Sri Lanka : UPFA government focuses on Geneva; shares a 22 pg doc with diplomats in CMB

The thrust of the UPFA Government was just the opposite last week. External Affairs Minister (EAM) G.L. Peiris met Colombo-based diplomats. He handed them a 22-page document titled “Progress by thematic areas” on the implementation of the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission. The document was prepared by a Task Force headed by Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga. Listed first among them is an issue which drew considerable attention during last month’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) — probing allegations of war crimes.

Sri Lanka: Government appoints Northern DIG without CM’s knowledge

The government has appointed a deputy inspector general (DIG) of police to the Northern Province without the knowledge of the Northern Province Chief Minister.
The TNA has raised objections to the appointment of DIG Pujitha Jayasundera to the North.
TNA parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran has told parliament that the Constitution notes that a DIG had to be appointed only in consultation with the Chief Minister and that it had not happened in the appointment of the new northern DIG.

Sri Lanka: I earned money by selling permits ( illegally) – Minister Mahindananda

Mahindananda Aluthgamage

‘Lankatruth’ revealed that the value of assets bought by Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage in his wife’s name was nearly Rs.90 million. Already, a complaint has been filed at the Bribery Commission regarding the Minister’s assets.

In an interview the Minister had with a weekend newspaper he had said he earned Rs.60 million by selling vehicle permits. He has said he got six vehicle permits and he sold them for Rs.60 million. He also has said he gets an annual income of about Rs.20 million from his businesses and assets he owns are worth Rs.80 million.

SL military governor declares NPC's inaugural budget null and void

While the elected members of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) on Thursday passed the inaugural budget of the NPC after 3 days of sittings at their secretariat in Kaithadi, Colombo's military governor of North, Major General (retd) G.A. Chandrasiri on Friday hastily summoned the officials and secretaries of various ministries to a conference at Koappaay College of Education and told the officials that the budget was not valid until he approved particular sections of the budget. The TNA was not abiding by the Sri Lankan Constitution in preparing the budget, he has told the officials. 

If International Community shows laxity, lethargy and indifference the plight of the Tamil speaking people would become irreversible

Tamils protest in Jaffna

C.V.Wigneswaran
Hon’ Chairman, Hon’ Ministers, Hon’ Members of the Provincial Council belonging to the ruling party as well as the opposition!
Before presenting the draft of the Annual Financial Statement and Appropriation statute for the year 2014, I have made a statement in Tamil. I think it is appropriate to translate the said statement to English too and deliver same.

People don’t want ‘sound and fury’ but waiting for action - Akashi .

Yasushi Akashi

Visiting Japanese special envoy Yasushi Akashi said today that it was not only the International Community but also Sri Lankans who are anxiously “waiting for action and not just sound and fury”.
Responding to a question on corruption, good governance, the adherence to the rule of law and the Government’s commitment to all stakeholders including the International Community to address these concerns, Mr. Akashi said the Government should not repeat such failures on its commitments.

Sri Lanka: Commonwealth chair Rajapaksha party rejects Latimar House principles of the Commonwealth

‘Latimar House principles a necessity, beneficial to Lanka

UNP MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe yesterday claimed that some UPFA ministers didn’t know what was good for the country as well as the government.
President’s Counsel Rajapakshe said that he was dismayed by the UPFA’s opposition to his motion seeking consensus on the removal of judges, of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, in accordance with the Latimar House Principles already adopted by several leading members of the Commonwealth.

EU passes resolution on Lanka and calls for implementation of the LLRC

The European Union (EU) Parliament has passed a resolution calling on the Sri Lankan government to implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission in full.
EU MPs appreciate the restoration of peace and welcome the first ever elections in the Northern Province. However, they note with concern that “the presence of government military forces in the former conflict areas remains considerable” and that there are continuing reports of intimidation and human rights violations.

Sri Lanka: Poverty in Vanni: Ghost of Sri Lanka's war

Amantha Perera
Its early morning in Mankulam, and I’m driving along the A9 – the road is paved, in marked contrast to the giant potholes that dotted the track a decade ago. It looks more like one of those new highways that have come up elsewhere in the country. This one is not as busy, but drivers need to be mindful of cyclists and cattle straying onto the road. I am here to cover the provincial council polls, as are many other journos. The ‘parachutes’ have landed from New Delhi and elsewhere. And almost all of them are converging on Jaffna.

SL intelligence squad behind attack on protestors in Trincomalee on HR Day

The masked men, who on Tuesday attacked a peaceful demonstration, which was staged by the relatives of missing persons in Trincomalee, belong to a squad operated by the intelligence wing of the occupying SL military, the organisers of the protest said on Wednesday. The members of the squad arrived through the Sinhala market, parked their motorbikes and launched the attack after covering their faces with clothes. More than one hundred peaceful demonstrators, most of them women, carrying the photos of their missing kith and kin, were brutally attacked by the men, who also destroyed the photos and placards on Human Rights Day in the city of Trincomalee while SL Policemen were watching the unfolding violent episode.

Sri Lanka: Arms, funding from Gota to revive LTTE! - LNW

We are hereby exposing a top secret plan to revive the LTTE organization, presently in a state of inaction both locally and internationally, and its combat capabilities, and use it for the furtherance of the government by misleading the world community.
It is entirely a plan by defence secretary Gotabhaya Nandasena Rajapaksa, which is being plotted without the knowledge of the commanders of the three armed forces or top government politicians. A handful of local military officers very loyal to him are making the plans under his direct and full supervision.

Sri Lanka's detention of Indian fishermen warlike act: Jayalalithaa

Arrested Indian Fishermen ( File photo)

Chennai, Dec 12 (IANS): India cannot continue with the facile "do not touch" policy with Sri Lanka in the wake of its "brazen" and "warlike" mass abduction of Indian fishermen, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said Thursday.
"These are the largest and most outrageous acts of mass abduction of our fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy," Jayalalithaa said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday, the text of which was released to the media here.

A development based strategy for durable solutions for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sri Lanka is essential - Beyani

"Constructing a development based strategy for durable solutions for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of conflict is now essential," UN rights expert says.

COLOMBO/GENEVA, 11 December 2013: "After having made impressive strides in rebuilding infrastructure destroyed during the conflict, post conflict reconstruction in Sri Lanka should also focus on addressing durable solutions for all IDPs and those who have returned to their areas of origin on a comprehensive basis," the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of IDPs, Chaloka Beyani, said at the end of his visit to Sri Lanka from 2 to 6 December 2013. 

Key UN expert group urged world governments to allow human rights organisations and individuals to engage with the UN "without fear of intimidation or reprisals"

Without cooperation from States, we cannot do our work for human rights - Key UN expert group

 

GENEVA (10 December 2013) - The largest body of independent experts in the United Nations Human Rights system today urged world governments to cooperate with them, and allow human rights organisations and individuals to engage with the UN "without fear of intimidation or reprisals."

Sri Lanka: Military governor to restrict NPC powers and attacks TNA

G. A. Chandrasiri

TNA ULTRA VIRES THE CONSTITUTION - NP Governor 

Civilian or Military, a Governor has to play by the rules

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has to abide by the country's Constitution and the National Policy as members of the Northern Provincial Council, Northern province Governor G. A. Chandrasiri said yesterday.

Sri Lanka: Call for anti- women minister of women's afairs and child development to resign

Minister with the first lady

STATEMENT CALLING FOR RESIGNATION, THE MINISTER OF WOMEN’S AFFAIRS AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT: MR. TISSA KARALLIYADDE

 Mr. Tissa Karalliyadde has on several occasions made extremely sexist remarks that are humiliating to Sri Lankan women in general, without any sense of responsibility for the cabinet office he holds as Minister of Women’s Affairs and Child Development. He has stated on several public platforms that women should not be appointed to responsible positions of public office because by nature they are unable to get on with each other and constantly fight and slander other women.

Sri Lanka: Peaceful protestors assaulted on world human rights day

The violation of human rights in Trincomalee on World Human Rights day proves that the Rajapaksa regime doesn't care two hoots for the Commonwealth Charter let alone the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, despite the President being the Commonwealth Chairman, the 'Samagi Balawegaya' says.
In a statement, the 'Samagi Balawegaya' condemns the violent conduct of the state sponsored thugs at a peaceful demonstration by them in Trincomalee yesterday (Dec. 10).

Sri Lanka: NPC passes resolution to oust military Governor

Maj. Gen. G.A. Chandrasiri

The Northern Provincial Council (NPC) has unanimously passed a resolution yesterday, urging President Mahinda Rajapaksa to remove Maj. Gen. G.A. Chandrasiri from the post of Northern Governor, and appoint a new Governor with no military background.  
The resolution was brought by former Parliamentarian and NPC Councillor, M.K. Sivajilingam, and was seconded by Councillor, K. Sarveswaran.

Sri Lanka rally to protest against disappearances

By Charles Haviland BBC News, Colombo

Hundreds of Sri Lankans have held a demonstration in Colombo, demanding to know the whereabouts of two activists who disappeared two years ago.

Lalith Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganathan organised rallies against political disappearances before being apparently abducted in the north of the country.
The rally was held on the second anniversary of their disappearance.

Another Rajapaksha white elephant: Ravi K. says Govt. can’t pay back Sooriyawewa stadium loans

By Ashwin Hemmathagama

The Mahinda Rajap-aksa International Cricket Stadium at Sooriyawewa became the subject of heated debate in Parliament yesterday after the United National Party charged that the Government had stopped repaying loans borrowed to construct what he called a white elephant stadium.
UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake said four mega development projects in Hambantota opened amid much fanfare had provided Sri Lanka very little benefit.

Sri Lanka: EU calls for more progress on implementation of LLRC recommendations

The European Union (EU) Delegation in Sri Lanka today urged the Government to take further action to implement the recommendations in the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission Report in order to ensure justice and meaningful reconciliation.

Sri Lanka: DG of the Media Centre for National Security has abused power to safeguard his secrete private life life and corruption

Hulugalle: war for secrete life

Businessman claims Hula’s affair with wife



Another event of significant embarrassment to the UPFA Government was the sudden closure of the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) retrospectively from November 1, thus evicting, unceremoniously, its Director General Lakshman Hulugalle. He was, however, adamant that his position still remains though the MCNS was wound up. The claim is similar to a chauffeur saying I am still the driver when his boss had sold the vehicle. There was only a two line terse announcement in a news alert of the Government – news.lk – about the closure.

Sri Lanka: Govt is unable to rein in its alliance partner EPDP which is using illegal weapons and resorting to intimidation and violence

EPDP leader and Rajapaksha

A pre-emptive strike by President Mahinda Rajapaksa appears to have saved his Government from one more accusation before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva — last week’s murder of Daniel Rexian (42), Chairman of the Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) in Delft, the furthest inhabited island off the northern Jaffna peninsula.
Accusations, including some from sections of the UPFA partner, the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), were initially levelled against the Sri Lanka Navy that has a unit on the islet. Another partner, Minister Wimal Weerawansa’s National Freedom Front (NFF) in a statement blamed the TNA for “the first political murder after the end of the conflict on May 19, 2009?. The date marks the military defeat of Tiger guerrillas.

Killings gets more brutal in Sri Lanka

The killings in November make up a total of 450 killings, a drop by 15 per cent when compared with the previous year that saw around 646 cases, according to police and military statistics. However, the killings this year were of a more brutal nature where the killers went on to wipe out entire families irrespective of gender or age apparently in a bid to wipe out evidence or eyewitness accounts, Police Spokesperson Senior Superintendent (SSP) Ajith Rohana said.

The key now is to implement thelaws and standards to make enjoyment of human rights a reality on the ground - Navi Pillay

A 20-20 Human Rights Vision

Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay for Human Rights Day, 10 December 2013

 Twenty years ago, a historic document was adopted in Vienna. It crystallized the principle that human rights are universal, and committed States to the promotion and protection of all human rights for all people, regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems.