Breakthrough of CCTV evolution of Sri Lanka

We are in an age of Closed-circuit TV or CCTV, yes, in Sri Lanka too. Big Brother is looking at you.

Last week saw a major breakthrough in CCTV evolution in Sri Lanka.

In one incident a Chicago type Rs. 7.5 million robbery was filmed in Hollywood style by CCTV camera. Sadly, the 55-year-old  victim passed away days after of a heart attack. The money he had withdrawn was to be used for his daughter's wedding.He was followed right from the bank and the story of the bank's CCTV camera is yet to be revealed.

The other incident was treacherous. A man contracted to kill another man whom he was indebted millions of rupees. They ate together and drove off to the trap laid by killers. The contracted killers took the victim away. The man who gave the contract drew the car off to desert it somewhere. Later he was posing as desperately looking for his friend. He was caught red-handed when a CCTV camera of a house near the roadside where he deserted the car showed him slip away after parking the car there.

Interestingly but essentially not unexpectedly, the contract killers have been the members of  security staff of a senior Deputy Inspector General.

He is one of us (A man on the roof top of the Welikada prison of Sri Lanka)

This man is on the roof top of the Welikada prison of Sri Lanka's capital Colombo since Wednesday. He is not visible to the Baseline Road which runs in front of the prison. I captured him from the second floor of Nagarodaya Hall where I am participating in a training.

He seems a convicted man who has something to say to the world. But only a few local media reported the story even though very carelessly without digging into find the man's voice. 

He is one of us. He has a story to tell. He wants the world listen to him. That's why he is on this roof top.

Read the full story in Sinhala

Sri Lanka government should produce evidence for disappeared journalist's existence in France

Sri Lanka government today announced that the journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda claimed to be disappeared lives in France.

The statement in this regard was made by a back bench MP Arundika Fernando but in the parliament, if it is not a place meant to lie. In an earlier occasion  present Chief Justice Mohan Pieris then the head of Government’s delegation to the UN Committee Against Torture claimed that Prageeth was living abroad. When Prageeth's wife challenged him to produce evidence he simply retracted his statement to the UN Committee Against Torture and said he was unaware where Prageeth is.

MP Arundika Fernando expressed this observation as he was addressing the debate on bill to amend the Press Council Act. The MP argued that the opposition is making false allegations that the government is suppressing media.

Journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda disappeared hours before the 2010 Presidential election which was held on January 26. He supported the Presidential campaign of former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka.

I have met him once and I have written about him in Sinhala.  He was a writer with passion and drew interesting cartoons which you can see here.

The government repeatedly claims that Prageeth lives. Then why can't it produce proof?

Thanks Lal Kantha!

A series of agitations against the increase of electricity tariff has been scheduled in Sri Lanka this month by three fronts.

It is remarkable the way the People's Liberation Front (JVP) is conducting their agitations. They launched a general strike as their first step on May 21, mass agitation in Colombo on May23 and now they have come to cities. The next stage may be the work place or village level. A complete new strategy and it clearly appears a way of killing or ebbing a mass discontent in a way no damage is occurred to the system.

JVP has planned to hold a series of agitations against the increase of electricity tariff on June 05 at several places of the island. JVP says that protest marches, demonstrations and petition signing campaigns will cover all the districts.

Most of the agitations are scheduled to be held at 4 o' clock in the evening and a few are to be held later in the evening. The venues of the agitations are Nugegoda, Avissawella, Gampaha, Kaluthara, Anuradhapura, Mawathagama, Galgamuwa, Alawwa, Galle, Rathnapura, Pelmadulla, Kandy, Hatton, Chilaw, Bibila, Wellawaya, Ampara and Kaduruwela.

Meanwhile, the major opposition United National Party (UNP) has also planned to re-commence the agitations against the electricity tariff hike since June 13. The UNP agitation will be held at the Kandy city. The trade union coalition against the increase of electricity bill has also scheduled to hold three mass agitations in Kandy on June 06, on June 11 at Galle and on June 16 at Anuradhapura.

Probably, this will be the end of the road. The people have now received the electricity bill and they have clearly understood that mo relief will come their way. They did not participate in the premature general strike and they have lost the trust on the so called leaders of the masses if they still had any.

They will work harder to pay the bills and to lead the unavoidable miserable lives ahead of them.  

The agitations will have some really, really good photos at which the government will glance with their tongues in cheek. Thanks Lal Kantha!

Bodu Bala Sena's Associations with Little, Little Smiles

(by Ajith Parakum Jayasinghe) On March 09, 2013, Defence Secretary of Sri Lanka, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa inaugurated ‘Meth Sevana,’ the Cultural and Training Centre of Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), in Pilana, Wanchawala in Galle.

The Head of Meth Sevana, Ven. Embilipitiye Vijitha Thero said that training programmes for bhikkus and laymen will be held at the Center. It was introduced as a leadership training institute as well. BBS announced that this academy would be developed into a full-fledged Buddhist University in the future.

The latest news which was partially reported in Lankadeepa website on May 29 said that Galle Additional Magistrate Gunendra Munasinghe had ordered BBS to evacuate the Meth Sevana Center in Galle.

The order was issued after hearing a petition by Batagoda Gamage Asanka Amarasiri. BBS secretary Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero, Embilipitiye Vijitha Thero, Vitharandeniye Nanda Thero and the Little Smiles Association, an NGO, were the defendants of the petition. 

The petitioner stated that the BBS forcibly occupied a three acre land belonged to him since December 16, 2012. He has filed the case against BBS on February 14, 2013 after complaints in police did not lead to solving the problem.. 

We were curious to know what this Little Smiles Association.

On 17 February 2002, the Little Smile Association was recognized as a non-profit NGO by the Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The head office of the Association is established at Little Smile Village, Lower Ampitithanna Estate, Koslanda in Wellawaya.

The Association's objects and motives are given as follows:

The motive of the establishment of this social organisation is to work for the welfare and well being of the children and women with children who become orphans, helpless and deserted in the world due to various reasons.

Therefore this Association, as a social welfare organisation in Sri Lanka shall adopt various programmes and projects in Sri Lanka as well as over-seas, and execute and give effect to such programmes and projects.

• Organisation and execution of various projects for the welfare of the orphans and deserted and helpless children and woman who are victimised due to various reasons in the world.
• Establishment and execution of various programmes and projects for the welfare and well being of the children who have become orphans in Sri Lanka.
• Operation of various programmes and projects for the welfare and well-being of the women having children and who have been deserted in Sri Lanka due to various reasons.
• Assisting and giving support to social welfare organisations already operating in Sri Lanka.
• Establishment and maintenance of orphanages and Childrens' homes, and also homes for the deserted and helpless woman with children in Sri Lanka.
• Establishment and operation of institutions and operations owned by LSA and from which all profits are used solely for financing the projects and goals mentioned here under points a) through e).
• For the orphans and deserted woman, the operation of following programmes:


• Making avenues to receive English education.
• Providing computer training.
• Providing vocational training.
• Operating a guardianship programme for the orphans.
• Collaboration with other social organizations worldwide and with the government of Sri Lanka.
• Involvement and intervention in affairs which promote the success of the above-mentioned activities.

The head of the Little Smiles Association is  Michael Kreitmeir, a German national who says in Facebook that he lives in Koslanda. He says that he was former Former Regisseur und Filmemacher at BR - Bayerischer Rundfunk.

Can you identify the monks in this photo which was in Little Smile Association website?

 

The website of Little Smiles Association says with the above photo, "After the long journey from Koslanda on the South coast to Galle, Michael Kreitmeir prays for a good start for the new culture and meeting centre. He kneels at the little temple in front of the building, in which for many years the white Buddha from the children’s village has been more than just a symbol for the fact that mutual respect and the acceptance of different religions, races and convictions, just as it is practiced in the children’s village Mahagedara, will also become reality in the centre Meth Sevana. A few hours after this silent prayer the centre will be inaugurated."

The website of Little Smiles Association  identifies this place as Meth Sevana. But Batagoda Gamage Asanka Amarasiri who claims for the ownership of the land says that BBS named this place as Meth Sevana and alludes that it was done without his consent.

The website of the Little Smiles Association says "After purchasing the land near Pilane in 2005 there were further purchases in 2006 and 2008 and the area was thus expanded up to its current size of 2 hectares." (see this page) Then who is this Batagoda Gamage Asanka Amarasiri? Has a legally registered mon profit organization purchased land under person's names? Why, a big WHY?

Defense Ministry website says, "The Methsevana was constructed and offered to Maha Sanga by Mr. Michael J.A Kreitmeir of Germany. Mr. Kreitmeir also handed over the official documents of the property to the founder of the Buddhist Cultural Centre Ven. Kirama Wimalajothi Thero during the ceremony. The Buddhist cultural centre is dedicated to restore the values of Buddhism in Sri Lanka."

It seems that Little Smiles Association inaugurated the disputed center in Galle as a meeting center. Their website says, "After the end of the civil war in 2009 it became clear that it will take a long time till the deep gaps which almost three decades of separation and violence have left, will be overcome. One important prerequisite for its success is mutual understanding, not only in terms of language differences, but especially in terms of religion, ways of thinking, cultural differences. And this is why LSA builds a meeting center in Galle." Visit this page for more information on this center.

It is unclear how BBS occupied this place in a way a person who claims the ownership of the premises had to go to courts to oust them. Reportedly,  Michael Kreitmeir was also in the gathering as Defense Secretary opened the so called Cultural and Training Centre of BBS although he was not given prominence. Apparently, the BBS misled the German philanthropist who disillusioned late but hit back venomously. 

We tried to contact Little Smiles Association via its local phone number but the phone was not answered. However, it was after the office hours. You can vies contact details of the Association in this page.

Little Smile Association has raised funds for this center in Galle from various donors. (See this page) Have they informed the donors that the center will be used by an organization like BBS which is ill famous for its anti minority chauvinist stances and hate campaigns.

We found a report by Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regarding arrest of this Michael Kreitmeir in 2010. Read it.AHRC says the arrest was based on fabricated charges. We couldn't find what happened to the case filed against Michael Kreitmeir.

There is lot of mysteries behind the Meth Sevana drama which should be clarified both by the BBS and Little Smile Association. 

Michael Kreitmeir

Sri Lanka's Swarnavahini TV needed to be brought to book for assisting a Buddhist monk to attempt self-immolation

Sri Lanka's Swarnawahini TV videoed all from beginning to the end of the self-immolation attempt of a Buddhist monk near the entrance of the Buddhist Temple of Tooth of Kandy where a relic tooth of Lord Buddha is placed for worship.

The TV crew seemed of being well aware of the crime the Buddhist monk was about to commit but did not do anything to prevent it, a clear legal offense by a citizen.

The monk Bowatte Indrarathana who was earlier a Jathika Hala Urumaya (JHU) local government member of Pelmadulla Pradeshiya Sabha who lost the position due to absence. He has been an activist of other Sinhala Buddhist chauvinist movements like Sinhala Ravaya.

The monk seems an honest kind of racist. Definitely a victim of the vicious campaigns of the opportunist racist campaigns. 90% burnt, the 31 year old monk may suffer throughout his entire life mentally, if not physically but we have no other option than to wish he will live. 

Update: The monk passed away in the evening of May 25. 

Sri Lanka entering an age of violent Buddhism

Sri Lanka which sees the rise of Buddhist extremism in recent times passed a breakthrough as a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk committed self-immolation today at Kandy city. Kandy is a sacred city of Buddhists where the sacred relics of Lord Buddha is housed in the Temple of Tooth.

The monk had told that he would commit self immolation against the slaughter of cattle.

The monk has been identified as B. Indarathana Thero who resides in a temple in Kahawatta.

The incident took place before the entrance to the Temple of Tooth.

The monk doused himself with petrol and set ablaze. Hospital sources say that the monk's body is 90% burnt and his condition is very serious. He was transferred to Colombo national hospital.

Sri Lankans eat meat since generations although the Buddhist religion the majority of them follow advocates peace on the lives of the animals also.

However,  the Buddhist extremist elements intensified the campaign against the cattle slaughter. But the same Buddhist extremists do not protest the killings and forcible disappearances of ethnic Tamils of the country. In recent months, the Muslims were also the focus of the wrath of the Buddhist extremists.

Cattle farmers who are mostly Buddhists sell the bulls and old cows for meat as an additional income since long ago.