13 A: An urgent amendment spells recipe for disaster

Dilrukshi Hadunnethi
In what can be considered the final nail on the only constitutional attempt made in post-independent Sri Lanka to devolve power, an urgent bill to Parliament on Thursday will seal the fate of the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution, with absolute finality.
For all the liberal rhetoric and verbal commitments to pursue a genuine solution to the festering political question, the Sinhala majority had demonstrated strong reluctance to accept any power-sharing model, including the Provincial Council system (which was never implemented to reflect its true spirit), similar to the militant rejection by the Tamil community to acknowledge anything short of a self-rule model that recognizes a traditional Tamil homeland.

Minister urged to publish reports on prison riots soon - Friday Forum

Chandrasiri G 410pxPrison Reforms Minister Chandrasiri Gajhadeera has been urged by the Friday Forum- the Group of Concerned Citizens to publish soon the reports on the Welikada and Vavuniya prison riots.
The letter signed by Jayantha Dhanapala and Prof. Savitri Goonesekere notes that when persons in the custody of a state institution meet with violent death it is a matter of the widest public concern, well beyond the immediate one of the victims and their families.

Minister Vass Gunawardane wants Criminal Defamation Law revived

Government parliamentarians yesterday highlighted the need for the reintroduction of the draconian Criminal Defamation Law, which was repealed by the United National Party (UNP) Government in June 2002. Monitoring MP for the Ministry of External Affairs, Sajin de Vass Gunawardena, argued in Parliament the government should reintroduce the law to prevent heads of media organizations from acting like 'underworld thugs.'

President agreed to remove Police and Land powers form 13 Amendment - Minister Weerawansa

Govt. not worried if TNA wins NPC elections: Wimal  .
If the Tamils in the North vote the TNA to victory in the scheduled September PC polls it would not be of much concern to the government, as the government had decided to remove police and land powers from the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, National Freedom Front (NFF) leader and Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa said today.

This unilateral act by the government to negate the existing devolutionary framework would be an historical mistake - CPA

Statement on Proposed Constitutional Amendment 

The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) is deeply perturbed by recent media reports that the government is planning on amending several provisions of the Thirteenth Amendment to the constitution. Over the past several weeks there were contradictory statements made by senior MPs of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) as to whether discussions are under way to amend the constitution.

Disappeared (2010) journalist Pageeth is living in France - Govt; FMM wants detailed information

Sandya Eknaligoda and his son at a  campaign ..

FMM wants Sri Lankan Government to reveal information on Prageeth

Sri Lankan Government MP Arundika Fernando told Parliament today that Journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda who is missing since 2010 January is living in France. As the Free Media Movement of Sri Lanka we would be highly grateful if the Government or Hon MP could provide us more information on whereabouts Prageeth as it will help us to locate Prageeth in France.

Proposed Code of Ethics by GoSL Heralds the Death Knell of Media Freedom in Sri Lanka

The proposed set of media ethics by the Government of Sri Lanka bans reporting on many a important issues, and leaves room for wide interpretations on such prohibitions.  The full text of the code of ethics proposed by the  media ministry is follows:

Ministry of Mass Media and Information
Code of Media Ethics
Preamble
All Electronic and Print media institutions including Websites and journalists shall adhere to this code of Media Ethics which aims to ensure that the Electronic and Print media and Websites in Sri Lanka are free and responsible and sensitive to the needs and expectations of the receivers of the message it sends out whilst maintaining the highest standards of journalism.

Before enforcing Govt ethics on Media it should do justice journalists killed and assaulted

Do justice first: Journalist campaign for FOE rights in Sri Lanka

Media, laptops and ethics, Editorial, The Island

All of a sudden, the government has evinced a keen interest in media ethics. It is apparently in a mighty hurry to introduce a code of ethics for journalists in keeping with its ‘laptop and stick’ approach to controlling the so-called Fourth Estate. Is it because its laptop method has failed to yield the desired results that it has chosen to use the ‘stick’ of ethics in dealing with the media? Copies of a draft code of ethics formulated by the government have been sent to political parties for their perusal, we are told.

China biggest lender to govt, India biggest benefactor

Foreign loans, grants committed in 2012:

June 4, 2013, 8:34 pm


China emerged as the biggest lender to the government of Sri Lanka with loans amounting to US$ 1,056.05 million in 2012 with additional grants amounting to US$ 0.16 million and India became the country’s biggest benefactor with grants amounting to US$ 257.28 million and the third biggest lender with loans amounting to US$ 443.06 million, data released by the Treasury showed.

Japan was the second biggest lender to Sri Lanka in 2012 with US$ 508.74 million and grants amounting to US$ 15.23 million.

With concessionary loans amounting to US$ 324 million, the World Bank came in fourth. It also provided US$ 10.49 million in grants.

Sri Lankan defence secretary backs chauvinist campaign against provincial election

Wasantha Rupasinghe and K. Ratnayake
Sri Lanka’s defence secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapakse, has publicly opposed the election planned for the northern provincial council, highlighting the dilemma confronting the government.
After dragging his feet for years, President Mahinda Rajapakse, under pressure from India and Western powers including the US, promised to hold the election in September. At the same time, his government rests on the military and Sinhala chauvinist forces deeply opposed to any, even minor concessions, to the Tamil elites.

Govt decided to amend the 13 Amendment

The government party leaders who met last evening at a special meeting chaired by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to discuss changes to the 13th Amendment have decided to present the proposed amendments in the form of a Special Cabinet Paper to the Cabinet meeting to be held tomorrow (6), government sources said.

Power-drunk politicos are not the best candidates , Editorial, Daily Mirror

Currently, hardly a day passes without any story about a crime or a fraud involving a politician,  particularly a local government member,  being carried in the media.  Obviously almost all these rogue (or allegedly rogue) politicians are attached to the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), the ruling party in the Parliament, all Provincial Councils already constituted and almost a large majority of the local government bodies in the country.

The accounts of such events that had been carried in the Daily Mirror on two consecutive days would provide a graphic description of this abhorrent trend in the present-  day politics.

Sri Lankan chief justice expresses contempt for democratic rights

Mohan Peiris defended GoSL at UN

By Sanjaya Jayasekera and Sujeewa Amaranath
Sri Lanka’s Chief Justice, Mohan Peiris, recently made remarks that openly attack democratic rights, in line with the government’s police-state methods. He declared that human rights existed to “protect the majority and not the minority of criminals” and the prime concern of the executive and judiciary was “national security.”
Peiris made his comments on May 22 while hearing a fundamental rights petition filed by M. Nimalaruban, father of Ganeshan Nimalaruban, an alleged member of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Nimalaruban died from injuries caused by the suppression of a prison protest by police commandos at northern Vavuniya jail in June 2012. Inmates had launched a hunger strike against the transfer of three prisoners to a jail in the south of the island. They took three guards hostage.

Four Hindu temples ransacked in one night by unruly persons in Batticaloa.

Four Hindu temples in one night was ransacked and damaged by unidentified persons in the Batticaloa district. The source sculpture and other idols were damaged and the jewelry and money had been looted was said.
Tension prevailed in the Batticaloa town two days back due to this incident. Speculations emerged in the midst of people that the court refused to grant permission to erect a Buddhist statue at the Batticaloa  Pillaiyaaradi corner and these attacks against temple may be the consequences of it.

Govt. attacked students struggling to protect education for future generations – NMPFE

The National Movement for Protecting Free Education (NMPFE) has issued an announcement asking as to who takes the responsibility of the brutal attack carried out on students of Sabaragamuwa University.
The announcement issued with the signatures of the co-conveners of NMPFE Ven. Dhambara Amila Thero and Senior Lecturer Devaka Punchihewa states’ “The students of Sabragamuwa University have been agitating since January demanding authorities to solve several issues pertaining to their education and welfare.

Accountability: A grand failure of the Sri Lankan state

8 years gone: No investigation, only promises

Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena
Verily, one is not sure whether to be outraged or amused by assurances made by Sri Lankan Government’s Permanent Representative this week that non-summary proceedings into the brutal killings of 5 students of Tamil ethnicity in Trincomalee during 2006 will commence in the first week of June 2013.

Interference by the Military Governor: Eastern Provincial Council in crisis

The Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) has run into a crisis with 20 members of the ruling party (UPFA), including the four Ministers, boycotting sessions demanding the postponement of the Northern PC polls until the Governor and the Chief Minister are replaced and the administrative infrastructure restored.
"We are talking of inefficiency and indifference which are an impediment to the working of the Eastern PC", Deputy Chairman of the Council, M. S. Subair said yesterday.

Failed attempt to kidnap ‘Janarala’ news editor

The attempt made to kidnap the news editor of ‘Janarala’ newspaper G.D.L Priyadarshana on May 30th night has failed.

Speaking to ‘Sri Lanka Mirror’ regarding the incident he stated, “I was standing on the road at around 10 pm at Ekala waiting for a bus. Then a man on motor bike arrived and offered to take me to Kotugoda. On our way we were engaged in a conversation where he stated that he is a police officer on duty. He showed me a pistol on his person and stated that he needs to see my National Identity Card. I refused. Asked me for my mobile number. I refused again.

China’s blank cheques: No checks and balances - Editorial, Sunday Times

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has just concluded his seventh state visit to China in as many years as the country’s Head of State and Head of Government. The importance — and significance — of the regularity of these visits can hardly be missed.
In the early years of his presidency, the priority was seeking Chinese military hardware to overcome the northern separatist insurgency. There was a steady supply of arms and ammunition often given on ‘tick’ (loan) through the People’s Liberation Army of China. They were meant to be Government-to-Government contracts, but with the liberalisation of China’s economy in more recent times, arms procurements were not without the taint of sleaze and scandal, but the lid was always firmly on the bin.

The implications of States’ surveillance of communications for the exercise of freedom of opinion and expression

Frank La Rue

Frank La Rue, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression

''The present report analyses the implications of States’ surveillance of communications for the exercise of the human rights to privacy and to freedom of opinion and expression. While considering the impact of significant technological advances in communications, the report underlines the urgent need to further study new modalities of surveillance and to revise national laws regulating these practices in line with human rights standards.''

Sri Lanka monk self-immolation highlights anti-Muslim sentiment

J. S. Tissainayagam
The suicide by a Buddhist monk who set himself on fire in Sri Lanka to protest the slaughter of cattle has been hailed as an act of great self-sacrifice and compared to acts of self-immolation by Tibetan Buddhist monks protesting China’s repression in Tibet. Nothing could be more ill-informed. In fact, it is one more step by Sri Lanka’s chauvinist Sinhala-Buddhists to undermine the Muslim political base.

Sri Lanka emphasizes need for regulation, transparency and accountability in funding to NGOs and NPOs

Sri Lanka has emphasized that regulation, transparency and accountability of funding to NGOs and NPOs is a pre-requisite in the interest of national security and counter-terrorism as recognized by states, and that obligation placed on states to adhere to the regulatory framework in compliance with 40 Recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force, makes it mandatory to monitor fund transfers of all financial institutions inclusive of NPOs and NGOs (associations) and other financial institutions, in countering financing of terrorism, money laundering or other related trans-national crimes.

China, Sri Lanka agree loans, defence; seek to allay Indian worries

(Reuters) - China has offered Sri Lanka about $2.2 billion in loans for infrastructure projects and a free trade pact, the island nation said on Wednesday, moves that could stoke fresh unease in India about Beijing's expanding influence in its neighborhood.
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris, however, said the agreements with China including a separate one to enhance defense ties, should not be a cause for concern.

SRI LANKA: Refugees in India reluctant to return

Amelia Shepherd-Smith/IRIN
There are more than 100,000 Sri Lankan refugees in India

TAMIL NADU, 4 September 2012 (IRIN) - More than three years after the end of Sri Lanka’s 1983-2009 civil war, most Sri Lankan refugees in India say they would rather not return, citing economic hardship and concern over human rights abuses.

According to Indian government figures, there are more than 100,000 ethnic Tamil Sri Lankans in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, including 68,000 in 112 government-run camps and 32,000 outside the camps.

“My relatives who have returned say `Don’t come. ‘There aren’t any jobs and the cost of living is too high’,” 46-year-old Sivabalan Palaniyandi* from Gummidipoondi, an industrial town 40km north of Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu State at the extreme southern tip of India, told IRIN.

Sri Lanka, Thailand agree to cooperate on Defense and Maritime Security

SL promised to support  Thailand at UNHRC
Leaders of Sri Lanka and Thailand today agreed to enhance cooperation on defense and maritime security when the visiting Prime Minister of Thailand Yingluck Shinawatra met Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat.

The two leaders held bilateral discussions this morning on a number of issues including cooperation in defense, trade, investment and tourism.