Hambantota: Haven for projects

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ஓய்வு பெற்ற தொழிலாளர் குடும்பங்கள் தோட்டத்திலிருந்து வெளியேற்றம் - டீன்ஸ் லேன்ட் தோட்டத்தில் சம்பவம்

By Namini Wijedasa in Hambantota-Sunday, November 30, 2014

Rs. 600 billion pours into Hambantota development with more to comeDecisions made in Colombo, while few know the whole pictureGovt. not providing sufficient info to local businessmen

Miles of gleaming asphalt and mega infrastructure looming up from the sparsely populated terrain make Hambantota different to any other district in Sri Lanka. Ever since the Government started building it up—beginning, as it were, from scratch—billions of rupees have been poured into the district, and more is yet to come.
Hambantota Haven for Projects by Thavam Ratna

Police attack Tamils demanding their lands back in Jaffna29 November 2014 Photographs Uthayan Sri Lankan police attacked Tamils in Pommaiveli, Jaffna who were demanding to be given their own lands back. The protest began on Saturday morning, by Pommaiveli junction, with demonstrators blocking the streets and putting up tin sheds in the street. Police officers soon arrived at the seen, and attempted to remove the tin sheds. As the demonstrators refused to move, police officers hit them and threw stones at them, reported the Uthayan newspaper. One elderly demonstrator was injured. According to the paper, members of the paramilitary group, EPDP, were also present, attempted to coax protesters into meeting with one of the paramilitary ministers.

Video:Party we built is being dominated by ethanol-drug mafia – Janaka Bandara laments

SUNDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 2014  

Minister Janaka Bandara Tennekone has broken down while making a speech at T.B. Tennekone Hall at Galewela today (30th) and after 5 minutes of silence has made a very emotional speech.

He has said the SLFP was being dominated by ethanol and drug mafia.

Speaking further Mr. Janaka Bandara Tennekone has said, “I’m a pure SLFP party man. I told the President regarding the resentment I received from certain quarters in the party. I told Namal at Dambulla. No one took any notice of my story. They didn’t care for what I told them about the destruction being done to the party I and my father helped to build.

I don’t like the SLFP being dominated by anyone. The election should be contested only after correcting the party. It’s my stand.”

Mr. Janaka Bandara Tennekone’s father T.B. Tennekone was a founder member of the SLFP.

Fake Tales For Elections

| by Tisaranee Gunasekara

“Real patriots ask questions.”

Carl Sagan (The Demon-Haunted World)

( November 30, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) It is a union more perfect than perfect. Bodu Bala Sena has returned to its maha gedera (ancestral home) to openly assist its progenitors in their hour of need.

cartoon courtesy: ft.lk

Fake Tales for Elections by Thavam Ratna

Vatican envoy coming; Church says Pope’s visit is on despite polls

• Sunday, November 30, 2014

The Master of Ceremonies for the papal visit to Sri Lanka will arrive in the country on Wednesday as the Catholic Church yesterday expressed confidence that the visit would take place despite an intensive campaign for the Presidential election.

The Master of Ceremonies will meet Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, bishops and other members of the organising committees. Arrangements are due to be finalised by him.Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini, director of the Media and Information Centre for the Pope’s vist, said the Church was confident the visit would take place as scheduled.

“We have always said the papal visit will take place as planned despite the election and we stand by that. All the preparations are being made as planned,” he said.

Earlier, this week, the Catholic Church issued a statement requesting the authorities to remove all political posters and cutouts with the Pope’s image.

The Church also urged political parties to refrain from using the Pope’s visit for the political campaign ahead of the presidential election.

“We feel our request is quite enough. If the people involved have any ethics and morals they will adhere to our request. And we have faith that they will,” Fr Gamini said.

Mannar’s Bishop Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph said he was against the use of the Pope’s visit for political campaign.

“The Catholic Bishops were promised by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa last month that he would take all such posters down. He has, however, gone back on his promise,” the Bishop said.

He pointed out that the Pope was a spiritual leader and should not be dragged into election propaganda activities.

“The Bishops of Sri Lanka will meet tomorrow to take up this serious issue of the pope’s picture being used in election campaigning. We will be issuing a statement on this,” he said.

Time To Take Off The Gloves And Join The Dots

One of the damaged sections of our road

Emil van der Poorten

By Emil van der Poorten -November 30, 2014
Over the years during which I have written for publication about the predicament of people in our neighbourhood who are having road access denied to them by the behavior of a local Pradeshiya Sabhawa (PS), I have desisted from identifying the person who had the power, authority, “connections” and clout to do something about this state of affairs.

As I have documented more times than I care to remember, a road which is the only means of access to and egress from their homes for dozens of families has been callously destroyed by the Tumpane (PS), for ten years, operating a completely illegal garbage dump located outside its geographical boundaries!

As I believed it would be counter-productive to join the dots leading to the man who seemingly chose not to do anything about this state of affairs, seeing him as the last hope of any kind of justice in this matter, I desisted from doing so.  Another reason for my failure to take what might have seemed like the obvious course was the fact that I believed, that he was a person incapable of knowingly participating in a campaign of willful destruction and malice.

However, if he is being kept in the dark about the real state of affairs prevailing in our corner of rural Sri Lanka, what follows should illuminate that darkness.  

 The basic history of this travesty goes like this:    Read More

Chinese Numerology Supersede Sri Lankan Astrology?

| by Upasiri de Silva

( November 30, 2014, Sydney, Sri Lanka Guardian) Mahinda Rajapakse who is having his personal astrologer and most of the time he is around temple Trees, to check for best times and days to engage in any activity, as Mahinda do everything according to Astrological dates and times. But the President who always use Astrological dates and times for everything he do, change his mind this time when he selected the dates for the Presidential elections, according to a very reliable source from the Presidential House.

The Astrological dates for Nomination and Election were different to the dates Election Commissioner announced this time. Why Mahinda now not following the Astrological dates and go for Numerical dates? Chinese has so much influence on Mahinda he is now forced to discard his Astrologer for Chinese auspicious dates as dictate by them.

The day Presidential elections was proclaimed, I never thought about the importance of the two dates in December and January. But after reading a Chinese article on Numerology, I suddenly realise Mahinda Rajapakse is well and truly is under the Chinese power. Number 8 (Eight) is the most important number for Chinese in their Calendar and their influence helped Mahinda Rajapakse to throw away the Astrological dates given to him and choose 8th in December and 8th in January as the nomination and election dates, as he was told by the Chinese that he will be able to defeat anyone contesting him if he used those dates.

Unfortunately late PM SWRD Bandaranayke was born on 8th January, and now this day he selected is creating problems for him and his advisers.

Why Rajapakse discarded the Astrological dates is a mystery to many, and the person who provided me this information told me he got very agitated when he heard January 8th is the Birth Day of SWRD Bandaranayke. Even he select any date this time he is going to lose very badly as he is hated by most in Sri Lanka. But now his trust on Chinese numerology has eroded and he is fuming about using the Chinese numerological dates for this crucial Presidential election.

Maithripala: From paddy field to Parliament to presidential candidate

Daughter Chaturi:-Sunday, November 30, 2014

Maithripala Sirisena, the man who is set to challenge incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the January poll, once spent more than 18 months in jail over suspected links with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)– a link that was later proved, he did not have.

He joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) while he was still in school but Mr. Sirisena’s long and chequered political history is not widely known to the public. Until he came forward as Mr. Rajapaksa’s main challenger, he did not project himself as a leader or seek the limelight.
Mr. Sirisena is a self-made politician and a family man, but one who has successfully kept his private and public persona apart. He has avoided grooming his children or family members to follow in his political footsteps.

“We lived in Polonnaruwa even after my father became an MP and later a Minister and we have not enjoyed any special privileges,” said Dharshini Chaturika, Mr Sirisena’s eldest daughter. “Even though my father was a busy person, he always took time off to attend parent-teacher meetings when we were in school and to attend to our family needs.”

“When my father walks into the house, he is no longer a politician,” she reflected. “He is a father and a husband and we do not discuss politics when we are together as a family.”

Mr. Sirisena’s rise up the political ladder was not an easy one. After the youth insurrection of 1971, he was arrested on suspicion and was jailed for more than one and a half years even though he had no links with the JVP. After his release, he returned to active politics, undeterred by the fact that he was wrongfully jailed while the SLFP-led government was in power.

Hailing from a family of farmers, Mr. Sirisena was born on September 3, 1951 and was named Pallewatta Gamaralalage Maithripala Sirisena. He was raised in the agricultural heartland of the country, in the Polonnaruwa District. It was whilst he was still a schoolboy at Royal College, Polonnaruwa that he began to take an interest in politics and became the Secretary of the SLFP Youth Organisation.

His first job was as a Co-operative Supplies Officer in 1974. He also served as a Grama Seva Niladhari until 1978 but due to changes in the political climate and due to various forms of harassment he quit his work and took to full-time politics. From there on he made headway in the ranks of the SLFP, being elevated to the post of SLFP District Secretary for Polonnaruwa in 1979. This appointment also opened the door to many training programmes conducted overseas.

By the late 1970s, the United National Party (UNP) led by J.R.Jayewardene was in power with a two thirds majority in Parliament. The overwhelming support for the UNP meant that there were many who engaged in crippling whatever remaining opposition there was from other parties. With the SLFP having to bear the brunt of such attacks, the task fell on young party activists such as Maithripala to resurrect the SLFP.
His hard work paid off when he was appointed the SLFP’s All Ceylon Youth Wing secretary and in 1983 as its chairman.

Due to the commitment shown to the SLFP, he was made a member of the decision-making body– the Central Committee–of the SLFP. The then leader of the SLFP Sirimavo Bandaranaike, having realised the potential of the young man also appointed him an organiser for the Polonnaruwa electorate.

With the onset of the terrorist activities of the LTTE, the Sirisena family was among hundreds of families living in the Polonnaruwa District who were under constant threat of attacks. “We had to shift homes several times due to threats of LTTE attacks, but we lived in the area despite all the hardships,” Chaturika said.

Mr. Sirisena succeeded in entering Parliament by winning a seat in the 1989 general elections; but it was baptism by fire for him, coming at a time when a second JVP-led youth insurrection was in full swing and choosing to contest an election was then akin to signing one’s own death warrant. Even though the UNP was in power, Maithripala raised his voice on various issues affecting the people.

1994 was a watershed year for the SLFP. After enduring 17 years in the Opposition, the SLFP was swept into power with a landslide victory for Chandrika Kumaratunga. Maithripala was rewarded with the post of Deputy Minister of Irrigation in the new Government. In 1997 he was promoted to the rank of a Cabinet Minister with the portfolio of Minister of Mahaweli Development. In 1997 he was also made the Deputy General Secretary of the SLFP and in June 2001, he was appointed to the prestigious post of General Secretary of the SLFP, a post he held till he resigned two weeks ago.

After the SLFP-led United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) formed the government in 2004 under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Maithripala was appointed the Minister of Mahaweli and Rajarata Development and in 2006 in a Cabinet reshuffle as the Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, Mahaweli Development and Environment. In 2007 he was appointed Agriculture Development and Govi Jana Services Minister. That same year he was also appointed Leader of the House.

Mr. Sirisena was re-elected in the 2010 parliamentary elections and appointed Minister of Health.

Despite the numerous Cabinet portfolios he has held, Mr.Sirisena has avoided bringing in his family members to positions in Government. “He was firm that none of us should take up posts such as being his coordinating secretary or personal secretary like other politicians’ children do. We led our own lives away from the hustle and bustle of politics even though our father held a high position in the Government,” the daughter said.
His decision to quit the government had the solid backing of his family members. “We told him we are prepared to die with him. He feels that if the direction in which the country is heading is not changed, the country will become like a mass of land belonging to one person,” Chaturika said.

Mr. Sirisena is married to Jayanthi Pushpakumari and is the father to two daughters and a son. On November 21, Maithripala resigned from the Cabinet and announced that he would be the Opposition Common candidate at the January 8 presidential poll.

Facilitating Rajapaksa’s departure  A bright light at the end of the tunnel

November 29, 2014, 4:36 pm 

by Kumar David-November 29, 2014

This piece is drafted on the premise that Mahinda Rajapaksa can be defeated on January 8, 2015, which is not the same as saying it is a certainty - that is too early to judge since the gravity of the Maithripala Sirisena (MS) challenge may or may not endure. This assumption delimits the scope and defines the structure of my essay. Brevity being the soul of wit, I eschew repeating "Assuming that my supposition is correct" in the body of the text. The logically separate matter of predictions gets scant mention; Lanka sports a bevy of pollster-pundits who lead and mislead and herds of charlatans and conmen-astrologists to fill an asylum.

Facilitating Rajapaksa’s Departure  a Bright Light at the End of the Tunnel by Thavam Ratna

Gota The Soft And Gota The Hard

By Rajiva Wijesinha -

Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha MP

Enemies of the President’s Promise: Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Seven Dwarfs - Grumpy 1

What was termed the militarization of the North was attributed mainly toGotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary of Defence, and in many minds he was considered the greatest barrier to Reconciliation. He was thought the architect of the policy that held security to be the most important consideration, and that to ensure this the footprint of the military had to be heavy and pervasive.

This was ironic, for during the course of the war he had seemed of the view that, while the forces could handle the military requirements, a settlement required the politicians, and setting this in place was not his role. Indeed, in this regard he seemed the opposite of his Army Commander, Sarath Fonseka, who was thought to be of the view that a policy of settlements in the North was the best way of guaranteeing peace. Gotabaya, on the contrary went along with his brothers, the President and Basil, when they sidelined Fonseka, having refused his request that the army be enlarged; and, as noted, Basil went ahead with a policy of swift resettlement, which was in accordance with the pledge of the President.

Indeed, even during the war, Gotabaya had seemed soft in comparison with Sarath Fonseka. His chosen instruments were officers such as Daya Ratnayake, appointed Army Commander in 2013, who had developed the strategy that ensured that there were hardly any civilian casualties in the East. Sarath did not like Daya Ratnayake, and sidelined him and would have had him retired early, but Gotabaya saved his career by sending him off to China for his Staff College Course. When he came back, he was not used at all in what remained of the Northern offensive.

Read More

First Rally on 2nd: Purawasi Balaya (Citizen’s Power) Brings Oposition Together

30/11/2014

A collective of artistes, academics and civil society activist has come together to provide a joint platform  for all opposition political parties that campaign for the abolition of executive presidential system. The first mass rally of the collective ‘Paravsi Balaya’  ( පුරවැසි බලය Citizen’s Power)  will be held at 3 pm on Tuesday, December 2, at Hyde Park, Colombo. The theme of the rally is ‘Escaping the Trap’ (උගුලෙන් ගැලවෙමු).

The Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera,  Common Opposition Candidate Maithripala Sirisena, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, TNA National List Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran, Democratic Party Leader and former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, Mano Ganeshan of the Democratic Peoples’ Front, Sunil Jayasekara of the Free Media Movement, Ravaya editor k.W. Janaranjana, Gamini Viyangoda, Dr. Chandraguptha Tenuwara and number of other academics and activists a will address the rally.

An activist of the Puravasi Balaya told SLB that they will hold few more such meetings around the country. A poster campaign has been already launched.

Sri Lanka opposition parties launch bid to 

topple President Rajapakse

Sri Lankan opposition party workers erect a cutout of their presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena in the north central town of Polonnaruwa on Nov 30, 2014. Sri Lanka's opposition parties formally launched their bid Sunday to topple long-serving President Mahinda Rajapakse at January elections, with prayers and public meetings in the island's old capital of Polonnaruwa. -- PHOTO: AFP

Nov 30, 2014

POLONNARUWA, Sri Lanka (AFP) - Sri Lanka's opposition parties formally launched their bid Sunday to topple long-serving President Mahinda Rajapakse at January elections, with prayers and public meetings in the island's old capital of Polonnaruwa.

Main opposition presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena, 63, who quit as health minister last week from Rajapakse's government, was expected to address a rally later Sunday in Polonnaruwa, in the heart of the country's "rice bowl".

"Maithripala Sirisena represents the boiling resentment within the government of the Rajapakse family rule," said former fisheries minister Rajitha Senaratne, one of 11 members of Rajapakse's government to quit and support Sirisena in recent weeks.

Sirisena and other opposition figures were receiving Buddhist blessings at a temple and holding public meetings ahead of the rally in Polonnaruwa, which has been decked out in flags bearing their parties' colours.

I Spent Rs.30 Million On Rathana Thera’s Temple: Gotabaya

November 30, 2014 

Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa has stated that he spent Rs. 30 million to construct the JHU Parliamentarian venerable Athuraliye Rathana thera’s temple. However, the money he refers to as ‘his’ are the funds of the Urban Development Authority.

Delivering a speech at the opening of a 187 year-old building of the Sri Jayawardenapura Vidyalaya in Kotte which was renovated under the sponsorship of the Defense and Urban Development Ministry, Gotabaya had said that it cost him Rs. 30 million to transform the land located in Gothami Road, Borella into a beautiful temple.

“The land was given by the President and I carried out the land reclamation. It took us two years to complete the process. . . We however did it for the Buddha Shasana” he said while laughing. He furthermore states the constructions were carried out by personnel of the Civil Defense Force.

Meanwhile the renovations of the archaic school building that was handed over to the students by him at the event on Friday, had been carried out by Navy personnel.

It appeared like a petty attempt made to subtly get back at the JHU monk who was instrumental in influencing the other party members to take the decision to quit the UPFA coalition.

The JHU today announced they have decided to support common candidate Maithripala Sirisena at the upcoming elections and added they would be signing an MoU with him within the next couple of days.

Thugs gather to attack Maithri’s rally!

 Sunday, 30 November 2014 

A meeting of thugs took place at Deer Park Hotel in Medirigiriya yesterday (29) to discuss how they should disrupt and attack the function in Polonnaruwa today to welcome common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena.

Gangsters and trade unionists attended the meeting led by a lawyer, Sumith Wijesinghe, a staffer of the Presidential Secretariat.

Following this meeting, the canopy erected to shelter the Buddhist clergy at the main reception at Gal Vihara was removed by force by the thugs later in the day.

They also had committed several acts of violence in Polonnaruwa town in the night.

Sarath N Silva will not file case

 Sunday, 30 November 2014 

Former Chief Justice Sarath N Silva says he will not file a case against President Mahinda Rajapaksa contesting for a third term in office, even though it was decided so earlier.

He said that he cannot agree with the opinion of the Supreme Court that it is not illegal for the President to contest for a third term in office. Sarath N Silva however felt it will serve no purpose in going to court over the decision as it is the same court which will need to give the ruling.

He further said that the front led by the ven. Madulwawe Sobitha and the Pivithuru Hetak National Movement of ven. Athureliya Rathana have now become political entities and the people can expect them to deliver fair and just governance.

He also vehemently rejected media reports that the visit to Jaffna recently with his relative and his overnight stay at a naval camp in Kankesanthurai was facilitated by the government.

Meanwhile, it is alleged that some members of the parliament have met the President and requested not to hold the general election before April, 2015 since they may lose their pensions if they are defeated.

Accordingly, it is also said that they had made a proposal to the common candidate, if the general election is postponed till 2016, the common candidacy president has to gain these MPs’ support.

The former Justice further stressed that relevant parties would discuss further on this matter and the amendment of the Constitution.