Sri Lankan Minister seeks UN permanent investigative commission to look into human rights violations of US

(September 25, Colombo - Lanka Polity) National Heritage Party (JHU), a Sinhala Buddhist ethno-religious party in coalition with Sri Lanka's ruling alliance is going to commence a petition campaign against US.

The JHU expects to collect a million signatures since next month denying breach of human rights since the inception of US and urging for UN permanent investigative commission to look into them, said ruling alliance Minister of Agriculture, Agrarian Development, Irrigation, Livestock Production and Development, Trade and Environment in Western Provincial Council at a press conference held in Colombo yesterday.

JHU move is considered an effort to counter the international pressure to investigate the human rights violations in the last leg of the war against the Tamil Tigers.

Sinhala Buddhist nationalist JHU is a party that handles the ideological stand of Sri Lanka government. It vehemently opposed the peace process and mobilized forces to militarily defeat the Tamil separatism in the north and eastern parts of the island.

Restructuring of Sri Lanka's internal defence; new security forces headquarters in south

(September 25, Colombo - Lanka Polity) As another step of restructuring and strengthening the internal defence of Sri Lanka, the state has taken steps to set up new headquarters of security forces that are in the process of southern areas of the island.

The new headquarters set up in Panagoda military complex will coordinate the security of the areas other than the Northern and Eastern Provinces. These areas are dominated by ethnic Sinhala majority of the country and they are relatively free of revolts.

"This new security forces headquarters commands 11 Division in Panagoda, 112 Brigade in Polhengoda, four Area Headquarters in Kandy, Hambantota, Galle and Diyatalawa, two Sub Area Headquarters in Ratnapura and Kurunegala and Operation Command Colombo (OCC) covering the largest area of the country with approximately 77% of the country’s total population," says Army.

Sri Lanka Defense Ministry has already set up security forces headquarters in Jaffna, Vanni and East. Following defeating the Tamil Tigers two new headquarters of the security forces have been set up in Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu, former nerve centers of the rebels. Five of the six security forces headquarters are situated in Tamil dominated areas.  Tamils account to 12.7 percent of the country's population.

Corrupt ex-secretary of Finance Ministry of Sri Lanka granted permission by Supreme Court to re-enter public service

(September 24, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Supreme Court of Sri Lanka granted today the ex-secretary of the Finance Ministry Dr. P.B. Jayasundara to revoke an affidavit he submitted promising not assume any state office in future.

Seven-member bench of Supreme Court chaired by Chief Justice Asoka De Silva and comprised of judges Dr. Shiranee Bandaranayake, Saleem Marsoof, Jagath Balapatabendi , K. Sripavan and A. Ratnayake ruled to invalidate the affidavit filed by Jayasundara only Dr. Shiranee Bandaranayake dissenting the judgment.

Supreme Court previously found Dr. Jayasundara guilty of committing damage to the state through his acts in a deal to sell a state land belonged to Ports Authority to John Keells Holdings. Jayasundara was fined Rs. 500,000 for his offense and the former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva directed to submit the aforesaid affidavit.

Jayasundara said in a motion filed in Supreme Court that he was asked by the President Mahinda Rajapakse to assume the post of the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and the affidavit he submitted under influence was an obstacle to proceed.

Jayasundara is a close associate of President Mahinda Rajapakse. The fundamental rights petition in which Jayasundara was found guilty was filed by veteran leftist Vasudeva Nanayakkara who is also a close associate of the President and a President's adviser too.

Israel will learn a good lesson if it attacks Iran, says state-owned newspaper of Sri Lanka

(September 24, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Israel will learn a good lesson if it attacks Iran, says the editorial of Sri Lanka's state-owned Sinhala daily Dinamina newspaper.

The newspaper that propagates the foreign policy of Sri Lanka charged that the recent statements of Israel officials to attack Iran is the voice of US.

Pointing out that the President of Iran will never surrender to US, the editorial says that both Israel as well as US must understand that the world forcing are uniting to respond the malicious attitudes of US.

The editorial also explains that US economy is run with money borrowed from China and Israel depends on aids of US. This paradigm will change if Israel is attacked, says The Dinamina.

Rabies among elephants in Sri Lanka

(September 24, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Veterinary doctors of Sri Lanka have identified two elephants that were infected by rabies. This is the first time the decease was identified among elephants, said Sri Lanka's virology research institute chief Ochala Wimalaratna addressing a seminar held yesterday.

The infected elephants are tamed ones that live in Colombo municipal limits, she said.

Sri Lanka is among the ten leading countries in the world that report highest death rates from human rabies and animal bites requiring post-exposure treatment. Dogs are the main reservoir and transmitters of rabies in Sri Lanka.

Each year a total of about 75 human deaths are reported on the island, according to WHO reports. 

Ex-official challenges former Chief Justices judgment in Sri Lanka

(September 24, Colombo - Lanka Polity) A seven member bench of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka is to consider a motion by the former Secretary to the Ministry of Finance appealing to revoke an affidavit filed by him promising not to assume any government post in future.

P.B. Jayasyndara, former Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, was ordered by the former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva to submit the aforesaid affidavit as he was found linked to illegal privatization of public property.

Jayasundara now states that the President Mahinda Rajapakse has invited him to assume the post of the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and the affidavit he submitted unwillingly under pressure is a obstacle to it. 

Many of the controversial judgments delivered by the ex-Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva is legally challenged now.

No liquor policy of Sri Lanka increases state revenue

(September 24, Colombo - Lanka Polity) "Fullstop to alcohols," a policy of the President of Sri Lanka, has opened new revenues to the cash-strapped government, according to the police chief of the state.

Inspector General of Police Jayantha Wickramaratna says that the police conducted 17639 raids within the last two years and the fines imposed to the culprits were well over US $ 260,000.

Sri Lanka state imposes over 100% excise on all kinds of alcohol. However, home-brewed illegal spirits can be purchased from all nooks and corners of the island despite regular raids of the police and excise officials.