusted with the operating of the national carrier and the Tourism improvement authority by a hands on Prime Minister who does not hesitate to locate the proper person for the job even if it indicates importing the requisite talent.
In the earlier report published on 2nd February in the Every day Ft this writer said “Airlines right now are a global company exactly where connectivity is pivotal to their achievement. The sorry truth is that Sri Lanka in the 21st century cannot stay on the aviation silk route if it persists with its obsession of a national airline engaged in international air transport.” It is now getting whispered that the octogenarian repository of financial wisdom in the policy preparing establishment has suggested that the flag carrier withdraws from Europe but retain the same frequencies to the mother nation whose Westminster democracy we want to restore in location of the Gaulist program. Be that as it could, the Master Card report reiterates the conventional wisdom in aviation economics.
“A prerequisite of any location city that aspires to attract much more international guests is to increase the capacity of airports and frequency of flight connections among the airport and the rest of the globe.
Sri Lankan airlines connects to four of them save Istanbul. Can our national carrier , Sri Lankan Airlines agree with the Master card report and claim a discernible improvement of its uplift from these leading hubs?
1 noteworthy feature is that Dubai has outpaced Singapore as a worldwide hub.
The report explains “London led the planet in 2009, and by 2015 its connectivity score increased by 4.2 points. Paris is second, but its connectivity score has dropped by 1.3 points considering that 2009. Subsequent is Dubai, escalating its score by an impressive 20.four points, and surpassing Frankfurt amongst 2009 and 2015. Frankfurt slipped to fourth, with its score generally unchanged. Rounding out the best five, Istanbul increased its score by 26. points, exceeding the growth rate of Dubai. Not surprisingly, Dubai and Istanbul are dynamic destination cities moving swiftly up the ranks.
In February this writer mentioned in the columns of the Day-to-day FT
“Today, Europe regards the Persian Gulf the most easterly hub. For Asia the Gulf is the most westerly hub. In this contemporary cartography of the 21st Century, Sri Lanka is not in the silk route in the skies. No one has noticed how far old Serendib has drifted away from the silk route that linked Europe with Cathay by way of the straits of Hormuz and the straits of Malacca. Neither the Department of Civil Aviation nor the National Carrier have recognised the ‘complex and uneven geographies of mobility’ structured by the airline industry and its profit and efficiency driven selection of routes.”
So a lot for prophets sans honour in their own village.
The report next deals with the far more complex concern of visitor expenditure. This writer gave up a profession in journalism to join the leisure industry in 1974. For the last four and a half decades in destination promotion and airline marketing this writer has heard a lot of advocates of upmarket tourism who want to bring higher spending vacationers and market MICE tourism – meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions.
This writer as soon as earned the wrath of one of these pundits who had the habit of starting his homilies with the words “Please appropriate me if I am wrong.” To my own amazement I heard myself telling him “No boss I can not do that. It is a full time job! ”
The report has a chart which is offered below. It indicates the Worldwide Destinations by overnight visitor arrival expenditure per city resident in 2015. This gauges the overall performance of a destination city by taking to account the size of the city’s resident population and compares it with the quantity of international overnight guests that it attracts per city resident. Cities such as Dubai, Singapore and even Amsterdam are at an benefit in this calibration. Colombo is not in the top 20 but could measure up to the test if we ever get in to the league.
Even though the report has excited the former secretary of Defense and Urban development, Colombo is nowhere near the top ten Location cities in Asia/Pacific. The leading ten destinations in its order are Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Taipei, Shanghai, Mumbai and Osaka.
“Bangkok which was ranked second in the world is the top location in Asia/Pacific. , displacing Melbourne. In terms of cross-border spending, Seoul leads in Asia/Pacific with an anticipated US$ 15.2 billion, followed by Singapore at US$ 14.7 billion, Bangkok at US$ 12.4 billion, Kuala Lumpur at US$ 12. billion, and Taipei at US$ 9.3 billion.”
These figures should tell us exactly where we are in the company of tourism and the more daunting activity of aviation.
The report also includes some fascinating insights in to the developments in aviation sector as regards significant leisure destinations – Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The report graphically shows how each and every city has tended to create its feeder networks.
The charts clearly demonstrate that the Asian location cities have their feeder reservoirs inside Asia and Australasia. Europe is incidental to their achievement.
Our aviation market and the tourism sector does not wish to confront the truth. Each industries survive on self-deception and self-delusion. Our stewardesses serve free Moët & Chandon while our property maids earn the dollars that spend for them.
The government has no business to stay in the Air Line Business. Sri Lanka can not afford a flag carrier. It would be less expensive for us to let someone else to paint our flag on their aircraft and pay us a token royalty. The information are out there with IATA itself. The Airlines, that is to say the lucky ones could at greatest make significantly less than $ six per passenger. On about $ 750 billion in income, that functions out to a possible net profit of just $ 18 billion. It need to operate out to be two.4% profit margin. That is the truth. As the German playwright Wolfgang Borchert says in his theatre of the ruins ‘Outsider’ “Truth is like the town whore. Everybody knows her, but nonetheless, it’s embarrassing to meet her on the street”.
Contrary to what Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena boasts concerning his published official stance that he is operating towards ethnic and religious harmony, the principal page slider of the official web site of the President only carries 4 photographs of him posing with Buddhist monks providing far more meaning that he himself supports Buddhist supremacy.
Also the cover web page of his official Facebook page highlights him posing in a photograph surrounded by a group of nine Buddhist Monks.
While talking about peace and reconciliation the President appears to be promoting the Sinhala Buddhist supremacy by way of even his Facebook page exactly where he is further pictured with Buddhist monks.
What is startling even further is that the photograph containing him in the Presidential official internet web page carries a cropped version of the national flag where the photograph of the symbol of the lion takes center stage cutting off all other ethnic groups. The image of the lion in the national flag of Sri Lanka carrying a sword represents the Sinhalese ethnicity and the bravery of the Sinhalese nation.
President Maithripala Sirisena has announced his intention to seek the passage of the 20th Amendment to the constitution as a priority. The reforms envisage an electoral technique in which the majority of parliamentary seats will be obtained on the initial-previous-the post system, even though maintaining to an general proportional outcome. The expertise at elections held below the present proportional method with a preferential voting alternative has been a damaging 1. It has been marked by heavy expenditures by candidates who have to contest considerably larger district-sized electorates and has also led to in-fighting by candidates inside the identical political party for the preferential votes that will get them elected.
The promise of a adjust in the electoral program was one particular of the key promises in the election manifesto of President Sirisena in the course of the presidential election campaign. In terms of constitutional reforms, it was alongside the promises to minimize the direct powers of the presidency on the one hand, and to establish a non-partisan constitutional council to oversee non-partisan appointments becoming made to crucial institutions of the state, such as the judiciary, police, public service and elections commission. The government has received considerably commendation for having passed the 19th Amendment within the 1st 100 days of President Sirisena’s election victory.
However, the passage of the 19th Amendment was not easy. There were several opinions and vested interests involved in the approach of decision generating. At occasions it seemed that the 2/3 majority necessary for constitutional adjust would not be located. The passage of the 19th Amendment was only created feasible by the cohabitation of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who heads the present UNP government with President Sirisena who heads the SLFP opposition who had been capable to persuade their respective party members to give their assistance to the constitutional amendment. This identical political configuration exists today and offers the hope that it can be utilized to offer a equivalent effective outcome in the case of the 20th Amendment.
Unfortunately, with the passage of time the spirit of rivalry between the two principal political parties in the country has elevated, and not decreased, which tends to make the passage of the 20th Amendment much less probably. The UNP is concerned that the 20th Amendment will be utilised to delay the speedy dissolution of Parliament which was part of the President’s election manifesto. It is in the interests of the opposition to continue with the present parliamentary configuration for as long as achievable, and till April 2016 when the term of the present parliament lapses. This is on account of each their worry that they will not be a component of Parliament once more, and their hope that the present government becomes significantly less common with the passage of time. Their interest lies in obtaining the basic elections later rather than sooner.
Slowing Down
The election manifesto of the alliance of political parties that supported the candidacy of President Maithripala Sirisena highlighted a 100 day plan soon after which Parliament would be dissolved and fresh elections would be referred to as. Following the passage of 150 days because the election of President Sirisena the government formed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe appears to be operating out of steam. The imbalance among a ruling celebration with a mere 43 seats in a Parliament of 225 members in which the biggest opposition party has 126 seats has begun to take its toll. The engine of the government, it is clear, is too small, and can’t pull the load any a lot more specifically when the terrain is receiving uphill.
The problem faced by the government was evident in the fiasco over the appointment of the Constitutional Council which was to be set up below the 19th Amendment. This body will be the most prestigious and critical institution of state, vested with the power to pick those who would make certain that other institutions of state, such as the judiciary, police, public service and elections commission are non-partisan and would preserve the independence of these key institutions. According to the 19th Amendment the appointments to the Constitutional Council would be mostly the duty of the President, Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition with the leaders of the smaller sized parties also obtaining an input.
A fortnight ago it seemed that the appointments to the Constitutional Council were on track, with the names of those who had been to be members announced. Nonetheless, the choice of the President, Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition has not been ratified by Parliament. As a outcome there is a deadlock exactly where it concerns appointments to crucial state institutions. An example is the Bribery Commission which has been in the news over the past a number of months as it has received a plethora of complaints against members of the former government who are now in the opposition. 1 of the Bribery Commissioners has resigned but can not be replaced due to the fact the Constitutional Council is not however constituted. As a result the Bribery Commission as well remains with no a Commissioner and unable to take up new cases.
Constructive Change
The lacuna that has beset governance is not limited to institutions of state. It also has implications for government policy. The government which has a ruling party of only 43 members in a parliament of 225 can’t pass legislation in parliament unless the much larger opposition in parliament agrees. The parliamentary opposition has tiny or no incentive to cooperate with the government as is interest lies in weakening the ruling party and showing it to be ineffective. This has a damaging effect on all areas of governance, not least the economy. The financial dividend that was anticipated after the replacement of the former government has however to materialize.
The present stalemate in governance has mobilized sections of civil society to issue a contact for the quick dissolution of parliament. They noted that “there is a rising perception of crisis and instability, which cannot be permitted to take root. The economy cannot afford this lack of political direction for a lot longer, and as importantly, the hope and aspiration produced by the modify of government in January demands both clarity in promises being kept and further progress in reforms, particularly with regard to devolution and energy-sharing. The time is ripe as a result for fresh parliamentary elections which would let the folks of Sri Lanka to have their say on reforms already enacted and to mandate the path of the government for the subsequent five years.”
A considerable quantity of work and compromise has gone into the preparation of the new electoral method. Most of the parties, such as the small and ethnic minority parties have expressed their willingness to go along with it. The ideal that can be hoped for is that the 20th Amendment is finalized without any much more delay and placed before Parliament. Nevertheless, the overriding priority is for the country to have an effective government that is primarily based on the present political realities, and not those that existed 5 years ago in 2010, when the present parliament was elected. The pursuit of consensus to receive a two/three majority to pass the 20th Amendment need to not stand in the way of elections for a new parliament. The overriding value of elections and new government leadership was noticed greatest at the presidential election that took location on January eight this year, which has transformed life in the nation.
“Practically nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are basically within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall need the Members to submit such matters to settlement below the present Charter but this principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under Chapter Vll.”- UN Charter Chapter 1, Post two
Did you consider that as a unitary state, there is only a single, single Government in Sri Lanka, though there are a quantity of Provincial Councils to which a measure of power has been devolved by that one single government? Effectively, not according to the United Nations and the current (unelected) Sri Lankan Government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe! Did you know that there is a “Northern Provincial Government” in Sri Lanka, and not merely a Northern Provincial Council and its administration/Cabinet? Did you know that the United Nations will be assisting that “Northern Provincial Government”? Have you ever heard of a Southern Provincial Government or a Wayamba or Western Provincial Government in Sri Lanka– and if not, why (only) a Northern Provincial Government?
When Varadarajaperumal’s administration placed an advertisement in the newspapers and signed as the North Eastern Provincial Government, a furious President President Premadasa and Minister Ranjan Wijeratne exclaimed that “there is only one particular government in Sri Lanka!” It is the self-perception of itself as a “Government” that led the NEPC to its threat of a UDI, and President Premadasa to dissolve it. What is worse today is that the UN refers to a “Northern Provincial Government” and the Government of Sri Lanka has gone along, not minding in the least!
If the United Nations refers to and assists a Northern Provincial “Government”, how long will it be just before the latter regards itself as a proto state, and the former recognizes the latter as 1?
The proof comes not from a supply hostile to this government, these processes or to Sri Lanka but from an official statement by an affable friend of this nation, UNDP Resident Representative Subinay Nandy, who says: “…Third, to give technical assistance to the Northern Provincial Government to far better strategy and undertake improvement applications, create revenue and reach out to communities, for consultation and feedback. This component is to be implemented by UNDP.”
Sri Lanka beneath ‘Yahapalanaya’ is a penetrated state.
The UN is now engaged in the deep and sensitive internal political processes of this country processes which are not only deep but have the most wide ranging legal, constitutional, security and strategic implications. It is hugely unlikely that President Sirisena is aware of this and it is practically certain that the Cabinet does not know or has not granted its assent. Surely the parliament has neither been informed and nonetheless much less has endorsed this hazardous new shift.
If the readers consider that I am overdrawing the image of UN involvement in Sri Lanka, let me merely quote from the UN Resident Representatives statement as authoritatively reproduced in the state’s flagship newspaper the Every day News:
“The UN is therefore engaging comprehensively with the Government, by delivering technical assistance and monetary support to advance reconciliation and create sustainable peace. In particular, we are operating with our counterparts – coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – and finalizing an initiative for assistance from the UN Peacebuilding Fund. The Peacebuilding Fund will help Sri Lanka, initially with $ three million, to establish and operationalize processes for constructing peace through reconciliation and accountability by addressing the vital core grievances of minorities in an inclusive and consultative manner. In particular, with the assistance of the Fund, the UN is searching at supporting the Government in 4 locations:
*First, technical support to establish an inclusive and credible domestic mechanism to address human rights violations and accountability and provide redress to victims and conflict affected groups, including families of the missing, in line with international standards. This element will be led by OHCHR.
*Second, to initiate inclusive, broad-primarily based mechanisms for inter-ethnic trust constructing, reconciliation and social cohesion working with the recently established Workplace for National Unity and Reconciliation. This component will be implemented by UNDP with technical tips from the Reconciliation and Development Adviser primarily based at the UN Resident Coordinator’s Workplace.
*Third, to offer technical help to the Northern Provincial Government to far better strategy and undertake improvement programs, produce revenue and reach out to communities, for consultation and feedback. This component is to be implemented by UNDP.
*And finally, to implement fast influence resettlement initiatives strategically targeting conflict affected and vulnerable internally displaced persons in the North and the East. This early implementation component will be done by UNHCR and UNICEF.
On this final point, support for resettlement of internally displaced persons, the UN will companion with the Ministry of Resettlement providing catalytic support to the return processes in Jaffna and Trincomalee, by way of a $ 1.2 million project.”
So the United Nations will play a part, through UN’s Peacebuilding Fund, which will initially allocate $ three million, “to establish and operationalize processes for developing peace through reconciliation and accountability by addressing the essential core grievances of minorities in an inclusive and consultative manner.”
Furthermore, the so-referred to as ‘domestic inquiry’ into accountability will be according to unspecified ‘international standards’ (decided by whom?) and have unspecified technical help from the UN, led by the OHCHR, i.e. the very Office of the Higher Commissioner of Human Rights, which is spearheading the international inquiry into Sri Lanka!
The UN is becoming drawn in to the search for a resolution to the core troubles of majority-minority relations on the island as well as the search for accountability and reconciliation.
This has deadly critical implications. If it can aid it, no country makes it possible for the UN a role in such sensitive domestic processes. For instance India wouldn’t hear of any UN involvement in the Kashmir question.
UN involvement in domestic politico-legal processes in two exceptional sets of situations: the country concerned is a failed state or has been defeated in war and is put beneath de facto UN trusteeship or there has been a negotiated end to a civil war in which the UN has played a role or a UN part has been agreed upon as component of the peace settlement.
Sri Lanka fits neither of these categories.
If the UN gets involved in such domestic processes, specifically in an ethno-lingual or ethno-regional context, it generally ends with a single side making use of the UN as leverage to move towards independence or the West employing the UN to do so. Kosovo is a case in point.
Our finest Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar famously quipped that the only role for the UN in Sri Lanka was to aid in the eradication of Malaria by the spraying of DDT. As his parliamentary speech slicing and dicing Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Ceasefire Agreement (published in the Sunday Instances) showed, the cornerstone of Kadirgamar’s foreign policy was a strenuous recommitment to national sovereignty. He was eliminated by an LTTE sniper ten years ago this August. Had he been buried rather than cremated he would have been rolling in his grave at the dangerously intrusive role that his successor and former cabinet colleague Mangala Samaraweera has arranged for the UN to play.
Although we now know what to anticipate in terms of a UN function in Sri Lanka if Ranil Wickremesinghe is elected PM and Mangala Samaraweera and Chandrika Kumaratunga continue to hold essential roles, we also know with no significantly less clarity what we can anticipate from on the Northern and Eastern ethnic front. The TNA agenda has been laid bare in an interview given to the Daily Mirror, by Mr. Sumanthiran M.P. It has three points: (A) the quick release of those he calls political prisoners, (B) the promulgation of a new Constitution to resolve the ethnic concern along the lines his party sees fit and (C) the recognition that genocide of some selection took spot against Sri Lanka’s Tamils. Let Mr. Sumanthiran do the speaking:
“The second situation of course is of the political prisoners. Some measures have been taken to release political prisoners but nobody has been released as however. So we know that those steps have been taken. But we want to see the actual release taking spot. The President recently stated that there was no political prisoner and nobody would be named a political prisoner. That is unfortunate that he says that. The phrase political prisoner has a distinct meaning. Those are the people who are involved in crimes probably, but not for their own advantage but to accomplish political objectives. It is accurate that they are held beneath particular laws. All of these people are held beneath the Prevention of Terrorism Act. And all of them had been accused or suspected of obtaining to have committed offences in achieving political objectives. So the President and the government must realise that they are political prisoners and the phrase has a meaning globe over. Nelson Mandela was a political prisoner. If you had asked the white South African rulers, they would have stated that there are no political prisoners. He was convicted beneath a section of that Act. But the planet recognises that he was a political prisoner. So there are political prisoners and these are political associated detentions. And the President also should use the correct phrase and admit that there are political prisoners and release them now.”
Here Mr. Sumanthiran is engaging, as his party – and Tamil nationalism in general–usually does, in trickery and dishonesty. In his advocacy of the instant release of hardcore Tigers, he shamelessly invokes the name of Nelson Mandela, who by no means consciously targeted or authorized the targeting of a single unarmed, innocent civilian in the liberation struggle—which incidentally was against a minority regime and for democratic majority rule (just the opposite of the LTTE’s struggle). By contrast the tigers engaged in the savage butchery of unarmed civilians of innocents.
Mr. Sumanthiran cannot be unaware that Nelson Mandela was convicted by the courts of a regime internationally condemned as illegitimate an apartheid regime of a white minority state, not a democratic State which represented the majority of its citizens as was and is the case in Sri Lanka.
Sumanthiran’s definition is characteristically deceitful. Even a Nazi fascist war criminal or a butcher of Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge perpetrated his savagery, not for “their personal benefit” but precisely for collective political objective! That did not make them mere “political prisoners’ who need to be released!
If there is any individual in a Sri Lankan jail, not because of an act of violence but due to the fact of his or her political views, then such a person is indubitably a political prisoner and ought to be released.
But if a particular person has been convicted by a duly constituted court of law, particularly in an elected democracy, for lethally violent offenses, then they can not be regarded as ‘political prisoners’ who need to be instantly released!
Sri Lankan can, nevertheless, expect precisely such persons to be released back into society, if Ranil Wickremesinghe’s UNP wins the upcoming election.
That is not the only factor we can expect. Mr. Sumanthiran discloses that the UNP has promised a new constitution if elected one that will ultimately resolve the ethnic issue.
“…But at the exact same time, there is a large national issue that we are concerned about and that wants to be addressed. We agreed with this government that it want not be fully addressed till the basic elections are more than, but thereafter that situation must be provided priority. The government has currently spoken about the passage of 19th Amendment. The Prime Minister said it in Parliament, the Foreign Minister and Minister of Justice as well had voiced that a new constitution would be enacted and the next Parliament must be converted in to a Constitutional Assembly. And the Foreign Minister specifically mentioned in his speech that in that constitution the ethnic situation also would lastly be resolved…”
Mr. Sumanthiran is disclosed at a ‘Managers meeting’ in Jaffna, a report of which appeared in the Thinakkural of May possibly 18th, that there is currently an agreement with the UNP, according to which a new Constitution which is non-unitary in character will be promulgated right away soon after the election.
Finally, Mr. Sumanthiran seeks to legitimize and spin the term “genocide” and seeks recognition for its use. He says:
“The genocide concern is a political slogan. What I said that about NPC resolution was that it was an expression of the individuals. It doesn’t mean the crime of genocide is proved for the international crime of genocide. There must be a tribunal and there should be numerous ingredients of that offence that have to be proved. Now I don’t think that is what the NPC had mentioned. The NPC says that from 1947 these issues had happened and these all are intended to diminish the Tamil people’s states and Tamil people’s lives in this country either by driving them out of the nation, killing a group of individuals, a periodic violence against the Tamil and so on, and they known as it genocide. That may possibly not match with the international crime of genocide, it is not. In truth at the finish of the resolution says the international neighborhood has not accepted this sort of events as genocide. Now you need to recognize that this is also as genocide. So it have to be noticed in total context of people saying that the Tamil people have been suffering for 60 years of protracted violence. And they are saying that is genocide.”
Provided all these public disclosures, it appears to me that the single most important factor about the upcoming parliamentary election is the opportunity it offers to unplug the insidious project of the Ranil-Chandrika-Mangala troika and flush out the trio, thereby halting the massive long term damage they are undertaking to the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka to its future as a strong, independent, united nation.
President Maithripala Sirisena could stand accused of entirely betraying the minority communities that ensured his victory at the Presidential election of January 2015. The 20A will get rid of the representation from parliament most of the minority parties who helped him reach the presidency. Many of these parties do not command a big enough voter base to win electorates but are sturdy enough to win representations in the districts. They fear that if 20A is implemented in its present kind, it would cement the two celebration rule. This may auger effectively as a nation to move away from ethnic primarily based politics, but, Sri Lankan electorate has been polarized along ethnic and religious lines. We want to go back to the days when the elected legislators represented all the folks and communities alike. This might not be the effortless following more than 35 years of ethnic/communal politics that was introduced under the JR Jayewardene constitutional reforms.
Over the last four months the Government has made a number of symbolic gestures and statements as to how this new Government differentiates itself from its predecessor, not just with regards to the hate campaign but also the ethnic conflict. President Sirisena has made repeated pledges and requests for a shift in the politics of this country, including at the SLFP convention on March 17 where he stated that the SLFP was “not a Sinhala Buddhist party” and for its members not to engage in racist politics. While the Government has yet to announce frameworks for addressing critical post-war issues, it has acknowledged the need for reconciliation. At the Independence Day celebrations, the President pointed out that “the biggest challenge we face today, is that of bringing together the minds of the people of the North and South, and through a process of reconciliation bring about co-existence and national understanding.”[1]
Sri Lanka Insurance coverage Corporation’s (SLIC) Managing Director Bangsa Jayah the former police sergeant and brother in law of the Finance Minister Karunanayake, was appointed to his post soon after the new government assumed energy. “I have practically nothing to do with it” the minister was quoted.
Prof Carlo Fonseka, in a recent article in The Island, has shown that the way in which President acted in the appointment of the Prime Minister and the removal of Chief Justice was undemocratic and contrary to the current rules and procedures. A single might argue that the appointment of the Prime Minister is constitutional as the constitution does not explicitly say that a individual who has the majority in the Parliament be appointed as the Prime Minister. Though the 19th Amendment was enacted by the Parliament, it seems that the way in which the President operates right now is not qualitatively various from the way in which the previous presidents had operated. The executive presidential program, despite the fact that offers huge and unchecked power to the elected President, she or he is bound to get the support of the Parliament as it has the power to pass monetary bills. Only brief-term confrontations can take place, either the President wins or the Parliament wins. What we have seen in the recent previous, especially under President Mahinda Rajapaksha, is that the President used both and carrot and stick in taming the energy of the Parliament for which the celebration mechanism was not sufficient. Party mechanism of the two principal parties had been developed following the executive presidential program. So President and the president/leader of the celebration to which s/he belongs have grow to be the same individual. Like Mahinda Rajapaksa, the current President, Maithreepala Sirisena is trying to sustain his hold on energy by throwing many types of bread crumbs to either silence the opposition or to win their support. The current appointments of minister from the SLFP and the appointment of SLFP stalwarts, Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka and DM Jayaratne as Senior Presidential advisors also demonstrates anti-democratic continuation of presidential system that legalize the method of bribes. Similarly, like Mahinda Rajapaksa, he has been trying to crush pro- MR components within the SLFP by employing his celebration presidency.
In his face book web page, the former defence secretary and the czar of the UDA trumpeted that he was ‘truly delighted’ to see Colombo getting recognized as the fastest expanding city for tourism in the Global Index of Mater Card whose vision statement is ‘A planet beyond Money ‘.
Our aviation market and the tourism sector does not wish to confront the truth. Each industries survive on self-deception and self-delusion. Our stewardesses serve free Moët & Chandon while our property maids earn the dollars that spend for them.
නව ලිබරල්වාදී සන්දර්භය තුල සමාජවාදය යලි අර්ථ කථනය කිරීමට චාවේස් ට සිදුවිණ. හේ එම නව අදහස හැදින්වුයේ 21 වෙනි සියවසේ සමාජවාදය නමිනි. මෙම 21 වෙනි සියවසේ සමාජවාදයේ ප්රධාන අංග ලක්ෂණ තුනක් චාවේස් දක්වයි. එනම්: (1) ආර්ථිකයේ පරිවර්තනය (2) දේශපාලන තලයේ සහභාගිත්ව සහ නිර්මානාත්මක ප්රජාතන්ත්රවාදය, (3) සියල්ලන් වෙත ආදරය, සහයෝගිතාවය සහ සමතාවය මත පදනම් වූ සමාජවාදී ආචාර ධර්ම ය. 21 වෙනි සියවසේ සමාජවාදය බොහෝ කරුණු අතින් සෝවියට් සමාජවාදයට වඩා වෙනස් විය. 21 වෙනි සියවසේ සමාජවාදය රාජ්ය දේපොළ පදනම්කරගත් මධ්යගත සැලසුම් ක්රමය ප්රතිකශේප කරයි. එමෙන්ම එය ප්රජාතන්ත්රවාදී විසම්මතය පිළිගනු ලබන දේශපාලන ක්රමයක් පිළිගනියි. පලදායිතාවය ඉහල නැංවීම 21 වෙනි සියවසේ සමාජවාදය සූත්රගත කරන්නේ හුදු ද්රව්යමය නිෂ්පාදනය ඉහල දැමීම නොව ස්වභාව ධර්මය සහ මානව නිර්මාණ ශක්තියෙහි වැඩිවීමකි. බෙදුන විසුරුණ බල ව්යූහයක් එය යෝජනා කරයි.
1960 ගණන් මුල ලංකා සමසමාජ පක්ෂයේ දේශපාලන මණ්ඩල සභිකයෙකු වූ හෙක්ටර් අභයවර්ධන Categories of Left Thinking in Sri Lanka නම් ලිපියෙන් ලංකා සමසමාජ පක්ෂයේ දේශපාලනය බරපතල වෙනසකට ලක් කලේ ය. මෙවන් ලිපියක් 1950 ගණන් වලදී ලීවේ නම් ආචාර්ය කොල්වින් ආර් ද සිල්වා එය පතුරු ගහන බවට මට සැකයක් නැත. මෙම ලිපිය ශ්රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂය පිළිබද ලංකා සමසමාජ පක්ෂයේ අදහස උඩු යටිකුරු කලේ ය. එන් එම් පෙරේරා තම නව අත්හදා බැලීම ට පදනම කර ගත්තේ මෙම ලිපිය ය. ශ්රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂය වැනි ජනතාවාදී පක්ෂ සමාජවාදී ගමනේ කිසියම් දුරක් යන්නේ නම් වමේ පක්ෂ එම ගමනට ආධාර කල යුතුවා පමණක් නොව එයට ජනතා තෙරපුම මගින් එම ගමන සපත කල යුතු ය. මෙම සන්දර්භය තුල ලංකා සමසමාජ පක්ෂය එතෙක් ගෙනගිය දේශපාලන ගමන් මග වෙනස් කොට ධනේශ්වර පක්ෂයක් සමග ආණ්ඩු පෙරමුණකට ගමන් ගත්තේ ය. 1970 සිට එම ආණ්ඩුව යම් යම් ප්රතිසංස්කරන කල බව සත්යයකි. එහෙත් එම ආණ්ඩුව කම්කරු සහ තරුණ සටන් මර්දනය කලේ ය. ලංකා සමසමාජ පක්ෂය ගැන සමාජයේ පහළ පන්තිවල තිබු අදහස ඉක්මනින් වෙනස් විය. ධනේශ්වර ශ්රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂය ට තව දුරටත් වමේ සහාය කරදරයක් ද විය. ලංකා සමසමාජ පක්ෂය ට ආණ්ඩුවෙන් අයින්ව යාමට කටයුතු සකස් වින. 1964 ශක්තිමත් පක්ෂයක් ලෙස ගිය ලංකා සමසමාජ පක්ෂය පෙරමුණෙන් පිටතට ආවේ දුර්වල වැහැරුන පක්ෂයක් ලෙස ය.
Also the cover web page of 
Unfortunately, with the passage of time the spirit of rivalry between the two principal political parties in the country has elevated, and not decreased, which tends to make the passage of the 20th Amendment much less probably. The UNP is concerned that the 20th Amendment will be utilised to delay the speedy dissolution of Parliament which was part of the President’s election manifesto. It is in the interests of the opposition to continue with the present parliamentary configuration for as long as achievable, and till April 2016 when the term of the present parliament lapses. This is on account of each their worry that they will not be a component of Parliament once more, and their hope that the present government becomes significantly less common with the passage of time. Their interest lies in obtaining the basic elections later rather than sooner.