Violent Buddhist monks that attacked Christian religious places simply bailed out by Sri Lankan court

Eighteen persons including five Buddhist monks were produced in court today by police for their involvement in the attack on a Christian religious place. They surrendered to Galle magistrate court as they were wanted for ransacking two prayer centers of the evangelical Christian Assembly of God and Calvary Free Church at Southern Province tourist city Hikkaduwa.

However, the suspects were granted bail by the magistrate. They were released on Rs. 500,000 each personal surety by Galle magistrate Gunendra Kumara Munasinghe.

These suspects are to be framed charges on two counts pertaining to attacking two Christian religious places on January 12. The case was postponed to March 17.

Police identified 24 persons through video coverage of the violent carnage and court today ordered the police to arrest the suspects.


The monk-led mob resisted the police and destroyed the property hurling stones at the two prayer centers. The mob broke doors, windows and burnt religious signs and books.Local media videoed the violence and broadcast in the news on TV channels.


The Buddhist monks that led the protest said that the administrative authorities had ordered the prayer centers withdrawn. However, the pastors in charge of these centers said they were registered duly and the eviction order is illegal.

Fishermen and officials of India and Sri Lanka to discuss long standing dispute

A special discussion on the fisheries problems of India and Sri Lanka will be held in India today with the participation of the officials and the representatives of fishermen from the two countries.

The discussion will be held on January 27 in Chennai Tamil Nadu. State officials and representatives of fisheries organizations of Sri Lanka and India will participate in this discussion.

The main focus of the discussion is preventing the Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lanka's territorial waters and the Sri Lankans entering into the Indian sea territory.

The Director General of Sri Lanka Fisheries Department will lead the five member team of officials from Sri Lanka. Ten representatives from the fisheries organizations of Sri Lanka's Northern and Eastern Provinces will also take part in the discussion.

There is a long standing problem of fishermen of both countries poaching in waters belonged to the other side. Hundreds of fishermen are arrested by the authorities every year.  

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is discussing with the Maldives to seek a safe passage for Sri Lankan deep she fishing vessels to migrate to the international waters of the Arabian sea. At present Sri Lankan vessels endeavor to cross Indian waters to reach the Arabian sea for fishing amidst threats of arrest by Indian authorities.

(Wrote to Colombo Page) 

Sri Lanka court orders police to arrest the suspects of church attack in Hikkaduwa tourist town

Sri Lanka's Galle Additional Magistrate Gunendra Kumara yesterday ordered Assistant Superintendent Police of Galle Upali Bandaranaike to arrest 26 identified suspects of the attack on two Christian religious places in southern tourist town Hikkaduwa.

Police submitted the report to the courts yesterday. According to the report 10 Buddhist monks are in the list of suspects who ransacked the property of two prayer centers of Assembly of God.

A group of extremist Buddhist monks and laymen attacked two Christian religious centers on January 12 in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka's tourist city in the south.

Buddhist Organizations in Hikkaduwa staged a protest in the area against Christian prayer centers operating in the region.

The monk-led mob resisted the police and destroyed the property hurling stones at the two prayer centers. The mob broke doors, windows and burnt religious signs and books.

Local media videoed the violence and broadcast in the evening news on TV channels.

The residents of these religious places were threatened and the police temporarily closed the main Galle Road as residents entered the Galle Road passing the Hikkaduwa town.

The Buddhist monks that led the protest said that the administrative authorities had ordered the prayer centers withdrawn.

However, the pastors in charge of these centers said they were registered duly and the eviction order is illegal.

The rising religious intolerance from extremist Buddhist monks-led organizations in Sri Lanka has raised alarms among the moderate public and if authorities fail to take adequate measures to curtail the violence the actions of thes extremist groups would have serious consequences, civil society leaders warn.

Giving is fun - An inspirational video

Giving whatever you have is nice way to receive happiness.

“Giving is the highest expression of potency. In the very act of giving, I experience my strength, my wealth, my power. This experience of heightened vitality and potency fills me with joy. I experience myself as overflowing, spending, alive, hence as joyous. Giving is more joyous than receiving, not because it is a deprivation, but because in the act of giving lies the expression of my aliveness.” ~ Erich Fromm 

Video from KarmaTube

The selfie syndrome

Click image to see it in full
Source: BestComputerScienceSchools.net

Sri Lankan police officer-in-charge nabbed with wife while distributng heroin

Sri Lanka police has arrested a senior police officer and his wife under suspicion of drug dealing.

The arrested police officer is an Inspector of Police. He is M.D. Munasinghe, the Officer-in-Charge of the Wellampitiya police station.

He and his wife are suspected of engaging in distributing drugs. Police recovered 26.5 grammes of heroin from the police officer's official quarters. The value of the cache of heroin is well over Rs. 150,000.

The police officer and his wife were arrested by the Police Organised Crime Investigation Division and detained till January 6 with the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) to be questioned over their involvement in drug trafficking, the CCD reported to Colombo Magistrate today.

Colombo Crime Division arrested the police inspector yesterday evening and arrested his wife also this morning via information obtained from three suspects who obtained about 25 grams of heroin from this police officer.

Sri Lanka to commercially cultivate durian

Sri Lanka Ministry of Agriculture has taken steps to commercially cultivate popular fruit durian. Many people like this exotic fruit but some say they can't bear the smell.

Durian, Durio Zibethius Murray, is a expensive fruit in Sri Lanka which has demand in export market. However, Thailand, West Malaysia and Indonesia are considered the major Durian growing countries.

The fruit is believed to have aphrodisiac properties; contains a high amount of sulpher, hence causing a sharp smell. It is mainly grown in Kandy, Matale , Kalutara and Kegalle districts. Durian is mostly naturally grown and cultivated in home gardens.

The Ministry of Agriculture has taken steps to establish a Durian village in Minuwangoda Divisional Secretariat in Gampaha district. Durian will be grown in 30 acres there. The Ministry has introduced a developed variety of durian which bears fruit in a short span of time.

Nutritive Values of Durian (Source: Ministry of Agriculture)
(per 100g edible portion)

Energy	183.0 k cal
Protein	2.8 g
Fat	3.9 g
Carbohydrates	34.1 g
Calcium	10.0 mg
Phosphorus	50.0 mg
Iron	1.0 mg
Carotene	12.0 ug