Time to vote for the truth

By Dr. Wickramabahu Karunarathna -

The local “bourgeois democracy” including Lakthilaka, Victor Ivan and the rump of platform for freedom has decided to save democracy by getting General Sarath Fonseka elected. They have made a pandemonium in educated circles about the prime need to get rid of corruption; and hence pressed the point that the removal of executive presidency is the prime task today, for the Lankan masses. Discussions, seminars, and debates started in practically all the media where they have a say. It was a calculated attempt to push the campaign for devolution and discussion on the Tamil national problem, to the backyard. Sarath has been educated by these gentlemen, to stick to the subject of executive presidency and the corruption flowing from it. It is like going back to the days of autocratic monarchy where democracy had to work in secret societies and whispering messages. But the setback in the armed struggle has not removed the burning interest of the Tamil people for freedom. It is still the most damning attack on the corrupt and unjust regime. If the struggle against executive presidency is an important aspect of the campaign for democracy, then the fight for devolution and autonomy is thousand times more important. What does Sarath Fonseka has to say on that subject? He has said the13th amendment is now obsolete and in consequence he has made the topic of devolution itself obsolete.

Gangrene developing

Just because a tough general has ignored the pressing problem of the Tamil nationality, it cannot disappear like mist. Somebody reminded of the words of the late C.J. Chelvanayakam: “When asked by a journalist [Walter Schwarz of the Guardian] how the TULF would achieve its goal, Chelvanayakam replied prophetically: ‘We would make such a nuisance of ourselves that they [the Sinhalese] would throw us out.’ The trouble with these gentlemen of democracy is that they do not realize that the Tamil national problem is not an isolated problem of the Tamils but a gangrene developing in Lankan society eating into the Sinhalese as well. It will be stupid to campaign for release from the executive presidency and for a new constitution for that purpose, without the necessary item of devolution of power being given to the Tamil nationality. Whether it is in a constituent assembly or the Parliament, the Tamils and consistent democrats will vote only for a new constitution with a devolution acceptable to the Tamil people and the other minority communities.

Devolution itself is a mechanism to arrest the power of the executive presidency. Even the 13th amendment reduced the power of the president in several aspects. In the first place, the president cannot dissolve the provincial councils nor could he remove an elected chief minister. The executive president who could remove any cabinet minister or even the prime minister was humbled by the 13th amendment; at least to some extent. If we give more powers to the provincial councils, particularly in relation to the police, judiciary, land and finance, then to that extent the power at the centre will be reduced. This will be so, whether the power at the centre is in the hands of an executive president or the cabinet of ministers. Why are these gentlemen of democracy, eager to neglect the pressing problem of democracy, namely the national problem, and concentrate only on the executive presidency? Clearly they do not want to take the bull by the horns; Mahinda could be pardoned for his attack on democracy made by his chauvinist war against the Tamil people.The plain truth is, that this war has brought misery and barbarism to all the people of Lanka. Obviously, the general who brags about his heroism in the battle against a rag tag army of the Tamil youth cannot condemn the war. General Fonseka cannot raise a finger against Mahinda and say “you are a war mongering corrupt dictator”. Because both of them are responsible for the hell-hole that we are in today. On the other hand, Mahinda has shown his fraudulent nature, by accepting the 10 points programme of Douglas Devananda that includes autonomy for a Tamil homeland and the right of self-determination to the Tamil peole! It is very necessary to avoid both the fake and the fraud and to vote for the truth.

Indonesia slammed over Tamil death

(December 27, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Indonesian authorities have been accused of acting without compassion following the death of a Sri Lankan asylum seeker on Wednesday.

Friends have been barred from viewing George Jacob Samuel Christin's body in keeping with Tamil customs, while the repatriation has also been delayed without explanation.

The 29-year-old - one of almost 250 Tamils who have spent 11 weeks refusing to leave their boat moored off the Indonesian coast - died of a suspected stomach infection after allegedly being denied medical assistance.

Mr Christin was vomiting blood but was not taken to hospital for several hours, and was later released.

He was losing his vision and lapsing in and out of consciousness before eventually being returned to hospital, where he died, the group's spokesman Sanjeev "Alex" Kuhendrarajah said.

The Indonesian government was still refusing to co-operate, denying access to his body.

"What we expected was that at least Indonesia would act more humanely since (Mr Christin's death), but there have been many insensitive acts," he told AAP.

"We've requested several times to see his body, but they won't.

"They won't let us co-ordinate the funeral because they haven't told us when they will be releasing the body.

"They don't have any heart."

Mr Kuhendrarajah fears the Indonesian government is rapidly losing patience with the asylum seekers, evidenced by continued verbal threats and assaults, as well as increasing disregard for their welfare.

Two men taken to hospital with similar symptoms the day Mr Christin died were transported by taxi rather than by ambulance.

Asylum seekers have also been interrogated heavily by police and barred from completing visa applications, Mr Kuhendrarajah added.

Poor conditions aboard the boat meant it was only a matter of time before there was another serious health issue, he said.

The Refugee Action Coalition's Ian Rintoul, who has met with Indonesia's human rights commissioner to discuss the plight of the Tamil boatload, said the death was preventable.

He called on the Australian government to process the asylum seekers, adding it was responsible because it helped Indonesia originally intercept their boat.

© 2009 AAP

why didn't so much money bring prosperity to tsunami victims of Sri Lanka?

(December 27, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Transparency International of Sri Lanka says that out of 2.2 billion dollars received for relief of the victims of December 26, 2004 tsunami, 603.4 million dollars was spent on projects unrelated to the disaster whille another half a billion dollars was missing.
"There is no precise evidence to explain the missing sum of 471.9 million dollars," said the Transparency International statement issued in Colombo adding an "audit should be done by the government to explain the utilisation of the money received and the challenges faced," the group said.

The death of 31,000 people have become the birth of a new wealth for a bunch of swindlers not related to the victims.Both Sri Lankan public as well as the international philanthropers have a right to know how the aid money was spent as the nation marked the fifth anniversary of the tsunami.


An initial government audit in 2005 found that less than 13 percent of the aid had been spent, but there has been no formal examination since, Transparency International said. Many thousands of tsunami victims still live in temporary camps, IDP camps or half-built houses while the managers of the funds, the project managers and the politicians live in luxury houses.

In 2005,the Criminal Investigation Department sought permission from the courts to investigate the accounts alleging that there was a breach of trust concerning nearly 83 million Sri Lankan rupees (approx 820,000 US dollars).Sri Lankan media had alleged that money transfered by international donors to the Prime Minister's national relief fund was credited to the privately run "Helping Hambantota" fund. The lawyers of the Prime Minister told the Supreme Court that the Cabinet of Ministers were informed of the monies in ‘Helping Hambantota’ fund, which is monitored by Secretary to the PM, Lalith Weeratunga.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Sarath Silva (see photo) ordered Criminal Investigation Department to temporarily halt the investigation after considering a petition by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse.

The Prime Minister then is the President now and the Secretary to the PM is the Secretary to the President now. Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva retired and some of his court rulings have been challenged legally.
 

Withdrawal of Colombo sea high security zone praised by fisher community

(December 27, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Sri Lanka government has taken steps to withdraw the high security zone in Colombo sea that stretched from Wellawaththa from south of Colombo harbor to Pamunuwa in north. All Lanka Fisher Community Trade Union secrtary M. Vijendra says that the fisher community appreciates the government step that relieved them.

Thousands of small-scale fishermen had lost jobs due to this high security zone, Vijendra said. They included fresh water fishermen of Beira Lake of Colombo city. Now the fishermen can engage in the industry in shallow waters around Colombo harbor except near the two entrances of the harbor.

The sea around Colombo harbor is rich with food for fish and yields good harvest, fishermen say.

Sri Lanka's never-ending post-tsunami disaster

(December 26, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Five years ago, on December 26, world wept with tens of thousands of Sri Lankans as tsunami hit the island taking at least thirty thousand lives with the deadly wave. I lived in an area in the southwestern plains many miles away from the coast and the news of sea waves rushing overland did not rouse my enthusiasm as I had never heard of tsunami although I was entering into the fourth decade of my life.

Herath, a friend of mine came in a motorcycle with worried face since his mother was bound Galle in a train while rumors were spreading that a train had been toppled by sea waves. Later, in the evening, I, my wife Esha, Herath and one more friend went on two motorcycles to Paiyagala where our relations lived and we had no information on their fate since telephones were out of order. Their house was invisible in debris. Nihal, one of our relatives was pulling out a mud-soaked mosquito net from the wreckage. Luckily, none of them were hurt although the van they had just started to go for a wedding was found drifted away for hundreds of meters. Few people died in the villages around Paiyagala. But many of the other coastal villages were not so lucky.

Herath later discovered that his mother had reached her destination safely in the train that left earlier than the ill-fated one. However, he left with his video camera to capture the scenes of the disaster, many of what were later punished in the newspaper that we both were working.

While, I was returning home with my wife late in the evening, a night wedding party was underway close to my village and a band was playing 'baila' as the guests were dancing as if they had not heard the news. They had probably watched the TV but it was an auspicious day for weddings. After all Sri Lankans did not weep as much as the big and small philanthropists in other countries did. Sri Lankans transited to the post-tsunami period so lightly.

Even school kids of some countries sent their savings to Sri Lanka to help rebuild the lives of the victims of tsunami. Non-governmental organizations did all sorts of nonsense from buying sports utility vehicles to manage the post-tsunami operations to publishing thousands of copies of numerous reports that had no effect on the lives of the tsunami victims.

Media began to publish heart rending stories and Baby 81 is the best example of media fiascoes. (Photo above: Abilash's grief-stricken parents in hospital / Photos below: Abilash now and a music album that sold his name)

He was brought to the hospital by a villager who found him and, since he had no identification, was named after his hospital admission number: Baby 81.
After his injured parents got out of another hospital two days later and went to claim him, a media storm erupted, which eventually forced Abhilash's parents to go to the police and courts to get their son back.
They were even arrested when they tried to force their way into the hospital to get their son back and could only bring him home after the father supplied a DNA sample -- six weeks after the tsunami.
Subsequent accounts have pointed out the real story was blown far out of proportion -- there were no other couples trying to claim the child.
A TV crew filmed Baby 81 and the rushes were seen by a wire agency reporter. Whether it was a mistake in translation or some other kind of misunderstanding is unknown, but a report then ran that "nine desperate heartbroken women" were all claiming the child as their own.
But for Abhilash's father, Muruhappillai Jeyaraj, the unrelenting media hullabaloo over a vast misunderstanding has been a personal experience almost worse than the tsunami itseslf.
"I wish we all would have died in the tsunami," he told Reuters, holding Abhilash, 5, in his lap. "I would not have to tell this story again and again. Nobody will believe that there is no change in our lives."
ROCK ALBUM
Abhilash and his family were flown to the United States for a 13-day trip with an interview on NBC's Good Morning America not long after the tsunami. They were never paid for the appearance, Jeyaraj insists.
An American alternative rock band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club called their 2007 album Baby 81 and sold 14,000 copies in its first week.
What should have brought in help, only brought harm, said Jeyaraj, a barber by profession.
"Abhilash has become a dole for all the media, just to get his picture or visual and give publicity. But that publicity has been useless for him or us," Jeyaraj said.
People assumed he was getting rich off the publicity and began hounding him. He could not get local aid because charities believed he had been paid for the trip to New York. He moved the family from their village in Kalmunai to the city of Batticaloa, on Sri Lanka's east coast. (Reuter)

Politicians were also in the receiving end of the benefits in the post-tsunami period. Their associates, some are even not the victims of the tsunami disaster have received two, three houses and they have rented them now. Many actual victims of the disaster still live in half-built houses while thousands of people still languish in refugee camps in Colombo district. Any traveling along the Galle Road can see such camp in a state building in Blind and Deaf School Junction, Rathmalana in the city outskirts. A dirty two-story building that is near collapse stands shabbily with cloth lines everywhere and people gushing out of it like ants.

In 2005,the Criminal Investigation Department sought permission from the courts to investigate the accounts alleging that there was a breach of trust concerning nearly 83 million Sri Lankan rupees (approx 820,000 US dollars).Sri Lankan media had alleged that money sent by international donors to the Prime Minister's national relief fund was credited to the privately run "Helping Hambantota" fund. The lawyers of the Prime Minister told the Supreme Court that the Cabinet of Ministers were informed of the monies in ‘Helping Hambantota’ fund, which is monitored by Secretary to the PM, Lalith Weeratunga.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Sarath Silva (see photo) ordered Criminal Investigation Department to temporarily halt the investigation after considering a petition by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse.

The Prime Minister then is the President now and the Secretary to the PM is the Secretary to the President now. Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva retired and some of his court rulings have been challenged legally.

Even the populist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) and the People's Liberation Front (JVP) misappropriated the funds raised in the name of the tsunami disaster. Nobody knows what happened to the monies they collected world wide and island wide. Many of those from international donors to local businessmen who lavishly delivered promises to help the victims now remain silent after getting publicity for their philanthropic ideas that did not materialize.

Rajiva's letter and Sri Lanka's presidential

(December 25, Colombo - Lanka Polity) The reply of Wijesinghe has caused controversy in government circles as the Minister of Human Rights declined the responsibility of his secretary's letter at a press briefing held on December 23 .

The Minister said that Fonseka's statement put the armed forces in trouble. Wijesinghe had slipped out of the room when a journalist asked about the letter although he was there at the press conference.

'Patriotic brigade' mainly led by National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa was upset with the letter written by Rajiva Wijesinghe. The pro-Rajapaksa 'patriots' were elated with the trump passed by Fonseka to them to canvass for floating Sinhala votes. They whisper that Wijesinghe is under a contract of Sarath Fonseka and his letter benefited the retired General whose slip of the tongue put him in trouble in gaining majority Sinhala votes at the upcoming presidential.

However, political sources say that Rajapaksas themselves directed Rajiva Wijesinghe, a professor of English literature, to write this letter to save them from the war crime allegations.Anyway, Wijesinghe's response looked abrupt and unauthoritative since he had not consulted even his Minister. However, Rajapaksas have remained silent so far.

More Chinese aids flowing to Sri Lanka

Three framework agreements amounting to US$ 410 million were signed between Treasury Secretary Dr P.B. Jayasundera and China?s Vice Minister of Commerce Chen Jian Wednesday under which the Chinese Government will provide confessional funding for several projects in Sri Lanka, including the second international airport at Mattala.

The framework agreements were signed during a three day official visit to China undertaken by the Treasury Secretary.

An annual granting agreement was also signed with China?s Commerce Ministry to the value of US$ 7 million during this visit.

Dr Jayasundra apprised Vice Minister Chen Jian of the progress achieved by Government in the field of power.

He also apprised him on the progress achieved in the fields of ports and highways as well as new construction and development initiatives undertaken by the Government, particularly in the Northern and Eastern regions.

He briefed Chinese officials that it is the government?s intention to speed up reconstruction efforts, especially the construction of roads and rail roads, to link the North and South which would contribute to improving the living conditions and livelihoods of the people in those provinces.

The Vice minister of Commerce indicated further development assistance to improve the general living standards as well as to achieve a higher growth rate in Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan delegation also held discussions with China?s Finance (December 24, Colombo - Daily News) Ministry officials and assessed the progress of ongoing projects with Chinese Contractors.