By Edward Mortimer | Huffington Post
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On 8 October, in the Kolonnawa district of Sri Lanka's commercial capital, Colombo, Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, an adviser on trade union affairs to the Sri Lankan president, was killed in broad daylight during a shoot-out with a group led by another parliamentarian, Duminda Silva, a Colombo district MP who had worked closely with Gota Rajapaksa. (Silva's website states he was the Ministry of Defence's monitoring officer - something the MoD is now struggling to deny.)
Premachandra and three of his supporters died on the spot. They had been shot repeatedly from head to toe with T-56 assault rifles. A police source said that at least 40 rounds were fired.
Two of the bullets ripped through Silva's skull. He was rushed to hospital and put on life support. A few days ago, the Sri Lankan press reported that he had been taken abroad for further treatment. During a parliamentary exchange the Leader of the House confirmed that no police statement had been taken from Silva because he had been judged unfit to speak. He added that Silva could not be prevented from leaving the country as "police had not identified him as a suspect". Gone is the man who might have been able to shed light on this shocking incident, a man alleged to have connections to the defence secretary and the Colombo underworld.
So what do we know? According to the police, violence between the two factions involved is both commonplace and common knowledge. But Premachandra and Silva were prominent politicians belonging to the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance, not gang members. And the timing of the shooting - just two hours before the close of local elections - also points to a political, not a strictly criminal, cause.
This is the stuff of gangster stories, of the Mafia and Camorra, of Martin Scorsese films. In Sri Lanka, it is just another day. Following the attack the Minister for Construction Wimal Weeranwansa - an ardent Rajapaksa supporter whose manufactured anti-UN protests have provoked much derision - told a public meeting that "when a politician goes with an underworld gang and shoots another politician dead, it is not good for the country". A breathtaking understatement that reveals the true nature of today's Sri Lanka.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has sought to create the illusion of a government that is strong and united, but this incident hints at the truth: Sri Lanka in is disarray. The Sunday Leader, a Sri Lankan broadsheet newspaper, has described the country as 'Oppressed North, Lawless South', where top politicians like the all-powerful Gota display thuggish behaviour and criminal affiliations. These are not mavericks or exceptions. Several other politicians have been involved in similar incidents. Mervyn Silva, for instance, currently Deputy Minister of Highways - previously Deputy Minister of Mass Media & Information, once tied a government official to a tree for his alleged failure to attend a dengue fever prevention programme. His name was also mentioned in connection with the murder of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge in 2009.
Yet somehow, the Rajapaksa regime has managed to persuade the international community to believe in a very different Sri Lanka. At the Commonwealth heads of state meeting in Australia, just three weeks after the shooting, most leaders - with the notable exception of Canada - were happy to avoid discussing the human rights record of the country that will be hosting their meeting in 2013, whilst Sri Lankan representatives dismissed a UN war crimes report as "a travesty of justice and preposterous". They must have been delighted when the meeting's host, Australian prime minister Julia Gillard, said that Sri Lanka had to deal with its human rights issues itself.
On 14 and 15 November, foreign governments again fuelled the Rajapaksa myth by wining and dining with Gota during the 'Galle Dialogue' sessions in Sri Lanka. The guest list included representatives from Canada, Australia, France and the UK who had been invited to discuss strategic co-operation in the Indian Ocean. This sort of PR stunt, aimed at bolstering Sri Lanka's international reputation, would have been a golden opportunity for countries to take a stand. But instead of boycotting the event, the international community showed once again that it has little to offer other than platitudes.
Within the country at least, dissent is beginning to take hold. Last month's shoot-out sparked a newspaper frenzy, with much speculation on whether the defence secretary has been protecting Silva. Familiar allegations of Gota's connections to well-known thugs and criminals have gained a new lease of life, particularly the nature of his relationship with Silva, which many believe is the reason why Silva has not been named as a suspect in the shoot-out investigation and was allowed to leave the country. And this time, dissenting voices like the Sunday Leader have been joined by others that normally support the government (or are too afraid to speak out) such as Colombo Page and the Daily Mirror.
Sadly, the response has been another media clampdown. Two Sri Lankan news websites featuring articles and footage related to the incident, Lanka e News and Lanka Newsweb, have been blocked - another sign that, even though the war ended more than two years ago, the Rajapaksa regime is not ready to release its iron grip. Dissenters are still routinely accused of being LTTE supporters and are threatened or harassed, if not worse.
Sri Lanka's Sinhalese elite is finally realising that the end of the war will not bring freedom, rights or accountability. It is time that the global community wakes up too.
© Huffington Post
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
What a shootout between two politicians says about a nation
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Unruly govt. MPs try to manhandle opposition members during budget
By Kelum Bandara and Yohan Perera | Daily Mirror
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In the middle of the President’s budgetary speech, UNP MPs started shouting slogans against the budgetary proposals. They also rose on their feet holding aloft placards which said ‘Shame’ in all the three languages.
However, the action by the UNP provoked some government benchers to react angrily. Ruling party MP from the Kandy District Lohan Ratwatte was the first to run down towards the seat of Chief Opposition MP John Amaratunga. MP Ratwatte grabbed the placard that was in the hands of Mr. Amaratunga and ran back to his seat. His action appeared to be a signal for his other colleagues to unleash their anger against the UNP MPs.
Followed by Mr. Ratwatte, ruling party legislators such as Roshan Ranasinghe from Polonnaruwa, Chamika Buddhadasa from Badulla and Udith Lokubandara started trying to snatch away the placards and posters that were with the UNP members.
The situation led to unpleasant and unparliamentarily scenes in the House with some angry government members throwing water bottles at the UNP members. Heated cross talks ensued between the members of the two sides, and in one instance, MP Buddhadasa almost traded blows with UNP MP from Badulla Harin Fernando.
Deputy Education Minister Gamini Vijith Wijayamuni Zoisa also stormed into the well of the House and threw away the books and documents placed on the desks of the UNP members. Deputy Minister of Ports Development Rohitha Abeygunawardane then approached the seat of UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera and started confronting him with un-parliamentary language.
However, some senior government members such as Bandula Gunawardane were seen trying to calm their colleagues down and prevent any possible violent incidents.
The scenes that were unbecoming of parliamentarians were seen even by the members of the diplomatic missions in the Speaker’s gallery. After the incident, all the UNP MPs left the chamber.
They were heard saying that the violence used by the government to suppress the rights of people is now being used inside the House as well.
Despite the commotion created by the members, the President continued with his speech.
© Daily Mirror
Monday, November 21, 2011
Sri Lanka tipped to raise defence spending
Agence France-Presse (AFP)
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As the island nation's export-dependent economy is hit by a downturn in key US and European markets, Mahinda Rajapakse, who is also finance minister, is expected to outline plans to cut the country's deficit and raise new revenues.
Finance ministry officials said the budget will forecast a growth rate of 8.0 percent for 2012, down from an earlier projection of 9.0 percent, and estimated 8.5 percent growth in 2011, unchanged from previous estimates.
The slower growth outlook was tied to economic woes in Europe and the United States, where leaders are struggling to overcome spiralling debt problems that have resulted in lower spending on exports, officials said.
As a result, Sri Lanka's budget deficit is projected to hit 6.2 percent of gross domestic product next year, compared with a previous forecast of 5.2 percent, officials said.
The new estimate is still lower than the 6.8 percent tipped for 2011.
Official figures tabled in parliament showed 230 billion rupees ($2.1 billion) would be spent on defence in 2012, up from 215 billion rupees this year.
Security authorities say they need to keep defence spending high to repay loans on military hardware purchased to fight the Tamil Tigers during nearly four decades of ethnic conflict that ended in May 2009.
Sri Lanka's military is also recruiting, despite claiming victory over the rebel group and declaring an end to a civil war which claimed the lives of up to 100,000 people.
Rajapakse was also expected to raise new taxes, including higher cigarette and alcohol duties, although few details were available.
The country's total spending in 2012 is estimated at 2.22 trillion rupees while total revenue is estimated at 1.12 trillion rupees, figures showed.
© AFP
Monday, November 21, 2011
Sri Lanka war probe report delivered to president
By Ranga Sirilal | Reuters
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Rajapaksa has said he will make public the findings of the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), Sri Lanka's answer to calls from some Western governments, overseas Tamil Tiger supporters and rights groups for an independent investigation.
"The final report was handed over to the president by its chairman. The president will now study the report," Bandula Jayasekara, the president's director general of media, said.
It is expected to be presented to parliament in December, officials have said, but the government has yet to give a date.
Many Western nations, India and others have said a credible report by the LLRC would, in conjunction with political concessions to minority Tamils, obviate the need for an outside inquiry.
The report says there appears to be enough evidence to warrant the government investigating incidents that may have occurred in the last months of the war, which ended in May 2009, the Sri Lankan weekly Sunday Times reported.
"However, the Commission has neither named the specific incidents nor identified the persons responsible for them," the newspaper said.
The U.N.-sponsored report on Sri Lanka says there is "credible evidence" the military killed thousands of civilians at the climax of the war, which ended in Sri Lankan victory.
The government has said civilians were killed but rejects the bulk of the U.N. report as a regurgitation of allegations "fabricated" by the Tamil Tigers' overseas propaganda network, and says its soldiers acted in accordance with international law.
© Reuters
Monday, November 21, 2011
Sri Lanka: Student union office sealed
By Dasun Edirisinghe | The Island
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"The university administration threatened they would remove the statue of student hero opposite the university’s Sumangala building," IUSF Convener Sanjeewa Bandara told The Island.
According to the Mirihana Police five improvised explosive devices known by criminals as ‘duppi’ were founded at inside the university premises on Friday.
The bombs were found while some workers were repairing the new art gallery building of the university and police believe students may have hidden them to be used in a clash.
"Students never use bombs when battles," Bandara said, adding that the explosive devices had been introduced by the security personnel of the ‘Rakna Lanka’ firm attached to the Defence Ministry.
Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. N. L. A. Karunaratne was not available for immediate comments.
© The Island
Monday, November 21, 2011
Tissainayagam denies former Attorney General's claims
By Raisa Wickrematunge | The Sunday Leader
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The allegation was made on November 9, when a delegation led by Presidential Counsel and Senior Legal Adviser to the Cabinet Mohan Pieris answered questions raised by the Committee Against Torture on whether the Convention Against Torture was being properly implemented.
A delegate who said he was “personally involved” in Tissainayagam’s case claimed that the journalist had written to the President saying he was remorseful for his actions. “He had been convicted and sentenced, but his complicity in what he did was confirmed by his letter, which was sent through his lawyers. He did receive a pardon,” a UN press release said.
However, Tissainayagam denied this statement. “I wish to state that any allusion to my admitting complicity is completely false,” he said. He added that he did write to the President to receive pardon, but only to apologize in the event his writing had caused personal embarrassment to anyone. “I am unaware that embarrassing the President or the Government of Sri Lanka is a crime and that was not the crime I was accused of,” he pointed out.
As such Tissainayagam categorically denied that he was complicit in or remorseful about a crime.
Tissainayagam was convicted by the Colombo High Court in September 2008 for “causing communal disharmony”. They also found him guilty of funding his publication with LTTE money. He was sentenced for 20 years, but was later released following a Presidential pardon.
Pieris was not available when The Sunday Leader attempted to contact him.
Below is Tissainayagam’s full response to the delegation:
It was brought to my notice that [a delegation led by] the former Attorney General and now Senior Advisor to the Cabinet on Legal Affairs, Mohan Peiris, had made reference to me in an official reply to the Committee Against Torture (CAT) in Geneva this month.
This is what was said, “Concerning specific cases raised by the Committee, a delegate said he had been personally involved in the case of J. S. Tissainayagam. Mr. Tissainayagam personally wrote to the President asking for a pardon, saying he was remorseful for what he did. He had been convicted and sentenced, but his complicity in what he did was confirmed by his letter, which was sent through his lawyers. He did receive a pardon.”
I wish to state that any allusion to my admitting complicity is completely false. I did write to the President. Working as a journalist for over 20 years I never wrote to cause anyone personal embarrassment. I only wrote to highlight issues of public interest and in the hope the president and the government would take action to rectify the problems. If any of my writings had caused embarrassment to anyone (whether the president or anyone else) I had no qualms in apologizing as causing embarrassment has never been my intention.
I am unaware that embarrassing the president or the government of Sri Lanka is a crime and that was not the crime I was accused of in the High Court of Sri Lanka in September 2008. I wish to state that I have never committed any crime. Therefore, admitting remorse or complicity to any crime, in this letter to the president or otherwise, does not arise.
© The Sunday Leader
Monday, November 21, 2011
The Indian Ocean, maritime security and regional undercurrents
By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya | The Sunday Times
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A talk held in Colombo on Thursday at the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies as part of the India-Sri Lanka Foundation's inaugural lecture series, also dealt with related issues. On the topic of "India and Sri Lanka and the Asian resurgence," the speaker, former Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran drew attention to the shift in the centre of gravity in the global economy towards India and the Pacific.
In his presentation at the Galle Dialog, the US delegate Robert M. Scher, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for South and Southeast Asian Affairs, remarked on the increased importance that US policymakers assigned to the Indian Ocean.
He said it "now surpassed the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as the "world's busiest and most critical trade corridor." Parts of the speech seemed to reflect the influence of Robert D. Kaplan's eye-opening book "Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power" (Random House, 2010). He was clearly referring to Kaplan's statistics when he said that "By some measures over fifty (50) percent of the world's container traffic and seventy (70) percent of global energy trade transits through the Indian Ocean. These numbers are only expected to grow over the next decade, fuelled by the Asian economic expansion and the growing need for raw materials and energy resources from Africa and the Middle East."
Was it coincidental that just two days later US President Barack Obama announced the decision to deploy 2500 marines in northern Australia, with a view to asserting its military presence in the region? A day after announcing that agreement with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, in a speech to the Australian parliament Obama asserted the US's intention to play a decisive role in shaping the future of the Asia Pacific region. The move has irked China. "It may not be quite appropriate to intensify and expand military alliances and may not be in the interest of countries within this region," Liu Weidman, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said" the New York Time reported.
The northern tip of Australia where the new American base is to be set up would represent the eastern edge of the swathe of oceanic territory that comes within Kaplan's analysis. He defines this Greater Indian Ocean area as encompassing the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and Java and South China seas.
Referring to the U.S. Marine Corps "Vision and Strategy" statement covering the years to 2025 Kaplan observes that "Along with its continued dominance in the Pacific, the U.S. clearly seeks to be the preeminent South Asian power. This signals a momentous historical shift away from the North Atlantic and Europe."
It would appear that Sri Lanka is aware of the importance newly assigned to the seas around it. Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa in his opening remarks noted that "the energy security of many nations also depends on the Indian Ocean, as the fuel requirements of many industrialising nations are met through the energy resources transported through it. For all these reasons and more, the Indian Ocean's importance in the global context is very great."
He went on to flag some of the external threats to maritime security in the region. These included piracy originating in Somalia, arms smuggling and human and drug trafficking. Rajapaksa appealed for greater international cooperation to address the threats while acknowledging the responsibility of coastal nations in particular, saying "we must not shirk our duty."
While Sri Lanka is eager to showcase the capabilities of its battle-fresh, well trained armed forces -- including the navy that played a vital role in the defeat of the LTTE -- Sri Lanka would also need to be wise to the underlying power-play amongst the big powers when it responds to overtures that may be made as a result of shifting global priorities. The new emphasis placed on the Indian Ocean region relates to the rise of two emerging economic powers, India and China, both friendly nations as far as Sri Lanka is concerned. The anxieties of the US in relation to China are not those of Sri Lanka.
It is interesting that while the US delegate's presentation, by his own admission, mainly sought to look at how the Indian Ocean region affected the US and how the US could best address its own interests, the tail end of it included a reference to human rights. "The Obama administration has made it clear that it will pursue policies that include both engagement with those with whom we share interests AND on behalf of improvements in human rights," he said, following it up with the now familiar refrain on "accountability for serious violations of human rights during the war" in Sri Lanka.
President Barack Obama in his speech to the Australian parliament also referred to China in similar manner. Asserting that the US welcomed the rise of "a peaceful and prosperous China" and sought greater cooperation, he also referred to China's "poor record on human rights," according to Doordarshan. "We will do this even as we continue to speak candidly to Beijing about the importance of upholding international norms and respecting the universal human rights of the Chinese people," he was quoted as saying.
For analysts a question of interest is whether human rights have become the west's new weapon for control and domination of regions that are of strategic importance, in their calculations. China's economic expansion and outward thrust has typically been peaceful and non-confrontational. But the same cannot be said of the US, whose record has shown it will not hesitate to launch military operations that violate sovereignty of other states in pursuit of its 'high-value targets' such as Osama bin Laden (killed in Pakistan) and the al Qaeda cleric Anwar al Awlaki, (killed in an air raid in Yemen).
Robert Kaplan in a talk on his book at the Carnegie Council last year referring to China's projects in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Burma, observed that while China provides "significant military and economic assistance" to countries where it is building or helping to build ports, China does not intend to have naval bases in these places. "To have permanent naval bases in any of these ports would be too provocative to India. China is at pains to convince people that its military and economic rise is benevolent and non-hegemonic." His reference to Sri Lanka at that talk would seem to explain the current swirl of activity and discussion relating to the Indian Ocean in general and Sri Lanka in particular:
"Why is Sri Lanka important? Because it is right at the crux of the great international sea lines of communication. It's where tens of thousands of ships and merchant vessels pass each year. In this new geographic I'm detailing, Sri Lanka is going to be a very important major player."
© The Sunday Times
Friday, November 18, 2011
Sri Lanka: Ex Army chief found guilty
Sri Lanka Mirror
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the court also imposed a fine of five thousand rupees or six months in jail for default.
The verdict of the Colombo high court trial-at-bar - comprising Justices Deepali Wijesundara, Z. Rasheen and W.T.M.P.B. Waraweva was divided with Justices Deepali Wijesundara and Z. Rasheen in favour of the verdict.
Justice W.T.M.P.B. Waraweva was of the view that Mr. Fonseka should be released from the charges.
The former Army Commander was the respondent in the case, in which the attorney general has filed charges against him, that he had told the newspaper that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had ordered that surrendering LTTE cadres be shot during the final stages of the war.
© Sri Lanka Mirror
Friday, November 18, 2011
Indian investment into Sri Lanka zooms
By T E Narasimhan | Business Standard
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The country has attracted FDI worth $516 million from various countries.
During January-October this year, the Sri Lankan government granted approvals to nine Indian projects with an estimated investment of $168 million (around Rs 756 crore).
Since the end of its 25-year civil war in 2009, the country has been working to improve the investment climate, including making fiscal and tax reforms under the guidance of the International Monetary Fund.
In 2005, FDI flow from India to Sri Lanka was $18 million, which peaked in 2008 at $126 million and now India stands among the top five investors in Sri Lanka, with $ 457 million on a cumulative basis.
The top investments include Cairns India - oil exploration, Bharti Airtel, Indian Oil, Piramal Glass, Tata group - Tata Communication, Taj Hotel, Ashok Leyland, Ultra Cement, Ceat, L&T and Asian Paints. Besides, four banks including State Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Indian Bank and ICICI also have branches in the island nation, said Wijesekara.
During the first half of 2011, FDI inflow from India was $47 million, according to the Sri Lanka Board of Investment (BoI), which added that During January-October this year, the Sri Lankan government granted approvals to nine Indian projects with an estimated investment of $168 million. At least, eight of these have begun commercial operations. This is a big jump as last year approvals were granted for 15 projects with an estimated investment of $ 72 million.
Investments flow from India to Sri Lanka in 2009 was $77 million and increased to $110 million in 2010.
Companies, which have recently entered Sri Lanka include Shriram EPC, a renewable energy company and Marg, an infrastructure company from Chennai.
According to Wijesekara, real estate, IT/BPO, hotels, food processing are some of the key sectors driving the investments into Sri Lanka from India.
The last few years have also witnessed an increasing trend of Sri Lankan investments into India, said Wijesekara. He added, the investments in India include Carsons Brandix (around $ 1 billion to set up a garment city in Visakhapatnam), MAS holdings, John Keels, Hayleys, and Aitken Spence (Hotels). There are also investments in the freight servicing and logistics sector from services industry.
© Business Standard
Friday, November 18, 2011
Sri Lanka: Verdict due in Sarath Fonseka case
By Charles Haviland | BBC News
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He is charged with "spreading disaffection" after he gave a newspaper interview apparently giving credence to allegations that the defence secretary ordered war crimes.
Fonseka has said he was quoted out of context.
He is already serving a two-and-a-half year sentence for corruption.
Fonseka, 60, faces further charges, including one of harbouring army deserters.
An ardent nationalist of the Sinhalese ethnic majority, he fell out with his ideological soulmate, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, shortly after leading the military to victory against the Tamil Tigers in 2009.
He challenged President Rajapaksa in the presidential elections in November 2010 and suffered a defeat.
In a newspaper interview he apparently gave credence to allegations that the defence secretary ordered the killing of Tamil Tiger leaders as they tried to surrender.
On Friday (18) three judges will pronounce their verdict - if found guilty he faces a possible jail sentence of up to 20 years.
© BBC News
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