A commendable comment that reflects undermined Sri Lankan mind

(March 17, Colombo - Lanka Polity)  Following comment was posted in The Hindu website:

This is good news. We need somebody to look at recent affairs in our country objectively.

Yes, as a Sinhalese Sri Lankan my culture, language, and a Sri Lankan philosophy of life are important to me. But we live in a global village (too bad the expression is so hackneyed) and I consider all these political notions of sovereignty to be quite meaningless.

The Rajapaksas are no longer "sons of the soil." Gotabaya is an American citizen. General Fonseka has a Green Card and his children are now American. I cannot really be more committed to Sri Lanka than I am. But I know that our culture is largely Indian; my family and I are brown Asians; but we are all part of the world which is dominated (for good or ill) by the species "homo sapiens".

I spent yesterday reading about Barack Obama and Manmohan Singh. When will a "non-Sinhala Buddhist" ever be the leader of my country? Even caste remains an important consideration, although it can be exploited only with great subtlety. President Premadasa cleverly used it in an inverted sort of way.

Yes, Mr Ban Ki-moon, we need your help.

from: Dayaratne

Posted on: Mar 17, 2010 at 11:41 IST

The comment is related to the following post in The Hindu website:

UN Chief to go ahead with proposal for panel on Sri lanka

B. MURALIDHAR REDDY

The United Nation’s Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that he is going ahead with his proposal for a panel of experts on Sri Lanka as part of an accountability process following the end of the civil war in island nation despite vehement objections from Colombo and defended it on the ground that the panel would not infringe on the country’s sovereignty.

A report posted on the UN News Centre web site quoted Mr. Ban Ki-Moon as telling reporters at his routine monthly news conference that the establishment of the panel is in line with a joint statement he issued with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his visit to the country last May.

Since the defeat of the LTTE, the government has been engaged in war of words with all those who have demanding a commission to investigate alleged human rights violations in the war and repeatedly pointed to the resolution by the Human Rights Commission lauding Sri Lanka on the issue.

After Mr. Rajapaksa personally spoke to Mr. Ban Ki-Moon describing the move on experts panel as 'uncalled for and unwarranted’, Sri Lanka had also reached out to several countries in a bid to stall the UN experts panel. Last week Chair of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement, Ambassador and Permanent Representative Maged A. Abdelaziz in his letter to Mr. Ban said: “The Non-Aligned Movement strongly condemns selective targeting of individual countries which it deems contrary to the Founding Principles of the Movement and the United Nations Charter.

In his latest interaction with the media at New York Mr. Ban Ki-Moon has been quoted as saying, “This joint statement contained a commitment related to ensuring an accountability process for addressing violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws,” he said in response to questions from reporters at his monthly press conference at UN Headquarters in New York.

“The panel I am establishing will advise me on the standards, benchmarks and parameters, based on international experience, that must guide any accountability process such as the one mentioned in the joint statement. Now this panel will report to me directly and not to another body.”

Mr. Ban said a recent letter on the subject he received from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) indicated “there is a misunderstanding on the nature and purpose” of the experts’ panel.

“I am convinced that it is well within my power as Secretary-General of the United Nations to ask such a body to furnish me with their advice of this nature. This does not in any way infringe on the sovereignty of Sri Lanka.”

Last week the UN chief voiced concern about the lack of progress on political reconciliation, the treatment of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the setting up of an accountability process since he reached the joint statement with Mr. Rajapaksa.

Earlier this month Mr. Ban had what he described as “a frank and honest exchange of views” by telephone with Mr. Rajapaksa. Since the ballot was held the runner-up candidate, General Sarath Fonseka, has been arrested and faces trial.

B. Lynn Pascoe, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, is slated to soon head to Sri Lanka for talks with senior officials in the Government.

Frustrated mother throws her baby to river while the politicians boast about per capita income in Sri Lanka

(March 16, Colombo - Lanka Polity)  While Sri Lanka government is boasting about the increase of per capita income over US $ 2000 per annum, a 30-year-old mother that says she was frustrated with her failure to feed her five children, threw the youngest to a river.

The magistrate court of Kaluthara yesterday directed the children of a suspected mother that attempted to drown her two years and eight month old son to be taken care of the Probation and Childcare Department. This mother said she had earlier attempted in vain to hand over this child to probation care. These officials that work less while withdrawing public money as salaries appear only after the horse bolted. No need to talk about the officials and the politicians that have the duty of monitoring these systems.

The murder suspect is a 30 year old woman and she was arrested and remanded. Police says that she has given a statement that she threw the child to the river after failing to abandon him near Kaluthara Bodhiya sacred shrine. The suspect is a single mother of five children that lived in a village for tsunami victims in Panadura and made living out of selling lottery tickets. She told to police that her husband abandoned her and she faced utmost difficulties in taking care of the five children. An enormous amount of tsunami aids were swindled by fraudulent elements of various social stratas while the women like this one did not see a better future.

She attempted to abandon the youngest child at Kaluthara Bodhiya sacred shrine. But the child came after her and she then fed him with some rice that she begged for the boy and herself. She was walking with the child along the rail bridge as the child fell asleep. Suddenly, this unfortunate women had a mind to throw the child into water, according to police reports.

The place she got the cruel mind to throw her baby to water is a Buddhist shrine that earns massive amounts of money from the passerby motorists. It is a time the politicians are spending millions of rupees that can fed hundreds of thousands of children like this, for election propaganda campaigns.

The child was rescued by several youth and he is now in Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital in critical condition.

The remaining boy child and the three girl children of the ill-fated were handed over to separate children’s homes with a condition of allowing them to unite once a week.

Meanwhile, the child that was saved by people whilst he was floating in the river was still in critical condition in Colombo Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital and doctors did not predict positively regarding his life. The child had not been given proper first aid since the rescuers were not trained in them, said the hospital sources.

The rescuing incident was video recorded by a volunteer and it was aired by a private TV channel.

Latest Sri Lanka Parliament Joke; two new MPs for two days

Ranjan in a scene from movie Parliament Jokes

(March 11, Colombo - Lanka Polity)  There is no end to the 'Parliament(ary) Jokes' in Sri Lanka. (Parliament Jokes is a comic movie created by Ranjan Ramanayaka who is now contesting in the 2010 general election seeking an integral place in this joke.)
In the latest episode, two candidates of the 2004 general election nominations of the Sri Lanka’s major opposition United National Party are likely to take oaths as Members of Parliament as the parliament meets on April 06 for the extension of emergency for another month, the sole purpose of this so called highest echelon of democracy for the fourth consecutive month.

These candidates are Anura Gopallawa and D.M. Bandaranayake who were next in line of the preferential votes list after Minister Johnston Fernando and Minister Indika Bandaranayaka can take oath as MPs when Parliament meets next time on April 6.

Johnston Fernando contested the 2004 general election from the Kurunegala district and got elected to Parliament with over 100,000 preferential votes. He came second in the list next to former MP Gamini Jayawickrama Perera. Indika Bandaranaike was also elected as an MP in 2004 from the same district. Both these MPs crossed over to the government recently and they were sacked by the UNP. They had filed fundamental rights petitions against the party decision but withdrew them after the parliament was dissolved.

What fool would imagine that a parliament that was dissolved right at the end of its term would be re-convened. The two Ministers were thrifty not to pay more money to black coats to safeguard a seat that had already gone. But, anything can happen in this land where politicians are like cricketers that play the ball they are delivered by the bowler. No wonder, Sanath Jayasuriya entering politics. Politics too is a ball by ball play in Sri Lanka. No plan at all. But, fortunately or rather unfortunately, we have the executive presidency that the creator of this menace J.R. Jayawardhana correctly defined as one that has all powers sans that of transforming a man into a woman or wise versa.

MPs Johnston and Indika were not allowed to attend the parliamentary meeting held on March 09 since they had lost the MP posts. It is yet to be made clear how they act as Ministers without being parliamentarians.

In the last Parliament, over 40 members elected on the UNP ticket teamed up with the ruling UPFA and held different portfolios. When the UNP expelled them from the party, they went to court and sought legal redress to retain their positions as MPs. None of them sans Johnston Fernando and Indika Bandaranayaka lost their MP posts.

The new MPs will hold the posts just for two days if they take oaths on April 06. However, they will withdraw a handsome salary well over Rs. 50,000 with fuel, transport and telephone allowances that worth another Rs. 50,000. They will be paid from public coffers for the sole sitting they attend too.

I am not sure if this is a matter to laugh wildly or cry loudly.

Sri Lanka MPs' salary sacrifices and other stories

(March 10, Colombo - Lanka Polity)  Sri Lanka Minister of Labor Dr. Mervin Silva proposed the parliamentarians on March 08 not to withdraw this month’s salary because the parliament met only for one sitting this month.

The MPs are to get paid the full salary including all other perks such as fuel and mobile phone allowance and MSD security for the month of March and April for a few hours of job which was to participate in the emergency debate in Parliament. An MP draws Rs. 54,285 as the fixed salary with a fuel allowance of Rs. 30,000, Transport Allowance of Rs. 10,000, and Entertainment Allowance of Rs. 1,000 and hand phone allowance of Rs. 2,000 a month in addition to Rs, 500 for every parliamentary session.

Minister Mervin Silva seems forgotten the fact that the parliament met only for one sittings in January and February as well. Will Minister Mervin Silva pay back what he withdrew in these months?

He made this proposal during the debate for the extension of emergency regulations declaring he would not withdraw his salary this month since the parliament met for only one sitting this month. He asked all MPs to sacrifice their monthly salary to the nation in order to strengthen the President’s hands in developing the country.

The President dissolved the parliament on February 08 and called for elections. The elections are to be held on April 08. But later the parliament was reconvened to approve the proclamation signed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on March 1 extending the emergency state for another month.

The parliament is to meet again on April 06 two days ahead of the general election with the same purpose. For four consecutive months, the parliament of Sri Lanka is meeting with the sole purpose of extending the emergency state. What a ridicule to a parliamentary democracy!

The response of the MPs to Mervin Silva's proposal was not available immediately.

However, the Sri Lankan public are likely to lose this wonderful Minister in the next parliament that meets on April 22. Mervyn Silva yesterday vowed in Parliament that he would not attend the sessions of the next Parliament if at least a single member is elected to Parliament from the ‘Trophy’ symbol at the upcoming general election.

Responding to a statement made by JVP MP Sunil Handunetthi, Minister Silva said that none of the candidates contesting under the ‘Trophy’ symbol would be elected to the next Parliament.

If Minister Silva will not attend the parliament for three consecutive months, he will be considered vacated the post. He has not declared if he will not withdraw the salaries of these three months.

We beg Dr. Mervin Silva to change his mind. Please sir, your stay is a must. Parliament is a place that provides jokes as well to this marvelous polity.

JVP coming to consciousness after the horse bolted from the stable

(March 10, Colombo - Lanka Polity) At the right end of the history of People's Liberation Front's (JVP's) golden era of parliamentary politics, the leftist nationalist party has eventually decided to vote against the draconian emergency regulations.

Since 2004, and even since long before that, the JVP parliamentarians did not vote against the emergency regulations. Until recent times, they just abstained voting lacking guts to vote against. The draconian emergency regulations grant sweeping powers to the police and security forces of Sri Lanka to arrest and detain people that rise against the system. The victims were Tamils first but now the JVP is also paying heavily. This year, the government sealed a newspaper office of the JVP and detained an editor. After all the JVP is a movement against the present system although they have their own limitations what they call as their uniqueness.

Until the demise of the Tamil rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE), JVP's political strategy was tuned to be against the Tigers on an ethnic chauvinist basis that was forwarded to masses in the guise of pseudo-Leninism. Ever since the military annihilation of the Tiger movement by the government, the JVP has lost balance or imbalance rather. 

However, the party is shifting towards a policy change and that should be commended. JVP was always swaying like a pendulum between left and right. After been in ultra right for many years, it is the turn to be in left after April 08 elections. 

Comrades, welcome to reality!

Police to save Sri Lanka President's family goodwill; no police can protect your good name but yourself sir

(March 05, Colombo - Lanka Polity)  Media reports say that a special police team of investigation has been appointed to probe the complaints received by the police headquarters regarding several organized unscrupulous groups that are engaged in frauds covering to the good names of the members of the ruling Rajapaksa family.

According to reports, these groups have used the names of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakasa and the Chairman of the Tomorrow for Youth Namal Rajapaksa and police have begun investigation since yesterday. Basil Rajapaksa's name was not in reports.

This unit is under the direct supervision of the Deputy Inspector General of Police Mahinda Balasuriya, under monitoring of Senior Deputy Inspector General N.K. Ilangakoon and it is administered by the Deputy Inspector General in charge of crime and organized crime Anura Senanayaka.

Police headquarters says that has received a complaint regarding a shocking incident of a person appearing a close associate of the President’s son Namal Rajapaksa molesting a young woman in addition to swindling Rs. 4.5 million promising to purchase a motor vehicle tax free.

Police says that this organized group has cheated money from people promising employment, land deals etc. using the goodwill of the President and his immediate family.

This special police unit has roused criticism of the opposition since it is assigned to protect the good name of one family. But the serious issue is not that. Why did this family, that claims to have made history in Sri Lanka need special police to protect their good name?

Rajapaksas have to think seriously about why this happened. No police can protect what they can do for themselves.

Examination phobia of Sri Lankan teachers and students

(March 03, Colombo - Lanka Polity)  Examination phobia of some sections of the students training to be qualified as the teachers have caused a massive damage to the public coffers of Sri Lanka. Examination Commissioner of Sri Lanka Anura Edirisinghe says that additional Rs. 12 million was needed to hold the postponed examinations of the Colleges of Educations.

Around 3000 would be teachers studying in 17 Colleges of Education are to sit for this examination and Edirisinghe pointed out that Rs. 18 million was spent for the final examinations of the Colleges of Education last year.

Sources said that the store of examination papers was not given additional security except the regular watchmen available for job.

Sri Lanka police arrested 33 students of Uva College of Education in suspicion of the theft of examination papers. The Examination Commissioner guaranteed tough legal action against the culprits.

The Department of Examination had to postpone the final examinations of all the Colleges of Education that were to be held since yesterday. An unknown person or a group stole one examination paper each from all sets of question papers that were stored in Uva College of Education in Bandarawela. The arrested students were residing in the hostel of the College.

Meanwhile, reports say that pilfering of examination papers has taken place in Polgolla College of Education in Kandy. However, no arrest has been made yet. Sources say that the students have broken open the sealed question paper packets, taken them out and photocopied them before returning them to the packets.

This incident should be focussed to identify the competitiveness of Sri Lanka's educational and examination system. Examinations have become a severe burden to education.

Must testing be a fear factor of education? Definitely not.

We have to think if such happened in Sri Lanka. How can we solve this problem?

Colleges of Education final examination is not a competitive examination like Advanced Levels. These students have less fears about the future since they are guaranteed government teacher positions once they are passed out of the colleges.

Informed sources say that various kinds of examination frauds are wide spread among the teacher trainees that are studying for professional qualifications. These teachers might be definite the distributors of examination phobia among the students.