A Monaragala problem for the Rajapakse Regime

by Harim Peiris 

- on 09/29/2014

Speculation mounts not just in political circles but also in civil society of an impending presidential election, early in the New Year. The Uva Provincial Council elections, which besides being constitutionally required, were also a testing of the political waters by the Rajapakse Administration and the results could not have been more disturbing to those in the corridors of power.
A Monaragala Problem for the Rajapakse Regime by Thavam

Presidential polls on January 07 UPFA says too early to predict NORTHERN VOTE 
By Ravi Ladduwahetty-September 29, 2014

It was far too premature to predict whether the Northern vote would flow in the direction of Mahinda Rajapaksa, at the next Presidential Election, billed for 7 January, 2015, United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) General Secretary Susil Premajayantha said yesterday.
 
"It is far too early to predict how the Northern voter will exercise his franchise, Premajayantha told Ceylon Today, by telephone from New York, from where he will be returning to Sri Lanka tomorrow, after being in the Sri Lanka delegation to the United Nations General Assembly sessions.
 
Meanwhile, Government Spokesman and Media Minister, Keheliya Rambukwella, while confirming that the polls would be held on 7 January, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the UPFA were not merely looking at the Northern vote or the votes cast at the just concluded Uva Provincial Council, but the country in its entirety .
 
However, both Ministers expressed overwhelming confidence that the ruling UPFA would convincingly win the Presidential elections with President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the candidate.
Responding to a question on whether the UNP, under the candidacy of the Opposition and UNP Leader, coupled with the recent appointment of Hambantota District MP Sajith Premadasa as UNP Deputy leader, poses a threat to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, both Premajayantha and Rambukwella replied in the negative.
 
They said that no candidate would be able to pose a threat to President Rajapaksa, irrespective of which political party they represent, whether it be the UNP, the JVP or anybody else.
The government, under President Mahinda Rajapaksa had delivered to the people the promises he made by eradicating terrorism and developing the economy, they said.
 
Elaborating, Rambukwella said, "The President and the government delivered the two promises of eradicating terrorism and developing the economy, which is growing to between 7% and 7.5%, being only second to China in the Asian region."
Now, the aim is to distribute the fruits of these developments among the people and to increase the per capita income, while the results of infrastructure development is also seen. Now the aim of the government is to ensure that people have more money in their hands, he said.
 
The President was also confident that the masses would be sailing with him, Rambukwella asserted.
Asked whether the decision to hold the Presidential Poll was advanced to January 2015 to tell the international community that the Sri Lankan population was still backing the President in the wake of the United Nations Human Rights Commission sessions in March 2015 and with possible sanctions, Rambukwella said, " It was the prerogative and discretion of the President to hold the polls on the date of his choice and there is nothing unethical or illegal about it. "This is a democratic country and anyone is free to come to any conclusion of his or her choice," he said.
 
Asked the reason why the government had advanced the date of presenting the Appropriation Bill in Parliament, which was presented last Friday, in contrast to the planned 7 October presentation, he said that there was nothing illegal or undemocratic.
It was done at the request of the Government Parliamentary Group to the President, Rambukwella remarked.

President rejects resignation by Chris Nonis!

Monday, 29 September 2014 

The president has refused to accept the resignation tendered by Sri Lankan high commissioner in the UK Dr. Chris Nonis after he was assaulted in New York by external affairs ministry supervising MP, president’s confidential financial advisor, Sajin Vaas Gunawardena aka 'baggage boy,’ say presidential secretariat sources.

The president has especially sent his chief of staff Gamini Senarath to London to settle the matter through discussion with Nonis. Senarath has abandoned a private visit to France and gone to London at the president’s request.

Nonis is known to get into trouble because of his garrulous nature. Sajin Vaas had got angry after he overheard the HC referring to external affairs ministry secretary Kshenuka Seneviratne as ‘bloody bitch,’ and slapped him. Immediately, Nonis has left for London and sent his resignation to the president.

The president’s media unit had told all weekend newspapers not to carry anything about this incident. That is why no newspaper yesterday (28) had reported it. The president last month gave a service extension to Nonis until August next year. Referring to that, Sajin Vaas has told senior officials of the ministry, “Chris was given the extension because the election was coming near. After the election, I will expel him.” At the time he assaulted Nonis, he was under the influence of liquor. Unconfirmed reports say the president has slapped Sajin Vaas upon hearing the incident.

High Commissioner Nonis Quits After Assault By Sajin Vaas

September 29, 2014

Sri Lanka High Commissioner in United Kingdom, Chris Nonis has resigned after he was assaulted mercilessly by Sajin Vass Gunawardena, the Monitoring MP for the Ministry of External Affairs at a house in New York.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who returned to Colombo from New York, after attending the UN has ordered the state and private media to blackout the news and not report anything on this matter. He personally spoke to everyone concerned.

The incident took place at the house of Dilan Ariyawansa, who is now Director of Sri Lankan Airlines in New York. He has thrown a dinner for many members of Rajapaksa’s team taking part in UN General Assembly. Ariyawansa was originally sent to New York as an employee-manager of Sri Lanka Travel Inc. in 2000 by Lalith Kotelawala and was involved in many controversies.

One of the persons who took part in the dinner told the Colombo Telegraph that among those who took part in the dinner were Nonis, Foreign Secretary Kshenuka Seneviratne and Sajin Vass Gunawardena.

In a highly intoxicated state, Gunawardena MP has got involved in an argument with Nonis. He called him a “bloody pariah” and accused him of using the words “fucking bitch on Kshenuka Seneviratne.” He has raised his hands and given Nonis a thundering slap forcing him to fall on the ground. Thereafter, Gunawardena has continued to kick High Commissioner Nonis. His toe was hurt because of this and he was walking with a bandage.

Nonis did not sit for the string hopper, chicken curry and seeni sambol dinner. He drew to the five star New York Hotel Rajapaksa stayed and gave his resignation. The next morning he took a flight from New York to London.

Nonis complained to a member of the Sri Lanka delegation Rajapaksa will not take any action against Gunawardena. He had revealed Rajapaksa told him I will deal with the fellow but nothing will happen, he said.

VIDEO: Woman attacked by police officer at Ratnapura reveals all

September 29, 2014
The woman who was assaulted by a police officer in the Ratnapura town recently, claims that the suspect had carried out the brutal attack due to her refusing his indecent proposal.

Speaking to Ada Derana in an exclusive interview, the victim, a resident of Kanadola in Ratnapura, said that the Police Sergeant had asked her come with him to an inappropriate location on several occasions and that when she had refused for the third time or so he plotted to extract revenge from her. 

She said that the police officer had instructed a woman named ‘Ganga’ to start an argument with her. During the argument, Ganga had allegedly called out to the police officer and asked him to hit the victim. 

He immediately came there and assaulted me with a wire while spouting filth at me and then kicked me while I was on the ground, the woman said.

Police Sergeant, P.P. Thissera, who was caught on camera assaulting the woman was interdicted by the police department today.

The video of the incident, captured by a witness using a mobile phone, had gone viral on social media websites recently, prompting criticism on the Sri Lankan police department.

The video shows the police officer verbally abusing and repeatedly assaulting a woman with a baton-like object on the streets in broad daylight.

She stated that the incident took place around 8 days back near the Ratnapura bus stand and that she had visited the police station to lodge a complaint. 

However, I turned back because the HQI was absent and did not think of pursuing further action, she said.

Police spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana, when contacted by Ada Derana, stated that further investigations are being carried out regarding the incident and that a special police team has been assigned to track down the victim, who is no longer in the area. 

He stated that the police intend to find the woman in order to record a statement. The spokesman said that they have already started obtaining statements from eye witnesses.  

Video: Ratnapura assault video cannot be trusted

MONDAY, 29 SEPTEMBER 2014

An incident where a police officer brutally assaulting a girl opposite Ratnapura bus stand has been videoed by an unknown person and had been released it to the internet while the media too has revealed information regarding the incident.

The police spokesman remarking on the video says the video clip cannot be trusted as 100% genuine as such video clips have been released to the internet and an investigation has to be carried out regarding it.

Such statements by responsible officials despite having provable evidence is pathetic say sources in the legal sector adding there have been police atrocities throughout the past. They point out even when there is evidence of police assault and inhuman behavior at campaigns by masses to win their rights no action has been taken.

They point out arbitrary behavior by police officers and taking law into their hands has escalated under the present government.

Jayalalithaa's trusted aide Panneerselvam sworn as Tamil Nadu's new chief minister 
Described as "Mr Faithful", Panneerselvam belongs to the dominant Mudukulathor community and is a trusted lieutenant of Jayalalithaa.







By V Prem Shanker-29 Sep, 2014
CHENNAI: When J Jayalalithaa's tried and trusted political lieutenant O Panneerselvamtakes oath as Tamil Nadu chief minister on Monday, he has his first task cut out: to "move heaven and earth" to secure bail for his party supremo currently lodged in a Bangalore prison after being convicted in a disproportionate assets case. 

Party sources told ET that their legal team was doing everything possible to get the Chief Justice of the Karnataka high court to convene a special bench to hear Jayalalithaa's bail petition in HC on Monday or Tuesday. Noted lawyer and former Union law minister Ram Jethmalani is likely to appear on behalf of Jaya in HC. As an immediate relief, Jaya will first seek bail which will be followed by an appeal against the judgment. 

In Chennai, a team of glumfaced MLAs — a few even wailing — signed on the dotted line at a meeting in the party HQ on Sunday evening electing finance m i n i s t e r Panneerselvam as the legislative party leader. 

AIADMK sources said the swearing in will be a sombre affair. "The effort will be to finish off the ceremony as soon as possible to send a strong message to the cadres that Panneerselvam is just a substitute till Amma returns," a party functionary told ET. 

This would be the second time that Panneerselvam gets sworn in as the CM. Jaya had handed over the responsibility to him in 2001 following her conviction in the TANSI land case. Back home in Periyakulam, Theni district, where Panneerselvam grew up, stories of his humility and valour began doing the rounds all over again. Damodaran, a classmate and close friend of Panneerselvam, said: "He has remained humble and loyal all his life to the party and its leader." Damodaran is the local leader of an MGR Forum attached to AIADMK in Periayakulam. 

"Panneerselvam has always risen to the occasion. When a local tank had breached, Panneerselvam as a young lad had then led a team with all of us to plug the breach. Even a couple of months ago when he witnessed a road accident on the highway between Trichy and Chennai, OP took the victim in his car and got her admitted at the hospital," Damodaran added. 

Panneerselvam's father Ottakara Thevar was a farmer and ran a tea shop in Pariyakulam town in Theni district. OP completed his schooling and graduation in Periayakulam and while helping out his father in the Tea shop, he was actively involved in political work. He started small as the party's ward councillor and went on to become Periyakulam Municipality Chairman. He grew through the ranks and became MLA for Pe r i yakulam Constituency in 2001. His fortunes looked up when he came to the attention of TTV Dinakaran, nephew of Jaya's close aide Sasikala. 

In 2001, when Jayalalithaa had to step down over a corruption case, she had appointed Panneerselvam as her stand-in. He was "shell-shocked" over the announcement. But his work as a substitute in running a proxy government has clearly impressed the party chief enough to give him a second opportunity now.

சொத்துக் குவிப்பு வழக்கின் தீர்ப்பு ஜெயலலிதாவின் அரசியல் எதிர்காலத்தை பாதிக்காது: சோ கருத்து

By Venkatesan -28 September 2014

முதல்வர் ஜெயலலிதாவுக்கு அளிக்கப்பட்ட தீர்ப்பால் அவரது அரசியல் எதிர்காலத்தை பாதிக்காது என்று எழுத்தாளார் சோ தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

இதுகுறித்து அவர் மேலும் கூறியதாவது:

சொத்துக் குவிப்பு வழக்கில் ஜெயலலிதாவுக்கு 4 வருட சிறை தண்டனை விதிக்கப்பட்டதால் அது அவரது அரசியல் எதிர்காலத்தை பாதித்துள்ளதாக பரவலான கருத்து வெளியாகி உள்ளது. ஆனால் ஜெயலலிதா இந்த சோதனைகளிலிருந்து மீண்டு வருவார் என்று கூறினார்.

ஜெயலலிதாவுக்கு அளிக்கப்பட்டிருக்கும் 4 வருட சிறை தண்டனை உண்மையில் அவருக்கு பெரும் பின்னடைவுதான். இதற்காக அவரை அரசியலில் இருந்து முழுமையாக ஒதுக்கிவிட முடியாது.

ஜெயலலிதாவின் அரசியல் வாழ்க்கை முடிந்துவிட்டதாக சிலர் எதையோ நினைத்து எண்ணிக் கொண்டிருக்கிறார்கள். அந்த சிக்கலில் இருந்து மீண்டுவர ஏராளமான சட்டவழிகள் உள்ளன. எனவே அவர் மீண்டு வருவார்.

மேலும் ஜெயலலிதாவுக்கு வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ள தண்டனையின் தன்மை தமிழக மக்களிடம் அவர்மீது பெரியளவில் அனுதாபத்தை ஏற்படுத்தி உள்ளதுதான் உண்மை. இதுவரை இப்படியொரு அனுதாபம் யாருக்கும் கிடைத்ததே இல்லை.

ஜெயலலிதாவுக்கு ஏற்பட்டுள்ள இந்த பின்னடைவு நிச்சயமாக அவருக்கு பாதிப்பு இல்லை. தமிழகத்துக்குத்தான் பாதிப்பை ஏற்படுத்தும். இது கடந்த திமுக ஆட்சியில் நடந்த அரசியல் நிகழ்வுகளை கருத்தில் கொண்டால் புரியும் என்று தெரிவித்தார்.

TN: 16 kill themselves over Jaya’s conviction

Police tight-lipped on suicides 

BY S VENKAT NARAYAN Our Special Correspondent-September 29, 2014, 

NEW DELHI, September 29: At least 16 persons are believed to have committed suicide either by setting themselves ablaze or by hanging across Tamil Nadu since Saturday, when ruling AIADMK supremo Jayaram Jayalalithaa was sentenced to a four-year jail term in a disproportionate assets case by a Special Court in Bangalore.

Jayalalithaa also ceased to be the state’s chief minister with immediate effect. She has been lodged in the Bangalore Central Jail since Saturday. Her loyal aide Pannerselvam was sworn in as chief minister on Monday.

Police said in Chennai that an AIADMK worker S. Venkatesan (65) had died in hospital after setting himself on fire; three others hanged themselves and another had jumped before a speeding bus.

Ten persons are believed to have suffered cardiac arrests, apparently unable to come to terms with the verdict, while one person died of shock, they said.

Those who allegedly committed suicide also included two Class XII students who set themselves ablaze in Tirupur.

Police were tight-lipped on the number of such incidents across the state and claimed that some could be due to personal problems.

Prosecutors call Karadzic 'driving force' behind Bosnian genocide

Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic appears in the courtroom for his appeals judgement at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague July 11, 2013.

BY THOMAS ESCRITT-Mon Sep 29, 2014

(Reuters) - War crimes prosecutors concluding their case against former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic on Monday called him the "driving force" in a genocidal campaign to rid Bosnia of its non-Serbian population.
Prosecutors Call Karadzic 'Driving Force' Behind Bosnian Genocide by Thavam

Islamic State group and Iraqi army clash near Baghdad

Islamic State group militants are said to be just one mile away from Baghdad - despite Iraqi ground forces holding them back in a key town near the city.

MONDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2014

The Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East said the group was now "less than 2km away from entering Baghdad".

Canon Andrew White, of Baghdad's St George's Church, the only Anglican church in Iraq, posted on his Facebook page: "Over a 1000 Iraqi troops were killed by them yesterday, things are so bad. As I said all the military air strikes are doing nothing. If ever we needed your prayer it is now."

But reports were emerging on Monday that Iraqi ground forces, backed by air strikes, appear to have halted the advance. The key town of Ameriyat al-Falluja was said to be calm, but there was a standoff along the main road to Falluja to the north.

'Al-Qaeda militants'

The news comes amid reports that a Syrian terror group linked to Al-Qaeda is considering an alliance with IS militants. Militant group al-Nusra warned that countries taking part in the US-led effort were engaging in a war against Islam, calling for jihadists to target those involved.

The head of the Nusra Front, Abu Mohamad al-Golani, in an audio message, said: "Your leaders will not be the only ones who would pay the price of the war. You will pay the heaviest price."

Meanwhile, US-led air strikes are said to have hit grain silos and other targets in IS-controlled territory in northern and eastern Syria overnight, killing civilians and wounding militants.

The aircraft may have mistaken the mills and grain storage areas in the northern Syrian town of Manbij for an Islamic State base, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

'British fighter jets'

Two British fighter jets on a mission to Iraq returned to an air base in Cyprus on Sunday four hours after take-off, but the details of their mission were not immediately clear nor whether the planes had carried out air strikes or surveillance.

The two Tornado fighter jets touched down at the British Royal Air Force's Akrotiri base in Cyprus at around 1500 GMT, where six British Tornado fighters have been stationed since August.

It is their second flight after their first mission over Iraq on Saturday, when the armed jets returned without carrying out any air strikes.

Meanwhile a young British man was arrested in Bangladesh on Monday on suspicion of recruiting would-be jihadists. Samiun Rahman, a resident of London, is said to have arrived in Bangladesh in February to recruit for both IS and the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.

 Obama: We underestimated ISIS

By Marisa Schultz and Bruce Golding-September 28, 2014 
America failed to recognize the threat posed by Islamic State terrorists and mistakenly relied on the hapless Iraqi army to combat them, President Obama admitted in an interview broadcast Sunday night.

In an about-face from earlier remarks that likened ISIS to a terrorist “JV team,” Obama told CBS’s “60 Minutes” that he agreed with National Intelligence Director James Clapper’s recent assessment that “we underestimated the Islamic State.”

“Jim Clapper has acknowledged that I think they underestimated . . . what had been taking place in Syria,” Obama said.

The president also called it “absolutely true” that the United States put too much faith in the Iraqi army, whose soldiers turned tail rather than wage war against ISIS fighters invading from Syria.
Militant Islamist fighters take part in a military parade along the streets of northern Raqqa province June 30, 2014.

Obama’s comments marked his bluntest acknowledgment that the United States bungled the initial response to ISIS, which American-led planes began bombing inside Syria this month.

Asked about the US carrying the weight of the anti-ISIS effort despite it being described as an international coalition, Obama said, “[T]hat’s always the case. America leads. We are the indispensable nation. We have capacity no one else has. Our military is the best in the history of the world.

“And when trouble comes up anywhere in the world, they don’t call Beijing. They don’t call Moscow. They call us,” the president said.

“That’s the deal … that’s how we roll. And that’s what makes this America.”

In a portion of the interview broadcast earlier Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Obama said ISIS has been “very savvy” in using social media to recruit believers in their “jihadist nonsense.”

He also noted that the bloodthirsty terrorist group includes “old remnants of Saddam Hussein’s military . . . which gave them some traditional military capacity and not just terrorist capacity. That’s why it’s so important for us to recognize part of our solution here is going to be military.”

Obama, whose interview was recorded Friday, also blamed the rift between Sunni and Shiite Muslims for “the biggest cause of conflict — not just in the Middle East, but in the world.”

Meanwhile, House Speaker John Boehner said he didn’t think that airstrikes alone can destroy ISIS, and that he’d recommend sending in American troops “if no one else will step up.”

“We have no choice,” the Republican told ABC’s “This Week.” “These are barbarians. They intend to kill us. And if we don’t destroy them first, we’re gonna pay the price.”

Boehner also said he believed that Obama had the authority under post-Sept. 11, 2001, resolutions to order the airstrikes that began inside Syria on Sept. 22, while Congress was out of session.

Also Sunday, the American military said US-led planes attacked four ISIS mobile oil refineries and a command-and-control center in Syria early in the day.

The raids were part of a “near continuous” bombing campaign to stanch the flow of fuel money to ISIS.