Last king of Kandy remembered in Tamil Nadu

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 February 2012, 01:48 GMT] 
Sri Wikrama Rajasinghe alias Ka’n’nuch-chaami, the last king of Kandy, from whom the British captured the sovereignty of the last remaining kingdom in the island then called Ceylon, was remembered by his heirs and relatives in Tamil Nadu at his memorial in Vealoor (Vellore) in Tamil Nadu on his 181st death anniversary on Monday. Those who claim and uphold ‘unitary’ sovereignty over the entire island today never care for the king, who fought against colonialism for native sovereignty last remaining in the island, just because he was belonging to the Mathurai Naayakka dynasty of Tamil-Telugu origin. This is a small, but revealing example on the attitude of the sovereignty claim of the Sinhala state of Sri Lanka, showing why the sovereignty of genocide-affected Eezham Tamils in the island should never be vested into the hands of this state, commented an academic in Jaffna. 

The paintings of the King and Queen made by a British Army officer before they were taken to Vellore

In 1815, the invading British captured Sri Wikrama Rajasinghe and his queen after a brutal war. Later, the chieftains of Kandy signed a treaty with the invaders, agreeing for the transfer of sovereignty to the British Crown. 

The Royal family was then taken to India and was imprisoned at the Fort of Vealoor (Vellore) in Tamil Nadu. The Vellore fort was also once belonging to the dynasty of Wikrama Rajasinghe, originating from the Vijayanagara Empire. 

The king died on 30 January 1832, at Vellore and was buried at the bed of the river Paalaa’ru, nearby. His queen Saaviththiri Devi and children were also buried at the same place after their death later.

The crown, throne and other royal regalia taken by the British to London were later returned to Ceylon and they are now in the display of Colombo Museum. The personal items used by the imprisoned king, such as his dice-game set etc., could be found in the Tamil Nadu State museum at Vellore.

The birth name of the king was Ka’n’nuch-chaami. Another contender for the throne of Kandy from the same family, by the name Muththuch-chaami, was patronized by the British who kept him in Va’n’naar-pa’n’nai in Jaffna in the locality where the Kilner Building stands now. The British who wanted to appease Wikrama Rajasinghe after their defeat in an earlier war, presented him the head of Muththuch-chaami on a platter.

The story of Wikrama Rajasinghe became folklore in Tamil in the 19th century itself. Early plays by the name of Ka’ndi Raajan Kathai, and in the form of Kooththu theatre, were composed and performed at Mathurai in Tamil Nadu as early as in the late 19th century.

However, in Sinhala historiography, the English version that Wikrama Rajasinghe was a tyrant became easily accepted and the highlight was the king brutally torturing and killing the family of a Sinhala chieftain for treason. 

The English historiography found it convenient to justify the transfer of sovereignty, citing tyranny of the Naayakka king on the Kandyans.

But in our times today, the powers of new imperialism contesting for the island and the international system such as the UN, find it convenient to cite at ‘Sri Lankan sovereignty’ in allowing even genocide of a nation. 

Mahinda Rajapaksa, who never hesitated to commit genocide of Eezham Tamils, justifies all his actions in the name of ‘Sri Lankan sovereignty’ and he is the hero of the ‘Mahavamsa’ he is composing. 

The international polity of the New World Order seems to have ‘matured’ enough in making no pretensions over proclaiming shamelessly that ‘sovereignty’ is not a people’s right to protect their nation, the academic in Jaffna commented.

Colombo steps up Sinhalicisation of Batticaloa, Ampaa'rai border village

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 January 2012, 19:20 GMT]
Depriving the livelihood of resettled Tamils at 35th Colony, the Sri Lankan government authorities in Colombo have taken charge of the Tamil area, which comes under the Batticaloa district and the Eastern Provincial Council, aiming Sinhalicisation of the border village between the Batticaloa and Ampaa'rai district. The Tamil fishermen, who have been fishing in Navakkiri tank have now been denied access to the tank and only Sinhalese are allowed by the SL authorities to engage in fishing in the tank situated in the 35th Colony. The provincial minister responsible for fisheries affairs, Mr. Navaratnam, has also confirmed that the civil affairs at 35th Colony are being directly controlled from Colombo. 

Affected Tamils also complain that the encroached Sinhala families are now threatening them to leave the village for good. 

The Tamil residents of 35th colony didn't have difficulties in fishing at the Navakkiri tank even during the times of war, the villagers said. 

Tamil residents have been fishing in Navakkiri tank for a long time. 

After the war, the SL government in Colombo has taken the responsibility of administering the area into its hands, as it has targeted the area for Sinhalicisation, affected Tamil villagers further said. 

The fishermen are now facing untold hardship for their survival without any livelihood facilities.

Destructive trend of Sinhalicisation harmful for future harmony in East: Thurairatnam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 January 2012, 23:57 GMT]
Archaeological traces of heritage, preserved in 25 acres of land in Chuvaami-malai and Kevu'liya-madu villages in Paddippazhai DS division of Batticaloa district, are being destroyed by Sinhala encroachers, who are attempting to construct a Buddhist vihara at the occupied lands, civil sources Paddippazhai said. Condemning the move, Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) member R. Thurairatnam, said the destructive trend is opposed to any future ethnic harmony in the East. The historical evidences in the area were well preserved even during the times of war, Mr. Thurairatnam observed. 

The occupying Sri Lanka Army and SL Police are assisting the encroachers to carry out the destruction, civil sources in the area said. 

140 Sinhala families had encroached lands that belonged to Tamils in the villages of Kevu'liya-madu and Chuvaami-malai four years ago, after the war ended. Now the encroachers claim that the area belong to them. 

The act of destruction of archaeological traces of heritage in the lands confirm that the traces belong to Eezham Tamil heritage, a young Tamil politician in Batticaloa said. 

The trend also indicates why the Sri Lankan government, aiming total demographic change in the East, has not been interested in giving land and police powers to Eezham Tamils, he added.

US sanctions against Iran will hurt -President Rajapaksa

 31 January, 2012  Charles Haviland 

President Rajapaksa with Iranian President Ahmadinejad

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said that United States’ sanctions against Iran will hurt small countries like his own more than they hurt Iran. No country is more dependent than Sri Lanka on crude oil imports from Iran, and Mr Rajapaksa said his government is considering how it will cope.

President Rajapaksa told journalists 93 percent of Sri Lanka’s crude oil supplies come from Iran. That’s a much higher proportion than any other country. The island nation fears it will suffer in a few months when the effect is felt of the US sanctions that would punish any financial institution doing hard-currency business with the Iranian central bank, as oil-purchasing nations do. “They’re not punishing Iran, they’re punishing us small countries,” Mr Rajapaksa said.

Waiver

Although Sri lanka does import refined petroleum from other countries, Colombo is worried and is considering alternatives. One is Oman, whose oil minister was here last week and has offered to help with supplies if needed. The choices are limited because Sri Lanka’s only refinery is getting old and is best equipped to process the Iranian grade of oil or its near equivalents. Another possibility would be for Sri Lanka to seek a waiver or exemption from the US, as other purchasers of Iranian oil including Turkey have done.

Presidient Rajapaksa said that seeking a waiver is possibility under consideration,but even that would involve his country significantly reducing its imports from Iran, which currently supplies the oil for seven months interest-free. The issue has important diplomatic implications as Tehran is an important ally of Colombo, which has been under pressure from Western nations on human rights an issue.

Clothing donation bins spark turf war in Ontario

CBC NEWS                        POSTED: JAN 30, 2012

Used clothing wars

The business of collecting donated clothes, selling them in local thrift stores and shipping them overseas has become so lucrative it has created a cut-throat turf war in Ontario.

One man in the industry said competition for routes in the past two to three years has become “violent.”

“People are getting beat up because these things work as a territory.… We have orders from the company, like don’t let competition around you,” said the man, who spoke to CBC News on condition he not be identified.

He said the violence has escalated since people have found out there’s lots of money involved. “And now they are fighting with each other.… people got beat up, the bins were stolen, the bins were burned out.”

In 2010, Canadian exports of worn clothes were valued at $174 million. Ontario’s share of that market is over $132 million. Most of the clothes went to African countries, India and Pakistan. Full Story>>>

U.S. move hits small nations: Rajapaksa

January 31, 2012
R. K. RADHAKRISHNAN
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. File photo
As the United States' and European Union's combined sanctions against Iran take effect, small nations like Sri Lanka are extremely worried. Sri Lanka depends almost entirely on Iran for its crude oil supplies and the only refinery in the country, Sapugaskanda, can only process Iranian crude.

“We are discussing what we should do,” Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said when asked what the country's options were at an interaction with foreign correspondents based in Colombo at his official residence, Temple Trees.

The Iranians provide a seven-month credit facility, and 93 per cent of the crude comes from Iran. A major part of the crude is converted to fuel oil at Sapugaskanda, a facility put up in the sixties and which is in dire need of renovation. Fuel oil powers the turbines to produce electricity.

ALTERNATIVE NEEDED

“We need an alternative. Finally they [the U.S. and the West] are not punishing Iran. They are punishing us, small countries,” said Mr. Rajapaksa. Asked if Sri Lanka is considering approaching the U.S. for a waiver of the sanctions, he said: “We might. Otherwise how do we survive?”

Asked if the U.S. Embassy in Colombo had written to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka asking it not to make dollar payments to Iran, Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said the general sanctions had been notified. “There has been no real interaction so far,” he said.

Mr. Rajapaksa said Sri Lanka was also considering approaching China and India for help.

Asked if Sri Lanka will follow the example set by India — India has said it will be guided only by U.N. sanctions and not U.S. sanctions — he said this had to be studied.

On the question of modernising the refinery, Mr. Rajapaksa said discussions were on with a few countries, including Canada and the Czech Republic. In fact, the Czech Export Bank had, last year, written to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, detailing its interest in participating in modernisation of the plant.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State and former U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Robert O' Blake, is expected to visit Colombo and hold discussions with leaders here. Also expected is the much-delayed visit of an Indian Petroleum Ministry delegation in the first week of February.

Kotte Mayor shows Deputy Mayor’s blue films

 Tuesday, 31 January 2012

Mayor of the Kotte Municipal Council, Janaka Ranawaka has distributed a video clip of Kotte Deputy Mayor Madhura Vithanage having sexual intercourse with a beautiful young girl. The President has also received a copy of the video clip.

Parliamentarian Duminda Silva helped Janaka Ranawaka during the last local government election campaign and Madhura Vithanage was given nominations by Minister Dullas Alahapperuma and his propaganda campaign was handled by well known racketeer Dilith Jayaweera.

The two members openly attacked each other during the election campaign. However, Ranawaka became the Mayor after receiving over 15,000 preferential votes and Vithanage became the Deputy Mayor after polling close to 7,500 votes.

Even after being appointed to the Council the two individuals continued to clash openly.

Soon after the Mayor had released a blue film of the Deputy Mayor, the Deputy Mayor had issued a statement revealing the corruption of the Mayor.

The Deputy Mayor is also making arrangements to lodge a complaint about the alleged frauds and corruption committed by the Mayor, to the Bribery Commission.

A senior government minister said that development in many local government areas under UPFA control has come to a standstill since the governing party members in the respective local government bodies are divided into various groups.

He said that such clashed threatened the government and that remedial action to resolve these crises has to be taken soon.

Rohitha’s drunkard ‘killer son’ released by SSP who abjectly stoops to level of a dog before Minister

Tuesday 31 of January 2012
(Lanka-e-News-30.Jan.2012, 11.00PM) Lanka e news revealed on the 29th that the police has issued a notice that the most number of fatal accidents occurred on the 28th. The last was the killing of two pedestrians and injuring of a motorcyclist at Paiyagala in a car accident , it was reported . This notice has been released by the police while concealing the individual who caused this accident , according to reports reaching Lanka e news.

The driver who caused this fatal accident and escaped is the son of the sister of Rohitha Abeygunawardena alias ‘Raththaran’ , the Deputy Minister of Ports and Highways ,the Kalutara district Parliamentarian. This ‘killer son’ is 22 years old , and had been heavily drunk at the time he met with the accident. Even at the time of the accident there had been two bottles of Vodka and whisky in the car.

This killer son who had been at a party which was also attended by the Dep. Minister had been drinking with his friends when traveling to Colombo . The vehicle which was traveling at breakneck speed had run over two pedestrians killing them , hit a motorcyclist and fled. The motor cyclist had got thrown out from his bike and fallen into a house after breaking through its roof. The victim is in a critical condition in Hospital.

This entire monstrous tragedy had taken place within the Payagala police divison.
When the Paiyagala police had taken the vehicle into custody , the Minister Abeygunawardena had visited the police station and most humiliatingly berated the SSP and the police officers , while arrogantly screaming his sister’s ‘killer son’ drove the vehicle which killed two pedestrians and critically injured a motorcyclist and therefore be released . He had in place of him substituted another driver . These police scoundrels who are under the so called ‘clean’ IGP who parades as an officer of integrity have surrendered themselves most ignominiously abjectly to fake ‘Raththaran’ compromising their precious duty towards the public even after being fully aware that the killer son Orang utan of Ratharan is a cold blooded double Murder criminal. In this instance too the police has followed the jungle laws to save the orang utan after accepting the ‘ billy boy’– the substitute driver provided by fake ‘Raththaran’ who was arrested . It is learnt that he is going to be presented for the identification parade on the 31st. Who can identify as the culprit one who has not committed the crime ? Obviously the ‘billy boy ‘ will get released.
If this killer son given to intoxication and frolic enjoying political patronage who ruthlessly killed two innocent individuals and critically injured another gets released , this will be another addition to the list of escapees of ‘hit and run’ killers. It is therefore the duty of all concerned to ensure that this ‘orang utan’ of Ratharan is punished duly under the law.

We shall be bringing to you more news on this story shortly.

Raynor to replace Duminda in politics

Tuesday, 31 January 2012

The President has decided to bring Duminda Silva’s brother, Raynor Silva into politics, a senior government minister said.

The President has tried several tactics to put pressure on Raynor to enter politics. The President has informed the head of the Inland Revenue Department to send letters demanding the immediate payment of millions of rupees Raynor’s ABC Media Networks owes to the Department.

Raynor has agreed to the President’s proposal in this backdrop. The President has agreed to appoint him as the SLFP organizer for Kolonnawa and has asked him to contest at the next local government elections.

The President has been informed that MP Duminda Silva who managed to survive fatal gun shot injuries to his head would not fully recover from the injuries although he continues to receive medical treatment overseas.

Therefore, sources from the Presidential Secretariat say that the Colombo District parliamentary seat occupied by Duminda Silva may fall vacant and former External Affairs Minister Rohitha Bogollagama was likely to be appointed to parliament to fill the vacancy.

Although Chandana Kathriarachchi has polled the highest number of preferential votes among the UPFA members who were not elected to parliament, the President’s media advisors believe he would have a legal issue in entering parliament since he has been convicted for a murder by courts.

Attack on Viluthu head office condemned

MONDAY, 30 JANUARY 2012
A group of well-known civil society activists have strongly condemned the recent attack on the Colombo head office of Viluthu, a non-governmental organisation working to promote social justice and women’s rights.

In a communiqué signed by 35 activists which was released today, the incident is described as a “cowardly act” that was “carried out in order to intimidate the organisation”. The signatories also expressed dismay that the incident occurred in a high security zone and called on the law enforcement agencies to take prompt action to apprehend those responsible for the attack.

The attack took place between the night of January 23 and the early hours of January 24.

According to the joint communiqué, “Viluthu’s work is focused on good governance and empowerment in the north and east of Sri Lanka in supporting the war-affected community. These kinds of attacks pose a threat to an open society that is founded on democratic values and the rule of law, and upholds freedom of speech and civic activism. It is such a society that we as Sri Lankans should nurture if we are to move towards reconciliation and a lasting peace.”

“The office was broken into and searched by unknown persons. We are especially perturbed that this incident occurred in a high security zone in Colombo. This is not the first time a civil society group has been attacked and we feel this cowardly act was carried out in order to intimidate the organisation.”

“We support and encourage Ms. Shanthi Sachithanandan and the Viluthu team to continue their work on promoting social justice and women’s rights. We hope that incidents such as this one will never happen again in the future. We urge the law enforcement authorities, especially the Inspector General of Police, to act speedily and carry out investigations, and arrest those responsible for this incident,” the communiqué further stated.

The signatories are Jehan Perera (National Peace Council); Nimalka Fernando; Sharmini Boyle; Visaka Dharmadasa (Association for War Affected Women); Ruki Fernando (Rights Now Collective for Democracy), Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu; J.C. Weliamuna; Nigel V. Nugawela; Anberiya Hanifa (Muslim Women’s Research Action Forum); Shreen Saroor (Women’s Action Network); Selvy Thiruchandran (Women’s Education and Research Centre); Sumathy Sivamohan; Priya Thangarajah; Mirak Raheem; Sudarshana Gunawardana; Anita Nesiah; Chulani Kodikara; K. S. Ratnavale (Centre for Human Rights and Development); K.M.N. Mohammed; Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai; Sithiravel Ithayarani; Sumika Perera; Mahaluxmi Kurushanthan; Ashila Niroshine Mapalagama; M. Mangaleswary Shanker; Jensila Majeed (Women’s Action Network); Dilrukshi Handunnetti; R.M. B Senanayake; Tony Seneviratne; Rajani Chandra; Muttukrishna Sarvananthan (Point Pedro Institute of Development); Deanne Uyangoda; Cayathri Divakalala;  Sharmila Mohamad Hanifa (Jaffna Civil Society for Equality); and K. Guruparan (University of Jaffna). (Ayesha Zuhair)

UN to Get Peacekeeping Advice from Alleged War Criminal, Says Ban Powerless

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 30 -- UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon cannot or will not do or say anything to stop alleged war criminal Shavendra Silva from serving on Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operation, Ban spokesperson Martin Nesirky answered Inner City Press on January 30.

  Acts of Shavendra Silva's battalion in 2009 are described in the UN's own Panel of Experts report on Sri Lanka -- for example in paragraphs 73, 90 and 171, shelling hospitals and killing those seeking to surrender -- and lawsuits have been filed against Silva for war crimes. In September 2011, Inner City Press asked Silva about them, click here for that story.

  Isn't Ban at least concerned about how it makes his UN look, making Sri Lanka's Silva an adviser on peacekeeping, including in light of the UN's failure to report any discipline of Sri Lankan "peacekeepers" repatriated from Haiti after being charged with sex with underage girls?

  At Monday's UN noon briefing, Nesirky told Inner City Press to ask the Asia group about Silva's nomination to the Advisory Group, and to ask Silva's Sri Lankan mission if the more than 100 repatriated soldiers were ever disciplined. 

  Far from a UN of accountability, this seems to some to be nothing but passing the buck. We have asked others and aim to have more on this.

Ban greets Silva - did Asia Group make Ban do it? (c) MRLee

Full Story>>>

Jan-24-2012

Congolese face a bitter life of disparity.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) - Imagine the entire state population of Arizona murdered in an 11-year period by neighboring rebel groups, all six million people. The women of Phoenix, Flagstaff, Camp Verde and other cities brutally raped while their children and husbands are forced to watch.

After this horrific act of war, the husbands are shot, dismembered and the women left bleeding and ruined in their communities. For the men who do survive, they are unable to look at their wives for the shame they suffered by not being able to protect them from the atrocities that occurred.

Imagine the children who were forced to watch their mothers being violently raped and their fathers murdered only to meet the same fate at their tender ages. For those children who were not killed knew they would be taken as child soldiers and “bush wives” to the rebels.

                                                                                 Read Full Article 

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Sri Lanka's Killing Fields - Channel 4 UK Documentory Jon Snow presents a forensic investigation into the final weeks of the quarter-century-long civil war between the government of Sri Lanka and the secessionist rebels, the Tamil Tigers. With disturbing and distressing descriptions and film of executions, atrocities and the shelling of civilians the programme features devastating new video evidence of war crimes - some of the most horrific footage Channel 4 has ever broadcast.

read more...

GR rejects testimony attributed to unnamed Gen. Reveals US attempt to bribe serving officer

January 30, 2012,

by Shamindra Ferdinando

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday said that none of the Majors General directly involved in eelam war IV had made a testimony to any US lawyer, in New York in 2010, alleging extrajudicial killings of civilians, surrendering LTTE cadres and dissident journalists during eelam war IV.

“Those directly involved in the campaign are still in service. They’ll never betray the country for personal benefit,”

Defence Secretary Rajapaksa told The Island.

He was responding to a report by Emmanuel Stoakes posted on www.truth-out.org on Sunday (Jan.29).

The Defence Secretary said that the government expected more anti-Sri Lanka propaganda in the run-up to UN Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva late Feb-March 2012.

Citing testimony of a former General, recorded in an affidavit, the report captioned ‘Sri Lankan General admits war crimes; US may hold crucial supporting evidence’, claimed that the military officer had backed war crimes allegations made by human rights watchdogs. Claiming that the officer had been extremely well-placed to comment on military activity during the war as he held high-level security clearance and access to the flow of orders during the final days of the conflict, the website declined to name the officer for reasons of safety.

Asked whether any senior officers had been punished since the conclusion of the conflict, Rajapaksa said that several had been removed on disciplinary grounds, though none of them were directly involved in the campaign.

Anyone claiming to have access to secret directives, which led to alleged extrajudicial killings, may have operated outside normal chain of command, thereby being responsible for their actions, the official said.

The Defence Secretary likened the decision to conceal the identity of the person who had made the testimony to a US lawyer to that of the UNSG Ban Ki-moon’s Panel of Experts (PoE) recommendation to an unprecedented 20-year embargo on both written and oral material in its hands pertaining to alleged war crimes committed by GoSL troops.

The Defence Secretary said the bottom line was that a section of the international community was making an attempt to build a case against Sri Lanka on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations made by anonymous men. He stressed that no country could be penalised on the basis of accusations made by faceless men.

The Defence Secretary recalled how the US Embassy in Colombo had made an abortive bid to bribe one-time media spokesman Maj. Gen. Prasad Samarasinghe to make allegations against Sri Lanka. The diplomat, who had made the move after the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009 offered to accommodate Maj. Gen. Samarasinghe and his family in the US. Had they possessed indisputable evidence against Sri Lanka, the US Embassy here wouldn’t have tried to use a serving officer to support their sordid operation, the Defence Secretary asserted.

The Defence Secretary said that the ongoing efforts to bring to the fore a so-called affidavit should be examined in the context of an attempt to employ a serving officer against Sri Lanka.

Rajapaksa said that those accusing the Sri Lankan military of executing LTTE cadres during the final phase of the conflict had conveniently forgotten that of nearly 12,000 personnel in custody over 11,000 had been reunited with their families following rehabilitation. As the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) had access to detainees, had there been executions, it would have come out, he said, adding that the ICRC, too, was allowed to evict those wounded on the Vanni east front.

The Defence Secretary said that unlike allegations made against Sri Lanka by anonymous persons, www.truth-out.org posted an article captioned ‘Afghan judges accuse US of war crimes’ as an article related to the piece on Sri Lanka.

The writer, David Swanson, quoted a judge visiting the US to learn legal and political system as having said, “The United States tells other countries how to be democratic and operate within a rule of law, but the United States as role model breaks every one of those things.”

A second judge was quoted as having said, “US Constitution speaks of freedom and a people’s government but the United States is running secret prisons, torturing, disappearing people, and locking people up for years with no due process.” The behaviour of the United States, she said, violates everything that she and her colleagues were being taught that the United States stands for. “It may seem trivial,” she continued, “but it affects our daily lives.” If a member of the international occupying forces gets into a hit and run with their car, and you go to the base to complain, you are threatened. They have total immunity from any rule of law, she explained.