Jaffna Library burns - May 31st 1981

31 May 2014
On 31st May 1981, the crucible of Tamil literature and heritage - the Jaffna Public Library - was set ablaze by state security forces and state sponsored mobs. 

Over 95,000 unique and irreplaceable Tamil palm leaves (ola), manuscripts, parchments, books, magazines and newspapers, housed within an impressive building inspired by ancient Dravidian architecture, were destroyed during the burning that continued unchecked for two nights.

Nancy Murray, a western author, wrote at the time:

"They burned to the ground certain chosen targets - including the Jaffna Public Library, with its 95,000 volumes and priceless manuscripts…no mention of this appeared in the national newspapers, not even the burning of the library, the symbol of Tamils' cultural identity. The government delayed bringing in emergency rule until 2 June, by which time the key targets had been destroyed."

The destruction took place under the rule of the UNP at a time when District Development Council elections were underway, and two notorious Sinhala chauvinist cabinet ministers - Cyril Mathew and Gamini Dissanayake - were in Jaffna. Earlier on the 31st May, three Sinhalese police officers were killed during a rally by the TULF (Tamil United Liberation Front).
   

Cultural Vandalism and Genocide

The term genocide is only a recent one, having been coined in 1945 by Raphael Lemkin, lecturer on comparative law at the Institute of Criminology of the Free University of Poland and Deputy Prosecutor of the District Court of Warsaw. Since then, it has become a crucial term for understanding events, particularly ethnic violence, in the world.

Lemkin defined genocide as "a coordinated plan of different actions aiming at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of national groups, with the aim of annihilating the groups themselves."

He said that the objective of such a plan would be disintegration of the political
and social institutions of culture, language, national feelings, religion, and the economic existence of national groups and the destruction of the personal security, liberty, health, dignity, and even the lives of the individuals belonging to such groups.

For Lemkin, "genocide is directed against the national group as an entity, and the
actions involved are directed against individuals, not in their individual capacity, but as members of the national group."

Whilst genocide has come to be associated with the concentrated killings of large numbers of people, such as in a few bloody month in Rwanda recently or during the years of the Holocuast of WW2, Lemkin's concept is just as valid if it happens over decades.

Furthermore, the destruction of a people's culture, whilst not given particular attention in the massive bloodletting which has characterised the well known instances of genocide, remains an integral part of the crime as Lemkin saw it.

"An attack targeting a collectivity can also take the form of systematic and organized destruction of the art and cultural heritage in which the unique genius and achievement of a collectivity are revealed in fields of science, arts and literature," he wrote. "The contribution of any particular collectivity to world culture as a whole forms the wealth of all of humanity, even while exhibiting unique characteristics."

"The [perpetrator] causes not only the immediate irrevocable losses of the destroyed work as property and as the culture of the collectivity directly concerned (whose unique genius contributed to the creation of this work); it is also all humanity which experiences a loss by this act of vandalism."

"In the acts of barbarity, as well as in those of vandalism, the asocial and destructive spirit of the [perpetrator] is made evident. This spirit, by definition, is the opposite of the culture and progress of humanity."

Virtual LTTE Resurrection Is Vital For Govt.To Remain In Power .

| by Pearl Thevanayagam

(May 31, 2014, Bradford UK, Sri Lanka Guardian) UK media is outraged that the government would only publish the details of the gist of talks between Blair and Bush before Iraq invasion and not transcripts and full notes of conversations although Chilcot inquiry is in possession of these.

David Cameron’s government is going along with this charade since if the invasion of Iraq was proven to be a grave injustice UK could be hauled up for war crimes.

These two democracies preach human rights to third world nations but their own actions belie the very concept of democracy it touts. UK makes use of the 30 year ban under Official Secrets Act to whitewash its actions. It is against the law to even ask a colleague what his/her salary is.

It is not as though UK lies but it keeps mum on sensitive information. The silence on Iraq invasion at the behest of US amounts to not just lying but gross violation of the rights of Iraqi people who are still reeling from the mayhem caused by two super-powers who took it upon themselves the mantle as defenders of human rights. Whichever government is in power British stiff upper-lip believes what Britain does in the name of national security should be kept private and should not come out in the open.Its strategy worked when it was the colonial power but not any longer. Nations, particularly third world nations, are not taking its arrogance lying down.

Which brings us closer home to the actions of the government on resurrecting the LTTE to retain its hold on the North and East and justify its militarising these zones. Jesus, a refugee, who was crucified on the cross and left to die in front of witnesses, resurrected himself on the third day and even his disciples showed disbelief. LTTE leader Pirabkaran was killed along with his many cadres and tens of thousands of civilians by government security forces and their bodies exhibited to prove their annihilation and thus an end to the rebel outfit.

But unlike Jesus, Pirabakaran is not coming back in life form nor are those who perished in Mullivaikkal.

Unearthing buried cache of LTTE weapons, arresting innocent youth who may or may not have links with the remnants of the LTTE is akin to US style of maintaining Al Quaeda is lurking round the corner despite the assassination of Osama Bin Laden.

US needs the Bin Ladens and Saddam Husseins to justify its invasions into countries which have oil supplies and minerals to protect its own economic interests and to hell with the rights of those citizens. Wherever US set foot in the name of peace it left destruction and human miseries. Its actions are reverberating in that those affected by the wars instigated by the US are converging on US and European shores seeking asylum.

There is no doubt the LTTE left behind its arms and ammunition plundered from the military but just because they were found in private properties does not prove the occupants are resurrecting the LTTE.

Leaders need fresh impetus to sustain their power. The propaganda machinery of the government is aided and abetted by scare-mongers such as sycophant Tamil websites, the editors of which are handsomely rewarded who plug in fabricated details and who have an axe to grind lend flimsy evidence the LTTE are re-grouping. It is ironic these website editors are spongers on western governments while bartering their own kith and kin to the Sri Lankan government to feed their debauchery and idle lifestyle.

Their revelations are going viral with India and Malaysia while the hard-core LTTE arms procurer Kumar Pathmanathan aka KP is kept in relative luxury and comfort by the government. The three hapless Sri Lankan Tamils would certainly have claimed they were either targeted by the government as LTTE activists or pursued by the now defunct LTTE for defecting.

The recent upsurge in cordon and search operations in the North East terrorising civilians, the continuous presence of the armed forces, the appointment of military hierarchy as governors and emissaries, procuring lands of Tamils and fortifying military cantonments proves the government is bent on embarking on a genocidal mission.

Victory parades are celebrated with the exhibition of war machinery for all and sundry to see and it is quite contradictory to the government’s declaration the war is over. It is also flouting war paraphernalia in Mullivaikkal to promote war tourism not unlike Auschwitz camp where Jews were tortured and gassed by Hitler’s Nazis which is now attracting tourists.

Propagandising LTTE resurgence could become a reality if the government carries on its vile campaign.

(The writer has been a journalist for 25 years and worked in national newspapers as sub-editor, news reporter and news editor. She was Colombo Correspondent for Times of India and has contributed to Wall Street Journal where she was on work experience from The Graduate School of Journalism, UC Berkeley, California. Currently residing in UK she is also co-founder of EJN (Exiled Journalists Network) UK in 2005 the membership of which is 200 from 40 countries. She can be reached at pearltheva@hotmail.com)

Citizens, Nations And State

By Rajasingham Narendran -May 31, 2014

Dr. Rajasingham Narendran

“As all men have a right- to be free, so all nations have a right to live freely. However, the larger nations whose freedom is secure still tend to consider freedom a privilege to which they are entitled. This is why even when the ‘threat’ to the ‘free world’ is mentioned, only the still free nations come to mind and silence covers the enslaved, their freedom not being a matter of concern. Not genocide alone is the shame of our century! Equally shameful is the silence of the world which call itself ‘Free’,  ‘the closing of eyes’ ( and of consciences too) in the face of this genocide. If we consider other centuries, we can agree that always those who were free tended not to notice those who were oppressed by slavery. Because of this, in all ages the consciousness of freedom has glowed most clearly among the enslaved. Fate has determined that we, the enslaved of all nations, testify to freedom in this age. A free nation in an independent State such is the authentic nationality principle, and such is our ideal” (Juozas Girnius)

The terms Country and State are synonymous and both apply to self-governing political entities. A nationhowever, is a group of people who share the same culture but do not have sovereignty. A state with the ‘s’ in lower case, constitutes a part of a whole country, with limited self-governing powers. Citizens are free and thus have freedom when they can lead a life of their choice;  are free to choose their leaders; are treated equally, justly and with dignity in a State that functions within just laws; and within the parameters of a constitution that guarantees his/her rights on the basis of universally acceptable civilizational norms.

What makes an independent State are: Has permanent residents; has absolute sovereignty over its territory; has organized economic activity that regulates foreign and domestic trade and issues money; has a transportation network for moving goods and people; has an education system; has recognition from other independent States.

A nation is a group of homogenous people- community who share the same culture, language, institutions, religion, and history- usually a group of people larger than a tribe or community. Territorially is not a necessary precondition, although it provides a necessary pre-requisite for sharing power within a State. When a nation of people has an independent State of their own it is called a nation-state. There are nations with States and nations without States (Kurds & Tamils). France, Germany, Egypt and Japan are nation-States. Canada and Belgium are States with two nations. The USA is called a nation-state, because of the shared American ‘ culture’ , despite it being a multicultural society. The Tamils of Indian origin working in the plantations in the hill country in Sri Lanka were a stateless people until J.R.Jayewardene finally resolved the issue.                                            Read More

S.B. who talks like an SOB (son of a Brahmin) appropriates Col.7 mansion on forged deed
(Lanka-e-News- 31.May.2014, 5.15PM) The Minister of higher education Dissanayake Mudiyansalage Sumanaweera Banda Dissanayake alias S.B. Dissanayake who parades as a paragon of virtue and speaks like an SOB (son of a Brahmin) has transferred a palatial house at Hewa Avenue , Colombo 07 on a spurious deed under the pretext of acquiring it for the higher education Ministry.

This mansion which belonged to Nadaraja ,a very wealthy individual who was living in Cinnamon gardens some years ago and passed away some years ago. This mansion was transferred to a Sri Lankan lecturer who is residing in Jamaica.

This SOB Sumanaweera Banda who is noted for doing lip service to education and duping the younger generation who are the country’s future investment, has after making false pretenses that the mansion is being acquired for the higher education Ministry , has fraudulently transferred it into his name on bogus deeds. This SOB Sumanaweera Banda has also taken by now into his possession many articles of historical value worth many millions that were in the mansion on the sly.

In any event , a complaint has been lodged with the CI , but it is learnt that tremendous efforts are being made to suppress the investigations , as is the practice under the regime laden with Ministers who are having a whale of a time in the climate of impunity they are enjoying with the patronage of the corrupt Rajapakses who are at the top of the hierarchy.

Ministers involved in import of kudu (heroin) in containers are scott free . Ministers involved in murders and rape are scott free . Ministers involved in outrageous rackets and corruption are also scott free under the Rajapakse’s ‘Asia’s miracle in the making of Sri Lanka ‘

No hand in Jaffna Twitter campaign - Students’ Union

By  Arthur Wamanan and Sandun Jayawardana

Sunday, 25 May 2014 02:14

- See more at: http://www.nation.lk/edition/news-online/item/29567-no-hand-in-jaffna-twitter-campaign-students%E2%80%99-union.html#sthash.3zZXGYHE.dpuf

The Jaffna University Students’ Union has denied any knowledge or involvement in the Twitter campaign against alleged threats to students and lecturers. Speaking to The Nation, President, Jaffna University Students Union, P. Subhakar said that they were unaware of such an online campaign. He, however, stated that the two-day strike organized by the students ended on Friday (May23).

Recently, University officials announced that campus would be closed during the fifth year commemoration since the end of the war.
“We have called on the University officials to refrain from declaring holidays in May and November in future, as it could hamper the relationship between Tamil and Sinhala students on the campus. We need to have a cordial relationship. However, those who wish to remember the dead can do so. But there is no need to close down campus,” he said.

A Twitter campaign, under the hashtag ‘Hands Off Jaffna Uni’, was launched last week to coincide with a two-day strike called by students on Thursday (May 22) and Friday (May 23) to protest alleged death threats leveled at some lecturers and students of the university. The campaign is continuing and has attracted support from the Tamil Diaspora and those in Tamil Nadu.

Leaflets allegedly left on campus last week spoke of serious measures against those who attempt to revive extremist sentiments within the campus. A group calling itself ‘Nation Protection Force’ (Thesam Kaakkum Padai) issued a ‘final warning’ stated that several students, lecturers, deans and journalists had been identified of trying to instill extremist sentiments among others.

Meanwhile, Military Spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya strongly refuted allegations leveled by some that the army was behind the death threats and was also attempting to ‘interfere’ in the university’s affairs.
“We’re not as petty-minded as they think we are,” he said, rejecting allegations of military interference at the university.

Referring to the Twitter campaign #HandsOffJaffnaUni, Brigadier Wanigasooriya said there was nothing wrong with the campaign since the army had no intention of getting involved in the university’s activities.
“At any event, the army has no access to the university premises and has no deployments anywhere nearby. What happens within the university is the responsibility of campus authorities,” he added.    
Referring to the ban on public commemorations in the North during Victory Day week, the military spokesman said that was put in place as certain sections were attempting to ‘celebrate terrorism’ which could not be allowed as it would be tantamount to ‘acceptance of terrorism’.

“There is a larger agenda here among some to get the Army out of Jaffna, which will not happen. The armed forces are there to protect national security which is a central government function”.
Brigadier Wanigasooriya further said the army wanted universities to function unhindered as universities were places that produce future developers of the nation.
When contacted, Police Spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana said Police had so far not received any complaints regarding death threats leveled at lecturers and students at the university. 

Sri Lankan Muslims at crossroads – 3

By Izeth Hussain-May 30, 2014

In the second part (Island of May 17) of this series of articles on SL Muslims at the cross-roads I dealt with the bizarre case of a Muslim who reportedly made outrageous statements against Buddhism at a public meeting, He had reportedly stated that in worshipping the Triple Gem the Buddhists are worshipping stones, that Buddhism encourages cannibalism, that the Buddha himself had once eaten human flesh, and that the Buddha had spoken about Allah. His statements were reportedly recorded in a video which has been in circulation since June 2013. My initial reaction, as well as those of my Muslim contacts, was one of total incredulity because it seemed to us impossible that any Muslim in his right mind would have made such statements. It seemed to us further that the video was probably inauthentic, just a piece of anti-Muslim propagandist garbage.

But it turns out to be authentic, and had been put across on MTV about a couple of weeks earlier. According to my informants, the person who made those statements was the President of a group that calls itself the Tawheed Jamaat, about which I must make a very important clarification. It is quite unlike the Tawheed Jamaat of South India which is very powerful with a huge membership, and boasts in Zainul-Abdeen a theologian of high caliber, according to a friend who is capable of making informed judgments on Islamic theology. The local Tawheed Jamaat, on the other hand, is small and relatively insignificant. It cannot be regarded as representative of mainstream Sunni Islam in Sri Lanka, nor for that matter of Wahabi Islam. Undue importance should not therefore be given to the utterances of its leader.

It appears that the members of the Tawheed Jamaat had been irked, just like many other Muslims, by the ignorant denigration of Islam that has been going on in Sri Lanka, inspired partly by the Islamophobic idiocies of the West. That had led to the issue of a challenge to the BBS for a public debate on religion – there is an authentic video on that challenge also. It was in that context that the Tawheed Jamaat representative had made absurd observations on Buddhism based on wrong interpretations of obscure Buddhist texts – or so I am told. The upshot was that he was arrested, brought to trial, apologized, and released. Evidently the apology meant that he repudiated his absurd charges against Buddhism.

What importance should be given to this episode? I think none whatever because it is just too ridiculous to be taken seriously. As I have pointed out above the Tawheed Jamaat has no representative capacity worth speaking about. How many of the more than one and a half million SL Muslims share the views about Buddhism expressed by the TJ representative – that Buddhism encourages cannibalism, that the Buddha ate human flesh and so on? I believe that none, none whatever, share those views because the TJ representative himself, by his apology, repudiated those views. It would therefore be totally absurd for anyone to draw any conclusions from those statements about Muslim extremists and Islamic fundamentalism. I am making this point because there seems to be something sinister about the revival of that offensive video. It was originally issued in June 2013, it was seen by thousands, but it evidently failed to make much of an impact. It is possible that it has been revived – shown on MTV and so on – with the objective of rousing mass anti-Muslim hatred.

One point about this episode cannot be ignored. Those absurdly offensive statements hurt the Buddhists, and therefore it was meet and proper that the perpetrator was subjected to action under the law. But what about all the offensive statements about Islam that hurt the Muslims deeply? Why were the perpetrators not subjected to action under the law? I refer to the most outrageous of all the insults to Islam in Sri Lanka: the demonstration in which Allah was imaged as a pig and burnt in effigy. The police performed their accustomed role of passive spectators. I believe they did a little more than that by restraining horrified Muslims who could have got out of hand – and perhaps that was wise. But why was there no legal action thereafter?

That leads to a crucially important question: what really is the strategy of the Sinhalese Buddhist State towards the SL Muslims? It was earlier expected that the anti-Muslim campaign would culminate in another gory July ’83 holocaust, this time against the Muslims. That is not the general expectation today, not because it is thought that the Government has developed moral scruples but because it fears the possible international repercussions. But other horrors can be perpetrated against the Muslims that are just as horrible as July ’83, possibly in the long run even more horrible. I have in mind the fact that the Sinhalese State seems to be in the grip of a fierce hierarchical drive aimed at establishing the Sinhalese Buddhists firmly and securely at the apex and relegating the Muslims to the position of outcastes. That seems to be the significance of the double standards to which I pointed above: punitive legal action against the Muslim but none against the Sinhalese. It is true that the culture of impunity applies to the Sinhalese as well, but not so consistently as against the Muslims, as shown during the anti-Muslim campaign of the last two years.

It should be beyond dispute that the Muslim strategy of political quietism has proved to be utterly disastrous: polishing the boot of Sinhala power has only earned good hard kicks on the backside. Just as well maybe, because the strategy of political quietism was essentially self-seeking, not aimed at the national good inclusive of the good of the Muslims. I have advocated a two-pronged strategy: struggle for the impartial application of the rule of law to all, and dialogue on the issues that have been bedeviling Sinhalese-Muslim relations for decades. The first, the struggle for the rule of law has a very particular importance. It has been a besetting vice of Muslims in the decadent phases of Islamic civilization to withdraw into themselves, to go into a self-imposed ghetto and limit their interaction with the others to the bare minimum. That goes against the greatest Sri Lankan need of the present hour: the need for national integration. In struggling for the rule of law our Muslims will be making common cause with the Sinhalese and the Tamils in a common struggle for the national good.

There is one point in particular that our Muslims must bear in mind. Under the brutal and stupid rule of the 1977 Jay Gang the SL civil society was practically dead, not much more animate than a door-mat. In recent years it has been becoming vibrant in unexpected ways. It is not so vibrant, not so vital, as in India and the West but it certainly counts in the affairs of the nation. The SL Muslims can therefore make their struggle to live in peace and dignity part of the national struggle for a better Sri Lanka. I have in mind the splendid statement of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka against the BBS and in support of the Muslims (Island of May 22). Let the Muslims invoke the blessings of Allah on the heads of the BASL members, and let their names be inscribed in gold in the memories of the Muslims.

Izethhussain@gmail.com

Video: BBS Assaults Children

May 31, 2014

During a protest march of the Bodu Bala Sena that has picked up steam in Badulla in the past few weeks are caught on footage assaulting a child who was a part of that procession, whom they perceived was a Muslim

The assault occurred while a speaker was addressing the gathering stating that the BBS were the real owners of the country.

The individual who assaulted the child abused the child asking him ” Umba thambiyekda kiyapang? ammata hukanna thambiyekda kiyapang”, –  Tell, are you a thambiya? Tell, a mother fucker thambiya? ( Thambiya is a derogatory term for Muslims)

The crowd thereafter handed over the child to the Police

Modi’s example

Editorial-May 30, 2014,

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has got off to a flying start in his new job. Having risen to that position through sheer hard work and dedication to the cause he believes in, he seems to know what he is doing and what needs to be done to achieve success.

PM Modi has already extended the hand of friendship to India’s neighbours and stressed the need for unity among SAARC member states to overcome international challenges as a regional grouping. He has also demonstrated a desire to give domestic politics a radical shake up which it is badly in need of. In spite of being at the helm of a fissiparous, mammoth coalition consisting of as many as 30 constituents, he has appointed a small Cabinet. Ambitious politicians in his government may not be well disposed towards such measures, but the ordinary Indians must be really appreciative of his approach.

Above all, the new premier seems to have realised the need for separating his family from his job if he is to embark on an arduous political journey without encumbrances to achieve his goals. There have been several such leaders. Dr. Abdul Kalam is one of them. When he was India’s President, he even paid, from his private funds, for entertaining his kith occasionally at his official residence. He led so simple a life that on one rainy day, as the media reported, he woke up in the dead of night as a section of the Rashtrapati Bhavan roof started leaking and his bed got wet. He quietly went into another room and had the roof repaired the following day. What would have been the fate of the maintenance staff if such a thing had happened in this country? They would have been made to clamber up the rain-soaked roof forthwith to effect repairs at the risk of falling off or being struck by lightning; or all of them would have been fired before dawn. But, the same cannot be said of most other Indian politicians who are as corrupt and arrogant as their counterparts elsewhere, especially here.

The new Indian premier, no doubt, wants to build a stronger, inclusive India, but some members of his parliamentary team must be desperate to make the most of their electoral fortune and line their pockets. We only hope that PM Modi, by trying to restrain them, won’t face a mutiny as greedy politicians who savour power after a lapse of many years act like starved leeches thirsting for blood.

PM Modi has banned his ministers from hiring their family members as their personal staff, as we reported yesterday. This is another step in the right direction. Any institution where family connections or cronyism take precedence over efficiency and professionalism is doomed. Not even a wayside eatery could be run properly on that basis. India is somewhat lucky that it is blessed with a robust public service where square pegs cannot easily be catapulted into round holes unlike in this country where jokers are plucked from obscurity and made top officials overnight.

The recruitment of politicians’ family members as their personal staff is a big racket as is common knowledge. They draw fat salaries and enjoy attractive perks for doing little or nothing in return. In this country, they even become entitled to pensions after completing a mere five years in service. The only thing they evince a keen interest in is helping themselves to public funds as much as possible.

A country stands to gain only when the main criterion for the recruitment of officials paid with public funds becomes merit rather than family ties and/or purported loyalty to the ruling party or its leaders. PM Modi’s example is worthy of emulation.

Modi – A Magic Wand?

By Hameed Abdul Karim -May 31, 2014

Hameed Abdul Karim

I was with an Indian HR guy a few days ago and quite naturally the topic ofNarendra Modi’s massive victory crept into the conversation. This Indian Bhai was quite ecstatic in his praise for Modi. ‘Already the stock market has hit a new record high’ he gloated and I thought to myself ‘Right: the capitalists are already raking in the shekels while the poor are wondering whether they will get the toilets Modi promised them’. But courtesy prevented me from giving expression to my thoughts.

More than 60% of India’s teeming population doesn’t have toilets and quite happily they resort to the great outdoors to defecate. Sometimes they do it quite openly and if this ‘exercise’ can be turned into a tourist attraction, India will be full of tourists without bothering about seasons. Don’t get me wrong. This exercise is not quite all that bad. Why, it provides employment opportunities. Over a million Indians make a living by carrying human excrement on their heads for disposal at some dump or another according to the celebrated social activist Arundathi Roy.

So Modi’s promise of providing toilets for every home was not at all misplaced. It may have brought in many votes, but then you will have to wonder how the million excrement carriers (and that’s old stats) are going to make a living in Modi’s toileted India!

                         Read More

Constable who issued traffic fine notice on Dep. Minister Hemal shot at and vehicle set on fire
(Lanka-e-News- 31.May.2014, 5.15PM) A police constable who issued a notice of traffic offence fine to the deputy Minister for internal trade, Hemal Gunasekera recently for driving in excess of the speed limit when traveling by his vehicle has been shot at, attacked and was a victim of attempted murder, while his car was also burnt to ashes, according to reports reaching Lanka e news.

This incident took place on Tuesday the 20th of May. The deputy Minister of the brutal lawless regime has been traveling by vehicle at excess speed with his child and an employee along the Galle – Colombo expressway. The police officers who were on duty at Kurundugaha Hethpama division checking speeding vehicles had detected this vehicle traveling at 141 kms. per hour and had ordered to stop. But the vehicle has sped without stopping brazenly violating traffic laws. Later the vehicle was stopped after the Kottawa station was informed .

The police constable (PC) Suminda Saman (8628) of Kottawa police exit point had halted this vehicle on instructions received, not knowing whose vehicle it was .The PC in due execution of his duty had told the driver of the vehicle that he has been traveling at 141 kms. per hour and therefore to hand over his driving license for he is liable to a fine.

The Deputy Minister’s driver had replied he has no driving license (another grave offense!). At this juncture the most ‘honorable’ deputy Minister ( or rather monster of a monstrous regime) Hemal Gunasekera of the most dishonorable regime who had been in the rear seat of the vehicle had alighted , and abused the PC who was duly performing his duties in the choicest filthy language. He had also screamed he is a deputy Minister and cannot be fined, and that the PC had caused embarrassment to him . The Minister who felt his shameless hooliganism had not punished the PC enough , had related the incident to the police higher up via phone and tried to make the PC to fall at his feet and ask for pardon ( all because the PC performed his duty duly , and the Minister under a lawless barbaric regime was not reformed enough to understand his own criminal conduct).

PC Suminda Saman on the other hand has stood his ground and refused to kowtow to the brute of a deputy Minister or any other , and written the traffic offense fine order paper stating he has not done anything wrong and that he was duly discharging his duties .

After the PC ( of a rare breed of duty conscious officers of the present police force under a JaRa -MaRa regime) had refused to ask for pardon and issued the notice of fine ignoring the escalating dispute. The deputy Minister had left the venue in a huff after threatening the PC that he would teach him a bitter lesson . 

The OIC of the station under whom Suminda was serving had been in the Presidential security division for sometime. The OIC who knew about the monsters in the MaRa regime had told Suminda ‘ if you have asked for pardon , the matter would have ended.’

As is customary under the present lawless regime which emulates eccentric ‘Kekille King’s’ laws , Suminda was officially and unbelievably harassed for being duty conscious : an inquiry was instituted against him , and investigations are in progress. A statement has also been recorded of his.

While this is the true reprehensible background to this episode , last evening (30) , when Suminda was traveling from home in his car , he had noticed a group following him in a Van . He had then changed his route and tried to escape. The trailing Van’s number plate had been covered with a Tee shirt.

At Bombuwala , Dodangoda , the Van had come and crossed the path of the PC’s car. When Suminda tried to leave his car and flee , someone had clung on to his legs. At about the same time there had been a gunshot sound. Thereafter he was dragged into a rubber estate in the vicinity and about ten assailants have attacked him most ruthlessly. When Suminda managed to open his eyes , he had seen his car gutted by fire.

Later , the assailants have got on to their Van and fled. The victim who made a complaint to the police is now receiving treatment at the Dodangoda hospital.

In Sumnda’s police statement it is mentioned that he is suspicious that the Deputy Minister is responsible for this attack, and if he sees the assailants he can identify them.

May we reveal that Hemal Gunasekera is a deputy Minister of the brutal murderous Rajapakse regime who is possessed of a most obnoxious stupid arrogance simply because his father who was the registrar at the Sri Jayawardena University found a minion job for desperate MaRa at the Sri Jayawardena University library when he was roaming the streets without a job at that time after having failed in the GCE adv. level examination . 

Medamulana MaRa ‘s gratitude towards Hemal’s father overrides every consideration in the interests of the country even after MaRa rose from minion to President. Naturally therefore he has allowed Hemal to do all the crooked and criminal activities regardless of the damage inflicted on people and the country.

VIDEO: Police officer assaulted, car torched

May 31, 2014
A police officer on his way for duty at the Dodangoda Interchange of the Southern Expressway has been assaulted by a group of individuals, who had then proceeded to set fire to the victim’s vehicle.

The officer was traveling in his car when the men had given chase to him in a double cab and blocked his vehicle. 

The policeman has been admitted to the Kalutara Hospital following the assault which took place Bobuwala, Dodangoda last night.

The officer’s car has been completely destroyed in the fire while police are conducting further investigations.

Another complaint against the blocking of websites

 Saturday, 31 May 2014 

The Professional Web Journalists’ Association (PWJA) has lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission against the blocking of srilankamirror.com and independent.lk websites in Sri Lanka.

Lodging the complaint the Association has said that the entry to their web-sites had been obstructed without any warning.

The government has last week blocked the srilankamirror.com and independent.lk websites and the move has come under severe criticism.

According to the PWJA, it is the duty and the right of the Sri Lankan people as Citizens of the Commonwealth of Nations to demand the Head of State of Sri Lanka as the new chair in office of the CW for the next two years, honour all democratic pledges adopted unanimously and signed into as a member country.

Increasing tobacco's taxes discourage smokers - UN

Saturday, 31 May 2014 

The United Nation Secretary General said that the increasing  taxes on tobacco products discourage young people from taking up smoking. He said it  in a press statement released for the World no- tobacco day which falls on 31st May.

“Increasing taxes on tobacco products discourages young people from taking up smoking and encourages current smokers to reduce use or quit altogether.  Tobacco taxes are a direct route to preventing cancer, stroke and disease – and to saving lives.”

Overcoming The Logic Of Terror

By Rajan Hoole -May 31, 2014

Rajan Hoole

The 1990s: The Culture of Untruth and a Perilous Vacuum – Part 9

More than a decade after the JVP insurgency the country remains trapped in the logic of terror. Instead of evolving means to surmount it, the tendency in activist circles has been to dissemble and play games with it. When terror is part of our environment, ordinary and average people often take on roles they never dreamed of. The causes may be alienation from the ruling class, a feeling of inferiority, desire for revenge, being already compromised or simply, misplaced nationalist sympathy. Being aligned with the party of terror makes them feel bigger, powerful and able to taunt and threaten others. Often they do this using the cover and privileges of civil society, while advancing its destruction.

In turn, this leads to an inescapable logic of counter-terror. Others feeling angry and threatened by those playing the terror game, are drawn into using terror in response or simply using state structures that would do the job. This is a reality. Few living in the North or the South could say truthfully that they did not feel this way sometime. The result is an ugly and heart- rending catastrophe for the society as a whole. This happened throughout the country. The task of human rights activism is to rise above the logic of terror and challenge it rather than become part of it.

Paradoxically, the notion of ‘political correctness’ advanced by left-liberal sections in the West has frequently the effect of fortifying terror rather than challenging it. In a case like Sri Lanka, they could easily identify the evil of state repression and the resulting alienation. This leads them to a lenient view of a group like the LTTE. They refuse to see that such groups, while using this sympathy to challenge the State, do in fact stand for an order that is exceedingly more inhumane and archaic than what obtained. Although very vocal in their anti-racism, the arrogance of some of these left- liberal sections is more insidious than racism paraded openly.                         Read More

In conversation with Eshantha Peiris

by Groundviews 

- on 05/30/2014 

Eshantha Peiris is currently a principal conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka, co-director of the Old Joes Choir, and director of Contempo Choir, in addition to being the keyboardist of the fusion band Thriloka. He is also the co-founder of MusicMatters.

We began our conversation looking at how Eshantha developed an interest in music, and why he came back to Sri Lanka after a stint studying music in New York. Eshantha talks about the space to create and produce music, as well as the space to, even though he hasn’t, branch out as a commercial artiste. Eshantha also flags what to him makes the contemporary music scene in Sri Lanka vibrant and special.

Given Eshantha’s prowess and interest in the Baroque period, he then answers how playing with Thriloka has influenced his approach to music. Given that he learnt music composition Eshantha goes into why he hasn’t composed more, and also talks briefly about his new album, which we cover in more detail later in the interview. He also explains a composition, done some years ago, that through its narrative structure captures the onset and devastation of the Boxing Day tsunami that hit Sri Lanka in 2004.

Asked why he co-founded MusicMatters, Eshantha goes into his approach around teaching music to children. Given that Eshantha was able to study in the US because of funding by a corporate entity in Sri Lanka, he is asked whether the lack of a culture of supporting the development of the arts impedes young musicians from blossoming to their fullest potential through international exposure and learning.

We then talk about, in relation to MIA’s music and her public utterances, what relationship an artist does and should have with her or his political context and milieu.

Towards the end of our conversation, we go into the production of Eshantha’s latest album, which is, to the best of our knowledge, Sri Lanka’s first crowd funded or crowd seeded music album. Eshantha explains why he took this novel route towards producing his album, and why embraces a Creative Commons share alike licensing model for the music he’s composed for it. We end by talking about when he will officially release the album in Sri Lanka, during the Musicmatters music festival slated for early August.

Eshantha Peiris from Young Asia Television on Vimeo.